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
Communion In this case it was evidently a sin to Communicate with her so that unless our Brethen can prove it a like sin to Communicate with us in the Church of England they can never justifie their separation from us meerly for purer Communion * A full resolution hereof you have in Dr. Stilling fleets Irenicum p 112. where though â—e grants a sins less and unchismatical nonconformity to our Church yet doth he explode any separation from or erecting new Churches in it meerly for oppose to Mr. purer administrations and this I advise the Reader to Baxters Stating the case in his sacrilegious desertion p. 17 I need not fear to say that it hath been made over and over apparent for there are a numberless number of excellent books to convince the teachable that there neither can be nor is any separation from our Church as it stands now constituted and established Nationally but rash and unjust and that those that are carried away are hurried with prejudice rather than with strength of Argument and are commanded more with the example of others their Masters and Rabbies than with the authority of the Rule of Righteousness Now how manifold and dismal have been the mischiefes of such Schisme and divisions all Ages of the Church have sufficiently experienced and we in this Nation as much as any O how woful have been the efects in our memory Our adversaries do not love to hear of them but being gall'd they kick O that they would yet declare to the world their repentance But let them give us leave to think thereof and to advise you â—ur people sometimes to keep them in mind and not to be such fooles as whom neither others harms nor your own will make to beware Are not the Experiments that have been already made of these Schisms sufficient to deter any reasonable man to take heed of any the new mediums will you turn with the Dog to the vomit and with the Sow to the wallowing in the mire again nay perhaps in time O that I may prove a false Prophet in this To wallowing in blood But pardon me for this rough stile I earnestly in the bowels of Christ beseech you in this word of softer exhortation to take heed of all Dividing wayes and methods * See the Anathemas of Ancient Councils and the Sentiments of the Ancient Fathers to the confusion of Schisme in Dr. Forbes Irenicum and of modern Divines in that pretty piece of Littlers Reformed Presbyterian Examine and try this well if our Church be not free from all defects of any those things which are essentially requisite to make it a true and faithful Church in point of Doctrine and administration of the sacraments for then it will follow if you voluntarily separate your selves from our Assemblies from the Lords Supper or administration of the Sacraments in them you are guilty of the Sin of Shism if you think it any sin at all you shew your contempt to the Spouse of Christ and the ordinance of Christ you encourage and animate the Atheist and Heretick you Provoke God to withdraw himself and remove his Candlestick his Gospel from us and as you rend and wound the Church which is the Body of Christ so do you Wilfully excommunicate your selves from the Visible tokens of the Lords presence and Love And if you can loudly complain though too often causelesly of your Church-Governours if they deprive any member of the Church of communion with her by Excommunication upon light and unnecessary occasions how much greater sin is it in the Members to deprive themselves of the same communion upon the like or less occasions saith that excellent incomparable book called The whole Duty of Man Now to remedy things that a Coercive power is very lawful nay requisite I for my part declare it to be my settled judgement and that none did write or preach more vigorously to this purpose than those that now make themselves our adversaries any one that hath eyes may see in Mr. Ashdons Book of Toleration disapproved and why should it be an unpardonable offence to urge the same truths now upon better grounds and with the same and more clear and convincing arguments The Magistrate is Custos vindexque utriusque Tabulae a Guardian as well of Divine as of humane Laws Rom. 13.4 * Rom. 13.4 He is ordained of God to execute wrath upon all them that do evil And are not false Teachers stiled evil workers * Phil. 34. And is not Heresie a fruit of the flesh and what are separating teachers but false teachers and what are separating Doctrines but unsound Doctrines and is not unsound Doctrine resembled to a canker * 2 Tim. 2.17 that corrodes the sound Flesh And the Abetters and Fomenters there of to Thieves that spoil to ravening wolves that devour and to deceitful works that undermine the truth †2 Cor. 11.13 now how the Chyrurgeon will cautorize or cut off a canker or what penalty is due to Thieves Wolves and decietful works none is ignorant Nor is the practice of this coercive power against Hereticks and Chismaticks any new thing that it should seem strange to any Christians ears In the time of the Law Asa Jehoshaphat Josiah Nehemiah punished abuses in divine Worship And under the Gospel God by Miracles did for a time supply the want of Christian Magistrates smiting Ananius and Saphyra with sudden death by S. Peter and Elymas the Sorcerer with blindness by St. Paul And the Spirit of