The Cure of Church Divisions, Directions to pastors 2 · Direction 22
DIRECT. XXII.
Lastly, Let all the Ministers of Christ, so deeply study their wonderfull pattern of Love and tenderness, meekness and patience, and all those passages of Holy Scripture, which still commend those vertues to his servants, till their souls are cast into this sacred mould, and habituated to this Image and imitation of their Lord: And then Vertue will go from them, and they will be healing among all where-ever they shall come; As fire goeth out from the flinty contenders by their collisions, which maketh them still incendiaries and consumers of the Churches Peace.
I Will therefore end these Directions with the bare repetition of some more of those sacred words, (besides those forecited) which may be fit to breed such a gracious habit, in those that will faithfully study and receive them.
Isa. 9. 6, 7. The government shall be laid upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting father, the Prince of Peace: Of the increase of his Government and Peace there shall be no end.
Isa. 40. 11. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosome, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
Isa. 42. 1, 2, 3. 4. Behold my servant whom I uphold: mine elect in whom my soul delighteth: I have put my spirit upon him; he shall bring forth judgement to the Gentiles: He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street: A bruised reed shall he not break; and the smoking slax shall he not quech: he shall bring forth judgement unto truth: He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgement in the earth; and the isles shall wait for his law.
Isa. 44. 3, 4, 5. I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit on thy seed and my blessing on thy off-spring: And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water-courses: One shall say, I am the Lords, and another shall call himself by the name of Iacob: and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord, and surname himself by the name of Israel.
Psal. 110. 2, 3. Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies: Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness.
Ezek. 34. 2, 3, 4, 5. Wo to the shepherds of Is…ael that feed themselves; should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Ye eate the fat and cloath you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed, but ye feed not the flock: The diseased have ye not strengthened; neither have ye healed that which was sick; neither have ye bound up that which was broken; neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; But with Force and with Cruelty have ye ruled them; and they were scattered because there is no shepherd—Read the rest of that Chapter.
Isa. 11. And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Iesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisedome and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge, and of the fear of the Lord: and shall make him of quick understanding, in the fear of the Lord, and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, nor reprove after the hearing of his ears; but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked—The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid: and the calf and the young lion and the fa…ling together; and a little child shall lead them: And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the oxe; and the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice d…n. They shall not hurt, nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. See also cap. 65. 25.
Isa. 2. 2, 3, 4, 5. And it shall come to pass in the last dayes, that the mountain of the Lords house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hils, and all nations shall flow unto it: And many people shall go and say, Come ye and let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Iacob, and he will reach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: For out of Zion shall go forth the Law, and the word of the Lord from Ierusalem: And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: And they shall beat their swords into plow-shares, and their spears into pruning-hooks: Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn wa…s any more. O house of Iacob, come ye and let us walk in the light of the Lord.
Mal. 2. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. My covenant was with (Levi) of life and peace; and I gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared me,— The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: He walked with me in Peace and Equity; and did turn many from iniquity: For the Priests lips should keep knowledge and they should seek the Law at his mouth: for he is the Messenger of the Lord of hosts. But ye are departed out of the way: ye have caused many to stumble at the Law: ye have corrupted the Covenant of Levi;—Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my wayes, but have been partial in the Law.
Zech. 9 9. Behold thy King cometh unto thee▪ he is just, and having salvation; lowly and riding on an ass—He shall speak peace to the heathen, and his dominion shall be from sea to sea—
Math. 11. 29. Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Luke 4. 18. He hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor, he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted—43 I must preach the Kingdome of God to other Cities also, for therefore am I sent.
Mark. 3. 20, 21. The multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him; for they said, He i… beside himself.
Ioh. 4. 32, 34. I have meat to eat that ye know not of—My meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work.
Ioh. 9. 4. I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day: the night cometh when no man can work.
Luk. 22. 24. And there was a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest. Math. 20. 25, 26, 27. But Jesus called them to him and said, ye know that the Princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you let him be your Minister; and whosoever will be chief among you let him be your servant: Even as the son of man came not to be ministred to, but to minister and to give his life a ransome for many.
Ioh. 18. 36. My Kingdome is not of this world— …lse would my servants fight.
Luk. 12. 14. Who made me a judge or a divider over you?
1 Pet. 5. 2, 3, 4. Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the over-fight thereof; not by constraint but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind. Neither as being Lords over (or, Over-ruling) Gods heritage, but bein ensamples to the flock: And when the chief shepheard shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of Glory.
