The Cure of Church Divisions, Directions · Direction 13 – Direction 17
DIRECT. XIII.
Yet, left you run into the worse extream, remember still that the destroying of sin, and the sanctifying of mans nature and life by recovering us to the obedience and Love of God, was the design and work of the Redeemer: And that Holiness and Peace must go together: And that the outward order and discipline of the visible Church, must be subservient to the inward spirituality and prosperity of the regenerate Church: And no such favour must be shewed to sinners, as favoureth and strengthneth their sin, and hindereth the increase of holiness.
IT is woful work which ungodly Pastors make in the visible Church, under the name and pretense of Vnity, Concord, Peace and Order; when an enemy to true holiness; hath the managing of these, you may easily imagine how they will be used: But sad experience hath told the Christian world, these 1300 years more doleful things th…n could otherwise have bin imagined. The compassion which Christ shewed to sinners was to convert and save them from their sin: But the compassion which ca…nal Pastors shew them, is to harden them in their sin, and make them believe that repentance and holiness are but hypocrisie or needless things. The Unity and Concord which Christ intended, was a Vnity in himself and … Concord in holy Obedience to his Lawes: But it is a Vnity in the will of man and a Concord in obeying the Dictates of the proud, which Treacherous Pastors do require. It is a Peaceable progress of the Gospel, and unanimous endeavor to convert and sanctifie and save the world, which Christ requireth us to promote: But it is a Peaceable enjoyment of their own prosperity, wealth and honour, and a peaceable forbearance of a holy life, which Wolvish Pastors do desire. It is an Orderly management of holy doctrine, worship and conversation, for the edification of the flock, and the increase of godliness, which Christ commandeth. But it is an absolute obedience to their wills, and an exact observance of their new-made Religions, and needless scandalous inventions, and an adoring of their titles and robes of honour, covering their ignorance, pride and sensuality, which Church-yrants call the Order of the Church. All Christ… indulgent tenderness and Discipline, are but to further his Holy designe, of killing sin and sanctifying souls. But the Images of Piety, Government, Unity, Peace and Order, which Hypocrites and Pharisees set up, are devised engines to destroy the Life and serious practice of the things themselves, and are set up in enmity against spirituality and holiness, that there might be no other Piety, Government; Unity▪ Peace or Order in the Church, but these lifeless Images.
It is far from the mind of Christ, that no difference should be made between the Holy and the profans, the precious and the vile: O… that serious piety should be suppressed or discouraged; or faithful preachers hindered from promoting it, on ignorant graceless Ministers countenanced, under pretence of Peace or Order. The design of Christ was not like Mahomet's, to get himself an earthly Kingdom, and numerous followers meerly to cry up his name: And therefore he will not indulge men in their sin…, nor abate o… alter the conditions of his Covenant, to win disciples: He will have his Ministers deal plainly with all to whom they preach, and let them know that without self-denial and forsaking all (in estimation and resolution) and a willing exchange of earth for heaven, they cannot be his true Disciples: Nor without a Profest consent to thus much, they cannot be his visible profest Disciples▪ But all that will not repent must perish. And therefore in their Baptism they must profess a renunciation of all competitors. His Ministers also must impartially exercise the Keyes which he hath committed to their trust, and must not fear the faces of men, who at most are able but to kill the body. Luk. 12. 4. They must discern between the righteous and the wicked; and draw all scandalous sinners to repentance, or else exclude them from the communion of Saints, that the world may see that Christ is no friend to prophane persons, or sensual …leshly bruits. As Chrysostome commandeth the Presbyters not to give the body and blood of Christ to the unworthy, though he were the greatest Commander or wore a Diadem, and professeth that he would suffer his own blood to be shed, before he would give the blood of Christ to the unworthy: And as blessed Paul would become all things to all men to win them, and commandeth us not to please our selves, but to please our neighbours for their good to edification: And yet when it came to the flattering of men in their sins, he saith that if he should so please men, he should be no longer the servant of Christ. And as to his own interest in mans esteem, he saith, With me it is a small thing to be judged of you, or of mans judgment. Rom. 15. 1, 2, 3. 1 Cor. 10. 33. Gal. 1. 10. 2 Tim. 2. 4. 1 Cor. 4. 3. Take heed therefore of pretending Unity, order, peace, or charity, against the strictest obedience of God…laws, or against the faithful preaching of the Gospel, and exercise of true Church-discipline, or against the necessity of the ancient profession of saving faith and true-repentance in all that will be admitted to the communion of the Church: It is not an ungodly unity, peace or order that we plead for.
