their own and Subjects satisfaction This concerns the whole Congregation and is to be done not only by the Clergy but Laity not only Priest but People not only Men but Women nor only they that are grown up but Children Out of the mouth of Babes and Sucklings God thus hath his praise perfected and in his Temple when met for Gods worship every one must speak for his Honour of such as have received the Faith of the Gospel And this we are led unto by the eminent Examples of Angels and Saints who served and pleased God that Church triumphant in Heaven Thus when we knew not where we were before the foundations of the Earth were laid every Angel signified his consent and delight he had in the enjoyment of God Job 38.7 All those Morning Stars sang together and all the Sons of God shouted for joy No Dignity exempted any of those from Duty They all sang together they all shouted together for joy And the multitude of that heavenly Host that appeared to the Shepheards commended this practice to every particular Saint it being observed and recorded for an imitation that every one was praising God and saying Glory be to God on high on earth peace good will towards men Luke 2.13 14. And the Vision that St. John recorded that glorious Divine that now is equal if not above Angels is for direction and imitation of us and others to the end of the World and what he heard Revel 5.11 12 13. And I beheld and heard the voice of many Angels round about the Throne and the Beasts and the Elders and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand and thousand of thousands crying with a loud voice Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power c. and every Creature which is in Heaven heard I saying Blessing Honour Glory and Power c. Certainly this was recorded to instruct us that this ought to be the duty of every particular Saint on Earth which does the work of every Saint and Angel in Heaven That every man of Christs Temple below as well as of that above should speak to his Honour set forth his Praise And thus they thought it and practiced the Apostles and Disciples of Christ in their first meeting who made confession of their Faith in that Article of the Resurrection Luke 24.33 34. not only the Eleven but they that were with them were saying The Lord is risen indeed and hath appeared to Simon The Disciples come from Emmaus were they silent They told what things were done in the way and how he was known by breaking of Bread And thus they continued speaking till Christ came among them Acts 13.2 3. the Church met together at Antioch and there we find them met at their Liturgy there was a publick ministration they all agreed in That ministring was not touching the People then it would have been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 something done for Gods honour and service and it was Fasting and Praying To instance in one more 1 Cor. 14.24 they were all Prophesying In their holy Assemblies at Corinth the Apostle St. Paul supposeth that there was a business they were all imployed in it is set forth in the word Prophesying what can we in reason understand by that word Sure it was not Preaching for if all were preaching who could be hearing It was not fore-telling things to come this was given about that time to some extraordinarily upon the plentiful effusion of the Spirit but not commonly or generally to every Believer It was not extatical effusion from gifts of Tongue given to all to speak that was not given to all and the Unbeliever if he upon his coming in had found them all thus busied would have accounted them mad but Laity and Clergy Women as well as men might be imployed in this Prophesying But this work every Believer was busie about it must be therefore some open and plain declaration either of some Article or Articles of Religion or some acknowledgment of the divine Perfections or some speaking freely in praising of God or praying unto him for they were publickly ministring to the Lord they were falling down and worshipping him as the Apostle supposeth that being convinced by the joynt actual concurrence of every Believer the Vnbeliever coming in would fall down and worship God with them saying of a truth God was in the midst of them He supposeth it done by the Believers and Saints at Corinth what he desired might be done by the Saints at Jerusalem that they did not decline their Assembling themselves together for Religious purposes nor in their Assembling did any one decline the profession of his Faith which every one was to hold fast without wavering In probability there was some Liturgy they agreed in at Corinth as there was among the Believers at Jerusalem and at Antioch and Alexandria and every Believer accounted himself obliged to give his attendance on it and joynt concurrence with it to the honour and worship of God Every one offered a Sacrifice not private or mental which was not discernable by man but vocal the fruit of his lips and Unbeliever might sensibly perceive it and this tended to the service of God though external and well they were assured that with such