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A87595 A sober word to a serious people: or, A moderate discourse respecting as well the Seekers, (so called) as the present churches. Wherein the difference between them touching visible administrations, is discovered and discussed: and may serve as a plea for the nations ministery. / By a lover of truth and peace. Jackson, John. 1651 (1651) Wing J78A; ESTC R202618 52,789 71

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A SOBER WORD To A SERIOUS PEOPLE Or A MODERATE DISCOURSE RESPECTING As well The SEEKERS so called As The Present Churches Wherein the Difference between them touching Visible Administrations is Discovered and Discussed And may serve as A Plea for the Nations Ministery By a lover of Truth and Peace PSAL. 22.30 A seed shall serve him it shall be counted to the Lord for a generation 24. 6. This is the generation of them that seek him that seek thy face O Jacob. 14 7. Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Sion When the Lord bringeth back the capivity of his people Jacob shall rejoyce and Israel shall be glad London Printed by J. Cottrel for James Noell in Foster-line and are to be fold by Giles Calvert at the black Spread-Eagle neer the West-end of Pauls 1651. To the Reader COURTEOUS READER THou art here presented with a brief Discourse touching a Subject which hath not wherewith to commend it self and therefore subjects it self to thy Ingenuity and Candor in its perusal if it be thought by thee worthy thereof To invite or court thee thereunto would be very unbeseeming thee to whom it 's directed considering thee both sober and serious and to me it 's no less unsutable if thou knewest my Genius Thou art therfore left free either to entertain it or pass it by as thou pleasest and it 's as freely submitted to thy Censure But considering it's possible that some may bestow time upon it for their sakes I have been prevailed with to say a little by way of Preface touching the nature and end thereof both which when thou clearly understandest thou wilt with the less prejudice attempt the reading and examining of it when it shall be freed in thy judgement from such aspersions as some may rashly yet too plentifully bestow upon it Be thou therefore hereby assured that thou art not troubled with this Discourse out of any designe either to weaken thy present confidence which thou hast in God or to startle thee touching thy present Practice in things pertaining to God nor out of any Irreligious Atheistical or Self-ended interest to tempt thee to cast off all Ordinances of Worship and Service of God which thou at present art perswaded thou oughtst to be found exercised in but to give thee an account touching a Sort of people which some are pleased to call SEEKERS of whom several men in several books have spoken several things shewing the dangerousness of their Opinion and the dreadfulness of its tendency and under that term of Seekers comprehend all those which differ from themselves touching the present exercise of Visible Administrations How great their mistake hath been and is thou mayst finde herein the rectifying whereof is one End of this Work by laying down somewhat positively touching what they believe and practise and somewhat privatively touching such things as they see not ground to practise These are reduced and abridged under two Heads The Present Churches and Present Ministery and compared with the Primitive Patterns of each as they are laid down in the Scriptures and accordingly applied with some Considerations had touching certain Objections depending thereupon Under which general Heads thou hast the sum of what thou wilt here be troubled with and perhaps thou mayst judge it worthy thy trouble As touching the End to give thee some account as well what it is as what it is not be pleased to know that having observed many persons of an enquiring spirit unsatisfied with their present Practice as not seeing sufficient ground for it yet impatient and restless in their spirits have made out after this people so distinguished as before but finding them very inconsiderable both for quantity and quality and nothing extant which in any measure might be a stay to them by laying a ground for their dependance further waiting upon God have waxed weary and almost fainted in their minds and at the best have returned to that condition from whence at first they thought themselves happie they were escaped using such expressions as these Come let us go back to Egypt for Bread it 's better take it at the mouth of Ravens then starve Which expressions have been very sadly uttered by some mean while the God which had led them by the hand out of Egypt and brought them thorow the Red-sea cannot be trusted nor depended on nor waited for while they are in the wilderness These Considerations on their part have moved me to bethink me of my duty to my God and whether I were not obliged in thankfulness to him who had betrusted me with the knowledge of his pleasure in any measure touching this particular to impart it to others that they might also have the opportunity of considering what hath been a stay to my own spirit and perhaps may prove forcible to prevent from further straying such who are upon rhe like enquiry I have likewise observed how much it hath offended and grieved divers good persons who are themselves under the practice and exercise of such Administrations as this Discourse treats of because the SEEKER'S as they are called do not joyn issue in the practise thereof expressing this offence and trouble of theirs by writing and otherwise which I have great cause to hope will by this occasion be abated or at least moderated when they shall perceive that there is a reason to be rendered for that which they have judged unreasonable In the consideration of which I cannot but think it's possible that Thou Reader mayst finde thy self to have drunk too deep of the cup of my former and thy present Errour in that both thou and I have taken up our Practices upon other mens Principles or at least upon too easie too slight a search touching which if they were to begin again we should judge it necessary to put a pause and to make more diligent enquiry after the minde of God in the Scriptures To which some persons are reduced and that in mercy searching and seeking after those things now which long since they presumed they had attained To the exercise whereof thou art also invited viz. to prove thy own works that so thy rejoycing may be in thy self and not in another And if in examining this Work thou findest many things weak and amiss I shall not wonder at it I pretend not to Perfection Put thy Character upon them let them pass for dross and write them mine But if thou findest Gold I mean Truth that will abide the fire of trial say that 's God's 't is none of mine and let not that pass I expect thy Censure I shall hearken for it and I hope thy Reproofs shall be as welcome as the smiting of the righteous was to David Psal 141.5 and for ought thou knowest if thou sendest me back to the searching of the Scriptures which must be the Standard Rule of trial I may truly be enabled to say It shall be a kindness to me an excellent oil