glory And a strange thing it is saith Chrysostome that a Physitian a Shooe-maker a Taylor and generally every Artificer is ready and able to render a reason in defence of his profession and trade and yet many Christians even Parents and Masters and Magistrates cannot give an account of their religion Sect. 10. Sixtly They are so farr from being convinc'd of the sinfulnes of their ordinary evil thoughts wordâ— and actions though a very thought may be unpardonable as Simon Peter intimates to Simon Magus Acts 8. 22. that they thinke they doe well and deserve praise for the foulest sinne that can be committed namely for persecuting Christ in his members Witnesse Bishop Laud Wren their fellowes when they have beene examined Nor is this the case of a few but of all naturall men Nor of the meanest simplest or uncivillâ—st but principally of the greatest and wisest and learnedest Civilians and Moralists Yea who have beene so active and forwards as some hundreds of Preachers and Prelates in this land And not only with tongue persecution in rayling upon slandering and nick-naming all godly Christians and preachers even out of the pulpit and that in words of Scripture which shewes a reprobate judgement but even excommunicated arraigned imprisoned whipt beggered branded banished dismembred and in the end when all would not beate them off from Christ and from keeping a good conscience killed them Yea how many of these Bishops and Clergie men have been the incendiaries of this bloody and worse then salvage war in all the three Kingdomes meerly out of a mortall hatred and enmitie which they beare against zealous Christians their sincerity and the power of religion In which they but fulfill those words of our Saviour Luke 21. They shall put you out of the Sinagogues persecute you imprison you and kill you for my names sake vers 12. and in all thinks that they doe God good service John 16. 2. So far are they from thinking the worst of murthers a sin And no wonder when St. Paul tells you that it was his very case so long as he was in his naturall condition Acts 26. 9. and 1 Tim. 1. 13. Sect. 11. Seventhly So far are naturall men from seeing their sinnes or desiring to see them that if a Minister in discharging his duty shall but deale plainly with them in laying open their sinnes and declaring the judgements of God due unto the same powerfully applying it to their consciences they will persecute him for it even to the death as the Jewes served our Saviour John 7. 7. and all the Prophets before him and Apostles after him Pro. 15. 12. Amos 5. 10. Mat. 23. 37. Gal. 4. 16. 1 Thes 2. 16. Acts 4 17. 18. and 7. 27. and 19. 28. 1 Kings 22. 8. John 3. 19. 20 21. And so you have it proved that all naturall men justifie themselves more or less and thinke they are pure and without sin But heare the reasons of this their miserable mistake and you will the lesse wonder at it Sect. 12. In the word of God I find 7. reasons thereof 4. Negative 3. Affirmative The reasons Negative are these 1. The deceitfulnesse of their hearts 2. They are unregenerate 3. they want the eye of faith 4. They are not vers d in the Scriptures nor have they the spirit to convince them of sinne The affirmative reasons are these 1. Sinne 2. God in judgement 3. Satan further blinds them that they cannot see their finfulnesse Only observe by the way that the foure first reasons are applyable to all naturall men even the civillest and wisest of them the 3 last pertain chiefly to the obstinate and superlative in sinne in whom this ignorance and blindnesse is much increased for there are Three de grees of ignorance 1. Naturall which is the effect of Originall Sinne. 2. Adventitious which is accompanied with actuall Sinne 3. Habituall which arises from the excesse of Sinne. But least in handling all of theâ— I should tyre my Reader I will in a few words give you the sum of all Are they unregenerate as none can deny then there is a mighty and vast difference between naturall men and the regenerate in many particulars I le give you an instance or two well worth your observing Naturall men in Scripture for I will lay downe their severall Characters in the very expressions of the Holy Ghost are said to have Vncircumcised hearts Jer. 9. 26. Rom. 2. 29 Grosse hearts Mat. 13. 15. Brawny hearts Isay 6. 10. Fatt hearts Acts 28. 27. Hearts without feeling Eph. 4. 18. 19. Foolish hearts Rom. 1. 21. Blâ—nd and darke hearts Rom. 1. 21 Beasts hearts Dan. 4. 16. Jer. 51. 17. Dead hearts 1 Sam. 25. 37. No hearts Hosea 7. 11. Evill and wicked hearts Gen. 6. 5. and 18. 21. Vncle ane hearts Ezek. 14. Impure hearts James 4. 8 Hearts Slow to beleeve Luke 24. 25. That cannot repent Rom 2. Fained hearts Jer. 3. 10. Pro. 11 20. False hearts Jer. 5. 23. Deceitful hearts Jer. 17. 9. Devided hearts Hosea 10. 2. Double hearts 1 Chron. 12. 33. Psal 12. 2. A heare and a heart Jer. 32. Proude hearts Deut. 17. Froward hearts Pro. 11. 20. Stubborne hearts Hosea 13. 6. Obstinate hearts Jer. 52. Hard hearts Exod. 9. 12. And Stony hearâ—s Ezek. 11. 19. Whereof not a few by custome in sinne harden their owne hearts Deut. 15 7. Heb. 3. 8. Pro. 28. 14. Yea make them as hard as an Adamant Zach. 7. 12. Least they should heare the Law and be converted by â—he Gospel Isay 6. 10. where upon God in judgement hardens them Exod. 7. 3. 22. and 10. 20. and 14. 8. so making them more hard and brawny Isay 6. 10. John 12. 40. Whereas on the contrary God circumciseth the hearts of his children that beleeve in him and of stony hearts makes them fleshie and soft Ezek. 11. 19. Rom. 2. 29. Yea taketh away the stony hearts out of their bodies and givâ—th them new hearts Ezek 36. 26 even puâ—ting a new spirit into them Ezek. 11 19. Besides he so farther softens them that they become like mâ—lling wax Psal 22. 14. then opâ—ns them to heare and receive his word Acts 16. 14. 1 Sam. 10. 26. Yea he washâ—th them from wickednes Jer. 4. 14. cleanseth them Psal 73. 13. purifies them by faith Acts 15. 9 â—nd sheds his love abroad in their hearts by the Holy Ghost Rom. 5. 5. And having thus prepared them he writâ—â— his law in their hearts Jer. 31. 33. Heb. 8. 10. and 10. 16. And put s in them such a filiall feare of his name that they shall never depart from him Jer. 32. 40 Whence they are said by the Holy Ghost to bee pricked in their hearts Acts 2. 37. To set and apply their hearts to understand his precepts Pro. 2. 2. Dan. 10. And to seeke him with their whole hearts Psal 119. To have perceiving hearts Deut. 29. 4 To lay up his word in their hearts Psal 119. 11. Yea to have
