The Government of the Churches of Christ, Book 5 · Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
The Second Argument against Subordination of Synods, that it would introduce a Foreign Ecclesiastical Power over every State and Kingdom. The Third Argument, that there is no constant standing Rule, by which such a Subordination should be ordered and managed.
Arg. 2. IF there be such a Subordination of Synods in the Church of Christ, then there is no Independency, but in an Oecomenical Council: Which first would bring in a Foreign Ecclesiastical Power over each State and Kingdom. And Secondly, which therefore of all other, should have its Designation and Existence in the Word, and is more needful, than all the other two sorts of Synods mentioned; for if any should be Extant, then that which is Remedium efficacissimum. 'Tis said, there is wanting Remedium efficax, if these Subordinations be not; but according to these Principles, there is wanting that which is the most Efficacious Remedy, if a General Council be not extant. For if there be not a Resting in a classical Presbytery, but Provincial also must be, and appealed to; neither are they reckoned Efficacious enough, but there must be National also, upon this Supposition, that the greater Assembly hath more of the promise and assistance of Christ, than the lesser; then of all other, a General Council must be supposed in a Transcendent manner above all the rest, to have the promise of Assistance made to it, and so to be the most eminently Efficacious (if not the only) Remedy on Earth; yea, and only to be Rested in, being that which only is the ultimate. Some of the Papist's, they gave this to such a General Council, that it cannot err; but according to these Principles of Presbyterial Divines, though it might err, yet it is supposeable to be Transcendently more irrefragable, than all the other under it; and God more with it, than with all the rest: And therefore God in his Word, would have given especial Order for this, above all other; and the same God that suits his Providences to his Institutions, would not have fail'd in what is the most Soveraign Remedy of all other, that it might have been existant in all Ages; as we see his promise was to the Jews, to keep their Land, when the Males thrice a year went up to the General Assembly at Jerusalem. But for 300 years, the Churches wanted them, and could not enjoy them, and they are adjudged, therefore not necessary to the Government of the Church, which yet according to these Principles, must have been the most necessary of all the rest. Yea, and further else, Thirdly, there must be an Injurious Independency set up in a National Synod; For when a Man hath Appealed from one Court to another, and comes to this National, that is, the ultimate existant, and upon the Sentence thereof, comes next to be Banisht out of a Nation, to have his Estate forfeited, to the Ruine of himself and Posterity; then it is he most of all needs the Relief of an higher Remedy, more Efficacious, than all those he hath gone through (if such an one may be) yet then he is left Remediless, and (according to those Principles) left more unsatisfied than ever; because, thinks he, there is by God's Appointment, a Court that hath more of God, and of Christ in it, than all these to Judge of the Truth and Right; and Lo it is not, nor can ever be expected.
Let it be withal considered, that when God appointed a Subordination of standing Courts, he withal designed out which should be the Supream, and made it the Ultimate: And the Supremacy and Independency of it, in a Set and Standing way, was his Institution, as much as the appointment of the Court it self: So that he was to be put to Death, that obeyed not the Sentence of it, and all Appeals were thereby cut off. Therefore if a National Church, doth take upon it to be an Independent Church, upon the Sentence thereof, to have the extreamest punishment executed (but that of Death) that in a Nation Men are capable of it, had need, for the quieting of all Men's Spirits, that must submit to it, not only shew a Warrant from God, to be an Ecclesiastical Judicatory; but also to be the Supream Court, as the Synhedrim was, that Appeals should be made unto.
Arg. 3. To that end Thirdly, Let it be examined, what Set Rules there is, or may be supposed to be of these Subordinations, and their Bounds, and the Ʋltimate Independency in a National Church; which should be fetcht from some standing considerations, which the word Warrants: God never having constituted a Church, but he gave the bounds thereof. All variation of Church-power, is from God. The alteration of the Government of his People the Jews from a Family Government (which had been under the Law of Nature) to National in Moses his time, was by express appointment: And as himself made and constituted it a National Church, so there was an Ecclesiastical Government framed by himself, suited thereunto. And in the New Testament, there is a Reed to measure the Temple, Rev. 11. 1. a Rule to set out the limits of Church-power, as well as under the old. And therefore the Argument is framed thus:
That Church-power which cannot shew a set and constant Divine Rule for its Variation and Subordination, and Ʋltimate Independency, is not of God, and so May not be. But this Variation of Church-power into these Subordinations, cannot shew any such steady constant Rule for these things. Therefore, &c.
The Major is evident from what hath been said. The Minor is made good by a removal of all particulars, that may be supposed to be the Square of framing these Subordinations, &c.
1. Not that Rule, that the greater number or company of Churches, should Rule and Govern the less; and that the whole should Rule the part, is a sufficient square, by which to Frame these Subordinations.
