Review of the True Nature of Schism, Treatise · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX.
WE are now gathering towards what ſeems of moſt immediate concernment as to this Reverend Authors undertaking; namely to treate of the nature of a particular church, its union and the breach of that union; the deſcription I give of ſuch a church is this; It is a ſociety of men called by the word to the obedience of the faith in Chriſt, and joint performance of the worſhip of God in the ſame individuall ordinances according to the order by him preſcribed. This I profeſſe to be a generall deſcription of its nature, waving all conteſts about accurate definitions, which uſually tend very little to the diſcovery or eſtabliſhment of truth: after ſome canvaſſing of this deſcription, our Author tells us that he grants it to be the definition of a particular church, which is more then I intended it for; only he adds that according to this deſcription, their churches are as true as ours; which I preſume by this time he knowes was not the thing in Queſtion. His enſuing diſcourſe of the will of Chriſt, that men ſhould joine not all in the ſame individuall congregation, but in this or that, is by me wholly aſſented ūto, and the matter of it contended for by me, as I am able; what he is pleaſed to adde about explicite covenanting and the like, I am not at all for the preſent concerned in; I purpoſely waved all expreſſions concerning it, one way or other, that I might not involve the buſineſſe in hand with any unneceſſary conteſts; it is poſſible ſomewhat hereafter may be ſpoken to that ſubject, in a tendency unto the reconciliation of the parties at variance. His argument in the cloſe of the Section for a Preſbyterian church from Acts 20. 17. becauſe there is mention of more elders then one in that Church, and therefore it was not one ſingle congregation I do not underſtand; I think no one ſingle congregation is wholly compleated according to the mind of Chriſt, unleſſe there be more elders then one it; there ſhould be elders in every Church; and for my part, ſo we could once agree practically in the matter of our churches, I am under ſome apprehenſion that it were no impoſſible thing to reconcile the whole difference, as to a Preſbyterian church, or a ſingle congregation. And though I be reproved a new for my pains, I may offer ere long to the candid conſideration of godly men, ſomething that may provoke others of better abilities and more leaſure, to endeavour the carrying on of ſo good a work. Proceeding to the conſideration of the unity of this church, he takes notice of three things laid down by me, previouſly to what I was farther to aſſert; all which he grants to be true, but yet will not let them paſſe without his animadverſions. The two firſt are that 1. a man may be a member of the Catholick inviſible church, and 2 of the viſible Catholick church, and yet not be joyned to a particular Church. Theſe, as I ſaid, he ownes to be true, but askes how I can reconcile this with what I ſaid before, namely, that the members of the Catholick viſible Church are initiated into the profeſſion of the faith by Baptiſme; but where lies the difference? why ſaith he, Baptiſme according to his principles is an ordinance of worſhip only to be enjoyed in a particular Church, whilſt he will grant (what yet he doth denie, but will be forced to grant) that a miniſter is a miniſter to more then his owne church, even to the Catholick Church, and may adminiſter Baptiſme out of a particular church, as Phillip did to the Eunuch. A. How well this Author is acquainted with my principles, hath been already manifeſted; as to his preſent miſtake I ſhall not complaine, ſeeing that ſome occaſion may be adminiſtred unto it, from an expreſſion of mine, at leaſt as it is printed, of which I ſhall ſpeak afterwards; for the preſent he may be pleaſed to take notice, that I am ſo far from confining Baptiſme ſubjectively to a particular congregation, that I do not believe that any member of a particular church was ever regularly baptized: Baptiſme precedes admiſſion into Church memberſhip, as to a particular Church; the ſubject of it, is profeſſing believers and their ſeed; as ſuch they have right unto it, whither they be joined to any particular church or no; ſuitable to this judgment hath been my conſtant and uninterrupted practiſe. I deſire alſo to know, who told him that I deny a miniſter to be a miniſter to more then his own Church, or averred that he may perform miniſteriall duty only in and towards the members of his own congregation: for ſo much as men are appointed the objects of the diſpenſation of the word I grant a man in the diſpenſation of it to act miniſterially towards not only the members of the Catholick church, but the viſible members of the world alſo in contradiſtinction thereunto:
