Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n
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A29528
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The saints solemne covenant vvith their God as it was opened in a sermon preached at Beccles in the countie of Suffolk, at the taking of the Nationall Covenant there, by the ministers and other officers of that division / by Ioh. Brinsley ...
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Brinsley, John, 1600-1665.
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1644
(1644)
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Wing B4728; ESTC R19027
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25,595
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42
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men This is Superstition whereof what ever relicks may befound amongst us and evidenced to be such we all stand obliged by vertue of this Covenant to seeke and indeavour by lawfull ways and meanes the Abolition and Extirpation of them The second and third wee may put them together being neer akin Cosen German Heresie and Schisme The one an errour in Iudgment the other in Practice Heresie An erroneous opinion touching some Article and principle of the Christiand aith obstinately maintained against the evidence of the word This is properly Heresie to which there are these three things required 1. It must be an errour about some Article of Christian faith which is either of or neer the foundation 2. It must be an errour evident to bee such by the light of the Scriptures and gtnerall consent of the Churches 3. It must be an errour obstinately maintained and pertinaciously held after conviction and lawfull admonition Put these together they make up formall Heresie Heresie properly so called An evill weed not to be suffered in the Garden of God One of those workes of the flesh which Saint Paul speaketh of Gal. 5. The workes of the flesh are Heresies Of dangerous consequence pernitious not only to the person tainted with it but to the Church wherein it is tollerated An infectious evill spreading Gangrene of a diffusive nature very apt to spread and communicate it selfe insinuating it selfe into the breasts and bosomes of men for the most part by way of fair and smooth pretences and enticements The Whore of Babylons Cup wherein shee giveth her poyson to drinke is a Golden Cup In this respect amongst others it is that Heresie is elsewhere in the Revelation compared to whordome Revel. 14. Those which follow the Lambe the true professors of the Gospel they are said to be such as 〈◊〉 were not defiled with women for they are Virgins The simplicity and purity of the Orthodox faith that is virginity Heresie is whordome A secretly enticing sutablely seducing evill conveying it selfe as poysons for the most part are with some sweete mixtures the mixtures of some sweet and precious truths And surely such are some of those Errours which fly abroad in the world at this day That amongst other of Antinomianisme which under a colour of exalting of Christ setting up free grace the most glorious pretext in the world trample upon Moses beating downe the Law that Law which Christ came to establish not allowing it any directive power to be so much as a Rule of our obedience withall taking away all sense and conscience of sin as sin in the Regenerate An Heresie of that dangerous consequence that unlesse it be extirpated and rooted out it will endanger the eating out the heart and bowels of all true Religion 3 Schisme The word signifieth a Rending a taring {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and it is nothing but a Rending and taring of the Unity of the Church As when men shall make divisions and factions in a Church breaking it into pieces and parts Such were those Schismes in the Church of Corinth so the Apostle calleth them I beseech you brethren that there be no divisions amongst you 1 Cor. 1. 10. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} saith the Originall Schismes where some were followers of Paul others of Apollos a third of Cephas a fourth of Christ so breaking the unitie of that body that Church Or when any shall seperate from Communion with a true Church Such a Seperation saith our Learned Doctor Ames by a speciall appropriation most rightly deserves the name of Schisme Which yet must be warily and tenderly understood Not that every withdrawing from some particular act or acts of Communion with a Church wherein men conceive that they cannot participate without sin should be presently called and accounted a Schisme It was the Case of many of late times in the point of Kneeling at the Sacrament They durst not hold communion with the Church in that particular act because of that Gesture about which they were not satisfied This partiall and peaceable withdrawing meerly out of tendernesse of Conscience cannot properly be called Schisme so long as the Church still owned and acknowledged and communion held with it in the mayn But where there is a totalis seccessio a totall departure and Seperation an absolute renouncing and rejecting of all Fellowship and Communion with a Church a true Church and that upon this ground because they adjudge it to be no Church or an imperfect and defective Church defective in her Constitution or Administrations and Ordinances Certainly if there be any Schisme in the world this is Schisme and that most properly so called An evilweed also no lesse dangerous then the former Some comparing them together Heresie and Schisme have aggravated this above the other as conceiving it to be the more dangerous of the two And surely dangerous it is not onely to the person himselfe who maketh this