theirs who are unreconciled to almost all the Churches of Christ or to multitudes of their Brethren because they are not of their way yea that make their Communion the very badge and means of their uncharitableness and divisions Sirs these are not matters of indifferency nor to be indulged by any faithful Pastor of the Church 7. And I know that these principles are as mortal to the Churches as they are to Souls And that if ever the Churches have peace prosperity or healing it must be by the means of Love and Concord and by destroying the principles which would destory them One thinketh that it must be by a Spanish Inquisition and by forcing or killing the dissenters And another thinketh it must be by Excommunicating them all and making them odious and making their own party seem thereby to be better than theirs But I know that it must be by revived Love or it will never be I know it and whoever is angry with me for it I cannot choose but know it When the Papists had murdered so many hundred thousands of the Albigenses and Waldenses who would have thought but they had done their work When the French Massacre had murdered 30000 or 40000 and dispatcht the Leaders of the Protestant party who would have thought that they had but strengthened them When the Duke D' Alva had done so much to drwon the Belgick Protestants in blood he little thought that he was but fortifying them Queen Maries Bishops little thought that their English Bonfires were but to light men to see the mischief of their cause and like the firing of a Beacon to call all the Land to take them for the Enemies of mankind and that the case would have been so quickly altered When the Irish had murdered two hundred thousand they little thought that they had but excited the Survivers to a terrible revenge I will come no nearer but you may easily do it your selves If we bite and devour one another we shall be devoured one of another Gal. 5. 15. The question is but who shall be devoured first and who reserved for the second course If any man have an ear to hear let him hear He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity He that killeth with the Sword must be killed with the Sword Here is the Patience and Faith of the Saints Rev. 13. 9. 10. God Ruleth the world still when he worketh not miracles Have we not seen a proud Victorious Army dissolved without a drop of blood and have we not seen that God approveth not of proud self-exaltation and violating the Sacred power of our Governours and usurping their places of Authority Hath not the drunken world had yet experience enough to teach them that the Church of God is not to be built up or repaired by their tumultuous quarrellings and frayes How long Lord must thy Church and Cause be in the hands of unexperienced furious fools who know not what Holiness or Healing is but think that victory over mens Bodies must be the cure of their Souls and that hurting them is the way to win their Love or that a Church is constituted of Bodies alone while Souls are absent or no parts who will make themselves the Rulers of thy Flock in despite of thee and of thy Cause and Servants without thy call or approbation and think that the work of a Soldier is the work of a Father and a Physician whose cures are all by amputation and whose piety consisteth in flying from each other and esteeming and using their Brethren as their foes who scatter thy flocks on all the mountains when Christ hath prayed that they may all be one Perhaps Reader thou art one of them that thinketh that the settlement and happiness of the Church must be won like a game at foot-ball and therefore scruplest not to toss it in the dirt and tumultuously to strive with and strike up the heels of all that are against thee so that peaceable passengers cannot safely come near your game or pass the streets But when you have got the Ball have you done the work Are you still so ignorant as not to know how uncertain still you are to keep it and that one spurn can take it from you And suppose you could secure all your conquests are the Churches healed ever the more Mens hearts must be conquered before this healing work is done And therefore the Apostle saith that we are more than Conquerours when we are killed all the day long and accountea as Sheep to the slaughter Rom. 8. 34 35. that is it is more gain and honour to our selves to suffer in faith and patience by our enemies than to conquer them in the field And it is more profitable also unto them and tendeth to a more desirable conquest of them Because when Conquerors do but exasperate them and if we hurt their bodies we harden them the more against our cause and against the means of their own Salvation our patient Martyrdom and suffering by them may â—end at last to open their eyes and turn their hearts and save their souls by shewing them the Truth the Goodness and the Power of Christ and of his Word and Spirit This is the meaning of being more than Conquerours The Irish are conquered by us but not converted The Scots and English were conquered by Cromwell but their hearts were not conquered nor their Religion changed by him They that think that if they could get and keep the upper ground and have Dissenters bodies and estates at their will they could soon settle the Church in Unity and Concord do tell all the world how ignorant they are of the nature of Christianity and of the fear of God and of the means of the peace and Concord of the Church Either you would give up your own judgments and Consciences or practice your selves to the will of men if you were in their power or not If you would not why should you think that others will If you would you do but tell the world that you