Last Legacy in Select Admonitions and Directions, Treatise · Section 5
The Miſchief of Separation.
The Miſchief of Separation lies not in the bare Errour of Judgment,Epiſtle Dedicatory to Saints Reſt. but in the Unchriſtian and Church-diſſolving Diviſion and Alienation, which thence followeth; contrary to that Humility and Love, which is the viſible Character of Chriſtians, and to that Oneneſs, which is ſtill in Scripture aſcribed to the viſible Church. Alas, that Pride and Ignorance ſhould have ſuch power among Believers, that Men cannot be of ſeveral Judgments in leſſer Points, but they muſt needs be of ſeveral Churches. God will make us value Peace and Union a little more, before we ſhall taſte of the perfect everlaſting Peace and Union; yea, before we ſhall ſee the Bleſſing of Union in the Church. Wounding is a dividing, healing is a re-uniting; a Building is of many Stones or Pieces orderly conjoyned; a Church is an Aggregation of Individuals, an Aſſociation of Believers: What then is it to demoliſh, but to ſeparate and disjoyn? and what is it to diſſolve Churches, but to break their Aſſociation, to reduce them to the Individuals, to cut them into ſhreds?
As for the Differences in way of Government, between the moderate Presbyterians, Independants, Epiſcopal, and Eraſtian, I make no doubt, but if Mens Spirits ſtood not at a greater diſtance than their Principles, they would quickly be united. But of all the four ſorts, there are ſome that run ſo high in their Principles, that they run out of the hearing of Peace or Truth.—For Anabaptiſm and Antinomianiſm God ſpake effectually againſt them, by thoſe wondrous Monſters in New-England; but Wonders are over-lookt, where the heart is hardned, and God intends to get his Juſtice a Name. The fearful Deluſions, that God hath formerly given them over to, and the horrid Confuſion which they have introduced where they have ſprung, hath ſpoken fully againſt both theſe later Sects. The weeping Eyes, the bleeding Sides, the lacerated Members of theſe Churches, the reproach of the Goſpel, the diſappointed Reformation, the hideous Doctrines, and unheard of Wickedneſs that hath followed them, the contemned Ordinances, the reproached, ſlandered, and ejected Miniſters, the Weak that are ſcandalized, the Profeſſors are apoſtalized, the Wicked hardned, and the open Enemies of the Goſpel, that now inſult; all theſe do deſcribe them more plainly to England, than words can do, and cry loud in the Ears of God and Man. What will be the Anſwer, time will ſhew; but from Rev. 2. 14, 15, 16, &c. we may probably conjecture.
He that is not a Son of Peace, is not a Son of God. All other Sins deſtroy the Church conſequently, but Diviſion and Separation demoliſh it directly. Building the Church is but an orderly joyning of the Materials, and what then is disjoyning but pulling down? Many Doctrinal differences muſt be tolerated in a Church, and why, but for Unity and Peace? therefore Diſunion and Separation is utterly intolerable. Believe not thoſe to be the Churches Friends, that would cure and reform her by cutting her throat. Thoſe that ſay, no truth muſt be concealed for Peace, have uſually as little of the one as the other. Study Gal. 2. 22. Rom. 14. 1. Acts 21. 24, 26. 1 Tim. 1. 4. & 6. 4. Titus 3. 8, 9. I hope, ſad experience ſpeaks this leſſon to your very hearts, if I ſhould ſay nothing. Do not your hearts bleed to look upon the State of England, and to think how few Towns, or Cities there be (where is any forwardneſs in Religion) that are not cut into ſhreds and crumbled as to duſt, by Separations and Diviſions? To think what a wound we have hereby given to the very Chriſtian Name, how we have hardned the Ignorant, confirmed the Papiſts, and are our ſelves become the ſcorn of our Enemies, and the grief of our Friends, and how many of our deareſt beſt eſteemed Friends, have fallen to notorious Pride or Impiety, yea, ſome, to be worſe than open Infidels? Theſe are Pillars of Salt, ſee that you remember them. Though of your own ſelves, Men ſhould ariſe, ſpeaking perverſe things, to draw Diſciples after them, Acts 20. 30. Yea though an Angel from Heaven ſhould draw you to Diviſions, ſee that you follow him not. If there be erroneous practices in the Church, keep your ſelves innocent, with Moderation and Peace. It muſt be no ſmall Error, that muſt force a Separation. Juſtin Martyr profeſſed, that if a Jew ſhould keep the Ceremonial Law, ſo he did not perſwade the Gentiles to it, as neceſſary, yet if he acknowledged Chriſt, he judgeth that he might be ſaved, and he would imbrace him, and have communion with him. Paul would have him received, that is weak in the Faith, and not Un-church whole Pariſhes of thoſe that we know not, nor were ever brought to a juſt trial. I ever loved a godly peaceable Conformiſt, better than a turbulent Non-conformiſt. I differ from many, in ſeveral things of conſiderable moment, yet if I ſhould zealouſly preſs my judgment on others, ſo as to diſturb the Peace of the Church, and ſeparate from my Brethren that are contrary minded, I ſhould fear, leſt I ſhould prove a Firebrand in Hell, for being a Fire brand in the Church. And for all the intereſt I have in your Judgments and Affections, I here charge you, that if God ſhould give me up, to any Factions, Church rending Courſe, (againſt which I daily pray) that you forſake me, and follow me not a ſtep. And for peace with one another, follow it with all your might, If it be poſſible, as much as in you lieth, live peaceably with all men, Rom. 12. 18. (mark this.) When you feel any ſparks of diſcontent in your Breaſts, take them as kindled by the Devil from Hell, and take heed you cheriſh them not. If the flames begin to break forth, in Cenſoriouſneſs, Reproaches, and hard Speeches of others, be as ſpeedy and buſie in quenching it, as if it were Fire in the Thatch of your Houſes. For why ſhould your Houſes be dearer to you than the Church, which is the Houſe of God? Or your Souls, which are the Temples of the Holy Ghoſt? Hath God ſpoke more againſt any Sin than Unpeaceableneſs? If ye forgive not Men their treſpaſſes, neither will your Heavenly Father forgive you: which Lodovicus Crocius ſays, is the meaſure, and eſſential property of the leaſt degree of true Faith; if you love not one another, you are not Diſciples of Chriſt.