God condemns the Church of Thiatira for not exercising her power to repress such like for suffering the woman Jezebel to teach and seduce Christs servants * Rev. 2.20 and reproves the Church of Pergamus for suffering them that taught the Doctrine of Balaam and entertaining them that held the Doctrine of the Nicolaitans * Rev. 2.14 And concurrent with Scriptures are the Primitive Fathers herein Tertullian †Tert. ad vers Gnost cap. 2. saith that Hereticks must be compelled not prayed to do their duties Athanasius said that Arrius Eudoxius and Patrophilus when they wrote unsound Doctrines were worthy of all punishments St. Augustine †Aug. E. pist 48. tells Vincentius that it is no parodox that men ought to be forced to righteousness for as much as he read that the Master said to the Servants compel them to come in * Lukè 14 23. And that S. Paul was forced to receive and embrace the truth by a violent compulsion of Christ except you should judge Lands and Goods dearer to men than their eyes And this opinion that it is not lawful to deliver an incorrigible Heretick to the secular power and to inflict corporal and pecuniary mulcts he sharply reproves in the Donatists Parmenianus Petilianus and Gaudentius * Aug lib 1 contra Epist Parmehiani cap. 7. lib. 2. Contra literas petileam cap. 10. lib. 2. contra Epistolam Gandentii cap. 17. As I find Mr. Cragg
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
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 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
in Ezra t Ezra 3.11 all Gods people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord because the foundation of the house was laid so David to aggravate the misery of his present estate v Psal 42.4 he speakes of the joy and comfort he formerly took in going to the house of God with a multitude of them that kept holy day And in that great joy the people of God had at the celebration of the passover in Hezekiahs time This is expressed for one cause thereof that the number of the communicants was so great w 2 Chro 30.26 for there Assembled to Jerusalem much people to keeep the passover a very great congregation On the other side the faithful and truely pious have ever grieved to hear or see that the Assemblies of the Church are unfrequented or neglected or that any false or Schismatical worship or congregations were set up in stead thereof Old Eli was much more afflicted for takeing a way of Gods arke then for the slaughter of the people or for the death of his own two Sons Hophni and Phinehas x 1 Sam. 4.17 in like manner the Holy Ghost noteth of his daughter in law that being in extremities of her pain and anguish it would never out of her mouth while breath was in her body that the glory was departed from Israel for the ark of God was taken away y 1 Sam. 4.22 So was it this that troubled that zealous man of God Elijah and made him weary of his life z The children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant 1 Kings 19.10 saith he that is they are fallen from thy holy Religion they have thrown down thy holy altars that is they have abolished and shown contempt and hatred to thy holy worship and why should I then desire to live any longer in such a time And for the Ecclipse of Church Assemblies we have a notable expression a Zeph 3 18. I will gather them saith the Lord that are sorrowful for solemne Assemblies who are of thee to whom the reproach of it was a burden in which Text we may observe five things 1. That it was one of the greatest sorrowes of Gods people in their captivite that they then wanted their solemne Assemblies doubtless they might have then some Religious meetings for Gods worship yea they had publique fasts then four times a year as appears b Zâ—â—h 8.19 yet their Assemblies was nothing so solemne or so populous as they was wont to be at Jerusalem that was their grief 2. The Caldeans their enemies was wont to reproach them for this and to say to them to this effect where are your solemne Assemblies now c Lam. 1.7 they did mock at their Sabbaths they rejoyced and reproached over them because they could have no such Assemblies as they was wont to have just as many wicked ones do now mock at our Churches and their ministers because people having the reins loosed may without fear forsake the publique Assemblies to erect private conventicles for themselves and do what they list as some can say to our very faces now 3. The Text saith this was a burden to to Gods people to have this reproach cast upon them as it is certainly to every true Protestant and godly man to hear of the separatists insolenttaunts to the congregations of the Church and the ministers thereof 4. Of these that were so sorrowful for the solemne Assemblies the Lord saith to his Church these are of thee they are natural Kindly children of the true Church that do stand thus affected 5. To them he doth make a promise I will gather them saith the Lord I will have a special respect to them and though they be scattered and dispersed not one of them shall be lost but I will bring them back again to their one Land I will gather them saith the Lord that are sorrwful for the solemn Assemblies who are of thee to whom the reproach of it was a burden Indeed it is a burden to every one that hath a true love and zeal of God in him to see Religion