A Defense of Sundry Positions of the Congregational Way, Position 16
POSITION XVI.
This particular Congregation is Sion, This Text is frequently alledged in anſw. to 32. q. and others.which God loveth, and he hath promiſed to be preſent, Matth. 18.20.
No Sir, it is not Sion, but one of the aſſemblies of Sion, Iſai. 4.5. Anſwer. The Hebrewes which were divided in many Congregations, are not ſaid to be come into many mount Sions, but to Mount Sion, Heb. 12. The Scripture warrants not the expreſſion of an hundred, or a thouſand Sions.
Sion was a mountain contiguous unto Moriah, Reply. upon which the Temple was built, in which God vouchſafed a ſpeciall preſence, and unto which the Tribes went up; and by a Metonymie, it is frequently put for the Temple that was built neer to it; and by another Metonymie, it is put for the people that repaired thither, and aſſembled there; and ſo for the Church of the Jewes, which Church, in the times of the old Teſtament, conſiſted of many aſſemblies, and yet it ſelf was but one Church; and the Temple alſo was but one, which was called Sion; and ſo Sion, while the Temple was to ſtand, and the Church of the Jewes was to continue, was but one. But in the times of the Goſpel, there were to be no viſible Temples where God would dwell, but the viſible Church, 2 Cor. 6.16. and the viſible Church is Congregationall, and not Nationall, much leſſe univerſall, as hath been proved; therefore the Congregationall church is Sion, therefore the ſpeciall place of Gods preſence.
Yet this hinders not, but that the language of the old Teſtament, when it ſpeaks of things of the new Teſtament, may be uſed in the old Teſtament; yea, in the new alſo: as in Zach. 14.19. Iſai. 66.20, 21. So when Sion in the new Teſtament is ſpoken of in Iſaiah 4.5. there may be an alluſion in phraſe and manner of ſpeaking to Sion in the old Teſtament. We may as well reade of the aſſemblies of Sion, though there be no ſuch thing, but each aſſemblie is Sion, as of the Feaſt of Tabernacles, when yet in the dayes of the Goſpel there is no ſuch thing as a feaſt of Tabernacles, but it is ſpoken by way of alluſion; the things of the new Teſtament are ſet forth to us under the ſhadowes of the old; therefore, becauſe Sion was then but one, it is ſpoken of as one ſtill, and yet it is more then one.
Now that there are many mounts Sions, your ſelf doth really confeſſe, though in words you contradict it.
1. We know you hold that the Church of the Jews in the dayes of the old Yeſtament, was called Sion.
2. We know you hold, that the viſible Church in the dayes of the Goſpel is Sion.
3. Is it not manifeſt therefore, that you hold, that look how many viſible churches there are in the times of the Goſpel, ſo many Sions there are? Your own words are, that the Hebrews, which were divided in many Congregations, are ſaid to be come to one mount Sion. If ſo, then the Congregations of the Chriſtian Gentiles may well be another mount Sion; And if the Nationall church of the Jewes, with the aſſemblies thereof were mount Sion: why may not every Nationall-church of Chriſtians with the aſſemblies thereof (we ſpeak now in your language) be Sion alſo? and then there being many Nationall churches, (as you ſay) there are many Sions.
And what greater abſurdity is it to ſay, there are an hundred, or a thouſand; Sions, then to ſay, there are an hundred, or a thouſand Churches? Seeing Sion and Church are all one. Now you know there were many viſible churches in Judea, Galatia, Macedonia, Aſia, and many other places, and if (then) ſo many, how many more now? therefore many Sions; and becauſe thoſe many churches then, and theſe now, we believe to have been, and ſtill to be Congregationall; therefore every Congregationall Church we hold to be Sion.
But you ask an odde ſtrange needleſſe (to ſay no worſe of it) queſtion with a great deal of vehemency, Anſwer. viz.
Have you not found God preſent in our Aſſemblies? Have you not by faith cloſed with the promiſes in the uſe of the Ordinances among us? Speak out: I know you dare not belie your ſelves, us, and God himſelf, &c. Reply.
Your queſtion is bottomed upon a miſtake; when we ſay, that God hath promiſed to be preſent in Sion; you give this gloſſe upon it, that we deny all your Aſſemblies to be Sion, and will not grant Gods preſence at all to be with you: and that we appropriate Sion and Gods preſence to our ſelves; which is a great injury to us.
You alſo put this ſenſe upon our words, that God is ſo preſent in Sion, that he is preſent no where elſe, and ſo not preſent with holy men and women which are out of Church-fellowſhip, nor preſent with members of many churches meeting together, which either is a foul miſtake, or a ſlander: For we think God to be preſent with his people, when they meet in his feare, whether they be Church-members, or not Church-members; whether they be of one, or many churches; whether they be in our aſſemblies or yours, provided that his Ordinances be carried according to his minde: yea, though there ſhould be ſome error, yet he might give his preſence(a)Rev. 2.1. with Rev. 2.14.20.. Much rather do we think God will be preſent with perſons whom he ſets on work to exalt him in the execution of ſome office, as he did the Apoſtles; and now doth ordinary Elders. Nevertheleſſe, we conceive God to be moſt preſent with his people gathered into a body, and compacted together in an inſtituted Church, which we hold to be Congregationall; and the reaſon is, becauſe the more any people do fall into the order of the Goſpel, and come into the way of Chriſt, which he hath appointed for Saints to walk in; the more Chriſt is ingaged to be preſent with them. Now to joyn to ſome inſtituted Church of Chriſt is that way and order which Chriſt hath directed to; therefore with them in ſuch a way (as ſo united and joyned) Chriſt will more eſpecially be preſent: for he vouchſafeth a ſpeciall preſence amongſt ſuch Churches, Rev. 2.1. he ſtyles himſelf one that walketh in the midst of the ſeven golden candleſticks; he walks in other places and people, but he would intimate thus much, that his eſpeciall delightſome walk is among them, and the more golden the candleſticks are, the more pure they be, the more delight he takes to walke in the midst of them.
But Matth. 18. you ſay is miſ-interpeted; Your words are theſe: Anſwer.
Chriſt, in Matth. 18. promiſeth his preſence to thoſe that are not a Church; for two or three will not make a Church; they (verſ. 17) were to give the ſecond admonition, the Church the third.
There is a figure in the number, Reply. there is a certain number put for an uncertain; two or three are put for a few; the paucity that may be in a Church, ſhall be no obſtacle of Chriſts preſence. Pareus upon this Text, hath theſe words: It is an argument that the judgement of the Church ſhall be ratified, becauſe Chriſt himſelf will be preſent in the Church as ſupreme Judge to ratifie it: it is alſo a generall promiſe of the preſence of the grace of Chriſt in his Church, be it great or ſmall. Now ſurely we ſhall leſſe doubt our expoſition having ſo learned a Commentator ſo well approved of, to ſtand by us in the ſame.