vaile or curtaine drawne over their hearts which is never taken away untill men turne to the Lord at which tune it is taken away as the Apostle most excellently discribes 2 Cor. 3. 14 15. 16. Rom. 12. 2. God must give them repentance before they can acknowledge the truth 2 Tim. 2. 25. Whence it is that naturall men are never a whit or very little troubled for their sinnes be they never so many and hainous Yea after long custom in sinne their hearts and consciences are so brawned and hardned yea so feared as with an hot Iron and cast into such a dead sleep by Satan that their consciences become meere Idol consciences even wanting a month to speake because it wants eyes to see Indeed as dumb Ministers in the world goe for good Ministers because quiet 〈◊〉 so ignorant and tongue-tyed consciences 〈◊〉 for good ones with men of the world though the time will come that men shall curse both those â—inisters and this peace of their consciences for 〈◊〉 them so quietly to Hell Because if each of these had done his office they could never have miscaried For forget thy good deeds and God will remember them remember thy evill deeds and he will forget them Sect. 18. Secondly It is the peculiar office of Gods spirit to convience of sinne As it is John 16 8. 1 Cor. 2. 10. 12. 15. 16. For as none can behold the Sun but by the benefit of the Sun So none can know God nor the things of God but by the revelation of God 1 Cor 12. 3 8. Mat. 16 17. Luke 21. 85. God is the Sun of our soules his word as a sun dyall in which may bee seene all the letters either by day or candle light but to know what a clocke it is and how the time passes the Sun must shine So without Gods spirit we cannotby the word know how it fares with our soules For whereas sin comes with conception and some morall principles by education grace comes only by inspiration as experience teaches It is said that Melancton having found the word most easily to prevaile with him doubted not but his preaching should doe wonders upon others but having tryed he sound and confess that old Adam was too strong for young Melancton whence he resolved upon another course viz. to add unto his preaching faithfull and servent prayer for them saying though our reasons cannot open their eyes yet God who brought light out of darkâ—nesse can doe it and therefore we pray unto him with the Prophet for his servant 2 Kings 6. 17 Lord open their eyes And certainly if arguments or the evidence and demonstration of reason drawne from the very word it selfe could convince the judgements and change the minds of our malicious adversaries ther needed no more to be spoken then hath been spoken in the former treatise and this to cure their Enmity Prejudice and Misprision towards Religion and the Religious Yea admit they but minded what hath now been said of this argument what could they have to object For iâ— the religious whem they tearme Puritanes are so far from justifying themselves that their thoughts are chiefly taken up with their owne wants and infirmities and that they account their vâ—r◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as filthyr â—ggs And that their 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 do indeed through ignorance and blâ—â—dues justâ—fie themselves and thinke they are pure and without sin whâ—n they are not in any degree purged from their filthinesse as hath been plentiâ—ully proved Let them acknowledge yea let all men uprightâ—y and imparâ—ially confesse that the reputed Puâ—itaâ—◠〈◊〉 no Puâ—iâ—ane but that their accuseâ—s who raiâ—e and cry out so against Puritanisme are every of them both notorious Puritans and the right heires aparant to him â—ho is the Father of lyes John 8. 44. For see how scandalous how slight how false and forged thiâ— their accusation is so are all the residue as I shall be able easily to evince For they are no more guilty of the things they are accused then Benjamin was oâ— Josephs Cup when it was put into his Sack But it is the spirit of God alone that can convince men both of their sinfullnesse and maliciousnesse For as meer sence is uncapable of the rules of reason so reason is no lesfe uncapable of the things that are supernaturall The true knowledge of the nature and state of the soule must come by his inspiration that gave the substance With the spirits helpe the meanes can never be too weake without it never strong enough Wherefore let us importune God the father who only hath the key of the heart for his holy spirit to become their teacher then shall their understandings be opened to discerne the truth cleerly as it fared with those Disciples Luke 24. 44. 45. and their hearts changed as St. Pauls was Acts 9. In the meane time let us pray for them as Christ for his murtherers Father forgive them for they know not whâ—â— they doe Luke 23. 