that which came next to hand Nor doth the Text put you to seek far what you are to do It is but your own business In both respects it may be thought unfit for this Audience which is not of that quality to be entertained with no better Provision than what comes next to hand and especially if that should prove plain and homely as this is To do our own business and as it follows To work with our own hands This is but a kind of Mechanical Doctrine and what should that do here in Court Not to leave my self and the Text under this prejudice That I sought no farther for it was not of easiness or neglect but Choice Because I found it not only in conjunction and company with the excellent Study of Quiet to which any kind of retainer at large might deserve respect but also Because I saw it set by the Apostle in a place of near and intimate relation a Principle and Foundation to it The next way to be quiet abroad is to be busie at home And though it be but plain Doctrine 't is never the worse for that use for Foundations are best when plainest It is noted as a cause why men make little proficiency in Arts and Sciences that the Principles and Elements are not so well studied as they should be And the reason why they fall under that neglect is Because none of the great things which the Art it self promises are seen in the Principles at first And therefore Quintilian that the Schollars of his Art might not be discouraged with the meanness of his First Elements tells them that Latent Fundamenta conspiciuntur aedificia there is little to be seen in the Foundation that lies hid under ground all the beauty and luster is in the Superstruction This doing our own business 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a practical principle whereupon depends much of the business of our whole lives and so hath the fate of other foundations to be little seen and regarded It lies low under ground and we overlook it as a thing not worthy any mans thought or care But to give it the due we must not look upon what it is in Sight but what it is in vertue a Principle and Foundation whereupon is built that which is the desire of all good men the publick peace and quiet of the Church and Kingdom And then we may allow it to be good Doctrine which hath so good a Use It is a good tree that brings forth good fruit But then you will say It must be in season too Now the wise man tells us Eccles 3.9 There is a time for war as well as a time for peace And can it then be seasonable again and again thus to importune the study of such things as make for peace at a time when we are all and have cause to be in preparation for war Indeed if it were such a peace as would weaken the hands of any in the pursuit of that Just Necessary and Royal Expedition it were a most unseasonable Solecism But we must know As there is a War that makes for Peace so there is a Peace that makes for War Unity among our selves binds us close together we are the stronger for it Vis unita fortior in divisions and discord strength is distracted and scattered Dum singuli pugnant omnes vincuntur Domestick Peace then though it comes not out of the Artillery is good Ammunition for War And it falls in well too with the express Letter and Doctrine of the Text It is our own business As it is the proper business of a King to protect His Subjects from the Insolencies and Injuries of proud insulting Neighbours so it is the business of every good Subject too to assist Him in it with their Lives and Fortunes Whether therefore we seek for Peace at home or have cause of War abroad the duty of the Text is for us We are doing our own business But though it be a good Foundation to build on every way yet except the Lord build the house their labour is but lost that build Let us therefore before we go farther in the work go to him for a blessing upon it c. That ye study to do your own business I Take in the word study being forc'd by the necessary construction of Grammar and Reason For an object without an act imports nothing to do our own business may be as well a fault as a duty but if study be taken in the sense is certain and perfect it is that wherein we shall do well to imploy our study As we are to study to be quiet so we are to study also to do our own business The words will bear two senses as there are two sorts of offenders about business nihil agentes and aliud agentes And in the words of the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Thes 3.11 the idle that work not at all and the busie-bodies so we translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Text will reach them both for either it sets every one awork to find himself some business or it restrains and confines him to that which is his own The former against Idleness is a good lesson that to awaken the lazy sluggard out of his dead sleep for they are as S. Paul speaks of his idle wanton widows 1 Tim. 5.6 dead while they live There is no more life in an idle man then in an Idol-god that hath eyes and see not ears and hear not but the other sense seems to agree better with the scope of the place and will afford work enough for this time the Apostle seems to have observed some among them too much busied in matters that brought trouble and disquiet to themselves and others for remedie whereof he enjoyns them to look to their own business But how their own For it may be a fault and