consequence these believers have a union among themselves by which they are constituted a Church for in that union of which more shall be spoken afterwards that they have among themselves and that conjunction that they have with Christ consâ—sts the formality of their so being Let the world or reprobate be doing what they please they are doing good works which God hath ordained they should walk in knowing that they are created in Christ Jesus for that very end and purpose Ephesians 2.10 As Mathew was called from the receipt of custome so God by his word calls this elected company from all other and they denying all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts live soberly towards themselves righteously towards their neighbours and holily towards God Titus 2.12 doing for him suffering for him and by all opportunities bringing glory to his name which brings us to the last branch of our discription viz. 4. The finall cause which is twofold either the principall for the bringing of glory to his own name or subordinate for to give them eternall life these two are not separated in the decree and therefore I shall not separate them in paper for he purposes to get glory to his name by in with and through their salvation whom he prodestinates he calls and whom he calls he justifies whom he justifies he glorifies so that the Churches salvation was the very designe and end of Gods contrivances purposes decrees undertakings since and before the foundation of the world and that out of all nations kindreds tongues and people he might have some to praise his name and stand about his throne Revelaions 7.9 For this end even for this was Christ born and for this end he came into the world for this end did the Apostles preach to the world nay for this end did God create the world for this end he preserveth the world and for this end he shall put an end to the world This world shall remain no longer at least as to its Physicall use then this glorious company is gathering together when they are all met then Christ himself resignes the kingdom of his Mediatorship and delivers up the power that is called authority into the hands of the Father 1. Corinthians 15.24 That of omnipotency being inseparable from the Godhead he still retains and shall present those called and sanctified ones as worthy to sit with him in his throne as he sits with the Father upon his throne Revelations 3.8 Then Adam shall see all his Grandchildren the sons of Enos together And Abraham all his faithfull seed Job shall see his Children Moses his true Israelites Aaron his spirituall posterity Then shall John the Baptist see his penitents Peter his converts Paul his followers the prophets of the Lord see all the Lords people Then shal the Angles see their Wards God all his sons and Christ all his members What a glorious appearance will there be what a ravishing heavenly Quire what an Anthem shall there harmoniously be sung when the gates of Heaven shall as it were be shut their being no more to enter and these be made welcome by the mutual admirable and ineffable embracements of God and Christ me thinks I see Christ and his believers like Joseph and Benjamin falling upon each others necks not weeping but shouting for joy and what will the Cherubines and Seraphines those ministers of God who pitched their Tents about the Saints think and say when the glorious company of the Apostles the goodly fellowship of the prophets the whole Army of Martyrs the holy Church throughout all the world with palmes in their hands and crowns on their heads going to fill those seats prepared for them and to raign as Kings with the Lamb for ever and ever Hallelujah Hallelujah Further this holy Church is usually divided into the Church Triumphant and Church Militant First Triumphant the Prophets do they live that is on earth for ever no they are gone to Heaven before us they have run their race and finished their course and they are gone to receive yea they have already obtained their Crown 2 Timothy 4.7 They have been called they have fought they have conquered and now they triumph They have suffered they have laboured they hoped and now they have received their inheritance They have run and have not been wearied they have heard and never doubted they have waited and never discontented and now they have received the kingdome promised Secondly Militant some part of the Church is yet upon the earth there is a party yet singhing praying watching against spiritual wickednesse in high places And yet these two are but one Church differing as one part of an Army that has conquered routed and shouted doth from another party yet in the valley fighting striving and contending Again this Militant Church that is yet under the crosse and fighting against Principalities and Powers is either invisible or visible First Invisible and this comprehends the whole number of them who are not onely outwardly called but inwardly qualified for Heaven they have true faith that none can see they have that new name that none knowes but he that hath it Revelations 2.17 They are redeemed from among men though they dwell with them and are become the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb Revelations 14.4 Their bodyes are Temples of the holy Ghost and from the altar of their broken hearts they are offering Sacrifices to God alway these are they whose names are in the Book of life Revelations 20.12 known onely to him that knoweth all things yea the hidden things of the heart Secondly Visible and this comprehends