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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	find_v	zeal_n	zealous_a	64	3	9.1718	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A59963	A hind let loose, or, An historical representation of the testimonies of the Church of Scotland for the interest of Christ with the true state thereof in all its periods : together with a vindication of the present testimonie, against the Popish, prelatical, & malignant enemies of that church ... : wherein several controversies of greatest consequence are enquired into, and in some measure cleared, concerning hearing of the curats, owning of the present tyrannie, taking of ensnaring oaths & bonds, frequenting of field meetings, defensive resistence of tyrannical violence ... / by a lover of true liberty.	Shields, Alexander, 1660?-1700.	1687 (1687)	Wing S3431; ESTC R24531	567,672	774

7. 2 6. I shew before that there is reason to fear that the sins of a few especially of Magistrats Ministers will bring wrath upon the whole body of the people as is plain from these Scriptures Levit. 10. 6. Isai. 43. 27 28. Lam. 4 13. Mic. 3. 11 21. shewing the sins of Ministers may procure universal Destruction And 2 Sam. 24. 25. 2 King. 21. 11. Ier. 15 4. proving the sins of Magistrats may procure it And Num. 3. 14 15. Iosh. 22. 17 18. Demonstrating that the sins of a party of the people may draw wrath upon the whole Now the only way the Scripture points out to evite avert such publick judgments is to make our resentment of these indignities done to our God our Mourning over them and our witness against them as publick as the sins are at least as publick as we can get them by a publick pleading for Truth Isai. 59. 4. for the defect whereof He hides His face and wonders that there is no man no Intercessor vers 16. that is none to plead with God in behalf of His born doun Truths There must be in order to this a publick seeking of Truth which if there be any found making conscience of the Lord makes a gracious overture to pardon the City Ier. 5. 1. we cannot think there were no mourners in secret there but there was no publick Meeting for it and publick ouning the duty of that day There must be valour for the Truth upon the earth Ier. 9. 3. a publick resolute ouning of Truth There must be a making up the hedge standing in the Gap for the Land that the Lord should not destroy it Ezek. 22. 30. a publick Testimony in opposition to defection There must be a pleading with our Mother Hos. 2. 2. which is spoken to private persons in the plural number Commanding all that would consult their oun safety publickly to condemn the sins of the whole Nation that they may escape the publick punishment thereof as it is expounded in Pool Synops. Critic in locum By this means we must endeavour to avert the wrath anger of God which must certainly be expected to go out against the Land which hath all the procuring causes all the Symptoms Prognosticks Evidences of a Land devoted to destruction that ever a Land had If then there must be such Publick Mourning and such Solemn Gathering for it such public pleading for Truth Seeking of Truth valour for Truth making up the hedge and pleading with our Mother there must of Necessity be publick Meetings for it for these things cannot be done in private but must be done by way of Testimony Which I make a 2. Reason The Nature End of Meeting for Gospel Ordinances is for a publick Testimony for Christ and His Truths Interest against Sin and all dishonours done to the Son of God. So that the only end is not only to bring to Christ build up Souls in Christ but it is to Testify also for the Glory of Christ whether Souls be brought in built up or not The Preached Gospel is not only the Testimony of Christ 1 Cor 1. 6. but a Testimony for Christ in which sense The Testimony of Iesus is said to be the Spirit of Prophesie Revel 19. 10. so called Durham expounds it for its bearing Witness to Christ in which respect Ministers are often called Witnesses It is also the Testimony of Israel not only given to Israel but given by Israel unto which the tribes go up the tribes of the Lord Ps. 122. 4. Whensoever therefore or howsoever the Testimony of the Church is contradicted that 's not a Lawful Meeting of the tribes of the Lord. It is also the Testimony of the Preachers for Christ against them that will not receive them Mark. 6. 11. And a Witness unto all Nations to whom they preach Math. 24. 14. And of all the Witnesses that hold it suffer for it Rev. 6. 9. And the same which is the Word of Christs Testimony is the Word of theirs Rev 12. 