Sacrifices which was every Christians duty to offer when they were offered God was well pleased Thus every Believer by the practice of the Church of Christ in purest times is led to profession of Faith and I appeal to any mans Reason or Experience to determine if he be a Christian whether upon a wilful omission of this Duty any true Believer can rest satisfied For if I be a sincere Believer I can never satisfie my self unless as I owe so I give all unto Gods glory The Hypocrite will to his power keep back something but the Christian which is sincerely holy will give all He knows and considers that his Body is created redeemed sanctified and shall be glorified to present them a living sacrifice to God is but reasonable service That it is not a gift but a debt he owes and is bound to pay that as with his Soul he is to know God and love him so he is to offer his Tongue to praise God and his Body to worship him But if I be diligent in the Profession of my Faith I forthwith feel a content and satisfaction attending and accompanying my holy imployments and a delightful pleasantness spreads it self over my Soul while my Body is busied in religious exercises It s the most relishing meat and drink for Gods Children thus to do their Fathers will and these Services are their greatest freedom Those that are beloved of God and after his own heart feel their Souls satisfied as with marrow and fatness while their Mouths freely praise him with joyful lips No such full content as in those exercises of Godliness which hath the greatest profession of delight in this life
themselves by their operations Love is practical and works where seated a care of keeping Commandements Hope is purifying He that hath hope of heaven is heavenly and purifieth himself as God is pure And Faith it self works by Love and Love by Obedience This then is that precious Faith we should contend for as becometh Saints In this we should strive to continue in grounded and setled and not be moved away from the Hope of the Gospel All these things are premised that the Reader may easily conclude what we plainly understand by that Faith which the Ruler hath religiously injoyned and the Subject is bound willingly to maintain namely a sincere and a firm purpose of mind of adhering and conforming to the Rules of the Gospel by a total Obedience He that Believes thus shall not be ashamed when Faith makes him have respect to all Evangelical Commandments SECT II. Of this Faith there must be Profession NAturally we are to look of our selves as related to Society so that of our internal Piety there must be an external signification intending not only Gods glory by setling our private Peace but by promoting our Neighbours good and edification So that as care must be had by us of Religion so of its Exercise and as of Faith so of Profession of Faith And this is required by the Gospel evidently when it is injoyn'd That Christ be confessed before men that all that by Baptism are consecrated to the obedience of the Gospel hold fast the Profession of their faith without wavering 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sometimes rendered Confession sometimes Profession in that they agree either of them it is frankly and openly to declare what we hold in matters of Religion to justifie and bear witness to any Truth of the Gospel be they either supernatural or natural Priviledges or Mercies promised or Services or Duties injoyn'd yea the offering the sacrifice of Praise to God continually that is the fruit of our Lips is explained by an Holy Author to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 13.15 a giving thanks or confessing to his Name Profession of Faith we understand to be a voluntary and open declaring amidst the Society in which incorporated of our free and full consent in believing the Gospel not only the Mercies promised but Duties injoyn'd and that we assent to them all not only as true and infallible but also as good and comfortable and a declaring of our desires study and care to observe them accordingly An express signifying of Profession of Faith is a declaring of our resolution of Evangelical Obedience our assenting and adhering to the right Exercise of true Religion as prescribed in the Gospel The work of Faith and Religion is not wholly to be done within but many externals are necessary and essential for constituting a visible Church she is to be a light upon an Hill Every Believer is to shine as lights in the World in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation and that can only discern Externals Therefore the Believers outward carriage and deportment and converse must be so ordered like lights to the inlightning and warming the blind and benummed World Outwardly we are to manage our selves as we may direct strengthen and comfort our Neighbour Poverty of spirit hungring and thirsting after Righteousness Purity of heart c. These are Duties of the first rank and primarily to be taken care of to present our selves so as to be approved by our God These ought ye to have done and not to have left the other