buy Gold too dear Follow peace with all men and holiness saith S. Paul a Heb. 12.14 without which no man shall see the Lord not without which peace but without which holiness no man can see the Lord for the Gender of the Pronoun is not Feminine not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without peace some man may see the Lord having faithfully endeavoured it though he cannot obtain it for that is not his fault but without holiness which if any man want it is his own fault only no man shall see the Lord Our speaking the same things then and being joyned together in the same mind and judgment must have this limitation so far forth as may stand with Christian truth and godliness Now for positive directions To this then joyn in the second place That so the main of truth and godliness be but preserved inviolate Dirrct 2 then must Christians by all means seek Unity Unanimity and Uniformity to speak the same things It 's true the Heathen said truly that nihil minimum in Religione yet we know our Saviour distinguisheth between Mint and Cummin b Mat. 23.23 and the great things of the Law And the Apostolical Synod at Jerusalem c Acts 25.28 between things â—ecessary and unnecessary and S. Paul d Rom. 14.1 between meats and drinks and the Kingdom of God and elsewhere between the Foundation and Superstructure e 1 Cor. 3.10 11. Some truths there are which belong adsidem Catholicam others which only pertain ad scientiam Theologicam Some are questiones 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Gregory Nazianzen others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some are de side others circa sidem being such perillous superinducements as may bruise and wrench the foundation others praeter fidem in quibus salvâ fide quâ Christiani sumus ignor atur verum as S. Austin speaks f De peccato Origin cap 23 in which we may err or be ignorant believe or suspend without any hazard to the common Faith In one word as Tertullian distinguisheth of sins so may we of opinions some are quotidianae incursionis such as are usually incident to humane frailty and some are dogmat a devoratoria salutis such as proceed from heretical pride or blindness Now though we must as I said before contend earnestly for the Faith the Foundations themselves against Heresies Idolatry or Tyranny or such points as are immediately adjacent to the Foundations yet so long as there is sound agreement in Fundamental Truths and in the simplicity of the Gospel we must deny our own wits and silence our disputes in matters meerly notional or Canons that have little or no necessary influence into Faith or godly living speaking the same things with our Brethren in those matters rather than spend our precious hours in impertinent contentions so as for gain of a small truth to shipwrack a great deal of love and by perplexing our minds with less matters take off our thoughts from more necessary and spiritual imployments It was a wise and seasonable rebuke which the Marriners in a dangerous Tempest gave to a Philosopher who troubled them with an impertinent discourse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we perish whilst thou triflest So is it sad that it can be truly said of any that whilst they so wrangle about such questions as gender strife those whose poor souls ready happily to sink under the Tempest of Sin and Death cry out like the Man of Macedonia in S. Pauls Vision Come and help us do for want of the plain and compendiary way of Faith Repentance Good Works Spiritual Worship and Evangelical Obedience which should be taught them become a prey to the envious man who while we sleep will be sure to watch and goes about seeking whom he may devour O that we would be wise then by all means to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace and in nothing to give offence to the Church of God but rather silence and smother our domestica judicia our private judgments and singular fancies and conceits leaving all small dissentions to Elias quum venerit as the Areopagites did some causes to the hundred year g A Gell. p. 12. c. 7. being stiff and peremptory in none of these things against the quiet of Gods Church but speaking the same things even such things that may make men confess that God is in us of a truth In absoluto ac facili est aeternitas saith S. Hilary excellently God leadeth not his people unto life eternal by knots and inextricable questions by verbal wranglings or contentions Curiositate opus non est we have no need of Curiosity saith Tertul. Our work is to be Christians in practice not Criticks in doubtful Disputations We do but mistake the design of Christianity if we fix our selves in perplexed conceits and humours nay we pervert it if we raise and pursue contentions in the Church saith Mr. Hildersham h Upon John 4.23 This is a mark of ungodly and graceless men such as serve not the Lord Jesus but their own bellies i Rom. 16.17 18. It agrees this with S. Judes description of Seducers