The True Way of Concord of All the Christian Churches, Part 1 · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX.
That Chriſt himſelf who commanded the Vnity, Love and Concord of Chriſtians, did preſcribe the neceſſary terms.
§. 1. IF it be once proved, that Chriſt himſelf hath preſcribed the conditions or terms of Chriſtian Union and Communion, what remaineth to Chriſtians, but to enquire What are thoſe terms? Whereas for want of that neceſſary ſuppoſition, while men think it is left to them, no man knoweth who ſhould do it, and the Pope preſcribeth his terms, and others preſcribe their terms, and almoſt each Sect hath different terms.
§. 2. That Chriſt did preſcribe them, I ſhall prove I. Antecedently, à Cauſis, II. Conſequently, ab Effectis; III. By proving the neceſſary excluſion of any other competent preſcribers.
§. 3. I. Antecedently it is proved from 1. The univerſal neceſſity of the thing, 2. And from the office of Chriſt to do things of ſuch univerſal neceſſity, and his faithfulneſs therein.
§. 4. 1. There are few Chriſtians ſo ignorant or inconſiderate, but will confeſs that the Vnion of Chriſtians is neceſſary, not only to the edification and well being, but to the very being of the Church, (both univerſal and particular.) For what is a Church, but many Chriſtians united and aſſociated for Church-ends? Pull all the Bricks or Timber of the houſe aſunder, and it is no houſe: Pull all the Planks and parts of a Ship aſunder, and it is no Ship: Pull all the leaves and ſentences of a Book aſunder, and it is no Book: Pull all the parts of a mans body aſunder, and there remaineth no body of a man, conſidered formally, but only materially, and in their aptitude to re-union at the reſurrection. An Army disbanded and diſſipated, is no Army. And certainly it is no Church, that hath not Church-unity of parts.
2. And all that believe in Chriſt, believe that he came into the world to call and gather his Church, and to ſave them; and that he ſent his Word, his Miniſters and Spirit to this end. He is the principle of life to the Church his body; who firſt by aggregation uniteth them to himſelf and one another, and then is their conſtitutive and governing and quickning head. It is his undertaken office firſt to make all his own members, and then to govern, preſerve, edifie and ſave them. And how can Chriſt make his Church, without uniting the members? Can he build his houſe, and never ſet the bricks, ſtones or timber together? Can you make a Clock or Watch, without adapting and uniting the parts? And can Chriſt gather, build, compaginate and unite his Church, and not ſo much as tell men (either Paſtors or people) what are the Conditions and terms of union, and the cement or ſolder that muſt unite them?
§. 5. And all Chriſtians confeſs Chriſts ſufficiency for his office, and his perfect faithfulneſs in performing it. He wanted neither Power, Wiſdom, nor Love (or Will) to gather his own Church or body: He was faithful as Moſes in all Gods houſe. And he that fulfilled all the righteouſneſs of the Law, and whatever was impoſed on him as a humbled ſatisfier of Juſtice, ſurely no leſs fulfilled all that belonged to him as the grand Adminiſtrator, and Benefactor, and Executor of Gods mercy and his own will, and as Head over all things to his Church, Eph. 1. 22, 23.
§. 6. Nay, as he was the King and Law giver of the Church, who was to give them all their Vniverſal Laws (binding all men) could he be ſuppoſed to have done this faithfully, if he had left out the very terms of Church-unity and concord, when ſuch unity is eſſential to the Church? Did he ſend the Apoſtles to diſciple and baptize all Nations, and be in Gods houſe (the Church) as Paul calleth Timothy [Pillars and baſes of truth] yea, foundations, and Maſter-builders, that muſt gather his Church out of all the world, and yet never tell them What a Church is? that is, how the parts muſt be united?
As he is the Teacher of the Church, did he never teach them ſo neceſſary a thing, as what eſſential Church-unity is? Theſe are ſuch imputations againſt Chriſt, as ſeem to deny him to be Chriſt; As he would deny God to be God, that would deny his providence and government of the world.
