The Cure of Church Divisions, Title page – Preface
THE CURE OF Church-divisions: OR, Directions for weak Christians, to keep them from being Dividers, or Troublers of the Church.
With some Directions to the Pastors, how to deal with such Christians.
By Richard Baxter.
Joh. 17. 21. That they all may be one, as thou, Father art in me and I in thee: that they also may be one in us, that the World may believe that thou hast sent me. 22. And the glory which thou gavest me, I have given them, that they may be One, even as we are One. 23. I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made Perfect in One; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast Loved them, as thou hast loved me.
1 Cor. 1. 10. Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Iesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you: but that ye be perfectly joyned together in the same mind, and in the same judgment.
1 Cor. 3. 3. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying and strife and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
London, Printed for Nevil Symmons at the three Crowns over against Holborn-Conduit, 1670.
The Authors I. Purpose, II. Reasons and III. Prognosticks of this Book.
I. IT is none of the business of this Book to single out any one Party in the world, & to tell you by Application how far they are under the guilt of Schism: I meddle with the Cause, and leave each person to make application to himself. It is SIMPLE CATHOLICK CHRISTIANITY which I plead for, and the Love and Unity and Concord which are its Ligaments and Essential parts. And it is a SECT as a SECT, and a FACTION as a faction, and not this or that Sect or Faction, which I detect and blame. Yet I doubt not but as in the same City there are the wise and the foolish, the sound and the sick, and in the same Army there are valiant men, and Cowards, so in the same Churches there are Christians of various degrees of Wisdom, Integrity and strength: And all men should earnestly desire to be of the wisest, the Holiest and the most fruitful sort, and not of the more erroneous, impure, or scandalous and unprofitable. And if the sick will make themselves a Party, and call the sound, the A…verse Party, I will endeavour to be one of a Party in that sense; and to obey God as exactly as I am able, and to worship him as spiritually and holily as I can, and to Love him with all my Mind, and Heart, and Strength, and lament that I can reach no higher, and do no more: And if any will call this by the name of Heresie or Schism, they shall see that I can avoid Heresie and Schism at as dear a rate, as enduring the Name and Imputation of that which I avoid. It is not the Name of a Schismatick that I am writing against, but the Thing, by whatever Name it is called. It is UNITY, LOVE and PEACE which I am pleading for: And it is DIVISIONS, HATRED and CONTENTION which I plead against: And it is the Hypocrisie of men which I detect, who betray Love, Unity and Peace by a Iudas kiss; and will nor, or dare not openly renounce them, and defie them, but kill them with dissembling kindness: who cry them up, while they tread them down and follow peace with all men, that are not of their party, as the Dog followeth the Hare, to tear it in pieces and destroy it: Who fight for LOVE by making others seem odious and unlovely; By evil surmisings, proud under valuing the worth of others, busie and groundless censuring of men, whose case they know not; aggravating frailties; stigmatizing the persons, the actions, the worship and religious performances of dissenters, with such odious terrible names, and Characters, as their pride and faction do suggest; And all this to strengthen the interest of their side and party, and to make themselves and their consenters to seem Wise and Good, by making others seem foolish and bad: Though they thereby proclaim themselves to be so much the worst, by how much they are most void of Love. They are all for Concord, but it is only on their narrow factions terms; They are for Peace; but it is not of the whole street, but of their house alone; or not of the whole City, but of their street alone; or not of the whole Kingdom, but of their City alone. O what a blessed thing were peace, if all would derive it from their Wills, and terminate it in their interest; and they might be the Center of Unity to the world! that is, that they might be Gods or Christs! such excellent Architects are they that they can build Christs house by pulling it in pieces; and such excellent Chirurgeons, that they will heal Christs body by separating the members, and can make as many Bodies as there are separated parts.
