A Warning Piece to Afflicted England, Maxim 1 – Maxim 4
The First Maxime.
That the Church visible may fall sometimes into a State of Desertion.
BY the Church visible is meant either a particular Church, or the collective general Church. That any particular Church may be deserted, and totally exterminated, either by means of persecution, or in progress of time by its own proper defection from the faith, and Orthodox truth of Christ, appears by these Arguments;
First, the Word of God asserts it, Hos. 2. 3. Jer. 7. 12, 14▪ 15. Rev. 2. 5. and 3. 16.
2. Experience confirms it in the Churches of Corinth, Ephesus, Laodicea, Jerusalem, and many other instances, God having long since removed his golden Candlestick from them.
3. There can no special Promise of Priviledge or exemption be shewed to secure any particular Church from this danger.
Again, By the Church visible may be meant the collective or general Church upon earth, which are all the particular Churches consider'd together: And of this the Proposition is also meant in some sort, that it may come to pass that all the external particular visible Churches may as to common apprehension, fall away from the true Worship of God by a general Cataclysme; so as that the whole visible Church of Christ here upon earth may seem to be cast off, and forsaken of God and abolished. Proofs of this:
First, Under the Old Testament the Prophets bewailed such defections and desertions. The Church being reduced to so obscure a State and Condition, as that no outward and visible face of the Church appeared in publike any where; neither were the Members of the true Church able to discern one another, as in the dayes of Elias, 1 Kin. 19, 14.
Arg. 2. Under the Gospel we finde, That Christ and his Apostles have foretold, that many should fall from the Faith, yea, that there should be a general Apostasie and falling away, 2 Thes. 2. 3. And so strong should the defection be, as that, if it were possible, the Elect themselves should fall away, Matth. 24. 24. And when the Son of Man should come he should scarce finde faith on the earth, Luke 18. 8. A Caution. Yet notwithstanding it can never be that all the particular societies and Churches should be really extinguished, and utterly corrupted, and laid aside from the true Worship of God; but that alway God will keep some true worshippers▪ more or less, whose assemblies, though obscure, doth constitute a true Church for the promise of Christ shall preserve the Church from utter and reall extirpation, Matth. 16. 18.
The Second Maxime.
That the State of Desertion is, Gods hiding of his faceThe state of Desertion defined. from his people generally, and leaving them to be exercised with great afflictions, and that for a very long season, Psal. 44. 23, 24, 25.
THe hiding of Gods face implies three things: First, The with-holding of his gracious Spirit in Counsel, that should direct us what is best to be done, and in what manner to do it, and a want of his fostering grace that should help us to do all things: in our straits God seems incogitant of us, asleep and taking no great notice of our distresses, fears, fasts prayers, changes, designs that are carried on. As when God refused to answer Saul when he asked counsel: Or to give the Church any tokens of his presence, any Prophets that couldPsal. 77. 9. tell them how long the affliction should endure.
2. The hiding of Gods face implies, the delivering up of a people to strong delusions, violent temptations; a giving them up to their own hearts lusts and counsels, that they might eat the fruit of their own doings, Prov 1. 30, 31. and Satans delusions: As in Ahabs case, God delivering him up and his Councel to the suggestion of a lying spirit, that he might fall at Ramoth Gilead in battel.
3. It implies, great displeasure in Gods heart against a people All three Persons in the blessed Trinity deelaring against them, as a people turned off and divorced, who are no longer in league with him, 2 Chr. 15. 2. Deut. 31. 16, 17. Hos. 1. 9, 8, 7, 6. The Father counting them a burthen upon his heart until he be eased of them, Isa. 1. 24. He will hear no intercessor for them, Jer. 15. 1. He will cast them out of his sight, and not suffer them to stand any longer before him, Jer. 15. 1. Yea, he will appoint them to several fearful judgements, v. 2. He will at length scatter them abroad into other Kingdomes and places, v. 4. and will harden the hearts of men against them in their Captivity, that none shall pity them, v. 5. Christ the staff of beauty is broken over their heads, they have no benefit from Jesus Christ and his Intercession and blood to keep the peace between God and them any longer; their names are in a manner crossed out of Christs Ephod, He puts off those sweet names and gracious titles of High Priest, King, Elder Brother, Husband, Saviour, Advocate; and puts on terrible names and marches out against them upon his Fathers Commission. He calls himself a furious teased Lion, Hos. 5. 14, 15. that will tear and none shall dare rescue them. A Leopard for subtilty, Hosea 13. 7. to catch them unawares; a Bear bereft of her whelps, vers. 8. that shall devour with fury; a piercing Eastwinde, vers. 15. that shall dry up root and branch; a consuming fire, Psal. 18. 8. A cruel archer, Lament. 3. 12, 13. a resolute terrible enemie, Ezek. 21. 3, 4, 5, to 15. Lastly, the Spirit of God dis-owns them: 1. He ceases to strive with them by inward counsels upon their hearts. 2. He fights against them, testifying out of Gods Word and by his Ministers, and every Judgement perpetually against them. 3. By witnessing in heaven against them; for as it is the Spirits office to witness sometimes for us, so upon this occasion he bears witness against us; as he intercedes sometimes with us, so now he cryes and groans against us, Hebr. 3. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. this makes God swear solemnly that he will destroy such a people for grieving so kinde a Messenger.
