WHAT IS MEANT IN SCRIPTURE BY THE WORD HERESIES
AND HOW WE ARE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE MUST BE HERESIES,
FOR MAKING MANIFEST THE GODLY PARTY, OR THOSE THAT ARE APPROVED, 1 COR. 11.19.
by
George Gillespie,
Scottish Commissioner To the Assembly of Divines
At Westminster.
"For there must be also heresies among you (saith the
Apostle), that they which are approved may be made manifest among you;" or, as
others read, "that they which are approved among you may be manifest." By
heresies, here, some understand no more but divisions and sects, and conceive
that heresies, in point of opinion or doctrine, are not here meant. So
Chrysostom, Erasmus, and others. If so, then the very divisions and sects will
make a discovery of who are approved, who not, before it come to heretical
opinions, i.e. sectaries are not approved, and those who are indeed approved
are none of theirs, but keep themselves unspotted and free from them. So, Tit.
3.10, aipetikon is rendered in the Tigurine Bible sectarum authorem, and in the
margin, factiosum, i.e., a man that is an author of sects (or factions), after
the first and second admonition, reject; and, 1 Cor. 11.19, they read, opportet
enim et sectas in vobis esse. Sometimes the word airesiV is taken in the New
Testament for a sect, yet (to note that by the way) only for such a sect as
either was indeed, or was esteemed to be, of some heretical opinion, as Acts
5.17; 15. 5; 24.5; 26.5; 28.22. The Apostle hath the word airesiV twice in his
epistles, and in both places he makes some difference and distinction between
heresies and divisions, or strifes and variance, 1 Cor. 11.18,19; Gal. 5.20.
For every division, strife, or variance, is not heresy; therefore, in the
text which I now speak to, I understand heresy to be somewhat more than
division. The Arabic, 1 Cor. 14.2, that is in the Greek, and our translations,
1 Cor. 11.19, repeateth the word schisms out of the preceding verse, and
addeth, moreover, the word heresies, reading scismatakaiaireseiV, for there
must arise schisms and heresies among you, that those of you who are godly may
be known. It seems that they who understand only divisions to be meant by the
word heresies, do not observe the rising of the Apostle's speech; for, after he
hath spoken of their scismata, or schismatical divisions, contrary to the rule
of love, he addeth, Deigarkai aireseiV,&c., for there must be also heresies
among you.
1I partly believe it, saith he, that there are divisions among
you; for there must be not only schisms, but, worse than that, there must be
heresies also. If you ask now, What is heresy? I shall, without any implicit
following of writers, ground my answer on Scripture itself. And I answer first
negatively, then positively.
Negatively.
1. Heresy is neither to be so
far taken at large as to be extended to every error which may be confuted by
Scripture, although, happily, such an error be too tenaciously maintained; nor
yet is it to be so far restricted as that no error shall be accounted heretical
but that which is destructive to some fundamental article of the Christian
faith; if, by a fundamental article, you understand such a truth, without the
knowledge and faith whereof it is impossible to get salvation. When Peter
Martyr defines heresy, he makes no mention of a fundamental error, but of an
error contrary to the Scriptures, Loc. Com., class. 2, cap. 4, sect. 50. So
Calvin (Instit., lib. 4, cap. 2, sect. 5), understands all such to be heretics
as make a breach in the church by false doctrines. Wal?us (tom. 1, p. 57)
saith, heretical churches do either err in the foundation, or only in some
other things built upon the foundation. When Peter speaks of such heresies as
take away the very foundation, Jesus Christ, he thinks it too little to call
them simple heresies, but he calls these damnable heresies. But if you
understand by fundamental truths all the chief and substantial principles, (I
do not mean only the first rudiments, or A, B, C, of a catechism, which we,
first of all, put to new beginners, but I mean all such truths as are commonly
put in the confessions of faith, and in the more full and large catechisms of
the reformed churches, or all such truths as all and every one who lives in a
true Christian reformed church are commanded and required to learn and know, as
they expect, in the ordinary dispensation of God, to be saved,) in this sense I
may yield that heresy is always contrary to some fundamental truth.
