do that which men are apt to take and have reason to take for a denial of the Truth tho they do not deny it in so many words But Secondly We must cleave unto the Lord by Cleaving to and continuing in his Service for that is the other thing which he hath recommended to our Care as an evidence of our respect to him Joshua bids the People Take diligent heed to cleave unto the Lord and serve him Jos 22. 5. Now this holds first of the Ordinances he hath appointed for his Service and Immediate Worship Ye must Cleave to these In order to which 1. Beware of Will-worship or doing that in his Worship which he hath not commanded Colos 2 20. Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the Rudiments of the World Why as though living in the World are ye subject to Ordinances To wit Ordinances and Commandments of Men in Gods Service as he explains verse 22. And he gives some instances of them verse 21. Touch not taste not handle not It is true men may appoint the outward Circumstances of Order and Decency for going about these parts of God's Worship which he hath commanded such as are Time and Place what hour of the day ye shall meet at publick Worship and in what Place and such like which are Common both to Civil and Religious Actions but they may not under that pretext appoint new practices of Worship to God or significant engaging Ceremonies As for example That the Sign of the Cross be used in Baptism As a Token we shall not hereafter be ashamed to Confess Christ Crucified And that Ministers Preach with a White Shirt or Surplice above their Garments to signify the Holiness of their Calling or as the Ancients did ordain those who were Baptized to wear White Garments for the space of eight dayes after Baptism To signify their being washen from Sin For by that same Rule They may command every one to taste Vinegar and Gall at the Communion as a Sign that they shall not be ashamed of Christ who Died so And to put on an Helmet Breast-plate and other Armour in time of Publick Worship To signify our Resolution to Fight the Battle against Sin and Satan so long as we live And suck or drink in Milk publickly in time of Divine Worship In token that by Faith we draw in the sincere Milk of the Word that we may grow thereby Now any may see that to command these and such like were to appoint New Work in Gods Service and more than to do that Work he hath appointed Orderly and Decently Besides many things of Lesser moment and of the same nature with these I mean significant Ceremonies are appointed by God in his Law to which there is yet added that Sanction Deut. 12. 32. What thing soever I command you observe to do it thou shalt not add thereto nor diminish from it So that the appointing any such things in the Worship of God is an adding to Gods Law which is there prohibited I shall be more brief in the following Directions for Cleaving to the Ordinances of Gods Immediate Worship And therefore 1. Beware of Irreligious Impiety in neglecting these Ordinances Ye are commanded to wait upon them Pray without ceasing Despise not Prophesying or Preaching Speak to your selves in Psalms and Hymns Give attendance unto Reading Ye cannot cleave to the Lord in these Ordinances if ye neglect to go about them ye must countenance publick Ordinances make Conscience of secret Duties 2. Beware of Formality in going about them by resting in an out-side work But above all things strive to bring the Heart up to them otherwise ye do not as ye ought cleave unto them God is a Spirit and will be Worshiped in Spirit and in Truth The Lord will not rockon you to cleave unto them tho ye be present at them if so your Heart be far away from them 3dly Beware of up-sitting or back-sliding from making Conscience of them after ye have once begun That it be not said of you as the Apostle Paul said once of the Galatians Ye have run well but who did hinder you that ye should not obey the Truth Otherwise ye do not cleave unto them But further This cleaving to the Lord by cleaving to and Continuing in his Service doth hold in the Duties of our Particular Callings and Stations And in order to your Cleaving to these or to the Lord by making Conscience of these 1. Do not neglect them I mean those Duties which ye owe whether as Servants or as Masters as Parents or as Children as Husbands or as Wives as Magistrats or as Subjects Much of the Life and Power of Religion is manifested in the Conscientious discharge of such Duties and a man manifests best what he hath by making Conscience of such Rom 12. 11. Ye are not to be Sloathful in Business 2. What ye do even in things of that kind strive to do it as Service to the Lord. For as I have shew'd so much is enjoyned Servants Thus shall ye Cleave to the Lord even by going about your Ordinary Calling when ye discharge the Duties thereof as Service to Him that is when ye do them because He appoints you so to do and that ye may adorn Religion and take away all occasion of Reproach by your Conscientious Diligence in the practice of them 3. Let not the Duties of your particular Stations make you neglect the Duties either of Publick or Private Worship there is time for both ye cannot Cleave to the Lord in the Duties of the one sort if they shall justle out the Duties of the other 4 Strive to keep Communion with God even in the practice of such Duties by sending up secret thoughts and pithy ejaculations to God among hands as Nehemiah did chap. 2. By labouring to make a Spiritual use of every thing that occurs or which ye meet with This much now for their cleaving to the Lord the thing He would have them to do I shall now speak a little only to the manner wherein the Lord would have it gone about It s with a purpose or resolution and a purpose of Heart 1. It 's with a purpose and resolution he would have them take on a fixed resolution to do and that as an help to make them do Hence take this Doctrine That ye may cleave to the Lord and continue constant and stedfast in his Truth and Service ye must take on a fixed Resolution and Purpose so to do I suppose ye have taken on such a Resolution as this at your coming to the Lords Table but tho ye have done it yet your wisdom will be every day to renew it David had taken on such a purpose Psal. 17. 3 I am purposed that my Mouth shall not transgress yea he binds himself by an Oath to it Psal. 119. 106 I have Sworn and I will perform it that I will keep thy righteous Judgments This is that piece of the spiritual armour called
