A Manual of Practical Divinity, Treatise · Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI. Of the gathering of Believers into Church-fellowſhip.
1. THis thing hath been wofully miſtaken and neglected, that there is no difference in moſt places between within and without, between the Church and the World, (2.) It is the duty of all that can to joyn themſelves to ſome Church of Saints for communion, as Paul when he was converted aſſayed to join himſelf to the Diſciples, Act. 9. (3.) We are not to ſtay to be put into Church-order by the Laws of the Magiſtrate, ſeeing Chriſt who is the Head of the Church hath appointed the order of his Houſe; the firſt Churches embodied and walked in Church-fellowſhip when the Magiſtrate was againſt them and perſecuted them: uſually thoſe that ſtay while the Magiſtrate ſettles things in the Church, will ſubmit to any thing right or wrong that the Magiſtrate ſhall appoint. (4.) There are many Priviledges of Believers joyned in Church fellowſhip, enjoying the Ordinances in Chriſts way, and watching over one another, comforting one another, yea ſuch a preſence of God as we ſeldom find out of it; hence it is ſaid, that in his Temple, that is, in his Church every one ſpeaks of his Glory, Pſalm 29.9. God is known in Sions Palaces for a Refuge, Pſalm 48.2,3. I am like a green Tree in the Houſe of God, which Houſe is his Church, Pſalm 52.8. In Judah is God known, his Name is great in Iſrael; in Salem alſo is his Tabernacle, his dwelling place in Sion. Pſalm 76.1,2. Bleſſed are they that dwell in thy Houſe, they will be ſtill praiſing thee. They ſhall meet with ſuch bleſſed communion with God, Pſalm 84.4. However thoſe that are in Churchfellowſhip may not find all this through the deadneſs and formality of their hearts: yet all this proviſion is in Gods Houſe. (5.) There is no Rule for partaking of the Lords Supper but in Church-fellowſhip: the Lords Table is to ſtand in his Houſe, which is a Church of Saints. (6.) To find out the way of Church fellowſhip and Goſpel-order, the way is not to go unto Antiquity, unleſs we go as high as the Apoſtles dayes; though ſomething may be gathered to clear the Congregational way from the firſt centuries, but afterwards ſuperſtition and ignorance came in like a Flood: it hath been the time of the Beaſts Raign, and Satans being looſe to deceive the Nations: and therefore ſay not The former days were better then theſe; what a dark mid-night was it in Wickliffs time, 1371, and in John Huſſe's time when he was condemned? who would frame things now according to the way of the profeſſing party of the world in thoſe times? and what were the Biſhops times when we were ſo overſpread with ſuperſtition, that as a godly man ſaith, the Table was an Altar, the Miniſter was a Prieſt, and the Sacrament was a Sacrifice, and there wanted nothing to be added to it but the Name of Maſs, and to call it the Sacrifice of the Maſs; there are many Promiſes in the Scripture that there ſhall be much light in the laſt dayes, Knowledge ſhall abound. (7.) A particular Church is a company of viſible Saints that join themſelves voluntarily together to enjoy the Ordinances of the Lord Jeſus among themſelves, and to build up one another in their moſt holy faith: this appears by the Epiſtles to the Church of Rome, Corinth, Epheſus & the reſt, where they are called Saints, faithful, Brethren, ſanctified in Chriſt Jeſus, ſuch as the Lord had begun a good work in, Phil. 1.6,7. The Apoſtle ſaith it was meet to think ſo of every member of that Church: yea, he calleth the members of the Church of the Theſſalonians Elect, 1 Theſ. 1.4. and giveth the Reaſon, ver. 5. becauſe that the Goſpel came to them not in word only, but with power and the Holy Ghoſt and much aſſurance; not but that in thoſe Churches there might be ſome that in the ſight of God might be unbelievers; but when they were taken into to thoſe Churches, they had ſuch knowledge and Grace, that ſo far as the Church could judge, they could own them to be effectually called. Many ſhifrs may be found out to withſtand the Truth, but (if the Epiſtles to the Churches be weighed, and the practice of the Apoſtles in the firſt Churches) they are of no weight. (8.) Whatſoever corruption crept