graces of the Gospel shining in them This counsell unto them hee edgeth with the Summary of his own doings and sufferings for them Then hee renues his importunity with profession of great affection unto them and with expectation of the like from them ver. 11 12 13. using this as an ingaging insinuation And so in the following verses the better to advance his Gospel designe that they may with improvement intertaine the Grace of God hee puts in caveats by way of dehortation against communion with the ungodly in their sinfull wayes and this by severall arguments 1. One drawn from the imparity that is betwixt Saints and unbeleevers ver. 14. Bee not unequally yoked How unmeet a match is it for you Corinthians to bee yoked with such you cannot well draw together in Gospel wayes 2. Another from the high autipathy and invincible contrarietie that is betwixt them ver. 14 15. What concord you may as well reconcile light and darknesse Christ and Beliall as Beleevers and Infidels 3. The last from the rich advantage they have by their interest in such precious priviledges and promises ver. 16. That hee may make them perfect Separatists from evill and the more prevailingly perswade them to walk with God as becommeth Saints you shall finde in these words two generall things to that purpose First A serious Adhortation to make a full Separation from unclean persons and things ver. 17. and this as a conclusion out of the foregoing premises intimated in that particle of illation wherefore This {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} this wherefore carries an ingagement with it Wherefore come out from among them and bee yee separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing Secondly A quickning incouragement to act it ver. 17 18. And I will receive you and will bee a Father unto 〈◊〉 and yee shall bee my Sonnes and Daughters saith the Lord Almighty The Spirit of God knew wee need strong arguments to dis-ingage us from our Belived evils Nothing below God himselfe can bee a prevailing attractive his love and favour is the best loadstone to draw us from sin to himselfe This Adhortation of the Apostle ver. 17. is expressed almost in the words of the Lord by his Prophet Isaiah Chap. 52. 11. Depart yee depart yee goe yee out from thence touch no uncleane thing goe yee out of the middest of her bee yee clean Thus our Translators following the Hebrew wherein likewise they have Hierome going before them render the words Indeed the Seventy Interpreters in their Greek Translation make here some difference The word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which Hierome renders mundamini and our Translators bee yee cleane they read it {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} bee yee separate This Paul makes use of by his Apostolicall Authority though it seeme not every way so answerable to the Hebrew I confesse many have been puzzled about some places of Scripture quoted out of the Old Testament in the New as in Hebr. 2. 13. c. partly because our narrow mindes are not able to comprehend the whole wisedome of the Spirit of God therein as in Hebr. 5. 5. c. partly because wee doe not observe that Liberty which the Holy Ghost useth many times to follow the sense rather then the words as in 1 Cor. 2. 9. c. partly because wee doe not consider that in citing some places out of the Old Testament the Originall is not alwayes exactly followed but sometimes the Septuagint even where that differs somewhat from the Hebrew Text This appeares if you compare Act. 8. 33. with Isai. 53. 8. and also in divers other places The Greek Translation of the Old Testament was then most common and amongst them then best understood and when the Apostles made use of it if they did not finde it yet possibly they might make it Scripture they being guided by the Spirit of God infallibly what they revealed as the mind of God to the Churches in what words so ever it was Canonicall Therefore bee not offended at any little variation here when you compare the words of the Apostle Paul and of the Prophet Isaiah Onely for your better direction herein bee pleased to remember that whereas the Prophet Isa. 52. 11. exhorted the remnant of Israel that they would come fully out of unclean Babylon the Apostle here applies it to Christians to the Saints at Corinth perswading them so farre to renounce communion with the wicked that they bee not polluted by them Herein they were to take three steppes wherein you are to follow them First Come out from amongst them Sometimes even locally by a personall withdrawing of your selves The pollutions may grow so generall that you cannot dwell amongst them without infection from them You may heare a voyce from Heaven calling the people of God out of Babylon Rev. 18. 