The Communion of Saints, Chapter 21
CHAPT. XXI.
How the peace and communion of the Church, is disturbed by troubles, & syns within it self.
BVt it is a smal thing for Satan thus to molest the Saincts with troubles from abroad; for he hath meanes and instruments many in the church it self, to work the woe, yea often the ruine of the same; & he most delighteth to kindle contentions among brethren, knowing that such things are most offensive vntounto God, heavie to his people, & give to the enemie occasion of reproch. The means are two, that he chiefly vseth herevnto; 1. the infirmities of the Saincts, who though they would do good, yet through syn that dwelleth in thē, oft times doe the evil which they hate; 2. & the iniquities of false brethren and hypocrites; who alwayes are corrupted in themselves, and seek to bring corruptiō into the whol body of the church.
2. For whē the faithful through cōmune …iaylty, defyle their precious sowles and bodies, through the remaynders of …yn; both the enemies without take occasiō to ”2 Sam. 12. 14.blaspheme; and the brethren within to stumble & contend: as Moses was murmured against by his owne sister and brother, *Num. 12. ….because he had maried an Aethiopian wife. And God himself is often angry with the whol church, and punisheth many, for the fault of a few; as whē David ”1 Chron. 2… ▪ 1. 2.synned in numbring the people, God in displeasure plagued Israel, †vers. 7. 1….that of them there died seventie thowsand men. Again, the home-bred warrs and dessentions, are heavier to the brethrens harts, then al forreyn troubles, & many weak ones are offended, no lesse then was Rebekah, who feeling the childrē to strive in her bodie, made question of her conception, and sayd, Gen. 25. … ▪If it be so, why am I thus? But above al, the hypocrites in hart, doe increase wrath, & oft-times molest the church, of which they ‡1 Ioh. 2. 19ar not, though they be in the same, (like the *1 king. 10. 2… ▪Apes & peacocks in Solomōs ships;) being in deed the serpents seed, and apperteyning to an other kingdome then Christs; yet are thrust among the Saincts through Satans malice, for to annoy them; God also permitting this for the trial of his elect. By these means, the litle bark of Christs church, hathever been tossed as with winds and tempests; and is like ever to be, so l…g as it is on the seas of this world: that none may look for Angelical perfection, or absolute peace vponupon the earth.
3. The Saincts ar subject, (if they be not wary, & hav their wits exercised to discerne good and evil,) to ”Heb. 13. 9.be caried about with divers and, strange doctrines; to fal into errors heresies, & idolatries; Satan rayseth vp even among the teachers of the church, ‖Act. 20. 30.some speaking perverse things to draw disciples after thē, and the people many of them ar through their owne corruption prone vntounto vice, even set *Exo. 3…. 22on mischief. The children of Israel living in Aegipt, defiled themselves with †Ezek. 2… ▪ 7. 8.the abominations and idols of that land; being brought out into the wildernes, and informed in the statuts of the Lord, they ther rebelled… vers. 10 12. 13. against him, sinned stil, & *Psal. 78. 17. 40. 41.provoked the most High, tēpted God, and limited the holy one of Israel, made them a molten calf, ‡Exod. 32. Ne…ē. 9. 18.& sayd this is thy God ô Israel that brought thee out of the lād of Aegipt, & cō mitted great blasphemies. When they were entred into the good lād promised to their fathers, there also they †Psal. 206. 3… ▪ 36.mingled themselves among the hethen, & learned thir works, and served their idols, which were their ruine. False prophets ther were many among them, that ‖Ier. 23. 13. 14. 17.seduced the people to errour and idolatrie, strengthned their hāds in evil, preached peace to ye wicked, *Ezek. 1…. 1… ▪ 18. 19.& put pillowes vnderunder their armes; but smote the righteous, grieved and killed (what in thē lay,) the sowls of such as should not hav died. False teachers, (the †2 Pet. 2. 1. 2.Apostle sayth) ther wil be also amongst vsus, which privily shal bring in damnable heresies, evē denying the Lord that hath bought them. The primitive churches had woful experience herof, whiles in Galatia they wer ‖Gal. 1. 6. 7. &c.soon remooved away to an other gospel, being bewitched by their misleaders, who vnderunder pretence of the law of God, *Chapt. 5. 4.abolished them from Christ, and made them fal from grace. And in many other churches, false doctrine fretted as a canker, and destroyed the faith of certayn, whiles some taught ‡2 Tim. 2. 17 18. 1 Cor. 15. 12.the resurrection was past already; some with Iezabel & Balaā perswaded †Rev. 2. 14. …5. 20.to eat of things sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication, with other hateful doctrine of the Nicolaitās, idolatrous doctrine of ‖Colos. 2. 18. 19.worshiping Angels, Christ the head being let goe; the grace of God *Iude. ver. 4.turned to wantonnes, & God the onelyonly Lord & our Lord Iesus Christ, denyed; Antichrist, even ”1 Ioh. 2. 18.many Antichrists entred in, to deceyv & destroy mens sowles.
