Part 19 (2/2)

1. Against the heresy broached, viz. that they must be circ.u.mcised and keep the ceremonial ”law of Moses, or else they could not be saved,”

Acts xv. 2. The synod put forth a doctrinal power, in confutation of the heresy, and clear vindication of the truth, about the great point of ”justification by faith without the works of the law,” Acts xv. 7-23; and (Independents themselves being judges) a doctrinal decision of matters of faith by a lawful synod, far surpa.s.seth the doctrinal determination of any single teacher, or of the presbytery of any single congregation; and is to be reverently received of the churches as a binding ordinance of Christ.

2. Against the schism, occasioned by the doctrine of the false teachers that troubled the Church, Acts xv. 1, 2, the synod put forth a censuring power, stigmatizing the false teachers with the infamous brands of troubling the Church with words, subverting of souls, and (tacitly, as some conceive from that expression, ”Unto whom we gave no such commandment,” ver. 24) of belying the apostles and elders of Jerusalem, as if they had sent them abroad to preach this doctrine.

_Object_. But the synod proceeded not properly to censure the false teachers by any ecclesiastical admonition, or excommunication; therefore the power exercised in the synod was only doctrinal, and not properly juridical.

_Ans_. 1. They censured them in some degree, and that with a mark of infamy, ver. 24, as was manifested. And this was not only a warning and hint to the churches, to note such false teachers, avoid them, and withdraw from them, compare Rom. xvi. 17, 18, with 1 Tim. vi. 3-5; but also was a virtual admonition to the false teachers themselves, while their doctrines and ways were so expressly condemned. 2. They proceeded not to present excommunication, it is granted; nor was it at first dash seasonable, prudent, or needful. But the synod knew well, that if these false teachers, after this synodal mark of disgrace set upon them, should still persist in their course, incurably and incorrigibly obstinate, they might in due time be excommunicated by course; it being a clear case in itself that such heretics or schismatics, as otherwise cannot be reduced, are not to be suffered, but to be cast out of the churches. ”An heretic, after once or twice admonition, reject,” t.i.t.

iii. 10, 11; see Rev. ii. 2, 14, 20.

3. Against the scandal of the weak Jews, and their heart-estrangement from the Gentiles, who neglected their ceremonial observances, as also against the scandal of the Gentiles, who were much troubled and offended at the urging of circ.u.mcision, and the keeping of the law as necessary to salvation, ver. 1, 2, 19, 24, the synod put forth an ordering or regulating power, framing practical rules or const.i.tutions for the healing of the scandal, and for prevention of the spreading of it, commanding the brethren of the several churches to abstain from divers things that might any way occasion the same: ”It seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to impose” (or lay) ”upon you no further burden than these necessary things,” Acts xv. 28, 29. Here is _burden_ and _necessary things_, (so judged to be necessary for those times, and that state of the Church,) and imposing of these upon the churches: will not this amount to a plain ordering power and authority? Especially considering that the word _to impose_, or _lay on_, when it is used of the judgment, act, or sentence of an a.s.sembly, ordinarily signifies an authoritative judgment, or decree, as, ”Why tempt ye G.o.d, to lay, or impose, a yoke upon the neck of the disciples?” Acts xv. 10. Thus some in the synod endeavored to carry the synod with themselves, authoritatively to have imposed the ceremonies upon the churches; whom Peter thus withstands. So, ”They bind heavy burdens, and hard to be borne, and impose them upon men's shoulders,” Matt, xxiii. 4: and this laying on of burdens by the Pharisees, was not by a bare doctrinal declaring, but by an authoritative commanding, as seems by that, ”teaching for doctrines the commandments of men,” Matt. xv. 9.

2. By the t.i.tle or denomination given to the synodal results contained in their letters sent to the brethren. They are styled, ”The decrees ordained, or judged,” Acts xvi. 4. Here are plainly juridical authoritative const.i.tutions. For it is very observable,

That wheresoever the words translated _decree_ or _decrees_ are found in the New Testament, thereby are denoted, laws, statutes, or decrees: as ”Decrees of Caesar,” Acts xvii. 7: ”A decree from Caesar,” Luke ii. 1: Moses' ceremonial law, ”The hand-writing to ordinances,” Col. ii. 14: ”The law of commandments in ordinances,” Eph. ii. 15: and this word is found used only in these five places in the whole New Testament: and the Septuagint interpreters often use the word in the Old Testament to this purpose; for _laws_, Dan. vi. 8; for _decrees_, Dan. ii. 13, and iii.

