commands a Blessing even Life for evermore To conclude this Postscript I do once again pray and beseech you for the Lord Jesus's sake who is verily and indeed the true Prince of Peace and the Covenant that he sealed with his precious Blood for the present Comfort and Eternal Happiness of the Sons and Daughters of Men is a Covenant of Peace that ye will return to the high way of Salvation again and be as heretofore good Examples to those that have not yet attain'd to those large Meásures of Knowledge and Practice as you had before ye left us you have given us a grievous wound by leaving us and ye may give us an healing Plaister by your return to us again What a joyful sight would it be to the choicest Members of our Church to see you take your own Places and possesses your own Seats again Do ye not yet know that Satan's Master-piece of Malice whereby he endeavours to work Mischief to the Church of God is to sow the Tare-seed of Divisions amongst them For if he can but start a question from the unstable Heart of any one of them that may beget a doubtful Disputation amongst them he hath his ends and tho' it may seem to increase Knowledge yet if it will but make the least rent he hath as much as he looks for he knows that there will be some Standers-by that will blow at the Coal Nothing can harm the Church of Christ but the Divisions of her own Children to avoid which a true Believer will deny himself and be silent in many things of Circumstance rather than he will maintain a dispute that may in the least be prejudicial to the Church's Peace Abraham had cause enough to have held a dispute with Lot when their Herdsmen fell out about what I know not and doubtless might have had the better of it but he will not he had rather be silent and so quench the Coals of Strife than to encrease the Flame by contention he wisely foresaw the Mischief that was likely to follow the Strife and Contention that was begun betwixt them so that he presently endeavours to put out the Fire before it was too much kindled by refusing to contend at all Let there be no Strife I pray thee saith he to Lot betwixt me and thee and betwixt my Herdsmen and thy Herdsmen for we be Brethren All true Believers are the Children of faithful Abraham and therefore I could wish with all my Heart that these Words were written in Characters of Gold upon the fleshly Tables of the Hearts of all the Servants of Christ whom the Doctrin of the Gospel hath united by Articles of a true Faith how sweet would Peace and how bitter would Divisions be to them It is a remarkable thing and worth our notice that all the Miseries that the subtle Serpent hath brought upon all Mankind had its Rise and Beginning from a doubtful Disputation betwixt himself and our first Parents and thus he began with a soft smooth oily Language yea hath God said Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden And the Woman said unto the Serpent we may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden God hath said ye shall not eat of it neither shall ye touch it lest ye die And the serpent said unto the woman ye shall not surely die For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof then your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as gods knowing good and evil as if the Serpent had said you talk of dying if ye eat why surely ye shall not die God hath kept that Secret from you which I will reveal to you I am an Angel of Light I came down from Heaven and therefore must needs know the Mind and Will of God better than you do Ye say that if ye eat of the Tree in the midst of the Garden you shall die but I tell you that God knows that in the very day ye eat thereof your Eyes shall be opened your Understanding's enlightned your Knowledge increased and ye shall be as Gods perfectly knowing Good and Evil. Will ye then be limited by a Law when ye may have perfect Freedom Will ye be tied to the Observation of an Ordinance when ye may live above all Ordinances will ye be such Enemies to your own Good Will ye stand so much in your own Light Will ye continue blind when ye may have your Eyes open'd 'T is but stepping a little beyond the bounds of your usual walk and ye shall enjoy such unspeakable Priviledges which God never yet discover'd to you In this doubtful Disputation did the Dragon that old Serpent which is call'd the Devil and Satan lay the foundation of the mystery of Iniquity which we may plainly perceive was not wrought by a temptation to Carnal Infirmities but by a crafty Delusion to Spiritual Wickedness and if you will but consult the sacred Scriptures as Christ hath commanded Joh. 5. 39. and take diligent notice of the things ye read ye will easily perceive that Spiritual Wickedness hath had the greatest share in those Sins that have provoked the Lord to pour forth the Vials of his Wrath upon his Church and People in all Ages of the World And being assured by so sacred a Testimony as the Word of God is that the Divisions of a Kingdom do portend its Desolation let us follow those things that make for Peace and let us take the advice which the Apostle St. Paul gives us Ephes 4. 30 31 32. Grieve not the holy spirit of God whereby ye are sealed to the day of redemption Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice And be kind one to another tender-hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you And now once more I pray and beseech you that if ye have any bowels of Pity or Compassion upon your native Country if ye do not desire to see the Kingdom wherein ye were born to be made an Akeldama or Field of Blood If ye do not desire to see your Relations and Neighbours wallow in their Blood and sheathing their Swords in each others Breasts that ye will return in time from the causes of it Do ye think it will be a pleasant sight to see a Company of Bloody Soldiers â—orcibly entriâ—g your Houses with drawn Swords in their Hands with Fire in their Eyes Death in their Looks their Mouths full of cursed Oaths and devillish Execrations will the noise and lamentable screeches and outcries of your Wives and Children be pleasing to you when ye shall see them kickt and beaten like Dogs in your presence and otherwise barbarously us'd before your Eyes your Houses plunder'd and spoil'd of their best Furniture your Chambers and Chests broken up and emptied of your choicest Treasures Can it be any pleasure
to Posterity that no Man hereafter shall dare to think other wise of thy Majesty then becometh him and my Ministry shall be approved to proceed from thy Direction But if those Crimes be truly urged which are Inforced against me then let the Curses Return and light on my own Head and let those whom I have Cursed live in safety and thus exacting a Punishment from those that disturb thy People keep the rest of the Multitude in Peace Concord and Observation of thy Commandments secure and void of that Punishment which is due unto wicked Men for that it is contrary to thy Justice that the Innocent Multitude of the Israelites should answer their misdeeds and suffer their Punishments Whilest he spake these Words and intermixed them with Tears the Earth instantly trembled and shaking began to remove after such a manner as when by the Violence of the Wind a great Billow of the Sea floteth and Waltereth hereat were all the People amazed but after that a horrible and shattering noise was made about their Tents and the Earth opened and swallowed them up both them and all that which they esteemed dear which was after a manner so exterminated as nothing remained of theirs to be beheld where upon in a Moment the Earth closed again and the vast gaping was fast shut so as there appeared not any sight of that which had happened Thus perished they all leaving behind them an example of Gods Power and Judgments And this Accident was the more miserable in that there was not any one of their Kinsfolk and Allies that had Compassion on them so that all the People whatsoever forgetting these things that were past did allow Gods Justice with Joyful Acclamations esteeming them unworthy to be bemoaned but to be beheld as the Plague and Perverters of the People After that Dathan with his Family was extinguished Moses Assembled all those that contended for the Priest-Hood committing again the Election of the Priest-Hood unto God that the Estate thereof should be Confirmed to him whose Sacrifice should be most acceptable in God's sight for which cause the Two Hundred and Fifty Men Assembled themselves who were both Honoured for the Vertue of their Ancesters and for their own Abilities far greater than theirs with those also stood Aaron and Chore and all of them Offered with their Censers before the Tabernacle with Perfumes such as they brought with them when so great a Fire shone as neither the like was ever kindled by Mans Hand nor usually breaketh from the Bowels of the burning Earth nor was ever quickned in the Woods in the Summer-time by a Southern Breeze But such a one as seemed to be kind in Heaven most brightsom and flaming By force and Power whereof those Two Hundred and Fifty Men together with Chore were so Consumed that there scarce appeared any Relicks of their Carcases only Aaron remained untouched to the end it might appear that this Fire came from Heaven These things thus brought to pass Moses intending to leave a perpetual Memory to Posterity of that Punishment to the end they should not be igorant of it Commanded Eleazer the Son of Aaron to Consecrate their Censers affixed to the Brazen Altar that by Reason of this Monument all Men might be terrified who think that the Divine Power can be Circumvented by Humane Policy THE BANNER OF Corah Dathan and Abiram Display'd and their SIN Discover'd In several SERMONS Preach'd at BRISTOLL Numbers xvi xxiii xxiv xxv xxvi And the Lord Spake unto Moses saying Speak unto the Congregation of Israel saying Get you up from about the Tabernacle of Corah Dathan and Abiram And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan and Abiram and the Elders of Israel followed him And he spake unto the Congregation saying Depart I pray you from the Tents of â—hese wicked Men and touch nothing of theirs least ye be Consumed in all their Sins ISrael was once Gods choicest Jewel snatch'd forth of the Fire of sore Affliction A People wonderfully Redeemed with a Mighty Hand and Stretched out Arm of Heavenly Power from cruel and bitter Bondage A People thorowly Taught and Instructed in the Sacred Oracles of God and purest of his ways A People fed with Bread from Heaven for Man did eat Angels Food A People that had God and Christ for their Guide and Conduct and Angels and the best of Men for their Guards and Governors A People that wanted no Mercy nor Blessing that either Heaven or Earth could aford And yet from amongst this People did such a Root of Bitterness spring up and such a deadly Sin a deadly Sin appear'd which did more highly provoke the Lord to Anger and more hotly kindle the Fire of his Jealousie and wrathfull Indignation than either the Sin of Sodom or the Wickedness of Egypt For when the Lord sent his Angels to destroy Sâ—â—om for their Sins of Pride and fulness of Bread Idleness and hard Heartedness to the Poor he meekly heard Abrahams Petition for them and patiently suffered him to Pray and Interceed for them as long a sin reason he could desire O Let not the Lord be Angery saith he and I will speak but this once Peradventure there shall be Ten that is Ten Righteous Persons found there and the Lord said I will not destâ—oy it for Ten sake Gen. 18. 32. And before he Executed his Judgments upon Egypt for their unjust Dealings and exercise of Cruelty upon this very self same People in my Text he treated with Pharaoh from day to day by Moses and Aaron with Signs and Wonders to try if he would soften his hard Heart towards them But for the Sin of these his lately and for a long time beloved People he was so deeply incensed against them that he hastily and suddenly commanded Moses and Aaron to separate themselves from them that he might Consume them in a Moment ver 21. The first thing then before I come to the Words of my Text must be to enquire what their Sin was that so we may the more readily and easily understand the Doctrine we are to learn from thence Their Sin and Wickedness under the cloak and colour of Holiness is drawn up in a brief Remonstrance in ver 3 in these Words They gathered themselves togather against Moses and against Aaron and said unto them ye take too much upon you seeing all the Congregation are Holy every one of them and the Lord is amongst them wherefore then lift ye up your selues above the Congregation of the Lord. In which bold Remonstrance of theirs there are four Articles which they xehibited in foro in open Court two directly against Moses and Aaron one pretendedly for God and the other point blank for themselves 1. In the First they draw up a charge against Moses and Aaron for exceeding the Bounds of their Commission Ye take too much upon you ye do more than you can justifie more than ye have Warrant from God to do This Lordliness of yours is not
