WHen you descended so low, as to make choice of us to Preach to the learned V­niversity and famous City of OXFORD, wee durst not performe blind obedience, wee consulted God and our consciences, our friends and Brethren; we looked up­on the service as a taske par animo Alexan­dri, and our friends looked upon our obedience to your Or­ders, tanquam obedientiae prodigium. Wee considered that GOD doth usually make use of weake instruments in great and high services, that all the glory may be ascribed to God alone, to whom all the glory is due, because he works all our works in us and for us. We came hither with selfe-de­nying thoughts, being confident that God who called us to a new service, would give us new abilities, and raise our spi­rits as high as our work. We know each impotent creature moved by the instinct of nature, doth adventure upon its own [Page 2] particular hurt for the general good. Philosophy hath taught us that we must not love what is good upon private grounds, with respect to our own particular interest, or private good; and experience tels us, that great things have been brought to passe by weak and inconsiderable means. We are ashamed to be outvied by the gallantry of that noble Queen, who with resolution above her sex cryed out magnanimously, If I perish, I perish: we resolved therefore to run any course (and deprive our selves of that sweet content we took in more retired em­ployments, more sutable to our abilities) that the publique might be more furthered, and God more honoured, though we had perished in the work:Naz. Orat 20. this is (as Nazianzen speaks) the law of Martyrdome, neither to seek danger, nor feare it.

It is now requisite that we should in this our last moneth, give you some account of this halfe years service; our ene­mies will assure you, that we have been true to our principles, and you know we were sent to beare witnesse to the truth. We must needs subscribe to that zealous expression of Zuinglius, Quas non oportet mortes praeligere—imò in quam profundam inferni abyssum non intrare, quàm contra conscientiam attestari? It is more desirable to go to hell, then to witnesse any thing against our conscience.Anno 1253. Matthew Paris relates a story of one that was not afraid to speak the truth upon his death-bed. The Fryers, saith he, and the Prelates are all Hereticks; the Fryers for not reproving the Prelates, and the Prelates for con­ferring Benefices upon unworthy persons. We have spoken as if we had been upon our death-beds, sure we are, they will not pronounce us guilty of the Fryers Heresie.

The corruptions of men do many times by an over-ruling providence prove the occasions of fulfilling the promises of God; lies are made subservient to truth, and envy to charity, by the wise disposall of the God of Heaven: a sweet experi­ment whereof we his despised servants have met withall in the result of the ensuing conferences, touching which we find men of different minds. Some of deep judgement and (as we hope) good affections, do much wonder why the Ministers sent down by the Paaliament to Oxford, would condescend to dispute with men who have not skill either to discerne the [Page 3] strength of others arguments, or the weakenesse of their own answers, much lesse the sufficiency of answers given to their reasons for satisfaction. It will be requisite therfore to lay downe the grounds and reasons which moved the Ministers then present, to yeeld to any such private meetings at their first coming to Oxford.

The truth is, they found the Vniversity & City much cor­rupted, and divers hopefull men in both, very much unset­led; they perceived that it was not possible to instruct, con­vince, reforme, and settle even ingenuous men, unlesse there were some private exercise allowed in which they might have some freindly conference, without any wrangling de­bate, with these unsetled but hopefull men.

It was far from the intention of the Ministers upon the place,Rom. 14. 1. to receive such as were weake in the faith to doubtfull dis­putations, notwithstanding they knew themselves obliged to beare the infirmities of the weake, and durst not please them­selves, no nor others, any further then might make for edifica­tion. They did not thinke themselves too high for commu­nion and fellowship of ordinary saints, much lesse did they conceive themselves Lords of the peoples faith; they knew that the ablest Ministers may be established and comforted by the experiments of grown Christians,Rom. 1. 11, 12. for even the Apostle him­selfe desires,Modeste signi­ficans se non minus paratum esse consolatio­nem & aedifica­tionem ex eo­rum fide capere, quám ex suâ ipsius praebere. Dickson in loc. & D. Selater on Rom. 1. 12. that he and his Romans might be comforted toge­ther by the mutuall faith of one another; and therefore howe­ver it would in a rationall way have seemed more for their advantage to have admitted none to the meeting but prudent and well accomplished Christians, and more agreeable to reason, to let every one bear his owne burthen, and to converse with those onely who are not burthensome, but helpefull be­cause strong Christians, yet they did know it is their duty to help others and deny themselves, to support the weake, and beare with their weaknesse, and not seek to please themselves, but Christ,Rom. 15. 1. who commands them to beare the infirmities of the weake, and forbids them to please themselves, Rom. 15. 1. and hereupon though they foresaw that this exercise would load them with unpleasing burthens and censures, yet they resolved not to please themselves, but to pleasure even weake [Page 4] Christians for their good to edification, [...] Christ pleased not him­selfe.

Moreover the Ministers were assured that there were some weak Christians, who would be very willing to give them a private meeting, but would by no means be perswaded to re­paire to the Parish-Churches, the constant place of publique meetings; now the Ministers thought fit that these weak bre­thren for whom Christ dyed should be tenderly respected, and not given over as lost sheepe.

Besides there were some of the Vniversity who had been taught that there were certain vacuities in the Morall law, that Christ was a Priest after the order of Aaron, Vide Tertullia­ni Apologet. Minut. Foel. Plinij Ep. &c. Conventus bono­rum non est factio sed Curia, that a con­stellation of Gospell-graces and sincere obedience to the whole Gospell make men capable of the pardon of sin, and do as conditions qualifie beleevers for justification, &c. The Mi­nisters therefore are not ashamed to professe that the intent of their meeting was not only to satisfie scrupulous men, and resolve cases of conscience, a service of no mean concernment, and such as could not be performed in a satisfactory way without a conference; but they desired to set up a kind of Catechisme Lecture, by way of conference, and that the rather because they knew all that stood in need of catechising, would not brook the ordinary way of catechising by Question and Answer, the first being esteemed more friendly and familiar, and this latter accounted (by men as proud as they are igno­rant) too Magisteriall.

The Ministers saw it necessary to lay downe the first prin­ciples of the doctrin of Christ, namely the foundation of re­pentance from dead works, and faith towards God, and ac­cordingly they did clearly explain the doctrins of justificatiō and Regeneration, they did set open the treasures of the cove­nant of Grace, and shew unto the people by what means they might get an interest in Christ; by what evidences they might clear that interest, and how they might improve it to their best advantage, Therefore seeing they have this Ministry they faint not, but renounce the hidden things of dishonesty (which might put them to shame) not walking in craftinesse nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth they [Page 5] have commended themselves to every mans conscience in the fight of God, 2 Cor. 4, 1. 2. And that the Gospel which they haue vindicated may not be hid, they published Propositions or Theses to the world, which they did assert and evince by un­denyable Arguments at their severall exercises from the 4^th of September till the 12^th of November.

You may please further to understand; there were severall Rules for the better regulating of these meetings.

1. That the Ministers deputed to state the point and keep order, should begin and conclude the exercise with prayer.

2. That the Principlall question should be propounded a Week before it was stated and determined, that every one might upon mature deliberation deliver his judgement, or ex­periments for the edification of the company that met.

3. That such Questions only should be propounded as did tend to the clearing of some weighty point of faith, worship, or obedience, that all niceties and subtilties might be waved, and that Truth which is according to godlinesse manifested and maintained.

4. That nothing should be begun or carried on in that meeting through strife or vain-glory, but all proceedings should be in lowlinesse of mind and brotherly love, that they might in honour prefer one another and shew that each did esteem another better then himselfe.

5. That no man should be interrupted, unlesse he seemed tediously impertinent to him who was appointed to keep order.

6. That none should advance this or any other private metting in opposition to, or contempt of publick Ordinan­ces, but every one be carefull to benefit himselfe by this exer­cise, that he might be the better prepared for all solemn wor­ship, service, and ordinances in publique.

The Apostles made it their businesse by teaching from house to house, in private to prepare Christians for publick wor­ship, and to unite them that they might with zeal and sted­fastnesse continue, 1. In the doctrine delivered by the Apostles: 2. In all Christian fellowship. 3. More especially in that in­imate fellowship or communion in breaking of bread. 4. In [Page 6] prayers, Act. 2. 4 [...]. The Ministers intended by this exercise to unite the godly Citizens and Schollers, 1. that they might be establish'd in the doctrine delivered by the Apostles to the Saints: 2. united in all bands of Christian freindship & communion: 3. be prepared for the holy communion of the body & bloud of Christ, and in a word, for all offices of piety and charity; and when they were made more profitable hearers, and wor­thy communicants, we did not doubt but all that lived and conversed together in City or Vniversity (for whose benefit the exercise was intended) would upon all occasions be kind­ly affectioned to one another, and watch over one another with a godly and freindly jealousie, provoke one another to piety, and upon every good opportunity according to their severall abi­lities instruct, admonish, reprove, exhort, encourage, comfort recover, support, releive, serve one another in love and pru­dence, as their severall nrcessities should require; this was the dangerous designe of the Ministers sent from the Parlia­ment, which they are not ashamed by these presents to pub­lish to the world: which was to nourish, continue, and in­crease communion between the Saints, that there might be a spirituall and happy exchange of gifts, graces, and experi­ments between Ministers and strong Christians, that both might be better enabled to bear the heaviest burdens and the manifold infirmities of weake Christians. If Ministers spend their strength in resolving perplexed cases, clearing obscure points, in cateching the ignorant, confirming the unsetled, comforting the distressed, reducing the seduced, sure this is the way to be helpers of the peoples joy, and furtherers of their owne account, this as rhey humbly conceived, was the best way to put every mēber of Christs body into its proper place, that hath in these times of distraction been dislocated or dis­joynted, that there may be no heresie nor schism, or as little as may be, but (by that which every joynt supplyeth according to the mutuall serviceablenesse and effectuall working in the measure of every part) the whole body may be increased by the edification of it selfe, M. Rogers his 5 Treatise and 13 Chapt. and every part in love, every part growing up in all things into Christ, who is our head, our life, our all, Ephe. 4. 15, 16.

In the workes of Reverend M. Roger now with God, we [Page 7] read that in the year 1588. that memorable year, some devo­ted Christians (that were diligent frequenters of publick Assemblies with the people of God) met also in private, and did by conference unite themselves, and so strengthen one a­nother against their corruptions, that the devill himself and all their enemies were never able to dissolve that happy uni­on; but let our Theses speak for us.

Quest. 1. Concerning Justification, what it is?

• 1. It is the gracious sentence of God,
  1. Rom. 8 1. 3. 34.
• 2. Wherein he freely forgives all the sins of beleevers.
  2. Rom 3. 24, 25, 26. Gal [...]. 2. 16. & cap. 3. 22. Act. 3. 38, 39.
• 3. And accepts their persons as righte­ous,
  3. Rom. 4 5, 6, 7.
• 4. In and for the righteousnesse of Christ.
  4. Rom. 5. 19 Gal. 2 20. Eph. 1. 6.
• 5. Given to them by God.
  5. Rom. 5. 15, 16. 17. 2 Cor. 5. 21.

Concerning the forgivenesse of sins.

Quest. 2. Whether all the sins of beleevers past, present, and to come, are in Justification at once and in one sentence pardoned?

1. By that sentence whereby a beleever is declared righte­ous in the sight of God, for and in the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ bestowed on him, his sins are freely remitted unto him, and he stands discharged in the sight of God from the guilt of them, and from the condemnation which the law pronoun­ceth against them, Rom. 4. 6. Hebr. 8. 12.

2. Guilt of sin may be considered two wayes,

• 1. As it cleaveth to sin and importeth a deserving of pu­nishment, and this is every where, where sin is; even in the godly themselves, Psal. 143. 2. Psal. 130. 3.
• 2. As it redounds to the person, actually subjecting him to the curse.

3. Though every sin whatsoever be in its own nature dam­nable, and so might bind the person under wrath and the curse, yet no sin doth actually subject any person under wrath and the Curse, but that which is committed while he is under [Page 8] the law, and before he is under grace, for it is the law which worketh wrath, Rom. 4. 15. Rom. 6. 14. Rom. 8. 1.