are Atheists and have neither a God nor Conscience nor Religion But it is not evidence enough of your folly to say in your hearts there is no God and to fear them that can but kill the body more than Him that can punish both body and soul in hell but you must also shew that you know neither God nor Man by thinking that all others are Atheists also and judging of them by your selves as if they set their Souls and their everlasting hopes at as base a price as you do yours I tell you again that a Battel or a Footâ—ball skuffle will not settle the discomposed and divided Churches unless you think that a heap of Carkasses slain in the field possess the quietness and concord which you desire The Soul is the man and Love is the Christian Life and the true Cement of the Churches unity And Love must cause Love as fire causeth fire And hurtful wrath doth most powerfully
quench it and hath these fifteen hundred years but especially these thirteen hundred been the wolvish Scatterer of the flocks of Christ And must that be now the way to build it which hath so long been the way to pull it down It is Love that must be our Union and Love that must cause it or we shall never have the Union of a Christian Church By this shall all men know that you are Christs Disciples if you have Love one to another If you believe not this pretend not to believe in Jesus Christ who doth affirm it I confess I am so far guilty of superstition my self that if I had been one of the Changers of our ancient Government I should have been somewhat the more backward for his Name sake to the beheading of Christopher Love lest it should be an ill Omen both to Church and State but especially to the Actors of it 8. Another of the Motives of this Discourse is because I know that times of most temptation are times of greatest danger and commonly of greatest sin And all faithful Pastors must know what are the special Temptations of the Time and Place which they live in When had we ever greater Temptations to Love-killing principles and practices than now except in the times of the miserable Wars I need not name them to you The harder it is for men to Love them that hate them that censure them unjustly that revile them and reproach them and make them odious or that hurt them the more cause have Ministers and all Christians to set a double watch upon their Love Lest before they are aware a flaming and consuming zeal do tell others that they know not what manner of Spirit they are of Luk. 9. 55. 9. Yea it is not only a time of great Temptation to this sin but of common guilt They are multitudes that are overtaken already with this sin Is not the Land in a continual heart war Are there not parties against parties and cause against cause and heart-risings and passions and censurings of Dissenters to say no worse And is it not time to bring water when we see the flames 10. And I perceive few know so heinous a sin to be any sin at all But all factions and parties are still justifying their Love-killing wayes and reproaching those whom they have wronged As if when they have sinfully withdrawn their Love from them it were no crime to take away next their good names and all that they have but power to take away And when they have cast their brethren out of their estimation and affection they think it a piece of commendable zeal or justice to cast them ouâ— of Christian communion and if they could out of the Land and of the world And shall Ministers stand by and see men take such sin for duty and serve God by abusing his Servants and look for a reward for dividing and pulling down his Church and never tell them what they are doing 11. And the old Non-conformists who wrote so much against separation were neither blind nor temporizers They saw the danger on that side Even Brightman on Rev. that writeth against the Prelacy and Ceremonies severely reprehendeth the separatists Read but the writings of Mr. Iohn Paget Mr. Iohn Ball Mr. Hildersham Mr. Bradshaw Mr. Baine Mr. Rathband and many such others against the separatists of those times and you may learn that our Light is not greater but less than theirs and that we see not further into that cause than they did and that change of times doth not change the truth nor will warrant us to change our Religion unless we will make our Religion subject to the wills and interests of men and change it as oft as the times shall change 12. Lastly if your friends tell you not of your faults and errours in Love those whom you account your enemies will do it in wrath And though all sober Christians should learn by the keenest rebukes of their Adversaries yet passion and prejudice maketh it so difficult that it usually hardeneth men more in their sin And this is another thing which causeth me the more to abhor division and to long for the reconciling of the minds of all dissenting Christians Because while they take each other for adversaries nothing that is written or said by any is like to do the Adversaries any good Nay I must confess when I see an adversary tell men of their sin especially with furious spleen and wrath mixing together words and swords I am greatly afraid lest by that temptation Satan will draw the reproved to impenitency and greatly harden them in their sin and make them glory in that as a virtue which such a person doth so reprove But if you will neither hear of your sin nor duty by adversaries nor friends by fair speeches nor by foul you fasten the guilt upon your selves Remember I pray you that I am not kindling fires nor drawing Swords against you nor stirring up any to do you hurt but only perswading all dissenters to love one another and to forbear but all that is contrary to love And