Jure Divino we know our Duty to God without your Lordly teaching of us Hence it was that Moses told them ver 28. Hereby shall ye know that the Lord hath sent me to do all these Works for I have not done them of my own Mind 2. The second Article contains a Plea for their own Holiness to Justifie the Innocency of their Enterprize and to let all Israel know that their Proceedings were from Religious Principles that Religion is the Center of all that they go about to compass seeing all the Congregation are Holy they will not allow one prophane Person to be amongst them If we were a wicked and prophane People ye might have some colour 3. In the third Article they take God to witness thâ—t â—heir Intents were Just and Honest that they thought nor meant any Harm nor Evil to any one and avouch God to be the Primum Mobile of their Intents and Purposes as if they had said Be it known unto you Moses and Aaron and let all Israel take notice that what we do proceeds not from our selves we are moved of God to do it and that it is a Revelation of the Mind and Will of God the Lord is amongst us 4. The fourth Article contains a seemingly Rational Argument for the Confirmation of the former three Wherefore then mark that word Wherefore then lift ye up your selves above the Congregation of the Lord Are not we the Congregation and People of the Lord Are not we the only holy People of an holy God Have not we the presence of the Almighty God amongst us What Reason have you then to lift up your selves above us Can ye teach us better than the Lord who is in us for so one Latin Translation reads the Text Omnis multitudo Sunctorum est et in ipsis est Dominus the People are all Holy and the Lord is in them Why do ye then go about to prescribe us a way or tye us up to a Form of Worshiping God This was the substance of their Charge against their faithful Rulers Their Prolocutors were Corah a self-wil'd Levite and Dathan and Abiram two unstable Reubenites accompany'd with the Aid and Assistance of 250 Chieftains the boldest and and most confident that they could pick or chuse in the Warlike Camp of Israel Now who could presently think or immagin that under these Words we are all Holy and the Lord is amongst us there should lie so great a Sin as to provoke a Gracious and Merciful God to destroy miraculously those very People whom not many Years before he had miraculously deliver'd from Opression and Slavery Who would have thought that this outside clean Cup and Platter had been inwardly filled with Ravening and Wickedness That those white Painted Sepulchres had been full of dead Mens Bones and Rottenness Who would have imagined that these Mens Principles would have digged so many Graves for the Israelites Carcases as afterwards they did That such Confusions and Disorders would have followed the Heels of these Men professing extraordinary Holyness and Righteousness Our work then at this time will be to get the true and real Knowledge of these Mens Sin that knowing it we may the more resolvedly derest and abhor it and thence shun and avoid them And this way we must go to work even to enquire of the Oracles of God what they were in a three-fold respect 1. What they were in their Generation and Tribe 2. In their Qualifications or Parts 3. In their Estimation or Credit and that 1. With God 2. With the People 1. For their Generation or Tribe we read that they were of the two Tribes of Reuben and Levi as the first ver of the chap. plainly shews in these words Now Corah the Son of Izhar the Son of Kohah the Son of Levi and Dathan and Abiram the Sons of Eliab and On the Son of Peleth Sons of Reuben took Men. Of which two Tribes these two things are Recorded that they were Unstable and Self-will'd and by no worse a Man than their own Father And this upon his Death-bed too two infamous Blots in both their Escutcheons the Records are written in Gen. 49. the Blot upon Reubens Escutcheon at ver 3. Reuben thou art my First-born my Might and the beginning of my Strength the excellency of Dignity and the excellency of Power Unstable as Water a foul Blot in a fair Escutcheon The Blot in Levi's Escutcheon at ver 5 6. Simeon and Levi are Brethren Instruments of Cruelty are in their Habitations O my Soul come not thou into their Secret unto their Assembly mine Honor be not thou united For in their Anger they Slew a Man and in their Self-will they digged down a Wall In their Self-will there is the Blot in Levi's Escutcheon Now if we joyn the Blots in both their Escutcheons together and compare them with these Mens Words and Actions in my Text we may safely conclude the truth of that Proverb Naturae sequitur Semina quisque suae And take this for a Maxim in Divinity That Instability of Heart to walk with God in his antient ways and Self-will'dness of Spirit to prefer a private Error in Judgment before the publick Peace and welfare of the Church Is the grand Anvil upon which the Devil hath forged all his Machination of Heresy and Scisme to the Continual disturbance of the Church in all Ages of the World 2. In the next place we will consider them in their Qualifications and Endowments and this to 1. Negatively 2. Possitively 1. Negatively they were not the Ignorant sort altho Thousands of those were seduced by their Leaders nor yet of the lowest basest and meanest among them altho Thousands of these were ready to Aid and Assist them in their Enterprize nor were they openly Prophane or Debauch'd Persons altho' such had there been any such in Israel would easily have become Sticklers to these Mens Principles 2. But Possitively for their Qualifications they were Men of excellent Gifts and Parts for there were many Levites amongst them and many of good Rank and Quality Reubenites of the Tribe of Jacobs First-born and without all Peradventure Stout Men of their Hands too if need required And this is clear from what is Recorded in ver 2. And they i.e. Corah and his Confederates rose up before Moses with certain of the Children of Israel Two Hundred and Fifty Princes of the Assembly famous in the Congregation Men of Renown The Fame of these Men spread far and near throughout all Israel sparkling in the Firmament of the Church like blazing Stars talkt of in every Tent especially of these Two Tribes Thus did their Renown ring in the Ears of unsteadfast and backsliding Israel Famous and Renowned they were for what Not for any open or vissible Sin or Wickedness for the Iniquity of these Men was a Misterious Riddle to many honest Hearted Israelites Latet anguis in Herba The green Herbs of their admirable Knowledge and seeming Holiness did so
flourish and spread it self in the sight of all the Redeemed Tribes of Israel that they could not see nor perceive the Serpent at the Root Israel was Gods chosen People above all Nations upon the face of the Earth and these Men the choisest of all Israel Psal 78. 31. Having now considered them in their Generations and Qualifications it remains that we consider them in their Estimation in what Esteem they were both with God and the People And 1. That they were once in high Esteem with God Moses himself acknowledgeth it in ver 8 9. And Moses said unto Corah Hear I pray you ye Sons of Levi Seemeth it a small thing to you that the God of Israel hath separated you from all Israel to bring you near to himself to do the Service of the Tabernacle and to stand before the Congregation to Minister unto them And that they werein great Credit and Esteem with the People we have their own words for it in ver 41. But on the Morrow all the Congregation of Israel Murmured against Moses and against Aaron Saying ye have Killed the People of the Lord. How strong were the delusions of these Men When notwithstanding the visible and unheard of Judgments which the Lord Plagued them with In causing the Earth to open her Mouth and swallow up some of them and Fire from Heaven to consume the rest Yet on the Morrow whilest these things were fresh in their sight and memory they could tell Moses and Aaroâ— with murmuring Words that they were guilty of Murder in the the Death of these Men Ye have Killed the People of the Lord. Ye have not only lifted up you selves and made your selves Lords over Gods Heritage but Treacherously and Cruely Murdered the Saints and People of God Thus did they by way of Recrimination charge the Meekest and Faithfullest Man upon the face of the Earth with the Guilt of the greatest Wickedness that could possibly be Committed And doubtless had they had an Armed Power answerable to their Envious and Arrogant Hearts they would have Erected a Sanedrim of their own and Arraigned him as Guilty of the Death of all the Israelites that dyed for their Wickedness in the Wilderness since the Day that they came up out of the Land of Egypt till then Just so the worst of Hellish Villanes except Judas and Julian the Apostates Araigned the best of Kings Jesus Christ excepted King Charles the First I mean as Guilty of all that Blood that had been shed in the three Kingdoms of England Ireland and Scotland in the time of those unnatural and Bloody Wars continued for so many dreadful Years of that Pious Prince's Raign And here I could willingly make a Digression from my matter in hand by saying That I could wish that my Head were Waters and mine Eyes Fountains of Tears that I might Weep Day and Night not only for the Sins of mine own unstable Heart but for the ensuing Miseries which without speedy and unfeigned Repentance will certainly fall upon the Church of God in these Kingdoms the Lord hath shak'd his Rod at us for several Years past nor hath he yet laid it aside for the noise of it is still in our Ears and we seem to take little or no notice of it as if we did either stop our Ears at it and so refuse to hear it or by a careless slighting of it make a puff at it or were wholly void of Sence and Reason not to understand the meaning of it like those whom the Prophet Isaiah exclaim'd against chap. 1. ver 3. The Ox knoweth his owner and the Ass his Masters Crib but Israel doth not know my People doth not consider I must confess it is very sad to think that when God condescends to speak to poor Mortal Creatures in so many different ways as he hath done to the People of these Kingdoms and so few of us understand his meaning in any of them That we should be so destitute of Evangelical Wisdom that we should neither Hear nor See nor Tast nor Feel God in the various Dispensations of his Providences but continue in a senceless stupid dull frame of Spirit as if we resolved to walk contrary to his Providences be they what they will But least a larger Digression should divert your Thoughts from the Subject I am discoursing of I will immediately return to them where I left them and shew you more of their Sin and Wickedness for so strangly and so strongly were these Israelites ensnared and bound with the Cords and Chains of this spiritual Delusion and so cheated by the seeming Holyness of these eminent and famous Men that they adventur'd to Canonize them for Saints after they were dead altho' they died Impenitent Rebels And a probable Reason why they had such an esteem for them after they were dead was either because the Two Hundred and Fifty Men Confederates with Corah Justified their doings to the Face of Moses in the Tabernacle of the Lord and in the presence of God and died with Censors in their Hands and Incense burning thereon Or else it was because they intended to play over again the same Game that their Brethren had lost and so prove a second Brood of Religious Rebels That this is more then probable the words in ver 42. do plainly demonstrate for do but mark the Words And it came to pass when the Congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaroâ— that they looked toward the Tabereacle of the Congregation and behold the Cloud covered it and the Glory of the Lord appeared Hence it is very evident that these Chips of the old Block were resolved to revive the good old Cause of their deceased Friends and had not the Lord again Graciously preserved his Church this last Seditious Commotion might have been worie than the former For Corah and his Company did but charge Moses and Aaron with the Sin of self-promotion But these Off-spring of theirs charge them with the shedding of Innocent Blood even the Blood of the People of the Lord and so might pretend that God had put into their Hand the Sword of Vengeance for Innocent Blood These things being well weighed and considered without doubt this was the Root and Rise of their Sin The high conceit which they had of their own Knowledge and Holyness together with the Applause and Estimation which they had with the People had so lifted them up with Pride that they thought themselves so full of Knowledge and so Holy and in both so perfect that their Consciences would not suffer them to live any longer in obedience to a written Law that is to such a Law or to such Rules and Orders as should be delivered to them by any other hand then their own And this is clear if we consider the time of their publick discovering of it and we shall find that it was immediately upon Moses's pressing them to a strickt Observation of an harmless Ceremony for Decency and Order to
be placed upon the border of their Vestments The Form of it and the Orders of God for it is written in the 4 last ver of the foregoing chap. the words are these And the Lord Spake unto Moses saying Speak unto the Children of Israel and bid them that they make them Fringes in the Borders of their Garments throughout their Generations and that they put upon the Fringe of the Borders a Ribband of blue And it shall be unto â—ou for a Fringe that ye may look upon it and remâ—mber all the Commandments of the Lord and do them And that ye seek not after your own Heart and your own Eyes after which you use to go a Whoring That ye may remember and do all my Commandments and be Holy unto your God I am the Lord your God which brought you out of the Land of Egypt to be your God I am the Lord your God Which Command was no sooner delivered by Moses but presently Corah and his Confederates stood up and told him to his Face That he took too much upon him to order them what to do These things have at last brought me through a Wilderness of troubled thoughts home to my Text which contains four parts 1. A Message from God to Israel by Moses and Aaron ver 23. 24. 2. The Message it self which was both short and smart and we may observe that as these Mens Remonstrance was short and bitter so Gods Answer to it in this Message is shorter and smarter Get you up from about the Tabernacle of Corah Dathan and Abiram 3. Moses the Messenger's Expedition to deliver it And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan and Abiram He that had an Ear always ready to hear had an Heart always ready to obey Iâ— God bid Moses rise he is ready to go if God bids him go he runs so the Psalmist I made hast and prolonged not the time to keep thy Commandments Psal 119. 60. And again I will run the way of thy Commandments when thou hast set my Heart at Liberty ver 32. 