Covenant to maintain her in her Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government and to endeavour a Reformation according to her Pattern but good men they cannot understand for their hearts what this Church of England should be One would think that a National Church in England might as easily be defined as a National Church in Scotland All the odds is the National Church of England is not now so likely to serve their turns as the National Church of Scotland then so termed was Let us but pull down the Bishops and set up a General Assembly of Presbyters and 't will be as easie to understand what the National Church of England is as what the National Church of Scotland was Sect. 37. Let us reason the case a little with these men Why may not the English Nation become a National Church as well as the Jewish What is there wanting which the Jews had that is essential to the constitution of a National Church May not that be as much from God and have as great approbation and as many Blessings from him which is effected in an ordinary way as that which is effected in an extraordinary way What they were by immediate we are by mediate divine Constitution Were they converted from dead Idols to the living God so are we Were they united in the profession of the same true faith so are we Were they bound to the same rules and modes of Worship so are we What is it which makes a Church but Gods Call to a People and their Answer to his Call Now you shall finde that this is to extend to whole Nations of the Gentiles under the Gospel as well as it did to the whole Nation of the Jews under the Law Isai 55.5 Thou shalt call a Nation which thou knewest not and Nations which knew not thee shall run unto thee Zech. 2.11 Many Nations shall be joyned unto the Lord in that day and shall be my people So Mich. 4.2 Many Nations shall come and say Let us go up to the mountain of the Lord and he will teach us his ways and we will walk in his paths And Psal 72.11 12. All King shall fall down before him all Nations shall serve him all Nations shall call him blessed And Christ tells the Jews Mat. 21.43 That the kingdom of God that is the Church-state shall be taken from you and given to a Nation bringing forth the fruits thereof And 't is no more than what Moses foretold them Deut. 32.21 I will move them to jealousie with those that are not a people I will provoke them to anger by a foolish Nation Which the Apostle expresly applieth to the rejection of the Jews and calling of the Gentiles Rom. 10.19 which plainly evinceth that God would convert whole Nations as well as particular Congregations out of them and bring them to a Church-state such for substance as the Jews enjoyed And why may not an whole Nation incorporate into one Body Ecclesiastick as well as into one Body Politick There may be as universal agreement in divine matters as in civil the Members of a National Church may be as useful to one another in that relation as the Members of a Civil State and as governable in the one capacity as in the other So that they which forsake and gather themselves into distinct religious Societies from that Society of Christians here in England which are united by National Laws Political and Ecclesiastical in the profession of the same Faith and observation of the same rules of Worship and Discipline are faulty Separatists and set their Altar beside the Altar of the Lord their God Sect. 38. To make this yet a little plainer to you I shall apply it to a Separation made from our Parochial Churches which are of the same constitution with the National and differ onely as parts from the whole Though Parochial or Congregational Churches are no more of immediate divine Institution than the Jewish Congregation in their Synagogues were but a meer prudential distribution of the whole into parts for the more convenient and orderly Community in a publick confession of Faith and participation of publick Ordinances and no Christian considered simply as a Member of the Church Catholick is any more bound to the Communion of one part of the Church than of another but ought indifferently as he hath opportunity to joyn himself to any one sound part of it as well as to another yet our Parochial Churches being homageneal or similar parts of the National as well as Catholick Church essentially considered they who from Vicinity of Neighbourhood and Cohabitation have or ought to have joyned themselves to them as Christian Assemblies fitly accommodated for publick Worship common Order and Edification and best subserving the duties of a Church-relation if they separate from our Assemblies as acting in a way of Communion with the National Church and set up Assemblies of a different and disagreeing constitution They do not walk as God hath called them 1 Cor. 1.17 pitching every man by his own standard Numb 2.2 according to order 1 Cor. 14.40 Do not go forth by the footsteps of Gods flock nor feed where God maketh his flock to rest at noon Cant. 1.7 8. but set up an Altar beside the Altar of the Lord. Sect. 39. Moreover whatever the Original Constitution of our parish-Parish-churches was or whatever their relation to the National Church is or suppose there were no National Church at all yet 't is evident that our parish-Parish-churches consist of visible Saints such as profess Christianity and have been baptized into the Body of Christ they are the pillars and ground of Truth 1 Tim. 3.15 that is they do preach and proclaim Gods Will as revealed in the Gospel which is the Word of Truth as those Pillars which have the Edicts of Princes affixed to them proclaim their Will and Pleasure the true Sacraments which are the Symbols and Seals of Gods Covenant which is the Bond of all Amity and Commerce with God are administred in them they by mutual consent joyn themselves together as Pastor and People and assemble themselves together to partake of the Ordinances of Christ and therefore they are most certainly true Churches and they which live in an orderly Communion with them keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace abide where they were called with God keep their ranks and places where right Reason and Religion hath fixed them and maintain publick Charity and Order and consequently they which have been once joyn'd to them as all the Separatists in England have been or ought to be for such an Existence as Parish-churches now have they for the main had long before the oldest Separatist in England was born to separate from them they carry it like Mutineers in an Armie violate all the bonds of Love Peace and Order and by setting up distinct and separate Societies for Worship and Discpline from them rebel against God and against us Sect. 40. I. Such
