him and for him are all things to him be glory for ever Amen LONDON Printed by R. Cotes for Andrew Crookeâ— 1642. loving faithfull and selfe-denying man one Timotheus a young man with whom himselfe was well acquainted and whose conditions he so well knew that he durst give his word for him and pawne his credit that he would be most sincere in the worke of Christ and most loving unto them nay the truth was hee did not know where to find his fellow he was the best in the whole packe for saies he I have no man like-minded who will naturally care for your state for all seeke their owne and not the things that are Jesus Christs Now Brethren as we goe along we may note by the way these few things First that there was an Order of Superiours and Inferiours in the Church in the Apostles dayes Paul had power over Timothy for to send him vers 19. and Timothy was ready to obey Paul as a Sonne the Father vers 22. Secondly we may observe that it did as may seem chiefely belong to the Bishop or Supervisor to appoint Pastors for particular Churches and Congregations Paul sends and appoints Timothy to bee a Preacher to the Philippians Thirdly we may observe what kind of men were preferred by them to such places why such as themselves by experience knew to be learned loving faithfull and selfe-denying yea and such of whose condition the people themselves were not altogether ignorant for such a one was Timothy in all these respects as shall appeare First he was a learned man and that not in the Rabbins or Schoolemen onely but in the Scriptures hee was a good Textuary as may be seene 2 Tim. 3. 15. instructed in the Scriptures from a child Secondly he was a loving man one that would naturally care for their state even as though they were allied to him by nature vers 20. Thirdly he was one that was no self-seeker but faithfull for Christ as appeares by the text with that which goes before I have no man like-minded for all these seek their owne and not the things that are Jesus Christs as who say Timothy is a man per se one that seekes not himselfe in any thing but onely the glory of God in every thing Fourthly he was one of whose honesty and sincerity the Philippians themselves had proofe as well as the Apostle or else it might be questioned whether he would have placed him over them ye know saies he ye know the proofe of him that like as a sonne with the father he seâ—ved with me in the Gospel vers 22. It seemes hee had dwelt with the Apostle not like a trencher Chaplaine to say Grace and so forth till a Living fell but saies he he served with me in the Gospel that is hee and I went preaching the word of God up and downe together as if some good Bishop and his Chaplaine should goe up and downe to every Church in the Diocesse as both their duty and custome of old was and preach the word of God together the one in the forenoone and the other in the afternoone Now the Philippians by these means had some proofe and knowledge of Timothy they had heard him preach and had seene his faithfulnesse his zeale and his schollership and therefore the Apostle knew they could not disallow of him especially too being commended to them upon his approbation I leave the application of these things to your selves and fall upon the text for saies the Apostle all seeke their owne and not the things that are Jesus Christs The words are an AEtiologia or rendring of a reason why he sent Timothy unto them and it is a collation from the comparing of him with others wherein he prefers him before them none were altogether of so perfect a stampe nor of so pure a metall so wholly sincere in the worke of Christ as Timothy was they were a little more tainted with selfe-infection somewhat more selfe-seeking then he Whence we may observe who amongst many is to be preferred ad Curam Animarum by them that have power thereunto even such as they thinke in conscience upon good experience will aime most directly at Gods glory and at the salvation of men favour friendship base Simony flattery affection and the like must beare no sway but naked sincerity alone mâ—st poyse the Ballance All seeke their owne there be divers degrees of sincerity amongst Gods servants no doubt but Saint Paul had many more under him that were sincere too for the glory of Christ but Timothy he was sincere in the highest degree he went beyond them all and therefore shall be preferred before them all Or it may be this universall proposition is but Hyperbolicall and taken for the most part as that place Joh. 3. 