succeeding in their guilded impiety do by doctrine practice direct you to self constitution in Church way decline it depend upon Gods publick ministery in disposing of you untill you can make corporations without Civill think not to make Churches without Religious and divine sanction 2. Private Christians may not under the colour of holy conference consecrate things or Persons unto God self constitution must needs produce sinfull consecrations for no body politick can be preserved or Resolved into order and any capacity of acting without Officers and therefore the Congregationallists in plain the Independents who make self aggregation the form of Church constitution give not only power to men unordained not consecrated to come nigh unto God in the most holy and publick of administrations but make that self-collected body the subject of the keyes and Receptacle of all Church power from and by whom the administrators of Gods ordinances must be appointed and ordained and thus their leaders having resolved themselves members of such a society Receive from that society a ministery but beloved do you consider consecration of any thing or person unto God is an act of office and Authority none may come nigh to God in the administration of holy things but such who are thereunto consecrated this God hath made manifest by the Perez-Vzzah made in Israel for Vzzahs putting forth a common hand to stay Gods holy Arke when tottering and Ready to fall the desire to support Reâ—igion in danger to fall will not defend this impiety and by the leprosie of King Vzziah for presuming to meddle with the Priests function and by the censers of Corah and his company beâ—ten into plates and made Monuments of memoriall that no unconsecrated persons meddle with the holy things of God nor can it in Reason be thought that the ministry should lie common to be taken up by any hand and at pleasure for that it is an office and function place and particular order in the Church of God charged with speciall service appointed to a proper end prepared unto by speciall qualities and indowed wiâ—h speciall priviledges men will not let civill offices lie common who contend to lay open holy functions and so dissolve all order in the Church as none but holy persons may come nigh to God so nothing unhallowed must be presented unto God as a part of his worship if the sons of Aaron pressed into Gods presence with any prophane and unhallowed thing they should perish none but holy fire must burn on Gods altar common Elements as water in baptisme and bread and wine in the Lords supper must be consecrated before they become acts of worship and seals of Gods covenant It is blasphemy and prophanesse to make every table the Lords table and common use of creatures bread or wine the commemoration of Christ his death and sufferings the most sinfull Schismatiques will confess consecration of things and persons necessary and you must know that this is not the work of every no not of any private hand men cannot communicate what they have not received nor stamp peculiarity on others who never had it stamped on themselves It is Gods standing Law that the Priests sons of Aaron consecrated themselvs do consecrate things and persons that shall come nigh to God and therefore it is Israels Horrid impiety in their defection from the house of David and altar of God that whosoevor would might bring a bullock and consecrate himself a Priest unto the Lord nor is the liberty greater under the Gospel for it is the method and order of Christ that the office of the Gospell ministery be transmitted unto faithfull men by the solemn ordination of men themselves ordained to that sacred function we deny not the priviledge of election to be the peoples but the power of ordination abides in officers It is plain that in the Church constituted by Gospell ministery at Jerusalem charge of election is given by and power of consecration Reserved to the officers of Jesus Christ Chuse you out men whom we may appoint and those who act any thing in Christ or his Ministers name without their Authority may expect to be corrected by the Devil himself as were those Exorcists in Acts 19.13 14 15 v. Paul we know and Jesus we know but whence are ye whilest therefore you confer as brethren take heed you consecrate not as officers Remember you may be holy in your kind to your God but not have a power to make other men or things holy to the Lord make not your selves a Church make not your own ministers or Sacraments 3. Private men may not communicate ordinances to the Church in the name and stead of Jesus Christ when you are in your conferences used to speak take heed you presume not to preach whilst you play the men in ministring counsell nay good men in ministring holy instruction and Religious admonition do not so manage it as to presume in your selves or proclaim to others you are more then private brethren even publick â—fficers the Embassadors of Jesus Christ to this end you must take heed that your administrations be not to the Church of Christ nor in the name or stead of Christ these two are boundaries of ministeriall