A Friendly Trial of the Grounds Tending to Separation, Chapter 11
CHAP. XI. Of holding communion with that aſſembly in the worſhip of God, where we cannot perform all duties mentioned Matth. 18. 15, 16, 17.
VVHoſoever neglecteth Chriſts rule in proceeding with his miniſter or others of the church,Object. 1. both partaketh in their ſin, and ſinneth againſt Chriſts command, Matth. 18. If he be ignorant of Chriſts rule and order, yet he ſinneth: but if he know it, and do it not, then his ſin remaineth. Now the rule preſcribed by Chriſt is, That one brother offended ſhould warn any member of the ſame church whereof he is a member, if he offend him, yea though it be his miniſter: And if he reform not, he muſt proceed to warn him more ſolemnly, taking two or three with him, doing it in the name of Chriſt: If this admonition take not effect for reformation, he muſt tell the church: If the church then will not do their duty, he muſt clear himſelf, proteſting againſt their neglect therein, Hoſ. 2. 12.
The brief and plain meaning of this objection is,Anſw. That every Chriſtian is bound to perform all thoſe offices mentioned to every delinquent brother in ſociety or communion; and that it is not lawfull to abide in ſociety or communion where a man cannot perform all thoſe duties without defiling or undoing himſelf. And therein is implyed, that ſeeing the Jews had no ſuch order for excommunication eſtabliſhed amongſt them, therefore they might hold communion not withſtanding the corruptions that were found amongſt them. To trie the ſtrength of this argument, let it be granted, that our Saviour ſpeaketh not of private managing of civil affairs and private injuries, whereby we might recover what we loſt by the injurie of our brother, (for that is an indulgence or benefit, no commandment of rule and duty; yea ſometimes it is a fault not to ſuffer wrong) but of church-admonitions and cenſures,1. Cor. 6. 1, 7. and that order which he hath ſet for the winning or puniſhment of offenders. But then by a delinquent brother we muſt not underſtand onelyonly one of the ſame particular ſociety or fellowſhip, but any one, of what countrey or condition ſoever, with whom we have religious fellowſhip:Theophylact. ad Matth. 18. Chryſoſt. in Matth. Hom. 62. If thy brother, If any man that is called a brother; thy brother, that is, a Chriſtian. For our Lord hath appointed no ſuch courſe to be taken with them that are out of the church.Janſen. Harm. Evang. cap. 72. Suppoſe Chriſtians of diſtinct ſocieties living remote one from another do treſpaſſe one againſt the other, is not the innocent party bound to hold the courſe here preſcribed with the delinquent brother? The rule of our Saviour is not, That one brother offended ſhould admoniſh any member of the ſame church whereof he is a member (that is an addition which the text will not acknowledge) but, If thy brother treſpaſſe againſt thee. John 6. 59, 60. Talmidim lingu… Hebraeâ iidem ſunt qui linguâ Graecâ foreign, auditores.Chriſt ſpeaketh here unto his Apoſtles, but not unto them ſimply as Apoſtles, but as diſciples, Chriſtians, and followers of Chriſt; becauſe the things here commanded are common to all Chriſtians, and not peculiar to the Apoſtolicall function. It is further to be enquired, in what caſes we are to hold the courſe preſcribed. If thy brother ſin againſt thee. This cannot be meant of ſecret offenſes known unto one onelyonly: For wiſdome and piety both forbid us to bring into light the private ſinnes and offenſes of brethren, whereof they cannot be convinced: for this is to be a revealer rather then a healer of our brothers infirmities. If I know an offenſe committed by another whereof I can make no proof,Gratian. Decret. part. 2. c. 2. qu. 1. c. 1, 2, 3, 4, 19. in love I muſt admoniſh him privately, mourn and pray for him, and ſo leave him to the Lord, to whom the judgement of ſecret things doth belong. This is acknowledged by them who interpret this text of ſinnes ſecretly committed againſt God.Beza, Annot. in Matth. 18. 16. In thoſe ſinnes which are ſo hid and ſecret that he who ſhould deny them can be convinced with no witneſſes, there is none or very little place left to this ſaying of Chriſt.Matth. 3. 6. & 9. 2. & 12. 31. & 26. 