and hath his Friends about him Afterwards he comes to his Answer and now is the time to know his Friends In prima mea defensione nemo mihi adfuit every one fled to corners and shifted for their own safety Only Luke is with me and therefore have a care to come to me speedily For Demas hath forsaken me Simplex miseria non sufficit One Calamity follows close upon another Squama squamae fluctus fluctui The wages of well-doing is Injury And all that will live godly shall suffer persecution But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what must Brutus make one amongst the rest to stab his Caesar Thou my familiar Friend and Companion saith David Psal 55. What none but Judas the oeconomus Christi none but the Purse-bearer to betray his Master And will Demas shew his heels fly and forsake that heavenly Mercury and Truths Trumpetor who took him taught him and instructed him the way to Heaven This Demas did and did it in the worst of times a time of need When his Friend was in misery and a little Comfort might have been worth a World to persecuted and distressed Paul Yet Dominus mihi adfuit saith the Martyr when all the World forsook him God did not But corroboravit me 'T is a Meditation for men in distress Aderit Dominus corroborabit But my undertaken Task calls me back to Demas Demas hath forsaken me Thus take the words and it a Complaint Take in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 't is a Reason Have a care to come quickly unto me for Demas hath forsaken me And thus you have three things First The best men are driven to their Streights Secondly the ungodly fly and forsake their best Friends in their greatest need Thirdly the Godly must and will assist one another Take it as a Complaint and so 't is too and you have three things also First the Inconstancy of Friends Secondly the bewitching Pleasures of the World Thirdly the Miseries of Persecution But with Demas must we begin He parts first and he parts from Rome from Paul from God First from Rome nay that may be well done Exeat Aula Qui vult esse pius No man could deem it a fault to fly from Nero's Court. And this is that so much commends Moses That he forsook the pleasure of sin Pharaoh's Court and chose rather to suffer Affliction with the Children of God But secondly Demas forsakes Paul too And that might be excuseable in some Case also For Barnabas and Paul exacerbati not without some bitterness depart one from another Or last of all He might secedere ad tempus leave St. Paul for a time and upon better thoughts return again as did Onesimus to his Master Philemon And Beza is of that Opinion Videtur ille postea resipiscens ad Paulum revertisse But his Opinion stands upon two but too weak Grounds The first that Timothy was never at Rome but once which were much for such Friends and in so long a time The second Probabile est That the Epistle to Philemon was written after this Second Epistle to Timothy All is but videtur and probabile and under correction I shall say Videtur quod non For first for Pauls going from Barnabas as also of Onesimus from Philemon 't was but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a parting or separation Here is a plain Dereliction And secondly read but this Chapter and you shall see 't was written very little before his Death Ego jam libor vers 6. I am ready to be offered up and the time of my Dissolution is at hand But in the Epistle to Philemon Para mihi hospitium vers 22. He was in hope to scape and come amongst them And so 't is here spoken of Demas his Dereliction when Paul was ready to suffer but no where is mention of Demas's Return And therefore I add in the third place That he forsook God too Rome Paul and God too For in this verse three things are witnessed against him First Demas hath forsaken me Secondly hath embraced the present World Thirdly He is gone to Thessalonica He had made merchandize of his Soul before and is now gone about his other Merchandize or he goes far enough from Rome lest some good Friend or other should labour to reclaim him And now because order carries some help to memory though in the weakest Endeavours Out of all this Chaos I shall select some few Particulars to be insisted on in this order First You shall see an Inconstant Friend Secondly A Faithless Steward or Minister Thirdly The Motives which induce him to forsake his Friend his Office his God Demas hath forsaken me Demas my supposed Friend For a prosessed one till now he did appear But what saith Beâ—-Sâ—iâ—ach A Friend cannot be known in Prosperity When Paul had entertainment as an Angel from Heaven multitudes weeping for his departure Men Women and Children accompanying him to the Ship The Galatians ready to pull out their eyes to do Paul good The Priest of Jupiter bringing out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bulls in their Garlands ready for Sacrifice to do him honour When a word from his mouth or a Napkin from his hand could cure the sick and revive the dead when a Lycaonian cry was heard Gods are come down among us 't was a brave World and who would not strive to make one in such a gallant glorious Company But the Case is altered now with Paul His power is it seems eclipsed He that could cure others