instructions which may not be broken in upon by private men without palpable presumption and prophannesse we shall willingly allow Christians their liberty as Parents and masters of families to speak instruction to their children and families private and particular brethren to exhort admonish and Rebuke in their friendly societies Generalls to make their orations and that like Christians to their Armies and Tutors to Read divinity Lectures to their Pupills in the Universities but let their abilities be never so great we must barre them out o the Church here they must be hearers not speakers the Church is onely the object of ministeriall instruction when men presume to speak in and to the Church of Christ they pâ—esse upon the function of Gospell ministry and make themselves Prophets unto the Lord for all Agents in the Church appear as officers and are on that account to be Received Reverenced heard and obeyed so that their feet that thus bring glad tidings must be beautifull unto the hearers unto prophesying which hath believers for its object mission is essentiall sending of the preacher is one ground of faith in the hearer how therefore can he preach exept he be sent and as we barre private men from speaking to the Church as their object so also from speaking in the name and stead of Jesus Christ the instructions admonitions Rebukes and exhortations of private men must be in amity not authority as friends distinguished dignified by their Relations not deputed by Jesus Christ or invested with his authority only Ministers are the Lords Emabassadors beseeching us in Christ stead as if he himselfe did beseech us to be reconciled to them it is indeed given in charge and to them only to teach and command and in
not according to this rule there is no truth in him Oh let not Christian faith be founded on Turkish reason 2. Persevere in truth and piety Heresies must come that they who are sound may be made manifest Schisme must succeed that the fixed in Christ may be found sincere these must not onely come on the the stage but stand and succeed it may be unto persecution of the Orthodox and sound as did Arrianisme in the Grecian Empire Anabaptisme in Germany they are no other then tryalls of faith and patience be it your care to cleave to truth when disowned and disregarded and continue in the Church though disordered and discouraged let not the boysterous blasts of providence remove you from your stedfastness in the faith or union of the Church Catholick I know the design of some schismaticall neighbours by courting nay some of them by creeping into your town is to paganize you as they have done other places and set up their own schismaticall assemblies and I fear your over affectionate observation of the providential rising of some from you hath been as a snare of separation from the Churh unto more then naturall relations but however Church gatherers have gathered the power treasure of these Nations to themselves forsake not you the assembling of your selves together as the manner of som is and stand out against the sinful assembling of Church gatherers The glittering glory of particular Churches of selfe-constitution that way of Corah and selfe consecration that way of Jeroboam will prove nay I may say doth prove an ignis fatuus leading into the fools paradise of high expectations but leaving men in the wilderness of confusion They that feared God in Israel followed the despised and driven out Priests to Jerusalem let it be your prayer care not to follow the flocks of Christ his pretended companions I pray you recall to mind what instructions I gave you many years since from that Text Cant. 1.7 whilst you have power prevent Congregational foxes from spoiling your vines though you cannot keep them out of close corners you may from places of concourse and command them out of your common Hall and publick places of assemblie give them no countenance whose only errand is confusion you are now a Church of Christ become not the guilded Synagogue of Satan Will not reason tell you selfe-constitution is a sedition in the Common-wealth and schisme in the Church Is authority essentiall to a civill and not to a religious Corporation What superstructure can bee built on a sinfull schismatical foundation judge ye though it flourish flie from it it cannot but fall I say bee you stable in truth steady in the union of the Church constant to Gods covenant and continuing in prayer though God carry discouragingly towards his people for God laughs the Devill to scorn when Job serveth him for nought and the Saints constancy in holiness doth witness that there is a reward to the righteous when the prospering providences of the prophane do suggest it 's in vain to serve God 3. Prize and preserve among you a sound and zealous Ministry such you have enjoyed such you may by your own advantages which you above other Towns enjoy Pastors to feed witb knowledge and understanding are Gods promises and his peoples priviledge bread and water of affliction to be imbraced before their removeall let not the generall contempt providence poureth on Mâ—nistry deaden your