terrible manner Job 27.20 21 22 Terrours take hold of him as waters a tempest stealeth him in the night the east-wind carrieth him away and he departeth and as a storm burleth him out of his place For God shall cast upon him and not spare he would fain flee out of his hand All this time that God beareth with you and waits for your repentance he is whetting his sword and bending his bow and preparing for you the instruments of death and the longer the sword is whetting the sharper it will be and give the more deadly wound when it strikes you Ps 7.10 11 12 God is angry with the wicked every day if he turn not he will whet his sword he hath bent his bow and made it ready he hath also prepared for him the instruments of death he ordaineth his arrows against his persecutors Plea 9. It brings us in great profit to go and inform against these men and their Meetings and therefore being in straits and having need of Money we take up this trade of Informing for thereby a third part of all fines will come into our Purses Ans 1. If the work you went about were so good yet it is sordid and sinful to go about such an employment from a covetous principle Teaching the Word of God is a good work and judging the causes between man and man is a good work yet when a man 's great end in these works is to get Money they become sinful Mic. 3.8.11 I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord to declare unto Jacob his transgression and Israel his sin The heads thereof judge for reward and the Priests thereof teach for hire and the Prophets thereof divine for Money 2. Judas gained thirty pieces of silver by betraying of Christ but what good did his Money do him when his Conscience was awakened and made sensible of his sin his Money was a trouble to him he was weary of it and threw it away and hanged himself Matt. 27.5 He cast down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed and hanged himself When Balaam was sent for to Balack to curse Israel and had a great reward proffered him the love of the wages of unrighteousness prevailed with him to go but what befel him in the way An Angel met him with a drawn sword and would have slain him had not the Ass turned out of the way Numb 22.32 33. And God to shew to Balaam his folly and madness gave the Ass a voice to rebuke him 2 Pet. 2.15 16 which have forsaken the right way and gone astray following the way of Balaam the Son of Bozor who loved the wages of unrighteousness but was rebuked for his iniquity The dumb Ass speaking with mans voice sorbade the madness of the Prophet They that out of love to the wages of unrighteousness will curse the Israel of God are little better than mad-men The very beasts had they power to speak would cry out of and rebuke the iniquity of these men 3. If this practise of yours be so sinful as hath been proved then what you gain in this kind is got with the loss of your Souls and if you could gain the whole world and should lose your souls you would be miserable for ever Mark 8.36 What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own Soul 4. Consider what the Scripture saith of unrighteous men and the gain they make by their unrighteous practises And I leave it to your Conscience to judge whether to get riches by causing men to be punished for praying to God and hearing his Word be not to get them unrighteously 1. All that is gained unrighteously is got with the loss of the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 9.6 Know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God 2. All that is gotten unrighteously will last but a little while Jer. 17.11 He that getteth riches and not by right shall leave them in the midst of his days and in the end shall be a sool 3. The riches you get this way will eat your flesh as it were fire the remembrance of these things in the other world will torment your Conscience as much as fire does your flesh Jam. 5.3 4. Your gold and silver is cankered and the rust of them shall witness against you and shall eat your flesh as it were fire ye have heaped up treasure against the last days Behold the bire of the labourers which have reaped down your fields which is of you kept back by fraud cryeth and the crys of them that reaped are entred into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth If the hire of a labouring man kept back by fraud cryeth and the cry entereth into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth how much more do the estates of those Ministers who have been Labourers in God's vineyard which have been by you taken away by force and violence cry unto the Lord and their crys enter into the ears of the Lord of Hosts And if the rust of the estates of covetous men who heap up Money and do no good with it will be a witness against them and will eat their flesh like fire then what a witness will all those goods be against you at the day of Judgment which you have caused to be taken away from the servants of God and how will the remembrance thereof vex and torment your Consciences even as if your flesh were continually burning in the fire Plea 10. We abhor those men that turn Informers for filthy lucre sake and look upon them as vile persons It is zeal for the glory of God and the good of the Church that makes us prosecute these men I purpose to give my part of the fines to the poor and to charitable uses therefore I hope I am praise-worthy Ans 1. Suppose it be zeal that carries you out to prosecute these men yet you may be guilty of persecution When the Apostle Paul made havock of the Church of Christ and haled the members of it to Prison he did not act for gain or preferment but out of zeal yet he acknowledgeth himself a persecutor and injurious though what he did proceeded out of a blind zeal Phil. 3.6 Concerning zeal persecuting the Church Act. 26.9 I verily thought with my self I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth And though he did nothing against the members of Christ but what he thought to be his duty yet when he was better instructed he called himself the chief of sinners for persecuting of Jesus Christ 2. An indiscreet zeal may carry a man out not only to do that which is prejudicial to himself but may bring Judgments upon the Kingdom where he lives Saul slaying the Gibeonites out of zeal to the children of Israel and Judah brought a famine which is a sore Judgment that continued a long time in the Land even three years 2 Sam. 21.1 2 Then there was a
the painful accursed death of the Cross to save lost Souls 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners And great care should be used that we do not hinder the obtaining that for which Christ shed his precious blood The greatest good we can do for any man is to further and the greatest hurt is to hinder his Salvation 5. It is recorded to the honour of Hezekiah that he was an encourager of all that did faithfully dispence the word of God 2 Chr. 30.22 Hezekiah speak comfortably to all the Levites that taught the good knowledge of the Lord. And as he did incourage the Ministers of Gods word so God did wonderfully bless him 2 Chr. 31.30 Hezekiah prospered in all his works And it is recorded of Herod as one of his chief sins that he imprisoned one of Gods Ministers Luk 3.19 20. But Herod the Tetrarch being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philips wife and for all the evils which Herod had done Added this above all that he shut up John in prison Herod was guilty of many evils but this is noted as the principal as that which was above all the rest that he shut up John in prison And as it is a great sin to afflict the Ministers and servants of Christ so it is usally followed with a sore judgment Herod who stretched forth his hand to vex certain of the Church soon after dyed in a miserable manner being eaten up of Worms Act. 12.1 2 3 23. Pharaoh who oppressed Israel and would not let them go to serve the Lord in the wilderness was followed with one plague after another till he was destroyed 6. Rulers ought not to be a terrour to such as do good works but to encourage and protect them Rulers are not a terrour to good works but to the evill Wilt thou then not be affraid of the power do that which is good and thou shall have praise of the same Preaching of the Gospel whereby men may be saved and praying to God in the name of Christ are good works and therefore rulers ought not to be a terrour to any man for these works 7. We are taught and Commanded by our Lord Jesus Christ to pray to the Lord to send forth labourers into his Vineyard because the harvest is great and the labourers are but few Then said he to his disciples The harvest truly is plentious but the labourers are but few Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that he will send forth labourers into his harvest To pray for labourers and when God hath sent them forth to molest and trouble them for labouring is to contradict our prayers Let the Ignorance Atheism Profaneness the growth of Errour and the small number of Preachers that are found in the Faith and of an holy conversation be considered and laid to heart and it will evidently appear that there is great need of prayer for more Labourers and of encouraging those that are sent forth and of not suppressing any that are faithful peaceable and diligent in the Work of the Lord. Obj. 1. If it be replyed These informers accuse these Ministers that they keep seditious Conventicles and are ready to give oath of it and as such we are obliged by the Law to suppress them An. 1. Rulers ought to be wise as an Angel of God to discern good from evil 2. Sam. 14 17. As an Angel of God so is my Lord the King to descern good and bad And that is no hard matter in the Noon day of the Gospel to distinguish between Religion and sedition When Job was a Ruler among his People he was diligent to search out the truth of all causes that came before him and when he found any Wicked man oppressing the righteous he was so far from rewarding him that he plucked the Spoil out of his Teeth and if he held it fast and would not let it go he break his Jaws rather than suffer him to hold his Spoils Job 29.16 17. The Cause which I knew not I searched out I break the Jaws of the wicked and pulled the Spoil out of his Teeth 2. These Ministers as was hinted before do abhor seditious Conventicles and are falsly accused by these Informers and Magistrates should be slow to believe their false accusations and not proceed to Act against them till they have searched into the truth of these informations and that for several reasons as 1. The great enmity that is in the heart of the Wicked against Righteous men which makes them eager to do them all the Mischief they can The Scripture speaks so frequently and so fully of this that I shall need to say the less Prov. 4.16 They sleep not except they have done Mischief and their Sleep is taken away unless they cause some to fall Ps 37.19 32. The Wicked plotteth against the just and gnasheth upon him with his Teeth The Wicked watcheth the Righteous and seeketh to slay him 2. They are under a temptation of gain and the Love of Mony is the Root of all evil and therefore it is no wonder if they prove false accusers of them against whom they have a great enmity and by accusing of whom they make a great advantage 3. The rule that is given to Magistrates in the word of God is not to proceed to Punishment upon reports till they have made diligent search and have certain proof of the truth of the fact Deut. 13.13 14 15. If thou shalt hear say Then shalt thou enquire and make search and ask diligently and behold if it be truth and the thing certain that such abomination is wrought among you 3. These Ministers and those that assemble with them are oftentimes judged and sentence passed upon them for to take away their Goods before they have been heard or had their accusers Face to Face yea sometimes before they know who it is that hath accused them and this seemeth to me to be against the Light and Law of Nature which teacheth that a man ought not to be condemned till he hath had his accusers face to face and hath had Licence to answer for himself The Romans had no other Light to regulate them in their judicial proceedings but the Light of Nature yet they observed this Rule not to pass sentence upon a man till he had his accusers face to face and had liberty to answer for himself Act. 15.16 It is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to dy before he that is accused hath the accusers face to face and have Liberty to answer for himself concerning the Crime laid against him If the Romans which were Heathens how much more should Christian Magistrates forbear condemning any man till he hath seen his accusers heard his accusation and been Permitted to make his own defence The name of Pilat is odious in the Christian World and will be to all generations for Condemning our Lord