4. Moses's Love to and care for the rest whom he thought not past recovery delivering his Message to them in such a frame of Spirit as he thought most likely to prevail with them if any thing would in begging and intreating them Depart I pray you from the Tents of these wicked Men and touch nothing of theirs least ye be Consumed in all their Sins Now from these parts of the Text and from what hath been spoken as previous to it I shall deliver these six Propositions or Points of Doctrine 1. That it is dangerous and unsafe for Christians to Congregate themselves with such a People tho' never so full of Knowledge and seeming Holyness that do deny Conformity to such Laws and Ordinances as God hath delivered to them by the Hands of faithfull Governors 2. That God will reject and disown the Knowledge and Holiness of such a People 3. That the Sin of such Nonconformity doth exceedingly provoke the Lord to Anger and stir up the Fire of his Jealousie 4. That a People under such Delusions may think themselves Holy and Righteous and at the same time be most sinful and wicked 5. That it is no new thing for a Spirit of damnable Delusions to shelter it self under the Cloak and Masque of extraordinary Holiness 6. That it is the Part and Duty of all the Servants of God in their several and respective Places and Callings to use all Lawfull means and endeavours to stop the further breaking forth of such horrible Delusions and Destructive Principles Having delivered these six Propositions I shall return to prosecute the first Which whilst I am doing I humbly pray you to hear me without Prejudice for the Lord who knoweth the Secrets of all Hearts knows that I have none against the Persons of any of the Sons of Men for I Believe that Christ dy'd as well for them as for my self and therefore I cannot hate them And the Method I shall Observe will be this 1. I offer to your Consideration the Reasons why I Judge it dangerous and unsafe to Congregate with such a People 2. I shall give you a Prospect of the preposterous and unlucky Dispositions of these Mens Spirits under this new discovery of theirs Scisme I may call it 3. Give you a Taste of the harsh bitter and lamentable Effects which this new Doctrin of theirs brought forth in the Common-Wealth of Israel which when we have weighed in the Ballance of the Sanctuary we shall easily be perswaded to believe Solomon That there is no new Thing under the Sun 4. Shew you how the Just Holy and Righteous God took this Disturbance of the Church's Peace at their Hands and what a kind of Savour the Smoak of these Mens Incense did send up to Heaven 6. And Lastly Consider what the more then probable drift and design of these Men might be which they intended to carry on under this false â—eligious Cloak and I beseech you Christians that you will mark me warily whilest â—lav down my Reasons for Proof of my first Assertion that so ye may neither misaprehend me here nor misreport me abroad to my Prejudice aud Scandal of others The first Reason why it is dangerous so to Congregate is Reason 1. Because every particular Christian hath not the special Gift of the Holy-Ghost to discern Spirits Every Man and Woman in any true measure Professing Christ may have so much Knowledge and be so far enlightened as to be sencible of their Misery by reason of Sin committed in the State of Nature to know what Christ hath done for them in satisfying Gods Justice and remouing the Curse of the Law and Punishment due to such Sin To believe in him for Pardon of Sin to love and delight to do his Commandments And yet not have the special Gift of the Holy-Ghost to diseern Spirits The Apostle St. Paul in the 1. Cor. 12. 4. saith That there are diversities of Gifts but the same Spirit that gives them And then at ver 8. reckons them up in order thus For to one is given by the Spirit the Word of Wisdom to another the Word of Knowledge by the same Spirit To another Faith by the same Spirit to another the Gift of Healing by the same Spirit To another the Working of Miracles by the same Spirit to another Prophecy by the same Spirit to another the Discerning of Spirits to another divers kind of Tongues To another thâ— Interpretation of Tongues And then Concludes thus But all these worketh that one and the self-same Spirit dividing to every one severally as he will Knowing then that there are many lying Spirits and many false Christs many false Prophets and deceitfull Teachers gone forth into the World who ever have and ever will by their sly Insinuations endeavour to draw away Disciples aâ—ter them and seduce the Servants of Christ to leave and forsake the plain High-way of Salvation to go into the by-paths of
Hath the Lord indeed only spoken by Moses hath he not spoken also by us Here was Envy and Emulation at the Government intrusted by God in the Hands of Moses Disobedience would undoubtedly have followed the Leprosi of Original Sin dâ—d cleave so fast to their Loyns that altho' they were Saints upon Earth yet they were nâ—t quite free from stumbling upon the Threshould oâ— Original Corruption true Children oâ— Disobediâ—nt Parents Adam and Eve our first Parents would set up for themselves and be as Gods Miriam and Aaron will Rule and Govern as well as Moses Hath the Lord indeed say they spoken onely by Moses Hath he not spoken also by us No wonder Moses was not angry with his Brother and Sister for aspiring to share with him in a piece of Earthly Government when he knew that his own first Parents aspired to an Heavenly Throne by endeavouring to be as Gods Nay Aaron in another sinful Act of his outdid his Progenitors for they presumed to be but as Gods to know Good and Evil but Aaron presumed to make a God nay to make many Gods Make us Gods saith sinful Israel that may go before us Bring your Ear rings saith Aaron and I 'le make you some Original Sin like a Snow ball gathers by rolling from place to place The same Serpent that perswaded our first Parents to conceit themselves Gods hath prevailed with Aaron not to conceit himself to be one but take upon him the Employment of making a God and so to be greater than God For as he that makes a King is said to be greater then a King so he that makes a God may conceit himself greater than the God he hath made Oâ— the horrible Contagion and Infection of Original Sin which like a foul Leprosie hath spread it self into the whole Masse of Mankind And as thus the Leprosie of Original Sin had spread it self into the several Faculties of Miriams and Aarons Soul so the Lord Plagâ—ed Miriam with a soul Leprosie in several parts of her Body a Punishment suitable to her Sin If it should here be askt why Aaron guilty of the same Sin with his Sister Miriam was not Plagued with the same Punishment of Leprosie as she was according to the rule of Justice the same Sin the same Punishment I answer it is true the Lord might in Justice have smitten Aaron with the Plague of Leprosie as he did Miriam but he did not he spared Aaron and Punished Miriam and that for several good and weighty Reasons as I humbly conceive 1. That the Church and all the World may know that he hath two Hands as well as two Eyes the one to lay on the stroak of Justice and the other to extend Grace and Mercy that he is Mercy as well as Justice and Judgment as well as Mercy 2. That the Sons of Men may know that God is a free Agent and may do with his own what he pleaseth that he can have Mercy upon whom he will have Mercy and Punish others for the Iniquity of their Transgressions and leave them to the hardness of their own Hearts 3. The Sin was greater in Miriam then in Aaron Aaron might have a seeming colour for what he said having formerly been Moses's Speaker for God to Pharaoh but for Miriam to assume the Privilege of a Speaker was neither proper to her Sex nor ever an Office in the Church for a Woman to Execute I permit not a Woman saith St. Paul to Speak in the Church 4. Aarons Office might excuse him and speak something for him being by a special Decree and Ordinance of God Anointed with Holy Oyl High Priest to offer Sacrifice for the Sins of all Israel and no Leper was to Officiate in that calling nor stand at Gods Altar so that the Purity of his Office freed him from that foul and lothsom Punishment of the Plague of Leprosie God's Altar was nor a fit place for a Deformed Person to stand at to offer Sacrifices therefore for the Glory of his Name and the Holiness of his Altar he exempted the Sacrificer from the Punishment of so loathsom a Disease altho ' he went not Scot-free for for this and other failings he was debarr'd both of the sight and enterance into the Land of Canaan the Land of Promise 5. It might probable be that Aaron was not Principal but Accessary to this Sin for Miriam is first named in the Text Numb 12. And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Aethiopian Woman whom he had Married If she had not been Principal in the Sin it s very likely she had not been named first in the Inditement And it is very likely that the Quarrel began betwixt the two Sisters In-law Ziporah and Miriam about what I know not but be it what it will Miriam hath engaged her Brother Aaron in the Quarrel and both of them knew that Moses was so Just and so good a Man that if the matter on Ziporah's part were not a Breach of God's Sacred Law he was bound by the Sacred Tye of Marriage to Vindicate her against them both they resolve therefore to bring him in for a Party and make him Faulty for fuch a Choice and so begin a Quarrel with him who it may be knew nothing of their Discontents Dr. Hall late Bishop of Norwich that English Seneca that Painful Pious Prelate in his Contemplations on the Holy Story hath an excellent Passage upon this Place Lib. 6 Pag. 196. in Oct. Miriam and Aaron are in Mutiny against Moses Who is so Holy that Sins not What Sin is so unnatural that the best can avoid without God's preventing Grace Who can but grieve to see Aaron at the end of so many Sins Of late I saw him Carving the Molten Image and Consecrating an Altar to a False God now I see him seconding an uukind Mutiny against his Brother both find him Accessary neither Principal in the first Sin of Mankind the Servent who was Principal in it found no Mercy nor Grace Whereas Adam and his Wife who were but Accessarieâ— had upon their Repentance the offer of both and therefore 6. A fixth Râ—son â—hy Aaron escaped the Punishment inflicte upon Miriam was because oâ— his speedy Repentance for no sooner did he perceive the Leprosie upon Miriams Face he knew there was but one way to escape that or a greater punishment viz. a Conâ—ssion 〈◊〉 in and a speedy Repentance And therefore having offended his Brother Moses he first asketh him Forgiveness saying Alas my Lord lay not this Sin upon us wherein we have done Foolishly and wherein we have Sinned The universal Ant dote against all Gods Judgments is Unfeignâ—d and speedy Repentance Had Miriam Repented at the Word of the Lord to her as Aaron did at the Hand of the Lord upon hâ—r 't is very likly that she had eâ—caped the Leprosie as well as he for that God who is rich in Mercy to one is rich in Mercy to all that Unfeignedly call
upon him for it as Aaron here did but as for Miriam she neither Confest her Sin nor shew'd any Sorrow for it but stubb rnly persisted in it For notwithstanding God Arraigned her himself and sate himself as â—udge in Moses's Cause and ask'd her why she was not affraid to speak against his Servant Moses she made no Reply by an humble Plea for Mercy but stood as a sullen Mute and so God recorded her and left her to Judgment and departs from her in great Fury Num. 12. 9. 2. The second Infectious Disease is the Pestilence which prevails mightily by Infection killing Thousands in a short time So doth the Plague of Spiritual Delusions Infect and Destroy many Thousands of Souls in a very few Days And that these Mens Principles in my Text had the same Effect it was too apparent in their Punishment and one may read their Sin in their Punishment And that there was a Spiritual Plague fore broken and running upon these Mens Spirits It is evident by the Injunction which God laid upon the rest of the People to depart from them and not to come near them nor touch any thing of theirs least their Sin should Infect them and they perish with them in their Sins And so Infectioâ—s was it to many Thousands in Israel that it brake forth upon them on the Morrow and in a Congregated Assembly Murmured against Moses and told him he had Killed the People of the Lord. How nearly doth Heresie in the Soul resemble the Pestilence in the Body for as fast as that lothsom Disease cleaves to the Body so fast doth Heresie stick in the Soul and Heart of a Man For as it is a very difficult thing and almost Impossible for a Phisttian to heal the Plague of Pestilence in the Body So it is a very hard and difficult thing for the best Majestrate or the best Minister in the World to reclaim any Man or Woman from the Error of their way that have forsaken the Publick Service of God the High-way of Salvation and betook themselves to the By-paths of a Pestilential Conventicle one Year Hence it is that the Apostle St. Paul Exhorts Titus to Reject A Man that is an Heretick after the first and second Admonition And subjoyns this Reason Knowing that he that is such is subverted and Sinneth being Condemned of himself Titus 3. 10 11. Now you may happily ask what an Heretick is I Answer A Heretick is one that obstinately Defends and Maintains an Opinion contrary to the Faith Practice and Profession of the truely Antient Catholick and Apostolick Church But ye may happily say why doth the Apostle Exhort Titus to be so quick and brief in Admonishing such an one and upon a second Contempt imediately to reject him I Answer Answer Because they have refused the way of Truth and chosen and prâ—fer'd an Erronious Opinion be ore it and obstinately reâ—use to return again This assâ—ion iâ— verified by the Testimony of the Prophet Jeremâ— Chap. 6. ver 16. Thus saith the Lord Stand ye in the ways and see and ask for the old Paths where is the good way and walk therein and ye shall find Rest for your Souls This was the first Admonition the Prophet gave them aâ—ter their Revolt unto which they obstinately answered We will not walk therein The second word of Admonition is in ver 17 Also I set Watchmen over you saying Hearken to the sound of the Trumpet Unto which they made this stubbora Answer We will not Hearken Upon this their refusal after their second Admonition to return to the antient ways of God the Prophet proceeds in the name of the Lord to give Judgment upon them in ver 18. 19. Therefore hear ye Nations and know O Congrâ—gation what is among them Hear O Earth behold I wâ—ll bring Evil upon this People even the Fruit of their Thoughts because they have not hearkned unto my Words nor to my Law but rejected it Twice did those Men in my Text return a stubborn Anâ—wer to Moses that they would not return to their former Conformity but deâ—perately resolved to stick close to their former Remonstrance for when Moses sent for Dathan and Abiram the Sons of Eliab to come to him doubtless to perswade and advise with them to forbear the further Prosecution of their wicked Designs and to consider the manifold mischiefs that would unavoidably follow such wicked enterprizes as they were now begining to prosecute then they returned this resolute Answer We will not come up and aggravated it with this Expostulation Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a Land thâ—t floweth with Milk and Honey to kill us in the Wilderness except thou make thy self altogether a Prince over us ver 13. and then in ver 14. They follow their blow with a Moreover thou hast not brought us into a Land that floweth with Milk and Honey or given us Inheritance of Fields and Vineyards Wilt thou put out the Eyes of these Men We will not come up Upon this second Repulse of theirs to Moses's Admonition he utterly Rejects them and now will have no more to do with them but turns his Prayer directly against them And in the Indignation of his Spirit said unto the Lord Respect not thou their Offering And what the Effect of such a Prayer was like to be may be easily read in the Judgment that followed for the Earth opened her Mouth and swallowed them up with all that appertain'd to them and I wish with all my Heart that these Mens Principles had sunck into the Ground with them and never appear'd again upon the face of Earth but vae mihi 3. A third Infectious Disease in the Body of Man is the Cancer a sore fretting Disease very small in the beginning dangerous in growth and pernitious in the end Such is all Scismatical and false Doctrine in the beginning scarcely discern'd but by degrees it eats so far into the Soul that it destroys both Faith and Practice We have this confirm'd by the Apostle St. Paul in an Epistle of his to the chief Pastor of the Church of Ephesâ—s 2. Tim. 2. Cap. 16. 17. 18. ver But shun prophane Bablings for they will increase unto more Ungodliness And their Word will eat as doth a Canker of whom is Hymeneus and Philetus Who concerning the truth have erred saying That the Resurrection is past already and overthrow the Faith of some O Lord for thy Mercy sake save and deliver thy Church and People in the Kingdoms of England and Ireland and the Religion Established by Law therein from the fly insinuating creeping Soul-infectious Diseases of Sediton Privy Conspiracy and Rebellion false Doctrine Heresie and Scisme and work in us such a Reformation in all our Lives that our Conversations before God and Man may be such as may beautifie and adorn our most Holy Faith and demonstrate to the World that we are living Members of Christ's Body I have now finished my third
