The Bloody Tenant Washed and Made White in the Blood of the Lamb, Part 2 · Chapter 27
To CHAP. XXVII.
THe third part of the Examiners diſcourſe touching Engliſh Preachers, taketh up this 27. Chapter: and it is concerning the calling and commiſſion of the Engliſh Preachers.
Mr. Cotton himſelfe (ſaith he) and others moſt eminent in New-England, have freely confeſt:
Firſt, That notwithſtanding their profeſſion of Miniſtery in Old England: yet in New-England (till they received a Calling from a particular Church) that they were but private Chriſtians.
Secondly, That Chriſt Jeſus hath appointed no other Calling to the Miniſtery, but ſuch as they practiſe in New England, and therefore conſequently, that all other, which is not from a particular Congregation of godly perſons, is none of Chriſts.
As firſt, a Calling and Commiſſion from the Biſhops.
Secondly, From a Pariſh of naturall and unregenerate perſons.
Thirdly, From ſome few godly perſons, yet remaining in Church-fellowſhip after the Pariſh way.
Fourthly, That eminent gifts and abilities are but qualifications fitting or preparing for a Call to an Office, 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1.
All which premiſes duly conſidered, he deſireth that Mr. Cotton, and all that feare God, might try what will abide the fiery Triall in this particular, when the Lord Jeſus ſhall be revealed in flaming fire, &c.
Reply. It is a weake cauſe that is maintained onelyonly by the teſtimonies of adverſaries, and them either miſtaken or falſified.
It is in him either a miſtake, or a fraudulent expreſſion of our mindes, to ſay, That notwithſtanding our former profeſſion of Miniſtery in Old England, yet (till we received a Calling from a particular Church) we were but private Chriſtians.
This ſpeech may be ſo conceived, as if notwithſtanding our former profeſſion of Miniſtery in Old England: yet indeed we confeſt, our Miniſtery there was no Miniſtery: and this is a falſe expreſſion of our mindes.
It may be alſo conceived, that we confeſt, we had no calling from a particular Church, till we came to New-England. And this is alſo a falſe expreſſion of our mindes likewiſe.
Or it may be conceived, that notwithſtanding our former profeſſion and exerciſe of Miniſtery in Old England: yet being caſt out from thence by the uſurping power of the Prelacy, and diſmiſſed (though againſt their wills) by our Congregations, (ſave onelyonly ſuch as came along with us) we looked at our ſelves as private members, and not Officers to any Church here, untill one or other Church might call us unto Office. This ſence of our profeſſion is true, but nothing availeable to the Examiners intendment.
Secondly, It is in him another miſtake, or elſe a fraudulent expreſſion of our mindes, when he ſaith, Wee hold and freely confeſſe, that Chriſt Jeſus hath appointed no other Calling to the Miniſtery, but ſuch as we practiſe in New-England: And that any other Calling to the Miniſtery, which is not from a particular Congregation of godly perſons, is none of Chriſts.
Though we doe beleeve and profeſſe the calling which we have received to the Miniſtery in New-England, to be of Chriſt: yet
1. It is an inſolent phraſe that ſavoureth of more arrogancy, then either we dare uſe, or allow in our ſelves or others, to ſeeme to make our calling to the Miniſtery in New-England, a Rule, and patterne, and precedent to all the Churches of Chriſt throughout the world. Did ever any man meete with ſuch an expreſſion in any of our writings? That Chriſt Jeſus hath appointed no other Calling to the Miniſtery, but ſuch as we practiſe in New-England? Such language doth neither become the lips of Mr. Williams, nor of any Miniſter in New-England.
2. Though we beleeve our calling to be of God, yet we doe neither beleeve nor profeſſe, that every difference from us which other Churches may uſe in the calling of their Miniſters, doth ſtraight way make their callings no callings, or no callings of Chriſt. Though it be our manner (and as wee beleeve according to the word) that every Church chooſeth and calleth their own Miniſters, and ordaineth them by the Presbytery of the ſame Church: yet if the Presbytery of other Churches commend a Miniſter to a vacant Church, and upon the acceptance of the Church, if the presbyters of thoſe Churches doe ordaine him with the conſent of the Church, we doe not profeſſe that this is no calling of Chriſt, or that theſe are no Miniſters of Chriſt. The f…ee choice of the Church is preſerved (for ought we know) in their free acceptance of a Miniſter commended to them. And whether the Miniſter be ordained by impoſition of hands, at all, or no, and if by impoſition of hands, by the hands of fellow-Elders of other Churches with the conſent of the Church: We neither put ſo much waight in ſuch a Rite, though Apoſtolicall; nor doe we ſo farre reſtraine the libertie of communion of Churches, that if they ſhall communicate ſuch entercourſe of Church-actions one to another, then all their callings and adminiſtrations to be of none effect. Wee are not ſo maſterly and peremptory in our apprehenſions: And yet (with ſubmiſſion) we conceive, the more plainly and exactly all Churchactions are carried on according to the letter of the rule, the more glory wee ſhall give unto the Lord Jeſus, and procure the more peace to our Conſciences, and to our Churches, and reſerve more purity and power to all our Adminiſtrations.
