of Rebellious Servants he that has not the Wedding Garment must be cast out the Branch that brings not forth Fruit will be cut off But those that truly believe in his Name walk in his Light and are taught by his Grace to renounce the Lusts of the Eye the Lusts of the Flesh and Pride of Life the Unjust Profits Pleasures and Pomps of this World and chuse to follow him in his own Holy Way of Regeneration the same is his Brother his Sister and his Mother And whatever Losses they may sustain for his Names sake they have the Promise of an Hundred fold here and the Inheritance of Everlasting Life And I do fervently beseech Almighty God the Giver of all Saving Faith mercifully to Vouchsafe more and more to beget a Serious Enquiry in us What that Eaith is which we have who is the Author of it and what Fruits it hath brought forth that we may not prophane the Name of God by a Vain Profession of it nor abuse our selves unto Eternal Perdition But that we may endeavour by God's Assistance to approve our selves such Believers as sincerely fear God love Righteousness and hate every Eyil Way as becomes the Redeemed of God by the pretious Blood of his Son Since therefore we are not our own but the Lord's who hath bought us with that Great Price let us glorifie him in our Bodies in our Souls and in our Spirits which are his Then shall we be Children of Abraham indeed Heirs of the Promises partakers of that Resurrection and Life that Immortality and Glory which God the Righteous Judge will one Day plentifully distribute to them that abide in this pretious Faith unto the End This naturally brings me to my Third Head and an Unhappiness we have long labour'd under to wit A Debasing of the true Value of MORALITY under pretence of Higher Things mistaking the very End of Christ's Coming By MORALITY I understand Vertuous Living Purity of Manners that Justice Temperance Truth Charity and Blamelesness in Conversation which may well Denominate the Man that lives that Life a MAN JUST in short one that does unto all men as he would have all Men do unto him this is the Moral Man It is Notorious how small an Estimate Two sorts of people have put upon him the Prophane and the Professors the Publican and the Pharisee The First despise him as too Squeamish Nice and Formal they deride his Regularity and make a Jest of his Preciseness And thinking No Man can be good because they are Nought and that all must needs fall by those Temptations they will not resist they construe Sobriety to be a Trick to decoy Mankind and put a Cheat upon the World If they hear any one say Such a Man is a Sober and Just Person They have learned by themselves to call him Knave that he has a Design upon some body by being Just in little things to Cheat in things of more Moment This Man is very Unfashionable among Men of Immoral Principles for his very Looks and Life carry a Reproof with them upon Vitious Men who as if Virtue were their Common Enemy are in Combination against the Lovers and Entertainers of her Because such true Virtuosâ— will neither do the Ill things they would have them nor flatter them in the Ills they do and therefore where Ill Men have the Power Good Men are sure to be made the Common Enemy But the Reproaches that Men of Morality receive at the Hands of Lewd Men are more their Honour than their Suffering But that which is most of all Anxious is that Morality is denyed to be Christianity that Virtue has any Claim to Grace and that those who glory to be called Christians can be so Partial and Cruel as to renounce a meer Just Man their Society and send him preaching among the Heathen for Damnation And pray what 's the Matter Why though this Person be a sober Liver yet he is but a General Believer his Faith is at large 'T is true he believes in God but I hear little of his Faith in Christ Very well Does he not therefore believe in Christ or must he therefore be without the Pale of Salvation Is it possible that a Man can truly believe in God and be damned But as he that believes in Christ believes in God so he that believes in God believes in Christ For he that believes on him that raised up Jesus from the Dead his Faith shall be imputed to him for Righteousness And says Christ himself He that believeth my Word and believeth on him that sent me hath Everlasting Life Has he that believes in God no Interest in this Expression But more particular is that place of the Apostle to the Hebrews viz. For he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a Diligent Rewarder of them that seek him Now. if those who so belieâ—e can come to God the Moral Man's Condition is not Dangerous even in the strictest sense of the Word not only such as have a General Faith of