The Due Right of Presbyteries, Chapter 10 · Section 2 · Objection 4 – Objection 2
Object. 4. If there were no institution for preaching and baptizing, but onelyonly the Apostles naked practise, we were not warrantably to preach and baptize from the sole and naked example of the Apostles.
Answ. Shew us an institution for preaching and baptizing then, for that which we alledge is an institution, Matth. 28. 19, 20. Mark. 14. v. 15. to you is a commandement given to the Apostles as Apostles, as you said, in the 1. objection proponed by you, and therefore we have no more warrant to preach and baptize from the Apostles example, then we have to work miracles, and because by the same reason of yours, Christs command to his Apostles to preach before his death, Matth. 10. is not ordinary presbyteriall preaching, but conjoyned also with the power of casting out devills, Matth. 10. 1, 2, 3. it must also upon the same ground bee a Commandement given to the Apostles not as ordinary Pastors, but as Apostles, if we compare Matth. 10. 1, 2, 3. with Mark. 16. 15, 16, 17, 18. If you flee to John Baptist his practise of baptisme, 1. you are farther off then you were; 2. What warrant more that John Baptist his practise should warrant preaching and baptizing, if it want an institution, then the Apostles preaching and baptizing when it is separated from an institution? 2. This argument pincheth you as much as us, for a thousand times in your bookes, a warrant for our ordinary Elders to preach and baptize is fetched from the sole practise of the Apostles. 3. By this the argument for the Christian Salbath, from the Apostles observing that day, shall also fall. 4. This also shall make us loose in fundamentalls of Church government which are grounded upon the Apostles practise. 5. The Apostles had no Apostolick and extraordinary ground which moved them to preach and baptize, according to the substance of the Acts, for they did preach and baptize upon these morall and perpetuall motives and grounds which doe obliege ordinary Elders to preach and baptize even to Christs second comming, Ergo, their very practise, not considered with the institution, is our patterne and rule.
It is as evident that there was a Presbyteriall Church at Ierusalem after the dispersion, seeing the dispersion, as we have proved did not re…rench them to one Congregation, because our Brethren doe conclude from a company of Elders of the Church of Ephesus, Acts 20. of Ierusalem, from the Angell of the Church of pergamus, of Thyatira a formall ordinary Presbytery of Ephesus, of Ierusalem, of Thyatira. Let us have the favour of the same argument, upon the supposall of many Congregations which the word doth warrant, and upon the supposall that it is called one Church alwayes, as Acts 2. 47. The Lord added to the Church, Acts 5. 11. feare came upon all the Church, Acts 8. 1. there arose a great persecution against the Church, Acts 12. 1. Herod stretched forth his hand to vex certaine of the Church, v. 5. prayer was made without ceasing of the Church unto God. Acts 15. 4. and when they were come to Jerusalem they were received of the Church, and of the Apostles and Elders, Acts. 21. 15. Paul went up to Jerusalem, and v. 18. The day following Paul went in with us, into James, and all the Elders were present. Here be Elders of the Church of Ierusalem, and Ierusalem is named one Church frequently, and alwayes before and after the dispersion; it is called a Church in the singular number, not onelyonly in relation to persecuters, but also in relation to government, and because they were a politicall society to which there were many added Acts 2. 47. and which hath Elders Acts 15. 4. Acts 21. 15. 18. And a Church-union in a constituted body hearing the Word and receiving the Sacraments, as this Church did, Acts 2. 42. is not a Church but in regard of Church-policy, and Church-government. They reply, That enemies doe persecute the Church, Acts 8. 1. Acts 12. 1. Acts 8. 3. Saul made havock of the Church, that is, of the faithfull of the Church, for Saul had no regard in his persecution, to a Church in their government, or Church-combination, therefore the enemies are said to persecute the Church materially.