Rational Proof of the danger hazard and Jeapardy which unstable Souls incur by gladding from their Mothers House to enquire after strange Novelties and to exchange a good old Way for a deceitfull By-path and I have insisted the longer upon it out of Duty to my Mother the Church of England and the Testimony of a good Conscience towards my Brethren whose Feet yet stand fast in the High-way of Salvation to keep them steady and fast therein and out of Love aâ—d Pity to my Brethren and Friends that have made an unkind Separation from us if possible to recover them back again that they may be as formerly they have been Ornaments of Grace to our Assemblies and let them think of me what they 〈◊〉 I still retain an unfeigned Love and Respect for their Immortal and Pretious Souls â— Reason 4. Such Mens Principles do lead Souls into a state of Rebellion not only against Man but even against God himâ—elf aâ—d under pretence of taking faster hold oâ— Religion and getting nearer unto God do throw themselves into the Pit of Error and shake hands with their Allegiaâ—ce to their Lawfull Governors as these pretended Saints did for which the Lord himself gives them the Title and Epithite of â—ebell â—7 Chap. 10 ver And the Lord sâ—id unto Moses Bring Aarons Rod again before tâ—e Testimony to be kept for a token against the Rebells These were once a People conformable to the Word and Will of God walking in all the Laws and Ordinances of the Lord and thâ—n God called them his People and own'd them for his Church Testified by the word of the Lord to Moses Eâ—od 3. 7 8 9. And the Lord said I have surely seen the Affliction of my People which are in Egypt and have heard their or by reason of their Task masters for I know their Sorrows And I am come down to dâ—liver them out of the Hands of the Egyâ—tians Now therefore behold the cry of the Children of Israel is come unto me and I have seen the Oprâ—ssion werewith the Egyptians Oppress them Come now therefore and I will send thee unto Phâ—raoh that thou mayest bring forth my Peopâ—e the Children of Israel out of Egypt Hâ—re ye see he owns them for his People and calls them Children of Israel the Seed of Jacob his chosen And afterwards commends them for acknowledging his Rule and Government over them by the Hand and Word of Moses when they spake thus to him at the Foot of Mount Sinai Goye near say they and hear all that the Lord our God shall say and speak thou unto us all that the Lord our God shall Speake unto thee and we will â—ear it and do it And the Lord heard the Voice of your words saith Moses when â—e spake unto me and the Lord said unto me I have heard the Voice of the Words of the People which they have spoken â—nto thee they have well spoken Deut. 5. 27 28. Thrice besides this time had they made the like Protestation in Exo. 19. 2. They departed from Rephidim and were come to the Desart of Sinai and encamp'd before the Mount And Moses went up unto God and the Lord called unto him out of the Mountain saying Thus shalt thou say unto the House of Jacob and tell the Children of Israel Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians and how I bare you on Eagles Wings and brought you unto my self Now therefore if ye will Obey my Voice indeed and keep my Covenant then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all People for all the Earth is mine And ye shall be unto me a Kingdom of Priests and an holy Nation These are the words which thou shall speak unto the Children of Israel And Moses came and called for the Elders of the People and laid before their Faces all these words which the Lord commanded him And all the People answered together and said All that the Lord hath spoken that will we do and Moses returned the Words of the People unto the Lord. And at another time Exod. 24. 3. Moses came and told the People all the words of the Lords and all the Judgments and all the People answered with one Voice and said All the Words which the Lord hath said will we do And again at ver 7. Moses took the Book of the Covenant and Read in the Audience of the People and they said All that the Lord hath said will we do and be Obedient Now who would ever have thought that these Men after such Solemn Vows Promises and Protestations made in the hearing of God Angels and Men would so soon after as they did utterly renounce and deny them and wipe their Mouths with a clean Handkerchief of pretended Holyness as if they had never promised any such thing at all To day they promise to obey him in all things and in a short time after in an assaulting manner tell him to his Face That he took too much upon him to lift up himself above them to exercise Authority in Commanding them or shewing them their Duty and this so unexpectedly to Moses that with astonishment and wonder he fell upon his Face and admires that such formerly so good Subjects should now turn Rebells For he only is a Rebel which was a good Subject and afterwards Revolts from his obedience O that I could say that â—hat subtil insiâ—uating Beast that old â—erpeâ—t which is called the Devil aâ—d Satan had not in our Daies put into practice and acted upon the Stage oâ— the World the like nay worse things by many Degrees if worse may be against a Faithfull Pious Prudent Prince to his Subjects as ever Moses was to the People undâ—r him all Circumstances considered I mean King Charles I. of Blessed Memory For who would have believed Or who would have thought that those English Patrio's Seir-named the Long Parliament Legally Elected to sit there for the Service of God their King and Country after they had at the beginning of their Session taken the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacie and within a while aâ—ter form'd and took a Solemn Protestation explaining the sence and meaning of them both and in such a form of dreadfull Words which I would not here incert did Inot sear from many Symptoms apâ—arent that there are yet some Men alive sick of the same Disease and are still sitting to hatch the Cockatrice Egg the Fruit whereof may if God in Mercy prevent it not prove a fiery flying Serpent The Protestaâ—ion generally ordâ—red to be taken Die Mercu. 5 May 1641. I A. B Do in the Presence of Almighty God Promise Vow and Protest to maintain and defâ—nd as far as Lawfully I may with my Life Power and Estate the true Reformed Protestant Religion expressâ—d in the Doctrine of the Church of England against all Popery and Popish Innovations within this Realm co-trary to the same and according to the Duty of my Allegiance to His Majesties Royal Person Honor and Estate as
also the Power and Privileges of Parliament the Lawful Rights and Liberties of the Subject and eâ—ery Person that makes this Protestation in whatsoever he shall do in the Lawfull pursuance of the same And to my Power as far as Lawfully I may I will oppose and by all good ways and means endeavour to bring to Conaigne Punishment all such as shall either by Force Practice Councils Plots Conspiracies or otherwise do anythâ—ng to the contrary of any thing in this present Protestation contained And further that I shall in all Just and Honorable ways endeâ—vour to preseâ—ve the Union and Peace between the Kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland and neither for Fear Hope nor other Respect shall Relinquish this Promise Vow and Protestation Now what could be more said to Testifie and declare Loyalty and Allegiance then these Men did in this their Protestation and who ever performed less For in a short time after they violated every Branch of it and like mad Men tore it all to pieces so that in them was fulfilled the word of the Lord by the Prophet Hosea The Spiritual Man is mad Nay like worse than Bedlams who violate themselves no farther then their Garments and the Hair of their Heads but these Men stript not the Body only which are all the Kings Subjects the whole Common-wealth of their Garments of Justice Equity and Right Law and Property Reason and Religion but the Head of all its Hair that is the King of his Militia and proceeded yet further in their Madness as to tear their own Head the Head of their own King from their own Body the Body of the Common-wealth All which the Engine of Rebellion Compleated for so that Blessed Marâ—yr Stiles it and compares the creeping Insinuations of it to an Instrument with Screws which moves and Screws Men on 1 to question the Lawfull Commands of Superiors then 2 to dislike them 3 then to disobey them 4 then to resist them 5 after that to assault them 7 and at last to embrew their Hands in the Sacred Blood of their Prince Not much unlike to this Comparison of Rebellion to an Engine with Screws doth the Prophet Samuel compare Rebellion to Whitchcraft Now Whitchcraft is a deceitfull Cheat and hath these seven Devils Heads growing upon its Shoulders 1. To be that in appearance which in Substance it is not 2. To promise what it never performeth 3. To envy the happy Estate of others 4. To Bless and Curse with one Breath 5. To pretend that what it Acts is done by the Power of God and good Prayers 6. To please it self in doing Mischief 7. To be hardned with Impenitency Now what smart proficients these Men in my Text were in this Cursed Act their Life and Death plainly shew'd 1. They were Saints in their Words but in their Actions wicked Mâ—n 2. They promise that Obedience which they never performed 3. They envy the happiness of Moses and Aaron Psal 106. 16. They envyed Moses also in the Camp and Aaron the Saint of the Lord. 4. They call Moses their Lord to day and cry him down for an Usurpâ—r tomorrow Deliver their Sacrâ—fices into Aarâ—ns Hâ—nds today and wrest the Offiâ—e of a Sacrificer out of his Hands on the morrow Hâ—nce Moses charged thâ—m with this presumption ver 10 1. And seek ye the Priesthood also and for whâ—ch Cause both thouâ—and all thy Compaâ—y are gathered against the Lord. 5. That they pretendâ—d the Power of God amongst them it hath been already proved out oâ— their own Mouths ver 3. 6. That they did delight in Mischief their gathering the People together against the Rulers which God had placed oâ—er them was a clear Evidence 7. And that they dyed under the Charms of Spiritual Whitchcraft Impenitent Rebels the just Judgment of God did plainly shew Reaso 5. Such Mens Principles if hearkned to and followed will lead unstable Souls into a State of Reprobation And indeed there is little or no difference betwixt a Rebel and a Reprobate If ye call a Man a Rebel ye call him a Reprobate and if he be really the one he is certainly the other They are inseparable Companions for he only is a Reprobate that hath once known the Truth and in some measure profest it and at last withdraws his Affection from it and gives himself up to follow the Dictates of his own â—nstable Heart Here comes in Reprobation in its right place for he is not a Reprobate that dieth in the State of natural blindness and ignorance of God and his Ways but he that hath known both and revolts from them this Man is a right Reprobate Five times in the Sacred Scriptures is the word Reprobate mentioned and in every one of them the word bears the same Sence The Prophet Jeremiah is the first that mentions it Chap. 6. 30. he was a Prophet Ordained of God before he was born to be a Teacher to the Nations and Sanctified from his Mothers Womb to shew them the true and right way to eternal Happiness and therefore perfectly knew what Epithite to give to every one of them in their several Degrees and Stations and he hath given the unstable and Revolting Israelites the Epithite of Reprobate Chap. 6. 30. Reprobate Silver shall Men call them because the Lord hath rejected them The Latin Translation renders it thus Argentum reprobum vocantur illi quia Reprobat Jehova illos So that by the Latin Translation and our English Translation compared the Words Reprobate and Reject have one Signification And why did the Lord Reject and call them Reprobates Why verily the Prophet himself hath shew'd it unto us in such large Characters that he that runs may read it except he willfully shuts his Eyes and resolves not to see it it is set down in ver 16 17 18 19. Thus saith the Lord Stand ye in the ways and see and ask for the old Paths where is the good way and walk therein and ye shall find rest for your Souls but they said We will not walk therein Also I set Watchmen over you saying Hearken to the sound of the Trumpet but they said We will not hearken Therefore hear ye Nations and know O Congregation what is among them Hâ—ar O Earth behold I will bring Evil upon this People even the Fruit of their thoughts because they have not hearkned unto my Word nor to my Law but Rejected it From hence it is evident that by their first Revolting from their antient Paths and good old Ways which God had bounded out for them by the Ministry of his Word and Authority of those Watchmen or Overseers whom he had set over them and their Contumatious Refusal to return to them again they Reprobated themselves and so God Rejected them and calls them grievious Revolters walking with Slanderers out-faceing with brazen Impudency the Commands of their Governors ver 28. and at last Proclaims them by the Mouth of the Prophet Reprobate Silver shall Men call them because