4. Sin cannot properly be said to be pardoned to a person before it be committed, for where sin is not, guilt is not; and where guilt is not on a person, it cannot be said by a pardon to be removed from him: but the sins of an unregenerate man when he is justified are actually pardoned, that is, the obliga­tion of the person under wrath by reason of these sins is taken off from him, and he translated under grace; and the sinnes which he commits after regeneration so far forth as they have any kind of guilt in them, so far forth they may be said to be still forgiven to him, Mich. 7. 18. Psalme 51. 9.

For understanding whereof we may note,

1. That as sin is damnable in it self, so where it continues to be, it would continue to damne, if the pardon once given, should not likewise be continued to the person to whom it is given. Now these are two things and two acts of grace; to Justifie a person, and to continue the Grace of Justification to him; for God might (if such had been his pleasure) pardon sin past, and leave a sinner under the power of sin in case he com­mitted it afterward, to bring a new guilt upon him unto death, as of it self it is apt to do: so that as a stone in a buil­ding is of it self apt to fall downward, and so would do if the building should not continue, so sin in a justified person is apt to condemne, and would condemne him as well as any other, if God should not continue to justifie, or multiply to pardon Isay 55. 7.

2. We may note that God may be considered two wayes,

• 1. As a Judge proceeding against Male factors according to the law which inflicteth a curse, Rom. 4▪ 15.
• 2. As a father proceeding against offending children with anger and displeasure; so the Lord may be angry with his own people, Esay 64. 8, 9. Exod. 4. 14.

An unjustified person sinning is an enemy under the curse of God as a judge, a justified person sinning is a sonne under the anger and displeasure of God as a father. So that there is a guilt subjecting the one to a legal curse, and a guilt subjecting the other to a paternall displeasure.

[Page 9] If then it be asked in what sense justified persons may and do aske pardon of sin committed by them after justification; we answer.

1. In regard of legall condemnation, so we daily aske the continuance of the pardon already granted; for it is one thing to pardon, and another to continue to pardon, or to preserve to a person that interest in a pardon once pronounced, which he if he were left to himselfe would by every sin after forfeit and cast away, 2 Sam. 7. 25. Heb. 8. 12.

2. In regard of paternall displeasure, so we daily aske the recovery of his gracious and fatherly countenance towards us, and the removall of that anger which our sins might justly provoke against us, Psal. 51▪ 9, 12. Psal. 6. 1.

3. In pardon is considerable,

• 1. The generall sentence once pronounced in a mans first translation from nature to grace.
• 2. The particular application of that grace with re­spects to particular sins, as they are daily or occa­sionally committed. In which sense Remission al­ready granted in the covenant of grace is by be­leevers sued forth and pleaded with respect to their daily sins, and Christs continuall interceding for them, 1 Joh. 2. 1, 2. Hebr. 7. 24, 25.

4. Sin is said to be forgiven two wayes, 1, In the court of the Judge, which is in our first translation from nature to grace. 2. In the conscience of the sinner reading his own par­don, and in this sense we daily pray for more full revelation and manifestation thereof to us.

Quest. How may a man know that he is justified?

Res. 1 The Spirit doth testisie in the written word that all.

Gal. 3. 6. Joh. 1. 12. Who beleeve in Jesus Christ,

Eph. 6. 24. 1 Joh. 4. 16. 19. Love him in sincerity,

1. Joh. 3. 14. And the brethren for his sake,

Rom. 8. 15, 16. and cap. 10. 13. Call upon God in Christs name,

Rom. 8. 13. Galat. 5. 24. Mortifie the deeds and lusts of the flesh,

Rom. 8. 1. Gal. 5. 25. Walk in and after the Spirit, are justi­fied.

[Page 10] 2. The Spirit doth work all saving graces in our hearts which are parts of Sanctification,Rom. 8. 30. evidences of Justification,1 Cor. 6. 11. the fruits and earnest of glory.Eph. 1. 14.

3. The Spirit doth when and as he pleaseth,1 Cor. 2. 9. 12. freely discover those graces (which he hath wrought in our hearts) to our consciences,Eph. 1. 17, 18, 19. and so doth witnesse together with our consci­ence,Eph. 3. 17. 18, 19. that we are the sons of God, and move us to cry,Rom. 5. 15. Abba, Gal. 4. 16. father.

4. Every sincere Christian ought humbly and thankfully to receive this testimony of the Spirit when it is vouchsafed un­to him.Gal. 4. 5, 6. Rom. 8. 15. 1. Joh. 5. 9. 10.

Quest. Of the use of the Law to beleevers.

1. The law was given to man in his innocency as a Cove­nant of life and righteousnesse, requiring perfect and perpe­tuall obedience under the paine of a Curse, Gal. 3. 10.

2. The law by the fall of man became weak and unable to justifie, Rom. 8. 3. so that none could have been saved if the Lord had not been pleased to make a Covenant of grace.

3. Since the fall of man the law was published againe, and added to the Covenant of grace, not as a part of it, nor as a supplement to it, but as a usefull instrument to further and pro­mote the purposes of the Gospell, Galat. 3. 19. Exod. 20. 2, 3. Take it thus then.

First, Negatively, the use of the law in the time of grace is not to justifie or save men, Rom. 3. 20. Galat. 2. 21. & 3. 21. nei­ther yet was it published purposely to condemne and destroy men, because condemnation was in the world before, Rom. 5. 14.

Secondly, Affirmatively; but the of it is,

1. To be a meanes and instrument to drive men to the grace which is revealed in the Gospel, by shewing men their sin, misery, and weaknesse, Rom. 3. 20. Galat. 3. 22. under the curse of the law.

2. As a rule of life and obedience to those that are justi­fied; that having received life, grace, and love, to doe Gods will, they may hereby be directed to the knowledge thereof, 1 Joh. 5. 23.Jam. 2. 10. 11. 1. Joh. 3. 4. Matth. 5. 17, 19. Rom. 3. 31. for though [Page 11] grace doth dispose us to doe the will of God, yet the law sets forth to us what that will of God is.

1. Righteous persons then are delivered from the law as a Covenant of life; from the curse and condemnation thereof; they expect life from a better covenant, Galat. 3. 13. c. 6. 14.

2. From the occasionall provocation of the law, that it doth not provoke lust, and cause sin to be the more busie and working in us, Rom. 7. 13.

3 From the slavish bondage of the law compelling to out­ward duties, out of feare, without love and delight, Rom. 8. 15.

But they are not delivered from the law as the rule of a holy life, or from the commanding power of the law; for the crea­ture must be subject to the will of the Creator, which will is signified to us in the law; for the law is holy▪ just, good, spiri­tuall, Psal. 19. Rom. 7. 12. 14. and we are called unto holinesse, 1 Thes. 4. 7. therefore we are to learne that holinesse whereun­to we are called out of the law, which is holy and good.

Quest. How a regenerate and sanctified person may be distin­guished from a civill man and the most close hypocrite?

We have formerly heard of the testimony of the Spirit as he is a Spirit of Adoption, now we desire to heare something of the worke of the Spirit as he is a Spirit of regeneration and sanctification.

Answ. Eph. 1 12. God in Christ by the Holy Ghost, working by the Tit. 5. 5, 6.word of truth, doth in due timeRom. 8. 10, 11, 13. mortifie the lusts, beget and quicken the soules of all theActs 26. 18. Colos. 1. 12. 13. Elect to a spirituall life, and Rom. 5, 2.translate them from a state1 Joh. 5. 1, 18. of sin to a state of grace and holi­nesse, that they may live byPhilip. 3. 20. faith and love, and have their conversation in Heaven.

Quest. Whether there be any more then one Covenant of grace.

Ans. 1 God hath made a Covenant of grace with all the elect in Jesus Christ.2 Cor. 6. 16, 18.

2. This Covenant is1 Cor. 10. 3, 4. Acts 15. 9, 11. Gal. 3. 8, 9, 14. 16, 17. one and the same for the substance of it both to Jews and Gentiles, though in regard of the different manner of dispensation it is called sometimes first and second, sometimes the old and new Covenant; the Luviticall dispen­sation [Page 12] did consist in temporary and carnall ordinances,1 Cor. 1. 12. which were but shadows of these heavenly things,Heb. 8. 5. which are more clearly revealed by a more excellent ministery to the children of God, dispersed abroad in severall Nations throughout the world. This cleare dispensation since Christ is unchangeable, and in regard of these severall respects forementioned the Co­venant administred unto us is said to be a better Covenant e­stablished upon better promises.Heb. 8. 6.

All that are actually brought under this holy Covenant have their minds inlightned to know God, their consciences purged, hearts purified, and wills subdued by the fear of God, they trust not to their own merits, live not after their owne lusts, fall not from the state of grace again, but live in sincere conformity to the perfect and spirituall law of God.

The successe of our Christian conferences,The successe. whether more private or publique, was undeniably great.

1. Some that scrupled the lawfullnesse of Infant-Baptisme▪ were reduced and established by a private conference, when we were engaged to treat of another subject in our more so­lemn meetings.

2. Divers that are not fully of our mind in point of Disci­pline, and some that were directly contrary, did ingeniously acknowledge that after a faire debate they received much sa­tisfaction in some maine points of doctrine; others did grate­fully confesse that they were now convinced that the Mini­sters intentions were pious, and that their endeavours did ef­fectually conduce to the advancement of Christianity, and gave us great thanks for our pains.

3. Divers Scholars, and some of them fellowes of Houses, did blesse God that ever they saw those Ministers in Oxford, which the Parliament sent down, and that they had the hap­pinesse to be admitted unto free conference with them; yea, they hoped that Oxford would be like Athens of old [...], and yet not like those envious Athenians who sacrifi­ced for none but themselves and their neighbours of Chios: for they perceived that there was now a spirit of comūnion shed abroad upon Christians in a visible way of heavenly partner­ship. In a word, God was pleased to blesse these exercises [Page 13] with admirable successe to the envy of some and setlement of others: Mr. Erbury was (as we are assured) much offended, whether because his Auditory decreased, or his errors were re­futed, we shall not now examine, and he stirred up the spirit of the Parliament Soldiers against the Ministers sent downe from the Parliament, and so did passionately serve the grand malignants in their master-plot; which was to incense the Soldiers against the Ministers.

The first time that Mr. Erbury was observed to come to our meeting, he brought with him a company of soldiers, who did rather affront and oppose then dispute, and Mr. Erbury would not keep at all to the question which was in hand, nor would he observe any rules, he would neither speak pertinent­ly nor breifly, he told us that he did not acknowledge that Christ had any Church on earth, and therefore denyed Inde­pendent Congregations to be Churches, and the Ministers of those (as well as of Presbyteriall) congregations, were by him denied to be true Ministers of Christ, and hath himself re­nounced the title, though not the pay and salary of a Mini­ster.

Xerxes destroyed all the Temples of the Grecians, because they seemed to overthrow the infinitenesse of God, by cir­cumscribing him within the walls of a Temple: we will not examine whether Mr. Erbury doth conceive that Christ and his Spirit will be too much stinted and circumscribed if any Church or Ministery be acknowledged. Only we cannot but wonder that he should be entertained, muster'd, paid as a Mi­nister by them who account all Ministers to be covetous for taking any temporall reward for such spirituall service as may in their judgement be performed by any Saint or member of the Church or Army.

