Christ against the uniust accusations and blasphemies of the Scribes and Pharisees There was a man brought unto Christ that was possessed with a Devil that made him dumbe and blind and Christ healed him insomuch that the blind and dumbe both spake and saw Vers 22. This great miracle had three different effects The common people were astonished and said Is this the sonne of David Vers 23. His own kindred thought him mad and sought to lay hold on him Mark 3. 21. But the Pharisees when they heard of it they blasphemously said This fellow doth not cast out Devils but by Beelzebub the Prince of Devils Now Christ to cleare himselfe from this cursed aspersion brings foure Arguments whereof this in my Text is the first Interpreters take much paines to make out the strength of the Argument The summe of what they say is this It is an Argument drawn from the policy and subtiltie of the Devill For if Satan cast out Satan saith Christ then Satan should be divided against himselfe And if Satan should be divided against himselfe then Satan should seek his own ruine For every kingdome divided against it selfe is brought to desolation and every citie or house divided against it selfe shall not stand But it is incredible to thinke that Satan should seeke the ruine of his own kingdome which he indeavoureth by all means to promote and propagate And therefore it is certaine that I do not cast out Devils by the power of Beelzebub the Prince of Devils This is Christs first Argument But my purpose is to handle these words only as they are an intire proposition in themselves as they are a generall Maxime written in great Characters not only in the Booke of God but in the Booke of Nature and as they are a cleare Looking-glasse in which with sad countenances we may behold the woefull condition that England is in at this present For these words are the words of Iesus Christ who is truth it selfe Every kingdome divided against it selfe is brought to desolation and every house or citie divided against it selfe cannot stand And if every Kingdome then the Kingdome of England divided against it selfe is brought to desolation and if every Citie then the Citie of London divided against it selfe shall not stand In the words themselves we have two parts First Christ doth here set down one great Cause of the ruine of Kingdomes Cities and Families and that is division against it self Every Kingdome divided against it selfe The word in the Greeke is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which doth not signifie every little small division but such a division that doth {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that doth cut a Citie in pieces such a division when it is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} when it is intrinsecall to a Kingdome when it is got within the bowels of a Kingdome it is like unto the winde which when it gets into the bowels of the Earth makes an Earth-quake and blows up Towns and Houses and Kingdoms So doe these divisions whether Ecclesiasticall or Politicall whether about matters of Religion or of Civill Government when they get within a Kingdome they blow up a Kingdome a Citie and a Family Secondly Our Saviour Christ here sets out the greatnesse of the ruine that is caused by these divisions and that both Intensively and Extensively First Intensively and that by two expressions First Christ here sayes such a divided Kingdome is brought to desolation the word in the Greeke is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} it is made a wildernesse Though a Kingdome in time of Peace be as happy as a Paradise division will turne a Paradise into a desolate wildernesse And the words are in the Present tense to show the certaintie of it It is brought not it will be brought Every Kingdome divided against it selfe is brought and it is brought to desolation Divisions doe not onely distemper a Kingdome and make a Kingdome diseased but they are deadly and fatall to a Kingdome they are like unto a great and wide breach made in the Banks to let in the Sea to swallow up a whole Kingdome they are like a breach made in the walles of a Citie besieged that lets in the Enemy to take the Citie And then Secondly Christ sayes such a divided Citie shall not stand Christ doth not onely say it shall reele and totter but he saith expressely {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} it shall not stand or as it is in the 3. Mark 24. It cannot stand it must tumble and fall Divisions in a House are not only like unto the breaking of the Windows or the pulling down of the Tyles which may be done and yet the House may be safe but they are like unto a House all on fire which must necessarily be burnt down if it be not quenched Or like unto a House when the Pillars of it are pull'd down and the House it selfe falles with it So is a Kingdome Citie or Family divided against it selfe it cannot stand sayes Christ {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Mark 3. 