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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A51916	Sermons preach'd on several occasions by John March ..., the last of which was preach'd the twenty seventh of November, 1692, being the Sunday before he died ; with a preface by Dr. John Scot ; to which is added, A sermon preach'd at the assizes, in New-Castle upon Tine, in the reign of the late King James.	March, John, 1640-1692.; Scott, John, 1639-1695.	1699 (1699)	Wing M583; ESTC R18158	123,796	330

enjoys the bright beams of Heavenly light whilst all the World besides groans under worse than Aegyptian darkness This is the true Gideons fleece which is watred with the dew of Celestial Grace whilst the other parts of the Earth lyes dry and parch'd not unlike some barren and cursed wilderness This in St. Austine's comparison is the true Ark in which alone we can be secure from the deluge of God's wrath Thus great is their happiness who are in the Church of Christ But some difficulty there is to find out the true Church as Tertullian observed of Old faciunt favos vespae faciunt Ecclesias Marcionitae the most dangerous Wasps have their Cells saith he even so the worst of Hereticks are ready to cry out the Temple of the Lord are we That therefore we may not mistake Leah for Rachel or embrace a Cloud instead of a Iuno we must carefully observe that description St. Paul gives us of the true Church he tells us it is founded on the Doctrine of Heaven or if you had rather take it in the words of the Text it is saith he that houshold of God which is built upon the foundations of the Apostles and Prophets From the words thus far explained I shall crave leave to prove these four things First That the Doctrine of the Apostle and Prophets is the foundation on which the true Church is built Secondly That this Doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets is sufficiently delivered to us in the Holy Scriptures Thirdly That the Church of England is built upon this foundation of the Apostles and Prophets And Fourthly That such as continue in the communion of this Church are as happy as were those Ephesians of whom St. Paul says they were no more strangers and forreigners but fellow-Citizens with the Saints of this houshold of God I begin with the first of these to shew you that the Doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets is the only foundation upon which the true Church is built The Church of Ephesus if we 'l believe St. Paul was the houshold of God or a true Church of Christ and it seems it was so because built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets we are sure these inspired Ministers of the Holy Iesus preached and planted none but the true Religion and we may be sure it can be no bad Church which owns and professes the same Religion I know there are several marks given of the true Church such as Unity Universality Antiquity Succession Sanctity and the like but tho' these where they are found are Great Ornaments to a Church yet the best and most infallible mark to know it by is its conformity to the Doctrines delivered by the Apostles For the true Church as the Apostle speaks elsewhere is the ground and Pillar of Truth but it will not deserve this honourable Character if its Doctrines be repugnant to the Doctrines delivered by the Apostles It 's said of the best and most Catholick Christians Acts 2. 42. That they continued stedfast in the Apostles Doctrine And therefore such as follow the Primitive example will be far from deserving the brand of Hereticks Does not our Saviour himself tell us that his Sheep will hear his Voice and not the Voice of Strangers And where is this voice of Christ to be heard but sounding in the writings of these Apostles and Prophets This therefore is the sure word of Prophecy whereunto saith St. Peter ye do well if you take heed nor is this any other mark of the Church of God then what is generally own'd by the antient Fathers Tertullian brings in the Church speaking such words as these Sum Apostolorum sic teneo sicut illi testamento caverunt I am Heir saith she to the holy Apostles whatever Truth they left me in their Writings whatever Doctrines they bequeath'd me in their Testament these I firmly believe these I will constantly hold Ireneus calls the Gospel columnam firmamentum Ecclesiae the Ground and Pillar of the Church St. Chrysostome treating at large upon this Question How the true Church may be known returns this answer more than once The true Church is best known by the holy Scriptures saith he that is the Christian Church which agrees with these sacred Oracles and that is the Heretical which is repugnant to them None speaks more largely or more excellently to this point than the great St. Austine who in his admirable Book against the Donatists writes thus The question between us and the Donatists is where we shall find the Church What therefore shall we do shall we seek it in our own words or in the words of our Lord Iesus Christ I think we had rather seek it in his words who is the truth and best knoweth his own Church Let not therefore these Speeches be heard amongst us This