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A45536 Prossō kai opissō a sermon eqvally pointing forvvard & backward, as it was deliver'd in the Vniversity Church of Saint Maries in Cambridge / by P.H., B. of Divinity, and sometime fellow of Queenes Colledge in Cambridge, in his forenoone course before that universitie, upon the 22 day of November, in the yeare 1640, being the beginning of this present parliament. P. H.; Hardres, Peter.; Heylyn, Peter, 1600-1662. 1647 (1647) Wing H702; ESTC R38787 23,179 42

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They i. e. Korah of the Tribe of Levi and Dathan Abiram and On of the Tribe of Ruben v. 1. and 250 Princes of the assembly Famous in the Congregation and men of Renowne vers. 2. Materiale peccati express'd by an unlawfull assembly se ipsos cōgregarūt And they gather'd themselves together Formale peccati that which doth specificate the sinne of Rebellion notified in the Parties against whom they were gather'd together and that was contra Mosen A●ronem the Supreme Prince and Chief Priest Capitulatio The incapitulation or Treatie after they were gather'd together had made their partie good and strong then and not till then they begin to capitulate and treat dixerunt eis And they said unto them Gravaminum Remonstratio in their treatie here 's a Remonstrance or Declaration of their grievances Moses was too high in State and Aaron in the Church there must be no supreme Prince nor chiefe Priest but 't is a paritie both in Church and State which they seem to require and therefore they breake out first with an exclamation Nimium arrogatis Ye take too much upon you Secondly with an expostulation Quare elevamini Wherefore doe you lift up your selves above c. Gravaminum Ratio That they may not seeme to be mad without reason here are the pretended reasons or grounds of these their grievances sufficient in their opinion to justifie an Insurrection And indeed if true the strongest Motives that can be for they are cunningly drawne from Religion and Gods Honour for they can prove from Gods owne Words that all the Congregation was holy every one of them and therefore there must be no Aaron no chiefe Priest Secondly 'T was apparent that the Lord was among them and therefore it was a derogation from his Honour to have a Co-adjutor in Government and so their must be no Moses no supreme Prince Reasons very specious and persuasive But sevently and lastly If ye would know that which the Logicians call Causam {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the true Primary Internall impulsive Cause of all this Tumult and Rebellion ye must not looke for it here in my Text in the publique Remonstrations and Declarations of the Rebells themselves for that is usually kept secret and close from the peoples eyes amongst the chiefe of the Faction and is either disclosed by the Notorietie of the fact when they have attained their ends and purposes or else by the diligent search and enquiry of some honest Historians of those times and the true Primary Impulsive Cause of this Rebellion is discovered by Moses to be Pride and Ambition The beginning of all sinne Korah was but an inferiour Levite and he aspired to the Priest-hood as Moses plainly told him v. 10. Seemeth it a small thing unto you that God brought thee neere to him and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee but seeke ye the Priest-hood also For which cause both thou and all thy company are gather'd together against the Lord So that the true Cause of Korah's rebellion was ambition he aspir'd to the Priesthood and Aaron stood in his way and therefore his chiefe aime was against Aaron Dathan and Abiram though they were Princes of the Assembly yet they were inferiour to Moses and that was it troubled them Secundi gradus erant impatientes they could not brooke any superiour as they plainly told Moses v. 13. Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a good land that floweth with milke and hony to kill us in the wildernesse except thou make thy selfe altogether a Prince over us So that Ambition too was the true cause of their rebellion they aspir'd to Supremacy and Moses stood in their way and therefore their chiefe aime was against Moses So that whatsoever colour or pretext they make in their publike Remonstrances or Declarations be it Religion or Conscience or care of the Common good the true cause and ground of their rebellion was Pride and Ambition Korah was ambitious of the highest place in the Church Dathan and Abiram in the State and therefore they were gather'd together against Moses and against Aaron and all this worthy of beliefe upon the credit of Moses a faithfull Historian and also an Inspired Pen-man of holy Scripture And so here is you see delineated and drawn a perfect Modell of Rebellion and Rebellions of afterges if they have added any thing they are but some quaint tricks and devices to adorne and set forth the severall parts of this Fabrick this still for forme and fashion standing a compleat and perfect Patterne And so I proceed to the first part of my Text Rebelles The Rebels They Korah Dathan Abiram and On of the Tribe of Ruben and 250 Princes of the Assembly Famous in the Congregation and men of renowne In whom there are three things observable that make this Rebellion dangerous The first is Combinatio Levita Ruben The Levite and the Rubenite joyned Secondly Eminentia Principes coetus Princes of the Assembly Thirdly Popularitas homines celebres Famous