34. And so much concerning your first Misprision Now let us heare what else you stumble at Sect. 19. Question You have sufficiently satisfied me touching who are and who are not pure in their owne eyes But secondly they are grieviously accused â— rash judging and sensoriousnesse Answer I confesse it but the truth is not they buâ— their accusers are guilty of this crime also as it â—a red between Ioseph and his mistris Who grieviously complained of him when he had more reason to complaine of her For bring both to the tryall and you shall find that they are the only censurers who cry out so against censuring and that those who are condemned for judging rashly doe indeed but judge justly and warrantably according to the rule of Gods word Now that the accused are not guilty will appeare by many particulars as First they are so farre from judging men for appearances or motes or some suddaine eruptions that they neither doe nor dare judge any one wicked for this or that single act of grosse impiety For admit they seen man once drunke or heare him overlash with his tongue in a passion or find him convicted of some foule enormity they hold not this a suffi cient ground to conclude him a wicked man or an Hypocrite when the maine tenor and course of his life besides is a continued current of honesty and goodnesse No they know and are acquainted with the word and therefore are better taught then to be so uncharitable Well may they suspend their good opinion in case of some unexpected misdemeanor or for lesser evills either affected or often repeated but they know that every bad act does not denominate a sinner One act makes not an habit every vice is a sin but every sin is not a vice Once being overtaken with drinke makes not a drunkard nor one oath a swearer nor one falshood a lyar Yea a trip in the way sets a man somewhat the more forward if he doe not fall One act can no
with their manifold faylings and infirmities and with a continuall bewayling of the corruption of their nature â—he wickednesse and hardnesse of their hearts their offending God want of faith and other graces Job 40 4. and 42. 6. Psal 22. 6. Isa 6. 5. 1 Tim. 1. 15 Rom. 7 14 to 25. For touching a privative holines they will all acknowledge that there is nor one of those righteous precepts set down Exodus 20. which they have not broken ten thousand times and ten thousand waies yeâ— O God will the best of them say there is no veyn in me that is not full of the blood of thy Son whom I have crucified and crucified agein by multiplying many and often repeating the same sins there is no artery in me that hath not the spirit of error the spirit of pride of passion of lust the spirit of gâ—ldines in it no bone in me that is not hardened with the custome of sin nourished and suppled with the marrow of sin no sinewes no ligaments which do not â—ye and chain sin and sin together And as touching a positive holines they well find and will freely conlesse that they are not sufficient of themselves to think much lesse to speak least of all to doe ought that is good 2 Cor. 3 5. Iohn 15. 4. 5. and that there is so much wearisomnes pride paâ—sion lust envie ignorance aukeâ—dâ—esse hypocrisie infidelity vaine thoughts unprofitablenes and the like cleaving to their very best actions to defile them that their very praying and fisting and repenting their hearing beleeving and giving their holiest communication their most brotherly admonition c. are in themselves as filthy raggs Isa 64. 6. were they not accepted in Christ covered wiâ—h his rigâ—â—eousâ—es and washed white in his most precious blood True in Scripture phrase and in Gods account they are pure and holy and just either because they are sincere that is holy in their purposes and indeavours and aspiring after perfection of holinesse or in regard that Christs holinesse is made theirs or holy in comparison of the wicked or in regard of the worlds unjust censures But otherwise the more holy a child of God is the more sensible he is of his owne unholinesse thinking none so vile as himselfe though few enemies to holinesse will beleeve it as it fared with holy Job Job 40. 4. and 42. 6. and with Isaiah chap. 6. 5. and 64. 6 and with St. Paul 1 Tim. 1 15 Rom. 7. 14 to 25. and with holy David who almost in every Psalme so much bewailes his sins originall and actuall of omission and commission Well may a blind sensualist that thinks the commandement is not broken if the outward grosse sin be forborne brag of a good heart and meaning of the strength of his faith and hope of his just and upright dealing c. yea in case such abstain from notorious sins what should hinder but they are excellent Christians If God be not beholding to them for not wounding his Name with oathes for not drinking and playing out his Sabbaths for not rayling on his Ministers for not oppressing and persecuting of his poor members Or secondly Well may a Papist that by maintaining mens works works out his own maintenance think he can fulfill the law with ease and by workes of supererrogation merit of God for others That he may deserve heaven by his good works or at least bear half the charges of his own salvation But those that are of Christs teaching know both from the word and by experience that of themselvs they are not only weak but even dead to what is good moving no more then they are moved that their best works are faulty all their fiâ—s deadly all their natures corrupted originally And that they deserved to die so soon as they began to live That their understandings are darkned and dulled their judgements blinded their wills perverted their memories disordered their affections corrupted their reason exiled their thoughts surprised their desires intrapped and all the faculties and functions of their soules no better then poysoned Or as one expresseth it My powers are all corrupt corrupt my will Marble to good but wax to what is ill True we have