the Lord would pardon that the Law would punish and that all good Christians and Loyall Subjects would complain of this rotten and totering faction 2. COMFORT Let our hearts be towards the governours of our Israel Vse 2 that offered and doe offer themselves willingly among the people Judg. 5. v. 9. blesse ye the Lord. i.e. Let us blesse the God of Spirits for raising the spirits of all such as have put forth their hands to this plow yea let us honour and cherish them as precious and publike spirits Brethren it is said of good in generall Quo communius eô melius by how much the more common by so much the better and therfore a publike is the best of spirits for it is a common one Yea such a soule me thinks comes neare unto the nature of Angels For are they not all ministring spirits Heb 1. v. 14. sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of Salvation So publike spirits are like them or like the Sun and Starrs those heavenly worlds of light which doe travell chiefly for the use and benefit of others And therefore to such persons themselves let me say Great shall be your reward in Heaven Mat. 5. v. 1â— In earth perhaps you may sometimes meet with cold comforts and bad requitals but in Heaven doubtlesse your publike spirits shall procure unto you eminent places of glory as our Saviour promised to his Disciples for their self-denyall and activity Mat. 19. v. 28. yee also shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel Two Objections commonly there are with which the men of the world and our owne timerous infirmities doe hit such men in the teeth Perill and Poverty I shall present you with an incouragement and preservative against both Consider but the Lords Protection and Providence over all such publike and active spirits and for both these in one example look seriously upon Elijah That he was a man very famous for his publike active spirit no man that beleeves Scripture can deny it or if one should 1 King 17.18 19 c. ver 1. ver 3. 9. ver 42. Cap. 19. v. 3. yet the whole History of his life would invincibly prove it In which observe briefly 1. His Travels From Tishbe to Samaria from Samaria to the river Cherith from Cherith to Sarephath from Sarephath to Mount Carmell from Mount Carmell he runneth like a page to Jezreel from Iezreel to Beersheba thence a daies journy into the wildernesse hence to Horeb and from Horeb who knows whither For he is sent to annoynt Hazael Iehu and Elisha It even tires our eyes to trace him in the History In short if I may beleeve my Geographer all the travels of this active Prophet were one thousand thirty and three Dutch miles and of our English foure times as many above foure thousand in all 2. Besides his travels all on foot for I reade not that he did â—ide Note his couragious and adventurous actions He had an Ahab and a Jezebel and about eight hundred false Prophets to deale withal and yet observe how wonderfully the Lord preserveth him both from Perill and Poverty 1. From Perill I mean of death his preservation was manifold King Ahab did hunt for him over all the world thereabouts 1 King 18.10 As the Lord liveth saith Obadiah there is no Nation nor Kingdome whether my Lord hath not sent to seeke thee and when they said he is not there he tooke an oath of the Kingdome c. but yet the Lord hid him that while and in the Kingsowne Dominions afterwards he doth appeare and hath but a cold welcome from Ahab ver 17. Art thou he that troubleth Israel But the Prophet doth not abate him an ace as wee say and yet comes he off in the end of that Chapter with the death of eight hundred and fifty false Prophets Againe besides Ahab he had a Jezebel also to cope withall 1 Kin. 19.2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah saying so let the gods doe to me and more also if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time She was a Queen and she vowed his death but yet she proves both too weake and forsworne at last yea her threatning is the intelligence that preserveth the Prophet In a word this active man of God lived to see Ahab slaine by the Syrians the prophets of Baal and of the groves rooted out and at last was so farre from dying a violent death that he never properly dyed at all but was translated to Heaven alive in a fiery Chariot and after his translation 2 King 2. 2 Kin. 9.10 both Iehoram the sonne of Ahab with his whole posterity were cut off and Jezebel was eaten of Doggs Feare not therefore ô all ye holy and loyall active spirits whither Magistrates Gen. 15.1 Ministers or private Christians the Lord himselfe is your buckler and your exceeding great reward and in his might one aealous Elijah is an over-match for eight hundred Baalites speake therefore and doe valiantly not fearing the faces of men Ob. But they may mistake or wrest my words An. Brethren suppose there were now an hundred Bandites with in these wals every one with his paper or table-booke yea and that they stood behind the pillars out of sight as that catch-pole Clearke in the Acts and Monnments that tooke notes behinde the Hangings Suppose all this and much more danger yet the Lord can 1. Change their hearts even in that act and catch those catchers as the Father was caught 2. At least he can dash their Notes and confound their languages 3. Yea and take them off in their owne play as Baals prophets were twice taken off by Elijah and by Iehus 1 Kin. 18.4 2 Kin. 10.25 Indeed if any man could prove unto me that Satan and his instruments were too wise or too hard for God then I should conceive that there were cause for your holy publike active spirits to