The Power of Congregational Churches, Title page – Quotations
The Power of Congregational Churches Aſſert…d and Vindicated, In Anſwer to a TREATISE OF Mr. J. PAGET, INTITULED The Defence of Church-Government exerciſed in Claſſes and Synods.
By JOHN DAVENPORT; B. of D. and Paſtor to the Church in Newhaven in New-England.
Iſa. 1.26.
I will reſtore thy Judges, as at the firſt, and thy Counſellors, as at the beginning: afterwards thou ſhalt be called, The City of Righteouſneſs, the faithful City.
LONDON, Printed for Rich. Chiſwell, and to be ſold by John Ʋſher of Boſton in New-England, 1672.
TO THE READER.
TEe diſpoſals of GOD in his Providence with reference to the travels of Truth, and bringing forth of Light, are much to be obſerved, and have much to be read in them. There … …t been a great and over-ruling hand …ted, and that very conſpicuouſly, about … preſent Treatiſe. The Reverend and …earned and eminently accompliſh'd Author …rſt finiſhed a Tractate with this Title, and … his Subject, near thirty years ago: But …od's time was not yet come for its publiſh…ng: it periſhed therefore in the rude Waves of the vaſt Ocean, with ſome other excel…ent Manuſcripts and precious Chriſtians. Nevertheleſs, ſome ſeven years aft…, God ſe… him about it again, and then he finiſhed what is now (after twenty years more) thus made publick. Thus comes this ſhort an… nervous Treatiſe to have had a double, and ſo a more thorow digeſtion in the heart o… ſo judicious and holy a Servant of Chriſt… Nor are the principles and grounds her… proceeded on ſuch as our Author ſuddenly or lately took up. He was of too ſerious … weighty, and adviſed a ſpirit, …lightly to take up, or ſuddenly to vent any ſingular apprehenſions in the things of God. It would be too long to relate, (though I could from his own hand) how he was firſt ſtaggered in his conformity, and afterwards fully taken off by ſet Conferences and Debates, with himſelf and ſundry other Miniſters obtained with Mr. John Cotton then driven from Boſton on account of Nonconformity. Nor am I willin… t… revive the Memory of what Afflictions … Author afterwards underwent, becauſe … could not be ſatisfied in Conſcience in tho… two Points; viz. a particular Churches being ſubjected to a Claſſis, & Baptizing in that latitude which was then practiſed, and i… ſtill in that Church, to which he had an earneſt Call, and with which the Lord gave him a very general and great acceptance. But certain it is, the Principles held forth in this Treatiſe, coſt the Reverend Author, not only many ſufferings, but alſo many, very many ſad ſearchings, and much reading, and ſtudy on ſet purpoſe, accompanied with manifold prayers and cryes to the Father of Lights for light therein. After all which he was more and more confirmed in them, and attained to ſuch comfortable clearneſs therein, as hore him up with much inward peace and ſatisfaction under all his afflictions on the account of his perſwaſion in theſe Points. And ſo perſwaded, lived, and ſo died this grave and ſerious ſpirited man. The Reader will find in it (which is a rare conjunction) much ſuccinctneſs, with much Scripture clearneſs. Light contracted, like the Sun-beams in a Burning-glaſs, is the ſtronger, and would be the more grateful too, if it could poſſibly meet with an Eye able to receive it. There are that think, and as they conceive from Scripture grounds too, that the glory of the Saints in Heaven receives additions, and increaſes daily, as their holy walk, and faithful ſervice when here on Earth, doth after they are gone, bring forth Fruit to the praiſe of God amongſt thoſe that are left behind them. If ſo, they that ever had any value and affection for this Eminent Servant of Chriſt, (and there were, yea yet are many in whoſe hearts a precious remembrance of him lives, and will live for ever) are engaged to read and improve this Excellent Work of his for their inſtruction, and eſtabliſhment in the Truths of Chriſt. It was for ſeveral Moneths ſince ſent over from New-England, with deſire that it might be Printed. The wiſe and all-diſpoſing Providence of God allotted this as the ſeaſon for it, and in his ſeaſon all things have a peculiar beauty; and it may be preſumed that the hearts of God's p…ople are more generally prepared for a ready entertainment of light held out to them, and that the Lord will pleaſe to fulfil that good word of Promiſe upon all his faithful and humbled people, Ezek. 43.11. [And if they be aſhamed of all they have done, &c.]
There are two things run through this whole diſcourſe, and are ligible even in every line of it.
1. That the power of Churches is confined to their Res Propria, their own proper matters.
2. That there is not any Spiritual Church-power, to which they are by any Inſtitution of Chriſt ſubjected. Two grand and Pillar-Principles of the Congregational-way, both of them abundantly cleared from miſtakes, and eſtabliſhed upon Scripture-foundations.
Now the bleſſing of Heaven go with it, to lead the Reader into the truth of Chriſt in theſe Points, and to take off from the minds of ſuch of our Rulers, into whoſe hands this Book may fall, all thoſe prejudices againſt the Congregational-way, which it may have been unjuſtly miſ repreſented under. For as in all the main matters of Faith and Doctrine we differ not from the eſtabliſhed publick Profeſſion of the Kingdom, yea are much more tenacious thereof than many of our zealous adverſaries, ſo in thoſe things, which ſeem to be our moſt ſingular Opinions (and wherein we differ moſt from the publick Profeſſion, and for which we have ſuffered, and are ready by the grace of Chriſt ſtill to ſuffer even worſer matters, if the will of God be ſo concerning us) this Book, after many others, which ſpeak the ſame Language, may render it plain and evident to impartial and underſtanding Readers, the Principles and practices of the Congregational-way, are not in truth ſo incompatible with the power of the Supream Magiſtrate in matters of Religion, as ſome would repreſent, nor ſuch as may render them ſuſpected to Civil powers, and that therefore we may not for theſe our Principles be accounted unworthy to enjoy a peaceable dwelling in our native Land, the weal whereof is more dear to us than our lives, or all our private earthly enjoyments in it.
M. N. May 28. 1672.
Tertull de praeſcr. adv. Haeret. Cap. 21.
COnſtat omnem Doctrinam, quae cum Eccleſiis Apoſtolicis matricibus & originalibus fidei conſpiret, veritati deputandam, id ſine dubio tenentem quod Eccleſia ab Apoſtolis, Apoſtoli à Chriſto, Chriſtus à Deo ſuſcepit: reliquam veró omnem Doct…inam de mendacio praejudicandam, quae ſapiat contra veritatem Eccleſiarum, & Apoſtolorum, & Chriſti, & Dei.
Aug. de venit. Eccl. Cap. 3. Tom. 7.
Sunt certè libri Dominici, quorum Authoritati utri que conſentimus, utri que credimus, utri que ſervimus: ibi quaeramus Eccleſiam, ibi diſcutiamus cauſam noſtram.
Hieron. Epiſt. ad Minerium & Alexandrum.
Omnia probate, quod bonum eſt tenete—eſtote probati nummularij, ut ſi quis nummus adulter eſt, & figuram Caeſaris non habet, nec ſignatus eſt moneta publica, reprobetur, qui autem Chriſti faciem claro praefert Iumine, in cordis noſtri marſupium recondatur.