Christianity and never adhered to any particular Party a Sense we shall anon consider but even those who never heard the History of Christ nor had a distinct Knowledge of him as we profess him For it seems a most-unreasonable thing that Faith in God and keeping his Commandments should be no Part of the Christian Religion but if a Part it be as upon serious Reflection who dare deny it then those before and since Christ's time who never had the External Law nor History yet have done the things contained in the Law their Consciences not Accusing nor Hearts Condemning but excusing them before God are in some degree concern'd in the Character of a true Christian For Christ himself preach'd and kept his Father's Commandments he came to fulfil and not to destroy the Law and that not only in his own Person but that the Righteousness of the Law might be also fulfilled in us Let us but soberly consider What Christ is and we shall the better know whether Moral Men are to be reckoned Christians What is Christ but Meekness Justice Mercy Patience Charity and Virtue in Perfection can we then deny a Meek Man to be a Christian a Just a Merciful a Patient a Charitable and a Virtuous Man to be like Christ By me Kings reign and Princes decree Justice saith Wisdom yea the Wisdom that is from above see Prov. 8. 15. so may I say here By Christ men are Meek Just Merciful Patient Charitable and Virtuous And Christians ought to be distinguished by their likeness to Christ and not their Notions of Christ by his Holy Qualifications rather than their own Lofty Professions and Invented Formalities What shall we say then of that Extravagancy which those Men are guilty of who upon hearing a sober Man commended that is not of any great Visible Profession will take upon them to cast him off with this Sentence Tush he is
themselves upon every little Affront should oppose their Lives to Utmost Peril and not find in their Heart so much as to Rebuke the Indignities daily put upon Heaven is an Ill Proof of Zeal and Religion But as Insensible as such are of their Duty God is not wanting to his own Glory he has forbidden these thihgs let Men disobey at their Peril Ye shall not Swear by my Name falsly saith God neither shalt thou Prophane the Name of thy God I am the LORD Hear O ye Swearers the Judgment of God has denounc'd against you Every One that Sweareth shall be Cut off how Cut off FROM GOD Again The Land is full of Adulteries and because of Swearing the Land Mourneth Behold the Whirl-wind of the Lord shall heavily fall upon the Head of the Wicked To this I shall add a Brief Reflection upon that Pernicious Sin of PROPHANENESS so near a kin to Oaths and Blasphemy Such is the Degeneracy of the Age we are fallen into that Prophaneness does not only go Unpunisht but boldly lays Claim to Wit and fills the Conversation of too many of those that think themselves rais'd above the Genius of the Vulgar He is reputed Formal that will not be Rude to Sacred Things and a Man Insipid of no Sence or Salt who cannot Jeer Devotion And which is strange they make the Bible a sort of Common Place but 't is for Mockery not for Piety The Phrases they use are pick't to Abuse that Holy Book and that Prophaneness is placed to the Account of Wit But truly if Men must Rallie Religion at the Peril of passing else for Fools and Abuse Scripture to purge themselves from the suspition of Reverencing it there is here an Unhappiness in being Conscientious and on the side of this World the Temptation to be Prophane is stronger than the Encouragement to be Virtuous For this is my Soul grieved that Men should use their Wit to Abuse him that gave it them and that though there is more to be said for Religion than there can be said against it both with Respect to its Reasonableness and Usefulness and that the Hazard of being Irreligious is incomparably greater on the part of these Atheistical Scoffers than of Men professing to fear God and believe another World they would yet be so Constant and Obstinate in their loose and lewd Conversation But if the Prophaning of the least thing that was Dedicated to the Worship of God in the Times of the Law was so Hainous a Sin what should we say when men â—tick not to Prophane the Name of God himself and scoff at his Revealed Will so much Greater than either Temple or Altar or any of those Rites belonging unto them And to you all that live in the Practice of these Crying Sins I have at this time insisted upon this I say unto you in the Fear of God REPENT OF THE EVIL OF YOUR DOINGS Bring not down the Judgments of God upon this Land they may be the Affliction of many but they will be your Punishment ye shall pay the Reckoning of their Sufferings in the other World