into the Church of Corinth, & other Churches, doth no way alter the caſe; for they were all viſible Saints when they were firſt gathered; and the Inceſtuous perſon and ſuch were to be Excommunicated, 1 Cor, 5. elſe their Churchſtate would ſoon have been deſtroyed; for ſuch leaven would ſoon have leavened the whole lump; and though that inceſtuous perſon was ſuffered a while, yet upon the Apoſtles writing to them he was caſt out; and God ſo bleſſed that dreadful Ordinance of Excommunication to him that he repented and was taken in again; And for their diſorders at the Lords Supper, they ſo repented and reformed upon the writing of that Epiſtle, that the Apoſtle charges them not with thoſe diſorders in his ſecond Epiſtle to them: yea, the Apoſtle in his ſecond Epiſtle to the Corinthians, giveth them great commendations as Ch. 7.12,13,14. Ch. 9.14. he ſpeaks of the exceeding Grace of God in them (9.) The more evidence of Grace and ſatisfaction in every member, the purer the Church is at its firſt gathering. (10.) Moſt people amongſt us make not ſo much as an outward profeſſion of Religion; how many either hold fundamental Errors, or are groſly ignorant, or are prophane, and ſcoffers at the Spirit of God and power of godlineſs? yet the Apoſtle giveth a direction to Timothy to teach the Church what they ſhould do in caſe of profeſſion, that if men have a Form of godlineſs, and deny the power of it, declare themſelves plainly by their converſations to have no Grace in their hearts, he bids us from ſuch to turn away, 2 Tim. 3.5. (11.) The creeping in of corrupt members into Churches, the beſt Churches, is ſo far from being an Argument to lay aſide all Rules and care of the Church in admitting members, that its a ſtrong Argument to put them upon all Chriſtian care; if ſo many enemies get into the Garriſon, when every man that cometh in is queſtioned, what will there be when there is no watch nor care at all? becauſe that Believers after all their watching, praying and believing have ſome ſinful weakneſſes, ſhould they neglect all care and duty? this were a ſtrange Argument; Nay, but therefore watch and pray, and ſtrive and believe for power againſt corruption. (12.) The way to come out of confuſion into Church order? is by godly mens joyning together as a Church of Chriſt upon good ſatisfaction of one anothers Grace, and ſo to chuſe their Officers that are to be their Overſeers in the Lord; the choice of whom by the Church is part of their liberty wherewith Chriſt hath made them free; that ſociety of people is no longer fit to be called a Church that muſt have their Officers impoſed on them. (13.) In the common way there is little like Church-fellowſhip; inſtead of watching over one another to keep one another up, there is watching for one anothers halting & rejoycing in them; inſtead of Heavenly Diſcourſe, ſwearing and curſing. (14.) Though the generality of people amongſt us do not in words deny Chriſt and the Doctrine of the Goſpel, but in words agree to it, as it is the Religion of their country commonly here profeſſed, yet they no otherwiſe profeſs it then they would do any other Religion, if it ſhould be publiquely commanded; as the main Body in King Henry the eighths time, and Edward the ſixt, Q. Mary and Q. Elizabeth, turned four times in twelve years: therefore let not wiſe and gracious men lay weight upon ſuch a ſandy verbal Profeſſion of men, that hath no ſigns accompanying it of Grace and ſincerity in their hearts. (15.) When Believers enter into Church-fellowſhip, what can be ſaid againſt a Holy Covenant, thereby profeſſing and declaring the full purpoſes of their hearts, to walk in all the Ordinances of Chriſt, and in the fellowſhip of that Church as God ſhall give them light, aſſiſtance and opportunity; ſuch engagements in all Politique Bodies have their uſe. (16.) Although living together be convenient for thoſe that joyn in Church-fellowſhip, eſpecially ſome of them for to manage Church Affairs, that they may be alwayes preſent; yet rather then to live without the Ordinances all our dayes in a way ſatisfying to our own conſciences, we may joyn to the neareſt Churches till God open a door of opportunity for us at home. (17.) The Church is not the Officers, but