in the Congregation and men of renowne 1. Combinatio Korah of the Tribe of Levi and Dathan Abiram and On of the Tribe of Ruben And though none but Korah be named of that Tribe as being the principall Head and one that had his particular aimes and ends yet 't is evident that more of the inferiour sort of the Levites were gotten in to participate of this Rebellion because Moses in the 10 v. speakes in the plurall number to Korah and the rest of his brethren the sons of Levi Seeke ye the Priest-hood also Now the Levites either because they were Gods lot portion to doe the service of the Tabernacle and so were not numbred amongst the rest of the children of Israel by Moses or because God was their lot and portion and therefore they had no inheritance in the division of the land of Canaan for one or both of these reasons the Levites may very well be called by the name of {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the Clergy or lot of the Lord so that they joyning with the Rubenites it seemes that both Clergy and Laity were combin'd together in this Rebellion and this conjunction gives a strong incouragement and countenance to the action for the Levite or Clergy alone would have wanted power and strength the Laity or Rubenite alone could not have had so fair a color and cloake of Religion to cover their Rebellious practices but both joyn'd together make a strong faction and a faire shew and the action appeares more glorious in the world when there is such a combination between the two maine parts of the state and therefore Adonijah when he exalted himselfe saying I will be King when as Solomon was designed before both by God his father David for that Regall Office he took this course He combin'd himselfe with the Priest and
ΠΡΟΣΣΩ ΚΑΙ ΟΠΙΣΣΩ A SERMON EQVALLY POINTING FORVVARD BACKWARD AS IT WAS DEliver'd in the Vniversity-Church of Saint Maries in CAMBRIDGE By P. H. B. of Divinity and sometime Fellow of Queenes Colledge in Cambridge In his Forenoone Course before that Universitie upon the 22. day of November in the yeare 1640 being the third Sunday after the beginning of this present PARLIAMENT Eccles. 1. v. 9 10. The thing that hath been is that which shall be that which is done is that which shall be done and there is no new thing under the Sun Is there any thing whereof it may be said see this is new It hath been already of old time which was before us Virg. Sic illi oculos sic ora ferebant Printed in the Yeare 1647. To the READER REader whosoever thou art that dost scruple or make any doubt of the truth of the thing done in such manner time and place as the Title Page doth Preface Know that this Sermon verbatim being preach'd in the very beginning of this Parliament ●efore the whole Universitie and a good part of the Towne of Cambridge there are many Hundreds of People that can attest and justifie every tittle in the Title Page yet living every where howsoever distress'd or wheresoever dispers'd throughout this Spacious Kingdome The Author is a Priest and graduated in Divinitie in the time of Ignorance and Popery before the Gospell here in England otherwise he is a Gentleman of a very good and ancient House and Extraction A Gentleman and a Schollar note that for Blood and Learning Generositie and Breeding they are the two intire constitutive Principles of a Malignant as compleat as Matter and Forme of a Naturall Body Out upon them both for wheresoever they meet in one there needs no further Proofe you may certainly and infallibly conclude such a Person an enemy to this our State Reprobate and altogether untractable to this Blessed Reformation The Publishing of this Sermon I assure thee not upon the Publique Faith but in the word of an honest man is not with the Author's Notice much lesse his Consent which indeed was never a●●●d wee supposing it to be with him as it is generally with all other Malignants who though they be no whit asham'd yet are very much afraid of their Malignancy It remaines then onely that thou beest rightly inform'd why this Sermon being Preach'd so long agoe came not to publique view long before or why it is just now held forth Not Before because the publishing of it before might justly have beene interpreted very prejudiciall to the wisedome of the Managers of this Holy Warre as if they had not had sufficient Abilities of understanding and judgement to carry on this Holy Cause and businesse of their Holy Covenant unlesse they had had this Patterne or some such Copy set before their eyes whereby to direct their whole Counsells and Actions But now that the Worke is so done as the most envious Malignant cannot say that ever any of their Predecessours in any Age have gone beyond them It is very seasonable yea requisite and necessary indeed to present to all the world this following Discourse and that for this re●son which if you marke it will plainly inferre the necessity For seeing that all the Orthodox painfull and Godly ministers put into the severall Benefices of this Kingdome by this Blessed Parliament both in their single exercises upon their Cures and when they have exercised some 4 or 5 one over anothers head upon solemne humiliation dayes have wrought powerfully upon the dullest capacities both of City and Country and contributed much yea very much by their labour in the Cause and mannagement of this holy Warre but more especially seeing that the Reverend Assembly of Divines did not only pray preach exhort and counsell to this effect but also did