Notions of carnall liberty which the Apostle calls perverse disputings of men of Corrupt minds destitute of the truth 1 Tim. 6.5 and doating about questions and strife of words whereof cometh envy Strife raylings evill surmizings vers 4. which he again presseth them to avoid as prophane vaine bablings vers 20th Now from such the Word of God is clear though they walk with never such a shew of holiness and profession of spiritualness they ought to be avoyed and withdraw from as ungodly persons 3. Third sort of persons I judge Churches and Saints ought to separate and withdraw from are persons so corrupt in Judgement and tainted with such gross impious Errours in opinions as are evidently inconsistent with true grace such was Hymeneus Alexander and Philetus mentioned 1 Tim. 1.2 compared with 2 Tim. 2.17 who had made Shipwrack of faith and a good conscience such doth the Apostle mean by an Heretick Titus 3.10 Such opinions the Apostle cals the Error of the wicked 2 Pet. 3.17 which implies more then a wicked Errour which a holy Christian through weakness or temptation may be drawn into as Peter and Barnabas was Gal. 2.11 12 13 14. vers such are said to erre from the Faith 1 Tim. 6.10 which is more then to erre in the Faith for those Errours were contrary to the graces of Righteousness Godliness Faith Love Patience Meekness c. which the Apostle in the next verse exhorts Timothy to follow in his flight from the foresaid Errours Such are said to erre from the truth James 5. 19. viz. the Body and substance of saving truth for he that converts such a sinner from the errour of his way shall save a Soul from death and shall hide a multitude of sins vers 20. which clearly implyes the erring from the truth in that peace is meant such an erring as putts the Erroneous person out of a saveable state they are said to live in Error 1 Pet. 2.18 which is more then to have Error live in them In which Chapter he fully describes what sort of erroneous persons he there means from the tenth verse to the end John calls it the Spirit of Error 1 John 4.6 by which he means more then an errring spirit Jude calls such sensual separatists Jude 19. such as had no appearance of the grace of God in them but were ungodly men turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness and denying the onely Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ the whole Epistle is spent to describe those sort of Separatists now from such sort of Erroneous persons as these are mentioned and fully described least we should mistake doubtless the Church of God and Saints ought to separate from and reject 4. The fourth sort of Erroneous persons which I judge holy Churches and Saints ought to separate from are such as err in fundamentals or foundation points of Religion holding opinions that lay the Ax to the Root of the Tree of Life Now as these sorts of Errors are most dangerous to be permitted so they are most difficult to single out for though it be a thing out of doubt that there are foundation Doctrines which the Church of God ought to prefer in order to its Beeing before its Peace and Vnity yet it remains very doubtfull whether several of those precious and substantial truths that are highly to be prized and much contended for and are by several godly and sound Christians esteemed foundation points be so or no that is so to be esteemed foundations as the persons not beleeving them or holding Error contrary to them and are otherwise in the main gratious be thereby made incommunicable But as in the former cases so in this I shall decline coming to particulars as a work above my capacity and shal onely tender my thoughts in some few general Rules and so leave it to them who are more able to add 1. First I judge that Errors against the foundation points of Religion must be of such a nature and tendency as do strike at the very root of Saving-Grace and tend to unstate the the person holding them from a possibility of Salvation he living and dying therein for so Paul argues 1 Cor. 15.14 concerning the resurrection of the dead If Christ be not risen then is our preaching Vain and our faith is also Vain And also verse 17.18 And if Christ be not raised your Faith is Vain ye are yet in your Sins Then they also that are fallen asleep in Christ are perished 2. I judge they must be Errors contrary to the general tendency and scope of Scripture and to the Doctrines of Salvation plainly and evidently therein exprest which all true Beleevers concur and agree in And therefore saith the Apostle if our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost 2 Cor. 3.3 and so chapter 11.3 But I fear lest by any means as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty so your mindes should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ For if he that cometh preacheth Another Jesus whom we have not preached or if ye receive Another Spirit which ye have not received or Another Gospel which ye have not excepted c. ye might well bear with him And so Gal. 1.6 7 8. I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that hath called you into the grace of Christ unto Another Gospel Which is not Another but there be some which trouble you and would pervert the Gospel of Christ But though we or an Angel from Heaven preach another Gospel unto you then that