Justification of Separation from the Church of England, Treatise · Section 59
The first is. It agrees with the practise of the Iewish Church frō whence Mr B.it is held, that the manner of governing in the Church is fetched.
And is this the necessary proof you speak of? whatsoever is soAnsw. held, is so in truth. And yet in your second book, as hath been shewed, you bring in sundry men holding contrary things, as if contraries could be true. Well, I confesse it is so held, and that by many, with whom I would gladly consent, if the scriptures taught me not to hold otherwise. It had been good here the authour had shewed vsus, what the government of the Iewish Church was, and not thus sleightily to have passed over things of this moment. For the purpose in hand thus much.
The Church of the Iewes was a nationall Church, †Exod. 19. 5. 6. Lev. 20. 24. 26. Deut. 29. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.the Lord separating vntounto himself the whole natiō, frō all other nations, to be his people, and that he might be their God. And as one of the Lords ordinances suits with an other, and depends vponupon an other, so from this nationall Church doth necessarily arise a representative Church. For where communion together in the holy things of God is an act, and operation of the Church, for the mutuall aedification of the parts, and that it was impossible, that the whole body of a nation should in the intire, simple, proper, or personall parts, & members communicate togeither, the Lord so ordered and disposed, that that communion should be had, and exercised after a manner, and in a sort, and that was by way of representation.
And to this end the Lord made choise of one speciall place in the land, which he gave his people to possesse, at the first alterable, but afterwards constant, and vnchangeable, where he would hauehave his tabernacle pitched, and his temple built, where he would put his name, and dwell, and which he would honour above all places, with his glory and presence.
There was also one onelyonly tabernacle or temple, one high Preist, one altar, vntounto which the whole nationall Church had reference, †Deut. 12. 5. 6. 7.thither must they bring all their sacrifices, tithes and offrings, “Deut. 17. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.thither were causes Ios. 18. 1. 1 King. 8. 10. 29.hard, and difficult to be brought, that the people might be shewed the sentence of iudgement, informed, and taught the law, by the Preists of the Levites. *Exod. 29. 38. 39. 4…. 43. 45.There was the dayly sacrifice offred for the whole nationall Church, morning and evening continually, there the Lord appointed with the children of Israel, sanctifying the place with his glory, binding himself by his promise to dwell amongst them, and to be their God. There was2 Chro. 19. 8. …. 10. 11. “Exo. 28. 9. 10. 11. 12 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 2…. 29. 30.the high Preist to cary graven vponupon two onix stones, as the stones of remembrance of the children of Israel, put vponupon the shoulders of the Eph…d, the names of the children of Israel according to their tribes, for a remembrance: and againe, the names of the children of Israel, according to their twelve tribes i… twelve stones set vponupon the breast plate of iudgement vponupon his heart, for a remembrance continually before the Lord. There was also †Exo. 25. 30. Lev. 24 5. 6. 7. 8.set vponupon the pure table of Shittim wood in the tabernacle, twelve loaves of shew bread continually before the Lord, according to the twelve tribes of Israel for a remembrance.
Now all these were ordinances representative, in a Church representative: and other Church representative amongst the Iewes, I neyther know, not acknowledge. And the ground of this representation was the necessary absence of the people represented. Necessary, I call it, whether we respect the ordinance of God inhibiting the peoples entrance into the place, where the most of these representations were made, or whether wee respect the impossibility of the whole nations ordinarie assembling, and communicating together.
And herevpon it comes to passe, that all other Churches since, so framed, and of such qualitie, as that they cannot ordinarily assemble together, & keep communion, hauehave also as their images, or shadowes, their Churches representative. The catholik visible Ch: of Rome hath her visible Ch: representative, the Popes Cōsistory, or Colledge of Cardinalls, or the generall Council gathered by his authority. The nationall Church of Engl:, hath her nationall Church representative, the Convocation house: as have also the Provinciall and Diocesan Churches their representations, the Archbishops, & Bishops Consistories. But as the bodyes of these Churches are monstrous devises of mens braynes, (there being no other Churches vnderunder the new testament but particular assemblies) so are their shadowes, (the Churches representative) mere devises of devises.