cannot now free himself Sistitur ad Tribunal Caesaris and he must answer for his new Profession He shall find his Sect every where spoken against That Si Tibris ascendit in Moenia si Nilus non descendit in Arva Si Fames si Lues Statim Christianus ad Leones No Calamity in East or West but 't was all imputed to their toleration of this new Religion And therefore no favour is to be expected now for Paul or Pauls Profession No wonder then if Demas hath given the slip and left this miserable Prisoner to shift for himself Friendship is like Corn in stony ground ten to one if it gather root Friends for the most part are like Swallows they love our Houses all the Summer time and seem a part of our Family But when once Winter comes farewell Swallows These are the Rats and Mice who love to repose them and take up their rest in the fattest Barns and best inhabited Mansions But if the Edifice begin to totter and the Buildings shake farewel Rats And this is that made Solomon say Prov. 17. A Friend loveth at all times and a Brother is born for adversity Then were the Nunc or Nunquam to do good But then indeed the Vizard is plucked off from most mens faces and false friendship shews it self in its own Colours And that you see by Demas who will be sure to look to the time and provide for a sore finger in season There is a place in Scripture which amongst some
other hath found several Readings 't is Rom. 12.11 Origen reads it Be fervent in spirit seâ—ving the time A brave Text say the Time servers and inconstant Friends 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And in these latter times Erasmus with some others sticks to that Reading But we will say with St. Hierom of old Illi legant tempori servientes nos legamus Domino servientes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Serve the Lord. Let them serve the times that will wee 'l read Wee 'l follow wee 'l serve God and the King And yet if the other reading were admitted 't would little patronize the Changerlings of these dayes the fickle faithless and inconstant Friends For by serving the time what were we taught but to submit to the time and take Gods visitations patiently Or serve the time that is be ready to help and assist your Neighbours Friends and Brethren at all times on all occasions As St. Paul became omnia omnibus all things to all men to do them good But sure the world is cast in another mould now The major part so serve the time that they run with the time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as one said So often turning and returning that you know not where to find them Similes Ericio like the Vrchin or Hedghogg who hath alwaies two holes to which he doth apply himself according to the Winds Such was Tydides and his Followers between the Greeks and Trojans 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Such was Cicero demurring between Caesar and Pompey And therefore Luberius Mimus told him truly though tartly That he was wont Duabus sellis sedere He sate upon two stools O Beloved how many Tullies and Tidides hath this Land afforded in those latter dayes Men and Women Like Panarchs Riddle Râ—ts Bats Neuters and more treacherous than Ziba Non Hospes ab Hospite tutus Non socer à Genero So little do men now-a-day regard the sacred tye of Friendship or the many many Obligations in which they stand engaged The Sarmatian if once he swear by the Blade of his Sword 't was as good as a Persian Law unalterable The Canter if he swear by Solomon you mâ—y believe him If those of Vlster swear by St. Patricks Staff you might be bold on 't But now God and Gods Bible all the Obligations and Oaths of Allegiance in the World cannot keep the graceless Multitude within the Pale of their Obedience and Fidelity You have a Proverb Over Shoos and over Boots And the Philosopher tells you Concatenata sunt vitia Though it may be said of a Solitary man Aut Deus aut Daemon A Solitary man or most Solitary men are most while Evil yet Evil it self is never Solitary Vices grow like Grapes by Clusters And therefore when you see Demas forsake his best Friend and Tutor you may not think he sets up his rest here Plus ultra is his word his work and one sin begets another Chrysostom gives Instance in a Lie which doth oft-times procure Swearing Forswearing and Cursing too Augustine in Drunkenness which caused Adultery and Murder too How David fell from sin to sin the holy Scriptures testifie as likewise Peter And I would we had not in our dayes the cursed Fruits of Disobedience And how Discontent did hammer out the Sword of the Covenant to cut asunder the Gordian-knot of all Obedience and Religious Duties in Church and State Here Demas goes from Rome from Paul and from God too which is the second thing we would observe That he is not only an Inconstant Friend but a faithless Steward or Minister Pars secunda We did look upon him but now under the common notion of a man or at most an obliged man Now behold we him a little as a Minister for such doubtless shall you find him For in the Epistle to Philemon vers penult Marchus Aristarchus Demas Lucas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Two of them Evangelists And he amongst the rest a Fellow-labourer with St. Paul a