be in feare but so long as we know the quite contrary to be expresse Scripture be we valiant and venturous for the truth The Lord hath said it the Lord he hath said it 1 Cor. 10.25 The foolishnesse of God is wiser than men and the weakenesse of God is stronger then men Thus the Lord was Elijahs buckler and kept him from danger 2. And from want and Poverty too did God preserve him 3. Obiect When we prosse men to be of publike and active spirits this is another grand Objection ò 't is the way to be undone Sol. But marke farther God was also Elijahs great reward at least hee was a competent maintenance still unto him How likely was he to have starved at the brooke Châ—rith There he had drinke indeed water but no meate therefore the devouring Ravens shall feed him morning and evening 1 Kin. 17.3 ver 4 6. But now that he hath recovered meat loâ—
and that more wayes then one for by this meanes 1. They doe become more bold and audacious in their evills according to that of the Preacher Eccles 8. v. 11. Because sentence against an evill worke is not executed speedily I may put in thorowly therefore the heart of the sonnes of men is fully set in them to doe evill or at least the enemies doe hereby grow more subtill and cautious if not more impudent As a I ox that hath once broken the snare or ginne it will cost you double art paynes and patience to get him upon that advantage againe So if once the Enemies can escape such a scowring they will worke more wisely ever afterward and tenne to one if ere you take them so fairely upon the hyp in future times 2. But chiefely such short sparring as we say doth make the Enemies more fierce cruell and malicious against all the Reforming party for ever afterward When Moses and Aaron did attempt and begin the Redemption and Deliverance of Israel out of Aegypt and that they had made but an entrance upon the worke Exo. 5. v. 1. 3 they had but broken the ice with Pharaoh concerning letting the people goe Lo then for a time it is farre worse with the poore Hebrewes then ever before for the tale of their brick is doubled straw is denyed them and insteed thereof stripes are layed upon them Suppose now that those two great Deliverers Moses and Aaron had left the worke in this plight had they not bin rather enemies then friends to Israel in so doing But once more Suppose that the Aegyptians had recovered the Israelites back againe Exod. 14. when they pursued them to the red-Sea Oh then what triple tusks of bricks with Scorpions instead of rodds would they have layed upon them To illustrate this poynt a little more cleerely Suppose a hunter or Woodman in shooting of a Stagg or Wilde-Boare doth not strike it dead in the place but onely wounds it is not then the shooter himselfe in as much danger as the game is it not time for him presently to fly for his owne life for feare least the bleeding beast doth fall upon him Or once more Suppose that a Priest or Levite of old when he had a Bull or Bullock tyed to the hornes of the Altar suppose I say that he had given it such a faint blow upon the head as might onely have amazed the furious beast and caused him to breake the cordes had it not then bin high time for the man to looke to himselfe for feare least the Sacrifice should have offered up the Priest We know that the Philistines brought downe Sampson very low Judg. 16. ver 19. ver 21. for they did shave off the locks of his head and with them his strength they did put out his Eyes and bound him with fetters of brasse and he did grinde in the prison house A man would have thought that this enemy of theirs had bin sufficiently disabled from hurting them for ever after but the case was otherwise ver 22. for in time the haire of his head began to grow againe and at last when they made but a play-game of him ver 25. ver 28. ver â—0 he was at once avenged of them for his two eyes Yea he pulled downe that house-full of the Philistines at one plucke so that the dead which he slew at his death were more then they which he slew in his life Therefore there is no good trusting of shaven blind bound and imprisoned Sampsons their haire may grow againe and then woe to the other side if ever they recover hold fast in the pillars of the house In short whosoever doeth not strike home in cases of great Reformations and publike acts of Justice he doth but irritate the enemy to the extreme perill of himselfe I doe here remember that speech of Goliah unto David and may well allude unto it Chuse you out a man for you saith he and let him come downe to me if he be able to fight with me and to kill me 1 Sam. 17.8 9. then will we be your servants but if I prevaile against him then shall ye be our servants and serve us The like words me thinks I heare founding from the mouth of every grand-delinquent and from each mighty Anti-Reformist amongst us at this time If the Reformers be now able to match and vanquish us then we must be servants for ever but if our party can at this time prevaile kill and conquer them then all is ours and they shall be our perpetuall servants and serve us And hence I suppose doe spring all those divellish Treasons and hellish Machinations of the Adversaries in all the three Kingdomes ever since the beginning of this Parliament Irish Scottish and English Rebellions Treasons and Conspirasies The enemies are busie like their father the Divell because their time is short Now or never therefore let the holy and loyall side bestirre themselves too even in their owne defence And to set on this point yet more closely we may allude in this case unto that speech of our Saviour