Wise Good and Pure Created man in a more Noble and Innocent Estate than that whereinto he hath plunged himself If we be in a state of War we are born so as we are corrupted we were not originally designed such by the Creator And it fares with those that should be repaired as it doth with men of tender Eyes sickly Ears and weak Stomacks in respect of the Light Musick and Delicates though these be grateful to sound faculties their disorder will not abide ' em Nor can Superstitious and Licentious men away with the Preaching of Truth and Righteousness When men are Conscious to themselves of their own ill-deserving they have ever a suspitious eye upon that which is of another Interest The Elders of Bethel though of the better sort of God's people trembled at Samuels comeing and solicitously enquired Comest thou peaceably And you may observe that even all those who are honoured with an Angels appearance to 'em must yet be cheared with a Noli timere fear not or else the message to 'em is lost for lack of courage to hear it And all because being Conscious of our own guilty we are still jealous of a Denunciation If so then by how much men are more wicked so much the apter will they be to be troubled for they are so much more like the Devil than others are and therefore jealous lest the Preacher of Righteousness torment 'em before their time These are of opinion that all Essays to cure 'em are but a trouble Laws Tracts of Philosophy and even their very Sacrifices if they had cost about ' em Their Natures were not subdued by Philosophy And that the nearer it came to true Divinity the more unwelcome was it and worse used he that vented it as was Socrates And all was nought among 'em as Hackwell in his excellent Apology makes manifest 2ly If you add the Apostles Argument Rev. 12.12 The Devil hath great wrath because his time is short The Prince of Darkness must needs detest the Messengers of Light no wonder if his Agents clamour on 'em that they turn all up-side down He is called in the New Testament the Devil which title I meet not within the Old Testament His time to rant in bad Language was when he felt his Kingdom totter 3dly Add the third Reason as more particular Saravia doth prudently begin his tract of the Right to Command and of Christian Obedience shewing that love of liberty is that which turns all up-side down Being in very deed but the proud stubbornness of an untamed mind arising from the high value which we set upon our selves by which our first Parents fell off from God and in with Satan when they desired to know what he hid and to do what he had forbidden It makes us resemble Brutes of which the worst will not be tamed the rest become useful So Men the more Bruitish they are the harder are they to be reclaimed by doctrin or by discipline And while they would serve themselves of and by all other men and living things yea by the Elements and influences of the Heavens Nay while the very Angels of God are Ministring Spirits and the Son of God in shape of a Servant not comeing to be administred unto but to serve not to do his own will but the will of him that sent him These alone would be free who have most extravagant passions and so least fit to be left at liberty Let the Magistrate urge Law and Equity as did Moses Numb 16.13 They twit him as did the Princes of the Congregation that he makes himself altogether a Prince over them But if the Divine urge Religion he is either snapt up as a Babbler a setter forth of new Gods or he speaks Treason Or at least to bring him into the peoples hate this is he that spoyles their plenty by denying the old worship of the Queen of Heaven Jer. 44.17 18. This mention of the Princes faulting against Moses as these sordid ones in the Text against the Apostles doth mind me of the consent of two excellent men upon this subject That Sedition ariseth both from Great plenty and Great want the one provoking by haughtiness the other by spleen That the one is apt to Out rages the other to petty Mischiefs For Greatness delights to shew it self by effects of power and baseness to help it self with shifts of Malice And both apt to affront their Guides Indeed remarque our Prophets and Apostles and you shall find 'em vext by the Great Women Act. 13.50 whether Devout or whether those Careless ones that are at ease as well as by the Rabble in the Text. And why should we think much if we receive alike opposition whilst to urge them forwards we have some Jesuitical Adversaries who value each their parts and skill as competent to govern a whole Kingdom And others kept so low as by a bare Monastique allowance or Contribution from private Purses If these share not only our Livings in imagination and hope but the Kingdom also as that which they accompt the Pope their Masters vere horius deliciarum for thither