Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A75754
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Asystata. The repugnancy and inconsistency of the maintenance of an orthodox ministery, and tolleration of heretical opinions.
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1659
(1659)
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Wing A4087; Thomason E986_2; ESTC R207760
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3,370
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8
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ἈΣΎΣΤΑΤΑ THE Repugnancy and Inconsistency OF THE MAINTENANCE OF AN Orthodox MINISTERY And Tolleration of HERETICAL OPINIONS 2 Cor. 6.14 15 16. What fellowship hath righteousnesse with unrighteousnesse What communion hath light with darknesse What concord hath Christ with Belial What agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols Ephes 5.11 Have no fellowship with the unfruitfull workes of darknesse but rather reprove them Galat. 5.19 20. Now the workes of the flesh are manifest which are these c. variance wrath strife divisions heresies Isaiah 5.20 21. Woe unto them that call evill good and good evill that put darknesse for light and light for darknesse that put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight Printed in the Year 1659. 1. FRom rationall principles it is cleere that those things that are of contrary qualities are inconsistent because they expell one the other as fier and water light and darknesse the introduction or coming in of the one is the destruction of the other there is such an antipathy betwixt some Trees that they will not grow and prosper neer one unto the other the strings made of the guts of the Wolfe and the Lamb will not hold together in one instrument an Orthodox Ministery and heretical Opinions are as opposite therefore the tolleration of these latter must needes overthrow the former 2 Their ends are contrary as their principles and qualities which actuate them of the Ministery Ephes 4.11 12 13 14. the perfecting of the Saints edification of the body of Christ keeping Men from being alwayes children carried about with every winde of Doctrine c. of heresie and errour the unsetling of the Saints overthrow of the body of Christ making Men and keeping them children and like the waves of the Sea turned this way and that way with every blast of erroneous Doctrine How absurd therefore is it For a Phisitian to say he will cure such a man perfectly keep him in a sound constitution of his body and yet give him leave to eate any thing For a Gardiner or Husbandman to say they will look to the prosperity and fruitfullnesse of their Trees Herbes Flowers Corn and yet suffer the suckers weeds to grow and overgrow the rest For States-men to say they will take care of the Common-weale and suffer the commotions and troubles therein with their causes which heresies and errours too have no small influence into to abound This is like the practice of late the Act for sanctification of the Lords day a Mock-act smelling strongly of hypocrisie that most odious sinne to God and good Men and yet men might meet any where to profane it and draw others so to doe by their wicked doctrines and practises Should the Lord Major of London say he will be very diligent for the preservation of the Citty from the Plague and other infections and noysome Diseases and yet suffer all the Carrions and nastinâ—sse to lye in the streets who will believe him So if our Governours will say they will doe all for the truth nothing against it and yet beare with that which is most against it who will be induced to imagine the possibility of it 3. What hath been the practice of pious Princes amongst the Jewes Christians the Scriptures and Ecclesiasticall Histories abundantly witnesse They did not onely set up and maintaine the true and pure worship of God but removed every thing that was destructive and impeditive thereof and this they did by command from God which is still in force the ground and reason thereof being still in force and there being no repeale thereof Do any thinke that God is not zealous now for his glory as heretofore and should not his Deputy be so too By what artifices hath the POPE held up his bundle of Heresies by hindring remooveing destroying that which would destroy it Master NEWCOMB'S Sermon on the fifth day of November 1642. The BOHEMIAN PERSECUTION CONTZENS ARTIFICE to expell the protestant Religion and the Practices of our Bishops and the BOHEMIAN PAPISTS according thereunto are stale odious things and why then should they bee imitated by those that professe such great love to the PROTESTANT RELIGION Can it arise from better Principles Or produce any better fruit Let all unprejudiced reasonable Men judge 4 From the event or rather naturall effect which it alwayes produced it hath over-throwne the Ministery and consequently the worship of God which consequence many will deny even against sense and experience in