suffer the least ecclipse in any kind in any place to lose any thing of that lustre of purity sincerity or power that once it had Hence when the foundation of the Temple was laid under Zorobabel Gods people that had seen no better rejoyced in it but the Priests and Levites and chief of the fathers who were Ancient men that had seen the first house they wept with a loud voice while the rest shouted for joy b 〈◊〉 3.12 why O it grieved their hearts to see how far short that house which God was now to have came short in beauty and glory of that that God had had before in Jerusalem For as much then as it is every ones duty especially the ministers to consider the State of the Churches and especially that of which they are members and ministers to be affected with them and to pray for them and by all means to oppose the enemies thereof And there is none of us but stand in great need to be well grounded in these points that relate to the Church least we be seduced by the cunning and diligence of seducers that are abroad in the world and all our comfort will be augmented if by the light of reason and Gods word preached from such Texts as this I have read we can prevent the Apostacy of any from the Church and can discover the wickedness of those that are dayly forsaking the Assemblies thereof And it cannot but be matter of greatest grief to the truly godly to see the solemne Assemblies neglected or unfrequented or private congregations erected in opposition unto them All these particulars shew I have great reason to make choice of the Text and such like unto it till I have so fully discharged my duty and discovered the mind of God out of the Scriptures about it that I may leave the forsaking of our Church assemblies inexcusable so that they can never plead Ignorance of their duty and sin and that I may say liberavi animammeam I have delivered mine own soul To this end and purpose have I pitched on the Text. Not forsaking the Assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is For the coherence of the Text I shall wish you to look no further back then the 22 verse For the Apostle haveing in the former part of the Chapter shewn them that the Sacrifice of Christs body which he once offered hath for ever taken away sin He presseth thence a double exhortation The first in 22 vese let us draw near to God how even in and through Christ with a true heart and full assurance of faith c. And the Second is in the 23 verse Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering that is this Doctrine of Christ sacrificed and the merits thereof The truth we have received from Christ let us avow it and not
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
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
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
they care not for hearing them having itching ears they hunt out or up heap teachers to themselves To these men I shall first offer two or three things that directly tend to their better information concerning their Obligation to their own Pastor and then I shall answer their complaints of him and shew how groundless their forsakeing the solemn assemblies is in this respect The notes I shall give tending directly to your better information are Mr. Hildershams again who I believe gives in them the sence of all the old Nonconformists in this point and if they be well weighed I do believe they startle those of he Presbyterian perswasion that separate themselves from our Church or set up private meetings in time of publick worship and consequently in oppositito it They are these 1. Doubtless it is Gods own ordinance that every Pastor should have his own flock to attend upon and labour amongst them for so it is written Å¿ Acts 14.23 the Apostles ordained Elders in every congregation so speaks S. Paul to Titus t Titus 2.5 for this cause left I thee in Creet that thou shouldest ordain Elders in every City as I had appointed thee 2. By necessary consequence from the former it must needs be alike the ordinance of God that every one of Gods people should have a Pastor of his own to depend upon attend unto For the duty of Pastor and People is relative and mutual if the one be obliged by Gods ordinance to attend to a particular people then is that particular people obliged by the same ordinance to attend to their particular Pastor He may discharge this duty indeed though they be so head strong as not to submit to his ministry though they will not hear or be warned by him as their watchman yet may he by a Faithful fulfilling the work that he hath recieved of the Lord deliver his own soul but then all this while they by their own perverseness may lose the benefit of his ministry and by forsaking him deprive themselves of those holy warnings and instructions which he from the Lord prepareth for them as the straying sheep doth of that inspection and provision which his careful shepheard would have over it had it continued in its just bounds so that it is every ones duty by the ordinance of God to expect the Law at his own Pastors mouth To depend upon his ministry and hear what the Lord shall speak to him Yea he is obliged to this even in order to his own benefit 3. It is Gods ordinance also because requisite by good order in the Churches which is Gods ordinance that Christians should be