in his time k Verses 8 11 12. On the contrary every man that fears God his great care is to love God and keep his Commandments l 1 John 5.2 But as for doubtful things he is of a peaceable disposition in them he is of the number of them that are quiet in the Land m Psal 35.20 He spends not the heat of his zeal about for or against doubtful Opinions alterable Modes Rites and circumstances of Religion they are things too weak to lay much weight upon them being so little serviceable or disserviceable to the very design and frame of Christianity further than as our humility and obedience and meekness and other Christian Graces are exercised and manifested by them Indeed an eager defending or opposing such kind of things is †The design of Christianity by M Fowler to use the similitude of an excellent Person like the Apes blowing at the Gloworm which affords neither light nor heat nay by woful experience we find it very injurious to the very design of Christianity as that which often hardens Atheistically disposed persons when they observe the contentions of Christians about matters of this nature for thereby they often take a measure of their whole Religion and besides an eager concernedness about indifferent things is too ordinarily accompanied with a luke-warm or rather frozen indifferencies concerning the most important points and the Indispensables of Christianity It is too visibly apparent to be denied saith Mr. Page 240. Fowler that those that have such a scalding hot Zeal either for or against things of no certainty and no necessity are many of them as their Predecessors the Pharisees were in the very other Extreme as to not a few of the weightiest matters of Religion wherefore in these things I
health and strength so shortly to go to the worship of God in the house of God yea the Scriptures plainly teacheth us that though God be every where present u â—er 23.24 See this largely demonstrated in Dr Stillingfleets Sherinah do not I fill he aven and earth saith the Lord the most high dwelleth not in Temples made with hands he is not confined in them x Act 7.48 yet is he in special sort in the congregation and Assemblies of his people And sure that shewes it a great priviledge to be in Gods presence as the Queen of Sheba thought Solomous servants happy that stood before him Now Gods publique worship is called the face and preferce of God y Ps 105.4 and 42.2 Hence when Cain was for his murder banished from the place where his Parents and their families met together for the worship of God as Piscator interprets the place z Gen. 4.14 It is said he went out from the presence of God And David desired to behold in the house of the Lord the beauty of the Lord a Ps 27.4 and he said we will wait for thy loving kindnesâ— O Lord in the midst of thy Temple b Ps 48.9 And the place of Gods worship under the Law was called Bethel Gods house and the glorious Sanctuary c Ps 26.2 because the glory of the Lord filled it and sensibly appeared in it in the Tabernacle d Ex 40 34 and in the Temple and e 1 Kings 8.12 Zion is called the habitation of Gods house and the place where his honour f Ps 26.8 And Gods presence is no less in our Christian assemblies for so runs the promise a Mat. 18.20 where two or three are met together in my name there am I in the midst of them Hence S. John saw him walking in the midst of the seven golden Candlesticks b Rev. 1.13 And the assemblies of Gods people under the Gospel may as well be called glorious because the glory of the Lord appears in them also though not so sensibly yet no less comfortably and effectually as is plain by that comparison the Apostle makes between the ministery worship of God that was under the Law and this that is under the Gospel preferting this for glory and excellency far above the other c 2 Cor. 3 8.9.10 yea and as effects of this presence of God O consider what benefits are injoyed in these assemblies even matters of that worth that the very Angels themselves desired to stoop down to behold d 1 Pet. 1.10 that most comfortable and precious treasure of Gods holy word the ministry of reconciliation e 2 Cor. 5 18. the preaching of the word which is the door of Faith f Act. 14.27 that ordinance of God by which his Saints are gathered and the body of Christ edified g Eph. 4.12 that powerful means by which Satan is made to fall from heaven like sightning h Luk. 10.1 and his strongest holds are beaten down in us l 2 Cor. 10.4 that key of knowledge k Acts 20.27 by which is opened unto us the whole counsel of God l Rom. 4.11 Those Sacraments which are seals of the righteousness which is by Faith m Psal 65.2 those Monuments of Gods exceeding love unto us in Jesus Christ those seals of the kingdome those seasts for our souls of fat things full of marrow those exercises of common prayer and praising God in their proper places that house of prayer praise waiting for God in Sion n Heb. 1 14. O what priviledges are these inestimable unutterable had I the