of these two extreams which disownes visible grace and holiness to be required in persons in order to visible membership or Church-state I shall say no more to that point it being already so largely spoken unto and fully cleared by several of the congregational way and especially that late eminent discoverer of the ancient and infallible bounds of Gods true Church Mr Jo. Cotton in that little Treatise of his besides several others intituled The holiness of Church members for I am far from pressing an unity of Church-state with any that make not visible Grace and holiness the main mark of visible Faith and Church-membership but what union is to be desired and endeavoured with the godly of that judgement I shall give my opinion in its place and shall now chiefly insist upon the second general Position That all true beleevers congregated together and separated from the world and mixt worship to serve the Lord in the beauty of holiness ought to own and esteem one another as true Churches and Saints giving the right hand of fellowship to one another and walking together as children of the same Father Jo. 11.52 Members of the same body Rom. 12.4 5. sheep of the same fold Jo. 10.16 in observance of all those joynt duties required by the Lord at their hands without dividing rending or separating from one another Object The Terms of your Position so generally stated may admit of several constructions and thereby give little light to the cases in controversie though you should prove it if not more particularly explained Answ I shall have occasion to explain the terms in answer to several objections that will arise in the ensuing discourse and therefore for brevitie sake shall pass them by here and shall next proceed to the several sorts of Arguments to prove the Position with Arguments I shall chiefly draw from these seven general heads following First From the visible choice and approbation of God the Father proving that such as the Father hath visibly manifested his choice and approbation of to be his children beleevers ought to chuse and approve of to be their brethren Secondly From the visible choice and approbation of God the Son proving that such as the Lord Jesus Christ hath manifested his choice and approbation of to be members of his visible body and Church on earth all his ought to make choice and approve of to be fellow members with him of the same body Third From the evident choice and approbation of God the holy Ghost proving that such as the spirit hath manifested its visible choice of by the holy inspiration of its quickening and sanctifying Grace beleevers ought to make choice and approve of as such who have an equal right with them to a mutual participation in the priviledges gifts and comforts of the same spirit Fourthly From the choice and approbation of the infallible servants of God his holy Prophets and Apostles c. in all ages proving that such as the infallible servants of God in all ages of his Church have made choice of and approved to be their brethren in the Lord and fellow-members with themselves in Gods visible Church ought to be so approved of and chosen by all his servants to the end of the world Fifthly From the several Similes and Metaphors the Church of God is compared unto in the Scriptures whereby their mutual interest in an union with one another is held forth from thence proving that what unity is required and interest is given to members of the same body branches of the same root sheep of the same fold and under the same Shepherd children of the same Father and fellow-heirs of the same inheritance c. that the same interest is given unto and union required in the several members of Gods Church which is so fitly compared thereto and lively set out thereby Sixthly From the evident sad consequences that attend the Church and people of God though their dividings and separatings from one another and uniting together upon other principles then this of visible grace arguing from thence that such principles and practices as open the door and let in upon the Church of God such destructive uncomfortable consequences should be of all evils laboured against and avoided Seventhly From the evident and unspeakable good both to the outward and inward man the union of Gods Church upon such Gospel lasting principles would be attended with arguing from thence that since the unity of Gods Church upon such a binding and abiding principle as this of visible grace would so exceedingly tend to the unvaluable good thereof it ought to be sought after and prayed for above all things by every true member thereof next to an interest in Christ and visible grace it self Now from the first head viz the visible choice and approbation of God the Father I argue 1. Those whom the Father hath manifested his visible choice and approbation of to be his children 2. Beleevers ought to manifest their choice and approbation of to be their brethren But the Father hath manifested his choice and approbation of all visible beleevers and grations holy persons to be his children Therefore ought Beleevers to choose and approve of such to be their Brethren 1. The Major or first Proposition is evident from the very light of nature and reason yet since prejudice against truth doth ofttimes put out all light I shall add the light of some Scriptures to the clearing up this truth And first that of our Saviour in Matth. 