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cause_n	great_a	king_n	see_v	4,869	5	3.5371	3	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52476	Three choice and profitable sermons upon severall texts of Scripture viz. Jer. 30. 17, John 14. 3, Heb. 8. 5 : the first of them being the last sermon which he preached at the court of election at Boston, the second was the last which he preached on the Lords-Day, the third was the last which he preached on his weekly-lecture-day : wherein (beside many other excellent and seasonable truths) is shewed, the Lords soveraignty over, and care for his church and people, in order to both their militant and triumphant condition, and their fidelity and good affection towards himself / by that reverend servant of Christ, Mr. John Norton ...	Norton, John, 1606-1663.; Norton, John, 1606-1663. Copy of the letter returned by the ministers of New-England to Mr. John Dury about his pacification.	1664 (1664)	Wing N1324; ESTC R40050	44,511	76

fear was upon them because of the people of the land one means to secure them from fear in time of trouble was with the first to proceed with the things of Religion and to be in good earnest to settle them 1 Chron. 28.20 21. Do it saith David unto Solomon and the Lord God even my God will be with thee and not only so but the priests the princes the people will be with thee c. But when Solomon falls off from God's Worship then ariseth against him the spirit of Hadad and the spirit of Rezin and the spirit of Ieroboam c. 1 Kings 11. It is a great point of policy in troublesome times viz. the attending to the Cause of Religion Without Order the Ark could not move in Davids time but you see what trouble follows upon it and Churches cannot likewise move untill the Order of the Churches be proportionably settled Haggai 1.5 6. Now therefore saith the Lord of Hosts consider your wayes when the Worship of God was neglected things went ill with them You have sown much and bring in little ye eat but ye have not enough and again ver 7th Thus saith the Lord of Hosts consider your wayes and in Chap. second they do hearken to him the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel and Josuah and from the time that they set themselves about the work of the Lord all things went well with them How farre the drought and the last years and other troubles are here considerable referring to our selves let the Scripture be the interpreter The matters of outward prosperity have much dependance upon the carrying on the cause of Religion and that according to the Order of the Gospel or by the Scripture-patern our safety lies in keeping there not turning to the right hand nor turning to the left hand In Exod. 39. you have it mentioned about ten times in that Chapter in way of Commendation that what was done was so according as the Lord had Commanded Moses Let this stand with us I beseech you beloved that for the motion of Elders of Brethren of Councils of Magistrates of Churches settle the same as the Lord hath Commanded i. e. according to Scripture-prescript and patern we are then a safe People FINIS A COPY OF THE LETTER Returned by the MINISTERS of NEW-ENGLAND TO M R. JOHN DURY ABOUT HIS PACIFICATION Faithfully Translated out of the Original Manuscript written in Latine By the Reverend AVTHOR of the Three former SERMONS With some Considerations premised about that Subject necessary for these Times By a Lover of Truth and Peace Published in the Year 1664. THE PREFACE TO THE READER AS of old it was observed that Julian who hated the Christians with an implacable hatred when he could invent no way worse opened a wide way for Schisms and Divisions In like manner hath it been the Policy of the Adversary in succeeding times when there appears no hope of undermining the Walls of Truth by Heresie and false Doctrine to attempt the scattering and dispersing the Assertors thereof by raising and fomenting Schisms and Dissensions amongst them From which Fountain it may justly be feared hath sprung a jealousie in the mindes of sundry persons in this Country That the Determination of the late Synod Anno 1662. if attended unto would bring into the Churches of New-England a practice contrary both to the Frame of their Churches and to the judgement of those famous Worthies that at first their Churches were blest withall when as it will be found most evident to any that shall impartially survey the Constitution and state of the said Churches That the principall if not the sole Reason why the same things then agreed upon were not long before set afoot and practised was not any doubt or scruple about the duty of the things themselves but the want of Agreement about the Way and Manner how they might most conveniently and safely put in practice which being now fully cleared up in the Propositions of the said Synod the Aspersion cast upon their former Church-administrations as too much favouring the way of the Separation is not onely now removed but an Expedient found out for the holding Communion with other Orthodox Churches in things lawful and necessary without any prejudice to the the Purity of their Worship The commendable receiving and practising of this Truth by some