and God will charge you with the Calamity that they shall Endure Remember before it is too late Dreadful Things are denounced against the Wicked Therefore go not on to Gratifie your Hearts Lusts and to forget the Living God for this shall be the End of such Works that God will certainly bring you to Judgment And who may Abide the Day of that Coming and who shall stand when he appears No Flesh can stand in his Presence Consider the Awakening Saying of the Apostle That the Righteous scarcely are saved and if so Where shall the Ungodly where shall the Wretched Sinner appear How shall such be able to hold up their Heads in the Day of his Wrath in the Hour of his Judgment at that Great Time of Reckoning when a Final Account shall be past when all must render an Account of the Deeds they have done and receive the Reward due unto them Therefore while it is to day harden not your Hearts against God and his Law flatter not your selves To be Christians ye must be like Christ and if ye will be Sav'd from Wrath ye must be Redeem'd from Sin Encrease not therefore Guilt upon your Consciences by Rebelling against the Light that shines in them but lay your Impieties to Heart mourn with true Contrition of Soul and yet love Righteousness and hate Iniquity and ye will prevent the Civil Magistrate and probably avert the Indignation of God that hangs over the Nation Having thus ended my Reflections upon the Five great Crying Sins of the Kingdom and my Reproof of the Actors and Promoters of them give me leave to make my Humble and Christian Address to you that are in Authority And in the First place I beseech you to remember that though ye are as Gods on Earth yet ye shall Dye like Men that ye are Encompass'd with like Passions and are subject to Sin Such therefore of you as may be concern'd in any of these Enormities to what-ever Degree of Guilt it be I beg you in the Name of God to search your selves and to be Just to your own Souls O! let the Mercies and Providences of God constrain you to Unfeigned Repentance Turn to the Lord Love Righteousness Hate Oppression and he will turn to you and love you and bless you In the Next place be pleased to consider your Commission and examine the Extent of your Authority ye will find that God and the Government hath impower'd you to punish these Impieties and it is so far from being a Crime that it is your Duty This is not troubling Men for Faith nor perplexing People for Tenderness of Conscience for there can be no Pretence of Conscience to be Drunk to Whore to be Voluptuous to Game to Swear Curse Blaspheme and Prophane no such Matter these are Sins against Nature and against Government as well as against the Written Laws of God They lay the Ax to the Root of Humane Society and are the Common Enemies of Mankind 't was to prevent these Enormities that Government was instituted and shall Government Indulge that which it is Instituted to Destroy this were to render Magistracy Useless and the Bearing of the Sword Vain there would be then no such thing in Government as A Terror to Evil-Doers but every one would do that which he thought Right in his own Eyes God Almighty defend us from this Anarchy There are Three Great Reasons which inforce my Supplication The First is The Preservation of the Government which by such Improvidence and Debauchery is like to be greatly Weakened if not Destroyed The Industry Wealth Health and Authority of the Nation are Deeply concern'd in the Speedy and Exemplary Punishment of these Extravagancies This is the Voice of Interest for the Common Good of the Whole Society Rulers and Ruled But there is an Higher Voice unto which Christian Men ought to have Regard
and that is the Voice of God who requires us to Fear him and obey his Righteous Commandments at the Peril of making him our Enemy whom we should make our Common Friend and Protector for upon his Goodness depend our very Natural and Civil Comforts So that it is our Interest To be Good and that is none of the least Arguments for Religion that the Piety and Practice of it is the Peace and Prosperity of Government and consequently that Vice the Enemy of Religion is at the same time the Enemy of Humane Society Who then should be more concern'd for the Preservation of Virtue than Government who in its Abstract and True Sense is not only founded upon Virtue but without the Preservation of Virtue it is impossible to maintain the Best Constitution that can be made And however some particular Men may prosper that are Wicked and several private Good Men Miscarry in the things of this World in which sense things may be said to happen alike to all to the Righteous as to the Wicked yet I dare boldly affirm and challenge any Man to