Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	believe_v	faith_n	jesus_n	17,223	5	6.3565	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85418	Theomachia; or The grand imprudence of men running the hazard of fighting against God, in suppressing any way, doctrine, or practice, concerning which they know not certainly whether it be from God or no. Being the substance of two sermons, preached in Colemanstreet, upon occasion of the late disaster sustain'd in the west. With some necessary enlargements thereunto. / By John Goodvvin, pastor of the Church of God there.	Goodwin, John, 1594?-1665.	1644 (1644)	Wing G1206; Thomason E12_1; ESTC R5086	47,494	57

awaken the eye of jealousie upon them and so is seven times more destructive unto and undermining not only of their power but of their honour peace and safety also then any thing that is found in the Way so ill intreated so is it the setling of a power upon the electors of such persons I mean upon the promiscuous multitude of the Land a greater power then ever Jesus Christ himself had at least then ever he exercised For as dare Regem argues a greater power then esse Regem as hee that buildeth an house hath more honour then the house Heb. 3. 3. So to nominate and appoint who shall have power to umpire in matters of conscience and of God to determine what shall be preached and what not what shall be believed and what not is a branch of a greater root of power then the exercise of the power that is committed unto others in this behalf Now though Jesus Christ had a power and was authorized by God to be a Law-giver himself unto his Churches and Saints in their spirituall Republique yet it is hard to prove that ever he invested any other with such a power His Apostles themselves were no Lords over the Faith of the Saints nor had they any power or authority to impose any thing upon men as necessary either to be believed or practised but what they had in expresse commission and charge from Jesus Christ himself to impose upon such terms So that notwithstanding that severe angry contestation of the fore-mentioned Gentleman against the two Brethren with their fellows Is this your so much boasted of preaching writing fighting for the rights priviledges of Parliament whereby he thinks to dash both them and that their boasting together out of countenance though they boast neither little nor much of any thing boasting is their charge not their crime they only say and that with modesty yet blessed be God they are able to maintain and make good that their boasting if it must needs be so called in the sight of God and Angels and men and Devils and whatsoever besides is named not only in this world but in that also which is to come And though he hath done like himself and I speak it to his honour far above the line of many others in vindicating the rights and priviledges of Parliament yet absit verbo invidia I am very confident that there are thousands of that Way and judgement against which his pen riseth up with so much indignation who rateably and according to their means and opportunities have quitted themselves upon equall terms of honour love and faithfulnesse towards those honourable Houses with himself 4. And lastly It were no task of much labour or difficulty to demonstrate that the Way in the defence whereof we have thus far appeared is so far from carrying any malignity or seed of danger in it to the State or persons invested with civill power that it is of a manifest and rich compliance both with the one and the other He that commanded to give unto Cesar the things that are Cesars and unto God the things that are Gods did Cesar as much if not more service in the latter command as in the former Silver and gold wood and stone never got any thing by having an artificiall deity bestowed upon them and being worshiped but only a meer proximity to destruction They that should only have said unto Herod that he had spoken like a sober and well advised man might have shewed as much affection to him yea and honoured him upon better terms then they that shouted I●s the voyce of a God and not of a man There is no foundation so sure and precious to build the honour peace and safety of Cesar upon as a stone duly pitched for a land-mark between God and him But if there be a question or difficult case between God and Cesar whether such and such things belong unto the one or unto the other they will be found the best and faithfullest Counsellors unto Cesar who shall advise him rather to surrender unto then to claim a doubtfull right or priviledge from God The Way we speak of is so ingenuous loyall and true-hearted to men in place of civill authority and power that it teacheth her sons to expose themselves unto their displeasure for the procurement of their good which even the heathen themselves have attested for one