enter into the lists of Conscience and Reason to walk by a Rule therein they may be discovered to be Hypocrites and Fools and consequently unworthy of the conscionable and rationall entertainment which is due unto the ingenuous professors of Christianity and Morality The subject of the Discourse Give me leave then to acquaint you or rather him whosoever he is it maketh no matter to me God accepteth no mans person who is preparing to take up the bucklers in this Cause with the way wherein I purpose God willing to meet him that he may fit himself either to go along with me in it or to shew me a more direct path to walk in Love and Truth wherein I shall promise to follow him because the Prophet saith that two cannot walk together except they be Amos 3. 3. agreed Give me then leave I say to acquaint him that to prevent needlesse controversies and vain jangling and to finde out Peace and Truth in a just debate my way shall be determined and circumscribed by two sorts of Rules which if he cannot except against and rectifie he will be obliged to observe The parts thereof By the first sort of Rules I prepare and order my thoughts before I suffer them to enter upon a Debate By the second I direct them in a right way of proceeding after they are entred thereupon The Preparative Rules towards a Debate are mainly foure whereof The first is concerning the Subject whereof the Debate is to be undertaken The second is concerning the end for which it is to be prosecuted The third concerning the point of difference wherein the doubt doth lye And the fourth is concerning the way of handling the point of doubt to finde a decision thereof Of these I shall briefly shew you what I conceive my self obliged to observe What to be considered concerning the subject of a Debate First concerning the subject whereof a Debate is offered the main thing which I look upon therein is the naturall worth of the matter with the effects and accidentall consequences of the handling thereof that I may know whether it be operae-pretium and that it deserves to be handled yea or no. And that I may make a true estimate hereof I use to consider chiefly three things 1. The nature and kinde of things whereunto the subject doth or doth not belong 2. The recommendation which it hath or hath not from God unto my conscience 3. The ordinary or extraordinarie influence which the right or wrong handling thereof may have upon the spirits of men to affect them to good or evill with powerfull motions If then I find that the subject in its nature and kind doth not belong to the sphere of my profession that it hath no recommendation from Gods Word either in generall or particularly and in expresse terms to be layed to heart and that it hath no powerfull influence either upon mine own spirit or upon the spirits of others to affect the same one way or other I use not to meddle with it for I judge it not worth the handling but if it hath any of these properties or all of them and I finde that doubts are rationally raised about it I think my self bound to discusse the same when they are offered unto me and it is seasonable so to do Now the reason why I think myself obliged to make this or some such like estimate of every subject before I entertain it is lest unawares I might become as one of those of whom the Apostle in his dayes warned Timothie who turned aside 1 Tim. 1. 6 7 unto vain jangling and desiring to be teachers of the Law understood neither what they said nor whereof they affirmed And we see that since his dayes many of the Schoolmen and other brain-sick controverters in our Age have done and still do the like What to be considered about the end for which a Debate is taken up Secondly concerning the end for which a Debate is to be prosecuted I judge thus that except I can perceive the conference to be intended towards the use of edifying whereunto we are commanded to direct all our communication I shall not Eph. 4. 29. meddle with it but rather protest against it and that I may not be mistaken concerning that which is intended towards 1 Cor. 10. 31. the use of edifying I take the measure of mine own and other mens aimes by two Rules the first is If either the matter in it self is not fit to manifest some part of Gods glory or if the aime of those that handle it is not set professedly to shew forth that part of his glory which the matter offers then I conclude that the handling of it is not intended for edification The second is if the matter it self is fit to be reduced to the end of the commandment and those that handle it professe to advance that end by it Which is charity out of a pure 1 Tim. 1. 5. heart and of a good conscience and of faith unfained then I conclude that it is intended for edification because Charity doth edifie 1 Cor. 8. 1. And the exact observation of these two Rules in reflecting upon our own spirit to examine and set our heart aright by them is so absolutely necessarie that in all matters of debate wherein men pretend to knowledge it will be impossible for any man to avoid the snares of his own naturall pride except he can take up this course to quiet and wean his spirit from it for the naturall use of all knowledge doth puffe us up Whence it is that without this spirituall restraint 1 Cor. 8. 1. we shall unavoidably fall into the condemnation of those whom the Apostle doth characterise to be proud knowing nothing but doting about questions and strifes of words of which cometh envy strife railings evill surmisings perverse disputings the proper works of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth From such and such practises he exhorts us to withdraw our selves for we see daily by dolefull experience that the profane and vain bablings whereby men study onely to 2 Tim. 2. 16. please themselves and discredit others do increase unto more ungodlinesse If therefore the end of the debate should not be clearly determined by the forenamed Rules and considerately taken up in the fear of God seeing the beginning of Prov. 17. 14. strife is like the letting out of water I can foresee that I might be heedlesly hurried into a labyrinth of endlesse controversies as I finde some others are whose hands are against every body and every bodies hands are against them Except therefore he that shall take up the Debate will conscionably and rationally shew to me as I shall do to him where he will rest and at what mark he will shoot I will not be obliged to run after him as uncertainly or to fight with him as one that beateth the aire Why the point of difference is to be carefully