28. Robinſ. Against Bern. pag. 180. Some would have it, that Chriſt ſpeaketh of ſecret offenſes againſt God; becauſe the word is moſt properly uſed for ſinne, and another for wrong and injury: but this will bear no weight. For the word is generall, but the phraſe, To ſinne againſt thee, is ſpoken of wrongs and injuries againſt men.1. Sam. 19. 4. Sept. foreign. As, Let not the King ſinne againſt David his ſervant: that is; Do not evil unto him; Plot not evil or death againſt him: becauſe he hath not ſinned againſt thee: that is, He hath hurt thee in nothing; He hath offended thee in no matter. Did I not ſay unto you, Gen. 42. 22. Sept. foreign. Ar…b. Erpen. Nè peccetis.Sinne not againſt the lad? that is, Hurt him not; or, Kill him not: for ſo Reuben ſpake unto his brethren when they thought of killing Joſeph. When any one hath ſinned againſt his neighbour; Gen. 37. 21, 22.that is, hath hurt or offended him by any means. What have I ſinned againſt thee or againſt thy ſervants? 1. Kings 8. 31. Sept. foreign.that is, Wherein have I done wrong or injurie to thee? And ſo in this paſſage, If thy brother ſin againſt thee: that is, If he hurt or wrong thee;Jer. 37. 18▪ Sept. foreign; not, If thou be privie to his ſin. This is plain, if it be compared with that of Luke, If thy brother ſinne againſt thee ſeven times a day: Luke. 17. 3, 4.and the queſtion of Peter, If my brother ſin againſt me, how oft muſt I forgive him? till ſeven times? and our Saviours anſwer,Matth. 18▪ 21. Rivet. Orthodox. tract. 1. qu. 8. pag. 126. I ſay not unto thee, Till ſeven times; but, Vntill ſeventy times ſeven times. Neither is our brother to be accuſed for every light fault or treſpaſſe againſt us, but for that which is ſcelus or affine ſceleri, or for that which is an argument (unleſſe the reſt of his life be known and approved) of a prophane man, a contemner of God and his neighbour.Eccl. 7. 20, 21, 22. There are ſome faults of men as it were naturall, and of no great moment: there it is not alwayes neceſſary that complaints ſhould be doubled.Pol. Lyſer. Harm. Evang. cap. 92. Some faults are to be wrapped up in ſilence, and covered with the cloke of charity.Beza, De preſbyt. pag. 46. Not all ſinnes are meant, but ſuch as are ſtumbling-blocks to mens conſciences, and ſuch as are manifeſt to be ſinnes, and to be committed, Gal. 6. 1.in caſe they ſhould be denied. But though ſins againſt God be not expreſſely intended in this place,Lev. 19. 17. by analogie they muſt be underſtood; becauſe the principall end why our brother offending is to be admoniſhed, and complained of if he do not repent,Bellarm. De verbo Dei, l. 3. cap. 5. is the ſalvation of his ſoul, which hath place in ſinnes againſt God no leſſe then in offenſes againſt our ſelves. But herein Chriſtian moderation requireth, that many ignorances, errors, infirmities, and weakneſſes of quotidian incurſion, which overtake the godly, be covered in love, and not made the matter of complaint and cenſure. Some errours and frailties be of that nature, that if by admonition of love I cannot cure them, I muſt cover them in love, yea though the party, out of a falſe perſwaſion that he is in the truth when he doth erre, ſhould be obſtinate. It muſt alſo be remembred, that this duty firſt by one, then by more, and laſtly by the church upon complaint made, is affirmative, and bindeth onelyonly when occaſion, ſeaſon and opportunity is offered, or a Chriſtian in ſpeciall is called thereunto. An oath is one branch of Gods worſhip; but he diſhonoureth not God who never ſweareth, if he be never lawfully called thereunto: and the like may be ſaid of the duty of admonition by way of cenſure. It is the office of a chirurgian to launch and cut when need requireth: but it is no impeachment to his skill or office, if he was never enforced to that ſervice. If the occaſion of admonition be juſt, a Chriſtian muſt further wait for the ſeaſon, when it may be fit to adminiſter it beſt, and in what manner. For admonition muſt be uſed as phyſick, which is not like to work kindly unleſſe the patient be in right temper to receive it. And for complaint to the church, if private admonition firſt by one then by more prevail not, a Chriſtian is not ordinarily bound unto it when he cannot perform it or do it with good ſucceſſe.Robinſ. Treat. pag. 189. If the Jews had not the diſtinct ordinance of eccleſiaſticall excommunication, yet the Lord took order then as well as now that no ſinne ſhould be ſuffered unreformed, no obſtinate ſinner uncut off. And therefore if a man committed a ſinne, whether of ignorance or otherwiſe, for which he was not to die without pardon, he was to be told and admoniſhed of his offenſe,Lev. 19. 