§. 7. Chriſts Law is to be both the Rule of our actions and his judgement. And if he have left out ſo great a point as the eſſentiating terms of Church Vnion, what momentous acts of our lives are left to be ungoverned and unjudged by the Laws of Chriſt?
§. 8. Above all men thoſe are bound to conſent to what I ſay, who hold that Chriſts Laws have not left ſo much as a ceremony undetermined, and that nothing may be added or diminiſhed in his worſhip. How much leſs then hath he left the eſſentiating terms of Church-unity unpreſcribed?
§. 9. II. And conſequently ab effectis we find, that Chriſt did it.
1. He plainly declared what maketh a Chriſtian. 2. He declared how all Chriſtians ſhould live in love and concord. 3. And how the coalition of theſe Chriſtians maketh his Church.
§. 10. I. It had been ſtrange, if he that came into the world to make men Chriſtians, had never told men what a Chriſtian is. And if he that ſent his Apoſtles to make Chriſtians, had ſet them to do they knew not what, and never told them what a Chriſtian is, and conſequently what they muſt perſwade men to. And if he that promiſed Juſtification, Pardon, Adoption and Glory to all true believers (that is, to true Chriſtians,) had yet never told them how they may know that they are ſuch? And that he that commanded ſo much Chriſtian duty, publick and private, and required Chriſtians to ſuffer ſo much for his ſake, and to look for a reward in Heaven, ſhould yet never tell them what Chriſtianity is? If Chriſt made Chriſtianity, (that is, the Laws and deſcription, objects and principle) then he made a Determinate thing: If not, hath he left it to man to make Chriſtianity (objectively)? Then how ſhall we know to whom he gave this power? And how many ſeveral ſpecies of Chriſtianity (or faith) may be made in the world?
§. II. It is evident in Scripture, that Chriſt ſent his Apoſtles, and that he taught them what to preach, and particularly that he Matth. 28. 19, 20. ſaid [Go and Diſciple me all Nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghoſt] teaching them to obſerve all things whatever I commanded you.] And it is certain, that a Baptized perſon was then accounted a Chriſtian, and Baptiſm was their Chriſtening; and that this was the Church entrance, and viſible ſymbol of a Chriſtian and Church-member: And that all Chriſts Church hath ſo accounted of baptiſm to this day: and true Tradition is in no one point ſo full and conſtant as in this. And moreover the very nature of the thing it ſelf declareth it. Is not he a Chriſtian that believeth according to the ſenſe of the inſtitution, in God the Father, Son and Holy Ghoſt, and by a ſolemn Vow and Covenant devoteth himſelf to him as his God and Father, his Redeemer and Saviour, and his Sanctifier and Comforter, and the witneſs of Chriſt; and that hereupon hath right to juſtification, adoption, and the heavenly inheritance: Who is a Chriſtian, if this be not?
§. 12. The ſenſe of the Catholick Church is ſo notorious in this, that I think there is little diſagreement about it. The Papiſts confeſs it: The Proteſtants confeſs it: See but Voſſii Theſes de Baptiſmo, and Davenant de Bapt. and eſpecially Gatakers Ammadverſions on that of Davenant: All confeſs, that all the antient Churches held, that to the duly qualified receiver, all ſin was pardoned in baptiſm, and the perſon put into a ſtate of life: And therefore was a member of the Church.
§. 13. II. And that Chriſt commanded all Chriſtians to take each other as brethren, and to live in Love; and that all men by this were to know them to be his diſciples, is ſo fully revealed in Scripture, that it is needleſs among Chriſtians to prove it.
III. As alſo that ſuch Chriſtians united to him their Head, are eo nomine his Church; and living in this Love, live as the members of his Church muſt do.