4. when ever Rome becomes a Sodome for filthy uncleannesse an Aegypt for cruell bondage and a Babylon for Idolatry and other great abominations it is high time for the Saints to leave it Secondly Bee yee Separate if you doe not alwayes bodily and locally renounce the society of all wicked men yet evermore spiritually bee yee separate from them expresse your dislike of their wicked courses bearing witnesse against them Possibly your Callings and Relations may oblige you to civill converse with them yet whilst you are constrained to stay amongst them thinke affect speak act as men of another spirit maintaining an holy separation from their impurity Thirdly Touch not the unclean thing Here the Apostle bespeaks a more ful renouncing of fellowship with al uncleannesse Moses Law provided against unclean touches under the Gospel Saints should bee as carefull Hee doth not only say beware lest you wallow in filthinesse not onely forbid them to act that which is evill but dischargeth them from touching the unclean thing Suffer not your spirits and consciences to bee defiled in any degree no not with the least touch of wickednesse by any voluntary compliance with it The incouragement backs the Adhortation And I will receive you and will bee a Father c. That you may bee willing to act the Adhortation separating your selves from all uncleannesse you may finde here almost as many incouraging arguments as words First God promises receptionem I will receive you As if the Lord should say when I have called you out from amongst the wicked and discharged you from fellowship with the uncleane you must make account as you separate from them they will with scoffes scornes and persecutions disclaime you when Saul was become a Paul there was a change in his old friends as well as in him his former Patrons became his bitter persecutors the more zealous hee grew for his God the more violently did they oppose him In such a case the Lord would have all Proselytes know they shall exchange with advantage suppose by
renouncing fellowship with their wickednesse you lose their personall favours yet bee not discouraged I will own you when they throw you off I will receive you into my spirituall and eternall House You shall have communion with mee in my Church on Earth and bee made everlastingly happy by the injoyment of mee in Heaven Secondly God promises adoptionem I will receive them as a Father doth his children They shall have not onely house-roome but also heart-roome I will receive you not onely into my house but into my favour Under the sweet relation of a Father as beloved Sonnes and Daughters I will entertain you I will expresse the affection of a Father and you shall injoy the priviledges of children The Lord Almighty will performe this His love as a Father will ingage his power his power as Almighty will secure and advance his love Here is the Saints Incouragement to a right Separation These two generals will commend to your consciences and considerations two suitable Observations God expects the Saints should make a Separation from uncleannesse It is a great peece of the Devils policy agere {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} as much as hee can at least to pretend an imitation of the wise God in his actions Hereupon as the Lord hath communicated himselfe to his people by a Covenant which hee publisheth by his Ministerâ— and confirmes by his Sacraments So the devill by way of resemblance conveyes himselfe by compacts by sorceries by charmes And likewise as the Spirit of God gaines much upon us by names inviting us to Piety under the name of wisdome deterring us from sinne by calling it folly In the same method Satan indevours to ingage some in wayes of intemperance under the title of good-fellowship others in the wayes of covetousnesse calling it good-husbandry And withall often times doth hee most industriously practice to discourage us from that which hee knowes to bee good by branding it with some bad name Hence evermore the best Persons and things have been reproached with the worst names Even the sweet and precious name of Christian given to the Disciples at Antioch was soon stained by blasphemous wits and tongues By the Jewes they were in contempt called Nazarites by Julian scornfully termed Galileans by Vlpian under Severus Impostors by Demetrian whom Cyprian confuted procurers of all the Plagues of God that came upon the world This afterwards proved to bee the portion of the Waldenses in the Lateran Councell to bee condemned as Catharists Publicans c. They did indeed discover the Prelates and Briests amongst the Papists to bee the grand Soule-deceivers Deeeptores animarum Diaboli laqueos Hereupon the Popish Clergie conceived themselves concerned how to render them odious to the world under the most ignominious names The Saints in this Church have found the same designe practiced against them in these later times Though the Scripture commands purity and so highly commends it that our Saviour makes it one of the Beatitudes Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God yet under the nick-name of Puritans the most gracious Christians have been not a little disparaged At first indeed there were Ceremoniall Puritans onely so they were traduced who would not comply heartily with Prelaticall Ceremonies Then afterwards the iniquity of our times rose to this height that any Ministers Orthodox in Judgement and conscientious in practice were opposed