But as it was that solicitous care I had of your present and everlasting Welfare that did at first engage me to Preach upon these subjects so the very same fire burning still in my heart being earnestly desirous the truths herein delivered may not be forgotten by you even while you have use for them this almost irresistibly urged me to enter upon the stage to encounter the harsh Censures I seriously expect for it These Sermons you know together with others upon other texts relating to this subject which to imprint also would swell the book to too great a bulk was preached both in Church and Chappel The design of them was evidently to deal with your Consciences and inform them aright in this present juncture of publick affairs what your Obligation is to your own Pastors and to prevent your Chismatical forsaking the Publick Assemblies to joyn to an Independant Conventicle Pardon me if I mistake it for I believe it cannot as it is circumstantiated consist with the principles of the old sober Presbyterians nor yet with the Modern that have any remains of settled principles concerning Church unity and Church Assemblies in them But having preacht them I easily perceived all my labours utterly lost and useless to many that either would not or could not hear them or else basely without any shew of reason reflected on them Hence I began to desire they might have some way of approving themselves further to the World and especially that they might be exposed with better advantage to your more serious and retired consideration and perusal and if it were possible that they might be known unto and narrowly examined by all under my charge These and other Motives especially knowing that other books of better worth of this or like subjects have never reacht your hands nor in likelyhood ever will do being entertained prevailed and wrought a trembling resolution in me to offer them first to some Christian friends perusal and after to put them upon this publick tryal though at first in composing them I never purposed more than the delivering them vivâ voce to your private audience It is admirable to consider how this perticular national Church suffers by Traduces and Blasphemies on all hands Meet as Christ was crucified betwixt two thieves so on the one side the Papists Anathematize us the Faithful Ministers and Members of the Church of England because we are the most professed enemies to their usurpations Idolatries and superstitions on the other side the separating Members of our Church do hate and maligne us and sometimes saucily and petulantly brand us with Popery and Idolatry and so make us limbs of Anti-christ and therefore no true or faithful Churches of Christ and that meerly for those few innocent indifferent significant ceremonies which we retain and observe for the order and decency of the Worship of God Thus are Christs sheep in the midst of Wolves His Spouse a woman in the Wilderness of wilde Beasts of all sorts this is Ephraim against Manasseh and Manasseh against Ephraim but both against Juda Herod and Pontius Pilate made friends Pharisees and Sadduces combining and agreeing against Christ But blessed be God so safe is our Church and so warrantable is our standing in it that this Flag of Defiance we can hold out against all Sadduces and Opponents that we have in most of our adversaries confessions those things in the Midst of us that in the judgements of all the Reformed Churches as may appear by the Harmony of their confessions are the only undoubted marks and infallible characters of a true Visible Church where ever they are Such are the pure preaching of the Word of God and the Right Administration of the Sacraments And this I made good to you upon that text Acts 2.42 which I trust you will remember Now whoever is once assured that the National Church he lives in and in which he was baptized is a true Visible Church of Christ He can never have just cause while it remains such essentially to separate from it but ought to live and rest with quietness and chearfulness of Spirit in communion thereof For it is every mans duty to profess himself a Christian and to own his Religion publickly and therefore publickly to partake of and frequent the Ordinances and Sacraments of the Gospel in order thereunto but this he cannot do without society and communion with some Church or other Every Christian as such is bound to look upon himself as a member of a Body viz. The Visible Church of Christ but how can he be known to be a member who is not united with the other parts of the Body Hence follows that upon all Christians there lyes an Obligation to engage in a Religious society with others for partaking of the ordinances of the Gospel Now a Christi an being actually joyned in Church society with other Christians is so long bound to maintain society with them till his communion with them becomes sin The separatist must prove that every one sins that keeps in the Communion of the Church of England or else he himself must inevitably lye under the guilt of sin for separation from it there being nothing that can justifie the withdrawing from the society of that Church wherein a Christian was baptized but the unlawfulness of continuing it Nor is it any corruptions that are crept into a Church which still remaines true and and Faithful as to its constitution and Essentials that will make it a Christians duty to withdraw from it or to gather new Churches in and out of it though it be upon pretence of purer administrations Which by the way is all that is pleaded by most of our adversaries against us viz. Some defects or Corruptions in the exercise and administration of Church order and discipline for there is no Church on earth perfectly free from these and as it is proved in these ensuing Sermons especially upon the latter text So is it excellently done by the famous Mr. Norton in his answer to Apollius as I find him quoted by Dr. Edward Stillingfleet in his Irenicum p. 111. That it is Lawful for Christians to joyn with Churches so defective and if it be Lawful to joyn with them it must needs be unlawful to separate from them for how can the God of Love and Vnity endure any rents or Schismes in the Body of Christ and then how dare any one forsake the Communion of that Church whereof they are natural and immediate members if they be not assured that it is either no Church or a false one or that it is unlawful to hold communion with it This is evidently is the Case of our Church in her separation from the Church of Rome the main ground hereof being the sin of Communicating with that Church in her Idolatry and superstition and the impossibility of Communicating with her and not partaking in her sins the practice of her Idolatry being made a necessary condition of her
Faithful are should like the importunate Widdow in the Gospel give him no rest till he have established and setled his Church in truth and peace and so give them beauty and glory even in the sight of their enemies so did Nehemiah g Nehe. 14. he sate down and wept and mourned certain dayes and fasted and prayed for the Churches miseries by this means he had wonderful success in his suite to the King in their behalf So might we the poorest and meanest of us all help Gods Church very much and prevail with God and against her enemies if we would so cry and weep and pray before God for her Exodus 17.11 h When Moses held up his hands Israel prevailed and when he let his hands fall Amalek prevailed Alass our hearts and hands are heavy in prayer and therefore doth Amalek prevail so much as he doth and Israel receiveth so many foiles and is afflicted with so many successions of miseries Such is the duty then of every Christian much more it is of every Minister of the Church as to inform himself about and to be affected with so uncessantly to pray for it yea and to prayer to joyn all his indeavours to rebuke and oppose all the enemies thereof secret or open whether they be without or within the Church it is no standing a neuter in the holy wars of Gods people He that is not with the Church to assist her to the utmost of his power is against it Meroz is to be cursed that will not come out to the help of the Lord and his servants against the mighty The zeal of Gods servants was alwayes stirring and active to stop any Schismaticks or Hereticks that did in any Age rise up in and against the Church of God h Judges 5.23 a Text strangely urged in the late Civil wars against neutrality and lukewarmness by those who hate us now implacably if we be not mode rate now as they call it that is careless of the Churches welfare When in the Church of Corinth there did but spring up a contention about so mean a ceremony as covering and uncovering their heads in prayer a very inconsiderable ceremony in comparison yet he that was ever ready to become all things to all men that by all means he might win some did then bestir himself by all means to oppose them in their presumptuous violations of the customes and orders established in their Churches though