A Christian Plea, Treatise 1 · Chapter 3 · Objection 6
OBIECTION VI. But if Iſrael now were the church and people of God, then ought none to hauehave left them: it had ben ſchiſme ſo to doe. &c.
ANSWER.
1. Nay. the ſame Prophets that acknovvledged them to be the people of the Lord: yet taught all to leaue and forſake their ſinfull eſtate & falſe vvorship, vvhereinto they vvere fallen: being novv become idolaters, apoſtates, ſchiſmaticks, that had divided themſelues from Iudah, &c. Hoſ. 4, 15, 16, 17. and 5, 2, 3, 11. and 11, 12. Amos 4, 4, 5. and 5, 4, 5. with Mic. 1, 5, 13. & 2, 5. and 6, 16.
2. Euen in Iudah alſo it may be obſerved, that both in the time of Manaſſeh, vvhen he ſet up a grauen image in the Temple of God, and cauſed Iudah to ſinne vvith his idols; as alſo in the dayes of Iehojakim: & long after in the time of the Machabees, vvhen Antiochus ſet up his idoll and other profanations in the Lords ſanctuarie: then the faithfull & ſyncere vvorshippers of God, refuſed to communicate vvith them in their idolatrie, and choſe rather to ſuffer affliction, and death it ſelf: ſo as Ieruſalem vvas filled vvith innocent blood. 2 King. 21, 1 — 16. and 23, 36, 37. and 24, 3. 4. Dan. 11, 31, 32, 33. with 1 Machab. 1 ch. and 2 Mach. 6, & 7 ch. and Heb. 11, 35, 36, 37, 38. Yet was Iudah ſtill acknowledged by the Prophets to be the church and people of God: as hath ben shewed here before, and may be ſeen throughout the hiſtorie and their Prophecies.
3. And when Eſay vvas enjoyned by the Lord, (in Ahaz dayes) to bynd up the Teſtimonie, and ſcale the Law among his diſciples: ſo keeping it from the wicked and perverſe, that ſtubburnely deſpiſed the word of God, & communicating it onelyonly with the godly: Eſa. 8, 16. with 7, 1. 2 Chron. 28, chapt. yet euen then alſo he acknovvledgeth them to be the houſe of Jacob, from whom the Lord hid his face: and the people of God, that should ſeek unto him, & to his law & teſtimonie. Eſa. 8, 17, 19, 20. with 1, 3. and 3, 15. & 10, 2, 24.
4. The Prophet Amos alſo, (teaching the people to avoyd al places & aſſemblies of idolatrie and falſe vvorship) did not onelyonly teach them not to ſeek Bethel, nor to enter into Gilgal, (which vvere places in Iſrael) but taught them alſo not to paſse over to Beerſhebah; (vvhichwhich was†1 Kin. 19 3. a city in Iudah) Amo. 5, 5. Yet did he acknovvledge them to be the familie of Iſraell, which God brought out of Egypt; and the people of God; euen Jacob, the Lords covenanted people, &c. (as I hauehave shevved more largely”Pag. 62, 83. here before) Amo. 3, 1, 2. & 5, 1. and 7, 2, 5, 15. So vvhether it be Iudah or Iſrael (& conſequently other Churches, better or worſe) they may be acknovvledged for the churches and people of God; and yet muſt be left, vvhen they ſtand in apoſtaſie, ſchiſme, idolatrie, &c. and not be communicated vvithall in ſuch ſinfull eſtate and tranſgreſſion.
5. Here therefore is to be obſerved, that as they are the church and people of God, none are to leaue or refuſe communion with them: but onelyonly as they ſtand in apoſtaſy, ſchiſme, falſe vvorship, &c. Neyther Iſrael nor Iudah might be left, nor the Temple in Ieruſalem, as they were the people and Temple of God, but as Ieroboam cauſed Iſraell to ſinne, ſetting up the calues at Dan and Bethell, &c. & as Manaſſeh polluted the houſe of God and cauſed Iudah to ſinne vvith his idols, & Antiochus profaned the Sanctuarie, and compelled the Iewes to tranſgreſſe the Law of God, &c. Yea euen touching the Church of Rome alſo in particular, vve neyther doe nor may leaue it, as it is the Temple and church of God; but as Antichriſt ſitteth therein, oppoſing and exalting himſelf aboue all that is called God or that is divine, polluting the Temple and vvorship of God, &c. Rom. 1, 7, &c. compared with 2 Theſ. 2, 4. and Rev 11, 1, 2, 3. &c, Which being obſerved, vve doe and may (yea and ought to) acknovvledge & reteyn any doctrine of trueth & ordinances of God ſtil had among them: and yet are bound to leaue their corrupt and ſinfull eſtate; and in obedience to God, according to his word, to returne to the auncient eſtate of that and the other primitiue churches, as they vvere planted by the Apoſtles in the fayth and order of Chriſt. Rev. 14, 9 — 12. and 18, 4. and 22, 14. with Jer. 6, 16. and 18, 15. Song. 1, 7, 8.
