3.16 Hereby we perceive the love of God because he laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naz. Or. 16. Isai 32.2 Beatitudinum omnium beatissima beatitudo charitas Nienburg to lay down their malice factions and arms against each other for whom Charity and Christ bids them lay down their lives O let it move all excellent Christians and me who am less than the least that truly love thee and long for thee to mourn to see the generality of Christians so little moved by thee or to thee Let our heads and eyes be as Fountains and Rivers of Waters running with tears night and day for those thousands whom justice and those ten thousands whom uncharitableness schism and superstition have slain among Christians even in these Nations and Churches O let our humble hearts be thy retirement our sighs and prayers and tears thy refreshment in the heat and fury of these times and be thou to us as the shadow of that great Rock in a weary Land O blessed Blessing of all other blessings Charity what words what tears what prayers what sighs what Sermons what Writings can recover thee or recal thee or perswade thee to look back and return to these and others pitifully broken wasted forlorn and divided Churches But alas our words are sharp swords daily wheting and clashing against each other our tears are as the drops of revengeful and impatient spirits which cannot have their wills our prayers are the bitter effusions of hearts troubled and disquieted not with sin but with choler and unkindness so far from praying for our enemies that we pray nothing but enmity and are impatient that any should pray for their friends if we esteem them our enemies our sighs are but bellows to excite the languishing flames of declining factions against their opposers our Sermons oftimes are as firebrands tossed up and down by incendiaries and the breath of our Pulpits are like the Eructations of Aetna Vesuvius or Hecla scattering coals of fire and blasting all things neer them with sulphureous exhalations So that many Preachers are indeed as voices crying in the wilderness sounding alarms to Religious War and preparing a way for zealous desolations both in Church and State And for our Writings they are in great part but Pamphlets which serve as Paper to wrap up squibs or to kindle to quicker flames those smoaking jealousies and secret discontents which are smothered in our brests That even we Christians and reformed too speak and act and pray and Preach and Print in great part so as if we had not one God and one Lord Jesus one Spirit one Faith and one Baptism c. Ephes 4.4 5. But as if we had no God no Faith no Word no Sacrament no common relation to one Saviour no common salvation in One and by One as if we were Christians onely to be crosses and to crucifie one another As if we were all turned Canaanites scourges in the sides and thorns in the eyes of one another Charitas deus est substantivs dat nobis deitatem accidentâ—lem Bern. de dil Deo O thou flower and fragrancy of all graces and virtues which hast little of a Man nothing of a Devil and most of God of Christ and of the Holy Spirit in thee which carriest all sweetness serenity and tranquillity with thee If thou abhorrest the crowds of Christians and such as glory so much in their being gathered into Churches after new and uncouth ways If thou darest not trust their smiles and kisses their fervors and reformings who have so oft under the specious pretences of Religion sheathed their swords in thy bowels If thou art afraid not onely of religious rabbles and zealous multitudes but even of sacred Synods and Armies listed for holy Wars whose faith hath often failed thee and them too who while they thought to contend earnestly for the truth have crushed thee O Charity almost to nothing by their violences and divisions each novel faction seeming to strive for thee pull and tear thee in pieces ready by violent halings of thee to their sides Sects utterly to destroy thee O yet prepare a place for thy self among some humble and honest hearts some meek and quiet spirits here in England that so thou maist retire and hide thy self from thy friendly enemies from their cruel courtesies their dangerous importunities their deep agitations and designs O disdain not the broken hearts and contrite spirits of â—hat remnant of truly Reformed Catholike and charitable Christians which yet have escaped in this Church These value thee these long foâ— thee these are sick of love to thee and weary of life without thee To thy honor and restauration to their comfort and establishment these lines are chiefly consecrated O do thou cover them James 3.6 Psal 120.7 I am for peace but when I speak they are for war and this thy suppliant Orator under the shadow of thy wings till this calamity be overpast hide us from the strife of tongues which are set on fire with the fire of hell which burn most wheâ— cool drops and calm pleas for charity are sprinkled on them In the great and sad ruines of Churches and dissentions of Christians O be thou our refuge and protection teach us to live by divine love and so to love thee that we may live a divine 〈◊〉 with thee Learn us that highest lesson of a Christian to love our enemies and persecutors while others learn to hate their friends and their Fathers 1 Cor. 13.8 Charity never be faileth O Sempiternal Grace which are fitted for immortal souls let us be as Ruth to Naomi unseparable from thee while we are on Earth as thou art the onely remaining grace in Heaven being the crown and consummation of all other gifts and graces which like stars then disappear and are willingly swallowed up when thy lustre like the Suns is risen to its full strength and shines in an eternal Noon making the soul at once infinitely happy while it sees an object infinitely lovely and loves it with an infinite love Rather than we should fail of thee in this life O thou beloved of our souls carry us with thee from Cities to solitudes from company to deserts from the unsociable societies and uncharitable Churches to creeping cottages to weeping solitudes and howling wildernesses where we may enjoy thee in our own oft sighing and smitten brests rather than dwell in Palaces and Cities and Temples and where we see thee daily despised profaned and mangled tormented torn and trampled under the feet of Christians in Villages in Towns in Cities in Senates in Armies in Seats of Justice and in Pulpits Give us the wings of a Dove even thy wings O holy Charity by which thou ascendest at once to God in love and descendest for Gods sake in love to man that we may make haste and flie away and be at rest for ever that we may
have a name to * Revel 3.1 live by the Spirit and covet to be called spirituall who are dead in their lusts and walk after the flesh * Prov. 30 12. They seem pure in their own eyes and yet are not washed from their filthinesse Yea there is a generation O how lofty are their eyes yet are their teeth swords and their jaw teeth as knives Nothing is more cruell than supercilious hypocrisie * Ioh. 18.28 They were forward to crucifie Christ who were shy of being defiled by entring into the Judgement Hall They are most zealous to destroy the true Ministers yea the very function and succession who seem most devoted to be Teachers Prophets and Preachers of a new Spirit and form Many seem rich in gifts and increased in spirituall endowments thinking they need nothing of Christs true Ministry Revel 3.17 when they know not that they are poore and naked and blind and miserable Ephes 6.12 There are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spirituall wickednesses usurpant in the high places of mens soules as well as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more sordid and swinish spirits that dwell in the lower region of mens lusts It is expresly stigmatized on the foreheads of some pretenders to the Spirit Iude 19. which was the glory of those first and purest times that they are sensuall not having the Spirit Irenaeus l. 3. c. 1. of the Gnasticks andValentinians Gloriantur se â—mendatores esse Apostolorum perfectam cognitionmen non habuisse Apostolos cap. 2. Dicunt se non tantum Presbyteris sed Apostolis sapientiores sinceram invenisse veritatem So the Circumcelliones Quae non viderunt confingunt opiniones suâ—s habentes pro Deo honores quos non habuerunt se habuisse protestantur Isid Hisp de off Eccl. l. 3. c. 15. Vain and proud ignorance as we see in primitive times is not onely content to be without the true wise humble and orderly Spirit of God but they must also study to cover their follies disorders and hypocrisies with the shews of it as if it were not enough to sin against its manifest rules and examples in the Word which have alwayes been observed in the Church unlesse they impute also to it their simplicities fondnesses impudencies filthy dreams extravagancies and confusions Counting it no shame to ascribe those unreasonable and absurd motions speeches and actions to Gods most wise and holy Spirit which any man of right reason and sober sense or common ingenuity and modesty would be ashamed to owne Our humble prayer is that these new modellers and pretenders to the Spirit may learn not to blaspheme not to grieve resist and doe despite to the Spirit of God which hath been and still is evidently manifest in the true Ministers of this Church and our earnest study shall be that we may be truly endued with such gifts graces and fruits of the Spirit of Christ that we may both speak and doe and suffer as becomes good Christians and true Ministers after the example of holy men and of our great Master Bishop and Ordainer Jesus Christ That so the judicious Charity of those that excell in vertue wisdome faith and humility may have cause to say the Lord hath sent us in the power as well as in the order and office of the Ministry to which we were rightly ordained On the other side we fear that the great earthquakes in the Church and darknesse over the Reformed Religion which may follow the true Ministers being set at naught and crucified by the malice and wantonnesse of men may in after times give too much cause to those Mat. 27.54 that now neglect us or afflict us to say as the Centurion did of Christ Doubtlesse these were the messengers of the most high God the true Ministers of Jesus Christ and of his Gospell to this Church While we have any liberty and leave to live as Ministers it will become us not to be so discouraged by the impotent malice of any enemies as to desert this holy calling whereto the Lord by a right ordination in this Church hath duly called us Not to look back to the world having once put our hands to this plough to consider our persecutors no further than to pity them and pray for them notwithstanding all the injuries and blasphemies not against us so much as against God while they fear not to ascribe the great and good effects which the Lord hath vouchsafed to work by his Ministers upon the hearts of thousands in England to Beelzebub Mat. 12.24 to the spirit of Antichrist or to any thing rather than to own the Spirit of Christ among us which hee hath promised should ever be with his true and faithfull Ministers in an holy succession of authority and power to the end of the world Scandalous inconstancy of Professors Indeed the greatest grief to the Soules of all godly Ministers and which hath brought the greatest scandall and dehonestation on their Ministry next to some of their own grosse failings is this when the world sees so many of those who seemed to be baptized with water and with the Spirit to have been illuminated and sanctified by their teaching to have tasted of the heavenly gift Heb. 6.5 and the powers of the world to come that is of the authority and efficacy of the Evangelicall Ministry which was to come after the Leviticall and Aaronicall order Many who seemed to have rejoiced for many years in those burning and shining lights of this Churches Ministers to have by their Ministry been well instructed reformed washed and escaped from the pollutions of this world That I say some of these like Jesuruâ— should thus lift up the heel and thus kick against the Ministers and Ministry like Demasses thus to forsake them like Judasses thus to betray them whom lately they kissed and followed as Disciples like Swine that they should thus turn and revile those that cast pearl before them returning to the wallowing in the mire and dirt of unjust covetous ambitious erroneous seditious licentious perjurious malicious and sacrilegious courses No more now ashamed of their lusts then those unclean beasts are of their filthinesse in the midst of the fairest Sun-shine day and when they are neerest to the most pure and Crystall streams But the light which they will not see in this their day shining on them and discovering the frauds and evill of their wayes they may after see in that darknesse to which they are hastning and to which they seem even of God to bee condemned But to conclude my answer in this particular 15. Conclusion and resignation of our Ministry if c. wherein the Antiministeriall adversaries pretend to such spirituall gifts and speciall calling beyond the ordained and setled Ministry if any excellent Christians or any of those that have either wisdome to discern or power to dispose of things to the advantage of this Church and State if they doe in
