An Apology for the Discipline of the Ancient Church, Part 1 · Section 7
Concluſio Parainetica.
All this while you have beſtowed your labour in the building and erecting a Presbyterial or Combinational Church, and having ſet it up as you ſuppoſed, you have call'd me to view your goodly fabrique. I with heed looked upon it, ſearched into the foundation, and conſidered the walls and columns, and at laſt judg'd that it could not ſtand, becauſe the foundation was laid in the ſand, and the pillars and ſupporters over-weak; the materials you have dugge out of your own fancy, not out of the true Rock; and cemented them together with mortar of your own making. Whether this be ſo or not, I leave it to them to judge, who ſhall ſadly weigh thoſe ſtones you have collected and brought out of the quarry of Gods book to ſet out this your work. You in the Acts finde an Election by the Church of Deacons; will it thence follow, that all future Elections for Presbyters muſt neceſſarily proceed by and from their votes and voices? or that ſuch Election is of the neceſſary conſtitution of a Church? the Apoſtles to avoid an imputation, that might be laid upon them in medling with many matters; and that they might attend more ſeriouſly a greater buſineſſe, ſuffered it to be then ſo done; and is it a good conſequent, that therefore it muſt be alwayes done! Paul and Barnabas ordained Elders in every Church; can any man thence rationally conclude that the Presbyters, and Teaching and Ruling Elders muſt be of the Combinational Churches Regular Ordination? What, were Paul and Barnabas of the people? or were they the Combinational Church? A twiſted cord will never draw and knit the premiſes and the concluſions together. The Apoſtle to the Romans, to the Corinthians, gives a large Catalogue of the gifts and graces of the Spirit; and muſt there therefore be ſo many functions in the Church? He ſpeaks of governments, muſt they be of neceſſity in the hands of ſuch governours as you ſuppoſe? In the Revelation he mentions twenty foure Elders, and will you thence deduce that they muſt be neceſſarily ſuch Elders as you fancy in your brains? Had all or any of theſe texts inforced your concluſions; a wonder it is to me, that none of the ancient fathers, none of the reformed ChurchesaBarrow. Cann. Robinſon. Johnſon. Syons Prerogative voted by Bayly page 35. 36. Vide etiam eundem. p. 104. 105 108, 109, &c. Bayly page 53, 54, 55. (for you ſet them all by, as well as the Church of Old-England in this your device) ſhould out of theſe Mines digge ſuch ſtones for the building. In labours they were indefatigable, for piety exemplar, in judgment acute, for learning very eminent, in defence of Religion couragious; great talents and meaſures of the Spirit they no queſtion received; content they were to hazard all, life, limbs, goods, preferments (as many at this day do) for the truth; and can it be conceived that the Spirit of our good God, would ſuffer them all to be blinded or hood-winked in this neceſſary of Church-government till you aroſe? It is not yet full twenty ſix years, ſince Robinſon the firſt perſwader of this way arrived at Plymouth in New-England; from him Mr. Cotton took it up, and tranſmitted it thence to Mr. Thomas Goodwin, who helped in this our land to propagate it; you ſee then your Diſcipline hath not yet the third part of the full age of a man. 'Tis ſo youthful, that as yet the beard is not well grown, and will you then ſay that all parochial, cathedral, provincial, national, oecumenical Churches are degenerated from it? you muſt adorne it with more gray haires, and make it Apoſtolical (which you can never do) before any man will believe you. Your indeavours I have fruſtrated by reſtoring the Scriptures you produce to their genuine ſenſe, about which I have not relyed wholly upon my own private ſpirit, but upon the judgment of the learnedſt, graveſt, and moſt pious Divines new and old, indeed upon the concurrent judgment of the whole Church. Tantum veritati obſtr… pit adulter ſenſus, Tertullian.quantum corruptor ſtilus. And indeed I am poſſeſſed with ſuch fear, when I am to interpret the Word of God, leſt I ſhould ſay, thus ſaith the Lord, when he ſaith it not, that in any dubious text I call for my books, turn over all expoſitors I have; weigh well what is ſaid by each, conſider of their reaſons; and thence collect the concluſion, judging what was the intent of the Holy Ghoſt. That yet I may miſtake, it is poſſible; but you may ſee it is not wilfully, when I take along with me ſuch Councellors. Where it is evident to me they did