An Apology for the Discipline of the Ancient Church, Part 3 · Section 6 · Excerpt 11
The words of the Letter.
TO ſumme up in ſhort the whole ſumme and ſubſtance of what I would ſhew; Untill ſuch time as the Parochial Churches of the Nations become truly Presbyterial, and ſo reformed in their eſſential parts, conſisting of viſible Converts, and an explicite Covenant, which are the matter and form of a Church: witneſſe Jer. 50.5. Ezek. 20.37. Iſa. 44.3. Acts 2.47. Rom. 14.1.2 Cor. 8.5. & 9.13. And untill alſo they be refined in their integral parts, which are the Organs and Officers thereof, that as eyes, mouth and hands are to ſee, speak and act in their behalf: untill they both deſire and endeavour to be endowed first with a Teacher to diſpenſe the word of knowledge and information to the judgment; Secondly, with a Paſtour to diſpence the word of wiſdome and exhortation to the will and affections. Thirdly, with a Ruler to diſpenſe the word of rebuke and admonition to the irregular in life and converſation: And fourthly, with Deacons and Widows to receive and diſpenſe the weekly contribution, that is belonging, and alſo brought to the King of Saints from his ſubjects in Covenant toward the maintenance of the Table of the Lord, the Tables of the Church Elders, and the Tables of ſuch of the fellow-members as be in lack: And all this in obedience to what is enjoined in his revealed will, namely in Rom. 12. 2, 7, 8. & 16.1. 1 Tim. 3.2, 5, 10. & 5.10, 20. Vntill I ſay, that the Parochial Churches be thus qualifyed; can you upon good grounds expect as to them, either the manifeſtation of ſure mercy, or the enjoyment of ſolid peace? knowing that Combinations are properly appertaining to vile and violent ſinne-loving ſinners, as 'tis ſhewed by the Oracles of God, Pſal. 5.5 & 11.5, 6. Rev. 12.10. & 22.15. And that Church-promiſes and Church-priviledges as well as Chriſts Conſolations are peculiarly applicable to ſuch Covenant-makers with God and men, as through the strength of their ſurety are Covenant-keepers with both? which Covenant-making and Covenant-keeping is expreſſed and perceived by a regular walking toward them who are without, as well as them that are within, according to what is written, Iſa. 55.3. Gal. 6.16. 1 Tim. 4.8. If you can tell any ſuch tydings as a heavenly promiſe to unheavenly perſons, or a holy priviledge to the ſouls or ſeed of unholy parents, that you would finde in your heart to give me ſome notice thereof, and to acquaint me with any one of thoſe good grounds of any lively hope, that they will be everlastingly happy, is the laſt of theſe motions, which I make bold for to leave with you to conſider of, and meditate upon.A heavenly motion for my ſelf. This motion is my heavenly motion for my ſelf, the granting of which will engage me, yet further, to be, to remain, and alſo acknowledge my ſelf.
Your thankful Remembrancer In his neareſt Approaches To the Throne of Grace.
From my lodging this 22. of the 8. Month. 1656.
The Reply.
This is the recapitulation of the whole, which I have ſhewed partly not ſubject to ſo harſh a cenſure, partly built upon a weak foundation, and therefore I ſh…ll need to ſay the leſſe to it. Yet becauſe I may not leave you unſatisfied in the leaſt, I ſhall give you ſome ſhort animadverſions upon this alſo.
1. You here ſet down your whole plat-form, ſhaping it into the faſhion of a natural body, which hath eſſential and integral parts; and till the Parochial be ſo qualifyed, you afford it no mercy, nor hope of ſolid peace.
Your conſtitution of a Church I allow of, both in the eſſentials and the integrals; for 'tis a body, and muſt be ſo compoſed; and when organical, if perfect, it muſt be intire. In the General then I ſhall agree with you, but in the ſpecial aſſignation of your parts will lie the difference.
For what Church is there of what Sect ſoever, that doth diſſent in general terms from this aſſigned and neceſſary conſtitution, that you may know that it is no ſpecial Character of your Combinational, or as you call it here the Presbyterial Church? The Browniſts, Barrowiſts, Anabaptiſts, Preſbyters, Socinians, Epiſcopal men, will allow you viſible men for your matter, a Covenant for the form, and Church-Officers for the integral parts of your organical body.