ability we have will enough to undoâ— our selves scope enough to hell-ward but neither motion nor will to doe good that must be put into us by him that gives both power and will and power to will Finally each sanctified heart feâ—les this but no words are able sufficiently to expresse what impotent wretches we are when we are not sustained For as a child may assoon create it selfe as a man in the state of Nature regenerate himself So in the state of Regenerasy there is the like impossibility to act except God bestow upon us dayly Privative grace to defend us from evill and dayly Possitive grace enabling us to doe good So that we have no merit but the mercy of God to save us nothing but the blood of Christ and his mediation to cleanse and redeeme us nothing but his obedience to inrich us As for our good workes wee are beholding to God for them not God to us nor wee to our selves because they are onely his workes in us Thirdly They are so far from justifying what they do that they are humbled for those very sins from which they are in a manner exempt knowing that they are beholding to God and not to themselves that Cains envie Ishmaols scoffing Rabshekeyes rayling Shemies cursing Sâ—nacheribs blasphemy Doegs murther Pharâ—ahs cruelty Sodoms lust Judas his treason Julians apostacy c. are not all their sins and as much predominant in them as they were in each of these for all of them should have beene thy sins and mine if God had left us to our selves for out of the heart naturally proceeds nothing but evil thoughts murthers adulteries fornications thefts false witnesse blasphemies and the like Matth. 15. 19. And wee are all cut out of the same cloth Lord saith St. Austen thou hast forgiven me those sins which I have done and those sins which onely by thy grace I have not done They were done in our inclination to them and even that inclination needs Gods mercy and that mercy he cals pardon If we escape temptation it is his mercy if we stand in temptation it is his mercy if our wils consent not it is his mercy if we consent and the act be hindered it is his mercy if we fall and rise againe by repentance all is his mercy And this likewise proves that they are no Puritanes Briefly to sum up all there is not a beleever that is any whit acquainted with the Scriptures but when he hath done any thing amisse he accuseth himself if any thing well he giveth all the praise to God And indeed this is the test of a true or false Religion and may be applyed to each particular Christian that which teacheth us to exalt God most and most to depresse our selves is the true that which doth
little wedges make way unto greater or as little theeves being let in at a window will set open large doors for greater theeves to come in at Yea from very small evils not let at the beginning spring oftentimes great and mighty mischiefes as for example pilfering a few plums to please the pallat makes way for a lye a lye makes way for an oath and an oath having past both undiscovered and unpunished makes way for downright perjury And so in other cases asw ho would have thought that Davids wanton look should have begot murther which together with his adultery would have been prevented had he but with Job made a covenant with his eyes Whereas admit the serpents head his body will ask no leave Yea if the tempter but gets in his claw by our willing toleration and continuance of one lust it shall be hard but he will thereby procure room for greater evils to enter Neither can thy soul or mine be in safety without a resolute defiance of every sin for yeeld to one and ye invite many relieve one and all the rest will croud in for almes Neither is it any praise to be sparing of a vicious delight for the very last is deadly the least sinne serving in some measure to harden our hearts defile our consciences and blind our minds aswell as greater Sect. 41. Thirdly They scruple whatsoever is sinfull because no sin can be light or small in him whom God hath so much obliged honoured as of a bondslave to Satan and firebrand of hell to adopt him his son and assure him of an immortall kingdom for such know that sin is Gods mortall enemy whence he argues thus The great and holy God will not disgest that any shall make leagues of amity with the meanest of his enemies much lesse that his owne endeered child for whom he hath done so much should make the temple of the holy Ghost an habitation for that guest he hates so deadly And the holines of the person adds much to the unholinâ—s of the act Eminency of profession doubles both the offence and the judgement As how hainously did the Lord take that seeming small sin in Hezekiah when he did but shew the Babilonish Ambassadors all his treasures and what punishment did he threaten for the same which was accordingly accomplished 2 Kings 20. 15. 17. 18. What sin would a man think could be smaller then that of the Prophet when he but turned into the other Prophets house to eate bread being hungry and also presuming that he had a warrant from God so to do 1 Kings 13. yet he lost his life for it And we see how Vzza for onely putting his hand to the Arke to stay it when the oxen did shake it a small sin will a carnall heart say And yet the Lord for this small sinne in great wroth smore him that he dyed in the same place 2 Sam. 6. 7. The Philistims handled it far more rudely and irreverently and yet most of them escaped with far lesse punishment if any at all 1 Sam. 5. 1. 2 Yea read we not of more then fifty thousand Bethshemites stroke dead in the place For only looking into the Ark. 1 Sam. 6. 