The Cure of Church Divisions, Directions · Direction 5
DIRECT. V.
Understand rightly the true difference between the Mystical and the Visible Church, and the qualification of their Members; and do not confound them, as if it were the same persons only, that must be Members of both.
THE Mystical Church indeed hath none but true Saints. But the Visible Church containeth multitudes of Hypocrites; who profess themselves to be what they are not: They profess to believe in God, while they neglect him; and to be ruled by God, while they disobey him, and are ruled by their lusts: They profess to Love God and forsake the world, whilest they love the world, and God is not in all their thoughts: They profess to love the holy Scriptures, whilest they neglect them and love not the holiness of their precepts. They profess to believe in Jesus Christ, whilest their hearts neglect his grace and government. They profess to believe in the holy Spirit, and to hold the Communion of Saints in the Catholick Church; whilest they resist the Spirit, and love not Saints. All this sheweth that they are Hypocrites. But abundance of Hypocrites are in the Visible Church. Nay, God would have no Hypocrites cast out, but those who bewray their hypocrisie by impenitency in proved Heresie or gross sin.
We must not model the Church of Christ according to our private fancies: We are not the Lords of it, nor are we sit or worthy to dispose of it Look into the Scripture, and take it for the Rule, and see there of what manner of persons the Visible Church hath been constituted in all ages of the world till now. In the first Church in Adams family, a Cain, was the first born member, and so continued, till he was excommunicated for the murder of his brother. In a Church of eight persons who were saved out of all the world, the Father and Pastor was overtaken with gross drunkenness, and one of his sons was a cursed Cham. In a Church of six persons saved from the wickedness of Sodom, two of them (Lot's sons in law) perished in the flames among the unbelievers: a third was turned into a pillar of salt: the Father and Pastor was drunk two nights together, after the sight of such a terrible miracle, and after so strange a deliverance to himself: and committed incest twice in his drunkenness: The two that remained (his daughters) caused his drunkenness purposely and committed incest with him. In the Church in Abrahams family, there was an Ishmael: And in the Church in Isaacs family there was an Esau: and even Rebeka and Iacob guilty of deceitful equivocation: And Abraham and Isaac denied their wives to save themselves in their unbelief. In Iacob's family was a Simeon and Levi, who murdered multitudes under a pretense of Religion, and under the cover of false deceit: And almost all his sons moved with envy, sold their brother Ioseph for a slave; and some were hardly kept from murdering him: And his daughter Dinah was defiled by desiring to see the company and fashions of the world. In the Church of the Israelites in the Wilderness, after all the miracles which they had seen, and the mercies they had received, so great were their sins of unbelief and murmuring, and lust, and whoredomes, and idolatry, and disobedience, that but two of them that came out of Egypt, were permitted to enter the promised land: In the times of the Judges they so oft renewed their idolatry, besides all their other sins, that they spent a great part of all those ages in captivity for it. And when the villanies of Gibeah had imitated the Sodomites, and ravished a woman to death, the Tribe of the Benjamites defended it by a war, and that in three battels, till fourty thousand of the innocent Israelites were slain, and twenty five thousand of the Benjamites. Look through all the Books of Samuel, the Kings, and Chronicles, and the Prophets; from the sad story of the sons of Eli and of Samuel, to all the wicked Kings that followed, who kept up odious Idolatry (even Solomon himself) and scarce two or three of the best did put down the high places: And when Hezekiah was zealous to reform, the hearts of the subjects were not prepared, but derided or abused the Messengers whom he sent about, to call the people home to God: Manasseh's wickedness is scarcely to be parallel'd: And when God sent his Prophets to call them to repentance, they mocked his Messengers, and despised and abused his Prophets, till the wrath of the Lord arose, and there was no remedy: 2 Chron. 36. 15, 16. Read over the Prophets, and see there what a people this Church of God was. The ten Tribes were drawn by Ier…boam to sin, by setting up Calves at Dan and Beth-el, and making Priests of the vilest of the people, and forsaking the Temple and the true worship of God, and the lawful Priests. And these lawful Priests at Ierusalem, were ravening Wolves, and greedy Dogs, and careless and cruel Shepherds: The false Prophets who deceived the people were most accepted: The people are accused of cruelty, oppression, whoredom, drunkenness, Idolatry, and hatred of those that would reform them. They were grievous persecutors: Which of the Prophets did not your fathers kill and persecute? saith Christ, Matth. 23. Yet this was the Church of God, and many think his only visible Church: And all these twelve Tribes were not so big as England, and were to the bigness of all the Earth, no more than one tree to a large Wood or Forrest.
