But so it fell out, that in the protestant reformation of the church
20 TRUE NATURE OF A GOSPEL CHURCH.
very little regard was had thereunto. Those great and worthy per- sons who were called unto that work did set themselves principally, yea, solely, for the most part, against the false doctrine and idola- trous worship of the church of Rome, as judging that if they were removed and taken away, the people, by the efficacy of truth and order of worship, would be retrieved from the evil of their ways, and primitive holin^ess be again reduced among them ; for they thought it was the doctrine and worship of that church which had filled the people with darkness and corrupted their conversations. Nor did they absolutely judge amiss therein : for although they were them- selves at first introduced in compliance with the ignorance and wickedness of the people, yet they were suited to promote them as well as to countenance them; which they did effectually. Hence it came to pass that the reformation of the church, as unto the matter of it, or the purity and holiness of its members, was not in the least attempted, until Calvin set up his discipline at Geneva; which hath filled the world with clamours against him from that day to this. In most other places, churches, in the matter of them, continued the same as they were in the Papacy, and in many places as bad in their lives as when they were Papists.
But this method was designed, in the holy, wise providence of God, for the good and advantage of the church, in a progressive reforma- tion, as it had made a gradual progress into its decay ; for had the reformers, in the first place, set themselves to remove out of the church such as were unmeet for its communion, or to have gathered out of them such as were meet members of the church, according to its original institution, it would, through the paucity of the number of those who could have complied with the design, have greatly ob- structed, if not utterly defeated, their endeavour for the reformation of doctrine and worship. This was that which, in the preaching of the gospel and the profession of it, God hath since made effectual, in these nations especially, and in other places, to turn multitudes "from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto himself, trans- lating them into the kingdom of his dear Son." Hereby way is made for a necessary addition unto the work of reformation, if not to the closing of it, which could not at first be attained unto nor well attempted, — namely, the reduction of churches, as unto their matter, or the members of them, unto the primitive institution.
The sum of what is designed in this discourse is this only: — We desire no more to constitute church-members, and we can desire no less, than what, in the judgment of charity, may comply with the union that is between Christ the head and the church, 1 Cor. xii. 27, Eph. ii. 22, 1 Cor. iii. 16, 17, 2 Cor. viii. 5, 1 Thess. i. 1, 2, etc.; than may, in the same judgment, answer the way of the beginning and in- crease of the church, according unto the will of God, who adds unto
THE SUBJECT-MATT EK OF THE CHURCH, 21
the church such as shall be saved, Acts ii. 47, the rule of our re- ceiving of them being because he hath received them, Rom. xiv. 1-3 ; than may answer that profession of faith which was the foun- dation of the church, which was not what flesh and blood, but what God himself revealed, Matt. xvi. 16, 17, and not such as have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof, 2 Tiin. iii. 5. We acknow- ledge that many church-members are not what they ought to be, but that many hypocrites may be among them ; that the judgment which is passed on the confession and profession of them that are to be admitted into churches is charitative, proceeding on evidence of moral probability, not determining the reality of the things them- selves; that there are sundry measures of light, knoAvledge, experi- ence, and abilities and readiness of mind, in those that are to be ad- mitted, all whose circumstances are duly to be considered, with indulgence unto their weakness; and if the Scripture will allow us any further latitude, we are ready to embrace it.
Our present inquiry yet remaining on these considerations is, What is our duty in point of communion with such churches as are made up or composed of members visibly unholy, or such as comply not with the qualifications that are, by the rules of the gospel, indis- pensably required to give unto any a regular entrance into the church, with a participation of its privileges ; for it is in vain to ex- pect that such churches will reform themselves by any act, duty, or power of their own, seeing the generality of them are justly supposed averse from and enemies unto any such work. I answer, therefore, —
1. It must be remembered that communion with particular churches is to he regulated absolutely by edification. No man is or can be oblio^ed to abide in or confine himself unto the communion of any particular church any longer than it is for his edification. And this liberty is allowed unto all persons by the church of Eng- land ; for allow a man to be born in such a parish, to be baptized in it, and there educated, yet if at any time he judge that the ministry of the parish is not useful unto his edification, he may with- draw from the communion in that parish by the removal of his habitation, it may be to the next door. Wherefore, —