A Vindication of the Presbyteriall-Government and Ministry

by Ministers and Elders of the London Provinciall Assembly

The second opinion, is of those, that will confesse a particular Church-Government by divine right; but say, that this is not the Presbyteriall, but the Government commonly called Independent, or Congregationall: the truth is, There are four kinds of Church-Government which lay claim to a jus divinum; The Papal, Prelatical, Independent, and Presbyterial. The first of them was banished out of this Kingdom, by King Hen. the 8. The second of them, as it was used and practised in this land, is abjured by our Covenant. The great debate of these late years, hath been about the Presbyterial, and Independent Government. And though we do not intend at this time, to enter into a large dispute; yet we earnestly desire our Brethren, that differ from us only in point of Church-Government, to consider the wofull mischiefs, that have come upon the Churches of Christ in England, by their dividing, and separating from us: And that whilest we have been disputing what is that Government which Christ hath appointed in his Word, there are a prevailing party risen up, that will have no Government at all to be found in the Word: whilest we have been so long debating about the hedge, the wild Beasts have got in, and made spoyl of the Vineyard it self: Whilest we have been building the wall, others have been plucking down the house: Whilest we have been consulting about the Garment of Christ, others have taken advantage to deny the Divinity of Christ: Whilest we have been so tediously contending about Reforming of Churches, Ordination of Ministers; and purity of Ordinances, there are men risen up, that deny all Ministry, Ordinances, and Churches. And indeed, there is scarce any fundamental Doctrine in Christian Religion, but is now, not only called in question, but openly denyed by some, or other. And therefore, we do exhort our Brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they would sadly lay to heart the unexpressible calamities, which are brought upon our Churches, by their dividing from us; and that they would study, for the time to come, all wayes of Union and Accommodation: And for our parts, we do here profess to all the World, that we are, have alwayes been, and through the grace of God, shall ever be willing to study to find out any Scripture way, wherein we may unite together with them, for the preservation of the Truths of Jesus Christ, the prevention of a toleration of Heresies and Blasphemies, and for the healing of the great scandal that is given to weak Christians, and wicked men, by our unhappy differences and divisions.

As for the Presbyterial Government it self, we may justly say of it, as the Jews did upon another occasion, [41]we know that every where it is spoken against; and that men deal with it, and Us that profess it, as the old persecutors dealt with the Christians; when they put them into Bear-skins, and then baited them with dogs; and as the Papists dealt with John Hus[42], when they pinned a paper, with the picture of red Devils, upon his head, and then exposed him to the laughter of the people. Some say, That it is a lordly, Domineering government; and that if we had our wills, we would lord it over the people of Christ, more then ever the Prelates did; and instead of one Bishop in a Diocess, we should have many hundreds. Others say, that it is a Tyrannical and cruel government, and if it were once established, it would fine and imprison all that would not yeeld to it. Others, that we require an Arbitrary power, and challenge an illimited jurisdiction. Others, that we have a design to free our selves from being under the power of the civil Magistrate. Others, that this government doth rob the Congregational Churches of their power and liberty, no lesse then Prelacy did, so that the Church in removing of Prelacy, changed not Dominium, but Dominum. Others, that we seek for unity, but neglect purity. Others accuse us, that we contend too earnestly for purity, because we will not admit men to the Sacrament, before they give an account to the Minister and Elders of their fitness thereunto. Others accuse us, for stamping a jus divinum upon our government; and others on the contrary, declaim against us, because we do not assert a jus divinum, but depend upon a jus humanum; depend more upon an Ordinance of Parliament for our establishment, then an Ordinance of God. Others exclaim against us, that we are now become the only troublers of Israel, and the only hinderers of a blessed and glorious Reformation; That we are pestilent fellowes, movers of sedition among the people, causers of the first war between King and Parliament, and of all the murders and blood-shedings, that have been in the Nation for these many years; That we were the Authors and abettors of that violence that was offered to the Parliament, July 6. 1647. That the Ministers of London are Pulpit-Incendiaries, and have separated their consecrated lungs, for Bellows, to blow up the fire of a second War the last year; that they were the bringers in of that numerous Army out of Scotland, to invade the Parliament and Army of England: Others say, that we are Apostatized from our principles, and are turned Malignants, that we that were once the great Parliament Assertors, are now become the only Parliament-Opposers. Lastly, that the Presbyterian Ministers seek their own private ease and interest, and not the things of Jesus Christ; That they are notorious hypocrites, Baals Priests, limbs of Antichrist. And that the only reason why they dislike, and expresse an unsatisfiednesse with these times, and the alterations therein made, is, because they fear, that their great Diana of tythes will be pulled down, and that their gains will be lesse, and their pains greater; and that they cannot lord it over their people, as they hoped to have done.

