destroyed as obstructors of their honour and high enjoyments not as of a sinful nature of humane invention and against divine prescription alas how many may we fear are so blinded with golden thrones and great revenues rhat they cannot see or rather will not and so deasned that they cannot hear the reports of Apostasie backsliding error heresie and erected innovations whereby they depart from the Lord to build Altars besides his Altar Secondly if they be seene and heard are not some that should be covered with shame and sit in sorrow for so grievous a guilt and greatly provoking sin rejoycing and readily solacing themselves and with Altar-building Israel Exâ— 32.18 shouting not for grief but great joy counting and calling it a glorious liberty of conscience reputing the time of the Toleration thereof the glory of Gospel-dayes rebuking the rebukers of so grosse profanenesse nay and what is worst of all with brazen faces and as given up to strong delusions think they do God good service that so do pressing into the presence of God with solemne praises as if God were an object of confused administrations Contemplation on the golden Calfe and direct opposite worships May we not with sorrow consider with Doctor Hall that it is a miserable thing for Governours to humour people in their sins and instead of mak ng up the breach to enlarge it Do we not know that sin will take heart by the approbation of the meanest looker on but if authority once second it it growes impudent Thirdly some seeing the sinne and saying in their hearts would it might not be remaine sinfully silent not considering that the wicked are apt to interpret the silence of God himself as an argument of allowance Psa 50.22 and that he that sees the wickednesse of the wicked when duly called to speak and warnes not from the same Ezek. 3.18 Acts 2.26 is chargeable with the guilt of the sin and responsible for the blood of the sinner How farre is this from an Apostolical spirit who will speak though by speaking they create enemies Fourthly and lastly see we not some speaking against the sin yet slack in their rebukes much below the zealous resistance of the Jewes in the text who mince not the matter but in down-right termes discover the nature of the sin and denominate it a rebellion against God and us and dictate the aggravations therof to render it vile and not only so but with sword in hand and resolution in heart to reduce them to obedience warne their desistance but how many Superiours are l ke old Eli in their rebukes It is an evil report that I heare of you my sons do not so evil against the Lord. Is it not sad to see in very many families wives children servants sinfully following innovations and humane inventions against the truth and worship of God with the silence or at the best but slack rebukes of their husbands parents and masters whose sovereignty exercising its just severity might be an instrument of keeping them more close to the Altar that is of divine prescription It will be no excuse in the day of the Lord for our neglect or coole luke-warme discharge of our duty to say we looked for God to reduce them into obedience to his owne will when God hath invested us with authority as instruments to this end since God himselfe expects this from man why should man expect it from God We might remember though God could as easily have prevented and redressed the Altar at Horeb by an immediate hand yet he sends Moses downe the Mount to do it by shewing his severity severe expressions of anger against Altar-building do very well become and suit with the meekest Moâ—es I have done with the enquiry I shall leave to your serious and second thoughts how to finde out the guilt and subjects thereof only if such guilt be found in the Churches of God in the midest of us that Altars be built or in building against the Altar of God and not regarded or seene unto it is to us matter of mourning and to the exciting your humiliation give me leave to suggest to you two or three considerations as so many aggravations of this evil so vile in its nature as hath beene evidenced but as to us will be found thereby much more vile and grievous The first thing that may excite our sorrow is such a motive as is in the story under consideration viz. It is a sinne committed whilest â—od is striking for late iniquity Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us from which we are not cleansed to this day although there was a plague in the Congregation of the Lord Josh 22.17 What a vile nature have we that whilest our wounds are greene for a past to run upon a new rebellion did not our late dayes abound with superstious innovations giving cause to the Papâ—sts insultingly to say we were posting towards Rome were not many pious people burdened in themselves to see Surplice-service Altar-bowing Eastern-worship and the like introduced to and imposed on the Church as absolute parts of divine worship Were not many faithful Ministers for their non-observance of such will worship suspended silenced and for their zealous resistance many wayes afflicted Was not the Lord provoked did not