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<DATE>2013-04-25</DATE>
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<NAME>Colm MacCrossan</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed.</ITEM>
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<STC T="T">E1929_2</STC>
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<BIBNO T="umi">99868836</BIBNO>
<VID>121192</VID>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>&Egr;&Pgr;&Igr;&Dgr;&Igr;&OHgr;&Rgr;&THgr;&Ogr;&Sgr;&Igr;&Sgr; OR A mode&s;t Enquiry into the Nature and State of CHURCHES. In Order to their Through-REFORMATION. By THOMAS BOYER Mini&s;ter at <HI>Remp&s;ton</HI> in <HI>Nottingham&s;hire.</HI></P>
<Q><BIBL><HI>TIT. 1.5.</HI></BIBL>
<P>For this cau&s;e left I thee at <HI>Crete,</HI> that thou &s;hould&s;t &s;et in order the things that are wanting, and ordain Elders in every City, as I had appointed thee.</P></Q>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed by <HI>R. W.</HI> for <HI>Nathaniel Ekins</HI> at the <HI>Gun</HI> in <HI>Pauls</HI> Church-yard, and for <HI>Stephen Lincoln</HI> in <HI>Leice&s;ter,</HI> 1659.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="to the reader">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>To all that wi&s;h well to SION.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Brethren,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_IT being no le&s;s nece&s;|&s;ary to circum&s;tanti|ate than it is to &s;ub|&s;tantiate our Duty; As the Word of God is a&s;&s;i&s;tant to us in the one, &s;o the works of God are in the other. By vertue of this Con&s;tellation many have di&s;covered mo&s;t glorious things. How it hath illuminated our En|gli&s;h Orb, is obvious to every eye. It is long &s;ince, by this means, &s;ome &s;aw that it was high time for Reformati|on to be in fa&s;hion. And the &s;pirits of Gods people have been working this way many a year; but the large&s;t contributions towards this work, have
<PB REF="3"> i&s;&s;ued out of the Trea&s;ury of tho&s;e la|borious Bees that have returned rich|ly laden from the Wars: The&s;e have laid us a right foundation, and &s;hew|ed us the Pattern of a compleat Su|per&s;tructure. Its our Intere&s;t to build accordingly, though many do not; Here's my Mite, which (I mu&s;t con|fe&s;s) is but very little more than a Breviat of other mens voluminous E&s;&s;aies; but paradventure it may be accepted, if not ble&s;&s;ed by the Lord; and not prejudicial, if not beneficial unto you. It aims (if heart deceive not) at his Glory and your good. My de&s;ire is that it may hit the white: If moreover it be as &s;harp arrows in the heart of the Kings enemies, I intreat them not to be offended, for corrupti|on had better be let out than gangre|nate. No more at pre&s;ent, but that I am</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>An unworthy &s;ervant of Chri&s;ts for your &s;akes, THOMAS BOYER.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="tract">
<PB N="1" REF="3">
<HEAD>&Egr;&pgr;&igr;&dgr;&igr;&ogr;&rgr;&thgr;&ohgr;&sgr;&igr;&sfgr; OR A mode&s;t Enquiry into the Nature and State of <HI>Churches</HI> in Order to their Through-Reformation.</HEAD>
<P>Qu. <HI>_WHat condition is</HI> England <HI>vi&s;ibly in?</HI></P>
<P><HI>Re&s;p. England</HI> is vi&s;ibly in a &s;tate of Luke|warmne&s;s. She is neither hot nor cold. She &s;o partakes of both, that
<PB N="2" REF="4"> &s;he cannot be &s;aid to be either; She is both <HI>Gradu remi&s;&s;o;</HI> and nei|ther <HI>Gradu inten&s;o.</HI> We are a little Chri&s;tian, and a little Heathen, or wor&s;e, a little Prote&s;tant, and a lit|tle Papi&s;t or Mahometan. Our hearts are &s;til divided; we give God &s;omething, and our lu&s;ts &s;omething. We fear the Lord, and &s;erve our Idols; &s;o that our fear of God is equivalent to none at all. We are &s;till like <HI>Redwald,</HI> King of the Ea&s;t <HI>Saxons,</HI> (the fir&s;t Prince of this Na|tion that was baptized) In the &s;ame place we wor&s;hip God, and &s;et up an Altar. Our &s;pirits lie like that Haven, <HI>Acts</HI> 27.12. towards the Southwe&s;t and Northwe&s;t, two oppo&s;ite points. We are half good, half bad, or Mungrels, and Her|maphrodites in Religion. There is &s;o much of Luke-warmne&s;s in the Nation, and almo&s;t in every Town and Family, (if <HI>ex ungue leonem</HI>) that it may thence receive its deno|mination.
<PB N="3" REF="4"> The &s;pirit of <HI>England</HI> is not &s;o much a &s;pirit of Oppo&s;i|tion to, as of Ob&s;truction of the work of Reformation, through the deadne&s;s &amp; unweldine&s;s there|of. Its grown &s;o &s;tiff, that its much ado to get it go any further on in the work, though its pitty hot love &s;hould be &s;o &s;oon and &s;adly cold; but u&s;ually, men, when they have compa&s;&s;ed their own ends, are wil|ling to give them&s;elves a <HI>Quietus e&s;t,</HI> and a Writ of ea&s;e, and to have the infinite Mercies of God totally unan&s;wered, and his Glory to him|&s;elf to vindicate. It would rejoyce all our hearts, to &s;ee any of us mend our pace in Religion, and make it appear that we are not guilty of this &s;infull di&s;temper. It would &s;peak fair for our admi&s;&s;ion into Church&s;hip in the quality of adult members of the vi&s;ible Church of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>Que&s;t. <HI>Whether is Lukewarmne&s;s
<PB N="4" REF="5"> a &s;tate to be re&s;ted in or no?</HI></P>
<P><HI>Re&s;p.</HI> Lukewarmne&s;s is not a &s;tate to be re&s;ted in.</P>
<P><HI>Rat.</HI> 1. For, 1. To halt between two opinions is a very unrea&s;ona|ble thing. No Apology can be made for it at the la&s;t day, 1 <HI>Reg.</HI> 18.21.</P>
<P N="2">2. To be Lukewarm is oppo&s;ite to Chri&s;ts expre&s;s command, <HI>Rev.</HI> 3.19.</P>
<P N="3">3. A divided heart is a barren and an empty heart, <HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 10.1, 2.</P>
<P N="4">4. Profe&s;&s;ors of a divided and lukewarm temper are &s;everely threatned by God, both in the Old and New Te&s;tament, <HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 10.2. <HI>Rev.</HI> 3.16.</P>
<P N="5">5. Men of that frame can have no Communion with God in Church-Ordinances, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 10.21, 22.</P>
<P N="6">6. Such a &s;tate is oppo&s;ite to ex|actne&s;s in Religion, Through-Re|formation, and giving up our &s;elves wholly to God, and his Truth.</P>
<PB N="5" REF="5">
<P N="7">7. A Lukewarm-heart cannot let out it &s;elf holily to any thing in the world: Divided affections can|not run out upon any thing in &s;ub|ordination to the Glory of God, nor aim &s;ingly at the honor of Chri&s;t, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>Que&s;t. <HI>What is</HI> England <HI>to do in this Condition?</HI></P>
<P><HI>Re&s;p.</HI> Its <HI>Englands</HI> duty in this condition to lay a&s;ide all carnal con&s;iderations, and in an orderly Scriptural way, to attempt a Through-Reformation, Per&s;onal, Civil and Eccle&s;ia&s;tical. For a di|vine Corre&s;pondency is the be&s;t Policy.</P>
<P>Que&s;t. <HI>What is Reformation?</HI></P>
<P><HI>Re&s;p.</HI> Reformation in the gene|ral is a working up of a thing to its regular &s;tate and condition, or to the very mind of the Owner to what he would have it in his be&s;t conception to be, <HI>Leu.</HI> 26.23. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 1.25, 26, 27. <HI>Amos</HI> 9.11. <HI>Mal.</HI>
<PB N="6" REF="6"> 3.2, 3. <HI>Acts</HI> 1.5.16. 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3.16. <HI>Titus</HI> 1.5. <HI>Heb</HI> 9.10.</P>
<P>Que&s;t. <HI>What is Per&s;onal Re|formation?</HI></P>
<P><HI>Re&s;p.</HI> Per&s;onal Reformation is the working up of a per&s;on to the regular &s;tate of a Reformed Saint.</P>
<P>Que&s;t. <HI>What is Civil Reforma|tion?</HI></P>
<P><HI>Re&s;p.</HI> Civil Reformation is the working up of a people to the re|gular &s;tate of a Common-wealth.</P>
<P>Que&s;t. <HI>What is Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Re|formation?</HI></P>
<P><HI>Re&s;p.</HI> Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Reformation is the working up of Reformed Saints to the regular &s;tate of a Re|formed Church.</P>
<P>Que&s;t. <HI>What is a Church?</HI></P>
<P><HI>Re&s;p.</HI> <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, which we tran|&s;late Church, among&s;t the ancient <HI>Greeks,</HI> e&s;pecially the <HI>Athenians,</HI> from whom it is taken, denoted three things.</P>
<P N="1">1. And mo&s;t properly, a Civil
<PB N="7" REF="6"> Society in Court, or a company of great ones gathered together by a lawfull Authority, or the Com|mand of the Supream Magi&s;trate for a Politique end, or the good of the Common-wealth, <HI>Act.</HI> 19.39. thus a Parliament or Councel of State is a Church.</P>
<P N="2">2. It denotes a Company of people, called and met together, by whom, and for what cau&s;e &s;oever, though the Gatherer have no Au|thority, and the gathered as little knowledge, <HI>&amp;c. Act.</HI> 19.32. Thus a company of the mo&s;t covetous and ignorant Mechanicks are a Church.</P>
