it is manifest they were not members of that court that made the decifion, 22.-25. "Then pleased it the apostles and "elders, with the whole church, to fend chofen men of their "own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas," &c.; and it does not appear, that Paul and Barnabas acted otherwife in that meeting, but as meffengers afking a question in the name of the church that fent them, and giving informa tion, y 2. 4. 12.

(3) We are plainly told, the decifion was made by the apostles and elders of Jerufalem, and that they decided this queftion in the prefence and with the confent of the whole church in Jerufalem, to which they were elders, Acts xvi. 4. and xv. 22. For by the whole church, I can understand no. thing else but the body of the people, the flock over which thefe elders were overfeers; not a church-representative, as it is called, for that is elders. But this church is diftinguished from the elders, and is no other but that multitude of which James, in the prefence of all the elders, fpake to Paul, when he came upon another errand afterwards to Jerufalem, Acts xxi. 18. 19. 22. 25. This is the fame thing that goes under the defignation of brethren, Acts xv. 23. where all the members of the churches of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia, are the fame way defigned and diftinguished from the brethren in Jerufalem, that confented to the decifion, by their being of the Gentiles. This defignation appears to have been from the beginning common to all church-members, Acts i. 14. 15. 16. 1 Theff. v. 12. for the churches confifted then of none other but fuch as were fit to be thus defigned; and the apostles reckoned all church-members their brethren in Chrift.

There were very good reasons for the making of this deci fion in this church, and for the fending of this question by the church in Antioch to be determined here. As,

(1.) The falfe teachers used the authority of the apostles and elders of this church, from whence they came out, a gainst Paul and Barnabas, y 1. 2. 24. 25. 26. and it was the ufe of fuch teachers after this to call the apoftleship of Paul in question, and reprefent him unto the churches where they came, as differing from the apoftles.

(2.) The word of God came out (1 Cor. xiv. 36.) from this church to Antioch, and to all the world; and from hence they had their church-order, and all the ordinances of Christ, Acts xi.; for this was peculiar to Jerufalem, that there the gospel should have its beginning. And it could not but

trouble

trouble and burden the church at Antioch and all the Gentiles exceedingly, to think that this church fhould be so far offended with them, as not to account them in a state of salvation, y 1. 24. 28.

(3.) The apoftles were in this church, and with the elders of this church, where they began their ministry, and settled all matters of importance. And this was an important point to be fixed in this church, while they were in it. Therefore we see the church at Antioch had a special eye to the apostles their being in the prefbytery of Jerusalem, when they fent up this question to be determined there,

2.

Thus there is nothing like a pattern for a fynod of any kind in the 15th chapter of the Acts, but a plain pattern in the churches at Jerusalem and Antioch, the firft of the Jews, and the first of the Gentiles, for congregational churches, with their prefbyteries, and for the fort of perfons of which thofe churches ought to be made up, and for a presbytery's doing things, not by numbered votes, but by agreement, and for the confent of the whole church where they rule, unto their decifions, and for fuch churches their mutually helping one another, and all the difciples of Chrift through the world, as they have occasion; all which is freely acknowledged by me.

4. It is not agreeable to the nature of fuch Chriftian churches as were from the beginning, that they fhould be fubject to any jurifdiction but that of the Lord Chrift their head, or that they should not depend immediately upon himfelf. For, 1ft, It is neceffary unto that pure communion in brotherly love, efpecially in the Lord's fupper, which ought to be in them, that they have it wholly in their power, under Chrift, to bind and loose; and their communion in this. love cannot stand with their being over-ruled in this matter by a fuperior court, loofing whom they judge Chrift commands them to bind, and binding fuch as they judge he commands them to loofe, and receive in his name. 2dly, Neither is it confiftent with their free choice of their overfeers and teachers, and their maintaining of them at their own charges, as the word of God directs, that the making up and diffolving of the relation betwixt them and any of these overfeers, should not be in their power under Chrift. 3dly, Every one of thefe churches is a complete church, reprefenting and fhewing forth the catholic invifible body of Chrift, 1 Cor. x. 16. 17. And it is not agreeable unto this, that they should be fubjected to one another, or to any jurisdiction. Ff. 2.

