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
is able to put forth his hand in some extraordinary way to lead us in a path which yet we have not known a path which godly men will be capable to discern from his word wherein it is revealed and which by his Spirit will be The hope of a remedy to be found in it Isa 35. 6 7. chap. 43. 19 20. Isai 51. 3. manifested graciously unto them For the promises upon which I raise this hope are large plain and oft-times repeated For it is said not only that he will make a way in the wildernesse where no path is and give streams of waters that is comfortable refreshments in the deserts but that he will make the wildernesse of his Sion his Church and her waste places like unto Eden and her Desert like the Garden of the Lord. The failings therefore and humane frailties of the people that seeke him in truth shall not bring upon them a perpetuall desolation as the back-sliding of the wicked shall doe unto hypocrites but when their wildernesse is Isai 41. 18 19 20. become a poole of water and their dry lands springs of water the Lord will plant the Cedar the Sittah and the Mirtle-trees together with the Firre-tree the Pine-tree and the Box therein that all may see and know and understand that the Lord hath done it and the holy One of Israel hath created it Then also shall the weake hands of the inhabitants of Jerusalem be strengthened and their feeble knees confirmed the eyes of the blind shall be opened and the eares of the deafe be unstopped and the lame shall leap like an Hinde and the tongue of the dumb shall Isai 35. 3 5 6. sing But before this can come to passe which is the effect of the binding up of the breach of his people and the healing of the stroak of their wound it is evident that the Towers shall fall the Isa 30. 25 36. Isai 40. 4 5. valleys shall be exalted and the mountains and hills made low in the frame of the world that both in the Church and in the World the crooked may be made straight and the rough places plain for the glory of the LORD shall bee revealed and all flesh shall see it together Seeing then notwithstanding all the failings which have overtakē us whether on the right or left hand we have stil this dore of hope opened to support our spirits that if we walk work with God in his way he is able and willing to restore us let us lift up the hands which hang down the feeble knees and prepare a straight way even a high way in this desert for our God And to this effect among all the Proposals that can be made to the spirits of ingenuous men and upright-hearted Christians I know none more necessary for our case and seasonable at this time than to determine how at all times the Ministers of the Gospel ought to behave themselves in their charges towards their Magistrates for the publicke good which is the advancement of Gods glory by the redressing of things amisse and out of frame in Church and Common wealth For except this matter be made cleare to our conscience and the truth cleared made our practice there will be no judgement found in our goings justice will stand a-farre off and we shall never know the way to peace because true peace and lasting quietnesse Jer. 32. 17. is onely the work and effect of righteousnesse The Application of the Rules of the debate unto the present controversie To come then to a more speciall application of all this to the point in hand I say If a debate concerning my judgement That Ministers ought not to meddle with State-matters in their Pulpits shall be offered by any with a desire to dig deeper than I have done and goe to the root of the controversie I shall not wave a conference with them onely I shall desire that it may be agitated according to the Rules which I have mentioned or by some others if better can be shewed to edification Therefore in conformity to what hath been said heretofore I shall offer the question to bee stated indifferently thus The generall question or subject of debate Whether yea or no it doth belong to the Ministers of the Gospel of Christ to declare concerning the affaires of State which are the Magistrates employment their opinions in their Sermons touching the Gospel The aim which I shall set before mine eyes in taking this subject into consideration shall be onely this To finde out what the Rules of Love of Righteousnesse and of Peace are which at all times are observable mutually between the Ministers of Christ and their Christian Magistrates in the respective discharge of their duties towards the people over whom they are set The end for which it is to be considered and what the usefulnesse thereof is For seeing the Magistracy and the Ministery are the two great and Master-wheeles of all the publick States of the Christian world therefore we see that by the motions thereof if regular upon their own Axle-trees and duly correspondent one with the other all the affaires of humane societies are carried on successfully for the attainment of their eternall and temporall felicity both towards God and men But if their motions be either irregular within themselves or inconsistent with each other it is evident in all Ages that from thence the affaires of all societies become unsuccessfull and tend onely to the misery and desolation of mankind If then it be as no doubt it is expedient for us to discusse at this time that subject wherein both these are at once concerned to cleare our doubts therein that we may know what is just lawfull and commendable in the behaviour of the one towards the other and if we should intend to do this satisfactorily it wil be requisite that we should make a true discovery of the generall nature of the duties belonging to both their places as well in the respect of the mutuall relations as in respect of the outward actions of their charges which lead them respectively to the true ends of all their motions For by this generall discovery we shall finde grounds to come to the decision of any question in particular what ever it may be depending thereon for with other questions we have nothing to doe but if we take not the light which from thence may be gathered along with us our thoughts in every thing will be full of darknesse nor shall we find any path to walk in made plain before us I conceive therefore that this aim to seek out these Rules is to be taken up in this debate not onely that we may know what is necessary foredification in the main works of both administrations and that we may find a directory thereby leading us towards the resolution of our present doubt which is wrapt up in the ignorance of those fundamentals but also that we may circumscribe
Magistraticall administration of their object is to bring men in soule and body to live together in the plentifull enjoyment of all good things honestly peaceably and safely one with another 6 That the fundamentall right unto a Ministeriall administration is to be called thereunto as Aaron was Heb. 5. 4. And that the fundamentall right unto a Magistratical administration is to be in the place of power and obliged to look to others and see right done among them as Moses was Exod. 2. 11 12 13. 14. compared with Acts 7. 23 24. 25. 7. That the properties of the Ministeriall right unto the administration of their object in their charges are chiefly twofold their due qualifications for their employment and their lawfull entry upon the charge of souls committed unto them Their qualification for their employment must be such as the Apostle doth require it to be 1 Tim. 3. v. 1. till 8. and Tit. 1. v. 6. till 10. And their entry upon the charge of souls committed unto them must be such as Christ doth require it to be John 10 v. 1 2 7 8 9. 8. That the properties of the Magistraticall right unto the administration of their object in their charges are chiefly a threefold preeminencie viz. a preeminencie over the persons of all men that all soules must be subject unto the higher powers Rom. 13. v. 1. A preeminency over the might and strength of all men that none may resist the higher powers Rom. 13. 