upon the affections of the people However was it reasonable or equal that the faults of some one or few should redound to the blame yea extirpation of the whole Community Judge righteous judgement Is it just that because some Aldermen have been faulty in the Transactions of these late times therefore the whole rank and order of them should be taken away Or because some Presbyterians have been zealous and pragmatical in many unwarrantable actions is it therefore just or reasonable that the whole order of Presbyters should be extirpated O that these divided Parties would leave off the blaming one another and would enquire 5. Wherein they ought to agree THe endeavors of most men towards pacification have been spent in presenting certain Tenents and Principles wherein they would that all men should agree Hence the formula concordiae was framed and many other Confessions and Articles of Religion as those of the Church of England But its worth the enquiry whether all these pretences of Agreement tend not rather to division and disagreement than union amongst men that in some particular Opinions some might accord and in others oppose all other men To this purpose pains have been lately taken But the issue hath been rent and division Because they have endeavored such an Union as should be made by equivocal and amphibological Phrases which may be understood and taken divers ways which could hold men no longer together than that Artifice was unridled And if men agreed in these Tenents then they were on this side or that which gloried by encrease of their party Thus the Pharisees compassed Sea and Land to make Proselytes And many like them have labored to make men Orthodox as they speak that is to bring men to their opinions to think as they think while mean time little or no regard hath been had of the Christian life nor do men consider that it matters not much of what Religion or Opinion any man is if he be a knave The holy Scripture directs us not so much to Principles of Speculation as to good affection life and practise If thou do well c. Gen. 4. Cease to do evil learn to do well c. Esay 1. He hath shewen thee O man what is good c. Micah 6. Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand Bring forth fruits worthy amendment of life Math. 3. In every Nation they that fear God and work righteousness are accepted of him Otherwise to dogmatize to know and believe and hold this or that principle without the life affection and action cui bono to what what purpose is it See what account the Spirit of God makes of such Theory and Faith see Romans 2. and James 2. What then is it wherein we should agree That wherein they who differ and we all ought to agree is the wisdom and life of God in righteousness and holiness of truth This wisdom is begun in the fear of God The progress of it is in faith and hope The consummation of it is in the love of God and our neighbor The life of God is that from which we have been all alienated and unto which we are again lovingly called The archetypon of this is God himself who is our life and the Son of God who is our life and the Spirit of God which also is the Spirit of life This life is explicated in righteousuess which comprehends all graces and vertues of which that Poet whose verses were accounted Oracles saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Tully turn'd Justitia in se se virtutes continet oâ—nes And we may English it In righteousness all vertues are contained The effect of this righteousness is peace whence another of the old Poets in his Genealogy of Vertues and Graces which he calls Gods saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Peace is the daughter of Justice and Equity This divine life came forth from the Lord in all purity This was prefigured by Eve taken out of Adam that is the life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taken out of Christ of whom then to come Adam was a figure Rom. 5. This Eve is the mother of all those who truly live as Hierusalem is said to be the mother of us all As this life came spotless and pure out of Gods hands so it must return unto him And therefore Christ loved his Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctifie it and cleanse it with washing of water by the Word that he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinckle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish Ephesians 5.25 26 27. Hitherto we are to be gathered Gen. 49.10 2 Thes 2.1 Hither tend all the labors of the Bishops and Presbyters Herein we all ought to meet Ephes 4.13 This divine life hath been much obscured and counterfeited by all sorts of Philosophers and false Christians and is said for that reason to be taken from he earth The Lord Jesus therefore appeared to make discovery of this divine life John 17. This is life eternal to know thee and whom thou hast sent Josus Christ And therefore the Apostle saith that he hath conquered death and doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 enlighten or illustrate the life which was darkened and obscured before 2 Tim. 1.10 And it is more and more discovered in the growth of it For as there are different ages in the natural life so likewise are there in the spiritual life And the wisdom of God enters into the holy souls according to the ages Wild. 7.27 To which purpose the Apostle is to be understood Ephes 4 7. Unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the gift Christ that is of Christ himself who is that gift as our Lord calls Himself the gift of God John 4. For as the visible sun by few or many and often revolutions makes a like number of natural days or years in the outward and visible world after the same proportion in the invisible and spiritual world the sun of Righteousness lifts up the light of his countenance on the souls of those who fear him on whom he ariseth Malach. 