in their meal lest they be sowred with their leaven The comparison of the leaven used by the Apostle is to be understood in likenesse of nature not in their equality of effecting For leaven sowreth naturally and cannot but sowre the meal the godly may be hurt by the wicked but it is not necessary Therefore every member must look warily to himself and do his endeavour to reclaim other or that he may be cast out if notorious and incorrigible but not withdraw himself from the ordinances of grace The doctrine of the Gospel is compared to leaven in respect of its efficacy but all that heare it are not seasoned by it though it be a good means of seasoning The corrupt doctrine of the Pharisees is compared to old leaven but every one that heard it was not necessarily tainted with it It is true if the whole church shall bear with scandalous notorious offenders and do not their endeavour to bring them to repentance or to have them cast out they are polluted and stained by their remissenesse indulgence and this is that which the Apostle presseth upon the Corinthians that they should give all diligence to clear themselves and prevent the danger which might come by their negligence But if the church be remisse or slack the private men who mourn for what they cannot amend and labour conscionably to discharge their duties may not separate from the communion or withdraw themselves from the Lords table For the Apostle who blameth the Corinthians because they suffered the incestuous person doth never blame the faithfull for communicating with him before he was cut off nor intimate unto them that unlesse he did amend they must absent themselves from their assemblies and holy exercises or depart away being come together They that have authority to debarre men from the sacrament sin if wittingly or negligently they allow such to approch as worthy guests to the Lords table who are known unto them notoriously to be unworthy but if authoritie be wanting if we have done the office of private Christians or publick ministers to communicate with the wicked outwardly in the worship of God is none offense And thus the minister may reach the sacrament to an unworthy communicant and yet be innocent For he doth not so much give it him as suffer his communion because he hath not power or authority to put him back He reacheth him the signes as that which he cannot withhold because he is held in by the most prevailing power without which he cannot be debarred In this case the minister is neither actour nor consenter in his admission because he doth it not in his own name but according to the order established by God who will not have any member of the congregation publickly denied his interest and right to the holy things of God by the knowledge will and pleasure of one singular minister If a minister know a man to be unworthy he must yet receive him because he cannot manifest it to the church And for the same reason if his unworthinesse be notorious if it be not so judged by them that have authority he must administer the sacramentall signes unto him not as unto one worthy or unworthy but as unto one as yet undivided from them A man is not onely bound in his place to do his best for the reclaiming of his brother but to see his place be such as wherein he may orderly discharge the duties of admonition otherwise both his practice and place are unlawfull This is not sufficient that we labour by the best means to have manifest evils amended except our places be such and we in such churches as wherein we may use the ordinary means Christ hath left for the amendment of things otherwise our places and standings themselves are unwarrantable and must be forsaken If all places and standings be unwarrantable wherein we may not use the ordinary means God hath left for the amendment of things then all places are unlawfull wherein the greatest part of the church at least do not conscionably discharge their duties and of them which have greatest authority Then the Levites might not abide in their standings when the priests neglected their office nor the prophets when the priests and Levites had corrupted their wayes Then the people might not sacrifice nor receive spirituall blessings by their hands when Eli's sons had notoriously corrupted their wayes nor the faithfull remain in society when the priest and people both had corcupted the law worship offices and manners To speak no more of abuses if this rule hold no place or standing in the church is lawfull wherein three or more private persons who can make Peters confession of faith have not power of the keyes to receive into and shut out of the church to censure and determine authoritatively And so it may well be questioned to say no more whether ever there was any lawfull standing in a constituted church Since the death of the Apostles if they be put unto it according to this position they must confesse there was never any And considering the ignorance infirmities diversities of opinions that be amongst the godly passions distempers and corruptions how is it possible but that the church must fall into as many schismes almost as there be men if each man must renounce others standing as unlawfull wherein he conceiteth he is restrained of some power or hindred of some ordinary means which Christ hath left for the amendment of things No church in the world now hath that absolute promise of the Lords visible presence which the church then had till the coming of Christ It was simply necessary that Messiah should be born in the true church wherein he might have communion and fulfill the law The Lord did afford the Jews even in their deepest apostasie some or other visible signes of his presence and those extraordinary when ordinary failed thereby still declaring himself to remember his promise There was that onely visible church upon the face of the earth tyed to one temple altar sacrifice priest hood in one place and no man could absolutely separate from that church but he must separate from the visible presence and from all solemn worship of God Moreover the Jewish church had not that distinct ecclesiasticall ordinance of excommunication which we now have but that the obstinate or presumptuous offender was by bodily death to be cut off from the Lords people the same persons namely the whole nation being both church and common-wealth according to that speciall dispensation These observations rightly applyed do manifestly overthrow what hath been and is by others objected against communion with us in the worship of God For if it was absolutely necessary that the Messias should be born in the true church wherein he might have communion then a church corrupted in officers and offices doctrine worship and manners may be a true
the church ought to be saints and holy must be such as they ought to be in some measure or they shall not be approved of God They are saints who have made a covenant with God by sacrifice But as for the wicked they have nothing to do with the covenant The end of the calling of the church is holinesse to the glory of God at all times and it is true in one age as well as another that they who are utterly unanswerable or clean contrary affected to the ends of the true church which are holinesse and the glory of God they are not called into covenant or communion with God If in one age of the church the scriptures asscribe not holinesse to a people for some fews sake if the rest be unholy and profane it asscribeth it to them in no age If in one state of the church unclean persons and things do pollute and unhallow clean persons and things and a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump it must hold true in every age in its proportion And therefore if ignorant unwise impenitent uncircumcised in heart and life rebellious and obstinate in course and conversation might be in externall covenant with God and in that respect a separated holy and chosen people with whom the faithfull might hold communion externall in the ordinances of worship then it is lawfull for Christians to partake in the ordinances of Gods worship though scandalous livers be admitted with whom in partaking we must have externall communion For if the scandalous were in covenant then they may be so now If communion with the wicked defile now it defiled then If the godly might then communicate because they could not cast out the ungodly the same reason is good at this day If the faithfull be bound to reprove their delinquent brother and not suffer sin to rest upon him the same duty did concern them in former times If the sacraments be now available and of use according to the covenant of promise which God hath made to the faithfull and their seed and none otherwise as the sacraments are one in their common nature so in their use available onely to the children of the covenant at all times If it be contrary to the main ends for which the Lord gathereth and preserveth his church upon earth that wicked and ungodly men should be received into covenant or permitted to continue in the society of the faithfull it was unlawfull in the Jewish as well as in the Christian churches And therefore if the church of the Jews all this notwithstanding continued the true church of God when it was corrupted in doctrine and manners in officers and ordinances of worship when the teachers were dumb dogs and blind guides the prophets prophesied lies and the priests received gifts and the people rebellious adulterous oppressours an assembly of rebells when the priesthood was bought and sold the temple defiled and made an house of merchandise the law corrupted with false glosses and made void with false and sinfull traditions when errour heresie idolatry oppression rebellion stubbornnesse and all manner of sin was exceeding rife among them If when all these things were amisse and greatly out of order they yet continued the sheep of the Lords visible flock and the Lord was pleased to own them for his people his flock his inheritance if they reteined still the holy law of God and the seal of his covenant and the prophets and faithfull servants of God held lawfull communion with the church in the ordinances of God then the covenant of God is not disannulled with his people because ignorant and prophane persons are tolerated in the assembly nor the godly defiled because scandalous persons are suffered to communicate The word may be preached to heathen and infidels for their conversion Paul preached the word to the scoffing Athenians and to the blasphemous Jews and yet had no externall communion with them as with members of the same body The word may be preached to them that are without for their conversion to the faith to them that be within the church by baptisme and externall profession for their found conversion unto God conversion from particular sinnes and building forward in grace and holinesse The word is preached to heathens and inâ—idels but no communion with them is had thereby because they are not of the Christian society But to scandalous persons first received into the church by baptisme and not cast out by publick censure the word is preached as unto members and not as unto bare hearers and they are admitted to the prayers of the congregation as well as to the hearing of the word and that as members in outward covenant Therefore it is an act of communion in some mens opinions To use one ordinance and not another is to make a schisme in the church And as the preaching of the word not the bare tender of the word but the giving of it to dwell and abide with a people is a note of a true church so is the hearing of the word an act of communion with the church If the presence of the wicked doth not defile Gods ordinance to the worthy receiver then it is lawfull to receive the sacrament in a mixt congregation where scandalous persons are admitted For what but pollution or defilement can warrant voluntary Separation and departure from the Lords ordinance But the presence of the wicked doth not defile Gods ordinance to the worthy receiver The simple presence doth not defile For then the presence of close hypocrites and secret dissemblers who are in truth unworthy though they appear not so to us should pollute and defile Not his knowledge of their unworthinesse For then Judas his presence had stained the ordinance of God to our Saviour himself to whom the unworthinesse of Judas was well known then one man should be bound in conscience to excommunicate another or himself rather before the matter be brought to the church yea for that which in conscience cannot be brought unto the church Not the notorious knowledge of their unworthinesse seeing he hath no power to repell them nor leave from Christ to withdraw or separate himself from the society It is the duty of a godly man to withdraw himself from all private familiarity with the wicked and by no voluntary friendship to ensnare himself with them But it is one thing to avoid the private society of wicked men another for the hatred of the wicked to renounce the publick communion of the church and so of Christ who is present with his people The duties which I ow to a brother in this course I must perform but privately excommunicate him or separate my self from the congregation for his sake I must not because I have no charge from God no pattern from the godly so to do My communion with the