tongue of men and Angels I could not set it out sufficiently Such cause have we to love Gods house and to frequent and highly to esteem the assemblies of the Saints in it and we are sensual Sottish Foolish above measure if we do not frequent and esteem them Nay as there is a special promise of Gods presence in such publick assemblies so of Gods special protection of them of which the Angels are special ministers For as they have a charge from God to minister and do service to Gods people o Psal 34.7 and to pitch their tents about them when they assemble to serve the Lord. Hence under the Law the Curtains that the Tabernacles were made of was full of cherubims p Ex. 55.1 with the figures of them the walls of Solomons Temple were carved round about q 1 Kings 6.29 both which typified the presence attendance of the holy Angels upon the whole Church Body of Gods people as at all other times and in all other places so especially at their Church assemblies but see a full promise of protection to them r Esay 33.20 21. read it Hence David gives this for one reason Å¿ Psal 84.11 why he so highly esteemed Gods tabernacles for saith he the Lord is a Sun and a Shield unto us and t Psal 27.5 in time of trouble he will hide us in his Pavilion and in this respect they that are excluded from the Church assemblies are said to be delivered up to Satan unto his power and will and men plac't under Gods protection no longer u 1 Cor. 5.5 Therefore it concerns us to frequent the publick assemblies of Gods people both out of self love and for the good we may reap by others fellowship and for others good and for Gods glory and for the excellency of the priviledges in having liberty of Gods house we have all the reason in the World to frequent and highly to esteem them above any private meetings that seek to overturn them or our estimation of them Now from all that hath been said there naturally issueth an Eighth Proposition which is in the very letter of my text That it is a very sinful thing in any member of a true Church to separate from and forsake those holy and publick Assemblies not forsakeing the Assembling of your selves together as the manner of some is That it is sinful appears sufficiently by what is said as it is a meanes of making the worship of God less acceptable of giveing evil examples to others of abateing of Gods Glory of despight or contemning so excellent a priviledge of depriving your own soules of the fruition of Gods presence and of so great blessings flowing from it the word rightly taught the Sacrament purely administrated which should nourish and refresh your soules and strengthen your faith and confirm your assurance of Gods love in Christ The Churches prayers and so of that blessing which our joynt prayers might bring down with a full measure upon us Of the praises thereof and so that chearfulness and reviving of spirit which we might enjoy by having fellowship in those spiritual songs where Gods people do sing of his righteousness of all these benefits men wilfully deprive themselves that forsake the Assembling together in Gods house And however some
their office to watch over their souls unwearyedly to spend and to be spent to win them to Christ And so in spiritual regeneration as in natural regeneration it is love that begets Children unto Christ And on the other hand the people should be as careful of love to their Ministers Saint Paul records of the Galatians k Gal. 4.15 That they would have pluckt out their very eyes to have given them unto him far short of the Galatians are those that muzzle the mouths of the oxen that should tread out the corne That abridge the hire of the labourer and withhold the Churches right The Galatians was willing to forsake the dearest things they had in the world their very eyes if not their life for the Gospels sake and its ministry l Gal. 6.6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate to him that teacheth in all good things So I say consider what love is commanded by God from Ministers to their people and people to their Ministers But on the other hand see from whence all variance betwiâ—â— them comes even from the Devils craft and malice for no way hath he more effectual to hinder the efficacy of the word then this His five thousand years experience hath taught him that it is to little purpose to mutter a syllable directly against Gods word he sees no likelyhood to beget in Christians especially in Protestants adirect hatred of the word as such His policy then directs him to work obliquely to distil into mens hearts a hatred of their Ministers so to make them set at naught the word they preach This is the devils craft Now consider lastly how unreasonable this is what is the matter Is there some petty quarrel betwixt you wipe it of are there some occasions of disaffections look it be not causless as for the most part they are Do they reprove your sins drunkenness or sacriledge or perjury or rebellions or prophanations of Gods