him the silver not the halter When he sent Gehazi after Naaman he suggests unto him the Garments and the mony not the Leprosie He presents unto Christ the glory of the world not the vanity He layes forth his wares to the fairest shew Do not Ixion-like take a Cloud for Juno Let not Religion be a meer fancy deceive not your selves under appearances and think not that zeal which it conceits Oh it is a heart-breaking to a devout soul to see hypocrisie made piety to see men boast of Religion and yet are but as sounding brass and a tinkling Cymball A Minister saith a Father Debet esse lugens sua aliena del cta ought still to be lamenting his own sins and the sins of the people Oh what abundance of hypocrisie and spirituall pride is there amongst men conceiting highly of themselves and despising others and of all men the most envious and censorious if this be of the Spirit of Christ I leave it to you to judge I read that Pambo a man utterly unlearned in the Scriptures on a time came to S. Hierome to be taught some Scripture without book he turned him to the first verse of the 39 Psalm I said I will take heed to my waies that I offend not in my tongue a Lesson very seasonable and to be learned aswell by the Scribes and Pharisees as Publicans of our times The good man being blamed for not resorting unto his Tutour again in three moneths answers That he had not yet learned well his first lesson yea and forty years after being asked the same Answ that as yet he had not fully learned that lesson And indeed let men and women pretend what Religion they will unlesse they learn this lesson they learn nothing at all of goodnesse Jam. 1.26 If any man among you seemeth to be religious and bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his own heart this mans religion is but vain The first lesson that the wicked learn their Alpha yea and Omega too their first and last is to speak evil so the Psalmist Psal 58.3 The wicked speak evil from their mothers womb Oh that I could prevail with the professing men women of our Age that would be Guides of the blinde and Instructers of the unlearned that they would learn themselves this lesson to take heed to their waies that c. Goe into your grounds in the dead of Winter and of two naked trees you know not which is the sound and which the rotten at heart the Summer will give Christs mark by their fruits you shall know them Oh that people would shew lesse and doe more of goodnesse that they would learn not to know much but to practice much and as they hear and repeat Sermons so learn obedience this is the life and power of godlinesse In a word Love all especially the houshold of faith have bowels of compassion towards them despise none especially the Ministers of the Gospel much lesse persecute them but stand by them and with them help and encourage them for they are the servant of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God CHAP. V. Luke 10.16 Sheweth that the contempt of the Ministers of the Gospel is a great and grievous sinne the reasons of it and how it exposeth men to the wrath of God THey doe exceedingly aggravate their sinnes that dare insolently and presumptuously oppose themselves against Gods Ministers returning reproofs for reproof and inverting and perverting Gods own Order and Ordinance The Law punished this insolency and presumption even with death as appeareth Deut. 17.11 12. The Lord inflicts a heavy judgment upon Corah and his Associates for this very sin Contempt of the Ministery Numb 16.11 What are we your murmurings c. their sinne was not against Aaron but against God himself and his Ordinance It was not men they opposed and despised but God the just One the Lord. Seeing we are fallen upon these unhappy men this rebellious rout let us take a fuller view of them 1. You have their Conspiracy They gathered themselves together Surrexerunt they rose and made an Insurrection They made a schisme then a faction and in the end a mutinous commotion a rebellious insurrection the word is passive They were gathered together 2. You have the persons Corah Dathan Abiram and On the Son of Pelech here are not Sheba and Shimei base Bethshemites that rose against David empty fellowes such as rose against Rehoboam not Faex populi a sort of abject and contemptible men but Corah the Son of Levi Aaron's Cosin-Germane and Dathan Abiraem and On the Sons of Reuben Israels first-born famous eminent men Captains of the people men of renown You may note that the head of this Conspiracy is a Son of Levi Corah It is dangerous when insurrection begins at the Sanctuary Secondly that Reuben joyns also insurrection hath sharers Corah is for the Mitre Reuben for the Scepter Let Moses look to his Throne Aaron to his Chaire Levi hath many things that will doe Reuben good and Reuben therefore will be sure to pleasure Levi. Thirdly you have the persons against whom this Insurrection is made Moses and Aaron Magistrate and Minister