those who are outwardly called to the Lambs Supper by the sounding of the Gospel in their ears and own it in their profession believes what the word holds out and embrace the Sacraments it commands expecting salvation from Christ the substance of the Law and Prophets that Christ hath ascended up on high and led Captivity Captive having received gifts for men that he might give gifts to men Ephesians 48. which gift of God through Jesus Christ he hopes shall lead him to eternal life Romans 6.23 Now this visible Church is either personall or nationall First personall and so it signifies one that professeth the most holy faith disowning all Heathenish and Jewish worship so far as it is abolished desiring to dye as for the present he lives in that Faith given to the Saints and so every particular Christian is a personal Church and in that individuality is the Lambs Spouse Secondly National and so it comprehends all Believers living in such a Country Place or Province holding up the profession of the Gospel by holy Laws as a City set upon a Hill that they that are like to turn into the flocks of the companions may know whether to turn and sets up the light of the Gospel that all may know what God it is that they worship and may learn by their order to believe in the same Christ. To this kind
lately that by a most prophane and Impious Catachresis brought the Church to be compared to horses in Pharaohs Chariot as Cant. 1 9. to her glory and dignity it is spoken they wickedly made her only to serve to draw them into High-places which opinion hath so far infected this age that the gray hairs of our holy Mother the Church is scorned mocked and derided by the basest of the people which evill we hope to see removed by good Laws from the Magistrates and the Church to receive her due devoir by penal statutes 5. Because the Magistrate himself is appointed of God to be a Minister for the peoples good Rom. 13.4 To be alâ—ogether for the good of the State is but a partial good to command that none steal my goods and yet another kill me with false Doctrine will not profit me much Is he a Minister of God for good then by all ways and means he is to do good and what greater good conducing thereunto then to see the Ordinances of the Church maintained in purity number and nature to see that sound reaching be in the Pulpit as well upright judgeing upon the Bench he is to see so far as possibly his Subjects prosper both soul and body and when he doth so then is he a Minister to them for their good and indeed if he be noâ— for the spiritual good in the right managing of the Church he cannot be for their good in the ordering of the State for people seldome change Religion only but as often as this sacred Anchor is weighed so often the Ship of the Common-Wealth is tossed and no wonder for Heresie being the School of Pride by little and little while it shakes the mind from Gods Yoke it shows us in like manner how to defame and shake off humane Government It is plain that the wisdom of Hereticks aims at this point and taking away or preaching down such things as put an outward Majesty upon the face of Religion it brings them to be hail fellows with God to be of no Religion and he that is once so perswaded will easily expel all thoughts of reverence to him whom God hath made his Lord and revolt from their King with as little reluctation as they turned from God and what may be the issue of these things is not much to be questioned even every man to do that that is right in his own eyes And what good that will bring the Common-wealth I cannot understand But 6. Kings Magistrates and Princes have a particular charge given them to kiss the Son Psal. 2.12 Kissing was anciently an act of homage one King that acknowledged himself Tributary or promised Fidelity to another performed it by kissing him whom they promised it unto so far as I remember they generally performed it kneeling For this reason the hands of Kings are at this day kissed by which their Subjects declare their subjection that they shall be ready to wait upon him at the putting out of his hand and by it they tacitely promise to be as faithfull to him as his own right arm To kiss the Son therefore is to acknowledge subjection to him that they owe and hold their Crowns of him and withall to be faithfull to his Crown and Service and that in their publick as well as private capacity not onely as he is a Christian but as he is a King that as a Master in his House and as a Father over his Children by his Authority to keep his Subjects in subjection to the King of Kings Now what more immediate way can the Son be honoured than by taking care of his Spouse for to preserve her in Honor and maintain her in the full enjoyment and free possession of those things which her Husband left her until the second coming for the Church is the Lambs Wife Let us not imagine that a King is onely to regard his owu soul or to look after nothing but his Sâ—bjects bodies both Scripture Reason and Conscience and all good Christians would have the fear of God taught in a Regal way not Ministerial by him to all that are about him with him and under him It is not for a show onely that Kings wear Crosses upon the top of their Crowns but signifies that the Honour of him that died upon the Cross is to be maintained by him that wears it In a word let 's abhor and excommunicate the thoughts even deliver them over unto Sathan that would make a distinction between a Kings publick and private capacity when it is done to smite him with the