those think it should Revert while others expect it as a reward for their zeal as it was in the late times of Sequestration Add to these Arguments the natural Sloath of the World the tediousness of any good which hath long continued How a flighting humour is still maintained against those who out-vie in power them that set a great value on themselves As did he who acknowledged the Objections against the unreformed Churches good but would not abide that one poor Monk should prevail in urging ' em All will satisfie that 1. The best designers are oft worst spoken of 2. And the greatest clamour is from them who have least cause to make it or receive least hurt We may observe the same in reference to those who administer civil affairs as well as to Ecclesiastiques Let the Rabble be up and the Tax-gatherer Adoniram is sure to be stoned And for all Samuels Integrity they will grow weary of his Government If in the 4th of Hosh 4. you find 'em striving with the Priest look forward but to 7.7 and they devour their Judges Nay this unruly Beast the Many is always heady and humorous Please 'em awhile and what ever the King did pleased 'em 2 Sam. 3.36 Raise their pet and the time of the Greatest prosperity and plenty that ever was is carped at Make our heavy burthen lighter 1 King 12.3 Let 'em but be in tolerable fear of Tobia and Sanballat and Nebemia may pluck 'em by the beard Let 'em grow half desperate and the King himself Zedekiah can have nothing after him Let Moses shew 'em the Mount on Fire then what ever thou say'st we will do Let him be absent a-while and the fear over-blown and Aaron must please 'em with a Calf or fare-well his Priest-hood Hear their Language to the Magistrate the word Judge they like not 't is at their
candid Character upon 'em c. 19.37 Let 's consider therefore the quality of their Accusers that make this present out-cry for be they Judges or be they Preachers they are Elders a sort of Reverend persons if they abuse not their Calling and against such an Accusation should not be heard nisi testium qualitate prius examinatâ unless the persons be of good note who bring it If so there is some good hope our despised Apostles will be found innocent for every word increaseth the hard Character of the Accusers They were Jews consequently apt to be fierce and insolent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Soon fired and moved withal to Envy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Unbelievers so Diametrically opposite to the Believers who at Antioch were first called Christians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make a Hubbub Ryot and Rout. And break the publick peace while they tax others And suitable are their Confederates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mules for knowledge as for drudgery light-headed scoffing mercenary Fellowes That disturb the whole City Invade property in the House of Jason Falling furiously upon him and others when those they seek were not found Address to the Multitude an unruly Beast and carryed with a hurry and on the sudden Carry on the Accusation in a way as culpable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Noyse shall procure Audience since they know that they want Justice in their cause Against these none are safe They will first fight for David and on the first pet if Ziglag miscarry be for Stoning him Cry Hosanna to Christ and in the next breath Crucifie him Worship these men at Lystra cap. 14.13 and as lightly down with them This to the Green Tree to David to Christ and to Christ's Apostles what will they do in the dry Alas The Best of us shall be deemed by 'em to be out of our places 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They are come hither also Thus we have opened the Case Let us now hear the proofes If these men deserve not to be answerd yet let the Accused clear themselves to the World Enquire we therefore 1. If the World be turned thus or essayed to be so 2dly If this were to the World any just cause of Complaint 3dly If not why those and such like make it 4thly What in such case the Accused are to resolve and do To the first of these That the World had undergone a great alteration will appear 1. From a Continual 2dly Consentient out-cry or charge 3dly From the Defendants own Confession though they acknowledge no guilt First the clamour of many crys out upon them and such like as continual troublers of all ever since Cain disrelisht Abel whether they were Ministers or Magistrates that were struck at Lot though by Office to Preach Righteousness is looked upon as too much assuming when being scarce took in as a Free-man he will become a Judge Moses and Aaron are flatly told they take too much upon them while they lay the same charge to the Sons of Levi. Elias is declared to be him that troubleth