a great one too so to do our own business as not to regard what becomes of others that if our own turns be serv'd and we get no matter who loses This is deservedly forbidden by our Apostle himself to the Philippians chap. 2. ver 4. Look not every man on his own things but every man also on the things of others And in the 21. v. complains of it too that every one seeks his own and not the things which are Jesus Christs But our own here and our own there are two different things That which he blames there is our own of interest there may be too much of our own in that but that which he commands here is our own of duty and office In this it must be so much our own that it must be none but our own Having reduced the words to their proper genuine sense in this Lesson there will fall to be learned these particulars 1. That there is and ought to be a propriety in business that to every one there belongs something that he may properly
you in If so great a scandal to Religion and real obstruction to it be in these indigent Times too heavy a burthen to be removed and therefore unseasonable also to be moved Though this be no time of sowing to the Spirit it can be no season to pull up that which hath been already sown by the devotion of others 'T is strange that the Church maintenance should be thought to hang so loose more then other mens Estates as that any man when the sullen humour takes him can think to blow them away with a Motion Let the Church Lands be sold If they were held onely upon Frank almoign it is as firm a Tenure as any is in Law But it is more strange that they should think to mock and elude God who once declared it to be a robbing of him also When he charged the Jews for detaining Tithes and Offerings from the Priests of that Altar What reason can be given that the Ministers of a better Covenant should have a worse title There are not many Estates in the World besides which God himself owns this bears the Image and Superscription of the Spirit It must be a desperate boldness to break into his peculiar to stir any thing that is sown in his Field And that it may not seem strange that Carnal things should be thus advanced to spirituals for by a like conversion Spiritual things degenerate into Carnal This likewise will be worth our observation Religion is out of doubt a Spiritual thing yet if that spread and run into Schisms it grows Carnal For while one saith I am of Paul and another I am of Apollos are ye not carnal 1 Cor. 3.4 So Rom. 16.17 They who cause divisions among you serve not the Lord Jesus Christ but their own Bellies if any thing be flesh sure the Belly is If there be so much malignance and sowreness in Schisms and Divisions to turn Religion into Flesh what shall we think of a Religion in Design that is made up all of Sects and Divisions that must be all Flesh I say no more it is in private Design onely as when St. Paul charged the Corinths with strife and schism it was but upon report onely It is reported saith he by them of the house of Cloe that there are contentions among you So I say onely it is reported from a house of Cloe how these Schisms shall be disposed of A Church shall be contrived that will give room and Liberty to them all But if the Church must be new modelled for their sakes they must new model the Rules of Wisdom and Government too For by that it was ever thought necessary that the People should conform to the Laws of the Church never that a Church should conform to the humours of the People This is so irregular a thing that it will not be labour lost to take a little farther notice of it And first that you may know it by name it is to be called a Comprehensive Church a name I must confess not unfit for the purpose though I think it might have been better called a Drag-net that will fetch in all kind of Fish good or bad great or small there will be room enough for Leviathan to take his pastime therein But how shall the Church be drawn out to such a bredth and latitude That will be no hard matter to do It is but pulling down the Old Walls the Confession of Doctrine and Canons of Discipline Lay all common and then no doubt there will be room enough for all But will these prove so good company when they are in for whose sake this should be done Will they not rather give us cause to fear what the poor Trojans found when they broke down the old Walls of their City to let in a Horse with a Comprehensive Belly that carried armed enemies enough to ruine them and their City And least we should think this done for love of their company they let us know they have no meaner inducement to it then that which governs all the World Gain and Profit advancement of Trade and increase of Money This is plain dealing they profess to sowe the Spirit to the Flesh They will make a Church that shall make us rich But can there be any blame or harm in this Can we not be Religious and rich too I will not dispute that if we bring riches up to Religion But I will dispute it and deny it too if we bring Religion down to Riches Godliness may be Gain but Gain will never be Godliness Riches may be a good Nurse to cherish it but an ill Mother to bring it forth for whatsoever is born of the flesh is flesh It is the greatest dishonour that can be to the Spirit to make it serve for Compost onely to lay in the Field of the Flesh But these you say though carnal things may be secondary