of the best and least questionable signs of true friendship and love To these answers of objections I thought to have added some positive arguments whereby the Way now little more then only defended might have gained the honour of a more perfect conformity to the Will and Word of God then perhaps hath been discovered or seen hitherto Yet I cannot but think that the vailes of the principall objections which covered the face of it being rent and torn the beauty and brightnesse of it must needs shine forth in the eyes of all those who have not sacrificed unto partiality To close with a word of exhortation The premises considered as we love the things of our peace and desire the speedy dispersion and scattering of that dark and black cloud still hanging and hovering over our heads and threatning more fiery storms tempests of desolation and blood upon us and to see the heavens cleering up and looking like Crystall or Saphire over us as we desire to see those terrible swarms of Locusts and Caterpillars which now devour and eat up our good land daily swept away and carried by a strong west wind into the midst of the sea that so we may be fed again with the ancient heritage of our fathers I mean plenty safety and peace if there be any bowels any compassions in us towards our nation so far spent wasted with misery towards our cities and habitations towards our friends towards our selves towards any thing which is dear either to the one or to the other let us be exhorted to take heed of fighting against God let it be the first-born of religious advisements and cautions to us not to be fierce no nor so much as to lift up an hard thought against Doctrine or Way claiming origination and descent from God till wee have security upon security conditions as cleer as the noon-day that they are but counterfeits and pretenders only and stand in no relation at all but that of enmity and opposition unto God Particularly let us be tender above all tenderness to act to the value of the least hair of our heads in any way of bitterness or blood against that Way of governing the Churches of Christ which hath by so many good hands been presented unto us as most agreeable unto the Word and Will of God untill we see the condemnation of it written with a beam of the Sun by the finger of God himself untill he hath disclaimed or renounced it from heaven either by giving such wisdome unto men whereby to detect the error and vanity of it or else hath quite rased it out of the fleshly tables of the hearts of his Saints and distrest servants The motion and matter is of a most serious and formidable importance therefore let me exhort you yet once more to beware of men as our Saviour adviseth in a case of lesse consequence to take heed that no man either through passionate exclamations and outcries or through any faire or flourishing pretences whatsoever draw your foot into this snare ingage you in any such warfare wherein for ought you know you shall fight against God If your judgements stand off from the cause wee speak of for the present and you can see nothing of God in it you may please to consider that this was the case of many thousands amongst you in whom there is much of God and in whose heart is this Way as a Way of his If they be deceived in imbracing it God will shew mercy unto them in revealing the truth unto them in due time But if you shall be deceived in the violence and fury of your fighting against it is it not much to be feared that you will be intangled with the guilt of such a sin which shall not be purged from you till yee die FINIS 1 King 21. 10. 2 Cor. ● 8. Joh. 8. 32. ● See M●● ● 6 a●● 〈◊〉 1● ●● Interim or aculi instar nobis esse debet quòd Dei cōsilia nullis ●omm● viribus imped reposse humana verò suá sp●nte collabi discimus Gual Homil. 37. an Act Psal. 2. 1 2 3. Reason 1. Luk. 1● 49. Reason 2. Reason 3. Acts 9. Rom. 10. 2. Acts 18. 2● Job 9. 4. * In severall populous towns in the Low Countries scarce every 5th nay not every 8th person as I have been credibly informed is immembred into any of their Churches and yet the government of the Nation is reputed Presbyteriall 1 Joh. 5. 19. 2 Cor. ●● 14. Mat 21. 31. Mat. 23. 15. Eccles. 10. 19. John 9. 2● Psal. 62. 4. Prov. 13. 10. Esa. 9. 21. Gen. 16. Prov. 12. 27. Prov. 20. 21. Hab. 2. 12. Luk. 12. 51. c. Matth. 20. 6. 1 Cor. 11. 29. Isa. 36. 7. Gen. 3. 5. Psal. 105. 15. Psal. 69. 2● Ver. 25. Ioh. 11. 48. Isa. 6. 10. Psal. 52. 9. Act. 20 35. 1 Cor. 4. 15. 1 Cor. 3. 10. Hebr. 7. 7. 1 Sam. 25. 30 31. Dan. 12. 3. Eccles. 9. 11. 2 Cor. 14. 11. Luk. 10 21. * {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Greg. Naz. ep. 5● ad Procop●um Act. 10. 40. 41 Judg. 7. 2. E●●k 14. 3. 2 Cor. 1. 24. Prov. 24. 6. Eccles. 9. 15. Dan. 6. 10. 22. Independency examined unmask'd c. Matth. 22. 21. Act 12. 22. Phil. 3. 15. Isa. 22. 14.