all places and ages of the world under all modells and formes of government and laide those various governments together with the people under them in the dust Look upon the Jewish Nation beautified so exceedingly and beloved of her God the Qâ—een and Princess of the Provinces did not her Kings rulers by suffering Idols as many as their Cities cause her most glorious jealous husband to depart from her and give her a bill of divorce and deliver her into the hands of her enemies and did not her misery come in at this door the pollution of yâ—a trampling under foote her Priest-hood and all the holy appointments of God by that Toleration Did it not presently after the rejection and crucifixion of their expected Messiah the fruit of their many sects and divisions bring inevitable desolation upon them under which they lye to this day Did nâ—â— the polâ—â—heisme of the Heathens like a worme eate asundâ—r the rootes of their seemingly eternally settled Monarchies common-wealths and Nations Is it not in the mouths of most That the Toleration of sports on the Lords day winking at the Bishops introduction of Popery out off Charles Steward him and his stubbed up Episcopacy Roose and Branch which would have rooted up the godly Ministery Have you so soone forgotten that this Carnall Stratagem in the late Lord Protectors dayes who therein laid the foundation of all our misery blasted the Ministery and rendred it very unsuccessfull The consideration whereof probably sunck his spirit and hastened his death and hath he not provided ill for his posterity hereby though he thought to have established it But you will say our neighbours of Holland prosper notwithstanding their practising the same How can you say so Have not you been under God the instruments of his vengeance upon them have they not lost the power of godlynesse doe we not follow them apace can we looke upon them but as a people hastening to their period and shall we dreame of an exemption from their plagues being guilty of their sins allowed of and established by a Law what can be objected from scripture unwrested and right reason I know not What hath beene to the unhallowed violation of the divine oracles and abuse of reason hath been fully answered by those that have wrote of the Magistrates power in taking care for the observation of the whole Law of God and against the Toleration of all or some erroneous opinions And the so much meerely pretended liberty of conscience I will not actum agere but pray you to looke into them Wherefore consider O yee heads of the Tribes of our Israel in whom is the quintessence of reason is it suitable to your wisdome to make resolves militant one against the other Destructive one of another Should not the wisedome of the onely wise God and his authority preponderate your conceites Psal 2.10 11 12. Fourth and Fifth Commandement Rev. 2.2.20 and make you stoope and yield submissively to him Would you not have others yield obedience to you in your lawfull commands and will you not give the same to Jehovah the righteous Law-giver and Judge of the World Though you have power to cast downe Monarchies here on earth are you so foole hardy as to kick against the pricks in opposing his supreame Monarchicall Soveraignty must you not be brought to his bar in the most glorious Parliament of Angels and Saints that ever will sit how will you answer Christ for preserring your owne imaginations before his revealed will in his word for designing any of you the erecting the Idols you dote upon and adore upon the ruines and blood of Millions in these Nations What evasions and distinctions will helpe you When you are required to give an account of the hinderance of the propagation of the Gospell conversion of soules and the glory accrewing to God thereby How will you answer the people that have trusted you with all that is deare to them How will you still the Clamour of their owne consciences Which will speake out one day when you will have more leasure to heare them With what heart can you now or will you hereafter heare the Lamentable cryes of the soules murdered by your bloody hands Have you no bowells of pitty and compassion in you Have you greater mercy for the wolves then the sheep O cruell bloody mercyes Where is the sincerity of your love to that Christ you owne if you are to seede hiâ— sheepe as Christians and see them fed as Magistrates with wholesome food will you let them graze any where on any poâ—sonous and banefull herbe Our love to Christ here iâ— best 〈◊〉 by our love to his members and should not his truth be 〈◊〉 to you then your lives estates c. Much more opinion and can you love it and hugge its enemies in your owne bosomes and in others is it not very sinfull to Tolerate evill in your selves much more in others most of all to enact it by a Law The good Lord keepe you from further kindling his wrath that hath burnt already so hot and so long against these three Nations hastening to ther finall consumption Amen Amen FINIS