from thee to whom shall we go 2. Therefore what may be further observed from hence is this That seeing it is necessary to be of some Church or other it is highly unreasonable to separate from the Church whereof we are Members till we have found out a better Church to joyn our selves to Quite contrary to which is the practice of many Separatists who first desert their own Church while as yet they are to seek what Religion to be of and what Church to go to they first throw off upon some foolish disgust or fanciful dislike the Religion they were bred up in and then under a pretence that they are making enquiry which is the best Religion spend all the rest of their Lives without any Religion at all It is indeed St. Paul's Direction 1 Thes 5.21 That we should prove all things and this is a Text often cited by these men in justification of themselves and they value themselves at no small rate for their having as they think the Scripture its self on their side But they should do well to read the whole Verse throughout and then they would see clearly how little this Text makes for them Prove all things saith the Apostle and then he immedately adds and hold fast that which is good The meaning of which last Clause is at least thus much That when we are satisfied of the goodness of our own way we should stick to it and hold fast the Profession of our Faith without wavering it being then both unreasonable and endless to make further trials But suppose we are not fully satisfied in this point suppose we have some little Doubts and Scruples in our minds whether that Religion and way of Worship that we have been bred up in be the best or no do they think that the Apostle would have us be of all Religions one after another that so at last we may be able to judge which is best This would be just as if a man in his Journey meeting with several cross ways should go a little in one and a little in another and a little in a third and so on the certain consequence of which would be that having spent his whole day in making these trials of the several ways that presented themselves he would be no nearer his Journeys end at Night than he was in the Morning Or do they think that he would have us be of no Religion till we had first carefully examined into the Grounds and Reasons of all this would be every whit as ill as the other For there are very few that by their Parts and Learning are qualified to undertake and fewer yet if any at all that have leisure enough from the necessary avocations of Life to go through with such a difficult and tedious Work as this would be so that for a man to take this method would be just as if the travailing-man before-spoken of meeting with several cross ways should spend his whole day in sitting still and considering which of them to chuse but should go in none of them how should he ever come to his Journeys end But the course that a wise man in such a case would take is this If he were lest wholly to himself to judge he would according to the best of his skill and as the time and exigence would permit chuse that Road which appeared to him to be the right or if he had a Guide with him on whose skill and judgment he might with prudence rely rather than on his own he would take that way which he directed him to and when he was once entred into it he would go on steddily in it never stopping or staying in the least unless by some evident Tokens he should be clearly convinced that he was in the wrong and never leaving that way for another unless he were fully assured that the other was much better A man that takes this course may arrive to the place whither he designs which it is certain neither of the other can do Or if after all he should be in a mistake yet having done his best and taken the prudentest method that he could his mistake would be pitiable and pardonable And I dare be bold to say That that man who according to the best of his knowledge serves God faithfully and worships him with a sincere and devout heart although in a mistaken way shall find more favour with God and fare better in the other World than he that is ever learning but is never able to come to the knowledge of the truth or who under a pretence that he is quite at a loss and in a great uncertainty in what way God would be worshipped passes his days without making profession of any Religion and never worships God at all And therefore before we leave that way which we have been bred up and educated in we should be fully convinced that we are in an error and fix upon some other way to take and be certainly assured that the way we take is better than that we leave Lord to whom shall we go We know not whither else to go and therefore why should we go from thee But 3. And lastly Another thing that may be observed from this Answer of the Apostle's is this That there can be no sufficient reason to separate from a Church which has the words of eternal life Lord to whom shall we go thou hast the words of eternal life As if he had said We know that thou art true Matt. 22.16 and teachest the way of God in truth We are sure that we are safe in following thee so that should we forsake thee and follow another 't is impossible we should get by the change On a worse Guide we may easily happen but a better we cannot have To whom then shall we go if we go from thee or upon what account should we leave thee for any other seeing thou hast the words of eternal life And this is a Point that many of our dissenting Brethren should do well to consider seriously of What reason they have to forsake the Communion of the Established Church Some perhaps will say That the Terms of her Communion are unlawful and that they can't with a good Conscience join in her Worship Now whether or no they say true in this God will judge but if they do speak the truth and are really persuaded as they say here is a reasonable Plea for separation But the far greatest part of those that separate from the Church do not pretend this They think our Worship lawful and occasionally especially to qualify themselves for an Office they can and do join in it and her Doctrine they likewise own to be true and agreeable to the Scriptures They grant there is nothing necessary to Salvation wanting in our Church and nothing destructive to Salvation enjoined Nay they say farther and that they think will fully justify them from the charge of Schism that the Congregations which they join