the Truth of the thing that in the many Volumns of the History of the Ages and Kingdoms of the World there is not one Instance to be found where the Hand of God was against a Righteous Nation or where the Hand of God was not against an Unrighteous Nation and where a Just Government perish't or an Unjust Government long prosper'd Kingdoms are rarely as Short lived as Men yet they also have a Time to Die but as Temperance giveth Health to Men so Virtue gives Time to Kingdoms and as Vice brings Men betimes to their Grave so Nations to their Ruin 'T is the Reason given by God himself for the Destruction of those Countries that he gave into the Hands of the Children of Israel They were Full of Uncleanness Adulteries Fornication and other Impieties And though he is Soveraign Lord of the World and may dispose of the Kingdoms therein as pleaseth him for he that gives can take away and he that builds can cast down and Mankind is but a Tenant at Will to receive or surrender at his Lord 's Good Pleasure yet he useth not that Prerogative to Justify his Gift of those Countries to the Jews but at the End of his Prohibition of Unlawful Marriages and Unlawful Lusts he charges them in these words Defile not you your selves in any of these things for in all these the Nations are defiled which I cast out before you And the Land is defiled therefore do I Visit the Iniquity thereof upon it and the Land it self VOMITETH OUT her Inhabitants Ye shall therefore Keep my Statutes and my Judgments and shall not Commit any of these Abominations neither any of your own Nation nor any Stranger that sojourneth among you that the Land Spue not you Out also when ye defile it as it Spued Out the Nations that were before you So Saul's Disobedience was his Destruction and his Sin made Way for David's Title Saul died saith the Sacred Story for his Transgression this made the Philistines Conquerors his own Sins Beat him and Kill'd him Saul died for his Transgression then if he had not sinn'd he had lived he had beaten his Enemies and kept the Kingdom yes the place implies it This then should deter all Men but Kings especially who have so much to lose here and so much to answer for hereafter But what was Saul's Sin It was First not keeping but disobeying the Word of the Lord both as it came by the Mâ—â—th of Samuel God's Prophet and as it spoke the Mind of God to him in his own Conscience for Moses had said before that the word of God was nigh in the Heart and in God's Name commanded the Children of Israel to Obey and Do it In short he refused the Counsel of God and God for his Counsellor For in the Next place he betakes himself to One that had a Familiar Spirit for Advice saith the Story He enquired not of the Lord therefore he Slew him and turned the Kingdom unto David There are too many people troubled with Familiar Spirits it were well if they were less Famiâ—iar with them Had Saul trusted in God he needed not to have been driven to that Straight He that was made King by God's Appointment and endued with a Good Spirit so basely to degenerate as to run to a witch for Counsel To this Darkness and Extremity Iniquity will bring Men. And truly a Wo follows all such persons answerable to that Expression of God by the Prophet Wo unto them that take Counsel and not of me when Saul saith the place was little in his own Eyes God honour'd him he made him Head and King of the Tribes of Israel but when Saul grew Proud God deserted him for his Disobedience destroyed him And what befell the Family of Saul in some After-Ages befell both Kings and People and Worse for their Land was Invaded first by the Aegyptians and then by the Caldeans and Babilonians Their Temple was rifled their Treasures taken and their Kings Princes Nobles Artificers and Mighty Men of Valour yea all save the Poorest of the people were kill'd or carried away Captive by the King of Babilon The Reason rendred is this Because the Kings did that which was Evil in the sight of God and stifned their Necks and hardned their Hearts from turning unto the Lord God of Israel and because the Chief of the Priests and of the People transgressed very much after all the Abominations of the Heathen and when God sent his Messengers to Reprove and Warn them and that out of his Great Compassion they Wickedly Mocked his Messengers Despised his Words and Mis-used his Prophets till his Wrath came upon them I will here End my Instances out of Sacred Story and let us now briefly Consider what the Histories of other places will tell us that we may Observe some Proportion of Agreement in the Providences of God throughout the World The First Empire had Nimrod's Strength and the Wisdom of the Caldeans to establish it and