Chap. 5. Sect. 3.
The way of Church judging in New England.
VVE doe not (saith the Author) carry matters either by an over-ruling power of the presbytery, nor by the consent of * 1.1 the major part of the Church, but by the generall and joynt consent of all the members of the Church, and we are of one accord as the Church of Christ should be, Act. 2. If any disassent out of ignorance, we labour to bring him to our mind, by sound information. 2. If by pride bee disassent, the libertie of his voyce is taken from him. If, 3. the mat∣ter be difficill, we seeke advice of sister Churches.
Answ. Unitie is much to be desired in the Church with veri∣tie, but your way we understand not.
Nor doe we in our Synods carry matters by the major and maniest voices, because they are maniest, nor because they are the the voice of men, but because the thing concluded is agreea∣ble to the word of God: but what if the Church be divided, and the people (upon whose voyces principally the conclusion of the Church dependeth) goe against both the truth and the Elders?
They answer, These are miserable mistakes, either to thinke that the people or Elders must needs disassent, or that except they all consent, * 1.2 there can be no rule?
I answer, it is a miserable necessitie, through the corruption of our nature, not a mistake; for Simon Magus, and fortie like to him, in a Church consisting of threescore, must dissent from twen∣tie, whose hearts are streight in the truth: You have no refuge here, but let the maniest carry the matter to a mischiefe, and the other twentie must separate, and make a new Church pre∣sently.
Againe say I, what if the Church differ? They answer, That ought not to bee, nor will it bee, if the Church will lay aside corrupt * 1.3 judgement and affections, and if they attend the rule, and depend upon