4.2 And accordingly make some younger some elder some old aged men For if in truth and in Gods computation they were elder or yonger whom the world accounts such who should be more full of days then Adam and Methusala Who yet are never in all the Scripture said to be old men But Abraham the father of the faithful who had soon Christs days is said to die in a good old age and Joshua Job David Jehoida with some others all children in respect of those two are yet styled old men and full of days when yet the eldest of them all if we regard their natural life in this outward world came short of Adam and Methusala many hundred years The Wise man speaks home to this Wisdom 4.8 9. That honorable old age is not
that which standeth in length of time nor that is measured by number of years but wisdom is the gray hair unto men and the unspotted life is old age And speaking of Enoch the yongest of all those Patriarchs in regard of natural life and the father of Methusala the eldest he being made perfect in a short time fulfilled a long time They who are grown up in this divine wisdom and life of God are said to be old men and Senators Thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are Ambassadors such as are imployed in that honorable Function 2 Cor. 5. So they were called Apostles because they were sent by the Lord what ever their natural age was They who were further growen up in the divine wisdom and life of righteousness were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Presbyters or Elders And from the name Presbyter otherwise Priester Priests have their name by a contraction Which is an honorable title and such as was common with princes as the Priest of On Gen. 41. may be as well rendred the Prince of On. David's sons were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Princes 2 Sam. 8.18 Jer. 5.31 They who were the most aged and eldest in this divine life were the Apostles or the Bishops their Successors whence Clemens Alexandrinus Lib. 6. Strom. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Proficiencies of the Church of Bishops Presbyters Deacons So that neither Bishops nor Presbyters are of their own or any other mans making not of men nor by men Gal. 1.1 Paul planteth and Apollo watereth but the Lord himself giveth the encrease For as in natural aggeneration the man may eat and drink but the encrease is not in his choice he cannot add one cubit to his stature even so a man may partake of spiritual nourishments and feed on faith but his encrease and proficiency is not in his one choice but the Lord gives it And St. Peter shews wherein his Presbytery consisted viz. in the participation of the death and life of Christ 1 Peter 5.1 A wâ—â—ness of the sufferings of Christ and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed And St. Paul proves his Apostleship by his sight of the Lord and he tells the Elders of Ephesus that the holy Ghost had made them overseâ—rsâ—or Bishops 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 20. But these were made immediately of God we read of those also who were made by men Tit. 1.5 However that be true yet mans constitution of Elders presupposeth Gods preceding work in them Thus the Lord commands Moses to look out such Elders as he knew to be such Num. 11. And in our ordination the persons to be ordained are required to give an account what motions and inclination of Gods spirit they have had disposing them to that holy function And in this regard the Apostles and other Ministers of the Church are called Gods gifts unto men Eph. 4. Nor doth our Lord any where say that he will put an end unto or change that dispensation so that we may always expect those gifts from God unto his Church untill the â—â—nction or spirit of God so teach some men that they shall not need that any man teach them Such a state there is whereunto some had attained unto whom St. John wrote 1 John 2.27 The anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you And ye need not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things c. Whereas therefore some at this day dispute against an immediate call from God they go about to take away Gods preventing work when he gives his gifts unto men and take the whole work of making Ministers unto themselves so that such are not Ministers of God but mans onely because they have not Gods immediate call to the Ministry nor his preventing work in them I am aware of a doubt which this assertion leaves behind it For if the Ministers of the Church be of Gods making in such a sense as I have shewen how then doth the King make Archbishops and Bishops and other Ministers of that Hierarchy I answer Both may consist For as the