Twelve and when enquiry was made among these Twelve which of them should betray him Judas particularly asketh Master is it I v. 25. Now as these Twelve were eating Jesus took Bread and brake it and gave it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to these Twelve Disciples and said to them Take eat this is my Body v. 26. He also took the Cup and gave it to the same Persons saying Drink ye all of this he therefore said to Judas Eat this is my Body and bad him drink the Sacramental Cup. 'T is said indeed Joh. 13 30. that Judas having received the Sop went immediately out but then as I have shewed Christ did not celebrate the Passover but another ordinary Supper before the Passover v. 1. Before their preparation for the Passover v. 29. which Dr. Leightfoot farther proves In locum because it was not lawful for any Person to depart from that Solemnity before the whole Solemnity was ended § 9 8ly Our Lord to cut off all occasion of Offence which the perverse and unbelieving Jew or Pharisee might take against him submitted to the payment of that Tribute which was not due from him as he demonstrates Matt. 17 25.26 Where 1. observe The Tribute here demanded was not the Tribute payd to the R. Emperours but the half Sickle yearly paid by the Jewish Nation to repair the Temple and buy things useful for the Service of it as the most skilful Commentators on the place conclude vid. Leightf in locum 2ly Observe The Scandal which our Lord was here concerned to avoid was not a Scandal given by himself but one that might be taken without ground by them who hence unduly might conclude that Christ and his Disciples did contemn the Temple and so the Efficacy of his Doctrine might through that Scandal be obstructed he then by this Example doth instruct us to submit unto those things which our Superiours may require or expect from us even without sufficient ground when our Refusal of Submission to them may be cause of Scandal or make them think we are Contemners of Authority or disobedient to those God hath enjoyned us to obey and much more must this be our duty when our Divisions and Contests about such Matters do bring a Scandal on the Christian Faith and we thereby in opposition to St. Pauls injunction do give Offence not only to the Jew and Gentile but to the Church of God And this Example seems also as effectually to prove that the Dispensors of the Gospel should be careful not to do any thing if it be in their power to avoid it which may give Scandal unto others or cause them to judge evil of them § 10 9ly Our Lords Commands were suitable to his Practice and he enjoyned to others what he himself performed For 1. our Saviour enjoyned the Leper that was cleansed to shew himself to the Priest Matt. 8 4. See Harm part 3. p. 205. and offer the Gift that Moses had commanded Where it deserves to be considered that altho the Priesthood was much degenerated both from its Institution and its Office yet Christ did not think fit on that account to advise any to a Separation from them or to renounce their Priesthood but would have all men to repair unto them for the Performance of those Offices which by the Law of Moses were to be performed by the Priests and to offer by his hands their Gift And yet it is observable that they to whom Christ sent this Man had added to the Institution many idle Customs to be performed by the cleansed Leper as you may see in Dr. Leightfoots Notes upon Matt. 8 4. Moreover in that very Chapter where our Lord giveth such opprobrious Titles to the Scribes and Pharisees lest that should tempt the multitude or any of his own Disciples to neglect Communion with them in hearing of the Word other Ordinances of like Nature our Saviour in the Preface of that Chapter speaks thus unto the multitude and to his own Disciples Matt. 23.2 3. The Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses Seat all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe that observe and do Where 1. observe who were these Scribes and Pharisees they were not always of the Order of the Priests and Levites for St. Paul tells us that he was a Pharisee and the Son of a Pharisee Act. 23.6 Philip. 3 5. In Matt. 2. v. 4. p. 29. And yet that he was of the Tribe of Benjamin And Matthew speaks of Scribes of the People who were saith Dr. Leightfoot Elders of the Sanhedrin who were not of the order either of Priests or Levites but were of other Tribes now albeit none of these men did ever take upon them to be Instructers of the People without an Ordination to that Office Harm part 3. p. 122. as is well noted by that Learned Man yet may it seem that they could have no just and proper call to be Instructors of the People this being the peculiar Office of the Priests Mal. 2 7. For the Priests Lips should keep Knowledge saith the Prophet Malachi and the people should seek the Law at his Mouth for he is the Messenger of the Lord of Hosts And yet these Scribes and Pharisees were Publick Teachers in their Schools and Synagogues and by this they obtained the Name of Rabbies and Teachers of the Law 2ly Observe that by the Law of Moses nothing is determined touching the Office the Authority the manner of Admission of these Scribes of the people but their whole Function seemeth to depend upon the Churches Constitutions made for Edification or the Instruction of the People And thus it also was with those Ministers and Rulers of their Synagogues who were not of the Sacerdotal Order or of the House of Levi for of their Office or Admission to it we can find nothing in the Books of Moses or in the Writings of the Prophets and yet these Men received Admission to teach or exercise their Function by Ordination say Mr. Selden and Dr. Leightfoot and learned Men are of Opinion that Christ and his Disciples so far approved of them as to institute the Governors of his Church according to the Platform of the Synagogue Leights Harm part 3. p. 120. 3ly Some think our Lord here speaketh of the Scribes and Pharisees as being then their Legal Magistrates or signifying the whole Jewish Sanhedrin and their Authority so Dr. Leightfoot In locum and so the Reverend and Learned Dr. Hammond and so they make the import of the Precept to be this The Scribes and Pharisees those that are of the Sanhedrin are by you to be look'd on as your lawful Rulers that have Authority over you succeeding Moses and the seventy Elders and therefore do you live in Obedience to all their lawful Commands and in all Regular Subjection to them But I suspect this Exposition on these two accounts 1. Because our Saviour makes mention only of the Scribes and Pharisees whereas
