a love to these men you would pity them under their affliction Job 6.14 To him that is afflicted pity should be shewed from his friend Be it so that God hath a controversie with them it doth not become you to trample them under your feet Is 47.6.11 8 Arg. As they are Ministers of the Gospel your sin is exceeding great in hindring them in the exercise of their Ministry and persecuting them for Preaching the Gospel For 1. To misuse the Lord's Messengers and his Prophets is a sin that brings down wrath without remedy 2 Chr. 36.15 16. And the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers but they mocked the messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets until the wrath of God arose against these men until there was no remedy 2e God will smite through the loins of those that rise up against his Ministers Deut. 33.12 Bless Lord his substance and accept the work of his hands smite through the loins of them that rise up against him and of them that hate him that they never rise again This is Moses his Prayer which he puts up for Levi when he was blessing the Children of Israel before his death v. 1.8 The tribe of Levi was separated by the Lord to bear the Ark of the Lord and to Minister to him and to bless in his name Deut. 10.9 And therefore what is here spoken of Levi belongs to all the Ministers of the Gospel what Moses prays for in the behalf of Levi that God will do to the Ministers of the Gospel and to them that rise up against them He will bless their substance and accept their works he will strike through the loins of them that rise up against them And what is that 1. He will give them a fatal stroke he will give them such a deadly wound that they shall never recover it he will break in pieces their power and strength The loins may signifie a mans strength Joh. 40.16 Lo now his strength is in his loins 2. He will not only punish themselves in a dreadful manner but he will visit this their sin upon their posterity from generation to generation persecuting the Ministers of the Gospel is a sin which God visits not openly upon the fathers but the children and the childrens children unto the third and fourth generation Exod. 20.5 The loins does signifie a mans posterity 1 Kings 8.19 Thy Son that shall come out of thy loins 3. The loins signifie sometimes the mind or understanding as 1 Pet. 1.13 Gird up the loins of your mind And if loins be taken in this sense the meaning is Lord give them up to a reprobate mind and that is a sore judgment and a very dreadful token of the wrath of God Rom. 1.18.28 And it 's usual with the Lord to smite the enemies of his Ministers with this judgment And it 's rare if ever such persons rise again that are thus smitten of God Now those whose loins God will strike through that they rise not again are such as hate and such as rise against the Sons of Levi that is the secret and the open enemies of the Ministers of the Gospel There are some that hate them but conceal their hatred these are secret enemies and there are some that manifest their hatred by rising up against them these are open enemies 3. The Ministers of the Gospel are Christ's Embassadors sent into the world to treat of peace between God and men 2 Cor. 5.20 Now then we are Embassadors for Christ as though he did beseech you by us we pray you in Christ's stead be ye reconciled to God What injuries are done to an Ambassador of an earthly Prince he takes them as ill as if they were done to his own person If the Ambassador be reviled plundered imprisoned interrupted in the delivery of his message the Prince takes this as ill and will punish it as severely as if it had been done to himself So doth the King of Heaven who is King of Kings take all injuries done to his Ambassadors as done against himself 1 Thess 4.8 He therefore that despiseth despiseth not man but God who hath given us his holy Spirit And what is said of despising is true of all other affronts and injuries which are offered to the Ministers of the Gospel the Lord takes them as done to himself Obj. If these men were Prophets or Apostles and could work miracles if then we should molest them we should think our selves worthy of death One might fear the wrath of God should break forth upon us but they are but ordinary men subject to the same passions and infirmities as other men are and therefore we can't think there is such danger in opposing them Ans 1. Ordinary Pastors and Teachers are of God's sending and appointing they are of divine institution as well as Prophets and Apostles 1 Cor. 12.28 God hath set some in the Church first Apostles secondarily Prophets thirdly Teachers after that Miracles Eph. 4.11 He gave some Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers It is God gives and God sets Pastors and Teachers in his Church as well as Apostles Prophets and Evangelists 2. The Apostles and Prophets though holy men of God and guided by an infallible Spirit yet were but men subject to the like passions as we are Elias was an eminent Prophet yet is said of him Jam. 5.17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are Barnabas and Paul were eminent Apostles yet when the men of Lystra would have adored them as Gods and done Sacrifice to them they cryed out Sirs why do you these things we also are men of like passions with you Act. 14.15 They that despise the Ministers of the Gospel in those days would have despised the Prophets and Apostles had they lived in their days for they that were enemies to the power of Godliness despised the Apostles and Prophets then even as many do now the Ministers of Christ Take an instance of the Apostle Paul who though he was full of the Holy Ghost yet some thought and spake contemptibly of him 2 Cor. 10.2 Some think of us as though we walked according to the flesh v. 10. His letters say they are weighty and powerful but his bodily presence is weak and his speech contemptible Many other vilifying expressions were given concerning this Apostle which I forbear to mention 3. A man may be a true Minister of Jesus Christ and yet be able to work no miracles John the Baptist was a true Minister and lived in the time when the gift of miracles was frequently given yet it 's said of him John did no miracle Joh. 11.41 And some that had the gift of miracles were destitute of true Grace Matt. 7.23 24. And therefore we should not decry a man as no Minister of Christ because he can't work miracles especially seeing working of miracles is now ceased 4. Our Lord Jesus would have every one
famine in the days of David three years year after year And David enquired of the Lord and the Lord answered it is for Saul and his bloody house because he slew the Gibeonites Now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel but of the remnant of the Amorites and the children of Israel had sworn unto them And Saul sought to slay them in his zeal to the children of Israel and Judah 3. Those alms which you give to the poor out of these mens estates that are fined for meeting together to pray to God and to hear his Word are no way acceptable to God For 1. He loves judgment and righteousness and hates those Sacrifices which are taken by Robbery from other men and then presented to him for a Sacrifice Is 61.8 For I the Lord love judgment and hate Robbery for burnt-offering 2. He that would give alms which may be acceptable to God must give alms of what he getteth righteously Matt. 6.1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men to be seen of them Some copies render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Beza observes Take heed you do not your righteousness before men Alms may be called righteousness because they must be of goods honestly and righteously gotten Your alms We must give alms out of our own not other mens estates 4. Those that sought to build up Zion with blood took the ready way to destroy Zion Mic. 3.10 12 They build up Zion with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity Therefore shall Zion for your sake be ploughed as a field and Jerusalem shall become heaps Plea 11. We hate these men and know not how to find an occasion against them except it be in the matters of their God and this is a ready way to be avenged of them Ans 1. If you hate these men then you are Murtherers in God's account and shall have no part in his Kingdom 1 Joh. 3.15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murtherer and ye know that no murtherer hath eternal life abiding in him 2. Though men cannot see the spite that is in your hearts but it may be covered over with fair pretences yet God seeth it and he will requite it Ps 10.14 Thou hast seen it For thou beholdest mischief and spite to requite it with thy hand 3. Suppose any that come to these Meetings have done you wrong yet you ought not to avenge your selves but to overcome evil with good Rom. 12.19 21 Dearly beloved avenge not your selves but rather give place unto wrath for it is written Vengeance is mine and I will repay saith the Lord. Be not overcome of evil but overcome evil with good Much less should you for the offence of one man seek to be revenged of an Assembly of men As Haman when he had taken offence at Mordecai sought to be avenged of the whole race of the Jews which proved his overthrow Plea 12. We think may others say that some of these men are righteous persons and mean well but they disturb the peace of the Church and their preaching causeth division in the Church for by their means are Families divided and some go one way and some another And this makes us labour to suppress them because the good of the Church is to be preferred above the good of particular persons Ans 1. If you grant these men to be righteous men you had need take heed how you persecute them What Job said to his friends Job 19.28 But ye should say why persecute we him seeing the root of the matter is in him That you should say why persecute we these men seeing the root of the matter is in them seeing they are of the same faith with us and walk in the fear of God 2. If by the Church you understand the body of Christians who embrace the Doctrine of the Gospel and walk in all the Ordinances and Commandments of the Lord Jesus then these men are a great part of the Church and are not the disturbers of the Churches peace For whom do they molest whom do they persecute They are desirous to live at peace among themselves and to have peace with all men as much as in them is These Informers and their adherents are the disturbers of the Churches peace who persecute men professing Faith in Christ and walking in all the Ordinances of the Gospel for worshipping God If by the Church you mean the Pastors and Teachers of the Church these men do not molest the conformable Clergy in their executing their Ministerial office As for such of them as are sound in the Faith holy in their Lives faithful Preachers of God's holy Word They say the Blessing of the Lord be upon them and rejoyce to hear when they convert Souls to Christ And in this sense also Informers are the disturbers of the Church for their great design is to molest and persecute the Pastors and Teachers among the Non-conformists rather than any other persons 3. Great divisions arose in the Jewish Church upon the preaching of the Lord Jesus Christ Families were divided upon his preaching some were for him others were against him Fathers against their children and children against their fathers Luk. 11.51 52 53. Suppose you that I am come to give peace on earth I tell you nay but rather division For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided three against two and two against three The Father shall be divided against the Son and the Son against the Father The Mother against the Daughter and the Daughter against her Mother The Mother-in-law against the Daughter-in-law and the Daughter-in-Law against the Mother-in-law Was Jesus Christ to be suppressed was his preaching to be blamed because of these divisions that followed upon it Far be it from any man to say or think so In like manner if divisions and distentions arise in Families and among Relations upon the preaching of the Ministers of Christ neither they are to be suppressed nor their Ministers to be blamed Yea it may be further added that the preaching of the Conformist Ministers also doth cause dissentions and divisions in Families and Parishes when many Families in one Parish will repair to hear the Ministers of another Parish and that in great numbers so that some Congregations where Ministers are eminent are thronged others scarce any hearers at all yea in the same Families in London and other places several in the same Family do repair to several conforming Ministers of other Parishes And some Persons of Quality zealous too for Uniformity do constantly desert their own Ministers to hear some other they better approve of taking all or the greatest part of their Families with them and for years together yet I suppose these Informers judg not themselves obliged out of their love of the Churches peace to prosecute these Ministers and their hearers the one for preaching and the other hearing Plea 13. We are convinced we have done evil but you should not have reproved us so