And for your matter, the Browniſts, Barrowiſts, Anabaptiſts, Socinians will agree with you, that they muſt be viſible Converts, meaning thereby a company of faithful people, every one whereof in the face of the whole Congregation hath given ſo clear tokens of true grace and regeneration, as hath ſatisfyed the minds of all. This is to be proved by you; for Epiſcopal men with the Presbyters require no more of viſible members, than that they profeſſe one Lord, one Faith, one Baptiſme, as I have proved before; for all that carry the name of Chriſtians, whether in ſincerity or otherwiſe, they reckon in the boſome of the Church, as in the type the Ark of Noah there were clean and unclean Beaſts, in the net good and bad fiſh. Judas among the Apoſtles, Ananias and Sapphyra, Simon Magus, Demas, &c. among the baptized.
In your form alſo the explicite Covenant, the four fore-named will agree with you; for your doctrine is, that this company muſt be incorporate by Oath and Covenant to exerciſe all the parts of Chriſtian Religion in one place under one Paſtour, to which they wll admit no more people then commodiouſly may with their eaſe convene in one meeting houſe. This is endeavoured to be proved by you; but how weakly, I ſhall make it appear, when I come to examine your texts you alledge for it.
The Presbyters, though they like not your engagement, yet came ſomewhat near to it in impoſing their ſolemn League and Covenant upon the conſciences of many tender ſouls, who choſe rather to be undone then to yield to their incroachment; and how pleaſing this was to God, you may judge by the ſucceſſe, which is your own common argument. Now for the Epiſcopal men, they admit of a Covenant alſo; but that is Baptiſme, which they ſay is the Sacrament of Admiſſion into the Viſible Church; and this I have proved to be ſufficient; and another Covenant more than needs.
In the enumeration of your integral parts, your Teacher, your Paſtour, your Rulers, your Deacons, your Widows for the general, I know not any man that will gain-ſay you, and ſome of your Texts do well prove it. But in the Miſnomer of theſe, and their abſolute neceſſity there is not a full agreement. For Mr. Cann at Amſterdam thought his Church ſound enough when in his Church there was but one Paſtour,Bayly pag. 15. and could not agree till very lately of any other Officer; and in the year 1645. they lived without an Elderſhip, as they did before without a Paſtour.
And firſt touching your Teachers and Paſtours, I have before ſhewed you that it is not neceſſary that they be diſtinct perſons, both the duties being poſſible to be performed by one man, as it fell out at Geneva, where Calvin and Beza, men of great abilities thought they might, and did ſupply both places both of Teacher and Paſtour; and your reaſon you here give, and your practice alſo confirms me in it. For your Teacher you ſay muſt diſpenſe the word of knowledge and information to the judgment; and the Paſtour the word of wiſdome and exhortation to the will and affections: Pray tell me what ſhould hinder that one and the ſame man may not teach and inform the judgment, and make wiſe to ſalvation, exhort and move the will and affections in the ſame houre? Were it otherwiſe, you your ſelf preach by a wrong method, who explain and apply, who raiſe a Doctrine out of your Text, by which you inform the underſtanding, and then labour to apply it, and make it uſeful to the will and affections of your Auditors. Tye up your Teacher to theſe ſtrict terms, and he ſhall only ſtudy poſitive Divinity, and your Paſtour no Art more than Rhetorick, eſpecially that part that concerns foreign; for he muſt be his maſter in that before he ſhall work kindly upon the will, and move the affections of men.
Ille movet dictis animos & pectora mulcet.
Beſides, were theſe two Offices ſo neceſſary, the Teacher ſhould never ſtretch himſelf beyond his tether, but ſtint and end when he hath given forth and proved his Doctrine, and then your Paſtour ſhould enter, take his Cue, and begin upon what is taught. But why do I trouble my ſelf in battering this Trivial, ſince among you it is not ſtrictly obſerved? for I dare ſay it, let a Scrutiny be truly taken, and it will be found that not in one among ten of your Combinational Churches a man ſhall meet with theſe two diſtinct Officers, your Teacher and Paſtour. As for us, we diſlike them not; and where conveniently they might be had, and maintenance for them, they were in uſe, witneſſe the Profeſſours of Divinity in our Univerſities, and the Publique Lectures and Readers in our Cathedrals; but to binde every Parochial Church to this, or elſe it muſt be defective in an integral part, is more than ever you will be able to prove, yea, or any man elſe.
Next you inſiſt upon your Ruler. And whoever yet denied that Rulers were neceſſary in the Church, yea, and for that end (though not the ſole) you name. But none will content you, except they be of your own election and ordination, none except the Lay-Elders; this alſo muſt be proved by you. For you know we had, and aſſigned others, and upon better grounds then you will be ever able to diſprove.
