Survey of the Survey of that Sum of Church Discipline by Hooker, Book 2 · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
Of a Church in an Island.
MR. H. If a Church in an Island may dispense all Censures, Par. 1. c 9. sect. 3. p. 125.and all Ordinances, then every congregation may: But such a Church may. For 1. it is a City and a little Kingdome of Christ. 2. The essential notes of a visible Church agree to it.
Ans. The consequence from a broken arm to a whole arm The independence of a Church in an Island is its affliction, not its power.is not good: or, because Iames the day before he be beheaded in strong prison, cannot discharge all Christian duties to brethren, and to neighbour Churches, therefore he is not actu primo a Christian. A Church in an Island is not actually associated with other Churches, and so cannot in the full extent dispense all Ordinances of rebuking, comforting neighbour Churches, and of withdrawing communion from them, because of the want of the object, not because of defect in the subject: I might retort the argument, Therefore associated congregations cannot dispense all Ordinances of rebuking, comforting, &c. But the latter is absurd.
2. An homogeneal Church in an Island void of pastors and men able to teach, cannot administer the Seals by Mr. H. his way.
3. A Church so divided, and not associated, is imperfect, and may remove scandals within it self; but it follows not, Ergo, every associated Church may remove scandals within it self, and without it self also independently, and without any subordination to united powers of the associated congregations, it follows not, the notes of a visible Church agree to such a Church imperfectly; except it be said, That the same Church from its own intrinsecal and internal independency can dispense censures, it proves nothing; but the independency here is extrinsecal and objective, and so accidental, and the affliction, not the power of jurisdiction in this Church.
Mr. H. There be all the officers in such a Church in an Island, and all the operations, operari sequitur esse—and the end is the same in both, the perfecting of the Body.
Ans. There be neither all the Church-operations, because There are neither the same perfect operations, nor the adequate and complete end of edification in a Church in an Island.there is no dispensing of pastoral acts, censures, Church rebukings, Church-warnings to neighbour Churches; nor is there the same adequate end, which is the perfecting of the visible body round about, as far as may be, which is the complete end of an associated Church: the perfecting of one single congregation, is a mangled and imperfect end.
Mr. H. 3 Ground. Where there is an office or power appointed of God, there needs no other power, but the office to authorize the work.
Ans. There is nothing more false. Every pastor hath a power to preach, but there is need of a call of God to preach to Macedonia, not to Bithynia, Acts 16. There is need of a call to preach fixedly to this, not to this flock, and to ossociated Churches.
2. How is it proved? its but begged that there is a power independent in an associated congregation.
Mr. H. If the power be the same, and the end the same, the power must be vain, if it be not put forth to the end: the power Pag. 126.and institution of Christ should be wronged, if it should be hindred in attaining its end.
Ans. This is also a false ground. Power of admonishing, of rebuking, of preaching, is not wronged, when the object, to wit, neighbouring Churches, are not; and the Lord cannot wrong his own institution. Its a carnal reason, to say an institution is in vain, & a power, when they are not put forth in all possible acts. Steven is stoned, Iames is beheaded, Paul imprisoned, the Church scattered, that they cannot by a physical impossibility meet to remember the Lords death, preach the Gospel, dispense censures, is therefore the power given by Christ to do all these in vain?
Mr. H. Neighbourhood of other Churches, is but a separable adjunct, it can adde nothing to the constitution, and so to the operation of the Church; for death and dissentions may take away some Churches, and may nullifie them.
Ans. This is for me. Neighbour Churches are extrinsecal to The non-existence of associated Churches addeth nothing to the power intrinsecal of a congregation to rule the associated Churches if they were.the nature of a Church in an Island: Ergo, the Church in the Island hath a ministerial and official power actu primo to rule, and joyntly edifie the neighbour Churches, if they be. If any say Evah was accidental to the nature and to the operations of Adam, will it hence follow, a power of procreating children is accidental also to Adam? no more does it follow from the notexistence of neighbouring Churches, that the Church in the Island hath no power to edifie, and joyntly rule those nighbouring Churches, its poor Logick, because the object is not, to remove the power: Such a man is in a dark dungeon, Ergo, he hath no visive faculty; and because light and colours adde nothing to the visive faculty, or to its nature and essence; Ergo, if light and colours be removed, the visive faculty is removed. So associated Churches are accidental to the Church in an Island; Ergo, that Church is deprived of all politick power to govern associated Churches, if they were, it follows not.
Mr. H. Suppose a Church be gathered in a wilderness, any latter Page 126.Church planted beside it, cannot binder nor abridge the liberty, power, authority and operations, that all are from Christ; and when the same intrinsecal power of constitution according to God, remains unaltered, the operations remain the same.