affection to your Ministers but know them as over you in the Lord I am not a little grieved for your late differences with godly Ministers I wish you would seriously surveigh your souls see wether some spirit of pride passion prejudice or vain glory do not act and occasion them take heed you jar not with Ministers untill you wreak your quarrell on Ministry I wish some of you have not already proclaimed open warr I will not acquit your Ministers from their infirmities but desire you take heed to your selves in this day of discouraging providences to Gods Ministers true piety should prize prefer them so evill are the times that dis-satisfaction in a prophane Minister can scarcely pass without the censure of dis-respect to Ministry much less when fomented continued against a man who is a faithful painful and diligent and in the generall course of his life let malice say its worst a godly Minister my beloved let the office and person be distinguished and the dignity of the one will darken and cloud the infirmitie of the other and the authority of the one will awe duty denied to the weakness of the other Receive Ministers as they are indeed the messengers of the Lord of Hosts Embassadors of Jesus Christ and then despise them even in their distress if you can 4. Pursue your conference and mannage it with all prudence avoid the evills incident to it pursue the directions herein propounded you have heretofore been acquainted with them but have need to bee put in remembrance take heed of spirituall pride in conference least it prove an Audley conference that may plunge you into the precipice of Anabaptisme and other heresies my heart bleeds over those men with whom you know I have sometime past had sweet communion though they wil not now hear mee bee warned by their example Be carefull of and constant in these and other duties directed in the word what ever men say or cross providences seem to suggest Let Ecebolius whirl about with every wind of providence in the Empire untill hee proclaim the shame of his own unconstancy be you pillars of truth and Cedars of holiness standing in stormy days as indeed rooted and built up in Christ and resolved into divine revelation as your rule however disposed by providence as to your present outward condition whereunto that you may bee strengthened read these notes as helpfull and offered from the hearty affections and with the hearty prayer for Gods blessing of your Quondam Pastor yet zealously affectionate for the good of your souls ZAC CROFTON from my Study in Botolphs Algate Lon. Nov. 3. 1659. To the Reader Courteous Reader I Did many months since begin this discourse unto my own Congregation intending chiefly to instruct them in the too much neglected and abused duty of Godly conference but finding the words so connexed that I could not eonveniently come at my intended doctrine untill I had spoken to the condition which did constrain the godly their speaking one to another I divided the Text into three generall heads to be discussed and so intended them for particular instruction never to be made more publick but God who over-ruleth mens purposes hath otherwayes disposed In June last I being called to preach at the morning exercise in Magdalen Milk-street Church tooke some of these notes as next hand and did very briefly discuss the prosperoâ—s providences which do attend the prophane Such approbation it met with from many godly hearers that I was pursued with great importunity to
falsly in thy Covenant Our heart is not turned back neither have our steps declined from thy way Psal 44.17 18. Let profane men practise their evill purposes and prosper in their evill practises and plead providence providence their blasphemie may afflict us but their plea carrieth no perswasion or force to him that feareth God obeyeth the voice of his servants one it is written is of more weight to a gracious soul then hundreds of victories and a series of prosperity for indeed to determine divine allowance by good or bad successe of any cause or approve or disapprove any course of life by it's externall providence that attend it is to deny and determine in direct contradiction not onely to the experiences of the Church but expressions and maxims of Scripture which are multiplyed to our establishment against the force of this very temptation as Blessed are the poor theirs is the Kingdome of God Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for they shall be fed blessed are they that weep for they shall laugh and blessed are they that men shall hate separate from their company and reproach and cast out their name for evill for the Son of mans sake such were the true Prophets great is their reward but on the contrary Wo is unto the rich the full and those of whom all men speak well Luk. 6. For such were the false Prophets of old and again we must through many tribulations enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Acts 14.22 And the poor of this World Rich in faith God hath chosen And the like all which are of no use if the current of common providence must be the ground of conviction or guide of