DIVISION DIVIDED OR Ruines fore-runner DISCOVERED and DECYPHERED In a Sermon before the Right Honourable and the Right Worshipfull the Lord Major and Aldermen of the City of London Preached on the Lords-day September 20. 1646. in Pauls Church London By one that wisheth well unto and daily prayeth for Unity and Uniformity in these three Kingdomes Now I beseech you Brethren by the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ that yee all speake one thing and that there bee no dissentions among you but bee yee knit together in one minde and in one judgement 1 Cor. 1.10 Infaelix populus Dei non potest in bono tantam habere concordiam quantam mali habent in malo Hier. in Ps Neque enim Civitas in seditione potest esse beata nec in discordia dominorum domus quâ— minus animus a seipso dissidens secumque discordans gustare partem ullam liquidae voluptatis liberae poâ—est Atque pugnantibus contrariis studiis consiliisque semper utens nihil quiete videre nihil tranquille potest Cicero 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Homer Odyss 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 London Printed for Andrew Crooke at the Green Dragon in Pauls-church-yard 1646. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE A True patterne of the old and good Way of Pietie and Charity and a cordiall Patron of Truth in these unsteady and giddy Times THOMAS ADAMS NOW Lord Major of this famous City of London all blest establishments in all the wayes to Grace and Glory My Lord YOu have made that saying true which heretofore was spoken Amicus Plato and Amicus Socrates but amicissima Veritas I love Plato wel and Socrates too but Truth better than either of them yea than both of them The hearts of Gods people blesse you and God for you and we hope your zeale for Truth against every opposite Error shall still provoke many Confes lib. 12. Veritatem celare est aurum sepelire To conceale Truth is as to bury gold saith Austin And Bernard convincingly Si propter timorem mortis tacere Veritatem impietas est quomodo non est major impietas propter miserum ventrem honoris vani spem tacere Veritatem Videtur meliorem facere gratiam panis honoris Bernard quam gloriam Veritatis If for the feare of death to conceale a Truth be sin and wickednesse ô what a sin is it for the bellies-sake or some such sinister end to dissemble it Truth in 1 Petition 2 Presence 3 Possession My Lord Inquisitio Veritatis est ejus petitio scientia Veritatis est ejus praesentia sed creditio Veritatis est ejus possessio Truth when sought after is excellent when found and knowne it is yet more lovely but when beleeved and practised too it becomes ours in possession Faith what And indeed what is Faith but I beleeve that is I understand and conceive of it for a truth I assent unto it in my Judgement to bee a truth I consent unto it in my will as good and build mine eternall comfort on it as good for mee this act of beliefe carries the whole soule with it It is pleasant to stand upon the shore and see the Ships tossed in the troubled Ocean to stand upon a Castle safe and see a pitch'd Battaile fought in the variety and successe thereof to stand upon a rock and see so it bee with pity and without pride the Errors wandrings mists clouds and stormes which are below in the valley of this world Your Lordship hath like a stable Christian stood fast in God and in the power of his might while you have seen many too many tossed to and fro with the wind of every Doctrine Doubtlesse every godly Movet mens pia in charitate quiescit in providentia non vertit denique nisi super polâ—s veritatis truly godly mind moves in charity rests in providence and doth not turne but upon the poles of Truth while the portion of wicked men will bee that they deceive and are deceived Mixtures of falshood Simile I may fitly resemble them to that allay which is in gold silver or pewter it may indeed make the met all worke somewhat the better but it abasâ—th it much even so our notionall mixtures may indeed in preaching presse c. make things take the better among giddy heads but they abase Divinity and render men delighting therein too full of levity and emptinesse Gods attire if hee did dwell among men It was wont to bee said of our Learned Criticks That if God himself were to dwell in humane shape amongst men hee would take light for his body and truth for his soul This City hath been exceedingly honoured in sending out Champions to fight for Truth abroad wherein with what gallantry and successe our Londoners have behaved themselves Chronicles will not conceale in after times and there are yet private Anniversaries of thankefull remembrances for Newbery The 20 of September that day this Sermon was Preached c. And it will bee no little Fame to this City also to have it recorded that in the time of such a one and such a one severall Lord Majors of London successively Heresies Schismes Sectaries were suppressed or at least not so countenanced as that the tares overgrew the wheate in Gods Field Salvian