primitive church after the apostles the discipline of the church was in some cases very severe partly to prevent the abuse of Gods ordinances partly to maintein the dignitie and authority of the censures neverthelesse the godly were compelled to tolerate many disorders which they could not redresse not in doctrine and worship but in manners and conversation For as soon as Christians began a little to breathe from the fear of bloudy persecution they fell into dissolute idlenesse and began to nourish debate strife hatred emulation pride c. to heap sinne upon sinne as might be proved at large by the complaints of the Fathers made of the sinnes of the times in all sorts ministers and people men and women But it was and ever hath been the judgement of them who did so grievously complain of the sinnes of their times that the godly did not communicate with others in their sinnes although they did continue with them in the communion of the sacraments If a church depart from the Lord by any transgression and therein remain irrepentant after due conviction and will not be reclaimed it manifesteth unto us that God also hath left it and that as the church by her sinne hath separated from and broken covenant with God so God by leaving her in hardnesse of heart without repentance hath on his part broken and dissolved the covenant also The Lord Jesus threatneth the churches for leaving their first love and for their lukewarmnesse that he will come against them speedily and remove their candlestick that is dischurch them except they repent and spue them as lothsome out of his mouth It is true the Apostles mention corruptions in the churches with utter dislike severe reproof and strait charge of reformation and the Lord Jesus threatneth the churches for lukewarmnesse and leaving their first love But neither Christ nor his Apostles did ever blame the faithfull for holding communion in those churches in the ordinances of worship or give them charge to depart if disorders and abuses were not forthwith corrected and amended Not to enquire what is due conviction Not to enquire what is due conviction or when a church is to be deemed obstinately impenitent it is most untrue that the toleration of disorders or maintenance of corruptions of some kind by some yea by many in the church is to us a manifest token that God hath left it The history of the church from the very first plantation thereof unto this very day doth evidence that many and foul abuses disorders and corruptions have continued in the churches of God when yet the Lord did not utterly take from them all tokens of his visible presence This is confessed of the church of the Jews And if they continued the church of God when they had broken covenant for their part so long as the Lord continued the signes of his visible presence among them how dare any man think or say that God hath utterly left or forsaken that people amongst whom he dwelleth plentifully by the means of grace and unto whom he imparteth the graces of his Spirit though for their sinnes they deserve to be cast off The Lord is God and not man therefore the sonnes of Jacob are not confounded The Jews at first were chosen to be the people of God not for their righteousnesse but of the rich grace and mercy of God They continue to be his church not for their righteousnesse but according to his free and gracious promise And so long as Christ doth of his mere grace and love bear with the manners of his church and giveth her not a bill of divorce it is not for men to say or judge that he hath utterly left and forsaken her And seeing the faithfull must follow Christ dwell with Christ and abide with him so long as Christ doth dwell in the assembly by his presence and plentifull means of grace it is not lawfull for them voluntarily to depart and break off communion CHAP. XI Of holding communion with that assembly in the worship of God where we cannot perform all duties mentioned Matth. 18. 15 16 17. VVHosoever neglecteth Christs rule in proceeding with his minister or others of the church both partaketh in their sin and sinneth against Christs command Matth. 18. If he be ignorant of Christs rule and order yet he sinneth but if he know it and do it not then his sin remaineth Now the rule prescribed by Christ is That one brother offended should warn any member of the same church whereof he is a member if he offend him yea though it be his minister And if he reform not he must proceed to warn him more solemnly taking two or three with him doing it in the name of Christ If this admonition take not effect for reformation he must tell the church If the church then will not do their duty he must clear himself protesting against their neglect therein Hos 2. 12. The brief and plain meaning of this objection is That every Christian is bound to perform all those offices mentioned to every delinquent brother in society or communion and that it is not lawfull to abide in society or communion where a man cannot perform all those duties without defiling or undoing himself And therein is implyed that seeing the Jews had no such order for excommunication established amongst them therefore they might hold communion not withstanding the corruptions that were found amongst them To trie the strength of this argument let it be granted that our Saviour speaketh not of private managing of civil affairs and private injuries whereby we might recover what we lost by the injurie of our brother for that is an indulgence or benefit no commandment of rule and duty yea sometimes it is a fault not to suffer wrong but of church-admonitions and censures and that order which he hath set for the winning or punishment of offenders But then by a delinquent brother we must not understand onely one of the same particular society or fellowship but any one of what countrey or condition soever with whom we have religious fellowship If thy brother If any man that is called a brother thy brother that is a Christian For our Lord hath appointed no such course to be taken with them that are out of the church Suppose Christians of distinct societies living remote one from another do trespasse one against the other is not the innocent party bound to hold the course here prescribed with the delinquent brother The rule of our Saviour is not That one brother offended should admonish any member of the same church whereof he is a member that is an addition which the text will not acknowledge but If thy brother trespasse against thee Christ speaketh here unto his Apostles but not unto them simply as Apostles but as disciples Christians and followers of Christ because the things here commanded are common to all
church have evermore been one advantage which the enemies of the truth have taken to speak reprochfully And if the credit of religion the glory of God and the souls of our brethren be dear unto us what can we do lesse then by a just and mild defense of the truth seek the reclaiming of such as are gone astray the establishing of them that be weak in judgement but zealously affected to the wayes of God stop the stream of seducing free the godly from unjust imputations and settle peace and unitie in the truth amongst brethren I heartily wish we had not so much experience to lesson us that when men have once begun to neglect the publick exercises of religion and to separate from the churches of Christ they have run from one errour into another after the fond imaginations of their own seduced hearts untill they have dashed themselves upon the rocks They that break off communion in the particulars mentioned have not proceeded to a totall Separation from our congregations and assemblies as no churches of Jesus Christ This rigid Separation they condemn as that which was never approved or blessed of God But they have gone further then the word of truth doth warrant them or they have the Lord Jesus for their guide whereas it is the duty and safety of Christians to follow after but not to go before their Lord and Captain The first entrance into an erroneous way is dangerous for in the track thereof there is no stop unlesse God of his infinite mercy do prevent Errours are lapped up together in a bundle and many times the least onely appear which yet serve to bring on and usher in the greater At once men fall not into strange and monstrous opinions no more then into outragious evils but by degrees they insensibly are drawn from bad to worse untill they come to a great height At the first sight many a mans conscience would have been affrighted with that errour which after some tampering he highly admireth and is bewitched withall How many of great hopes and excellent parts have been overthrown hereby is too evident by lamentable observation in all ages Rents and divisions are the disease Separation the wound of the church unto which of long time she hath been obnoxious but it is the sinne of them who either lay stumbling-blocks of offense before their brethren or separate rashly or unjustly being carried away rather with prejudice then strength of argument and commanded more by the examples of others then by the authority of the rule of righteousnesse There is but one body the Church and but one Lord or head of the body Christ And whosoever separateth from the body the Church separateth from Christ in that respect And if we withdraw our selves from Christ where he graciously inviteth us to feast with him may we not justly fear that he will withdraw himself from us and make us seek when we shall not find him Voluntary Separation from the Lords table and prayers of the congregation what is it but a willing excommunication of our selves from the visible tokens of the Lords presence and love And if it be a grievous sinne in church-governours to deprive any member of the church of all communion with the visible church upon light and unnecessary occasions is it not a greater sinne in the members to deprive themselves of the same communion upon the like or lesse occasions Zeal and tendernesse of conscience must be nourished by all good means but they are not to move alone without their guide that is the word of God Perhaps this kind of writing may occasion more disputes If so it is contrary to my hearts desire who intend onely the satisfaction of them that stagger the reclaiming of them that are gone too farre and the maintenance of peace truth and communion in the worship of God as it furthereth communion with Jesus Christ If I may obtein this end I have that which I beg of the Lord. Willingly I would not offend any that fear God but endeavour onely to remove the blocks at which I see some stumble and to further the more comfortable walking of others who desire to please God in all things but are kept under in the means of comfort with vain scruples And happy were it if doubtfull disputations laid aside we might joyn together with one heart and soul to advance religion worship the Lord purely edifie one another in our most holy faith and walk unblameably in the fear of God and comfort of the holy Ghost I take no pleasure in controversies of this kind and could heartily wish that these matters rightly composed we might give heed to that one thing which is necessary But if it seem good to any man to reply I earnestly beg that he would take the word of God truly understood for his warrant make proof of what he saith keep himself to the points in hand without impertinent digressions and proceed on in love and meeknesse as becometh them that professe the truth and desire to preserve the peace of a good conscience A good cause is no way advantaged by heat and passion We must so write and speak in controversies of religion as that we remember we must give account to God of that which we say And if passionate and distempered speeches in common talk be no light offense in matters of religion which are soberly to be debated as in the presence of God to give way to humane rashnesse and distemper is much more disgracefull God will not hold him guiltlesse that telleth a lie for the glory of his name To bear false witnesse in civill contentions betwixt man and man is odious and abominable Therefore it behooveth us to fear and stand in aw lest being transported with misguided zeal we call evil good and good evil and misapply the scriptures when we speak of our selves Let us weigh all things and hold that which is good The Lord in mercy look down from heaven upon his poore church and people bring his truth to light more and more dispell the mists of ignorance remove all occasions of offense settle peace and truth prosper the means of grace build us forward in faith and holinesse and unite the hearts of his people in love that they may direct their course by one rule if they cannot be all of one mind in every thing and as one man may walk together in heaven-way untill they receive the end of their faith the salvation of their souls CHAP. I. Of a stinted form of Prayer PRayer is the sweet and familiar conference of a faithfull soul with the Lord his mercifull Father Or A calling upon God in the name of Christ with the heart and sometimes with the voice according to his will for our selves and others In it to let passe other matters not pertinent to this purpose foure things come to be considered the Subject recipient Authour Matter and Manner thereof The honour of invocation is due to God onely in