if such an exhortation and advice seem injurious or intollerable to you the Lord have mercy on your Souls III. And now without a spirit of Prophecy I will foretel what entertainment this Paper must expect 1. Some on the one side will say It is sharper and rounder dealing than all this that must cure the Schismes in the Church And if you would heal our Divisions why do you not conform you self but stand out as one of the party that divideth 2. Some on the other side will say that it is an unseasonable time when so much anger is breaking forth against those that we account Dividers to mention their faults and so to stir up more I will give these men no other answer than to bid them read the last part of this Book or else do not talk till they know of what 3. And some will say that I am doing that which will prove a hurt to my self and others For if I should draw the People to Communion with the Conformists there would little compassion be shewed to the Ministers that cannot conform But selfish wisdome must be shut out of the Council when we are consulting about the healing of the Churches and the good of Souls And indeed there is little danger of this consequence as long as the people are far more averse to Communion or Concord with the Parish-Churches than the Non-conforming Ministers are But suppose it prove true should we not do good to Souls and save men from sin and heal divisions at the dearest rate What though it cost us more than is here mentioned The reviving of decayed Love and the closure of any of the Churches wounds is a recompence worth our liberties and lives 4. And those that are most guilty of the Love-killing principles here detected and are most eminent in self-conceited ignorance will do by me and by
as a profession of Christianity And as to the Act it must be first A signification of the mind by word or writing or some intelligible sign Secondly it must seem to be understood For no man consenteth to that which he understandeth not But herein any intelligible sign of a tollerable understanding must be accepted though we find that the persons conceptions are raw and not so distinct and clear as they ought nor the expressions ready orderly or compt Thirdly it must seem to be serious For that which is apparently dissembled or Iudicrous is null Fourthly It must be de presenti a present giving up our selves to Christ and not only a promise de futuro that we will hereafter take him for our Saviour and Lord and not at present Fifthly it must seem to be voluntary and not constrained for then it is not serious Sixthly it must seem to be deliberate and resolute and setled and not only the effect of a mutable passion This goeth to make it a real Profession in the common sense of all mankind Obj. But how few among us do so much as seem be understanding serious and resolved in covenanting with Christ Answ. In the Degree of these we all fall short of that which is our duty But if you accuse any of the want of so much as is necessary to an acceptable Profession First you must be sure that you speak not by uncharitable surmise and hear-say but upon certain proof or knowledge Secondly and that therefore you speak it not at a venture of whole Parishes or families but only of those persons by name whom you know to be guilty Thirdly and that you remember that it is the Pastors office to judge and that you expect not that every one must give an account of their knowledge to you And if there be a mis-judging it is the fault of the Pastor and not yours of which more anon Fourthly that persons Baptized are already admitted into the Church and therefore if they make profession of Christianity they must not be put to bring any other proof of their title but it lies on you to disprove it if you will have it questioned And to reject them from communion without a proved accusation is Tyranny and Lording it over the Church of God These are Gods terms of Church-communion And if you will needs have stricter you must have none of his making but your own Obj. But all visible Christians and Churches are visible Saints and Regenerate and so are not ours Answ. To be a Visible Saint is to profess to be a Saint And whosoever doth profess the Baptismal Covenant professeth to be a Saint Conversion Regeneration Faith and Repentance are all contained into taking God the Father Son and Holy Ghost for our Father Saviour and Sanctifier Obj. But you may teach a Parrot to speak those words Answ. It s true And perhaps to speak any words which you use your selves But if you will thence conclude that words must not be taken as a Profession you grosly err or abusively wrangle or if you infer thence that your neighbour understandeth himself no more than a Parrot doth you must prove what you say to the Pastor of the Church For God hath not allowed him to excommunicate baptized persons because you say that they are ignorant And if they are willing to learn it is fitter to teach them than to excommunicate them And here I must lament it that I have met with many censorious Professors who would not communicate with the Parish Churches because the people are ignorant who when I have examined themselves have proved ignorant of the very substance of Christianity so that I have been much in doubt whether I ought to admit them to the Lords Table or not They knew not whether Christ was Eternal or whether he was God when he was on earth or whether he be Man now he is in heaven nor what Faith is or what Iustification or Sanctification is nor what the Covenant of grace is nor what Baptism or the Lords Super are nor could prove the Scripture to be the word of God or prove mans soul to be immortal but gave false or impertinent