God of order hath made man according to his image which especially consists in his dominion over the creatures so he hath made Kings and Potentates and generally the higher Powers in a more peculiar manner after his image which consists in dominion over men whence it is that he hath distinguished mankind into superiors and inferiors and stampt his character and mark of distinction upon both On Kings Potentates and the higher Powers no hath imprinted multum Dei saith Aquinas much of God Exod. 22.28 Psalm 82. Joh. 10 35 and so makes them like himself Gods as the Scripture calls them and our Lord acknowledgeth them such and gives the reason he calls them Gods to whom the word viz. the essential word of God came by whom Kings reign so Ireuaeus understood it to whom the word and image of God came and that gives them now hearts 1 Sam. 10 12.6 and turns them into other men and so makes them as the Lord is said to have made Moses and Aaron that is advanced them as our Translators render the word For besides those personal endowments of the higher powers no doubt other Gratiae gratis data theâ—e are attending on those high Functions Wet ye not saith Joseph that such a man as I can divine And Caiaphas spake not that of himself but being the high Briest that year he prophesied saith St. John When a multitude of men stood about that fiery furnace whereinto the three captives were cast Nebuchadnezzar alone saw the fourth who was like the Son of God Cur tibi soli innotuit saith Hippolytus How camest thou alone to see this He gives reason The heart of the King is in the hand of God Now as the God of Order inwardly enables the higher powers by the impression of his image so he makes them outwardly to be acknowledged such by imprinting on them that excellency of dignity and honor which we call Majesty which is originally in God himself from whom it is derived to Kings and Governors his images on earth as even the Philosopher could say A Character so indelible that even in the wracks and downfalls of Princes it might yet be discerned For so we read that the Roman Lictor an able yong man and armed being sent to kill Marius the Consul now proscribed decrepit unarmed alone imprisoned yet he durst not strike him being himself first stricken with the Majesty of Marius And when the news was brought to Vespasian that Vitellius was overthrowen there suddenly appeared in his countenance a lustre of Majesty never observed before Such was that which appeared in the face of Moses Eccles 8.1 Num. 11. Judg. 6 1 King 10.26 so that the people could not behold him The wisdom of a man maketh his face to shine saith Solomon The like may be argued in the seventy Elders in Gideon in Saul in David in
ante conquiescant quam ipsi rerum potiantur Irrisores turbulenti factiosi disputaces ingrati arrogantes supra quam dici aut credi potest hostes Catholicorum juratissimi quique non tantum ipsi nihil conferunt ad repellendam imminentem Christianorum cervicibus Turcarum vim sed etiam motis intestinis dissidiis bellisque impediuâ—t alios Reges id conantes quin opes viresque ipsorum à communi hoste aversas in mutuam Christianoâ—um perniciem concitant Atque hoc ipsis est reformare Ecclesiam I shall leave this upon your spirits sadly to be thought upon and speak a word unto my Brethren of Episcopal perswasion I know many of you beloved Brethren and I believe here are far many more in this and our neighbor Nation of Ireland eminent in wisdom and piety men of profound learning sober grave just prudent c. who have been refined and purified in the furnace of humiliation and are come forth as vessels of honor fit for their Masters use These are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 persons who hae far transcended the envy of their persecuters And having been turned into strange Countreys have declar'd evidently what difference there is between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one unlearned and learned Unto these I say onely Macti estote proceed and shine forth as lights of the Church To you I speak who have been Sufferers also but if report not onely of your enemies but even of your friends also wrong you not some of you have not improved your sufferings to the advantage of your own souls or the Church of God so that you cannot truly and experimentally say It is good for us that we have been afflicted Are not many of you returned the very same men you were onely worse as being more heightned with pride more embittered with envy more enflamed with wrath more enlarged with desire of revenge Atqui cum peccata carnalia plus habeant infamiae spiritualia plus de natura peccati quod sanctus Gregorius ait Ut fama vestrae parcam Latine vos pacciis alloquar Aiunt è vobis esse at spero eos admodum paucos esse qui ventri nimium indulgent mutuo se poculis provecant invitant se plusculum c. An non hoc idem ipsum vitium est quod pientissimus Rex haud feret in eajulo haud feret in tressi agasone Anidem ipsum tulerit in Ministro Dei An non etiam vos illi feciales qui contra haec flagitia moresque vitioses prudentissimi Regis inimicitias indicitis Qua fronte utcunque caperata inhibetis illud quod vita licentiori comprobatis Pudet haec opprobria vobis Et dici potuisse non potuisse refelli Are ye they who are come