2. and a preeminencie over the goods and possessions of all men that every one is bound to pay them tributes and taxes Rom. 13. 6. 9. That the wayes of the ministerial administration of their Charge are mainly three and no more Instructive Persuasive and Declarative Instructive to work upon the understanding that which is rational to manifest truth unto it Persuasive to work upon the will and affections by intreaties promises and threatnings the sence of good and evill to cause it imbrace the one and fly from the other Declarative to denounce in Gods name from his undoubted word his expres will to move the Conscience to yield obedience thereunto that is either to be comforted or to be afflicted as the Kingdom of Heaven is either opened or shut upon it by the declared will of God towards it 10. That the wayes of the Magistratical Administration of their Charge are Directive Legislative and Coercive to order the wayes of their Subjects in righteousnes Directive by Councel and Instructions to set subordinate Officers a work towards their Subjects to lead them unto the performance of their duties and prevent disorders Legislative by Lawes and Ordinances to let all men know the just duties which are to be observed towards all men in all cases relating the safety of the society and the indempnity of every one belonging thereunto from each other Coercive to right all things that are amisse by distributing rewards and punishments to every one as they do deserve 11. That this Magistratical function may be in a Heathen man for the good of a Common-wealth and although it may be in the hands of such a man or men that Christian Ministers and Professors ought nevertheles to acknowledge him or them in the place to be their lawful Magistrates to respect them to pray for them and to submit themselves unto them either actively or passively as their Commands shall be consistent with a good Conscience under the rules of Christianity Hitherto I have offered that wherein I suppose an agreement will be found in respect of the coexistence and distirction of the employments now I shall go a step further and offer that also wherein I suppose we shall agree in respect of the concurrence of the employments under Christ for his ends upon Mankind here then I suppose it will be granted 12. That it is as lawful for a Christian man to be a Magistrate as it is expedient for him to be rational and necessary to be a true sociable man by nature for as the profession of Christianity doth neither make void the use of reason nor abolish the true life of nature but sanctifies the one and the other and exalts both to an use wherein God is glorified by them so the rules of Government in a sociable life and the rational principle of good order in nature are no wayes cast off or neglected by the Rules of Christianity but exalted and made subservient to the highest way of happines 13. That in a whole society of men every thing is proportionably to be allowed which in one man cannot be disallowed as therefore the life of right reason and true nature are not inconsistent in one single man but concurrent with Christianity to make him truly happy so in a society of men to become a State and to be governed by Magistrates according to the Rules of reason and the principles of good order in nature is no wayes inconsistent but wholly concurrent with the frame and life of a Christian society although Christianity abstractively in it self is nothing else but the Rule of a spiritual life whereby we are directed to follow Christs foot-steps that we may come to God by him as new Creatures separate from the world 14. That a Christian being a Magistrate in a Christian State although all his Subjects in respect of Christ and the way of the heavenly profession are his Brethren and in that respect his equals yet by this he doth loose nothing of the natural right and properties of this place which God hath given to a very Heathen over Christians but gaineth rather thereby an enlargement of his preeminency and an additional right and gracious priviledge to his place which is at least threefold First the right to be more beloved and honoured than if he were a meer Heathen Secondly the priviledge to become a nursing Father to the Church of God to provide for it all things outwardly comfortable and to protect it Thirdly the preeminencie of being Christs Vice-gerent in the outward frame of the society by which meanes he hath an influence to see things ordered according to his known will in the Common-wealth and to sway things to the best frame in the publique profession for the body of the society and an obligation laid upon him not to see and suffer Christs name to be dishonoured and his Ordinances blasphamed so farre as by his place he can hinder it without constraining and persecuting any man for the enjoyment of his Conscience whereby he doth not give any publike offence 15. That a Christian being a Magistrate although his professiō doth ad these priviledges to him in his Magistracy yet his Magistracy doth not exalt him above the Church of Christ that he should have a right to cōmand any thing therein after his own wil as in humane affaires for Christ only who is the head hath authority to command in the Church and those that either teach for Doctrines the Commandements of men or impose those Commandements upon
Pulpits directly or indirectly as of State-matters to declare their judgment thereof unto their hearers I shal declare that herein I do dissent from them and think it altogether unlawfull in the Ministers of the Gospel and no wayes appertaining to the calling wherein Christ Jesus hath set them over his people to acquaint them with their own or other mens judgments concerning the affaires and interests of their Magistrates whether to commend or discommend the same unto them I say then two things First that although Ministers living in a State as private men for in a State they are nothing else though in the profession of Christianity they are publick persons as a City set Matth. 5. 14. on a hill may take notice of State proceedings and interests and heare and observe what others think thereof and judge with themselves as Members concerned what is to be thought thereof yet I say that it is unlawful for them to publish those thoughts with Reference to their Ministerial employment to make it any way instrumental to deface the same into the thoughts of the people as to give them notice thereof by way of publick intelligence Nay it is a very great Question with me whether any other men being private and Subjects may lawfully publish their own or other peoples thoughts concerning their own State Affaires any other way except only in times of general deliberations wherein all are priviledged to propose by their Trustees what their desires and grievances are to have them redressed Secondly that it is far more unlawful for them upon such observation of State matters to use any perswasions or insinuations to sway this or that way the vulgar affections to or from those that are in Authority for the suggestions by which Ministers ought to engage Subjects affections towards their Magistrates are not to be raised from any private observations which are deceitfull and no true grounds to oblige the Conscience unto any duty but from the manifest will of God commanding the duty and the nature of the Relation which God hath setled between Magistrates and Subjects which is grounded upon love and doth partake of the conjunction which is between Parents and Children whence it is that as our Parents are to be beloved of us their Children not so much because they do this or that particular favour unto us but because they are our Parents and next unto God over us because God hath made them to be Authours and Protectors of our life and being conduit-pipes of all blessings towards us so Magistrates are proportionally to be respected by all dutiful Subjects upon the same grounds not upon any particular contemplations which their observation of State-contrivements may lead them unto and to the performance of this duty the faithful