uniformity and to labour the extirpation of heresies sects and schismes which how we can make good if every one take liberty to reare up a modell and platforme according to his owne principles without respect unto publique Authority I cannot see How can it be avoyded but there will be divisions in the worke when those that should carry it on act severall wayes without any regard to one another I wish such would consider that zeale in Religion though it be exceeding good and necessary yet it needes a sober guide much wisedome is requisite to prescribe when and where and how far and in what manner and order to proceede in carrying on a worke of so great consequence as a publique Church-Reformation is Zeale except it be ordered aright in conflicting with corruptions and abuses whether reall or pretended useth the razor sometimes with such eagernesse that Religion it selfe is thereby endangered and through hatred of tares the good corne in the field of God is pluckt up That which Isocrates said of strength is as true of zeale that if it be tempered with sound wisedome and a right Judgement it doth much good but without such a mixture it doth much mischiefe to our selves and others like Granadoes and other fire Workes which if they be not well looked to and discreetly ordered when they break do more hurt to those that cast them then to the enemy no man can be ignorant of the ill effects of an indiscreet and ill governed zeale which like unto a fire when it burnes out of compasse sets all the house and towne in a combustion It may perhaps justly be doubted whether a too slack moderation or an over-violent zeale be worse seeing the one does no good and the other does much hurt discretion without zeale is slow paced and zeale without discretion heady take therefore St. Bernards counsell let zeale spur on discretion and discretion reine zeale joyne them both together and the conjunction will be lovely I would not willingly drop one word to quench one sparke of any true Heaven-bred zeale my errand is as our Saviours was rather to kindle this fire Luke 12.49 which every Sacrifice must be salted with Marke 9.4 Let us all labour to blow up and to keepe alive this Sacred fire upon the Altar of our hearts that it may inflame our devotion towards God kindle our love towards men and burne out all our owne corruptions let it never coole with age nor abate with opposition nor be quenched with any floods of persecution whatsoever 1. As the Apostle said of patience so may I of zeale we have all neede of it especially Reformers 1. Because of the glory of God which we ought to have a tender resentment of more then of our owne lives or whatsoever is deare or precious unto us in this world Our Saviour resented the injuries and reproaches offered unto God as done unto himselfe Rom. 15.2 Because of the honour and happinesse of the Church which we ought to prefer before all our owne Interests Psal. 137.6 I have read of Ambrose that he was so zealous for the Church that he wished any storme might light upon himselfe rather then the State of it should be endangered Reverend Calvin would be content to saile over ten Seas for an uniforme draught of Religion amongst the Evangelicall Churches Moses and Paul were so transcendent in this kinde of zeale that they would have redeemed the Churches losses with their owne damnation 3 Because of the great difficulties and obstructions which we must make account to encounter with If you set your faces towards Sion the Jebusites hold it which you must remove with an Host of Idolls to boote even the blind and the lame the abhorring of Davids soule or else you shall never take the Fort 2 Sam. 5 6 7. If you will endeavour with Elias to put down the Priests of Baal Jezabel will send you a message of defiance threatning to make the Land too hot for us There are many Lyons that lye in our way it s onely a zealous violence that can Sampson-like get victory over them and honey out of them If we declare our for heaven all the faction and power of hell will be up in Armes against us Therefore we have neede of much violence 2. This will stand us in much stead 1. It will make us bold and daring it will put us upon the uttermost adventures Love and zeale will if neede be run upon the Cannons mouth dare through deaths gauntlet Cant. 8.7 Esther knew not whether she should prevaile yet she would venture though to the apparent hazarding of her Crowne and life Est 4.16 Zeale and love blush at the Name of difficulty 2. It will quicken you up to mighty endeavours a bow full bent will violently deliver the Arrow and carry it home to the marke with full strength a peece full charged will go off with great force A zealous Christian is like a ship saith Clemens carried on with full sayles towards heaven 3. It will make you constant and steady That 's no heaven-borne violence which tract of time or opposition weares out True zeal is like the Philosophers {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a sparkling firy stone no floods can quench it 4. It will make us prevalent and successefull in our endeavours if any thing in the world can Love is a pleasing Tyrant saith Chrysostome the power of it is above all power it raignes over all impediments in heaven and earth prevailing both with God and man as Jacob did This zeale then being so necessary and usefull labour we to get our hearts stored with it and see that it be of the right stampe sincere and upright ayming onely at the right end Gods glory and the Churches good Let there be no sonnes of Zebedee among us to project for themselves places of honour at the right hand or the left when Christ comes into his Kingdome away with all private designes preserve we our intentions single and sincere and we shall prosper the better 2. Let our zeale flame out upon all occasions let nothing smother the operation of it Aristotle writes of the bathes in the Pythecusian Islands that they are fiery hot yet send out no flame I cannot commend such a zeale which is smothered and pent up in the heart and gets no vent hath no externall operation a treasure concealed and an hidden vertue are both alike When that prophane King had burnt the Roll the Prophet wrote it over againe with an addition of many other like words Jer. 36.32 The more Gods Worship Ordinances Servants are opposed the more will true-hearted Zealots appeare for them to assist and vindicate them They write of a fish that hath a sword but no heart but I hope better things of you 3. Let your zeale be guided by the right Rule which is the Word of God In al your consultations and
once and improving the miseries of the times by dilatory proceedings dead pay false musters betraying of advantages and letting opportunities of action slip with other stratagems and feates of pollicy very depths of Sathan profound as hell which I have not wit enough to reach If there be any such Judas's masked devills here let me informe them If their bosome intelligencer their Consciences I meane be asleepe perhaps it may arouse them a little that thunderbolt Esay 29.15 Wo unto them that dig deepe and seeke to hide their Counsell from the Lord and their workes are in the darke and they say who seeeth and who knoweth us and let them take that along with them too Esay 30.33 There is a Tophet prepared of old its deepe and large the pile thereof is fire and much wood the breath of the Lord like a streame of brimstone kindles it and let me tell them yet further If this fiery gulfe be not for such I do not know whether it can challenge any guests 5. There be others zealous in Religion but not enough they have like the Laodiccan Angell and Church some heate which makes them luke-warme but they are not violent their dram of zeale is tempered with so many ounces of discretion that the operation of it can scarce be discerned they are Orthodox in opinion not much exorbitant in conversation owne the great cause of the Kingdom set their faces towards heaven are not against Reformation but then they must not be over-driven you must not put them out of their owne pace they like not a Jehu's March It s good to be zealous but not too much say any what they will doe what they can their affected moderation will never suffer them to exceede the middle temper of that wise Statesman in Tiberius his Court who to be sure would not strike a stroke against the streame nor engage himselfe so far in any cause as might tend to his prejudice how-ever the world went he would be sure to save one Such is the polititian and wordly wise-man he will move no stone though never so needfull to be removed if he suspect that there lyes a Scorpion under it or if he apprehend the least feare that any part of the wall will fall upon himselfe well fare yet the Roman Consul that incomparable patriot who in his private and retired condition when he was removed from the Helme of the Common-wealth imployed all his force and strength to keep off those waves from the great vessell of the State which had well-nigh drowned the cock-boat of his owne private Fortunes 6. There be others zealous and violent for a while but they hold not out to the end The Philosopher sayes No violent thing lasts long It s true in Divinity as well as in Nature If the violent motion proceede from some externall artificiall cause and not from a rooted stirring principle within when that which is the cause is removed the motion arising from it ceaseth If our violent stirrings and heates of zeale be not from the right fountaine of heate the heart tract of time and other occurrances will be calm them by degrees and wear them out the stony ground set forward and put on with great animosity at the first but when difficulties and unlooked for dangers when a storme of persecution arose then they plucked in the tender horne their zeale cooled their courage abated their resolutions fell like leaves in Autumne In the beginning of this