conquer this passion and therefore none but such as are taught of him to deny themselves in all things can follow his footsteps in this that when he was reviled he reviled not again when he 1 Pet. 2. 23. suffered he threatned not but committeth himself to him that judgeth righteously nor can any promise themselves freedom from vindicative affections who have not learned of him to love their Enemies to blesse them that curse them to do good to Matth 5. 44 them that hate them and to pray for them that despitefully use them and persecute them this Lesson the Apostle had learned being reviled saith he we blesse being persecuted we suffer it and being defamed we intreat 1 Cor. 4. 12. 13. It is evident then that nothing can make a natural man effectually to lay down the resentments of privat injuries but a real change of his nature by the work of grace in conformity to Jesus Christ which only can incline us to be kind and tender hearted towards others forgiving them what they have done to us amisse even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven us Ephes 4. 32. So then all that can be done to cure this as to men incorrigible evil is to hold forth this frame of the spirit of Christ and his Commandement both in our obedience thereunto and in our word of exhortation to move the Conscience of others to follow it The third is the apprehension of Gods vengeance But if those that should thus bear witnes of the life of Christ are to set rather upon the motions of revenge themselves and Rom. 12. 19. incourage those that are bent that way than inclined to take them off what shall we say unto it shall we not acknowledg that it will be just with God that he should execute his vengeance upon those that delight in privat vengeance against others and that take his proper work out of his hands for the Lord hath said vengeance is mine and I will repay it Behold then all ye that kindle a fire of wrathful revenge and compasse your selves about with sparkes of vindicative plots and attempts walk in the light of your fire and in the sparkes that ye have kindled seeing by no perswasions you can be brought herein to deny your selves This shall ye have of mine hand saith the Lord ye shall lie down in sorrow Isaiah 50. 11. Hitherto of the single Remedies The complicated follow as proper to the work of Magistrates and Ministers And why And thus much concerning the single and distinct Remedies which every one in private for himself is to make use of now it remaineth to speak also something of the universal and complicated remedies which all of us with reference one to another should seeke to apply unto our distracted publick Condition to heale the distempers which occasion the same and although all are obliged to desire and endeavour in their places the advancement hereof towards the publick yet properly the procurement and the application thereof doth belong mainly to the Ministery to the Magistracy in their several places and that with a special Reference to each other in their publick Administrations towards the Communalty As then the complication of our distempers doth beget an universal disease both in Religious and Civil Affaires So the general Remedies which flow from the fundamental duties of Love of Righteousnes and of Peaceablenes ought in a way of concurrence to be applyed both to the Church and Common-wealth Now the Ministers of the Gospel are Messengers of Gods Love and the Governours of the State are Ministers of his Righteousnes unto all men and both these as well in respect of their particular imployments as in respect of the common Profession of Christianity are called by God both unto the enjoyment of peace for themselves 1 Cor. 7. 15. Colos 3. 15. and to the practice and procurement of it unto others Rom. 12. 18. and Matth. 5. 9. therefore as the love of God that is our obligation to love him is the ground of all humane peace So the peaceable cure of all publick distempers and the first overtures and addresses thereunto must needes result from the effects and properties of love as it is Christian that is common to all and ought principally to be reached out unto all by the peaceable hand the righteous carriage and orderly behaviour of those that are the Messengers of Divine Love And again as nothing is truly love which doth not tend to a real good of him who is the object thereof or is not intended as a real good towards the object by him who is the Author thereof So nothing can be counted or will ever be found a real good or is intended for such unto any which is neither applyed nor intended as from God And herein the Minister should be the first to apply the Remedy of love Now it belongeth to none more to intend or apply things as from God then to the Ministers of his Word whose Profession it is to be the Messengers of his love as being sent forth to invite all men to partake thereof if therefore these do any thing towards any without a reference unto God and without the affections of his love they are of all men living the most unworthy of their employment it is true that all who glory in the name of Christ to call him Lord are bound to walk by this same Rule of love towards every one even as Christ hath loved us but yet it is evident that the Ministers appointed to publish unto all men his name are obliged herein to go before all others and to make it their special work to teach and perswade others to follow this way as it becometh the Disciples of such a Master and if any doth not this professedly he hath abandoned the main work as well of his Christian as Ministerial Calling for it is clear that the end of the whole Commandement both in respect of the duties of the Law and of the Doctrine of the Gospel is love out of a pure heart and of a good Conscience and of Faith unfained Rom. 13. 10. and 1 Tim. 1. 5. and 1 John 3. 23. and that Ministers ought to raise their own and other mens thoughts and spirits in reference to the life of God in Christ to a comportment sutable unto this Duty and Doctrine above earthly interests and worldly concernments is a truth so evident that no Christian can make any doubt of it nor also of this that as no engagement is so near to us as this so none is to be preferred to it or ought to take us off from it From whence this conclusion is to be inferred That if any Minister of the Gospel doth at any time take upon him to be a judge of the Affaires of this world between Man and Man about which they are commonly in strife and therein doth take part with the one and opposeth the other as an Agent of the Affaires of this