answers about all these And yet could not joyn with the ignorant Churches And next I desire you here to observe the different Priviledges as well as the different Conditions of Visible and Invisible Churchmembership The members of the Church mystical or Regenerate have the pardon of all sin and acceptance with God and communion with him and with his Church in the spirit and are the adopted children of God and heirs of everlasting life and shall live in heaven with Christ for ever The meer Visible Members of the Church that are not regenerate by the spirit as well as sacramentally by water have only an outward Communion with the Saints and have only the Bread and Wine in the Sacrament and only a name to live when they are dead And are these such great matters that we should envy them to poor sinners that must have no more Have we the Kernel and do we envy them the Shell Have we the Spirit and do we envy them the flesh or outward signes alone Yea consider farther that it is more for the sake of the truly faithful than for their own that all Hypocrites have their station and priviledges in the Church God maketh use of their Gifts and Profession for his elect to many great services of the Church And is it not then a foolish ingratitude in us to murmur at their presence Understand well the conditions and Reasons of this visible state of membership and how far it is below the state of the Regenerate and it will turn your separating murmuring into a thankful acknowledgment of the wisdom of God DIRECT VII Get right and deep aprehensions of the Necessity and Reasons of Christian Unity and Concord and of the sin and misery of Divisions and Discord WHen we have but slight apprehensions of a duty we easily neglect it and scarce reprove our selves for it or repent of our omission And when we have but slight apprehensions of the evil of any sin a little temptation draweth us to it we are hardly brought to through-repentance for it And there is in many Christians a strange inequality and partiality in their apprehensions of good and evil Some duties they dare not omit and they judge all ungodly who omit them when some others as great are past by as if they were no part of religion And some sins they fear with very great tenderness when we can scarce make their consciences take any notice of others as great And usually they let out all their zeal on one sâ—de only while they over-look the other The Papist seemeth so sensible of the good of Unity and the evil of Divisions that he thinketh usurpation of an Universal Church-Monarchy and Tyranny and horrid bloud-shed to be not only lawful but necessary for the prevention and the cure
testimony for it in the world And Gods promise of reward doth tell you that you labour not in vain Is that in vain which Heaven is promised to Quest. But what is it that you would have 〈◊〉 do for Love and Peace and against the contraries Answ. First Preach and write if it be your calling Secondly Let the cause of Love and Peace be much in your secret and open prayers to God Thirdly Instruct all that learn of you with principles of Love and Peace and labour to plant them deep in their minds and make them as sensible of the evil of the contraries as they are of any other sin Unless Divines and Parents do take the way to bring up the people and children under this kind of doctrine that Love and peace may become their Religion the Church is never like to be recovered Fourthly In all your conference labour seasonably and prudently to inculcate these matters on the hearers minds and to bear your testimony against cruelty and division Fifthly Put such books into peoples hands as plead best the cause of Love and Peace Among others get men to read these Bishop Usher's Sermon on Eph. 4. 3. at Wansted before King Iames Bishop Hall's Peace-maker Mr. Ieremiah Burroughs of Heart-divisions and Mr. Stillingsteet's Irenicon and all Mr. Duries Sixthly Disgrace not your Doctrine by the badness of your own lives but be as much more Holy than them as you are more Peaceable that they may see that it is not a carnal unholy Peace that you desire But these things belong to the following Directions Finally Brethren farewel Be perfect be of good comfort Be of one mind Live in Peace And the God of Love and Peaâ—e shall be with you 1 Cor. 13. 11. Phil. 4. 9. 1 Thes. 5. 23. And the God of Peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly Rom. 16. 20. Now the God of Peace be with you all Amen Rom. 15. 33. Martyrdome for Love and Peace is as honourable and gainful as Martyrdome for the Faith Part. II. DIRECTIONS TO THE PASTORS HOW TO Esteem and use Christs Flock EVEN The weak ones and the quarrelsome Children And what must be done by themselves in the first place both to prevent and heal DIVISIONS THe Practise of which the Author doth humbly and earnestly beg of them as with tears upon his knees for the sake of Christ that purchased the weakest with his blood for the sake of those that must live in peace with Christ for ever for the sake of those who are in danger of turning to Popery or contemning Godliness through the scandal of our Divisions to their own damnation for the sake of these poor distracted Churches for the sake of the King that he may have the comfort of Governing a quiet and united people and for their own sakes that they may give up their account with joy to the chief Shepherd and Bishop of our souls and not with terrour for the consuming and scattering of his flock And that he may both begin and end with Divine Authority the Author humbly beggeth of them all that England may but SEE and FEEL that the PASTORS do VNDERSTAND BELIEVE CONSIDER and OBEY that will of God which these following Texts of Scripture do express Psal. 15. 