Of the practise of their Church.[536]
The Church of the Seperatists is governed by Pastors, Elders and Deacons, and there is not [{173}] any of these, though hee be but a Cow keeper, but is allowed to exercise his guifts in the publik assembly on the Lords day,[537] so as hee doe not make use of any notes for the helpe of his memory:[538] for such things, they say, smell of Lampe oyle, and there must be no such unsavery perfume admitted to come into the congregation.
These are all publike preachers. There is amongst these people a Deakonesse, made of the sisters, that uses her guifts at home in an assembly of her sexe, by way of repetition or exhortation:[539] such is their practise.
The Pastor, (before hee is allowed of,) must disclaime his former calling to the Ministry, as hereticall; and take a new calling after their fantasticall inventions: and then hee is admitted to bee their Pastor.
The manner of disclaimeing is, to renounce his calling with bitter execrations, for the time that hee hath heretofore lived in it: and after his new election, there is great joy conceaved at his commission.[540]
And theire Pastors have this preheminence above the Civile Magistrate: Hee must first consider of the complaint made against a member: and if hee be disposed to give the partie complained of an admonition, there is no more to be said: if not; Hee delivers him over to the Magistrate to deale with him in a course of Iustice, according to theire practise in cases of that nature.[541]
[{174}] Of these pastors I have not knowne many:[542] some I have observed together with theire carriage in New Canaan, and can informe you what opinion hath bin conceaved of theire conditions in the perticuler. There is one who, (as they give it out there that thinke they speake it to advaunce his worth,) has bin expected to exercise his gifts in an assembly that stayed his comming, in the middest of his Iorney falls into a fitt, (which they terme a zealous meditation,) and was 4. miles past the place appointed before hee came to himselfe, or did remember where abouts hee went. And how much these things are different from the actions of mazed men, I leave to any indifferent man to judge; and if I should say they are all much alike, they that have seene and heard what I have done, will not condemne mee altogether.
Now, for as much as by the practise of theire Church every Elder or Deacon may preach, it is not amisse to discover their practise in that perticuler, before I part with them.[543]