The Ancient Way of Completing Church Members, To the reader 1
To the Chriſtian READER.
THe Hiſtories of all Ages do make it manifeſt, how prone the ſinful hearts of men are to deprave and corrupt the ſincere Doctrines, and pure Inſtitutions of the Goſpel. The Apoſtles (haveing received it from Chriſt, and being inſpired by his Spirit) delivered and left behind them unto the Churches, a perfect Rule and Pattern for their Direction and Imitation; which they ought to have followed and kept cloſe unto: As in ſome ſort, it ſeems they did for ſome ſhort ſpace of time; as may be gathered from thoſe words of Egeſippus (an antient Hiſtorian, Vicinus Apoſtolorum temporum, Hieronym in Catalog. Bellar. de Scrip. Eccleſ. an. 177 lib. 3. cap. 29who liv'd near the Apoſtles times, and was contemporary with Juſtin Martyr, and Athenagoras (mention'd by Euſebius: Ad ea uſque tempora, virgo pura & incorrupta manſit Eccleſia, &c. Unto thoſe times (viz. of the Apoſtles, and that generation of men which by ſpecial favour had heard with their ears the heavenly Wiſdom of the Son of God) the Church remained a pure and uncorrupted Virgin.
But corruptions grew on apace,SceMagd. Cent. as the time of the revelation of Antichriſt drew near, who by degrees ſo deformed the beautiful face of Chriſtianity through his alterations and additions, that at length it looked almoſt quite like another thing, than it was at the firſt: The mutations in the Church being not much unlike thoſe in the Jewiſh ſtate, whereof Eſay thus complaineth:Iſa 1.28 Thy ſilver is become droſs, thy wine mixed with water.
In this deplorable condition did the firſt Reformers find the ſtate thereof; the weeds having ſo far over-topt the good grain, that it was a hard matter to diſcern the one from the other, which yet, through Divine aſſiſtance, they did in ſome meaſure, both ſhewing and going before us in the way of Reformation. And indeed much they did herein that have preceded us, for whom we have cauſe to bleſſe the Lord in this regard, having handed down Religion to us by much more pure then they received it from thoſe that went before them. But yet is there much of this work remaining, the carrying on whereof unto further perfection ſeems to be the proper task of this generation, which therefore ought accordingly to be vigorouſly intended and attempted.
Now the beſt way to Reform, and bring things right, when through Tract of time they have degenerated and grown crooked, is to have recourſe to the firſt and pureſt Ages, and to reduce them to the Primitive pattern and practice:Tertul lib. de Praeſcript. Omne genus, ad originem ſuam cenſeatur, neceſſe eſt. Doctrines therefore are to be brought to, and tryed by the Touch-ſtone of the Word,foreign. Exemplar 2 Tim, 1.13. Index ſui & obliqui, the ſtandard of Truth; that ſo what is found agreeable thereunto, may be approved as ſound, it being the pattern of ſound words: And what appears diſſonant therefrom may be rejected as reprobate ſilver, and counterfeit coin,Iſa. 8.20 2 Cor. 4.4 1 Tim. 6.3, 4 forged by the Prince of darkneſs, improving that diſmal darkneſs wherewith the minds of men naturally are veiled and covered.
Diſcipline and Order ought to be ſcanned by thoſe general rules in the Word that refer to it, and by the example of the Apoſtles: the beſt Interpreters whereof, are the general conſent of the Churches of Chriſt,De Baptiſ. cont Donat. l. 2. c. 7 (according to Auguſtines rule: Quod univerſa tenet Eccleſia, nec conciliis inſtitutum, ſed ſemper retentum eſt, non niſi authoritate Apoſtolicâ traditum, rectiſsimè creditur) and the practice of thoſe who next ſucceeded them: The water being purer, the nearer it is to the Spring; and thoſe who lived leſt remote from them, being preſumed to be beſt acquainted with their manner of proceeding, as having better opportunity then others to know their way in matter of Fact: which is one of the principal uſes to be made of the writings of the antients, and for which they juſtly deſerve our due eſteem and diligent peruſal.