DIRECT. XIV.
Though your Governours and not you, must judge what persons shall be of your publike Church-communion, yet it is you that must judge who are fit or unfit for your private company and familiarity. Here therefore exercise your strictness in your own part.
AS it is not you, but the King that must judge, who shall be of the same Kingdome with you: nor the servant but the Master, that must choose who shal be in the family with him: Nor the scholler but the Schoolmaster that must choose who shal be of the same School with him: So it is not you, but your Pastor that must judg who shall be of the same Church with you. As to the Universal visible Church, this is confest by all: And there is no reason why it should be denied of particular Churches, as is proved. But who shall be your Pastors or your Masters, your husbands or your wives, if you are yet free, you your selves must be the choosers: And who shall be your intimate companions, or your bosome friends: Here therefore make as strict a choice as you can. If you meet a prophane person at the Lords Table, it is his own fault or the Pastors: But if you keep company needlesly with such, or marry such, it is your own fault. If the Pastor do not excommunicate them, you may choose not to be familiar with them: Though you must meet them at the Church and pray with them; you need not meet them at the Ale-house and drink with them. Though you may not with a few of the most godly separate from the publike communion of all the rest; yet may you keep a more intimate familiarity with those few than with all the rest. And if you will consider, this is all that is necessary to your own duty, and that which is best for your own edification. Keep thus to a strictness within the bounds of your own place and calling, and God will bless you in such a strictness.
DIRECT. XV.
Understand well how much it hath pleased God, to lay all mens good or evil, happiness or misery, upon their own choice: And observe the reasons of it, that you may not oppose this order of God.
THough God by his grace must change the perverse disposition of mens wills, before they will make a gracious choice; yet it is most certain, that the teachings, commands, exhortations and reproofs of God, are directed to the Will of man: And that the promises and threatnings, mercies and judgements, are used to move and change the will: And that in the tenor of his Laws and Covenants Christ hath set Life and Death before men, and put their Happiness in their own choice; and that no man shall have better or worse than he made choice of: that is, none shall be either happy or miserable, but as they did choose or refuse, the causes of happiness or misery. And the reason of this is, because Natural-free-will, was part of the Natural-image of God on Adam; and it is as natural to a man to be a free-agent, as to be Reasonable. And God will govern Man as Man, agreeably to his nature.
Therefore do not wonder if Church priviledges are principally left to mens own wills or choice, when their salvation is left to it.
Indeed God would not have any man admitted into the Church and to its communion, in his own way, and on his own terms: The way and terms are of Christs appointment: That they must Profess Faith and Repentance is his appointed condition: that the Minister must be the publike judge of this profession; and accordingly receive them …olemnly by Baptism, and that they must enter under the hand of the Key-bearers of the Church; All this is of Christs institution. But whether they will make this profession or not? and whether they will make it in truth or in falshood; and whether they will live according to it, or play the hypocrites and live contrary to it; These are at their own choice. And good reason; for the gain or less must be their own. If any be in the Communion of the Church, who either never made profession of Christianity, or who is proved before them to have apostatized from that profession, or to live impenitently in any gross sin, after the Churches admonition, it is the Pastors fault; and yours if it be by the neglect of your duty. But if any other be there it is their own fault, and the loss and hurt must be their own. If any one that professeth Christianity ignorantly, unbelievingly, and hypocritically be there: or if they come to the Sacrament whilest they live in secret or open sin, before they have been openly admonished by the Church, it is their own sin; and not you but they shall bear the blame. God leaveth such matters to their own choice: and as they choose they speed. And for us to grudge at this order of God, is but to quarrel at wisdome and goodness, and to correct Gods order by our disorder. The man that came in without a wedding garment, is blamed, and bound hand and foot, and punished: But the Minister that called him in and admitted him, is not blamed; because he did as he was bidden: He went to the high-ways and hedges and compelled them (by importunity) to come in, that the House might be filled: Nor are any that came in with him blamed, for having communion with such: For they were in their places, and did as they were exhorted to do. And s…will it be in the case that is before us.
