not hold Suppose a People really gathered unto the Belief of the true and certain Principles of the Gospel if any of these people shall arise and contradict any of those fnndamental Truths whether has not such as stand good right to cast such a one out from among them to pronounce positively this is contrary to the Truth we profess and own and therefore ought to be rejected and not received nor yet he that asserts it as one of us And is not this obligatory upon all the Members seeing all are concerned in the like Care as to themselves to hold the right and shut out the wrong I cannot tell if any man of Reason can well deny this however I shall prove it next from the Testimony of the Scripture Gal. 1. 8. But though we or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel unto you then that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed As we said before so say I now again If any man preach any other Gospel unto you then that ye have received let him be accursed 1 Tim. 1. 19 20. Holding Faith and a Good Conscience which some having put away concerning Faith have made shipwrack Of whom is Hymeneus and Alexander whom I have delivered unto Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme 2 John 10. If there come any unto you and bring not this Doctrine receive him not into your House neither bid him Rejoyce for so the Greek hath it These Scriptures are so plain and clear in themselves as to this Purpose that they need no great Exposition to the Unbyassed and Unprejudicate Reader fore-seeing it is so that in the true Church there may men arise and speak perverse things contrary to the Doctrine and Gospel already received what is to be the place of those that hold the pure and ancient Truth Must they look upon these perverse men still as their Brethren Must they cherish them as Fellow-Members or must they judge condemn and deny them We must not think the Apostle wanted Charity who will have them Accursed and that gave Hymenaeus and Alexander over to Satan after that they had departed from the true Faith that they might learn not to Blaspheme In short If we must as our Opposers herein acknowledge preserve and keep those that are come to own the Truth by the same means they were gathered and brought into it we must not cease to be plain with them and tell them when they are wrong and by sound Doctrine both exhort and convince Gainsayers If the Apostles of Christ of old and the Preachers of the Everlasting Gospel in this day had told all people however wrong they found them in their Faith and Principles our Charity and Love is such We dare not judg you nor separate from you but let us all live in Love together every one injoy his own Opinion all will be well how should the Nations have been or what way now can they be brought to Truth and Righteousness Would not the Devil love this Doctrine well by which Darkness and Ignorance Error and Confusion might still continue in the Earth unreproved and uncondemned If it was needful then for the Apostles of Christ in the dayes of old to reprove without sparing to tell the High Priests and great Professors among the Jews That they were stubborn and stiff-necked and alwayes resisted the Holy Ghost without being guilty of Imposition and Oppression or want of true Love and Charity And also for those Messengers the Lord raised up in this day to reprove and cry out against the Hireling Priests and to tell the World openly both Professors and Prophane that they were in Darkness and Ignorance out of the Truth Strangers and Aliens from the Common wealth of Israel if God has gathered a People by this means into the Belief of one and the same Truth must not they that turn and depart from it be admonished reproved and condemned yea rather then those that are not yet come to the Truth because they crucifie afresh unto themselves the Lord of Glory and put him to open Shame It seems the Apostle judged it very needful they should be so dealt with Tit. 1. 10. when he sayes There are many unruly and vain Talkers and Deceivers especially they of the Circumcision WHOSE MOUTHS MUST BE STOPPED c. Were such a Principle to be received or believed That in the Church of Christ no man should be separated from no man condemned or excluded the Fellowship and Communion of the Body for his Judgment or Opinion in Matter of Faith then what Blasphemies so horried what Heresies so damnable what Doctrines of Devils but might harbour it self in the Church of Christ What need then of sound Doctrine if no Doctrine make unsound what need of convincing and Exhorting Gainsayers If to Gainsay be no Crime where should the Vnity of the Faiâ—h be Were not this an Inlet to all manner of Abominations and make void the whole tendency of Christ and his Apostles Doctrine and render the Gospel of none effect and give a Liberty to the unconstant and giddy Will of Man to innovate alter and overturn it at his Pleasure So that from all that is above-mentioned we do safely conclude that where