full of water and our eyes a fountayne of teares that we might weep day and night bewayle this our misery never ceasing keeping silence till our God haue mercy upon us But yet to search out more particularly the blame of our wounded liberties Albeit we be all inwrapped in the guiltines thereof yet some are deaper in the guiltines then others Who are these Some of us not contented with our standing in the Ministery haue clombe up to higher places both in Church and Common wealth then God hath called us unto through covetousnes seeking the profitts of this present and perishing life through ambition affecting the preferments therof and imparity in power and authority aboue their brethren who to winne to them preferment haue troubled the peace of Ierusalem and hurt the liberties thereof Yf any will say it is parity among Pastors in power and authority that is the mother of confusion the breaker of vnity surely this is an unjust slaÌ„der of parity For first it is the ordinaÌ„ce of God who is the author both of order and peace 1 Cor. 14.33 There was none of the Apostles in authority aboue another none of the Evangelists in authority aboue another none of the Pastors in authority aboue another none of the Elders in authority aboue another For they who keep one raÌ„cke are in equall power This practise hath the place of an ordinaÌ„ce Yea examine that place well Math. 20.25.26.27 and out of Christs speach to his Disciples upon the occasion of the sute of the sonnes of Zebedeus by consequent ye shall draw out an ordinaÌ„ce Secondly if any such thing fall out where parity is the fault is not to be layd upon the parity of power but upon the imparity of spirits which cannot satisfie theÌ„selues with the place and power that God hath giveÌ„ them Thirdly all these imputations may be layd justly upon imparity which is the mother of pridâ— that never can keep unity and peace Only through pryde doth a man make contention sayth Salomon Prov. 13.10 And if any will call to mynde the times passed wheÌ„ ever there hath benâ— any trouble or stirre in our Church they shall finde that the authors and instrumeÌ„ts of it were ever some who through covetousnes ambition the two banes of the church haue sought to themselues a preheminence among their brethren whose deedes and Epitaphes may be a terror to those who tread in their footesteppes And to strengthen the truth of this we will borrow help from the Evangelist Iohn 3. Ioh. 9.10 It appeares that there was a great stirre in that Church whereunto he writeth but who was the causer of it One Diotrephes saith he And what of him He loved to haue the preheminence among them And what did he He pratled among them with malitious wordes There is his slaunder What more He received not the brethren but â—orbad them that would and did thrust theÌ„â—ut of the Church There is his injury And it may be also he drew into the Church against order such as might be proppes to his pryde Then if this one Diotrephes had been removed out of that Church all thinges had passed in peace and quietnes therein Now if we were charged upon life and death and in conscieÌ„ce before the Lord according to the weakenes of our wit to giue a rule for the peace quietnes of our Church this it is Eyther take away Demas and Diotrephes from office in the Church or take froÌ„ them their evill humors of covetousnes and ambition or take away their honors the objects of great benefices and Bishopprickes and then if any be found who shall trouble their heads to hatch out an argument for the defense of so offensiue a state and if then peace shall not be within the walles of Ierusalem and prosperity within the palaces thereof we shall be content to beare the blame and burden whatsoever Agayne if any will say that all this may be mended by this one meane to make choyce of the most wise graue godly and zealous of the Ministery promote theÌ„ to those places which make greene and unsetled witts quickly forget themselues and so all things shall go well and be well governed Surely we will not be so uncharitable as to thinke that such men albeit they were lying at their feete would stoop downe to take them up they being clogged with so many inconvenieÌ„ces Agayne as Paul saith Evill wordes corrupt good manners so we say that evill courses will corrupt good men For as long as a Minister keepeth himselfe within the compasse of his calling in humility and holines serving the Lord his God he hath the gratious fruitfull blessing of his God attending on him and his labours But how soone soever he breakes the bounds thereof seaking the world and the profits and preferments thereof the fruitfull blessing departeth and the fearefull curse comes in the place thereof to worke vpon him and then we shall see that of all men of the earth such a Minister will become the most vayne worldly proud and ambitious And thus of all this which hath been spoken we see that there is no preservatiue for us but