score of worthy Ministers were suspended for trifles to the undoing of them outwardly and yet this Land never humbled before God for this nor made satisfaction to the persons To plead antiquity or custume for a fault is to aggravate it that it is inveterate it hath reigned to long it 's high time to remove it 2. Use is of reprehension if God will so punish the losers of and prescribers against Christian Church-liberty how are they to be reproved that cannot indure Ministers in Sermons to plead for this Christ-purchased liberty As if their judgements were that they would ever have the Church fettered in spirituall slavery they come to Church and if they heare any word let fall tending to the Churches freedome presently there they bite their lip and in the streets the lips of him that spake it They whisper in the Church and backbite abroad like those Isai 57. 4. that make a wide mouth against God And surely such whisperings against the truth are an extreme bad signe and hath divers other bad vices for it's companions Rom. 1. Whisperers backbiters false accusers haters of God inventers of evill things Drive a Mastiffe from his carrion and hee will snarle and grin and scare-crowes from the carkasse and they will make an hideous cry let Micha be robbed of his Idolls and he will roare as if his throat were about to be cut I close the use with that Ier. 5.31 The Prophets prophesie falsly and the Priests beare rule by their meanes and my people love to have it so and what will yee doe in the end thereof 3. And last use is for exhortation to particular Churches and their visible memberr Not to lye still willingly in a sordid condition of spirituall slavery when we may obtaine a God-given liberty I speake not of licentiousnesse but of liberty liberty of the soule from ignorance unregeneratednesse unmortifiednesse of the Church from unreformednesse And indeed these goe together An unreformed Church is the mother of personall sinfulnesse Therfore thrust we with dint of Divine inforcements to drive you to a due consideration of the Churches liberty See that we want not voyces for the Church in Sodome I meane her hemmed about with grosse impieties and persons see there want not a man to stand in the gap see what our mindes and spirits be observe the sound of our prayers Ier. 5 1â— whether wee stand for ciphers or doe give our voyces or vote contrary to liberty Observe whether all viz. our mindes prayer practices tend to the rooting up or rooting in the Garleek Leeks and Onions of Egypt whether wee love to be Potters ye Porters Brick-makers yea Bricke-layers to build new Babel or else are wee those that would by prayer and lawfull practice pull it downe Psal 137. To put us and presse us the right way we will lay downe Motives and Meanes Motives to put us on to make out after the Churches spirituall liberty are these 1. God will record this implies Gods taking an account of the number of opposites to liberty both so farre as they provoke God and so farre as God intends to punish them yea and lookes frowningly on the Church that hath suffered such to abound hath educated her visible members no better Rev. 3.20 And truely great is the number now of men of contrary mindes As in Egypt when the Flies and Frogs swarmed and multiplied they were a judgement so in these times the vermin of the Church lighting and croking every where perswading or stinging every where are a sad omen an ill Prognostication of deliverance and especially because as those vermin keepe together so the enemies of reformation swarme and buzze and croke together A kingdome divided against it selfe cannot stand Mat 12.25 an Army in a mutinie cannot oppose a common adversary were are weakened this day to seeke a reformation our cryes are mixt with contraries As at the 2. Temple some cryed and some shouted and for the wickednesse of the great opposite number and for the fewnesse and coldnesse of us of another minde a want of voyces or vigor in our praying votes the Lord may justly leave the yoke upon us if we doe not bestirre us Doe the birds of prey crow and whule about their carrion then let the birds of song sit in the wood Canâ— 3.6 the wildernesse of the world and hold up our beaks our mouthes to heaven and sound out a loud our devotions to heaven and never leave till an eccho Pâ— 85.8 an answer of peace be returned Out cry the murmurings of the perverse minded 'T is true the sinne of Sodome cryed loudly and loudly to heaven so that God came downe to hearken to the cry But had there beene but a voyce or two more of Saints their prayers had out-cried them a few birds of song are shriller then many crocitating birds of prey Up and be doing the thing still is feisable though many are opposite The time is not long since wherein the prayers and fastings of a few particular family-meetings and congregations prevailed more on the one side for the peace of the Church then a Land of secure ones and an army of souldiers in the field on the contrary