I say and this thou sayest but let us hear Thus saith the Lord There are certain Books of God to whose Authority we both stand we both consent we both believe there let us seek the Church there let us try our cause I will not have the Church demonstrated by Man's teaching but by the holy Oracles of God Setting therefore aside all such matters let them shew forth the Church if they can not by the speech and rumours of the Africans not in the Councils of the Bishops not in the Writing of any Disputer not in Visions and Revelations not in Signs and false Miracles because God's word has abundantly prepared us and made us ready against these things But let them declare it out of the Prescript of the Law the predictions of the Prophets the Songs of the Psalms the testimonies of the Apostles the words of the Pastor himself whether they have a Church or no let them declare only by the Canonical Books of the holy Scripture these be the instructions these be the foundations these be the supporters of our cause Thus far St. Austine and because he is so clear and so full to this case I shall not need to trouble you with any further Authorities especially since the Church of Rome doth acknowledge in her Trent Catechism that no Church is Catholick that does not profess that faith which is built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles She must not hold any new faith say they but that which was delivered of old by the holy Apostles And it follows in the same Catechism the Nicene Fathers did well to add the word Apostolick to their Creed saying I believe one Catholick and Apostolick Church namely that all might know that is the only true Catholick Church which is Apostolick That therefore must needs be the truest mark of the Church which both Romanists and Protestants own to be so and indeed without this all those other marks which are pretended will signifie nothing Unity without Apostolical Doctrine is so far from being a mark of the Church that it may not only be found in the Societies of the worst of Men

Curiosity is another unhappy Cause of Schisms and Divisions Christ has given us a Rule to walk by and the Holy Scriptures contain all things necessary to be believed in order to Salvation And so long as men hold fast that form of sound words which was at first delivered to the Church there can be no danger of Schisms and Divisions But curiosity makes men desire to be wise above what is written and consequently disturb the Peace and Tranquility of the Church This St. Paul foresaw when he commanded Timothy to charge some That they give no heed to Fables and endless Genealogies which minister Questions rather than Godly Edifying 1 Tim. 1. 4. and Chap. 6. 3 4. he condemns such as dote about Questions and Dispute about Words whereof cometh Envy Strife Railings and Surmises 4. Self-love is another unhappy Cause of Schisms and Divisions This is the strongest and most violent Passion of the Soul and therefore St. Paul gives it the precedence of all the rest 2 Tim. 3. 2. It is a true saying of Luthers Societies would continue longer than they do if it were not for this little Pronoun Ego I my self For whilst Men prefer their own Interest before the Publick whilst they seek their own things rather than the things of Jesus Christ and his Church they tear his seamless Coat in pieces and make unhappy Divisions among Christians To prevent therefore these Divisions St. Paul gives this Advice amongst others Let nothing be done through strife Look not every man on his own things but also on the things of others Phil. 2. 3 4. Thus I have shewn you what are the Causes of Schisms and Divisions in the Church and so long as these Causes remain we must expect the fatal consequences of them so long as the Devil is allowed to go about as a Roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour so long as he has mens Lusts and Passions to join with him in the Work so long as he can imploy such Instruments as the Ambitious Covetous Curious and Lovers of themselves he will be able to disturb the Peace of God's Church Indeed God has power sufficient to prevent these Divisions he can create a firm and lasting peace among Christians But as St. Cyprian speaks Fieri haec Dominus permittit patitur manente propriae libertatis arbitrio The Lord saith he suffers these Divisions to be in his Church because he leaves men to act according to the liberty of their Wills God does not imploy his irresistible power in keeping men from Schism more than from other sins But having forbidden it with all the solemnity imaginable having discyphered the damnable nature of it and prest Christians by innumerable and those most powerful Motives to keep this Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace he leaves them to act for themselves in this as in other matters appointing a day in which he will judge and punish everlastingly such as dare to disturb the Peace of his Church We need not wonder then if men be Traytors to the Church as well as to the State if they rebel against Christ as well as against their Prince seeing God leaves men at liberty to commit this as well as any other sin Now if any should put the Question why God leaves men thus to their liberty Tho' I might chastise such curiosity with Solomons Answer Eccles. 