2 Cor. 1. 24. Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy.
Math. 23. 8. Be not ye called Rabbi; for one is your Master Christ: and all ye are brethren.
1 Cor. 4. 1, 2. Let a man so account of us as of the Ministers of Christ, and Stewards of the mysteries of God.
2 Cor. 10. 8. & 13. 8, 10. For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth; according to the power, which the Lord hath given me to edification, and not to destruction.
Act. 20. 18, 19. Ye know after what manner I have been with you at all seasons: serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears,—20 And have taught you publickly and from house to house—In every City bonds and afflictions abide me; but none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto my self, that I might finish my course with joy; and the ministery which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testifie to you the grace of God.— 29, 30, 31. Grievous wolves shall enter—And of your own selves men shall arise, speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them: Therefore watch, and remember that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.
33, 34. I have coveted no mans silver or gold or apparel: yea your selves know that these hands have ministred to my necessities, and to them that were with me: I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak—
2 Cor. 12. 5. Of my self I will not glory but in my infirmities. So 9, 10. I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christs sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
2 Tim. 2. 23, 24, 25. But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes: And the servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle to all men; apt to teach, patient in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves, if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth.
1 Tim. 3. 2, 3. A Bishop must be blameless, apt to teach—no striker, nor greedy of filthy lucre, but patient—
Tit. 1. 7, 8, 9, 10. A Bishop must be blameless as the Steward of God, not self-willed (or self-pleasing, or stiffe in his own conceit) not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre, but a lover of hospitality, a lov…r of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate, holding fast the faithful word, as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound Doctrine, both to exhort & to convince the gain-sayers, for there are many un…uly and vain talkers and deceivers, whose mouths must be stopped—
2 Cor. 10. 3, 4, 5. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God, to the pulling down of strong holds, casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.
Rom. 14. 1. Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations—Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; nor him that eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him—To him that esteemeth any thing unclean, to him it is unclean▪ But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably: destroy not him with thy meat for whom Christ died—For the kingdome of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost: For he that in these things serveth Christ, is acceptable to God, and approved of men. Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edifie another— He that doubteth is damned if he eat—
Rom. 15. 1, 2, 3. We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please our selves. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification: For even Christ pleased not himself. Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like minded one towards another, according to Christ Jesus, tha… ye▪ … with one mind and one mouth glorifie God—Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ received us to the glory of God.
Phil. 3. 15, 16. Let us as many as be perfect be thus minded, and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even th…s unto you. Nevertheless whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same things.
Eph. 4. 2, 3. With all lowliness and meekness, with long suffering forbearing one another in love: endeavouring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace—15. Speaking the truth in love—16. Edifying in love.
Phil. 2. 3. Let nothing be done through strife or vain-glory, but in lowliness of mind, l…t each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus—that made himself of no reputation—14. Do all things without murmurings and disputings.
Iam. 3. 17. The wisdome from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easie to be intreated, full of mercy, &c.
1 Thes. 2. 5, 6, 7. Neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloak of covetousness, God is witness: Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you nor yet of others, when we might have been burthensome (or used authority) as the Apostles of Christ: But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children. So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted to you, not the Gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us.
Gal. 5. 22. The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness—
2 Cor. 10. 1. I Paul beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—
Gal. 6. 1. Brethren if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye that are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of meekness—Bear ye one anothers burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Col. 3. 12, 13. Put on as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering, forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, &c.
1 Tim. 6. 11. Follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
Tit. 3. 2. To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness to all men—
1 Pet. 3. 4. The ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, in the sight of God is of great price.
Lev. 19. 18. Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self.
Rom. 12. 9, 10. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love, in honour preferring one another.
Rom. 13. 10. Owe nothing to any man but Love—Love worketh no ill to his neighbour— Love is the fulfilling of the Law.
Ioh. 13. 35. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
Ioh. 13. 34. & 15. 12, 17. This is my commandement that ye love one another—As I have loved you—A new commandement—
Gal. 5. 14. The Law is fulfilled in this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self.
1 Thes. 4. 9. Ye are taught of God to love one another.
1 Pet. 1. 22. Love one another with a pure heart fervently.
1 Pet. 3. 8 9. Be all of one mind; having compassion one on another; love as brethren; be pitiful be courteous: Not rendring evil for evil, … railing for ra…ling; but contrariwise blessing, knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
Pet. 2. 23. Who when he was reviled, reviled not again: when he suffered he threatned not.