Fourthly the Grievance their usurping of Rule over the people You take too much c. and not onely Usurpation but Intrusion too Why lift ye up your selves Fiftly you have the ground of this Grievance the Congregation is holy every one of them and what need of Aaron the Lord is amongst them what needs a Governour or Moses Here were glorious shews and pretences they charge Moses and Aaron with Ambition and Intrusion Vice rebukes Virtue Humility challengeth Arrogance when as their main end was to rush into their rooms to possesse themselves of their dignities Now observe all this is not against them but against God the abuse and affront offered to them he takes as a dishonour to himselfe ver 11. What are we your murmurings c. and therefore he plagueth them in a strange and unusual manner to be Ensamples to us that we should fear and not doe so wickedly Their intent of a subversion of Moses and Aaron ends in the destruction of themselves for the Earth openeth her mouth and swalloweth them down quick We should never read of this judgment but it should make us tremble and pray that thus we may not sin Examples of this sin are very frequent Jer. 18.18 Come let us devise Amos is accused of Conspiracy against the King Amos 7.10 It is common for the sons of Belial to lay nets and snares to entrap the Prophets of the Lord. How great a sin this is hear what S. Paul saith 1 Thes 4.8 He that despiseth despiseth not man but God c. Observe the words this Argument is a Conclusion of the former Reasons enforcing them all saith Zanchy on this place as if he should say It is not I Paul that exhort you but Christ and Christ is not onely man but God he that willeth Sanctification is
whereby we have an assurance of Gods favour It is a signe to signifie and represent a seal to ratifie and confirm the promises we read are confirmed to the believing soul Rom. 15.8 First in the Book of his Eternal Counsel that Book S. John speaks of Revel 5.1 2. which had 7 seals to signifie that it was perfectly ratified Secondly in his Son our Saviour for him hath God the Father sealed John 6.29 The riches of the New Testament are confirmed to us by the blood of Christ Heb. 9.15 Thirdly by Gods privy Seal his Spirit is called the Spirit of promise Ephes 1.13 Fourthly God confirmeth his promises by this Sacrament which is his broad Seale to confirm our faith and ratifie our assurance in Christ It doth give and conferre faith but more surely and strongly confirms faith which confirmation is not by any inherent power in it but by the holy Spirit working a strong perswasion and assurance in us sealing the blessings of the Covenant which doe chiefly consist of three parts First the forgivenesse of sins Jer. 33.8 Isa 43.25 Secondly the adoption of sons Jer. 31.31 32. Thirdly the promise of Eternall blessednesse And what greater blessings than pardon to poor sinners acceptation of bondslaves to be sons and to have the promise of Everlasting life This is the Covenant written by God to which he hath put to his Seale for our further assurance One Tree of Life served Adam One Rainbow gave assurance to Noah but to us behold Two unchangeable Sacraments two witnesses whereby we have full assurance Now I conceive that the deferring of this Seale from time to time which doth confirm our Charter is a great weakning of our faith hindrance of our assurance and ratifying the blessings of the Covenant of grace Thirdly the long Omission is a barre to the communion that should be betwixt Christ and Christians one with another hence it takes its denomination of communion 1 Cor. 10.16 17. As faith receives him so by this we are joyned near to him and have spiritual fellowship with him by this he means that the faithfull which come with due preparation are joyned and united to Christ by Faith instrumentally by the Bread sacramentally and by the Holy Ghost spiritually made one spirit 1 Cor 6.17 or one spiritual body as the members receive life from the head and the tree moysture from the root so the faithful from Christ Secondly this seals that communion that Christians have one with another For we that are many are one bread and one body because we are all partakers of one head 1 Cor. 10.17 It puts us in minde of our unity and concord being one body and to avoid discord and dissention 1 Cor. 11.18 20. When ye come together c. This was one end why it was ordained of Christ to be a bond of love and chain us together that we break not from God and our Brethren Of the Church of England Art 28. The Church of England saith that the Supper of the Lord is not onely a signe of love that Christians ought to have amongst themselves one to another c. This are we taught by the same bread compact of many corns the same wine prest out of many grapes 1 Cor. 10.17 Oh how many great and grievous are our distractions Brother against Brother Father against Son Minister against Minister People against Minister he hath no part in Christ that