day or the like Alass they would not do it but in love to your souls they would have your good will and gladly be beloved of you if they durst forbear to please you but necessity lies upon them to cry a loud and not to spare to tell Judah of her sins and Israel of her abominations should you not then rather love then hate them for this and say let the righteous smite me and it shall be a kindness for faithful are the wounds of a friend but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful m Prov. 27.6 All these considerations do bid you shake off anger envy and despight by all means not to entertain the least seed thereof No evil reports no Idle accusations against your Pastor n 1 Tim. 5 19 But rather to pray for them to God to deliver them from unreasonable men o 2 Thes 3.1 And as St. Paul speakes of Epaphroditus to receive them in the Lord with all gladness and hold such in reputation p Phil. 2.29 Laying a side all malice and guile and evil speaking as new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby and then I dare say you will find no cause of forsaking the publick assemblies of the Church for your Pastors sake which was the second grand motive we propounded to consider why men are willful to forsake our Church assemblies as the manner of some is Besides these two grand occasions of forsaking the assemblies there be others we need not speak so largely of because being but named they cannot but be abhorred and being seen they discover their own nakedness such are these following 1. Some forsake the assemblies and separate themselves from us out of mear Ignorance takeing offence at many things in our assemblies causelesly or without any weighty reason they do not and are not able to distinguish between the essentials and circumstantials in Religion and so look upon any supposed mistake in the latter with detestation proper only to the perversion of the former and thence violate charity and break communion with those that hold the same faith with them These eager Spirits having a zeal without knowledg blow up minute differences with lasting contentions They raise disputes about a pin or a nail of the Temple that even endangers the whole fabrick they set the same value upon the leaves and bark of the tree as upon the fruit it self they make ado a bout a nail or tile of the house as if it were of the same concernment with a pillar or a beam they look upon that as simply evil which is onely so in some respects as it is wrong circumstantiated or which is onely not perfect in all degrees whereas did but men deliberately prize that which they oppose and proportion their displeasure to the just weight thereof their contentions would soon be calmed and never become quarrells with the Church of God Nay indeed in many it is meer sottish Ignorance that is the cause of their forsakeing the assemblies of the Church of God they was never grounded in the first principles of the Oracles of God and especially they would never learn their obligation to the Church they was baptized in to hold communion with it Perhaps these men will say they would fain do right and go the right way but they would never hearken to their right guides but gave their ears first to seducers being a little too much affected with that shew of piety they saw in them they put themselves wholy upon their directions and examples and so are carried hoodwinckt or blindfold into Schisms and damnable errors Thousands there be that have separated themselves that are meer Ignorants silly women especially that was alwaies learning but never came to the knowledg of the truth having better affections than principles whom because they would not receive the truth in the love thereof God hath given up to strong delusions to believe lies and so in some that 's one cause of their forsakeing the assemblies meer Ignorance 2. This Ignorance is oftentimes proud or conceited So that 's another cause damnable pride The wisest of men arraignes this vice as the ring-leader of divisions q Prov. 13.10 Onely by pride cometh contention Indeed there are few sins unto which pride is not either a parent or nurse but above all Schism and Heresie hath its immediate discent from it having so many lineaments and features of this deformed mother See some of these heads very largely and learnedly discoursed of by the author of the whole duty of Man in the causes of the Decayes of Christianity to whom I here acknowledg my self much indebted as sufficiently attests its extraction It is pride that makes some men dislike whatsoever is not of their own invention or whatever is imposed by their superiours or whatever others have a hand in whom they contemn or hate be it never so good or true or what is contrary to that they have formerly maintained and they are
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