his Deputes so that they are to act by vertue of a Commission from him and meddle only with these things that he gives them Warrand for and so to meddle with them as to be lyable to an Appeal to him as the supream Judge in all Church matters We contrary to all these shall make out this following Assertion To wit That the Civil Magistrate as a Magistrate hath no Power either to Preach or Administrate the Sacraments nor yet to make Church Laws or inflict Church Censures either by himself or others as his Deputes but all this power doth belong wholly to Church Officers Ministers and Elders Which power they are to execute without Dependency on the Civil Magistrate so that they are not lyable to Appeals to his Court neither hath he Power to rescind the Sentence pronounced by them In following out of this point we shall go on as in the former we shall First clear the state of the question Secondly We shall bring Arguments for the Truth Thirdly We shall bring their Arguments against the Truth and refute them Fourthly We shall apply the whole to some use 1. First For clearing the State of the Question take this assertion that however we do not give the Civil Magistrate Power of Church Discipline or the power of governing the Church yet we give him much Power about Church matters Our Divines following the word of God give the Christian Magistrate a threefold Power about Church matters 1. A defensive protecting Power 2 A ruling Power And 3. a Punishing Power First They give him a Defending Power and that is grounded on that Promise made to the Church in Isa. 49. 23. And Kings shall be thy Nursing Fathers c. By this Power the Christian Magistrate is to do three things 1. By his Power he is to encourage countenance and advance by his Authority and example the publick exercise of all Gods Ordinances and so defend the Church in her Liberties that are given to her by Christ This was the practice of those Godly Kings under the Old Testament So did Asa 2 Chron. 15. to verse â—8 and Jehoshaphat 2 Chron. 1. 8 9. 10 11. And other Godly Kings They encouraged others in the Service of God they countenanced them and by their Authority and example allured others to the practice of Godliness which I ower Christian Magistrates have yet 2. By this Power they are to provide the Church with all external Necessaries as publick convenient Pâ—aces of meeting for Gods Worship and publick Mantainance for the Church Officers c This we see was Hezekiah's practice 2 Chron. 31. 4. Moreover he commanded the People that dwelt in Jerusalem to give the portion of the Priests and the Levites that they might be encouraged in the Law of the Lord. And it was Joâ—â—ah's practice 2 Chron. 34. He repaired the House of the Lord The publick place of Gods Worship 3. By this defending Power of the Christian Magistrate he is to remove all outward Impediments lying in the way of God's Worship such as Prophanity Idolatry Heresy and Blaspemy as we did prove at length in the former Controversy Secondly We give to the Christian Magistrate a Ruling Power about Church matters By this Power 1. He may convocate Church Judicatories command them to meet and to enact Canons and to make rules for Governing the Church although he cannot make Church Laws himself So pious Magistrates under the Old Testament did call Synods as David 1 Chron. 23 2. And he gathered together all the Princes of Israel with the Priests and Levites 2. By this Power the Christian Magistrate is to confirm the acts of the Church Judicatories and to give the force of a Civil Law Only herein we differ from the Papists They say the Magistrate should do this blindly he is only say they the Churches Echo to â—ay Amen to what they conclude But we say the Magistrate is not to do this blindly we allow to him a judgement of Discretion to try whether what they conclude be right or not and accordingly he is to add his Authority or not and yet this makes him not a Judge in Church matters but only a Judge of his own Actions 3. By this Power the Magistrate is to take Inspection of the Carriage of Church Judicatories so that all things be rightly managed by them so as if they should conclude a point of Injustice though he may not rescind their Act himself yet he may command them to resume the the matter take it to their second Thoughts give Reasons to the contrair exhort them to their Duties from time to time until the matter be rightly concluded Only it is still the Church Judicatory that must rescind their own Act. By this ruling Power the Magistrate may do much When the Church is corrupt he may reform it That is when Church Judicatories are all wrong that they will do nothing for his upstirring In this case the Magistrate may lay the Church Judicatory aside and do that himself which they should do His Power in this case is extraordinary he may reform by his own Power as Godly Josiah did 2 King 23. And as Asa and Jehoshaphat At such a time Magistrates may do much this way But extraordinary Cases are not to be made ordinary Rules Thirdly We give to the Magistrate a Coactive punishing power about Church-matters and by this power we affirm that all the persons of Church-men and their goods are lyable to the Civil Magistrate in things Civil According to that Let every soul be subject to the higher powers contrary to what the Papists teach so that if a Church-man should commit a Civil crime the Magistrate by his own power may punish him as Solomon did Abiathar 2. By this coactive punishing power he may see to the Observation of Divine and Church Laws and punish those that are contemners of them by Civil punishments There are several examples of this as that of Josiah He made all the People stand to the Covenant Now by all that is said ye may easily perceive that We give to Caesar that which is Caesars although we give him not what is Gods We give him much power about the Church but not the power of Governing the Church We shall clear this by a simile how the Magistrate may have much power about Church-matters although not power of Governing the Church Ye know the Civil Magistrate or Church Sessions have much power about matters belonging to husband and wife Parents and Children so as to censure and punish them for their unnatural carriage towards each other and to see every one do duty to another and yet neither the Civil Magistrate nor Church Session hath Marital or Husbandly power over the Wife or Parental power over the Children so as they might challenge the same duties from them to be done to themselves which the Wife oweth to her Husband or the Children to the Parents the Husband and Parents only have that power So it is here
