men in Gods account who walk in all his Ordinances and all his Commandments in a blameless manner Luk. 1.6 They were both righteous before God walking in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameless That evidence which is given of the righteousness of Zacbarias and Elizabeth may be given of these men they walk in all the Ordinances of God they have respect to all the Commandments of God and are blameless in their conversations They are baptized and baptize others in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost they often celebrate the Lords Supper they praise God in singing Psalms they keep holy the Sabbath day they pray to God in secret and pray in their Families they worship God in publick Assemblies as well as privately they are just sober temperate patient under afflictions c. 3. They visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction and they keep themselves unspotted of the world and they that do so being sound in the Faith are Religious men and their Religion is pure and undefiled in the sight of God Jam. 1.27 Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this To visit the fatherless and widow in their affliction and to keep himself unspotted from the world They endeavour according to their abilities and their opportunities to do good unto all men And that is an argument that they are born of God 2 Joh. v. 11. He that doth good is of God 4. They train up their children and servants in the knowledg and the fear of the Lord and that is an evidence of a righteous man when he doth not only serve God and walk with God himself but teacheth his houshold to do so also Josh 24.15 As for me and my house we will serve the Lord. Cornelius his piety was evidenced by training up his house in the fear of God Act. 10.2 A devout man and one that feared God with all his house God takes special notice of Abrahams piety in that he was careful that his children and his whole house should keep the ways of the Lord Gen. 18.19 I know him that he will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgment that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him If it be said Some think and speak otherwise of these Ministers which are called Nonconformists as if they were deceivers of the people and were not good men I answer 1. So did many among the Jews say of Christ and his Apostles Amongst the Jews there were differing thoughts concerning Jesus Christ Joh. 7.12 Some said he is a good man others said nay but he deceiveth the people There were as evil reports raised and as dishonourable speeches given out against the Apostles as there are against these men 2 Cor. 6.8 By honour and dishonour by evil and good report as deceivers and yet true 2. The Spirit of God foresaw that scandalous reports would be raised against righteous men and that they would be misrepresented in the world whereby many would be deceived and be ready to condemn the innocent and therefore he hath given us a sure rule to judg who is a righteous man He that doth righteousness he is a righteous man 1 Joh. 3.7 Little children let no man deceive you he that doth righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous These men approve themselves to be righteous men by their constant care to do those things which are just and right in the sight of God and men 3. Their adversaries that reproach them would be glad to be in their condition when they dye then they will wish that their last end may be like theirs If any say Do you know all those Ministers which are called Nonconformists that you know them to be righteous men I answer 1. With some of them I have had intimate acquaintance for several years and have fully known their Doctrine and manner of life and I am abundantly satisfied in what I have asserted that they are men of sound judgments of upright holy and exemplary conversations And Charity obligeth me to believe and hope the like of the rest although I have no personal acquaintance with them 2. If any Minister that goeth under the name of a Nonconformist be not a righteous man I plead not his cause but dislike and disown such a man as much as the Conformists do And as these Ministers are righteous men so there are many of those that come to their Assemblies I say not that they are all righteous that come to their Meetings for the Gospel is like a Net which draweth good and bad but this I say there are many righteous persons come to their Assemblies such as are of an holy blameless conversation well reported of for good works who have no other design in frequenting these Meetings than the glorifying God and the saving their own souls 2. Praying to God in the Name of Jesus Christ for things agreeable to his will and Preaching and Hearing of Gods Word are good works Prayer is a good work 1 Tim. 2.1 2 3. I exhort therefore that first of all supplication prayer intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men for Kings and for all that are in authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour 1. It is commanded of God v. 8. I will therefore that men pray every-where lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting These words may relate to verse 3 where the Apostle had told us that praying for all men is good and acceptable in the sight of God And therefore commands that men pray every-where 2. Prayer when made by upright men is delightful to God Prov. 15.3 The prayer of the upright is his delight 3. God promiseth great blessings to them that pray to him as eternal life Rom. 10.13 Whosoever calleth upon the name of the Lord shall be saved The giving of the Holy Ghost Luk. 11.13 Your heavenly Father will give the holy Spirit to them that ask him Yea all good things Psal 31.10 They that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing And as Praying so Preaching of the Gospel is a good work For 1. It is commanded by God Mark 16.15 Go ye into all the world preach the Gospel to every creature 2. It doth great good to the souls of men It turns them from darkness to light from the power of Satan to God It is the great instrument of saving mens souls even that preaching which the world counteth foolishness 1 Cor. 1.20 It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe 3. God promiseth to reward this work with a Crown of glory 1 Pet. 5.1 2 4. The Elders which are among you I exhort Feed the flock of God which is among you And when the chief Shepherd