Schisme who hereby 1 Excommunicates himself cuts off himself from Fellowship and Communion with the Church and People of God depriving himself of Church-Priviledges as also of the publick Ordinances the means of his Edification and salvation to which God hath promised a speciall concurrence 2 Besides running out of the fold hee thereby exposeth himself to the Wolfe And hence it is that those which have made such a totall seccession and seperation they seldom stay there but are carried on to further and more dangerous errours as to grosse Anabaptisme and Fâ—â—â—ilisme and what not 2 But dangerous also the Committie to the Body of the Church which by this means is rent and torn and dismembred Which what it is to the Naturall body what danger and what Torment they which have felt it can tell I wish they which stand guiltie of this evill were but as apprehensive and fensible of what it is to the mysticall body how detrimentall how dangerous What it is thus to divide Christ thus to despise and contemne the Church of God or despise yee the Church of God saith Paul to some of his Corinthians A thing of sadder Consequence then I believe it is generally apprehended by most of those who upon every slight dislike presently fall to Partiall and from Partiall to Totall Seperation The Lord heal these breaches In the mean time who ever they are that have taken or shall take this Covenant let them take notice how by vertue hereof they stand ingaged to endeavour the Extirpation of both these evill weeds Heresie and Schisme A charge which as it lyeth upon all so after especiall manner upon publike Persons Magistrates and Ministers If wee then speake against both the one and the other you must beare with us It is no more then we are bound to do And if you that have Authority in your hands do not improve it for the suppressing and eradicating of both see you to it for my part I doe not see how you can be acquitted of this Oath wherein the obligation is so exprest that you shall endeavour the extirpation as of Heresie so of Schisme 4. The fourth and last is Prophanenesse A bitter and poysenous weed A Roote that beareth Gall and Wormewood as you have it described Deut. 29. Such a Roote none will suffer to grow in their Gardens much lesse God in his O let it bee the joynt endeavour of all and every of us to pull it up to roote it out Private persons every one roote it out of his own Heart Mouth Life Parents and Masters roote it out their Families not suffering it to grow within their walls Every one taking up Davids and Ioshuahs resolution He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house hee that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight Psal. 101. As for me and my house wee will serve the Lord Iosh. last Ministers endeavour to root it out of their Congregations laying the Axe of the Word to the Root of it Magistrates to root it out of their Iurisdictions and that by a due execution of the Laws upon publick offendours Such Laws you have divers Laws against Swearing against Drunkennesse against Sabboth-breaking c. all branches of the same Root Profanenesse Now take ye notice of it that this Covenant bindeth you to a more strict and impartiall execution of those Laws then ever heretofore Thus joining together Word and Sword Ministers and Magistrates there may be some hope of extirpating of this bitter and deadly weed which hath overrun and almost overspread the whole Garden of God being so rife in every City every Town And that that being extirpated and rooted out Piety and true Religion may come to put up head and flourish Which let it be the Ioynt desire and mayn Designe of every one that either hath or shall joyn himself to the Lord in this Covenant FINIS Mat. 23. 23. Rom. 12. 1. Species Ironiae subest quoad degeneres simulatos Iudaeos Calv ad loc. Ex opere operato putant se Deo placere Scultet ad loc. Gen. 15. 18. Ver. 9 10. Ver. 17. Ier. 34. 18. Virgil 〈◊〉 Aynsworth sup Psal. 25. 10. Ps. 89. 3. Doct. Gen. 17. 13. Q. A. Ier. 31. 33 Gen. 17 1. Gen. 28 21. Ex. 24. 7. Heb. 9. 26 1 Pet. 2. 5 Heb. 8. 6 Levit. 1. 4. Ier. 50. 5 2 Chron. 15. 12. Ver. 3. Ver. 5. 2 Chron. 29. 10. Ver. 6. Ver. 15 Ver. 8. Ver. 9. Neh. 9. 34. Ver. 35. Ver. 36. Ver. 37. Ver. 38. Ps. 50. 17 2 Chron. 15. 5 6. Object A. Object Ier. 4. 2. Acts 25 19. Acts 24 14. Mr. Case 1 Cor. 12. 28 Master Coleman in his Hearts Engagement Preached and published by Order and Master Cases Quarrell of the Covenant Acts 20. 28. Phil. 1. 1. Vse 1 Chron. 16. 15. Deut. 4. 23. Numb 18. 19. Pro. 2. 16 17. Levit. 26 25. Vse 3 Gen. 17. 2. Psal. 44. 17. Verse 18 Ps. 105. 8. 1 Chron. 15. 2 Chron. 6. 14. Verse 15. Mat. 15. 3 6 9. Ioh. 29. 13 Gal. 5. 20. Rev. 7. 4. Rev. 14. 4 1 Cor. 11. 10 11 12 Ames Cas. Muscul. loc Com. 1 Cor. 11. 22. Deut. 29 18. Ps. 101. 7 Ios. 24. 15
unto our Fathers to eat the fruit thereof c. behold wee are servants in it And it yieldeth much increase to the Kings whom thou hast set Over us because of our sins also they have dominion over our bodies and over our cattell at their pleasure And we are in great distresse Now in this condition behold them betaking themselves to the same course And because of all this wee make a sure Covenant and write it and our Princes Levits and Priests seal unto it Verse 38. This were they wont to doe upon these occasions Now whether there be the same occasions to be found amongst us us of this Nation or no I suppose there is none of us here present wil make any question of it Alas the Evidence is but too cleer and that as for our present Affliction so for our former Defection the one of which usually attends upon the other Affliction upon Defection so you find it in all the places forementioned and so we