Ministers of the Gospel should become both leaders monitors towards their flocks And therefore as they ought to do nothing that may any way corrupt the simplicity of their mind from this ground of respect due unto their Rulers So they should use none other motives or arguments to perswade them thereunto but such as are powerful in this kind The Question then is not with me whether faithfull Ministers may dogmatically from the word of God and the nature of humane society speak in the Pulpit of the righteous wayes of governing States in Thesi Antithesi and whether yea or no they may instruct warne and exhort Statesmen concerning the duties of their Calling towards God and men that they may know how to keep a good Conscience therein according to the will of God revealed in his word I say the Question is not with me concerning these things for I am cleer that the Ministers of the Word may handle and apply all humane and divine matters thus But the Question is concerning particular matters of State done or to be done hic nunc relating to our selves or our Neighbours wherein some of our interests lye I say concerning such matters either to make narratives for information or to apply those matters to move the peoples affection to any humane Resolutions is a thing utterly unlawful in the Ministerial Function as I conceive What the distinct State of the Question is Thus I have stated the Question and separated it from that which is not the Question and I hope shewed therein my meaning sufficiently If now this assertion of mine should be debated between me and such as allow at large in Ministers the handling of State-matters as some use to do it ought to be offered as a doubt and made a Question indifferently thus Whether yea or no it be lawfull for the Ministers of Iesus Christ in their Sermons or Testimonies concerning the Gospel to declare their opinions also concerning State-Interests wherein the Magistrate is concerned to make Narratives to inform their hearers of the condition of State-affaires and of their Rulers wayes and designes and to sway directly or indirectly their Subjects affections this or that way in complyance to this or that worldly designe To this I say no and if any man doth think otherwise who doth not except any thing material against that which hath been said hitherto I shall willingly discourse the matter with him and sift it to the brain That it therefore may be known by what rule I will submit the matter to a tryal I shall after these two Principles which no rational man will deny or except against as I suppose The Principles by which it is to be decided 1. That it is not to be counted lawfull for any Servant to do his Masters service that which his Master doth not only not allow but forbiddeth to be done therein 2. That it is not to be counted lawful for any Servant to do in his Masters Service that which is wholly contrary to the nature of the employment and doth frustrate the true end and effect of the work which is to be performed thereby although his Master doth make no inhibition concerning it I take these principles to be so evident that none who hath common sence can deny them Therefore I shall come now in the last place to propose the orderly way of applying these unto the matter in hand that if no exception be taken at this also then the particular dec 〈◊〉 sion of the doubt may follow thereupon in case any shall enter upon the debate thereof The Application of the Principles to the Doubt I propose then the application of these Principles to be made in this order First let us consider whether yea or no the Ministers of the Gospel are to be accounted Servants to Iesus Christ if yea then whether he is not their Master and his will in his service their law if no then whose Servants they are and who else is their Master Secondly Whether yea or no to preach the Gospel or to bear witnes concerning Christ Iesus be the service wherein they are employed Thirdly What properly this service is and whether yea or no
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
wherein they ought to walk and that such as pretend to walk by the rule of Reason and yet make their own will indeed rather then any thing else a rule to themselves and others may either be rectified by that which they pretend to walk by or brought to the light and discovered to be self-willed and unreasonable and that such as against both Conscience and Reason are evill affected to the welfare of the publick may be prevented in the mischief which their practises may work against the safetie and quietnesse of the state and of those that are peaceable in the land For in these doubtfull distracted and troublesome times the greater our confusions are the more it is necessary to settle our judgement by a rule that in matters of cleer duty where Gods will is known a good conscience may see where it ought to rest and in matters of Debate wherein circumstances are to be weighed the common grounds of reason by the true method of reasoning may take place for there is none other way imaginable to deal effectually and to meet with the spirit of self will of ignorance and of presumption the great traitours of all humane societies then to act thus by undeniable Principles and Rules and to oblige those with whom we act and our selves also to go no further then these direct us for I suppose all will grant this freely that thus farre all men in all places are bound to deny themselves nor shall it be required that any man in any place should deny himself further then to exalt above his own apprehensions and purposes the common grounds of Truths and Righteousnesse and this we hope they whom we deal withall will readily yeeld unto That therefore the turbulent inclinations which with some are in the dark with others are apparent may be convicted and cast out of all I shall endeavour to shew briefly the rules by which the Christian Magistracy and Ministery in their severall places respectively for the good of the people committed to their charges ought to walk in Love in Righteousnesse and in Peace towards each other that that which is observable at all times as a direction to our happinesse may by Gods blessing at this time be applyed unto our present condition as a restauration from our miseries and a preservation from the ruine wherewith otherwise unavoidably we are threatned To come then to that which is the fruit of all these considerations and that which ought to be the finall result of all the Debates which may be undertaken about these matters Let us set our thoughts in a way to discover three things which being laid to heart may by Gods grace rectifie our miscariages The heads of this application And the Reason why to be considered First let us reflect upon the proper works of the Magistracy and Ministery more distinctly as they relate unto the ends for which Christ hath ordained them in the world Secondly let us consider the naturall properties and proper acts of true love of righteousnesse and of peaceablenesse as they are duties proper to Christians more then to other men and above all other men most observable by the leaders of Christian societies Thirdly and lastly let us see how at this time these duties may be applyed by those that are in place amongst us to fulfill the ends of their administrations and to cure the distempers of our present condition For except we rationally understand both what our work is and how we are to go about it conscionably as it becommeth Christians how can we undertake it so as to expect a blessing upon it but if we know cleerly both the work which is to be done and the Rule by which we are to governe our selves in doing it then as by following that Rule we may expect a blessing so by neglecting it we shall be inexcusable Of the proper works of Magistrates and Ministers jointly Concerning the proper works of the Magistracy and Ministery as they relate unto the ends for which Christ doth employ them in his service they must be discovered by looking upon the aime which God hath in making them that which they are and which they ought to have in taking their places upon them The end which God hath in making such officers amongst men is mainly this to manifest the glory of his own goodnesse and his supremacy in all things over mankind For the Lord hath made all things for himself first and Prov. 16. 