11. by which they overcome for which they love not their lives Wherever then the Gospel is preached it must be a Testimony But it cannot be a Testimony except it be Publick at least as publick as it can be as we find all Christs Witnesses were in the Old New Testaments 3. The Motive or principle prompting the Lords people to a frequenting of Gospel Ordinances is a publick Spirit stirring up to a publick Generation Work whereof this is the Scope to promote the Kingdom of Christ and not only to obey the Lords Command enjoining the duty to enjoy the Lord the end thereof or to edify their oun Souls But to partake in promote this Great Work of the Day for the Glory of God and the Churches good For the Gospel is not only a Banner of Love over His Friends but Christs Standart of war against His Enemies Isai. 59. 19. under which all that countenance it are called to list themselves as His Souldiers called chosen faithful And it is required of His Souldiers that they be valiant for the Truth upon the earth Discovering a Gallant greatness generosity of a Publick Spirit having their designs desires not limited to their oun interests even Spiritual but aiming at no less than Christs Publick Glory the Churches publick good the Saints publick Comfort having a publick Concern for all Christs Interests Publik Sympathie for all Christs Friends and a publick declared Opposition to all Christs Enemies This is a Publick Spirit the true Spirit of all Christs zealous Lovers Votaries Which when He is a missing will prompt them to go about the City in the streets and in the broad wayes to seek Him whom their Soul loveth Cant. 3. 2. and not only in their beds or secret corners but they must go to the streets and to the fields and avow their seeking of Christ even though the Watchmen should smite them the keepers of the walls take their vails from them Cant. 5. Which obliges them not only to take Him in to their oun Cottages and intertain Him in their hearts and give Him a Throne there but also to endeavour to enlarge His dwelling and propagate His Courtly residence through the World that the Kingdoms of the earth may becom the Kingdoms of the Lord and if they cannot get that done yet that He may have the Throne in ●her Mothers house and take up His abode in the Church or Nation they belong to that there His Ordinances be established in purity peace plenty power according to His oun Order And if that cannot be but that their Mother play the harlot and He be provoked to give up house with her and by her Childrens treacherie the Usurping Enemy be invited in to His place Habitation and take violent possession of it and enact His extrusion expulsion by Law yet they will endeavour to secure a place for Him among

that cryed Crucifie Iesus were Murderers of Christ Or by procuring it as Haman was guilty of the intended murder of the Iewes Or Concurring therein as Ioab was guilty of Uriahs death as well as David and Iudas of Christs by betraying him Or by the Patrocinie thereof defending sparing the Murderers when called by Office to punish them as David was guilty in not punishing Ioab Ahab in patronizing the Murder of Naboth Or by Consenting thereunto as Saul consented to the death of Stephen or by knowing permitting conniving at it as is condemned Prov. 24. 11 12. Whether this be done under colour of Law as Pilate Murdered our Lord Herod killed Iames or without all colour by Absolute power as Herod the Ascalonite murdered the Infants or whether it be done by purpose as Ioab murdered Abner Amasa or without previous purpose yet with knowledge of the Action in the perpetrating of it as men may do in passion when provoked beside their purpose or in a Tumult without intending it before hand yet that is Murder Barabas committed Murder in the Insurection For as for Casual killing contrary to intention without knowledge that 's no breach of the Command And whatever may be said of necessitated delivering up the Innocent pursued by a potent Enemy to deliver the City from his fury or of prefering our oun life to our innocent neighbour in a case when both cannot be preserved and by preserving the one Lawfully the other happens to lose his life I do not medle with these Cases But since this is taken for granted by Casuists I infer if it be Lawful that an innocent man die in case of necessity that others may be preserved Then much more is it Lawful that the nocent wo are guilty of murdering the Righteous all these wayes above specified and actually prosecuting their murdering designs by these methods should rather be made to die than the Righteous be destroyed But of this sort of Murder taking away the life of the Righteous none hath the impudence to accuse that Reproached people 2. Thô a man kill an innocent unwittingly unwillingly besides his knowledge and against his will yet he may be guilty of sinful homicide if he was obliged to know that he was in hazard of it and neglected to consider lest a man might be killed by what he was doing as if a man should shoot at random when he doth not know but some may be killed thereby or if one were hewing with an axe which he either knew or might have known to be loose and the head not well fastened to the helve did not advertise those about him of it if by flying off it happened to kill any person he were not innocent but if he knew not without any inadvertency then he were guiltless Deut. 19. 