ostentabat miranda quaedam Magicis artiâ—us patrabat prunas subinde è manica excutiebat coâ—am populo Car. Sigon ad an 1057. Avent pag. 455. 470. 2 Pet. 2.21 than to lye against it and blaspheme it or oppose and resist it after some knowledge of the Truth It had been better for such men not to have known the way of Christs Spirit in the Scriptures and the Church It is far more veniall to erre for want of the Spirits guidance and light than to shut our eyes against it and to impute our Errors Dreams and Darknesses to it 'T is better to have the heart wholly barren than to lay our adulterous bastards to the Spirits charge when they indeed are issues of nothing but Pride joined to Ignorance 4. Like pretentions of old confuted by mens practises Nothing indeed is easier and cheaper at the World now goes than for * Portentiloquium haereticorum vain and proud men to pretend to speciall Inspirations and Motions of Gods Spirit on them as many in the old times did who yet were sensuall not having the Spirit * Se spiritales esse asserebant Valentiniani Demiurgum animalem virginales Gnosticoâ—um spiritus gloriabantur Iren. l. 1. 3. So the Gnosticks called themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spiritual men as well as knowing men So the Marcionites and Montanists pretended that their Master Montanus knew more than the Apostles had more of the Comforter was the Comâ—orter it self and told him what Christ said his Disciples could not then bear Joh. 16.12 The like lying fancies had the Valentinians Austin de Haeret. Epiphan l. 4. de Haer. c. 40. and Circumcelliones and Manichees who being idle-handed grew idle-headed too not caring what they said nor what they did for they fathered all on the Spirit So the Cathari and Encratitae calling themselves Chast and Pure and Apostolici Apostolicall and above the Gospels both of old and in * Sermo 66. in Câ—ntica Cerdom Apelles Marciontae privatas lecturas habuerunt quas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 apellant cujusdam Phihamenae puellae prophetissa libium syllogismorum quibus pâ—obare vult quod omnia quae Moses scripseritâ— de Deo falsa sunt Tertul. prae ad Hae. â— 44. St. Bernards time time and in later times too both in Germany and other places rising to ostentation of Prophesying speciall Inspirations strange Revelations shews of Miracles and lying Wonders fulfilling and interpreting of Prophecies enthronings of Christ c. by which strong delusions they sought to deceive the very Elect if it had been possible but they could never perswade truly excellent and choise Christians to any belief of their forgegeries and follies since neither the temper of their spirits nor their works nor their words were like the rules marks or fruits Sleid an Com. l. 4. Cainit◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fingebant Epiph. Hae. 38. The Cainites pretended they had a book containing the Raptures of Saint Paul what he then heard c. of that holy and unchangeable Spirit of Jesus Christ set forth in his Word and owned in the Church But rather the effects of that depraved spirit which is most contrary to God and most inconstant in it self which after all its fair glozings and praefacings of Purity Gifts and Inspirations is still but * Borboritae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Coenoli Tertul. and Austin call those hereticks the Gnosticks Cathatists and others who called themselves Apostolici Pneumatici Angelici purgatores electi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Longinus Manes the Father of the Maniches called himself an Apostle of Christ the Comforter and Spirit chose twelve Disciples despised water Baptism said the Body was none of Gods work but of some evill Genius and his followers full of impure lusts and errours yet said they were called Maniches from flowing with Manna 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They said the soul was the substance of God to be purified to that end they mixed the Eucharisticall bread with their seed in obscene pollutions and â—apesâ— ut isto modâ— Dei substantia in homine purgetur Aust de Hae. Borborites a swinish and unclean spirit and differs as much from the Purity Truth Beauty and Order of the true Spirit of Christ which shines in the Word as the most noisome Jakes and filthy sink doth from the most sweet and Crystall fountain of everflowing waters True Ministers find it hard having done all 5. True fruits of the Spirit to obtain those competent Ministeriall gifts and graces of the Spirit which are necessary to carry on that great work of their own and others Salvation to any decorum and comfort which these Gloriosoes pretend as if they were bred and born to * Venit vadit prout vult nemo facile scit unde venit aut quo vadat Ber. Brevis mora rata hora mira subtilitate sua vitate divinae suae artis ircessanter actitat in intimo nostri Idem or were suddenly and at once endowed withall few of these ever think they want the Spirit if they have but confidence to undertake any Ministeriall work and publique Office Yea and the best Christians no lesse than the ablest Ministers find it hard in truth to obtain the sanctifying gracious influenâ—es of Gods Spirit by which with much diligence and prayer they are enabled to private duties nor doe they find it so easie to flesh and bloud to obey those holy directions of the Spirit or in conflicts to take its part against the flesh and to rejoice in the victories and prevalencies of the Spirit Whose publique donations for the common good of Christians edifying them in truth and charity are chiefly manifested not onely by his servants the true Ministers but in the blessing of that very Order Office appointment and function of the Ministry Eph. 4.8 11. both as instituted and aâ— continued so long time by the wisdome and power of this Spirit of Christ And by this great Gift of gifts as by the Sunne in the Firmament all others are ordinarily conveyed to private Christians which chiefly consist and are manifested in true beleevers not in quick strokes of fancy passionate raptures strange allusions and allegoricall interpretations confused obscurings of Scriptures which some men with Origen make so much of In veritate qua illuminaris in virtute qua immutaris in charitate qua inflammaris serenata conscientia subita insolita mentis latitudinâ— praesentem spiritum intellige Ber. but in bringing men from this childish futility of Religion to a manly seriousnesse which sets the heart soberly to attend read hear study and meditate on the Word of God to prefer that Jewell before all the hidden treasure of their own or others Fairy fancies to assent to the saving Truths both of Law and Gospell zealously to love them strictly to obey them by hearty repentance for sins against God or man ingnuous confessions of them honest compensations for them
the able godly and painful Ministers but the whole Ministry it self and all holy Ministrations rightly performed by its Authority despised invalid decryed and discountenanced In many places affronting some vexing and oppressing others menacing all every where with total extirpations For they who pretend to have any man a Minister that lists intend to have none such as should be As they that would have every man a Master or Magistrate mean to have none in a Family or State but onely by specious shadows of New Teachers and Prophets they hope to deprive us of those substances both of true reformed Religion and the true Ministry which we and our Forefathers have so long happily enjoyed and which we ow to our posterity 28. The great and urgent causes of complaint Nor is this a feigned calumny or fictitious grief and out-cry Your piety O excellent Christians knows That the spirits of too many men are so desperately bent upon this design against the Function of the Ministry that they not onely breathe out threatnings against all of this way the duly ordained Ministers but daily do as much as in them lies make havock of them and in them of all good maners and reformed Religion while so many people and whole Parishes are void and desolate of any true Minister residing among them I leave it to the judgements and consciences of all good Christians to consider how acceptable such projects and practises will be to any sober and moralized professor to any gracious and true Christian to any reformed Church or to Christ the Institutor of an authoritative and successional Ministry or last of all to God whose mercy hath eminently blessed this Church and Nation in this particular of able and excellent Ministers so that they have not been behinde any Church under Heaven That so exploded Speech then Stupor mundi clerus Anglicanus The Ministers of England were the admiration of the Reformed World had noâ— more in it of crack and boasting than of sober Truth if rightly considered onely it had better become perhaps any mans mouth than a Ministers of this Church to have said it and any others than believers of this Church to have contradicted and sleighted it Since to the English Ministers eminency in all kinde so many forein Churches and Learned Men have willingly subscribed as to Preaching Praying Writing Disputing and Living On the other side How welcome the disgrace of the Ministry will be to all the enemies of Gods truth of the Reformed Religion and of all good order in this Church and State it is easie to judge by the great contentment the ample flatterings the unfeigned gloryings the large and serious triumphings which all those that were heretofore professed enemies to this Church and our Reformed Religion either such as are factious and politick Factors for another Supremacy and Power or such as carry deep brands of Schism and Heresie on their foreheads or such as are professedly Atheists profane idle and dissolute mindes discover in this That they hope they shall not be any more tormented by the prophecying of these witnesses Revel 11.10 They that dwell on the earth shall rejoyce over the dead and unburied bodies of the witnesses and make merry because these two Prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth the true and faithful Ministers of the Church of England Than whom none of that order in any of the late Reformed Churches and scarce any of the Antients have given more ample clear and constant testimony to the glory of God and the truth and purity of the Gospel by their Writing Preaching Praying Sufferings and holy Examples Living and Dying which I again repeat and justifie against those who swell with disdain and are ready to burst with envy against the real worth and undeniable excellency of the Ministers of the Church of England All which makes me presume That you O excellent Christians can neither be ignorant nor unsatisfied in this point of the Evangelical Ministry both as to this and all other Churches use benefit and necessity as also to the divine right of it by Christs institution the Apostles derivation and the Catholike Churches observation in all times and places as to the main substance of the duties the power and authority of the Function however there may be in the succession of so many ages some Variation in some Circumstantials The peculiar office and special power were seldom as I have said if ever questioned among any Christians until of late much less so shaken vilified and traduced as now it is by the ungrateful wantonness and profane unworthiness of some who not by force of reason or arguments of truth but by forcible sophistries armed cavilings violent calumnies and arrogant intrusions have like so many wilde Bores sought to lay waste the Lords Vineyard Pretending That their brutish confidence is beyond the best dressers skill Psal 80.30 The Boar out of the wood doth waste it and the wilde Beast of the field doth devour it Et atroces insidiatores aperti grassatores Ecclesiam divastare contendunt tam marte quà m arte Aug. Matth. 9.38 Pray ye the Lord of the harvest that he would send forth laborers into his harvest Matth. 8.32 The whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the Sea and perished in the waters Immundi illi Ministâ—i inordinati Doctores per ignorantiae temeritatis superbiae praecipitia feruntur in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 profunditates Satanae Apoc. 2.24 in errotum blasphemiarum confusionum omnium abyssum Chemnit that their irregular rootings are better than the carefullest diggings that their rude croppings and tearings are beyond any orderly prunings or wary weedings that their sordid wallowings and filthy confusions are before any seasonable manurings that there needs no skilful Husbandmen or faithful Laborers of the Lords sending the Churches ordaining or the faithful peoples approving where so many devout swine and holy hogs will take care to plant water dress and propagate the Vine of the true Christian Reformed Religion to which the hearts of men are naturally no propitious soyl Nor is the event as to the happiness of this Church and its Reformed Religion to be expected other without a miracle if once those unordeined unclean and untried spirits be suffered to possess the Pulpits and places of true and able Minishers than such as befel those forenamed cattel when once Christ permitted the devils to enter into them All truth order piety peace and purity of Religion together with the Function of the Ministry will be violently carried into and choaked in the midst of the Sea of most tempestuous errors and bottomless confusions 29. Absurdities The impious absurdities enormious bablings and endless janglings whereby some men endeavor to dishonor and destroy the whole Function of the reformed and established Ministry in this Church and to surrogate in their places either Romish Agitators or a ragged Regiment of new and necessitous
man is less to be imagined when we consider in the sacred story That man had most of divine counsel and deliberation in his Creation Gen. 1.26 not as needful to God who can work by omniscient and omnipotent power in an instant but implying to us those most exact and accurate proportions observed by the great and all-wise Creator in his formation of man All other Creatures rising up as bubbles on water so soon as the formative Word of God in its several commands fell like distinct drops from Heaven on the face of the great deep the Chaos or Abyss But man as a signet or seal was graven by a special hand and deliberate method of God with the marks and characters of his own holy image in spirituality wisdom righteousness purity liberty eternity and a proportionate capacity to enjoy whatever felicity he can understand and desire 5. Mans improvement That if we raise man to the highest glory and perfection which he covets and is capable of in this world of vanity and mortality we shall see something in him of a little god like the figure of a great monarch expressed in a small model or signet For bring him from the sords of his nativity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plat. from his infant infirmities from his childish simplicities from his youthful vanities redeem him by the politure of good education from his rustick ignorance his clownish confidences his brutish dulness Stolida ferocia Tac. his country solitude his earthy ploddings his beggarly indâ—gences or covetous necessities rack him off further and refine him from the lees of sensual and inordinate lusts from swelling and surly pride from base and mean designs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plat. de Cupiditat from immoderate affections violent passions unreasonable impulses and depraved temptations from within or without Then furnish him with health procerity and beauty fortifie him with competent strength both single and social endue him with all wisdom both divine and humane which the minde of man is capable of compass him with all fulness and plenty invest him with that publick honor which as beams of the Sun concentred in a Burning-glass arising from the consent of many men to unite the honor of their protection and subjection in one man makes up the lustre of a majesty something more than earthly and humane coming neerest to the resemblance of what is divine and heavenly Adde to these endowments of power opportunity and place to do good those real and useful graces those charitable and communicative virtues which enlarge the nobler soul to a love of the publick good and a zeal for the common welfare of mankinde in works of humanity gentleness pity patience fortitude justice mercy benignity and munificence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex. è Menandro How goodly a creature is a man while he continues a man Exod. 22.28 Psal 82.6 John 10.34 Magistrates are called gods Paternum est docendi munus Psal 34.11 Jer. 9.34 Beatitudo est interminabilis vitae perfecta possessio Boet. What can more lively express to us a terrene visible Deity whom we may without Idolatry own and reverence so far as without blasphemy we may call such a man a God while he wisely teacheth and instructeth others a work worthy of a Parent a Prince a God or he powerfully protects or he bountifully rewards or justly punisheth or mercifully pardoneth or graciously loveth others and rejoyceth in their well-doâ—ng and happiness without any design or interest of his own Yea what do we ordinarily wish and expect or fancy more from God than all these excellencies of which we see there are some sparks and beams even now in mans nature sublimated to infinite perfections and extended to us with eternal durations is not this that estate of full enjoyment which we call Heaven Wherein we hope never to want those divine and immediate communicatings with the all-sufficient bounty and unenvious benignity of God is as well able so no less well pleased to impart to the soul than its necessities do require and its desires ambitiously and unsatiably covet to be supplied by them Not oneâ—y in order to this natural and politick Being which as men we have with men for a moment which is daily pressed upon with the fatal and inevitable necessity of dying which is a ceasing to enjoy God by the mediation of the Creatures in this visible world but also in reference to that rational religious spiritual gracious perfect and unchangeable Being whereto we naturally aspire for who would not be ever happy by enjoying himself in the wisdom strength beauty fulness love and sweetness flowing for ever from the excellencies of the Creator The fruition of whom is onely able to exclude aâ—l defects and fears to satisfie all desires to reward all duties to requite all sufferings to compleat all happiness to crown and perfect all true Religion which in Heaven shall be no other than what we desire it to be here on Earth that is a right knowledge and a willing performance of that duty which the reasonable creature Man ows for ever to God First as his Creator Conservator and Redeemer by Jesus Christ. 