proved already Why may they not as lawfully command to preach by reading of Homilies as to pray by reading of the Liturgie both which are contrary to the institution of Christ and the holy scriptures The two feet upon which the dumb ministery standeth like Nebuchadnezzars image upon the feet of iron and clay are the book of Common prayer and of Homilies the reading of the former which is the right foot serving them for Prayer and the other for Preaching Which feet if they were smitten as were the other with the stone cut without hands the whole Idole-priesthood would fall and be broken a-pieces as that other image was This objection presupposeth that there is some great affinity betwixt a stinted Liturgie and an idle ministry which is a bare conjecture For in the Primitive church the abettours mainteiners and in part devisers of stinted Liturgies have and for ever shall be renowned in the church of God for their constant continuall and unwearied pains and industry in preaching the Gospel It is a thing notoriously known and confessed that Cyprian Ambrose Chrysostome and Augustine did all of them allow and approve and some of them devise stinted forms of Liturgies and yet who almost for diligence and labour in teaching the people in the wayes of salvation to be compared unto them Of their learning and zeal it is needlesse to say any thing For three of them there is plentifull testimony that they preached every day in the week and yeare at least once or twice without fail Ye heard yesterday Ye shall heare to morrow is common in their tractates and homilies Augustine even to the extremity of his sicknesse preached the word of God in his church cheerfully and boldly with a sound mind and judgement without any intermission at all The like diligence is noted in others who lived before and about those times in all which a stinted Liturgie was in use And generally the Fathers in the primitive church presse the knowledge of the scriptures residence upon his charge diligence in reading meditation prayer and instruction of the people as duties requisite and necessary and by no means to be neglected or omitted of the minister They also exhort the people not onely to heare the word of God but to learn it by heart to instruct and warn one another to sing psalmes conferre religiously begin and end their feasts with solemn prayer reade the scriptures in their houses and discourse thereof one with another for their mutuall profit and edification and to call their families children wives servants friends and neighbours together and to repeat the sermons they heare at church-together after the sermon ended Such exhortations are common and ordinary in them who approved stinted Liturgies Let one of you take in hand the holy book and by the heavenly words having called his neighbours about him let him water and refresh both their minte and his own Being at home we may both before and after meat take the holy books in hand and thereof receive great profit and minister spirituall food unto our souls Gregorie disalloweth that such should attend to singing and modulation of the voice who should apply themselves to the office of preaching Hierome cut short the lessons when whole books were read in order before that so there might he time for preaching Durantus himself misliketh the men that extra modum ordinem orationes multiplicant unde auditores sibi ingratos efficiunt populum Dei potiùs fastidio avertunt quà m alliciunt And Petrus de Aliaco counselleth quòd in Divino officio non tam â—nerosa prolixitas quà m devota integra brevitas servaretur A stinted Liturgie then in it self doth not abbridge nor hinder the liberty of preaching or prayer according to the speciall present occasions nor ought it so to do For when the minister of the Gospel is bound to be instant in season and out of season to teach exhort reprove with all long suffering and patience these necessary and wholesome functions of the holy ministery must not be trust out or hindred And it is not hard to shew the wisedome and moderation of the churches in their prescribed catechismes stinted prayers and exhortations in the administration of the sacraments c. to be such that they have allowed time convenient both for preaching and prayer according as God hath enabled his messengers In these times of this reformation the pains of such whom God stirred up first to preach the Gospel and instruct the people in the wayes of salvation was almost miraculous and yet generally they approved and devised a publick stinted form of Liturgie As for Homilies they were first allowed in the church not to uphold or maintein an ignorant ministery or to supply his defect that should take pains but would not much lesse to shut out preaching but to supply the casuall defect of preaching through the weaknesse and infirmitie of the minister CHAP. V. A stinted form of prayer doth not quench the Spirit THe Spirit of Grace enableth us to pray and maketh requests for us but worketh by means It instructeth us what to ask not in what phrase of speech It stirreth up in us holy desires but giveth not abilitie suddenly and without help to expresse and lay open our hearts in fit method and words significant As the Spirit doth perswade and assure the heart that the scripture is the word of God not witnessing of the letters syllables and words but of the matter and saving truth therein conteined So the Spirit instructeth us to pray by opening our eyes to see our misery and inflaming our hearts with a longing desire of mercy and relief in the mediation of Jesus Christ but it giveth not abilitie evermore to utter and expresse these our desires in fit and decent phrase of speech Abilitie of speech is a common gift of the Spirit which the Lord bestoweth upon good and bad Yea many times gracelesse persons are herein preferred before the most sincere and upright and many an honest heart can cry aloud for mercy who is scarce able to utter one distinct and perfect sentence in fit words and order Let no man except that ministers have better abilities For when the Apostle saith the Spirit is given to help our infirmities who know not how to pray as we ought he speaketh of all beleevers as well others as ministers private prayers as well as publick And whosoever is enabled or provoked to lift up any one sigh or grone unto God or to make apologie for himself in the mediation of Christ in any manner it is by the holy Ghost These things considered I suppose all men will grant 1. That it is lawfull for a man before-hand to meditate on his own particular wants and the necessities of others and that he may more fully understand and more sensibly be affected with them to reade good books which unfold the
congregation simply because a stinted form is used is causelesse separation from the externall communion of the church Weigh all the reasons brought to prove it lawfull and they will be found too light If we look to our guide and captain Christ doth not goe before us therein Dare any man affirm that they be not met together in the name of Christ or that he is not present in the midst of them that joyn together in a stinted Liturgie Is there any duty publick or private which God requireth of people holding communion together in ordinances of worship which may not be performed of each to other when a stinted form of prayer is used without Separation But by that unwarrantable course of voluntary separation they make an unlawfull rent in the church deprive themselves of the comfort of Gods ordinances weaken the faith of many cause divisions among brethren and advantage the adversaries of true religion CHAP. IX It is lawfull for a Christian to be present at that service which is read out of a book in some things faultie both for form and matter ONe reason alledged to prove the lawfulnesse and necessity of Separation from our publick service in particular is this That the prayer-book in question is corrupt in many things which is thus amplified The matter of some petitions is such as we cannot say Amen to it in faith as in the collect on the XII sunday after Trinitie it is prayed that God would forgive us those things whereof our consciences are afraid and give unto us that our prayers dare not presume to ask c. To omit divers others the very â—itting of Collects to certain dayes for holy fasts and feasts not sanctified by God savour of superstition as speciall prayers for Lent serving to countenance the keeping of it as a religious fast c. the manner of praying vain repetitions as the often repeating of the Lords prayer and GLORY TO THE FATHER and LORD HAVE MERCY UPON US c. disorderly responsories the clerk taking part of the prayer out of the ministers mouth c. Moreover the book perverteth the right use of the scriptures dismembreth and misapplieth them for making of gospels epistles lessons and collects appointed for feasts of mens devising and derived from the Papists and it reteineth a corrupt translation of the psalmes and bringeth into the church Apocrypha writings and the errours conteined in them To them that look at all humane Liturgies as images forbidden by the second commandment this objection is of small force because the thing it self and not the corruption cleaving to the Liturgie is disallowed But lest this accusation should breed scruple in the minds of some not altogether disaffected to stinted forms of prayer or Liturgies I will examine not the qualitie of the exceptions whether justly or unjustly taken but the weight of the reason if the particulars should be granted For this objection it self doth free the Liturgie from grosse errours either fundamentall or such as border thereupon respecting faith or practice in the prayers themselves or that which concerneth the administration of the sacraments For the corruptions objected are Misapplication of some text si of scripture Frequent repetitions of the same things Disordered responsories and Breaking petitions asunder c. and these not dispersed throughout the whole book but in some passages onely which concern not the main grounds and chief heads of Christian religion but are such faults or slips as may peaceably be tolerated amongst brethren Therefore not to insist upon any particulars mentioned I lay down this proposition That a Christian may lawfully and with good conscience be present at such service and prayers which are read out of a book though somethings therein are or may be supposed to be faultie for form or matter in things not fundamentall nor bordering thereupon not pernicious or noxious but such as may be tolerated amongst brethren these not dispersed through the whole body of the book but in some passages onely It is one thing to allow corruption another to be present at the service of God where something is done corruptly For the Lord chargeth us to keep our selves free from all pollution but alloweth not to separate from abuses unlesse he be pleased to go before and as he goeth before us It is one thing to approve of abuses in a Liturgie another to tolerate what we cannot reform For a Liturgie should be framed so not that things may be construed well but that they cannot be construed amisse But many things may be suffered which are not so well ordained when it is not in our power to redresse them The Lord needeth not mans lie neither doth he allow us to do evil that good may come thereof and therefore I must not subscribe to an errour against conscience though never so innocent nor professe approbation of that which in conscience I cannot allow though never so small to the intent I might enjoy externall communion with the church of God in the ordinances of worship But I must tolerate many things for the maintenance of peace and unitie and the preservation of Gods worship For if there be not mutuall toleration and forbearance but each man will rigidly stand upon his own opinion and presse others to be of his mind and follow his practice in all things and every tittle of necessitie all things must fall into confusion and the church be rent almost into as many pieces as there be men The proposition is proved first Because they that alledge the foresaid faults or corruptions against communicating with us in our publick Liturgie or stinted prayers do themselves put small strength or none at all in this reason For suppose a chapter be somewhat unfitly divided and break off in the midst of the matter or now and then separate verses which should go together or a verse be ill distinguished or the preacher misalledge a text of scripture or something be found amisse in his prayer when he exerciseth his own gifts must I of necessitie separate from that ordinance of God or reject the good for that which is amisse Hereunto this answer is returned When the minister exerciseth his own gift Gods ordinance is observed wherewith I may communicate in praying as well as preaching notwithstanding his infirmities in either which are but personall and in such cases the rule warranteth men to trie all things and to hold that which is good 1. Thess 5. 21. But when the Liturgie is read an ordinance which is not of God but of man is introduced into Gods worship contrary to the second commandment and therefore I must reject it and have no communion with it Is not this in plain terms to grant that the corruptions alledged can be no cause of Separation but this onely Because it is the devise of man The corruptions alledged are not the cause because they may be found in translations the distinction of chapters and verses the preaching