6. Moreover it is vvell known, that among ſuch as doe much urge this objection, there are ſome vvho hauehave left the French reformed Church in Amſt. for ſome things now had & continued in that church. Whereupon it will neceſſarily follow, that eyther they hold a true church may be left, for ſome things had among them, and yet be held to be the Church of God notwithſtanding: or els that they hold not the French church aforeſaid to be the church of God, in their eſtate. Let them novv tel vvhether.
7. It is alſo Popish to hold, that the church cannot erre; And Anabaptiſticall to think, that when a church ſo erreth as it falleth into idolatry, apoſtaſie, or the like tranſgreſſions, then they ceaſe to be the church and people of God any longer; and very Popish again & in deed irreligious, under the title of the church of God, to urge all eyther to walk as themſelues doe (what ever tranſgreſſions they hauehave againſt the word of God) or els to account thē hereticks, ſchiſmaticks, ſeditious, ſingular, new fangled, that refuſe ſo to doe, endevouring to vvalk in the faith and order of Chriſt in all things, according to the word of God.
8. Whereupon it cometh to paſſe in this caſe, as heretofore it did, when that was counted hereſy in the Apoſtles and primitiue Churches, which vvas not ſo in deed. Act. 24, 5, 14. So now at this day both by Papiſts and others that is often eſteemed to be ſchiſme, which in deed is not ſo. True it is, that ſchiſme is very carefully & religiouſly to be avoyded, vvhether it be factious diviſion in the Church, or ſcandalous departing from it 1 Cor. 11, 18, 19. Rom. 16, 17. Heb. 10, 25. Iude v. 11, & 16, & 19. God hath ſet an order in his church, and appointed bounds and limits, which none …hould tranſgreſſe. Col, 2, 5. 1 Cor. 14, 33 — 40. 1 Theſ. 5, 14. Iude ver. 19. with Pſal. 17, 4. Schiſmes and diviſions, hatred and variance, emulations and vvrath, ſtrife and envyings are among the works of the flesh: of vvhichwhich the Apoſtle teacheth, that they vvhichwhich doe ſuch things, shall not inherit the kingdome of God. 1 Cor. 3, 3, 4. Gal. 5, 19, 20, 21. But on the other hand, ſyncere obedience unto God, and an holy keeping of the fayth, worship, & order, which he hath once giuen unto his church, is very carefully alſo to be reteyned, and religiouſly to be performed: notwithſtanding the prohibition or oppoſition of any Princes, Prelates, people, churches, or other perſons vvhoſoever. For the Lord hath promiſed to shevv mercy to thoſe that louelove him, and keep his commandements; and threatned to viſit the iniquitie of ſuch as hate him, and follow their ovvne inventions & miſconceived courſes, in his vvorship & ſervice, &c. Exo. 20, 4, 5, 6. Lev. 10 chap. Numb. 16 ch. Eſa. 29, 13, 14. and 65, 2 — 7. Jer. 6, 14 — 17. and 18, 15. Mat. 15, 7, 8, 9. and 28, 20. Col. 2, 5. 1 Tim. 6, 13, 14. Iude v. 3 — 23. Rev. 2, 10, 24, 25, 26. and 14, 12. and 22, 14, 18, 19.
But here it will be demaunded, when & how we may knovv the eſtate of any church or churches to be ſuch, as we may leaue it, or not. Touching vvhichwhich queſtion although I had rather heare & learne of others, then ſet dovvne myne ovvn mynd: ſpecially conſidering vvhat Oppoſites I hauehave of ſundry ſorts, and vvhat great difficulties and waighty conſequences, doe follovv about this matter every way: Yet being deſirous that the trueth and vvill of God herein, may (vvhat in us is) be found out and obſerved: I am not unvvilling to note downe ſome fevv things, that I hauehave obſerved from the word of God hereabout: leaving them to be examined by the Scriptures, and both other things alſo to be annexed, and theſe things withall to be further or otherwiſe obſerved, as shalbe found to be moſt according to God and godlynes.
