A real have Hope. So then I hope, if the Spirit of God lead me now unto that, which is good, profitable, yea, and abfolutely needful, in Order to the keeping my Confcience clear and void of Offence towards God and Man; none will be fo unreasonable as to fay, I ought not to do it, because it is according to the Scriptures? Nor do I think it will favour ill among any ferious folid Chriftians, for me to be the more confirmed and perfwaded, that I am led to this Thing by the Spirit, that I find it in myself good and useful; and that upon the like Occafions Chrift commanded it, and the Apoftles and primitive Chriftians practised and recommended it. Now feeing it is fo, that we can boldly fay, with a good Confcience in the Sight of God, that the fame Spirit which leads us to believe the Doctrines and Principles of the Truth, and to hold and maintain them again, after the Apoftacy, in their primitive and ancient Purity, as they were delivered by the. Apoftles of Chrift in the holy Scriptures; I fay, that the fame Spirit doth now lead us into the like holy Order and Government to be exercised among us, as it was among them, being now the like Occafion and Opportunity miniftred to us therefore; what can any chriftianly or rationally object against it? For that there is a real Cause for it, the Thing itself the fame fpeaketh; and that it was the Practice of the Saints and Church of Old, is undeniable: What kind of Ground then can any fuch Oppofers have, being fuch, as fcrupling at this, do notwithstanding acknowledge our Principle, that this were done by Impofition or Imitation, more than the Belief of the Doctrines and Principles? Seeing as it is needful to ufe all Diligence to convince and perfwade People of the Truth, and bring them to the Belief of it, which yet we cannot do, but as Truth moves and draws in their Hearts: It is alfo no lefs neediul, when a People is gathered, to keep and preferve them in Unity and Love, as becomes the Church of Chrift, and to be careful, Order. careful, as faith the Apostle, That all Things be done decently, and in Order; and that all that is wrong be removed, according to the Method of the Gotpel; and the Good cherished and encouraged. So that we conclude, and that upon very good Grounds, That there ought now, as well as heretofore, to be Order and Government in the Church of Christ. That which now cometh to be examined in the Head III. third Place, is, First, What is the Order and Government we I. plead for. Secondly, In what Cafes, and how far it may ex- II. tend, and in whom the Power decifive is. Thirdly, How it differeth, and is wholly another III. than the oppreffive and perfecuting Principality of the Church of Rome, and other Anti-christian Affemblies. SECTION IV. Of the Order and Government which we plead for. I T will be needful then, before I proceed to describe the Order and Government of the Church, to confider, what is or may be properly understood by the Church: For fome, as I touched before, feem to be offended, or at least afraid of the very Word, becaufe, the Power of the Church, the Order of the Church, the Judgment of the Church, and fuch like Pretences, have been the great Weapons, wherewith Antichrift and the apoftate Chriftians have been these many, Generations perfecuting the Wohan, and warring against the Man-child. And indeed, great Difputes have been among the learned Rabbies in the Apoftacy concerning this Church, what What the what it is, or what may be fo accounted: Which I find not my Place at prefent to dive much in; but fhall only give the true Sense of it, according to Truth, and the Scriptures plain Testimony. The Word Church in itself, and as used in the Word Scriptures, is no other but a Gathering, Company, or Affembly of certain People called or gathered tofignifies properly. gether: For fo the Greek Word 'Exxanoia fignifies, Church Dimifit Concionem, What a which is, that the Tranflators render Church, which Word is derived from the Verb 'Exxaxéo, i. e. Evoce, I call out of, from the Root Kaxéo, Voco, I call. Now though the English Word Church, be only taken in fuch a Senfe, as People are gathered together upon a religious Account; yet the Greek Word that is fo rendered, is taken in general for every Gathering, or Meeting together of People: And therefore, where it is faid, The Town-Clerk of the Ephefians difmiffed the Tumult, that was gathered there together, the fame Greek Word 'Exxi is ufed, Ας χίχ. 41. ἀπέλυσε των Ἐκκλησίαν, he difmi Jed the Affembly, or the Church. A Church then in the Scripture-Phrafe, is no religious other than a Meeting or Gathering of certain People, Church is, which, if it be taken in a