The Cure of Church Divisions, Abstract of directions
AN ABSTRACT OF THE DIRECTIONS.
1. FOrget not the difference between the younger sort of Christians, and the Elder. The peril of the Church from young Christians.
2. Observe the secret workings of spiritual pride, and how deep rooted and odious a sin it is, and what special temptations to it, the younger and emptier sort of Christians have.
3. Overvalue not the Common gift of utterance, nor a high profession, as if grace were appropriated to such alone, who are to be called Professors.
4. Affect not to be made en…lnent and conspicuous in holiness, by standing at a further distance from common Christians, than God would have you.
5. Understand the true difference between the Church as Visible and as Regenerate or mystical; and the several qualifications of the Members. What Scandals were in the primitive Churches, in Scripture times.
6. Understand well the different Conditions and terms of Communion with the Church as mystical and as visible, and the different priviledges of the members: that you may not presume to impose any Conditions which God hath not imposed, nor unjustly grudge at … essence of those that are not sincere.
7. Get time and sleep apprehensions of the necessity and reasons of Christian Vnity and Concord; and of the sin and misery of divisions and discord: what Scripture saith herein.
8. When any thing needeth amendment in the Church, the best Christians must be the forwardest to Reform, and the backwardest to divide on that pretence.
9. Forget … the great difference betweene the Churches … the … and the Godlyes separating from the Church it self, because the wicked are not cast out. The first is a great duty: the second usually a great sin. Luthers case.
10. Expect▪ not that any one lawfully received into the Church by Baptism, should be cast out of it, or denyed the priviledges of the Church, but according to the rules of Christian discipline, by the power of the Keys; that is, for o…stinate impenitency in a gross on scandalous sin, upon proof, and after sufficient private and publick admonition.
11. Understand what the Power of the Keys is, and what the Pastors office is; as they are the Governours of the Church, entrusted by Christ with the power of admission and rejection: that so you may know how far you are to rest in the Pastors judgment, and may not usurp any part of their office to your selves.
12. Study well Christs gracious nature and office; and his great readiness to receive the weakest that come to him; that so you may desire a Church discipline agreeable to the Gospel.
13. Yet lest you run into the worse extream, remember still that the destroying of sin, and the sanctifying of man to God, was the work of our Redeemer: And that Holiness and Peace must go together: And that our own Church-order and discipline, must be subservient to the inward spirituality and prosperity of the Church-regenerate; And no such favour must be shewed to sinners as favoureth sin, and hindereth Holiness.
14. Though your Governours are the Iudges, what persons shall be of your publick-Church-Communion; yet it is you that must judge who are fit or unfit for your private familiarity.
15. Vnderstand how much it hath pleased God to lay all mens happiness or misery upon their own choice: And seek not to alter this order of God.
16. Though the profession of Christianity which entitleth men to Church-Communion, must be credible; yet remember that there are various 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.
17. Know how far it is that either Grace or Gifts are necessary to a Minister, that you may give to both their due.
18. Vnderstand well the necessity of your Communion with all the Universal Church, and wherein it consisteth; and how far it is to be preferred before your Communion with any particular Church.
19. Engage not your selves too far in any divided Sect, and espouse not the interest of any party of Christians, to the neglect or injury of the universal Church, and the Christian Cause.
20. Be very suspicious of your Religious passions, and carefully distinguish between a sound and sinful zeal; least you father your sin on the Spirit of God, and think you please him more when you most offend him.
21. Lend not a patient ear to backbiters; nor hastily believe the most religious people, when they speak ill of others.
22. Make not your selves judges of other mens actions; much less of their state, before you have a Call; or before you have sufficient knowledge of the person and of the Case.
23. Mistake not the nature of the sin of Scandal, as if it were the bare displeasing of another: when it is the laying of a stumbling-block or occasion of sinning before another.
24. Make Conscience of Scandalizing one party as well as another: and those most, who are most in danger by your offence.
25. Be not over tender of your reputation with any sort of men on earth: nor too impatient of their displeasure, censures or contempt. But live above them.
26. Use not your selves (needlesly) to the familiar company of that sort of Christians, who use to censure them that are more sober, Catholick and charitable than themselves: Unless you be as much or more, with the soberer sort, who will shew you the sin and mischief of Love-killing principles and divisions.
27. Take heed of misjudging of the answers of your prayers, and of taking those things to be from God, which are but the effects of your prejudice, passion or weakness of understanding.
28. Do not too much reverence the revelations, impulses or most confident opinions of any others upon the account of their sincerity or holiness▪ but try all judiciously and soberly by the word of God.
29. Take heed least the trouble of your own disquieted doubting minds, do become a snare, to draw you to some un…outh way of Cure; and so make the fancy of some new opinion, sect or practice, to seem your remedy, and give you ease; and soperswade you that it is the certain truth.
30 Keep in the rank of a humble disciple or Learner in Christs Church, till you are fit and called to be Teachers your selves,
31. Grow up in the great substantial practical truths and duties; and grow downwards in the roots of a clearer belief of the Word of God, and the life to come: And neither begin too soon with doubtful opinions, nor ever lay too much upon them.
32. Lay not a greater stress upon your different words and manner of prayer, than God hath laid: And take heed of scorning, reproaching or slighting, the words and manner of other mens worship, when it is such as God accepteth from the sincere. Where the Case about forms of prayer is handled.