which we have preached let him be accursed Now it is evident that that bringing in another Gospel was a joyning Circumcision and the works of the Law with Faith in Christ in Justification contrary to the very Essence of Gospel Faith as they held it Object Why how did they hold it did not you before number this among one of the Errors Paul permitted in the Church of Rome c. and prest the Church to union without separating from it Answ They held it rigidly imposing it upon others as of necessity to Salvation chap. 2.14 and 6.12 For where the same Error was held more moderately as we observe before in the Church of Rome and Corinth c. the Apostles deals milder with it there he saith Circumcision is nothing nor uncircumcision is nothing 1 Cor. 7.19 Is any man called being circumcised let him not be uncircumcised verse 8. But when they come to hold it imposingly and positively as in this verse he then changeth his voice then O foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that ye should not obey the truth c. Chap. 3.1 2 3 4. then Behold I Paul say unto you that if ye be circumcised Christ shall Profit you Nothing For I testifie again to Every Man that is circumcised Christ is become of None Effect unto you Chap. 5.2 3 4. So that the manner of holding an Error alters the case of its fundamentalness much It was Peters
Ministers p. 140 ERRATA PAge 7 l. 1. r Iohn 17.3 p. 17. l. 8. r. which p. 26. l. 24. for the r. that p. 44. l. 12. for care r. Core p. 60. l. 19. r. unseasonable p. 66. l. 21. r. quoted p. 32. 33. 34. p. 72. last line for peace r. place p. 85. l. 16. r. p. 68. p. 98. l. 8. r. aflictions p. 101. l. 10. for time r. kinde p. 104. l. 11. r. as it is p. 116. l. 11. r. p. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35 p. 119. l. 1. for which r. such GOSPEL-SEPARATION SEPARATED From its Abuses Wherein is asserted the Duty of Gods Churches separating from the World AS it is a Principle in Moral Philosophy that vertue is usualy found in mediums and Vice in extreams so may it be admitted in a great measure that Divine truth is found in mediums Errous in extreams For the Lord was not in the Wind nor in the Earthquake nor in the Fire but in the still small voyce 1 Kings 19.11 12. And therefore the way of truth in Scripture is held forth to be the strait-way Psal 5.8 Isai 40.3 4. and 42 1â— Matth. 3.3 in opposition to the crooked ways of Errour Psal 125.5 Prov. 2.15 Therefore they that would walk in the strait-path of truth and peace must take heed they avoid the Errours of the right hand as well as the left Deut. 5.32 Josh â— 7 2 Kings 22.2 Prov. 4 27. Jsai 30.21 all which Scriptures evidence to us that there is danger of running into Errour of both hands which many Christians not duely considering have runne into sad extreams like those people Amos mentions that fled from a Lyon and a Bear hath met them Amos 5.19 And as this sad evill of extreamity hath had its influence over most controversal points at this day amongst the rigid sticklers for them so in especiall manner hath it produced sad effects in the point of separation wherein as on the one hand several professing Christ not duely weighing the bounds the Lord hath set in distinguishing the Precious from the Vile have opened the door of the Church too wide so many others under pretence of separating the sheep from the Goats do shut the door too close and reject those that God hath chosen and keep such sheep out of Christs fold as have his own mark upon them And he that justifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the just even they both are an abomination unto the Lord Pro. 17 15. And therefore that the truth may be found out in this weighty case I shall make an enquiry after the rule of Christ in Church-separation from the world shal therein occasionally discusse the several principles and practices which those that erre in the extreams of either hand are stumbling in that betwixt both the straite and narrow yet sweet and pleasant path of puritie and unitie may be found out and walked in And for the more distinct handling of this matter that the truth I plead for may be as well discerned as the Errour pleaded against I shall state these two general Positions First That it hath been in all ages wherein God hath had a visible Church on earth a duty required by the Lord from such his Church and People to separate themselves in matters of his worship from all the rest of the Nations and People of the world For proof read Exod. 19.6 compared with 1 Kings 8.53 so Ezra 10.11 and 6.21 Exod. 23.16 Lev. 20.23 24 25 26. so Neh. 9 2. and 13.3 Rom. 1.1 2 Cor. 6.1 Secondly That it hath been also required by the Lord as an equal duty from his Church and People so separated to walk together in the practice of all those dutyes of worship and service required at their hands without dividing or separating from one another Deut. 5.1.3 and 18.6 and 1 Kings 8.55.62 1 Chron. 13.5 6 7 8. and 28.21 and 2 Chron. 