the danger of these things I mean of despising one of the least of those little ones that beleeve in Christ See Mat. 18.10 11. Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones for I say unto you that in heaven their Angells doe alwayes behold the face of my father which is in heaven For the son of man is come to save that which was lost By which it is evident that every one of those little ones that beleeve in Christ hath an Angell of God as it were standing before God in a continuall readinesse to execute his commands in their behalfe so that it were better for a man that a milstone were hanged about his neck and that he were drowned in the depth of the Sea c. And therefore woe unto the world because of offences c. See ver 6 7 8 9. And it is certaine that Christ hath an eye upon them who came on purpose to save that which was lost and therefore will certainly save them and hath his Angels ready and will avenge them speedily if they cry unto him See Luke 18.7 8. Beloved brethren I include my selfe as well as others under this guilt and have been rebuked and chastened of the Lord for such things and therefore dare not Justifiâ— my self and condemn others nor expect any other but that whoever continue in such practices shall smart for it one time or other be they who they can if they doe not repent Will a father suffer his children to wrong and bite and devoure one another nay his little ones especially and not whip them for it And as a father pittieth his children so the Lord pittieth them that feare him Psal 103.13 Object But it will be objected that this is so maine a cause of the differences amongst us that it will hardly ever be ascented to by any party in regard that all their principles are quite contradiory to the receiving of any to communicate with them in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper unles they be known to be of their owne way and especially strangers who ordinarily get letters of recommendations for this very purpose or else they are not admitted And if every Minister or member of a Church might bring in a stranger meerly upon his own knowledge and acquaintance with him and that without satisfying of the rest of the Church it would soon grow to that that there could be no restraint nor discipline at all exercised in the Church but all would be admitted that had any friend a member of a Church in the old promiscuous manner Answ 1. To this I answer Let it be considered That the cause of the differences are not because that any at all that are knowne to be Godly are admitted to the Sacrament nor the doores of fellowship straitned on purpose to keepe any of them out from any ordinance but to keep out those who are scandalous or ignorant and that chiefly for their own good 2. I answer That I doe not propose it that any should be admitted either because they are Presbitterians and so known to be nor because they are Independants or Anabaptists but because they are known to be Godly for there may be such of any party crept in who are not Godly but turne the grace of God into wantonnesse and laciviousnesse and denying the onely Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ See Jude 4. I doe not move to the receiving of any but that are known to be Godly of what ever forme or Church or way 3. I doe not move that every one might have liberty to invite another but those that are knowne and approved to be Godly and judicious For the younger sort of professors cannot be thought able to discerne being but beginners But such are not fit to be accounted Ministers nor beare the office of Elders or Deacons that may not be trusted in such a case Object But it will be objected that the wisest may be deceived whereas a whole Church might be more discerning and some or other may know them unfit Answ I answer if it so falleth out it is the fault and will be the desparadgement of him that bringeth him in upon his owne Judgement and it is nothing at all to the rest of the Church And if he have no ground so to judge of him and yet â—dmitteth him let him bear the blame as may be thought fit the Church is guiltlesse Object But it will be objected that it is a main principle in Church-pollicy to admit none that are not polliticially incorporated into some Church or other and that are willing to submit and ingage to the discipline thereof Answ 1. I answer It is true that it is an old and maine principle in Church pollicy but I for my part could never learn from what Scripture ground it could be proved lawfull Answ 2. But am and allwayes have been against it in my Judgement since I first knew it to be their principle and practise but shall be glad if any will inform me how it can be lawfull considering the precedent grounds of this discourse and most especially that command of the Apostle Receive ye one another even as Jesus Christ hath received you to the glory of God the Father see Rom. 15.7 Now if we doe not receive one another to the outward ordinances and Christian communion which are all the glory that we can received and admit them too how doe we follow Christ who hath received us to the glory of God the Father which is the highest and greatest glory that he himselfe can have And this his love to us hath ingaged him to when as yet we were sinners And it alwayes looked so like to the practise of Diotrephes who loved to have the preheminence and received not the Apostle John nor the brethren c. Insomuch that these principles in my opinion ingaged in a great measure to the very same practise for if the Apostle John yea or Christ himselfe should come amongst us as so he doth sometimes in his members he could not be received till he first conforme himselfe both in judgement and practise or professe so at least and also ingage to submit to the discipline and so be under those who are all under him else he must not communicate But this I dare affirme and have alwayes so accounted it as a dangerous thing for any Church or any part or member of a Church neither to receive the brethren nor suffer them that would See 3 John 9 10 11. especially considering there is no ground that I yet know of in all the Scripture for such a policy but is meerly invented to ingage or inforce men to their own principles and practises whether their judgements be convinced of the lawfulnesse thereof yea or no the which is not Christian it is not doing by our brethren as we would that they should doe unto us in the like case Object But it will be said if they be not incorporated with us
