Reply to a Book, Reply · Part 23
The 23. Section examined, of the Anſvverers rejecting the counſail of the Elders, when matters have bene referred to them, if he thought they would conclude againſt his purpoſe.
THe uſefullnes of the Elderſhip in the Church being conſidered, with the Honour which the Holy Ghoaſt putteth upon thoſe who are called thereunto, ſhould warne all men to take heed of contemning them, or occaſioning others to diſpiſe them.
Firſt.Act: 14. p. 155. Their uſefullnes appeareth in that the Holy Ghoaſt directed Paul and Barnabas to ordaine Elders by voyces in every Church. Which text Mr. Nowell in this Catechiſme alleadgeth to ſhew that there were in the well ordered Churches certaine Seniors choſen, and joyned with the Paſtor, and thereby he would ſhew that the Paſtor ſhould not excommunicate alone, without the judgement of the Church. This place being ſo underſtood, we may from hence noate two things to declare the uſefullnes of ſuch officers.1 Theſſ: 5.12.13. 1 Tim. 4.14. Act: 15.6.23.16.4. Ambroſ: in 1 Tim: 5. 1. that they were appoynted to every Church. 2. That they were ſolemnly ordayned, being commended to the Lord with prayer and faſting; which is not uſed in ſlight matters. It appeareth alſo in that they are joyned, by the wiſdom of God with other officers of as neceſſary uſe in the Church, as the members are in the body, 1 Cor. 12.28.
Secondly. The Honour which the Holy Ghoaſt putteth upon them, is very great, as appeareth, firſt, in their imployments, which are honourable ſervices, as, to aſſiſt the Paſtor, 1. In admoniſhing offenders. 2. In impoſition of hands at the ordaining of officers. 3. in conſulting and counſailing about Church affaires, the Apoſtles refuſed not their helpe herein, and this uſe of them continued (as Ambroſe ſayth) till it was altered by the ſloath, or rather pride of Teachers, who would ſeeme to be ſome body, by doing all things alone. 2. In the titles wherewith he honoureth them being thus imployed, calling them(a)foreign Heb: 13.7 17.24. Leaders, (b)foreign 1 Theſſ: 5.12. Rom: 12.8Preſidents, (c)foreign. Act: 20.28. 1 Cor. 12.28.Overſeers, (d)foreign 2 Chron. 19.8. 1 Tim. 3.2 1 Tim. 5.17. 1 Theſſ: 5.12.13. 1 Tim. 5.17. Heb. 13.17.Governments. 3. In the qualifications required to be in them, viz. to be ſuch as doe the duety of their place in the feare of the Lord, faythfully and with a perfect heart, wiſe, vigilant, ſober, of good behaviour, blameleſſe. In a word, they muſt not be deſtitute of any good property, whereby they may be fitted to rule well. 4. In the carriage which the Holy Ghoaſt injoyneth the people to uſe towards them, in theyre well diſcharging their duety. As, to acknowledge them, and to eſteeme them very highly in love, to account them worthy of double honour. And to obey them.
Now then, if any man ſhall deſpiſe this office, as of no neceſſary uſe in the Church of God, or, if any ſhall goe about, by diſparadging ſpeeches, to diſable them from doing the worke of their place, or to diſcourage and diſhearten them in it, by a needles, though true, publiſhing their imperfections, much more, if the reports be untrue, and mere ungrounded reproaches, the injury is, not only perſonall to the men, but publick and common to the wholl Church, which is much blemiſhed, either for want of it officers, or for want of care to make a good choyſe, and to ſee that they diſcharge their duety as they aught, and much diſordered, whileſt thoſe, who ſhould be admoniſhed by them, are now armed againſt them, as men branded with a marke of partiality, and inſufficiency, and diſorderly walking; and that by their Paſtor, and in print.
In which reſpect (for the prevention of ſuch dangerous conſequences or effects) it will be worth the while that we examine this ſecond complaint concerning his ſlighting the Elders, which I will breifely diſpatch, inſiſting principally upon thoſe things which he calleth me to examine by mentioning my name, which he wrighteth at length, as his manner is, leaſt elſe (it may be) the Reader ſhould forget that I am the marke he ſhooteth at, thorough all theſe.
The Anſwerer ſayth, this complaint is a very unjuſt ſlander. Anſ: Reply. 1.]
