An Apology for the Discipline of the Ancient Church, Part 3 · Section 6 · Excerpt 12 – Excerpt 13
Rom. 14.1. Him that is weak in the faith receive you, but not to doubtful diſputations.
Graec. foreign.
The Reply.
The farther I go, ſtill the weaker I finde your proofs, and I heartily wiſh that you would not deceive thoſe who are weak in the faith with ſuch ſhews, being thoſe little birds that are over eager to peck at your painted grapes; ſuch you preſent here in colours laid over with your own Art; for there was Art in it in figures to point me to the Chapter and Verſe, and not at full to cite the words, as indeed you have done in all the reſt, which had you produced, it would have at firſt amaz'd a Reader to finde out your Riddle, or what was to be found in them (there being no ſyllable of Church or Covenant) that might be uſeful to you in this debate: as it did me, till at laſt I caſt my eye upon foreign, receive him; for than I began to think that that might be it, and that from it you would conclude, that a man weak in the faith muſt be received into the Combinational Church: but that methought could not well be it neither, ſince the man about whom the precept is given, is foreign, a weak and ſickly Chriſtian; whereas all thoſe that you receive, muſt be healthy, ſtrong Chriſtians, no Babes, but Men, all tryed and approved for regenerate perſons,Bayly pag. 134. ſuch of whom every Member of the Church may be fully ſatisfyed in the truth of the grace that is in them,Cottons way. pag. 7. and the ſutableneſſe of their ſpirits with the Spirit of the Church. All this conſidered, I could not tell what to make of your allegation, and I was once reſolved to let it paſſe without any farther examination. But being deſirous to remove every ſcruple, I thought it beſt, fully to open the Apoſtles intent and meaning in this Chapter, which being cleared, the miſt you brought over it would eaſily vaniſh.
Though the Apoſtle inſcribes his Epiſtle to the Romans, yet among them there were many natural Jews diſperſed thither, who could not be diſſwaded eaſily from the Moſaical abſtinences, but continued their obligation to the Law, even after they had received the Chriſtian Faith. There were alſo among theſe ſome who were Proſelytae portae, who were bound to obſerve the ſeven Commandments of Noah, but being not circumciſed, were not ſtrictly bound to obſerve the Law of Moſes. Chriſtians both theſe were in the poſitive part, acknowledging ſo much as was required by the new Articles of the Creed, &c. yet in the negative part they were not; they held the Judaical Law not to be evacuated, and ſo weak and feeble ſome of theſe were in the faith, that leſt they ſhould offend in eating forbidden fleſh, ſome would eat no fleſh at all, and came to eat nothing but herbs. About theſe ſick, theſe weak,Ver. 2. theſe ſcrupulous, theſe tender-hearted and leſſe-inſtructed Chriſtians, the Apoſtle gives theſe directions. Firſt, that the ſtronger and healthier, more orthodox and knowing, do foreign, aſſume and take them to them; Firſt, friendly to afford them communion, and not to ſeparate from them for this errour; next, to labour to cure their malady, & get them out of their miſtake; Thirdly, that they do not vilifie them, foreign ver. 3. ſet them at naught, as if they were ſenſleſſe empty fellows. Laſtly, that they be not over contentious, and hot in diſputations with them; for though they erre, yet they were not to be diſquieted, but to be informed and tolerated; God hath received him: ver. 3. who then art thou that judgeſt another mans ſervant? ver. 4. Imitate good then, and ſhew this weak brother mercy, aſſume and receive him to friendſhip and communion firſt, then help and cure him from his former defect or diſeaſe, and labour to bring him to perfect growth and health in Chriſtianity. This is the full ſcope and intent of the Apoſtle, that charity be ſhewed to a weak brother.
