§. XIII.
The Constitution of the Independent Church.There is also another Sort of Protestants, to wit, the English Independents, who differing from the Calvinistical Presbyterians, and denying the Necessity of this Succession, or the Authority of any National Church, take another Way; affirming, That such as have the Benefit of the Scriptures, any Company of People agreeing in the Principles of Truth as they find them here declared, may constitute among themselves a Church, without the Authority of any other, and may choose to themselves a Pastor, who by the Church thus constituted and consenting, is authorized, requiring only the Assistance and Concurrence of the Pastors of the neighbouring Churches, if any such there be; not so much as absolutely necessary to authorize, as decent for Order’s Sake. Gifted Brethren.Also they go so far as to affirm, That in a Church so constituted, any gifted Brother, as they call them, if he find himself qualified thereto, may instruct, exhort, and preach in the Church; though, as not having the Pastoral Office, he cannot administer those which they call their Sacraments.
To this I answer, That this was a good Step out of the Babylonish Darkness, and no Doubt did proceed from a real Discovery of the Truth, and from the Sense of a great Abuse of the promiscuous National Gatherings. Also this Preaching of the gifted Brethren, as they called them, did proceed at first from certain lively Touches and Movings of the Spirit of God upon many; but alas! Their Loss and Decay.because they went not forward, that is much decayed among them; and the Motions of God’s Spirit begin to be denied and rejected among them now, as much as by others.
The Scriptures give no Call to Persons Individual.But as to their pretended Call from the Scripture, I answer, The Scripture gives a mere Declaration of true Things, but no Call to particular Persons; so that though I believe the Things there written to be true, and deny the Errors which I find there testified against, yet as to those Things which may be my particular Duty, I am still to seek; and therefore I can never be resolved in the Scripture whether I (such a one by Name) ought to be a Minister? And for the resolving this Doubt I must needs recur to the inward and immediate Testimony of the Spirit, as in the Proposition concerning the Scriptures is shewn more at large.