As for the former of theſe; viz. Doctrines, thoſe Worthies whom the Lord in thoſe latter daies (wherein Antichriſt was to be conſumed by the ſpirit of his mouth in the miniſtry of his ſervants) was pleaſed to raiſe up, and imploy for the reſcue and releaſe of captiv'd Truth, and the refining of it from Antichriſtian mixtures, by having recourſe to the Word, and examining thoſe Doctrines that were commonly taught and received as the truths of God. By this ſtraight rule they through the aſſiſtance of the Spirit of truth, ſoon came to ſee, and ſeeing to diſcover the obliquity of them, and by the bleſſing of the Lord, made a happy progreſs to doctrinal reformation. The more to be admired, and the goodneſs of the Lord therein magnified, if we conſider what Anakims and Goliahs they had to contend withall; in regard of the temporal power ſiding with, and ſeconding them, the ſtream of the multitudes violently running with them, (for all the world wondred after the Beaſt) and in regard of the deep roo… that thoſe errours by reaſon of their long continuance,Rev. 13.3 had taken in the mindes of men, cuſtom with them having the force of a Law.
Yet ſo clearly did the Lord enable them to diſcern the truth from errour, and ſo wel-groundedly confident were they of the ſoundneſs of what they held, and ſandyneſs of what they oppugned, that they feared not to grapple with the adverſary notwithſtanding all his advantages; putting to flight the armies of the Aliens, each encounter proving a conqueſt; with their Rams-horns have they batterd and made ſuch breaches in the wals of Jericho, as ſhall never again be repaired; yea to that height of skill and courage did they attain, that like champions (having beaten him from the Scriptures) they durſt challenge the adverſary at his own Weapon, and to aſſault him in that his ſuppoſed ſtrong hold of antiquity, which he had betaken himſelf unto for ſhelter: A challenge not more boldly made (as far as to 600. years after Chriſt, the only time worth the name of Antiquity) then wiſely managed and ſtoutly maintained by that rare Jewel of his time:Dr. Humphred in vitâ Iuelli. ſo great is the truth, and will prevail.
As for the things that concern Diſcipline and Order, thoſe choice Spirits might haply the leſſe heed them, as reſpecting only the beauty and wel-being of the Church; having enough to do in dealing with thoſe more weighty and neceſſary things, whereupon the very being, at leaſt the ſoundneſs of it as to ſubſtantials did depend. Hence it came to paſs that ſo much rubbiſh ſtill remained in our adminiſtrations after all the pains they had taken in purging; ſo that though the languiſhing Church were well recovered in reſpect of the danger her vitals were in, yet even to this day could ſhe never attain unto her native colour and comlineſs. A task which ſeems to belong unto us, and which the Lord hath reſerved for this period of time, wherein the work of Reformation is to be carried on to greater perfection. In order hereunto, and as making way for it, we have ſeen the Divine providence bringing ſtrange things to paſs, ſuch as we yet ſcarce looked for, nor could conceive how they ſhould be brought about. What Mountains have been leveld and removed out of the way? what an heap of humane inventions that had invaded the Worſhip & Ordinances of Chriſt, and tyrannical uſurpations in the Diſcipline of the Church, have been caſt out and aboliſhed, though ſo riveted, and of ſuch continuance, that, for their pretended Right, they could plead Preſcription and Poſſeſſion time out of mind? This was the Lords doing, and deſervedly marvelous in our eyes. Moreover, what a Spirit of Prayer and Supplication hath the Lord poured out upon his people in reference to this thing? How hath he ſet it on upon their hearts as the proper work of their day? What enquiring hath there been after a right way? diſcuſſing of what's dubious and uncertain, diſcoveries of what was dark and obſcure; and to what a height have the hopes and expectations of the Saints been raiſed of the accompliſhment of what hath been foretold and promiſed concerning Sions recovery of her Greatneſſe and Glory, and her being made a praiſe in the earth?
