Church and state among our selves Breaches made upon the estates of men upon the liberties of subjects the bodies nay the souls and consciences of Christians which through the goodnesse of God inclining the heart of his Anointed to hearken to his great Councell of state are in part already repaired and made up Besides these other Breaches there are which yet lye upon us Breaches in the Church Breaches in the state both in measure still rent and torne distracted and divided I shall not need to name particulars which are too obvious to every vulgar eye But in all these what is here more then was to be found in Israel at that time when the whole land was shaken that Kingdome divided betwixt the two Houses of Saul and David some siding with the one others with the other taking of parts to the great indangering of the state of the Church therein True it is the enemies of our peace are many Besides a dangerous party at home of such as do in their hearts and affections at least cleave to the House of Saul the old House as they falsly call it Papists and others popishly affected together with a Malignant party of malecontents persons ill affected to Church and state besides these it cannot be thought but that we have enemies abroad enemies to our Religion we are sure many of them vassals to that Man of sinne that Antichrist of Rome who as they at the present insult over our breaches so if occasion were offered we cannot thinke but that they would be ready to breake in at them But herein againe what is our condition other then Israels was at this time when David penned this Psalme when besides that seditious party amongst themselves they had also many foraigne enemies enemies both to their Kingdome and Religion and that almost on every side Moabites Edomites Philistines Moabites and Edomites on the East Philistines on the West Thus paralelling our condition with Israels we finde no great oddes of breaches betwixt them not more in the one then was in the other And therefore to draw towards a conclusion of this point and exercise In the first place let not our adversaries triumph over our breaches Rejoyce not against me O mine enemy Or if they will let them triumph Triumph thou O Philistia because of me or over me Let our adversaries of Rome and their adherents the sedicious and ill affected party amongst our selves triumph and lift up their heads insulting over our breaches in the meane time we could tell them of their owne breaches and enquire of them where their Vnitie was when their Church was divided betwixt two visible Heads at once two Popes I meane both set up and both ruling at the same time the one in Italie the other in France the one at Rome the other at Avignion a considerable number of Cardinals and Prelates siding and taking part with either of them Then was the state of their Church like that of Israel when after the death of Saul some sided with David others with Ishbosheth We could minde them of their own present divisions which long have and still do distract that Church of theirs which howsoever they having more of the Serpent and being wiser in their generations then the children of Light carry more closely with lesse noise wherein I wish we could imitate them yet are they both for nature and number so considerable as that it should make them ashamed either to boast of Vnity amongst themselves or to insult over the Breaches of others One of their own modestly tels us of 20. severall schismes amongst them Another their great Cardinall Bellarmin by name to the everlasting glory of their Churches unity ingenuously acknowledgeth no lesse then 237. differences or contrarieties in Doctrine amongst their own Divines But these we passe by contenting our selves with this this was Israels condition and it may be the condition of the true Church of God to be divided distracted no matter of triumph to them Nor yet in the second and third place of scandall or discouragement to others Not of scandall What though the naturall body of Christ be pierced rent torne with thornes nailes the spear of the souldier yet let none be offended at it Blessed is he saith our Saviour whosoever shall not be offended in me What though the misticall body of Christ the Church be pierced rent and torne pierced with the spear of persecution rent and torne with the thornes and nailes of home-bred divisions and dissentions let none be offended at it Nor yet Discouraged by it The naturall Body of Christ for all it was so pierced rent and torne yet it rose again the third day They are not all the rents breaches divisions distractions in the misticall body of Christ the Church that shall hinder the resurrection of it The Church in Hosea complains that the Lord had torne her and smitten her Yet mark what followeth After two dayes he will revive us in the third day he will raise us up and we shall live in his sight God hath at the present done the like by this and the neighbour Nation smitten the one torne the other Smitten the one with the sword of a Civill but Barbarous and Savage enemy Torne the other with unhappy differences and distractions yet let not either of these discourage He that hath torne us he can heal us He that hath smitten us he can binde us up and this we trust in mercy he will yet do It is the speech I remember of the wife of Manoah to her huâ—band If the Lord had had a purpose to