A REBUKE TO THE INFORMERS WITH A PLEA for the Ministers of the Gospel CALLED Nonconformists AND THEIR MEETINGS AND Advice to those to whom these INFORMERS Address themselves for Assistance in their Undertakings Prov. 28.23 He that rebuketh a man afterward shall find more favour than he that flattereth with his tongue Acts 28.30 31. Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house and received all that came in unto him preaching the kingdom of God and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus with all confidence no man forbidding him Joh. 20.17 Then the same day at evening being the first day of the week when the doors were shut for fear of the Jews came Jesus and stood in the midst and saith unto thim Peace be unto you Act. 9.4 5. Saul Saul why persecutest thou me And he said who art thou Lord And the Lord said I am Jesus whom thou persecutest It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks LONDON Printed in the Year 1675. To the READER THE Design of this ensuing Discourse is to convince and convert from the evil of their ways those men that have taken upon them the work and office of Informers and also to keep others from being partakers of their sins By Informers I mean such persons as under a pretence of suppressing seditious Conventicles do create much disturbance to men fearing God causing their Assemblies to be broken up and the persons whom they find assembled together to be fined although they can prove no crime against them but that they find them praying to God in the Name of Jesus Christ and preaching and hearing Gods holy word Which practice of theirs seems to me to be exceeding sinful and greatly prejudicial to their own and others eternal Salvation of which I have given several demonstrations and have answered their most material Plea's that did come to my thoughts whereby they seek to excuse and extenuate their sin If any say these Informers are so hardened in their sinful ways that there 's no hope that they should be brought to repentance and therefore you might have spared your labour in endeavouring to reclaim them I answer 1. There is hope that the worst of men may be brought to repentance even such as are slaves to Satan and are taken and led captive by him at his will and therefore such as are grown to that height of sin as to oppose the truth are to be instructed with meekness as not knowing but God may give them repentance unto life 2 Tim. 2.25 26. In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the Devil who are taken captive by him at his will 2. God can do great things by weak and unlikely means to still and quiet those that are enemies to and afflicters of his people Psal 8.2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger Ultores vocat illos qui laedunt eos qui fidunt Deo Vatabl. 3. If any one of these Informers that are sprung up in any part of this Nation should be brought to repentance though the rest should perish in their evil courses I should think my pains well bestowed for the conversion of one sinner from the error of his ways For one soul is of more worth than the whole world Mark 8.36 And one sinner destroyeth much good Eccles 9.18 Not only several persons but Towns yea Countries may enjoy peace by the conversion of one Informer For some of them are such turbulent persons that they do not only disquiet their neighbours that live in the same Towns with themselves but they go from one Town to another and from one County to another raising persecution against those that meet together in a peaceable manner to pray to God in the name of Jesus Christ and to preach and hear his holy word When Saul who was a great persecutor of the servants of Christ was converted several Churches had rest and peace thereby Act. 9.31 Then had the Churches rest through all Judea and Galilee and Samaria and were edified and walking in the fear of the Lord and comfort of the Holy Ghost were multiplied What great benefits accrued to several Churches by the conversion but of one persecutor who had been an active man in persecuting the members of Christ The rest the edification the multiplying the spiritual comfort of the Churches in Judea Galilee and Samaria followed upon the conversion of Saul 4. If none that are actually engaged in this way of being Informers should be reclaimed yet by opening the horrible and dangerous nature of their sin others that are or may be hereafter under a temptation to turn Informers being tempted thereto by poverty enticing of evil minded men promise of a reward affrighted by threatnings or any other way may be prevented from following their pernicious ways They are more foolish than the birds that will be allured to take the bait when they espy the net Prov. 1.17 Surely in vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird 5. If none should receive any benefit by what I have written yet by warning those that are engaged in this sinful practise to turn from their evil ways and warning others not to be partakers of their evil deeds I shall deliver my own soul Ezek. 3.19 If thou warn the wicked man and he turn not from his wickedness nor from his wicked way he shall dye in his iniquity but thou hast delivered thy soul But some may say These papers are not like to come into the Informers hands or if they should they will not bestow the pains to read them or if they should they will but make a scoff at them or they will be but the more enraged and therefore it is to no effect that this means should be used to reclaim them Ans 1. We must do our duty and leave the success to God Eccl. 11.6 In the morning sow thy seed and in the evening withhold not thine hand for thou knowest not whether shall prosper this or the other or both be alike good I leave it wholly to the providence of God what success he will give to my endeavours It may be he will put it into the hearts of some persons that compassionate the perishing condition of these Informers to send these papers to them and it may be he will move their hearts to read them and who can tell but he may touch their hearts in reading them and cause some of the arrows drawn out of his quiver to stick so fast in their consciences as they shall not be able to shake them of 2. Writing as well as preaching is a means to bring sinners to repentance Jer. 36.2 Take thee the roll of a book and write therein all the words that I have spoken
preaching to the Gentiles Matt. 10.5 6. These twelve Jesus sent forth and commanded them saying Go not in the way of the Gentiles and into any City of the Samaritans enter ye not but go rather to the lost Sheep of the house of Israel 4. Let the Gentiles come to us and be circumcised after the manner of Moses and we will receive them and then they may hear Preaching in our Synagogues every Sabbath-day and be sure of Salvation For Salvation is of the Jews Joh. 4.22 5. The Church of the Jews hath been a glorious Church the only visible Church in the world for some thousands of years and these men preaching to the Gentiles will diminish the glory of this famous Church Their great Apostle teacheth us that their riches will be our diminution Rom. 15.12 6. Hitherto we have had but one Church and now by their preaching to the Gentiles we are like to have many more Churches erected 7. These men are cast out of the Synagogue by the general consent of the Jewish Church Joh. 9.22 The Jews bad agreed already that if any man did confess he was the Christ he should be cast out of the Synagogue And may we not forbid an excommunicate person preaching 8. Neither these men that preach nor the Gentiles that hear them do observe the Rites and Ceremonies of the Law of Moses which the Church of God hath observed ever since Moses gave them to us Act. 21.21 They are informed of thee that thou teachest all the Jews that are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses saying that they ought not to circumcise their children neither to walk after the customes The Jews might have pleaded these and several other excuses for their forbidding the Apostles preaching to the Gentiles yet none of these did keep off God's wrath from them And therefore let not the Informers shrowd themselves and seek to hide their sin under specious pretences which shall be enquired into more particularly afterward but lay to heart the greatness of their sin in hindring these Ministers from preaching the Gospel of Christ whereby men may be saved 4. Arg. They that do not receive Christ's Ministers nor hear their words shall be in a worse condition than the men of Sodom at the day of Judgment Matt. 10.14 15. And whosoever shall not receive you nor hear your words when ye depart out of that house or city shake off the dust of your seel verily I say unto you it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah at the day of Judgment than for that city The men of Sodom and Gomorrah will be in a very miserable condition at the day of Judgment for they were exceeding great sinners Gen. 13.13 The men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly They were such sinners as that the Lord rained down fire and brimstone upon them And that fire which consumed the men of Sodom was a forerunner a declaration and testimony to the world of the eternal fire which they and other impenitent sinners should suffer in the other world Jude v. 7. Even as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities about them in like manner giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh are set forth for an example suffering the vengeance of eternal fire And And yet our Lord Jesus who best understood how every man's case shall go at the day of Judgment in regard he himself is the Judge of the world asserts it for an undoubted truth verily I say unto you that it shall be more tolerable at the day of Judgment for the Inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah than for them that do not receive those Ministers whom he sends or do not hear the Word they Preach And if so how dreadful will the condition of these Informers and their Adherents be at the day of Judgment who do not only not receive the Ministers of Christ nor hear the Word they Preach but endeavour to suppress their preaching and will not suffer those that would hear and embrace them to attend upon their Ministery persecuting them that Preach from house to house which is a greater sin than barely not to receive the Preachers of the Word Obj. We do receive Christ's Ministers and do embrace his Gospel although we hear not these men neither suffer others to hear them but do what we can to suppress them And therefore the fore-mentioned Scripture doth not touch us 1. Though you receive the Gospel of Christ with your ears yet your opposition that you make against the Ministers shews you have not received the Gospel of Christ into your hearts For this makes the woolf lye down with the lamb and keeps the Asp and the Cockatrice from hurting the sucking child Isai 11. And makes the briar to become a mirtle-tree and the thorn a firr-tree Isai 55.11.13 2. Persecuting those that preach and hear the Gospel is a greater sin than not to receive the Ministers of Christ nor hear their words And if you be one of those that persecute the Ministers of Christ this Scripture will do more than touch you it will take hold of you and fall heavier upon you than if all the rocks and mountains were cast upon you 5 Arg. The Judgments threatned and executed upon them that by their informing against and betraying the people of God into the hands of their enemies have brought them into trouble do plainly evince the greatness of the Informers sin I pass over the remarkable Judgments that have been executed on this generation of men in our days if any one would be at the pains to make a collection of them it might be a warning to others But I shall wave these and mention only some examples out of the Scripture the truth whereof is questioned by no man that believeth the Scripture to be the Word of God Doeg turned Informer and informed against Ahimelech the Priest for entertaining David at his house and enquiring of God for him and giving him Victuals and giving him the Sword of Goliah 1 Sam. 22.9 10. And by this information he so incensed Saul that he slew those Priests that had entertained David But now mark what a grievous curse fell upon this Informer Ps 52.5 God shall likewise destroy thee for ever be shall take thee away and pluck thee out of thy dwelling-place and root thee out of the land of the living That this curse is denounced against Doeg for informing against Ahimelech for entertaining David at his house is evident from the title of the Psalm A Psalm of David when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul and said unto him David is come to the house of Ahimelech The curse denounced against Doeg is very dreadful consisting of these branches 1. Eternal destruction and that from the hands of God God shall likewise destroy thee for ever As he had been the destruction of the Lord's Priests so God should destroy him but with a more terrible destruction they were
destroyed with a temporal destruction but he shall destroy thee for ever 2. God threatens to take him away and pluck him from his dwelling-place which words speak his anger yea hot displeasure and that is very dreadful David was afraid that God should deal with him in his anger O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure But as for Doeg the words speak God to be full of fury against him He shall-take thee away and pluck thee out of thy dwelling-place 3. Destruction to him and all that belong to him He shall root thee out of the land of the living He shall utterly ruinate thee and thine leaving thee neither root nor branch or the rooting him out of the land of the living may refer to the depriving him of eternal life Let then the Doegs of our age consider this dreadful curse who if they see or can hear of an house where the Ministers of Christ are praying to God or giving the bread of life to hungry Souls they go and tell the Magistrates and get Warrants to distrain and get away their goods from them What became of those Informers against Daniel who finding him at Prayer went and accused him to the King as a transgressour of the Law and got him cast into the Den of Lions By the just judgment of God these men and their wives and children were cast into the Den of Lions and rent a-pieces Dan. 6.11.13.24 These Informers do the like in our dayes if they find the servants of God Praying and Preaching they go and accuse them to the Magistrate and get them punished and may they not justly fear that though they have no punishment here the King of Kings will cast them into a worse place than the Den of Lions at the day of Judgment even into the bottomless pit where they shall be tormented of roaring Lions for ever and ever Haman who informed against the Jews and got a decree to destroy them came to a miserable end he dyed upon a pair of Gallows fifty foot high But above all other examples I would have these Informers take notice what befel Judas for informing against Christ He fell into such a woful condition that it had been good for him that he had never been born Matt. 26.24 After he had betrayed Christ he was in such a distressed condition that he was weary of his life and went away and hung himself Matt. 27.5 After he had hung himself he fell down headlong and burst asunder and his bowels gushed out Act. 1.18 And after he was dead and his Soul was out of his body it was carried into hell-torments v. 25. See Pisc Now what was it that this Judas did to Jesus Christ he did not accuse him to Pilat he did not nail him to the cross he did not thrust a spear into his side but this he did he betrayed him into his enemies hands by discovering who and where he was Therefore as Christ to warn us of Apostacy said Remember Lot's wife So may I say to Informers Remember Judas Obj. Why do you tell us of Judas he was a damned wretch we curse him to the pit of hell for betraying our Lord Jesus Christ we would have been torn in pieces and suffered a thousand deaths rather than we would have done such an act as Judas did we abhor Judas as much as any man upon the face of the earth Ans 1. You do the same thing in effect as Judas did and in judging him you condemn your selves Rom. 2.1 For our Lord Jesus accounts that they which persecute his members persecute him Act. 9.4 5. Saul Saul why persecutest thou me And he said who art thou Lord And the Lord said I am Jesus whom thou persecutest Saul did not persecute Jesus Christ in his own person for he was at God's right hand out of Saul's reach but he persecuted the members of Christ and the Lord Jesus counted himself persecuted in the persecution of his members what is done to the least