Churches among them and necessity of attending thereunto by all is most convincingly evident by many writings published abroad in the world by many Eminent persons in the name of others wherein much paines is taken up in clearing the way of these Churches from the imputation of Schism and separation from others but in none more then in a Letter returned with the Subscription of the names almost of all the Elders universally in this Place unto a Letter of the Reverend and Learned Mr. John Dury who ever since the year 1635. had been labouring for a Pacification between the Reformed Protestant Churches of Europe and who is famous in the Christian World for that work and at last had communicated his design to those of New-England desiring their Approbation and Concurrence in the said design wherein they expresly declare That they own all those Churches professing the Protestant Religion and retaining the fundamentals of Doctrine and essentials of Order if they be otherwise peaceable and walk orderly for Brethren and that they are ready to reach out unto them the right hand of fellowship From whence it will necessarily follow that seeing other Churches so qualified although they should dissent from them in many Points of Religion are owned as Brethren and that in way of fellowship if those that so profess shall refuse to conferre the seal of Baptism to the Children of such Parents as belong to any such like Churches according as is expressed in the aforesaid Propositions of the Synod They will neither be able to avoyd contradicting their own words and writings nor yet secure themselves from the guilt of dissimulation And that it might appear there was no advantage taken by any stragling sentence or expression in the said Letter cast off from its Dependants it was thought necessary to Translate and publish the whole to the open view of all and because also in the draught of the same are found many undeniable Arguments enforcing this very Conclusion as when it s said That the diverse opinions of some Churches about Polity and indifferent things although they are not so small that the lovers of truth should be silent about them so neither are they so great that they need be any hindrance to the seekers of Peace and Quietness in such an undertaking Which is also there further evidenced by instancing the unquestioned Example of our Saviour who refused not Celebrare Sacra or joyn in the Worship of God in the Jewish Church defaced at that time with more grievous corruptions And further it is added That the nature of Political as well as Christian Society

religious then so to carry it that they should no sooner see a Congregational-man then to have cause to say They see an Enemy to the Crown Prov. 24.21 My son fear thou the Lord and the King and meddle not with them that are given to change Eccles 10.20 Curse not the King no not in thy thought Dan. 6.22 Innocency was found in me saith Daniel and also before thee O King have I done no hurt Is this thy voice my son David 1 Sam. 26.17 really so not hypocritically We have severe Observers Tongues are not untaught to inform against us It is but wisdome to give no cause especially such as our own Consciences cannot testifie for and such as all Orthodox Churches in the Protestant world will testifie against In matters of the State-Civil and of the Church let it be shewn that we are his Disciples who Matth. 22.21 said Give unto Cesar the things that are Cesars and unto God the things that are Gods and in matters of Religion let it be known that we are for Reformation and not for Separation 6. Lastly Take care thar the Order of the Gospel may have a free passage in the Churches I mean that our Practice may effectually answer our Doctrine in that Book entituled The Platform of Church-Discipline 'T is that for which we are Out-casts at this day that for the substance of it is it that sheweth what New-England is I would I might say that there are none among our selves that are against it There was a time when the General Court did approve of it and when the Members of that Synod pleaded for it Our reality herein will be in no small degree critical of our Integrity in this Undertaking and our Actions must be the demonstrations of our Sincerity This is a principal Ingredient of this healing Plaister and for the defect-hereof are such frequent and scandalous Breaches in our Churches so many Administrations in vain and such sad Non-administration and Remora's occasioning that sad Quaerie of Spectators Whether the Congregational-way be practicable yea or not I beseech you consider whom it is that it doth concern to answer this Objection you that are conscientious do not forget it at whom the stick lyes in one order or another If we cannot build without the noise of Hammers yield that we are not Temple-workmen yield we must either that the Congregational-way is not the way of God or that We are unfit for the behaviour of the House of God As concerning the Church-government according to the Platform of Discipline the practice of which doctrine who careth for is not this that truth which the Synod Churches the General Court sometime made a good Confession of and that now no man comparatively careth for Ezra 4.8 Rehum cares not for it ver 23. Artaxerxes careth not for it Nehem. 