Dum mali esse volunt Veritatem esse nolunt qua mali condemnantur but let Truth prevaile and let it be glorious Of all pieces of our Spirituall armour Truth is resembled unto a girdle Ephes 6. for indeed Truth should incompasse us about Truth fourefold And a fourfold Truth scil of judgment heart speech action is required of every Christian My Lord the Lord of Lords take a double portion of the Spirit of Paul and put it on you and on all them that shall succeed you that you may withstand them to the face which goe not with a right foot unto the Gospel of Jesus Christ Non bene vivitur Holy life what and how ubi non bene de Deo creditur Aug. A holy life is indeed nothing else but the infusion of holy truths The Spirit opening generall truths to a Christian hath another worke also and that is to reveale our particular interest in those truths and to breed speciall faith whereby wee may make them our owne that so where sacred truths are truly apprehended there may be an impression in the soule suitable to the things believed The Lord make our believing of God Almighty to bread an impression of dependence reverence c. Some dispute of Faith some preach it some sweare by it but few live thereby the belief and knowledge of Christ crucified to bee a crucifying knowledge of Christ rising a raising knowledge of Christ abased an abasing knowledge to our soules and so of all truths else whatsoever The good Prince George Anhalt who in Luthers time became a Preacher of the Gospel intending to comfort his brother Prince John raiseth strong consolations for
should consider that the things wee know are the least part of those wee know not If more reverence were given to the word of God the holy Spirit implored prayer made to God more frequently If care were had to abstaine from all curious questions and practicall and profitable things preached and pressed wee should I am perswaded agree sooner and God would I am of opinion blesse us better Secondly In Controversies of great moment doe but see the Devils cunning Hee stirres up men to hatreds pride reproachfull speeches Alas the authour of errour must bee handled friendly and if chidden at any time it must bee done without bitternesse arguments used fitted not to the person but the thing And if wee could alwaies aime at this that not our opinion but Gods truth might bee glorious And that whensoever wee enter into preaching or writing or conference or the like Pride might be put off and modesty with humility and moderation out on there were some hope wee might live to see the day that wee might live like brethren and the Lord might delight to dwell amongst us Thirdly Heede ought to bee taken that by the two great Authorities no injury bee done I meane first That by the authority of the Church neither Man nor Doctrine bee rashly condemned that difference bee wisely made between the points of Faith which are necessary to bee beleeved and certaine and things controversall that opinions bee weighed with much of judgement and affection too wherein the best Scale will bee the word of God that men be very tender of things necessary to be known and beleeved that the things flowing from principles be observed and in the rest there be kept a Brotherly concord Secondly That the authority of the Magistrate be also very venerable the Hangman not called in to be a Moderator or Umpire in controversie of Religion the Magistrate not made an instrument to execute every foole and knaves lust and madnesse nor in cases of errour and humane lapse recantations injoyned for feare of punishments Fourthly Many times doctrine is depraved and spoyled Men not observing it and this cometh to passe either from the doctrine it self because indeed the finest bodies soonest putrifie or because changes by little and little are made insensibly as the turning of the houre wheel Sometimes miscariages come and are not seen because of a great fame of learning and holynes in the teacher and sometimes because of the ignorance and negligence of the hearer Surely the way to preserve purity of doctrine is carefully to cleave unto the very words and phrases of holy scripture quietly to give leave unto the modest and moderate use of any mans gifts publick peace preserved Dilligently to cry down all lust of contention and soberly to consider of and submitt the authority and irrefragibility of counsells if such be in them Fiftly Because dissembled sanctity is double iniquity therefore it would bee observed that some men maintayn their own name no better any way than by detracting from all mens else and then they indeed act their own cause when they seem to stirre in the cause of God Very angry they are if any man contradict them too too ready to reproaches and flyings out then they come to trust their own wit parts and labour more than God and if there bee not the more mercy fall to sinning against knowledge and conscience Without all controversie to the preserving of holinesse and goood manners Censures Ecclesiasticall are very needfull