made it a Den of Thieves In such cases if God be angry who can wonder If God confound that People who labour to cloud his Glory and to render his Service sordid and nauseous he must then be justified when he speaks though in anger and clear when he is judged That Publick and Solemn Worship of God the Contempt of which has such dreadful effects ought first to be regarded when the Almighty sheaths his Sword again and restores Peace and Prosperity to a People So soon as the Israelites were freed from the Aegyptian Bondage and but yet on their way to the Promis'd Land they were call'd upon by God himself to build a Tabernacle and Ark with all their Furniture before which they might offer their daily Sacrifices David when he fled from Absolom Exod. 25. was careful lest this Ark should suffer by being carry'd with him in his flight Carry it back says he into the City if I shall find favour in the sight of the Lord 2 Sam. 15.25 he will bring me again and shew me both it and his habitation When he return'd indeed he presently was for raising a Temple to the God of Israel his Redeemer and since God permitted him not to build it he provided Treasure for his Son to build it with He prescrib'd the method of Divine Service 1 Chron. Chapters 22 23 24 25 26 27 c. and fixt Orders for its exact performance in that Temple As for the Temple it self where this cost was to be bestow'd and these Orders observ'd David declares The House that is to be builded for the Lord must be exceeding magnifical of fame and of glory throughout all Countries 1 Chron. 22.5 and the Reason he gives is remarkable The work is great 1 Chron. 29.1 for the Palace is not for Man but for the Lord God And this care of David's was so just and â—ffectual that in Hezekiah's time we find the Priests and Levites obeying the past Commands of David using the Instruments of David 2 Chron. 29.25 30. and praising God in the Words of David and he that shall but read profane Story Multa epulenta ibi Regum populorumque visuntur munera quaeque magnificentiâ suâ reddentium vota gratam voluntatem Decrum responsa manifestant Justinus de templo Delphico Lib. 24. c. 8. and see what large Donaria all Countries appropriated to their Sacred Temples upon Dangers escap'd or Victories obtain'd or the Sacred History and view the prodigious Liberalities of David Solomon and the Nobles of Israel to the Temple of God must needs conclude the Service of God was by that means render'd glorious and beautiful the gratitude of Men to God very commendable and that those who left us those great Examples were not all of them either Mad-men or Fools And indeed Men may pretend what they will they 'l never perswade any in their senses to believe them thankful to God for removing Common Judgements who do not repair the decays of Divine Worship and endeavour to restore its pristine exactness and splendor and an Vniform celebration of Gods Praises is the best proof of an agreeing sense of his infinite Goodness And thus the Christians of old in each Distinct respectively were United in the same Forms of Worship and the Vniversal Church Concordant in the same matter and the whole World convinced of the Beauty and Harmony of that Religion whose Professors addrest themselves to God so Vnitedly for Matter and with so little disparity in Words and Methods even that disparity confirming the truth of Christianity the greatness of the true God and the Divinity of the Man Christ Jesus whom though Crucified the Christian World with the greatest fervour and devotion ador'd and invocated 'T is easie to Object That though great thankfulness is really due to God after great Deliverances yet 't is indifferent in what place by what person in what order Gods praise in his Worship is declar'd 'T is true a Man may be heard with Job from a Dunghil with Jonah from the Oceans bottom with Jeremiah from the miry Dungeon or with Daniel from the Lions Den but scarce any wise Man would chuse those places for his Devotions if he were at Liberty And my Groom or Scullion may be heard in their Prayers as soon as I but it would shew little respect to Gods Service should I call them to officiate in the Head of my Family in a Scullery or Stable with their Horse or Kitchen Habiliments about them Days of deliverance are days of Joy and Feasting and the garments of Gladness ought then to be worn and our gratitude to put on the fairest face of Order Loveliness and Beauty those Sins for which we suffer should be forsaken our thankful Resentments of Gods Goodness should be expos'd to the Worlds view and that so that Religion for its deformity may not be made a Scar-crow nor Slovenliness the measure of Divine Worship nor Enthusiasm the Essence of Devotion From the practice of the Samaritans in the Text we may Observe Observ 2. That the Enemies of Religion always apply themselves to hinder the Restauration of Gods Solemn and Publick Worship The Charms of pure and undefil'd Religion and the Worship attending it are terrible and odious to the Prince of Darkness he renders it a Mormo or Bugbear to his wretched Slaves and cannot endure its allurements should reach the Souls of thinking persons and therefore as by his Wiles and Policies he endeavours to put a slur upon Piety to render it ugly and ridiculous in the sight of Men that so it may crouch to growing