conversation nay our Saviour doth so sarr discountenance appeals to and approbation of any cause by providence and successe that he will not work miracles to convert souls or enforce faith When the Jewish Sectaries call for a sign and resolve their conversion in some pompous outward and glorious shew the Lord denieth a sign and referreth to the sign of Jonah dictated in holy writ nay and cautioneth all men to take heed of signs wonders and lying miracles which are the arguments of Antichrist to out-face the Scripture Mat. 24.24 2 Thes 1.9 John Huss out of Isiidore Chrisostome Gregorie and Augustine hath long since rendered the Reason why miracles have ceased in the Church and are onely found in favour of the false Prophet and Antichrist viz. because the Church of Christ must be persecuted and seem abject vile and forsaken and must overcome by confessiâ—n of the truth by holinesse and shining in good works by love and patience and not by power but Antichrist must sway all and have full power to persecute and Hypocrites who look after Temporals more then Eternalls must be discovered and the true Saints tryed and Carnâ—lists bee justly punished with that snare of specious signes and convincing providences So that if we will not throw away our Bibles disown Scripture and make divine precepâ—s and prescriptions of none effect let us never dare to appeal to providence whiâ—h may fall on the side of the most prophane let us never say this course is pleasiâ—g to God because pleasing to the men that devise and pursue it this God al oweth because he prospereth but this he disalloweth because thereto he disappeareth these are Saints their prayers succeed but these are sinners Lam 3.44 for God wrappeth himself as in a cloud and shutteth out their prayers for precept not providence is the Rule prescribed by the Lord and by it we see The proud are called Happy c. motive 2 Providence made a Rule doth expose us to uncertainty of perswasion and unconstanâ—y in profession of Religion Faith ought to be fixed and constancie in it â—is the honour of any profession 2 Tim. 1.13 1 Cor. 15.58 holding fast the form of sound words and being stedfast and unmoveable alway abounding in the worke of the Lord is the dutie and due property of a true beleever but forsaking the right rule is the way to constant wandring declining the standard of truth doth expose us to inevitable fluctuation and deviation The admirers of the Moon and observers of the wheels motion must needs be subject unto Changes variety of providences must needs ingender variety of perswasions by the orders thereof such as see by no light or sail by no compasse but by success must needs like the waves of the Sea be tumbled and tossed to and fro The returns of this wheel runs men on most palpable and shame full contradictions for if success be the line of decision the same cause is to day good because prosperous to morrow evill because adverse to day godliness is gain and to morrow gain shal be Godliness sometime the Righteous are in honour but anon the Honourable are the Righteous how soon do such men change their Tune who conclude providence to bee Gods voice Was it not this that led men in all ages unto sinful shameful unconstancy 2 Sam. 7 8 19.19 20 the same Shimei that to day curseth David because adverse is the first that to morrow cometh down and meeteth him with blessing 1 King 18.40 because returned with victory They that in Ahab rage fall down before Baal in Elijahs successfull resolution pull down Baall and destroy his Priests Providence engageth the same mouth to sing Hosannah to him that commeth in the name of the Lord That to morrow crieth Crucifie him Crucifie him such as conform their Religion to outward providence shape a coat for the Moon and like Baldwinus of whom Beza speaks will have Religionem Ephemeram an every days Religion ab his ad istos abillis ad hos leviter iens aut transiens easily turning hither or thither as the Apostle Peter contending against anon constraining again to the ceremonies of the Jews like the Samaritans Gal. 2.14 brethren to Israel when favoured but strangers and foes when frowned on by Alexander Like Eccebolius a Christian in time of Constantinus an Infidell and Pagan in the time of Julian the Apostate and again a Christian on his death changing his Religion with the Emperour like the Melchites a kind of mongrill Christians who would be of the Kings Religion as those in 2 Kin. 17. Who feared the Lord and served other gods feared the Lord that plagued them and served other gods which pleased the King so that luke warmness and fluctuation of Spirit and change is the result of making outward present providences the reason of our assent and dissent to any cause or course Providence is a brave principle of Skepticisme and a bar to Martyrdom Our age is indeed an age of providences to be admired and Skepticisme to be abominated They make indeed few and very few Martyrs sometimes with hands lifted up to heaven we vow and Covenant to God and presently cast off our Covenant as an old Almanack out of date One while we have zeal against
