the honour of Christ, that they observe a Decorum, and comely Order
in their Church Assemblies, and in managing the Ordinances and holy
Institutions of God. Let all things be done decently, and in order.
And the Apostle Paul signifies to the Colossians that he rejoyced, be∣holding,
though onely in spirit, (for he was now absent in body) their
Order. And Titus was left by him in Crete to put things in order,
or (as the word signifieth) to set matters at rights, in the Churches
there. Now as it is a manifest breach of order, when a wife is dis∣obedient
to her own husband, her obedience unto him being fit and
comely (as the Holy Ghost himself hath adjudged it, Coloss. 3. 18.) So is
it no lesse disorderly for any person, who hath freely embodyed himself
in a Church of Christ, the members whereof ought to submit them∣selves
one to another in the fear of the Lord (Ephes. 5. 21. 1 Pet. 5. 5.)
And again, to serve one another in love, Gal. 5. 13. To build up them∣selves
in their most holy Faith, Jude vers. 20. To obey those that are
over them in the Lord, and to esteem them very highly in love for heir
work sake, 1 Thes. 5. 12, 13. Heb. 13. 17. Not to forsake the assem∣bling
of themselves together, but to exhort one another, Heb. 10. 25.
Not to make rents or Divisions in their body, 1 Cor. 1. 10. or to cause
offences, Rom. 16. 17. (with several other things of like import with
these) it is (I say) disorderly in the highest for any Member being un∣der
such sacred obligations as these, unto his body, or fellow-members,
to turn his back upon them, to abandon their communion, to forsake
their holy Assemblies, and under a pretence of Christian liberty to
seek after edification, to betake himself from time to time unto strange
Teachers (especially being of an infamous and polluted Order) and to
frequent Congregations of a Politique Constitution, and worldly com∣plexion,
in the name of Churches of Christ. Now for any man to ex∣pect
edification by violating the Order, which Christ hath established
in his Churches, is with as little reason, as to expect to gather grapes
of thorns, or figs of chistles.
3. (and lastly, for this) Were it granted, or supposed, that a person
might gather as much, yea, or more, knowledge in the Misteries of the
Gospel, from the lips of strange Teachers in their Ministry, than he
was like to do by the teachings in his own Church, and amongst those,
from whom he hath sperated himself; yet neither will this prove that
he edifieth, as much, or more, as, or than, he might have done, by
waiting upon God at the door of the lips of him, or them, who speak
from God, in his own Congregation. The Silver, and Gold, which an
ungodly man possesseth, may be of the same kind of mettal, and of the