And to apply this nearer the purpose. Since the Church now consisteth not of one nation severed from all other nations, but of particular assemblies of faithfull people, separated from all other assemblies, which like so many distinct †Act …0. 28. 1 Pet. 5 2. 3. 1 Cor. …. 4. & 11. 17. 20. & 14. 23.flockes, do ordinarily heard together, and so communicate in the word, prayer, sacraments, & censures, and that where the Church grew sometimes greater by the suddayne, and extraordinary conversion of more then could well so assemble, then was there presently a dispersion of the former and a multiplication of more particular assemblies. Act. 2. 41. 42. & 8. 4. 5. 6. & 9. 31. & 14. 23. 27. & 15. 22. 30. Rev. 1. 4. 11. this rases the foundation of all representative Churches, as eyther politick devises, or at the best, praeposterous imitations of the Iewish Church, and polity. For (as I have formerly sayd, and common sense teacheth it) the foundation of representation is the necessary absence of that which is represented, whether person, or thing. And so since there is no necessity, that the body of a particular Church should be absent, but on the contrary a necessity, that the same be present, at and in all the publick administrations, and actions of communion in the Churches holy things, we do therefore disclaym as supersluous, and feyned, all representative Churches whatsoever.
Secondly if the outward form of Church government now be fetched from the Iewish Church, then as in that representative Ch: there was an high Preist set over the rest, in whose person, and administration, the representation of the whole Church was most eminent, so must there now be also in this representative Church one officer over the rest, and as it were their high Preist. And so the catholik representative Church of Rome hath an vniversall Bishop the Pope over it: the Nationall, Provinciall, and Diocesan, Churches representative, Nationall, Provinciall, and Diocesan Bishops over them. And so in all equitie should the Synodes, and Praesbyteries, accounting themselves properly Churches, or bodies Ecclesiasticall, have their Officers over them: and so there should alwayes be one, or more Ministers over the Church of Ministers, and whose charge these Synodes and Presbyteries should be, to be fed by them. And the truth is, this reason fetcht from the Iewish Church, as it far better fitts the Praelates in England, then the Cōsistorians, so fitts it the Papists better then eyther of them both: for there is one Bishop over the catholick visible Church (as they speak) as there was one high Preist over the whole visible Ch: then.
Adde vntounto this, that if the representative Church at Ierusalem be a pattern for a representative Church vntounto vsus, then as there not onelyonly hard causes were opened, & declared according to the law, but also the sacrifices offred, and most solemne services performed day, by day, without the presence of the body of the Church, so now in this our representative Church consisting of the officers onelyonly, there must be not onelyonly the vse of the keyes for admonitiō, and excommunication, but there must also be the preaching of the word, and ministring of the sacraments, (which are our most solemn services) whether the people be present or no. And to imagine a power of Christ in the Church of the officers for the vse of one solemne ordinance out of the communion of the body, & not for an other, hath no ground from the Iewish Church.