teaching 1 Tim. 1â— 11 to exhort and rebuke with all authority Titus 2.15 as being over the Church of God Whilst the ministers of the gospell do require credence and obedience to what they declare not only because true and good but because spoken with authority in the name by the Embassie of Jesus Christ private Christians must know that the onely weight and strength of their instructions lye in the turth and goodnesse with some civill and naturall circumstances thereof and the refusall of them may charge the guilt of despising good counsell and disregarding friends but not disobedience unto God and Jesus Christ to your shame it may be spoken that many youngsters adjoyn themselves to your private societies as expectants of the publick ministery and having inured their tongue in your conference to talk of the things of God do with much confidence impose on you their discourses in the name and authority of Jesus Christ and at length uncalled and unqualified presume to step into the pulpit and speak unto the Church of God as if your conferences were no other then nurseries of pride and vanity I would such as thus presume to prophesie would but seriously ponder that which was certainly spoken in reference to gospell times by the Prophet Zach. 13.5 And the Prophet shall be ashamed every one of his vision and shall no more wear a rough garment to deceive but hee shall say I am no Prophet I am an husband man men taught me to keep cattle from my youth Their faith can be but poorly edified which is fed with a phantastique and imaginary ministry and followed with the curse of God because they have run and I have not sent them they shall not profit this people Jer. 23.32 Whilst you give good counsell do not cheat men of their salvation by giving it with the assurance and authority you never received 4. Private Christians cannot under pretence of conferense cast out of the Church excommunication is the highest act of authority in the Church of Christ and however it hath been highly asserted and hotly contended for it yet remains to be proved that the people or body of the Church are the subject of the keys the Savoy conclusions are neither Scripture nor Church Canons nor are they enforced with the least Scripture argument or answer to what on the contrary hath been objected be not magisterially imposed upon by men of no power lock not your selvs under an implicite faith of what some pretenders to piety professe to believe consult Reason and Religion and you shal find popular power unto Church censure repugnant unto both casting out of the Church is an act judicial and that cannot be done by all they must be Rulers and judges that do execute it if this be the whole Church where are the ruled and to be judged when the incestuous person was cast out of the Church at Corinth it was done in the name of Jesus Christ by many and as the word signifieth principal ones nay by those who judged such as were within not by all the assemblies or any private persons I denie you not the liberty of debarring from your friendly societies I believe a strang and discountenancing carriage towards every brother which walks disorderly to be a duty but for private men to deliver any over to Satan is a grand impiety 5. Private men may not in private conferences cancell the condemnation of the Church or conscience the same authority which doth bind must loose they who shut must open absolution is an act undoubtedly ministeriall and Ecclesiastick the Officers of the Church can onely acquit convicted guilt private Christians must confesse their sins each to other to provoke pitty and prayer but not to procure a pardon further then the offence concerns themselves they may comfortably argue and expostulate each with other the hopes of pardon unto the quieting of the anxious conscience but he must be a minister who doth in the name of the Lord pronounce pardon and in the name of the Lord ministerially though not Judicially cancell conscience and quiet the guilty by assuring Remission of sin upon true Repentance It was unto Ministers that Jesus said whose sins you Remit shall be Remitted and it is by them therefore this ground of faith and foundation of hope be must said as private men have not authority to capitulate so they have none to conclude peace between God and the soul the many that punished did pardon the incestuous Person and that in the name of Christ and therefore with authority to apply Gods poomises and require an acquiescency of soul is positive prophanesse 6. Private Christians may not conclude orders and decrees which shall binde the Church All acts of discipline are attendant on the keyes of the Church such as wear them have the onely power of prescription of things Religious Rites and matters of decency and order in the Church of God Legislation is the height of authority they that consult and conclude for to binde the Church and require subjection must be well commissionated Church counsels I doubt not may send a broad their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 determined decrees Acts 16. â— and conscientious obedience must be yielded to them but for