Irenicum to the Lover of Truth and Peace, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
They who are for a Congregationall way, doe not hold abſolute liberty for all Religions.
BUt for all that hath been ſaid, Are there not yet a ſort of men, who though they would colour over things, & put fair gloſſes upon their opinions and ways, ſaying they would not have ſuch an abſolute liberty as to have all religions ſuffered, yet do they not come near this in their tenets and practiſe?Congregationall men charged for liberty to all Religions. Doe not men in a Congregationall way take away all Eccleſiaſtical means that ſhould hinder ſuch an abſolute liberty as this? for they hold, every congregation hath ſole Church power within it ſelfe, and they are not tyed to give any account to others, but meerly in an arbitrary way, will not this bring in a toleration of all Religions, and a very Anarchy
Firſt,Anſw. I know none holds this, and how farr men in a congregationall way are from it, ſhall appear preſently.
In the clearing of this thing, I ſhall not argue for one ſide or other, I ſhall only ſhew you that there is in effect as much means to prevent or ſubdue error, hereſie, ſchiſme in the congregationall way, (which you call by another name) as there is in that way, other Brethren endeavour to hold forth. I am not here to plead what is right, what is wrong, but onelyonly to ſhew you the difference is not great, ſo far as concernes this thing; what one holds, the ſame the other holds in effect; if this be done with clearneſs, then the great out-cry againſt that way, as fomenting diviſions by opening a gap to all kind of liberty, will I hope be ſtilled, and your hearts in ſome meaſure ſatisfied. I confeſſe were it, as many of you are made to believe, that that way gives liberty, or at leaſt hath no helpe againſt all errors & hereſies, it muſt be acknowledged it were a means of moſt fearfull diviſions, and in no caſe to be tolerated. But certainly you will find it far otherwiſe. This argument I am now about, (namely, how far Brethren agree in a matter of ſo great moment, and in that which they are by ſome thought moſt to diſagree in, and their diſagreement moſt feared, as a matter of dangerous conſequence) I know cannot be an unpleaſing argument to you, although we cannot be ignorant that there is a generation of men that are vexed when they hear how near their brethren come to them in way of agreement, it ſerves more for their turns to have the diſtance wide, they would keep open the wounds, yea widen them, but God forbid there ſhould be ſuch a ſpirit in you.
Wherefore for your help in this thing, theſe two things are to be premiſed.
1. That the only way the Church hath to keep downe errors or hereſies is ſpirituall; as for other means they are extrinſicall to the Church; this all acknowledge: as for ſubjection to the Magiſtrate, if he pleaſes to interpoſe, to that both they and we muſt yeeld.
2. The vertue of ſpiritual power works not upon the outward man, by its prevailing upon conſcience; therefore ſo far as men are conſcientious, ſo far it works, and no farther.
Now then ſee what difference there is in the Congregationall way from the Presbyterian, for the prevailing with mens Conſciences, to reduce to the trueth thoſe who goe aſtray from it.
Firſt, Thoſe in the Congregationall may acknowledg that they are bound in conſcience to give account of their ways to Churches about them, or to any other who ſhall require it; this is not in an arbitrary way, but as a duty that they owe to God and man.
Secondly, they acknowledge that Synods of others Miniſters and Elders about them are an ordinance of Jeſus Chriſt for the helping the Church againſt errors, ſchiſmes, and ſcandals.
3ly. That theſe Synods may by the power they have from Chriſt admoniſh men or Churches in his name, when they ſee evils continuing in, or growing upon the Church, and their admonitions carry with them the authority of Jeſus Chriſt.
Fourthly, as there ſhall be cauſe, they may declare men or Churches to be ſubverters of the faith; or otherwiſe according to the nature of the offence, to ſhame them before all the Churches about them.
5ly. They may by a ſolemn act in the name of Jeſus Chriſt refuſe any further communion with them, till they repent.
Sixtly, they may declare, and that alſo in the name of Chriſt, that theſe erring people or Churches are not to be received into fellowſhip with any the Churches of Chriſt, nor to have communion with one another in the ordinances of Chriſt. Now all this being done in Chriſts name, is this nothing to prevail with conſcience?