his displeasure arise have we not felt the weight of his stroke and smart of his rod are our wounds yet healed our desolations repaired and our glory restored O then may it not be grief and heavinesse of spirit to see some so soone to be turned from innovations of ceremonies to the bringing in of innovated doctrâ—nes from such as were but circumstantial and conserved the substance of divine worship to those that are fundamental in danger to subvert the whole frame of the divine Altar of Gospel-worship O how sad is the echo that methinks I hear uttered from heaven against England Why should you be smitten any more ye revolt more and more The second thing that may affect our hearts and engage our hearty humiliation before God for the sin of Altar-building may be this that if it be found in the midest of us unresisted it is a sinne committed under a solemne Covenant wherein we stand obliged to the Lord and with chearful hearrs and hands lifted up to the most high God have sworne That we shall sincerely really and constantly through the grace of God endeavour in our places c. the preservation of the Reformed Religion in the Church of Scotland c. And to bring the Churches of God in the three Kingdomes to the nearest conjunction and unifermity in Religion in Confession of Faith Forme of Church-government Directory for worship and Catehizing c. Artic. 1. Secondly We shall in like manner without respect of persons endeavour the extirpation of Popery Prelacy c. Superstition Heresie Schisme and Prophanenesse and whatsoâ—ver shall be found contrary to sound doctrine and the power of godlinesse c. that the Lord
Altar besides the Altar of God for that to build a sinful Altar besides the Altar of God is in the language of the Psalmist to defile our selves with our own works and to go a whoring after our own inventions it is to refuse to own the object to be the Author of divine Worship to be regulated by any other Law then our own reason dictates and will determines Religio supra statutum quae in praeceptis humanis fundata ex â—is pendet ac constiâ—â—â—tur and so to set up against God and his people that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 superstition and wil-worship which the Apostle dehorts the Christians from Col. 2.23 and this was a sin not only committed under the Law and Levitical Worship of God but may also be committed under the Gospel I and hath been for the Fathers in the primitive times were wont to observe and declare the Arrians Novatians Donatists and other schismaticâ—l hereticks disturbing the peace of the Church corrupting the doctrine of faith and Worship of God Altare adversus Altare erigere to build Altars besides the Altars of God And that you may the better understand the same I shall briefly shew you how Altars may be built either materially objectively or formally First Altars may be built against the Altars of God materially as when any other matter it innovated and introduced into the Lords Worship as an essential part therof which the Lord himself never prescribed or required and thus under the Law the Jewes are sadly complained of and condemned for the multiplying of their Altars as their Cities Jâ—r 11.13 and according to the multitude of their fruit Hos 10.1 which were no other then material organs of divine Worship distinct from that one by which alone God would be adored such as these were Jeroboams two Altars at Daâ— and Bethel and such as generally all the usurping Princes of the ten tribes of Israel and some of the Kings of Judah did erect And under the Gospel we may observe the guilt of this sin charged on such as called themselves true but are branded for false Apostles 2 Cor. 11.13 in that they imposed on the Christians Circumcision and the Levitical Law as essential parts of Gods Worship whilest it was a matter in abrogating and abolishing though it had formerly been established such are cantiously seen unto by the Church at Antioch and considerately condemned by the Councel of the Church convened at Jerusalem Acts 15.24 for that they troubled the people of God and * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Unde argumenta 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 apud dialecticos sâ—nt argumenta ad destructionem Lorin subverted their souls from the proper prescribed Worship of God These Saint Paul in all his Epistles to Corinth Galatia Ephesus Colosse or others writes against as subverterers of the sincere Worship of God received and Innovators of their own inventions and impositions therefore called a will-worship Col. 2.23 This innovation or rather retention of the matter of Levitical Worship under the Gospel is by the Authour to the Hebrewes set in a diametrical opposition thorough the whole Epistle to the Gospel-Altar of God and declared to be so sinful as was inconsistent with participation in the Christians Altar in Heb. 13.10 Thus also the Papists innovating the crossing ceremony sanctifying water the five sacraments sacrifice of the Altar the Ave Maria prayers to Saints and the like matters as essential parts of divine Worship do clearly in the very