<P N="3">3. It &s;ignifies a Company met together for wicked ends, <HI>Act.</HI> 19.40. thus a company of Riotors are a Church.</P>
<P><HI>Re&s;p.</HI> 2. Secondly, During the Raign of Anti-Chri&s;t, four things have been abu&s;ively called a Church.</P>
<PB N="8" REF="7">
<P N="1">1. A Company of people joyned together by the Power of Anti-Chri&s;t to give obedience to his Traditions. <HI>R.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. A company of people met together by the Power of the Civil Magi&s;trate to receive holy things. <HI>P</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. The place of &s;uch meetings.</P>
<P N="4">4. A company of Apo&s;tates joyned together by a Je&s;uitical bond, to &s;educe people from the publique Ordinances of Je&s;us Chri&s;t. <HI>A. Q,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P><HI>Re&s;p.</HI> 3. Thirdly, This word <HI>Eccle&s;ia</HI> or Church is very often u&s;ed by the holy Gho&s;t in Scripture; but that which it &s;eemeth good to the mo&s;t ble&s;&s;ed Spirit to call mo&s;t frequently by this name, is a Company of vi&s;ible Saints joyned together by a &s;pecial bond, for the con&s;tant exerci&s;e of the Commu|nion of Saints among&s;t them&s;elves.</P>
<P>Que&s;t. <HI>What condition is every Church of Chri&s;t in?</HI></P>
<PB N="9" REF="7">
<P><HI>Re&s;p.</HI> Every Church of Chri&s;t is either in a Reformed, or in a planted con&s;tituted &s;tate.</P>
<P>Que&s;t. <HI>Is there any difference be|twixt a planted and a Reformed Church of Chri&s;t?</HI></P>
<P><HI>Re&s;p.</HI> Yea, Their Agreement is very exten&s;ive and emphatical, and yet they differ. In the di&s;covery whereof, the&s;e two con&s;iderations mu&s;t be diligently eyed. 1. It is one thing to preach the Go&s;pel, ano|ther thing to plant the Go&s;pel, and a third, to plant Churches by the Go&s;pel preacht, heard and planted; As it is one thing for Work-men to work upon tho&s;e things that are to be the Materials of a Building in a preparatory way, another thing for tho&s;e things to be actually prepa|red and fit to be put into the Build|ing; and a third thing, to have all tho&s;e Materials &s;o fitted, joyned together, and the building com|pleated, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3.9. 2. Re|formation
<PB N="10" REF="8"> &s;uppo&s;eth the building not compleated, and yet &s;omewhat done in order thereunto, be it more or le&s;s; &s;ometimes and in &s;ome places it finds the Go&s;pel to have been preached only, and not plant|ed. Sometimes it finds that the Go&s;pel hath been received by &s;ome, but that tho&s;e are not united or agreed to walk together in Church-fellow&s;hip, and &s;o do not con&s;titute a particular Church ac|cording to the Go&s;pel: &s;ometimes it finds them joyned together, but very loo&s;ely. Sometimts it finds them fa&s;t joyned together, but un|der a defect of &s;ome particular Officers. Sometimes it finds the Church to have been builded and compleated, but relap&s;ed, degene|rated, or apo&s;tatiz'd, le&s;s or more, as a decayed Building, not utterly ruined, or not having more of the Devil than of Chri&s;t in it, though too much.</P>
<PB N="11" REF="8">
<P>This &s;uppo&s;ed, the&s;e four things may be concluded. 1. A Planted and Reformed Church of Chri&s;t agree
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. In their Cau&s;es.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. In their Properties.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. In their Practices. And</ITEM>
<ITEM>4. In their Priviledges.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="1">1. In their Cau&s;es, and &s;o fir&s;t in their Efficient cau&s;es thus. 1. Chri&s;t was the In&s;titutor and Ordainer both of the fir&s;t Planted, and of Reformed Churches under the Go&s;pel, <HI>Mat.</HI> 16.18. <HI>Rev.</HI> cap. 2. <HI>&amp;</HI> 3. 2. Chri&s;t and his Officers by his Word and Spirit are the Makers of both; the Mini&s;try is before both; and none but Mini&s;ters by divine Appointment and Com|mi&s;&s;ion, as <HI>Paul, Timothy,</HI> &amp;c. are originally, ordinarily, and equally employed by Chri&s;t in either.</P>
<P N="2">2. In their matter. Vi&s;ible Saints are the matter whereof both the fir&s;t Planted and Reformed Churches of Chri&s;t are con&s;tituted and made.</P>
<PB N="12" REF="9">
<P N="3">3. In their form. Both the fir&s;t Planted and Reformed Churches of Chri&s;t are formed <HI>(Et in unum co|ale&s;cunt omnes, &amp; &s;ancti, &amp; Eccle|&s;iae)</HI> by a mutual Con&s;ent and A|greement to walk towards God and one another re&s;pectively, ac|cording to Go&s;pel Rules.</P>
<P N="4">4. In their ends. The end both of the fir&s;t Planted and our Reform|ed Churches of Chri&s;t, is, his Glo|ry, and his Saints &s;alvation.</P>
<P N="2">2. In their Properties: Both the fir&s;t Planted and Reformed Chur|ches of Chri&s;t can vi&s;ibly perform the conditions of the New Cove|nant, and act according to Go&s;pel-Rules of Church Communion.</P>
<P N="3">3. In their Practices: Both the fir&s;t Planted and Reformed Chur|ches of Chri&s;t do vi&s;ibly perform the conditions of the New Cove|nant, and walk according to Go&s;|pel Rules of Church-Communion.</P>
<P N="4">4. They agree in their Privi|ledges,
<PB N="13" REF="9"> Chri&s;t hath given very glorious Priviledges, both to his fir&s;t Planted, and to his Reformed Churches. Yet,</P>
<P N="2">2. They differ: But,</P>
<P N="3">3. The difference that is betwixt them, is but Parallel to the diffe|rence that was betwixt the Church at its fir&s;t Con&s;titution, and the Church Reformed under the Law. And,</P>
<P N="4">4. But accidental.</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. In their Order.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. In their Officers.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. In their Matter.</ITEM>
<ITEM>4. In their Form.</ITEM>
<ITEM>5. In their End.</ITEM>
<ITEM>6. In their Properties.</ITEM>
<ITEM>7. In their Practices. And,</ITEM>
<ITEM>8. In their Priviledges.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P><HI>Mat.</HI> 16.18. 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3.11. <HI>Gal.</HI> 1.6, 7, 8, 9.</P>
<P>Que&s;t. <HI>What difference is there in their Order?</HI></P>
<P><HI>Re&s;p.</HI> 1. Chri&s;t in the fir&s;t Plant|ing
<PB N="14" REF="10"> of his Churches proceeded as it were in an Analytical Order; he made the Go&s;pel &s;o &s;ucce&s;sfull, that thou&s;ands were converted at a time, and made as it were one Catholick vi&s;ible Church, by joyn|ing them&s;elves voluntarily to the Lord and to the Apo&s;tles then altogether at <HI>Jeru&s;alem:</HI> out of which as out of a Fountain, there i&s;&s;ued at it were particular Churches.</P>
<P><HI>Re&s;p.</HI> Chri&s;t in the Reforming of his Churches proceeds as it were in a Synthetical Order; He fir&s;t moulds particular per&s;ons into particular Churches, and then tho&s;e particular Churches into one Catholick Church. <HI>(Sen&s;u Ame|&s;iano) Medul. lib.</HI> 1. <HI>cap.</HI> 31.32.</P>
<P>Que&s;t. <HI>Wherein do the fir&s;t Plan|ters and Reformers of the Churches of Chri&s;t differ?</HI></P>
<P><HI>Re&s;p.</HI> They agree in the E&s;&s;en|tials of the Mini&s;tery; as 1. the Spi|rit
<PB N="15" REF="10"> of Chri&s;t hath furni&s;ht both of them (invi&s;ibly at the lea&s;t) with gifts and graces proportionable to the work whereunto he hath ap|pointed them in the times and places wherein they live. For eminency in gifts and graces is as nece&s;&s;ary for all Church-Officers, as &s;incerity in them is for all Church-members: and therefore God &s;ends none to Church-work, but tho&s;e that appear to their Judges to be &s;uch, though they be not all of them equally qualified.</P>
<P N="2">2. They are both of them called and &s;ent, Licen&s;ed and commanded by Chri&s;t to be his Vicegerents and chief Mini&s;ters about &s;oul and Church affairs on earth, <HI>Heb.</HI> 5.4.</P>
<P N="3">3. Both of them have the &s;ame commi&s;&s;ion for the &s;ub&s;tance and body of it; both of them may by the &s;pecial Law of Chri&s;t di&s;pence the My&s;teries of God, or preach, admini&s;ter Sacraments, and go|vern
<PB N="16" REF="11"> according to his Word.</P>
<P N="4">4. Both of them may providen|tially be &s;u&s;pended, as to the ex|erci&s;e of the&s;e Acts, which are properly Mini&s;terial, but not <HI>ex hu|mana libertate, &amp; arbitrio pro|prio.</HI></P>
<P N="5">5. Both of them have a right, by Divine grant to a comfortable maintenance that may free them from being nece&s;&s;itated to work with their own hands, and encou|rage them and put them into a ca|pacity of attending wholly upon the execution of their Commi&s;&s;i|on, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 9 to the end, 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2.4.</P>