saith came to kindle to suppresse the Gospel to cut off those wayes of righteousnesse and holinesse from the knowledge and practise of men which are therein recommended and held forth unto the world These are the bands which they set themselves thus to cut asunder and the cords which if it had been possible they would have cast from them Saul Saul saith the Lord Christ from Heaven unto him as he was travailing towards Damascus Why persecutest thou me And he said Who art thou Lord And the Lord said I am Jesus whom thou persecutest c. Act. 9. 4 5. To persecute Christ and consequenly God himselfe who is in Christ 2 Cor. 5. imports every whit as much as to fight against Christ and somewhat more But why is Saul here charged with persecuting Christ What course of hostilitie did he run or practice against him It is said ver. 2. that he desired Letters of the high Priest to Damascus to the Synagogues that if he found any of this WAY whether they were men or women he might bring them bound to Jerusalem Whereby it appears that the precise opposition against Christ upon which Saul was arrested from Heaven as we heard under the termes of persecuting him was his attempting with so high and bloudy an hand to destroy out of the world that WAY of worshipping serving God which Christ in his Gospel recommends unto and chargeth upon the world Men and women were not the precise and formall object of his hatred and persecution but that way of Christ in the Gospel which they maintained practised and taught who were persecuted by him If he could have told how otherwise to have gotten this WAY out of their hearts tongues and lives and consequently out of the world then by molesting vexing and persecuting them it is not like that he would have proceeded against them with so rough and cruell an hand It is said Revel. 12. 7. That there was warre in Heaven Michael and his Angels fought against the Dragon and the Dragon fought and his Angels Whether Michael in this Scripture be Christ himself as ancient Interpreters generally carried it or some prime Angel appointed by Christ to be as a Generall or Head to his Saints and servants in those warres and fiery conflicts wherein they were for a long time engaged against Satan and his bloudy Agents in the Roman Empire as some later Expositors conceive is not much materiall But it is here expresly said that the Dragon and his Angels that is the Devill and his Instruments ignorant and bloud-thirsty-men fought viz. against Michael and his Angels i. against Christ himselfe in those appointed by him to hold forth the way and Gospel of his Kingdome unto the world But why or how are they said to have fought against Christ What was their ingagement or attempt against him Questionlesse nothing else but the extirpation and ejection of the Doctrine and Way of his Gospel out of the world by the torments slaughter and ruine of those who professed them and by this profession gave them a speciall subsistence and beeing in the world For that rule Doctrine or way which is not practised or professed in the world languisheth and is little better then dead I adde but one Scripture more and then I have done with the proofe of the Point in this kind Then cometh the end saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. 24. when he i. Christ shall have delivered up the Kingdome to God even the Father when he shall have put downe all rule and all authoritie and power Why the end should not be untill Christ hath put downe all rule and all authoritie and power i. all kinds of rule Authoritie and power this reason is rendred ver. 25. For he must reigne till he hath put all enemies under his feet I demand why should all rule all Authoritie and power as well Ecclesiasticall as Civill be looked upon as enemies unto Christ What is the enmity or hostilitie they exercise against him Doubtlesse no lawfull rule Authoritie or power are enemies to Christ either in their nature or institution but are confederate with him It is their degeneration in their exercise and actings that renders them of an hostile interpretation to him There is none of them all but is apt ever and anon to be fighting against him and that by some peremptory and stiffe opposing and suppressing some way Doctrine or practise of his where they have to doe And this is the quarrell which the Lord Christ hath to the whole fraternitie or association of them for this he counts them his enemies The reasons of the point which we shall briefly touch are three First He that attempts or seeks by an high hand to suppress any Doctrine Way or Practice which is from God may well be conceived and said to fight against God because he opposeth and that with vehemence and might the will of God and that in a very considerable act motion or desire of it There is no Way Doctrine or Practice which is from God but his will stands strongly bent for the propagation and spreading of it in the world I am come saith Christ to send or cast fire on the earth and what WILL I or what is my desire as the former translation had it if it be already kindled meaning that his desire to see the Gospel on foot to see it well taken and sufficiently rooted in the world was so great that when he once saw it he cared not how soon he left the world So Luke 22. 