Magistraticall administration of their object is to bring men in soule and body to live together in the plentifull enjoyment of all good things honestly peaceably and safely one with another 6 That the fundamentall right unto a Ministeriall administration is to be called thereunto as Aaron was Heb. 5. 4. And that the fundamentall right unto a Magistratical administration is to be in the place of power and obliged to look to others and see right done among them as Moses was Exod. 2. 11 12 13. 14. compared with Acts 7. 23 24. 25. 7. That the properties of the Ministeriall right unto the administration of their object in their charges are chiefly twofold their due qualifications for their employment and their lawfull entry upon the charge of souls committed unto them Their qualification for their employment must be such as the Apostle doth require it to be 1 Tim. 3. v. 1. till 8. and Tit. 1. v. 6. till 10. And their entry upon the charge of souls committed unto them must be such as Christ doth require it to be John 10 v. 1 2 7 8 9. 8. That the properties of the Magistraticall right unto the administration of their object in their charges are chiefly a threefold preeminencie viz. a preeminencie over the persons of all men that all soules must be subject unto the higher powers Rom. 13. v. 1. A preeminency over the might and strength of all men that none may resist the higher powers Rom. 13. 2. and a preeminencie over the goods and possessions of all men that every one is bound to pay them tributes and taxes Rom. 13. 6. 9. That the wayes of the ministerial administration of their Charge are mainly three and no more Instructive Persuasive and Declarative Instructive to work upon the understanding that which is rational to manifest truth unto it Persuasive to work upon the will and affections by intreaties promises and threatnings the sence of good and evill to cause it imbrace the one and fly from the other Declarative to denounce in Gods name from his undoubted word his expres will to move the Conscience to yield obedience thereunto that is either to be comforted or to be afflicted as the Kingdom of Heaven is either opened or shut upon it by the declared will of God towards it 10. That the wayes of the Magistratical Administration of their Charge are Directive Legislative and Coercive to order the wayes of their Subjects in righteousnes Directive by Councel and Instructions to set subordinate Officers a work towards their Subjects to lead them unto the performance of their duties and prevent disorders Legislative by Lawes and Ordinances to let all men know the just duties which are to be observed towards all men in all cases relating the safety of the society and the indempnity of every one belonging thereunto from each other Coercive to right all things that are amisse by distributing rewards and punishments to every one as they do deserve 11. That this Magistratical function may be in a Heathen man for the good of a Common-wealth and although it may be in the hands of such a man or men that Christian Ministers and Professors ought nevertheles to acknowledge him or them in the place to be their lawful Magistrates to respect them to pray for them and to submit themselves unto them either actively or passively as their Commands shall be consistent with a good Conscience under the rules of Christianity Hitherto I have offered that wherein I suppose an agreement will be found in respect of the coexistence and distirction of the employments now I shall go a step further and offer that also wherein I suppose we shall agree in respect of the concurrence of the employments under Christ for his ends upon Mankind here then I suppose it will be granted 12. That it is as lawful for a Christian man to be a Magistrate as it is expedient for him to be rational and necessary to be a true sociable man by nature for as the profession of Christianity doth neither make void the use of reason nor abolish the true life of nature but sanctifies the one and the other and exalts both to an use wherein God is glorified by them so the rules of Government in a sociable life and the rational principle of good order in nature are no wayes cast off or neglected by the Rules of Christianity but exalted and made subservient to the highest way of happines 13. That in a whole society of men every thing is proportionably to be allowed which in one man cannot be disallowed as therefore the life of right reason and true nature are not inconsistent in one single man but concurrent with Christianity to make him truly happy so in a society of men to become a State and to be governed by Magistrates according to the Rules of reason and the principles of good order in nature is no wayes inconsistent but wholly concurrent with the frame and life of a Christian society although Christianity abstractively in it self is nothing else but the Rule of a spiritual life whereby we are directed to follow Christs foot-steps that we may come to God by him as new Creatures separate from the world 14. That a Christian being a Magistrate in a Christian State although all his Subjects in respect of Christ and the way of the heavenly profession are his Brethren and in that respect his equals yet by this he doth loose nothing of the natural right and properties of this place which God hath given to a very Heathen over Christians but gaineth rather thereby an enlargement of his preeminency and an additional right and gracious priviledge to his place which is at least threefold First the right to be more beloved and honoured than if he were a meer Heathen Secondly the priviledge to become a nursing Father to the Church of God to provide for it all things