destroy us he would not have received a burnt-offering and a meat-offering at our hands neither would he have shewed us all these things And let us in an holy considence say the like touching the Church of God in this and the neighbour Kingdoms Had God had a purpose to haue cast us off from being a Church from being a people to have unchurch'd us to have taken his Gospel from us surely he would never have accepted our offerings our prayers and the prayers of his people amongst us which we are assured he hath dore having given us most gracious comfortable returnes of them assured evidences of their acceptation Neither would he ever have shewed us all these things Discovered and consounded so many plots so many trecheries and conspiracies of our adversaries still turning their councels upon their own heads carrying the great councell of the Kingdom through so many to flesh and blood insuperable difficulties Nor yet would he have begun to repair and make up our Breaches so as in part already he hath done and we hope is doing Do we see one bestowing cost upon an old garment in darning up the holes drawing up the rents making up the Breaches in it we thereupon conjecture surely it is not his intent as yet to cast it off and to lay it aside Surely beloved such have been Gods
dealings with us specially of this Kingdom of late as that we may say that they are at least seem to be sweet intimations of a gracious purpose and intention towards us Onely in this will the Lord be sought And for this let every of us seek him that it may not repent him of the good which he hath seemed to intend towards us but that he would returne and come unto us with healing in his wings coming unto us as the Spouse desireth that her Beloved might come unto her Like a Roe or a yong Hart upon the mountains of Bether the mountains of division as the word signifieth In his own time which let not us prescribe healing and making up all our breaches This is Davids Prayer for Israel in the text And for this Let us pray ISRAELS CURE The second SERMON March 2o PSAL. 60. Vers 2. Heale the Breaches thereof for it is shaken UPon this Text I made an entrance the last day being then led unto it by that Solemn occasion We brake it into two parts Davids Request Reason In the former of these we tooke notice of three particulars Israels Disease Cure Phisitian Upon the first of these we then insisted Come we now to the second viz. Israels Cure which is the healing of her Breaches Heale the Breaches thereof To Heale properly you know what it is viz. do a Cure upon the Body in healing the sicknesses or sores thereof whether in an ordinary way by naturall means Medicines or Salves as the Phisitian or Chirurgion doth or in an extraordinary and miraculous way without means as our Saviour and his Apostles did who cured all manner of diseases only by their a word b touch c garments d shadow From the naturall body it is transferred to the Politicall or Ecclesiasticall Bodie in a Kingdome the Common-wealth the Church The remedying of the evills whereof is sometime in phrase of Scripture called an Healing If my people shall humble themselves and pray saith the Lord I will heale their Land i. e. Redresse and remedy the evills which lye upon it Heale the breaches thereof saith the Text i. e. Repaire them make them up This it is that David here prayeth for and This should every true Israelite desire and seek after The healing repayring making up of Israels breaches It was the first work that Nehemiah and the rest of the Jewes did after their returne from Captivity they set upon the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem which they began as you may see in the 3. chap. of Nehem. and finished chap. 6. not giving over till there was no breach found therein as you have it vers 1. of that 6. chap. What they did for the Typicall this ought all true Israelites do for the Spiritual Mysticall Jerusalem the Church of God upon earth viz. seeke and endeavour what they can the building up the Walls the repairing the breaches thereof This is Davids prayer elsewhere Lord build up the walls of Jerusalem Jerusalem the Metropolis both Civill and Ecclesiasticall of that Kingdome the Head Citie of Israel a Type of the Church visible For this David prayeth that God would build up the walls thereof repayre the breaches thereof restoring to it and establishing in it Peace and Prosperitie And what himselfe doth he stirreth up others to do the like Pray for the peace of Jerusalem i. e. for the publicke tranquility and happinesse of the Church for the continuance of it if enjoyed for the restoring of it if wanted that it may not be troubled whether without by persecuting Tyrants putting it into bloud or within by Schismes and Heresies rending and tearing of it These are the breaches of the Church as I have shewed you in the former Point and both these every true Israelite should defire to have healed repaired made up that so there may be Peace within her Walls and Prosperity or quietnesse within her Pallaces as it followeth vers. 7. of that 122. Psalm And great reason for it why Christians should thus desire and endeavour the healing of Israels breaches they being all members of that mystical body ye are the body of Christ and members in particular saith the Apostle to his Corinthians The Church the body all true Christians Members of that Bodie