The Cure of Church Divisions, Directions · Direction 47
DIRECT. XLVII.
When ever you are avoiding any errour or sin, forget not that there is a contrary extream to be avoided, of which you are in danger as well as of that which you are opposing.
THe minds of most men are so narrow, that they cannot look many wayes at once. If they be intent on one thing, they forget another. But it is a narrow bridge betwixt dangerous gulfs, which Christian faith and obedience must pass over: And he that looketh on the one side, with the greatest fear and caution, is undone, if he look not also on the other.
The common way of avoiding any errour o… vice, is to run into the contrary. And on those terms satan himself will be Orthodox, and a reformer, and an enemy to vice. I gave you some instances even now. He is a rare person, that is so wise and happy, as to flye from every errour and sin, with an impartial awakened fear of the contrary. And thence it is that the most judicious old experienced Christians are usually in controversies for a middle way; and in the croud of contentious sects, they commonly are the reconcilers: Not only because they are more calm and moderate, and peaceable than others; but especially because they have seen the errour on both extreams, when others see only the errour on one side. Only in our inclination to our ultimate end, that is, in our Love to God, we never need to fear over-doing. But all the means may be perverted and turned into sin by extreams.
Many that observe the pollution of the Church by the great neglect of holy Discipline, avoid this errour by turning to a sinful separation: And many that are offended at separation avoid it; by a gross neglect of Christian discipline, and taking it for a needless thing.
Many who observe how heartlesly and hypocritically prescribed forms of prayer are used by too many, do avoid it by denying the lawfulness of all forms: And many who see the errour of this opinion, do escape it by turning to meer formality, and deriding all prayer which is not written in a book, or prescribed by another.
If any who see how those that were baptized in Infancy, are admitted to adult Communion without ever understanding or seriously owning the Covenant into which they were then entered; and seeing how the Church is corrupted hereby; do avoid this errour by denying the baptism of Infants. And many that see the errour of the Anabaptists, do avoid it by countenancing the aforesaid Church-corruption: and if Infants be but baptized, they never care whether they be called at years of discretion, to the solemn renewing and owning of their Covenant.
And many that see both these extreams do plead for Confirmation, as the middle way: But they turn it into a meer Ceremony, and defeat the ends of it, and never bring the baptized to a solemn renewall of their holy Vow. And many who see the Papists abuse of Confirmation, do wholly cast it off, and deny the healing use aforesaid.
Many who see the effects of Papal tyranny, dislike all General Ministery, which taketh the care of many Churches. And many who see the incoherence of Independent Churches, and the calamity of sects, do incline to Papal Usurpation.
Many who see the evils of Indepency in respect of Council and Concord, are inclined to a Regimental dependency and subordination of one Church to another, as of Divine appointment. And many who see that there is no proof that God ever appointed such a Regimental dependency, do turn to Independency in point of Council and Concord.
Many who observe the grossness of their error, who would have the people have the power of the Keys, and govern▪ the Church by the major Vote, do deny the people the liberty of choosing their Pastors, and being guided in spirituals as Volunteers. And many who see this errour of denying the people liberty, do give them the fore-said power of the Keyes, and make them Governours of themselves by Vote.
Many who hear the Papists talk so much of merits and of good works, do deny our own Faith, and Love, and Repentance, the place that God hath assigned them in order to pardon and salvation, in subordination to Christ: And many who hear the presumptuous boast of being Righteous by Christs imputed Righteousness, without any fulfilling of the Conditions of the Covenant of Grace on their parts, do make as a jest of imputed Righteousness▪ (as it is taken in a sound and warrantable sense) and do ascribe too much to the works of man.
Many who hear the Socinians make faith and obedience to be all one, do deny that the faith by which we are justified, is a giving up the soul in Covenant to Christ intirely in all his office, even as our Redeemer and Lord, and so an engagement to obedience by subjection. And many that hear men say, that faith justifieth us only as an instrument, apprehending Christs satisfaction and meritorious righteousness as their own, do confound our faith and obedience; and forget that the faith by which we are justified, is [our becoming Christians, or, Assent and Consent to the Covenant which we make in Baptisme (nothing more or less;) and not our living as Christians in after obedience, which is the fruit or effect of faith.
And, even in civil things, many who observe how Turkish, Tartarian, Japonian, China's, and other Heathenish and Infidel Tyranny, is the chief Resister of the Gospel, and Suppresser of Christianity to the damnation of millions of souls; And how Papal tyranny, and Muscovian, and Spanish cruelties, are the chief Maintainers of ignorance and unreformedness in the Churches, are ready hereupon to think dishonourably of Monarchy it self, and to murmure at the power of Christian Princes, and to rush into seditions and rebellions. And many that see the mischiefs of seditions, conspiracies… and rebellions, are ready to forget the grand and heynous sin of Tyranny, and the calamity of Souls, and Churches, and Kingdoms thereby: (As Campanella saith, The abuse of the Potestative Primality, is Tyranny, the abuse of the Intellective Primality is Heresie, and the abuse of the Volitive Primality is Hypocrisie: Though indeed he should have mentioned both extreams).
In a word, woe be to the Reformer, who feareth not running into the Extream, which is contrary to the Errour and Sin which he would reform.