6. True Religion internal instates the Soul in Christ and in the true Church 1 Cor. 2.10 11. John 15.5 He that abideth in me and I in him c. 2 Tim. 2.19 The Lord knoweth them that are his Extra ecclesiam non est salus This then we look upon as the Religious frame and temper of a reasonable Soul in its internal dispositions and private devotions toward God it self and others By which it is daily preparing for a glorious and blessed immortality of which holy frame it self onely can be conscious with God and the greatest evidence is That sincerity of heart which hath no other rule but Gods Word no other end but Gods glory and no other comfort but in the constancy of this disposition which is the fruit of Gods holy Spirit in it Certainly such a Soul cannot but be in and of the true and to man invisible Church of God so far as it hath a mystical spiritual and invisible life which consists in the union to Christ as the head by faith love and all other obediential graces of his Spirit which are common to every true believer Out of this Church its most true There is no revealed salvation possibly to be had for any that live to be masters of their own reason will and actions Yea further such a religious soul hath a capacity of and right unto that external visible politick and social communion with the Church of Christ where ever Christians enjoy outward fellowship with one another in publick profession Which communion however such a soul solitary it may be and sequestred from all Christian company may not actually enjoy being forcibly denied that happiness of which many do wilfully and peevishly deprive themselves by proud or peevish and uncharitable separations through
us naked and wounded Though we have not only forsaken thee but driven thee from us not only lost thee but are loth to find thee and joy in thy loss and are afraid of thy return yet since thou art Charity that is all divine sweetness kindness and goodness doe not utterly forsake us the scattered and torn remnant of surviving Christians Are our distances more unreconcileable than those were between God and Sinners yet these thou hast composed by that blood of attonement which Christ the Son and love of God shed for us to redeem us out of all Nations tongues and people who hath given us this badge of his Disciciples to love one another Joh. 13.35 not with private and Schismaticall factiousness but with publike and Catholick affections which reach as far as the Name of Christ is owned Thou art not only an Angell ascending up to Heaven in the love of God but also descending down to men chiefly to the fraternities of Christians Nor is the stream of thy sweetness which flows with Milk and Honey only diffused upon the Church triumphant the blessed Angels and Souls of just men made perfect who are ever bathed in an Ocean of thy Nectar which is infinite love but thou hast also received gifts for men and hast effusions of love to soften our hard hearts to supple our brawny hands to clear out polluted consciences and to chear up our Cainish countenances Better we had been among the slain Procellae tenebrae mortes tormenta Gehennaein sunt animae in qua charitas non remanet regnat Fulg. that are gone down to the Pit and covered in darkness with the dust of death than to live without thee whose presence makes our moment here to be Heaven and thy absence makes our after eternity to be Hell O let not the cruell factious profane and Atheisticall world say That thou the Charity of Christians wert never beyond a fable a meteor in their fancies a morning dew falling from their lips or a melancholy softness a pusillanimous pitty a devout cowardise As if Christians were kind no longer than they wanted power to be cruell and humbly obeyed no longer than they wanted opportunity to be proudly rebellious against those whom they feared more as slaves than loved as Christians Is there nothing in thy ingenuous wisdom which delightest to doe best and most where men merit least by which to bring back those Theriandri Anthropophagi or Lycanthropi those men that are become savage of civill those Christians that are turned Tygers and Lions and Bears and Wolves degenerated far from the pristine shape and forms which they had of meek Lambs and Sheep O bring forth those excellent eye salves by which thou didst of old open the eyes of the blind and barbarous Heathens Shew to the deformed Christians of this metamorphosed age thy primitive beauties the attractives of thy meekness the charms of thy gentleness the trophies of thy patience forbearances and brotherly kindness bring forth the Magazins of thy mercies bowels of pitty tenderness tears use thy honest frauds thy pious crafts 2 Cor. 12.16 thy Dove-like arts thy Saint-like policies of self denyall courtesy modesty giving and forgiving Quanto magis regnum cupiditatis destruitur tanto charitatis augetur Austin de doct Christiano 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 de Christianis Just M. ad Diog. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just in Apol. Mark 13.22 by which means Christians ever flourished in grace abounded in comforts and though they were destroyed and persecuted yet still they were emulated and renowned O remove the paints and veils and masks and shadows the deceits and dawbings which are upon the face of Christian Religion which is indeed nothing without thee a meer mockery of graces a pageantry of virtue a phantasm of courage a delusion of zeal a shadow of reformation fitted only to deceive if it were possible even the very elect If thy torments and blood-sheds and deaths of old will not serve to moysten and enlarge the dryed and contracted bowels of modern Christians to mollify their hearts to calm their spirits and to sweeten their looks to one another O shew them thy later foul scratches thy fresh wounds thy grievous reproches thy many bleedings thy deep stigmatizings thy prisons thy piercings thy dyings thy crucifyings all which thou hast received in the house of thy friends by the hands of thy friends even such as are called Christians but can hardly be counted charitable which have brought thee and us to these fears and tremblings and paleness and despairs as if God and Christ and Gospell and Ministry and Heaven and salvation and true Religion were all departing with thee which are thy inseparable companions 1 Pet. 1.29 Obstinati animi adamantina corda minis duriora monicis pejora solo Christi sanguine conspersa emolliuntur Bern. O duri indurati obdurati filii Adam quos non emollit tanta benignitas tanta flamma tam ingens ardor tam vehemâ—ns amator quem nec agon â—e crux nec mors terruit quin te amaret Acts 3.15 19. 1 Joh. 3.16 1 Joh. 3.19 If these will not move Christians to look after thee or at least to pitty thee and to pray for thee or rather for themselves in thee yet hast thou one holy Relique of infinite merit incomparable worth and inestimable valew set forth this to the blood-shotten eyes of the Christian world even Jesus Christ crucified for them and professed by them to be their common Saviour Possibly his precious bloud sprinkled on their consciences may as water on lime slake and dissolve that firy Spirit and flinty Heart which is among them Nothing can work such miracles as this age wants but only the cross and wounds and agony and sweats and tears and blood and death of Jesus Christ whose love used the malice and cruelty of his enemies for an instrument to kill him that he being slain by them might merit life for them that by this act of highest uncharitableness in man to kill his Saviour Christ might set forth his other-wayes unexpressible Charity toward men by saving his destroyers his love being stronger than death and giving us hereby a patern how we should be disposed to one another not only when friends but also when enemies Rather to dye for them in away of charity which is a beam of divine mercy than to kill them even in away of equity which is but a stroke of humane justice but least of all should we destroy our Brother in away of policy passion and malice which is devillish cruelty Since to hate our Brother is murther as he is a man sure not only to hate but even for Religion sake to kill our brother a Christian must be a crucifying afresh the Lord of Life who died for his Church So then uncharitable destroyers of Christians are rather Deicides than Homicides If all this move not those that are called Christians 1 John
all Truth and enables them for all Duties and Ministeriall Offices That this is their Call from God to Preach and to usurp the places of all Ordained Ministers whom they pretend as far to exceed in Inspirations as the Apostles did their former selves after once the power of that Spirit was come upon them To this Calumny and Ostentation my first reply shall be Answ 1. in all humble tendernesse to beseech God Of the Spirit of God in men how to be considered of to give me holy wisdome rightly to conceive of and graciously to expresse my self touching the Spirit of God that I may * 1 Cor. 2â— 32. not give any offence or occasion any grief and mistake to any excellent Christians I * Delicatâ— res est Spiritus sanctus Bern. know well that the Spirit of Christ is a thing of pious curiosity and holy delicacy That in what way soever it manifests it self to the Church it is to be entertained in thoughts Flabat Spiritus fluebant lacrymae suspiria pr. ces Bern. Luk. 11.13 Ioh. 14.17 words and actions of Christians with all cautious tendernesse and religious reverence that so wee may neither conceive nor speak any thing unbeseeming its majesty and purity nor damping or afflictive to its holy influences gifts and breathings on the spirits of any true Christians whose highest honor happinesse and communion with God and Christ and one another 1 Ioh. 3.24 Hereby we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit which he hath given us is by the Spirit of Christ I know that its motitions and inspirations are as most free * Ioh. 3.8 blowing where it listeth not where any man list to boast and pretend so they are not so easily discerned whence they come and whither they goe save onely by accurate watchings Sunt quaedam Spiritus sancti circâ— noâ— dispensatoriae vicissituâ—â—es qua nisi vigilantissime observentur nec praesentem glorifices nec absenâ—â—m desideres Bern. Cant. l. 17. and sober obsâ—â—â—â—tion where the surest discoveries are made by those holy fruites and effects which are manifest in the habits of grace or formations of Christ in the new man of our hearts or in the works of our lifes which being done after a religious rule and way are in the judgment of Charity to bee esteemed as effects of Gods Spirit Rom. 8.9 Gal. 4.6 1 Thess 4.8 Tâ—stimonium Spiritus sancti praesentiae praebent opera salutis vitae quae praestare non possumus nisi Spiritus Christi qui vivificeâ— adesset Ber. ser 2. S. An. I am far from doubting or denying that the Spirit of Christ dwels in the hearts of true Beleevers by speciall gifts of grace beyond Natures sphere nor do I question but that the Spirit of Christ doth furnish many men with speciall gifts above others for the service both of Churches and States in the outward visible way of Gods providence as to Bezaleel and Saul Nor yet do I deny but the Spirit of Christ may give extraordinary abilities that is beyond others and beyond mens own selves as to former common gifts and parts for the good of the Church in eases where ordinary means are defective Nor do I dispute this holy and usuall influence of Christs Spirit on Christians inlightning opening hatching fostring calming composing and specially comforting in particular cases Omnia sacra gustaâ—a afferunt mortem si â—on de Spiritu accipiune condimentum prorfus mors in â—llâ— nisi Spiritus fâ—rinula dulcorenâ— Absque Spiritu sacramentum sumitur ad judicium caro non prodest litera accidit fides â—â—r â—ua est Ber. s 33. Cant. also quickning to duties inabling in duties yea sometimes supporting with herâ—icall impulses and assistances in conflicts temptations and sufferings from men and devils also reviving in dejections desertions darknesses and exhaustings of our owne spirits and common gifts All this I willingly grant and earnestly desire that I may have daily more experience of in my selfe and from others not onely for private comfort but for publique good of the Church of Christ Câ—â—lum fit â—â—iâ—â—a habitatio Dei facta â—â—â—â—ia prerogative c. Bâ—â— I desire highly to prize the happy priviledge of those that doe truely enjoy these inspirations and humbly use them I wish all true Christians a blessed increase daily in this communion with God and one another by reall gifts of the Spirit which are beyond the best improvements of meer Nature I know no other heaven here or hereafter Tepidorum dissolutorâ—m est nolle esse mâ—liores Siâ—us Deut. seipso mâ—lâ—â—â— esse non 〈◊〉 quia non vâ—â—â—t Ber. ep 91. ad Ab. but the reall and full inhabitation of Christs Spirit in our spirits that of Naturall Rationall and Humane they may become Spirituall Gratious and Divine Câ—rtissinâ—um est praescâ—tiae Spiritus testimonium amplioris gratiae desiderium Ber. ser 2. And. All that I fear is wilfull hypocrisie and weak delusions that which I most abhorre is false and proud ostentations such as some men are prone to affect Poâ—tentiloquium haereticorum Irenae and lowdly to boast of among credulous and simple people to which there can hardly bee given so exact and punctuall answers and confutations as both Reason and Religion afford to sober and wise Christians in all other Disputes For such pretentions of Gods Spirit 1 Ioh. 4.1 and of speciall Inspirations with which the primitive Churches were pestered and abused Iude 19.80 the Gnâ—sticks Montanists Catharists and others and by which the very Apostles were affronted and opposed are as meteors and comets so exalting themselves in high notions above the ordinary reach of Reason that they are not easily calculated by common accounts they are Raptures and Enthusiasmes by which cunning men seek to lose the eyes of spectators in clouds of obscurities and uncertainties Like some vaine and lunatick Christians who busie themselves more how to interpret the Revelation and to fulfill its mysterious prophesies then to understand Quantum adesâ— vera Spiritus sancti gratiâ— tantum â—besâ— omnis â—anâ— gloriola Ber. beleeve and obey the holy truths and clear precepts of the Gospell in all the other Scriptures Holy wise sober and humble Christians never boast rarely tell of those secrets of the Lord if ever they enjoy them Psal 25.14 Rev. 2 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cl. Al. 51.7 Vain weak and proud men doe often arrogate those speciall inspirations to themselves as being least discernible or confutable by vulgar minds who once dazeled with the glisterings and flashes of pretended Inspirations think they may safely disregard 2 Pet. 2.18 When they speak great swelling words of vanity they allure c. and not look so low as the Scripture oracles and the plain manifestations of Christ by the Word and his constant Ministry Lead common people once into this maze wilder their weak fancies in the Wood