4 Psal 8. then also for man that in the right use of all things under God man might shew forth his glory and thereby attain to true happinesse for happinesse in man is nothing else but to partake so farre as he is capable of the goodnesse of God which is his glory towards us Now the goodnesse of God in the hand of his Supremacy dispensing all things runnes in two Channels which answer to the twofold faculties of the life of man to the two sorts of Creatures which God hath made in the world and to the twofold way of putting forth his infinite vertues the two faculties of the life of man are Bodily and Spirituall the two sorts of creatures which God hath filled the world with are some visible and some invisible and the twofold way of putting forth his vertue is by Nature and by Grace In these channels the glory of God is conveighed by the creatures unto the faculties of man that all may partake thereof and become happie therein and that one creature in the way of God may conveigh the same to another Now that man who is borne like a wilde asses colt may be directed by the right Job 11. 12. use both of his faculties and of the creatures to attaine to his happinesse God hath appointed some instruments to lead him towards the way thereof which are called Magistrates and Ministers and lest these who by nature are neither wiser nor better then all the rest should be ignorant of the true way wherein they ought to direct others he hath given to them both one Supream head and director his onely begotten Son Jesus Christ by whom the worlds visible and invisible were made by whom the Father hath brought back all things unto himself again which were at a distance from him by reason of the curse by whom all things bodily and spirituall in man are restored to their integritie and inabled to act towards God by whom all the creatures subsist and are made again the receptacles of Gods goodnesse in nature and grace and by whom and in whom alone all the manifestation of Gods goodnesse is apparent and the way to happinesse by giving God his glory is made plain in the nature of man and therefore he is set as the head of all things over mankind and given as the Soveraign Director of those who are to direct others in the way to felicity as well Bodily as Spirituall as well by Nature as by Grace Thus then Gods aime is to
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
so different as the way to frame and beget inward thoughts towards God is from the way to order mens outward actions in a societie towards men For to attend the latter belongeth wholly to the Magistrate as to attend the former is wholly peculiar to the Minister And although the Magistrate as a Christian may intend as occasion is offered to help by the Spirituall Talent which God hath bestowed upon him his Brethren in the way of setting their hearts aright towards God nor is this any prejudice but rather an advantage to the Minister of the Gospell yet he cannot be obliged to give attendance unto that employment as to a function of his Magistracy nor is that to be reckoned as any part or act of his ruling office but to the Minister it is his whole office to attend this continually by labouring in the word and prayer for it Nor is it lawfull for him as a Minister of the Gospel either to attend or to intend any thing else but this it is true that as a neighbour in humane societies he may occasionally advise being called thereunto that which is most expedient to be done in the outward actions of men nor is any prejudice but rather an advantage to the Magistrate in the State but if his aime should be to intend or attend the regulating of mens naturall wayes or the judging of men by their actions authoritatively or powerfully as an overseer of their outward behaviour he hath forsaken his owne employment he hath usurped the station and place of his Magistrate he hath brought the state of Nature which is single under the intanglement of a twofold government he doth confound the conduit-pipes of the Spirituall and Naturall administrations wherein Gods goodnesse shall appeare and run though joyntly yet distinctly and he doth lay in the spirits of men and in the frame of their association the foundations of Babylon and builds up the Mystery of Iniquity thereupon whereby worldly interests are covered with religious pretences the consciences of beleevers enslaved to the wills of men and the Truth and Ordinances of God perverted to serve humane policies and deceitfull practices For indeed this corruption of the aim of the Ministeriall function is the very Corner-stone of that mystery which the man of sin hath maintained against the profession of the truth ever since Christian Societies have appeared in the state of the world to be considerable The Rule by which the true property of humane actions is to be discerned For seeing the natural true end of everything doth determine discover what goodnes is therein and what is right or wrong in the properties in the parts in the faculties in the actions thereof for as these are or are not subordinate and fitted for the attainment of their naturall uses and ends so they are to be accounted good or bad right or wrong as a hand a foot and an eye so farre as they are fitted or not fitted to handle walk and see so farre are they to be counted good or bad in their own kind therefore in the rationall judgement and estimate of the nature of humane actions the knowledge of the true aim whereunto they should tend doth shew the straightnesse or the crookednesse thereof for as they are subservient or not subservient by their innate properties to produce the effect which ought to be aimed at so they are to be judged good or bad straight or crooked If then according to this Rule we should reflect as we ought to doe upon our selves as well as upon other men to bring all our proceedings to this test of Reason and Conscience we may judge somewhat more particularly of our affaires thus The application of this Rule to the perverse designes of Magistrates and Ministers 1. If any called a Christian Magistrate or a Minister be ignorant or unmindfull of the subordination of his Office unto the Soveraignty of Jesus Christ and doth not lay to heart these ends which Christ hath set before him to be followed in his employment to make the course of his administrations directly subservient thereunto we may conclude of such a one that as his heart is not right with God so he will not be able to walke acceptably before God or uprightly towards men in his Office 2. If any called a Christian Magistrate or a Minister doth set himselfe to get into the employment as into a place of ease of plenty and profit of honour and respect of power and authority that he may live at ease and have power over and respect above others we may conclude that therein he hath forsaken his interest in Christ and his aim to serve him and hath made his own eye that is his intention in the administration which should be single that all his proceedings may be full of light evill corrupt and full of darknesse If therefore the light that is in him his very eye and aim be darknesse how great is that darknesse saith Christ Jesus Matth. 6. 22. 23. 3. If any called a Magistrate doth in his place set himself to keep people in Divisions that he may rule at will between their partiall humours and passionate follies to keep people in blindnesse that they may not discern his way nor know their own but be led at his pleasure to keep people in Poverty by getting all the riches and power thereof into his owne hand rather to make all men his servants thereby than to serve the publick therewith to keep people in a slavish feare and awfull terror that he may rule them rather like beasts than rationally and conscionably by love like men and to keep up a shew of greatnesse and outward appearance of glory to make fooles gape and gaze upon them rather than to seek the honour which commeth alone from God by doing reall service in his way to the Common-wealth of Israel if I say any man doth follow these politick subtilties of State yet professing himselfe to be a Christian we may conclude that he hath not onely forsaken Christs way aim but hath drunk deep and is drunken with the cup of the abominations Rev. 17. 