5. See Durham on 6. Com. So if a man built a house without battlements he should bring blood upon his house if any man fell from thence Deut. 22. 8. But of this the question is not 3. Thô a person be not altogether innocent nor to be reckoned among the Rigtheous but suppose him wicked profane and engaged in an evil Course dishonourable to God prejudicial to the Church Kingdom and very injurious to us Yet it may be Murder to kill him if he be not guilty of Crimes that deserve death by the Law of God for the life of man is not subjected to the arbitrement of any but His who is the Author of life death It s necessary to all to obey the Law Thow shalt not kill without exception but such killing as is approven by the Author of the Law as saith Ames●de Consciencia cap 31. quest 2 Hence this people so much reproached with extravagant Actions do abundantly clear themselves of that imputation of being of the mind to kill all that differ from them which was the impudent forgerie of the father of lies in their Informatory Vindication Head. 2. Pag. 54. We positively disoune say they as horrid Murder the killing of any because of a different perswasion or opinion from us albeit some have invidiously cast this odious Calumny upon us And it is as clear they that took the Oath of Abjuration swore a lie when they abjured the Apologetical Declaration in so far as it asserted it was Lawful to kill all imployed in the Kings service when it asserted no such thing as is shewed above Head. 3. To think so much let be to declare it far more to practise such a thing against all that served the King or any meerly because they served him or because they are in a wicked Course or because they have oppressed us were abominable for these things simply do not make men guilty of death to be punished Capitally by men according to the Law of God. But when they are stated in such opposition to us and serve the Tyrants Murdering Mandats by all those wayes above specified then we may by the Law of God and Nature and Nations destroy slay and cause to perish and avenge our selves on them that would assault us and are seeking our destruction as it was Lawful for the Iewes to do with Hamans Emissaries Esther 8. 11 13. 9. 1 2 5. This Charge then cannot reach the Case 4. Thô Murderers and such as are guilty of death by the Law of God must be punished by death for he that sheddeth mans blood by man must his blood be shed Yet it may be Murder for a man to kill another because he thought him so Criminal and because he thought it his duty being moved by a pretended Enthusiastical Impulse in imitation of the extraordinary Actions of such as were really moved by the Spirit of God. As when Iames Iohn would have commanded fire to come doun to consume the Samaritans the Lord rebuked them saying ye know not what manner of Spirit ye are of for the Son of man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them Luk. 9. 54-56 Such impulses had need to be well examined for ordinarly they will be found not consistent with a Gospel Spirit which is alwayes averse from act of Cruelty Blind zeal sometimes may incite men to fearful work yea the persecuters have often most of that Spirit as our Lord foretells the time cometh that whosoever killeth yow shall think that ●e doth God service Iohn 16. 2. Paul in his Pharisaical zeal breathed out slaughter against the disciples And Satan can drive men under several colours to act such things as he did the Bours in Germany and Iohn of Leyden and his followers whose practices are deservedly detested by all that have any spark of Christianity or humanity for if this were espoused as a Principle there would be no security for mens lives But hence it cannot be concluded that God may not animate some to some rare Enterprises for the cutting off of Tyrants and their bloody Emissaries Incendiaries Destroyers of innocent people and puting an end to and

