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love_n	love_v	neighbour_n	self_n	2,652	5	9.4322	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A81905	A case of conscience concerning ministers medling with state matters in or out of their sermons resolved more satisfactorily then heretofore. Wherein amongst other particulars, these matters are insisted upon, and cleared. 1 How all controversies and debates among Christians ought to be handled regularly, and conscionably to edification by those that meddle therewith. 2 What the proper employments are of Christian magistrates, and Gospel-Ministers, as their works are distinct, and should be concurrent for the publick good at all times. 3 What the way of Christianity is, whereby at this time our present distractions, and publick breaches may be healed : if magistrates and ministers neglect not the main duties of their respective callings. Where a ground is layed to satisfie the scruple of the Demurrer, and of the Grand Case of Conscience. / Written by John Dury, minister of the Gospel, to give a friend satisfaction: and published at the desire of many. Octob. 3. Imprimatur, Joseph Caryl.	Dury, John, 1596-1680.	1649 (1649)	Wing D2836; Thomason E579_1; ESTC R206157	157,053	200

doth evince that in the 5. verse there must be instead of one which in our ordinary translation is expressed a double interrogation whereof the latter must run in this sense Doth the Spirit dwelling in us lust to envie as if he had said by no means 3. That the Spirit which is in the friends of the world doth lust to envy For it is clear that all worldlings are bent to lust after that which they would have so as that they envy others to have it it besides themselves and that is the thing which the Apostle here doth presuppose whereupon the question denying it to befall unto the spirit which dwelleth in the Saints is raised We must observe then that as the Spirit of God and the spirit of the world are opposite so their lusts tend to different ends and what is denyed of the one is affirmed of the other Whence we must further observe that the corruption and infection of our spirit in nature making our lust disorderly and contentious is originally self-love as it taketh us off from the love of our neighbour that is as it perverteth our intention from desiring that he may partake of that good which we wish for our selves for self-self-love is not otherwise vicious but as it confineth our intentions within our selves alone It is no sin to love ones self if we love our neighbour as our self The object of it Now the imaginary good thing which naturally between all parties as they are parties is the object of their mutuall envie is the Preeminencie for which they strive in comparison one of another that either they may subject others unto their will or at least exempt themselves from being subject to the will of others both which are most opposite unto the spirit of Christianity which doth not at all affect any dominion over others but rather doth set it self to serve and please others through love Even as Christ Jesus served us and pleased not himself but others to their edification Gal. 5. 13. Rom. 15. 3. Therefore his way and aime was was when hee walked amongst men not to joyne himselfe to any of the parties that then were a foot amongst his countrey men the Jewes but to walke indifferently and by one Rule towards all Nay he was not averse from conversing with the Samaritans themselves whom all other Jews did abhor as is apparent by I 〈◊〉 h 4. v. 5. till 45. that he might impart himself unto all freely in that which was good without envying the enjoyment thereof unto any It is therefore evident that if professours live in envie strife and division one with another they are not to be counted Christians that is spirituall but carnall And at the best they are no more but babes in Christ because therein they walk not as his disciples but as men all parties 1 Cor. 3. 2 〈◊〉 and partialities are amongst men as men of this world and not amongst men as Christians and their aime in the world is to deprive others of that good which they pretend to possesse as due unto themselves rather then to others Now as I said before the Imaginary good which a party as a party doth pretend unto in comparison of others who do oppose it is nothing else but to have the preeminencie in that where it is opposed Nor can men as men walk by any other rule but this because they can see no reason why they should deny themselves to give others the preeminencie above themselves none but Christians as Christians can understand that they ought to deny themselves take up a crosse and preferre the benefit of others to their own conveniencies onely because Christ did so towards us because this is the badge of his disciples and because by the new covenant we are bound to be conformable unto his image and to follow his footsteps Therefore no naturall man can say from his heart as the Apostle did to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 4. 8 Now ye are full now ye are rich ye haue reigned as Kings without us and would to God ye did reign and again I pray to God that ye do no evil not that we should appear approved but that ye should do that which is honest though we be as Reprobates for we are glad when we are weak and ye are strong 2. Cor. 13. 7. 9. And again To the weak I became as weak 1 Cor. 9. 