it was but in and about indifferent things i 1 Cor. 11.16 such is the duty then of every Christian member much more of every Minister of the Church of God and so is it my duty in particular as to take notice of and pray against so as much as lieth in me to oppose all the Church enemies and that 's one reason why I choose this text Not forsakeing c. And as my duty ingageth me to this choice so 2. Your necessity for there is none of you all but you have great need to be well grounded in matters of the Churches Peace and Unity as well as in any other points of Religion else will you be in continual danger of being seduced and so falling from your Baptism and Christian Profession either on the right hand or on the left For there are abundance of false Prophets gone out into the world never was Satan more let lose never was there greater Swarms of Locusts issuing out of the bottomless pit never was the Church more pestered with Schismes and Heresies never was there more broachers and fomentors of them and these as they are most diligent lying in wait to deceive they 'l Compass sea and land to gather proselytes so have they all necessary artifices and tricks of subtilty in order to that end they have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 k Col. 2.4 enticeing words to beguile poor souls and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l Eph. 4.14 Slight and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive they have a great deal of cunning even such as cheats and coggers at dice do use much craft to beguile and circumvent them that they deal with there is no safety in giving them the least audience or having any thing to do with them for these seducers as our experience teacheth us and Gods spirit hath often admonished us have a notable veine of perswading being able to use many reasons that at first sight carry in them great probability and shew of truth hence it is that many there be who have at first wondered at the gross absurdities in a contrary Religion Self-confidence seldome stand firmly in a day of trya◠witness Peter at Chrsts apprehension and have thought them such as might be answered by any simple man and so have scorned and abhorred them that yet by being over confident of themselves and careless in intertaining familiarity with those Seducers have quickly been over born and fallen into the pit of damnable errors such need there is Beloved for every one to ground themselves carefully in the knowledg of the truth as that they may not be so easily turned out of the right way but may make straight paths for their feet that they may go steadily and strongly in it m Heb. 12.13 Alas they that are Children in understanding and wavering they are easily carryed away with every wind of vain Doctrine n Ephes 4.14 and the most pernicious and damnable seducers do easily prevail with simple women that are ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth o 2 Tim. 3.6 7. they daily beguile unstable souls p 2 Peter 2.14 So great is your need then to be rightly informed in the knowledg of the truth and to be well grounded in your religion least you be unaware seduced to error and destruction and that 's another reason of my choosing the Text Not forsaking c 3. Another reason it is in order to all our joy and comfort for the fullness of our Church Assemblies and if men could be disswaded from forsaking them it could not but be matter of great joy and comfort to every truely pious heart Such a one cannot but rejoyce in the frequency and fullness of the publick Assemblies of the Church and in the Prosperity of the true Religion and right worship of God How marvellously did Gods people rejoyce in the dayes of David when the Ark of God was brought to Jerulem q 1 Chr. 15.28 And in the dayes of Hezekiah when the sacrament had been celebrated according to its first institution which it had not been of a long time before r 2 Chr. 5.26 27. So when Nehemiah had purged the house and worship of God from the corruptions thereof and restored it to it 's primitive purity It is said s Neh. 12. v. 43. the people rejoyced with great joy their wives also and their children rejoyced so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even a far off And
in time of tryal upon any condition forsake it Now this exhortation he strengtheneth by giving of directions for furthering their obedience thereunto the first is Christans mutually stirring up and sharpening one another amongst themselves that is a special help to constancy in the true Religion and a preservative against Apostacy together with a godly striving one with another who shall be first in love and well-doing vers 24. Let us consider one another to provoke to love and good works And 2. Another means to this end is the frequenting Christian congregations assemblies So comes in my Text. Not forsaking c. In the words you have evidently two parts 2. A Taxation of some for the neglect of that duty 1. The duty is to keep close to and not to forsake the Assemblies of the Church 2. The fault taxed in some amongst them is that in Schism or pride or purpose of Apostacie they withdrew themselves from these Church assemblies and so fell back again or were in the way of falling back to the open denial of Christ for separation from the true Church or the Christian society of the faithful therein is a remarkable sin tending to lead men by Schism to Apostacy from the profession of the true faith 1. Of the duty of Christians in order to their proving constant in the true Religion even to keep close unto and not forsake the assemblies of the Church The word for assemblies in the Text hath a very great emphasis in it it is a tricomposite 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as both Calvin and Hemingius upon the place observe signifies novam accessionem an increase or addition of some more members to a body congregated And these were the converted Gentiles that being converted to the faith became one with the Jews one and the same body of Christ Estius observes that because the Apostle here writes to the Jewes therefore for the Christian Assemblies he useth the word Synagogue because he would not vary from their phrase or custome of Speech any more then needs But might it not be some private meetings some separate assemblies in a corner that he calls by this name and here speakes of O no Interpreters with one consent generally interpret it of the publique assemblies of the Church in such publique places as are by Christian Magistrates or by the Rulers of the Church if the Magistrates be not Christian appointed for the publique worship of God Not forsaking the Assembling of themselves that is saith the London Annotations the publique congregation of the faithful wherein the word of God is taught the sacraments administred and common prayer and publique Thanksgiving are offered up unto God for unto such publique congregations hath God promised his blessing where hath he promised it Marke the Scriptures quoted by the Assembly for it are these d Psal 27.4 one thing have I desired of the Lord that I might dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his holy Temple for herein is implyed this promise that in the Temple the house of God there will God let us see his beauty Another text quoted by them is e Psal 122.1 I was glad when they said let us go into the house of the Lord our feet shall stand within thy gates O Jerusalem thither the tribes go up the tribes of the Lord unto the testimony of Israel to give thanks unto the name of the Lord. Of such assemblies therefore even of such as go into the said House of God whither the tribes the Multitude of the right worshippers of God go up to pray unto and praise him of these doth our Text speak Not forsakeing the assembling c. And to these Assemblies the Annotations quote that special promise as belonging unto them f Mat. 1 20. Where two or three are met together in my name that is for prayer and other Religious offices there am I in the midst of them Christ promiseth his gracious assistance to and presence with his Church be it great and numerous or be it small and with the publique and solemn congregation thereof Yes say the Schismaticks where ever two or three are met together there is he in the midst of them therefore the promise is to us or any of the Saints wherever or how few soever they be that thus meet together There is no Text wherein the separatist take Sanctuary more then this but very unsoundly For as the Reverend Mr. Ball expounds that place in his tryal of the grounds tending to separation pag 280 by the contextit appears Christ is there speaking of the Validity of the sentence of excommunication and certainly Christs meaning is not that every Society that consisteth of two or three believers met together to pray or preach have the power to excommunicate for no one example can be Alledged out of Scripture or Ecclesiastical History of the ancient Churches wherein any number of the Faithful did ever lawfully excommunicate or judg any Member