8.9 That no Man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his Brothers way Rom. 14.13 declaring it is good neither to eat Flesh nor to drink Wine nor to do any other thing by which their Brother is offended or made weak Rom. 14.21 that tho all meats are pure and lawful to be eaten yet is it evil for that Man who eateth with offence v. 20. that if our Brother be grieved with our meat we walk not Charitably towards him with many things of the like import whence it is evident that in all matters of indifferency it is the Christians Duty as much as in him lies to avoid the causing of his Brothers sin by using of his Liberty in doing of them and therefore that he must incur the guilt of sin by the neglect of this his Duty § 4 Now to apply these things to the case in hand it will appear by a sincere reflection on the forementioned ways which render us partakers of the sins of others that our submission to things lawful in themselves Commanded by Superiors cannot involve us in the guilt of the Imposer altho he should offend in the impofing them as the conditions of Communion For 1. By our submission to these Constitutions for the sake of Peace and to prevent the Schisms and the Divisions of the Church of God we cannot properly be said to command the imposing of them Nor 2ly Can we be said to perswade encourage warrant allure or set them on to the imposing of these things Nor 3ly can we be said to consent unto or rejoyce in or praise the action of Imposers this only can be truly said that we consent unto the using of or to submission to them for the forementioned pious ends tho not to the imposing of them all which is evident from this consideration that many do and have consented to the using of them who have remonstrated and declared their judgments against the imposition of them and all have Liberty to do so now sure that action which may be done tho we declare by word or writing against the imposition of these things can be no virtual consent unto or approbation of that imposition or any encouragement to others to continue so to do 2ly We cannot be partakers of the supposed guilt of others in this matter indirectly by the neglecting of our Duty Not by neglecting of our power to restrain Superiors from thus imposing for we have no such power over them but are commanded to be subject to them in all lawful matters even for Conscience sake nor from neglect of any Duty incumbent on us to admonish our Superiors of the supposed fault in continuing to impose these things for they who do conceive this is their Duty may with all due submission to and reverence of their Superiors discharge that Duty by humbly offering the reasons of their judgment in that case and notwithstanding may submit unto the things enjoyned for the ends forementioned Nor 3ly Can we be thus guilty by any ill example or Evil action which gives occasion to their sin for our Conformity to the Commands of our Superiors in lawful matters is not Evil nor can we be obliged to abstain from but rather to perform that action Lastly We cannot indirectly be partakers of the sin of others by using this our Liberty in things indifferent to the offence of our weak Brother For 1. The action in which we are obliged not to minister to the offence of our weak Brother must be indifferent not only in its own Nature but also in respect to us that is there must be no command or obligation by Superiors laid upon us to the practice of it For when the case stands thus we are not to refrain obedience to Authority to avoid the Scandal of our weak Brother except in cases wherein it may be rationally presumed that our Superiors would permit us so to do The reason is because obedience to Authority in lawful matters is a moral Duty and the neglect thereof is sin since therefore God cannot be reasonably supposed to oblige us to neglect our Duty or commit sin to gratifie our Brother in his weakness he cannot rationally be supposed to command us to refuse obedience to the injunctions of Superiors for that end And this doth plainly follow from what St. Paul asserts 1 Cor. 8.8 For therefore he requires the Corinthians to abstain from eating of things offered to Idols when that would prove a Scandal to the weak because by eating they were not the better or not more acceptable to God and by abstaining from it they were not the worse whence we may rationally infer that when the doing of an action will commend us to God as our obedience to Gods Vice-Gerents in all lawful matters most certainly will do and when the neglecting of an action will render us the worse as the neglect of that obedience which God in Scripture hath required will do there we are not obliged to refrain the doing of that action tho it may minister unto the Scandal of our weaker Brother because we must not do evil that good may come Moreover in matters of this Nature we cannot disobey but we must minister occasion of far greater Scandal by our disobedience than we can do by our submission to