The New Query and Determination Upon It, Section 19
SECT. XIX. Further grounds and hopes of union in the Churches of the Siſter Kingdomes of England and Scotland, with Anſwers to the Objections that are made againſt it.
I Have the more hope of the Vnion fore-mentioned, becauſe if they (who in reſpect of the paucitie and noveltie of their party, compared with the Churches of the Presbyterian Government, throughout the Chriſtian World, for number and Seniority are not ſo conſiderable as ſome conceive) will yeeld as farre as they ought, for a pacificall accord, their Presbyterian Brethren will as farre as they may (with ſecuritie to the truth, and reſervation of the intereſt, and honour of the Reformed Churches) come downe to them in ſuch a Chriſtian accommodation, as is requiſite for a concluſion of peace.
My ground for this is that which I have obſerved in the diſpoſition of the Reverend, Religious, and prudent Commiſſioners of the Church of Scotland; for though that Church be ſuppoſed, and cenſured by ſome, as the moſt rigid in exacting aſſent to, and obſervation of her rules, and cuſtomes, as if all muſt yeeld to her, as the Standard of Diſcipline, and ſhe would yeeld to none, they have alwaies, in all their debates, and behaviour, even towards the diſſenting Brethren, carried themſelves with a moſt Chriſtian and Evangelicall ſinceritie, and ſweetneſſe of ſpirit, and ſome of them have well witneſſed to the world their hopes, deſires, and endevours for peace, eſpecially with all the religious and faithfull Preachers, and Profeſſours of the Church of England.
For inſtance, one of them in his *Mr. Gilleſpie his Brotherly examination of ſome paſſages of M. C. his printed Sermon. p. 33. This is repeated in his latter Booke called Nihi… Reſpondes. p. 19.Brotherly examination of ſome paſſages in Mr. Colem. his Sermon, to this Queſtion, Where ſhall the Independents and we meet? returneth this anſwer, In holding a Church Governmeut jure divino, that is, that the Paſtors and Elders ought to ſuſpend, or excommunicate, according to the degree of the offence of ſcandalous ſinners; and who can tell but the purging of the Church frō ſcandals, and the keeping of the Ordinances pure, when it ſhall be actually ſeen to be the great worke endevoured on both ſides, may wake union betwixt us and the Independents more eaſie then many imagine? and in his *Ibid.latter booke (ſaith he) we will never deſpaire of an union with ſuch as are ſound in the faith, holy in life, and willing to a Church refining and ſinne-cenſuring government, in the hands of Church Officers.
And in anſwer to Mr. C. his relation of news of agreement betwixt Preſbyterians and Independents, Lutherans and Calviniſts, Papiſts and Proteſtants, Turks and Chriſtians; in holding that there is a Religion wherein men ought to walke, he ſaith: No Sir, they muſt be united upon the like termes, that is, you muſt firſt have Turks to be Chriſtians, Papiſts to be Proteſtants, and then you muſt have them as willing to purge the Church of ſcandals, and to keep the Ordinances pure, &c. And after a few lines before repeated, quitting Mr. C. his geering report of newes, he replieth (but ſoberly and ſeriouſly) Now will I tell you my news, the Preſbyterians and Independents are both equally intereſted againſt the Eraſtian Principles; and which is more, for degree of aſſurance, and for more generall concurrence in truth and peace; not this Commiſſioner, nor theſe Commiſſioners onelyonly, but the whole Church of Scotland, is well prepared, and diſpoſed to a Chriſtian, and Brotherly compliance with the Church of England, in the way of reformation; for Mr. Coleman having objected that the Commiſſioners of Scotland came not to the Aſſembly at Weſtminſter as Divines, by dispute and diſquiſition to find out the truth, but at Iudges to cenſure all different opinions as errours; for ſo (ſaith he) come for nine Divines to Dort, Alexander to the Councel of Nice, Cyrill to Epheſus; the Learned Commiſſioner anſwereth him thus: Is it not enough to ſlander us, though he doe not for our ſakes ſlander thoſe worthy Divines that came to the Synod of Dort, Alexander alſo and Cyrill, prime witneſſes for the truth in their dayes? would no leſſe content him then to approve the Objections of the Arminians againſt the Synod at Dort, which I had mentioned, p. 33? but he gets not away ſo: the ſtrongeſt inſtance which I had given he hath are once touched: it was concerning Paul and Barnabas who wore engaged (not in the behalfe of one Nation but of all the Churches of the Gentiles) againſt the impoſition of the Moſaicall rites, and had ſo declared themſelves at Antioch, before they came to Ieruſalem. Finally, whereas he doubts, though not of our willingneſſe to learne more, yet of our permiſſion to receive more: That very paper firſt given in by we (which I had cited, and unto which he makes this reply) did ſpeake not onelyonly of our learning, but of the Church of Scotlands receiving: And which is more, there is an actuall experiment of it, the laſt generall Aſſembly having ordered the laying aſide of ſome particular cuſtomes in that Church, and that for the neerer uniformitie with this Church of England, as was expreſſed in their owne Letter to the Reverend Aſſembly of Divines. And though they thought it neceſſary to ſhew their different opinion in one point of the Directory, yet they entred their diſſent without any diſaffection to us of the Aſſembly; I will give you their ſenſe in their owne words, which are theſe:
OnelyOnly we have thought it neceſſary to declare, and make knowne, that the Clauſe in the Directory for the adminiſtration of the Lords Supper, which appointeth the Table to be ſo placed, that the Communicants may orderly ſit about it, or at it, is not to be interpreted as if in the judgement of our Kirks, it were indifferent for any of the Communicants not to come to, and receive at the Table, or as if we did approve the diſtributing of the elements by the Miniſter to each Communicant, and not by the Communicants among themſelves, in which particulars we ſtill conceive and beleeve the order and practiſe of our owne Kirke to be moſt agreeable to the word of God, the example of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, and the nature of that heavenly Feaſt and Table; nevertheleſſe in other particulars we have reſolved, and doe agree to doe as you have deſired us in your Letter: This was part of the Letter from the Generall Aſſembly at Edenborough, ſigned thus: Subſcribed in the name of the Generall Aſſembly by Mr. Robert Douglas Moderatour. Feb. 13. 1644.
