A survey of the summe of church-discipline. Wherein the vvay of the churches of New-England is warranted out of the vvord, and all exceptions of weight, which are made against it, answered : whereby also it will appear to the judicious reader, that something more must be said, then yet hath been, before their principles can be shaken, or they should be unsetled in their practice. / By Tho. Hooker, late pastor of the church at Hartford upon Connecticott in N.E.

Argument. 4.

4. Rom. 11.17. The true Olive is there the Church of the Jews, the fatnesse thereof, is all such priviledges as appertain thereunto. The way and means how the Gentiles come to par∣take thereof, is by their ingrafting into the Church visible.

And this is the received interpretation of the most judicious Be∣za, Pareus, Willet, &c. and the context will constrain as much if it should be denied.

Whence I thus reason,

The Olive is the prime subject of that fatnesse that issues from it, and appertains to it.

But the visible Church is the Olive: the Seals (as other pri∣viledges) are part of that fatnes, which appertains thereunto. Therefore the visible Church is the prime subject of them.

Before I leave this place, I shall commend to M. R. his re∣view, and the consideration of the judicious reader, what is writ by himself. lib. 2. p. 260.

If any after they be received, shall be found not to be added of God, because they be not regenerated, yet we are not to cast any out for non-regeneration, even known.

If you be bound to keep such in a compleat Church state, I suppose you will not deny them the seals, and then they shall partake, and you shall give the seals to such, whom you know have no right to them, because they are known not to be of the invisible Church: because they are known to be non-regenerate persons.

We have now finished the main Quaery, and given in our Reasons, why we cannot yeeld to M. Rutterf. his advertisement.

We shall add one word touching the other particular propoun∣ded to debate, which was this.

Whether the holding of this conclusion will necessarily make us forsake our doctrine of Independency and popular government, so far as we give power to people to act in Church affairs.

For Answer I yet conceive.

The holding of the former errour will neither help us out of an errour, if we be in it, nor yet help M^r R. to confute that opinion, or to bring us out of it. For the holding of one errour will not help a person to see, much lesse recover him out of another. But this appears to us, by that which I have answered, to be an errour. Therefore, this were enough for the while, to cause me to wave the inference.

But that which caries greatest weight with me, is,

That conclusion which overturns M^r R. his main principles touching the government of a visible Church: That will rather confirm our proceedings, then weaken them.

But this conclusion now in debate doth so: as may thus appear.

That which puts all offices and the exercise of them; and the seals and the dispensation of them into the hands of beleevers: That overthrows the pillar, principles of M^r R. concerning the government of the visible Church.

But this opinion, that makes the invisible Church, the prime, principall subject of all christian priviledges, and so of all offices, officers, and the dispensation, (for these are such) doth put all offices and officers, the seals and dispensations of them into their hands.

This part can be onely questioned, and it is thus confirmed.

Because this conclusion or opinion puts the formalis ratio of all these offices and ordinances into the hands of invisible be∣leevers: and ••••at also is evident, Because it makes it agree to them, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉

If M^r R. rid his hands of this argument with any reality of truth, he must shew some essentiall cause of offices and officers, of the right of seals and the dispensations thereof, besides the in∣visible Church; and that his conclusion and the interpretation which he hath setled, will not suffer.

I will onely suggest this to him, to occasion him to clear this coast to purpose.

Those terms or things, which contain all the essentiall causes of each other, beside them there can be no formall, or essen∣tiall cause added. For then all the essentialls should not be there.

But those which agree 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, these contain the essentialls each of other. For this is the nature of those things which are convertible or reciprocall, ac∣cording to all the rules of right reason, unlesse there be a new logick made, which yet never saw light. Homo est animal rationale. A man is a living crea∣ture indued with a reasonable soul: and every living creature indued with a reasonable soul, is a man. An entire man consists of a soul and body so organized, and whatever consists of such parts, is an intire man. The one of these take up as much as the other: and all the essenti∣all causes of the one, are comprehended in the other: other∣wise they had not been of equall breadth or capacity, which a reciprocation requires.

Of this kinde are the Catholike invisible Church, and all Chri∣stian

priviledges, they agree thus reciprocally.

Whatever hath these, is the invisible Catholike Church: and the invisible Catholike Church hath all these. And therefore

All the essentialls of these priviledges are therein included. And therefore beside or without this, none can be added upon M^r R. grounds.