This Gentleman, we know not how else to stile him, profes­sing that he exercises neither as a gifted man nor Minister, (now the Ministery is contemned and vilified) undertook to prove demonstratively, that the Ministers of Independent as well presbyterian Congregations are unchristian, and so by consequence Antichristian; after he had made a loose and cloudy speech in which he had so audaciously abused and per­verted [Page 14] the Scripture, he did complaine that an houre or two was not sufficient for him to explain his opinion and urge his Arguments: his unum magnum was▪ That there were no A­postles now, and therefore no Ministery; he was desired to prove his consequence, but could not; he talked much of the sea­led book, that the Saints & Christ made one perfect man, at last he fixed upon that text, Eph. 4. 11, 12, 13. from whence he concluded that God gave five sorts of Ministers, and where there were not all five there were none. It was answered that Apostles, &c. were extraordinary Officers, but Pastours and Teachers were ordinary Officers to be continued in the Church for the making of Saints by the blessing of God upon their ministery, nay for the edefying and perfecting of Saints, all Saints, for the edefying of the whole body till wee all come not onely into the unity of the faith, but to the perfecti­on of the fulnesse of Christ, and therefore no Saint is so per­fect or excellent a scholar or disciple, but he may be taught by the Ministers of Christ; for though there be a great deale of va­riety in regard of those severall degrees of perfection, w^ch are to be found in severall Saints, yet the highest perfection of the most accomplished Saint here below, is said to be according to the measure of the gift of Christ, Ephes. 4. 7. who gave Pastours and Teachers, vers. 11 to bring the Saints to the highest per­fection attainable in this life, verse the 12. Finally, it was made most cleare and evident to Master Erbury and all the company, that Christ did not only make promises to the A­postles themselvs, but to such as were to succeed them in their ordinary Ministery, that is, to such as were to teach and baptize even unto the end of the world, Mat. 28. 19, 20. And when en­quiry was made who were the successors of the Apostles, the answer was that the Elders were the successors of the Apostles because the Apostle when he was to take his leave, Act. 20. sent to Ephesus for the Elders of the Church, verse 17. and re­commended the oversight of the Church to them, acknowled­ging that the Elders were Bishops or overseers of the Holy Ghosts making; here is, if we may so call it, a kind of resignation, a most manifest recommendation of the peo­ple to whom he had preached, to the care of the Elders, [Page 15] when Saint Paul was to see their faces no more, Acts 20. 25.

There was something else objected about the order of the Corinthian-Churches from the 1 Cor. 14. And to that obje­ction there were very many satisfying answers given: some of them shall be related; First, it is evident that the Apostle doth rebuke the disorders in those Churches which did mani­festly tend to confusion, though caused or occasioned by such as did pretend to Revelation,1▪ Cor. 12. 26. verse 26. How is it then brethren? when yee come together, every one of you hath a Psalme, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpre­tation; let all things be done unto edifying. The Apostle doth declare that he who pretended a revelation was to be tried and judged by the Prophets, verse 29. for the spirits of the Pro­phets, are to be subject to the Prophets, verse 32. Moreover it is manifest that the Apostle doth not presse the observation of this order, as a meer prudential matter, but presses it as one of the commandments of the Lord which doth oblige even Pro­phets and spirituall men, verse 37. If any man think himselfe be a Prophet or spirituall, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandements of the Lord.

Finally, there were these four points distinctly proved; First, that divers amongst the Corinthians were endued with the gift of Prophesie, which was as extraordinary as the gift of Tongues or Miracles, and no argument taken from an extra­ordinary example and an extraordinary gift doth prove that ungifted men are authorised to Preach or Prophesie in an or­dinary course. Secondly, divers among the Corinthians were enriched by Christ in every thing, in al utterance and in al know­ledge, 1 Cor. 1. 5. but sure every Saint is not inriched in utte­rance, and all knowledge. Thirdly, it is most manifest, that e­very Saint did not ordinarily preach or prophesie amongst the Corinthians, 1 Cor. 12. 29. Are all Apostles, are all Prophets, are all teachers, are all workers of miracles? and verse 30. Have all the gifts of healing? &c. all the Saints did not teach, but only they that had the gift of teaching, even as all did not work mi­racles, all did not interpret, no more then they did all speake with tongues. Fourthly, it is most evident that they only did teach, whom God set or appointed to teach in the Church, [Page 16] and God did set some, not all to teach in the Church, 1 Cor. 12. 28. Every member is not an eye, for where then were the hearing? verse 17. Now God hath set the members every one of them in the body, even as it hath pleased him, verse 18. and eve­ry member must be content with its place, and observe that order, which God hath set; The Saints may find themselves work enough if they prepare for hearing, and heare as they ought, and practise what they heare, and therefore they should not take the work of Preaching upon them which is sufficient to take up the whole man, but leave it to them whom God hath appointed to give themselves wholly to prayer and preaching. It was also de­clared unto them that Reverend M^r Cotton of New-England, was now brought to see their opinion (which was once his own) to be an error, and subscribes to our judgement with a great deale of ingenuity and sweetnesse in his Booke of the Keyes, the 20^th page. The opponents were not able to reply any thing to these answers, but desired to know when we would meet again: we told them that we could not meet un­till that day three weeks, because the monethly Fast was to be observed upon the next week, and the fifth of November the next week after; whereupon it was desired by some of Ma­ster Erbury his adherents, that our next question might be to this effect.

Whether there was any Ministry committed to the hands of se­lect persons in the Church of Christ?

When we came to the place of meeting and the question formerly agreed upon at the last meeting was red, which was to be the subject of the present conference, it was decried by the Soldiers, who denied that to be the question; yet we are most assured that it was resolved upon to be then disputed. It was desired that we might read the Theses, in which the questi­on was fully stated, because they did give much light to the clearing of that question which they so much desired, at length after much importunity it was yeelded to, that we should read them, which was done as followeth.

• 1. Almighty God hath and will have a Church on earth unto the end of the world.
  Matth. 26. 18. 28. 20.
• [Page 17] 2 The Father hath committed unto his Son Jesus Christ,
  Mat. 28. 19. 1 John 5. 7.
  the second Person in the blessed Trinity, both
  John 1. 1. 1 John 5. 20.
  God and
  1 Tim. 2. 3, 5. Luke 1. 35.
  man,
  Mat. 28. 18. John 5. 22. 27
  all power and judgement over this Church, and hath appointed him to be a
  Psal. 45. 6.
  king, a
  Psal, 110 4.
  priest, and a
  Act. 3. 22.
  prophet thereunto,
  1 Cor. 15. 24.
  so long as the Church shall continue here on earth.
• 3 The Lord Jesus doth not only teach his Church inwardly, but hath also ap­pointed external ordinances, viz.
  Mat. 28. 19. 1 Cor. 11. 23.
  preach­ing the word, and administration of Sa­craments for the edifying of his Church to the
  Mat. 28. 20. 1 Cor. 11. 26.
  end of the world.
• 4 For this preaching of the word, and administration of Sacraments, Christ hath
  Rom. 12. 4. 1 Cor. 12. 28, 29. Eph. 4. 11.
  appointed some select persons, unto whom he hath
  2 Cor. 5. 18.
  committed the Ministry of Reconciliation.
• 5 Of these some had a more
  Mar. 16. 15.
  large commission, reaching to all Nations as the Apostles; others were appointed as
  1 Cor. 12. 28. Ephes. 4. 11.
  Pa­stors and Teachers, to
  Act. 20. 27, 28. Col. 1. 7. Revel. 2. 1, 8.
  some more parti­cular and speciall places.
• 6 These Pastors and Teachers are
  Eph. 4. 11. 1 Tim. 3. 1.
  of­ficers of Christs appointment,
  Act. 20. 28. 1 Pet. 5. 2. 1 Tim. 3. 5. Heb. 13. 7, 17.
  distinct from the flock whom they teach and take care of, as the severall names which are given them in Scripture do import, viz.
  1 Tim. 5. 17. 1 Pet. 5. 1, 2. Tit. 1. 7. Ezek. 33. 7. 1 Cor. 4. 1. Heb. 13. 7. 2 Cor. 5. 20. Rev. 2. 1. Heb. 13. 17. 1 Tim. 4. 12, 16.
  Elders, Stewards, Watchmen, Overseers, Ministers, Rulers, Ambassadours, men that must give an account, who are therefore as persons intrusted, to give themselves wholly unto this worke.
• 7 These Officers thus instituted are to continue in the
  Mat. 28. 20. Eph. 4. 11, 12. Tit. 1. 9. Act. 20▪ 28. 1 Pet. 5. 2.
  Church so long as Christ hath a Gospel to be preached, Sacraments to be administred, Saints to be perfected, [Page 18] a body to be edified, gain-sayers to be convinced, a flock to be fed, that is to say, unto the end of the World.
• 8 Notwithstanding this publique office and or­dinance of Christ for the edification of the Church,
  Gen. 18. 19. Joshua 24. 15. Titus 2. 2, 3, 4.
  there lyeth a duty upon private Christians within the bounds of private Christians, to teach and build up one another, as parents their children, masters their servants, and one Christian another in their communion one with another.

After the Theses were read, some of the Commanders sayd, that they did not differ from us in them, and therefore would have us to prove our call: we told them that although we were ready to do that, yet since this was the Question agreed upon on both sides, and M^r. Earbury for his part embraced it, and wee had stated it in our Theses, wee could not yield to the altering of it: but by the clamours, reproaches, and uncivill language and behaviour of some present, we were born down, and another Question was yielded unto, which was,

Whether those that are called Ministers, had any more autho­rity to Preach in publique, then private Christians which were gifted; whereupon (since the Souldiers would have it so) one of our company undertook to prove, that they had no authority to Preach, what ever we had.

His argument was this, They that had authority to Preach, have such names and titles (importing an office and calling) which are given to Preachers in the Scripture: But they had not those names, and titles that are given to Preachers in the Scri­pture: therefore they had no authority to Preach.

The minor being denyed, it was thus proved, The names and titles that are given to Preachers in the Scripture are such as these, viz. Pastors, Teachers, Stewards, Watch-men, Ambas­sadours, Over-seers, Ministers, Rulers, and such as must give an account, &c. But these names and titles did not agree to them: therefore they had no authority to Preach.

The major was denyed, this was undertaken to be proved by the parts, and first it was proved that Pastours and Teachers [Page 19] were names and titles given to Preachers. Ephes. 4. 11. was produced for the proof of it, hee gave some Apostles &c. some Pastors and Teachers, these name and titles of Pastours and Teachers were given here to Preachers and men in office, and not to gifted brethren, as appears by the connexion and scope of the place.

First, it was answered, that this place did not prove the thing, for then Preachers must be Prophets and Apostles, &c. also.

To this was replyed, that that did not follow in regard Pro­phets and Apostles were extraordinary officers, & pro tempore for the first planting and founding of the Church, and therefore though Preachers were not Prophets and Apostles, yet they were Pastours and Teachers, and were ordinary officers and to continue in the Church.

Secondly, it was sayd, there was no such distinction of extra­ordinary and ordinary in the Scripture, and that the answer was not sufficient;

It was replyed that we read not the word ordinary; neither, yet it follows not that therefore there were not ordinary; neither read we the word Trinity, yet it follows not that there are not three Persons.

Thirdly, another said, they did not preach as men in office, but only as gifted brethren, and therefore though those names did agree to men in office, yet that did not hinder but that they might be Preachers in another capacity.

It was replyed, that did imply a contradiction, to preach publickly, and yet to be a private man; in regard that to preach implyed a publicke office and mission, Rom. 10. 14. so that for any man to take upon him a publick office which was not an officer did usurpe; as if a common Souldier should do the work of a Colonel without a Commission or a call, though he be never so skilfull, shall be thought to usurpe; and a Barri­ster though hee be more able then the Judge on the bench, yet must not take upon him the Judges office before hee is called to it as well as qualified for it. Every man must use his gifts in his own sphere and compasse, a Pastour in a publick way, and a private man in private wayes of edification; each member of [Page 20] the body according to its own measure, Ephes. 4. 16. But they were not out of their station in this, as a private man should be in the work of a Magistrate, Judge, or Colonel, because they find that private men in Scripture have taught publickly without an office, and therefore they may do so too; for proof hereof was produced the example of those, Acts 4.