ends which do not make void the spiritual Peace and Charity are the two Pillars whereon this Church is to be built and they will serve to keep up the Spirit in it We cannot deny but that they are true spiritual things but if both these Pillars should fail there would nothing be left in the Church but Flesh For Peace and Union that which feeds the hope of that is taking down the Walls that divide them that is removing the Confessions and Canons and all will naturally fall in together For answer to this we must distinguish the quality of the persons for whom this room is to be made And they are either such as will be content to leave their faults and errours behind them and to those we shall do well to set our gates wide open and need not pull down our Walls Or they are such as bring their errours animosities and divided judgments along with them And to pacifie these the taking away the Walls will do no good for they bring their Divisions with them into the Bowels of the Church where the flame will be more fierce and dangerous then when it burnt onely without All the benefit can be hoped for by taking away the Confessions and Canons is but to secure them from punishment but leaves them free to all other causes of dissention or rather fortifies and animates them to pursue their differences with more violence Impunity and Authority will not cool their zeal of advancing the Interest of their Sect for it is not Toleration but Mastery they aim at In the mean time our Sowing will be turned into Fighting our Plough-shares into Swords the field of the Spirit into a field of War and thus we shall live in a perpetual storm This is all the hope we have of Peace by it And for Charity we shall find it hath as little to do here It will be neither want of Charity to leave them out nor a work of Charity to take them in 1. It will be no want of Charity to leave them out if by that we condemn them not And condemn them
he may deceive himself by his spirit he shall not deceive me The other way of the Spirits leading is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. not by revealing any thing to us but by co-operating with us by fortifying the soul and the faculties of it to all supernatural actions by assistance of grace to inlighten the understanding to comprehend divine truth to inflame the affections with the love of it to support our endeavours in all difficulties and temptations To this assistance of the Spirit all the faithful have a right And though in this way the Spirit cannot deceive us yet we may be deceived in it because it never works but with us if we fail in what we are to do then that fails us And by this way not only private persons but publick Councels are governed To whom the Spirit doth not reveal the matter of their Decrees 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but by way of co-operation assists their indeavours to find out the truth from the proper Topicks of it the Scripture and Antiquity for so all the force of their decrees depends upon the reason and grounds upon which they are made For if any Councel might pretend to that other way of revelation sure that first famous Apostolical Councel might Act. 15. But that did not otherwise determine the matter in controversy then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 15.7 v. 7. when there had been much debate and disquisition out of the Scriptures were the decrees made and sign'd accordingly It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us Verse 28. The Apostles and Elders were in joynt commission with the Spirit the same Lord that sent the Spirit sent the Apostles also and therefore no contradiction to be led by the Spirit and by the Shepherds too THE fourth and last leader which is brought in to avoid the Shepherds is the CONSCIENCE This is the Presbyterians strongest fort against Obedience If he can get his Conscience about him he thinks himself so safe that he may bid defiance to all Authority In the Commission of leaders I confess as I said the Conscience to be of the Quorum We are to do nothing without it and much less against it But then we must be sure we mistake not somewhat else for the Conscience Every disease and distemper of the mind causless scruple slight perswasion groundless fear is not the Conscience against which we are bound not to act The tender Conscience for which so much favour is pleaded may prove in some no better then a disease of the Soul a spiritual Splene For though it be good to be tender of offending God in any thing where it proceeds from the good temper and constitution of the soul which is the same constantly in all cases and is not affected or taken up for a purpose as the sturdy begger carries his arm in a string that it may be a Patent to beg and be idle You may know it certainly to be a disease if it comes upon us by fits and starts as to be tender of offending God when we obey men and not to be tender of offending God when we disobey them If they be not as tender of one side as of another as I never find them to be it is but a Paralitick Conscience that is dead of one side For tell him the Church commands it he presently shrinks and startles at it and well so for possibly he may sin against God But tell him on the other side that God commands obedience to those that rule over us it moves him not at all you may thrust a needle into his side and