be that in the Church of God there should be no noise of Axes and Hammers no difference in judgements and conceits e 2 Cor. 11.19 There must be Heresies saith the Apostle that they that are approved may be made manifest There must be Heresies even as we use to say that that will be must be his meaning is there will be Heresies there is no help for it the wit of men cannot help it The understandings of men are not all of one size and temper God hath distributed his gifts unto men severally as he pleaseth and even they that transcend in the same gifts and have the largest and clearest understandings yet they know but in part and see through a glass darkly and imperfectly and so are subject to divers errors and misapprehensions To which narrowness of our faculties add the consideration of the corruptions that is in our natures and disposition by reason of that pride that naturally aboundeth in us being self-willed and turbulent for the heart of Man is a sowre piece of clay woundrous stubborn and churlish so that the best man is not able to take down his own pride sufficiently there is more ado with this one Viper than with all our other corruptions besides and all those wars and fightings without us what are they but the scum of this pot that boyles within us the ebullitions of our lusts that war in our members f Jam. 4 1. While there is then corruptions in our natures narrowness in our faculties sleepiness in our eyes difficulty in our profession cunning in our enemies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hard things in the Scriptures and an envious man to super-inseminate there will still be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men that will be differently minded No instrument was ever so perfectly in tune in which the next hand that touched it did not amend something nor is there any judgement so strong and perspicuous from which another will not in some thing find ground of variance In the History of the Ancient Churches we find the greatest lights in their several Ages at variance amongst themselves g Irenous with Victor Euseb Hist lib. 5. cap. 26. Cyprian with Stephen l. 7. c. 31. Jerome with St Austine Aug. Ep. 8.19 Basil with Damasus Basil Ep. 10. and 77. Baron Annal. 372.15.25 Chrysost with Epiphanius Sozomen l. 8. c 14.15 Cyril with Theodoret Cyril lib. ad epoptium incepto Hist lib. 14. cap. 55. quoted by Dr Reynolds upon Rom 4.19 All our comfort then is that the time will come but we must not look for it while the World lasteth when the Son of Man will cause to be gathered out of his Kingdome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all things that offend or that minister occasion of stumbling or contention Mat. 13.41 but in the mean time sinite crescere let both grow together unto the harvest must have place ver 30. in this hard necessity therefore seeing for the present it cannot be hoped for there should be such a consonancy and unity of judgement amongst all men no not among wise and godly men but that in many things and those sometimes of great importance they may and must dissent one from another unto the worlds end I say in this hard necessity that the first evil cannot be avoided our wisedome must be to prefer the second that where there is not perfection yet there may be peace good heed must be taken least by the cunning of Satan who is very forward and expert to work upon such advantages dissention of judgements break not out into dissentions of hearts lest by different opinions our affections be estranged and at last quite alienated one from another It is one thing to dissent from another thing to be at discord with our brethren It should be the great care of Christians instead of desiring to find occasions of cavils to separate from their brethren saying I am holier than thou by all means to preserve as much as in them lies in their several places and stations the unity of Faith and Love by which onely we are known to be Christs Disciples You see the Disciples of Christ when they were waiting for the descent of the Holy Ghost upon them according to the promise of Christ they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with one accord in one place h Acts 2 1. And as if they were one man they were of one heart i Act. 4.32 The union and accord of heart amongst Christistians is the best disposition that can be to prepare them to receive the Spirit of Christ yea and is the best token and sign that they have received it Indeed this is the new Commandment the fulfilling of the Royal Law It is Christ's Commandment this is my Commandment that you love one another not but that the rest are his Commandments too but this is peculiarly declared by his mouth written in his blood Walk in love as Christ hath loved you k Eph. 5 2. But this love cannot consist with those divisions and separations which some men make from their brethren not so much out of love to truth as out of hatred and contempt of their persons That 's the second thing to which the Apostle exhorts in the Text in this speaking the same things and being if the same mind and judgement and that