The New Query and Determination Upon It, Section 18
SECT. XVIII. Shewing what might be retorted upon the Antipreſbyteriall party, but concluding for Ʋnitie and Peace, with allegation of Mr. Burroughs his propoſitions of reconciliation and accord: and ſome other particulars tending thereto.
HItherto I have for the moſt part held out the Buckler of Apologie againſt the exceptions taken at the preſent ſetting up of the Presbyteriall Government.
I could now take up the Sword of Aſſault, and put Mr. Saltm. to be Defendent, while I bring in Objections againſt the haſte which ſome of his party make in ſetting up their Congregationall way, not onelyonly without Authoritie, but againſt it. For the Preſbyterian Diſcipline hath beene by Authoritie of Parliament in … bate, firſt in the Aſſembly, afterward in both Houſes of Parliament; and ſo farre as it is agreeable to the word of God, and the example of the beſt reformed Churches, covenanted to be eſtabliſhed in this Kingdome, and in the Kingdome of Ireland, contrary to the Congregationall and Independent platform; and many parts of it have beene ſet forth already by Ordinance, or Order of the Honourable Houſes; yet the Presbyterians take not upon them to be active in the choice of Elders, or in any other part of Eccleſiaſticall power, but humbly wait for further warrant from the Parliament, to proceed in the work; while many of our diſſenting Brethren, of their owne accord, and without the command, or conſent, and againſt the Vote of the Civill State, gather Churches, or continue the Government of thoſe they have gathered, according to the modell of their owne chooſing, notwithſtanding the joynt admonition of many eminent Miniſters, as well Independent as Presbyteriall, to forbeare, untill what was, and yet is, in part, under deliberation, came to accompliſhment: and *M. S. Eaton Teacher, and Tim. Taylor, Paſtour of the Church of Duckenfield in Cheſhire, in their late defence of ſundry poſitions and Scriptures to juſtifie the Congregationall way.ſome take the boldneſſe publikely, and in print, to avow themſelves as Miniſters under the name, and office of Teachers and Paſtors of new conſtituted Churches, and publikely to aſſert their repugnant principles, and practiſes, in oppoſition to that which the Honourable Houſes of Parliament have partly authoriſed already, by their Civill Sanction, and engaged themſelves further to authoriſe, throughout the Churches of both Kingdomes, as God ſhall be pleaſed to make way for a thorow reformation, by reducing the ſeverall Countries under the command of the King and Parliament.
But I had rather (then recriminate) friendly and kindly cloſe with my yet diſſenting Brother; and therefore heartily commend it to his Chriſtian conſideration, to ſtudy the reconciliation, and union of all the godly party, (as Mr. Burroughs hath lately done) and not to proceed to diſcourſes which tend to make, or maintaine diviſion, or eſtrangement, and alienation of affection betwixt them.
To that purpoſe I ſhall propoſe as a patterne of imitation to Mr. Saltm. and to all others who partake with him in his preſent Opinion, what he hath ſet downe in the ſeventh Chapter of his Irenicum in his owne words.
Firſt, Mr. Burroughs his Irenieum. c. 7. p. 43, 44, 45.Thoſe in the Congregationall way acknowledge, that they … bound in conſcience to give account of their wayes to the Churches about them, or to any other who ſhall require it; this not in an arbitrary way, but as a dutie that they owe to God, and man.
Secondly, They acknowledge that Synods of other Miniſters, and Elders about them, are an Ordinance of Ieſus Chriſt, for the helping the Church againſt errours, ſchiſmes, and ſcandals.
Thirdly, That theſe Synods may, by the power they have from Chriſt, admoniſh men or Churches in his Name, when they ſee evils continuing in, or growing upon the Church; and their admonitions carry with them the anthoritie of Ieſus Chriſt.
Fourthly, As there ſhall be cauſe, they may declare men or Churches to be ſubverters of the faith; or otherwiſe, according to the nature of the offence, to ſhame them before all the Churches about them.
Fiftly, They may by a ſolemne act, in the Name of Ieſus Chriſt, refuſe any further communion with them, till they repent.