All which call loudly upon us, each in our places, and according to what we have received, to put to our helping hand and to afford our utmoſt aſſiſtance for the promoting of this bleſſed work; and the rather, becauſe they are ſo few whoſe hearts have been made willing to ſet about and undertake it, and the difficulties therein are ſo many and great; partly through the multiplicity of corruptions that have been mingled with, and even incorporated into Church-adminiſtrations, not eaſily to be ſevered from them; partly from the violence of ſuch as ſtand for,Conſuetudo ſine veritate, vetuſtas Erroris eſt. Cyprian. Epiſt. ad Pompeium. §. 12. and ſtrive to maintain them by arguments drawn from their pretended Antiquity (though when they have done all, they are found to be no other then old errours) and from the prudential neceſsity of them, in reference unto decency and order. Whereunto may be added, the pertinacious humour of the generality among us, crying up their great Diana, and eagerly oppoſing and fruſtrating what they can, the endevours of thoſe that would remove them, and deſire to reduce things to the Primitive pattern: True Antiquity being through ignorance decryed by the multitude under the name of Novelty; and what is but of yeſterday, and a later birth, fondly imagined to be, and doted on, as if ab initio and of Apoſtolical inſtitution.
Among other, the confuſion in our Congregations as to the Members of them, all heaped together without any diſtinction, is not the leaſt remora and obſtruſtion in the way of Reformation: which hath created no ſmall trouble, and occaſion'd many hot conteſts among thoſe, who have laboured to regulate and bring things into better order in this regard; the different apprehenſions of men in this particular, producing unſeemly Animoſityes, and ſadning diſtances between thoſe, whoſe union would be exceeding amiable, and of conſiderable advantage.
That a diſtinction of perſons is neceſſary, is on all hands granted by the friends of Reformation: But to find out what this ought to be, what are the places or ſtations to be aſſigned to, and the priviledges to be injoyed by them; how they are to be conſidered, and in what ſtate to be accounted of, according to their ſeveral capacities and qualifications, hic labor, hoc opus eſt.
As an help hereunto was this Exercitation undertaken and intended: Wherein from the beſt Antiquity it appears, that in the Primitive times there were in, and belonging to the Church perſons of ſeveral ſorts and ſizes, and accordingly of ſeveral ranks and degrees; viz. Catechumens, incomplete, imperfect; alſo adult, complete and perfect: recens nati and ſuch as were in their minority; alſo ſome grown up to maturity and of full age in an Eccleſiaſtical ſenſe. And that the ordinary way by which they paſſed from the one ſtate into the other, was the antient rite of Impoſition of hands or Confirmation; which through the iniquity and corruption of the darker times, was ſo alterd (though not altogether laid aſide) that it was quite perverted from its firſt intendment, the true uſe and end thereof being even loſt and unknown, by reaſon whereof great inconveniences and miſchiefs have enſued and long prevailed, to the great detriment of the Church; not in likelyhood to be removed (as the fruitleſneſs of endeavours hitherto have ſhewn) but by the reduction of this laudable practice into the Churches of Chriſt, the drift and ſcope of the following diſcourſe: which being but in part finiſhed,Mr. John Howe and communicated to a worthy and judicious * brother, had this approbation returned in a few lines to the Author that partly procured its publication; Sir, I have at length peruſed your papers, to my very great content and ſatisfaction, and do hear return them with my hearty thanks for your happy labour herein; and doubt not but the Church of God, when it comes to injoy the benefit of them (as I know it will be far from you to go about to defraud it of what may prove ſo good an expedient, and I think the only one to extricate it out of thoſe many perplexing difficulties through which it is ſtriving forwards toward a Reformation) will finde cauſe to thank you too, and to bleſſe God for you, who did in much mercy (as I truſt) guide you to this undertaking, &c.
As tis here tendred to the peruſal, and ſubmitted unto the judgement of the godly-wiſe: ſo is thy candid interpretation and friendly acceptances deſired of thee. If it be found to be a truth, the God of truth will make way for its entertainment in the hearts of thoſe that love the truth: If it may any whit conduce to the ſettlement of the Churches peace, and the healing of the unhappy breaches and differences among brethren, the Sons of Peace and Citizens of Sion will gladly imbrace it, and ſet upon the practiſe of it.
And that this may be the iſſue of this weak labour, thou art earneſtly deſired by thy prayers to recommond it to the bleſſing of the Lord, by him who deſires to be found An unfeigned lover of Truth and Peace, I. H.