Heresie and Scisme and so undiscernibly maâ—age their Crafty Devices that the very elect choise and eminent Christians will hardly escape from being entangled with such Deceits Now then seeing that these things are certainly true it cannot but be dangerous and unsafe for the best of Christians to venture themselves into any such Congregations as have made a causeless Separation from such a Church where the the Word of God is truely taught Publick Prayer in a Form of sound Word suitable to every State and Condition of Men answerable to all their wants both for Soul and Body and all put up to God in the Name of his only Son Jesus Christ And all this Confirm'd and Establish'd by the Successive Royal Laws and Sacred Statutes Acts and Ordinances of the most Christian Kings Princes and Parliaments that ever were since the Reformation as the Church of England is in Statu quo Our Blessed Saviour hath assnred us by the words of his Sacred Lips That many will come in his Name and deceive not a few but many And the Apostle St. John saith That there are many Antichrists and exhorts them not to believe every Spirit because many false Prophets were gone forth into the World Seeing then that the number of Deceivers are many and the Deceived a Thousand times more I hold it the greatest Wisdom that can be in a Christian to take heed how he adventures into every Congregation of People least he become one of those many that Christ fiath foretold will certainly be deceived for want of this special Gift of the Holy-Ghost to discern Spirits Reason 2. A second Reason is because such Mens Principles will leave a black Brand of detestable hatred upon their very Names amongst the Generations of the People of God that shall Survive them For tho' they may prosper for a time and take their swinge for a time and run their Wildgoose chase for a time and tho' they take liberty to kindle these Fires and compas themselves about with such Sparks and tho' they walk in the Light of these Fires and Sparks of their own kindling yet this shall they have at the hand of the Lord they shall lie down in Sorrow and leave a Curse upon their Names amongst the Surviving Genâ—rations And this was verified on these very Men in my Text for when the Geneologies of the Surviving Tribes were Numbred and Recorded there lieth a Bloâ— of Disgrace upon their Names so that in plain Terms their Names stunck after they were dead The Record is to be seen in Chap. 26. of the Book of Numbers ver 7 8 9. the Words of the Record are these These are the Families of the Reubenites and they that were Numbred of them were Forty and three Thousand and seven Hundred and Thirty And the Sons of Pallu Eliab And the Sons of Eliab Nemuel and Dathan and Abiram This is that Dathan and Abiram which were Famous in the Congregaâ—tion who strove against Moses and against Aaron in that Company of Corah when they strove against the Lord. And the Earth opened her Mouth and swallowed them up together with Corah when that Company Died what time the Fire Devoured two Hundred and Fifty Men and they became a Sign Nor did their Names stink only upon Record but in the Memories and Thoughts of the Surviveing honest Hearted Israelites as appeareth by the Words of the Plea of the Daughters of Zelophehad made in open Court for Inheritance of their Fathers which Plea was also Recorded aud continueth to this Day Num. 27. ver 1 2. Ver. 1. Then came the Daughters of Zelophehad the Son of Hepher the Son of Gilead the Son of Machir the Son of Manasses the Son of Joseph And these are the Names of his Danghters Mahlah Noah and Hoglah and Milcah and Tirzah And they stood before Moses and Eliazar the Priest for Aaron was then Dead and before the Princes and all the Congregation by the Door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation saying Our Father Died in the Wilderness and he was not in the Company of them that gathered themselves together against the Lord in the Company of Corah but died in his own Sin and had no Sons 4 Why then should the Name of our Father be done away from amongst his Family because he hath no Son give unto us therefore a Possession amongst the Brethren of our Fathers 5. And Moses brought their Cause before the Lord and the Lord spake unto Moses saying 6. The Daughters of Zelophehad speak right thou shalt surely give them a Possession of an Inheritance amongst their Fathers Brethreu and thou shalt cause the Inheritance of their Father to pass unto them By the Contents of which Record it is evident that the Remembrance of these Mens Doings was Odious to Posterity more Instances we have as in Simeon and Levi Simon Magus Thudas Judas of Gallilee Nicolitans c. Reason 3. Is because the Breath of such Mens Doctrine is infectious to a sound Judgment the Sons of Men are as really snbject to Spiritual Infection as the Body is to that which is Carnal the Body is not more liable to the Infection of the Plague of