outwardly comfortable and to protect it Thirdly the preeminencie of being Christs Vice-gerent in the outward frame of the society by which meanes he hath an influence to see things ordered according to his known will in the Common-wealth and to sway things to the best frame in the publique profession for the body of the society and an obligation laid upon him not to see and suffer Christs name to be dishonoured and his Ordinances blasphamed so farre as by his place he can hinder it without constraining and persecuting any man for the enjoyment of his Conscience whereby he doth not give any publike offence 15. That a Christian being a Magistrate although his professiō doth ad these priviledges to him in his Magistracy yet his Magistracy doth not exalt him above the Church of Christ that he should have a right to cōmand any thing therein after his own wil as in humane affaires for Christ only who is the head hath authority to command in the Church and those that either teach for Doctrines the Commandements of men or impose those Commandements upon
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
mention the thing is alas too evident to an indifferent eye and that which makes the case more lamentable and lesse susceptible of a cure is that all this distemperature is incident to those that are not ignorant of their duty and of the rules by which these evils ought to be avoided it is a sad case when the spirits of men are so far discomposed that although they can pretend no ignorance of the will of God yet they transgresse the same presumptuously But above all this disorderlinesse whereunto men may be carried and are carried apparently through their home-bred passions there is yet another most pernitious incentive of these evils brought in from abroad and practised by Machavilian States-men which is a divellish policie to encourage and strengthen the hand of lyars to set tale-bearers awork to furnish them with false reports and send them up and down to spread the same to reward the authors of calumnies and reproaches and hire them to invent abominable and hatefull accusations and opprobrious crimes against the innocent which in effect is to employ men to fetch fire from Hell to set on fire the course of nature Concerning Revenge what sort of passion it is And when all these forementioned distempers of spirit and disorderlinesses of behaviour have wrought their utmost effects to multiply injuries and heighten wrongs excessively then to right our selves of the same we naturally entertain the thoughts of revenge which thoughts although they are nothing else but the consequences of the sense of evils which we have suffered yet as they take hold of our affections and therein center into a Passion which can have no rest but in requitall unto those that have wronged us of evils equall to those which we have suffered by them or greater then the same in this respect they are somewhat more then a bare result of the sense of former sufferings for they contain a resolution of acting which is wound up to the highest pitch that the powers of nature can reach unto in working mischief This Resolution of requiting evil for evil doth eminently comprehend in one act all the iniquity of the former distempers and so doth become by and in it self a new fountain and cause of embitterments by raising up and confirming upon our spirits all the evill dispositions which make our disease both habituall and epidemicall and that unalterably as to man How incorrigible it is For to all the former sinfull distempers of the soul the spirit of Revenge doth adde this peculiar qualification that by it they are made remedilesse and past cure as to humane industrie and perswasions Est vindicta malum vita jucundius ipsa Therefore Samson having an opportunity to be revenged of the Philistines did rather chuse to die then let Iudg. 16. 30. it slip Let me dye said he with the Philistins for this that he could slay more at one blow in his death then he had done in his own life was that which made him take comfort in the losing of his life By this we see that this passion aimes at nothing but destruction and that with desperate resolutions which hearken to no disswasive reasoning yet they fortifie themselves by perswasives taken from the pretence of justice eye for eye and tooth for tooth from the motions of courage to think it a shame to sit down Exod 21. 24. with any injurie without full satisfaction as Samson although the Philistines had righted him in the wrong done to him so farre as they could yet his courage would not be satisfied except he took vengeance with his own hand Iudg. 15. 6 7 8 though you have done this saith he yet will I be avenged of you and after that will I cease And from the suggestions of pride of self-love and of vain glory Thus Lamech boasted himself I have slain a man to my wounding and a young man to my hurt if Cain shall be avenged seven fold truly Lamech seventy and seven fold Gen. 4 23 24. This passion taking a pride in the height of enmity and destruction by striving to exceed others therein doth tend to an irreconcilable breach of Love to an endlesse abolition of Righteousnesse by a pretence of right to multiply injuries and to a despaire of Peace for ever And how farre some of our spirits are acted by this passion already as I am unwilling to judge so I shall pray that many of us may not be given over to it lest the quarrels of private Revenge with the guilt of innocent blood shed throughout the Land by the deadly feuds of families be multiplied and entailed from one generation upon another to the breach of publick Peace and the disturbance of the whole Common-Wealth And because the experience of