out of that great tribulation Rev. 7.14 should not then your garments be made white in the blood of the Lamb Should not you be planted in the likeness of his death and so be made also like unto him in his pure innocent and spotless life and resurrection So should you be fit to say in way of thankfulness with that Heavenly Quire Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be unto our God for ever and ever Amen This is an heaventy Doxology when the heavenly life speaks it Otherwise an unholy debaucht and vicious life is the greatest ingratitude especially in a Priest For what honor what glory can be to God what profit is it unto you or to the Church of God that holy hands have been laid upon you and that you be made Priests if by a sinful life you dishonor â—od and that holy function and render your selves unfit for the discharge of it Flatter not your selves not please your selves in that honorable name of Priests and that thereby you have power to binde and loose so that whose sins ye remit they are remitted unto them and whose sins ye retain they are retained Do you consider what that worthy name imports Is not a Priest such an one as is growen up unto the old age of Christ Ephes 4. And dare you in your nonage while yet you are subject to the sins incident unto the spiritual child-hood and before you are so strong as to overcome the evil one dare you assume to your selves the power of binding and loosing even while you your selves are bound with the chaines of your own sins Can you think that such great works as are binding and loosing are annexed to your persons or to the due qualifications of the Priesthood and such as ought to be in you There is no doubt but as the Priest under the law had skill to put difference between holy and unholy and clean and unclean which he could not do if he drank wine or strong drink before he went into the Tabernacle of the congregation Lev. 10. so neither can the Gospel Priest discern between holy and unholy righteousness and unrighteousness pure and unpure so as to bind or loose if he be drunk with wine wherein is excess or drunk and not with wine Esay 29.9 as with the spirit of opinion O my beloved brethren the Gospel Priest must well understand the nature of sin and corruption and temptation unto sin and the devices of Satan and meanes and ways how to escape them He is the spiritual man who judgeth all things 1 Cor. 2.15 Who knowes the mind of the Lord Rom. 11.34 Who hath the mind of Christ 1 Cor. 2. ult Such a Priest is able and fit to binde and loose as having received the spirit of God and been endued with power from above Otherwise its great boldness and presumption for any man to assume such power unto himself And what my Brethren emboldens you here unto Because you say you are made Priests And therefore you presume to take the Apostles authority for your patern to whom the Lord Jesus said Those sins ye remit they are remitted unto them and whose sins ye retain they are retained John 20.23 O when shall we deal sincerely and impartially with the holy Scriptures How often do men cite the divine testimonies as the devil alledged part of Psalm 91.11 12. to our Saviour Math. 4.6 Where he leaves out what was most necessary to be understood And in this case of great moment men do the very same For where our Lord saith whose sins ye remit they are remitted c. he premiseth those words Receive the Holy Chost And then immediately follow chose other whose sins ye remit they are remitted unto them and whose sins ye retain they are retained They therefore who have received the Holy Spirit of God are the fit men for the discharge of the Gospel-Priesthood Wherefore my Brethren boast not of your power but rather pray unto the Lord for his Holy Spirit whereby you may be impowered For our Heavenly Father will not fail to give his Holy Spirit unto those his children who ask him Luke 11.13 and are obedient
especially with the Girdle of truth faithfulness and sincerity as also with strength Psal 18.39 and with chastity wherewith the Lord implies his Spouse should be girded Jer 13.11 O my Brethren both of Episcopal and of Presbyterian perswasion consider and be hearily ashamed of your common error that ye have both been so grosly mistaken that ye have neglected the common enemy even the Devil against whom we are all engaged by our Vow in Baptism and deserted the common Cause of Christianity the crucifying of the old man and are fallen foul one upon another Do you know no better the devices of Satan Are you so little known to your selves that you take no notice of your lusts that war in your members Do you no more regard them who are without What opinion think you hath the religious and irreligious world of you Remember the Cause you are engaged in is the Cause of God you have entred covenant with him upon these terms that you should fight against the world the flesh and the devil The Cause is Gods Cause and must needs be good The Apostle calls it so Fight the good fight of Faith 1 Tim. 6.12 It 's a Cause wherein all the people of God have been engaged from the beginning even since the Lord put enmity between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent and promised that the holy seed Christ should break the serpents head It is the Good