doth not grieve at this What a shame is it that the Sheep of the same Shepheard the Children of the same Father the Servants of the same Master the Heirs of the same Kingdome the Guests of the same Banquet the Partakers of the same Hope the Members of the same Body the Professours of the same Faith should contend and strive one against another fighting quarrelling hating envying and backbiting one of another Saint Paul condemning the abuses of the Corinthians exhorts them to tarry one for another 1 Cor. 11.33 that they would go hand in hand and lay aside all difference and dissention And our Saviour enjoyns Brotherly reconciliation Mat. 5.24 When thou bringest thy gift c. I appeal to any judicious Christian whether this fact doth not conduce to the renewing and maintaining of love and was by our Saviour instituted to that very end and whether the seldome use of it be not a great cause of that generall hatred rancour spight and envy of one against another Fourthly the long Omission of it is a barre to the frequent meditation of the great work of Redemption Art 28. The Church of England calls this a Sacrament of our Redemption by Christs death It was Christs last word to his Disciples the words of a dying friend which ever leaves behinde deep impressions Doe this in remembrance of me it was reserved till the approaching of his death that we might the better remember him when he was dead God gives the Rainbow a token of mercy to posterity the first born must be sanctified that so the day of the Jewes deliverance out of the Land of Aegypt might be remembred There must be a Golden pot of Manna reserved for the remembrance of that great mercy in feeding the Jewes with Angels food When the Lord parted the waters of Jordan he commanded Joshua to set up 12 Stones in memoriall of his mighty and miraculous works and that when the Children of Israel should aske in time to come what was meant by those stones they should answer that the waters of Jordan were cut off before the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord. Even so the Lord hath left unto his Church the Sacrament of his Supper as a visible representation of a crucified Christ and hath commanded us to continue this holy remembrance of his death and passion 1 Cor. 11.25 26. to be kept in memory and remain to posterity that they might know the occasion of it I desire that it may be considered whether the long omission of the Lords Supper doth not hinder Christians from a frequent meditation of the great work of Redemption Fiftly the long Omission is a barre to the serious and sad remembrance of our sins it is true we are every day to call to minde our wormwood and our gall to cast up our accompts Quid feci quid non feci Yet we had need of all helps to this end and the Sacrament being a lively representation of a crucified Christ doth bring to our mindes the remembrance of our bitter sins that brought to Christ such bitternesse of torment Magna amaritudo peccati quae tantam amaritudinem peperit Great was the bitternesse of sin which brought forth so much bitternesse of torment When we behold a crucified Saviour we presently reflect on our sins as the proper and principall causes of Christs sufferings Pilate Herod Judas the Jewes and Gentiles were but instruments which our sins set on work None are more guilty than we whose sinnes are those bloody instruments that slew the Lord of glory
would be found not once in many years to the great shame and beastly slothfulnesse of many Ministers and Christians Eighthly the long Omission is crosse to the command of Christ that enjoyns the often and frequent use of it There is not a virtual and Analogical but expresse and peremptory command for it 1 Cor. 11.24 25 26. and so we are to understand these words So Ieanes p. 3. Pet. Martyr Calvin Musc Arctius and many others as the Orthodox affirm Christ commands the perpetual remembrance of his death and it was ordained purposely to stirre us up to that very end besides many worthy considerations this is not the least that it is the commandment of Christ and we are to make conscience of this duty if we would bring Christians to the Apostolical practise and to-have the often use retained wee must not study Arguments to frighten people from it but endevour how they may be prepared and fitted for the worthy receiving of it I wish it were considered that he that willingly abstains from the Lords Supper and will not come is as well guilty as he that abuseth it As it is a grievous sin to present our selves unworthily to this Sacrament without due preparation so we greatly offend in the frequent absenting our selves it must not be imagined God forbid it should that the abuse of this Ordinance consists onely in the unworthy receiving if so to avoid this very few would receive it at all God is dishonoured by a wilfull absence as well as by an unreverent presence They that may and will not are as well guilty as they