worke wonders dispense with Oathes as much as ever the Papists can boast their Pope to have done and make the very Scriptures themselves especially in the English Welsh and Scotch Languages conformable and subordinate to this holy Warre and holy Covenant as much as to their owne Presbytery and beautifull Discipline It is then most expedient and necessary that this Sermon be now printed for the justification and vindication both of the one and of the other from the slander and obloquie of the Reprobate Wicked Cavalier-Prelatists and of the Separatists and Independents that all the world may see understand attest and give judgement that neither the Parliaments Orthodox Ministers have taught incited or stirr'd up the people to any thing nor the Reverend Assembly of Divines have directed or counsel'd any thing in this holy Warre and this holy Covenant for which the word doth not both hint and hold forth a most cleer Text and warrant as you shall find it written NUMB. 16.3 And they gather'd themselves together against Moses and against Aaron and said unto them Ye take too much upon you seeing all the Congregation are holy every one of them and the Lord is among them wherefore then lift you up youselves above the Congregation of the Lord MY Text presents unto you a famous Rebellion in the Iewish state which shewes the Antiquitie of this sinne although perhaps not that height of wicked Policy so fully reach't and accomplish't by the villainous cunning inventions of after-ages for Nihil inventum perfectum eodem tempore never was any thing so exactly at first excogitated invented or found out as nothing could be added by succeeding ages to compleat and perfect it Yet the sinne of Rebellion although perhaps not now first devis'd yet sure but in its Cradle and infancy especially as it hath reference relation to this state of the Iewes by computation of time in all probabilitie not two yeares old since their freedome from the AEgyptian bondage wanted so little already of its full perfection that here in this frame you may behold the compleat forme and figure of it with all parts and Lineaments fully integrated Nay and many accidentall perfections though not all which were added to every part as it grew from strength to strength till it came to its just Bulk and Stature As in the body of an infant you may find every part of a man as Front and Eye Hand Leg although not the severall graces and comelinesse of every of these parts as the majestick rise of the Fore-head and vigorous quicknesse of the Eye the pure whitenesse of the Hand and the decent proportion of the Leg untill this infant be growne to some consistent measure both of height and bignesse So I say here in this rebellious act is represented every part and limbe of Rebellion and after-ages have but added a cleanly contrivance and carriage to some of these parts that rebelling may appeare more gracefull and comely to the eye of the world as by the viewing of the severall particulars in my Text will more plainly appeare Where you have Rebelles The Rebels
chiefe Captain to make his party good Hee conferr'd with Joab the sonne of Zerviah and with Abiather the Priest and they following Adonijah helped him without his helpe he saw there was but little good to be done and therefore Abiather the Priest was a fit and usefull instrument for his ends And that unnaturall Rebellion of a neighboring Country which mask't it selfe under the specious Title of the Holy League durst not venture upon the temporall power alone but he that professeth himselfe to be the Aaron of the whole world is combin'd with Dathan and Abiram against Moses and the Levites out of their Pulpits must make publique Invectives and Declarations against Moses and a College of the Prophets must bee gotten to advise the simple People to Arme themselves against Moses and Aaron's legate to countenance the Action must reside in the chiefe City and the famous Writer of the Controversies in the Church of Rome has got no great credit amongst the French Historians for being one of his Retinew and company and indeed he may justly be suspected for a Boutefeau and Incendiary in that Rebellion seeing he published such rebellious Divinitie to the whole world And I would that some of the same Aaron's Emissaries had not beene so lately busie in this kind to the disturbance of our sweet Peace and tranquillitie But these and the like need not applaud their Brain for any new invented Policy for we can Track them to the very fountain spring-head from whence they derived their Plot This here in my Text was their first Patterne and Copy which they like Apes doe but imitate and follow here are the Clergy and Laitie joyn'd together the Levite and the Rubenite Combin'd Korah of the Tribe of Levi Dathan Abiram and On of the Tribe of Ruben 2. Eminentia They were not of the inferiour sort of Commons but the chiefe of the Nobilitie for so you may read in the second verse they were principes coetus Princes of the Assemblie qui tempore Concilii per nomina vocabantur saith Saint Hierome who were summon'd by name to the publique assemblies and meetings to consult with Moses for the good and wel-fare of the whole nation They were è coetu convocati saith Tremelius such as were chosen and convocated out of the congregation to the publique consultations and deliberations of state but now they have chang'd their title for instead of Convocati they are become Convocatores authors of seditious assemblies They that should have