4. In whose eyes a vile person is contemned but he honoureth them that fear the Lord. Math. 25. 40 45. Verily I say unto you in as much as ye did it not to one of the least of these my Brethren ye did it not to me Math. 18. 6 10. But who so shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me it were better for him that a milstone were hanged about his neck and that he were drowned in the depth of the Sea Take heed that ye Despise not one of these little ones for I say unto you that in Heaven their Angels do alwayes behold the face of my father which is in heaven II For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost 2 Cor. 4. 3. But if our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lest 1 Cor. 9. 16. For necessity is laid upon me yea wo is unto me if I preach not the Gospel Act. 20. 20 24 28 33. I have taught you publickly and from house to house But none of these things move me neither count I my life dear unto myself so that I might finish my course with joy and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Iesus Take â—eed therefore to your selves and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood I have coveted no mans silver or gold or apparel 1 Pet. 5. 2 3. Feed the flock of God which is among you taking the oversight thereof not by constraint but willingly nor for filthy lucre but of a ready mind neither as being Lords over Gods heritage but being ensamples to the flock And when the chief Shepherd shall appear ye shall receive a Crown of Glory that fadeth not away Luk. 22. 24 25. And there was a strife among them which of them should be accounted the Greatest And he said unto them The Kings of the Gentiles exercise Lordship over them and they that exercise authority upon them are called Benefactors But ye shall not be so but he that is greatest among you let him be as the younger and he that is chief as he that doth serve I am among you as he that serveth 1 Thes. 5. 12 13. Know them which LABOUR AMONG you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you and esteem them very highly in Love for their WORK sake and be at peace among your selves 1 Tim. 5. 17. Let the Elders that Rule well be counted worthy of double honour Especially they who labour in the WORD and DOCTRINE Phil. 1. 15 16 17 18. Some indeed preach Christ even of envy strife and some also of good will The oâ—r preach Christ of contention not sincerely supposing to add affliction to my bonds What then Notwithstanding every way whether in pretence or in truth Christ is preached and I do therein rejoyce yea and will rejoyce Act. 28. 30 31. And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house and received all that came in unto him preaching the Kingdome of God and teaching those things which concern the Lord Iesus Christ with all confidence no man forbidding him Rom. 14. 1 2 3 4. Him that is weak in the faith receive ye but not to doubtful disputations For one believeth that he may eat all things Another who is weak eateth herbs Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not And let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth For God hath received him Who art thou that judgest another mans servant To his own Master he standeth or falleth yea he shall be holden up For God is able to make him stand One man esteemeth one
thus to seek themselves and overvalue their own esteem If it be the former 2 Why doth it not please you then that they are edified by others though not by you Do you think that it is not the same Gospel which others preach to them And may not that Gospel edifie and save them by the Preaching of another as well as by yours And if their dis-esteem of you be a sign or means that they are not edified by you is not their great esteem of others who are as faithful a sign and means that they are or may be edified by them Thirdly And why are you not much more troubled at the state of all those who are not converted or edified by you though they do not slight you or forsake you How many be there that seem to love and honour you and yet do not love and honour God but despise religion and their own Salvation If it be for their sakes and not your own that you are offended you will grieve most for them that are most ungodly though they honour you never so much and you will be glad for them that are faithful and Godly whose Ministery soever it be that they most esteem Fourthly But suppose them yet so foolish and faulty as to run from you to their own perdition The question is What is the way to câ—re them Is Love caused by hard words or stripes Will you say to them Love me or you shall be fined or imprisoned Christ doth not teach you to use such arguments when you speak for him but to beseech men in his name and stead tobe reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5. 