23. verse 8. compared with the 9th Saith the word in verse 8. All ye are Brethren which he proves in verse 9. For one is your Father which is in Heaven and so Heb. 2.11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one for which cause he is not ashamed to call them Brethen from which Scripture I gather that the Lord Jesus Christ was not ashamed to own all Saints for Brethren though they were attended with abundance of imperfection and uncomliness unsutatable to his most holy nature and course of life because himself as head and they as members were all of one Father that since his Father was not ashamed to own them all as Sons verse 10. therefore he was not ashamed to own then all as Brethren verse 11. Now it is a sad thing that fellow Brethren who are all subject to like infirmities Jam. 5.17 who do all see but in part and know but in part 1. Cor. 13.9 10 11. should be more high-minded in this case and sooner ashamed of their Brethren upon the account of their infirmities and weakness then their elder Brother who was free from all imperfections and stood in no need of their bearing with him he bore all their sins not onely in the punishment but in the shame of them Heb. 12.2 thereby setting them a pattern to bear the shame of each others infirmities for so argues Paul Rom. 15.1 2 3. We then that are strong ought to bear
the infirmities of the weak and not to please our selves for even Christ pleased not himself but as it is written The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell upon me and that this is not onely a duty but a special duty to all Saints See further Eph. 4.6 1 John 1.3 and 2 13. Mal. 2.10 John 4.21 23. John 6.45 2. For the Minor or second Proposition none can deny that doth not deny the Scripture consider the first Epistle of Iohn 3.1 2. compared with verse 10. Galat. 3.26 27. Isaiah 62.12 Deut. 28.9 Isa 13.3 Act. 20.32 with a multitude of other places it is hard to read a Chapter that affords no evidence to this truth So that I conclude this Argument in every part of it fully cleared I might draw from this head many more Arguments of equal strength as from the Fathers visible Covenant with special promises unto the Saints positive precepts for this union of Saints upon the principle of visible grace c. But I shall leave them to the Readers meditation to enlarge and come to the second head 2. The visible choice and approbation with the personal qualification of God the Son who as he hath set himself a patern of all grace to his people so in an especial manner of this glorious state of Gospel union he became a perfect pattern of holy union by uniting the humane and divine nature in his own person God and Christ and Saints must all be made one in in the mystical union Jo. 17.21 22. which though it cannot be perfected until the state of glory yet it is to be begun imitated and prest after in the state of Grace And therefore God the Father would have but one Son to be his dearly beloved Son Mark 1.11 Luke 7.37 he must have no equal Col. 1.18 nor no partner nor help in his work Isaiah 63.3.5 He must tread the wine-press alone of the people there must be none with him And so Saints must have but one Saviour Acts 4.12 one Redeemer Revel 5.9 one Mediator 1 Tim. 2.5 one Head Ephes 1.22 one Husband 1 Corinth 11.2 one Chief Shepherd John 10.16 one Captain of their Salvation Heb. 2.10 all which lively holds forth to us the unity of Saints and in him alone Christ must not be divided 1. Corinth 1.13 neither in his headship nor in his members but they must grow up into him in all things which is the Head even Christ from whom the whole Body fitly joyned together and compacted by that which every joynt supplyeth according to the effectual working in measure of every part maketh increase of the body to the edifying it self in love Ephes 4.15 16. From whence we may observe what a perfect pattern of union the Lord Jesus Christ is both Head and Body as if not onely the Glory but the very Essence of heavenly things depended on unity And so the main design of Christ in his assuming our nature and doing and suffering all for us was chiefly a work of union and reconciliation Col. 1.20 to reconcile God and man 2 Cor. 5.20 to break down partition walls betwixt Jew and Gentile bond and free Ephes 2.14 16. that in the dispensation of the fulness of time he might gather together in one all things in Christ both which are in heaven and which are on earth even in him Ephes 1.10 And so we finde him in the whole course of his ministry walking by principles of union commanding those duties and commending those Graces most which were the uniting Duties and Graces The first Gospel that was preached on earth was in these words Glory to God in the highest and on earth Peace and good will towards men Luke 2.14 himself is called the Prince of Peace Isa 9.6 7. Heb. 7.2 His Gospel is called the Gospel of Peace Rom. 10.15 Ephes 5.16 his people are called the Sons of Peace Luke 10.6 his wayes are called the wayes of Peace Luke 1.79 And as Peace so Love is held forth in the Gospel of Christ as a Cardinal Grace A new commandment give I unto you that ye Love one another as I have loved you John 13.34 And so we might proceed to the Graces of Humility Meekness Patience Mercifulness c. which are all