Ans. 1. A Church or Churches added, do not hinder or abridge, nor bring any privative power; but the added Churches bring a perfecting, helping and cumulative power to perfect objectively in complete operations the former Church in the Island, in things of common concernment, in which hoth that Wilderness-Church, and the added Churches must be either edified or scandalized.
2. When the same intrinsecal power remains unaltered, the operations may be altered to the better, and perfected. Mr. H. deviseth much Logick of his own: When the visive faculty of a man brought out of a dungeon who could not see the daylight, seeth now, should the operations remain the same, when he is brought forth; Ergo, as he saw not before, so he sees not now.
Mr. H. If it be said the Church in an Island should submit to a combination of Churches, as well as combine as members of a congregation: Ans. 1. This is to beg the question. 2. Suppose they will not (submit) then th… other Churches cannot cōmand that, no more than a particular congregation can cōmand me to be a member. 3. They ought not so to combine, as to prejudice the operations of that power they have received of Christ, and there is no warrant of Christ to hinder the operations of a Pastor or ruling Elder, more in one act of his office than another.
Ans. The contrary is a begging of the question. ForThe adding of associated Churches to a Wilderness-church doth strengthen & perfect, and not nullifie the intrinsecal power of the Wilderness-church.
1. The Church in an Island should submit to the counsel and advice of new added Churches, as to the Lords Word, by Mr. H. his grant, Ergo, a new addition of Churches, as an addition, doth help, and not hinder the power.
2. The addition of a new power of jurisdiction to the power that was in the Wilderness-church, and that in matters of common edification, as in dogmatick points, by grant of Adversaries, is no prejudging, …xcept they over-vote, in a corrupt way, the Wilderness-church. And we say, Christ never gave any power of erring, or male-administration.
3. The adding of 50 members to a Wilderness-church consisting of 25, shall have the same inconvenience: for the Wilderness-church is to submit to these added members, if added according to God (as we suppose) as to as lawful a Church-judicature as the Wilderness-church was before the addition. But what if they will not submit? Let Mr. H. see to that. I should think, by Mr. H. his grounds, they ought to submit, for they are added according to the Rule of Christ; and by Mr. H. his grounds they ought not to submit, (which is a contradiction.) For
1. The power of the Wilderness-church, the authority within themselves, offices, officers, were before complete, were all from Christ. Ergo, the operations should be the same, and they should vote and conclude as they did before, without the addition of 50 members.
2. Those 50 added are separable adjuncts to the constitution and nature, and so to the operations of the Wilderness-church. For by Mr. H. the Wilderness-church being of 25 members, was complete in essence and operations, before the addition of 50 members.
3. The 50 members over-vote and nullifie the righteous preceeding of the poor holy Wilderness-church of 25. Ergo, here the power of a single congregation in the Island and the Wilderness must be over-turned by these three Arguments of Mr. H. Let his defenders see to it.
4. A congregation may command me a visible professor so and so, dwelling near the Fountain, to confess Christ before men, and so to be a member.
Obj. They cannot excommunicat… a r…fus…r to be a member, for a non-member cannot be c…st out.
Ans. Its all along a false principle, that a man is no member until
1… A Court congregational judicially judge of his Regeneration.
2. Until he actually consent, and give up his Name as a married party: 3. and that to one onelyonly congregation; all are rotten and headless principles. What way pastors may be hindred in exercising pastoral acts, or acts of ruling, is clear: he may not publickly preach in a set time of his own appointing, without the Churches consent, by whom he is to be regulated, which is no hindring of the exercise of his power, as Mr. H. imagines, but a regulating thereof.
Mr. H. The addition of any thing besides an office, addes no Pag. 117.power of right or jurisdiction.
Ans. True, but it extends the right of the Wilderness-church to so many members added, to 50 Infants to be baptized when born, to ten Churches about, when the Lord shall adde them, not to rule over them, but to rule joyntly over the whole combination with them, for promoting the Gospel in all.
Mr. H. The ground of the combination is of no force, to wit, the preventing or curing the taint and pollu…ion that a scandal will bring, by the nearness of combination. Therefore the combination is of no force, the scandal falls out in another Classis. 2. In the outside of the combination, nearer the congregation of another Classis than their own. 3. It goes far to another Province and Nation. The righteous proceeding according to the Rule of Christ, is a cure appointed to remove it, whereever it falls out, farre or near.
Ans. By combination, we do not mean onelyonly a combination of a Presbytery, but also of a Province, Nation; yea, of When scandals fall out far off or near hand, how association of Churches removeth them.all the sound Christian Churches on earth, as the Synod of Dort, 1618. condemned the unsound Doctrine of the Arminians, by writing to all those either within or without the Church, and nearness of habitation is not the adequate ground (though a ground it is, 1 Cor. 5. 1. It is reported there is among you fornication, &c.) of the danger of pollution.
