476 OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS. [BOOK IX.
extraordinary cases, to part with the right and use of their temporal goods because they are so ministers of Christ ; though those who are so indeed will not deny but that they ought to use them in a pecu- liar manner unto the glory of Christ and honour of the gospel, be- yond other men. Neither shall I ever question that wherein the Scripture is so express, namely, that those who "labour in the word and doctrine" should have a convenient, yea, an honourable subsis- tence provided for them, according to the best ability of the church, for their work's sake. It is in like manner also granted that the Lord Christ hath committed all that power which, with respect unto the edification of the church, he will exercise in this world unto the church itself, as it cannot, without a virtual renunciation of the gospel and faith in Christ Jesus as the head and king of the church, be supposed that this power is any other but spiritual, over- the souls and consciences of men ; and therefore cannot this power be exer- cised, or be any way made effectual, but by virtue of the spiritual gifts we treat of: but for men to turn this spiritual power, to be exercised only by virtue of spiritual gifts, into an external coercive power over the persons, bodies, liberties, and lives of men, to be exercised by law-courts, in ways, forms, manners, utterly foreign to the gospel and all evangelical administrations, without the least pretence unto or appearance of the exercise of the gifts of the Holy Ghost therein ; yea, and by persons by whom they are hated and derided, acting with pride, scorn, and contempt of the disciples of Christ and over them, being utterly ignorant of the true nature and use of all gospel administrations, — this is to disorder the church, and instead of a house of spiritual worship, in some instances to turn it into " a den of thieves/' Where hereunto there are, moreover, an- nexed earthly revenues, containing all food and fuel of corrupt lusts, with all things satisfactory unto the minds of worldly, sensual men, as a meet reward of these carnal administrations, — as it is at this day in the church of Rome, — there all use of the gifts of the Holy Ghost is excluded, and the church is brought into extreme desolation. And although these things are as contrary to the gospel as darkness is to light, yet the world, for many reasons not now to be insisted on, being willing to be deceived in this matter, it is generally appre- hended that there is nothing so pernicious unto the church, so justly to be watched against and rooted out, as a dislike of their horrible apostasies, in the corrupt depravation of all evangelical ad- ministrations. This was not the state, this was not the condition, of the primitive churches; their life consisted in the grace of the Spirit, and their glory in his gifts. None of their leaders once dreamed of that new kind of beauty, glory, and power, consisting in numberless superstitious ceremonies, instead of religious worship ;
CHAP. V.] ORIGIN, DURATION, ETC., OF EXTRAORDINARY GIFTS. 477
worldly grandeur, instead of humility and self-denial; and open tyranny over the consciences and persons of men, in the room of spiritual authority, effectual in the power of Christ, and by virtue of the gifts of the Holy Ghost.
There are many sore divisions at this day in the world among and between the professors of Christian religion, both about the doc- trine and worship of the gospel, as also the discipline thereof. That these divisions are evil in themselves, and the cause of great evils, hinderances of the gospel, and all the effects thereof in the world, is acknowledged by all; and it is a thing, doubtless, to be greatly la- mented, that the generality of them who are called Christians are departed from the great rule of " keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." He who doth not pray always, who is not ready with his utmost endeavour to remedy this evil, to remove this great obstruction of the benefit of the gospel, is scarce worthy the name of a Christian. The common way insisted on unto this end is, that those who have most force and power should set up standards and measures of agreement, compelling others, by all ways of severity and violence, to a compliance therewith ; judging them the highest of- fenders who shall refuse so to do, because the determining and settling of this matter is committed unto them. This is the way of Anti- christ and those who follow him therein. Others, with more mode- ration and wisdom, but with as little success, do or have endeavoured the reconciliation of the parties at variance, some, more or all of them, by certain middle ways of mutual condescension which they have found out. Some things they blame, and some things they commend in all; some things they would have them do, and some things omit: all for the sake of peace and love. And this design carries with it so fair and pleadable a pretence, that those who are once engaged in it are apt to think that they alone are the true lovers of Christianity in general, the only sober and indifferent per- sons, fit to umpire all the differences in the world, in a few proposi- tions which they have framed. And so wedded are some wise and holy men unto these apprehensions of reconciling Christians by their conceived methods, that no experience of endless disappointments and of increasing new differences and digladiations, of forming new parties, of reviving old animosities, all which roll in upon them con- tinually, will discourage them in their design. " What then?" will some say; "would you have these divisions and differences that are among us continued and perpetuated, when you acknowledge them so evil and pernicious?" I say, God forbid; yea, we pray for, and always will endeavour, their removal and taking away. But yet this I say, on the other hand, whether men will hear or whether they will forbear, there is but one way of effecting this so blessed and desirable