IT is some mens happinesse (I know not how or why, unlesse it be out of the partiality of their Followers to their own way and party) that write they (or preach they) never so weakly (or absurdly) they finde some admirers to cry them up, all their words as Oracles, and all their works as Wonders. Other men, though they do clearly disco­ver (perhaps because they do discover) the weaknesses and contradictions of those waies and works, must have their Books buried in silence, slighted and scorn'd, or themselves censured and traduced: Ep. to the Way cleared, pag. 2. [as carrying on a de­sign, endeavouring by pen to blot the fair Copy of Truth, and to crosse out of the Book of mens memory and esteem, the names of them whom God will honour though they will not, [Page]&c.] I have observed it as a depth of Romish policy of late, That they have left off to answer to any contro­verted points (being beaten out of the field by the full and clear confutations of their Doctrines, by our late learned Champions) and betake themselves now to a complyance with all Heresies and Sects, so to oppresse the Truth in another way, by crying down both Mini­stry and Learning. To which purpose, some Jesuiticall Pamphlets have been vented of late in severall dresses, The Swords Abuse asserted. The vanity of the present Churches, &c. and scattered abroad to do mischief, which have been answered and confuted; but they have the wit, not to reply, lest they make the cause worse. This practice some of our Independent Brethren have too much imi­tated; Witnesse the Diatribe, about Ordination, Impo­sition of hands, and preaching by Gifted men, not in Office; which being learnedly and judiciously answer­ed by D. S. and proved to be a Paradiatribe, the Au­thour thereof (thought to be a great man amongst them) is unwilling (it seems) to reply, whether out of consciousnesse of his own weaknesse, or out of pride and scorn of all, not of his own way and opinion; that his Disciples may think it is not worth answering. The like I may say of Vind. Clav. which having discovered many weaknesses and contradictions in The Keys and Way, is answered rather with slighting and scorn, then any solid convictions, as will appear in this present Vindication. Of 7. Chapters in the Vind. Clav. he an­swers but to one; and of 3. Sections in that first Cha­pter, he answers but to two; and throughout those 2. Sections, doth rather reproach his adversary by the un­deserved names of Vindex and Avenger, then satisfie his charge. And after a threefold promise (with atte­station of the Name of God twice) to give a further [Page]answer, shakes him off, as some contemptible person, set to be slighted, rather then answered. When I had, upon the first sight of his book, read what he had writ­ten, I presently set pen to paper, and made a draught of this present Vindication; but yet was not perswaded to print it, partly because I waited till M. Baily and M. Rutherford put out their Reply, to joyn it with theirs, (which I have long in vain expected) and partly because I was unwilling to make any further Discovery of the weaknesses of the Reverend Authour, and partly because I might think, the best answer to a slight answer, was no answer. But when I considered, that the Book was cri­ed up by the Epistler to it, as so exquisite a piece; in these words: [In the latter part of this Book (The Way Cleared) being controversal, you have a fair Additional to the Models afore printed of the Church-way (so much called for) not Magisterially laid down, but friendly debated by Scripture, and argumentatively disputed out, to the utmost inch of ground, and defended Cap a pie (as they speak) from the head to the heel, of every branch of truth essentiall to the controversie:] and when withall I perceived that this and other Books of that Way published, were highly e­steemed as unanswerable, and very taking with weak and unsetled mindes, to the disturbance of the peace of the Church; I found no rest in my spirit till I had seriously tried the strength thereof, especially of that Reverend and Learned M. Hookers Survey of Church-Dis­cipline, which I heard most magnified, as the strong­est piece of that Way; and so by the way give in a short answer in Vindication of Vind. Clav. from the Reply of M. J. C. so far as concerned my self. Ep. to the Way Ep. to the Way cleared. To forward this undertaking, I was the rather provoked; 1. By the im­portunate and reiterated recognition of those Tracts, [Page]those Models (as they call them) of the Church-way, Ibid. viz. Church-Government, Church-Covenant, &c. and now the late Modell (or crambe saepe cocta) of M. Bartlet, and this Additional, of the Way Cleared. 2. By the often re­peated quarelling, Ep. to the Way at our calling for a fuller Treatise, and a clearer Modell of the Church-way: 3. By the non-performance of that promise so long ago made, so often pretended, [Of a fuller Treatise of the same Subject, with ampler demonstrations, by joint consent of the Church­es of Old and New England.] But will they never take notice of the Answers given to most, or many of those? (for they all hold out the same things;) And why are they not rather offended (we have told them we are, and they ought to have given us satisfaction, had they esteemed us brethren) offended, I say, at their own scandalous breach of promise, in not exhibiting that fuller Treatise by joint consent, &c. Our Brethren of the Assembly, how long, how oft did they promise a full Modell of their Way, which yet we have as long and as oft called for, and expected, but all in vain? The time was, when some complained (but causelesly) as an excuse of their neglect of promise, Ep. to the Woy [That their hands were bound up, and of the unwillingnesse of Licensers to License their Tracts, &c.] But sure these last two or three years, their hands have been loose enough, and the presse open; but still this fuller Treatise by joint consent, &c. cannot finde the way into the Light: We have rather cause to think, that their disagreement among them­selves, is the reason why they dare not give us their Model, lest the world should see their differences (be­ing so few of them) and their Lightnesse and Incon­stancy, if (as oft they have done) they should hereaf­ter change their Judgements, upon pretence of New [Page]Light, perhaps as old errour, as that they left last.

