The Communion of Saints, Chapter 9
CHAPTER IX.
How far we must avoyd cōmunion with Divils: & how farr with the wicked men.
FOrasmuch as Satan is an open professed adversarie of God & men alwayes, and al his endevours tend to the Lords dishonour and our destruction; neither is there any bond of nature or otherwise between him & vsus that we should have entercourse with him or seek his good or peace for ever: therfore are we absolutely forbidden all manner cōmunion with him, in things spirituall or humane; al which we may reduce vntounto four heads.
2. The first concerneth our faith, that we give no credit to his word as did our *Gen. 3.first parents, nor admit into our harts any of his doctrines or dānable heresies; which ar called by the Apostle *1 Tim, 4. 1. 2doctrines of Divils: but that we hold fast the word of life taught vsus of God in his scriptures onelyonly, ‡2 Cor. 11. 3. 2 Tim. 2. 19. Tit. 1. 13. 14.avoyding al errors and lies in religion; whither hethenish Iewish or antichristian; for who soever be the instruments, Satan †Ioh. 8. 44. 2 Thes. 2. 9. 10. 11. 12.is the Father of them, and by them doth draw men vntounto destruction.
3. The second concerneth our outward cariage, that we do not †Exod. 20. 5. Num. 25. 2. 3 Psal. 97. 7. Dan. 3. 18. 1 Cor. 10. 14—20. Rev. 14. 7. 9. 10.present our bodies; or by any thing that we have, give ‖Ezek. 16. 17 18. 19. Hos. 2. 8.maintenance to his worship and service, where or howsoever: but as our bodyes and spirits ar the Lords, *1 Cor. 6. 20. Mat. 4. 9. 10. Rom. 6. 13.so with them both to glorify, and serv him onelyonly, and honor ‡Prov. 3. 9.him with our substance; fleeing al idolatrie which is Satans worship, and outward communion therwith; & not vponupon any pretense, eyther of our own knowledge and inward dislike of the idol, or the pleasing of others, or winning them by this means to the fayth, or avoyding of our trouble, or presuming of the mercy of God, or the like, to participate in the service & sacrifice of Divils. God in his law gav this general precept for his people †Lev. 17. 7.They shal no more offer their offrings to divils; and in the Gospel we hav this instruction, ‖1. Cor. …0. 21ye can not be partakers of the Lords table, and of the table of Divils.
4. The third concerneth al divilish arts, wherby many mē hav fellowship with the damned spirits; as Conjuring, inchantment, Witchcraft, …orcerie, divniation, charming, necromantie, and al other of the like nature. Touching which Gods law forbiddeth two things, 1. that no man should himself vse any such cursed craft, many of which ar particularly named Deut. 18. 10. 11. but man or woman that had such spirits, †Lev. 20. 27. Exod. 22. 18.should die the death: 2. also that none should ‖Isa. 8. 19. Deut. 18. 14.seek vntounto such for instruction or counsel in any matter, for so they should forsake the living God, & turne to the dead. Wherefore this transgression is noted for one of the two causes of King Sauls death: that he *1 Ghro. 10. 13 14.sought and asked counsel of a familiar spirit, (by a witch at ‡1 Sam. 28. 7 &c.Endor,) and asked not of the Lord. And as Christ would not †Mar. 1. 34.have the Divils to beare witnes of him; so neyther would the Apostles suffer a mayd which had ‖Act. 16. 16. 17. 18.a spirit of Divination to acknowledge them to be the servāts of the most high God, and preachers of the way of salvation. Finally, not onelyonly these evil arts and practisers of them; but all books or writings, or other meanes which may nourish the same, are to be shunned & abolished: as the practise of the Christiās, that *Act. 19. 19.burned their books of curious crafts, doth teach vsus.
