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A80730 Two sermons preached at Christ-Church in the city of Dublin, before the honourable the General Convenion of Ireland. The first on Prov.11.14 at the first meeting of the said convention, March 2. 1659. The second on Jude v.19. at a publique fast appointed by the said convention, March 9. 1659. By Sem Coxe, Minister of the gospel and pastor at St. Katherines in Dublin. Coxe, Sem.; Ireland. Parliament. 1660 (1660) Wing C6726; Thomason E1026_21; ESTC R208752 50,638 72

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thousands Use 2. Hence there ariseth just ground of humiliation before the Lord this day in that this error of separation from the Church of Christ is so overspred these dominions and over this island particularly I told you in the begining of my discourse that this is the Achan the Pest of our lands and that I would clear that unto you which I shall now do but with much brevity that so our hearts may be the more deeply humbled in the presence of God The abomination of this sin of separating from the Church and Ordinances of Christ will appear in these four particulars 1 Separation is the most fruitfull sin of many others it is a very comprehensive evil the womb out of which issues many prodigious monsters If I should begin to shew its rise and growth it may be it would prove offensive to some here present and it would be beside my purpose Observe therefore onely its of spring hence arise many of the heresies and abominations that are how among us we are pestered with Anabaptists Seekers Quakers and the like sorts of vipers but they all began in Separation Men first run out of the Church and then they may be of any religion they please Our late experience doth abundantly confirm this And how indeed should it be otherwise when men forsake the true Church what hindreth but they may erect any Church that they shall devise The fruitfulness of it maketh it the fouler sin 2 Separation is a sin that many of Gods own people as we do conceive in the judgment of charity are smutted and tainted with And the sins of Gods children are aggravated by many more circumstances than the sins of other men are Israel hath sinned was that which God affirmeth to Joshua as a great ground of humiliation Chap. 7. 11. The children of God sin against greater outward light and means of grace than others do they sin against the inward light of the spirit of God they sin against greater mercies than others do they sin against covenants vows and strong resolutions This makes their sin of separation much the greater and more to be lamented in the presence of God it is the sin his own people 3 Separation is a greater sin by far than otherwise it would be in this respect because it is maintained countenanced and preached up as if it were no sin at all but a duty This kind withdrawing from Church and Ordinances is held forth as a great gospel truth by many Satans temptation was the more dangerous and the womans transgression the greater when the forbidden fruit was eaten of under the shew and appearance of good Gen. 3. 5 6. It is a great sin to call that good that is evil in it self God cannot abide it when men are so stupid as to call darkness light This also calleth for mourning 4 Separation is that leaven which leaveneth the whole lump it is that canker or gangren that will if God prevent it not eat out the heart of all goodness as the Apostle speaketh of the doctrine of Hymeneus and Philetus 2 Tim. 2. 17. It is indeed a dangerous sign of a carnal man though he may be cloathed in a religious habit The Apostle propoundeth this question to those that studied to make a rent at Corinth and to those that were led by them 1 Cor. 3. 3 4. Are ye not carnal As if he had said I much suspect your grace and doubt that you are persons carnal sensual having not the spirit because ye run thus into separations and divisions in the Church We have now done with the second use Use 3. If separation be such an old dangerous spreading and contaminating evil then here is exhortation in two branches I. If this be so great an evil then I beg that you flie separation and also those that would entice you to it take heed of being drawn from that Church in which you have been born and brought up for God Meddle you not with them that are given to change their Church It becometh us all to be of Davids mind who professeth Psal 119. 113. I hate vain thoughts It is in the original more emphatical ramos or summitates arborum I hate to be like the upper branches of a tree that are bowed and shaken with every wind to be a weather-cock in religion without ballast changing and turning with every turn of the times O this is an hateful thing indeed Now if you would be preserved from this evil that you may not be seduced into separation I shal prescribe unto you five helps which are all laid down by the Apostle Jude in the two verses that do succeed our Text viz. Verse 20. 21. But ye beloved building up your selves on your most holy faith praying in the holy Ghost keep your selves in the love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life 1 He that would be kept from separation must lay a good foundation of faith in his heart This is cleerly hinted in these words Building up your selves in your most holy faith there must first be a foundation laid before we can rear a building Faith is this foundation to build upon building on your faith Faith in Christ Jesus will keep a man from seduction Vpon this rock saith our Savour Mat. 16 18. viz. upon my self whom thou hast now confessed I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it neither Satan nor seducers shall be able to lead him from the church who hath true faith fixed upon Christ faith will conquer 2 When you have digged deep and are come to the foundation you must build upon it unto perfection Building up your selves on your most holy faith He that would stand against wind and weather and not be shaken and rent from the church must be sure to build upon the foundation and upon that onely If a man build partly upon the foundation and partly beside it his building will settle and fall or if a man leave earth and rubish between the foundation and the building the fabrick will come to naught The cause why the house stood when the rain descended and the flouds came and the windes blew and beat upon it was because it was founded upon a rock Mat. 7. 24. 25. On the otherside The cause why the other house stood not but fell when the rain descended and the flouds came and the winds blew and beat upon it was because it was built upon the sand and not upon the foundation Verse 26. 27. The more that a man laboureth for perfection of faith to be made compleat in Christ the more shall he be kept from being a Separatist 3 You must pray fervently for your perfeverance in church-state and fellowship Praying in the holy Ghost that is in the strength of the spirit of God by his motion and inspiration and not with the mouth onely as hypocrites use to do it is not lip labour that