It was answered, that it doth not appeare, that they who preached were private men, Philip who was named was an Evangelist, the rest might be Elders in office at Jerusalem there used to be Apostles, Elders, and Brethren; and if all were dispersed but the Apostles, then Elders as well as private Bre­thren: beside, whoever they were, in probability they had in­structions and commission from the Apostles to do what they did, and so they did it not without a mission; however, the case was extraordinary, and it doth no way follow, if where no officers are to doe a work, private persons being furnished with more notable gifts, then any now ordinarily are, may endevour to propagate the Gospel where it was not at all▪ therefore in ordinary times of the Church where officers are who are furnished with greater abilities and a speciall call, o­thers should take their work out of their hands, and do that in a constituted Church which others did where there was no Church at all, nor officers to gather one.

But Apollo preached, Acts 18. 26. true, But how prove they hee was no Minister? hee is called so in expresse tearms, 1 Cor. 3. 5. They prove hee was none because he was ignorant, and instructed by Aquila and Priscilla. But did hee well to preach being ignorant? yes, hee was able to make out Jesus Christ, being eloquent and mighty in the Scriptures, If so, then the argument that he was not a Minister because ignorant, falls to the ground; To this nothing was replyed that we could call to minde.

But they might all prophecy one by one, 1 Cor. 14. 31. It was answered, that that was cleerly meant of the Prophets amongst them, who were officers, and had an extraordinary gift, of prophesie by revelation given them, verse 30. and not of every one of the people at large, 1 Cor. 12. 29. Ephes. 4. 11. No, it was not extraordinary, for they were to speak to edifi­cation, [Page 21] exhortation, and comfort. As if extraordinary officers might not speak to those ends.

It was further answered, that the text in the Ephes. was not exclusive of others, and therefore others might preach though not enumerated, for elsewhere others were mentioned, name­ly helps governments, 1 Cor. 12.

It was replied, first, that though there was mention made of helps and governments, which many did interpret of ruling officers, Ephes. 4. speaks of officers designed for preaching of doctrine, though all officers might not be set downe here, yet none ever questioned whether all for doctrine were not set downe. Secondly, that this must be a full enumeration of all officers for preaching, for the Apostle mentions, the gifs Christ gave to his Church at his Ascension, and if here were not all, then Christ at the time of his Ascension, did not give all gifs sufficient for his Church, which could not be imagi­ned: whereupon in the opening of that place four particulars were observed; first, the time when Christ received and gave these gifts to men, Psalm. 68. 18. at the time of his Ascension when he led captivity captive, it being an expression taken from triumphs of Conquerors after great victories, it was their custome then to give gifts and largesses to the people: so Christ ascending into Heaven, and leading the devill, hell, and death, as it were in triumph, having destroyed them and delivered his people from their power, at that time gave gifts unto his Church. Secondly, the gifts given were Apostles, &c. which were officers for the good of his Church. Thirdly, the end to which they were given, the perfecting the body of the Saints, &c. Fourthly, the time how long they were to continue, till we all come, &c. that is, to the end of the world, while there shall be any that must be brought into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of Christ and to be perfected in him, which al­waies will be as long as the world doth last, so that Christ at that time when hee led captive all his enemies that did oppose him in his state of humiliation, received gifts and gave them to men, that it might appear that in spight of all those enemies he would provide such gifts and officers, as were necessary for his Church. Now the Apostle reckoning up those gifts in par­ticular, [Page 22] and pointing out the ends for which they were given, and the time how long they were to last, it cannot be supposed that eyther Christ did not then receive and give all gifts necessa­ry, or that the Holy Ghost in enumerating those he received and gave, should not enumerate all, so that they who are not within the number of those officers there mentioned, are none of the gifts given to the Church at the time of Christs ascension for the end specified, and therefore there must be some other time when Christ gave those to the Church who are only gif­ted brethren, for those ends of perfecting the Saints, the worke of the Ministry, the edifying of the body of Christ; or else it must be acknowledged that themselves not preaching by way of office according to their former answer, cannot have so good authority to preach in publick as they have who are the Officers designed by Christ. Thirdly, whereas it was answered, that in the very same chapter the members are said to edifie one another, the reply was this, by edifying, was not in faith and knowledge by preaching, but it was edifying in love, for so the words are, verse 16. it was answered by Master Earbury, that those were given ex abundanti, though the works they were to doe were in other hands before.

This being a begging of the question it was further said, all are not Apostles, &c. and that private men were not allowed to doe the works of Apostles and Evangelists, and therefore not of Pastors and Teachers, if some parts of the text were ex­clusive, so were others; it was added that then it will follow if Christ had never given Apostles, Prophets &c. yet the Saints might have been perfected the body of Christ edified, and all brought into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ, which seemeth very strange to us.

We were ready to have pressed other arguments, to prove that private men have no authority to preach, but the multitude of Souldiers in a violent manner called upon us to prove our cal­ling, whereupon it was thus argued.

They who were qualified, approved, called, ordained accor­ding to the minde of Christ, are the Ministers of Christ.

[Page 23] But some Ministers in the Church of England are qualified, approved, &c. Ergo some Ministers in the Church of England are the true Ministers of Christ.

The minor was denied. In the proof of which he began with qualifications, which were set down, 1 Tim. 3. Titus 1. They who have the qualifications there set down, are qualified accor­ding to the mind of Christ: but some Ministers in the Church of England have those qualifications: Ergo it is true, that some Ministers in the Church of England are qualified according to the mind of Christ: The minor was denied.

It was demanded what qualifications were wanting; the an­swer was made by Master Earbury, that it was one qualificati­on that Ministers must be no strikers, but all the Ministers in England are strikers.

The reply, Master Reynolds, Master Harris, Master Wilkin­son are no strikers, therefore all are not. Master Earbury said, they are, and all are strikers, which hee laboured to prove thus,

They who destroy the communion of Saints, and inflict temporall punishments upon spirituall weaknesse are strikers: but all the Ministers of England do so: Ergo.

Both propositions were denied, first the major, because the Apostle in both places means it of fighting & striking according to the usuall acception of the word, and of outward violence: secondly, the minor was denied, with this confirmation, they that have faith and love do not destroy the communion of the Saints, but many Ministers in the Church of England have true faith and love, Ergo.

It was answered by Master Earbury, that the Ministers of the Church of England had not Gospel faith, and love, Ergo.

It was sayd to that by one of the Ministers, that hee himself had a saving justifying faith, of the same kinde with that of A­braham, therefore hee had a Gospel faith. But it was said by M^r. Earbury, that we had no Gospel faith because no rivers of living water nor gifts of the Spirit flowing out of us. Answer, Whatever faith he understood by that, yet surely they had faith and love enough to keep them from destroying the communion of Saints.

[Page 24] It was added by Master Earbury, that the Ministers of the Church of England allow parish Churches, therefore they de­stroy the communion of Saints; Answer; absurd enough, yet this was said to it, communion of Saints is either reall, mysti­call and spirituall, betweene the members of Christs body my­sticall, and which no believer can be an enemy unto, let him be in a parish or any other relation; and externall, in some or other Church way of communion in the ordinances, concer­ning which true beleevers who all hold spirituall communion, might differ and yet be no wayes destroyers of the communion of Saints.

But how inflicters of temporall punishments? and that all of them, since Ministers inflict no penalties at all? answered, why their principles are such, they approve of punishment for errors and heresies, therefore they destroy the communion of Saints, This was looked upon as a meere odium and reproach, cast not only on the Ministers, but much more on the Magi­strates, as enemies of the communion of Saints, and therefore fitter to be answered by the Magistrate then a Minister.

M^r. Earbury said also, that the Ministers of England did set up societies, viz. Presbyteries, which did destroy the communion of Saints; It was answered that all Ministers did not set up pres­byteries, and secondly, they that did, did not destroy the com­munion of Saints. Master Earbury said also that they did allow of an Ordinance of Parliament for the punishment of errors and heresies, and therefore they did destroy the communion of Saints; It was answered, we know of no such Ordinance, and therefore could not be said to allow of it.

After Master Earbury had denyed the qualifications of Mi­nisters, because strikers, another would needs have them disa­bled because covetous, and that all of them: how so? they who take other mens goods from them by fraud and circumven­tion under pretence of giving them somthing for it which was worth nothing, are covetous; but so doe all the Ministers of England by receiving Tythes, ergo all are covetous. An­swer; we did now conceive that our opposites had it in designe to lay us as low as they could by disgracefull speeches and re­proaches, because they could not beat us down by strength of [Page 25] argument. We apprehended the arguments, or rather reproches, that the Ministers of England were all strikers and covetous▪ to have as little weight as charity in them.

After this wee proceeded to the second branch of the argu­ment, That there were some Ministers in the Church of Eng­land approved of according to the mind of Christ; That there must be a proof and approbation of Presbyters, appeared, 1 Tim. 3. 10. Let these also first be proved, &c. And that many Ministers in the Church of England had undergone sufficient tryall, was proved thus: They who have been examined and approved by those who are Ministers of Christ, able to examine and approve them, and designed to that purpose, are approved according to the minde of Christ: but some Ministers in the Church of England have been thus examined and approved, &c. Ergo.

The minor was denied upon two reasons;

First, that they who examined and approved them were not able to do it (though as was urged they had understanding and knowledge in the arts, languages, and Scripture) because they had not the Spirit.

This was thought a very strange and unchristian charge, and indeed a reproach upon all the Ministers of England, many of which have been, and many are such eminent and glorious lights, and instruments of good in the Church of Christ.

Secondly, that they who examined and approved any of the Ministers of the Church of England, were not Ministers them­selves, therefore could not approve others. Reply; They who were themselves qualified, approved, called, and ordained ac­cording to the minde of Christ▪ were lawfull Ministers; but they that approved Ministers in the Church of England were such; Ergo. It was said this was idem per idem in a circle. It was returned thus, that indeed the same thing that was pro­ved at first, was proved again by the same argument, because the same thing was denied, which was denied at first; yet this was no circle, in regard that hee was forced by the answerer, deny­ing that which was the first mayn question, to use the first mayn argument again; for hee who denyes those to be Ministers of Christ who approved and ordayned us, denyes us to be Mini­sters [Page 26] of Christ who are approved and ordained by them, and it is but one and the same question, and therefore there can be no medium used to prove their Ministry to be true, but the same which was used to prove ours to be true.

After much time spent in the former debates, and it now grew late in the night, some notwithstanding were still very importunate to have the Conference carried on unto that branch of the former Argument which concerned the Call of the Ministers: whereupon one of the Ministers spake to this effect.

That unto a Minister two things were required: Qualifica­tions fitting him for the service; and a Call separating him thereunto.

The qualifications are, 1 Piety of life. 2 Abilities of lear­ning and ministeriall gifts, whereby hee might be a workman who need not to be ashamed. That in both these respects, notwith­standing any thing which had been spoken, no man could take any just exception against very many Ministers in the Church of England, who are well knovvn to be eminent in both.

The Call is tvvofold, Inward, from God; and Outward, from man.

The Inward call is vvhen a man so qualified vvith piety of Life, and abilities of Learning, is by the secret vvork of God on his heart moved to desire the office of a Minister, and to de­vote himselfe to serve the Lord and his Church in that employ­ment. And that all the Ministers of the Church of England are destitute of this call we dare likewise challenge any man to make good.

The Outward call is, when a man thus qualified, moved, and inclined by God unto such an office, is separated, designed, and authorised by men thereunto likewise.

This is considerable eyther as in Ecclesiâ constituâ, a Church setled; or as in Ecclesiâ Restituendâ, a Church to be Re­formed.

In a setled constituted Church this outward call is by Impo­sition of the hands of the Presbytery, upon due and mature examination and approbation of the person so qualified, with prayer commending him to God, who hath fitted and inclined [Page 27] him unto that service; and this call the Ministers of the Church of England had in Collegio presbyterorum.

But it was objected, That we had this our Ordination from Antichristian and wicked men, who cannot doe any thing for Christ.

To this Answer was made: 1 That no man was able to af­firm, that all they from whom the Ministers of the Church of England received their Ordination to the Ministry, were wicked or Antichristian. And that we could with much more confidence affirm, that many of them from whom our Ministers received Imposition of hands, were men fearing God.

