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.

Hooker, Thomas, 1586-1647.

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A SURVEY of the Summe of Church-Discipline.

CHAP. VII. An Answer to Arguments made against the Church covenant.

Argument 6. and last.

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Argument 3.

And that wherein the greatest weight lies, is this,

What a meeting is this, of divers sister-churches to receive a new sister-church? It is a Church, I beleeve, meeting together (and yet it is not a Con∣gregation) and it is an ordinary visible Church. For at the admit∣ting of all converts to the Church order, this meeting must be. Sure∣ly here our brethren acknowledge, that there is a Church in the N. T. made up of many congregations, which hath power to receive in whole Churches. This is a Visible, Provincial or National Church, which they otherwise deny. If many Churches meet together to ap∣prove of the way and proceeding of a Church gathering by our judge∣ment, then we acknowledge a Church Provincial and National.

Answ. The consequence hath no colour of truth in it. Did ever any of us deny the consociation of Churches in way of counsel and ad∣vice? and yet consociation is one thing, and the constitution of a new species or kinde of a Church is another.

Suppose two Congregations now newly erected and gathered, which have no power over one another, should meet together to consider and consult touching the sin and offence of some classi∣cal Church; Is this then a Provincial or National Church? Suppose two Congregations of two severall and distinct Classis should be sent by either of the Classis to concur with a Church in an Island, now to be gathered, to see and consider of their way, and to lend them direction and approbation, and this done ordinarily. Here is a Church-meeting: A Classis it cannot be, because they are two only Congregations of the Classis: and Provincial it is not, nor yet National: Therefore there is now a new Church made up of many Churches, which is neither Classical nor Provincial. When will there be an end of such inferences?

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We see no warrant, why one, not yet a Pastor or Elder, should take upon him to speak to a Congregation, though they all consent that he speak.

Answ. If M. R. will look into the practice of the Church of Scotland, or to his first Book. He shall finde, that there be such, who must have their gifts of teaching tried; and therefore may and doe teach, before they be chosen: here is preaching and Church preaching and praying, and yet there is no Pastor. And yet this will abide the measure of the golden reed.

7. He adds,

We desire to see such a Church action, as Act. 2. where 3000 were added in one day.

Answ. We also joyn our desires with his, and should be glad to see such a day, for we see no unwarrantablenes then, nor would be now, if all circumstances did concur.

The 8^th is answered in the 3^d.

The 9^th

which tels us of an Incouragement to be good stewards of the manifold graces of God, we see it warrantable to provoke each man to traffique with his talent.

But that all, who enter, are sworne to attend publick prophe∣cy, it happily may be found in M. Rathbones curranto, which he pickt out of some mans letter, who writ he could not tell what: nor could he reade happily aright what he wrote. For I know no such custome of the Churches of Christ amongst us.

10.

Here are Church acts, and the power of the keys exercised, in preaching, praying and discipline, and yet no stewards nor officers of the house who have received the keys.

Answ. That of preaching and praying hath been answered in the sixth. And if by an act of discipline, any act of the power of the keys be meant, its then plain, there may, an act of that power be put forth without any officer. For an officer, and so other members may be admitted, and in case rejected and excommuni∣cated by the Church.

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