a People are gathered together into the Belief of the Principles and Doctrines of the Gospel of Christ if any of that People shall go from their Principles and assert things false and contrary to what they have already received such as stand and abide firm in the Faith have Power by the Spirit of God after they have used Christian Endeavours to convince and reclaim them upon their obstinacy to separate from such and to exclude them from their spiritual Fellowship and Communion for otherwayes if this be denyed farewel to all Christianity or to the maintaining of any sound Doctrine in the Church of Christ. But secondly Taking it for granted that the Church of Christ or Assembly of Believers may in some Cases that are Matter of Conscience pronounce a positive Sentence and Judgment without hazard of Imposition upon the Members it comes to be inquired In what Cases and how far this Power reached I answer First As that which is most clear and undenyable in the fundamental Principles and Doctrines of Faith in Case any should offer to teach otherwayes as is above declared and proved but some may perhaps acknowledge that indeed if any should contradict the known and owned Principles of Truth and teach otherwayes it were fit to cast out and exclude such But what judgest thou as to lesser matters as in Principles of less Consequence or in outward Ceremonies or Gestures whether it be fit to press Vniformity in these things For Answer to this it is fit to consider First The Nature of things themselves Secondly The Spirit and Ground they proceed from And Thirdly The Consequence and Tendency of them But before I proceed upon these I affirm and that according to Truth That
and that without Question the wrong is not to be tolerated but to be testified against however specious its Appearance may be and that it must and ought to be judged The Question will arise who is the proper Judge or Judges in whom resideth the Power of deciding this Controversie and this is that which I undertook in the next Place to treat of as being the Specifick Difference and Distinguishing Property of the Church of Christ from all other Antichristian-Assemblies and Churches of man's building and framing To give a short and yet clear and plain Answer to this Proposition The only proper Judge of Controversies in the Church is the Spirit of God and the Power of deciding solely lies in it as having the only Vnerring Infallible and Certain Judgment belonging to it which Infallibility is not necessarily annexed to any Persons Person or Places whatsoever by Virtue of any Office Place or Station any one may have or have had in the Body of Christ that is to say that any have Ground to reason thus because I am or have been such an Eminent Member therefore my Judgment is infallible or because we are the greatest Number or that we live in such a Noted or Famous Place or the like though some of these Reasons may and ought to have their true Weight in Case of Contradictory Assertions as shall hereafter be observed yet not so as upon which either mainly or only the Infallible Judgment is to be placed but upon the Spirit as that which is the firm and unmoveable Foundation And now if I should go on no further I have said enough to vindicate us from Imposition and from the Tyranny whether of Propery Prelacy or Presbytery or any such like we have or may be branded with as shall after appear But to proceed herein lies the Difference betwixt the Dispensation of the Law and the Gospel or New Covenant for that of old all Answers were to be received from the Priests in the Tabernacle for he that appeared betwixt the Cherubims there spoke forth his Mind to the People and there was also Families of the Prophets to whom they resorted for the Answer of the Lord though sometimes as a Signification of the further Glory that was to be revealed it pleased God to reveal his Mind to some even to them who were neither Prophets nor Prophets Sons but under the Gospel we are all to be taught of God that is none are excluded from this Priviledge by not being of the Tribe of Levi or of the Children of the Prophets though this Priviledge is as truly exercised in some by assenting and obeying to what God commands and reveals through others they feeling Vnity with it in the Life as by such who by the Revelation and Command of God's Spirit hold forth his Will to his People in certain Particulars which the same Spirit leads and commands them to obey So that we say and that with very good Ground that it is no ways inconsistant with this Sound and Unerring Principle to affirm that the Judgment of a certain Person or persons in certain Cases is infallible or for a certain Person or Persons to give a positive Judgment and pronounce it as obligatory upon others because the Foundations and Ground thereof is not because they are infallible but because in these Things at that Time they were led by the Infallible Spirit therefore it will not shelter any in this Respect to pretend