will serve the turn but prayer with the spirit will keep a man from this errour There is a promise which may be extended thus far Act. 2. 21. It shall come to pass that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved not onely from everlasting ruine but from forsaking and departing from the true church Prayer is a notable help in this thing 4 He that would be preserved from this evil must love God and his truth Keep your selves in the love of God He that buildeth upon the foundation and prayeth much shall be so kept in the love of God and of his church and people that he shall not fall off to Separation 5 Hope of heaven must be firmly rooted in the heart of him that would decline this sinful Separation Looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life Hope of eternal glory will make a man carefully to avoid those allurements that may draw him into this disorder and so obstruct his expectation of that everlasting rest whereof his abiding in the church of God upon earth is a signe or symbole So much for the first exhortation II If Separation be fo old and dangerous an errour and have so overspread this Commonwealth Then labour I pray you to recover those who are seduced into this errour This is a great act of charity to recover a falne Christian from the errour of his way How this is to be done is also declared by this our Apostle Jude in the two and twentieth and three and twentieth verses of this Epistle And of some have compassion making a difference And others save with fear pulling them out of the fire Where we are to observe That we must not deal with all men alike in reducing them to soundness in the faith but we must put a difference in our dealing with them Where the Apostle seemeth to allude to the Lords direction given under the Law concerning the purifying of things taken or recovered in war Num. 31. 23. Every thing that may abide the fire ye shall make it go through the fire and it shall be clean nevertheless it shall be purifyed with the water of Separation and all that abideth not the fire ye shall make it go through the water They were to deal in their purification as the nature of the thing to be purified did require If that they took any prey that would abide the fire as gold silver brass iron tinne or lead that was to be purifyed by fire but that which was combustible and would be consumed if put into the fire must be purifyed by water onely So here in reducing a seduced brother fallen into an errour he adviseth to distinguish of men to make a difference of the temper of their spirits and to deal with them accordingly in this case For that severity that may be profitable to one man may prove very unprofitable and destructive to another and that gentleness that may recover one man may leave another still in his errour And therefore he adviseth in both these things that which may be worth our consideration and practise in these times of seduction and separation 1 He directeth that of some we have compassion Those persons who are of a meek and tractible frame of spirit should be handled gently and tenderly although they have erred Meek and humble spirits will soon be oppressed if any violence be offered to them The Apostle Paul speaketh notably to this point Gal. 6. 1. Brethren if any man be overtaken in a fault ye which are spiritual restore such an one in the spirit of meekness considering thy self lest thou also be tempted Where observe 1 Of whom he speaketh such as were fallen through infirmity onely and not wilfully which he calleth an evertaking in a fault fallen into an errour inconsiderately 2 What is to be done in this case Restore such a one in the spirit of meekness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Restore or set him in joint again The phrase is borrowed from Chirurgions who being to deal with a broken joint will handle the same very tenderly ●o tender must we be in dealing with those that erre through infirmity 3 The reason the Apostle giveth Considering thy self lest thou also be tempted Every man the best Christian is subject to errour therefore be tender and compassionate to such as are not sullen wilful and resolute but have slipped onely through inadvertancy and common frailty This is the course to be taken with meek and humble souls that erre 2 He adviseth That those which are stuborn obstinate and contumacious should be more roughly handled with greater and more earnest expression of detestation to their errours And others save with fear saith he pulling them out of the fire Snatch them out of the danger as firebrands out of the fire or as the angel did Lot and his wife and daughters out of Sodom when they lingred and put off Gen. 19. 16. It will be a singular point of prudence and piety in you who are members of this Honourable Convention and in all Magistrates Ministers and private Christians to learn to put this difference that so you may carry it aright toward them that are fallen into this sinfull Separation The Lord be pleased out of his great mercy to teach us all this lesson Amen FINIS March the 9. 1659. By the General Convention of Ireland ORdered That Sir John Clotworthy Doctor Jones and Colonel Hill be and are hereby appointed a Committee to return the thanks of this Convention to Mr. Coxe Mr. Charnock Mr. Adare and Mr. Bains for their pains in carrying on the work of this day in Christ-Church Dublin And that Mr. Coxe and Mr. Charnock be desired to print their respective Sermons this day by them delivered before the Convention Signed by Order Ma. Barry Clerk of the General Convention of Ireland DVBLIN Imprinted by WILLIAM BLADEN Anno Domini 1660.