30.1 and 35.3 Ezra 10.5 Psal 31.23 24. In which Scriptures consider the word ALL Israel and ALL Saints and so Eph. 4. to the 14. Cant. 6.9 Psal 133. Hosea 10 1 2. Rom. 16.17 and 1 Cor. 1.10 and 3.3 and 11.18 But these two Positions thus generally stated I judge will be agreed unto by most if not all sober Christians and therefore I shall spend no time in the demonstration of them in this place but referr the Reader to the Scriptures quoted and to what shall be spoken in the ensuing discourse to the several particulars relating to them And first I desire you to note if the first Position be true then the difference amongst Christians about separation is rather about the manner or extent then the thing for that the church of God in the world should be a separated People from the the World in matters of Gods worship would be ridiculous to deny Therefore the difficulty lieth in a right distinguishing betwixt the World and the Church wherein some would have that part of the World called the Christian World to be the universall Catholique Church and only the Nations of the Jews Turks Pagans c. to be the World but I hope the most vehement against separation among the reformed Churches will not admit this extent if they should it would be a difficult thing for them to clear themselves from those brands of Separatists and Schismaticks cast upon them by the Papists which if they do not they then assent that a separation may be lawfull from a People makeing an outward profession of the Christian Religion But say others when there is not only an outward profession of the Christian Religion but also a competent knowledge of the Doctrine of the Gospel and a suteable life and conversation thereto there are the bounds of the true Church but the terms of this Qualification will admit of so much difficulty in their explanation that the generality of Christians will be as far to seek for their satisfaction in this point as before For first some will interpret that term of a competent knowledge of the doctrine of the Gospel to be a bare ability through education to answer to questions given them in a Catechism which a child of six or Seaven years of age is usually more capable of and expert in then persons of grown yeares which if that be admitted then repentance from dead works and faith towards God Heb. 6.1 with all other Gospel qualifications attending the work of conversion and regeneration may be spared as to Church fellowship on earth But as various as men opinions are in the several points of Religion at this day in controversy so various are their explanations of a competent knowledge of the principles of Religion each makeing those points wherein they differ from others in and separate upon part of those points of Doctrine which the knowledge of is necessary to a Church-member the discussing of all which would take a Treatise by it self Then for the other term of a suitable conversation that will admit of as
Abrahams seed and heirs according to promise and in the 7th verse Know you therefore that they which are of Faith the same are the children of Abraham And for the Antitype of Circumcision it is evident to be the inward work of grace in the heart In whom also ye are circumcised with the Circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the sins of the Flesh by the Circumcision of Christ and so Rom. 2.28 29. Rom. 4.9 10 11 12. and divers other places Now that which I desire you to observe in order to the finding out the everlasting infallible bounds of Gods true Church and Character of his true children on earth is that these Anti-types of Abraham's fleshly Seed and Circumcision are made use of in the Gospel and pleaded for the same end That the Types themselves were under the Law as you may read at large in the Epistles to the Romans and Galatians the chief drift and scope of those Epistles being to convince the Jews that what they formerly enjoyed by vertue of Abraham's Covenant were now made out to believers by Faith in Christ pleading with them that now all partition walls betwixt Jew Gentile were broken down Eph. 2.13 14. And shewing that in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith which worketh by Love Ga. 5.6 And so Peter Act. 10.34 said Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of Persons but in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh Righteousness is accepted of him and if you do but consider the Apostles Arguments in the aforesaid Epistles to prove the Gentiles to be fellow-Heirs with the Jews and of the same body partakers of his promise in Christ by the Gospel as in Eph. 3.6 you shall find he proves it by proving that they are Abrahams seed Rom. 4.15 16 17. Rom. 9.7 8. Gal. 3.16 29. And therefore heirs according to promise Rom. 8.17 Gal. 3.29 Eph. 3.6 And that they were not of the uncircumcised but were the true circumcision Rom. 2.25 26 27 28 29. Rom. 4.9 10. 