7. 10. who tells such Curious Persons That they do not enquire wisely concerning this matter yet since St. Paul has furnisht me with a more satisfactory reply in the Text I shall return them this Answer in my third General Namely Thirdly That God's design in suffering these Schisms and Divisions is to discover the rottenness of some and the integrity of others This may easily be gathered from the Text where St. Paul tells us That there must be Heresies that they who are approved may be made manifest It is a Golden Sentence of St. Austin That God who is Infinitely Good would never suffer Evil but that being also Omnipotent he is able to extract Good out of Evil. When God suffers Schisms and Divisions to befall his Church his design is to discover to the World the Rottenness of some and the Integrity of others It may be said of Religion what good old Simeon said of Christ the Author of it It is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel So long as Religion prospers and flourishes in the World Hypocrites and the worst of Atheists will be content to own it But if at any time it falls into Distress or labours under Persecution then they fall off like Leaves in Autumn Indeed as St. Cyprian observes Nemo existimet bonos Ecclesia posse discedere None can imagin saith he that Good Men will abjure the Communion of God's Church as he goes on the Wind drives not away the solid Wheat but the Chaff the Storm may overturn the weaker Shrubs but the sturdy Oak gains strength and firmness by the Tempest To the same purpose is that of St. Iohn 1 Iohn 2. 19. They went out from us but they were not of us for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us but they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not of us Times of Division are times of Trial and do as the Father speaks in some sort anticipate the day of Iudgment for at such times the Tares will gather themselves into Bundles and leave the purer Corn without any mixture in the Field of the Lord Sound Believers will now be known from Hypocrites and though the Church may not be crouded with such numbers as it was before yet its greatest loss will be only of rotten Members It will now be able to discern its Friends from its Foes And tho' an Acacius an Ecebolius and such like Changlings may serve the Times and themselves more yet all sincere Christians will think it both their Duty and Honour to adhere couragiously to the Church of God which brings me to the fourth General proposed Namely Fourthly To shew you that those are truly Noble and Honourable Persons who continue steadfast in the Communion of God's Church amidst these Schisms and Divisions which arise in it These are the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the approved ones in the Text. The Greek word which is here rendred Approved is a Metaphor taken from Gold tried in the Fire We know such a trial makes its solidity and lustre shine the brighter yea it is now valued at an higher rate than it was before Even so Christians when they continue steadfast amidst Schisms and Divisions it renders them much more honourable than they were before There is an advantage saith Plutarch which men receive from their very Enemies had there been no Trojan Wars Hector's Valour had never been so renowned and the greater the violence of a Tempest is the more highly does it commend the skill of the Pilot Even so the integrity of Orthodox Christians

Brethren mark them which cause Divisions and Offences contrary to the Doctrine which you have received and avoid them Thus we have found Schisms and Divisions in all those Churches which are recorded in the New Testament and if we descend to succeeding Ages we shall find Schisms and Divisions too many Whosoever have learning and leisure enough to consult Epiphanius and S. Austin will find them reckoning up no fewer than an 100 Heresies even in those best and purest Ages of Christianity All this I hope will suffice to prevent any sinister opinion of the Church of England which at this time is torn in pieces by Schisms and Divisions This indeed ought to be matter of Lamentation to us and ingage our most ardent prayers for the peace of Ierusalem But sure it cannot be managed as an Argument against our Church but the blow will reach other Churches too even all those Churches which are now in Christendom and as you have heard those best of Churches which were in the first and purest Ages of Christianity Let not therefore your present Divisions lessen your esteem of the Church of England The best of Churches are subject to these misfortunes and will be so to the end of the World For as our Saviour speaks Luke 17. 