men for matter of act they are loyall subjects live civilly amongst their neighbours paâ— every man his owne are neither drunkards nor adulterers but deny the power of Godlines and are reprobate to every good worke for to let passe other things scarce one in forty of them will allow God upon his own day above four hours Or that duely prays in his family yea this is a superfluous expence of time and a means to hinder each one in their severall stations For as touching that of the Prophet Pour out thy fury upon them that know thee not and upon the families which call not on thy Name Jer. 10. 25. it is a hard scripture and out of their reading yea of these civill honest men scarce one of an hundred that fears an oath or makes conscience of a lie for at least they will â—wear by their faith and troth I do not say they will forswear themselves for an advanvantage but I that scarce know what a tryall in law is have not a little suffered bâ— their wicked answers in Chancery And as for lying and commanding others to ly what more usuall then to bid a wife or servant if such an one ask for me say I am not within which none dare do that fear God or that have any truth of Religion in them Indeed others often pay them in their own coyn with shame to boot as once Cato served Nasica And sometimes God reckons with them for all their lyes together for it often falls out that a servants denying his master to be at home brings him within compasse of the statute for banquerupts a just punishment for such as will be wise without God and good without grace Sect. 86. Again I know these civill men passe for as good Christians as the best with men of the world Yea with the reverend Prelats and their creatures for they count men religious as they are conformable to their Canons And all the Congregation is alike holy and holy enough to naturall men as Korah and his prophane consorts told Moses and Aaron when they rose up against them Numb â—6 1. 2 3. But as Isaac if he had not been blind would not have blessed Jacob for Esau nor Jacob taken Leah for Rachel if it had not been in the dark so these if they were not ignorant of the Scriptures would not take meer civil men for true Christians but as empty pots and boxes in Apothecaries shops having written upon them fair titles of the best drugges and electuaries do deceive ignorant commers in so these though their hearts be base and vile empty pots yet as they are overlayed with the silver drosse of glozing words and glorious shews do deceive simple Christians who onely judge according to the outward appearance Yea perhaps they may deceive wise and able Christians for a while since the lamps of these foolish virgins blaze no lesse then the wise ones Matth. 25. And treeâ— that have onely leaves may make as great a flourish as others that bear abundance of fruit True wise men having heard them speak and observed their practice will soon see what christians they are at least Christ that knows their hearts and cannot be deceived with shews will one day cull them out and let them know what it is to come into his presence and sit at his table without the wedding garment of faith and love Matth. 22. 11. At which time it will be too late to expostulate Or if so their own consciences shall stop their mouths much after this manner Thou thankest God with that Pharisee Luk. 18. 11. That thou hast been no extortioneâ— thou hast paid thy tythes given every man his own c. but what will satan and conscience say is this enough to make thee a true christian no thou payedst men their dues but didst thou pay God his dues the due of praying hearing beleeving reading confaring meditating in his word of sanctifying his sabbaths loving his children promoting his glory gaining of otherâ— to imbrace the Gospel didst thou repent and beleeve the gospel precepts and menaces aswell as promises didst thou declare thy faith by thy works didst thou fear an oath hate a lye c. no not one of these things ever troubled thy mind yea thou didst ever hate zeale and devotion so inveterately that thou couldst in no case away with it in others What difference then between thee and an honest Infidel Is not unhonest religion as good as irreligious honesty Alas honesty without piety is but as a body without a head yea without a soul even a rotten and stinking carrion and not a sweet smelling sacrifice in Gods nostrils Divers will say of morall men if they go not to heaven Lord have mercy upon us yet Christ saith except your righteousâ—esse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees you shall not come there Matth. 5. 20. Yea he plainly affirms that publicanes and harlots shall get into heaven sooner because the other beleeved not neither are they so apt to justifie themselves as the civilly righteous Matth. 21. 31. Many arguments might be brought to aggravate the wickednesse of a negative christian but nothing can be spoken to his comfort for the best of such christians shall without sound repentance and true saith in Christ go to hell as the Scripture every where shewes It is not onely the robbing of Christ or imprisoning him but the not giving to him the not visiting of him shall condemn us Matth. 25. 42. 