and being so they should have a simpathie with the whole So is it in the naturall body If the body be wounded or hurt in any part of it there is never a part but is sensible of it If the foot be wounded the eye seeth it the heart feeleth it the tongue complains of it the hand is ready to apply salves and Plaisters to it for the healing of it So should it be in the Mysticall bodie and so it will be If the Church be wounded rent torn the eye of a true Israelite being a living member of that body seeing it his heart cannot but be affected with it his tongue will be ready to complain of it unto God his hand will be readie to apply such healing remedies as God shall put into it Christian affection in the hearts of Christians it both should and will encline them to seek the Cure of Israels breaches Take a second Reason and that fetcht from the Nature of these breaches which are 1. Vnseemly 2. Dangerous 1. Vnseemly not unlike a rent or breach in a Garment which because uncomely we will therefore get drawn sowne up Or like a Harelip in a good face which though it be not a sore yet because it is an eye-sore a blemish we will therfore if possible get healed Upon this ground should Christians seek the healing of Israels breaches They are an eye-sore a blemish in this mysticall body It was the outward Beauty of the Typicall Jerusalem that the buildings thereof were contiguous and uniforme Jerusalem is builded as a Citie that is compact together Juâ—cta sibi simul as Montanus renders the Originall the Houses not scattered but joyning together Even as it was with the Curtains of the Tabernacle which were of one measure saith the Text and coupled together Surely it is a peece of the visible Churches visible beautie her unitie her breaches her divisions make the least of them make the best of them they are a blemish an eye-sore I such an eye-sore as friends cannot behold without grief enemies with triumph Neuters with scandall And being so were there no other reason Christians should seek the Healing of them But besides this 2. In the second place these Breaches are dangerous Dangerous to the Church and that two wayes being 1. Disadvantagious to her 2. Advantagious to her enemies 1. To her disadvantagious In that like Domesticall Breaches in a Family which are great hinderances to all the businesse in it whether Civill or Religious for the most part hindring the groweth both of Grace and Estate So prejudiciall and detrimentall are these Breaches to the State of the Church
hindering the groweth of it the increase of it This Mysticall bodie being joyned compacted and knit together it increaseth with the increase of God saith Saint Paul to his Colossians It maketh increase to the edifying of it selfe in love saith the same Apostle to his Ephesians On the other hand being divided rent and torne it withereth wanzeth it groweth not Not but that God can and sometimes doth bring good out of this evill light our of this darkenesse making the truth which is but one a gainer by division improving distractions to the Churches benefit But this is by accident no thanks to these divisions distractions for this gain which being enemies to Vnitie they are in their own nature no friends to the Truth no friends to the Church but enemies to it Enemies hindering the growth of it nay threatning the ruine of it Our Saviour hath sayd it of a Kingdome an House if divided against themselves they cannotstand These Breaches in the Church are like wounds in the bodie though not all mortall yet in their own nature destructive as I shall shew you God willing in the latter part of the Text shaking the Church as well as hindering it And in this respect Christians who bear good will to Israel wish well to the Church should seeke the Cure the Healing of them they are disadvantagious to the Church And Secondly Advantagious to her enemies In this like Breaches made in the walls of a Citie which are an In-let to the Enemie giving him the advantage of entring and taking possession if they be not either repaired or looked to Of such dangerous consequence are these Breaches in the Church they are In-lets to the Adversary In-lets in the first place to Sathan that comon Adversarie who by these breaches breaks in upon the Church as by domesticall breaches he breaks in upon a Family hindering the affaires of it In-lets in the second place to the Instruments of Sathan False-Teachers Seducers who make great advantage of these Breaches to let in their owne pernicious errors by them Even as by the Graecian Horse that fatall Engine was let and drawn in by that Breach which the Trojans themselves had made in their owne Walls to the overthrow of their Citie So dangerous are these breaches disadvantagious to the Church advatagious to her Enemies Great cause why Christians should desire and endeavour our the Cure the Healing of them Dwell we no longer upon Confirmation or Illustration It is a truth I suppose which in Thesi in the generall will easily be granted and yeelded at all hands That which I principally ayme at is the practicall part the bringing it home the setting it on by way of Application which I shall direct these two ways By way of Reprehension Exhortation By way Reprehension is this The duty and practise of every true Israelite to seeke the Healing of Israels breaches What then In the first place shall we say to them who