like to be taken in the snare than that they think themselves so stout and stedfast that no Error will gain upon them and I would think it an evidence very good when people are afraid of themselves and do humble themselves in the sense of their own weakness and are employing Christ daily to bear them through For Blessed is he that feareth alwayes Only remember that this fear would be of the right Stamp And for clearing this we shall point at three or four things wherein this holy fear does consist specially with Reference to Error First where â—his fear is There will be a labouring to root Truth in the heart Ye know when People are affraid of losing any thing that they will labour by all meanes to be sure of it A man that hath this Holy fear over himself lest he be ensnared with Error will study to gett Truth rooted in the heart Prov 2. 16. The Spirit of God speaketh of hiding of understanding putting it in the secret place of the heart A second thing accompanying this fear is a forecasting what Truth may cost you there would be a fore-casting of this and a taking an Essay of the Cross before hand and this for fear lest that to eschew suffering ye quite the Truth if the tryall come on you unexpectedly Paul while he is exhorting the Disciples to stedfastness informs them That through much tribulation we must enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Acts 14. 22. Then there is a third thing accompanying this Holy fear and that is a fear to venture on Temptations to Error except there be a Providence putting to it of necessity and this fear rises from the Sense of our own weakness to engage with or stand the shock against Temptations this is implyed in that direction which the Apostle Paul gives 2 Timoth 3 5. At the end of the verse From such turn away v 6. For of this sort are they which creep into houses When a man is sensible of his own weakness the fear of his being ensnared will keep him from walking among snares A fourth thing accompanying this Holy fear is that tho ye find these Truths ye have had once sealed to your Spirits begin to be questioned and that ye are not able to answer what is brought against them and so perchance your Judgment may incline to think that what ye thought once to be Truth is now Error Yet where this Holy fear is ye will rather suspect your own want of knowledge to discern than any way suspect the Truth to be untruth and it will make you at least abstain from venturing even on that which your light points out for the time Now by these ye may know what is the Fearlessness that makes People to be in danger and it is this when it makes thee so inconcerned that thou never Labours to get Truth brought lower than thy head when thou never casts an account what Truth may stand thee when thou art so confident of thy own wit and knowledge that thou will venture uncalled to dispute with Sectarian Spirits or when any thing is born in as Truth contrary to what thou hast maintained as a Truth before and contrary to thy Covenant engagment thou grippes presently to it without once suspecting that thy own shallow understanding may be deceived This I sayâ— speaks a fearlesness that borders neigh unto Error Doct VII The Doctrine that followeth next from these words Believe not every Spirit is that Ministers the Servants of God are not to clap Peoples heads or indulge them in this inclination of theirs to Error they are not to humor them in it but on all hazards they are to testify against it Therefore sayes John Believe not every Spirit So also the Apostle Paul does very sharply inveigh against People when they are beginning to tamper with Error And lest People should say Paul and John were Apostles and knew what was Error and what was Truth being guided by an infallible Spirit and that therefore they might stoutly testify against Error but for other ordinary Ministers they may err as well as other People and so it is ill reasoned from what the Apostles did to what Ministers may now do Therefore to clear this we shall give a place where Paul bindes it as Duty on every ordinary Minister to to testify against Error In the Acts ch 20. v. 28. Therefore take heed unto your selves and to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers c. And in the 29. Verse he gives an instance wherein they were to take heed to the flock For I know this that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you not sparing the Flock verse 30. Also of your own selves shall men arise c. So it is a duty lying on all ordinary Preachers to watch over their People lest they be seduced with Error and that because First of that which we spoke of before that Error in the point of Truth should be as much eschewed by People as other particular sins and therefore Ministers are bound to guard People against it And secondly Truth is a precious Jewel and therefore in a special manner they ought to contend for it And Thirdly the Souls of People ought to be pretious to Ministers and therefore Ministers ought to watch over them they ought to guard them against Error because as other sins so Error is a damnable Soul-destroying sin And therefore as Ministers love Truth and Souls committed to them so they must watch over the People and guard them against Error Vse I. This show's the great task lying upon Ministers at every time but chiefly in an Erring time we spoke somewhat of this before how difficult it is for a man to meddle with reproving of Error more difficile than to reprove Prophanity because a prophane Man's Conscience is convinced of the evil of his way and therefore however he may be displeased with free Preaching against his sin yet his Conscience clears the Minister and thus he keeps him at least at some reverence But it is not so in a Soul taken with Error the misinformed Conscience speaks for it and therâ—fore whatever is spoken against him he casts at it as Error and untruth and readily the man that speaketh it may lose respect for his pains and yet we see the Word of God binds it on Ministers to speak against it Vse 2. But Secondly If it be so that Ministers be bound to reprove Error and testify against it then the People are bound to take the word of reproof from them we mean not that they should be so bound as what Ministers say should be the Bible but this much we say That People should presume as much on them as another to ask Councel from them as much as from another and to respect them as much as any other And that for these Reasons First because the publick Minister hath a promise which private men have not at