which yet have been and may be so exercised as that it may bee truly sayd of them the Devill rebukes sinne many wise men think and that upon good grounds too that publique Pennances are neither needfull nor usefull Sixtly I think that a modest liberty of opinions concerning Religion is much against Satans kingdome because I know that he desires to take away all desire of enquiring after Truth the people think they may cast off all care and study of Religion to their Ministers and are like him who when hee was asked by his Minister How many Sacraments there were gave that answer to him Sir you can tell Two things I think wee ought to bee very carefull of First to set down exactly the marks of true and false Religion which may stand as so many Dooles or Landmarks as well to shew men where they ought as where they ought not to go Secondly to consider well how they which govern Church and Common Wealth are usually incited against Truths professors I confesse I have thought and yet doe exacted confessions from our people very inconvenient for if Ministers carry themselves lovingly they will winne their people to more profitable discoveries a great deale another way Seventhly How Satan labours that neither truth might enter nor errour bee cast out let that bee observed Hee now layes his ax to the root of the Ordinance of the Ministery that there may bee none to teach quarrells at their maintenance and fills the very calling with slander begins by his instruments to talke of feare hope and reward things which every religiously noble spirit layeth as low as that whereon it treads and looks a great deale higher unto that Hee that winneth soules is wise Hee that turneth many to righteousnesse shall shine as the Stars in the firmament They that have this great worke in their hand O that they would not wound one another lest God leave them at length to bee wounded one of another Much adoe is made about having a Confession I think the Law of God well read and shortly glossed would serve and none better and such a Creed or Symbole of faith I think were good as might bee definition-wise wherein nothing might bee deficient or redundant onely such things being therein contained as are necessary to bee known to salvation Eightly The Devil goeth about like a roaring Lyon hee is never but either doing or endeavouring to do some mischiefe privately or publiquely Hee often transformes himselfe into an Angel of light and puts on shewes of holinesse and sanctitie with which hâ—e oftentimes so deceives good men that unawares they lend him in his businesse an helping hand Eminently Godly men doe not escape him without either crime or calumnie if hee can help them to it and hee is not wanting to seeke his advantages every where to that purpose his great engine that hee useth to doe mischiefe which is the sowing of strifes discords and divisions between men and therefore we had need to bee prepared for prevention When the Senators conspired against Caesar to kill him in the Senate house Antemidorus delivered him a paper entring in wherein all the Plot might have been discovered which Caesar then busied with complements wrapt uâ— amongst other Papers and Petitions and thrust into hiâ— pocket and so not seeing the paper went in but lost his life and never came out again what an opportunity was here lost Wee beseech you in Christ his stead to be reconciled let it not then bee said of this and such other messages who hath beleeved our report FINIS
God they were never troubled in all their lives ubi non hoc bellum ibi pax diabolica saith Saint Austin Where there is not this warre there 's a devilish peace How happy was Paul in his smiting to the ground his blindnesse distresse of Conscience prayer and the like you know the story Act 9. the excellency of godly sorrow and the effects therof 2 Cor. 7.11 are set forth unto us if we would hearken to Gods holy word as in the body so in the soule there is but the wound and the medicine in the body and but the sinne and the sorrow in the soule no more to be regarded 1. Chrysostome's resolution concerning sweaâ—ing Some zealous man for God must doe as heretofore Chrysostome did when he was to preach to the Athenians it seems they were a people much given to swearing and he protests that untill they leave their swearing he will never leave preaching against it even so would I have the Ministers of God to resolve never to leave preaching against false bottomes till our people be setled upon a true one and our falfe bottomes are not a few whereon men settle themselves Mat. 7.23 and then will I professe unto them I never knew you False bottomes Depart from mee all yee that worke iniquity profession without practise the mistaking of the meanes of grace and holinesse for grace and holinesse it selfe Selfe-love and thinking our selves to be something when we are nothing formality and meere out-sidenesse in Religion opus operatum and the serving of God with an action done these are the things which breed so many