Your laſt Officers were Deacons and Widows, whom you make to be Receivers of the weekly Contributions, and diſpenſers of it to three uſes. In the Primitive Church ſuch I grant you there were, as is evident out of the Texts you alledge, & that to the laſt uſe they imployed the collected mony: But that any of it was imployed to the two firſt uſes, either for the maintenance of the Table of the Lord, or for the Tables of the Church Elders, I put you to prove again. And for this laſt, I am perſwaded it was not, theſe being likely (if ever there had been any) as now among you, of the richer and abler ſort, and therefore no reaſon their Tables ſhould be furniſhed out of the poor mans box. But if you will take Elders for the true Presbyters of the Church, ſuch who were to labour in the Word and Doctrine, I ſhall eaſily grant you that they had their maintenance (till there was other proviſion made for them) out of theſe Collections and Contributions, though not from the Deacons, but the Biſhops appointment. Theſe Deacons and Widows are not in our Church now, and thereupon infer it wants of its integral parts. No ſuch matter, for theſe Officers were but Temporary, taken up according to exigence of thoſe times; for the neceſſity being over, the Office was at end. When once Chriſtian Princes, and charitable men, provided by wholſome Laws away of relief for the poor, and aſſigned Officers to that purpoſe, where Hoſpitals, Almſ-houſes, Noſecomia, &c. were erected and endowed to that end, there was no farther uſe of theſe Officers; neither is the Church defective in an integral part, though now it want them, as I before ſhewed out of Aretius.
You have then taken a long day for obtaining mercy and ſettlement of peace to the Church; if neither of theſe may be enjoyed, untill it be reformed and refined in the eſſential and integral parts according to your fancy. For what can ſhe not have her Officers, but of your appointment? no Rulers, except your Lay-Elders? no Members, but ſuch viſible Converts as you will be pleaſed to admit? Laſtly, be bound to her duty by no Oath, but by your explicite Covenant? upon this you inſiſt, this you labour to prove to the purpoſe, and as if you intended to convince any opponent, you here heap Text upon Text out of Old and New Teſtament, which I ſhall now conſider how far they make to your purpoſe.
The firſt is out of Jerem. 50.5. They ſhall ask the way to Zion, with their faces thitherward, ſaying, Come and let us joyne our ſelves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant that ſhall not be forgotten.
Saint Peter teacheth us that unſtable ſouls wreſt the Scriptures, foreign, a ſpeech borrowed from thoſe who put a man upon a rack, which cauſeth the man to ſpeak what he never meant. And this is the fault of too too many, who ſtrain the Scriptures to a wrong ſenſe. Whereas they ſhould firſt conſult the Scriptures, and make them the ground of their concluſions; they firſt harbour a ſtrong conceit of the concluſion, and then ſeek out Scriptures to confirme it. And this for the moſt part befalls not yours alone, but all other wanderers from the Truth; they blot their books and margents with variety of quotations out of Gods Word, as if by the inſpection only of their Copy this way, they purpoſed to affright the unlearned Reader or Hearer into their opinion, who being aſtoniſhed with the fearful noiſe of the Chapter and Verſe, (as the Frogs were upon the fall of the Log into the plaſh of water) might preſently ſtoop into a veneration of what is taught. Here I meet with ſeven places alledged for your explicite Covenant; but I adjure you, as you will anſwer it at the great day, whether you are fully perſwaded in your ſoul and conſcience, that either the Prophets or Apoſtles had an eye to it when they wrote thoſe words, and what aſſurance you can give us that this muſt be the ſenſe and no other. For if you have not a certainty of faith in this behalf, you do very ill to produce theſe Texts, preſſe them upon tender conſciences, and to maintain a Rent, a Schiſme, a Separation in the Church of Chriſt. That which makes me, and ſhould you, ſuſpect your ſenſe of theſe places, is, that having conſulted with the beſt and wiſeſt Expoſitours I have upon them, I finde not one ſyllable that ſounds to that you intend and collect from thence. What, Maſters, are you the ſole wiſe men? were all men blinde till you aroſe? Beſides, 'tis not long ſince there was an Oath and a Covenant eagerly preſſed, and then the Covenanters ſerved themſelves with theſe Texts; then they ſounded in our ears theſe words of Jeremy, Come let us joyne our ſelves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant that ſhall not be forgotten. Then the people were terrifyed with the words of Ezekiel, I will cauſe you to paſſe under the rod, and will bring you into the bond of the Covenant. Then the Covenant of Moſes, of Joſhua, of Aſa, of Joſiah, of Nehemiah, in a word; all places that mentioned a Covenant, were preſſed and urged to atteſt the neceſſity of that Oath. What, is now Gods Word become a ſhip-mans hoſe, that it may be worn on either ſide? what, Presbyterians and Combinationals juſtifie their way from the ſame Texts? this cannot be; for if it ſerve one, it will not ſerve the other; if it ſerve to prove a National Covenant as that was, it will never prove a Combinational, ſince theſe two are diſparata, and admit no reconciliation, no more then a National and Combinational Church can be one. One of you 'tis certain juggle with us, and go about to impoſe upon us, and the truth is, you do both ſo, as ſhall appear upon farther examination.