I am not bound to obey the Dictates of Fallible Man is not this Popery I not being perswaded in my self because it is not disobedient to them but to the Judgment of Truth through them at such a Time and one or more their not being perswaded may as probably proceed from their being hardned and being out of their Place and in an Incapacity to hear the Requirings as that the Thing is not required of them which none can deny but it may as well be supposed as the contrary but for the further clearing of this Matter before I conclude I shall not doubt both to affirm and prove these following Propositions First That there never will nor can be wanting in Case of Controversie the Spirit of God to give Judgment through some or other in the Church of Christ so long as any assembly can properly or in any tolerable supposition be so termed Secondly That God hath ordinarily in the communicating of his Will under his Gospel imployed such whom he had made Use of in gathering of his Church and in feeding and watching over them though not excluding others Thirdly That their de Facto or effectually meeting together and giving a positive Judgment in such Cases will not import Tyranny and Vsurpation or an Inconsistency with the Universal Priviledge that all Christians have to be led by the Spirit neither will the Pretences of any contradicting them or refusing to submit upon the account they see it not or so excuse them from being really guilty of disobeying God For the First to those that believe the Scripture there will need no other Probation then that of Mat. 28 20. And lo I am with you alway even unto the End of the World And ver 18. And the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it Now if the Church of Christ were so destitute of the Spirit of God that in Case of Difference there were not any found that by the Infallible Spirit could give a certain Judgment would not then the Gates of Hell prevail against it for where is Strife and Division and no effectual Way to put an End to it there not only the Gates but the Courts and Inner Chambers of Darkness prevail for where Envying and Strife is there is Confusion and every Evil Work but that there may be here no Ground of mistake or supposition that we were annexing Infallibility to certain Persons or limiting the Church to such I understand not by the Church every particular Gathering or Assembly circumscribed to any particular Country or City for I will not refuse but divers of them both apart and together if not established in God's Power may err nor yet do I lay the absolute Stress upon the a General Assembly of Persons as such picked and chosen out of every one of these particular Churches as if what the Generallity or Plurallity of those conclude upon were necessarily to be supposed to be the Infallible Judgment of Truth though to such an Assembly of Persons truly stated as they ought in God's Power he hath heretofore revealed his Will in such Cases and yet may as the most probable Way which shall be spoken of hereafter yet such as a meer Assembly is not conclusive nor yet do I understand by the Church every Gathering or Assembly of People who may hold Sound and True Principles or have a Form of Truth for some may lose the Life and Power of Godliness who notwithstanding may retain the Form or Notion of Things but yet are to be
made up of Bishops or Presbyters or Commissâ—oners from the several Orders being of the Clergy Fourthly That what is concluded on by Plurallity of Votes and agreed to by the Pope and his Legates must necessarily be supposed to be the Judgment of the Infallible Spirit Fifthly That all the Members of the Church are bound implicitly to receive and believe it because it proceeds from a Council to be accounted lawful in the Respects above mentioned without Regard to the Intrinsick or Real Truths of the Things prescribed or bringing them in any Respect to the Test or Examination of the Spirit of God in themselves or the Scriptures Testimony or their Agreement or Disagreement with Truths formerly believed and receiv'd for so much as to prove or try them by Way of Doubt they reckon a Breach of the first Command as on the other Hand a matter of Merit implicitly to receive and believe them however inconsistent with the Testimony of the Spirit in ones own Heart Scripture Truth and Reason Sixthly That no Man as a member of the Church of Christ in that simple Capacity unless a Clergy-man or the Embassadour of some King c. can be admitted to sit vote or give his Judgment Seventhly that it is in no Respect to be supposed that any Members especially Laicks whether in a particular City Country or Nation may meet concerning any Things relating to the Faith and Worship of the Church and give by the Spirit of God any Judgment but that all such Meetings are to be accounted Schismatical and Unlawful And Lastly That the Promise of Infallibility and the Gates of Hell not prevailing is necessarily annexed to the Pope and Council called and