Chapter 21: Objections against joining with God's people, answered

BUt you will say, we could be content and should desire to join with them, but they are so strict in admitting any into their society, that that hinders.

If any that were in communion should prove naught, you would quickly take advantage, and say, You spoke so much of communion with Gods people, see here is one of them, whose life is thus base and vile: When we know the world would take such advantage if any prove naught, yea, and you yourselves will be offended, and cry out of all, for the sin of one; can you blame us if we be careful in taking any into communion with us?

But there is much difficulty in the way.

Psalm 84:6 The way to Zion, it was through the valley of Baca: they might have said, We could have been content to go to Zion, and to worship God there, but we must go through that valley, of tears; but they were content to go through that valley, so that they might appear before God in Zion: Surely when God moves the hearts of men to join with his people, a little difficulty cannot hinder them: Isaiah 66:20 They shall bring your brethren as an offeringto the Lord, upon horses, in Chariots, and Litters. A Litter is used especially for weak sickly people, that are not able to travel otherwise; although they be weakly, and sickly, unfit to travel, yet they whose hearts God moves, will rather come in Litters, then not at all. What difficulty will superstition put a man upon?

It is a note of Mr. Calvins upon that place, Seek ye my face; that superstitious people will go on pilgrimage to the image of such a Lady, or such a Saint, and they will go over Mountains, and through strange Countries, and though they be used hardly, and lose much of their Estate, they satisfy themselves in this, I have that I came for: What have they? The sight of a dumb Idol; if they will endure such hardship for the sight of a dumb Idol, how much hardship should we endure to see God in his Ordinances?

But it may be said thirdly, Whither shall we go to any people, but we shall finde sin there as well as in another place?

For that there is likewise an answer in the same Sermon of Mr. Calvins; It is true, sin and wickedness will be wherever we go, but the case is thus: Suppose there should be a general disease, and there should be one place where there were Physitians, and means of cure; shall any say, Why should I go thither, there is the disease? Go thither though, for there is the cure; so though there be sin every where, yet in the Church, and in communion with Gods people, there is the cure.

But may not a man go to heaven without it?

It is true, it is possible for a man to go to Heaven without it, yet if God does convince a man of an Ordinance, and he neglect it for outward accommodations, it is dangerous: A man may be saved without Baptism, but where there is the wilful neglect of it, it is dangerous.

How did all that never heard of this way?

It is one thing where there is not that light, and another thing where God has revealed it. You desire Heaven at last, and do you not desire communion with Gods people? When you fail in any thing, you plead infirmity, but when you do neglect any opportunity of gaining strength, how can you plead infirmity?

But how shall we join with any? there is no place but there is brabling, falling out, heart-burning, so as there is no sweet communion.

This is a great stumbling, and I would we could deny it: but if you will take offense at this, you must be offended; It cannot be expected to the end of the world, but there will be dissention amongst the people of God: where there has not been care in laying a good foundation at the beginning, and where there is much liberty, and some are carnal, what else can be expected? A company of sheep, when they are worried by the dog, though they were scattered before, they will now run close together; but in a fair Sun-shine day, when there is no dog to scare them, they will one feed here, and another there, distant from one another: and so it is with Gods people, though it be a foul shame, and a great sin.

Again, there is no more dissention then in other places, for though in other places there seem to be more union, what is the reason?

First, because they are in the dark, and all colours will agree in the dark; but amongst Gods people there is light, and so things that differ are soon discerned.

Secondly, because they are chained together; as the Papists will say, there is no such union between others, as between us; What is the ground? They are held together by an Antichristian chain: Popery does subject the consciences of men to them: they must believe the infalibility of the Pope, and they have no liberty to search things by the Word; and they will not suffer them to be reasoning about the points of Religion; they are in darkness, and when they be chained up in darkness, no wonder though they be close together. This is just as if there should be a couple of men chained to a block, and as they are chained together, they see other men go at a distance from one another; and they that are chained should cry out, See what a distance is between you, we keep close together all the day long; Were this a plea for them? What is that that keeps them together? It is but their chain, and if their chain were off, they would be at as great a distance as others; and therefore though there be great evil in the dissentions of Gods people, yet it is not for such as these are to complain of the evil.

Thirdly, false Religions have more peace, because they will admit of mixture; but our God is ajealous God, he will admit us of no mixture, so of no partner.