stoping the Career of their Murders in a time of real extreame necessity the matter of the action being unquestionably Lawful their ends intentions really good commendable there being also a deficiency of others to do the work and themselves in some probable Capacity for it See Ius Popul Cap. 20. Pag. 410. Neither can it be denyed but true zeal may sometimes incite people to such exploits for the preservation of Religion Liberty their oun lives and Brethren all like to be destroyed by the impunity of beasts of prey This will be found very consistent with a Gospel Spirit And though this Principle be asserted and also put in practice all persons notwithstanding thereof would have sufficient securitie for their life except such as hath really forefeited their lives by all Law of God man. Those that are led by Impulses may pretend the imitation of extraordinary examples and abuse them yet hence it will not follow that in no case these extraordinary Examples may be imitated Shall the examples of good Magistrats executing Justice on Idolaters Murderers be altogether unimitable because Tyrants abuse them in persecuting the innocent If this arguing were good it would make all vertuous Actions in the world unimitable for these may be abused by pretenders See Ius Popul ubi supra Pag. 412. But it cannot be charged upon the Sufferers upon this head that they had nothing to give as the reasons of their Actions but pretexts of Enthusiasmes 5. Thô a man be really so Criminal as tha● he deserves death by the Law of God man yet it may be murder to kill him if we do not certainly know it and can prove it and convict him of it upon Tryal for no man must be killed indictâ or incognitâ causâ Thus even Magistrats may Murder Murderers when they proceed against them without probation or cognition according to Law far more private persons Thus the Abiezrites would have murdered Gideon not only unjustly for his duty of throwing doun the Altar of Baal but illegally because they would had him brought out that he might die without any further Tryal Iudg. 6. 29 30. So likewise the Iewes that banded bound themselves under a curse to kill Paul before he was tried would have Murdered him not only unjustly for his duty but illegally before he was tried Act. 23. 12. But this doth not condemn the Actions of those Sufferers in maintaining the necessary execution of Judgement upon persons who are Notorious Murderers yea professing a trade and prosecuting habitually a tract of continued Murdering the people of the Lord. 6. Thô it should be certainly known and sufficiently proven that a man is a Murderer c. Yet it were Murder for an inferiour under a relation of subjection to him to kill him as long as that subjection were acknowledged for whensoever the common mutual right or relation either Natural Moral Civil or Religious to the prejudice or scandal of the Church or State or particular persons is broken by killing any person that is Murder thô the person killed deserve to die As if a Subject should kill an acknowled King a Son by Nature or in Law should kill his Natural or legal father a Servant should kill his Master breaking these relations while their right tye were acknowledged as some of them must still be acknowledged as long as the Correlates continue in being to wit that of a father is not broken by his becoming a Murderer and to the danger detriment scandal of the Church State That were properly Assassination for Assassines are they who being subject to others either out of their oun head for their oun ends or by command of their Superiours kill their Superiours or such as they command them to kill as Alstedius describes them Theolog. Cas. cap. 18. de homicid reg 55. Therefore David would not kill Saul because he acknowledged him to be the Lords Anointed to whom he was under a relation of subjection and because he was his Master and Father in Law And because it would have tended to the hurt of the Kingdom and involved it in Combustions Contentions about the succession and prejudged his oun right as well as to the scandal of the people of God thô Saul deserved otherwise to be capitally punished So Ishbosheth was killed by Baanah Rehab 2 Sam. 4. 7. So Iozachar Iehozabad who killed Ioash 2 King. 12. 21. were punished as Murderers chap. 14. 6. because they were his servants and did assassinate him to whom they were subject So the servants of Amon were punished by the people as Conspirators against their King Master 2 King. 21. 23 24. though Amon deserved to have been punished as well as Amaziah was Hence generally it is observed by some that thô right be given to equals or Superiours to bring their nearest relations to condign punishment when they turn entycers to Idolatry Deut. 13. 6. Yet no right or jus upon any cause or occasion whatsoever is given to inferiours as Children c. to punish their fathers See Pool Synop. Critie in Locum However it be this cannot condemn the taking off of Notorious Murderers by the hand of such as were no way subject nor related to them but as enemies who in extreame necessity executed righteous Judgement upon them without prejudice of the true necessary chief good of the Church Commonwealth or of any particular persons just right security as Napthali qualifies it Pag. 22. 