2 Dato sed non concesso, supposing, though not granting, that they were such, we further answer in these three Asserti­ons.

First, That some evill men may, and alwayes have de facto been, Officers and Ministers in the Church. In the Church of the Jews Hophni and Phinchas; in the dayes of Christ, Scribes and Pharisees; in the family of Christ, Judas; in the Churches of Christx, envious and perverse Teachers, Phil. 115. Act. 20. 29, 30.

Secondly, that the wickednesse of such men did not null or evacuate their Ministeriall acts: for our Saviour would have the Scribes and Pharisees heard while they sate in Moses chair, Mat. 23. 2. and the Apostle was glad when men preached Christ, though it were out of envie: and Christs commission did as well authorize Judas, as any other, to preach the Gospel, and to Baptize, Mat. 10. 5. John 4. 2.

Thirdly, that if the principall acts belonging to the mini­steriall function of such men, namely, Preaching and Bapti­zing, or administring Sacraments, were not nulled nor made void by their personall wickednesse, then consequently no o­ther act comprised within the same office or commission, could be thereby made void. So that if Judas had been an Apostle, when Christ sent his Apostles to Ordain Elders in the Church, his Ordination, notwithstanding his personall wickednesse, would have been as valide, as his Preaching or Baptizing formerly had been. [The Leaprosie of the hand doth not hinder the growing of the corne which that hand [Page 28] soweth. Whatever arguments Austin useth in his Writings a­gainst the Donatists, to confirm the Baptism of Hereticks, are valid to confirm the Ordination of the like men.] So that though they were neverso wicked, hereticall, or Antichristian Ministers, through whom the Ministry appointed by Christ, hath by mean conveyances descended upon us, yet this doth not at all void our Ministry. [A River which hath a pure foun­tain, may run through many impure channels, and yet becom­ming pure again, is no way prejudiced by the impurity of the channels through which it passed. The Word, Sacraments, Ministry, are Christs owne, an continue to be His still, what corrupt hands soever be the instruments of conveying them.]

Finally, if wee should take for granted upon the principles of the Donatists, that the Ordinations of Hereticks or other wicked men were void, and so there were no ordinary way for continuing a succession in the Ministery, but that upon the universall corruption of instruments, visible succession were in­terrupted: yet in Ecclesiâ restituendâ, an unusuall and extra­ordinary call in the Church it self, so reforming would be in that exigent and extremity a valid and sufficient designation of men in themselves duly qualified for that office. And even so the first Reformers of the Protestant Churches were called out unto the service of those Churches in the worke of the Mini­stry, the Reformation whereof they had by their zeal and la­bours so much promoted. For the dispensation of the Word and Sacraments, by the Ministers of the Gospel, being a work necessary and perpetuall, Matth. 28. 19, 20. Ephes. 4. 11, 12, 13. 1 Cor. 11. 26. where ordinary means of continuing them are impossible to be used, unusuall and extraordinary may take place. [The ordinary course of Circumcision was to be on the eighth day, but this course being not so well obser­vable in the case of Israels travell through the Wildernesse, it was at last observed in an extraordinary manner, to wit, after forty yeers, Josh. 5. 2, 7.]

And the equity of this will the more appear if wee consider that in this case, the Church doth not do more then she may do, only something, which ordinarily should be done, is left undone, for want of such officers unto whom the doing of it [Page 29] did belong. For Election of men to this service may be by the Church her self, though formal ordination by imposition of hands be only by officers. And the Churches Election alone in this exigent would be a valid call, where imposition of hands were impossible to be obtained, because where and when officers do do it, the Church may be said to do it by her officers: and where there are no officers to do it, the election of the Church doth vertually comprize the act of the officers. [The Apostle sayth, that unto principalities and powers was made known BY THE CHURCH the manifold wisdome of God, Ephes. 3. 10. and yet the Church did it not but by the Preaching or Ministeriall works of her officers.]

It shall not need to adde here what M^r. Beza sayth of the first Reformers, That they were à Deo extra ordinem excitati, rebus ita collapsis, ut ordinariae vocationi nullus esset locus relictus, That they were extraordinarily raysed up by God, the state of the Church being so corrupted that there was no place left for an Ordinary Call.

So then upon the whole matter we affirm, That we are law­full Ministers of the Gospel, having by Ordination received Imposition of hands in Collegio presbyterorum, and our first Reformers (besides the like Ordination, which the wickednesse of Instruments could not invalidate) were by the Election of those Churches (unto the Reformation whereof they had so eminently concurred) called out unto the same service. This was the substance and sense of what was spoken.

Thus far this day, the report whereof might well have been spared in this juncture of businesses of higher concernment, had not the partiall and uncivill (not to say uncharitable) reports of some enforced so much from us, wee rather choose to ask pardon for saying so much, then for saying so little, and so many of us as held our selves at this debate silent, do conceive that we need no Apology for so doing with wise men; and for such whom neyther our speech nor silence, our presence or ab­sence, our mildnesse nor earnestnesse can please, wee are not at leisure to give any account of our selves to them,Tu linguae, ego ourium sum dominus. theirs be their tongues, ours our ears; wee go forward in our intended narration.

[Page 30] Master Earbury was assured by his followers that he had gai­ned the day, and therefore now hee was the only Minister, or rather Apostle in the World; whereupon hee began to gather some people together, as if hee intended to build, plant, or ga­ther a Church; but first he thought fit to dig at the foundation of the true Church of Christ, which wee must needs confesse was the best way to overthrow it, and make good his grand as­sertion that Christ hath no Church on earth. M^r. Earbury there­fore upon the eleventh of December, at a publick meeting before divers of the City of Oxford, endevoured to prove this pro­position, ‘That the fulnesse of the Godhead, the same fulnesse of the Godhead which is in Christ, dwels bodily in the Saints, in the same measure, though not in the same manife­station as it dwelt in Christ whilest hee was here below in the flesh.’

For the proofe of this damnable doctrine, he alledged (as we are informed) these places of Scripture, 1 Sam. 16. 13. com­pared with Heb. 2. 11, 12. and Psalme 22. 22. Coloss. 1. 27. Coloss. 2. 9, 10. John 17. 21, 22, 23, 24. Ephes. 3. from v. 14. to the 19. 1 Cor. 12. 12. 2 Pet. 1. 4. Zach. 12. 8. Mark, the Scripture doth not only say we shall bex one with God as Christ is, but it sayth more, we shall be as God. But (sayth he) it will be objected, That God hath anointed Christ above his fellows, Heb. 1. 9. I answer (sayth he) this place is meant of being anointed with the Godhead: but be it known to you, Christ hath no more of the Godhead then we have, and therefore is not anointed in greater measure then we are, but onely in a greater manifestation; and if we beleeve this, we shall doe grea­ter works then ever Christ did; that Text then, Heb. 1. 9. is meant only of the manifestation of the Godhead; For as the soule is as much in the little finger, as in the head, so is there as much of the Godhead in the least member of Christ, as there is in Christ himselfe. I do, sayth Master Earbury, remember another Text that is urged by some to overthrow the doctrine which I have delivered, which you may read in the third Chapter of John▪ v. 34. 35. but the objection being specially grounded up­on the 34 verse, may be answered out of the 35 verse, for [Page 31] sayth Master Earbury, whatever God hath given to the Son he hath given to the Saints, and if the Saints saw this they would never ask any thing any more of God, because all things are given to the Saints, and God loves the Saints as he loves the Son, John 17. 23. True it is, that all Kingdoms, Countries, and peo­ple arex given to Christ, Psalme 2. 7, 8. but it is as true that they are given to the Saints, Revel. 2. 26, 27. whatsoever the Son hath received of the Father, the Saints have received likewise, they have received the same power, the same glory, but they do not see it. Nay, whatsoever is spoken of the Son is spoken of the Saints, for the Saints are the Son; and this is manifest, sayth M^r. Earbury, and then produced two places of Scripture to prove it, Revel. 3. 9. Revel. 21. 7. Wee are now heirs of all things as the Son is, and we shal know it, and men shal know it, and come and worship at our feet: therefore let this be the ground of our Faith and Hope, for Christ is not shut up in Heaven, but Christ is in us the hope of glory.

Master Earbury doth as you see positively deliver these blas­phemous errours, and yet when he was admonished by one of our brethren, hee sayd, hee did not deliver any thing dogmati­cally, for hee did only enquire into the Truth of things as one that was to seek. To which it was replyed that, First, hee did urge Scripture to prove his opinion. Secondly, that hee sayd his Exposition was manifest. Thirdly, that he pressed the peo­ple to receive his Exposition, to build their hope upon his inter­pretation, and to believe the Scriptures in his sense. Fourthly, to encourage them to receive his interpretation, hee assured them that if they would believe his doctrine, they should do greater things then ever Christ did, and men should come and worship at their feet. Fiftly, hee was advised to deliver practicall points to the people, and not to teach any thing for truth concerning which hee was not fully perswaded in his own minde. Sixtly, our brother desired him to enquire of those who were able to resolve him in those things of which hee doubted, and not to enquire of a company of unsetled people, for by that means he might bring them also to doubt of most of the principles of the Christian faith.

Moreover,Decemb. 11. upon the eleventh of December, Master Earbury [Page 32] took upon him to prophecy of greater shakings yet in England and Scotland, as well as Ireland. In Scotland, sayth M^r. Ear­bury, they think to preserve themselves, but you shall see and they will feel greater shakings yet, even mighty Earth-quakes; but if the Lord teach you this doctrine which I have now de­livered, it will keep up your spirits. Remember that it is not only God that gives you strength, but God is your strength, and you shall walk upon God himself as upon high places; believe it, wee are filled with the same Godhead, with the same glory that Christ is, and wee are one with the Father as hee is.

These Notes were communicated to one of our company by a Captain; whereupon, one of our brethren preached just the contrary doctrine, and proved that it was a fundamentall Article of the Christian Religion, because Christ hath built his Church upon this fundamentall confession or acknowledge­ment, as upon an immoveable Rock, Matth. 16. 16, 17, 18. Simon Peter said, Thou art Christ the son of the living God; and what said Christ? upon this Rock will I build my Church. This is the great Article so often disputed and cleered in primitive times by the Apostles for the conversion of Jews & Gentiles. That Jesus Christ who took our nature of the blessed Virgin, is the true Messiah the son of the living God, God equall with his Father, nay the same God (though not the same person) with his Father, God by nature and yet Man by nature; perfect God, and perfect Man, both natures the divine and humane being inseparably united in the person of the son of God, the second person of the glorious Tri­nity. This truth was made evident by the whole series of the book of the Acts of the Apostles, and therefore it's not suffi­cient for us to acknowledge that Christ is in some sense God and Man, but we must believe this truth as it is revealed and decla­red in the Scriptures, because the Scriptures are the doctrinall; foundation, and Christ the personall foundation. Wee are built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone, Ephes. 2. 20. yee must walk, sayth the Apostle, as yee have received, and be built up in Christ, and established in the faith as you have been taught, Coloss. 2. 6, 7. Divers of Master Earbury his Auditory were [Page 33] startled with this Sermon: two of them came to Mr. Cheynell, and told him that he had delivered Doctrine contrary to what they had been taught by a very pretious man Mr. Erbury; Mr. Cheynell told them they were to examine which of those con­trary Doctrines was agreeable to the scriptures; For he that preacheth contrary to M. Erbury his opinion is not to be con­demned, if Mr. Earbury his opinion be contrary to the word of God: whereupon they desired Mr. Cheynell to give M. Er­bury a meeting, that the point in controversie might be fully dis­cussed in the presence of them who had heard both Ministers preach. M. Cheynell offered to meet at Mr. Mayors house; and put off his other businesse that he might fulfill his promise; but contrary to expectation, Mr. Erbury desired to be excused; whereupon Mr. Cheynell wrote to M. Erbury to meet him any where else, if he desired a more private meeting, or to meet him at the Scools if he desired a more publick disputation: Mr. Er­bury refused to write an answer or declare his opinion under his hand, yet signified his desire to confer with Mr. Cheynell; upon this answer Mr. Cheynell were to his Quarters, and after confe­rence with him, did both beseech and admonish him before an Officer of the Army to study those points better, and to consult some that were able to give him satisfaction in them: for if he consulted none but unsetled men, he did not take the right way to be setled. Mr. Erbury replied, that God did reveal the mystery of Christ to babes, and conceal it not only from worldly wise men, but from those that were spiritually wise, as if any man could be spiritually wise without the knowledge of Christ: surely this was as vain as if he had said Christ will save babes, and damn those that are spiritually wise, for no man can be wise to salvation who is ignorant of the saving mystery of Christ, and certainly that is the mystery our Saviour speaks of, Matth. 11. 25. 26. Master Erbury after this admonition preached to divers of the City in an high and daring way, He took that portion of Scripture, 1 Kings 4. 25. for his text, and preached to this effect, as we are credidly informed.