authorized in the Manner above expressed Now if to deny every one of these Propositions wherein all Understanding Men know the errors abuses of the Romish Church consist be to be Popish then indeed may we be supposed to be one with the Papists in this Matter but no otherwise so that the very mentioning of these things is sufficient to shew the Difference betwixt us and them but if any will needs plead our Agreement with them thus The Papists affirm an Infallibility of Judgment in the Church of Christ and so do you therefore you are one with Papists I answer That proves no more our Oneness in this Matter then if it should be said the Papists plead that God ought to be worshipped and so do you therefore ye agree notwithstanding of the vast Differences as to that which is known not only betwixt us and them but betwixt them and all Protestants who agree more with them in the matter of Worship then we do Next again Infallibility in the Church according as we hold it I have above defined it no man upon our Supposition or Hypothesis can deny it for since we first assert as a Principle that no Gathering no Church nor Assembly of People however true their Principles be or however exact their Form are to be accounted the Church of Christ except the infallible Spirit lead and guide what can be the Hazard to say that in such a Church there is still an infallible Judgment indeed this is so far from Popery that it resolves in a Proposition quite contradictory to them The Romanists say That the infallible Spirit alwayes accompanies the Outward Visible Professors and is annexed to the external Suceession of Bishops and Pastors though ever so vitious as to their Lives yea though perfect Atheists and Infidels in their private Judgments yet if outwardly professing the Catholick Faith and Subjection to the Church we say on the quite contrary that where there is either Vitiousness of Persons or Unsoundness of Judgment in the particular Members these cannot by Virtue of any outward Call or Succession they have or any Profession they make or Authority they may pretend to so much or claim an Interest in any part of the Church of Christ So then if we admit none to be Members of the Church but such as are led and guided by the Spirit it will be no Popery in the Second Place to affirm that where there is a Company of People so gathered who are not any longer to retain justly the Name of the Church of Christ then they are led and guided by his Spirit or a Church so qualified and designed there is still an infallible Judgment so that this Infallibility is not annexed to the Persons to the Succession to the bare visible Profession though true which the Church of Rome is denied to be or to any Society because of its Profession but singly and alone to the true real and effectual Work of Sanctification and Regeneration the New Creature brought forth in the Heart and this is the Spiritual-Man which the Apostle faith judgeth all Things 1 Cor. 2. 15. To affirm there is an Infallibility here cannot well be condemned by any or whoso doth must needs say the Spirit of God is fallible for we place the Infallibility in the Spirit and in the Power not in the Persons and so these are the Degrees we ascend by because such and such Men are led by the Spirit of God and are obedient to the Grace in their Hearts therefore are they Members Officers in the Church of Christ and because they are Members of the Church of Christ in the Respect before declared therefore there is an Infallible Judgment among them We do not say because such men profess the Christian Faith and have received an outward Ordination and so are by a lawful Succession formally established Officers in the Church when they meet together according to certain Rules above declared there is an Infallibility annexed to their Conclusions and they cannot but decide what is right or rather what they decide must needs be supposed to be right who seeth not here a vast Disproportion Now we differ herein fundamentally that is as to the very Basis and Foundation upon which we build and that not only from the Church of Rome but also from the Generallity of Protestants in this matter All Protestants do acknowledge a General Council to be useful yea necessary in the Case of Division or Debate let us consider the Basis upon which they proceed and the Stress they lay upon it First All jointly both the Prelatical and Presbyterial will have this Synod or Council to consist of a Convocation of the Clergy chosen and sent from the particular Congregations with some few laick Elders called together by the Civil Magistrate in case he be one in Judgment with them They decide by Plurallity of votes and though they assume not an absolute Infallibility in that they reckon it possible for them to err yet do they reckon their Decisions obligatory upon their supposed Consonancy to the Scripture and however do affirm that the Civil Magistrate hath Power to constrain all to submit and obey or else to punish them either by Death Banishment Imprisonment Confiscation of Goods or some other