of their Society without their Guides and lawful Officers moderateing the action There is no promise can be shewed out of Holy Writ wherein any such authority is bequeathed to two or three private Believers Disciples or Brethren O no but the very tenour of the words is to argue from the less to the greater thus If Christ be present with two or three gathered together in his name to ask things agreable to his will he will much more confirmin heaven what ever his officers and servants that have power from Christ to do this service in the Church in his name shall determine and conclude according to his will but they cannot meet together in his name for this or any other holy office that meet together in way of Schism contrary to his will Quomodo possunt duoaut tres in non mine Christi colligi quos constat à Christo ab ejus Ecclesià seperant saith S. Ciprian how can they be met together in the name of Christ that do manifestly separate themselves from Christ and his Church Cum Haereses Schismata nata sint dum conventicula sibi diversa constituunt veritatis caput originem reliquerunt when Heresies and Schismes arise the maintainers of them make separate conventicles for themselves they forsake Christ the Lord and fountain of Truth peace It is the Church and they that keep within the pale of the Chuch by unity and concord to whom this promise runs to give them what they meet together in his name to ask of him and to be in the midst of them I will be saith he in the midst of them That is of them that fear me and keep my precept of peace and truth Non homines ab eccelsia dividit qui fecit instituit ecclesiam sed exprobrans discordiam persidis fidelibus pacem suâ voce commendans ostendit
our peoples into sides and parties they set our people a cockloft in rebellion against us they do in a few dayes annul all that we have done in many years towards the bringing our people into a way of order and obedience they fill the peoples mouths with insultations against their Pastors they set them in a posture of defiance against us they render it most difficult for us either to keep an amicable Correspondence with our people or procure our tithes and just maintenance from them they enslave us to their humors for if we displease or reprove them in the least or deny them any Common courtesie presently they tell us they can go to these separate meetings and be welcome and so many mischiefes hereof we daily feel that I may justly Conclude this with that which our Adversaries hate even an c. for they certainly Unhinge the Government both of the whole Church and of every particular Parish But perhaps these Chappels of ease are for the peoples ease or profit if they be it is just as Jeroboams Dan and Bethel was * 1 Kings 12 28.29 for them he intended as Chappels of ease to the people Saying it is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem but his meaning was least the people going up to do sacrifice there should turn again to their Lord Rehoboam * Vers. 27. He pretended the peoples accommodation and ease as a cloak to cover his own diffidence and cursed policy Just the like plea is used by some for these Chappels of ease the Parishes are too large it is too much for them to go to the Church for then perhaps in time we might bring them back again to their just duties and obedience or if you will they are such Chappels of ease as Samaria was to Jerusalem * See Mr. Joseph Meed Diatribae pag. 205. Nehe 13.28 Manasse brother to Jaddo the High priest of the returned Jewes had married the daughter of Sanballat then governor of Samaria and for this he was expelled Jerusalem by Nehemiah and therefore he fled to Sanballat his father in law and after his example many other of the Jewes of the best ranks having married strange wives likewise and loath to forgo them betook themselves thither also Sanballat willingly entertained them and made his son in Law Manasse their Priest for whose greater reputation and State when Alexander the great subdued the Persian Monarchy he obtained leave of him to build a Temple upon Mount Gerizim where his son in Law exercised the office of the High Priest Now this became an occasion of a Continual Schisme for those that were discontented or excommunicated at Jerusalem presently betook themselves to Samaria and just so do our people in the same case to these new licensed Chappels of ease and the Samaritan preachers thereof which whether it be a schisme and a breach of the Unity of the Catholick Church I leave to those to judg who have read how ill the Bishops in the primitive Churches resented it when other their fellow Bishops received those they had excommunicated into their Communion And now Reader do but Consider that not one of these pretences but they serve the turnes of all Sects one as well as other Independents Anabaptists and Quakers as well as the better sort of non-Conformists all alike and so they are by Mr. Baxter lovingly coupled together as brethren and indeed to them all these pleas are equally subservient Consider but this and then I submit all that is said both here and in the Sermons to this equal and impartial censure and as I freely give leave thou should reject whatever is tart or sarcastical above what the nature of the thing requires or whatever to thy more Sound judgment shall appear false and untrue so do I only request of thee this favour to which even thy self interest obligeth thee that is to believe me wherever thou seest reason or Scripture for what I say Consider all and the Lord give thee understanding in all things THE OBLIGATION OF CONSCIENCE Not to forsake PUBLICK ASSEMBLIES Hebrewes 10.25 Not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is BEfore I close with my Text give me leave to shew you in a few words what great reasons I have to make choice of it for the subject of my present discourse These are three My duty Your necessity and all Our comfort 1. My duty in respect of the Church of God as a Member but especially as a Minister thereof As a Member for it is every Christians duty to inform himself by the best meanes he can how it fareth with the Church of God but especially to take notice of and be affected with the State of that particular Church whereof he is an immediate member Men are most what too inquisitive of news behold this is the news we should inquire after When Gods people were in battel against the Philistines and had the Ark of God with them in the Camp it is said a 1 Sam 4.13 that old Eli sate upon a seat in the way side watching and hearkning how Gods people sped and the reason is given for his heart trembled for the Ark of God therefore he sate watching that he might hear what became of it So when there came one to David out of the Camp of Israel b 2 Sam 1.3.4 David was very inquisitive how it fared with the Lords host How went the matter saith he I pray thee tell me The like you see in Nehemiah c Neh. 1.2 so soon as Hanani came to him the first question he asked him was concerning the state of Gods people that dwelt at Jerusalem though he wanted nothing himself being a Courtier in great place and favour with that mighty King yet could he not but inquire of and be affected with the state of Gods people Nay Moses being in the height of honour in Pharoahs Court did not onely inquire but went out to his brethren and looked on their burdens d Exodus 2.11 All these examples teach us that it is our duty as to inform our selves about so to consider the burdens of Gods Church and be affected with the miseries thereof and every one in our several places to have a care of the cause of Religion in the world and especially we ought continually to inportune the Lord in behalf thereof and never forget it in our prayers to God Ye that have escaped the sword e Jeremiah 51.50 Stand not still remenber the Lord afar off and let Jerusalem come into your mind Ye that are the Lords remembrancers saith the Prophet Esay f Isaia 62.67 keep not silence and give him no rest till he establish and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth Jerusalem is like to become a reproach an hissing to the world more and more if things go on as they do but we therefore that are the Lords Solicitors and Remembrancers as all the
