THE PURITY OF Gospel Communion OR Grounds and Reasons FOR SEPARATION From Persons of Corrupt Manners c. WHen the Lord of old brought up the Children of Israel out of the Land of Egypt he separated them from other Nations to be his People in a peculiar Covenant and by his Laws he sanctified them from all Uncleanness Lev. 11.25 Lev. 5.2 3. Ch. 11.24 c. Numb 19.11 13. Deut. 23.10 to 19. insomuch that whoso bore the Carkass of any unclean Beast he was to wash his Cloaths and be unclean until the Even And whoso touched the Body of a Dead Man purified not himself he defiled the Tabernacle of the Lord that Soal was to be cut off from Israel because the Water of Separation was not sprinkled upon him Exod. 12.19 Lev. 22.3 to 8. Numb 15.30 31. And whosoever eat the Passover with unleavened Bread or went unto the Holy things having his uncleanness upon him that Soul was to be cut off from the Congregation of Israel and from the presence of the Lord. And the Soul that dispised the Word of the Lord and brake his Commandments that Soul was utterly to be cut off his Iniquity should be upon him Now those Separations and these and many other legal cleansings were shadows of Gospel things whereby the Purity of the New Testament Church was set forth And to the end it should be a Royal Priesthood 1 Pet. 2.9 an Holy Nation a peculiar People to shew forth the Praises of him who hath called us out of darkness into his marvellous Light He hath left us Holy Laws for the Government of his Church 1 Cor. 5.6 7. Gal. 5.9 and for the purging out of the old leaven of Unrighteousness for a little leaven leaveneth the whole Lump as it consequently follows that such who bear with Sin in one cannot avoid bearing it in another and by opening of this Sluce a Flood of Sin and Iniquity will quickly sweep away the beauty of a Gospel Church and turn the noble Vine that was planted wholly a right seed Jer. 2.21 into the degenerate plant of a strange Vine to the dishonour of God the reproach of true Religion the stumbling of weak Christians and the hardning of one another in their Sins and Disobedience against the most Soveraign Majesty of Heaven and Earth To prevent which evils I shall therefore Treat of the way and means appointed by Christ who loved the Church Eph. 1.4 Ch. 5.25 26 27. Tit. 2.14 and gave himself for it That he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of Water by the Word That he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that we should be holy and without blame before him in Love And in order thereunto I shall here Premise that forasmuch as the Church of Christ is said to be the pillar and ground of Truth And that it is Gods building 1 Tim. 3.15 1 Cor. 3.9 Heb. 8.5 1 Pet. 2.4 5. Eph. 2.20 21 22. Ch. 4.4 5. Judge 20. It cannot be so unless it be erected according to the Pattern shewed in the Holy Mount and recorded for the Example of after Ages That every stone should be a lively Stone by Regeneration built up together a spiritual house in one most Holy Faith for as there is one Body and one Spirit so there is one Faith And it is the Duty of every Christian to help build up Gods spiritual Temple according to the pure Primitive and Apostolical Pattern and to this end they should come out from among them and be separate 2 Cor. 6.16 17. and joyn themselves to such a Congregation of Believers where they may continue together in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship tho' not personally with them and in breaking of Bread and in Prayers For the Church of Christ should not be a mixed Building tho' on Christ the true Foundation as the Apostle warneth us saying Ye are Gods building 1 Cor. 3.9 10 11. according to the Grace of God which is given unto me as a wise Master-builder I have laid the Foundation and another buildeth thereon but let every Man take heed how he buildeth thereupon for other Foundation can no man lay then that is laid which is Jesus Christ Now if any man build upon this Foundation Gold silver precious stones wood hay stubble Every mans work shall be made manifest and the fire shall try every mans work of what sort it is If any mans work abide which he hath built thereupon he shall receive a reward If any mans work shall be burnt he shall suffer loss So that the Gospel Church is not to be formed of such mixed and combustible matter as men please Rev. 1.20 1 Pet. 1.7 Exod. 25.81 Rev. 3.18 but of pure Gold yea of such as is tryed in the Fire But to proceed First I shall prove that it is the Duty of a Church of Christ to withdraw their Communion from yea and to purge out those Persons that are without Repentance for it guilty of corrupt Manners or evil Actions 1 Cor. 5.1 to 6. 