endeavour that the Kingdom of God may come Mat. 6.10 that is that the government of God administred by Jesus Christ may more and more prevail and be every where erected or in the Apostles words that the Word of God which is the Scepter of his Kingdom may have free passage and be glorified 2 Thess 3.1 by opening mens eyes and turning them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God Acts 26.18 and adding them to the Church Acts 2.47 This is one of the great Interests of the Church and whosoever sets himself to oppose it is an Oppressor of it You account that he which unlawfully obstructs anothers Trade and Commerce and hinders him from improving and increasing his stock doth as really oppress him as he that violently detains or takes his goods from him And this is the case of all Separatists as they do unjustly with-hokl from the Church what of right belongs to it so they hinder it from enlarging it self by begetting Scandals and laying Stumbling-blocks against its Communion and Fellowship 'T is a thing both good and pleasant for Brethren to dwell together in Vnity Psal 133.1 2 3. excites Admiration in the Beholders invites their Affections and encourageth them to a Commerce and Communion But can we reasonably expect to gain the hearts of Jews Pagans Mahometans Papists and Atheists to us perswade them to embrace our Religion and to joyn themselves to our Communion so long as we have such Variances are at such Distances from one another and cannot agree upon terms of religious Communion among our selves Do not our Divisions and Separations seem to proclaim to all the world that we understand not the intent and meaning of those Institutions Laws which Jesus Christ hath imposed upon us and are uncertain what that Religion is which we our selves profess and commend to others as the best in the world One Sect preacheth up that which another crieth down and the religious Communion of one sort is an abomination to another and what one justifieth another condemneth And did you ever know disagreeing Witnesses an effectual Proof Sect. 25. Besides will a considering man unite himself to that City which is divided against it self or chuse that house for his place of habitation whose materials are falling asunder and will not the Enemies of Christ think him an unmeet person to gather under his dominion and rule all the Nations in the world who seems not able to govern those in Unity and Peace which are already subject to him 'T is reported of Julian that he thought the fomenting of Divisions in the Church the most effectual way to suppress Christianity and to advance Paganism and he had reason to think so for the world will never believe that they are taught of God who divide from one another because the Spirit of Truth is never contrary to it self and the designe of all true Religion is to draw and binde men unto God and one another And therefore you shall finde that our Saviour prayeth again and again that his Disciples and followers might be one as he and his Father are one and to this very end that the world might believe that God had sent him Joh. 17.21 23. which implieth that their Unity would be of principal influence to perswade the world that he came into the world on Gods errand to destroy the works of the Devil and to restore man to Gods image favour and fellowship Sect. 26. And you shall finde that when three thousand were converted at one Sermon and added to the Church all the Christians were with one accord in one place and continued with one accord in the Temple and were of one heart and one soul Acts 2.1 41 46. 4.32 33. and then by the rule of contraries they which cause divisions cause offences Rom. 16.17 and prejudice the minds of men against the Church of God as if it were a Synagogue of Satan a Society to be shun'd and abhorr'd which obstructs the propagation and enlargement of it and consequently is a mighty Oppression to it Sect. 27. As Separation is an heavy Oppression to so 't is a grievous Persecution of the Church too Persecution in the strictest and severest sence is the prosecution of a person with a peremptory designe to ruine and destroy him And what is Separation less than the execution of a designe to dissolve and destroy that Community of Christians from which the Separation is made Persecutors think the persecuted so bad and hateful that they are not fit for the society of men And Separatists think that Church from which they separate so corrupt and degenerous that 't is not fit for the society of Christians And as Persecutors would not have the persecuted to continue in being and existence among men so the Separatists would not have the Churches they separate from to continue in being and existence among Churches They both act from the same inodiating and envenomed principle and the aim of each horribly mischievous Sect. 28. Yea I take the Separatists to be the worst and most cruel sort of Persecutors for by how much the Rights and Priviledges of Christians as such are better and dearer to them than the Rights and Priviledges of men as such by so much the more of Rigour and Severity is