The Kingdom of God Among Men, Tract 1 · Chapter 28
CHAP. XXVIII.
Considerations tending to a due inlargement and unity in Church-communion.
AN unhappy kind of controversies about Forms of Divine Worship, Ecclesiastical Government, and qualification of Church Members, hath been the calamity of our times. The differences in these points have made a sad breach upon Church unity, and divided Brethren of the same Reformed Profession, both in affection and interest, and have been the occasion of much misery. In regard whereof, some things that make for an amicable condescention among Brethren, and for humble submission to Superiors, are here propounded for consideration, but not as peremptory resolves. Though many or most of them seem to me to carry their own evidence; Yet it becomes one who is sensible of human weakness, and of his own meaness, to write modestly in these points about which there is so great a variety of apprehensions.
The Communion of Saints, is the Communion of the Catholick Church, and of particular Christians, and Churches one with another as Members thereof; and therefore we may not restrain our fellowship to any particular Church or Churches, so as to with-hold it from the rest of the Catholick Church.
Our Communion with the Catholick Church, is as well in Religious Worship, as in Christian Faith and Life. As there is one Faith, so one Baptism, and one Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ, and we being many, are one Bread and one Body. Though we cannot at once locally communicate with the whole Church in external Worship, because it cannot possibly meet in one place; yet according to our capacity and opportunity, we are so to communicate with the several parts thereof, and not unwarrantably withdraw from any, and this is a vertual communicating with the whole.
Church Discipline and Government, as to the particular Form thereof, hath much more obscurity than the Doctrine of Christian Faith and Life, and is much more controverted among the Godly Learned. And in more dark and doubtfull points, humility, charity, and good discretion, teacheth mutual forbearance.
In Ecclesiastical Regiment, all Church Members are not so concern'd, as Church Guides and Pastors are.
Christ hath not left the affairs of his Kingdom in so loose a posture, as to give a liberty of leaving or chusing the Communion of a Church according to our own affections, without regard to order.
A particular visible Church being a Body politick, cannot subsist without rules of stable Policy. Her censures and judgments ought to be clear, certain and uniform, or of the same tenor; and therefore may not proceed upon such a kind of Evidence, as at the most is but conjectural, and of variable apprehension.
Our arbitrary conjecture of an others Regeneration, is but an uncertain way of admission to sacred Priviledges, wherein no uniform judgment can be held between several Churches, nor the several Members of the same Church, nor by the same Person with himself at several times. For mens apprehensions about the Spiritual Estate of others, are exceeding different and inconstant.
But whether a Person make a credible profession, or be competently knowing, or grosly ignorant; whether he be scandalous or walk orderly, is capable of certain evidence, and of constant regular proceeding thereupon.
Let it be considered whether of these two, either to proceed with men according to our private hopes and fears about their internal state, or according to stated Rules and certain Evidence, be the surer way to preserve the Church in Peace, and to propagate true Piety.
Also, whether Persons passable by such publick Rules, can in Ecclesiastical Tryal be judged to be ungodly, or to make a false profession, whatsoever our private fears are concerning them. And if their Profession be not proved false, whether it be not to pass for credible in that Tryal. Human Laws and publick Judgments presume them to be good, that are not evicted to be bad.
Private familiarity is at every ones choice: but our Church-communion being a publick matter, must be Governed by publick and common Rules, and not by private will.
If a Church impose such Laws of her Communion, as infer a necessity of doing that which is unlawfull, there is a necessity of abstaining from her Communion, so far as those unlawfull terms extend.
Churches mentioned in Scripture, had their corruptions in Doctrine, Worship, and Manners; yet the Godly did not separate from them for those corruptions, nor were commanded so to do. Indeed they are commanded to come out of Babylon, which is no other than to separate from Idolatrous, Heretical, Antichristian Societies. Yet in suggesting this, I do not encourage to a stated Communion in such Churches as have no other Ministers placed in them, than such as are altogether unfit to have the charge of Souls commited to them, that is, who are unable to teach, or teach corruptly; either teaching pernicious Doctrine, or abusing, mishandling, and misapplying sound Doctrine, to encourage the Ungodly, and discourage the Godly. For the Scripture bids us beware of blind Guides and false Prophets.
By continuing in Church-communion, we partake not of the Sins of others, which we have no power to redress, nor are we made guilty by their leaven, if it doth not infect us; and profane Persons are no more countenanced by our presence, than those lewd Priests the Sons of Eli were by the Peoples coming to sacrifice.
In communicating in holy things, we have internal Communion only with the faithfull, and as for the meer external Communion, it is with those that have as yet an outward standing in Christ, till they are cut off by the hand of God, or due order of Discipline.
When a Minister hath done his part to keep off the unworthy, in the dspensing of the Sacrament to such, he is in a moral sense meerly passive; so that their unworthy participation cannot be imputed to him.
Nor in such an Administration is a practical lie or any falshood uttered. For the Sacrament seals the mercy of the Covenant not irrespectively, but conditionally, and the words of the application must be so understood.
If we have not power to separate an obstinate scandalous offender from the Church, yet the withdrawing of our selves from him, is an Excommunication in some degree, and the effect thereof is hereby in part obtained.
When Ministers and People do their duties in their Places, without usurpation of further Power than they have warrant for, then all will be, though not so well as it might, yet as it can be at present.
Of several modes and methods of publick Action, Prudence makes choice not always of what is simply best, but of that which is most passable, if it be not so disorderly as to marr the substance, or frustrate the end of an Administration.
In sacred Adminstrations we may yield without sin to others sinfull weaknesses. And though we may not please them in doing that which is evil; yet we may in that which is lawfull, but less edifying; and so we may let go some good in the manner of performance, rather than omit the whole Service. Here is indeed a sinfull defect, yet not on our part, but on theirs who urge the way that is less edifying, and refuse the better.
The exercise of Church Discipline being a means and not the end, must be govern'd by rules of Prudence, among which this is a chief one, that the means must not be asserted so stifly as to indanger or destroy the end.
The exercise of Spiritual Authority is necessarily more regulated by the determination of the Civil Magistrate, in a State that maintains the true Religion, than in a State that either persecutes or disregards it.
If it were supposed, that Spiritual Power is radically the same in all Ministers of the Gospel, let it be considered, whether the exercise of that Power may not be more restrained in some, and let forth to a larger extent in others, upon prudential grounds; provided it be not inlarged in some to an exorbitancy, and streightened in others to an extream deficiency.
Likewise if there be a dissent or doubting about a Superiority or Pre-eminence of Spiritual Power in some distinct Ecclesiastical Office, let it be considered how far submission may be yielded to a Power objectively Ecclesiastical, but formally Political, derived from the Civil Magistrate, and seated in Ecclesiastical Persons by Temporal Laws.
Lastly in reference to things imposed, there is a wide difference between a quiet submission, and an approving free choice. It may be the duty of Subjects to do that, which may be the sin of Governors to command. For in the same things wherein Governors refuse the better way, Subjects may do their parts and choose the best way they can.
If these considerations or others of the like Catholick tendency be found allowable, and will pass among Brethren of different judgments, they may prevent and heal many breaches, and unite dissenters in the bond of Peace and Love, and afford unto such as have been intangled, a more free scope and large capacity for publick aims and actions.