Math. 5. 44, 45. Love your enemies; bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you; and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you; that you may be the children of your father, which is in heaven—For if ye love them that love you, what reward have you? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do you more than others? do not even the publicans the same?
Math. 6. 14. For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly father will also forgive you. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your father forgive your trespasses.
Math. 5. 39, 40, 41. I say unto you that ye resist not evil: but whosoever shal smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other allso: And if any man will sue thee at Law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also—
1 Thes. 5. 12, 13, 14. We beseech you brethren to know them which LABOVR AMONG YOV, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for THEIR WORK SAKE, and be at peace among your selves: Now we exhort you brethren warn them that are unruly, comfort the feeble minded, support the weak, be patient toward all men: se …hat none render evil for evil to any man; but ver follow that which is good, both among your selves and to all men.
1 Cor. 9. 19. Though I be free from all men, yet have I made my self servant unto all, that I might gain the more. And unto the Jews I became as a Jew that I might gain the Jews: to them that are under the Law, as under the Law, that I might gain them that are under the Law: To them that are without law as without law (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ) that I might gain them that are without law: To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some: and this I do for the Gospels sake.
1 Cor. 8. 1. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth: & if any man think he knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know: But if any man love God, the same is known of him. v. 4. But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those that are weak: 12. But when ye sin against the brethren and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. 13. Wherefore if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.
Ioh. 13. 3. Jesus knowing that the father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God and went to God, he riseth from supper and laid aside his garments, and took a towel and girded himself; After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. 12, 13. So after he had washed their feet and had taken his garments, and was set down again he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord, and ye say well, for so I am: If I then you Lord and Master have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one anothers feet: For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you that the servant is not greater than his Lord, neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
Qu. To what purpose do you set together all these words of Scripture, without any exposition, or telling us what you conclude from them?
Answ. I purposely avoid glosses and collections, that you may not say that I obtrude any thing on you of my own, which is not the mind of your Lord himself. And I set them together that they that overlook them, may have a deeper apprehension than they have had. First, What is the true spirit of a Christian, and nature of Christianity? Secondly, What is the office and work of the Ministery, and which way they are to win souls, and convince or silence gain-sayers and extirpate errours, and prevent or cure schismes, and secure the Churches peace? And as for them that can seriously peruse all these words of the spirit of God, and yet can find in them no matter of correction or instruction without a Commentary and argumentation, I have no more to say to them at this time; but to add Christs next words Ioh. 13. 18. I speak not of you all! I know whom I have chosen.] And I shall annex a few texts which characterize the contrary spirit; Contrary I say, to CHRISTIANITY and the faithful MINISTERY, and with them I shall conclude.
1 Ioh. 3. 12, 13. Not as Cain who was of that Wicked One, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? B…cause his own works were evil and his brothers righteous (Heb. 11. 4. By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than C…in) v. 13. Marvel not my brethren if the world hate you—Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: And ye know that no murderer hath eternal life ab…ding in him. (We ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.)
Ioh. 8. 44. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do: he was a murderer from the beginning—
1 Sam. 25. 25. 17. As his name is so is he: Nabal is his name, and folly is with him—He is such a son of Belial that a man cannot speak to him.
Read the story of Doeg, 1 Sam. 22.
Read also Ezra 4. 13, 14, 15, 17.
Esth. 3. 8. Haman said to the King—There is a certain people scattered abroad, and dispersed among the people, in all the Provinces of thy Kingdome; and their Laws are divers from all people, neither keep they the Kings laws: therefore it is not for the Kings profit to suffer them.
Dan. 3. 12. There are certain Jews—that O King have not regarded thee; they serve not thy Gods, nor worship the golden Image which thou hast set up—
Dan. 6. 5. We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the Law of his God—7. All the Presidents of the Kingdome, the Governours and Princes, the Counsellors and Captains have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for 30 dayes, save of thee O King he shall be cast into the den of Lions. v. 11. These men assembled and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God (which he did three times a day as aforetime)—13 They said, that Daniel that is of the captivity, regardeth not thee O King, nor the Decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his prayers three times a day—
Amos 7. 12, 13. Amaz…ah said to Amos, O thou Seer, go flee thee away into the Land of Juda, and there eat bread and prophesie there: But prophesie not again any more at Bethel: for it is the Kings Chappel, and it is the Kings Court.
Math. 23. 29, 30, 31. Wo unto you Scribes, Pharisees, Hypocrite…, because ye build the tombs o… the Prophets, and garnish the sepulchres the righteous, and say, If we had been in the dayes of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the Prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses to your selves that ye are the children of them which killed the Prophets: Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers—
Ioh. 11. 48. If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him, and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.