Pestilence than the Judgments of the Sons and Daughters of Men are to the Plague of Spiritual Delusions And this my Assertion I ground upon Reason drawn from the Testimonies of Sacred Writ besides Woful and Daily Experience There are three Diseases amongst Men notably Infectious above others viz the Leprosie the Pestilence and the Cancer all whieh three Diseases of the Body do paralell the three grand Infectious Diseases of the Soul viz. Disobedience Heresie and Scisme The first whereof is Epidemical and hath Infected all Mankind with the Leprosie of Original Sin The second is more Secret and indiscernable falling upon sound Constitutions when they think least on 't even whilest they are Talking and Drinking with their Friend and concerning this Disease it is observable that the Party Infected hath a desire to Infect others tho' never so near and dear to them the like desire have all Scismaticks The third Infectious Disease viz. the Cancer hath its Residence for the most part in the Mouth or Tongue that they who drink of the same Cup with them are in danger of Infection For Confirmation of this Assertion I shall give you a Precedent and Precept from the Sacred Scriptures The Precedent is double and of Lamentable Memory because the Sin appeared in the Punishment of those that Committed it The Precept is alone yet worthy of a serious notice because it was Transmitted by an Epistle from an Universal Apostle to a Bishop of a particular Charge 2 Tim. 16. 17. 18. The first Precedent or Example is Recorded in Numb 12. where two prime Servants of God are found Tardy in their Obedience to him which shewed it felf in the Malignant Humour of Miriam and Aarons Murmuring against Moses who tho' their own Brother yet under God their Supream Governour nevertheless they could say
upon him for it as Aaron here did but as for Miriam she neither Confest her Sin nor shew'd any Sorrow for it but stubb rnly persisted in it For notwithstanding God Arraigned her himself and sate himself as â—udge in Moses's Cause and ask'd her why she was not affraid to speak against his Servant Moses she made no Reply by an humble Plea for Mercy but stood as a sullen Mute and so God recorded her and left her to Judgment and departs from her in great Fury Num. 12. 9. 2. The second Infectious Disease is the Pestilence which prevails mightily by Infection killing Thousands in a short time So doth the Plague of Spiritual Delusions Infect and Destroy many Thousands of Souls in a very few Days And that these Mens Principles in my Text had the same Effect it was too apparent in their Punishment and one may read their Sin in their Punishment And that there was a Spiritual Plague fore broken and running upon these Mens Spirits It is evident by the Injunction which God laid upon the rest of the People to depart from them and not to come near them nor touch any thing of theirs least their Sin should Infect them and they perish with them in their Sins And so Infectioâ—s was it to many Thousands in Israel that it brake forth upon them on the Morrow and in a Congregated Assembly Murmured against Moses and told him he had Killed the People of the Lord. How nearly doth Heresie in the Soul resemble the Pestilence in the Body for as fast as that lothsom Disease cleaves to the Body so fast doth Heresie stick in the Soul and Heart of a Man For as it is a very difficult thing and almost Impossible for a Phisttian to heal the Plague of Pestilence in the Body So it is a very hard and difficult thing for the best Majestrate or the best Minister in the World to reclaim any Man or Woman from the Error of their way that have forsaken the Publick Service of God the High-way of Salvation and betook themselves to the By-paths of a Pestilential Conventicle one Year Hence it is that the Apostle St. Paul Exhorts Titus to Reject A Man that is an Heretick after the first and second Admonition And subjoyns this Reason Knowing that he that is such is subverted and Sinneth being Condemned of himself Titus 3. 10 11. Now you may happily ask what an Heretick is I Answer A Heretick is one that obstinately Defends and Maintains an Opinion contrary to the Faith Practice and Profession of the truely Antient Catholick and Apostolick Church But ye may happily say why doth the Apostle Exhort Titus to be so quick and brief in Admonishing such an one and upon a second Contempt imediately to reject him I Answer Answer Because they have refused the way of Truth and chosen and prâ—fer'd an Erronious Opinion be ore it and obstinately reâ—use to return again This assâ—ion iâ— verified by the Testimony of the Prophet Jeremâ— Chap. 6. ver 16. Thus saith the Lord Stand ye in the ways and see and ask for the old Paths where is the good way and walk therein and ye shall find Rest for your Souls This was the first Admonition the Prophet gave them aâ—ter their Revolt unto which they obstinately answered We will not walk therein The second word of Admonition is in ver 17 Also I set Watchmen over you saying Hearken to the sound of the Trumpet Unto which they made this stubbora Answer We will not Hearken Upon this their refusal after their second Admonition to return to the antient ways of God the Prophet proceeds in the name of the Lord to give Judgment upon them in ver 18. 