whilst their Prudence and Sobriety lasted they prosper'd No sooner came Voluptuousness then the Empire decayed and was at last by the Base Effeminacies of Sardanapalus in whom that Race ended transfer'd to another Family It was the Policy of an Assyrian King to subdue the Strength of Babylon then under good Discipline not to Invade it with Force but to DEBAUCH it Wherefore he sent in Players Musicians Cooks Harlots c. and by those means introducing Corruption of Manners there was little more to do than to take it Nebuchadnezzar by his Virtue and Industry seen in the Siege of Tyre and in many Great Enterprises recover'd and enlarg'd the Empire and his Discipline those Times consider'd was so Excellent that it was prais'd in Scripture But when he grew Proud and Foolish forgetting that Providence that had shown itself so kind to him he became a
in the Holy Ghost and Christ tells us where it is to be set up The Kingdom of God is within you saith the King himself and where should the King be but in his own Kingdom they are blessed that feel him to Rule and that live under the swaying of his Righteous Scepter for when this Righteous One Rules the Earth the Sons of Men rejoyce So that no Man can truly Confess and rightly Believe Jesus to be the Christ and Son of God that do's not receive him to be his King to rule his Heart Affections For can a Man be said to believe in one that he will not receive but To as many as received Christ of Old gave he Power to become the Sons of God which were born not of Blood nor of the Will of the Flesh nor of the will of Man but of God What is this will of God Paul answers the Question The Will of God is your Sanctification for this Christ came into the World So that those that believe and receive Christ he is made to them Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption that is he has saved them from their Sins Guilt and Defilement and sanctified them from their Corruptions they live now by the Grace of God that teaches them to be of a Sober Righteous Godlike Life Ye shall know them by their Fruits saith Christ of the Pharisees so shall Men know them that sincerely believe confess Christ by their sanctified Manners and Blameless Conversations And wo to them that make other Distinctions for God has made no other there will be but Goats and Sheep at the Last Day Holy and Unholy Just and Unjust Therefore let that be our Distinction which ever was and will be God's Distinction for all other Measures are the Effects of the Passions and Presumptions of Men. But because it may be expected that I should fix upon some few General Heads of Christian Doctrine from the Mouth of Christ and his Apostles as requisite to Christian Communion I shall proceed to mention what Christ eminently taught He that reads his Sermon upon the Mount will find in the Entrance how many States and Conditions Christ Blessed The Poor in Spirit The Mourners The Meek They that hunger after Righteousness The Merciful The Pure in Heart and the Peace-makers which indeed Comprehend the whole of Christianity By Mourners we understand true Penitents Men of Unfeigned Repentance which leads them not only to Confess but Forsake their Sins This Godly Sorrow makes Men Poor in Spirit Empty of themselves wanting the Light Life and Power of Jesus to support and sustain them in which as they sted fastly walk the Attonement of the Blood is felt and it cleanseth them from all Unrighteousness which makes them Pure in Heart And in this Condition no Food will serve their Turn but Righteousness after this they Hunger and Thirst more than for the Bread that perisheth They are full of Meekness and Mercy Making Peace and Promoting Concord where-ever they come For being themselves reconciled to God they endeavour to reconcile all Men unto God and one unto another In short let us bring it home to our Consciences and deal faithfully with our selves Do we know this Holy Mourning this Godly Sorrow are we Poor in Spirit not Self-conceited but Humble Meek and Lowly in Heart like him that bid us be so Do we Hunger after the Kingdom of God and Righteousness of it and are our Hearts purified by the Precious Faith of the Son of God Infine Are we Merciful Tender-hearted Lovers of Peace more than lovers of our selves Persecuted rather than Persecutors such as receive Stripes for Christ's sake and not those that beat our Fellow-Servants No Man has true Faith in Christ Jesus that is not acquainted with these Blessed Qualifications This is Christ's Doctrine and to believe in him is to obey it and be like him The great Intendment of this Sermon is to press people to a more Excellent Righteousness than that of the Scribes and Pharisees For saith Jesus to the