It is
one thing to dispute of the absolute sovereign power of God, and what are the
truths without the belief whereof it is absolutely and altogether impossible
that one can be saved; which question, I doubt, is hardly determinable by
Scripture, nor do I know what edification there is in the canvassing of it;
sure I am it is a question much abused. It is another thing to dispute what are
those truths which, in a church where the gospel is truly preached, all and
every one, come to years of knowledge and discretion, and having means and
occasion to learn, are bound to know, and according to the revealed will and
ordinary dispensation of God, must learn, as they desire or expect to have a
true fellowship with Christ in the sacrament of the Lord's supper, or to be
accepted of God, and saved eternally. 2. We must not think that no man is a
heretic but he who is consistorially or judicially admonished, and thereafter
continueth pertinaciously in his error; for where it is said, Tit. 3.10, "A man
that is an heretic, after the first and second admonition, reject,'' it is
intimated that he was an heretic before such admonition.
Positively.
I
conceive that these six things do concur to make a heresy:
1. It is an
error held by some minister or member of a church; I mean either a true church,
or an assembly pretending and professing to be a true church; for both Peter
and Paul, where they foretell that heresies were to come, 2 Pet. 2.1; 1 Cor.
11.19, they add enumin, among you, i.e., among you Christians; so, Acts 20.30,
"Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things." Therefore
the Scriptures gives not the name of heretics to those who are altogether
without the visible church, but it calleth such by the names of heathens or
unbelievers, or they that are without, or the like.
2. It is an error
voluntarily and freely chosen, both in the first invention or broaching of it
(which is proper to the heresiarchs), and in the maintaining of it or adhering
to it (which is common to all heretics). This I collect from the very name
which the Scripture gives to it; for airesiV comes from aireomai, I choose.
Therefore we give not the name of heretics to such Christians as are compelled,
in time of persecution, to profess such or such an error, which, peradventure,
were a formal heresy, if voluntarily and without compulsion professed. They
ought, indeed, to die, and to endure the greatest torments, before they profess
what they know to be an error; but this their sin is not properly called
heresy, for an heretic doth freely and voluntarily hold that which is his
error. And, in this respect and consideration, Tertullian thinks that an
heretic is said to be autokatakrituV, condemned of himself, Tit. 3.11, because
he hath of himself chosen that which doth condemn him.2 The Apostle there hath
commanded to reject an heretic. If I reject him (might one say) then I lose
him, I destroy his soul. Nay (saith the Apostle), his perdition is of himself,
for he hath chosen his own ways, and his soul delighteth in his abominations.
This interpretation is much surer and safer than to say that a heretic is
called autokatakritoV,or self-condemned, because he goes against his own light,
and against the principles received and acknowledged by himself; which sense is
accompanied with many dangerous consequences.
3. It is such a choosing of
error as is accompanied with a rejecting of truth. A heretic puts light for
darkness, and darkness for light; good for evil, and evil for good; he chooseth
error as truth, and refuseth truth as error. They that give heed to seducing
spirits and doctrines of devils, do also "depart from the faith," 1 Tim. 4.1;
"resist the truth," 2 Tim. 3.8; "and turn away their ears from the truth," 2
Tim. 4.4; their course hath a terminus a quo as well as ad quem.
4. It is
an error professed and maintained, and which, by that means, becomes a scandal
and snare to others. For although there may be heresy (as well as other kinds
of sin) lurking and hid in the thoughts, yet that belongs to God's judgment
only, not to man's. The heresies which are spoken of, 1 Cor. 11.9, are
certainly known, and apparently discriminative, even among men. And heretics
are scandalous persons, to be avoided and rejected, Rom. 16.17; Tit. 3.10;
which could not be except their errors were known.
5. It is an error
contradictory of some chief and substantial truth, grounded upon, or, by
necessary consequence, drawn from, the Holy Scripture. There was never yet any
heretic in the Christian world who contradicted that which is literally and
syllabically in Scripture. The most damnable heretic will offer to subscribe to
the Scripture instead of a confession of faith, who yet will not subscribe to
all truths which necessarily follow from the words of Scripture. But I call not
every error heresy, which is contrary to any consequential truth grounded upon
Scripture. As the Scripture reckons not all who sin to be "workers of
iniquity," so it reckons not all who err to be heretics. Although there is not
any sin or error in the true nature of it venial, yet every sin is not a gross
and heinous sin, and every error is not heresy. Heresies are mentioned as
greater evils than schisms, 1 Cor. 11.18, 19, which could not be so if every
error were an heresy.