Impieties So when men formerly mad after Sin begin to return to their almost lost Wits again he tries all ways to hinder the good Effects of Repentance that so profest Penitents may return with the Dog to his Vomit and with the Sow that is wash'd to her wallowing in the mire That Sin should abound and that Vengeance should once more deluge the World is his aim and therefore he studies to obstruct whatsoever tends to Reformation in those things that are really amiss Whatsoever mischief the Devil designs his busie Agents here on Earth who think scorn to be damn'd alone carry on with the greatest vigour and labour to engage all whom possibly they can pervert into the same Service so the People of Israel of old when God had scourg'd them frequently for their Sins and by his punishments reduced them to Reason though their Vows and Resolutions were never so many of reforming themselves to the Pattern God had prescrib'd them their Resolutions all vanish'd into Air and easie Temptations drew them to dangerous relapses as we read in the Book of Judges Manasseh King of Judah was eminent in wickedness as his Father Hezekiah had been in piety He did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord like to the Abominations of the Heathen whom the Lord had cast out before the Children of Israel
Samaritanism Reviv'd A SERMON Preached at the PARISH CHURCH OF Great Yarmouth Upon the Ninth of September BEING THE DAY Appointed for a Solemn THANKSGIVING FOR THE Discovery of the late Horrid PLOT against His Majesty's Person and Government By LVKE MILBOVRNE LONDON Printed by Samuel Roycroft for Walter Kettilby at the Bishops-Head in St. Paul's Church-yard 1683. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE WILLIAM EARL OF Yarmouth BARON PASTON of PASTON HIGH STEWARD OF HIS MAJESTIES BURGH OF GREAT YARMOVTH MY LORD THe Innocence of the Clergy of our Church as by Law Establish'd whatever their Pretences are to the Contrary is indeed the greatest Scandal and most real Offence to the several Dissenting Parties While the Vices of a Clergy-man are Notorious Hypocrites have somewhat to amuse the Vulgar with when they live within the Rules of the Church those of the Contrary Parties are consequently ashamed as having no Evil thing to say of them But that Shame soon breaks out into a Malicious Rage and where the wish'd for Crimes are not to be found some employ themselves under the Prince of Hell to forge Lyes and affix them boldly sewing up Men in the Skins of Bears and Wolves and then exposing them to be torn in Pieces by Dogs The Blessed Jesus met with this Dealing from Obdurate and Hypocritical Jews the Christians of the First and Purest Ages from Pagans and the Lawful Clergy to this day and in our Reformed Church meet with it from pretendedly Pure and Moderate but really Apostate Protestants That Veneration with I upon the most unprejudiced and deliberate Study have entertain'd for the Church of England has made me too a Sharer in that Glory of suffering by the Words and Actions of Ill-Men whose greatest Pique against me is That Bad as I am I am not yet Bad enough to Associate with them Ill Will therefore employs all its Care to trace my Errors and besides the Dull and Bashful Scurrility of Senseless Libels and the utmost force of Belinsgate Rhetorick it has betray'd it self so far as to declare that nothing but the Fear of Humane Laws secur'd my Life This is indeed a very odd Method of Refining upon Religion and perswading any that Men of such Warm Tempers have attain'd to Extraordinary Degrees of Spirituality there was so little of this in the Practice of our Saviour and his Apostles and the best Christians in all Ages that for my part I count it a real Breach of Charity and an Affront to the Gospel to reckon such among the Proselytes of Christianity I have to the utmost of my Power endeavour'd to advance such Principles as were most necessary to make Men Truly Good in their several Relations Devout and Pious towards God Obedient and Submissive to their Lawful Superiours Uniform and Reverend in their Publick Church Services and Charitable and Peaceable one among another Others have done this better having carried on that Great Work with Greater Abilities but none with Greater Sincerity or under Greater Discouragements than my self Had these Doctrines been Vniversally entertain'd we should have heard of no Separatists or Fanaticks no Plotters no Traitors no Rebels My Lord He deserves not the Name of a Minister of the Gospel who is afraid to speak in the Cause of his God and of his King Never was any Prince the Subject of so many Miracles as Ours and were not the Sons of Separation Mad as well as Blind He whom God has so oft and wonderfully preserv'd might at length be free from the Plots of Traitors and among the most desperate Villains be believ'd Invulnerable The Preachers of Loyalty might prosecute their Great Masters Work in Peace and if the Affection of the Dumb Son of Croesus was to be lov'd and admir'd for setting his Tongue free to save his Royal Fathers Life the meanest Gospel Minister might expect some Favour for speaking Plain when the Cruel and Barbarous Hands of Traiterous Hypocrites are lifted up against the Dear and Sacred Life of his Soveraign Such an Occasion gave Being to this Discourse which now puts it self under