2. The reason, Because the scandal may fall out without the combination of the Classis, is no reason why the combination is of no force, for the combination is upon other grounds also, to wit, the establishing in the faith, the increase of the Churches, Acts 16. 4, 5. the gathering of the Saints, and perfecting of the body, Eph. 4. 12. edifying the body, beside the preventing and curing of scandals.
3. Its to beg the question, to say, that the proceeding of the Independent congregation of Antioch (say it were so) is a cure for the scandalous Doctrine of salvation by circumcision, preached at Ierusalem, Acts 15. 1. troubling the Churches of Syria and Cilicia, Acts 15. 23, 24. Yea, this is for Mr. H. to say, the holy Ghost used not a sufficient cure. As for that, to say scandals should not be prevented and cured by the combination, because they may fall out without the combination; his meaning is, without the combination classical, or congregation, it makes Christs remedy nonsufficient, that either there can be no Provincial, no National scandals, contrary to experience, or then Christ hath provided no Church-remedy to remove them, but onelyonly the power of a single congregation, which hath no power at all, but over themselves. Hence this rotten principle, The limiting of Churchedifying and Church-comforting to one onelyonly congretien whereof the man onelyonly is a sworne member, is an unwarrantable and comfortless way.That Church feeding is due to none under the New Testament, but to persons hampered into the Pinfold and Judaical Prison of one single congregation, against which 1. it licenseth the most godly Saints on earth, residing at Corinth, if they be no Church-members of that Church,
1. To deny Christ and Church-ordinances before men, when Christs sends out his servants, as Mat. 22 3, 4. Luke 14. 16, 17. for they may say, the Lord calls none to Church-ordinances at Corinth, but members of that Church, and such are we not.
2. It licenseth them to despise Church-prophecying, Church-praying, Church-praising.
3. To disobey a Gospel-command, though they have visibly to the conscience of all tried themselves. Do this in remembrance of me: whereas Christ limits his invitation to all who can discern his body. Mr. H. must say its adultery for the members of the Church of Philippi, to remember the Lords death in the Church of Corinth.
4. That Doctrine is not of God, which debars the birds, sheep, and children of God sojourning in what fields or land soever (as it were) from feeding as his Eagles upon the carrion, in every lawful Church-way; or from watching at the gates, and waiting at the posts of the doors of Wisdom, except in that onelyonly congregation to which they are sworn by marriage oath, or from seeding at any table of the Lord, or dwelling all the dayes of their life in the New Testament-sanctuary, to behold the beauty of the Lord, Prov. 8. 35. 36. Psal. 23. 6. & 27 4. except in one single congregation: but such is the Doctrine of The Way of Churches of N. E. c. 1. sec. 1. p. 1. c. 4. sec. 3. sec. 4. p 70, 71. Mr. H. Survey, pa. 3. c. 2. p. 10. M. Cotton, keys of the kingd. c. 7. p. 39, 40, 4….an independent congregation, the onelyonly visible Church of the New Testament, as they say.
5. That Doctrine is not of God, which confines Church-comforts, Church-praying, &c. to one single congregation, and puts us in a worse, if not in as hard a condition as the Jews, whose publick Temple-service was tied to the Temple; whereas in the New Testament, 1 Tim. 3. 8. (as in the Old also in some sense) we may pray in every place, lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting. But we may not pray, praise, and heat Church-wayes in any place by this way, but in our own congregation, although the Lord promise to create on Zions assemblits a cloud and a smoke by day, and the shining of a fleming fire by night, Isa. 4. 5. and that upon all the Lords Mount.
6. The sojourner is left to the Eunuchs complaint, I am a dry tree; there is glory in this assembly, but I have neither part nor portion in it: Nor will it establish the heart to say, I see the beauty of the Lord in my own congregation, for these under the New Testament can finde no solace and comfort from that Psal. 106. Remember me, O Lord, with the favour that thou bearest to thy people. Nor can it be the comfort of an Institution, which is something more to a believing sojourner, and David banished to want, then we conceive… when Davids spirit is overwhelmed, when he wants the joy, presence and com…ort of instituted holy dayes, Psal. 42. 4. and of Tabernacle-consolation with the covenanted people of God, which made the sparrows more happy than he was, Psal. 84. 1, 2, 3, 4. and yet he had soul-refreshments in lively desires, Psal. 63. 1, 2. For the godly sojourner is not of that covenanted visible body with the Church to which he is a stranger; for by this way, he is an alien, and deprived of their sanctuary joy and glory of that cong…egregation, both in Church-hearing, believing, and joy of the seals.
7. By this way, Christ must promise his Ministerial presence, and his Spirit, not always, as Mat. 28. 20. Eph. 4. 11, 12. Ioh. 20. 21. Acts 1. 8. and in every congregation where they open the mouth, but onelyonly in one fixed congregation. With what faith can they preach elsewhere? or people hear the pastors elsewhere?