that doe and should not We must not presse sinners altogether not to come and terrifie them with judgment for some scarcely hear any other lesson but presse preparation to teach them how to be fitted and qualified and to win them by the heart-breaking and heart-piercing love of a Saviour Atters lib. 3. chap. 15. of the Sacram. of the Lords Supper I shall conclude this with the words of a Reverend Divine A sick Patient that maketh no account of the diet which the Physician hath prescribed is no lesse blame-worthy than he that abuseth it disorderly for such as being bidden to come to the receiving of his Son and refused were aswell destroyed as he that came without his wedding-garment When the Passeover was celebrated such persons as were negligent to observe the same were cut off from his people because they brought not the offering of the Lord in his due season they shall bear their sin Numb 9.13 If this pretence were a lawfull warrant to abstain from the Lords Supper for fear of unworthy receiving or receiving with the unworthy we might upon the same reason bid all godlinesse farewell inasmuch as it opens a gap for men to refrain from all the duties of piety It is matter of grief and sorrow to see men make so little account of the receiving of this Sacrament as if the Omission were nothing and that all sin lay in the unworthy receiving of it Now for commands there can be no dispensation to binde us to obedience without dispute the word as often doth not leave us to liberty when and how often we please to communicate to use or not to use it Jeanes pag. 5. There can be no such conclusion drawn from hence but he teacheth us what we must doe as often as according to the command of Christ we celebrate it viz to shew forth the death of Christ Now I am much unsatisfied how we can obey this command and yet omit this Ordinance for many years together CHAP. X. The severall Objections for the long Omission of the Lords Supper answered I Come now to those Objections I finde and have heard alledged for the long Omission of the Lords Supper to use rather their own term the suspension of it for the present First though it be granted that there be a command yet it is affirmative and it is an old rule in Divinity Affirmativa praecepta semper obligant non ad semper Affirmative precepts doe alwaies binde but not to alwaies so that we are not thus to perform alwaies what they command but onely Loco ac tempore debitis when we have due time and place so that pro hîc nunc they may cease to be obligatory as when scandall will ensue or there is not a fit season and opportunity to doe what is commanded Jeanes of the Lords Supper p 7. To this I will give you the answer of a late Orthodox Divine We must put a difference between a transgression of a precept and a temporary or occasional forbearance of the matter commanded No precept whatsoever is for the eschewing the scandall of any to be broken or transgressed and if a precept be not transgressed where what is enjoyned in it is wholly and altogether omitted I leave it to censure totally to abstain from what they command is sinfully to omit what is commanded by them There can be no dispensation of an expresse command upon any ground or pretence whatsoever we are to make conscience of the duty and obey the command observing the rule of preparation and due examination This command is violated not onely when the Ordinance is wholly omitted but when seldome or rarely dispensed Many wicked Object 2 and ungodly people thrust in themselves to the Sacraments with the faithfull which is a great abuse and therefore to be forborn for a time untill there be a power to debarre them First our charity should begin at home Answer and our greatest care should be how to avoid sin in our selves and not over-sollicitous how to prevent it in others We should not let sin lye on others without reproof yet not omit a necessary Ordinance for the sin of any Every one is to prove and examine himselfe and use all means possible to be free from scandall but if after all endeavours in people and Minister it cannot be removed yet the Lords Supper is not altogether to be omitted Ruth separation discussed We are commanded to examine our selves and so to eat but not examine our fellow Communicants to judge our selves but not others so that if some receive a blank-seale and make the Sacrament a lying-seale and damnation the sin is neither the Pastours nor peoples if lawfull means of prevention have been used Secondly if the ungodly doe thrust themselves into the society of believers shall this hinder believers from their food their communion and fellowship with Christ and one with another Must not the children sit at the table and eat their supper because there are dogges in the family Their eating is much different the wicked partake onely of the outward part or signe the godly the inward part and thing signified Jesus Christ and with him all saving graces so that the presence of ungodly persons that come to the Sacrament with the godly cannot hinder them in their worthy eating and drinking Atters 1 book 2