Parliament when the Lord tolled us on with fresh mercies and allured us into the wildernesse as the Prophet speakes that there he might give us the valley of Achor for a doore of hope when every day we were pasti miraculis as Cyprian speakes feasted with miracles in ordinary the Lord setting himselfe on purpose to ingage us firmely in his worke by divers rare and astonishing providences that all bridges might be cut off and that we might never thinke to retire backe againe At that time many that were not sound at the heart-roote joyned with us and who more resolute then they but when the wheele of Providence seemed to turne and many sad clouds began to gather and threaten a storme now they tacked about and set their sailes backe they were willing to follow us out of Egypt when they had seene the wonders and miracles of God at our departure thence but when they came into the wildernesse and met with Scorpions and fiery Serpents and great afflictions then their hearts fainted and they fell on murmuring as the unbeleeving Jewes and that mixed multitude did Numb. 11.4 A man might as well never own the cause of God as afterwards desert it whatsoever a man hath done and suffered for Religion and there be many that have done and suffered much It s al lost and forgotten when once he begins to looke backe Ezek. 18.24 Judas and Demas and Hymaeneus and Alexander the Copper-smith with other such flinchers what were they the better for all their hopefull beginnings when afterwards they declined their zeale-being all spent their violence tyred and all their alacrity lost It s not good beginnings but perseverance in Religion that takes this glorious prize and wins the garland Be faithfull unto the death and I will give thee a Crown of life Revel. 2.10 7. I may not passe over another sort without a gentle touch such I meane as are unfeinedly cordiall in the cause of God and zealous for it yet do not a little hurt to themselves and others and the Cause it selfe too through their indescreete and unwary managing of it they desire nothing more then this That Christ might raigne and weild the Scepter of his Kingdom according to his own hearts content in all the parts of the Land they are active in endeavours for Reformation and this deserves just praise but they step out of their bounds sometimes exceede the limits of their speciall calling in which the Will of God is they should containe themselves How happy were it for us if all would keepe within their proper spheare and wherein so ever they are called therein to abide with God 1 Cor. 7.24 But there be some that do {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} overstretch themselves beyond their line and Compasse 2 Cor. 10.14 They reach and straine after a perfect Reformation of the Church and that is well but they run before the Parliament and do anticipate the worke taking it out of those able and faithfull hands unto which God hath committed it and that deserves just censure That have a great zeale of God Oh that it were a little more according to knowledge We have all entred into the bonds of a Religious Conant with God in which among other things we have vowed our utmost endeavours to reforme Religion Worship Government according to the Word of God and the example of the best Reformed Churches and withall to draw the Churches of God in the three Kingdomes to the nearest
like manner when men are so lazie and languishing so cold and slack in dealing for a Kingdome It s a shrew'd argument against them that sure they are not in earnest they do but play with Religion the precious treasures of heaven are set before them and they resent them not at all or but a very little make no great haste are not a whit sollicitous take no paines about the matter as if the things were of no great importance they are very moderate and delicate in making towards them neither that high hand that holds th for t h nor that blood that bought them nor that worth that is in them workes much but all is slighted God comes waiting upon them with calls and calls and with gracious offers and is not regarded hence no doubt is this black cloud risen which darkens the heavens over us The glory of God and the Salvation of our soules we do nothing many of us but jest and dally with them I have read of Anastatius the Emperor that he was by the hand of God shot to death with a hot thunder-bolt because he was luke-warme in the Catholique cause and not zealous against the Arrian faction 6. In other things where the least overture of gaine honour pleasure appeares how eager are we panting after the dust of the earth as the Prophet speakes and ready to run our selves out of breath for it if a rich purchase may be made a profitable bargaine driven an honourable and wealthy match gotten or any such other secular Commodity which we are affected with oh then we are all upon the spur upon the wing no haste no alacrity no labour or diligence is thought too much or but enough now there is violence upon violence all oares and sailes must now be plyed and shall we be thus earnest for frivolous unconcerning low things which we may have and be never the better want and be never the worse and yet carry our selves in matters of eternity as if we were all Stoicks and had no passions about us Ferventissimi in terrenis frigidissimi in caelestibus shall we be red hot as fire for earth and key cold as any Ice for heaven 7. If all this will not move looke upon wicked men how violent a bent have they to sinne Their hearts are fully set to doe mischiefe Eccles. 