waited Moses his call do now call Moses to an account nay they who by their eminencie and place should have eased Moses his Shoulders of the burden of government by their disloyall carriage lay on more weight and pressure to the disturbance of the whole state which must needs totter and shake at the disjoynture of such maine pillars As in a structure or building if but a pin or punchion or gice doe faile there is no great feare but if a post or beame start aside from the frame that threatens subversion and ruine if the poorer sort of the Rubenites or the lowest of the Levites had kindled this fire it might have easily and soone been extinguish't but when a Korah Dathan and an Abiram Princes of the assembly breake out into a flame that will require both speedy help and strong remedies both which the wisedome of God us'd for the suppressing of these mens Insolencies as in the sequell you shall heare 3. Popularitas Here is the most dangerous and most pernitious qualitie in a Rebell and that 's their popularity for the Text sayes they were Homines celebres famous in the Congregation and men of renowne by their plausible conversation and popular deportment they had gotten themselves a name and fame in the Congregation for there are two things requisite to Popularity 1. Virtutis simulatio a specious shew of vertue such especially which respects the Common-good together with a querulous complaint against the present government 2. Populi Palpatio a stroaking and clawing of the Congregation by a submisse and humble carriage Now it seems that these Rebels here had adumbrata though not expressa virtutis signa some shadowes and outward resemblances though not the expresse image and portraiture of vertue otherwise they would have beene infamous in the Congregation rather then famous but though they had no stocke of vertue within themselves 't is likely their outward shew and carriage was borrowed from honesty and goodnesse which together with their fauning courtship and observance of the peoples humors did purchase them fame renown in the Congregation And this you shall finde to be the constant practice of these kinde of Rebels Absalom was a cunning artificer in this worke when by faire speeches and flattering promises he went about to steale away the hearts of the men of Israel from his father David as you may read where after hee had prepar'd his stage at the entry of the gate in the view and face of the people then hee falls to acting of his popular parts For 1. When any man that had a controversie came to the King for Iudgment Absalom called him and said unto him See thy matters are good and right but there is no man deputed of the King to heare thee There 's an exclamation against the present Government 2. Absalom said moreover Oh that I were made a Iudge in the Land that every man which hath any suit or cause might come unto mee and I would doe him justice There 's Virtutis simulatio his specious shew of vertue 3. And it was so when any man came nigh unto him to doe him obeysance hee put forth his hand and tooke him and kissed him There 's Populi Palpatio And that you may see the dangerous consequence of this cunning carriage you shall finde in the 6 ver. that by these meanes Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel Catiline that great conspirator against the Common-wealth of Rome was excellent saies the Orator versare suam Naturam et regere ad tempus to turne and wind his nature and disposition according as the present opportunitie and occasion required et huc atque illuc torquere et flectere he could writhe and bend it this way and that way as he pleased so that hee could behave himselfe cum tristibus severe cum remissis jucunde cum senibus graviter cum juventute comiter sadly with the sorrowful jocundly with the merry gravely with the old man courtly with the young man et specie quadam virrutis assimulatae and by a specious counterfeit of vertue deceived many good men Caesar the first Soveraigne over the Roman state Sobrius ad Rempublicam evertendam accessit sayes Tully he came with temperance and sobriety to the subversion of the Common-Wealth These and many more examples in Histories may be good Caveats to make us take good heed how we judge mens actions by their
who is his and who is Holy i. e. in office and function as the next words plainly declare and who ought to approach near unto him i. e. as a Priest to offer Sacrifices burne Incense and performe other Sacerdotall Functions And indeed the Lord shew'd it with a vengeance by the dismall destruction of these unhallowed Rebels and so you see how these Rebels here most prophanely pervert and abuse Gods sacred word because all the Congregation were Holy as being separated from all other people by the choice of Almighty God to keep his Commandements and Ordinances therefore by this aequivocating tricke and shift they would have set up this whole Congregation to stand in competition with Aaron for the Priestly office and so have thrust him out of that eminent place in the Church to which God had called him And by another Religious tricke not unlike this they give an heave at Moses their Prince and Governour for the Lord was amongst them therefore there must be no Moses pretending here the honour and glory of God for therein lies the force of their argument The Lord was amongst them by day in a cloud by night in a pillar of fire and at other times in glorious appearances upon speciall occasions and therefore it was a derogation