23. Prior edit 7. Thô the matter of the Action were just and the Murderer such a person as we might punish without any breach of relative obligations or duties Yet the manner may aggravate it to some degree of Murder if it be done Secretly when it may be execute publickly or suddenly precipitantly when it may be done deliberately without rushing upon such an Action or hurrying the Murderer to eternity as this also might have had some weight with David not to murder Saul secretly suddenly in the Cave or when he was sleeping So Ishbosheth and Io●sh and Amoa were murdered Or if it be done subtilly when it may be performed in more plain fair dealing or teacherously under colour of friendship or cruelly without regard to humanity and especially when the Actors are at peace with the person whose blood they shed as Ioab shed the blood of war in peace 1 King. 2. 5. in killing Abner Amasa so craftily cruelly and Absalom made his servants Assassinate Amnon 2 Sam 13. 28 29. But this cannot be charged upon them who executed righteous Judgement as publickly deliberately and calmely as the extraordinary exigence of pressing necessity in extremity of danger could allow upon notorious Murderers with whom they were in open and avowed terms of hostility 8. Thô the manner also be inculpable yet if the principle and motive of killing even those that deserve to die be out of malice hatred rage or revenge for private

it on in His Providence Math. 16. 24. See at length this cleared Lex rex Q. 30. Pag. 317-320 otherwise in no case subjection even Passive can be a duty for it is allwise to be considered under the notion of a plague Judgment Curse to be complained of as a burden never to be ouned as a duty to Magistrats As we find the Lords people resenting it as a servitude under which they were servants even in their oun Land which did yeeld increase unto the Kings whom the Lord had set over them because of their sins Neh. 9. 36. 37. 2. In diverse cases there may be some Complyance with a meer occupant that hath no right to reign as upon this account the Noble Marquis of Argyle and Lord waristoun suffered for their Complyance with the Usurper Cromuel Such may be the warrantableness or goodness or necessity or profitableness of a Complyance when people are by Providence brought under a yoke which they cannot shake off that they may part with some of their Priviledges for the avoidance of the loss of the rest and for the conveniency profit peace safety of themselves and their Countrey which would be in hazard if they did not comply they may do whatsoever is due from them to the Publick weal what soever is an office of their station or place or which they have any other way a call unto whatsoever may make for their oun honest interest without wronging others or the Countries Liberties in their transactions with these Powers even though such a Complyance may be occasionally to the advantage of the Usurpers Seeing good necessary actions are not to be declined for the ill effects that are accidental to them and arise from the use which others make of them But though this may be yeelded in some cases to such Usurpers especially Conquerers that have no right of occupying the empire but are Capable of it by derivation from the peoples consent yet it must not be extended to such Usurpers as are also Tyrants that have no right of their oun nor are capable of any and that overturn all rights of subjects To such we can yeeld no Complyance as may infer either transacting with them or ouning them as Magistrates We find indeed the Saints enjoyed Places under these who were not their Magistrates as Nehemiah Mordecai and Esther was Queen to Ahaswerus But here was no Complyance with Tyrants for these Heathens were not such only some of them were extraordinary Persons raised up by an extraordinary spirit for extraordinary ends in extraordinary times that cannot be brought to an ordinary rule as Esthers Mariage and all of them in their places kept the Law of their God served the work of their generation defiled not themselves with their Customes acted against no good and engaged to no evil but by their Complyance promoted the wellfare of their Countrey as Argyle waristoun did under Cromuel Again we find they payed Custom to them as Neh. 9. 36. 37. and we read of Augustus his taxation universally complyed with Luk. 2. 1-5 and Christ payd it This shall be more fully answered afterwards Here I shall only say 1 It can never be proven that these were Tyrants 2 Christ Paid it with such a Caution as Leaves the title unstated not for conscience as tribute must be paid to Magistrats Rom. 13. 