A Defense of Sundry Positions of the Congregational Way, Position 10
POSITION X.
The particular Congregation, This Scripture is alledged by R. M. and W. T. to C. H. & anſw. to 32. q. p. 69.though they want Officers, have power and authority to ordain Officers, as the children of Iſrael did put their hands upon the Lovites, Numb. 8.9, 10.
That Congregation had Officers, Anſwer. Aaron the High Prieſt, and many other Prieſts, Numb. 3.4. But you hold not that people may ordain in the preſence and plenty of Officers.
1. Though they had Officers, Reply. viz. Aaron and his Sons, yet thoſe Officers could not lay their hands upon them for a ſpeciall reaſon; and therfore they were as without Officers: the reaſon was this, the Levites were given to God, and they were given to Aaron and his ſons, they were given to Gods ſervice, & they were given to Aarons ſervice, and therefore they muſt be preſented not by Aaron and his ſons, but before them, Numb. 8.13. Aaron and his ſons muſt be the perſon that muſt (as it were) receive them, therefore not lay their bands on them, for that was the work of thoſe that offered them, and gave them, and not the work of thoſe that muſt receive them; this appeares from Numb. 3.6, 7. and Numb 8.13. with 19.2. Will it not hold, à majore, from the greater, that if in the old Teſtament the people did ordain in the preſence of Officers, then they may in the new much more in the want of Officers?
All the children of Iſrael being about 600000, Anſwer. did not probably lay hands on the Levites, but ſome in ſtead of the reſt, which were more likely to be the Elders then any other.
You might have ſaid, could not poſſibly at once do it; Reply. therefore of neceſſity ſome in ſtead of the reſt did it, and probably the Elders. But what Elders? Eccleſiaſticall Elders? there were none but Aaron and his ſans; and they did it not, as is manifeſt from the Text, and for the reaſon rendred; they were therefore Civill Elders: but not as Elders: For you hold not that it belongs to Civill Elders (as Civill Elders) to lay on hands in ordination: but as they were the chief and principall men of the Congregation: and we hold the graveſt and wiſeſt, and primeſt of the Congregation ought to do it, on the behalf of the reſt, when there is a want of Eccleſiaſticall Officers.
All the Congregation, Anſwer. and all the Elders of the Congregation are all one, Exod. 12.3. with verſ. 21.
1. It doth not appear from the Text alledged, Reply. that they are all one, but diſtinguiſhed (though they all are one body, yet theſe as Officers, thoſe as Members:) For, when God ſaith, ſpeak ye unto the Congregation of the children of Iſrael; he meant really that the Congregation of Iſrael ſhould be ſpoken to, and not the Elders only; for the ordinance was as well appertaining to the Congregation, as to the Elders; and when Moſes, verſ. 21. ſpake to the Elders only, yet it was with reference to Gods command, in verſ. 3. that all the Congregation might be ſpoken to; they fulfill Gods commandement, ſpeak to the Congregation, but not immediatly, but by the Elders. Doth this confound Congregations and Elders? For, if God had meant Elders by the Congregation, then the Elders killing the Paſſeover, though the people had not done it, yet Gods command had been fulfilled; which is untrue.
2. Though the Congregation and the Elders ſhould be all one; yet is the Congregation and the Eccleſiaſticall Elders all one? if the Text you alledge prove not that, it is nothing to your purpoſe.
3. If the Congregation and the Elders ſhould be all one in ſome places, yet in Numb. 8.9, 10. they are not all one: For Aaron and his ſons were the only Eccleſiaſticall Elders; and they are mentioned diſtinctly from the Congregation of Iſrael.
The Levites were ſeparated to their work, Anſwer. ant taken from amongst the children of Iſrael, cleanſed and offered before the Lord by Moſes and Aaron reſpectively, according to Gods expreſſe appointment, verſ. 6.7.8.11.13.14. therefore this laying on of hands was either only obedientiall for approbation of Gods election, or for oblation of the Levites to God in ſtead of their firſt born, verſ. 16.17, 18. as they laid hands on ſacrifices, verſ. 12. which was a ſpeciall reaſon, and peculiar to thoſe times.
