Secondly, you lose your advantage of doing good to those you fly from: And therein disobey the will of God, and have a hand in the loss of the souls of men: Paul became a Jew to the Jews, and all things to all men to save some. 1 Cor. 9. 19, 20, 21, 22. I pray you mark his words: It had been no strange thing, if he had become wise to gain the foolish, and showed himself strong to win the weak, &c. But to become a Jew (as when he circumcised Timothy, and shaved his head because he had a vow, &c.) and to be as under the Law to them that are under Law; and as without Law to them that are without ⟨p. 226⟩Law; and to become as weak to them that are weak, to gain the weak, and to be made all things to all men, to save some, this is far from the religion of the Separatists. What abundance of things do many now blame, and censure others for as temporizers, which they have nothing against (that may be called Reason) but only that their neighbours use them? If a man stand up at the profession of the Belief; or if he stand up when the Psalms and Hymns of Praise to God are uttered, they say, he conformeth to the gestures of the Congregation: and make that his dispraise which is his praise. And what! Is not standing a fit gesture to profess our Faith in? and a fit gesture to praise God in? Or is it praise-worthy to be odd and singular in the Church? and not to do as the rest of the Church doth? Austin professed his resolution, in all such gestures and lawful orders to do as the Church doth where he is: And Paul would have us with one mouth as well as with one mind to glorify God. I entreat these men to mark whether it was Christ or the Pharisees that came nearest to their way, and whom they now imitate? Was it for going too far from sinners that the Pharisees did censure Christ? Or was it not for eating and drinking with Publicans and sinners (though he did it not to harden them in their sin, but as a Physician conversing with the sick to heal them) was it not for Sabbath-breaking and not being strict enough in such matters, that they were offended with Christ and his disciples? The case is plain: But corrupted nature more favoureth the separating zeal of the Pharisees, than the Loving winning zeal of Christ; ⟨p. 227⟩And will easilier suffer us to be imitators of the Pharisees than of Christ.
Secondly, you lose your advantage of doing good to those you flye from: And therein disobey the will of God, and have a hand in the loss of the souls of men: Paul became a Jew to the Jews, and all things to all men to save some. 1 Cor. 9. 19, 20, 21, 22. I pray you mark his words: It had been no strange thing, if he had become wise to gain the foolish, and shewed himself strong to win the weak, &c. But to become a Iew (as when he circumcised Timothy, and shaved his head because he had a vow, &c.) and to be as under the Law to them that are under Law; and as without Law to them that are without ⟨p. 226⟩Law; and to become as weak to them that are weak, to gain the weak, and to be made all things to all men, to save some, this is far from the religion of the Separatists. What abundance of things do many now blame, and censure others for as temporizers, which they have nothing against (that may be called Reason) but only that their neighbours use them? If a man stand up at the profession of the Belief; or if he stand up when the Psalms and Hymns of Praise to God are uttered, they say, he con•ormeth to the gestures of the Congregation: and make that his dispraise which is his praise. And what! Is not standing a fit gesture to profess our Faith in? and a fit gesture to praise God in? Or is it praise-worthy to be odd and singular in the Church? and not to do as the rest of the Church doth? Austin professed his resolution, in all such gestures and lawful orders to do as the Church doth where he is: And Paul would have us with one mouth as well as with one mind to glorifie God. I entreat these men to mark whether it was Christ or the Pharisees that came nearest to their way, and whom they now imitate? Was it for going too far from sinners that the Pharisees did censure Christ? Or was it not for eating and drinking with Publicans and sinners (though he did it not to harden them in their sin, but as a Physician conversing with the sick to heal them) was it not for Sabbath-breaking and not being strict enough in such mat•ers, that they were offended with Christ and his disciples? The case is plain: But corrupted nature more favoureth the separating zeal of the Pharisees, than the Loving winning zeal of Christ; ⟨p. 227⟩And will easilier suffer us to be imitators of the Pharisees than of Christ.