the Body of the Saints, Acts 15.4. And when they were come to Jeruſalem, they were received of the Church, and of the Apoſtles and Elders; ſo that the Apoſtles and Elders were not counted the Church: and ver. 22. then it pleaſed the Apoſtles and Elders with the whole Church; ſo the Apoſtle in his Epiſtles to Rome, Corinth, and the reſt, calleth the Body of the Saints the Church; I know not how any Officers of the Churches can be the Church Repreſentative as ſome phraſe it, except they be Deputed and appointed by a Church to be their Meſſengers to tranſact any buſineſs for them and in their ſtead; and of Meſſengers of the Churches in that ſenſe we read in the Scripture. (18.) If that one thing were done among the godly in the Nation, that viſible Saints embodied together and choſe their Officers to go out before them in the Lord; all other differences about the power of particular congregations and the jurisdiction of Synods and the like, would either by light or love among the Churches be ſweetly compoſed; but while many godly Miniſters ſtand ſo ſtiff upon their former ordination, that will look for no ſolemn Call from thoſe Churches they count themſelves Paſtors of, and obſerve no way of admiſſion of members to maintain purity, and will manage all by themſelves as it were without either preſence or conſent of the Church, it may be a great inconvenience and hinder communion of their and other Churches, which might elſe more comfortably own one anothers Church ſtate notwithſtanding other differences; thoſe things are urged by the New England men with many Arguments; and that of the holineſs of thoſe that are to be admitted into Churches, is excellently defended by Mr. Cotton in that Book of his called The Holineſs of Church members, in which he anſwers all that is uſually brought againſt it; ſo that he that would with ſmall expence either of money or time ſee that point cleared, that may get that Book: (19.) To ſay that there hath been true Churches in England heretofore, no way proveth that there is a true Church in every Pariſh; for though there might be true Churches in ſome Pariſhes, it doth not follow that therefore there was in all: and becauſe that there was a Church in ſuch a place a hundred years ago, it doth not follow that therefore there is now: for God giveth Churches a bill of divorce many times; what is become of the Churches of Aſia, the Church of Rome? Hath not the Lord taken away their Church-ſtate? yet Rome ſtill holdeth Chriſt that died at Jeruſalem to be the true Chriſt, the denial only of which ſome conceive will only unchurch a people, and not their prophaneſs and wickedneſs otherwayes, be it never ſo great; a very ſtrange notion it is; but the Lord threatens to unchurch the Church of Epheſus for other grounds, beſides ſuch groſs Infidelity, as was intimated; yea though they had many excellent things in them, yet Revel. 2,4,5. I have ſomewhat againſt thee becauſe thou haſt left thy firſt love; remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do thy firſt works, or elſe I will come unto thee quickly and remove thy Candleſtick out of its place, except thou repent, where we may obſerve to our preſent purpoſe, (1.) That God doth ſometimes remove a peoples Church ſtate; for ſo I think all acknowledge that by Candleſtick is meant their Church-ſtate; for the ſeven Candleſticks were the ſeven Churches, Revel. 1.20. (2.) It ſhews us plainly, that though a people do not deny Chriſt that died at Jeruſalem to be the true Chriſt, but outwardly acknowledge and own him; yet if the Church generally leave their firſt love, and grow formal and carnal, that there is to be ſeen no difference between them and unregenerate men, God will unchurch them, will own them no more (after ſome time of his patience and waiting for their Repentance) to be a Church and houſe of his. (3) That God doth not uſe to ſtay generations before he unchurch a people that fall off from him for he ſaith in this place, he will come quickly to remove his Candleſtick, except they repent. God will not have Churches now look for ſuch for bearance as the Church of the Jews, which was an extraordinary thing, and not to be paralleld; but ſaith he, I come quickly, not to wait now many hundred