sion of the truth; and that the breach of that union, whereby a man ceases to be a member of that church, is schism; otherwise to tell me that I am a sectary, a schismatic, to fill up his pages with vain surmises and supposals, to talk of a difference and schism among the members of the catholic church, or the like impertinences, will never farther his discourse among men, either rational, solid, or judicious. All that ensues to the end of this chapter is about the ordination of ministers, wherein however he hath been pleased to deal with me in much bitterness of spirit, with many clamours and false accusations; I am glad to find him, p. 120. renouncing ordination from the authority of the church of Rome as such, for I am assured, that by so doing, he can claim it no way from, by, or through Rome; for nothing came to us from thence but what came in and by the authority of that church.

CHAP. IX.

WE are now gathering towards what seems of most immediate concernment as to this reverend author's undertaking; namely, to treat of the nature of a particular church, its union and the breach of that union; the description I give of such a church is this; It is a society of men called by the word to the obedience of the faith in Christ, and joint performance of the worship of God in the same individual ordinances according to the order by him prescribed.' This I profess to be a general description of its nature, waving all contests about accurate definitions, which usually tend very little to the discovery or establishment of truth: after some canvassing of this description, our author tells us, that he grants it to be the definition of a particular church, which is more than I intended it for; only he adds, that according to this description, their churches are as true as ours; which I presume by this time he knows was not the thing in question. His ensuing discourse of the will of Christ, that men should join not all in the same individual congregation, but in this or that, is by me wholly assented unto, and the matter of it contended for by me, as I am able; what he is pleased to

add about explicit covenanting and the like, I am not at all for the present concerned in; I purposely waved all expressions concerning it, one way or other, that I might not involve the business in hand with any unnecessary contests; it is possible somewhat hereafter may be spoken to that subject, in a tendency unto the reconciliation of the parties at variance. His argument, in the close of the section for a presbyterian church, from Acts xx. 17. because there is mention of more elders than one in that church, and therefore it was not one single congregation, I do not understand; I think no one single congregation is wholly completed according to the mind of Christ, unless there be more elders than one in it; there should be elders in every church; and, for my part, so we could once agree practically in the matter of our churches, I am under some apprehension that it were no impossible thing to reconcile the whole difference, as to a presbyterian church or a single congregation. And though I be reproved anew for my pains, I may offer ere long to the candid consideration of godly men, something that may provoke others of better abilities and more leisure, to endeavour the carrying on of so good a work. Proceeding to the consideration of the unity of this church, he takes notice of three things laid down by me, previously to what I was farther to assert; all which he grants to be true, but yet will not let them pass without his animadversions. The two first are, that, 1.' A man may be a member of the catholic invisible church;' and, 2. 'Of the visible catholic church, and yet not be joined to a particular church.' These, as I said, he owns to be true, but asks how I can reconcile this with what I said before, namely, that the members of the catholic visible church are initiated into the profession of the faith by baptism;' but where lies the difference? why, saith he, "baptism, according to his principles, is an ordinance of worship only to be enjoyed in a particular church, whilst he will grant (what yet he doth deny, but will be forced to grant) that a minister is a minister to more than his own church, even to the catholic church, and may administer baptism out of a particular church, as Philip did to the eunuch." Ans. How well this author is acquainted with my principles, hath been already manifested; as to his present mistake, I shall not complain, seeing that some occasion may be ad

ministered unto it, from an expression of mine, at least as it is printed, of which I shall speak afterward; for the present, he may be pleased to take notice, that I am so far from confining baptism subjectively to a particular congregation, that I do not believe that any member of a particular church was ever regularly baptized: baptism precedes admission into church membership, as to a particular church; the subject of it, is professing believers and their seed; as such they have right unto it, whether they be joined to any particular church or no; suitable to this judgment hath been my constant and uninterrupted practice. I desire also to know, who told him that I deny a minister to be a minister to more than his own church, or averred that he may perform ministerial duty only in and towards the members of his own congregation, for so much as men are appointed the objects of the dispensation of the word, I grant a man, in the dispensations of it, to act ministerially towards not only the members of the catholic church, but the visible members of the world also in contradistinction thereunto.