the Lord hath rejected them 2. The second that mentions it is the Apostle St. Paul Romans 1. 28. God gave them over to a Reprobate Mind the Reason for it he gives in the former part of the ver in these words And even as they did not like to retain God in their Knowledge So God gave them over to a Reprobate mind The next place is likewise a Testimony of the same Author 2. Cor. 13. 5 Examin your selves whether ye be in the Faith prove your own selves know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates Now that many of this Church to whom he thus writes were Revolâ—ing from the Truth which they had formerly embraced and Scismatically going off from the Body of the Church of which by an outward Profession they had for a long time been Members its evident from several passages in both his Epistles to them 1. He calls them the Church of God at Corinth 1. Cor. 1. 2. 2. Thanks God for them that they were enriched with all Vtterance and Knowledge and that they came behind in no Gift 1. 1. 4 7. 3. Persuades them to unity of Judgment and avoiding of Divisions yea beseeches them in these Words 1. Cor. 1. 10. I Beseech you Brethren by the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ that is in the Name of our Anointed Saviour that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no Divisions among you but that ye be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same Judgment 4. Checks them for entertaining several Errors as the eating of Meat offered to Idols contrary to the Apostolical Decree at Jerusalem which he brought from thence in his own Person and delivered to them with his own Hands Chap. 8. 5. Reproves them for Praying in the Church with their Heads cover'd Chap. 11. 6. For Prophaning the Lords Supper by their undecent carriage at the Communion thereof Chap. II. 7. Sharply Rebukes them for denying the Resurrection of the Dead Chap. 15. All which Errors being directly contrary to their former Faith and Profession of the Gospel which they received and embraced at his first Preaching of the Gospel to them he earnestly exhorts them to a serious Examination of their present and former State and so to make a speedy return to their first love of the Truth from which they were now falling into a State of Reprobation The fourth place where the word Reprobate is mentioned is in Pauls second Epistle to Timothy 3. 8. 13 14 As Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses so do these also resist the Truth Men of corrupt minds Reprobate concerning the Faith But evil Men and Saducers shall wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and has been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them These Men whom he here calls Reprobates must needs have Relation to them whom he names in the first Chap. of his two Epistles to Timothy the first Bishop of the Church of Ephesus In the 1 Tim. 1. 20. He names Hymeneus and Alexander whom he there saith he had delivered up to Satan for making a Shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience ver 19. Now I am apt to think that this Hymeneus whom he mentions here is the same whom he mentions in his second Epistle Chap 2. ver 17. And their word will eat as doth a Canker of whom are Hymeneus and Philerus Who concerning the Truth have erred saying That the Resurrection is past already and overthrow the Faith of some That is throw them into a State of Reprobation Two others he names in 2 Tim. 1. 15. This thou knowest that all they which are in Asia are turned away from me that is are turned Reprobates and have forsaken their first love to the Truth of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes Hold fast the form of sound Words which thou hast heard of me ver 13. And I am apt to believe that the former mentioned Alexander is the same he bids Timothy beware of 2 Tim. 4. 14 15. Alexander the Copper-smith did me much evil the Lord Reward him according to his Works Of whom be thou aware also for he hath greatly withstood our Words There can be no greater Enemies to the Truth then those that once profest it and at last revolt from it I am further apt to think that this Alexander is the same that took Pauls part in the uproare at Ephesus against the Priests of Diana's Temple Acts 19. 33. And they drew Alexander out of the Multitude the Jews putting him forward And Alexander beckoned with his hand and would have made his defence unto the People But when they knew that he was a Jew all with one Voice about the space of two Hours cryed out Great is Diana of the Ephesians But whither it where the same or some other of that name he made himself a Reprobate to his Faith and Profession of the Gospel And thus much briefly to the fifth Reason to prove it dangerous and unsafe for Christians to Congregate themselves with any such People tho' never so full of Knowledge and seeming Holyness that do deny Conformity to such Laws and Ordinances which God hath given to them by the Hands of faithful Governours 2. I am come now to the second thing considered in the Explication and therein to shew you what some of the Preposterous and unlucky Dispositions of these Mens Spirits were under such spetious Pretences and first It did manifestly appear that they were of a proud Spirit Pride had overcome their Wits as we usually say of an haughty Person they were proud of their exâ—raordinary Gifts and parts by which they had gotten a Name amongst the discontented Israelites and a seditâ—oâ—s party amongst them I mean among that party of them that were so for many of them stood fast to God and his Servant Moses in observing the Rules of that Religion which contained a prescript Form of Laws and Ordinances cemented with harmless and inoffensive Ceremonies as ye have already heard and which they themselves once promised to observe and keep But now their spiritual Pride was such and their Minds so estranged from that their Promise and Profession that they dare tell him to his Face That he took too much upon him to lift up himself above them This one Fly of spiritual Pride had utterly mar'd their whole Box of Sacred Ointment manifest in their former Submission and Obedience and engaged the Lord to oppose them Had not spiritual Pride been the Root of their Sin the Lord had not set himself against them for the humble and poor in Spirit are his joy and Delight but the proud and haughty in Spirit are the Objects of his hatred and contempt The Princely Psalmist affirms it Psal 138. 6. Though the Lord be high yet hath he respect unto the lowly but the proud he knoweth afar off And another Scripture saith God resisteth the
proud but giveth Grace to the Humble James 4. 6. But the Apostle St. Peter is much larger in this point 1 Pet. 5. 5. Likewise ye Younger submit your selves unto the Elder yea all of you be subject one to another and be Clothed with Humility for God resisteth the proud and giveth Grace to the humble Both of these Apostles have their Quotation from Solomon who in the Original is larger then both Proverbs 3. 33. 34. 35. The Curse of the Lord is in the House of the Wicked But he blesseth the Habitation of the Just Surely he scorneth the Scorners but he giveth Grace unto the lowly The Wise shall inherite Glory but shame shall be the promotion of Fools Spiritual Pride tho'it be an horrible Sin yet it is very hard to be discerned The Apostle St. Paul was very near falling into this Sin and very likly he was for it as he Testifies himself 2 Cor. 12. 7. Least I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of Revelations there was given to me a Thorn in the Flesh the Messenger of Satan to buffet me The pricking Briers of Hunger Cold Nakedness Reproaches Necessities Distresses for Christ ver 9 10. O my Friends with Grief I speak it it was spiritual Pride that laid the Corner-Stone of England's late and Lamentable Miseries Acted by a Company of Pretended Saints who never left exalting themselves till they had trod upon the Crown and Dignity of the Lords Anointed and at that time with him the true Protestant Religion and all the Devout and Sincere Professors thereof and at last Murdered him at the Gates of his own Palace and trampled his Sacred Blood under their base and dirty Feet All this the Pride of their Spirit carried them forth to Enact against as sweetly qualified and as bravely an accomplished Prince as ever breathed upon the face of the of the Earth still I say Jesus Christ excepted Nor is it to be doubted but these spiritual proud Men in my Text had not God by a sudden overthrow prevented them would have served Moses and Aaron with the same Sauce having already drawn up a Charge against them as implacable Enemies to the Liberty they aimed at and Murdering so many of the People of the Lord. as they call'd themselves altho' they were Eye Witnesses that it was the immediate Hand of God that struck some of them Dead with Fire and that the Earth of her own accord opened her Mouth and swallowed up the rest O Lord for thy Mercies sake save us for the time to come from such evil proud Spirits And I beseech you my Brethren and Friends hear and receive King Solomon's advice Prov. 25. 21. My Son fear thou the Lord and the King and meddle not with them that are given to change for their Calamity shall rise suddenly For every one that is proud in Heart is an abomination to the Lord tho' hand joyn in hand he shall not go unpunished The Lord will destroy the House of the proud Prov. 16. And elsewhere he saith A Mans pride shall bring him low but honour shall uphold the humble in Spirit Prov. 29. 23. There is a Day of Account coming and it draws very near it is called The Day of the Lord of Hosts And the Prophet Isa saith That the Day of the Lord of Hosts shall be upon every one that is pròud and lofty and they shall be brought low And again in Chap. 28. 1. he crieth out against this Sin in denouncing a Woe against it saying Wo to the Crown of Pride the Crown of Pride shall be troden under Foot We cannot read of proud Persons in the Scripture but we shall read of their downfall 2. They were of a self-conceited Spirit they thought none better nor Holyer then themselves for if they would have given the preference to any they would surely have given it to Moses whom the Son of God thought worthy to keep him Company fourty Days and fourty Nights at one time And afterwards on the Mount at his Transfiguration Mat. 17. And this they knew full well as the Sacred Record assures us in Exo. 24. 1. 2. 3. And he said unto Moses come up unto the Lord thou and Aaron Nadab and Abihu ánd seventy of the Elders of Israel and Worship ye afar off And Moses alone shall come near the Lord but they shall not come nigh neither shall the People go up with him And Moses came and told the People all the Words of the Lord and all the Judgments and all the People answered with one Voice and said All the Words which the Lord hath said will we do It doth not appear that at this time there was one Dissenter or Nonconformist amongst them And yet within a little time after afew seditious Israelites whereof Corah was chief had so seduced the Church of God in Israel that if God had not appeared himself with a mighty Hand and stretched out Arm of Heavenly Power they would not only have denyed Moses the Supremacy over them but have brought his Neck to the Block or otherwise have ended his Days by some violent Death for they often spake of Stoning him Thus you see that for all their pretended Holyness they shut their Eyes and will not see nor open their Ears to Hearken to God nor the Rulers of his Church For Instance take the Word of God Num. 12. 5. And the Lord came down in the Pillar of the Cloud and stood in the Door of the Tabernacle and called Aaron and Miriam and they both came forth And he said Hear now my Words if there be a Prophet among you I the Lord will make my self known unto him in a Vision and will speak unto hìm in a Dream My Servant Moses is not so who ìs Faithful in all my House With him wîll I speak Mouth to Mouth even apparently and not in dark Speeches and the Similitude of the Lord shall he behold wherefore then were yé not afraid to speak against my Servant Moses And thé Anger of the Lord was kindled against them and he departed There are seven things to be enquired into from this Proof 1. Which of the three Persons in the God-Head it was that came down from Heaven in the Pillat of the Cloud the Son of God it was no doubt 2. What his business was that he came about viz. to Examin two Criminals to Arraign and Judge them 3. What their Crime was viz. Speaking against Moses 4. Aarons Penitency and the benefit of his Clergy 5. Miriams Impenitency and Punishment 6. Moses's Pitty and Prayer for her which voided the perpetuity of the Sentence 7. The fairness of the Tryal he stood in the Door of the Tabernacle that all Israel might hear and see and take warning God might have spoken so loud that Heaven and Earth should have heard it so as they should not have need to come forth for Audience but now he calls them out to the Bar that they may be seen it did