5. The fourth head concerneth Satans tentations, suggestions, & provocations vntounto evil; whereby he dayly solliciteth every mā vntounto syn: al which we ar taught of God carefully to ‡1 Pet. 5. 9. Iam. 4, 7.resist, giving no †Ephes. 4. 27.place to the Divil, but by faith to quench ‖Eph. 6. 16. 13, 14. &c.al his fyery darts; and being armed with the whole armour of God to stand fast in the evil day, and in our prayers to desyre *Mat. 6. 13.that we may be delivered from that Wicked one. Herein al the Saincts, while they live on earth, come short of their duty; and too often do admit of fellowship with the Divil; by reason of the corruption of nature, and infirmity of the flesh: but by faith in Christ we overcome and triumph, and ‡Rom. 16. 20.shal in the end have full redemption from all these evils.
6. Thus are we taught of God to resist Satan, and avoyd al manner fellowship with him to the vtmost of our power: because all his endevours are against vsus for evil, neyther can we work in him any good, by any meanes, at any time. But the estate of wicked men, is otherwise to be considered; because they and we are all one flesh and blood; are al placed of God, to live together in this world, and enioy mutually his cō mon blessings, as the light of the sun, the rayn, & fiuits of the earth, and other creatures; besides our civil societie in common weales: so that we cannot avoyd all medling with them, except we should go out of the world as *1 Cor. 5. 10.the Apostle teacheth. Also of many of them there is hope, that they may be cō verted frō their evil wayes; which by all good & gentle meanes we should procure. Howbeit of sīners ther is difference to be made; for some are yet vncaled to the knowledg and faith of Christ; others are caled, and do professe one commō faith in Christs Church with vsus, but walk vnworthie of the same; and some have departed from the faith and obedience wherevnto they were come, and are cast out of the church, *1 Cor, 5. 5. 1 Tim. 1. 20.delivered vntounto Satan. Of our special dutie to such as being in the church do transgresse, it resteth to be spoken hereafter; here I wil treat of wicked men in general.
7 Concerning whom, wee are taught of God, not to communicate with them in any evil action; as not to *Psal. 50. 18.run with the thief nor partake with the adulterer, not to ‡Pro. 1. 10. 11 14. 15.walk in the way with those that lay wayt for blood; nor †Pro, 23. 20.keep company with drunkards or gluttons, nor have *Eph. 5. 11.fellowship with any other their vnfruitful works of darknes, but reprove them rather and avoyd them; especially their spiritual & religious actions, as ‡Psal. 16. 4.not to offer their offrings of blood, nor make mention of their names with our lips, not to frequent their †Psal. 26, 5. 6assemblies, nor eat of their sacrifices, though they ‖Exod. … 34. 1… Num. 25. 2. Prov. 9. 15. &c.cal and invite vsus thereto; for even the word of God, and all other holy things *Num. 19, 22 Hag. 2. 12, 14 15. Tit, 1. 15. 16,are polluted among them, their prayers ‡Psal, 109. 7turned to syn, and their sacrifices †Prov, 15. 8.abomination to the Lord.
8. And not in hart and mynd alone, are we to mislike & eschew their idolatries, & other evil actions: but to keep our †Rom. 6. 12. 13, 1 Cor. 6, 15. 20.bodies as wel as our spirits pure, because Christ hath redeemed both, & with both we must glorify God. We may not therfore *…r. 5, 7.swear by their idols, nor ‡Exo, 23. 13. Hos. 2. 17.make any other religious mention of them with our lips. We may not †Hos. 13. 2. 1 Kin. 19. 18. Exod. 20. 5.kisse them, nor bow the knee, nor do any other signe of reverence vntounto them. We may not ‖Cor, 10. 14—20. Hose. 4. 14.present our bodies at their holy feasts, in their hallowed places, nor suffer our mouthes to *Ezek. 18. 6. 11. Psal. 141. 4.eat of their delicates; much lesse repayr to any such places for the repast or feeding of our sowles. We may not eyther ‡Deut. 13. 6. & 33. 9,at allurement of parents, brethren, or most dear friends; or by the example or entisement of the †Exod, 23. 2. Mat. 7. 13.multitude, or by the ‖Dan, 3. 14. 15—18. Act. 4. 19.commandment of the Magistrate, do these or any of these evils: but following the word of God to *2 Cor, 6, 17. and 7. 1.separate our selves, touch no vnclean thing, clense vsus from all filthines of the flesh and spirit, & so grow vp vntounto ful holines in the fear of God. Finally; we may not *Gen. 6. 2, Mal. 2, 11, 1 Cor. 7. 39.joyn our selves in mariage, with any that are no… of the same faith and fellowship with vsus, in the Gospel of Christ.
