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
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
our Saviour who knew what was in men certainly foreknew would happen to himself for he knew that the greatest part of the Multitude that followed him followed him for the Loaves and in hope to advance their Temporal Interest by early appearing to be his Disciples he knew consequently that upon his declaring the Truth to them and reproving them for their worldly-mindedness they would forsake his Company but tho he foresaw this event he would not be unfaithful in his Office or neglect that business for which he came into the World which was to bear Witness unto the Truth John 18.37 he chose rather to have but a few sincere Followers than a great number of Hypocritical Professors and therefore would not dissemble the Truth altho he knew that upon his declaring it many would go back and walk no more with him And now I proceed to the third Thing observable in the Text viz. III. The Question which our Lord upon the occasion of this great Desertion puts to those that still remained with him Jesus said unto the twelve Will ye also go away And with what design this Question was put might have been doubted if it had been put by another but it is certain that our Saviour did not put it to the Twelve to know their minds for as the Evangelist says He knew all men John 2.24 and needed not that any should testify of man for he knew what was in man These words therefore Will ye also go away are not so much a Question put to them to know whether they would stay or go as an Option given them a leaving it to their Will and Choice whether they would do one or the other as if he had said You see how many there are that have taken offence at my doctrine and have upon that account all at once deserted me but I am not at all concerned at their departure for I desire no subjects but such as are willing to be so and will be obedient to my words If therefore you are of the same mind with them if my doctrine does not relish with you if your hearts as theirs are wholly set upon this World and the interests of this Life and you value not the having a portion in my Spiritual Kingdom or dislike the Conditions of attaining it 't is to no purpose for you to stay any longer with me for this is all the reward that I promise to my disciples You are at your own liberty therefore to go or stay as you please freely and willingly you gave up your selves at first to be my Disciples and freely and willingly you shall continue so or not at all as I did not force you to follow me so neither will I compel you to stay with me Do what you think best for your selves If you like the terms of my Discipleship and think the reward that I propose a sufficient encouragement and are perswaded that I am able to make good what I promise then stay with me but if not you also may follow the five thousand that are already gone away I will not detain you against your minds Will ye also go away From whence we may observe these two Things 1. That it is not agreeable to the Nature of the Gospel to force or compel men to the Profession of it If indeed Salvation were annexed to the outward Profession of Christianity and every Visible Member of the Church were also a Member of Christ's Spiritual Kingdom it would be such a great deed of Charity to entitle men to these benefits as would be sufficient to compensate for any hardship that they were put to in order to it and if men were or could be forced to be saved even altho it were by Fire and Faggot they would have no more reason to cry out of Persecution or to complain of any injury that was done them than a man that was just ready to be drowned would have if he that pull'd him out of the Water and saved his Life should do it by the spraining of his Arm. But the Case here is otherwise for the Spiritual Kingdom of Christ is made up only of such as willingly submit to it and tho force may make many Hypocrites it cannot make one true Christian for no outward force can compel the Will to consent tho it may compel the Mouth to speak or the Body to act Not but that after all it is most undoubtedly the Duty of Christian Magistrates to endeavour that all their Subjects may be brought both to the Profession and Belief of the True Christian Faith and to this end they ought to set up and establish in their Dominions the True Christian Worship and to take care that their Subjects may be instructed in it and also to give them all reasonable Encouragement in the Profession and Exercise of it Nay I will not say that they may not for I am fully perswaded that they may make use of the Sword wherewith God has entrusted them for the correcting and restraining the Exorbitances of a misguided and ungovernable Zeal and the outrages of a mistaken Religion and for the cutting off of all such workers of iniquity as turn Religion into Rebellion and Faith into Faction But in what cases it is proper to make use of the Temporal Sword in Matters of Religion what Temporal Encouragements are proper to be given to the Profession of the True Religion and what Discouragements to Error and Schism being Subjects needful to be enquired into only by them that have the power of making or executing Laws are not so proper to be discoursed of here But in general That no man can or ought to be compell'd to be a Christian I think is very plain from our Saviour's Example for tho his Kingdom was Spiritual i. e. tho he was pleased to use only Spiritual Means and Motives to engage men to be his Disciples he could have used other means if he had pleased for as he himself tells us Matth. 28.18 All power in heaven and earth was given unto him and therefore if External Force and Compulsion had been a proper means to enlarge his Kingdom and propagate his Religion he would doubtless have made use of it or at least have commissioned and impower'd his Apostles to use it and not have only said to them as he does in the words immediately following those aforecited go ye therefore and teach all nations He would not certainly as he does in the Text have left it to the Choice and Option of his own Disciples whether they would continue in the Profession of his Religion or no Will ye also go away 2. Another thing that may be observed from hence is this That no License given no Toleration granted no Exemption from Temporal Penalties in case of Separation allowed by men is sufficient to excuse from the guilt of Schism those that separate from the True Christian Church whereof they were Members or to render their Schism no