DIRECT. XVI.
Though the profession of Christianity which entituleth men to Church-communion, must be credible: yet remember that there are divers Degrees of credibility; and that every Profession which is not proved false is credible in such a degree as must be accepted by the Church.
PRofession of Christianity is every mans Church-title. No man is to prove the sincerity of his own profession; nor may the Church require such proof at his hands; For how can a man prove to another the sincerity of his own heart? But the fuller testimony he giveth of it, the better it is: And therefore none should refuse to make his own profession, as fully credible to the Church as he is able, no… is the Church to be blamed for enquiring after the fullest credibility, so be it they do it but ad melius esse, and not ad esse; not laying his title upon it, nor refusing him for want of it. But every profession as such is credible in some degree, which is not disproved. Because men are under God, the only competent judges of their own hearts: And the belief of one another is the ground of humane converse: And it is an injury to any man to account him a lyar, without sufficient proof. He that will disprove a mans profession, must prove first, that he doth not tolerably understand what he saith; secondly, or that he speaketh not seriously, but in jest; or not voluntarily, but in hypocrisie by constraint, or for some by end: Thirdly, or that he contradicteth his own words by some more credible words or deeds. And if you never yet thus disproved mens profession of Christianity before the Pastors of the Church and yet cry out against the Pastors for admitting them, you are not true Reformers, but disorderly Mutineers, and peevish censurers in the Church of Christ. Christs orders, and mens right, and all Church-justice, must not be trodden down and sacrificed to your humour, and arbitrary way.
DIRECT. XVII.
Know how far either Grace or Gifts are necessary to a Minister; that you may give both Grace and Gifts their due.
THere have been two great questions which long have troubled the Church, whether we may take him for a true Minister of Christ, that is ungodly? And what measure of Gifts is necessary to the being of the Ministry? I have carefully answered them both in my Disputation of Ordination long ago, and shall now only say in brief. First, that no ungodly man is so called to the Ministry, as to excuse himself before God for his usurpation and hypocritical administrations. Secondly, But many an ungodly man is so far called to the Ministry as that his admin…st at ons are all valid to the Church, and the innocent people shall not have the loss. Thirdly, no people should choose and prefer such an ungodly Minister before a better. Fourthly, but they should rather submit to such than have none, when a better cannot (by them) be had. Iudas had a place in the Ministry with the Apostles, Act. 1. 17. And his ministration might be valid to others, though his hypocrisie might turn it into sin to himself. And his ministry might have been accepted of the people, though they had known his hypocrisie as Christ did: But a sincere Apostle was to be preferred before him.
And for Gifts, First the greatest degree is best; and secondly, God maketh so great use of them, that many an hypocrite wi…h excellent gifts, doth edifie the Church more than many good men that are ungifted. Thirdly, but that measure of Gifts only is necessary to the Being of a Minister without which the essential parts of his office cannot be performed.
Learn therefore to prefer them that have most grace and guifts; but not to take them for no Ministers that want Grace totally, or want only a greater degree of Gifts. And marvel not that Gifts are more necessary to the validity of ministration than Grace is. He may perform the office of a Minister to the benefit of the Church, that hath no saving grace at all: so did Iudas: so did those in Math. 7. 21. that prophesied and cast out devils in Christs name, to whom he will yet say, Depart from me ye workers of iniquity, I know you not: For Grace is to save him that possesseth it: But Gifts are to teach and profit others. Yet Grace is an exceeding furtherance of the right and successful use of gifts: For ordinarily he that speaketh from the heart speaketh to the heart; when an unexperienced hypocrite speaketh without life. But sometimes a dulness and want of utterance in the sincere, and a natural and affected servency in the hypocrite, with a voluble tongue, do obscure this difference; and make the hypocrite the more profitable to the Church.