unprofitable in its own measure but this I must say of it that it will be found in end to be comparatively but a blockish scantie stinted and partiall way of learning which doth not contain the ten thousand million part of that knowledge which is attainable by another way which is plain easie to be followed and demonstrable to those that look upon the holy Scriptures as Christians ought to do to see Christ therein and Gods wayes towards man in him and that look upon the works of God in the world as rationall men ought to do to see the ordering of the creatures of their faculties and of their works towards their true ends whereby they relate unto God in Christ and the disordering of them as they are taken off from their true ends by missing of this Relation If this way of attaining to true learning and the method of searching into these veins of knowledge and of drawing waters out of these Wels were discovered the other way which is now so much followed and doth occasion most of our disputes and contestations would be found rather a matter of shew then of substance I do not deny but that the way of Collections and Reading hath its own usefulnesse if it be accompanied with the exercises of sound meditation and directed to its true end thereby but to make so much ado about it as some do to take upon them great matters by it and to stir up much dust and strife in it is one of the distracting vanities of our Age which leads us from the way of Truth and Peace Onely of pride cometh contention saith Solomon but with the well advised is wisdome Prov. 13. 10. And in another place With the lowly is wisdome whereas from pride cometh shame As pride and folly so contention and Prov. 11. 2. shame are inseparable companions And as the way to wisdome is to be well advised so nothing maketh a man so capable of good advise as the lowlinesse of his spirit It would be an easie matter to shew the truth of these Proverbs verified in the management of our ordinarie course of learning wherein there is no lowlinesse of spirit nor good advice to be found towards the attainment of wisdome but meer pride in things of no value which lead us through contentiousnesse unto shame I shall not now take into consideration the Principles the strains and the pinacles of the height whereupon the literature the Philosophie and the Divinity of the Schools is set and doth exalt the Doctors and Disciples thereof to a conceit of their own sufficiencie above those that are counted illiterate it were an easie matter to shew comparatively to the plain and lowly way of seeking knowledge the foolish emptinesse of those toilsome strains and the shamefull vanity which is in the affectation of and a pretension to a titular esteeme of learning before men by a Science falsly so called at this time it will be enough to say that which Christ said to the Pharisees when they derided his simplicitie That which is highly esteemed amongst Luk. 16. 15. men is abomination in the sight of God For these self-conceited wayes of learning are so far from making men either wiser or better then others that for the most part except God over-act and over-power them with speciall grace it makes them so much the more unserviceable to others by how much they strive to be set above them and at a distance from their capacities and so much the more incapable of the truth of wisdome and vertue for themselves by how much it sets them neerer to their own wit and further off from the simplicitie and humilitie which is in Christ Jesus This matter is a larger subject then now I am willing to enter upon nor is it yet seasonable to undertake it perhaps God will shew a way to meddle with these matters and offer occasions which shall be more free from offence then these times seem to afford for I am not willing either to joyne hands with the persecuters of learned men because they are learned or to be thought a favourer of those who now adayes are mad against all that looks towards or like Learning a generation of men that knowing nothing and yet presuming without Learning to know all think it their reproach that any should be thought more knowing then themselves and being led without any grounds or principles by their own meer whimseys can endure nothing that is like a settlement and looks towards the Regulating and composure of mens spirits For I confesse that upon the name of Learning too much dirt and contempt is cast alreadie though wrongfully as from such men yet deservedly as from God for by reason of the ambitiousnesse of those that unprofitably have walked in a vain shew of Learning and under a pretence thereof have sought nothing but ease plentie and pre-eminencie and by reason of the self-conceitednesse of those that partially walk still in strife about it and have made their Learning a seed of gall and wormwood to embitter and embroil the spirits of all Christendome for certain private opinions I say by reason of these abuses of the wayes of Learning which still continue amongst those that strive to be thought Masters of it God doth justly poure contempt upon them and will not cease to stain the pride of all their glory and their greatnesse by a full discovery of their shame till they shew themselves willing with all their devises and shews of greatnesse to be reformed and till all the monopolizing practises and covetous incroachments whereby the enlargement of common helps to true Learning towards all are enviously obstructed be taken out of the way and forsaken And in hope that this may be done we shall endevour without partialitie to sowe the seed which God hath put in our hand upon all waters Isa 32. 20. upon all sorts of people and upon all objects of knowledge Gal 6. 9. for we may expect that in due time we shall reap the fruit thereof if we faint not and this is the first part of my aime in the whole even to provoke such as are capable of these thoughts to peaceable and orderly meditations and humble thoughts concerning themselves in all matters of Debate The application of the latter part of the foregoing discourse is to all that in the Magistracy and Ministery pretend to walk by the rules of Love of Righteousnesse and of Peace Secondly in the last part of that which I have formerly insisted upon where I speak of the difference and concurrence of the Magistraticall and Ministeriall functions my purpose is by a search into the nature and Properties of both offices as in subordination unto Christ they relate each other to discover the Rules of Christian Love of Righteousnesse and of Peaceablenesse observable between them for the good of humane societies to the end that such as make conscience their Rule may see the path of Christianity