Israel The Herds-man Amos as so pernitious that the Land cannot bear his words Jeremy as weakening Israel and siding with the Caldeans Christ as drawing the whole World after him Joh. 12.9 The substance of the charge against these in the Text. Whose Partners were censured before for filling Jerusalem with this Doctrin and bringing this mans blood upon the Rulers After these the succeeding primitive Christians for having almost as many vices as their Enemies pretended as the other arrogated vertues Our Reformed Churches for novelty in Her Doctrine if you will hear the Romanist for Antichristianisme in her Discipline if you will believe the Schismatick 2dly In this charge consent both Jew and Greek this Doctrin being to the one a stumbling-block and foolishness to the other And as Aegypt Amalec and the Children of Lot all set themselves against Moses Aaron and their Congregation So did Gebal Amalec and an omnigathrum against the Church succeeding Herod and Pontius Pilate late Enemies to each other against Christ. Both the same Herod and Pilate with the Gentiles and people of Israel against the Apostles at their first appearing Act. 4.27 And some of these acknowledge that Bonds and Afflictions awaite them in every City 3dly Themselves could not deny but rather rejoyce in it that things were much altered They say God had so promised A new Heaven and a new Earth the old Earth being to be shook and not that only but the Heaven also Whereas men slept securely he had sent men with Voyces like Trumpets who would awake ' em Nor might Ephraim vindicate himself upon Manasses or he on him or both upon Juda. The Lyon-like posture averred of Juda as his honour in his Fathers blessing being turned to that of the Lamb. A man must not struggle for his own Cloak but let the Coat go after it impart all his substance to his Fellow-members And the spirits be so softned that a blow taken on one Cheek must exact the other to be turned to the Striker And if any despitefully used any of them those they must heartily pray for Old Sacrifices were Antiquated and the liberty of Poligamy and Divorce at pleasure quite Abolished The old aestimat of points of Honour Interest and Liberty quite altered to another Standard And it to be now accompted a priviledge to break Swords into Plow-shares and Spears into Pruning-hooks That the great Prince of the World who Ruled in the dark was by Christ the light Ejected Joh. 12.31 That according to Christs own Profession he was become Superiour to him in all three sorts of causes Joh. 16.8 1. In Criminal causes in the publick Judicature he did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Convince that Princes world of sin 2. In the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Equity that himself should have a glorious reward for his own grand undertakings and their hard usage of him 3. In the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Tryal betwixt Party and Party that Satan was Ejected from his Dominion lost his Worship and the issue would ere long be that through Christ's death he should be destroyed who had the power of death Heb. 2.14 That Christ himself yet came not to send Peace upon the Earth but a Sword and to set Relations at variance among themselves As this Paul did betwixt the Sadduces and Pharisees though of the same Synedrium That the Master saw cause to ask Am I become your Enemy And the Apostles to complain to their Master For thy sake we are killed all the day long and are accounted as the off-scouring of the World And can we now in answer to the second enquiry find that this was to the World no just cause of complaint To Answer this we first take it for granted that where two charge each other both cannot be in the right Nor are all Troublers of the World that are styled so or that do alter the course of it viz. when its courses are Evil.
Tongues end when they are most Angry who made thee a Ruler or a Judge This Fellow came to sojourn and will needs be a Judge Leave it to the Gaole or to him that holds by a force or has broke the close and they would save you a labour of sitting Have Charity for us if Schismatique Papist or Atheist envy our promotions or possessions Let Moses and Aaron be kind to each other for there will never want enough to murmur against 'em both The Tabernacle was pitcht at Shilo where Joshua dwelt and the Temple founded on one of the two tops of Sion where the Kings House was upon the other that they might be ready to exchange protection and direction Samuel entertained Saul with an Emblematique Banquet the Shoulder the Priests Portion intimating he was to have a share in Church-cares And the very Ronanists at a Kings Coronation mind him quod per hanc ministerij nostri te esse participem non ignores King Jehosaphat would that his Judges should know that