to plunge it in blood So then the energie or sinne of the Motive is that we so bestirre our selves and so multiply our prayers and supplications above our persons that when God comes to record hee may finde more cryes on our side then on theirs 2. Motive God records with disgrace those that decline or any way neglect their spirituall liberty What a brand is left upon Israel that they so oft returned into Egypt in their hearts VVhat a brand is left upon ten of the spies for disheartening the people from going up to Canaan What a brand upon these Potters for not returning How are wee ashamed of our names in the Books of Martyrs if the persons belonging to those names were Popish and helpers forward of the Churches bondage How in later times have wee seene when our Parliament men were chosen the names of Gentlemen that loved their Countries bondage torne with the teeth of the multitude shaken as Dog or Swine will a rotten clout They were cast aside as a potsheard huffed and puffed away as chaffe Projectors rejected So for those Ministers thad had beene innovators cringers and bowers to names and tables or old superstitious Ceremony-mongers how are they cast off as an old nasty suit as the object of all mens scorne yea all yeomen tradesmen and freemen whatsoeever that have contended in the behalfe of men of men unfit for publike place in Parliament or Pulpit that would willing by have set over us hard taske-masters if they could how are they the by-word of all ingenious men And be sure of it these times and passages will be recorded in future ages for never any age afforded more matter for history then these times I say they will be recorded if they be not already I have
them any spirit of government or rule they would sooner exercise it in a Moab an Heathen Kingdome then in Iudeah It is an honour to a civill Art if it workes for some great personage King or Prince or for some great project Exod. 31. v. 1. to v. 7. some state designe But these men are farre from this yea farre more sordid in civill things then this They imbrace the dirt-daubing condition of Potters c. they subject themselves to Heathen Lawes and Commands and are among Heathen company Secondly Sordidnesse in spirituall things to see so much idolarty Heathenish impiety c. The true worship of the true God for the generall not here no signe of a Church there for these in the Text seeme to be all for the King of Babylons worke and they dwelt among Plants c. All these put together are againe a Platform of imbased spirits in all ages that regard not what become of Lawes Religion Liberties c. They are contented to grind at the mill with Sampson having their eyes put out they must not see who hurt them so as they may but live and have for backe and belly if they may have their oves boves their flocks herds it s no matter to them if the Church and State be made Asses to to beare intollerable burthens or as it is said in Iob The Oxen were plowing The Papists make this moral The Oxen signifie the Clergie the Asses the Laitie But by the idlenesse of their Clergie the Oxen should not fitly signifie them and the Asses stood feeding by so the worthyest in Church and State are toyled and the dull worthlesse Asses oftentimes pampered and promoted but with men of this spirit we speake of it is nothing if the Oxen the most profitablest pillars of the Church and Common-wealth be yoaked and drawne hard and gaulled Such Asses care not how Ecclesiasticall and Civill liberties be yoaked and hampered so they may stand still and feed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. Q. How doe such imbased spirits prescribe and plead antiquity for their evill way so to love a meane condition T it 1.12 Col. 2. and neglect their libertie R. So as they doe here having time out of minde beene Potters in Babylon for so they had beene above the age of a man a better condition of making linnen or returning to Lechem i.e. Bethlechem is too farre out of mind to be regarded by them It would as it were seeme an Innovation to change from what they had been A just patterne of later times Men have beene a many of them so long in love with Pope and Poperie and foppery with Popishnesse and apishnesse that to turne to a spirituall substantiall divinely warranted worship were in their opinion an Innovation And therefore Popish spirits for all their musty Gibeonitish dissembled old stuffe either of any unwarrantable sorts of Prelatie or of an unmeet unworthy Ministry or Popish ceremony or practice of impiety still still they cry up antiquity Plead custome or prescription thus it hath beene say they and thus long it hath beene thus in the Church And therefore never to be altered though it would very easily be replyed have such rags growne old in the Church Quo jure what equity was there for it The longer they have been suffered in the Church the ancienter is the sin If they have beene so old in all likelihood they are growne rotten and nasty in the judgement of men emunctae