magis esse se cum duobus aut tribus unanimitèr orantibus quà m cum decedentibus pluribus plusque impetrari posse paucorum concordi prece quà m discordi multorum oratione Saith S. Cyprian g De Vnitate Ecclesiâ—e as I find him quoted by Doct. Forbes in his Irenicumâ— Surely our Saviour doth not by this promise warrant divisions from that Church which he himself hath made and gathered but rather upbraiding the contentions of the perfidious and commending unity and unaminity to the faithful he teacheth us that he will rather be with two or three of them met together with one accord in his name and according to his appointment then with multitudes of them that depart from them and that he will rather answer the uniform prayers of a few peace able believers then the jarring prayers of many that divide themselves into sides and factions Can they think that Christ will be in the midst of them that are met together out of the Church of Christ Nay though such should suffer Martyrdome in the confession of his name yet cannot that blot and stain of their Schism be washed away in their blood Inexpiabilis gravis culpa discordiae nâ—c passione purgatur the great and inexpiable fault of separation and dissention cannot be purged by the most bitter passion or suffering Esse martyr non potest qui in ecclesiâ non est he cannot be a true martyr that keeps not unity in the Church Ad regnum pervenire non poterit qui eam quae regnatura est derelinquit He cannot attain the Kingdome that forsakes her that must raign in it It was peace that Christ gave us and bequeathed unto us It is concord and unanimity that he hath commanded us He hath strictly injoyned us to keep the covenants of love and Charity pure and inviolate So that he can never prove a right Martyr for the truth that keeps not Charity with the brethren h 1 Cor. 122. though I have faith so as to remove mountains or bestow all my goods upon the poor or give my body to be burned and have not charity it profiteth nothing God himself is love and therefore they that break the bond of love can never have God God cannot be in the midst of them so that it is not to private conventicles that this promise runs but to the publique congregations of the Church of which my Text here speaks Not forsakeing the Assembling of your selves as the manner of some is My way being thus clear and the meaning of the Text being thus made out and explained I shall from what is said raise this observation and prosecute it Doct. That it is the undoubted duty of all pious Christians that desire to prove constant to the true Religion to frequent and not to neglect the publique Assemblies of the Church Which truth that I may prove undenyable and convince the judgments of all that are teachable and will not stop their ears against the truth I will proceed in these gradual propositions The First shall be the furthest off Prop. but the foundation of all the rest taken from the end of Religious Assemblies even this That God is to be worshiped Adorability is due and proper unto God There is such infinite absolute perfection in the divine nature as necessarily calls for religious worship at the creatures hands with this truth our blessed Saviour repelled that great temptation of the Divel to fall down and worship him i Mat. 4 10s It is written thou shall worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve This worship is due unto God and is due unto God only for he alone is qualified with those properties and attributes omniscience omnipresence omnipotence c. that are necessary to make a being Adorable so with him no creature can claim a partner-ship in divine Adoration and religious worship without great Sacriledg nor can any be given to it without gross and abominable Idolatry by this are the Papists therefore convinced of grievious Idolatry in that they worship those things with a religious worship which are no proper objects thereof as Images and Saints and the like But I onely name this Proposition because it is alien from the Text though the foundation of all that is to be â—id of it Those from whom this worship is due unto God are all intelligent rational creatures Prop by the very obligation of nature Indeed though there had never any been created by God to worship him God had continued in his essential perfections as firm as ever But being it was his good will to make the world and rational creatures in it to adore him there is therefore a natural obligation lying upon them as his creatures to worship him and so own their being dependence and preservation as the product of their Creators goodness what can be more just and equitable than for a depending being to adore the fountain of his being and of his both present and future welfare or what higher piece of unreasonable injustice can there be then for the creatures to slight him from whom they drew life breath and all In a word God hath indued Angels and men especially with minds and understandings for this very end that they might know honour and adore him He made all things but them especially for himself to do homage to him and therein lies their natural obligation to serve and worship him Prop. 3 As for pure spiritual beings such as Angels are they need not being incorporeal be circumstantiated either to time or place in rendring this actual worship to God 1. They are not tyed to any time strictly so called because their very nature is measured by Eternity and not by time and being of a spiritual nature they have neither those avocations by any particular calling not necessary diversions from Gods worship as man if he had continued innocent must have had for the very sustaining of his life and being which would have been even in Paâ—adise by ordinary means by seasonable food It is therefore Probable they have no set times but continue constant in the immâ—diate worship of God unless when God applyes them as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as his ministring spirits for the service of his Church and then perhaps their even then imployments speakes them only distant from the other Angels their fellow worshippers and not absent from the real worship service of God 2. Thus it appears they are not limited to any place neither as they are not to any limied time of worship for they being Spirits are uncapable of any local circumscription As for any further knowledge of the manner and circumstances of the Angels worshipping and adoreing of God Scriptures have a deep silence concerning it and it is a learned Ignorance for us to sit down satisfied and contented without the knowledge of that which God hath thought unnecessary to be revealed indeed to inquire any further thereinto may
men may foolishly imagine that they can do well enough with the private use of the words though they injoy not the publick and can pray well enough by themselves though they have no society with the general and publick devotions Yet is it sure on the contrary that there is no such promise made to the private as to the publick Nay none at all to the private if the publick be neglected or contemned Such a woeful thing it is for men to do themselves the greatest injury that can be to deprive themselves of Gods presence by forsakeing the assemblies of his people upon this ground Gods people complained of the effect of the rage and fury of their enemies t Psal 47 7â— They razed the sanctuary to the ground defiled the dwelling place of Gods name and burnt up all the Synagogues of God in the land And Jeremiah in his Lamentations u Lam. 1.4 The waies of Zion lament because no man cometh to the solemn feasts all her gates are desolate And hence the sentence of excomunication hath ever by religious soules been accounted the greatest of punishments as casting them out of Gods presence and giving them up to Satan x 2 Cor. 5.5 so sottish are they that willfully excommunicate themselves by forsakeing the assemblies It is like a mans being outlawed in matters of civil Government by which he is deprived of all the benefits and protection belonging to a subject of the realm Just so doth this censure put them out of the priviledges of Christians and our of Gods protection for a time so as to be reckoned as strangers or forraâ—ners as heathens and publicans y Matt. 18.17 The sin of these men will best be discovered if we pass from this eighth proposition to the second General in the Text. 2. The Apostles taxation of some for this sin of forsaking the Assemblies and so putting themselves in a way of apostacy or falling back from or wavering in the profession of the true faith for so the Text runs not forsaking the Assembling your selves together as the manner of some is So then in the Apostles judgment those some whoever they be are blame worthy and are to be reproved and sharply rebuked what motives soever they may have for forsaking the publick Assemblies of the true Church they cannot forsake them and be innocent it is an act that cannot be acceptable unto God not forsaking the Assembling of your selves together as the manner of some is As there are diverse persons that forsake the assemblies So are their motives to forsake them different some give â—ne account thereof and some another all blame worthy Let us but consider and weigh the Apollogies and motives of some of them 1. The manner of some is to forsake the assemblies upon pretence of some corruptions in them It is holyness and purity these men pretend to in a high measure and therefore they forsake our assemblies because as they affirm they are unholy being mixt assemblies consisting of both good and bad a vide Robinsons and Cant books a miscellany Multitudes of the seed of woman and of the Serpent and much more they inveigh and rail bitterly against them and thence inferr a necessity of separation from them z Heb. 12.14 but that this is a most corrupt