Moses Choice, Treatise · Part 2 · Chapter 21
CHAP. XXI. Objections againſt joyning with Gods people, anſwered.
BUt you will ſay, we could be content and ſhould deſire to joyn with them, but they are ſo Obj. 1.ſtrict in admitting any into their ſociety, that that hinders.
If any that were in communion ſhould prove Anſw.naught, you would quickly take advantage, and ſay, You ſpake ſo much of communion with Gods people, ſee here is one of them, whoſe life is thus baſe and vile: When we know the world would take ſuch advantage if any prove naught, yea, and you your ſelves will be offended, and cry out of all, for the ſin of one; can you blame us if we be careful in taking any into communion with us?
But there is much difficulty in the way.Obj. 2.
Pſal. 84. 6. The way to Zion, it was through the valley of Baca: they might have ſaid, We could Anſw.have been content to go to Zion, and to worſhip God there, but we muſt go through that valley, of tears; but they were content to go through that valley, ſo that they might appear before God in Zion: Surely when God moves the hearts of men to joyn with his people, a little difficulty cannot hinder them: Iſaiah 66. 20. They ſhall bring your brethren as an offering to the Lord, upon horſes, in Chariots, and Litters. A Litter is uſed eſpecially for weak ſickly people, that are not able to travel otherwiſe; although they be weakly, and ſickly, unfit to travel, yet they whoſe hearts God moves, will rather come in Litters, then not at all. What difficulty will ſuperſtition put a man upon?
It is a note of Mr. Calvins upon that place, Seek ye my face; that ſuperſtitious people will go on pilgrimage to the image of ſuch a Lady, or ſuch a Saint, and they will go over Mountains, and through ſtrange Countries, and though they be uſed hardly, and loſe much of their Eſtate, they ſatisfie themſelves in this, I have that I came for: What have they? The ſight of a dumb Idol; if they will endure ſuch hardſhip for the ſight of a dumb Idol, how much hardſhip ſhould we endure to ſee God in his Ordinances?
But it may be ſaid thirdly, Whither ſhall we go to Obj. 3.any people, but we ſhall finde ſin there as well as in another place?
For that there is likewiſe an anſwer in the ſame Sermon Anſw.of Mr. Calvins; It is true, ſin and wickedneſs will be whereſoever we go, but the caſe is thus: Suppoſe there ſhould be a general diſeaſe, and there ſhould be one place where there were Phyſitians, and means of cure; ſhall any ſay, Why ſhould I go thither, there is the diſeaſe? Go thither though, for there is the cure; ſo though there be ſin every where, yet in the Church, and in communion with Gods people, there is the cure.
But may not a man go to heaven without it?Obj. 4.
It is true, it is poſſible for a man to go to Heaven without it, yet if God does convince a man of an Anſw.Ordinance, and he neglect it for outward accommodations, it is dangerous: A man may be ſaved without Baptiſm, but where there is the wilful neglect of it, it is dangerous.
How did all that never heard of this way?Obj. 5.
It is one thing where there is not that light, and another Anſw.thing where God hath revealed it. You deſire Heaven at laſt, and do you not deſire communion with Gods people? When you fail in any thing, you plead infirmity, but when you do neglect any opportunity of gaining ſtrength, how can you plead infirmity?
But how ſhall we joyn with any? there is no place Obj. 6.but there is brabling, falling out, heart-burning, ſo as there is no ſweet communion.
This is a great ſtumbling, and I would we Anſw.could deny it: but if you will take offence at this, you muſt be offended; It cannot be expected to the end of the world, but there will be diſſention amongſt the people of God: where there hath not been care in laying a good foundation at the beginning, and where there is much liberty, and ſome are carnal, what elſe can be expected? A company of ſheep, when they are worried by the dog, though they were ſcattered before, they will now run cloſe together; but in a fair Sun-ſhine day, when there is no dog to ſcare them, they will one feed here, and another there, diſtant from one another: and ſo it is with Gods people, though it be a foul ſhame, and a great ſin.
Again, there is no more diſſention then in other places, for though in other places there ſeem to be more union, what is the reaſon?
Firſt, becauſe they are in the dark, and all colours 1.will agree in the dark; but amongſt Gods people there is light, and ſo things that differ are ſoon diſcerned.
Secondly, becauſe they are chained together; as the Papiſts will ſay, there is no ſuch union between 2.others, as between us; What is the ground? They are held together by an Antichriſtian chain: Popery does ſubject the conſciences of men to them: they muſt believe the infalibility of the Pope, and they have no liberty to ſearch things by the Word; and they will not ſuffer them to be reaſoning about the points of Religion; they are in darkneſs, and when they be chained up in darkneſs, no wonder though they be cloſe together. This is juſt as if there ſhould be a couple of men chained to a block, and as they are chained together, they ſee other men go at a diſtance from one another; and they that are chained ſhould cry out, See what a diſtance is between you, we keep cloſe together all the day long; Were this a plea for them? What is that that keeps them together? It is but their chain, and if their chain were off, they would be at as great a diſtance as others; and therefore though there be great evil in the diſſentions of Gods people, yet it is not for ſuch as theſe are to complain of the evil.
Thirdly, falſe Religions have more peace, becauſe they will admit of mixture; but our God is a 3.jealous God, he will admit us of no mixture, ſo of no partner.