3. Though we doe beleeve, and profeſſe, that a Church (by rule) ought to be a Congregation of godly perſons, or at leaſt of ſuch as profeſſe godlineſſe: yet if (through neglect of the power of doctrine) few godly perſons be left in a Congregation, & (through neglect of diſcipline) few of thoſe who profeſſe godlineſſe be found ſo blameleſſe, as the purity of the Sanctuary requireth: yet we doe not ſtraight way profeſſe that ſuch Congregations are no Churches, or that a Miniſtery choſen by ſuch a Congregation, are none of Chriſts.
It is true, Gods chiefeſt regard is of his choſen Saints, godly perſons. To them, and for them, he hath given Church-eſtate, Church-Covenant, and ſeales, Church-Officers, with all the power of the adminiſtrations of the holy things, the ordinances of Chriſt, Epheſ. 4.11, 12, 13. But yet that his holy Saints might be preſerved, foreign, without ſcruples and diſtracting perplexities in their Church-Communion, the Lord is pleaſed for their ſakes to tolerate much hypocriſie, and many aberrations in Church-matters, before he reject Churches as no Churches, Miniſtery as no Miniſtery of Chriſt, callings as no callings.
To ſpeake then a word to the inferences, which the Examiner gathereth from the two former miſtaken confeſſions of ours.
As, 1. That a Calling or Commiſſion received from the Biſhops is none of Chriſts.
Reply. 1. We doe not beleeve nor profeſſe, that the Miniſters of England, who received Ordination from the Biſhops, did receive their calling from the Biſhops; their Epiſcopall ordination is no part of their vocation to the Miniſtery. Their vocation or calling is from Chriſt by the Election or at leaſt acceptation of the Congregation: The ordination is onelyonly Adjunctum Conſummans of the ſolemnity of their calling, as hath been ſhewed above.
Reply. 2. Epiſcopall ordination, though it be an aberration from the inſtitution: yet we doe not conceive, that it maketh an abrogation of the calling of a Miniſter. Extrinſecall pollutions, though they defile the calling, yet they doe not deſtroy it.
His ſecond inference is; That a Calling from a Pariſh of naturall and unregenerate perſons, is none of Chriſts.
Reply. 1. It is an hard ſaying, to ſay that all of the Pariſh are naturall and unregenerate Perſons. Such as are ſwift to judge themſelves, are ſlow to judge others.
Reply. 2. Suppoſe they were all naturall and unregenerate perſons; yet they profeſſing Chriſtianitie, and meeting together every Lords day, for the worſhip of the Lord Jeſus, and deſiring to have a Miniſter to inſtruct them therein, their calling is not a nullitie. I cannot ſay, that the worſhippers of God at Philippi, (whereof Lydia was one) (who met together for prayer every Sabbath day) were any of them better then unregenerate perſons, before Paul and Sylas came amongſt them. And yet if a man of Macedonia come and call Paul and Sylas, to come and helpe them, they aſſuredly gather, that the Lord had called them to preach the Goſpel to them, Acts 16.9, 10.
His third infer…nce is; That a Calling from ſome few godly perſons, yet remaining in Church fellowſhip after the Pariſh way, is not of Chriſt.
Reply. Then it would follow, that a remnant of godly perſons is not ſufficient to conſtitute and denominate a Church, if the greater part be corrupt and uncleane. But the Prophet Iſaiah was of another minde, and hath taught us by the Holy Ghoſt to judge otherwiſe: Except (ſaith he, Iſai. 1.9.) the Lord of Hoſts had left us a very ſmall Remnant, wee ſhould have been as Sodom, wee ſhould have been like unto Gomorrah; In his judgement, it is not a multitude of hypocrites and prophane perſons, that maketh a Church (where a remnant of godly perſons are found) to become as Sodom or Gomorrah: But it is a remnant, a very ſmall remnant, that preſerve the Church from becoming as Sodom, or Gomorrah.
His fourth and laſt inference is; That eminent gifts and abilities, are but qualifications fitting and preparing for a Call, or Office, according to 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1.
Reply. We readily acknowledge it: but yet if a few godly perſons ſhall call for the employment of theſe gifts to their ſpirituall edification: The men who are qualified with theſe gifts, are not onelyonly fitted and prepared for a call, or office, but actually called unto office; at leaſt, to preach the word unto them, though not to adminiſter the Covenant, or ſeales of the Covenant, but onelyonly to them and their ſeed, who yeeld profeſſed ſubjection to the Goſpel of Chriſt Jeſus. If any through ignorance or infirmitie proceed further in their adminiſtrations, I doe beleeve the repentance of the Miniſters, (for ſinnes knowne and ſecret) and the faith of the godly party, is more able to ſanctifie the corrupt and uncleane ſort to their Communion; then the corruption of the uncleane ſort is able to corrupt the Miniſter, and Worſhip, and Church-eſtate of all.