The True Way of Concord of All the Christian Churches, Part 1 · Chapter 12
CHAP. XII.
The ſin and danger of making too much neceſſary to Church Vnion and Communion.
§. 1. ADdition to Chriſts terms are very perillous as well as diminution: When men will deny either Church entrance or Communion to any that Chriſt would have received, becauſe they come not up to certain terms which they or ſuch as they deviſe. And though they think that Chriſt giveth them Power to do thus, or that reaſon or neceſſity juſtifieth them, their errour will not make them guiltleſs: Imputing their errour to Chriſt untruly, is no ſmall aggravation of the ſin.
§. 2. Nor is it a ſmall fault to uſurp a power proper to Chriſt: to make themſelves Law givers to his Church without any authority given them by him: Their Miniſtry is another work.
§. 3. And it is dangerous Pride to think themſelves Great enough, Wiſe enough, and Good enough, to come after Chriſt and to amend his work, and do it better than he hath done.
§. 4. Much leſs, when they hereby imply an accuſation againſt him and his inſtitutions, as if he had not done it well, but they muſt amend it, or all will be intolerable.
§. 5. And indeed Mans work will be like man, weak and faulty and full of flaws, when Gods work will be like God, the effect of Alſufficience, power, wiſdom and Love.
§. 6. And the merciful Lord and Saviour of the Church, that came to take off heavy burdens and intolerable yokes, will not take it well to have men come after him and as by his authority, to make his eaſie yoke more ſtrait, and his light burden heavy, and to caſt or keep out thoſe that he hath Redeemed and doth receive, and to deal cruelly with thoſe that he hath ſo dearly bought, and tenderly loveth.
§. 7. And indeed it is ofter for mens own intereſt, and dominion, to keep up their power and honour of ſuperiority, that men thus uſe the ſervants of Chriſt, than truly to keep clear the Church, and to keep out the polluters.
§. 8. But when it is done by too much ſtrictneſs and as for Church-purity, yet this alſo hath its aggravations: For men ſo far to forget themſelves, that they are ſervants and not Lords, ſinners that have need themſelves of mercy, unfit to be too forward to caſt the firſt ſtone, to ſeem more wiſe and holy than Chriſt, is but ſpecious offending him.
§. 9. And as ſpiritual priviledges excel temporal, ſo is it an aggravated Tyranny, to deprive Chriſts ſervants of benefits ſo precious, and ſo dearly bought. As it was not with Silver and Gold that we were Redeemed, ſo neither for the enjoying of Silver and Gold. Communion with Chriſt, his body and blood and his Saints in his Ordinances, is a bleſſing ſo great, that he that robs ſuch of it that have right to it, may anſwer it dearlier than if he had rob'd them of their purſes: O what then hath the Roman Uſurper done that hath oft interdicted whole Kingdoms of Chriſtians, the uſe of holy priviledges and duties!
§. 10. Little do many men, that cry up faith and Orthodoxneſs and Catholiciſm and obedience, and cry down Hereſie, Schiſm, Errour and Diſobedience, believe how much guilt lyeth on their ſouls, and without Repentance how terrible it will prove, to be charged with the cruelties which they have uſed to good Chriſtians, in reproaching them and caſting them out of the Church, and deſtroying them as Hereticks and Schiſmaticks, that ſhould have been loved and honoured as Saints. But ſome men cannot ſee by the light of the fire, till they come ſo near it as to be burned.
§. 11. Theſe ſelf-made or over-doing terms of Church-Union and Concord, will prove the certaineſt Engines of Schiſm; And none are ſo heinous Schiſmaticks, as they that make unneceſſary terms of Union, and then call all Schiſmaticks that conſent not to them. For 1. theſe are the Leaders of the diſorder, when other ſort of Schiſmaticks uſually are but followers: 2. Theſe do it by Law, which is of moſt extenſive miſchief, even to all that are ſubject to them, when others do it but by local practice, extending but to thoſe that are about them, or the particular aſſemblies which they gather. 3. Theſe make the Schiſm unavoidable, when private Seducers may be reſiſted: For it is not in the power of good men to bring their judgements to the ſentiments of every or any dictator, or yet to go contrary to their judgements. Ilicitum ſtat pro impoſſibili. 4. Theſe aggravate the crime by pretending power from God, and fathering Schiſm on ſo good a thing as Government, and cauſing it as for Unity it ſelf. 5. They condemn themſelves by crying down Schiſm, while they unavoidably cauſe it.
