The Dying Mans Testament to the Church of Scotland, Part 3 · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII. When some errours are to be forborn.
IF it should be enquired, how this difference is to be made? or, how it may be known when without guilt there may be some forbearance, and when not? Answ. This is indeed difficult, and we will not undertake in particulars either to be satisfying or peremptory; yet we supose the considering of these generall Distinctions will be helpfull, and theSome necessary an… usefull distinctions. application of them necessary, in this case. 1. We would distinguish betwixt some errours and scandals and others, and that both in respect of their grosnesse and evidence: for, some errours are, as Peter calleth them, 2 Pet. 2. 1, 2. pernicious and damnable, as striking against the special Truths of the Word of God, or inferring grosse practices with them, as this of the Nicolaitans did, and hazarding the souls of the maintainers of them, not as other sins of infirmity, but in respect of the principles which they imply; and of this sort are many both errours and practices. Again, Other things may be errours, that are contrary to Truth, but not destructive unto, nor altogether inconsistent with, the foundation, but such a thing, as possibly many true Saints may be taken with, and yet have accesse to God and may enter Heaven, although they should die in that opinion; of which sort are many things that are debated amongst orthodox Divines; and indeed there is nothing but it hath a truth or a falshood in it, yet are not all of equal necessity and weight. Of the first sort was that errour, which the false apostles endeavoured to bring-in, that is, the adding of the practice of the ceremonial Law to Christ in justification, and the mixing-in of works moral and ceremonial therein, as from the Epistle to the Romans and Galatians may be gathered. Of the second kind, was the debate for meats and other things, mentioned, Rom. 14. and in the Epistles to the Corinthians. Of the first, we say, there ought to be no tolerance, Therefore the Lord doth here reprove it; and in the Epistles to the Romans and Corinthians, Paul doth plainly and powerfully refute them and reprove them, even when it was exceeding ill taken, and they were ready to count him an enemy, because he told them the truth, Gal. 4. Yet will he not forbear, because a little leaven of that sort will leaven the whole lump, and hazard the making of his labour among them to be in vain.
Of the second sort, we say, That there is a moderation called-for in it, and Ministers are not alwayes called either doctrinally, or by Discipline, judicially to reprove or censure them: I will not say but sometimes it may be meet to discover the least errour, and it may be by circumstances so aggreged, that it may be needfull judicially to take notice of it, as when it's involved with offence and ready to breed Schism or Scandal, or in such like cases (in which respect there are some things mentioned in the decree, Act. 15. which are not very material in themselves, as the eating of things strangled) yet, we say, it is not simply and alwayes necessary for Ministers to presse at the convincing of all who maintain something different from truth, or which is supposed to be so by them, if …it be of things extra-fundamental, or, which have not direct or palpable influence upon the violating of faith, or corrupting of manners, much lesse to censure for the maintaining of it. For, it is not of such that these Epistles speak: And we see, Rom. 14. and in the Epistles to the Corinthians, in the debate about meats and eating of things sacrificed to idols, and such like, wherein though there was still a right side and a wrong, yet doth he rather presse the forbearing of these debates, than the dipping into them, not astricting men alwayes to follow this or that, providing it be done without breach of unity and charity. Hence it is▪ that although there be somethings he will give no forbearance unto, but authoritatively and ministerially he decideth in them, yet in the same Epistles there is something amongst the Saints that he seeketh rather to heal, and to obtain mutuall forbearance in, than peremptorily to decide. See Rom. 14. 1 Cor. 8. 2, 3, &c. Phil. 2. 3.