Lord hath made thee Priest instead of Jehoiada the Priest that ye should be officers in the house of the Lord for every man that is mad and maketh himself a Prophet that thou shouldest put him in Prison and in the Stocks Now therefore why hast thou not reproved Jeremiah of Anathoth which maketh himself a Prophet to you Do you give out that it is not the Lord that stirs up these men to Preach the Gospel but the people set them on out of evil and seditious designs So said they of Jeremiah Jer. 43.2 3. Then spake Azariah and Johanan and all the proud men saying unto Jeremiah Thou speakest falsly The Lord our God hath not sent thee to say Go not into Egypt to sojourn there But Baruch thê son of Neriah setteth thee against us to deliver us into the hand of the Caldeans that they might put us to death and carry us away captives into Babylon Do you look upon these Ministers as pestilent fellows movers of sedition ring-leaders of the Sectaries and do you inform against them as such to the Governours So did the Jews look upon the Apostle Paul Act. 24.1.5 6. Tertullus informed the Governour against Paul We found this man a pestilent fellow a mover of sedition among all the Jews through all the world and a ring-leader of the sect of the Nazarens who also hath gone about to prophane the Temple Do you look upon these as the troublers of the Nation So did Ahab look upon Elijah 1 Kings 18.17 When Ahab saw Elijah Ahab said unto him Art thou he that troubleth Israel Are they aspersed as though they were enemies to the King So was Elijah represented to Ahab 1 Kings 21.20 Ahab said to Elijah Hast thou found me Oh mine enemy Are they looked upon as none of the King's friends that shew kindness to these men when they fall into their hands Thus the Jews cryed out to Pilat that if he released Christ he would be looked upon as no friend to Caesar Joh. 19.12 From thenceforth Pilat sought to release him but the Jews cryed out If thou let this man go thou art not Caesar's friend Do you think these men are not fit to live in the Nation nor in any other part of the world and that it would do well if they were put to death So the Jews thought and said of the Apostle Paul Act. 22.22 Away with such a fellow from the earth for it is not fit he should live Not to instance in more particulars when you have vilified and reproached these Ministers as much as possibly you can you cannot esteem or speak worse of them than the blessed Apostles were esteemed and spoken of in the world 1 Cor. 4.9 10 11 12. I think God hath set forth us Apostles last as it were appointed unto death For we are made a spectacle unto the world and to angels and to men We are fools for Christs sake we are weak despised persecuted defamed We are made as the filth of the world and are the off-scowring of all things unto this day And therefore the reproaches of the world can be no evidence against them that they are not righteous men or true Ministers of Jesus Christ 3. Your revileing and reproachful language that you give these men is so far from excusing your sin in persecuting them that it is a great aggravation of it For reviling language will shut a man out of the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6.9 10. Know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Be not deceived Nor thieves nor covetous nor drunkards nor revilers nor extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of God Revilers are in the Catalogue of those that shall not inherit the Kingdom of God And if any think he may be a reviler and yet go to Heaven he deceiveth himself He that calleth his brother fool is in danger of hell-fire Matt. 5.21 But I say unto you whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of Judgment and whosoever shall say to his brother Racha shall be in danger of the Counsel But whosoever shall say Thou fool shall be in danger of hell-fire To call the servants of Christ factious seditious persons is as bad or worse than to call them fools And therefore they that use this opprobrious language are in danger of hell-fire And I may add this further if you would be partakers of the Kingdom of Heaven you must not only your selves forbear to reproach men that fear God but you must not believe nor entertain the reproaches that you hear from others Ps 15.1 Lord who shall abide in thy tabernacle who shall dwell in thy holy hill He that backbiteth not with his tongue nor doth evil to his neighbour nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour 4. It bordereth upon the sin against the Holy Ghost to speak evil of those men out of envy and hatred concerning whom we are perswaded and convinced in our Consciences that they are righteous men Mark 3.28 29 30. Verily I say unto you All sins shall be forgiven unto men and blasphemies wherewith soever they blaspheme but he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness but is in danger of eternal damnation because they said he hath an unclean spirit The occasion of Christ's telling the Scribes that the sin against the Holy Ghost was a sin that should never have forgiveness was this Because they said he had an unclean spirit Whenas they could not but be convinced by his Doctrine and his Works that he was a holy man Hear what Grotius saith upon the place Hâc comminatione usus est Christus quia videbat illos agnoscere intra se vim divinam sed invidiâ odio comminisci calumnias ut plebem averterent atque ita quod Dei erat diabolo ascribere 5. Enquire into the lives and conversations of these men before you pass such hard censures upon them and if you go to the places where they have lived you shall find them well reported of for good Works In the Colledges where they were Students and many of them Fellows you shall find they were sober peaceable of good behaviour trained up Pupils that were committed to their trust carefully and faithfully and have left a good name behind them If you enquire in the places where they exercised their Ministery you shall find they Preached sound Doctrine were of an exemplary conversation lived peaceably with all men had the hearts and affections of their people and in their sufferings have exercised much patience and contentation And what ground then is there for your loading them with reproaches Plea 2. These men are not obedient to authority but meet together to Preach and Pray contrary to the Laws of the Nation and therefore we cannot look upon them as righteous men but we count them rebels and think we ought to do what we can to suppress them We do not persecute them for Praying and