the command of our Superiors as I have shewed already For 1. By disobedience to our Superiors in Lawful matters we give occasion to others to traduce the Gospel by representing it as that which teacheth Christians to refuse obedience to the commands of their Superiors in Lawful matters 2ly We provoke Superiors to punish this our disobedience now either we deserve that punishment or not if we deserve it we must confess that we are evil doers by not affording this Submission to the commands of our Superiors and therefore cannot truly Plead the Scandal of the weak for our justification in so doing if we deserve it not then do we give occasion to the sin of Magistrates in punishing us unjustly and so have the same reason to avoid their Scandal 3ly By disobedience to our Superiors in these matters we provoke others to judge censure and condemn us as disobedient and seditious Persons Now either they do judge aright when they do pass this sentence on us and then we must be truly disobedient and therefore sinful in our refusal to submit to the injunctions of Authority in Lawful matters or they do judge amiss and so we give occasion to their sin and therefore truly Scandalize them by our disobedience Thus have we by induction provâ—â— that we by yielding such Submission as is required to the commands of our Superiors touching the Rites imposed cannot be partakers with them in the guilt supposed to be in their injunctions Obj. 2 2. And whereas others do pretend They dare not joyn with us in Celebration of the Holy Sacrament § 5 because we do not separate the Precious from the Vile or we do not exclude unworthy Persons
many other Instances of a like nature it appears that tho it may be doubted whether our Ceremonies be indeed apt to stir up the dull mind of man to the Remembrance of his duty to God yet cannot it be rationally doubted but what is apt to do so may be both practised and imposed without any derogation from the Kingly or Prophetick Office of our Lord. Answ 3 3ly Hath Christ set down in Scripture all things that may any way conduce to excite good affections in us or give occasion to any pious Meditations or hath he not if he hath not then is not the assertion true on which the Argument is grounded viz. That Christ in Scripture hath set down all things by which we lawfully may be admonished of our duty If he hath then 't is not possible that any man should have a good affection or pious meditation stir'd up within him by any other means or object then such as is expresly contained in the Word of God Than which assertion nothing can be be more false Who knows not that memorable Story of the Cook who from consideration of the heat of his own Fire was moved to reflect on the excessive torments of Hell-Fire and thereby to abstain from that iniquity which would expose him to them Should a Dissenter in his discourse with one of this calling or in his writings advise him to make this reflection would he usurp upon Christs Regal or Prophetick Office Answ 4 4ly Tho this Objection speaks only of Mystical significant Ceremonies yet doth it with equal strength conclude against all Ceremonies and against the Appointment of time and place for publick worship for if this be a good Argument Christ is the only Lawgiver to his Church and therefore the Rulers of the Church may make no Laws concerning Ceremonies of Mystical Signification why is not this as good Christ is the only Lawgiver to his Church and therefore they may make no Laws touching the time and place of publick worship And if Christ hath committed to his Church no Authority of appointing new things but only a Ministry to observe and do such things which Christ hath appointed then either Christ hath appointed time and place or she hath no Authority to appoint them To this Dr. Ames answers that time and place are no new things But I hope to appoint new time and place is to appoint new things and to make Laws determining a time and place not determined before is to make a new Law about them Again if this Argument be good Christ is the only Lawgiver to his Church and therefore the Rulers of the Church may make no Laws concerning Ceremonies c. why is not this as good Christ is the only Lawgiver to his Church and therefore the Civil Magistrate may make no Laws concerning the Payment of Tythes or allowance of maintenance to Ministers or of making charitable Provisions for the Poor or touching any other Christian duty But must leave every man to his Freedom in these matters as Christ did Answ 5 5ly 1 Cor. 14.40 10 31 32. Christ having by his Apostles given Commandments which only primarily concern the Rulers of the Church viz. That all things in the Church be done decently and orderly to the Glory of God Rom. 14.19 and so as to give none Offence that Christians should follow after the things which make for Peace and whereby they may edify one the other I say this being so all the Injunctions made by the Rulers of the Church pursuant to the ends of Decency and Order the Glory of God the avoiding Scandal the preservation of Peace Unity Edification and for prevention of the Contrary are done by virtual Commission from this one Law-giver and therefore can be no Entrenchment on his Legislative Power And if Superiours should mistake in Judging that such things did really conduce unto the decency and orderly performance of Gods Service or to the other ends forementioned when indeed they do not so yet would not their imposing of them for these ends be any usurpation upon Christs Legislative Power any more than a Law made by Civil Rulers which proveth inexpedient or burthensome to the people tho by the Makers of it it was intended for their good usurps upon the Legislative Power of the God of Heaven For as it is judiciously said by Mr. Disp 5. Chap. 2. §. 