PARTIAL APOSTASY FROM THE GOSPEL. 59
more but this, that they being “the church,” the promise of giving the Spirit is made and fulfilled unto them alone; which only begs __ the matter that is in principal difference between us, and the disputes about it are endless. If, indeed, they argued, on the other hand, _ that they are the only church of Christ because they alone enjoy the promise of the Spirit, as the inference were undoubtedly certain (for it is the presence of Christ by his Spirit that gives being or ex- istence unto the church), so the truth of the assertion were capable of an easy trial and a satisfactory determination; for where the Spirit doth so reside, according to the promise of Christ, and abide with any, as he doth with no others in the same kind, he will infal- libly manifest his presence by his operations, and sufficiently evidence them with whom he is to be the church of Christ, seeing, as he is the promised Spirit of truth, the world cannot receive him. His opera- tions are all of them either in a way of grace or gifts; and his gifts are either extraordinary or ordinary. When, therefore, those of the church of Rome can manifest that they enjoy such gracious opera- tions of the Spirit as others enjoy nothing of the same kind, or that _ they are furnished and supplied with such spiritual gifts, either or- dinary or extraordinary, as no others do participate of with them or besides them,—not proving it by saying they alone are “ the church,” and therefore it must be so, but by the evidence of the things them- _ selves, as it was in the primitive times,—they shall not only free them- selves from the charge of any dangerous apostasy from the gospel, but enjoy moreover all that their hearts can wish. But this pretence hath been so often and so fully evinced of false- hood, and that by all means of conviction, in the examination of causes and effects (it being undeniably demonstrated that as no such promise was ever peculiarly made unto them, much less on such terms of security as they imagine, and that in the issue, as unto mat- ter of fact, instead of being “ led into all truth,” they have departed almost from all), that it needs not again to be insisted on. And, indeed, such a promise as is pretended is altogether inconsistent with _ the glory and honour of the gospel of God. The word of the gospel, —that is, the truth contained therein,—is the sole external instru- ment of the reconciliation of sinners unto God, and of their walking before him in obedience unto his glory; other end and use it hath none, To give by irrevocable grant the possession of this truth, and not in order unto that end, and so to continue it whether ever that effect be produced or no, yea, where it is not, corresponds not with other fruits of the wisdom of God in the dispensation of his grace. And whereas the gospel, as to the nature of its doctrine, will and may be interpreted by its fruits and effects in the lives of men, to allow them the security of its truth on a supposition of a course of
.
60 THE NATURE AND CAUSES OF APOSTASY.
sin, and a continuance in a state of irreconciliation or enmity against God, is to expose the doctrine of it, and the law of obedience con- tained in it, to just censure and reproach.
Wherefore, notwithstanding these or any other pretences of an alike nature, we may safely proceed to show how the generality of Christians have partially apostatized from the gospel, and to inquire into the ways, means, causes, and reasons thereof
CHAPTER III.
Apostasy from the mystery, truth, or doctrine of the gospel—Proneness of per- sons and churches thereunto—Proved by all sorts of instances.
THERE are three things in the gospel which are as the essentially constitutive parts of it:—1. The mystery of its doctrine, which is the object of faith; 2. The holiness of its precepts, which are the matter of our obedience; and, 3. The purity of its institutions of worship, which is the trial of our faith and obedience as to their profession. With respect unto these we are to make our inquiry, both as unto matter of fact, and as unto the reasons, causes, and occasions of it, in the apostasy from them that isin the world. Instances hereof, in every one of the particulars mentioned, we shall find in our own days, and those both deplorable and of ill abode.* But I shall not confine my- self unto the present age, nor unto what is done or come to pass among ourselves, but consider things with respect unto the whole course and progress of religion since the first preaching and declara- tion of the gospel.
First, The mystery of the truth or doctrine of the gospel, which is the object of our faith, is the foundation of its precepts and institu- tions, of the holiness it requireth and of the worship that it appoint- eth. Where this is forsaken, the others cannot be retained. Men may profess the truth, and yet not yield obedience unto it, Tit. i. 16, 2 Tim. iii. 5; but without the real belief of it, no man can be obe- dient as he ought. The obedience which the gospel requireth is the “obedience of faith,” Rom. i. 5, or being “ obedient to the faith,” Acts vi. 7. It is this “grace of God” alone which “teacheth men to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world,” so as to find acceptance with God therein, Tit. ii.11,12. Wherever, therefore, this is rejected, renounced, forsaken, declined from by any, so far as it is so, so far there is and will be an apostasy from all other concernments of the gospel. This, therefore, we are to inquire into. And we shall find in our inquiry that all sorts of persons, all churches, are, and always have been, ex-