The vvay of the churches of Christ in New-England, or, The vvay of churches walking in brotherly equalitie, or co-ordination, without subjection of one church to another measured and examined bythe golden reed of the sanctuary, containing a full declaration of the church-way in all particulars / by Mr. J. Cotton ...

SECT. IX.

Object. BUt if no transcendent acts of Jurisdiction and rule be re∣served unto one Bishop alone above other Ministers, how cometh it then to passe, that in Rev. 2.3. each singular Angel in the Churches of Asia, is admonished, and reproved alone for all the faults that are found in his Church, whereof he is the Angel? Why should one Angel alone be charged with the guilt of all those faults in the Church, if it were not in his hand alone to redresse and punish them?

Answ. It is an usuall thing with John (and found also in other Scriptures) to use the name of Angel not singularly for one person, but collectively for a company, administring the same work: As the seven Angels that sounded the seven Trumpets, and the seven Angels that powred out the seven Vialls, were not seven singular persons, but seven companies, or sorts of persons, performing that service. And when David saith, the Angel of the Lord pitcheth his Tent about them which feare him, Psal. 34.7. He speaketh not of one Angel alone, but of many of them; For one alone cannot pitch his Tents about all them that feare God. And that John in the second and third Chapters of the Revelation, did not meane by the Angel of the Church one singular person, but the whole company of the Ministers of the Church (the whole Presbytery of persons, more then one) it is evident by his speech unto them, as unto many; The Devill (saith he) shall cast some of you into Prison, Rev. 2.10. Some of you, which implies more then one. And againe in Rev. 2.24. speaking un∣to the Angel of the Church of Thyatira, But unto you, I say, and unto the rest of Thiatira; which argueth that the Angel distin∣guished from the rest of the Church, was more then one person; For he saith unto you in the plurall number.

Object. But now, say some; Let it be so then, if such eminent and transcendent Bishops (that is, Diocesan Bishops) who claime a

peerelesse power in Ordination and Jurisdiction to themselves alone, have no foot-hold in the Scripture, then let them neither have name, nor place, portion, right, nor memoriall in the Christian Churches of the new Testament. But yet neverthelesse, the Apo∣stle is cleare for a Presbytery, and acknowledgeth imposition of hands (even upon Timothy, how much more upon other Elders) by the Presbytery, 1 Tim. 4.14.

Answ. Wee willingly also acknowledge the same, where God hath furnished any Church with a Presbytery. To them it pertain∣eth to ordaine by imposition of hands, any Elders or Deacons that shall be chosen by office, by the Church committed to them; But if the Church want a Presbytery; for want of Elders, they want a warrant to repaire to the Presbytery of another Church, to impose hands upon their elect Elders.

Our Reasons be;

[Reason. 1] First, Ordination by imposition of hands, is a work of Church Power, as all men acknowledge: Now as no Church hath Power over another, but all of them stand in Brotherly equalitie one towards another; so the Presbytery of one Church, hath no Power over the Elders of another. As the Apostles having all of them re∣ceived the same Commission (Joh. 20.23.) had none of them power over another; so the Churches having received all of them the same power of the keys, (as hath been shewed above) they none of them have power over another, and therefore no power of ordination of one anothers Officers.

[Reason. 2] As every Church hath equally received the same power of the keys, so ought they to maintaine and stand fast in the same; The power of the keys as it is a priviledge and libertie purchased to the Church by the bloud of the Lord Jesus; so at a lesse rate it may not be alienated from the Church. Christ by his death and resurrection hath ob∣tained all power, both in heaven and in earth, Mat. 28.18. Phil. 2.8, 9, 10. And looke where he hath communicated the same by his Testament, ratified in his bloud, there it ought to remaine and not to be removed out of their hands, by the hand of man or An∣gel. Whence it appeareth unlawfull for any Church of Christ to put over that power which they have received of Christ, out of their own hands, into the hands of the Presbyters of other Chur∣ches. The Apostles having received all of them equall power from

Christ, it was not lawfull for them by common consent, to have conferred upon Peter and Paul, James and John, a transcendent go∣vernment over them all. If some of the Apostles seeme to be pillars, as is said of Peter, James and John, Gal. 2.9. and so more eminent in gifts then all their brethren, it may put upon their brethren an expediency, and sometimes a necessitie to call upon them for more counsell, but not to call them to more Authoritie. In like sort, if a Church in a Citie, and the Officers thereof, be of more eminent gifts and graces, then a Church in a village, it is a just occasion for the Church in the village, to listen the more after the counsell of the Church in the Citie, but not to submit the more unto their Au∣thoritie in the way of subjection. And so it is true, a Classis of the Presbyters of many Churches may excell (in more varietie of all abi∣lities) then the Presbytery of any one Church, yet that onely rea∣cheth to make their counsell the more weightie and acceptable, but not to invest them with more rule or more authoritie. Thirdly, If a Church shall send to the Presbyters of another Church for ordination of their Elders, they may as well repaire and submit to them for cen∣suring of their offenders; And would not that be a manifest trans∣gression of the royall law of Church-Government, Matth. 18.15, 16, 17, 18. If a Brother see his brother falne into a scandall, and after dealing with him first himselfe alone, and then with the con∣viction of two or three witnesses, find him to give no satisfaction at all, whither shall the offended brother repaire? If to the Church whereof the brother offending is a member, that is indeed accord∣ing to the rule, but what need is there then, or what ground of repairing to the Presbyters of other Churches? by what Authori∣tie shall they proceed to censure the offender that is a member of another Church?

Indeed if a Brother offended shall complaine to the Church whereof the offending brother is a member, and the Church neg∣lect to doe their dutie, through prejudice, or partialitie, or other remisnesse, it may then be lawfull to make use of the brotherly love and brotherly communion, which one Church oweth and bear∣eth to another. The brother offended, and not satisfied with the proceedings of his own Church against the offence, may then re∣paire to the Elders of other Churches, and crave their judgement and counsell in the case in hand; and if they doe not approve upon

good inquirie the proceedings of their sister-Church, they may admonish the Elders of that Church touching what they judge amisse. But if the Elders hearken not unto them, the Elders who admonish them, being unsatisfied, may acquaint their own Church with the offence of their neighbour Church, and then in the name of the Lord, and of their own Church, they may admonish them thereof, by Letters and Messengers sent to them to that purpose. If yet the Church admonished, hearken not unto them, the Church offended may and ought to acquaint their neighbour Churches therewithall, who may joyne with them, either in convincing the offending Church of their sin, and so prevaile with them unto re∣formation, or else (if they persist in obstinacy) they may from thenceforth withdraw all continuance of brotherly communion with them, till they acknowledge their transgression; which is as farre as Churches may goe in a Church-way, in case of obstinacy of a neighbour-Church in any offence, and so farre they may goe ac∣cording to the proportion of the rule, Mat. 18.15, 16, 17. Look what rule a brother is to attend unto in seeking to heale the offence of a brother, the same rule may and ought a sister-Church to attend unto in seeking to heale an offending sister-Church. And looke as Paul who had received the same equall power of the keys, with Pe∣ter, reproved Peter openly when he was to be blamed, Gal. 2.11. so one Church, who hath received the same equall power of the keys with another, may reprove another Church openly when they are to be blamed. And looke by what power they may reprove them, by the same they may proceed to withdraw from them, if they hearken not to their reproofe according to God. But all this notwithstanding, they will not allow a brother offended to complaine to the Presby∣ters of another Church, till he see no hope of removall of the offence by his own Church at home.

Notes

• Gr. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• Gr. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 you in the plurall.