1. It is impossible but that Offences will come And St. Paul says the same in the Text where he tells us that there must be Heresies which brings me to the second General proposed Secondly Namely to enquire what those Causes are which make Schisms and Divisions in some sort necessary and here I cannot but assign 1st The first and principal place to the infernal Fiends Satan is the Enemy in our Saviours Parable who is said to sow these Tares in the Field of the Church Hence St. Paul calls Heresies the Doctrins of Devils Ignatius styles them the Plants and Snares of Satan and to name no more Epiphanius calls the Arch-heretick Arius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the Image and Statue of the Devil However the Devil labours to keep his own Kingdom in peace and tranquility yet he seeks nothing more than to cause Divisions in the Kingdom of Christ. The Egyptians who worshipped of old Dogs and Cats and shed penitent Tears before the Shrine of a Deified Onion The Pagans who worship the Sun Moon and all the Host of Heaven and the Mahometans who worship a cursed Impostor these never had such divisions among them as have been and still are in the Church of Christ. Unity is the strength and stability of all Communities So that Satan would fight against his own Interest should he disturb the quiet of those Societies which are devoted to his Service But the Church of Christ the purer it is either in Doctrin or in Worship the more does it threaten ruin and destruction to Satans Kingdom no wonder then if this subtil Serpent does use all his stratagems and devices to stir up differences and contentions in these Christian Societies Well then might St. Cyprian conclude that the Schisms and Heresies which happened in his time were industriously raised by the Devil that he might revenge himself on the Christian Religion which had struck his Oracles dumb and almost banisht his Worship out of the World Thus Satan you see is the Principal Cause of those Divisions which disturb the Peace of God's Church and this by the way affords us another Apology for the Church of England We must confess our Divisions are great and sad but this only argues Satans greater Rage and Malice against her And I pray what wonder is it that the Father of Lies should be a malitious Enemy against that Church which is the Ground and Pillar of Truth But 2ly Tho' Satan be the Principal Cause of Schisms and Divisions yet he employs the Lusts and Passions of Men as Instruments to raise them Hence is that of St. Iames Chap. 4. 1. Whence are Wars and Fightings among you Are they not hence even from your Lusts Man before his Conversion is no better than a Centaur half Bruit and half Man And till Grace has ascended the Throne he exceeds for Rage and Fury the wildest Inhabitants of the Forest. Lactantius compares his Exorbitant Passions to mad furious Horses which hurry him violently on such things as are mischievous and pernicious to Society Now Satan works upon these Passions of Men and raises them as Wind does the Seas into tumult and commotion no wonder then if St. Paul Chap. 5. 20. reckons among the Lusts of the Flesh Hatred Variance Emulation Strife Seditions Heresies and Envyings But tho' there be not any Lust which does not contribute more or less to those contentions which happen in the Church yet Pride Covetousness Curiosity and self-love are observed to be the chief Beautifeau's and Incendiaries of them 1. Pride is one great Cause of those Divisions and Contentions which happen in the Church It is a true saying of Solomon Prov. 13. 10. Only by Pride cometh Contention Melanchton in his Comment upon the place mentions a famous Proverb to this purpose Duo Montes non miscentur two swelling Mountains will not mix well together When Men begin to swell with Pride and Ambition they soon grow too big for the little Fold of Christ. Thus Diotrephes loving the preheminence disturbed the Peace of the Asiatick Churches Thus Arius priding himself in his skill in Logick sought to raise his reputation by opposing his Diocesan Ambition is a very turbulent and seditious Passion and if Men once give the Reins to it it will make them fire the Temple of God as Herostratus did Diana's only to get a name and to be talkt of in the World 2. Covetousness is another great and special Cause of those Divisions which happen in the Church Since St. Paul tells us that the love of mony is the root of all evil we may well conclude it one cause of the evil of Schism and indeed St. Peter tells us so expresly 2 Pet. 2. 3. where the Character he gives of Hereticks is this Through Covetousness they make merchandise of people with feigned words Mammon is own'd for a God by the greatest part of Mankind and with most men in the world Gain passes for Godliness We need not wonder then if the desire of Wealth prove often both the Mother and the Nurse of Heresies As soon as Demetrius had told the Silver-Smiths of Ephesus that their Craft was in danger to be set at naught they presently fill the City with noise and uproar and cry out stoutly Great is Diana of the Ephesians St. Iude describing the manners of the Gnostick Hereticks tells us they ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward St. Cyprian writes of the Heretick Novatus that he was Avaritiae inexplebili rapacitate furibundus most insatiably covetous and rapacious even to a degree of madness But to name no more the Magdeburgenses long ago observed that Covetousness helpt to Spawn most of the Heresies in the World 3.

