Baxters Narrative of His Life and Times, Appendix · Section 3 · Floating text 2
Dr. Thomas Goodwin on Ephes. 1. Serm. 36. pag. 488. explaining some Words in the foregoing Sermon.
IT was understood as if I said, That all Parish Churches and Ministers generally were Churches and Ministers of Christ, such as with whom Communion might be held. I said not so: I was wary in my Expressions. I will only say this to you about it. There is no Man that desireth Reformation in this Kingdom (as the generality of all godly People do) but will acknowledge and say, That multitudes of Parishes, where Ignorance and Prophaneness overwhelmeth the Generality, Scandalousness and Simony the Ministers themselves, that these are not Churches and Ministers fit to be held Communion with. Only this; The Ordinances that have been administred by them (so far we must acknowledge them, that they) are not to be recalled or repeated again.
But here lyeth the Question, my Brethren, and my meaning: Whereas now in some Parishes in this Kingdom, there are many godly Men that do constantly give themselves up to the Worship of God in publick, and meet together in one place to that end, in a constant way, under a godly Minister, whom they themselves have chosen to cleave to, (though they did not choose him at first) These, notwithstanding their mixture and want of Discipline, I never thought for my part, but that they were true Churches of Christ, and Sister-Churches, and so ought to be acknowledged: And the contrary was the Errour that I spake against.
Secondly, For holding Communion with them, I say, as Sister-Churches, occasionally as Strangers, Men might hold Communion with them: And it is acknowledged by all Divines, that there is not that Obligation lying upon a Stranger, that is not a Member of a Sister-Church, to find fault in that Church, or in a Member of it, as doth on the Church it self, to which one belongeth.
I will give you my Reasons that moved me to speak so much. It was not simply to vent my own Judgment, or simply to clear my self from that Errour: but the Reasons, or rather the Motives and Considerations that stirred me in it, were these.
First, If we should not acknowledge these Churches, thus stated, to be true Churches of Christ, and their Ministers true Ministers, and their Order such; and hold Communion with them too, in the Sence spoken of, we must acknowledge No Church in all the Reformed Churches; None of all the Churches in Scotland, nor in Holland, nor in Germany; for they are All as full of mixture as ours: And to deny that to our own Churches, which we do not to the Churches abroad, nothing can be more absurd: And it will be very hard to think that there hath been no Church since the Reformation.
Secondly, I know nothing tendeth more to the peaceable Reformation among us, than to break down This Partition-Wall: for there is nothing provokes more than this doth, to deny such Churches to be true Churches of Christ. For do but think with your selves, and I will give you a familiar Example: You come to a Man whom you think to be a godly Man; you tell him, He hath these and these Sins in him, and they are great ones: It is as much as he can hear, though you tell him he is a Saint, and acknowledge him so: but if you come to him, and say, besides this, You are a Limb of the Devil, and you have no Grace in you, this provoketh all in a Man, when there is any Ground in himself to think so, or in another to judge him so; so it is here: Come to Church and say, You have these Defects among you, and these things to be reformed: But if you will come and say, Your Churches and your Ministers are Antichristian and come from Babylon, there is nothing provoketh more. Therefore if there be a Truth in it (as I believe there is) Men should be Zealous to express it: For this is the great Partition Wall that hindreth of twain making one.
Then again, This is that which I consider, and it is a great Consideration also. I know that Jesus Christ hath given his People Light in Matters of this Nature by degrees. Thousands of good Souls that have been bred up and born in our Assemblies, and enjoy the Ordinances of God, and have done it comfortably, cannot suddenly take in other Principles: You must wait on Christ to do it.
In this Case Men are not to be wrought off by Falshoods, God hath no need of them; no, rather till Men do take in Light, you should give them all that is comfortable, in the Condition they are in; we should acknowledge every good thing in every Man, in every Church, in every thing; and that is a way to work upon Men and to prevail with them, as it is Philem. v. 6. That the Communication of thy Faith may become effectual acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Iesus. It is that which buildeth Men up, by acknowledgment of every good thing that is in them.
Lastly, The last Inconvenience is this, It doth deprive Men of all those Gifts that are found amongst our Ministers, and in this Kingdom, that they cannot hold any Communion or fellowship with them.
So that I profess my self as Zealous in this Point, as in any other I know. And for my part, this I say, and I say it with much Integrity: I never yet took up Religion by Parties in the Lump. I have found by tryal of things that there is some truth on all Sides: I have found Holiness where you would little think it, and so likewise Truth. And I have learned this Principle, which I hope I shall never lay down till I am swallowed up of Imortality, and that is, that which I said before, To acknowledge every good thing, and hold Communion with it, in Men, in Churches, or Whatsoever else. I learn this from Paul, I learn this from Jesus Christ himself: He filleth All in All: He is in the Hearts of his People, and filleth them in his Ordinances to this Day: And where Jesus Christ filleth, why should we deny an Acknowledgment, and a right Hand of Fellowship and Communion?
My Brethren, this Rule that I have now mentioned (which I profess I have lived by, and shall do while I live) I know I shall never please Men in it: Why? It is plain; for this is the Nature and Condition of all Mankind, if a Man dissents from others in one thing, he loseth himself in all the rest: And therefore it a Man do take what is good of all sides; he is apt to lose them all: But he pleaseth Christ by it, and so I will for this particular.
Thus far Dr. T. Goodwin prefaced and commended by Thankful Owen, and Iames Barron, worthy and peaceable Men, deceased.
The Transcriber craveth judicious Resolutions of these two Questions:
1. Whether it be lawful to be a fixed Member of a grosly Schismatical Church, that is guilty of such separating from slandering almost all others, as is here reproved, when Communion with better may be had?
Quest. 2. How far others are bound to reprove and Testify against such dividing Principles, Ministers and Churches, especially after and under doleful Experience of their sinful calamitous Effects?