The third thing laid down by me, whereunto alſo he aſſentes is, that every believer is oblieged to join himſelfe to ſome one of thoſe Churches, that there he may abide in Doctrine and fellowſhip and breaking of bread and prayer: but my reaſons whereby I prove this, he ſaies he likes not ſo well: and truly I cannot helpe it; I have little hope he ſhould like any thing well which is done by me: Let him be pleaſed to furniſh me with better, and I ſhall make uſe of them; but yet when he ſhall attempt ſo to doe, it is odds but that one or other, will find as many flawes in them as he pretends to do in mine; But this, he ſaith he ſhall make uſe of, and that, he ſhall make advantage of, and I know not what, as if he were playing a prize upon a ſtage. The third reaſon is that which he likes worſt of all, and I like the buſineſse the better, that what he underſtands leaſt, that he likes worſt; it is, that Chriſt hath given no direction for any duty of worſhip, meerly and purely of ſoveraign inſtitution, but only to them and by them who are ſo joined; Hereupon he askes: 1. is Baptiſme a a part of worſhip? A: yes, and to be ſo performed by them, that is a Miniſter in, or of them; I fear my expreſſion in this place lead him to his whole miſtake in this matter: 2. prayer and reading of the word in private families are they no duty of worſhip: An: Not meerly and purely of ſoveraign inſtitution. 3. Is preaching to convert heathens a duty of worſhip? not (as deſcribed) in all caſes; when it is, it is to be performed by a miniſter; and ſo he knowes my anſwer to his next invidious inquiry, relating to my own perſon; Againſt my fourth Reaſon taken from the Apoſtles care to leave none out of this order, who were converted, where it was poſsible: he gives in the inſtance of the Eunuch, and others converted where there were not enough to ingage in ſuch ſocieties; that, is in them with whom it was impoſsible: my fift is from Chriſt's providing of officers for theſe Churches; This alſo he ſaith is weak as the reſt, for firſt, Chriſt provided officers at firſt for the Catholick Church, that is the Apoſtles. 2. all ordinary officers are ſet firſt in the Catholicke Church, and every miniſter is firſt a miniſter to the Catholick Church, and if (ſaith he) he deny this, he knowes where to find a learned Antagoniſt.
A. But ſee what it is to have a mind to diſpute: will he deny that Chriſt appointed officers for particular Churches, or if he ſhould have a mind to do it, will his arguments evince any ſuch thing; Chriſt appointed Apoſtles, Catholick officers, therefore he did not appoint officers for particular Churches; though he commanded that elders ſhould be ordained in every Church; Paſtors and teachers are ſet firſt in the Catholick church, therefore Chriſt hath not ordained officers for particular Churches; But this is the way with our Author! if any word offers it ſelfe, whence it is poſſible to draw out the mention of any thing, that is, or hath at any time been in difference between Presbiterians and Independents, that preſently is run away withall; for my part I had not the leaſt thought of the controverſie which to no purpoſe at all he would here lead me to: but yet I muſt tell him that my judgment is, that ordinary officers are firſtly to be ordained in particular churches: and as I know where to find a learned Antagoniſt as to that particular, ſo I do, in reſpect of every thing that I affirme or deny in the buſineſſe of Religion, and yet I bleſſe the Lord I am not in the leaſt diſquieted or ſhaken in my adherence to the truth I profeſſe.
My laſt reaſon, he ſaith, is fallacious and inconſequent, and that becauſe he hath put an inference upon it never intended in it. Now the poſition that theſe reaſons were produced to confirm being true, and ſo acknowledged by himſelfe, becauſe it is a truth that indeed I lay ſome more then ordinary weight upon, it being of great uſe in the daies wherein we live: I would humbly intreat this Reverend Author to ſend me his reaſons whereby it may be confirmed, and I ſhall promiſe him if they be found of more validity then thoſe which according to my beſt skill I have allready uſed, he ſhall obtain many thanks, and much reſpect for his favour;
What he remarks upon, or adds to my next diſcourſe about inſtituted worſhip in generall, I ſhall not need to inſiſt on: onelyonly by the way I cannot but take notice of that which he calls a chiefe piece of Independencie, and that is! that thoſe who are joined in church fellowſhip are ſo confined that they cannot or may not worſhip God in the ſame ordinances in other churches: how this comes to be a cheife peice of Independency, I know▪ not. It is contrary to the known practiſe of all the churches of England that I am acquainted with, which he calls Independents. For my part I know but one man of that mind, and he is no child in theſe things.