undone For there be many external Duties necessary for Communion amidst the society of the Faithful that must not be omitted and refused as Preaching and hearing the Word Administring and receiving the Sacraments meeting and assembling together in those Assemblies mutual exhortations and provocation to good Works confession of Sins of Thanks declared resolutions as well as desires of Holiness and other Duties all comprehended in profession of Faith These are all External yea are all Gospel Duties and have been and will be used in the Church of Christ Thus the Church of God among the Jews that met at the Ark and Temple in Jerusalem The Tribes went up for the Testimony of Israel to give thanks to the Name of the Lord and these were External Thus the Church of Christ united under the faith of the Gospel had their Praying preaching the new Law singing of Hymns while Christ continued on Earth amongst them And when gone up to Heaven they continued in Assembling and breaking of Bread and Prayers They had their Liturgies and publick Administrations not only in works of Charity but works of Piety They had their sacrifices of Praise the fruit of their lips and giving thanks to the Name of the Lord. They had their prophesying at Church at Corinth and what was to be done by the Church on Earth They had Visions of the Examples to lead them from the Angels both in Earth and Heaven Neither can a visible Church or Society think to be continued without open profession and declaration And in the Gospel They that worshipped God in their spirits were ready to bow their knees to him They that knew God made their acknowledgment They that believed in their heart for their Righteousness made confession with their mouths to help on their own and others salvation Thus by Presidents of Saints on Earth and Angels in Heaven the Gospel of Christ doth lead his Church as the Law of Nature directs it not only to Religion but its exercise nor the Gospel only to Faith but the profession of Faith that every Member united to that visible Society of Believers must hold the profession of his Faith without wavering And there 's the next particular The injunction of what both Nature and the Gospel directs us unto is not unlawful but necessary and both require that of our Faith we should make Profession and it is very good that Rulers from their Subjects require the same SECT III. Every particular Believing Subject ought to be injoyn'd to this open profession of Faith PRofession of Faith is an essential of the visible Church and none can be concluded in the Judgment of men of the visible Church that doth not make profession of Faith The visible Church is not a Company but a Society and what makes the Society a Church is profession of Faith Every one is to evidence himself of this Society if he will claim right to the Priviledges of a Society he must perform the offices and duties and be diligent in the Ministration of the Society A Minister may gather a Company but he cannot gather a Church nor make them to be so by his own single confession Every man that will approve himself of the Church must not only give a tacit but an express consent by an open Profession This is necessary for constituting every man in Church-membership and this is rationally required and injoyn'd of Christian Governours to their Believing Subjects for
wilfully what can be looked for but Judgment and fiery Indignation If he that despised the publick Law and polity of Moses was judged worthy of Death of how much sorer punishment shall he be thought worthy that wilfully despiseth those Rules that are commanded by the Gospel of Christ If any man draw back wilfully from his Profession when the soul of the Apostle took none what pleasure can the soul of Christ take in him And now my dear Country-men that have been too long Dissenters who have stood at distance and separated from us I humbly beseech you in the Name of the Lord Jesus that you would consider That by your Baptisme you have been dedicated to the Obedience of the Faith of which you have made profession And by the Laws of the Gospel you are bound to submit to the Laws of the Land prescribed for the exercise of Piety And that wilful Omission or Recusancy of Conformity to these Laws is an heinous Sin and a dangerous Disobedience A Transgression against the first and greatest Commandement against a comprehensive Law of Piety It is a sin not far off from a dangerous Apostacy We are sure it is an accursed Schisme It 's a sin of direful fruits to them within us of dreadful consequences to them without us It 's probably an introduction and advance to Popery in the midst of us It 's a sin displeasing to the Spirit of Grace and Christ I would have so much charity to perswade my self that many of you have been drawn into this sin ignorantly through Vnbelief It is not my intent to write these things to shame you but as beloved in meekness to warn you Knowing all these Terrours I would perswade you as men soberly to consider the fearful dangers of this Sin and to return to a right mind and practice that which is