Obedientiall certainly it was, Reply. but principally for another reaſon (as we conceive) which you omit; the ſervice of the Levites was the ſervice of the children of Iſrael; which formerly the firſt born were wont to perform; now God had choſen the Levites in ſtead of the firſt born, to do that ſervice, which Iſrael ſhould have done by their firſt born; therefore Iſrael muſt lay their hands upon them, that is, put that work upon them which was theirs: For as the laying on of the hands on the ſacrifice, did put the ſins on the ſacrifice, and ſo upon Chriſt; ſo the laying on of hands, did put the ſervice upon the Levites, ſee Numb. 3.7. & Numb. 8.18, 19. and herein there is a parity: for the ſervice of the Miniſtery is the ſervice of the Church; and the Officers which the Church hath, performs it for the Church; and the Church when ſhe puts her hands upon the Officers, puts the ſervice upon the Officers; and yet this reaſon would neither have been good then in the preſence of the Officers (had there not been a ſpeciall reaſon for it,) nor is it good now, when the Church hath Officers; becauſe the Officers are to tranſact her affaires for her.
If the people did ordain the Levites, Anſwer. I am ſure they did not chooſe them: If this be a binding pattern, you will looſe Election while you contend for popular ordination.
Such a ſleight concluſion will not ſo ſoon wring away election from the people. Reply. We have examples enough in the new Teſtament for ſuch a priviledge, to ſettle it upon them more firmly then ſo. We need not fly to the old Teſtament for patterns for it; if you can but produce one inſtance from the new Teſtament that ever Elders of one Church ordained Officers in another, or any good reaſon for it grounded thence; the controverſie about ordination ſhall be ended betwixt us; and the pattern of Numb. 8. ſhall be waved.
You tell us that it is a pillar of Popery to proportion the Church now, Anſwer. to the outward policy of Iſrael.
It is notoriouſly known, Reply. that the foundation of the Antichriſtian Hierarchy is laid in the proportion which ſome would have betwixt the Jewiſh policy, and the policie of the Chriſtian Church; yet this debarres not, but that uſe may be made of the old Teſtament, where the new is ſilent. Do not you reſt upon the new Teſtament for the change of the Seal of the Covenant, and conclude Baptiſme is to be imbraced in ſtead of Circumciſion, becauſe the new is cleer in that matter? and yet run to the old, to finde out the latitude and extent in the application of it to the ſubject; and conclude, Infants muſt be baptized, not becauſe the new expreſsly ſaith ſo, but becauſe you finde it in the old: The Jewes children were circumciſed, therefore Chriſtians children muſt be baptized.
You tell us, that Chriſts faithfulneſſe above Moſes, Anſwer. conſiſts in as full determination of Gods worſhip in the new Teſtament; and that we are as ſtrictly tied to the Goſpel-pattern, as the Jewes were to the old Teſtament. Why then ſhould we in ordination of Officers, be guided by the old Teſtament, and not by the new?
It is our Argument againſt thoſe that hold that there is no platform of diſcipline laid down in the new Teſtament, Reply. but that any is lawfull that the State will authorize: but it was never aſſerted by us, that all things without limitation are directly determined; for we have alwayes reſtrained it to ſubſtantialls; neither have we ever ſaid, that we have had a perfect knowledge of all things that are revealed.
And why ſhould we follow the ordination of Levites rather then of Prieſts for a pattern, for the ordination of Elders; Anſwer. except to gratifie you?
You cannot gratifie us by following the one or the other, Reply. becauſe ye cannot advantage your ſelves, whether of them ſoever ye betake your ſelves unto: For,
1. If the people laid their hands upon the Levites, there were no hands at all laid upon the Prieſts: they were anointed and conſecrated, and holy veſtments put upon them, but ordained by the impoſition of hands, they were not: but you would not have ordination of Elders turn'd into a conſecration after the manner of the Prieſts.
2. What was done to the Prieſts, was not performed by any Eccleſiaſticall perſon, but by Moſes the chief Magiſtrate of the people: but you are not ſo weary of ordination, as to transferre it from the Presbyterie to the Magiſtracie.
3. The Elders of the new Teſtament are rather the ſucceſſors of the Levites, then of the Prieſts; becauſe there is no Hierarchie amongſt them; and therefore the pattern of their ordination, is rather to be followed then the ordination of the Prieſts, and yet not to gratifie us. Conſult better the next time with Scripture, before you proceed to ſuch triumphing.