A TASTE OF THE DOCTRINE of the newly Erected EXERCISE AT Thomas-Apostles London.  
Which began on Friday the third of this instant December 1652.  
MODESTLY PROPOUNDED 

To Caution the Actors.  
To Counsel the Hearers.    
By a Lover of Verity& Unity. Who cordially desireth that 
Old light in measure may increase and flourish, Whilst  
New light in matter, may decrease and vanish.   
LONDON, Printed by A.M. for Nathaniel web and William Grantham at the Sign of the black Bear in Pauls Church-yard near the little North-door. 1652.   

To the Bretheren consenting and combined, for carrying on the Conference, Lecture, Exercise or Meeting, at Thomas Apostles Church London, on Friday evenings, and begun on Friday last the 3d of this instant Decemb. 1652.  
Brethren( for so I desire to call and prove you;)  
UPon public notice given in print and Pulpits, of a Conference to be held by you, and a Lecture to be heard, for the resolving of doubts and cases of conscience, by reconciling of Scriptures that seem to differ: I amongst others( I hope of the people of God) came on Friday last, to the place and at the time appointed, expecting the benefit and comfort of a work of that nature: but( to my great grief and trouble of spirit,) was failed in my expectation, not only in the matter propounded and published: finding in stead of conference, the discourses of different men, concerning their own 
I shall propound to you such meditations or thoughts as I have had on this Scripture since I came into this place, was the preface of your Speaker: therefore I call them sudden.  sudden rather then serious thoughts, upon a portion of Scripture, no way noting the seeming differences, or speaking the sense of the Spirit of God by way of reconciliation: but also in the effect, looked for from M. Rogers, your Pulpit-man and Preacher of the Lecture for that time: for although I must and am ready to confess, that from the Scripture handled, he spake many profitable truths, yet he started some questions, as cases of conscience to be resolved, which, being not to my apprehension fully cleared, have left me in the dark; and the Scriptures( if I may speak it without offence) much to jar and differ. Being thus failed in expectation, I cannot smother the same in silence, least I should do myself, you, and the people of God wrong; I have therefore thought fit, and made hold, in a spirit of meekness, modestly to propound the matters of practise and principle, wherein I stand dissatisfied in the managing of your last Lecture; and so through that dissatisfaction, offended, and jealous, least your Exercise will have some sad influence on the Churches of God, besides particular souls: And I must entreat you not to take offence at this public manner of proposal. 1. For that it is but suitable to your making public your Exercise to all the Nation, even in Print, as if you intended the sun to see all the transactions of your Exercise. 2. For that the thing is of public concernment; the vindicating and clearing, or censuring and condemning of certain public Principles and Practices of the Church of God, retained many years: the deceiving or undeceiving of that multitude of people, from all quarters of the City, at the same time and place subjected to your doctrine. 3. But especially, as being thereunto compelled by yourselves; in that after a proclaimed conference had brought together many of doubtful mindes, and different judgements, expecting the liberty of propounding and receiving answer, you publicly denied it, being challenged; and declared an incapacity of speaking against or to any thing asserted, unless a man would first declare himself a member of some of your selected and separate Congregated Churches; the which put a gag in my mouth, and silenced my tongue, though my heart swelled, and was often ready to vent, had not want of candlelight, with willingness to countenance order( though irregular) and so free myself from the charge of violence( which I could wish you were not so apt to charge on such as object against what is by you asserted) commanded my present compliance, and so communication of my thoughts by this way; whereby I shall now briefly propound what I might have objected, and leave them to your discretions to clear up or vindicate to the people of God, that shall hereafter wait upon your Exercise.  
The first offence that presented itself is, in respect of practise; viz. Your setting up men of private places and particular callings, whose education and want of intention to the work of the Ministry( until of late years) must needs bespeak want of qualification to so great a work, whilst they unacquainted with the originals of the Scripture( which are emphatical) must needs see dark and obscure places, but by the light of our Translation, which you must needs confess to be but a thick and dim medium to the end of reconciling Scripture; though clear to show truths tending to the esse, and many things to the been esse of the soul; to common capacities; or if they have qualification, I fear either received not, or renounce Ordination; and so, though able, come to speak without the Authority of the Lord Jesus( which M. Rogers declared essential to a Minister.)  
Secondly, In respect of doctrine: I shall principally note to you my dissatisfactions in some things asserted by M. Rogers; though the foregoing speakers were very obscure, and provoked an enquiry in my spirit concerning what they spake. Yet I shall refer it to its proper place in his Sermon, where he spake more expressly to it.  
Mr. Rogers speaking from Luke 14.23. And the Lord said unto the servant, Go out into the high ways and hedges, and compel them to come in that my house may be filled, Having spoken in general, and resolved the words into a general Proposition, speaking to the several particular Observations therein, spake first of the servant in the Text, and resolved  
That such as go to call sinners unto Christ, must not be only and barely subjects, but Servants and Ministers by virtue of Office.  