4. By such seducers, much trouble & discord was wrought amōg the people, some of ignorance, some of wilfulnes receiving and walking in their †Ier. 23. 32.errors; by whom the ‖2 Pet. 2. 2.way of truth was evil spoken of: others opposing against them, and *Iude. 3.earnestly contending for the faith once given to the Saincts. Especially the Apostles, and other trustie ministers of Christ, (to whose care the sowles of men were cōmitted,) set themselves against those falsers, by ‡2 Cor. 6. 7the word of truth, by the power of God, & by the armour of righteousnes on the right hand and on the left: ”1 Tim. 1. 3.cōmaunding mē to teach no other doctrine, nor give heed thereto, but †2 Tim. 1. 13.keep the true pattern of wholsome words, in faith & love which is in Christ Iesus; exhorting therevnto, ”Tit. 1. 9. …. 1….improving and convincing them that spoke against it, stopping their mouthes, & rebuking them sharply that they might be sound in the faith. Those againe like †8 Tim. 3. 8.Iannes & Iambres resisting the truth, with ‖2 Tim. 2. 1…. … Tim. 6. 5.prophane vayn bablings, disputations, and oppositions of science falsly so caled, & *3 Iohn. 10.prating against them with malicious words; and seeking to ‡… Cor. 10. 10disgrace them. And wel was it with the churches then, whiles those circumspect carefull watchmen the Apostles and Evangelists lived among them, & took those ”Song. 2. 15.foxes which destroyed the Lords vines: but after their departure, ther entred †Act. 20. 29.greivous wolves, not sparing the flock; as by the innumerable heresies, and lamentable decay of churches since their time doth appear.
5. As for doctrine, so about many other things also, contention hath often risen through mens infirmities, †Prov. 10. 1… &. 13. 10.malice, and pride: that by errors in faith, & corruptions in mā ners, as by a double chain of iniquitie, many sowles hav been fettered & afflicted. For some moved ‖Act. 7 9.with envie, hav sold their brethren to aliants, & sought for *Gen. 27. 41. & 37. 20.tokil them: some through ambition would clime above their caling; & ‡Num. 16. 1. 2. 7. 9. 10.intrude into higher offices; presuming vpō their own †vers. 3.holines, & seeking to disgrace others. And as the church of Israel was infamous ‖Deut. 9. 22. 23. 24. & 29 4.al Moses dayes, for their idolatries, rebellions, & many murmurings, for which thei carkesses fell in the wildernes; & strife & *Exod. 32. 2…. 27. 28.blood-shed came among them: so after that they were seated in the land of Canaan, they continewed not long in peace togither, but tribe with tribe ‡Iud. 12. & 20. 2 Sam. 2. & 3. 1. 1 Kin 14. 30. & 15. 7. 16. 32. &c. Isa. 9. 20. 21.made warr, and rent themselves asunder, to the great reproch of Gods true religion, & giving advantage to the commune adversarie, to invade and dispossesse them of their land. Yea even in families betweē brethren, parents and children, most bitter & bloody strife brake forth, as the stories of ”Iudg. 9.Abimelech, †2 Sam. 13.Amnon and Absalom, ‖2 Sam. 15. &c.Absalom and David, & sundry others do declare. Also how they were divided, when Christ lived among thē, into Sects & factions, Pharisees, Saducees, & other like: the historie of the Gospel, every where sheweth. Neyther were the Christian Churches which the Apostles had planted, free of this …even; but contentions among thē grew vntounto schismes and factions, ”1 Cor. 1. 