to staÌ„d fast in that liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free that we be not entangled agayne with the yoke of bondage Now to conclude this exercise seeing we are mett here to doe the worke of the Lord let us first remember and consider from whence we are fallen from what degree of loue and liberty that we may repent and doe the first workes and amend least the Lord our God come against us shortly and remoue our Candlesticke out of his place Agayne If there be any consolation in Christ if any comforte of loue if any fellowship of spirit if any compassion and mercy let us be like minded having the same loue being of one accord and of one iudgment that nothing be done through contention or vayneglory but in meeknes of minde every one seeking not that which is his owne but that which is Christs c. Thirdly let our heartes and eyes be sett upon the recompence of the reward that incorruptible crowne of glorie which the chiefe sheapheard Iesus shal bring with him in his hand in his glorious appearance to crowne them who shall persevere and be found faithfull to the end and not upon the reward that is in the hand of man which is in it selfe corruptible and oftimes corruptes the mindes of men and drawes them out of the right way Lastly let us so speak here and so doe here and so behaue our selues here as if we were upon our last bed making our last will ready to giue account not to man only but to the Lord our God himselfe both of the employment of our life and the using and keeping of this liberty wherby our redeemer Iesus Christ hath made us free To whom with the Father and spirit of grace be honor prayse and glory for ever and ever Amen FINIS
of bondage Fourthly the Apostle telleth vs that there is no keeping nor continuyng in this liberty unles we stand fast setled our affections fastened thereon this is the principall meanes whereby we may keep this liberty For ofteÌ„ tymes as the word importeth there wil be so many mighty adversaryes spirituall temporall so many strong temptations both of terrors and allurements drawing and dragging at this liberty to pull it from us that they will prevaile unles we with all the powers of our soules and all the strenght of our hearts renewed by the mighty force of the grace of the spirit of Iesus hold fast our hold It is the loose holding of this liberty that looseth it It is the fast and sure holding of it that is the great and principall preserver thereof He that standeth in this liberty staggering or holding any one foote up ready to step out of it if occasion doe present either perill or preferment and profit he I say wil be easily beaten from this liberty But he who fixeth and fasteneth both his feet his minde and his heart theron wil abide the brunt and battery of the stroÌ„gest temptation and yet keep his standing Now to strengthen us to stand fast there are two thinges principally requyred Faith and Loue Faith wherby we should be perswaded of this liberty of all the sorts poynts bounds thereof as purchased by the bloud of Iesus registred in the word of God the want wherof or of that coÌ„venient measure thereof that is requisite for this assurance maketh us loose our staÌ„ding For the least teÌ„ptation that lighteth upon a man of an vnstable minde that is staggeriÌ„g wavering through doubt will drawe him away from this liberty If we begin once to doubt of our Discipline or Church-govermeÌ„t whether it be stablished by the sure warrant of the word or whether it be a thing alterable and indifferent and that another forme may be lawfully received and many now a dayes thinke so who would make their gayne by such a change then our stedfastnes is gone and we easily are drawne away by any occasions Agayne the unfayned loue to this liberty maketh our standing steedfast Loth would they be to turne from it or the least poynt thereof who loue it well But if loue be lacking or that convenient measure therof that is reasonable there wil be little or no standing to this liberty But what is the requisit measure of this loue To loue this liberty better then all outward or earthly thinges yea better then our life it selfe When we preferre these earthly thinges as profit or preferment c. in this world and giue to them first and chiefe place in our affections then we want this loue so loose our standing A man that loveth honor and commoditie better then this liberty to winne a poynt of this worldly profit or preferment will loose a poynt of this liberty yea two ere he will want it Demas of whom Paul saith Phil 2.4 that he was one of his fellow helpers in 2 Tim 4.10 he saith crying out by way of complaynt Demas hath forsaken me Well there then is a token of Demas his loose standing but what was the cause of it Paul addeth it and hath embraced this present world saith he A sensible signe he loved the world better theÌ„ his Ministery and this moved him to forsake the libertie of his spirituall calling when he saw the