2. Nor is it any or much of the business of this book, to speak to those that I think are deepliest guilty of the Schisms of the Christian world: For they are out of hearing, and will not read or regard my writings. It is the Roman Head and Center of Unity which hath done most to divide the Church. And it is the contending of Rome and Constantinople for the Supremacy which hath made the greatest Schisms that the Christian world hath known: And the Regiment of such Lords must be answerable to their Power, and Greatness; and the simple terms of Christian Unity left us by Christ and his Apostles, must be turned into a Religion large as the Decrees of all the Councels, and (say half of them) and the Popes Decretals also. And that there may be no way out of this wilderness, but the Confessors present will, you must not in all these so much as distinguish fundamentals from the rest; but so much material belief is necessary to Salvation, as each mans opportunities and helps obliged him to receive; that is; The faith which is necessary to Salvation (materially or objectively) is as various as the number of persons in the world; To one more is necessary, to another less, to some none at all of the Christian faith). And you must suppose that the Priest is well acquainted with the internal capacity of every mans Soul, and with all the instructions, opportunities, and suggestions of his whole life, and can tell what measure of belief he hath, and whether it be proportionable to his helps; and so can tell him whether he be capable of Salvation, though neither Pope nor Councel have given any Standard by which to judge. And though no man can be assured of his own Salvation; and though another man could not be saved by the faith that saveth him. So much are we mistaken to think that it is the Pope that hath the Keys of Heaven, when it is every Priest, who is the onelyonly judge of the measures of the persons faith. These new made multiplyed Articles of Religion, these Additions to Christianity, this proud Church-tyranny, I doubt not is the great cause of Schism in the world: And when I have had opportunity to write against it, I have born my testimony against it, as is yet legible. But it is not that sort of men that I am here most to speak to: but to them that profess to be more teachable and willing to know the truth.
3. And yet I add though this Book be written principally to save the darker sort of honest Christians, from the sin and misery of Church divisions, I write it not principally for them to read; For I know their prejudice, weakness and incapacity, aftermentioned: But I write it to remember the Teachers of the Churches, what principles they have to Preach and strengthen, and what principles to confute and to destroy, if ever they mean to save the people from this state of sin, and the Churches from the sad effects. And if Ministers neglect the faithful discharge of so great and necessary a duty, let them remember that they were warned, if they find themselves overwhelmed in the ruines.
II. The Reasons moving me to this work are these.
First, It is my calling to help to save people from their sins; and Church division is a heap of sins.
2. The more I love them that I hope are tender Conscienced, and dare not sin, when they are convinced of it, the more I am bound to endeavour their conviction, remembring who hath said, Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thy heart, thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy Neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him. Lev. 19. 17.
3. LOVE is not an appurtenance of my Religion, but my Religion it self. God is Love, and he that dwelleth in Love, dwelleth in God, and God in him: (who can speak a higher word of any thing in all the world?) Love is the end of faith, and faith is but the Bellows to kindle Love: Love is the fulfilling of all the Law; the end of the Gospel; the nature and mark of Christs Disciples; the divine nature; the sum of holiness to the Lord; the proper note by which to know, what is the man, and what his state, and how far any of his other acts are acceptable unto God: without which if we had all knowledge and belief, all gifts of utterance and highest profession, we were but as sounding Brass, and as a tinkling Cymbal. And if all our goods were given to the poor, and our bodies to the fire, it would profit nothing. Love is our foretast of Heaven, and the perfection of it is Heaven it self, even the state and work of Angels and of Saints in glory. And he that is angry with me, for calling men to Love, is angry for calling them to Holiness to God and Heaven. Holiness which is against Love is a contradiction: It is a deceitful Name, which Satan putteth upon unholiness. All Church principles which are against Universal Love, are against God, and Holiness, duplicate page duplicate page and the Churches life. And he that saith, he loveth God, and hateth his Brother is a Lyar. To be holy without Love, is to see without light, to live without life. He that said, The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, &c. did no more dream of separating them, then of dividing the head of a man from his heart, to save his life: Iam. 3. 17. Nor no more than he that said, Follow Peace with all men, and Holiness: Heb. 1…. 14. No necessity can justifie such a division: Holiness and Love to God, are but two names for one thing. Love to God and to man, are like Soul and Body, that are separated no way but by death. Love and Peaceableness, differ but as Reason and Reasoning: Love may be without Passive Peace (from others to us,) but never without Active Peace (from us to others.)