29. Baxter if just Authority shall injuriously he should have said mistakingly determine of such things it may be the Subjects duty to obey because these are not matters alien to their Power and without their line but only this is an imprudent overdoing in a work that belongeth to them When St. James saith that there is one Lawgiver he most plainly speaks of such a Law-giver who is able to save and to destroy or pass the Sentence of Absolution and Condemnation upon others whence he infers that they who take upon them to censure and condemn their Brethren usurp his Prerogative but he speaks not about the Laws of Decency and Order and therefore cannot be supposed to condemn them And whereas Mr. Answ to the Commissioners p. 65. Baxter doth plausibly object against the Imposition of our Ceremonies that they are equally useful to the Church Universal in all Ages as to any Particular Church or Age and therefore should be the Matter of an Universal Law if of any and so should be the Work of the Universal Law-giver if of any I answer This if granted will only prove that there is no such positive decency Expedience or Edification in these Ceremonies as is conceived by our Rulers that should render them fit to be imposed but doth not prove that they usurp upon Christs Legislative Power by imposing of them to these ends But 2ly This way of Arguing will necessarily condemn the Church of Christ throughout all Ages she having always used and by her Canons and Constitutions imposed such Ceremonies as were equally useful in all Ages and all Churches as in any as v.g. standing upon the Lords-day at Prayer receiving of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper fasting and all the Ceremonies anciently annexed to baptism to omit many others of like Nature before mentioned Now saith he in another place I dare not think or assert that for truth which will condemn all the Christian Churches in the World throughout most Ages of it Disp 5. Chap. 2. from §. 7. to the 24. 3ly The same Judicious Person gives us many instances of matters relating to the Service of God which Christ hath not determined by Law as v. g. What utensils to employ about the Publick Worship of God whether we shall receive the Lords Supper at a Table of Wood or Stone whether we shall sing in Rythm or Metre or in Prose what Order shall be observed in Reading of the Scripture or how much of it shall be read at a time what Method we shall use in Preaching what Words in Prayer or what Gesture with
already in many instances of things no where determined by the Law of Moses and yet enjoyned by them 't is also contrary to the Apostles Practice who forbad the using of things strangled and blood tho they not only were things in themselves indifferent but things required by that Ceremonial Law from which our Lord had freed his Servants and therefore more might have been pleaded against submitting unto that Decree than to the Constitutions of the Church of England concerning other things indifferent Lastly St. Paul requires that all things which relate unto Gods Publick Worship of which he there discourseth should be done decently and orderly but how shall Rulers be able to order matters so if it be an Infringement of our Christian Liberty to have any thing imposed upon us by our Governours for decency and orders sake Particular Rules being not given us in Scripture about this matter which to be sure would have been done were they not left to the determination of the Rulers of the Church Wherefore to give a brief but a sufficient Answer to the Objections mentioned § 4 1. From what hath been discoursed it is evident that Christian Liberty cannot be violated by these Impositions because the Conscience is obliged by them that is 't is bound to yield obedience to them when they are imposed for if this maketh the Commands of our Superiors to violate our Christian Liberty Then 1. All the Commands of Masters Parents and Superiors respecting things indifferent civil or sacred must be repugnant to that Liberty because we are if Servants Children or Subjects obliged to obey them in all lawful matters even for Conscience sake 2ly Then our own vows and resolutions concerning any thing indifferent must violate our Christian Liberty because we are obliged in Conscience to perform them 3ly Then can we not abstain from any thing indifferent in case of Scandal as St. Paul Commands us without infringing of our Christian Liberty because our Conscience is then bound for fear of Scandal to abstain from what is in it self indifferent 2ly It also is exceeding evident that Christian Liberty cannot be violated by requiring Persons to do that of which their Conscience being erroneous doubts or which it doth Condemn as is insinuated in the fourth Objection For were this so Then 1. our Laws must violate true Christian Liberty when they command the Quaker to pay Tythes for he not only doubts the lawfulness thereof but peremptorily pronounceth it unlawful so to do Then 2ly our Laws Commanding all Papists to come to Church to obey the King in opposition to the Pope to take the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy must violate his Christian Liberty because he doubts the lawfulness of yielding obedience to them 3ly By the same Rule my Christian Liberty must be infring'd much more when Magistrates Command me to abstain from what my Conscience tells me I should do now seeing an Erroneous Conscience may urge Men to the greatest wickedness since it may make them verily believe they ought to do many things contrary to the Name of Jesus Acts 26.9 and that by killing his Disciples they would do God Service Joh. 16.2 no Laws according to this Doctrine can be laid on Men whose Conscience is Erroneous to bind them not to do the worst of Evils 3ly In Answer to that