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cause_n	find_v	great_a	know_v	2,951	5	3.3432	3	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42772	An usefull case of conscience discussed and resolved concerning associations and confederacies with idolaters, infidels, hereticks, or any other known enemies of truth and godlinesse. By Master George Gillespie, late minister at Edinburgh. Whereunto is subjoyned a letter, written by him to the commissioners of the Generall Assembly, in the time of his sicknesse: together with his testimony unto this truth, written two dayes before his death.	Gillespie, George, 1613-1648.	1649 (1649)	Wing G762A; ESTC R213029	21,990	42

{non-Roman} or Covenants of peace 2. Distinguish between endeavour of duty and the perfection of the thing which answers that exception O then we must have an Army all of Saints it should bee said without any known wicked person in it Now even as t is our dutie to endeavour a purging of the Church from wicked and scandalous persons yet when we have done all we can the Lords field shall not bee perfectly purged from tares till the end of the world Matth. 13. So when we have done all that ever we can to avoid wicked persons in an expedition yet we cannot be rid of them all but we must use our utmost indeavours that we may be able to say t is our affliction not our fault 3 Distinguish between some particular wicked persons here and there mixing themselves with us and between a wicked faction and malignant party The former should be avoided as much as is possible but much more a conjunction with a wicked faction David would by no meanes meet and consult with the Kabal meregn●m the Assembly of Malig●ants neither did he only shunne to meet and consult with vaine persons who openly shew and bewray themselves but even with dissemblers or as the Chaldee with those that hide themselves that they may do evill Psal. 26. 4 5. We can know better how to do with a whole field of tares in which is no wheat then we can do with tares growing here and there among the wheat 4. Distinguish between such a fellowship with some wicked persons as is necessary which is the case of those that are Married and of Parents and Children or unavoidable which is the case of those whose lot is to cohabite in one Town or in one Family in a case of necessity travelling or sayling together Distinguish I say between these and an elective or voluntary fellowship with wicked men when love to them or our own benefite draweth us thereunto We neither loose naturall bonds nor require impossibilities but that we keep our selves pure by not choosing or consenting to such fellowship 5. Distinguish between infidels hereticks wicked persons repenting and those who go on in their trespasse what ever men have been yet as soone as the signes of repentance and new fruits appear in them we are ready to receive them into favour and fellowship Then indeed the Wolfe shall dwell with the Lamb and the Cow and the Bear shall feed their young ones shall lye down together meaning such as were Wolves Leopards Beares and now begin to change their nature not so with the obstinate contumacious and impenitent who still remain Wolves c Let us now 1. Examine our selves whether there be so much tendernesse of conscience in us as to close vvith those Scripture Truths or whether we are still in a way of consulting vvith flesh and blood 2. Be humbled for former miscarriages and failings in these particulars and for not vvalking accurately according to these Scripture Rules 3. Bevvare for the future remember and apply these Rules vvhen vve have to do vvith the practise of them And that I may drive home this naile to the head I adde beside what was said before these Reasons and Motives First t is a great judgement when God mingleth a perverse Spirit in the midst of a people Isay 19. 14. shall we then make that a voluntary act of our own which the Word mentioneth as a dreadfull judgement With this spirituall judgement is oftentimes joyned a temporall judgement as 2 Chron. 16. 9. and 20. 37. and 28. 20. so Hos. 5. 13. 7 8 compared with Hos. 8. 8 9. where their judgement soundeth forth their sin as by an Eccho The Chaldee paraprase in the place last cited saith The house of Israel is delivered into the hands of the people whom they loved Secondly remember what followed upon Gods peoples mingling themselves with the heathen Psal. 106. 35. They were mingled among the heathen and learned their workes Hos. 7. 