instead of Healing make them Breach-makers whether in the Church or State To let passe the latter of these State-Incendiaries such as have troubled and distracted the Politicke State of this Kingdome for their own private ends and advantages that they might have the better fishing in these troubled waters Them I referre together with the Cure of those breaches by them made to that wise and venerable Colledge of State Phisitians at the present assembled to that purpose The Breaches which my eye is principally upon are Israels breaches Breaches in the Church specially those wherewith the Church in this Kingdome is distracted and torne And here give me leave briefly to tax and censure those which have been or are either the makers or maintainers of them whether Principalls or Accessaries Q But who are they A. For Answer I shall have recourse to the Type who were they which made these breaches in Israel which the Psalmist here complains of I have showen you it already They were either strangers or Israelites Strangers Enemies to their Kingdom and Religion Moabites Edomites Philistines or else Israelites that factious seditious party which cleaved to the House of Saul and so were enemies to the House of David Paralell hereunto behold we also in our Israel two forts of Breach-makers Strangers Israelites First Begin with the former Strangers I mean strangers and Enemies to our Religion Such as though they be amongst us yet they are not of us Papists and persons Popishly affected Amongst whom how ever I cannot think but that there are some blindly zealous poor misguided souls who follow after their Ishhosheth Or Adonijah with simplicity of heart and so are both more quiet and innocent Yet others amongst them there are and that many very active and practicall in this worst piece of Arithmatick which they study more than anvother Division Dividing of Houses Cities Parliaments Kingdoms States Churches Setting Subjects against Subjects In this Hellish Art how many famous I should say infamous Practitioners have there been amongst them in all Ages Witnesse the Histories of the late and frequent Irish Rebellions Some of them Masters in that Science Prosessours in it Those devoted and professed Incendiaries the Jesuites and their schollers Hellish Engineers who make it their work to be continually laying of Trains and springing of Mines for the blowing up the gates and wals of our Jerusalem endeavouring to make Breaches therin that themselves and their party may re-enter and take possession It was the speech of the Syrians and others their Confederates Let us go up against Judah and vex it and let us make a breach therein for us What they determined against Judah that do these Romish Consederates practise against our Israel continually vexing us by their wiles as the Midianites did Israel seeking to make a Breach amongst us for themselves their hopes being founded upon our divisions Upon them in the first place do we charge these our Breaches both in this and the neighbour Kingdomes but charging them we cannot discharge our selves 2. A second sort of these Breach-makers are to be found amongst our selves Israelites men professing the same Religion Protestants by name who to approve themselves such can readily pronounce the Protestants Shibboleth willingly submitting to the late Protestation wherin amongst other things they have vowed and promised to praeserve and maintaine the union and peace of the three Kingdoms and yet they either are or have been Breach-makers breaking the peace of the Church Of these we may take notice of two sorts Pardon my plain and home-dealing in prosecuting of this charge The designe which I aym at is the Healing of Israels Breaches Now a wound you know that it may be Cured it must first be searched This I shall do with as tender and gentle and hand as possible I can that whilest I go about to make up Breaches I may not make any Two sorts of persons there are amongst our selves upon whom
these Breaches of our may and must be charged Some who have turned aside after error Others who have followed the Truth Deale we first with the former as having the greatest share in this businesse such as have turned aside after error In this ranke must we reckon all those Schismaticks and Sectaries who have departed from the truth of God professed amongstus or elfe have renounced all communion with us Anabaptists Familists of Christians the worst Antinomians Socinians Arminians Brownists I cannot reckon all neither will I go about it Upon these must we charge a great part of our home-bred Breaches which are caused by their Divisions dividing and cutting themselves off from the unitie of the Faith or the unitie of the Church These are obvious Breach-makers to whom we wish with the Apostle that God would give them Repentance to the acknowledgement of the Truth turning their feet into the wayes of peace And to these must we joyn not as accessaries but as principalls those late Superstitious Innovatours who not contented with the simplicity of the Gospel would have put a new dresse and that a garnish one upon the face of our Religion together with those unhappy and unfaithful Engineers whether Masters of the Ordinance or their subordinate Officers who being be-trusted with the Churches Artillerie have turned the mouth of her own Canons against her selfe battering her Bulworks