men in Gods account who walk in all his Ordinances and all his Commandments in a blameless manner Luk. 1.6 They were both righteous before God walking in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameless That evidence which is given of the righteousness of Zacbarias and Elizabeth may be given of these men they walk in all the Ordinances of God they have respect to all the Commandments of God and are blameless in their conversations They are baptized and baptize others in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost they often celebrate the Lords Supper they praise God in singing Psalms they keep holy the Sabbath day they pray to God in secret and pray in their Families they worship God in publick Assemblies as well as privately they are just sober temperate patient under afflictions c. 3. They visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction and they keep themselves unspotted of the world and they that do so being sound in the Faith are Religious men and their Religion is pure and undefiled in the sight of God Jam. 1.27 Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this To visit the fatherless and widow in their affliction and to keep himself unspotted from the world They endeavour according to their abilities and their opportunities to do good unto all men And that is an argument that they are born of God 2 Joh. v. 11. He that doth good is of God 4. They train up their children and servants in the knowledg and the fear of the Lord and that is an evidence of a righteous man when he doth not only serve God and walk with God himself but teacheth his houshold to do so also Josh 24.15 As for me and my house we will serve the Lord. Cornelius his piety was evidenced by training up his house in the fear of God Act. 10.2 A devout man and one that feared God with all his house God takes special notice of Abrahams piety in that he was careful that his children and his whole house should keep the ways of the Lord Gen. 18.19 I know him that he will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgment that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him If it be said Some think and speak otherwise of these Ministers which are called Nonconformists as if they were deceivers of the people and were not good men I answer 1. So did many among the Jews say of Christ and his Apostles Amongst the Jews there were differing thoughts concerning Jesus Christ Joh. 7.12 Some said he is a good man others said nay but he deceiveth the people There were as evil reports raised and as dishonourable speeches given out against the Apostles as there are against these men 2 Cor. 6.8 By honour and dishonour by evil and good report as deceivers and yet true 2. The Spirit of God foresaw that scandalous reports would be raised against righteous men and that they would be misrepresented in the world whereby many would be deceived and be ready to condemn the innocent and therefore he hath given us a sure rule to judg who is a righteous man He that doth righteousness he is a righteous man 1 Joh. 3.7 Little children let no man deceive you he that doth righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous These men approve themselves to be righteous men by their constant care to do those things which are just and right in the sight of God and men 3. Their adversaries that reproach them would be glad to be in their condition when they dye then they will wish that their last end may be like theirs If any say Do you know all those Ministers which are called Nonconformists that you know them to be righteous men I answer 1. With some of them I have had intimate acquaintance for several years and have fully known their Doctrine and manner of life and I am abundantly satisfied in what I have asserted that they are men of sound judgments of upright holy and exemplary conversations And Charity obligeth me to believe and hope the like of the rest although I have no personal acquaintance with them 2. If any Minister that goeth under the name of a Nonconformist be not a righteous man I plead not his cause but dislike and disown such a man as much as the Conformists do And as these Ministers are righteous men so there are many of those that come to their Assemblies I say not that they are all righteous that come to their Meetings for the Gospel is like a Net which draweth good and bad but this I say there are many righteous persons come to their Assemblies such as are of an holy blameless conversation well reported of for good works who have no other design in frequenting these Meetings than the glorifying God and the saving their own souls 2. Praying to God in the Name of Jesus Christ for things agreeable to his will and Preaching and Hearing of Gods Word are good works Prayer is a good work 1 Tim. 2.1 2 3. I exhort therefore that first of all supplication prayer intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men for Kings and for all that are in authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour 1. It is commanded of God v. 8. I will therefore that men pray every-where lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting These words may relate to verse 3 where the Apostle had told us that praying for all men is good and acceptable in the sight of God And therefore commands that men pray every-where 2. Prayer when made by upright men is delightful to God Prov. 15.3 The prayer of the upright is his delight 3. God promiseth great blessings to them that pray to him as eternal life Rom. 10.13 Whosoever calleth upon the name of the Lord shall be saved The giving of the Holy Ghost Luk. 11.13 Your heavenly Father will give the holy Spirit to them that ask him Yea all good things Psal 31.10 They that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing And as Praying so Preaching of the Gospel is a good work For 1. It is commanded by God Mark 16.15 Go ye into all the world preach the Gospel to every creature 2. It doth great good to the souls of men It turns them from darkness to light from the power of Satan to God It is the great instrument of saving mens souls even that preaching which the world counteth foolishness 1 Cor. 1.20 It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe 3. God promiseth to reward this work with a Crown of glory 1 Pet. 5.1 2 4. The Elders which are among you I exhort Feed the flock of God which is among you And when the chief Shepherd
Lord Jesus Christ who will judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdom Preach the Word be instant in season and out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and patience 1 Cor. 9.15 Yea wo is unto me if I preach not the Gospel Now if men forbid that which God commands whom are we to obey God or men If any say this charge was given to Timothy and that wo was pronounced against Paul and that is nothing to these men if these men had a charge from God to preach as Timothy and Paul had we should not dare to oppose or hinder their preaching I answer This charge that was given to Timothy to preach the word doth and will concern all Ministers of the Gospel to the worlds end as well as it did him As that promise given to Joshua I will never leave thee nor forsake thee is interpreted by the Holy Ghost to be spoken to all Christians to the end of the world Josh 1.5 compared with Heb. 13.5 So this command given to Timothy who was a Minister of the Gospel concerns all the Ministers of the Gospel in all places and all ages of the world What was spoken to the Apostles as they were Christians belongs to all Christians Mark 13.37 And what I say unto you I say unto all watch And what was spoken to them as Ministers of the Gospel belongs to all Ministers as well as unto them 6. As for them that charge these men with sin yea with rebellion for Praying and Preaching contrary to Law I would mind them of the examples of Daniel and the Apostles There was a royal Law made by all the Presidents of the Kingdom the Governours the Princes the Counsellors and Captains under a very great penalty That no man should ask a Petition of any God or Man for the space of thirty days save of the King and this decree was signed by Darius the King Dan. 6.7 8 yet when Daniel knew this decree was signed he prayed three times a day as his usual custom was and did not omit the opening of the windows in the time of Prayer v. 10. Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed he went into his house and his windows being open in his chamber towards Jerusalem he kneeled upon his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God as at other times What think ye Did Daniel sin against God and rebel against the King in praying contrary to the decree If you think Daniel sinned in giving such an example to after-ages to pray contrary to a decree made with such a penalty or if you think he sinned that he kept his wonted times and would not so far comply with the decree as to forbear for a few days or that he did not take other hours or that he would not shut his windows or pray so secretly and privately as none but his own Family should know of it you may be convinced of your mistake from v. 22. My God hath sent his angel and hath shut the Lions mouth that they have not hurt me forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me and also before thee O King have I done no hurt It is evident from these words that Daniel's Praying to God in his usual manner contrary to the decree was no sin either against God or the King And is not Prayer a Duty now as well as in Daniel's time The Apostles had a strict charge from the rulers of the Jews not to Preach in the name of Jesus Christ Act. 4.17 18. Let us straitly threaten them that they speak henceforth to no man in this name And they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus That this command to forbear Preaching was given by the Rulers we may see v. 5 6. yet after this strict charge and severe command given by the rulers to the Apostles to cease Preaching they were as diligent as before in Preaching of the Gospel Act. 5.27 28. And when they had brought them they set them before the Councel and the High-Priest asked them saying Did not we straitly command you that you should not teach in this name and behold you have filled Jerusalem with your Doctrine And after they had been beaten for Preaching the Gospel and had received a new command not to speak in the name of the Lord Jesus They continued to take all opportunities to teach and preach Jesus Christ both in the Temple and every House ver 40 41 42. When they had called the Apostles and beaten them they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus and let them go And they departed from the presence of the councel rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name And daily in the Temple and in every house they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ Did the Apostles sin against God or rebel against their rulers for preaching the Gospel when they were straitly charged by their rulers not to Preach and beaten because they did not obey the command and another command given them after that to leave Preaching and yet they proceeded in their work If any shall say or think the Apostles did sin in so doing all good Christians will condemn their rash judgment and they may easily be refuted from Act. 4.29 After they had been commanded to cease preaching and threatned they Pray to to God to assist them to preach the word with boldness And now Lord behold their threatnings and grant unto thy servants that with all boldness they may speak thy Word And they would not pray for assistance in that which was sinful And their boldness in preaching after their prohibition from the rulers of the Jews is ascribed to their being filled with the Holy Ghost v. 31. They were all filled with the Holy Ghost and spake the word with boldness And that man is a blasphemer who shall say the Apostles sinned in preaching against the command of their rulers whenas it was the Holy Ghost which gave them boldness to preach the Word of God Besides they were encouraged to preach after their rulers had forbidden them and had imprisoned them for preaching contrary to their commands by an Angel that was sent from Heaven that opened the Prison-doors and said unto them Go and stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life Act. 5.9 20. And when they were again brought before the rulers and examined whether they did not know of that strict charge they had given them and were taxed with the disobeying their command Did not we straitly command you that you should not teach in this name and behold you have filled Jerusalem with your Doctrine and intend to bring this man's blood upon us They justified their preaching though they had disobeyed their rulers commands v. 29. Then Peter and the other Apostles answered and said we ought to obey