gallant Title but quickly lost But may not a Minister in any case forsake his Calling I know the Papists resolve in this point who though they teach the Character of Priesthood to be indelible yet they tell us There is a Superlative Power in the Pope who can dispense with any thing In ordine ad melius or Communius Bonum And many a Cardinal hath enjoyed that priviledge In our dayes when every harmless Ceremony is looked upon as a Monster in the Church some have thought it lawful to quit their Callings rather then Conform others laudable and some with the rigid Flaccians proclaim it necessary But the greater and better part old and new truly tell us That for a full Minister as some speak for a Priest to forsake his Calling what were this but to put his hand to the Plough and look back He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seperate to the Gospel of Christ and what were this Desertion of his Calling but to separate him from Gospel God and All. Vae mihi si non Evangelizem 1 Cor. 9.16 But what cares Demas for this What doth St. Pauls Vae trouble him who had left St. Paul and his Religion too O but there may be many faithless Stewards who do not quite renounce their Stewardship They write down fifty instead of an hundred lessen or excuse sin sow Cushions bid Achab go up and prosper There are too many of this untimely brood such as are become Nobiles in scelere as Hierom spake of Helvidius men without Note Learning or Merit who by their libelling railing and complying are cryed up and commended to the World for the Grandees of the time Nay there are some of Eminency and good Parts whom St. Paul might sometime have owned for his Fellow-labourers Yet these men do not alwayes set the Right-foot before they turn Ephraimites starting aside like a broken Bow I knew the time when those Sons of Thunder would have preach'd Obedience and have told their Auditors what 't were to resist the higher Powers But the wind is turned and see what Reputation Applause or some other worldly By-respect can do These with Demas forsake Paul Pauls Doctrine and by Consequent Paul's God too Nay truly some man would speak them worse then Demas for I take Demas to be a new Convert lately and but lately warmed with the Sun-shine of the Gospel not thorowly grounded and therefore the more apt to make Relapse into this Paganism But these men I fear some of them not without reluctation of Conscience withhold the truth in unrighteousness and wittingly willingly oppose that self-same Religion in which they were born which they ever did profess and of the truth of which they are reasonably well perswaded if I say not fully O would to God these men would seriously consider what 't is to rent the seamless coat of Christ And whilst they do pretend the Fear of Idolatry they become not flat Idolaters themselves For what else is Will-worship and
saith he did not Christ say You are clean by the Baptism wherewith you have keep washed but you are clean by the Word c. Nisi quia in Aqua verbum mundat Surely saith he because the Water of it self cannot cleanse us but 't is the Word the Word in Water Detrahe verbum take away the Word and what is Water but Water Accedit Verbum ad Elementum fit Sacramentum So that Word and Water the outward Element and the inward Spirit to enliven it must go together Titus 3.5 The Form of Baptism you have fully and in terminis delivered Matth. 28.19 In Nomine Patris Filii Spiritus Sancti Canus a School mâ—n cannot tell whether the Apostles did use those very words this very Form or not because some places in the Scripture seem to say the contrary as Acts 2.38 Acts 8.16 They are there said to Baptize only in the Name of the Lord Jesus And in Acts 10.48 Peter commands Cornelius and his Houshold and Friends to be baptized In the Name of the Lord. The e Catech. ad paroch Councel of Trent tells us That the Apostles did indeed for some time baptize In the Name of Jesus Christ only That by this means in the Infancy of the Church The Name of Jesus Christ might become more famous and renowned And that they did this Afflatu Spiritus Sancti Ambrose and Basil interpret the words In the Name of Jesus Christ to be nothing else but non in Baptismo Johannis Not in the Name or with the Baptism of John But this can no way satisfie those who take the Baptism of Christ and his Fore-runner to be all one Some tell us In the Name of Christ implies the whole Trinity The Anoynter the Anoynted and he per quem the holy Ghost Others In the Name that is By the power and authority given by Christ Calvin denies those places to be meant of the Form of Baptism Anw f Mr. Gill spye in Aarons Rod. l. 2. c. 7. p. 238. and so Mr. Rogers in Bethshemesh l. 2. c. 4. c. 9. Writer distinguishing of Words and Actions tells us That in Baptism Christ doth not command us either this In the Name of Christ or that other In Nomine Patris c. Matth. 