4. Sanballat and Tobiah care not for it the Episcopal man the Presbyterian care not for it the Morellian careth not for it the Merchant the Souldier the Husbandman the Labourer careth not for it Haggai 1. The people of Jerusalem the Church-members care not for it I am apt sometimes to think that Aaron may be under a temptation of irregular complyance but minde Ier. 15.19 Let them return unto thee but return not thou unto them I may say thus much and pardon my speech A more yeilding Ministry unto the People I believe is not in the World I beseech you let not Cesar be killed in the Senate after he hath fought it out and conquered in the Field let us acknowledge the Order of the Eldership in our Churches in their way and the Order of Councils in their way duely back'd and encouraged without which Experience will witness that these Churches cannot long consist God hath opened the mouth of the Speaker to you this day it being a day wherein after so many attempts and feares you are betrusted with your Liberties for another year You have this years oportunity and at such a time and blessed be the Lord God of our Fathers who hath put such a thing in the Kings heart so farre to accept your Application to his Majesty as not onely to give you the oportunity of the year present but also encouragement for many years to come Let all of us be stirred up by the Lord and at such a time to strengthen the hand of Zerubbabel and Jehoshua by your professed subjection to the Gospel of Christ Do not betray liberty under the pretence of liberty You that are in the honoured Magistracy remember Davids troubles Psal 132.1 5. he could not rest till the Ark had rest And those that are in the Ministry remember Paul's troubles and what his cares were 1 Cor. 11.28 Let us all minde what were the troubles and thoughts of heart that were in them that lived in the dayes of Malachi Chap 3.16 But are there not many that minde onely their cieled houses c and how much doth the work of the Out-cast lye unattempted witness the sick estate of the Churches and how can it be remedied if we will not acknowledge Order and shall I say that we are real therein You have brought upon your selves real troubles and likewise upon your Relations and Friends in England and those here that suffer with you in this Exile See then that you be not hypocritical but real to the Truth which you have professed I could tell you and you must not forget it That there have been Men of Renown as they are called Numb 16.2 Famous in the Congregation of Israel that did go out of Egypt but yet could not endure the Order of God in the Wilderness Let us shew it that we mistook not our selves pretending to come into this Wilderness to live under the Order of the Gospel We are Out-casts indeed and reproached but let us be such Out-casts as are caring for the Truth and therefore not to neglect an Apologie it doth become and greatly concern Gods Out-casts to minde it You know there are those who represent you as disaffected to Government and as Sectaries and Schismaticks and as Fanaticks you see cause to Apologize therein And for that term of Fanatick you must remember it is not of yesterday however it be now used or abused You may learn the original use of it from that distribution of Professors in relation to Church government in former times into four sorts viz. Orthodoxt Pontificii Rationales and Fanatici But I trust that God doth and Angels and Men shall know that we are Orthodox Gods Out-casts are not Fanaticks The Woman in the wilderness may have the vomit of the Dragon cast in her face if you let it lye on you will suffer wash it off therefore by an Apologie Thus did Justin Martyr Tertullian Iuel and others in their time Give not the advantage of interpreting Silence as Consent nor think it labour lost if an Apologie will wash your face And though we may be cast out by men yet may we hope that God will

belongeth not to them we must do nothing but according to the Patern Instr 3. A Religious Worshipper or a man truly religious doth not rest in this That externals do answer the Prescript Rule of the Word without proceeding to internal Worship You finde that God doth not onely bear testimony against our Worship but also against hypocritical Worship First against our Worship or our Administrations that as you see is Will-worship and it is vain Worship all the Institutions of men are so they are Will-worship i. e. there is sin and defilement in them we must not set our posts by Gods posts But then suppose we are brought to external worship doth God rest here no do you think that God liveth on goat's bloud Psal 50.13 And hence also Amos 5.25 saith the Lord you did not offer unto me your sacrifices during the space of fourty years speaking of the time in the Wilderness It is like there was a cessation in respect of the condition that they were in as who should say then I can be without Sacrifices Ier. 7.22 23. God saith there He did not command Sacrifices or external Worship i. e. Comparatively in respect of Obedience he commanded it not but I Commanded them saying Obey my voice and I will