unto thee against Israel and against Judah and against all the nations It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I purpose to do unto them that they may return every man from his evil way that I may forgive them their iniquity and their sin I observe here 1. Jeremiah had no assurance that the Jews would read or hear what he wrote there was only a probability of it It may be the house of Judah will hear Yet he was commanded to write in a book the judgments of God that hung over their heads for their sins 2. When Jeremiah was hindered from preaching as he formerly had done ver 5. I am shut up I cannot go into the house of the Lord. God prescribed this way as the most likely means to bring them to repentance for Jeremiah to write unto the Jews Write all these words that I have spoken to thee against Judah It may be the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I purpose to do unto them that they may return every man from his evil way 3. Though these Informers should not hearken to the counsel that I have given them yet whether they will hear or whether they will forbear it is the mind and will of God that sinners should be called to repentance Ezek. 2.7 And thou shalt speak my words unto them whether they will hear or whether they will forbear for they are most rebellious 4. Scorning is a great sin and bringeth down mighty judgments Prov. 19 29. Judgments are prepared for scorners Jer. 22.28 Now therefore be ye not mockers lest your bands be made strong Yet though these Informers should prove scorners we must not conclude their case desperate but use means to bring them to repentance both reproving them for their sin and letting them see there is mercy for them if they will turn when they are reproved for their sins Prov. 1.22 23. How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity and the scorners delight in scorning and fools hate knowledg Turn at my reproof behold I will pour out my spirit upon you I will make known my words unto you But if they will persist in their sins and scorn those means that are used to bring them to repentance their scorning will not hurt me but themselves Prov. 9.12 If thou scornest thou alone shalt bear it And let such persons consider what is said Prov. 3.34 Surely he scorneth the scorners And Prov. 1.24 to the 32. 5. If none of these Informers should vouchsafe to read what I have written for the convincing them of their sin yet it may fall into the hands of their friends and relations and they may hereby be put upon mourning and praying for them and endeavouring their conversion 6. As for their being enraged at what I have written I shall reply 1. Our Lord Jesus spake nothing but the truth yet many of the Jews were so incensed against him that they would have thrown him down headlong from an high hill Luk. 4.28 29. And all they in the synagogue when they heard these things were filled with wrath and rose up and thrust him out of the City and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their City was built that they might cast him down headlong Yet he did not forbear reproving them for their sins though he was hated by the world on this very account for testifying that the deeds thereof were evil Joh. 7.7 The world cannot hate you but me it hateth because I testifie of it that the deeds thereof are evil Yea though their hatred arose to such an height as that they wont about to kill him yet he taught them and reproved them for their sins v. 14 19. Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went into the Temple and taught none of you keepeth the law why go ye about to kill me Joh. 8.40 And now ye seek to kill me a man which hath told you the truth 2. If God shall touch any one of their hearts and reclaim them from their evil ways instead of being enraged they will bless God and be thankful to them whom God makes instruments of keeping them from sin When David was kept by Abigails advice from shedding of blood he was thankful to God for putting it into Abigails heart to come to him and thankful to her for her good counsel 1 Sam. 25.32 33. And David said to Abigail Blessed be the Lord God of Israel which sent thee this day to meet me and blessed be thy advice and blessed be thou which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood and from avenging my self with mine own hand Nabal was a son of Belial who had requited David evil for good To be kept from persecuting the servants of God is as great a favour as to be kept from avenging a mans self on a son of Belial And if David was so thankful to God the author and Abigail the instrument of his preservation from sin why should not these men in stead of railing and fretting say in their hearts Blessed be the Lord God of Israel that sent this man to shew us our sin and blessed be he and blessed be his advice To prevent mistakes and the uncharitable censures that some may be ready to pass upon this ensuing discourse I do freely and sincerely declare that I have no design to take off any Magistrate Officer or any other persons from using all due care and diligence to prevent tumults and Insurrections but only to lay open the greatness and prevent the growth of their sin who under a pretence of preventing seditious Meetings do suppress religious Exercises The discovery of the folly of these men and their practises being a likely means to put a stop to their sinful proceedings as the Apostle speaks of those that resist the truth 2 Tim. 3.9 But they shall proceed no further for their folly shall be manifest unto all men as theirs also was CHAP. I. THere are certain men risen up in this Nation called INFORMERS whose trangression saith within my heart that they are wandred out of the path of life and are going on apace in the broad way that leads to destruction I have not only heard of them but I have met with some of them in the very act of their sin When I had considered their ways I thought my self obliged to endeavour the turning them from their sinful courses For I find in the Law of Moses a strict charge given to him that meeteth his Neighbours Ox or Asse going astray to bring it back though his Neighbour be his enemy Exod. 23.4 If thou meetest thine enemies Oxe or his Asse going astray thou shalt surely bring it back to him again It is a greater act of Charity to bring back a sinner that is gone astray from God than to bring back an Oxe or an Asse of our enemies that was gone astray from him And we are under stronger obligations to endeavour the
of all the righteous blood that hath been shed upon the earth since the world stood which if it were well considered and believed and laid to heart were enough to fill the heart of these men with unspeakable horror Ps 69.22 23 24 25 26 27 28. Let their Table become a feare before them and that which should have been for their welfare become a trap Let their eyes be darkened that they see not and make their loins continually to shake Pour out thine indignation upon them and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them Let their habitation be desolate and let none dwell in their tents For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten and they talk to the grief of him whom thou hast wounded Add iniquity to their iniquity and let them not come into thy righteousness Let them be blotted out of the book of the living and not be written with the righteous Observe here 1. A Catalogue of dreadful curses such as may make a mans ears tingle to hear of them 2. The Persons against whom and the cause for which they are denounced and they are such as persecute the people of God for this very Sin of persecution v. 26. For they persecute him c. 3. The person that imprecates or as some by a Spirit of Prophesie foretells what should befall Persecutors and that was David who in this Psalm represents and personates our Lord Jesus And so we may look upon it as our Lord Jesus cursing and foretelling what curses should come upon those that should persecute him and his members Now let us consider what these curses are which David or rather our Lord Jesus foretells should come upon Persecutors Their blessings shall be cursed their table shall be their snare and that which should have been their welfare become a trap v. 22. Their eyes shall be darkned that is they shall be smitten with spiritual blindness and their loins shall shake continually that is they shall be as unable for any good work as a man whose loins shake continually or else a guilty Conscience shall make them shake for fear even where no fear is v. 28. God will pour out his indignation upon them pouring out signifies the abundance of wrath as when the clouds are said to pour down rain it implies abundance of rain and his wrathful anger shall take hold of them it shall not only fall upon them but abide and take such hold as they shall not get from it v. 24. God will give them up to their hearts lusts and punish this Sin by letting them go on in their Sins by adding one Sin to another which is a sore judgment And will not let them come into his righteousness that is will let them dye in their Sins will not let them partake of his mercy and favour will not let them have any share of the righteousness of Christ v. 26. They shall be cut off from the land of the living and have no part with the righteous in the world to come v. 27. God will visit their families and posterity with desolating judgments v 25. This shall be the portion of them that persecute the members of the Lord Jesus if they continue in this Sin without repentance See another Scripture Ps 7.13 He ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors And wo to those men against whom the great God the Lord of Hosts ordaineth his arrows And whereas he saith not his Arrow but he ordaineth his arrows against the Persecutors it implyeth that God hath several sorts of judgments in store for Persecutors both judgments in this life and the life to come It may be you will say we see Persecutors of righteous men are in a very dreadful condition but we hope we are not guilty of this great Sin of persecution by our molesting these men in their meetings and causing their goods to be taken from them Did we hale them to Prisons or cause them to be put to death then we might justly be called Persecutors but seeing we do not take away their lives but their goods we hope we are no Persecutors Ans 1. All injuries done wittingly to righteous men either in word or deed especially when they are troubled for righteousness sake are persecutions Ishmael did not offer any violence to the life person or estate of Isaac He did but mock him Gen. 21.9 yet he is charged with persecuting Isaac Gal. 4.29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit even so it is non Job's friends did not afflict his body nor touch his estate nor disturb him at his devotion only they grieved his Spirit by their reproaches and uncharitable censures of him and they are charged with the guilt of persecution Job 19.21 22. Have pity upon me have pity upon me Oh ye my friends for the hand of God hath touched me why do ye persecute me c. David speaking of his Persecutors tells us one way whereby they persecuted him was by talking and speaking those things which caused him grief Ps 69 26 They persecute him whom thou hast smitten and talk to the grief of them whom thou hast wounded If uncharitable censures reproaches scoffs be a degree of persecution how can you wash your hands from the guilt of this Sin who call their meeting to worship God by reproachful terms who disturb them in their devotions carry them before Magistrates and cause their goods to be taken from them 2. Though you do not take one drop of blood from these men yet if you hate them and what you do to them proceed out of hatred then are you Murtherers in God's account and shall have no inheritance in the Kingdom of God 1 Job 3.15 Whosoever hateth his Brother is a murtherer and you know no murtherer hath eternal life abiding in him As unchast lusts are adultery in God's account and he that lusteth after a woman though he never touch her hath committed adultery with her in his heart Mat. 5.28 So malicious actions are Murther and he that hateth his brother though he offer no violence to his life hath murthered him in his heart I will not charge you with hatred I leave that to God and your own Consciences But this I will say I cannot understand how your actings are consistent with love For love worketh no ill to his Neighbour Rom. 13.10 3. By taking away their livelyhood whereby their lives are preserved you are guilty before God of taking away their lives For a mans livelyhood is in Scripture accounted his life else what means that Scripture Deut. 24.6 No man shall take the nether or the upper-milstone to pledge for he taketh a mans life to pledge Why is the taking the upper or nether milstone to pledge the taking a mans life to pledge but because it is the taking that which is the means of preserving his life by procuring him a livelyhood 4. By hindring them in the exercise of their Ministery