ch of the Sac. in general The unbelievers and unrepentant come indeed into the Assembly of the faithfull to hear the Word of God read preached and expounded and as they come without faith so depart without fruit yet their company defileth not the saving hearer so it is in the Sacraments Again as the faith of the worthy Receiver cannot sanctifie the offensive Liver so the infidelity and iniquity of another shall not barre the faithfull soule from fruitfull receiving according to that saying The righteousnesse of the righteous shall be upon him and the wickednesse of the wicked shall be upon himself Ezek. 18.20 The believer is not to omit a necessary duty because of the presence of the ungodly though the miscellane rabble of the prophane be admitted amongst us shall the leudnesse of those take away Gods Ordinance God forbid What if some did not believe shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect Rom. 3.3 So if some receive the Lords Supper unworthily shall their unworthy receiving make the Lords command without effect In all companies there will be intruders Sathan amongst the Angels Saul amongst the Prophets Judas amongst the Apostles Nicholas amongst the Deacons Demas among Professors Yea though Thyatira retain a Jezabel the good are commanded to hold their own Rev. 2.24 Did not S. Paul command communion with the Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 5. wherein there were carnall men deniers of the Resurrection and such as went to Law with their brethren and that before Infidels Some say the place 1 Cor. 5.11 is to be understood of eating at the Communion-Table or if it be of familiar eating and drinking of civil conversing Then much more are we not to communicate with them at the Table of the Lord but not to eat in that place is not to keep intire fellowship with him Ruth Reasons for Separarion discussed as the phrase noteth Psal 4.9 John 13.18 Psal 55.13 so doth Chrysostome Theophylact and Oecumenius expound this place Bullinger Contubernium interiorem convictum prohibet So Calvin Peter Martyr Beza Piscator Paraeus Idem So Erasmus and Aquinas Haymo Gagneius It is no inconvenience to professe that we are all one visible body in the Lords Supper Reasons for Separation discussed 1 Cor. 10.17 though we be not one invisible true and mysticall and redeemed body of Christ as it is said 1 Cor. 10.2 That all were baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea verse 3. And that all did eat the same spirituall meat verse 4. and that all did drink the same spirituall drink the rock Christ yet did they not sin in this and partake with the wicked in their evils to wit in their wicked prayers and sacrifices because it is said verse 3. God was not pleased with many of them in the wildernesse because verse 6. they lusted after evil things and many of them were Idolaters Epicures Fornicators Tempters of Christ and Murmurers and there fell of them in one day Twenty three thousand verses 7 8 9 10 11. And upon the same ground S. Paul saith in the same place verses 16 17. That we speaking of the Corinthians are all one bread and one body and yet verse the 21. many of these were partakers of the Table and cup of the Devils and in the next Chapter Many came drunk to the Lords Table many did eat and drink their own damnation and were stricken therefore of God with sicknesse and death verses 18 19 20 29 30. c. and yet verse 33. S. Paul chargeth them to come together to the Lords Supper so farre is he from a shadow of separation That separation the Apostle speaks of is morall not personall and locall its true we must not partake with the wicked in their evils that is in their unlawfull and Idol-worship or superstitious and Will-worship but what makes this for separation from ungodly men that come to a Gospel Ordinance expresly commanded which is enjoyned to the wicked and Hypocrites no lesse than to the godly and we are to countenance their communicating as we doe their hearing of the word and to joyn with them both in our reall and personall presence and to say Amen with them as the Disciples gave their personall Amen and their countenance and presence to a holy action at the last Supper with one of their number whom they knew to have a Devil and to be a Traytour and dipped their hand in the dish with this man after Christ had warned them that there was such an one but this is but to say Amen to the externall worship which is lawfull according to the substance of the act Christ told his Disciples that they were unclean and that one had a Devil though they knew not the man yet they knew there was an unclean beast in their society yet who dare condemn Christ and his Disciples for communicating with Judas Say he was not convicted of scandall that makes it not no scandall but aggravates