for the glory of God to expose themselves to so many hazards and they doe the more confidently beleeve it because Gods Witnesses have mostly Prophecied in sackcloth and hitherto Christ hath appeared for the most part against the Worship and customes of Nations John saith Christ came into the world 1 Io. 3. 8. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} to unravell Satans webbes he hath been indeed acting the demolishing rather then the adstructive part but therefore they goe away with erroneous mistakes as if he would never build establish and set up and as if the Kings of the earth should never bring in their glory to the Church * And Martyrs were made so more by the blood and suffering then by the cause Thus I have touched upon the causes and state of the present distempers much more might be said upon this subject But now I was onely willing to point at the heads of things But you will say then what hopes I Answer our wound is grievous but not incurable many things there are to incourage us to keepe silence and waite upon God till he ordaine better things for us let me speake a word or two in this matter consider then Errors usually are not long-lived the next age declareth the folly of them 1 Cor. 3. 13. the day shall declare it time will shew what is stubble and hay though men have high thoughts of it for the present we raise so much dust by the heate of our contentions that our eyes are blinded the glory of truth darkened but things will cleare up againe we wounder at the contests of former ages and so will they at ours When God commeth into his holy Temple all the earth will keepe silence Hab. 2. 20. The neerer we aproach to Antichrists ruine God will give out more light Revel. 18. Babylon fell when the earth was inlightened with the Angells glory Light will increase towards the perfect day and as light increaseth so doth love that great unity spoken of before is when there shall be more knowledge for that 's the reason rendred Isa. 11. 9. For the knowledge of the Lord shall cover the world as the waters cover the Sea And then againe the Divell usually overacts himselfe by appearing in some odious delusion no longer as an Angell of light but as a foule fiend in such direct opposition to Christ that all good men loath him usually when God maketh any great change things come to an extremity and excesse of corruption The Arrians prevailed for a long time but being so detestably vicious and insolently cruell they ruined their own cause Or else Satan runneth himself out of breath in some civill Commotions The Remonstrants in the low-countryes quite overturned their cause when they began to raise tumults and troubles every where so those under the conduct of Muncer in Germany did but run themselves violently like * the Gadarens swine upon their owne ruine and destruction usually when Satan hath such great wrath his time is but short Revel. 12. 12. God delighteth mightily to ruine him by the violence of his owne endeavours Use 2 It serveth to Exhort and presse you to hasten and set on these hopes promises doe not exclude action but ingage to it Hope keepeth up endeavours what you doe in this kinde will not be in vaine in the Lord the promises hold forth unity strive after it 1. By Prayers 2. By Endeavours 1 By Prayers when things are otherwise itremediable heere is the last refuge Psal. 122. 6. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem they shall prosper that love it If you love it that 's the least you can doe to mourne over the matter to God indeed sometimes 't is all that wee can doe * Learned Perkins said of his times Non sunt ista litigandi tempora sed orandi Prayers are fitter for these times then disputes Carnall zeale may put us upon disputes 't is true zeale that puts us upōprayer when we are so tenderly affected for Gods glory as that in that respect we can go mourne over the matter to him when Luther thought to redresse the evil of his times one told him abi in cellam et dic miserere nostri go and cry Lord have mercy upon us truly things seeme past help and cure I but goe and urge the matter to God that which is marvilous in our eyes * is not so in his a man goeth most cheerefully to the throne of grace when he hath the incouragement of a particular promise heere is a promise not onely to the case but to the times in that day there shall be one Lord and one name and that you may not thinke it a casuall promise and comfortable word that dropped out of the mouth of God unawares you shall see 't is a blessing full in the eye of the generall Covenant for 't is very observeable that when the tenor of the Covenant is expressed Unity is made one of the chiefe blessings of it Jer. 32. 39. I will give them one heart and one way for the good of them and of their children after them marke he saith in the former verse that he will be their God and they shall be his people which is the forme of the Covenant and then he undertaketh to give them one heart and one way union in opinion and union in affections so Ezek. 19. 11. I will give them one heart and I will put a new spirit within them 'T is a maine branch of the Covenant to give them one heart an heart united to God and so to one another urge God then with his own promise and Covenant be instant and earnest with him 2 Thess. 3. 