The Bloody Tenant of Persecution for the Cause of Conscience, Part 4 · Chapter 103 – Chapter 104
CHAP. CIII.
Peace.
DEare Truth, This pressing of men to the Spirituall Battels of Christ Jesus, is the cause why (as it is commonly with prest Souldiers) that so many thousands flie in the day of Battell. But I present you with the 9. Question, viz.
What power the Magistrate hath in providing of Church-Officers?
First (say they) the Election of Church officers being the proper Act of the Church, therefore the Magistrate hath no power (either as Prince or Patron) to assume such power unto himselfe. When Christ sends to preach by his supreme power, the Magistrate may send forth by his power subordinate, to gather Churches, and may force people to heare them, but not invest them with office amongst them.
Secondly, the Maintenance of Church-officers being to arise from all those who are ordinarily taught thereby (Gal. 6. 6.) hence it is the dutie of the Civill Magistrate to contend with the people, as Nehemiah did, chap. 13. ver. 10. 11. who doe neglect and forsake the due maintenance of the Church of God, and to command them to give such portions for the maintenance of Church officers, as the Gospell commandeth to be offered to them freely and bountifully, 2. Cor. 9. 5, 6, 7. According as Hezekiah commanded the people to give to the Priests and Levites the portions appointed by the Law, that they might be incouraged in the Law of the Lord, 2 Chron. 31. 4.
Thirdly, the furnishing the Church with set officers, depending much upon erecting and maintenance of Schooles, and good education of youth; and it lying chiefly in the hand of the Magistrate to provide for the furthering thereof, they may therefore and should so farre provide for the Churches, as to erect Schooles, take care for fit Governours and Tutours, and commend it to all the Churches, if they see it meet, that in all the Churches within the Jurisdiction once in a yeare, and if it may be, the Sabbath before the Generall Court of Election, there be a Free-will offering of all people for the maintenance of such Schooles: And the monies of every Towne so given, to be brought on the day of Election to the Treasurie of the Colledge, and the monies to be disposed by such who are so chosen for the disposing thereof.
Truth.
In the choice of officers, it is very obscure what they mean by this supreme power of Christ Jesus sending to preach.
We know the Commission of the Lord Jesus to his first Messengers to goe into all Nations to preach and gather Churches, and they were immediately sent forth by him: but Mr. Cotton elswhere boldeth, that there is now extant no immediate Ministry from Christ, but mediate, that is, from the Church.
Let us first see how they agree with themselves, and secondly how they agree with the Magistrate in this busines.
First,In the first patterne there is a converting Ministrie, to gather the Church or Flo…k of Christ. if they hold a sending forth to preach by Christs supreme power, according to Math. 28. Mark 16. Rom. 10. they must necessarily grant a time, when the Church is not, but is to be constituted out of the Nations and Peoples now converted by this preaching: whence according to the course of Scripture, the nature of the Worke, and their own Grant in this place, it is apparent that there is a Ministery before the Church, gathering and espousing the Church to Christ: and therefore their other Tenent must needs be too light, viz. that there is no Ministry but that which is mediate from the Church.
Peace.
Blessed Truth, this doctrine of a Ministry before the Church, is harsh and deep, yet most true, most sweet. Yet you know their Ground, that two or three Godly persons may joyne themselves together, become a Church, make officers, send them forth to preach, to convert, baptize, and gather New Churches.
Truth.
I answer, first we find not in the first institution and pasterne, that ever any such two, or three, or more, did gather and constitute themselves a Church of Christ, without a Ministrie sent from God to invite and call them by the Word, and to receive them unto fellowship with God upon the receiving of that Word and Message: No president of any people in the Gospell converting & gathering themselves, without some Messenger sent from the Lord to effect those ends.And therefore it may very well be quaeried how without such a Ministry two or three become a Church? and how the power of Christ is conveyed unto them; Who espoused this people unto Iesus Christ, as the Church at Corinth was espoused by Paul, 2 Cor. 11.? If it be said themselves, or if it be said the Scriptures, let one instance be produced in the first patternes and practices of such a Practice.
It hath been generally confest, that there is no comming to the Mariage feast without a Messenger inviting, sent from God to the Soules of men, Matth. 22. Luc. 14. Rom. 10.
We finde when the Thessalonians turned to God from their Idolls to serve the living and true God, 1 Thessal. 1. 9. it pleased God to bring a Word of Power unto them by the mouth of Paul in the same place.
Peace.
