The second part of the duply to M.S. alias Two brethren.: Wherein are maintained the Kings, Parliaments, and all civil magistrates authority about the Church. Subordination of ecclesiasticall judicatories. Refuted the independency of particular congregations. Licentiousnesse of wicked conscience, and toleration of all sorts of most detestable schismes, heresies and religions; as, idolatry, paganisme, turcisme, Judaisme, Arrianisme, Brownisme, anabaptisme, &c. which M.S. maintain in their book. With a brief epitome and refutation of all the whole independent-government. Most humbly submitted to the Kings most excellent Majestie. To the most Honorable Houses of Parliament. The most Reverend and learned Divines of the Assembly. And all the Protestant churches in this island and abroad. By Adam Steuart. Octob. 3. 1644. Imprimatur Ja: Cranford.

CHAP. V. M. S. his first two Reasons for Independency, with the Solutions thereof.

M. S. with other Independents, prove their Independent Government of every particular Congregation, by some frivilous Reasons. The first is this: If a single Congregation being solitary, and without Neigh∣bours, hath entirenesse of Jurisdiction. Ergo, every single Congregation hath it. But the first is true, according to the Presbyterians Confession. Ergo, so must the second be also.

A. S. I deny the first Proposition, or rather distinguish it in this manner. If a single Congregation have entirenesse of Iurisdiction absolutely, it is true; but then the Assumption, or second Proposition is false. If a single Congre∣gation have it secundum quid, viz. In case of Solitarinesse, as it is expressed in the first Proposition, or in case of any other necessity, that hindereth its con∣sociation with Neighbour Churches, as distance of place, persecution, &c. then all other particular Churches must have it, in the same case; it is true: But I deny that such is the case of all single Congregations, for they are not all remote from all Neighbourhood of other Churches; nor are they all hindered by persecution, &c.

M. S. But when a solitary Congregation hath an entire Jurisdiction, then certainly it hath a lawfull right, title, or claime to it. Ergo, She hath it e∣vermore.

A.S. 1. She hath a lawfull right by a generall Law of necessity, whereby it is ordained, that when we have not all the best helps that are necessity to do the best, we are then to serve our selves with the best we can, and such as we have at hand to serve God by: So if we have not Wine to celebrate the Lords Supper with, we may celebrate it with some other liquour most usuall for drinke; and there is an Article in the French Discipline, whereby it is per∣mitted to any man, that cannot drinke wine, to communicate in participa∣ting

only of the Bread: So if men be cast upon any Island, very remote from the Continent, and have none amongst them endowed with sufficient abili∣ties to preach, or teach them, they may chuse the ablest (howbeit he be not absolutely able enough) to preach, rather then to live without Gods Ordi∣nances altogether: So David, wanting Bread, did eate of the Shew-bread; and a man, in case of necessity, may take other mens meate, and eate it, ra∣ther then starve. 2. I distinguish the Consequent: she hath it evermore, in such a cause, i. e. in case of necessity, when she can have no help of Neigh∣bour Churches. I grant it all, otherwayes I deny it.

M. S. desireth to know, by what right Neighbour Churches, by their presence, can take such a right from her.

A. S. Neighbour Churches by their presence take no right from her, but by their Neighbour-hood give her, or rather adde unto her a new right, to Rule her selfe more perfectly, and to help to Rule Neighbour Churches also, which she could not do before; so it is not Jurisdictionis diminutio, sed ampliatio, it is no diminution, but an augmentation of power intensivè, or in certitude within her selfe, and extensivè, in respect of other Churches: so it is a Bles∣sing of God, added to that Church, and no power or abilitie, but a lacke of power, a weakenesse, an unpowerfulnesse (as I may so say) and infirmity ta∣ken away; it is not to take away what she had, but to give her a power or helpe, that she had not, being alone; Even so as when two or three Regi∣ments coming to joyn with one, or two others against their common Enemy, these two or three Regiments take no power or force from the one, or the two precedent Regiments, but help them, and make them more able to beate the Enemy.

M. S. Those that God hath put together, let not man put asunder; But God put together a single Congregation, and an entire Iurisdiction. Ergo,

A. S. That Text in the first Proposition is to be expounded of those onely that are put together by Marriage, but if you take it Universally, it will be found false; for God hath put a Tree, and the Branches thereof together, and yet I trow you will not say, a man may not cut a Branch off from a Tree.

2. I answer, if God hath put them together in all cases, it is true, but the Minor is false: If God hath onely put them together in some particular Case, then they may be separated in an other Case.

3. I answer to the Minor; If by an entire Iurisdiction, be meant a supreme Ministeriall Jurisdiction absolutely, such as should be in Synods, to the well-being of the Church, it is false, for it wants a Synodall Jurisdiction: If by an entire Iurisdiction be meant entire, secundum quid, in suo genere, & per accidens, in some way, in its own kind, and by Accident, it is true; for such a

Iurisdiction is onely Congregationall or Consistoriall, and so perfect in that kinde, and supreme by accident, for want of Neighbour Churches; so it is entire in that kinde, but not absolutely, as it should be in Case of Neighbour Churches.

Master Mather, and Master Thomson, in their Answer to Master Herle, argue thus: The power that floweth immediately, and necessarily from the very Essence of a Church, cannot be separated from the Essence of a particular Church: But such an entire power of Iurisdiction floweth from the very Essence of a Church. Ergo,

A. S. 1. I deny the Minor; for that, which belongeth to any thing, ex instituto, floweth not from its Essence: But so it is of the entirenesse of Juris∣diction; it belongeth not to the Church by nature, but by will, and Law, viz. by Gods Ordinance. 2. If it flowed necessarily from the very Essence of every Church, then could not God change it; for God cannot destroy nor change the proper Accidents, or take them away from their subjects: But the consequent is false; for since Iurisdiction belongs to the Church by Gods freewill, he may as freely take it away from the Church, and change it, as he bestowed it upon the Church. 3. Yea, God hath actually changed it; for all the Militant Churches, since the fall of Adam, viz. Before the Law, under the Law, and under the Gospel are of the same nature, and Species, or the same in substance, and onely differ in Circumstances; and yet they have had divers sorts of Iu∣risdiction, and Governments, which could not be, if it flowed immediately and necessarily from its Essence. 4. Put the Case, it flowed from its Essence, as it doth not; yet this entirenesse of jurisdiction should onely be entirenesse of Consistorian or Parochiall jurisdiction, which is entire in its own kinde, but not of Synodall jurisdiction, yea, not so much, as of your Synodall power, in defining dogmatically the points of Doctrine.

M. S. his second Argument, If a Church, yet single, be invested with a power of jurisdiction, within it self, and should be cashiered of this power, by the rising up of more Churches neer unto her, then that which is intended by God, as a Table, should become a snare unto her; she should suffer losse, and have sorrow from those, by whom she ought to be comforted. But the first is true. Ergo.

A. S. I deny the Consequence; neither hath M. S. proved it: The Reason of this my Negation is, because she is not ensnared, but drawn out of the snare by the rising of such Churches which can help her, and counsell her, and reform her Iudgements, conjunctly with her self, in case of aberration; neither should this be any just matter of sorrow unto her; if she should sorrow at it, her sorrow should be unjust, and wicked, and at Gods Ordi∣nance.

2. I deny the Assumption, for the Consistorian power, that such a single Church had before the rising of such Neighbour Churches, is not cashiered by

their rising, but a more eminent, viz. A Classicall or Synodall Power, which she had not, is superadded unto her Consistorian, or Parochiall power, where∣by it is mightily perfected.