and unsound inference will appear if we consider 1. That the purest Church on earth is not free perfectly free from all corruptions The spouse of Christ is comly yet black It becomes Christs Church to be as true so humble far from arrogating perfection For any Church on this side heaven to say that she is absolute and neither wants nor abounds were the voice of Laodicea or Tyrus in the Prophet As there is no Element which is not through many mixtures departed from its first simplicity so is there no Church that breatheth in so pure an air but it may justly complain of some thick and unwholsome evaporations of sin and error in it Was not the Church typed by Noahs Ark wherein was unclear as well as clean beasts doth not Christ compare it to a feiled wherein grows both tares and wheat promiscuously until the harvest a Mat. 13.12 to a great house wherein are vessels of Gold and Silver and of Brass earth and clay b 2 Tim. 2.20 to a sheep fould wherin are foulded both sheep and Goats c Matt. 25 32. to a company of Virgins all invited by an external call to the Wedding whereof some were foolish some wise d Mat 25.1 to an orchard or vineyard e Esai 61.1 wherein all are not fruitful trees that bring forth their fruit in due season But on some God bestowes digging and dunging unto them and fencing them which cumber the ground and are good for nothing but to be cast into the fire To a vine in which are some branches that onely bear leaves of profession or at the best but sowre grapes Nay sometimes in a true Church even the chiefest members for eminency and Authority are corrupted sometimes the prime Governours of a Church as the chief Priests and Elders in our Saviours time may be great enemies of real goodness Nay to come closer to our selves 2. We must acknowledge that even in our Church and the Assemblies thereof there is such general decay of that first love and primitive piety which consisted chiefly in Humility Mortification Obedience and good works and such a general increase of all filthy and abominable sins and those too frequently uncensured unrereproved that there is just cause for any Godly man to fear least God be about to take away his tabernacle from amongst us and remove our candlestick and go far off from our sanctuary f Ezek. 8.6 3. It is undoubted that when a pious Christian considers these things he ought to be deeply affected with them and neither communicate with a whole Church in any corruptions that are evident corruptions in it nor yet pertake in the sins of any the particular members thereof but observing his brothers prophanness his duty is to admonish him and to bewail his sin and do what lies in him to bring him to a reformation thereof This is the right course but 4. This is no ground at all for him to separate from the Church or to forsake the Assembly there of it is of Mr. Hildershams Doctrines agreable to the ninteenth Article of the Church of England and that those Assemblies that injoy the word and Doctrine of Salvation though they may have many corruptions remaining in them yet they are to be acknowledged true Churches of God and such as none of the faithful may make separation from because 1. There was never Church on earth free from corruptions either in the whole or in its perticular assemblies and yet never did the Saints of God forsake them upon that account Never was there Church from the beginning of the world to this day from one side of the Earth to
not only loved the wayes of covetousness but ensnared the people in uncleannesses and upon those in the Gospel that made Gods house a house of Merchandize and so a den of thieves So that another ground and reason of mens forsaking and propagating separations from our publick assemblies Covetousness selfe interest I 'le name a 5. Even Idleness and this both spiritual and natural spiritual for because many men will take no paines in the practise of the duties of godliness which might well imploy mens whole lives therefore they fall into nice and new opin ions to imploy their active mindes So spiritual Idleness in things in which they should be imployed makes men curious and curiosity contentious The zeal of practise of humility and patience and self denyal and mortifying the flesh with the affections and lusts and renouncing the world and the other parts of real goodness this zeal grows cold and so that of disputes gets and gathers heat and vigor A lass our good works in this age fall short of the first Christians and then no wonder that our controversies exceeds theirs because we spend not our time in the one which is irksome to flesh and blood and therefore we imploy it in hammering and forging the other Pharaoh understood this well though he applyed it ill when he thought the Israelites proposals of travelling into the wilderness to their divotions was the effect of their idleness and so increast their taskes as the properest way to divert their design and as spiritual Idleness so also natural is often the cause of division For as experience sheweth such men as desert or neglect their secular callings are most apt to run after new teachers and with the widowes that neglected their office of Ministration to be busibodies and in many families the she-zealots neglecting their proper business the guiding of the house have therefore run into conventicles and upon them have seducers acted their designs most leading captive silly women to become duck coyes to whole families besides these there are another sort of Idle persons to that can sit at home lurke by their fire sides when they should be in Gods house and though they have little or nothing to hinder them from attending his ordinance yet any pretence a showr of rain a sore finger an Aking head a thin blast of weather will serve the turn to divert them O that such would remember Hezekiahs example who with in three dayes after he had been sick of a most painful and mortal disease went into the Temple a Esa 38.22 And the woman that on the sabbath resorted to the Synagogue though she had a spirit of infirmity eighteen yeares b Luk. 13.10 â—1 Alass the cause is mens hearts are dead and void of grace and the love of God and his word and so they find little comfort they take no delight in his publick worship and therefore are glad of an excuse David loved Gods tabernacle well For his heart and his flesh rejoyced for the living God c Psa 84.12 Those that tast how sweet the Lord is will desire the sincere milk of this word d 1 Pet. 2.2 3 O thou that art so careless whether ever thou appear in the assemblies of Gods Church in this life thou hast cause to fear thou shall never stand in the congregation of the righteous in the life to come e Psa 1.5 That 's a fifth cause of mens forsakeing or absenting from the assemblies as the manner of many is 6. There is a sixth which I will name because I will miss none and but name it because I have spoken in effect to it before The manner of some is to forsake them upon pretence they can spend their time and serve God as well pray and read good books at home as in the Church of God But God loves the gates of Sion more then all the dwellings of Jacob f Psal 87.2 David sure being both a prophet and a King could serve God as well in private as any pretenders and he had both a prophet and a Priest with him in his Banishment yet did he for all that long for the publick worship of God bewailed the want of it exceedingly g Psal 84.3 But I have fully shown you before the excellency and acceptableness of publick worship perfoâ—rmed by Godly ministers together with his people in a publick place above any private whatsoever that 's a sufficient consideration to convince them of sin that forsake the assemblies upon this account as the manner of some is Thus have I now both discovered the evident duty of all Christians and their obligation to frequent the publick assemblies in order to the publick worship of God and the sin of those men that either upon pretence of corruptions in the Church though they acknowledg it Orthodox and right in the substantials of religion or of some faults in the ministers life or opinion or gifts or carriage but in truth out of malice or hatred against him or out of pride or curiosity or Idleness or upon pretence they can as well serve God at home do neglect or forsake the publique assemblies Now what remaines but a word of exhortation to all that have an ear to hear what Gods Spirit saith unto the Churches and members of them 1. I beseech you Beloved in the Lord to learn to lay to heart your obligation to attend upon Church Assemblies and beware of those that endeavour the divisions of the Church or to divide and separate you from it It 's the Apostles own earnest exhortation g Rom. 16 17. now I beseech you brethren mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the Doctrine which you have learned and avoid them They are no lovers of your souls as they pretend they are no servants of God for your good they are no fit guides for salvation that for things meerly external adiaphorous indifferent matters of meer order or decency separate themselves from the society of a true Church and would have you so to do As if a furious brainsick sailor should upon every occasion of anger or discontent cast himself overboard presuming to be safe enough out of the ship the ordinary road way of Gods saving any soul is in the unity of the Church And that is in a conjunction of them to some visible ordinary congregation according to that h Act. 2.47 the Lord added to the Church such as should be saved but exceruntè nobis they who go out from amongst us because they was never of us as to their hearts I will not presume to judge them as to their final state yet this I 'le say that the Church being the Spouse of Christ and Schism and Heresie being a work of the Flesh an effect of so bad causes as I have shown you fully ranked by the Apostle with fornication and drunkenness and adultery and the like I would not dye in their state for all the
