Survey of the Survey of that Sum of Church Discipline by Hooker, Book 4 · Chapter 1
LIB. IV. CHAP. I.
The Congragation in its abstract nature is not the first subject of the Keyes.
Mr. H. pag. 218. TH… Key▪ as we have heard, is a power delegated from Christ to disponse and administer the holy things of his House.
Ans. Why then give you the dispensing of Some certain officers not unofficed people are to be Judges & Porters under the N. Testament.the holy things of God, given to Aaron and his sons, and the keeping of the charge of the Lord, and the judging of his House, and the keeping of his Counts, given to the High-priest Ioshua, and, in his person, prophecied to the given to the officers of the New Testament, Zech. 3. 7. to any unofficed men? and whether doth not the Lord prophecy in the new Temple builtunder the Messiah, Ezek 44. (for its neither the first nor second Temple spo… of …) that New Testament-Levites (no question not the unofficed brethren) should keep the charge of the Lords holy things, and should be porters to keep the doors of the Lords sanctuary, to hold out the uncircumcised in heart and fl…sh, v. 8, 9, 10, 11. as Paul saith, 1 Cor. 12. 29. Are all Apostles? are all Prophets? are all Teachers? are all New Testament-Levites?
Mr. H. What is meant by the Catholick and visible Church, I cannot know by Mr. R.
Sometimes he seems to cast the Catholick visible Church upon the general nature of a Congregation.
Ans. It but seems so, and to onelyonly Mr. H. to no living man else.
Mr. H. To what principal subject hath the Lord (saith Mr. R.) given reason, and the faculty of discoursing? Is it to Peter or John? No, its for and to the race of mankinde, Lib. 2. p. 291.
Ans. Ergo, God hath given the Keyes to and for a single The Lord hath given the keys to the Catholick guides, as to the first & formal subject and to the Catholick integral visible Church, as to the object and end; not to the independent congregation, at M. H. saith.congregation of 40 or 50 visible Saints; that is none of my Logick: but, Ergo, to the Catholick guides all of them, as to the first and formal subject, and to the Catholick visible Church, as for the principal end and adequate object. Here is plain enough expression, 1 Cor. 12. 28, God hath placed in the Church first Apostles, &c. Sure the Lord never meant to place Apostles, whose flock was all Nations, Mat. 28. 19, 20. as fixed members and pastors of your Independent flock of 40, which is no more countable for their doings to any on earth but to Christ onelyonly, in a juridical way, than the Pope.
Mr. H. Sometime Mr. R. his expressions seem to intimate an O…cumonick Councel, or a Representative Catholick Church, sometime a Catholick visible, as it is totum integrale, of an integral nature.
Ans. Both these, with Protestant Divines, I own; the one, as the first subject, whether convened in a Synod, or scattered, I shall, God willing, declare; the other as the object and the end of the Keys.
Mr. H. We say a congregation of visible Saints covenanting to walk in the Ordinances of the Gospel is the prime and original Pag. 219, 220.subject of the power of the Keys; we understand it not of this or that individual congregation, as though they onelyonly had it, and none but they, and they had it firstly, and all of them; but because its a congregation of such. This is our Saviours meaning, Mat. 16. I will build my Church, taking a visible congregation of visible covenanting believers, as that which is a pattern and samplar (as I may so speak) which leaves an impression upon all the particulars, as common to all, and is preserved in all.
Ans. If the Church congregational as congregational, not as this or that congregation, be built on the Rock, then this or that congregation must of necessity be also built on the Rock. If man as man be rational, then so are all individual men, Peter, Iohn, Anna; if the congregational Church as such, be built on the Rock, then this or that congregation, &c. must be built on the Rock. Quod conveni… foreign, convenit foreign. But this presently Mr. H. recals, This or that visible Church may, doth, and will fail. But this or that visible congregation partakes of the common nature of a congregational Church; and what reason this Church more than this should fall off the Rock, since the promise is made to the congregation in its common nature? then of necessity the Church must have the promise upon some other account than as the congregation in its common nature.
Mr. H. Each particular congregation is complete and independent Pag. 221…for the exercise of all acts and dispensations belonging to a congregation or Church, without any reference to any other congregation, because they are distinct species, which firstly and equally participate of the nature of the genus, or the general nature of the Church.