The third thing laid down by me, whereunto also he assents is, that every believer is obliged to join himself to some one of those churches, that there he may abide in doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and prayer:' but my reasons, whereby I prove this, he says he likes not so well: and truly I cannot help it. I have little hope he should like any thing well which is done by me: let him be pleased to furnish me with better, and I shall make use of them; but yet when he shall attempt so to do, it is odds but that one or other, will find as many flaws in them as he pretends to do in mine; but this, he saith, he shall make use of, and that, he shall make advantage of, and I know not what, as if he were playing a prize upon a stage. The third reason is, that which he likes worst of all, and I like the business the better, that what he understands least, that he likes worst; it is, that Christ hath given no direction for any duty of worship, merely and purely of sovereign institution, but only to them and by them who are so joined ;' hereupon he asks, 1. 'Is baptism a part of worship?' Ans. Yes, and to be so performed by them, that is a minister in, or of them; I fear my expression in this place led him to his whole mistake in this matter. 2. 'Prayer and reading of the word in private fa

milies, are they no duty of worship? Ans. Not merely and purely of sovereign institution. 3. 'Is preaching to convert heathens a duty of worship?' not, as described, in all cases; when it is, it is to be performed by a minister; and so he knows my answer to his next invidious inquiry, relating to my own person; against my fourth reason, taken from the apostle's care to leave none out of this order who were con verted, where it was possible, he gives in the instance of the eunuch, and others converted where there were not enough to engage in such societies; that is, in them with whom it was impossible: my fifth is, from Christ's providing of officers for these churches; this also he saith is weak as the rest, for first, Christ provided officers at first for the catholic church, that is, the apostles. 2. All ordinary officers are set first in the catholic church, and every minister is first a minister to the catholic church, and if, saith he, he deny this, he knows where to find a learned antagonist.'

Ans. But see what it is to have a mind to dispute; will he deny that Christ appointed officers for particular churches, or if he should have a mind to do it, will his arguments evince any such thing; Christ appointed apostles, catholic officers, therefore he did not appoint officers for par ticular churches; though he commanded that elders should be ordained in every church,' pastors and teachers are set first in the catholic church, therefore Christ hath not ordained officers for particular churches. But this is the way with our author! If any word offers itself, whence it is possible to draw out the mention of any thing, that is, or hath at any time been, in difference between Presbyterians and Independents, that presently is run away withal; for my part, I had not the least thought of the controversy which to no purpose at all he would here lead me to; but yet, I must tell him, that my judgment is, that ordinary officers are firstly to be ordained in particular churches; and as I know where to find a learned antagonist as to that particular, so I do, in respect of every thing that I affirm or deny in the business of religion, and yet I bless the Lord I am not in the least disquieted or shaken in my adherence to the truth I profess.

My last reason, he saith, is 'fallacious and inconsequent,' and that because he hath put an inference upon it never in

tended in it. Now the position that these reasons were produced to confirm being true, and so acknowledged by himself, because it is a truth that indeed I lay some more than ordinary weight upon, it being of great use in the days wherein we live, I would humbly entreat this reverend author to send me his reasons whereby it may be confirmed, and I shall promise him if they be found of more validity than those which, according to my best skill, I have already used, he shall obtain many thanks, and much respect for his favour.

What he remarks upon, or adds to my next discourse, about instituted worship in general, I shall not need to insist on; only by the way I cannot but take notice of that which he calls a chief piece of independency,' and that is, that those who are joined in church fellowship are so confined, that they cannot or may not worship God in the same ordinances in other churches;' how this comes to be 'a chief piece of independency,' I know not. It is contrary to the known practice of all the churches of England that I am acquainted with, which he calls Independents. For my part, I know but one man of that mind, and he is no child in these things.

For the ensuing discourse about the intercision of ordinances, it being a matter of great importance, and inquired into by me merely in reference to the Roman apostacy, it needs a more serious disquisition, than any thing at present administered by our author will give occasion unto; possibly in convenient time I may offer somewhat farther towards the investigation of the mind of God therein: every thing in this present contest is so warped to the petty difference between Presbyterians and Independents, that no fair progress nor opportunity for it can be afforded. If it may be, in my next debate of it, I shall wave all mention of those meaner differences, and as I remember I have not insisted on them in what I have already proposed to this purpose, so possibly the next time I may utterly escape.. For the present, I do not doubt but the Spirit of God in the Scripture, is furnished with sufficient authority to erect new churches, and set up the celebration of all ordinances on supposition that there was an intercision of them. To declare the way of his exerting his authority to this purpose,