2. There are some truths and practices evident, which by the light of the Word may be solidly demonstrated to an impartiall and unbyassed searcher; and some contrary errours and scandals, that are at the first obvious (and, it may be, even to a naturall conscience) to be such, so that although men would use tergiversations, and say as Hymeneus and Phyletus did, 2 Tim. 2. 17. that there were no resurrection to come, because the Scripture speaketh of a spirituall resurrection, which in the Believer is passed already. And although many deluded persons, who will not admit of distinctions according to reason, in such a case, may be drawn away with them, and adhere still to them; yet are the things demonstrable to these that are even but of ordinary reach, by sound grounds from the Scripture, and that convincingly: Other things, again, may be truths, and there may be to some persons a possibility of reaching them by many consequences from Scripture, yet are they not so clear to many; whereupon it is, that men, yea, even learned and godly men, do differ in their apprehensions of several truths, the Lord so thinking good to bridle mens humours and to let us see the necessity of humility and sobernesse, and this may be in the meanestlike things; these the Apostle, Rom. 14. 1. calleth doubtfull disputations, as being things wherein too many, at least there is not such evidence attainable as to stay the minds of ordinary people, or to refute the contrary assertions of any adversary▪ of which are Genealogies, and other things that Paul mentioneth to Timothy, 1 Tim. 1. 4. and calleth them endlesse, because there is no setled ground to rest on, but one question doth generate another; and so the principle that must be laid down for clearing such a thing to one, is also disputable to another as the thing it self is, and men know but in part, even those that are eminent, so that an universal harmony in these cannot well be expected: In reference to this, we say, That greater peremptorinesse is required in the first sort than in the second▪ wherein, by reason of the practice of the Apostles in Scripture, yea, and of necessity there is a forbearance requisit, Yet we would beware of partiality in accounting truths, either evident or disputable, as men (according as they are judged) are too apt to do; it is better therefore to try these by the common account that the Godly and Learned have had in all times of such truthes, if there hath been still difference, and yet moderation in these differences; Nor would this be tryed onelyonly by an age or time (wherein a point may be more agitate than at another time) but more generally, especially when the arguments on either side want that evidence that the reasons brought for other truths have, and are so fully set down in Scripture, That amongst godly and learned men in all ages there hath been a generall consent.
Again, 3. We would distinguish betwixt errours and the consequents of them, or practices following thereupon; there may be somethings truly errours that may and should be forborn in themselves, yet their consequents ought not to be forborn, and this also may be at one time, and in one Church more necessary to be adverted to, than in another, because consequents of schism, faction, division, &c. may sometimes follow on the meanest errours. And seing these are alwayes enemies to edification, even when they arise from the least ground, they are never absolutly to be forborn; for▪ to say, I am of Paul, and I am of Apollos, and for one to think such a man a better Preacher than an other, seemeth to be no great matter; yet when it beginneth to rent them, and to make factions in Corinth, it is not to be forborn, but to be reproved: And in the former difference of meats, the Apostle condemneth alwayes the offence and Schism that followed on it, although he did not peremptorily decide any thing as to mens practices, or censure for the opinion it self: thus one might think the first day of the week not to be Iure Divino, and this might possibly be forborn, But if he were pressing the change of it, and refusing to observe it, or venting it to offend others, that were intolerable; thus the differences and errours concerning Church-government by Bishops, and in the Congregational way, may, we conceive, in themselves be forborn in persons where they are not vented to the shaking and drawing away of others; but if pressed in practice, to the renting of a Church, and preferred or equalled to the true Government that is established by the Word, in that case they are not to be forborn, because then truth is to be vindicated, and obstructions to edification in the renting or distracting of a Church to be removed, and at on time more than at another, as such an offence doth waken a Schism, and disturb order and Union in one Church or at one time more than another: hence we see, Acts 15. somethings are put in that decree in reference to that time, only for preventing of Schism and Scandal, while the doctrine of the abolition of the ceremoniall Law was not so clear; And somethings were forborn amongst the Gentiles, which were not so amongst the Jews for a time, as circumcision and all the ceremonies of the Law, which yet for a time the Jews observed; and experience and reason make the thing clear, according to that of Paul, To the Iews I became as a Iew▪ and I became all things to all men, &c. which is not to show his counterfeiting, or his dallying in any necessary thing, but the squa…ing of his practice in lawfull things according to the several cases of these he had to do with, which will be applicable both to persons and Churches.