24. Secondly Our Saviour sets out the greatnesse of this ruine by the Extension of it It is here said Every Kingdome divided against it selfe Divisions in a Kingdome are like a sweeping plague that devoures whole Kingdoms without any distinction Though a Kingdome be never so well provided with Men Armes and Ammunition Ships Walles and Bulwarks yet notwithstanding if divisions get into that Citie and Kingdom they are as a spreading gangrene that will quickly infect the whole Kingdome and destroy it utterly be it never so well fortified by Sea or Land Nay though there should be a Kingdome of Saints yet notwithstanding if Differences and Distractions get within that Kingdome they will prove like the worme that did eate up Ionah's gourd in one night Divisions in a very little space will swallow up and devoure all the outward happinesse even of a Kingdome of Saints And not only so but every Citie sayes Christ and every House though it be never so Religious so Honourable so rich a Family yet notwithstanding if divisions get into that Family it cannot stand These divisions they are like unto the Mors in olla like unto the Coloquintida that spoiled all the pottage They are as a poysonfull herbe that spoiles all the riches and goodnesse of a Family like unto Eagles feathers which as some say when they are mingled with other feathers spoile all the feathers they are mingled withall So doe Divisions Contentions and Factions when they get into a Citie or Family they spoile all the wealth riches and honours of that Family for so sayes our Saviour Christ Every kingdome divided against it selfe is brought to desolation and every Citie or House divided against it selfe shall not stand The words thus explained will afford us this Doctrin Doct. That Divisions whether they be Ecclesiasticall or Politicall in Kingdomes Cities and Families are infallible causes of
from their very childhoods they did differ one from the other and never could agree But when a common enemy came against them then Aristides comes by night to Themistocles and saith unto him Si sapimus omissâ tandem iuvenili et inani concertatione contentionem de servanda Graecia salubrem honestamque suscipiamus c. Let us leave all youthly contentions and tend unanimously to the publique good Oh that this counsell might take impression in the hearts of us Christians at this time Eightly Consider further how that the very Devils in hell agree to promote their owne kingdome If Satan be divided against Satan saith Christ how can his Kngdome stand And my Text is brought as I have said as an argument to prove that Christ did not cast out Devils by the power of Belzebub because then Satan should be divided against himselfe and seeke his own ruine which he will never doe There is peace amongst the Devils in hell And certainly there cannot be better Musicke to the Divels in hell then to see the Parliament divided against it selfe and the City divided against it selfe and the Godly Ministers divided against themselves at such a time as this is Ninthly and especially 〈◊〉 Lord Iesus Christ who is the Great Peacemaker who came into the world when all the world was at peace at whose birth the Angels sang Glory to God on high and in earth peace who when he was dying left a Legasie of peace to his people and gave his Disciples a New Commandement to love one another which was therefore called a New Commandement because it was inforced with a new example even the example of Christs love to us Who when he made that admirable Prayer Iohn 17. the chiefe part of it was that God would make his children one as he and the Father were one And he gives the reason of it vers. 21. That the world may beleeve that then hast sent me The world will not beleeve in Christ when they see Christians disagree Nothing hinders men from beleeving in Christ more then the differences and divisions of those that doe beleeve in Christ It is an excellent observation of Athanasius That the very manner of Christs death doth preach the Doctrine of Vnitie and love to Christians For Christ was not sawen asunder as the Prophet Isaiah was He was not beheaded as Iohn Baptist was There was not a bone of his broken nor any whit of his garment rent or torne And all this to teach Christians saith he to be at unitie within themselves Was not a bone of Christ broken upon the Crosse and shall all his members breake in pieces now he is in heaven Was his garment kept whole and shall his body be rent and torne in pieces This is Pauls Argument to perswade the divided Corinthians to Peace and Vnitie 1 Cor. 1. 13. Is Christ divided And why are Christians divided if Christ were not divided Why doth one say I am of Paul another I am of Apollo another I am of Cephas c. And therefore if you be Christians live in love and unitie as the Disciples of Iesus Christ that so the world may beleeve in Christ Oh that these Motives might take deepe rooting in your affections And that every one in his place would labour after Peace and Vnitie That you that are Magistrates and Iustices would bind your selves to the peace It is no discredit in this sense to be bound to the peace You are called Iustices of the Peace not because you should hold your peace when God would have you to speake but because it is your dutie to make peace and to keep peace Let all godly Ministers preach up the duty of brotherly love which is quite forgotten amongst most Christians It is a dutie quite dead and buried let us labour that it may have a speedy resurrection The Apostle saith 1 Thes. 4. 