5 6. but only that he might not offend them 3 Any other instances of the Saints taxations are to be judged forced acts badges of their bondage which if they had been exacted as tests of their allegiance they would not have yeelded Strangers also that are not subjects use to pay Custom in their trafficquing but not as tests of their allegiance 3. There may be also in some cases obedience allowed to their Lawful Commands because of the Lawfulness of the thing commanded or the coincidency of another Just obliging Authority commanding the same We may do many things Tyranno Iubente which he commands and Tyranno premente which he enforces and many things also ipso sou volente seu nolente whether he will or not But we must do nothing Tyranni jussu upon the consideration of his Command in the acknowledgment of obedience due by virtue of Allegiance which we oune of Conscience to a Lawful Magistrate We must do nothing which may seem to have an accessoriness to the Tyrants unlawful occupancy or which depends only on the warrant of his Authority to do it or may entrench on the Divine Institution of Magistracy or bring us into a Participation of the Usurpers sin In these cases we can neither yeeld obedience in Lawful things nor in unlawful Nor can we oune absolute subjection no more then we can oune absolute obedience for all subjection is enjoined in order to obedience And to plead for a Priviledge in point of obedience and to disclaim it in point of subjection is only the flattery of such as having renounced with conscience all distinction of obedience would divest others of all priviledges that they may exercise their Tyranny without Controll Napthali pag. 28. prior edit 4. There may be Addresses made to such as are not rightful Possessors of the Government for justice or mercy or redress of some intollerable grievances without scruple of accepting that which is materially justice or mercy or seeking them at the hand of any who may reach them out to us though he that conveyes them to us be not interested in the umpirage of them Thus we find Ieremiah supplicated Zedekiah for mercy not to return to prison and Paul appealed to Cesar for justice But in these Addresses we may not acknowledge the wicked Lawes that brought on these grivances nor conceal the wickedness no more than the miserie of them which we have endured nor may we oune the Legal power of them that we address to take them off nor signify any thing in the matter or manner of our Representations that may either import a declining our Testimony for which we have suffered these grievances or a contradiction to our declinature of their pretended Authority Only we may remonstrate what cruelties we have endured and how terrible it will be to them to be guilty of or accessory to our blood in not pitying us which was all that Ieremiah did And as for Pauls appeal we find he was threatened to be murdered by his Countrey-men Act. 23. 14. from whose hands he was rescued brought before the judicatory of Festus the Roman deputy not voluntarely thence also they sought to remand him to Ierusalem that they might kill him Act. 25. 3. whereupon he demands in justice that he might not be delivered to his accusers Murderers but claims the benefite of the Heathens oun Law by that appeal to Cesar. which was the only constrained expedient of saving his oun life Act. 28. 19. by which also he got an opportunity to witness for Christ at Rome But as shall be cleared further afterwards Cesar

gifts graces were useless in that case which notwithstanding are given for the good of the Church 7. Yea by this when his fixed relation cannot be kept it would follow that he ceased to be a Minister and his Commission expired so that he should stand in no other relation to Christ than any private person so qualified which were absurd for by Commission he is absolutely set apart for the work of the Ministrie so long as Christ hath work for him if he continue faithful 8. This hath been the practice of all the Propogators of the Gospel from the begining and of our Reformers in particular without which they could never have propogated it so far And it was never accounted the Characteristick of Apostles to preach unfixedly because in times of persecution Pastors Doctors also might have Preached wherever they came as the Officers of the Church of Ierusalem did when scattered upon the persecution of Stephen Act. 8. 1. did go every where preaching the Word ver 4. Since therefore they may must Preach in this unfixed manner they must in this broken State look upon all the Godly in the Nation that will oune hear them to be their Congregation and embrace them all and consult their conveniency universal advantage in such a way as all equally may be admitted and none excluded from the benefit of their Ministrie And therefore they must go to the fields with it 6. The Lord hath so signally ouned successfully countenanced and singularly sealed Field-Preaching in these unfixed exercises that both Ministers people have been much encouraged against all opposition to prosecute them as having experienced much of the Lords power presence in them and of the breathings of the enlivening enlarging enlightening and strengthening Influences of the Spirit of God upon them The