distinguished sorted into congregations according to their dwellings that they that dwell next together should be of the same congregation and assembly The general equity of these rules shewes that it is Gods ordinance u 1 Cor. 14.33 and 40. God is not the Author of confusion but of peace as in all the Churches of the Saints And let all things be done decently and in order the word Parochia signifying parish doth evidently in its Element denote a compass or circuit of Inhabitants dwelling next together and so belonging to the same Congregation this as it evidently took place for order sake amongst the Jewes Moses being read to every particular Congregation in their particular Synagogues in every Church every Sabbath day Acts 15.21 So for the same same good Orders sake which was the undoubted ordinance of God the same is still on force under the Gospel For St. Paul left Titus in Creet to ordain Elders in every City So that they that lived together in the same town was apparently to be under the charge of the same Pastor and Elder x Titus 15. Feed the flock of God which is among you taking the oversight thereof not by constraint c. y 1 Pet. 5.2 Stilling fleet Irenicum 353. Alii 4. Our Author while he with other moderate Dissenters from the Church have in some respects allowed mens leaving their own Pastors to hear others better pleasing to them yet have they so far acknowledged the evidence of the truth of these particulars shewing peoples obligation to their own Pastors that they taught it thus That men might not ordinarily or usually leave them and when they leave them they must carfully approve their hearts to God that they have no other ends in so doing but their own sound edification onely and that they go to another Pastor onely because they find they can profit more in knowledg or Faith or Sanctification than by their own they complain that many Christians make choice of and applaud and admire some particular teachers without any judgment or discretion That some admire another Pastor rather then their own because he makes more ostentation of eloquence or reading or learning or such like humane gifts As the Corinthians did preferring other teachers before St. Paul himself because he was rude in speech z 2 Cor. 11.5 6. And some onely leave their own Pastors to go to others for variety sake they have itching ears and so must have a heap of teachers a 2 Tim. 4. one teacher let him have never such excellent gifts cannot please them long And some preferrs others before their own Pastors onely because they shew more seeming zeal in their voice and gesture and Phrase of speech and manner of delivery though perhaps their teaching be nothing so powerful wholesome or fit to edifie their consciences as is the Doctrine of their own Pastor These and other particulars they complain of which shewes that people are fickle and giddy headed and leave their own Pastors for want of knowledge and judgment So that whoever they be that leave them must be sure to approve themselves to that God that searcheth the heart that they do it not for any other end or upon any other account but for better edification Nay the Authors urge that when a man leavs his own Pastor go to another though he doth it in uprightness of heart onely in a desire to edifie himself yet must he seek to do it with his own Pastors good leave and consent why It is his unquestioned duty to acknowledge that by the ordinance of God he owes duty to him as to his superior in things belonging to the soul b Thes 5. ii Know them that labour among you and are overseers in the Lord and admonish you and esteem them very highly in love for their work sake Nay he is bound to seek his Pastors comfort and give him all good incouragement that he may do the work of his ministry with joy chearfulness according to the Apostles rule c Heb. 13.17 Obey them thâ—t have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your souls as they that must give an account that they may do it with joy not with grief for that is unprofitable for you See here what
thou must answer for it and be judged by it at the last day That for the first motive for this forsaking the assemblies which you see is groundlesse the prejudice men have to their Pastor concerning his life Obj. 2. Concerning his opinion For so will some say would you have us bound to hear him who is popishly affected or the next door strict in the Law too canonical nay we fear superstitious and so may mix the childrens bread with poyson and mislead us out of the right way is it not dangerous to hear him Answ To this I oppose these considerations was not Elias Jeremy John Baptist Saint Paul and our blessed Saviour who spake as never man spake accounted pestilent fellows ring leaders of Sects troublers of State Deceivers of the people how should these instances warn you of slandering your Pastor causelesly or concluding him erronious upon the malicious hear sayes or surmises of those that are not able to judge of the doctrine whether it be of God or no. Yet suppose he be erronious then must you consider of what Nature his error is for though all truths be pretious yet are truths of different natures some essential fundamental points de Fide of the faith once delivered to the Saints some circumstantial ceremonial indifferent some are perspicuously