Which he noted was to be {αβγδ} by qualification, and {αβγδ} potestate, by authority of Office. And having propounded it as a case of Conscience to be resolved, how they received this authority? and answering in general, From God, by holy unction of the Spirit, left us in the dark concerning the manner of giving the same, whether visibly and immediately, as in the apostolic daies; or invisibly and mediately, as in and by the Ordinances. Then particularly from the Church, which he said was the election and choosing of the people, saying expressly, that Ordination( of long retained in the Church, as that which did {αβγδ} denominate and authorize a Minister,) was nothing, not worth disputing, nor time to speak of: To which assertion, as I could not heretofore assent, so his answer being little more then his own assertion of it, did not reach the conscience; and the Scriptures urged by him to place the authority of a Minister in the election of the particular( for I cannot imagine he meant the universal) Church,( as to my present thoughts) were so far from reconciliation with other Scriptures, that according to his sense, they jar in themselves: as that in Acts 6.3. Choose you men full of the holy Ghost: is so far from proving their election to be the inauguration into their Office, that it seems to be but the preface to the work: for if they had been by virtue of that, and the Church had the power to create them, why is it in the same verse said, whom we may ordain or appoint? and in verse 6. they set them before the Apostles: nay, and the Apostles by prayer and imposition of hands did install them into their Office.  
By this text the holy Ghost seems( to me) to show; that, as in Offices political, election and inauguration are distinct: that the Lord Maior elect, is not ( ipso facto) Lord Maior, till he be installed at Westminster: so is it in Offices ecclesiastical, the Pastors elect are not ( ipso facto) Gospel-Ministers, until set before Ministers, prayed for, and set apart by laying on of hands. But further to back this Scripture, and show harmony; he seconds it with Acts 14 23. And when they had ordained them Elders in every Church, and had prayed with fasting, &c. Whence he inferred, that the Church of Antioch ordained them: and  told us, they did it with a {αβγδ}, elovatione mannum, with a holding up of the hand, as a token of their election; not with a {αβγδ}, laying hands on them: to which, when I remembered that some of the Learned had confounded these terms, my spirit could not relish the contradiction of them: yet looking for M. Rogers to reconcile( according to the end of his Lecture) this with other Scriptures, I was failed therein, and therefore should have desired him to tell us whether we are be fooled in our Translations, when we read, By the laying on of hands, and it should be By holding up of the hands: 
〈…〉.  And whether a {αβγδ}, be not found in the apostolical Ordination, as in Acts 6.6. 1 Tim. 4.14.5.22. which our Translation reads, Laid on hands, and I believe the Original will bear it. I see then little reconciliation between these and M. Rogers sense.  
But besides this difference of Scriptures one with another, I humbly conceive M. Rogers differed from the true sense and scope of the Text itself, when he affirmed, that the Church of Antioch ordained themselves Elders; for it is clear to me, that they that did ordain, ordained for others, and not themselves; for saith the Text, They did it in every Church; was any more Churches then one at that time in Antioch? and if there were, which was the Church that created Elders for other Churches by holding up their hands? Nay it is clear( in my judgement) that these that did ordain, did it as well at Lystra and Iconium, as Antioch; and he that will read the foregoing verses, and observe the connexion, cannot but see it: Nay moreover, those that did ordain, had one of them been stoned at Lystra; and both of them went about preaching and confirming the Disciples, and this I hope you will not say was the hand-holding-up Church, but Paul and Barnabas. Moreover, when I observe this ordaining Elders to be accompanied with fasting and prayer, it agrees with the manner of other Ordinations by the Apostles, and argues something essential to the constitution of a Minister besides Election; and if Election were sufficient at Antioch, it sounds harsh in my ears that the Church at Jerusalem must present their elect Officers for Ordination before the preaching Apostles; and that Titus must be left at Creet to ordain Elders in every City; which had been a groundless tarriance, and needless Commission, if election of the Church had done it.  
