the Form of People, who may hold found and true Principles, Church. ment of never wanting in of Chrift. is the Head, it were to make Chrift negligent of his Body, who ftiles himself the good Shepherd, and hath faid, He will never leave nor forfake bis own; or else, which is worse, it would infer a Poffibility of Error, or Miftake in Christ, in whom, as the Head are the Eyes of the Body, by which it is to be ruled in all Things. Next, we never find in all the Scripture fince the Gofpel, that ever this was wanting; but that God ftill gave infallible Judgment by his Spirit, in fome of the Refpects abovementioned. If the Tranfactions and Controverfies of the after Centuries be alledged, I will boldly affirm and prove, that there was never a true Judg. ment wanting, fo long as the Nature and Effence of the true Church was retained; if any will needs affirm otherwise, let them fhew me where, and I fhall answer it. Though I deny not, that after the Mystery of Iniquity did begin to work, or had fo wrought first by intermixing, and afterward by altogether forfaking the Nature of Truth, retaining only the bare Name of the Church, but that there might be some scattered Ones, here and there One in a Nation, and now and then One in an Age, who by the Power and Virtue of the Spirit of Life working in them, might be truly fanctified; yet thefe were but Witneffes as Witneffes in Sackcloth, noways fufficient to give in Sack. cloth. Affert, 2. proved. these Affemblies, in which they were engroffed, the Appellation of the Church of Christ, coming no more under Observation by the Generality, nor having as to them any more Influence, than fome Tittle, or scarcely difcernable Sparks of Fire in many great Heaps and Mountains of Ashes. And thus much to prove, that where there is any Gathering, or Affembly, which truly and properly may be called the Church of Chrift, the infallible Judgment will never be wanting in Matters of Controverfy. Secondly, That ordinarily God hath in the communicating of his Will under his Gofpel, imployed fuch, fuch, whom he had made Ufe of in gathering of his Church, and in feeding and watching over them, though not excluding others. For as in a natural Body, to which the Church of Chrift is compared, the more fubftantial and powerful Members do work most effectually; and their Help is most neceffary to fupply any Defect or Trouble in the Body: So alfo, if there be Diversities of Gifts in the Church, as is above proved, and fome have a greater Measure, and fome a leffer; those that have the greater, are more capable to do Good and to help the Body in its Need, than others that are weaker, and lefs powerful: Since there are Strong and Weak, Babes and Young Men, who have overcome the Evil-one, and in whom the Word of God abideth; fuch are more able, when the Enemy befets, to refift, having already overcome, than others, who are but yet wrestling, and not Conquerors. Now, every Controverfy and Diffention in the From the Church comes from the Befetments of the Enemy; Behmens yet if any of these ftrong or young Men, or power- my, Diffenful Members go from their Station, it is not denied, fions arise. but that they are as weak as any; and it is prefuppofing their Faithfulness in their Place, that I thus affirm, and no otherwife. Nor yet do I limit the Lord to this Method: For in him are all the Treafures both of our Wisdom and Strength; and the Weakeft in his Hand are as ftrong as the Strongest, who may now, as well as heretofore, kill a Goliab by the Hand of little David: Yet we fee, the Lord doth ordinarily make Ufe of the Strong to fupport the Weak; and indeed, when such as may be termed Weak, are fo made Ufe of, it alters the Nature of their Place, and conftitutes them in a higher, and more eminent Degree. For though it was little David, it was alfo he, that was to be King of Ifrael. Though the Apostles were mean Men among the Jews, yet they were fuch, as were to be the Apostles of the Lord of Glory, Inftruments to gather the loft L 2 loft Sheep of the House of Ifrael, and to proclaim the acceptable Day of the Lord. And though Paul was once accounted the least of all the Saints, a Child born out of due Time, yet was he him, who was to be the greatest Apoftle of the Gentiles. Now then let us confider, whom the Lord makes Ufe of in the Affairs of the primitive Church, and through whom he gave forth his infallible Judgment? Did he not begin first by Peter? He was the firft that fpake in the firft Meeting they had, Alts i. and who first stood up after the pouring forth of the Spirit; and who firft appeared before the Council of the Jews, and spake in Behalf of the Gospel of Chrift: Though I am far from calling him, as fome do, the Prince of the Apoftles; yet I may fafely fay, he was one of the moft antient and eminent, and to whom Chrift in a Manner fomewhat more than ordinary had recommended the feeding of his Flock. We fee alfo, he was firft made Ufe of in preaching to the Gentiles; and what Weight his and James's Words had in the Contest about Circumcifion towards the bringing the Matter to a Conclufion, Alts xv. Yet that we may see Infallibility was not infeparably annexed to him, he was found blamable in a certain Matter, Gal. ii. 1 1. notwithstanding his Sentence was positively received in many Particulars. So alfo the Apostle Paul argues from his gathering of the Churches of Corinth and Galatia, that they ought to be Followers of him, and positively concludes in divers Things: And upon this Suppofition exhorts the Churches, both he and Peter, in many Paffages heretofore mentioned, which I will not, to avoid Repetition, again rehearse, To obey the Elders that watch for them; to hold fuch in Reputation, and to fubmit themselves to them that have addicted themselves to the Miniftry of the Saints, 1 Cor. xvi. 15, 16. Alfo 2007 Alfo we fee, how the Lord makes Ufe of John, his beloved Disciple, to inform and reprove the feven Churches of Afia; and no doubt, John (the reft by the usual Computation being at that Time all removed) was then the most noted and famous Elder alive. And indeed, I do not remember, where under the Gospel Chrift hath used any other Method, but that he always in revealing his Will, hath made Ufe of fuch, as he himself had before appointed Elders and Officers in his Church. Though it be far from us to limit the Lord, fo as to exclude any from this Privilege; nor yet on the other Hand will the Poffibility hereof be a fufficient Warrant to allow every obfcure Member to stand up, and offer to rule, judge, and condemn the whole Body: Nor yet is it without Caufe, that fuch an one's Meffage is fufpected, and called in Question, unless it have very great Evidence, and be bottomed upon fome very weighty and folid Cause and Foundation. And God doth fo furnish those whom he raifes up, in a fingular Manper, of which, as I faid, I know no Inftance in the New Teftament: And in the Old we fee, though it was strange, that little David should oppofe himself to the great Goliab, yet he had before that killed both the Lion and the Bear, which was no lefs improbable; and which of all is most obfervable, was before that Time by the Appointment of God, and the Hand of the Prophet anointed King of Ifrael. Compare the xvith and xviith Chapters of the first of Samuel. Now as to the third, That any particular Perfons Affert. 3. de facto, or effectually giving out a pofitive Judg. proved. ment, is no incroaching nor impofing upon their Brethren's Confcience, is neceffarily included in what is faid before; upon which for further Probation there will only need this fhort Reflection. That for any Member or Members in Obedience to the Lord to give forth a pofitive Judgment in the Church of Chrift, is their proper Place and Office, they being called to it; and fo for them to exercife that |