An Apology for the Discipline of the Ancient Church, Part 3 · Section 6 · Excerpt 14 – Excerpt 19
2 Cor. 9.13. Whiles by the experiment of this Miniſtration, they glorifie God for your profeſſed ſubjection unto the Goſpel of Chriſt, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men.
The Reply.
The end of the example of the Macedonians liberality propoſed by the Apoſtle, was to ſtir up the Corinthians to the like beneficence, and it had the hoped effect, as is evident in the former and this Chapter, of which when the Saints of Jeruſalem ſhould have experiment, they would glorifie God; firſt, for the Gentiles profeſſion of the Goſpel, and their ſubjection to it; then for their liberal diſtribution and charitable benevolence which they beſtowed upon their needy brethren. This is the plain ſenſe of the words.
And he had need to have a very ſharp and piercing brain that can fiſh out any thing from hence in the favour of a Combinational Church, or an explicite Covenant. What, can there be no profeſſion of Chriſtianity, or no ſubjection to the Goſpel, except in ſuch a Church? ſo you ſeem to ſay in your following words, of which I ſhall conſider hereafter. O poor Grecians, oh miſerable Armenians, Melchits, Ruſſians, Cophties, Aethiopians, that I name not the Reformed Churches that are not within, and moſt of them never heard of your Covenant; for by your Rule they are no Profeſſours of Chriſt, neither were ever ſubject to the Goſpel. And in what a damnable condition then they are, let the world judge.
I muſt profeſſe ingenuouſly unto you that when I read theſe your proofs for your explicite Covenant, that had I been educated among you, and one of your Church, it would have made me doubt of your whole plat-forme, when the very formal cauſe, which is the main principle that gives eſſence, being, and operation unto anything, is built upon ſo ſandy a foundation, a foundation that is not laid upon any pregnant Text of the ſacred Record, but ſuch ſlender and far fetch't, and forced collections as theſe are. I beſeech you weigh them once more in the balance of ſad reaſon, and ſet aſide paſſion, humour, fancy, prejudice, and over-much love to that cauſe you labour to defend, and ſay if you can without bluſhing whether they directly ſpeak out, what you have produced them to witneſſe. 'Tis no llight offence to take Gods Name in vain, but to deliver that for his word which he never ſpake nor meant, is a heinous tranſgreſſion. You ſeem to me to have done that here, which you and I and others were won… to do in the Schools, when we were young Sophiſters; our aime you know was to preſſe the reſpondent with an argument, till we had clapt upon him a Text of Ariſtotle, which he durſt not for ſhame deny; whether the Philoſopher intended to ſay that in that place, for which we produced his words, we never regarded; we thought it enough if we put our Adverſary to a non-plus: And thus you have done here, offered your aſſertion and backed it with This is witneſſed by God in Jeremy, Ezekiel, Iſaiah, Saint Luke, Paul, not much regarding what was the purpoſe of the Spirit in thoſe words; ſufficient I ſuppoſe you thought it, to ſay ſomething that might ſerve the turn for the preſent, and non-plus a weak Adverſary. But it ought to be Truth for which we ſhould contend, and not victory, which will never be, till we weigh our words in the balance of the Sanctuary, and value our Texts by weight, and not by number. God amend what is amiſſe; for, Iliacos inter muros peccatur & extra.
Till then, to uſe your own words, nor you nor we can upon good grounds expect the manifeſtation of ſure mercy, or the enjoyment of ſolid peace. You go on.
Knowing that Combinations are properly appertaining to vile and violent ſinne-loving ſinners, as is ſhewed by the Oracles of God, Pſal. 5.5 & 11.5, 6. Rev. 14.10. & 22.15.
The Reply.
This no man will deny you. And you prove it well out of the Pſalms and the Revelations; but if you will be pleaſed to conſult the places, and view the Characters by which thoſe vile and violent ſinne-loving ſinners may be known, you may with a wet finger pitch upon the men. Only I ſhall deſire you in that twenty ſecond Chapter of the Revelations to look a little further, and at the twenty ninth verſe you ſhall read, that if any man ſhall take away from the words of the book of this propheſie, God ſhall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy City, and from the things that are written in this book. Tantum veritati obſtrepit adulter ſenſus, Tertull.quantum corruptor ſtylus. I ſay no more, we have enough to tremble at.
And that Church-promiſes and that Church-priviledges as well as Christs Conſolations, are pecullarly applicable to ſuch Covenant-makers with God and men, as through the strength of their ſurety are Covenant-keepers with both.
The Reply.
This is well obſerved by you, for there is no reaſon that any man expect a comfort or benefit from any promiſe, or by any priviledge, who doth not as much as lies in him, keep the condition of that Covenant upon which the favour was promiſed. The priviledges we know, and of the promiſes we are not ignorant; but if they belong to none but ſuch who have made and kept their Covenant with God and man, then let them look to it that have kept neither. In the next place, you ſhew us the way how this may be known.
