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A40737
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A funeral sermon on the occasion of the death of Algernon Sidney, Esq. Who was beheaded on Tower-Hill, on December the seventh 1683. for high-treason
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1683
(1683)
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Wing F2539A; ESTC R214649
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22,178
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74
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A FUNERAL SERMON ON THE OCCASION OF THE DEATH OF Algernon Sidney Esq Who was BEHEADED on TOWER-HILL on December the seventh 1683. for HIGH-TREASON LONDON Printed for J. Smith M DC LXXXIII Numbers XVI 1 2 3 4. Now Korah the Son of Izhar the Son of Kohath the Son of Levi and Dathan and Abiram the Sons of Eliab and On the Son of Peleth Sons of Reuben took Men And they rose up before Moses with certain of the Children of Israel Two Hundred and Fifty Princes of the Assembly Fathers in the Congregation Men of Renown And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron and said unto them Ye take too much upon you seeing all the Congregation are Holy every one of them and the Lord is among them wherefore then lift you up your selves above the Congregation of the Lord And when Moses heard it he fell upon his Face c. SUCH is Satan's Malice and the Corruption of Man's Nature That the Church of God is Exercised with variety of Difficulties and Distractions Satan turning himself into divers shapes appearing in variety of Forms and by several sorts of Instruments sometimes acting one part and sometimes another whereof we have plentiful Evidences in the History of Israel penned by Moses who wrote the Story of many hundred years and in the Book of Exodus and this Book of Numbers the things that befel for the most part his own Government 1. Satan seemed to shew himself in Pharaoh like a roaring Lyon or a wild Boar of the Forrest breaking into the Vineyard of the Lord of Hosts commanding first the Midwives and afterwards his own People to cast every Son of the Children of Israel that should be born into the River Nilus Exod. 1. â— the last And withal made the men of Israel themselves to serve with rigour and to sigh for hard Bondage 2. And when as it appeareth after Moses and Aaron were sent from the Lord to deliver them and the Lord sealed to it by many Miracles the Devil appeared in the shape of a Mountebank or Jugler apishly imitating the glorious Works of God by counterfeit Signs and Lying Wonders until the Lord did confound him and brought him to an open Confession This is the Finger of God Afterward he proceedeth no further that way 3. Now in the third place the Devil puts on his Harness and appears like a mighty man stirring up Pharaoh by force of Arms to destroy them and bring them back again into Bondage after they marched out of Egypt but the Lord caused the Sea to fwallow up Pharaoh and all his Host 4. And now Satan remembring how he prevailed over our first Parents in the Form of a Serpent he putteth on that shape and windeth into the Bosoms of many of the Israelites stiring them up to Pride Murmuring Idolatry Fornication Tempting of God Lusting and at last to Unbelief and Apostacy hereupon the Lord passeth Sentence upon them and excludeth them out of the promised Land and adjudging them to wander Forty years in the Wilderness the Lord reserved the Mercies they had forfeited for their innocent Children Now in this time of Vacation their old Enemy was not idle bnt seems to take upon him the appearance of an Angel of Light and by his Accomplices sets on foot the Levelling Design viz. by his Factors Corah Dathan and Abiram who said unto Moses and Aaron Ye take too much upon you What need have we of Prince and Priest seeing all the Congregation are Holy every one of them c. This was a most mischievous Plot and more like to undermine the Church than Pharaohs Rage and Cruelty Where ye may observe two things First the Mutineers Attempt and in that Four Particulars First The Actors and they are of two ranks 1. The Principals 2. The Accessories The Principals are described by their Names and Pedigree And of these there were Two Parties Korah a Levite and Dathan and Abiram Reubenites 1. Korah and his Pedigree He was descended of Levi of the same Tribe whereof Moses and Aaron was yea he was of the principal Family of Levi coming from Kohath who was the principal Son of Levi. And this is thought to be one cause of the discontent because the preheminence was given to Elizapban the Son of Uzziel Numb 3. 