They are much deceived who say we deny the Godhead of Christ, for Christ is nothing else but God [he meaneth God the [Page 34] Father] manifested in our flesh. Christ is anointed with the Spirit, that is, the power of God, Isay 61. 1. Luke 4. 18. He hath anointed me, me; what Christ as a distinct person from the Saints? no, Christ and all the saints; For it is but simply un­derstood to look upon Christ as distinct from the Saints, because Christ and the saints make one man; He is the head and we the Members, He and we make one perfect man. The Saints have the same anointing that Christ had, and therefore as Christ was sent to preach, so are they, and indeed the only prea­ching and teaching from God is in the Saints. It is not the wis­dome of this Nation that can invent to send Preachers a­broad: but when God hath broken the Nation and their Formes, they set up a new Forme, but there will never be any true teaching till Christ doth appear in the Saints they only have the only oyle, Isay 61. 3. 4. and therefore they only shall build the old waste places. What is become of those Preachers that had their Orders from the Bishops, and so from the Pope? There is not one to be found in the North and in Wales, they are gon to far Parsonages from whence Malignants have been thrown out; You may see what a blessed Reformation we have now at this day: the saints shall build these old wast pla­ces, not men in holy Orders (they will not accept of 20 by the year) but the saints shall build them, the saints, not those who call themselves Ministers, but those whom the people shall call Ministers,Isay 61. 6. Isay 61. 6. Priests and Ministers because they shall have a double portion of the spirit, verse 7. double to that which the Priests had under the Law, or Ministers hereto­fore under the Gospel, and it shall be acknowledged that God is in their flesh, verse 9. mark, a double portion in their land, that is, in their flesh. It is by providence that we speak now, for the world seeks to hinder us; but the Law shall go forth of Sion, Micha 4. 2. Sion, that is the place where God dwels; where is that but in the saints? The Law then shall go forth from the Saints: what Law? not the Commandements, but the Law of the spirit shall go forth out of the saints, even the Law of the spirit of life in Christ; The word of the Lord shall go forth, that is, Christ himselfe, Revel. 19. 13. that is, there shall be an appearance of Christ in the Saints. Kings shall bow down [Page 35] and lick the dust Psal. 72. 9 10, 11. under whose feet? why, the feet of the Son and of the Saints, (as we shall shew hereafter) and then there shall be peace. Now there is a war amongst the Saints, Independants against Presbyterians, and they against the Rebaptized, but when God shall appear in our flesh, there will be no vexing of one another. My deare friends, be sure that where there is a destroying spirit in the Saints, there is no appearance of Christ; for this is nothing but the appearance of Antichrist and of the Divell, who was a murderer from the beginning. I am affraid to call them Saints who have the spirit to make a man an offender for a word, who have an intent to catch men and imprison them, nay bring them to death; to take advantage of a mans weaknesse, this is not the spirit of Christ, this is the spirit of Antichrist, for the Saints shall not hurt in all the holy mountaine, not a Jew though he curse Christ Jesus, nor a Turk that makes a scoff of the Son of God. It is a strange hypocriticall nation this; we have prayed these eighty years for the conversion of the Jews, and yet we will not suf­fer a Jew to live amongst us: I feare the bloud of the Jews cast out of this nation, and abominably butchered, is not yet wash­ed away, this is a meer mockery, there must not a Papist nor a Malignant be suffered to live amongst us. We pretend to Christ and we have not the spirit of Christ within us, for a de­stroying spirit is the spirit of Antichrist. Dear friends be not angry if the spirit of Antichrist appear in you, for it was in Christs owne Apostles in three things.

First, a spirit of Prelacy or pride; the poor Fisher-men dis­pute who should be greatest.

Secondly, a spirit of conformity; because one did cast out Divels and did not follow them, they forbad him.

Thirdly, a spirit of cruelty: suppose men will not owne Christ, will ye destroy them? are you of the spirit of Iames and John, of a destroying spirit? Christ came not to destroy any mans liberty or life, therefore a destroying spirit is the spirit of Antichrist. Consider what is said of the Beasts in the Revela­tion, the Dragon was under Popery, another Beast under E­piscopacy, and the next Beast is that of these times, his appea­rance is lowly yet, but he speaks like a dragon, bonds, banish­ment, [Page 36] bloud. Note, first, his pride, he speaks high things. Se­condly, the spirit of conformity, you must receive a mark in your head, and be of their opinion; and a mark in your hand, practise as they do. Thirdly, a spirit of cruelty to vex those that will not conform, they must have no liberty of conscience, nor liberty of Trade. Many Saints have been hanged, as Barrow; and it may be some in these dayes may be put to death, and it will be a wonder to after ages why they were so. The four plagues of Babylon are death, that is a dead spirit; famine, that is, want; they are ever complaining of this want and that want, they are af­fraid of this sin and that sin, they want this grace and that grace; this is a signe that we have the spirit of Antichrist in us, we do not see our fulnesse and praise God for it, we have all the fulnesse of the Godhead in us and doe we complaine? Yet M. Erbury thought fit upon another day to enlarge himselfe upon that Text, hee preached on before in the presence of divers Citizens, 1. Sam. 16. 13.

Christ, saith Master Erbury, is nothing else but the anoin­ted of the Lord, anointed with the Godhead, and so are the Saints, for Christ and the saints make one annointed. Habak. 3. 13. all the Godhead is in us as it is in him, though this be not ma­nifest, yet we have for the present the same glory that the Son hath, John 17. 22. Dear friends, Christ was anointed with the Spirit also, but what is the Spirit? The Spirit is the power of God and the appearance of Christ. All power is in God, now when that power of God shall act and come forth, then it is the Spirit. therefore the Spirit is the coming forth of the power of God. Se­condly, the Spirit is the appearance of Christ, for Christ is cal­led the wisdome and the power of God, so then the coming forth of the power of God is the Spirit and that Spirit is Christ, for Christ and the Spirit are both one. Friends, we have an ignorant blind devotion, we pray to Son, Father, and Spirit, and know not what the spirit is, but the scripture tels us that the spirit is the power of God, and the appearance of Christ, Luke 1. 35. chap. 24. 49. the power of the most High, that is, the spirit, Acts 2. 4. 2. Cor. 13. 4. compared with 1 Pet. 3. 18. the spirit then is the coming forth of the power of God, and therefore we must not look upon the spirit as a person in the Godhead: poor [Page 37] people are miserably puzled about this, and therefore I will shew it out of the scripture. There is but one God and that is the Father, in whom all power is. 2. When this power comes forth, it is the spirit. 3. All the power of God comes through Christ, and therefore Christ is called the power of God, nay the spirit, 1 Cor. 15. 45.

In their divinity yonder, they will say, the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Spirit, but I say that Christ is the spirit, that is, Christ in his appearance is the Spirit, John 14. 16, 17 18. The spirit shall come, that is, I will come and comfort you, the power of God shall appeare in me, so then the other comforter that he would send was not another third person, but the power of God appearing in Christ, therefore let us not be cheated in the begin­ning of our Religion; read 2. Cor. 3. 17 18. The Lord Christ is that spirit, that is, he in whom the power of God is, the 18. vers. is best translated in the Margin of your Bibles of the Lord the Spirit, Christ then is the Spirit. Beloved, that we may be in a maze no longer, let us know God aright as he is.

1. There is one God.

2. As there is one God, so we read that there is the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. Now these three are not three persons in the Godhead, but they are severall appearances of God unto men. As God is in himselfe and of himselfe, so he is the Fa­ther.

3. As God comes forth in the man Christ Jesus, as the fulnesse of the Godhead dwels in him that is the Son.

4. God coming forth in power is the Spirit. We do not by this deny the Godhead of the Son, but shew what we hold of the personalities, they are but the inventions of men. The Spirit is no­thing but the power of God in the man Christ, and therefore Joh. 17. 3. there is no mention of a third person. And in the Book of the Revelation there is no praise given to the Spirit, but all to the Father who sits upon the Throne, and to the Lamb, to the man Christ Jesus, in whom God dwels bodily, as he doth in the Saints. Now then this is that I drive at, that as soone as we know Christ in us, and that we are anointed in him, then the spirit of the Lord shall come upon us, that is the power of the power from on high, there will be the appearance of Christ in [Page 38] us; this is plain to me, I trust it is so to you. We shall have the appearance of Christ (as David had) in our sufferings, sayings, songs.

1. In our sufferings, for our sufferings are as Davids were, the sufferings of God: our sufferings are as Christs were, most from God, Matth. 26. 38. Mark 14. 33. why did Christ take some Disciples to pray with him? why, because he was affraid to pray alone; and he prayed the same words thrice, because he was amazed and could not go forward, but prayed the same words over and over; and it hath bin so with me when I had the spirit of bondage. You talk much of a man crucified at Hierusa­lem some hundred years ago; it is no such great matter to know that Christ suffered at Hierusalem, but to know that we suffer as the Son, that our iufferings are the sufferings of God, there is the mystery: I dare not say any more, for the time is not yet come to speak the truth; only thus, David filled up what was before, and we fill up what is behind of the sufferings of Christ, Col. 1. 24. Rev. 12. 11. all our sufferings are the bloud of the Lamb.

2. In our sayings as David, Psal. 22. 22. Hebr. 2. 11, 12. John 8. 28. Psal. 71. 17. David never went to School and hee knew hidden things.

3. In songs, Christ did sing in David, we must sing in Christ we set up our selves when we do not speake and do things as the power of God, and in the appearance of Christ; we shall be as mo­pish as Saul if the Godhead do not appeare in us, &c.