at least many of our brethren in this Kingdome finde it by sad and wofull experience at this day Our Defection went before and that a great Defection The Temple of God amongst us scoured blessed be God the doors thereof were not shut up yet we cannot say but it was polluted and that by bringing in humane Inventions to thrust out divine Ordinances The Lamps some of them extinguished and put out the most of them burning dim either for want of oile or snuffing How few Burning and shining Lamps The Worship of God for the most part how was it turned to a meer Formalitie our condition therein being but too like that of Israels herein the Text little to be seene in most places but a {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the meager carcasse of a cold and formall devotion The heart of Religion being well nigh eaten out Little power of it to be found in the hearts and lives of the greatest part Multitudes of scandalous persons swarming every where and yet continued members of the Church Swearers Drunkards Vnclean Persons Prophane Persons such as hated Reformation yet even they taking the Covenant of God the Seal of his Covenant in their mouthes polluting the holy Ordinances of God by their unworthy partaking in them For the rest how have the greatest part been either meerly Civill or else Lukewarme Little Heate little Life little Power of Godlinesse to be felt or seene Surely our Defection and our Provocations have beene great And our Affliction at this day seemes to answer it Our case being now the very same with Israels in the days of King Asah In those times there was no peace to him that went out nor to him that came in but great vexations were upon all the Inhabitants of the Countries And Nation was destroyed of Nation and Citie of Citie for God did vex them with all adversity So was it with them And is it not so with us at this day Now in this condition what shall wee doe Why Now let us joyne our selves to the Lord in a perpetuall Covenant Now never was Covenant more seasonable more needfull for any people then it is for England at this day Let us now make a Covenant with the Lord our God and that a Perpetuall Covenant Covenants wee have made but alasse they have beene temporary momentanie soone forgotten Let us now joyne our selves to the Lord in a perpetuall Covenant that shall not be forgotten No way so hopefull as this to appease the wrath that is gone out smoaking against us and burning amongst us to put an end to our present Afflictions and Distractions to remove the Evils which we feel to prevent the judgments which we fear to procure the mercies which we want to continue the mercies wee enjoyne to stay our God amongst us Ob. True you may say were it onely such a Covenant a joyning our selves to the Lord in a Covenant then might wee hope for such an issue But alasse this Covenant here propounded and tendered to us wee finde it to be of another nature containing in it somthings to us impertinent and others scarce warrantable A. Here I know some thing will be expected by way of satisfaction Give me leave as briefly as fully as I may or can Liber are animam to discharge conscience both mine own others by resolving such scruples as are most obvious and as I conceive of greatest importance In the Generall take the resolution thus Though this be not the onely thing in this Covenant yet I take it and so would I have every one here present to looke upon it to be the mayne viz. The ioyning of our selves and the whole Kingdome to the Lord What else means this grand Designe of a through Reformation a Personall a Nationall Reformation Personall of our own hearts lives Families Nationall of the Kingdom the three Kingdoms The former we promise to performe the latter we engage our selves by all lawfull ways in our severall places and Stations to endeavour And what is this but a Ioyning our selves to the Lord by Covenant Some particulars I confesse here may be found which at the first sight may seeme to be heterogeneall some of them Forraigne and others of them of meer Civill concernment but upon a review we shal find most of them if not all of them to lie in a way of tendency unto that great and maine end like so many lesser streams which though happily they have their severall windings and turnings yet at the length they all discharge and unload themselves into the same common Channell All of them conducing either Immediatly or mediatly to the promoting of this desired Reformation 1 To this purpose tends that first branch of the first Article where wee promise to endeavour the preservation of the Reformed Religion in the Church of Scotland against the COMMON ENEMY A clause which seemeth to look directly upon them but withall it reflects and looks back upon us who are much interssed concerned in their whether woe or welfare In their peace we may the rather hope for peace In their Ruine we cannot look long to survive Such are the mutuall engagements and concerments of both Kingdomes as that in all probabilitie they are like to stand or fall sinke or swim together And such is that other Clause in the Close of the same Article where wee promise to endeavour the bringing of all the Churches in the three Kingdomes to the neerest conjunction and uniformitie in Religion Government c. A Designe of high concernment No one thing tending more directly to the setling and establishing of the true Religion of God in all of them 2 To like purpose is the obligation in that second Article which ingageth all to endeavour the extirpation of Popery and the eradicating of such other evill weeds as may endanger the sucking out the heart of Religion how ever hinder the growth of it 3 To the same purpose as truly though not