of his members he takes as done to himself Matt. 25.40 Now as Judas did he was guide to them that took Jesus Act. 1.16 He knew the place where Christ was and got Officers and Soldiers to go along with him so do ye 2. You are in some respects worse than Judas for Judas repented of what he had done He made an open confession of his sin he made restitution of the Money he had taken you do none of these things In stead of your repenting you glory in your sin and are more and more hardened in your evil courses Judas did not bring Officers to take Christ whilst he was Preaching to the people or Praying to God He did not disturb him in his worship but you come in the time of Prayer and Preaching the Word as though you neither feared God nor regarded Man and in a prophane manner rush upon these men while they are serving God 3. Even thus the Scribes and Pharisees of old seemed to disdain their Forefathers killing the Prophets and said If they had lived in their days they would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the Prophets and they builded their tombs and garnished their Sepulchres pretending to honour them Matt. 23.29 30. Yet they killed our Lord Jesus and the Apostles 6 Arg. The very neglecting acts of mercy towards the Members of Christ as not feeding them when they are hungry not clothing them when they are naked the not-visiting them when they are sick and in prison will cause the Lord Jesus to cast men among the devils into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Matt. 25.41 42 43 44 45. To take away by violence the food and the rayment of the Members of Christ is a greater sin than not to feed them when they are hungry and not to cloth them when they are naked To throw them into Prisons and thereby to impair their health is a greater sin than not to visit them when sick or in prison If they shall be cursed by Jesus Christ and be cast into everlasting fire among the Devils who do not feed cloath and visit the Members of Christ when hungry sick and in prison nor take them in when strangers of how much sorer punishment shall these Informers and their Adherents be thought worthy of at the day of Judgment who do take away the food and rayment of the Members of Christ and will not suffer them to dwell in peace in their own houses but thrust them into prison and that for righteousness sake 7 Arg. These men have been several years under affliction having suffered the loss of their livelyhoods and been exposed to other troubles and it is greatly displeasing unto God that affliction should be added to his people when they are under affliction Zech. 1.15 I am very sore displeased with the Heathen that are at ease for I was but a little displeased and they helped forward the affliction Had you
dying Joash the King of Israel wept over him and said My Father my Father the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof 2 King 13.14 Intimating that Elisha by his Prayers was a greater security and protection to Israel than all the chariots and horsemen that were in Israel Now if righteous men are blessings to a Nation if they are the strength and security of a Nation the persecuting and afflicting them must needs be prejudicial to a Nations welfare 3. The persecuting these men weakens the Protestant and strengthens the Popish interest in this Nation For these men both in their Preaching and Writing have appeared eminently against the Popish Doctrine and it 's not long since that we were called both by the King and Parliament to humble our selves by fasting for the growth of Popery in the Nation And that which weakens the Protestant and strengthens the Papal interest must be acknowledged to be prejudicial to the Nation by all that are well affected to the Protestant Religion 12. The Informers are guilty of smiting their fellow-servants and that is a provoking sin when a man without just cause shall smite his fellow-servant especially if he smite him for doing his Master's work Matt. 24.48 49 50 51. But if that evil servant shall say in his heart my Lord delayeth his coming And shall begin to smite his fellow-servants and to eat and drink with the drunken The Lord of that servant shall come in a day that he looketh not for him and in an hour that he is not aware of and shall cut him asunder and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth I would mind the Informers of several things from this Scripture which do nearly concern them 1. These are in God's account evil servants that smite their fellow-servants without a cause If that evil servant smite his fellow-servant 2. God usually gives up such as smite their fellow-servants to sensuality that they prove sottish persons companions of Drunkards Smite his fellow-servant and eat and drink with the drunken 3. Smiting fellow-servants brings swift and unexpected destruction The swiftness of the judgment is implyed in that God takes men oftimes in the beginning of their sin And shall begin to smite his fellow-servants The unexpectedness of the Judgment in that sometime he does not give a days no not an hours warning The Lord of that servant shall come in a day that the looketh not for him and in an hour that he is not aware of 4. Utter destruction will be the portion of such as smite their fellow-servants And shall cut him a-sunder If a man be cut and slash'd in his body he may be healed of his wounds but if he be cut asunder he is destroyed without remedy 5. Such as smite their fellow-servants shall have their portion among hypocrites in the bottomless pit where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth And shall appoint him his portion with hypocrites where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth And why with hypocrites It is either because whatever pretences such may make of zeal they are but hypocrites in God's account that smite their fellow-servants or it is because of all men hypocrites shall have the greatest portion of torment in the other world as being the chiefest of sinners in Is 33.14 If they reply This Scripture doth not concern us Informers but such as have power in Church or State and abuse their power to the vexing of their fellow servants Ans I grant that Grotius expoundeth this place of Pastors who do either themselves or who stir up Magistrates to vex and deal cruelly with other Ministers and Christians for reproving them for their corrupt opinions or sinful lives or for differing from them in some circumstantial things 2. If it be taken in this sense yet it will reach the Informers for like sins shall have like judgments If Superiors for abusing their power shall be so sorely punished then these Informers who are Inferiour persons must not think to escape the Judgment of God while they incense the Magistrate to vex and molest those that are faithful and peaceable only they differ from others in some circumstantial and disputable things CHAP. III. The Informer's Pleas answered Plea 1. IF we did know or think that these were righteous men we would not persecute them to gain the whole world but we look upon them as Phanaticks Factious persons Schismaticks Pestilent fellows Seducers of the people Troublers of the Nation yea the very worst sort of men and therefore we do think we well to persecute them and do what lyeth in our power to suppress them Ans 1. This was the same way which the Jews used to persecute the Prophets Jesus Christ and his Apostles they said all manner of evil against them falsely and then persecuted them not as righteous men but as evil doers Matt. 5.11.12 Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsly for my sake rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven For so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you So persecuted they the Prophets How By reviling them and speaking all manner of evil against them falsly and persecuting them under the notion of evil doers and not as righteous men The Jews would not own that they stoned Christ for righteousness sake or any of his good works but gave out that he was a blasphemer and they stoned him for blasphemy Joh. 10.33 The Jews answered him and said For a good work we stone thee not but for blasphemy because thou being a man makest thy self God 2. When you have spoken all the evil you can of these Ministers that are called Non-conformists you cannot say worse of them than the Jews spake of the Prophets and the Apostles and our Lord Jesus Christ himself yet not only Jesus Christ but the Prophets and Apostles were righteous men Do you look upon these Ministers to be Phanaticks or Mad-men So Paul was censured as a mad-man Act. 26 24. Paul thou art beside thy self much learning hath made thee mad Yea the Jews thought and said Christ was mad and gave out that the Devil was in him and wondred that any would go to hear him Joh. 10.20 Many of them said He is mad and hath a Devil why hear ye him Do you question the authority of these Ministers to Preach the Gospel So did the Jews question Christ's Matt. 21.23 And when he was come into the Temple the chief Priests and Elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching and said By what authority doest thou these things and who gave thee this authority Will you not believe these men to be true Ministers of Christ So it was with the Jews they would not believe Jeremiah to be a Prophet of the Lord but thought he made himself a Prophet We find Shemaiah writing thus to Zephaniah Jer. 29.26 27. The
Gospel Every man that hath received talents from the Lord must occupy these talents in the place and station God hath set him in till the Lord takes him off from his work Luk. 19.13 He called his ten servants and delivered unto them ten pounds and said unto them occupy till I come 2. The preaching of God's Word is of greater necessity than our necessary food and if we be of Job's mind we shall esteem it so Job 23.12 I have esteemed the word of thy mouth more than my necessary food 3. Ahimilech might have answered David in the like manner David though thou art hungry there is no necessity I should give thee the Shew-bread there are houses enough where there is bread enough and to spare whither thou may'st go and be welcom and yet neither Ahimelech is reproved nor David for receiving the Shewbread 4. The great ignorance the growth of Atheisme Prophaneness Popery and other dangerous errors in this Nation sheweth a necessity of all the Ministers in the Nation both Conformists and Non-conformists if there were twice as many as there are to lay out themselves to the utmost in preaching the Gospel 9. Whereas the Informers plead they do not persecute these Ministers for praying and preaching but for breaking the Laws of the Nation this is but a vain excuse For 1. The work you find these men about is no other work but praying to God in the Name of Jesus Christ for things agreeable to his Will and preaching the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ or some other religious exercise and for these things you inform against them 2. If you found these men assembled at a Tavern with Bottles of Wine eating and drinking and making merry you would not molest them or if you found them at a play-house to see a Comedy Acted you would not molest them or if they were at a Coffee-house reading a Gazette hearing or telling of news or if you found them assembled at a Dancing-School or at a Fair or Market to buy or sell you would let them alone but if you find them praying or preaching you then make what hast you can to suppress their Meetings and to incense the Magistrate against them And yet will you say you do not persecute these men for praying and preaching 3. If it be your zeal for the Law that carries you out why do you not inform against Whore-mongers Drunkards Swearers Sabbath-breakers and other prophane Sinners who break the Laws of God and men yea why do you not pull the beam out of your own eyes and inform the Magistrate your selves one of another for the crimes against the Law that you are well-known to be guilty of before you go to pluck the mote out of these mens eyes 4. Whether those men break the Law in preaching and praying as you pretend shall be enquired in answer to another of your Pleas. Plea 3. If these men would conform or leave preaching we would not molest them Ans 1. Though these men cannot conform to those things which are imposed and required of such as enjoy Ecclesiastical promotions in this Nation yet the Informers ought not to persecute them for preaching the Gospel though they be such as have a great zeal for conformity For several Reasons 1. Preaching the Gospel is of greater necessity than conformity to the Ceremonies which are acknowledged by the greatest Patrons of them to be but indifferent things 2. Following Christ and his Disciples was of greater consequence than conformity to that which is imposed on such as enjoy Ecclesiastical promotions yet when John saw one casting out Devils and out of his zeal to Christ forbade him Christ reproved him for it Luk. 9.49 And John answered and said Master we saw one casting out Devils in thy name and we forbade him because he followeth not with us and Jesus said Forbid him not for he that is not against us is for us 3. These men cannot conform to the Ceremonies and those other things which are imposed on publick Ministers without sin For suppose these men were under a mistake and there was nothing required but what was lawful yet they judging these things unlawful they cannot comply with them without sin Rom. 14.14 To him that esteemeth any thing unclean to him it is unclean 4. These men conform to the Law of God and to the Doctrine of the Church though they do not conform to the Ceremonies of the Church whereas many that conform to the Ceremonies of the Church are of debauched conversations and live in the transgression of the Laws of God and some are of corrupt judgments And the zeal of the Informers should carry them out rather against such as corrupt the Doctrine than those that scruple the Ceremonies of the Church for the Doctrine of the Church is of more value than all the Ceremonies that being of a divine Revelation these of humane invention that being of necessity to Salvation these being as the chief Patrons of them contend only for order and decency in the worship of God and against such as transgress the Laws of God rather than those that transgress as they say the Laws of men 2. Whereas the Informers would have these men leave Preaching they cannot do so unless they would bring upon themselves the curse of God and of men There is a wo from God against such as are called to preach the Gospel and yet neglect it 1 Cor. 9.16 Yea wo is me if I preach not the Gospel And men would curse them also Prov. 11.26 He that withholdeth corn the people shall curse him But blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth it The mystical sence of this Proverb several interpreters understand of such as withhold the publishing of the Word they will bring a curse upon themselves but they that dispense it faithfully shall receive a blessing De Doctrinâ cibo animorum intelligi potest juxta mysticum sensum qui abscondit talentum non pascit gregem sibi commissum Maledictus est R. Baynus Samuel thought he should sin if he should cease praying for and instructing the people 1 Sam. 12.13 Moreover as for me God forbid I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you but I will teach you the good and the right may yet the Elders of Israel had rejected Samael from bearing rule over them 1 Sam. 8.5 7. So these men though they have been cast out of their possessions and from their publick places they should sin against the Lord if they should cease praying for and instructing the people when the Providence of God puts opportunities into their hands of praying with them and teaching them the good ways of the Lord. Plea 4. If these men can't satisfie their Consciences without preaching let them preach in their Families and to four or five more of their Neighbours and in so doing they shall fulfil the Law of God and not transgress the Laws of the Nation and then we
