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A11588
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A briefe exposition vvith notes, vpon the second epistle to the Thessalonians. By VVilliam Sclater Doctor of Diuinitie, and minister of Pitmister in Summerset.
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Sclater, William, 1575-1626.
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1627
(1627)
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STC 21830; ESTC S116803
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223,255
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316
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Necessary offices of humanitie withhold not from a brother m Gal. 6.10 or stranger feed their hunger cloath their nakednesse they cease not to bee men or neighbours by being euill men 5 Yet if any that is called a n 1 Coi 5.11 brother be scandalously and contumaciously exorbitant with such hold no familiaritie to such show not a friendly countenance from their friendly familiaritie withdraw thy selfe this the Apostle he enioynes thee Yea though perhaps Church discipline sleepe towards them See precept 1 Cor. 5.11 2 Ioh. 10. These reasons are of it 1 Thou partakest in guilt of his offence so farre as thou but showest approbation 2 Iohn 10. 2 Hazardest thy selfe to o 1 Cor. 5.6 infection 3 To p Apoc. 18.4 wrath 4 The delinquent to obstinate impenitencie 5 Blemishest thy owne fame 6 Quantum in te encouragest others to like exorbitancy 7 See Saints regularly scruplous and abstenious in this kinde Psal 26.4 Ier. 15.17 Vse Outcries are frequent and bitter amongst vs perhaps not altogether vniust against neglect of Pastors and Church gouernours tolerating impunely in our congregations men of notorious lewdnesse Confessedly there is fault amongst vs but it would bee considered 1 Whither in gouernours to whom censures belong or not rather in them whose duetie is to informe 2 Whither in the constitution of the Church or meerely in the execution Why are personall faults made faults of the Church And may wee not obserue like conniuence partialitie and corruption in ciuill Maiestrates But in this which toucheth neerest clamorous plaintiues how may the people bee excused Who to their inwardest familiaritie little lesse then amitie promiscuously admit the vile as the pretious the profane as the holy Lacke we Church censures to inhibit vs their familiaritie Herein wee are nostri iuris none forceth vs their priuate societie whereby 1 we harden them in their lewdnesse and doubtlesse 2 bring on our selues partnership in their guilt by this degree of approbation 3 Take heede least not also some infection and taint of their vices Hereof see more ad ver 14. 2 Persons liable to this punishment are thus circumscribed 1 Brethren 2 Walking inordinately From euery brother hee meanes euery man professing Christian and member of the Church from euery such man of what ranke or qualitie soeuer withdraw if hee walke disorderly From such rather then from Pagans Saint Paul permits to goe with an q 1 Cor. 10.27 vnbelieuer inuiting to a banquet at no hand allowes r 1 Cor. 5.11 to eate with a scandalous brother 1 The kindnesse that * 2 Tim. 2. Tim. 3. melts an ignorant alien and allures him to goodnesse makes more Å¿ 1 Cor. 5. obstinate a seeing brother 2 Scandalous infirmities of brethren bring blemish and t Rom. 2.24 blasphemy vpon the Gospel more then enormities of Pagans or professed Idolaters 3 Chiefely Pauls reason swayes Church censures stretch not in any degree to them that are without u 1 Cor. 5.12 doe we not iudge them that are within Vse Peruerse quite crossing to the Apostles direction is the wisdome of most mens charitie growne Couering cloaking colouring halfe iustifying I am sure too fondly excusing the scandalous delinquencies of brethren When faultings of others perhaps but of ignorance are aggrauated by all circumstances our Oratorie can imagine to enlarge them withall Yet the God we serue is most terribble * Psal 89.7 in the assembly of his Saint so carries himselfe in his gouernement as to procure himselfe most aw and dread from those that x Leuit. 