private Christians to prescribe unto the Church of God cannot but be high presumption and prophanesse However you conclude prudentiall Rules to preserve the peace and order of your private amicable societies let them never be imposed on others or prescribed to the Church but know subjection is your station in Gods Church and Legislation above your Reach 7. Private Christians may not commend a blessing to the Churâ—h in the name and authority of Jesus Christ we deny not the power of parents blessing their children by prayer and parentall option as did the Patriarchs and Laban to Iacobs children or friends blessing one another by salutation and serious supplication as Jacob at his comming in going out blessed Pharaoh to be common to all the people of God and to be done by private men but ministeriall blessing by pronuntiation thereof in the name of the Lord unto the Church is an act of worship to God and argument of faith to his people and therefore must be done by authority and belongs onely to his Embassadours and commission Officers the Tribe of Levi is separated in Israell to stand before the Lord and Minister unto him and to blesse his name Deut. 10.8 They must and they onely must blesse in the name of the Lord for they are chosen to this very purpose Deut. 21.5 That your private conferences begin and end with prayer is commendable but that your society break up with a formall and pronounced blessing in the name of the Lord is to be condemned very prudent was the practise of the Church when men unordained and onely expectants of the ministry did for probation sake preach were barred from pronouncing the blessing and thereby made known to the people
not yet to have been consecrated to this holy function Thus then Christians I have plainly prescribed and let you see what is your priviledge and what will prove your dammage wherein you as private members and particular joynts may duely make a supply unto the edification of the whole body of Christ and wherein you may be dangerously prejudiciall to the Church and destructive to your own souls all holy duties are to be managed with feare but especially those which are occasionall and at humane liberty wherein without vigilancy and great care we shall be transported by Satans temptation and our own corruption whilst we are tickled with a desire to distribute what we have Received and quickened by the sence of duty to communicate gifts and graces by exhortation rebuke â—nd admonitions we are too Ready Rashly to manage it not Regarding the place wherein we stand and the method and order whereby we must be serviceable to the edification of the Church but break all bounds and presume to turn preachers and assume to our selves all ministerial power and authority pressing on all the acts thereof constiâ—uting Churches consecrating things and persons communicating to the Church in the name and stead of Christ casting out of the Church cancelling conscience concluding orders for the Church commending Gods blessing to the Church I would our sinfull age were not a sad comment on the exorbitancies of Religious conference You take it ill if your priviledge be not asserted in its latitude but think much to be confined to your places as you would not have your Ministers discountenaÌ„ce your conferences drive them not into a sinfull extent avoide the evil that your nature gathereth from them for Gods own occasionall institutions are to be Removed for the prevention of a greater evil as was the brazen Serpent to prevent Idolatry Christian liberty must be restrained when it giveth occasion to Schifme Rebellion and Impiety know therefore that the Church will never be edified by your doing acts of edification out of your sphere and without authority keep at an equall distance from acts of prophanenesse and acts of piety not belonging to your places It is all one in divine acceptance to omit and overact a duty not to serve him and not to serve him in our stations for however men deem he is a God and God of order and order the beauty of his holiness must shine more brightly in the Church then in the world Now that I have bounded your liberty in holy conference by fit cautions I shall direct your duty unto the right discharge of it that it may be honourable to religion profitable to the Church and comfortable to your own souls The directions I shall suggest are three Propound unto your selves Right Direct 1 matter whereof to confer each with other all things Revealed and known may be matters of discourse unto men but all discourse befits not Christian men I need not tell you that Rude Ribald language foolish jestings vile calumniations and contrivancies of prophanenesse and wickednesse are Repugnant to and unfit for humane discourse It is a shame the Tongue mans glory should ever be stained with such language how much more is the contrariety thereof to holinesse and Christianity this may be the language of the prospering prophane men which must provoke our speaking one to another by way of complaint that men should be so wicked but must not be once named among you as becometh Saints The affairs of