22. But it is otherwise amongst men for all strive to get strength in their own hand and make others weak all strive for the preeminence as in riches and in glory so for that which doth bring these things with it which is the trust to manage power and government in this world and truly if we look upon our selves as in the presence of God to see what we have been doing as men in this kind we cannot be so senselesse of our naturall inclinations as to think that we have not acted as parties one against another nor so unconscionable as not to be convicted and willing to confesse that in such actings the object of our partialitie and envie hath been the gaining of preeminencie to manage the trust of power and goverment above others or at least before them Our practise about that object It is not my work to judge of State affairs I am directly endeavouring to take off others to whom it doth not belong from the partiall judgements which they make thereof nor do I intend to please or displease any partie in the State for I hate partialitie with a perfect hatred as by that which I have here said may appear nor do I for any private designe seek to humour any body behold God is my witnesse in that which I shall say but intending at this time to drive this nail to the head I must not seem so stupid and brutish as not to take notice of Gods work and hand over us and not to see what the changes are which the Almighty hath brought upon this Kingdome and State which have given occasion to the spirit of envie to become active among us We cannot then but see that God hath permitted him in whose hand before these troubles the chief trust of government and power was to be deprived of the same and by what means this is come to passe is apparent unto all for first the management of affairs which he used being judged very prejudiciall to the safetie of the State by those unto whom the publick Reformation thereof was intrusted it then fell out that the trust of Government and Power was devolved by degrees upon those whom God did suffer in their places to act against him How this fell out I think none can be ignorant who hath been able to observe any thing For after that God had set up those who acted against him in their places by a right which the King himself conferred upon them to sit as long as they thought fit to manage their trust after that they were engaged

alone upon free grace if he doth help to persecute any in their bodies or states for outward relations and interests rather than study to addresse and convert their soules to God and if he doth set himselfe in a state-way either to gain power and authority in his own hand to share it with the magistrate or to subordinate his ministeriall imployment unto wordly ends of State-government to cover the tricks thereof with a cloke of Conscience and Religion that people should worship the Image which he sets before them if I say any man doth pervert the use of his ministery thus yet professing himselfe to be the servant of Christ he doth play the part of the false Prophet who doth work miracles before the great Beast and exerciseth all his power over men And the Rev. 13. 11 12 13 c. and chap. 19 20. greater the naturall and acquired parts and gifts of this man are and the more revealed and spirituall truths or mystcall shewes thereof he doth mix with this kind of service the more fire he doth cause to come down from heaven and the more deeply he doth deceive and therefore he shall accordingly receive also with the false Prophet so much the more of his reward if he repent not 5 If therefore such as are in power look upon religion onely as Jeroboam did in order to their owne interests and will suffer none to stand in places of employment but men of their own creating that will serve turnes towards the people and if ministers that are in places of employment look onely upon their Magistrate as the Jewish Priests did upon Pilate when they delivered Christ up to be crucified by him and affect him no further than he will act their designes whether they agree or disagree upon their matters together it is apparent that by so doing they conspire to make the people that are led by them miserable and desolate because neither of them follow either the true work or the right way of their employment neither towards the multitude or towards one another but if they doe openly disagree they conspire then by tearing them in pieces and setting them in factions against one another to make their misery and desolation sudden and without remedy For except God turn their hearts to a right course and set them upon the works of their calling wthout partiality and direct their counsels in a loving righteous and peaceable way as Christ hath appointed his Disciples to walk for his glory towards the good of those that are under their charge and for their own mutuall happinesse they shall never be able for feare of one another to intend or attend any other designes but such as are acted by power and violence whereupon the great Dragon their master in these courses doth set them and whieh for want of Christian love and compassion can end in nothing else but in mercilesse cruelties equally ruinous to each other and to the Common-wealths of humanesocieties Of the duties of Love Righteousnesse and Peace joyntly Hitherto we have seen both what the proper workes and wayes of the Magistracy and Ministery are as they relate unto the ends for which Christ hath ordained them and what the error and deviation is from those works and wayes And lastly also what this deviation doth produce in all societies where the duties of Love of Righteousnesse and of Peace are not thought upon to referre the whole state thereof unto Christ as Christians ought to doe Let us now come to the second point of our Disquirie which is to discover what the naturall properties and proper acts are of true Love of Righteousnesse and of Peaceablenesse which Christians and chiefly their Leaders