passage of St. Paul we are bought with a Price 1 Cor. 7.23 and therefore must not be the Servants of Men. I say 1. That it is only an advice unto those Christians who being Slaves to Heathens had once bought their Liberty or by the bounty of their Friends had been redeemed from Slavery not to sell themselves again or to return to the condition of their former Servitude but to continue in that Liberty it therefore should be thus Translated are ye bought with a Price Be not ye the Servants of Men To make this clear consider that the Apostle is there instructing Christians how to behave themselves in their particular stations and callings and not upon pretence of Christianity to think themselves obliged to alter their condition or to neglect those Duties their proper station did require thus from v. 12th to the 16th he requires the believing â—usband not to desert the unbelieving Wife and the believing Wife not to part from her unbelieving Husband but to abide in that condition in which the Lord had called them In the 18th and 19th verses he advises the Circumcised Christian not to desire to be Uncircumcised vice versa but to abide as they were from v. 21. to v. 24. he gives advice to those who were believing Servants thus Art thou called being a Servant care not for it think it not a disparagement to Christianity that thou art still a Bondman but if thou maist be made Free prefer Freedom before Bondage Are you bought with a Price as by the Charity of Christians many believers then were be not then the Servants of Men return not any more to the condition of your former Slavery This without doubt is the true import of the words But 2ly according to the ordinary reading and interpretation of them viz. ye are bought with a Price even with the Blood of Christ be ye not the Servants of Men it giveth no Commission to the Christian to refuse obedience to his Superiors in lawful matters for to be the Servants of Men which is the thing forbidden to Christs Servants is only not to yield obedience to Men in any thing repugnant to that Service which they owe to Christ and therefore it is so far from being prejudicial to that obedience we owe unto Superiors for the Lords sake that for this very reason we are required to obey them in all lawful things because 't is part of that obedience which Christ requires from us as his Servants and which we are required to do for the Lords sake So Col. 3.20 Children obey your Parents in all things for this is well pleasing to the Lord and v. â—â— Servants obey your Masters in all things and whatsoever you do do it heartily as to the Lord for in serving them you serve the Lord Christ it being his ordinance that you obey in yielding to them in all lawful things And again 1 Pet. 2.13 16. Submit your selves to every Ordinance of Man for the Lords sake as the servants of God So that you see our being bought with a Price being that which maketh us Christs servants even when we are free from Slavery to Men it must engage us the more strictly to Obedience to Masters Parents and Superiors this being that we owe unto them in all lawful matters for the Lords sake and which we are obliged to perform as the servants of Christ. Lastly In Answer to that enquiry of St. Paul If you be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the World Coloss 2.20 wherefore as living in the World are ye subject to Ordinances Touch not taste not handle not c. I say 1. That the
with another in his sin and Antecedently are guilty of it when we perswade encourage warrant allure or set him on to the performance of it for by all these actions we shew that we are willing and desirous that the sin be done which in the sight of God is to commit it Thus Jeroboam made Israel to sin by providing his two Golden Calves and saying to them it is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem behold thy Gods O Israel which brought thee up out of the Land of Aegypt 1 Kings 12.28 30. and chap. 13.34 1 Cor. 2.8 thus the chief Rulers crucified the Lord of Glory tho the Souldiers did it because they sought false witness against him Matt. 26.59 they pronounced him guilty of death v. 66. they perswaded the multitude to ask Barabbas and destroy Jesus Matt. 27 20. Thus did the People kill the Prince of Peace Act. 3.15 Because they hearkning to these perswasions of the chief Priests cryed out to Pontius Pilate let him be crucified thus also are we guilty of the sin of others upon the same account by counselling or by advising them to what is Evil by consenting to or by approving it before 't is done 4ly We are directly partakers with another in his sin and become guilty of it consequentially when we consent unto or do approve the Evil done when we applaud the action or rejoyce that it is done because in all these cases we shew our willingness that what is Evil should be done Ep. 2. v. 10. He saith St. John who bids the Heretick good speed is partaker of his Evil deeds for by this wish he sheweth his good liking to his Heresie expressing his desire that it may prosper and prevail whence it must follow by like reason that whosoever doth approve or shew good liking to or doth desire or wish that they may prosper or prevail who are engaged in a wicked action become partakers of its guilt Hence is he charged as one who hates instruction and casts Gods Law behind his back who when he seeth a Thief consenteth to him Psal 50.18 and this is made an aggravation of the guilt of Heathens that knowing the judgment of God that they who did such things were worthy of death they not only did the same but had pleasure in them that did them Rom. 1.32 The reason is because he who doth praise an Evil action doth approve it as good and worthy of his commendation and therefore shews that he is willing that it should be done and so doth also he who doth rejoyce at or taketh pleasure in the commission of it 5ly They do almost in all these ways incur the guilt of others sins who teach false Doctrines which do encourage others in a course of sin who plead for that as good and Righteous which is Wicked and teach that to be innocent and harmless which indeed is sinful and so incur the Wo denounced against them who call evil good and good evil Esa 5.20 for that by such erroneous Doctrines Men may in all these ways contract the guilt of others sins is evident from this consideration that if Men call evil good they by so doing must encourage perswade and warrant others to commit it and justifie them in their wicked practices and if they call good evil they must deter them from the performance of their Duty and must encourage them to sin by the neglect of that performance And therefore they who do deter Men from joyning with our Congregations as being guilty of Superstitious Worship or doing things forbidden by the word of God if they prove guilty in this matter of false accusation as I think they are must be partakers of that Schism which others resting on their judgments are encouraged to make for they must then Command them not to do what 't is their Duty in obedience to their Superiors and love unto their Churches Peace and Unity to do and must encourage them in and praise them for that disobedience and Separation which is indeed their sin § 3 2ly We become indirectly guilty of the sin of others when tho we do not actually consent unto or will their sin nor have we any purpose or design to tempt them to it or ensnare them in it yet do we that which is a culpable occasion of their sin and where 't is through our fault that others sin we cannot be wholly excused from the guilt of their iniquity Now thus we may be charged with the sin of others 1. By neglecting of that Duty or by committing of that Evil action which doth directly give occasion to the sin of others for most assuredly that sin which doth immediately happen through my neglect of Duty or is the plain result of my Transgression must be mine offence For even Heathens have declared that qui non vetat peccare cum potest jubet He that when he hath Power to restrain Men from committing Evil and hath Authority from God committed to him for that end neglects to do it he becomes guilty of those sins which through neglect of his Authority and Duty others do commit thus If the Watch-man do not warn the sinner who dies in his iniquity his Blood will be required at the Watch-mans hands Ezek. 33. v. 8. Thus the iniquity of Eli's Sons is charged upon him 1 Sam. 3.13 because they made themselves vile and he restrained them not And since it is the Christians Duty to admonish his offending Brother and not to suffer sin upon him therefore he by neglecting of this Duty becomes guilty of his sin hence we thus Read Levit. 19.17 Thou shalt reprove thy Brother and not bear sin for him or that thou be not punished for his iniquity Now where the Righteous judg doth threaten to punish us for other Mens Transgressions we may be sure that we are truly guilty of them 2ly We become indirectly guilty of the sin of others when by our ill example we minister occasion to their sin and by our freedom to commit an Evil action we encourage others tho we do not intend it to commit the like for hereby we at least if we be persons of Authority and credit do put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in our Brothers way and therefore walk not Charitably nor sutably unto that Precept which Commands us to give none offence to Jew or Gentile 3ly We become indirectly guilty of the sin of others when we do use our liberty in things indifferent to the offence or sin of our weak Brother i. e. when tho we know that our weak Brother is like to be offended or tempted by our practice of that indifferentaction to do evil we will not tho we have it in our power so to do abstain from the performance of it Hence the Apostle doth exhort all Christians to take heed lest by using of their Liberty in matters of this Nature they become a stumbling block to those that are weak 1 Cor.
of divine service the Lord Jesus Christ shall be mentioned due and lowly Reverence shall be done by all persons present as it hath been accustomed testifying by these outward Ceremonies and Gestures their inward Humility Christian Resolution and due Acknowledgment that the Lord Jesus Christ the true and Eternal Son of God is the only Savior of the world in whom alone all the Mercies Graces and Promises of God to mankind for this life and the life to come are fully and wholly comprised And 3ly When we Kneel at the Reception of the Blessed Sacrament Rubrick after the Communion we do not pay that outward act of Worship to the Elements of Bread and Wine but to that Savior whom they represent for the Church of England hath declared that thereby no adoration is intended or ought to be done unto the Sacramental Bread and Wine there bodily received So that from the express declarations of the Church of England it appears that none of these things are by her made the objects of Religious Worship but only the occasions of tendring that Worship which we owe to God and therefore there is no appearance of Idolatry in the performance of these things Obj. 3 We are commanded to Separate from every Brother that walks disorderly 2 Thessal 3.6 § 3 And are forbidden to keep Company with any man who being call'd a Brother is a Fornicator or Covetous or an Idolater or a Rayler or a Drunkard or an Extortioner with such a one we must not Eat 1 Cor. 5.11 And if we may not Eat with Such a Person at our own Table may we Eat with him at the Holy Table of the Lord Now through the want of Discipline such Persons are admitted amongst you saith the Dissenter