your Honours Protection and that which bears so Great a Name in its Front must be by All concluded Loyal The Author owns the Weakness of the Vndertaking and therefore the Boldness of the Address but is so well acquainted with your Goodness that he dares not doubt of Pardon for My Lord Your Honours most Obliged Most Faithful and Obedient Servant LVKE MILBOVRNE EZRA IV. 1 2 3 4 5. Now when the Adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the Children of the Captivity builded the Temple unto the Lord God of Israel Then they came to Zerubbabel and to the chief of the Fathers and said unto them Let us build with you for we seek your God as ye do and we do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esarhaddon King of Assur which brought us up hither But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the chief of the Fathers of Israel said unto them You have nothing to do with us to build an House unto our God but we our selves will build together unto the Lord God of Israel as King Cyrus the King of Persia hath commanded us Then the People of the Land weakned the hands of the People of Judah and troubled them in Building And hired Counsellors against them to frustrate their purpose SOLOMON tells us that there is no new thing under the Sun Eccles 1.9 for the thing that hath been it is that which shall be and that which is done is that which shall be done which may give us a good reason of what he instructs us in elsewhere Say not thou Eccles 7.10 What is the cause that the former days were better than these for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this Which may serve as a Check to those who are always complaining of the Times whereas did they but prudently examine the Records of past Ages they would find the same Evils prevailing in some places heretofore which they now wonder at as such new and unheard of things The Word of God it self as it gives us Examples of the greatest Piety and Holiness so it gives us Instances of the most horrid Sins such as may seem impossible to be exceeded by the most reprobate Villains under Heaven and 't is our unhappiness that the Patterns of the first kind are generally past by and slighted but even those who make some slight pretences to goodness are very solicitous lest by their Predecessors they should be outdone in Wickedness So miserably is the intent of all Records Sacred and Profane perverted for they are both written for our Examples to teach us that we should not lust after evil things as we sind some in story have done and that we should look upon such History as written for our Admonition upon whom the Ends of the World are come 1 Cor. 10.6 as the Apostle advises Among the several Sins Copied out from those Enemies of Religion who liv'd in former
of Israel said unto them You have nothing to do with us to build an House unto our God but we our selves together will build unto the Lord God of Israel as King Cyrus the King of Persia hath commanded us The Chiefs knew very well the Fallacy of that Assertion of theirs they knew they fear'd the God of Israel but not as themselves did The Jews were commanded not to intermingle themselves with any of their Neighbours for fear of Idolatry much more were they to avoid complying in Worship They had the Form of theirs prescribed by God himself which could no way admit of those Errors the Priests of an Idolatrous Kingdom had introduced The Samaritans might fear the same God and offer Sacrifices to him but so long as they did it not according to the Order prescribed and follow'd by the whole Jewish Nation as Vnited in one Ecclesiastical Body so long they were not to be receiv'd as Partuers in so Sacred a Work as the Building Gods Temple was For if Intermarrying with Idolaters was of dangerous Consequence Deut. 7.3 4 5 6. Deut. 12.29 30. Exod. 34.12 16. no doubt but Communion with them in the most solemn parts of Divine Worship which was the thing the Samaritans aim'd at would be much more pernicious so that in rejecting this offer of theirs they exactly follow'd Gods Law and withal exprest a punctual and due Submission to the Decree of their then Lawful Prince We are to build it together say they according to the Command of Cyrus King of Persia Ver. 3. You have no Commission to joyn with us the Predecessors of the Samaritans had no Hand in raising the former Temple they were not of the Seed of Jacob and therefore had no right to build a Temple to the God of Israel Cyrus had chosen these Exiles to perform what God had commanded Ezr. 1.3 4 and it became not those who were Subjects to the same Prince to Cross his Design or to stretch his Commands beyond their first Intention It was then acknowledged by the Jews to be their own proper Work and they had the Prophets of God to excite them to diligence in that Work Ezr. 6.14 and they were to build together united among themselves with one Heart and with one Mind if they resolv'd to admit of no Fellow Vndertakers their own whole Strength was but little enough to perform so vast a Work a few of the other Tribes had joyn'd themselves with those of Judah and Benjamin such as set their Hearts to seek the Lord God of Israel 2 Chron. 