naris of acute judgement And if rotten and nasty for shame why are they not cast out If a yard of cloth make an infant a sufficient coat we must not thinke that when divers yeeres are run over the same scantling will serve As Common-wealths so Churches have their infancie youth and man-hood and so still they must be clothed and dressed up with a more perfect and spirituall Discipline The Apostle himselfe alludes to this Gal. 4.1 The heire as long as he is a childe is under Tutors and Governours The Jewish Church was a childe 4. Q. How doth God record such unworthy spirits as we speake of with disgrace R. By writing in holy writ of such men and their manners and reckoning them up together and casting the words into the eyes eares and mouthes of men never to be forgotten as long as men upon earth have senses Just as the Lord dealt with King Ahaz 2 Chron. 28.22 c. And saith the Text In the time of this distresse that is that the Edomites and Philistims oppressed Judah and the King of Assyria being hired to help helped not but distressed him did hee that is Ahaz trespasse yet more against the Lord. This is that King Ahaz For hee sacrificed to the Gods of Damascus which smote him and he said because the Gods of the Kings of Syria help them therefore will I sacrifice to them that they may helpe me Not for honour as Demosthen Quam pulchrum est digite monstrati dioter hic est See what a pointed-at-man hee is here made for disgrace This is that King Ahaz and to the worlds end will it be read of him So Jeroboam by his Idolatry gat him in sacred story of Kings and Chronicles an addition of title of disgrace Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat that made Israel to sinne Yea sometimes it is of divine providence in a speciall manner that humane stories pen the ill lives of evill men This is cleare when as the Holy Ghost hath by way of approbation repeated such stories as the Talmuds mentioning of Jannes and Jambres their withstanding Moses 2 Tim. 3.8 and divers of the Poets expressions 1 Tit. 12. p. 28. marg as that of the Poet touching the Cretians of which afore 5 th and last Q. How doth God discard and leave them gracelesse Resol God leaves them to themselves that they shall be without the presence or power of the ordinances that should worke grace in them as these at the generall hurry of Judah's returne from Babylon for that could not be sine strepitu sine alique pulvere but some notice must be taken of it being not awakened to goe up fall asleepe with more then an Endymion sleepe So there now as Christ said to the drowsie Disciples they may sleepe on there they may sit till their bones ake yea till their hearts ake without a Temple without a Sacrifice without a Prophet Ephes 2. without a Priest and without the Congregation of Israel and so without the pledges of Gods well pleased presence among them So in all ages people contented to be without a teaching Minister when time served and which others tooke usually are left long time in that perishing condition if ever they live to see halfe the like opportunity But usually it costeth many a generation before that place or people are relieved especially if a generall opportunity be neglected These Potters in the Text are still in Babylon in their generations for ought
his Power to turne his Will As a man inclining to an hereditary disease diets himselfe the more because Saint Paul could not doe the good he would but the evill he would not therefore he cries out Rom. 7.24 The principle of worldly profits is no pillar to his safety He minds Prov. 30. and he minds that of our Saviour What shall it advantage to win the whole world and lose his owne soule Luke 9.25 Luke 9.25 The much wooll on the the Sheeps backe is oft-times his ruine hee is caught in the thornes and famished the fatter the Oxe is the sooner hee comes to the slaughter The principle of Negative goodnes to him is of no satisfaction Iames 2.10 Saith he if I keepe all the Commandemens save one and voluntarily live in the breach of one I am guilty of all And I regard but one sinne and that but in my heart God will not heare my prayers Ps 66.18 He cries out of secret evill thoughts â—â—â—e 19. of concupiscence a wound with an awle Rom. 7. inward bleeding will kill 2. Not the Church those carnall principles doth not secure the Church in his judgement Not that of necessitie or constraint For saith he Necessitas facit ingenâ—sâ—â— that should more awaken the Church while Israel in Egypt might voluntarily worke and use diligence in labour they were quiet But when they were forced with austere necessity then they beat the skies with their groanes whiles things indifferent were left indifferent the Church of England was indifferently quiet But when things indifferent were imposed as necessary then she began to stirre and not to endure them To make a thing indifferent to be necessary is to take upon on the place of God and a thing indifferent imposed upon me as necessary and unavoydable