Sixthly, They may declare, and that alſo in the Name of Chriſt, that theſe erring people, or Churches, are not to be received into fellowſhip with any of the Churches of Chriſt, nor to have communion one with another, in the Ordinances of Chriſt: Now all this being done in Chriſts Name, is this nothing to prevaile with conſcience?
If you ſay, private brethren may admoniſh, and declare in the Name of Chriſt.
This is more then if any private Brethren ſhould do the ſame thing; for at Synod is a ſolemne Ordinance of Chriſt, and the Elders are to be looked on as the officers of Ieſus Chriſt.
But our Brethren ſay, There is one meanes more in their way, then the Congregation all way hath, that is, if the ſixe former will not work, then Synods may deliver to Satan.
In this very thing lies the very knot of the Controverſie, betweene theſe who are for the Preſbyteriall, and thoſe who are for the Congregationall way, in reference to the matter in hand, namely the meanes to reducing from, or keeping out errours and hereſies from the Church, in this lies the dividing buſineſſe: But I beſeech you conſider at what a punctum we divide here, and judge whether the cauſe of diviſion in this thing be ſo great, as there can be no helpe; and whether, if an evill ſpirit prevaile not amongſt us, we may not joyne; For,
Firſt, conſider, what is there in this delivering to Satan? which is a ſeventh thing which our Brethren thinke may hopefully prevaile with mens conſciences, when the ſixe former cannot.
Yes, ſay they, for by this they are put out of the Kingdome of Chriſt, into the kingdome of Satan, and this will terrifie.
This putting out of Chriſts Kingdome, muſt be underſtood clave non errante; if the Synod judges right, not otherwiſe; yes, this is granted by all.
Then conſider whether this be not done before, and that with an authoritie of Chriſt, by thoſe former ſixe things; for bereticall Congregations, or perſons, are judged and declared in a ſolemne Ordinance, by the officers of Chriſt, gathered together in his Name, to be ſuch as have no right to any Church Ordinance, to have no communion with any of the Churches of Chriſt. Now if this judgement be right, are not ſuch perſons, or Congregations put out of the Kingdome of Chriſt, and put under the power of Satan conſequently?
But thirdly. If ſome brethren riſe to a ſeventh degree, and others ſtay at ſixe, which have yet ſuch a power over conſcience, that if they prevaile not, the ſeventh is no way likely to prevaile: why ſhould not the Apoſtles rule quiet us all, Phil. 3.15, 16. Whereto we have already attained, let us walke by the ſame rule; if in any thing you be otherwiſe minded, God will reveale even this unto you; if we have attained but to ſixe, and our Brethren have attained to ſeven, let us walke together lovingly to the ſixe; if God ſhall after reveale the ſeventh (we will promiſe to pray and ſtudy in the mean time) we ſhall walke with them in that alſo: why muſt it needs be now urged with violence, ſo as to divide elſe? and although we hold not the ſeventh, yet there is an ingredient in the ſixt, that hath in it the ſtrength of the ſeventh; for wherein lies the ſtrength of the ſeventh above the reſt? is it not in this, that it is the laſt meanes Chriſt hath appointed in his Church to work upon the heart? this conſideration hath much terror it it; Now thoſe in the Congregationall way ſay, that this is fully in the ſixth, wherefore that is as terrible to their conſciences, as the ſeventh can be to the conſciences of our brethren, and that upon the ſame ground.
If ſo, what is the difference (for this matter) more then that which hath beene betwixt many godly and Orthodoxe Divines about the diviſion of the Lords Prayer, whether it containe 6. or 7. petitions, when thoſe that are for ſixe, have as much matter in thoſe ſixe, as thoſe that have ſeven; and thoſe that have ſeven, no more then is contained in the ſixe? for my part, if this be candidly, and cordially in point of Church Government delivered, and ſo received, and profeſſed by thoſe of his ſide, I hope ſuch as are adverſaries unto both parties, ſhall not long rejoyce, and proſper by the advantage they make of our mutuall diviſions.