2. 3 4. and filthinesse of the great Whore who rideth upon the scarlet-coloured Beast and with whom all the Kings of the earth have committed in this kind vile fornication and so far as he useth any of these wayes to compasse his own ends and neglecteth the means wayes and ends for which Christ hath put him in his place so farre is he a part of her mystery and shall accordingly receive his reward with her if he repent not 4. If any called a Minister doth set up a formality of Religiousnesse leading people to worship God this or that way therein and to cast their conscience at rest thereon if he doth not wholly apply himselfe to manifest Jesus Christ crucified unto his hearers to bring them to be conformable to his death as new creatures by the covenant and to rest there
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
mention the thing is alas too evident to an indifferent eye and that which makes the case more lamentable and lesse susceptible of a cure is that all this distemperature is incident to those that are not ignorant of their duty and of the rules by which these evils ought to be avoided it is a sad case when the spirits of men are so far discomposed that although they can pretend no ignorance of the will of God yet they transgresse the same presumptuously But above all this disorderlinesse whereunto men may be carried and are carried apparently through their home-bred passions there is yet another most pernitious incentive of these evils brought in from abroad and practised by Machavilian States-men which is a divellish policie to encourage and strengthen the hand of lyars to set tale-bearers awork to furnish them with false reports and send them up and down to spread the same to reward the authors of calumnies and reproaches and hire them to invent abominable and hatefull accusations and opprobrious crimes against the innocent which in effect is to employ men to fetch fire from Hell to set on fire the course of nature Concerning Revenge what sort of passion it is And when all these forementioned distempers of spirit and disorderlinesses of behaviour have wrought their utmost effects to multiply injuries and heighten wrongs excessively then to right our selves of the same we naturally entertain the thoughts of revenge which thoughts although they are nothing else but the consequences of the sense of evils which we have suffered yet as they take hold of our affections and therein center into a Passion which can have no rest but in requitall unto those that have wronged us of evils equall to those which we have suffered by them or greater then the same in this respect they are somewhat more then a bare result of the sense of former sufferings for they contain a resolution of acting which is wound up to the highest pitch that the powers of nature can reach unto in working mischief This Resolution of requiting evil for evil doth eminently comprehend in one act all the iniquity of the former distempers and so doth become by and in it self a new fountain and cause of embitterments by raising up and confirming upon our spirits all the evill dispositions which make our disease both habituall and epidemicall and that unalterably as to man How incorrigible it is For to all the former sinfull distempers of the soul the spirit of Revenge doth adde this peculiar qualification that by it they are made remedilesse and past cure as to humane industrie and perswasions Est vindicta malum vita jucundius ipsa Therefore Samson having an opportunity to be revenged of the Philistines did rather chuse to die then let Iudg. 16. 30. it slip Let me dye said he with the Philistins for this that he could slay more at one blow in his death then he had done in his own life was that which made him take comfort in the losing of his life By this we see that this passion aimes at nothing but destruction and that with desperate resolutions which hearken to no disswasive reasoning yet they fortifie themselves by perswasives taken from the pretence of justice eye for eye and tooth for tooth from the motions of courage to think it a shame to sit down Exod 21. 24. with any injurie without full satisfaction as Samson although the Philistines had righted him in the wrong done to him so farre as they could yet his courage would not be satisfied except he took vengeance with his own hand Iudg. 15. 6 7 8 though you have done this saith he yet will I be avenged of you and after that will I cease And from the suggestions of pride of self-love and of vain glory Thus Lamech boasted himself I have slain a man to my wounding and a young man to my hurt if Cain shall be avenged seven fold truly Lamech seventy and seven fold Gen. 4 23 24. This passion taking a pride in the height of enmity and destruction by striving to exceed others therein doth tend to an irreconcilable breach of Love to an endlesse abolition of Righteousnesse by a pretence of right to multiply injuries and to a despaire of Peace for ever And how farre some of our spirits are acted by this passion already as I am unwilling to judge so I shall pray that many of us may not be given over to it lest the quarrels of private Revenge with the guilt of innocent blood shed throughout the Land by the deadly feuds of families be multiplied and entailed from one generation upon another to the breach of publick Peace and the disturbance of the whole Common-Wealth And because the experience of former Ages especially in our neighbour nation hath shewed our forefathers sad examples hereof we ought at least so many of us as make it our maine interest to uphold the life of Christianity whether we be Magistrates or Ministers or private men of other stations to entertain in our respective places callings the counsels of healing these distempers both in our selves and in others according to the rules heretofore mentioned of Love of Righteousnesse and of Peaceablenesse which are altogether fundamentall unto our holy profession I am therefore bound by the Law of love a good conscience in the Ministeriall profession of the Gospel of Peace upon this discoverie of our diseases to offer so farre as the Lord shall inable me at the discoverie of the Remedies also which now I shall intend to do Concrning the Remedies of our distempers That they are twofold As then the causes of our disease have a twofold influence one which is particular of each severall cause upon the single persons in whom they are more or lesse predominant and by whom they affect the whole Body of the nation another which is universall of all the causes jointly in their coherence and complication upon the whole State wherein their deadly effects threaten it with inevitable ruine if they continue as they are begun so the Remedies must have a twofold application the one to the singular and distinct the other to the generall and complicated distempers of our spirits the single Remedies apply able to the severall and distinct causes come first into consideration because every one must make use of them for himself and by himself and without these the universall cure can not be obtained and they are to be taken in that order wherein the causes of our distempers lie and work their mischief first then we must intend the cure of the root which is envy and afterward of the branches of our distempers in their subordination one upon another as heretofore they have been mentioned The Remedies of envy given by the Apostle Iames Concerning the spirit of envy the same Apostle Iames who did discover the nature of it unto us doth also give us the cure thereof in the same place from ver 5.