Act. 4. 1, 2. And as they spake to the people, the Priests and the Captain of the Temple, and the Sadduces came upon them, being grieved that they taught the people—And they laid hands on them and put them in hold—v. 17. That it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them that they speak henceforth no more in this name. 18. And they called them and commanded them not to speak at all, nor teach in the name of Jesus.
Gal. 4. 29. But as then he that was born after the flesh, persecuted him that was born after the spirit, even so it is now—
3 Ioh. 9. 10, 11. I wrote to the Church, but i… otrephes who loveth to have the pre-eminence among them receiveth us not—and not content therewith neither doth he himself receive the Brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the Church. Beloved follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that DOTH GOOD, is of God; but he that doth evil hath not seen God.
1 Thes. 2. 14, 15. For ye also have suffered like things of your own Countrymen, even as they have of the Jews: who both killed the Lord Jesus and their own Prophets; and have persecuted us: and they please not God, and are contrary to all men; forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved; to fill up their sin alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.☞
Luk. 9. 54, 55. Lord wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? But he turned and rebuked them and said, ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of: for the son of man is not come to destroy mens lives, but to save them.
I conclude as I began: that the consciousness of our own ordinary and lamentable infirmities, and the greatness of the Churches sufferings thereby, in all fore-going ages and in this, will condemn us of impudent self-ignorance, if Ministers be not compassionate and tender towards the weaknesses of the people, who cannot be expected to equal them in knowledg. Alas, Brethren, what are we (even after so many years study & preparation) that we should be supercilious and cruel to the infirm! what difficulties puzzle us? what a loss are we at in our ordinary studies? How weakly do we preach and pray and write? How easily do we see this in one another, as our mutual censures and severities shew? Who troubled Paul and the first Churches, but erroneous Teachers? Who prated malitiously against Iohn, and cast out the brethren, but a Diotrephes? Who brought in the errours of the Millenaries, the corporeity of Angels, the errours of the Arrians, Eunomians, Nestorians, Eutychians, Macedonians, and almost all the rable ine Epiphanius, Augustine and Philastrius, but Bishops or Presbyters? Who have caused and kept open the wounds of the Churches of the East and West so long? Who introduced all the errours (about praying for & to the dead, &c.) that are in most of the Liturgies of the Churches in East and West? And all the errours that are found in so many Councils and Confessions of Churches; and in so many Volumes of Controversie as are extant? Who set up the Roman Usurpation and Tyranny? Who set up the Papal power above Princes; and determined in the Laterane Council for their power to depose them and alienate their dominions? Who set up Usurpers and raised wars against Emperors and Kings upon these grounds? Who brought in Transubstantiation with the rest of the Roman absurdities? Who have been the Masters of the bloody Inquisitions? And who hindereth the preaching of the pure doctrine of the Gospel in all the Romanists dominions? Is it not an erroneous Clergy?
You'l say, Those are Papists and so are not we?
Ans. No, God forbid we should! But they are a mistaken Clergy; which sheweth us that the Clergy are as liable to be dividers and troublers of the Church as the Laity are; and have done much more.
If any hence would infer, that the Pastors must be vilified or deprived of their just liberties and power, I would more largely tell such a one, that it is also the Clergy that have opposed all these Heresies and sins; and that have maintained obedience to Princes; and that have preserved the Scriptures and the Christian saith; and that have been the salt and lights of the world, without whom Christianity never long continued in any nation; And that have been the chief instruments of bringing all the souls to Heaven that have passed thither from the militant Church. (But I have done this in two sheets for the Ministery long ago.) So that our faults consist with the honour of our function, and of our necessary labours, and with the praise of the more blameless.
And even so, though the peoples weakness, and inclinableness to unwarrantable separations and schisms, be blameworthy, as a fruit of their infirmity and injudiciousness: Yet must we remember that they are the members of Christ, and we must …ot deny his interest in them; nor judge or use them hardlier than Christ himself hath done, or alloweth us to do: But study his Love and tenderness and forbearance, that we may follow him in serving him; and not follow our uncharitable passions, and call it, a serving of him; who liketh no such hurtful service. He that loveth Christ in none of his Infants or weaker members, but in the strong and more prudent sort alone, doth love him in so few, that he may question whether he loveth him indeed at all; And whether ever he shall hear, In as much as ye did it to the least of these my brethren, ye did it unto me.
April 14. 1668.