Last Legacy in Select Admonitions and Directions, Treatise · Section 29 – Section 31
Of Raiſing Churches againſt Churches.
Church gathering is Church ſcattering work, p. 110. Chriſt. Direct.
The Intereſt of the Chriſtian Proteſtant Religion in England, Defence, p. 36.muſt be much kept up by keeping up as much of Truth, Piety, and Reputation as is poſſible in the Pariſh-Churches. Therefore,—In Pariſhes where all may hear the Pariſh-miniſter,Sacrilegious deſerting, p. 92. I would not have you, without neceſſity, to Preach at the ſame hour of the day, but at ſome middle time, that you may not ſeem to vie with him for Auditors, nor to draw the People from him; but let them go with you to hear him, and after come and hear you.
Do not meet together in oppoſition to the publick meeting,Saints Reſt P. 518. nor at the time of publick Worſhip, nor yet to make a groundleſs Schiſm, or to ſeparate from the Church, whereof you are Members, nor to deſtroy the old, that you may gather a new Church out of its Ruines, as long as it hath the Eſſentials, and there is hope of reforming it; nor yet would I have you forward to vent your own ſuppoſed gifts and parts in teaching, where there is no neceſſity of it; nor as a ſeparated Church, but as a part of the Church more diligent than the reſt in redeeming time. Let all your private meetings be in ſubordination to the publick, and by the approbation and conſent of your Spiritual guides, Remembring them which have the rule over you, Heb. 13. 7, 8, 9. And I beſeech you Brethren, mark them which cauſe diviſions and offences, contrary to the Doctrine which you have learned and avoid them, &c. Rom. 16. 17, 18. I would you would ponder every one of theſe words, for they are the precious advice of the Spirit of God, and neceſſary now as well as then.
The great advantages that Satan hath got upon the Church through the ſin of the Paſtors,Preface to Confeſſ. in theſe later days, is by diviſion. By this he hath promoted all the reſt of his deſigns. Our diviſion gratifieth the Papiſt,Defence, p. 17. and greatly hazardeth the Proteſtant Religion, more than moſt of you ſeem to believe or regard. It advantageth Profaneneſs, and greatly hindereth the ſucceſs of the Miniſters; it pleaſeth Satan and builds up his kingdom.
The hand of God is apparently gone out againſt the Separatiſts;Epiſtle to ſeparate Congregagations. you ſee you do but prepare Perſons for a further progreſs; Seekers, Ranters, Quakers and too many profeſſed Infidels, do ſpring up from among you, as if this were the journeys end and perfection of your revolt. By ſuch fearful deſertions did God formerly witneſs his deteſtation of thoſe that withdrew from the unity of the Church.Defence, p. 50. And ſeparation will ruine the ſeparated Churches themſelves; it will admit of no conſiſtency. Parties will ariſe in the ſeparated Churches, and ſeparate again from them till they are diſſolved. I beſeech my Brethren to open their eyes ſo far, as to regard experience. How few ſeparated Churches do now exiſt, that were in being an hundred years ago, can you name any? and would you have all the Churches of Chriſt to be diſſolved?
In the year 1634. Roger Williams of New-England, an Aſſiſtant to Mr. Kalph Smith Paſtor at Plymouth, Anſw. to Exceptions, p. 170.where, having vented divers ſingular opinions, he was diſmiſſed, went to Salem, which place in a years time he filled with Principles of rigid Separation, tending to Anabaptiſtry, as that it is not lawful for an unregenerate Man to pray, or take an Oath, in ſpecial not the Oath of Fidelity to the Magiſtrate. He forbad any of his Church-members to hear the godly Miniſters of England when occaſionally they went thither. He taught that the Magiſtrate had nothing to do in matters of the Firſt Table; that there ſhould be an unlimited Toleration of all Religions; that to puniſh any Man for his Conſcience was Perſecution. He ſeparated not only from the Churches of Old, but of New-England alſo, as Antichriſtian. After that, he would not pray, or give thanks with his own Wife or Family, becauſe they went to the Church-Aſſemblies. He kept private Meetings by way of ſeparation from, and oppoſition to the Church-Aſſembly; and being baniſhed as a diſturber of the Peace, he ſat down at a place called Providence, and there fell to Anabaptiſtry, renouncing Infant Baptiſm. And after a while he told his People, that he was out of the way himſelf, and had miſled them, for he could not find that any on Earth had power to adminiſter Baptiſm, and therefore their laſt Baptiſm was a nullity as well as the firſt, and that they muſt wait for the coming of new Apoſtles; and ſo they diſſolved and turned Seekers.