as Doctrinall and morall Puritans And at last such Nobles and Gentry who had but good State-principles and were faithfull to the publick were cryed down as State-puritans and accounted 〈…〉 many the Troublers of this Israel The Devill and his agents are now acting the same part against the power of godlinesse though in another new dresse The beauty and purity of true Christianity is amongst many in England at this time clouded under the name of Separation as if the word Separate did alwayes carry a crime with it Wee doe not enough consider that there is a Right desirable inoffensive Separation unto which the Scripture directs Indeed because divers do runne into unhappy extremities of â—â—paration whom yet wee should pity and with meeknesse of wisdome seek to reduce because they seem to aime at purity therein hence it is grown so common to represent all such who conscientiously endevour to separate from sinne as guilty of a sinfull Separation not onely at Tables and Tavernes but even in Pulpits too often such as long to see purity and unity meet in the Churches of Christ are by some involved in a reproach full Separation yea our zealous Reformers are by intemperate tongues and pennes lashed as odious Separatists I hope therefore it will not bee thought unseasonable to presâ—â—â— to this Noble Auditory who have so farre ingaged themselves for a pure Reformation what that Right Separation is which is so much incouraged by God himselfe Two things I shall indevour by the helpe of Gods holy Spirit to discover First From what the Saints are to Separate Secondly Why they are to make such a Separation There is a fivefold Separation which the Lord who is glorious in holinesse challenges from all his Saints First The Saints must separate from all unclean courses They should all accept and act that counsell which Daniel gave Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 4. 27. Break off thy sinnes by righteousnesse It is not enough upon a day of Humiliation and now whilest God is breaking us by his Judgements to bee somewhat broken for our sinnes unlesse wee by Reformation break off from them They are not worthy the name of Saints who live in any grosse sinfull practices or allow themselves in any little ones Paul 2. 〈◊〉 1. calls for this improvement of these gracious promises that the Corintbians should bee cleansing themselves from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the feare of God They should not stint themselves with any degree of holinesse Gods owne purity being their Copy 1. Joh. 3. 3. but evermore bee purging out all defilements which fall either upon their bodies or upon their spirits Secondly The Saints must separate from unclean company What should Doves doe amongst Crowes when David did appeale to God Psal. 26. 4 5. in the integrity of his heart hee could mâ—ke this profession which would bee as comfortable to you as it was to him I have not sate with vaine persons neither will I goe in with dissemblers I have hated the congregation of evill doers and will not sit with the wicked Possibly your callings your relations may tye you to a frequent converse with some unclean persons which is a sad portion where ever it falls yet â—electively it is not agreeable to the spirit of a Saint to single out such as your Companions as your bosome friends as the people of your delight to make a league and combination with them Wise Solomon advises Prov. 22. 24 25. Make no friendship with an angry
Government owned Fourthly Another may now bee added The man of sin is revealed to bee amongst them 2 Thess. 2. which more fully warrants a departure from them who now so clearely appeare to bee the Anti-Christian-Church Especially seeing after much meanes used for their conviction they continue to reject and blaspheme the Truth of Christ As in Act. 13. 46. and 19. 9. Fifthly The Lord will have his Saints separate not onely from false Churches but also from fellomship in any thing that is uncleane even in the True Churches of Christ Admit a particular Church having many corruptions in it continue a True Church and so whilst Christ ownes it wee may owne it and some communion may bee maintained with it in that which is sound and good yet when you cannot live with them in externall communion unlesse you will hold fellowship with them in some sinnes as to approve some erroneous Doctrine or practice some superstitious worship If this Church will not allow you her Communion but upon such conditions in such a case the Church for requiring this condition is Schismaticall and not you from separating from it God will not allow you to do any evill though you might thereby enjoy the greatest good Rom. 3. 8. His Saints must rather forbeare the sweetnesse of fellowship with others in somewhat that is good then suffer themselves to bee unavoydably ingaged ingaged in doing or justifying any thing which is unclean and sinfull in the pure eyes of God Ephes. 5. 11. If they bee like to bee involved in defiling their consciences if in danger to bee compelled to blaspheme they should keepe themselves from sinne what ever they suffer better undergoe the greatest then commit the least evill by this Compasse the primitive Saints sailed Act. 8. 