1…. 12 &c.whiles sundry men folowed and re…ed vponupon sundry Teachers; in their publick meetings also, ‡1 Cor. 11. 18 19.dissentions were among them. Some ministers would of strife and envie ”Philip. 1. 15. 16.preach Christ to the people; some loving the praeeminence, would tyrannyze over the flock, forbidding to receiv brethren sent by the Apostles, and *3 Iohn. …. 10.thrusting them out of the Church. And amōgst Gods elect, most faithful servants, and loving friends, Satan did his vtmost to kindle the coles of emulation, dissention, and strife; as between ‡Gen. 13. 7. 8Abraham and Lot, ”Num. 12. 1.Moses & Aaron, †Gal. 2. 11. 14.Peter and Paul, ‖Act. 15. 38. 39.Paul and Barnabas; and among the Apostles generally, when there was contention *Luk. 2…. 24. 25.who should be greatest, till they had learned better of their maister Christ.
6. The poyson of syn hath spred it self exceeding farr in churches, & corrupted the manners & actiōs of al degrees. For Magistrats leaving the love & cherishing of the people, ”Isa. 1. 2….loved gifts, and followed after rewards; judged not the fatherles, neyther did the widowes cause come before them: they †Mic. 3. 1. 2. 3 Zeph. 3. 3.pluckt off their skins from them, and their flesh from their bones, did eat their flesh and break their bones, and chop them in peeces as for the pot. Againe the subjects ”Iude. vers. 8.despised and spake evil of their rulers, †Psal. 3. 1. 2. 3rose vp & rebelled against them. The rich were vnmerciful, and Mic. 6. 12.cruel to the poor; Among the people and brethren of the church, was bitter *Iam. 3. 14. 16. 10.envying, strife, sedition, & reproch; every man ‡Mic. 6. 2. 5. …er. 9. 4.hunted his brother with a net, that they could not trust in any friend, but must beware even of her that lay in their bosome. The teachers were ”Tit. 1. 10. 11vayn talkers and deceivers of minds, subverting whole howses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre sake; the priests †Zeph. …. 4.wrested the law; the Prophets were like ‖Ezech. 13. 4foxes in the wast places, and from them wickednes *Ier. 23. 15.went forth into al the land. Thus judgement was turned into wormwood, faith into heresie, Gods grace into wantonnes, the libertie of his Gospel made a cloak of maliciousnes; and in sted of the gracious ornaments of his spirit, ther was ‡Rev. 3. 17.wretchednes, miserie, povertie, blindnes & nakednes; they had a name to be alive, †vers. 1.but wer dead. Nor this alone; for they hated such as rebuked them, and would not admit of reproof, but Ier. 5. 3.made their faces harder then a stone; they killed the prophets *Mat. 23 37.and stoned those that were sent vntounto them; even when Christ himself came among them, they would not receiv him, but sayd, this is the heir, ‡Luk. …. 1…come let vsus kil him, and the inheritance shalbe ours.