granted nothing is here alledged but what might be said against communicating with ministers who have their weaknesses or use a stinted form of their own devising ordinarily or be of different opinions either in prayer or sacrament and if we must hold communion with none who dissent from us in any jote or tittle we must never joyn or not long continue in any congregation The personall miscarriages of private persons are not so perillous as the evil acts of the minister whom I make my mouth to God in prayer Neither do the errours of individuall men tainted with corruptions voluntarily broched in prayer or sermon cast that defilement upon them who joyn together as do the unwarrantable opinions of the church and the ministration upon such publick commandment It is a good rule in Divinity oft to be thought upon That every distinction in matters of faith or religion not grounded upon or warranted by the scripture is an humane devise For is not this to adde to the word of God to lay down an opinion as from God which is not to be found in his word at all Now to apply this to the present matter in hand I desire to know from what scripture this distinction can be warranted That the personall errours of the minister in his voluntary administration of the sacraments or prayer do not defile though I do not publickly testifie dislike or absent my self but errour committed in the administration by publick commandment do pollute all that be present Reason why presence should pollute in one case more then the other none can be given Calling from God to testifie dislike it may be I have in neither but least in the latter It being more tolerable for private persons to rebuke the slips and errours of their minister in voluntary administration then for a man to controll the order established by publick authority and common consent when he is not in speciall called thereunto If this distinction be of weight it would go best with the church to have no settled order amongst them for so long as the faults and corruptions be onely personall they defile not them that be present at the ordinances but personall they are untill they be established by common consent or publick authority Moreover by this rule one member may sooner cast out the whole church then the whole church can cut off one member For the church must not cut off a member but upon weighty consideration and apparent just cause and that after conviction with much long-suffering and patience but if this objection hold true one member must openly rebuke the church or withdraw from communion with the church for a stinted Liturgie or for some slip or fault there committed perhaps questionable at least tolerable among brethren Is not my joyning with them that sinne to be reputed an appearance thereof when I professe not dislike thereof It is one thing to joyn with men in sin another to joyn with them necessarily in the worship of God though for the manner of administration something be done amisse If I professe not dislike of what I judge amisse having no calling thereunto my joyning in prayer is no appearance of evil to a right-discerning eye because I am necessarily called there to attend upon the Lord in his holy ordinances Necessary attendance upon his master excuseth the servants presence in many companies where he seeth and heareth much evil which he cannot amend nor reprove and shall not necessary attendance upon Jesus Christ justly and truly excuse the faithfull To say nothing that this exception is crosse to the former and if these exceptions be laid together we shall find nothing but going backward and forward one denying what the other affirmeth If the faithfull by the approbation of our Saviour Christ and his Apostles were present at Divine ordinances as much or more corrupted then they can be supposed to be with us then for such corruptions we are not voluntarily to withdraw our selves For defilement is feared without cause by simple presence where Christ requireth and approveth our presence and hath promised to be present with us by his grace But the faithfull by the commandment and approbation of Christ have been present at Divine ordinances as much or more corrupted then they can be supposed to be with us For the scribes and Pharisees sinned grievously in corrupting the law with false glosses in so much that they neither taught nor practiced what was necessary to salvation They taught many things directly contrary to the law as if a child had vowed not to relieve his parents he was bound to keep his vow and neglect them They defiled the worship of God with their vain inventions And it may well be thought their praying was answerable to their preaching cold fruitlesse corrupt and rotten many wayes Neverthelesse the faithfull held communion and fellowship with them in the worship of God not in their corruptions and that by the approbation and commandment of Christ himself Our Saviour doth not tell the faithfull they were to call upon the Pharisees to fulfill their ministery which they had received and as occasion should require proceed further to declare their dislike in such manner as is meet either absenting themselves or other wayes declaring their dislike so as the whole church may take notice of it But his commandment is they should heare them so long as they sit in Moses chair It is true our Saviour doth not approve their corrupt glosses and sinfull inventions but doth sharply reprove them himself and admonish others to let them alone and beware of their leaven but not to forsake the assembly or absent themselves from the ordinances of worship From which it followeth evidently that simple presence at Divine ordinances is not consent or approbation of the corruptions therein practiced and that we must leave and forsake some in respect of familiar conversation with whom we may hold outward communion in the exercises of religion The sinne of Eli's sonnes in prophaning the holy things of God was exceeding great but Elkanah Hannah and Samuel did not partake with the sinnes of the priests in that they did not abstein from the Lords sacrifices The behaviour of the Corinthians in their unreverent scandalous and almost prophane coming to the Lords table was foul and corrupt yet the faithfull did not forbear nor the Apostle charge them to absent themselves from the Lords table The famous church of Rome was so weak and feeble in the duties of government as they did not or could not separate from them such as preached Christ contentiously and with spitefull minds against the Apostle and the greater number of that church did corruptly demean and carry themselves therein and yet the Apostle never taught the rest to separate and have no communion with them in the ordinances of worship Knowledge before-hand that such corrupt administration will be used
scandalous in that case is not free and voluntary upon mine owne head but necessary in respect of duty enjoyned of God through the enforcing law of meeting the Lord in his holy ordinances and preserving the unitie of the spirit in the bond of peace and love If therefore the life be corrupt not from corrupt doctrine but contrary to the doctrine received we must do as the prophets and holy servants of God did in those corrupt times pray mourn exhort reprove threaten give good example but we must not depart or separate from the society where Christ is present by his grace and holy ordinances If because some members of the body be broken lame or diseased the rest that are sound should forsake the unitie of the body that were to destroy the whole and not to strengthen it utterly to overthrow not to seek its recovery One contagious sinner let alone not punished not reclaimed may infect the whole congregation and therefore every member must look warily to his own soul that he take no harm by such bad example and do his endeavour that such incorrigible persons be cast out of the assembly But the ordinances of grace are not defiled to the worthy receiver by the presence of such as should be censured nor must he withdraw himself from the holy things of God because such as ought not are suffered to partake so long as Christ is pleased to bear with their manners and to continue amongst them for their refreshing who in truth of heart draw nigh unto him If a brother be a fornicatour the Apostle exhorteth us not to eat with him Which place doth not onely forbid private and voluntary familiarity but religious also and that both publick and private Neither is there any reason whether we respect the glory of God or our own safety or the avoiding of offense in others or the shaming of the parties why we should avoid civil cōmunion with any and yet hold religious communion with them Neither is voluntary society to be opposed to religious for no society is so voluntary as that which is religious All civil and private society or commerce with a delinquent brother is not forbidden but familiar onely The Apostle teacheth not Christians to be uncivil but to abstein from familiarity with such that they might be ashamed For to eat bread together is a token of love and friendship in phrase of scripture not to partake of or be shut from the table a signe of familiaritie broken off But there is not the same reason of breaking off private familiarity with an offender and separating from the Lords ordinances if he be admitted whether respect be had to the glory of God our owne safety the avoiding of offense or the good of the party fallen For in coming to Gods ordinance we have communion with Christ principally who hath called us thither is there present by his grace and Spirit to blesse his ordinance and with the faithfull who are there met together at Gods commandment in the name and by the authority of Jesus Christ With the wicked we have no communion unlesse it be externall and by accident because they are not or cannot be cast out Internall and essentiall communion we have with Christ and the faithfull onely externall with the wicked Our communion with Christ and his faithfull people is not free and voluntary but necessary enjoyned by God not left to our will or pleasure Our communion with the wicked in the ordinances is unwilling on our part suffered not affected if we knew how to hinder it lawfully God requireth our attendance upon him in his holy ordinances and to joyn with his voluntaries assembled where he is present in the midst among them if we cannot appear before him as duty bindeth but we must have outward communion with the wicked which should be expelled but cannot be kept back by us in this case our communion with God is free and voluntary but our communion with the wicked is suffered onely or held in respect of the will and commandment of God who requireth that service at our hands And if civil commerce with the wicked be not unlawfull when it is necessary why should externall communion in matters of religion defile when it cannot be avoyded but the worship of the most High must be neglected God is not dishonoured on our part when we obey his commandments the godly cannot justly be offended with that communion which God hath established and ratifieth with his own speciall presence there is no danger in spirituall communion with Christ and his faithfull people if we come to the ordinances in affiance fear humblenesse of mind c. as we ought And as for the wicked they can take no encouragement if according to our place and office we exhort admonish rebuke and tell them plainly of the danger of their sin or if any be hardned thereby his bloud shall be upon his own head We have received commandment from God to exhort admonish rebuke watch over one another according to our place and calling but to excommunicate our selves because such as should be cut off are suffered or to withdraw our selves from the ordinances and to depart from Christ because such as hate to be reformed take the covenant into their mouthes or to usurp power to censure and excommunicate which God hath not put into our hands these things are neither commanded nor allowed of God The wicked usurp in that they intrude unto the Lords table and the faithfull usurp if without authoritie they take upon them to expell the wicked or depart themselves And if we search the scripture and move onely as the Lord is pleased to go before us we shall not find that a few private Christians have authority in this case to do either And hence appeareth an apparent difference betwixt externall communion with wicked men in the exercises of religion and private familiaritie For familiarity is merely arbitrary not enjoyned but forbidden affected not admitted onely in case of necessity or necessary attendance nor suffered onely that we might have fellowship with Christ and his Saints in his ordinances of worship nor by accident onely as we cannot expell them or withdraw our selves by the Lords leave and approbation Draw this argument then into form and it runneth thus It is not lawfull to have private needlesse arbitrary familiarity with ungodly men who are called brethren therefore it is not lawfull to repair to the ordinances of grace when the Lord calleth nor there to have communion with Christ and his faithfull people because the wicked are permitted to be present when yet we have neither power to repell them nor leave of Christ to depart our selves How loose this consequence is who doth not see A little leaven leaveneth the vvhole lump One scandalous sinner not reclaimed or cast out polluteth the whole congregation And men must not be blamed if they dare not dip
Christians and not peculiar to the Apostolicall function It is further to be enquired in what cases we are to hold the course prescribed If thy brother sin against thee This cannot be meant of secret offenses known unto one onely For wisdome and piety both forbid us to bring into light the private sinnes and offenses of brethren whereof they cannot be convinced for this is to be a revealer rather then a healer of our brothers infirmities If I know an offense committed by another whereof I can make no proof in love I must admonish him privately mourn and pray for him and so leave him to the Lord to whom the judgement of secret things doth belong This is acknowledged by them who interpret this text of sinnes secretly committed against God In those sinnes which are so hid and secret that he who should deny them can be convinced with no witnesses there is none or very little place left to this saying of Christ Some would have it that Christ speaketh of secret offenses against God because the word is most properly used for sinne and another for wrong and injury but this will bear no weight For the word is generall but the phrase To sinne against thee is spoken of wrongs and injuries against men As Let not the King sinne against David his servant that is Do not evil unto him Plot not evil or death against him because he hath not sinned against thee that is He hath hurt thee in nothing He hath offended thee in no matter Did I not say unto you Sinne not against the lad that is Hurt him not or Kill him not for so Reuben spake unto his brethren when they thought of killing Joseph When any one hath sinned against his neighbour that is hath hurt or offended him by any means What have I sinned against thee or against thy servants that is Wherein have I done wrong or injurie to thee And so in this passage If thy brother sin against thee that is If he hurt or wrong thee not If thou be privie to his sin This is plain if it be compared with that of Luke If thy brother sinne against thee seven times a day and the question of Peter If my brother sin against me how oft must I forgive him till seven times and our Saviours answer I say not unto thee Till seven times but Vntill seventy times seven times Neither is our brother to be accused for every light fault or trespasse against us but for that which is scelus or affine sceleri or for that which is an argument unlesse the rest of his life be known and approved of a prophane man a contemner of God and his neighbour There are some faults of men as it were naturall and of no great moment there it is not alwayes necessary that complaints should be doubled Some faults are to be wrapped up