Spirit of Christ abstracts any mans faith from the Word or carries his practise against the Truth Order and holy Institution which Christ hath setled in his Church For it is most sure by all experience that the holy Spirit teacheth those Scripture saving-Truths by the ordinary methods and orderly means which the Wisdom of the same Spirit in Christ hath appointed to be used in the Ministry of the Church Ephes 3.10 Ephes 4.12 which who so proudly neglects and so despiseth Christ in them he may tempt grieve and resist the Spirit of God but he will never find the comfort of the Spirit in his unwarranted extravagancies which are but silly delusions and baby-like novelties having nothing in them of Truth Holinesse or religious Excellency beyond what was better known believed and expressed before in words and deeds by a far better way Christians ought never to turn such children and fools as to think Religion is never well unless it be in some new dresse and fashion of unwanted expressions and strange administrations we think that the Spirit of God teacheth all humble constant and exact obedience to the Word of God without any dispensation to any men at any time in things of Morall duty and Divine Constitution or Order according to the severall relations and religious capacities of Christians no reall sufficiency of gifts or graces doth justifie any Christian in any disorderly and unruly course of acting or exercising his supposed Inspirations in the Church no more then they doe in the Civill Offices of State Nor are these motions any thing of Gods speciall call in regard of the outward Order and Policy of the Church where the ordinary way of Calling Admitting Ordaining and sending forth right Ministers may be had in the Church 3. The vanity of of their wayes compared to the Word Be these impulses of the Spirit never so great yet they put no good Christian upon idlenesse or presumption so as not to use the ordinary means of study hearing reading meditating conferring praying and preparing c. Nor shall he either preserve or increase or profitably exercise any such gifts without study industry and preparatory pains which are the means by which God blesseth men with that Wisdome Truth Order and Utterance which are necessary for the Churches good The liberall effusions of some mens tongues their warm and tragicall expressions where there is something of Wit Invention Reading Method Memory Elocution c. in the way of Naturall and acquired Endowments alas these are no such rare gifts and speciall manifestations of Gods Spirit which these Anti-ministeriall men have so much cause to boast of There may be high mountains of such gifts ordinary and extraordinary as in Judas the Traitor which have no dews of grace falling on their barrennesse Nor are these boasters of Inspirations manifested yet either as equall or any way comparable to most true Ministers in any sort by any shewes of such gifts for the most of which they are beholding to Ministers labours and studies with whose heifer these men make some shift to plough the crooked and unequall furrows of their Sermons and Pamphlets A little goes a great way with these men in their supposed Inspirations and where they cannot goe far on they goe round in circling Tautologies snarled repetitions intricate confusions which are still but the same skains of thread which other men have handsomely spun and wound up in better method and order which these men have neither skill nor patience fairly to unfold but pull out here a thread and there an end which they break off abruptly to the confounding of all true Methods of Divinity and Order of found Knowledge The composednesse and gravity of true Religion in Publique especially admits least of extravagancies and uncomelinesse Haeretico conversatio quam futilis terrena humana sine grauitate sine autoritate sine disciplina Tertul. adv Haer. which dissolve the bonds or exceed those bounds by which Christ hath fitly compacted the Church together in a sociall way giving every part by a certain order and allowance established as the Standard in his Church that * Eph. 4 16. measure and proportion which is best for the whole This place and calling every Christian ought to own and to attend keeping within due bounds till God enabling and the Church so judging and approving of his abilities he be placed and imployed in some way of Publique service into which to crowd and obtrude a mans selfe uncalled and unordained regularly by the Church doth not argue such great motions of the Spirit which like strong liquor cannot be kept in any vessell but only evidenceth the corrupt spirits the violent lusts and the proud conceits which are in mens Hearts Certainly all Gifts Graces and Influences of Gods Spirit in truly gracious and humble hearts are in all Motions Habits and Operations as conform to the Scripture which are the Canon of Truth Peace and Order in the Church as any right line is to that rule by which it is drawn or as figures cast in the same stamp and mould are exactly fitted to one another The Truth of the Word and Graces of Gods Spirit cannot be separated or opposed any more than heat can be parted in the Sun from its light or its beams crosse one another in crooked and oblique angles It is no better Austin de Unit. Ecclesiae c. 16. Non dicant ideo verum esse quia illa vel illa miribilia fecit Donatus vel Pontine vel quilibet alius aut quia ille frater nâ—ster vel illa soror nostra tale visum vâ—gilans vidit vel dormiens somniavit Removeantur ista vel figmenta mendocium hominum vel poâ—tenta fallacium spiritum Remotis istis Eccclesiam suam demonstrent in canonicis sanctorum librorum autoritatibus than a proud and Satanicall delusion to fancy or boast that the Holy Spirit of Christ dwels there in speciall Influences and Revelations where the Word of Christ doth not dwell richly in all wisdome Col. 3.16 The lodgings of the Spirit are alwayes and onely furnished with the Tapistry of the Scriptures Else all imaginary furniture of any private spirits leaves the heart but swept and garnished with the new brooms of odd fancies and fond opinions to entertain with somewhat more trim and composed dresse the unclean spirit who loves to dwell thus in the high places of mens souls and hereby seems to make the later end of those filthy or silly dreamers in pride Iud. 8. vain-glory hypocrisie and lying against the Truth blaspheming the true Spirit of Christ contemning his holy and onely true Ministery and Ordinances and in all other licentious Apostasies worse than their beginning was in ignorance errors and terrors or in plain dealing sensualities and downright profanenesse For it is more tolerable to be without the Spirit of God Pope Hildebrand Cum haereticus malesicus sacrilegus esset pro sacratissimo se
sincere amendment of them hence it brings to a quiescency and comfort in no way but such as is conform to the Word of Christ burning with an unfaigned charity toward all men most fervently to the Churches service and welfare with an * In humili spiritu pura mente spaciose habitat immensus Deus high esteem of the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ his Institutions and Ministry his Word and Spirit and Grace with a gratefull value and high respect of those * Phil. 3.7 1 Thes 15.12.12 13. Heb. 13.17 by whose Ministry they have been called baptized taught converted and are still guided in the paths light and breathings of the Spirit to the hopes of salvation the blessed expectation of which in Christs way raiseth them up many times to high yet holy resolutions to deny themselves and suffer any thing for Christs sake and the testimony of the Truth These and such like I conceive are the best fruits of Gods Spirit which are not the lesse excellent because they are common Gods children are not oft entertained with novelties and never pleased with such new toyes and ratles or hobbey horses in Religion which some men bragge of The wandering clouds which some mens fancies exhale of spirituall Motions and Manifestations beyond plain and ordinary Christians either for private comfort Iude 12. or for publique benefit are for the most part without water they darken but moisten not the Church or the soul they have so much of earthy or fiery exhalations in them that they have little of the dew of heaven with them Nor may they without great injury and high indignity be imputed to the Spirit of Christ Nor doe such sorry flowers which grow in every dunghill adorn the Garden of God the Soul or the Church not justly crown any with the most honourable name of holy or spirituall Which titles vain men much affect and boldly challenge sober and humble Christians do earnestly desire and seriously endeavour to merit Being an honour so farre above the naturall capacity of sinfull mortality that nothing but a Divine bounty and supernaturall power can conferre the Truth of that Beauty which is in holinesse and the right to that glory which is in every True Saint who are often hid as orient Pearles in rough shels in great plainnesse lowlinesse and simplicity which makes such as are truly Saints and spirituall as ashamed to challenge the name as they are afraid to come short of the grace Studying not applause and admiration from men but the approbation of a sincere and good conscience 2 Cor. 1.12 Iam. 1.17 Him they look upon as the father of every good and perfect gift the sender of the blessed Spirit by the due Ministry of the Word into mens hearts The searcher also of all hearts and tryer of the spirits of men far beyond what is set out in paints and outward appearances of extraordinary gifts of the Spirit under which mask and disguises Achitophel Heb. 4.13 and Jehu and Judas and Simon Magus and the sons of Sheva and Demas and the self-made Prophetesse Jezebel and Diotrephes all false Christs false Prophets and false Apostles all true Antichrists and true Ministers of Satan grievous Wolves studied to appear and did so for a while till the Lord stirred up the Spirit of discerning in his true Ministers and true Saints Which Spirit of Wisdome teacheth us to measure and judge of spirituall gifts and true holinesse 6. Reall power of the Spirit how discerned 2 Tim. 3 5. not by bare and barren forms but by the power and practise of godlinesse not by soft-expressions and gentle insinuations or melancholy sowrenesse and severer brows not by Ahabs sackcloth or Jehus triumphs or Pharisaick frownes Not by bold assertions lowd clamours confident calumnies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 teâ—ico aut tristi vulus vultuosi Pharisai Simplicissima est spiritus sancti virtus sine suco sine fraude omnia agit nulli gravis piis suavis omnibus utilis Ber. Nil tamâ— metuit quam ne dubitare de aliqua re videretur de Vellcio Quomodo certissimi esse possunt quum nihil certius est quam certos illos non esse de salute Ber. Certi non sunt qui solliciti non sunt Cyp. Sola integra fides secura esse potest Tertul. de Ba. precipitant zeal audacious adventures successefull insolencies Not by heaps of Teachers popular Sermonings long Prayers wrested Scriptures crowds of Quotations high Notions Origenick Allegorizings Not by admired Novelties vulgar satisfactions splendid shews of Religion empty noises of Reformation Nor yet by arrogant boastings uncharitable despisings confident presumptions hasty assurances proud perswasions pretended Revelations fanatick confusions All these either in affected Liberties or Monastick rigors oft bear up mens fancie of the Spirit and sanctitie like bladders meerly by their emptinesse Nothing being more prone to dispose a vain mind to fancy strongly that it hath Gods Spirit than the not having it indeed * 2 Tim. 3.13 Deceiving and being deceived To make men presume they are Saints than the not serious considering what true holinesse is Splendore magis quam fervore delectantur hypocritae Ber. Dum fallunt maxime falluntur and the way of the Spirit of Christ is In its infallible rule the Scripture in its noblest pattern Jesus Christ in its foundation Humility in its beauty Order and Symmetry in its perfection Sincerity in its glory Love and Charity in its transcendent excellency the Divine Nature The Devils Piracles are made as much by the frauds and fallacies of hanging out Gods colours the flags of the Spirit Hypocritae sanctitatis tineae cui adhaerere videntur v stâ—m tu piter viciant remedia in morbos sanctitatem in crimen vertunt Chrysost and shews of holinesse as by the open defiances of persecution and batteries of profanenesse Delusions in Religion as Dalilahs charms on Samson are oft stronger than the Philistins force against the Church Else our blessed Saviour would not have so carefully fore-warned and fore-armed his little flock against those grand Impostors whose deceit is no lesse than this * Luk. 17.21 Loe here is Christ and there is Christ As if he were no where in England or in all the former Catholick Church but only in the corners and Conventicles of new Donatists Loe here is Christ a most potent and plausible pretention indeed able by its native force and mans credulous frailty to deceive even the very Elect Mark 13.22 whom would it not move and tempt strongly to hear of a new Christ in New lights and new Gospels new Church wayes new Manifestations new Ministry and new Ministers Yea to heare of a Christ without means above means beyond the Scriptures deadnesse the old Sacramentall forms the Ministeriall Keyes and Authority Christ in the Spirit risen from the grave of dead duties of expired Ordinances and from the Carkuses of ancient Churches A