religious Senfe, as most commonly it is, are gathered together in the Belief of the fame Principles, Doctrines, and Points of Faith, whereby as a Body they become diftinguished from others, and have a certain Relation among themselves; and a conjunct Interest to the maintaining and propagating thefe Principles they judge to be right And therefore have a certain Care and Overfight over one another, to prevent and remove all Occafions, that may tend to break this their conjunct Intereft, hinder the Propagation of it, or bring Infamy, Contempt, or Contumely upon it; or give fuch, as on the other hand are, or may be, banded together to undo them, juft Occasion against them, to decry and defame them. Now the true false. Now the Way to diftinguish that Church, Gather How to diing, or Affembly of People, whereof Chrift truly ftinguish is the Head, from fuch as falfly pretend thereto, is Church by confidering the Principles and Grounds upon from the which they are gathered together, the Nature of that Hierarchy and Order they have among themselves, the Way and Method they take to uphold it, and the Bottom upon which it ftandeth; which will greatly contribute to clear all Miftakes. Forafmuch as Sanctification and Holiness is the great and chief End among true Chriftians, which moves them to gather together; therefore the Apoftle Paul defines the Church in his Salutation to the Corinthians, Cor. i. 2. Unto the Church of God which is at Corinth, them that are fanctified in Chrift Jefus, called to be Saints. So the Church is fuch as are fanctified in Chrift Jefus, called to be Saints. The Power and Authority, Order and Govern- The Churches bers, &c. ment we speak of, is fuch, as a Church, Meeting, Care over Gathering, or Affembly, claims towards thofe that its Mem have or do declare themselves Members, who own, believe, and profefs the fame Doctrines and Principles of Faith with us, and go under the fame Diftinction and Denomination; whofe Efcapes, Faults, and Errors, may by our Adverfaries juftly be imputed to us, if not seasonably and chriftianly reproved, reclaimed, or condemned. For we are not fo foolish, as to concern ourselves with those who are not of us; far lefs, who stand in Oppofition to us, fo as to reprove, inftruct, or reclaim them, as FellowMembers or Brethren: Yet with a Refpect to remove the general Reproach from the Chriftian Name, with a tender Regard to the Good of their immortal Souls, for the Zeal we owe to God's Glory, and for the Exaltation and Propagation of his everlasting Truth and Gofpel in the Earth, we have not been wanting with the Hazard of our Lives to feek the scattered Ones, holding forth the living and fure Foundation, and inviting and perfwading all all to obey the Gospel of Chrift, and to take Notice of his Reproofs, as he makes himfel manifeft in and by his Light in their Hearts. So our Care and Travail is and hath been towards thofe that are without, that we may bring them into the Fellowship of the Saints in Light; and towards thofe that are brought in, that they may not be led out again, or drawn afide, either to the left Hand or the right, by the Workings and Temptations of the Enemy. Thefe Things being thus cleared and opened, we do pofitively affirm, That we being a People gathered together by the Power of God, which moft if not all of thofe, that arifing among ourselves, do oppose us herein, have acknowledged, into the Belief of certain Principles and Doctrines, and alfo certain Practices and Performances, by which we are come to be separated and distinguished from others, fo as to meet apart, and also to suffer deeply for our Joint-Teftimony; there are, and muft of Neceffity be, as in the Gathering of us, fo in the Preferving of Diversities us while gathered, Diversities of Gifts and Operaof Gifts in tions for the Edifying of the whole Body. Hence theChurch faith the Apoftle, 1 Tim. v. 17. Let the Elders that rule well, be counted worthy of double Honour, especially they who labour in the Word and Doctrine: And this we fuppofe neither to be Popish nor Antichriftian; let our Oppofers fay it, as oft as they can, without reckoning the Apoftles fuch. Secondly, Forafmuch as all are not called in the fame Station, fome Rich, fome Poor; fome Servants, fome Mafters; fome Married, fome unmarried; fome Widows, and fome Orphans, and fo forth; it is not only convenient, but abfolutely Meetings needful, that there be certain Meetings at certain about Bu- Places and Times, as may beft fuit the Conveniencies of fuch, who may be moft particularly concerned in them; where both thofe that are to take Care, may affemble, and those who may need this finels. Care, |