Hear the Church, Principle 6 – Principle 8
Of the Diſcipline or Government of this Mother-Church.
It was unto the Guides of this Cuhrch to whom our Bleſſed Lord firſt gave Rules for the Government of his Church, Mat. 18. whence we learn that in caſes of perſonal Treſpaſſes, and ſins of Infirmity or Weakneſs, all poſſible Love, Patience and Charity, ſhould be exerciſed by one Chriſtian towards another, and the Offender, upon confeſſion of his fault, forgiven, unto ſeventy times ſeven Offences: ſo abundantly ſhould Charity appear among the Members of Chriſt. But it was alſo in this Church where wilfull Iniquity was puniſhed with great ſeverity, as the Hypocriſie and Deceit of Ananias and Saphira; and the like ſeverity was ſhewed againſt Simon Magus for his Pride and Covetouſneſs, in aſpiring to a Miniſtry for which he was not qualified, and to which he was not called by Heaven's Donation and due vocation from the Church, without which, woful experience hath taught the Chrian Nations, that it is in vain by Money, or for Mony to make Men Miniſters in the Chriſtian Church.
In this Church was held the firſt and beſt of General Councils, for ſetling the Churches in peace, when troubles did ariſe among themſelves, by means of falſe Teachers, &c. And becauſe the Churches in all Ages and Nations, may have perpetual need of ſuch helps, it ſhall not be amiſs that we conſider the Quality and Authority of ſuch Aſſemblies, leſt otherwiſe we be abuſed by Uſurpation and Tyranny: and firſt of the occaſion of the calling this preſent Aſſembly, Acts 15.
This Aſſembly was called upon the greateſt occaſion that ever was, namely, the Repealing, or rather ſhewing the Repeal, of many Divine Ordinances, and freeing the Chriſtian Church from their Obligation; becauſe they were either fulfilled, or too burthenſome for his Church, as indeed St. Peter avers, they were ſo heavie, that neither they nor their Fathers were able to bear them; And the endeavours of this Council was ſucceſsful to the removal of them, and the ſettlement of the Churches in the Faith; and to the great encreaſe of their number, Asts 16. From whence we may ſafely conclude, that if Moſes's Ceremonies which were from Heaven, were a hindrance to Peace and growth in the Chriſtian Church, much more muſt all Ceremonies deviſed, and impoſed by Human Force and Power only, be an obſtruction to it. Let us therefore ſtand faſt in the Liberty wherewith Chriſt hath made us free, and not be entangled in the Yoak of Bondage, whether of Legal, or other deviſed Ceremonies.
As for the quality of the perſons, of whom this Aſſembly did conſiſt, 'tis plain they were Meſſengers, Elders and Brethren, and theſe did all freely deliberate upon the matters in queſtion, offering their Reaſons pro & contra; and the Diciſion was made, not by the interpoſition of Power Apoſtolical, but by the clear evidence of Truth and Reaſon, to which they all agreed. The Apoſtles acting here as Grave Fathers, giving free Audience and faithful Advice, to which when all agreed, the concluſion was made in all their names, as appears, Acts 15. 22, 23. Then pleaſed it the Apoſtles and Elders, with the whole Church, to ſend choſen men of their own Company to Antioch, and wrote Letters by them after this manner; The Apoſtles, Elders and Brethren ſend greeting unto the Brethren which are of the Gentiles, &c. From the ſweet concord here, we ſuppoſe all Churches ſhould do well to conſtitute their general Conſiſtories of ſuch, ſeeing ſuch helps ſhe may have ſtill, in things ordinary to each Office, if ſhe render not her ſelf unworthy of them.