they judged not for man but for the Lord. And the design why you begin Assizes with a Sermon and why we Preach is that all may know that 't is from God that you exercise a coercive power where we perswade but to keep Church and State in honour and safety and to compel to good Morality those who else would turn all up-side down whilst yet they clamour upon us or you And this consideration brings us to answer the last enquiry what shall be resolved on or done against this clamour We Resolve all this Advice into three short Lessons 1. Learn Consistency of Spirit Despond not for the noyse Good men and Great are most abused An Eliab will berate a David who will dare to do what he dares not to think of You have heard that Calumny stops not at the Priest it will reach the Magistrate yea the King Bene agere male audire Regium est If he will not Vnyoak the Sons of Belial that they may do what is good in their own eyes he shall be censured as a trouble to ' em Yet as none should cease to govern because some count it a Yoak So should they not make their rule precavious by truckling to unworthy terms whereby to confirm themfelves 'T is indeed to be expected that Riotous persons disrelish those that run not with them to excess as for them that love not Truth to dislike those that bring it to light But if these be the causes be why they quarrel at us they do us that advantage that we hereby become more like to our Great Master 2dly Nay learn to go on more vigorously The more the World rageth and makes a murmur the greater need is there of a Reformation of it Those parts are soar indeed which cause the Patient to cry out if they be but touched And that Physitian were but an ill Friend who would give over all Essays to Cure because of those blasts of breath 3dly Labour still to give no just cause of clamour against us If our principles be good there is a good hope all will be well Though yet for lack of doing well we may damn our selves while we save others as Brands snatcht out of the Fire Some Divines do observe that there never yet fell Storm upon the Church the Vapours whereof were not first noted to arise from coldness of affection and backwardness in duties of Service towards God If so there is a probability for every Mincah that is disgorged upon us and if there be no smoak of a hard Character but where there is some fire of ill deserving we may thank our selves if our Reputation be incommodated The Apostles lived innocently And for Doctrin they but vindicated old Truths wrapt up in the Scriptures and darkned by the bad glosses of Jewish Doctors And if any discovery was new their Miracles attested the Truth of the Revelation If you stick to your old King Edwards Laws Magna Charta several other good Statutes and the common Law We to our one Canon two Testaments three Creeds the four first Councels and five first Centuries as fixing the rule of our Religion we satisfie our selves and those guided by us and stop the mouth of those who tell us of turning all up-side down we may encourage the people to their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if any would draw 'em off Soft a little may they say though you call it Heresie or others Rags of Popery we see yet no cause but why we may continue in this way to worship the God of our Fathers If any go about to force us off are not they as obnoxious to the Rigour of Justice as those who do but nibble at our goods by petty Larceny or Fellony In such a case our Apostle spoke of in the Text though the most charitable man alive wishes they were cut off as we pre-alledged it He a Clergy-man could only wish it Joshua goes further than a wish and tells such plainly c. 7.25 Why hast thou troubled us the Lord shall trouble thee and verifies his word by proceeding to Execution after Judgment FINIS ERRATA In the Epistle Page 2. line 1. read Lydian In the Book Page 3. read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 9. r. our Reformed Church p. 12. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 13. r. recriminates line 11. r. whether p. 14. l. r. which p. 15. l. 6. r. Smiths p. 20. l. 3. instead of viz. a Comma after short as indeed in many places more 't is mis-pointed the fault being perhaps the Authors who never Transcribed it because not designed for the Press when writ Sermons lately Printed for William Cademan at the Popes-Head in the New-Exchange in the Strand A Warning-piece for the Unruly in two Visitation-Sermons Preached before the Arch-bishop of YORK by Seth Bushel D. D. The great Efficacy and necessity of good Examples especially in the Clergy in a Visitation-Sermon Preached at Guilford by Thomas Duncumb D. D. A Sermon Preached before the King at White-Hall Octob. 17. 1675. by Miles Barne Fellow at St. Peter's in Cambridge and Chaplain in Ordinary to his Majesty