15. And he said unto them With desire have I desired to eat this passeover with you before I suffer meaning that he even longed to erect and found that great Ordinance of the Supper for the use and benefit of the world in after times before he left the world Many other Scriptures there are that speak this over and over viz. that the heart and soul of God are firmly and deeply set within him to have such Wayes Doctrines and Ordinances as come from him published maintained preached and held forth unto the world Therefore they who ingage themselves with all their strength and all their might to resist this will of his in the accomplishment of it what do they else but fight against him Secondly Hee that magnifies himself to suppresse quash or keep down any way Practice or Counsell which is from God proportionably opposeth the glory of God and doth what in him lies to keep God from being magnified in the hearts and lives of men at least as far as that Way Practice or Counsell which hee seeks to suppress tends to such a magnification of him And will this being weighed in the ballance of the Sanctuary be found any whit lighter then a fighting against God Certain it is that God hath as it were a stock of glory in the hand of every Way Doctrine and Practice which he recommends unto the world yea in all and every of these he hath a peculiar

religiously affected and best conscienced people in the Land for trading in Apes and Peacocks for holding some erroneous opinions perhaps erroneously so called as if it self were the Lord of infallibility and had a non posse errare settled by God as an inheritance upon it I professe ingenuously that when I put my self into a posture of the greatest indulgency I am able to consider of the reformation so much spoken of and even conflict with my spirit to forme and cast the possible effects and fruits of it to the greatest advantage I am not able to apprehend any thing desireable likely to come of it either in respect of a civill or religious accommodarion unto the Nation above what might be expected and that upon terms of a far more promising hope from the other Way which indureth so much contradiction from men But I apparently foresee many inconveniences and those not of a light or contemptible importance likely to attend it for which no place would be found in the other Way Particularly it is to mee instead of all arguments and demonstrations that no Reformation is according to the mind of God and of Jesus Christ which is destructive to the edification of the Saints and directly impeding their growth in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ And whether such a Reformation if yet it be lawfull so to call it which injoynes the Saints to sit under and hold themselves to such Pastors with whom their hearts cannot close in that relation with any tolerable satisfaction nor yet are capable of his Ministery or any edification by it be not under that condemnation I leave to men that have not sold themselves under partiality to judge and determine If it be said but men shall have liberty to choose what Pastor they please and to sit under what Ministery they desire if they will but choose their dwellings accordingly I answer 1. There may be and I believe are many of a rich anoynting from God for the work of the Ministery and much desired by a considerable number of godly persons in Pastorall relation who must say their consciences nay to accept of a Parochiall charge In this case the change of a mans house will do nothing towards the blessing of his soul if such a Reformation as most mens thoughts run upon should be established 2. All the dwellings within the Parochiall line relating to the Pastor that is desired may be fill'd with Inhabitants already and so there is no place or possibility at least for the present for him whose soul longeth after that Pastor to injoy him and when or whether ever whilest he liveth the door now shut against him will be open no man knoweth 3. Many times the situation and conveniency of a mans present dwelling for trade imployment c. is such that he cannot remove but at the perill of his estate and ruining himself and his whole family And how they who shall compell men either to sacrifice their peace comfort and subsistenc 〈…〉 this present world or else run the hazard of losing a subsistence in that which is to come will answer it either before the righteous God or reasonable men is above my apprehension 4. This liberty of choosing Pastors only by choosing houses is so conditioned that it smiles only upon the rich and that but somewhat faintly neither but frowns upon the poor and so is partiall and therefore not Christian He that hath enough of that which as Solomon saith answers all things may probably be able to accommodate himself within the precincts of what parish he pleaseth in point of dwelling as either by buying out some Inhabitant or by purchasing ground and building upon it or the like but the case of the poor man is many times such that he cannot tell where to finde another hole in all the world to hide his head in besides that wherein it is hid already So that this liberty of choosing a Pastor being nothing else if plainly interpreted but only a liberty of choosing such or such a Parish determinately to dwell in is little better then a meer collusion in respect of those that are poor and indeed rather an upbraiding of them with their poverty then any gratification