30. He was appointed to be the Chief of the House of the Family of the Kahathites Elizaphan was of the Fourth and youngest Family of the Kahathites yet preferred to be Prince over them This as the Hebrews think was offensive to Korah who was of the second Family of Izhar and occasioned him to rebel Korah is noted as the Principal in the Rebellion which St. Jude calls the Gainsaying of Kore Epistle of Jude v. the 11. And in Numb 27. 3. only Korah's Companies are mentioned where Speech is of this mutiny To Elizaphan was given the charge of the Ark and the Table and the Candlestick and the Altars and the Vessels of the Sanctuary wherewith they minister and the hangings and all the service thereof therefore as R. Sol. Jarchi on Numb 3. noteth Korah was offended that Elizaphan and his Family should have this Honourable Charge rather than Korah and his Posterity Another part of these Actors were Dathan and Abiram and On Sons of Reuben i. e. descended from Reuben who had forfeited his Birth-right by defiling his Fathers Bed Reuben had lost his Honour by his Sin which his Sons by unlawful means seek to recover By the Sequel it appeareth that Korah lifteth up himself not only against Elizaphan but against Moses and Aaron who were descended of Levi the Third Son of Jacob and they did not only stomach at the personal preferment of Moses but sought the Priesthood also verse 10. Now compare their Stations Numb 2. 10. Ye shall find that the Reubenites were to be placed on the South-side of the Camp of Israel and on the otherside the Kohathites of whom Korah was encamped on the side of the Tabernacle South ward Numb 3. 29. These Reubenites encamped next unto the Kahathites and so being Neighbours in Situation associated themselves in evil which Sol. Jarchi observing saith woe be unto the wicked and woe unto his Neighbour Their quarters being so near one to another their Agitators had leave to confer together and to hatch this Conspiracy The Accessories in general were certain of the Children of Israel In particular Two Hundred and Fifty Men described first by their Degree Princes of the Assembly or Called of the Assembly or Senatours called to the Assembly Men of Name of Renown famous in the Congregation whereby the Conspiracy was the stronger A small number in comparison of those who were under Moses's Government yet in regard of their Eminence such as had a great Influence upon the People 2. Consider their Design which as it was closely carried by them so it is covertly laid down here Their Aim was to destroy the present Government setled by God in the Church and
Churches were built for them which prosperity being abused by the Bishops and the Clergy and other Christians unto Pride and Idleness strife and Contention It moved the Lord to scourge them with another See the tenth Persecution which began in the nineteenth year of the Emperour Dioclestan which raged very sore and extended unto this Island which was then under the goverment of the Romans Korah Dathan and Abiram though they had a Preheminence above many others yet the Pride of their Spirits causeth them to swell against Moses and Aaron Humility of Spirit is a special means to keep the heart in peace with God and from breaking out into irregular motions An humble man blesseth God that he hath raised him above any others and is not troubled that others are raised higher than himself Jacob confesseth himself to be less than the least of all God's Mercies Some think others too high who think themselves not high enough Plenty Riches and Prosperity do usually puff men up with Pride and Pride ingendereth strife and contention He that is of a Proud Heart stireth up Strife Prov. 28. 25. Some men are contentious to shew that they are men of Spirit Proud and Haughty Scorner is his name who dealeth in Proud Wrath. Prov. 21. 24. Some men are violent and wrathful meerly out of Pride that others may know they are men of mettle This is proud Wrath as the wise Man termeth it Ambition Pride and immoderate desire of greatness moved Alexandria the Great to wage War with Darius King of Persia This was the Cause of the Civil war between Caesar and Pompey Sylla and Marius Anthony and Augustus Pride hath been the cause of many Schisms and Divisions in the Church Hence the Corinthians ran into Schisms and Parties one was for Paul another was for Apollos a third was for Caephas a fourth above all Ministers and Ordinances he is for Christ alone Whence arose the strife between Basil and Eusebius Bishop of Caesarea and between Origen and Demetrius Bishop of Alexandria whence arose the stirs that Montanus Demetrius and Arrius made in the Epiphan lib. 2. Theodoret lib. 1. cap. 8. Sozom. lib. 2. cap. 18. Church whence were the contentions between Paulinus and Flavianus