• can determine about matters of faith;' and even many, with reafon, cannot go fo far; I mean as to injunction and impofition. Yet Chrift seems to fix a blame upon him that complies not with the perfon he has offended; and more, if he refufe to give fatisfaction, after one or two have alfo intreated him: but therefore it cannot relate to matters of faith and scruples of confcience, but perfonal and private injuries. Which is yet clearer from this part of Chrift's faying, viz. "That in the mouth of two or three witneffes every word may be established:" which implies a trial and judical proceeding, as is cuftomary in civil cafes, about perfonal and private trefpaffes; for it were not so proper to speak of witneffes on any other account. This is interpreted, beyond exception, by the apostle to the Corinthians, where he reproves and forbids them "to go to law one with another before "unbelievers;" arguing thus, "Do ye not know that "the faints fhall judge the world? And if the world "fhall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge "the fmalleft matters?" This fhews the meaning of church authority in those days, and is a natural expofition upon Chrift's words, in cafe of trespass and refractoriness, "Tell the church." And it is yet the practice of all fober, juft and quiet people, rather to refer their controverfies to approved men, than to tear one another to pieces at law.

y

But it is worth our notice, that as any decifion upon an Arbitration obliges only the parties to fit down content with that award, be it lofs or gain, which the Arbitrators think equal, as the next beft way to accommodate differences, and not that fuch award should alter their first thoughts and opinions they had of their right, or force them to declare they are of the Arbitrators Mind; fo is it most unreasonable, where the church is only an Arbitrator about personal trespasses, or umpire at most, from thence to imagine a power to determine and impofe faith, and that upon fevere penalties, as well of this world, unto which Chrift's church has no

y 1 Cor. i. 1, 2.

relation,

relation, as of the other world. I fay, this very thing, well weighed, breaks all their fallacies to pieces, and decides the business beyond all contradiction, between those that stand upon the spirit within, and the fcripture without, on the one hand, and fuch as merely <reft upon the traditions of men, and authority of the church, on the other hand.' For if, in an arbitration, I am not bound to be of the arbitrators mind, though for peace fake I fubmit to their award, and that the church power, in this place controverted, relates only to external and perfonal trefpaffes, injuries or injuftices, as the place itself plainly proves, there can be no fenfe, reason, or modefty in the earth, on the part of those high-church-men, from hence to wring and extort the power of defining, refolving, and impofing upon all people, under temporal and eternal punishment, articles of faith and bonds of Christian com• munion.'

I conclude this of the church, with faying, That it is not identity of opinion, but juftice, not religious uniformity, but perfonal fatisfaction, that concerns the text; and therefore reason, sober confcience, and good fenfe, may at any time lawfully infift upon their claim to be heard in all their fcruples or exceptions, without difrespect to that excellent doctrine, when rightly underftood, "Go tell the Church."

To this let me add fomething about this great word church. Some men think they are fure enough, if they can but get within the pale of the church, that have not yet confidered what it is. The word church fignifies any affembly; fo the Greeks used it: and it is by worthy Tindal every-where tranflated congregation. It has a twofold fenfe in fcripture. The firft and most excellent fense, is that in which fhe is called the body and bride of Chrift. In this respect she takes in all generations, and is made up of the regenerated, be they in heaven or on earth, thus Ephef. i. 22. chap. v. 23. to 33. Col. i. 16, 17, 18. Heb. xii. 22, 23. Rev. xxi. 2. chap. xxii. 17. Here Chrift only can be head: this church is washed from all fin; not a spot nor a wrinkle left: ill

men

men have nothing to do with this church, within whofe pale only is falvation; nor is this univerfal and truly catholick church capable of being convened, to be told of wrongs or trefpaffes. The other ufe of that word in fcripture is always referred to particular affemblies and places; that is the church, which, by Christ's doctrine, is to be told of personal injuries, and whose determination, for peace fake, is to be adhered and submitted to: they muft, of neceffity, be the adjacent or most contiguous company of Christian believers, those to whom the perfons in difference are by external fociety and communion related: and that fuch private and diftinct affemblies are called the church, is apparent from the acts and writings of the apoftles: the church of Jerufalem, Antioch, Corinth, Ephefus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea, Rome, Galatia, Theffalonica, Crete, &c. peruse these places, Acts v. 11. and ix. 31. and xi. 22, 26. and xiv. 23, 27. Rom. xv. 5. 1 Cor. i. 2. and iv. 17. and xiv. 4. Rev. ii. and iii. chap. By which it plainly appears that the universal and vifible church, fo much bragged of, for the rule and judge of faith, &c. is an upftart thing; and, like mean families, or ill-got goods, it uses false heraldry to give it a title.