That I may briefly declare my judgement, concern­ing this Way, so much adored and magnified by many; there are three things which have much prevailed with me, to perswade me, that it is not the way of Christ.

1. The contradictions, at least the many differences, as from the Scriptures, so from one another, and one man from himself; a Scheme whereof is presented, at the end of our first part.

2. The propensity of many of their principles (where­in they differ from the Presbyterians) to separation, and to the worst of Schism; I shall instance in some parti­culars.

1. [That there is no Catholike visible Church, no Church visible but a particular Congregation:] which is to deny all communion of Churches, and to grant only com­munion of members; yea, some grant scarcely so much: Witness the Reverend Authour of the Survey of Church-Discipline, who saies expresly, Surv. par. 2. pag. 64, 65. [He hath professed the course (of administration of the Sacrament to those of ano­ther Congregation) to be unwarrantable; because the Ad­ministration of the Sacrament is a Ministerial Act, and what authority hath he (the Pastor) to do it, or they to re­ceive it from him to whom he is no Pastor?] This must needs open a door to as many divisions as there are Churches, none having any power beyond their own Church: whereby all Religions, all Heresies, may be to­lerated, and none can hinder it.

2. That all Church-power, the power of the Keys, is inde­pendently and solely in a particular Congregation;] which is the setting up of Church against Church: and that Admission and Ejection of members is only into and from a particular Church: A childe is baptized into a [Page]particular Congregation, and not into the Catholike, or other Churches, to them he is an Infidell: And one excommunicated is cast out only of his particular Church, because the power extends no further then to a particular Congregation.

3. That a Church essentiall, or a Congregation of belee­vers without Officers, may chuse and ordain her own Offi­cers:] which will be the ready way to break them in­to separated Assemblies, one part chusing one, another another.

4. That a Minister is a Minister to none but his own Con­gregation:] which tends to destroy the unity of the Church, and that communion which the Churches of God may and ought to have one with another.

5. Gathering of Churches out of true Churches;] which gives way to every man to separate from his own, and to joyn himself with another Church, supposed purer; with contempt of the former Congregation: The Re­verend M. Hooker confesseth; Praef. to his Survey, p. 11. & in his Book. [That the faithful Congre­gations in England are true Churches, and therefore it is sinful to separate from them as no Churches:] And yet our brethren here practise this separation, by gathering their Churches out of ours, confessedly true Chur­ches.

6. That none but confederates by the explicit Church-Co­venant have right to Ordinances:] which is to keep out many precious souls from communion with their fel­low-members, and their children from Baptism, and to make them no better then Infidels. That's the second thing.