SOUND CONSIDERATIONS FOR TENDER CONSCIENCIES Wherein is shewed their OBLIGATION To hold close Union and Communion with the CHURCH OF ENGLAND And their Fellow Members in it and not to forsake the publiek Assemblies thereof In several SERMONS preached upon 1 Cor. 1.10 and Heb. 10.25 By Joseph Briggs M. A. vic of Kirkburton in Yorksshire Qui Christum fine Ecclesia quaerit errare fatigari potest at invenire non pâ—test Venerabilis Beda in Can. 6.1 London Printed for Nathaniel Brooks and are to be sold at the Angel in Cornhil 1675. To the Right Worshipful Sr. John Kay of Woodsum Farnley Baronet one of his Majesties Justices of Peace of the Quorum and Deputy Lieutenent for the Westriding of York J. B. Wisheth all Mercy and Comfort in Christ Jesus both now and for ever Right-worshipful YOu and all good men would think it no small happiness to the Christian World if true Religion might reign as a Law unthwarted unopposed and the Orthodox Faith being obscured by no Questions and Cavils were onely published and not disputed Faith and Religion may fitly be resembled to a pure and liquid stream which becomes muddy being troubled and as by an Inundation of water the Field or Meadow adjoyning is turned into an miry pit So when Contentions which the wise man compares to an overflowing of water overspreads the green Pastures of Sacred truth much filth of error thereby cleavs to them Hence have Faith and Religion themselves come into question though of all other things they be most certain and indubitate And as plants often removed cannot take root and prosper so Faith and Piety being removed out of their ancient standing and bended this way and that way according to mens humors loose their reverence and stability and do decay in the lives of men and Atheism gets ground Hence it is that one gainsaying another one plucks down what should be by a common labour and consent built up And hence it is that as it is impossible for a man to follow guides whose backs are turned each of other and their faces a clean contrary way so Gods people who should be led by their spiritual guides in one beaten path of Faith and Godliness are with unspeakable peril distracted not knowing what to do while their leaders call them contrary wayes By this in a word do we Christians become a Reproach both to Jewes and Gentiles and we Protestants to the derision of Turks and Papists while our Church is broken in so many factions while Aarons bells do jangle all men are in an uproar and fall together by the Ears and the fire of unchristian animosities become too often like that of the Temple never to be extinguished But which is the worst of all Religion hereby becomes as it were heart eaten I mean the heart of it that is the practise of Holiness and Righteousness daily decayeth for when some men are loath to put themselves to the trouble of an holy life they readily list themselves under a party not doubting to acquire to themselves a glorious name if they be but zealous in the defence of a tittle or punctilio how careless soever they be in the essential duties of the Kingdome of God Indeed how this should be how the Christian Religion should be quarrell'd about is next to a Miracle considering what benignity and sweetness of disposition what candour and ingenuity of Spirit what humility and mutual condescention it requireth But aut hoc non est Evangelium aut non sumus Evangelici Either this is not the Right practice of Christianity or it is not calculated for our Meridian wherein abound so much pride and uncharitableness so many strifes and divisions so much wrath and envy confusion and every evil work How far different are ours to those pure primitive times wherein Religion truely flourished For then was the spirit of Meekness and gentleness and peacableness accounted the indispensable duties and characteristical notes of real Godliness The greatest instance of piety in the first Christians was to dye and not to fight for Christ they had not then learnt to make way for Doctrines or opinions by the dint of the sword And surely no reason can be alledged why Christians should not act by the same rule and stand upon the same ground now as then But that can never be while these partition walls are daily set up amongst us while men are dayly forsaking our Church Assemblies and racking their brains and purses and interests to found or defend their private Meetings in opposition unto them Indeed this seems to be the way to perpetuate a schism in the midst of us and as it were to establish it by a Law which we and our Posterity may have sad cause to lament when it is past all prevention or Cure To prevent the unspeakable Mischiefes the Prologue of utter destruction I conceive it the duty of all men in their several places to bestir themselves in time but especially of Magistrates and Ministry and it is my ambition to be some way instrumental to remove the causes which hath willingly carried me to this hazard first to Preach and then to Print these ensuing Sermons How serviceable they are to the end for which they are designed I leave it to your Worships considerations to determine Indeed when I first resolved to publish them I could have no dispute with my self to whom to dedicate them First upon the account of my great personal obligations to you for those constant respects you have been pleased to express unto my person ever since I had the happiness to be acquainted with and seated near you and also for that eminent love of God and his Church and truth the world hath experienced and must upon all occasions gratefully acknowledge in you to the praise of God that raiseth up such worthies Besides the very matter of the book seems as much to concern your self and other good Magistrates as us the Ministers of the Church For these two Offices are so intimately related Church and State Prince and Priest Magistrate and Minister are so nearly and naturally conjoyned in a mutual interest that like Hippocrates his twins they rejoyce and mourn flourish and perish together They have most what in all ages fared alike in the world Both are deputies under and instruments of and actors for God in their several Ministrations And therefore the Devil doth alike malice them both and stirs up his instruments either to corrupt them or remove these sacred functions from their purity and integrity if it be possible or else to disquiet and destroy them God leadeth his people like a flock by the hands of Moses and Aaron * Ps 37.20 and therefore the enemies of the flock have an equal spite to both these two leaders In all Ages of the Church almost since it was constituted and established and since Kings and Queens have become the nursing Fathers and nursing Mothers thereof if the one have prospered