16. The Lord of peace give you peace alwayes by all meanes the Lord of peace God that loveth it God that worketh it and the latter phrases alwayes and by all meanes note the vehemency and intentnesse of his desires one way or another let God finde out a meanes to ordaine peace for you for your incouragement consider you doe not only pray but Christ prayeth with you Christ intercedeth with the Father for the same thing John 17. 21. That they may be all one and that they may be perfect in one that the world may know that thou hast sent me that Prayer is but the coppy of his continuall intercession He knoweth what a scandall it is to his Name c. and therefore he saith let them be one now this is a great comfort when Christ prayeth for the same thing for which you pray he is worthy to be heard though you be not God will not refuse him that speaketh in Heaven however he dealeth with poore crawling wormes in earth 2. By Endeavours follow hard after it I shall speake heere to the people in generall then to the ministery and then shall be bold to lay two or three considerations at the feet of this honourable Assembly to helpe on this worke 1. To the people oh
that thus our evills grew upon us first they were hatched by the ignorance iniquity and violence of the former times when things are very badde men are apt to fly out into the contrary extremities and began to breake out upon this great change which the former corruptions did even necessitate and enforce as usually you know great and violent changes occasion great tumults ill humours in the body discover themselves upon a straine when God changed his own Ordinances erroneous spirits were busie I meane in the first times of the Gospel when a people begin to innovate 't is an hard mater to keep them within the bounds of any moderation and therefore 't is the policy of the Church of Rome to change nothing ne videatur errasse Reformations are very perillous especially to corrupt bodyes here then was the occasion and indeed a sad occasion to many who in the extremity of opposition to Antichristian wayes obtruded themselves upon as sad or worse inconveniencies going off not onely from vaine Rites but Religion it selfe and instead of leaving corruptions left worship and indeed any other thing could not be expected if wee consider how loose and slack the reines of Government have been of late with what violence and tumult this change was managed not in the solemne grave way of conviction and humiliation Buildings stand whose foundations are lay'd in those deepes But otherwise 't will be hard to settle things partly because till the error be rightly stated the truth is not found out partly because such changes make men lose all awe and reverence in the matter of Religion and so every man digresseth into his own way and adoreth the Idol of his own braine usually you will finde what ever is carried on by scoffes and popular tumults seldome succeedeth well I confesse God loveth to powre contempt upon the sonnes of Levi that are partiall in the Covenant * 't is his way many times to cause the voyce of many waters * id est of the confused multitude to goe before the voyce of mighty thunderings id est the regular act of the magistrate whose sentences and decrees are terrible as Thunder and therefore I doe adore the justice of divine providence in causing the former Ministery to become base and contemptible before all the people But however I cannot but sadly bewayle the mischiefes that abound amongst us by the neglect of men though the corruptions of Episcopacy made it justly odious yet it would have been better it had been rather then jeasted downe arguments would have done more good then scoffes besides the danger of returning to folly do but consider the present inconveniences of making so great a change without more publicke rationall conviction when things that before were of reverend esteeme are of a suddaine decryed what 's the effect why Religion it selfe is of lesse esteeme men suspect all can as well scoffe out truth as error Calvines Observation is excellent he saith that in times of changes there are Luâ—i-amici homines qui jocose et per Ludibrium gerunt adversas supersistiones Papatus interim nullo tanguntur timore dei c. many that are of Lucians temper who by jeasting against received rites insensibly loose all sense and awe of religion and by scoffing at false Gods come the lesse to dread the true consider and see if the former liberty of tongues and pens hath not begotten that present irreverence and fearelessnesse that is in the spirits of men against things that undoubtly are of God but this is not all doe but consider how many are hardened in their old wayes and prejudiced against the reformers as if they were men that did procedere non ad perfectionem sed ad permutationem * were men given to changes meerly to love things out of passion and present dislike or which is worse out of self aimes and are ready to say of them as Austin said of some who appeared against the Pagans non pietate everterunt idola sed Avariti â onely to divide the spoile And all this because the grounds reasons and necessity of the change have not beene publickly enough discovered and truly it were very well if the loose principles and indirect practises of some did not give occasion to these slanders