people of God shall have such a day of trouble as never was since the world stood 2 Thess 1.6 7 8 9 It is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you and to you that are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus Christ shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of God and from the glory of his power CHAP. V. Humble Advice to Magistrates not to countenance these Informers nor to suppress the Non-conformist Ministers or their Meetings SEeing these Informers are wont to address themselves to the Magistrates and bring false accusations to them against these Ministers called Non-conformists informing them that they keep Seditious Conventicles and do thereby excite and stir them up to imprison or fine those Ministers and suppress their Assemblies I shall crave leave before I conclude this discourse humbly to advise and request those Magistrates to whom these Informers address themselves for assistance in their undertakings First That they would not give any countenance to this generation of men that take upon them the employ of being Informers Secondly That they do not at their instigation punish the Ministers and Servants of Christ when no other Crime can be proved against them but that they have been praying to God in the Name of his Son or that they have been Preaching or hearing his Holy Word 1. My humble request to you is that you would give no countenance or encouragement to this sort of Men. And that for Gods sake in whose stead you are placed in the world for your own sake and for the Kingdom sake that guilt and wrath come not upon your selves and upon the Kingdom for the sake of these Informers that they be not multiplyed and increased Give me leave to touch briefly on these Heads 1. You are Gods Vicegerents you stand in his Room and Rule in his stead When God made Moses Ruler over Aron and the people of Israel he tells him Thou shalt be to him instead of God Exod. 4.16 You rule and judge not for your selves but for the Lord who stands by and observes what you say and what you do and therefore you had need take heed what judgment you pass upon every man that comes before you 2 Chron. 19.6 Take heed what you do for ye judg not for men but for the Lord who is with you in the judgment And seeing you stand in Gods stead and rule and judge for him Look how the Lord God would carry himself if he were in your Places so ye ought to carry your selves whom he would encourage those you ought to encourage whom he would rebuke and reprove those ye ought to rebuke and reprove Now consider with your selves if the Lord Jesus Christ were on Earth and were in your place and these Informers came unto him to complain against his Servants for praying and Preaching and hearing his Word what are your thoughts and what do your Consciences tell you he would do in this case would he countenance or reprove and Punish them surely he would give no Countenance to such vile persons in such a sinful undertaking 2. By asisting these men you will bring down Gods Wrath upon your selves and the Nation Upon your selves To evidence this weigh what was said by the Prophet to Jehoshaphat 2 Chr. 19.2 Shouldst thou help the ungodly and love them that bate the Lord Therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord. This Wrath came upon Jehoshaphat for helping Ahab in fighting against the Syrians Here let it be considered 1. That Jehoshaphat was a great man he was King of Judah he was also a good man v. 3. Nevertheless there are good things in thee in that thou hast taken away the groves out of the Land and hast prepared thy Heart to seek God Yet neither his greatness nor his goodness kept of the wrath of God from him for helping an ungodly man 2. Ahab whom Jehoshaphat helped was a King King of Israel And it might seem good policy for one neighbouring Paince to help another Because by helping Ahab he might have had his help another time against the adversaries of Juda yet neither did this excuse him 3. The Persons against whom Jehoshaphat helped Ahab were the Syrians And the Syrians were Idolaters that Worshipped strange Gods 2 Chr. 28.23 They were also great enemies to the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah Jer. 9.12 The Syrians before and the Philistines behind and they shall devour Israel with open Mouth They were a People devoted to destruction 1 Kings 20.42 Now if Jehoshaphat incurred the displeasure of God for helping Ahab because he was an ungodly man to suppress the Syrians who were Idolators and enemies of Israel and Judah How can you think but that you shall bring down the Wrath of God upon your selves if you help these Informers who go about to oppress and suppress the Servants of the true and Living God while they are worshiping serving the Lord. If it be said It doth not appear to you that these Informers are ungodly men and such as hate the Lord you do not judge them like Ahab that had sold himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord. If you did then you might fear God would be angry with you for being helpful to them To that I answer 1. If you please to peruse those demonstrations which I have given out of the Scriptures of the Evil of their ways in the second of Chron. you may be convinced that their practices are not consistent with godlyness In some respects those men are worse then Ahab for when Ahab was reproved by Elijah for taking a possession of Naboths Vineyard which he had gotten by unjust means he humbled himself before God and Fasted and rent his Cloaths and lay in Sackcloth 1 Kings 21.27.29 But we hear of no Humilliation from these men after they have been reproved for taking into their possession other mens Goods which they obtain by undue means And as you will bring the Wrath of God upon your selves so also upon the Nation if you countenance and incourage this sort of Men. When the Rulers do not punish evil doers they bring guilt and Wrath not only upon themselves but upon the Nation where they live how much more if they give encouragement to them Nehe. 13.17 18. Then I contended with the Nobles of Judah and said unto them what evil thing is this that ye do and prophane the Sabbath day Did not your Fathers thus and did not our God bring all this evil upon us and upon this Citie yet ye bring more Wrath upon Isarel by prophaning the Sabbath They were the meaner sort of the People that prophaned the Sabbath such as bare burthens trode the Winepress sold Fish and other wares v. 15.16 And because
with Balack's messengers he thought he had good warrant to go for God had said If the men come to call thee rise up and go with them Which some conceive to be spoken Ironically others by way of Indignation seeing he had tempted God by coming again to enquire of his going when he knew it was expresly against his mind He spake in anger and said Rise up and go with them Or if he had leave there was covetousness or malice or some other evil in his heart whether he had a Warrant to go or not I do not now enquire but this is certain God was angry with him for going Numb 22.22 Gods anger was kindled against him because he went And he was in danger to be slain by the Angel that stood in the way 4 If you think your selves obliged by virtue of the Law to go along with these Informers if you find nothing of Sedition in the Assembly to which they carry you if you find them met in a peaceable manner Preaching sound Doctrine praying for things agreeable to the Will of God instead of cursing them or punishing them leave your blessing upon them and say The blessing of the Lord be upon you and punish these Informers as false accusers When Balaam went to Balack instead of cursing Isiael he blessed them though he angred Balack thereby and lost great honours and promotions They that will rather curse an Israelire than run the hazard of small losses of losing their dignities and promotions come short of Balaam who yet fell short of eternal lise Obj. 3. We have yet one scruple more about these men and these Meetings if we could get over that we would not molest them and it is this we shall not be accounted the Kings friends if we do not suppress these Men but shall be accounted friends and favourers of Phanaticks If it were not for this we would not meddle with them Answ 1. This is a strong temptation upon some men to do irregular things for fear they should not be esteemed the Kings friends as we may see in the case of Pilat he was very loth to have meddled with Christ when the Jews brought him He would know what Crime they had to lay to his charge before he would do ought against him Joh. 18 29. What accusation have ye brought against this man And when they pretended he was a Malefactor Pilat was very desirous to have been excused from meddling in the case vers 31. Take ye him and judge him according to your Law And when they urged him he vindicated Christ vers 32. I find in him no fault at all And when they pressed hard upon him to crucify Christ he would have put them off again and told them he could find no fault in him Chap. 19. v. 6. They cryed out saying Crucify him Crucify him Pilat saith unto them Take ye him and Crucify him for I find no fault in him Then they plead their Law that by their Law he ought to die because he made himself the Son of God vers 7. Upon hearing this that it was given out that he was the Son of God he was the more afraid to give sentence against him and sought which way to release him vers 8.9 12. Then they used this devise they tell Pilat he should not be looked upon as Caesars friend if he let Christ go If thou let this man go thou art not Caesars Friend And though he had withstood the reasonings and importunities of the Jews hitherto the hearing of this that he should not be Caesars Friend prevailed with him contrary to his judgment and Conscience to deliver up Christ to be Crucifyed v. 12 13 16. If thou let this man go thou art not