Excommunicate the Incestous Person To deliver such a one unto Sathan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus Now say they this command is given unto all the Church because there is no exception and therefore not to Elders only As also the command is as large as the reproof in v. 2. And ye are puffed up and have not rather mourned c. Now sure it is there were moe reproved than the Church Officers And therefore the command belongs to others than these In Answering this Argument we shall first retort it on themselves For if so be the Argument hold good it would follow that Women and Children had power of Excommunication for if the command be to all without exception then they are not excepted and if the command be given to all to whom the reproof is given then it is to them for doubtless Women and Children mourned no more than the men And so they should have power to Excommunicate also Now this were absurd and against themselves And so the two main pillars whereon they build their Argument fall to the ground to wit That the command is given to all without exception And that it is of a like latitude with the reproof But Secondly We Answer to the point That all who are acquaint with Scripture know that God useth to give commands indefinitly to the whole Church which he will not have applyed to every one in the Church but only to those persons to whom according to their respective callings interest or relations the command doth belong We shall make this clear from 1 Cor 14. 31. Where Paul speaketh generally to the Saints at Corinth ye may all Prophecy one by one c. The command is given indefinitly to all and yet sure it is not the Apostles mind that all to whom he writs should do this but only they who had abilities and a Call to it and therefore he sayes in the preceeding 12 chap. 29. Are all Apostles are all Prophets are all Teachers c. So in 1 Thess 5. 13. And to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake c. Now if this be a duty lying on all to whom the Epistle is directed then the Ministers had been to esteem highly to themselves for their own works sake For the Epistle is written to them among the rest now this were absurd and so it must be intended for the People So is it here the command is given indefinitly to all yet the matter is not to be done by all but only by some to wit the Church officers and this appeareth evidently from 2 Cor. 2. 6. He was speaking to them concerning the same case in hand to wit the relaxing of the incestous man from Excommunication and sayes he Sufficient to such a man is this punishment which was inflicted of many Now he doth not say Inflicted of all as they would make the words bear but inflicted of many Yea as the learned observe the word many signifieth The chief ones It is the same word that is Matth 12. 41 a greater than Jonas So Paul explaines himself That it was not all but the chief Ones to wit the Rulers by whom the Censure was to be inflicted And this now for Answering their Objections IV. In the nixt place we shall come and apply the whole purpose to a threefold Use. And the first is Seeing this Error as we have now made evident it is not of God I would have you suspecting fair pretences that a Doctrine may be coloured over with There is no Error that hath a fairer pretence than This hath it is the liberty of the Saints say they should not they judge others A fair pretence And yet it is but the same that Korah Dathan and Abiram had and so we need to stumble the less at it Ye take too much upon you said they seing all the Congregation are Holy every one of them c. Numb-16 3. The Second Vse is to private Christians that ye would do your duty And Secondly Content your selves with your duty And first do your duty whereof many come short Doubtless many at the hearing of this Doctrine will cast off all care seeing the care of the Church is laid on the Officers thereof Ministers and Elders Nay but as we shew in the clearing of the State of the Question although power of Governing the Church be not in the hands of all believers yet there is a duty lying on them to admonish and exhort even their Ministers say to Archippus take heed to thy Ministry Yea it is a duty lying on private Christians that when your private Admonition doth not the business ye are bound to delate it to the Church We see this Matth 16. Where Christs institutes this order v 16. 1. To tell thy Brother privatly and if that will not do bring two or three moe Witnesses with thee then if that do it not tell it to the Church so it is a duty lying on every Church member to admonish and rebuke even their Ministers and Elders to stir them up when slack and when that will not do to tell it to others And we would charge you to make more conscience of this duty than usually ye do A second part of your duty we told you was to try the spirits in reference to your practice ye are not bound to take a Doctrine on trust from Ministers tho Apostles Nay not from Angels Though we or an Angel from Heaven Preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have Preached unto you let him be accursed Galat. 1. 8. And private Christians come short of this part of their duty also many seeking no other Reason of their Faith than what Ministers Preach it is a loose ground For ye are commanded to Try the Spirits But Secondly As ye would make Conscience of your duty so ye would content your selves with your duty ye would look on Church Officers and reverence them ye are not to say what is more in them than in our selves may we not be as fit as they they may erre as well as we Grant it be so yet they are Gods Ordinance appointed by the God of order and he who reproacheth them reproacheth his ordinance and breaketh down the hedge appointed by God The Third Vse is directed to Church Officers Those whom the Lord hath instructed with this power Ye would make use of it for Edification and not for destruction ye should so carry your selves in your places as not to tempt the People of God to despise your Office When the Lords People hear of an Elder to be a Tipler or a Swearer it is a temptation to them to despise both that Elder and his Office Many surely in this are stumbling blocks to People As Eli's Sons made the People abhorr the offering of the Lord. The Truth is it is no great wonder that the Government of the Church be losing weight