preaching to the Gentiles Matt. 10.5 6. These twelve Jesus sent forth and commanded them saying Go not in the way of the Gentiles and into any City of the Samaritans enter ye not but go rather to the lost Sheep of the house of Israel 4. Let the Gentiles come to us and be circumcised after the manner of Moses and we will receive them and then they may hear Preaching in our Synagogues every Sabbath-day and be sure of Salvation For Salvation is of the Jews Joh. 4.22 5. The Church of the Jews hath been a glorious Church the only visible Church in the world for some thousands of years and these men preaching to the Gentiles will diminish the glory of this famous Church Their great Apostle teacheth us that their riches will be our diminution Rom. 15.12 6. Hitherto we have had but one Church and now by their preaching to the Gentiles we are like to have many more Churches erected 7. These men are cast out of the Synagogue by the general consent of the Jewish Church Joh. 9.22 The Jews bad agreed already that if any man did confess he was the Christ he should be cast out of the Synagogue And may we not forbid an excommunicate person preaching 8. Neither these men that preach nor the Gentiles that hear them do observe the Rites and Ceremonies of the Law of Moses which the Church of God hath observed ever since Moses gave them to us Act. 21.21 They are informed of thee that thou teachest all the Jews that are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses saying that they ought not to circumcise their children neither to walk after the customes The Jews might have pleaded these and several other excuses for their forbidding the Apostles preaching to the Gentiles yet none of these did keep off God's wrath from them And therefore let not the Informers shrowd themselves and seek to hide their sin under specious pretences which shall be enquired into more particularly afterward but lay to heart the greatness of their sin in hindring these Ministers from preaching the Gospel of Christ whereby men may be saved 4. Arg. They that do not receive Christ's Ministers nor hear their words shall be in a worse condition than the men of Sodom at the day of Judgment Matt. 10.14 15. And whosoever shall not receive you nor hear your words when ye depart out of that house or city shake off the dust of your seel verily I say unto you it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah at the day of Judgment than for that city The men of Sodom and Gomorrah will be in a very miserable condition at the day of Judgment for they were exceeding great sinners Gen. 13.13 The men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly They were such sinners as that the Lord rained down fire and brimstone upon them And that fire which consumed the men of Sodom was a forerunner a declaration and testimony to the world of the eternal fire which they and other impenitent sinners should suffer in the other world Jude v. 7. Even as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities about them in like manner giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh are set forth for an example suffering the vengeance of eternal fire And And yet our Lord Jesus who best understood how every man's case shall go at the day of Judgment in regard he himself is the Judge of the world asserts it for an undoubted truth verily I say unto you that it shall be more tolerable at the day of Judgment for the Inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah than for them that do not receive those Ministers whom he sends or do not hear the Word they Preach And if so how dreadful will the condition of these Informers and their Adherents be at the day of Judgment who do not only not receive the Ministers of Christ nor hear the Word they Preach but endeavour to suppress their preaching and will not suffer those that would hear and embrace them to attend upon their Ministery persecuting them that Preach from house to house which is a greater sin than barely not to receive the Preachers of the Word Obj. We do receive Christ's Ministers and do embrace his Gospel although we hear not these men neither suffer others to hear them but do what we can to suppress them And therefore the fore-mentioned Scripture doth not touch us 1. Though you receive the Gospel of Christ with your ears yet your opposition that you make against the Ministers shews you have not received the Gospel of Christ into your hearts For this makes the woolf lye down with the lamb and keeps the Asp and the Cockatrice from hurting the sucking child Isai 11. And makes the briar to become a mirtle-tree and the thorn a firr-tree Isai 55.11.13 2. Persecuting those that preach and hear the Gospel is a greater sin than not to receive the Ministers of Christ nor hear their words And if you be one of those that persecute the Ministers of Christ this Scripture will do more than touch you it will take hold of you and fall heavier upon you than if all the rocks and mountains were cast upon you 5 Arg. The Judgments threatned and executed upon them that by their informing against and betraying the people of God into the hands of their enemies have brought them into trouble do plainly evince the greatness of the Informers sin I pass over the remarkable Judgments that have been executed on this generation of men in our days if any one would be at the pains to make a collection of them it might be a warning to others But I shall wave these and mention only some examples out of the Scripture the truth whereof is questioned by no man that believeth the Scripture to be the Word of God Doeg turned Informer and informed against Ahimelech the Priest for entertaining David at his house and enquiring of God for him and giving him Victuals and giving him the Sword of Goliah 1 Sam. 22.9 10. And by this information he so incensed Saul that he slew those Priests that had entertained David But now mark what a grievous curse fell upon this Informer Ps 52.5 God shall likewise destroy thee for ever be shall take thee away and pluck thee out of thy dwelling-place and root thee out of the land of the living That this curse is denounced against Doeg for informing against Ahimelech for entertaining David at his house is evident from the title of the Psalm A Psalm of David when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul and said unto him David is come to the house of Ahimelech The curse denounced against Doeg is very dreadful consisting of these branches 1. Eternal destruction and that from the hands of God God shall likewise destroy thee for ever As he had been the destruction of the Lord's Priests so God should destroy him but with a more terrible destruction they were
a love to these men you would pity them under their affliction Job 6.14 To him that is afflicted pity should be shewed from his friend Be it so that God hath a controversie with them it doth not become you to trample them under your feet Is 47.6.11 8 Arg. As they are Ministers of the Gospel your sin is exceeding great in hindring them in the exercise of their Ministry and persecuting them for Preaching the Gospel For 1. To misuse the Lord's Messengers and his Prophets is a sin that brings down wrath without remedy 2 Chr. 36.15 16. And the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers but they mocked the messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets until the wrath of God arose against these men until there was no remedy 2e God will smite through the loins of those that rise up against his Ministers Deut. 33.12 Bless Lord his substance and accept the work of his hands smite through the loins of them that rise up against him and of them that hate him that they never rise again This is Moses his Prayer which he puts up for Levi when he was blessing the Children of Israel before his death v. 1.8 The tribe of Levi was separated by the Lord to bear the Ark of the Lord and to Minister to him and to bless in his name Deut. 10.9 And therefore what is here spoken of Levi belongs to all the Ministers of the Gospel what Moses prays for in the behalf of Levi that God will do to the Ministers of the Gospel and to them that rise up against them He will bless their substance and accept their works he will strike through the loins of them that rise up against them And what is that 1. He will give them a fatal stroke he will give them such a deadly wound that they shall never recover it he will break in pieces their power and strength The loins may signifie a mans strength Joh. 40.16 Lo now his strength is in his loins 2. He will not only punish themselves in a dreadful manner but he will visit this their sin upon their posterity from generation to generation persecuting the Ministers of the Gospel is a sin which God visits not openly upon the fathers but the children and the childrens children unto the third and fourth generation Exod. 20.5 The loins does signifie a mans posterity 1 Kings 8.19 Thy Son that shall come out of thy loins 3. The loins signifie sometimes the mind or understanding as 1 Pet. 1.13 Gird up the loins of your mind And if loins be taken in this sense the meaning is Lord give them up to a reprobate mind and that is a sore judgment and a very dreadful token of the wrath of God Rom. 1.18.28 And it 's usual with the Lord to smite the enemies of his Ministers with this judgment And it 's rare if ever such persons rise again that are thus smitten of God Now those whose loins God will strike through that they rise not again are such as hate and such as rise against the Sons of Levi that is the secret and the open enemies of the Ministers of the Gospel There are some that hate them but conceal their hatred these are secret enemies and there are some that manifest their hatred by rising up against them these are open enemies 3. The Ministers of the Gospel are Christ's Embassadors sent into the world to treat of peace between God and men 2 Cor. 5.20 Now then we are Embassadors for Christ as though he did beseech you by us we pray you in Christ's stead be ye reconciled to God What injuries are done to an Ambassador of an earthly Prince he takes them as ill as if they were done to his own person If the Ambassador be reviled plundered imprisoned interrupted in the delivery of his message the Prince takes this as ill and will punish it as severely as if it had been done to himself So doth the King of Heaven who is King of Kings take all injuries done to his Ambassadors as done against himself 1 Thess 4.8 He therefore that despiseth despiseth not man but God who hath given us his holy Spirit And what is said of despising is true of all other affronts and injuries which are offered to the Ministers of the Gospel the Lord takes them as done to himself Obj. If these men were Prophets or Apostles