Caesars Friend When therefore Pilat heard this saying he brought Jesus forth and sate down in the judgment seat Then delivered ho him to be Crucifyed If things be duly estimated these Informers that Stir up Magistrates to Punish the Kings Subjects for praying and Preaching and those that take in with them will appear to be none of the Kings Friends but rather his adversaries For 1. They that misuse Gods Ministers bring Gods Wrath upon the Kingdom as hath been before proved from 2 Chr. 36.16 They mocked the Messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets until the Wrath of the Lord arose against his People till there was no Remedy Is not this misusing the Lords Prophets and Messengers when they are Punished for Preaching Gods Word and whether are they to be reckoned the Kings Friends or Enemies that bring the Wrath of God upon his Kingdom 2. David counted those his Adversaries that prompted him to Punish Shimei when he was setled upon his Throne in Peace and yet Shimei had cursed David to his Face in the day of his distress 2 Sam. 19.21 22. And Abishai the Son of Zervia said shall not Shimei be put to Death for this because he cursed the Lords anointed And David said what have I to do with you ye Sons of Zervia that ye should this day be adversaries unto me shall there any man be put to Death this day in Israel for do I not know that I am this day King in Israel These men pray for the King and Kingdoms welfare And if David accounted the Sons of Zerviah his adversaries for stiring him up to destroy Shimei who had cursed him because he had humbled himself may we not count these Informers the Kings Enemies that seek the Destruction of these men who pray to God both in their Families and Assemblies to bless the King and Preach obedience to the King in all lawful things 3. In the multitude of People in the Kings honour but in the want of People is the Kings destruction Prov. 14.28 And therefore to Suppress Impoverish to force to flee out of the Nation so great a Part of the Kings Subjects as the Nonconformists are would be a diminishing of the People and so a diminution of the Kings Honour and Safety 3. It 's a Calumny raised by the adversaries of the Nonconformists to excite the Magistrates against them that they shall not be esteemed the Kings Friends if they do not suppress them For our Soveraign Lord the King hath been graciously pleased in several of his Declarations to testify unto his Kingdom that he hath a kindness for his Nonconforming Subjects as well as the rest of his Subjects And besides these there may be other demonstrations given that these Magistrates are true and real Friends to the King who do shelter the Nonconformists from the fury of the Informers and keep them from being persecuted for righteousness sake As 1. They are the Kings true and real Friends that uphold his throne and endeavour to establish his Throne for ever and this they do that deliver the oppressed and shew mercy to such as are under affliction Prov. 29.14 The King that faithfully judgeth the Poor his Throne shall be established for ever Prov. 20.28 Mercy and truth preserve the King and his Throne is upholden by Mercy Who sheweth mercy he that Punisheth Men for Praying and Preaching or he that Spareth them 2. They are the Kings Friends that bring down the blessing of God upon the Kingdom and cause him to wax great and to be so feared by the Neighbour Nations that they make no War with him And this they do who encourage the faithful Preachers and Preaching of the word of God When the Preaching of the Word of God was encouraged in Jehoshaphats days there were such eminent Blessings came upon him and his Kingdom that he waxed great exceedingly and was feared of all the Lands round about and none of them durst make War with him 2 Chr. 17.8 9 10 11 12. And with them he sent Levites and Priests and they taught in Judah and had the book of the Law of the Lord with them and went about through all the Cities of Judah and taught the people and the fear of the Lord fell upon all the Kindoms of the Lands that were round about Judah so that they made no War against Jehoshaphat And also some of the Philistins brought Jehoshaphat Presents and Tribute Silver The Arabians brought him Flocks And Jehoshaphat waxed great exceedingly FINIS ERRATA'S PAge 14. l. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 29. l. 22. we think we do well p. 40. l. 4. 1 Sam. 12 23. l. 6. way p. 42. l. 18. 2 Kings 10.1 c. p. 55. l. 17. belly l. 46. 2 Ep. Joh. v. p. 56. l. 20. wallow p. 75. l. 33. overthrow l. 47. will ye p. 77. l. 5. spake l. last r. brake p. 78. l. 2. brake
A REBUKE TO THE INFORMERS WITH A PLEA for the Ministers of the Gospel CALLED Nonconformists AND THEIR MEETINGS AND Advice to those to whom these INFORMERS Address themselves for Assistance in their Undertakings Prov. 28.23 He that rebuketh a man afterward shall find more favour than he that flattereth with his tongue Acts 28.30 31. Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house and received all that came in unto him preaching the kingdom of God and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus with all confidence no man forbidding him Joh. 20.17 Then the same day at evening being the first day of the week when the doors were shut for fear of the Jews came Jesus and stood in the midst and saith unto thim Peace be unto you Act. 9.4 5. Saul Saul why persecutest thou me And he said who art thou Lord And the Lord said I am Jesus whom thou persecutest It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks LONDON Printed in the Year 1675. To the READER THE Design of this ensuing Discourse is to convince and convert from the evil of their ways those men that have taken upon them the work and office of Informers and also to keep others from being partakers of their sins By Informers I mean such persons as under a pretence of suppressing seditious Conventicles do create much disturbance to men fearing God causing their Assemblies to be broken up and the persons whom they find assembled together to be fined although they can prove no crime against them but that they find them praying to God in the Name of Jesus Christ and preaching and hearing Gods holy word Which practice of theirs seems to me to be exceeding sinful and greatly prejudicial to their own and others eternal Salvation of which I have given several demonstrations and have answered their most material Plea's that did come to my thoughts whereby they seek to excuse and extenuate their sin If any say these Informers are so hardened in their sinful ways that there 's no hope that they should be brought to repentance and therefore you might have spared your labour in endeavouring to reclaim them I answer 1. There is hope that the worst of men may be brought to repentance even such as are slaves to Satan and are taken and led captive by him at his will and therefore such as are grown to that height of sin as to oppose the truth are to be instructed with meekness as not knowing but God may give them repentance unto life 2 Tim. 2.25 26. In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the Devil who are taken captive by him at his will 2. God can do great things by weak and unlikely means to still and quiet those that are enemies to and afflicters of his people Psal 8.2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger Ultores vocat illos qui laedunt eos qui fidunt Deo Vatabl. 3. If any one of these Informers that are sprung up in any part of this Nation should be brought to repentance though the rest should perish in their evil courses I should think my pains well bestowed for the conversion of one sinner from the error of his ways For one soul is of more worth than the whole world Mark 8.36 And one sinner destroyeth much good Eccles 9.18 Not only several persons but Towns yea Countries may enjoy peace by the conversion of one Informer For some of them are such turbulent persons that they do not only disquiet their neighbours that live in the same Towns with themselves but they go from one Town to another and from one County to another raising persecution against those that meet together in a peaceable manner to pray to God in the name of Jesus Christ and to preach and hear his holy word When Saul who was a great persecutor of the servants of Christ was converted several Churches had rest and peace thereby Act. 9.31 Then had the Churches rest through all Judea and Galilee and Samaria and were edified and walking in the fear of the Lord and comfort of the Holy Ghost were multiplied What great benefits accrued to several Churches by the conversion but of one persecutor who had been an active man in persecuting the members of Christ The rest the edification the multiplying the spiritual comfort of the Churches in Judea Galilee and Samaria followed upon the conversion of Saul 4. If none that are actually engaged in this way of being Informers should be reclaimed yet by opening the horrible and dangerous nature of their sin others that are or may be hereafter under a temptation to turn Informers being tempted thereto by poverty enticing of evil minded men promise of a reward affrighted by threatnings or any other way may be prevented from following their pernicious ways They are more foolish than the birds that will be allured to take the bait when they espy the net Prov. 1.17 Surely in vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird 5. If none should receive any benefit by what I have written yet by warning those that are engaged in this sinful practise to turn from their evil ways and warning others not to be partakers of their evil deeds I shall deliver my own soul Ezek. 3.19 If thou warn the wicked man and he turn not from his wickedness nor from his wicked way he shall dye in his iniquity but thou hast delivered thy soul But some may say These papers are not like to come into the Informers hands or if they should they will not bestow the pains to read them or if they should they will but make a scoff at them or they will be but the more enraged and therefore it is to no effect that this means should be used to reclaim them Ans 1. We must do our duty and leave the success to God Eccl. 11.6 In the morning sow thy seed and in the evening withhold not thine hand for thou knowest not whether shall prosper this or the other or both be alike good I leave it wholly to the providence of God what success he will give to my endeavours It may be he will put it into the hearts of some persons that compassionate the perishing condition of these Informers to send these papers to them and it may be he will move their hearts to read them and who can tell but he may touch their hearts in reading them and cause some of the arrows drawn out of his quiver to stick so fast in their consciences as they shall not be able to shake them of 2. Writing as well as preaching is a means to bring sinners to repentance Jer. 36.2 Take thee the roll of a book and write therein all the words that I have spoken
