ZEALE FOR GODS HOUSE QVICKNED OR A SERMON Preached before the Assembly of Lords Commons and Divines at their solemn Fast Iuly 7. 1643. In the Abbey Church at Westminster EXPRESSING The Eminencie of Zeale requisite in Church Reformers BY OLIVER BOWLES Pastor of Sutton in Bedfordshire It is good to be zealously affected alwayes in a good thing Gal. 4.18 Published by Order of both Houses of Parliament LONDON Printed by Richard Bishop for Samuel Gellibrand at the Brazen Serpent in Pauls Church-yard 1643. Die Iovis 27. Iulij 1643. IT is this day Ordered by the Lords in Parliament That Mr. Bowles hath hereby thanks given him for the great paines he took in the Sermon he made at the Fast for the Assembly of Divines in the Abbey Church Westminster on Friday the seventh of this instant Iuly And is hereby desired to cause his said Sermon to be forthwith Printed and published Io. Brown Cler. Parliamentor To the Right Honourable the House of LORDS AND The Honourable House of COMMONS Assembled in PARLIAMENT AND To the Learned and Religious DIVINES called by them and now assembled to consult about matters of RELIGION Right honourable and most worthy OVt of your vigilant care for the common good you have found out a way amidst your many distractions to convene an Assembly of grave and learned Divines with whom you might advise concerning the settling of Doctrine Worship and Church Government You saw cause which might move you so to doe in respect first of those licentious spirits who took occasion as to vent their own fancies so to attempt any thing in matter of Doctrine and Worship secondly in that for want of an established Church-government we were and still are in danger to fall from a Tyranny to an Anarchy thirdly In that evill minded men seeing no effectuall meanes provided to suppresse such variety of Sects as did start up were ready to censure you as the fautors of such opinions What you have done hath been done with much prudence in that you have given way for the admittance of Divines of different Iudgements to be chosen to whom a liberty is not denied to plead every one for his own party And not only so but you have further embodied divers of your worthy Ones of both Houses as Members of our Assembly by which priviledge we have many and singular advantages When this Assembly for the greater part was by your summons gathered together you were pleased out of a due consideration of the weighty affaires to be transacted to appoint a solemne Fast to be kept chiefly by the Members of the Assembly And when you had so done your pleasure was to lay your command upon my selfe though the unworthiest of many to bee employed in the service of that day Surely it was not but that you had your choyce of many other most able and worthy Divines only it was your pleasure that dayes and multitudes of years should speak â—â—b The Grace I chose as most meet to treat of was that of Zeale as conversant about Gods House first for that it doth directly oppose Lukewarmnesse the most dangerous and yet the Epidemicall disease of our time secondly for that no one grace doth more promote the work of Reformation as will appeare in the subsequent discourse thirdly for that among all other ornaments there is none that doth more beautifie a Reformer in the eyes of God and man Prov. There are many creatures said the wise man that are comely in there going but none so comely as a Zealous Reformer Accordingly then you Parliamentary Worthies goe on and prosper cease not to carry on your Work which is Gods work with Zeale and Courage It is Perseverance alone that will both crowne you and perfect your endeavours What encouragement have you had in that the Lord amidst your greatest dangers hath beene mightily seene in the protection of your persons No weapons of warre that have beene formed against you have prospered the tongues of men that have risen up in judgement against you hath he condemned Hath not the same God assisted you to doe many glorious works whereby his name hath beene honoured his people unspeakably benefitted How hath the Lord kept you together untill this day notwithstanding the endeavours of all the Devills in hell and wicked men on earth to scatter you to divide you What a foundation hath the Lord laid of your continuance together till your work be done Surely it is for that hee hath yet some great things for you to doe If you which God forbid shall faint and out of by respects withdraw your selves from the service bee sure God without you will accomplish his work but tremble to think what will become of you and yours How would it bee a thing much to be bewailed that you Noble and brave spirited Patriots who have hitherto borne the heat of the day the brunt of the businesse so