tongue and divest him of that power which as King is given him of God especially since we know what cursed acts and blasphemous words were the consequences of them in late years 7. God hath in a peculiar and special way promised to bless his Church even as a Church with Kings and Queens Isa. 40.23 And Kings shall be thy nursing Fathers and Queens thy nursing Mothers c. Whatever Peace and Plenty the Church enjoys by the Civil Laws and Statutes of that place wherein she lives yet if she be not blessed and fed as she is a Church and in that capacity this promise is not fulfilled for all those outward things she may enjoy under a professed Turk but to suck and grow and be fat and nursed and swadled and that in the nature of a Church is the nature of this promise There is a distinction made by some that Kings have nothing to do to meddle with things Spiritual or Ecclesiastical but with things Temporal or Politick and that under the Law Magistrates might have power but they have none under the Gospel I woold have those that suppose â—o to reade this one Text they will find it a Gospel-promise it being made touching the access of the Isles and Nations of the Gentiles in a National way to the Church of God as is clear in the following words And the ground both of this and the other distinction considering the Arguments before given is onely ignorance of the Scripture and the malice of the opponent both to the Magistrate and Church the one would rob him of half his Dominion and the other under God of her greatest protection that they might reign with the one and trample upon the other under a pretence of serving God And yet now I remember it hath another ground the very same that the Popes Chair stands upon viz. That Magistrates have no power over Churches nor Church-men by which Principle the Popes Supremacy stands firm and Indeed there are two opposite parties of Popery and P. who though they have no agreement with each other yet they meet in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Draconis to darken the Authority of Gods Anointed 8. Kings and Magistrates as they are Church-members have a power to act for the good of the Church and to exercise whatever power they have for the good of the whole body and whatever Talent God gives them they are to lay it
constituted these extraordinary calls are no warrant for men in our dayes to assume that office for Christ now and afterwards more plainly appoints them to give power to others for the execution of those things having made it an Ordinance and from them and by them to continue to the end of the world And now as these people have constituted themselves a Church and have in that notion by man or woman received the Ordinances of the Church cast out and took in in the times of a Church long agoe constituted we pronounce them to be no Churches but nurseryes of Faction and prusumptuous Boasters That they are no Churches we shall endeavour to prove so clearly as we hope any indifferent or unprejudiced reader will not long halt between two opinions They appear to be no Churches For 1. They have no Bishops Preists Ministers or Teachers call them what they please deriving their authority from the Apostles of Christ. The Apostles were the masters of our Israel ordained by Christ to preach the Gospel to all Nations and where they Taught they Ordained and appointed Ministers for the Ruling and Governing of that Church and gave them power also to Ordaine others For this cause saies Paul to Titus I left the in Crete the same place now called Candy that thou shouldest set in order things that art wanting and ordain Elders in every City as I had appointed Tit. 1.5 The word Elder in the original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Presbyters or Priests he must ordain Priests he cals them Bishops v. 7. Titus was therefore left in Crete to Ordain Bishops or Priests in every City that the Gospel might be purely taught and the Sacraments administred Thus holy Polycarpus Saint Iohn's Disciple was placed by him in the Church of Smyrna Ignatius that had his name given ab igne charitatis he was also called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as being born of God was the second Bishop of Antioch next Peter For Peter ruled that Church 7. years and afterwards came to Rome An. Christ. 71. The succession of Bishops I would have none offended at the word suppose what other name they will only this is the antient Word from Peter or any other Apostle was a certain sign of a true call into Holy Orders among the Antients Let us suppose a man Ordained by the present Bishop of Canterbury and let it be inquired what power he had to do it he shews it from Abbot Whitgift and so upward for a thousand Years the Records of that Sea being known until you come to Augustin the first Bishop of Canterbury Then ask who gave him power to Ordain for that Office he names you Gregory a holy Catholick Bishop Rome not yet being Antichrist servus Serverum Dei as he called himself He again was Ordained by Pelagius he by Benedictus he by Iohn he by Pelagius the First he by Vigilius he by Sylverius he by Argapetus Anno Christi 535. and so upward for 400. years or more until you come to Alexander the great An. Chr. 121. He was Ordained by Evaristus he by Anacletus he by Clemens he by Cletus he by Linus and he by Saint Peter the Apostle of our Lord the First Bishop of Rome who after he hâ—d ruled the Church of Antioch 7. year in which City the Apostles and Disciples were first called Christians Acts 11.26 