of God by men in this place I meane the elders and heads of the people by the ordinance of God in the hand of men I meane the fundamentall rights which by nature are inherent in all humane societies to provide for their owne safety and well-being and by the ordinance of men in the hand of God I mean the resolutions and agreements of the people which are setled upon those rights in order to their well-being And how far they should attend each other ordinarily or extraordinarily do beget each other as God intends Iudgement or Mercy towards a people I shall not now search into but this I say for the Magistrates way of eminencie that if matters be set a foot Authoritatively without power especially in extraordinary administrations those that act them expose themselves unto contempt and if they be set a foot powerfully without Authority either in ordinary or extraordinary administrations those that act them make themselves odious as oppressours therefore nothing should be done either Authoritatively without power or powerfully without Authority In reference to the qualitie of the meanes which are made use of his way is to act by Commission and Deputation of Authority of right and of power unto subordinate officers who may act in the name of the Supreame and may not be lawfully resisted in that which they have commission to perform And thus much concerning the Magistrates work and his way of going about it Of the Ministers work by himself As for the Ministers of the Gospel Gods end is to glorifie his spirituall goodnesse towards the souls of men by their service making them conduit-pipes of his grace towards the same that by faith in Christ men may receive the forgivenesse Act. 26 18. of sins and an inheritance amongst those that are sanctified And to this effect Christ doth appoint them as his messengers to be witnesses of his Truth which is the Covenant made between God and man in himself and to be 2 Cor. 4. 5. servants to the societies of beleevers the publick professors of his truth for his sake they are also made subjects for the 1 Pet. 2. 13. Lords sake unto every ordinance of man as all other men are that they may give others a good example of orderly walking and of harmlesnesse in the life of nature And of his way in going about it Now by this appointment of God concerning them it is evident that they in their places are not properly over men as Magistrates are in humane affairs to command and compell obedience to that which they inioyn but onely towards men in Divine affairs to let them know the will of God and to intreat them to yeeld obedience thereunto for Christs sake and in case men will not hearken to them they have no more to do but to shake off the dust from their feet and declare the judgement of God unto them And as they have no masterly or commanding power over either the outward concernments or the faith of those to whom they are sent so they have no right to share any way with the Magistrate in his employments no more then his meanest Subject nor to meddle with the administration of any of his works nor to incroach upon any part of his Authority nor to make any mixture of his employments with their own under any publick pretence whatsoever but in all outward and visible concernments to be as it becometh meer Subjects and under the Supreme Power without any exemption or any priviledge by the title of Ecclesiasticall persons to be free from his jurisdiction as the Man of Sin pretends his servants should be Therefore the aime which the Minister of the Gospel ought to have in taking his place upon him is to set himself under Christ in his employment as his servant and instrument towards the spirits of men that by grace he may conveigh the testimony of Gods spirituall goodnesse to them that they by entertaining the same may glorifie God and become happy both in this world and in the world to come And to this effect his more immediate aime should be to teach those that know not Christ to know him and perswade them to beleeve in him and to professe his Name and those that professe him to walk by the Spirit of Christ with God in the Covenant entertaining and observing the tenor thereof through conformitie to the crosse of Christ in hope Rom. 8. 17. of being glorified together with him Of the difference of the Magistraticall and Ministeriall wayes of administration And from this description of his aime and the appointment of Christ concerning him towards his employment we may see that his proper works and the property of his way in going about the same are as farre different from that of the Christian Magistrates works and way as the life of Nature is from the life of grace as visible things are from invisible as meer reason is from revelation as ruling is from doing service as coaction is from supplication as commanding is from being in subjection as the outward man is from the inward as this world is from that which is to come as to be dead and crucified unto this present life is from seeking after the enjoyment of happinesse therein and as bearing witnesse concerning the will and Word of God to incline the conscience to yeeld it self willingly thereunto is from an injunction brought forth by the will and word of man with a purpose to see it actually performed and personall obedience yeelded thereunto whether it be done willingly or no. So that except men wil purposely set themselves to go beyond their line and neglect their own work to take another mans work out of his hand there can be no interfaring of the employments and yet they may be as intimately coordinate concurrent and subservient to their joynt end of humane happinesse and the glory of God in Christ as sense is coordinate concurrent and subservient unto Reason or right reason unto Conscience or a good conscience unto the motions of the Holy Ghost and to the testimony of Jesus in the word of prophecy And of the limits of their intermedling with each others affaires Thus we have briefly seen the proper works of these employments as they relate unto the ends for which Christ hath appointed them We shall not need to descend unto the particulars of the Ministeriall works it sufficeth for our purpose in hand to have discovered this that by the appointment of God for the glory of his Grace in Christ Jesus as crucified unto the world on the one hand and for the glory of his Supreame power in Christ as exalted over the world on the other hand the severall proper and immediate ends and aimes of the Magistraticall and Ministeriall employments are put in two peculiar channells and accordingly that their works are so distinct as the work of the minde is from that of the bodie and their wayes of going about them