and could work miracles if then we should molest them we should think our selves worthy of death One might fear the wrath of God should break forth upon us but they are but ordinary men subject to the same passions and infirmities as other men are and therefore we can't think there is such danger in opposing them Ans 1. Ordinary Pastors and Teachers are of God's sending and appointing they are of divine institution as well as Prophets and Apostles 1 Cor. 12.28 God hath set some in the Church first Apostles secondarily Prophets thirdly Teachers after that Miracles Eph. 4.11 He gave some Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers It is God gives and God sets Pastors and Teachers in his Church as well as Apostles Prophets and Evangelists 2. The Apostles and Prophets though holy men of God and guided by an infallible Spirit yet were but men subject to the like passions as we are Elias was an eminent Prophet yet is said of him Jam. 5.17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are Barnabas and Paul were eminent Apostles yet when the men of Lystra would have adored them as Gods and done Sacrifice to them they cryed out Sirs why do you these things we also are men of like passions with you Act. 14.15 They that despise the Ministers of the Gospel in those days would have despised the Prophets and Apostles had they lived in their days for they that were enemies to the power of Godliness despised the Apostles and Prophets then even as many do now the Ministers of Christ Take an instance of the Apostle Paul who though he was full of the Holy Ghost yet some thought and spake contemptibly of him 2 Cor. 10.2 Some think of us as though we walked according to the flesh v. 10. His letters say they are weighty and powerful but his bodily presence is weak and his speech contemptible Many other vilifying expressions were given concerning this Apostle which I forbear to mention 3. A man may be a true Minister of Jesus Christ and yet be able to work no miracles John the Baptist was a true Minister and lived in the time when the gift of miracles was frequently given yet it 's said of him John did no miracle Joh. 11.41 And some that had the gift of miracles were destitute of true Grace Matt. 7.23 24. And therefore we should not decry a man as no Minister of Christ because he can't work miracles especially seeing working of miracles is now ceased 4. Our Lord Jesus would have every one
dying Joash the King of Israel wept over him and said My Father my Father the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof 2 King 13.14 Intimating that Elisha by his Prayers was a greater security and protection to Israel than all the chariots and horsemen that were in Israel Now if righteous men are blessings to a Nation if they are the strength and security of a Nation the persecuting and afflicting them must needs be prejudicial to a Nations welfare 3. The persecuting these men weakens the Protestant and strengthens the Popish interest in this Nation For these men both in their Preaching and Writing have appeared eminently against the Popish Doctrine and it 's not long since that we were called both by the King and Parliament to humble our selves by fasting for the growth of Popery in the Nation And that which weakens the Protestant and strengthens the Papal interest must be acknowledged to be prejudicial to the Nation by all that are well affected to the Protestant Religion 12. The Informers are guilty of smiting their fellow-servants and that is a provoking sin when a man without just cause shall smite his fellow-servant especially if he smite him for doing his Master's work Matt. 24.48 49 50 51. But if that evil servant shall say in his heart my Lord delayeth his coming And shall begin to smite his fellow-servants and to eat and drink with the drunken The Lord of that servant shall come in a day that he looketh not for him and in an hour that he is not aware of and shall cut him asunder and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth I would mind the Informers of several things from this Scripture which do nearly concern them 1. These are in God's account evil servants that smite their fellow-servants without a cause If that evil servant smite his fellow-servant 2. God usually gives up such as smite their fellow-servants to sensuality that they prove sottish persons companions of Drunkards Smite his fellow-servant and eat and drink with the drunken 3. Smiting fellow-servants brings swift and unexpected destruction The swiftness of the judgment is implyed in that God takes men oftimes in the beginning of their sin And shall begin to smite his fellow-servants The unexpectedness of the Judgment in that sometime he does not give a days no not an hours warning The Lord of that servant shall come in a day that the looketh not for him and in an hour that he is not aware of 4. Utter destruction will be the portion of such as smite their fellow-servants And shall cut him a-sunder If a man be cut and slash'd in his body he may be healed of his wounds but if he be cut asunder he is destroyed without remedy 5. Such as smite their fellow-servants shall have their portion among hypocrites in the bottomless pit where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth And shall appoint him his portion with hypocrites where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth And why with hypocrites It is either because whatever pretences such may make of zeal they are but hypocrites in God's account that smite their fellow-servants or it is because of all men hypocrites shall have the greatest portion of torment in the other world as being the chiefest of sinners in Is 33.14 If they reply This Scripture doth not concern us Informers but such as have power in Church or State and abuse their power to the vexing of their fellow servants Ans I grant that Grotius expoundeth this place of Pastors who do either themselves or who stir up Magistrates to vex and deal cruelly with other Ministers and Christians for reproving them for their corrupt opinions or sinful lives or for differing from them in some circumstantial things 2. If it be taken in this sense yet it will reach the Informers for like sins shall have like judgments If Superiors for abusing their power shall be so sorely punished then these Informers who are Inferiour persons must not think to escape the Judgment of God while they incense the Magistrate to vex and molest those that are faithful and peaceable only they differ from others in some circumstantial and disputable things CHAP. III. The Informer's Pleas answered Plea 1. IF we did know or think that these were righteous men we would not persecute them to gain the whole world but we look upon them as Phanaticks Factious persons Schismaticks Pestilent fellows Seducers of the people Troublers of the Nation yea the very worst sort of men and therefore we do think we well to persecute them and do what lyeth in our power to suppress them Ans 1. This was the same way which the Jews used to persecute the Prophets Jesus Christ and his Apostles they said all manner of evil against them falsely and then persecuted them not as righteous men but as evil doers Matt. 5.11.12 Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsly for my sake rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven For so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you So persecuted they the Prophets How By reviling them and speaking all manner of evil against them falsly and persecuting them under the notion of evil doers and not as righteous men The Jews would not own that they stoned Christ for righteousness sake or any of his good works but gave out that he was a blasphemer and they stoned him for blasphemy Joh. 10.33 The Jews answered him and said For a good work we stone thee not but for blasphemy because thou being a man makest thy self God 2. When you have spoken all the evil you can of these Ministers that are called Non-conformists you cannot say worse of them than the Jews spake of the Prophets and the Apostles and our Lord Jesus Christ himself yet not only Jesus Christ but the Prophets and Apostles were righteous men Do you look upon these Ministers to be Phanaticks or Mad-men So Paul was censured as a mad-man Act. 26 24. Paul thou art beside thy self much learning hath made thee mad Yea the Jews thought and said Christ was mad and gave out that the Devil was in him and wondred that any would go to hear him Joh. 10.20 Many of them said He is mad and hath a Devil why hear ye him Do you question the authority of these Ministers to Preach the Gospel So did the Jews question Christ's Matt. 21.23 And when he was come into the Temple the chief Priests and Elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching and said By what authority doest thou these things and who gave thee this authority Will you not believe these men to be true Ministers of Christ So it was with the Jews they would not believe Jeremiah to be a Prophet of the Lord but thought he made himself a Prophet We find Shemaiah writing thus to Zephaniah Jer. 29.26 27. The
at more than the place where the worship is performed Joh. 4.21 23. It seems irrational and not candid to say no worse to shut these men out of the Churches and then to reproach them and persecute them because they preach not in Churches but in private houses and barns and where they best can 3. A stable is a more contemptible place than a dwelling-house or barn yet because there was no room in the Inn our Lord Jesus was born in a stable and laid in a manger after he was put into his swadling-cloths Luk. 2.7 She brought forth her first-born Son and wrapped him in swadling-cloths and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the Inn. And shall we think any place too mean for us to assemble together in seeing our Lord Jesus humbled himself so far as to be born in a stable Plea 7. We cannot believe it is such a great sin as you have said to molest and persecute these men for if it were we should be greatly troubled in our Conscience and should have no quiet in our minds night nor day but we are under no trouble of Conscience for what we do and therefore we think we do not sin in molesting them Ans 1. A man may be a great sinner and yet have no trouble in his Conscience for his sins yea it may be a hard matter to convince him of his sins Whoredom is a great sin Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judg Yet Solomon speaks of some that live in this sin and say they have done no iniquity Prov. 30.20 Such is the way of an adulterous woman she eateth and wipeth her mouth and saith I have done no wickedness Oppression and Murther are grievous sins yet some men have such seared Consciences that they are no more troubled at these sins than if they were innocent persons Zech. 11.4 5 Feed the flock of the Slaughter whose possessors slay them and hold themselves not guilty and they that sell them say Blessed be the Lord I am rich Jer. 2.34 35 Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents I have not found it upon secret search but upon all these yet thou sayst because I am innocent surely hss anger shall turn from me To kill the Disciples of Christ is an exceeding great sin yet some are under such a spirit of delusion that instead of acknowledging their sin they think they do God good Service Joh. 16.2 They shall put you out of the Synagogues yea the time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think he doth God Service 2. It hath been already proved by many Arguments out of the Word of God that this practise of yours is exceeding sinful and abominable in the sight of God and therefore if you have no terrours of Conscience for what you have done it is because your hearts are so hardened that you are grown past feeling Plea 8. But if our persecuting these men were so great a sin surely God would send some great Judgment upon us either fire would fall from Heaven and consume us or the earth would open its mouth and swallow us up or some other strange punishment would befall us but God lets us alone and we thrive and prosper in the world and therefore we can't think this is such a great sin Ans 1. God oft-times lets great sinners alone and