Separation of the Reformed Churches themselves from the Church of Rome with which they once held Communion is against that Church So that if there be any thing in this Argument it holds every whit as strong against them as against us But the truth of it is the Argument its self is of no force against either one or the other But in the Case of Separation the only point to be considered in order to the discerning where the blame lies is for what cause the Separation was made For if the ground of our separating from the Roman Church be as indeed it was because we could not communicate with her without Sin this justifies our Separation and is indeed a just Objection against that Church which enjoined such unlawful terms of Communion And on the other side if the Doctrine that we profess and teach be Pure and Orthodox and our Worship to say the least of it such as may in every part of it be lawfully joined in if even they who dissent from us cannot fix on any one thing in our Communion which they can prove is unlawful if consequently the ground of their Separation from us be either because they will not endure sound Doctrine or because they have itching Ears which nothing will please but Novelties they indeed are highly to blame who separate from us upon such trifling Accounts but it is no more a just Objection against our Church That there are some that separate from it than it was against that Church which was at first Assembled and governed by our Lord himself in Person that there were some who when they had listed themselves under him as his Disciples did afterwards upon an unreasonable and groundless disgust go back and walk no more with him 3 What may further be observed from hence in general is this That the Example of a Multitude is not a sufficient inducement to follow their practice any further than the same may be justified by reason For in the Text we are told that many of our Lords Disciples probably not fewer than 5000 went away from him at once and as far as appears by the History there were only 12 that remained with him a very small number in comparison with that great Multitude that went away and yet there can be no doubt but that these were the True Church and that they which went away were Schismaticks From whence therefore by the way we may observe how vain and trifling that Argument is which they of the Church of Rome do urge in behalf of their Church and to perswade us to return to it taken from the great Multitude of those that are of the Roman Communion in comparison with the Reformed Churches For granting that the Roman Church is of much greater extent than the Reformed nay if we should grant it to be of larger extent than all the Christian Churches besides that are not of her Communion which yet is certainly false this is but a very sorry Argument to prove her to be the True and only True Christian Church For if truth be always on the side of the greatest number Which was the True Church in Abraham's time when he was of a Religion by himself Was it in his small Family or amongst the Idolatrous Nations that dwelt round about him Or which was the True Church in all that long Tract of time from Moses to our Saviour Was it not confined to a very small spot of Land even when it was at its largest extent And that again contracted to a much less compass in Elijah's time when there were not in Ten of the Tribes of Israel above Seven thousand men who had not bowed the knee to the image of Baal 1 Kings 19.18 Again if that be always the True Church which is the largest time was when the Arian Hereticks were the True Christian Church and the Orthodox Professors of Christianity who were but a very few in number in comparison with them were consequently miserably deluded and rank Hereticks And thus according to this Rule given by the Romanists for finding out the True Church truth and goodness are really nothing at all but vary according to the Fancies and Customs of Men and what is true and good now may in the next Age become very false and wicked But by what hath been said it appears that the true Worshippers of God have sometimes been but a very few and that the True Church of Christ hath in some Ages consisted but of a very small number and what has been once may be again So that tho we should grant that the Roman Church is larger than any one or even than all the Reformed Churches together yet still these may be the True Churches of Christ and that not for why may not the True Religion and the right Worship of God be confined to a narrow compass now as well as it hath been in former times The truth is number or fewness are both meerly accidental and extrinsecal things sometimes a multitude may be in the right and sometimes probably much oftner they are in the wrong and whether they be in the right or no is a thing to be inquired into not to be taken for granted For Truth and Goodness are always the same but the Fancies and Opinions of men are infinitely various and uncertain And therefore seeing God hath not left it to us to determine among our selves by most Votes which is the True Religion and the Right Worship of God but hath himself clearly stated and fully determined this matter in the Books of Scripture many hundred years ago that Determination of his is and will ever be most undoubtedly true 't is that therefore that we must stick to and abide by let the Crowd or the Multitude go which may it will And so much for the first thing Many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him II. The second thing which I took notice of in the words was the occasion of this great Schism intimated in that Clause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from that time or as it may be rendred upon that occasion Many of his disciples went back Now what the occasion was we must learn from the foregoing part of the Chapter and it was in short this Our Saviour well knowing the Hypocrisy of that great Crowd that followed him and that all their pretended Zeal for him was really nothing else but Interest plainly tells them of it v 26. Verily verily I say unto you ye seek me not because ye saw the miracles but because ye did eat of the loaves and were filled and thereupon takes occasion to perswade them to withdraw their Hearts and Affections from this World and from their Temporal Interests and Concernments and to give themselves up to be instructed by him in the way and means of Salvation v. 27. Labour not for the meat which perisheth but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life which the son of man shall