19 20. But your own work will be done in your own way Obj. But Christ threatneth Hell to the impenitent and Paul pronounceth him Anathematized that loveth not the Lord Iesus and he talketh to his hearers of coming with a rod. Answ. No doubt but the corrupted mind of man hath need not only of Love to draw them home to God and work the cure but of Threatnings to drive them and to help on the cure And though it be Love that causeth Love which is their Holiness yet Fear removeth many impediments But still remember that it is Love which is predominant and fear is but subservient And that the fear which is contrary to Love is a vice and hindereth theâ—r salvation And remember that Fear and Love towards God will better stand together than Fear and Love to you will For men know Gods Soveraignty and Iustice and know that he is not to be questioned or resisted But if they suffer by you it will not be so digested nor will it so consist with love A patient will not bear to be whipt by his Physician to force him to take his medicâ—nes though a child will bear it from his parents whose Love and Power are more unquestionable to him I desire you but to mark your own experience and let your Love be predominant in all your ministrations and use no force or hurting course which will really abate their Love to you and then I shall leave you in the rest to your discretion Secondly Yet still we grant that Christs threatnings may be preached by you and must be Thirdly And that the rod of discipline must be used But this must be done only on the scandalous and such as more dishonour Christ than you And it must be so done that it may appear to be Christs own work and done by you upon his interest and at his commund and not either arbitrarily or for your selves And I shall be bold with confidence to add that in those cases where violent restraint or â—oaction is necessary the Pastor is the unmeetest person to meddle in it It is the Magistrates work to drive and force where it must be done and the Pastors to perswade and draw The flock of Christ is led by himself the Lamb of God and his Ministers must go before with him and attend him in the conduct and the Magistrate must come behind and drive and it is the hindermost and not those before that must be driven Pastors should be so far from calling out for the help of violence unless it be to keep the peace that they should rather shew their love and tenderness by seeking as far as they may to mitigate it And they should desire that no such ungrateful work be at all imposed upon them as to seem the afflicters of their flocks because when once they have lost their love they have lost their opportunity and advantage of edifying them And it is not Pilate's hypocritical washing of his hands that will excuse him Nor the Romish Clergies disclaiming to meddle in a judgement of blood which will reconcile the minds of sufferers to them as long as they are Masters of the Inquisition or deliver them up to the secular power and excommunicate and depose the temporal Lords who will not do such execution as they require Though I have some where else mentioned it I will again request the Reverend Pastors of the Church to peruse the story of Idacius and Martin in Sulpitius Severus The sum of it is this Priscillian and many others some Bishops and some Presbyters and some private persons were zealous in religion but heretical Gnosticks saith Sulpitius Ithacius and Idacius were two Orthodox Bishops who were very hot against these herâ—ticks Both of them men of rash and haughty spirits and one of them at least saith Sulpitius an injurious person that scarce cared what he said or did by others see what persons a good cause may be defended by These Bishops drew in the Bishops of the neighboring Churches in their Synods first condemned the Priscillianists and next provoked the Emperour against them The Priscillianists found that if that were the way an Emperours Court was not so Orthodox or constant but there might be as good hopes for them And therefore they got a powerful friend in Court to undertake their business and got the better of the Bishops The Bishops being born down for a time at last Maximus was proclaimed Emperour and came over with power and victory into Germany such another as Cromwel who by the Bishops was accounted a very Religious Christian but usurped the Empire and fought against and killed one of the Emperours and pretended that the souldiers made him Emperour against his will This Maximus whether sincerely or for his own advantage is unknown did take part with the Orthodox and greatly honour the Bishops and promote Religion and got a great deal of love and honour Ithacius and Idacius and the rest of the Bishops apply themselves to Maximus against the Priscillianists who hearkened to them and to please them put Priscillian and some others to death and punished others by other wayes of violence The more rude ungodly sort of Christians so far concurred or over-went the Bishops that they turned their fury against any that seemed more Religious than their neighbours so that if any one
living acceptable sacrifice Rom. 12. 1. They have need to make a better proof of their authority than Kelley did of his Revelation when he brought Doctor Dee to consent to adultery by the same pretended warrant God who is Love accepteth not such a sacrifice at the hands of Love-killers and Church-destroyers But especially when besides this acrimony of mind there shall other more pernicious diseases be contracted and foment these censures reproaches of their brethren the malignity of the disease is a sad prognostick Two such causes of it Paul layeth open one Act. 20. 30. the other Rom. 16. 17 18. One is the devilish sin of pride and a desire to have many disciples to be our applauders They shal speak perverse things to draw awaydisciples after them The other selfishness carnality and coveteousness They serve not the Lord Iesus but their own bellies And so 2 Pet. 2. 3. Through Coveteousness they shall with feigned words make Merchandise of you They buy and sell mens souls for gain These are Gainsayers in a double sense Their craft bringeth them in no small gain and lest it should be set at nought for gain they do gain-say the truth and raise up tumults against the best of the servants of Christ as Act. 19. 24 27. It is for gain and worldly glory that they say what they say against those that are wiser and sincerer than themselves The sum of all this and most that followeth is in 1 Tim. 6. 