1. and 11. 19. Yet here remember Camerons distinction of a Schisme into Negative and Positive There may bee in the Church a negative Separation a personall forbearing of any thing which will undoubtedly pollute us when a positive Separation where there is not only a denying of communion with others but a sudden consociating of themselves into distinct bodies into little independent Corporations by themselves for the worship and service of God will not so easily as some imagine bee justifyed to hold consistency with that peace and order which is so desirable in the Churches of Christ But of this I shall speak more particularly in the Application Having shewed you from what you must separate with the severall steppes you are to take therein I will indevour fully to ingage you in that necessary worke by the cleere evidence of some arguments either couched in the bowels of the Text or borrowed from the neighbouring words They are these foure which will discover why the Saints should separate from uncleannesse First The Saints ought to proportion their carriage to their priviledges they are largely expressed ver. 16. all which bespeak a Separation from uncleannesse They are the Temple of the living God First they are new built by God himselfe Ephes. 2. 10. Secondly Set apart from profane uses for God Psal. 4. 3. Thirdly yea dedicated and consecrated unto him in a peculiar manner Titus 2. 14. Againe the Saints are the Temple of the living God therefore it is most incongruous for them to converse with dead and unclean company and to multiply dead and sinfull workes This is the argument which the Apostle Paul useth 1 Cor. 6. 19. why they should flye Fornication Know yee not that your body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost in you and by the same reason all other uncleannesse Gods Temple should have no cob-webhs no unswept corners in them Further God saith here ver. 16. I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will bee their God and they shall bee my people Here is an high degree of owning them and of greatest intimacy with them God is in the middest of his enemies as ruling them But hee is in his Saints as in his House as in his Temple which is for communion there hee dwels there hee walks there hee is pleased to communicate himselfe to them and heare them speak to him They have not onely his presence but also most sweet discoveries from him as in Joh. 14. 21. All which should hold them at a distance from sinne and all uncleannesse Secondly sin is in the nature of it of a polluting disposition Heb. 12. 15. One roote of bitternesse will defile many it staines all who doe not separate from it as being so directly contrary to the pure nature holy will blessed Image and glory of God Hence it is in Scripture frequently compared to the most loathsome things Sinners are Vipers Swine Dogges yea briars thornes c. Sinne is Drosse scumme rottennesse and the worst of diseases Leprosie Plague c. all which doe proclaime a separation It defiles the body and soule 2 Cor. 7. 1. It defiles the heart and conscience Tit. 1. 15. It puts mudde into the spring of all your actions which will make the streames very foule It defiles our best duties Prov. 15. 8. and it defiles our society 1 Cor. 15. 33. Whereas the more you separate from sinne unto God the more the soule is conformed to the pure law of God which is both our rule and beauty and the more it will bee transformed into Christ which is our glory Thirdly there is no possibility of reconciling Christ and sin therefore the Saints have great reason to fall out with sinne that so they may bee in some capacity of falling in with Christ They can expect no communion with him unlesse there bee a separation from sinne When once they have washed and made themselves clean put away the evill of their doings from before Gods eyes ceased to do evill Isa. 1. 16. then they are invited to a sweet familiarity with him ver. 18. Come now let us reason together Then and not till then they shall have communion with him to soule-saving purposes The same language James speaks Chap. 4. 8. Draw nigh to God and hee will draw nigh to you cleanse your hands you sinners and purifie your hearts you double minded You cannot meet and injoy fellowship with God but in paths of purity Jesus Christ would not ingage himselfe to sup with any of the Laodiceans till they had separated from their lukewarmenesse Rev. 3. 20. Here in vers. 14 15 16. the Spirit of God makes choyce of five emphaticall words in the Greeke and expresses it by way of interrogation which containes a vehement negation in it What fellowship what communion what concord what part what agreement have the Saints of God with uncleannesse As if Paul should have said five times over the Saints who are in Christ and have Christ in them must not cannot reconcile themselves to any compliance with sinne and sinners no more then reconcile Christ with Beliall Fourthly unlesse the Saints make a