matter build Altars besides the Altars of God so that if the Ministers of God do offer unto God any other matter as acts of divine Worship their Ministery will not sanctifie their action but their innovation makes them subject to the guilt of Altar-building whilest the matter of their offering be like to the fire of Nadab and Abihu strange fire before the Lord. Lev. 10.1 2. Secondly this sin of building Altars besides the Altars of the Lord may be committed objectively when the very material Altar continuing is diveried from its proper object unto such as not being Gods cannot be the object of divine Worship as when the Temple is used to idolatry the incense of the Lord is smoaking before idols the sacrifices of God are offered unto Baal and the like all which though in themselves the very Altar and proper matter of the Lords divine Worship yet not being duly tendred to him is the building of an Altar besides his Altar this sin was committed by Manasseh in diverting the Temple to idolatry and is expresly digitated to Ezekiel when God shewes him the defilements of his Sanctuary the cloud of incense ascending before the images and the twenty five men worshipping not God but the Sun Ezek. 8. And of this God complaineth viz. that they had defiled his Sanctuary when they brought in their idol-service into his holy place Ezek. 5.11 23 38. for the Temple of Jerusalem was not the Temple of the Lord whilest diverted to idols any more then the temples of Apollo or other heathenish gods are such when by Christians they are disposed into convenient places for the Assemblies of Gods people to worship in so that now under the Gospel to give divine Worship to any but the true God in Christ is to build Altars against him and destroy his for though prayer be a part of Gods Sacrifice and Worshâ—p yet it is not so nay it is opposite thereunto if Darius the King the Lady Mary Peter Paul or any other Saint whatsoever be the object thereof and so the Sacrament of the Lords Supper a great pâ—rt of Gods Gospel-Altar ceaseth so to be by the offering it unto God as one to be appeased satisfied and reconciled by a sacrifice and not as one already satisfied and appeased nay it is by the change of the object changed in its owne nature and of Divine made will-worship Thirdly Altars may be built besides the Altars of God formally when the very Altar sacrifice incense and every matter of the Lords Worship is retained and performed to the very object of divine Worship the true God in a false manner of administration matter miscarrying in the forme is changed as to its nature for the axiome is true that forma dat essentiam the forme denominates the thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to that which it is distinguisheth it from other things and indeed makes it to be what it is for the matter is indeed the principium passivum capable of being whatsoever the forme doth make it being the principuum activum Forma est Principium activum peâ— quam res est distinguitur ab aliis denominatur operatur and thus the slaying of beasts by private men is no more then a moral act of slaughter which when done by the Priest is the religious act of Sacrifice and so under the Law Sauls offering of beasts in sacrifice is so far from being divine Worship that it is denominated disobedience because not
soul that for the universal Church So also the Donatists Manichees Paulus Samosatenus of whom the Synod of Antioch sadly complaine that the Church was so rent See their Epistle in Euseb l. 7. c. 30. that faith and religion was run into great spite hatred and slander by reason of his swelling pride as also by the Arrians which filled the whole Christian world with confusion and division some taking this side and some that some communicating here and some there even to most bloody persecution of the true sincere Ministers and people of God the which schisme how sadly complained of by Athanasius the good Bishop of Alexandria how earnestly endeavoured to be cemented by Constantine the good Emperour and how strongly it reigned to the checking of the Churches comforts and clouding of the glory of the the Gospel Eusebius at large declareth in his first and second books of Ecelesiastical history but may not the separations from the communion of the Church and sad schismes amongst our selves produced by such as are of late risen up to build Altars of innovated doctrines contrary to the doctrine of Christ call us back from wandring so far to seek confirmation of this sad effect of so grievous a sinne and provoke us with shame and sorrow to own the evident effect upon our own sad experience and set to our seales that of a truth Altar-building against Gods Altar is an odious because a Church-renting sin Socrates Scholacticus Eccl. hist l. 1. c. 10 for to how many may we say as Constantine the Emperour to Aretius the Novatian Bishop Why sever ye your selves from the communion of the faithful whose answer may occasion our reply as his Provide you a ladder to climbe into Heaven alone The second effect which must needs also shew the building Altars beside the Altar of God to