43. The servant that increaseth not his talent though he does not diminish it shall be bound hand and foot and cast into utter darknesse Matth. â—5 30. And what saith our Saviour Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be hewen down and cast into the fire Matth. 3. 10. Neither was it sufficient that the Fig-tree which he saw Matth. 11. made as great a shew wâ—th leaves as any other but he cursed it for being fruitlesse Mucâ— more does that earth deserve rather a curse then a blessing which having been watered with the dew of heaven brings forth nothing but thornes and bryars to scratch and teare the husband man that manures it Heb. 6. 7. 8. Sect. 87. And so much to prove that all naturall men viz. Prelatical and scandalous Ministers prophane and loose libertines Cunning Polititians ignorant persons and civil honest men Who professe the same religion with us and who unanimously call the religious Puritans and hypocrites are really and indeed most grosse hypocrites and puritans I might likewise shew that our open Antagonists the Papists even while they curse and raile so upon the truly religious for Puritans and hypocrites are of all others the most notorious ones for besides their works of merit and congruity how contrary yea how diametrially opposite is their profession and practice but to speake to them were to knock at a deafe or dead mans dore Only let the ingenuous stander by heare what Mr. Fox in the beginning oâ—
accounts Fourthly and lastly it is acknowledged that a beggar may dreame he is a King or a Traytor that he shall be crowned when he is to be beheaded yea and for the time be as much pleased there with we have severall presidents for it The Church of Laodicea could flatter her selfe with an opinion that shee was rich increased with goods had need of nothing when yet she was wretched and miserable and poore blind and naked Rev. 3. 17. The young man in the Gospel could brag that he had kept all the commandemaâ—â—â— from his youth And that cackling Pharisee Lukâ— the 18. 11. 12. could tell God to his face that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not like other men in which the clock of his 〈◊〉 went truer then the diall of his heart for he was like none that should be saved he meant he was not given to this or that sinne no he was not like that penitent Publican for he did this and that duty for which God was beholding to him when yet God even abhorred him the most of any Sect. 16. And just so it fares with these men they are no dissemblers yea they hate the hipocrisie of professors they doe not justify themselves and despise others like the Puritans they are not factious scismaticall singular sencorious c. they are not rebellious nor contentious like the Brownists and Anabaptists they pay every man his owne and doe no man wrong they love an honest man with their hearts c. And as touching their faith in Christ they never doubted in all their lives nor were they ever troubled in mind as many scrupulous fooles are and yet poore soules they are wretched and miserable and poore and blind and naked of all spirituall indowments For besides that God preferreth the penitent Publican that trusted in his mercy before the proud Pharisee that trusted in his owne merits Luke 18. what saith St. Austin most excellently There is no true vertue where there is no true Religion and that conscience which is not directed by the word even when it does best does ill because it does it not in faith obedience and love Nor will God accept of any action unlesse it flowes from a pious and good heart sanctified by the Holy Ghost Yea civill honesty severed from true piety humilitie saving knowledge sincere love to God true obedience to his word justifying faith a zeale of Gods glory and a desire to edifie and win others God will neither accept nor reward but account of their morall vertues but as shining or glistering sinnes because they spring from ignorance infidelity selfe love and other carnall respects Yea thy best services as praying and fasting and receiving and giving of Almes c. unlesse they be done in faith obedience to the word and that God may have glory thereby are no better in Gods account then if thou hadst slaine a man or cut of a dogs neck or offered swines blood or blessed an Idol as himselfe affirmes Isay 66. 3. And many examples prove namely Caines sacrificing 1 John 3. 12. the Jewes fasting Jsay 58. those reprobates preaching in Christs name and casting out of Divells Mat. 7. whose outward workes were the same which the godly performed As for instance Paul a Pharisee was according to the righteousnesse of the Law unreprovable yet if Paul had not gone from Gamaliels feet to Christs he had never been saved Two things are required in a good worke the meritorious part to get Heaven and the satisfactory part to escape Hell Wherfore trust not to thine own righteousnesse for as yet thou art in thy blood Ezek 16. 6. And hast to answer not only for thine originall guilt for we are all by nature as liable to Adams forfetute as the heire is liable to his fathers debt but for every thought word and action of thine from thine infancy for untill thy sinnes even drive thee to dispaire of all other helpes Christ can profit thee nothing as himselfe affirmes Mat. 9. 12. 13. Luk. 1. 53. Gal. 5. 1. to 7. And the sole perfection of a Christian is the imputation of Christs righteousnesse and the not imputation of his owne unrighteousnesse Rom. 10. 