shall appear ye shall receive a Crown of glory which fadeth not away As Preaching so Hearing the Word is a good work For 1. It is commanded of God Jam. 1.19 Let every one be swist to bear 2. It hath the promise of life and salvation annexed to it Isa 55.3 Hear and your soul shall live 3. By Hearing the Word of God we get great good for our souls For hereby we get faving faith Rom. 10.17 Faith cometh by hearing And have the Holy Ghost communicated to us Act. 10.44 While Peter yet spake these words the Holy Ghost fell on them that heard him with many other precious blessings And yet for these things are Ministers that preach and pray and people that hear them vexed and molested 3. These Ministers are true Ministers of Jesus Christ called of God to preach the Gospel To prove this confider 1. They have the internal call which consists in bestowing Ministerial abilities and a willingness to serve the Lord in the work of the Ministry Gods distribution of abilities is one branch of this call 1 Cor. 7.17 As God hath distributed as God hath called every man Our Lord Jesus proves his Call to the Ministry by being anointed with the Spirit Luk. 4.18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor These Ministers are endued with Ministerial abilities and have those qualifications required by the Apostle in a Minister of the Gospel 2 Tim. 2.3 4. They are blameless vigilant sober of good behaviour given to hospitality apt to teach not given to wine no strikers they rule their houses well c. The internal Call consists also in a willingness and desire stirred up in the heart by the Spirit of God to undertake this work and office of preaching the Gospel Deut. 18.5 6 7. In the 5th verse Moses tells us that of all the Tribes God had chosen Levi to minister to him and v. 7. he tells us which of the Sons of Levi were to be admitted to minister before the Lord namely he that came with all the desire of his mind This willing mind to serve the Lord in the work of the Ministry God hath given unto these men 2. They have given up themselves unto the Lord to serve him in the Gospel of his Son and have been set apart for this work in a solemn manner by fasting and prayer and most of them also with imposition of hands And they that having the internal Call are separated and set apart by fasting and prayer for the work of the Ministry are sent out by God to preach the Gospel Act. 13.2 3 4. The Holy Ghost said Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them And when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them they sent them away So they being sent forth by the Holy Ghost departed 3. They prove themselves to be true Ministers of Jesus Christ by preaching the word of truth There is nothing contrary to sound Doctrine in what they teach and preach unto the people This was the way by which the Apostle proved himself a true Minister by preaching the word of truth 2 Cor. 6.4.7 But in all things approving your selves as the Ministers of God by the word of truth And thus John Baptist proved Christ to be sent of God because he preached Gods word Joh. 3.34 For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God Such as being separated to the work of the Ministry do teach the truth and preach sound Doctrine are good Ministers of Jesus Christ 1 Tim. 4.6 If thou put the Brethren in remembrance of these things thou shalt be a good Minister of Jesus Christ nourished up in the words of faith and good doctrine whereunto thou hast attained 4. God hath given evidence to the truth of their Call to the Ministry by the conversion of many souls They have been instrumental to turn many souls from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God and also to edifie and build up such as are converted When there were some that questioned whether Paul were a true Apostle he proves himself to be a true Apostle by the success God had given his Ministry in the conversion of the Corinthians 1 Cor. 9.1 2. Am I not an Apostle Are not you my work in the Lord If I am not an Apostle to others yet doubtless am unto you for the seal of mine Apostleship are ye in the Lord. 5. The people that do feel the want of the word and desire to be instructed in the way to life and salvation do call upon them to preach the word to them We read of Paul that he concluded assuredly that God called him to preach the Gospel in Macedonia because he saw a man in a vision calling to him Come over into Macedonia and help us Act. 16.9 10. There are multitudes of people that call out to these men Come and help us Why may they not thence assuredly gather that the Lord hath called them to preach to them being such as are duly qualified and have been set apart for the work of the Ministry Obj. These men were not ordained to the work of the Ministry by the Bishops and therefore are no true Ministers Answ 1. The Ministers of the French and Dutch and several other Reformed Churches have no other Ordination than by Presbyters yet are their Churches owned by most Protestants for true Churches and their Ministers for true Ministers of Jesus Christ 2. Many of the Nonconformists were ordained by Bishops yet these Informers prosecute them with as great fury as they do others making no distinction between them 3. Those whose cause I plead that were not ordained by Bishops were set apart to the work of the Ministry with fasting and prayer by the Elders of other Churches And it is contrary to the judgment of many learned Bishops and great Assertors of Episcopacy to deny those to be true Ministers that were ordained by Presbyters because they had not Episcopal Ordination For divers instances might be given out of their Writings whereby it appeareth they did allow Ordination by Presbyters to be valid and lawful especially in such cases as Ordination could not be had by Bishops and in Ecclesiâ turbatâ which is the case of several of these Ministers they were set apart to the work of the Ministry when Bishops were laid aside in the Nation and when the Nation and Church were in great troubles I will mention two or three Archbishop Spotswood in his History of Scotland lib. 7. p. 514. makes mention of three Bishops that came out of Scotland to be Consecrated in England when the time and place for the Consecration was agreed on a Question in the mean time was moved by Dr. Andrews Bishop of Ely touching the Consecration of the Scottish Bishops who as he said must first be ordained Presbyters as having received no Ordination from a Bishop The Archbishop