28. But we are commanded to do the Thing Sure we are and as the Thing so the Words also I willingly here omit those strange Baptisms in Irenaeus lib. 1. cap. 18. nor will I trouble you with those Opinions of Cajetan Victoria and Pope Nicolas and what miserable shifts the careful Canus is driven to that he might save and salve the Credit of his Pope Again I shall forbear to speak of those Accessories in Popish Baptism as The putting of Salt into the Mouth of the baptized The anoynting of their Ears and Nostrils with spittle The Chrism for the crown of the head A burning Wax-candle for the hand The Alb Milk and I know not what These may have I confess certain significations not unprofitable But the Burden of Ceremonies was long since buried And we may justly fear that of putting to Deut. 12.32 or that in Isai 1.12 Who required this And therefore we content our selves as with the Form so with the Formalities prescribed uâ— by our Master And Scriptum est must be our Guide Yet if ought conduce to Decency we are content we do embrace it But with the Law of Liberty which teacheth us to make a difference between the Necessity of Obedience and the Necessity of the Thing commanded Something here mâ—ght be said touching Immersion and a plunging in Effusion and a pouring on Or the Aspersio Aquae now most in fashion the but besprinkling of the water on the parties which are to be baptized So likewise touching that other Quaere De unica trina c. Whither this diving dipping pouring sprinkling call it what you will must be done Thrice or but Once How eagerly here have I heard some Men to plead against Antiquity abusing a Spanish Councel to that purpose The fourth of Toledo Our Conclusion for this time shall be that of Gregory the Great Atque ita Cyprian l. 1. Ep. 6. ad Magnum approved by Calvin in Acts 8.38 Sive una sive trina c. Whether it be done once or thrice the Baptism is good And as Josephus Angles Mos cujusvis Ecclesiae servandus est In things accessory and indifferent alterare iterare The Church may alter add any thing so it be done with Decency and for Orders sake Part 2. To whom it appertained to Baptize J. Angles q. 3. de Ministro Baptism Art 1. di 1. The Papists tell us roundly To All. To Priests to Laicks Women Hereticks Turks Jews and All. All in some Cases may baptize Quicunque cujuscunque Conditions in extream Necessity and as they call it in Articulo Mortis But I demand whose that Office is and to whom was that Authority given Doubless to those and those alone to whom 't was said Go and teach all Nations Matth. 28.19 Go and teach Go and baptize Teach and Baptize go together He whose calling is not warrantable for the one cannot doubtless without a grand Impiety presume the other What should any one object to us the Example of a Frantick Woman that of Zipporah Exod. 4. who in a rage cutteth of the Fore-skin of her Son whiles we as well might urge the Example of a fearful or forgetful man who had so long been so remiss and negligent in the performance of so great a Duty and that strict Command But doubtless neither should be urged because neither may be followed Examples without Precepts Non cogunt There is a Canon in the fourth Councel of Carthage Mulier baptizare non praesumat Let not a Woman presume to baptize And saith not the Scripture the same 1 Cor. 14.34 1 Tim. 2.12 Indeed Solis Presbyteris convenit solenniter say their Schools Angles ubi supra None but a Priest can do it solemnly And I say none should do this solemn work but solemnly much less a Woman and least of all a Turk or Jew however a Pope approve such Baptism But one Opinion begets another and whiles they shew themselves such Duri Patres Infantum as 't was said of the g August best of them such bloody Censurers of all unbaptized Children they forget the tender Mercy and Compassion of the Almighty c. That supposed absolute Necessity of Baptism which wrung so many tears from so many millions of Mothers eyes whiles their poor Babes dyed unbaptized made men invent that comfortless Comfort of baptizing by Women nay by Infidels in Case of Necessity The Scripture is plain Ite baptizate They must be sent that do this work They must have a Mission and Commission They may not run before they be sent nor go before a Call and a lawful Call least they offer strange fire with Nadab and Abihu or with Vzza perish for
on others because vve pay into their sins and are too vvell conceited of our own Righteousness vvhereas vve ought chiefly to condemn our selves and vvith the Cloak of Love cover or interpret charitably the scapes of other I vvill say no more but vvith the Apostle 1. Tim. 8.24 Some mens Sins are open before hand and go before unto Judgment and some mens sins follow after You shall have many a glorious Pharisee at that day when the works of all men shall be laid open and the hearts of all men shall be disclosed Ye shall have many a close Villain many a seeming holy Hypocrite shall be unmasked at that day when God shall judg the World by Jesus Christ Come hither therefore come hither thou fault finding Pharisee that seest not Manticae quod in tergo est and Lamia-like layest down thine eyes vvhen thou comest home Come hither and tell me whose Ox hath he taken or vvhose Ass hath he taken or to vvhom hath he done vvrong or of vvhose hand hath he received any Bribe to pervert Justice vvhen did any Tenant complain of his Land-Lords cruelty But his Annulus was testis voluntatis suae not Minister alienae His Seal vvas your security and his Grants were like the Acts of Medes and Persians they should surely