the offence being greater after than before conviction for magis minus non variant speciem More or lesse of sin doth not vary the nature of sin S. Paul knew some of the Corinthians were carnall Ruth Reasons for Separation discussed denied the Resurrection and some came drunk to the Lords Supper So that there must needs be a pollution of the Lords Table yet S. Paul willeth them to examine themselves and come together to the Lords Supper and yet in communicating there was no participating of the evils of those men I confesse it is matter of sorrow to see such come and all lawfull means should be used by the Minister in the want of a setled government of information instruction denunciation of judgment and the like all which if it work not to the end intended yet the Minister freeth himself from the guilt and the unworthy Receiver hales judgment on his own head I cannot conceive how the society or company of the wicked can debarre the use of a necessary Ordinance of the Gospel For the last clause in the Objection to be forborn for a certain time and season I desire to know what is meant by a certain time and the latitude of it how long it shall last and when it shall end if by a certain time you mean many years as 5 6 7 8 9 10. for so long it hath been forborn in many places of the Land I am utterly against such a time or forbearance for First there is a command for the frequent administration of it so that if it be seldome dispensed the Ordinance is transgressed Secondly it is necessary Necessitate praecepti ordinarii medii as an expresse duty and ordinary means of salvation Thirdly the danger of the neglect is great we read that the neglect of Circumcision was very dangerous Gen. 17.14 And the Lord would have killed Moses because his Son was not circumcised though it was a sign that seem'd base contemptible yet because Gods
their arms to strip them naked and bare to shew their own emptinesse and nothingness Oh! how many are there that preach Faction not Religion that cry up Michaël not Christ that study State-affairs not Gospel that catch at popular applause and rather hunt themselves into fame than souls into Heaven Se praedicantes non Christum Preaching themselves not Jesus Christ Divinity by too many is made a shift to dig they are too lazie to beg ashamed and therefore shark a living out of the Church This is not the end why God hath placed these Officers in the Church but to be faithful and powerfull in the discharge of their duty The onely thing that should be desired by a Pastor is the weal and benefit of his flock for if the mark whereat we look be but to make our commodity by the Gospel of Jesus Christ wherein doe we differ from thieves and robbers This is that whereof the Lord complains so grievously by his Prophets The Priests teach for hire the Prophets prophesie for money yet will they leane upon the Lord and say Is not the Lord among us And again these shepheards cannot understand they all look to their own way every one for his advantage and for his own purpose Moses blessing Levi before his death saith first They shall teach Jacob thy judgments and Israel thy Law they shall put incense before thy faece and then addeth Blesse O Lord his substance accept the work of his hands As if he should have said So long as Levi and his Sons doe not seek their own commodity but thy glory thou art righteous and canst not forget to provide in large manner both for them and theirs A third end is the edifying of the body of Christ this concerns such as are to be called and converted The gifts of the Spirit are given to every man to edifie withall 1 Cor. 12.7 Positi estis dispensatores sed in aedificationem non in destructionem aliter non fidelis dispensatio sed crudelis dissipatio saith Bernard Ye are placed for edification and not the destruction of any It is true the word proveth the savour of death to death but that is accidentally and not the proper work of it whilest we seek to win your soules to God give us the hearing otherwise it is not possible our doctrine should tend to edification Christ delivers to the people a parable of the Sower and of the seed Some fell by the way side and it was troden down some fell upon a rock and assoon as it was sprung up it withered away And so Luke 8. beginning at the 4th verse this Christ uttereth for their edification but observe the latter part of the 8th verse When he had said these things he cryed He that hath eares to hear let him hear he cryed not onely to manifest his affection but our dulnesse he is not said to cry above four or five times in all his life He cryed as he taught in the Temple John 7.38 He cryed when he raised Lazarus from the dead John 11.43 He cryed John 12.44 He cryed on the Crosse Mat. 27. at which time he delivered matter of great consequence So here this expression being upon a cry must not lightly be respected of us Men have 2 Feet but scarcely one to walke in the way of God 2 Eyes