<P><HI>Re&s;p.</HI> They differ accidentally, and circum&s;tantially in the extra-e&s;&s;entials of the Mini&s;tery. As 1. in the manner of their receiving of their gifts, graces, vocation, mi&s;&s;ion and commi&s;&s;ion. For 1. the fir&s;t Preachers and Planters of the Go&s;pel, <HI>John</HI> the Bapti&s;t and Chri&s;t had them all immediatly
<PB N="17" REF="11"> from the Spirit, without any hu|mane In&s;trumentality.</P>
<P N="2">2. The fir&s;t Fathers and Plan|ters of Churches by the Go&s;pel, the twelve Apo&s;tles received them immediatly from Chri&s;t him&s;elf, when per&s;onally pre&s;ent with them on earth as their Tutor.</P>
<P N="3">3. Their &s;econds <HI>Matthias</HI> and <HI>Paul,</HI> received them partly by the Mini&s;tery of the Church, and partly from Chri&s;t immediatly: <HI>Matthias</HI> was fitted for the work of the Mini&s;try by Chri&s;t when he was per&s;onally pre&s;ent on earth; <HI>Paul</HI> by the Spirit of Chri&s;t when he was a&s;cended up into Heaven, yet &s;o as that the mini&s;tery of man was not wholly excluded either their vocation or mi&s;&s;ion, <HI>&amp;c. Act.</HI> 1. &amp; 9. chap. <HI>&amp;c.</HI> but,</P>
<P N="4">4. The Reformers of the Chur|ches of Chri&s;t, <HI>Timothy, Titus,</HI> the Angels of the &s;even Churches of <HI>A&s;ia,</HI> &amp;c. have ever received them
<PB N="18" REF="12"> from Chri&s;t by the Mini&s;tery of the Church or the Officers thereof. They have them mo&s;tly, if not wholly this way: for when there are men fit to be made u&s;e of in the work of the Go&s;pel, Chri&s;t ever employs them proportionably; he never is in extraordinary wayes, but in an extraordinary ca&s;e: tis pure nece&s;&s;ity that makes him act by him&s;elf alone without means or In&s;truments.</P>
<P N="2">2. They differ in the nature of their Commi&s;&s;ions. The Commi&s;|&s;ion that the fir&s;t Preachers and Planters of the Go&s;pel, and of Churches by it had, &amp; &s;hewed, was their power to do Miracles. <HI>Heb.</HI> 2.4. This divine Commi&s;&s;ion they occa&s;ionally produced to convince the world of the truth of their mi&s;&s;ion. But the Reformers of the Chri&s;tian Churches have no &s;uch commi&s;&s;ion, 2 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 3.8, 9. but in &s;tead thereof the Te&s;timonial of
<PB N="19" REF="12"> approved and mo&s;t eminent Prea|chers of the Go&s;pel, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Such a commi&s;&s;ion <HI>Timothy</HI> and <HI>Titus</HI> had from Chri&s;t by <HI>Paul</HI> in his Epi&s;tles to them; and the Angels of the &s;even Churches of <HI>A&s;ia</HI> by <HI>John</HI> the Apo&s;tle in his Epi&s;tles to them. And all other ordinary Of|ficers of Chri&s;t from the Apo&s;tles and others in their Epi&s;tles to the other Churches re&s;pectively. Such a commi&s;&s;ion all their Succe&s;&s;ors have u&s;ually had, and &s;till have. Its commendably &s;o in the&s;e Nations at this day. And this is &s;atisfacto|ry and final evidence of an ordi|nary Mini&s;ter.</P>
<P N="3">3. They differ in the extent of their authority. The fir&s;t Preach|ers and Planters of the Go&s;pel, <HI>John</HI> the Bapti&s;t and Chri&s;t might do their work in any part of <HI>Ju|dea,</HI> and the Planters of Churches by the Go&s;pel might do their work in any part of the world; but the
<PB N="20" REF="13"> Reformers of the Churches of Chri&s;t are hunted to particular places, as <HI>Timothy</HI> to <HI>Ephe&s;us, Ti|tus</HI> to <HI>Crete,</HI> and the Angels of the &s;even Churches of <HI>A&s;ia</HI> to their re&s;pective Churches, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Their commi&s;&s;ion is only to reform tho&s;e Churches. They are there, and for that work only; and may neither turn to the right hand nor to the left without further order.</P>
<P N="4">4. They differ in re&s;pect of other maintenance. For 1. the fir&s;t Preachers and Planters of the Go&s;pel were extraordinarily pro|vided for.</P>
<P N="2">2. The fir&s;t Planters of Churches by the Go&s;pel had their main|tenance from the members of tho&s;e Churches; out of the com|mon &s;tock, which the Church then had, <HI>Act.</HI> 2.44, 45, &amp;c.</P>
<P N="3">3. In extraordinary ca&s;es they were &s;ometimes maintained by their own hand-labour, as was <HI>Paul, Act.</HI> 18. but,</P>
<PB N="21" REF="13">
<P N="4">4. The Reformers of the Chur|ches of Chri&s;t have been, and are maintained mo&s;tly by Tithes: Tho&s;e that have not been or are not thus maintained, have been and are maintained by &s;omewhat that is, as near as can be, equivalent thereunto, e&s;pecially in <HI>England,</HI> almo&s;t ever &s;ince it was Chri&s;tian: For 1. the Spirit of Chri&s;t giving an account of the practice of gi|ving Tithes, or a tenth part of all to the Mini&s;ters of God, with the greate&s;t exactne&s;s that can be, is &s;o far from &s;tigmatizing, that he gives a very fair character of it, <HI>Luke</HI> 18.12, 14. <HI>Heb.</HI> 7.</P>
<P N="2">2. This practice was not found|ed upon the ceremonial Law, but was four hundred and odd years before it, <HI>Gene&s;is</HI> 14.20. and <HI>Heb.</HI> 7.6.</P>
<P N="3">3. Chri&s;t hath nowhere repeal|ed, but rather e&s;tabli&s;hed the anci|ent Laws of God about peoples
<PB N="22" REF="14"> giving, and Mini&s;ters receiving of Tithes, <HI>Levit.</HI> 27.30. &amp;c. <HI>Deut.</HI> 14.22. <HI>Malac.</HI> 3.8, 9, 10. &amp; <HI>Luke</HI> 11.42. &amp; <HI>Heb.</HI> 7.5, 8, 9.</P>
<P N="4">4. There's general equity in &s;uch a cour&s;e; what was due to Mi|ni&s;ters under the Law, is much more due to the Mini&s;ters of the Go&s;pel, fora&s;much as their Mini|&s;try is far more excellent, 2 <HI>Corin.</HI> 3. <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P N="5">5. The Go&s;pel-&s;pirit hath point|ed them out as mo&s;t due to them, and convenient for them, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 9. <HI>Gal.</HI> 6.6.</P>
<P N="6">6. Former Magi&s;trates in who&s;e power they were, in civil re&s;pect, in this Nation, did accordingly give them to the Mini&s;ters &s;ucce&s;&s;ively for ever; and it is no &s;mall &s;in to violate &s;o ju&s;t and pious a will of decea&s;ed Magi&s;trates, <HI>Gal.</HI> 3.15. <HI>Heb.</HI> 9.17.</P>
<P N="7">7. There is no other probable way of having and continuing a
<PB N="23" REF="14"> right Evangelical Mini&s;try and Magi&s;tracy throughout this Nati|on <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>Object. <HI>But we mu&s;t do as the Apo&s;tles did.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Re&s;p.</HI> Prove that Univer&s;ally.</P>
<P>Object. <HI>None of the fir&s;t Refor|mers were maintained by Tithes.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Re&s;p.</HI> Its probably true. But 1. want of po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion, though it may render a mans title &s;u&s;pitious, yet it is con&s;i&s;tent with the be&s;t.</P>
<P N="2">2. If it were &s;o, that the fir&s;t Reformers were not maintained by Tithes, and be &s;o that &s;ome are not, yet it neither was, nor is be|cau&s;e Reforming Mini&s;ters have no right to Tithes; but either 1. Be|cau&s;e they were not Chri&s;tian Ma|gi&s;trates that would &s;ee to the exe|cution of the Laws of Chri&s;t, and to the doing of Ju&s;tice according to the Word of God, whereby all men might enjoy their rights and properties; or,</P>
<PB N="24" REF="15">
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e the Saints enjoyed not liberty to improve their e&s;tates, but were per&s;ecuted and un&s;etlted: or,</P>
<P N="3">3. Becau&s;e in tho&s;e times they had not whereof to pay Tithes; for <HI>ex nihilo nihil fit.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. So &s;oon as the&s;e impedi|ments were removed in this Nati|on. It paid Tithes, where it had things tithable; and where it had not, it made up a maintenance for its Mini&s;ters as equivalent as could be to that by Tithes, and &s;o it ju&s;t|ly doth at pre&s;ent.</P>
<P>Object. <HI>We are not Church-members, nay we do not &s;o much as hear tho&s;e Mini&s;ters that will take Tithes,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P><HI>Re&s;p.</HI> The Law of grace, of God, and of the Nation gives Reform|ing Mini&s;ters the Tithes for their &s;upport and maintenance in the execution of their commi&s;&s;ion.</P>
<P N="2">2. By vertue of the&s;e Laws they have a right unto them, and are
<PB N="25" REF="15"> rightfully in the po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of them.</P>
<P N="3">3. Their right to them, or po&s;|&s;e&s;&s;ion of them depends not upon mens Church-member&s;hip, or hearing of them, though the Evangelical delivery of them doth.</P>
<P N="4">4. All that have a natural capa|city, ought to have Reforming Mi|ni&s;ters, be fit for and enjoy all Or|dinances by them admini&s;trable to vi&s;ible Saints and Churches of Chri&s;t, <HI>Rev.</HI> 2.7, 11, 17, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P N="5">5. Where &s;elf-love is overcome by love to Chri&s;t, there will neither be head, heart, nor hand again&s;t maintaining of Mini&s;ters, by donation and payment of Tithes.</P>