1 Tim. 1.20 and that not only for committing the grosser sort of Sins as Fornication or incestuous Marriages Blasphemy or other notorious Evil but for smaller offences And first our Lord hath commanded us saying Math. 18.15 16 17. If thy Brother shall trespass against thee go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone If he shall hear thee thou hast gained thy Brother But if he will not hear thee then take with thee one or two more that in the Mouth of two or three Witnesses every Word may be established And if he shall neglect to hear them tell it unto the Church but if he neglect to hear the Church let him be unto thee as an Heathen Man and a Publican To which I shall only here say that as this trespass mentioned in the Text must be some breach of the Moral Law Mat. 7.12 in not doing to others as we would that others should do to us because it is a trespass against a Brother So it is plain that for such a cause of doing wrong if satisfaction be not given by Repentance the offender should be unto us as an Heathen Man and a Publican with whom it was not lawful to hold any Church Communion unless they were converted 2. It is said 2 Thes 3.6 Now we command you Brethren in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye withdraw your selves from every Brother that walketh disorderly and not after the Traditions which he received of us Here we have a general command to withdraw from all disorderly Persons which because I design to open it more at large in some following part of this Treatise I shall at present only note this Scripture as a positive Law to preserve the Purity of Church Communion and the Words of our Lord before recited are for the same end
Tit. 3.10 11. after the first and second Admonition reject Knowing that he that is such is subverted and sinneth being condemned of himself Now an Heritick is one that stisly maintains false opinions against the Scriptures in matters of Faith fundamental to Salvation which tho' we should be tender of judging such Christians to be Hereticks as there is Reason to hope have more the shew in weak expressions of some such like salse Principles than a being under the Power and Conduct of them seeing the Scripture saith Jude 22. we should of some have Compassion making a difference and others save with fear pulling them out of the Fire hating even the garment spotted by the Flesh Yet our Charitable Thoughts of such Christians while they are under their cloudy Profession of such Errours tho' crouded amongst other Truths whereby they are the more concealed are no warrant nor allowance for us to hold Communion with them till we can plainly see them delivered from those Errours seeing they are clearly prohibited in the Scriptures Thirdly It is the Duty of Christians to withdraw their Communion from all disorderly Persons in false Worship or in corrupt Administrations of Gospel-Ordinances And 1. Our Lord saith The hour cometh John 4.23 24. and now is when the true Worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth For the Father seeketh such to worship him God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth From hence I observe that true Worshippers must worship the Father both in Spirit and in Truth otherwise therwise they are not true Worshippers And then if we find by the Word of Truth as we are commanded to try the Spirits whither they are of God that they are such who separate themselves 1 Joh. 4.1 Jude 19. sensual having not the Spirit or that do not worship in Truth but with erroneous Matter or in a false Manner I say then we should withdraw our Communion from such as disorderly Persons in Divine Worship Mat. 15.9 And our Lord also tells us that in vain they do worship him teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of Men. So that to keep our selves from the Guilt of vain Worship we should not by our selves Isa 29.19 nor with any others worship God after the Commandment of Men but according to Gospel-Institutions 2. The Apostle saith 1 Cor. 11.2 I praise you Brethren that you remember me in all things and keep the Ordinances as I delivered them to you On this Text Mr. Will. Kissin noteth See his Book called A Sober Discourse of right to Church-Communion in his Presace That our Translation of the Greek Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendring it Ordinances is excepted against by some Papists who would have it translated Traditions to countenance the Romish Opinion to which saith he shall be opposed that the Greek Word signifieth indeed Tradition that is in English a Delivery viz. of Doctrines Ordinances Instructions or Institutions 2 Thes 2.15 by those Evangelical Preachers to their Auditors which is nothing else but the Doctrine of the Gospel first preached and afterwards committed to writing by the Evangelists and Apostles as standing Records to future Ages so that any Traditions besides what is written are justly to be excepted against and in matters relating to Divine Worship to be esteemed Apocryphal Now as the aforesaid Author saith What was praise-worthy in those Primitive Christians to whom the Apostle Paul writes can be no blemish but really a Duty in other Christians in after times to imitate To which I add That to corrupt the worship of