9.3 They inflame themselves with Idols Esay 57.5 They are as swift Dromedaries traversing their waies Jer. 2.23 Their whole force is evill and their course not right Jer. 23.10 How violent were the Israelites for their Idolatry when they offered their sonnes and daughters unto Devills Deut. 32.17 Had they so much devotion for Idols and have we so little for the true God what care did they not take what cost did they not cast away when they made haste as David hath it to poure out meate and drink offerings to another God Psal. 16.4 and shall we esteeme our true God and Religion at such a low under-hand rate as if gold and silver were too deare and precious then to be offered up upon the sacrifice and service of them as if hell and lyes were pearles never over-bought but truth and heaven meere trash and nothing worth since they would doe any thing for the one and we nothing for the other 8. Looke upon your enemies how more then Hyperbolically violent they are in carrying on their designe of Rome and Hell how furious is their march how resolute are their spirits how quick their endeavours how do they compasse sea and land to Spaine France Holland Denmarke whither do they not dispatch their Emissarie what vaste treasures do they not lay out what expence of blood do they stick at what stones do they not roll what conclusions do they not try what project have they not hammered what corner of the earth have they not searched even till hell from beneath was moved to meete them and all to drive their desperate and pernicious designe to cast downe if it were possible Jesus Christ out of his Throne and to set up Belzebub in his roome hedging fencing planting watering what could they have done more for that wilde vine that false Antichristian Religion and Church which is the vine of the earth and not of heaven it having no rooting growth nor blessing thence Rev. 14.11 If there be any to whom the Syrens voyce sounds sweete Heark what Father Campian professeth of himselfe and his fellow Jesuites Quamdiu vel vnus quispiam e nobis supererit qui Tiburno vestro fruatur fruatur that is his word whiles there was any of them left to enjoy a Tyburn tippet as old Bishop Latimer was wont to speak whiles any of them remained for the gallowes torment and imprisonment they vowed never to desist nor let fall their weather-beaten cause and what shall we be coole and moderate when they are so extreame violent Acrius illi ad perniciem quam nos ad salutem Shall they be more zealous to procure their owne and others destruction temporall and eternall then we for our owne and others Salvation 9 If we be resolute we shall prevaile and carry away the prize which we are contending for This should have been a doctrine entire of it felfe I onely touch it and but lightly too as a motive to quicken us up What will not men do upon uncertaine and often most unlikely hopes to advantage themselves but we have this hope as an Anchor sure and stedfast That if we be violent for it this Kingdome is ours none can hinder us of it such as sell all shall have the pearle Mat. 13.44 Those that shrinke not from Christ in his temptations for feare of the Crosse when he comes in his glory they shall sit upon thrones and raigne with him Luke 22.28 and for the publique cause now depending whiles we continue faithfull with and stout for God feare not the issue let the oppositions be what they will all those great Mountaines before Zerubbabel shall become a plaine Zach. 4.8 The Lord reignes though the earth be never so unquiet he will bring about his designe when men and devills have done their worst What though the pillars of the Land tremble and all the foundations of it shake as in an earth quake what though we be in danger whiles we are so violent for heaven to lose all we have on earth as the Orator sometimes told the Athenians yet we shall not have an haires harme If we serve our God with reverence and godly feare we shall receive a Kingdome that cannot be shaken Heb. 12.28 Unto the which God of his infinite mercy bring us through the Merits of Christ Jesus who hath purchased it for us To whom c. FINIS Die Mercurii 29. Maii. 1644. IT is this day Ordered by the Commons Assembled in Parliament That Mr Harman do from this House give thankes unto Master Hall for the great paines he tooke in the Sermon he preached this day at the