he feels it not It shews plainly the Conscience hath a dead Palsy on that side But a right and sound Conscience against which certainly we ought not to act is a constant and well governed judgment for not to amuse you as the manner is with frivolous distinctions and definitions of Conscience in this case the Conscience is nothing but every mans private judgment for he ought not to attempt the doing of any thing till he hath framed this judgment to himself that it is lawful for him to do it Now seeing our private judgment hath so great power and influence as to interrupt the course of publick it had need be a true and regular judgment As first It must not be arbitrary for that we think we have reason to decline in the publick Magistrate to govern by Will and not by Law Many a Conscience if it were well examined will prove to be nothing but will not judgement Every good judgment is upon a full hearing of the cause of both sides all evidences duly weighed and examined then resolves this is a Conscience against which we ought not to act though possibly it might prove to be erroneous yet for all that we must know that it doth not set us free from the guilt of disobeying our Governors And then this is all the benefit our Conscience will do us in case of error that it casts us into a necessity of sinning by obeying against our selves by disobeying against our Governors We shall do well therefore to take care that we make not every slight perswasion doubt or scruple a Conscience trusting to be discharged of our obedience by that which indeed binds it faster upon us for that is the very end and benefit for which is instituted the Pastoral charge that when we are so weak we can not safely trust our selves we may rely upon that unless we think it a good plea I am blind and therefore I will not be led I am weak and sickly and therefore I will not be rul'd by the Physitian Now to sum up all if not Reason nor Scripture nor the Spirit nor Conscience will discharge us of the duty we owe to the Church in the name of God let us not rashly fling away so great a blessing that in all our doubts and fears for our quiet and security we may have recourse to the Shepherds and Bishops of our Souls THis is the last point the Shepherds Flock or the Bishops Diocess the Souls of men And here we meet with another quarrel from the Presbytery That they may be sure to spoil the Bishops of all authority they take away their Diocess the cure of Souls that they may be Bishops sine titulo for Bishops they are not either of our bodies or estates And why not of our Souls Christ indeed the great Shepherd that purchased them may rule them but they are too precious for any other Shepherds to Lord over which they say is done by binding the Souls with Church-laws and censures which Christ hath set at liberty And thus they set up Christ against himself and Christian liberty against Christian duty S. Paul I confess doth earnestly press this point of liberty Gal. 5.1 Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and be not intangled again with the yoak of bondage But what liberty It is not simply
Thus have I hitherto given you an account of some of the vulgar mistaken principles of Quiet which our Student is first to unlearn which are all but the patching up of a false deceitful peace condemned in the Politicks under the name of a Syncretismus when all the Factions in Crete joyn'd together in a common danger which lasted no longer then the cause of it like the bonds of a hard Frost that binds Earth and Water Sticks and Stones all together till the Sun comes to shine upon them and then they all presently return to their proper place and nature again But I fear I have run out all my time almost in these mistaken ways of peace I presume it will be a greater offence to leave you here now then to beg a little more time to set you in the right way though I shall not go beyond the office of a Mercury to point the hand where it lies There is the Kings high-way to peace and the Students private way and both good in their kind With the Kings way I shall not meddle as being sitter matter for our thankfulness then instruction who hath already paved the way for us by wholsom Laws for that purpose But because oft-times Vitia sunt remediis fortiora the compulsory way by Law though always necessary is not always effectual to the Kings way we must add the Students also That every one in his particular makes it his care and business to contribute to it that it be an artificial studied peace to which not Fear only but Conscience of Duty and Religion obligeth us Now every good Student of any Science searches into the true and proper cause of things for Scire est per causas cognoscere If the cause of all division in the Church be differing in judgement nothing can cure that but a consent S. Paul therefore prescribes that for the remedy 1 Cor. 5.10 That there be no divisions among you how may that be helped it follows But that ye be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same judgment This is the true Apostolical Principle whereon we are to ground our Study of Quiet For all the fine things and sentences that are spoken for peace and quiet will little move those that are and may very well be confident they ought not howsoever have peace with Sin or Error Unless therefore we can be first perswaded that we ought not to charge