all that I shall farther say is this that to leape out of one way into another either out of base aimes or without due sham and sense of former miscarriages will but make our own station the more questionable for certainly selfe-respects have no majesty with them and though we be in the right yet having a wrong heart God recompenceth into our own bosomes the very measure of our dealing with others wee now have so and the great occasion of the spreading of those evile amongst us which were hatched under the iniquity of the former times and possibly let alone as the last reserve against endeavours of reformation and now meeting with a people capable of such impressions * who love to wander they are the more easily diffused and propagated some are ensnared by their owne pride and foolish singularity others by discontent base aimes unworthy reflections upon their honour profits c. most by a spirit of opposition against the Ministery God hath set us out * to be men of contention to the whole earth Those that are censores morum whose office is to taxe publicke abuses will be looked upon as men of strife we might justly suspect ourselves if this were not the portion of our cup * this spirit certainly acteth many enemies will snarle when the great voice bideth the witnesses come up bither * Surely some doe behold their late ascention and glory with envy and indignation others possibly may be led by a desire of being somebody in the world Simon Magus would be {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Act. 8. 9. there is a naturall itch desire after mastership in Israel Iames cheketh it Iames 3. 1 mybrethren be not many masters we naturally affect the honor of this chaire some bottles wil burst if they have not vent * Tertullian observeth that this was the reason why divers went over to the Gnostickes and the opposite partyes in his time young men and men otherwise unfit presently Commenced into some esteeme and mastership thus you see different men acted by different spirits and all one way or another increasing the distractions of the times which being thus occasioned and diffused are supported and kept up by factions and partyes men severally prosecuting their crosse designes without any regard to the truth and advantage of Religion and if any party be opposed and discountenanced their delusion is the more strong by a supposall of perfection for by comparing their state with the state of the people of God who suffered under the fury of former times their prejudices are increased and thinke it can be no lesse then Religion and truth of zeale
Because God will shew you a point of divine skill to make poyson become your preservative and your ruine your establishment he will unite you by your divisions gather you by your own scatterings Judas's treason was called Faelix scelus an happy wickednesse because it occasioned Christ many times God maketh contentions happy in their issue and result and though for the present their influance is very deadly to Religion yet their effect is confirmation to the truth and in the end Gods people are brought more firmly and sweetly to close with one another and their God The noyse of Axe and Hammers doth but square stones for the Temple that they may lye the more evenly in the buildings usually we finde that Religious controversies like the knocking of flints yeild more light and by the providence of God occasion more sincere love before wee had but a negative affection to truth and might rather be said not to hate then to love it every ulgar and low spirit will love truth when 't is honoured and advantaged with common consent true affections are ravished with the beauty of truth and have some positive ground for which they can love truths yea and the more when they are suspected and questioned for then they shine with the greater lustre as being able to endure contradiction and as being more strongly vindicated and asserted thus you know trees shaken are the more firmly rooted and dislocated joynts if well set againe prove the stronger as in the point of assurance after doubtings the soul doth most sweetly closely repose it self in the bosom of Christ so outwardly the more smoke there is in the Temple the greater glory afterward In times of common consent men keep together as those that are bound with a chaine But in times of difference and dissenting Gods people are at one with God and one another upon higher motives and love truth for its own sake it being as I said more cleared and vindicated I have often wondered at that inference of the people of God Mica 4. 5. All people will every one of them walke in the name of his God and we will walke in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever That which is a feandall to the world is to them a motive and ingagement to firmnesse in the truth and union with one another there are different wayes and perswasions in the world therefore let us the more cleave together in the right way the variety that was abroad made them more at one So at that of David Psal. 126. 127 They have made voide thy Law therefore doe I love thy Commandements above gold When the wayes of God are questioned nay disanull'd exploded with contempt and scorne the more precious to a gracious heart therfore doe I love them saith David that was the very motive of his affection ver. 127. 