19. to teach us that no sin is light or small so long as it is forbidden The Church is to God as a House a Garden a Spouse And wee know that men who will abide durt in the streets will not endure it in their Houses they that will suffer weeds in the field will not permit them in their Gardens men that can beare with wanton carriages in a Strumpet will not endure an unchast looke in their Spouse No marvell then if God will not endure small sinnes in his beloved and deale more severely with them then with others Therefore it behoves all that have an interest in him to be carefull what they doe and not to offend him willfully by the least provocation But Sect. 42. Fourthly They make conscience of small sinnes because the wages of sinne be it small or great is death Rom 6. 23. Nor is any sin small but comparatively Luke 11. 42. That distinction which the Papists use of mortall and veniall sinnes never tooke its ground from Gods word Or admit the act bee small yet the Cercomstances may make it deadly And by how much easier the Law by so much sorer the punishment for breaking that Law Quo levius mandatum eo gravius delictum saith Austine In difficult precepts the obedience is more acceptable but in light commands the omission is more Damnable saith Barnard We may say of this or that sinne as Lot of Zoar is it not a little one Or as Ananias might have said of his sinne I did it but once but that one little sin be it what it will will everlastingly damn us if wee sue not out a pardon for it in the blood of Christ Besides how were the Angels in Heaven punished for one fault Adam for one Apple Moses for one unbeleefe Ely for his indulgence only Ananias sold a possession for the Churches releefe he only told a lye nimed a little he thought the Holy Ghost had no need of it or could not misse it but that lye that little cost him deare Alasse one flaw in a Diamond takes away the lustre and the price One peece of Ward Land makes the Heir lyable to the King And one sin will keepe possession for Sathan as well as twenty 2 What is a Mountain of Earth but an acumulation of many little dusts Or what is a Flood but a concurrence of many little drops One haire doth not hang a man many haires twisted together will even our lusts are able to serve us like Absalom and halter us at the next bough Many threds make a Cord many Cordes a Cable and Cables hold huge Vessels If actuall sinne be a sword every little lust is a sharp thorne And a little prick with a thorne neglected may fester to an agangreen A little Pinne especially being poysoned may prove mortall as well as a great weapon And what matters it whether a man receive his death from a Pistol or a great Ordnance Yea oftentimes a wind that comes in at a crany or â—revice or some narrow passage doth a man more hurt then an open storme Sect. 43. Fifthly It hath beene ever Gods wont by small precepts to proue mens dispositions as hee proved Adam in the prohibited fruit and the evill servant with one talent Yea had not the rest well improved their talents they had been taken away instead of being doubled But God first credits 〈◊〉 with lesse things as men prove vessels with water before they trust them with Wine And small precepts from God are both as strong bands and least things as great tryalls of a good conscience as the greatest Obedience is as well tyed and tryed and disobedience as well punished in a little as in much Many think they may ly a little for advantage or answer when told
bid Go ye cursed into everlasting fire Which is the portion of all wicked men Matth. 25. 41. They above all other sinners shall have a double weight or portion of vengeance the lowest and deepest place in Hell As is plaine Matth. 23. Where our saviour not only pronounceth Woe to you hypocrites but repeats it eight times in one Chapter saying Woe Woe Woe to you hypocrites for you shall receive greater damnation vers 14. The hypocrite strives to loade Christ with manâ— sinnes therefore Christ loads him with many woes and curses Though the maine ground is from the nature of this sinne For nothing more greatens any sinne then simulation of holinesse Nor is any mischiefe so divelish as that which is cloaked with piety The better vice shews the worse it is and the worse it is the better it desires to shew Yea the better colour is put upon any vice the more odious it is both in the sight of God man For as every similitude adds to an evil so the best adds most evil The face of goodnesse without a body is the worst wickednesse Cloath an Ape in Tissue and both the beauty of the Robe and the resemblance which hee carrieth of a man does but add more scorne to the beast And without contradiction an ill man is the worst of all creatures save the Divel himselfe an ill Christian the worst of all men and an ill professor the worst of all Christians Professed Curtizans if they bee any way good it is because they are openly bad And it shall be easier for theeves and Adulterers at the day of judgement then for hypocrites Mat. 21. 31. Wherefore if thou beest unsound within soil not the glorious Robe of truth by putting it upon thy beastlines To bid thee repent and strive for Sincerity were to small purpose for which is strange in all the Scriptures wee never reade of an hypocrites repentance And a notable reason may be given Wickednesse doth most rankle the heart when it is kept in and dissembled And thus far our opinions jumpe Sect. 75. But touching the next query our judgements are as diametrially opposite as the two poles For who are these verball orrall occular professors Those who are called puritans or those that terme and repute them so this is the main question and it would be throughly examined We say they are the only men guilty of this crime they say the like of us but the tryall is all and how shall wee try it surely by bringing each side and every of their actions to the rule And first to bring them to the tryall who call all professors of Religion puritans and raile against them under pretence that they are not as they seeme If hee be an hypocrite who is much in profession and nothing or clean contrary in his practice then there are none greater hypocrites then Protestants at large viz. Prelaticall and Scandalous Ministers Civil and Morall Men. Prophane and Ignorant Persons Cunning Polititians who joyne all together in crying downe and barking against profession I know the assertion will seeme strange Yea the grossest hypocrite of them all will presume that hee can Herod like wash his hands of this sin And with David touching Nathans parable which made him passe sentence against himselfe think that this foule evil does no way concern him Or as Ahab thought of the Prophets parable when his own mouth condemn'd him for letting Benhadad go free 1 Kings 20. 