not content him to chide them within Doors the shame of their Fault had been lesser in a private Rebuke but the Scandal of it required open Reproof From these seven Considerations I have Collected these Observations 1. That God is the God of Order Rule and Government their Repining was publick and where the Sin is not affraid of the Light God loves not the Reproof should be smothered 2. That it is a greater Sin than Men are aware of to speak against the Rule and Order of Government either in Church or State 3. That in the end God will severely punish all such Dispisers of such Rule Order and Government There are two Evangelical Witnesses to these three Points Peter and Jude both of them Apostles to Christ Peters Testimony is Recorded in his first Epistle 2 Chap. 13 14. Ver. Submit your selves to every Ordinance of Man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as Supreme Or unto Governours as unto them that are sent of him for the Punishment of Evil Doers and for the praise of them that do well And to this he adds 2. Epistle 2. to assure us that Such there are and have been as do speak Evil of Government and shall not go unpunished Ver. 9 10. The Lord knows how to deliver the Godly out of Temptation and to reserve the Vnjust unto the Day of Judgment to be Punished But chiefly them that walk after the Flesh and dispise Government Presumptious are they Self-will'd they are not afraid to speak Evil of Dignities The Apostle Jude Harps on the same String and particularizeth these Men in my Text at ver 11. Wo unto them for they have gone in the way of Cain and ran greedily after the Error of Balaam for Reward and Perish in the gain-saying of Corah And then at ver 19. gives a Mark how to know them saying These are they which separate tbemselves sensual not having the Spirit tho' they said they had 3. They were of a self confident Spirit they were confident in themselves that God would own them in their design For when Moses Summoned them to Appear before the Lord to answer to their Seditious Words they accepted the Challenge and undertook to dispute it before the Lord in a Religious Duty too manifest in ver 19 17 18 19. in these Words And Moses said unto Corah be thou and all thy Company before the Lord thou and they and Aaron to Morrow And take every Man his Censer and put Incense thereon and bring ye before the Lord every Man his Censer two Hundred and Fifty Censers thou also and Aaron each one his Censer And they took every Man his Censer and put Fire in them and laid Incense thereon and stood in the Door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation with Moses and Aaron Cheek by Jole with them And Corah gathered all the Congregation against them either by some Solemn League and Covenant or some Engagement or other unto the Door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation and the Glory of the Lord appeared There never was such a Challenge made in the Church of God upon Earth before or since never such apparent Confidence in a Seditious Party to accept of and answer it known or heard of altho' some People of our times have shreudly immitated them Nor did ever such a Stickler appear in a Quarrel for God himself appeared on Moses and Aarons side and at his first enterance on the Stage which was the Tabernacle he gave the Spectators a glimps of his Glory and made bare his Arm and uttered with his Lips these dreadful Words ver 21. Separate your selves from among this Congregation that I may consume them in a Moment As if God had said Moses and Aaron stand ye by and let me alone to deal with these Seditious Rebels they will be to hard for you let me lift up my Hand against them the Quarrel is mine as well as yours For I have whet my glittering Sword and my Hand shall take hold on Vengeance and I will abate their Pride asswage their Envy discover their Design and overthrow their Devices That all the Earth may know that I hate and abhor all Pretences to Religion that are acted and done in Disobedience and Rebellion to my Commands and contrary to the Rule and Order of Government that I have Established in my Church And at the first Blow he made at Corah and his Two Hundred and Fifty Confidents he struck their Censers out of their Hands and with a flash of Fire Consumed them to Ashes As if the Lord had said What have you to do to handle Censers to meddle with Publick Matters of Religion seeing ye do it in Spite and Contempt of the Government Established by Law for Strife and Debate and in Disobedience and Rebellion against the Governours that I have set over you For in very deed Envy at the Established Government in the Church was the seed Plot of Corah's Sin and Dathan and Abirams Conspiracy And therefore it was high time for God to put to his helping Hand to Vindicate Moses and Aaron for they were but God's Servants employed by him to lead them in the right way to Happiness and to Govern them therein by a Sacred Platform of good and wholsome Laws and Ordinances As it is written Psal 77. 20. Thou leadest thy People like a Flock by the Hand of Moses and Aaron i. e. Magistracy and Ministry 'T is true Christ Jesus is the Supream Governour and Lord of all things in Heaven and in Earth but he doth not Govern in either place by his own and immediate Power But by Angels and Men Deligated by him to bear Rule for him over their fellow Creatures and from them expects an Account of their Steward-ship in such their places of Trust The Sacred Text is my Voucher for this Assertion Prov. 8 15 16. By me Kings Reign and Princes Decree Justice By me Princes Rule and Nobles even all the Judges of the Earth And elsewhere in Psal 78. 70 71 72. He chose David also his Servant and took him from the Sheep-fold From following the Ews great with Young he brought him to feed Jacob his People and Israel his Inheritance So he fed them according to the Integrity of his Heart and guided them by the skilfulness of his Hands Our Church Translation of the Psalms reads it thus So he fed them with a Faithful and a true Heart and Ruled them Prudently with all his Power This of the Psalmist is an Extract of that Message which God sent by the Prophet Nathan to King David 2 Sam. 7 8 9. Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my Servant David Thus saith the Lord of Hosts I took thee from the Sheep-fould from following the Sheep to be Ruler over my People Israel And I was with thee whither soever thou wentest and have cut off all thine Enemies out of thy sight and have made thee a great name like unto the name of the great Men
that are in the Earth Now when the Spirit of Sedition shall possess the Minds of Men and prompt them not only to dislike but speak Evil of such Dignities and those that enioy them and to assemble in Companies to Assault their Governours as these Men in my Text did Moses and Aaron whom they knew God had set over them and frequently acknowledged it No wonder the Psalmist in Psal 119. 126. said It was time for God to work when Men went about to undermine the Laws of God to make them void The Translation of our Church Psalms reads it thus It is time for the Lord to lay to thy Hand for they have destroyed thy Law When these Men in my Text had gathered the Congregation together against Moses and Aaron what to do Why to cut them off and Subvert the Government both of Church and State It was high time for God to appear in flaming Fire to take Vengeance upon them and pluck of the Crown of spiritual Pride from their haughty Heads Which he did as you have heard and so rejected their Confidences and blasted their intended Proceedings 4. They were of an envious Spirit they envied the State and Dignity which God had conferred upon Moses and Aaron in Constituting them their Governours in the Church This ill Quality Cooperated with the rest to provoke them to a Commotion and civil Discord amongst themselves And that the old Serpent had shed the Spawn of Envy into their Spirits the Kingly Propet affirms it with a sad Memento 106. 16. 17 18. They envied Moses in the Camp and Aaron the Saint of the Lord. The Earth opened and swallowed up Dathan and covered the Congregation of Abiram And a Fire was kindled in their Company the Flame burnt up the ungodly By the last words in ver 17. viz. The Congregation of Abiram It is very probable that Abiram had a gathered Church which some of our Modern Dissenters call the Congregational or Independent way of gathering Churches And if so as it is very likly then he was the first that ever I read of who gathered a false Church out of a true one And so by the Text it is clear that whilst Corah and his Confederates were affronting Moses and Aaron in publick Dathan and Abiram were at a private Meeting in their Tents Praying for their good Success or waiting for a Watch word from them when they should rush forth with Weapons to Assault their Rulers For when Moses gave a charge to the rest of the People to come away from their Tents they came forth and stood in their Tent-doores with their Wives and Children with brazen faced Impudency as if they would outface God and all just Authority I did not know till after more than Forty times reading this Antient Record of Holy Writ and an exact Inspection into the Design of the Seditious Party with a deligent Observation of their prerended Holiness grounded upon false Principles Their gathering the Common People like Herds of Goats in a Tumultuous manner against their Rulers their crying them down to get into their places I say till I had diligently consulted the Record of this lamentable History I did not know that Presbiterâ— and Independency were of so long a standing in the World For Chorah an inferior Levite contends with Aaron to level the Office of an High-Priest to that of a Levite and flatly tells him that he takes too much upon him to lift up himself above them being all of one Tribe he sawnoreason there should be any difference in Dignity and therefore he resolves to Conform no longer but set up for himself and have Elders under him of his own choosing And as for Dathan and Abiram they defiâ— all Superintendency for it were they as well as Corah that told Moses and Aaron That they took too much upon them to lift up themselves above them They were able of themselves to give Laws and Orders to their Congregated Proselites without their Lordly â—urisdiction and in this State of Independency they died Impenitently How fitly may we apply the Words of Solomon to the Former and Latter Troubles of the Church Eccle. 1. 9 10. The thing that hath been is that which shall be and that which is done is that which shall bedone and there is no new thing under the Sun Is there any thing whereof it may be said see this is new It hath been of old time before us And whence is it but from the Envy and Malice of the old Serpenr who is called the Devil and Satan Who as our Saviour saith John 8. 44. Was a Murderer from the beginning and abode not in the Truth And so became an Enemy to all Government above himself which Practice he continues still in the World by seducing the Sons of Men into his old Principles of Disobedience 'T is true indeed this old Serpent doth often renew his Shape but never alters his ill Qualities he often changeth his Habit but not his Disposition alters his name but not his Nature shifts places but retains still his old Principles I will conclude this Branch with the Sacred Caution of the Apostle St. Peter 1. Eph. 3. 17 18. Therefore Beloved seeing ye know these things before beware least ye being lead away with the Error of the Wicked fall from your own Stedfastness But grow in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to whom be Glory both now and for ever Amen 5. They were of a sullen selfwill'd Spirit nothing would please them but what proceeded from their own Wills They answeared Moses as some of their Successors did the Prophet Jeremy Chap. 19. 11. Return ye from the Evil of your ways They said Ver. 19 There is no hope but we will walk after our own devices and we will every one do the Imagination of his evil Heart Yea when they were in Captivity in Babilon they would not be Reclaimed from their own Wills but they made him this desperate Answer As for the Word which thou hast spoken to us in the name of the Lord we will not hearken to thee but we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth out of our own Mouth Jer. 44. 14. Spiritual Wickedness doth not only blind but bind the Spirits of unstable Men with strong Cords of selfwill'dness It is a hard thing to recover any one out of any Error that hath laid the Reins of his own will into the neck of his own Judgment Sic volo sic Jubeo stat proratione voluntas His own Will is the Rule he resolves to walk by and to any other Persuasion he is like the deaf Adder that stops her Ear at the Voice of the Charmer charm he never so wisely One of the sorest Plagues that God can inflict on any Man is to leave him to his own Will and the Councils of his own Heart which must needs destroy him Some do think that Liberty of Conscience is the only way to propogate the
Gospel and the surest way to Enthrone Christ in the Hearts of the Sons and Daughters of Men. And I say the contrary and will prove that there is no such thing in Religion as Liberty of Conscience such a Liberty of Conscience I mean as for every Man to serve God after what way and manner pleaseth him best It is easier to keep Sin out of the Conscience than to cast it out when it is in If that Light which is within us naturally for God hath lighted up a Candle in every Mans Conscience be darkned with Spiritual Errors how great must that Darkness needs be The Devil is the Prince of Darkness but he can Transform himself into an Angel of Light He is a fiery flying Serpent and if he can but get in his Head he will quickly winde in his whole Body How many Virgin Professors have lost their Spiritual Chastity in an hour by gadding abroad to trim their way by thinking to go in a cleaner Path than the High-way of Salvation is and so in a trice deprived themselves of that Peace of Conscience which they have not recovered again whilest they have lived O take heed then of being Humorsom and Selfwill'd under your Profession of Religion and Pray that the Lord will not leave you to your own Wills nor to the Councils of your own Hearts nor to the Wisdom of your own Spirits nor to the Nerves of your own Strength nor to the Steps of your own ways nor to the course of your own Natures nor to the Liberty of your own Consciences for if he should ye are in the High-way to eternal Destruction FINIS A POSTSCRIPT To all sorts of DÃssenters From the Church of ENGLAND As it is now Established by Law COme my Brethren and Friends let us Reason together and as the Lord of Hosts the Lord Jesus by Haggai the Prophet hath commanded Consider our Ways Chap 1. 7. And that which I humbly conceive may be most advantagious for us all in this Affair will be by comparing our ways wherein we walk with those Antient Paths wherein the Servants of God did walk in of Old My Reason for this Conception is grounded upon the Word of the Lord by the Mouth of the Prophet Jeremiah Ch. 6 ver 16. Thus saith the Lord Stand ye in the Ways and see and ask for the old Paths where is the good way and walk therein and ye shall find Rest for your Souls Now I beseech you my Brethren consider that this Prophet was not sent only to the Jews but also to the rest of the Nations and therefore the Words of his Prophecy belong to us as well as to them for when he wrote this Prophecy he inserts his Commission which runs thus Chap. 1. ver 4. 