9. As touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you c. But we Ministers now a dayes need to write and preach of no duty more then this And then let all Ministers and people Pray for the peace of Ierusalem and give the Lord no rest untill he make England and Ireland a praise in the earth Let us pray for peace and fight for peace and contribute our money willingly for a peace For indeed all our fighting and all our vast expences are but as wayes and meanes to a safe and well grounded peace Let us fight for peace with peace one towards another And let us not complaine and murmur at the greatnesse of our contributions but remember the story of the old covetous Miser that hung himselfe to save charges and his man comming in unawares and seeing his Master a hanging cut the rope in pieces and thereby saved his Masters life The Master being recovered instead of thanking his man fell a chiding of him because he cut the rope in pieces and so did put him to the charges of a new rope whereas he should rather have untied it then cut it This man you will say did little deserve to have his life saved Iust such is our condition Our cruell enemies are ready to devoure and destroy us All that the Parliament doth is to cut the rope in pieces with which they would hang us And if we be put to more then ordinary charge let us not grumble at those expences which are the preservation of our lives That man is unworthy to live that murmurs to lay out a little money to save his life But here I must put in three Caveats beseech you in the first place to remember that when I speake so much for unity I would also have you to remember that Vnum verum convertuntur That unity without veriy is not a true peace but a conspiracy Omnis concordia in veritate Vnity ioyned with falshood is execrable adulterie saith Cyprian When unitie and falshood are married together it is no lawfull marriage but execrable adultery If I cannot have peace with men but I must lose my peace with God farewell peace with men that I may keep my peace with God One great reason why we have so little peace upon earth is because we seek after it more then after the glory of God in heaven You will must remember in the second place that this Vnity that we must labour after must be in a Scripture way The Primitive Church for Vnity sake and to prevent Schismes set up one Presbyter as a Bishop to rule over the rest with Maiority of power in Iurisdiction and Ordination But this at best was but a humane invention and it proved an increaser of Schisme and Division The Papists set up the Pope to preserve unitie But he is the greatest Apple of strife the Christian world hath It will be our care to studie to promote a unitie in such a way which the Scriptures hold forth and this will prosper You must also remember in the third place that our unitie
men seeke themselves and not the publique These are not Common-wealths men but Private-wealths men These seeke their owne belly and because they cannot have a Cabbin so richly furnished as they desire therefore they endevour to drown the ship wherein their cabbin is These are like those that will set an house on fire to rost an â—gge Marke what the Apostle saith of these Rom. 16. 18. They that are such serve not our Lord Iesus Christ but their owne belly and by good words and faire speeches deceive the hearts of the simple A second sort are such as are discontented out of a blind zeale such as differ from us in opinion and because they begin to perceive that if matters of Religion were once settled their wayes of worshipping God would be discountenanced therefore they labour to put all things into confusion and to hinder a settlement as much as they can that so in the meane time their numbers may increase For as Toads and Serpents grow in darke and dirtie sellars so doe Sects Errors and Heresies grow in times of distraction and confusion These are the men that desire to fish in troubled waters because they can catch most fish in troubled waters These are like unto Sanballat and Tobiah c. who foresaw that if the Temple were once rebuilt that then their way of worship upon Mount Gerizin would be contemned and therefore they laboured to cast bitter aspersions upon the workmen they laid heavy things to their charge and used all kinds of Policy to obstruct the Temple-worke they had in hand Iust so doe these men cast bitter aspersions upon the Assembly of Ministers and upon every Parliament man that opposeth their way and labour by all meanes to hinder their proceedings because they foresee that if by their advise matters of Religion were once established their wayes and opinions would be presently disgusted It is very observable that all the severall Sects amongst us though they differ one from another yet they all agree together in their opposition against the Assembly of Ministers as their greatest enemies Iust as we read in the 83 Psalme of ten Nations differing one from another in Religion Place and Customes and yet all of them confederating against the people of God Nicephorus telles us that the Meletiani and Ariani did at first much disagree not onely in opinions but in affections but afterwards when they saw the Orthodoxe party increase so mightily as that it was likely to swallow both of them up they joyned together in a firme league to oppose the Orthodox Party though still differing one from the other insomuch that in processe of time the Meletiani were called Ariani