22. speaking of Christ it is said No man received his testimony that is no body to speake on Why the Discipies did and some few others did that were his followers yea but they were no body to speake on in respect of them that received it not So here no body but Timothy seekes that which is Jesus Christs yes Epaphroditus did of whom mention is made vers 25. and some others doubtlesse yea but alas they are no body to speake on in respect of the rest that are more Christs in shew then they are in substance and if you please let us take the words in that sense which is indeed the most favourable interpretation And I pray you observe in them the Apostles secret complaint how in that first and golden age of the Church as we may so call it wherein Christian vertues did more then ever since flourish in the Clergy for they were all then either of Christs owne or of his Apostles owne ordination who sure were carefull what they did in matters of this nature they did not ignorantly as in these later dayes or rashly lay their hands upon every body but onely on such as by the spirit of discerning they foresaw were likely to prove the best Now I say if in those golden dayes we heare and see by the Apostles complaint in Clero tam raros fuisse vere cordatos sinceros homines that in respect of the others they were as no body to speak on then doubtlesse in these leaden these clayey and corrupt dayes of ours wherein there are more men and lesse vertue the condition is still the same if not in a degree worse at least we may rebus sic stantibus as they doe conclude from the words now that which might have beene concluded then namely this It is the condition of the greater part of the Clergy to seeke themselves more then Christ. This is the Proposition but if you please wee will make three of it thus 1. Most Ecclesiasticks seeke their owne 2. Few seeke Christ. 3. None can seeke both their owne and Christ togegether for Christ and themselves in this respect are alwayes in competition and Saint Paul here makes
body and flies from them that follow it as appeares from the other parties the taxers who are ever and anon calling for respect for reverence and love which as the case may be may lawfully be done for the Apostle did it 1 Cor. 4. Gal. 4. 17. yet ordinarily doubtlesse it is purchased by a better tenour if as to the other it comes by desert without asking And besides as I said it is their custome of whom I am speaking to enveigh bitterly against their neighbour Ministers that have more respect then themselves and to present their poore people that give it to them and what doth this secretly inferre but selfe-seeking for if thou didst truly seeke Christ and didst glory above all things as thou oughtest in the prosperity of his Kingdome thou wouldst be glad to see it thrive by whosoever is the builder and wouldst rejoyce in the fruit of anothers labours as in thine owne if thine with his did tend to the service of the same Lord. Nay and further as it is observed those Ministers that are most bitter in complaining in that kinde are such as are either utterly unable to teach profitably themselves or else are idle persons and make no conscience to stirre up that gift which God hath bestowed upon them Why man if thou wouldst keepe thy people at home do not fall a pounding or presenting of them nor doe thou fall to enveigh against those to whom they resort for that course will but drive that further from thee which thy soule gapes after namely respect and love No but fall thou to worke more diligently study thou more carefully pray thou more fervently and teach thou more conscionably and profitably and see what God will doe for thee but if thou followest thine owne courses still men will say that thou though covertly seekest thine owne praise yea and thou givest people more just occasion to judge so of thee then thou canst finde to judge so of another And thus you have seene as briefely as may be the second way wherein Ministers seeke themselves namely in their owne praise Come we now to the third way wherein they seeke their owne and that is in profits and of these as of the former are in like manner three sorts The first are they that to expresse their more dislike of Singularity do hunt after nought but Pluralities Living upon Living as many as yee will with a Dâ—spensation it is not against the Canon and it may be suspected as some have said that would the same Canon as equally permit to have as many wives their stretching consciences would quickly submit to an easie conformity the Apostle saies Let the Minister be the husband of one wife some indeed take it literalâ—y and some mystically for one Church or Congregation whereunto as to a wife he is betrothed O but Paul Paul if that be thy meaning thou never knewest the mystery of a Dispensation What man if we can but be qualified we may hold as many Livings if we can get them as we have fingers and toes yea and I pray thee what good doe thy many Livings do thee speak conscience speak practice doe they make thee seeke Christ more earnestly doe they make thee preach more diligently surely they ought to doe but observe it when you will the more bountifully God deales with many of them in this kind the lesse worke they doe him and should any day-labourer deale so with them they would never indure it Christ saies my Kingdome is not of this world and it is to be feared that they that receive such profits and rewards here shall be put off when time comes with Yee have your reward If thou be Christs Disciple take up as many Crosses as thou wilt thou hast good warrant for it but take not up too many Churches thou wilt find no Scripture for that Croâ—â—es I confesse are heavy things but Churches are farre heavier and besides Heaven gate is a low gate a gate with a low roofe and Churches you know have high steeples and they hinder men from stooping they make men proud remember that But so much for them the first â—ort that stand in