separation from uncleannesse and fellowship with wicked men therein as they come to share in their sins so will they bee involved in their calamities If Israel had not separated themselves from Aegypt by the blood of the Paschall Lambe but had communicated with them in their Idolatry they might have felt the sword of the destroying Angell in their houses as well as the Aegyptians It did cost them very deare afterwards that they had such fellowship with Achans offence for his act they smarted indeed because Josh. 7. 1. The children of Israel committed a trespasse in the accursed thing they were not carefull to keepe themselves and one another from that evill as God had charged them Josh. 6. 18. It was a seasonable prayer of that man of God Lord deliver mee from my other mens sinnes God knowes wee have personall finnes enow standing upon our score to undoe our soules eternally the greater reason have wee to renounce all communion with other mens uncleannesse Hence Paul calls upon the Saints in Ephesus Ephes. 5. 11 Have no fellowship with the unfruitfull workes of darknesse but reprove them rather make them not your sinnes by command counsell consent connivence nor any other way but rather beare witnesse against them at least by a checking silence if not by a seasonable speech by lookes by gestures by some rebuking actions if not by downe-right reproofes If you joyne hearts in sinning against God expect to goe hand in hand under punishments from him If God lookes that all his Saints should make such a separation as not to touch any uncleannesse then behold how much worke you have this day for deepe humiliation So farre are you from answering Gods expectation herein that many of you are drenched in great defilements and wallow in grosse impurity The Lord helpe you to behold it with weeping eyes over your selves and this unclean Nation May not the Lord send his Prophet to you as once hee did Ezekiel to Hierusalem Ezek. 22. 24. c. Son of man say unto her Thou art the Land that is not cleansed nor rained upon in the day of Indignation sometimes raine waters and makes a barren Land fruitfull sometimes there is a raine of righteousnesse which washeth away unrighteousnesse Hos. 10. 12. 25 There is a conspiracy of her Prophets in the midst thereof like a roaring Lyon ravening the prey They have devoured soules they have taken the Treasure and pretious things they have made her many Widowes in the midst thereof 26 Her Priests have violated my Law and have profaned my holy things they have put no difference between the holy and profane neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean and have hid their eyes from my Sabbaths and I am profaned among them 27 Her Princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey to shed blood and to destroy soules to get dis-honest gaine 28 And her Prophets have daubed them with untempered morter seeing vanity and divining lies unto them saying Thus saith the Lord God when the Lord hath not spoken 29 The people of the Land have used oppression and exercised robbery and have vexed the poore and needy yea they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully It concernes you wisely to consider that the complaint in the 30 verse bee not as justly taken up against you 30 And I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge and stand in the gap before mee for the Land that I should not destroy it but I found none What no mourners none that sigh and groan for Englands filthinesse then the sad portion in the 31 verse may prove yours 31 Therefore I have powred out my indignation upon them I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath their owne way have I recompensed upon their heads saith the Lord May you not heare God speaking to this polluted Kingdom as once to his Hierusalem Jer. 13. 27. I have seen thy adulteries and thy neighings the lewdnesse of thy whoredome and thine abominations on the hills in the field Woe unto thee O Jerusalem wilt thou not bee made clean when shall it once bee What not after so many yeeres purifying Sermons not after so many melting mercies which should have led thee to repentance not after so many purging judgements What not yet cleansed by all these rivers of teares upon so many praying dayes by all these streames of blood in so many cruell fights Oh when shall it once bee What England never cleansed from her old abominations Doubtlesse if wee still tread in Hierusalems steps wee must expect her cup of Trembling to bee put into our hands till wee bee utterly overturned Historians make a sad relation of the Desolation of Hierusalem twelve severall times the heavy judgements of God fell upon them as the wofull fruites of their abominations So as at last it became the Jews prison and then their grave and after an heape of carkasses then of stones Luk. 19. 41 42 43 44. I hope you will Right Honourable and Beloved seriously humble your selves before God this day for that you have in many things walked so unbecomming Saints Instead of Separating from all Impurity the All-seeing God knows you have contributed very much to make England more unclean First Every one of you hath an unclean spring within in your own corrupt natures which bubbles up daily in many impure thoughts desires c. Jer. 4. 