will not molest them but we cannot bear their numerous meetings Ans Several Reasons may be given why these men do not content themselves nor can be satisfied in Conscience to preach only to their own Families and four or five more of their Neighbours I will mention three or four 1. Their commission runs to preach the Gospel to every creature that is willing to hear them Mark 16.15 Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature Their commission is not limited to their Families but reacheth every place where God calls them neither to a few persons but to every creature that is willing to be taught by them 2. They are commanded as they have opportunity to do good to all men Gal. 6.10 As we have opportunity let us do good to all men And they account the greatest good they are able to do for any persons is to preach the Gospel to them Spiritual alms are to be extended as far as those which concern the outward-man And the command there to such as have ability is Give a portion to seven and also to eight Luk. 6.30 Give to every man that asketh of thee 3. Our Lord Jesus taught all that resorted to him though they came in great multitudes Mark 2.13 All the multitude resorted to him and he taught them Mark 10.1 And the people resort unto him again and as he was wont he taught them again And when the Apostle Paul preached in his own hired house he received all that came to him and forbade none Act. 28.30 Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house and received all that came unto him and preached the Kingdom of God And we are to imitate our Lord Jesus and his Apostles Our Lord Jesus was so far from forbidding multitudes resorting to him that the more people came to him the more his bowels of compassion were moved towards them and the more pains he took to instruct them Mark 6.31 And Jesus when he came out saw much people and was moved with compassion towards them because they were as sheep not having a shepherd and he began to teach them many things Should these men shut up their bowels of compassion and shut their doors when they see much people resorting to them How should they be of the same mind and the same Spirit that was in Jesus Christ 4. The more they preach to the more Souls are like to be saved by their Ministry And it is the duty of a Minister of the Gospel to save as many Souls as he can from eternal destruction The Apostle Paul was willing to preach to all and to carry himself as a Servant to all that he might gain the more 1 Cor. 9.19 Though I be free from all men yet I have made my self a servant to all that I might gain the more Plea 5. We have a Law for what we do when we inform against these men and cause them to be fined and their Meetings to be broken up we do nothing but what is according to the Law And therefore we hope we do not do evil in persecuting these men and suppressing their Meetings Ans 1. Suppose you had a Law for what you do yet that would not justisie your actings nor excuse your sin The Jews pretended they had a Law to put Christ to death and that by that Law he not only might but ought to be put to death Joh. 19.7 The Jews answered him we have a Law and by our Law he ought to die because he made himself the Son of God Yet for putting Christ to death the vengeance of God fell upon them and hath continued upon their posterity in a most dreadful and amazing manner above sixteen hundred years Paul had authority to disturb the Meetings of the Disciples and imprison them he had a commission from the High Priest to imprison all of that way which was cryed out against in those days as much as Non-conformists are in these days Act. 9.1 2. And Saul yet breathing out threatnings and slaughter against the Disciples of the Lord went unto the High Priest aad desired of him Letters unto the Synagogues that if he found any of this way whether men or women he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem And v. 14. And here he hath authority to bind all that call upon thy name And yet notwithstanding his Letters and authority Jesus Christ cryes out of him as guilty of persecution v. 4. Saul Saul why persecutest thou me The Israelites had Statutes of Omri to plead for the worshipping the Golden Calves yet that did not secure them from God's Judgments but he threatens them with desolation for their sin Micah 6.13 16 Therefore also will I make thee sick in smiting thee in making thee desolate in smiting thee For the Statutes of Omri are kept and all the works of the house of Ahab and ye walk in their counsels that I should make thee a desolation and the Inhabitants thereof an hissing Ephraim had a Commandment from Jeroboam to worship the Golden Calves yet this did not excuse Ephraim's Sin but God wasted Ephraim with secret and open Judgments for walking willingly after that commandment being both as a Moth and a Lion to Ephraim Hos 4.11 Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment because he willingly walked after the commandment Therefore will I be unto Ephraim as a moth and to the house of Judah as rottenness The commandment that Ephraim walked willingly after for which he is thus threatned as also v. 14 is by most interpreters both ancient and modern understood of the commandment that Jeroboam gave the ten Tribes concerning the Golden Calves as Rivet notes on the place Hebraei interpretes nostrorum plaerique id referunt ad mandatum Jeroboam de colendis vitulis altaribus nobis erigendis The Papists that burnt the Martyrs plead Law for what they did yet all Protestants abhor and condemn their bloody practises 2. A man may execute the Law and yet be a sinner in the sight of God if that which he doth be done from an evil principle or for an evil end As for instance Though you should do nothing against these men but what is according to Law yet if your actings against them proceed from malice or hatred or from a covetous principle to get their estates or from enmity against Religion or any such like evil principle your actings are abominable in the sight of God When Jehu destroyed the house of Ahab he did that which was agreeable to the Law of God he did according to all that was in the heart of God 1 King 10.30 yet because Jehu's heart was not right in the sight of God because he sought his own ends and not the glory of God in what he did he was guilty of blood in the sight of God And God threatned to avenge the blood of the house of Ahab which was shed in Jezreel upon the house of Jehu Hos 1.4 I will avenge the
of the Church of England If any man will put such a harsh sense upon these words The practise of the Church of England that he will have none understood but the conformable part of the Church of England Yet in this sense it may be pleaded It is not contrary to the practise of the Church of England for men that have been brought up at the University and after their examination of their fitness for the work of the Ministry have been ordained and set apart thereunto with fasting and Prayer to preach sound Doctrine and before and after their Sermons to pray to God in the name of his Son for things agreeable to his Will which is the practise of these men But if it be said it is the practise of the conformable Clergy in England to use the forms of Prayer prescribed by the Liturgy which these men do not I answer It is the practise of the Ministers of the Church of England to pray with other Prayers when in their Pulpits both before and after Sermon than what are prescribed in the Liturgy so that praying in other words and in another method than what is prescribed in the Liturgy either before or after Sermon in Publick Assemblies as the Non-conformists do is not contrary to the practise of the Church of England 2. Neither is praying and preaching without having the Liturgy read to the Assembly contrary to the practise of the Church of England For at Funeral Sermons the reading of the Liturgy is often omitted And it was the usual practise at the chiefest Church in Cambridge and I suppose still is continued where the Vice-Chancellor Masters and Fellows of Colledges and other Students assemble together to have praying and preaching both in the forenoon and afternoon every Sabbath-day without the use of the Liturgy in that Assembly Also when there is Concio ad Clerum which is frequent in Term time there is praying to God and preaching his Word without the use of the Liturgy And yet I suppose no man will say These are none of the Church of England 3. It is no crime to use different words and different methods in preaching so they that preach do preach sound Doctrine And why should it be esteemed such a great crime to use different forms and Methods in Prayer provided that they that pray pray to one and the same God in the name of one and the same Mediator for things agreeable to the Will of God 4. As for the Informers that plead they have Law for what they do if this were a truth which yet I will not grant them I would advise them to consider how contrary their practise is to the Laws of God I might name many instances I will mention but two or three Pro. 25.15 Lay not wait Oh wicked man against the dwelling of the righteous spoil not his resting-place Isa 16.3 4 Hide the out-cast bewray not him that wandreth Let my out-casts dwell with thee Moab be thou a covert to them from the face of the spoiler If Moab who was a stranger to the Common-wealth of Israel was to shew that humanity towards the Israelites when in a suffering condition as not to bewray him that wandred but to hide them permit them to dwell in safety to be a covert from the face of the spoiler Then what shall we say to them that profess themselves Christians and yet are so far from hiding and being a covert to the servants of God that they lye in wait to betray them and endeavour to spoil them of their goods Zech. 8.12 Let none of you imagine evil in your heart against his neighbour and love no false oath for all these are things that I hate saith the Lord. When you are contriving how you may do evil to these men you are doing that which the Lord hates The greatness of your sin and your contrariety to the Word of God hath been so fully set out in the former Chapter that I shall need to add no more on this head only I shall mention this The Laws by which we shall all be judged at the last day are the Laws of God and therefore we should do nothing here but what we can give a good account of at the day of Judgment Jam. 2.12 So speak ye and so do ye as they that shall be judged by the Law of Liberty Plea 6. If these men would preach and meet in Churches we would not molest them but we hate this meeting in houses and barns and such like places Ans 1. But why should you be so much offended at preaching in houses and other retired places when as our Lord Jesus Christ and his Apostles preached not only in the Temple and the Synagogues but in private houses and ships and other places where the people could come conveniently to hear them Jesus Christ preached in an house when there was as many as the house could hold even to the very doors Mark 2.1 2. It was noised that he was in the house And straight-way many were gathered together insomuch as there was no room to receive them no not so much as about the door and he preached the word unto them He preached out of a ship Luk. 5.3 He entred into one of the ships which was Simons and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the Land and be sate down and taught the people out of the ship He preached sometime upon the mountains Matt. 5.1 2 And seeing the multitudes he got up into a mountain and when be was set his Disciples came unto him and he opened his mouth and taught them He did not decline preaching in any place where he had an opportunity to dispense the Word And as Jesus Christ so also his Disciples preached in houses as well as in the Temple and in the Synagogues Act. 5.42 And daily in the Temple and in every house they ceased not to teach and to preach Jesus Christ Act. 20.20 I kept back nothing from you but have shewed you and have taught you publickly and from house to house For the space of two years Paul preached in his own house and received all that came to him and no man forbade him Act. 28.30 31 And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house and received all that came unto him preaching the Kingdom of God and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence no man forbidding him And sometimes their Meetings and Preachings were very private Gal. 2.2 Joh. 21.19 2. Could these men enjoy publick places to preach in they would choose them rather than private houses not that they place any holiness in them or think the worship of God more acceptable in one place than in another but because of the conveniency of them Act. 17.24 God that made the world and all things therein seeing he is Lord of heaven and earth dwelleth not in temples made with hands It 's the worship and worshipper that God looks