Ans. 1. Then are there no clamours raised against you by M. cotton of the Keys, c. 6. p. 25.those who say, It is most unjust that 10, or 30, or 40 should be an Independent Male▪ Judicature (as if others had no souls) countable onelyonly to Jesus Christ for their administration.
2. By Mr. Cotton his true principles, they are not independent within themselves to exercise all acts belonging to a congregation; for Synods not onelyonly have power to give light and counsel in matters of truth and practise, but also to command and enjoyn the things to be believed and done.
1. If then the Synod hath a share of the Keys, the single congregation must be too narrow a first subject of the Keys, especially when the Synod as the Synod hath the power of the Keys to command the Churches as the Churches, and several congregations. 2. So the necessity of being circumcised or not circumcised, if we would be saved, Act. 15. must belong to a congregation, and to all the congregations of Anti…h, of Ierusalem, &c. then the Lord Jesus hath not given a power independent to any single congregation, to exercise all acts and all dispensations belonging to them: for sure they cannot determine in a matter belonging to other Churches, and more belonging to other Churches than to themselves, because of the multitude of concerned Churches, but they must no less impose upon the consciences of other Churches, if the same seem good to the holy Ghost, and to them onelyonly, (otherwise its a bastard determination) then if they should determine it contrary to the knowledge of their own Church congregational, and members thereof.
2. Mr. H. takes the word Congregation and Church for all one, against the Grammar of the holy Ghost, who taketh the The word (Church) is not taken by M. H. according to the Grammar of Scripture.word Church even in the New Testament, for the collection of believers, agreeing in one Faith, one common R…dem…tion▪ common Saviour, common hope of Glory, though they be … a congregation that meets in one place, Eph. 5▪ 23, 25, 27, 29. & 1. 22. Col. 1 18. H…b▪ 12. 23.
3. The reason why they are independent in the exercise of all acts and disp…sations belonging to a Cong…gation or Church, to wit, because they are distinct▪ species and Churches different in nature, is most fr…volous; for beside, that the reason is false, except Christ the Head of one congregation be different in nature from the same Christ the Head of another congregation, and their Faith, Baptism, Hope of their calling, be different in nature; whereas they are all one in nature, in all the whole Catholick Body, Eph. 4. 3, 4, 5, 6, 1 Tim. 4. 10. Eph. 5. 23, 25, 29. Iudo ver. 9. 1 Cor. 10. 17. They are as distinct species and Churches, different in nature, in regard of pastoral preaching, Way of the Churches of N. N. c. 1. sect. 1. pro. 1. p. 1, 2. I… as unlawful to communicate in seals, and hearing pastoral preaching in another congregation than that which is proper to the member of an Independent congregation, as to submit to their Jurisdiction.and par…aking of the same seals, as the Brethren teach, (if any difference of this kinde be) as they are different in nature in regard of censures; and so as it is unlawful, by their way, to one of this congregation to submit to the forreign and extrinsecal Jurisdiction of other Churches, (as they call it) so its as unlawful to submit to pastoral preaching, and the seals tendred by the forreign authority of other Churches, because if the Head Christ, and power juridical be peculiar to one congregation independently, so must pastoral preaching and the seals be to the same Church; and a member must be as much restricted to their own officers onelyonly for acts of office, since they are set over them by the holy Ghost, as our Brethren say, from Act. 20. 28. 1 Pet. 5 2. Philip. 2. 25. as they are to hear, Matth. 18. that Church onelyonly in acts of Jurisdiction. The Brethren are obliged to shew a difference, or to yield to the Argument.
Mr. H. A particular congregation is species specialissima, which Page 220.hath in it the nature of the Churches in general, and of the species or kindes of Churches, are complete without the Class…s.
Ans. Let the congregation be complete, as species specialissima All single congregations are complete onelyonly in some respect, but differ not in nature & specie among themselves.in its kinde, yet in extension of power its not complete; for we hold, that Classis, Synods, Congregations, differ in nature, and that every one of them, yea the whole integral Catholick visible Church are all species specialissima; and Mr. R. grants they differ onelyonly in more or less extension of power: and therefore Jurisdiction is firstly in them all, as the heat is firstly in the whole body of the fire, not firstly in this or that quarter or portion of the Element.