be exceeding sinful is to speak with due reverence a running God upon straits concerning the dispensations of his Providences and the administration of his judgements or mercies not that God is in his nature capable of such want of wisdome who is the most wise and readily disposeth all things according to the counsel of his own will or weaknesse of power to effect and bring about his purpose whose power is like himself and not to be resisted as that is should make him to doubt or dispute what to do Luctatur in Deo hinc justitia ira adversus peccata quae atrociter pecâ—cantes atrociter puniri perdi postulat illinc immensa misericordia bonitas quae non vult mortem peccatoris sed ut convertatur vivat Paâ— in Hos 11.8 Hac particula ostendit Deus quid meriti sunt Israeliâ—e jam se propensum esse ad sumendam poenam quâ dignisunt non tamen id sine poenitentia vel saltem dubitatione Calv. in lâ—â— whether to strike or spare the sinner But to speak to our capacity such may be sometimes the effects of divine Providence that to us God may seem to be in a strait and as it were in doubt with himself his justice provoked by the sin putting forward to punish the sinner and his mercies desiring repentance and deliverance pleading for suspence or abatements of the afflictions striving together make God as it were cry out What shall I do unto thee how shall I give thee up Ephraim how shall I deliver thee Israel how shall I make thee as Admah how shall I set thee as Zeboim Wherein though this Altar-building Israel had deserved to be made as Admah and Zeboim for their sinne yet God doth seemingly dispute with himself how should he do it to them in Hos 11.8 such another strait God seems to be in when he stands over Jerusalem with his how long and when shall it once be as in Jer. 13.27 where he criâ—s out of this sin of Altar-building I have seen thine adulteries and neighings the lewdnesse of thy whoredomes and thy abominations on the hills in the fieldâ— Wo unto thee O Ierusalem as if he should have said I have seen all Altars and am ready to strike and punish thee severely for them but yet he checks himself and bids a stay to his justice with a wilt thou not be made clean when shall it once be I would faine have my hand stayed at last even at last before the stroak that is up fall and as mercie and justice those different properties in God are to speak with reverence of a God not in the least subject to passions set as it were opposite by this sin so also we shall see a seeming strife betweene Gods purity that cannot endure iniquity and divine glory which he will not in the least give to another and promise performance faithfulnesse for the sin being acted God forsaken his Law declined and mans will and inventions advanced then Gods purity provokes divine justice to strike with such language as this I am holy I cannot endure sin yet it is acted against me If sentence be not speedily executed the heart of men will be fully set in them to do wickedly patience will but provoke their prophanenesse they being so corrupt as to abuse it Eccles 8.11 will be as it were driven to sin by it nay they will make divine silence an argument of sins allowance and when they sleight my service and set up their owne inventions and yet go on and prosper and I hold my tongue they will say I am altogether such an one as themselves arise justice let me not be reputed the Author or indulger of such disobedience set their sins in order before their eyes Psal 50.21 Nay though they being dearest Davids doth not their sin give occasion to mine enemies to blaspheme should I suffer Jedidiah my beloved one to increase his worship at Idol-Altars and corrupt nay decline mine and his posterity to possesse his Kingdome will not the Heathen say I am not pure and holy for I indulge their sin Do not the lewd lives of Christians cause the Heathen to reproach the Gospel of my Sonne and to say my doctrine dictates such things as nature will blush to see as if nature which I made were more pure then my selfe shall I be silent and not correct the impieties of my people which make Heathen Romes Senators when they see my holy Word to question whether it be my Law Shall my divine nature be blasphemously denied by an Apostate Julian or Arius and I not be avenged Shall the perfidious and perjurious deeds of my Christian people deny me to be a God and provoke this Turkish appeale to my purity producing the league sworne in my name and broken by them Behold thou crucified Christ this is the league thy Christians in thy Name made with me As did Amurath sixth King of the Turks against Udislaus king of Hungary Folonia when he took absolution from his oath from Cardinal Julian and fought against the Turks contrary to the league sworne See Turk Hist