the third ranâ—â— that seeke themselves in profit The second â—ort are opposite to the former in the way but they meet in the end for they seeke themselves too and their owne profits but it is in shunning of Pluralities for they will preach against a double benefice even to the end they may get a double Living one from the Church and another from the Countrey for like the Snake on the Hearth when in their somewhat too small a being they have got some pretty warmth by the better benevolence of the people then they beginne to stâ—rre and hisse to the detriment of them that put this heat into them and like those unconscionable Pharisees in the Gospel they lay unsupportable burdens upon some of their too too â—nable shoulders A good Benence as goes the repoâ—t is propounded to them and it lies a great way off it may be in the Confines of Uâ—opia and it goes against their consciences to hold two livings in that nature for you must under stand their consciences stand crooked the cleane contrary way wherefore if they accept of this proffer as the want of temporall sufficiencies doth perswade them then they must leave their deare and loving people which they are loath to doe wherefore their advise is craved against such a day and the matter is referred to their weighty considerations which proves too too weighty to many of them and a long Sermon without blushing is made to that purpose which like Hoseas empty Vine brings forth fruit onely to it selfe for at the time appointed advice desired is returned with that which was more expected the promise of a larger contribution upon condition he will not leave them whereunto they that have more need to receive must not refuse to give however against their power and will as with griefe in secret they are forced to confesse lest they should be counted enemies to the Gospel slighters of their Minister and live like neglected suspected persons all their dayes now certainely this is the most base ungodly and hypocriticall kind of selfe-seeking that is and without all question of the two it is farre lesse offensive in the sight of God to hold two Benefices if one be not sufficient then in this base manner to grind the faces of the poore Well these are the second sort that stand in the third ranke guilty of selfe-seeking in regard of profit The third sort are they that load themselves with thick clay as the Prophet speakes I meane that plunge themselves in multitude of worldly affaires unbeseeming their profession as farming ploughing or the like wherein for their owne gaine they are so painefull that Gods worke must needs be done but slightly if it be done ad formam whether well or no they
deferre our pay till our day be done yet then we shall have it heaped up and running over we shall be the first of all that shall receive our reward Rev. 11. 18. and our wages shall be great too Matth. 5. 12. Great is your reward in Heaven and they that turne many to righteousnesse shall shine as the Starres for ever and ever saies the Prophet Daniel and doubtlesse let us thinke this the more reward we have before-hand the lesse shall we have hereafter Wherefore Brethren I beseech you let us not shew our selves to be of the number of them that Saint Paul speakes of that make merchandize of the word of God take heed of Aurum lest it prove Tholossanum remember how Judaâ— bagge burst him and Dives wealth damn'd him to seeke after wealth and promotion in this kinde is to follow the errour of Balaam as Saint Peter and Saint Jude say and riches in this kind are called the wages of unrighteousnesse and if you marke it in a Clergy man to the word Lucre is alwayes â—ilthy annexed Feed the flock of Christ not for filthy luere 1 Pet. 5. 2. c. And away with that damned usury that gets so much strength by the practice of some of the Clergy nay some amongst us have got a tricke but it is of the Devils teaching to goe beyond God Almighties reach as they thinke in putting out their monies they have invented a new way which he never thought on they will put out 20. li. to have 30. or 40. li. payed them for it by equall payments in sixe or seven yeares space or aftâ—r that fashion I know not the particulars But if usury it selfe be a sinne when God will indure to be mocked then this trick will hold bottome And you of the Clergy that are Landlords and have Grounds or Houses to let I would you would bee ashamed of your selves for your unconscionable griping and handling of people in this kind to be sure others are ashamed of you when they heare poore folke putting it into their private Letany from being a Clergy mans Tenant good Lord deliver us And you my Brethren that have where withall to keep houses be liberall be hospitall the Apostle 1 Tim. 3. 