Multitude Except your Righteousness shall exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no Case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven 1. He taught not only that Killing but Anger without a very Just Cause is Unlawful to his Disciples 2. he prefers Concord above Devotion Mercy before Sacrifice He that will not use his Utmost Endeavour to be reconciled to his Brother shall find no place for his Prayers And Every Man is this Brother 3. He not only forbids Adultery which the Law forbids but Lust the Ax of his Doctrine is laid to the Root of the Tree it reaches to the First Seeds of things to the Innermost and most hidden Conceptions of the Mind 4. From Keeping and Performing Legal Vows to not Swearing at all and indeed what Use can there be of any Swearing where Mens Yea is Yea and their Nay Nay 5. He taught Not to resist Evil but to suffer Loss rather than enter into Contention his Divine Wisdom did fore-see how much easier it would be to Overcome the Violent Passions of Men by Patience than Controversie And he that considers the Unruliness of some Mens Dispositions their Heats and Prejudices it will be found that it is not alwayes a Real Injury or Loss but Passion Revenge or Base Interest that sets them to Sutes and Clamours 6. He taught us the Highest Complesance and Charity If any Man compel thee to go a Mile go with him â—wain Be of an Easie and Ready Mind to Do Good and to all Friendly Offices be easily perswaded and in which rather exceed than fall snort 7. He taught as great Liberality and Charity to give to him that asks and from him that would borrow not to turn away in short to be Stewards of our External Substance for the Good of Mankind according to our Respective Abilities 8. He advances the Doctrine of Loving Friends to the Degree of Loving Enemies Ye have heard said Jesus that it hath been said Thou shalt love thy Neighbour and shalt hate thine Enemy but I say unto you Love your Enemies bless them that Curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them that despightfully use you and persecute you Surely then where no Anger dwells no Revenge can grow and if we must love Enemies there is no Man left to be hated This is the Doctrine of that Jesus that laid down his Life for all and this is the End for which he preached it That sayes he ye may be the Children of your Father which is in Heaven for he maketh his Sun to rise on the Evil and on the Good and sendeth Rain on the Just and on the Unjust It is as much as if Christ had said No Man can be like God that does not Love his Enemies and who cannot do good to all Consequently he that does Love Enemies and is ready to Do good unto all he
God for himself from the least to the greatest My Sheep says Christ hear my Voice And let us remember that there is no possibility of deception here where there is no necessity of trusting In fine Ye are bought with a Price be not made the Servants of men One is your Lord even Christ and ye are Brethren But methinks I hear a stout Objection and 't is this At this rate you will everthrow all Church Discipline all Censure of Errors if no man or men can determin My Answer is ready and short No Scripture Church Discipline is hereby oppugn'd or weakned Let not the Sentence end in Violence upon the Conscience unconvinced Let whoso will expound or determin so it be according to true Church discipline which can be exercised on them only who have willingly joyn'd themselves in that Covenant of Union and which proceeds only to a separation from the rest a disavowing or disowning but never to any Corporal or Pecuniary Punishment the two Arms of Anti christ or rather that great Beast which carries the Whore But let us observe what sort of Church Government the Apostle recommends Avoid foolish Questions and Genealogies and Contentions and Striving about the Law for they are unprofitable and vain A Man that is an Heretick after the first and second Admonition reject knowing that he that is such is subverted and sinneth being CONDEMNED OF HIMSELF or Self-condemned It s very remarkable First That this great Apostle instead of exhorting Titus to stand upon Niceties and sacrifice mens Natur I Comforts and Enjoyments for Opinions of Religion injoyns him to shun Disputes about them leaving People to their own Thoughts and Apprehensions in those Matters as reputing the Loss of Peace in striving greater than the Gain that could arise from such an Unity and Conformity wâ—â—ch excellently well coheres with another Passage of his Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded God shall REVEAL even this unto you He did not say You shall be FINED PILLAGED EXCOMMUNICATED FLUNG into Prison if ye be not of our Mind 