at more than the place where the worship is performed Joh. 4.21 23. It seems irrational and not candid to say no worse to shut these men out of the Churches and then to reproach them and persecute them because they preach not in Churches but in private houses and barns and where they best can 3. A stable is a more contemptible place than a dwelling-house or barn yet because there was no room in the Inn our Lord Jesus was born in a stable and laid in a manger after he was put into his swadling-cloths Luk. 2.7 She brought forth her first-born Son and wrapped him in swadling-cloths and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the Inn. And shall we think any place too mean for us to assemble together in seeing our Lord Jesus humbled himself so far as to be born in a stable Plea 7. We cannot believe it is such a great sin as you have said to molest and persecute these men for if it were we should be greatly troubled in our Conscience and should have no quiet in our minds night nor day but we are under no trouble of Conscience for what we do and therefore we think we do not sin in molesting them Ans 1. A man may be a great sinner and yet have no trouble in his Conscience for his sins yea it may be a hard matter to convince him of his sins Whoredom is a great sin Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judg Yet Solomon speaks of some that live in this sin and say they have done no iniquity Prov. 30.20 Such is the way of an adulterous woman she eateth and wipeth her mouth and saith I have done no wickedness Oppression and Murther are grievous sins yet some men have such seared Consciences that they are no more troubled at these sins than if they were innocent persons Zech. 11.4 5 Feed the flock of the Slaughter whose possessors slay them and hold themselves not guilty and they that sell them say Blessed be the Lord I am rich Jer. 2.34 35 Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents I have not found it upon secret search but upon all these yet thou sayst because I am innocent surely hss anger shall turn from me To kill the Disciples of Christ is an exceeding great sin yet some are under such a spirit of delusion that instead of acknowledging their sin they think they do God good Service Joh. 16.2 They shall put you out of the Synagogues yea the time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think he doth God Service 2. It hath been already proved by many Arguments out of the Word of God that this practise of yours is exceeding sinful and abominable in the sight of God and therefore if you have no terrours of Conscience for what you have done it is because your hearts are so hardened that you are grown past feeling Plea 8. But if our persecuting these men were so great a sin surely God would send some great Judgment upon us either fire would fall from Heaven and consume us or the earth would open its mouth and swallow us up or some other strange punishment would befall us but God lets us alone and we thrive and prosper in the world and therefore we can't think this is such a great sin Ans 1. God oft-times lets great sinners alone and doth not punish them for their sins in this world because he reserveth them to be punished at the day of Judgment 2 Pet. 2.9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation and to reserve the unjust to the day of Judgment to be punished Job observed in his time that there were persons that did remove the land-marks and violently took away the flocks and fed thereon oppressed the Widow and the Fatherless and grind the face of the poor and committed other abominable sins and yet God did not punish them for their sins Job 24.2 to the 12. Some remove the Land-mark and violently take away flocks and feed thereon They drive away the ass of the fatherless and take the widows exe for a pledge and yet God layeth not folly to them And David observed of many in his time that were great oppressers and afflicters of Gods people and yet they prospered and did not meet with troubles either in life or death as other men did but had even what heart could wish though they were ungodly sinners Ps 73. from v. 3. to the 12th 2. Glory not in this that God lets you alone in your sinful ways and suffers you to prosper For it 's a token that he intends to destroy you for ever Ps 97.2 When the wicked do spring as the grass and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish it is that they shall be destroyed for ever 3. It may be the hand of the Lord is lifted up and hath gone out against you several ways since you took up this practise of Informing though you take no notice of it Isa 26.11 Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see but they shall see and be ashamed for their envy at the people yea the fire of thine enemies shall devour them 4. Though you do not meet with judgments in your Bodies Estate or Families yet it may be God hath smitten you with spiritual judgments When Pharaoh oppressed Israel and would not let Israel go to worship God besides the Plagues that reach the outward man God sent Plagues upon Pharaoh's heart Exod. 9.14 I will at this time send all my Plagues upon thy heart And how did God send all his Plagues upon Pharaoh's heart It was by giving him up to Judicial hardness Exod. 10.1 And the Lord said unto Moses Go unto Pharaoh for I have hardened his heart It 's a grievous curse to be given up of God to obstinacy of heart Lam. 3.65 Give them sorrow of heart or as it is in the Margin obstinacy of heart thy curse unto them So Vatablus give them obstinatum cor an obstinate heart When God gives a man an obstinate heart he gives him a dreadful curse what sadder token of God's displeasure than when God lets him alone in his sins as he did Ephraim Hos 4.17 Ephraim is joyned to Idols let him alone Hos 12.14 Ephraim provoked him to anger most bitterly Whence I infer God is provoked to anger most bitterly with those sinners whom he lets alone and suffers to go on in their sins without rebuke For whom he loves he rebukes and chastens Rev. 3.19 5. Though God out of his patience bear with you and give you time and space to repent yet if you repent not sudden and unavoidable destruction will come upon you Prov. 29.1 He that being often reproved hardneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy Job speaking of oppressors and I conceive Informers to be guilty of oppression tells us how oft-times God takes them away in a very sudden and
famine in the days of David three years year after year And David enquired of the Lord and the Lord answered it is for Saul and his bloody house because he slew the Gibeonites Now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel but of the remnant of the Amorites and the children of Israel had sworn unto them And Saul sought to slay them in his zeal to the children of Israel and Judah 3. Those alms which you give to the poor out of these mens estates that are fined for meeting together to pray to God and to hear his Word are no way acceptable to God For 1. He loves judgment and righteousness and hates those Sacrifices which are taken by Robbery from other men and then presented to him for a Sacrifice Is 61.8 For I the Lord love judgment and hate Robbery for burnt-offering 2. He that would give alms which may be acceptable to God must give alms of what he getteth righteously Matt. 6.1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men to be seen of them Some copies render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Beza observes Take heed you do not your righteousness before men Alms may be called righteousness because they must be of goods honestly and righteously gotten Your alms We must give alms out of our own not other mens estates 4. Those that sought to build up Zion with blood took the ready way to destroy Zion Mic. 3.10 12 They build up Zion with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity Therefore shall Zion for your sake be ploughed as a field and Jerusalem shall become heaps Plea 11. We hate these men and know not how to find an occasion against them except it be in the matters of their God and this is a ready way to be avenged of them Ans 1. If you hate these men then you are Murtherers in God's account and shall have no part in his Kingdom 1 Joh. 3.15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murtherer and ye know that no murtherer hath eternal life abiding in him 2. Though men cannot see the spite that is in your hearts but it may be covered over with fair pretences yet God seeth it and he will requite it Ps 10.14 Thou hast seen it For thou beholdest mischief and spite to requite it with thy hand 3. Suppose any that come to these Meetings have done you wrong yet you ought not to avenge your selves but to overcome evil with good Rom. 12.19 21 Dearly beloved avenge not your selves but rather give place unto wrath for it is written Vengeance is mine and I will repay saith the Lord. Be not overcome of evil but overcome evil with good Much less should you for the offence of one man seek to be revenged of an Assembly of men As Haman when he had taken offence at Mordecai sought to be avenged of the whole race of the Jews which proved his overthrow Plea 12. We think may others say that some of these men are righteous persons and mean well but they disturb the peace of the Church and their preaching causeth division in the Church for by their means are Families divided and some go one way and some another And this makes us labour to suppress them because the good of the Church is to be preferred above the good of particular persons Ans 1. If you grant these men to be righteous men you had need take heed how you persecute them What Job said to his friends Job 19.28 But ye should say why persecute we him seeing the root of the matter is in him That you should say why persecute we these men seeing the root of the matter is in them seeing they are of the same faith with us and walk in the fear of God 2. If by the Church you understand the body of Christians who embrace the Doctrine of the Gospel and walk in all the Ordinances and Commandments of the Lord Jesus then these men are a great part of the Church and are not the disturbers of the Churches peace For whom do they molest whom do they persecute They are desirous to live at peace among themselves and to have peace with all men as much as in them is These Informers and their adherents are the disturbers of the Churches peace who persecute men professing Faith in Christ and walking in all the Ordinances of the Gospel for worshipping God If by the Church you mean the Pastors and Teachers of the Church these men do not molest the conformable Clergy in their executing their Ministerial office As for such of them as are sound in the Faith holy in their Lives faithful Preachers of God's holy Word They say the Blessing of the Lord be upon them and rejoyce to hear when they convert Souls to Christ And in this sense also Informers are the disturbers of the Church for their great design is to molest and persecute the Pastors and Teachers among the Non-conformists rather than any other persons 3. Great divisions arose in the Jewish Church upon the preaching of the Lord Jesus Christ Families were divided upon his preaching some were for him others were against him Fathers against their children and children against their fathers Luk. 11.51 52 53. Suppose you that I am come to give peace on earth I tell you nay but rather division For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided three against two and two against three The Father shall be divided against the Son and the Son against the Father The Mother against the Daughter and the Daughter against her Mother The Mother-in-law against the Daughter-in-law and the Daughter-in-Law against the Mother-in-law Was Jesus Christ to be suppressed was his preaching to be blamed because of these divisions that followed upon it Far be it from any man to say or think so In like manner if divisions and distentions arise in Families and among Relations upon the preaching of the Ministers of Christ neither they are to be suppressed nor their Ministers to be blamed Yea it may be further added that the preaching of the Conformist Ministers also doth cause dissentions and divisions in Families and Parishes when many Families in one Parish will repair to hear the Ministers of another Parish and that in great numbers so that some Congregations where Ministers are eminent are thronged others scarce any hearers at all yea in the same Families in London and other places several in the same Family do repair to several conforming Ministers of other Parishes And some Persons of Quality zealous too for Uniformity do constantly desert their own Ministers to hear some other they better approve of taking all or the greatest part of their Families with them and for years together yet I suppose these Informers judg not themselves obliged out of their love of the Churches peace to prosecute these Ministers and their hearers the one for preaching and the other hearing Plea 13. We are convinced we have done evil but you should not have reproved us so
work or give them a reward for what they do are partakers of their evil deeds As the adversaries of the Jews hired men to hinder the building of the temple Ezr. 4.5 They hired counsellers against them to frustrate their purpose all the days of Cyrus So some men that are adversaries to these Meetings and are ashamed to appear in this odious work themselves do hire men fit for their turn to carry on this evil design Let such persons remember what a mark of displeasure the Lord left upon the Moabites for hiring Balaam to curse Israel Not only the men of that generation but their posterity was excluded for ever from coming into the Congregation of the Lord for this sin Neh. 13.1 2 On that day they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people and therein was found written that the Ammonite and Moabite should not come into the congregation of God for ever Because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water but hired Balaam against them that he should curse them Howbeit God turned the curse into a blessing All that clense their hearts from sin and walk according to the rule of the Word are as dear to God as the children of Israel were of old yea they are God's Israel Ps 73.1 Truly God is good to Israel even to such as are of a clean heart Gal. 6.16 As many as walk according to this rule peace be on them and mercy and upon the Israel of God And if God were so angry with the Moabites for hiring Balaam to curse Israel that he would not suffer them to come into the Congregation of the Lord for ever Then how much more will God's anger be kindled against those that profess themselves Christians and yet hire vain persons to persecute such as are Israelites for worshipping and serving the Lord Inf. 3. Are these Informers guilty of such a great sin then let me advise such as are or hereafter may be tempted to turn Informers in the words of Solomon Prov. 1.10 11 12 13 14 15. My Son if sinners entice thee consent thou not If they say come with us let us lay wait for blood let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause We shall find all precious substance we shall fill our houses with spoil Cast in thy lot among us let us all have one purse My Son walk not thou in the way with them refrain thy foot from their path Let no proffer of any reward tempt you