4. I have had so great opportunity in my time, to see the working of the mysterie of iniquity, against Christian Love, and to see in what manner Christs House and Kingdome is edified by divisions, that if I be ignorant after such sad experience, I must be utterly unexcusable, and of a seared Conscience, and a heart that seemeth hardened to perdition. God knoweth how hardly sin is known in its secret root, till men have tasted the bitterness of the fruit: Therefore he hath permitted the two Extreams to shew themselves openly to the world in the effects: And one must be noted and hated and avoided, as well as the other. I thought once that all that talk against Schism and Sects, did but vent their malice against the best Christians, under those names: But since then I have seen what Love-killing principles have done! I have long stood by while Churches have been divided, and sub-divided; one Congregation of the division labouring to make the other contemptible and odious; and this called, the Preaching of truth, and the purer worshiping of God: I have seen this grow up to the height of Ranters in horrid Blasphemies, and then of Quakers, in disdainful pride and surliness; and into the way of Seekers, that were to seek for a Ministry, a Church, a Scripture, and consequently a Christ. I have many a time heard it break out into more horrid revilings of the best Ministry and Godliest people, than ever I heard from the most malignant Drunkard: I have lived to see it put to the Question in that which they called, the little Parliament, whether all the Ministers of the Parishes of England should be put down at once. When Love was first killed in their own breasts, by these same principles, which I here detect, I have seen how confidently the killing of the King, the Rebellious demolishing of the Government of the Land, the killing of many Thousands of their Brethren, the turnings and overturnings of all kinds of Rule, even that which they themselves set up, have been committed, and justified, and prophanely fathered upon God. These with much more such fruits of Love-killing principles, and divisions I have seen. And I have seen what fierce, censorious, proud, unchristian tempers they have caused or signified; In a word, I have long seen that envious wisdom (whatever it pretend) is not from above, but is earthly sensual and devilish; and that where envy and strife is upon pretence of Religious precedency of wisdom there is confusion and every evil work, Jam. 3. 15, 16. And if after so long, so sad, so notorious experience, you would have me still to be tender of the brood of Hell, I mean these Love…destroying wayes, and to shew any countenance to that which really hath done all this, you would have me as blind as the Sod…mites, and as obdurate as Pharaoh and his Egyptians, and utterly resolved never to learn the will of God, or to regard either good or evil in the world.
5. The same sins are continued in without repentance. The same pride and ignorance is still keeping open our divisions: And if after such warnings, as the world scarce ever had the like, we shall be still impenitent; if we shall sin our selves into suffering, and sin in our suffering as we did before, even the very same sin of Divisions which brought us to it; how heinous is our Crime, and how dreadful the Prognostick of our greater ruine; And how guilty are those Ministers of the blood of Souls, that will not tell men of the sin and danger.
6. I know that Dividing Principles and Dispositions, do tend directly to the ruine and damnation of those in whom they do prevail. That which killeth Love, killeth all grace and holiness, and killeth Souls: That which quencheth Love, quencheth the Spirit (a thousand fold more then the restraining of our gifts of utterance doth:) That which banisheth Love, banisheth God. That which is against Love is against the design of Christ in our Redemption, and therefore may well be called Antichristian: And if the Roman Kingdom (for so it is rather to be called than a Church) had not such Moral marks of Antichristianity, (which Dr. More hath notably opened in his Mysterie of iniquity;) If they were not the Engineers for the Division of the Christian world; by a false Center, and by impossible terms of Unity, and by the engine of tearing dividing impositions; If among them were not found the blood of the Saints and the Martyrs of Jesus, I should in charity, fear to suspect them of Antichristianity, notwithstanding all the Prophetical passages which seem otherwise to point them out; because I should still suspect my understanding of those Prophecies, when the Law of Loving my neighb…ur as my self, is plain to all.