the Church with either we do nothing for Peace This I confess is the great difficulty yet if this be not done there can be no hope of Peace And to do this I shall not send our Student to the Polemick School to convince him out of speculative Principles of Reason and Divinity for to that study some have not capacity others not leisure I shall only commend to him some practical Principles of Religion obvious to all and denied by none that out of them he may learn not to dissent from or condemn the Church of Error To prevent the passing that sentence let the Student 1. Study himself his own condition 2. Let him Study the Church against which he passeth sentence 3. Let him study the nature and quality of the things whereupon upon judgment is given 4. Let him consider well the manner of proceeding in judgment In all which we shall find some known Principle of Religion to direct us 1. First In the study of our selves and our own condition Religion teacheth us to have an humble lowly mean opinion of our selves and not without cause whether we respect our Understandings or our Affections Our Understandings are naturally weak imperfect short-sighted we know but in part the best of us and our Affections too are disloyal to our Understandings The heart of man saith the Prophet is deceitful above all things We have little reason then to trust our selves much in either He that is truly conscious of his own weakness or lameness will be content to be supported by others If we study this point well our own infirmities we should learn more willingly to assent to and take support from the Church Especially if in the second place we study that too whose Governors Religion likewise teaches us to obey For they watch over our souls Heb. 13.17 If it be a good point of Religion in lowliness of mind to esteem others better then our selves Phil. 2.3 it is Religion and Reason son both to think our Governors wiser too for there is a presumption always in favour of them S. Paul gives it for a rule to Timothy Not to receive an accusation against an Elder 1 Tim. 5.19 but before two or three witnesses because it is to be presum'd on the part of Age and Authority to know more and offend less But when it comes to be the whole Eldership all our Governors joyntly the presumption is so much the stronger If we add this study to the former how little reason we have to trust our selves and how much we have to trust our Governors we will not rashly pass sentence against them if we have either Reason or Religion is us 3. And yet we have more work for our Student Let him in the third place consider the nature and quality of the things whereupon judgment is given how apt they are to deceive us Truth is many times so like an Error and Error comes so near to Truth that he had need be careful and circumspect that shall distinguish them in some cases And in others again Truth lies hid under many folds especially ambiguity of words the common cheat of all Students who are more often deceiv'd into opinions then convinc'd It is not strange to see so many go astray from the Church to whom the things of it are represented under the covert of false names when they hear the Government of it called Tyranny obedience slavery contempt courage licence liberty frenzy zeal order superstition How easily thus may simple people mistake their way and fall into the pit that 's cover'd over with shadows and false names of things When he hath studied this point well 4. Let him in the fourth place be well advised in what manner he proceeds in judgment and upon what evidence For allowing the Conscience to be a Judg it must not trespass upon the Rules of good Judicature as both sides must be heard impartially which is seldom done the Conscience must not be mis-led no more then other Judges by prejudice passion or favour for what can that judgment be worth which is perverted by any of these Now if we examine how most men come to pass sentence against the Church we shall find it to be upon very slight evidence It may be their Education they have been always brought up that way for Sects commonly run in a blood in a family Or they have been so taught they say by good men that indeed is the sum and upshot of the Faith of most that dissent the credit given to some weak
private ignorant Instructer whose person they have in admiration without any great cause God knows whereas their private judgments because they are parties ought always to be suspected if we be wise and because against their Governors to be contemn'd if we be obedient All these well studied may make for peace when possibly Arguments and Disputes and Punishments too will not do it And yet if still none of these will make our Student quiet Let him in the last place make trial of a common remedy that prevails in all cases of difficulty Let him but study his own security the sasest course and he shall find that better provided for in the Churches judgment then in his own for if he should erre in following the Church or his Governors for that is possible the greatest part of that guilt some say all I say only the greatest part must lie at their door that command that which is unlawful But if they should erre in following their own judgment or a Judge of their own choosing for that makes it their own too and that is more then possible all the blame and guilt then must of necessity and inexcusably