promised his presence amongst us in case we follow his steps and walke in love as he hath loved us and so obey his commandement and love one another owning one another and having fellowship one with another and disowning none that are members of his body but receiving all his members even as he also hath received us to the glory of God the Father Then I say he will doubtlesse own us and be present with us and shed his lâ—ve abroad in our hearts aâ—d build us up in faith yea the whole body together till we come to be tall and strong so as to aske what we will with a joint consent and it shall be given us whereas whilest devided how can we expect that our prayers should be heard whiles we are not reconciled to our brethren which he hath bid us do first even as Joseph to his brethren Gen. 43 5. Ye shall not see my face except your brother be with you even so saith our Saviour Goe first and be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift and leave thy gift on the Alâ—ar till then as if he should have said doe not expect thy gift shall be accepted till you be agreed you are both my sons I cannot indure you should live at variance come not here doe not expect to see my face till you be agreed I will not own thee in such a posture of spirit thy brother hath something against thee that is contrary to love go and agree with thy brother as I have commanded thee and then thou art welcome Aske and ye shall receive seeke and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you and by this all men shall know that ye are my Disciples if you make it appear that ye love one another Whereas on the other part how can any man thinke you are my Disciples or have any love to me or I to you if ye cannot love and own and have fellowship together one with another as brethren ought and as love ingageth where it is cordiall and not in word and tongue only but indeed in tâ—uth Nay how easie is it for any man to prove and that from Scripture that whoever denyeth this Christian-fellowship with his Christian brethren is yet in darknâ—ss and walketh in darkness and knoweth not whither he goeth See 1 John 1.6 7. Mat. 5.23 24 Mat. 7.7 Yeâ— Dililah could say to Sampson How canst thou say I love thee when thy heart is not with me See Judges 16.15 And this we may justly say to our selves how shall we say for shame or how can we think that we love God if we have not a care to keep his commandements And can we keep his commandements and not love our brethren or can we say we love them and cannot agree with them but fall out by the way Object But it will be objected such and such are our brethren but thâ—y will not goe our wayes we are in wayes that we know to be right and they are in by wayes and are bewildred and will not be perswaded and how can we help it we are forced to leave them Answ If they be our brethren and that we see them out through weaknesse and that we thinke our selves strong we ought rather to bear the infirmities of the weake then to please our selves lest our father be angry with us and say why did ye leave my little children and overrun them in the dark night whilest they cannot see but be bewildred and so send us back to fetch them home and not suffer us to rest or come within doors till we bring them with us and it may be whip us also for leaving them at all without a guide It will not serve to excuse us to say our brethren were wilfull and pettish and would go their own wayes or go none at all they being but children No a father will not loose his children and danger to have them cast away because they are weak and pettish but will rather say why did ye not rather turne back and bring them to me that I might have corrected them taught them better but you must leave them in danger and in an angry mood could ye not have spoke them faire and in a loving way perswaded them as children Beloved brethren Consider it seriously for there is no father can be so choice and tender hearted towards his little children as the Lord is choice and tender hearted towards his little ones as hath been shewed before and though he will not deny us to be his children but own us as such in an overly-way yet he will not welcome us nor lodge us in his bosome with such sweet embraces and kisses of love nor entertaine us familiarly so as to know his counsells and his mind and secrets till at least we have indeavoured what in us lyeth to perswade our brethren to come along with us and that in love and meeknesse as a nurse useth to doe with children And when we have used the means cannot do it yet let us never cease to pray to our father saying father perswade them thou art able to doe it though we cannot The Lord perswade Japheth to dwell in the tents of Shem. And then Canaan shall be his servant And doubtlesse it is already upon the hearts of many of the faithfull servants and messengers of God both to pray and preach for this Accordance though with little hopes of obtaining there desires because they see such stiffenesse in the hearts of the people and aversenesse to it and in some of their ministers which is sad and lamentable that the leaders of the people should cause them to erre and to remaine stiffe against the expresse commands both