conversion of a sinner than to bring back the straying Oxe or Asse of an enemy on several accounts For 1. The Soul of a man is of more worth than all the Oxen and Asses upon the face of the earth yea the Soul of the meanest man is of greater value than the whole world Mark 8.36 What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul 2. It is far more dangerous for a sinner to go astray from God than an Oxe or an Asse to go astray from his owner For the Oxe that goeth from one Master may find another that may take care of it or the Oxe may get a subsistence by ranging abroad as well as abiding at home or if the straying Oxe should be slain its misery endeth with its life But the sinner that goeth astray from God unless he be brought to repentance will fall into the Lake that burneth with fire and brimstone and will perish eternally 3. God hath a greater right to the Souls of men than any man hath to his Oxen or Asses Ezek. 18.4 All souls are mine They are the work of his hands and therefore he may claim a greater propriety in them than any man can in those things which he hath bought with his money or calls his own on the account of any other title 4. We are more obliged to bring unto God who is our Soveraign Lord our heavenly Father our dearest Friend that which is his own when gone astray from him than we are to bring back to our enemy his Oxe or his Asse when we meet it going astray If then he that meeteth his enemies Oxe or Asse going astray be under a strict charge to bring it back Thou shait surely bring it back to him again how much more are we obliged to endeavour the conversion of a sinner when we meet him going astray from God though he be one of the greatest enemies we have in the-world When I had considered not only the swift destruction these Informers bring upon their own Souls but also what mischief they have already done and may further do unto men fearing God if not reclaimed how many they draw to be partakers with them in their sin what temptations needy and malicious men may be under to follow their pernicious ways what great guilt is brought upon the Nation by their means I thought with my self that the leading these men to repentance would conduce to a publick good as well as be an act of kindness to their own Souls and so was the more confirmed in my resolution to endeavour the converting them from the error of their ways The most effectual way to reclaim these men from their evil ways seems to me to be this To demonstrate out of the word of God the greatness and the dangerous nature of this sin which I conceive they either know not or at least do not consider it For that is the most powerful means that can be used for converting a sinner Psal 19.7 The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul If the word of God will not prevail with them to turn from their evil ways though one should arise from the dead either one of the Saints that hath been in heaven and should tell them what a glorious Kingdom they shall lose if they persist in their sins or one of their fellow sinners should come out of hell and tell them what torments they have felt in that Lake that burneth with fire and brimstone and they will certainly come into that place of torment if they go on in their evil ways yet this would not perswade them to repent Luk. 16.29 30 31. They have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them And he said nay father Abraham but if one went unto them from the dead they will repent And he said unto him If they hear not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead For my more orderly proceeding with these men I shall use this method 1. I shall shew what Informers I mean and aim at in this Discourse 2. I shall premise something concerning the persons whom they molest and the work for which they molest them 3. I shall by several arguments endeavour to convince them of the greatness of their sin 4. I shall answer their Plea's whereby they excuse their sin 5. I shall draw some Inferences for their and others instruction The Informers I design in this Discourse to convince of the evil of their ways are such as either for the love of money or out of malice or a blind zeal or any other evil principle under a pretence of suppressing seditious Conventicles go to the Assemblies where those Ministers commonly called Nonconformists do pray to God in the Name of Jesus Christ and do read the holy Scriptures and preach the Gospel and if they find them either Praying or Preaching they procure Officers to break up their Assemblies or else they go to the Magistrates and by the Information they give against those present at the foresaid Assemblies they stir them up either to imprison the Minister or to fine him or such of the people as they think good in great sums of money The reason why I deal with these Informers only that come to and raise up trouble against these Assemblies where those Ministers called Nonconformists pray to God and instruct the people are these 1. I have observed that their chief design and endeavour hath been to molest those Meetings 2. I have no knowledg what is said or done at other Meetings as never to my remembrance having been present at any of them and therefore will not justifie nor condemn them but shall leave that to those that are concerned therein In order to the conviction of these Informers of the evil of their ways I shall premise three Propositions 1. Those Ministers whom they persecute are righteous men and there are many righteous persons that frequent their Assemblies 2. Praying and preaching which are the works for which they are persecuted are good works 3. These Ministers that are persecuted by these Informers for praying and preaching are true Ministers of Jesus Christ and are called of God to preach the Gospel I shall briefly prove these three Propositions 1. These Ministers whom these Informers persecute are righteous men to evidence this consider 1. They are sound in the Faith they believe all things that are written by the Prophets and Apostles They imbrace that Faith which is professed in the Protestant Churches and particularly they own the established Doctrine of the Church of England although they have different apprehensions about the Discipline Soundness in the Faith is requisite to make a man a righteous man although that alone be not sufficient for Heresie is a work of the flesh which will shut a man out of the Kingdom of heaven as well as Idolatry Adultery Drunkenness or such like sins Gal. 5.19 20 21. 2. They are righteous
destroyed with a temporal destruction but he shall destroy thee for ever 2. God threatens to take him away and pluck him from his dwelling-place which words speak his anger yea hot displeasure and that is very dreadful David was afraid that God should deal with him in his anger O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure But as for Doeg the words speak God to be full of fury against him He shall-take thee away and pluck thee out of thy dwelling-place 3. Destruction to him and all that belong to him He shall root thee out of the land of the living He shall utterly ruinate thee and thine leaving thee neither root nor branch or the rooting him out of the land of the living may refer to the depriving him of eternal life Let then the Doegs of our age consider this dreadful curse who if they see or can hear of an house where the Ministers of Christ are praying to God or giving the bread of life to hungry Souls they go and tell the Magistrates and get Warrants to distrain and get away their goods from them What became of those Informers against Daniel who finding him at Prayer went and accused him to the King as a transgressour of the Law and got him cast into the Den of Lions By the just judgment of God these men and their wives and children were cast into the Den of Lions and rent a-pieces Dan. 6.11.13.24 These Informers do the like in our dayes if they find the servants of God Praying and Preaching they go and accuse them to the Magistrate and get them punished and may they not justly fear that though they have no punishment here the King of Kings will cast them into a worse place than the Den of Lions at the day of Judgment even into the bottomless pit where they shall be tormented of roaring Lions for ever and ever Haman who informed against the Jews and got a decree to destroy them came to a miserable end he dyed upon a pair of Gallows fifty foot high But above all other examples I would have these Informers take notice what befel Judas for informing against Christ He fell into such a woful condition that it had been good for him that he had never been born Matt. 26.24 After he had betrayed Christ he was in such a distressed condition that he was weary of his life and went away and hung himself Matt. 27.5 After he had hung himself he fell down headlong and burst asunder and his bowels gushed out Act. 1.18 And after he was dead and his Soul was out of his body it was carried into hell-torments v. 25. See Pisc Now what was it that this Judas did to Jesus Christ he did not accuse him to Pilat he did not nail him to the cross he did not thrust a spear into his side but this he did he betrayed him into his enemies hands by discovering who and where he was Therefore as Christ to warn us of Apostacy said Remember Lot's wife So may I say to Informers Remember Judas Obj. Why do you tell us of Judas he was a damned wretch we curse him to the pit of hell for betraying our Lord Jesus Christ we would have been torn in pieces and suffered a thousand deaths rather than we would have done such an act as Judas did we abhor Judas as much as any man upon the face of the earth Ans 1. You do the same thing in effect as Judas did and in judging him you condemn your selves Rom. 2.1 For our Lord Jesus accounts that they which persecute his members persecute him Act. 9.4 5. Saul Saul why persecutest thou me And he said who art thou Lord And the Lord said I am Jesus whom thou persecutest Saul did not persecute Jesus Christ in his own person for he was at God's right hand out of Saul's reach but he persecuted the members of Christ and the Lord Jesus counted himself persecuted in the persecution of his members what is done to the least of his members he takes as done to himself Matt. 25.40 Now as Judas did he was guide to them that took Jesus Act. 1.16 He knew the place where Christ was and got Officers and Soldiers to go along with him so do ye 2. You are in some respects worse than Judas for Judas repented of what he had done He made an open confession of his sin he made restitution of the Money he had taken you do none of these things In stead of your repenting you glory in your sin and are more and more hardened in your evil courses Judas did not bring Officers to take Christ whilst he was Preaching to the people or Praying to God He did not disturb him in his worship but you come in the time of Prayer and Preaching the Word as though you neither feared God nor regarded Man and in a prophane manner rush upon these men while they are serving God 3. Even thus the Scribes and Pharisees of old seemed to disdain their Forefathers killing the Prophets and said If they had lived in their days they would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the Prophets and they builded their tombs and garnished their Sepulchres pretending to honour them Matt. 23.29 30. Yet they killed our Lord Jesus and the Apostles 6 Arg. The very neglecting acts of mercy towards the Members of Christ as not feeding them when they are hungry not clothing them when they are naked the not-visiting them when they are sick and in prison will cause the Lord Jesus to cast men among the devils into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Matt. 25.41 42 43 44 45. To take away by violence the food and the rayment of the Members of Christ is a greater sin than not to feed them when they are hungry and not to cloth them when they are naked To throw them into Prisons and thereby to impair their health is a greater sin than not to visit them when sick or in prison If they shall be cursed by Jesus Christ and be cast into everlasting fire among the Devils who do not feed cloath and visit the Members of Christ when hungry sick and in prison nor take them in when strangers of how much sorer punishment shall these Informers and their Adherents be thought worthy of at the day of Judgment who do take away the food and rayment of the Members of Christ and will not suffer them to dwell in peace in their own houses but thrust them into prison and that for righteousness sake 7 Arg. These men have been several years under affliction having suffered the loss of their livelyhoods and been exposed to other troubles and it is greatly displeasing unto God that affliction should be added to his people when they are under affliction Zech. 1.15 I am very sore displeased with the Heathen that are at ease for I was but a little displeased and they helped forward the affliction Had you
