Partial apostasy is every crime against the gospel which partakes of the nature of the other in any measure or degree; and whatever doth so makes an accession towards the guilt of “crucifying the Son of God afresh, and putting him to an open shame:” for it is in hig gospel and church alone wherein he can now suffer from the sons of ©
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PARTIAL APOSTASY FROM THE GOSPEL. 53
men. When any important principle of evangelical truth is forsaken
and renounced, especially when many of them are so; when the rule
of obedience which the gospel prescribeth is habitually neglected; when men believe otherwise than it teacheth, and live otherwise than it requireth,—there is a partial apostasy from it, whose guilt and danger answer the degrees and measures which in each kind it pro- ceeds unto.
And this is that which we may charge, yea, which the Lord Christ in his word doth charge, on every nation under heaven where the gospel is publicly professed. Men are apt to please themselves, to approve of their own state and condition, wherein they have framed unto themselves rest and satisfaction. Churches content themselves with their outward order and administrations, especially when ac- companied with secular advantages, and contend fiercely that all is well, and the gospel sufficiently complied withal, whilst their outward
constitution is preserved and their laws of order kept inviolate. _ About these is the world filled with endless digladiations, wherein __ the most aim at no more but success in their especial contests. Only
a few remain who fruitlessly complain that, under all these conflicts, the glory, power, and purity of Christian religion are lost in the world. And it is known that the judgment of Christ concerning churches, as unto their good or bad spiritual estate, is ofttimes very distant from their own concerning themselves. It was not only for their sakes, but as a warning unto all others in all ages, that it is entered on an everlasting record, that when the church of Laodicea judged and declared without hesitation that she was “rich, and increased with goods, and had need of nothing,” the Lord Christ, “the Amen, the faithful and true witness,” pronounced her “ wretched, and miser- able, and poor, and blind, and naked.” That things at this day are in no better a condition in many, in most churches in the world, is too evident to be denied with any pretence of reverence to the word of God, and it will be afterward made to appear.
Certainly the Lord Christ may say to the churches and nations among whom his name is yet owned in the world, what God said of
old concerning that of the Jews, then his only church, “I had
planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a wild vine unto me?” Jer. ii. 21. Yea, to most of them as in another place, “ How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers. Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water,” Isa. i.21,22. The greatness of the evil complained of, the secret mystery of its accomplishment, the unreasonableness, folly, and ingratitude of the fact, the strangeness of the event, make the complaint to be formed into a scheme of admiration. And, indeed,
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* 64 _ THE NATURE AND CAUSES OF APOSTASY. —
if a man be able to consider the nature of the gospel, with the bene- fits communicated thereby unto mankind, he cannot but be asto- nished to find the generality of them to be so soon weary of it, and so ready on all occasions to relinquish it; for as future glory and a blessed immortality are attainable only thereby, so all that true free- dom, tranquillity, peace, and blessedness, whereof our nature in this life is capable, are by no other means communicable unto the souls of men. In brief, whatever is of advantage in any gracious commu- nication from God unto us,—without which we are nothing but the very worst and most malignant product of sin and misery,—it is all confined unto the gospel and the contents thereof. Wherefore, the carelessness of men in neglecting of it, their wickedness in its relin- quishment as to its principles and obedience, may well be expressed as God doth in the inferior instance of the apostasy of the Jewish church: Jer. ii. 11, 12, “ Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit. Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the Lorp.” Yet thus is it, and no otherwise, as we shall afterward manifest, amongst the generality of them that are called Christians in the world.
The church of Rome violently pleads an exemption from this charge by virtue of special privilege;—not an internal privilege of efficacious grace into their minds and wills, to preserve it and all that belongs unto it always in saving faith and obedience, wherein alone a compliance with the gospel consists ; but an outward privilege of indefectibility, keeping them in the state the gospel requireth they know not how, but, as it were, whether they will or no!
But there is no party or society of men under heaven (considering the notoriety of matter of fact to the contrary) but can with less violence unto common modesty make use of this pretence. So when the Jews of old were charged by the prophets with apostasy from the law and the obedience which it required, with threats of destruction for their sins, they warded themselves from a conviction of guilt and fear of punishment by an unreasonable, yea, outrageous confidence in church privileges, then not only appropriated but confined unto them, crying out, “The temple of the Lorp, The temple of the Lorp, The temple of the Lorn, are these.” This they thought sufficient to repel the charge of the prophets, to vindicate their innocency, and secure their peace. The reply of the prophet unto them will equally serve in both cases, “ Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit. Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; and come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abo-