of them with a liberty 5. And lastly such a liberty as this we now speak of were it more valueable then it is is no gratuity benefit or blessing of that Reformation so importunely demanded and pressed for by many being nothing else but what was every mans permission and enjoyment under the iron rod of Episcopall tyranny I am more beholding to every man that comes neer me for not taking away my life then I am to any Reformation whatsoever for giving me liberty to choose my Pastor upon such terms This for answer in full to that undue charge against the Congregationall Way wherein it was attainded of inconsistency with and enmity against Reformation A second objection levied against it and all sufferance of it by those that are adversaries to it is that if it be permitted quietly to walk up and down amongst us and not be suppressed it will soon make the Land unquiet fill the Land with troubles t●mults divisions distractions dissentions discontents confusions in City in Countrey in relations in families and where not To this also I answer 1. That perempt 〈…〉 ness and height of confidence in an accuser is no signe at all of reality or truth in the accusation Wee know say the Jews concerning Christ that this man is a sinner Joh. 9. 24. And again Joh. 8. 48. Say wee not well that thou art a Samaritan and hast a Devill And yet for all their knowledge and confidence of well-speaking the Lord Christ was never the more either a Sinner or a Samaritan or had a Devill The Way we speak of is never the neerer the guilt of those things that are charged upon it because her accusers bewray so little tendernesse or ●esitancy in drawing up their charge 2. Nor is the tragicall dresse or pointed stile of an accusation any demonstrative proof of a guilt commensurable thereunto no nor yet of any proportion or degree of guilt at all Want of crime and delinquency either in things or persons which are accused many times makes a greater noyse in the accusation then a reality or fulnesse of guilt would do Innocency ●ath beg●tten the rankest and fiercest accusations that ever were managed by the tongues or pens of men Thou lovest all devouring words said David O tho● deceitfull or false tongue They that accuse either upon knowledge or fear of little or no guilt in the accused still labour to lay on accusation enough lest nothing otherwise should be believed by the Judge That mount of accusation which is raised so high against the Way we now maintain doth not at all prove that there is any thing in it that deserves battery 3. There is no substantiall reason at all can be given why

but however such a moving acting and working as this can with no semblance or colour of reason be drawn into any contrary interpretation or be made an argument of the nonconformitie of it unto the truth A third objection against that way whose condemnation out-runs her triall day and way in the world is that it opens a doore to all errors heresies and unsound opinions yea to all loosenesse and prophanenesse and consequently it cannot but be a thing displeasing unto God and so prejudiciall to the peace and safetie of the Nation if it should be tolerated or practised amongst us But to these things also full and clear answers are not wanting For First it being certain that error cannot be healed or suppressed but by the manifestation of the truth as darknesse cannot be destroyed or removed but by the shining of the light that way which affords the greatest advantages and the best incouragements unto men both for the searching out and bringing forth into light the truth being found must needs be so farre from opening doores unto errors heresies unsound opinions c. that it steers the mo●● advantagious and hopefull course that lightly can be taken for the evicting and consequently for the suppression of them I need not adde that it is the congregationall way and this onely amongst all its fellows that rejoyecth in the method of this warfare and advance against those enemies of God and Religion errors and heresies And Secondly for the way sir-named Presbyterian which conjures all mens gifts parts and industrie into a synodicall circle and suffers them onely to dance there as it may possibly shut the doores against some errors and heresies which were not like to stay long in case they should enter under the other way so it is in every whit as much possibilitie and danger of shutting the doore upon and compelling such errors and heresies as are alreadie gotten in and otherwise have a mind to be gone to stay it and so to infest and annoy the truth and peace of the Churches of Christ against their wils But Thirdly I would gladly learn of the sons of this objection how which way or in what respect the way so much objected against commits this folly-deed of opening a doore unto errors and heresies Certain I am first that this way hates both the one and the other with as perfect an b●tred as her competitresse doth Secondly I fully beleeve that this way is as diligent faithfull and industrious to slay these enemies of Christ by the sword of the Spirit which is in speciall manner consecrated for such executions as the other way Thirdly if the error be dangerous amounting to or neer an heresie after two or three admonitions that is according to her warrant from Heaven she casts it out of the line of her communication unto him