10.3 come neerest vnto him beares with more patience the outrages of vessels of wrath then the infirme faultings of vessels of mercy Not because hee lesse loues his owne but because he more deerely afects them and hath more tender care of their soules By Pauls rule we should herein resemble Walking disorderly If any would know what that is he thus explicates disorderly not according to the tradition or morall Canon which he receiued of vs. Specification of the matter is made ver 10. So hainous in Pauls esteeme is violation of holesome Church ordinances as that contumacy therein deserues censure little lesse then Excommunication Will he not be ordred by the Church y Mat. 18.17 Let him bee to thee as a Heathen or Publican Who z Mat 10. so despiseth you whither teaching or commanding according to God despiseth me Confessed it is where the Church commands what Christ in so many termes commands But Saint Paul stretcheth farther and calles them commandements of the Lord which are by iust consequence deriued from principles of Scripture See him 1 Cor. 14.37 As some Interpreters open the canon of manuall labour here prescribed to haue deduction ex Gen. 3.19 Where yet perhaps the Lord doth not so much prescribe as punish These cautions are vsuall in attending such prescript 1 If not impious Hos 5.11 Matth. 15.5 2 Haue not annexed opinion or intention of worship Col. 2.22 23. 3 Bee of things necessarie and vsefull at least for the time Actes 15.28 29. Such binde contemptuous carriage towards such Church ordinances is no small violation of conscience Vse Christian libertie is a pretious gift of God Saint Paul commands a Gal. 5.1.13 to stand fast therein yet withall aduiseth wee turne it not into license abusing it as occasion to the flesh Saint Peter confesseth wee are free and would haue vs so beare our selues yet mindes vs not to vse our libertie as b 1 Pet. 2.16 cloake of naughtinesse Wee are still seruants of God and owe him obedience according to euery his morall commands wherefore his aduise is c Verse 13. to submit to euery humane ordinance for the Lords sake certainely its true very precepts of men our superiours in things lawfull binde conscience though not virtute propria yet aliena id est Dei. I spare to particularize perswade rather submission to ciuill and Ecclesiastique ordinances I meane where Maiestrate and Church are knowne Orthodoxe 1 Why thinke we they meane Popishly who professe and teach to detest Poperie and acknowledge it the mysterie of iniquitie 2 How doe wee sillily call all Idolatrous that is in vse amongst Idolaters When Paul warrants to d 1 Cor. 10.25 26 27 28. eate Idolothites so bee nor wee eate them as Idolothites nor e 1 Cor. 8.7 know any weake thorough scrupulous surmise offended I beseech you consider 1 How peremptorie and frequent the charge is f Rom. 13.1 c. 1 Pet. 2.13 c. to submit 2 How ill it heares no lesse g Iude ver 8. 2 Pet. 2.10 then hereticall to despise dominion 3 How vaine ianglings about indifferents hath opened mouthes of enemies to traduce our Gospel 4 Hazarded to losse of better ordinances VERS 7 8. For your selues know how ye ought to follow vs for we behaued not our selues disorderly Neither did wee eate any mans bread for nought but wrought with labour and
against a graue Minister Dispoream if vpon examination they be found other that quarrell at Clasicall Preachers Lord that the Sages of our Church would seriously thinke of it our steeresmen pittie their poore brethren who climbe the Masts and draw the poope beare burthen and heat of the day how should they doe their duetie with ioy and the people be framed to conforme in Religion Might reason preuaile with lewdnesse and absurdity I would adde my aduise to these opposites And yet the most hare-braind amongst these absurd fooles would be thought wise The lewdest miscreant is affected with repute of honesty If Paul if Gods Spirit can iudge you are but absurd fooles lewd miscreants whosoeuer maliciously oppose to your Ministers or seeke to entangle them in the snare For all men haue not faith The Reason of prescribing this petition on behalfe of their persons q.d. And maruell not we desire your prayer for deliuerance for all haue not faith to restraine them from maligning the Doctrine and Teachers of faith Faith meanes he the morall vertue fidelitie That n Mat. 23.23 acception of the word is not infrequent in Scripture and thither bends the Antithesis But God is faithfull Rather sith the streame runs that way the vertue Theologicall yet withall suppose the other implied q. d. All are not faithfully or indeed that which they pretend and show for in faith For that he would be vnderstood of men in the Church professing faith I make no question 1 Idle had it bin in the Apostle to minde this people of Pagans and such like that they wanted faith selfely they knew it 2 Nor could their feare and discomfort which in the Antiâ—hesis he anticipates arise from any other then children of the Church professing to belieue Infidelitie is not all amongst Pagans faithlesnesse is as much in the children of the Church in many professing to beleeue many o Iohn 2.23.24 25. beleeued in the name of Christ when they saw his Miracles yet did not our Sauiour