but scarcely one to see the things of God 2 Hands but scarcely one to work in his Vineyard 2 Ears but scarcely one to hear the word of God A good ear saith the Wiseman will hearken unto wisdome whence observe two things First that we hearken unto nothing but that which is good unto wisdome Secondly that we hearken unto it gladly with a great desire to learn for in Scripture phrase obaudire is obedire So Christ in the Gospel Luke 10.16 He that heareth you heareth me that is He that obeyeth you obeyeth me and He that despiseth you despiseth me If we would make our Election sure we must not begin à priori but à posteriori such as with a good heart hear the Word of God and keep it and bring forth fruit shall inherit the kingdome of God but it shall be taken away and be of no benefit to those that are carelesse and fruitlesse Now that you may edifie and profit hear Gods word frequent the publick Ordinances wait at the gates of wisdomes house Prov. 8.34 35. Lay your Noses open to the sweet savour of Life your Eyes unto the Day starre that is sprung from on high and your Ears unto the voice of the wise Charmer Doe not as some desire to know that they may onely know which is curiosity or that they might be known which is vanity but ro edifie and better your selves which is true wisdome Audiatis ut sciatis saith Bernard sciatis ut aedificemini hoc integritas est ut aedificetis hoc charitas est Hear to know know to edifie your selves this is integrity to edifie others this is charity Secondly that thou mayest edifie pray fervently that the Lord would shew thee his waies and teach thee his paths If any man saith the Apostle lack wisdome Jam. 1.5 let him aske c. Thirdly Read much and meditate the sacred Scriptures as the affections are most moved by hearing so the judgment is best informed by reading Reade meditate pray and contemplate reading enquireth meditation findeth prayer requesteth and contemplation tasteth Fourthly that thou mayest edifie lay aside prejudice and malice guile envy and heare the word as a new-born babe the smell possest with Rue cannot sent the Rose the tast infected with gall imagineth all morsels bitter It is a Rule in Philosophy Nothing receives any thing but which is empty of all other things of a contrary nature the Eare must be empty of all sounds the Tast of all savours the Eye of all colours before there can be entertainment given to a new object certainly he hath a most wicked heart that dares come into Gods presence and carp at his Word that cometh with an intention to lye at catch Keep thy foot when thou goest saith Solomon to the house of God and be more ready c. Eccles 5.1 By feet he means the affections there is Oris custodia Prov. 13.3 The mouth wants keeping David prayes God Psal 141. to set a watch before it There is Cordis custodia Prov. 4.23 the heart needs keeping too There is Manuum custodia Esa 56.2 The hands doe often what they should not All the parts of the body yea the powers of the soul are in the phrase of Scripture meant by the feet yea all our actions Take notice that that which cures thee doth not alwaies please thee thou nauseatest that Physick that would doe thee most good doe not sequester thy Pastor because he would sequester thee from thy hypocrisie doe not thrust him out of his vineyard because he bringeth thee sowre grapes and sharp wine of reproofs doe not cast upon him false imputations because
of all I mean his false friend placed in his room was mortally hated of all men for his sedition and cruelty and afterwards came to an untimely end Such as take delight in persecution especially of Ministers hale judgments one their own heads which I pray God divert I beseech you consider sin is habituated by custome and hardned by impenitency if you cannot stay your self from going in sin stay your self from going on if you will break out timely break off by repentance Let God be glorified in an humble acknowledgment It is the voice of a friend Aut praevenire errori aut revocare errantem Either to prevent a man before he erreth or to recall him erring When mens wits and the Devils to help have found out the fairest pretexts for sin Gods justice strikes off all and leaves sin naked and punishable Many pretences have been found out for many sins besides distinctions mitigations qualifications extenuations colours questions necessities inconveniences tolerations ignorances c. But when man hath done God beginneth one argument of Gods now is stronger than all ours Thou shalt not doe this Consider the examples of Vzzah and Vzziah for Vzzah God had charged that none but the consecrated Priests should touch the Arke Vzzah seeing the Oxen shake the Arke put forth his hand to stay it up Was this a sin to stay the Ark of God from falling Yes God proveth it he layeth him dead by the Arke side For Vzziah God had charged Numb 18. That none should invade the Priests Office The stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death Vzziah will come to the Altar with a Censor in his hand to offer Incense Why is this an offence to offer to the Lord Yes God maketh it manifest Vzziah is a Leper to his dying day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Synes Hym. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I crave thy pardon Lord for what 's amiss And in thy word unseemly handled is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The One in Three I laud and doe adore The Three in One acknowledge and no more The persecuted MINISTER In defence of the MINISTERIE The great Ordinance of JESUS CHRIST Setting forth 1. The continuance of it 2. What is required to the constituting of Gospel-Ministers 3. The excellency and dignity of their calling 4. What respect they ought to bee of amongst Christians 5. That the contempt of them is a great and grievous sin All which are plainly and methodically handled THE SECOND PART By WILLIAM LANGLEY late of S. Maryes in the City of Lichfield Minister Vtinam ex eorum sim numero qui pro veritate decertant in hominum offensionem incurrunt Greg. Naz. orat 21 Greg. Mag. in Ezek. Nihil ad defendendum honestate tutius Nihil ad dicendum veritate facilius He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me Luke 10.16 The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God 2 Cor 10.4 Who so despiseth the word shall be destroyed but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded Prov. 13.13 To the Right Worshipfull truely Noble and Virtuous Sir GEORGE BOOTH Knight and Baront Grace and Peace be multiplied I Presumed Right Worshipfull to dedicate the former part to a Kinsman of your Worships and a highly Honoured friend of mine this pleads your Worships Patronage against the oppugners of CHRISTS great Ordinance THE MINISTERIE Never did any that was in this Sacred Function if of any merit depart ashamed and discontented from your face whereas by others they are wondred at ut pueri Junonis avem made a spectacle unto the world Angels and men and are the filth and off-scouring of all things these scorners of so sacred an Office make a low step to their own damnation for indignities done to the Ministers of the Gospel shall not sleep in the dust but stand up in judgement If policy were my aime some Bramble should be my Patron under whose shadow I might for the present have shelter and protection perhaps honour and advancement but plain dealing is a jewell of great price and of that worth and excellency that with it I had rather embrace a mean condition than all the world with indirect dealing and dishonesty I have made choice of your Worship whose Name like a pretious ointment hath sent forth a fragrant smell To omit the ingenuity of your minde generosity of spirit milde temper and sweet disposition with many other shining virtues I will onely mention your piety in the worship of God and pity to all his poor distressed Members There are I finde four degrees of Honour naturall by Birth externall by Riches internall by Virtue and supernaturall by Grace though God hath blest you with all yet all must crouch to the last and kisse the Scepter of the Christian Noble for what is to draw our pedigree from Noahs flood may we not descend as well from cursd Cham as blessed Sem and therefore the best derivation is from Heaven Tota licèt veters exornent undique terrae Atria Juven lib. 3 Sat. 2. nobilitas sola est atque unica virtus This moved Ambrose to tell Auxentius Quid Honorificentius quà m ut Imperator Ecclesiae Filius dicatur VVhat Honour can be greater than that the Emperour should be call'd the Son of the Church Let me adde poor Man the son of God yet this honour have all his Theophilus was Noble because Theophilus a lover of God As this is your highest privilege let me intreat you to esteeme it your highest honour that so when all things cease and be not you may not cease to be immortal inestimable Bonum est suum esse saith Seneca It is a Royall thing to be a mans own but much more to be guided by the Law of CHRIST I grieve to see that our Age yields so few Josephs of Arimathea to step forth to their Pilates and speak for the honour of Jesus so few Esthers that adventure their lives for the safeguard of the People upon her resolved terms If I perish I perish so few Pauls that vindicate the glory of our Israel THE MINISTERIE though the great red Dragon hath drawn away a great part of the starres of our firmament yet God be praised some continue in their orbes to give light to this crooked Generation which is to your Worship and many more the joy and rejoycing of your heart There are I know too many full of subtilty that seek their overthrow and study their finall fall but An curat oves oviumque magistros Let your zeale for Truth against every opposite Errour remain constant to the provoking of others and let them say of your Worship Ad similitudinem vivimus VVhat I have done in this Treatise is for publick benefit and