They are dangerously mistaken that think that Satan hath but one way to mens damnation. There are as many wayes to Hell, as there be to the extinguishing of Love. And all tendeth unto this, whic… tendeth to hide or deny the Loveliness, that is, the Goodness, of them whom I must Love: much more that which representeth them as odious. And there are many pretenses and wayes to make my Neighbour seem unlovely to me: One doth it as effectually by unjust or unproved accusations of ungodliness, or saying, Their worship is Antichristian, formal, ridiculous, vain; as another doth by unjust and unproved accusations of Schism, Disobedience or Sedition. And they that love Godliness, may be tempted to cast off their love of their Neighbours, yea of the truly Godly, when they once believe that they are ungodly. And the white Devil is a Love-killer as well as the black. He is … mortal an enemy to Love, who back biteth another, and saith, he is Prophane, or he is an empty formalist, or he is a lukewarm temporizing complying manpleaser] as he that saith [He is a pievish factious Hypocrite.] I am sure he was no Malignant, nor intended to gird at Godliness, nor to grieve good men, who told us that it is Satans way to transform himself into an Angel of Light (that is, one that pretendeth to make higher motions for Light and for Religious strictness, than Christ himself doth;) and that his Ministers are sent forth by him as Ministers of Righteousness, 2 Cor. 11. 14, 15, 16. who will seem more Righteous, than the Preachers of truth. Satan will pretend to any sort of strictness, by which he can but mortifie Love. If you can devise any such strictness of opinions, or exactness in Church orders, or strictness in worship, as will but help to kill mens love, and set the Churches in divisions, Satan will be your helper, and will be the strictest and exactest of you all: He will reprove Christ as a Sabbath breaker, and as a gluttonous person, and a Wine-bibber, and a friend (or Companion) of Publicans and Sinners, and as an enemy to Caesar too. We are not altogether ignorant of his wiles, as young unexperienced Christians are. You think when a w…athful envious heat is kindled in you against men for their faul…, that it is certainly a zeal of Gods exciting: But mark whether it have not more wrath… than Love in it: and whether it tend not more to disgrace your brother than to … him, or to make parties and divisions, than to heal them: If it be so, if St. Iames be not deceived, you are deceived as to the author of your zeal, Iam. 3. 15. 16. and it hath a worse Original than you suspect. It is one of the greatest reasons which maketh me hate Romish Church tyranny, and Religious cruelties against dissenters, because as they come from want of Love, so I am sure that they …end to destroy the Love of those on whom they are inflicted, and to do more hurt to their Souls than to their Bodies. The Devil is not so silly an Angler as to fish with the bare Hook; nor such a Fool as when he would damn men, to intreat them openly to be damned; nor when he would kill mens Love, to intreat them plainly, not to Love but hate their neighbours: But he doth it by making you believe that there is just and necessary cause for it; and that it is your duty, and that you should be lukewarm in the cause of God, of truth, of Godliness, if you did not do it: that so you may go on without scruple, and do so again, and not repent. Even they that killed Christs Apostles, did it as a duty, and a part of the service of God, Ioh. 16. 2. And Paul himself did once think verily that he ought to do many things which he did, against the Name and Cause and Servants of Jesus, Act. 26. 9. And as he did, so he was done by; and as he measured to others, it was measured to him again; For they that bound themselves in an Oath to kill him did deeply interesse God and Conscience in the cruelty. But believe it, it is Apostacy to fall from Love: your souls dye, when Love dyeth. The opinions, the Church Principles, the sideings, the Practises, which destroy your love, destroy your graces and your souls. You dye while you have a name to live, and think that you grow apace in Religion. Therefore better understand the Tempter, and when backbiters are deriding or vilifying your neighbours, take it to signifie in plain English [I pray you love not these men, but hate them.] And I have told you in this Treatise, that when one saith unjustly [Kill them, banish them] and another saith [Have no Communion with them] it is too often the same inward affection which both express, but in various wayes: They are agreed in the assumption, that their neighbour is unlovely.
And when Love is dead, and yet Religion seemeth to survive and to be increased by it, it is lamentable to think what a degenerate, scandalous, hypocritical Religion that will be, and how odious and dishonourable to God. To preach without Love, and to hear without Love, and to pray without Love, and to communicate without Love, to any that differ from your Sect, O what a loathsome Sacrifice is it, to the God of Love? If we must leave our guift at the Altar, till we are reconciled to one offended brother, what a gift is theirs, who are unreconciled to almost all the Churches of Christ? or to multitudes of their Brethren, because they are not of their way? yea, that make their Communion, the very badge and means of their uncharitableness and divisions? Sirs, these are not matters of indifferency, nor to be indulged by any faithful Pastor of the Church.