But that this might not be an offense, so as to keep us from joining in Communion with the people of God, let us know if this might have been offense enough to keep men from joining with them, it would have kept men in all times from joining with the Churches since Christs time: You know what difference was between Paul and Barnabas, two Apostles. And so the Apostles do complain of the dissentions, and divisions in the Church of Corinth, in the Primitive times, and if that had been enough to keep out men from joining with them, then there had been no joining with the Church of Corinth, and other Churches. Basil complains, I have lived now to the age of a man, and I see more union in Arts and Sciences, then in Divinity; for in the Church, I see such dissentions, as do dissipate it, and rend it asunder. And so between Chrysostom and Epiphanius, the one wished the other might never dye a Bishop, and the other wished that he might never go home alive. And between Jerome and Ruffinus; and Luther and Oecolampadius.

There is a most sad story we have of those that fled to Frankford from England in Queen Maries time, and when they came there, though they fled for Religion, and for their lives, yet there were such grievous breaches, as they sought the lives of one another, picking out some words against the Emperor, in a Sermon that Master Knox had preached in England long before, and now accusing him for them to the Magistrates of Frankford, upon which divers of them were fain to flee. This is through the malice of the Devil, in sowing tares, and therefore if you will be offended in this way of scandal, you must be offended

Yet we must all take heed of giving offense, for though offenses will come, yet wo to them by whom they come: Howsoever there fall out offenses, through the sinful distempers of mens hearts, let not the Ordinance of God be challenged as the cause of these offenses. Joyning in Church-fellowship is a special Ordinance of God, to maintain love and peace amongst his people, yet by the abuse of it many times, divisions and dissentions are stronger, and more bitter in the Church, then elsewhere; let not Gods Ordinance be accused as the cause of it, nor declined for this, but let the wickedness of mens hearts be accused, let us seek to have it purged.

Christ came into the world to dissolve the works of the Devil, and yet the Devil never more raged, then in Christs time, and a while after; We never read of men so possessed of the Devil before Christ came, as they were then; Shall we therefore accuse Christ for bringing the Devil into the world, for being the cause of mens being possessed of the Devil? Those who thus reason against the Ordinance of Christ, because of this evil that falls out by accident upon it, may as well, yea, and certainly would as readily reason against Christ, if they lived in his time, because of such possession of Devils, which never was so before he came, as it was then; but as the true reason why the Devil thus prevailed upon Christs coming, was the just judgement of God against men for contemning and rejecting Christ, who came amongst them: so it is here the judgement of God for the evil of mens hearts in abusing such a blessed Ordinance of love and peace.

So likewise, the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, is a Sacrament appointed by God to maintain love and peace in the Church, it is an Ordinance for communion, it has the denomination from thence, it is called communion; Yet what has occasioned such dissentions in the Christian world, as the controversies about the Sacrament? Shall therefore this Ordinance be accused as the cause of dissention? O let us for ever learn this truth, that whatever evil falls out, Gods Ordinances be not blamed, but mans corruption, let that be condemned, and purged. Origen writing to Celsus, says, If you will take offense at the dissentions in Christian Religion, then you may take offense at dissentions in other things. Valens the Emperor objected the same against Christians, Nicephorus 11:45 brings in one Themistius, answering, that those of the Graecian superstition had as great dissentions amongst them.

There is dissention amongst Merchants, and other Trades, you do not say therefore, I will not binde my childe to that Trade, they dissent amongst themselves: If there be profit and accommodations in the Trade, men will not be hindred by this plea, but join with them notwithstanding; And so come you and join with the Saints, though there be some dissentions, though there may be some rigid, distemper'd, hot spirited men, that may cause some trouble, yet there is not so much union and love in all the world as with them; set but aside some, and there are a company, if you be gracious, your soul may take pleasure in, and bless God for; and therefore away with all such stumbling blocks, and reasonings against the Ordinances of God, come you thirsting after the Ordinances of God, and my soul for yours, if you do not finde that sweetness in communion with them, as never was found before.

There are many objections against this way, and many are a long time ensnared in them, but Isa. 57:13 where God promises the inheritance of his holy Mountain, ver. 14. he promises to make the way plain to it. And Exod. 15:13 God guides his people in his strength to his holy habitation; it must be the strength of God that must carry through all objections, all difficulties, over all stumbling blocks, to Gods habitation: Thus much to those that yet are not joined in that nearness of communion with Gods people which they may be.