Consideration of Certain Controversies, Table of contents – Note
A Table of the Chapters and Queſtions.
CHAP. I. Of the Qualification of Church-members. p. 1. Q. WHether there be none to be admitted into the Communion of the externall viſible Church, but who is indued with the reall internall holineſſe of Regeneration, and with juſtifying faith in Chriſt: or, who upon ſtrict examination doth manifeſt ſuch evident ſignes of true faith, and reall internall holineſſe, as may convince the conſciences of the Church to which he joyneth himſelfe, of his ſincere faith, repentance and communion in Chriſt: and that if any Congregation admit others, in whom there is not evident proofe of theſe ſignes, they admit impure and falſe Church-members?
CHAP. II. Of a Church-Covenant. p. 13 Q. WHether a Church-Covenant ſolemnely made between the Members and the Governours of a Church publikely before the whole Church, whereby the members of a particular Church are by a publike and expreſſe agreement and promiſe aſſociated and united amongſt themſelves, to exerciſe the feare and ſacred worſhip of God, unity of faith, brotherly love, mutuall edification, and all duties of piety in a holy communion with God and amongſt themſelves; be abſolutely neceſſary and eſſentiall to the conſtitution of a true Church, ſo that without this Covenant there is no true or pure Church, nor true Churchmember?
CHA. III. Of an inſtituted viſible Church. p. 24 Q. WHether no other externall viſible Church be deſcribed in Scripture, and acknowledged by the Word of God, but a parochiall or particular Church: which is confined to ſuch limits, as that of neceſſity it muſt be ſuch as may be contained, and ought to meet, ordinarily in one place, for the celebrating of Gods publikeworſhip, and all the Ordinances of God with mutuall edification: ſo that the conſtitution of ſuch a Church, which by reaſon of their multitude, or ſome other cauſe, cannot in all their members meet ordinarily in one place for the celebration of the worſhip of God and exerciſe of all Gods ordinances, is unlawfull and repugnant to the Word of God and the Apoſtles institutions concerning the conſtitution of a Church deſcribed in the holy Scripture?
CHAP. IIII. Of Eccleſiaſticall power. p. 43 Q. WHether the Eccleſiaſticall power, or power of the keyes, be given by Chriſt to the multitude or all the members of a Church as the firſt and immediate ſubject: ſo as beleevers not bearing any Church office may by themſelves immediately exerciſe all Eccleſiaſticall juriſdiction, diſcipline, and cauſes Eccleſiaſticall, ſave only the Sacraments? And conſequently, whether private Chriſtians being Church members have ſuch an Eccleſiaſticall power as that they may authoritatively admit Church members to Eccleſiaſticall communion, reprove by Eccleſiaſticall authority ſuch as commit offences, bind by Excommunication and Church cenſures, abſolve from excommunication, and authoritatively remit ſinnes? whether to them alſo belongeth the conferring the power of the keyes on the Miniſters and Paſtours of the Church, and that power which giveth to the Miniſters an Eccleſiaſticall office; and conſequently, the examination of Paſtours, the ſending unto and confirming them in that Church office by impoſition of hands, and againe authoritative ſuſpending and removing Paſtors from that function?
CHAP. V. Of the Eccleſiaſticall Miniſtery, and the Exerciſe thereof. p. 66 Q. 1. WHether the end and effect of the work of the Eccleſiaſticall Miniſtery be only the Confirmation and Edification of thoſe Church-members who are already converted and truly godly; ſo as that Pastours are not more obliged by vertue of their Eccleſiaſticall function to convert the ſtraying ſoules of ſuch as live in the world, and in ſinnes out of Churchcommunion; then all beleevers indued with the gifts of the holy Ghoſt, are by the common duty of Charity bound to doe?
Queſtion 2. p. 70. Whether the Miniſter of a particular Church may not only by vertue of his gifts, and from the common duty of Charity, but alſo by vertue of his Eccleſiaſticall Function, lawfully performe miniſteriall acts of his office in the Eccleſiaſticall Communion of another particular Church, to whoſe ordinary ministery he is not called?