6. It is an error factiously maintained, with a
renting of the church, and drawing away of disciples after it, in which respect
Augustine said, Errare potero, hreticus non ero,?I may err, but I shall not be
an heretic. Heretics are deceivers and seducers, who endeavour to pervert
others and to overthrow their faith, 2 Tim. 3.13; Acts 20.30; 2 Tim. 2.17, 18;
Rom. 16.17-19; 2 Pet. 2.2. All known and noted heretics are also schismatics,
who make a rupture, and strengthen their own party by drawing after them, or
confirming unto them disciples and followers (in so much that airesiVis often
used for a sect, as Acts 5.17; 15.5; 24.5; 26. 5). For this cause the Donatists
were condemned as heretics, without imputation of heresy to Cyprian. "And, O
strange turning about of things (saith Vincentius Lirinensis, Advers. H?ret.,
cap. 11), the authors of the same opinion are judged catholic, but the
followers heretics; the masters are absolved, the disciples are condemned; the
writers of these books are the children of the kingdom, but hell shall receive
the assertors or maintainers." This last ingredient which is found in heresy is
hinted by the Arabic interpreter, 1 Cor. 11.19, where he joineth schisms and
heresies, as was noted before; and, indeed, in the original, the particle kai,
and the rising of the speech, sets forth heresy as carrying schism with it in
its bosom. I believe, saith the Apostle, in part what I hear of your schisms,
for "there must be also heresies," i.e. both schisms and somewhat more. Calvin,
Institut., lib. 4, cap. 2, sect. 5, makes the breaking of church communion, and
the making of a rent, a thing common both to heretics and schismatics: for
heretics break one band of church communion, which is consent in doctrine;
schismatics break another, which is love, though sometimes they agree in the
like faith.
Definition of Heresy:
From all which scriptural
observations, we may make up a description of heresy to this sense: "Heresy is
a gross and dangerous error, voluntarily held and factiously maintained by some
person or persons within the visible church, in opposition to some chief or
substantial truth or truths grounded upon and drawn from the holy Scripture by
necessary consequence."
But next, Why saith the Apostle that "there must be
heresies?" This is not a simple or absolute necessity, but ex hypothesi; I mean
not only upon supposition of Satan's malice and men's corruption, but upon
supposition of God's eternal and infallible foreknowledge; and not only so, but
upon supposition of the eternal decree of God, whereby he did decree to permit
Satan and corrupt men to introduce heresies into the church, purposing, in the
most wise and most holy counsel of his will, to disabuse (as I may so say) his
church by these heresies; that is, to order and overrule them, for the praise
of his grace and mercy, to manifest such as are approved; and from the glory of
his justice, in sending strong delusion upon such as received not the love of
the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. These things being so, i.e.,
Satan's malice and men's corruption being such, and there being such a
foreknowledge, yea, such a decree in God, therefore it is that there must be
heresies. And so we are also to understand Matt. 18.17, "It must needs be that
offences come." These things I do but touch by the way.
That which I here
aim at, is the good use which God, in his most wise and sovereign providence,
can and doth make of heresies: it is, "that they which are approved may be made
manifest;" where, by oidokimoi, they which are approved, we can understand
nothing but such as are true and sincere saints, approved and accepted of God;
or (as Bullinger on the place), vere pii, truly godly; in which sense the word
is used, Rom. 16.10; 2 Cor. 10.18; 2 Tim. 2.15; James 1.12. The word is
properly used of good money, or silver well refined, arguriondokimon. It is
transferred to saints with special reference to their mortification, or to the
refining of them from the dross of their corruptions, and so noteth such as
walk in the Spirit, and not in the flesh. The contrary word is adokimoi,
reprobate, rejectaneous, naughty, or to be cast away like the dross of silver,
1 Cor. 9.27; 2 Cor. 13.5,6. But how is it that by means or occasion of heresies
the godly party is made manifest? Surely the meaning of the Apostle is not,
that the authors and followers of heresies are the godly party, for he calls
heresy a work of the flesh, Gal. 5.20, and will have an heretic to be rejected,
as one who is of himself condemned, Tit. 3.10; therefore most certainly his
meaning is that oidokimoi, they which are approved, are known by this as one of
their characters, they hate, avoid, and resist heresies, and earnestly contend
for the faith; they hold fast the truth of Christ without wavering. And those
who broach or adhere unto heresies, are thereby known to be adokimoi
unapproved, and such as are like reprobate silver. Whosoever, therefore, sideth
or engageth with heresies or heretics, yea, whoever stands not fast in the
faith, doth, ipso facto, declare himself to be none of Paul's godly party: so
contrary is the language of the Holy Ghost to the tone of sectaries in these
days. Neither is it in this scripture alone, but in divers others scriptures,
that the Holy Ghost distinguisheth those that are approved of God, from such as
turn from the truth alter false doctrines, and believe seducing spirits, as
well as from those who are of an ungodly life. So Deut. 13. 3, when a false
prophet arose, and the sign or wonder came to pass, what was God's meaning in
permitting these things? "The Lord your God proveth you to know whether ye love
the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul." They, therefore,
that hearkened to the false prophet, even when his sign or wonder came to pass,
made themselves known thereby, that they had not been lovers of God with all
their heart. Again, Matt. 24.24, those that are elect are not deceived by false
Christs and the false prophets; and, by the rule of contraries, they who are
deceived by them, and go in their error to the end, are not elect, but
reprobate, Gal. 5.20,21. Heresy is a work of the flesh, and is reckoned among
those things which render a person incapable of inheriting the kingdom of God;
they, therefore, who walk in the Spirit, and not in the flesh, and are made
meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, are not only no
heretics, but resist and oppose heresy, as being a work of the flesh, John
8.31. They who are Christ's disciples indeed, continue in his word; they who
continue not in his word, are not his disciples indeed, 1 John 2.24, with 2
John 9. They who have fellowship with the Father and the Son abide in the
doctrine of Christ; they who abide not in the doctrine of Christ have no
fellowship with the Father and the Son: the like in divers other scriptures.