years as I did upon the people of Iſrael. (20) Although the Officers of Churches have a power of order, yet they have not all Church-power; for the Church of Corinth were to conſent to put forth that Church act of excommunicating the inceſtuous perſon, 1 Cor. 5.4. Though ſome officer for order-ſake be the mouth of the Church in the managing of it; they are by moſt allowed to chooſe their own officers, without which they ſhould fall ſhort of the priviledge of moſt ſocieties and relations in the world; and this is ſome act of power that moſt grant is ſeated in the Church: and thus was an Apoſtle choſen, Act. 1. and the Deacons, Act. 6.3. and Elders, Act. 14.23. In that Synod they were not choſe neither by Magiſtrates or by the Officers of the Churches only, but by the body of the Church, Act. 15.2,3. and ſo when any great affairs are to be tranſacted with another Church, the perſons commonly called the Meſſengers of the Churches are ſent not only by the Officers, but by the whole Church. Act. 15.23. 2 Cor. 8.19. and theſe do repreſent the Church indeed from which they are ſent; therefore he ſaith in that place. verſe 24. ſhew ye to them, and before the Churches the proof of your love; to ſhew that what is done before them when they are thus delegated and appointed by the Churches, is done before theſe Churches; and the Church muſt ſay to Archippus, Take heed to the Miniſtry which thou haſt received of the Lord, and fulfill it, Col. 4.17. but for a man to come only by a Patron into a place that he looks upon as a Church, and is not ſolemnly choſen by them, and then will take all Church-power to himſelf, is far from being according to Rule. (21) Believers may join together in Church-fellowſhip, though they do not agree in every thing, if they agree in the main: Churches gathered upon rigid Principles of uniformity in every thing makes way for breaches: if men be ſound in the faith, and not of turbulent but peaceable Spirits, ſome miſtakes about leſſer matters may be born with until God ſhall reveal theſe things unto them. (22) Its obſervable that godly Miniſters in moſt parts of the nation begin more and more to be unſatisfied with the common way of taking all to the Lords Table; though yet they differ what is the way of Reformation; but this ſerveth not only to countenance the peaceable and ſober ſeparation that is practiſed by ſome, but promiſeth much that God will reveal theſe truths of diſcipline more fully then hitherto: we know that the godly in the Biſhops times firſt began to ſcruple one Ceremony, and then another, and ſo light came in by degrees, it is a good thing to ſee that men cannot bear ſuch prophaning of Gods Ordinances, as hath been amongſt us, and that they labor for purity of ordinances, though they do not preſently come into Goſpel-order in every thing. (22) The Paſtors of the Churches muſt be godly.
It is a greater miſchief then many are aware of, that many that are publique Preachers, and count themſelves Paſtors of Churches, are not gracious men; yea by thoſe that put them into that work, and thoſe that ſit under their Miniſtry, it is not regarded whether they be godly, only that they have ſome learning and parts. (1) John 21.15,16,17. Chriſt ſaith to Peter, Loveſt thou me? then feed my Lambs: Chriſt doth not ſend others to ſeed his Lambs that neither love him nor them. (2) Mind the deſcription of a Paſtor or Biſhop which are all one. 1 Tim. 3. He muſt be ſober, no drunkard, apt to teach from ſome gifts of knowledge and utterance that God hath beſtowed upon him: he ſaith, he muſt not be greedy of filthy Lucre: Oh how many have entred upon the miniſtry meerly for filthy Lucre to get a living! he ſaith, he muſt not be a Novice, foreign, a young plant in Chriſt; he muſt not be one that is newly converted; then ſurely he muſt not be one that is not converted at all. (3) The Duty of a Paſtor requireth it alſo, as it is ſet down, 1 Tim. 3.5. that he is to take care of the Church of God: now a natural man hateth the Saints of God, and will ſooner devour and make havock of the Church of God, then take care to preſerve and comfort, and help it; ſo they are ſaid, Heb. 13.17. to watch for the peoples ſouls. And how can they do this that do not watch over their