meaning in prescribing these Duties nor my scope in pressing the practise thereof as a cure to our spirituall distempers but the Apostles meaning and my scope is to shew that by these performances some new qualifications of the soul alterations of the frame of the Spirit are wrought in believers to fit them to the enjoyment of that which doth actually free them from all guilt both in Gods account and in their own Conscience For by these meanes our souls are qualified to become susceptible of the Grace which Christ hath purchased for us for whose sake alone we are delivered from the guilt of wrath in the Fathers account and the frame of our spirit is altered to inable us to perceive the remission of the guilt by the testimony of the Spirit of Adoption by which we cry Abba Father and finde effectually that God is in Christ reconciling us unto himself and not imputing unto us our sins for his sake I say these acts of Repentance and our performance of the same are necessary meanes to take away the guilt of our sinfullnes not as to the Justice of God for that is Christs work through the Redemption in his blood but as to the qualification and frame of our spirit to make it susceptible and sensible of the Redemption which is in the hand of Christ to be applyed unto every one who by the conviction of his Conscience is drawn over and doth yeeld himself obedient unto God in these duties For as long as we are impenitent and hardened in our way through the over-ruling deceitfulnes of sin we remain under the guilt of wrath and can have no confidence in God through Christ because the Promises are made unto none but unto those that repent and believe in the Gospel but when we change our course or are rather changed in our course upon the change of our minde with a new frame of heart towards God then the spirit of bondage which is to fear is removed and the free Spirit of Christ which testifieth unto our spirit our Adoption is given to us for till this be done the spirit of bondage doth stand with a flaming Sword between us and the way of the tree of life in Paradise that is between our soul and the Covenant of life in Christ by the Peace of a good Conscience Now the flaming Sword standing between us and the way to this tree is the evidence of Gods wrath as it is due to sin and of our owne guilt as we are liable to wrath and under sin it is then in this sense and by the dispensation of the grace of Repentance to this effect that the guilt is taken away and rest is given to the wearied soul The Remedy of the punishment of sinfulnes The fourth and last Duty doth tend to a full restitution of our estate by the enjoyment of al things pertaining unto life godlines that we may attaine to the glory and vertue whereunto we are called by the profession of the Gospel And to come to this the Apostle doth shew that our way is to humble our selves in the sight of God which if we do the promise is that he will lift us up To humble our selves is to esteem meanly of our selves and to behave our selves as such as are low and mean in their own sense To humble our selves in the sight of God is in respect of God reflecting upon our selves to acknowledge our selves to be nothing at all and as to other men the least of all To be lift up by God is to be made something by his Grace for to the humble the Lord doth give Grace saith the Apostle ver 6. And those that humble themselves have a promise here that they shall be lift up If we see our want of Vertue and are sensible of it in the presence of God he will graciously supply our wants and exalt us to find what we are in him Now God doth lift up men from a low to a higher condition of Grace in three respects In respect of himself in respect of publick employments and in respect of other men 1. In respect of himself he lifts us up when he admits us unto a higher degree of favour and love with himself which is done by manifesting unto us the Love of Christ and making us sensible of his life For thereby he strengthens us with might in the inward man that we may have more and more Communion with him and he with us in Christ till we be filled with all the fulnes of God Eph. 3. 19. 2. In respect of publick employments he lifts us up when he sets our spirits upon the things that are most excellent to discerne and to affect them when he gives endowments sufficient to go about them and when he makes the undertakings glorious to himself and succesfull to the comfort of his Saints 3. In respect of other men he sets us up when he gives us a due place of love and esteeme in the thoughts of the best of them and makes his vertues by us manifest in the sight of all the rest so that they cannot but see his glory These favours are attainable at Gods hand but the way to attaine them is to become lowly as in the sight of God that is as looking upon God and minding our subordination unto him in all things we should unfeinedly esteeme our selves as of our selves to be nothing whether we reflect upon our state in Grace with reference unto God or upon our undertakings amongst men or upon our abilities to performe the same For in these three things our spirituall naturall pride doth commonly break forth and if herein we receive Grace truly to deny our selves in Gods sight and to be nothing in our selves the promise is that we shall be lift up here then the rule of humility is to be observed As concerning our state in Grace the Rule of Humility is That none think of himself more highly then he ought to think but should think soberly according as God hath dealt to every one the measure of Faith Rom. 12. 3. Now to live by Faith is to live by the Truth of God in his Word Concerning our abilities in reference to our selves the Rule of Humility is Be not wise in your own conceits Rom. 12. 16. and again Let no man glory in men 1 Cor. 3. 21. and concerning our undertakings in reference to men the Rule is Minde not high things but condescend to men of low estate Rom. 12. 16. And such as exercise themselves to walk by these Rules with reverence and godly fear as in the presence of God shall in due time be exalted by him unto the enjoyment of that glory and vertue whereunto they are called and appointed to come Who they are that should apply this cure to the spirit of Envy And what failing there is in the application This is the Cure which the Spirit of God doth offer to be applyed unto the spirit of envy that it
may be cast out of our spirits by the testimony of Jesus nor is it possible to work for every one to make the application of these Remedies unto himself yet in a more speciall manner the Ministers of the Gospel should hold forth these testimonies by their own practise unto others and by their word of Exhortation and Instruction chiefly when it is their Lot as now it is mine to reflect upon the waies of men wherein a competition of greatnes doth appear and for this cause I have been somewhat larger and freer as speaking to a matter which is necessary to be laid to heart by all at this time which is most fit to lay the ground of Peaceablenes and Moderation amongst Christs Disciples and which is most sutable to my aime and designe which is to seek out and hold forth the Rules of Truth in Love without partiality towards all men And would to God that all our debates could be brought to disquiries of this nature at least amongst those that are called Ministers For if they who are so called and think themselves professedly appointed to go before others and to lead them in the waies of Christianity do neither mind the offering of undeniable Rules unto all nor set themselves to walk in the light thereof How can it be expected that they should be healers or that they whose engagements lie wholly about the affaires of the World should be moved either affectionately to mind or effectually to follow the same We that are made remembrancers of others should first mind our selves of these Duties but if in stead of reclaiming others from the passions of flesh and blood in the World we our selves intermeddle with State-affaires if out of the way of our calling we make our selves in any kind competitors with the Magistrate in his employments towards the people and so cast our selves upon the objects which yeild temptations unto Envy Pride and into the snares of outward affaires How can we take others off from their distempers of this nature How can we set them right in aspirituall way We may find easily as well by reason of our own frailty as by the subtilty of Satan our adversary that more objects and occasions of mutuall envy are suggested unto us within the Sphere of our own employment then we are well able to decline Why then should we take up extrinsecall matters and ferment our own spirits with the thoughts of State-Envy or foment the same in the apprehensions of any one against another Is it not our proper work to allay and suppresse all the motions of this kind in every one Is not this most sutable to the employment of the Messengers of the Prince of Peace And doth not Christ expect at our hand that our whole work in his service should be nothing else but to Teach Exhort and perswade all men to present themselves as a living sacrifice unto him in following his foot-steps that is denying ungodlines worldly lusts to live soberly righteously and godly in this present World And if this be all our work how shall we answer unto him for our inter-medling with other matters wherein we take upon us to rule the interests of this World and to walk as men in serving the passions of men therein But I am loath to insist any longer upon this Theme The Lord grant that all Christians may see the depth of Satans wiles in this matter of Envy to avoid his snares and that above all men Ministers and Magistrates may be faithfull to Christ in their Stewardships without desire Gal. 5. 