former Ages especially in our neighbour nation hath shewed our forefathers sad examples hereof we ought at least so many of us as make it our maine interest to uphold the life of Christianity whether we be Magistrates or Ministers or private men of other stations to entertain in our respective places callings the counsels of healing these distempers both in our selves and in others according to the rules heretofore mentioned of Love of Righteousnesse and of Peaceablenesse which are altogether fundamentall unto our holy profession I am therefore bound by the Law of love a good conscience in the Ministeriall profession of the Gospel of Peace upon this discoverie of our diseases to offer so farre as the Lord shall inable me at the discoverie of the Remedies also which now I shall intend to do Concrning the Remedies of our distempers That they are twofold As then the causes of our disease have a twofold influence one which is particular of each severall cause upon the single persons in whom they are more or lesse predominant and by whom they affect the whole Body of the nation another which is universall of all the causes jointly in their coherence and complication upon the whole State wherein their deadly effects threaten it with inevitable ruine if they continue as they are begun so the Remedies must have a twofold application the one to the singular and distinct the other to the generall and complicated distempers of our spirits the single Remedies apply able to the severall and distinct causes come first into consideration because every one must make use of them for himself and by himself and without these the universall cure can not be obtained and they are to be taken in that order wherein the causes of our distempers lie and work their mischief first then we must intend the cure of the root which is envy and afterward of the branches of our distempers in their subordination one upon another as heretofore they have been mentioned The Remedies of envy given by the Apostle Iames Concerning the spirit of envy the same Apostle Iames who did discover the nature of it unto us doth also give us the cure thereof in the same place from ver 5.
meaning in prescribing these Duties nor my scope in pressing the practise thereof as a cure to our spirituall distempers but the Apostles meaning and my scope is to shew that by these performances some new qualifications of the soul alterations of the frame of the Spirit are wrought in believers to fit them to the enjoyment of that which doth actually free them from all guilt both in Gods account and in their own Conscience For by these meanes our souls are qualified to become susceptible of the Grace which Christ hath purchased for us for whose sake alone we are delivered from the guilt of wrath in the Fathers account and the frame of our spirit is altered to inable us to perceive the remission of the guilt by the testimony of the Spirit of Adoption by which we cry Abba Father and finde effectually that God is in Christ reconciling us unto himself and not imputing unto us our sins for his sake I say these acts of Repentance and our performance of the same are necessary meanes to take away the guilt of our sinfullnes not as to the Justice of God for that is Christs work through the Redemption in his blood but as to the qualification and frame of our spirit to make it susceptible and sensible of the Redemption which is in the hand of Christ to be applyed unto every one who by the conviction of his Conscience is drawn over and doth yeeld himself obedient unto God in these duties For as long as we are impenitent and hardened in our way through the over-ruling deceitfulnes of sin we remain under the guilt of wrath and can have no confidence in God through Christ because the Promises are made unto none but unto those that repent and believe in the Gospel but when we change our course or are rather changed in our course upon the change of our minde with a new frame of heart towards God then the spirit of bondage which is to fear is removed and the free Spirit of Christ which testifieth unto our spirit our Adoption is given to us for till this be done the spirit of bondage doth stand with a flaming Sword between us and the way of the tree of life in Paradise that is between our soul and the Covenant of life in Christ by the Peace of a good Conscience Now the flaming Sword standing between us and the way to this tree is the evidence of Gods wrath as it is due to sin and of our owne guilt as we are liable to wrath and under sin it is then in this sense and by the dispensation of the grace of Repentance to this effect that the guilt is taken away and rest is given to the wearied soul The Remedy of the punishment of sinfulnes The fourth and last Duty doth tend to a full restitution of our estate by the enjoyment of al things pertaining unto life godlines that we may attaine to the glory and vertue whereunto we are called by the profession of the Gospel And to come to this the Apostle doth shew that our way is to humble our selves in the sight of God which if we do the promise is that he will lift us up To humble our selves is to esteem meanly of our selves and to behave our selves as such as are low and mean in their own sense To humble our selves in the sight of God is in respect of God reflecting upon our selves to acknowledge our selves to be nothing at all and as to other men the least of all To be lift up by God is to be made something by his Grace for to the humble the Lord doth give Grace saith the Apostle ver 6. And those that humble themselves have a promise here that they shall be lift up If we see our want of Vertue and are sensible of it in the presence of God he will graciously supply our wants and exalt us to find what we are in him Now God doth lift up men from a low to a higher condition of Grace in three respects In respect of himself in respect of publick employments and in respect of other men 1. In respect of himself he lifts us up when he admits us unto a higher degree of favour and love with himself which is done by manifesting unto us the Love of Christ and making us sensible of his life For thereby he strengthens us with might in the inward man that we may have more and more Communion with him and he with us in Christ till we be filled with all the fulnes of God Eph. 3. 