7. And I know that these principles are as mortal to the Churches, as they are to Souls. And that if ever the Churches have peace, prosperity or healing, it must be by the means of Love and Concord, and by destroying the principles which would destory them. One thinketh that it must be by a Spanish Inquisition, and by forcing or killing the dissenters; And another thinketh it must be by Excommunicating them all, and making them odious, and making their own party seem thereby to be better than theirs. But I know that it must be by revived Love, or it will never be. I know it, and whoever is angry with me for it, I cannot choose but know it. When the Papists had murdered so many hundred thousands of the Albigenses and Waldenses, who would have thought, but they had done their work? When the French Massacre had murdered 30000 or 40000, and dispatcht the Leaders of the Protestant party, who would have thought that they had but strengthened them? When the Duke D' Alva had done so much to drwon the Belgick Protestants in blood, he little thought that he was but fortifying them. Queen Maries Bishops little thought that their English Bonfires were but to light men to see the mischief of their cause; and like the firing of a Beacon to call all the Land to take them for the Enemies of mankind; and that the case would have been so quickly altered. When the Irish had murdered two hundred thousand, they little thought that they had but excited the Survivers to a terrible revenge. I will come no nearer, but you may easily do it your selves. If we bite and devour one another, we shall be devoured one of another, Gal. 5. 15. The question is, but who shall be devoured first, and who reserved for the second course. If any man have an ear to hear let him hear: He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: He that killeth with the Sword, must be killed with the Sword: Here is the Patience and Faith of the Saints. Rev. 13. 9. 10. God Ruleth the world still when he worketh not miracles! Have we not seen a proud Victorious Army dissolved without a drop of blood? and have we not seen that God approveth not of proud self-exaltation, and violating the Sacred power of our Governours, and usurping their places of Authority: Hath not the drunken world had yet experience enough to teach them, that the Church of God is not to be built up or repaired, by their tumultuous quarrellings and frayes.
How long Lord, must thy Church and Cause, be in the hands of unexperienced furious fools, who know not what Holiness or Healing is, but think that victory over mens Bodies, must be the cure of their Souls, and that hurting them is the way to win their Love! or that a Church is constituted of Bodies alone while Souls are absent, or no parts! who will make themselves the Rulers of thy Flock in despite of thee and of thy Cause and Servants, without thy call or approbation, and think that the work of a Soldier, is the work of a Father and a Physician! whose cures are all by amputation; and whose piety consisteth in flying from each other, and esteeming and using their Brethren as their foes; who scatter thy flocks on all the mountains, when Christ hath prayed that they may all be one!
Perhaps, Reader, thou art one of them that thinketh, that the settlement and happiness of the Church, must be won like a game at foot-ball; and therefore scruplest not to toss it in the dirt, and tumultuously to strive with and strike up the heels of all that are against thee, (so that peaceable passengers cannot safely come near your game or pass the streets.) But when you have got the Ball, have you done the work? Are you still so ignorant as not to know, how uncertain still you are to keep it, and that one spurn can take it from you? And duplicate page duplicate page suppose you could secure all your conquests, are the Churches healed ever the more? Mens hearts must be conquered before this healing work is done. And therefore the Apostle saith that we are more than Conquerours, when we are killed all the day long and accountea as Sheep to the slaughter, Rom. 8. 34, 35. that is, it is more gain and honour to our selves, to suffer in faith and patience by our enemies, than to conquer them in the field; And it is more profitable also unto them, and tendeth to a more desirable conquest of them: Because when Conquerors do but exasperate them; and if we hurt their bodies, we harden them the more against our cause, and against the means of their own Salvation, our patient Martyrdom and suffering by them, may …end at last to open their eyes, and turn their hearts, and save their souls, by shewing them the Truth, the Goodness and the Power of Christ, and of his Word and Spirit. This is the meaning of being more than Conquerours. The Irish are conquered by us, but not converted: The Scots and English were conquered by Cromwell, but their hearts were not conquered, nor their Religion changed by him. They that think that if they could get and keep the upper ground, and have Dissenters bodies and estates at their will, they could soon settle the Church in Unity and Concord, do tell all the world, how ignorant they are of the nature of Christianity, and of the fear of God, and of the means of the peace and Concord of the Church: Either you would give up your own judgments and Consciences, or practice your selves to the will of men, if you were in their power, or not. If you would not, why should you think that others will? If you would, you