doth not punish them for their sins in this world because he reserveth them to be punished at the day of Judgment 2 Pet. 2.9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation and to reserve the unjust to the day of Judgment to be punished Job observed in his time that there were persons that did remove the land-marks and violently took away the flocks and fed thereon oppressed the Widow and the Fatherless and grind the face of the poor and committed other abominable sins and yet God did not punish them for their sins Job 24.2 to the 12. Some remove the Land-mark and violently take away flocks and feed thereon They drive away the ass of the fatherless and take the widows exe for a pledge and yet God layeth not folly to them And David observed of many in his time that were great oppressers and afflicters of Gods people and yet they prospered and did not meet with troubles either in life or death as other men did but had even what heart could wish though they were ungodly sinners Ps 73. from v. 3. to the 12th 2. Glory not in this that God lets you alone in your sinful ways and suffers you to prosper For it 's a token that he intends to destroy you for ever Ps 97.2 When the wicked do spring as the grass and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish it is that they shall be destroyed for ever 3. It may be the hand of the Lord is lifted up and hath gone out against you several ways since you took up this practise of Informing though you take no notice of it Isa 26.11 Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see but they shall see and be ashamed for their envy at the people yea the fire of thine enemies shall devour them 4. Though you do not meet with judgments in your Bodies Estate or Families yet it may be God hath smitten you with spiritual judgments When Pharaoh oppressed Israel and would not let Israel go to worship God besides the Plagues that reach the outward man God sent Plagues upon Pharaoh's heart Exod. 9.14 I will at this time send all my Plagues upon thy heart And how did God send all his Plagues upon Pharaoh's heart It was by giving him up to Judicial hardness Exod. 10.1 And the Lord said unto Moses Go unto Pharaoh for I have hardened his heart It 's a grievous curse to be given up of God to obstinacy of heart Lam. 3.65 Give them sorrow of heart or as it is in the Margin obstinacy of heart thy curse unto them So Vatablus give them obstinatum cor an obstinate heart When God gives a man an obstinate heart he gives him a dreadful curse what sadder token of God's displeasure than when God lets him alone in his sins as he did Ephraim Hos 4.17 Ephraim is joyned to Idols let him alone Hos 12.14 Ephraim provoked him to anger most bitterly Whence I infer God is provoked to anger most bitterly with those sinners whom he lets alone and suffers to go on in their sins without rebuke For whom he loves he rebukes and chastens Rev. 3.19 5. Though God out of his patience bear with you and give you time and space to repent yet if you repent not sudden and unavoidable destruction will come upon you Prov. 29.1 He that being often reproved hardneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy Job speaking of oppressors and I conceive Informers to be guilty of oppression tells us how oft-times God takes them away in a very sudden and
famine in the days of David three years year after year And David enquired of the Lord and the Lord answered it is for Saul and his bloody house because he slew the Gibeonites Now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel but of the remnant of the Amorites and the children of Israel had sworn unto them And Saul sought to slay them in his zeal to the children of Israel and Judah 3. Those alms which you give to the poor out of these mens estates that are fined for meeting together to pray to God and to hear his Word are no way acceptable to God For 1. He loves judgment and righteousness and hates those Sacrifices which are taken by Robbery from other men and then presented to him for a Sacrifice Is 61.8 For I the Lord love judgment and hate Robbery for burnt-offering 2. He that would give alms which may be acceptable to God must give alms of what he getteth righteously Matt. 6.1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men to be seen of them Some copies render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Beza observes Take heed you do not your righteousness before men Alms may be called righteousness because they must be of goods honestly and righteously gotten Your alms We must give alms out of our own not other mens estates 4. Those that sought to build up Zion with blood took the ready way to destroy Zion Mic. 3.10 12 They build up Zion with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity Therefore shall Zion for your sake be ploughed as a field and Jerusalem shall become heaps Plea 11. We hate these men and know not how to find an occasion against them except it be in the matters of their God and this is a ready way to be avenged of them Ans 1. If you hate these men then you are Murtherers in God's account and shall have no part in his Kingdom 1 Joh. 3.15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murtherer and ye know that no murtherer hath eternal life abiding in him 2. Though men cannot see the spite that is in your hearts but it may be covered over with fair pretences yet God seeth it and he will requite it Ps 10.14 Thou hast seen it For thou beholdest mischief and spite to requite it with thy hand 3. Suppose any that come to these Meetings have done you wrong yet you ought not to avenge your selves but to overcome evil with good Rom. 12.19 21 Dearly beloved avenge not your selves but rather give place unto wrath for it is written Vengeance is mine and I will repay saith the Lord. Be not overcome of evil but overcome evil with good Much less should you for the offence of one man seek to be revenged of an Assembly of men As Haman when he had taken offence at Mordecai sought to be avenged of the whole race of the Jews which proved his overthrow Plea 12. We think may others say that some of these men are righteous persons and mean well but they disturb the peace of the Church and their preaching causeth division in the Church for by their means are Families divided and some go one way and some another And this makes us labour to suppress them because the good of the Church is to be preferred above the good of particular persons Ans 1. If you grant these men to be righteous men you had need take heed how you persecute them What Job said to his friends Job 19.28 But ye should say why persecute we him seeing the root of the matter is in him That you should say why persecute we these men seeing the root of the matter is in them seeing they are of the same faith with us and walk in the fear of God 2. If by the Church you understand the body of Christians who embrace the Doctrine of the Gospel and walk in all the Ordinances and Commandments of the Lord Jesus then these men are a great part of the Church and are not the disturbers of the Churches peace For whom do they molest whom do they persecute They are desirous to live at peace among themselves and to have peace with all men as much as in them is These Informers and their adherents are the disturbers of the Churches peace who persecute men professing Faith in Christ and walking in all the Ordinances of the Gospel for worshipping God If by the Church you mean the Pastors and Teachers of the Church these men do not molest the conformable Clergy in their executing their Ministerial office As for such of them as are sound in the Faith holy in their Lives faithful Preachers of God's holy Word They say the Blessing of the Lord be upon them and rejoyce to hear when they convert Souls to Christ And in this sense also Informers are the disturbers of the Church for their great design is to molest and persecute the Pastors and Teachers among the Non-conformists rather than any other persons 3. Great divisions arose in the Jewish Church upon the preaching of the Lord Jesus Christ Families were divided upon his preaching some were for him others were against him Fathers against their children and children against their fathers Luk. 11.51 52 53. Suppose you that I am come to give peace on earth I tell you nay but rather division For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided three against two and two against three The Father shall be divided against the Son and the Son against the Father The Mother against the Daughter and the Daughter against her Mother The Mother-in-law against the Daughter-in-law and the Daughter-in-Law against the Mother-in-law Was Jesus Christ to be suppressed was his preaching to be blamed because of these divisions that followed upon it Far be it from any man to say or think so In like manner if divisions and distentions arise in Families and among Relations upon the preaching of the Ministers of Christ neither they are to be suppressed nor their Ministers to be blamed Yea it may be further added that the preaching of the Conformist Ministers also doth cause dissentions and divisions in Families and Parishes when many Families in one Parish will repair to hear the Ministers of another Parish and that in great numbers so that some Congregations where Ministers are eminent are thronged others scarce any hearers at all yea in the same Families in London and other places several in the same Family do repair to several conforming Ministers of other Parishes And some Persons of Quality zealous too for Uniformity do constantly desert their own Ministers to hear some other they better approve of taking all or the greatest part of their Families with them and for years together yet I suppose these Informers judg not themselves obliged out of their love of the Churches peace to prosecute these Ministers and their hearers the one for preaching and the other hearing Plea 13. We are convinced we have done evil but you should not have reproved us so
whom these Informers pretend were met in a seditious manner you found met in a peaceable manner and that they were doing nothing else but praying to God in the name of Christ and preaching and hearing God's holy Word and that you think you should sin against God if you should disturb or punish men for worshipping and serving God under a pretence of suppressing of seditious Conventicles and that in your judgment the Informers ought to be punished as false accusers rather than these men for serving God Under the Law when one man was a witness against another and testified that which was wrong diligent inquisition was to be made and if the witness had testified that which was false the Magistrates were to punish the false witness and not the party against whom he had testified false things and his punishment was to be according to what he had intended to have done against his brother against whom he was a false witness Deut. 19.16 18 19 If a false witness rise up against any man to testifie against him that which was wrong The judge shall make diligent inquisition And behold if the witness be a false witness and hath testified falsly against his brother Then shalt thou do unto him as he thought to do unto his brother so shalt thou put evil away from among you Respect to the command of God should keep Magistrates from being too sudden in crediting and acting upon the testimony of these Informers till according to God's appointment they have made diligent inquisition whether there be truth in what they have testified and if they find them false witnesses they should execute the Law of Moses against them and that for these reasons 1. The equity and righteousness of the Law 2. This would be a means of putting away evil from among them which may be understood two ways 1. It would put away the evil of sin because punishing the false witness would deter others from becoming false witnesses 2. It would put away the evil of punishment for if they connive at false witnesses which oppress innocent persons this will bring down God's Judgments upon themselves as well as these false witnesses Inf. 8. Whereas these Informers and their adherents do not only privately accuse these Ministers and their