Now for the quality and authority of the Decrees, made by this, or ſucceeding Aſſemblies, the caſe is clear of it ſelf; Theſe were ſuch things as ſeemed good to the Holy Ghoſt, not that the Holy Ghoſt now revealed them, but brought to remembrance what the Scriptures had ſaid concerning them, and partly by what before that time had been ſhewed unto St. Peter by a certain Viſion of God's accepting the Gentiles, though not cleanſed according to Legal Purification. And therefore till the Holy Ghoſt reverſe thoſe Decrees, they are to oblige all Churches to keep them inviolable. And in this point (as indeed in all the reſt) the Baptized Churches in this Age do ſtand a witneſs againſt the diſorder and diſobedience of moſt of the Chriſtian Nations in the World; who make no Conſcience of abſtaining from Blood, &c. though they know the true Churches did Religiouſly obſerve theſe Decrees for ſeveral hundreds of years after. Tertullian tells us, The cuſtom of Chriſtians is to abſtain from all Blood, and things Strangled, ſo that it is not lawful for them, when they feed at their Tables to meddle with the Blood of any Beaſt.
It is further ſafely concluded from hence, that all decrees of General Councils are ſo far obliging only, as the things decreed are proved to be true, and not becauſe they are decreed in Council only; for here St. Peter proves, that Churches are free from the obligation of Legal Ceremonies, becauſe they wear a Burthen too heavy to be born. 2. Becauſe God had accepted them already without them. And James [the Angel of this Church] proves or confirms the ſame by the Scriptures, and theſe Arguments, and Probations, ſatisfied the Aſſembly. And it's certain, the things prohibited by theſe decrees, were always forbidden, even to Noah and his perpetual Generations, Gen. 9. 12, &c. Nor does this Aſſembly excommunicate or anathematize all that ſhall doubt of the Neceſſity of their Determination, but very ſweetly tells the Brethren they ſhall do well to comply with their advice; for they knew that every Church had Power to puniſh offenders, and to them they ſeem to leave that Care, and not to take the Power of any Church out of their Hands, as the manner of ſome is.
Of the Caſe of Infants, or whether they were admitted to Baptiſm in the Mother-Church?
In all that is ſaid of the Plantation and growth of this famous Church, or in that excellent Epiſtle, which was a long time after written to them, there is not one Word to be found of any one Infant being brought to Baptiſm; and therefore we hold to the Negative of this Queſtion; and it is obſervable, that though here Infant-Circumciſion was abſolutely excluded, yet is there no Argument urged for it from their Baptiſm, which had been very conſiderable, had there been any ſuch uſage in this, or the Gentile Churches. And becauſe it is granted now by many, and theſe the moſt Learned too, (among whom the Papiſts) that there is no Scripture for Infant-Baptiſm, &c. But that it ſtands upon the Authority of Eccleſiaſtical Tradition; all that we ſhall ſay to that Plea in this place is, to deſire any Man to ſhew who delivered this thing to the Churches, and by what Authority, whether divine or human? For ſeeing Tradition ſignifies a thing delivered, it is fit the Perſon or Perſons delivering ſuch a thing, ſhould be known to be Perſons lawfully impowered to deliver ſuch a Tradition, before we can with ſafety receive it.*It is ſaid of the Roman Chriſtians, that the Light of Piety ſhined in their Minds when they heard Peter, but they were not ſatisfied with once hearing neither ſatisfied with the Ʋnwritten Doctrine that was d…livered▪ but earneſtly beſought St. Mark, (whoſe Goſpel is now in ure) that he would leave in Writing unto them the Doctrine which they had received by Preaching, &c. Euſeb. Hiſt. l. 2. Chap. 15. We ſee that the Church of Rome eſteemed the Goſpel in Writing, above the delivery of it in Preaching, though they heard it from Peter himſelf. Sure they are not the ſame now as then▪ for Tradition (from whom it's hard to ſay) is more now to them than the Scripture. And the Scripture nothing to them, but as delivered and interpreted by Tradition.