Preaching God forbid we should be so wicked But the reason why we are so eager in persecuting them is because they break the Laws and are not conformable to the Service and Ceremonies of the Church Ans 1. It hath been an old device of Satan and his instruments to raise up and cast slanders upon men fearing God as though they were rebellious persons and disobedient to Laws when they have been imployed in the Service of God When Nehemiah went about to build the wall of Jerusalem the adversaries of the Jews gave out words that he was about to rebel against the King Neh. 2.19 What is this thing that ye do will ye rebel against the King So when the Ministers Preach for no other end but to convert Souls and build up such as are converted their adversaries give out they are rebels against the King The like accusation was raised against the Apostles when they Preached the Gospel up and down the world their enemies represented them to be such as walked contrary to to the decrees of Caesar Act. 17.6 7. Those that have turned the world upside down are come hither also whom Jason hath received and these all do contrary to the decrees of Casar And more particularly against the Apostle Paul Act. 18.12 13. The Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul and brought him to the judgment-seat saying This fellow perswadeth to worship God contrary to the Law Act. 21.28 Men of Israel help this is the man that teacheth all men every-where against the people and the Law and this place Daniel was a man so eminent for Piety that he is ranked with Noah and Job who had great power with God in Prayer Ezek. 14.14 He had an Angel sent to him from Heaven who told him he was a man greatly beloved of God Dan. 10.11 He was so blameless that his enemies that sought occasion against him could find no fault with him Dan. 6.3 Yet this Daniel was accused for not regarding the King and his Laws v. 13. Daniel regardeth not thee Oh King nor the decree that thou hast signed This was the device Haman made use of against the Jews He accused them to the King for breaking the Laws Est 3.8 Their Laws are diverse from all people neither keep they the King's Laws therefore it is not for the King's profit to suffer them 2. The worst of men have had pretences for their vilest practises The Jews that went about to stone Christ would not own it that they stoned him for a good work but pretended it was for blasphemy Joh. 10.32 33. Jesus answered them many good works have I shewed you from my Father for which of these works do you stone me The Jews answered him saying For a good work we stone thee not but for blasphemy and because that thou being a man makest thy self God As the Jews ignorantly or maliciously called Christ's preaching blasphemy and pretended they would have stoned him not for a good work but for blasphemy So the Informers either ignorantly or maliciously call these mens preaching rebellion and say they do not persecute them for preaching but for rebellion against the Laws They that cast out their brethren that trembled at God's Word pretended God's glory but the Lord saw that action proceeded from malice and hatred Is 66.5 Hear the word of the Lord ye that tremble at his word your brethren that hated you that cast you out for my name sake said the Lord be glorified But he shall appear to your joy and their shame 3. To represent these Ministers as disobedient to authority and rebellious persons is a grievous calumny and a great wrong to them It is contrary to their professed and declared principles and contrary to their practice For they believe and teach that every Soul ought to be subject to the higher Powers and the Powers that be are ordained of God And therefore they obey Magistrates not only to avoid their wrath but for Conscience sake And for further evidence of the soundness of their judgment in this point of obeying Magistrates they do fully concur with and are ready to subscribe if called to it unto the seven and thirtieth Article of the Church of England which treats of the civil Magistrate And if at any time it so fall out that the command of the Magistrate be contrary to the commands of God if in such a case they choose to obey God rather than men they are not upon this account to be called rebels and contumacious persons For 1. This was the practice of the Apostles to obey God rather than men Act. 14.19 Whether it be right in the sight of God to bearken unto you more than unto God judge ye And in so doing they did no more than what was their duty to do Act. 5.29 We ought to obey God rather than men 2. When the Midwives were commanded by Pharaoh to do that which was contrary to the command of God it was not rebellion in them to go against the command of Pharaoh But this action of theirs did proceed from the fear of God Exod. 1.17 But the Midwives feared God and did not as the King commanded 3. The Magistrate is the Minister of God for good Rom. 13.4 He is but the Minister of God and the Minister of God for good that is all that he enjoyns must be for God's honour and for a publick good If he command any thing contrary to the command of Christ and we obey him we exalt him above God we prefer the Servant before the Master 4. These men are more obedient to Authority and truer Subjects than many of their adversaries that reproach them with disloyalty and rebellion For many of those men that cry out against these Ministers for their disobedience to the Laws make no scruple of breaking such Laws of God and men as are contrary to their lusts There are good Laws established in this Nation against Swearing Drunkenness Symony c. yet many that are common Swearers Drunkards and live in other vices condemned by the Laws of God the Laws of the Nation and the light of their own Consciences cry up themselves for obedient Subjects and cry out against Ministers for not conforming to such things as they are not satisfied are lawful for them to do which have been for many years and still are controverted among learned men not only of this but of other Nations and which they profess could they be satisfied in their Consciences of their lawfulness they would yield obedience to them 5. As for those that complain of these Ministers preaching contrary to the command of the Magistrate I would put them in mind of the strict command that God hath given to those whom he hath called to the work and office of the Ministry to Preach the Gospel as they will answer the neglect thereof to himself and his Son Jesus Christ at the day of Judgment 2 Tim. 4.1 2. I charge thee therefore before God and the
Lord Jesus Christ who will judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdom Preach the Word be instant in season and out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and patience 1 Cor. 9.15 Yea wo is unto me if I preach not the Gospel Now if men forbid that which God commands whom are we to obey God or men If any say this charge was given to Timothy and that wo was pronounced against Paul and that is nothing to these men if these men had a charge from God to preach as Timothy and Paul had we should not dare to oppose or hinder their preaching I answer This charge that was given to Timothy to preach the word doth and will concern all Ministers of the Gospel to the worlds end as well as it did him As that promise given to Joshua I will never leave thee nor forsake thee is interpreted by the Holy Ghost to be spoken to all Christians to the end of the world Josh 1.5 compared with Heb. 13.5 So this command given to Timothy who was a Minister of the Gospel concerns all the Ministers of the Gospel in all places and all ages of the world What was spoken to the Apostles as they were Christians belongs to all Christians Mark 13.37 And what I say unto you I say unto all watch And what was spoken to them as Ministers of the Gospel belongs to all Ministers as well as unto them 6. As for them that charge these men with sin yea with rebellion for Praying and Preaching contrary to Law I would mind them of the examples of Daniel and the Apostles There was a royal Law made by all the Presidents of the Kingdom the Governours the Princes the Counsellors and Captains under a very great penalty That no man should ask a Petition of any God or Man for the space of thirty days save of the King and this decree was signed by Darius the King Dan. 6.7 8 yet when Daniel knew this decree was signed he prayed three times a day as his usual custom was and did not omit the opening of the windows in the time of Prayer v. 10. Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed he went into his house and his windows being open in his chamber towards Jerusalem he kneeled upon his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God as at other times What think ye Did Daniel sin against God and rebel against the King in praying contrary to the decree If you think Daniel sinned in giving such an example to after-ages to pray contrary to a decree made with such a penalty or if you think he sinned that he kept his wonted times and would not so far comply with the decree as to forbear for a few days or that he did not take other hours or that he would not shut his windows or pray so secretly and privately as none but his own Family should know of it you may be convinced of your mistake from v. 22. My God hath sent his angel and hath shut the Lions mouth that they have not hurt me forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me and also before thee O King have I done no hurt It is evident from these words that Daniel's Praying to God in his usual manner contrary to the decree was no sin either against God or the King And is not Prayer a Duty now as well as in Daniel's time The Apostles had a strict charge from the rulers of the Jews not to Preach in the name of Jesus Christ Act. 4.17 18. Let us straitly threaten them that they speak henceforth to no man in this name And they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus That this command to forbear Preaching was given by the Rulers we may see v. 5 6. yet after this strict charge and severe command given by the rulers to the Apostles to cease Preaching they were as diligent as before in Preaching of the Gospel Act. 5.27 28. And when they had brought them they set them before the Councel and the High-Priest asked them saying Did not we straitly command you that you should not teach in this name and behold you have filled Jerusalem with your Doctrine And after they had been beaten for Preaching the Gospel and had received a new command not to speak in the name of the Lord Jesus They continued to take all opportunities to teach and preach Jesus Christ both in the Temple and every House ver 40 41 42. When they had called the Apostles and beaten them they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus and let them go And they departed from the presence of the councel rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name And daily in the Temple and in every house they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ Did the Apostles sin against God or rebel against their rulers for preaching the Gospel when they were straitly charged by their rulers not to Preach and beaten because they did not obey the command and another command given them after that to leave Preaching and yet they proceeded in their work If any shall say or think the Apostles did sin in so doing all good Christians will condemn their rash judgment and they may easily be refuted from Act. 4.29 After they had been commanded to cease preaching and threatned they Pray to to God to assist them to preach the word with boldness And now Lord behold their threatnings and grant unto thy servants that with all boldness they may speak thy Word And they would not pray for assistance in that which was sinful And their boldness in preaching after their prohibition from the rulers of the Jews is ascribed to their being filled with the Holy Ghost v. 31. They were all filled with the Holy Ghost and spake the word with boldness And that man is a blasphemer who shall say the Apostles sinned in preaching against the command of their rulers whenas it was the Holy Ghost which gave them boldness to preach the Word of God Besides they were encouraged to preach after their rulers had forbidden them and had imprisoned them for preaching contrary to their commands by an Angel that was sent from Heaven that opened the Prison-doors and said unto them Go and stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life Act. 5.9 20. And when they were again brought before the rulers and examined whether they did not know of that strict charge they had given them and were taxed with the disobeying their command Did not we straitly command you that you should not teach in this name and behold you have filled Jerusalem with your Doctrine and intend to bring this man's blood upon us They justified their preaching though they had disobeyed their rulers commands v. 29. Then Peter and the other Apostles answered and said we ought to obey
in other words To which I answer They may be truly said to pray after the same manner though they use not the same words For our Lord Jesus Christ gave his Disciples a form or pattern to direct them how to pray and bid them pray after that manner that he had taught them Matt. 6.9 After this manner therefore pray ye Our Father which art in Heaven And we find some of their Prayers recorded as Act. 1.24 25. Act 4.23 Yet in neither of these nor any other place do we read that they used that form of Prayer which our Lord Jesus taught them but their Prayers were put up to God in other words Now I would demand of these Informers Did the Apostles transgress the commandment of Christ and pray in other manner than Christ directed when they used not that form of words which are contained in the Lords Prayers but prayed in other words I suppose they will be ashamed to say the Apostles transgressed the command and prayed in other manner than he enjoin'd them If they should be so audacious as to charge the Apostles with the breach of Christ's command for praying in other words they may be refuted from that gracious answer which God gave to their Prayers by filling them all with the Holy Ghost after they had prayed to him Act. 4.31 If they will grant the Apostles did not pray in other manner than Christ directed though they used other words and so were no transgressors of Christ's command Then I reply Why then do these Informers persecute and persecute these Ministers as transgressors of this Act pretending that in their Meetings they pray in other manner than according to the Liturgy when all that is requisite to make a Prayer acceptable to God is found in these mens Prayers as well as in the Prayers in the Liturgy These mens Prayers are offered up to the same God by the same Mediatour by the help of the same Spirit for things agreeable to the Will of God and for the honour and glory of God as well as the Prayers prescribed in the Liturgy But besides what hath been said already there may be one thing more added which will exempt these men from being guilty of exercising any Acts of Religion in other manner than according to the Liturgy of the Church of England and that is this The Liturgy of the Church of England includes all those portions of the Holy Scripture which are appointed to be read for the first and second Lesion for the Morning and Evening Service throughout the whole year together with what is read for the Epistles and Gospels And whatever Religious exercise is allowed of by these by those portions of Scripture appointed to be read by the Liturgy for the Morning or Evening Service that Religious exercise is not performed in other manner than according to the Liturgy of the Church of England And if all those portions of Scripture be part of the Liturgy which I suppose none will deny it will be easie proving that there is nothing done at these Assemblies but what is agreeable to the Scriptures used in the Liturgy I will touch but upon one or two places On July the 18th for the second Lesson at the Evening Service is appointed to be read 1 Tim. 2. and there praying in houses and in every other place is allowed of as well as in Temples so it be done in an holy manner v. 8 I will therefore that men pray every where lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting And June the 30th for the second Lesson is appointed Eph. 6 and there the Apostle alloweth of all manner of Prayer so it be in the Spirit v. 18 Praying always with all Prayers and Supplication in the Spirit So that all manner of Prayer at what time or place soever it be made if it be Prayer in the Spirit is allowed by the Scriptures appointed to be read by the Liturgy and so is not in other manner than according to the Liturgy Many more instances might be given to prove the Religious exercises of these men to be in such manner as agreeth with the Scriptures prescribed to be read by the Liturgy but I shall add no more Now let us consider whether these mens exercises of Religion be in other manner than according to the practise of the Church of England If they had no benefit by the former clause which as before explained is for their advantage though made use of to suppress them yet they have protection from the penalty of the Law as I conceive by this clause The practise of the Church of England To clear this let it be considered 1. What is the Church of England The best way to know this is to consider the Doctrine of the Church of England declared in the 39 Articles and there the Church is thus defined Art 19 The Visible Church of Christ is a Congregation of faithful men in the which the pure Word of God is preached and the Sacraments be duly administred according to Christ's Ordinance and in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same And if this be a true description of the Church of England which they that own the Articles I think should not deny then these Non-conformists are a considerable part of the Church of England For they are faithful men men that believe on the Lord Jesus Christ which I suppose is meant by faithful men in their Congregations the Word of God is preached in truth and purity the Sacraments are duly administred according to Christ's Ordinance in all things that of necessity are requisite to the same If these Non-conformists be not a part of the Church of England How and when and by whom were they excommunicated and cast out of the Church If any say they do not comply with the Discipline and Ceremonies of the Church I answer 1. In that definition which is given of the Church in the 19th Article there is nothing mentioned of the Discipline or Ceremonies As Mr. Rogers observes in his Exposition of the 39 Articles dedicated to the Arch-bishop of Canterbury His words are these Some and they many of them very godly men add Ecclesiastical Discipline for a note of the Visible Church but because the said Discipline in part is included in the marks here mentioned both we and in effect all well-ordered Churches over-pass it in this place as no taken simply of the Visible Church 2. The Church of England is not founded upon the Ceremonies or the Discipline but it is built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone And upon this foundation do these Non-conformist Ministers build as well as the Conformable Clergy and therefore are of the Church of England as well as they And if the Non-conformists be a considerable part of the Church of England how can these Informers swear their Religious exercises are in other manner than according to the practise
terrible manner Job 27.20 21 22 Terrours take hold of him as waters a tempest stealeth him in the night the east-wind carrieth him away and he departeth and as a storm burleth him out of his place For God shall cast upon him and not spare he would fain flee out of his hand All this time that God beareth with you and waits for your repentance he is whetting his sword and bending his bow and preparing for you the instruments of death and the longer the sword is whetting the sharper it will be and give the more deadly wound when it strikes you Ps 7.10 11 12 God is angry with the wicked every day if he turn not he will whet his sword he hath bent his bow and made it ready he hath also prepared for him the instruments of death he ordaineth his arrows against his persecutors Plea 9. It brings us in great profit to go and inform against these men and their Meetings and therefore being in straits and having need of Money we take up this trade of Informing for thereby a third part of all fines will come into our Purses Ans 1. If the work you went about were so good yet it is sordid and sinful to go about such an employment from a covetous principle Teaching the Word of God is a good work and judging the causes between man and man is a good work yet when a man 's great end in these works is to get Money they become sinful Mic. 3.8.11 I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord to declare unto Jacob his transgression and Israel his sin The heads thereof judge for reward and the Priests thereof teach for hire and the Prophets thereof divine for Money 2. Judas gained thirty pieces of silver by betraying of Christ but what good did his Money do him when his Conscience was awakened and made sensible of his sin his Money was a trouble to him he was weary of it and threw it away and hanged himself Matt. 27.5 He cast down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed and hanged himself When Balaam was sent for to Balack to curse Israel and had a great reward proffered him the love of the wages of unrighteousness prevailed with him to go but what befel him in the way An Angel met him with a drawn sword and would have slain him had not the Ass turned out of the way Numb 22.32 33. And God to shew to Balaam his folly and madness gave the Ass a voice to rebuke him 2 Pet. 2.15 16 which have forsaken the right way and gone astray following the way of Balaam the Son of Bozor who loved the wages of unrighteousness but was rebuked for his iniquity The dumb Ass speaking with mans voice sorbade the madness of the Prophet They that out of love to the wages of