The Cure of Church Divisions, Directions · Direction 9
DIRECT. IX.
Forget not the great difference between casting out the wicked and impenitent from the Church by discipline; and the godlies separating from the Church it self, because the wicked are not cast out. The first is a great duty: The second is ordinarily a great sin.
THe question is not, Whether the impenitent should be put away from Church-Communion? Thats not denied. But whether you should separate from the Church because they are permitted: This is it which we call you to beware: Not but that in some cases, a Christian may lawfully remove from one Church to another that hath more light and purity, for the edification of his soul. But before you separate from a faulty Church, as such as may not lawfully be communicated with, you must look well about you, and be able to prove that thing which you affirm.
Many weak Christians marking those Texts which bid us avoid a man that is an Heretick, and to have no company with disorderly walkers, and not to eat with flagitious persons, do not sufficiently mark their sense, but take them as if they call'd us to separate from the Church with which these persons do communicate. Whereas if you mark all the Texts in the Gospel, you shall find, that all the separation which is commanded in such cases (besides our separation from the Infidels or Idolatrous world, or Antichristian and Heretical confederacies, and no-Churches) is but one of these two sorts. First, either that the Church cast out the impenitent sinner by the power of the Keyes. Secondly, or that private men avoid all private familiarity with them. And both these we would promote, and no way hinder. Thirdly, but that the private members should separate from the Church, because such persons are not cast out of it, shew me one Text to prove it if you can.
Let us here peruse the Texts that speak of our withdrawing from the wicked. 1 Cor. 5. Is expresly written to the whole Church, as obliged to put away the incestuous person from among them, and so not to eat with such offenders. So is that in 2 Thes. 3. and that in Tit. 3. 10. A man that is an Heretick after the first and second admonition avoid: Unless it be a Heretick that hath already separated himself from our communion; And then it can be put private familiarity which we are further to avoid. In brief, there is no other place of Scripture, that I know of, which commandeth any more. I have before shewed that abundance of Church corruptions, or of scandalous members, were then among them, and yet the Apostle never spake a syllable to any one Christian, to separate from any one of all those Churches: Which we cannot imagine that the Holy Ghost would have wholly omitted, if indeed it had been the will of God.
Obj. But then why did Luther and the first Pretestants, separate from the Church of Rome; and how will you justifie them from Schisme?
Ans. Its pity that sloth and sortishness, should keep any Protestant (or Papist either) in such ignorance, as to need any help to answer so easie a question at this day! Let not equivocal names deceive us, and the case is easie. By the word Church the Scripture still meaneth; first, either the Universal Church which is the body or Kingdome of Christ alone: Secondly, or particular Congregations associated for personal communion in Gods worship: But the Pope hath feigned another kind of thing, and called it The Church: That is, The Vniversality of Christians as headed by himself, as the constitutive and governing head. Whereas, first, God never instituted or allowed such a Church, Secondly, nor did ever the Universality of Christians, acknowledge this usurping Head. Shew me in Scripture, or in Church-History, that either there ever was de facto, or ought to be de jure, such a thing in the world as they call the Church, and I profess I will immediately turn Papist. But if you ask why we separated from the Papal Church? I answer, Because, first, it was no Church of Christ (as such.) And secondly, It was a Church of traiterous combination, against the prerogative of Christ, and therefore by the Protestants called the Anti-christian Church. We separated not from Rome either as the Universal Church (for that it was not) nor as part of the Universal Church; (for so we hold communion with those that are Christians in it still) Nor as a true worshipping Congregation (for they consist of many thousand congregations which we had never local communion with: And as true worshipping congregations in specie, we still hold communion with them in mind, so far as they are such indeed: But in two senses we separate from them: First, as a Papal Catholick Church; because in that sense they are no Church of Christ, but a pack of rebels: Secondly, as particular Congregations in specie which have mixed Gods worship with false doctrine and Idolatrous bread-worship and other unlawful things, which by oaths and practise they would force those to be guilty of, who will communicate with them. And thus we disown them only as neighbour Churches, that never were their lawful subjects, but bear our testimony against their sin. And our forefathers who were members of their Churches, departed to save themselves from their iniquity, and because they were refused by themselves, unless they would lie & forswear & be idolaters, and communicate with them in their sin. Nor would they then, nor will they to this day admit any into communion of their particular Churches, as such, who will not first come in to their pretended Universal Church, which is no Church, and worse than none. If this answer seem not plain and full to you, it is because you understand not Christian sense and reason.