commit himselfe vnto them Durst not our Sauiour betrust himselfe with beleeuers A thousand liues he might haue put into their hands had they indeede beleeued in him But he who saw what was in them discouered infidelity lurking vnder the vizar of professed faith Want of imperate Acts of faith euidence it thus number them 1 p Act. 15.9 puritie of heart and life 2 q Gal 5.6 loue of God his ordinances and children 3 Deuotion 4 r 2 Cor. 4.13 Confession 5 Å¿ Iam. 2.14 15 c. Workes of Charitie and Mercie c. where these are not be bold to say there is no truth of faith be vaunts neuer so confident of Abrahams 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saint Augustine wrote comfortably de perseuerantia sanctorum Vse 1 there is a Script bearing title de Apostasia sanctorum Stuffed with Examples of many supposed to haue reuolted from faith But it would be enquired whither these who t 1 Iohn 2.29 went out from vs were euer truely of vs. whither these who reuolted from faith had euer any more then the show of faith in Scripture men beare names of what they show and are not Quest Then what loose they Resp That which they seemed to haue the show of faith pietie u Luke 8.18 sanctity they carried in the Church I say not all Scriptures or instances may thus bee explaned yet doubtlesse many But the more ought we to blesse God for specialty of his grace to whom he hath giuen truely to beleeue in him For * Acts 17.28 being liuing mouing for sense and reason for x 14.17 food and raiment for raine and fruitfull seasons I cannot but blesse God and admire his goodnesse Lord y Psal 8.4 what is man that thou art so mindfull of him yet these are common to me with heathen many with Bruits For meanes of saluation and z 1 Iohn 5.20 minde to know him my heart is more enlarged to praise his mercy yet these are common to me with hypocrites in the Church But that he hath blessed the meanes to my soule to worke true faith and repentance vnfained now thankes be to God for his vnspeakable gift who can expresse the noble acts of the Lord or shew forth all his doings once I know 1 my merits no more then others my demerits haply as great as others 2 The same meanes of faith vouchsafed to the faithfull but blessed vnto me to make me faithfull 3 Impediments in me and opposites to faith as strong as in another 1 blessednesse of minde to conceiue the mysteries of his kingdome 2 pride of reason scorning to subscribe to anies Ipse dixit to rest on naked authority bare testimony of God himselfe expecting argument and demonstration to euidence conclusions Theologicall yea articles of faith But blessed be God who hath subdued these high thoughts to the obedience of Christ when thousands of others are shut vp vnder vnbeliefe For all men haue not faith Perhaps Paul meant to point them to the fountaine of this lewdnesse and absurdity in procuring the vniust vexation of himselfe and his Associates that is want of faith The source as of most sinnes so chiefely of persecuting the Ministerie had they faith but as the graine of Mustard-seed they could neuer grow so lewd or absurd to molest the instruments of their belieuing Had they knowne they would not haue crucified the Lord of glorie Did men belieue had they euer a 1 Pet. 2.3 tasted how gracious the Lord is they would neuer vexe the Ministers of God b 1 Cor. 3.5 by whom they belieue Rather c Rom. 6.4 lay downe their owne necks for their safety and preseruation Faithlesse Infidels and no better they shall euer be to me whom I see maliciously bent against the persons of their faithfull Pastors VERS 3. But the Lord is faithfull who shall stablish you and keepe you from euill THE words seeme intended to preuent the feare might arise in this people from meditating their owne danger in the Apostles as also the intermingling of false brethren faithlesse beleeuers with the Churches of God Though that be true you as I may iustly expect vexations and perils from such yet be not dismaied God is faithfull who will stablish you and keepe you from euill In which comfortable speech of the Apostle two things to be obserued 1 The Blessings as arguments of comfort propounded 2 Next the ground of the blessings Gods fidelity The blessings two both acts of the Lord towards his children 1 Stablishment that vnderstand their firme setling in gracious goodnesse so as vnmoueably to persist therein without defection compare 1 Cor. 1.8 Act. 11.23 Eph. 3.16 17. and that excellent parabolicall expression of it Mat. 7.25 2 Cautelously vnderstand it 1 Shakings and wauerings in the very purpose may befall vs by violent blasts of temptations Psal 73.2 13. 2 Intermissions of the exercise of grace may betide vs yet semen manet 1 Iohn