to persecute innocent men for serving God for such as lye in wait against the innocent lye in wait to destroy their own soul Prov. 1.11 18 Let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause They lay wait for their own blood they lurk privily for their own souls It is mentioned by the Psalmist among the Characters of those that shall inherit the Kingdom of Heaven that he must be one that will not be hired by any reward to do any hurt to an innocent man Ps 15.1 5 Lord who shall abide in thy tabernacle and who shall dwell in thy holy hill He that back-biteth not with his tongue nor doth evil to his neighbour nor taketh reward against the innocent Remember our Lord Jesus when the Devil offered him all the Kingdoms of the world and all the glory of them to have committed one act of sin he rejected his proffer with disdain Matt. 4.6 7 8. As the gaining the whole world could not tempt Christ to consent to one act of false worship So no gain should tempt you to disturb the true worshippers of God that worship him in Spirit and Truth So as to hinder one act of true worship Inf. 4. Let the Friends Relations and Acquaintance of these Informers as they love their Souls pity them and pray to God for them and reprove them for their sins and plead with them to turn from their evil ways If you let them go on in their sins without reproving them you have no love for their souls but you hate them in your hearts Lev. 19.17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour and not suffer sin upon him And if they do not or will not hearken unto you plead with God for them that he would give them repentance and pull them as fire-brands out of the fire before they fall into everlasting burnings And watch your seasons to deal with them when God shall lay affliction upon them that is a good season to be dealing with them for they that are as the deaf adder in the day of prosperity and will not hearken unto any good counsel have their ears open to instruction in a day of trouble Job 36.8 9 10. Inf. 5. If these Informers and their adherents be guilty of such great evils then it concerns those that are placed in the condition of watch-men upon Mount Zion to warn them of their sin and to warn others also that they be not partakers with them in their sins For if they dye in their sins and they have given them no warning their blood will be required at their hands Ezek. 3.17 18 Son of man I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel therefore hear the word at my mouth and give them warning from me when I say unto the wicked Thou shalt surely dye and thou givest him not warning nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way to save his life the same wicked man shall dye in his iniquity but his blood will I require at thy hand Inf. 6. Caution to those that are sufferers by these Informers Let neither the greatness of their sins nor the greatness of your sufferings who are persecuted by them provoke you to return evil to them for the evil they have done unto you Rom. 12.17 Recompence to no man evil for evil Vengeance belongs unto God and not unto us and therefore we must not go about to avenge our selves on those that injure us v. 19 Dearly beloved avenge not your selves but rather give place unto wrath for it is written Vengeance is mine I will repay saith the Lord. Our Lord Jesus hath taught us that we must love pray for and do good to the worst enemies we have in all the world even such as hate us curse us use us despitefully and persecute us Matt. 5.44 But I say unto you love your enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them that despitefully use you These men are the rod of God and therefore look beyond the instruments to the hand of the Lord who correcteth you that he may make you partakers of his holiness and humble your selves under his mighty hand and turn to him that smiteth you and then the Lord will turn all your sufferings to your advantage And as you must not offer any violence to these men so neither should you fret nor be cast down at their prosperity
and Soldiers that come with them to disturb the servants of God and call to the Ministers to come down is in my apprehension far greater than the sin of those Captains and their Companies that called to Elijah to come down and that in several respects 1. Those Captains were sent by the King 's own order and did but deliver the King's message The King hath said Come down yet this did not exempt them from being consumed that they had order for what they did that they were sent by lawful Authority but these Informers come of their own head prompted on usually either by covetousness or malice 2. Those Captains did not disturb Elijah when he was at his devotion they did not interrupt him when he was praying to God or preaching to the people But these Informers come in the time that these men are worshipping of God and disturb and call to them to come down while they are serving God which aggravates their sin 3. Those Captains did not themselves or any of their company touch Elijah's person or his estate but these Informers procure Officers to hale these men out of their Meetings to break open their houses and to carry away their goods 4. It 's hard to say what was the sin of those Captains that were consumed with fire from Heaven for calling to Elijah to come down Whether they spake to the Prophet in a rude insulting manner or not with that respect that became a Prophet for the other Captain that went to him in an humble manner was spared or because they knew there was evil determined against Elijah by the King and yet they would be instrumental to fetch him or whether they spoke to him in a scoffing manner though all the people held him for a Prophet yet it may be they did not and so might call him the man of God in way of derision But in the actings of these Informers there is a complication of many abominable sins which are visible and hateful to God and all good men Yea the common sort of people see and detest the odious practices of these men Obj. 1. But Elijah was a Prophet should we call to a Prophet when he was praying and preaching to come down or should we get Officers and Soldiers to pull them out of their Pulpits and disperse their Assemblies we might be afraid least fire should come down from Heaven and consume us and all that come along with us but we do not fear any such thing in reference to these men Ans 1. The Ministers of Christ that live in these days of the Gospel are to be respected as much as the Prophets that lived under the Law And the affronts and injuries offered unto them are as offensive to God as the injuries that were done unto the Prophets by the Jews If you be not satisfied in the truth of this assertion weigh what our Lord Jesus saith Matt. 11.9 11. What went you out for to see a Prophet yea I say unto you and more than a Prophet Verily I say unto you Among them that are born of women there hath not been a greater than John the Baptist notwithstanding he that is lest in the Kingdom of God is greater than be There was a clearer discovery of Christ in the days of John the Baptist than in the time of the Prophets and therefore he is preferred above the Prophets equallized to all that were born of women by our Lord Jesus But after the death of Christ there was a fuller and clearer manifestation of Christ than when John the Baptist lived and therefore our Lord Jesus in this respect namely of the excellency and clearness of the Doctrine of the Gospel extolleth the least Ministers under the New Testament above John the Baptist not that they excel or are equal to him in holiness but have a more clear knowledge of the Messiah than he had 2. The Ministers and Servants of Christ in these days have like precious faith with the Apostles 2 Pet. 1.1 Simon Peter a servant and an Apostle of Jesus Christ to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ And there are no gifts or priviledges that commend a man to God like faith Gal. 5.6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but saith which worketh by love God loves all that believe in his Son as he did Elijah and he will avenge the wrongs done unto them as he did what was done unto Elijah For their faith is a-like precious in the sight of God with the faith of Elijah Obj. 2. There is no fire that cometh down from Heaven to consume us as there did upon the Captains that went to apprehend Elijah but we enrich our selves this way and therefore our sin is not so bad as theirs was Ans 1. Though fire do not come down from heaven and consume you yet there is fire in hell prepared and reserved for you Ps 9.17 The wicked shall be turned into hell and all the Nations that forget God And the fire which is in hell is more dreadful than that which came down from Heaven For 1. That fire consumed the Captains and the Soldiers that were with with them but the fire of hell though it torments you it will never consume you 2. That fire lasted but a little while but the fire of hell will last for ever Matt. 25.41 Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels 2. Your being let alone in your sins will prove a greater Judgment if you persist in your sins without repentance than if fire should come down from Heaven and consume you for by going on in your sins without repentance you treasure up wrath against the day of wrath and fill up the measure of your iniquities and so will have a greater degree of torment in the other world for ever 3. This example of God's consuming those Captains with their Soldiers that came to apprehend Elijah by fire from Heaven is recorded to deter all persons from offering violence to any of the Lords Prophets or Messengers to the end of the world 1 Cor. 10.11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples and they are written for our admonition on whom the ends of the world are come 4. These men know not how soon they may be consumed by fire from Heaven for God's Word speaks of raining down fire upon ungodly men Ps 11.6 Upon the wicked he shall rain fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest This shall be the portion of their cup Job 20.26 A fire not blown shall consume him When it thunders and lightens they may fear every flash of lightning should burn them to ashes But if this should not befall them yet the day is hastening when all ungodly men shall be consumed with fire in a more dreadful manner than these Captains and their Soldiers And then the troublers of the
people of God shall have such a day of trouble as never was since the world stood 2 Thess 1.6 7 8 9 It is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you and to you that are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus Christ shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of God and from the glory of his power CHAP. V. Humble Advice to Magistrates not to countenance these Informers nor to suppress the Non-conformist Ministers or their Meetings SEeing these Informers are wont to address themselves to the Magistrates and bring false accusations to them against these Ministers called Non-conformists informing them that they keep Seditious Conventicles and do thereby excite and stir them up to imprison or fine those Ministers and suppress their Assemblies I shall crave leave before I conclude this discourse humbly to advise and request those Magistrates to whom these Informers address themselves for assistance in their undertakings First That they would not give any countenance to this generation of men that take upon them the employ of being Informers Secondly That they do not at their instigation punish the Ministers and Servants of Christ when no other Crime can be proved against them but that they have been praying to God in the Name of his Son or that they have been Preaching or hearing his Holy Word 1. My humble request to you is that you would give no countenance or encouragement to this sort of Men. And that for Gods sake in whose stead you are placed in the world for your own sake and for the Kingdom sake that guilt and wrath come not upon your selves and upon the Kingdom for the sake of these Informers that they be not multiplyed and increased Give me leave to touch briefly on these Heads 1. You are Gods Vicegerents you stand in his Room and Rule in his stead When God made Moses Ruler over Aron and the people of Israel he tells him Thou shalt be to him instead of God Exod. 4.16 You rule and judge not for your selves but for the Lord who stands by and observes what you say and what you do and therefore you had need take heed what judgment you pass upon every man that comes before you 2 Chron. 19.6 Take heed what you do for ye judg not for men but for the Lord who is with you in the judgment And seeing you stand in Gods stead and rule and judge for him Look how the Lord God would carry himself if he were in your Places so ye ought to carry your selves whom he would encourage those you ought to encourage whom he would rebuke and reprove those ye ought to rebuke and reprove Now consider with your selves if the Lord Jesus Christ were on Earth and were in your place and these Informers came unto him to complain against his Servants for praying and Preaching and hearing his Word what are your thoughts and what do your Consciences tell you he would do in this case would he countenance or reprove and Punish them surely he would give no Countenance to such vile persons in such a sinful undertaking 2. By asisting these men you will bring down Gods Wrath upon your selves and the Nation Upon your selves To evidence this weigh what was said by the Prophet to Jehoshaphat 2 Chr. 19.2 Shouldst thou help the ungodly and love them that bate the Lord Therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord. This Wrath came upon Jehoshaphat for helping Ahab in fighting against the Syrians Here let it be considered 1. That Jehoshaphat was a great man he was King of Judah he was also a good man v. 3. Nevertheless there are good things in thee in that thou hast taken away the groves out of the Land and hast prepared thy Heart to seek God Yet neither his greatness nor his goodness kept of the wrath of God from him for helping an ungodly man 2. Ahab whom Jehoshaphat helped was a King King of Israel And it might seem good policy for one neighbouring Paince to help another Because by helping Ahab he might have had his help another time against the adversaries of Juda yet neither did this excuse him 3. The Persons against whom Jehoshaphat helped Ahab were the Syrians And the Syrians were Idolaters that Worshipped strange Gods 2 Chr. 28.23 They were also great enemies to the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah Jer. 9.12 The Syrians before and the Philistines behind and they shall devour Israel with open Mouth They were a People devoted to destruction 1 Kings 20.42 Now if Jehoshaphat incurred the displeasure of God for helping Ahab because he was an ungodly man to suppress the Syrians who were Idolators and enemies of Israel and Judah How can you think but that you shall bring down the Wrath of God upon your selves if you help these Informers who go about to oppress and suppress the Servants of the true and Living God while they are worshiping serving the Lord. If it be said It doth not appear to you that these Informers are ungodly men and such as hate the Lord you do not judge them like Ahab that had sold himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord. If you did then you might fear God would be angry with you for being helpful to them To that I answer 1. If you please to peruse those demonstrations which I have given out of the Scriptures of the Evil of their ways in the second of Chron. you may be convinced that their practices are not consistent with godlyness In some respects those men are worse then Ahab for when Ahab was reproved by Elijah for taking a possession of Naboths Vineyard which he had gotten by unjust means he humbled himself before God and Fasted and rent his Cloaths and lay in Sackcloth 1 Kings 21.27.29 But we hear of no Humilliation from these men after they have been reproved for taking into their possession other mens Goods which they obtain by undue means And as you will bring the Wrath of God upon your selves so also upon the Nation if you countenance and incourage this sort of Men. When the Rulers do not punish evil doers they bring guilt and Wrath not only upon themselves but upon the Nation where they live how much more if they give encouragement to them Nehe. 13.17 18. Then I contended with the Nobles of Judah and said unto them what evil thing is this that ye do and prophane the Sabbath day Did not your Fathers thus and did not our God bring all this evil upon us and upon this Citie yet ye bring more Wrath upon Isarel by prophaning the Sabbath They were the meaner sort of the People that prophaned the Sabbath such as bare burthens trode the Winepress sold Fish and other wares v. 15.16 And because