sufficient to evidence its concommitancie with this sin of Altar-building both before and since Christ came in the flesh and to give us cause if we finde the same to shew it selfe in the midest of us as it usually puts up in troublesome times and places as most suitable to their doubtful destinies to suspect Altar-building to attend it but upon serious search and diligent observation we shall easily see to the sadning of pious spirits not only hath Astrology appeared under our confusions and commotions but also not been rebuked but rather indulged and countenanced I and by too many received to the emboldening of its professors with wonted impudency to enter the lists and engage the contests for divining predicting Astrology so often foyled by Civil and Ecclesiastical censures in the Church nay and by Heathens themselves strangers to the Church their raging arguments produced against arguments of reason and Scripture the reviling tearmes against Divines and Ministers of the Gospel not only now living to defend divine providence from their starrie encroachments but even such as are long since rotted in the grave doing what in them is to the killing of their labours which do live and will live to their conviction and confusion their declared enmity to Religion publishing and predicting as the pretended influence of the Starres the variety of confusions and sad divisions concerning it evermore prophesying evil to the Truth according to the wonted practice of its professors and their blazing forth the least of failings nay sometimes imagined in Divines to the rendring of their persons and function vile whilest they sound the trumpet of their owne praise often recollecting those things they have seemingly foretold and have accidentally come to passe but burying in oblivion their never accomplished predictions which may set Mercury on work as Seneca once wittily fancied to intreat the gods to abridge the life of Claudius if for no other cause yet of very pitie and compassion to the poore Astrologers as the great Plague threatened to be in London 1652. who had already beene taken with so many lies from year to year that if the destinies were not more favourable then their ground was sure the credit of Astrology would decay for ever of which if a man should as it is reported of the Lord of Arundel note but their yearly Almanacks with repugnant notes at the beginning they would oftentimes prove more true then such predictions These things I say are not to be past without observation as the evidence of that height of their existence and countenance in the midest of us which may create our jealousie if I may not say conclude the sin of Altar-building to be on foot among us Astrological impositions upon the peoples faith lately started up with peremptorinesse and impudence with the peoples apt reception thereof as more infallible Prognostications of the government of the world and Church then either Scripture-prophecie or promise provoked a reverend Divine to redeeme time from his more serious studies to the posing and puzling of the Magical-Astrological-Diviner Mr. John Gaule his Magastro-mancer posed and puzled see his Epist to the Reader induced by this very reason conscience of duty to use his owne words to stand up to speak a word for God Christ the holy Ghost Church and Saints against a presse and pest of Magical magephemerical magnastrological c. of books of late crept nay crouded in amongst us to the dishonour of God denying of Christ despighting the Spirit cauponizing of the Word disturbing the Church subverting of Religion distracting of the State scandalizing weak Christians and seducing of common people yea to the promotion of Idolatry Superstition Heresie Schisme c. We see then my brethren this sinful Art of Starre-divining as a concomitant of the sin after which we are enquiring to be too evident in the midest of us I shall a little and very briefly note to you the fitnesse of this sinful Art to characterize the sin of Altar-building that to the quickening of your affections you may more seriously heed it though it hath beene but seldome hinted and that in noting its nature and the Churches observation concerning it First as for its nature not to stand upon it as erroneous and heretical as it is in it selfe the rules of it and inferences from the same became directly contrary to the doctrine of faith not its aptitude to engage needlesse scrupulosities and superstitious observations of this as ominous and that as lucky to the enslaving a mans will in every action to the observation of every circumstance and subjection to the Starres nor yet of its uncertainty whereby the event sometimes falls contrary to the prediction as Firminus a friend to Saint Augustine found in observation of the fate of two children borne in his house at one and the same moment which yet was calculated by the starres to be the same but by the Law and custome of the Countrey proved quite contrary I shall only note its nature in relation to this sin and we shall finde it of a suitable nature to receive and propagate innovations and false will-worship not only as it is Skeptical certaine in nothing but the uncertainty of their owne assertions but also as it disposeth the Stars and Celestial bodies into the chaire of divine providence whilest as was before noted it placeth all even secrets and supreme happinesse in the power of the Planets which doctrine must needs set them as objects of admiration