farre denied your selves as to runne the hazard of all that you are have or might expect should now by failing in your last act loose your crown forfeit your reward from God and man And now for you my Reverend and much Honoured Brethren in the common work of the Ministry Who can but blesse the Lord for that degree of his spirit no doubt it is the effect as of your own prayers in the day of your solemn humiliation so of many of the prayers of his people which hee hath showred down upon you Not only do your learned debates your exact and judicious Scripture-discussions your Scholasticall disputes the discovery many of you have made of your exact knowledge in Antiquity shew that God is among you as he that hath fitted you for the work but further your sweet amicable converse your following of the truth in love your differences in judgement carried on without alienation of affection doe not they all say that God is with you God forbid that either the Devill or wicked men should break asunder that sweet bond of Amity wherewith God hath lincked you in one Bee incouraged then dearely beloved in the Lord from one whom God was pleased though the unworthiest among you yet to make his mouth to you to goe on as carried along with a Spirit of indefatigable zeale in the pursuance of the work you are called unto Behold it is soule-work and that of neerest concernment that God hath put into your hands to bee transacted Is not your work a Counter-work to that great and long plotted designe whereby Popery should have been re-advanced Gods saving truth been suppressed his worship substantially corrupted and utterly destroyed Is it not a work of the largest extent as that which concernes all other Reformed Churches whose happinesse or misery will bee involved in ours Yea ages to come will either blesse or curse you as you shall follow or neglect the opportunity And now for my self be pleased to take notice that my strength and voice failing me by reason of my weaknesse I
have made bold to make a supply of that which at the time of the delivery I could not inlarge Further this being a fixed rule to me Inter concionandam emineat verâ—un Dei. That Gods Word should in preaching have the preeminence wonder not that I alledge Authors in such cases wherein the alâ—egation of them does not prejudice Scripture As first when an Historicall truth is to be made good for though the Scriptures do only determine Quid verum quid falsum What is true and what false yet for the information of our selves Quid novum quid antiquum we must have recourse to the writings of men Secondly if God himselfe when hee would shame men for their evils sends them to learne from the creatures 2 Ierem. 10.6 Prov. 6. 1 Cor. 1â— 14 why may not wee send men living in the dayes of light to learn of darker times Thirdly when being to reprove the evils of the time for removing of prejudice wee deliver our reproofes rather in the words of Antiquity than in our own Facilè patimur reprehensores qui remotiori feculo vixêre So the Papists did embrace many things in the writings of the fathers as Catholike which they condemned in Luther as Hereticall And now what remaines but that wee all humbly pray the God of all truth and peace who alone is able to facilitate all difficulties to direct and guide you Honourable Senatours to poure upon you that spirit of wisedome and courage that you may goe with a settled resolution never to give over till you have established truth and peace in our borders and the same God magnifie his power in our weaknesse and multiply the gifts of his Spirit upon us whom you have been pleased to call together to advise with in the great affaires of the Church that we may so discharge our duties that God may have glory and his people the good that they expect and pray for and your and all our enemies may have their faces covered with shame So prayes Your servant in the Lord Oliver Bowles A SERMON Preached before The Assembly of LORDS COMMONS AND DIVINES Vpon their Fast Iuly 7. 1643. JOHN 2.17 And his Disciples remembred that it was written The zeal of thy house hath eaten me up THe Prophet Malachi prophecying concerning the Lord Christ that he should in due time come to visit his Church sets him out as a Refiner as a Purifier of silver tells us that he should purifie in speciall the Sonnes of Levi purge them as gold and silver Malach. 