1 Cor. 7.19 Phil. 3.3 Col. 2.11 From all which Scriptures and abundance more that might be added of like tendency it is evident that the distinguishing Character of Gods People and Church in Abrahams Covenant continues the same and ought to be observed by Gods Ministers and People to the end of the world to be the true unalterable and infallible bound of Gods Church and mark of Gods Children The swerving from which hath led into all those confusions and divisions which are at this day in Gods Church most particular opinions and perswasions laying waste those old Church bounds and clipping off Gods antient Sheep mark would confine the place of his flock to their own Folds and owne none to be his Pasture sheep but such as will receive their by marks against whom the Sons of the Church of Christ may justly take up that complaint Labans sons made against Jacob Gen. 31.1 He hath taken away all that was our Fathers And of that which was our fathers hath he gotten all this glory Some on the one hand wholy breaking down this hedge about Gods Vineyard they will not so-much as admit of an inward work of grace and regeneration of heart of being born again which is the undoubted type of Circumcision and Abrahams seed as before to be the visible bound of Gods visible Church and mark of visible Saints but content themselves with a bare profession of the Christian Religion and some others there are as we minded before will add some further uncertain disputable qualifications of knowledge and suitable conversation But doubtless this unsound Principle hath Antichrist set himself upon his thron by and laid Waste the mountain of God by and trodden under his Feet the holy City by This hath let in the Boare out of the wood and the wild Beasts out of the Field to devoure that it is time for the Church to cry out against this Principle with the Prophet Isay 64.10 Sion is a wilderness Jerusalem a desolation and to plead with the Lord in the words of the Psalmist Why hast thou broken down her hedges so that all they which passe by the way do pluck her the Boar of the forrest doth waste it and the wild beast of the Field doth devoure it Psal 80.12.13 For it is evident that Antichrist if you do but observe the History of the Churches declining state made his way into Gods Church and ushered all his train of false Prophets and false Doctrines by laying waste the Churches true fence and bounds and by laying the garden enclosed Cant. 4.12 into an open field in which every unclean beast may make his den and pass through Psal 80.12 13. And as these ancient bounds of Gods Church are again discovered and made up that our spiritual watchmen may keep their guards upon the towers of these holy walls so shall the Churches purity and unity be recovered But now there are some other Christians that admit visible grace and holiness to be a distinction nay the chief and main distinction betwixt Gods Church and the world beleevers and unbeleevers but they will not admit it to be the onely distinction but will add some other private mark according to their particular opinions and perswasions some doctrine or practice that they have attained to some different understanding in from the rest of Gods people must be as a post of their own set up by Gods post as in Ezek. 43.8 in the bounds of his Church Now though this be not so dangerous as the former in regard it preserves holiness and visible grace as the main rule or bound yet the effect of this error is very sad for this was the apparent inlet of all those divisions and carnal contentions that happened in the Church of Corinth and the rest of the Churches in the Primitive times and that continues and increaseth the same at this day even to the hazard of the total ruine and destruction of the Church of Christ as we shall more at large prove when we come to speak of the particular evil consequences of it For Jerusalem must not onely be as a City of righteousness an holy City Isa 52.1 Isa 1.26 but as a City compact Psal 122.3 A City with walls Psal 51.18 Lam. 2.8 18. Cant. 5.7 Now the way to avoid both these extreams is to observe the bounds and marks that God hath set about his Church to walk about Sion and go round about her and tell the towers thereof mark ye well her Bulwarks and consider her Palaces that ye may tell it the generations following the right observation and preserving of which would make the Church to be comly as Jerusalem Cant. 6.4 God would then be known in her Palaces for a refuge Psal 48.3 we should then behold how good and pleasant a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in unity Psal 133.1 But for the first and worst
of them that afflicted thee shall come bending to thee and All they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet and They shall call thee the City of the Lord the Sion of the holy one of Israel verse 14. That whereas in thy divided disunited State thou hast been forsaken and haâ—ed so that no man went through thee I will make thee an eternal excellency a joy of many generations verse 15. the whole Chapter is spent in seting forth the mighty encrease of Gods Church in the day of its Vnity 5. The renewing of the Churches unity would abundantly tend to renew its joy and comfort The ransomed of the Lord shall then return and come to Sion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads they shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall flee away Isa 35.10 compared with the 8. and 9. verses which speaks of the Churches Unity So Psal 48.1 Let mount Sion rejoyce let the Daughter of Judah be glad c. compared with the 12. and 13. verses which speaks of Unity if for the divisions of Reuben there were such great searchings of heart surely for the healing of the divisions of Reuben there must flow in great Comfort and Joy of heart and therefore saith David who had great experience of the evil of divisions among Gods people the sense he had thereof made him cry out Psal 133. How good and how pleasant it is for Brethren to live together in unity It s like the precious ointment