39. to 43. But I shall make it appear that there are no greater hypocrites nor Puritans under Heaven then they who rail and cry out so much against hypocrisie and Puritanisme It faring with them as it did with Sabillus the Sicilian who slew the tyrant Cleander and was after found to bee a worse Tyrant then he Or as it did with that Pharisee in the Gospel who brake his neighbours head when he should with the Publican have smote his owne breast Oh that men would observe what I shall say but asmuch as it concerns them that they would well consider how Satan gulls them and how grosly they gull themselves But this is the gift of God alone for to plant and water is nothing except it receive blessing from above I will therefore do my utmost and leave the rest to him that can doe what hee will and will doe what is best Sect. 76. 1. And first let me examine such of the Ministery who altogether in their sermons enveigh against puritans for being one in their profession and shew to the world and another yea cleane contrary in their life and practice their consciences shall give evidence against them if they be not cauterized with continuall handling of holy things without feeling That whereas they call themselves by the generall name of Christians by the speciall and particular name of Christs Ministers and Ambassadors pretending they represent his person spend their whole times in reading and preaching Gods word receiving and administring the Sacraments in praying and visiting the sick get their whole livings under a shew of service done to Christ Yea their very garments forsooth must pretend holinesse and purity then which there can be no greater profession yet these men these great pretenders are the least of any obedient to his lawes Yea none greater enemies to Christ and his kingdome then they for either in their preaching they doe what they can to draw from Christ to the world his mortall enemy by discouraging the good and incouraging the evil by turning the truth of God into â—ly as it is Rom. 1. 25. A thing more frequent with Prelaticall preachers then most men have wit to observe I wish their admirers would reade their severall Characters in a late abstract and be better informed or that such unpreaching ministers were marked in their foreheads that their people might the better know and take heed of them I confesse it is strange that these Gehazies who receive in so much truth at their eares should not have one word of truth in their mouths Yea to an ordinary capacity it sounds above beleefe that they who are Gods mouth to the people should bee so wicked and false as out of the mouth of God to give not the judgement of God but of their owne wicked hearts stifned with the serpents enmity But consider the reason and the case is plain The hypocrite is a secret Athiest saying in his heart there is no God Psal 14. 1 and without controversie Thou art an Athiest for if thou didst beleeve there is a God thou durst not bee so bold as to withstand him to his face and with his word to wound his own people Or secondly if they doe preach the truth yet by their lives they confute their owne doctrine as their Rhetorick may bee prittie and their Lodgick wittie when their practice is naughtie Yea are there not many hundreds in this land some whereof the Parliament have sound out and cast out like Balaam then whom never Prophet
Luthers story speakes of the Church of Rome in generall His words are these under pretence saith hee of Peters Chair they exercise a Majesty above Emperours and Kings under the Vizard of vowed Chastity raigns adultery under the Cloake of professed Poverty they possesse the goods of the temporality under the title of being dead to the world they not only raigne in the world but also rule the world under the colour of the keys of heaven to hang under their girdle they bring all the Estates of the world under their girdle and creep not only into the purses of men but into their consciences also they heaâ— their confessions they know all their secrets they dispence as they are disposed and loose whom and what and where they list And wherein did our Lordly Prelats who have alwaies made Gods people under the colour of puritans the onely object of their cr uelty come short of the Papists Did they not under a colour pretence of being fathers of the Church by their usurped government dethrone Christ the head of the church and under the colour of Religion take away the vigour and power of Religion And while they calld themselves the chiefe priests were they not Christâ— chief enemies certainly none will now when they are so well discovered deny it that have eyes in their heads and open But I hasten to acquit the innocent whom all these guilty persons do most unjustly and maliciously accuse and stigmatize for the sole and only puritans and hypocrites In whose tryall two things are principally to be examined and enquired of First What profession they make