33. When you are sure that other mens way of worship is sinful; yet make it not any other, or greater sin, than indeed it is; and speak not evil of so much in it as is good: And slander not God as a hater or rejecter of all mens Services which are mixt with infirmities; or as a partial hater of the infirmities of others, and not yours.
34. Think not that all is unlawfully obeyed which is unlawfully commanded.
35. Think not that you are guilty of all the faults of other mens worship with whom you joyn; no not of the Ministers or Congregations: Nor that you are bound to seperate from all the worship which is faultily performed; For then there must be no Church-Communion upon Earth. Where is more about extemporary prayer and imposed forms.
36. Yet know what Pastors and Church-Communion you may joyn with, and what not: And think not that I am perswading you to make no difference.
37. In your judging of Discipline, reformation, and any means of the Churches good; be sure your eye be upon the true End; and upon the particular Rule; and not on either of them alone. Take not that for a means which is either contrary to the Word of God; or is in …ts nature destructive of the end.
38. Neglect not any truth of God; much less renounce it, or deny it. But yet do not take it for your duty to publish all, which you judge to be truth; nor a sin to silence many lesser truths, when the Churches peace and welfare doth require it.
39. Know which are the Great duties of a Christian life, and wherein the nature of true Religion doth consist: And then pretend not any lesser duty, against these greater; though the least when it is indeed a duty, is not to be denyed or neglected.
40. Labour for a sound judgement to know good from evil, least you trouble your selves and others by mistakes: Forsake not the guidance of a judicious Teacher, nor the Company of the agreeing generality of the Godly.
41. Let not the bare fervour of a Preacher, or the loudness of his voice, or affectionate utterance, draw you too far to admire or follow him, without a proportion of solid understanding and judiciousness.
43. Your belief of the necessary Articles of faith, must be made your own, and not taken meerly on the Authority of any. And in all points of belief or practice, which are necessary to Salvation, you must ever keep company with the Universal Church: For it were not the Church; if it erred in those. And in matters of Peace and Concord the major vote must be your guide. In matters of humane obedience your Governours must be your guides. And in matters of high and difficult speculation, the judgment of one man of extraordinary understanding, is to be preferred before the Rulers, and the major Vote.
43. Reject not a good cause, because it is owned by some bad men: And own not a bad cause for the goodness of the Patrons of it. Iudge not of the Cause by the persons, when you should judg of the persons by the Cause.
44. Yea, take the bad examples of religious men, to be one of your most perillous temptations. And therefore labour to discover what are the special sins of professours in the age you live in, that you may be specially fortified against them.
45. Desire the highest degree of holiness, and to be free from the Corruptions of the times: But affect not to be odd and singular from ordinary Christians in lawful things.
46. When you have to do only with stigmatized scandalous ones, to vindicate the honour of Christianity from their Scandal, go as far from them as lawfully you can: But with the Common sort of Sinners, whose Conversion you are bound to seek, go not as far from them as you can; but purposely study to come as near them as lawfully you may, that you may have the better advantage to win them to the truth.
47. Whenever you are avoiding any error forget not that there is a contrary extream to be avoided, of which you are not our of danger.
48. Think more; and talk more, of your faults and failings against others; especially against Princes, Magistrates and Pastors, than of their faults and failings against you.
49. Take notice of all the good in others which appeareth; and talk rather of that behind their backs, than of their faults.
50. Study the duty of instructing and exhorting, more than of reproof and finding fault.
51. The more you suffer by Rulers or any m…n, the more be watchful, lest you be tempted to dishonour them; or to withdraw or abate the Love which is their due.
52. Make Conscience of heart-revenge, and tongue-revenge, as well as of hand-revenge.
53. When you are exasperated by the hurt which you feel from Magistrates, remember also the Good which the Church receiveth by them.
54. Learn to suffer by good people, and by Ministers; and not only by ungodly people, or by Magistrates.
55. When you complain of violence and persecution in others; take heed lest the same inward vice work in you, by Church cruelties, and dimning censures, against them or others. Persecution and separation often have the same Cause.
56. Keep still in your eye, the State of all Christs Churches upon earth; that you may know what a people they are through the world, whom Christ hath Communion with: and may not ignorantly separate from almost all the Church of Christ, while you think that you separate but from those about you. Queres about separation.
57. Yet ler not any here cheat you by the bare namees and titles of Unity, to the papal usurping head of the Church: nor must you dream of any Head and Center of Unity to the universal Church, but Christ himself.
58. Take heed of superstition, indiser…t …al …th been the usual beginner of superstition: M…lignity in that age the sharpest opposer, for the A…thor…s sake: Formality in the next age hath made a Religion of it: And then the zealous, who first invented it, have turned most against it, for the sake of the last owners; And thus the world hath turned round. Instances lay'd down of the superstition of Religions people in this age.
59. If through the fault of either side, or both, you cannot meet together in the same assemblies; yet keep that Unity in faith, love and practice, which all neighbour Churches should maintain; And use not your different assemblies to rev…ling, and destroying Love and Peace.
60. When the Love-killing spirit, either cruel or dividing, is abroad among Christians; be not idle, nor discouraged Spectators; nor betray the Churches peace by lazy wishes, But make it a great part of your labour and Religion, to revive Love and Peace, and to destroy their contraries. And let no censures or contempt of any party take you off: But account it as comfortable to be a Martyr for Love & Peace by blind Zealots or proud Usurpers, as for the saith by Infidels or Heathens: And take the pleasing of God (whoever is displeased) for your full reward.