19. 2. In respect of publick employments he lifts us up when he sets our spirits upon the things that are most excellent to discerne and to affect them when he gives endowments sufficient to go about them and when he makes the undertakings glorious to himself and succesfull to the comfort of his Saints 3. In respect of other men he sets us up when he gives us a due place of love and esteeme in the thoughts of the best of them and makes his vertues by us manifest in the sight of all the rest so that they cannot but see his glory These favours are attainable at Gods hand but the way to attaine them is to become lowly as in the sight of God that is as looking upon God and minding our subordination unto him in all things we should unfeinedly esteeme our selves as of our selves to be nothing whether we reflect upon our state in Grace with reference unto God or upon our undertakings amongst men or upon our abilities to performe the same For in these three things our spirituall naturall pride doth commonly break forth and if herein we receive Grace truly to deny our selves in Gods sight and to be nothing in our selves the promise is that we shall be lift up here then the rule of humility is to be observed As concerning our state in Grace the Rule of Humility is That none think of himself more highly then he ought to think but should think soberly according as God hath dealt to every one the measure of Faith Rom. 12. 3. Now to live by Faith is to live by the Truth of God in his Word Concerning our abilities in reference to our selves the Rule of Humility is Be not wise in your own conceits Rom. 12. 16. and again Let no man glory in men 1 Cor. 3. 21. and concerning our undertakings in reference to men the Rule is Minde not high things but condescend to men of low estate Rom. 12. 16. And such as exercise themselves to walk by these Rules with reverence and godly fear as in the presence of God shall in due time be exalted by him unto the enjoyment of that glory and vertue whereunto they are called and appointed to come Who they are that should apply this cure to the spirit of Envy And what failing there is in the application This is the Cure which the Spirit of God doth offer to be applyed unto the spirit of envy that it
heart to the place of her rest and safetie which the Lord had appointed her therefore he made her to be a pillar of salt with her body turned this way and with her face looking that way neither going backward nor forward but standing still in the mid way that she should remain as an example of a speciall punishment which is due to those who in their hearts controul the past judgements of God and which is inflicted by fixing their spirits in that uselesse posture wherein they set themselves by looking back upon the remembrance of their lost enjoyments Let us therefore beware of remembring things past in such a way lest we be made like to her The second sort of these that look backward upon their suffrings are like unto the dogs who when a stone is cast at them though flung beyond them yet they will run back to bite at it for these upon the consideration of things past though now beyond them yet they whet their affections with malice envy and revenge and their tongues with bitter words against the instruments of Gods judgements over them The punishment of these men is likewise as their fault is their spirits are fixed in the restlesnesse of their condition for the wicked shall have no peace saith my God but as the troubled sea with raging waves they are Isa 57. 20 21. Iude 13. condemned to fome forth their own shame continually they are bent to quarrell with every one who agree not with them in the apprehension of matters by-past and so are made fire-brands to the spirits of unstable souls who take not hold of the rest which Christ hath prepared for them And this is the effect of mens looking backward with discontent upon things that are past whence it doth appear that the onely cure of this distemper is to dash the remembrance of all such things to the end that the things present and to come may be layed to heart in the way of righteousnesse as for those that are truly godly and walk Why true Christians look alwayes forward and not backward Ph. l. 3. 13 14. not after the flesh but after the Spirit they are inclined of themselves to forget the things that are behinde because their whole aime is set to presse forward towards the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus their mark is to have communion with God in all his wayes and the excellency of the life of Christ and the joy which is set before them doth fill their eye drowns all other thoughts so that they look at all times but one onely way which is heaven-ward not walking as men but as citizens of heaven and worthy of God they minde the fruits of the spirit in all goodnesse righteousnesse and truth they prove towards Ephes 5. 