5 6 7. Then the Word of the Lord came unto me saying Before I Formed thee in the Belly I knew thee and before thou camest out of the Womb I Sanctified thee and Ordained thee a Prophet to the Nations Then said I ah Lord God behold I cannot speak for I am a Child But the Lord said unto me say not I am a Child for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak Then the Lord put forth his Hand and touched my Mouth and the Lord said unto me behold I have put my Words into thy Mouth See I have this Day set thee over the Nations and over the Kingdoms to root out and to pull down and to destroy and to throw down and to build and to plant I have read the Book of this Prophet very frequently in my daily Course of reading the Holy Scriptures and have taken diligent notice of the Measures he took in delivering it which I humbly conceive to consist mainly in these Six Heads 1. He gives them a Breviate of his Call and Commission from God to his Place and Office 2. Gives them a Draught of his Charge against them for their manifold Sins Iniquities and Transgressions which with gries of Heart and with Checks bedewed with Tears he frequentlyrepeats 3. A Demonstration of God's just Judgment against them for such their Tranâ—gressions 4. Exhortations and Admonitions Tears and Intreaties to for sake their own evil Ways and so prevent the Execution of those Judgments which he Denounced against them 5. The Way and Method he took to persuade them there unto 6. The nature of the Punishment to be inflicted on them in case they did not return and leave their ill Courses Now it is very remarkable that before he chargeth them with any gross Polutions of the Flesh or Prophane Debaucheries he begins with their Faults of Spiritual Wickedness and amongst the many Particulars these following are some 1. He chargeth them with their unkindness and indiscretion in forsaking their first Love to the first Principles of their Profession of Religion Chap. 2. 1. 2. in these words Moreover the Word of the Lord came unto me saying Go and Cry in the Streets of Jerusalem and say Thus saith the Lord I remember thee the Kindness of thy Youth the Love of thine espousals when thou wentest after me in the Wilderness But now they were no such People they knew better things or at leastwise were resolved so to do they were now for some Novelties they must have Quails to their Manna which put the Lord to this Expostulation Ver. 5. What Iniquities have your Fathers found in me that they are gone far from me As if the Lord had said what Evil do ye find in the Law and in the Ordinances thereof which I set before you as a Rule to walk by 2. He charges them with their Delight and Pleasure in changes Aarons Bells made no Musick in their Ears except they Rung the Changes Chap. 2. 11. Hath a Nation changed their Gods which are no Gods But my People have changed their Glory for that which doth not profit Except they might have Alterations and Amendments in the High-way of Salvation agreeable to their own Humors they resolve not to walk in them any longer This made the Lord Expostulate with them again after this manner Chap. 2. 31. O Generations see ye the Word of the Lord have I been a Wilderness unto Israel A Land of Darknes Wherefore say my People we are Lords we will come no more unto thee That is we are our own Masters and at our own liberty to serve God how and when we please and as for the Antient ways of God we will know them no more so as to walk in them any longer And further at Ver. 33. the Prophet asketh them this Question Why trimmest thou thy way to seek Love Therefore hast thou also taught the wicked ones thy Ways i. e. to forsake the High-way of Salvation And then at Ver. 36. He reinforceth this charge saying Why gaddest thou about so much to change thy ways Hence it is very remarkable that in this 2. Chap. the Prophet gives the unstable Israelites the
reproachfull Epithites of Trimmers Gadders and Changlings as the Product of discontented Spirits that did not know when they were well or at leastwise would not And then in Chap. 6. he follows his Charge and Reproves them 1. For a stubborn Refusal to walk in the Antient ways of the Church 2. For Revolting from them by a perpetual Backsliding Ver. 28. 3. For being no better than Reprobate Silver And in Chap. 18 He calls upon them to Return from the Evil of their own new Ways to walk in the Antient and true ways of God from which they were without any just Cause ungratfully and unkindly departed But instead of hearkning to him they gave him this resolute Answer at ver 12 There is no Hope but we will walk after our own Devices and we will every one do the Imaginations of his own Heart To which dreadful Answer of theirs the Prophet makes this lamentable Reply ver 13. Therefore thus saith the Lord Ask ye now amongst the Heathen who hath heard such things the Virgin of Israel hath done a very horrible thing And again at ver 15. he pronounceth a dreadful Sentence against them in the Name of the Lord in this Form of Words Because my People have forgotten me and have burnt Incense to Vanity and they have caused them to stumble in their ways from the Antient Paths to walk in Paths in a way not cast up I must confess I have had great searching of Heart what the meaning of the Peoples words might be in the first Part of their Answer viz. There is no Hope Certainly it could not be There is no Hope of Salvation For the close of their Answer imports the contrary for they said We will walk after our own Devices and we will every one do the Imaginations of his own Heart It seems by this Answer that they did intend to serve God some way or other but it must be in such a way as pleased them and in no other way did they intend to walk So that I understand by these Words of theirs There is no hope they mean that the Prophet had no hope of Reclaiming them from following their own ways that he might as well hold his Peace and say nothing as to persuade them to return from their new Practice that they had taken up to Repair to the Antient ways of God and so eager and to earnest and so intent and resolute were they to make good their seditious Words that they were making ready to run a way from him and get out of the hearing of him and this is clear if we consider the words of the Prophet in Chap. 2. 25. His Words There are these Wiâ—h hold thy Foot from being unshod and thy Throat from thirst but thou saidst there is no Hope no for I have loved Strangers and after them will I go They were putting off their Shooes to run in their Vamps with more speed and hast to get out of his sight and hearing and such a thirsty desire had they after strange Novelties that they could not stay so long with the Prophet as to give him the hearing of what it was that he had further to say to them For he would willingly have Reasoned with them butthey were in such hast that they would not stay to hear the sound of his Trumpet sound a retreat to them to return to the good old way that they had cast behind their Backs and at last by their frequent refusing to hear him and the snapishanswer that they gave him He calls Heaven and Earth to bear Witness against them in such Words as these Be astonished O ye Heavens at this And be horribly affraid Chap. 2 12. And then with bitter Sighs calls to the Earth O! Earth Earth Earth Hear the Words of the Lord. Chap. 22. 19. and elsewhere Chap. 6. 17 18 19 20. Where after he hath spoken these Words I set Watchmen over you saying Hearken to the sound of the Trumpet But they said We will not hearken He then proceeds in his Appeal to his former Evidence Therefore here ye Nations and know O Congregation what is amongst them Hear O Earth behold I will bring Evil upon this People even the Fruit of their thoughts because they have not hearkned unto my Word but Rejected it To what purpose cometh there to me Incense from Sheba and the sweet Cane from a far Country Your Offerings are not acceptable nor your Sacrifices sweet unto me From whence you may observe if ye will that the true God accepts of no kind of Service done to him that hath not the stamp of his antient High way upon it Enquire of all the Prophets and you will not find one of them that doth not sharply reprove and inveigh against all sorts of Scismaticks that have forsaken the plain High-wayes of Salvation to follow the Dictates of their own Hearts and devise to themselves new ways of Worshipping God and that every one of them did put the Trumpet to his Mouth and sound a Retreat to them to return to the High-way of Salvation wherein God had formerly led them I Confess we are under a Cloud of God's Anger and the Rod of his displeasure is upon us especially in our Divisions about Sacred things for if Unity Peace and Concord in a Kingdom owning Christ for our Lord and Saviour be one of the choice Blessings that we can wish for under Heaven then certainly by the rule of Contraries Divisions Discords and Dissentions are one of the greatest Plagues and Curses that can possibly â—all upon such a Kingdom and People upon Earth If Divisions bring Desolations to a well setled Common-wealth so will Divisions in the Church at last bring ruine and desolation to Religion and make us worse than the Heathen For a People so divided are in the High way to all sorts of Miseries as Christ hath assured and experience taught us If any one beneath Christ had asserted such a thing I might have mistrusted his Prediction but when the only begotten Son of God who is truth it self and therefore can not possibly lie for he is his Fathers true and faithful Witness of all things past present and to come And was not this the Voice of the Eternal Father from Heaven This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear ye him And is not this his saying A Kingdom divided against it self cannot stand but is brought to desolation that is puts the Kingdom where such Divisions are into the direct way of Desolation and Destruction Now I say that since the Son of God hath spoken the Word I dare not give him the lie by thinking that a Nation divided in it self can possibly stand in a state of security Therefore did he give this Advice and Charge to his Disciples to have Salt in themselves and to be at Peace one with another Certainly it was the same thing that the Prophet Jenemiah aimed at in that Word of Advice which with grief of
Heart he gave to Jerusalem a little befere they were carried away Captive into Babilon Chap. 6. 8. Be thou Instructed O Jerusalem Least my Soul depart from thee least I make thee Desolate a Land not Inhabited 'T is true that such Offences will come but woe be to them by whom they do come o ye think that Christ the Prince of Peace will Patronize your Divisions Will ye lay the Burthen of Spiritual Wickedness upon his Back and by force of strange Arguments compel him to bear another Cross This would be one way to Crucifie him afresh and to press him down as a Cart is pressed with Sheaves Are the Divisions of Christians pleasing to God Do ye think that Christ takes it well at your Hands to Foment so many Divisions as ye have crumbled your selves into since ye have left our Church Is the Study of Divisions the visible mark of Christianity Is this to do the Will of God on Earth as it is done in Heaven Are there any sort of Dissâ—nters there No. The Angels were never known since the Fall to fall out amongst themselves either in Heaven above or in any Service that they have been imployed in for Christ upon Earth There is no Strife or Contention amongst them they serve Christ with one Consent and Praise him with one Voice they all Glorifie his name in one Form of sound Words and Perseverance in the same Those two Servants of Christ the Evangelical Prophet Isaiah and the great Evangelist St. John do both agree in their Testimonies concerning this thing The Testimony of the Prophet is written in Chap. 6. 3. And one Cried unto another and said Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of Hosts the whole Earth is full of his Glory The Testimony of the Evangelist is written in the Book of the Revelation Chap. 4. 8. And they Rest not Day and Night saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come You may plainly perceive by these Sacred Records that there are no Dissenters in Heaven that the Angels do serve Christ in Unity of Spirit and in Uniformity of Words So that we may easily gess who were the first Dissenters even the fallen Angels and therefore the name of a Dissenter can be no Glory to the Professors of the Christian Religion But that the fallen Angels were the first Dissenters from the way of Truth The Blessed Jesus in whom are hid all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge hath put the Question out of Doubt in his Discourse with the Pharisees in John 8. 44. Where after they had told Christ that Abraham was their Father and that God was their Father Christ tells them plainly that they were Related to neither but that they were of their Father the Devil and the Lusts of your Father will ye do for he was a Murderer from the beginning and abode not in the Truth From these Words of our Saviour we may understaud what the Devils Sin is for which they are Reserved in Chains of Darkness unto the Judgment of the great Day Also From Christ's Words here it is evident that the fallen Angels did know the Truth and by their Unbelief fell from it and of pure and upright Angels became unclean Spirits and Devils For as no Man can be blamed for not abiding in a House wherein he never was neither would Christ have blamed the Devils for not abiding in the Truth if they had not known it and been Instructed in it Wherefore did Christ call Judas Devil Have I not chosen Twelve and one of you is a Devil Was it not because he knew the Truth and Preach'd the Truth and afterwards became an Enemy to it and betrayed his Lord and Master that had taught and Instructed him in it as by his Confession before he Hanged himself it was too manifest A Christians Eternal Happiness consists chiefly in two things A true Faith and an Holy Life A Judgment rightly inform'd in matters of Faith and a Conversation rightly ordered in the Practical Duties of true Holiness Those Men and Women whose Lives and Conversations are Holy are Baptized with the Holy Ghost and they that are truly Zealous for the Honour of God's Holy Name are Baptized with Fire so that to be Holy in our Lives and Zealous in our Spirits for the Glory of the Holy God is an outward Testimony of the inward Baptism of the Holy Ghost and with Fire precedent to which is the Baptism of Water the Gate of Enterance into an outward Profession of the Gospel Now both these Pillars of the Christian Religion are apparently to be seen in the Doctrine and Prayers of our Church to all that have not shut their Eyes against it nor turn'd their Back upon it I am bold therefore to say that the Service of God in our Church is Holy because it is Founded in the Holy Scriptures Composed of Precepts Examples or Commands Collected out of the Holy Scriptures Therefore many of our Prayers are called by the Name of Collests because they are Collected out of those Portions of Holy Scripture that are Appointed to be Read that Day that they are used All the Hymns that we use both at Morning and Evening Prayer are the very Words of the Holy Scriptures or clearly deduced from them Those that Composed it and set it in that Sacred Order as it is now Established by Law were Dr. Cranmer Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Dr. Ridly Bishop of London Dr. Hooper Bishop of Gloucester Dr. Latimer Bishop of Worcester Dr. Thirlby Bishop of Ely Dr. Day Dean of Chichester Dr. Tayler and Dr. Cox Almoner to King Edward 6 th with divers other Pious Learned Holy and Faithful Men who out of a Godly Zeal and Sacred purpoâ—e to advance the Glory of God the Gospel of Christ ' and the Salvation of Souls Formed these Prayers for the Service of Almighty God that his Houâ—e might be called as Christ and the Prophets foretold An House of Prayer for all People suitable to the State and Condition of all sorts of the Sons and Daughters of Men High and Low Rich and Poor Bond and Free Wise and Foolish Learned and Unlearned Saints and Sinners and all that Profess the Gospel of Christ may in one pure Language and Form of sound Words call upon the name of the Lord to serve him with one consent for the only Wise God hath promised it by the Mouth of the Prophet Zephaniah Chap. 3. Ver 8 9. Therefore wait ye upon me saith the Lord until the Day that I rise up to the Prey for my Determination is to gather the Nations that I may assemble the Kingdoms to pour upon them mine Indignation even all my fierce Anger for all the Earth shall be devoured with the Fire of my Jealoucy For then will I turn to the People a pure Language that they may all call upon the name of the Lord to serve him with one Consent If all Scripture given by Inspiration is profitable for Doctrine