in silence and covered with the cloke of charity Not all sinnes are meant but such as are stumbling-blocks to mens consciences and such as are manifest to be sinnes and to be committed in case they should be denied But though sins against God be not expressely intended in this place by analogie they must be understood because the principall end why our brother offending is to be admonished and complained of if he do not repent is the salvation of his soul which hath place in sinnes against God no lesse then in offenses against our selves But herein Christian moderation requireth that many ignorances errors infirmities and weaknesses of quotidian incursion which overtake the godly be covered in love and not made the matter of complaint and censure Some errours and frailties be of that nature that if by admonition of love I cannot cure them I must cover them in love yea though the party out of a false perswasion that he is in the truth when he doth erre should be obstinate It must also be remembred that this duty first by one then by more and lastly by the church upon complaint made is affirmative and bindeth onely when occasion season and opportunity is offered or a Christian in speciall is called thereunto An oath is one branch of Gods worship but he dishonoureth not God who never sweareth if he be never lawfully called thereunto and the like may be said of the duty of admonition by way of censure It is the office of a chirurgian to launch and cut when need requireth but it is no impeachment to his skill or office if he was never enforced to that service If the occasion of admonition be just a Christian must further wait for the season when it may be fit to administer it best and in what manner For admonition must be used as physick which is not like to work kindly unlesse the patient be in right temper to receive it And for complaint to the church if private admonition first by one then by more prevail not a Christian is not ordinarily bound unto it when he cannot perform it or do it with good successe If the Jews had not the distinct ordinance of ecclesiasticall excommunication yet the Lord took order then as well as now that no sinne should be suffered unreformed no obstinate sinner uncut off And therefore if a man committed a sinne whether of ignorance or otherwise for which he was not to die without pardon he was to be told and admonished of his offense and to manifest his repentance But the obstinate and presumptuous were to be cut off So that the godly amongst the Jews were first to admonish the transgressour and if he did not repent then to proceed further according to the Lords ordinance But now suppose the guides temporall or ecclesiasticall to whom the matter must be brought be so corrupt that they would countenance the offender punish the complainant establish the disorder rather then redresse or amend it in this case what should the innocent do must he complain to his undoing or leave his standing in the church as unlawfull because he cannot do the duties which God calleth for at his hands The shepherds of the church of the Jews were many times blind wicked vain persons such as Christ calleth thieves robbers hirelings The scribes and Pharisees what were they but blind guides corrupt teachers who caused the people to erre If the disciples or faithfull had sought to them for reformation of abuses or redresse of offenses what could have been expected If by the church we understand either the guides and governours or the whole society and faithfull we know the guides of the church are many times remisse idle partiall corrupt The Corinthian Pastours built hay and stubble upon the foundation which Paul had laid amongst them were false Apostles deceitfull workers who did transform themselves into the Apostles of Christ In Galatia the Pastours troubled the church with corrupt doctine The Angels of
Thyatira Laodicea Pergamus and Sardis are all reprehended What then must the faithfull do leave their standings and depart from the ordinances of grace whilest God is pleased to dwell amongst them or neglect the duty which God calleth them unto and so partake in other mens sin The community or congregation it self is oft divided remisse the greatest part many times the worst so that the best cannot be heard amongst them truth cannot take place In Corinth there were so many sects and divisions that the house of Chloe was constrained to complain of them to the Apostle most of them were puffed up in the case of the incestuous man that it had been in vain for the better sort to seek his casting out if the Apostle had not sharply admonished them of their duty And their disorder in coming to the Lords supper was generall so that the better sort might bewail but could not redresse it In the primitive church there was such contention oftentimes about the choise and election of ministers the Pastours divided from the people and the people one from another to the committing of many outrages that if the godly must not hold any place in the church but where they could perform all offices injoyned in the text of scripture before alledged they must welnigh go out of the world In this and such cases then what should the faithfull do Tell the church they cannot for that is divided and it may be the greatest part holdeth the worst cause Depart they must not for the Lord doth not go before them and if they depart without him they depart from the Lord himself What remaineth then but that with mercifull affection they dislike reprove and correct as much as in them lieth what they find to be amisse what they cannot amend that they should patiently endure and suffer and in loving sort bewail and lament till God do either correct and amend it or make way for their enlargement as they may see the Lord to go before them But in the mean space it will be said they do not their duty in telling the church Nay rather the Lord requireth not that particular duty at that time because they have no opportunity or means to do it The rule prescribed concerneth visible and particular churches as a solemn ordinance of Christ for the humbling and saving of an obstinate sinner but a Christian may be a true member of a visible church when he is hindred and cannot do the thing that is there prescribed For our Saviour speaketh of a brother that doth justly truly and according to equity reprehend admonish or complain and of them who being set in office do rightly and lawfully perform the office whereunto they are appointed of God of the church who doeth what becometh her keepeth herself within the bounds prescribed of God and rightly executeth what is committed to her trust But in the true church of God which Christ is pleased to grace with the visible tokens of his presence all things may fall out clean contrary that such as be in office do not truly discharge their office that the church doth not keep herself to the rule nor fulfill the trust committed unto her In the Law they that were thought unclean were to be restrained from the sacrifices the eating of the passeover entrance into the temple And not onely legall pollutions but sinnes of all kinds whether by errour or ignorance of the law or fact or voluntarily committed were to be expiated according to the prescript of the law which doth necessarily presuppose uncleannesse and that accompanied separation from the altar and the participation of the holy things The legall ceremonies which were outward and carnall did represent spirituall and internall to the minds of the faithfull as the uncleannesse of the body did the inward filth of the soul The wicked are oftentimes upbraided that they durst come into the presence of God The scriptures testifie that the Lord acceteth the sacrifices of righteousnesse of a broken and contrite heart that he is not pleased with the sacrifices of wicked men whose hands are full of bloud And the Lord often giveth commandment that he which shall do so or so or shall not do this or that shall be cut off from his people All which whether they conclude the use of excommunication amongst the Jews let the learned judge But howsoever this is most certain Many things were required which the wicked altogether neglected the godly could not redresse nor complain of to them that should or if they did no regard was had thereunto no reformation followed and yet the godly left not their standings as unlawfull nor the society as left and forsaken of God because they had broken covenant with him nor the ordinances of God as if externall communion with the wicked as one body had polluted and defiled them Put case a brother offended make a complaint to the church of some private injury or wrong received by one of the same or another socity and the church to whom the complaint is brought deal remissely either through ignorance partiality carelessenesse or the like must the innocent party stand to the decision of the church although they do not see right exactly restored and the delinquent brought to repentance or must he protest against their neglect and depart from the society as not to be communicated with because they tolerate a wicked and ungodly person among them If the first then simply to be present at the worship of God where wicked men are tolerated is not to partake in their sin If the latter then the accuser may be judge in his own cause and not onely hold him an heathen whom the church esteemeth holy and honest but hold the church it self heathen then because they account him not so blame-worthy whom he accuseth then which what is more contrary to the rule of our Saviour And so if true examination be made they that leave our societies because they cannot observe the rule prescribed by Christ do of all others most neglect it in their separation because they challenge that authority which Christ never gave them and wait not upon him to go before them If iniquity be committed in the church and complaint and proof accordingly made and the church will not reform or reject the party offending but will on the contrary maintein presumptuously and abett such impiety then by abetting the party and his sin she maketh it her own by imputation and enwrappeth her self in the same guilt with the sinner and remaining irreformable either by such members of the same church as are faithfull if there be any or by other sister-churche wipeth herself out of the Lords church-rolle and now ceaseth to be any longer the true church of Christ And whatsoever truths or ordinances of Christ this rebellious rout still reteineth it but usurpeth the same without right unto them or
promise of blessing upon them both the persons and sacrifices are abominable This peremptory censure is as directly crosse to that which followeth immediately in the same authour as any thing that can be spoken For if the toleration or maintenance of one sinner against reproof and conviction do necessarily dischurch a society how then did the church of the Jews continue the true church of God wherein sinne was generally impudently impenitently committed and that by such as should have censured it in others where the offenders were countenanced and the reprovers persecuted imprisoned put to death If no church in the world now hath that absolute promise of the Lords visible presence which that church then had till the coming of Christ if the Messiah must be born in the true church and the Lord did ever afford the Jews some or other visible signes of his presence in the greatest apostasie this is nothing to the purpose For if the maintenance of one wicked ungodly wretch wipeth a church out of the Lords church-roll then the Jews who did both countenance offenders and commit wickednesse themselves and that with greedinesse had blotted themselves out of that book And if the Jews continued the church of God notwithstanding their great impiety and obduratenesse because the Lord continued the visible tokens of his presence among them then if a church or some in the church shall tolerate or countenance iniquity in others or practice it themselves so long as God shall be pleased to bear with their manners and vouchsafe unto them the signes of his gracious presence and holy ordinances it is to be reputed the true church of God wherewith the faithfull may hold communion in the branches of worship If therefore the authour had well pondered his own words or consulted the rule of our Saviour this labour might well have been spared But more fully to open the weaknesse of this objection Errours as in doctrine so in practice are of two sorts some fundamentall or bordering thereupon which concern the very heart and life of religion and cannot stand with faith and holinesse others not fundamentall which strike not directly at the soul of religion though they hinder the working somewhat or stain the work In matters fundamentall as the profession of faith must be intire in all points of simple belief so must the doctrine of the church in all things concerning practice but errours of inferiour alloy wherein godly men dissent pardonably one from another both concerning faith and practice may be found and mainteined in the true church Again sin and iniquity is mainteined either by teaching or by doing in our own persons and tolerating in others whom we should reform but do not If the church by doctrine maintein fundamentall evils as the worshipping of angels murder adultery c. she is to be esteemed hereticall But if the life be corrupt not from corrupt doctrine but contrary to the doctrine received the church is not to be accounted false because wicked ones which should be cast out are nourished in her bosome It is true the service which wicked men tender unto God is abomination as were the sacrifices which the Jews brought when their hands were full of bloud but the worship which the faithfull offer unto God in that corrupt society is pleasing and acceptable unto his majesty The prayer of the wicked is abomination to the Lord but the prayer of a wicked minister in respect of his office as the prayer of the congregation is effectuall and accepted for the faithfull who seek unto God with