14. O Jerusalem wash thine heart from wickednesse that thou mayest bee saved how long shall thy vaine thoughts lodge within thee And in Matth. 15. 19. 20. For out of the heart proceed evill thoughts murders adulteries fornications thefts false witnesse blasphemies these are the things which defile a man The heart is the Fountain which is full of filth many carnall principles sinfull inclination c. hence so many unclean streames in our polluting actions Secondly You defile both your selves and others by corrupt speeches and sinfull conversing together Ephes. 4. 29. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth but that which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister grace to the hearers Sometimes one rotten hearted person in a family like one rotten apple upon an heape corrupts many others they little know what it is to speak to edify profitably but rather at a Table in a with-drawing roome pull down that in one houres discourse which a faithfull Minister hath been building up by many Sermons ver. 30. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God such sinfull discoursing doth not onely sad the spirits of the Saints but even grieve the Spirit of God himselfe ver. 31. Let all bitternesse and wrath and angor and clamour and evills speaking bee put away from you with all malice One passionate word begets another and so you doe mutually helpe to defile one anothers soules Thirdly You adde much to the common pollution even by the iniquity of your
holy things If you please to consult with Exod. 28. 38. you shall finde there a course prescribed how Aaron was to beare the iniquity of the holy things among the children of Israel that they may bee accepted before the Lord Which cleerly intimates that there are not onely evill doings but also evill of our good doings there are Sermon sinnes Prayer sinnes Communion sinnes Humiliation sinnes many Sanctuary sins which doe defile both our spirits and performances and cast more mudde into Englands unclean streames whereby wee become more obnoxious to the displeasure of the Holy God Hence you may observe Ezek. 9. 6. God gave commission to the destroyers to begin at the Sanctuary For the most part pollution beginnes at the Sanctuary and there should they beginne destruction Fourthly Possibly besides all your owne personall sinnes whereby the Land is so much defiled you may by compliance owne them yea and helpe to make the Kingdome guilty of all the sinnes that are committed by any in the Kingdome Hereby you who are advanced to such authority in the State may make those sinnes which were too common before in some kind to become Nationall and leave a destructive guilt upon the Kingdome As Ministers by not reproving their flock so Magistrates by not punishing the offenders stâ—nd charged with their sinnes The Lord teach you wisely to consider how angry hee was with Eli for his connivence 1 Sam. 3. 13. God would ruine his house because his Sonnes made themselves vile and hee restrained them not It is high time to looke about you lest your indulgence to any other mens sinnes multiply so much uncleannesse as may both ruine your own-houses and hazzard the whole Kingdome If God expects his Saints should separate then give mee leave here to enter a Caveat against rash censuring and condemning of all Separation God himselfe by his Word and by his practice teacheth there may there must bee some Separation First in his owne eternall counsels hee makes a separation his electing love singles out some chusing them to grace and glory passing by others Secondly his Spirit in the Ministery of the Gospel makes a separation picking out here and there one drawing them to communion with Christ Thirdly when the Son of man shall come in his glory with all the holy Angels hee will separate the sheep from the goates the sheep on his right hand the goates on the left And here Paul invites you to a separation and therefore doubtlesse there is no reason you should bee offended at the Name or Thing when it is rightly stated and practised This I shall indevour to represent in these two following Conclusions There must bee no Separation made from fellowship with the Catholick Church Such a separation would rend the very body of Christ himselfe Hee is pleased to call the Church his body the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all Ephes. 1. 23. This would dis-joynt that sweet Harmony which is the beauty and strength of that body Ephes. 4. 16. The improvement of the Gospel is the advancing of Saints to this honour and happinesse Heb. 12. 