The caſe of the Summer Iſlands as related by Mr. Vaughan, a worthy Miniſter come from thence upon diſcouragement, would make a Chriſtians heart to bleed. To hear how ſtrict and regular, and hopeful that Plantation once was, and how one godly Miniſter by Separation, ſelecting a few to be his Church, rejecting all the reſt from the Sacrament, the rejected party were dolefully eſtranged from Religion, and the ſelected party turned Quakers. But our own caſe is yet a more lamentable proof, what Separation hath done againſt Religion; ſo that it is my wonder that any good man can over-look it.
Above all things I intreat the dividing Brethren,Defence, P. 68. if they can ſo long lay aſide partiality, to judge of the reaſons of their ſeparation. The defects of the Liturgy, and the faults of thoſe by whom we ſuffer, are eaſily heightned even beyond deſert. But when many of us vent untruths, and ſlanders againſt our Brethren, and multiply publick untruths, we never make ſcruple of communion with ſuch. Suppoſe one ſhould ſay, that a People guilty of ſuch ſins, as are condemned, Exod. 23. 1, 2. Pſal. 15. 3. Rom. 1. 30, &c. (i. e. raiſing falſe reports, reproaching our Neighbours, ſtrife and debates) ſhould not be communicated with, eſpecially when not one of thoſe offenders is called to repentance for it, what anſwer will you give to this which will not confute your own objections againſt communion with many Pariſh Churches in this Land?
As to Popery;Defence, p. 21. The intereſt of the Proteſtant Religion muſt be much kept up, by the means of the Pariſh Miniſters, and by the Doctrine and Worſhip there performed; and they that think and endeavour contrary to this, (of which ſide ſoever) ſhall have the hearty thanks and concurrence of the Papiſts. Nor am I cauſeleſly afraid,P. 52. that if we ſuffer the Principles and Practices, which I write againſt, to proceed without our contradiction, Popery will get by it ſo great advantage as may hazard us all, and we may loſe that which the ſeveral Parties do contend about.
Three ways eſpecially Popery will grow out of our diviſions, 1. By the odium and ſcorn of our diſagreements, inconſiſtency, and multiplied Sects, they will perſwade People, that we muſt either come for unity to them, or elſe all run mad, and crumble into duſt and individuals. Thouſands have been drawn to Popery, or confirmed in it, by this Argument already: And I am perſwaded, that all the Arguments elſe in Bellarmine, and all other Books that ever were written, have not done ſo much to make Papiſts in England, as the multititude of Sects among our ſelves. Some Profeſſors of Religious ſtrictneſs and great eſteem for Godlineſs, having run from Sect to Sect, and finding no conſiſtency turned Papiſts themſelves.
2. Who knows not how fair a game the Papiſts have to play by our diviſions? Methinks I hear them hiſſing on both Parties, ſaying to one ſide, Lay more upon them, and abate them nothing: And to the other, Stand it out, and yield to nothing: hoping that our diviſions will carry us to ſuch practices, as ſhall make us accounted Seditious, Rebellious, and dangerous to the Publick Peace, and ſo they may paſs for better ſubjects than we, or elſe, that they may get a Toleration together with us. And ſhall they uſe our hands to do their work? We have already ſerved them unſpeakably, both in this, and in abating the odium of the Gunpower-Plot, and other Treaſons.
3. It is not the leaſt of our danger,Key for Catholicks. leſt by our Follies, Extremities and rigors we ſo exaſperate the common People, as to make them readier to joyn with the Papiſts, than with us, in in caſe of competitions, invaſions or inſurrections againſt the King and Kingdoms peace.
The Papiſts account, that if the Puritans get the day, they ſhall make great advantage of it; for they will be unſetled, and all in pieces, and not know how to ſettle the Government. Factions and Diſtractions (ſay they) give us footing for continual attempts. To make all ſure we will ſecretly have our party among Puritans alſo, that we may be ſure to maintain our intereſt.
Let the Magiſtrate cheriſh the diſputations of the Teachers,Baxter's Holy Commonwealth. and let him procure them often to debate together, and reprove one another: For when Men ſee that there is nothing certain among them, they will eaſily yield ſaith Contzen the Jeſuit.