Lucifer and Eusebius the Meletians and Eustathians all at the beginning good Christians and embracing true Doctrine yet at last so divided they were that the one Excommunicated the other whence was the strife between Chrysostom of the one part and Cyril Theophilus and Epiphanius of the other about the Burning of Origens Books did not all these contentions spring from Pride whence were the contentions among certain Popes and Popish Bishops was it not from Pride was it not about the Supremacy which ambitious Popes have proudly challenged Humility is a low Postern at which the Proud man will not stoop Heaven is an High City yet hath but a low Gate as St. Augustine saith Peace is humble Pride quite overlooks her The safest way to keep fire is to rake it up in Embers and the best way to preserve Peace is in Humility Observation IV. That near Neighbourhood between men of corrupt Principles and working Spirits is very dangerous to the publick Korah with the Kohathites and Dathan and Abiram with the Reubenites were quartered on the South side of the Tabernacle This near Situation gave them opportunities of frequent coming together whereby they had an advantage of hatching this wicked PLOT against MOSES and AARON Confederacy in Evil is strong in Operation God complaineth Ezek. 22. 25. of the Prophets of Jerusalem thus There is a Conspiracy of her Prophets in the midst thereof The Hebrew for Conspiracy is from a root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est ligare colligare Metaphorice dicitur de animorum colligatione conjurare facere ligam or word which signifies to bind to tye together as Jeremiah 51. 63. Isaiah 49. 16. and metaphorically is referred to the minds of men combining together as 2 Sam. 25. 31. It is said that Ahitophel is among the Conspirators with Absalom Backsherim in Conspirationibus his mind with others of his Associates was United in a Conspiracy against David So 2 Kings 12. 20. Jehoash his Servants arose and made a Conspiracy It is in the Original they conspired a Conspiracy they were all of one heart and mind and it was to kill their Master Being fellow Servants and dwelling together they had the more opportunities of meeting together to Plot the Destruction of their Master So the evil Prophets had a Conspiracy they met in Jerusalem they consulted and agreed together to Prophecy the same things that none should Prophecy otherwise they made a Conspiracy against the true Prophets and those that were truly Religious opposing God and Godliness Ye may read how they set themselves against Jeremiah Chap. 26. 8. and stired up the Princes and People against him verse 13. How they Prophecied the same things Jerem. 23. 17. Such was the Counsel of Trent a meer Conspiracy did they not agree together that whoever Preached against their Canons and Articles should be Anathematized did they not stir up the Princes and Powers of the world to punish those they Judged Schismaticks and Hereticks Observation V. That outward blessings bestowed upon evil men do commonly become snares to themselves and sometimes hurtful and prejudicial to the Common-Wealth These Conspiratours were Princess of the Assembly famous in the Congregation men of Name or Renown Their dignity put them upon this mutiny with hope of success Poyson given in Wine worketh strongly Sin meeting with outward advantages is the more mischievous when evil men come to places of Eminency they vent the Corruptions that lay hid in them before they make Progress in Wickedness and nothing restrains them we are ready to think that great men that have had good Education are well natured will prove admirable Instruments of God's glory and the publick good but we deceive our selves in some when they come to high and publick places their evil natures do appear and they grow worse and worse Nero at first for five years carried himself well like a Lamb but he was a Lion and his Lionish disposition shewed it self to the full These Princes of the Assembly perverted the end for which they were ordained of God and set up by men in Micahs days the heads of the house of Jacob and the Princes of the House of Israel abhorred Judgment and perverted all equity They build up Sion with Blood and Jerusalem with Iniquity and for their sins and sakes was Sion Plowed as a Field and Jerusalem made heaps The Venetian History informs us that in a time when the Common-Wealth of Venice was much afflicted Baimonti Tepulo who issued from a noble family but bearing a Devilish hatred to his Country with divers others of the same quality and means conspired against it divers of the common people being in pay with the Conspirators who in the midst of a horrible tempest intermingled with