this Book of Psalms If after such wonderful deliverances as you have heard this day we still indulge our selves in sin our most costly Sacrifices will prove an abomination the Lord will even spread the very Dung of them on our Faces See therefore with what passion Ezra exhorts the Iews to this Duty after their Deliverance from the Babylonish Captivity Ezra 9. 13. VVhen we have received such deliverance as this should we again break thy Commandments wouldst thou not be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us We must therefore keep holiness in our Lives otherwise we shall not be fit to keep an Holy-Day to the Lord. It becometh well the just to be thankful let the high praises of God be in their Mouths and it will please him better than a Bullock that has Horns and Hoofs Let us therefore reform our Lives and being thus wonderfully delivered from the Hands of our Enemies let us serve without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our Life which God of his Infinite Mercy grant c. SERMON V. 1 Cor. xi 19. For there must be also Heresies among you that they which are approved may be made manifest among you COrinth being seated on the Peloponnesian Isthmus had the advantage both of the Ionian and Aegean Sea to bring into its Bosom all the Treasures of the World And indeed these Temporal Blessings flowed there in such great abundance that Corinth is styled by Homer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and by Pindar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in plain English the Rich and Happy City of Corinth And as Corinth was thus happy in respect of its Trade and Commerce so it was much more happy in having the Gospel planted there by the great Apostle S. Paul It was accounted the honour of these Primitive Churches to have some Apostle or other to be their Founder and the more eminent the Apostle was the greater was the honour of the Church he planted Now in this respect Corinth was inferiour unto none as being founded by St. Paul the great Apostle of the Gentiles one who is sometimes styled by the Antients Prince of the Apostles and who in that modest Character which he has left of himself in 2 Cor. 11. 5. tells us expresly That he was not a-whit behind the very chiefest Apostles The honour therefore of the Church of Corinth could not but be great since it was planted by this great Apostle St. Paul And the honour of it will appear yet greater if we add the observation of a Learned Author Super hac Ecclesia maxime triumphat Paulas St. Paul saith he tho' he converted several other Nations and planted several other Churches yet he seems to glory most yea even triumph in the Conversion of the Corinthians These he calls his special work in the Lord and the very Seal of his Apostleship Chap. 9. of this Epistle ver 1 2. And as the Church of Corinth had the honour to be planted by the Labours of St. Paul so it had also the happiness to be watered by the Eloquence of Apollo and the powerful Preachings of St. Peter Now one would have thought a Church thus happily Planted and Watred might if any in the World have promis'd it self an immunity from Schisms and Divisions at least so long as these Infallible Apostles and Unerring Guides were still alive But alas even Infallibility it self is so far from proving an Antidote against Schisms that it was a great means of raising and promoting them here at Corinth for in the first Chapter of this Epistle we find them crying out I am of Paul I am of Apollo and I am of Cephas And besides these Schisms which took their rise from the eminency of their Teachers we find in this 11th Chapter several other Divisions about the Sacrament Unity is indeed a signal Blessing yet such as the best of Churches may not always enjoy Corinth as Glorious and Eminent a Church as it was was rent in pieces by Factions and Divisions nay which is stranger yet St. Paul in the Text stamps an Oportet upon them there must saith he be Heresies or as he calls them in the foregoing Verse Divisions among you Satan and his Instruments will always watch their opportunity to sow these Tares And God it seems is willing to permit them that the rottenness of some and the integrity of others may be discovered So much St. Paul tells us in the Text for there must be also Heresies among you that they which are approved may be made manifest among you From which words I shall endeavour to shew you First That the best of Churches are subject to the Misfortune of Schisms and Divisions Secondly VVhat those Causes are which make Schisms and Divisions in some sort necessary Thirdly That God's design in suffering these Schisms and Divisions is to discover the Rottenness of some and Integrity of others Fourthly That those are truly Noble and Honourable Persons who continue stedfast in the Communion of God's Church amidst these Schisms and Divisions which arise in it These are the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the approved ones in the Text. There must saith St. Paul be Heresies among you that they which are approved may be made manifest I begin with the first of these First Namely to shew you that the best of Churches are subject to the misfortune of Schisms and Divisions He must be a very great Stranger both to Scripture and Ecclesiastical History who does not know that the misfortune of Corinth in the Text is the usual fate and misfortune of other Churches There is not any Church mentioned in the New Testament but what was sadly distracted with Schisms and Divisions We find at Galata such as preacht up Iudaism and bewitched the Galatians with a Dangerous Opinion of the necessity of Legal Rites St. Paul warns the Colossians of such as were ready to spoil them through vain Philosophy and bids them take care that no man beguiled them in a voluntary humility and worshipping of Angels When he wrote his Hierarchial Epistle to Titus the first Bishop of Crete It seems Hereticks were so numerous in that Church that he was obliged to give him this Apostolical Canon among the rest An Heretick after the first and second Admonition reject If we take a view of the Seven Churches of Asia recorded in the Book of Revelations St. Iohn will shew us a Synagogue of Satan in the Church of Smyrna Nicolaitans and Balaamites in the Church of Sardis Hereticks stigmatized with the name of Iezabel in the Church of Thyatira and in Ephesus the Mother Church Counterfeit Apostles who said they were Apostles and were not but upon trial were found Liars Tho' the Faith of the Romans was at this time so famous that it was spoken of saith S. Paul throughout the whole World yet they were not so happy as to be free from Divisions for our Apostle gives them this Advise Rom. 16. 17. I beseech you