4. For as Christ was a sinner only by imputation of our sinnes so we are just only by the imputation of his righteousnesse Our good workes cannot justifie us or deserve any thing at all at Gods hands it is only in Christ that they are accepted and only for Christ that they are rewarded Yea the opinion of our owne righteousnesse is so far from saving us that it keeps us from being saved as is evident by Marke 2. 17. and Luke 1. 53. Sect. 17. Whence it is that the more unrebukable any naturall man is the greater is the difficulty of his conversion For doth not experience shew that as nothing is more easily broken then that which is most hard so notorious offendors are nothing so hard to be convinced and converted as the civilly honest The civill â—usticiary is like the young man in the Gospel that supposed he had honestly kept all the commandements who when he was bidden to follow Christ turned his backe upon him But the loose Libertine resembles Matthew the Publican a notorious sinner who was no sooner called but he left all and followed Christ Indeed there is small hope of either in the case they are in because they see not their need of Christ neither can they have the least share at all in him untill with St. Paul they see themselves the greatest of sinners find themselves in a lost condition and utterly dispaire of all other helpes as they may see Marke 2. 17. Luke 1. 53. And indeed this conceited righteousnesse or this opinion of being in case good enough is the cheife and only cause of all unrighteousnesse and many a man had proved good if he had not so thought himselfe But no soule can be so dangerously sick as that which is least sensible of its being sicke Neither is there a poorer wretch upon the face of the earth then such a Iâ—â—odiâ—ean that brags he is rich and wants nothing â—evel 3. 17. only he is pusâ— up and knowes nothing 1 Tim. 6. 4. Yea this puts him out of all possibilitie of being bettered for what we presume to have attained we seek not after A man must know himselfe sicke before he will seeke to the Physiâ—ian Yea the sight of our filthinesse is the very first step toward cleaâ—nesse Untill Paul was humbled to the very ground even trembling and astonied he never asked Jesus of Nazâ—reth what shall I doe Acts 9 4 5 6. Nor is a man fit to heare the soft voice of evangelical mercy till he is wrote upon by the gusts and flashes of the Law Nor are they in the least degree qualified for that For admit they heare the Law whencâ— comes the knowledge of sinne Rom 7 7. read and expounded never so cleerly they cannot understand the spiritualty of it Because they have a
most prank up our selves and detract from God is the false Nor would their scoffing adversaries accuse the religious of this crime were they not stupidly blind or divelishly malicous for how can it be thought that they are pure in their own eyes when ministers or other faithfull Christians can hardly comfort them or perswade them of Gods favour whereas their prophane accusers snatch the comfort of every promise they heare as belonging to them and find nothing amisse in themselves as commonly they think best of themselves that have least cause yea how afraid are the one to approach unto the Lords Table by reason of their unworthines whereas the other cannot be kept from it though they are told from the word that they eate and drinke damnation to themselves as not dâ—cerning the Lords body nor once examining their owne hearts 1 Cor. 11. 27. 28. 29 30. Sect. 5. I confesse there are a generation whom the blind world suspects for religious that think too well of themselves whom the holy Ghost hath well painted out Pro. 30. 12. Isa 65. 5. Luke 18 9. they are as righteous as Christ himself they cannot sinne or be n Christ and then sin if you can they neede not â—ray nor repent God can see no sin in them nor be â—ngry with them c. namely your Antinomians â—ut farre be it from me to acknowledge them religious a people who will not allow the Law either to â—e a schoole-master unto Christ or for a rule â—o walk by yea if I speak for or spare to speak against these white devils let my words be underva ued and my errors aggravated for such take the â—eady way to plucke up all piety and the power of Religion by the rootes yea they shame Religion by professing it and make Gods truth suspected â—hough iâ— men were wise they would not accuse the sober for what drunken men do nor the wise for what fools do True they have a forme of Religion and a feâ—orish kind of zeal but hear them discourse and you shall soon see that an ignorant pride hath frighted them out of their wits and that they are a people whom Satan hath reserved for there last times and violently stirred up to disturbe the peace of our Church and to hinder that blessed reformation so much fought after and hoped for which nothing could hinder so much as errors on the right hand and Satans transforming himself into an Angel of light â— Cor. 11. 14. And so much to prove that the accused doe not in the least justifie themselves Now bring we their accusers to the tryall and you shall see it is far otherwise with them As Sect. 6. First How common is it with all that are in their naturaâ—l condition that are scoffers at Religion or that at any time use the name Puritan in â—â—risiâ—n to have all their thoughts yea and their words too taken up with other mens faults and their owne perfections Luk 18. 