own ſouls? (4) We may conſider alſo what rules the Apoſtle gives to Titus about this buſineſs. Tit. 1.8. He ſaith, that they that are called to this office, muſt be Lovers of good men, and that none can be but a Saint; hereby we know that we are paſſed from death to life, if we love the Brethren; and he ſaith alſo, that he muſt be holy, foreign, the ſame word that is uſed, Act. 13.35. concerning Chriſt; and verſe 9. he ſaith he muſt be one that will hold faſt the faithfull word, which there is no hopes that wicked men ſhould do when perſecution ariſeth becauſe of the word. (5) Men that are not viſibly Saints and called, are not to be members of a Church, notwithſtanding any parts and accompliſhments they may have, much leſs ſhould they be Paſtors of Churches. (6) A carnal Miniſter aſcribes all to his parts and learning in his work, and not to the ability that God giveth, 1 Pet. 4.11. and ſo God hath not the glory. (7.) The Scripture ſaith that the prayers of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord, and a ſtinch in his Noſtrils. (8) Though many of them may have good parts, and may be ſeemingly ſound in the matters of Religion, yet we have no ground to think that they will continue ſound, becauſe the Scripture ſaith, that becauſe they have received the truth not in the Love and power of it, God will ſend men ſtrong deluſions, 2 Theſſ. 2. (9) Though Chriſt ſent Judas, yet he was never a Paſtor of a Church of Saints, and he was outwardly a Saint, ſo in the eſteem of the Apoſtles; and Chriſt did it not for our imitation. Chriſt limits us, though we muſt not limit him, and there is a particular Reaſon given of it that the Scriptures might be fulfilled. (10) Chriſts words concerning hearing the Phariſes that ſit in Moſes chair, was rather a diſpenſation then an injunction; and its one thing to hear occaſionally, and another thing to ſit down under a mans Miniſtry; and it was only upon ſome points about the Law, not in all things; for they taught that Chriſt was the Prince of Devils, and a Deceiver; leaſt of all did Chriſt countenance their Miniſtry in theſe words, to be good and lawfull; for ſee how Chriſt inveigheth againſt thoſe Phariſees, Mat. 15. as if he he had been made up of invectives. (11) The Apoſtle, 1 Cor. 2.14. having ſpoken in the verſe before of the ſpiritual man judging all things, and he himſelf is judged of none, propounds that queſtion, Who hath known the mind of the Lord that he may inſtruct him? By him is meant the ſpiritual man, for of him he is ſpeaking, not of inſtructing the Lord; but ſaith he, we have the mind of Chriſt, and therefore can inſtruct them unto edification; ſo then this Argument is taken from their inſufficiency for the work, that a natural mancannot reach a Saint who is above him. (12) So the Apoſtle, 2 Tim. 2.6. ſpeaking of Miniſters, uſeth that compariſon, the husbandman that laboureth muſt firſt be parraker of the fruits of the earth; How elſe can he ſow? So hath a Miniſter need to be partaker of ſome experience of the blood of Chriſt and comforts of the Spirit; How elſe can he preach Chriſt feelingly and powerfully unto others? (13) We ſee whom God hath uſed for converſion. Thoſe that went under the name of Puritans and Nonconformiſts in the Biſhops times, and go now under many more names in the world; but it is with thoſe that are his ſervants that he is preſent: it is to them that he hath Promiſed to bleſs what they put their ſtands unto, and to be with them to the end of the world; it is not what God can do, or ſometimes hath done: for we muſt not limit him; but whether the Lord hath appointed the preaching of wicked men as an Ordinance of his for converſion of ſinners, or the building up of Saints. (14) In other things that are not of that concernment that this is, men will not truſt thoſe that have not experience; as in Phyſick, though a man hath read ſeveral Phyſick books, and is able to define diſeaſes, and to talk pretty well, yet you will not chooſe ſuch an one to be your Phyſician if he want experience; much leſs ſhould you truſt that man with your ſoul that hath only read ſome Divinity books, and ſo is able to ſpeak ſomething, if he have no experience of the power and ſweetneſs of the truths of God himſelf.