there in the rejection of Christians from their Rights and Priviledges Is it a very bad thing to suffer confiscation of Goods imprisonment banishment and death 't is much worse to be rejected from the love and fellowship of God and his Church the means of Grace and the hope of Glory Whatever some inconsiderate folk may think to be dealt withal as intolerable in the Church is much harder usage than to be dealt withal as intolerable in the Commonwealth for the outward earthly and temporal condition of the Body is onely concern'd in the one but the inward spiritual and eternal condition of the Soul is concern'd in the other When you unchurch a Society of Christians you account them in the expression of the Holy Text as Dogs Rev. 22.15 the basest and uncleanest sort of creatures a company of men so far sunk under the power of the animal life and given over to the power and tyranny of the Devil that they are alienated from the life of God enemies to all goodness to be shunned as the Prophaners of holy things and the Pests of Christian Commerce And if it be great cruelty without cause to be judged worthy of Death I am sure 't is a greater without cause to be judged worthy of Hell and Damnation Sect. 29. And I think 't is very ordinary for the Separatists to carry on their Separation by far worse methods than for the most part other Persecutors do their Persecutions for other Persecutors accuse those they persecute of some hainous and capital Crime implead and try them by the known Laws of that Community to which they do belong produce Evidences of their Allegations against them and
a preference of their own thoughts and devices before Gods Institutions and Injunctions which is called in the holy Text Rebellion Isai 65.2 and the making of the commandments of God of none effect Mat. 15.6 Mark 7.13 There is nothing more plain and more easie to be understood in all the Bible than That the body of Christ is one and that all Christians are baptized into this one body 1 Cor. 12.12 13. and therefore though many are yet one body in Christ and members one of another Rom. 12.4 5. so that if one member suffer all the members suffer with it 1 Cor. 12.26 From which neer relation and sympathy they are obliged to the dearest love Rom. 12.10 and are to live in the exercise of it as the evidence of their neer relation to Christ John 34.35 and the bond of perfectness among themselves Col. 3.14 And that this be not weaken'd or interrupted they are commanded not to forsake the assembling of themselves together Heb. 10.25 and to give no of fence to the Church of God 1 Cor. 10.32 nor to any member of it Rom. 14.13 And if offences come as through Satans subtilty and the malignity of fleshly lusts they must needs do Luke 17.1 though wo to them by whom they come Mat. 18.7 their Christian Faith which worketh by love Gal. 5.6 must so moderate their passions that they must not easily be provoked but bear all things that are tolerable yea must cover a multitude of sins and suffer long 1 Cor. 13.5 7. and ought to be so far from rejoycing in iniquity and having advantages of dislike and separation that they must account it their Glorie to pass by offences Prov. 29.11 follow after peace and the things that make for it Heb. 12.14 Rom. 14.10 and do as much as in them lies do all that is possible to be done to live in peace Rom. 12.18 that is no condition of a peaceable Communion is to be refused but such as is morally impossible cannot be submitted unto without sin This is plainly the minde of God That we must never forsake the Communion of that Church unto which we are united so long as we can keep our innocency in it Nothing but the sinfulness of a Communion can justifie or warrant a Separation When we cannot continue in Communion without either the acknowledgement of some errour for a Truth or the practice of some sin for a Duty we may separate but for no other provocation The requiring of doubtful or suspected practices as some speak as the condition of Communion can be no warrantable ground of Separation because Engagements to a Separation must be equally certain as Engagements to a Communion They are certainly very badly advised and disposed who prefer their doubts and scruples before their known dutie and the Churches honour and safetie Sect. 44. And I must tell you too there may be real corruptions in a Church and yet no ground for a Separation from it because we may communicate with it in Gods Ordinances without partaking with it in its Corruptions for that may be tolerated which is not imposed practised by some which is disowned by others and required from none And in all lawful things condescention and yieldance is infinitely more commendable than selfwilledness and stubborn frowardness If therefore a Brother much more a Mother will have you go a mile with her in a way of condescention and yieldance to such things as you conceive inconvenient and burthensome you must to maintain peace and love go with her twain Mat. 5.41 The Philosopher calls a good man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Cube or Square implying that a good man is not like a Spherical Figure which is able to meet the plainest thing onely in a point but like a Cubical Figure which meets with plain things in whole broad-sides and hath a notable aptitude for Unity and compliance I am sure St. Paul was such an one and he is worthy to be a president to us all Who became as a Gentile to the Gentiles that he might gain the Gentiles and as a Jew to the Jews that he might gain the Jews yea though he were a free man yet he made himself a servant to all and was made all things to all men that he might gain some 1 Cor. 9.19 20 21 22. And certainly he was never baptized with the Spirit of Christ who will not do more for the unitie and Peace of that Societie to which he belongs than to please an ill-natured humour and that will not smother his private judgment and relinquish