makes it utterly to lose the indifferency to me It is made to mee all one as necessary Galat â— Saint Paul glories in this that Titus was not constrained to be circumcised Nor can worldly prosperity assure the godly man of the Churches felicity He remembers that the Church waxing fat though called Jesurun i. e. The righteous Deut. 32.15 was most wilde and wanton as a fatted pampered Horse kicks them most that Israel more transgressed in Canaan then in Egypt or Babylon when the Church was in persecution and to flie into the Wildernesse Revel 12. shee was clothed with the Sunne when clothed with Scarled Revel 17. she is called an Harlot Prosperity is a Popish note of the Church and I doubt some of those that urge prosperity as a note of a pure Discipline are somewhat affected that way Dr. Tayâ—â— For as once a Reverend Pastor of this Congregation maintained in a Sermon here the Church ever loseth most spirituality in her prosperity When the Chalices are gold the Priests are wooden In rest the Church contracteth rust How did impiety and error abound when the Ministry of late grew pompous Nor lastly can Negative goodnesse be a good argument to the liberty-lover the spiritually spirited man that the Church is in a safe condition For Negative goodnesse doth no more but confesse that a Church is not universally bad Pergamos had not denyed the faith Ephesus had not fainted and yet they wanted so much good as that Christ sent Epistles or letters from heaven that hee was highly offended with them and threatens them if they repented not It is the same case in these times if men plead for many unnecessary things in the manner of Gods worship that they are negatively good that is there is no hurt in them It is easily answered because there is no good in them they have no place in Gods worship The Church is commendable for positive good not for bare absence of evill 4. This liberty-loather is of a perverted spirit I meane a more particular pervertednesse by custome hee is of a custome-pleading spirit from long custom to erre in judgement and practice and to defend it So these Potters c. because they had beene in Babylon and long time had beene Potters therefore they knew not how to take off their spirits from that way and to set forward towards Hierusalem So in all ages men that are carnall and cannot see the excellency of any spirituall liberty are of a time-prescribing spirit Tell one of these he is a sinner why so saith he are all men in all ages tell him of his usury and unjust dealings of his deceitfull commodities his unreasonable prices hee answers againe so have men done in all ages in the same manner doe all men of my trade deale So touching the Church tell these time-prescribers that such things are enormities in the Prelacy presently they plead antiquity If we might dispute so then we might conclude that Bishops may and must erre because so many particular Bishops and what Councells of Bishops erred soone after 300. yeeres after Christ tell them Ministers are not regularly and relatively set over their congregations many things are amisse in the Lyturgie the Sabbath day ought not to be spent in spores c. still they oppose antiquity As Mâ—cha for his Gods because Gods and of ancient Demetrius for Diana that come from Jupiter that was of old On the contrary the spirituall Gospellised libertine I doe not say licentious man sees that all these pleas to be paralogismes faâ—se arguments as Saint James calls the errings of Hypocrites Iam. 1.12 That by the same reason theft should be no sinne because it is above sixteene hundred yeers old since a thiefe was crucified with Christ And that this is no inference of any peevish spirit onely heare Augustine affirme the same Quast ex veter Test 114. Possunt etiam latrones adulteri pro se antiquitatem adferre Thieves and adulterers may plead antiquity but custome not grounded and guarded with reason is a corruption not a custome Consuetudo nâ—n munita ratione non est consuctudo sed cotruptela Iustâ—nian Vetust as error is â—ot veritatâ— entiquitas I citul it is rather to be accounted an antiquity of error then a countenancing of verity If bare antiquity might goe for verity then â—alsheka might justifie his speech that because his Masters had tyrannised over Kingdomes and States and their heathen Gods that therefore now his Master might over the Church and their true God Isay 36.18 Yea the true spirituall man is so farre from pleading such prescriptions that himselfe makes the heaviest complaints against old customes if corrupt As against originall sin Rom. 5. Rom. 7. Against the old transgressions of the Church Ezra 9.7 The antiquity oâ— a fault doth nothing mitigate it or prevent it's deserved judgement 2 Sam. 23.1 c. The Church in Davids time is punished for a fault committed in Sauls time against the Gibeonites and who knowes but many of our late evills have beene because we plead for the corruptions of the Church and because forty yeeres since so many