miſtake, I lay them aſide, yet not without ſome honour and veneration; where it appears to me they were in the right, I embrace them, and bleſſe God that he hath made them my guides. And what is there why I ſhould not attribute unto them as much as to any new man? If they were ancient, they were nearer the times,Euſeb. lib. 4.22 when the Church was Virgo a pure Virgin; and therefore were better able to judge what became her Virginity, and I am ſure they never adjudged her adulterate for her diſcipline. If they be new, and of the Reformers, I muſt ſay that God hath brought to paſſe wonderful things by their endeavours, and yet never made them acquainted with this new light. I ſhall not then eaſily be drawn to throw them off, and their expoſitions of theſe places of Scripture, till I finde ſomewhat to convince. And this conviction muſt not proceed from blind gueſſes and conjectures. I ſhall yield when I finde clear demonſtrations, which as yet I do not; no nor ſo much as probable arguments. It cannot be long, but that you and I muſt ſtand before that great Tribunal, and becauſe we are both Teachers, accompt we muſt give for what we have taught, and upon what ground we have taught it. It will not be enough for us to anſwer, we followed the judgment of this or that Church, but upon what certaine ground we followed it, becauſe we were to lead the multitude, and not to be led by them; to be lights to others, and therefore to have light in our ſelves. That Caveat of our Saviour would be lad to heart, Take heed that the light within thee be not darkneſſe; for then how grert is that darkneſſe? Luke 11.35 Matth. 6.23.This light within us is the light of conſcience, and the ground of that is ſcience, which alwayes flowes from certaine, prime, immediate, known principles, not from probable and conjectural. If our ſcience then be not ſure and certaine, our conſcience can never be well fixed; if there be blindneſſe in the one, there will be darkneſſe in the other. We may miſtake that for conſcience, which is but humour; phanſie, a paſſion, animoſities may ſeduce us, and zeal hurry us too farre; yea, perhaps the zeal of God, for that zeal is a paſſion ſtill, and the more dangerous, when not guided by knowledge. What ſhould I ſay, that the actions which conſcience may perſwade us to, may be an infuſion and enthuſiaſme of the black ſpirit, as it is, when many works of the fleſh come to us under the diſguiſe of Religion and Conſcience! It is with the conſcience of man, as it is with the eye of the body; be the object never ſo bright and viſible, if there be in the eye any thing that may impeach the ſight, either miſt, or duſt, or lime, the light within us will be but darkneſſe. Falſe doctrine of it ſelf, (ſet off ſometimes by the authority of the Teacher or by the power of ſome eminent followers and practiſers of it, or thickened by pride and obſtinacy, always by ſelf-love that always makes us think our opinions the trueſt) is this ſame caligo tenebrarum, the miſt that dusks the eyes of the underſtanding:Cant. 3.6. Worldly profit and wealth are the pouders of the Merchants, the duſt that tickleth the eyes, and blinds the ſight of the wiſeſt. Envie by emulation, or prejudice of affection, or wilfulneſſe by oppoſition, like lime torments the eye, and perverts the judgment concerning the object. To what purpoſe you will ſay is all this? you ſhall now ſee, it is that both you and I may retaine a good conſcience (for when I ſpeak to you, I ſpeak to my ſelf) And that I am ſure, nor you nor I ſhall be able to do, if either humour or phanſie, or paſſion, or black Enthuſiaſme over-ſway us, or the duſt of falſe doctrine, or the world, or envie, or hatred, or wilfulneſſe dim, tickle, or torment our eyes. The Father of lights remove all darkneſſe from us both, and guid us by the light of his Law. For without all doubt, it can never be truly call'd conſcience, unleſſe it produce his Law for its rule to direct us by in this matter.
To conclude, I wiſh I might be ſo happy as to reclaime you, from what I conceive is a miſtake, and bring you home again as Saint John did the young man to your mother. My prayers,Euſeb. 3. c. 23. nor my paines ſhall not be wanting to effect it, might it be effected. For I beleeve you are of a tender heart, and have a ſcrupulous ſoul, that ſmites you for any errour, as the leaſt gritts will trouble a tender foot in a narrow ſhooe; it perſwades me the more, that you may lay to heart what I have written, and the God of heaven give to it ſuch an iſſue, that you may ſay it was a happy hour in which you writ your Letter.