hearers to the Magistrates but sometimes take upon them to get Officers and Souldiers and come to their Assemblies in a rude and hostile manner and disturb them while they are in the worship and service of God and do put on that impudence as to call to the Minister that is praying or preaching to come down I would advise them to consider two or three things 1. What an irreligious action this is how inconsistent with the fear of God and with the reverence which is due to men made after the image of God to disturb the servants of God for doing those things which are commanded of God in the very time and season that they are worshipping and serving the Lord. God is to be feared at all times and places but more especially the awe and dread of God is to be upon us when his servants are assembled to worship him and we are present at their Assemblies Ps 89.7 God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the Saints and to be had in reverence of all that are round about him Do you fear God greatly when you come into the Assemblies of his Saints and call to them in the time of their devotion to leave off the service of God 2. What befel Uzzah for putting forth his hand and taking hold of the Ark when the oxen that carried it stumbled and the Ark shook God was angry with him and smote him with sudden death 2 Sam. 6.6 7. Uzzah put forth his hand to the Ark of God and took hold of it for the oxen shook it And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah And God smote him there for his errour and he died Uzzah 's taking hold of the Ark was no malicious act no plotted deliberate wilful sin but an errour a rash action yet for this errour and rashness he dyed upon the place where his sin was committed though it is likely he had a good end in what he did If rashness and errour in taking hold of the Ark a type of God's presence among the Jews was punished with such severity in Uzzah what severity may these men expect from God for premeditated and deliberate acts of violence against his servants who are temples of God and have God really and truly dwelling in them by his holy Spirit when they hale them out of their Assemblies and force them to desist from the service of God 3. Remember what befel Jeroboam for stretching out his hand to take the Prophet for delivering the Lords message his hand was suddenly dryed up that he could not pull it in again 1 King 13 14 And it came to pass when King Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God which had cryed against the Altar in Bethel that he put forth his hand from the Altar and said Lay hold on him And his hand which he put forth against him dryed up so that he could not pull it in again to him Jeroboam was a King yet for attempting to take hold of a Prophet for doing the work God set him about this remarkable and sudden Judgment of God came upon him If God dealt thus with such a tall Cedar what may the shrubs expect These men that take upon them to lay hold of the Ministers and Servants of Christ while they are about the Lords work and call them to cease may fear lest their tongues should cleave to the roof of their mouths or their arms wither or some other great Judgment should fall upon them in the act of their sin 4 Let that Judgment also which fell upon the Captains and Soldiers that went to Elijah and called to him to come down be minded by those that fetch Officers and Soldiers to the Assemblies of these men and take upon them to call them to come down out of their Pulpits when they are praying to God or instructing the people It concerns these Informers and those Officers and Soldiers that come along with them to be awakened by this Judgment to take heed what they do against these men 2 King 1.9 10 Then the King sent to him a Captain of fifty with his fifty and he went up to him and behold he sate on the top of an hill And he spake unto him Thou man of God the King hath said come down And Elijah answered and said unto the Captain of fifty If I be a man of God then let fire come down from heaven and consume thee and thy fifty And there came down fire from heaven and consumed him and his fifty The same Judgment of fire from Heaven for the same sin came upon another Captain of fifty and his fifty v. 11 12. The sin of these Informers and the Officers
people of God shall have such a day of trouble as never was since the world stood 2 Thess 1.6 7 8 9 It is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you and to you that are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus Christ shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of God and from the glory of his power CHAP. V. Humble Advice to Magistrates not to countenance these Informers nor to suppress the Non-conformist Ministers or their Meetings SEeing these Informers are wont to address themselves to the Magistrates and bring false accusations to them against these Ministers called Non-conformists informing them that they keep Seditious Conventicles and do thereby excite and stir them up to imprison or fine those Ministers and suppress their Assemblies I shall crave leave before I conclude this discourse humbly to advise and request those Magistrates to whom these Informers address themselves for assistance in their undertakings First That they would not give any countenance to this generation of men that take upon them the employ of being Informers Secondly That they do not at their instigation punish the Ministers and Servants of Christ when no other Crime can be proved against them but that they have been praying to God in the Name of his Son or that they have been Preaching or hearing his Holy Word 1. My humble request to you is that you would give no countenance or encouragement to this sort of Men. And that for Gods sake in whose stead you are placed in the world for your own sake and for the Kingdom sake that guilt and wrath come not upon your selves and upon the Kingdom for the sake of these Informers that they be not multiplyed and increased Give me leave to touch briefly on these Heads 1. You are Gods Vicegerents you stand in his Room and Rule in his stead When God made Moses Ruler over Aron and the people of Israel he tells him Thou shalt be to him instead of God Exod. 4.16 You rule and judge not for your selves but for the Lord who stands by and observes what you say and what you do and therefore you had need take heed what judgment you pass upon every man that comes before you 2 Chron. 19.6 Take heed what you do for ye judg not for men but for the Lord who is with you in the judgment And seeing you stand in Gods stead and rule and judge for him Look how the Lord God would carry himself if he were in your Places so ye ought to carry your selves whom he would encourage those you ought to encourage whom he would rebuke and reprove those ye ought to rebuke and reprove Now consider with your selves if the Lord Jesus Christ were on Earth and were in your place and these Informers came unto him to complain against his Servants for praying and Preaching and hearing his Word what are your thoughts and what do your Consciences tell you he would do in this case would he countenance or reprove and Punish them surely he would give no Countenance to such vile persons in such a sinful undertaking 2. By asisting these men you will bring down Gods Wrath upon your selves and the Nation Upon your selves To evidence this weigh what was said by the Prophet to Jehoshaphat 2 Chr. 19.2 Shouldst thou help the ungodly and love them that bate the Lord Therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord. This Wrath came upon Jehoshaphat for helping Ahab in fighting against the Syrians Here let it be considered 1. That Jehoshaphat was a great man he was King of Judah he was also a good man v. 3. Nevertheless there are good things in thee in that thou hast taken away the groves out of the Land and hast prepared thy Heart to seek God Yet neither his greatness nor his goodness kept of the wrath of God from him for helping an ungodly man 2. Ahab whom Jehoshaphat helped was a King King of Israel And it might seem good policy for one neighbouring Paince to help another Because by helping Ahab he might have had his help another time against the adversaries of Juda yet neither did this excuse him 3. The Persons against whom Jehoshaphat helped Ahab were the Syrians And the Syrians were Idolaters that Worshipped strange Gods 2 Chr. 28.23 They were also great enemies to the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah Jer. 9.12 The Syrians before and the Philistines behind and they shall devour Israel with open Mouth They were a People devoted to destruction 1 Kings 20.42 Now if Jehoshaphat incurred the displeasure of God for helping Ahab because he was an ungodly man to suppress the Syrians who were Idolators and enemies of Israel and Judah How can you think but that you shall bring down the Wrath of God upon your selves if you help these Informers who go about to oppress and suppress the Servants of the true and Living God while they are worshiping serving the Lord. If it be said It doth not appear to you that these Informers are ungodly men and such as hate the Lord you do not judge them like Ahab that had sold himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord. If you did then you might fear God would be angry with you for being helpful to them To that I answer 1. If you please to peruse those demonstrations which I have given out of the Scriptures of the Evil of their ways in the second of Chron. you may be convinced that their practices are not consistent with godlyness In some respects those men are worse then Ahab for when Ahab was reproved by Elijah for taking a possession of Naboths Vineyard which he had gotten by unjust means he humbled himself before God and Fasted and rent his Cloaths and lay in Sackcloth 1 Kings 21.27.29 But we hear of no Humilliation from these men after they have been reproved for taking into their possession other mens Goods which they obtain by undue means And as you will bring the Wrath of God upon your selves so also upon the Nation if you countenance and incourage this sort of Men. When the Rulers do not punish evil doers they bring guilt and Wrath not only upon themselves but upon the Nation where they live how much more if they give encouragement to them Nehe. 13.17 18. Then I contended with the Nobles of Judah and said unto them what evil thing is this that ye do and prophane the Sabbath day Did not your Fathers thus and did not our God bring all this evil upon us and upon this Citie yet ye bring more Wrath upon Isarel by prophaning the Sabbath They were the meaner sort of the People that prophaned the Sabbath such as bare burthens trode the Winepress sold Fish and other wares v. 15.16 And because