Christ who is already come to judgement with whom his Saints are now risen and dayly rising seeing him not as in a glasse of means darkly but by immediate Visions glorious Manifestations speciall Inspirations plenary Inhabitations thus fitting on Thrones and Reigning with Christ in his Kingdom Whom would not these Trumpets awake and these alarms call forth if we were not forewarned by Christ and if we had not seen such follies formerly acted and manifested to all the Christian world and sufficiently confuted in all ages which never amounted to more than Religious Tragedies Gâ—miâ—a deformitas at nocumentum tragicum miserorum religiosa delicta for when the masks of personated Prophets and necessâ—tous Saints and hungry Enthusiasts and idle Seraphicks were taken off which they put on either by the power or presumptions they had among the Vulgar presently there appeared the horns of the Beast in pride ambition luxury polygamy cruelty Cyp. Ep. 2. Sleidan Com. l. 4. tyranny confusion That those who seemed to have come down from heaven in the shews of the Spirit and pretentions of Sanctity were but Satans lightnings falling down from heaven and his most abominable eructations out of the bottomelesse pit If we other poor Christians who still remain on the other side of this Jordan which those Spiritosoes pretend to have passed if wee who creep on the ground as worms and no men who have dayly cause to abhor our selves in dust and ashes who are forced dayly to strengthen our faith to renew our repentance to poure forth our souls oft in sighs tears prayers with broken hearts and contrite spirits contending with corruptions wresting with temptations having enough to doe to fortifie our selves with the compleat armour of Gods Word in Precepts and Promises and of his Spirit in gracious habits excitations to and assistances in duties 2 Pet. 1.10 Thus giving all diligence to make our calling and election sure not counting our selves to have comprehended but pressing on to the mark of the price of the high calling in Christ Jesus Glorying in nothing but in the crosse of Jesus Christ Phil. 3.14 Gal. 6.14 by which we are crucified to the honours riches policies successes flatteries and glories of this inglorious world yea to the Liberties Religions Devotions Sanctities new Churches new Reformations and new Ministers of this world who forsaking the wayes of Christ and the holy Apostles and the ancient Churches and the true succession of Ministers and all Power have turned grace into wantonnesse liberty into licentiousnesse godlinesse into gain and very much embraced the present world falling down before Mammon and worshipping the false gods of this world If we who when we have suffered much and done something in our endeavours and purposes of holinesse yet find cause to cry out Wretched men that we are who shall deliver us from this body of death Rom. 7.24 if we could indeed believe or find by experience that the exaltations and Raptures of these new pretenders to the Spirit were more comfortable than the bufferings of those good old Christians That their triumphs in the world were beyond the others sufferings from the world that there were more of Christ in their new Crowns of glory which they boast of than in the others Crosses which they patiently bare If we could discern a more self-denying Spirit a more Christ-enjoying Sanctity That they were Saints that is Not crucifiers of the world but crucified to the world If we could see the wounds of Christ in these glorious apparitions these Christ-like phantasms as Antony the Hermite required Non credam esse Christum nisi vulnera videam crucifixi in vita Anâ— when Satan appeared to him like Christ in glory If that Purity Chastity Justice Honesty Contentednesse Patience Charity Meeknesse Humility Peaceablenesse Fidelity Constancy and Orderlinesse shined in them wherein those holy men and women of old the Professors Confessors and Martyrs not getting but loosing Saints imitated the holy Lord Jesus and the most holy God according to the lively characters of true holinesse set down in the Scriptures If we saw such fruits of reall holinesse in their words pens and actions in their Doctrines and duties in their self-denials and Mortifications in their meetings and Fraternities in their Church Orders and Ministrations as might convince us that these pretenders to the Spirit and despisers of the Ministers have indeed more oâ— that light life and power of the holy Spirit of God than either true Christians or godly Ministers formerly had or now have in this or any other true Church of Christ How should we envy their blessednesse with an holy emulation How should we as Saint John to the Angell whom it may be he took for Jesus Christ be even ready to fall at their feet Revel 19 10. to kisse their footsteps to attend their directions to imitate their examples to partake of their raptures to pry into their third heavens to rise ascend reign and triumph to enjoy the holy Spirit and Christ and God with them to all which they in word and fancy pretend 7. Fallacies in this kind frequent among Enthusiasts But the triple Crown of meer titular and verball holinesse which is but copper gilded over moves us not further than to pity the sinner and to scorn the pride The Gnosticks Montanists Catharists of old the later rude and cruell phanaticks in Germany cryed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holy holy holy to their parties and factions As if there were holy ambitions holy seditions holy covetousnesses holy sacriâ—edges holy obscenities holy cruelties holy confusions in the conversations of true Christians and spirituall men Or holy ignorances holy errours holy darknesses holy heresies holy schisms holy hypocrisies in their hearts and spirits As if no duties no Scriptures no Sacraments no Ministry or Ministers no Government or Governours of the Church were heretofore holy which were primitively and universally and constantly owned and observed in the Church of Christ as derived from him As if private fancies and solitary dreams and single imaginations of weak and silly men or women were now holyer or had more in them of the Spirit than the publique Oracles of the sure Word of God which the Catholick Church hath received from God by the hands of holy men and by a constant succession of an holy Ministry hath delivered to us with constancy and fidelity as to the main however particular branches or members of this Church may have failed and withered If these Antiministeriall Novellists have nothing whereby to set off their pretended gifts of the Spirit and singular holinesse but only novelty fancy and uncertain Inspirations nothing to cry down all former holy ways of the Church but this that they are conform to all Antiquity and Scripture regulations The least beam of whose glorious light alwayes either equalls or far exceeds their new either superfluous or dubious illuminations Truly they must give all learned and godly Ministers together
some Scripturall expressions which they have attained beyond their former selves or their equals were rare immediate and speciall gifts of the Spirit Then because they should seem no body if they carry their small wares in an old pack * Quos diabolus a veritatis via in veleri charitate detinere non pâ—tuit novi itineneris erroâ—e circumscribit decipit Cyp. they invent some new fashion of Religion or some modell of a Church-way which they strongly fancy after they have once brought forth their fancy to any form and shape they are strangely inamored with it all old figures never so uniform Catholick and comely seem deformed ugly Antichristian Then follows those quick emotions and stirrings upon their spirits which have the quicknings only of Self in them these are presently cryed up for motions and * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Marcionites had private lectures which they called Manifestations or Illuminations from a Prophetesse Philumena Tertul. prae ad Hae. c. 44. manifestations and excitations and impulses of Gods Spirit on them then they are easily moved to extraordinary heats and irregular vehemencies as counterfeit possessed are by the looking on and applauses of others whose sillinesse makes them gentle spectators and obsequious admirers of any thing that seems new to them or is above them Nothing troubles these pretenders so much as if you look too neer and too narrowly on their practises * Impostoribus nihil est lumine inimicitius Nothing angers them so much as what they fear may discover them you must not ask them where are their miracles where their Empire over Devils where their languages where their prophecies either as predictions of things to come or as interpretations of obscure Prophecies in the Scripture referring to Jesus Christ These questions though they are but just to be put where extraordinary Inspirations are pretended are too hard for them these pose them and afflict them when they are thus urged by Ministers or any sober Christians who expect no satisfactory answer in any of those particulars which are the proper effects and demonstrations of the Spirit in its extraordinary motions when indeed they observe in these pretenders so little of ordinary sound and saving knowledge so nothing of that meeknesse of wisdome which every true Christian in whom the Spirit of Christ dwels injoyes in some measure so utter desolation of any thing that may argue any thing extraordinary and excellent which may justly own the Spirit of Christ for its speciall Author and infuser But quite contrary grosse ignorance in many things yet puffed up with intolerable pride poysoned with errors kindled with passions sharpned with violence delighting in furies boasting in discords schisms and confusions either begun or increased or continued by the restlesse agitations of their fierce and unquiet spirits whose impetuous temper is impatient of nothing so much as true Christian patience of Peace Order and charitable harmony in any part of the Church of Christ There is nothing they can lesse endure Magi Augures nihil suis actibus successurum Iuliano affirmabant nisi Athanasium primo velut omnium obstaculum sustulisset Ruff. l. 1. c. 32. Hist Ecc. Gal. 1.7 than able learned godly and resolute Ministers in whom dwels indeed a far more excellent Spirit of God full of wisdome of power of courage full of Christ who can and dare detect the deceits and juglings of these vain mindes manifesting their folly discovering their nakednesse emptinesse and nothingnesse in respect of any extraordinary Illuminations or Inspirations of Gods holy Spirit in any way of Religion After all the cry and noise and glorying of these mens inspirings at the best all amounts to no more than the same Gospell the same Duties the same Sacraments the same Jesus the same God who was with far more knowledge purity peace love zeal and constancy owned served and honoured in this and other Churches in that ancient way and holy Ministry which the Church ever used which Christ instituted and with which God was so well pleased that he blessed it as the means to preach the Gospell to plant Religion to settle and govern the Church in first and after times amidst all the persecutions and heresies that opposed it This is the best of their Inspirings the setting of some new glosse and fashion on Christian Religion whose purity and simplicity like gold cares not be thus painted over But take these Inspired men in their degenerations depravings and worstings of Religion and you will easily see how such equivocall generations and imperfect mixtures and meer monsters of Religion presently putrifie and pervert to error faction licentiousnesse violence rapine civill oppressions tyrannies against all that applaud not or approve not the rarity of their conceits and inventions which first kindle with modest sparks Modestiora sunt errorum initia blandientia venena Lactant as if they would enlighten warm and refine the Church Religion and Ministry but after they have got to them vulgar fewell they arise to such dreadfull flames and conflagrations as threaten to consume all that was ever built before them that so the goodly Palaces of ancient and true Religion being demolished they may have a clearer ground where on to set up the feeble cottages of their new framing and erecting Poor men thus once * Omnes tument omnes scientiam pollicentur ante sunt perfecti quam eslocti Tertul. de Hae c. 41. puffed up with their tympanies of self conceptions and getting into some warmer Sun having once over-looked their first errors they never after have leisure patience or humility to discern the grosse yet secret distempers which are in their spirits * Not raptures and gifts but humility and charity give the greatest evidences and surest instances of Gods Spirit and of salvation the many distinctions and disguises and windings by which worldly lusts passions and interests slily creep in and concealedly worke in their hearts even then most securely and so most dangerously when under this blind of Gods Spirit when the Lord shall be intitled to the whole plot and project of their follies and furies both in its softer beginnings and its rougher proceedings Of these fallacies in point of speciall Inspirings and motions of Gods Spirit there are no surer detections than these 1. 9. Evidences of their folly That these so moved and active spirits do always finde lesse content and pleasure in have lesse zeal and contention for the great things of God which are Faith Righteousnesse Peace and Holinesse than they doe for their little novelties and fancies 2. They finde lesse comfort and joy in themselves to be kept within and humbly to walk in those holy bounds of religious Truth and Order which the Word of God hath clearly set before them and all holy Christians and the purest Churches alwayes observed than to be alwayes busily disputing for and acting over those petty parts of their scruples