Let it not be an offence unto you, that I accompt you in the caſe of that one ſheep that ſtrayed into the Wilderneſſe; an innocent ſheep I ſay; not one of the Wolves in ſheeps clothing; and this makes me go after you, to try if by any endeavour I may bring you back again to the fold. My indeavour you know was for that before you were quite gone; and I confeſſe it ſeemed to me not to be taken in vain, which yet puts me in ſome hope, that ſuch a thing poſſibly may yet be effected. Why will you remain among thoſe whom the Apoſtle brands with this mark, they ſeparate themſelves? I beſeech you lend me your ears or eyes rather with a little patience, and hear me ſpeak;Jude Ver. 19. compar'd with Heb. 10.25. it may be in voce hominis tuba Dei, Gods Trumpet at my mouth; and if you will but liſten and ſuffer your ſelf to be rouzed by the ſhrillneſſe of the ſound, you may perhaps yet make a ſtand, conſider where you are, and retreat. The enemy ſmites at your ſeparation, the Angels would rejoyce to behold you leaving it, and return back to your Mother the Church of Old-England.
Shee is indeed now as the Teyle Tree, or as the Oake, when they caſt their leavet, Iſa. 6.13.yet the ſubſtance is in her. Her beauty is decay'd through bitter affliction, and her face furrowed with ſorrowes, there is nothing now left about her to make her lovely; yet ſhe is your Mother ſtill, ſhe waſhed you with water, ſhe gave you milk when a babe, ſhe fedde you with ſtronge meat when a man; ſhe honoured you with orders when grown; for a Mothers ſake I crave one good look, ſome pity; ſome regard! Why flie you from her? I cannot conceive you think her ſo diſhoneſt, as ſome Separatiſts report; or that you will faſten upon her the name of a Whore; if you ſhould, I ſhould grow angry; and tell you, that in her Conſtitutions ſhe came neareſt the Apoſtolique Church of any Church in the Chriſtian world; and this I openly profeſſe to make good againſt any Separatiſt whatſoever. Many ungracious ſonnes I confeſſe ſhe had, and they brought an aſperſion upon her, and the vials of Gods wrath have been juſtly, juſtly I proclaime poured upon her for their iniquities. The conſtitution was good and ſound, the execution paſſing through ſome corrupt hands too often ſubject to reproof. Let not her then, who had declared her minde by rules and cautions againſt all abuſes, and taught what only ſhe would have done, be charg'd with her ſonnes irregularities. Set in Gods Name the Saddle upon the right horſe, and let not your Mother beare the whole blame.
1. But if yet any will ſay ſhe was blame-worthy; then either it muſt be in manners, doctrine or diſcipline. The manners of her children might be unmannerly and unchriſtian; and are all the ſonnes of your Combination bene morati? were all at Corinth ſo? all at Theſſolonica? at Corinth there were inceſtuous, factioniſts, &c. at Theſſalonica diſorderly walkers; but I read not that the Apoſtle adviſeth them for ſuch enormous perſons to ſeparate, to combine, and confederate into a new Congregation. Such were to be ſeparated by the Authority of the Church, and no man farther to ſeparate from the Church for theſe then by diſlike, by diſclaiming, by diſallowing and diſcountenancing of their evil deeds: which was done by all good men in the Engliſh Church; I never learned yet, that corruption in good manners was a ſufficient cauſe of ſeparation from a Church. Calvin diſputes it ſtrongly; Lib. 4. Inſtit. cap. 1. Sect. 13, &c. will you hear Auſtin? There are ſaith he, bad fiſh in the net of the Lord,Auſtin. Ep. 48. Read Cyprian Epiſt. 51. from which there muſt be a ſeparation ever in heart and in manners; but a corporal ſeparation muſt be expected at the Sea-ſhore, that is, at the end of the world; and the beſt fiſh muſt not tear and break the net becauſe the bad are with them.