3. Because God loveth to bestow blessings when the creatures most want them to give them the greatest unity after the greatest distractions that their blessings may be according to the rate and degree of their miseries and abasement God I say loveth to make consolations abound in the very degree of sufferings * and therefore you may beare up in the greatest breaches when God meant them Canaan he would first give them enough of the Wildernesse enough to carry some proportion with the future happinesse Deut. 2. 3. Yea have compassed this mountaine long enough turn you northward They had been thirty nine yeares compassing mount Sâ—ir it might have been done in so many weekes or dayes but the pillar of the cloud never went before them till now God may make you fetch compasse enough about this mountaine keep you in the wildernesse of distractions ere you can see providence before you leading of you into better times you shall see the people of God in the wildernesse did plead the equity of this rule and course of heaven Psal. 90. 15. make us glad according to the dayes wherein thou hast afflicted us and the yeares wherein wee have seen evill T was the prayer of Moses in the desert let Canaan countervaile the Wildernesse The longer in the distractions the more aboundance of honey and milke shall wee finde in that good Land more flowings of grace larger discoveries of the minde of God Well then be sensible of the evill of the times but with comfort in the Lord and hope in the promises Object But you will say these are generalls that concerne the whole Church especially at such a season what doe you say to our distempers and distractions Sol. Though the part followeth the reason of the whole and Gods dispensations are alike to both the Catholicke and particular Churches so that what is said of the whole may be applyed to a part as many times on the contrary promises made to particular persons are reputed as catholicke and of a more universall use and so applyed to the whole Yet I shall speake a little more expresly to our own case Much may be spoken in this matter about the cause and cure of our distempers the danger of the times and the hopes But because this would ingage to too large a digression and the discourse will rather be managed and carryed on by rationall conjectures then sure and Theologicall grounds therefore I shall waite for a more convenient season and but a little touch upon matters that otherwise would challenge an accurate discussion None can be ignorant of the state of the times That a spirit of division and delusion is let loose and gone abroad amongst us so that the pillars of Religion are shaken the most concerning truthes questioned nay exploded with scorne and contempt great agitations there are every where and God only knoweth whereunto they will grow 't is a thing of great advantage and benefit to us to consider the ground rise of our distempers and what is the speciall Genius of that spirit of errour that worketh amongst us and so posibly we may come to conceive some hope of the allaying and removeall of it Divers concurring causes there are that help to beget conceive bring forth and midwife such fowle productions into the world and therefore before I touch upon the hopes I shall a little reflect upon the rise and growth of our dissentiency and division and how it came to be thus with us as now it is Wee may let passe the generall causes viz. Gods providence who usually maketh the morning of a glorious day misty and darke Satans malice who when his own holds are shaken loveth to ruine all the world together with himselfe the corruptions of embased nature by which the heart is either weake and so apt to prostitute it self to the grossest fancies if left by God or wicked and so naturally opposite to the truths of God very willing to blot out those impressions that sense that we have of them I say if wee let passe these generall causes we shall finde upon an enquiry
{non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} A good resolution and worthy to be imitated 2. Presse doctrines of Christ and the maine things of Religion some men love to live in the fire and to handle the red hot questions of the age with passion and acrimony but alas this doth no good Zuinglius was once asked by a friend Cur non contra pontificios Why he was not more keene against the Papists and preached not oftner against them He answered He would first plant the feare of God and then men would be for the cause of God To gaine men to a party before they be gained to God is not so warrantable and to presse zeale in some particular wayes doth but produce blind fury which undoeth all * Tertullian noteth it as a miscarriage of the Hereticks in his time that they were more for gaining men to a party then Christianity Suppose you presse the truth yet Christ telleth us that wisdome is * justified of her children God's owâ— people are most zealous for God's truths Iude 4. They turne the grace of OUR God into wantonnesse Sense of interest begetteth the purest freest zeale for God The intent of our Ministery is not that wee should gaine men to the support of our faction and party but to Christ and Christianity Other differences would be allayed were it not that wee doe so often revive them by unseasonable agitations and indeed for the lesser differences they were better wholly laid aside then so often stirred * Calvin after his returne to Geneva would never contend about the businesse of wafercakes for which he was at first cast out though he altered not his minde in it yet would never publickly contend in that matter only many times modestly suggested what he thought was the better way 3. When you deale with the errours of the time for certainly that is necessary wee must stablish our hearers in the present truths 2 Pet. 1. 