For the enſuing diſcourſe about the interciſion of ordinances, it being a matter of great importance, and inquired into by me meerly in reference to the Roman Apoſtacy, it needs a more ſerious diſquiſition, then any thing at preſent adminiſtred by our Author will give occaſion unto: poſſibly in convenient time I may offer ſomewhat farther towards the inveſtigation of the mind of God therein: every thing in this preſent conteſt is ſo warped to the petty difference between Preſbyterians and Independents, that no faire progreſſe nor opportunity for it can be afforded: If it may be, in my next debate of it, I ſhall wave al mentiō of thoſe meaner differences: & as I remember I have not inſiſted on them in what I have allready propoſed to this purpoſe, ſo poſſibly the next time I may utterly eſcape. For the preſent, I do not doubt but the ſpirit of God in the Scripture, is furniſhed with ſufficient authority to erect new churches, and ſet up the celebration of all ordinances on ſuppoſition that there was an interciſion of them. To declare the way of his exerting his Authority to this purpoſe, with the obviating of all objections to the contrary, is not a matter to be toſſed up and down in this ſcambling chaſe: and I am not a litle unhappy, that this Reverend Perſon was in the dark to my deſigne and aime all along, which hath intangled this diſpute with ſo many impertinences; But however I ſhall anſwer a queſtion which he is pleaſed to put to me in particular: he askes me then whither I do not think in my conſcience that there were no true churches in England untill the Browniſts our fathers, the Anabaptiſts our elder brothers, and our ſelves aroſe and gathered new Churches. With thanks for the civility of the inquiry in the manner of its expreſſion, I anſwer no! I have no ſuch thoughts, and his pretence of my inſinuation of any ſuch thing, is moſt vaine, as alſo is his inſultation thereupon; truly if men will in all things take liberty to ſpeak what they pleaſe, they have no reaſon but to think that they may at one time or other heare that which will diſpleaſe;
Having inveſtigated the nature of a particular Church, I proceed in my treatiſe of Schiſme, to inquire after the union of it, wherein it doth conſiſt, and what is the breach thereof; The ſumme is the joint conſent of the members to walke together in celebration of the ſame numericall ordinances, according to the mind of Jeſus Chriſt, is that wherein the union of ſuch a Church doth conſiſt. This is variouſly excepted againſt: and I know not what diſputes about an implicit and explicit covenant, of Specificating forms, of the practiſe of new and old England, of Admiſſion of church members, of the right of the members of the Catholick church to all ordinances, of the miſcarriage of the Independents, of church Matriculations and ſuch like things, not once conſidered by me in my propoſall of the matter in hand; are fallen upon. By the way he fals upon my judgment about the inhabitation of the Spirit, calls it an error, and ſaies ſo it hath been reputed by all that are orthodox; raiſing terrible ſuſpitions and intimations of judgments on our way from God, by my falling into that error; when yet I ſay no more then the Scripture ſaith in expreſſe tearms forty times, for which I referre him to what I have written on that ſubject, wherein I have alſo the concurrence of Polanus, Bucanus, Dorchetus with ſundry others Lutherans and Calviniſts; It may be when he hath ſeriouſly weighed what I have offered to the clearing of that glorious truth of the Goſpell, he may entertain more gentle thoughts both concerning it and mee.
The reſt of the chapter I have paſſed thorow, once and againe, and cannot fix on any thing worthy of farther debate: A difference is attempted to be found in my deſcription of the union of a particular Church, in this and another place: becauſe in one place I require the conſent of the members to walke together, in another mention only their ſo doing, when the mention of that only, was neceſſary in that place, not ſpeaking of it abſolutely, but as it is the difference of ſuch a church from the church Catholick, ſome impropriety of expreſſion is pretended to be diſcovered: (id populus curat ſcilicet:) which yet is a pure miſtake of his, not conſidering unto what eſpeciall end and purpoſe the words are uſed: He repeats ſundry things as in oppoſition to me, that are things laid down by my ſelfe and granted: Doth he attempt to prove that the union of a Church is not rightly ſtated: he confeſſeth the form of ſuch a Church conſiſts in the obſcrvance and performance of the ſame ordinances of worſhip numerically: I aske, is it the command of Chriſt that believers ſhould ſo doe? is not their obedience to that command, their conſent ſo to do? are not particular churches inſtituted of Chriſt? is it not the duty of every believer to join himſelfe to ſome one of them? was not this acknowledged above? can any one do ſo without his conſenting to do ſo? is this conſent any thing but his voluntary ſubmiſſion to the ordinances of worſhip therein? As an expreſſe conſent and ſubjection to Chriſt in generall is required to conſtitute a man a member of the Church Catholick viſible; ſo if the Lord Jeſus hath appointed any particular church for the celebration of his ordinances; is not their conſent who are to walke in them, neceſſary thereunto? But the Topick of an explicite covenant, preſenting its ſelfe with an advantage, to take up ſome leaves, would not be waved, though nothing at all to the purpoſe in hand. After this, my confeſſion made in as much condeſcenſion unto compliance as I could well imagine, of the uſe of greater aſſēblies, is examined, and excepted againſt, as being in my eſteem, he ſaith, though it be not ſo indeed, a matter of prudence only: But I know full well, that he knows not what eſteeme or diſeſteem I have of ſundry things of no leſſe importance. The conſideration of my poſtulata, propoſed in a preparation to what was to be inſiſted on, in the next Chapter, as influenced from the foregoing diſsertations alone remaines, and indeed alone deſerve our notice.