do but tell the world, that you are Atheists, and have neither a God, nor Conscience, nor Religion. But it is not evidence enough of your folly, to say in your hearts there is no God, and to fear them that can but kill the body, more than Him that can punish both body and soul in hell; but you must also shew that you know neither God nor Man, by thinking that all others are Atheists also, and judging of them by your selves; as if they set their Souls and their everlasting hopes, at as base a price as you do yours. I tell you again that a Battel or a Foot…ball skuffle will not settle, the discomposed and divided Churches; unless you think that a heap of Carkasses slain in the field, possess the quietness, and concord which you desire: The Soul is the man, and Love is the Christian Life, and the true Cement of the Churches unity; And Love must cause Love, as fire causeth fire; And hurtful wrath doth most powerfully quench it, and hath these fifteen hundred years, (but especially these thirteen hundred) been the wolvish Scatterer of the flocks of Christ: And must that be now the way to build it, which hath so long been the way to pull it down. It is Love that must be our Union, and Love that must cause it, or we shall never have the Union of a Christian Church. By this shall all men know that you are Christs Disciples, if you have Love one to another. If you believe not this, pretend not to believe in Jesus Christ, who doth affirm it.
I confess I am so far guilty of superstition my self, that if I had been one of the Changers of our ancient Government, I should have been somewhat the more backward for his Name sake to the beheading of Christopher Love, lest it should be an ill Omen both to Church and State, but especially to the Actors of it.
8. Another of the Motives of this Discourse is, because I know that times of most temptation, are times of greatest danger, and commonly of greatest sin. And all faithful Pastors must know what are the special Temptations of the Time and Place which they live in. When had we ever greater Temptations to Love-killing principles and practices than now, except in the times of the miserable Wars? I need not name them to you. The harder it is for men to Love them that hate them, that censure them unjustly, that revile them, and reproach them, and make them odious, or that hurt them, the more cause have Ministers and all Christians to set a double watch upon their Love; Lest before they are aware, a flaming and consuming zeal, do tell others that they know not what manner of Spirit they are of, Luk. 9. 55.
9. Yea it is not only a time of great Temptation to this sin, but of common guilt: They are multitudes that are overtaken already with this sin. Is not the Land in a continual heart war? Are there not parties against parties, and cause against cause, and heart-risings, and passions, and censurings of Dissenters, to say no worse? And is it not time to bring water when we see the flames?
10. And I perceive few know so heinous a sin to be any sin at all; But all factions and parties are still justifying their Love-killing wayes, and reproaching those whom they have wronged; As if when they have sinfully withdrawn their Love from them, it were no crime to take away next, their good names, and all that they have but power to take away. And when they have cast their brethren out of their estimation and affection, they think it a piece of commendable zeal or justice, to cast them ou… of Christian communion, and if they could out of the Land and of the world. And shall Ministers stand by, and see men take such sin for duty, and serve God by abusing his Servants, and look for a reward for dividing and pulling down his Church, and never tell them what they are doing.
11. And the old Non-conformists who wrote so much against separation, were neither blind nor temporizers. They saw the danger on that side. Even Brightman on Rev. that writeth against the Prelacy and Ceremonies, severely reprehendeth the separatists. Read but the writings of Mr. Iohn Paget, Mr. Iohn Ball, Mr. Hildersham, Mr. Bradshaw, Mr. Baine, Mr. Rathband, and many such others against the separatists of those times, and you may learn that our Light is not greater, but less than theirs, and that we see not further into that cause than they did; and that change of times doth not change the truth; nor will warrant us to change our Religion, unless we will make our Religion subject, to the wills and interests of men, and change it as oft as the times shall change.
12. Lastly, if your friends tell you not of your faults and errours in Love, those whom you account your enemies will do it in wrath. And though all sober Christians should learn by the keenest rebukes of their Adversaries, yet passion and prejudice maketh it so difficult, that it usually hardeneth men more in their sin: And this is another thing, which causeth me the more to abhor division, and to long for the reconciling of the minds of all dissenting Christians; Because while they take each other for adversaries, nothing that is written or said by any is like to do the Adversaries any good. Nay I must confess when I see an adversary tell men of their sin, especially with furious spleen and wrath, mixing together words and swords, I am greatly afraid, lest by that temptation, Satan will draw the reproved to impenitency, and greatly harden them in their sin, and make them glory in that as a virtue, which such a person doth so reprove.