17. and to manifeſt his repentance:Deut. 17. 12. But the obſtinate and preſumptuous were to be cut off.Numb. 15. 30, 32, 34, 36. So that the godly amongſt the Jews were firſt to admoniſh the tranſgreſſour, and if he did not repent, then to proceed further, according to the Lords ordinance. But now ſuppoſe the guides temporall or eccleſiaſticall, to whom the matter muſt be brought, be ſo corrupt that they would countenance the offender, puniſh the complainant, eſtabliſh the diſorder rather then redreſſe or amend it, in this caſe what ſhould the innocent do? muſt he complain to his undoing, or leave his ſtanding in the church as unlawfull, becauſe he cannot do the duties which God calleth for at his hands?Iſa. 57. 2. The ſhepherds of the church of the Jews were many times blind,Ezek. 34. 3. wicked,Zech. 11. 17. vain perſons,John 10. 10, 21. ſuch as Chriſt calleth thieves, robbers, hirelings. The ſcribes and Phariſees, what were they but blind guides,Matth. 15. 5. & 16. 6. & 26. 65. corrupt teachers, who cauſed the people to erre: If the diſciples or faithfull had ſought to them for reformation of abuſes, or redreſſe of offenſes, what could have been expected? If by the church we underſtand either the guides and governours, or the whole ſociety and faithfull: we know the guides of the church are many times remiſſe, idle, partiall, corrupt. 1. Cor. 3. 10.The Corinthian Paſtours built hay and ſtubble upon the foundation which Paul had laid: amongſt them were falſe Apoſtles, deceitfull workers,2. Cor. 11. 13. who did transform themſelves into the Apoſtles of Chriſt.Gal. 1. 6. In Galatia the Paſtours troubled the church with corrupt doctine. The Angels of Thyatira,Apoc. 2. 20. & 3. 15. & 2. 14. & 3. 1. Laodicea, Pergamus and Sardis are all reprehended. What then muſt the faithfull do? leave their ſtandings, and depart from the ordinances of grace, whileſt God is pleaſed to dwell amongſt them? or neglect the duty which God calleth them unto, and ſo partake in other mens ſin? The community or congregation it ſelf is oft divided, remiſſe; the greateſt part many times the worſt, ſo that the beſt cannot be heard amongſt them,1. Cor. 1. 11. truth cannot take place. In Corinth there were ſo many ſects and diviſions that the houſe of Chloe was conſtrained to complain of them to the Apoſtle:1. Cor. 5. 1, 2. moſt of them were puffed up in the caſe of the inceſtuous man, that it had been in vain for the better ſort to ſeek his caſting out if the Apoſtle had not ſharply admoniſhed them of their duty: And their diſorder in coming to the Lords ſupper was generall, ſo that the better ſort might bewail but could not redreſſe it. In the primitive church there was ſuch contention oftentimes about the choiſe and election of miniſters, the Paſtours divided from the people, and the people one from another, to the committing of many outrages, that if the godly muſt not hold any place in the church but where they could perform all offices injoyned in the text of ſcripture before alledged, they muſt welnigh go out of the world. In this and ſuch caſes then what ſhould the faithfull do? Tell the church they cannot; for that is divided, and it may be the greateſt part holdeth the worſt cauſe: Depart they muſt not, for the Lord doth not go before them; and if they depart without him, they depart from the Lord himſelf. What remaineth then, but that with mercifull affection they diſlike, reprove, and correct as much as in them lieth what they find to be amiſſe; what they cannot amend, that they ſhould patiently endure and ſuffer, and in loving ſort bewail and lament, till God do either correct and amend it, or make way for their enlargement, as they may ſee the Lord to go before them. But in the mean ſpace it will be ſaid they do not their duty in telling the church: Nay rather, the Lord requireth not that particular