A SERMON Preach'd at the Chappel of BRENTWOOD IN ESSEX October the 7th 1693. AT THE VISITATION Of the Right Reverend Father in GOD HENRY Lord Bishop of LONDON Published by his Lordship's Order IMPRIMATUR Novemb. 2. 1693. Carolus Alston By Ofsp. Blackall Rector of South-Okendon in Essex LONDON Printed by Will. Rogers at the Sun over-against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleetstreet 1694. JOHN VI. 66 67 68. From that time many of his Disciples went back and walked no more with him Then said Jesus unto the twelve Will ye also go away Then Simon Peter answered him Lord to whom shall we go Thou hast the words of eternal life IN these words there are four things considerable I. A Remarkable Accident that befel our Saviour in the Course of his Ministry his being deserted at once by a great many of his Disciples Many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him II. The occasion of this great Desertion intimated in that Clause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from that time or upon that occasion III. A Question thereupon put by our Lord to those few that still remained with him He said unto the twelve Will ye also go away And IV. And Lastly The honest and discreet Answer which Simon Peter in the name of the rest returned to this question Lord to whom shall we go thou hast the words of eternal life Each of which Particulars will afford some useful Observations which in the Sequel of this Discourse I shall briefly touch upon the time not permitting me to do more and then make some Application of the whole I begin with the first viz. I. The Relation of a Remarkable Accident that befel our Saviour in the Course of his Ministry viz. his being deserted at once by a great many of his Disciples Many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him The Evangelist doth not say how many but that we may probably collect from the former part of the Chapter For at the 10th Verse we are told That the number of those that were with him before and had been miraculously fed by him with five Barly-loaves and two small fishes was about 5000 and that upon that they all of them acknowledged that he was the Christ as you may see at the 14th Verse This is of a truth say they that Prophet which should come into the World and thereupon presuming according to the Notion generally received among the Jews at that time that the Messias was to be a mighty Temporal Prince they would fain then have perswaded him to take upon him the Kingdom Nay as the Evangelist notes at the 15th Verse They would have taken him by force and made him a King which when our Saviour had avoided by conveying himself privately away they would not however be thereby diverted from pursuing their Intention but perceiving which way his Disciples were gone over the Sea and supposing that he had appointed to meet them on the other side they took Shipping the very next day to follow him and when they had found him knowing that he had not gone over in the same Boat with his Disciples and that no other Boat had gone over besides except those wherein they themselves had passed so that consequently he must needs have conveyed himself over the Sea by a miracle they seemed hereby still the more confirmed in that belief which they had of him before and yet behold on a sudden even the very same day upon occasion of some disgust which they took at his Doctrine they all forsook him leaving him as it seems alone only with his Twelve Apostles Many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him From whence we may observe 1. That Infallibility its self is not sufficient to prevent Schisms and Separations in the Church For surely they will not deny that our Blessed Lord and Saviour himself was an infallible Teacher who believe that his pretended Vicar is so and yet for all that he was deserted by a great many of his Disciples there were many more that forsook him than there were that continued to adhere to him Nay indeed his Infallibility may be said in some sense to have been the occasion of this great Schism for the reason of their forsaking him was because he spake to them the words of Truth for had he but suited his Doctrine to the Carnal Palates of his Hearers they would still have continued with him And if Infallibility will not serve for this purpose there is manifestly no such absolute necessity no such great usefulness of any Infallible Guide in the Church as the Romanists pretend who also from thence only without any ground from Scripture boldly infer that there is such an one For we have already an Infallible Rule both of Belief and Practice in the Holy Scriptures and this Rule is sufficiently plain to and easily enough applicable by all such as are of honest minds and give due Attention and Regard to it An Infallible Guide if there were any such now-a-days could not teach more than the Holy Scriptures do of such things as are necessary to be known by us neither could he teach the same things plainer than they teach them and if men were of perverse and carnal minds they would give no more heed to the Infallible Guide than they do now to the Infallible Rule that is they would hear him no longer than while his Doctrine pleased them or while it was for their advantage to continue in his Communion and when either his Doctrine was ungrateful or it was not safe to adhere to him they would do by him as the Disciples in the Text did by our Saviour who was beyond all dispute an Infallible Teacher They would go back and walk no more with him 2. Another thing that may be observed from hence is this That it is no just Objection against any Church that there are a great many that dislike it and separate from it Let not then our Adversaries of the Church of Rome any more object against us as they have used to do that their Church is at Unity within its self that they are all of one Mind agreeing in the same Form of Doctrine and holding together in the same Worship whereas no sooner did the Reformed Churches separate from them but they were immediately divided into innumerable Sects among themselves each pretending to greater Purity and Perfection than the other For besides that the truth of this matter of fact might well be doubted viz. whether there be greater Divisions among Protestants than among Papists which point I will not at this time dispute This I dare boldly say That the Unity which they boast of is in great measure owing to the Inquisition and such other means of holding their People in their Communion as we neither do nor think lawful to use And then after all the Separation of other Sects from the Reformed Churches is not a juster Objection against them than the