But doubtless the Gospel Church was both more large and pure. Let us therefore take a view of it: And I beseech you remember, that what I say is not to make sin less odious, nor the Church or Godly less esteemed: but to shew you the frame of the visible Church in all Generations, and how it differeth from the invisible; lest you should take on you to be wiser than God, and to build his house after a better rule than his Gospel, and the primitive pattern, and marr all by being wise in your own conceits, and by being righteous overmuch. Eccles. 7. And I pray you forget not, that the Primitive Church was the most pure, and the pattern of those following; and had inspired Apostles to be its Guides, and inspired Prophets to be its Helpers, and abundance of Miracles and extraordinary gifts, to gather and edifie it; to silence its enemies, and to terrifie and restrain offenders, and to bring up the Church to the highest degree of holiness that could be well expected. And withall, the Members were not driven in by force by Magistrates, nor allured by any worldly commodities, but were a few Volunteers, who in a time of persecution, professed Christ, to their hazard or suffering in the world. Yet see what they were.
The faultiness of the Teachers.
The Apostles before the death of Christ, though they had so long heard his doctrine, and seen his miracles, understood not that he must die for our sins, and be buried, and rise again, and ascend into Heaven, and there intercede for us, and rule the Church. Ioh. 12. 16. and 10. 6. Luk. 18. 34. and 9. 45. and 24. 43, 44, 45. Peter so much perswaded Christ from that suffering by which the world was to be redeemed, that Christ speaketh to him as he did to the Devil. Matth. 4. Get thee behind me Satan; for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. Matth. 16. 22, 23. Iames and his beloved disciple Iohn (called sons of thunder, perhaps for this or such like zeal) would have called for fire from heaven to destroy the unbelieving adversaries of the Gospel, and knew not of what spirit they were. Iudas was one that was sent out to preach the Gospel by Christ himself, (who knew his heart.) Many that preached and prophesied and cast out Devils in his name, were workers of iniquity, whom he never knew with special approbation. Matth. 7. 22, 23. When he came to his sufferings, they all slept when they should have watched and prayed with him one hour in his agony; and this after his admonition. When they should have confessed him in suffering they all forsook him and fled, Matth. 26. 56. And Peter that seemed to stick closer to him, did with forswearing thrice deny him, after he had promised to die with him, and not to forsake him, though all forsook him▪ And when he was dead they said, Luk. 24. We trusted this was he that should have delivered Israel, as if their faith had been extinct. And when he rose and appeared to them they hardly believed what they saw: and Thomas, one of them, resolved that he would not believe, unless he might put his fingers into his side. And when they spake with him before his Asce… sion, they dreamed still of an earthly grandure, and askt him, Whether now he would restore the Kingdome unto Israel? Act. 1. And they understood not the descent of the Holy Ghost.
And when the Holy Ghost was come upon them, one of their first Deacons Nicholas was the original of a Sect whose doctrine Christ did ha…e. Paul and Barnabas contended even to parting. Peter dissembled by a sinful separation, walking not uprightly, and drew away Barn…bas into the dissimulation… Gal. 2. Phil. 1. 15, 16. [Som… preach Christ even of envy, and strif…, and some of good will. The one preach, Christ of contentions not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds.] Many were made like the heads. of Sects, and some were of Paul, and some of Apollo's, and some of Cephas (as the Papists be now.) And some built hay and stubble, which must be consumed. 1 Cor. 3. 12, Of Timothy and the rest Paul saith▪ [I have no man like minded; for all seek their own, and not the things which are Iesus Christ…. 3 Jo…. 9. 10. Diorrephes who loveth to have the … among them receiveth … not, prating, against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the Brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the Church.] As the Apostles themselves before Christs death, were striving which of them should be the greatest; so this vice still followed many of the Pastors; so that Peter is fain to exhort them, not to Lord it over Gods heritage, nor to rule them by constraint, but willingly. 1. Pet. 5. And what abundance of Sect-masters did arise from among the Ministers of the Gospel in the Apostles own times? Insomuch as Paul forewarneth the famous Church of Ephesus, not only that grievous Wolves (that is, Hereticks) should e…ter▪ that spared not the flocks, but also that, of their own selves men should arise, speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them. Act. 20. 30. And in the Apostles dayes, while one had a Prophesie and another a Psalm, &c. they brought confusion into the Church-worship, even by abuse of extraordinary gifts: And they so abused the Lovefeasts at the Lords Supper, that Paul was fain to perswade them rather to eat at home. 1 Cor. 14. and 1 Cor. 11. so much of the true state of the Primitive Teachers and Pastors of the Church.
The faults of the Church of Rome.
What Heretical Judaizers were among them, is intimated in c 1. & 3. to the Romans. And how little they understood the doctrine of Justification is intimated in cap. 3; & 4, & 5, & 6, & 7, & 8. What dissentions there were about meats, and drinks, and days, the weak judging the strong, and the strong despising the weak, appeareth, cap. 14, & 15. And some caused divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which they had learned, serving not the Lord Iesus but their own bellies, and by good words and fair speeches deceiving the hearts of the simple, Rom. 16. 16, 17.
The faults of the Church of Corinth.