<P N="6">6. Its well if our innocent op|po&s;ers of Mini&s;ters maintenance by way of Tithes, trade not with the man of &s;in in the depths of Sa|tan to take away the tenth at lea&s;t of them, as well as from them.</P>
<PB N="26" REF="16">
<P>Que&s;t. <HI>Wherein doth the matter of a Reformed Church, and the mat|ter of the fir&s;t planted Churches un|der the Go&s;pel differ?</HI></P>
<P><HI>Re&s;p.</HI> Matter is that of which a thing is made, and doth exi&s;t.</P>
<P N="2">2. Vi&s;ible Saints are the matter of all true Churches of God.</P>
<P N="3">3. Being vi&s;ibly in covenant with God, hath ever been the cri|tical Badge of vi&s;ible Saints. All tho&s;e and tho&s;e only, are to be e&s;teemed and u&s;ed as vi&s;ible Saints and Gods peculiar, that God hath made a promi&s;e of him&s;elf un|to, and taken into covenant with him&s;elf.</P>
<P N="4">4. The terms upon which God hath made over him&s;elf to man|kind, are very various. He pro|mi&s;ed him&s;elf upon one condition to man in the &s;tate of innocency; upon another to him, when faln, upon a third to <HI>Abraham,</HI> &amp;c. upon a fourth to <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> &amp;c. upon
<PB N="27" REF="16"> a fifth to tho&s;e adult per&s;ons that lived under the Go&s;pel; and upon a &s;ixth to their children re&s;pe|ctively, during their minority.</P>
<P N="5">5. The difference betwixt the matter of the Church and Chur|ches of God at one time and at another, is grounded upon his va|rious admini&s;tration of his cove|nant, or his promi&s;ing and apply|ing him&s;elf to mankind upon va|rious terms and conditions.</P>
<P N="6">6. Upon this account the mat|ter of a Reformed Church, and the matter of the fir&s;t planted Churches under the Go&s;pel do dif|fer. For 1. Before Chri&s;t came in the fle&s;h, God had freely tyed him&s;elf to his people by an exter|nal Covenant of grace, or promi&s;e of him&s;elf unto them.</P>
<P N="2">2. In the beginning of the Go&s;pel God altered that, and made a new Will, Te&s;tament, or Covenant.</P>
<PB N="28" REF="17">
<P N="3">3. The whole world thereupon was as it were di&s;&s;olved, and void of vi&s;ible Saints; both <HI>Jews</HI> and <HI>Gentiles</HI> were for a time de|&s;erted by God: for he was not vi&s;ibly obliged to mankind in that pinch of time; none of tho&s;e that were his peculiar people before, could now challenge a particular Intere&s;t in him, by vertue of his ancient Promi&s;e to <HI>Abraham,</HI> (though often confirmed in a &s;olemn manner, &amp; now indefinite|ly in force) during that Di&s;pen&s;a|tion, or untill they do per&s;onally accept of the new covenant, or Gods promi&s;e of him&s;elf upon new conditions, <HI>Mar.</HI> 1.</P>
<P N="4">4. The world lying in this mi&s;e|rable condition, God tendered him&s;elf again unto it in his new In&s;trument or covenant of Peace and Reconciliation by the pub|like Mini&s;try of <HI>John</HI> the Bapti&s;t; Chri&s;t and his Apo&s;tles, and
<PB N="29" REF="17"> their a&s;&s;i&s;tants and &s;ucce&s;&s;ors.</P>
<P N="5">5. Many Adult per&s;ons did thereupon accept of him accord|ingly.</P>
<P N="6">6. All Adult per&s;ons that ac|cepted of him accordingly, toge|ther with their children, were re&s;tored to their vi&s;ible Intere&s;t in God again, or ve&s;ted with an In|tere&s;t in God, by vertue of his free grant, promi&s;e, or covenant, which (as before) only, and &s;olely gives a right unto him&s;elf, and to the glorious things of the Go&s;pel.</P>
<P N="7">7. Tho&s;e vi&s;ible Saints were the matter of the fir&s;t planted Chur|ches under the Go&s;pel.</P>
<P N="8">8. Mo&s;t of tho&s;e vi&s;ible Saints did vi&s;ibly apo&s;tatize from their acceptance of God upon tho&s;e new Terms.</P>
<P N="9">9. To tho&s;e vi&s;ible Saints &s;o apo&s;tatized, God &s;till tendered him&s;elf by his Mini&s;ters, but upon higher terms, <HI>Apoc.</HI> 2. &amp; 3.</P>
<PB N="30" REF="18">
<P N="10">10. All and only tho&s;e Adult per&s;ons that accepted of him ac|cordingly, together with their children (having alwayes been legally in them, and one with them by the fundamental Laws of God) were confirmed in, or re&s;tored to their vi&s;ible Intere&s;t in God again.</P>
<P N="11">11. All and only tho&s;e vi&s;ible Saints are the matter of Reformed Churches under the Go&s;pel.</P>
<P>So that the difference betwixt the matter of Reformed Churches, and the matter of the fir&s;t planted Churches under the Go&s;pel, lies mainly in the&s;e two points:</P>
<P><HI>Conclu.</HI> 1. Adult per&s;ons who were the fir&s;t and greate&s;t part of the matter of the fir&s;t planted Churches under the Go&s;pel were not under the new Go&s;pel-cove|nant during their minority: But adult per&s;ons, who al&s;o were and are the fir&s;t and major part of the matter of Reformed Churches un|der
<PB N="31" REF="18"> the Go&s;pel, either were in|tere&s;ted in the new covenant du|ring their Infancy, or rejected together with their parents, for their non-improvement of the means of Grace ordained by Chri&s;t.</P>
<P><HI>Conclu.</HI> 2. Adult per&s;ons who are the fir&s;t and greate&s;t part of the matter of Reformed Churches under the Go&s;pel, or the body and Repre&s;entative of it, are both more exten&s;ive and more inten&s;ive in the performance of the conditions of the new covenant then the Adult matter of the fir&s;t planted Churches under the Go&s;pel was.</P>
<P>Object. <HI>But our Antimini&s;teria|li&s;ts &s;ay, that none can be in Cove|nant with God during their mino|rity?</HI></P>
<P><HI>Re&s;p.</HI> It may be &s;o. Its very probable that they do hold that babes can have no intere&s;t in God by promi&s;e, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> and if &s;o, it is
<PB N="30" REF="19"> the fountain of all their vi&s;ible ex|travagancies, and is it &s;elf fed by the&s;e and other helli&s;h athei&s;tical and antichri&s;tian opinions and principles of darkne&s;s. 1. That they may make the light within them their <HI>Suprema Lex.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. That God cannot make a Law without mans con&s;ent.</P>
<P N="3">3. That to e&s;teem of, and u&s;e any one, as legally in another, is unju&s;t and illegal.</P>
<P N="4">4. That Infants are utterly un|capable of free grace, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>Object. <HI>Our Antimini&s;teriali&s;ts are &s;o far from requiring more of Adult per&s;ons, who are the only mat|ter of their Churches</HI> (Sen&s;u prae|dicto) <HI>than was required of adult per&s;ons that were the matter of the fir&s;t con&s;tituted Churches under the Go&s;pel inclu&s;ively, that they do not require &s;o much.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Re&s;p.</HI> Through-conformity to the Go&s;pel is not con&s;i&s;tent e ther
<PB N="31" REF="19"> with their principles or de&s;igns.</P>
<P N="2">2. Chri&s;t hath not &s;ent them either to plant his Churches or re|form them; and therefore it is no wonder if they go not the way to either.</P>
<P N="3">3. They are &s;o far from being <HI>Primi perturbatae collap&s;ae&abque; Eccle|&s;iae re&s;tauratores, men&s;ura&abque; reliquo|rum,</HI> that their practice is no Pre&s;ident, nor their work no Rule to Reforming Mini&s;ters in the lea&s;t.</P>
<P N="4">4. What ever may be &s;aid <HI>de re|gulis regulatis.</HI> Chri&s;ts &s;even Epi|&s;tles to the &s;even Churches of <HI>A&s;ia</HI> are the Supreme <HI>Regula re|gulans</HI> of all Church-reformation under the Go&s;pel.</P>
<P N="5">5. In tho&s;e Epi&s;tles, &s;uch matter of Reformed Churches of Chri&s;t is required as is before mention|ed.</P>
<P>Que&s;t. <HI>What difference is there betwixt the form of a Reformed
<PB N="34" REF="20"> Church, and the form of the fir&s;t planted Churches under the Go&s;|pel?</HI></P>
<P><HI>Re&s;p.</HI> A Form is an internal cau&s;e, by which a thing is what it is.</P>
<P N="2">2. The mutual con&s;ent and agreement of vi&s;ible Saints to walk towards God, and one another re|&s;pectively according to the Rules of Gods Word, is the form of all the true Churches of God.</P>
<P N="3">3. God according to the good plea&s;ure of his Will, and the varie|ty of his Saints conditions, did &s;uc|ce&s;&s;ively give &s;everal Rules of Church-communion.</P>
<P N="4">4. The difference that there is betwixt the form of the Church and Churches of God at one time and at another, is grounded upon that variety of Divine Di&s;pen&s;a|tion.</P>
<P N="5">5. Upon this account there is a difference betwixt the form of Re|formed
<PB N="35" REF="20"> Churches, and the form of the fir&s;t planted Churches under the Go&s;pel. For 1. Before Chri&s;t came in the fle&s;h, God had freely given and commanded his Saints to ob&s;erve and walk according to &s;e|veral Rules of Church-commu|nion.</P>