and how agreable that is to the rule of Gods word Secondly What their practice is and how agreeable that is to their profession Sect. 88. Ob. Now as touching the first they are much found fault withall as what needs so much profession faith the sensualist when his spight is at Religion cannot men serve God in secret but they must blow a trumpet and hang out a flag for others to take notice of it Answ To the which that I may make a full and satisfactory answer pardon the prolixety of it First Such are to know that profession can no more be separated from the truth of Religion then light from the Sun If thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt beleeve with thine heart thou shalt be saved for with the heart man beleeveth unto righteousnesse and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation And whosoever beleeveth on him shall not be ashamed Rom. 10. 9. 10. 11. True fire not painted cannot but heat breake forth and ascend We cannot carry musk in our bosome but the sent will disperse it self There cannot be a candle in the house but it will appear at the window every fountain hath it streams by which it may be known Three things saith the Spanish proverb cannot be kept in Fire love and the cough it may as truly be said of grace If Christ the Paschall Lamb be in the House of the soul the sprinkling of his blood will be seen without by sanctification and holines of life Whosever is indeed good shall and must also seem good for first his works will praise him whether he will or no his fruits will shew what tree he is Indeed profession may be without grace as leaves may be without fruit but grace cannot be without profession as fruit cannot be without leaves That which is not gold may glister but that which is gold cannot chuse but glister We read of Wolves that come in sheeps cloathing but never of sheep that come in wolves cloathing Many harlots will put on the semblances of chastity never the contrary It is no trusting those who wish not to appeare good Good men in Scripture are compared to good and fruitfull trees the heart is the root grace the sapp good works the fruit profession the leaves and blossomes Now if there be sap in the root of a tree and fruit grow on the branches its impossible but some blossoms and leaves will shew themselves Nor can it be expected that eveiy such tree like the mulbery should first bring forth fruit and then blossoms For even repentance and good works are but the fruites of faith and the usuall method is First the roote then the tree then the leaves and blossoms and last of all the fruit Sect 89. Indeed there is a dead faith spoken of Iam. 2. 17. 20 26. which cannot be seen which resembles the Ebone tree that bears neither leaves nor fruit But a true and lively faith is operative and works by love Gal. 5. 6 Yea it constrains thereunto for the heart and mind having begot holy thoughts the lips will not fail to bring them forth witnesse the thiefe upon the crosse If the law of God saith David be in a mans heart his mouth will speak of wisdom and his tongue will talk of judgement Psal 37. 30. 31. The soul that hath received fuâ—l confirmation from God in the assurance of its salvation cannot but bow the knee and by all gestures of body tel how it is ravished whence it is that many at their first conversion are held by their carnal friends to be mad or beside themselves as our Saviour was by his kinsfolk Mark 3. 21. Ioh. 10. 20. Secondly Vnlesse he keep his lips alwaies sealed up he must either dissemble which is cowardly and base Or else his language will bewray what countryman be is For if he speak like the vertuous woman in the Proverbs he opens his mouth with wisdome and the law of grace is in his tongue And while the door of his mouth is open the standers by may behold as it were in a temple the goodly similitudes and images of the soul Neither can he avoid speaking for admit he be in adverse company they will so beset a man with questions and draw him on and pick it out of him that without an absuâ—d silence he must shew an inclination one way even as a ballance cannot stand still but falleth to one side or other or if he do not they will gather as much by his silence as by his speech For in this case carnall men are very apprehensive for as the paynter Protogenes knew Apelles by the draught of one line though he had never seen him before so will they a gracious soul by his very silence Or lastly a man cannot dissent from their wicked customs he cannot refuse to run with them to the same excesse of ryot in drinking swearing prophaning the Lords day and the like much lesse can he admonish them and so discharge his conscience as who having but a spark of the spirit of God in him can choose but he makes too great a shew and his profession troubles them Sect. 90. Indeed they name profession but their spight is against your religion for be but as prophane as they their quarrel is at an end yea it is only your holy religious conversation
