Survey of the Survey of that Sum of Church Discipline by Hooker, Book 1 · Chapter 1
LIB. I. CAP. I.
A Survey of the Survey of the Reverend and Godly Servant of GOD, Mr. THOMAS HOOKER.
The company of Beleevers without Rulers is no Politick Church; having power of Ordination: What Locall Habitation doth to make Church-members.
Passing what this Learned and Godly man hath said, Chap. 1 Part 1. (in which some things may be noted as Escapes) I come to Chap. 2.
CHAP. 2. PART 1. c. 11.
M. Hook. THe visible Church is the adequate subject of our Inquirie.
Answ. The principall subject is Mr. Hooker his visible Church, yea it is too narrow: the adequate it is not, for the The adequate subject of Church discipline is not the visible Church, as M. H. take … it.visible kingdome of Christ in concre…, as ruled by Christ, includes the elect and true Beleevers, for whose sake are all, officers, word; seales, 1 Cor. 3. 21. 22. 2 Cor. … 15. Eph. 1. 22.
M. H. The Church in her constitution is considered two wayes: 1. as totum essentiale or homogeneum, or as totum integrale.
In the former notion, The Church as a City without a Mayor, hath right to choose its officers, and becomes totum organicum, when officers are in it. Ames. Medu. lib. 1. cap. 33. 18.
Ans. 1. The argument must so runne,A Church without officers may not do what a civil corporation without rulers may do.
What ever a City without a Mayor may doe, that may a company of Beleevers so combined without officers do….
Ans. Nothing more false: but of this hereaster. A civill free Corporation may appoint this or that Government, 2. May limit the Mayor to one yeere to so much power, no more: but M Hooker his new Church cannot doe any of these. Amesius there saith not a company of Believers without Officers is a Politick Church. The Scripture in Old or New Testament never said it.
M. H. As for the manner: Parish precincts, or dwelling within the bounds of a parish cannot make an ecclesiastick right to Churchmembership: Pag. 13, 14.For 1. it is but a Civill right that a man hath to his What influence habitation hath to make Churchmembers.house; 2. Excommunication cutteth a man off from the Church, as if he were an heathen, but not from his house, which is his by birth or purchase: 3. Yea so Papists, Turks, Dogs, should be Church members, to whom Christ hath denyed all right. Revel. 21. 27.
Ans. We grant Parish dwelling simply in a Professor gives not right to be a member of the City of God, but Parish dwelling tali modo is a necessary condition, without which they cannot be fixed members of that congragation, to meet in one house, suppone after supper, as Act 207. 1 Cor. 11. 20, 21, 22. and therefore we condemnn our brethren, who failing on the other extreme, will have persons residing in Old England to be marryed members to one onelyonly Cong…on v…ble in New England, and to no other visible Church… …, and deny all Church-communion of the Catholick … … to all visible Professors, who are sojourners, … … …range excommunicating of visible Professors, 2. … … residence; for shall they watch over one another, as they are obliged, by a Church oath, suppose their Church be beyond the Line, and they on this side of it? 3. This full well shall gratifie Anabaptists, who will have it no merciemercy, that infants are born in Zion, or in any Beleevers house, as the Scripture saith it is, Gen. 17. 12. Psal 87. 5. 1 Cor. 7. 14. Rom. 11. 16. the reasons are not so sure, for birth does it not, but to be born of such Parents at Corinth, makes over to the Infants of Believers, a to be born in Zion, to be born in beleeving Abrahams house, Gen. 17. 12. Psal. 87. 7. a right to be members of that Church, else upon what right shall they be baptized? As for the place, Rev. 21. 27. Pignetus; Pareus, Piscator, Diodati, English Annotators, Bullinger Nepar, expone the place of the Church in heaven: Marlorat and many others of the invisible Church, and the Text excludes all from that Church but such as are written in the book of life, and so to me it is unpertinent to the purpose, and not concludent.