2. saies it is part of the office of a Minister to be given to hospitality Nay thinke this without question whatsoever we have from the Church more then is sufficient for our selves and families of â—ight belongs to the poore yea and fuâ—ther if we have where withall and doe 〈◊〉 preach with our hands as well as with our tongues wâ— shall make but a poore woâ—k on it and let me adde this assuredly there neither is nor can be any such inward pleasure or sweet content to the mind as to see a poore man cry for joy at the â—eceit of an unexpected two pence or three pence when he begs but for an half peny And you of the Clergy that are so politicke in the affaires of this world as many of you be pray remember that saying the wisdome of this world is foolishnesse with God and theâ—efore the more wiser you grow in worldly matters the more foolish you grow to God-waâ—d and indeed if you marke it these Ministers for the most part that are most able to give advice in worldly matters are commonly the easiest Pâ—eachers and the poorest Divines and on the otherside the Proverb holds true the greatest Schollars are none of the wisest men Bâ—t verily I am perswaded this sinne of worldlinesse in many Ministers shall be required at the Parishioners hands for if they were not so full of fraud and couzenage and unjust dealing but would pay the Ministers their dues honestly and quietly they would never be driven so to looke after them or to study the law to know their owne And therefore my Brethren of the Laity pray let me lose a few more words among you before I goe you complaine that your Ministers are covetous and close and nigh and shrewd men for the world you may thanke your selves for it you make them so for if you had but so much honesty to pay unto God the things that are Gods that they are intrusted to looke unto they would mind their bookes more and the world lesse But you would have your Minister keep a good house and feast you all over from one end of the towne to the other and in requitall of his kindnesse you will cast all the burden of the poore upon his necke if you can and very mannerly spare your own purse cozen him of half his dues beside when your consciences begin to croke to grumble at your so dong you can stop their mouths with your new found distinction that you allow him as much as the tenth of the ground comes too that is according to the rent you pay for the Land but he shall not have the tenth of your labours and therefore you will pay your selves for them you will steale from him so much as shall pay for the tenth of plowing and harrowing and reaping and mowing for horse and man and all and this you thinke you may doe and with this cheating distinction for the present you stop the mouthes of your consciences But by your favour if this were honest dealing then God Almighty was much to blame when hee commanded the people not onely to pay but also to bring their tythes unto Jerusalem in that he did not withall command the Priests to allow them somewhat backe againe for their labours no no but your wisdome comes from a deeper bottome then God Almighties did it comes from Hell and to Hell it will carry you But you my Brethren of my Clergy when you heare any of your Parishioners nibling upon this distinction crosse him in your books for a cheating knave for I warrant you he hath cozened you already or he meanes to cozen you And my Brethren we shall doe well to looke unto it and prevent a danger before it comes for doubtlesse these inconscionabiles coloni doe intend to bring Ministers to take their Tythes according to the Rents of their Lands and not according to the fruits of their Lands yea and let a man but for quietnesse sake yeeld unto them once you shall have them come the next yeare and complaine they have a hard bargaine and then you shall not get so much and so in the conclusion it will come to this passe we shall get nothing at all Ah but my Brethren you of the Laity have a care of your soules for all that you had best and expresse the same in loving your Ministers and in paying them their dues that they may be incouraged to have a care of your soules too as of the things of Jesus Christ you have a condition among you but it is a very ill-favoured one you will not above all doe your Minister a courtesie for feare of raising a custome no you will scarce be
it be a favour and not a duty pity to the poore spirit of the Gospell it selfe which hath of late as some of you have thought beene wounded slandered scandalized yea almost banished the Land for a rebellious factious and seditious spirit and some of you perhaps have beene banished with it by the enemies of it but now God hath removed them and remembred you and why thinke you surely that you should be meanes to recall and relieve that to justifie its Innocency its Humility and its Loyalty which was so much traduced that you might by your Preaching and by your Practice raise up againe as it were unto life this holy sweete and gracious spirit of the Lord And know this if you faile herein and doe conceale the beauty of it having now power to discover and inlarge the same God may and will for this bring you under hatches againe and your latter condition shall be worse then your former Fifthly Never had you the like occasion as now to honour Gods Spirit in the eyes of your enemies and to put forth the vertue of it for their conversion what know you but that the sight and taste of the Spirit of the Gospell in and from you may cause some of your enemies that haply now are in that darkenesse and disgrace wherein they would gladly have kept you to looke upon their owne spirits with indignation and shame surely Brethren as we should alwayes interpret an enemy his injury