unto happinesse ought to intend towards all men but especially towards each other in the workes of their employment and above all in times of distresse Now to speak of these duties ingenerall as to commend their worth their necessity their usefulnesse and such like I conceive it needlesse for certainly it is not so much for want of knowledge of that which we ought to doe that we run into errors as by reason of our perturbation and of our by-respects which beget in us a disregarding of these and an observation of other matters and are begotten in us through partiality in our selves and fore-stalment of thoughts concerning others For it is by reason of these things that we play the hypocrites and lye against the Truth for which cause our sin is the greater For to him that knoweth to doe good and doth it not to him it is sin saith the Apostle Jam. 4. 17. Of the duty of Christian love by it selfe Therefore as concerning the duty of Christian Love it cannot be supposed in probability that any in the Ministery or in any other charge amongst Christians should be ignorant of the nature therof because it is known to all that have been taught the first Principles of the knowledge of Christ that the duty of Christian love is two-fold First the affection by which we cleave to God as to our Father in Christ And next the affection by which we embrace our neighbour for Gods sake as Christ hath embraced us Now concerning our love to God and friendship to Christ it is evident that it stands onely in this That we keep the commandements of the Father and that we doe whatsoever Christ doth enjoyne us to performe John 15. 14. and 1 John 5. 5. whence it is further manifest that to neglect the known will of God and to set our selves in a course which is contrary to his commandements is openly to renounce Christs friendship and plainly to become a hater of God and hatefull to him And as for the commandement wherein God will have us to shew our love and Christ our friendship to himself it is known by all to be none other but the Law of Love whereof the whole substance hath been delivered unto us in the new commandement which Christ hath given us when he sairh John 13. 34 35. A new Commandement I have given you That ye love one another as I have loved you that ye also love one another by this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if yee have love one to another The true evidence then of our love towards God is this That we love the Brethren For he that saith he loveth God and hateth his brother is a lyar saith the Apostle 1 John 4. 20 21. For he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen how can he love God whom he hath not seen And this Commandement have we from him That he that loveth God love his brother also The end for this alwayes is to be lookt upon as that which doth manifest the nature and property of every thing of love is to seek the good of that which is beloved Now our goodnesse Psal 16. 2 3. 1 Cor. 10. 24. 1 Cor. 13. 5. cannot extend unto God therefore God hath appointed us

not envying them nor provoking them nor being desirous of vain glory towards them Galat. 5. 26. In respect of those that are of an unquiet disposition to follow Peace and ensue it towards them 1 Pet. 3. 11. and that even so far as it is possible and as much as in us lyeth Rom. 12. 18. to do all things without murmurings and disputings against them in a blamelesse and harmlesse way that they may have no cause to murmure at us or to dispute with us Phil. 2. 14 15. And to this effect to lay aside all malice and all guil and hypocrisie evil speakings and surmisings 1 Pet. 2. 1 2. And lastly in respect of those that are injurious to recompense no evill for evill nor to avenge our selves but to give place unto wrath Rom. 12. 17 19. Not to be overcome with evill but to overcome evil with good Rom. 12. 21. And to that effect with all lowlinesse and meeknesse with long-suffering to forbear them in love Ephes 4. 2. And to forgive them as God in Christ hath forgiven us Ephes 4. 32. Now the originall and immediate cause of this Peaceable disposition of the soul is to suffer the Peace of God whereunto we are called to rule in our hearts Col. 3. 15. for when this by the new Covenant in Christ doth possesse the spirit the soul is quieted within it self because it entreth with Christ into that rest which he hath purchased and prepared for it Hebr. 4. 10 11. And it receiveth the Peace which he hath left with it and given to it so that the heart is not troubled neither is it afraid at any thing which in this world can befall unto it Joh. 14. 27. for the promise of the Lord wherein he hath caused us to hope doth sustain us which saith that he will keep him in perfect Peace whose heart is stayed on him because he trusteth in him Isa 26. 3. But on the other side those that have no interest in the Covenant of Peace which Christ hath made with us can have no rest nor quietnesse within themselves or towards others because my God hath said There is no Peace to the wicked but his heart and his whole course is as the troubled Sea which cannot rest but casteth forth mire and dirt perpetually Isa 57. 