My firſt is this. The departing of any man or men from any particular Church, as to the communion peculiar to ſuch a Church, is no where called Schiſme, nor is ſo in the nature of the thing it ſelfe, but is a thing to be judged and recieve a title according to the circumſtances of it; to this he adjoines; this is not the Queſtion, a ſimple ſeceſsiō of a man or mē upon ſome juſt occaſion is not called ſchiſme, but to make cauſleſs differences in a Church, and then ſeparating from it, as no Church, denying communion with it, hath the nature and name of ſchiſme in all mens judgments but his own. An. What Queſtion doth our Reverend Author meane? I feare he is ſtill fancying of the difference between Preſbyterians and Independents, and ſquaring all things by that Imagination; whether it be a Queſtion ſtated to his mind or no, I cannot tell, but it is an aſſertion expreſſive of mine owne, which he may do well to diſprove if he can. Who told him that raiſing cauſleſſe differences in a Church, and then ſeparating from it, is not in my judgment ſchiſme? May I poſſibly retaine hopes of making my ſelfe underſtood by this Reverend Author? I ſuppoſe though, that a pertinacious abiding in a miſtake, is neither ſchiſme nor hereſy. And ſo this may be paſſed over.
My ſecond is, one Church refuſing to hold that communion with another, which ought to be between them, is not Schiſme properly ſo called. The reply hereunto is twofold▪ 1. That one Church may raiſe differences in, and with another church, and ſo cauſe Schiſme. 2 That the Independents deny any communion of churches, but what is prudentiall, and ſo that communion cannot be broken. To the firſt I have ſpoken ſufficiently before; the latter is but an harping on the ſame ſtring: I am not ſpeaking of Independent churches, nor upon the principles of Independents, much leſſe on them, which are impoſed on them; Let the Reverend Author ſuppoſe or aver what communion of churches he pleaſeth, my poſition holds in reference to it, nor can he diſprove it; however for my part I am not acquaintcd with thoſe Independents, who allow no communion of churches, but what is prudentiall; and yet it is thought, that I know as many, as this Reverend Author doth.
Upon the laſt propoſall we are wholly agreed; ſo that I ſhall not need to repeat it; only he gives me a ſad farewell at the cloſe of the Chapter, which muſt be taken notice of; is (ſaith he) not the deſign of his book to prove if he could, and condemne us as no churches, let the world be judge; and I ſay let all the ſaints of God judge; and Jeſus Chriſt will judge whither I have not outragious injury done me in this imputation; but, ſaith he, unleſs this be proved, he can never juſtify his ſeparatiō. Sr. when your & our brethren told the Biſhops, they thanked God they were none of them, and defied the Prelaticall church, did they make a ſeparation or no; were they guilty of Schiſme? I ſuppoſe you will not ſay ſo: nor do I; yet have I done any ſuch thing in reference to you or your churches; I have no more ſeparated from you, then you have done from me; and as for the diſtance which is between us upon our diſagreement about the way of reformation, let all the churches of God judge, on which ſide it hath been managed with more breach of love, on yours or mine; Let me aſſure you Sir, through the mercy of God in Jeſus Chriſt, I can freely forgive unto you all your reproaches, revilings, hard cenſurings, and endeavours to expoſe me to publick obloquie, and yet hope that I may have before we dy, a place in your heart and prayers.