God with mens Traditions contrary to the Apostolical Pattern is a Sin and Disorder to be purged out by the Church of Christ as farther appears in the next Section 3. It 's said 2 Thes 3.6 Now we command you Brethren in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye withdraw your selves from every Brother that walketh disorderly and not after the Tradition which he received of us 1. This general Command to the Church of the Thessalonians appears from the following Verses to be occasioned from some particular disorders that were amongst them as Ver. 11 12 14 15. For even when we were with you this we commanded you that if any would not work neither should he eat For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly working not at all but are busie bodies Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ that with quietness they work and eat their own Bread And if any Man obey not our Word by this Epistle note that Man and have no Company with him that he may be ashamed Yet count him not as an Enemy but admonish him as a Brother But yet this instance lest us on sacred Record may give us light into other Cases for seeing we are commanded to withdraw our Communion so as to have no Company with such a disorderly Brother that through Idleness when he may have work eateth not his own Bread and is a busie body who may have this to plead against such an Act of the Church that he hath not stolen nor defrauded any but getteth his Meat from House to House amongst his Christian Friends then there is ground and command for us to withdraw our selves from all those that offend in other things of the like Nature and that are guilty of frand or deceit and wrong to any Person And that this command in Ver. 6. is general including all disorders in Manners Doctrine and false Worship and so is a Confirmation of all I have said before for proof thereof appears as followeth 1. Because in Ver. 7 8. there is a plain Intimation that the command Ver. 6. To withdraw from every Brother that walketh disorderly does respect other disorders besides the particular Case of eating other Mens Bread for nought For the Apostle saith Ver. 7 8. Your selves know how ye ought to follow us for we behaved not our selves disorderly among you neither did we eat any Mans Bread for nought Observe the Word Neither imports a different disorder to what he implyed before in Opposition to his Example So that to me it 's plain that the command in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ was to withdraw from those disorders that were contrary to the Apostles examples and which were not after the Tradition which they received of them and therefore it is a general command as was said before 2. I shall give a brief Citation of what is said on the same Text in a Book intitled Asober Discourse of Right to Church Communion in Page 5. it 's said Written by Mr. Will. Kiffin quoting 2 Thes 3.6 Now we command you Brethren in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye withdraw your selves from every Brother that walketh disorderly and not after the Tradition which he received of us Which last Phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word Paradosis
So that it seems to be implyed that the Christians in those Primitive times were so zealous to preserve the Reputation of the Gospel-Ministry and the Purity of their Communion as that they were ready to receive an Accusation against an Elder sooner and on lesser evidence than against a private Member insomuch as the Apostle thought it needful to charge them not to receive an Accusation against an Elder under the legal Evidence of two or three Witnesses Moreover we see how strictly the Apostle charged Timothy that he should not use partiality in any Case of Sin to prefer one before another whether Elders as there were sometimes several in one Church or private Members Tit. 1.5 Act. 20.17 Gal. 2.11 14. but them that sinned should be rebuked before all i. e. those whose Sins could not be privately covered for want of their Repentance they whoever they were should be rebuked before all viz. so as the rebuke should reach as openly as the Sins were known and that others might also fear And therefore there is not the least Reason from Scripture for any to imagine that an Elders Sin should be more favourably dealt with than a private Members or that there is a different Rule for judging of them but that the Precepts of Christ for purging out the Leaven of Unrighteousness are to all alike Eph. 6.9 Col. 3.25 Lev. 10.1 2. Deut. 1.17 for as the Lord respecteth no Mans Person no not for Office-sake So he hath commanded us saying Ye shall not respect Persons in Judgment V. Object We ought not to leave a Church till Christ be departed from it Answer 1. If this be true then no Baptized Congregation should receive a Member from our Brethrens Communion of the Independant Churches For who can say that Christ hath left them so as not to succeed their Ministry with true