3.3 that they might offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousnesse And as an accomplishment of this prophecy the same Lord Christ gives a Specimen in the story immediately preceding my Text by that heroicall fact of his in whipping the buyers and sellers out of the Temple an evill which the Priests for their gaine had somented I call it an heroicall fact for that it was done by a speciall spirit in its kinde not imitable by us The which act of the Lord Jesus being carried on with an eminent and remarkable zeale and magnanimity gave the Disciples an occasion of calling this to minde The zeale of thy house hath eaten me up Of which his zeale we have a remarkable discovery in these particulars 1. In the weaknesse of the meanes whereby he did both attempt and effect the work in that the persons but few in comparison and those despicable in the eyes of the world Christ and his Disciples not armed with any weapons that might carry dread and terrour with them at most but with a whip made of a few small cords which probably were scattered by the Drovers which came thither to sell their cattell and to some of them with his voice only Verse 16. he said to the money changers Take these things hence and it was done 2. In the strength that the opposite power did hold out which makes the encounter so much the more dangerous 〈◊〉 in â—ocâ—m As first a garrison of Souldiers in Arce Antonia ready at hand to appease as it is probable occasionall Tumults Secondly the temper of the mens spirits with whom the businesse was they were men set upon gaine the worlds god Thirdly the great confluence of the people it being the most solemne Mart of the Passeover Behold then the greatnesse of Christs zeale when neither the weaknesse of the meanes on the one side to effect it nor the greatnesse of the power on the other side to hinder it did at all dismay him or cause him to desist from this attempt of reforming that so apparent an abuse of the Temple the house of God Learne we hence that Observ It matters not how weak the meanes of Church-reformation is not how strong the opposite power is if we can but draw Christ into the businesse Heb. 5.2 Esay 30.21 Iohn 16.13 Ier. 15.20 Esa 26.12 if we can procure him to fit as President in the Assembly If he be there he will heale our ignorances hee will cleare up all our doubts he will guide us by the spirit of truth he will be as a wall of Brasse against all our adversaries he will work all our works for us I do ingenuously confesse that when we do consider and view the difficulty of the work of Church reformation and our weaknesse who are summoned to be advisers in the work it may amaze us but when we look upon the Lord Almighty the great Jehovah the Lion of the Tribe of Judah to whom nothing is too hard who hath broken through gates of Iron and Barres of Brasse which we could never have dreamed that they had been perviable this againe may raise up our spirits and give us hope that if we seek the Lord in his way he will certainly be found of us Zach. 4.6 It is all one to him whether by an Army and by power or by quickening the spirits of his raising them above themselves Verse 10. whether by a day of small things or by doing terrible things that wee looked not for Isai 64.3 hee bring about his Churches cause Zach. 4.7 It is nothing to him to make Mountaines plaine Who art thou O great Mountaine The Lord by the Prophet speaks in a holy scorne of all the enemies the Jewes had in rebuilding the Temple and City Wee accordingly by a grant from the Right Honourable the two Houses of Parliament with so many of them as have beene pleased to embody themselves with us are assembled this day to afflict our soules in Fasting and Prayer before the Lord that we may seek of him a right way in these great and important affaires to be treated on that he would give us such a frame of spirit such an assistance from on high such a cleare light as may raise us above our selves fit us for that work whereunto we have no sufficiency as from our selves â—â—ya 8.21 Thus did Ezra and the Jewes out of a conscience of their owne
his bold and daring for it cost him his life reproofe of Herod for his Herodias his turning of Mountaines into Valleys his making of rough wayes plaine doe all witnesse The want of zeale in the people in Iehosophats time 2 Chron. 20 33. they having not prepared their hearts to seek the God of their fathers kept up the high places 2 Chron. 