22 23. But yee are come unto Mount Sion and unto the City of the living God c. To the Generall Assembly and Church of the first-borne In this your pilgrimage you must still bee comming to this Church but never separating from it because in comming hither you come to Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant ver. 24. You need not make a separation from a particular Church because there are some defects found in it If you are bound to separate because of defects to what particular Church will you associate which shall not bee defective Onely the Church Triumphant in Heaven is absolutely perfect weeds will incessantly bee springing up in all Gods Gardens here on earth This hath evermore been taken for granted amongst all sober spirits that imperfections doe not presently unchurch a True Church and so though they cry for a Reformation yet doe not warrant a Separation Quest But what if some wicked persons continue in Church Society doth not that give a just occasion of separation unto others Answ. Such Divines to whom God hath revealed much of his minde concerning Church-affaires give divers reasons why the tolerating of some wicked persons in a Church is not a sufficient ground for others to separate suddenly from it First because that tolerating may bee onely an errour or infirmity of the Church wherein you are to beare with it and not thereupon to separate from it Secondly Patience is to bee used towards a particular Brother when hee is overtaken Gal. 6. 1. Much more must you in such a case expresse it towards a Church Thirdly The suddain separating of the godly is not the best method to cure a sick Church but rather puts it into a more desperate condition c. Quest Doth not the fellowship of wicked persons in the Ordinances make them ineffectuall Answ. Their wickednesse may make the precious Ordinances of God ineffectuall to themselves yet not to such others whom the Lord invited and for whom he prepared these Gospel-dainties Will a loving Father deny his owne children their bread because some dogges creep under the Tables Indeed as in Hag. 2. 13. If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these shall it bee unclean And the Priests answered and said It shall bee unclean To whom was this uncleannesse contracted not to others but to themselves And hence 1 Cor. 11. 28. Let a man examine Himself and so let him eate Hee doth not say let him examine all others that come It is indeed a very desirable and beautifull thing which would much increase our Communion comforts to see none but Christs Members at his own Table Yet how can the very being of an ungodly person there enervate the power of the Ordinances unto thy soule It is most true A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump 1 Cor. 5. 6. That incestuous person and so others leaven a Church Physically not by their presence simply because they are there Then the being of an Hypocrite in Church fellowship however hee creep in would leaven all if bare presence did it But Morally by his Impurity hee being suffered without censure for so great an offence doth imbolden and harden others in sin whereby the whole Congregation might in time bee sowred with such leaven The presence of an unclean person cannot hurt you further then you make his uncleannesse yours by not doing your duty against it What though 1 Cor. 10. 17. they being many are one bread If an unclean unworthy person by creeping unto Gods Ordinances and enjoying communion with the Saints therein doe obtain this advantage so as by profession to seem one bread with them yet this doth not imply that the Saints are thereby made one with him in his wickednesse If an unclean person challenge more then belongs to him this doth not
to shake hands in lesser things harmoniously concurring in matters of Church-government The Devill hath a great plot a dangerous design upon us herein the Lord make us more vigilant against it when other attempts prosper not hee indevours by dividing our spirits to weaken our Counsels of Reformation hee knows how by the affixing of exasperating names Presbyterians Independents c. to blow the coale and inflame the differences in things Come into some companies you shall heare people talk themselves and one another into a passion against Independents others will draw as ugly a picture of Presbyterians and through both these names too many strike at the power of godlinesse yea and by the words heighten the differences themselves more then needs Whereas if there were such prudent love as the relation of Brethren bespeaks they might reason themselves into an hopefull agreement Presbyterians would appeare in so many things Independents and Independents in so many Presbyterian or rather Classicall Divines will bee so farre Congregationall and Congregationall ones so farre Classicall for indeed the word Independent seemes not so comely either for creatures or Churches the very law of Nature will not allow the same persons to bee parties and Judges without an appeale that both might bee much satisfyed The meeknesse of wisdome in much love studying the Word of God might possibly discover such a reconciling way wherein the Presbytery shall have so much power as will helpe to bound the Liberty of the People and withall the interest of the People bee maintained in such a manner as may best ballance the power of the Presbytery Whereas if the differences bee fomented remember the Apostles doome Gal. 5. 