lips unfeigned The prophet commandeth us Plead or Contend with your mother contend with her because she is not my wife nor I her husband that she take away her whoredomes from before my face c. therefore if the church be remisse in her duty the children of the church must protest against her The meaning of the prophet is That the godly whether in Judah or Israel should contend with the ten tribes who by their idolatry had fallen from the conjugall covenant which God had contracted with them and had deserved to be put away with a bill of divorce because they had transgressed their matrimoniall troth and forsaking the true God had sought them other Gods whom they did love and worship And in like case no question but the faithfull may publickly and sharply rebuke the abominable idolatries of a false-claiming church such as Israel was at that time But if this be applyed to the true church in respect of every abuse or remissenesse we shall pervert the words of the prophet and run our selves upon the rocks True it is all abuses may and ought to be reproved in the time and place according to the nature and quality thereof but for every offense we cannot say truly in the name of God The church is not the spouse of Christ nor Christ her husband Every abuse in worship is not the adultery of the ten tribes If this had been the meaning of the prophet the prophets had gone most contrary to their own rules of all others for they sharply rebuked the personall sinnes of Judah as they received commission from the Lord other sinnes they touched but sparingly if at all but they never protested against her as no church of God they never charged the faithfull to depart from all communion with her lest they be partakers of her sinnes Here the Lord goeth before the faithfull in their contention with their supposed mother they must say what the Lord putteth into their mouthes and behave themselves toward her as the Lord is pleased to give them precedent by the tokens of his presence But they that take liberty to break off communion with their true mother and spouse of Christ because of some abuses sport and blemishes they speak of themselves when they charge her to be an adulteresse and not the spouse of Christ to maintein an idolatrous antichristian devised worship and they run of themselves without commission or authority when they voluntarily withdraw themselves from the ordinances of grace and communion with Christ in the same Therefore to conclude this point as corrupt and unworthy members can be no cause why those that are whole should forsake the body or neglect the offices perteining to the body though they be hindred in their working so no open grosse communicants can be any cause why the faithfull should forsake the church or communion with Christ or neglect the duties which in particular concern themselves though they cannot do all things that pertein to them with the whole body as being overborn or restrained by others without whom they cannot work CHAP. XII The community of the faithfull much lesse two or three separated from the world and gathered together into the name of Christ by a covenant are not the proper and immediate subject of power ecclesiasticall POwer might or efficacious force is not all one with authority or power Matter Sense
before olders ordained and a company of faithfull people without officers may be in covenant with God and have him dwell amongst them and may have communion one with another and their children have right to baptisme And it must be considered that two or three gathered together have the same right with two or three hundred By two or three having this power of binding or loosing cannot be meant two or three ministers considered severally from the body which alone are not the church for any publick administration but the officers of the church but by two or three are meant the meanest communion or society of Saints whether with officers or without officers This then is that which he would clearly evince out of this text of scripture That spirituall power is essentially and primarily given to the society of the faithfull few or many though but two or three to the faithfull without their guides or officers who are added to the church and derive their authority from the church to whom it agreeth secondarily and by accident and so by the church understand any collection of the faithfull united in covenant great or small few or many with or without guides or officers The church is sometimes put for believers few or many But to the making up of a visible distinct society or congregation properly so called or body politicall furnished with the power of Christ for government and the exercise of all religious duties and ordinances of worship a competent number is requisite and necessary At first Adam and Eve were the church when there were none other persons in the world and might perform all the officers of a church at that time required of them But two or three are no sufficient number to make up that society which now we speak of There is a twofold church as the society of Christians is twofold publick or private The private society may be in one family though small The publick society is a convenient number of such as do in one uniform agreed course of outward joynt worship of God professe that righteousnesse which is by the faith of Jesus Christ The number of men worshipping God aright is a church be it few or many be it few or many but two or three cannot make up an intire society consisting of all its parts fitted to the execution of all substantiall offices perteining to the body or corporation A competent and fit number there must be to make up this body but no precise number is or can be determined it may be more or lesse according to the circumstances of time place and other occurrences Therefore for our direction in this case it is good to look at their pattern who first planted the churches of God according to the wisdome of God and by the direction of his Spirit And to begin with the Apostles because we speak of Christian churches first by comparing passages of holy scripture together we shall find that to ordain elders city by city and to ordain elders church by church are used as phrases adaequate and aequipollent not that the whole multitude of the one and locall bounds of the other should make but one congregation but because the Christians or believers within those bounds or limits were framed into one Christian society or church For Presbyters were not given but to Disciples and Christians now converted out of the multitude and locall limits wherewith cities were bounded Now though the Apostles framing the cities with their suburbs and territories into one church or society on the present occasion doth not exclude the constituting of any other society or congregation within the same locall bounds when the multitude of believers should be encreased yet it doth evidently confirm that the number of believers requisite to the making up of a perfect or complete church in all parts and offices must not be small The Apostles never comprehend the multitude of citizens unconverted to the profession of the faith under the name of the church neither can it be imagined that the whole multitude within those locall circuits united in civil society was linked by any spirituall bond or tie but the city had the reason of an ample continent the church of a thing conteined Neverthelesse the blessing of God considered which did extraordinarily accompany the labours of the Apostles according to the prophesies foregoing touching the calling of the Gentiles the number of believers we may well think within that circuit was very great But if we take a view of particular churches the matter will be more plain The Christian church at Jerusalem was one distinct society which did congregate upon occasion and held communion in the ordinances of worship But it grew and encreased first to three thousand then to five thousand afterward multitudes of men and women were added and then it came to millions It may be in this last number such believers are reckoned as had no fixed habitation in Jerusalem but came thither upon occasion and were there in transitu and not as fixed members of this church viz. such as came up by occasion of the Passeover or Pentecost or other like feast and were onely there for the present It may be the Apostles tolerated them though more then could fitly meet together ordinarily in one congregation because they foresaw such times to ensue wherein many of them should translate themselves and be dispersed hither and thither It may be also God let it grow more rank and abundant then ordinary churches because it was ecclesia surcularis many of whose branches were to be translated in their time But whatsoever might be the reason of this great number this is certain the multitude was great for after it was grown to five thousand and multitudes of men and women were added it encreased daily The number of disciples encreased greatly in Jerusalem and a great company of the Priests were obedient to the faith The Syriack Interpreter hath it of the Jews sc inhabiting Judea but the Greek Arabick Ethiopick Vulgar and Chrysostom approve the former And the number of Priests was not small as the scripture witnesseth And when all the Apostles or the greatest part of them remained at Jerusalem continuing in the ministery of the word and prayer and that they might do it the more earnestly and diligently left off the care of the poore to others how can we think that the whole church did not multiply and encrease It is most probable that the whole city of Samaria in a manner embraced the faith The people gave heed with one accord unto those things which Philip spake As the whole city from the least unto the greatest had given heed to Simon Magus before so to Philip now when he preached Christ It is said also that Samaria received the Gospel which argueth that it had universall enterteinment among them In
because they are actually in the state of salvation the heirs apparent to everlasting blessednesse actuall partakers of the benefits of Christs death which accompany salvation They are given unto Christ set into him as branches into a vine and they that be such be in deed and act not in desire alone members of Christs body All that were not in the ark perished in the waters No member doth live but that which is actually joyned to the head and draweth life from it Baptisme is the seal of our solemn admission into the church but it is not the gate of our setting into Christ but the seal of that admission we have received by grace are partakers of by a lively faith True believers theÌ„ are in the state of grace actuall members of the militant church but of a visible particular ministerial church or congregation they may be members in desire onely For it may so fall out many times that he who is joyned to Christ by a true and lively faith hath not means and opportunity to unite himself unto a visible and ministeriall church The Catechumâ—ni who did truly 〈◊〉 unfeignedly believe in Christ were live-members of his mysticall body and in respect of full effectuall and saving participation of Christs benefits actuall members of the church invisible when in respect of solemn outward and sacramentall admission they were not members of any visible congregation If a Christian be unjustly excommunicated he still reteineth all those things which the best parts of the church have inward or outward and though he be cut off from the meetings and assemblies of particular churches so that he may not bodily be present when the people meet together yet still he hath the communion which onely is essentiall and maketh a man to be of the church in that he hath all those things which the best that remain not ejected have as faith hope love and profession of the whole truth of God He is the friend of God an heir apparent of the new Jerusalem a living member of the mysticall body of Christ And if he be not cut off from Christ from hope of salvation and fellowship of the saints triumphant neither can he be cast out from the fellowship of the church militant for the church militant and triumphant is one The performance of holy duties is an action of them that be already of the church and doth not make a man of the church yea the performance of these duties is a thing of that nature that by violence and unjust courses holden by wicked men we may be hindred from it without any fault of ours Now that it often falleth out through the prevailing of factious seditious and turbulent men that the best part is unjustly and undeser◠〈◊〉 cast out of the visible church is a thing so plain and confessed that it needeth no proof In times of grievous and hot persecution under which the church hath laboured the faithfull have been compelled to meet in woods dens and caves some in one place some in another as opportunity was offered their societies have been broken and set congregations dispersed and scattered when yet they continued the true church wherein salvation was to be had and enjoyed the ordinary means of salvation And if we speak of a visible ministeriall church as it is here meant by you the faithfull who professed the truth of the Gospel intirely and did communicate in the ordinances of worship for the space of this fourteen hundred yeares and upward had not means or at least did not unite themselves into a visible ministeriall church of Christ And if out of this your church ordinarily there be no salvation no means leading to everlasting life the Christian world for these many hundred yeares hath wanted ordinary means to bring them to life and salvation and been in that state in which no salvation ordinarily can be expected If we detest the consequence as dreadfull not standing with the promises made to the church of the Gentiles and the tender mercies of God vouchsafed to his people we must acknowledge the position from whence it followeth undeniably to be most rash and inconsiderate Out of doubt this kind of the visible church is now under the Gospel onely lawfull