your selves But nevertheless let me tell you you are still as much obliged in conscience to hold communion with us as ever you were and if we have the words of eternal life if the Doctrine which we profess and teach be pure and orthodox if the Holy Sacraments are duly and rightly administred amongst us and if our Worship be such as you may lawfully join in here is no just ground for a separation and if you separate without just ground from the Established Church in which you were born and bred and with which you ought to hold communion in sacred things you rend the Body of Christ and are Schismaticks before God altho you are not guilty of any State-crime nor incur any legal Penalties Consider well then what you do If we have the words of eternal life why should you leave us what can you hope for more in any other Communion Consider at least before you go away from us whither you will go when you have left us and forsake not this Church till you are sure you have found out a better to join your selves to It was very reasonably put by Joshua to the Children of Israel Josh 24.15 If it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord chuse you this day whom you will serve whether the gods that your fathers served that were on the other side of the floud or the gods of the Amorites in whose land ye dwell And 't is no less reasonable in this case Some Religion you must be of or else you can have no hope of Salvation and whatsoever Religion you are of it must needs be your duty to make a publick profession of it so that if you forsake the Established Church you must go to some other Chuse you then before you forsake the Religion and Communion that you were brought up in chuse you I say what Religion you will be of what Communion you will adhere to Will you return back again into Egypt or in the words of Joshua will you serve the gods that your fathers served that were on the other side of the floud I mean will you go over to the Church of Rome i.e. will you go to a Church that has most notoriously corrupted the Faith of Christ To a Church that takes away the key of knowledge from her people not suffering them to look into the Holy Scriptures which are the Oracles of God and the words of life To a Church that has enlarged her Creed to double that of the Apostles and enjoins as necessary to Salvation the belief not only of the greatest Falsities but of the most evident Contradictions To a Church whose publick Service is not understood by her Members and which makes her Children say Amen to they know not what In fine Will you go to that Church whose Worship and Service you cannot join in without being guilty of Idolatry What is there in this Church that can charm or tempt you to her Communion unless perhaps it be the very easy terms on which she promises you Salvation And this indeed is a reasonable Inducement to such as would fain go to Heaven and yet are resolved not to part with their beloved Sins But in a matter of such great importance to us as this is 't is good to go upon sure grounds and not to try an experiment that if it fails will be fatal to us Now that Faith and Obedience will carry us to Heaven is agreed on all hands and the Scripture it self plainly assures us but that any thing less will do it we have no good ground to believe And particularly That Confession with the Priests Absolution will do as well as a Holy Life That those that want Good Works of their own may for Money or by some slight Penances purchase as much as they want of those who abound in merit And that they who take little or no care of themselves while they live may have sufficient care taken of them by their Friends when they are dead these are very comfortable Doctrines indeed but they are no where taught in Scripture or grounded upon Reason they are Doctrines for the truth of which we have only their word whose gain in teaching them is is so evident as may justly render their Testimony suspected But without entring upon a particular Examination of them this one thing alone is a sufficient prejudice against all such easy Methods of Salvation by whomsoever proposed That they are clearly contrary to that Account which our Blessed Saviour who is Truth its self hath given us of the way to Heaven and to that advice which he grounds thereupon in Matth. 7.13 14. Enter ye in at the strait gate for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be that go in thereat Because strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life and few there be that find it Well then If you will not go over to the Church of Rome whither is it that you 'll go when you leave us Will you go and join your selves to any of the Separate Assemblies here at home But if so To which of them will ye go For here is such variety of ways at once offered to you as is enough perfectly to confound and distract you I have not time now to tell you how many several Sects there are of Dissenters from the Church and much less to give you a just and compleat Character of them that you may consider which of them to chuse but in general they may be reduced to these Four Sorts 1. Some of these Sects there are that have either no Creed or no Sacraments or no Orders or no Rule to guide them by but the Light within them Will you go to any of these But if you do can you tell what Religion you shall be of or whether you shall be of any at all 2. Others of them there are that positively deny the most Fundamental Articles of the Christian Faith as the Doctrine of the Ever Blessed Trinity the Incarnation of the Son of God the Satisfaction of our Saviour and the like Will ye go to them But if you do this is to add heresy to your Schism and to multiply your Iniquity 3. Others again there are that teach such Doctrines as either directly or in their immediate consequences give too great Encouragement to Vice by rendring a good Life unnecessary But I hope I have already mentioned a sufficient prejudice against all such easy Religions so that you will not so much as once think of going to them 4. Lastly Others there are that profess the same Faith with the Church and are as they themselves say of the same Religion that we are of and differ from us only in some External Modes and Rites of Worship Will you go over to these But why should you make a Schism in the Church for nothing Only because her Rites and Ceremonies are not exactly suited to your fancy Why should you break the Unity of that Church whereof you are Members and with which you agree in all the Essentials of Doctrine and Worship only for the sake of two or three harmless Ceremonies which she uses indeed in her Publick Worship for decency and order sake but which she enjoins not as any parts of Religion or as things necessary in themselves and which being no where forbidden in Scripture cannot to be sure be unlawful to be used Rom. 4.15 for where there is no law there is no transgression If then the Sect you design to go to be of the same Religion with the Church that you leave why should you leave her seeing by your own confession she has the words of eternal life as well as they And if she has to what purpose should you go elsewhere Is it first for better Prayers that you go thither That can hardly be However 't is what you can't be sure of not knowing what their Prayers will be till you have heard them Our Prayers indeed are known what they are they are free to be read and examined by all You may if you will satisfy your selves before you join in them that they are directed to the right Object of our Worship that they are composed of such Petitions as are proper to be put up in Publick and that they are grave and serious and fitted to excite Devotion whereas if you go to the Separate Assemblies you know not what God you shall worship at least you know not with what you shall serve God till you come thither you are much like a man that subscribes a Paper or Petition to his Prince without reading it Or secondly is it for better Preaching that you go thither That 's e'ne as it happens and you may as easily be disappointed in this as in the other case And without magnifying our selves too much this I'm sure I may safely say That many that have gone from their own Church to a Separate Assembly to hear a better Sermon have heard a worse But however that be so long as the Doctrine that is preached in both places is the same as you grant it is there cannot be so much difference in the Words and Phrases wherein it is expressed or in the manner of its delivery as will serve to justify a Schism And besides what the Apostle says is most undoubtedly true Paul may plant and Apollo may water but it is God that giveth the increase If the Seeds be both of the same