among them But after all the Apostle Tho he reproves them very sharply yet he no where sayes Ye that are Godly stay away from joyning in Worship because of such mens joyning But on the contrair he approves their coming together to go about the Ordinances Only reproving the wrong way they came in So Chap 11. v 18. First of all when ye come together in the Church I hear there be divisions among you And v 20. When you come together therefore unto one place c. He doth not reprove their coming together but suppones it as a thing Lawful only he reproves them for their Divisions So in the Church of Galatia There was much corruption among them they were Bewitched with Heretical Doctrine O Foolish Galatians who hath Bewitched you c. Cap 3. v 1 They had begun in the Spirit but were like to end in the Flesh v 3. In the Church of Ephesus were many who had fallen away from their first Love Revel 2 1. The Church of Sardis Revel 3 1. Did Tollerate prophane persons such as defiled their Garments And yet we never read the Spirit of God commanding to Separat from worship because of them Indeed he reproves them sharply for their Corruption For their falling away from their first love For Their Tollerating Prophane wicked men But he sayes not All ye that are Godly turn your backs upon that Church Make up a new Church of your Own But directly approves their joyning together in what was right So it is clear that Separation from the Ordinances is no more to be Tollerated under the New Testament than it was under the Old Arg IV. Our Fourth Argument to prove the point is this The Sins of wicked Men only defile the Worship to themselves Therefore not to others We shall find for this two places of Scripture Matth. 22. In the Parable of the Guests coming into the Kings Supper there is one that wants a Wedding Garmant verse 12. The Master of the Feast finds him out and sayes Friend How comest Thou hither And he was found Speechless The Master of the Feast sayes not All ye Guests are defiled because this man sits with you As should have been said If his presence had defiled the Worship to them But only he reproves the Man himself The sin is thine and thou shall bear the blame of it The Second place is 1 Cor. 11. 29. He that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself He sayes not He eateth and drinketh Damnation to all but to himself It would necessarily follow according to this Doctrine that he did eat Judgment to all If so be the presence of the wicked Man did defile the Ordinance or make it sinful to the rest that Communicate with him And therefore in the preceeeding words it is said Let a man examine himself c. He sayes not when ye are coming to the Table Let everyone of you examine your Neighbour Which would necessarily follow If the presence of the Wicked Man did defile the Ordinance to the rest but all he sayes is Let every one examine himself c. It 's true the permitting of a wicked person to come to the Communion is the sin of the Church Guides but it is not the sin of Fellow Communicants seeing he is admitted to Communicate with them For He only defiles the Worship to Himself Arg. V. Our last Argument to prove this Point is That from this Doctrine of our Opposits it would follow That the Dignity and Worth of Ordinances did depend on Instruments or upon those that are partakers of the Ordinance If so be that the sins of the Instruments or of Fellow-Worshipers did defile the Worship Now this is most absurd The Dignity of Ordinances depends on him whose they are The Word of God however Preached Is His Word It s true we are ready to cast at the Word because of Instruments But whoever he be that Preaches The Word is the Word of God and worthy to be received And so the Sacraments Whoever they be that joyn with Me in them lose not their worth and efficacy to Me who am seeking Christ in them though worthless men have their hand at them And the reason is I do not Communicate with them in what they do wrong Let God and Them reckon for that The root of my Communion is Christ In so far as They lay hold on Christ I Communicate with them In so far as they do otherwise I do not The wicked man professes Communion with Christ and Seals up an Outward Fellowship with the Visible Church I Communicate with him in That But in so far as he doth this Hypocritically I do in as far separate from him And this much for the Arguments Confirming the Truth That the presence of Wicked men doth desile the Ordinances to none but to Themselves III. In the next place we come to bring to the touch-stone the Arguments they use against the Truth we shall shortly propound the most plausible of them and take them off Obj 1 The First Objection is grounded on the 2 Cor. 6 17. Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate c. This is the stongest of their Arguments The Lord commands the Corinthians to come from among them and Separate And therefore say they when there are wicked men coming together with the Godly the Godly ought to separate from them But to shew you the vanity of the Argument we shall Answer it by reading out the rest of the verse For it is clear what the Apostle aims at Be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing c. He bids them only Separate from Sinful Actions and not from Lawful Duties That ye may see yet further the vanity of this Reason Know It was the custom in the Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 10. When Idolaters would invite some of their Christian neighbours they would go with them and eat with them at their Idol Feasts and they thought they might lawfully do it because they knew their Idols were not true Gods and so by their eating they intended no worship to the Idol as these Idolaters did who did eat with them but did it only to satisfy their hunger and keep up common Friendship Now Paul discharges them from this kind of Communion and this is it he points at here Be separate Do not meddle with their Idol Feasts because it was indeed Communion with them in their Idolatry And so it doth not follow because Paul bids the Corinthians be separate from Heathens in doing a thing sinful That therefore he forbids Christians to joyn in a lawful Worship with the Church of Christ. Obj. II. Their Second Objection is taken from Rev 18 4. And I heard another voice from heaven saying come out of her my People that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her Plagues But this place is pitifully misapplyed to the purpose For its evident