§. 14. And here three things are to be noted, 1. That what was done by the Holy Spirit as given extraordinarily to the Apoſtles as founders or Architects of the Church, to lead them into all truth, was truly done by Chriſt himſelf; the Holy Ghoſt ſo extraordinarily given being his promiſed Agent.
2. That yet this work of Inſtituting Baptiſm as the terms of Church-union, he would not leave to the Spirit in the Apoſtles, but was the immediate author of it himſelf.
3. But yet two things hereabout he left to the Apoſtles, 1. To explain to the baptized the true ſenſe of the general words in the baptiſmal Covenant: 2. And to inſtitute part of the terms of Particular Church Order and Vnity: who accordingly ſetled (or ordained) Elders, Biſhops or Paſtors, in every particular Church, which at firſt was for the moſt part in every City (or great Town) where the Goſpel was received by any competent number; and after they added Deacons and Deaconeſſes or Widows ad melius eſſe only, and they taught them by word and writing to obſerve all that Chriſt commanded.
§. 15. III. And as I have proved, 1. That it muſt be done, 2. And that Chriſt did it, ſo 3. It is part of our proof, that no other did it or could do it.
1. No other had authority to inſtitute Church-Eſſentials, and to give ſuch neceſſary univerſal Laws. 2. No other came early enough to do it, but as his Miniſters after Chriſt had done it. 3. No other had wiſdom and fitneſs enough for it; nor were fit to agree to make Church eſſentials. 4. De facto Hiſtory proves they did it not. 5. To undertake it, is to invade Chriſts office. The Apoſtles themſelves found it done to their hands: Much leſs can any ordinary Paſtors ſince prove any authority from God, or any true capacity in themſelves for ſuch a work.
§. 16. And if any pretend to it, they muſt be ſuch as lived before Chriſt had any Evangelical Church (that is, of the ſame ſpecies as hath been ſince the inſtitution of Chriſtian baptiſm) or ſuch as have lived only ſince. The former came not in as competitors: The latter were too late to be the do…s of that which was done before. Union is eſſential to the Church in general: The neceſſary terms of Union are eſſential to it in ſpecie as the Chriſtian Church: For neceſſarium eſt ſine quo res eſſe non poteſt: It's no Chriſtian Church, without the neceſſary terms of Church union. And therefore before thoſe terms were firſt made or inſtituted, there was no Church of that ſpecies: and after there was ſuch a Church, and conſequently ſuch terms of its Union, none could make them, they being made before.
If any that came after did or ſhall hereafter attempt to make ſuch terms, it muſt be new ones, and not the ſame that conſtituted the firſt Church: and then their Church will be new, and not of the ſame ſpecies as the firſt. Indeed God did make new Laws of Adminiſtration, and ſo may a Kingdom, without changing the conſtitution: but not new conſtituting terms: Governing Laws which follow the Conſtitution, are not to make the Kingdom a Kingdom, or the Church a Church: but to preſerve the Church and its order, and promote its welfare: and the Oath of Allegiance maketh a man a Subject, without ſubſcribing to the Governing Laws: But as a Subject he conſenteth to live under thoſe Laws: and if he break them, he is puniſhable according to them, and for breaking ſome of them, may be cut off: and for ſome crimes a man may be excommunicate.
But yet excommunication muſt be diſtinguiſhed: That which totally cuts a man off from the Church, muſt be but a ſentence upon proof that he hath firſt morally cut off himſelf: Leſſer crimes muſt be puniſhed with the leſſer excommunication, which is but a ſuſpenſion, and that which Paul ſpeaketh of, 2 Theſſ. 3. 15. Yet take him not for an enemy, but admoniſh him as a brother.
§. 17. By all this it is moſt evident, that Chriſt himſelf the Inſtitutor and maker of his Church, hath made the terms of eſſential Catholick Vnion; and that we have nothing to do herein, but to find out what are the terms that he hath made, and not to enquire what any men ſince have made or added, as being not authorized thereto.