<P N="2">2. In the beginning of the Go&s;|pel Je&s;us Chri&s;t abrogated tho&s;e Rules, and gave the Di&s;ciples &s;eve|ral new Rules of Church-commu|nion.</P>
<P N="3">3. Thereupon the world was as it were di&s;&s;olved, and void of a vi&s;ible Church-&s;tate, untill the Di&s;ciples did mutually con&s;ent and agree to walk according to tho&s;e new Rules.</P>
<P N="4">4. The world lying in that con|fu&s;ed condition, Chri&s;t according to his promi&s;e, by him&s;elf, and his Apo&s;tles and their a&s;&s;i&s;tants and Succe&s;&s;ors, commanded the Di&s;|ciples to con&s;ent and agree to walk
<PB N="34" REF="21"> according to tho&s;e new Rules.</P>
<P N="5">5. The Di&s;ciples thereupon at the appointed time, con&s;ent and agree to walk according to tho&s;e new Rules which Chri&s;t had given them.</P>
<P N="6">6. They were thereupon in the &s;tate and quality of a Church of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P N="7">7. That their con&s;ent and agreement was it that made them a vi&s;ible Church of Chri&s;t, and was the form of all the fir&s;t plant|ed Churches under the Go&s;pel, <HI>Act.</HI> 2.41, 47. <HI>Act.</HI> 5.13, 14. <HI>Act.</HI> 9.26.17.34. 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 16.15. 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 8.5. <HI>Eph.</HI> 2.19, 20, 21, 22.4, 16. <HI>Col.</HI> 2.2, 19.</P>
<P N="8">8. All tho&s;e Churches did real|ly apo&s;tatize from that their vi|&s;ible Church con&s;tituting cove|nant, 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3.3.</P>
<P N="9">9. Notwith&s;tanding Chri&s;t by his Mini&s;ters proceeded very vigo|rou&s;ly to the Reforming of them;
<PB N="35" REF="21"> 1. By reminding them of, and re|calling of them to tho&s;e new rules of Church-communion, which formerly be by him&s;elf and his Mini&s;ters had, both briefly and largely given out unto them.</P>
<P N="2">2. By branching out tho&s;e gene|ral Rules into further particulars.</P>
<P N="3">3. By pre&s;&s;ing the members of each particular apo&s;tatized church to bind them&s;elves more &s;trictly to walk accordingly.</P>
<P N="10">10. All and only tho&s;e Chur|ches that practi&s;ed accordingly, were continued in the quality of Churches of Chri&s;t, <HI>Rev. cap.</HI> 1.2. &amp; 3.</P>
<P N="11">11. Tho&s;e Churches who&s;e members do practice accordingly, are the Reformed Churches of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P N="12">12. That their practice is the form of a Reformed Church of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>So that the difference that is be|twixt
<PB N="38" REF="22"> the form of the Reformed Churches, and the form of the fir&s;t planted Churches under the Go&s;pel, &s;eems to lie mainly in this, that the covenant or mutual con&s;ent and agreement, which forms the Reformed Churches, is more exten&s;ive, inten&s;ive, and ex|plicite than that which formed the fir&s;t planted Churches under the Go&s;pel. 1. It is more exten&s;ive, it enableth the Church to more acts of communion than the other doth.</P>
<P N="2">2. It is more inten&s;ive. It binds the Church to the pre&s;ent exerci&s;e of all tho&s;e acts with more refined and fervent affections to Chri&s;t and the &s;ouls of one another than the other doth, <HI>Numb.</HI> 25.11, 12, 13. 1 <HI>King.</HI> 19.10. 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11.31. 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 14.1, 12, 39. <HI>Tit.</HI> 2.14. <HI>Rev.</HI> 3.19.</P>
<P N="3">3. It is more explicite in it &s;elf, it is more particular and expre&s;s
<PB N="39" REF="22"> then the other is. The fir&s;t Church con&s;tituting covenant under the Go&s;pel was very implicit and ge|neral: but that which gives being to a Reformed Church as &s;uch, is more particular and explicite, as will appear, if we eye 1. The per&s;ons covenanting:</P>
<P N="2">2. The things con&s;ented and agreed unto, or the matter of the covenant.</P>
<P N="3">3. The manner of &s;ignifying that con&s;ent and agreement.</P>
<P N="1">1. The members of a Reformed Church do covenant more indi|vidually, particularly and pe&s;onal|ly, then the members of the fir&s;t planted Churches under the Go&s;|pel did.</P>
<P N="2">2. The things that they con&s;ent and agree to, are delivered to them more particularly, expre&s;ly and largely, than they were to the members of the fir&s;t planted Churches under the Go&s;pel.</P>
<PB N="38" REF="23">
<P N="3">3. The members of Reformed Churches do &s;ignifie and declare their mutual con&s;ent &amp; agreement more plainly and fully than the members of the fir&s;t con&s;tituted Churches did: as either, 1. <HI>Viva voce,</HI> by an audible verbal relati|on of their re&s;olution to walk according to the Rule of Church communion read unto them, <HI>Exo.</HI> 19.8. <HI>Exod.</HI> 24.2, 7. <HI>Jo&s;h.</HI> 24.16, 21, 22, 24, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 15.14, 15. <HI>Nehem.</HI> 10.28, 29. Or,</P>
<P N="2">2. By &s;ealing a Writing, con|taining the matter of &s;uch a cove|nant, or the particulars con&s;ented and agreed unto, <HI>Nehemiah</HI> 9.38, 10.1. Or,</P>
<P N="3">3. By &s;ub&s;cribing &s;uch a Writ|ing, <HI>I&s;aiah</HI> 44.5.</P>
<P>Thus the members of throughly reformed Churches evidence their inward determinations, and are made the reformed Churches of Chri&s;t. But the fir&s;t planted
<PB N="39" REF="23"> Churches were not made and con|&s;tituted in &s;o &s;olemn a manner, <HI>Gen.</HI> 17.</P>
<P>Object. <HI>But the Go&s;pel leads us not &s;o far as to a particular expli|cite Church con&s;tituting Cove|nant.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Re&s;p.</HI> This Objection favours of a licentious <HI>Antinomian</HI> &s;pirit; for the &s;ilencing whereof, let &s;uch an one con&s;ider: 1. That it is a very great &s;in to &s;ilence the Old Te&s;ta|ment, where it is not incon&s;i&s;tent with, but e&s;pecially where and when it is &s;ub&s;ervient to the New. For 1. <HI>All Scripture is given by In&s;piration of God,</HI> 2 Timothy 3.16.</P>
<P N="2">2. Neither Chri&s;t nor his Apo|&s;tles, nor their A&s;&s;i&s;tants and Succe&s;&s;ours abrogated any thing of the Old Te&s;tament but what was incon&s;i&s;tent with the New.</P>
<P N="3">3. They all along made u&s;e of the Law in its mo&s;t comprehen|&s;ive
<PB N="42" REF="24"> capacity in a way of &s;ub&s;er|viency to the Go&s;pel.</P>
<P N="2">2. Let &s;uch an one con&s;ider that by the Scripture the Man of God may be compleatly and throughly furni&s;ht for every good Work, even for that of Reforma|tion it &s;elf, 2 <HI>Timothy</HI> 3.16, 17. but in this po&s;ture he cannot be unle&s;s he have recour&s;e to the de|&s;pi&s;ed Old Te&s;tament.</P>
<P N="3">3. Let &s;uch an one con&s;ider that it is far better to make u&s;e of an expedient, that we may find in the old Te&s;tament, than either 1. not to be throughly reformed, or 2. to coyn an expedient of our own.</P>
<P N="4">4. Con&s;ider, that the New Te&s;tament &s;peaks more &s;paringly of that which is more fully di&s;co|vered in the Old; as worthy Mr. <HI>Baxter</HI> in his Book entituled, <HI>Plain Scripture proof, &amp;c.</HI> in the fir&s;t po&s;ition of the fir&s;t chapter thereof demon&s;trates.</P>
<PB N="43" REF="24">
<P N="5">5. Con&s;ider, that the Old Te&s;ta|ment leads directly to &s;uch an expe|dient in the time of Reformation.</P>
<P N="6">6. Though the Go&s;pel doth not lead unto it by expre&s;s &s;yllabi|cal In&s;truction, yet by nece&s;&s;ary con&s;equence it doth.</P>
<P><HI>Re&s;p.</HI> 2. Its po&s;&s;ible this Ob|jection may proceed from natural Antipathy, and that the di&s;tem|per may not lye &s;o much in the mind and judgement as in the will and affections: if &s;o, con&s;ider, 1. Though this expedient be but as the Wall of a City, the Hedge of a Garden, or the border of a gar|ment, yet the&s;e things are nece&s;|&s;ary.</P>
<P N="2">2, We are not to Judge of any Ordinance of Chri&s;t by the fle&s;h that is upon it, but by the Spirit that is in it.</P>
<P N="3">3. That this head of the Serpent may be broken; think of that, <HI>Rom.</HI> 8.7, and take heed of &s;elf-intere&s;t.</P>
<PB N="44" REF="25">
<P>Object. <HI>But this expedient is but very little u&s;ed.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Re&s;p.</HI> I grant that it is very extreamly &s;lighted, neglected and di&s;u&s;ed, but it is no won|der. For,</P>
<P N="1">1. It cannot be u&s;ed, but where Through. Reformation it &s;elf is practi&s;ed, And,</P>
<P N="2">2. Through-Reformation it &s;elf is but little practi&s;ed. Old <HI>Eng|land</HI> it &s;elf is too little acquaint|ed with it; When this is, the other will be both better known to us, and entertained by us all, which God grant. But,</P>
<P N="2">2. Had it never been u&s;ed by any, yet right rea&s;on mu&s;t have preheminence before any cu&s;tom; e&s;pecially before &s;uch an one as this: though it have not been, or is not, yet it ought to be ge|nerally u&s;ed by Chri&s;tians in this generation: for mans neglect cannot invalidate Gods Law. But,</P>