If it be a ſlander, it muſt needs be unjuſt: for no ſlander can be juſt. Yea; if it be a ſlander, it is a very great one: for it is not againſt a private, but a publick perſon, a preacher of the Goſpell, and their Paſtor, and that, not whiſpered in the eares of one, but publiſhed to the view of many. But, if it be true; the Anſwerers ſinne is double: 1, that he gave juſt cauſe of this complaint, in a caſe, not of private, but of publick injury, by depriving of his flock, not of civill, but of ſpirituall liberties, to the violation of that order which Chriſt hath ſetled in the Church; 2. That he unjuſtly chargeth them with a ſlander, and ſo maketh himſelfe guilty of calling good evill, yea, of the ſame ſinne, whereof he accuſeth them, viz, ſlander.
For the more cleare and full underſtanding and judging of what is ſayd, on both ſides, it muſt be obſerved that the firſt three pretended anſwers are mere evaſions and diverſions of the Reader from the matter of the Complaint. For,
Firſt, They doe not complaine of thoſe deciſſions and determinations which have bene made by moſt voyces in the Elderſhip, but of thoſe which have bene hindred and rejected by him: nor of his giving ſentence by his authority alone, but of his rejecting the authority of the Elderſhip, and interpoſing the authority of the Claſſis to hinder their proceeding in things which might have bene ended amongſt themſelves: nor that, thoſe reſolutions which have bene concluded in Conſiſtory, have bene tranſacted without conſent of moſt, but that ſome conſiderable concluſions, which moſt have agreed upon, have bene by him rejected, without ſufficient cauſe. So that, unleſſe he can acquitt himſelfe of rejecting thoſe determinations, which have bene made by moſt voices in the Elderſhips, and of hindring their proceeding in things which might have bene ended amongſt themſelves, and that, without ſufficient cauſe; the complaint appeareth to be juſt, in this particular, and no ſlander.
Secondly. They doe not complaine of his oppoſing, contradicting, or rejecting their opinions and counſailes, when they were againſt right, and truth, or hurtfull to the Church, or to any member thereof, but, when matters have bene agreeable to truth, and right, and for the good of the Church, upon unjuſt pretences of the Elders inſufficiency and partiality, as in the caſes inſtanced by them.
Thirdly. They doe not complaine of his rejecting the counſaile of the Elders only by ſhewing his particular judgment, as one Deacon may oppoſe the opinion of another in their owne ſeſſion, or as in a Senat Civill, or Eccleſiaſticall, there may be difference, and ſo oppoſition of opinions amongſt men; without rejecting ſuch concluſions as are made by moſt voyces in things lawfull and aequall; but of this they complaine, that he ſo oppoſeth and rejecteth their power, in ſome caſes, that he unjuſtly depriveth them of their power, upon untrue pretences of their partiality, and inſufficiency to judge.
Fourthly. In his fourth anſwer, his accuſing the Elders of partiality & inſufficiency is propounded by him, but the grounds thereof, or the proofes of it are not declared, and ſo, upon the matter, juſt nothing is ſayd.
Fifthly. In his fifth anſwer, he pretendeth juſt cauſe of his excepting againſt three of the Elders, as partiall, in this controverſy about me. And to make this cable ſtrong, he twiſteth three cauſes, as cords, together, that they profeſſe themſelves to be of the ſame opinion with me touching baptiſme. Anſ. 2. that they have, by their example, allowed and countenanced the meeting of diverſe, at a private excerciſe, upon the Lords day, after the Sermons were ended. 3. that they made an act for my preaching amongſt themſelues, as an aſſiſtant, for a certaine time &c.
Theſe are new crimes, which former ages have not heard of, Reply. and after times will wonder at, if all things be conſidered.
For the firſt. Is it the ſinne of partiality, in the Elders, to hold with any man in diſliking, and witneſſing againſt evill cuſtoms, as this promiſcuous adminiſtration of baptiſme is declared to be? or to joyne, without ſcandall or Schyſme, in a private excerciſe, after the publick are ended? or to make an act for a mans preaching amongſt them as an aſſiſtant, the publick neceſſity requiring it, and the Church generally deſiring it, for a convenient time, that he might underſtand thoſe orders and cuſtoms of the Dutch Church, whereunto his conformity is expected, before he bind himſelfe thereunto? If ſo; then to hold the truth, to joyne in a peaceable and inoffencive uſe of private helpes for aedifycation, and to provide for the publick good & peace is an argument of partiality in an Elder. The vanity of this pretence is manifeſt. Let us ſee his ſecond proofe.