their knowledge of and love to Christ then to bee put out of the Synagogue for confessing of him Joh. 9. 22. Their hearts were not so faulty as their tongues But had their faith been right and straight they would have profest him living and pronounc'd him dying even as the Martyrs in the midst of the flames Sect. 99. 3. The Third and principall reason is cowardlynesse and want of fortitude which was Peters case when he denyed and foreswore his Master There is such a spirit of Cowardize possesseth many that they are loath to do ought appertaining to religion that might difference them from the multitude or make them noted for singular They ow God some good will but they dare not be known of it like Nicodemus they would steale to heaven if no body mighâ— see them But let such mind what the scripture speaks I lay in Syon a stumbling stone meaning Christ and a Rock to make men fall and every one that beleâ—veth in him shall not bâ— ashamed Rom. 9. 33. where it is plaine that he who is ashamed to professe his name did never truly beleeve in him howsoever hee may flatter himselfe As what probability is there These Cowards can be bold enough to do any evil but they are afraid and ashamed to doe or so much as seem good And so measuring our foot by their own Last they censure us for silly or proud in doing that which they dare not Reall and Hearty Christians will both speak and if that will not serve no lesse smart for Christ otherwise be we never so vicelesse vertuous wee cannot be Sect. 100. And so you have the necessity of profession with six reasons for it and three against it if you would make a right use thereof I will give mine advice in a few words Hath God inseparably joyned these two together Profession and beleeving And is the same back'd with so many solid reasons drawne from the word Which is sufficient to decide all controversies Then let us not separate what he hath joyned Let us not closely dissemble or conceale that grace which we have either for feare of danger as Peter did his zeale and affection to Christ or for shame of being taken notice of like Nicodemus when he stole to Christ by night untill his love and fervour brake forth and could no longer bee suppressed But let our light shine before men so God shall have praise we comfort others profit Yea admit we are rebuked for the same as the blind man was for calling after Christ Luke 18. 39. Or as the two blind men were for crying O Lord the Sonne of David have mercy on us Matth. 20. 31. Let us no more forbeare then they did Yea though we suffer for it let us never be ashamed of our masters service Bee not saith St. Paul ashamed of the testimony of our Lord neither of me his prisoner but be partakers of the afflictions of the Gospel according to the power of God 2 Tim. 19. No matter what Judas saith touching Maries ointment so long as Christ himself approves of it Did our Saviour Christ forbeare to heale on the sabbath day Because the Scribes and Pharisees took it il No but rather did it the more Luke 6. 11. And the like Luk. 13. 31. 32. When Peter and John were charged to speake no more in the Name of Jesus their answer was wee cannot but speake that whieh wee have heard and seene Acts. 4. 20. Let the same resolution be ours since the case is the same Yea let us goe a straine higher and the Holy Ghost will beare us out in it Namely when we are dispised for professing the Name of Christ Let us do it the rather When Michael scoft at David for dancing before the Arke and called him Foole his answer was I will be yet more vil'd and will bee low 〈◊〉 mine owne sight Yeelding two reasons for it First it was that wherewith God was wel pleased Secondly hee should be had in more honour with the same maid servants in whose eyes shee supposed him to be uncovered as a Foole. Hee knew that nothing coâ—ld be more Heroicall then this very abasement And it is our very case every scoffing Michael for none else will do it derides our holy profession but with God and the gracious we shall bee had in honour Yea our malicious and scoffing adversaries shall honour us by deriding us For when vicious men think to tax and traduce us they do in truth commend us their dispraise is a mans honour their praise his dishonour Yea Terence a heathen could say that to be evil spoken of by wicked men was a glorious and Laudable thing And another that it is no small credit with the vile to have a vile estimation which being so let us with Job take their reproach upon our shoulders and hinde it as a Crowne unto us Job 31. 35. 36. At least let us immitate St. Austen who feared the praise of Good men and detested that of the evil And so much of the first generall namely how that profession which the world so condemnes and cryes out upon is agreeable to the word I come now to shew that their practice is in an acceptable measure answerable to their profession of which in the next division or second part this finding no worse acceptance then the former treatise In the meane time to satisfie the desire of many who are pleased to enquire after my former Collections I have adventured to publish The Cure of Prejudice The Benefit of Affliction The Victory of Patience A Counterpoyson or Soveraigne Antidote against all griefe Sinne Stigmatized with an addition Compleat Armour against evil society Cordiall Counsell Characters of the kindes of Preaching Gods goodnesse and mans ingatitude A hopefull way to cure that horrid sinne of swearing in two sheets of Paper Some of which are sold only by Iames Crumpe a Booke binder in Little Bartholmews Wellyard Imprimatur JOH DOVVNAME FINIS Of him and through him and for him are all things to whom be glory for ever Amen Rom. 11. 36. The Table A. WE are bound to vindicate the Absent 125. Both good and well must in our Actâ—ons meet pag. 103. Sensuallists judge of the Action by the successe 77. They will accuse the Godly for their vertues and Graces 81. He that accuses another must be free himself 70. Advice to the Godly 128. The Godly may and ought to agree in affection though they differ in judgement 5. Different dispositions can never agree 2. 4. Be men never so opposite they wil agree against the good 3. Carnall men apply what they heare to others 153. B. The Beggers Character 150. C. Several cases wherein they censure the Godly hypocrites 123. As for one single act of impiety 52. Yea for common infirmities 57. Yea for sins before conversion 51. Yea for any disaster 77. or naturall defect 78. Yea for things indifferent 79. Yea for their vertues 81. or their best actions 99. Yea