miscariages amongst us 2. Fundamentals But how shall this worke be done No other way but by preaching and pressing the fundamentals Such texts as that Mat. 18.3 except yee be converted yee cannot enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Verily verily I say unto thee except thou be regenerate and borne againe thou canst not enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Iohn 3. Such texts I say as these are they must be preach'd opened and applied The Fathers tell us in good earnest that they did never beleeve another man had need to be converted untill they were converted themselves this is downe-right dealing I like it very well and it remembers me of what Lactantius saith Were there saith he but 7 wise men in Greece If but 7 wise men in Greece none at all no but 7 onely why then there was none there must be some more wise men to judge of their wisedome otherwise a wise man is not a wise man in the judgement of a foole Wise men thinke that Religion is exceedingly decaying in England because a yong Hipocrite makes an old Atheist sure and there are now so many of the first that in the next Century we thinke there will be not a few of the last our God provide for his people The great Prophet alwayes preached a way He that preaches not a way preaches nothing and so must the lesser doe it is dangerous to presuppose a people to be Saints and holy and so to preach unto them it were better to teach them how to be so and to try whether they be so or no. Better I say I thinke to aske our Saviours question whom doe you say that I am 2 Questions Mat. 16.15 then to aske that question Acts 19.2 Have you received the Holy Ghost since you beleeved let the godly wise consider it and they that have the worke of the harvest in their hands Not a few I beleeve in this great City puffed up with their perswasion of themselves and others of them if they should come to cleare dealing withall must say that they had need to be instructed in the doctrine of Faith Baptisme and the Holy Ghost too Well the Scripture speakes of a good conscience Acts 23.1 of a cleare conscience Acts 29.16 of a pure conscience 1 Tim. 3.9 of a purged conscience Heb. 9.14 of an evill conscience Heb. 10.22 of a weake conscience 1 Cor. 8.12 and of a seared conscience 1 Cor. 4.2 which of these now is thy conscience it behoveth thee to take notice of And take this with thee whosoever thou art 1 Ad sui preservationem 2 Ad preservationem universi I never heard a description of vertue that pleased me better then that Brevis et vera definitio virtutis est ordo amoris Aug. vertue is nothing else and grace too but the very ordering of our love take heed of a heart and conscience loving divisions which God hateth The Philosophers say there is a twofold motion in naturall things one whereby they move unto the preservation of themselves and another whereby they move unto the preservation of the whole universe Water naturally moves downe-ward neverthelesse for the generall good it will move upwards rather then faile so should Religion and good conscience doe move to our private good so as that withall we remember that we serve our generation and be usefull also It is an ill spirit and a worse conscience that hath so much minde of its owne things that it regards not the things of the Lord Jesus Christ Use 6 The 6. use teacheth us Gods course of convincing men Course of convincing men How to convince I say a work of the Holy Ghost a work which is sometimes as immediately going before conversion as the morning before the day as in those Act. 2.37 they were pricked in their hearts and they said men and brethren what shall we doe to be saved and in all the such like instances wheresoever For of this let men be well assured that whensoever God doth clearly reveale himself to the soule Marks of a man rightly convinced He presently worketh this great work of conviction and in this order 1. God maketh a man to beleeve his misery by sin and to be much troubled for it 2. He consulteth in this case what to doe and is much troubled about it 3. He is exceedingly broken in heart and humbled to the dust 4. Above all things in the world he desireth forgivenesse of those sins which with a free heart he now confesseth 5. He forsaketh all for the assurance of that pardon and highly prizeth it yea all things drosse and dung in comparison of it 6. He applyeth Christ and his promise lives therein groaning after all excellencies effects and evidences of pardon In this order holy Scripture sets forth conviction to be wrought But yet further it may be marked that 1. Gods worke sometimes Conviction is indeed the work of the great God and of him alone he is the heart-opener Whose heart the Lord opened that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul Act. 16.14 For it is not the willer nor the runner but God that sheweth mercy Rom. 9.15 16. of old the Lord had these wayes to convince his people 1. There were Philosophers Prophets or Poets and Orators and Wisemen of whom what vice was it