But how then ſhall Infants be ſaved if Baptiſm belong not to them? I anſwer, out of the mouth of St. Peter, Verſe 11. By the grace of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt they ſhall be ſaved. And ſure a man might as well ask how can Infants be ſaved without Faith and Repentance, ſeeing it is ſaid, he that believeth not, ſhall be damned: and except ye repent, ye ſhall all periſh, &c. And what anſwer could any wiſe man make, ſave this? the grace of God ſufficeth them, having Chriſt's expreſs word for it, that to them belongs the Kingdom of Heaven; and this he ſpake to unbaptized Infants too, which is therefore ſo ſatisfactory that we need no other evidence. If any man ſay the words which St. Peter ſpake in Council, Acts 15. 11. are not meant of Infants, and therefore not pertinent to my purpoſe. I ſhall only deſire him to conſider, that thoſe words were ſpoken in oppoſition to this poſition, That without Circumciſion, after the manner of Moſes, the Gentiles could not be ſaved: Now we know, it was after the manner of Moſes to Circumciſe Infants, and therefore doubtleſs theſe falſe Teachers did queſtion the ſalvation of Infants dying without Circumciſion. Therefore theſe words of St. Peter, which teaches that by the Grace of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt both Jew and Gentile ſhall be ſaved, have their clear extent to Infants as well as to any other perſons whatſoever: I ſhall here only refer the Reader to what we have farther written, in a Treatiſe upon this Subject, entituled, The Controverſie about Infant-Church-Member-ſhip and Baptiſm epitomized.
Of the Reverence due to Saints, Angels, and to the Bleſſed Virgin in particular, according to the uſage of this Mother-Church.
It was in this Church where the Holy Virgin, Mother of our Lord, had her Converſation and Society, being with that ſelect Company, conſiſting of an hundred and twenty names, Acts 1. 15. among whom this moſt bleſſed Woman is expreſly named, and by whoſe Preſence this Mother-Church was honoured above all others. And here is the laſt mention that is made of her in the holy Scriptures. And this honourable mention of her by name, and as the Mother of our Lord, (which doubtleſs calls for great Reverence in the hearts of all God's People) is all the honour that the Word of God does here confer upon her. This Church makes no Prayers to her, nor to Chriſt in her name, nor taught the ſucceeding Churches to do ſo; yet ſurely ſhe was the greateſt Saint that ever was; and if we have no ground from any direction, nor Preſident in the Scripture to perform ſuch Devotion to Her, we cannot with any ſhew of Reaſon, or pretence of Truth, do it to any other Creatrue, Saint or Angel, whatſoever.
And it is remarkable, that though this Church had occaſion to make expreſs mention of David in their Prayers, Acts 4. 25. yet do they not uſe his Interceſſion at all: But this Honour they give to Jeſus Chriſt, that through his Name ſuch things might be done, as might confirm the Truth againſt all Oppoſers. Nor does the Holy Ghoſt give any notice of the Worſhipping of Angels, Saints, nor the Holy Virgin in particular, in that Sacred Epiſtle, which was ſent to this Church after the death of Bleſſed Mary, the Mother of Jeſus; ſo that this Mother-Church▪ ſeems altogether unacquainted with ſuch Devotions: And much more may we aſſure our ſelves, they paid no ſuch Devotion to the Images of theſe, or of any of them. If any affirm the contrary, we anſwer them in the words of Jerom, Non Credimus quia non Legimus. And with Apollinarius, we dare add nothing to the perfect words of the New Teſtament, whereto nothing may be added; and wherefrom nothing may be taken away, by him that will lead a life agreeable to the Goſpel. Euſeb. Hiſt. l. 5. c. 14.
Thus Brethren I have for your ſakes (as well as others) taken a freſh view of the State of this moſt Primitive Church, to whoſe holy pattern, through the Grace of God, you have diligently laboured to conform your ſouls, her Principles are yours, her Government in good meaſure is yours, if in any thing any of them be otherwiſe minded, my hearts deſire is, that God would ſpeedily reveal even the ſame unto you, and then it is to be hoped that all well diſpoſed, will in time ſee themſelves concerned to adhere to the truth of your Principles, in the very Order wherein you maintain them.