It was as we conceived high time to call Mr. Erbury to an account, after so many fair warnings given him and so many foul errors preached by him, both to Scholars and Citizens; but because Master Erbury his followers were as confident as hee was, that no man was able to disprove or refute him; one of our company undertook that Task, and offered to do it in the publick Schooles, the fittest place for Scholars to dispute in, but Master Erbury desired that the meeting might be at the Uni­versity Church upon Monday the 11 of January at two of the clock in the afternoon, because some of his followers were vn­willing to meet at Schools: They met accordingly; M^r Er­bury desired leave to explaine himselfe; and began much after this manner:

[Page 39] Friends, and Fellow-soldiers, and you gentlemen Scho­lars, I am come hither this day to answer a publike Charge, and a private Challenge, &c. Whereas it did appeare indeed that M. Erbury his Adherents made the Challenge; but that was not insisted on, Master Erbury had fair leave to proceed in his Apology. He said that it was not his custome to speake any thing dogmatically, for he did proceed in all his Lectures by way of inquiry. How true this Apology is may appear by the extracts of his three sermons before: and if it had been true, yet it is no Apology; for this is to be a meer Sceptique, and the ready way to teach his Auditors to question all things, and hold nothing. But Master Erbury was not asha­med to own this deceit, for he presently added that he spake not as a Minister to them, for he had renounced his M [...]nistery long since in the presence of the Bishops, nor did he speake as a gifted man knowing the mystery of Christ, but as one that was to seeke, and therefore (said he) we are now upon a way of enquity, we are seeking out David and the King, according to that Prophesie, Hosea 3. 5. For I find that Christ is a mys­tery hidden, not manifested by the Prophets or the Apostles, for the Apostles, saith he, did but see Christ in a Glasse darkly; but we, saith he, behold the glory of God shining in the man Christ, the face of Christ, that is, the person of Christ, and we have Christ in us the hope of glory, and that is indeed The mystery, Coloss. 1. 27. Christ as without us is not the mystery, but Christ as in us, Christ as born in us, suffering and rising in us, for our sufferings are the filling up of Christs sufferings, Coloss. 1. 24. Now though Paul knew Christ suffering in him, yet Paul confesseth that he had not attained to the resurrection of the dead, Phil. 3. 10. 11. This mystery then was manifested only in part to the Apostles, and primitive Christians: but ever since the Apostles ceased, this mystery hath been a sealed book, as you may see, Revel. 5. 1. 2. 3. He that sits upon the Throne is God, even the Father God himselfe. The book is sealed with seven seals, that is, per­fectly sealed, and no man in Heaven or Earth, or under the earth, is able to open this Booke, but this Booke shall be opened again when Christ shall come in his spirit in the Saints, Revel. 10. 1. 2. this little book contains the mystery, Christ in us the [Page 40] hope of glory; And when the seventh Angel doth begin to sound, the mystery of God shall be finished, Revel. 10. 7. Now this mystery is nothing else but Christ in the Saints, that is, Christ is not a distinct person from the Saints; for the Saints and the Son make one perfect man, Ephesians 4. 7. 8. 9. 12. 13. Master Erbury had many other excursions before he came to the question: to which it was replyed, but we shall give you a brief account. Master Cheynell desired to know of Master Erbury what that mystery was, which Master Erbury was better acquainted with then the Apostles, or primitive Christi­ans; whether it was the mystery of faith and godlinesse, a my­stery necessary to salvation; if it were necessary to salvation; then sure it was sufficiently revealed to the primitive Christians: but if it be not a saving mystery saith Master Cheynell let us ne­ver trouble the people with it. 2. Master Cheynell desired to know how Master Erbury came to open that booke, which no man in heaven or earth can open. 3. Master Cheynell asked him whether the seventh Trumpet had yet sounded. 4. Whe­ther Master Erbury had any new revelations which were not contained in the Scripture. 5. Whether he made himself an A­postle, a Prophet, or of some higher order, because he pretended that there would be no Ministry till new Prophets and Apostles were sent to gather the people of God dispersed abroad and intima­ted that he himselfe knew more of the mystery of Christ then the Prophets or Apostles. Master Erbury would not give any po­sitive answer to any of these questions; for he said they were ensnaring questions: To which Master Cheynell replyed, why then our meeting will be to little purpose, if you will neither ex­plain or vindicate your doctrine; But the truth is, Master Erbury saw he had overshot himself in these elaborate extra­vagancies, rather then expositions; for if he had said that the se­venth Trumpet had not yet sounded, then it would have fol­lowed:

1. That the mystery which Master Erbury pretends to be so well acquainted with is yet sealed, and not revealed to Ma­ster Erbury, or any other.

2. Master Erbury by his exposition of Revel. 10. and E­phes. 4. compared together, doth overthrow his own opinion [Page 41] and confirme ours, if the seventh Trumpet hath not yet soun­ded; for by both places layd together, if Master Earbury his exposition be solid, Pastors and Teachers must be continued in the Church, till the mystery be finished, and therefore till the se­venth Trumpet hath sounded, Revel. 10. 7. But the mystery, sayth Master Earbury, will not be finished till Christ and the Saints are made one perfect man, Ephes. 4. 11, 12, 13. There­fore there is still need of Pastors and Teachers in the Church if the seventh Trumpet hath not yet sounded, and Master Ear­bury hath but deluded the people in pretending to declare a secret to them, which will not be declared till the seventh Trumpet hath sounded. Master Cheynell did likewise desire them to observe that Master Earbury did intimate that God the Father only is God of himselfe, and that the Saints are equall to Christ; but enough of that anon; After many circumlocutions Master Earbury did at length descend to the question, and laid downe this Thesis, ‘The Saints have the same fulnesse of the Godhead dwelling in them, in the same measure though not in the same ma­nifestation, as it doth in Christ: but the Godhead shall be manifest in the same manner and measure in the Saints as it is in Christ.’

Mr. Earbury indeavoured to prove this proposition by the 14 of John from the 2 verse to the 20. From the 2 and 3 ver­ses he raised this observation, That Christ ascended that he might receive the fulnesse of the Godhead for himselfe, that so he might impart it unto us; because he went to prepare a place for us, that he might come againe and receive us to himselfe that where he is we might be also: but Christs mansion was in the Father, verse 10. therefore our mansion is to be in the Father, and the fulnesse of the Godhead is to be imparted to us as it is to Christ. For the Father is the Godhead, and we are to be in the Father, and the Father to dwell in us, as he dwelt in Christ, and Christ in the Father.

To this exposition there were these exceptions taken by our brother.

1. Christ had the fulnesse of the Godhead before his ascen­sion, [Page 42] and therefore Christ did not ascend that he might re­ceive the fulnesse of the Godhead.

2. If the Godhead were imparted to any Saint, that Saint would be as Christ is, truly God.

3. The Saints are not in the Father, as Christ is in the Father; for the divine Persons are [...] quia [...], they are in one another because they have one and the same infinite es­sence, they are all three one and the same God.

4. The Father is not the Godhead, because the Father if we speak properly, is the first Person, the Godhead is the na­ture of all three Persons.

His next Argument was taken from John 14. 12. The Saints have a greater power then ever Christ had, for every one that believes in Christ may doe greater works then ever Christ did.

Our brother answered, that the speech was limited, they should doe greater works then these, that is, greater then the miracles which Christs speech referred to, and therefore Ma­ster Earbury did ill to interpret the Text, as if the words were to be simply and universally taken, when it is evident that they are to be restrained quoad materiam subiectam; for Christ did satisfie the justice of God for the sins of all the elect, which no Saint could ever have done. M. Earbury was asked whether he would acknowledge that Christ satisfied Gods justice for the sins of all the elect? but he would not answer yea, or no, but said that M. Cheynell endeavoured to intrap him. M. Ear­bury said that the Apostles gaue the Holy Ghost, which was a greater work then ever Christ did. M. Cheynell desired him to prove that the Apostles gave the Holy Ghost as Christ did, by their owne immediate power, or prove that Christ did not give the Holy Ghost. M. Earbury replyed, that Christ did not give the Holy Ghost before his ascension; and so retreated to his first hold, as if Christ had ascended, that he might receive such a fulnesse of the Godhead as did enable him to give the Holy Ghost. Our brother desired them who were accquainted with the Socinian controversies, to observe that M. Earbury had not his revelation from Heauen, but Poland: and desired M. Earbury to consider that Christ satisfied for the sins of the elect before his Ascension

[Page 43] M. Earbury his next proof was taken from John 14. 20. 21. Joh. 17. 5. 21. 22. from whence he collected that the same fulness of the Godhead was given to the Saints w^ch was givē to Christ, for the Saints have the same glory because they are one with Christ, perfectly one with him, as the Father is one with him, & therefore the fulnesse of the Godhead dwels in them. The same glory which Christ asks for in the 5 verse, he gives to the Saints verse 22. of the 17 of John, there is the same union between Christ and the Saints, which is between Christ and this Father, verse 21. 23. the same love verse 23. I say the same love, saith M. Earbury, speake in as high a measure as you will, I will prove the same measure, nay there is a higher measure of love expressed to the Saints, then to Christ, though in a mystery, there is the same love and the same union, that is, an union of love. Many answers were given to this Argument which need not be repeated. To that concerning union with Christ, it was answered to this ef­fect, That the union betweene Christ and the Saints is ei­ther a mysticall union by faith, or a morall union by love, or a glorious union by a beatificall fruition. And because M. Ear­bury pressed the word (as:) one with the Father as Christ is one; our brother answered, that there was a received distin­ction among Divines, sicut veritatis, sicut aequalitatis, sicut simi­litudinis. (As) doth sometimes note onely the truth of a thing; and so the union between Christ and the Saints is a true union, a reall though a mysticall and spirituall union. 2. (As) notes no equality in that place of John, though it may note a simili­tude, so the proportion and distance be observed betweene creatures and their Creator. Finally, M. Cheynell told him that the interpretation smelt too strong of Poland, when he intimated that there was only an union of love, between the Fa­ther and Christ, for there is also an union of nature; but there is not an union of nature between God and the Saints: the saints are joyned to Christ by faith, and are therefore one spirit with him, 1 Cor. 6. 17. but they are not one God with him.

Then M. Earbury insisted very long upon Coloss. 2. because that Chapter doth explain the mystery of God even the Father, and of Christ, verse 2. though the Spirit that is the power of God (as we said before) even Christ, who is the wisdome of [Page 44] God, and the power of God doth manifest himself, Joh. 14. 21. The Father is the eternall God, God in himself and of himselfe greater then all, and highest of all: the Father is the Godhead, and he fils the man Christ with all the fulnesse of the Godhead, Coloss. 2. 9. For Christ hath all given to him as the Saints have; and as there is the fullnesse of the Godhead in Christ, so is there also in the Saints, For they are [...] verse 10. which is rendred compleat, now the Saints are not compleat till they are filled with all the fulnesse of God Ephes. 3. 19. filled with love, for God is love, and that love wherewith we are filled is God: filled with Christ the wisdome of God, and with the spirit the pow­er of God, with those three that are in Heaven: this is the myste­ry and it is incomprehensible, for the love of God to Christ and the Saints is Incomprehensible.

We fear that you would be tired out, if all that was obje­cted against this exposition should be related; but it must be observed, first, that when M. Earbury speaks of God, he saith, [God even the Father] and when he mentions the Father, he saith, the Father is God himselfe, the eternall God &c. where­by he doth intimate, that Christ is not God of himself, the eter­nall God, equall to his Father. Our brother therefore took ex­ceptions against these expressions, because they seemed not to drop from M. Earbury, but to be affected since they were so often repeated. M. Cheynell offered to prove that Christ is God by nature, God of himselfe equall to his Father. M. Earbury replied, dear Sir, you are not to dispute, but to answer what I object; whereas indeed M. Earbury was to have been re­spondent, and did make a Speech instead of a Supposition for the explication of his Thesis, and therefore M. Cheynell should have had free liberty to have disputed, and M. Earbury was engaged to answer his arguments, but when that would not be permitted, and M. Earbury desired our brother to consider, that that phrase God by nature, was no Scripture phrase. Ma­ster Cheynell replyed, Sir, now it appears that you are not so well read in Scripture as you pretend to be, you may read the expression,Galat. 4. 8. Gal. 4. 8. and though you will not give me leave to dispute▪ yet suffer me to expound the place, and shew the ground of my Exposition: The Apostle shews in this place

[Page 45] 1. That religious service must be performed to none but to him that is God by nature, from hence it will follow, that if Christ be not God by nature, we ought not to performe religious service to Jesus Christ.

