Light for Smoke, Section 4
SECT. IIII. Mr. Saltm. his unequall dealing in diſtributing his owne and his adverſaries worke: The Preſbyterie not like Prelacie in unwarrantableneſſe by the word of God. Of Prudence how for of lawfull uſe in Religious matters.
Smoke. Pag. 20. NOw you are to prove more then perhaps you thought on, that is, to cleare a Church Covenant, which many of your way are againſt, for though you condemne it in ſome Churches, yet a Nationall Church-Covenant you plead for.
Light.By what law would you put me to cleare a Church-covenant? it is no part of my worke in the taske I undertooke, and if you may decline diſcuſſing the impoſition of Proteſtations (as you do in the next precedent paragraph) though mentioned by me as a proofe againſt you, and as you doe the objection made from the deferring of our Saviours Baptiſme till he was about thirtie yeers of age,hSmoke. p. 37. as you doe likewiſe in the further proſecution of your Reply, why ſhould you take upon you to appoint me an impertinent worke, and which is more, that which is repugnant to my judgement? for you ſay it is to cleare a Church-covenant, which is rather your office then mine, who thinke it fitter to be accuſed then cleared.
Smoke. Pag. 20, 21. You grant that the Government is but in ſome parts warrantable by the word of God, ſo was Epiſcopacy and Prelacy in ſome parts of it, there is not any falſe worſhip or way but it hath ſome parts of truth in it, the great image had a head of gold, &c. truth muſt be all one and the ſame, and homogencall, not in parts.
Light. You allow your ſelfe too much libertie in changing my words, which have their weight and pertinency, from whence if you vary, you marre the matter; I ſaid not the Government is but in ſome parts warrantable by the word of God, but in the chiefe parts, which you will not ſay of Prelacy, for that conſiſteth in being chiefe, in aſſuming a Lordly preeminence over their brethren of the Miniſtery; but the chiefe parts of the Presbyteriall Government have their warrant in the word, and why not the reſt? Beſides, it is not enough to have ſome parts, or the chiefe parts of government warrantable by the word of God, but it muſt be in no part contrary to the word of God; and ſo we may ſay of Preſbytery, not ſo of Prelacie. You ſay truth muſt be all one and the ſame, homogencall in all parts, that is, if you ſpeake to the point, all truth muſt be onelyonly Scripture truth; but hath not the light of nature taught the heathens many truths who never ſaw the Scripture? and is any government reduced to practice without ſome prudentiall ſupplyes, in divers particulars wherein the Scripture is ſilent? as for the Elders in a Congregation, how many they ſhould be, whether perpetuall or annuall, and what their qualifications ſhould be for the meaſure of knowledge, and other abilities, and whether they ſhould be maintained at the charge of the Church, and there are many Queries concerning the particulars of the Deacons office, which cannot be reſolved by any direction of the written word.
Smoke. Pag. 21. Nor are grounds of prudence any Scripture grounds; to rule by prudence hath let in more will-worſhip then any thing; Prelacie had its prudence for every new additionall in worſhip, and government; and if Preſbytery like prudence too, let the Reader iudge what may follow.
Light.There is prudence which in the habit is an endowment from God, in the exerciſe a dutie from man, Matth. 10.16. whereby every ordinance of God is to be ordered to the beſt advantage for his honour, and the edification of his people. Oppoſite to this on the one hand is the corrupt and pragmaticall policie of ſuch, as when they profeſſe themſelves wiſe they become fooles, Rom. 1.22. and ſuch are they who pretend to perfect the Church of God by their inventions and traditions; and there is on the other hand a neglect and contempt of prudence, which hath brought a contemptible confuſion upon the profeſſion of Religion, and this is moſt found among the ſects moſt oppoſite to Presbytery.
Smoke. Pag. 21. And what is that, not directly from Scripture, yet not repugnant? ſurely, Chriſts rule is not ſuch, he oppoſes any tradition to the command of God, net directly from Scriptures is repugnant to Scriptures, ſuch is the oneneſſe, intireneſſe, indiviſibilitie, and eſſentialitie of the truth; He that is not with me is againſt me.
Light. Not directly from Scripture (ſay you) is repugnant to Scripture; if you meane it univerſally, it is falſe, (as the precedent particulars doe evince) if you meane it of the ſubſtantials of faith and practice, you ſay true, but not to the purpoſe; of ſuch as theſe is the authoritie of our Saviour, He that is not with me is againſt me, Matth. 12.30. but of circumſtantials it is ſound, he that is not againſt me is with me, Mar. 9.40. And though it be for the honour of the word to be received for a rule of Religion both affirmatively and negatively, yet to wring it and wreſt it to ſerve all turnes, where God meant to leave men to prudentiall accommodation of times, perſons, places, and occaſions, is to abuſe and diſhonour it, and ſo doe moſt of thoſe who pretend moſt to magnifie the majeſtie of the word.
Smoke. Pag. 21. And for the Reformed Churches as a rule, that is to ſet the Sunne by the Diall, and not the Diall by the Sunne, we muſt ſet the Churches by the word, and not Church by Church, and the word by the Church.
Light. The Reformed Churches are not onelyonly as the Diall to the Sun, but as the clocke to the Diall, and the word as the Sunne to both; when the Sunne doth not ſhine, nor the diall give a ſhadow, the clocke muſt be heeded for the houre of the day; and ſometimes one clocke may be a direction to another: and though one individuall perſon or Church hath not power over another, yet many may have power over one, for the ſpirit of the Prophets is ſubie…t to the Prophets, 1 Cor 14.32. and whether they have rule & power over each other or no, one Church may be a patterne to another ſo farre as the word of God is a patterne to it, as Paul ſaid to the Corinthians, Be ye followers of me, even as I alſo am of Chriſt, 1 Cor. 11.1. or (where it is ſilent) ſo farre as the light of reaſon directeth.