3. The many mischievous consequences of those principles, and sad effects, of the practice of the Inde­pendent way, in Old England, fully manifested in [Page]these few last years: For instance.

1. Under the Name, Shadow, and Shelter of Inde­pendency (as another Trojan Horse) have not only o­ther Sectaries, but had liberty to set up their Churches, [...]; but also the Jesuites themselves, have masked under this Vizard, transforming themselves into all shapes and sects; and have had the fairest (or rather the foulest) opportunity to propagate all monstrous and soul destroying errours; and to ruin not only the Pres­byterian but the Independent Churches also: Evident it is, that most of the points of Popery, are preached and published in these Churches, as a fair inducement to usher in the Antichristian Religion, whenever the se­cular power shall come into their hand.

2. Their Renouncing of their former Ordination in our Churches (which is reported to be done by some, if not most of our Dissenting Brethren) hath ministred occasion to Jesuites, Anabaptists, profane persons, and such like, to cry down our Ministry, as Antichristian, or null: and hath exposed us to all those foul reproach­es of Baals Priests, False Prophets, Black-coats, &c. which are daily poured out against the faithfull Mini­sters of Jesus Christ. It is by one of them laid to our charge, as a great crime, that we also have not follow­ed them in this Renunciation. This he saies, M Bart Model. p 119, 120. As learned and godly as the most and best of the Ministers are, in the Church of England, yet (with grief of heart let it be spo­ken) very few of them have learned to this very day to disclaim and renounce the evill and errour of the way of co­ming into the Ministry, I mean, their Antichristian Or­dination, received from the Prelates, &c. Those Bishops be­ing Antichristian, their Ordination also must needs be so, &c.] To which I say these things. 1. I desire him [Page]to remember his own distinction; Pag. 80. [We must distinguish between the corruption of things, and the things themselves, between the essentials of a Church-state, and the accidentals: Now it cannot be denied, but in respect of the Accidentals of a Church-state, so all is lost under the defection of Anti­christ, that is, in respect of the right order and administra­tion of Ministry, Ordinances, and Government: but not the essentials of these; and so long as these remain, the Church-state is not lost, &c.] Our Ordination therefore, was not Antichristian, though it be granted, that the Title and Office of a Diocesan Bishop, were Antichri­stian: Nay, he seems to say and hold, that in Rome it self, the Church-state is not lost, so long as the essenti­als remain; viderit ipse: But we say, The Prelates were certainly Presbyters, and ordained not alone, but toge­ther, with the hands of a Presbytery: And if they did arrogate such power to themselves, as that no Ordina­tion could passe without them; yet that was but an Ad­ditional corrupt circumstance; And himself tels us; [That the corruption of Administration doth not wholly make it null or void;] Pag. 10.5. Then (we say again) Our Ordination was not Antichristian; that which was so (if any thing in it was so) was rather the errour of the Ordainers, then of the Ordination, or ordained. 2. If the call of our Congregations will give us a right Ordination, most of us, if not all, have that to shew, as well as themselves: A call or consent of our people either explicit or impli­cit; which is confessed sufficient, by the Reverend Sur­veyor of Church-Discipline, Par. 1. pag. 47. Thus the people and parish [...]s▪ &c. and acknowledged to be in our Churches; why then should we renounce our Ordination? 3. If it be necessary to renounce our Or­dination as Antichristian, because of a corruption in the Ordainers; I would ask him, whether Baptism ad­ministred [Page](I say not by a Romish Priest) by a Minister so ordained, be not also Antichristian? (as Anabaptists do sometimes object.) And whether he himself did ever to this day renounce and disclaim his Baptism (like e­nough done with the Sign of the crosse, by some prela­tical Minister) as Antichristian? Himself propounds a like Question thus: [Are not those that we judge godly, Modell, p. 105. and in a capacity to make use of all the holy Ordinances of Worship, to be baptized again?] And he answers nega­tively, they are not, for this reason amongst others. [Be­cause it is supposed they have been (though corruptly) bapti­zed already; Now the corruption of any administration, doth not wholly make it void and null, if they had the essen­tials of that Ordinance, &c.] He might have been as fa­vourable to our Ordination, if he had pleased: But he may remember and satisfie another Query propounded by himself, to some Anabaptists, to be seriously consi­dered: [Whether there be any lawfull Baptism, Pag. 71. where the Administratour hath no lawfull calling thereunto?] And I would propound it, as seriously to be considered by him; Whether if our Ordination be (as he makes it) Antichristian, the Administratour of his Baptism, had any lawfull calling thereunto, and consequently whe­ther his Baptism be lawfull or null; and he must not be rebaptized? And thereby gratifie the Anabaptists, as in others, so in this opinion and practice. But I proceed to another.