Publick Wars and Private Quarrels uſually pretend the Reformation of the Church,Saints Reſt, p. 551. the vindicating of the Truth, and the welfare of Souls; but they as uſually prove in the iſſue, the greateſt means to the overthrow of all. It is as natural for both Wars and private Contentions to produce Errors, Schiſms, contempt of Magiſtracy, Miniſtry, and Ordinances, as it is for a dead Carrion to breed Worms and Vermine. Believe it from one, that hath too many years experience of it; it is as hard a thing to maintain even in your People, a ſound underſtanding, a tender Conſcience, a Lively, gracious, Heavenly frame of Spirit, and an upright Life in a way of War and Contention, as to keep your Candle lighted in the greateſt Storms, or under the Waters. The like I may ſay of perverſe and fierce Diſputings about the Circumſtantials of Diſcipline, or other Queſtions, that are far from the Foundation; they oftner loſe the truth than find it. Wo to thoſe Miniſters, that make unneceſſarry Diviſions, and Parties among the People, that ſo they may get themſelves a name, and be cryed up by many Followers. The way to proſper your labours is to quench all flames of Contention, to your power. Study the Peace and Unity of your Congregations, keep out all occaſions of Diviſions, eſpecially the Doctrine of Separation, and popular Church-Government, the apparent Seminary of Faction, and perpetual Contentions. If once the People be taught, that it belongs to them to govern themſelves, and thoſe the Scripture calleth their Guides and Rulers, we ſhall have mad work. They that would pluck up the Headge of Government, as if the Vineyard could not be fruitful, except it lay waſte, to the pleaſure of all the Beaſts of the Foreſt, are like the pond, that grudged at the Banks and Damm, and thought it injurious to be reſtrained of its liberty, and therefore combined with the Winds, to raiſe a Tempeſt, and ſo aſſault and beat down the Banks in their rage; And now where is that peaceable Aſſociation of Waters? We feel now, how thoſe are miſtaken that thought the way for the Churches Unity, was to dig up the Banks and let all looſe, that every Man in Religion might do what he liſt.
Wo to thoſe Miniſters, that make unneceſſary Diviſions, and Parties among the People, that ſo they may get themſelves a name, and be cried up by many Followers. The way to proſper your labours, is to quench all Flames of Contention. Study the Peace of your Congregations; keep out all occaſions of Diviſions, eſpecially the Doctrine of Separation, and popular Government, the apparent Seminarys of Faction, and perpetual Contentions. Every tender Conſcience ſhould be as tender of Church Diviſions, and real Schiſm, as of Drunkenneſs, Whoredom, and other ſuch enormous Sins, James 3. 14, 15, 16. Reaſons for Chriſt. Relig. p. 485. Sect. 34.
If it be objected that I preached to ſeparate Congregations; my Anſwer is, That I preach'd only to ſome of many Thouſands that cannot come into the Temples, many of which never heard a Sermon of many years. And what I did, was only to preach to ſuch as could not come to our Churches. Anſw. to Letter, p. 24. quaſi dicerit that where Pariſh Churches are large enough, there Separate Congregations are unlawful.
They are, uſually, Men leaſt acquainted with a Heavenly Life,p. 666. who are the violent diſputers about the Circumſtantials of Religion. As the body doth languiſh in conſuming Fevers, when the native heat abates within, and unnatural heat inflaming the external parts ſucceeds: ſo when the Zeal of a Chriſtian doth leave the Internals of Religion, and fly to Ceremonials, Externals, or Inferior things, the Soul muſt needs conſume and languiſh.