there be no divisions amongst us It requires in case of different judgments unanimity in heart and affections 3. There is a third thing in the Exhortation even uniformity in actions this seems to be properly in the very letter of the Text that you all speak the same things for that we may do so three things seem essentially necessary thereunto 1. That you all submit to the same Government For there is a necessity of Government to prevent confusion of one Government both in Church and State to prevent division Where there is an Anarchy or no Government confusion must needs follow among the members As it was in Israel When there was no King in Israel every man did that which was right in his own eyes l Judg. 17.6 and where there are in one body diverse Governments division must needs follow among the members as it was in Israel when Jeroboam set up a faction against the House of David * 1 Kin. 12. for the transgressions and consequently for the punishments thereof many are the Princes thereof n Pro. 28.2 Indeed we in this Nation need not be told the miseries of no Government or of many Governments or many Governors our own experience will sure for one Age make us dread it and inexcusable fools if we desire it We have all the reason then in the World to obey the Apostles precepts of submitting to them that of right are set over us and being subject to every Ordinance of Man for our own as well as for the Lords sake o 1 Pet. 2.13 And whoever speaks otherwise inciting men to cast off this yoke from their
and drinking the same spiritual drink in the holy Communion and therefore all reason that as members of the same Body and servants of the same Family we speak the same things and there be no divisions amongst us Mr. Baxter in his Cure of Divisions urgeth two or three things well in this Topick of the Church as that our union with the Church is a sign of our proportionable union with Christ and our separation from the Church is a sign of our separation from Christ nay that union is not only an accident but of the very Essence of the Church without which it is no Church and without which we can be no members of it Unity being necessary to the very being of the Church and of Christianity and that our union is necessary to our nourishment from and Communion with Christ and his Church but I refer you for these to him See it page 66. whom perhaps some will rather hear than us if we should speak the same words I shall amongst many particulars urge only four things with reference to the Church that shews the need you have to speak the same things and that there be no divisions amongst you 1. This is the only way to forward the work of God for the building up of the Church which Faction and divisions on the other hand obstructeth so as nothing more You often read in Scripture of edifying the Body of Christ Eph. 4.12 2 Cor. 12.19 and of doing all things to edifilcation The expression is metaphorical taken from material buildings often used by the Apostle with application to the Church of God and the spiritual building thereof 1 Tim. 3.15 for the Church is the House of the Living God and all Christian-members of this Church are as so many stones of this building whereof the house is made up and the bringing in unbelievers into the Church by converting them to the Christian Faith is as the fetching of more stones from the Quarries to be laid in the building Now the building in it self and that is edification is the well and orderly joyning together of Christian men as living stones in truth and love that they speak the same things and that there be no divisions amongst them that they may grow together as it were into one entire building to make up a strong and comely house for the Masters use and honour a 1 Pet. 2.9 Indeed there is nothing more conduceth hereunto than Peace Love and Concord Knowledge is very little or nothing but a puff in comparison of Charity in order to Edification b 1 Cor. 8.1 It may swell and look big and make a shew but Charity doth the deed c 1 Cor. 1.10 It lays the stones together and makes them couch close one to another and binds them up with Fillings and Cement to make them hold Hence that wise Master-builder S. Paul that knew well what belongs to this work when he speaks of compacting the Church into a building mentions the edifying of it self in love d Eph. 4.16 Indeed when all the Workmen intend the main business each in his place and office performing their appointed task with chearfulness and good agreement then doth the work go on and the building gets up apace and strongly but when one man draws one way and another another way one will have things done after this fashion another after that one mars what another makes pulls down what another sets up how is it possible while things go thus that ever the building should be brought to any perfection or handsomness and therefore well doth the Apostle joyn these two together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 