3. Their preaching as Gifted Brethren, (for so they only are to all Congregations but their own) hath cau­sed this generall liberty of preaching, by men not in Office, of all Trades and Professions; to the contempt of the Ministry, to the multiplication of schisms, divi­sions, and separations, from their former Ministers and [Page]Churches; while every man hath liberty to propagate his own erroneous notions, and every man takes the Li­cense to hear whom he likes best, as most agreeable to his own opinion. Yea, this very Liberty taken and al­lowed by them, hath almost brought as much contempt upon themselves, as on the Presbyterian Ministers; Ma­ny of their followers chusing rather to hear even Boy-preachers, then themselves.

4. Their placing all power in a particular Congre­gation independently, without any power of appeal, makes an unjust censure irremedible. For this New-Eng­land it self affords us a fresh and sad instance, upon the report of very credible persons. There was an Excom­munication passed by the major part of a Congregation there, against a person who thought himself wronged, and desired his cause to be heard, by the Elders of o­ther Churches: who, upon the hearing doubted whe­ther the Excommunication could be justified. And they desired the rehearing of it. But it would not be grant­ed by that Congregation, or prevailing party in it: whereupon one of the Elders a reverend Pastor of ano­ther Congregation, writes thus to a friend: [It will be a trouble to poor M. Ch. not to have his businesse examined: but he must consider how the case is, and look up to heaven, for I can assure him there is no help to be had upon earth, till the Churches are reformed, and become Presbyterian. I speak seriously, I think that such things will make some incline to the Presbyterian way, who formerly have been as firm In­dependents as M.—If Independency do not break all the Churches in New-England, except a few Semi-presbyteri­an, Some are deceived, &c.] In consideration whereof, he gives his advise, to divers other Independent Mini­sters, to think seriously of the Presbyterian way: and [Page]divers there, are become more moderate then formerly: Happy were it for Old England if our Dissenting Bre­thren would hearken betimes to this advice; before they have utterly broken their own and our Chur­ches.

5. The power given to a Church-essentiall (as they call it) both to chuse and ordain their own Officers, or Ministers, as it is, and will be a cause of many factions and divisions; so it will bring the Ministers maintenance to depend upon the peoples benevolence; who may, and will upon the least dislike, reject him, and deny him any allowance; which will in a short time destroy the Ministry, discourage others from the Ministeriall cal­ling, and consequently ruine Religion. I have seen a Letter from New-England to this purpose; wherein ad­vising his friend to do his endeavour to preserve the sta­blished maintenance of the Ministry here; He saies, concerning New-England Ministers thus: Though most of the people here grow wealthy, yet not one Minister almost, hath from the people a competency to maintain himself and family, except he have an estate of his own:] One main de­sign of the Anabaptists or Jesuites, in crying down Tithes here, is to destroy both Ministry at present, and Learning for the time to come, when there shall be no certain establishment of a subsistence in that calling. How far our brethren have been assistant to this design, I wish them seriously to consider.