warrantable and to bend your selves to the peace of the Church and Vnity in the Worship of God Mark them that have caused Divisions and hereafter avoid them Let us follow Peace with all Believers and the practice of Holiness that we may come at last together to the sight of God And for you that have not separated from us but have associated with us in the Faith of the Gospel go on as Just Ones should to live the life of Faith of which you have made profession Be not of those that draw back to perdition but of those that believe to the saving of your souls Be not led away with the Errour of the wicked to fall from your stedfastness Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but reprove them Come not into their secrets nor nigh their Habitations Do not fawningly flatter or countenance them for thy connivance and lenity will strengthen them Blow not the coals of these Sinners least thou be consumed with the flames of their wild fire Let this be our main design to banish all Factions and Schismes which this day are the shame and to bring back that Vniformity in the Worship of God which was once this Nations glory Let 's mind those things which tend to peace and unity in Divine Service whereby we may best edifie one another Let us as Brethren be stedfast and unmovable abounding in this work of our God forasmuch as we know our labour is not in vain in the Lord. But if any wilfully fall back and obstinately continue in this sin let such take notice That Judgments are justly prepared for Scorners and stripes for the backs of Fools Proposition III. The threatning and determining of Punishments against such wilful Transgressors is according to the dictates of Human Reason and the constant practice of the Church of God THE Transgressor we mean is the Recusant who wilfully omits to conform to those Canons and Forms prescribed and ordered in our Liturgy which are agreeable to the Rules of the Gospel And this wilful Omission in every Baptized Subject how slight of trivial soever it may seem to be I soberly and deliberately affirm and maintain to be a worse sin than Murther Theft Adultery or any other single sin of Commission whereby the prohibitive Rule of Charity is transgressed which is to be detested and avoided by every Believing person who would live comfortably in any Believing Society For it being a Transgression of the first and greatest and most comprehensive Law of Piety it must be a greater sin than that which transgresseth a particular prohibitive Law that concerns Charity that sin being a wilful aversion from that way that directly leads to that full content and happiness which ought to be intended And this we cannot but advisedly conclude when this sin for the most part as we may sensibly perceive is attended with those circumstances which must aggravate the Crime exceedingly For when we observe such Transgressors run into this sin not inconsiderately through surprizal but deliberately and electively not modestly but impudently not uncertainly or contingently but constantly and obstinately when they strive to be guilty of these Abominations contrary to Vows and Resolutions and when we confider the dreadful consequences what can we do less than without rashness conclude That such are heinous Transgressors and dangerously Disobedient And when such Transgressors are very rarely converted or amended by monitions or perswasions it is but reasonable and necessary that Religious Governours if it can be should restrain them by the threatning and predetermination of Punishments For when Governours are to be set over Societies to promote their publick good and happiness it is just and reasonable not only by proposing Rewards they should encourage their People to Religious and Vertuous Duties which will render them happy and comfortable but also by threatning and predetermining of Punishments to restrain and deter them from evil and enormous Actions which will render their lives wretched and miserable They mistake dangerously and wander no little out of the way who make it their work to defame the threatning and determining of Punishments with the odious slander of Malice and Bitterness when these things are evidences of the Rulers Love and Care who are set over a People by God to be a Terrour and affright the People from doing Evil by such manifest Determinations If Persons were so well disposed that they would be perswaded to be good by Counsels or Monitions or vvould be so ingenious as to be drawn to Religious and Vertuous Actions by proposal of Rewards then my mercy is such as I would have threatning and determination of Punishments forborn But when we see Men are led by Sense and Custome more than Reason and are generally vain in their Imaginations disorderly in their Affections wild and precipitantly irregular in their Actions it is needful to limit and circumscribe this their beastly Exorbitancy with an Hedge of Thorns and to bound them with a Fence of Punishments When foolishness is bound up in most mens childish hearts that incline them to extravagancy it is but the fatherly love and care