for us even a particular ordinary congregation onely And whatsoever kind or form of a visible church is instituted or ordained by men the same is conteined manifestly in the negative part of the second commandment that is to say it is simply unlawfull and by God himself here forbidden unto us In the new Testament the church doth signifie a multitude of believers whether assembled or dispersed and whether they be met in one place or separated in place they retein tho same name still The church is a society of the faithfull not an assembly if we speak properly When the word is put absolutely it noteth the multitude or society of the faithfull which is distinguished from their assembly or meeting together for the worship of God For we shall reade the church of God or Christ and so the church of the first-born but never the church of these or them or you or us but assembly or assembling of your selves Now the society may be one when the congregations be divers in respect of place where they do assemble It is not opposite to the unitie of an ecclesiasticall society that the members should ordinarily assemble in divers places for the worshipping of God so long as they be united by the same laws have communion in the same ordinances and be linked under the same spirituall guides and officers When a church did comprehend a citie with its suburbs and the countrey circumjacent I mean the believers who professed that faith within that circuit it might well be that the number did so increase through the extraordinary blessing of God which did accompany the preaching of the word in those primitive times and first planting of that heavenly kingdome that they could not well meet ordinarily in one place and yet might and did continue one society For when a number is gathered in small villages or some added to the number already gathered it is not meet they should be neglected because small nor yet divided from the body because the number not competent to make an intire and perfect body of it self The increase of churches doth require an increase of ministers and if they grow to bignesse more then ordinary an increase of places for their assembling when the essence of the visible church is not changed nor one multiplyed or divided into many And it is more available for the good of the church and further removed from all ambition if the society shall assemble in divers places as parts and members of one body then to constitute a distinct free society consisting of some few believers not fit to make up an intire body contrary to the precedent examples of the apostles In times of hot and
uniting themselves in covenant should be reputed the onely visible and ministeriall church independent from whom the officers should as their servants derive their authority This kind or form of a visible church is so farre from being the onely lawfull and allowed form of a church in scripture as if we speak of a church complete in respect of the inward substance and externall order furnished for all duties and offices required of the church it is not so much as warranted in scripture To the constitution of a visible distinct society or church there is required First an intire profession of one and the same faith and holynesse intire in all fundamentall articles of faith to be believed as necessary to salvation and main precepts and morall laws for practice to be acknowledged A lively operative faith maketh a man a true member of the church invisible and the profession of faith and holynesse a member of the church visible Profession of Divine verities revealed in Christ whom onely the companies and societies of Christians acknowledge to be the Sonne of God and Saviour of the world doth distinguish Christians from Jews The intire profession of faith according to the rule left by Christ and his first disciples and scholars the holy apostles doth separate the multitude of night-believing Christians which is the sound part of the Christian church from all seduced hereticall combinations Secondly there is required an union and communion in the true worship of God and ordinances belonging thereunto appointed of God himself sc prayer administration of the sacraments and dispensation of the word But the time may fall out that the preaching of the word may be omitted and reading or meditation may possesse the place thereof nay mere desire conjoyned with manifold sighs So the administration of the sacraments may be left off as it was in the church of the Israelites for the space of fourty yeares in the wildernesse But though the being of a church is not absolutely destroyed by the want or omission of these exercises for a time yet they are actions necessary to the well-being of a church and such as flow from the very nature of a church if they be not hindred Thirdly there must be subjection to lawfull guides officers or pastours appointed authorized and sanctified to lead and direct the flock in the happy wayes of eternall life Companies of believers were gathered before elders were ordained amongst them and the church may continue when guides are wanting as in case they be taken away by death persecution banishment but it is not complete or perfect without them neither can it hold communion in many ordinances of worship nor execute many offices which belong to the church consisting of all its parts Fourthly to the making up of an intire visible distinct society orders laws and discipline is required for the perventing of abuses and scandals the preservation of the holy things of God from contempt the recovery of them that fall and suppression of prophanenesse Discipline is needfull in every society without which it cannot long continue but all things will run into confusion It is necessary the members of the church should live Christianly otherwise the profession of faith and administration of the holy things of God must needs be polluted Discipline put for the censures hath no practice but in an united body or church which must needs have a being before it can exercise its power But the excercise of that power in a body complete is necessary not simply to the being but to the well-being of the whole As a city so the church cannot be without those things which belong to the necessary being thereof but it may be without those that belong unto her safety alone though not so well Fifthly the members of a visible church must hold fellowship in faith and love not onely one with another but with all other visible churches and all others intirely professing the faith of Christ and walking in holynesse so farre as they hold communion with Jesus Christ For all visible churches though distinct societies be sisters one in profession fundamentall laws and ordinances and should be one in hearty love and affection And no particular church can be called or be the true church of Christ but as it holdeth union with the catholick From the relation whereby Christ is referred to his members these things flow sc That Christ doth expound to them his word for the food of eternall life and doth hang seals to his word whereby he doth confirm and ratifie it From the relation whereby the members of Christ are referred to him their Head these things flow That whosoever would be accounted for true members of Jesus Christ they must acknowledge and receive that food and those seals appointed by Divine institution If the faithfull must assemble to heare the word of God call upon his name and receive the sacraments then there must be some to preach the word administer the sacraments and blesse in the name of the Lord and that by authority from God If they must receive the word and avouch themselves to be the people of God then they must walk before him in holynesse and maintein the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace If the temple of God must be kept from pollution and the holy things of God from contempt then there must be authority communicated from Christ to censure such as offend to repell the notorious to comfort the afflicted and receive the penitent If all promiscuously may not meddle with the dispensation of the holy things of God to that purpose then there must be order for their election and admission into that office and for the execution thereof being admitted thereunto Where all these things are to be found purely the church is excellent for degree pure and famous Where any of these are wanting or impure the church is so much defective or impure though it may be pure in comparison of others Wheresoever we see the word of God truly taught and professed in points fundamentall and the sacraments for substance rightly administred there is the true church of Christ though the health and soundnesse of it may be crazed by many errours in doctrine corruptions in the worship of God and evils in the life and manners of men Profession of the true faith alone in matters fundamentall and holy prayer with exhortation to obedience is a mark of the true church though the sacraments upon occasion be not there administred so that they be not neglected upon any contempt or erroneous conceit of their not being necessary Where most of these notes are wanting or impure the church is of lesse account in dignity excellency and credit coming short of others according to the degrees of impurity in the marks the deficiency of some marks and the nature of the marks themselves in which the impurity is As impurity in doctrine or administration of the sacraments is worse then disorder in matter of
government onely Therefore to the full complete constitution of a visible church many things are required and that of divers kinds in themselves and of divers degrees of necessity all which cannot be referred to the second commandment but many and they most necessary to the first some to the third some to all And though in things essentiall and unchangeable belonging to the being of the church and matters positive determined by God nothing must be done besides the rule yet in things not determined concerning externall order and the better exercise of that authority which Christ hath committed to his servants some things are permitted to the wisdome of the church according to the generall rules of scripture And if the church holding the true faith as it hath formerly been said shall exceed or fall short in some particulars for such superfluity or defect she is not to be rejected as no true visible church of Christ Every church-ministery made and devised by the policy of men and not instituted of God is against the second commandment c. And all offices and ministeries in the church which are found in the scripture as instituted by God are in the affirmative part of this second commandment The church-ministery in respect of the main and substantiall duties belonging thereunto doth pertein to the second commandment in part not wholly or onely but in respect of things circumstantiall annexed to the ministery it belongeth not to the second commandment And if we consult scripture that is a new or devised ministery which for substance of the office is not of God be the outward calling never so orderly or legall and that ministery is not new or devised which for the substance of the office is of God though the entrance was disordered in the person admininistring many things be amisse and in the execution many defects or superfluities If a minister orderly chosen and ordained shall preach false and corrupt doctrine in points fundamentall or administer false sacraments his ministery is new devised false notwithstanding his lawfull entrance If a minister enter unlawfully either by the tumult of the people partiality of the overseers or corruption of patrones if he preach Christ crucified soundly and rightly administer the sacraments his ministery is true and of God though his entrance be of men If a minister preach sound doctrine in the main though mixed with some errours and administer the holy sacraments though with some superstitious rites his ministery is not to be esteemed new or devised for these weaknesses If some things humane be mixed with Divine a sound Christian must separate the one from the other and not cast away what is of God as a nullity fruitlesse unprofitable defiled because somewhat of men is annexed unto them In the body we can distinguish betwixt the substance and the sicknesse which cleaveth unto it betwixt the substance of a part and member and some bunch or swelling which is a deformity but destroyeth not the nature of that part or member Which of the prophets doth not cry out against the pride oppression covetousnesse tyranny of the priests in the time of the law Their offices were bought and sold they themselves despised knowledge opposed the prophets of the Lord strengthened the hands of the wicked and were enemies to all piety and yet their ministery was not false and devised for the main substance of it It is objected by the rigidest Separatists with great confidence That to communicate in a false ministery is certainly a breach of the second commandment For what do they else but set up an idole yea and bow down unto it which serve God in and by a devised ministery But if first they would consider what a false or devised ministery is and then what it is to communicate in the worship of God with them they would soon forsake this fort wherein they trust For the ministery may be true and of God when the election is disordered and the person unmeet and the execution maimed If this be not granted there was neither church nor sacrament nor ministery in the world for many hundred yeares yea if every superfluity or defect make a nullity of the ministery they that think themselves the onely ministers will be found none at all because they derive their authority from the community of the faithfull it may be two or three onely united in covenant which hath none authority to communicate it as hath been proved before For so we may reason as they do That is no ministery which is derived from them and executed in their name who have none authority to give it What is it to communicate in a false ministery Is it to