<PB N="45" REF="25">
<P N="3">3. It hath been, and is u&s;ed by many in this and the la&s;t century, and tho&s;e none of the meane&s;t in the Churches of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P N="4">4. Its high time for all the re&s;t to follow.</P>
<P N="5">5. None need to be a&s;hamed of it.</P>
<P N="6">6. Its an honour to tho&s;e that u&s;e it.</P>
<P N="7">7. Its well if this cavilling again&s;t the Form come not from an Antipathy to the matter of a Church-covenant; for man is extreamly in love with elbow|room in a carnal &s;elfi&s;h cour&s;e, and cannot abide a Bill of Di|vorce.</P>
<P>Object. <HI>But Bapti&s;m is the form of a vi&s;ible Church of Chri&s;t, and of the members thereof.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Re&s;p.</HI> 1. In what &s;en&s;e it is &s;o, <HI>Re&s;tat explicandum.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. That any outward wa&s;hing of the body, or of any part thereof, or that the exhibiting, &s;ignifying
<PB N="46" REF="26"> and &s;ealing of that which is exhi|bited, &s;ignified and &s;ealed by Law|full Bapti&s;m, is the e&s;&s;ential con|&s;titutive form of a vi&s;ible Church of Chri&s;t, or gives E&s;&s;ence and Being to a Church and Member|&s;hip, <HI>&amp;c. Re&s;tat probandum.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. Again&s;t it &s;ee precious Mr. <HI>Sydenham</HI> in the 20th. Chapter of his <HI>Exercitation about Bapti&s;m.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. This Principle is a great Plun|der to Prophane&s;s, and a Bar to the Power of Godline&s;s.</P>
<P>Que&s;t. <HI>What difference is there betwixt the end of a Reformed Church, and the end of the fir&s;t planted Churches under the Go&s;pel?</HI></P>
<P><HI>Re&s;p.</HI> The End is that for which a thing is.</P>
<P N="2">2. God is the great Governor of the whole world; He &s;et all the Creatures their work. He di|rects and leads them to their pro|per ends, <HI>P&s;alm</HI> 29.10.</P>
<P N="3">3. The great end of all things is
<PB N="47" REF="26"> the Glory of God. This is his grand intendment, and this all the Creatures bring him in.</P>
<P N="4">4. The end of Churches is the &s;pecial Glory of God.</P>
<P N="5">5. This is the end of all the Churches of God. Divine per|fection is mo&s;t eminently manife&s;t|ed in them. In them God mo&s;t &s;hews his Glory to man on earth, and man mo&s;t ownes the Glory of the God of Heaven. Here are the highe&s;t actings of the pure&s;t love betwixt God and man on earth. Here is God edifying man, and man is glorifying God, <HI>Act.</HI> 9.31. Its on|ly in the Church of God, that man makes returns proportionable to his Receipts, by owning the whole of God. For here man ownes 1. The ab&s;olute &s;overaignty and &s;upream Authority of God.</P>
<P N="1">1. In &s;ubmitting to his In&s;tituti|ons. 2. To his Di&s;pen&s;ations.</P>
<P N="2">2. In obeying of his Commands.</P>
<PB N="48" REF="27">
<P N="2">2. The riches of Gods Free-Grace.</P>
<P N="1">1. In praying to him for all good things.</P>
<P N="2">2. In pray&s;ing of him for all good things.</P>
<P N="3">3. In not fainting under the greate&s;t burdens.</P>
<P N="3">3. The infinite Wi&s;dom and Knowledge of God.</P>
<P N="1">1. In &s;piritual Wor&s;hip.</P>
<P N="2">2. In heart &s;earching.</P>
<P N="3">3. In clo&s;e walking with him in private.</P>
<P N="4">4. The Ju&s;tice and Power of God.</P>
<P N="1">1. In expecting his dealing with the wicked according to his Word.</P>
<P N="2">2. In fearing his fatherly cor|recting of them&s;elves.</P>
<P N="5">5. The infinite purity of God is al&s;o mo&s;t really acknowledged in the Churches of God.</P>
<P N="1">1. In their clean&s;ing of them|&s;elves from all filthine&s;s both of fle&s;h and &s;pirit.</P>
<PB N="49" REF="27">
<P N="2">2. In their pre&s;&s;ing after Holine&s;s, and the perfection thereof, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 7.1.</P>
<P>Finally, In the Churches of God, God glorifies him&s;elf mo&s;t by owning of man mo&s;t; and man glorifies God mo&s;t by owning of him mo&s;t; and this is the fir&s;t and la&s;t end of all the militant Chur|ches of God; In regard God is mo&s;t gloriou&s;ly glorified by giving and receiving what he hath given to his Churches. But,</P>
<P><HI>Re&s;p</HI> 6. Though God in order to his greate&s;t Glory on earth, in his In&s;titution of his Churches, aims,</P>
<P N="1">1. At the mo&s;t glorious com|munication of him&s;elf. And</P>
<P N="2">2. At the mo&s;t glorious returns of that which he Communicates. 1. To him&s;elf, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. To his Saints, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 43 7. Yet he hath different ends therein, &s;ui|table to the different conditions of his people.</P>
<PB N="50" REF="28">
<P N="7">7. Upon this Account there is a difference betwixt the end of Reformed Churches, and the end of the fir&s;t Planted Churches un|der the Go&s;pel. For,</P>
<P N="1">1. The Exigencies of Gods people under the Go&s;pel, are very narrow.</P>
<P N="2">2. Gods regard unto them is accordingly very gracious.</P>
<P N="3">3. In his Planting and Re|forming of Churches, he aims at the &s;upplying of tho&s;e different wants which his people lie under. 1. By cau&s;ing them &s;piritually to exerci&s;e different and &s;piritual acts of Church-communion, and that 1. towards him&s;elf: and 2. towards one another. And,</P>
<P N="2">2. By exerci&s;ing different and &s;uitable acts of communion to|wards them. But,</P>
<P N="4">4. His people are in a more de&s;perate condition in times of Church-Reformation, than they
<PB N="51" REF="28"> are in times of Church-Plantati|on, In regard they have &s;inned, 1. Again&s;t greater Light: And</P>
<P N="2">2. Again&s;t greater Love; and therefore 5. God out of a gra|cious re&s;pect unto them, layes out him&s;elf, and cau&s;eth them to lay out them&s;elves more gloriou&s;ly for their &s;alvation in times of Reformation, than in times of Plantation of Churches: and &s;o 6. The end of Reformed Chur|ches is more glorious than the end of the fir&s;t Planted Churches un|der the Go&s;pel.</P>
<P>More particularly, and briefly: 1. The proper want of Gods people at the fir&s;t Plantation of Churches was edification: and this God intended, and communi|cated, by gathering and planting of them together.</P>
<P N="2">2. Their proper want in times of Reformation, is pre&s;ervation from utter ruine and de&s;olation;
<PB N="52" REF="29"> and this God intends and com|municates by gathering and Re|forming of them. For 1. To vote with the Go&s;pel in a di&s;tin|gui&s;hing way Edification is the working or building up of Chri|&s;tians towards the highe&s;t pitch or the be&s;t and compleate&s;t &s;tate and being of a Church of Chri&s;t at any time before its extream Apo&s;tacy: and Reformation is the working or re-building up of Chri&s;tians towards that conditi|on, after their extream Apo&s;ta|cy; or the rallying of the &s;piritual Forces of Chri&s;t, after they have fought with the Devil and his Angels, and been extreamly &s;hat|tered, divided and &s;cattered by the power and pollicy of the man of &s;in, though they have conquer|ed him. And,</P>
<P N="2">2. As corruption is the way to annihilation, &s;o Reformation is the way to pre&s;ervation in general, and</P>
<PB N="53" REF="29">
<P N="3">3. In particular,</P>
<P N="1">1. All &s;trengthening is pro|perly in Order to pre&s;ervati|on. And,</P>
<P N="1">1. The &s;tronge&s;t Union is in Order to the greate&s;t &s;trengthen|ing. And,</P>
<P N="3">3. Here is the &s;tronge&s;t Union. 1. In regard of the per&s;ons Uni|ted. And,</P>
<P N="2">2. In regard of the man|ner of their Uniting, <HI>de quibus Supra.</HI></P>
<P>Again 1. Its Chri&s;ts grand in|tere&s;t to pre&s;erve his Church on earth, <HI>Mat.</HI> 16.18. And,</P>
<P N="2">2. He hath entru&s;ted his Em|ba&s;&s;adors with the management of this great affair; And,</P>
<P N="3">3. He hath given them va&s;t in&s;truction how to do it. And,</P>
<P N="4">4. What do they import &s;ave Reformation?</P>
<P N="3">3. As it is the great glory of God to In&s;titute and plant Chur|ches
<PB N="54" REF="30"> for the Edification of his people, that his &s;pecial pre&s;ence may be among&s;t them before their apo&s;tacy, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> So it is the greate&s;t glory of Chri&s;t to reform his Churches, that his Pre&s;ence may continue among&s;t them after their apo&s;tacy and defection, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> For 1. Herein he delivers them from the great removeable evils that are on earth. And,</P>