Of Toleration.
Shall the meer pretence of Carnal Liberty be thought an Argument for a wicked damning Liberty, a Liberty to deſtroy and deceive as many as they can; will merciful Rulers ſet up a Trade for Butchering Souls, and allow Men to ſet up a Shop of Poyſon for all Men to buy and take what they will, yea to proclaim this Poyſon for Souls in the Streets and Church Aſſemblies. Saints Reſt, p. 133.
Could I have believed him, that would have told me five years ago, that when the Scorners of Godlineſs were ſubdued, and the bitter Perſecuters of Church were deſtroyed, that ſuch ſhould ſucceed them who ſuffered with us, and were our intimate Friends, which we took ſweet councel, and went up together to the Houſe of God, ſhould draw their Swords againſt each other, and ſeek each others blood ſo fiercely? O what a potent inſtrument for Satan is a miſguided Conſcience when it is ſet at Liberty.
Of Spiritual Pride.
Proud Men will not grow in the ſame Field,Epiſtle to ſeparate Congregagations. or Church, where Tares do grow, but will tranſplant themſelves, becauſe God will not pluck up the Tares, eſpecially if any Miniſterial neglect of Diſcipline be conjoyned; and inſtead of blaming their own Pride, lay the blame on the corruptions of the Church.—The Phariſees Liturgy is frequent in ſeparate Aſſemblies, God I thank thee, I am not as other men. But this is very remarkable, that it is a pretence of our impurity, and a greater purity with you that is pleaded by ſuch as firſt turn over to you; and that this height of all impieties ſhould be the uſual iſſue or a way, pretended ſo exact and clean, doubtleſs it is not Gods mind, by this to diſ…ourag… any from purity and true Reformation, but to ſhew his deteſtation of that ſpiritual pride, which maketh Men to have too high thoughts of themſelves, and too much to contemn others, and to deſire to be further ſeparated from them, than God in the day of grace doth allow of. Conſider this, it is the judgment of ſome, that Thouſands are gone to Hell, and Ten Thouſands on their march thither, that in all probability had never come there, if they had not been tempted from the Pariſh Churches, for injoyment of communion in a purer Church.
He that cauſeth differences of Judgment and Practice,Chriſt. Direct. p. 733. and contendings in the Church, doth cauſe diviſions, though none ſeparate from the Church. If you may not divide in the Church, nor from it, then you may not cauſeleſly divide from it your ſelves.
And commonly Appearance,Cure of Diviſions, P. 359. Advantage, Intereſt, and a taking Tone and Voice do more with the moſt, than ſolid evidence of truth. But they who deſire to have a party follow them, and are buſie in perſwading others to be of their mind, and ſpeak perverſe things, &c. are guilty of Church diviſions.
Do not you condemn a carnal ſtate?Defence, p. 3. Remember they are carnal, who are contentious dividers in the Churches, 1 Cor. 3. 1. You will diſallow a fleſhly mind and life; Remember then, that the works of the fleſh are theſe, As Adultery, Fornication, &c. So Hatred, or Enmity, Variance, Emulations, Wrath, Strife, Cure of Diviſ. p. 77.Seditions, foreign, Dividings into Parties.—When once Parties are ingaged by their Opinions in Anti-Churches, and fierce diſputings, the Fleſh and Satan will be working in them againſt all that is holy, ſweet and ſafe.
The Fire is blown up, when Men are deſirous to have a party follow them, and cry them up, and thereupon are buſie in perſwading others to be of their Mind, and do ſpeak perverſe things to draw away Diſciples after them, to be accounted Maſters of a Party. Chriſt. Direct. p. 52. part. 3.
Church dividers are the moſt ſucceſsful Servants of the Devil, being Enemies to the Family of Chriſt in his Livery. They gratifie Satan and all the Enemies of the Church, and do the very works that he would have them do, more effectually than open Enemies could do: As mutineers in an Army may do more to deſtroy it than the power of the Enemy, p. 60. It is a Sin that contradicteth all Gods Ordinances and means of Grace. A Sin againſt as great and lamentable experiences as almoſt any Sin can be; this is a heinous aggravation of it, that commonly it is juſtified and not repented of, yea it is fathered upon God, every Sect pretending Gods Authority, and it repreſents his Kingdom worſe than that of the Devil which is not divided.