You know (deare Truth) it is a common plea, that Gods people now are converted already, and therefore may congregate themselves, &c.
Truth.
Two things must here be cleered:
First,Professed publique conversion is not onelyonly from sinnes against the second Table in personall Repentance, but from false worship also. doth their conversion amount to externall turning from Idolls, I Thess. 1. 9. beside their internall Repentance, Faith, Love, &c. Secondly, who wrought this conversion, who begot these Children? (for though the Corinthians might have ten thousand Teachers, yet Paul had begotten them by the Word.
'Tis true (as Mr. Cotton himselfe elsewhere acknowledgeth) God sendeth many Preachers in the way of his providence (even in Babel mysticall) though not according to his Ordinance and Institution: So even in the wildernesse (Rev. 12.) God provideth for the sustentation of the woman, Rev. 12. by which provision even in the most Popish times and places, yea and by most false and Popish callings (now in this lightsome Age confest so to be) God hath done great things to the personall conversion,A true Ministery necessary before conversion, and therefore before the Church in the first patterne. consolation, and salvation of his people.
But as there seems yet to be desired such constitution of the Christian Church, as the first institution and patterne calls for: So also such a calling and converting of Gods people from Antichristian Idols to the Christian Worship: And therefore such a Ministry (according to the first patterne) sent from Christ Iesus to renew and restore the Worship and Ordinances of God in Christ.
Lastly, if it should be granted that without a Ministry sent from Christ to gather Churches, that Gods, people in this Country may be called, converted from Antichristian Idolls, to the true worship of God in the true Church estate and Ordinances, will it not follow that in all other Countries of the World Gods Elect must or may be so converted from their severall respective false worships and Idolatries, The true way of the M…st…y sent with that commission Ma…h. 28. discussed.and brought into the true Christian Church estate without such a Ministry sent unto them? Or are there two wayes appointed by the Lord Iesus, one for this Country, and another for the rest of the World? Or lastly, if two or three more (without a Ministry) shall arise up, become a Church, make Ministers, &c. I ask whether those two or three, or more must not be accounted immediately and extraordinarily stirred up by God, and whether this be that supreme power of Christ Iesus (which they speake of) sending forth two or three private persons to make a Church and Ministers, without a true Ministry of Christ Iesus first sent unto themselves? Is this that commission (which all Ministers pretend unto) Mat. 28. 19. &c. first, in the hands of two or three private persons becomming a Church, without a mediat call from which Church (say they) there can be no true Ministry, and yet also confesse that Christ sendeth forth to preach by his supreme power; and the Magistrate by his power subordinate to gather Churches?
CHAP. CIV.
Peace.
YOu have taken great paines to shew the irreconciliablenesse of those their two assertions, viz. First, there is now no Ministry (as they say) but what is mediat from the Church, and yet secondly, Christ Jesus sends Preachers forth by his supreme power to gather the Church: I now wait to heare, how, as they say, the Magistrate may send forth by his power subordinate to gather Churches, enforcing the people to heare, &c.
Truth.
If there be a Ministry sent forth by Christs supreme power; The Civill Magistrate not betrusted with gathering of Churches.and a Ministry sent forth by the Magistrates subordinate power to gather Churches; I aske what is the difference between these two? Is there any gathering of Churches but by that commission, Mat. 28. Teach and baptize? And is the civill Magistrate intrusted with a power from Christ as his Deputy to give this commission, and so to send out Ministers to preach and baptize?
As there is nothing in the Testament of Christ concerning such a delegation or assignment of such power of Christ to the civill Magistrate: If the Magistrate, then much more the people of the world, from whom the Magistrates receive their power.So I also ask, since in every free State civill Magistrates have no more power but what the peoples of those States, Lands and Countries betrust them with, whether or no (by this meanes) it must not follow that Christ Iesus hath left with the Peoples and Nations of the World, his Spirituall Kingly power to grant commissions and send out Ministers to themselves, to preach, convert and baptize themselves? How inevitably this followes upon their conclusion of power in Magistrates to send, &c. and what unchristian and unreasonable consequences must flow from hence, let all consider in the feare of God.
Iehosaphats sending forth the Levites to teach in Iudah, Iehosaphat (2 Chron. 17.) a figure of Christ Jesus in his Church not of the Civill Magistrate in the State.&c. as they alledge it not; so elsewhere it shall more fully appeare to be a type and figure of Christ Iesus the only King of his Church providing for the feeding of his Church and People by his true Christian Priests and Levites, viz. The Ministry which in the Gospel he hath appointed.