communicate in the worship of God with them whose calling is not in every respect appointed and approved of God I might entreat them to look to their own standing before they accuse others and justifie their own calling before they seek to draw others from the communion of the church upon such pretenses But if that be their meaning the proposition is weak it can neither stand alone nor be underset with any props For when the prophets prophesied lies and the priests bare rule by their means was their ministery true or false When the priests were dumb dogs that could not bark and greedy dogs that could never have enough was their ministery true or false When the priests bought and sold doves in the temple or took upon them to provide doves and such like things for them that were to offer was their ministery true or false When the scribes and Pharisees corrupted the law by false glosses taught for doctrine mens precepts made the commandment of God of none effect by their traditions and set themselves against Jesus Christ was their ministery true or false If true then an ignorant idole prophane idle ministery which despiseth knowledge opposeth godlinesse prophaneth the holy things of God corrupteth the law polluteth his worship strengtheneth the hands of the wicked leadeth the blind out of the way may be a true and lawfull ministery If false then to communicate in a false ministery is not a breach of the second commandment For the true prophets forbad not the people to heare the priests nor our Saviour his followers to communicate with the scribes and Pharisees in the worship of God He charged them to beware of their leaven to let them alone because they were the blind leaders of the blind but he never laid his commandment upon the faithfull not to communicate with them in the worship of God And therefore to communicate with ministers no better then Pharisees in the true worship of God is neither a vain worship nor an abetting of the party in his sin nor to rebell against the Lord nor to commit spirituall whoredome but on the contrary it is to worship God aright to reverence his ordinances to relie upon his grace to hearken unto his voice and submit unto
Against Berr. pag. 67. As in a true church in respect of outward order there may be many false doctrines taught so in a church false in respect of outward order there may be many sound and seasonable truths taught Robins Treatise Of the lawfulnesse c. The printers to the Christian reader Deut. 19. 15. Epiphan in Ancorato Nihil sine duobus tribusve testibus getâ— potest Joseph Antiq l. 4 c. 8. See Aquin. Summ. 3. qu. 81. art 2. qu. 80. art 6. Hieron lib. 2. contra Ruff. Uni testi nè Catoni quidem est creditum Justinian Novell 123. c. 11. Omnibus autem Episcopis Presbyteris interdicere aliquem à sacra communione antequam causa monstretur c. Matth. 7. 6. * q. porrò à fano Macrob. Saturn l. 3. cap. 3. Trebatius profanum id pro priè dici ait quod ex religioso vel sacro in hominum usum proprietatémque conversum est Capta ab hostibus loca sacra vel religrosa esse desinunt Aeneid 6. Claudian De rapt Proserp Gressus removete profani Ovid. Met. 7. Procul hinc jubet ire ministros Haec autem sacra dicebantur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plinio Operanea Chrysost in Matth. Hom. 83. Galvin epist 178. Ut unus altis in consilium non adhibitis quiequam tentes autor esse non audeo Adde quòd nunquam utile putavi jus excommunicandi permitti singulis pastoribus Grat. part 3. De consecrat dist 2. c. 67. Argum. 1. Deut. 14. 2 3. 29. 10 11 12. 7. 6 7. Deut. 32. 5 6. Isai 1 2 3 4 10. Lam. 4. 6 22. Ezek. 16. 46 47. Isa 5. 1 2 3 5. Jer. 2. 21. Acts 2. 29. 3. 17 18 19 25. Object 1. Robins Against Bern. pag. 101. 82. Answ Robins Agaâ—â—â—st 〈◊〉 pag. 284. Robins Against Bern. pag. 114 211. Psal 50. 5. vers 1â— Luke 20. 26. Gen. 4. 26. Matth. 5. 16. 1. Pet. 2. 12. Acts 2. 47. Lev. 14. 46 47. 15. 4 11 12. Hagg. 2. 12 13 14. 1. Cor. 5. 6 7. Lev. 19. 17. Ger. 17. 7. 26. 4. Jer 5. 31. Jer 9. 2 3. John 2. 16. Matth. 15. 7 8. 9. Isa 57. 3. 1. 4. Jer. 11. 14. Isa 50. 1. Jer. 3 11. 13. 11. Object 2. Acts 17. 22 23. 32. Acts 19. 8 9. Answ Robins Against Bern. pag 79. Argum. 2. One of the church committeth some notable sinne known to me alone which being dealt with by me he denieth without two or three witnesses the church may not proceed against him I must therefore still communicate with the church so with him as a member of it Robins Treat c. pag. 437. Eph. 2. 15 16. Heb. 10. 25. Jude 19. verse Phil. 2. 4. See Lanch De Eccl. pag. 129. Object 1. 1. Cor. 5. 11. Robins Against Bern. pag. 258. Answ Ephes 5. 6 7 11. Psal 41. 9. Our Saviour commandeth us to let the Pharisees alone Matth. 15. 16. and yet to heare them and do as they say while they teach the truth Matth. 23. 1 2. Rainold Cons with Hart ch 7. div 4. It is an offense taken and not given seeing the thing is in it self good and in its kind commanded by God and in that particular by men in authoritie and directly tending to mine edification Robins Treat pag. 20. Object 2. 1. Cor. 5. 6. Robins Against Bern. pag. 16. Answ Gal. 5. 9. Matth. 13. 33. Matth 16. 6 12. If the church see not that to be sin vvhich I see to be a sin I having informed the church thereof according to my place I have discharged my duty and the sinne lieth upon the church if it be a sin and not upon me Robins Treatis Of the laws c. The printers to the Christian Readers I partake not in the â—ins of any how great or manifest soever the sins be or how near unto me soever the persons be except the same sins either be committed or remain unreformed by my fault Othervvise Christ our Lord had been inwrapped in the guilt of a world of sins in the Jewish church with which church he communicated in Gods ordinances living and dying a member thereof Robins Treat pag. 18. I answer to the examples of Christ and his Apostles who as they abstained from corruptions in the Jewish church so were they quite separated from all false churches as the Samaritanes and others Ainsworth Consid exam pag. 8. Object 3. Robins Against Bern. pag. 246. Idem pag. 16. Answ 1. Sam. 2. 12 15 16 17 18 19 20. Our Saviour provided beforehand that we should not refuse good doctrine because it was delivered by wicked men Aug. Epi. 165. Tract in Joan. 46. De doctr Christ. l. 4. cap. 27. The followers of M r Robinson complaining of some foure or five who left their society write thus Which proceeding of theirs if it were approved of and followed no church could long continue together in peace For what these foure or five men have done that may any other man do so that if any man do conceive any of his brethren to walk in any such sin which he judgeth doth deserve excommunication if the church will not thereunto consent he may rent himself from the same Robins Treat Of the lawfulnesse c. The printers to the Christian readers Object 4. Robins Against Bern. pag. 248. Idem pag. 250 Answ Argum. 3. 1. Cor. 3. 3. 1. Cor. 6. 1 2. 2. Cor. 10. 10. 1. Cor. 15. 12. 1. Cor. 5. 1. 1. Cor. 11. 19 20. 2. Cor. 12. 20 21. 1. Cor. 1. 2 4 9. â— 23. Gal. 1. 6. 3. 1 5. 4. Gal. 1. 2. Revel 1. 4. Revel 2. 14 15 Revel 2. 20. Revel 3. 1 2. Revel 3. 20 21 4. Col. 2. 11 16 18. 3. John 9 10. Jam. 2. 1 2. 3. 1 2. 4. 1 2 3. Jude 12 13. Iusâ—b Hist lib. 8. cap. 1. Cypr. De laps §. 4. Quia traditam nobis Divinitus disciplinam paâ— longa corruperat jacentem fidem penè dixeâ—â—m dormientem censura coelestis erexit Cypr. De laps studebant augendo patrimonio singuli c. Cypr. Epist 51. ad Maxim Etsi videntur in Ecclesia esse zizania non tamen impediri dedet aut fides aut charitas nostra ut quoniam zizania esse in Ecclesia cerniâ—â—â—â— ipsi de Ecclesia recedamus And Epist 52. Nobis autem secundùm fidem nostram Divinae praedicationis datam formam competit ratio versicatis unumquemque in peccato suo ipsum teneri nec posse alterum pro altero reum fieri cùm Dominus praemoneae dicat Justitia justi super eum erit et scelus scelerati super eum erit Aug. lib. 2. Contr. Crescon Gram. cap. 32. Non est Ecclesia deserenda tanquam frumenta propter paleam vel zizania sicut nec domus magna propter vaâ—â— in honorata cap. â—7 August Contr. Donatist cap. 20. Toleramus quae nolumus ut perveniamus quò volumus
â—tentes cautelâ praecepti Dominici c. August lib. De fide oper Perniciosa est audacia stultáque praesumtio se ab Ecclesia separate ob exempla quorundam malè moratorum c. And lib. 3. Contr. Par. cap. 2. Si contagio peccandi multitudinem invaserit non est illa excommunicanda sed Dei correctio exspectati debet Nam separationis consilia sunt inania perniciosa sacrilega impia superba plùs pertûrbant infirmos bonos quà m corrigunt animosos malâ—s See whitâ—k De Eccl. qu. 1. cap. 10 11. See August Brevicul Collat. And Aug. lib. 3. Cont. lit Parmen cap. 1. AUFERTE inquit MALUM EX VOBIS ut si fortè non possent auferre malos à congregatione sua auferendo malum ex seipsis id est non cum ipsis peccando nec iis ad peccandum consentiendo aut favendo integerrimi inter eos incorruptissimi versarentur Object 1. Robins Against Bern. pag. 248. Answ Rom. 16. 17. 1. Cor. 5. 1 4 5. 1. Thess 5. 14. 2. Thess 3. 6. 1. Tim. 6. 5. Rev. 2. 14 16 20. Object 1. Answ 1. Cor. 6. 1 7. Theophylact. ad Matth. 18. Chrysost in Matth. Hom. 62. Jansen Harm Evang. cap. 72. John 6. 59 60. Talmidim linguâ— Hebraeâ iidem sunt qui linguâ Graecâ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 auditores Gratian. Decret part 2. c. 2. qu. 1. c. 1 2 3 4 19. Beza Annot. in Matth. 18. 16. Matth. 3. 6. 9. 2. 12. 31. 26. 28. Robins Against Bern. pag. 180. 1. Sam. 19. 4. Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 42. 22. Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arâ—b Erpen Nè peccetis Gen. 37. 21 22. 1. Kings 8. 31. Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jer. 37. 18 Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 17. 3 4. Matth. 18 21. Rivet Orthodox tract 1. qu. 8. pag. 126. Eccl. 7. 20 21 22. Pol. Lyser Harm Evang. cap. 92. Beza De presbyt pag. 46. Gal. 6. 1. Lev. 19. 17. Bellarm. De verbo Dei l. 3. cap. 5. Robins Treat pag. 189. Lev. 19. 17. Deut. 17. 12. Numb 15. 30 32 34 36. Isa 57. 2. Ezek. 34. 3. Zech. 11. 17. John 10. 10 21. Matth. 15. 5. 16. 6. 26. 65. 1. Cor. 3. 10. 2. Cor. 11. 13. Gal. 1. 6. Apoc. 2. 20. 3. 15. 2. 14. 3. 1. 1. Cor. 1. 11. 1. Cor. 5. 1 2. Lev. 7. 20. 22. 2 3. Num. 19. 13 20. 2. Chron. 23. 19 Lev. 4. 2 13 22 27. 5. 4 17. Num. 15. 22 23 24. Psal 50. 13 14 15 16. Isa 1. 15 21 22 23. Psal 51. 18 19. Hos 6. 6. Amos 5. 22. Gen. 17 14. Num. 15. 30. 19. 13. Object 2. Robins Against Bern. pag. 247 248. Answ If my brother sin a scandalous sin and I by just order make complaint thereof to the church I have done my duty It apperteineth to the church to excommunicate him if he repent not but not to me except Pope-like I would make my self the church I am guilty of the evil in the common-wealth and family for the redressing whereof I do not my duty in my place which if I do in the church as I can I am free from the sinnes done and suffered thee which sinnes and evils I can no more be said to suffer wanting power to reform them they to suffer it to blow or rain because I hinder it not Robins Treat pag. 18. Object 3. Hos 2. 1 2. Answ We are sure they called the people out of the church of Israel when it was idolatrous and forbad them to come at their assemblies Hos 2. 2. 314. and 4. 15 17. Amos 5. 5. Ainsw Consid exam pag. 8. Power authority differ as potentia potestas In Christo fuit potestâ—s excellentiae quam tamen non tel quit in ecclesia Harm Cons Helvet cap. 18. Nunc est potestas absoluta quae Juris dicitur Joan. de Paris cap. 10. De potest Act. 1. 17. 1. Tim. 3. 1. Matth. 20. 26 27 28. Acts 20. 24. Papa non est Dominus spiritualium sed minister tantum Joan. de Paris De potest cap. 20. 2. Cor. 1. 21. 2. Cor. 10. 4. Isa 11. 4. John 3. 5 6. Acts 2. 38. 24. 25. 26. 28. Argum. 1. John 3. 23. Hebr. 5. 4. Matth. 28. 19 20. Rev. 13. 13. Isa 62. 11. Col. 2. 10. Ephes 4. 7. Psal 2. 6. Hebr. 5. 5. Revel 1. 1. Psal 45. 1. Ephes 4. 11 12. Matth. 28. 19 20. John 20. 21 22 and 21. 15 16. Matth. 28. 19 20 and 18. 17 18. John 20. 21 22. Gal. 1. 1. Bellarm. De Pontis Rem l. 4. cap. 23. Act. 20. 28. Ames tom 1. Bellarm. enervat cap. 3. cap. 8. §. 14. Th. Aquin. 1. dist 12. qu. 1. a. 3. Contra Gentes l. 3. cap. 70. Bellarm. De Pont. Rom. lib. 2. cap. 17. §. Observandum est Ephes 4. 8 11. 1. Cor. 12. 28. verse 29. Tit. 1. 7. Matth. 24 41. Matth. 9. 38. 1. Cor. 12. 5. 2. Cor. 5. 20. 1. Thess 5. 12. Phil. 1. 1. 2. Cor. 6. 4. Rom. 1. 1. 2. Cor. 4. 5. Col. 1. 24 25. Ezek. 34 6 8 31. 1 Cor. 4. 1. Heb. 3. 5 6. Gal. 6. 10. 1. Pet. 2. 5. All the faithfull are the Lords servants but ministers are his servants in office afâ—er a speciall manner Object 1. Gratiam Docret dist 79. can 8. Quem universitatis consensus â—legerit â—r de Zabar Carâ— Florent tract De schism Nomine universitatis debet intelligi universitas totius Christianitatis Answ Chamier tom 2. lib. 11. cap. 19. §. 11. Object 2. Matth. 16. 17. Robins Against Bern. pag. 149 150. Idem pag. 150. Answ Isa 22. 23 24. The office of teaching is laid upon some few chosen and ordained thereunto Into this office may no man intrude nor usurp it without a lawfull calling Ainsw M r Bern. reas dispr 176. Object 3. Answ 1. Cor. 3. 22. 4. 1. 1. Tim. 3. 15. 1. Cor. 12. 7. 1. Cor. 3. 12. 1. Tim. 3. 15. 1. Cor. 4. 1. Object 4. Robins Against Bern. Pag. 226 133. Idem pag. 217. Answ Matth 28. 19. Ephes 4. 11. Object 5. Robins Against Bern. pag. 131. Answ John 1 12. Rom. 8 32. Isa 9. 6. John 15. 1 5. Ephes 1. 22 23. 4. 15 16. 5. 2 3. Ephes 5. 25 29 30. Revel 21. 2. Matth. 28. 19 20. Object 6. Robins Against Bern. Pag. â—23 133. Answ 2. Cor. 4. 5. Argum. 2. Object 1. 2. Cor. 4. 5. Robins Against Bern. pag. 215. Idem pag. 214. Answ 1. Pet. 5. 4. Matth. 12. 8. Mark 2. 27 28. Chemn Harm cap. 48. Pisc in Matth. 12. 8. Schol. Beza Annot. in Marc. 2. 2â— Object 2. Answ Parabola analogia non oportâ—t nec potest per omnia esse similis alias non jam parabola sed ipsa eadem res esset Th. Aquin. 3. part qu. 8. Object 3. Robins Against Bern. pag. 170. Idem pag. 227. Idem