26 of vaine glory without provoking one another or enviousnes against one another And thus much concerning the Cure of Envy wherein the Cure of all the other distempers is contained which hath made me insist the more upon it For if this affection of our disease be fully removed the other causes thereof will not much trouble us Yet it will be expedient to speake somewhat of every one of them at least so farre as to point at the speciall Remedies thereof The Remedy of that which is amisse in State jealousies and feares First a spirituall jeallousie over our selves As concerning State-jealousies and feares the true discovery of their nature doth manifest the remedy of that which is amisse therein we have seen that some jealousies and feares are not onely lawfull but expedient and even necessary to those that over-see the wayes of others nay except a man be truly jealous and fearfull over his own soul he is not faithfull to it nor to the charge which God hath given him of it In this respect happy is the man that feareth alway saith Solomon he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischiefe Prov. 28. 14. And although it was an aggravation of Jobs misery in one respect Job 3. 25. that the thing which he had greatly feared came upon him and that which he had been afraid of came unto him yet in another Vers 26. respect it was a ground of comfort unto him that at the same time he was able to say with a good conscience I was not in safety neither had I rest neither was I quiet that is I was not in security concerning mine own condition I did not think my selfe safe but was alwayes watchfull over mine own soule to prevent the causes of trouble viz. the sinfull inclinations thereof and yet for all this trouble is come upon me Some jealousies and fears then are essentiall to all duties of charge and trust for without the thoughts thereof there can be no prudentiall fore-sight nor use of watchfulnesse to prevent evils And truly the onely cure of all carnall corrupt jealousies and feares over others is this spirituall jealousie and feare over our owne soules in the presence of God For as Aarons Serpent 2 Cor. 11. 28 29. swallowed up the Serpents of the Magicians of Egypt so this spirituall feare and jealousie will overcome and subdue the corrupt feares and jealousies of this world For when a man knowes what to suspect himselfe of as dangerous to his owne safety he thereby will be taught how to prevent or rectifie that which is evill in others The Apostle speaking of the care which did lie upon him of all the Churches sayes of himselfe Who is weak and I am not weak Who is offended and I burn not Secondly a circumspect tryall of all things to put nothing to hazard And as in spirituall jealousies over our selves and others to prevent offences so in civill government the maxime of State is true Fiso res periit diffiso salva remansit a circumspect mistrusting of all things lest they be liable to corruption till by a full tryall of their soundnesse they be approved and all danger prevented is one of the main pillars of true State-wisdome To put nothing at an adventure which may be secured is a fundamentall Rule of publick safety And to be more suspitious and fearfull lest our own undertakings
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
I shall leave to all those not onely that have the Spirit of Christ but that morally are rationall to judge and yet in effect this is the speech and plain English of this pretended scruple and practise so far as I can make sense of it wherein I shall desire that three things may be yet further noted First what the pernicious effect is of looking back with carnall discontentednesse upon the offences which we suppose are given by others rather then of looking forward with uprightnesse and simplicitie upon the good which we ought to do our selves here we may see how farre this is able to pervert our way from the truth of Christianity for in true Christianity we are taught not to be overcome with evill but to overcome evil with good Rom. 12. ver 21. But such back-looking suggestions as these lead us to the resolutions of a quite contrary nature which make us a verse unto that which is good and forwardly yeelding to that which is evil and from what spirit this doth proceed it is easie to judge Secondly herein we may see how deeply and deceitfully the corruption of humane passions can insinuate it self under the apprehensions of Religiousnesse into our conscience before we we are aware thereof which doth undiscernably fall out when we suffer our humane affaires and considerations to mixe themselves with spirituall concernments in our thoughts and the latter of these to be acted by the sense which we have of the former whereas we ought to have no thoughts of the former but such as are subordinate and commensurable unto the latter Thirdly we may see also herein what the danger is of letting our spirits loose unto strife for if we once come to be engaged as men with a designe rather to oppose other mens persons hatefully then as Christians lovingly to endeavour to rectifie that which is amisse in them and in their wayes we can hardly ever suffer our selves to be disingaged again because we know not where to stop our course of opposition in respect of new provocations dayly offered by others Nor are we naturally inclined to get hold of the reins of our own passions to recover our way to a peaceable disposition towards them I remember that I have read the Acts of one of the generall Synods of the Churches of Polenia Synod Cravon Actu sexto wherein the spirit of opposition against the Anabaptists and Arrians did so farre transport those otherwise godly men that they did make a Decree not to observe the custom of fitting which undoubtedly is most agreeable to the institution of Christ in the Lords Supper notwithstanding that they acknowledge in the same Act that Ceremonies should be set free onely because those their adversaries did make use of that custom as if the way of Christs Institution of that Ordinance might be laid aside rather then that we should seem to agree therein with Hereticks So that the hatred of these adversaries and the desire to be found opposite unto them did blot out of their mindes in that matter the love of Christ Jesus and the righteous desire to be united unto him in all his imitable wayes I hope that the spirits of these Brethren are not yet so farre transported but that upon the discoverie of this snare of Satan they will quickly recover themselves out of it therefore to cure this distemper and mistake of the way in such as are not incurable and desire not to erre obstinately I shall intreat them in reference to the case in hand to ask of their own conscience these two questions Whether at any time and in any case whatsoever it be lawfull for a Christian to oppose that which is truly good in any or to doe evill that good may come of it Secondly whether Jesus Christ who did declare in the dayes of his flesh that his Kingdome was not of this world and the Apostle Paul who in the course of his Ministery did professe that he became all things unto all men in that which was lawful If these were now amongst us at this time would upon matters of earthly circumstances and outward changes of humane concernments in State-affaires proceed thus in the worke of their Ministery and suffer their consciences about the duties thereof to be intangled into such wordly considerations The Apostle saith I am made all things to all men that I 1 Cor. 9. 