Corporal Pain even though such be perswaded and offer to make appear that the Decisions they refuse are contrary to the Scriptures And Lastly As among the Papists none though otherwise confessed to be a Member of the Church both knowing and sober except commissionate in some of the Respects above declared can be admitted to sit vote and give his Judgment Any that will be at the Pains to apply this to the Foundation I before laid of the Infallibility of Judgment in that we may account only to be truly called the Church of Christ will easily see the great Difference betwixt us which I shall sum up in these particulars First Do we exclude any Member of the Church of Christ that may be truly accounted so to tell his Judgment Secondly Do we say man ought to be persecuted in his Outwards for his disassent in Spirituals Thirdly Do we plead that decision is to pass conclusive because of the plurality of Votes And much more which the Reader may observe from what is already mentioned which that it may be all more obvious at one view will appear somewhat clearly by this following Figure which will give the Reader an Opportunity to recollect what lay heretofore more scattered The ROMANISTS say That there is an Infallibility in the Church which Infallibility is whenas the Pope calls a General Council of Bishops c. that whatsoever they conclude and agree upon must needs be the infallible Judgment of the Spirit of God because of the Promise of Christ That he would never suffer the Gates of Hell to prevail against his Church and that the Pope and Council made up of certain of the Clergy having one Outward Succession and being lawfully ordained according to the Canons are that Church to which that Promise is made however wicked or depraved they be yet this Infallible Judgment follows them as being necessarily annexed to their Office in which the Authority still stands in its full Strength and Vigour so that there lies an Obligation upon the whole Body of the Church to obey their Decrees and such as do not are not only certainly damned for their disobedience but that it is the Duty of the Civil Magistrate to punish such by Death Banishment or Imprisonment c. in Case they refuse The generality of PROTESTANTS say That though all Synods and Councils may err yet such Assemblies are needful for the Edification of the Church that such do consist of a Convocation of the Clergy with some few Laicks particularly chosen that all others except those so elected have not any Right to vote or give Judgment that such an Assembly so constitute may ministerially determine Controversies of Faith Cases of Conscience Matters of Worship and authoritatively determine the same the Decision is to be by Plurality of Votes without any necessary Respect to the inward Holiness or Regeneration of the Persons if so be they be outwardly called ordained and invested in such a Place and Capacity as gives them an Authority to be Members of such an Assembly what they thus decide as they judge according to the Scripture ought to be received with Reverence and submitted to and those that do not to be punished by the Civil Magistrate by Death Banishment or Imprisonment though they declare and be ready to evidence that it is because they are not agreeable to the Scripture they refuse such Decrees The QUAKERS say That whereas none truly ought nor can be accounted the Church of Christ but such as are in a measure sanctified or sanctifying by the Grace of God and led by his Spirit nor yet any made Officers in the Church but by the Grace of God and inward Revelation of his Spirit not by outward Ordination or Succession from which none is to be excluded if so called whether Married or a Tradesman or a Servant if so be in such a Church there should arise any Difference there will be an infallible Judgment from the Spirit of God which may be in a General Assembly yet not limited to it as excluding others and may prove the Judgment of the Plurality yet not to be decided thereby as if the Infallibility were placed there excluding the fewer in which a Meeting or Assembly upon such an Account there is no Limitation to be of Persons particularly chosen but that all that in a true Sense may be reckoned of the Church as being sober and weighty may be present and give their Judgment and that the Infallible Judgment of Truth which cannot be wanting in such a Church whether it be given through one or more ought to be submitted to not because such Persons give it but because the Spirit leads so to do which every one coming to in themselves will willingly and naturally assent to and if any through Disobedience or Unclearness do not all that the Church ought to do is to deny them her spiritual Fellowship in case the nature of their Disobedience be of that Consequence as may deserve such a Censure But by no means for Matter of Conscience to Molest Trouble or Persecute any in their Outwards Who will be at the Pains to compare these Three seriously together I am hopeful will need no further Argument to prove the Difference But if any will further object What if it fall out de facto that the Teachers Elders or Plurality do decide and from thence will say this is like the Church of Rome and other false Churches it will be hard to prove that to be an infallible Mark of a Wrong Judgment as we have not said it is of a Right And indeed to conclude it were so would necessarily condemn the Church in the Apostles dayes where we see the Teachers and Elders and so far as we can observe the greater number did agree to the Decision Acts 1. 