novelties and extravagancies Which have nothing in them but a verminly nimblenesse and subtlety being bred out of the putrefactions of mens Brains and the corruptions of the times in matters of Religion and are rather pernicious than any way profitable in comparison of the more sober strength and usefulnesse of nobler creatures Nor is it by gracious persons disputed but that one serious Christian of the old stamp one able and faithfull Minister of the Church of England whom these so contemne and hate hath heretofore done and still doth more good and gives greater demonstrations of the Spirit of Christ dwelling in him with wisdom gravity learning humility diligence peaceablenesse and charity by which many have been restrained or converted from sin or established and confirmed in the ways of God than whole heaps of these novel Teachers and swarms of Inspired pretenders who like drones do but seek to rob the hives and starve the Bees who serve in some fits to scratch itching ears to some tune of pleasure liberty profit novelty or preferment but not to teach the ignorant to settle the shaken to compose the tossed to heal the wounded or to wound the ulcerated Consciences of any men to any soundnesse of mind or true holinesse of manners Aedificantur in ruinam illuminantur in caciores tenebâ—as Their Proselytes are rather perverted than converted made theirs by a schismaticall and factious adherence rather than Christs by a fiduciary obedience or the Churches by a charitable and humble communion Faction and confusion and every evill work are the fruits of pertinacious and pragmatick ignorance as Vnion Peace and Charity are the genuine effects of sound knowledge and humble wisdome In which wayes onely true Christians have ever judged the highest gifts and graces of Christs Spirit to be both derived and decerned I am sure there is a vast difference between a wanton Fancy and a holy Spirit between a glib Tongue and a gracious Heart We may add to these discoveries of fallacious pretentions to the Spirits speciall motions Abominanda religionis ludibria colentia temporum rationes non leges Dei Naz or Lat. Hypocritarum pietas est temporum aucupium Cyp. That both in the first broaching and after drawings forth of their new projects and inventions the authors of them more look to men than to God how it may suit with secular aimes and politique interest private or publique than how it sorts with Gods Word or the rule of Christ or the Churches practise in purest times or its present distresses whose frame as to the main both for Doctrine Ministry and Government hath alwayes been the same both in times of persecution and of peace when favoured and disfavoured hy men And such it ever was in England and possibly it will be if it out-live this storm I am sure these Novelties so much opposing this Church and true Ministers in it would never have so quickned by any inward heat of Spirit if they did not presume that the Sun did shine warm on them which yet is no infallible sign of Gods blessing If these Antiministeriall adversaries these now so Inspired men who join in their plots and power and activity by which they either secretly undermine by evill speaking and separating from the publique Ministry or openly invade and arrogate the Office or wholly deride and oppose the Function if they expected nothing but Winter and persecution and such measure as they mete I believe it would damp their spirits very much They would then think it a part of prudence in a Christian Spirit to sleep in a whole skin by keeping themselves in that station wherein God and the Lawes both of Church and State have set them As they did very warily in those times when there was just power restraining them in those due bounds which then they thought became them best and they would no doubt have thought so still for all the fullnesse of their spirits and ebullition of their rarer gifts if strange indulgences in matters of Religion and Church Order had not tempted them to safe extravagancies and unpunished insolencies chiefly against the Church and Church men In other things of civill affairs where it is very likely their spirit prompts them as much to be medling because more is got by those activities they know how to keep their spirits in very good order being over-awed with evident danger attending any factious seditious or tumultuary motions None of these small spirited m n who are seldome little in their own eyes are powerfully moved to usurp any place in the Councell of State to arrogate the office and authority of an Embassadour or publique Agent to set himself in the Seat of Justice un commissioned or to intrude into any place Military or Civill without a Warrant from other than their own forward spirits though their pride and ambition * 2 Sam. 15.3 Nunquam defuit ambitioso praeclara sui ipsius opinio summa de seipso expectatio Sym. like Absaloms may fancy they could better dispatch businesse doe exacter Justice and speedier than any in Authority yet here the danger and penalty of intrusion cowes their zeal curbs their heady spirits and cuts their combes Nor are they often either so valiant or so fool hardy as to act by their pretended impulses in any way but where they think there may be safety which they now find as from many men in what ever they say or doe against the honour order and Ministry of this reformed Church of England which they see hath not many souldiers to defend it nor advocates to plead for it nor Patrons to protect it Wanton and petulant servants which were formerly but as the * Iob 30.1 Insolentioris animi propriâ— est calamitosam viriutem indigne tractare dicteriis appetere injuriis afficere de iis quae immerita patitur maxime exprobrare Plin. dogs of the flock will easily insult over the children of the family when they see them Orphanes and exposed to injuries either wanting true * Isa 49.23 Nursing Fathers and Mothers or these wanting that tendernesse toward them which is hardly to be expected in step-mothers and onely titular parents It is no adventure for timorous beasts to goe over where they find the fence trodden down and the gap made wide So much more prevalent with vain and proud men are the impressions of fear from men than those from God whose commands and threatnings are attended with Omnipotent Justice which is slow paced but sure Nor doe I doubt but those subtle and insolent enemies against this Reformed Church and the Ministry of it doe already * Prima est baec ultio quod se Judice nemo nocens absolvitur Iuv. Occultum quatienti animo tortore flagellum Id. find the first strokes of Divine Vengeance in their own ingratefull breasts The further triall of these pretenders to the Spirit I must leave to the impartiality of judicious Christians in that experience
nor raising any building of piety or sound knowledge in others for the same small stock always serves their turn in their severall gests and quarters By this meanes they hope the Church and State in a short time will be spoiled of all those fair flowers of good Scholars and able constant Ministers which were well rooted in learning and plentifully watered with the dew of heaven the gifts and graces of Gods Spirit that so there may be room enough for those rank and ill weeds to spread all over this English garden and field under whose specious covert of spiritualty all sort of venemous Serpents and hurtfull beasts may be hidden till they are so multiplied 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naz. that through mutuall jealousies and dissensions they fall to tearing and devouring one another for however like Serpents wicked men may for a while twine together yet their different heads will soon find wherewith to exercise their stings and teeth against each other Impious mens confederacies are not friendship but faction and conspiracy Nothing being more in consistent than ignorance error and impiety which having no principles of union or order in them can have nothing of firmnesse or stability among them I doubt not but there are 12. The blessings which good Christians owe to good Ministers under God notwithstanding so many bitter spirits and rebellious children have become ungratefull Apostates against this Church and â—its worthy Ministery thousands of excellent Christians who have not bowed the knee to these Baaliâ—s who have both cause and hearts to confesse that the feet of these messengers the true Ministers of England have brought light and peace to their soules That their pious and constant labors have not been either so weak or unfruitfull as might in any sorâ— deserve or justifie such hard recompenses as these now are with which a foolish and unthankefull generation seeks to requite the Lord Deut. 32.6 and his faithfull servants the true Ministers whose names shall yet live among good Christians with durable honour Eccles 7.1 and their memories shall be pretious as sweet Ointments when these dead yet busie flies who seek to corrupt them Eccles 10.1 shall rot as dung on the face of the earth Their unsavory stench is already come up and hath greatly defiled many parts of this Church being justly offensive to all wise and good men in the present age and for the future they will be memorable for nothing but illiterate impudence ungratefull malice and confused madnesse who like beasts were able to waste a fair field and desolate a well reformed Church but never to cultivate or plant any thing like it The field of this Church in many places by the blessed labours of true and able husbandmen was heretofore full of good corn the valleys and hils did laugh and sing poore and rich were happy in the great increases with which the Lord of the harvest crowned the labours of his faithfull Ministers before the enemy had such liberty to sow his tares even at noon day yea in many places to rout the true labourers to leave many places desolate and only to scatter that self-sowing corn which is like to that which springs on the house top whereof the Mower shall never fill his hand Psal 129.7 nor he that bindeth up the sheaves his bosome Who sees not that one handfull of that crop which was formerly wont to be tilled by the skilfull and diligent hand of true and able Ministers was for its weighty soundnesse in knowledge and modest fulnesse in humility far more worth than many sheaves and cartloads of these burnt and blasted ears whose pride pretends in one night to grow to such eminent gifts of the Spirit for preaching as shall exceed all the parts and studies of Ministers when it 's evident to all that will but rub them in their hands that these wild oats and smutty ears by lifting up their heads so high doe but proclaim their emptinesse and lightnesse And 't were well if they were onely such cockle such trash and light gear they now grow to sharp thistles thornes mixed with true weed which seeks to starve choak and pull down to the earth all the hopes and joy of the true labourers that rich crop of truth order piety charity and sincerity which was formerly in great plenty and still is in good measure on the ground Yea thousands of Christians in many places of this Nation doe already grievously complain of the sad and desolate estate to which they are reduced for want of able and true Ministers Amos 8.11 Psal 106.15 residing among them crying out that a famine of the Word is come upon them and leannesse is entred into their soules having none to sow the immortall seed of the Word or to dispense the bread of life to them but a few straglers now and then of whose calling and authority to minister holy things no wise man hath any confidence and of whose insufficiency every way all men have too much experience where ever they obtrude themselves That most Christians had rather yea and better want the Word and Sacraments than receive them so defiled so nullified by such unwashen and unwarranted hands For it is hardly to be beleeved that those who are so much enemies to the spirit of Christ in true Ministers of which there hath been so great and good demonstrations in gifts lives and successes should either have or come in the power of the same Spirit which they so much despise and blaspheme Sure the Kingdome of Christ is not divided against it self but is uniform and constant not depending on the various impulses of mens humours fancies and worldly interests but established and governed by the most sure Word and those holy rules both for truth and order therein contained It is little sign of Christs Spirit in men to sow those seeds of errors and divisions which holy men have been alwayes plucking up or to build again that Babell which so many godly Ministers have pulled down But it becomes us Ministers not so much to dispute with these men about the Spirit to which they so highly pretend as to continue to outdoe them in the fruits of the Spirit as our famous and blessed forefathers have done and to leave the decision to the Consciences of true and wise Christians and to the great Searcher of mens hearts and tryer of mens spirits and workes who hath the Spirit of burning and refining Isa 4.4 and who if he hath not determined for the superfluity of wickednesse and ungratefull wontannesse of this Nation to lay us quite wast and desolate will in his due time after these days of triall throughly purge his floore and weed his field even this Mal. 3.12 so sadly havocked and neglected Church In which there are still some fruit that have a blessing in them Isa 65.8 and which we hope he will not destroy who knows how to separate between the
pretious and the vile Mean time Gods husbandmen the true and Ordained Ministers 13. The patience and constancy of Ministers will best confute these pretenders must have patience but not slacken their diligence after the holy example of those godly Bishops and Presbyters of the Church in the times of the Arrian Novatian Donatistick and others prevalencies and persecutions The fierce and fiery spirit in the old hereticks and schismaticks could least of all endure with temper and moderation those Bishops and Ministers which were soundest in their judgements faithfullest in their places and holyest in their lives * Socrat. l. 1. c. 7. l. cap. 17. Can. African Theod. l. 4 c. 12. So that not only they destroyed and drove away most of the orthodox Ministers both Bishops and Presbyters out of many Provinces in Africa and so in Asia as in Europe but they sought with all fraud and force to destroy that great Colosse of Christian Religion the most renowned Bishop of Alexandria * Omnes quos factionis macula sâ—ciavit in Athanasium conspirabant Ruff. hist l. 1. Toto orbe prosugus M. Athanasius sex annos in cisterna sine sole vixit Id. Athanasius who was the wonder and astonishment of all the world for his learning piety and constancy standing like an unshaken rock of Truth amidst the troubled Sea of Arrian Errors If the hand of Secular power will not maintain the antient order of the true Ministers of England in their Ministry liberties and lives which we humbly crave and expect * Vbicunque a perditis mala ista commissa sunt ibi ferventius atquae perfectius Christiana unitas profecit Aust Ep. 50. de persâ— yet we hope the Spirit of Christ and the power of heaven will preserve us with good Consciences amidst the trialls losses contempts and deaths which we may encounter And however the * Rev. 12.4 Rev. 2. Tail of the Dragon with many windings and insinuations hath drawn after him many stars from the heaven of their formerly seemingly sober orderly and godly profession to the Earth of temporary successes worldly applauses secular complyances and irregular motions for vain glory or for filthy lucres sake yet Christ will still preserve * Brightman in Apoc. Rev. â—3 10 in his right hand those stars which shine by his light and are placed by his Name Power and Authority in the Firmament of his Church * Heb. 11.37 Persecutio Christiani nominis in crementum Lact. Quanto magis premitur magis augetur Id. Although this may be the houre of temptation which must come upon this Reformed Church and the power of darknesse which may for a time have leave to deny betray set at naught and crucifie afresh the Lord of Glory in his true Ministers and faithfull servants yet good men may be confident * that their bonds and scourges their revilings and cruell mockings their being sawn asunder between ignorance and error schism and heresie profanenesse and hypocrisie superstition and licentiousnesse The very indignities restraints injuries and ruines of the godly Ministers shall tend to the honour Velut auâ—um non vâ—rbis sed exiliis caâ—ceâ—â—bus probatur fides ad potioâ—is metalli fulgâ—â—em teâ—â—â—det Ruff. Hist l. 2. c. 6. Crudelâ—as fectae est â—llecebâ—a s men est sanguis Christianorum Tertul. Apol. propagation and more glorious restauration of the Reformed