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but that of Chrift, who is the head of the catholic body, whofe power is manifefted in their difcipline, and who is the alone head of every one of them, walking in the midft of the golden candlesticks, and holding the ftars in his right hand, and in whom every church of the faints is vifibly builded to. gether, as the catholic church is invifibly, "for an habita tion of God through the Spirit," Eph. ii. 21. 22.

Laftly, Synods took their rife from that first step of defection from the primitive inftitution, viz. the fetting of one bishop in a church above the reft of the prefbytery, and ma king them dependent on him; fo that they were no more his peers, and could not be his judges. This corruption was very early, and came to pafs through negligence of that di rection which the Apostle gave against antichrift, 2 Theff. ii. 15. "Therefore, brethren, ftand faft, and hold the tradi "tions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epiftle." And this direction he gave, after he had faid before, that the mystery of iniquity was already working. Yet this step of defection was not taken when Clemens Roin. wrote his epistle to the church at Corinth; though, indeed, he infinuate's fomething of a contention about the name of the epifcopal office, in the foreknowledge of which, he says, the apoftles of Chrift conftituted bishops and deacons; and he fpeaks of no more diftinction betwixt bishops and prefbyters than the fcripture does, p. 54. 55. 57. However, by this fetting up of a new kind of bithops, and, in confequence of that, fynods, the way was paved for that notable change that happened, when he who at first letted was taken out of the way, and when the Emperor became Chriftian, and for that uniformity which was the throne of the beaft, the feat of tyranny over the confciences of men, and the fountain of perfecution, and of fhedding the blood of the faints and martyrs of Jefus, that kept the commandments of God, and the teftimony of Chrift, under the notion of heretics and fchifmatics.

II. As touching the magiftrate's power in the kingdom of Chrift, I have declared in what sense I refuse to subscribe the Confeffion on that head; and I have not yet been told, if that fenfe wherein I understand it, and refused to fubfcribe it, be now the sense of this national church.

I have been very far from denying the magiftrate's power in any civil fociety, yea or in any national church; nor do I in the leaft queftion his right of judging in all matters of wrong and wicked lewdnefs, and even in all things pertain

ing to national churches, as by law established. For whereever he grants civil rights, or inflicts penalties, there he must judge, and there is the exereife of his power.

I have not denied the defence of the natural and civil rights of men in the kingdoms of this world, while I declare that Chrift's kingdom is not of this world, and therefore admits not of a worldly defence. And when I affirm, that the natural and civil rights of mankind are to be defended in the kingdoms of this world, I reckon that the liberty of mens confciences is one of those rights; and cannot fee ground for the magiftrate's punishing heretics and fchifmatics as fuch.

But because this head is not fo much infifted on, and the commiffion does not seem to make so much of it as of the foregoing, I fhall not now take up time with it.

III. So I proceed to the third head, the contumacy. And here I have been furprised at fome fignifying, that the other grounds are not of such moment as to bear the weight of the cenfure, but this is; and though they would not depofe men for congregational principles, yet they would for the contumacy. Yet,

1. There is nothing in that which is called contumacy but what is influenced by these principles; and it must be owned, that if congregational principles do not deferve fuch a cenfure, he that holds them, and walks up to them, is lefs cenfurable, than he that believes them, and does not practise

them.

2. If the grounds of forbidding me to preach were not fufficient, how is it poffible, that a sentence upon these grounds could loofe me from the obligation laid upon me to preach by the law of Chrift? And can it be a ground for my depofition, that I fhewed a greater regard to his command, than to an ill-founded fentence of fufpenfion?

3. If it be the mind of the commiffion, that the fentence of a fynod, though ill founded, loofes the obligation upon minifter to exercise his miniftry, and that he is to give obedience to it without asking questions, and if he do not, muft lofe his miniftry; then this must be told me, and fupported with fome reafon from the word of God, and the Confeffion of Faith; but if not, then, of neceffity, the grounds of the fufpenfion were good, elfe there is no evil in the contumacy for it cannot be called evil to difobey a command obliging me to fin against the laws of Chrift.

Thus

Thus I have laid before my judges a plain account of my principles, and of the state of my cafe as it now ftands; and fo I leave it with their confciences, as I commit it unto him who is head over all things to his church, and knows well how to order it for his own glory, and the falvation of his church, and is able to keep all that is com mitted to him against that day,

JOHN GLA S.

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