For then, 1. There would be as many several Subordinations, as there can be supposed Variations of greater Numbers; and that will arise to more than these three only. Every New greater company, would constitute a New Synod. 2. Where is the promise of God, that he will be more with the greatest part of them that profess Christianity, rather than with a few, so far as to constitute a New Power and Government? Yea, 3. The greater number of Churches professing Religion, are more corrupted; the pure Churches are fewer. It had been ill for Philadelphia and the Angel, and Elders thereof, if those seven Churches in Asia, had been cast into such a Subordinate Association for Government, to be exercised by the Angels and Elders of all the other six Churches, with the rest in Asia. And the like may be said of the purer Reformed Churches in Germany; if the greater number of those that yet were True Churches, should have Ruled the lesser; then (Lutherans and Calvinists, being bound to this Government) the Lutherans (being also True Churches, and yet the more in number) would by vertue of this Law, have soon corrupted the purer. And what reason can be pretended (according to this Rule and the Principles of this Government) to leave any True Churches out of an Association? 4. Suppose there should be as many Elders and Churches, more purely Reformed in one Province or Shire, as in the rest of a whole Nation besides (as instance might be given in some of the Reformed Churches that there are) why should not God be thought to be as much with them, as with the National Assembly? And if all are to give themselves up to this Law, how will the greater, which is the wose, either corrupt the purer, or express them? 5. If Qua greater, then the Decrees of greater; (viz. General Councils) in former Ages should bind us more than National or Provincial now; for they should have had more of Church in them (by this Rule) and so more of Christ; and then take all General Councils, that set up Popes and Bishops, and all other Superstitions. If it be said, we chose them not; yet still that is not the ground makes their Decrees less Divine, or obliging to us; but it lies in the Authority of God's Ordinance, that they were the greater and more General Councils. And however, still if this be the Rule, that the greater number of Churches, Rule the less; then take the measure of this greatness and number of Churches from Time, stretching the Line over all Ages past, as well as from the greater number of Churches in such or such a place, or Nation in the present times; and so look what General Councils, for most Ages of the World did Establish, should (by vertue of this Law) oblige the present times, and have more force upon us, than the Universal Church in this present Age; much more than of any National Assembly, if either be simply considered, under a meer Ecclesiastical obligation; that is, Qua greater, and more of Church: Time varies not the case so, but that all their Acts, having been Acts of the Church-Universal in all Ages, should comparatively stand more in force; but however, the Acts of any of the last General Councils will stand in force, until a Ceneral Council of like extent, Repeal those Acts, as the Statutes of Parliament of our Ancestors do, if not Repealed by like and equal Authority.
2. It is not the notion, or the consideration of their being Churches in such or such a Nation or Province, that can be the Rule of making this Obligation, or setting of these Bounds. It must be considered, that the question is of a meer Ecclesiastick obligation, by vertue of Church Principles, such as should have been a just Rule and Measure to the Primitive Churches, e're Princes turned Christian, to have reared up the like Subordinations. Now then the Limits from hence, must either rise from being first one Church in a Kingdom, under the same civil Government. Or Secondly, One Church in a Nation; that is, either from a National respect, or Political.
1. First in general from neither; for that instance in Acts 15. of the Council there, its Rise, or the bounds of its Authority, was founded upon either: For if either National or Political Respects, should have obliged them, they should have sent to Syria, or Cilicia, and not Hierusalem, who were both under a differing Government civil, and of another Nation. But,
2. Secondly, More particularly.
1. Not Qua Church in one Kingdom; for that is per accidens to a Church, that it grows up to a Kingdom, or that the whole Nation is converted to Christianity; and therefore a Set Rule for all Times cannot be fetcht from thence. This could not be the certain measure of the Independency of Church-power, in the Apostles times.
2. This makes the bounds of Ecclesiastical Independency and Jurisdiction, uncertain, varying, as the bounds of Kingdoms do vary. When the Roman Empire had all Kingdoms under it, all the Churches must then have been obliged, to have had then General standing Councils, suited to the extent of the Empire, to have been the next unto the Provincial, for their Supream Judicatory, such as the National are now to the Provincial, or else before the Empire turned Christian, there was this Rule, even as many Independencies as Churches: And then again, when this Empire was broken into ten Kingdoms, yea, and many more, there arose instead of the former, many new Independent Boundaries of Church-power (of which only the question is, and not of that power which a Church doth come to have, and simply and alone holds of the Magistrate, which will be meerly civil) and then, as Kingdoms vary by Conquest; the like alteration the bounds of Church-power must receive. Among the Jews it did not, which when the Church was broken into two Kingdoms, by Gods appointment, yet the Church-State by God's Institution, varied not; but was still one Church. Lastly, If this Independency ariseth from the Magistrate, then there is no need of such Subordinations, which is proved by experience in Reformed Churches abroad, who are well enough governed, without these Subordinations. Geneva hath no Appeals, but is governed by one classical Church; and why may not all other Churches, as well without them; if the Magistrate oversees them, and keep each to their Duties? The Churches in the Low Countries, want National Synods, and yet are peaceably governed; yea, some for a long time have been without Provincial, and say, if they can, they will never have more; and yet are peaceably and quietly Governed. It is as the civil Magistrate will Terminate the Independency, and himself overlook it.
2. Secondly, If these bounds be fetcht from National Respects, then in Germany, the Calvinist's must be subject to the greater number of Lutherans; and in this Kingdom, all Ministers must make up this Association, and the greater number will be the worse, and oppose the good. If because the Calvinists that profess a further Reformation, are Disobliged from Associating with the Lutherans, then those in any Nation, that profess a further Reformation than others, are free by the same Law. Surely uniformity of Principles, is a more intimate bond of such Association, than any such outward extrinsecal respects. 2. If Qua Nation, then Wales must be Independent. 3. If Qua Nation, then 1. If Nation be taken for a People of the same Tongue and Kindred, all the Christian Jews in the Primitive Times, when scattered into any Nation, were bound to have made one Church Distinct, from all the Churches they cohabited with. 2. If for a People dwelling in the same National bounds; then the same Jews being dispersed into several Countries and Nations, must have made one Church, with the several Nations where they lived; whereas Peter in his Epistle, and James in his, and Paul to the Hebrews, wrote unto the Jews apart, as Churches in all Nations.