from the honour of Almighty God that such an inferiour as Moses should take upon him and exercise authority when the King of Heaven and Earth was present and here most impudently they abuse God's honour to cover their unworthy and base practises for they could not be ignorant that God himselfe had imposed this office of Government and Superioritie upon Moses and that with great reluctancy on his part and had seene it confirm'd to him by many signes miracles and wonders In AEgypt at the red Sea and in the Wildernesse usque ad stuporem naturae and what though God were present amongst them as he is every where and can command the whole world solo Nutu yet 't is very well knowne that it seemed good to the wisedome of Almighty God to governe this inferiour world by second causes so that as he disposes and orders the vegetative Natures as Herbes and Plants and other Fruits of the Earth by the notions and influences of the Heavens and Elements and the animall or sensible creatures by the power and wisedome of man so he orders and governes Humane Societies by Kings and Princes whom he cals Nutritios and therfore it being God's Ordinance and pleasure it could be no derogation from his honour or glory that Moses was lifted up above the Congregation of the Lord for had it beene praejudiciall to his honour the wisedome of God could have disposed otherwise of the Government of this world but yet Religion and God's honour were glorious shewes to dazle the peoples eyes that they might not pierce into the depth of their ambitious designes and therefore they cryed out All the Congregation are holy and the Lord is among them and so no Moses no Aaron And see here the corrupt nature of Rebellion There is nothing so Holy nothing so Sacred nothing so Pure but 't is prophaned polluted and defil'd by her abminations Religion that sacred bond tying God and man together is made an instrument by Rebellion to undoe all Humane Societies and the fairest vertue in mans soule is made a Maske to hide the deformities of the foulest Sin When ambition swells or discontent breakes out or fury rages then Religion must be used as decayed faces doe Fucus and Cerus for the basest offices to cozen and delude the world And those who before like the unjust Judge Neither feared God nor regarded man can now fawne upon those whom before in their pride they scorn'd and to advance their owne ambitious ends force themselves against their owne nature and disposition to seeme Religious Nay and make shift to wrap out a place of Scripture too as the Devill did to our Saviour but most miserably wrested and abus'd to serve their owne lusts as we must obey God rather than man Whatsoever this or that particular man or this or that particular Congregation shall conceive and interpret to be the Word of God though this Conception and Interpretation be against the authoriz'd doctrine and discipline of the present Church and the Consent and Practise of the ancient and Primitive Church yet this must be obeyed as the Word of God and that too with rising up and rebelling against their Soveraigne contrary to the expresse Word of God himselfe but let them take heed they doe not venture too far least they be numbred in the list of that unlearned and unstable company of whose doome S. Peter speakes that wrest Saint Pauls Epistles as they doe also the other Scriptures unto their owne destruction The Practice of these Rebells here shew this devilish device to be a great deale more ancient then S. Peters time for they could produce a place of Scripture and Gods honour too for the maintaining of their Rebellious actions when ambition was the true Cause and Ground of their Rebellion And that 's the 7th Part. Korah was ambitious of the highest place in the Church Dathan and Abiram in the State and therefore they were gather'd together Korah it seemes in place eminency was next to Aaron and his sons as being Prince and head of the Kohathides whose office was to beare the Sanctuary a charge of greatest Honour and Note among the Levites so that he could not endure to see his Cousin Aaron enter into the glorious Sanctuary whil'st he stood without or that Aaron and his sonnes should cover the Sanctuary and all the Vessells thereof and he must not so much as see when the holy things were cover'd or touch any holy thing lest he dye this was that discontented him and therefore his aime was against Aaron Dathan and Abiram were Princes and Heads of the Rubenites who came of the Elder-house even of Ruben the eldest son of Iacob they could not endure to be over-topt by the yonger-house by Moses Aaron that descended from Levi the younger sonne of Iacob this was that they stomack't and therefore though their chiefe aime was against Moses yet perhaps Aaron's eminency was an eye-sore to them they could not endure to see the Miter and the Scepter in the younger-house and therefore they are gather'd together against Moses and Aaron And indeed all the world may perceive and so might this whole Congregation too had not they beene most miserably blinded and besotted by the weaknesse and sillinesse of these mens Reasons that their owne ambitious hopes and not the peoples Good was their maine drift and end for can any man with reason thinke or imagine that all the Congregation should have beene Aaron's and Priests because they were all Holy or that they should all have bin Governours Princes and Rulers and do what they lift because the Lord was amongst them This were a mad conceit to