and so of adoration a very natural way to build Altars objectively by giving the worship and honour of the Creator and disposer of all things to the creatures without doubt this was to the Jewes as to other Nations the leading principle to worship the Queene and the hoast of Heaven nay further dictates a doctrine of universal Toleration of all religions never in the least admitting any limitation or restraint which might be of too sad a reflection upon it self Hence Ptolomy saith that the disposition or inclination which divers Countries have to worship one God before another cometh from the constellation of the Planets as Jupiter and Saturne make a Jew Mars a Persian to worship the fire Mercury a Christian and with the Moon an Antichrist so that whilest this sinful Prognosticating Art makes the Planets the authors it must needs make them indulgers and approvers of the exercise of all religions or religious formes though never so repugnant and inconsistent each to other this is sure the reason why Astrologers have in our late dayes Prognosticated very often the liberty of all religions to be exercised and no Discipline for the restraint thereof ever spoken for by them and is a fit foundation to build many Altars upon as observed experience hath too clearly evidenced for as an every dayes Sabbath is no Sabbath so an every way of worship without confinement to divine prescription is no way of true worship unto God for novelty will be building when
admission into the Church for an admission by a Congregational Covenant a word profession of the faith which is not in them and engaging to joyne in such Assemblies and be edified in their principles of new light though never so contrary to the old light of Scriptures nay and undetected and so subject unto changes nay let the several subdivisions and withdrawing of members from collected separate Churches the many Sects and sorts of Churches that have appeared and beene professed since the first rent from the body of the Churches in the Nation by the old Brownists and of late Independenâ—s be a witnesse of this sad effect and concomitant which so clearly characterizing the sin whilest as I before noted all of these Sects and sorts that thus separate themselves from the Church cannot be all or any of them the way of Gods worship who is one and will be worshipped by his owne way in his own Church may irritate our jealousie may as premises lead us clearly to infer the conclusion that Altars are built and in building against the Altar of God with which our heart is to be affected and our selves humbled before God as becomes sincere worshippers at his Altar The fourth Character found to be the constant concomitant of building Altars against the Altars of God is deadly enmity to the Ministers of God which wait upon Gods Altar In all Religions the Priest or Priestly Office as essential to the support of the Altar-worship is ever advanced protected and provided for by the friends supplanted opposed and destroyed by the enemies of such Altar-worship and it is to me very observable that Gods charge of constant waiting at his Altar goes not without a Take heed thou forsake not the Levite all thy dayes Deut. 12 19. So that Altar-Ministery and the Altar it self whether true or false do alwayes stand together what rebellious innovation read we in the story of Altar-building Israel not accompanied with a resistance of the Ministery appointed to wait at Gods Altar the rebellion of Corah and his company chargeth Aaron as well as nay more immoderately then Moses to have taken too much upon him 2 Chron. 11.13 14. the unjust affectation of the Priesthood is eminently reproved by Moses and confuted by the miraculous budding of Aarons rod and their Censers beaten into plates Jeroboam sets not up false Altars at Dan and Bethel without suspending the Ministers of Gods Altar ab officio beneficio 1 Kings 31.4 1 Kings 18.19 from their work and wages and the stretching forth of his hand against the Prophet of God sent from Jerusalem Ahabs Altars and Idolatry is not acted without an Elijah's complaint 2 Kings 10 2 Chron. They have broken downe thine Altars and slaine thy Prophets and if ever false Altars are subverted and the Altar of God restored if but by the seeming zeale of Jehu or the sincere zeale of Elias the Priests of Baal must be the sacrifice that the Priests of God may be restored 29.13.4 15.3 It is recorded to the everlasting honour and to the lustre of the reformation of Asa Hezekiah and Josiah restorers of Gods true Altar that they set the Priests and Levites Ministers of the Altar in their places and provided their full maintenance to their encouragement putting a period to the sad complaint that Israel had now for a long season beene without the true God and without a Priest to teach and without Law not only do instances abound thus under the Law which we use the more because of the proper use of Altars under it but also under the Gospel Is it not clear to every reasonable observant eye that the Jewish and Paganish Priests opposed by themselves and provoked others against the Apostles of