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Ministers and Elders of the London Provinciall Assembly
Published by Good Press, 2021
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And thus we have given you a short account of the first opinion; and we do beseech you, in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you would weigh what we have said, in the ballance of the Sanctuary; & that you would look upon Church-Government, as an Ordinance of God, flowing unto you in the bloud of Christ, and as part of his Kingly Office; That you would allow of no Church-officers, or Offices, that have not a divine stamp upon them, accounting them guilty of a spiritual Præmunire, that will undertake an office in the Church, if there cannot be shewed a Scripture-warrant for it; and that you would submit unto it for conscience sake.
The second opinion, is of those, that will confesse a particular Church-Government by divine right; but say, that this is not the Presbyteriall, but the Government commonly called Independent, or Congregationall: the truth is, There are four kinds of Church-Government which lay claim to a jus divinum; The Papal, Prelatical, Independent, and Presbyterial. The first of them was banished out of this Kingdom, by King Hen. the 8. The second of them, as it was used and practised in this land, is abjured by our Covenant. The great debate of these late years, hath been about the Presbyterial, and Independent Government. And though we do not intend at this time, to enter into a large dispute; yet we earnestly desire our Brethren, that differ from us only in point of Church-Government, to consider the wofull mischiefs, that have come upon the Churches of Christ in England, by their dividing, and separating from us: And that whilest we have been disputing what is that Government which Christ hath appointed in his Word, there are a prevailing party risen up, that will have no Government at all to be found in the Word: whilest we have been so long debating about the hedge, the wild Beasts have got in, and made spoyl of the Vineyard it self: Whilest we have been building the wall, others have been plucking down the house: Whilest we have been consulting about the Garment of Christ, others have taken advantage to deny the Divinity of Christ: Whilest we have been so tediously contending about Reforming of Churches, Ordination of Ministers; and purity of Ordinances, there are men risen up, that deny all Ministry, Ordinances, and Churches. And indeed, there is scarce any fundamental Doctrine in Christian Religion, but is now, not only called in question, but openly denyed by some, or other. And therefore, we do exhort our Brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they would sadly lay to heart the unexpressible calamities, which are brought upon our Churches, by their dividing from us; and that they would study, for the time to come, all wayes of Union and Accommodation: And for our parts, we do here profess to all the World, that we are, have alwayes been, and through the grace of God, shall ever be willing to study to find out any Scripture way, wherein we may unite together with them, for the preservation of the Truths of Jesus Christ, the prevention of a toleration of Heresies and Blasphemies, and for the healing of the great scandal that is given to weak Christians, and wicked men, by our unhappy differences and divisions.
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