the Nobles did not restrain them what these men did is laid to the Charge of the Nobles And Nehemiah tells them they brought Wrath upon Israel by prophaning the Sabbath 3. If you carry it toward those men as though they were righteous acquiting them when complaints and appeals are made to you or rewarding them as though they had done well when their iniquity and folly is manifest and hateful almost to all men you will lose your respect among the People Prov. 24.24 25. He that saith to the Wicked thou art Righteous him shall the People Curse Nations shall abhor him But to them that rebuke him shall be delight and a good Blessing 4. They are usually the basest of men that take upon them this imployment men of a very ill same in the Place where they live if their conversations were Looked into there are such Blots upon some of them as would make them abhorred of all sober men And if such men be exalted countenanced and rewarded it will cause Wickedness and Wicked Persons to abound in the Nation Prov. 12.18 The Wicked walk on every side when the vilest persons are exalted If you harken to the Lying informations these men bring against innocent Persons it will not only incourage them but others also to Tread in their Steps Prov. 29.11 If a ruler hearken unto lyes all his Servants are Wicked But if you would shew your selves angry with them for Backbiting and Slandring those that are peaceable you would soon free your selves from the Trouble of these men and the Nation also Prov. 15.23 The North Wind driveth away Rain so doth an angry Countenance a backbiting tongue 2. My humble request to you is that you would not punish any of the Ministers or other Servants of Christ when no other Crime is or can be proved against them but their meeting together to pray to God in the name of Christ or to preach and hear his holy Word The advice which Gamaliel gave the rulers of the Jews when the Apostles were brought before the Council for Preaching after they had received strict Charge to forbear teaching the People was wise and seasonable advice I humbly offer the same to you Act. 5.38 39. Refrain from these men and let them alone for if this Council or this Work be of men it will come to nought but if it be of God ye cannot overthrough it lest happily ye be found even to sight against God That this advice may be more effectual I humbly intreat you to consider 1. What a strict charge the Lord Jesus hath given his Ministers to preach his word He chargeth them three times as they love him to feed his Sheep and his Lambs John 21.15 16 17. Jesus said to Simon Peter Simon Son of Jonas Lovest thou me more than those Feed my Lambs Lovest thou me Feed my Sheep Lovest thou me Feed my Sheep He chargeth them as they will answer the neglect thereof at the day of Judgment to preach the word in season and out of season 2 Tim. 4.1 2. I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and dead at his appearing Preach the word be instant in season and out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all patience and long suffering He hath laid it upon them as a necessary duty to Preach the Gospel and pronounces a Wo against them that neglect it 1 Cor. 9.16 Necessity is laid upon me Yea Wo unto me if I Preach not the Gospel Will ye forbid will punish these men for doing that for which they have such a strict command from Jesus Christ 2. Consider what a high respect and dear love the Lord Jesus beareth to all those that hear his word and do it He loveth and honoureth them as he loved and honoured his Mother and his Brethren Luk. 8.20 21. And it was told him by certain that said Thy Mother and thy Brethren stand without desiring to see thee And he answered and said my Mother and my Brethren are these which hear the word of God and do it If the Virgin Mary the Mother of Christ were now upon the earth you would offer no injury to her you would not disturb her at her devotion you would not punish her for hearing the word of God but shew all respect to her You should be as unwilling to offer any violence or suffer any wrong to be done to those that hear and do the word of God as you would to the Mother and Brethren of Christ For he loveth and respecteth them that hear and do Gods word as he did his Mother and his Brethren 3. Remember what a charge the Lord hath given you not to touch his anoynted and do his prophers no harm Ps 105.15 Touch not mine anointed and do my Prophets no harm This charge is given in an especial manner to Rulers and Governors as appears from the foregoing words He reproved Kings for their sakes saying Touch not mine anointed and do my prophets no harm By his anointed whom he would not have you touch Fiscator and several other interpreters understand Vnctos donis Spiritus Sancti Such as are anointed with the gifts and graces of the Spirit The pouring out of the Spirit is called an Unction and the anoynting 1 John 2.20 27. Prophets were of two sorts first such as had an extraordinary call and could foretel things to come Secondly as were qualified and called to teach and instruct the people though they had no extraordinary gifts 1 Cor. 14.3 He that Prophesieth speaketh unto men to edisication and exhortation and confort And so the word prophet is used Math. 10.41 for a Minister of the Gospel Now though this charge of not touching his anoynted and doing his prophets no harm was primarily given to those rulers where Ahraham and his posterity sojourned yet it equally concerneth all rulers in all ages not to touch those he hath anointed with his holy Spirit and to do no harm to any of his Ministers 4. Let it be considered that Praying and Preaching are means appointed by God for the saving mens souls Prayer is a means of obtaining salvation Rom. 10.13 Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved Amos. 5.4 Thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel Seek ye me and ye shall live And the Preaching the Gospel is a special means for obtaining salvation Rom. 1.16 I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth Yea even that Preaching which the world derides and counts Foolishness God blesseth it to the saving of Souls 1 Cor. 1.21 After that in the Wisdom of God the World by wisdom knew not God it pleased God by the foolishness of Preaching to save them that believe And the saving of Souls from hell torments is a work of the greatest moment in the whole world The Eternal Son of God became man and humbled himself to death to
with Balack's messengers he thought he had good warrant to go for God had said If the men come to call thee rise up and go with them Which some conceive to be spoken Ironically others by way of Indignation seeing he had tempted God by coming again to enquire of his going when he knew it was expresly against his mind He spake in anger and said Rise up and go with them Or if he had leave there was covetousness or malice or some other evil in his heart whether he had a Warrant to go or not I do not now enquire but this is certain God was angry with him for going Numb 22.22 Gods anger was kindled against him because he went And he was in danger to be slain by the Angel that stood in the way 4 If you think your selves obliged by virtue of the Law to go along with these Informers if you find nothing of Sedition in the Assembly to which they carry you if you find them met in a peaceable manner Preaching sound Doctrine praying for things agreeable to the Will of God instead of cursing them or punishing them leave your blessing upon them and say The blessing of the Lord be upon you and punish these Informers as false accusers When Balaam went to Balack instead of cursing Isiael he blessed them though he angred Balack thereby and lost great honours and promotions They that will rather curse an Israelire than run the hazard of small losses of losing their dignities and promotions come short of Balaam who yet fell short of eternal lise Obj. 3. We have yet one scruple more about these men and these Meetings if we could get over that we would not molest them and it is this we shall not be accounted the Kings friends if we do not suppress these Men but shall be accounted friends and favourers of Phanaticks If it were not for this we would not meddle with them Answ 1. This is a strong temptation upon some men to do irregular things for fear they should not be esteemed the Kings friends as we may see in the case of Pilat he was very loth to have meddled with Christ when the Jews brought him He would know what Crime they had to lay to his charge before he would do ought against him Joh. 18 29. What accusation have ye brought against this man And when they pretended he was a Malefactor Pilat was very desirous to have been excused from meddling in the case vers 31. Take ye him and judge him according to your Law And when they urged him he vindicated Christ vers 32. I find in him no fault at all And when they pressed hard upon him to crucify Christ he would have put them off again and told them he could find no fault in him Chap. 19. v. 6. They cryed out saying Crucify him Crucify him Pilat saith unto them Take ye him and Crucify him for I find no fault in him Then they plead their Law that by their Law he ought to die because he made himself the Son of God vers 7. Upon hearing this that it was given out that he was the Son of God he was the more afraid to give sentence against him and sought which way to release him vers 8.9 12. Then they used this devise they tell Pilat he should not be looked upon as Caesars friend if he let Christ go If thou let this man go thou art not Caesars Friend And though he had withstood the reasonings and importunities of the Jews hitherto the hearing of this that he should not be Caesars Friend prevailed with him contrary to his judgment and Conscience to deliver up Christ to be Crucifyed v. 12 13 16. If thou let this man go thou art not Caesars Friend When therefore Pilat heard this saying he brought Jesus forth and sate down in the judgment seat Then delivered ho him to be Crucifyed If things be duly estimated these Informers that Stir up Magistrates to Punish the Kings Subjects for praying and Preaching and those that take in with them will appear to be none of the Kings Friends but rather his adversaries For 1. They that misuse Gods Ministers bring Gods Wrath upon the Kingdom as hath been before proved from 2 Chr. 36.16 They mocked the Messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets until the Wrath of the Lord arose against his People till there was no Remedy Is not this misusing the Lords Prophets and Messengers when they are Punished for Preaching Gods Word and whether are they to be reckoned the Kings Friends or Enemies that bring the Wrath of God upon his Kingdom 2. David counted those his Adversaries that prompted him to Punish Shimei when he was setled upon his Throne in Peace and yet Shimei had cursed David to his Face in the day of his distress 2 Sam. 19.21 22. And Abishai the Son of Zervia said shall not Shimei be put to Death for this because he cursed the Lords anointed And David said what have I to do with you ye Sons of Zervia that ye should this day be adversaries unto me shall there any man be put to Death this day in Israel for do I not know that I am this day King in Israel These men pray for the King and Kingdoms welfare And if David accounted the Sons of Zerviah his adversaries for stiring him up to destroy Shimei who had cursed him because he had humbled himself may we not count these Informers the Kings Enemies that seek the Destruction of these men who pray to God both in their Families and Assemblies to bless the King and Preach obedience to the King in all lawful things 3. In the multitude of People in the Kings honour but in the want of People is the Kings destruction Prov. 14.28 And therefore to Suppress Impoverish to force to flee out of the Nation so great a Part of the Kings Subjects as the Nonconformists are would be a diminishing of the People and so a diminution of the Kings Honour and Safety 3. It 's a Calumny raised by the adversaries of the Nonconformists to excite the Magistrates against them that they shall not be esteemed the Kings Friends if they do not suppress them For our Soveraign Lord the King hath been graciously pleased in several of his Declarations to testify unto his Kingdom that he hath a kindness for his Nonconforming Subjects as well as the rest of his Subjects And besides these there may be other demonstrations given that these Magistrates are true and real Friends to the King who do shelter the Nonconformists from the fury of the Informers and keep them from being persecuted for righteousness sake As 1. They are the Kings true and real Friends that uphold his throne and endeavour to establish his Throne for ever and this they do that deliver the oppressed and shew mercy to such as are under affliction Prov. 29.14 The King that faithfully judgeth the Poor his Throne shall be established for ever Prov. 20.28 Mercy and truth preserve the King and his Throne is upholden by Mercy Who sheweth mercy he that Punisheth Men for Praying and Preaching or he that Spareth them 2. They are the Kings Friends that bring down the blessing of God upon the Kingdom and cause him to wax great and to be so feared by the Neighbour Nations that they make no War with him And this they do who encourage the faithful Preachers and Preaching of the word of God When the Preaching of the Word of God was encouraged in Jehoshaphats days there were such eminent Blessings came upon him and his Kingdom that he waxed great exceedingly and was feared of all the Lands round about and none of them durst make War with him 2 Chr. 17.8 9 10 11 12. And with them he sent Levites and Priests and they taught in Judah and had the book of the Law of the Lord with them and went about through all the Cities of Judah and taught the people and the fear of the Lord fell upon all the Kindoms of the Lands that were round about Judah so that they made no War against Jehoshaphat And also some of the Philistins brought Jehoshaphat Presents and Tribute Silver The Arabians brought him Flocks And Jehoshaphat waxed great exceedingly FINIS ERRATA'S PAge 14. l. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 29. l. 22. we think we do well p. 40. l. 4. 1 Sam. 12 23. l. 6. way p. 42. l. 18. 2 Kings 10.1 c. p. 55. l. 17. belly l. 46. 2 Ep. Joh. v. p. 56. l. 20. wallow p. 75. l. 33. overthrow l. 47. will ye p. 77. l. 5. spake l. last r. brake p. 78. l. 2. brake