10, 29, and iv. 3, and vi. 9.

And the other word translated _ordained_, when applied to an a.s.sembly by the Septuagint, is used for a judgment of authority, as, ”And what was decreed against her,” Esth. ii. 1; and so a word derived from it, signifies a _decree_, Dan. iv. 14, 21.

In this sense also the word is sometimes used in the New Testament, when applied to a.s.semblies; as, ”Take ye him, and judge him according to your law,” John xviii. 31; ”Whom we laid hold upon, and would have judged according to our law,” Acts xxiv. 6.

Now, if there be so much power and authority engraven upon these two words severally, how strongly do they hold forth authority, when they are applied to any thing jointly, as here to the synodal decisions!

3. By the consequent of these synodal proceedings, viz. the cheerful submission of the churches thereunto. This appears both in the church of Antioch, where the troubles first were raised by the false teachers; where, ”when the epistle” of the synod ”was read, they rejoiced for the consolation,” Acts xv. 30, 31; and Judas and Silas exhorted and confirmed the brethren by word of mouth, according to the synod's direction, ver. 32; and in other churches, to which Paul and Timothy delivered the ”decrees ordained by the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem; and so were the churches confirmed in the faith, and abounded in number daily,” Acts xvi. 4, 5; whence we have these evidences of the churches' submission to the synodal decrees: 1. The decrees are counted by the churches a consolation. 2. They were so welcome to them, that they _rejoiced for the consolation_. 3. They were hereby notably _confirmed in the faith_, against the false doctrines broached among them. 4. The churches _abounded in number daily_, the scandal and stumbling-blocks that troubled the Church being removed out of the way.

How should such effects so quickly have followed upon the publication of the synodal decrees, in the several churches, had not the churches looked upon that synod as vested with juridical power and authority for composing and imposing of these their determinations?

a.s.sERTION II.

That this juridical synod is for a rule to the churches of Christ in all succeeding ages, there need no new considerations for proof hereof; only let the reader please to look back to Position iv. of the last chapter, where the substance of those considerations which urge the pattern of presbyteries and presbyterial government for a rule to succeeding churches, is applicable (by change of terms) to the pattern of juridical synods.[115]

CHAPTER XV.

_Of the subordination of particular churches to greater a.s.semblies for their authoritative and judicial determination of causes ecclesiastical, and the divine right thereof._

The divine right of ecclesiastical a.s.semblies, congregational, cla.s.sical, and synodal, and of their power for church government, being thus evidenced by the Scriptures, now in the last place take a few words briefly touching the subordination of the lesser to the greater a.s.semblies, and the divine warrant thereof. In a.s.serting the subordination of particular churches to higher a.s.semblies, whether cla.s.sical or synodal,

1. It is not denied, but particular churches have within themselves power of discipline entirely, so far as any cause in debate particularly and peculiarly concerneth themselves, and not others.

2. It is granted, that where there is no consociation, or neighborhood of single churches, whereby they may mutually aid one another, there a single congregation must not be denied entire jurisdiction; but this falls not within the compa.s.s of ordinary rules of church government left us by Christ. If there be but one congregation in a kingdom or province, that particular congregation may do much by itself alone, which it ought not to do where there are neighboring and adjacent churches that might a.s.sociate therewith for mutual a.s.sistance.

3. It is granted, that every single congregation hath equal power, one as much as another, and that there is no subordination of one to another; according to that common and known axiom, An equal hath no power or rule over an equal. Subordination prelatical, which is of one or more parishes to the prelate and his cathedral, is denied; all particular churches being collateral, and of the same authority.

4. It is granted, that cla.s.sical or synodal authority cannot be by Scripture introduced over a particular church in a privative or destructive way to that power which G.o.d hath bestowed upon it; but contrarily it is affirmed, that all the power of a.s.semblies, which are above particular congregations, is c.u.mulative and perfective to the power of those inferior congregations.

5. It is granted, that the highest ecclesiastical a.s.sembly in the world cannot require from the lowest a subordination absolute, and at their own mere will and pleasure, but only in some respect; subordination absolute being only to the law of G.o.d laid down in Scripture. We detest popish tyranny, which claims a power of giving their will for a law.

'Tis subjection in the Lord that is pleaded for: the straightest rule in the world, unless the holy Scripture, we affirm to be a rule to be regulated; peace being only in walking according to Scripture canon, Gal. vi. ver. 16.

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