9 10. every one in all conditions what is acceptable unto the Lord. And this is that which Ministers who desire to be healers and to repair these breaches should apply themselves to do and put their hearers in minde of chiefly at this time when men are so much set upon mischief For what profit can they bring to themselves to their hearers or to the Gospel of Christ by entertaining them with the grievances of matters that are past and gone there can be none other use of this course but to boil up their spirits into a paroxisme of unrulines and of discontentednesse against those that are in power to make them unweildie for action in order to present and future occasions and to give the common Enemie his hearts desire against us and how sutable this is unto the way of the Gospel of righteousnesse and of peace and to the employment of the Messengers of Gods love whose aime should be to become helpers of the joy of the faithful I shall leave unto their own conscience to judge And when they look backward what they aim at in so doing As for mine own part I shall never call to minde the sinfull courses of either partie to reproach them therewith or to anger any thereby but when I shall be obliged to reflect upon the same I shall endevour two things first to represent the guilt under which we all lye before God that we may for our selves and one for another be humbled under his mighty hand unto repentance Secondly to set the spirits that are upright in their way a work to attend without partialitie through the love of God and of goodnesse all the designes of a publick nature which are necessarie and commendable to heal breaches and to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace And because it is an undoubted truth that this ought to be the behaviour of all those who fear God when he doth visit a people with his judgements as is manifest by the counsell of Zephaniah Chap. 2. v. 1 2 3. I am amazed and much troubled at the different behaviour of some who pretend to zeal in this time of our visitation wondering that Satan should be able to prevail so farre with them as to take them off from this The obstructers of this course at this time reproved aime and to make them instrumentall to pull back others and to stagger any that is conscientious from the prosecution of these duties And that which I most wonder at is the deceitfulnesse of the perswasion which is used to foment the division of our spirits even in those matters wherein we are all equally related unto God for our selves and the publick as in matters of prayer and of thanksgiving shall the discontents about earthly concernments reach even unto heaven shall a dutie which is not onely lawfull and commendable in it self as to men but necessarie and commanded to be observed in such occurrences as we are fallen into as to God be not onely neglected but opposed and made a subject of contradiction nay and made unlawfull to be observed as by us because of some interpretations and constructions which we make of the actions of others to their disadvantage Should my supposall of the failing of another man who yet is willing to draw nigh unto God with me and desirous to have my friendly concurrence and conjunction in drawing neer unto God with him be a just ground for me to refuse to pray for publick mercies and to be thankfull for publick blessings And what although he were as unjust in his way and as guiltie before God as some would make him is it therefore unwarrantable for me at his desire when he is actually in power over me to worship God by craving and acknowledging of seasonable favours for my self and others Pharaoh was a cruell unnaturall Tyrant over the Israelites he was a type of a naturall incorrigible man and declared to be a reprobate whom God would harden to his destruction yet at his intreatie Moses refused not to pray to God for temporall deliverances over him and his people And although Pharaohs end in
either as given by us for want of circumspection or as taken by them for want of sufficient information Therefore to make our paths straight in respect of persons the way is to deale so in love in simplicity and in warines of prudency with them as to prevent mistakes and not to venture upon any enterprize towards any before stumbling blocks be removed towards all according to the Apostles rule give none offence neither to the Jewes nor to the Gentiles nor to the Church of God 1 Cor. 10. 32. Lastly the impediments to be foreseen in our own working faculties are the sinful inclinations of our wills the disorderliness of our understandings besides the darkness thereof and the unrulines of our lusts and passions together with the weaknes of our best abilities as they are in our own hand disproportionate to every thing we apply them unto Therefore to make our pathes straight in respect of our own working faculties we ought not only to look often conscionably upon our infirmities to keep a strict guard over them and by the spirit of Prayer and Faith to seeke help and supply of grace in time of need against them but we should before all our undertakings bind over our soules to the observation of these three Rules 1. Never to attempt any thing without the Warrant of a clear call from God 2. Never to set upon any work though our call be never so clear unto it without a due examination and preparation of our heart about the aime which we should have in it 3. Although our aime be never so good and commendable yet not to proceed any further than with modesty we can measure out the undertaking as proportionable unto our place and abilities that we may keep within compasse and not suffer our attempts to go beyond our line These are summarily the heads of matters contained in the second duty which being neglected make men guilty of manifold privat and publick miscarriages offences And would to God the