Whereby we ſee they doe not for that difference of opinion take any offence, or ſhew any diſlike of their Brethren at Weſtminſter, nor any diſtaſt at the reſt of the Directory for any particular contained in it.
But yet for all this ſome are ſo unwilling to beleeve there will be peace, (eſpecially in the point of Government of the Church) that they faine the Parliament and the Aſſembly of Divines at irreconciliable difference about it, the Divines requiring the ſtampe of Divine right to be ſet upon it, and the Parliament reſolute to yeeld no more authoritie for it, then a meere Civill Sanction can give unto it.
Anſwer.
To this we anſwer: 1. That the Divines doe not affirme the whole frame and fabrick of Church Government to be of Divine right, for it is made up of particulars of different kinds, viz. Subſtantials of Government, which have their warrant either by ordinance in his word, or direct inference from it, as that there muſt be Church Officers, Paſtors, and their Ordination, Elders, and Deacons, and Church Offices both of preaching, adminiſtration of the Sacraments, and Government; Church cenſures, admonition, ſuſpenſion, excommunication; and accidentall, or circumſtantiall additions, which are of prudentiall direction, and conſideration, as for Paſtors, when and in what manner they ſhall be ordained; whether a Preacher ſhould treat on a Text, or on ſome Theologicall Theme or Common place, when and how oft, and to how many at once the Sacraments ſhould be adminiſtred, how many aſſiſting Elders ſhould be in a Pariſh, and whether they ſhould be choſen and admitted to their office with impoſition of hands, and continue in it for a yeare or two, or for terme of life; in what forme of words admonition, ſuſpenſion, or excommunication ſhould be compriſed and pronounced, with divers others of like ſort.
This diſtinction the Divines of the Aſſembly make of the contents of the Directory for the publique worſhip of God throughout the three Kingdomes, (and the ſame hath the like uſe in the Church Government deſired) their words in the laſt leaſe of the Preface of the Directory are theſe: We have, after earneſt and frequent calling upon the Name of God, and after much conſultation, not with fleſh and blood, but with the holy Word, reſolved to lay aſide the former Leiturgy, with the many rites and Ceremonies formerly uſed in the worſhip of God: and have agreed upon this following Directory for all the parts of publique worſhip, at ordinary and extraordinary times.
Wherein our care hath beene to hold forth ſuch things as are of Divine Inſtitution in every Ordinance; and other things we have endevoured to ſet forth according to the rules of Chriſtian prudence, agreeable to the generall Rules of the Word of God.
2. Though the Honourable Houſes have not yet aſſerted the conſtitution of the Church Government as ordained in or derived from, or as agreeable to the Word of God, becauſe, (as ſome render the reaſon) it is not the manner of Law-makers to mingle matter of Religion with their Civill Sanction; yet when they preſent it compleat in all the parts thereof, it may be they will at leaſt give intimation of the conformity of it to the Canonicall Scriptures according to the diſtinction of the parts before propoſed; and it is not ſo ſtrange and unuſuall (as ſome pretend) for Legiſlative authoritie to borrow a religious reputation for what they inact or ordaine from the Word of God, for we find inſtance thereof in the Statutes (a)Concerning the Sacrament of the Lords Supper the words of Inſtitution are ſet downe, and 15. places of Scripture quoted in the Marginewith letters of reference in the Text. Poult. Abridgm. p. 826.of the firſt yeare of Edward the ſixth, c. 1.
