The Reasons of the Christian Religion Part 1, Part 2 · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII. Conſectaries: Vid. Pet. Damian: Dom. vobiſc. c. 6. de unit. Eccleſ.1. What Party of Chriſtians ſhould we joyn with, or be of, ſeeing they are divided into ſo many Sects?
Pſal. 1. Mat. …8.19. Act. 11▪26.I Shall briefly diſpatch the Anſwer of this Queſtion in theſe following Propoſitions.
§. 1. GODLYNESS and CHRISTIANITY is our only Religion; and if any party have any other, we muſt renounce it.
1 Cor. 12. Eph. 4.3, 4, 14.§. 2. The Church of Chriſt being his Body is but One, and hath many Parts, but ſhould have no Parties; but Ʋnity and Concord without Diviſion.
1 Cor. 1.10. Act. 20.30. Rom. 16, 17.§. 3. Therefore no Chriſtian muſt be of a Party or Sect as ſuch, that is, as dividing it ſelf from the reſt, cauſing ſchiſme, or contention in the Body; or making a rent unneceſsarily in any particular Church, which is a part.
1 Cor. 3.3▪ 4, 5. Act. 24.14. Act. 28.22.§. 4. But when Parties and Sects do trouble the Church, we muſt ſtill hold to our meer Chriſtianity, and deſire to be called by no other name, than Chriſtians (with the Epithets of ſincerity): And if men will put the name of a Party or Sect upon us, for holding to Chriſtianity only, againſt all corrupting Sects, we muſt hold on our way, and bear their obloquy.
Matth. 28.19, 20. Mar. 16.16. Heb. 6.1, 2, 3.§. 5. What CHRISTIANITY is may be known, 1. Moſt ſummarily in the Baptiſmal Covenant, in which we are by ſolemnization made Chriſtians, in which renouncing the Fleſh, the World and the Devil, we give up our ſelves devotedly to God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt, as our Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifyer. 2. By the ancient ſummary Rules of Faith, Hope and Charity, the Creed, the Lords Prayer and the Decalogue. 3. Integrally in the ſacred Scriptures, which are the Records of the Doctrine of Chriſt and the Holy Spirit.
1 Cor. 14.26. 40.§. 6. But there are many circumſtances of Religious Worſhip, which Scripture doth not particularly determine of, but only give general Rules for the determination of them, (as what Chapter ſhall be read, what Text preached on, what Tranſlation uſed, what Meeter or Tune of Pſalms, what time, what place, what Seat or Pulpit, or Cup or other Ʋtenſils, what Veſture, geſture, &c. whether we ſhall uſe Notes for memory in preaching? what method we ſhall preach in? whether we ſhall pray in the ſame words often, or in various; with a book, or without; with many other). In all which the People muſt have an obediential reſpect to the conduct of the lawfull Paſtors of the Churches.
§. 7. Differing opinions or practices about things indifferent,Rom. 14. & 15. Gal. 2.13, 14, 15. Phil. 3.16, 17. no nor about the meer integrals of Religion, which are not Eſſentials, do not make men of different Religions or Churches (univerſally conſidered.)
§. 8. Nothing will warrant us to ſeparate from a Church as no Church, but the want of ſomething Eſſential to a Church.
§. 9. Eph. 1.22. & 4.15. Col. 1.18. & 2.19. 1 Cor. 12.27. Eph. 4.12. & 5.23. Math. 28 19. 1 Cor. 5.The Eſſential or Conſtitutive parts of the Church Catholick (or Ʋniverſal) are Chriſt the Head, and all Chriſtians as the Members.
§. 10. All ſincere and ſanctified Chriſtians are the members of the Church myſtical, inviſible, or regenerate: And all Profeſſors of ſincere Chriſtianity, that is, all Baptized perſons, not apoſtatiſed nor excommunicate, are the members of the Church viſible; which is integrated of the particular Churches.
§. 11. It is eſſential to particular political Churches,Act. 14.23. Phil. 1.1. Eph. 4.11, 12. 1 Theſſ. 5.12, 13. that they be conſtituted of true Biſhops or Paſtors, and of flocks of baptiſed or profeſſed Chriſtians: Ʋnited in theſe Relations, for holy communion in the worſhipping of God, and the promoting of the ſalvation of the ſeveral members.
§. 12. It is eſſential to a true Biſhop or Paſtor of the Church,Math. 28.19, 20. & 18.15.18. 1 Theſſ. 5.12. Heb. 13.17. Act. 20.36. Jam. 5.14. Act. 2.42. Act. 8.1. to be in Office, (that is, in Authority and Obligation) appointed by Chriſt in ſubordination to him in the three parts of his Offices, Prophetical, Prieſtly and Kingly: That is, to teach the people; to ſtand between them and God in Worſhip; and to guide or or govern them by the Paternal exerciſe of the Keyes of his Church.
§. 13. He that doth not nullifie or unchurch a Church, may lawfully remove from one Church to another, and make choice of the beſt and pureſt, or that which is moſt ſuited to his own Edification, if he be a Free-man.
Rom. 9.3. 1 Cor. 12.25, 26.§. 14. But in caſe of ſuch choice or perſonal removal, the Intereſt of the whole Church, or of Religion in common, muſt be firſt taken into conſideration, by him that would rightly judge of the lawfulneſs of the fact.
§. 15. If a Church which in all other reſpects is pureſt and beſt, will impoſe any ſin upon all that will have local communion with it,Rom. 3.8. though we muſt not ſeparate from that Church as no Church, yet muſt we not commit that ſin, but patiently ſuffer them to exclude us from their communion.
§. 16. True Hereſie, (that is, an Error contradictory to an eſſential Article of the Chriſtian Faith) if it be ſeriouſly and really held,Tit. 3.10. 2 Joh. 10. Heb. 5.11, 12. 1 Cor. 15 1, 2, &c. Luk. 18.34. Joh. 12.16. Gal. 5 2. & 1.7, 8, 9. & 3.1, 2. ſo that the contrary truth is not held ſeriouſly and really, doth nullifie the Chriſtianity of him that holdeth it, and the Church-ſtate of that Congregation which ſo profeſſeth it. But ſo doth not that fundamental Error which is held but in words through ignorance, thinking it may conſiſt with the contrary truth, while that truth is not denyed, but held majore fide; In iſto factioſiſſimo ſoeculo, vix quiſquam eximie doctus haereſeos ſuſpicione carebat. Eraſm. in Vita Hieronym. Et profecto ita eſt, ut id habendum ſit antiquiſſimum & Deo proximum, quod ſit optimum. Cic. de leg. l. 2. p. 244.ſo that we have reaſon to believe that if they did diſcern the contradiction, they would rather forſake the error than the truth.
But of this more elſewhere.