A Stay Against Straying, Part 2 · Section 9
SECT. 9.
THe two next Objections, and his anſwers to them, are not worth the writing downe. If any other, doe otherwiſe thinke, I wiſh much good it may doe him, that can make any good of it. But I proceed to the 9. Objection, which he frames in this manner.
He that heares,Object. 9. appeares to have communion with the Church and Miniſterie; and all appearance of evill is to be avoyded, 1. Theſ. 5. 22.
To this, Treat.thus he anſwereth: The Scripture is not to be understood of all that appeares evill to others out of an erronious and deceived judgement, &c. but it is meant either of the Doctrine in Proph…ſie, &c. or of that which appeares evill to a right diſcerning eye. By this imagined expoſition I might not hyre a houſe in a Pariſh, where I were not knowne: ſeeing thereby I appeare a Pariſh member.
Anſw. 1. I know not in truth, what better to liken this anſwer, then to that Nightingale, of whom a Lacedemonian *Plutarch. in Apothed. lacon(when he had plucked of her ſethers, and ſaw only a little Karkeſſe left) ſaid: Thou art a voyce, and nothing elſe. The truth is, the utmoſt that he hath here ſaid, is a meere colour of ſome thing, while nothing is to be found in it. For, what was in the Objection, remaines ſtill virtualiter, for ought he hath ſaid to it, or againſt it.
2. If a man were to make a ſword for his enemie, he would ſet as little edge upon it as could bee, for to ſave himſelfe. The Treat. in framing this, and other Objections for us, is ſure to make them blunt enought, that ſo they may the leſſe hurt him, and profitt us.
But ſeeing we have the weapon now in our owne hands, wee will doe our beſt to ſharpen it. Our argument therefore here, ſhalbe thus laid downe.
Whatſoever is an appearance of evill, to a right diſcerning eye, the ſame ought to be avoyded.
But to heare unlawfull Miniſters in Antichriſtian Aſſemblies, is an appearance of evill, to a right diſcerning eye.
Therefore it is a ſinne to doe it.
The Propoſition is proved from 1. Theſſal. 5. 22. and here granted by the Treat. The Aſſumption is as certaine by theſe reaſons following.
For 1. This going to the place where they goe, and hearing as they doe, is an occaſion whereby a man comes into a ſuſpition of idolatrie, and that he is of the ſame mind with the reſt, whatſoever otherwiſe he pretendeth; And thus have our Martyrs teſtified, as Smith aActs & Monu. 1876., Bradford bibid. 1829., and others. And that this is an appearance of evill, both Papiſts,cEckius Tom. 3. in feſt. 5. Mich. p. 706. and Proteſtants (d), doe acknowledge it. Peters adjoyning himſelfe to the Iewes. Gal. 2. was oſtentatio falſae opinion; is; as Pareus eExercit. Theol. ib. 2, p. 111.ſaith, a ſhewing of the ſame errour that they did, though his private meaning was other wiſe: So here.B. Iewell en 1. Theſ. 5. 22. p. 219 Cent. 2, l 2, c. 4.
2. It is an appearance of evill, when men doe that, which cauſeth others to feare they are unſound. But ſuch a feare is here juſtly cauſed; For many holy men have counted theſe Table-Goſpellers fAct. Monum. p. 1876, & 1829.and ſaid they did it, to avoyd perſecution; And reputed this action much like the Counſell in the prophane Orator. gServire temporibus apientis ſemperest habitum. Tul. in Ant.It is alwayes thought great wiſedome to apply ones ſelf unto the times. The reaſon wherefore Iohaſhaphat is blamed for his affinitie h2 Chro. 18. 1.with Ahab, was quia ſcandalum dedit ſubjectis quaſs foris non improbaret idolatriam, quam domi abrogaverit? This is their cauſe,iPareus Exer. Theol. l. 2 p. 101. who goe to falſe Churches: It makes the Godlie to thinke, that their performances among them, are not perfect; But that they have ſome ſineſter ends, both in comming to them, and going back againe to the other.
3. When idolaters ſee us preſent at their worſhip; they muſt needs hereby be hardened and hartened in ſuperſtition; And this is another breach of that precept in 1. Theſ. 5. 22. It is obſerved of ſomekP. Mart. Loc: Commun. Claſ. 3, c. 2, p. 241. that Namaan might not doe any civill reverence in the Houſe of Rimnon, leaſt through any appearance or ſhew of idolatrie, ſome might be ſtrengthned by it, in falſe worſhipp.
Auguſtine lTom. 10 Hom. 6.writes very well to this purpoſe: Doe ye aſke me (ſaith hee) how the Gentles may be won? How they may be called to ſalvation? FORSAKE THEIR MEETINGS, let goe their toyes, and then if they agree not to our truth, let them be aſhamed of their fewnes. This Counſell wee ſhall doe well to follow; For there is not a readier way to bring people off, from their idolatrie, then to let them alone mHoſ. 4 17. See Iunius on the place.as Gods bids us; Keep away from all their humaine formes and faſhions of Religion, and eſpeciallie ſuch as are round about us, and live amongſt us, as Cartwright nReply 1. to Whitg: p. 131.excellently ſhewes.
4. It hath a ſhew of evill, in that it is a matter of active ſcandall, and giveth occaſion to our brother, to fall into that evill. whereof it hath aſhew; to wit, that there is no juſt cauſe to ſeparate from falſe Churches, but that people may remaine members thereof: And howſoever, there be not here an intention in the doer, to draw another into ſinne, yet of itſelfeoQuando ipſum factum eſt tale, quod de ſui ratione habear, quod ſit inductivum ad peccandum puta cum aliquis publice facit peccatum, vell quod habet ſimilitudinem peccati. Aquin. 2. quest. 43. Art. 1. a. 4. this is an inducement to it; And gives another occaſion to fall. And ſo much in effect writes Zanchy pExplic. in 1 Theſ. 5. 22. p. 419, Tom 6., on the place.