If, therefore, there must be heresies, even for this reason, to make more
manifest who are approved, who not, then, let no thoughts arise in our hearts
toward the accusing of divine providence in this particular. Justin Martyr,
Qu?st. et Respons. ad Orthod. quest. 1, answering this doubt, If God hath taken
away the idolatries, superstitions, and false religion of heathens, and hath
also abolished the Jewish worship, why hath he suffered heresies to enter into
the Christian church? He gives this solution: that although heresies come into
the church through men's negligence and slothfulness (for while men slept the
enemy sowed the tares among, the wheat, Matt. 13.25), yet the providence of God
was no way slothful in the business; for he foresaw and foretold that heresies
should come, and hath given plain warning in his word concerning the same. He
addeth, that the same God who did destroy the heathenish and the Jewish
religion, will also destroy heresies, after he hath suffered them for a time.
Although we have no distinct knowledge what God intends to work out of
heresies, yet we ought not to censure, but humbly and reverently to adore God's
most wise and most holy (though secret and unsearchable) dispensations. If we
should see somewhat which is deadly poison among some drugs, which a skilled
and approved physician is making use of, we must not rashly censure the
physician; for he knows how to disabuse that which is in itself poisonable, and
to make it one of the ingredients in a most sovereign medicine. Or if we should
come into tho shop of a curious artificer, or engineer, and there see some ugly
and ill-favoured instruments, which we think can serve for no good, but for
evil, yet it were foolishly done to censure the artificer, who knows to make an
excellent good use of these things, though we know not. How much more foolish
and sinful is it, to suffer thoughts to rise in our hearts against the wisdom
and providence of God, even although we know not what he intends to work out of
such things? We were most of all inexcusable to accuse his providence, now when
he hath made known in his word to us, that, by occasion of heresies, he will
make manifest who are approved, and who not. "Wherefore (saith Chrysostom, de
Divers. &c., tom. loc., ser. 21), that no man might say, Why hath Christ
permitted this? Paul saith, This permission shall not hurt thee, if thou art
one who is approved, for by this means thou shalt be made more manifest.'' Yet
all this cannot excuse either the heretics or sectaries themselves, or those
who connive at them; for that which Christ saith, in genere of scandals, is
true in specie of heresies, it must needs be that heresies come, but woe be to
him by whom they come. I add, And woe also to him who doth not, according to
his place and calling, endeavour the extirpation of them. The text which I now
speak to, 1 Cor. 11.19, hath not reference to the will of God's commandment,
which is the rule of our duty, but to the will of God's decree, or the secret
counsel of his will. It is God's purpose to permit heresies, and to overrule
them for this end, that his graces in his children may the more shine forth,
and that even heresies (contrary to the intentions of Satan and heretics) may
make manifest who are approved; Scilicet quos non potuerint depravare, saith
Tertullian, opening this scripture, (de Pr?scr, Adv. H?r.,) to wit (saith he),
such as heresies could not pervert and deprave; no other are the approved ones.
But there are two things may be here objected.
1. May not one chosen,
and justified, and regenerate, be drawn away and infected with heresy, through
the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive?
If so, then heresies do not make manifest who are approved, who not.
2. May
not many who are not approved of God be preserved from the infections of
heresies; yea, be forward in resisting and opposing them? If so, then
preservation from, and resisting of heresies, cannot make manifest that one is
approved of God.