Thus Desertion appears to be a hiding of Gods face; three Circumstances yet remain in the definition to be opened.
Its a hiding of Gods face from a people generally: every cloud upon the Sun that shadows our place does not make night, but when the Sun is down, and all the Horizon in every point obscured, then 'tis night: So afflictions or Gods hiding his face from some particular soul does not make a desertion of the Church; but when it is general, a damp upon every family, upon all ranks and conditions, Cities, Countries, then 'tis a plain desertion, as these places of Scripture testifie, Isai. 9. 19, 20, 21. and 10. v. 22, 23. Isai. 1. 5. 6. 4.T… D… si… 7, 8, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25.
Again, it is not the close of Gods favour or hiding of his face in some degree that layeth a people in this forlorn estate, but Desertion is a loss of grace and favour in an eminent degree, high dis-favour, a leaving them to be exercised with great afflictions: the absence of a Nurse from the Child is not straightway a forsaking of it, or a letting it fall as Mephibosheths Nurse did him, but a casting it out of her arms as Hagar did Ishmael, and going away that she might not see it die: At the beginning God was but lightly displeased with Saul, but at last he finds that God had forsaken him, and delivered him up to an evil spirit; at first God lightly reproved the people of Israel by his Prophets, but they taking no notice, God leaves them wholly in their enemies hands, as the Prophet Zecharie notes, Zech. 1. 4, 5, 6. Or else we may count upon it that Desertion comes on by degrees, as God was noted to go out from before the Cherubims and stand upon the threshold, and from the threshold of the Sanctuary to a mountain neer the Citie, and at last quite away; so God deserts his people not all of a sudden, but as a gracious father loath to depart, he forsakes by little and little, warning them to repent, but if our heart grows hard, his heart hardens too, till he have at last cast off his people.
The third and last Circumstance is, That it is for a long season. Desertion is a hiding of Gods face, not for a short space, as it was upon Achans sin in Joshuahs time, but for many years together, as it was upon Israels sin in Samuels time, 1 Sam. 7. 2. Hosea 2. 2. to 13. Thus was Israel left for seventy years together in their captivity.
The Third Maxime.
In times of Desertion the three Essential Marks of a trueSymptomes and signs of Desertion. Church visible, are exceedingly lost, blurred, and defaced.
THe first Essential Note of a true visible Church (agreed upon by all men) is the pure, faithful preaching of the Word of God; for if you abide in my word, saith our Saviour, then are you my disciples indeed, John 10. 27. therefore the Church is said to be built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles, that is upon the Doctrine and truth delivered by the Prophets and Apostles, Eph. 2. 20. and the Church is hereby defined; Coetus in quo verbum Dei purè praedicatur est vera Ecclesia, quemadmodum è converso; now in times of desertion the Scriptures and written Word of God are rejected2 Chron. 15. 2, 3, 5, 6. Rev. 2. 14, 15, 16, 20. for a rule, and self inventions and carnal policies take place; the pure cleer truths of the Word wrested and baffled or put off by Governors and their people, and a false word and rule accepted of; the kingdom of God resisted that it cannot take place, and false errors spread boldly and connived at, there being no publike profession and Church-agreement in the Articles of Faith and Religion.