1 Cor. 1. 11, 12. [There are contentions among you—Everyone of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollo's, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ. Mark the extent of the sin (every one of you) that is, very many among you, 1 Cor. 3. 13. I could not speak to you as spiritual, but as carnal—For ye are yet carnal—v. 12. If any build on this foundation, wood, hay, stubble,—v. 15. he shall suffer loss. chap. 4. 18. 21. Some are puffed up—Shall I come to you with a rod or in love?—chap. 6. 5, 6, 7, 8. I speak to your shame, Is there not a wise man among you? Because yee go to Law one with another (before Heathens,) Nay you do wrong and defraud, and that your brethren. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God?—chap. 11. 17, 18, 19, 20, 21. I praise you not that you come together, not for the better but for the worse. For first of all, when you come together in the Church. I hear that that there be divisions among you—For there must be also Heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you—When you come together into one place, this is not to eat the Lords Supper: For in eating every one taketh before other, his own supper, and one is hungry, and another is drunken. Vers. 23. 30. He that eateth and drinketh unworth…ly, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lords body—For this cause many are weak and sick among you▪ and many sleep. Chap. 14. Reproveth their abuse of unknown tongues, and their disorder in Gods publike worship—Chap. 15. 12, 13, 14, 15. [If Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you, that there is no resurrection. But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen; And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is vain; yea and we are found false witnesses of God—v. 17. and ye are yet in your sins. 2 Cor. 12. 20, 21. I fear lest when I come, I shall not finde you such as I would, and that I shall be found to you such as ye would not. Lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, back-bitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults; and lest my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many that have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed.] Besides that Paul and his Ministry was slandered and much slighted among them, as by his large a…d vehement apologies and expostulations doth appear; These were the faults of the Church of the Corinthians.
The corruptions of the Churches of Galatia.
Gal. 1. 6, 7, 8, 9. I marvel that you are so soon removed, from him that called you, to the grace of Christ, to another Gospel; which is not another; but there are some that trouble you, and would pervert the Gospel of Christ: But though …e or an Augel from heaven, preach any other Gospel to you, than that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed— Chap. 3. 1, 2, 3. O foolish Galathians! Who hath bewitched you, that you should not obey the truth? before whose eyes—Are ye so foolish? Having begun in the spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? Have ye suffered so many things in vain—chap. 4. 9. How turn y… again to weak and beggarly elements, whereto ye desire again to be in bondage. vers. 10. 11. Ye observe dayes, and moneths, and times, and years; I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed on you labour in v…in—v. 16. Am I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth? Tell me, ye that desire to be under the Law—v. 29. As then, he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the spirit, even so it is now (The Legalists persecuting the Apostles) Chap. 5. 2. Behold I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing. V. 3, 4. For I testifie again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole Law: Christ is become of no effect to you. Who ever of you are justified by the Law, ye are fallen from grace: v. 9. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. 12. I would they were even cut off which trouble you. Chap. 6. 12. As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised.
The corruptions of the Church of Colosse.
Col. 2. 20, 21, 22, 23. If ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances? Touch not, tast not, handle not (which all are to perish with the using) after the Commandements and Doctrines of men? Which things have indeed a shew of wisdome in will-worship.
The corruptions of the Church of Ephesus.
Rev. 2. 4, 5. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love—Remember from whence thou art fallen, and do thy first works, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remo…e thy Candlestick. Act. 20. 30. Of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, &c. as aforesaid.
The corruptions of the Church of Pergamus.
Rev. 2. 14, 15, 16. I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there the… that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel; to eat things sacrificed to Idols; and to commit fornication: so hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate—Repent, or else I will—
The faults of the Church of Thyatira.
Rev. 2. 20, 21, 22, I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest the woman Jezebel, which calleth her self a Prophetess, to teach and to sed…ce my s…rvants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed to Idols.
The faults of the Church of Sardis.
Rev. 3. 1. Thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead—I have not found thy works perfect before God. 4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments.
The faults of the Church of Laodicea.
Rev. 3. 15, 16, 17. Thou art neither cold nor hot—I will spue thee out of my mouth—and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.
I hauehave been thus large in citing the words of the Text, to make it plain to you, of what kind duplicate page duplicate page of Members the Visible Churches were then made up: And to affect their hearts with the sense of their partiality, who can plead for many things as duties, and plead against many things as sin, without one plain word of Scripture on their side; and yet can read all these without either sense or notice.
Yet mark, I pray you, that I am far from saying that God alloweth any of these sins, or that any should make light of them: For all must abhor them: Nor do I say, that none of the Churches ought to have excommunicated any of these offenders for these sins. Some of them I doubt not, should have been cast out. But these are the uses which I desire you to make of all these Texts.
First, before you judge any Church to be … Church, be able to prove it hath worse crimes to nullisie it than any of these had. For none of these were for these faults pronounced no Churches of Iesus Christ.
Secondly, observe that no one Member, is in all these Scriptures, or any other, commanded … come out and separate from any one of all these Churches, as if their communion in worship were unlawful. And therefore before you separate from any as judging communion with them unlawful, be sure that you bring greater reasons for it, than any of these recited were.