The second thing which( by the darkness of its discovery) disquieted my thoughts, was this: After the general advancement of free-grace, without any notes concerning the way of its operation in a poor soul, by the speakers, M. Rogers in his third observation( as I remember) concerning the parties called, viz. they that were in the highways and under the hedges, observed, Most miserable and sinful souls, drunkards, adulterers, swearers, and in the act of the vilest sin, were to come to Christ, And thence propounded this case of conscience, Whether a poor souls mourning for sin, humiliation, and discharge of good duties, were not, or might not be an argument of comfort to his soul? The which he answered in the negative, That they might not, without any distinction; declaring in very general terms all our sanctification and humiliation were not worth a tear, and a tear was worth nothing; Now although I could assent to this, in respect of being the objects of a faith of adherence and justifying, whereby the sinful soul is upon sense of an undone estate to cast itself on Christ and Christ only, as on the rock on which it may and must be safe: yet the reflections of that free grace( that carrieth out the soul to adherence on Christ) in sorrow for sin, subjection to Christ in Ordinances, sanctified life, and the like, I conceive to be arguments of the faith of assurance: and so of abundant comfort to a believing and dejected soul: and hence the spirit of holinesse is called in its sanctified operations on the heart, 
Rom. 8.23. Eph. 1.13, 14.  first-fruits, seal, earnest; being the evidence of our interest in Christ: and hence also we are exhorted in the Gospel to prove ourselves by mortification of sin, and sanctification of soul, whether Christ be in us, which is the foundation of our sensible comfort: this kind of argument I cannot but observe the Apostles to suggest, as 2 Pet. 1. add to faith virtue, to virtue temperance, 
2 Pet. 1.5.  &c. that you may make your calling and election sure: and in 1 Jo. 2.3, 4, 5, 6. Hereby we know that we know him, and that he is in us, if we keep his Commandements, and walk as he walked: Besides the force of this Apostollical direction, the Apostle Paul by his own example doth dictate unto Christians the liberty of rejoicing( if I may not say triumphing) in their sanctified conversation, in 2 Cor. 1.12. 
〈◇〉.  This is our boasting, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity we have had our conversation. And 2 Tim. 4 8. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my Course; I have kept the Faith: &c. so that had M. Rogers distinguished between faith of adherence as to justification before God; and saith of assurance as to the consolation of drooping and doubting souls, Scripture had agreed: but whilst in general terms he decried all comfort of those sweet reflections of grace, and that in resolution to a case of conscience; it stirred up in my spirit a jealousy and suspicion, that whilst he would keep us off the rock of Popish merit, he should hazard our peace upon the Antinomian licentiousness and remissness unto pious duties.  
The third and last thing, which was not the least dis-satisfying and offensive to my spirit, was under that observation of M. Rogers concerning the men in the ways and hedges, and the house into which they were called: where I must be bold to tell you that I conceive M. Rogers did wring the nose of the Parable, and step out of the way into the ways and hedges, when he applied that quality to Christians whereby the holy Ghost set out the estate of the Gentiles and Pagans, and to make that the Feast the Lords Supper( or as he said; to call it more properly, breaking of bread, though I know no reason so much to appropriate that denomination) which is to hold out the whole work of the Gospel whether in Word or Sacraments with the comforting effects thereof; but more especially to declare the house of this Feast to be your Churches in a separate and congregated way, as he in general with a great heat of affection,( to avoid bitterness, not to say passion, though more proper I fear) held forth and endeavoured to instil into us, calling with violence into it, and affirming all of us out of it to be in the highways and hedges, and so could not have the Lords Supper or breaking of bread. Had he only spoken of the unbelieving Pagans the Gentiles( that are without doubt meant in the Parable, though it was never so expressed by your speakers or Pulpit-man) coming into the Church of God in general, without a limitation thereof to this and that subject, I had assented and concluded Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus: but in that he did limit it, I cannot but dissent and tell you, that I apprehended much violence, and 
Were it charity for a child in your way to say of his godly parent, that he were in the ways and hedges because out of your way.  uncharitablenes in you, not only towards the Churches of God in England which you have owned, and where you were called many of you to Christ, if you have ever known him, but also to other Christian Churches not in your way: but lest you should think I mistook his Limitation, and apprehended amiss, I humbly offer these reasons for my apprehension of him: and submit them to any competent and ingenuous Judge.  
1. All were declared as incapable of speaking, in your Exercise, that did nor declare themselves members of some such Church: which argues what Church he was to call unto.  
2. He spake to members of the visible Church of Jesus Christ, and yet by way of distinction, calling some out of the highways and the hedges, into the house, to communicate in breaking bread; I cannot imagine he called into the Church invisible, for that giveth not a capacity of the Lords Supper or breaking of bread, who then but your Assemblies can be understood by this house, into which the members of the visible Church as heathen not yet in the faith are called.  
3. He all along held out his house by this Epethite, our fellowship, saying, we come to call, we cannot bring this Feast out, come to us, join in our way; all which are terms of propriety and specialty: and do we not know, that you that are actors in that exercise, are and have declared yourselves to be of such congregated separate Churches.  
4. In answering the objection that he started, that many godly men and believers were not of your mind, and your way, and could not join in your fellowships, and yet desired the Lords Supper, did he not clearly appropriate the wedding Feast to your Assemblies, and there limit it by way of allusion, calling in, all that would enjoy it, declaring notwithstanding such desire, they were in the hedges and highways, and that such Ministers as gave this Ordinance not in your way, carried it out of the house, and those that received with them rejected this Feast, for not coming into your way which he would suggest to be the house of God.  