occasion of worldly profitt and preferment Surely if Demas heart be bent to imbrace the world loving it better then his Ministery it is meete he should even forsake Paul and betake him to the thing he loveth best rather theÌ„ to hold the Ministery with the one hand and grype the world with theother for these two grypes agree not well together the one looseth ever the other If any will alleadge that the earthly prerogatiues in a Minister get to him in his Ministery credit reverence and authority the Apostle 2. Cor. 10.4 answereth The weapons of our warfare are not carnall nor earthly whereby we purchase and gett hearts in faith and obedience to Iesus Christ in loue and reverence to our selues and our Ministery in him but spirituall and mightie in God to this effect They are grace fidelity sincerity godlines in a Minister which are the meanes of his advancement in the hearts of the faithfull I am perswaded that we carrie more credit and are better accounted of in the hearts of those that feare the Lord wheÌ„ we content our selues within the compasse of our calling with the styles of M George M. Iohn Pastor of such or such a place then when we borrow through ambition the titles of worldly honor and dignityes loving the style of my Lord Bishop better then to be called a faithfull and diligent Minister So we see how needfull it is that we should study to gett faith and growe in it whereby we may be perswaded in all the poynts of our liberty and calling and also to gett loue and growe in it whereby we may hold fast that neyther it be drawne from us nor we froÌ„ it but that we may stand fast in the liberty c And surely yf we should enter into a reckonyng of the reasons and causes that should moue us to stand it would requyre a longer time then is allowed to us Therefore we shall only bring out a few 1. This liberty in all the poynts of it is the purchase of the pretious bloud of Iesus It is deere bought the price is great the worth is great such things albeit earthly we use to keep well should not we then stand fast in this liberty 2. This liberty is the free gift of Christs liberall loue Now â—he gift useth to be liked and kept if it were but for the givers sake Should not â—e then stand fast in this liberty 3. The â—ight of this liberty is made and given vnto us in the sure charter of the word of God registred in the bookes of the Old and New Testament there caÌ„not be under the heavens a surer holding should we not theÌ„ stand fast in this liberty 4. Which toucheth principally the defensiue liberties we haue them approved and ratified by the fundamentall lawes of our Country should we not then stand fast in them 5. We haue ben many yeares in peaceable possession of them Now we know that the meanest society in the land wil be loth to loose the least poynt of their civill liberties having both right to theÌ„ and the same ratified by the Actes of Parliament possession of them yea they will admit no endeavour or attempt that may prejudice a circumstance of them much lesse the substance Should we not then stand fast in this liberty to the which we haue right from God registred in his word ratified by the lawes of the land so long by us peacably possessed 6. To these liberties all estates of the land King Counsell Nobility Pastors People haue sworne and
subscribed Sworne Looke the Confession of faith Wherby By the great name of the Lord our God Whereto To continue in obedience of the Doctrine and Discipline of this reformed Church and to defend the same How long All the dayes of our liues Vnder what payne Vnder the payne conteyned in the law and danger both of body and soule in the day of Gods fearefull iudgment How haue all sworne and subscribed Not secretly but solemnely agayne not ignorantly or rashly but saith the wordes after long and due examination being perswaded in coÌ„science through knowledge wrought by the holy spirit and not moved for worldly respects in a through resolution willingly beleeving confessing subscribing affirming before God and the whole world that it is the onely true religion pleasing God and bringing salvation to man and promising to mainteine it both in the Doctrine and Discipline So that if any will alledge that now they may alter because they see greater light surely it may well be greater livyng thou seest but greater light thou canst not see to make thee alter This is a strong reason to bynde the loosest heart and make stedfast the most waÌ„dring soule unles in the sight of God his Angels and the world we would be manifestly perjured make open Apostasy to the high blaspheming of that Gospell of grace which we preach and professe 7. And lastly we know not how long our God shal graÌ„t to vs the liberty of this present life If while we enjoye it we likewise keep fast this pretious liberty purchased to us by Christ and so long possessed of vs in peace the certeinly in weale in wo in life in death we shall find the fruit and comfort