1 Attsxxiv. 14, xxviii. 22. — "Hairesis Christianorum." Tertul., — "Secta Christ." Id., "Hteresis
catholica, et ha'resis sanctissiina," Constant. Epist. Chr. Syri.ac. Tileni Syntagma, — quo probare fonatur Calvinianos esse hajreticos, Hun. Cah-. Tur. Andrews. Epist. ad Molin.
48 PREFACE.
though my second thoughts have, if I mistake not, much improved some particuhiVS in this essay, yet I cannot be induced, because of the reason ])efore recounted (the only cause of the publication thereof), to make any alteration in it ; only I shall present the reader with some few things which gave occasion and rise to this proposal. As, —
(1.) A fervent desire to prevent all farther division and separation, — disunion of minds amongst godly men, — suspicions and jealousies in the people towards their ministers, as aiming at power and unjust domination over them, — fruitless disputes, languishings about unprofitable questions, breaches of charity for trifles, exa,sperat- ing the minds of men one against another ; — all which growing evils, tending to the subversion of Christian love and the power of godliness, with the disturbance of the state, are too much fomented by that sad breach and division which is here attempted to be made up.
(2.) A desire to work and draw the minds of all my bi-ethren (the most, I hope, need it not) to set in for a thorough reformation, and for the ol)taining of holy communion, — to keep off indifferently the unworthy from church privileges and profaning of holy things. Whereunto I presumed the discovery of a way whereby this might be effected, without their disturbance in their former station, would be a considerable motive.
(3.) A consideration of the paucity of positive rules in the Scripture for church government, with the great difficulty of reducing them to practice in these present times (both sufficiently evidenced by the endless disputes and irreconcilable differ- ences of godly, precious, and learned men about them), made me conceive that the practice of the apostolical churches, doubtless for a time observed in those imme- diately succeeding, would be the best external help for the right interpretation of those rules we have, and pattern to draw out a church way by. Now, truly, after my best search and inquiry into the first churches and their constitution, framing an idea and exemplar of them, this poor heap following seems to me as like one of them as any thing that yet I have seen ; nothing at all doubting but that if a more skilful hand had the limning of it,^ the proportions, features, and lines would be very exact, equal and parallel ; yea, did not extreme haste now call it from me, so that I have no leisure so much as to transcribe the first draught, I doubt not but by God's assistance it might be so set forth as not to be thought altogether unde- sirable, if men would but a little lay aside beloved pre-conceptions. But the printer stays for every line ; only I must entreat every one that shall cast a candid eye on this unwillingly-exposed embryo and rude abortion, that he would assume in his mind any particular church mentioned in the Scripture, as of Jerusalem, Corinth, Ephesus, or the hke ; consider the way and state they were then and some ages after, in respect of outward inmiunities and enjoyments, and tell me whether any rational man can suppose that either there were in those places sundry particular churches, with their distinct, peculiar officers, acting in most pastoral duties seve- rally in them, as distinguished and divided into entire societies, but ruling them in respect of some particulars loyally in combination, consiilei-ed as distinct bodies ; or else that they were such single congri-gations as that all that power and authority which was in them may seem fitly and conveniently to be intrusted with a small handful of men, combined under one single pastor, witli one, two, or perhajis no associated elders. More than this I shall only ask, whether all ordinary power may not, without danger, be asserted to reside in such a churcli as is here descrilied, reserving all due right and authority to councils and magistrates? Now, for the fountain, seat, and rise of this power, for the just distribution of it between pas- tors and people, this is no place to di.spute ; these following lines were intended merely to sedate and bury such contests, and to be what they are entitled, — ' 'Aic'tui y fy/AoiTw /iufTKjfc fojuTdTOi.- Find., Od. i. Oljm., 5J, 55.
A COUNTRY ESSAY
THE PRACTICE OF CHURCH GOVERNMENT THERE.
Our long expectation of some accommodation^ between the dissent- ing parties about church government being now almost totally frus- trate,— being also persuaded, partly through the apparent fruitlessness of all such undertakings, partly by other reasons not at this time seasonable to be expressed, that all national disputes tending that way will prove birthless tympanies, — we deem it no ungrateful endeavour, waiving all speculative ideas, to give an essay, in such ex- pressions as all our country friends concerned in it may easily appre- hend, of what we conceive amongst us may really be reduced to comfortable and useful practice : concealing for a while all arguments for motives and inducements unto this way, with all those rocks and shelves, appearing very hideous in former proposals, which we strive •to avoid ; until we perceive whether any of our giants in this con- troversy will not come and look, and so overcome it, that at first dash the whole frame be irrecoverably ruined.