11.13 16. and those were but few the whole remnant of the twelve Tribes but inconsiderable to what they had been heretofore and their Enemies ready to take all Advantages against them Upon which account as also to shew their Gratitude to that Prince who had restor'd them to their Native Country and their Zeal for the Glory of that God who as he had punish'd them for their Sins so had told them before by his Prophets of this Happy Change upon their sincere Repentance it was incumbent upon them altogether as one Man to begin and to carry on this Work of God and so the Adversaries themselves might be convinced That the Temple of the True God might be built according to Command without their Help 5. In the Text we are to observe the Behaviour of the Samaritans upon the Answer given them They weakned the Hands of the People of Judah Ver. 4 5. they troubled them in building and hired Councellors against them They weakned their Hands by endeavouring to create Jealousies and Suspicions one of another among them they were newly recovered out of a Miserable Captivity and the present Openness and Defencelesness of their Condition made every Idle Rumour terrible to them One while they try to entrap the Governour Neh. 6.2 then they charge the Jews with a Design of Rebellion Ver. 6.10 and hire Prophets to discourage the People in the Work but as the last Effect of their Malice they write their Letter to the Persian King Fur. 4.9.21 23. to inform him of the danger of the Jews fortifying themselves and so procure a Stop to be put to their further Procedure Where observe further the Policy of these Adversaries of Judah and Benjamin They ow'd Revenge to the Jews for refusing their Help to build the Temple the Building of which they resolve to Hinder But in their Letter to Artaxerxes they take no notice of that lest perhaps Cyrus his late Decree being found their Design should have been defeated but they complain of former Rebellions and they fear they would be renew'd if the Jews had leave to build their City Walls and here the Persian Records might pinch them And by this Art they gain'd their End they having a General Command Ezr. 4.21 22. to see that no Damage might grow to the King took it in the largest sense and caus'd the building of the Temple as well as the re-edifying their City to cease and thus the Poor Builders who had so lately felt the Smart of a severe Captivity were afraid of opposing their Malicious Neighbours lest an Ill Interpretation should have been made of it To make their Malice the more Effectual they hired Councellors against the Jews such subtile Persons who knew all the Tricks and Quirks of Law and so could fright the poor Jews into a Belief that they incurr'd great Penalties when indeed they had broken no Laws and these could point to the Jews Enemies the most certain and secure ways of taking Advantage against this poor Helpless People or the Councellors they hired might be such great Persons as attended the King of Persia whom they as a wealthy sort of People Brib'd largely to assist them with their Interest at Court while the Jews who had no Stock to carry on such Designs went by the worst And to this we in some measure may attribute the Success of the Letter to Artaxerxes for had the Jews retain'd a Friend at Court who could have put the King in mind of his Father Decree in Favour of them and the reason of that Decree that it was in Obedience to the Commands of the Most High God 't is very probable the Penners of that Mischievous Epistle had lost their labours And so much may serve for Explication of the Text. The Text being thus explain'd the Observations I shall reduce from it are these That every Deliverance from great and general Calamities ought to be celebrated with a Restauration of Gods Obs 1 â— Publick Ancient and Solemn Worship There can be no end put to Publick Calamities but by the Hand of God we may seek for remedies elsewhere but to no purpose to him therefore the first of our Praises ought to be return'd It was here the Jews work no sooner were they resettled in the Land of their Fathers but they apply themselves to build again the Temple of God that had
Ages we find none more exactly imitated than those of Malice Falshood and Treachery under the Vail of Zeal and Piety Pretended Religion in its strongest pangs of Zeal has so incorporated those Sins into it self that if Men truly wise and pious watch not the more carefully against the Stratagems of Hell they may in time be so far impos'd upon as to believe it at least possible for Religion and the most abominable Villanies to meet together easily in one Subject and others to the Scandal of Christianity may be ready to imagine Deceit and Baseness the very Characteristical Notes of it and so that all the Ill practices charged upon that Profession by the Heathens of Old were indeed but plain and undeniable Truths Such a Reputation did the Scribes and Pharisees those Monopolizers of Piety among the Jews bring to their Profession allowing none but the followers of their blessed Examples a portion in the future World Matth. 