Christ Do not the Apostolical Epistles demonstrate the deadly enmity of the false Apostles against the true Apostâ—es calumniating them subverting their Ministery and disswading from their maintenance necessitating their boasting beyond their purpose and pleading in the defence of Ministerial maintenance as by the Altar-rule it was required when themselves had sufficient and abounded Did not the rage of Paganish persecution pursue an Ignatius or Policarpus and such Ministers of the Churches as the principal objects will not an Apostate Julian subtilly labour to subvert the worship of Christ by substracting the Ministerial maintenance subverting the Schooles of their qualification and by universal toleration supplanting their Ordination of Ministers If ever Arrius will build his Altar of denying Christ his Divinity Athanasius must be the objâ—ct of his opposition so on the other hand if a Christian Constantine will owne and advance the Altar and worship of God in Christ he will court and comfort cherish and support the despised and dejected Ministers thereof largely allowing of himselfe and providing for their subsistence and encouragement for supersticious seducers and will-worship-innovators know the Ministers of the Gospel to be like the Dog in the Fable defending the sheep from dissipation and destruction by their wolvish property and the sincere worshippers of God well know that God will not be enjoyed immediately having appointed a Moses a Mediatour nor can we expect the tender of divine worsh p in his immediate presence who hath appointed an Ordinance of intercourse betweene himselfe and his Church the Ministery of his Altar which he hath promised to vindicate and preserve to the end of the world when ever he promised the communications of himself to or the acceptation of worship from his Church so that enquiring after the actors of this sin of Altar-building we must observe who they are that express enmity not to the persons of particular Ministers only but to the Ministery of Gods Altar making it a sufficient guilt odium and object of enmity to be denominated a Minister let us take notice who decline and despise it Who are they that make this Office the object of railing and reviling denominating it Antichristian needlesse imperious proud insulting enslaving men to needlesse nicity and cruel bondage and all because it corrects their errour curbs their superstition and commands in the Name of the Lord their obedience to divine prescriptions who they are that raise persecution against and with railing tearmes render Ministers as Ministers vile in the eyes of men and by pretended revelations and prophecie decry the Office saying This Antichristian Order and its Ordination to this Office must meet with a period proclaiming liberty to Christians as Christians to invade this Sacred Function and to speak in the Name of the Lord uncalled and unqualified and that provoke by principles petition or pretended example to destroy and have diverted the maintenance of such as wait on the Altar designed to them both by God and man these I say that thus appear deadly enemies to the Instrument of divine worship the Ordinance of waiting at Gods true Altar the Gospel-Ministery although with seeming sanctity and a shout of saintship cannot be excused from just
at liberty And Astrology it selfe may by this meanes come to be an Altar a religion as it was among the Heathen And lastly it 's enmity to Christian Religion which nature must needs render it very capable of introducing another though directly opposite this enmity is evidenced by that antithesis it hath ever stood in to Religion by the Magical operators and planitary predicters notorious malice and envie in defaming disgracing calumniating deriding contemning opposing the Ministers of the Gospel and predicting frequently the decayes of the encouragements nay and the very falling of their calling promised to be perpetuated till the Church be perfect in heaven Lord Howard in his Defensative against poyson of supposed prâ—phecieâ— ch 22. p. 111. nay not only is their enmity against the instruments which must hold up and continue the Altar of God Christian Religion but by their fatal yet hitherto false predictions against Religion it self for in the first beginning and tender spring of faith the observers of the Planets gave out in their Pamphlets That the Name of Christ should not be had in honour at the uttermost above two hundred yeares which falling out by tract of time to be an egregious lie Albumazar to keep his disciples in life adjourned the destruction of our Religion two hundred years higher supposing undoubtedly this should be the utmost stint and period of our continuance which maugre their malice continueth to this day and shall continue so that we see sufficient in its nature to make it a character being so capable of being a cause of Altar-building But let us passe on to the Observatitions of sincere worshippers of God concerning it and what wise observer is or ever hath beene in the Church of God to whom it hath not appeared that those Astrological artists ever were