You will ſay, What if they care not for all this?
That is as if you ſhould ſay, What if they be not conſcientious?Anſw. What if nothing can prevaile with conſcience?
I demand, what can any Church-power do more to work upon mens conſcience for the reducing them from evill?
You will ſay, They may doe all this with more authority then the Congregationall way will allow.
We need not contend about the word Authority: But, howAnſw. much higher is an act of authority in the Church, then for the Officers of Chriſt to act in the name of Chriſt?
If you ſay, private Brethren may admoniſh, and declare in the Name of Chriſt.
This is more then if any private Brethren ſhould doe the ſame thing; for a Synod is a ſolemne Ordinance of Chriſt, and the Elders are to be looked on as the Officers of Jeſus Chriſt.
But our Brethren ſay, There is one meanes more in their way then the Congregationall way hath, that is, if the ſixe former will not worke, then Synods may deliver to Satan.
In this very thing lies the very knot of the controverſie between thoſe who are for the Presbyteriall, and thoſe who are for the Congregationall way, in reference to the matter in hand, namely the means to, reducing from, or keeping out errours and hereſies from the Church, in this lyes the dividing buſineſſe; But I beſeech you conſider what a punctum we divide here, and judg whether the cauſe of diviſion in this thing be ſo great as there can be no help, and whether if an evil ſpirit prevail not amongſt us, we may not joyne; For,
Firſt, conſider, what is there in this delivering to Satan? which is a ſeventh thing that our Brethren thinke may hopefully prevail with mens conſciences, when the ſixe former cannot.
Yes, ſay they, for by this they are put out of the Kingdome of Chriſt into the Kingdome of Satan, and this will ter…ifie.
This putting out of Chriſts Kingdome muſt be underſtood, clave non errante, if the Synod judges right, not otherwiſe; Yes, this is granted by all.
Then conſider, whether this be not done before, and that with an authority of Chriſt by thoſe former ſix things; for Hereticall Congregations, or perſons are judged and declared in a ſolemn Ordinance, by the Officers of Chriſt gathered together in his name, to be ſuch as have no right in any Church-ordinance, to have no communion with any of the Churches of Chriſt: Now if this judgement be right, are not ſuch perſons or Congregations put out of the Kingdome of Chriſt, and put under the power of Sathan conſequently?
But they are not formally and juridically delivered up to Satan?Object.
What?Anſw. ſhall we ſtill divide, as to devour one another, for formality and juridically, when thoſe termes are not at all in Scripture, ſeeing we agree not in the ſubſtance of the thing, which may as really and fully prevaile with conſcientious men, as if formality were obſerved? eſpecially, if we conſider,
Secondly, that it is a great queſtion amongſt our Brethren, whether this traditio Satanae were not Apoſtolicall, peculiar to the power of Apoſtles, ſo as ordinary Elders had it not: and if it prove ſo, then non-communion will prove the utmoſt cenſure the Church now hath.
But thirdly, if ſome brethren riſe to a ſeventh degree, and others ſtay at ſix, which yet have ſuch a power over conſcience, that if they prevaile not, the ſeventh is no way likely to prevaile: Why ſhould not the Apoſtles rule quiet us all, Phil. 3. 15, 16. whereunto we have already attained, let us walke by the ſame rule: If in any thing you be otherwiſe minded, God will reveale even this unto you. If we have attained but to ſix, and our brethren have attained to ſeven, let us walk together lovingly to the ſix; If God ſhall after reveal the ſeventh (we will promiſe to pray and ſtudy in the mean time) wee ſhall walke with them alſo: why muſt it needs be now urged with violence, ſo as to divide elſe? and although we hold not the ſeventh, yet there is an ingredient in the ſixt, that hath in it the ſtrength of the ſeventh? For wherein lyes the ſtrength of the ſeventh above the reſt? is it not in this? that it is the laſt meanes Chriſt hath appointed in his Church to worke upon the heart, this conſideration hath much terrour in it: Now thoſe in the Congregationall way ſay, that this is fully in the ſixt, wherefore that it is as terrible to their conſciences as the ſeventh can be to the conſciences of our brethren, and that upon the ſame ground.