uniting Graces and by our Lord commended unto us above all Graces they are conditional Graces unto which promises are annexed above all things saith the Apostle put on Charity in the discription of which Grace all these are contained 1 Cor. 13. from all which and indeed from the whole scope and tendency of the Scripture I argue That the duty which is most lively held out unto us by our Paterne and required of us by our Lawgiver the Lord Jesus Christ should be most upon our hearts to imitate and obey him in But the Duty of uniting the Saints to one another next to that of uniting them to himself was the greatest duty held forth by our Lord and Master to us and required by him of us therefor the unity of Saints with one another ought to be most upon our hearts next unto their union with Christ Object But say some we do admit all Christs Members ought to be united together in his worship but the doubt lies who we should own as his members Answ Those whom the Lord Jesus Christ owns as Members of his visible body here on earth ought all to own one another as members of the same body But the Lord Jesus Christ owns all true Beleevers or visible gracious persons to be members of his visible body on earth Ergo All such ought so to own one another 2. Answ Those for whom Christ prayed to the Father that they all might be One as he and the Father were One John 17.11 ought to walk in union one with another But it was for all the Father had then visibly given him verses 6 7 8 9 10 11 12. And that should afterward be converted by their doctrine verses 20 21. for whom he prayed Ergo all such ought to walk together in union We might draw arguments of union from all the Metaphorical relations the Scripture holds forth Christ to stand in to his People as an head Col. 1.18 an husband Isai 54.5 A King Revel 15.3 a Shepheard Psal 23.1 a Root Rom. 11.17 18. the very essence of which relations consists in union and the main end of them in Scripture is to hold forth the necessariness of union in the Church and People of God hut I shall speak to them under another head Arg. 3. From the visible choice and approbation of God the holy Ghost The Spirit of God though it fill all things Eph. 4.10 yet is but one Spirit verses 3 4. the same spirit that fills Christ the head with all fulness Col. 1.19 and 2.9 fills all his members out of the same fulness Eph. 1.23 They all receive out of his fulness grace for grace John 1.16 And as the Spirit of God that fills whole Christ head and members is
Notions of carnall liberty which the Apostle calls perverse disputings of men of Corrupt minds destitute of the truth 1 Tim. 6.5 and doating about questions and strife of words whereof cometh envy Strife raylings evill surmizings vers 4. which he again presseth them to avoid as prophane vaine bablings vers 20th Now from such the Word of God is clear though they walk with never such a shew of holiness and profession of spiritualness they ought to be avoyed and withdraw from as ungodly persons 3. Third sort of persons I judge Churches and Saints ought to separate and withdraw from are persons so corrupt in Judgement and tainted with such gross impious Errours in opinions as are evidently inconsistent with true grace such was Hymeneus Alexander and Philetus mentioned 1 Tim. 1.2 compared with 2 Tim. 2.17 who had made Shipwrack of faith and a good conscience such doth the Apostle mean by an Heretick Titus 3.10 Such opinions the Apostle cals the Error of the wicked 2 Pet. 3.17 which implies more then a wicked Errour which a holy Christian through weakness or temptation may be drawn into as Peter and Barnabas was Gal. 2.11 12 13 14. vers such are said to erre from the Faith 1 Tim. 6.10 which is more then to erre in the Faith for those Errours were contrary to the graces of Righteousness Godliness Faith Love Patience Meekness c. which the Apostle in the next verse exhorts Timothy to follow in his flight from the foresaid Errours Such are said to erre from the truth James 5. 19. viz. the Body and substance of saving truth for he that converts such a sinner from the errour of his way shall save a Soul from death and shall hide a multitude of sins vers 20. which clearly implyes the erring from the truth in that peace is meant such an erring as putts the Erroneous person out of a saveable state they are said to live in Error 1 Pet. 2.18 which is more then to have Error live in them In which Chapter he fully describes what sort of erroneous persons he there means from the tenth verse to the end John calls it the Spirit of Error 1 John 4.6 by which he means more then an errring spirit Jude calls such sensual separatists Jude 19. such as had no appearance of the grace of God in them but were ungodly men turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness and denying the onely Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ the whole Epistle is spent to describe those sort of Separatists now from such sort of Erroneous persons as these are mentioned and fully described least we should mistake doubtless the Church of God and Saints ought to separate from and reject 4. The fourth sort of Erroneous persons which I judge holy Churches and Saints ought to separate from are such as err in fundamentals or foundation points of Religion holding opinions that lay the Ax to the Root of the Tree