beating her watchmen from their Watchtowers making Breaches in her Walls driving out her Inhabitants by laying taxes and impositions upon their consciences This if I mistake not was the first ground of that first Breach made in the first Church under the Gospel for the healing whereof that first Synod was called and Congregated at Jerusalem Acts 15. Some there were who being converted from Judaisme to Christianitie they still hanging upon the old haunt themselves they would needs have imposed some burdens upon the consciences of the converted Gentiles Putting a yoake upon their necks as Saint Peter layeth it down which saith he neither our Fathers nor we were able to bear What yoake was this A yoake of legall Jewish Ceremonies then antiquated and abolished a voake of Carnall Ordinances such as the Authour to the Hebrews speaks of which were imposed on the Jews untill the time of Reformation This yoake would they have put upon the Gentiles necks pressing and obtruding upon them some things offensive others not necessarie And this it was which made that Breach I will not spend time in making the Application thereof to our own Church and times I know your thoughts therein run before me my desire only is and my prayer shall be that as our disease is not unlike theirs so we may in Gods time finde a like Cure by a like means a lawfull Synod other means I know none after the like manner Imposing upon the Consciences of men no burdens but what are necessary Passe we from hence to what may happily more neerly touch and conscern some of our selves A second sort of Breach-makers amongst our selves are such as have followed the Truth it may be but they have not done it 1 In Love 2 with Wisdome First some who have done it in love This they should have done speaking the Truth in Love faith the Apostle {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Veritatem lectantes following the Truth in love so the old vulgar Translation readeth it not without some warrant from the Originall In Love viz. To the Truth it selfe Our Brethren To the Truth followed To our Brethren followers of the Truth with us Thus should the Truth be followed but thus some have nor followed it do not follow it they follow the Truth it may be But First not out of love to the Truth it selfe but rather out of self-love drawen by some By and sinister respects and inducements led and carried it may be rather by the examples of others whose persons they have in admiration happily because of advantage as Saint Jude speaks then by the dictates of their own judgements Thus following the truth not in love to the truth but to themselves their own credits reputations advantages Or Secondly Not in love to their Brethren followers of the truth as well as they Hence are those unchristian jealousies and heart-burnings disdainfull thoughts and speeches mixed it may be with uncharitable Consures which some are ready to passe upon those who in any thing are otherwise minded then themselves Insomuch as they cannot walk with any unlesse they be in all things agreed The least Difference breedeth a Distance the least difference in Judgement severs them in their Affections Plain evidences against them that they do not follow the truth in love which if they did it would certainly cover a multitude of weaknesses and infirmities in those whom they walk with specially they being such as they have no cause to think but that they are followers of the truth according to light received as well as themselves Others there are In the second place which do not follow the truth with wisdom Thus should the truth be followed Wisdom being the Pilate which should stear and direct the whole Course of a Christian regulating all his actions which if they be not ordered by wisdom though materially and in themselves never so good yet they loose their grace and acceptation both with God and man Now there are some amongst us which in following after the truth loose this stearage whose aimes and Intentions happily are good in what they do or seek after but their Actions are unadvised rash heady unwarrantable Such was that act of Vzzahs in putting forth his hand to stay the Ark of God when it was shaken The intention good but the action evill because unwarrantable he having no calling to do what he did Whereby it came to passe that whilst he went about to prevent a breach he made one God smiting him for his errour or Rashnesse as the Margin readeth it So making a breach upon him which gave the denomination to the place thereupon called Perez-Vzzah i. e. The breach of Vzzah And even thus fareth it with some amongst us who beholding the Ark of God shaken the religion of God as they apprehentd it endangered they presently step forth putting their hands being private hands to the work of Publicke Reformation not staying for them to whom that work properly belongeth but they will step forth before them in an irregular and unwarrantable way By this means instead of healing or preventing a breach making one You know the story Gen. 38. of Tamars twins She being in her travell the one putteth forth his hand first about which the Midwife tyed a scarlet thred as a token or mark of the first-borne the Purple or scarlet colour also well agreeing to the birth-right Oreldership as Musculus noteth upon it Notwithstaning this the other breaks forth before him not tarrying his time