A cuſtome it was among the Jews, when they had revolted from God to Idols, ſolemnly to renew their firſt Covenant with him, and to take him to be their God, renouncing all other, and to be his people, and obſerve his Laws, which gave occaſion to all the former practices: In Jeremies time for their Idolatry; eſpecially the Jews were to be carried into Captivity; but the Prophet in this Chapter and the next foretells the ruine of the Babylonians their ſevere Maſters, and their return, which when it came to paſſe, then ſaith he, they ſhall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, &c. It then cannot be denyed, but this Text muſt primarily be underſtood of the Jews, and if ever it were literally fulfilled, it was when in Nehemiahs dayes,Nehem. 9.38. & 10.28, 29. the Princes, Levites, Prieſts made and wrote, and ſealed the Covenant, in which the people engaged wiih them: and let me tell you, that the Jews in the principal point ever after kept this Covenant, and ſo it may well be called perpetual; for after their return from Babel, though they were divided into divers Sects to the corruption of ſincere Religion, and were guilty of many other abominations, yet no man can charge them with the worſhip of ſtrange gods. Of the Jews then theſe words were ſpoken, and in them verifyed, and cannot be applyed to the Chriſtian Church any other way but by the way of accommodation. For ſay I ſhall allow you that the Jewiſh Church was the type of the Chriſtian, then the Chriſtian muſt be the antitype; and what then will you gain by it, except the overthrow of your own cauſe? for the antitype muſt every way reſemble the type, which in this it will not. For this Covenant was voluntary, Come▪ ſay they let us joyne our ſelves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant. You preſſe neceſſity upon mens conſciences; this explicite Covenant is the eſſential form of a Combinational Church, ſo that no Covenant, no Member of the Church, to which Chriſt hath promiſed ſalvation. The Covenant in which the Jews engaged, was of the whole Nation, yours is of a ſelected people in a Nation. They, the whole Corporation of them, notwithſtanding this Covenant, continued to be a National Church, went up to Jeruſalem at their ſolemn Feaſts, ſeparated not into private diviſions and ſubdiviſions. You by your Covenant are enemies to all National Churches, make it a diſtinctive note, not of true and ſincere worſhippers from Idolatours, but of thoſe which profeſſe the ſame faith with you from thoſe of your Congregation, that I ſay not, you have as many Covenants as there be factions and fractions among you.
That every good Chriſtian daily come up cloſer to his God, by joyning in a perpetual Covenant, and by renewing his vow made in his Baptiſme to renounce, to beleeve, and obey, I exceedingly approve. But that this cannot be done, except he enter a new Covenant in your Congregation, or that he is bound to do it, or can be no Member of a viſible Church, I ſhall never believe; for mark what will follow upon it. Firſt, there muſt be a diſſolution made of all the reformed Churches of Chriſtendome, that there may be way made for this new erection; for the Covenant ſealed to their Members in Baptiſme will not ſerve the turn, till they have a new admiſſion and matriculation by this ſeal and engagement.
Then again, conſider what countenance is hereby given to the whole order of Romane Votaries, which to me ſeem very like to ſo many Combinational Churches, in that, every order have their particular ſtatutes, to the obſervation of which they tye all they take into their ſocieties, and upon the Vow and Covenant made, they are admitted. Only that in this they are a little more charitable than you are, that they acknowledge ſuch as are out of their fraternities for good Chriſtians, and Members of the Catholick Church: But you judge thoſe who are not of one or other of your Combinations, to be Members of no Church. And this is all you have gained by your Text of Jeremy. I now come to that of the Prophet Ezekiel 20.37. where we thus read.