and therfore we dare nor joyn with you in that Ordinance Answ 1 I pray God this objection doth not make you meet together as the Apostle saith of the Corinthian Schismaticks 1 Cor. 11.17 not for the better but the worse For I much fear there may be found in those Assemblys which you resort to as more pure besides a crew of Schismaticks with whom according to the Discipline observed in the purest Ages of the Church the Christian ought not to communicate many who rail against Superiors and speak evil of Dignities and many who have once been open Rebels and have not publickly repented of those crimes and if you can communicate with them why not with such as usually do meet at our Communion Tables The wisdom which is from above is impartial Answ 2 Consider I beseech you that this argument will drive you as well from our Assemblies and from our Prayers as from our Communion Table for you may as well Argue thus him that I may not keep company with at home I may not keep company with at Church him that I must not joyn with in my Civil Converse I must not hold Communion with in Sacred him that I may not Eat with I may not Pray with as you do Argue thus him that I may not Eat with at my own I may not Eat with at the Table of the Lord. This is apparent from the occasion of the objected Precept viz. The Incestuous Person who was to be taken from among them v. 2. To be delivered to Satan for the destruction of the Flesh v. 5. To be purged out from the new lump v. 7. To be put away from among them v. 13. If therefore after admonition they continue obstinate and Refractory Offenders they are to be excluded from all Christs ordinances and to be esteemed as Publicans and Heathens Matt. 18.17 Accordingly they by the discipline observed in the purest Ages of the Church were actually excluded from Communion with her in all her Offices if then we may not joyn with them in one we may not joyn with them in other Ordinances till they have satisfyed the Church they being by this precept equally to be excluded from them all Scripture may also be as plausibly produced for the declining of Communion with them in publick Prayer and family devotions in hearing of a Sermon and the like as in receiving of the Sacrament for doth not David make it the Character of good and blessed men that they stand not in the Congregation of Sinners Doth he not say Psal 1.1 Psal 101.4 I will not know a wicked Person Answ 3 That even wicked Persons who are not Scandalously and Notoriously such but make profession of Obedience to the laws of Christ and are not by the Church cast out for acting contrary to their profession may be unblameably communicated with seems undenyable from the Example of our Saviour by whom Judas was certainly admitted to that Passover which spiritually did signify and represent Christ to them 1 Cor. 10.3 And by which rite they owned themselves the servants of the God of Israel v. 18. Whence none might eat thereof who were not Circumcised Exod. 12.48 That he was also present at the supper of our Lord I have fully proved already If then a person so unworthy and so regardless of the Law of Moses that he had actually resolved to take a reward to betray Innocent-blood If a Thief Psal 15.5 and a Covetous person was by our Lord admitted to the Passover If one who by our Lord was known to be in heart a Murtherer and a Betrayer of his Master was yet admitted by him to his Sacrament you see that sinners must be first notorious before they ought to be excluded and when they are so our Rubrick and our Canons give every Minister Authority to with-hold the Communion from them and therefore Authorise them to exercise the Discipline required in this case Hence also we may learn that to communicate with those whom we know to be wicked in this duty derives upon us no Communion in their Guilt for otherwise our Lord and his Disciples would not have joyned in Communion with that wicked one Answ 4 This precept is not directed to particular persons but to the Church of Corinth in the General as you may learn from v. 4. And therefore hence it only follows that it is the duty of Church Governors to exclude such persons from Communion with her but not that private persons should refrain Communion with the Church because they judge that they neglect their duty And therefore we do never read that Christ or his Apostles refused Communion with the Jewish Church or did neglect to go unto the Temple or the Synagogue because the Scribes and Pharisees neglected to perform their duty and our Apostle here doth never call the members of the Church of Corinth to separate from them who caused disorders in the Celebration of this Sacrament but only calls upon them to reform those disorderly proceedings And I beseech you to consider what a Gap would be laid open to perpetual Schisms if private persons were permitted to judge when their Superiors did neglect their duty in any part of publick worship