<P N="2">2. Gives them the mo&s;t glo|rious things that are on earth com|municable; <HI>de quibus infra.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. It is the mo&s;t incomparable &s;tate of man on earth. In a Thoughly-Reformed &s;tate after Chri&s;tian Apo&s;tacy, the Saints and Churches of Chri&s;t are in the greate&s;t glory that ever they will be in on earth. When this Di&s;|pen&s;ation is ended, that in Heaven will immediatly &s;ucceed it and continue for ever.</P>
<P>Que&s;t. <HI>But who is it that makes
<PB N="55" REF="30"> &s;uch a Pre&s;ervation the end of his Reformation?</HI></P>
<P><HI>Re&s;p.</HI> If we may Judge of mens ends by their actings, men of &s;uch a &s;pirit are very rare.</P>
<P N="2">2. The grand enquiry is not about mens ends, but Gods.</P>
<P N="3">3. God doth not make mans life his Law.</P>
<P N="4">4. In the Reformation of Chri|&s;tian Churches, its evident, that he aymes at, their Pre&s;ervation inclu&s;ively, whether men do or not.</P>
<P N="5">5. Men ought to u&s;e Gods means for Gods ends. Its both their duty, honour, and &s;afety.</P>
<P N="6">6. It proceeds from want of Grace in tho&s;e that do not, and is not commendable in the lea&s;t.</P>
<P N="7">7. It concerns us to take heed of being led by ungodly guides.</P>
<P>Object. <HI>There be other means
<PB N="56" REF="31"> to pre&s;erve the Churches of Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Re&s;p.</HI> 1. Whatever our ends be, Gods way to them is the be&s;t.</P>
<P N="2">2. God hath pre&s;cribed Re|formation as the way to the Pre|&s;ervation of Churches, <HI>Leviticus</HI> 26.23, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. The Experience of all Ages te&s;tifies and convinceth that it is &s;o, and the only &s;overaign Anti|dote again&s;t de&s;olation.</P>
<P N="4">4. Its compounded of all the &s;aving Spirituals that are in the World.</P>
<P N="5">5. Tho&s;e other wayes and means are but of humane Inven|tion.</P>
<P N="6">6. They are u&s;ed by Worldly Wi&s;e men, or carnal Polititi|ans.</P>
<P N="7">7. It is not to be expected by Chri&s;tians, that Chri&s;t will by them &s;ecure his Churches from ruin and de&s;olation: but that,</P>
<P N="8">8. Where Chri&s;tian Reforma|tion
<PB N="57" REF="31"> is not practi&s;ed, mens Eccle|&s;ia&s;tical and Spiritual, if not their civil and temporal e&s;tates and Intere&s;ts will langui&s;h and come to nothing notwith&s;tanding, <HI>Leviticus</HI> 26. <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Wherefore,</P>
<P N="9">9. <HI>Prudens! O tale Ca|veto.</HI></P>
<P>Object. <HI>I &s;ee no nece&s;&s;ity at all of pre&s;erving of Chri&s;tian Chur|ches.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Re&s;p.</HI> 1. The In&s;tituted Chur|ches of Chri&s;t are &s;cituated di|rectly in our way to the full frui|tion of God in Heaven according to Scriptures.</P>
<P N="2">2. The continuance of them is ab&s;olutely nece&s;&s;ary for all tho&s;e that travel thither.</P>
<P N="3">3. They that are travelling to Heaven do di&s;cover this nece&s;&s;i|ty.</P>
<P N="4">4. The Go&s;pel is hid from all the re&s;t, 2 <HI>Corin.</HI> 4.3.</P>
<P N="5">5. The Objection &s;avours ve|ry
<PB N="58" REF="32"> &s;trongly of Athei&s;m and Anti|&s;cripturi&s;m, unbelief and Antichri|&s;tiani&s;m: and therefore,</P>
<P N="6">6. Tho&s;e who&s;e &s;pirits appear to be fraught with it, mu&s;t be left to the Judgement of God. For 1. <HI>Contra negantem principia non e&s;t di&s;putandum.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. The Apo&s;tle <HI>Paul</HI> de&s;ires the Church to pray for him&s;elf and his a&s;&s;i&s;tants and &s;ucce&s;&s;ors, that they may be delivered from men of &s;uch a &s;pirit, 2 <HI>The&s;&s;al.</HI> 1.1.3.1, 2.</P>
<P N="3">3. He commands his Succe&s;|&s;ors in the Mini&s;try, 1. To with|draw from &s;uch, 1 <HI>Timothy</HI> 6.5.</P>
<P N="2">2. To rebuke them &s;harply, <HI>Titus</HI> 1.13,</P>
<P N="3">3. To reject &s;uch an one, <HI>Titus</HI> 3.10.</P>
<P N="4">4. To turn away from &s;uch, 2. <HI>Tim.</HI> 3.5.</P>
<P N="4">4. He charges the Churches:
<PB N="59" REF="32"> 1. To let them be <HI>anathema Maranatha,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 16.22.</P>
<P N="2">2. To avoid them, <HI>Romans</HI> 16.17.</P>
<P N="3">3. To let them be accur&s;ed, <HI>Gal.</HI> 1.8, 9.</P>
<P N="5">5. He him&s;elf did actually Ex|communicate &s;uch, 1 <HI>Timothy</HI> 1. 19, 20.</P>
<P N="6">6. The Apo&s;tle <HI>John</HI> advi&s;eth the Saints, 1. That they receive not &s;uch an one into their hou&s;es.</P>
<P N="2">2. That they bid him not God-&s;peed, 2 <HI>John</HI> 10.</P>
<P N="7">7. Lets not tru&s;t our own hearts in the Go&s;pel.</P>
<P>Que&s;t. <HI>What difference is there betwixt the Properties of Reform|ed Churches, and the Properties of the fir&s;t planted Churches under the Go&s;pel?</HI></P>
<P><HI>Re&s;p.</HI> 1. In general, Properties properly are beings that are not of, but follow or flow from the e&s;&s;ences of their fir&s;t and next Subjects.</P>
<PB N="60" REF="33">
<P N="2">2. All Properties are Propor|tionable to the E&s;&s;ences from which they flow.</P>
<P N="3">3. In particular, 1. The Chur|ches of God are E&s;&s;entially the mo&s;t glorious things in the world; and therefore,</P>
<P N="2">2. They have the mo&s;t glo|rious Properties that are in the world. Yet,</P>
<P N="3">3. The E&s;&s;entials of the Churches of God having been &s;ometimes more, &s;ometimes le&s;s glorious; the Properties of them have accordingly been &s;ome|times more, &s;ometimes le&s;s glori|ous.</P>
<P N="4">4. More particularly, 1. The Churches Work and nece&s;&s;ity be|ing very various: And,</P>
<P N="2">2. Greater in times of Re|formation, than at the fir&s;t Plan|tation of Churches; God com|municated him&s;elf to them accord|ingly. So that,</P>
<PB N="61" REF="33">
<P N="5">5. The E&s;&s;ences of Reformed Churches being more glorious than the E&s;&s;ences of the fir&s;t Planted Churches under the Go&s;|pel; The Properties of Reformed Churches are al&s;o more glorious than the Properties of the fir&s;t Planted Churches under the Go&s;|pel; to in&s;tance, 1. The mem|bers of the fir&s;t Planted Chur|ches could give much: but the members of Reformed Churches can give more for a vi&s;ible In|tere&s;t in God. They can give more glorious Evidences of their &s;aving conver&s;ion and Union with Chri&s;t. 1. They can make a more expre&s;s profe&s;&s;ion of their a&s;&s;ent to the truth of the Go&s;pel in ge|neral.</P>
<P N="2">2. They can extend that profe&s;&s;ion more particulary to the grand Fundamentals of the Go&s;pel. The Me&s;&s;iah is come by owning of it di&s;tinctly in the parts thereof.</P>
<PB N="62" REF="34">
<P N="3">3. They can exert more Acts of Faith and Repen|tance.</P>
<P N="4">4. They can engage them|&s;elves more gloriou&s;ly to conti|nue therein, and to walk in all other things al&s;o according to the Scriptures, and not other|wi&s;e.</P>
<P N="2">2. The fir&s;t Planted Churches under the Go&s;pel, could walk according to Go&s;pel Rules of Church-Communion; but Re|formed Churches can conform to them more compleatly, and exactly. 1. They can glorifie God more.</P>
<P N="2">2. They can edifie one another more. And,</P>
<P N="3">3. They can contribute more towards the Salvation of tho&s;e that are without; Whe|ther
<PB N="63" REF="34"> they be
<LIST>
<ITEM>Infidels
<LIST>
<ITEM>Heathen Or,</ITEM>
<ITEM>Chri&s;tian.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM>Scattered Saints,</ITEM>
<ITEM>Unreformed Churches, or</ITEM>
<ITEM>Sauable Apo&s;tates.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="1">1. By the Doctrinal and pra|ctical holding forth of the Word of Life.</P>
<P N="2">2. By defending of it. And,</P>
<P N="3">3. By offending the enemies thereof. Such Power is mo&s;t pro|perly proper to Reformed Chur|ches under the Go&s;pel.</P>
<P>Que&s;t. <HI>What difference is there betwixt the practi&s;es of the Re|formed Churches, and the practi|&s;es of the fir&s;t Planted Churches under the Go&s;pel?</HI></P>
<P><HI>Re&s;p.</HI> As all Properties are pro|portionable to the E&s;&s;ences; &s;o all practi&s;es are proportionable to the Properties from which they flow: and therefore 1. The Practi&s;es of Reformed Churches
<PB N="64" REF="35"> are the mo&s;t glorious practi&s;es in the World.</P>
<P N="2">2 In particular: 1. The Members of the Reformed Chur|ches of Chri&s;t give mo&s;t for a vi&s;ible Intere&s;t in God; they give the mo&s;t glorious Evidences of their &s;aving conver&s;ion and Union with Chri&s;t. 1. They make the mo&s;t expre&s;s profe&s;&s;ion of their a&s;&s;ent to the Truth of the Go&s;pel in general.</P>
<P N="2">2. They extend that pro|fe&s;&s;ion mo&s;t particularly to the grand Fundamentals of the Go&s;|pel. The Me&s;&s;ias is come by own|ing of it di&s;tinctly in the parts thereof.</P>
<P N="3">3. They exert mo&s;t acts of Faith and Repentance.</P>
<P N="4">4. They engage them&s;elves mo&s;t gloriou&s;ly to continue therein, and to walk in all other things al&s;o according to the Go&s;|pel, and not otherwi&s;e.</P>
<PB N="65" REF="35">