thereof But if we forsake this liberty and God come and cut of the liberty of this present life with what assurance shall we looke for the liberty of that better life Therefore let us stand fast in the liberty wherwith Christ hath made us free and not be entangled agayne with the yoke of bondage Now it may be that some wil be reasonyng within themselues after this manner What needes all this a-doe of this liberty the keeping of it and standing in it Wherein is it hurt And by whom I answer to the first If ye will compare the state of our Church as it was within these few yeares with that which now is the graces and faces of â—aithfull men zealous for the house of God their vnity and amity the order comelines of their meetings the coÌ„curreÌ„ce to the Lords worke which theÌ„ was with that which now we looke vpon with our eyes disorder confusioÌ„ division your question wil easily be resolved The time hath been wheÌ„ our Church liberties haue been as a defensed cittie or house but now doores and windowes are partly cast open partly broken up enemies entered so that the faithfull keepers wil be forced eyther to yeld or to suffer but to suffer is farr better for if either our liberties through craft be undermined or through reward be given out of our handes it is likely the Lord will never honor us with them agayne But if by violence they be throwne out of our hands then possesse we a good conscience in our Gods great mercy they shal be repossessed wheÌ„ he thinks time Was not the glorious liberty of Doctrine and Discipline exercised in this land sometime to it that which the Arke of God was to Israel the glory and prayse of it which now is departing there is none like Phinehas wife to mourne for it Was not Scotland albeit the meanest among many Nations yet renowned through the world because Christ in his Gospell of grace was so clearely borne out before our eyes in it And as Bethleem Ephrathah albeit litle among the thousands of Iuda yet renowned because Iesus was borne in it But now we are beating him downe putting him in baÌ„ds covering his face as though we were of purpose now to bury him agayne with the Iewes The Lord be mercifull to us I need not insist in these thinges which are more then evident whereof every one of us talketh privily albeit we speake noâ— much of them publikely I answer to the second question that is by whom our liberties are hurt As concerning our Soveraigne the Kings Majestie he promised at his departure out of this Country and protested as we heare at that meeting late at Liethâ—oe by his CoÌ„missioner that it was no way his highnes intention to alter our government or to hurt our liberties And to testifie our entier and sincere loue reverence and dutifull obedieÌ„ce to him we preach with Christ Math 22.21 Giue unto Caesar our christian Caesar that which is his and unto God those things which are his With Paul Rom 13.1 Let every soule be subiect unto the higher power which is of God and ordayned by him With Peter 1. Pet 2 17. Feare God honor the King We pray for him that his throne may be established with the Sunne and the Moone in his owne person and Royall ofspring till the Sonne of God sett downe his throne in the cloudes to judge the quicke the dead And we will giue to him more honor then Saule requyred of Samuel wheÌ„ he desired that he would but honor him before his people 1. Sam. 15.30 Not only wil we honor him before his people but also before the Lord in sincerity Well then let us search out this hurt among our selues The Lord hath appoynted us to be the lightes of the land holding out his light before this darkened generation to be the eyes for the body of his Church to guide her forward in the way of grace but we haue been in a great measure blinde and darknes our selues The Lord appoynted us to be the watchmen set on the walles of his Sion to see foresee blowe the trumpet and giue warning to his people in time of danger but we haue been blynde and haue not seene and as dombe doges who haue not barked The Lord appoynted us to be builders of his house the ground corner and headstone whereof is Iesus Christ but we haue been breakers downe of that which our worthy predicessors and we our selues haue builded up before and so haue made our selues transgressors saith the Apostle Paul Gal. 2.18 The Lord appoynted us to be the keepers and dressers of his vineyard but we by our sloath and silence haue suffered the hedges therof to be brokeÌ„ downe and many wylde grapes to growe therin The Lord appoynted us to be the sheephards of his flocke to feed them lead them out to the greene pastures of his word and Sacraments but we in a great measure haue been idle sheepheards feading our selues and forgetting the flocke which Christ hath purchased with his pretious bloud Here is the cause of our wounded hurt liberties This we confesse in the sight of God and his Angels for this we cry God mercy for Christs sake O that our heads were