8. E●hraim he hath mixed himself among the people that is by making confederacies with the heathen as Lu●ther expounds the place and by seeking their help and assistance Hos. 5. 13. But what followes Ephraim is a cake not turned hot and overbaken in the neither side but cold and raw in the upper side This will prove the fruit of such confederacies and associations to make us zealous for some earthly or humane thing but remise and cold in the things of Christ to be too hote on our neither side and too raw on the upper side Whereas not mingling our selves with the wicked we shall through Gods mercy be like a cake turned that heat and zeal which was before downward shall now be upward heavenward Godward let it be also remembred how both Ahaz ●Kings 16. 10 and Asa himself 2 Chron. 16. 10. though a good man were drawn into other great sins upon occasion of these associations with the enemies of God and his people this sin will certainly ensnare men in other sins T is well said by Calvin upon Ezek. 16. 26. that as we are too prone of our selves to wickednesse so when we enter into confederacies with wicked men we are but seeking new tentations and as it were a bellows to blow up our own corruptions as wine being mixed with water loseth of its spirits and white being mixed with black loseth much of its vvhitenesse so the people of God if once mixed vvith vvicked enemies shall certainly losse of their purity and integrity Thirdly as these unlavvfull confederacies dravv us both into great judgements and great sins so into a great security and stupidity under these great plagues and sins vvhich vvill make the estate of such to be yet vvorse Hos. 7. 9. after Ephraims mixing himself among the people t is added Strangers have devoured his strength and he knoweth it not yea gray haires are here and there upon him yet he knoweth it not although his confederates have distressed him and not strengthned him and although there may be observed in him diverse signes of a decaying dying condition yet he knowe● it not nor takes it to heart The same thing is insisted upon vers 11. Ephraim als●● is like a silly Dove without heart They call to Egypt they go up to Assyria He is as voide of understanding as a silly Dove whose nest being spoiled and her young ones token from her vvhich the Chaldee paraphrase addeth for explications cause yet she still returneth to those places vvhere and among those people by vvhom she hath been so spoiled So Israel vvill still bee meddling vvith those that have done him great hurt Fourthly vve finde that such confederacie or association either vvith idolaters or knovvn impious persons is seldome or never recorded in the Book of God vvithout a reproof or some greater marke of Gods displeasure put upon it If it vvere like the Polygamie of the P●triarchs often mentioned and not reproved it vvere the lesse marvell to hear it so much debated But novv

them With the malignants are to be joyned the prefane and scandalous from all which as also from heresies and errors the Lord I trust is about to purge his Churches I have often comforted my self and still do with the hopes of the Lords purging this poluted Land surely the Lord hath begun and will cary on that great Work of mercy and will purge out the Rebels I know their will be alwayes a mixture of Hypocrites but that cannot excuse the conniving at grosse and scandalous sinners This pu●ging Work which the Lord is about very many have directly opposed and said by their deeds we will not be purged nor resined but we will be joyning and mixing our selves with these whom the Ministers preach against as malignant enemies to God and his Cause But let him that is filthy be filthy still and let Wisdome be justifyed of her Children I recommend to them that fear God sadly and seriously to consider that the holy Scripture doth plainly hold forth 1. That the helping of the enemies of God or joyning and mingling with wicked men is a sin highly displeasing 2. That this sin hath ordinaryly ensnared Gods People into diverse other sins 3. That it hath been punished of God with grievous judgements 4. That utter destruction is to be feared when a people after great mercies and judgements relapse into this sin Ezra 9. 13. 