Brethren who have taught others to demurre and make a scruple of Conscience about concurring with the present power in lawful things tending to the publick good had seriously before they took that work in hand reflected upon these rules to make straight pathes unto their feet thereby for that hitherto they have not done this there is just cause to complain but if they yet would begin before it be too late to reflect thus upon their wayes and follow this Councel perhaps our breach might be healed it is evident that we are out of the way of peace and that we cannot come into it again except we apply our selves to the way of Righteousness I suppose it is undeniable if we seek this way by these Rules undoubtedly we shall find it the Lord grant us eyes both to see it and also to observe our own strayings from it and as we have discovered the way so it would be no difficult matter if it could edifie to set the strayings of our Brethren in order before their eyes and by the topies of this directory as by a line and plummet to shew them the unevenness of their pathes in this matter but I shall spare my self this labour wishing rather that they may do it themselves for Christ doth 1 Cor. 13. 6. not rejoyce in iniquity but in the truth my desire is in covering their weakness to heale that which is lame that it may not any more be turned out of the way For this is the third Apostolical Rule by which the cures of these and other miscarriages in privat and publick are to be endeavoured Let us then understand the Apostles meaning in it The duty of healing mutuall infirmities By lameness I understand here all manner of infirmities which take not away the motions of the faculties but onely make them in their proceedings irregular for properly to be lame is to have a weakness in the moving faculty causing an unequal motion which is unseemly and disproportionat to other mens faculties and motions in respect of strength and swiftnes whence also this inconvenience doth follow the lameness of a Member that it may soone be turned out of the way either by its own unequal mocions if the way wherein it walketh be rugged and narrow or by the uncharitableness of others who being stronger may justle it out of the way although it be neither rugged nor narrow Now that there are amongst us many lamenesses and that the lame are turned out of the way as well by their own weak innocent and irregular motions as by the evil will of others who justle with them cannot be denied Therefore this duty of healing and of keeping the lame in the way which is the effect of love and righteousness must be applyed unto this symptome of our disease Here the work of love as every where else must have the first place and the influence which it hath towards the weak is by way of compassion whereof the effect is a desire and endeavour to ease them of the evil wherewith they are afflicted the work of Righteousness hath the second place whereof the influence is by way of innocency and the effect is to be no way accessory to the Causes of begetting or continuing any lameness among us or of disturbing any good designe by turning the lame out of the way and thus by this third Rule when we have made our own work straight for our selves our steps towards others are to be regulated that we may also walk straightly therein towards all men being usefull towards them and harmlesse where the usefullnesse of our washing is to be made straight by the Law of Love which doth cover and heale that which is amisse and the harmlesnes thereof is to be made straight by the Law of indempnity that if we cannot make their condition better to be sure not to wrong them by making it worse If the Brethren who in opposition to the present power refuse to act with others in good and lawfull things that which in it self is acceptable to God and approved of men had considered our present publick state with compassion and had laid to heart this rule to walk dutifully thereby as Christians ought they could not have engaged themselves in a course so contrary to that Charity which cals upon conscionable men to the healing of publick calamities and to that righteousnesse which should keep Christians from turning weak consciences out of the way For if they whom God hath set in the place of subjection throughout this Nation should be provoked to a willfull halting and to go forward as many do but lamely in their submission to the power that is over them till they turn themselves quite out of the way of all orderlinesse by a refractory scrupulosity and then be justly turned out of the way of Peace and safety either by the totall dissolution of Government or by the breaking in of power upon them for their unjust behaviour to
and determine our thoughts in the debate it selfe lest they miscarry and be suffered to wander upon use lesse and by-matters uncertainly as it happeneth unto others in the debates of this and of some other kinds therefore I declare before-hand that my resolution is unalterably to wave every thing which shall be offered that hath no direct or collaterall tendency and subordination towards the discovery of these Rules for to finde out a cleare demonstration of the truth of these is the whole fruit of all this Disquisition The termes of the Question explained Thus having determined the end of the debate let us come to look upon the point of difference which may be between us And here I cannot definitly say wherein others differ from me in a positive opinion I see what the positive difference of their practice is from mine but men oft-times doe more then they think they doe but that they who allow at large which I do not Ministers to meddle in matters of State may judge