alone upon free grace if he doth help to persecute any in their bodies or states for outward relations and interests rather than study to addresse and convert their soules to God and if he doth set himselfe in a state-way either to gain power and authority in his own hand to share it with the magistrate or to subordinate his ministeriall imployment unto wordly ends of State-government to cover the tricks thereof with a cloke of Conscience and Religion that people should worship the Image which he sets before them if I say any man doth pervert the use of his ministery thus yet professing himselfe to be the servant of Christ he doth play the part of the false Prophet who doth work miracles before the great Beast and exerciseth all his power over men And the Rev. 13. 11 12 13 c. and chap. 19 20. greater the naturall and acquired parts and gifts of this man are and the more revealed and spirituall truths or mystcall shewes thereof he doth mix with this kind of service the more fire he doth cause to come down from heaven and the more deeply he doth deceive and therefore he shall accordingly receive also with the false Prophet so much the more of his reward if he repent not 5 If therefore such as are in power look upon religion onely as Jeroboam did in order to their owne interests and will suffer none to stand in places of employment but men of their own creating that will serve turnes towards the people and if ministers that are in places of employment look onely upon their Magistrate as the Jewish Priests did upon Pilate when they delivered Christ up to be crucified by him and affect him no further than he will act their designes whether they agree or disagree upon their matters together it is apparent that by so doing they conspire to make the people that are led by them miserable and desolate because neither of them follow either the true work or the right way of their employment neither towards the multitude or towards one another but if they doe openly disagree they conspire then by tearing them in pieces and setting them in factions against one another to make their misery and desolation sudden and without remedy For except God turn their hearts to a right course and set them upon the works of their calling wthout partiality and direct their counsels in a loving righteous and peaceable way as Christ hath appointed his Disciples to walk for his glory towards the good of those that are under their charge and for their own mutuall happinesse they shall never be able for feare of one another to intend or attend any other designes but such as are acted by power and violence whereupon the great Dragon their master in these courses doth set them and whieh for want of Christian love and compassion can end in nothing else but in mercilesse cruelties equally ruinous to each other and to the Common-wealths of humanesocieties Of the duties of Love Righteousnesse and Peace joyntly Hitherto we have seen both what the proper workes and wayes of the Magistracy and Ministery are as they relate unto the ends for which Christ hath ordained them and what the error and deviation is from those works and wayes And lastly also what this deviation doth produce in all societies where the duties of Love of Righteousnesse and of Peace are not thought upon to referre the whole state thereof unto Christ as Christians ought to doe Let us now come to the second point of our Disquirie which is to discover what the naturall properties and proper acts are of true Love of Righteousnesse and of Peaceablenesse which Christians and chiefly their Leaders unto happinesse ought to intend towards all men but especially towards each other in the workes of their employment and above all in times of distresse Now to speak of these duties ingenerall as to commend their worth their necessity their usefulnesse and such like I conceive it needlesse for certainly it is not so much for want of knowledge of that which we ought to doe that we run into errors as by reason of our perturbation and of our by-respects which beget in us a disregarding of these and an observation of other matters and are begotten in us through partiality in our selves and fore-stalment of thoughts concerning others For it is by reason of these things that we play the hypocrites and lye against the Truth for which cause our sin is the greater For to him that knoweth to doe good and doth it not to him it is sin saith the Apostle Jam. 4. 17. Of the duty of Christian love by it selfe Therefore as concerning the duty of Christian Love it cannot be supposed in probability that any in the Ministery or in any other charge amongst Christians should be ignorant of the nature therof because it is known to all that have been taught the first Principles of the knowledge of Christ that the duty of Christian love is two-fold First the affection by which we cleave to God as to our Father in Christ And next the affection by which we embrace our neighbour for Gods sake as Christ hath embraced us Now concerning our love to God and friendship to Christ it is evident that it stands onely in this That we keep the commandements of the Father and that we doe whatsoever Christ doth enjoyne us to performe John 15. 14. and 1 John 5. 5. whence it is further manifest that to neglect the known will of God and to set our selves in a course which is contrary to his commandements is openly to renounce Christs friendship and plainly to become a hater of God and hatefull to him And as for the commandement wherein God will have us to shew our love and Christ our friendship to himself it is known by all to be none other but the Law of Love whereof the whole substance hath been delivered unto us in the new commandement which Christ hath given us when he sairh John 13. 34 35. A new Commandement I have given you That ye love one another as I have loved you that ye also love one another by this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if yee have love one to another The true evidence then of our love towards God is this That we love the Brethren For he that saith he loveth God and hateth his brother is a lyar saith the Apostle 1 John 4. 20 21. For he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen how can he love God whom he hath not seen And this Commandement have we from him That he that loveth God love his brother also The end for this alwayes is to be lookt upon as that which doth manifest the nature and property of every thing of love is to seek the good of that which is beloved Now our goodnesse Psal 16. 2 3. 1 Cor. 10. 24. 1 Cor. 13. 5. cannot extend unto God therefore God hath appointed us