(b)The Statute of the firſt of Q. Mery, c. 2. repealed as cauſing a decay of the honour of God, and the diſcomſort of the profeſſours of the truth of Chriſts Religion. Ibid. p. 1005.In the firſt of Eliza. c. 2.
(c)For as much as profane ſwearing and curſing is forbidden by the Word of God. Ibid. p. 1403.In the 21. of K. James, c. 20.
(d)Nothing more acceptable to God then the true and ſincere ſervice and worſhip of him according to his holy will, and that the holy keeping of the Lords Day is 2 principal part of the true ſervice of God. Ibid. p. 1427.In the firſt of K. Charles. c. 1. &
(e)For as much as the Lords Day commonly called Sunday is much broken and profaned by Carryers, &c. to the great diſhonour of God, reproch of Religion, &c. Ibid. p. 1434.In the third of K. James. c. 1.
Laſtly, the preſent Parliament hath done the like already for ſome parts of the Reformation authoriſed, as for the Ordination of Miniſters, which is a chiefe part of the Presbyteriall authoritie, of which they ſay,
*So in the Ordinance for Ordination ordered to be printed. October 2. 1644. p. 2.Whereas it is manifeſt by the Word of God, that no man ought to take upon him the office of a Miniſter untill he be lawfully called and ordained thereunto; and that the worke of Ordination, that is to ſay, an outward ſolemne ſetting apart of perſons for the office of the Miniſtery in the Church by Preaching Preſbyters, is an Ordinance of Chriſt, and is to be performed with all due care, wiſdome, gravitie, and ſolemnity: It is ordained by the Lords and Commons, &c.
And in their Ordinance for the Directory, Jan. 3. 1644. They beginne with theſe words, The Lords and Commons aſſembled in Parliament, taking into ſerious conſideration the manifold incenveniences that have riſen by the Booke of Common Prayer in this Kingdome, and reſolving according to their Covenant to reforme Religion according to the Word of God, and the example of the beſt Reformed Churches, have conſulted with the Reverend, Pious, and Learned Divines, called together to that purpoſe; and doe judge it neceſſary that the ſaid Booke of Common Prayer be aboliſhed, and the Directorie for the publique worſhip of God, herein after mentioned, be eſtabliſhed, and obſerved in all the Churches within this Kingdome, &c.
If it be ſaid, that Ordination and Worſhip are uſually diſtinguiſhed from Power and Government, and that both of them have more expreſſe warrant from the word of God, then can be found in Scripture for the Presbyteriall Government.
I Auſwer.
1. That the queſtion is not now whether there be difference betwixt them, but whether there be ſuch difference betwixt a Civill Sanction, and Divine ratification, that the one may not well be brought in with the other.
2. That though there were much uſe made of the diſtinction of the key of order, and the key of power, or of Iuriſdiction in the time of the Prelates, ſo that they confined that wholly to the Clergie, principally to themſelves, while they ſold, or truſted out the key of power, or of juriſdiction to Vicars generall, Chancellours, Archdeacons, Commiſſaries, and rurall Deanes: yet is Ordination one of the principall parts of the Presbyteriall power; and if it be (as it is commonly taken) matter of power, to let into the Church by the Sacrament of Baptiſme, as indeed it is; and whom to admit to, and whom to keep back from participation of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, it is a degree of power farre above both, whom to ordaine to, or whom to debarre from the order of Presbyters: for,
1. Whatſoever power or authoritie a Presbyter may claime by the word of God, is virtually included in his Ordination.
2. They that have power to ordaine a Presbyter, have power, upon juſt cauſe, to ſilence and ſuſpend the execution of that power, and to ſtop his mouth, Tit. 1.11. if it be opened to broach hereſie, or blaſphemie, or if his converſation be vitious, and ſcandalous.
3. The Covenant, for the generall heads of it, comprehendeth a perfect enumeration of the maine parts of the deſired reformation, under the titles of Doctrine, Worſhip, Diſcipline, and Government; but Ordination is not to be referred to Doctrine or Worſhip, but to Diſcipline or Government; for the ordaining of Governours, and the exerciſe of Government, properly appertaine to the ſame Topick or Claſſis.
4. Though Government and Worſhip be diſtinguiſhed betwixt themſelves, yet both agree in this, that their generall grounds and rules are found in the word of God, and in that reſpect, the one may be ſet forth in the Civill Sanction with a reliſh of, and reference to a religious conſtitution, as well as the other.
But in caſe they will not be pleaſed to expreſſe any Divine right, in any part of the Government, in their Civill Sanction, and will in a Parliamentary, and Legiſlative way, eſtabliſh that thing which really, and in it ſelfe, is agreeable to the Word of God; though they doe not declare it to be the will of Ieſus Chriſt, (as is noted before out of the learned Commiſſioner of Scotland his *Sect. 8. p. 25.Brotherly examination, and he hath the like in his *p. 32.Nihil Reſpondes) we muſt be ſatisfied.*p. 22.