in his Royal Prerogative severally quoting them Gregory Nazianzen likewise Homil in dict Evangel saith cut off the Arrian impiety cut off the errors of Sabellius This I say saith he to the Magistrate Seeing my words have not that efficacy their edict shall if they will suppress such as are infected with pernicious Heresie Constantine also the first Christian Emperour prohibited the Exercise of all unsound Religions either in publick or private places commanding their books to be burned their goods to be sold their houses to be pulled down and proscribed them as Traitors and Enemies to the truth †Eusebius in vita Constantin lib. 3 cap. 36. In the late book of Ecclesiastical polity by Mr. Parker it is evidently shown as I remember for I have not the book by me that the end of government cannot be attained nor a Society preserved without a power in the Magistrate to impose some things not expressed in Gods word and a Coercive and compulsive power to enforce it And that this is no persecution as it is by many falsely so called is as evidently proved by Mr. Ashdon in his Preface to Toleration disapproved Second Edition 1670 and whosoever list may read Mr. Perkins upon the foresaid Texts in the Revelations with several other English Authors upon this subject All which do prove manifestly that this power Coercive is lawful nay requisite for the well being of the Church Now if the Magistrate have such a power that he ought to exercise it for the preservation and establishment of the Church and terror of the enemies thereof as her Nursing Father and as a Defender of the Faith will easily follow this power being undoubtedly a talent committed to him as Gods publick Servant and of it he must give an account for he ought not to bear the sword in vain * Rom. 13.4 But since through the restless Importunity of the Sects our Gracious Soveraign is pleased for reasons best known to himself and to his most Honourable Privy Council to suspend for a time this his power and to lay his Laws asleep till either their Modesty and good Behaviour be sufficiently tryed or some way be found out to open a door of peace and Purity to all moderate adversaries without dishonour to the Lawes and Lawgivers in Church and State which God of his infinite mercy grant if it be his blessed will it is not meet for any of his Loyal Subjects much less for me that am the most unworthy of them soucily or malapertly to make any publick judgement of or any unbeseeming reflections upon this his Majesties action Our part it is with quietness of Spirit in the Churches broiles to place all our trust in him for our own and the Churches preservation and prosperity who governs the World and is able to bring light out of darkness good out of evil Yet notwithstanding his Majesties act being a bare permission of that which is evil in his own judgemennt it cannot I hope be interpreted a transgression of our pastoral bounds to deal with the consciences of our people in this affair and soberly and yet zealously to let them see their duty out of Gods Law if they will see it and if by any means they will be brought to the acknowledgment of and obedience to the truth Now who knows but the Word of God may powerfully prevail to reclaim some from following the great Diana of Schism with which so many well meaning Christians are unawares bewitched or at least to preserve some in the unity of Faith and Love who else may be trapaned by the fair speeches of those that lay in wait to deceive I mean such deceivers because deviders as imitate the Pharisees as in many other perticulars so in this compassing Sea and Land to make proselytes seven times worse the children of Hell than themselves Who knows I say but the naked word of God that sword of the Spirit may be powerful to the praise of the Magistratical Assistance which used by Coercive power to compel men to come into or keep within their just bounds and limits But whether it prove so powerful or no we Pastors must whether encouraged by our superiors or no and whether men will hear or forbear and stop their ears to our Charmes or no we must do our utmost necessity is laid upon us to discharge our duty for your sound information and eternal Salvation * Ezek. 33.7 8. Nothing is more certain than that we must do our parts and leave the success to God knowing his Word commit thy way unto the Lord trust in him and he shall bring it to pass * Psal 36.5 He of his infinite Mercy give a blessing to these our labours that the builders may not build in vain but his word may be effectual to advance his glory and further your Salvation which if entertained with prejudice will render you inexcuseable and aggravate your sin and damnation at the day of Judgement THE OBLIGATION OF CONSCIENCE TO UNION AND COMMUNION WITH ELLOW-CHRISTIANS 1 Corinth 1 10. part of it â—t ye all speak the same thing and that â—tre be no divisions amongst you but that â—e perfectly joyned together in the same â—nd and in the same judgement â—T is a sound and useful observation that Mr. Baxter makes in his Cure of Church-Divisions There is in many stians alas a strange partiality in â—r apprehensions of good and evil â—e Duties they dare not omit and judge all ungodly that omit them whilest some other duties as great as they are past by and neglected as if they were no part of Religion and on the contrary some sins they fear with very very great tenderness when their Teachers can scarce make their Consciences take any notice of others as great and damnable The Papist seems so sensible of the good of unity and the evil of divisions that he thinks even Tyranny and horrid bloodshed and an Usurpation of an universal Monarchy in the Church to be not onely lawful but also necessary for the cure and prevention in the mean time to make him as sensible of the sinfulness of these unlawful means and the necessity of a serious spiritual righteousness and Christian love and meekness and forbearance is a very difficult almost impossible thing On the other side many that are really desirous to be serious and spiritual in Religion abhorring all hypocritical formality therein or any usurpation of the Prerogative of Christ or any persecuting pride or cruelty are yet strangely senseless and careless of the good of unity and the mischiefs of divisions in the Church It s sad that sacred fire of zeal should be so unequally acted and distributed all let out upon some Duties and against some sins which others as necessary are as strangely overlookt It brings to mind that cutting reprehension of the Pharisees by our Saviour a fit Looking-glass for many zealots in our Age so partial in God's Law a Lu. 11.42 Woe
with their young ones wives and children and a Ju. 20.26 all the children of Israel went up and all the People came into the house of God when they were to fight with Benjamin and then they prevailed For this cause also was Hezekiah so careful togather so solemn an assembly to keep the Passeover b 2 Chr. 30.2.1 2. It 's as necessary this for others good for every man especially Parents and Masters frequenting the publique Assemblies may do much good by their example David was much comforted in seeing the peoples forwardness in going to Gods house c Ps 122.1 Multitudes doubtless go astray and forsake the holy Assemblies by seeing others of better rank and quality doing so before them and on the contrary many would keep close unto them if the better sort would but more conscionably frequent them Hence Solomon made his Scaffold in the Temple even in the midst of the Court even that all the people might see him d 2 Ch. 11.13 and of King Joash it is said when Athalia came into the Temple he stood by the Pillar as the manner was e 2 Kings 11 24. So it is said of Josiah also f 2 Kings 23.2 and therefore God did require that the Prince should not onely joyn with the people inpublique worship and come in when they come in and go out when they go out but also should be in the midst of them that they might all see him and so take good example by him And as to give good example to others so that we our selves may partake of the fellowship and presence of Gods people that assemble there For as every godly man loveth all such as fear God g Ps 15.4 and delighteth in their Company h Psal 119.36 I am a companion to all them that fear thee and keep thy Commandement So doth he take most comfort in their company when they meet together in their assemblies to serve God In the life to come it shall be a great part of our happiness to meet together with all the faithful and to stand in the assemblies of the righteous as may appear by that observation of the Appostle i 2 Ths 2.1 we beseech you brethren by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and by our gathering togather unto him And by the Prophets speech k Psal 1.5 sinners shall not stand in the congregation of the righteous And now we have some resemblance and foretast of that comfort in our meeting together with Gods people in the Church assemblies here For by their presents and fellowship Gods grace is both confirmed and nourished and increased in us l Pr. 27.17 as Iron sharpeneth Iron so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend hence when the Brethren met Paul at Apii Forum he praised God and took courage It revived his spirit to meet with them m Acts. 28.15 so in respect of the example we are to give others and that sweetness of having fellowship with Gods people we have cause to esteem highly and frequent the Assemblies of the Church 3. That tenderness that is due to Gods honour and glory obligeth every conscionable Christian hereunto as well as his care to give good example and own his benefit For the more publique the assembly is wherein we worship and the better it is frequented the more is God glorifyed before all the world And the more solemn is the profession which we make of that duty and homage which we owe unto him upon this account it is required of great ones n Ps 29.12 to worship the Lord in the Sanctuary that so they might give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name Hence David vowed Ps 35.18 he would give thanks unto the Lord in the great congregation and praise him among much people And Hezekiah resolved to go up to the house of the Lord the third day so soon as ever he was recovered o 2 Kin. 20.8 Indeed we cannot better professe our religion