not envying them nor provoking them nor being desirous of vain glory towards them Galat. 5. 26. In respect of those that are of an unquiet disposition to follow Peace and ensue it towards them 1 Pet. 3. 11. and that even so far as it is possible and as much as in us lyeth Rom. 12. 18. to do all things without murmurings and disputings against them in a blamelesse and harmlesse way that they may have no cause to murmure at us or to dispute with us Phil. 2. 14 15. And to this effect to lay aside all malice and all guil and hypocrisie evil speakings and surmisings 1 Pet. 2. 1 2. And lastly in respect of those that are injurious to recompense no evill for evill nor to avenge our selves but to give place unto wrath Rom. 12. 17 19. Not to be overcome with evill but to overcome evil with good Rom. 12. 21. And to that effect with all lowlinesse and meeknesse with long-suffering to forbear them in love Ephes 4. 2. And to forgive them as God in Christ hath forgiven us Ephes 4. 32. Now the originall and immediate cause of this Peaceable disposition of the soul is to suffer the Peace of God whereunto we are called to rule in our hearts Col. 3. 15. for when this by the new Covenant in Christ doth possesse the spirit the soul is quieted within it self because it entreth with Christ into that rest which he hath purchased and prepared for it Hebr. 4. 10 11. And it receiveth the Peace which he hath left with it and given to it so that the heart is not troubled neither is it afraid at any thing which in this world can befall unto it Joh. 14. 27. for the promise of the Lord wherein he hath caused us to hope doth sustain us which saith that he will keep him in perfect Peace whose heart is stayed on him because he trusteth in him Isa 26. 3. But on the other side those that have no interest in the Covenant of Peace which Christ hath made with us can have no rest nor quietnesse within themselves or towards others because my God hath said There is no Peace to the wicked but his heart and his whole course is as the troubled Sea which cannot rest but casteth forth mire and dirt perpetually Isa 57. 20 21. The ends then of these duties shew the perfection whereunto they lead us and their proper works the way by which we attain the same For by the law of love we are taught how to aime at that which is truly good by the law of righteousnesse how to order our way in prosecuting of it and by the law of Peaceablenesse how to attend the delightfull possession of it The first sets our minde upon God the second directs us to him and the third fits us to enjoy him What is proper to a Christian in these duties more then to other men Thus in brief we see what these duties are and whence in a Christian more then in other men they proceed for other men know nothing herein but the principles of Reason and Morality by which they look more upon the materiall outside of the works then upon any thing else because naturall men cannot raise their minds unto the apprehension of spirituall truths which beget in the soul a new life and farre lesse can they act any thing thereby without speciall grace yet if the Intellectuals of a man truly rationall in nature which is not altogether impossible be raised so far by the right use of common illuminations as to perceive the proportion which is between such performances as these are and the principles from whence they flow he will finde no just cause to contradict any thing therin although his heart will not be able thereupon to close with the duties themselves for a true Christian is a spirituall man is not inabled to close heartily with these duties either because he is convicted of the rationalitie thereof or because he doth understand the excellencie and worth of this way above the way of Morality for these are onely preparative inducements inclining his affection thereunto but he closeth therewith onely because his conscience is enlightned by the truth and purified by faith and therein is bound over and given up to walk thus with God in Christ by the covenant of grace for through the law of the spirit of life and love which is in Christ Jesus whereby he is freed from the law of sin and of death he is made conformable unto the image of the Son of God and the righteousnesse of the Law of God through faith and love being fulfilled in him he hath peaceable communion with the Father and with the Son wherein he doth set himself to walk with joy and unspeakable comfort in the light of their countenance by which he is daily transformed from glory to glory as by the Spirit and presence of the Lord. The rule then and the way of a Christian is to walk in these duties towards all men and for these ends not with humane wisdome and the reasonings of his naturall understanding although he doth nothing irrationally but according to the direction and manifestation of the Spirit of grace that is according to the testimony of Jesus revealed unto his spirit which obligeth his conscience to follow affectionately the rules of these duties in all simplicitie and godly sincerity through love to the life of Jesus Christ and the grace of God in him and not for any other obligation or by any other consideration whatsoever and whosoever doth walk after this rule Peace be upon him and upon the Israel of God And because we have not hitherto walked after this rule we have not as yet found the way to Peace for to finde Peace out of this way is as impossible as to misse of it within it How universal they are and inseparable from Christianity And chiefly in leading men and times of greatest need From hence we may observe that these duties have an universall influence upon all the wayes of Christians for as Christians they are essentiall to them in all the works of their severall callings and if they studie not to do all their works by these rules they cannot be said to do them as Christians for as Christians we are commanded to do all our matters with charitie 1 Cor. 16. 14. for we are obliged by the love of God to us as his dear children to be followers of God and to walk in love as Christ also hath loved us Ephes 5. 1 2. And if we walk not thus it is evident that we are none of his children but have renounced his love and are destitute of the life of God in all our undertakings for he that loveth not knoweth not God for God is love 1 Joh. 4. 8. And again as Christians we are bound to serve God and Christ in his kingdom and if we serve him not how can we truly bear his Name Now the kingdom of God wherein