But that this might not be an offence, ſo as to keep us from joyning in Communion with the people of God, let us know if this might have been offence enough to keep men from joyning with them, it would have kept men in all times from joyning with the Churches ſince Chriſts time: You know what difference was between Paul and Barnabas, two Apoſtles. And ſo the Apoſtles do complain of the diſſentions, and diviſions in the Church of Corinth, in the Primitive times, and if that had been enough to keep out men from joyning with them, then there had been no joyning with the Church of Corinth, and other Churches. Baſil complains, I have lived now to the age of a man, and I ſee more union in Arts and Sciences, then in Divinity; for in the Church, I ſee ſuch diſſentions, as do diſſipate it, and rend it aſunder. And ſo between Chryſoſtom and Epiphanius, the one wiſhed the other might never dye a Biſhop, and the other wiſhed that he might never go home alive. And between Jerome and Ruffinus; and Luther and Oecolampadius.
There is a moſt ſad ſtory we have of thoſe that fled to Frankford from England in Queen Maries time, and when they came there, though they fled for Religion, and for their lives, yet there were ſuch grievous breaches, as they ſought the lives of one another, picking out ſome words againſt the Emperor, in a Sermon that Maſter Knox had preached in England long before, and now accuſing him for them to the Magiſtrates of Frankford, upon which divers of them were fain to flee. This is through the malice of the Devil, in ſowing tares, and therefore if you will be offended in this way of ſcandal, you muſt be offended
Yet we muſt all take heed of giving offence, for though offences will come, yet wo to them by whom they come: Howſoever there fall out offences, through the ſinful diſtempers of mens hearts, let not the Ordinance of God be challenged as the cauſe of theſe offences. Joyning in Church-fellowſhip is a ſpecial Ordinance of God, to maintain love and peace amongſt his people, yet by the abuſe of it many times, diviſions and diſſentions are ſtronger, and more bitter in the Church, then elſewhere; let not Gods Ordinance be accuſed as the cauſe of it, nor declined for this, but let the wickedneſs of mens hearts be accuſed, let us ſeek to have it purged.
Chriſt came into the world to diſſolve the works of the Devil, and yet the Devil never more raged, then in Chriſts time, and a while after; We never read of men ſo poſſeſſed of the Devil before Chriſt came, as they were then; Shall we therefore accuſe Chriſt for bringing the Devil into the world, for being the cauſe of mens being poſſeſſed of the Devil? Thoſe who thus reaſon againſt the Ordinance of Chriſt, becauſe of this evil that falls out by accident upon it, may as well, yea, and certainly would as readily reaſon againſt Chriſt, if they lived in his time, becauſe of ſuch poſſeſſion of Devils, which never was ſo before he came, as it was then; but as the true reaſon why the Devil thus prevailed upon Chriſts coming, was the juſt judgement of God againſt men for contemning and rejecting Chriſt, who came amongſt them: ſo it is here the judgement of God for the evil of mens hearts in abuſing ſuch a bleſſed Ordinance of love and peace.
So likewiſe, the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, is a Sacrament appointed by God to maintain love and peace in the Church, it is an Ordinance for communion, it hath the denomination from thence, it is called communion; Yet what hath occaſioned ſuch diſſentions in the Chriſtian world, as the controverſies about the Sacrament? Shall therefore this Ordinance be accuſed as the cauſe of diſſention? O let us for ever learn this truth, that whatſoever evil falls Qui contentionum gratia Chriſtinam vituperabit doctriuam, iſte etiam Socraticam & Platonicam colem nomine rejicit. Graecae ſuperſtitiones cultores pluribus diſſentionibus quàm eccleſiae membra laborare.out, Gods Ordinances be not blamed, but mans corruption, let that be condemned, and purged. Origen writing to Celſus, ſays, If you will take offence at the diſſentions in Chriſtian Religion, then you may take offence at diſſentions in other things. Valens the Emperor objected the ſame againſt Chriſtians, Nicephorus 11. 45. brings in one Themiſtius, anſwering, that thoſe of the Graecian ſuperſtition had as great diſſentions amongſt them.
There is diſſention amongſt Merchants, and other Trades, you do not ſay therefore, I will not binde my childe to that Trade, they diſſent amongſt themſelves: If there be profit and accommodations in the Trade, men will not be hindred by this plea, but joyn with them notwithſtanding; And ſo come you and joyn with the Saints, though there be ſome diſſentions, though there may be ſome rigid, diſtemper'd, hot ſpirited men, that may cauſe ſome trouble, yet there is not ſo much union and love in all the world as with them; ſet but aſide ſome, and there are a company, if you be gracious, your ſoul may take pleaſure in, and bleſs God for; and therefore away with all ſuch ſtumbling blocks, and reaſonings againſt the Ordinances of God, come you thirſting after the Ordinances of God, and my ſoul for yours, if you do not finde that ſweetneſs in communion with them, as never was found before.
There are many objections againſt this way, and many are a long time enſnared in them, but Iſa. 57. 13. where God promiſes the inheritance of his holy Mountain, ver. 14. he promiſes to make the way plain to it. And Exod. 15. 13. God guides his people in his ſtrength to his holy habitation; it muſt be the ſtrength of God that muſt carry through all objections, all difficulties, over all ſtumbling blocks, to Gods habitation: Thus much to thoſe that yet are not joyned in that nearneſs of communion with Gods people which they may be.