stand His Revenues vvere mighty and his Estate honourable He was Mantuan Dives agri dives pecorum ditissimus auri as one sung of another George He had what that gaping Cormorant Covetousness or a dainty curious stomack could vvish The full and the fine of every thing and yet could he Pindar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vvhich the Poet vvanted in Tantalus He could digest his great vvealth and worldly felicities He was Dominus not Custos a Stewarâ— not a Slave to what he had I may call for vvitness Sea and Land this very place and others near adjoyning And for the poor I may justly say of him what vvas said of St. Geoâ—ge to whom Antiquity hath consecrated this day inops nunquam indonatus abibat Nam Pietas homini semper comes Mantuan vt supra inter egenos Effundebat opes c. The stones in the street will cry out if I should hold my Peace He was eyes to the blind Job 29. and feet to the lame and a Father to the poor nor would he eat his morsels alone and therefore multis ille quidem flebilis occidit Job 31.17 Many lament this Sun-set of his and more would but that they look to the Sun rising I should much forget my self if I should forget his Love to the Ministery He honoured the the Calling in his Life and he remembred some of them with Legacies at his Death Large Learned and Living Legacies I vvill come with the end of my Sermon to the end of his Life when his Physitian dealt in genuously and bad him prepare for another World after many and earnest prayers made to God he addressed him to some Friends of his then present and desired them to beware of Vsury 'T is a Sin which I presume none here will tax him with but Love and somewhat else made him say so The Odiousness of the Sin and the discharge of my duty makes me say more Anâ—ere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. If Money could buy Life I would address my self and counsel all my Friends to that execrable Trade but if it make your life no longer and your sins the more if your present gain be future loss and oft times loss of Soul too learn to be righteous Usurers of Solomon's Prov. 19.17 He that hath mercy upon the poor faeneratur Domino he lends his Money to God upon Vsury for I cannot away with this late new-name of Rent 2. in Ver. Honestissima nomina turpissimis rebus imponunt They call their ill-gotten Encrease Rents Read the 15 Psal the 18. of Ezek. and 8. ver and many other places and you shall find an Amplius a word of encrease will encrease your danger I return again to the Bed of the sick How often did he wish there might be Peace amongst his nearest friends when he was gone What Fatherly Love did he shew his Heir What heavenly Counsel did he give his Servants And now because I am to bear a part in the last Act of his Life let me farther tell you how he desired and prepared to receive the holy Eucharist an awful reverence made him defer the taking for a Season and his encreasing Sickness kept him from the Sign for ever I say the Sign for Qui habuit Spiritum tuum quomodo non accepit gratiam tuam as St. Ambrose said of Valeâ—tinian the Emperour dying with the desire of Baptiâ—m but without it Will any man tie the Sacred Deity to sic and nunc or consine his secret will to second Causes If Votum in adultis be the Tenent of the Schools for Baptism and that first Sacrament may be dispensed with and the will or holy purpose shall suffice How much more in this shall our desire supply the want which not a dis-esteeming or neglect but humility and afterward infirmity keeps back I hope this may suffice you He could and did satisfie himself with that saying of St. Augustine Crede Manducasti yet not determining but cravâ—ng my Resolution Nor in thiâ— alone but pressed with the weight of sin he betook him to that well-approved medicine of Confession and therefore commanding all out of the Chamber he laid open his Grief and to use Tertullians phrase Lib. de Poen he made a publication of himself nor was he Pudoris magis memor quà m salutis He did what he went to do and what the issue was I leave to God who hath promised to ratifie in Heaven what we shall do upon the Earth But alas this accersat Presbyteros Jâ—m 5.14 is most where quite forgotten or slighted or condemned rather and therefore most-while that Remission of sins in the 15 verse is not obtained The Fathers were not all out of their wits in this point and the Jacobites and Albanenses are of two late a strain to cross the current of the Primitive Times and purer Antiquity And therefore Confess and confess 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Man to Man Sinner to Sinner Penitent to Priest Surely this is the way to save Souls from death But still the Rain-bow is in the Clouds Reconciliation it self comes from above And therefore Remission Jam. 5.15 Joh. 20.23 Math 18.20 there 's the Blessing Remiseritis ye forgive there 's the Bringer In nomine meo there 's the Donor and therefore Accersat Presbyterum but God be merciful God be merciful to me a sinner Thus did I begin thus must I end for thus made he his end and with his hand in the Priests hand having said the Lords Prayer Obdormivit Alas my Brother so said one Prophet of another lying dead before him and slain by a