15. for if the thing be right and according to Truth it is so much the better that the Elders and greater Number do agree to it and if wrong their affirming of it will not make it right And truly a Gathering where the Elders and greater Number are always or most frequently wrong and the younger and lesser Number right is such as we cannot suppose the true Church of Christ to be and if any will plead that there is now no infallible Judgment to be expected from the Spirit of God in the Church it no doubt will leave the Dissenters as much in the Mist and at as great a loss as those they dissent from both being no better then blind men hitting at random which will turn Christanity into Sceptism and though we may acknowledge that this Uncertainty prevails in the generality of those called Churches yet we do firmly believe for the Reasons above declared and that for many more that might be given That the true Church of Christ has a more solid stable Foundation and being never separated from Christ her Head walks in a more Certaiu steady and Unerring Path. THE CONCLUSION THE Substance then
as the Church and Assembly of God's People may and hath Power to decide by the Spirit of God in Matters fundamental and weighty without which no Decision nor Decree in whatever Matters is available so the same Church and Assembly also in other Matters of less Moment as to themselves yet being needful and expedient with a Respect to the Circumstance of Time Place and other things that may fall in may and hath Power by the same Spirit and no otherwayes being acted moved and assisted and led by it thereto to pronounce a positive Judgment which no doubt will be found obligatory upon all such who have a Sense and Feeling of the Mind of the Spirit though rejected by such as are not watchful and so are out of the Feeling and Unity of the Life and this is that which none that own immediate Revelation or a being inwardly led by the Spirit to be now a thing expected or dispensed to the Saints can without contradicting their own Principle deny far less such with whom I have to do in this Matter who claiming this Priviledge to Particulars saying That they being moved to do such and such things though contrary to the Mind and Sense of their Brethren are not to be judged for it adding Why may it not be so that God hath moved them to it Now if this be a sufficient Reason for them to suppose as to one or two I may without absurdity suppose it as well to the whole Body and therefore as to the first to wit The Nature of the things themselves If it be such a thing the doing or not doing whereof that is either any Act or the Forbearance of any may bring a real Reproach or Ground of Accusation against the Truth professed and owned and in through which there may a visible Schism and Dissension arise in the Church by which Truth 's Enemies may be gratified and it self brought into disesteem then it is fit for such whose Care is to keep all right to take Inspection in the Matter to meet together in the Fear of God to wait for his Counsel and to speak forth his Mind according as he shall manifest himself in and among them and this was the Practice of the primitive Church in the Matter of Circumcision for here lay the Debate some thought it not needful to circumcise the Gentiles others thought it a thing not to be dispensed with and no doubt of these for we must remember they were not the Rebellious Jews but such as had already believed in CHRIST there were that did it out of Conscience as judging Circumcision to be still obligatory for they said thus Except ye be Circumcised after the manner of Moses ye cannot be saved Now what Course took the Church of Antioch in these Cases Acts 15. 2. They determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain other of them should go unto Jerusalem unto the Apostles and Elders about this Question We must not suppose they wanted the Spirit of God at Antioch to have decided the Matter neither that these Apostles neglected or went from their inward Guide in undertaking this Journey yet we see they judged it meet in this Matter to have the Advice and Concurrence of the Apostles and Elders that were at Jerusalem that they might be all of one mind in the matter for there is no greater Property of the Church of Christ then pure Unity in the Spirit that is a consenting and oneness in Judgment and Practices in Matters of Faith and Worship which yet admits of different Measures Growths and Motions but never contrary and contradictory Ones and in these Diversities of Operations yet still by the same Spirit the true Liberty is exercised as shall be declared hereafter Therefore prayeth Christ That they all may be one as he and the Father is one to which Purpose also let these following Scriptures be examined Rom. 12. 