by the Law of Nature to act for their own safetie by the Power and Authority which they had in their hand and after that their whole management of power became without humane contrivances by Gods supreme conduct as miraculously successefull for their advantage as their adversaries management became with all humane contrivances unsuccessefull for their disadvantage it pleased him who doth all things according to the counsell of his own will so to change the Government that from one intrusted in chief it fell into the hands of many and that it became a consequence not of a free transaction but of prevailing power unto the rule whereof the trust of governing was on all sides given up committed by the drawing of the Sword After I say that these things by degrees happened thus it fell out amongst those many into whose hands the management of affairs did fall as naturally it needs must amongst those that think themselves equall one to another when they take up different interests that none would yeeld the priviledge of pre-eminencie unto his neighbour but every one did strive to get possession of it for himself In this contest as formerly the King had lost his hold of the Government for want of power so that party which without having hold of power would have setled the Government by his means with reference to some of his desires and against the sense of the powerfull party hath for his sake and for the necessitie where into the powerfull party thought it self the whole cause it had prosecuted and the state of the kingdome reduced lost the place which it had in the Government and is now made subordinate unto the party which hath prevailed Thus all along the object of strife hath been the trust of power and government and the pre-eminencie in this trust hath been the object of envy and is still in the spirits of those who are passionately moved either at or about the change of outward affairs The effects of it Now the spirit of envy doth work ordinarily upon us when we finde our selves in want of some thing which we desire and others in possession thereof whom we love not And it is hardly to be determined whether the grief for ones own want of that which is desired or the enjoyment thereof by others that are hated be the greater vexation to an envious spirit nor can it otherwise be determined but by the discoverie of two other passionate distempers Pride and Hatred whereof this evill humour is made up and wherewith it is from time to time fermented to fall into its paroxismes For if pride be predominant then the fit of our vexation is more for our own want then for others enjoyment but if hatred be predominant then we are more vexed that another hath it then that we do want it and this makes an envious man when he is out of hope to gain what he would have for himself to bend his thoughts that it should be transferred rather to any other hand whatsoever then that it should remain with him that hath it nor doth he think any thing unjust which may bring this to passe though it be unto others never so grievous and injurious and when he can neither gain it to himself nor transfer it to another his last endevour will be to spoil it and make it miscarrie in the hand of him that hath it as in the Gospel Matth. 13. 25. parable the Enemy that sowed tares among the good wheat did it because he envied him to whom the wheat did belong So do all those that make no conscience to obstruct good and lawfull enterprises onely because they are set afoot by those whom they affect not or whom they envy to have the honour of doing that which is commendable And how far upon those distempers this kinde of disorderlinesse hath broke forth from time to time or still doth reign in the spirits of some of us and who have been the chief actors for Satan therein I shall not make my self a Judge Nor do I mention these things as the custome is comparatively to justifie one and condemne another side as one pussed up for one party against another which the Apostle forbids 1 Cor. 4. 6. but herein I shew the nature of our disease as in the presence of God whom in his judgements over us I adore therefore I shall leave unto him whose wayes are unsearchable and who searcheth the hearts of all men both the discoverie of the chief authors and the judgement of the particular actors of the sinfull miseries which hath overtaken us for he will certainly in his own time and way find them out The end for which this is spoken to And yet withall I intend by this representation of our disease to recommend and refer the consideration of these causes of our publick grievances to the consciences of those who on all sides have had least amiable complyance with their brethren and ingenuity for the best designes or have been most active in partiall counsels and undertakings towards others and most unsetled within themselves that they should lay the matter seriously to heart and consider the sphere wherein they have walked that at least in their present and future undertakings they may be awakned unto moderate and amiable wayes of righteousnesse which I shall beseech the Lord in mercy to their souls to grant them grace to do that henceforth none may enviously obstruct but every one sincerely faithfully and lovingly joyn to help forward our settlement in the course of a perfect Reformation This then is the first root of bitternesse from whence the rest of our distempers are sprung up if this were throughly cured none of the other would greatly annoy us but this being the head-spring and heart of all the rest the other are subordinate thereunto as lesser streams of gall and wormwood to diffuse the poyson thereof through all the veins of our Body politick for so much malice as envy doth infuse in them so much is their bitternesse heightned and their distemper inflamed to work the effects of mischief Concerning State jealousies and fears That which most immediately doth follow envy is jealousie and carnall fear of which I need not say much onely in a word or two I shall discover somewhat of their nature that such as are able to see may observe the influence which they have upon their own spirits in publick affairs and the distempers occasioned thereby amongst us What they are State Jealousies and Fears go hand in hand for they beget reciprocally each other and are begotten of each other and although all jealousies are fears yet all fears are not jealousies for jealousies are the suspicions which men have of other mens intentions of their affections and of the delignes of their affairs but fears are properly the apprehensions of evils which may befall unto us by their means Those reflect upon the counsels these upon the actions of men and upon the
