Exposition of Philippians 3, Part 4
VERS. 2. Beware of the Concision.
THat is (as I formerly said) Circumcision; Called here by the name of Concision, because it tended to cut & make a division and s…ct in the Church, with a naturall and proper elegance, not affected, describing, and naming it by the effect. Its Gods use to call things from the event and effect of them. Why will you perish? That is, why will you doe those things that will lead you to destruction? the end of them is death, and those that neglect wisedome hate themselves. As it was also said to the Iewes, that neglected the Gospell; they judged themselves unworthy of salvation, because in effect, they hated themselves, and deprived themselves of salvation. Circumcision formerly had beene an honourable Ceremonie, serving for a partition between Iew and Gentile; and for a seale of the Covenant of grace; but the Ceremonie was to cease, it not having a continuall promise, it was to last till Christ came, & when he died, it, and all other died also. St. Paul, and Christ, and Timothy, were circumcised; but after the time came that Christ had broken downe the partition wall by his suffering, they did not only die; but were also deadly to all such as would maintaine the observancie of them: the use of them was prejudiciall to Christs honour, and therefore Paul bids us beware of them. And now adayes, this instruction by proportion is of good use. For are there not those that teach Concision? and that urge merits, as the Papists doe? take heed of them, they say wee are the Concision, we have cut our selves from the true mother Church of Rome.
I answer, We have suffered a Concision, we have made none. And again, we acknowledge we have separated from these Romans, not from those that were in Pauls time, its they that have made a Concision, and cut themselves from the mother Church. But to passe from these, we have a Concision among us; and that in a contrary extreame, that thinke every Ceremonie, and thing that suits not with their opinion, to be Antichristian and Concision. Not considering, that there be many things urged, as fitting for order, being no parts of Gods worship; yet even for these things, they make a Concision, cutting themselves off from our Church, and unchurching us: Its dangerous for such; for when the member is cut from the body, it must necessarily die, and how can we receive grace from Christ as our head, but by union of our selves to the bodie, whereof Christ is the head.
It must be our dutie to beware of all manner of seducers,Remedies against seducers. and to this end let us
First,Remedy 1. get fundamentall truthes into our hearts, affect and love truth: for want hereof the Easterne Churches were given up to Mahomet, and Antichrist ruled over many in these Westerne Churches, because they loved not the truth. 2. Thes. 2.10. For none are seduced that are not cold in love.
Secondly,Remedy 2. let us labour to practice that wee know, and God will give us a fuller measure of knowledge, whereby we shall learn to finde and know seducers. Ioh. 7.17- If any man will doe his will, he shall know.
Thirdly,Remedy 3. Pray to God for wisedome to discern of Schismes and Heresies, and ill disposed persons: God hath promised us any thing that is necessary for our strengthening and bringing us to Heaven, God will not deny us so necessary an aide as this is.
Fourthly,Remedy 4. let us looke that we keepe in us a holy feare, and reverence of God. Psal. 15.12. What man is he that feareth the Lord? him shall he teach in the way he shall chuse. And those things are we duly to observe, the rather because we shall ever finde seducers, it will ever be a hard matter for men to finde the way to Heaven. And though the doctrine and profession of Religion, be not ever in all places opposed, yet shall we ever finde the practisers thereof maligned: As it is in these dayes, where none are accounted of to be Protestants, that are not loose libertines, and thus instead of Concision from Religion, they joyne that with it which is quite contrary to the power thereof. Beware also of such; for their courses of life are as pernicious, as fundamentall errors, for none shall be saved for his knowledge.