A Good which they were to Follow The Evil to be Eschewed is in the second Sentence to wit That there be no Divisions or as it is in the Original Schism's among you I shall not enter to speak of the nature of Schism or how it differeth from Heresy It is sufficient for the opening up of the Text to know what Divisions or Schisms the Apostle meaneth by here And that is know'n from the following Verse to wit Their Factious sidings in extolling One Minister and debasing Another with many fruitless Janglings and other bad consequences following thereupon whereof doubtless this was One The engaging of the Ministers themselves in Parties for upholding their Dependants So Verse 12. Every one of you saith I am of Paul and I of Apollos and I of Cephas One saith Paul is best let us follow him Another sayeth Nay but Apollos is best we 'll follow him A third saith Cephas is better than them both I 'le follow none of them Now away with these fruitless Contests saith he In the next place There is the Good to be Followed and that is threefold in opposition to three sorts of Evils which usually accompany Schism in a Church The first Evil accompanying Schism is Flat Contradiction first among Ministers and next among People when not only their Opinions do differ but they are so hot upon the Business that at all occasions they proclaim their Differences In opposition to this he exhorts them To speak the same thing that is They would beware of Contradictions in a matter of so small importance Wherein they agreed they would speak to that Wherein they differ'd they would forbear others spending their time and parts upon more edifying purpose The second Evil accompanying Schism in a Church is Renting of Affections When the Members of one Body turn cold-rife one towards another and their Affection dyeth In opoosition to this Evil he exhorts them to be Joined together in the same Mind or the same Affection It 's true the Word here rendred Mind is used indifferently for the whole Faculties of the Soul as the Understanding Will and Affections But the Understanding being spoken to under the Word Judgement which followeth We think with some of the best Interpreters That by the Mind here is meaned the Affections So the thing he presseth in the second Place is That not only they would forbear others in the matter of their Publick Expressions but also would labour to blow at the Coal of their almost dying Affections The third Evil accompanying a Schism is Difference of Judgement And in opposition to this he exhorts them to be Perfectly joined in the same Judgement The meaning is They would labour to remove the Root of the Difference by coming to One Judgement Not as if the Apostle had been careless what Judgement they had been of providing they had been One No the one part of every Contradiction is Truth and there is no Truth which the Apostle would have denied for Peace This for the Duty pressed Next there are some Arguments perswading to this Duty As 1. There is the Apostles Insinuation partly in his Affectionate Exhortation I beseech you partly in his lovely Compellation Brethren 2. There is his Grave Obtestation By the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ That is to say as the Name of Christ is dear to you which ye profess so much respect unto so set about the Cure of these Factions and Fractious Sidings and Schisms by which His Name suffereth so much There is a third Argument to enforce this Duty in the words perfectly joined whereby the Apostle hints at the great Evil the Church was under by the present Schism and the great good they should attain to by the removal of it The word in the Original is borrowed from the Office of Chirurgeons and that part of it which consists in the mending of broken Bones and setting in joynt of Dislocated Members So it imports 1. That through occasion of the Schism they were put all out of joynt All the Members of the Church were Dislocated and therefore unfit so long as they remained in that case for doing of any good Office to the Body 2. It imports that their following of his Advice for removing of the Schism would set every Member of the Body in it's own place and so enable the Body for going about actions profitable unto it self which now the whole Members being out of joynt it could not do This This much for opening up the meaning of the Words Divers points of Truth arising from the several branches of the Text might here be handled but I intend to insist upon One arising from the scope which will comprehended the most part of the rest It is this Vnity in the Church is a thing much to be laboured for and sought after and Division and Schism in a Church is much to be eschewed In prosecuting this Doctrine I shall first distinguish Vnion That we may know what Vnion is meaned 2. I shall confirm the point 1. By Scripture 2. By Reason 3. I shall apply the Doctrine for our Vse First then To know what Vnion the Text and Doctrine speaks of It 's fit you know That there are several sorts of Union 1. There is an Union of the Church Invisible the tye and bond whereof is Inward Graces All the Members of the Church Invisible are United to Christ the Head by Faith and one to another by Love This is not the Union here meaned The Text speaks of a Visible Union of the Church Visible In Opposition to a Visible Rent and Schism Secondly There is an Union of the Church Visible and of it's Members among themselves This again is twofold The first is That Vnion which is necessary to the Being of a Church and the Being of a Member So that a Church cannot be a Church nor a Man a Member of the Visible Church without it Wherein this Vnion consists is Controverted betwixt Us and the Independants But the Doctrine meaneth not of This Vnion either So we insist not on it The Vnion pressed in the Text is such that the Church at Corinth for the time did want and yet remained a Church The Union therefore here meaned is A second sort of Union belonging to the Visible Church To wit That which is necessary to the Well-being of a Church without the which tho a Church remain a Church yet she losseth much of her outward Beauty her Authority is much weakned her great work which is the edification of her self in Love Eph. 4. 13. is much retarded She remains a Church but not such a Church as is described Cant. 6. 10. Who is she that looketh forth as the Morning fair as the Moon clear as the Sun and terrible as an Army with Banners A divided Church is not such a Church But for further understanding of the Vnion here pressed ye would know that this Union which is necessary to the Well-being of a Church is Threefold 1.