And I will cauſe you to paſſe under the rod; and I will bring you into the Bond of the Covenant.
The full ſcope of this place is at ver. 33. a promiſe made to the Jews, that they ſhould be gathered under the Goſpel. To this end God tells them, that I will cauſe you to paſſe under the rod, which whether it ſignifies a ſharp affliction, in which the Jews we know have had their ſhare; or elſe a trial by the rod, as a Shepherd doth his flock, as was uſed in decimation, I cannot ſay; if thls laſt, then the ſenſe is, I will reject the bad, and chooſe the good, Jun. in. loc. Levit. 27.32.and will bring you into the Bond of the Covenant; or as Junius reads it, in exhibitionem foederis, I will impart the Covenant of the Goſpel unto you, and all the bleſſings and promiſes of that Covenant, as it is here amplifyed in the 45. ver. Now let any man which is not ſwaid with prejudice, judge whether any thing can be picked from hence, that can countenance your aſſertion. What, is the Covenant that God hath made with his people in the Goſpel of no longer extent than the Combinational Church? Out of this Covenant I know none can be ſaved; without your Combinational Covenant I know they may, or elſe heaven before you roſe would be very empty, and the time ſince you roſe being not long, you have not ſent many thither. Monopolize not then thus the mercies of God to your ſelves, and ingroſſe not the bounty of the Covenant to your own Churches, leſt you damn all the World beſides. I muſt tell you the Covenant of God with man will ſtand, and be made good, were there nere a Combinational Church in the world; he can cauſe his people to paſſe under the rod, and bring them into the Bond of the Covenant, without conducting them through that new way of your Combinational Church. This place then makes nothing at all for you, and it is a plain fallacy to argue à genere ad ſpeciem, by which you collect, that what is ſpoken in general of the Covenant, muſt be underſtood of your Covenant, juſt as if a man ſhould collect eſt ſubstantia, ergo eſt corpus.
Your third place is out of Iſa. 44.5 One ſhall ſay I am the Lords, and another ſhall call himſelf by the name of Jacob, and another ſhall ſubſcribe with his hand unto the Lord, and ſurname himſelf by the name of Iſrael.
As if all this could not be done, but within the walls of your meeting houſes; As if none could ſurname himſelf an Iſraelite, or ſubſcribe with his hand Jehovae ſum, but he muſt enter your Combination. Interpreters have not thus reſtrained theſe words, (I omit many of the Ancients, and make choice of the Moderns) not Junius, not Piſcator, not Sculetus; they unanimouſly teach, that under the Goſpel every one ſhould ſubſcribe and profeſſe them ſons and ſervants of God, ſons of the Church and Chriſtians, who are called the ſons of Jacob and Abraham, Rom. 4.11, 12. & 11.26. Gal. 3.29. & 6.16. and Scultetus ſo applies it, Sic hodie omnes reformatae Eccleſiae mente & confeſſione adjungimus nos Catholithae ill… Eccleſiae piorum Jacobitarum & Iſraelitarum ubi per orbem ſint diſperſi. See then what injury you do the Reformed Churches,Scul…et. in loc. and how far you are from their judgment. They could be content to be joyned to the Catholick diſperſed all the world over; they thought that enough to make them Iſraelites; you are more ſtrait laced; they muſt be no Iſraelites with you, no parts of the Church, except they be joined by a Covenant together in your Combination. But remember in theſe words of the Prophet there is no mention at all of a Covenant, and therefore it makes nothing at all to your purpoſe. From the Old Teſtament you come to the New, and the firſt place you bring, is, Acts 2.47. And the Lord added to the Church daily ſuch as ſhould be ſaved.
Till you have made theſe two propoſitions good, that the Church here mentioned is the Combinational Church; and that this Church was joined together in ſuch a Covenant as you imagine, I ſee not to what end you ſhould produce it: when that is done, you ſhall receive my anſwer. In the mean time I ſhal tell you what you might well have collected from hence; that ordinarily there is no ſalvation to be had out of the Catholick Church, & therefore it is the mercy of God by the Miniſtry of the Word, to adde daily to it ſuch as ſhall be ſaved. Theſe concluſions are rightly drawn; but to aſſert, God added to the Church daily ſuch as ſhould be ſaved, therefore they that will be ſaved, muſt be Members of a Combinational Church, therefore added by your Formal Covenant, ſavours neither of Logique, nor Charity.