16. Be of the same Mind one towards another 1 Cor. 1. 10. Now I beseech you Brethren by the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no Divisions among you but that ye be perfectly joyned together in the same Mind and in the same Judgment Ephes. 5. 21. Submitting your selves one to another in the Fear of God Phil. 2. 2. Fulfil ye my Joy that ye be like-minded having the same Love being of one accord of one Mind And yet more remarkable is that of the Apostle Paul to the Philippians Chap. 3. Vers. 15. Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded and if in any thing ye be otherwayesâ—minded God shall reveal even this unto you Nevertheless whereto we have already attained let us walk by the same Rule let us mind the same thing Brethren be Followers together of me and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an Example So here though the Apostle grants Forbearance in things wherein they have not yet attained yet he concludes they must walk so as they have him for an Example and so consequently not contrary or otherwayes and therefore we conclude that whereas any in the Church of God pretending Conscience or Revelation shall arise to teach and practise however insignificant or small in themselves whether Principles or Practices yet if they be contrary to such as are already received as true and confirmed by God's Spirit in the Hearts of the Saints and that the introducing of these things tend to bring Reproach upon the Truth as such as are not edifying in themselves and so stumble the Weak those who have a true and right Discerning may in and by the Power of God authorizing them and no otherwayes condemn and judge such things and they so doing it it will be obligatory upon all the Members that have a true Sense because they will feel it to be so and therefore submit to it And thus far as to the Nature of the things themselves Secondly As to the Spirit and Ground they proceed from Whatsoever Innovation Difference or diverse Appearance whether in Doctrine or Practice proceedeth not from the pure Moving of the Spirit of God or is not done out pure Tenderness of Conscience but either from that which being puft up affecteth singularity and there through would be observed commended and exalted or from that which is the Malignity of some Humours and natural Tempers which will be contradicting without Cause and secretly begetting of Divisions Animosities and Emulations by which the Unity and unfeigned Love of the Brethren is lessened or rent I say all things proceeding from this Root and Spirit however little they may be supposed to be of themselves are to be guarded against withstood and denyed as hurtful to the true Church's Peace and a Hindrance to the Prosperity of Truth If it be said How know ye that these things proceed from that Ground For Answer I make not here any Application as to particular Persons or Things but if it be granted as it
accordâ—ng as God hath dealt to every man the Measure of Faith 4 For as we have many Members in one Body and all Members have not the same Office 5 So we being many are one Body in Christ and every one Members one of another 6 Having then Gifts differing according to the Grace that is given to us whether Prophecy let us prophesie according to the Proportion of Faith 7 Or Ministry let us wait on our Ministring or he that teacheth on Teaching 8 Or he that exhorteth on Exhortation He that giveth let him do it with Simplicity he that ruleth with Diligence he that sheweth Mercy with Cheerfulness If any then should quarrel his Brother for exercising that which belongeth to the Office of the Body Christ hath called him to and would force him to exercise the same Office he doth though he be not called to it here is a Breach of Christian Liberty and an Imposing upon it Now all Schisms and Jars fall out in this twofold Respect either when any Person or Persons assume another or an higher Place in the Body then God will them to be in and so exercise an Office or go about to perform that which they ought not to do or whenas any truly exercising in their Place which God hath given them others rise up and judge them and would draw them from it both of which Cases have been and may be supposed to fall out in the Church of Christ as 1 Cor. 4. 