For the apoftolick times, to which all others must veil, and by whom they must be tried, knew no fuch conceit and the truth is, it was firft started, when the pride of one man made him ambitious, and his power able to bid, for headship, empire, and fovereignty: it was then needful to his being univerfal head, that he fhould have an univerfal body. But fuppofe fuch a church there were, it is utterly impoffible that fuch a church could be called together in any one place, or at any one time, to be told, or to determine of, any thing: fo that yielding the thing by them defired, it is ufelefs and impracticable to the ends for which they defire it. But alas! who knows not, that loves not to be blind, that the church among them is the priesthood? That a few cunning men govern the majority, and intitle their conceits the canons of Chrift's VOL IV.

K

church,

• church,' to give them entrance and acceptance: and then human power and force, the policy and weapons of this world, muft be employed to back their decrees. And all this comes from the ignorance and idleness of the people, that give the pride and industry of the clergy an opportunity to effect their defigns upon them. For fo mean-fpirited are the people, as to take all upon truft for their fouls, that would not truft or take from an archbishop a brafs fhilling or a flit groat.

It is prodigious to think what veneration the priesthood have raised to themselves, by their ufurped commiffion of apoftleship, their pretended fucceffions, and their clinkclank of extraordinaty Ordination. • A priest! a God on earth, a man that has the keys of heaven and hell: do as he fays, or be damned!' What power like to this? The ignorance of the people of their title and pretences, hath prepared them to deliver up themselves into their hands, like a crafty ufurer, that hedges in the eftate on which he has a mortgage; and thus they make themselves over in fee to the clergy, and become their proper patrimony, inftead of being their care, and they the true minifters or fervants of the people: fo that believing as the church believes, is neither more nor less than rooking men out of their understandings, or doing as ill gamefters are wont to do, get by ufing falfe dice. Come, come; it is believing as the Priesthood believes, which has made way for the offence wife and good men have taken against the clergy in every age. And did the people examine their bottom, the ground of their religion and faith, it would not be in the power of their leaders to cause them to err. An implicit veneration of the clergy begun the mifery. What! doubt my minister, arraign his doctrine, put him to the Proof! By no means:' but the confequence of not doing it, has been the introduction of much false doctrine, fuperftition, and formality, which gave juft occafion for fchifm; for the word has no hurt in itself, and implies

only

only a separation; which may as well be right as

wrong.

But that, I may not be taxed with partiality, or up braided with fingularity, there are two men, whose worth, good fenfe, and true learning, I will at any time engage against an intire convocation of another judgment; viz. Jacobus Acontius, and John Hales of Eton, that are of the fame mind; who, though they have not writ much, have writ well and much to the purpose. I will begin with Jacobus Acontius at large, and do heartily befeech my readers to be more than ordinarily intent in reading what I cite of him; their care and patience will be requited by his Christian and very acute fenfe.

It remains that we fpeak of fuch causes of the not 'perceiving that a change of doctrine is introduced, as confift in the perfons that are taught. Now they are chiefly two, careleffness and ignorance. Careleffness for the most part arifeth hence, in that the people trust too much to their Paftors; and perfuade themselves that they will not flip into any error, and that there'fore they have finall need to have an eye over them; ' but that they are bound rather to embrace whatsoever 'they fhall hold forth, without any curious examina'tion. Hereunto may be added many other bufineffes, ' whereunto men addict themselves: for that faying is ' of large extent,' "Where mens treasure is, there is "their heart;" and that other,' "No man can serve "two two masters." Now how it may come to pafs, that ' after a people hath once had a great knowledge of divine truths, the faid knowledge may as it were vanish away, befides that cause which hath been even now alledged, we shall in another place make difcoC very of fome other reasons. We fhall for the prefent <add only this one, that the people themselves are in a perpetual kind of mutation, fome daily dying and ' departing, others fucceeding and growing up in their 'ftead. Whence it comes to pafs, that fince the 'change which is made in every age is small, either the people cannot perceive it, or if they do obferve

8.

K 2

it,