29.36 30.1 but in Hezekiah's time the zeale of the people plucked them downe the work was done suddenly for the people were ready of such moment it is that where Church-reformation is in hand a spirit of zeale should run in the veines of the Reformers No such unbesceming evill as when the cause of God lies at stake for men to be cold lukewarme Neuters warping sometimes one way sometimes another In the further prosecution of this truth three particulars doe present themselves 1. Convincing reasons must be rendered why zeale must be present in Church-reformation 2. What influence zeale ought to have in Church-Reformers 3. How Zeale must bee qualified that it may be kept within its bounds zeale not confined is as wilde-fire For the first of these three Reasons doe offer themselves as arising from the nature of the work in respect of its 1. Excellency 2. Difficulty 3. The destructive nature of Church-evills if not reformed The excellency of the work I argue three wayes Reas 1 1. In that the work of Church-reformation is one of Gods speciall favours whereby the Lord would endeare his Church to him Esay 1.25 When after the Churches sad sufferings he would doe his people a speciall favour he tells them that he will purge away all her drosse Esay 54.11 12 13. and take away all her tinne So when the Lord would expresse himselfe in the greatest declarations of his love to his Church Ver. 13. Oh thou afflicted and tossed with tempest I will lay thy stones with faire colours thy foundations with Saphires c. God will set up his ordinances in a more glorious way all thy children shall be taught of the Lord. Accordingly in this latter age of the world what is the great work for which the Church blesses God with the song of Moses and the song of the Lambe is it not the victory over the beast his name mark c. all done by Church-reformation Rev. 15.3 4. Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty c. 2. The excellency of the work is argued jointly from the relations betwixt God and his Church and the office which Reformers do Cant. 4.12 The Church is Gods Garden which being planted with all variety of flowers is apt to be overgrowne with weeds that not only marre the beauty of it but eat out the good herbs Reformers their work is to weed the Lord his garden throw out all those noisome herbs which would have spoiled all the good ones Verse 13. The Church is the Lords Orchard wherein trees of all kindes both for fruit and and medicine grow upon the banks thereof The Master of that Orchard is impatient of any such trees that cumber the ground and after many yeares beare no fruit Reformers their work is to root out the plants that God never planted Hâ—â— 3.6 The Church is Gods house where he delights to dwell Reformers are to cast out all the durt drosse and garbage that was odious and irksome to the Master of the house they sweep downe all the cobwebs wherein the Spiders did build The Church is Gods Spouse Cant. 4.12 in whose beauty his soule delights that she should be deformed with strange attire ornaments borrowed from notorious strumpets the Lord cannot endure Reformers they strip her of all her harlotry attire take off all her Iezabel-like paintings and render her to Christ in her native simplicity The Church is the Lords Vineyard Cant 8.12 which he keeps and waters every moment Reformers their work is to take the Foxes that destroy the Vines How welcome should the feet of such be Cant. 2.15 and how should the precious nature of the work in relation to God draw out all our strength 3. That the excellency of the work may be yet further evidenced consider it in the objects whereabout it is conversant that is either Things or Persons Things are Doctrine Worship and Government Doctrine is a ray or beame of supernaturall truth issued out from God as a speciall favour to his people tending to informe them in right notions and apprehensions concerning God Christ our soules and the whole way of salvation This is called the word of life the wholesome word the word of salvation how usefull is this word 2 Pet. 2.1 since men do as surely perish by damnable heresies as by morall vices Doctrine is as the waters of the Sanctuary how great a sinne to puddle or poison these was it not capitall among the Romans to poison the common springs How noisome was that plague to the Egyptians to have all their waters whereof they should drink turned into blood was it not much more as the soule is more excellent then the body pestilentiall to have all the maine Articles of our Religion not that of Justification excepted to be all This Petit. with Râ—monstr exhibit in Parl. in Ian. 1640. or the most desperately corrupted as may be seene in the Ministers Remonstrance exhibited together with their Petition for Reformation The second particular whereabout Reformation is conversant is worship whereby God and we have communion one with another wee doe in a holy manner trade with God and hee with us This is as Iacobs ladder The Angels of God ascend and descend by it our prayers ascend Gods blessings descend The ordinances are those golden pipes by which the golden oyle empties it selfe into the hearts of Gods people They are the Churches breasts from whence her children suck nourishment They are the Churches barne and her Wine-presse They are on Christs part the kisses of his mouth the mutuall embraces betwixt God and the Christian Soule Dry up all the