14. Upon these and the like grounds for my own exoneration that so necessary a Trueth want not the Testimony of a dying Witnesse of Christ also the unworthiest among many thousands And that Light may be h●ld forth and warning given I cannot be silent at this time but speak by my pen when I cannot by my tongue yea now also by the pen of another when I cannot by my own seriously and in the name of Jesus Christ exhorting and obtesting all that fear God and make conscience of their wayes to be very tender and circumspect to Watch and Pray that they be not ensnared in that great dangerous sin of conjunction or complyncae with malignant or profane enemies of the Truth under whatsoever prudentiall considerations it may be vernished over which if men will do and trust God in his own way they shall not only not repent it but to their greater joy and peace of Gods people they shal see his work go on and prosper gloriously In witnesse of the premisses I have subscribed the same with my hand at KIRKCALDY Decemb. 15. 16●8 Before these witnesses M. F. Carmichael Minister at Markings and M. Alex. Moncrief Minister at Skonie Sic subscrib. George Gillespie F. C. witnes A. M. witnes Followeth that part of Mr. Gillespie his Letter-Will unto which the former testimony relateth BEing through much weaknesse and sicknesse in expectation of my last change I have thought good by this my Letter-Will under my hand to declare first of all that the expectation of death which appeareth not to be far off doth not shake me from the Faith and Truth of Christ which I have pro●essed and preached neither do I doubt but this so much opposed Covenant and Reformation of the three Kingdomes is of God and will have a happy conclusion It hath pleased God who chooseth the foolish things of this world to confound the wise and the things that are not to confound the things that are to imploy me the unfittest and unworthiest among many thousands in the advanceing and promoting of that glorious work and now I repent no forwardnesse or zeal that ever I had therein and dare promise to as many as wil befaithful and zealous in the Cause of God it shall be no grief of heart to them afterward but matter of joy and peace as this day I find it through Gods mercypassing by my many and great infirmities approving my poor endevours in his cause But if there be a falling back to the sinne of complyance with malignant ungodly men then I look for the breaking out of the wrath of the Lord till there be no remedy O that there were such a spirit at least in such of our Nobility as stand for the Trueth that they may take more of Gods counsell and leane lesse to their owne reason and understanding As from dangers on the other hand from Sectaries I have been and am of the opinion that they are to be prevented and avoided by all lawfull means but that the dangers from malignants are nearest and greatest in this Kingdome Kirkcaldie September 1. 1648. FINIS Z●ppe●us de Pol Mos. lib. 6. Cap. 4. Pelar●us in Deut. 7. 1 2 3. Pareus in Gen. 14. Revetus in Exod. 23. 32 Tarnovius tract. de foederibus See Victor Srigel in 7 paralip 25. 2. Also Zepperus Pelargus Tarnovius ubi supra Lavater in 2 Paralip 25. in Ezek. 16. 26. P. Martyr Loc. Com. Clas. 4. cap. 16. 〈◊〉 23. comment in 1 Reg. 15. 17. c. The same thing is holdenby Tst●tus in 3. Reg. 15. Quest 24. Corn a Lapide in 3. Reg. 22. 3. Socral hist lib. 5. Cap. 10. Sleid. comment lib. 7 pag. 106. Ibid. lib. 8. pag. 127. de Helvetiis in foedus recipiendis quod civitates valde cupiebant Saxo per Legatos respondet quoniam de coena Dom. diversum sequantur dogma non sibi licere societatem cum ipsis ullam coiri quante sit ipsorum conjunctio propter vires atque potentiam non se quidem latere sed ●o sibi minime respiciendum esse ne tristis inde sequatur exitus quod iis accidisse Scriptura testetur qui muniendi sui causa cujusque modi praesidiis usi ●uissent Vide etiam pag. 133. Quod si Zuingliani faterentur errorem atque desisterent comprehen di etiam in hac pace sin minus tum desere●dos nec anxilii quicquam eis communicandum neque f●dus ullum cum ipsis faciendum esse Et infra lib. 9. pag. 156. Et recipiendos esse placet in hoc foedus Smalcaldicum qui velint atque cupiant modo Doctrinam Auguste propositam in Commitiis pro●iteantur sortem communem subeant Polit. Christ lib. 7. Cap. 1. Kekerm de Repub. Spart disp. 4. lib. 2. Cap. 20. Sanctius Corn a la●ide in 2 Sam. 19. Antiq. Jud. lib. 7. Cap. 10. Tostatus in 2 Reg. 17. Quaest. 24. Antiq. lib 7. Cap. 10 See M. Fox acts and monuments vol. 2. page 86. 9. 870. edi● 1589. See the Estates Principalitis Empires of the world translated by Grimstou pag. 364. to 370. Acts and mo●uments nbi supra pag. 872. Slcid. Com. lib. 7. pag. 106. 119. 120. This far did the Author write with His own hand two dayes before his death but finding his weaknesse encrease that he was able to writ no more he dyted that which followeth