These objections are no more against me than against the
text of Scripture. To the first I answer, A regenerate person may be tempted
and drawn over to heresy as he may be tempted and drawn over to other great
sins. Heresy doth no otherwise consist with the state of grace in any person
than other works of the flesh, adultery, fornication, drunkenness, or the like.
Look upon an elect and justified person while lying in some great sin; for
instance, Noah, Lot, David, Peter, even so must ye look upon an elect and
justified person poisoned with heresy. But then, that person, being elected,
justified, and regenerate, cannot be supposed to live and die in that sinful
estate, but God will certainly heal his backslidings, and rescue his soul out
of the snare of the devil by repentance; for the elect cannot be deceived so as
to continue and die in a heresy, Matt. 24.24. And while he continueth in such a
gross sin or heresy you may truly say, that, for that time, he is adokimoV,
unapproved, or like dross and unrefined silver; in which sense the word is used
by the Apostle, where he speaks of his bringing his body into subjection, lest
he himself should be found adokimoV.Where the old English translation readeth,
Lest I myself should be reproved, which is too soft a word: the new translation
hath, "Lest I myself should be a castaway:" Beza, Ne ipse rejectaneus fiam. In
the same sense it is used, 2 Cor. 13.5, "Know ye not your ownselves, how that
Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?" Beza, Nisi rejectanei estis.
H. Stephanus expones adokimoV, Minime probus non probandus: Item adulterinus
non sincerus; and he cites Aristotle, Adokimon epoinsenomisma. In this sense
even an elect and regenerate person, supposed to be a maintainer or follower of
heresy, while such, is certainly adokimoV, unapproved, greatly reprovable, to
be rejected and cast away to the furnace like dross and unrefined silver. And
no marvel; for, in that estate, he doth not act his graces, but his
corruptions, and, by his great sin, doth extremely grieve, and dangerously
quench, the Holy Spirit once given to him.
To the other objection I answer,
1. Although the full and perfect discovery (who are approved, who not) is
reserved to the great and last day, and there is no company, assembly, nor
visible church in this world, without a mixture of hypocrites, yet surely the
word of the Lord hath been, and shall be, so far fulfilled, that, in a great
measure, and according to the knowledge which the church can have of her
members in this life, there is, in times of heresies and schisms, a discovery
made who are the approved ones, who not.
2. We must remember it is not the
scope of this text to give us a note of distinction between those who are
approved, and all counterfeits or unapproved Christians, but between those who
are approved, and those who are the fomenters or followers of heresies. Thus
they who are indeed approved of God continue in the truth of Christ, grounded
and settled, and stand fast in the faith, and contend for it; and this is one
of the characters found in all such as are approved. And thus far, saith
Augustine,3 are heretics profitable to the church; for by their means those who
are approved of God, and spiritual men, are stirred up to vindicate, open, and
hold forth the truth, whereby they become more manifest than otherwise they
could have been. Upon the other part, whoever turn away from the truth, and
from the doctrine of Christ, and turn aside after heresies, do thereby
infallibly declare themselves to be unapproved, whatsoever profession or show
of holiness they have. Whatsoever become of the white mark of those who are
approved (which also holds true as I have explained it), most certainly this
black mark cannot fail upon the other side; and he who supposeth any person who
is of a heretical belief and faction to be holy, spiritual, mortified, and
approved, or one that walketh in the Spirit, and not in the flesh, doth but
suppose that which is impossible. And I do not doubt but God is, by the
heresies and schisms of these times, making a discovery of many unapproved,
unmortified professors, who pretended to piety. So that I may transfer to our
time what Chrysostom observed of his own, Ad eos qui Scandalizati Sunt, lib. 1,
cap. 19, "How many are there clothed with a shadow and show of godliness; how
many who have a counterfeit meekness; how many who were thought to be some
great ones, and they were not so, have been, in this time (when so many fall
off and make defection), quickly manifested, and their hypocrisy detected:"
they have appeared what they were, not what they feigned themselves, and most
falsely pretended to be. Neither is this a small matter, but very much for the
profit and edification of those that will observe it, even to know
distinguishingly those who are clothed in sheeps' clothing, and not to reckon
promiscuously those wolves (so hid) among the true sheep; for this time is
become a furnace, discovering the false copper coin, melting the lead, burning
up the chaff, making more manifest the precious metals. This also Paul
signified when he said, "For there must be also heresies among you, that they
which are approved may be made manifest among you."