Secondly. Anſ. To prove them partiall he produceth another conſideration. viz, that the Elders have made like complaints (as theſe Complainants) heretofore, of his bringing matters to the Claſſis violently, without their conſent. The Claſſis hath judged them parties.
Be it ſo. 1. Is not this alleadged againſt himſelfe? For, Reply. now it appeareth not to be the complaint of ſome members only, who might unjuſtly complaine, thorough ignorance or miſinformation, but even, the Elders who are eye witneſſes of all that paſſeth in Conſiſtory, have made the ſame complaint. Will not any man conclude, that matters are injuriouſly carried, indeed, when, not only ſome of the members, but the Elders themſelves alſo complaine thereof? As for the Claſſis judging of them parties; how eaſily may the Elders demand their grounds, and proofe thereof, and, in caſe of want of ſufficient evidence, appeale from their ſentence, to the Scripture? And is it not poſſible, may we thinck, to find partiality, as well in the Claſſis, as in the Conſiſtory? I wiſh they had expreſſed more aequanimity in the carriage of this buiſenes, for their owne, and the Churches ſake.
Anſ. Thirdly. If that proofe fayle, he hath one more, which will hold, as he imagineth. Euen the Elders themſelves have acknowledged, that, when ſome ſuch complaints as theſe have bene brought unto them, they had no power to judge thereof.
Reply. The Anſwer of the Elders, which is here reported, is not neceſſarily to be underſtood as an acknowledgment of their want of power, de jure, by right, to judge thereof, but may be underſtood, as a declaration (or rather a complaint) of their want of power, defacto, by other mens taking it out of their hands, without right. Now, if that power which belongeth to them be taken from them, without their conſent, and ſo before it be given, and without warrant of the word, and ſo before it be due: it is no partiality to aſſume that, by a due clayme, which was unduely withheld from them; and it is no preſumption in them, if, knowing their right▪ they give a new judgment of that thing, which they had formerly waved, not knowing that they had power to judge thereof. So much for his pretences againſt them for partiality.
In his ſixth anſwer he undertaketh to ſhew their inſufficiency, wherein, Anſ. that he be not miſtaken, he profeſſeth not to ſpeake of that common inſufficiency that is in all men &c. but he excepteth againſt their inſufficiency in ſome ſpeciall caſes, and namely in ſuch particulars whatſoever have bene already judged and determined in the Claſſis.
Reply. So then. Whatſoever the Claſſis ſhall take upon them to judge, though it were unduely and diſorderly brought to them, ſhall bind the Church ſo, as it muſt reſt therein, & that they ſhall not meddle in it, though they are not ſatiſfyed about the aequity of their proceeding in it, and though they doe not ſhew ſufficient warrant from the word, for their judgment, and determination. And this muſt hold, in all caſes whatſoever. Me thincks the Anſwerer ſhould, upon a review, voluntarily revoke this expreſſion, or that the Claſſis ſhould profeſſe againſt it, in publick, as ſome of the miniſters have affirmed to me in private, that they doe not aſſume any ſuch power to themſelves, or, if they be ſilent, the provinciall Synod ſhould provide that convenient meanes may be uſed to ſtop the ſpreadings of ſuch an errour, for many dangerous conſequences, which their wiſdoms, I doubt not, will foreſee, following thereupon. To me it is manifeſt, that no Nationall Synod, in theſe Countryes, ever gave power to the Claſſes thus farr to deprive particular Churches of the right of judging things proper to themſelves, within themſelves. Neither is there one word in theſe complaints, which, being fairely conſtrued, & (for aug…t I can diſcerne) according to the intent and expreſſion of the Complainants themſelves, requireth any thing, but what the Nationall Synods have ordered and appoynted to be done for and to all the Churches, and which the Claſſes, if they be true to their owne rules, in their firſt conſtition, muſt ſee performed. So farr are they from attempting the innovation and alteration of diſcipline and government ſo long practiſed in theſe reformed Churches.