Which Covenant-making and Covenant-keeping is expreſſed and perceived by a regular walking toward them who are without, as well as towards them that are within, according to what is written, Iſa. 55.3. Gal. 6, 16. & 1. Tim. 4.8.
The Reply.
That godlineſſe is profitable unto all things, having the promiſe of the life that now is, and that which is to come: that as many as walk according to this Rule ſhall finde peace and mercy, 1 Tim. 4.8. Gal. 6.16.is evident by theſe Scriptures, and therefore the Prophet calls, Encline your ear and come unto me, h…ar, and your ſoules ſhall live, Iſa. 55.3.and I will make an everlaſting Covenant with you, even the ſure mercies of David. Thus much is here expreſſed, and you over and above ſhew us how it may be perceived; even by a regular walking towards them that are without as well as toward them that are within: which rule of yours, had ſome had a care and conſcience to walk in, I aſſure my ſelf thoſe who are counted to be without, had been better dealt with. For the inhumanity and incivility that ſome have found from your Combination hath alienated many a mans mind, and as I have been credibly informed, kept off many a poor Heathen from turning Chriſtian. I could tell you, if I liſt, an odde ſtory, but I ſpare you. You may read it in Dr. S erres Hiſtory of France, in the life of Lewis the ninth.
If you can tell any ſuch tydings as a heavenly promiſe to unheavenly perſons, &c.
The Reply.
I, nor any Orthodox or conſcientious Miniſter hath or will ever undertake to bring any ſuch tydings. 'Tis not unknown to you that I have reduced all the Articles of the Creed to practice, and drawn into duty the whole Catechiſme; without any ifs or ands here is no promiſe made to an unheavenly perſon. We conſtantly teach that we were therefore delivered from the hands of our enemies, that we ſerve God in righteouſneſſe and holineſſe without fear all the dayes of our life; you needed not therefore cloſely by your if, inſinuated us as guilty for teaching falſe and impious Doctrine. If there be any among you, that being wolvs in ſheeps clothing, ſend abroad their Diurnals ſtuffed with ſuch news, we are not apt to beleeve them; for heaven is prepared for heavenly perſons. But then again we ſay, that all thoſe whom you will call heavenly, are not preſently ſo, becauſe daily experience informs, that they minde too much the things of the earth: neither are many of thoſe unheavenly, whom you ſuperciliouſly caſt aſide. God be bleſſed for it, heaven is a large place, and in it are many Manſions, and they are prepared for more than ever yet were of your Combination.
Or a holy priviledge to the ſouls or ſeed of unholy parents, that you would finde in your heart to give me ſome notice thereof, and to acquaint me with any of thoſe good grounds of any lively hope, that they ſhall be everlastingly happy, is the laſt of thoſe motions, which I make bold for to leave with you to conſider and meditate upon.
The Reply.
Your propoſal is disjunctive, and therefore muſt receive a different anſwer; for you cunningly clapped together things that ſhould be ſeparated, there being great diſparity betwixt the ſouls and the ſeed of unholy parents. That the ſouls of unholy parents ſhall be everlaſtingly happy, I know not any man that is converſant in the Scriptures will dare to affirme, ſince into heaven no unclean thing ſhall enter; and therefore,Revel. 21.27. 1 John 3.3. 2 Cor. 7.1. he that hath this hope purifieth himſelf, even as he is holy; and to that purpoſe thoſe directions and exhortations are, 2 Cor. 7.1. Having therefore theſe promiſes dearly beloved, let us cleanſe our ſelves from all filthineſſe of the fleſh and ſpirit, perfecting holineſſe in the fear of God, and Rom. 12.1, 2: 1 Theſſ. 5.23. with infinite places to the ſame purpoſe. Do we not teach the Doctrine of Regeneration, as well as your ſelves? that a man must be born again if he will enter into the Kingdome of heaven? and that of this Doctrine there be two parts,John 3.3. Rom. 6. a death to ſin, and a life to righteouſneſſe? your demand is therefore very unreaſonable, and I interpret it ſomewhat like a mock, that I would finde in my heart to give you ſome notice of that, which you know I do not defend, and acquaint you with the grounds of that which hath no ground, and therefore no good ground to ſtand upon. This motion then, as touching this part, might have been ſpared, and needs from me no farther conſideration and meditation, except it be to practice it. And to that end, you and all other Chriſtians have need of it alſo, if they are deſirous to have a lively hope, that they ſhall be everlaſtingly happy.
Now to that other part of this disjunctive, [or the ſeed of unholy parents] you by this time know what I will anſwer, that there is a right and priviledge belonging to the ſeed, if the parents though wicked, be Profeſſours and Members of the viſible Church. It is but in vain to repeat the grounds upon which I have formerly defended it, and till I ſee them made n…ll▪ I ſhall defend it ſtill; and yet not ſo frowardly & obſtinately, but that when I am convinced, I ſhall readily yield. You conclude all with theſe words.