A Rejoinder to Mr Drake, Part 2 · Section 10
Sect. 10 THe laſt Objection is, from thoſe ſeveral Texts that ano alleadged for ſeparation from wicked perſons. My Anſwer was, that all theſe Texts are to be reduced either to their wicked courſes, Eph. 5.11. 1 Cor. 10.20, 31. 2 Cor. 6.14. and it may be, Jer. 15.19. 2 Theſſ. 3.6.11 Rev. 2.6. or their common ſamiliarity, and ſo I anſwer, 1 Cor. 5.9, 10, 11. 2 Theſſ. 3.14. Rom. 16.17. 2 Tim, 3.5. 2 Jo. 10.11. Prov. 22.24, 25. and it may be 2 Theſſ. 3.6. Tit. 3.10. But I affirme there is no Scripture allows a ſeparation from any one of Gods publicke Ordinances, unleſſe in caſe of Excommunication.
As for what Mr. D. objects here, I have ſatisfied at once already. I ſhall onelyonly leave two notes; 1 Whereas Mr. D. accounts my opinion (that excommunication referres to Church-communion in geueral) to be 1 Falſe;2 Cruel, I am perſwaded he will be of another minde when hee comes to underſtand mee better, how I take this, that is Relatively, wherein I thinke, I am neer the truth. And hereupon it will follow that every ſlight occaſion muſt not ſerve for Church-cenſure, but ſuch notorious crimes as will bring a defamation on the Church, and our Chriſtian profeſſion, if ſuffered; whereas if we allow any cenſure leſſe then caſting out of the Church, it is no wonder, if bare ignorance, or any ſmall matter be held enough for it; By which means, our Church cenſures are like to become ordinary, and ſoon contemned, which ſhould indeed bee ever adminiſtred for this very reſpect, with the greateſt dreadfulneſſe, rarity, and ſolemnity.
2 Separation from wicked men (as to their perſons) may be conſidered ſimplicitèr, or ſecundum quid, as it is conſidered ſimply (or abſolutely) it is not a duty, for a man may go into the company of evill perſons upon his neceſſary buſineſſe, and as Chriſt himſelfe did, to admoniſh, and do them good. But as it is taken ſecundum quid, or Relatively, in reſpect of ſuch or ſuch an end, ſo is it our duty. Now that end, either reſpects our ſelves, or them; That which reſpects our ſelves, is to avoid their ſinnes, or not to partake thereof, by acting with them, infection, connivance, or the like; And This reſpect does alwayes binde, ſo that in ſuch caſe as we muſt needs partake of their ſins, we are undoubtedly to avoid them: That which reſpects them, is to bring them to repentance, by ſhaming them, &c. Hereupon it will follow, that if any man goes to avoid his brother in Gods Ordinances, unleſſe it be to this end, his ſeparation is evill, the reaſon being plaine, becauſe as I am bound to avoid the leaſt partaking of anothers ſinnes ſo am I bound to the greateſt partaking with him in duty, and though I muſt ſeparate from him in civil familiarity (I mean common, and unneceſſary) where I have my liberty (and not elſe, 1 Cor. 7. 13, 14.) unleſſe it be to exhort, and edifie him; Yet may I not, in ſacred ſociety, and the ſervice of God (which is both his and my duty) unleſſe he be excommunicate. I pray note this, Separation, I ſay, is either from civill ſociety alone, or from Sacred, and Civill both; In the firſt, I am to withdraw from every one that walketh diſorderly, (yet with prudence) and complaine of him; But the ſecond is proper to Churchcenſure, before which, my withdrawing from him in publick duty, is not like to be any means of bringing the man to repentance, but rather to harden him; and therefore, to ſpeak freely, I fear it is but a likely ſinne, to withdraw from others at the Sacrament, before Excommunication.
P. 204. He comes to my wiſhes, which he is pleaſed to approve, & engage me to him before he parts, with two paſſages; The firſt is Page 205. where he tells me, he hath made me an object of fraternal correption, and hopes, I am in a fair way to be mended by his admonition.
Anſw. Had the man been longer a Divine, or a little more modeſt in the ſpirit of meeknes, & words of ſobriety, he could have managed his cauſe, with me, I think (ſo far as I know of my own ſpirit) that I am ſo conſelous of my owne weakneſs, and afraid to offend others, that I ſhould have been more ready to a ſubmiſſion, then diſſertation, could it have ſtood with any face of truth and ingenuity: but when I ſee how his whole book is carried with ſuch a high conceit of himſelfe, and intereſt, ſo much contempt of me, bitterneſs of language, paſſion, and incontinency, truly, it is a great argument to me (and inward ſupport againſt his opinion) that the Lord doth not approve it, or at leaſt intends not to ſucceed it. If it had been the minde of Chriſt, it is more likely he would have humbled his heart, and ſuited him a ſpirit fit to have declared that minde to us; But now hath his temper betrayed his cauſe, now are his Arguments little beſides prejudice; now are his inſtructions but briars and thorns, with which he goes to teach me, only as Gideon taught the men of Succoth. Now are theſe admonitions which ſhould come from him as a brother, but the bitter inſultations of an adverſary; which muſt make me anſwer him in the words of Micha, 7.8, 9. Rejoyce not againſt me, Oh mine enemy, when I fall I ſhall riſe, when I ſit in darkneſſe, the Lord ſhall be a light unto me. I will bear the indignation of the Lord, becauſe I have ſinned againſt him, untill he plead my cauſe for me, he will bring me forth to the light, and I ſhall behold his righteouſneſſe.