desiring Moses to pray was known to be nothing else but self-interest yet this took not Moses off from doing the dutie onely he had a further end then Pharaoh in it as sometimes also he declares unto him which I observe to shew that although men be never so wicked in their way and their ends never so carnall in desiring our prayers for things in themselves good and lawfull that neverthelesse it is not unlawfull for us to comply with them in such a dutie But to refuse the performance of such a dutie when the publick good and the edification of all doth require it onely to shew our opposition unto those that do desire it because of some other things wherein we are not satisfied with them is to me a subject of great admiration how it can come into the minds of any pious conscionable knowing and reasonable men for to say that this condescension unto their desire will be taken as a complyance with them in that wherein we disallow of them or will tend to confirm them in that which we think to be unlawfull in them is a great mistake first in respect of the nature The Answer to their Plea for their practise of the duties which being absolutely good in their own kinde and not indifferent cannot be supposed to tend unto evill secondly in respect of the inference which is made upon the performance of these duties which if it be well lookt into will be found inconsistent with true Pietie and Shewing First the unreasonablenesse thereof void of Reason For it is neither agreeable to godlinesse nor unto reason that I should conclude thus because it is possible that others may and likely that some will make another construction of that which I am about to do then I mean they should that therefore I should be obliged to abstain from a lawfull and commendable dutie or thus because a thing in it self good and laudable may accidentally tend to confirm some man in an evill course or in that which we think to be unlawfull in him that therefore I should be bound not to apply my self unto it although I am clear that the thing per se and in its own nature hath no tendency unto the production of such an effect Moses praying for Pharaoh and his people was an accidentall cause of his hardning this Moses knew would be so yet he refused not to do the dutie I say therefore that these inferences consist neither with the Rules of Pietie nor of Reason and therefore that the conclusion against the condescension whereof we speak is a great mistake it is true that in things of their own nature indifferent which by circumstances are alterable this consequence will hold that if by my complyance with any in that which is free to be done or left undone I should think they would be confirmed in that which I disallow in them and judge unlawfull for them to do that then I am bound to abstain from it lest I build them up in that which is evill and be accessorie to their sin but in things which in their own nature are holy just and good it doth not follow that because others may misconstrue and abuse what I do that therefore I ought not to do it for else what shall become of the whole profession of Christianity for what is in any part of it or what can any man say or do in it which another that is malicious may not misconstrue misapply and abuse this is therefore as to my apprehension a very unconscionable and unreasonable pretence to cover an undutifull practise But I have yet a further observation upon this pretence of non concurrence in duties absolutely good and lawfull with those that are in power which is this that if this practise and pretence be lookt into and layed open in the root whence it proceedeth and in the end whereunto it doth tend I suppose it will 2ly the unconscionablenesse thereof be found to have much of the Serpent in it and very unsound and unsavourie to a good conscience for consider we whence this scruple doth rise and is taken up and to what the practise wherunto it leads doth tend in its own nature and where it ends First the rise of the scruple is this that such as refuse to pray and give thanks solemnly for blessings upon the Nation at the desire of those who are in government do it because they look upon matters past as they are inclined to consider them with discontent and upon things present with reference thereunto considering the same with a sullen humour as in the hands of those that manage the same contrary to their sense wherein they make themselves absolute Judges of all the proceedings past and present of the power and government which is over them and upon this judgement of the miscarriages which they lay unto their charge they frame a resolution of non-complyance in all things though in themselves never so good and profitable to the publick which how far it is lawfull for them in the way of Christianity to do we are now about to consider Secondly the scruple being thus taken up that whereunto their practise doth lead is to uphold the breach which they suppose is alreadie made of the publick peace which is very unchristian and that wherein it doth end directly is an opposition to the present power so that in effect this practise doth speak thus much that the Ministers of Christ may lead men to maintain an opposition against those that manage publick affairs in every thing because in one thing concerning the alteration of Government about the cause and way thereof they are not agreed with them Now if we cannot say that the Ministers of the Gospel are proper Judges of State Interests nor that their ministeriall work ought to be made opposite or subordinate thereunto to lead Christians for or against it then I cannot see how it can stand with a good conscience in them to intend such a practise and as for Christians to follow them in such a practise I understand not how it can be either lawfull or commendable except they will shew that an obligation is laied upon them by God as private men to say in their hearts thus because the proceedings of those men that manage the publick affairs of State do crosse my thoughts engagements and designes concerning the outward settlement and government of this world therefore I ought to be crosse unto them in all things whatsoever and to oppose them in spirituall as well as in temporall matters yea and although these matters in themselves be exceeding lawfull good and acceptable to God yet in their hands I must oppose them And although I can probably foresee that by this kinde of opposition I shall hazard to embroil all and perhaps help to bring my self and the whole State to ruine and confusion yet still I must oppose them Now what conscience can be found in such a resolution