2dly That in the Apostles Definition an Heretick is a Self confounded Person one conscious to himself of Error and Obstinacy in it but that are not Conscientious Dissenters for many Ten Thousands in this Nation act as they believe and dissent from the National Religion purely upon a Principle of Conscience to Almighty God And with Men of any Tenderness or common Sense their continual great Sufferings in Prison and Estate and their Patience under them are a Demonstration or there can he none in the World Nor can their Persecutors disprove them unless they could search Hearts and that is a little too far for a Fallible Spirit to reach and an Infallible One they deny So that the Apostle makes not the Heretick to lie upon the side of Mis-believing or not coming up to his Degree of Faith and Knowledge but upon the side of Wilfully Turbulently Obstinately and Self condemnedly maintaining inconsisting Things with the Faith Peace and Prosperity of the Church Granting us then not to be Obstinate and Self-condemned Dissenters and you cannot reasonable refuse it us how do you prove us Erroneous in the other Part All Parties plead Scripture and that for the most opposite Principles The Scripture you say cannot determine the Sense of it self it must have an Interpreter he must either be Fallible or Infallible If the first we are worse then before for men are apt to be more confident and yet are still upon as uncertain Grounds If the last this must either be an external or an internal Judge if an external you know where you are without pointing for there stands nothing between you and Popery in that Principle If an internal Judge either it is our selves or the Spirit of Christ dwelling in us not our selves for then the Rule is the Thing ruled which cannot be and if it be the Spirit of Christ Jesus and the Apostle tells us That unless we have the Spirit we are none of Christ's then is the Neck of Imposition broken and what hast thou to do to judge me let me stand or fall to my own Master And upon this Foot went Luther Calvin Melanâ—…on Beza abroad and Cranmer Ridlâ—y Hooper Jewel Bradford Philpot c. at home and as good Men and constant Martyrs in Ages before them But suppose Conscientious Dissenters as ill Men as the Apostle describes an Heretick to be what is the Punishment this is close to the Point stand it 3dly A Man that is an Heretick after the first and second Admonition reject that is deny his Communion declare he is none of you condemn his Proceedings by a publick censure among your selves What more can be strain'd by the fiercest Prosecutors of Men for Religion out of these words But will we be govern'd by the Rules of Holy Writ have we any true Veneration for the Exhortations and Injunctions therein then let us soberly consider what the Apostle Paul advises and recommends to his beloved Timothy upon the present Occasion and I dare promise an End to Contest and Persecution for Religion Flee Youthful Lusts but follow Righteousness Faith Charity Peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure Heart but foolish and unlearned Questions avoid knowing that they do gender STRIFES And THE SERVANT OF THE LORD MUST NOT STRIVE but BE GENTLE UNTO ALL MEN APT TO TEACH PATIENT IN MEEKNESS INSTRUCTING THOSE THAT OPPOSE themselves if God peradventure will give them Repentance to the acknowledging of the Truth There is such a depth of Wisdom lodged in this one Passage that I find difficulty to express my self upon it and yet I shall with pleasure endeavour it Here is both Faith and Government Religion and Duty all that becomes us towards God our Brethren our Neighbours yea our Opposers and Enemies Flee Youthful Lusts that is avoid Sin turn away from every Appearance of Evil flee the Temptation as soon as thou seest it lest it ensnare thee but follow Righteousness Charity and Peace seek and love Holiness and there will be Charity and Peace to thy self and in thee to all men For the Kingdom of God stands in Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the holy Ghost not in Contest about Words nor in maintaining foolish and unlearned Questions such as reach not the Soul nor carry any force upon our Affections that learn not men to be better to have more piety vertue goodness but are meer Notions and Speculations that have no influence upon holy Living or tendency to the Regiment of our Passions Such Questions as the Curiosity or Wantonness of Men's Wit or restless Fancy are apt to start under Pretence of Divine Truth and Sublime Mysteries these Niceties Conceits and Imaginations of Men not bottomed on the Revelation of the eternal Spirit but humane Apprehension and Tradition such Questions avoid meddle not with them but next