There is an Union in Judgement when there is no considerable Difference among the Members of the Church in the matter of Opinion When all Think the same thing And this is here pressed Be prefectly joined in one Judgement 2. There is an Union in Heart and Affections spoken of Act. 4. 32. The multitude of them that believed were of one Heart and of one Soul And this Union is also here pressed Be perfectly join'd together in the same Mind or in Love and Affection as we shew'd in the opening up of the Words 3. There is an Union in Practice and that is when whatever Difference there is in Judgement yet it 's not openly proclaim'd Publick Contradictions and Eristick Debates are eschewed and an unanimous joint practice in these things wherein there is Agreement is followed And this Union is also pressed in the Text I beseech you that ye all speak the same thing So it 's clear the Text means all these three sorts of Union the Doctrine intends them All and as might be made evident other Scriptures press them All. Only this we would know the Order wherein they are pressed to wit So as every Breach in the Former is not to make a Breach in the Latter Every Difference in Judgement is not to make a Rent in Heart or Affection Nor tho a Rent be in both doth it infer necessarly a Divided Practice at least in these things wherein there is Agreement And for that the Scripture is clear especially Philipp 3. 15 16 where v. 15 the Apostle supposeth difference of Judgement among the Philippians as to the point he is there speaking of and subjoineth for matter of Practice v. 16. Nevertheless whereunto we have already attained let us walk by the same Rule That is to say Tho we cannot agree in all things yet let us eschew the prolaiming of Our Differences by Our contrary Practices This much for the first thing to wit What Union the Doctrine presseth It is an Union necessary to the Well-being of the Visible Church particularly an Union in Judgement an Union in Affection an Union in Practice An Union all these wayes is to be sought for and laboured after yet so as if we cannot attain to Union in the Former we are yet still to endeavour it in the Latter For Confirmation of this Truth we might cite several Scriptures 1. These wherein this Union is promised to the Church and that as a rich Covenant Blessing such as Jer. 32. 39. I will give them one Heart and one way that they may fear Me for ever The like is in Ezek. 37. 22. 2. These Scriptures wherein this Vnion is highly commended Especially Ps. 133. 1. Behold how good and how pleasant it is for Brethren to dwell together in Vnity and so through the whole 3. These Scriptures which hold out the Mediator's Prayer to the Father for this Union Joh. 17. 21. That they all may be one as Thou Father art in Me and I in Thee that they also may be one in Vs and so v. 23. 4. Those Scriptures where this Union is expresly enjoyned and pressed whereof there are many Such as Philipp 2. 1 2 3. If there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of Love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any Bowels and Mercies Fulfil ye My Joy that ye be like minded having the same Love being of one accord of one mind And 2 Cor. 13. 11. Finally Brethren farewel be of one mind live in peace And lastly these Scriptures where Division contrary to Unity is condemned as Rom. 16. 17. I beseech you Brethren mark them which cause Divisions and Offences and avoid them But for further Confirmation of this Truth we shall in the next place bring foreward some Reasons concluding the equity and necessity of seeking after and entertaining of Unity in the Church which shall also serve as motives to the Duty Reason 1. Union furthers Edification So Eph. 4. 3. Union is pressed And One Fruit among many to be reaped hereby is v. 12. the edifying of the Body of Christ. And as Unity furthers Edification so Division marreth it Divisions in a Church tho about small things yet if stiffly mantain'd prove a great stumbling Block to the Weak they are put to doubt all Truths because Men gracious and learned doubt of some So Division not only marreth progress in the building but striketh at the very foundation of what is already built Reas. 2. Divisions in a Church make the Ministers contemptible Of all Men Ministers suffer most this way because usually they are most active in beginning and upholding the Division and usually even these who have Truth for them suffer much if not most this way Paul tho an Apostle and a Man for Truth yet he lost much of the former esteem he had amongst the Corinthians though once they would have pluck'd out their Eyes for him yet through the Division their Distemper grew to such an hight that he was look'd on as Contemptible rude in speech yea A Fool and what not as appears from 2 Cor 10. 10. Ch. 11. 6 16. Reas. 3. The Essential Unity of the Church and the many things wherein a Church agreeth that way should enforce this Union The Apostle Paul Eph. 4. draweth a strong Argument for Unity and Peace in the Church from this Ground The Duty is propounded v. 3. Endeavouring to keep the Vnity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace And v. 4 5 6. it is pressed by this Argument There is on Body and one Spirit One Lord one Faith one Baptism One God and Father of all Here are many Ones together in two or three lines as if he had said What a shame is it for you who are so many wayes One to rent in pieces for a thing of so small moment Reas. 4. Divisions in a Church turn away every Man's Eye from his main Task I mean from the joint opposing of Satan's main Design to be wrangling one with another It 's Satans Policy when he intends to bear down Truth in a Church to set those who should oppose him most by the Ears about smaller things that so he may carry his point with less difficulty herein making use of Matchiavils or rather his own Principle divide impera Divide and Carry It 's often seen that the nearer those who differ come to one another they drive on their point against others with the greater Animosity and Eagerness the Jews and Samaritans were at greater variance than Jews and Heathens And the Reason is this The less the Difference is they have the more hopes to bring others to their mind hence their mutual On-setts are more furious and their Disappointments the more bitter the higher they were in their hopes and in the mean time while they mind nothing so much as to bear down one another Satan cometh good speed in bearing down of Truth and Them and All. Reas. 5. Union when once lost in a Church is hardly ever