11. c. yea whatsoever their words and actions be they thanke God they have good hearts and mean aswell as the best and they have so strong a faith that they never doubted in all their lives yea it were pitty they should live if they did not beleeve in Christ and hope to be saved by him never considering how that perswasion only which followes sound humiliation is faith that which goes before it presumption for as Saint Ambrose speaks none can repent of sin but he that beleeves the pardon of sin nor none can beleeve his sins are pardoned except he hath repented No they have not the wit to know that as faith is wrought by Gods spirit so where it is wrought it brings forth the fruits of the Spirit mentioned Gal. 5. 22. whereas presumption as it is of the flesh so it brings forth the fruits of the flesh vers 19. But the better to know the purity of their hearts Aske them are you proud a good question to try whether a man be spiâ—â—tuall and his knowledge experimentall whether he be acquainted with his own heart c. they will answer proud no not they none are proud but fooles and they hate a proud man c. And yet it is pride only mixt with ignorance that makes the answer they condemn pride but it is with a greater pride Men that care only to seem Christians if they can get Gods livery on their backs and his name in theiâ— mouthes if they can keep their Church give an Almes bow their knee say their prayers pay their tithes and once a year receive the Sacrament not caring how corrupt hearts how filthy tongues how false hands they have they thinke themselves as compleat Christians as live and that they may out-face all reproofes when the truth is they are so far from being Christians that they have not made one step towards Christianity for the first step to Religion is to love Religion in another whereas these men generally hate scoff at and persecute the power of Religion wherever they perceive it And doth not God hate them so much more then pagans by how much they being pagans pretend themselves and might be excellent Christians But Sect. 7. Secondly Let a Minister come to any ignorant worldling and such are all that are not Religious and question withthem upon their death-beds about their estate or ask them how their soules fare and what peace they have What is their manner of answering especially if they have not been notorious offenders are they a whit troubled for sinne either originall or actuall or will they acknowledge themselves to be in a lost condition without Christ no their consciences are at quiet and they are at peace with themselves and all the world and they thank God no siâ—ne troubles them they have been no mâ—râ—herers no Adulterers no common drunkards neither have they been oppressours yea will such an one say I doe not know that I have wronged man woman or child I have been a Protestant and gone to Church all my dayes c. The middle sort of Christians so called have a notable way to delude their owne soules and to put of all reproofes and threatnings namely by comparing themselves with such as are worse then themselves counting none wicked but such as are notorious for wickednesse as for example because they are not so drunke as Nabal they thinke themselves sober because not so proud as Haman therefore they be humble because not so bloodily minded as Doeg therefore they are mercifull because not so trecherous as Judas therefore loyall because neither Gallowes nor pillory can take hold of them therefore they are honest and square dealers Nor can there be a more plausible deceit for as the swarthy compared with the Blackmore thinkes himselfe fair so civiâ—l men looking upon the prophane admire their owne holinesse But such should do well to mind what our Saviour â—aâ—â—h Matth. 5. Except your rightâ—ousnesse exceeds the rightâ—ousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall
in no case enter into the kingdomâ— oâ— heaven vers 20. Alasse Tamar was more righteous then Judah yet was Tamar sinfull enough and that Justiciary Luk. 18 was not a publican but he was a pharisee like thee which was worse wherefore compare not thy selfe with the worst to see how far thou art beyond them â—or the thick â—arâ—d hear well â—o the starke deaf and the Pigmies wonder at his stature whom wee esteem a dwarâ—e but compare thy self with the best and see how far thou art â—hort of them the Moone is glorious to a candle but pale to the Sun the Lillie white to the wool but short of the snow c. Wherefore thou that thinkest thy selfe charitable and just compare thy selfe with Zacheus after thy fourefold restitution hast thou given halfe thy goods to the poore Thou that holdest thy selfe zealous in a cold Generation consider David The zeale of thy house hath eaton me up thou that art humble meditate on Paul yeelding to them that hated him That art sober thinke of the Râ—chabites that chast looke upon Joseph tempted and solicited by his honourable mâ—stris Though thou mayest be free from many sins without being beholding to thy selfe As what wonder is it if a dumbe man be no swearer an Evenuch no Adulterer a Beggar no