and homage and obedience unto God our love and thankfulness unto him for all his mercies than by diligent frequenting the most solemn Assemblies of his Church hence the Professors of the true religion are expressed by these two things p Lev. 26.2 ye shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my Sanctuary Nay I add 4. To frequent them is not onely our duty but priviledge also it is one of the greatest mercies we enjoy on earth that we can have liberty to go to the house of God publiquely to Assemble in them to worship him there and should we not then chearfully frequent them There was nothing I am sure that David desired more in the time of his banishment than this liberty and nothing in which he rejoyced more when he had it q Ps 27.4 unicum one thing only one thing have I desired of the Lord and that I shall require even that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to visit his holy Temple r Psa 42.1.2 As the Hart panteth for the rivers of water so panteth my soul after thee O God My soul thirsteth for God even for the living God when shall I come and appear before the presence of God! and verse 4. He saith that his soul languished when he considered that had it not been for the tyranny of his enemies he might have gine with the rest of the assembly into the house of God and s Pas 84.1 â— in a kind of abrupt affection he breaks out O Lord of hosts how amiable are thy Tabernacles my soul languisheth yea and fainteth that I might come into the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh cryes out for the living God and verse the third he seems to envy the Sparrowes and Swallowes that had liberty to lay their young where he had no accesse and then he cryes out abruptly with a wonderful pathetical exclamation O thine altars Jehova my King and my God And in the three next verses he pronounceth them happy not onely that dwells in the Lords house to praise him but that hath but liberty to come to the Church though it were with a long and tedious journey through thick and thin through the Valley of Baca the rain filling the pools Yea he prefers a day spent in Gods house before a thousand elsewhere and the meanest room and most contemptible office a door keepers place before the highest in the tents of wickedness David was deeply Sensible you see how great a priviledge the liberty of Gods house is And it is observable to the same purpose when Hezekiah upon his prayer had his sentence of death revoked in what terms Gods goodness is declared behold I have healed thee and the third day thou shall go up to the house of the Lord t 2 Kings 20.5 intimating how special a faviour it was that he should have
corruptions yet so long as God continues his word and doctrine of Salvation to a people and in their assemblies it is evident he dwells among them and hath not forsaken them should men make themselves wiser or purer then God himself to forsake those assemblies which God hath not forsaken till God hath forsaken a Church sure no man may forsake it So shall any man pretend to be holier and to hate corruptions more than the Lord the holy one of Israel Now you may see Gods promise to dwell among and not forsake his Church where the word and true worship of God continues c Leu 26.11.12 I will set my tabernacle among you that is my Solemn worship whereof the tabernacle was a principal part and my Soul shall not abhor you and I will walk among you and I will be your God and you shall be my people In Judah is God known his Name is great in Israel a Psal 76. in Salem is his Tabernable and his dwelling place in Sion Object Put may not this Church may some say be guilty of such sins and corruptions as deserve that God should forsake it and for which God in his word hath threatned that he will forsake it although he hath hitherto dwelt therein True Ans but that is no sufficient warrant for any to separate from it till it undoubtedly appear that God hath indeed forsaken it and put in execution what he hath justly threatned against it Though adultery either in Man or Wife give just cause of separation he bond of wedlock being broken by it yet till a Bill of divorcement do pass between them they remain still Man and Wife notwithstanding that sin So that the woman whom her Husband had wronged is called his Wife b Mat. 2.15 Esau had justly deserved to lose the prerogative of his birth right and superiority over his Brother when he had despised and sold it c Gen. 25.34 and God had by his decree said of them the elder shall serve the younger d Gen. 25.23 And Saul deserved to be deprived of his Kingdome yea God had said that he had rejected him e 1 Sam. 13.14 and 15 23 26 28. yet till God saw it good to put his decree and oracle in execution and actually to depose the one from his birth right and the other from his Kingdome Jacob acknowledged Esau his Lord and Superior f Gen. 32.4 5. and David Saul g 1 Sam. 24.7 9. So though a Church may be unworthy before God of the name of Christs Church for the many corruptions that are in it and the Lords threatnings are gone out against it yet till God put this threat in execution and actually take away his Tabernacle and worship from iâ— it is still to be acknowledged and reverenced as the Church of Christ and not to be forsaken by the members thereof 3. Who is it that dare forsake and separate from these assemblies where men may be assured to find and attain to salvation Lord to whom shall we go thou hast the words of eternal life Accounting this a sufficient reason why they might not leave him h Joh 6.68 but men may be sure to find and attain to salvation in such assemblies where the ministry of the word and the Doctrine of Salvation is continued and purely delivered For the word and Doctrine of Christ is called Salvation i Heb. 2.3 It is the ordinary means appointed by God to bring men to Salvation k Rom. 1.16 It is the incorruptable seed at one time or other effectual in all Gods Elect that do injoy it l 1 Cor. 1.21 it is the ingrafted word m James 1.21 which is able to save our souls Thus far Mr. Hildersham All the enemies of our Church cannot deny but that both many have been and are still saved in the bosome thereof Nor can the malice of those Chams that desire to espy the nakedness of their Mother and glories to discover them shew one foundamental error with us not one Heresie whatsoever how dare they then forsake our assemblies as their manner is What though some others of your fellow members be guilty of sins and errors is that any prejudice to your salvation if you partake not with them but rather reprove them and preserve the true Faith and religion inviolate in your selves although they by walking unworthy of their callings and neglecting the conditions of the promises do forfeit their part in the blessed priviledges thereof and the things promised Yet shall the promises be made good to you if you be sound members of the Church Nor shall it prove any prejudice to your salvation that you are mixed with the wicked in it if you be not partakers of their sins n Mat. 3.12 The wheat shall be gathered into the Lords Garner and the Chaff shall be cast into the fire Hence the Apostle o Rom. 3 3. What if some did not believe shall their unbeleif make the Faith of God of no effect sure it cannot and therefore being there is no Church on earth free from all corruptions no not in its Chiefest members being that Saints in their several ages did not forsake the Church because of corruptions in them being our Saviour hath left us his own practice for an incomparable example being God himself forsakes not such Churches and Salvation may be had in them and the prophaneness of the ungodly is no prejudice to the Salvation of the godly members of the Church Then surely it is a sin in separating from our Church assemblies upon the pretence of some Corruptions in them Who however they usurp the Title of Saints and Godly and Puritanes and Christ Kingdome and Spiritual and the like yet S. Jude p markes them with a black coal Thâ—se be they who separate themselves saith hâ— sensual having not the Spirit Our Christian duty is to mourn for and shew out dislike unto what evil we see in the Church or in our fellow members So did the Faithful before the captivity q Ezek. 9.4 so did Christ r Luke 19.41 We must wait upon God who will in his due time cast his gold into the furnace and purifie it seven times will file off the rust and come with his fan in his hand and separate the wheat from the tares at the day of particular and general judgment * Aug. contra parmon lib. 3. Admonendi sunt pii ut arripiant quod possunt quod non possunt patientèr ferant ut cum dilectione gemant lugeant donec aut emendet Deus corrigat aut in messe eradicet zizanio paleam ventilis But we may not separate our selves from or forsake the assemblies thereof on this pretence as the manner of some is 2. The manner of some is to forsake our assemblies upon pretence they dislike the Pastors and Ministers thereof Some this or other is a miss in their own minister and therefore