ye would 3. Do not needlesly and without a ground call in question the reality of your former closing with him For that as I told you before will make you heartless to set to it of new Or however ye question the reality of what ye have done already yet see that in no terms ye question your Right to close with him by Faith and believe in him for time to come For whatever thou hast done formerly the Gospel Offer is yet at thy door and a Command from God unto thee to close with it and if thou hast not done it in earnest before thy need is so much the greater to do it frequently and in earnest now But now to proceed By the Lord to whom he exhorts them to Cleave is not only meaned The Lord Himself as he is offered in the Promise but generally all that he hath recommended to our care as an evidence of our respect to him Thus we testify our respect to absent Friends by owning their Concerns and Interests and if ye ask what these things are that the Lord Christ hath recommended to our care I answer in two words First His Truth and next his Service So that 1. ye are to Cleave unto and Continue in his Truth against Error according to what the Apostle Jude commands V. 3 Ye should earnestly contend for the Faith to wit the Doctrine of Faith or Truth which was once delivered unto the Saints 2. We are to Cleave to and Continue in his Service whether the Duties of Immediate Worship we should cleave to these against Superstition voluntary neglect Will-worship and Idolatry Or the Duties of our Particular Callings and Stations All which should be gone about as Service to him So Servants are to do their service with good will as to the Lord and not to men Ephes. 6. 7. Now that Cleaving to all These is meaned by Cleaving unto the Lord appears from Deutr. 10. 20. and 30. 20. where Cleaving to the Lord is explained by fearing the Lord by obeying his voice by serving him and swearing by his name Now to speak a little to each of these 1. Ye must Cleave to and continue in his Truth Gaius is commended for this 3 Joh. 3. even that he walked in the Truth And Prov. 23. 23. we are bidden Buy the Truth and sell it not And ye heared from Jude Ye should contend for the Truth For Error contrary to Truth is of a Damning Nature 2 Peter 2. 1. They are called Damnable Heresies And Error in point of Truth makes way for Prophanity and loosness of Life a sound Heart and an unsound Head cannot well subsist Therefore doth Peter 2 Epist. 3. 17. call Error The error of the wicked For helping you to this needful Duty of Cleaving to the Lord by Cleaving to His Truth I shall recommend to you these things 1. Beware of Scepticism or making all Truths debateable or those Truths especially which may bring you in greatest hazard to confess or cleave to This is down right contrary to the Cleaving to Truth here enjoined 2. Do not undervalue any Truth say of no Truth as Lot said of Zoar is it not a little one and so I may skip from it It 's true there is a difference among Truths some greater Truths and some smaller But as it is of Sins so it is of Errors The lesser alwise doth make way for the greater and there is no Truth which cometh not from the God of Truth And therefore no Truth which ye should look on as a thing Indifferent whether ye think so or otherwise of it Besides in times of Defection from Truth it is the usual Artifice of Persecuters to extenuate those Truths they labour to bear down as things Indifferent and very triffles When in the mean time their own practice doth give theâ—r Profession the lie For if they thought them things indifferent and triffles why would they persecute Mâ—n for adhering to them Besides tho some Truths be not so absolutely necessary to Salvation but a Man may be saved tho he think otherwise yet it doth not follow we should be careless of all such Thus tho a Man's hand be not so absolutely necessary but he may live without it yet he were a mad Man who on that account would wittingly and willingly cut it off Besides an Error in some Truths which will not damn one may condemn another who knows at least may easily know it to be an Error and yet will live and die in the Justification of it without Repentance 3. Ye ought chiefly to cleave to those Truths which ye are most engaged to owne either by God's sealing them to your Spirits or by Catechising and Instructing you from your very Childhood in them so that ye are put out of all doubt of the Truth that is in them or by bringing you under most sacred Tyes of Solemn Vows and Oaths to maintain them I say ye ought to look upon it as your Duty chiefly to Cleave unto such Truths 2 Joh. 8. Look to your selves that we lose not those things that we have wrought And Solomon saith It is not safe after vows to make enquiry If a Man's Conscience grow once so wide as to let such Truths pass through either for Errors or Triffles he may perswade himself there is not a Truth in all the Bible if he be hard put to it that he 'l stick at but that meeting with a pressing suitable tentation he 'l let it slip through after them 4. We are to Cleave to Truth not only by retaining the knowledge of it and by giving assent to it in our Judgements but also by giving a modest and faithful profession and confession of that Truth on all hazards when we are called to it This is commanded 1 Pet 3. 15. Be ready alwise to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meakness and fear and Rom 10. 10. With the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation This is necessary both for the honour of God Truth being a piece of his Name which we are bound to confess Rev 2. 13 Thou holdest fast my name and hast not denyed my faith And its necessary also in order to our own Salvation For whosoever saith our Saviour will confess me before men him will I also confess before my father which is in heaven but whosoever will deny me before men him will I also deny before my father which is in heaven This now as upon the one hand it doth not justify unseasonable Confession contrary to Matth 7. 6 Cast not your pearls before swine lest they trample them under their feet and turn again and rent you So upon the other hand it reproves those who dar not or will not give a Confession of the Truth even when they are called to it and much more those who deny the Truth either expresly or Interpretativly That is when they