the world and concernments of our temporall and present estate are matter of Colloquie fit for humane society and may in all commerce be lawfully conferred of by Christian souls sanctity doth not make us cease to be men if we will not confer of the things of the world we must go out of the world but but yet these things fall into Christians discourse as men not as Saints and common prudence will guide in the exercise thereof The conference which we have under coÌ„sideration is Godly speciall belonging to Saints stirred up by the stout words of the wicked and successe of sin springing from the fear of God and thoughts of his name therefore the matter propounded to it must be holy and Religious like the language of the vertuous woman your mouths must be opened with wisdome and the law of kindness be upon your tongue Prov. 31.26 So the matter must be generally good even the word of God which must dwell plentifully in us in all wisedome unto teaching and admonishing one another Col. 3 16. Our discourse must be such matter as is savoury seasoned with salt administring grace and edification to the hearers Col. 4.6 No corrupt communication must come out of your mouths but that which is good Eph. 4.29 Good men must like housholders bring out in holy conference things new old but always such as may witnesse them to be Scribes instructed to the Kingdome of Heaven Mat. 13.5 So that in general the â—ind of God word of truth doctrine of the gospell must be propounded as the matter of your conference but more specially propound not to your ordinarie coâ—ference 1. Jewish fables and genealogies or vain jangling notions frivolous matters which minister questions rather then godly edifying in the faith 1 Tim 1.5 fables because frivolous not because false as Calvin â—otes on the text many genealogies and other criticismes are recorded in the Scripture as necessary appendants on the things written which in themselves are not proper matter for conference because unprofitable and the debate of them will be but a laborious loss of time a task not worthy the toil like an Olive or Date stone hard to crack or cleave and affording no kernell when divided holy conference must be employed so that it should not fail of it's end or hinder union and therefore we must see we never make that the matter of it which may genderst rise occasion snarling administer questions but afford no instruction or edification Suetonius tells us that the curious canvasing of the genealogie of Priamus to find out the Pedigree of Aiax and Achilles was ridiculous to all sober men if frivolous things must not be the matter of humane much lesse may they be the matter of Christian debates 2. Conferre not of curious and nice critical cases of concâ—ence Râ—m 14.1 We are required to recâ—ive such as are weak in the faith but not to doubtfull disputations that is criticall debates concerning Christian liberty which indeed stirre up scrupulosity but do not edifie the weak will by scrupulosity of conscience be discouraged in the ways of piety let them not therefore be in your conferences perplexed with such enquiries doubts are soon started and easily raised but not so soon resolved it is sad when soul tormenting scrupulosity becomes the effect of Christian society 3. Conferre not controverted matters of discipline and order in the Chrrch the things of salvation may be enjoyed in the Church where discipline is much wanting and
neglected matters of order tend to the beauty but not the being of the Church articles of faith and acts of holinesse may be followed by men that are ignorant of the debates of Church order disputes of circumstances becomes many times the destruction of the power of godliness it is noted of eminent Mr. Dod that he never loved to meddle with the coÌ„troversies of the times because they dulled his affections to holinesse if in any thing â—oÌ„mon Christian should be concluded by Church officers it is in matters of discipline order 4. Confer not the experiences of Saints manner of Gods work on the heart and conscience because these are meerly personall may prove prejudiciall unto others conviction and consolation is the common condition of all believers but the modus and gradus operandi measure and manner of it is different ordinarily disposed by the temper and disposition of the subject and cannot be a Rule unto others the easiness of Davids must not be the measure of Manasseh his conviction nor must the thundring conviction and conversion of Saul be the square thereof unto Peter experiences of this nature administer no edification but many times engender in some despondencies and in other presumptions leave we therefore a wise God to work his own work in his own way let us make the work it self object of our observation and discourse not much making known the manner and measure thereof These things I advice be not propounded as the matter of your conference because repugnant to its end but instead hereof confer 1. Prophane practices of the wicked with which your hearts are to be affected and that out of zeal to Gods holy name hereby dishonored and piety to immortall