Conversion of Souls and so as not to give something of his gracious presence to them and others that are sound in the fundamental Principles to Salvation who truly fear the Lord and sincerely obey him according to their Light tho' the Mist of Mens Traditions may not be clearly wiped from off their Eyes I think none can be so uncharitable and censorious as to affirm it But yet we may safely say the more we come up in our Obedience to the perfect Rule of Christ the greater our Peace and Comfort shall be and the more or the presence of God we shall enjoy in the gracious discoveries of his Eternal Love unto our Souls 2. If Christ hath not left our aforesaid Brethren and others that are not of our Communion without some gracious Manifestations of his Presence among them And if therefore according to the Objection their Members ought not to leave their Churches do not then those Baptists which plead this Argument for a mixed Communion among themselves and yet receive the Members of those Independant Churches condemn themselves thereby as Countenancers Abetters and Receivers of disorderly Persons and as such who according to this Objection have little or nothing more to say for their Separation and keeping up a distinct Church-state from them then for a private and worldly Interest And therefore away with such Pretensions for they are but a shame to us 3. If we ought not to leave a Church 'till Christ is departed from it it must be meant either of a partial or total departure If it be understood of Christ's Partial departing from a Church we must either allow it lawful for a Member to leave his present Communion when Christ hath in part forsaken that Church so as for their Declension of Spirit they are suffered to fall into such corrupt Manners erroneous Doctrine false Worship or irregular Practices which the Lord hath commanded to be purged out from among them or else that the Church it self has Power to prescribe Limits of Communion according as she shall judge without regard to the written Precepts of Christ that his presence doth bound it But as I believe no Baptized Churches will open their Mouths in favour of such an absolute Authority within themselves for that we own the Scriptures to be our Rule so it cannot be denied but that it is lawful for Members to remove their Communion to a Church which is more Pure for the same causes as a Church should withdraw their Communion from a single Member if for any cause at all But if they mean that we should not separate from a Church till Christ is wholly departed from it then it may be also argued that a Church should not withdraw their Communion from a Member till Christ be wholly departed from him Besides if a single Member should not depart from a Church till Christ be wholly departed from it then the Question is Whether Christ may be said totally to depart from a Church till at least it is manifest that she is absolutely apostatized in her Spirit from some one Article of our Christian Faith which is essential to Salvation and if till then it be unlawful for single Persons to separate their Communion from a Church of Christ than if their Church worshippeth God in a false manner so it be not in fundamentals of Salvation and maketh void a Commandment of God through Mens Traditions and are corrupted in their Morals they must still hold their Communion with such a People and it 's hard to tell how far a Church may be guilty of these Evils and not loose the Essentials to Salvation But if such a corrupt Communion ought to be held rather than a Persons Separation from it should be allowed lawful the consequents of it naturally tends to the overthrow and Extirpation of our Baptized Churches for then what Obligation of Conscience is there for Baptized Believers to set up by themselves such a Church-state which is despised and rendred obnoxious to many Christians and which is accompanied with divers discouragements and outward disadvantages more than others Besides unless it be lawful for a Member or the smaller number of a Church to separate from their corrupt Communion many Christians cannot reform nor worship God with the Church or in the Administration of all Gospel-Ordinances according to their Consciences for generally Reformers are the fewest number and if these should continue in their irregular Communion their Light will be hid and smoothered in the croud of corrupt Professors and rather put under a Bushel than on a Gospel Candlestick Mat. 5.14 15 16. to shine more clearly to those that are round about them VI. Object We are say some Persons for Charity and Union and therefore we are for Communion at the Lord's Table with Christians as such If we believe them to be but real Christians we ought to hold our Communion with them Answer 1. To our Brethren of the Congregational or Independant Churches of whom some have argued with me after the Nature of this Objection as if we were too strait in our Charity for not holding Communion with