2. To come to the ſecond head, Doctrine. In this you confeſſe that the Church of England was not faulty, in that you approve her doctrine Catholique as expounded by me in the Catechiſme: your Salvo will fall upon the third. Yet ſuppoſe that in her doctrine there had been ſome errour, yet this had not been ſufficient to give countenance to a ſeparation. For it is not every light errour in diſputable doctrine and points of curious ſpeculation that can be a juſt caſe of ſeparation in that admirable body of Chriſt, which is the Church, nor of one member from another. I ſhall go one pin higher.
It is not an errour in a fundamental point, and yet that amounts to an hereſie by conviction, that can juſtifie a departure.Perkins in Ep. Jude. At Corinth there were that denyed an article of faith, the reſurrection. At Galatia, they fouly were miſtaken in that great and fundamental doctrine of juſtification; and yet the Apoſtle dedicates his Epiſtles to them as to a Church, as to Saints, and perſwades not to ſeparation. Chriſt gave his natural body to be rent and torn upon the Croſſe, that his myſtical body might be One; and he is no way partaker of divine Charity, who is an enemy to this Unity. Now what errours in doctrine may give juſt cauſe of ſeparation in this body, or the parts of it one from another, were it never ſo eaſie to determine (as I think it is moſt difficult) I would not venture to ſet it down in particulars, leſt in theſe times of diſcord I might bethought to open a door for Schiſme, which ſurely I will never do, except it be as a wiſe man ſaid, to let it out.
Among your Combinational Churches, this ſeems to me to be one of the eaſieſt tasks, among whom there have happened ſo many unhappy Schiſms. Browns collected Church that went over to Middleburge, Bayly pag. 14.fell to ſuch jarring among themſelves, that they ſoon broke all to pieces, the moſt turn'd Anabaptiſts. At Amſterdam, Ainſworth and Johnſon could not agree;page 15. which rent the Browniſt Church into three fearful Schiſms:page 16. Ainſworth excommunicating Johnſon, and Johnſon Ainſworth, and all his followers and that for trifles. Mr. Smith not agreeing with his Church at Amſterdam g… him to Ley in Holland, and accuſed his Church of Idolatry and Anti-Chriſtianiſme; of Idolatry for looking on their Bibles in time of preaching, and their Pſalters in time of ſinging: Of Anti-Chriſtianiſme, becauſe in their Presbytery they joyn'd to Paſtours other two Officers, Doctors and Ruling Elders.
At Leyden, Mr. Robinſons ſmall company by diviſions was well neer brought to nought.pag. 54. pag. 57. pag. 61. pag. 75. pag. 76. pag. 77. pag. 79. Mr. Cotton patronized it in New-England, but fell into grievous errours and hereſies, as did the Independents of New-England. At Roterdam, Mr. Peters erected his Church, was the Paſtour, but he was either quickly weary of them, or they of him; and then Mr. Ward and Mr. Bridge ſucceeded, at what time Mr. Simſon came thither, who divided the Church upon a trifle; and Mr. Simſons ſeparation burſt out again to another ſubdiviſion, and the Schiſme grew irreconcilable. At Arnhem in the Church, the ſpirit of errour did predominate, and protruded moſt abominable errours. I have given you a taſte onelyonly of theſe things, that you may ſee what ſober and grave men will be very loth to do; that is, make a rent into the Church: your hot and fiery ſpirits have done even for ſlight cauſes, almoſt in all your Collected Churches. It would be well conſidered, what Doctrine that muſt be for which a man is bound to ſeparate from a Church, before he makes a rent.
3. And now there is nothing left but diſcipline, that may be a ſufficient cauſe of ſeparation. And this hath divided you among your ſelves, as well as divided you from us. For the power of the Keys radically and originally you place in the Congregation without any ſubjection to any ſuperiour; and by this you make the Church remedileſſe to ſuppreſſe any diſorder or hereſie in any other Congregation,Bayly pag. 109. 110, 111. becauſe there is no ſuperiour over them but themſelves who can have authority to reſtrain them, which is the cauſe of many Sects among us at this day.