came An. 67 in the 14. Year of Nero the Emperours Reign to Rome by whom he was crucified with his head downwards and all the Bishops after him until Elutherius were put to death by Heathen Emperours for he was the first of 13 Bishops that dyed a naturall death It is said of him Est Primus Episcopâ—rum Româ—norum qui non perjit morte violenta By this Bishop Lucius who Reigned in England Anno Christi 180. had some knowledge of the faith and Doctrine of the Gospel Bring this succession down again from Peter to Linus from him to Cletus from him to Clemens and so down for 400 years to Gregory who sending Augustin into England set up his Bishops seat first at Dover then removed it as the Gospel prospered unto London whence he was removed to Canterbury where his continued succession remains unto this day In all those places he taught the Gospel and Ordained Priests or Ministers and gave them power to Ordain others Planted Teachers in Winchester York Carlisle and from these again as from fountains came the Authority of Ordination to water other dry parts of the Nation about them and so from age to age was it delivered untill it came upon the Authours head by unquestionable Authority Now let us ask one of these Mechanicks By whom were you constituted and appointed a Church-Officer to exercise the power of the Keys if you say from Christ we deny it for he Ordained none but his Disciples if from his Disciples show or produce your Warrant for Ordination was given to them and by their hands given to others that the succession might be preserved unto the end of the World So Saint Iames the Apostle sate Bishop in the Church of Ierusalem Evodius was Bishop of Antioch next Peter next to him Ignatius and to Theophilus and downward If we had the Register of the Church of Crete in which place Titus was set to Ordain Elders in every City and then ask one By whom were you appointed to dispence the Word and Sacrament and exercise the power of the Keys by such a one he by him and he by him and so you should fal on Titus himself And Timothy who was Ordained by the same Apostle the First Bishop of the Church of Ephesus had a charge in the Epistle sent unto him to commit the Doctrine to faithful men that they might be able to teach others 2. Tim. 2.2 Which Commitment is by laying on of hands that being the Ceremony for translating the power viz. the Authoritative of Teaching from one person to another as afterwards shall be discovered which Commitment Timothy must not be too rash in but weigh and examine what manner of man he is 1 Tim. 5.22 For a Bishop must be blamelesse sober apt to teach 1 Tim. 3.2 Or if it be a Deacon that Tim. so Ordain the lowest authoritative Office in the Church he must be grave 1 Tim. 3.8 Which Office of Deacon-ship if they use well they may be through their faith in God receive a higher Office called a purchasing to themselves a good degree 1 Tim 3.13 Which may truly bear this construction that good degree though a low one shall make them esteemed of God and esteemed so wel of his Church as to make him a Presbyter or a Bishop for that that Office was made a step to that of the Priest-hood is clear both in gospell and Church-History A Deaconship being only a Probationers place for it and according as the Church gave them a Benegessit for the one they received the degree of the other But what authority had Timothy to
and it is an errour so to believe and all that are of this judgement are Sons of God This is distinguished from the rest by the name Denkian he speaks out aloud that all may hear him that all the Devils and all the damned Soules shall at last be brought out of Hell and reign with God in glory This is called a Benckeldâ—an Polygamy he affirmes to be permitted in the Gospel of Christ it is a mighty holy thing to have many Wives You must note that it is the proper Language of every one of those severall Sects arising from the Spawn of this creature wherein also they inveigh against and are ashamed each of other but yet there is one Roman speech that is used by all these together and is the Dialect of them all in common Well we may cal it their mother tongue since we know she who suckled them taught them also to speak They hold it unlawfull to take an Oath before the civil Magistrate though lawfully called thereunto and hold it not unlawfoll to cut the throat of that Magistrate holding it a sin in any man to be a Magistrate most of them believe an earthly Monarchy after the day of Judgement and free will in spirituall things and account themselves onely the true Church They rebaptise and deny Baptisme to Infants maintain that there is no original sin with all Heresies more that have but a tendency to the overthrowing of all Kingdoms Nations Churches Common-wealths and States as hath been made manifest to the world by those that were eye-witnesses of their helish prancks murtherous deeds Blasphemous speeches Treasonable attempts unheard of cruelties unparalleld Villanies sacrilegious spoilings and Antichristian undertakings when by pretended Religion they had obtained to play the Devils in Germany and Munster An. 1520. at which time and in which place these severall Monsters appeared all of them in their proper colours for you must observe they discover not themselves further then occasion and toleration wil permit them but enough of this beâ—st Here is a Creature that will even make you cold to behold him though it self be very hot he is known by the name of Quaker he will prophesie at every turn hearing the Word reading