unrighteousness will curse the Israel of God are little better than mad-men The very beasts had they power to speak would cry out of and rebuke the iniquity of these men 3. If this practise of yours be so sinful as hath been proved then what you gain in this kind is got with the loss of your Souls and if you could gain the whole world and should lose your souls you would be miserable for ever Mark 8.36 What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own Soul 4. Consider what the Scripture saith of unrighteous men and the gain they make by their unrighteous practises And I leave it to your Conscience to judge whether to get riches by causing men to be punished for praying to God and hearing his Word be not to get them unrighteously 1. All that is gained unrighteously is got with the loss of the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 9.6 Know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God 2. All that is gotten unrighteously will last but a little while Jer. 17.11 He that getteth riches and not by right shall leave them in the midst of his days and in the end shall be a sool 3. The riches you get this way will eat your flesh as it were fire the remembrance of these things in the other world will torment your Conscience as much as fire does your flesh Jam. 5.3 4. Your gold and silver is cankered and the rust of them shall witness against you and shall eat your flesh as it were fire ye have heaped up treasure against the last days Behold the bire of the labourers which have reaped down your fields which is of you kept back by fraud cryeth and the crys of them that reaped are entred into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth If the hire of a labouring man kept back by fraud cryeth and the cry entereth into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth how much more do the estates of those Ministers who have been Labourers in God's vineyard which have been by you taken away by force and violence cry unto the Lord and their crys enter into the ears of the Lord of Hosts And if the rust of the estates of covetous men who heap up Money and do no good with it will be a witness against them and will eat their flesh like fire then what a witness will all those goods be against you at the day of Judgment which you have caused to be taken away from the servants of God and how will the remembrance thereof vex and torment your Consciences even as if your flesh were continually burning in the fire Plea 10. We abhor those men that turn Informers for filthy lucre sake and look upon them as vile persons It is zeal for the glory of God and the good of the Church that makes us prosecute these men I purpose to give my part of the fines to the poor and to charitable uses therefore I hope I am praise-worthy Ans 1. Suppose it be zeal that carries you out to prosecute these men yet you may be guilty of persecution When the Apostle Paul made havock of the Church of Christ and haled the members of it to Prison he did not act for gain or preferment but out of zeal yet he acknowledgeth himself a persecutor and injurious though what he did proceeded out of a blind zeal Phil. 3.6 Concerning zeal persecuting the Church Act. 26.9 I verily thought with my self I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth And though he did nothing against the members of Christ but what he thought to be his duty yet when he was better instructed he called himself the chief of sinners for persecuting of Jesus Christ 2. An indiscreet zeal may carry a man out not only to do that which is prejudicial to himself but may bring Judgments upon the Kingdom where he lives Saul slaying the Gibeonites out of zeal to the children of Israel and Judah brought a famine which is a sore Judgment that continued a long time in the Land even three years 2 Sam. 21.1 2 Then there was a
the Nobles did not restrain them what these men did is laid to the Charge of the Nobles And Nehemiah tells them they brought Wrath upon Israel by prophaning the Sabbath 3. If you carry it toward those men as though they were righteous acquiting them when complaints and appeals are made to you or rewarding them as though they had done well when their iniquity and folly is manifest and hateful almost to all men you will lose your respect among the People Prov. 24.24 25. He that saith to the Wicked thou art Righteous him shall the People Curse Nations shall abhor him But to them that rebuke him shall be delight and a good Blessing 4. They are usually the basest of men that take upon them this imployment men of a very ill same in the Place where they live if their conversations were Looked into there are such Blots upon some of them as would make them abhorred of all sober men And if such men be exalted countenanced and rewarded it will cause Wickedness and Wicked Persons to abound in the Nation Prov. 12.18 The Wicked walk on every side when the vilest persons are exalted If you harken to the Lying informations these men bring against innocent Persons it will not only incourage them but others also to Tread in their Steps Prov. 29.11 If a ruler hearken unto lyes all his Servants are Wicked But if you would shew your selves angry with them for Backbiting and Slandring those that are peaceable you would soon free your selves from the Trouble of these men and the Nation also Prov. 15.23 The North Wind driveth away Rain so doth an angry Countenance a backbiting tongue 2. My humble request to you is that you would not punish any of the Ministers or other Servants of Christ when no other Crime is or can be proved against them but their meeting together to pray to God in the name of Christ or to preach and hear his holy Word The advice which Gamaliel gave the rulers of the Jews when the Apostles were brought before the Council for Preaching after they had received strict Charge to forbear teaching the People was wise and seasonable advice I humbly offer the same to you Act. 5.38 39. Refrain from these men and let them alone for if this Council or this Work be of men it will come to nought but if it be of God ye cannot overthrough it lest happily ye be found even to sight against God That this advice may be more effectual I humbly intreat you to consider 1. What a strict charge the Lord Jesus hath given his Ministers to preach his word He chargeth them three times as they love him to feed his Sheep and his Lambs John 21.15 16 17. Jesus said to Simon Peter Simon Son of Jonas Lovest thou me more than those Feed my Lambs Lovest thou me Feed my Sheep Lovest thou me Feed my Sheep He chargeth them as they will answer the neglect thereof at the day of Judgment to preach the word in season and out of season 2 Tim. 4.1 2. I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and dead at his appearing Preach the word be instant in season and out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all patience and long suffering He hath laid it upon them as a necessary duty to Preach the Gospel and pronounces a Wo against them that neglect it 1 Cor. 9.16 Necessity is laid upon me Yea Wo unto me if I Preach not the Gospel Will ye forbid will punish these men for doing that for which they have such a strict command from Jesus Christ 2. Consider what a high respect and dear love the Lord Jesus beareth to all those that hear his word and do it He loveth and honoureth them as he loved and honoured his Mother and his Brethren Luk. 8.20 21. And it was told him by certain that said Thy Mother and thy Brethren stand without desiring to see thee And he answered and said my Mother and my Brethren are these which hear the word of God and do it If the Virgin Mary the Mother of Christ were now upon the earth you would offer no injury to her you would not disturb her at her devotion you would not punish her for hearing the word of God but shew all respect to her You should be as unwilling to offer any violence or suffer any wrong to be done to those that hear and do the word of God as you would to the Mother and Brethren of Christ For he loveth and respecteth them that hear and do Gods word as he did his Mother and his Brethren 3. Remember what a charge the Lord hath given you not to touch his anoynted and do his prophers no harm Ps 105.15 Touch not mine anointed and do my Prophets no harm This charge is given in an especial manner to Rulers and Governors as appears from the foregoing words He reproved Kings for their sakes saying Touch not mine anointed and do my prophets no harm By his anointed whom he would not have you touch Fiscator and several other interpreters understand Vnctos donis Spiritus Sancti Such as are anointed with the gifts and graces of the Spirit The pouring out of the Spirit is called an Unction and the anoynting 1 John 2.20 27. Prophets were of two sorts first such as had an extraordinary call and could foretel things to come Secondly as were qualified and called to teach and instruct the people though they had no extraordinary gifts 1 Cor. 14.3 He that Prophesieth speaketh unto men to edisication and exhortation and confort And so the word prophet is used Math. 10.41 for a Minister of the Gospel Now though this charge of not touching his anoynted and doing his prophets no harm was primarily given to those rulers where Ahraham and his posterity sojourned yet it equally concerneth all rulers in all ages not to touch those he hath anointed with his holy Spirit and to do no harm to any of his Ministers 4. Let it be considered that Praying and Preaching are means appointed by God for the saving mens souls Prayer is a means of obtaining salvation Rom. 10.13 Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved Amos. 5.4 Thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel Seek ye me and ye shall live And the Preaching the Gospel is a special means for obtaining salvation Rom. 1.16 I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth Yea even that Preaching which the world derides and counts Foolishness God blesseth it to the saving of Souls 1 Cor. 1.21 After that in the Wisdom of God the World by wisdom knew not God it pleased God by the foolishness of Preaching to save them that believe And the saving of Souls from hell torments is a work of the greatest moment in the whole world The Eternal Son of God became man and humbled himself to death to