e Rom. 14.19 Let us follow after the things that make for peace and things wherewith we may edisie one anot her Where the hearts and tongues of the builders are divided the building will either come to nothing or prove but a Babel of confusion for where envy and strife is there is confusion and every evil work f James 3.16 Strife will make ill work it will build up nothing unless it be Babels walls It is peace and concord that builds up the walls of Jerusalem which as it hath its name from peace so hath it also its perfection from peace and then and not before shall Jerusalem be built as a City that is at unity in it self g Psa 122.3 whe◠they that build Jerusalem are first at unity amongst themselves when they speak the same things and there is no divisions amongst them 2. As this is the way to build the Church so it is the way to preserve in both in peace beauty and safety 1. In peace The concord of Familie is their peace so is amity and concord in the Church whereas the divisions and discords of Christians disturbs their minds and discomposeth the Church Pray for the peace of Jerusalem h Psa 125. saith the Psalmist but by different forms and ways there is a breach of that peace such divisions in the Church are like wars and tumults in the Commonwealth they discompose and set it out of order It was Sir Henry Wotton's excellent saying Disputandi pruritus Scabies Ecclesiae The Itch of Disputing doth cause the Scab of the Church Every Sect finds some little pleasure in scratching by zealous wranglings and disputes for their several Opinions till the blood be ready to follow and at length it proves the bain of peace and charity and love which is the very life and soul of Christian Religion Now is not this or should it not be an effectual Motive to this Unity Unamity and Uniformity How dear should be the Churches peace to every member thereof Dulce nomen pacis the very name of peace sounds sweetly to the ear there is such a mixture of pleasantness and profitableness in it as wrapt the Psalmist into admiration ut prius miraretur quà m ostenderet he admires it himself and rouzeth others to the like admiration i Psa 133.1 Behold how good and pleasant a thing it is Brethren to dwell together in unity some things are pleasing not good as Epicurism and Good-fellowship some things good not pleasing as Fasting and Martyrdom but this both for pleasure it is like the Oyl poured out on Aaron's Head for goodness it is like the Dew on Hermon's Hill which made the Valleys fruitful So good and pleasant it is that nothing can be pleasant without it It is the desire of all hearts the rest of all Nations the end of all Contentions pacem te poscimus omnes nothing more desirable in Families in Kingdoms much more in the Church And therefore lest we violate the Churches peace it concerns us to speak the same things lest there be no peace but divisions amongst us 2. It is the way to preserve the Church in beauty and honour the concord of Christians is their beauty and honour and their divisions and discord is their deformity and shame The Church
or do not receive it in the love thereof by whomsoever it be spoken to the God of Truth thou must answer for it in the Great Day of Judgment It was wont to be a Rule of Peace amongst Divines that let but Dissenters keep their Opinions to themselves or to their Families or make them Rules for their own private practises only and who will then molest or contradict them This Liberty of Conscience is freely granted to every man to worship God himself or with his Family according to his Conscience i. e. in such a way and manner as his Conscience his Judging Faculty judgeth most acceptable * Vide Bishop Sanderson's seventh Sermon ad populum pag. 384. But if any man will go publish his Opinion to intangle the Consciences of others and seek to draw Disciples to himself and make a Party and cause divisions and dissentions amongst his Majesties Subjects and so trouble the Publick State and distract it to restrain such or punish them is no sin in the Magistrate no Tyranny over the Consciences of men no Persecution or Oppression ‖ Vide Ashdon's Epistle before his book called Tolerationâ—d sapproved c but it is his duty thus to keep men from infecting his Subjects Souls with Errours or Heresies †Vide Mr. Calamy's Sermon before the Lords Decemb 25 1644. p. 38 But now as the matter goes this great Evil seems to be unavoidable and like a most violent Torrent to bear all before it Blasphemers Schismaticks Hereticks and Idolaters think themselves loose and unfettered to our teeth they say it they may now live as they list they may publish their Erronious Opinions and intangle others Consciences and draw Disciples and make Parties and cause divisions and dissentions such as we may justly fear will never be hereafter healed by any ordinary means It were sad if we had no way left us to resist these Publick Annoyances but blessed be God it is not so this Remedy we have freedom