And conſider now, my Brethren, whether the Congregationall way be ſuch, as if it be ſuffered, there will be no helpe to reduce an erring or hereticall Church, but all Religions, Arrianiſme, Mahumetiſme, any thing muſt be ſuffered. Surely men doe not deale fairly, in raiſing ſuch mighty accuſations upon ſuch poor and weak grounds; this great aſperſion, and huge out-cry, that theſe men would have all religions ſuffered, and in that way, there is no help againſt any Heriticall Congregations, moulders and vaniſhes away before you.
Let no man yet ſay, All this that hath been ſaid is nothing.
If you be conſcientious who hear them ſay ſo, your owne breaſts muſt needs ſuggeſt an anſwer; ſurely theſe things would be very much to me, to prevaile with my conſcience.
But what if Congregations refuſe to give account of their wayes? what if they will not ſhew ſo much conſcientiouſneſſe, as to regard admonitions, declaring againſt them, withdrawing communion from them?
So we may ſay,Anſw. what if they will not regard your delivering them up to Satan, but will go on ſtill?
You will ſay then, you will complain to the Magiſtrate, his power muſt come in to aſſiſt, to make them regard what the Church doth.
But now you have no further help from any intrinſicall power the Church hath;Anſw. and as for ſubjection to the Magiſtrate, there we are upon equall ground, if he will interpoſe, he may aſſiſt and ſecond the ſentence of judging men ſubverters of faith, of withdrawing communion from them in the one, as well as the ſentence of giving men up to Satan in the other; and we muſt ſtill be ſubject here to ſuffer what is inflicted, if we cannot do what is required; onelyonly we do not go ſo far as ſome do, in this one thing, whereas they lay a Law upon the conſciences of Magiſtrates, that they are bound to aſſiſt with their power the decrees of the church, taking cogniſance only of the fact of the Church, that they have thus decreed, not enquiring into the nature of the things, we dare not lay any ſuch bond upon the Magiſtrates conſcience.
But ſay, that he is to aſſiſt the Church both upon the knowledg of what the Church hath done, and the knowledg of the nature of the thing, ſeeing every private man hath this power to be judg of his own act, it were a great miſery upon thoſe who have power over men, to be denyed this power.
If it ſhall be ſaid, But ſurely they do not agree ſo far, they do not come up to theſe ſix things mentioned. To that I anſwer, I do not in theſe deliver only mine own judgment, but by what I know of the judgments of all thoſe Brethren with whom I have occaſion to converſe by conference both before and ſince; I ſtand charged to make it good to be their judgements alſo; yea, it hath been both theirs and mine for divers years, even then when we never thought to have enjoyed our our own Land again; and if it be ſo, then let the Lord be judg between us and our Brethren, for thoſe lowd and grievous out-cryes there hath been againſt us in this thing.
But if the difference be ſo little, why doe they not come in?
We come as far as we have light to guide us, we dare not ſtep one ſtep in the dark; if we do, we ſhall certainly fall into ſin; whatſoever elſe we fall into, what ever the thing be to others, it would be our ſin, if there were no other reaſon, but becauſe we venture in the dark. We ſayl up to our Brethren as far as we can ſee the Line of Truth, and beyond it we dare not venture in the leaſt.
The controverſie is not about little or great trouble, or inconvenience; if it were, ſuch a charge might well make us bluſh, the inconvenience or trouble is little, yet a few men wil not yeeld to their Brethren, who are many, for peace ſake, but the controverſie is about ſin: now whether that be little or great, the difference cannot but remain, if one part ſhall urge upon another that which to them is ſin, as to acknowledg any one thing to be a power of Chriſt, which he cannot ſee Chriſt hath owned in his word, muſt needs be; therefore the way to peace, is not the neceſſity of coming up one to another, becauſe the thing is little, but the louing, and peaceable, and brotherly carriage of one towards another, becauſe the difference is but ſmall.