<P N="2">2. The Reformed Churches of Chri&s;t conform mo&s;t glori|ou&s;ly to the Rules of Church-Communion. 1. They glorifie God mo&s;t.</P>
<P N="2">2. They lay out them|&s;elves mo&s;t for the benefit of one another.</P>
<P N="3">3. They contribute mo&s;t towards the &s;alvation of tho&s;e that are without.</P>
<P>As are
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. Infidels
<LIST>
<ITEM>Heathen and</ITEM>
<ITEM>Chri&s;tian:</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. Scattered Saints.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. Unreformed Churches; </ITEM>
<ITEM>And 4. Savable Apo&s;tates.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="1">1. By the Doctrinal and pra|ctical holding forth of the Word of Life.</P>
<P N="2">2. By defending of it. And,</P>
<P N="3">3. By offending the enemies thereof in a Scriptural way.</P>
<PB N="66" REF="36">
<P>Such are the Practi&s;es of the Reformed Churches of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>Que&s;t. <HI>What difference is there betwixt the Priviledges of the Re|formed Churches, and the Privi|ledges of the fir&s;t planted Churches of Chri&s;t?</HI></P>
<P><HI>Re&s;p.</HI> 1. In general: Privi|ledges are &s;pecial advantages, granted to a &s;pecial per&s;on or peo|ple, by their Superiours.</P>
<P N="2">2. They are proportioned to the practi&s;es or atchievments of tho&s;e that have them granted unto them: Particularly, 1. Though Gods free Grace be the Foun|tain of all Humane Enjoy|ments; Yet,</P>
<P N="2">2. Divine Providence hath &s;o ordered it, that 1. In gene|ral, they that do mo&s;t have mo&s;t. And,</P>
<P N="2">2. In particular, they that do mo&s;t for God, have mo&s;t from God. And,</P>
<PB N="67" REF="36">
<P N="3">3. Therefore the Reformed Churches of Chri&s;t have the mo&s;t glorious Priviledges that are in the World. 1. They have the mo&s;t glorious Admini&s;tration of the Covenant of Grace; Chri&s;t is applyed to them in the mo&s;t glo|rious manner in all the pure&s;t Ordinances of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, <HI>I&s;aiah</HI> 2.2, 3, 4.30.20, 21, 26.</P>
<P N="2">2. They have the mo&s;t glorious Intere&s;t in God, <HI>Exod.</HI> 19.5, 6. <HI>Levit.</HI> 26.12. 2 <HI>Corin.</HI> 6.17, 18.</P>
<P N="3">3. They have the mo&s;t glorious communion with Chri&s;t in his Ordinances, <HI>Revel.</HI> 27, 17. <HI>Revel.</HI> 3.20.</P>
<P N="4">4. They grow mo&s;t under Means of Grace, <HI>Mal.</HI> 4.2.</P>
<P N="5">5. They have the mo&s;t glorious Evidences of their Ju&s;ti|fication, <HI>Revel.</HI> 2.10, 11, 17. <HI>Revel.</HI> 3.4, 5, 21.</P>
<PB N="68" REF="37">
<P N="6">6. They have the mo&s;t glorious outward peace among&s;t them&s;elves, <HI>I&s;aiah</HI> 11. <HI>Micah</HI> 4.3, 4.</P>
<P N="7">7. They are con&s;tituted and fixed by Chri&s;t for the main Supporters of Chri&s;tianity, <HI>Revel.</HI> 3.12.</P>
<P N="8">8. They have the mo&s;t glo|rious power on Earth, <HI>Revel.</HI> 2.26, 27.</P>
<P N="9">9. Chri&s;t cau&s;eth them to be honoured even by the great|e&s;t enemies of Chri&s;tianity, <HI>Rev.</HI> 3.9.</P>
<P N="10">10. Chri&s;t him&s;elf &s;ecures them in times of greate&s;t danger, <HI>Rev.</HI> 3.10.</P>
<P N="11">11. They have the Magi|&s;trates for their ordinary prote|ction, <HI>I&s;aiah</HI> 4.5, 6. <HI>I&s;aiah</HI> 32.1, 2. <HI>I&s;aiah</HI> 49.23. <HI>Romans</HI> 13.3, 4. 1 <HI>Timothy</HI> 2.2, 3.</P>
<P N="12">12. They have the mo&s;t glorious Pre&s;ence of God alone
<PB N="69" REF="37"> with them in the tenour of their temporal undertakings, <HI>Exodus</HI> 23.22, <HI>&amp;c. Levit.</HI> 26. <HI>Deut.</HI> 28. <HI>Et alibi pa&s;&s;im.</HI></P>
<P>The&s;e are the proper Privi|ledges of the Reformed Church of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>In a word: Notwith&s;tanding that helli&s;h con&s;piracy, and An|tichri&s;tian Energy: and the terri|ble tottering of the fir&s;t Planted Churches of Chri&s;t, and of the true Reformed Prote&s;tant Chri|&s;tian Religion, for a thou&s;and years: yet neither the one nor the other are totally eclip&s;ed, much le&s;s ruined, but retain their E&s;&s;entials, and had need be Ral|lyed and new model'd through|out.</P>
<P>Que&s;t. <HI>What mu&s;t we do that we may be a Reformed Church of Chri&s;t?</HI></P>
<P><HI>Re&s;p.</HI> 1. Repent of your &s;canda|lous &s;ins, Not walking up to
<PB N="70" REF="38"> your Bapti&s;mal Covenant, Apo|po&s;tacy, Neglect of Evangeli|cally approved Mini&s;ters of Chri&s;t, and of the Ordinances by them admini&s;trable, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. Hear &s;uch Preachers, <HI>Re|vel. cap.</HI> 2. &amp; 3.</P>
<P N="3">3. Continue therein with pa|tience, untill ye think ye can prove that ye have &s;uch a Faith in Chri&s;t as hath the Promi&s;e of Salvation annexed to it in the Go&s;|pel, <HI>Rom.</HI> 10 17.</P>
<P N="4">4. When ye think ye can prove that ye have &s;uch a Faith, make known your arguments to your Mini&s;ter by conference or otherwi&s;e.</P>
<P N="5">5. Offer to give Scripture Security for your continuance in the profe&s;&s;ion and practice of &s;uch a Faith and Repentance; and to walk in all other things al&s;o according to the Scriptures of the Old and New Te&s;ta|ment,
<PB N="71" REF="38"> and not otherwi&s;e, during life.</P>
<P N="6">6. If your &s;uppo&s;ed eviden|ces of your union with Chr&s;t be approved and accepted by your Mini&s;ter, give the profer|ed Security for your future cor|re&s;pondent Evangelical behavi|our.</P>
<P N="7">7. If your &s;uppo&s;ed eviden|ces of your Union with Chri&s;t be not yet approved and ac|cepted by your Mini&s;ter, then continue quietly and peaceably under the Mini&s;try of the Word untill they be, and then give the profered Security for your &s;aid good behaviour according to the Go&s;pel: and then</P>
<P N="8">8. Your Mini&s;ter mu&s;t &s;o|lemnly admit or declare you, (being &s;even, or more) a Re|formed Church of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P N="9">9. Being &s;o admitted or de|clared, ye are a vi&s;ible Re|formed
<PB N="72" REF="39"> Prote&s;tant Chri&s;tian Church of Chri&s;t by and in the Eye of the Go&s;pel.</P>
<P>Que&s;t. <HI>Are we not a Church of Chri&s;t untill then?</HI></P>
<P><HI>Re&s;p.</HI> No: For 1. We are not a fir&s;t Planted Church of Chri&s;t before. And</P>
<P N="2">2. No per&s;on is a Re|formed Saint untill he have &s;uch approved Evidences of his union with Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>Object. <HI>But we are accounted Saints, and a Church of Chri&s;t without that or any of it.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Re&s;p.</HI> 1. Proh nefas! 2 <HI>The&s;&s;al.</HI> 2.8.</P>
<P N="2">2. Go&s;pel reckoning is the be&s;t, <HI>Romans</HI> 2.16, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> And,</P>
<P><HI>Re&s;p.</HI> 3. By the Go&s;pel, 1. None in our dayes may warrantably expect Salvation, but upon the terms above men|tioned.</P>
<P N="2">2. None may warranta|bly
<PB N="73" REF="39"> judge him&s;elf to be a Saint or member of a Reformed Church of Chri&s;t but upon tho&s;e condi|tions.</P>
<P N="3">3. No Mini&s;ter of Chri&s;t may Judge or Declare any man to be a Saint, or any Society to be a Church of Chri&s;t but upon the terms above mentioned re|&s;pectively.</P>
<P N="4">4. Without Mini&s;terial Union and inauguration, none are a Reformed Church of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P N="4">4. Take heed of Antichri&s;t, 2 <HI>Epi&s;t. John</HI> 8.</P>
<P>Que&s;t. <HI>Mu&s;t we not be admit|ted into the &s;tate of Reformed Saints, or members of a Re|formed Church of Chri&s;t by Bap|ti&s;m, when we are approved of by our Mini&s;ter?</HI></P>
<P><HI>Re&s;p.</HI> No: For 1. The Go&s;pel Epi&s;tles are calculated directly
<PB N="74" REF="40"> for our Meridian; and,</P>
<P N="2">2. There is no Rule for &s;uch a Practi&s;e.</P>
<P N="2">2. It lies upon tho&s;e that are for the Affirmative; and they are de&s;ired to prove it, if they can.</P>
<P N="3">3. In the interim they will do well not to exclaim of and di|vide from Reforming Mini&s;ters and Chri&s;tians.</P>
<P>Que&s;t. <HI>How then mu&s;t Re|formed Chri&s;tians be in&s;talled in|to the &s;tate of a Reformed Church, or members thereof?</HI></P>
<P><HI>Re&s;p.</HI> Either 1. By your Mini&s;ters publique verbal Decla|ration of his approbation of your evidential Profe&s;&s;ion, and of your being thereupon in that e&s;tate and quality. Or,</P>
<P N="2">2. By laying his hands upon you, and praying for you, <HI>Heb.</HI> 6.2. 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 5.22. Or,</P>
<PB N="75" REF="40">
<P N="3">3. By his enrolement of your Names in a Book of Re|cord, <HI>Malathy</HI> 3.16, 17, 18. Or,</P>
<P N="4">4. By all or two of the&s;e together: to bring our Divi&s;i|ons to</P>
<TRAILER>An end.</TRAILER>
<PB REF="41">
<PB REF="41">
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