breasts in such a City as this how great will the cry of the Infants be This mischiefe by the putting down of Preaching and strange Innovations brought and urged upon us in our most solemn worship had in a great part seized upon us and will yet certainly prevaile if the Reformers doe not seasonably and strongly oppose The third particular is Church Discipline or Government all Societies and so the Church is upheld by ruling and being ruled This amongst other benefits it will yeeld That it will preserve the honour of Gods censures and ordinances that great censure of Excommunication which is no lesse then the delivery up of a man to Satan and next the day of judgement it is judicium maxime tremendum it shall no longer Lackey up and down for Duties and Fees as it hath done amonst us and as it did in the darkest times of Popery as Gerson complaines Gers lib de defectib
while we are consulting Errors may enter so deeply that they may prove incurable Nor yet let it be done negligently first for that it is the Lords work to the negligent doing whereof belongs a curse secondly Ier. 48.10 in that it is to us of neare concernment all our wealth goes in this bottom thirdly for that many eyes are upon us from abroad both of friends who will praise God for what we doe well and of foes who watch for our balting 2 Our second suit to you is that when the Lawes of Christ for the due administration of his ordinances shall be discovered you would be pleased to account it your greatest honour to submit to them Christs government is the only liberty thraldome to your lusts is the only true bondage If you honour God he will honour you It is his Gospel that hath clothed you with scarlet put ornaments of gold upon you put every pretious stone in your garments Be not jealous as if Christs Government would eclypse your greatnesse Christs rule and your honours are not incompatible the Lord Jesus tells us his Kingdom is not of this world he commands that Caesar have his right It is the style of the spirit of God that calls you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dignities with respect to which the Schoole allowes that outward Pomp which Magistracy is honoured with Reges Principes quos in reverentia à subditis haberi oportet pretiosioribus vestibus ornentur ampliores habitationes possidearâ—t Aqu. 1. 2â— qu. 102. and the same spirit mentions the pomp of Agrippa when hee came to sit in Judgement without dislike Acts 25.23 Secondly as it sets out the unspeakable good of a zealous Reformer and what a blessing such a one is so it points out to us what that is which of all other doth most unbeseeme a Reformer viz. the want of Zeale which will render such whom God hath called to this office most odious to him most abominable to men ages present will count themselves unfortunate in such ages to come will curse such the opportunities which God afforded them and which they for want of zeale have squandered away will rise up in judgement against them What might such have done if a spirit of zeal had eaten up their spirits they might have saved the Churches at home and abroad given Antichrist that blow that should have thrown him as a mill-stone into the middle of the sea delivered liberties lawes and inheritances to posterity saved City Countrey the lives of millions of men they might have finished the work they began all succeeding ages might have blessed God for them their owne works have praised them in the gate Now if zeale be wanting they will undoe all the Churches of Christ as much as in them lies they will uphold tottering Babylon destroy flourishing England deliver up their posterity to absolute slavery make themselves the monuments of shame and ignominy to all that know or shall heare of them Oh tell it not in Gath publish it not in the streets of Askelon c. Must it not needs be so when so necessary a correquisite as zeale is wanting for what is a Reformer without zeale but as a body without a soule a Bee without a sting a souldier without his weapon a Bird without wings salt without savour Oh then you Noble Senators who are under God the Chariots and Horse-men of our Israel what ever you part withall part not with your zeale let this be your honour and crown and as a diadem upon your head that yet you be zealous for your Religion your Countrey your Lawes and Liberties shall you but remit your former zeale a spirit of lukewarmnesse which God forbid seize upon you sell truth for peace you will live and die without honour and render your selves and us the most miserable Nation under heaven Vse 3 Let me addresse my selfe to you Right Reverend and beloved in the Lord. Behold the Lord hath by a providence of his singled us out among our Brethren for this great worke in hand