people are hereby called in this case of defection to seek after those waters that they have been so often refreshed by For in this case of defection God being pleased to seal with a palpable Blessing on their Souls the Word from Ministers adhering to their principles they may safely look on this as a Call from God to hear them and follow after them so ouned of the Lord. And it being beyond all doubt that the Assemblies of the Lords people to partake of pure Ordinances with full freedom of Conscience in the fields hath been signally ouned blessed of the Lord and hath proven a mean to spread the knowledge of God beyond any thing that appeared in our best times And in despight of this ●ignal Appearance of God and envy at the good done in these Meetings all endeavours being used by wicked men to suppress utterly all these Rendevouzes of the Lords Militia both by open force cunning Midianitish wiles Ministers cannot but look upon it as their duty and that the Lord hath been preaching from Heaven to all who would hear understand it that this way of preaching even this way was that wherein His Soul took pleasure and to which He hath been is calling all who would be co-workers with Him this day to help forward the Interest of His Crown Kingdom Many hundreds of persecuted people can witness this and all the Martyrs have sealed it with their blood and remembered it particularly on the Scaffolds that they found the Lord there and that He did lead them thither where He made them to ride upon the high places of the earth and to eat the increase of the fields and to suck honey out of the rock and that in their experience under the Spirits pouring out from on high they found the wilderness to be a fruitful field and in their esteem their feet were beautiful upon the Mountains that brought good tidings that published peace that brought good tidings of good that published salvation that said unto Zion thy God reigneth And all the Ministers that followed this way while they were faithful and had but litle strength and kept His Word and did not deny His Name found that verified in their experience which is said of Philadelphia Revel 3. 8. that they had an open door which no man could shut The Characters whereof as they are expounded by Mr Durham were all verified in these Meetings where 1. The Ministers had a door of utterance upon the one side opened to them and the peoples ears were opened to welcome the same in love to edification simplicity diligence on the other 2. This had real changes following many being made humble serious tender fruitful c. 3. The Devil raged set himself to oppose traduce some way to blast the Ministrie of the most faithful more than any others just as when Paul had a greater door effectual opened to him there were many adversaries 1 Cor. 16. 9. 4. Yet the Lord hath been observably defeating the Devil Profanity in every place where the Gospel came and made him fall like lightening from Heaven by the preaching of the Word 5. And the most experimental proof of all was that hereby ground was gained upon the Kingdom of the Devil and many Prisoners brought off to Jesus Christ. And therefore seeing it is so this mnst certainly be a Call to them who are yet labouring in that Work which others have left off to endeavour to keep this door open with all diligence and reap the corn when it is ripe and when the Sun shines make hay and with all watchfulness lest the wicked one sow his tares if they should fall remiss 7. As for the Circumstance of the place of this unfixed manner of celebrating the Solemn Ordinances of the Worship of God in a time of persecution This cannot be quarrelled at by any but such as will quarrel at any thing But even that is better warranted than to be weakened with their quarrels For before the Law Mountain-Worship was the first Worship of the World as Abrams Iehovah-jireh Gen. 22. 14. Iac●bs Bethel or House of God in the open fields Gen. 28. 17 19. his Peniel Gen. 32. 30. his El-Elohe-Israel Gen. 33. ult do witness Under the Law they heard of it at Ephratah they found it in the fields of the Wood Psal. 132. 6. After the Law field-preaching was the first that we read of in the New Testament both in Iohn his preaching in the wilderness of Iudea being the voice of one crying in the wilderness and the Master Usher of Christ Math. 3. 1 3. and in His Ambassadours afterwasds who on the Sabbath sometimes went out to a river side were prayer was wont to be made As Lydia was converted at Pauls field preaching Act. 16. 13 14. And chiefly the Prince of Preachers Christ Himself preached many a time by the syds of the Mountains and the the sea side That Preaching Math. 5. was on a Mountain vers 1. And this is the more to be considered that our Lord had Liberty of the Synagog●es to Preach in yet he frequently left them and preached either in