Preaching God forbid we should be so wicked But the reason why we are so eager in persecuting them is because they break the Laws and are not conformable to the Service and Ceremonies of the Church Ans 1. It hath been an old device of Satan and his instruments to raise up and cast slanders upon men fearing God as though they were rebellious persons and disobedient to Laws when they have been imployed in the Service of God When Nehemiah went about to build the wall of Jerusalem the adversaries of the Jews gave out words that he was about to rebel against the King Neh. 2.19 What is this thing that ye do will ye rebel against the King So when the Ministers Preach for no other end but to convert Souls and build up such as are converted their adversaries give out they are rebels against the King The like accusation was raised against the Apostles when they Preached the Gospel up and down the world their enemies represented them to be such as walked contrary to to the decrees of Caesar Act. 17.6 7. Those that have turned the world upside down are come hither also whom Jason hath received and these all do contrary to the decrees of Casar And more particularly against the Apostle Paul Act. 18.12 13. The Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul and brought him to the judgment-seat saying This fellow perswadeth to worship God contrary to the Law Act. 21.28 Men of Israel help this is the man that teacheth all men every-where against the people and the Law and this place Daniel was a man so eminent for Piety that he is ranked with Noah and Job who had great power with God in Prayer Ezek. 14.14 He had an Angel sent to him from Heaven who told him he was a man greatly beloved of God Dan. 10.11 He was so blameless that his enemies that sought occasion against him could find no fault with him Dan. 6.3 Yet this Daniel was accused for not regarding the King and his Laws v. 13. Daniel regardeth not thee Oh King nor the decree that thou hast signed This was the device Haman made use of against the Jews He accused them to the King for breaking the Laws Est 3.8 Their Laws are diverse from all people neither keep they the King's Laws therefore it is not for the King's profit to suffer them 2. The worst of men have had pretences for their vilest practises The Jews that went about to stone Christ would not own it that they stoned him for a good work but pretended it was for blasphemy Joh. 10.32 33. Jesus answered them many good works have I shewed you from my Father for which of these works do you stone me The Jews answered him saying For a good work we stone thee not but for blasphemy and because that thou being a man makest thy self God As the Jews ignorantly or maliciously called Christ's preaching blasphemy and pretended they would have stoned him not for a good work but for blasphemy So the Informers either ignorantly or maliciously call these mens preaching rebellion and say they do not persecute them for preaching but for rebellion against the Laws They that cast out their brethren that trembled at God's Word pretended God's glory but the Lord saw that action proceeded from malice and hatred Is 66.5 Hear the word of the Lord ye that tremble at his word your brethren that hated you that cast you out for my name sake said the Lord be glorified But he shall appear to your joy and their shame 3. To represent these Ministers as disobedient to authority and rebellious persons is a grievous calumny and a great wrong to them It is contrary to their professed and declared principles and contrary to their practice For they believe and teach that every Soul ought to be subject to the higher Powers and the Powers that be are ordained of God And therefore they obey Magistrates not only to avoid their wrath but for Conscience sake And for further evidence of the soundness of their judgment in this point of obeying Magistrates they do fully concur with and are ready to subscribe if called to it unto the seven and thirtieth Article of the Church of England which treats of the civil Magistrate And if at any time it so fall out that the command of the Magistrate be contrary to the commands of God if in such a case they choose to obey God rather than men they are not upon this account to be called rebels and contumacious persons For 1. This was the practice of the Apostles to obey God rather than men Act. 14.19 Whether it be right in the sight of God to bearken unto you more than unto God judge ye And in so doing they did no more than what was their duty to do Act. 5.29 We ought to obey God rather than men 2. When the Midwives were commanded by Pharaoh to do that which was contrary to the command of God it was not rebellion in them to go against the command of Pharaoh But this action of theirs did proceed from the fear of God Exod. 1.17 But the Midwives feared God and did not as the King commanded 3. The Magistrate is the Minister of God for good Rom. 13.4 He is but the Minister of God and the Minister of God for good that is all that he enjoyns must be for God's honour and for a publick good If he command any thing contrary to the command of Christ and we obey him we exalt him above God we prefer the Servant before the Master 4. These men are more obedient to Authority and truer Subjects than many of their adversaries that reproach them with disloyalty and rebellion For many of those men that cry out against these Ministers for their disobedience to the Laws make no scruple of breaking such Laws of God and men as are contrary to their lusts There are good Laws established in this Nation against Swearing Drunkenness Symony c. yet many that are common Swearers Drunkards and live in other vices condemned by the Laws of God the Laws of the Nation and the light of their own Consciences cry up themselves for obedient Subjects and cry out against Ministers for not conforming to such things as they are not satisfied are lawful for them to do which have been for many years and still are controverted among learned men not only of this but of other Nations and which they profess could they be satisfied in their Consciences of their lawfulness they would yield obedience to them 5. As for those that complain of these Ministers preaching contrary to the command of the Magistrate I would put them in mind of the strict command that God hath given to those whom he hath called to the work and office of the Ministry to Preach the Gospel as they will answer the neglect thereof to himself and his Son Jesus Christ at the day of Judgment 2 Tim. 4.1 2. I charge thee therefore before God and the
Lord Jesus Christ who will judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdom Preach the Word be instant in season and out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and patience 1 Cor. 9.15 Yea wo is unto me if I preach not the Gospel Now if men forbid that which God commands whom are we to obey God or men If any say this charge was given to Timothy and that wo was pronounced against Paul and that is nothing to these men if these men had a charge from God to preach as Timothy and Paul had we should not dare to oppose or hinder their preaching I answer This charge that was given to Timothy to preach the word doth and will concern all Ministers of the Gospel to the worlds end as well as it did him As that promise given to Joshua I will never leave thee nor forsake thee is interpreted by the Holy Ghost to be spoken to all Christians to the end of the world Josh 1.5 compared with Heb. 13.5 So this command given to Timothy who was a Minister of the Gospel concerns all the Ministers of the Gospel in all places and all ages of the world What was spoken to the Apostles as they were Christians belongs to all Christians Mark 13.37 And what I say unto you I say unto all watch And what was spoken to them as Ministers of the Gospel belongs to all Ministers as well as unto them 6. As for them that charge these men with sin yea with rebellion for Praying and Preaching contrary to Law I would mind them of the examples of Daniel and the Apostles There was a royal Law made by all the Presidents of the Kingdom the Governours the Princes the Counsellors and Captains under a very great penalty That no man should ask a Petition of any God or Man for the space of thirty days save of the King and this decree was signed by Darius the King Dan. 6.7 8 yet when Daniel knew this decree was signed he prayed three times a day as his usual custom was and did not omit the opening of the windows in the time of Prayer v. 10. Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed he went into his house and his windows being open in his chamber towards Jerusalem he kneeled upon his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God as at other times What think ye Did Daniel sin against God and rebel against the King in praying contrary to the decree If you think Daniel sinned in giving such an example to after-ages to pray contrary to a decree made with such a penalty or if you think he sinned that he kept his wonted times and would not so far comply with the decree as to forbear for a few days or that he did not take other hours or that he would not shut his windows or pray so secretly and privately as none but his own Family should know of it you may be convinced of your mistake from v. 22. My God hath sent his angel and hath shut the Lions mouth that they have not hurt me forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me and also before thee O King have I done no hurt It is evident from these words that Daniel's Praying to God in his usual manner contrary to the decree was no sin either against God or the King And is not Prayer a Duty now as well as in Daniel's time The Apostles had a strict charge from the rulers of the Jews not to Preach in the name of Jesus Christ Act. 4.17 18. Let us straitly threaten them that they speak henceforth to no man in this name And they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus That this command to forbear Preaching was given by the Rulers we may see v. 5 6. yet after this strict charge and severe command given by the rulers to the Apostles to cease Preaching they were as diligent as before in Preaching of the Gospel Act. 5.27 28. And when they had brought them they set them before the Councel and the High-Priest asked them saying Did not we straitly command you that you should not teach in this name and behold you have filled Jerusalem with your Doctrine And after they had been beaten for Preaching the Gospel and had received a new command not to speak in the name of the Lord Jesus They continued to take all opportunities to teach and preach Jesus Christ both in the Temple and every House ver 40 41 42. When they had called the Apostles and beaten them they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus and let them go And they departed from the presence of the councel rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name And daily in the Temple and in every house they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ Did the Apostles sin against God or rebel against their rulers for preaching the Gospel when they were straitly charged by their rulers not to Preach and beaten because they did not obey the command and another command given them after that to leave Preaching and yet they proceeded in their work If any shall say or think the Apostles did sin in so doing all good Christians will condemn their rash judgment and they may easily be refuted from Act. 4.29 After they had been commanded to cease preaching and threatned they Pray to to God to assist them to preach the word with boldness And now Lord behold their threatnings and grant unto thy servants that with all boldness they may speak thy Word And they would not pray for assistance in that which was sinful And their boldness in preaching after their prohibition from the rulers of the Jews is ascribed to their being filled with the Holy Ghost v. 31. They were all filled with the Holy Ghost and spake the word with boldness And that man is a blasphemer who shall say the Apostles sinned in preaching against the command of their rulers whenas it was the Holy Ghost which gave them boldness to preach the Word of God Besides they were encouraged to preach after their rulers had forbidden them and had imprisoned them for preaching contrary to their commands by an Angel that was sent from Heaven that opened the Prison-doors and said unto them Go and stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life Act. 5.9 20. And when they were again brought before the rulers and examined whether they did not know of that strict charge they had given them and were taxed with the disobeying their command Did not we straitly command you that you should not teach in this name and behold you have filled Jerusalem with your Doctrine and intend to bring this man's blood upon us They justified their preaching though they had disobeyed their rulers commands v. 29. Then Peter and the other Apostles answered and said we ought to obey