the painful accursed death of the Cross to save lost Souls 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners And great care should be used that we do not hinder the obtaining that for which Christ shed his precious blood The greatest good we can do for any man is to further and the greatest hurt is to hinder his Salvation 5. It is recorded to the honour of Hezekiah that he was an encourager of all that did faithfully dispence the word of God 2 Chr. 30.22 Hezekiah speak comfortably to all the Levites that taught the good knowledge of the Lord. And as he did incourage the Ministers of Gods word so God did wonderfully bless him 2 Chr. 31.30 Hezekiah prospered in all his works And it is recorded of Herod as one of his chief sins that he imprisoned one of Gods Ministers Luk 3.19 20. But Herod the Tetrarch being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philips wife and for all the evils which Herod had done Added this above all that he shut up John in prison Herod was guilty of many evils but this is noted as the principal as that which was above all the rest that he shut up John in prison And as it is a great sin to afflict the Ministers and servants of Christ so it is usally followed with a sore judgment Herod who stretched forth his hand to vex certain of the Church soon after dyed in a miserable manner being eaten up of Worms Act. 12.1 2 3 23. Pharaoh who oppressed Israel and would not let them go to serve the Lord in the wilderness was followed with one plague after another till he was destroyed 6. Rulers ought not to be a terrour to such as do good works but to encourage and protect them Rulers are not a terrour to good works but to the evill Wilt thou then not be affraid of the power do that which is good and thou shall have praise of the same Preaching of the Gospel whereby men may be saved and praying to God in the name of Christ are good works and therefore rulers ought not to be a terrour to any man for these works 7. We are taught and Commanded by our Lord Jesus Christ to pray to the Lord to send forth labourers into his Vineyard because the harvest is great and the labourers are but few Then said he to his disciples The harvest truly is plentious but the labourers are but few Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that he will send forth labourers into his harvest To pray for labourers and when God hath sent them forth to molest and trouble them for labouring is to contradict our prayers Let the Ignorance Atheism Profaneness the growth of Errour and the small number of Preachers that are found in the Faith and of an holy conversation be considered and laid to heart and it will evidently appear that there is great need of prayer for more Labourers and of encouraging those that are sent forth and of not suppressing any that are faithful peaceable and diligent in the Work of the Lord. Obj. 1. If it be replyed These informers accuse these Ministers that they keep seditious Conventicles and are ready to give oath of it and as such we are obliged by the Law to suppress them An. 1. Rulers ought to be wise as an Angel of God to discern good from evil 2. Sam. 14 17. As an Angel of God so is my Lord the King to descern good and bad And that is no hard matter in the Noon day of the Gospel to distinguish between Religion and sedition When Job was a Ruler among his People he was diligent to search out the truth of all causes that came before him and when he found any Wicked man oppressing the righteous he was so far from rewarding him that he plucked the Spoil out of his Teeth and if he held it fast and would not let it go he break his Jaws rather than suffer him to hold his Spoils Job 29.16 17. The Cause which I knew not I searched out I break the Jaws of the wicked and pulled the Spoil out of his Teeth 2. These Ministers as was hinted before do abhor seditious Conventicles and are falsly accused by these Informers and Magistrates should be slow to believe their false accusations and not proceed to Act against them till they have searched into the truth of these informations and that for several reasons as 1. The great enmity that is in the heart of the Wicked against Righteous men which makes them eager to do them all the Mischief they can The Scripture speaks so frequently and so fully of this that I shall need to say the less Prov. 4.16 They sleep not except they have done Mischief and their Sleep is taken away unless they cause some to fall Ps 37.19 32. The Wicked plotteth against the just and gnasheth upon him with his Teeth The Wicked watcheth the Righteous and seeketh to slay him 2. They are under a temptation of gain and the Love of Mony is the Root of all evil and therefore it is no wonder if they prove false accusers of them against whom they have a great enmity and by accusing of whom they make a great advantage 3. The rule that is given to Magistrates in the word of God is not to proceed to Punishment upon reports till they have made diligent search and have certain proof of the truth of the fact Deut. 13.13 14 15. If thou shalt hear say Then shalt thou enquire and make search and ask diligently and behold if it be truth and the thing certain that such abomination is wrought among you 3. These Ministers and those that assemble with them are oftentimes judged and sentence passed upon them for to take away their Goods before they have been heard or had their accusers Face to Face yea sometimes before they know who it is that hath accused them and this seemeth to me to be against the Light and Law of Nature which teacheth that a man ought not to be condemned till he hath had his accusers face to face and hath had Licence to answer for himself The Romans had no other Light to regulate them in their judicial proceedings but the Light of Nature yet they observed this Rule not to pass sentence upon a man till he had his accusers face to face and had liberty to answer for himself Act. 15.16 It is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to dy before he that is accused hath the accusers face to face and have Liberty to answer for himself concerning the Crime laid against him If the Romans which were Heathens how much more should Christian Magistrates forbear condemning any man till he hath seen his accusers heard his accusation and been Permitted to make his own defence The name of Pilat is odious in the Christian World and will be to all generations for Condemning our Lord
could make up the loss of an hundred Talents to Amaziah is he not able to give you much more than an hundred pounds The blessing of the Lord maketh Rich and he addeth no sorrow with it Prov. 10.12 The Lord can by his blessing make up your loss by prospering you in your callings by casting an Inheritance upon you by the death of Friends by keeping off expensive sicknesses or by giving it to your Posterity and several other ways 3. If for saving an hundred pounds you will sin against God and your own Consciences God can take away more than that suddenly from you Either by Fire or by losses at Sea or decay of Trade or miscarrying of Debtors or by expensive sicknesses or giving you riotous Children or leting you fall into the hand of the Extortioner or divers other ways Or else God can send such trouble upon your Consciences that your Estate shall do you no good but you shall wish an hundred times that you had suffered the loss of all that you have rather than to have sinned against your Conscience What good did Francis Spira his estate do him after he had sinned against his Conscience to preserve his Estate 4. There are more material questions to be asked in this Case than what you should do to prevent the loss of an hundred pounds as What you should do to keep a good Conscience For a good Conscience is more worth than all the world What you should do that you may not sin against God For a man should choose the greatest loss before the least sin What account you shall be able to give of your actions at the day of Judgment For that is the rule we are to walk by So speak ye and so do ye as they that shall be judged by the Law of Liberty Jam. 2 12. We should under go any loss rather than do any action which we cannot give an account of at the day of judgment 5. Give me leave to put you in mind of Balaam what he said what he did and what befel him when he was sent for to curse Israel and to hint something from his example in reference to the Informers that come to you to break up the Assemblies of these men 1. Balaam was sent for by a King and the Messengers that came on the Errand of Balack King of Moab to invite Balaam to Curse Israel were Honourable Persons the Princes of Moab yet he would not go with them till he had consulted with God whether it were his will that he should go with these men and he made them tarry a Night before he gave them their answer and then understanding that it was the will of God that he should not go he resolved not to go with them though sent for by a King Num 22.7 8 12 13 14. 2. The Princes of Moab brought great rewards to give to Balaam v. 9. they made him great profers and Promises if he would go with them v. 16 17 Thus saith Balaam Let nothing I pray thee hinder thee from coming unto me for I will promote thee to great Honour and I will do whatsoever thou saist unto me Come therefore I pray thee and Curse me this People Here are great intreaties in the name of a King Come I pray thee Let nothing I pray thee hinder thee from coming And great promises of great Promotion and giving all that he would ask But what said Balaam till God gave him leave they could not get him to go though Balack would have given him his House and no doubt but Balacks house was a large one fit for a King as full of Silver and Gold as it could hold v. 18. And Balaam answered the Servants of Balaek If Balack would give me his house full of Silver and Gold I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God to do more or less 3. When Balaam was prevailed with to go thinking he had got Leave from God the Angel of God met him holding a drawn Sword in his hand and would have Slain him had not the Asse espyed the Angel and turned out of the way v. 22.23 32 33. 4. When Balaam did go to Balack he did not Curse Israel at all but blessed them though he angred Balack and lost all his preferments thereby Num. 24.10 15. And Balacks anger was kindled against Balaam and he smote his hands together and said I called thee to curse mine enemies and behold thou hast altogether blessed them these three times therefore now flee to thy place I thought to promote thee to great Honour but the Lord hath kept thee back from honour These things did Balaam when he was sent for to curse Israel Here let it be considered 1. Whether our righteousness must not exceed the righteousness of Balaam if we enter into the Kingdom of Heaven seeing he lived and died a South-sayer Josh 13.22 And though he had the gift of Prophesie he is stiled a mad Propher and branded with loving the ways of unrighteousness 2. Whether the people of God in these days be not as dear to him as the people of Israel were of old 3. Whether malè facere be not as had as malè dicere whether to afflict and hurt in deeds be not as had as to hurt in words seeing the curse causless shall not come Prov. 26.2 And sure there is no Divination against Jacob nor Inchantment against Israel These things premised I would crave leave to advise you 1. When these Informers come to you to punish the Ministers of the Gospel for Preaching Gods Word or to break up their Meetings you should do well to ask Counsel of God whether it be his will you should go with these men and do what they would have you do and make them wait your leisure till you be satisfied in your Conscience of the lawfulness thereof Balaam did thus though he was sent for by a King though Princes came to him he would not go till he had advised with God Those Men that come to you are usually mean and beggar'y persons and therefore they may well tarry your leisure I have wondred at the haste of some men who as is reported have left all yea the service of God to follow these men This is far short of Balaam 2. If you be not satisfied that it is the Will of God that you should go with these men whatever entreaties they use whatever arguments they lay before you go not with them Balaam resused to go with the Princes of Moab though entreated though profer'd great rewards when it was against the Will of God These men bring no reward but shame and reproach and the ill will of your neighbours and yet how forward are many to go with them 3. If upon serious consideration you think you may lawfully go with these men take heed you be not deceived and take heed to your spirits that you go with a right Spirit Balaam thought he had gotten leave from God to go