Now was this Weakling in the Church before the Apoſtle writ, or was he not? it were againſt reaſon and the purport of the Epiſtle to ſay he was without:Chap. 1.7, 13. Ver. 10.14, 21. the Epiſtle is written to the Saints at Rome; in this very Chapter he is ſaid to be in the faith, and five times called a brother. And if he were within, to what purpoſe do you urge the reception of him that was received already? Received then he was to be for inſtruction, for information, for cure, as you do, and may do thoſe who are already in the boſome of your Church; and yet I hope you will not be over-haſty to conclude that then he was firſt received. When a Mr. bids one of his better Scholars take ſuch or ſuch a Boy to you, and inſtruct him perfectly in the meaning of this or that Rule, will you ſay that the child was firſt entred into the School? The caſe is the ſelf-ſame, and therefore you can conclude nothing from this Apoſtolical direction, and much the leſſe if you take to conſideration the following words, take him not to any doubtful diſputations, take him then to you; but not by vain diſputes and cavils to raiſe more doubts in his head, but to allay and ſatisfie thoſe which are already raiſed.
But well to grant you more than I need, or ever you can prove, that the man was to be admitted, and to be received now into the Church; was there no other way of entrance but your explicite Covenant? this you muſt prove, or elſe this Text will never ſuit to your purpoſe, which will then be done, when any of Anaxogoras Scholars will prove the ſnow not to be white. But I go on as you lead me to,
2 Cor. 8.5. And this they did, not as we hoped, but firſt gave their own ſelves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.
The Reply.
It is of the Macedonians that the Apoſtle here ſpeaks, and of their ready minde, and liberal hand to contribute to the neceſſity of the poor Saints at Jeruſalem; Ver. 3.From a people in no plentiful condition ſuch a liberality could not be expected; yet ſaith the Apoſtle this they did, praying us with much entreaty to receive the gift, Ver. 4.and take upon us the fellowſhip of miniſtring to the Saints; their Alms, their Contribution they brought to Saint Paul, and entreated him earneſtly to take the care of it, and finde a way to ſee it diſpoſed of to the Saints neceſſities. Now, ſaith the Apoſtle, ſuch was this their readineſſe and bounty, that they gave far more than ever we could have hoped from ſo indigent a people.
And that you marvail the leſſe at this their liberality, a thing of a greater price they had than their money, their ſouls, their bodies, the whole man, and this they gave alſo, even themſelves; firſt to the Lord, then to us; to the Lord, whoſe due it was, to us, as the Lords ſervant and Miniſter; aliter domino, aliter ſervo, to the Lord, under whoſe pover by right we are,Muſcul. in loc. being our Redeemer and Saviour: but to Paul, as the Lords ſervant and Apoſtle, when they yielded themſelves to obey, and be lead by his Doctrine. Theſe three things chiefly may be collected from this place, that fulneſſe of piety conſiſts in this.
Firſt, that we give our ſelves to God.
Secondly, that we give and yield our ſelves to his Miniſters, as is the will of God.
Thirdly, that we love the Brethren, and according to our abilities ſupply their neceſſities. All which was done before the Combinational Church was heard of, or entring by a Covenant thought of, yea, and perhaps better too; for let it not diſpleaſe that I whiſper in your ear, that I never heard any great good report of any of your Combinational Churches for their liberality and bounty to the poor diſtreſſed Saints; it is obſerved that you are quick-handed with the Rake, but very ſlow with the Fork.
But what is it that in this verſe you catch at? Is it dederunt ſcipſos nobis? 'Tis an argument of a deſperate cauſe, when men lay hold on any thing that may but ſeem to make for them, as you do here, as if you thought that becauſe with ſuch annotations you carry the Vulgar into a belief, you muſt have all other for your followers. There be that can tell you, and make it good, that good Chriſtians may give themſelves to Paul, and be …bedient and obſequious to his Miniſters, and yet never come within the Walls of your Combinational Churches; nay, I am bold to ſay it, the leſſe they come there, the more docible and ducible they will be; ever ſince they have came among you, they have taken out Corabs Leſſon.