2. The Apostle shews that they are ignorant of God, who per­form service to them who are not Gods by nature.

3. M. Cheynell shewed that Christ was God by nature, sub­sisting in the form of God, and was God equall to his Father, and proved it from Phil. 2. 6. [...], subsisting in the form of God, thought it no robbery to be equall with God. He who is in the form of God, and without prejudice to the Father equall to him must needs be God by nature, the selfe same God (though not person) with the Father; and therefore an Inde­pendent God, God in himself, God of himself, the eternall God. It is robbery to make more Gods then one, It is robbery to make the Saints equall with God, but it is no robbery to make God the Son equall with God the Father, because Christ is God by nature, but no Saint is God by nature; the fulnesse of the Godhead, all the fulnesse of the Godhead dwels, and dwels bodily, that is, really, (for body is opposed to shadow) in the person of the Lord Jesus. And therefore it is evident, that the same fulnesse of the Godhead which is in Christ, is not truly and really in a­ny Saint. The Congregation received this exposition with a gene­rall shout and acclamation; but M. Cheynell desired them to forbear, and told them that if he could not intreat them to be si­lent, he would silence himselfe and proceed no further, least such testimonies of approbatiō might give offence or cause disturbance. 2. Desired the company to take notice that M. Earbury cal­led the Spirit, the power of God, almost as oft as he had occasion to mention the Spirit, which expression did too plainely de­clare that M. Earbury held correspondence with the Socinians in their hereticall opinions. M. Earbury professed that he ne­ver read any of their writings, and yet when M. Cheynell di­stinguished between the spirit and the graces of the Spirit, a little after, M. Earbury forgot himself, and said, that was a Polandisme, conceiving that the spirit was by that distinction, imprisoned in Heaven, and he began to tell a story of some cast out by a Synod for such expressions: and when M. Chey­nell [Page 46] did distinguish afterward between Christ considered as a glorifiedman, and as the Lord of glory; M. Earbury said, glori­fied man was one of the Polonian expressions: let the Reader judge whether M. Earbury never read any of the Polonian Writers. 3. Our brother desired M. Earbury to deal plainely and clearly with him; whether he did acknowledge and be­lieve three Persons and one God? our brothers question was grounded upon M. Earbury his mention of three in Heaven, and yet his frequent confounding of the Son with the Spirit; for sure if the Son be the Spirit, as he doth commonly preach, there cannot be three in Heaven, for the Son and the spirit are but one as he conceives; nay, there will be but one in Heaven, for the Son is nothing but the wisdome of the Father, or the power of the Father, and so there will be no more divine per­sons in Heaven, but the Father only. Besides, M. Earbury say­ing, that the Father is the true God, and God is love, and the Son is wisdome, and the spirit is power, M. Earbury seemed to put off his Auditory with a Trinity of Attributes, instead of a Trini­ty of Persons, and consequently to make many Threes in Heaven, for iustice, mercy, eternity, will make another three in this sense. But M. Earbury said, that he came not thitherto be catechi­sed; but it was easie to reply that he came thither to explaine himself, and satisfie the Congregation, which could not pos­sibly be done unlesse he would give positive answers to perti­nent questions. M. Earbury told us, that the fulnesse of the Godhead should be revealed more clearely hereafter in the flesh of the saints at the sound of the seventh Trumpet, but it was more clearely revealed in the Prophets, then by the A­postles, becasue the Apostles were most taken up with writing about Faith and particular things, yet John the Divine wrote clearly of it, 1 John 3. 2. and therefore he pronounced all them to be Antichristian, who did not believe that there is the same fulnesse of the Godhead in Christ and all the saints, which he con­ceived to be very cleare from the 1 John 4. 2. 3. that is, saith he, whosoever denies that Christ is in us, is Antichrist, for by flesh is not meant the humane nature, saith M. Earbury, but the coming of Christ is the manifestation of the Godhead in the flesh of Saints, for Christ himselfe is the Spirit with God. Our [Page 47] brother was here forced to lay open M. Earbury, and declare that M. Earbury conceived that Christ was man before the world was, and therefore though he came into the world to be made of a woman, yet he came not to be made man, but to be made flesh. Hereupon Mr. Earbury charged our brother with revealing of secrets, and said, that he had delivered him­selfe to that purpose in a private Conference. Our brother re­plied, that he had not spoken a word about that Argument, if M. Earbury had not led him into it, by his perplexed dis­course, and pronounced such a censure upon all men, that are not of his mind, as to say, they are Antichristian.

Master Earbury insisted much upon Ephes. 3. 19. That ye may be filled with all the fulnesse of God;See learned M. Bayne his Annotations upon the E­phesians. which our brother said, was to be expounded by John 1. 16. of his fulnesse we have all received grace for grace. Divers are said in the Scrip­ture to be full of the Holy Ghost when they are sufficiently enabled to perform the dutyes which belong to their present estate and are growing up towards that fulnesse, which all the Saints shall enioy when God is all in all.

But M. Earbury seemed most confident when he came to urge his arguments, taken out of the Book of the Revelations.

The first was drawen from Reuel. 2. 26. The Saints haue the same power over the nations to crush and breake them that Christ himselfe hath. The answer was, that the Saints did not over­come by their owne strength, but by the strength of Christ. Christ doth overcome, and we triumph, we have a share in that victory which Christ gaines by his owne arm, John 16. 33 True saith M. Earbury, but the Son hath no power of himself, he hath all from the Father, and so have the Saints, and the Saints have the same power that Christ hath.

Our brother denied this bold assertion,Bold asser­tion. because the Saints are not Omnipotent, nor hath the Father given power to the Saints to quicken whome they will, nor have the Saints life in themselves, as the Son hath life in himselfe, and the Father in himselfe, John 5. 21, 26.

His next argument was taken from Revel. 3. 21. The Saints have the same honour, worship, throne, glory, that the Son hath, nay the same with the Father, and therefore they have the same God­head.

[Page 48] Our brother answered, that hard and obscure places of Scrip­ture should be expounded by plaine places. But it is clear that all men ought to honour the Son even as they honour the Father, John 5. 23. and it is as clear that the Saints are not to be honou­red as the Father is, whom M. Earbury acknowledgeth to be God of himself, highest of all, and greatest of all: to give that honour to the Saints, which is due to the Father is Robbery and Idolatry, and to maintaine that it is due to the Saints is loud blasphemy. There was another answer given more direct to that very Text, Revel. 3. 21. our brother observed a distin­ction of Thrones expresly mentioned in the very Text; The Saints shall sit with Christ in his Throne; but Christ sits with his Father in his Fathers Throne: Christ therefore must be con­sidered as a glorified man, and so the Saints shall sit upon the same Throne that Christ sits on as a glorified man: but if Christ be considered as the Lord of Glory, as the same God with his Father, so he sits upon the same Throne with his Father. Now though Christ promise that the Saints shall sit with him in his Throne, yet he doth not say, that they shall sit downe in his Fathers Throne as he himself doth who is in the Father, and one God with the Father. Nothing is more clear in Scripture then that no man save he that is God-man is to be advanced to the right hand of the Maiesty on high, above all that is named in the world to come, Ephes. 1. 20, 21.

His third argument out of the Book of the Revelation, was grounded upon chapter 21. 7. They who inherit all things have the same fulnesse of the Godhead in them which Christ had who was heir of all things, Heb. 1. 2.

Our brother answered, that Christ is the naturall Heir of God, that we are the adopted Heirs of God. Christ is Heir of all things by nature, because he is God by nature, but the Saints are Heirs by free grace; whatever blessings they inioy from their election to their glorification, proceeds from free and rich grace, as they are elected, so are they called, iustified, sancti­fied, and glorified by free grace. And the first Chapter to the Hebrews doth put a distinction between Christ and the Saints, as is evident by the worke of Creation, v. 2. his satisfaction, v. 3. his eternall generation, v. 5. we must not say to a Saint as God [Page 49] doth to Christ [Thy Throne ô God endureth for ever, vers. 8.

M. Erbury promised us three Arguments more and threat­ned to draw them up into form.

His first Argument was taken from Isay 61. 1. to 7. They who are annointed as Christ, are to preach the Gospel to the World, and whom the World shall own as the only Ministers of Christ, and shall honour as the Son, they have the fulnesse of the Godhead in them: but the Saints are annointed with the Godhead, &c. therefore.

There being but one clause of the major pertinent to the point in hand, M. Erbury was desired to prove that the saints were an­nointed with the Godhead.

Mr. Erbury endeavoured to prove it by this Argument. They who know all things are annointed with the Godhead: but the Saints know all things, therefore the Saints are annointed with the Godhead.

Our brother shewed that this was a fallacy, à dicto secundum quid ad dictum simpliciter: The answer was, that the Saints do know all things suo modo, that is, all things necessary to salva­tion, but they doe not know all things simply and universally, because they are not omniscient. They who are omniscient are a­nointed with the Godhead; but &c. The Saints are not omnis­cient, therefore they are not annointed with the Godhead; the con­trary you see follows from that medium. M. Cheynell therefore made it evident that unlesse [by knowing all things] was meant that they were omniscient, the major was false; if he took those terms in one sense in the major, and another in the minor, it was a false Syllogisme, consisting of four terms, as may appear to the eye. ‘They who are omniscient are annointed with the Godhead. But the Saints know all things necessary to salvation, therefore the saints are annointed with the Godhead.’

M. Erbury said that Omniscient was no scripture-terme, our brother desired him to prove that the Saints knew as much as God knoweth, or take some other medium; for though it was impossible to prove the proposition denied, yet he might finde out some more probable medium. Mr. Erbury tryed di­vers other wayes but could not conclude, and therefore our [Page 50] brother being almost quite spent, concluded the exercise as he began with prayer.

We shall not stand to make generall observations upon all M^r. Erbury's dictates, but the designe is evident, the Magi­stracy and Ministry of this Kingdome are both aimed at, because godly Ministers preach up the power of Magistrates, and prudent Magistrates countenance pious Ministers who were ordained (by a Colledge of Ministers separated from Rome and Antichrist, by a professed subjection to Jesus Christ) and set apart to preach the Gospel of Christ, by which all discer­ning Christians know, Antichrist hath been much weakned, and will in time be quite overthrown. Nay, it is cleare that all wel­grounded policy for the affairs of this life, is grounded upon Religion; for God, and so godlinesse under God by his ordi­nance heaps all blessings upon the wisest, and wel-built State, it doth uphold and maintaine all Common-weals in an happy order, and makes a land to become the land of Immanuel; now the Christian religion cannot be upheld without a Chri­stian Ministry; for if a Ministry had not been necessary, Christ would not have instituted it; being necessary, Christ will con­tinue it, for Christ will not be wanting to his Churh in things that are necessary for its edification and encrease; the Mini­stry then being instituted, and therefore necessary, must be maintained; for no Christian or company of Christians must presume to abolish an Institution of Jesus Christ. The end of the Ministry is to work upon the conscience for the restraint of sin, and to beget such graces as do incline both Governors to rule, and inferiors to obey according to the word; finally to nourish justice and charity, temperance and fortitude, amongst all sorts of men, and therefore the Ministry doth in its order by Gods blessing much serve for the preserving of Com­mon-weals, the glorifying of God, and the saving of souls. They then that are enemies to the Ministry, are enemies to the wel­fare of States and Churches. When M^r. Erbury can prove that the saints are equall to Jesus Christ, we will acknowledge that the saints may both preach, and ordaine Preachers.

We were bold upon such sad considerations as these, to write this following Letter to our Noble and more victorious then triumphant Generall.

Upon the receipt of this Letter, his Excellency returned this gracious and satisfactory answer,

We humbly conceive it altogether needlesse to give any far­ther account of the University in regard the Visitation approch­eth, and therefore we shall not anticipate their work.

As for the City, we must needs say, we have found among many of them much love and respect; we can speak it, (and we desire to do it to Gods glory) he hath given us some evi­dent pledges of our Ministry among divers, who have been so far wrought upon, that they have in a publick manner renoun­ced and abominated that bloudy Oxford-Oath, which they had formerly taken, desiring upon a Fasting day to be humbled for that sin in a speciall manner, and also that the Congregation would be earnest with God in prayer for a pardon for them. Others both in the University and City will acknowledge, that God by us his weak contemned servants hath began that great [Page 53] and glorious work of grace in their hearts, so that we have had the lot of Paul in Athens, some mocked, others sleighted him, but certain clave to him and believed, Act. 17. 32. 34.

Thus have we faithfully and truly given you an account of the most remarkable passages which have fallen out since our coming to Oxford, in which you may easily see how unjustly we have been scandalized, how the truth hath by some been bla­sted, how Heresies have been fomented, and we trust, in some measure refuted: And now we hope that the premises may pre­sent both advantage and oportunity to both Houses of Parlia­ment to consider seriously of some expedient, for the speedy preventing of the farther spreading dangerous errours, and the promoting of our covenanted reformation, as in all parts of the Kingdome, so especially in this University.