4. We would distinguish betwixt things, and persons, Sometimes it will be meet to censure a fault or errour in persons, as Paul doth in the Corinthians and Galatians, and yet it not be fit to censure the persons; he doth indeed threaten these, but doth forbear▪ least thereby he should have hurt moe by a subsequent and following rent, than by his stroak he had cured. So also are persons to be distinguished, some whereof only erre, but others teach others so; and in that respect are Hereticks and Schismaticks▪ which, had that been their own opinion only, could not have been imputed to them; these last cannot plead that forbearance that ought to be had towards the former. Also distinction is to be made in the manner of forbearance; it is one thing to forbear simply and altogether one that is infected with errour and spreadeth it, it is another thing to for bear, in some respect, to wit▪ of censure only, or it may be in respect of degree, something may be more gently censured, and yet not altogether forborn; and one may Ministerially reprove a fault and person by the key of Doctrine, in applying of it, when yet he may forbear the exercise of Discipline and Censure, as in the forecited place, Paul is reproving false teachers in Corinth, yet sparing the rod for a time; and so, wishing that some were cut off in Galatia, yet not doing it; and this is not so much respect to the persons of these teachers, as to the Church and to the multitude of their followers, whom hasty Censures might rather have stumbled than edified, which is the great end of that and of all other Ordinances: Therefore seeketh he first to recover them, and again, to bring them back to the acknowledgement of his authority, and thereupon to exercise the weapons that he had in readinesse for the avenging all disobedience, when their obedience is made manifest▪ 2 Cor. 10. 6. which he would not do before that, lest they (being addicted to these teachers) had sided with them against his authority, and so it had been both more hurtfull to them and to the Church than edifying, by which alone he is swayed. These and other such considerations being had, Ministers by christian prudence, are to gather when to be silent, and when to speak, when to Censure, and when to forbear; but by all means, are ever to be watchfull, lest the grounds that plead for forbearance sometimes for the Churches edification upon the one side, be not stretched out so broad, as to foster our lukewarm temper, coldnesse, and fainting cowardlinesse in the things of God; and there is much need to try from what that moderation doth flow, and whether even then the heart be hot with holy indignation against these; Even as on the other side, true zeal would be guided towards the scope of edification, lest that duty of exercising Discipline, which is acceptable to God, and usefull to the Church, be rejected of him, because proceeding from our own spirits, and prove more hurtfull than edifying in the effects thereof; Some few instances whereof have given some occasion of speaking evil of this Ordinance of Jesus Christ, to these who at all times ly in wait, to catch at what may be wrested to the reproach thereof. But to conclude this, without insisting on particulars, there must be a single, impartial and prudentiall walking, so as may attain edification, and as men may be answerable to Jesus Christ in their trust, having an eye to these things that most contribute to edification.
But, 1. if what is vented be blasphemous, and destroyethSome things not at all to be forborn. the foundations of faith, that comes not within this debate, as in Paul's dealing with Hymeneus and Alexander, 1 Tim. 1. 20. is clear; for zeal for the Majesty of God, and love to the salvation of souls (which is the substance of the two great commandements of the Law) will admit of no forbearing in such a case. 2. If it corrupteth or defaceth the Church, and maketh her a reproach to the profane, it is not to be forborn. 3. If the things become not the Ordinances of Christ, but reflect on them, and consequently on Him whose Ordinances they are, they are not to be connived at. 4. If such things hazard the publick beauty, order and government of the Church, without which there is no keeping up the face of a visible Church, these are not to be over-looked. 5. If they mar the union and love that ought to be in the Church (which is to be preserved, and every thing that may mar it, removed) they ought not to be tolerated. 6. If they turn to be offensive and scandalous, either by making the wayes of the Lord to be ill spoken of, 2 Pet. 2. 2. or by grieving the godly, or by infecting others; they are not the object of forbearance, except some circumstance concur, as hath been said, in which case it cannot properly be called forbearance: By these and other things, this may be tried, when an errour is to be forborn and when not, in which, consideration is to be had, both of the nature of the errour, and of the person that doth hold it, as also of the case of the Church and people, who may be edified or hurt by the forbearing or Censuring of such a person.
What is needfull, but not sufficient, will appear when we come to consider what is called-for; for, what is lesse than what is required, must be defective and not sufficient: as it is requisite that men not only keep themselves free, but also that by admonition and exhortation, means be used to reclaim these that have fallen; yet these are not sufficient if there be no publick mean, yea, though there were publick authoritative preaching and exercising of the key of Doctrine, yet that is not sufficient, if there be not also censuring by discipline, and an exercise of the key of Iurisdiction; and in some cases every censure will not be sufficient, if it be not extended to the utmost, for Christ hath not given that key for nought to His Church, in reference to all her scandals, nor are men exonered till they reach themselves to the uttermost in their stations, but this will appear more afterward.