the Word and preaching of the Word and receiving the Sacraments as seals of the Word is but hanging upon the Tree of knowledge So long as thou keepst him thou needst no Chaplain and when he goes away believe him and thou shalt sentence all outward worship as Antichristian In conclusion he will teach thy Wife to preach for nothing and having once learned it must be something that will make her hold her peace Now take your choice here is a Religion for every month in the year and I am prone to suppose that thy Grand-father was never so well stocked Yet to keep all fast Accept of this Hethernigonian he is a dapper fellow he will vow and maintain that the Doctrine of the Church of England is no true doctrine particularly because it teacheth that all men are sinners and for keeping but one Sabbath day in the Week or any Sabbath day at all since all days are and ought to be Sabbaths And lest thou shouldst be at any loss he wil carve you out a dainty Wainscoat box to put all thy other Religions in And indeed it is time to shut up for these foul Vermin are hurtfull to my own sight these wild beasts of prey have troubled the Church and must 1 Cor. 11.19 Were it not that I know the smell of these Foxes is good against the palsie I had not given my Reader this Present as an Antidote against the unsteadinesse of this age in which as the wild beasts in Africa meeting at the Waters engender with each other by which new Monsters are constantly begotten even so in this age by the meetings of Separatists and Hereticks there is such a mixture of Serpentine seed cast into the Matrix of itching ears keeped warm by the fair out-side of it's begetters brings forth in time monstrous Opinions and shapelesse births which after a little licking into form as it is said of the Wolf receives a name or mark of distinction yet differing in nature from those that were born before it no otherwise then a young Fiend doth from an old Devill My soul come not thou into their secrets and to their Assemblies mine honour be not thou united Each of these and all of these giving themselves out for the only true Church where should that soul once stand that enters in among them but as one groweth out of the sides of another becomes treacherous to its own body and calls upon all within hearing to hear onely that and each hollowing Come to me the poor creature must needs stand amazed and either come back into the Catholick whence he came which is seldom done or be of no Church or Religion at all which is often The Brownist he is of the spawn of the Anabaptist on one side and the Quaker comes from him upon another from the Quaker grows the Ranter who absolutely affirms that there is neither God nor Devil Hell nor Heaven and this is to go below a Heathen and deny the Faith held of Infidels It is said that Mercury could not shape a suit of clothes for the Moon in regard she was never of one bigness so neither can we so variable are they in Doctrine name them Churches each of them holding private points contradicted by another onely agreeing against the Catholick Doctrine of the Church of England like the three Brethren at the Siege of Ierusalem by Titus who agreed all against him yet had divers Battels fought in the Town between themselves It is no safe ground to bottom a mans salvation upon the Catholick Faith is the same in all Ages it is for the present what from the beginning it was and shall be at the end of the world what for the present it is it hath stood and will stand though the powers of Hell rally up against her there is but one Lord one Faith one Baptism and they remain ever the same let us therefore ever remain where they are taught not once turning aside to the â—â—ocks of the companions Cant. 1.7 5. Should we Church this rabble-rout as they have formed themselves at the same instant we must have strange and blasphemous thoughts both of Christ and his Apostles Did not Christ promise â—hat he would send his Spirit and that he should guide his Church into all truth Iohn 16.13 for if these be true Churches then Gods Church even the whole body of the faithfull hath for sixteen hundred years been lead into dangerous and fundamental Errors Then the Apostles have given wrong judgement in necessary points of Faith and contrary to the will of God have made Laws in his Church Unfaithfull have they been in several deep points to the Church that would noâ— once inform her that no member of her body but might at his
him but such doth the spirit that in this Age is pretended It calls down prayer it will not be guided by Scripture not live of the Gospel nor according to Law they will have no ordained Ministers they will not own Magistrates thrust Sacraments out of the Church make Ordinances in their power depend upon the merits of men take singing out of our Christian Temples preaching up new revelations and that they only are the Saints that heed least the Scriptures that it is only formal or Antichristian to crave a blessing before meat that none are baptized but such as are dipped to curse revile slander those that are set apart by Apostolical Tradition for the preaching of the Gospel c. This is that that Christ never taught and therefore it is not his Spirit that brings them to our remembrance 2. The Holy Spirit of God was to glorifie Christ Iohn 16.14 that Christ that was then with his Discsples that was born of the Virgin Mary that Christ that was to suffer at Ierusalem was he to make glorious that Spirit now amongst us casts contumelies and scornfully speaks of that