Both you and we all are desirous this day to lay our selves low before the Lord importunately to intreat his assistance that he would be pleased to magnifie his power in our weakenesse Hee might have made choyce of many of our Brethren every way as able if not more able then our selves but so is his pleasure and we dare not but be at his dispose The Lord can worke as well by the Oaten Pipe as by the Silver Trumpet Be then exhorted by him who reckons himselfe the meanest of you all and who in respect of his many infirmities might well have been dispensed withall be I say exhorted to cloath your selves out of respect to the worke in hand with zeale as with a cloak to fall upon the businesse you are designed to toto animi impetu you are called out to contend for the truth that was once given to the Saints which hath beene sealed with the bloud of Martyrs hath beene justified by the learned pennes and disputes of all the Worthies of this Kingdome without interruption for above this 80. yeeres but of late by a cunning ambitious and corrupt party we had almost beene cheated of it even of that truth which ought to be dearer then our lives Blessed be our God who hath given a turne and made a stop of their proceedings whose worke was as to put out the eyes of the people of the land by Ignorance so to have leavened them with Heterodox Opinions and were we not indeed gone almost as farre as Rome gates in a declining way Our worke is a noble work it is servare depositum to be Feoffees in trust for that saving truth that patterne of wholsome words which hath been derived to us as from the pure sountaine of Scripture so also by the Channell of purer Antiquiâ—y comes with Letters of commendation from the sufferings of Gods choysest servants such they were whom the world was not worthy of I beseech you in the bowels of Jesus Christ we may quit our selves like men doe our utmost that we may vindicate the truth of God from all the aspersions of evill-minded men cleere it from those ambiguities wherewith ungodly men have perplexed it and doe such further worke in worship and discipline as shall by God and Man be required of us What would our Ancestours those glorious lights of former times have given to have had such a price put into their hands as we unworthy ones at this time have May we not justly think that what opportunity we have is but the effect of the fervent prayers the many teares and sad sufferings of our sage and Reverend Predecessors that are now with the Lord Are there not already upon us in this worke for which we are assembled the eyes of our Brethren of the Reformed Churches as expecting the issue of this businesse Nay is not the whole Nation in expectancy of what this meeting will produce
forenamed l Petr Blessensis Ep. 13. Author who lived in the twelfth century Hodie per fas nefas c. By right and wrong unhappy men who runne to the Pastorall Chaire and observe not that it is to them a Chaire of Pestilence As for the idlenesse of men in the ministry may we not justly take up the complaint of the Prophet They have eaten the fat Ezekiel 34.3 cloathed themselves with the wooll but they have not fed the Lord his flock May wee not say as sometime a Canon of Christ-Church in the beginning of Queen Elizabeth her raigne when men were backward in preaching spake by a prosopopeia to the Pulpit Oh good Pulpit how hast thou offended the Canons of Christ-Church if thou wert an ambling Palfrey they would ride on thee if a Table well furnish'd they would feed on thee if a bed of down they would sleep on thee if a goodly garment they would weare thee alas good Pulpit what hast thou done that none of them will preach in thee Might wee not well compare sundry of our Clergy-men to Lepidus in the Orator Tull 2. de Orat. who when he lay tumbling in the green grasse cryed out Vtinam hoc esset laborare I would this were to labour This is the humour of many of them who when they doe swagger haunt Taverns play the Epicures even then they say Vtinam hoc esses pascere gregem I would this were to feed the Lord his flock had not those need be men made all of zeale that shall encounter with men on whom not only these vices have deeply seized but they are armed with wit and parts to plead for themselves The third particular that puts a difficulty upon the work of this present Reformation above former Heretofore Reformers have had to deale with the grosse thick cloud of Popery the Duncery of the Monks and Fryars with such palpable corruptions as many of them were discernable by a common light But now the work lies with men many of whom retaine the same fundamentals with us are come out of Babylon in respect of the foggy part of it yet retaine many of the dregges of it which may in time