Religion which of later times hath wanted nothing so much whereby to set forth its primitive lustre and power as the constancy and patience of the Ministers and Professours of it in the point of comely suffering for the Truth In which way the brightest beams of the Spirit of Glory are wont to appear The base cowardly avoiding of sufferings hath brought great reproaches upon many Ministers and other Christians who Proteus-like by mean compliances and palliations suiting themselves to a disorderly and variating world have much eclipsed and deformed the beauty and dignity of their holy Function and Profession both as Ministers and as Christians As it is far harder to suffer persecution and to bear the burning coales of mens displeasure in our bosomes than to make long prayers or to preach soft and smooth Sermons and to bandy safe disputes in the Sun shine of Peace plenty favour and prosperity so more glory will then redound to God and more honour to the Reformed Religion from those sparkling rayes and effusions of grace P oâ—um virtutes ut Aromaâ—â— quâ— magis câ—nteruntur eo frangratius redâ—lent Ieror which shall flow from excellent Ministers when they are red hot in the forge of affliction and hammered on the Anvile of the worlds malice than ever did from those faint and weaker beams by which they shined in the easie and ordinary formalities of Religion Nor will any thing more assure them and the uncharitable world that they have the Spirit of Christ in them of a Truth than when they shall find they have holy and humble resolutions to suffer with Christ and his Church rather than to reign with a wicked and irregular world whose Jesuitick joys will then be fulfilled and crowned with garlands when they shall see the learning piety order government and honour of that Ministry which sometime flourished to the great regret of all its enemies in this reformed Church utterly prostrated vilified impoverished and expulsed On the other side the spirituall joyes of true and faithfull Ministers will be encreased by their being beaten and evill intreated and cast out of their Synagogues by their being reproached scorned and wounded unjustly not onely from their professed enemies of the Romish party but even from those who were of their own household who seemed to be their familiar friends It is happier to have the least measure of Christs Spirit in patience truth and power than to make the greatest boasts and to enjoy the loudest vulgar applauses which those Chenaniahs seem to affect and aim at 1 King 22. who dare now to smite every where the true Prophets the plain dealing Micaiahs on the mouth designing to feed al the true able and faithfull Ministers with the bread and water of affliction because they will not comply with or yeeld to that novel lying proud and disorderly spirit with which their hearts and mouths are so filled with malice not onely against the Ministry but against the prosperity of this and all other reformed Churches which folly or fury they would have styled and esteemed to be in them the speciall gifts and inspirations of the Spirit of God Proud and presumptuous men doe not consider what is most true 14. False pretentions to the Spirit * Nulla erroris secta jam contra Châ—â—sti veritatem nisi nomine câ—opeâ—ta Christâ—ano ad pugnandâ—m pâ—osilire auâ—et Aust Ep 56. That the greatest blasphemies against Gods Spirit and his Truth are oft coloured over with greatest ostentation of the Spirit as is evidently shewed both in former and later times Many
short and uncertain life among mortals but further by erecting living monuments in learned bookes they fortifie against oblivion arm themselves against mortality and counterruine the underminings of time which is the grave of all * In sanae substructiones Pyramides Mausoles and those other like monstrous structures of grosser spirited men So that when the ages of learned men are undistinguishable in the grave from vulgar and plebeian dust yet they still instruct and doe good to mankinde Praeclari scriptoâ—es non modo proximum tempus luâ—emque praesentem intâ—ueâ—i satis craedunt sed omnem posteritatis memoriam spacium vitae hâ—nestae curriculum laudis existimant Quintil. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato and glorifie the Creator by their soules and spirits which are partly in heaven and partly in their bookes which have so much of heaven too as they have more of sublimity splendor permanency and influence on the inferiour world than any other things whereon men usually leave the impressions of their fading skill and momentary power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cl. Al. 〈◊〉 l. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sen. de Nerene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cl. Al. So that these grosser clods of earth and lumps of mortality the despisers of Learning are sure to dye and perish as much as they merit and desire who neither use nor leave nor deserve any token or memoriall of literate industry by which it may appeare that either they or others ever lived more than their Oxe and their Asses doe who by how much lesse they are intellectuall and not improvers of their mindes by so much more they degenerate to brutish sensualities and become wholly devoted to the beast of the man the Body In illiteratis indoctis maximam partem hominis brutum occupat Sen. which hath nothing on it remarkable but this that it is married to a rationall and immortall Soul not to debase and oppresse it but to serve it Of those Borboritae and Polysarkists groveling and indocible sensualists there can be no better account given at their death A pecudibus non sententia sed lingua discernit Lact. de Epicu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plat. Crito then may be of an hog That being most indocible he wallowed at his ease fed well dyed very fat and very unwillingly worthy of the Epitaph on the Epicures Tomb Tanquam poeniteret non pecudes natos Sen. Habui quod edi That onely I injoyed which I did eat 17. Illiteratenesse no reproach or discouragement to humble Christians Not that here I doe any way despise or degrade those sober good Christians of either sex whose education parts and way of life hath and doth deny them the advantages of personall learning such as is immediately acquired by the study of excellent bookes For first true wisdome is the same in all languages and may be obtained in conversation in part as well as by reading Next they have by Gods providence and indulgence to them the blessing of many learned mens directions both Ministers and others and the benefit of their good example whom they have the more cause to love and value by how much they see their own defects which while they humbly and diligently supply by the helps which learned men afford them they testifie not onely to others the gratefull sense and high esteem they have of the labours of learned men imparted to them but also hereby they doe as it were admit themselves into the company of learned men and are adopted into the family and fraternity of Learning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato de rep dial 10. mutuall love and charity ingraffing these lovers of learned men into the same stock of whose sap and virtue they are daily partakers being diligent attenders upon those whom God hath let over them for this purpose that they may be happily taught by them as children by their Fathers while the ignorant pride of others keeping them at a surly and to themselves most injurious distance they not onely injoy nothing of learning in themselves but by the neglect and disesteem of it in their Ministers are for ever condemned to their silly beggery and supercilious folly The wisdome of God as in civill so in Church societies hath so tempered the different parts as in the naturall body where all members are usefull in their kinde but not all of equall honour for the excellencie of their faculties and functions 1 Cor. 12. yet the diamonds of the eyes cannot well want the clay and pebles of the toes Nor are the nobler Organs of the Senses so excellent or commendable in any thing as in this that they are usefull and servient not to themselves so much as to those lesse beautifull but not lesse necessary parts of the body for whose direction and good Nature intended them Neither charitable learning nor humble ignorance will make any scornfull or envious schism in a well formed body whose beauty is the variety and Symmetry of parts It were an unnaturall barbarity for the eyes to deny their light and guidance to the body or for the fightlesse parts to despise envy and seek to destroy those two great lights which the wise Creator hath set up in the little world of mans body Such is the distemper and madnesse of those who seek to hoodwink with poverty to blind with contempt to put out with violence the great Luminaries both of Church and State Learned men and Ministers who are the ordinary means by which true both humane and divine morall and mysterious knowledge is imparted to the common people without which neither hearts nor lives of men cannot be good Blinde affections are no more acceptable to God than blind sacrifices which were onely fit for fooles Mal. 1.10 However God workes grace by a more immediate divine influence of his Spirit yet it is by such meanes rationally preparing and disposing as he hath appointed in the Church without the diligent and conscientious use of which it is as in vain to beaâ—t of grace and the Spirit as it is to expect the heat of the Sun without its light or to hope for harâ—est without preceding summer A plea for the nurseries of learning the two famous Vniversities The ignorant weaknesse and fiercer rudenesse of those men with whom I have chiefly in this Apology and in this part of it to contend may justifie this my so large vindication of learning as necessary in other persons of publique influence so chiefly in Ministers whose errors or rectitudes are of the highest concernment as conversant in matters of God of Soules and of Eternity I should otherwise be very jealous that I had said too much in so clear a subject which needs as little and deserves as much commendation as the Sun in the Firmament when I remember to how many men of learned abilities I make my addresse of whose person all sufficiencies in this kind of excellency as I have
fitted to the memories and capacities of the meanest hearers containing short summaries of things to be believed practised or prayed for as in the Creed the ten Commandements and the Lords Prayer Presently these men fancy them as the recitation of some charmes and look on the Minister as some Exorcist confined to these Articles of stinted spels and formes Yea so far hath the prejudices affectations and ignorance of these men prevailed against all Reason and Religion in some places that many Ministers in other things not unable or unworthy men are carried away with fear and popularity to comply with those mens fondnesse in a way of dissimulation Forbearing to use publiquely at any time either the title of Saint due to holy men or the Lords Prayer and the Decalogue which are both Scripturall Summaries and commanded to be used So also they lay aside the Creed which is an Ecclesiasticall compendium taken out of the Scripture Vid. Voss de Symbolis and very ancient in the chief articles of it containing the main foundations or heads of Christian Faith nor was any of these ever neglected or not both frequently and devoutly used in the publique Liturgies or Services of sober Christians either ancient or modern O how sowre and spreading a leaven is the pride passion and superstition of mens spirits which run after faction and novelties that even learned and grave men should be not so much infected with it in their judgements as to be swayed and byassed or over-awed by it in their practise contrary to their judgements meerly Gal. 2.12 as St. Peter with his dissimulation gratifying these pretenders to novelty speciall sanctity by the not using of those divine and wholesome forms of sound words in which neglect the presumed perfection of these Antiministeriall men disdains to condescend to the infirmities of novices and weaklings in religion the babes in Christ Those Lambs which good Shepheards Joh. 21.15 must take speciall care of as well as of their stronger sheep feeding them with milk or cibo praemanso the often repeated Catechisticall rudiments and chewed principles of Religion which are by the wisdome of God and our Saviour most fitly and compendiously set forth in the ten Commandements and the Lords Prayer as to the main of things to be done or desired by a Christian as also the summe of things necessary to be believed were anciently comprised in the Articles of the Creed according to that wisdome of the Apostles or the primitive Fathers which imitated those patterns set by the Lord to his Church That so the Infants or younglings of Christs family might not be starved because they have not such teeth as these mens jaw-bones pretend to who before they have well sucked in the first principles are gnawing bones or cracking kernels and nuts exercising themselves or vexing others with odd questions and doubtfull disputations more troubled with their Familisticall fancies about their own partaking of the divine Nature their identity with Christ and when and how it is in what manner and what measure they may be said to be God and Christ and the Spirit than soberly establishing their mindes in the fundamentall points of things to be beleived obeyed and desired to the glory of God and the honour of the Gospell But I must leave these envious and unquiet Spirits to their censorious separations wrangling themselves into vanities and errors at length falling like Lucifer into the blacknesse of darknesse to unjustice and cruelty after that into grosser blasphemies and presumptions against God Christ and the holy Spirit while they proudly affect and presume to be not like to the most High but the same with him not in the beauties of holinesse grace and godlinesse which are the clear Image of God set forth in the Word but in the glory and majesty of the divine Essence which is inscrutable not to be communicated or comprehended in its superessentiall being and superintellectuall perfection no more than the vast and glorious body of the Sun which is 160 times bigger than the earth can be locally contained in the eye to which yet it is by its beams in some kinde imparted and united Such superfluity we see there is of folly ignorance weaknesse pride and malice in some spirits who upon very peevish and perverse grounds forsake our Christian publique Assemblies and duties celebrated in our Churches which are sanctitied by the Word and prayer scorning and condemning what we doe upon the best grounds of Scripture and Reason separating themselves from the true Ministry and fellowship of the Church of England as if they were most spirituall and refined when yet they seem to be so grossely ignorant so passionate and some of them so sensuall as is no argument of their having the Spirit of God which is wise in all holinesse 7 Calumny Act. 24.5 BUt our Antiministeriall Adversaries object as Tertullus and the Jews did against St. Paul that the ordained Ministers of the former way Against Ministers as seditious and inconform to Civil government are pestilent fellows stirrers up of the people factious turbulent seditious not so supple conform and well affected to the present constitution of powers and publique affaires So that it is not onely lawfull but necessary either to bring them to a plenary conformity and subjection or to exautorate and suppresse them as to all publique influence in the Ministry Thus doe these Wasps and Hornets buz up and down who hope with their noise and stings ere long to drive all the ancient and true Ministers of God out of the land or at least out of the service of the Church that so they may be possessed of the Hive though they make no Honey Answ Answ This Calumny is indeed of the promising advantage to the enemies of the Ministers and their calling and therefore it is with most cunning and earnestnesse every where levelled by some men against their persons Naz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. actions and function It is like the policy of Julian the Apostate who to ensnare the Christians set the statues of the Emperours with the Idols of the Gods That if Christians did civill reverence as to the Emperours they should be defamed as Idolaters if not they should be accused as despisers of the Emperours And because I perswade my self that all excellent Christians how potent soever can bear an honest freedome and plainnesse I shall onely as to this sharp and poysoned arrow oppose the shield of plain dealing that in a matter so much concerning the satisfaction of others and Ministers civill safety there may be no such obscurities as may harbour any jealousies First of all I need not tell you 1. Some Ministers compliances what all the English world knows aboundantly That there are many Ministers of very good abilities who are not at all blameable in this particular as to any restivenesse and incompliancy in civill subjections they have sufficiently testified how Arts and ingenuous