wherein I doe differ from them I shall follow the method formerly set down and first open my sense of the question and then declare both the agreement and the difference which I conceive to be therein between us The termes of the question I understand thus 1. By the Ministers of the Gospel of Christ I understand certain men who take not upon them at their own hand but are called in an ordinary and orderly way to teach other men the knowledge of Christ to perswade and exhort them to receive him and walk in him by faith and love for the salvation of their own soules and the enlargement of his kingdome towards others in the world to pray for and with them and to oversee their wayes that they may be found conformable to their profession And this I conceive is the whole substance of their imployment 2. By the Gospel of Christ I understand the glad Tidings of Gods free Grace offered to us in the new Covenant made with mankind in Christ that we may entertain it by faith 3. By the Sermons of those Ministers teaching this Gospel I meane their ordinary speeches to their hearers concerning this subject by which they ought to bring them to the obedience of faith 4 By the Magistrates I understand certain men whom God hath exalted and set over the visible Societies of men for their good to over-see their wayes and order them in righteousnesse by power and authority to make them conformable unto his known will 5. By State-affaires which are said to be the employments of the Magistrate I mean all things which concerne either the visible societies or the single persons of men as relating to their outward state and condition of life in the world wherein power and authority can be exercised for the ordering of the same 6. By Power I mean the forcible meanes of constraining through feare those that are in subjection to doe that which their superiors will have them to do This is that which the Apostle calls the Sword Rom. 12. 4. 7. By Authority I meane a right to administer a charge and to beare rule therein over others for the government of their wayes whereunto those that are to be governed owe respect and submission And this is that which the Apostle calls to be subject for conscience sake Rom. 12. 5. These are the things whereof the question doth speak but The thing questioned or the matter of doubt The question it selfe or the thing questioned concerning these things is this Whether yea or no it doth appertain to the calling and charge of those that are employed in the service of Christ for spirituall matters when they are about that service to utter in publick their particular thoughts concerning worldly matters which appertain to the calling and charge of those who are set in power and authority over the Common-wealth To this question whether we should say absolutely Yea or absolutly No or in some respect yea and in some respect no and how farre yea and how farre no in each respect is the matter of doubt which by a friendly conference and debate fitted to search after hidden Truths may be resolved And that we may endeavour this so as to bring the matter to an issue without distractednesse or confusion let us first consider that wherein we agree as a known and determined truth then view that which remaineth yet unknown as an undetermined doubt that by the help of some principles and the right application thereof unto the point of difference we may make a way for our understanding to determine the same The matters of agreement The matters wherein I suppose an agreement will be found are these 1. That the terms of the question as they have been opened are truths viz. That by Ministers and Magistrates and their employments such men such things and such actions are to be understood as were described in the opening of the question and that the point of doubt in generall doth lie there where it is said to lie For if either these termes or any of them be otherwise understood or the point of doubt otherwise placed than hath been now mentioned although in words we may seem to agree upon the stating of the question yet the thing it selfe is not agreed upon therefore this must needs be presupposed to be so before we can proceed to any other points of agreement and then I shall offer this further 2. That Iesus Christ who is now at the right hand of God having all power in heaven and earth hath ordained in this world both these kinds of Officers some to preach the Gospell unto men as Ministers of his Word and Mysteries 1 Cor. 9. 14. and chap. 4. 1. with Tit. 1. 7. and 1 Pet. 4. 10. and some to rule the Societies of men to keep them in good order as Magistrates endued with power to punish the evill and reward the good Rom. 13. vers 1. till 8. and 1 Pet. 2. vers 13. till 18. 3. That the employments of these two Officers although they are coexistent under Christ towards the same men who are to be governed by them and concurrent towards them for his ends upon them yet they are distinguishable the one from the other chiefly in respect of their different objects of their different immediate ends of their different fundamentall rights to their charges and the properties thereof and of their different wayes of administring their charges 4. That the object of the Ministeriall administration is nothing else but the truth and will of God in the Gospel as it is revealed in the Scriptures and that the object of the Magistraticall administration is the Truth and Will of God as in the Principles of right Reason and the Law of Nature it is revealed 5. That the immediate end of the Ministeriall administration of their object is to bring mens soules to have communion with God in Christ by his spirit and that the immediate end of the