3 4. where some judged Paul wrongously 3 John 9. where one exalting himself above his Place judged whom he ought not We see then what Diversities be most usually in the Church of God consisting in the Difference of the Gift proceeding from the same Spirit and in the divers Places that the several Members have in the same Body for the Edification of it and every one being here in his own Station in standing therein is his Strength Perfection and to be in another though higher and more eminent would but weaken and hurt him and so in this there ought to be a mutual Forbearance that there may neither be a coveting nor aspiring on the one hand nor yet a despising or condemning on the other But besides the Forbearance of this Nature which is most ordinary universal and for the Exercise whereof there is and will still be a need so long as there is any Gathering or Church of Christ upon the Earth there is a certain Liberty and Forbearance also that is more particular and has a Relation to the Circumstance of Times and Places which will not hold universally whereof we have the Example of the primitive Church testified by the Scriptures in two or three Particulars the first was in suffering Circumcision to the Jews for a time and not only so but also divers others of the legal and ceremonial Purifications and Customs as may appear Acts 21. v. 21 22 23 24 c. The second was in the Observation of certain Dayes Rom. 14. 5. And the third in the Abstaining from Meats 1 Cor. 8. throughout here the Apostle perswades to and recommends a Forbearance because of the Weakness of some for he sayes not any where nor can it be found in all the Scriptures of the Gospel that these things such weak ones were exercised in were things indispensibly necessary or that it had been better for them they had not been under such Scruples providing it had been from a Principle of true Clearness and so of Faith Next again These Acts of Forbearance were done in a Condescension to the Weakness of such upon whom the Ancient and truly deserved in its season Veneration of the Law had such a deep impression that they could not yet dispense with all its Ceremonies and Customs and to such the Apostle holds forth a two-fold Forbearance First A certain Compliance by such Believers as were gathered out from the Jews though they saw over these things yet it was fit they should condescend somewhat to their Country-men and Brethren who were weak 2dly The like Forbearance in the Gentiles not to judge them in these things but we see that it was not allowed for such weak ones to propagate these Scruples or draw others into them and that whenas any of the Churches of the Gentiles who wanted this Occasion would have been exercising this Liberty or pleading for it the Apostle doth down-rightly condemn it as I shall make appear in all the three Instances above-mentioned First In that of Circumcision Gal. 5. 2 4. Behold I Paul say unto you that if ye be Circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing Christ is become of none effect unto you Whosoever of you are justified by the Law ye are fallen from Grace Can there be any thing more positive Might not some here have pretended Tenderness of Conscience and have said Though the Decree of the Apostles do dispense with Circumcision in me yet if I find a Scruple in my self and a Desire to it out of Tenderness why should it be an Evil in me to do it more then in the Jews that believe We see there is no room left here for such Reasoning Secondly As to Observations Gal. 4. 9 10 11. Might not they have answered What if we Regard a Day to the Lord must we not then is not this thy own words We see that did not hold here because in them it was a returning to the Beggerly Elements Thirdly As to Meats 1 Tim. 4. 3. Here we see that is accounted a Doctrine of Devils which in another respect was Christian-Forbearance and therefore now and that in the general respect he gives this Reason Vers. 4. For every Creature of God is good and nothing to be refused if it be received with Thanksgiving of them that believe and know the Truth So we see that in these particular things there is great need of Wariness in the Church of Christ for that sometimes Forbearance under a Pretence of Liberty may be more hurtful then downright judging I suppose if any now should arise and pretend Conscience and claim a Liberty for Circumcision and the purifications of the Law whether all Christians would not with one Voice condemn it and so as to Dayes and Meats how do the Generality of Protestants judge it though I deny not but there may and ought to be a mutual Forbearance in the Church of Christ in certain such Cases which may fall in and a Liberty there is in the Lord which breaks not the Peace of the true Church but in such Matters as I observed at large before both the Nature of the things the Spirit they come from and the Occasion from whence and their Consequence and Tendency is to be carefully observed SECTION Seventh Concerning the Power of Decision SEeing then it may fall out in the Church of Christ that both some may assume another place in the Body then they ought and others may lay claim to a Liberty and pretend Conscience in things they ought not