upon the head that runs down upon the beard even Aarons beard that went down to the skirts of his garments as the dew of Hermon and as the dew that descended upon the mountain of Sion c. He could not think of things excellent enough to compare the sweetness and comfortableness of union unto I might further proceed upon this Head as to the encrease of the Peace and all other outward prosperitie with the encrease of all spirituall graces both in the enjoyment and exercise of them but I shall leave the rest to the Readers enlargement and close up this head with this following Argument That that mercy which would prepare the way for and bring in with it such a multitude of other precious mercies must needs be it self a glorious mercy and of all other mercies inferior to it to be laboured after and prayed for But such is the mercy of the Saints union as before Therefore it ought of all mercies inferior to it to be prayed and laboured for I shall now proceed to the answering of such Objections as I can remember to have met with or have ground to beleeve will be made against the several forementioned heads and arguments drawn from them which I have deferred for this place rather then to annex them to the head or argument they may most properly oppose in regard several of them are so general that they will include the several particulars that might be made against each part thereby avoiding prolixity Now the persons from whom the ensuing objections may be expected must be either from such as do erre in the extream against my first proposition in not approving of a separation betwixt Beleevers and Unbeleevers or visibly gracious and visibly ungracious persons or otherwise from such as do erre in the extream against my second generall position of the duty of all true Beleevers and Churches separated from the World c. to walk together in the performances of all Religious worship and services without separating or dividing from one another Which two sorts of persons will include the contrary-minded to this truth in both extreams And being desirous to avoid all names of distinction that might be offensive earnestly wishing that those Nicknames of division among Saints might be like those names of Baalâ—m Hos 2.17 taken out of our mouths that the old good names of Beleevers and Unbeleevers or godly and Ungodly might be again revived I shall state the objections in a general way leaving the reader to choose such as are his own and consider the Answers to them as to himself accordingly for I judge there will be several objections that would be joyntly made by persons of several perswasions and from several Principles which to answer to distinctly would be a meanes to multiply many words to the same thing Object 1. We do admitt all true Beleevers and holy gracious persons to have a right to all Gods Ordinances and to be admitted as true members of his Church But they which only seem to be such and are poysoned with Errours and Delusions with which they would infect the flock of Christ thâ—se we only reject and speak against as Schismaticks and Hereticks c. Answ Such as the Errours and delusions may be your rejection may be just but the generality of Christians so rejected and stigmatized with nick-names by you are not of that sort but generally holds the foundation points of Doctrine and substance of Religion with you the difference lying in things very controversal Now in the purest times of the Church there were believers tainted with divers errors of a dangerous nature who yet were not rejected as incommunicable nor reproached with the odious names of Schismaticks c. by the rest of their brethren though several of them erred in points of great weight as denying Justification by Faith without the works of the Law against whom Paul wrote his Epistle to the Romans and Galatians the chief scope of which Epistles being to prove the erroneousness and danger of those Doctrines with which you may observe the Ephesians Colossians and Philippians were also tainted which error as it was held by those Christians I judge was of a more dangerous tendency then the generality of those controversies Christians in these dayes usually separate upon and in the Church of the Colossians there were several deluded with Philosophical errors and Heathenish opinions and customs as worshipping of Angels c. Col. 2.8 compared with the 16 17 18 19 verses And further what sad errors and schisms was the Church of Corinth infected with there were contentions strifes and vain janglings 1 Cor. 1.10 and 3.3 4. contradiction and contempt of their Ministers 1 Cor. 1.12 even of Paul himself whom God had used as the instrument of their conversion 1 Cor. 11.12 2 Cor. 10.1 10. given to vexatious Law suits to the shame of the truth among the heathen chap. 6. verses 1 2. and abusing of their Christian liberty to the hazzard of the destruction of the Faith of their brethren chapter 8. Errors in the administration and receiving of the Lords Supper even to the prophaning that holy Ordinance Chap. 11. Yet the Apostle in all he wrote against these great errors and miscarriages gives not a word of Command or direction to the more sober and sound to separate from those corrupted nor cast them out of the Church nor to esteem them as Schismaticks c. but labours by sound