prove pernicious and help to carry us back againe into Egypt These many of them are learned Gamaliels men renowned for worth and parts whom for my own part I love and honour but yet in such things wherein God hath hidden from them what hee hath revealed to others I say as once Augustine said of his friend Ille hoc non vidit ut aliquid amplius videret It is possible that the Lord hath revealed greater things to them given them a clearer light in many of the greatest mysteries of Religion Here is the zeale of Reformers that they refuse to swallow any thing that is unsound because it is offered as countenanced with Authority of men famous for their learning and esteeme in the Churches zeale knowes no respect of persons in doing her work The fourth particular that makes the work difficult is Demetrius and his whole traine that follow him who cry out Sirs you know that by this craft we have gotten our wealth I meane our Chancellors Commissaries Officials Registers Proctors and these what mighty piles of wealth what large and rich estates have they heaped together These have been as those canker-wormes and cater-pillers who have eaten up almost all the green things of the Land they have formerly pickt our purses scratched our faces vexed our spirits hurried us from Court to Court and all this hath been practised under a pretence of Reformation But what have they indeed done by all their specious visitations have they been any other to us then like the Juglers Feast who on a time invited his friends to a solemn Banquet whereunto they came in great expectation to have their bellies filled a Table was richly furnish'd with all variety of Cates they all set about it but when they put forth their hands they brought back nothing but aire rose and departed as hungry as they came so hath it been with us in our most solemne visitations Or may wee as m Gerson in Serm. habit in Conc. Rhemens Gerson did sometimes compare the Visitours of this kinde to the Cat which being by the good Housewife put in the Dairy-House to save the Cheese from the Mise and Ratts doth more harme then they all Yea where the greatest pretence of good was held out what have all our Visitors and Reformers done more then the Popes Cardinals whom hee sent out in Luthers time to blinde the world with a pretence of Reformation as they so ours may well be compared to the Foxes taile which raises the dust but carries none away The fifth difficulty is a potent Army of Nonresidents whose glory hath been a Polygamy of Benefices An evill which we may well wonder at that Gospel light being so farre advanced as it is learned and modest men should not bee ashamed of it when as the most learned Divines in the Councell of Trent did generally protest against it as appeares by their feverall Tractates n Earth Caranza Dom. Ã Soto Card. Cajetan Fran. Torrensis â—ac Naclantus vide Biblioth Colleg. Eman. vbi tractatus bi amnes in unum volumen compinguntur I might urge these men with variety of Scriptures with arguments of divers kinds but I referre the Reader to Caranza his Tractat. de non residentia who speaks so fully in this argument as if his book were translated into English he would be deemed a Puritan that wrote it I will only use one argument which I thus propound Every command of a duty does necessarily imply all the necessary wayes and means whereby the duty is to be effected else the Lord should contradict himselfe if hee should command a duty and dispence with that without which it cannot be performed But residence in or neare the place where the duty is to be done is evident by the light of nature Who ever made question whether the Porter to whom the care of opening and shutting the doore is committed should reside at the doore or whether he that governes the ship should sit at the Helme or whether Watchmen are not to attend upon the Tower over which they are set as Watchmen This is o Bellarm. in Ep. ad Nepot Bellarmin his owne argument which upon occasion he makes use of And whereas men are apt to plead the discharge of their duty ordinarily by another the unlawfulnesse thereof I thus evince 1. For that the Lord himselfe quarrels not only with such deputies as were uncircumcised in heart for that is but an aggravation but with deputies as deputies You have set others to take the charge of my Sanctuary Ezek. 44.8 and have not your selves kept the charge of my holy things So doe our Non-residents lay the Ark as Vzza and his fellowes did upon the Cart when they should have carried it on their shoulders