of Life Now as these sorts of Errors are most dangerous to be permitted so they are most difficult to single out for though it be a thing out of doubt that there are foundation Doctrines which the Church of God ought to prefer in order to its Beeing before its Peace and Vnity yet it remains very doubtfull whether several of those precious and substantial truths that are highly to be prized and much contended for and are by several godly and sound Christians esteemed foundation points be so or no that is so to be esteemed foundations as the persons not beleeving them or holding Error contrary to them and are otherwise in the main gratious be thereby made incommunicable But as in the former cases so in this I shall decline coming to particulars as a work above my capacity and shal onely tender my thoughts in some few general Rules and so leave it to them who are more able to add 1. First I judge that Errors against the foundation points of Religion must be of such a nature and tendency as do strike at the very root of Saving-Grace and tend to unstate the the person holding them from a possibility of Salvation he living and dying therein for so Paul argues 1 Cor. 15.14 concerning the resurrection of the dead If Christ be not risen then is our preaching Vain and our faith is also Vain And also verse 17.18 And if Christ be not raised your Faith is Vain ye are yet in your Sins Then they also that are fallen asleep in Christ are perished 2. I judge they must be Errors contrary to the general tendency and scope of Scripture and to the Doctrines of Salvation plainly and evidently therein exprest which all true Beleevers concur and agree in And therefore saith the Apostle if our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost 2 Cor. 3.3 and so chapter 11.3 But I fear lest by any means as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty so your mindes should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ For if he that cometh preacheth Another Jesus whom we have not preached or if ye receive Another Spirit which ye have not received or Another Gospel which ye have not excepted c. ye might well bear with him And so Gal. 1.6 7 8. I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that hath called you into the grace of Christ unto Another Gospel Which is not Another but there be some which trouble you and would pervert the Gospel of Christ But though we or an Angel from Heaven preach another Gospel unto you then that which we have preached let him be accursed Now it is evident that that bringing in another Gospel was a joyning Circumcision and the works of the Law with Faith in Christ in Justification contrary to the very Essence of Gospel Faith as they held it Object Why how did they hold it did not you before number this among one of the Errors Paul permitted in the Church of Rome c. and prest the Church to union without separating from it Answ They held it rigidly imposing it upon others as of necessity to Salvation chap. 2.14 and 6.12 For where the same Error was held more moderately as we observe before in the Church of Rome and Corinth c. the Apostles deals milder with it there he saith Circumcision is nothing nor uncircumcision is nothing 1 Cor. 7.19 Is any man called being circumcised let him not be uncircumcised verse 8. But when they come to hold it imposingly and positively as in this verse he then changeth his voice then O foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that ye should not obey the truth c. Chap. 3.1 2 3 4. then Behold I Paul say unto you that if ye be circumcised Christ shall Profit you Nothing For I testifie again to Every Man that is circumcised Christ is become of None Effect unto you Chap. 5.2 3 4. So that the manner of holding an Error alters the case of its fundamentalness much It was Peters
whence they are hewn and the hole of the pitt whence they are digged they would be less in offensive termes and scornefull carriages towards poore carnal professors they would rather say as Paul argues 1 Cor. 4.7 who maketh us to differ from others what have we that we did not receive Unto whom I shall conclude with Pauls reply Now if you did receive it why doe ye glory as if you had not received it I might multiply many more Answers to Objections that may lie in the way of this duty of making beginnings in this blessed worke but I hope the prosperous success of some whose hearts the Lord shall engage in the practice hereof will be more convincing arguments to prove that gracious holy persons of different judgments may comfortably walke together in Gospel fellowship edifying each other in their most holy faith without being offensive or grievous one to another in their different mindes then I am able to adde and therefore I shall conclude what I have to say to Gospell Ministers as to their propagating this pretious truth with this one direction 4. If providence hath placed your present residence amongst a people so frowardly bent to dividing principles and practices that the labouring to promote this Gospel union might be so ill resented by them as might render your present ministration unacceptable and thereby unsuccesfull amongst them that you have cause to take up Davids complaint Psal 120.7 I am for peace but when I speak they are for warre Then it is my opinion you ought to suspend earnest pressing