fall upon themselves Upon these principles setting aside all those that may convince our judgments in particulars from these alone I say we see how safe how prudent how religious a thing it is to submit our private judgments to the publick for the peace of the Church It remains only now that we imploy our best endeavour and study for it which is the second part of the Text and the last thing to be considered That ye study STudy is an earnest intention of the mind by diligent search and enquiry Wishing well to Quiet or speaking well of it will not serve the greatest disturbers of Peace will do that many times give it a good word when they will not part with the phansie for it And yet Quiet is a thing that requires care and pains somewhat more then ordinary For when S. Peter likewise speaks of peace it is in the words of the same import Seck peace 1 Pet. 3.11 and ensue it If it be hidden seek it out if it flies from you pursue after it It is a busie thing to be quiet The word here translated Study is in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be ambitious of it that is pursue and study it as you would do Honour and Preferment And that I think is as much as can be desired and yet no more then Quiet both deserves and needs First It deserves it For though quiet be rather Status vita then Virtus it is no Vertue it self yet the best soil to plant Vertue in The fruits of righteousness are sown in peace Jam. 3.18 So are all the fruits of Industry Learning Arts Sciences Traffick Commerce flourish most in the calm temperate clime but in troubles and dissentions every good thing goes backward only mischief thrives It fares with troubled times as in troubled waters all the filth dirt and mire in the bottom gets them up to the top We saw as much when our waters were lately troubled what a deal of filth dirt and mire what fordid stuff was then got up to the top and highest place of rule and command So much are we the more oblig'd to study that peace and quiet which hath sunk them to their proper place again the bottom And there let them lie if you would be quiet 2. As it deserves therefore our study so it needs it too for it is a difficult thing to be quiet the way to it lies through so many parts and duties of Religion and not the easiest of them neither To deny our selves by humility and lowliness of mind to acknowledge our own weakness and frailty to submit our judgments to others as better and wiser then our selves to subdue our passions and lusts from whence the Apostle observes Wars and Contentions to come from our Lusts and to all these the Flesh hath naturally a reluctance Our Student therefore hath need to contend with himself to be at peace with others S. Paul was at Athens when he wrote this Epistle a famous University for the study of all liberal Arts and Sciences I cannot say he had these in his thought when he commended this study to the Thessalonians as an Art of more use then any he found at Athens Yet when I see him so passionately earnest for it to beseech them to study we have reason to value it as an Art well worthy of Schools and Professors and Students And they would make a Royal Society whereof the King himself is Master who is our Peace-maker by office and by a care equal to that hath by Law provided 1 Tim. 2.2 that under Him we may live a peaceable and quiet life in all godliness and honesty He hath little sense of Honour that will not enter himself a Student under that conduct The very word for Study 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 carries Honour with it And yet I can tell them of a higher School for it then this and wherein Kings themselves are content to be Students Our Lord Christ the great Mediator of our eternal peace with Heaven would not be brought into the world without a Song of Peace on Earth by Angels S. Joh. 14.27 And when he left the World bequeathed it as a Legacy after him My peace I leave with you And when he comes again to judge the world we have reason to look that he will call us to a reckoning how we use his Legacy And so he will too for he is That Lord Matth. 24. that when he came and found some smiting their fellow-servants commanding them to be cut asunder and have their portion with hypocrites A punishment well sitted to the offence there was a schism in the fault and there shall be another schism in the punishment they who sundred and divided from their Brethren should themselvs be cut asunder and have their portion with hypocrites But for the Peace-makers when he comes he will provide better company Matt. 5.9 for they shall be called the Children of God Blessed are they then whom the Lord when he comes shall find at their studies of that Quiet which gives them so fair a Title to Eternal Rest and Peace in Heaven with Christ and all the Children of God A SERMON Preached before His Majesty at Whitehall March 18. 1665 6. 1 THESS 4.11 And to do your own business THE whole Verse whereof these words are a part is an Exhortation to the study of Two Lessons One for Quiet the other for Business That ye study to be quiet and to do your own business Of the former the last time I had the honor to be called to this Service we treated particularly and it was a point well worthy our care and study But the Lesson we are now to learn seems not much to deserve or need it I have not I confess sought far for a Text but took