And theſe they are: viz. That no churches of God are to be left, though having or falling into errors and corruptions: 1. If their conſtitution be ſuch, as the Churches and Paſtors thereof, ſtand (as touching their eccleſiaſticall eſtate) immediately under Ieſus Chriſt: as did each of the churches of Aſia, with the Angels thereof, and all the other Primitiue Churches planted by the Apoſtles, &c. Rev. 2, 1, 7, 12, 18. and 3, 1, 7, 14. Act. 14, 23. and 20, 17, 28. with the churches at Rom. Cor. Gal. Eph. Phi. Col. Theſ. &c.
2. If they alſo hauehave and reteyne povver vvithin themſelues, to redreſſe any errour or corruption, and to receiue any truth of God, as it shalbe revealed unto them, and they perſwaded thereof, by the vvord of God. As may be ſeen alſo in the Churches aforeſaid.
3. And if the Miniſters and other members of the church, be not urged in their owne perſons, to any thing wherein they should ſinne and tranſgreſſe the lavv of God: but be left free for themſelues and their owne practiſe, to keep the lavves and ordinances of God, according to their places and occaſions. As may be ſeen in the church of the Iewes (wherein vvere corruptions ſundry times and of ſundry ſorts:) vvhere yet the Prophets, and other godly perſons in divers ages, and Chriſt himſelf, & his diſciples thus lived among thē.See 1 Kin. 14, 21-24. and 15, 1, 2, 3. &c. with 2 Chron. 12. & 13. and 14 ch. &c. For vvhichwhich ſee the hiſtorie and eſtate of the Iewes, in the time of the Judges, and of Rehoboam, Abiiah, &c. Alſo Eſa. 1, 1. &c. Ier. 1, 1, 2, 3. &c. Ezech. 1, and 2, and 3, and 16. and 20 ch. &c. Dan. 1, 1, 8. and 9, 23. Mic. 1, 1, 11. &c. Zeph. 1, 1, &c. Hag. 1, 1, &c. Zach. 1, 1. &c. Mal. 1, 1. &c. with the hiſtorie in Ezra and Nehemiah. And Matt. 3 ch. and 4, 23. and 23 ch. and 26, 17 — 20. Luke 1, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 21. and 2, 21, 22, 23, 24. and 4, 16 — 20. and 21, 37, 38. Joh. 2, 13, 23. and 6, 4. and 11, 55. and 13, 1. Act. 13, 14, 14. and 17, 1, 2, 3.
4. Laſtly, if they doe not obſtinately refuſe the truth & way God whē it is manifeſted unto them: perverſely withſtanding it themſelues; ſpeaking evil thereof before others; reviling & perſecuting ſuch as teach or receiue it, &c. As may be ſeen in the ſaid Church and Synagogues of the Ievves, vvhichwhich were not left, untill they came to this untoward and perverſe eſtate and condition. For which ſee the hiſtorie of the Euangeliſts, and Acts of the Apoſtles: & particularly, Act. 2, 40. and 7, 51, 52. and 13, 14 — 45 — 51. and 18, 6. and 19, 8, 9. and 28, 23 — 28. 1 Tim. 6, 3, 4, 5. and 2 Tim. 3, 1 — 5 — 11. &c.
But if any churches fall into apoſtaſie, and become ſo degenerate, as they & their Paſtors come to ſtand under an Antichriſtian hierarchie, or popular anarchie: and reteyne not power vvithin themſelues, according to the word of God to receiue any trueth shewed unto them, and to redreſſe any error or corruption ariſing among them: but that the miniſters and members are urged in their ovvn perſons to ſuch actions and duties as they cannot performe without ſinne; neyther can be ſuffred to keepe vvhatſoever Chriſt hath commaunded them: but muſt hold ſuch a faith, performe ſuch a worship, obſerue ſuch an order, as is preſcribed or allowed by Princes, Prelates, people, &c. that now any vvho knowe the trueth and diſcern the corruptions of ſuch churches, should ſtill remaine Miniſters or members thereof in ſuch eſtate, and ſo liue and dye: I wish that ſuch as are thus mynded or inclining this vvay, vvould plainely ſet downe their opinions and reaſons from the Word of God, concerning this matter. Or if they like not of this maner of propounding of it, as here I hauehave done: that themſelues vvould diſtinctly ſet down their owne opinions hereabout, alvvaies keeping to the points in controverſy, and inſiſting upon the things called in queſtion: omitting to ſpeak of ſuch things, whether touching faith, worship, or order, as are agreed upon on all hands. And thus much for the preſent touching the Objection aforeſaid: novv I proceed to the next and laſt concerning theſe matters.