souls hereby endangered and compassion to them who by their prosperity in the course of impiety do become a stumbling block temptation and evill example to others multiplying to themselvs the wrath of God unto which they are by their present successe prepared This is more then probable to have been the matter of which the men in our Text did speak one to another we may not alwaies speak to the conviction of the wicked yet we may and must speak to the confirmation of our selves against the temptation of their prospering prophanesse and successefull sin 2. Principles of which are ploin and obvious to every serious Christian studious of Scriptuee and are essentiall to the vâ—ry being of a believer and indispensably necessary to salaation These are the foundations of the oracles of God by which we are conâ—â—ituted Christians and capable of being edified ignorance and inconstâ—ncy in the principles of faith fits us for all heresie and seduction from the truth the matter of Christ his conference with his Disciples in the coasts of Philippi as is evident by his Whom say men that I am and whom say ye that I am Mat. 16.13.16 Was the verity of the Messias who was to be believed and the matter of his conference with the Disciples that walked to Emmaus was his death and Resurrection those great Articles of faith and Pauls Errand to Rome was by conference to establish the Saints in the faith Rom. 1.11 The common work of the Communion of Saints is to edifie one another in their most holy faith and therefore the principles thereof is the proper matter of their conference 3. Practises of piety which are to be performed unto these being to the gracious soul supernaturall and and above his reach beyond his naturall strength nay contra naturall unto which their flesh bears an enmity they cannot but be weak and dull apt to be wearied especially when under affliction and all worldly discouragements men speaking common course of providence seeming to confirm their language that it is in vain to serve God therefore we must consider one another to provoke unto love and good work so long as the willing spirit is Retarded with the weaknesse of the flesh the words of the wise must be as nails and as goads 4. Promises of Grace which must be the props of the soul the uphold of hope under the prospering providences that do attend the prophane and afflictions which are incident to the Righteous whilst the vision is delayed the just must live by faith and by discoursing of Gods promises and properties establish their expectation of a discrimnating deliverance out of all their sorrows though at the present the proud are called happy c. If these and things of the like nature be made the matter of your conference it will produce its end and prove an ordinance of edification informing your judgements affecting your hearts quickning and establishing the soul in faith and holinesse I have done with the first and shall now passe to the 2. direction unto the right management of conference Direct 2 Right matter propounded proceed unto your conference with due prudence wisdom is the ornament and excellency of every action and must be the especiall property of believers that will put forth in exercises of Religion they must proceed with much prudence and beware of betraying the same into scandall by any acts of in discretion many are the snares which attend holy conference and great are the evils which our corrupt natures do draw from so good an exercise we must therfore be very watchfull to improve it to its end and avoid its evill though accidentall the truely prudent will limit themselves in things lawfull least they Run into things unlawfull It is Austins assertion that he who knoweth not how to deny what is in his liberty will never be able to decline what is forbidden and the truely Godly must avoide the appearance of evill not onely the species but shews the kinds but shadows of sin are to be shunned let therefore your conference be managed with all wisdom in point of time place manner and order 1. The time of conference is occasionall as opportunity is offered for holy conference is not a duty fixed to any speciall season but as divine providence and humane condition doth cast and call us into society we are to speak one unto another as in the time of friendly visit in any affliction familiar intercourse in holy actions or falling into each others company by appointed or unexpected affairs so that the Godly must watch for and catch at the opportunity of exhorting and admonishing comforting one another by holy conference yet we do not deny or deem it unlawfull for the Godly of any vicinity and neighbor hood by mutuall consent to keep fixed seasons wherein to associate and speak one unto another in holy conference onely we advise that the time fixed be our own not Gods or our families our own I say not Gods that is not the Lords day and the season of solemne assemblies and publick worship holy conference I confesse doth well become the Sabbath but the Sabbath cannot well be the fixed season of conference epecially the time of publick exercise when God is by