his private liberties and his more publick conveniences too rather than by a peremptory publication of the one and a stiff maintainance of the other disturb the quiet of Gods Church Sect. 45. Now it being generally acknowledged by most of the Separatists That the Church of England at least that our Parochial Churches are true Churches and that they may without the dangerous hazard of their Salvation communicate with them in their religious Administrations they cannot separate from them without exalting their own Imaginations above Gods Prescriptions and preferring the gratification of an Humour before the pleasing of God which is a grand rebellion against him Sect. 46. Fourthly Separation is an act of great stubbornness and contumacy 't is a sin excused justified and pleaded for which is the adding of rebellion to sin as Job speaks c. 34.37 The very same circumstances which rendered the sin of Saul in sparing Agag and the best of the spoil a Rebellion are fully applicable to the sin of wilful and causeless Separation and with some superiour aggravations Did Saul break the Commandment of God so do they And far more hainously for he transgressed onely a single positive temporary dispensable Precept but they an eternal and indispensable Law of Love and Righteousness Saul transgressed to preserve and save but they to ruine and destroy Did Saul notwithstanding his disobedience pretend that he had performed the Commandment of the Lord so do they They do it in obedience to the Call of God who will have them as they say come out from among us and separate Did Saul excuse and justifie his sin from the pretence of a good end and intention so do they The Church needs Reformation and they have covenanted to reform it and they will bring religious Ministrations to greater purity so that they are in a faithful pursuit of The good Old Cause are the men called forth to bear witness to the Gospel-designe and their Separation is for the Honour of God and the Edification of his Church that is they pull down the Church to build it up rend the Members of the Body asunder to joyn them the more orderly together wreck and quite mar the Ship to repair and mend it destroy to save Did Saul at last confess his sin so do not they but obstinately defend it yea glory in it as an attainment of an extraordinary size and which is the foundation of it
they do or can commit For 't is most directly contrary to the designe of God the Father in sending Christ into the world which was to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children Luke 1.17 and to gather together in one all things in Christ Eph. 1.10 And as contrary to the redeeming work of God the Son which was to gather together in one the children of God which are scattered abroad John 11.52 And as contrary to the sanctifying Operations of the Spirit by which we are all baptized into one body 1 Cor. 12.12 And consequently as contrary to all those Ordinances and means of Grace by which they all derive the effluxes of their Grace Love and Goodness unto the Souls of men which are all purposely designed to accomplish the Churches unity E. g. When we are baptized we are all baptized into one body 1 Cor. 12.13 and what is the communion of the body and blood of Christ for but to minde us that though we are many members yet we are all but one body 1 Cor. 10.16 17. And what are all the Officers of the Church and their respective Ministrations for but to bring us to the unity of the Faith and to speak the truth in love that we may 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 supplieth the body increaseth to the edification of it self in love Eph. 4.13 14 15 16. And Divisions and Separations being so directly contrary and destructive to the designe of Christianity how unreasonable a thing is it for the Dividers of and Separators from our Church in which nothing as some among themselves acknowledge is to be done and approved of which is unlawful to assume to themselves the denomination of the Godly Party Whereas we can justly appeal and call Heaven and Earth to record that for so doing they are Rebels against God and against us I shall conclude my Discourse with a serious and earnest Admonition and Charge to you to remember with great thoughtfulness of heart That the Church of Christ which is the Body of Christ was is and ever will be One and that when you were initiated into a profession of Christianity you were baptized into this one body 1 Cor. 12.12 13. So that here a departure from Vnity is a Nullity He that is of a New and not of the Old Church is of no Church And this is the reason why the Sentence of Excommunication rightly executed is so terrible because it cuts off from Christ's Body which Sentence every Schismatick very desperately executes upon himself and that too in the most effectual and tremendous manner that can be for the Governors of the Church may through some mistake or prejudice sentence such as ought not to be sentenced and then the Sentence is reversed and made void by a superiour Tribunal But whosoever wilfully separates from the Christian Church or any sound part of it for a reason common to the whole most certainly separates himself from Christ too who is the Saviour onely of his Body Eph. 5.23 The Church is compared to the Ark because out of it there is no Salvation and he that wilfully leaps out of it is rather more than less desperately guilty of Self-destruction than he that is deservedly and judicially cast out 'T is a most fearful Curse for a Church to pronounce against an Obstinate Sinner The Devil take him and yet this Curse every man very resolutely executes upon himself when he wilfully forsakes Gods Church for he doth in effect say I will forsake God and the Devil take me A thing so full of terrour and astonishment I even tremble to speak and you to hear and from which Good Lord deliver us for thy Christs and our Jesus his sake Amen FINIS