what may we then learn from this sacred Oracle of God's Revealed Will Why I humbly conceive they teach us these Three things 1. That Uniformity of Prayer in the Publick Worship of God is the best way and manner of waiting upon God 2. That such Publick Worship of God comes nearest to the Heavenly of any other upon Earth and therefore most suitable to his Nature and most agreeable to his Mind and Will 3. That such Uniformity is the absolute Determination of his Divine Will and shall be the standing Rule and Practice of his Church and People in the midst of all their Enemies Those People then that reject despise vilify and reproach with opprobrious words and scurrilous Language such a Form of Prayer and such a Method of Serving God which is Beautified and Adorned and Seasoned with the Salt of God's Holy Word are one sort of Anti-Scripturians But tho' there be too many that do so yet it is never the worse for their dirty Language no more than the Heavenly Manna was because some seditious Israelites gave it the scurrilous name of Light Bread The Holy and Heavenly Angels continued feeding on that Food which proud and haughty Men trampled under their Feet and gave it no better Commendation that Light and Lothsom Bread I do not therefore much admire at the contempt which some have taken up against the Prayers of our Church when Israel God's chosen People and the Seed of Abraham grew weary of Heavenly Manna the Food of Angels But what shall we say to these things For since the chief of the fallen Angels in the shape of a Serpent Poisoned our Nature with the Venome of his own Sin no Age hath been free from some Appearances of it among the Sons of Men nor ever will be till Satan be confined to the Bottomless Pit I am sure in the time of the Prophet Ezekiel the Church was pestered with such sort of Cattle as he calls them Chap. 34. 18 19 20. Seemeth a it small thing unto you to have eaten up the good Pasture but ye must tread down with your Feet the residue of your Pastures And to have drunk of the deep Waters but ye must foul the residue with your Feet As for my Flock they eat that which ye have trodden with your Feet and they drink that which ye have fouâ—ed with your Feet Therefore thus saith the Lord God unto them Behold I even I will Judge between the Fat Cattel and between the Lean Cattel Because ye have thrust with Side and with Shoulder and pusht all the Diseased with your Horns till ye have scattered them abroad Therefore will I save my Flock and they shall no more be a Pray and I will Judge between Cattel and Cattel Hence it is Evident the Lord will one Day Judge between the Holy Martyrs that Composed the Prayers of our Church for us and afterwards Sealed it with their Blood in Flames of Fire Whither they did well in so doing or whither they do wickedly who think their Tongues their own to vilify and scornfully reproach it at their own Pleasure and with out all controul for who is Lord over them Come my Brethen be not angry with me nor account me an Enemy because I tell you the truth and I will ask you a few Questions I. What good thing there is that any of you ask in your Extempore Prayers that we do not ask in a well-set Form of sound Words II. Whither there be any one Petition in the Daily Prayers of our Church that doth contradict the least Branch of God's Revealed Will that savours of Impiety or that can be truly said to hinder the work of Grace in the Heart of any Sinner III. Whither there be any thing wanting that may make a miserable Man happy even in this Life if he can obtain the things he Prays for IV. Whither the things we pray for therein if granted be not of force to make the worst of Sinners to become one of the better sort of Saints upon Earth V. Whither there be any thing that is requisite or necessary for Soul or Body to make our Lives comfortable here and our Souls eternally Happy hereafter that is omitted or left out in the Prayers of our Church VI. Whither the matter contained in the Book of Common Prayer be not a constant acknowledgment and Vindication of the Faith which was once delivered to the Saints And whither we are not Exhorted earnestly to contend for it VII Whither there be any thing that may savingly inform the Judgments of Men in mattrrs of Faith or enlighten the Understanding in the Mystery of Mans Salvation or that may encourage Sinners to turn from Darkness to Light and from the power of Satan unto God which are not to be found in the Doctrin and Discipline of the Church of England And now I beseech you my Friends ask your selves this one Question Whither it savours of Wisdom in any that profess the Name of Christ or own themselves to be his Servants to question the truth of his Word Who as a Prophet hath foretold the desolation of Kingdoms to proceed from their Divisions Hath not Moses that Man of God told Israel of old that God would raise them up a Prophet like to himself and that God the Father would put words into his Mouth and that whosoever would not give heed thereto God would require it of him And doth not the Apostle St. Peter tell us Acts 3. That Christ was that Prophet and that whosoever would not hear him should be destroyed from amongst the People And hath not Christ by vertue of his Prophetical Office told us That a Kingdom divided cannot stand but is brought to desolation O let us not Tempt Christ by our divisions to try whether he will or can save us from Desolation contradictory to his own word I think therefore and I do Appeal to the Conscience of any unbiassed Man that professeth the Christian Faith whither it be not better for you to return to the High-Way of Salvation again then by your Divisions to continue rambling from one by-path to another till ye know not which way to take and leave the Breach open for our Enemies to break in upon us and lay our Land Desolate Do ye not hear what the Son of God said Mat. 24. 15. When ye therefore shall 〈◊〉 the Abomination of Desolation stand in the Holy Place Standing where it ought not so St. Mark reads it And hath he not told us elsewhere that The Divisions of a Kingdom will bring it to Desolation Shall we then call our selves Believers and give no credit to his Word in so weighty a concern as the Preservation of a Kingdom from Ruin and Destruction May we not safely conclude from the Words of our Saviour that Divisions and Dissentions amongst Profest Christians is an Abomination unto the Lord And that Scism is a provoking Sin Did not Christ weep for the Divisions of Jerusalem And shall we
reioice and glory in ours O take heed of writing contrary to the Copy that Christ hath set you Did God destroy the Jerusalemites by their Divisions And do ye think that he will save us by ours Surely No For if Jesus Christ be the same yesterday and to day and for ever as certainly he is and he is a Deviâ— incarnate that denys it How then can we shelter our selves for safety under the shadow of his Wings that are at variance amongst our selves O take heed of entring into Judgment with Christ or holding an Argument against any thing that he hath spoken Are ye wiser and stronger then he is Is not he a consuming Fire and your selves but dry stuble Will ye contend with him â—or Mastery Can ye speak more for your Divisions then Christ hath already declared against them Do ye not hear what the Lord saith by the Mouth of the Prophet I say Chap. 27. 4. Who would set the Briers and Thorns against me in Battle I would go thorow them I would burn them together Did Christ ever exercise his Prophetical Office in vain Did his Words ever fall to the Ground without effect Did he not Prophecy that Judas would betray him and Peter deny him Did he not Prophecy that false Christs and false Prophets would arise and deceive many And are not his Sayings fulfilled Did he not Prophecy with Tears running down his Sacred Cheeks that Jerusalem would be utterly destroyed and the manner how For are not these his Words Luke 19. 43 44. For the Days shall come upon thee that thine Enemies shall cast a Trench about thee and compass thee round and keep thee in on every side And shall lay thee even with the Ground and thy Children within thee and they shall not leave in thee one Stone upon another because thou knewest not the time of thy Visitation And were not these Prophetical Words of his fulfilled by the Roman Souldiers Did he not likewise fore-tel the spoiling of the Temple in these Words Mat. 24. 2 And Jesus said unto them i. e. his Disciples Se ye not all these things Verily I say unto you there shall not be left one Stone upon another that shall not be thrown down Was not this saying of Christ also sulfilled and verified at the same time that Titus Vespatianus took the City and the Souldiers burnt the Temple notwithstanding himself in Person intreated the Souldiers to quench the Fire newly begun in the Temple and used all means that possibly he could to preseave it bâ—t all to no purâ—ose The Prophecy of Christ must be fulfilled and therefore it was in vain for Titus to endeavour the quenching of those Flames which by a sure Word of Prophecy were kinded and fomented by the civil Discords Divisions and Dissentions of the Sâ—ditious Jews If God take away Peace from us who shall hinder the breaking â—orth of War amongst us If God whet the glittering Sword of War who shall let it rust in the Sheath If he takes away Kings from their Thrones who shall hinder him It was the Son of God that put that word into Balaam's Mouth Num. 23. 19. God is not a Man that he should Lie neither the Son of Man that he should Repent Hath he said and shall he not do it Or hath he spoken and shall he not make it good and may not we say Hath not the Son of God the Lord Jesus Christ into whose Hands the Order Rule and Government of all things in Heaven and in Earth and in the Sea and in all places is given by an eternal Decree of his Father said That a Kingdom divided is brought to Desolation And will he not make good his Word Yea certainly he will There is not one jot or tittle of his Words shall fall to the Ground till all of them are fulfilled Did ye never read and consider that word of the Lord by the Mouth of the Prophet Isaiah Chap. 66 15 16. Behold the Lord will come with Fire and with his Chariots like a Whirl-wind to render his Anger with Fury and his Rebuke with Flames of Fire For by Fire and by his Sword will the Lord plead with all Flesh And the slain of the Lord shall be many The Prophet means that all sorts of carnal Men shall feel the smart Rod of God's Anger when he cometh forth of his place to punish the Inhabitants of the Earth for their Iniquities Now our blessed Saviour tells us that every Trâ—e is known by its Fruit nor hath the Holy Ghost left us without a Testimony of what the Particular Fruits of the Flesh are whereby a Carnal Man may be discerned from one that is truly Spiritual The Test is written in the Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians Cap. 5. 19 20 21. Now the works of the Flesh are manifest which are these Adultery Fornication Uncleanness Lasâ—â—viousness Idolatry Witchcraft Hatred Variance Emulations Wrath Staifé Seditions Heresies Envying Murders Drunkenness Revellings and such like of the whach I tell you before as I have told you in time past that they which do such things shall not Inherit the Kingdom of God But the Fruit of the Spirit is Love Joy Peace Long-Suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance against such there is no Law Hence we are inform'd that Hatred Variance Emulations Wrath Strife Seditioâ—s Herisies Envyings and Murders are works of the Flesh as well as Adultery Fornication Uncleanness Lasciviousness Idolatry Witchcraft Drunkenness Revellings and the former more perniclous to the Soul than the later The great Phisician of Souls hath put this Question out of doubt in two several Discourses that he had with the Scribes and Pharisees The first in Mat 21. 31 32. Verily I say unto you that the Publicans and the Harlots go into the Kingdom of God before you For John came unto you in the way of Righteousness and ye believed him not but the Publicans and the Harlots believed him And ye when ye had seen it Repented not afterward that ye might believe him And in Chap. 23. 15. He pronounceth a Wo against them saying Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for ye compass Sea and Land to make one Proselite and when he is made ye make him twofold more the Child of Hell then your selves Ask the Apostle St. Paul and he will give you a further account who is a Carnal Man 1 Cor. 31 2 3 4. And I Brethren could not speak unto you as unto Spiritual but as unto Carnal even as unto Babes in Christ I have fed you with Milk and not with Meat for hitherto ye were not able to bear it neither yet now are ye able For ye are yet Carnal for whereas there are among you Envying and Strife and Divisions are ye not Carnal and walk as Men For while one saith I am of Paul and another I am of Apollo are ye not Carnal Consult likewise and consider what the Apostle St. James hath written to this purpose Chap. 3. 13. Who