Broker where is no assault there can be no victory Indeed they will in generall or in grosse acknowledge that they are great sinners but come to particulars they can hardly tell in what they never brake the first Commandement of having many Gods for they are no Papists nor Idolaters they never brake the second for they worship God aright nor the third for they have been no common swearers only a few petty oathes not the fourth for they have every Sabbath gone duely to Church not the fifth for they ever honoured their parents and are as loyall Subjects as may be not the sixt for like the young man in the Gospel they dare justifie themselves to Christs owne face that they have kept it from their youth for they never murthered any man though others find that they never â—oe without enmity and malice in their hearts against such as are more Godly and sincere then themselves but to their unseeing eyes this is no man slaughter not the seventh for they perceive not how the lust of the eye should be a sin so long as they lie not with their neighbours wives not the eight for though they have cosened a â—â—â—dred indirectly yet they never stole in all their lives not the ninth for they make Conscience of perjury though none of backbiting and slandering their neighbours As for the tenth that indeed makes them at a stand till they hear what is meant by thou shalt not covet And so by consequence they prove that they did but lie and dissemble when they acknowledged themselves sinners for indeed and in truth they think themselves no sinners or almost for like that ruler Luk. 18. they have kept all the commandements vers 18. to 22. and therefore if they be not rancke puritanes there are none alive But Sect. 8. Thirdly admit you take them in the very act of sin that they cannot deny it and yet I have heard sundry of them when reproved for swearing deny that they did swear they will either justify themselves in it like those hypocriticall Iewes Mal. 3. 8. 13. 14. 15. and Saul 1 Sam. 15. 18 to 22. or secondly with Iephta Judg. 11. 35. Ahab 1 King 18. 17. and the same Saul they will shift it off to some others 1 Sam. 15. 20 21. or as Adam shifted off his sin to Eve and Eve to the serpent Gen. 3. 12. 13 and for want of better excuse their callings the times or their naturall inclination and so covertly God himself shall bear the blame of their sins as Adam when he told God the woman which thou gavest to be with me she gave me of the tree and I did eate so slylie and covertly laying the fault upon God Gen. 3 12. Fourthly If their sins be not scarlet or gyaâ—tlike sins they will by subtile distinctions make them â—o sins at least not worth repenting of like the Scribes and Pharisees who thought it lawfull to swear by the Temple though not by the gold of the Temple by the Altar though not by the offring upon the Altar c. Matth. 23. 16. to 23. As for example how many of your civill honest men think they may swear by petty oathes as faith troth and the like so they swearâ— not bloody oathes as damne me c. commit small sins as tell a lye deceive a little drink as much as they can well carry a way Requite an evill turn with the like so it exceed not to be charritable with their masters goods wastfull with their parents to rob the King of his customes to compound with Creditours for ten shillings in the pound when they are ablé to pay all in bearing witnesse to speake so much truth as may make for the Plaintiffe though they conceale what makes for the defendant spill their seed upon the ground like Onon Gen. 38. 9. 10. a common but a most foule sinne so they commit not fornication in act with a thousand the like which I reckon amongst the number of small sinnes not because they are so but because blind worldlings are apt to count them so Sect. 9. Fiftly As for evill thoughts vaine and unprofitable words for the evill which cleaves to their very best actions Or for sinnes of Omission as the want of Faith and Love and Repentance want of the true feare of God the neglect of preparation and profitable hearing of praying and reading in their families of instructing their Children and servants of sanctifying the Sabbath and seeing that all under them doe the same their unfruitfulnesse under the meanes of grace their not fearing of a lye an oath and a hundred the like they thinke they neede not be humbled for Yea they account the care of these things but as the tything of mint and cummine But they shall once know and deerly pay for it eitherwith teares or torment that only to refraine evill unlesse they hate it also and doe the contrary good is to be evill still For when the truth of obedience and power of godlinesse is wanting what difference between an Iseraelite and an Ishmalite a circumcised Hebrew and an uncircumcised Philistine a baptized English man and an unwashen Turke Christians are bound to shine out as lights by a holy conversation To gloryfie God and to winne others To admonish their brother when he doth amisse to be able to give a reason of their faith and hope 1 Pet. 3. 15. To grow in grace daily for as he is a Cain that sayes Am I my brothers keeper So he is an Esau who sayes in respect of spirituall things I have enough my brother for not a child in Gods familie leaves of growing in grace till he is growne up into