20 21. The ends then of these duties shew the perfection whereunto they lead us and their proper works the way by which we attain the same For by the law of love we are taught how to aime at that which is truly good by the law of righteousnesse how to order our way in prosecuting of it and by the law of Peaceablenesse how to attend the delightfull possession of it The first sets our minde upon God the second directs us to him and the third fits us to enjoy him What is proper to a Christian in these duties more then to other men Thus in brief we see what these duties are and whence in a Christian more then in other men they proceed for other men know nothing herein but the principles of Reason and Morality by which they look more upon the materiall outside of the works then upon any thing else because naturall men cannot raise their minds unto the apprehension of spirituall truths which beget in the soul a new life and farre lesse can they act any thing thereby without speciall grace yet if the Intellectuals of a man truly rationall in nature which is not altogether impossible be raised so far by the right use of common illuminations as to perceive the proportion which is between such performances as these are and the principles from whence they flow he will finde no just cause to contradict any thing therin although his heart will not be able thereupon to close with the duties themselves for a true Christian is a spirituall man is not inabled to close heartily with these duties either because he is convicted of the rationalitie thereof or because he doth understand the excellencie and worth of this way above the way of Morality for these are onely preparative inducements inclining his affection thereunto but he closeth therewith onely because his conscience is enlightned by the truth and purified by faith and therein is bound over and given up to walk thus with God in Christ by the covenant of grace for through the law of the spirit of life and love which is in Christ Jesus whereby he is freed from the law of sin and of death he is made conformable unto the image of the Son of God and the righteousnesse of the Law of God through faith and love being fulfilled in him he hath peaceable communion with the Father and with the Son wherein he doth set himself to walk with joy and unspeakable comfort in the light of their countenance by which he is daily transformed from glory to glory as by the Spirit and presence of the Lord. The rule then and the way of a Christian is to walk in these duties towards all men and for these ends not with humane wisdome and the reasonings of his naturall understanding although he doth nothing irrationally but according to the direction and manifestation of the Spirit of grace that is according to the testimony of Jesus revealed unto his spirit which obligeth his conscience to follow affectionately the rules of these duties in all simplicitie and godly sincerity through love to the life of Jesus Christ and the grace of God in him and not for any other obligation or by any other consideration whatsoever and whosoever doth walk after this rule Peace be upon him and upon the Israel of God And because we have not hitherto walked after this rule we have not as yet found the way to Peace for to finde Peace out of this way is as impossible as to misse of it within it How universal they are and inseparable from Christianity And chiefly in leading men and times of greatest need From hence we may observe that these duties have an universall influence upon all the wayes of Christians for as Christians they are essentiall to them in all the works of their severall callings and if they studie not to do all their works by these rules they cannot be said to do them as Christians for as Christians we are commanded to do all our matters with charitie 1 Cor. 16. 14. for we are obliged by the love of God to us as his dear children to be followers of God and to walk in love as Christ also hath loved us Ephes 5. 1 2. And if we walk not thus it is evident that we are none of his children but have renounced his love and are destitute of the life of God in all our undertakings for he that loveth not knoweth not God for God is love 1 Joh. 4. 8. And again as Christians we are bound to serve God and Christ in his kingdom and if we serve him not how can we truly bear his Name Now the kingdom of God wherein

events of businesses Now the difference between envy and jealousie is this that we envy those whom we love not because they enjoy the good which we want but we are jealous over those whom we are obliged to love lest we be deprived by them of that which we pretend to possesse This passion may be harmlesse if the love upon which it is grounded be pure but if pride doth mix it self therewith then we are jealously affected towards others but Gal 4. 17. with Gal. 6. 13. not well as the Apostle terms it because it maketh us willing to exclude others from that which is their advantage and priviledge that they may be brought under our power to affect us and that we may glory over them How far lawfull and commendable Wherein unlawfull and discommendable And what effects they work upon the Subjects Now therefore there may and ought to be in Magistrates and Ministers a commendable and lawfull jealousie and fear which is for the good of the societie over which they are set this is a prudentiall care to watch for the good and prevent the evill which may befall to those whom they love and over whom they are set Thus the Apostle was jealously affected towards the Corinthians I am saith he jealous over you with godly jealousie for I have espoused you to one husband that I may present you as a chast virgin to Christ but I fear lest by any means as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ 1 Cor. 11. 2. 3. His jealousie was not a fear lest he should lose somewhat of his esteeme amongst them or his particular interest in them be lessened for elsewhere he renounces this designe and gives up his whole esteeme to their advantage when he saith I pray to God that you do no evill not that we should appear approved but that you should do that which is honest though we be as reprobates 2 Cor. 13. 