Lastly, to fetch the form of govermēt for the Church now frō the Iewish Church, were to revive †Heb. 8. 13the old testamēt, which so long since, is abrogated, and disanulled. For to speak properly the old testament is nothing but that externall policy instituted by Moses in the Iudiciall & ceremoniall law, for the dispensation of the typicall kingdome and Preisthood of Christ, shadowed out by that of “Heb. 5. & 6.Melchisedeck King and Preist: repraesented by the administrations of Moses, and Aaron: and after continued in the *Num. 18Preisthood of the Levites, & †2 Chron. 13. 5.kingdome of David & his sonnes, till Christ, in the dispensation of those worldly, and carnall ordinances. Now as the judicialls, (which were for the government of the Congregation civily) are dead, and do not bind any civil polity, save as they were of common equity: so are the ceremonialls, (which were for the Ch: polity) deadly: and may not be revived by any Church, save as any of them have new life given by Christ. For though we now be made “Eph. 2. 12. and 3. 6.citizens of the common wealth of Israell, and one body with them, yet is that in respect of *Gen. 17. 7. Gal. 3. 17.the everlasting covenant confirmed of God with Abraham through Christ. (I wilbe thy God, and the God of thy seed) four hundred and thirty yeares before the law was given, or the polity and government of the lewish, eyther church, or common wealth, in it established: and as we are the sonnes, and daughters of Abraham by faith, but no way in respect of those Iewish ordinances in in the old testament, or the order of dispensing them. And yet if it were graunted which you would have, that the Church governmēt now is to be patterned by the goverment of the Iewish church, then it would nothing avayle you for the purpose in hand. For the church officers the Preists, and Levites vntounto whom †Numb. 3. 67.the charge of the whole Congregation, for the service of the tabernacle did apperteyne, had no authority by the order of their office to inflict any censure spiritually vponupon the people, as had the civil Magistrates to punish them bodily. The Preists and Levites were onelyonly to enterpret the law, and in cases extraordinarily difficult, to find out the estate of the person, or thing, and to shew what in such a case the law required: and if you will say, they gave judgement it was none otherwise, then as a Physitian gives …dgement of the body, or state of his patient by his faculty, or skill in his art: but to sit vponupon them formally in judgement, & ecclesiastically to punish them, that they might not do: neyther are they called in the scriptures “Deut. 17 9. 2 Chron. 1…. 5. 6.judges, as the civil Magistrates are. Yea the scriptures do make a playne difference where the civil Elders are to *Ex. 18. 13. Ruth. 4. 2.sit, and iudge the people, but the †Numb. 16 9. 2. 2 Chrō. 35. 3.Preists to stand before the Congregation, and to minister vntounto them. Now before we passe over this busines in hand, I deem it not amisse vponupon this occasion, to observe a few things by way of answer to a scripture vsually brought out for the foundation of these representative churches and their power, and especially for these Nationall, and Provinciall Synodes, & the like. And the scripture is, Act. 15.
1. There was no synode, or assembly of the Officers of divers Churches, but onelyonly certayne messengers sent from the church of Antiochia, to the Church of Ierusalem about the controversy there specified.
2. Neyther the Church of Antioch which sent the messengers, nor the church at Ierusalem whether they were sent, was a representative church, consisting of Officers, much lesse of chief officers onelyonly. For first it is sayd, ver. 1. 2. that the brethren of Antiochia, which Ch. 14. 17. are called the church, and v. 28. the disciples, and in this chapt. v. 3. the church, and v. 23. the brethren sent their messengers with Paul and Barnabas to Ierusalem: and it will most evidently appeare by whom the message was sent, if we consider to whom the answer was returned. ver. 30. where the messengers did not deliver the Epistle till they had assembled the multitude. And 2. it is apparant that at Ierusalem, not onelyonly the cheif officers the Apostles, yea and inferiour officers the Elders also, met together about it, and sent answer, but the brethren with them. v. 4. 12. 22.
And these scriptures alone in this chapt. are sufficient to chalendge the liberty of the brethren in the discussing of publique cō troversies out of the hands of all officers whatsoever.
3. Paul and Barnabas, went not to Ierusalem eyther for authority, or direction; for being Apostles, they had both equall immediate authority from Christ, and equall infallible direction frō the holy Ghost, with the rest of the Apostles. OnelyOnly they went for countenance of the truth in respect of men, and for the stopping the mouthes of such deceivers as pretended they were sent by the Apostles. v. 24.
4. Their decrees were absolutely Apostolicall, and divine scripture by infallible direction from the holy Ghost, and so imposed vponupon all other Churches of the Gentiles, though they had …o delegates there, ver. 23. 28. Ch. 16. 4.
But it wilbe sayd, may not the officers of one, or many Churches meet together to discusse & consider of matters for the good of the Church, or Churches, and so be called a Church, Synode, or the like? I deny it not, so they infringe no order of Christ, or liberty of the brethren, they may so do, and so be called in a sense: but the quaestion now is about such a Church, as is gathered for the publick administration of admonition, excommunication, & other the like ordinances of Christ, which Mr B. in his first book graunts “pag. 92.must be done with the knowledge of the body of the Church, & and in the open assembly.
And here falls into handling certayn borrowed stuffe †pag. 178.in Mr B. 2. book about this matter.