22. might by all meanes save some And shall we say in our hearts the contrary thus I shall be made nothing to these men that by all meanes I may help to destroy them God forbid Such a perswasion cannot come from him who hath called us The Apostle saith again concerning his Ministery Though we walke in the flesh yet we doe not war after the flesh And shall we under a pretence of walking after the Spirit in our Ministeriall employment make the chiefe ground of our proceedings therein towards the publick a State-jealousie and accordingly wage warre in spirituall matters after the manner of men in the flesh Shall we that are sent to teach all men godly simplicity meeknesse harmlesnesse and how to deny this world and the wisdome thereof become the chiefe leaders of the men of the world to mutuall provocations and irritations and encourage them to manage opposite interests about State-matters with the breach of Christian unity Is it lawfull for us to intend the displeasing of one party to please another rather then to intend the reconciling of them to each other in the love of Christ May we make the vindication of wrongs supposed to be done by one party against another in outward matters the proper work of our employment It might be tollerable in Samson a man raised extraordinarily to picke quarrels with the inveterate enemies of the Church of God being provoked by some of them with injuries to say Now I Judg. 15. 3. shall be more blamelesse than the Philistines though I doe them a displeasure But in us to take up a resolution to displease any man is wholly against this Rule of Christ Doe good to them that hate you pray for them that despitefully use you And the Apostles Matth. 5. 44. practice We give no offence in any thing that the Ministery be not blamed 2 Cor. 6. 3. As for Samson he doth not exempt himselfe from blame all tbat he pretends for his justification was that his enemies deserved more blame than he for he sought as an enemy some advantage against them to quarrell and seeing they had done him wrong first he was resolved neither to beare it nor to be behinde-hand with them in matters of displeasure But that the ordinary messengers of Gods love towards all men and the Disciples of the Crosse of Christ should upon any provocation whatsoever be moved to take up such a resolution is as farre below the dictates of a good conscience in following Christs example as Samsons calling to be a Judge of Israel was of a
their charge bring guilt upon them and make them accessary to sin except they represse and reprove the evill which they find in them nnd shew their hatred against all those that turne aside from the direct way of godlinesse and honesty of justice and sobriety Then also in the persons of others 7. That Magistrates walk not in a perfect way in respect of their places although they free both themselves and their attendants from evill except they also take notice of others that are without to oppose the vicious and advance the vertuous both in private and publick occasions This axiome is evident from the whole matter of Davids profession especially from ver 4. till the end and the reason of it will appear if the nature and motion of a perfect way be compared with the nature motion of a Magistrates place for the place of a Magistrate is wholly relative and towards others except therefore his way be perfect against evill and for good in teference to others it doth not answer his place and except it be so as well in private as in publick it is not perfect for although a good man may be an ill Magistrate for want of Ruling parts yet no man that is ill can be a good Magistate though his parts be never so eminent Because an evill man as he makes no conscience of sin in private so he will never be zealous for vertue nor against vice in publick All that he will do will be onely for himself to save his owne credit that he may not be cryed out against For if his heart be evill he hath no love to Judgement and Mercy as they are works good to all as they are acceptable to God who hath commanded them and as they are proper to his place of Rule but onely as they make a shew before men and serve ro keep up his reputation amongst them By cutting off the incorrigible 8. That by opposing vice in others privatly and publickly Magistrates do not enough to remove the wicked from places of Trust and to shew their dislike of men except also they use meanes to cut them off from the society over which they are set and especially if they be found incorrigible This is plainly Davids resolution in his perfect way of walking as appears by ver 5. 7. 8. Especially of foure sorts 9. That Magistrates walking in their places in a perfect way should take notice as well of those that plot perverse designes as of those that put them in execution but amongst all these the slanderer the proud the deceiver and the lyar are especially to be hunted out of all places of trust and cast out of the Common-wealth for these foure may be compared to the wheeles of Satans Chariot on which he rides through the societies of mankind to disturbe the Peace and Happinesse by the corruption of our nature which Magistrates are appointed to curb and resist This is that which David resolves upon in ver 4. 5. 7. and by experience we find that without the discovery and removall of these foure sorts of wicked men there can be no Peace and quietnesse in humaine Societies By seeking out and calling the vertuous to places of employment 10. That the way of a Magistrate is not perfect although he thus oppose vice except he also seek out those that are vertuous and make use of them for privat and publick occasions of employment This is manifestly Davids resolution in ver 6. and the perfect way of Magistracy can no more subsist without the use of good instruments than consist with the employment of evill ones as therefore the removing of the one is necessary so is the finding out and calling of the other nor can there be a greater cause of corruption in Civill Government than the want of care to finde out and employ vertuous men therein 11. That no man ought to be intrusted with any accesse or privacy about the Magistrate but he that is faithfull in the Land and no man employed by him in any service but he that is upright in his way And how that should be done These are the two Characters of persons whom David resolves to seek out and call to himself ver 6. and till Magistrates make it a chief maxime of State to follow his example herein it will never go well with them in their Government It is not he who commends himself that is offered by the solicitation of friends unto a place but he whom God commends by his abilities and such Characters as these who is fit to be employed it were greatly to be wished if it could also be hoped that these who have the disposall of places would make it an unalterable maxime of State to reject all sutors for places and to admit of none but whom they themselves should chuse and call upon the discovery of their abilities and of these Characters found in them Namely that they are faithfull in the Land and perfect in their way He is faithfull in the Land who is true to the publick good thereof who hath not sought his own private advantage before the interest of the Common-wealth such a one may be trusted with a publick place that he will not abuse it for his own ends and he is perfect in his way whose course of life is sincere and conscionable and who is carefull to maintain his integrity without offence towards all If none but such were sought out for publick places the affairs of States and Common-wealths would indeed be successfull but as long as the maximes and interests of factions and parties which all along destroy humane societies are followed and private aimes bear rule over the spirits of those that rule in a State these characters of men fit for places will never be regarded nor the course to chuse and call thereunto taken up by any 12. That the aime of a godly and wise Magistrate is not to serve himself in his place but others nor his ultimate end to serve others so much in their temporall conveniences as to protect the City of God and free it from the disturbance of Gods service and all causes of trouble And why he ought mainly to intend this This is professedly Davids end in ver 8. and if we first look upon a Magistrate as Gods substitute and Deputy and then if we grant that no Deputy can be counted faithfull to him that hath deputed him except he mainly intend that which his Superiour doth aime at then this cannot be denied that the Magistrates ultimate end must needs be the safety and prosperity of the City of the Lord for God having created all for his own glory hath given the world unto Christ and Christ having Redeemed all for the glory of his Father hath given all to his Church where God doth dwell with men So that for the Churches sake which is the City of God all Government is maintained and appointed by God