7. These and many moe like evils have crept into the Churches of God, wherby they have been troubled, distracted, and rent in peeces; much pople hav been defiled & corrupted, & the Saincts hav had cause to complayn †Isa. 9. 3.Thou hast multiplied the nation, but hast not increased their ioy. Against these, the ministers and witnesses of the Lord, hav cried out in their several ages; being sent & rising early to recal the synners into the right way. Who wer threatned, that *Micah. 3. 12.Sion for their sakes should be plowed as a field, and Ierusalē made a ruinous heap, ‡Math. 23 … 38.& her habitation left vntounto her desolate; that Christ would †Rev. 2. 16.warr against thē with the sword of his mouth, and ‖vers. 5.remove the candlestick out of the place, except they amended. And such as hearkned to the voice of their God, & turned vntounto him; had their iniquities forgiven, and their crimsin syns †Isa. 1. 18.made white as snow: but such as obeyed not, wer ‖vers. 20.devoured of the sword; and *Isa. 3. 9.woe was vntounto their sowles, for they rewarded evil vntounto thēselves; and wer caled ‡Ier. 6. 30.reprobate silver, because the Lord reiected them.
8. Thus cometh it to passe, through Satans malice, and mens corruption, that the citie of God, of which so glorious things are spoken in the scriptures; seemeth more vile and contemptible then any other place; the spowse of Christ appeareth †Song. 1. 4.black, which was named the vers. 7.fayrest among women; her foes which *Psal. 48. 5. 6.feared and marveyled at her, do hisse & say, ‡Lam. 2. 15Is this the citie that men cal, The perfection of bewty, the ioy of the whole earth? her children, to whom †Isa. 54. 13much peace was promised; do ‖Ezek. 9. 4.mourn and crie, for the many abominations that ar done in the middes of her; & from the daughter Zion▪ Lam. 1. 6.al her bewtie is departed; being thus persecuted by the Dragon, hated & reproched of the world, molested and forsaken of her own children, misvsed and *Song. 5. 7.wounded of her watchmen, to the grief & affliction of her spirit.
9. And if ther wer not a healing of this errour in time, but the gangrene suffred to spread & fret; it grew at lēgth incurable, brought death and desolation vponupon the diseased Churches. For God after many warnings and ‡Isa. 1. 5. 6.much correction, did at length disclaym the faithful citie as †vers. 21.a harlot, giv her Ier. 3. 8.a bil of divorse, & put her away; Hos. 2. 2.she was no more his wife, nor he her husband; Ezek. 23. 18his hart forsook her, he left his heritage, he gave the †Ier. 12. 7.dearly beloved of his sowl, into the hands of her enemies; & ‖Ezek. 9. 3. & 10. 4. 18. 19 & 11 23.removed his glorie from amids her. Then Ierusalem became, with al the inhabitants therof *Ier. 23. 14.as Sodom & Gomorrah: the ‡Ezek 22, 18.howse of Israel was reputed as drosse, the congregation of the ‖Rom. 1. 7.Saincts, turned to an †Rev. 18. 2.habitation of divils. And the Lords people that feared his name were willed †Rev. 18. 4.to forsake and come out from among them, to judge them *Ezek. 23. 45.as harlots, to ‡Hos. 2. 2.plead against them, & †Hos. 4. 15. 17. &c.forsake al communion with them. Wherevpō folowed againe most bitter strife, hatredMicah. 2 100 Ier. 16▪ 5. 6. 7. 8. Act. 3… 40. & persecution, whiles they that refreyned frō evil, *Isa. 5…. 15.made thēselves a prey, & suffred al maner of misusage & affliction at their hands which made †Rev. 17. 6thēselves drunken with the blood of the Saincts, & yet boasted to be the church & spowse of Christ, when they were the ‖Rev. 3. 9.synagogue of Satan.
10. This is the troublous estate of the church of God on earth, more tossed and tormēted then any other people; of which church, (by reason of the many hypocrites and vessels of †2 Tim. 2. 20.dishonour that are therin,) though the number wer as the sand of the sea, Rom. 9. 2…yet but a remnant shalbe saved; & except the Lord of hosts vers. 29.had left vsus a seed, we had been made as Sodom, & had been like to Gomorrah. For which cause, it behooveth the Saincts, to seek the Lord while he may be found, and medicine, while the disease is curable; for Christ hath ordeyned wayes and meanes, for the purging of his church from corruptions; or at least, for his elect to keep themselves pure and vnspotted of these syns; of which it remayneth to be spoken in the next place.