and the Ariani Meletiani So also in Africa The Rogatianist Maximinianists and Donatists joyned together as Sampsons Foxes not in one Opinion but in a league of friendship for a while that they might make up the greater number against the Orthodox Party And is not this the practise of our times Doe not Anabaptists Brownists Antinomians agree together in opposing the Assembly of Ministers and in Independency from all superiour Ecclesiasticall Government without the bounds of a particular Congregation A third sort are such as are discontented and thereupon disturbe our Peace by way of revenge that lye under Iealousies and Suspitions whether just or unjust I dispute not and cannot regaine their credit and therefore labour to cast a blame upon all others and bring as many as they can into the same condemnation with themselves Iust like the Foxe in the Fable that had his taile cut off and therefore perswaded all other Foxes to cut off their tailes telling them it was an uncomely thing for a Foxe to have a taile Even so doe these men Because they lye under suspicion themselves therefore they would perswade others also that they are under the like suspition that thereby they might make them discontented as they themselves are And thereby the building of the Temple is much hindred publique affaires disturbed and the poore Ship of England ready to sinke under the burden Now all these sorts of men are sharply to be reproved every man according to his degree of guiltinesse These are the Devils Agents For it is the proper worke of the Devill to divide God from men men from God and one man from another And as it is a worke of the Devill so it will bring us to the Devill if we repent not of it If Divisions be so fatall and destructure to Kingdomes Cities and Families Oh let us all be intreated according to our severall places to contribute what help we can possible to the healing of our Divisions and to the bringing in Peace Love Vnitie and Concord amongst us Oh that God would make me his instrument this day to raise up your hearts to the obedience of this duty First Let us labour to be at Peace with the Kings Maiesty as farre as is possible and may be obtained salvâ conscientiâ Let us not onely pray for Peace but follow after Peace and if it flies from us let us pursue it I remember what I have read of Calvin that he should say That he would willingly travell over many Seas to see one Vniforme draught of Religion wherein all Protestants might agree And who would not willingly sacrifice up his life to the fire to see King and Parliament throughly agreed To see a Holy Safe and well-grounded Peace made I say a Holy well grounded Peace For there are some amongst us that are like the Gadarens that preferre their Hogs before Christ and his Cause that wish more for the settlement of their Trading then of their Religion These are Swines not Christians There are others as bad that desire a Peace upon any termes though with the losse of Libertie and Religion Iust like the Israelites that would needs have Quailes But while the meat was yet in their mouthes the wrath of God came upon them He that desires Peace without respect to Religion the plague of God will goe along with that Peace There is a double Peace First A treacherous Peace Such as shall betray us into Popery Tyranny and slavery Such as was made with the Protestants in France a London massacring Peace Such as the Israelites made with the Cananites which was a perpetuall thorne and snare unto them Such as Ahab made with Benhadad This is a Land-devouring and a Religion-destroying Peace This is to betray Christ as Iudas did with a kisse of Peace Secondly A holy safe well-grounded Peace And Cursed is the man that is an enemy to such a Peace My prayer is That God would make our King a Melchisedeck who was King of Righteousnesse and King of Peace That Righteousnesse and Peace may kisse each other in his dayes That this may be added upon the Kings Coine Henricus Rosas Regna Jacobus Populum Carolus And here let me crave leave humbly to beseech your Lordships that in this Treatie that
There is one Vse more yet behind and that is an Vse of Consolation to the people of God Notwithstanding all the Divisions and Distractions that are in the Kingdome This is an Alablaster boxe full of precious oyntment and it consists of foure particulars 1. Remember for your Comfort that there was never any great Reformation brought in by Godinto a Kingdome but it hath alwaies been attended with divisions and differences in Religion In Luthers Reformation How great were the differences between him and Calvin Insomuch as the Reformation was more hindred by their Divisions then by the power and policy of the Enemy and yet notwithstanding God carryed on the Worke of Reformation maugre these divisions In the Primitive times many and great were the Divisions of the Church and of the Ministers thereof Insomuch as Nazianzen saith that in his time there were sixe hundred errors in the Church and in Constantines time the differences between the Bishops were so many that they brought bundles of petitions one against another which the Emperour out of his wonderfull desire of Peace would not so much as read but burnt them all before their faces How sad was the division between Paul and Barnabas and yet God turned it to a good