But if you will neither hear of your sin nor duty by adversaries nor friends, by fair speeches nor by foul, you fasten the guilt upon your selves. Remember I pray you, that I am not kindling fires, nor drawing Swords against you, nor stirring up any to do you hurt, but only perswading all dissenters to love one another, and to forbear but all that is contrary to love. And if such an exhortation and advice seem injurious or intollerable to you, the Lord have mercy on your Souls.
III. And now without a spirit of Prophecy; I will foretel what entertainment this Paper must expect.
1. Some on the one side will say, It is sharper and rounder dealing than all this, that must cure the Schismes in the Church: And if you would heal our Divisions, why do you not conform you self, but stand out as one of the party that divideth?
2. Some on the other side will say, that it is an unseasonable time, when so much anger is breaking forth against those that we account Dividers, to mention their faults, and so to stir up more. I will give these men no other answer, than to bid them read the last part of this Book; or else do not talk till they know of what.
3. And some will say that I am doing that which will prove a hurt to my self and others. For if I should draw the People to Communion with the Conformists, there would little compassion be shewed to the Ministers that cannot conform. But selfish wisdome must be shut out of the Council, when we are consulting about the healing of the Churches, and the good of Souls. And indeed there is little danger of this consequence, as long as the people are far more averse to Communion or Concord with the Parish-Churches, than the Nonconforming Ministers are. But suppose it prove true, should we not do good to Souls, and save men from sin, and heal divisions, at the dearest rate? What though it cost us more than is here mentioned; The reviving of decayed Love, and the closure of any of the Churches wounds, is a recompence worth our liberties and lives.
4. And those that are most guilty of the Love-killing principles here detected, and are most eminent in self-conceited ignorance, will do by me and by this book, according to their Principles, and as they use to do by others. Before they have soberly read it over, they will carry about the Sectarian reports of it from hand to hand; And when one hath said it, the rest will affirm it, that [I have clawed with one party, and have girded at the other, and have sought to make them odious by bringing them under the reproach of Separation, and of censuring and avoiding the ungodly; and that being lukewarm my self, and a complyer with sin, I would have all others do so too: And that these Reconcilers are neither flesh nor fish, and attempt impossibilities, even to reconcile Light and darkness, Christ and Belial; And that for the sake of Peace we would …ell the Truth, and would let in Church-corruptions out of an over-eager desire of Agreement: And when they have all done, neither party will regard them, but they shall fare worse than any others; and will lose both sides, whilest they are for neither.] I know it is the nature of the disease which I am curing, to send forth such breath and scents as these; And I intend not to bestow a word to answer them.
5. And some of the wise and sober Ministers, who mark more the inconveniences of one side, than of the other, and look more to outward occurrences, than to the Rule, and to the inward state of Souls; especially such as have not seen, the times and things that I have seen, will think that though all this be true, it is unseasonable, and may give advantage to such as love not Reformation. And to them I shall return this answer. 1. That if we stay seven years more for a seasonable time, to oppose the radical sin of uncharitableness, we may be in our graves, and the sinners in their graves, and the sin may be multiplied and rooted past all hope of remedy. And why may you not as well stay seven years more, for a seasonable time, to Preach down all other sins as well as this? Is this the least malignant, or least dangerous sin? 2. There was never a more seasonable time to tell men of their sin, than when the temptation to it is the greatest; when it is most growing and multiplying among us; When God hath been so heinously dishonoured by it; when the world doth ring of it; when many Volumes reproach them for it; And when the sensual and ungodly are hardened by it in their scorn of godliness, to the apparent peril of their damnation: yea more, to turn our complaints from our Law-givers upon our selves. It is want of Love, and it is Dividing principles and practices, that have silenced so many Ministers, and brought us into all the confusions and calamities which we see and undergo.