3 4 5. If any man teach otherwise and consent not to the wholesome words the words of our Lord Iesus Christ mark it is not to the words of any new faith-makers devâ—sing and to the doctrine which is according to Godliness he is proud though he may cry down pride knowing nothing though he may cry down ignorance but doting about questions though he may seem to be wise and of high attainments and strifes of words while he seemeth to plead for the life of Religion whereof cometh envy strife railings evil surmisings while they pretend to no less necessary a work than the saving of Truth and the peoples souls Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds the impatient scratchings of those whose corrupt blood must needs have vent and therefore causeth this itch of quarrelling and destitute of the truth whilest they think they are saving the life of truth supposing that gain is godliness being so blinded by the love of gain that they make themselves believe that is the cause of truth and Godliness which maketh for their gain and that the raising of them is the raising of the Church and that all tendeth to the interest of religion which tendeth to make them great and rich From such turn away that is own them not in hypocritical wranglings but turn your backs upon them as men unworthy to be disputed with in their way Answer not the fool according to his folly i. e. word it not with him in his foolish way lest you make him think himself worthy to be disputed with Talk not with him at his rates And yet answer him according to his folly by such conviction and rebukes as is meet for fooles and as may make him understand his folly lest he be wise in his own eyes and think that none can stand before him Secondly And it is commonly the most ignorant sort of Ministers who are the liberallest of their supercilious contempt of those whose understandings and worth are above their censures If a controversie be started which they either never studied or have only turned over the pages of a few books to number the sheets and never spent one year in the deep and serious search of the truth which is in question Or if they have clumsie wits that cannot feel so fine a thred nor are capable of mastering the difficulties None then are usually so ready to shoot their bolt and pass a Magisterial sentence and gravely and ignorantly tell the ignorant what eâ—rours such or such a one maintaineth as these that talk of that which they never understood For as I have known many unlearned sots that had no artifice to keep up the reputation of their learning than in all companies to cry down such and such who were wiser than themselves for no schollars but unlearned men so many that are or should be conscious of the dulness and ignorance of their fumbling and unfurnished brains have no way to keep up the reputation of their wisedome with their simple followers but to tell them O such a one hath dangerous errours and such a book is a dangerous book and they hold this and they hold that and so to make odious the opinions or practises of others which they understand not And this doth their business with these silly soals who hear not what can be said against them as well as if they were the words of truth and soberness As for the younger and emptier sort of Ministers it is no wonder if they understand not that which they had never opportunity to study or have taken but a superficial taste of But it were to be wished that they were so humble as to confess that they are yet but beardless and that time and long study is needful to make them as wise as those who with equal wit and grace have had many more years of serious study and greater opportunities to know the truth and that they have not their wisdome by special inspiration or revelation nor so far excel the rest of mankind in a miraculous wit as to know that by a few years lazy study which others know not by the laborious humble fearâ—hâ—s of a far longer time One would think that a little humility 〈…〉 the turn for thus much But it ignorance get possâ—ssion of the ancient and 〈◊〉 headed it triumpheth then and desiâ—◠〈…〉 and saith Give me a man that 〈…〉 with him Or rather Away with 〈…〉 is not worthy to be disputed 〈…〉 groweth not with years 〈…〉 wit may be poaring forty or fifty 〈…〉 that which another may sooner understand Much time and study is necessary to great wisedome But much time and study may consist with very mean attainments and doth not alwayes reach the wisedome which is sought And in such a case the ancient and grey-headed think that veneration is their due and that if they gravely sentence such or such to be erroneous they are injured if they are not believed They have not wisdome enough to make their age honourable and therefore they expect that their age should make their wisdome honourable Thirdly and because they are not able to endure the light nor to stand before the power of open truth they find it necessary to do almost all their work by back-biting When they are out of the hearing of those whom they back-bite among such as are as little sensible of this hateful sin as they then they have this man and that man this party and that party to reproach Fourthly And as Mr. Robert