The ſecond is, Page 206. How juſtly may be at laſt be looked at as a Weed by our great Huſbandman, who will cheriſh Weeds, &c.
Methinks it were enough for Mr. D. to have paſſed a ſuſpenſion on me in the beginning of his Book, he needed not have proſecuted it to the end, and even to the laſt judgement. It is not for him to take the Tribunal, and condemn me for a Weed at the great day. I deſire God, that this mans raſhneſs may teach me to conſider his righteous Judgement, that I may ſanctifie him in my heart, and make him my fear, and my dread; ſo ſhall I reap the benefit of his cenſure, without the guilt of it. I muſt humbly acknowledge, if the Lord ſhould deal with mee according to my deſerts, he might indeed juſtly look at me as a Weed, and condemne me for ever; But enter not into judgement with thy ſervant, O Lord, but take occaſion by this mans judgement to forgive me, and him; for thou ſeeſt how ſome mens piety out-runs their charity, and their over-eager zeale, like Moſes, breaks the Tables: And though he would have me ſuſpended from the favour of thy people, doe not thou ſuſpend him, or me from a fellowſhip in thy mercies, and while he is ready to ſhut up the boſome of the Church againſt me, as if it could no: hold me, and him, let me be aſſured that Abrahamt boſome ſtands wide enough open to receive both me, and my oppoſer.
I could have heartily wiſhed Mr. D. had ſo carried his buſineſs, that I might rather have reverenced his judgement, and yeelded to his piety, then be forced to ſhew him his weakneſs, which yet may ſerve to abate his imperiouſneſs, and ſome wearineſs in the Reader. For my part, I ſhall prepare my ſelfe to expect from him nothing but the dregs of his former bitterneſſe, and that many godly men will ſpeak evill of my Booke, though they ſhall receive a relaxation, and ſupport by it; I ſhall be contented to let them ſpeake evill of me, ſo long as they receive good by me; onelyonly I ſhall deſire them that they will be ready to propagate what they finde in me may doe good, as I ſhall be ready to retract what I am convinced is amiſſe: But let them not reject all, if they diſlike ſome; Even as when the new wine is in the cluſter, and one ſaith, Deſtroy it not, for a bleſſing is in it.
There is theſe foure things, for which I muſt demand ſome Texts of Scripture (if any will anſwer me) by which the world may judge of their ſatisfaction? 1 Where viſible worthineſs upon triall, is the rule of admiſſion to the Sacrament?2 Where they finde ſuſpenſion as diſtinct from Excommunication?3 Where the unregenerate are forbid to receive the Sacrament?4 Where this difference is advanced between the Sacrament and other Ordinances, that herein it is better to omit the matter and manner both, then to doe the matter, if the manner bee not done as they ought, which is directly contrary to all other duty?
And now if Maſter Drake ſhall have need to write againe, as I beleeve nature will worke, and his ſpirit cannot hold; I ſhall deſire him, if he will goe to vent that ſuperfluity of maliciouſneſſe, which yet he ought to lay apart, to take along with him, that Text of Dent. 23.13. Thou ſhalt have a paddle upon thy weapon, and it ſhall bee when thou ſhalt goe to eaſe thy ſelfe abroad, thou ſhalt dig therewith, and ſhalt turne back, and cover that thing which commeth from thee; for this froward language, and bitter ſpirit, hath no good ſavour in the holy Campe, but is an uncleane thing that ought not to be ſeen amongſt Gods people.
He concludes, Page 207.209. with a Scruple to the Reader, and tells us hee hath done with Mr. Humfrey.
Anſ. Thus Hiram hath finiſhed the worke he had to doe, the Pots, and the Shovels, and the Baſins, the Pillars, and the Pommels, and the Chapiters, and the wreaths to cover the Pommels of the Chapiters on the top of the Pillars.
FINIS.
READER, The abſence of the Author, muſt excuſe the Errors of the Preſſe, of which theſe are apart.
Page 84. line 12. read Miniſters, p. 115. l. 13. r. foreign p. 179. l. 5. r. other, p. ibid. l. 7, r. are the ſame, p. 181. l. 18. for never, r. near, p. 191. l. 26. r. I give place, p. 217. l. 6. for out, r. of.
End of the text · John Humfrey, A Rejoinder to Mr Drake (1654)