Christ under the notion of a Christ without us Its seeks its own glory and bears witness of it self its whole aym is to invert the Divine dispensations by slighting that Christ crucified upon the account of being without 3. He was to shed abroad the love of God in the hearts of Believers Rom. 5.5 that is the apprehension of the love of God a sense of it a feeling of it from whence comes love joy and peace Now the spirit that some pretenders have is a contradistinct spirit from this for by their trembling quaking foaming it appears that the sense of the love of God is not shed abroad in their hearts but of his wrath those strange and monstrous actings proceed rather from wrath indignation and anguish and indeed if gnashing of teeth be a picture or fruit of Hell we may know whence that spirit comes that carries men forth into those distempers 2. The Spirit of God is a Spirit of Union and of Agreement that ever speaks and agrees with it self In no place doth it really oppose or contradict it self it leads all men into one kind and way of truth how distant soever they be from one another but this spirit that goes abroad in our Age never appears in one shape it speaks this in this mans mouth and contradicts is again next day In this mans mouth it threatens hell in that mans mouth it says there is no hell it says that it is a decent thing for a woman to preach the same spirit calls down all preaching in another here it throws aside the Law there it throws away the Gospel there it throws away both here it is for a Christ within there it affirms there is no Christ at all by its cloven foot you may discern whence it came 3. The Spirit of God teacheth honourable and glorious Doctrine such Doctrine as made the highest in the earth bow their necks to receive the same the whole Army of the Philistâ—ms even of those Heathens that persecuted the Doctrine of the Spirit of God was overcome by the noble Army of the Martyrs the more it was afflicted the more it grew and went over the world like a Sea overflowing the banks of all Penal Laws Kings became its nursing Fathers and Queens its nursing mothers The Doctrine that this Spirit teacheth is a Doctrine of Reprobation Reprobated silver hath God called it his providence and power hath crushed it always suppressed it and hath only given Satan a little power for the Tryall of his Church but never gave him all his chain to destroy Their Doctrine was never on a Candlestick their house was never on a mountain to bring all Nations in into it God kept it under that it never yet said So would I have it How hath the same Gospel we teach run over the world and that without garments rolled in blood and hath been beautifull and glorious But this spirit hath attempted indeed but stopped tryed condemned cast out Never was there a Kingdom Country Parish nay scarce a house that this spirits Doctrine or Doctrines rather was ever received in These things considered let not the Professors of Christ depend upon those seducing revelations but to the Scriptures the foundation of the Doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles But 2. If the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament be the word of Christ let none of the people sleight it it is that which Christ hath spoken to be the Rule of their lives tryers of their thoughts and measure of their actions if thou be of the houshold of faith thou art upon that foundation whereof Jesus Christ is the chief Corner-stone Eph. 2.20 All you that build must be squared fitted and proportionated to this Corner stone which can only be done by this Word of Christ and therefore it is not to be slighted Now the Scripture may be slighted divers ways 1. When it is regardlessely heard when Gods message is delivering for the good of a mans soul by Gods servant thereunto appointed to have an irreverend or unseemly carriage shows they put no high valuation upon it to be drowzy or sleepy when God is holding forth our duty or his own greatnesse our sins and his Justice is a great sign of irreverence and may provoke him to thrust us out of his presence for it is not a slighting or contemning of man who reads it or speaks it but of God who made it and enjoyned it 2. When it is scoffingly used when men make Scripture to be the bottome of Jests and Jears the Subject of their profanenesse or Object of their mirth When the Prophet called the Burthen of the Lord the people answered him in scorn the Burthen of the Lord the Burthen of the Lord. Ier. 23.33 34 35. or as Iulian that would smite a Christian on the one cheek und then bid him turn the other as his Lord and Master directed The Scriptures were not written to make men laugh but to make men wise unto salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 they were sent into the word by God to instruct men how to demean themselvs without offence towards God man Act. 24.16 it ought only to be imployed to that end It is not safe jesting with edged Tools so neither is it safe to sport with the two edged sword of the word of God This is holy ground let us be afraid to sin upon it least the owner of it Mock when eur fear cometh and laught at our calamity Prov. 1.26 It is in it self a high provocation of his Majesty contempt of his honour and a diminishing of his greatnesse in the sight of men 3. When it is heedlessely forgot if a mans servant should not do the thing commanded und excuse himself from his forgetfulness it would not reprieve him from his masters anger How shall God be patient when his precepts and word are