The Second Essential Note of a true Church that enjoys communion with God is, That therein the holy Sacraments are purely and faithfully administred▪ For Christ hath not onelyonly left a word to be taught his Disciples, but for their confirmation in a greater measure in the truth, hath annext certain visible rites which are used as certain foreign or Seals which are appendent to his Word. For the Writing and Seals put together give us the greater confidence in Christ in whom are the Promises. When therefore these Seals are dispensed religiously, according to Christs holy institution in the Churches, then it argues, they are the true Churches of Christ to all the world; but when these are laid aside or vitiated and corrupted wilfully, then will God desert his people; for thisRev. 2. 4, 5. and 3. v. 15, 16, 19, 20, 21. Reason it was that God accounted the shame of Egypt, to be upon his people, until at Gilgal they rouled it away by renewing the Sacrament of Circumcision; there being no mark of God more upon them before, then was upon the Egyptians.
The Third Note of a true Church of Christ is, That Eutaxia or Holy Discipline that Christ hath instituted for the cutting off of scandalous offenders and fostering of the true babes of Christ in all grace. Wherefore where Ecclesiastical Discipline is rightly dispensed according to the Canons of Christ and his Apostles, there is an evident note of a true Church: but where this is laid aside, it notes out a Synagogue of Satan rather then a Church of Christ: in Christs flock his lambs are tractable and willing to be disciplined; but wild Wolvs and Asses are not easily held and tamed. In times therefore of desertion this sweet and holy power of Christ is countedPsal. 2. 3, 5, …9. bonds, and broke asunder, and flung off by the rude multitude: the government that was laid upon Christs shoulder, Isai. 9. 6. is took off him, and a reed put into his hands, and a crown of thorns on his head; and that holy rule, that should take place in the house of God, foreign 1 Cor. 14. 42.is counted an abridgement of liberty too intollerable, so that in stead of order confusion takes place generally.
The Fourth Maxime.
In times of Desertion: The two great Ordinances of Magistracie and Ministrie fail much in their power, and become at length like a dead corps.
SAd accidents upon the Magistrates at such times: 1. Good Magistrates are soon taken away, and have but a short time, Judg. 2. 7. to 15. 2 Kings 23. 25, 26, 27, 29. 2. As God takes away good hopeful Governors so he sets worse in their room, wicked, ignorant, profane men, and oppressors, Isai. 3. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Idol shepherds that take no care of the flock, Zech. 11. 15, 16, 17. Ezek. 21. 25, 26, 27. 3d. Sad Accident: That the wisest designs and fabricks of Governors that are framed for the good of the Common-wealth are eminently opposed and frustrated; so that their labor is in the fire, Hab. 2. 13. and like the moulding of potters clay that is soon broke to pieces again, Isai. 29. 15, 16. 4. Sad Accident, That The wise designs of Governors are turned about by the hand of God to burthen, distress, and undo the people whose welfare was consulted by them, 2 Chron. 28. 20, 21. Jer. 46. 17. 16. 1…. Job 18. 7, 8. Lam. 4. 17. 5. The Magistrates power prestringed, shortned, disallowed, denied, slighted, at least-wise in matters of Religion, 2 Chron. 30. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Psal. 2. 2, 3. 6. The great and frequent changes from vessel to vessel, from one governor to another, from one sort of government to another; as in Israel, from Jeroboams family to Baasha, and from Baasha to captain Zimri, and from Zimri to captain Omri, and then to captain Jehu's family, then to Shallum, then to Menahem, then to Pekah, then to Hoshea, and at last to Salmanasar King of Assyria that carried Israel captive: In Judah also it came to pass in like manner, from Jehoahaz the government was transfer'd to Eliakim, from Eliakim to Zedekiah, from Zedekiah to Gedaliah, Ishmael, Johanan, and at length to the Grecians and Romans.
Upon the other Ordinance of the Ministry these sad accidents also are visible in times of desertion: 1. The visions of Gods Word are suspended, the Spirit of God much withdrawn, and the Spirit of error and delusion sent abroad, Hos. 3. 4. Isai. 29. 10, 11, 12. 1 John 2. 18, 19. 2d. Sad accident, Faithful Pastors are removed into corners, and greatly persecuted and forsaken, Isai. 30. 20. Gal. 1. 6. 3. Their counsel not hearkned to Zech. 1. 4. 1 Sam. 10. 8. compared with Chap. 13. v. 7, 8, to 14. 4. Their Reproofs ill taken, and requited with wranglings, law-suits, ill-usage, Isaiah 29. 21. 5. Their persons and office wronged, contemned, denied, 2 Chron. 36. 15, 16, 17. 6. Their Power in Churchgovernment slighted, rejected, 2 Peter 2. 10, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22. Psal. 2. 2, 3. Jude 4, 8, 10, 11, 12, 16, 18, 19.