duty at that time, becauſe they have no opportunity or means to do it. The rule preſcribed concerneth viſible and particular churches, as a ſolemn ordinance of Chriſt, for the humbling and ſaving of an obſtinate ſinner: but a Chriſtian may be a true member of a viſible church when he is hindred and cannot do the thing that is there preſcribed. For our Saviour ſpeaketh of a brother that doth juſtly, truly, and according to equity reprehend, admoniſh, or complain; and of them who being ſet in office do rightly and lawfully perform the office whereunto they are appointed of God; of the church who doeth what becometh her, keepeth herſelf within the bounds preſcribed of God, and rightly executeth what is committed to her truſt. But in the true church of God, which Chriſt is pleaſed to grace with the viſible tokens of his preſence, all things may fall out clean contrary; that ſuch as be in office do not truly diſcharge their office, that the church doth not keep herſelf to the rule, nor fulfill the truſt committed unto her.Lev. 7. 20. & 22. 2, 3. In the Law they that were thought unclean were to be reſtrained from the ſacrifices,Num. 19. 13, 20. the eating of the paſſeover, entrance into the temple. And not onelyonly legall pollutions,2. Chron. 23. 19 but ſinnes of all kinds,Lev. 4. 2, 13, 22, 27. & 5. 4, 17. whether by errour or ignorance of the law or fact,Num. 15. 22, 23, 24. or voluntarily committed, were to be expiated according to the preſcript of the law, which doth neceſſarily preſuppoſe uncleanneſſe, and that accompanied ſeparation from the altar, and the participation of the holy things. The legall ceremonies, which were outward and carnall, did repreſent ſpirituall and internall to the minds of the faithfull, as the uncleanneſſe of the body did the inward filth of the ſoul.Pſal. 50. 13, 14, 15, 16. The wicked are oftentimes upbraided,Iſa. 1. 15, 21, 22, 23. that they durſt come into the preſence of God. The ſcriptures teſtifie, that the Lord acceteth the ſacrifices of righteouſneſſe, Pſal. 51. 18, 19.of a broken and contrite heart;Hoſ. 6. 6. that he is not pleaſed with the ſacrifices of wicked men,Amos 5. 22. whoſe hands are full of bloud:Gen. 17 14. And the Lord often giveth commandment,Num. 15. 30. & 19. 13. that he which ſhall do ſo or ſo, or ſhall not do this or that, ſhall be cut off from his people. All which, whether they conclude the uſe of excommunication amongſt the Jews, let the learned judge. But howſoever, this is moſt certain; Many things were required which the wicked altogether neglected, the godly could not redreſſe, nor complain of to them that ſhould; or if they did, no regard was had thereunto, no reformation followed: and yet the godly left not their ſtandings, as unlawfull; nor the ſociety, as left and forſaken of God becauſe they had broken covenant with him; nor the ordinances of God, as if externall communion with the wicked as one body had polluted and defiled them. Put caſe a brother offended make a complaint to the church of ſome private injury or wrong received by one of the ſame or another ſocity, and the church to whom the complaint is brought deal remiſſely, either through ignorance, partiality, careleſſeneſſe, or the like; muſt the innocent party ſtand to the deciſion of the church, although they do not ſee right exactly reſtored, and the delinquent brought to repentance? or muſt he proteſt againſt their neglect, and depart from the ſociety as not to be communicated with, becauſe they tolerate a wicked and ungodly perſon among them? If the firſt, then ſimply to be preſent at the worſhip of God where wicked men are tolerated is not to partake in their ſin: If the latter, then the accuſer may be judge in his own cauſe, and not onelyonly hold him an heathen whom the church eſteemeth holy and honeſt, but hold the church it ſelf heathen, then, becauſe they account him not ſo blameworthy whom he accuſeth: then which what is more contrary to the rule of our Saviour? And ſo if true examination be made, they that leave our ſocieties becauſe they cannot obſerve the rule preſcribed by Chriſt, do of all others moſt neglect it in their ſeparation; becauſe they challenge that authority which Chriſt never gave them, and wait not upon him to go before them.