who cast it in I mean Satan If to hate errors and heresies to preach with all diligence and faithfulnesse against errors and heresies to excommunicate errors and heresies be to open a doore unto error and heresies then must the adversaries of the way whereof we speak be justified in their accusation of her otherwise they speak at the utmost perill of their reputations when they lay such things to her charge If it be here replyed and said Yea but all this notwithstanding the w●y you plead for is but feeble-handed for the suppression of errors and heresies because these though hated preach'd against and cast out of the Church by excommunication may yet live and gather head again in the world except error and errant be further restrained by a secular hand and heresie and heretique put to silence together in the grave And this which is the most if not the onely effectuall means to preserve the wheat from those tares the way of your desires exerciseth not nor yet approveth I answer first we presume that Prisons and Swords are no Church-officers nor any appurtenances to any Ecclesiastique authority in what form of Government soever Secondly we suppose that the Lord Christ so far tendered the spirituall safety and peace of his Churches as to leave them sufficiently furnished and every wayes appointed with internall provision● for the effectuall procurement and preservation of them without any concurrence of any heterogeneall or externall power Especially considering that he fore-saw that these Churches of his for the space of three hundred yeers together and somewhat more during which terme he knew likewise that they would continue in their greatest puritie and perfection of love and loyaltie towards him were not like to have any accommodation at all in this kind from any secular or civill power Thirdly though the Churches of Christ during this period of time wherein they had no comportance with any secular arm for their preservation either in this or any other kind were not wholly free from errors and heresies yet did they quit and defend themselves against the danger spreading and troublesomenesse of them upon better terms and with farre better successe then they were able to do afterwards when they had an arme of flesh and a sword in it to assist them Note this Fourthly if persons delivered up unto Satan by the Church whether for Error Heresie or other crime were presently to be cut off by the secular Sword all opportunitie for the effectuall and saving work of that ordinance of Christ upon the persons so delivered up would be cut off also The Apostle 1 Corinth 5. 5. expresly affirms the end of Excommunication or delivering up unto Satan to be the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus And 1 Tim. 1. 20. he ●aith that he had delivered Hymeneus and Alexander unto Satan that they might learn not to blaspheme Now as naturall medicines and physicall receits must have a time to work before they can in an ordinarie course of providence produce their m●st proper and desired effects in like manner the ordinances and means which the Lord Christ hath graciously appointed for the everlasting salvation of the precious souls of men must according to the nature and condition of their respective workings and the tenor of Gods providence observed for the time of his falling in with them to make them effectuall have their full and just allowance of time given and permitted unto them to work upon men effectually And whosoever shall limit or straiten the providence of God in this kind by any hasty or violent taking away a soul from under the influence and working of any ordinance of Christ appointed for his salvation before the blessed work of Repentance be accomplished in him will be arraigned before the tribunall of the living God as accessarie to the blood of that ●oul except he can shew a better warrant from God for such an action then I know any And God himself having no where prescribed or limited any determinate or set time within which he intends to make the sentence of Excommunication

of God by doing that which is more like to expose others also to the same stroke then any wayes to comfort or relieve them But whatsoever she can reasonably conceive or judge to be a means any wayes likely to save a soul from death to translate men from darknesse unto life she girds her self to minister unto the world both farre and neer in every such thing She cordially prayes for the conversion of the unconverted she mourns over them she causes her light to shine before them she bears their burthens she intreats them gently she feeds their hungry and cloatheth their naked as she is able she recompenceth evill for evill unto none of them with all such exemplatities of life and conversation which are sanctified and appointed by God for the winning of those without the Word who refuse to obey it 1 Pet. 3. 