19. Therefore hear ye Nations and know O Congrâ—gation what is among them Hear O Earth behold I wâ—ll bring Evil upon this People even the Fruit of their Thoughts because they have not hearkned unto my Words nor to my Law but rejected it Twice did those Men in my Text return a stubborn Anâ—wer to Moses that they would not return to their former Conformity but deâ—perately resolved to stick close to their former Remonstrance for when Moses sent for Dathan and Abiram the Sons of Eliab to come to him doubtless to perswade and advise with them to forbear the further Prosecution of their wicked Designs and to consider the manifold mischiefs that would unavoidably follow such wicked enterprizes as they were now begining to prosecute then they returned this resolute Answer We will not come up and aggravated it with this Expostulation Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a Land thâ—t floweth with Milk and Honey to kill us in the Wilderness except thou make thy self altogether a Prince over us ver 13. and then in ver 14. They follow their blow with a Moreover thou hast not brought us into a Land that floweth with Milk and Honey or given us Inheritance of Fields and Vineyards Wilt thou put out the Eyes of these Men We will not come up Upon this second Repulse of theirs to Moses's Admonition he utterly Rejects them and now will have no more to do with them but turns his Prayer directly against them And in the Indignation of his Spirit said unto the Lord Respect not thou their Offering And what the Effect of such a Prayer was like to be may be easily read in the Judgment that followed for the Earth opened her Mouth and swallowed them up with all that appertain'd to them and I wish with all my Heart that these Mens Principles had sunck into the Ground with them and never appear'd again upon the face of Earth but vae mihi 3. A third Infectious Disease in the Body of Man is the Cancer a sore fretting Disease very small in the beginning dangerous in growth and pernitious in the end Such is all Scismatical and false Doctrine in the beginning scarcely discern'd but by degrees it eats so far into the Soul that it destroys both Faith and Practice We have this confirm'd by the Apostle St. Paul in an Epistle of his to the chief Pastor of the Church of Ephesâ—s 2. Tim. 2. Cap. 16. 17. 18. ver But shun prophane Bablings for they will increase unto more Ungodliness And their Word will eat as doth a Canker of whom is Hymeneus and Philetus Who concerning the truth have erred saying That the Resurrection is past already and overthrow the Faith of some O Lord for thy Mercy sake save and deliver thy Church and People in the Kingdoms of England and Ireland and the Religion Established by Law therein from the fly insinuating creeping Soul-infectious Diseases of Sediton Privy Conspiracy and Rebellion false Doctrine Heresie and Scisme and work in us such a Reformation in all our Lives that our Conversations before God and Man may be such as may beautifie and adorn our most Holy Faith and demonstrate to the World that we are living Members of Christ's Body I have now finished my third
Gospel and the surest way to Enthrone Christ in the Hearts of the Sons and Daughters of Men. And I say the contrary and will prove that there is no such thing in Religion as Liberty of Conscience such a Liberty of Conscience I mean as for every Man to serve God after what way and manner pleaseth him best It is easier to keep Sin out of the Conscience than to cast it out when it is in If that Light which is within us naturally for God hath lighted up a Candle in every Mans Conscience be darkned with Spiritual Errors how great must that Darkness needs be The Devil is the Prince of Darkness but he can Transform himself into an Angel of Light He is a fiery flying Serpent and if he can but get in his Head he will quickly winde in his whole Body How many Virgin Professors have lost their Spiritual Chastity in an hour by gadding abroad to trim their way by thinking to go in a cleaner Path than the High-way of Salvation is and so in a trice deprived themselves of that Peace of Conscience which they have not recovered again whilest they have lived O take heed then of being Humorsom and Selfwill'd under your Profession of Religion and Pray that the Lord will not leave you to your own Wills nor to the Councils of your own Hearts nor to the Wisdom of your own Spirits nor to the Nerves of your own Strength nor to the Steps of your own ways nor to the course of your own Natures nor to the Liberty of your own Consciences for if he should ye are in the High-way to eternal Destruction FINIS A POSTSCRIPT To all sorts of DÃssenters From the Church of ENGLAND As it is now Established by Law COme my Brethren and Friends let us Reason together and as the Lord of Hosts the Lord Jesus by Haggai the Prophet hath commanded Consider our Ways Chap 1. 