9. The causes of this restraynt & separation from the wicked, are. First the will & glorie of God, who to the end we might be his ‖Lev, 20. 26.hath severed vsus from other people: and vponupon this condition hath promised to *2 Cor. 6. 17.accept vsus, & ‡Hos. 2. 20.marie vsus vntounto himsef in faith, that we should giv our selves †Mat, 4, 10,alone to him and to his service, and not run a ‖Deut, 31. 16 17.whoring after strangers. And hath made this our refreyning from communion with the wicked, *Exod, 34, 27 with vers. 11. 15. 16.one expresse & special part of his covenāt with vsus. Secondly it is for our own good, least by familarity with the wicked ‡Pro. 22. 25.we should learne their wayes, & receiv destruction to our sowls, as others before vsus, ‖Ps…. 106. 3… 36. Deut. 4. 3.by and for like cariage hav done. Therfore a… we †Prov. 7. 21—25. 27,warned, not to wander in their pathes, nor let our hart decline to their wayes; for they go down to the chambers of death: and if we be *Rev. 18, 4.partakers in their syns, we shal receive also of their plagues. Thirdly it is for the good of those wicked men themselves, (if such be the grace of God towards them) or for their more certayn & just condemnation; that seeing vsus to separate from them, *1 Pet, 4. 4.and thinking it strange that we run not with them vntounto the same evils; hearing our reproofs and witnes against them; are eyther ‡Act 2, 37. 40. 41,drawen to consider their wayes and turn their feet vntounto Gods testimonies, or els †Act 19, 9, & 13. 46. 50 51.blaspheming, persist and are hardned in their evill course vntounto judgment. Fourthly it is for the overthrow of *Act, 26. 18. Rev, …, 13. 2 Cor. 6. 15. 17.Satans throne and kingdome, which the words and works of the Saincts do beat down dayly, discovering his errors and abominatiōs, keeping themselves, and drawing others from his deceipts and snares: whereas by *1 Cor. 10. 20 21.cō municating in those evils, they should both honour and advance that enemy; and strengthen the wickeds hands, that they should not turne from their impietie.
10. But though we may have no communion with the wicked in their religion, nor any other evil action, against either table of Gods Law: yet in civill affayres we are taught of God to converse with them in peace. As to *1 Cor. 10. 27eat and drink with them, ‡Gen. 23. 3. 4.—16.buy & sell, make †Gen. 14. 13.covenants of peace, ‖2 Sam. 10, 2.shewDeut, 20. 10, kindnes to them, pity their estate, *Mat. 5. 44.love them, ‡Pro, 21. 25.relieve their wants, and †Deut. 23. 4.receive from them for our relief; ”1 Tim, 2, 1.pray for them, labour by all gentle demeanure †2 Tim, 2. 24 25.to convert them from their evil way, and do any *Gal. 6. 10.good we can to their sowles or bodies, or any thing that is theirs. And if we live in their policies and dominions, we ought to be ‡Rom. 13. 1, 2 1 Pet, 2, 13. 14.subject to al civil Magistrates high or low, and that of conscience; pay †Mat. 22. 21.thē their tributes, customes & other like duties for their common wealth; to bear their exactions, oppressions, persecutions, Mat. 5. 39. Rom, 12. 19.patiently, without rebellion or resistance; and even pray *L…. 23. 34. A…. 7. 60.for them that shal so misuse vsus: that thus as much as in vsus lieth, we may do good vntounto, & have peace with ‡Rom. …. 18al men, in all things except syn; & be perfect, †Mat. 5, 45. ….as our father which is in heaven is perfect.