the practice of this Gospel union and say as the Lord did Iohn 16.12 I have yet many things to say but you cannot beare them now But yet not to close with such in their rigid dividing principles as Peter and Barnabas did Gal. 2.12 13. but to be daily labouring to remove them for take but away the rubbish and dross of Christians principles and spirits and then like hewn stones they will unite of themselves 1. By the rubbish and dross of their spirits that hinders union I meane those sinful distempers of spirit that are contrary to the uniting graces before mentioned as Pride and Passion selfe conceit Envy Hatred Emulations and the like for if these were once removed and the opposite graces strengthned inclinations to union would become as natural to them as now inclinations to division are for remove but the cause and the effect ceaseth and if you should convince them of the evill of their dividing principles before their dividing spirits were subdued they would be no more capable to practice this Gospel union then a drunken man would be capable to goe without staggering and therefore if nothing else can be done towards this worke be preparing the spirits of Gods people with uniting graces 2. By the rubbish or dividingness of their principles I meane such notions and tenents as naturally tend to division which Christians of most perswasions have received by tradition from their fathers as I may say that because former good men of the same opinion with them and the people all along professing the same way with them have so done therefore they conceive they must do so too of which sort of dividing principles are 1. A confining their Christian relation affection and duty within the limits of their own judgements allowing God to have no visible Church nor judging themselves to owe any special duty to Christians as Brethren beyond their own rule of fellowship which principle is usually the nurse if not the mother of these following practices From hence proceed all those scruples which hinder Saints from a free participation of each others gifts and graces on the one hand such as are rigid against Separation will neither hear nor joyn with any but such as are of their own Principles they will either have Objections against their Call and Ordination or otherwise against their judgement and qualifications and thereby oft deprive themselves of a soul-searching powerful instruction and stand picking the bones of a dry sapless Historica Discourse set off with the trimming of some humane excellency that the other might want more minding what the dish is the Lord presents the Bread of life to them in then the purity and spiritualness of the Bread it self when the Lord doth usually put this treasure of his graces and spiritual gifts into earthen vessels that the glory might be of God and not of man 2 Cor. 4.7 He oft times hides these things from the wise and prudent when he reveals them to babes and sucklings Mat. 11.25 I having observed some whom I judge godly to rigid upon this hand that they have rather chose to hear where the Speaker hath been a visible ungracious person or stay at home then to attend a powerful heart-searching Godly Preacher contrary-minded in some things to them And on the other hand many poor Christians do run into the like extream for as the former makes humane defects the Rule of Rejection they go neer to make them the Rule of Election and so by both the true Rule of gracious qualifications and spiritual gifts where-ever found are declined and set light by and put in competition with every circumstantial thing whereas if Christians would make that which tends most to answer the ends of hearing viz. the nourishment edification and comfort of their souls the rule of hearing these things would not be and nothing would more tend to further the Saints union then the removal of these hinderances in their providential Communion in things wherein they are agreed for if gracious persons different-minded did but sometimes meet to pour out their Souls to the Lord together in prayer for their joynt concernments and to taste the preciousness of each others experiences and graces by a mutuall communication of spiritual gifts it would much tend to remove uncharitable jealousies and endear their hearts one to another that was the Argument Peter used to convince the unbeleeving Jews that the Gentiles were pertakers with them of the same grace Acts 11.17 Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gifts as he did unto us who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ what was I that I could withstand God unto which Reason they assented v. 18. When they heard these things they held their peace and glorified God saying Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life From which Scripture you may clearly gather that it was both Peters and the believing Jews opinion that such ought to own and esteem each other as fellow-brethren in the Gospel of Christ whom God had granted the same precious gifts and graces unto And I may say it is impossible for Christians ever to come to an union in things wherein they differ until they come to a Communion in things wherein they agree for while Christians be at the utmost distance one from another they can never come to acknowledge of any thing that is obliging or uniting for we may