7. And that which I humbly conceive may be most advantagious for us all in this Affair will be by comparing our ways wherein we walk with those Antient Paths wherein the Servants of God did walk in of Old My Reason for this Conception is grounded upon the Word of the Lord by the Mouth of the Prophet Jeremiah Ch. 6 ver 16. Thus saith the Lord Stand ye in the Ways and see and ask for the old Paths where is the good way and walk therein and ye shall find Rest for your Souls Now I beseech you my Brethren consider that this Prophet was not sent only to the Jews but also to the rest of the Nations and therefore the Words of his Prophecy belong to us as well as to them for when he wrote this Prophecy he inserts his Commission which runs thus Chap. 1. ver 4. 5 6 7. Then the Word of the Lord came unto me saying Before I Formed thee in the Belly I knew thee and before thou camest out of the Womb I Sanctified thee and Ordained thee a Prophet to the Nations Then said I ah Lord God behold I cannot speak for I am a Child But the Lord said unto me say not I am a Child for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak Then the Lord put forth his Hand and touched my Mouth and the Lord said unto me behold I have put my Words into thy Mouth See I have this Day set thee over the Nations and over the Kingdoms to root out and to pull down and to destroy and to throw down and to build and to plant I have read the Book of this Prophet very frequently in my daily Course of reading the Holy Scriptures and have taken diligent notice of the Measures he took in delivering it which I humbly conceive to consist mainly in these Six Heads 1. He gives them a Breviate of his Call and Commission from God to his Place and Office 2. Gives them a Draught of his Charge against them for their manifold Sins Iniquities and Transgressions which with gries of Heart and with Checks bedewed with Tears he frequentlyrepeats 3. A Demonstration of God's just Judgment against them for such their Tranâ—gressions 4. Exhortations and Admonitions Tears and Intreaties to for sake their own evil Ways and so prevent the Execution of those Judgments which he Denounced against them 5. The Way and Method he took to persuade them there unto 6. The nature of the Punishment to be inflicted on them in case they did not return and leave their ill Courses Now it is very remarkable that before he chargeth them with any gross Polutions of the Flesh or Prophane Debaucheries he begins with their Faults of Spiritual Wickedness and amongst the many Particulars these following are some 1. He chargeth them with their unkindness and indiscretion in forsaking their first Love to the first Principles of their Profession of Religion Chap. 2. 1. 2. in these words Moreover the Word of the Lord came unto me saying Go and Cry in the Streets of Jerusalem and say Thus saith the Lord I remember thee the Kindness of thy Youth the Love of thine espousals when thou wentest after me in the Wilderness But now they were no such People they knew better things or at leastwise were resolved so to do they were now for some Novelties they must have Quails to their Manna which put the Lord to this Expostulation Ver. 5. What Iniquities have your Fathers found in me that they are gone far from me As if the Lord had said what Evil do ye find in the Law and in the Ordinances thereof which I set before you as a Rule to walk by 2. He charges them with their Delight and Pleasure in changes Aarons Bells made no Musick in their Ears except they Rung the Changes Chap. 2. 11. Hath a Nation changed their Gods which are no Gods But my People have changed their Glory for that which doth not profit Except they might have Alterations and Amendments in the High-way of Salvation agreeable to their own Humors they resolve not to walk in them any longer This made the Lord Expostulate with them again after this manner Chap. 2. 31. O Generations see ye the Word of the Lord have I been a Wilderness unto Israel A Land of Darknes Wherefore say my People we are Lords we will come no more unto thee That is we are our own Masters and at our own liberty to serve God how and when we please and as for the Antient ways of God we will know them no more so as to walk in them any longer And further at Ver. 33. the Prophet asketh them this Question Why trimmest thou thy way to seek Love Therefore hast thou also taught the wicked ones thy Ways i. e. to forsake the High-way of Salvation And then at Ver. 36. He reinforceth this charge saying Why gaddest thou about so much to change thy ways Hence it is very remarkable that in this 2. Chap. the Prophet gives the unstable Israelites the