§. 12. And this over-doing and making unneceſſary termes, unavoidably involveth them in the guilt of perſecution; and when they have begun it, they know not where to ſtop. Suppoſe they decree that none ſhall preach the Goſpel, or aſſemble for holy Communion in publick Worſhip, but thoſe that ſubſcribe or ſwear or promiſe or profeſs or do, ſomewhat accounted ſinful by the perſons commanded, and not neceſſary indeed, however eſteemed by the impoſer (who yet perhaps calls it but Indifferent). It is certain that no honeſt Chriſtian will do that which he judgeth to be ſin: It is certain that other mens confident talk will not make all men of their minds, to take all for lawful which they take for ſuch: what then will the Impoſers do? They will make ſtrict Laws to puniſh ſeverely all that diſobey: For ſay they, Our commands muſt not be contemned, nor diſobedience tolerated: ſo do the Papiſts as to the Trent Oath, &c. ſo did Charles the fifth, a while about the Interim; and ſo many others. Theſe Laws then muſt be executed: The Paſtors muſt be caſt out; the preachers ſilenced; They ſtill believe as Daniel did about praying, and the Apoſtles about preaching, that God commandeth what men forbid, and it is a damnable ſin to forſake their calling and duty, no leſs than ſacriledge, and cruelty to ſouls, and deſerting the Church and worſhip and cauſe of Chriſt; and the people will ſtill believe that no mans prohibition can excuſe them if they forſake Gods publick worſhip and comply with ſin. The Prelates will ſay that all this is but errour, wilfulneſs, and rebellion, and they can prove the contrary. Their words will not change the judgement of diſſenters. The Paſtors and preachers then muſt be fined, impriſoned or baniſhed for preaching, and the people for publick worſhipping God: when they are fined they will go on: when they are out of priſon they will return to their work: nothing is left then to remedy it, but either perpetual impriſonment, baniſhment or death. When this is done, more will ſtill riſe of the ſame mind and continue the work that others were diſabled to perform: And the Prelates that cauſe this will be taken by the ſuffering people for thorns and thiſtles, and grievous Wolves that devour the flocks, and the military Miniſters of the Devil: The indifferent common people knowing their Neighbours to be conſcionable men of upright lives, will become of the ſame minds, and look on the perſecutors as the enemies of good men and of publick peace, that do all this by pride and domination. The ungodly rabble of drunkards, prophane ſwearers, adulterers, and ſuch like, for the moſt part hating Godlineſs and ſtrict living, will cry up the Prelates, and triumph over the ſufferers: And thus the Land will be divided; the Prelates and other proſecutors with the dirty malignant rabble of the licentious will make one party, and theſe will call themſelves Orthodox and the Church; The ſufferers and all that pity them and like them better than the Perſecutors will be the other party. The conjunction of the debauched and malignant rabble with the Prelates and their party will increaſe ſober mens diſaffection to them, and make men take them for the patrons of impiety: And how ſad a condition muſt ſuch Churches be in! To ſay nothing of the ſtate concuſſions and diſeaſes that uſually follow. Whatever ignorant men may dream, theſe prognoſticks are moſt certain, as any man that can diſcern effects in moral cauſes, may ſee, and as hiſtory and ſad experience prove to all men of reading, obſervation and underſtanding.
§. 13. And in Paſtors of the Church, this will be a double crime and ſhame; becauſe 1. It is their office to gather and edifie Chriſts flock, and not to ſcatter and afflict them: 2. Becauſe they ſhould moſt imitate Chriſt in tender bowels, gentleneſs and long-ſuffering, bearing the Lambs in their armes, and not breaking the bruiſed reed, nor quenching the ſmoaking flax: Nurſes or Mothers uſe not to kill their Children for crying, nor to turn them out of doors becauſe they are unclean, nor to cut their throats to make them ſwallow bigger morſels, inſtead of cutting their meat: Much leſs to caſt them off for obeying their father. 3. Becauſe it is ſuppoſed that they beſt know the will of Chriſt, and ſhould be beſt acquainted with the wayes of peace. And therefore ſhould underſtand Rom. 14. & 15. Him that is weak in the faith Receive; but not to doubtful diſputations. The Kingdom of God is not meats and drinks, but righteouſneſs, peace and joy in the Holy Ghoſt: And he that in theſe things ſerveth Chriſt, is acceptable to God, and approved of men, that is, of wiſe and good men, but not of proud perſecutors, Rom. 14. 17, 18. Wherefore receive ye one another as Chriſt alſo received to the Glory of God. Rom. 15. 7. If the people were Schiſmatical and inclined to fall in pieces, the Guides and builders ſhould ſoder and cement them, and as pillars and baſes in the Church which is the houſe of the living God (as Timothy is called) ſhould bear them up that they fall not by diviſion.
§. 14. In a word, whoever will impartially read Church Hiſtory, eſpecially of the Councils and Popes, ſhall find that the ſelf-conceited Uſurpation of proud Prelates, impoſing unneceſſary devices of their own (profeſſions or practices) on the Churches, and this with proud and fierce impatience toward diſſenters, and uſurping a Legiſlation which Chriſt never gave them, hath been the great cauſe of much of the hatred, ſchiſms, perſecutions, wars, rebellions againſt Emperours and Kings, falſe excommunications, interdicts, and the diſgrace of Chriſtiſtianity, weakning of the Church, and hindering the Converſion of Jews and Infidels, and been a chief Granado, Thunderbolt or Wild-fire, by which Satan much proſpered in ſtorming of the Church.