A80640:641
The way of Congregational churches cleared in two treatises. In the former, from the…
The way of Congregational churches cleared in two treatises. In the former, from the historical aspersions of Mr. Robert Baylie, in his book, called, A dissuasive from the errors of the time. In the latter, from some contradictions of Vindicæ Clavium : and from, some mis-constructions of learned Mr. Rutherford in his book entitled The due right of presbyteries. / By Mr. John Cotton, sometime preacher at Boston in Lincoln-shire, and now teacher of the Church at Boston, in New-England.The way of Congregational churches cleared in two treatises. In the former, from the historical aspersions of Mr. Robert Baylie, in his book, called, A disswasive from the errors of the time. In the latter, from some contradictions of Vindicæ Clavium : and from, some mis-constructions of learned Mr. Rutherford in his book intituled The due right of presbyteries. / By Mr. John Cotton, sometime preacher at Boston in Lincoln-shire, and now teacher of the Church at Boston, in New-England.
London: printed by Matthew Simmons for John Bellamie, 1648
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Object. 4. It shall follow, that our Brethren widely mistake a supposed difference, which they devise betwixt the Jewish and Christian Church; to wit, that to make men members of the Jewish Ehurch, external holiness was sufficient, as to be born Jews, to be circumcised, &c. but that the Visible Church of the Gentiles after Christ, must be the Bride of Christ, and by true faith united to him. Whereas the members of a Visible Christian Church, are and may be hypocrites, though not known to be such, as were the members of the Jewish Church.
Object. 4. It shall follow, that our Brethren widely mistake a supposed difference, which they devise betwixt the Jewish and Christian Church; to wit, that to make men members of the Jewish Ehurch, external holines was sufficient, as to be born Jews, to be circumcised, &c. but that the Visible Church of the Gentiles after Christ, must be the Bride of Christ, and by true faith united to him. Whereas the members of a Visible Christian Church, are and may be hypocrites, though not known to be such, as were the members of the Jewish Church.
Answ. Who it is that M. Rutterford meaneth, to have put this difference between the members of the Jewish and Christian Church, I do not know: but thus far I own it, 1. That the Church of the Jews was National in their solemn assemblies, as well as Congregational in their Synagogues: and that accordingly they had National Congregations in Jerusalem, national sacrifices, and National high Priests, besides national government: but the visible instituted Churches of Christ in the new Testament, are Congregational: 1 Cor. 14.23. 2. That we do not read of the children of Israel, who were circumcised in their infancy, to have been afterwards debarred from the Passover upon point of moral profaneness: they having many sacrifices to expiate [Greek or Hebrew] ceremonially, which Christian Churches have not, but only penitential acknowledgement after censure. In which respect, I suppose (under correction) there was more toleration of sundry moral crimes in the Church-fellowship of the Jews, then ought to be born in Christian Churches. But otherwise I easily acknowledge, that in Christian Churches, as well as in Jewish, many hypocrites creep in, and are long tolerated therein (it may be all their days) and yet without impeachment of the truth and essence of the estate of Churches whereof they are members, and without infringement of the power of their Church administrations (when dispensed otherwise according to rule) notwithstanding the hypocrisy of sundry members, yea, and of officers also.