12. doe it with a great deale of caution and warinesse though I would not prescribe yet give me leave humbly to offer three things which possibly may prevent some abuses 1. Beware of loose stings and generall declamations against errours and heresies these doe but exulcerate minds prejudice our testimony and much hinder it from being received this is a miscarriage on both sides men urge their wayes in loose flings conceited nickes and implications generall outcryes of one side against superstitious antichristianisme and the men of the world words soone spoken on the other side against errours new lights and new opinions The word worketh most when it is most particular and demonstrative thunder at a distance doth not so much startle mee as a clap in my own Zenith it is good to goe by way of particular proofe and argument against opinions proove them to be errours and then call them so otherwise loose and generall invectives will make but superficiall impressions It is very observable that when James had prooved that conceit of Gods being the author of sin to be an errour then he said Jam. 1. 16. Erre not my beloved Brethren He first disputeth and then disswadeth It 's very observable too Mat. 23. from the 13. to the 33. verse that our Saviour never denounceth a woe against the Pharisees but he presently rendreth a reason for it Woe to you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for yee devoure widdowes houses c. Woe for yee shut the Kingdome of God c. Usually ungrounded zeale stayeth in generalls and ordinarily 't is out of deceit or weaknesse 2. Deale herein with all sobernesse and meeknesse wee should doe what we can to remove prejudices men drinke in truths when they are sweetly propounded God was in the still voyce the small raine falleth sweetly upon the tender grasse men presently ingage themselves to a fervour and heate and that marreth all 't is but as oyle to the flames I remember a speech of Darius when one of the Souldiers of the Campe rayled against Alexander he telleth him I kept you to fight against Alexander not to rayle against him Those Arrowes of bitter words are not the weapons of our warfare Passion sheweth wee are angry more against the person then the errour too often it maketh us forsake the maine controversie and goe on upon a wrongsent one saith he that speaketh to Kings must speake {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} with silken words he that speaketh to dissenters had need make his speech as smooth and soft as may be I am sure 't is agreeable to the Apostles advice In meeknesse instruct those that oppose themselves 2 Tim. 2 25. And in the same place he sheweth that the servants of God must be gentle and patient 3. Take heed of aggravating and greatening matters making them of more importance then indeed they are former ages were possessed with this spirit every lesser dissent and mistake was made an heresie or errour in the faith as appeareth by their catalogues Tertullian had but spoken two or three words in favour of Montanus and the Priests of Rome presently cryed him up for a Montanist and accordingly dealt with him Quo protinus offensus saith he * that wrote his life prorsus in Montani partes transivit I confesse 't is good to be watchfull to dash Babylons brats and take the little foxes Cant. 2. 15. i. e. To oppose the first and modest appearances of errour the party last amongst us began with words and would have brought in things Therefore I say 't is good to be watchfull however this will not justifie rough dealing with those that vary from us but in an expression and straining every thing to the worst sence and most odious consequences that it may appeare to be hereticall Christs own words were mistaken and wrested into a sence which he would not own he said He would destroy the Temple in three dayes Joh. 2. 19. He meant it of his body they accused him of the same words and yet they are called false witnesses Mat. 26. 61. who accused him of it because they wrested it to another sence applying it to the materiall Temple Many have a faculty of turning Eloi into Elias Molehils into Mountaines making men offenders for a word and by false glosses causing innocent things to seeme odious 4. Let me intreate you to improve your interests for brotherly and friendly collations publick Conferences cannot be had without tumult and there is a prejudice against publick Sermons and againe private disputes are more for victory then truth usually there is more of strife then love in them * Tertullian saith of his private disputation with a Jew both drew out their reasonings and through the heate of contention both went away unsatisfied But now if there were meetings instituted for the propounding of things rather by way of case then