These are the Bear-skins in which we are put from day to day; these are the red Devils that are pinned upon us, to render our persons, Ministry, and Government odious unto the people. But our comfort is, that these accusations are meer calumnies and slanders, and that there is not the least shadow of reality or truth in them. And it is an evident token to us, that God hath some great work for us to do, because he suffers the red dragon to pour out such floods of reproaches upon us; and that our government is of Divine Original, because it is so much opposed, and that by all sorts of men, and that in contrary ways: some opposing it, because it seeks so much after purity of ordinances; others, because it seeks it not enough: some, because it layeth claim so much to a jus divinum; Others, because not enough.

We well remember, and are therein much comforted, what Tertullian saith; That that religion must needs be good which Nero persecuted; and what Spanhemius that late learned Professor of Leyden, in his history of the original, and progress of the Anabaptists of Germany, tells us, [43]That when God raised up Luther, Melancthon, Zuinglius, and divers other Worthies, to be the Reformers of his Church; At the same time, the enemy of mankind raised up the Anabaptists, to be the disturbers of his Church. That Thomas Muntzer their great Antesignanus, when he could not get Luther to joyn with him, but on the contrary was rebuked by him, and earnestly admonished not to disturb the publique peace, &c. He began to rise up, and thunder against Luther himself, crying out, that Luther was as much in fault, as the Pope of Rome; that it was true, the work of reformation was somewhat furthered by him, but left still infected with much leaven; yea that Luther was worse then the Pope, for that he had published only a carnall Gospel. And afterwards, When Luther, Melancthon, Zuinglius, Bullinger, Menius, Regius, and others, began, by writing, to defend both their own, and the cause of the Church of God, and to wipe off the blot that was cast as well upon themselves as upon the Gospel, by these Anabaptists; Muntzer and his confederates were the more enraged against them, crying out, That Luther, and those of his party, favoured nothing but the flesh, vaunting indeed, that they had cut off some of the leaves of Antichrist, but the tree, and the roots remained still untouched, which must also be cut down, and which cut down they would. And because they could finde nothing in the written Word, to defend their errours, and the tumults which they raised, they fly to revelations, and inspirations &c. Hereupon every Fish-monger begins to boast of the spirit, feign revelations after the example of Storch and Muntzer; The Pulpit is open to every Cobler or Tinker. They scoffed at the publique Sermons of the reformed, inveighed against the Lutherane Faith, as being void of good works, &c. Muntzer, the chiefe trumpet of these uproars, proclaims openly, that he was raised up by the command of God, for the punishment of wicked Princes, and altering of Politick government. His usual subscription to his letters was, Thomas Muntzer, the servant of God against the ungodly. What was the fatal end of this Muntzer, and of Iohn Becold the Taylor of Leyden, and of the rest of that crew; what prodigious opinions they held, he that will, may read them in the forementioned Author. There are two reasons have moved us to cite this story: First, to shew, That it is not unusual with God, when he raiseth up men faithful in their generation to reform his Church, to give way to the enemy of mankind, for the trial of his people, to raise up some men even amongst the Reformers themselves, that by spreading of errours and Heresies, and State-disturbing opinions, should endeavour to obstruct the Reformation so happily begun. Secondly, that in times of Reformation, it hath alwayes been the practice of the Ring-leaders of Errours and Heresies, to inveigh more bitterly, and write more railingly against the Reformers of the Church, and the Reformation by them indeavoured, then against the common adversary, both of themselves, of the Reformers, and of the Reformation. And this is our lot and portion at this day.

But yet, notwithstanding all this, we hope, that if this Presbyteriall Government, so much opposed both by Malignants, and Sectaries of all sorts, were once presented unto our congregations in its true and native colours, it would be embraced by all that fear God amongst us; and that we might say of it, as once it was said of Socrates, That all that knew him, loved him; and the reason why any did not love him, was only because they did not know him. And we likewise hope, that if we shall fully answer the accusations that are brought against us, in the bitter and lying pamphlets of this licentious age, that then our persons also shall stand right in the hearts and consciences of all that truly fear God within this Kingdome. Give us leave, therefore to undertake these two things.

First, To represent the Presbyteriall-Government before you, in its true beauty and excellency.

Secondly, To vindicate our persons from the slanders and cruell reproaches that are cast upon them.

1. For the Vindication of our Government, and therein the undeceiving of our people, who look upon it; as it is misrepresented unto them, by those that are enemies unto Us, Them, and the Government, we shall offer briefly these ensuing particulars.

1. That the Presbyteriall-Government is a Government that hath been the fruit of the prayers of many thousands of godly people in England, in Queen Elizabeth's, and King Iames his dayes: There were many knowing Christians, and faithfull Ministers, that made it their frequent prayer, that God would reform England in Discipline, as he had done in Doctrine; and the Discipline then they prayed for, and many suffered for, was the Presbyterian; as appears by the books written in those days[44]. And shall we now despise that mercy that comes swimming to us in the prayers of so many thousand Saints?

2. Though the Presbyterian-Government (for the practice of it) be new and strange to us in England, yet it is not new.