5. This is not without appearance of evill and ſcandall, becauſe hereby, men ſeeke to uphold ſuch wayes and inventions in divine worſhip, as the Lord of old hath ordained to deſtructionqler 51. 26 2 The. 2 8. Rev. 18., Merdecah would not give countenance, nor reverence to one of that NationrBrent. Comment. in Heſt. c. 3, v 2., whoſe name God had appointed to be blotted out under Heaven.
Wherfore did the Lord give ſo ſtraight a charge unto Iſrael, to breake downe AltarssDeu. 7, 5., groues high-places, &c. Ʋt ex eo intelligamus, becauſe, ſaith JuniustAnal. in Deu. 12 p. 71. by this we ſhould underſtand, that they were not to retaine any thing that concerneth either the ſubſtance or ſhew of Idolatrie. CalvineuComment. in Eſa 27, 9. ſpeakes the very ſame: (So deteſtable is idolatrie before God) Vt eius memoriam vult penitus deleri, ne poſthàc ullum eius veſtigium appareat.) That he will have the very memorie of it utterly to bee aboliſhed, leaſt any footstept thereof ſhould appeare afterward.
Iacob aboliſhed out of his Houſe not only the idols, but the ear-ings, Gen. 35. 4. becauſe they were ſuperstitionis inſignia: Monuments of ſuperſtition; As CalvinyComment. in Gen. 35 4., Monilia Idolis conſecrata: Iewels conſecrated to idols; As Pareusaibid.: Res idolatriae pertinentes: Things appertaining to idolatrie, as Iuniusbibid..
To be ſhort, would not God have the Iewes under the law, to countenance any humaine deviſe, whether Miniſterie cNumb. 8 22. 24. Numb. 4. 24, 31. & 1847, Miniſtration, Altar, Sacrifice, Sacraments, either by word, dPſa. 16. Hoſ. 2, 16, 16, 17.writing, preſence, aſſembling togethereDeu. 16, 1, 6 1 King. 12, 32., obſerving the time, comming to the place, bowing downefDeu. 5, 9. Pſ. 95, 6. Hoſ. 13. 2. Eze. 18, 6. Neh, 10, 32. 37. Ex. 30, 16. Eze. 5, &c., kneeling, lifting up the eyes, paying of tithes (g), Offerings, Contributions, &c. And ſhall wee thinke that all theſe outward obſeruances, are novv out of uſe, and that men in ſuch reſpects may publickly countenance the vvayes of Antichriſt. As for ſuch, as ſo thinke, let them knovv, they are in errour and ſinne; And as the Papiſts have condemned Montanus for an Heretick, and yet raetine among them his vile opinions. So doe theſe men, embrace the lies and beaſtly vanities of H. N. that monſtrous Monſter, although in words they will diſclaime all Familiſme.‡As cats louelove not the Maſter of the houſ, but his houſholds-goods: ſo many ſay they can̄ot abide the Pope, & yet louelove his houſhold ſtuffe to well.
Conſider what I ſay, and the Lord give you underſtanding.
For the inſtance, vvhichwhich hee brings of hyring a Houſe in a Pariſh, it is diſcrepant and impertinent, and ſo of no validitie. For, let Barnards gConſirat. Eugen. l. 3.uſefull Canon be obſerved, an liceat, an deceat, an expediat, vvee ſhall ſoon ſee, there is no agreement betvveen it, and the thing he applies it to.
For firſt, the Law of God alloweth us, to live where wicked men doe; and to have neceſſarie ſociety with them in civill things; And thus the godly in all ages have practiſed. But let them ſhew us, where it is written, that we muſt goe, unto their unlawfull-Church-meetings, and there worſhip God with them, and among them. I aſke againe, who of the Saints hath done this? The Lordhler. 15. 19. ſayth: Let them returne to thee, but returne not thou unto them.
2. It is ſeemely that we dwell among them; and reciprocally give and take earthly helpes each of other.*Compoſſeſſores mū di non erroris. Wee muſt be cò partners with them in the world but not in their errours, ſaith Tertulliā. But in Religion we may not uſe any of their deviſes, as meanes and furtherances of our edification.
Elias was carefull to repaire the Lords Altar; For as Martyr iIn his Comment. on the place.ſaith, he judged it an unbefitting thing, and a great indignitie to God and his truth, to Offer Sacrifice on Baals Altar. If men in thoſe dayes had the Zeale of that good Prophet, they would ſcorne and loath to make uſe of any thing that is Antichriſts. I ſay it againe, vvere men zealous for the Lord God of Hoſts, they would feare to runne to falſe Churches and Miniſters to be edified. Is it not becauſe there is not a God in Iſrael that ye goe.
3. This alſo is behovefull and expedient, as the Apoſtlek1 Cor. 5. 10. ſaith; But the other is not ſo, as we have before proved. For Concluſion, whereſoever I live, my conſtant abſence from their Church is an evident token, that I have left them; But on the contrarie; if I goe thither to worſhip, this gives them juſt cauſe to thinke that I approve of their unſanctified ſtanding; Whoſoever therefore can make theſe two things hang together? I muſt needs ſay, quid libet equolibet, of every thing hee can make any thing. But of this no more now: let us hearken to what followes.