2 3. whilst our Saviour so largely discovers what prodigious Impieties their gay Profession was attended with If we go further backward we may take notice of these Adversaries of Judah and Benjamin the Subjects of the Text whose Memory and whose Practices we see surviving to this day in our own Nation which that we may do the better I shall in my discourse upon these words follow this plain and easie Method 1. I shall explain the History of the Text. 2. I shall make Observations from it 3. I shall apply all to our own present Case First For the Explication of the History of the Text I shall 1. Tell you who these Adversaries of Judah and Benjamin were with their Conditions so far as Scripture or other History has inform'd me After Salmanâ—ssar King of Assyria had carry'd the Inhabitants of Israel into Captivity that the Country might not ly wholly desolate he placed in it several Colonies drawn from other places of his Empire viz. from Babylon 2 Kings 17.24 and from Cutha and from Ava and from Hamath and from Sepharvaim From Babylon the Capital City of his Empire came the Babylonians from Cutha the Cuthaeans so call'd from the Region of Chut of which name also according to Josephus Joseph Antiq. lib. 9 c. 14. Selden Synt. 2. c. Bochart Phal lib. 3. c. 5. there is a River in Persia These Cuthaeans as Bochart asserts are the same with the Cissii of Ptolomy the Inhabitants of the Province of Susa formerly called Susiana now Chusistan on the East of Babylon Those from Ava called here the Avites the same who are elsewhere called Avims dwelling in Hazerim Deut. 2.23 from whence being driven by the Caphtorims or those who came out of Caphtor long before the Israelites enter'd Canaan Bochart Phal lib. 4. c. 36. they past the Euphrates where they found a Seat till this time when some of them were transplanted from thence into the former Territories of the Ten Tribes The next nam'd are the Men of Hamath of whom it may be doubted whether they came from the Ancient Riblah Amos 6.2 call'd by Amos Hamath the Great out of the Ruins of which the famous City of Antioch was afterwards rais'd Heylin's Cosm lib. 3. Syria Zach. 9.2 or which is the more probable from Epiphania call'd also Hamath a City of Syria not far from the Land of Palestine from whence a Colony might be more conveniently sent it was seated according to Ptolomy about 80 Miles from the greater Hamath Ptol. Geogr. lib. 5. c. 15. Bochart Phal lib. 4. c. 36. Ferrarius in voce Epiphaniâ and as much from Damascus both of them stood on the River Orontes Epiphania near Larissa in the Province of Cassiotis and was afterwards the Seat of a Christian Bishop under the Patriarch of Antioch The last mention'd in the Text are the Men of Sepharvaim of whom I doubt not but they came from the Sipphara of Ptolomy Ptol. Geogr. lib. 5. c. 18. situate on the Euphrates between Naarda and Seleucia where it divides into two branches sometime before it meets with the Tygris and so not far from Babylon it self And so much may serve to inform us whence they came For their Religion by which their temper may be very well guest at it was various according to the Custom of those places from whence they came Scripture informs us that The men of Babylon made Succoth Benoth 2 Kings 17.30 31. the men of Cuth made Nergal and the men of Hamath made Ashima and the Avites made Nibchaz and Tartak and the Sepharvites burnt their Children in Fire to Adrammelek and Anammelek the Gods of Sepharvaim What these Idols of theirs were may be worth our enquiry The Men of Babylon made Succoth Benoth that is they erected Fanes or Chappels to Venus Vrania as Selden informs us Selden Synt. 2. c. 7. Beyerus in additamentis ad cap. 7. p. 314. to which Beyerus adds what Selden before had rejected out of the Jewish Writers that they worship'd a Hen and Chickens by which they figured the Pleiades and they were as he tells us the Ancient Symbol of the very same Venus Vrania which fancy of theirs he supposes taken from that passage of the Spirits moving upon the face of the Waters as we translate it but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we render Moved is a Metaphorical word taken from the female Bird covering her Eggs and Young ones gently with her Wings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Buxtorf in voce whereby she secures them and nourishes them so the Spirit of God covered the Terraqueous Mass and by that gentle incubation made the whole Mass prolifick and nourisht and fomented those Beings which were then in production and so the female Bird makes the Eggs by her incubation fruitful and afterwards by the same guards and cherishes her Young ones The Men of Cuth made Nergal by the same Authors concluded to be Fire the worship of which sacred and ever burning Fire was notorious among the Persians from whose Country the Cuthaeans came Selden Synt. 2. c. 8. Beyerus in addit a kind of Idolatry it was which those People were so addicted to that it was no uncommon thing for their principal Devoto's to cast themselves into the same Fire there to be consumed as an extraordinary and very pleasing Sacrifice The Men of Hamath made Ashima by which the Jewish Rabbins commonly understand an He-Goat Synt. 2. c. 9. Selden rejects that Notion of theirs but declares his own Ignorance what it was Elias Levita as cited by Beyerus supposes Ashima to have been an Ass or Monkey to which he adds the Custom of some Aegyptians and Arabians to worship that Creature an Idolatrous practice as some say Beyerus in add p. 319. Linschoten ibi citatus cum aliis still follow'd in the Kingdoms of Pegu and Bengala in the East Indies But most probably it was the figure of Pan horned hairy and cloven footed and