give unto you for him hath God the Father sealed And this Subject he prosecutes in the remaining part of the Chapter shewing by many Arguments that there was no way for them to attain the Blessedness of the other World but by receiving and believing his Doctrine and leading their Lives according to it And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon this occasion many of them went back and walked no more with him While he fed them with the Loaves and while they hoped he would be a Temporal King and that they as being the first that had declared for him should be preferr'd to great Places and Dignities under him so long he could not get rid of their Company tho he had endeavoured to do it but when once he came to tell them plainly of their faults and to disswade them from minding so much as they did the Interests of this World when he had acquainted them that his Kingdom was a Spiritual Kingdom and that the only way for them to be made Partakers of it was by carefully observing those strict Rules of Holiness and Virtue which he taught at this they were greatly offended and it was now as hard to keep them together as it was before to dismiss them Upon this occasion many went back and walked no more with him From whence we may observe and 't is the only thing I shall at present observe from hence That 't is the Duty of those who are Ministers of the Gospel boldly to speak the Truth and reprove Vice whatever offence may be taken at them for it In other things indeed it becomes them and it is a part of that prudence which it is their duty to exercise in their behaviour towards others to be as compliant and complaisant as they can 1 Cor. 9.22 and according to St. Paul's Example to be made all things to all men that they may by all means gain some But the Truth of the Gospel is not to be parted with upon any terms neither may they upon any consideration whatsoever sooth up their People in their Sins and cry peace peace when there is no peace Nay if they only wink at their faults if they only forbear to reprove them for their Sins and to acquaint them with the danger of continuing in them they are careless of their Charge and unfaithful to their Trust and while they seem tender of giving Offence do indeed give the greatest Offence at once exposing their Sacred Office to contempt and hazarding the Salvation of their own Souls For so we are plainly told Ezek. 33.7 I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth and warn them from me When I say unto the wicked O wicked man thou shalt surely die if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked man from his way that wicked man shall die in his iniquity but his blood will I require at thine hand Here my Reverend Brethren we see our Duty and the strict Obligation that lies upon us to discharge it And this is what we are to look to to do our own Duty faithfully and leave the issue and event of all to God It may be that our boldness in the discharge of our Ministry may prove a Prejudice to our worldly Interest and many may account us their Enemies and use us as such only because we are their best Friends in telling them the truth but there is no worldly Interest whatsoever so great as to be fit to stand in competition with the Interest of our own and our Peoples Souls Or it may be if we will not hold our peace if we will needs be preaching up unpopular Truths and lashing the reigning Vices of the Age some will take offence at our freedom and now especially that they are as they think at liberty to profess any Religion or to be of none will forsake our Assemblies and either joyn themselves to some other Congregations where they hope they shall hear more comfortable Doctrine or perhaps will throw off at once all show and profession of Religion but be it so the fear or the probability of this will not justify us in neglecting our own Duty which is to be instant in season 2 Tim. 4.2 and out of season and to reprove rebuke and exhort with all long suffering and doctrine This is the Direction that St. Paul gives to Timothy and in him to all the Ministers of the Gospel and that too altho he foresaw that the consequence of it would sometimes be that such plain dealing would disoblige a great many and make them forsake the Assemblies of the Faithful for that he had this then in his mind seems highly probable from what he immediately adds in the very next words The time will come when they will not endure sound Doctrine Verse 3. but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears and they shall turn away their ears from the truth 'T is true indeed we ought as the Apostle there directs to rebuke and exhort with all long-suffering i. e. to temper our reproofs with such Mildness and Gentleness and Prudence as that if it be possible we may give no offence to any but if it be the truth it self that gives the offence and not the imprudent manner of its delivery our business is not to please men but God and we must do our Duty and speak the Words which he hath put into our Mouth and rebuke with all Authority not regarding what may be the consequence of it We may think perhaps that in case our boldness in speaking the Truth and reproving Vice should drive away any from our Assemblies especially if they be Persons of Note and Authority in the place where they live this would be to the disadvantage of our Church and Religion But no such matter for of all those that separate from the Church upon such an account we may truly say as the Apostle St. John does of some Separatists in his time 1 Epist 2.19 They went out from us but they were not of us for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us Such are as much the Churches Enemies before their Separation as they can be afterwards and of the two she had better have them open Enemies than secret ones But as for all such as are of Honest minds and sincere and hearty in their Professions they will like us the better for that for which the others dislike us whereas on the contrary if we should be afraid to do our Duty if we should be meally-mouth'd and not dare to speak the Truth for fear of the displeasure of such men this would indeed be a great prejudice to our Cause as giving just offence to the best men and too great occasion to such as desire occasion to slight and despise our Office In fine What we can be only afraid of in this case is no more than what