constant spirited preacher of righteousnesse will as he should in Gods way and Word with all religious freedome yet with all civill respect tell even the greatest Princes and Potentates of their sins as resolute Eliah and honest Micajah did Ahab as Nathan did David as Jeremiah did the Princes and people too as John Baptist did Herod as St. Stephen did the Jews Non par est ut deceptus splendore purpurae ignores imbecillitatem corporis quod hac regitur Amb. ad Theodos Theod. l. 5. Eccles hist c. 1â— and as St. Ambrose did Theodosius the Emperour who for that Christian courage loved him the better professing that no man was worthy the honour of a Christian Bishop or Minister but he that knew how to own and use such pious and resolute constancy as he had done Yea what will you think of the freedome used by Menis Bishop of Chalcedon to Julian the Emperour telling him that he was an Atheist and Apostate Being blinde and led to the place where they were sacrificing Julian with scorn asked him why the Galilean did not open his eyes Sozom. l 5. c. 4. The old man answered he thanked God he wanted eyes to see so wicked a person It is certain no men are better subjects in any time or under any State than such plain dealing Preachers although oft times none are lesse esteemed by such men who had rather enjoy the fruit of their sins with peace than hear of them to repentance But Ministers who are Gods Heralds must not consider what voice pleaseth those to whom they are sent but what he commands that sends them It were better that hundreds of them were sequestred plundered imprisoned banished or burnt at Stakes in Smithfield Vitámque impendere vero Nec propter vitam vivendi perdere causam Juv. Nihil turpius sanctis parasitiÌ„s after the example of many holy Martyrs than that their votes and suffrages as more sollemn parasites should ever flatter men either great or many in their sins or * Isai 5.20 call evill good and good evill or speak good of that and blesse those whom they think * Psal 10.3 God abhorreth who is as far from approving as from commanding any immorality or injustice in any agents whom he suffers to act and doe great things in the world when yet he so far approves strange events as he permits them in his unsearchable yet alwayes 〈◊〉 just wisdome which knows how to make good use of evill men aâ—d manners 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bas M. de Sp. 5. c. 21 God can make Bathsheba to be the mother of a Solomon whom he loved when yet he never allowed the sin of * 2 Sam. 12.14 David or Bathsheba in their first coming together the fruit of which the Lord destroyed It justifies as St. Austin saith Gods omnipotent goodnesse and wisdome but not mans impotent passion and folly when he brings his glory or his Churches good out of their evill Yet this just and necessary freedome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Demost which Ministers of the Church in all duty to God charity to men and fidelity to their own souls ought always as they have fit occasion to use must not amount to bitter rude importune and unseasonable reproofes not to publique raylings seditious reproaches and popular invectives against any mens persons or actions * Nobile plane ac generosum est vincendi genus alios humilitate praeoccupare ut vincamus Sal. Ep. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Is Pel. l. 4. ep 139. There must be meekenesse with zeal humility with courage modesty with freedom gravity with constancy and prudence with innocency If those that are at any time in Power doe not like or will not protect and incourage such Ministers in all such religious freedom of speaking as becomes the Word of God if they presently make those offenders for a word and looke on them Isai 29.21 as enemies of their power who only tell them and all men of those sins which the Scripture reproves equally in all men and God will mightily punish in the mighty If they resolve to destroy all those Preachers which are loth they should be damned Impatientiam reperhensionis sequitur peccandi impudentia unde impoenitentia desperatio damnatio Ber. Truly such men deserve to have no Ministers but those that are not worth the having Teachers after their own hearts and not after Gods None are worthy the name of Christs Ministers who suffer Christians to sin securely others may heap up and feed on * Mellei sacharati doctores sweet Teachers for a while but they will finde them like * Rev. 10.10 St. Johns book in the belly bitter and miserable comforters in the end None are so worthy of Christian Magistrates protection as those that fear not to tell them of their sins yet in a fair way too Not in a Cynicall severity but in a Christian charity not so as to diminish their power which Temperanda est reprehensio ut non tam corrosores quam correctores videamur emendare studentes non mordere Ber. Ep. 78. Veritas dulcis est amara quando dulcis pascit quando amara curat medicamen animo pabulum Aust Ep. 210. is Gods more than mans but vindicate true piety What good Christian wil not be glad of sanative wounds rather than * Prov. 27.6 Quantum â—dit peccatum tantum diliget fratrem quem sentit peccati sui hostem Aust Ep. 87. Ioh. 18.37 For this end came I into the world that I should bear witnesse to the truth Sapienti grata sunt vulnere senantia Ieron poysonous kisses to hear of those faults in a fair way which he hath cause to be sorry that ever he committed and of which he must repent even to a restitution of injuries or at least an agnition if ever he have pardon True Ministers are to consider not what will please poore sinfull mortals but what will profit mens soules not what may seeme good to them but what will doe them good and however they may not transgresse the laws of honour and civility by a rudenesse of Religion yet they must take that * Ezek. 2.5 liberty of speaking which the word of God allowes and conscience requires whether men will hear or forbear 6. Ministers quiet subjection merits protection If then Christian Religion be not in England grown a meere fable as the Ministers of it are too many become a reproach and a by-word a burden and a song If modern-policies hath not quite eat up all that piety which was sometime professed in privater and obscurer stations If Mammon hath not justled God out of the throne of great and strong mens hearts If Belial have not deposed Christ If the enjoyment or catching at the shadowes of temporall power and possessions have not made men foolishly let goe the care to get and to hold fast eternall life If Arms have
not beaten away the graces of Gods Spirit and fighting against Christians have not taught them to fight against God and the checks of conscience If the shedding of mans bloud have not taken away the sense and virtue of Christs bloud If the noise of warre and the cry of the slain have not deafned mens ears against the voice of God and the cals of his Spirit If the dreadfull and lamentable aspect of poore Christians supplicating in vain for life and dying with horrour and anguish at the feet and before the eyes of their brethren have not taken away the fight of charity and deprived men of the light of Gods countenance in love and mercy If there be any tendernesse of conscience any sense of sin any fear of God any terrours from above from beneath or from within if any belief of the judgment to come and accounts to be given if any thoughts of and ambitions for a better Kingdome than the earth can afford Nemo potest veracitere esse amicus hominis nisi qui fuerit primitus veritatis Aust Ep. 52. Charitas pie saevire humiliter indignari patienter irasci novit Ber. Ep. 2. No men will be more acceptable even to the greatest than those Ministers who know at once how to speak the truth and yet to keep within the bounds both of Charity and civility Nor doth it follow as the sophistry of some Sycophants would urge against true Ministers that those will be most active to destroy or disturb the powers of this world who are most faithfull to keep potentates soules from damning in the world to come In these Christian bounds then of peaceable subjection humility and holinesse if the Ministers of England which are able discreet and faithfull might but obtain so much declared favour and publique countenance which all other fraternities and professions have as to be sure to enjoy their callings liberties and properties which seem to be many times in great uncertainties under the obedience and protection of the laws as it would much incourage them in their holy labours which alwayes finde carnall opposition enough in mens hearts and discouragement from their manners so it would redeem them from those menaces insolencies and oppressions of unreasonable men who look upon them as publique enemies and perdue because they thinke they have little of publique favour and incouragement Ministers are so much men that kind and Christian usage will no doubt much win upon them The Sun-shine of favour is likelyer to make the morosest of them lay off that coat of rigour and austerity which some perhaps affects to wear than that rough storm and winde wherewith they are dayly threatned and by which many of them have been and are still distressed which makes them wrap themselves up as Elias in his hairy mantle when they think their lives and liberties and livelihoods are sought after and no such protection like to continue over them as they thought in a Christian State and Church they might have both obtained and deserved by their quiet and usefull conversation As just protection invites inferiors to due subjection so no men pay it more willingly than they who besides the iron chains of fear have the softer cords of lovâ— and favour upon them By how much after many violent stormes and hard impressions they are more tenderly used the more is respect gained and peaceable inclinations raised in men toward such as will needs govern them The very best of whom are seldome so mortified or heightned by Religion as to forget they are men or to be without their passions discontents and murmurings joined with desires and endeavours to ease and relieve themselves At least to change their condition if they finde it Tyrannique and Egyptian that is unreasonable arbitrary injurious and oppressive quite contrary to what is pretended of honest and just liberties both Christian and humane civill and conscientious which are for every one to enjoy as his private judgement of things so what ever is his priviledge and property by Law while he keeps within the practique obedience and compasse of the Law whereto Governours as well as governed are bound not onely in piety but also in policy Both tyranny and rebellion are their owne greatest Traitors Magistrates seldome losing or hazarding their power nor subjects their peace but when they wander out of the plain highway of Laws Non diu stare potest potentia quae multorum malo exercetuâ— Sen. de Ira. which are the conservatories both of Governours and governed It is the least degree of justice and short enough of any high favour to permit and protect worthy Ministers with all other honest and peaceable men as in doing their duties so in receiving their dues Yet this is as great a measure as in these times they dare either ask or hope for Immunities from any burthens that lye heavy on them Additions of honour or augmentations of estate I think all wise Ministers despair of Peace with a little as to this world would be a great meanes both to compose their studies and to strengthen their hands in the work of God Also to quench that fire with which many mens tongues are inflamed against Ministers their calling persons and their maintenance thinking they may both safely and acceptably despise those whom power delights not to honour For whose ruine the malice of some Antiministerian spirits wisheth as many gallowses and gibbets set up as there are Pulpits Dan. 3.18 But the Lord is able to deliver us if not yet be it known to these violent and unreasonable men Hoc posteris dicite Hominem Christo deditum posse mori non posse superaâ—i Ieron Psal 68.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dictum juvenis inter tormenta cum totum vulnus erat fornam hominis at non fidei amiserat Euseb hist l. 5. c. 1. that no learned judicious and consciencious Ministers will bow down to worship that papall or popular Image of Anarchy and confusion which they seek to set up as to the shame and ruine of this and all Reformed Churches so infinitely to the detriment and dishonour of this Nation as to its common welfare in peace plenty or power in good learning or true Religion And however we are forced for some time to lye among the pots yet shall we be as the wings of a dove nor shall we want an Ark whither to fly at last where a gracious hand will receive us to eternall rest when we shall retire to heaven wearied with the troubles on earth and finding no rest for our souls amidst those overflowing scourges which the just and offended God will certainly bring upon all such evill and unthankfull men who love their power or profit more than their soules and glory in despising those who professe to be Noahs the Preachers onely of righteousnesse and of repentance but no way the pragmatick plotters of troubles or seditious movers of civill perturbations I Have now O you