any thing he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know But if any man love God the same is known of him v. 4. But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those that are weak 12. But when ye sin against the brethren and wound their weak conscience ye sin against Christ. 13. Wherefore if meat make my brother to offend I will eat no flesh while the world standeth lest I make my brother to offend Ioh. 13. 3. Jesus knowing that the father had given all things into his hands and that he was come from God and went to God he riseth from supper and laid aside his garments and took a towel and girded himself After that he poureth water into a bason and began to wash the disciples feet and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded 12 13. So after he had washed their feet and had taken his garments and was set down again he said unto them Know ye what I have done to you Ye call me Master and Lord and ye say well for so I am If I then you Lord and Master have washed your feet ye also ought to wash one anothers feet For I have given you an example that ye should do as I have done to you Verily verily I say unto you that the servant is not greater than his Lord neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them Qu. To what purpose do you set together all these words of Scripture without any exposition or telling us what you conclude from them Answ. I purposely avoid glosses and collections that you may not say that I obtrude any thing on you of my own which is not the mind of your Lord himself And I set them together that they that overlook them may have a deeper apprehension than they have had First What is the true spirit of a Christian and nature of Christianity Secondly What is the office and work of the Ministery and which way they are to win souls and convince or silence gain-sayers and extirpate errours and prevent or cure schismes and secure the Churches peace And as for them that can seriously peruse all these words of the spirit of God and yet can find in them no matter of correction or instruction without a Commentary and argumentation I have no more to say to them at this time but to add Christs next words Ioh. 13. 18. I speak not of you all I know whom I have chosen And I shall annex a few texts which characterize the contrary spirit Contrary I say to CHRISTIANITY and the faithful MINISTERY and with them I shall conclude 1 Ioh. 3. 12 13. Not as Cain who was of that Wicked One and slew his brother And wherefore slew he him Bâ—cause his own works were evil and his brothers righteous Heb. 11. 4. By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Câ—in v. 13. Marvel not my brethren if the world hate you Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer And ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abâ—ding in him We ought to lay down our lives for the brethren Ioh. 8. 44. Ye are of your father the devil and the lusts of your father ye will do he was a murderer from the beginning 1 Sam. 25. 25. 17. As his name is so is he Nabal is his name and folly is with him He is such a son of Belial that a man cannot speak to him Read the story of Doeg 1 Sam. 22. Read also Ezra 4. 13 14 15 17. Esth. 3. 8. Haman said to the King There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the Provinces of thy Kingdome and their Laws are divers from all people neither keep they the Kings laws therefore it is not for the Kings profit to suffer them Dan. 3. 12. There are certain Jews that O King have not regarded thee they serve not thy Gods nor worship the golden Image which thou hast set up Dan. 6. 5. We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel except we find it against him concerning the Law of his God 7. All the Presidents of the Kingdome the Governours and Princes the Counsellors and Captains have consulted together to establish a royal statute and to make a firm decree that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for 30 dayes save of thee O King he shall be cast into the den of Lions v. 11. These men assembled and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God which he did three times a day as aforetime 13 They said that Daniel that is of the captivity regardeth not thee O King nor the Decree that thou hast signed but maketh his prayers three times a day Amos 7. 12 13. Amazâ—ah said to Amos O thou Seer go flee thee away into the Land of Juda and there eat bread and prophesie there But prophesie not again any more at Bethel for it is the Kings Chappel and it is the Kings Court. Math. 23. 29 30 31. Wo unto you Scribes Pharisees Hypocriteâ— because ye build the tombs oâ— the Prophets and garnish the sepulchres the righteous and say If we had been in the dayes of our fathers we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the Prophets Wherefore ye be witnesses to your selves that ye are the children of them which killed the Prophets Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers Ioh. 11. 48. If we let him thus alone all men will believe on him and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation Act. 4. 1 2. And as they spake to the people the Priests and the Captain of the Temple and the Sadduces came upon them being grieved that they taught the people And they laid hands on them and put them in hold v. 17. That it spread no further among the people let us straitly threaten them that they speak henceforth no more in this name 18. And they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus 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 now 3 Ioh. 9. 10 11. I wrote to the Church but iâ—â— otrephes who loveth to have the pre-eminence among them receiveth us not and not content therewith neither doth he himself receive the Brethren and forbiddeth them that would and casteth them out of the Church Beloved follow not that which is evil but that which is good He that DOTH GOOD is of God but he that doth evil hath not seen God 1 Thes. 2. 14 15. For ye also have suffered like things of your own Countrymen even as they have of the Jews who both killed the Lord Jesus and their own Prophets and have persecuted us and they please not God and are contrary to all men