the Nobles did not restrain them what these men did is laid to the Charge of the Nobles And Nehemiah tells them they brought Wrath upon Israel by prophaning the Sabbath 3. If you carry it toward those men as though they were righteous acquiting them when complaints and appeals are made to you or rewarding them as though they had done well when their iniquity and folly is manifest and hateful almost to all men you will lose your respect among the People Prov. 24.24 25. He that saith to the Wicked thou art Righteous him shall the People Curse Nations shall abhor him But to them that rebuke him shall be delight and a good Blessing 4. They are usually the basest of men that take upon them this imployment men of a very ill same in the Place where they live if their conversations were Looked into there are such Blots upon some of them as would make them abhorred of all sober men And if such men be exalted countenanced and rewarded it will cause Wickedness and Wicked Persons to abound in the Nation Prov. 12.18 The Wicked walk on every side when the vilest persons are exalted If you harken to the Lying informations these men bring against innocent Persons it will not only incourage them but others also to Tread in their Steps Prov. 29.11 If a ruler hearken unto lyes all his Servants are Wicked But if you would shew your selves angry with them for Backbiting and Slandring those that are peaceable you would soon free your selves from the Trouble of these men and the Nation also Prov. 15.23 The North Wind driveth away Rain so doth an angry Countenance a backbiting tongue 2. My humble request to you is that you would not punish any of the Ministers or other Servants of Christ when no other Crime is or can be proved against them but their meeting together to pray to God in the name of Christ or to preach and hear his holy Word The advice which Gamaliel gave the rulers of the Jews when the Apostles were brought before the Council for Preaching after they had received strict Charge to forbear teaching the People was wise and seasonable advice I humbly offer the same to you Act. 5.38 39. Refrain from these men and let them alone for if this Council or this Work be of men it will come to nought but if it be of God ye cannot overthrough it lest happily ye be found even to sight against God That this advice may be more effectual I humbly intreat you to consider 1. What a strict charge the Lord Jesus hath given his Ministers to preach his word He chargeth them three times as they love him to feed his Sheep and his Lambs John 21.15 16 17. Jesus said to Simon Peter Simon Son of Jonas Lovest thou me more than those Feed my Lambs Lovest thou me Feed my Sheep Lovest thou me Feed my Sheep He chargeth them as they will answer the neglect thereof at the day of Judgment to preach the word in season and out of season 2 Tim. 4.1 2. I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and dead at his appearing Preach the word be instant in season and out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all patience and long suffering He hath laid it upon them as a necessary duty to Preach the Gospel and pronounces a Wo against them that neglect it 1 Cor. 9.16 Necessity is laid upon me Yea Wo unto me if I Preach not the Gospel Will ye forbid will punish these men for doing that for which they have such a strict command from Jesus Christ 2. Consider what a high respect and dear love the Lord Jesus beareth to all those that hear his word and do it He loveth and honoureth them as he loved and honoured his Mother and his Brethren Luk. 8.20 21. And it was told him by certain that said Thy Mother and thy Brethren stand without desiring to see thee And he answered and said my Mother and my Brethren are these which hear the word of God and do it If the Virgin Mary the Mother of Christ were now upon the earth you would offer no injury to her you would not disturb her at her devotion you would not punish her for hearing the word of God but shew all respect to her You should be as unwilling to offer any violence or suffer any wrong to be done to those that hear and do the word of God as you would to the Mother and Brethren of Christ For he loveth and respecteth them that hear and do Gods word as he did his Mother and his Brethren 3. Remember what a charge the Lord hath given you not to touch his anoynted and do his prophers no harm Ps 105.15 Touch not mine anointed and do my Prophets no harm This charge is given in an especial manner to Rulers and Governors as appears from the foregoing words He reproved Kings for their sakes saying Touch not mine anointed and do my prophets no harm By his anointed whom he would not have you touch Fiscator and several other interpreters understand Vnctos donis Spiritus Sancti Such as are anointed with the gifts and graces of the Spirit The pouring out of the Spirit is called an Unction and the anoynting 1 John 2.20 27. Prophets were of two sorts first such as had an extraordinary call and could foretel things to come Secondly as were qualified and called to teach and instruct the people though they had no extraordinary gifts 1 Cor. 14.3 He that Prophesieth speaketh unto men to edisication and exhortation and confort And so the word prophet is used Math. 10.41 for a Minister of the Gospel Now though this charge of not touching his anoynted and doing his prophets no harm was primarily given to those rulers where Ahraham and his posterity sojourned yet it equally concerneth all rulers in all ages not to touch those he hath anointed with his holy Spirit and to do no harm to any of his Ministers 4. Let it be considered that Praying and Preaching are means appointed by God for the saving mens souls Prayer is a means of obtaining salvation Rom. 10.13 Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved Amos. 5.4 Thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel Seek ye me and ye shall live And the Preaching the Gospel is a special means for obtaining salvation Rom. 1.16 I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth Yea even that Preaching which the world derides and counts Foolishness God blesseth it to the saving of Souls 1 Cor. 1.21 After that in the Wisdom of God the World by wisdom knew not God it pleased God by the foolishness of Preaching to save them that believe And the saving of Souls from hell torments is a work of the greatest moment in the whole world The Eternal Son of God became man and humbled himself to death to
the painful accursed death of the Cross to save lost Souls 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners And great care should be used that we do not hinder the obtaining that for which Christ shed his precious blood The greatest good we can do for any man is to further and the greatest hurt is to hinder his Salvation 5. It is recorded to the honour of Hezekiah that he was an encourager of all that did faithfully dispence the word of God 2 Chr. 30.22 Hezekiah speak comfortably to all the Levites that taught the good knowledge of the Lord. And as he did incourage the Ministers of Gods word so God did wonderfully bless him 2 Chr. 31.30 Hezekiah prospered in all his works And it is recorded of Herod as one of his chief sins that he imprisoned one of Gods Ministers Luk 3.19 20. But Herod the Tetrarch being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philips wife and for all the evils which Herod had done Added this above all that he shut up John in prison Herod was guilty of many evils but this is noted as the principal as that which was above all the rest that he shut up John in prison And as it is a great sin to afflict the Ministers and servants of Christ so it is usally followed with a sore judgment Herod who stretched forth his hand to vex certain of the Church soon after dyed in a miserable manner being eaten up of Worms Act. 12.1 2 3 23. Pharaoh who oppressed Israel and would not let them go to serve the Lord in the wilderness was followed with one plague after another till he was destroyed 6. Rulers ought not to be a terrour to such as do good works but to encourage and protect them Rulers are not a terrour to good works but to the evill Wilt thou then not be affraid of the power do that which is good and thou shall have praise of the same Preaching of the Gospel whereby men may be saved and praying to God in the name of Christ are good works and therefore rulers ought not to be a terrour to any man for these works 7. We are taught and Commanded by our Lord Jesus Christ to pray to the Lord to send forth labourers into his Vineyard because the harvest is great and the labourers are but few Then said he to his disciples The harvest truly is plentious but the labourers are but few Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that he will send forth labourers into his harvest To pray for labourers and when God hath sent them forth to molest and trouble them for labouring is to contradict our prayers Let the Ignorance Atheism Profaneness the growth of Errour and the small number of Preachers that are found in the Faith and of an holy conversation be considered and laid to heart and it will evidently appear that there is great need of prayer for more Labourers and of encouraging those that are sent forth and of not suppressing any that are faithful peaceable and diligent in the Work of the Lord. Obj. 1. If it be replyed These informers accuse these Ministers that they keep seditious Conventicles and are ready to give oath of it and as such we are obliged by the Law to suppress them An. 1. Rulers ought to be wise as an Angel of God to discern good from evil 2. Sam. 14 17. As an Angel of God so is my Lord the King to descern good and bad And that is no hard matter in the Noon day of the Gospel to distinguish between Religion and sedition When Job was a Ruler among his People he was diligent to search out the truth of all causes that came before him and when he found any Wicked man oppressing the righteous he was so far from rewarding him that he plucked the Spoil out of his Teeth and if he held it fast and would not let it go he break his Jaws rather than suffer him to hold his Spoils Job 29.16 17. The Cause which I knew not I searched out I break the Jaws of the wicked and pulled the Spoil out of his Teeth 2. These Ministers as was hinted before do abhor seditious Conventicles and are falsly accused by these Informers and Magistrates should be slow to believe their false accusations and not proceed to Act against them till they have searched into the truth of these informations and that for several reasons as 1. The great enmity that is in the heart of the Wicked against Righteous men which makes them eager to do them all the Mischief they can The Scripture speaks so frequently and so fully of this that I shall need to say the less Prov. 4.16 They sleep not except they have done Mischief and their Sleep is taken away unless they cause some to fall Ps 37.19 32. The Wicked plotteth against the just and gnasheth upon him with his Teeth The Wicked watcheth the Righteous and seeketh to slay him 2. They are under a temptation of gain and the Love of Mony is the Root of all evil and therefore it is no wonder if they prove false accusers of them against whom they have a great enmity and by accusing of whom they make a great advantage 3. The rule that is given to Magistrates in the word of God is not to proceed to Punishment upon reports till they have made diligent search and have certain proof of the truth of the fact Deut. 13.13 14 15. If thou shalt hear say Then shalt thou enquire and make search and ask diligently and behold if it be truth and the thing certain that such abomination is wrought among you 3. These Ministers and those that assemble with them are oftentimes judged and sentence passed upon them for to take away their Goods before they have been heard or had their accusers Face to Face yea sometimes before they know who it is that hath accused them and this seemeth to me to be against the Light and Law of Nature which teacheth that a man ought not to be condemned till he hath had his accusers face to face and hath had Licence to answer for himself The Romans had no other Light to regulate them in their judicial proceedings but the Light of Nature yet they observed this Rule not to pass sentence upon a man till he had his accusers face to face and had liberty to answer for himself Act. 15.16 It is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to dy before he that is accused hath the accusers face to face and have Liberty to answer for himself concerning the Crime laid against him If the Romans which were Heathens how much more should Christian Magistrates forbear condemning any man till he hath seen his accusers heard his accusation and been Permitted to make his own defence The name of Pilat is odious in the Christian World and will be to all generations for Condemning our Lord