Old Cause Let not the old subtile Serpent any longer beguile you who deceives the Nations Quit your selves like men Lay down your Enmity one against another and joyn all your forces and all your courage against the common enemy and so the God of Peace shall bruise Satan under your feet quickly Mean time let us enquire into the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the things which make for Peace and 7. By what means Reconciliation may be made between the divided Parties THe Divine Life the effect whereof is Peace is discovered to St. John Revel 21. and every one who is willing is invited thereunto But it s vain labour to discover the life which is above to the wise saith Solomon Pro. 15.24 unless we have a Jacobs Ladder whereby we may ascend thereunto This we may do by divers steps or means which are either such as remove obstructions out of the way of peace or such as positively direct our feet into that way For as the godly life is a necessary means for the obtaining the eternal life and peace which is homogeneal and of the same nature with it so is the death unto sin a necessary means of obtaining the godly life as the Apostle reasons Col. 3.4 when Christ which is our life shall appear then shall we appear with him in glory mortifie therefore your earthly members whence it is that sinful men are said not to know the way of peace Rom. 3.17 And who can direct us better into this way than he who is the Prince of Life Acts 5. And prince of peace Esay 9. who appeared the Day-spring from on high to visit us to give light to them that sit in darkness and the shadow of death and to guide our feet into the way of peace Into this way he leads us by precept and example By precept of humility and lowliness of mind by self denyal and taking up the cross dayly Humility is the first step toward Mortification and that extream necessary because pride the contrary hereunto obstructs the way of Peace Pro. 13.10 For onely by pride cometh contention And if onely by pride whence I beseech you proceed the present contentions among us Is it not because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every one would be greatest Truly a very strange thing it is that men eminent for learning and profession of Christianity should so openly spend their zeal and heat about that old dispute who should be the greatest Luke 22. 'T is true this Controversie was among the Apostles but they had not yet received the holy spirit which I desire both parties advisedly to consider Why should they not rather endeavour after the fairest object of emulation the onely lawful contention who should be the best The Lacedemonians herein condemn too many of us Christians who were wont to exercise their Children in such questions as these who in all Sparta was the most sober most just most prudent most valiant man c. And it was one of them who say Nemo me major nisi qui me melior No man is greater then I unless he be better then I am Yea although I doubt not but the main design of the Covenant was outing of the Bishops and Inning of the Presbyters in their room yet in the close of the Covenant by an over-ruling hand the Covenanters vow That our true and unfeigned purpose desire and endeavor for our selves and all under our power and charge both in publick and private in all duties we owe to God and man to amend our lives and each one to go before another in the example of real Reformation This close of the Covenant which is most consonant unto the word of God hath been I fear quite forgotten and the main endeavour hath been to go one before another in wealth and honor as for the endeavour and strife to exceed one another in performance of our duties toward God and man O how modest most men are O how easily doth every man yield to another to go before him Yet if any man according to the Covenant endeavor to exceed others in goodness who have bound up themselves by their principles which they resolve not to exceed if he endeavor to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect he is accounted at least erroneous in his judgement if he can escape the Gardiners sheers of Discipline and cutting off for presuming to grow in grace above his neighbors The contention is not who should be the best man but who should be the greatest And onely from pride comes this contention And this is a great part of self which is to be denyed That 's the second step Self-denyal There are in man since the fall the abridgements of three selfs One whereby he agrees with the beast and lives according to the principles of brutish man 2. Another whereby he agrees with the old fubtil scrpent which deceiveth all the world with false principles of corrupt reason Revel 12. 3. The third whereby he agrees with God and the heavenly man 1 Cor. 15. This last we must deny to be ours not I but the grace of God which was with me The fear of God and keeping his Commandment is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the man saith Solomon Eccle. 12. what ever else is in the man it 's either the beast or the devil Both which make up the corrupt self which the true man must deny The Grace of God which is able to save all men hath appeared saith St. Paul teaching us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts Tit. 2. Such