6. It is the observation of many both learned and godly, That many of those that once decline from us to the Independent way, stay not long with them, but fall presently into Anabaptism, from thence to Fami­lism, from thence to Rantism, even the utmost of blas­phemy and prophanenesse: Some poor souls have tired [Page]themselves in seeking and trying all the New waies of Religion, and after a weary vagary to finde the truth, which they lost, have returned home by weeping crosse. But few there are that do so; which is a Lamentation, and shall be for a Lamentation. Yea, it is observed, that those that run not into those extremities of errours, blas­phemy and prophanesse; yet fall strangely from the power and practice of godlinesse, wherein sometimes they walked, and grow more remisse and loose, in se­cret and family duties, in sanctification of the Sab­bath, &c. of which many holy men in former times and later, have found and said, [That it was the Nurse of so much piety in Old England, and the glory of our Church and Nation:] Little did we think, that those who out­stood the Sabbaticall profanations of the Prelates, their reproaches and scoffs of purity, precisenesse and strict­nesse (as they called it) would have so soon declined to the same loosenesse with them, upon a new pretend­ed principle of Christian Liberty, or Liberty of con­science. But we see that to be true; [That the Sun (of Toleration) can do that with a Traveller, to make him cast aside his garment, which the stormy windes (of persecution) could not do.]

7. And lastly, To adde no more, Those sad and ne­ver enough to be lamented Divisions, in Towns, Con­gregations and Families; those animosities, jealousies, bitternesses, heart-burnings, amongst brethren; attend­ed with so much contempt and scorn of those Church­es and brethren, they have forsaken; being the fruits of this New Way; make it more then probable, this way is not the way of Christ. It is observable, that as soon as ever any begin to decline from us, though they were the entirest bosome friends before, [such as took sweet [Page]counsel together, walking to the House of God together as friends:] fasting and praying together often, in publike and private; communicating at the same Table of the Lord, &c. after all this, they first withdraw and estrange themselves, then come to slight both us, our Ordinan­ces and Ministry, as well as our persons: and in some it ends in an open or secret opposition, and it's to be feared at last it will end in hottest persecution. The Spi­rit of Christ is a spirit of meeknesse, gentlenesse, and forbearance: The way of Christ, and the wisedom which is from above, is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easie to be entreated, &c.

These considerations of the evil fruits of the Inde­pendent way (so called) I doe not therefore exem­plifie (God is witnesse) to cast reproach upon the per­sons of any of that way, who are (as I trust, many are) truly godly, but only to give them occasion seriously to review the principles by which they walk. And I would humbly entreat them to reade the following discourses, without prejudice or partiality; and then judge, whe­ther there be not a Discovery made of the weaknesse of the foundation of their way: And if it prove so to be, to retract what they have more weakly built upon it, for the glory of God, and the peace of the Churches.

If any say, you have said much against their way, but nothing, or little, for the goodnesse of the Presbyterian way. I answer, Enough hath been said for it already, by the London Divines, in their Jus Divinum Regiminis Ecclesiastici; and the Vindication of the Presbyterian Go­vernment by the Province there: This to me is a very probable argument of the goodnesse of the Presbyteri­an way, That all sorts of men, Athiests, Papists, Epis­copal, Anabaptists, all Sectaries, and prophane men [Page]do so much oppose it. That way (said he) must needs be good, that Nero persecutes: whereas most of these, the latter especially like well of, and comply with the Independent way, as granting more Liberty then the Presbyterian will. Besides that, the fruits of the Pres­byterian Government, in other Reformed Churches, e­specially in the preventing or suppressing of errours, he­resies, and profanesse, speaks sufficiently for it.

I had also some thoughts, to have vindicated the Pres­byterian government from those unjust aspersions cast upon it by M. B. in his Model, p. 52. &c. but they are ei­ther so weak or so false, that they fall by their own weight before an indifferent and intelligent Reader. I shall now stay the Reader no longer in the porch, but referre him to the Tracts themselves: Desiring the Dis­senting Brethren with single and impartiall Judgements to consider the miserable rents and divisions, the errors, heresies and blasphemies broken out in this Church of England, since their way got footing and countenance here: and withall (in the fear of God) to study how they may be repairers of those breaches made, and re­storers of Truth and Peace lost, to this distracted and almost destroied Church, Amen.