1. And besides all this that which is the first-born means of conversion she preacheth the Gospel with as much diligence and faithfulnesse and power and with as much libertie and freedome unto all to partake with her in this her ministration as any other way whatsoever yea as readie and forward she is as any other to contribute her proportion to the full whether in counsell purse or otherwise for the furnishing of all the candlesticks in the land with burning and shining lights I mean for the erecting and setting up a faithfull preaching Ministery throughout the Land yea if it were possible throughout the whole world Therefore Fifthly and lastly to the main objection whereas this way with the permission and sufferance of it is burthened with this jealousie and fear that it is so highly displeasing unto God that he is not like to turn in mercie unto the Nation untill it be removed and all the factors for it taken away I answer First that this jealousie and fear is of the same inspiration with that wherewith Rabshakeh of old sought to possesse the heart of the good King Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem that so upon the discouragement they might be the more willing to compound for their City But if thou say to me ●● trust in the Lord our God is it not he whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away and said to Judah and Jerusalem ye shall worship before this altar That which Hezekiah had done in destroying Idolatry with great acceptation in the sight of God and which consequently was in it self a pledge and confirmation unto him and his people that God was and would be with them to save them and their Citie out of Rabshakehs hand this doth this deceived ambitious man contrive into an argument of jealousie and fear unto them that God was offended with them and so represents their hope and confidence in the shape of diffidence and deep discouragement unto them He that perswaded the woman that God knew how that in the day wherein they should eat of the tree i● the mid ●●st of the garden their eyes should be opened and they be like gods c. hath it seems possest many amongst us with this semblable apprehension that from the day wherein they shall destroy that way we speak of out of the Land and suppre●●e all those that walk in it God will be gracious unto them and remember their iniquities no more as if to sacrifice the children in the Fathers sight were the onely means of making atonement with him But Secondly how doth this carrie any shew or shadow of reason or truth in it that God should turn away his face from a State or Nation for not hating his people or for refusi●g to persecute his anointed ones God sometimes said That Nation whom they shall serve I will iudge Gen. 15. 14. Is his mind so far altered in this point that now he should say the Nation who shall give them libertie I will iudge The generall rule of restraint which God hath charged upon States Kingdoms and Nations is this Touch not mine a●●i●ted and do my Prophets no harm and hath he anywhere made Independencie so called an exception from this rule or hath he anywhere made Presbyterie a distinguishing character of such of his anointed ones who must not be touc●'d from others of them who may be crush'd and whose bon●s m●y b● broken Surely circumcision and unci●cumcision differed as much as Presby●erie and Independencie can do yet the Apostle tels us Gal. 6. 15. that in Jesus Christ neither circumcision av●ileth any thing nor uncircumcision but a new creature If Independents be new creatures and born of God their Brethren need not fear any displeasure or anger from their Father for suffering them to dwell in peace by them in the same Land but have cause to rejoyce in such their neighbourhood and societi● as being pillars of the s●me strength with themselves to support the State and Nation wherein they dwell But Thirdly and lastly when mens table becomes a snare unto them and their welfare a trap it is a signe that God is about to bow down their backs if not to make their habitations desolate When the Jews began to reason after this manner and to act accordingly If we let him thus alone all men will beleeve on him and then the Romanes shall come and take away both our place and nation it was a presage that the Romanes indeed would come and take away both which they did not many yeers after Make the heart of this people fat saith the Lord by his Prophet concerning the same people and make their eares heavie and shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes and hear with their eares and understand with their heart and convert and be healed I say no more in this but onely pray with all mine heart and with all my soul that the people of this Kingdom may see with their eyes and hear with their eares and understand with their hearts that they may convert and be healed The Heathens were wont to say Jupiter quos vult perdere dementat Another objection leavied against the Way is this If this way be let alone and suffered to take place it will still undermine the credit and comfort of many worthy and conscientious Ministers in the land For as fast as they through the blessing of God upon their faithfull labours in the work of the Ministery shall convert souls unto God this Way will allure them away from them unto it self whereby their hand must needs be enfeebled and discouraged to their work But to this also I answer First that if that way of Government and worship wherein those good Ministers shall walk who are supposed to convert people unto God be indeed and in truth the way of God there is little ground or cause of fear that any other way should separate between them and their converted ones For first the verie grace of conversion being dispensed unto these by their hand is a great and solemne ingagement upon them to love and