effect For by that meanes the Gospel was the more spread throughout the world And therefore let us not be over-discouraged For these Divisions are no new things and therefore no strange things 2. Consider for your comfort Magna veritas et praevalebit Truth is a beame of God the purchase of Iesus Christ and it shall prevaile at last Though our divisions and distractions do much weaken us and prorogue our settlement yet notwithstanding the Cause we manage is Gods Cause and it shall prevaile at last As Christ Iesus rose from the grave in spight of the Iewes that rolled a great stone before the doore of the Sepulchre to hinder him So the Cause of Christ and the worship and government of Christ shall rise and flourish and there will come a time wherein the Church of God shall be glorious here upon earth and the Motto of it shall be Cor unum via una One heart one way This will come to passe in spight of our Divisions For God hath promised it Ier. 32. 39. Zeph 3. 9. The third Comfort is That Antichrist shall downe though he be never so firmely united The Kingdome of the Devil shall be destroyed though Satan joyne with Satan And though Satan will not cast out Satan but is strongly compacted and as a Citie at unitie within it selfe yet God will cast out Satan at last and his kingdome shall perish Though Turke and Pope though French and Spaniard though the Irish Rebels and English Papists and Protestants at large should joyn hand in hand conspire together to overthrow the little flock of Iesus Christ yet notwithstanding they doe but kick against pricks Antichrist is fallen and the poore flock of Christ shall be as a burdensome stone unto all people all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it Zach. 12. 3. Bellarmine makes unitie a signe of a true Church But then there should be a true Church amongst the Devils for where he dwels there is peace And yet the Papists cannot boast much of their unitie For they have their different Sects opposite one to another and the Iesuite to them all Vnitie without verity is a signe of the Malignant Church but not of the Church of Christ And unitie without veritie shall not uphold a State For though hand ioyne in hand the wicked shall not be unpunished Prov. 11. 21. Lastly Remember in what state and condition the people of the Iewes were in when Christ came into the world It was when the government was departed from Iudah and the Kingdome given to a stranger when the Sanedrim which was their Parliament was destroyed and they themselves brought into perfect slavery Their condition was never so bad as at that time And also they never had more Sects and Divisions then when Christ was borne There were in Ierusalem the Herodians the Scribes and Pharisees There were also the Esseni though the Gospel makes no mention of them In this sad juncture of time Iesus Christ was borne Oh what abundance of consolation may be suckt out of the breasts of this truth Christ came into the world when his Church was in the greatest extremitie And are not we at this time in great extremity Are we not brought very low by our sinnes and by our divisions the fruit of our sinnes We have divided our selves from God by our sinnes and God hath divided us one from another Let us beseech the Lord Iesus Christ to come once more into the world by his Spirit of power Let us not despaire of his coming For he is Deus in monte He is our peace now the Assyrian is in the Land Mic. 5. 5. And when he comes he will come as a Conquerour to subdue his enemies under his feet This day is the day which is commonly called The Feast of Christs Nativitie or Christmas day A day that hath been heretofore much abused to superstition and prophanenesse It is not easie to reckon whether the superstition hath beene greater or the prophanenesse I have knowne some that have preferred Christmas day before the Lords Day and have cryed downe the Lords Day and cried up Christmas day I have knowne those that would be sure to receive the Sacrament upon Christmas day though they did not receive it all the yeare after This and much more was the superstition of the day And the prophanenesse was as great Old Father Latimer saith in one of his Sermons That the Devil had more service in the twelve Christmas holy dayes as they were called then God had all the yeare after Seneca saith of his time Olim December mensis erat nunc annus est There are some that though they did not play at Cards all the yeare long yet they must play at Christmas thereby it seemes to keepe in memory the birth of Christ This and much more hath beene the profanation of this Feast And truely I thinke that the superstition and profanation of this day is so rooted into it as that there is no way to reforme it but by dealing with it as Hezekiah did with the brazen Serpent This yeare God by a Providence hath buried this Feast in a Fast and I hope it will never rise againe You have set out Right Honourable a strict Order for the keeping of it and you are here this day to observe your owne Order and I hope you will doe it strictly The necessitie of the times are great Never more need of Prayer and fasting The Lord give us grace to be humbled in this day of Humiliation for all our owne and Englands sinnes and especially for the old superstition and profanation of this Feast alwaies remembring upon