If iniquity be committed in the church,Object. 2. and complaint and proof accordingly made, and the church will not reform or reject the party offending, but will on the contrary maintein preſumptuouſly and abett ſuch impiety, then by abetting the party and his ſin ſhe maketh it her own by imputation, and enwrappeth her ſelf in the ſame guilt with the ſinner; and remaining irreformable, either by ſuch members of the ſame church as are faithfull (if there be any) or by other ſiſter-churche, wipeth herſelf out of the Lords church-rolle, and now ceaſeth to be any longer the true church of Chriſt.Robinſ. Against Bern. pag. 247, 248. And whatſoever truths or ordinances of Chriſt this rebellious rout ſtill reteineth, it but uſurpeth the ſame, without right unto them or promiſe of bleſſing upon them; both the perſons and ſacrifices are abominable.
This peremptory cenſure is as directly croſſe to that which followeth immediately in the ſame authour as any thing that can be ſpoken.Anſw. If my brother ſin a ſcandalous ſin, and I by juſt order make complaint thereof to the church, I have done my duty. It apperteineth to the church to excommunicate him if he repent not, but not to me, except (Pope-like) I would make my ſelf the church. I am guilty of the evil in the common-wealth and family for the redreſſing whereof I do not my duty in my place, which if I do in the church as I can, I am free from the ſinnes done and ſuffered thee: which ſinnes and evils I can no more be ſaid to ſuffer (wanting power to reform them) they to ſuffer it to blow or rain becauſe I hinder it not, Robinſ. Treat. pag. 18. For if the toleration or maintenance of one ſinner againſt reproof and conviction do neceſſarily diſchurch a ſociety, how then did the church of the Jews continue the true church of God, wherein ſinne was generally, impudently, impenitently committed, and that by ſuch as ſhould have cenſured it in others; where the offenders were countenanced, and the reprovers perſecuted, impriſoned, put to death? If no church in the world now hath that abſolute promiſe of the Lords viſible preſence which that church then had till the coming of Chriſt, if the Meſſiah muſt be born in the true church, and the Lord did ever afford the Jews ſome or other viſible ſignes of his preſence in the greateſt apoſtaſie; this is nothing to the purpoſe. For if the maintenance of one wicked ungodly wretch wipeth a church out of the Lords churchroll, then the Jews, who did both countenance offenders, and commit wickedneſſe themſelves and that with greedineſſe, had blotted themſelves out of that book. And if the Jews continued the church of God notwithſtanding their great impiety and obdurateneſſe, becauſe the Lord continued the viſible tokens of his preſence among them, then if a church or ſome in the church ſhall tolerate or countenance iniquity in others, or practice it themſelves, ſo long as God ſhall be pleaſed to bear with their manners, and vouchſafe unto them the ſignes of his gracious preſence and holy ordinances, it is to be reputed the true church of God, wherewith the faithfull may hold communion in the branches of worſhip. If therefore the authour had well pondered his own words, or conſulted the rule of our Saviour, this labour might well have been ſpared. But more fully to open the weakneſſe of this objection; Errours; as in doctrine ſo in practice, are of two ſorts: ſome fundamentall or bordering thereupon, which concern the very heart and life of religion, and cannot ſtand with faith and holineſſe; others not fundamentall, which ſtrike not directly at the ſoul of religion, though they hinder the working ſomewhat, or ſtain the work. In matters fundamentall, as the profeſſion of faith muſt be intire in all points of ſimple belief, ſo muſt the doctrine of the church in all things concerning practice: but errours of inferiour alloy, wherein godly men diſſent pardonably one from another, both concerning faith and practice, may be found and mainteined in the true church. Again, ſin and iniquity is mainteined either by teaching, or by doing in our own perſons, and tolerating in others whom we ſhould reform but do not. If the church by doctrine maintein fundamentall evils, as the worſhipping of angels, murder, adultery, &c. ſhe is to be eſteemed hereticall: But if the life be corrupt, not from corrupt doctrine, but contrary to the doctrine received, the church is not to be accounted falſe, becauſe wicked ones, which ſhould be caſt out, are nouriſhed in her boſome. It is true, the ſervice which wicked men tender unto God is abomination, as were the ſacrifices which the Jews brought when their hands were full of bloud; but the worſhip which the faithfull offer unto God in that corrupt ſociety is pleaſing and acceptable unto his majeſty: The prayer of the wicked is abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of a wicked miniſter in reſpect of his office, as the prayer of the congregation, is effectuall and accepted for the faithfull who ſeek unto God with lips unfeigned.