7. But lest they should lose somewhat of their neernesse towards God and their common interest in Christ be lessened And according to this pattern not onely Ministers but faithfull Magistrates ought to be prudentially watchfull and jealously fearfull not so much for their own interest in the affections of those that are under them lest they seem to be lessened therein but for the good and advantage of those that God hath committed unto their charge lest they come short of that felicitie which they are bound to procure unto them Thus an upright-hearted Magistrate will be carefull to prevent the seeds of Mutinie of Discontentednesse and of Division lest thereby the publick Peace and welfare of the people be lost and disturbed rather then that he should lose his pre-eminencie and the advantage of his place therein For if he doth love them and is faithfull to the trust committed by God unto him for them he will wholly quit this of his own for the purchase of that unto them chiefly when otherwise it cannot be obtained and this he ought to do because he is bound to know that God hath set him in his place for the good of the people and not made or given up the people to the pleasure of his will and meerly for him to be a Ruler over them the Court flattery which hath darkned this truth hath caused the Leaders of the Nations to erre and destroyed the way of their paths For the great ones that have power in the world being flattered into pride and self-love and forgetting that they are servants of the Communaltie for the publick good thereof make use of their places and abuse their trust to satisfie private passions they look upon all men and things as made to serve their wils and whatsoever is not subordinate unto the way of that pleasure and greatnesse wherein they delight to appear above others is made an object of their jealousie and suspition as if all that are not slaves unto their appetites were opposites unto or competitors of their greatnes When this imaginary suspitiousnes hath put the spirits of those that are in supremacy out of frame they pervert the course of their Government setting themselves rather to vex and grieve those that disagree from their sense in any thing onely because they go not their way to humour them in all things though they be otherwise harmlesse and quiet in the Land then to oblige every one indifferently in every thing to all common duties of mutuall serviceablenesse of love and of faithfulnesse to a publick interest which is the onely true work and ought to be the whole and single aime of those that are in places of Authority but when this is not their true aime and work as tending to the good of others they can do nothing else but minde themselves ambitiously and then their jealousies must needs run in this strain because they can reflect upon nothing but in order to themselves in which snare when once they are taken whether they be Magistrates or Ministers according to their dealings with those that are under them the reward of their hands is justly given to them for the Lord who cannot be mocked doth cause every man reap that which he doth sowe if therefore such as rule sowe the seeds of perverse jealousies and fears upon the grounds of ambition and self-will in the minds of those that are in subjection they must expect to reap nothing from their affections but the fruits of gall and wormwood and when their spirits are once embittered their fears being restlesse and their discontentednes easelesse they put themselves upon the causes of troubles and disquietnesse unto themselves and to those that are over them for seeing they are made to conceive by that which they finde in a vexatious government that they cannot confide their safetie any longer unto the hands of those that seek to enslave them they are naturally inclined and easily brought over to set up to themselves new interests that are not onely different but opposite to those that are intrusted with the management of publick affairs Whence it is that they hearken readily to such as augment their fears and foment the evill impressions which they have taken up against their superiours by which means as the fire devoureth the stubble and the flame consumeth the chaffe so the root of the greatnes of the Grandees of the Earth becometh rottennesse and their blossome goeth up as dust and this justly because they have cast away the law of the Lord of hosts which is the law Isa 5. 24. of humi 〈◊〉 itie and love to serve others with their talents for a publick good and despised the word of the holy One of Israel which is the word of Righteousnesse and of Faith teaching all men to live unto God according to the simplicitie of the Gospel For because that law and this word is not entertained by the Rulers of the Earth and those that are ruled by

conquer this passion and therefore none but such as are taught of him to deny themselves in all things can follow his footsteps in this that when he was reviled he reviled not again when he 1 Pet. 2. 23. suffered he threatned not but committeth himself to him that judgeth righteously nor can any promise themselves freedom from vindicative affections who have not learned of him to love their Enemies to blesse them that curse them to do good to Matth 5. 44 them that hate them and to pray for them that despitefully use them and persecute them this Lesson the Apostle had learned being reviled saith he we blesse being persecuted we suffer it and being defamed we intreat 1 Cor. 4. 12. 13. It is evident then that nothing can make a natural man effectually to lay down the resentments of privat injuries but a real change of his nature by the work of grace in conformity to Jesus Christ which only can incline us to be kind and tender hearted towards others forgiving them what they have done to us amisse even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven us Ephes 4. 