of God the Father and of our Lord Jesus Christ and of his holy Apostles and Prophets not to stoop at all nor submit theÌ„selves nor their wayes and judgments but as ascribing to theÌ„selves infalibillity of Spirit as if they could not erre See 1 Cor. 13.12 Consider I beseech you whence this stiffeness ariseth and whether it be not manifest that it springeth from the root of pride and self love and conceits of our own wisdome above others of our brethren that yet in account with others are as wise as we and it may be much wiser and that also in the sight of God But as I said before when the leaders of the people cause them to erre The case is lamentable and very dangerous lest they that are led of them be dâ—stroyed See Isa 9.13 14 15 16 17. And let me say to such stiffe spirited leaders of the people If they will but looke in the bottome of their hearts they shall certainly finde there a root of pride and selfe-love to be the originall fountain from whence this stiffenesse springeth and groweth up And they cannot but know who it was that called such like men blinde guides for straining out a gnat and swallowing a cammel and for omitting of
judgment mercy and faith and tithing of Mint Annisse and Cumin as hath been spoken to before Object But it will yet be objected shall not we be going on and pressing forwards but we must stay for them that will not pace with us but make stands by the way and are not satisfied that we goe the right way and therefore will not forward in the best and neerest pathes which we know are such and they will not be perswaded and some are not so able and zealous as yet to goe forward so fast as we and shall we stay for them Answ If they be our brethren we may well stay a while to perswade them and tell them what way our father directed us to goe and we cannot be sure our selves that he hath so directed us but we can easily shew it them and make it manifest But if it be their weaknesse and want of zeale let us take them by the hand as little children and help them forward and go their pace and not leave them behind as amongst the wolves our Father will be angry if we over-run them and whip us for it For this is not like as a nurse cherisheth her children as the Apostle dealt with the Thessalonians 1 Thes 2.7 8. It is not so gentle nor so affectionate for he being â—ffectionately desirous of them was willing to impart unto them not onely the Gospel but even his owne soule because they were deare unto him and so would also Silvanus and Timotheus whom in such respects we ought to follow and if we will indeed presse forward unto perfection let this be our marke and then we shall not over-run our little brethren whiles they are in non-age no though they be a little froward and pettish like children nor though they think themselves wise and strong and yet we know them to be weak and foolish For if we know them to be such we know them also to be but children and babes in Christianity in comparison with others of a riper standing for because they are weake or froward pettish or foolish shall we be so likewise Do we not shew our selves also to be but children in Christianity as well as they and are we not so far short of the Apostles practise and resolution before named It were but a bad nurse that should so carry towards little children Compare but such practices with the Apostles and it will convince And if we take in also that undenyable example of the Lord himselfe how he dealt with Israel who were a stiffe-necked people and how long he suffered their manners in the wildernesse See Deut. 32.11 12 13 14. How he dealt with them as an Eagle and bare them on his wings and lead them in the way through a desart wildernesse feeding them with oyle and milke and butter and honey so as they wanted nothing neither did he leave them nor forsake them for all their frowardnesse till they first forsooke him and served other gods though he said of them vers 20 They were a very froward generation children in whom was no faith And sure there cannot be much faith in us whilest we have so little love and regard so little to obey his first and great commandement wherein all the whole laws of God and the ends of them are so clearely contained and comprehended so as in obeying them we cannot choose but fulfill them all as hath been proved at large from sacred Scriptures And let us consider also another Scripture or two to wit Eph. 5.29 30. No man saith the Apostle ever yet hated his own flesh but nourisheth and cherisheth it even as the Lord doth the Church for we are members of his body of his flâ—sh and of his bones And he gave himselfe for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word that he might present it to himselfe a glorious Church not having spot or wrinckle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish See ver 25 26 27. Now if Christ so loved and hath owned his Church as members of his own body and flesh and bones and hath given himselfe for it and made it his businesse to sanctifie and cleanse it c. And if we ought to be followers of God as deare children and to walke in love as Christ also hath loved us As vers 1 2. Then doubtlesse we ought also to make it our businesse and our maine businesse of all other to present all the members of his body the Church perfect we being also members one of another See Chap. 4.25 as a perfect and glorious Church without spot or wrinckle or any such thing And to that end we must let all bitternesse and wrath and anger and clamour and evill-speaking be put away from us with all mallice And be kinde one to another tender-hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven us See Chap. 4.31 32. The Lord open our understandings to consider and discerne how much these sacred words of truth and faithfullnesse concern us all in these dayes of ours for his great names sake Amen FINIS