I answer, this objection I tooke off before. But 2. Principally the enemies persecuted the Church under the notion of Peaceable plea. c. 7. ad. ob. 1. pag. 81.… Society politicall holding forth in a visible Church-profession their faith in Christ, and that by hearing, receiving the Seales, and subjecting themselves in a visible way obvious to the Eye of all, to the government of the Christian Church, Yea the enemies had no better character to discerne them to be Saints, and so worthy of their malice, then Church-characters of a Church-profession. But 2. Whereas the Holy Ghost giveth the name of one Church, to the Church of Ierusalem, all constantly speaking of it both as a Church, and in relation to persecuters, and that every way in that notion, as our Brethren say, that the Scripture speaketh of their own Corgregationall Church, wee have the same reason to call it one Church, because of one government; for the question is not now if it bee many Congregations, but it it bee one Church.
Object. 2. They are called the Elders at Jerusalem, not the Elders of the Church of Jerusalem; Ergo, from this it is not concluded that they were one Church.
Answ. Acts 16. 4. they are called Apostles and Elders in, or at Ierusalem Acts 16. 4. for another cause, these were Elders from other Churches, from Antioch no lesse, then Elders of Ierusalem, they onelyonly sate in Synod at Ierusalem. 2. All Ierusalem was not converted to the Christian Faith, and therefore they may well bee tearmed Elders at Ierusalem, as the Church at Ephesus, at, or in Thyatira. 3. I deny that the Scripture speaketh any other wayes of the Elders of the Church of Ierusalem, then of the Elders of other Churches.
2. Those Elders ought to meete for the governing of the Church of Jerusalem, for this was their duty; Ergo, they were one Presbytery. 2. They did meet Acts 15. 14. to receive Paul and Barnabas, and to heare what God had done by them for their edification; and Acts 21. Paul goeth to Ierusalem and is received v. 15. by the Brethren, but the next day, v. 18. The day following Paul went in with us unto James and all the Elders were present; and there the Elders doe presbyterially act for the removing of a Church-scandall, v. 21. The believing Jewes were informed that Paul taught all the Iewes which were amongst the Gentiles to forsake Moses. This was a publick scandall. 2. The offended multitude were to convene, v. 22. as plaintiffs. 3. The Eldership ordaineth Paul to remove the scandall by satisfying the offended, by purifying himselfe after the manner of the Jewes, and it is cleare Paul should not have satisfyed the scandalized Iewes, except Iames and the Elders had injoyned him so to doe. 4. This the very course of a presbytery, yea, our Brethrens doctrine, which a Congregationall presbytery would, and doth take with any other person who doth give offence, yea though it be taken and not given, if the way of remedy be lawfull and expedient, as this presbytery conceived Pauls purifying of himselfe to be, and if any scandalizing person should be disobedient to the voyce of a Congregationall eldership, such as our Brethren believe the Eldership of Jerusalem to be; they would say they are to censure him, and therefore if Paul should have beene disobedient to this, he should have incurred a censure; It is true Lorinus saith that Chrysostome and Oecumenius will have this to be a Counsell, not a Synod, to command Paul, and they Lorinus Diodatus, in loc.deny any Juridicall power here, but v. 18. foreign, to mee it is, They were gathered together: Diodatus calleth them The colledge of the governours of the Church, Beda Beda.saith there were foure Synods and hee maketh the Synod Acts 1. at the chusing of Matthias the first, the second at the chusing of Deacons Acts 6. the third Acts 15. and this the fourth, Acts 21. 2. The Text seemeth to mee to say it, for as Acts 15. there was course taken for the Gentiles that they should abstaine from blood, lest they should either scandalize, or bee scandalized; so the Eldership here taketh course that the infirme Iewes be not scandalized, as is cleare, v. 25. As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written, &c. and to me they seeme to do both Synodically, some thinke that this fact of the Elders and Paul was not lawfull: but how ever, though it was not a generall councell, a presbytery I take it to be taking course to remove a scandall from the weake Iewes in this place, as they had by a Synodicall power removed it from the Gentiles, Act. 15.Mr. Mather and Mr. Thomson in their modest and brotherly answer to Mr. Charles Herle, c. 1. p. 6.