Vindication of the Government of New England Churches 1, Postscript
Poſtſcript.
THat our Teſtimony to the Old Principles of New-England, may be the more diſtinctly apprehended, we recommend unto Conſideration, three Pages in the Life of Mr. John Cotton, written by his Grand-Son, Mr. Cotton Mather. p. 33, 34, 35.
NOW that the World may know, The Firct Principles of NEW-ENGLAND, it muſt be known that until the Platform of Church-Diſcipline, Publiſhed by a Synod in the year 1648. next unto the Bible, which was the profeſſed, perpetual, and only Directory of theſe Churches, they had no Platform of their Church Government, more Exact than their Famous JOHN COTTONS well known Book of The Keys; which Book, endeavours to lay out, the Juſt Lines and Bounds, of all Church Power, and ſo defines the matter; That as in the State, there is a Diſperſion of Powers into ſeveral Hands, which are to concur into all Acts of common concernment; from whence ariſes the Healthy Conſtitution of a Common-Wealth: In like ſort, he aſſigns the Powers in the Church, unto ſeveral Subjects, wherein the United light of Scripture, and of Nature, have placed them with a very Satisfactory Diſtribution.
He aſſerts, That a Presbyterated Society of the Faithful, hath within it ſelf, a compleat Power of Self-Reformation, or if you will, of Self-Preſervation; and may within it ſelf, manage its own Choices of Officers, and Cenſures of Delinquents. Now a ſpecial Statute-Law of our Lord, having excepted Women and Children, from enjoying any part of this Power, he finds only Elders and Brethren to be the Conſtituent Members, who may Act in ſuch a Sacred Corporation; the Elders he finds the First Subject entruſted with Government; the Bretheren endowed with Priviledge, in ſo much that though the Elders are to Rule the Church, and without them there can be no Elections, Admiſſions, or Excommunications, and they have a Negative upon the Acts of the Fraternity, as well as 'tis they only that have the Power of Authoritative Preaching and Adminiſtring the Sacraments: Yet the Brethren have ſuch a Liberty that without Their Conſent, nothing of Common Concernment may be Impoſed upon them. Nevertheleſs, becauſe Particular Churches of Elders and Brethren may abuſe their Powers, with manifold miſcarriages, he Aſſerts the Neceſſary Communion of Churches in Synods, who have Authority to Determine, Declare and Enjoyn, ſuch things as may Rectify the Male-Administrations, of any Diſorders, Diſſentions and Confuſions of the Congregations which fall under their Cognizance. But ſtill ſo as to leave unto the Particular Churches themſelves, the Formal Acts, which are to be done purſuant unto the Advice of the Council; upon the Scandalous and obſtinate Refuſal whereof, the Council may Determine to withdraw Communion from them, as from thoſe who will not be counſelled, againſt a Notorious Miſmanagement of the Juriſdiction which the Lord Jeſus Chriſt has given them. This was the Deſign of that Judicious Treatiſe, wherein was contained the ſubſtance of our Church-Diſcipline; and whereof we have one Remarkable thing to Relate as we go along. That Great Perſon, who afterwards proved one of the Greateſt Scholars, Divines and Writers in this Age, then under Prejudices of converſation, ſet himſelf to write a Confutation of this very Treatiſe, of the Keys; but having made a conſiderable Progreſs in his undertaking, ſuch was the ſtrength of this Ʋnanſwerable Book, that inſtead of confuting it, it conquered him; and this Book of the Keys, was happily ſo Bleſſed of God for the conveyance of Congregational Principles into the now Opened mind of this Learned man, that he not only wrote in Defence of Mr. Cotton, but alſo expoſed himſelf to more than a little Sorrow and Labour all his days, for the maintaining of thoſe Principles. Upon which occaſion the words of the Doctor [Owen, in his Review of the true Nature of Schiſm] are, This way of Impartial Examining all things by the Word, and laying aſide all prejudicate Reſpect unto perſons, or preſent Traditions, is a courſe that I would Admoniſh all to beware of, who would avoid the danger of being made (what they call) Independants. Having ſaid thus much, of that Book, all that we ſhall add concerning it, is, That the Eminent Mr. Rutherford himſelf, in his Treatiſe Entituled, A ſurvey of the Spiritual Antichrist, has theſe words, Mr. Cotton in his Treatiſe of the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, is well ſound in our way; if he had given ſome more Power to Aſſemblies, and in ſome leſſer points.
John Higginſon. William Hubbard.
FINIS.
End of the text · John Wise, Vindication of the Government of New England Churches 1 (1717)