make men apprehensive of the greatnesse of Gods love in Christ must manifest the like affections in himselfe There * Sunt multi clamosi reprehensoâ—â—s qui in vitia declamitando vel potius fuâ—minando mirum zeli ardorem prae se serunt c. Calv in loc are many saith my Author clamorous Preachers who declaiming or rather thundering against other mens faults carry a great shew of zeal and in the meane while are very secure themselves as if they did onely per lusum exercere guttur latera sportingly exercise their Throats and Sides But a godly Pastor must weep himselfe that he may stirre up compassion in others and retain more sorrow in himselfe than he seekes to create in others Fiftly When we preach frequently taking all occasions to dispense the Word the Apostle calls it In season and out of season The peoples uncapablenesse their slownesse to beleeve their aptnesse to be carried away with the torrent of the times the many wayes whereby the Word may miscarry all these besides the important nature of the worke as tending to bring men from the power of Satan unto God from hell to heaven call for our redoubled pains How constant and assiduous are Merchants Mariners Husbandmen in their attendance on their earthly affairs which notwithstanding they ordinarily find as they left them should not we be much more industrious in Soul-work which we seldom or never return to it but we find it worse than we left it Of the Lords Watchmen it is said That they shall not hold their peace all the day nor all the night Es 62.6 of Christ it is said He was daily in the Temple teaching Lu. 21.37 of the Apostles That they were daily in the Temple and from house to house preaching the Gospel Act. 5.42 The diligence of the Ancients as a Chrys Hom. 3 in Gen. Hom. 10. in Gen. Hom 9. ad Pop. Antioch Chrysost b Basil Hexem Hom 2. ad finem Hom. 7. Iam advesperascit c. It seemes they preached in the afternoone Basil c Aug. in â—oon Tract 9. Hesternoenim die distulimus in hodiernum Whence it appeares he preached daily Vid. etiam Tractat. 16.21.22 alibi Augustin the custome of the Church whereof d Eusch de Praepar Evang. l. 8. c. 2. Vnus de senioribus legem recitat per totum diem septimum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as usque ad vespertinum crepusculum Eusebius reports ought to be as incitements unto us If e Hooper B. of Gloc. in acconfession of â—aith exhibited to K. Edw. 6. fifteene Masses in a day was not enough for the Popish Priests shall one Sermon suffice us said learned Hooper Therefore in the morning sow thy seed Eccles 11.6 and in the evening let not thy hand cease thou knowest not whether this or that shall prosper Sixthly We must preach gravely so as to preserve the honour of that God whose mouth wee are in preaching of that Christ whose person we represent 2 Cor. 5. of the high nature of the things we treat about Wee are to deale with men and that in the presence of God and his holy Angels about the recovery of them out of their damnable condition by nature in setting our of the infinite love of God in Christ with all the advantages that belong thereto the soules salvation or destruction to all eternity How ill doth any thing that is ludicrous tending to move laughter beseeme discourses of so high a nature All our care should bee to preserve the spirits of men in a serious temper wherein they are fittest to be wrought upon Omnis risus in Ecclesiâ est à diabolo All laughter in the Church is from the Devill saith Chrysostome Jocular Stories are from this ground to be banished from the Pulpit A Minister must be an example to the people in all gravity Tit. 2.8 this gravity must appeare as in our whole conversation so specially when we stand betwixt God and the people as his Embassadours And now having represented to you my Reverend Brethren the important and pressing nature of your work laid before you those generall duties by which you may be fitted and made successefull in the work set on those duties by quickning motives what remaines but that I commend you to God and the Word of his Grace who alone must enable you for it and without whom all is done will come to nothing And for you our Parliamentarie Worthies you are as things stand under God the breath of our nostrils the light of our eyes as a naile fastned as yet in a sure place if you goe on to doe the Lord's work with wisdome and courage God will certainely goe along with you if you refuse or withdraw your selves however our eyes shall be to the Lord but in the eye of man wee are but an undone Nation The God of heaven who hath his way in the Seas who alone fashions the hearts of the children of men raise and keep up your spirits cloath you with Zeale fit you for all encounters make way for you through all difficulties So shall our Religion our Lawes and Liberties be preserved to our selves and transmitted to posterity and we have cause to praise God for you so long as the Sunne and the Moone endureth FINIS