6. But there are many sincere and considerate Ministers, who knowing this which I say to be true, will be the more excited by it to lead the younger and passionate sort of Religious people, into the wayes of Love and peace, and to save them from the dangers here detected, and perswade them to the practise of these Directions. And for the use of these I write this Book.
And yet, to end as I began, I must add these notices, for your right understanding of it.
1. That this is not my first attempt upon this work; but the progress of what I have been upon these three and twenty years. About fifteen or sixteen years ago, I preacht on the third Chapter of Saint Iames, in a larger and a closer manner on this Subject, than here I write: because the times then called me to it.
2. I perswade no Christian to justifie or own the sins or the least defects of any Church, Minister or People, in their Worship or in their lives, though I perswade you to Communion with the Churches, persons and worship-actions, which have many faults: (For on Earth there is no person, Church, or Worship faultless, and without corruption.) I justifie not the faults of my own daily Prayers, and yet I never pray without them.
3. I am not perswading Ministers to any unwise and unseasonable Preaching, against the dividing Principles of the weak, when the necessities of the Auditory more require other Doctrine; (Much less to exasperating railings and invectives; And least of all to wrathful violence). But only with prudence, in season and with Love and gentleness, to lead men into the truth: If even with Infidels and Hereticks, 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, 2 Tim. 2. 24, 25. How much more must the Children of Gods family be used with Love and tenderness. But if the fierceness of any contradict what I say, I only add, that it is not an unexperienced person that speaketh it, but one who through the mercy of God, hath long kept a numerous flock in Love and unity and peace by such like means; and hath seen the lamentable effects of the contrary way.
4. While I say so much in this Treatise against the rash censuring of others, I give you not the rule for mens censuring of themselves: They know more by themselves: They may search into the depth of their hearts and intentions, which we cannot do. They are allowed to be more suspicious & censorious of themselves, than of any others: It more concerneth them: And they have more to do with themselves; and may be bolder with themselves. We judg others in order to visible Church-Communion by visible and publick evidence. But in order to their preparation for the judgment of God, we must direct them to judge themselves according to the truth in the inward parts.
5. While I draw you to peace and moderation towards others, I desire not to quench the least degree of Christian zeal. Nay I endeavour to kill that which would kill it. The purified peculiar people of the Redeemer ane zealous, but of what? not to consume and destroy one another, nor to hate and flye from one another; nor to vilifie and backbite one another; but they are zealous of good works: And Paul will tell you what are good works, Gal. 5. 22, 23. Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: Be zealous in Loving all Christians as Christians, and all men as men: Be zealous for Peace: If it be possible, as much as in you lyeth, live peaceably with all men, Rom. 12. 18. Be zealously patient, gentle, good, meek, temperate. And the works of the flesh are hatred, variance, emulation, wrath, strife, sedition, heresies: A zeal for these is earthly sensual and devilish, as Iames telleth you. And remember that the word which is translated there [Envy] is [Zeal] in the Original: But our translators were afraid, lest the prophane would have mistaken it, if they had translated it [Zeal] ver. 16. where zeal and strife is (that is, a striving contentious zeal) there is confusion and every evil work.] If you believe this, how dare you blame me for writing to save you from confusion and every evil work?
6. I will conclude with the repetition of one thing delivered in this Treatise; that among all the rest, two separating dividing principles will never give peace to the Church where they prevail▪ The one is; the confounding mens Title to visible Church Membership and Communion, with their Title to Justification and Salvation. The other is, the Imposing of new terms and titles of Visible membership and Communion; and rejecting the sufficiency of the …erms and title of Christs appointment. Christ hath solemnly and purposely made the Baptismal Covenanting with him, to be the terms and title to Church membership and Communion; And the owning of this same Covenant is the sufficient Title of the adult. And the Imposers that come after, and require another kind of evidence of Conversion, or Sanctification than this, do confound the Church, and enflame the people, and leave no certain way of tryal, but make as various terms and titles▪ as there are various degrees of wisdome and Charity, and various opinions, in the Pastors (yea in all the people to whom they allow the judgement of such Causes) in the several Churches. In this point, the sober Anabaptists seem to come nearer the truth than they.
I add no more, but Christs conclusion, that a house or Kingdom divided against it self cannot stand; The Book it self was written near two years ago; but this Preface, Feb. 2. 1669.