Queſtion 3. p. 75 Whether the exerciſe of Propheſie be a perpetuall inſtitution in the Church of God, whereby private men who beare no Church-Office, may, for the exerciſe of the gifts of the Spirit, publikely before the whole body of the Church preach the Word of God with all authority in the Name of God, and explaine and apply it, for inſtruction, confutation, reprehenſion, and conſolation of the hearers?
Queſtion 4. p. 84 Whether thoſe Infants whoſe next parents doe not by a ſolemne Church-Covenant joyne themſelves to ſome particular Church, are not to be baptized in the Church, but are to be accounted as incapable of Baptiſme, and to have no right to Church-priviledges?
CHAP. VI. Of Claſſes, and Synods, and their authority. p. 89 Q. 1. VVHether Claſſes and Synods have an authoritative power, whereby they may authoritatively judge cauſes Eccleſiaſticall, with Eccleſiaſticall juriſdiction; ſo as that particular Churches ought to ſubmit themſelves to their decrees, under the penalty of Eccleſiaſticall cenſure?
Queſtion 2. p. 103 VVhether Claſſes and Synods have power of ſending, or ordaining Paſtors in a particular Church?
Queſtion 3. p. 118 Whether Synods and Claſſes have power of Excommunication?
CHAP. VII. Of ſet Formes. p. 130 Q. 1. VVHether it be lawfull for Churches to preſcribe to themſelves conſtituted lawes and formes, and certaine Canons, by Eccleſiaſticall authoritie, wherein Articles of Faith, and things neceſſarily required by God for the Government and Diſcipline of the Churches, are out of the holy Scriptures expounded and determined; and things not neceſſarily required are by Eccleſiaſticall power preſcribed, according to the generall rules of Scripture, from the precepts of the law of Nature and holy Prudence, for the edification of the Church, and the order and decency of Gods Worſhip; and impoſed on particular Churches, and Church-Governours, as bonds of Peace and Ʋnity?
Queſtion 2. p. 143 Whether it be lawfull to uſe in the Church preſcript Formes of Prayer, Adminiſtration of the Sacraments, &c. or whether thoſe Churches who uſe them be guilty of ſuperſtition, and will-worſhip? and whether it be lawfull to hold Eccleſiaſticall Communion with thoſe Churches where ſuch Formes in the publike worſhip are in uſe?
FINIS.
VVE whoſe names are ſubſcribed, Delegates of the Walacrian Claſſis, doe teſtifie that our Reverend Colleague Mr William Apollonius was injoyned by the ſaid Claſſis, that in theſe ſad troubles of England he ſhould by writing ſet downe, what is the Government practiſed in the Churches of the United Provinces, which we alſo judge agreeable to the Word of God; and what are the Controverſies at this time agitated in England concerning the Government of the Church of God; and ſtate that controverſie by way of Theſes and Antitheſes, ſhewing the Grounds of them. And that we have diligently peruſed and approved that writing of his. We deſire from our ſoule, that there were a way of Government, as much as may be, Uniforme, obſerved in all Reformed Churches, for the greater edification of the Church of Chriſt, and the deſtruction of the kingdome of Satan. We pray, that the learned and worthy, our Brethren and Fellow-labourers in the Kingdome of England, would be pleaſed fairly to interpret this our affection.
Iacobus D'Herde, Preſident of the Wallacrian Claſſis pro tempore.
Iodocus Larenus, Aſſeſſor pro tempore.
Iſaacus Hoornbekius, Preacher at Middleburgh.
Cornelius Beuckelarius, Preacher at Vere.
Melchior Burs, Miniſter of the word at Weſt-Souburch.
Maximilianus Teellinck, Preacher at Middleburgh.
This writing is ſet forth by preſcript of the 46. Article of Eccleſiaſticall Policy, eſtabliſhed by the moſt Renowned and Noble, the States of Zealand.
Melchior Burs, Miniſter of the Word at Weſt-Souburch.
End of the text · Willem Apollonius, Consideration of Certain Controversies (1645)