to profess and publish Gods pure Word which is strong and will prevail a 1 Esdras 4 3â— For my part I am no Enemy unto men but only to their Errours and if I may be believed in this Infidel yet credulous Age I have no inward rancour or ill-will to a Presbyterian but love the moderate and sober with all my heart and do conceive him the best of Sects though fouly too blame in laying a Foundation for others that are intolerable to build upon and countenancing them when his own Interest seems to require it Nor would I if possibly I can avoid it exasperate him in the least but have purposely avoided all tart sarcastical Exprobations as much as I could except the matter in hand required naturally a sharp reproof Passion seldom advantageth Truth the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God The nature and evil of Schism have been by many excellent Authors largely and irrefragably opened and manifested yet may these following Sermons especially in this present juncture of Publick Affairs add some further light thereunto at least by way of Genuine Consequence For if mens Obligation to their own Pastors and the sinfulness of forsaking the Publick Assemblies upon mens modern pretences be once cleared where the Schism is and at whose door it lies will easily appear to any intelligent man Hence am I apt to think the Truths here delivered for so I really think them will be disgustful to this gain-saying and rebellious Generation Nor need we think it strange that men should account us their Enemies for their sakes for telling them the truth Thus do we but sip of that Cup our Saviour and his Prophets and Apostles drunk of and we are but sprinkled with that Baptism that they were baptized withal But this we may think strange that these Truths should be so unsavoury unto them in whose mouths they were once thought sound and indisputable nay that those who will not allow any thing no not a pin or a nail the least circumstance in Divine Worship without an express Scripture for it and who cannot I suppose contradict the Doctrines here pressed and proved out of the Scriptures nay who themselves when time was did urge them as seriously and vigorously as we now can do should now when they are put in mind of them set their brains upon the Rack to invent new Pleas and Apologies grounds only in their own fancies to elude them Let but any sober forreign Divine or Divines of the Reformed Churches that are uninterested in the Cause consider well the Constitution of our Church and compare what hath been formerly said by the best Presbyterian Guides against Toleration as they are well and faithfully represented by Mr. Ashdon in his Treatise of Toleration disapproved and as they are handsomely applied to our present case in the Book of Toleration not to be abused I say let any impartial Judge compare these with what is said in pretence of Answer and I think he could not but be astonished with the evident discovery of a love of contradiction in the greatest Pretenders to Love and Godliness the World hath ever had For what can be more light and frivolous in any rational men then to think to pass over such weighty considerations as are in those Books offered with such slight of hand as only to answer that none can know the Nonconformists minds better than themselves that when they inveighed against Toleration they never meant that themselves should not be tolerated that now the Kings Indulgence or permission of their Separate Meetings frees them from the imputation of Schism that the intruding Ministers come only as Assistants to the Parish-Minister and so offers no violation to the peoples obligation to him And lastly that their Meeting-places are in the nature of Chappels of Ease This seems to be as like the Womans looking at her Apron-Strings as we use to say to find an Excuse when put hard to it as possible can be imagined What will not men do to uphold a Party they have Espoused Well may they plead for Christian Liberty unweariedly that cannot do without this Liberty to say and unsay and say what they list Now as I think these Novel Pleas for Private Affemblies in opposition to Publick meetings must of themselves necessarily fall before the sound Doctrines delivered in these Sermons so do I conceive them so ungrounded in holy Scripture and so inconsistent with sound Reason and the experience of any ordinary Christian that they deserve no serious Confutation But yet because Mr Baxter a man to whom for some of his Works I bear a very great reverence hath in his Sacrilegious Desertion of the Holy Ministry laid these particulars down as being satisfactory to himself and offers them to others for satisfaction of their Consciences and answering our Objections against them I humbly conceive this Reverend Person hath herein written not like himself and as if he had repented of any good he had done
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
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