be your God and ye shall be my people So God will say to us He did not Command us to come hither to set up the external Worship of the Gospel i. e. comparatively in stead of Obedience Holiness and Righteousness this is that which Stephen pleads Acts 7.42 43. Oh house of Israel you have not offered to me slain beasts but you had the Tabernacle of Moloch c. but they could not bear with Stephen when he came to this So our Saviour Christ tell 's them They have made my House a den of thieves Those among you that are given to injustice drunkenness or other scandalous wayes this or that I tell you God requires not your Sacrifices but Obey my voyce that I may be your God this is the thing God aime's at As for our external worship it ought indeed to be according to the Rule but this may be and yet as it is in Isai 1.13 14 15. Your Incense is an abomination and your solemn meetings iniquity my soul hates them saith the Lord they are a trouble unto me and when ye make many Prayers I will not hear them your hands are full of blood c. It would be a dreadful thing if God should say to any of us that are full of duties and concerning our Sabbaths Lords Supper our Fasts our Feasts I am weary of your Worship bring no more vain Oblations c. God forbid that we should forget the internal part of worship whilest we are exercised in the external Amos 5.21 I hate and despise your feasts I will not smell in your solemn Assemblies Look not onely to external regularity but look we unto inward piety lest God hate and despise our Worship Joshua saith God Why lyest thou upon the ground Chap. 7.10 11. Israel hath sinned and transgressed my Covenant c. we have been much in fastings and in external duties many years but what reformation is there are we brought sny more unto the Rule in Church and State I beseech you know that God aimes at Obedience as the internal substantial part of his Worship Instr 4. That the external Order of the Gospel Church-order is no other then the external Throne of Christ Jesus Worship that is mixt partly Divine and partly Humane this is so much defilement in Gods Worship but when it is according to the Rule that is Christs Throne Satan hath his throne that is where Antichrist reignes and Christ hath his Throne that is where his Institutions are in force there Christ sits as Lord. If the Polity be according to the Gospel Jesus Christ is there acknowledged Lord and there is never a Member but is a Subject there must be an Order and according to that Order there must be subjection do you think it an easy thing to be subject to Order Remember it was matter of tryal to those that came out of Egypt and through the Sea as we have done yet there were men of renown that could not bear Church-Order Let me tell you it is a greater matter to be subject to Order then to come over the Seas or to endure the troubles of a Wilderness many will bear a Prison before they will endure the Government of Christ and Gospel-order in his Church Vse 2. Of Exhortation to us all in our Churches especially to sanctifie God according to this truth viz. That our polity may be a Gospel-polity and may be compleat according to the Scriptures answering fully the Word of God this is the work of our generation and the very work we engaged for into this Wilderness this is the scope and end of it that which is written upon the forehead of New-England viz. The compleat walking in the Faith of the Gospel according to the Order of the Gospel 1. And for your direction first remember that we have the patern in the mount I mean we have the Scripture as a Rule and you have the Platform of Church-Discipline given to you in way of Council as the Confession of our Faith to this way of Church-government you know in what manner it was that which for the substance of it ownes the cause Congregational if any are departed from it let them look to it I know none of the Elders that have receded from it It was given many years ago as the Confession of our Faith to this Country and to the World it is distinct from the Episcopacy and from the Presbyterian way from the Morellian way from that of Separatism and it is for the substance of it precisely the way Congregational And as David said to Solomon 1 Chron. 28.10 11. I give unto thee the patern of the House of God c. what God will do with us he knows best David lived not to build the Temple himself but he left the patern thereof to his Son Solomon And so we have the patern only this is complained of that it is not practised though we have had it many years ago now practice is the end of Doctrine 2. Consider that we are all concerned in this service I mean in setting up the Throne of Christ Moses is concerned and it is his commendation that he was a man of God who erected the Tabernacle and set up the Worship of God according to the Patern in the Mount and so David and Solomon c. Thou Solomon my Son if thou doest hold here the Lord will be with thee and let the Churches look to it we are all concerned herein our Fidelity in this cause is our Crown see that it be not taken from us 3. It is a matter of very good Policy times of trouble danger may approach and we read in Ezr. 3.3 that they set the Altar upon its Bases for