to be Gods call to us to pray for him so we should apprehend the sight of an enemies misery to be an indigitation of God to us to doe him good and to discover to his eyes which at such a time are at best leasure to see it the nature and disposition of Christs Spirit in our selves And thereby we may haply as was said bring such a one out of love with that spirit which he formerly traded withall when he compares the present sweetnesse of our spirit with the bitternesse of that and hereby we may bring them to love our Master Christ that rules us with a better spirit then their Master ruled them Sixthly and lastly though I might propound many particulars more if you doe not study and indevour to shew forth Christs Spirit the contrary thereunto both must and will discover it selfe in you even that which before you disliked so much in other men God will even give you up unto it now consider how uncomely it will appeare for Gods Ministers to walke in condemned paths you censured such and such men for their cruelty for their mercilessenesse and want of compassion for their pride their harshnesse and superciliousnesse towards their Brethren and for these things sake I suppose you counted them antichristian but if you now tread in those their steps wise men will thinkâ— you to be as Antichristian as they and that most truely for what ever some say doubtlesse it is not Prelacy but sin that makes men Antichristian And suppose those your enemies were altogether as bad as you thought them then those their conditions will worse become you then they did them it is cruelty in the Wolfe to hurt the Sheepe but more naturall then for the Sheepe to pursue the Wolfe they say revenge is sweet and the taste of bloud will make even a Sheepe Wolvish he that once hath drunke the bloud of an enemy will afterward thirst for the bloud of his friend upon a small occasion Doe you thinke it will be comely to heare people say of us it seemes the Lambes are let out to play the Wolves Christs Ministers are call'd from prison and banishment to revenge themselves to persecute those that hunted them their former afflictions wee had thought had meekened their spirits and taught them to be pitifull to their enemies and to them in misery as Christ was we beleeve Gods providence laied them upon them for that end but we see they have done them little good surely brethren such speeches will be but little for our credits and let us know if we turne rampant now we are got loose and deale with others as they did with us and not shew the spirit of Christ to our enemies God the great Shepheard hath an hooke to catch us by the legge againe and to hamper us worse then ever if the Wolfe could not run from him the Sheepe cannot Therfore I say from these considerations let us onely preach and practise the spirit of the Gospel be pitifull be courteous pity the sorrowes of our enemies but most of all their sinnes that have brought them into the same if ever we loved them according to Christs command we shall now pity them for true love alwayes turnes into pity when the parties loved fall into misery let us not delight to spur on others against them let us not aggravate and inlarge their faults let us not repeat them it is a sad thing to heare Ministers or any others to publish openly and with joy how many hundreds of their scandalous brethren have beene complained of I doe not read that ever Christs spirit delighted in such like publications Christ was mild to offenders let not us be rugged Christ indeavoured to draw men from their sinnes unto himselfe by love let not us thinke ever to doe it by currishnesse our enemies could never prevaile by this meane they that thinke by force of feare or unkind dealings to draw men either to God or to themselves will sooner drive them both from God and from themselves we must trade for Christ in Christs way else let our aimes and ends be never so good though God may haply accomplish them yet he will crosse and shame us in a word my Reverend Brethren if some of our calling and function have stumbled and fallen if they like those branches Rom. 11. are for a season broken off and any of us are ingraffed in their stead and doe now partake of the favour and fatnesse of the times let us not boast our selves against these branches but remember that we stand onely by mercie be not high-minded saies the Apostle but feare Breathing times of the Church unthankfully entertained or too wantonly proudly or unprofitably imployed have beene heretofore followed with most sharp and sad calamities 2. But now last of all a word more to all Christians in generall and then an end You redeemed of the Lord whom in mercie he hath reserved till these last dayes to live under the Gospel and to partake of the spirit thereof and to manifest the fruits of it to the honour of his name I beseech you also even by the mercies of Christ and for that honour-sake which you are bound to advance that you would lay aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and evill speakings and that you would study by all meanes to glorifie the Gospel which you professe that you would according to your duty onely minde speake and doe that which is sutable to the spirit thereof let your intentions