Preaching God forbid we should be so wicked But the reason why we are so eager in persecuting them is because they break the Laws and are not conformable to the Service and Ceremonies of the Church Ans 1. It hath been an old device of Satan and his instruments to raise up and cast slanders upon men fearing God as though they were rebellious persons and disobedient to Laws when they have been imployed in the Service of God When Nehemiah went about to build the wall of Jerusalem the adversaries of the Jews gave out words that he was about to rebel against the King Neh. 2.19 What is this thing that ye do will ye rebel against the King So when the Ministers Preach for no other end but to convert Souls and build up such as are converted their adversaries give out they are rebels against the King The like accusation was raised against the Apostles when they Preached the Gospel up and down the world their enemies represented them to be such as walked contrary to to the decrees of Caesar Act. 17.6 7. Those that have turned the world upside down are come hither also whom Jason hath received and these all do contrary to the decrees of Casar And more particularly against the Apostle Paul Act. 18.12 13. The Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul and brought him to the judgment-seat saying This fellow perswadeth to worship God contrary to the Law Act. 21.28 Men of Israel help this is the man that teacheth all men every-where against the people and the Law and this place Daniel was a man so eminent for Piety that he is ranked with Noah and Job who had great power with God in Prayer Ezek. 14.14 He had an Angel sent to him from Heaven who told him he was a man greatly beloved of God Dan. 10.11 He was so blameless that his enemies that sought occasion against him could find no fault with him Dan. 6.3 Yet this Daniel was accused for not regarding the King and his Laws v. 13. Daniel regardeth not thee Oh King nor the decree that thou hast signed This was the device Haman made use of against the Jews He accused them to the King for breaking the Laws Est 3.8 Their Laws are diverse from all people neither keep they the King's Laws therefore it is not for the King's profit to suffer them 2. The worst of men have had pretences for their vilest practises The Jews that went about to stone Christ would not own it that they stoned him for a good work but pretended it was for blasphemy Joh. 10.32 33. Jesus answered them many good works have I shewed you from my Father for which of these works do you stone me The Jews answered him saying For a good work we stone thee not but for blasphemy and because that thou being a man makest thy self God As the Jews ignorantly or maliciously called Christ's preaching blasphemy and pretended they would have stoned him not for a good work but for blasphemy So the Informers either ignorantly or maliciously call these mens preaching rebellion and say they do not persecute them for preaching but for rebellion against the Laws They that cast out their brethren that trembled at God's Word pretended God's glory but the Lord saw that action proceeded from malice and hatred Is 66.5 Hear the word of the Lord ye that tremble at his word your brethren that hated you that cast you out for my name sake said the Lord be glorified But he shall appear to your joy and their shame 3. To represent these Ministers as disobedient to authority and rebellious persons is a grievous calumny and a great wrong to them It is contrary to their professed and declared principles and contrary to their practice For they believe and teach that every Soul ought to be subject to the higher Powers and the Powers that be are ordained of God And therefore they obey Magistrates not only to avoid their wrath but for Conscience sake And for further evidence of the soundness of their judgment in this point of obeying Magistrates they do fully concur with and are ready to subscribe if called to it unto the seven and thirtieth Article of the Church of England which treats of the civil Magistrate And if at any time it so fall out that the command of the Magistrate be contrary to the commands of God if in such a case they choose to obey God rather than men they are not upon this account to be called rebels and contumacious persons For 1. This was the practice of the Apostles to obey God rather than men Act. 14.19 Whether it be right in the sight of God to bearken unto you more than unto God judge ye And in so doing they did no more than what was their duty to do Act. 5.29 We ought to obey God rather than men 2. When the Midwives were commanded by Pharaoh to do that which was contrary to the command of God it was not rebellion in them to go against the command of Pharaoh But this action of theirs did proceed from the fear of God Exod. 1.17 But the Midwives feared God and did not as the King commanded 3. The Magistrate is the Minister of God for good Rom. 13.4 He is but the Minister of God and the Minister of God for good that is all that he enjoyns must be for God's honour and for a publick good If he command any thing contrary to the command of Christ and we obey him we exalt him above God we prefer the Servant before the Master 4. These men are more obedient to Authority and truer Subjects than many of their adversaries that reproach them with disloyalty and rebellion For many of those men that cry out against these Ministers for their disobedience to the Laws make no scruple of breaking such Laws of God and men as are contrary to their lusts There are good Laws established in this Nation against Swearing Drunkenness Symony c. yet many that are common Swearers Drunkards and live in other vices condemned by the Laws of God the Laws of the Nation and the light of their own Consciences cry up themselves for obedient Subjects and cry out against Ministers for not conforming to such things as they are not satisfied are lawful for them to do which have been for many years and still are controverted among learned men not only of this but of other Nations and which they profess could they be satisfied in their Consciences of their lawfulness they would yield obedience to them 5. As for those that complain of these Ministers preaching contrary to the command of the Magistrate I would put them in mind of the strict command that God hath given to those whom he hath called to the work and office of the Ministry to Preach the Gospel as they will answer the neglect thereof to himself and his Son Jesus Christ at the day of Judgment 2 Tim. 4.1 2. I charge thee therefore before God and the
terrible manner Job 27.20 21 22 Terrours take hold of him as waters a tempest stealeth him in the night the east-wind carrieth him away and he departeth and as a storm burleth him out of his place For God shall cast upon him and not spare he would fain flee out of his hand All this time that God beareth with you and waits for your repentance he is whetting his sword and bending his bow and preparing for you the instruments of death and the longer the sword is whetting the sharper it will be and give the more deadly wound when it strikes you Ps 7.10 11 12 God is angry with the wicked every day if he turn not he will whet his sword he hath bent his bow and made it ready he hath also prepared for him the instruments of death he ordaineth his arrows against his persecutors Plea 9. It brings us in great profit to go and inform against these men and their Meetings and therefore being in straits and having need of Money we take up this trade of Informing for thereby a third part of all fines will come into our Purses Ans 1. If the work you went about were so good yet it is sordid and sinful to go about such an employment from a covetous principle Teaching the Word of God is a good work and judging the causes between man and man is a good work yet when a man 's great end in these works is to get Money they become sinful Mic. 3.8.11 I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord to declare unto Jacob his transgression and Israel his sin The heads thereof judge for reward and the Priests thereof teach for hire and the Prophets thereof divine for Money 2. Judas gained thirty pieces of silver by betraying of Christ but what good did his Money do him when his Conscience was awakened and made sensible of his sin his Money was a trouble to him he was weary of it and threw it away and hanged himself Matt. 27.5 He cast down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed and hanged himself When Balaam was sent for to Balack to curse Israel and had a great reward proffered him the love of the wages of unrighteousness prevailed with him to go but what befel him in the way An Angel met him with a drawn sword and would have slain him had not the Ass turned out of the way Numb 22.32 33. And God to shew to Balaam his folly and madness gave the Ass a voice to rebuke him 2 Pet. 2.15 16 which have forsaken the right way and gone astray following the way of Balaam the Son of Bozor who loved the wages of unrighteousness but was rebuked for his iniquity The dumb Ass speaking with mans voice sorbade the madness of the Prophet They that out of love to the wages of unrighteousness will curse the Israel of God are little better than mad-men The very beasts had they power to speak would cry out of and rebuke the iniquity of these men 3. If this practise of yours be so sinful as hath been proved then what you gain in this kind is got with the loss of your Souls and if you could gain the whole world and should lose your souls you would be miserable for ever Mark 8.36 What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own Soul 4. Consider what the Scripture saith of unrighteous men and the gain they make by their unrighteous practises And I leave it to your Conscience to judge whether to get riches by causing men to be punished for praying to God and hearing his Word be not to get them unrighteously 1. All that is gained unrighteously is got with the loss of the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 9.6 Know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God 2. All that is gotten unrighteously will last but a little while Jer. 17.11 He that getteth riches and not by right shall leave them in the midst of his days and in the end shall be a sool 3. The riches you get this way will eat your flesh as it were fire the remembrance of these things in the other world will torment your Conscience as much as fire does your flesh Jam. 5.3 4. Your gold and silver is cankered and the rust of them shall witness against you and shall eat your flesh as it were fire ye have heaped up treasure against the last days Behold the bire of the labourers which have reaped down your fields which is of you kept back by fraud cryeth and the crys of them that reaped are entred into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth If the hire of a labouring man kept back by fraud cryeth and the cry entereth into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth how much more do the estates of those Ministers who have been Labourers in God's vineyard which have been by you taken away by force and violence cry unto the Lord and their crys enter into the ears of the Lord of Hosts And if the rust of the estates of covetous men who heap up Money and do no good with it will be a witness against them and will eat their flesh like fire then what a witness will all those goods be against you at the day of Judgment which you have caused to be taken away from the servants of God and how will the remembrance thereof vex and torment your Consciences even as if your flesh were continually burning in the fire Plea 10. We abhor those men that turn Informers for filthy lucre sake and look upon them as vile persons It is zeal for the glory of God and the good of the Church that makes us prosecute these men I purpose to give my part of the fines to the poor and to charitable uses therefore I hope I am praise-worthy Ans 1. Suppose it be zeal that carries you out to prosecute these men yet you may be guilty of persecution When the Apostle Paul made havock of the Church of Christ and haled the members of it to Prison he did not act for gain or preferment but out of zeal yet he acknowledgeth himself a persecutor and injurious though what he did proceeded out of a blind zeal Phil. 3.6 Concerning zeal persecuting the Church Act. 26.9 I verily thought with my self I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth And though he did nothing against the members of Christ but what he thought to be his duty yet when he was better instructed he called himself the chief of sinners for persecuting of Jesus Christ 2. An indiscreet zeal may carry a man out not only to do that which is prejudicial to himself but may bring Judgments upon the Kingdom where he lives Saul slaying the Gibeonites out of zeal to the children of Israel and Judah brought a famine which is a sore Judgment that continued a long time in the Land even three years 2 Sam. 21.1 2 Then there was a