The prophet commandeth us, Object. 3.Plead, or, Contend with your mother,Hoſ. 2. 1, 2. contend with her, becauſe ſhe is not my wife, nor I her husband; that ſhe take away her whoredomes from before my face, &c. therefore if the church be remiſſe in her duty, the children of the church muſt proteſt againſt her.
The meaning of the prophet is,Anſw. That the godly, whether in Judah or Iſrael, ſhould contend with the ten tribes,We are ſure they called the people out of the church of Iſrael when it was idolatrous, and forbad them to come at their aſſemblies, Hoſ. 2. 2. 314. and 4. 15, 17. Amos 5. 5. Ainſw. Conſid. exam. pag. 8. who by their idolatry had fallen from the conjugall covenant which God had contracted with them, and had deſerved to be put away with a bill of divorce, becauſe they had tranſgreſſed their matrimoniall troth, and forſaking the true God had ſought them other Gods, whom they did love and worſhip. And in like caſe, no queſtion but the faithfull may publickly and ſharply rebuke the abominable idolatries of a falſe-claiming church, ſuch as Iſrael was at that time. But if this be applyed to the true church, in reſpect of every abuſe or remiſſeneſſe, we ſhall pervert the words of the prophet, and run our ſelves upon the rocks. True it is, all abuſes may and ought to be reproved in the time and place, according to the nature and quality thereof: but for every offenſe we cannot ſay truly in the name of God, The church is not the ſpouſe of Chriſt, nor Chriſt her husband: Every abuſe in worſhip is not the adultery of the ten tribes. If this had been the meaning of the prophet, the prophets had gone moſt contrary to their own rules of all others: for they ſharply rebuked the perſonall ſinnes of Judah, as they received commiſſion from the Lord; other ſinnes they touched but ſparingly, if at all: but they never proteſted againſt her as no church of God; they never charged the faithfull to depart from all communion with her, leſt they be partakers of her ſinnes. Here the Lord goeth before the faithfull in their contention with their ſuppoſed mother, they muſt ſay what the Lord putteth into their mouthes, and behave themſelves toward her as the Lord is pleaſed to give them precedent by the tokens of his preſence. But they that take liberty to break off communion with their true mother and ſpouſe of Chriſt becauſe of ſome abuſes, ſport and blemiſhes, they ſpeak of themſelves, when they charge her to be an adultereſſe and not the ſpouſe of Chriſt, to maintein an idolatrous antichriſtian, deviſed worſhip; and they run of themſelves without commiſſion or authority, when they voluntarily withdraw themſelves from the ordinances of grace and communion with Chriſt in the ſame. Therefore, to conclude this point, as corrupt and unworthy members can be no cauſe why thoſe that are whole ſhould forſake the body or neglect the offices perteining to the body, though they be hindred in their working, ſo no open groſſe communicants can be any cauſe why the faithfull ſhould forſake the church or communion with Chriſt, or neglect the duties which in particular concern themſelves, though they cannot do all things that pertein to them with the whole body, as being overborn or reſtrained by others without whom they cannot work.