and were permitted to separate from them and joyn in opposite Communions as oft as they imagined that others better did acquit themselves in Prayer or Preaching or in Administration of the Sacraments or any other duty which belongs unto the Ministerial Office Answ 5 Lastly this Text only engages Private Christians to separate from persons Guilty of such crimes as to familiar converse in things unnecessary but never to decline their presence so as to neglect the doing or receiving good to their own souls or bodies For 1. Divines agree in this that Christ and his Apostles do not in this or other places prescribe such separation as is injurious to any or takes off any duties which by the law of nature we do owe unto them or our Relation to them calls for A Wife must not by virtue of this Precept separate from her ungodly Husband no tho he be an unbeliever let her not leave him saith St. Paul 1 Cor. 7.15 A child must not deny subjection to a wicked Parent nor a Servant to an evil Master but must be subject with all fear not only to the good and gentle but also to the Froward 1 Pet. 2.18 If then this Precept will not oblige us to perform what is injurious to anothers temporals it cannot lay upon us an obligation to do that which is prejudicial to our own Spiritual concerns Much less what prejudicieth the concernments of the Church our Spiritual Mother and makes us disobedient to our Spiritual Fathers 2ly This Precept doth not bind in case of signal damage for I am not obliged to renounce his Company by whom my Trade is carried on my goods go off because I judge him wicked or Profane or to refuse a Customer because he is no Saint for then no Trade could lawfully be managed and there would be no living in the world I do not mean saith Paul to for bid your keeping Company as your occasions serve with the Fornicators Covetous Idolaters of the world for then you must go out of the world v. 9.10 If then as far as the concernments of our worldly callings warrant us we may enjoy their Company much more when this is necessary to the concernments of our Souls or our Spiritual Callings 3ly When I am called as a Guest where accidentally I meet with such a one I am not then obliged to depart and leave the Company because I find him there for this can be no evidence of my familiarity with him Much less am I obliged to depart on his account when I am graciously invited to this heavenly banquet and call'd to feast upon the Supper of the Lamb. And 4ly Our Lord did notwithstanding this duty of avoiding the Company of wicked men familiarly converse with Publicans and Sinners in order to their reformation and spiritual advantage Matt. 9 13. and justified his so doing by this Rule I will have mercy and not Sacrifice why therefore may not we by the same Reason justifie our converse with them in order to our own Spiritual Good But because this Objection of the want of Discipline is the great Scruple of Dissenters and some even among our selves seem to speak slighter of it than they ought to do I will endeavor in some few Propositions to shew how much it doth concern all Churches to endeavor to keep up their Discipline by the exclusion of notorious evil livers from the Church and how far the neglect thereof can be imputed to our Church and whether any separation from her can be justified on this account And therfore I assert That the Secluding of profane and wicked Persons who after admonition by the Church Prop. 1. continue such from the Communion of that Church of which they formerly were Members is the express Ordinance of Christ For 1. Matt. 18.15 16 17. Our Lord himself commanded that if by private admonition we cannot gain our Brother we should tell the Church and if he did neglect to hear the Church he should by Christians be esteemed as a Publican and Heathen adding that whatsoever ye the Church Governours shall bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven Whence it appears that as it is the Duty of the private Christian who cannot gain his Brother by the private admonitions prescribed by Christ to complain of him to the Church so is it the Duty of the Church to admonish and reprove and call him to repentance and if he will not hearken unto her voice to bind him here on Earth and that the Brother thus bound is afterwards to be looked upon as to Communion in sacris as a Heathen and a Publican And altho no express could be produced from Christ to this effect yet even the constitution of Church Government must necessarily infer it for Government in Church or State there cannot be without a power of punishing unruly Members now the Government of the Church being Spiritual her punishments can be only such even seclusion of her Members from spiritual things moreover there can be no Peace and Order under any Government without a Power of secluding by some means or other such Persons from that Government as obstinately persist in the disturbance of it and violation of its fundamental Laws On Luc. 6.22 And therefore as Grotius truly saith Christ having once constituted a Church and that to be a holy and undefiled Temple to himself must be supposed to command all those things without which this his Temple could not be kept pure But it is plain that a Power of censuring Offenders against this Pure and Holy Institution and of ejecting those who by their wicked conversations do defile this Temple is necessary for the preservation of the Church in purity And indeed I cannot understand how the Church should be a Society without Union or how she can have Union without some Rules of Government and Order or what those Rules can signifie without a Power to punish nor what Power of punishing the Church as such can have except it be by debarring of her Members from some or all of their Church Priviledges nor do I understand how it should be the Duty of Christians to withdraw from every Brother that walks disorderly if the Church Officers have not a power to pronounce such persons fit to be withdrawn from especially seeing not hearing of the Church must go before his being deem'd or treated as a Publican and Heathen Nor Lastly can I understand St. Pauls discourse unless he Argue thus Vide sclater in locum The whole body of the Christian Assemblies ought to be a new Lump and purged from old Leaven or from such Persons as notoriously commit such Crimes as manifestly are repugnant to the profession of Christianity and inconsistent with true piety he therefore who being call'd a Brother that is making profession of Christianity is guilty of such Wickedness should be cast out of the Society of Christians for as when the Paschal Lamb was offered among the Jews no Leaven was