more rife in Heathenish then in Christian in Popish then in Protestant in former then in later times that they were alwayes most busie in turbulent distracted times and places where wars domestick or forreigne fitted people for sedition faction or schisme c. that the proper fruits of their Schooles Societies Religion Practice and Profession were the nourishing of Nations in Idolatry Sorcery Superstition and Impiety that men of the greatest learning wisdome vertue conscience and piety have not derided and despised them whilest men of the contrary disposition have feared their Prognostications and believed their Predictions but to close up all of much that might be observed that when and wheresoever their Divinations and Presagings were most received it was not a fearful presage of a decay of Religion and of a declining Church in a word that the Word Church or true Religion of God never flourished or was established in any Kingdome or Nation where Magicians Diviners Sooth-sayers and Astrologers were countenanced or connived at nay where they were not condemned and suppressed Now my brethren these things considered I leave it to every unprejudiced man to consider whether the acting advancing seeking to or suffering in silence Astrology and its Predictions give not just cause to Ministers of the Gospel to complaine of and cry out against superstition innovations Altar-building against Gods Altar as the sad attendant on or effect of Star-gazing and wheresoever we see in divided parties exercâ—sing distinct practises this Art to be owned allowed pleaded for and believed there we may conclude a just suspition at the least of their departing from the Lord and his worship to follow their own inventions The third Character as the constant concomitant of Altar-building is dangerous separations from the union of the Saints and body of the Church of God This is that which I have before noted to be the sad effect of this sin whether materially or formally acted as we have instanced in Corahs and his company 's gathering a Congregation and disjoyning themselves from the Camp of Israel Jeroboam and his subjects separation from the Temple not to this day cemented by many evidences and instances under the Gospel Well may I then call that a concomitant which was before proved an effect of the sin and well may that be a character which is both a concomitant and effect of Altar-building and now my brethren I would I could say with the Apostle I rejoyce to see your order and stedfastnesse in the faith your order in orderly union every member keeping its proper place without ambition or murmuration and all keeping close in that one body into which we were all baptized but alas horresco referens I speak it to our shame and sorrow this day in the sight of God What man that can but halfe see seeth not factions schismes and sad divisions to encrease in the midest of us some men not only professing to this Minister and crying him up not only above but against other Ministers and others owning that and adhering to him and his principles making them matters of faith because spoken by him rather then grounded on the Word so that some are of Paul some of Apollo as if neither themselves nor the Ministers were of Christ these contentions strifes divisions the Apostle doth not only not commend whilest he dehorts from such dissensions but expressely condemnes them as carnal and seemees to hint the same to be a setting of them as objects of their faith worship and so Altars against Christ the true Altar of them all whilest he expostulates Is Christ divided was Paul crufied for you either were ye baptized into the name of Paul rejoycing he had baptized few among them lest they should say he baptized in his owne name which expostulations are vehement affirmations that such as denominate themselves by the name of their Teachers as having their persons in admiration though never so eminent Cujus nomine in religione censeri volumus ab eo redeÌ„ptos ejusque nos proprios esse profitemur baptismus est sacramentum confoederationis cum eo in cujus nomen baptizamur Par. in loc to divide Christ to owne their Teachers as their Saviours and Redeemers and such into whose name and profession they were baptized 1 Cor. 12.13 14. not only are we I say thus divided in our profession of relations to this and to that Minister but also in Church-way some of Independent Church-wayes some of Arminian some of Socinian some of Anabaptistical some of Seekers and it were well if some were not professedly of ranting Churches and Assemblies all which separate from the body of the Church refusing to worship God with theÌ„ in way of ministration by him prescribed by it practized and such as do so divide never yet disproved the same either in matter or forme notwithstanding their calumniating charges of all out of their way though baptized and approved pious as in wayes and hedges with the Heathen as the members of the scarlet-coloured whore brats of Babylon subjected to Antichristian Ministery out of the way of Christ and therefore to be gathered into a Church way and exchange their baptismal