15. But if yee bit and devoure one another take heed that yee bee not consumed one of another If the Almighty Lord give such incouraging entertainment to the generation of Right Separatists then I hope you will easily bee perswaded both as patternes and Patrons of purity to cherish and promote it in your selves and others In these times of Reformation so manage all your counsels that the Result may bee a pure Separation from all uncleannesse Never had any generation of Nobles in England a more rich price put into their hands The Lord fill your spirits with that wisdome which is first pure then peaceable and full of good fruites that you may with all your might improve it Some of your Ancestors had thirsty desires for the purging of England but they wanted opportunity The set time for God to favour this Sion was not come His good hand hath cast you into that juncture of things lets you see such a concurrence of providences enemies as well as friends helping forward the work Ministers Preaching the people petitioning for purity O where Right Honourable are your hearts where are your proportionable affections to welcome such a season God forbid that this should lye at your doore that such and such Nobles in England had a great price put into their hands but they wanted hearts to improve it In former dayes it was accounted a great matter that a Commission was granted to some persons to do somewhat towards the cleansing of England following Parliaments in Queen Elizabeths time cleansed some of the cisterns but still left much mud in the Fountaine God hath reserved you to have an honourable share in this service you will allow mee the liberty to say to yoâ— as Mordecai to Esther Chap. 4. 14. Who knoweth whither thou aâ—â— come to the Kingdom for such a time as this Whether God hath raised you to such a high station for this very service to help to purify England Let it bee the everlasting honour of this Parliament and of you Noble Senators herein to pluck up all our weeds take away all our drosse to remove all our 〈◊〉 yea to doe your utmost to advance a pure Separation from all uncleannesse If any ask as I hope divers of you are so truely Noble that you will inquire What should wee doe that wee may advance a pure Reformation in England Bee pleased to observe and improve these few directions First Begin with your selves bee cleansing your selves from all personall 〈◊〉 of flesh and spirit 2 Cor. 7. 1. O that all our Reformers were indeed self-reformers O that all our great Counsellorâ— would often keepe a become Committee in their own Consciences to examine and discover their own errours and exorbitancies You have many to humour to flatter and adore you but few will admonish few dare reprove you lest your smiles become frownes You have the more need to bee searching and cleansing your selves according to the Word of God Psal. 〈…〉 You should wisely consider your Greatnesse hath an influence 〈◊〉 wayer If you are good your goodnesse will bee the more glorious being ioyned with greatnesse but if 〈◊〉 your greatnesse greaâ—â—ns your sins your height makes you the more notoriously evill Wee expect Oracles in Noblemens speeches 〈…〉 by their actionâ— coppies from their conversations wee looked at Judges should first judge themselves and remember to condemn that in their own practâ—es which they sentence in other mens You may passe good â—ills and Ordinances against swearing and Sabbath-breaking yet if you continue to blaspheme his Name and prophane his day even our Law-makers by their unhappy examples will teach others to bee Law-breakers O bee sweeping every day before your own doores God forbid that whilst you condemn the Antinomians Doctrine any of you should bee found Antinomians in practice Secondly As friends to purity have a speciall eye upon the chiefe springs never expect pure streames whilst the Fountains continue full of mud There are three springs in England the cleansing of which is of great consequence Vniversities Innes of Court Noble mens Families 1. The main Spring is the Vniversity There your Sonnes the hopes of your Family are bred If they suck in unwholesome aire thence that may breed such diseases as prove incurable If those Nurceries bee not well pruned you may receive such Chaplains thence as may study to corrupt you and yours flattering you into everlasting misery 2. Another Spring is the Innes of Court Those Honourable Societies where the young Nobles and Gentry should bee fashioned and shaped for the service of their God and of their Country As the Vniversity breed Ministers for the Church so the Innes of Court breeds Magistrates and Parliament men for the State If filth bee tolerated there for want of cleansing preaching and purging Government the whole Kingdome will bee in danger to derive pollution thence 3. A third Spring much to bee considered is Noblemens Families If there should bee found Chappels to the Devill in regard of ignorance profanenesse and superstition rather then Churches in their houses maintaining Family Religion worshipping God purely and walking in holinesse of conversation If there a Mercenary Chaplain bee entertained who is like one of Baals or Jeroboams Priests