32. So then all that can be done to cure this as to men incorrigible evil is to hold forth this frame of the spirit of Christ and his Commandement both in our obedience thereunto and in our word of exhortation to move the Conscience of others to follow it The third is the apprehension of Gods vengeance But if those that should thus bear witnes of the life of Christ are to set rather upon the motions of revenge themselves and Rom. 12. 19. incourage those that are bent that way than inclined to take them off what shall we say unto it shall we not acknowledg that it will be just with God that he should execute his vengeance upon those that delight in privat vengeance against others and that take his proper work out of his hands for the Lord hath said vengeance is mine and I will repay it Behold then all ye that kindle a fire of wrathful revenge and compasse your selves about with sparkes of vindicative plots and attempts walk in the light of your fire and in the sparkes that ye have kindled seeing by no perswasions you can be brought herein to deny your selves This shall ye have of mine hand saith the Lord ye shall lie down in sorrow Isaiah 50. 11. Hitherto of the single Remedies The complicated follow as proper to the work of Magistrates and Ministers And why And thus much concerning the single and distinct Remedies which every one in private for himself is to make use of now it remaineth to speak also something of the universal and complicated remedies which all of us with reference one to another should seeke to apply unto our distracted publick Condition to heale the distempers which occasion the same and although all are obliged to desire and endeavour in their places the advancement hereof towards the publick yet properly the procurement and the application thereof doth belong mainly to the Ministery to the Magistracy in their several places and that with a special Reference to each other in their publick Administrations towards the Communalty As then the complication of our distempers doth beget an universal disease both in Religious and Civil Affaires So the general Remedies which flow from the fundamental duties of Love of Righteousnes and of Peaceablenes ought in a way of concurrence to be applyed both to the Church and Common-wealth Now the Ministers of the Gospel are Messengers of Gods Love and the Governours of the State are Ministers of his Righteousnes unto all men and both these as well in respect of their particular imployments as in respect of the common Profession of Christianity are called by God both unto the enjoyment of peace for themselves 1 Cor. 7. 15. Colos 3. 15. and to the practice and procurement of it unto others Rom. 12. 18. and Matth. 5. 9. therefore as the love of God that is our obligation to love him is the ground of all humane peace So the peaceable cure of all publick distempers and the first overtures and addresses thereunto must needes result from the effects and properties of love as it is Christian that is common to all and ought principally to be reached out unto all by the peaceable hand the righteous carriage and orderly behaviour of those that are the Messengers of Divine Love And again as nothing is truly love which doth not tend to a real good of him who is the object thereof or is not intended as a real good towards the object by him who is the Author thereof So nothing can be counted or will ever be found a real good or is intended for such unto any which is neither applyed nor intended as from God And herein the Minister should be the first to apply the Remedy of love Now it belongeth to none more to intend or apply things as from God then to the Ministers of his Word whose Profession it is to be the Messengers of his love as being sent forth to invite all men to partake thereof if therefore these do any thing towards any without a reference unto God and without the affections of his love they are of all men living the most unworthy of their employment it is true that all who glory in the name of Christ to call him Lord are bound to walk by this same Rule of love towards every one even as Christ hath loved us but yet it is evident that the Ministers appointed to publish unto all men his name are obliged herein to go before all others and to make it their special work to teach and perswade others to follow this way as it becometh the Disciples of such a Master and if any doth not this professedly he hath abandoned the main work as well of his Christian as Ministerial Calling for it is clear that the end of the whole Commandement both in respect of the duties of the Law and of the Doctrine of the Gospel is love out of a pure heart and of a good Conscience and of Faith unfained Rom. 13. 10. and 1 Tim. 1. 5. and 1 John 3. 23. and that Ministers ought to raise their own and other mens thoughts and spirits in reference to the life of God in Christ to a comportment sutable unto this Duty and Doctrine above earthly interests and worldly concernments is a truth so evident that no Christian can make any doubt of it nor also of this that as no engagement is so near to us as this so none is to be preferred to it or ought to take us off from it From whence this conclusion is to be inferred That if any Minister of the Gospel doth at any time take upon him to be a judge of the Affaires of this world between Man and Man about which they are commonly in strife and therein doth take part with the one and opposeth the other as an Agent of the Affaires of this