In the Congregation you ſay the power is, (they may elect, ordaine, depoſe, excommunicate Officers) to judge and determine without any appeal. But upon the paſſage and ſetling of the power you differ: for Johnſon would give all theſe acts of power to the Elderſhip: but Ainſworth would reſerve it in the Congregation, & adhuc ſub judice lis eſt; though as I am inform'd, the common opinion among you is, that the power of the Keys is not in the hands of the Presbytery, but the fraternity, and ſo you are of Ainſworths opinion.
Of the power or Keys, I ſee there is no difference betwixt us; both are agreed to what end they ſerve, both uſe them to effect that: the ſole quarrel is in whoſe hands they ſhall be put. On all ſides the buzzle is, who ſhall be Prelates. The Presbyterians would have them in their hands, and Johnſon▪ fights on their ſide; The Congregation ſtifly wrangle for their right, and Ainſworth and moſt of New-England take their part.Cotons Keyes pag. 10. 13. Mr. Cotton and ſome others, ſenſible of what might enſue by this juſt power of the people over the Elderſhip, have begun to fall from Ainſworth to Johnſon, and to plead the authority of the Elderſhip over the brotherhood, and the neceſſity of ſubjection of the people by divine right to the Elders, as to their ſuperiours. Some wiſer than ſome; yet he hath ſuch fine evaſions and diſtinctions to blinde and content the people, that a man would think he were playing at hocus pocus. But be it as it will, a blind man may ſee that the Prelacy is the game that they have all in chaſe. Now this methinks is not fair dealing, to put down Covenant, and ſwear down Prelacy, and hunt after it themſelves, to cry out againſt others, that their whole aime is foreign, lord it over Gods inheritance, when they would be the ſole Lords themſelves. Now among the heat of theſe contenders, the old Prelate appears and puts in his claime; he pleads Scriptures, he pleads antiquity, and the perpetual practice of the Church for one thouſand and five hundred years. And by my conſent, he that can ſhew beſt Cards for it, let him carry the game. Nor this then hereafter ſhall be any juſt cauſe of ſeparation; ſeparation! O how I hate the ſyllables, the Authour of it ſure was taught by the Prince of darkneſs, and came to ſomeaBolton the firſt Separatiſt hang'd himſelf. Brown the ſecond dyed in priſon Epheſ. 4.4, 5, 6. unlucky end. Unity is the child that God bleſſeth. We all acknowledge one Father, we all hope in one Redeemer, we ſerve one Lord, we are united by one Spirit, we profeſſe one faith, we were baptiz'd in one water, we have but one hope of our calling, for we all hope to meet in one heaven. Let us therefore endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. And ſo the God of peace will take delight to dwell with us, and bleſs us; And the Son of God who made our peace, and left it to us, as his laſt Legacy, will give reſt and peace; peace of conſcience and reconciliation with God, while we live here, and eternal reſt with him in heaven. Amen.
To the firſt part of your letter you have here my anſwer, and if it finde acceptance, I ſhall proceed to ſatisfie the other. Firſt, to vindicate the Church in general from thoſe you call corruptions, and degenerations in her government. And ſecondly, the Church of England in particular, touching thoſe enormities you conceive committed by her. That I have not now done it, there are ſome reaſons, which I will conceal.
A KEY to open the Debate about a Combinational Church, and the power of the KEYES. The Second Part. The words of the Letter.
IN caſe the frequent pondering of this profitable point (which is of ſo much concernment to be throughly verſed in) ſhould puzzle any one, that begins to queſtion how, where, or when did the Chriſtian Church (which at the firſt was Presbyterial and pure,) become ſo corrupt and polluted, as that ſcarce is the ſceleton, faſhion or face thereof as much as to be perceived (the more is the pity) in moſt places, or (as yet) amongſt moſt profeſſours of godlineſſe? I was really perſwaded, that a little paines might prove not onelyonly acceptable, but advantagious to a perſon that were ſo puzzled about the particular; for to hear, and to have it not alone boldly and barely affirm'd, but alſo fairly and firmly confirm'd by unanſwerable arguments, that it fell to that foul and fearful degeneration (under which it now doth or ſhould groan, and for which it hath good cauſe to grieve) by no fewer than five diſtinct degrees, whereof the firſt was into a Parochial, 2. The ſecond into a Cathedral. 3. The third into a Provincial. 4. The fourth into a National. 5. And the fifth was into an oecumenical, or a Romane Catholique Church.