revealed in the Scriptures wherein errors are damnable some are more darkly revealed of which wise and holy men in all ages have doubted now if it be onely in circumstantial and less necessary truths wherein you dislike your Pastors opinions then must not this difference of opinion beget in you any heart burning or alienation of affection though you do discentire think diversly yet ought you not discordare disagree they that unwillingly differ in judgment ought yet to be one in heart The Spirit of God is promised to lead all his chosen into all necessary truths but not to all less essential disscâ—ntions have in all ages been between great Clerks and holy Saints contentions have even through Satans crast been cherished in the Church they are apt to disagree on earth that shall meet in the same heaven What remaines then but that love be still kept on foot and we all endeavour to avoid bitterness of contention about these things to follow the truth in love As in building Solomons Temple there was no noise heard of Ax or hammer f 2 Kings 6.7 So in the spiritual building of the Church we should not let any sound of contention be heard among us such is the duty of both Pastor and people especially it is the peoples duty to be so a ware of Satans stratagems which is to divide them from their Pastor if it be possible as not to entertain any needless jealousies or evil surmisings judge cautiously of your minister if possible Search the Scriptures as the Bereans did to see if what he delivers be agreeable to Gods word and if you find of a truth that he and you differ in opinion in things less necessary and material your care must be to pare the Apple and leave the worm and that which is eaten by it take the good and leave the bad which directions being sound and wholesome if they be observed it will naturally follow that this is no sufficient ground neither for any to leave our Church assemblies for any prejudice men have against their Pastors opinion Obj. 3 The third prejudice is against their gifts alass will some say our Minister though he be good and orthodox yet is hê a very mean preacher he is no Body for gifts where such or such come in comparisons His knowledge shallow how can he inlighten us he is no Orator how can he work on our affections or perswade us what good can we expect from his dry sapless weak Sermons or why should we be bound to hear him when we may have better by whom we may profit more to this I oppose these considerations Answ 1. There may be in Ministers great difference of gifts without any in equality at all for which the one should be preferred before the other For he who is inferior to him thou admires in one kind may excell in another perhaps in a kind more useful and benefical The gifts of God to his Church are dispenced in a marvellous great variety so that there are scarce any two ministers but they differ in their gifts g Cor. 12.14 There are diversity of gifts but the same Spirit In the Body natural the eye seeth better but the tongue uttereth better if the whole body were eye what would it do for a tongue Saint Paul had more learning and knowledge h 1 Cor. 11. being at Lystra stiled for his utterance Mercury or chief speaker i Acts 14.11 yet was not of that excellent presence as other Apostles were Barnabas in comforting the afflicted excelled him being therefore stiled the son of Consolation k Acts. 4.36 John Baptist was excellent in terrifying secure sinners l Luk. 12.17 he came in the spirit and power of Elias but our Saviour was milder not breaking the bruised reed nor quenching the smoking flax m Mat. 12.20 In liklyhood Peter did in some gifts excell the rest to whom Christ gave in special charge to feed his Lambs n Joh. 21.15 Yet in powerful reproving of sin and denouncing Gods judgments James and John excelled him being therefore styled Boanerges Sons of thunder so in the great diversity of his gifts that is amongst ministers yet each of them excelleth in their kind one may have deeper matter another a more eloquent mouth one may be sweeter in comfort another more powerful in reproof one may be graceful in pulpit another in private conference one may be excellent in interpreting to increase knowledge another in application to breed good affections in men o 1 Cor. 12.8 To one is given a word of wisdome by the Spirit to another the utterance of knowledge by the same Spirit one may excel in this gift another in that none in all Now 2. Consider this is the Lords doing for the beauty and benefit of his Church their different education dilligence or industry is not all the cause of this diversity of gifts though it be one Gods gift being now to be acquired in the use of these means whence St. Pauls injunction to Timothy p Tim. 4. â—3 give attendance to reading c. But it comes chiefly from Gods free disposition who distributed to every man severally as he will q 1 Cor. 12.11 And this 3. Makes much for Gods glory and the benefit and beauty of his Church For Gods glory for the greatness of his wisdom and freedome of his grace shineth in this difference perspicuously and for the Churches beauty and benefit for flowers of divers bigness for colour and smell do adorn a feild exceedingly with it's party coloured coat difference of voice base treble tenor and counter tenor and difserence of strings in an