I leave it now to yourselves ingeniously to determine whether although he did not speak it in express terms totidem verbi●… yet by these arguments any ingenious man may not see t●… object that he pointed at to be separate and congregated ●… semblies, and so seems not your design to be to propagate that principle, viz. that there is such a necessity of entering into a Church-way( that is of Independency) that there is no expectation of salvation without it: 
〈◇〉 of truth opened  Will not this conclusion naturally flow from these premises? You are in the ways and hedges in plain English according to the scope of the Parable, Gentiles, that ye know not ●… st: We dare not, our Commission allows it not to bring this Feast to you, for we bring it out of the house: if you come not unto 〈◇〉 you reject Christ: all which with many such like were his common zealous expressions.  
Yet before I can assent to such assertions, I must see how your recon●… ling Lecture will reconcile your principle, 
1 C●…. 5.  and the Scripture; though Scripture do require the parging of pollutions out of the Churches corrupt, where doth it denominate the corrupted Pagans, and bid the pure Corinthians go to his house at Galatia, Ephesus, Philippi, or the like; and that especially when the Church is with a spirit of zeal purging themselves of all pollutions: what Scripture doth warrant collection of Churches out of Churches, whilst such: or what Scripture doth evidence the Church of God in England to be amnihilated and run to the highways and hedges again: what Scripture doth warrant private mens constitution of Churches without the authority of public Ministry: in a word, what Scripture doth denominate you to be the house of this great King, exclusively, shutting all other Congregations from this privilege, and so enjoying the Wedding Feast: I pray you( Brethren) consider these things well, and see whether you give not cause of fear? whether your zeal be according to knowledge? Whether( whilst you are apt to cry out of violence, bitterness, and censuring, when justly reproved for your erroneous practices and principles) you do not detect an exceeding censorious, and uncharitable spirit, much below your meek expressions: when you do ministerially and in the name of the Lord declare, and damn to the very pit of hell such and those multitudes of men and women, which yourselves will singly own as believers in covenant with God, saying, this is a godly man, and that is a good woman, but— and that only because they come not to your way and fellowship, although it hath many years since been desired, and a long time expected, that your standing principles that should guide your con●… ant practise might be exhibited that they might be tried, but or ●… ld not to this day be obtained.  
Thus( Brethren) I have modestly propounded the dissatisfactions of my Spirit in the first act of your exercise, and shall desire it may be received by you, as tendered by me, in a spirit of meekness, and that the truth clouded in the first, may be cleared in the succeeding Exercises: and Scriptures wronged may be righted, people of God harshly though unjustly censured may be vindicated; lest you lye under that character of seducers, by making Scriptures differ: whilst you pretend to make them agree, and judging others whilst yourselves would be judged of none; I leave these lines to you with these declared ends, that it may cautionate you what doctrines you divulge, and principles you suggest, to such as I hope will try them: I must tell you that pretences of piety, and professions of unity have in the Church of God been observed to be the Prologomena of schism and separations: that preaching of some golden truths interlined with errors, because not fundamental, less regarded by common audience to be the praeludium and shooing-horn of more horrid heresy: I pray you take heed whilst you proclaim yourselves to be guides of others, that you look not on the truths and people of God with jaundice eyes, or through the coloured glass of a prejudicate opinion.  
To the people of God I propound these as counsel, to take heed whom and what they hear, lest they be taken at unawares; I wish they may remember, All is not gold that glisters. And that the devil may seduce by appearing as an Angel of light.  
As for myself, I doubt not to find the comfort of this discharged duty, though derided by some for it; and if you inquire and wonder my Name is not subscribed, I desire you to observe the reasons to be these: My person is not known to most if any of you if my Name were written: and it may be the name might provoke prejudice against the thing proposed: It is sufficient to you, that dissatisfaction is signified, especially where the matter is not personal but public to the Church of God, though among the vast multitude of your hearers you know not the man: this I shall profess myself to be, one resolved to supplicate the Throne of grace, that a successive Gospel-Ministry may be continued in the Churches of God in this Nation, to be ordained by the laying on of t●… hands of the Presbytery; that the Candlestick and lights the●… may never fall, which it will do if the cord of Ordination be ●… ●ed: as also that believing souls may rejoice in, and be comfo●… by the reflections of free-grace by a sanctifying spirit, and the 〈◇〉 〈◇〉 preserved, and that measure of unity that is among any the ●…vants of God be continued, until you sensible of the sad effects 〈◇〉 dividing principles and separating practices, cry unfeignedly to●… Lord Jesus: 
Cant. 1.7.  show us O thou whom our soul loveth, where th●… feedest, where thou makest thy flocks to rest, for why should we 〈◇〉 aside by the flocks of thy companions.  
FINIS.