concerning the re-entry of the uncleane spirit Mat. 12. v. 43. When the uncleane spirit is gone out of a man he walketh thorough dry places ver 44. seeking rest and finding none then he saith I will returne into my house from whence I came out and when he is come ver 45. he findeth it empty swept and garnished Then goeth he and taketh with himselfe seven other spirits more wicked then himselfe and they enter in and dwell there and the last state of that man is worse then the first The States Ecclesiasticall and Civill in this Kingdome were not long since pestered and in part possessed with divers bad members which were unto us like so many uncleane spirits some of these have bin lately dispossessed I meane by flight imprisonment death so that at present we doe walke through dry places that is in better wayes seeking rest and a thorow Reformation but if now we finde none then then let us be sure that those Cacodemons evill spirits may returne againe and take with themselves many other spirits more wicked then themselves and if possible enter in and dwell here and the last state of this Nation shall then be worse then the first The Lord grant that it be not even so unto this Generation In briefe my Brethren let me speake it as effectually as I doe now faithfully say it The Blessed Reformers and their Adherents doe at this time as they say hold a Wolfe by the eares By the Wolfe I doe understand all Papists and Delinquents if they chance to let goe this ravenous beast he may turne againe and all to rent them if they hold it there for longer time this also may be perilous A third way yet remaineth and that is to be sure and swift 5. Finally Such short-shooting may much redound or at least be objected
not to war with Counsell for then we should have raged in cold bloud and upon mature deliberation But we have now escaped both these and all the war is concluded in a Parliamentary peace Brethren Exod. 14. v. 13. here let us stand still awhile and see the salvation of God let us even loose our selves in an unparallel'd wonder Call to mind all your readings in Scripture in Civill Histories new and old Greeke Latine English were all these particulars ever read or heard to concurre in one businesse since the day that God created man upon the earth I say all these particulars First that ever any Nation living in the same continent under the same Monarch and Religion with a Sister Nation was by that Sister I meane generally and publiquely preached against prayed against proclaimed disclaimed exclaimed against throughout all their Churches And that Secondly this Sister Nation was with an Army in the field skirmished withall even to bloud-shed in the bowels of her Sister Kingdome And yet Thirdly now marke the wonder that this people so called and used as traitors should anon bestiled and enacted Our Brethren by a Parliament and that their faithfulnesse and constant loyalty should be commanded by the King and supreame Court of the Kingdome to be proclaimed in the same places and by the same men which before proclaimed them the worst of enemies and all this shut up in a day of publicke thanksgiving 4. Nay and to make the wonder overflow in a word the greatest sticklers in this Commotion those which like Zedekiah the sonne of Chenaanah 1 King 22.11 did make themselves hornes to push most at these supposed Syrians they are caught by their owne hornes Gen. 22. v. 13. like Abrahams ramme in the thicket and are now like to be sacrificed in stead of Isaack I meane in in stead of the innocent party Let me conclude this wonder with those words of the Prophet Isaiah Isa 64. v 3. taken in our sence When thou didst terrible things O Lord which we looked not for thou camest downe the mountaines flowed downe at thy presence ver 4. For since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the eare neither hath the eye seen a God besides thee which doth so for him that waiteth for him And was not this a great Removall But I am too narrow all this while in staying so long upon one though a great particular There are many many many evils removed from us Brethren I have thought with my selfe in this point upon the plagues of Egypt they were exceeding great you know and very many but what if we can paralell them all in both respects in those evils which are already in whole or in a great part removed from us Give me leave to enter upon a Collation or Comparison many of them I am sure doe fall in properly My method in every particular of the Collation shall be this 1. To set downe the Egyptian Plague 2. The English Paralel 3. The Parliamentary Removall But before hand take this my just Apology concerning this Collation In the following enumeration of Grievances and in all other like passages of these Treatises mine onely end and purpose is to magnifie the Lords mercy our Soveraignes goodnesse and the Parliaments noble service in freeing the Kingdome from these evils The fault and guilt doth rost wholly upon the Proiectors Procurers and Executioners and that offence is so much the more hainous in them because they have misinformed so gracious a Soveraigne and have abused those grants to the oppression of the Subiects which his Maiesty did vouchsafe under the notion of publicke benefits and did apprehend as commodities to his people and therefore I conclude mine Apology with some of those words of King Solomon to Shimei 1 King 2 cap. v. 44 45. Therefore the Lord shall returne their wickednesse upon their owne heads and King Charles shall be blessed and the Throne of his Father shall be established before the Lord for ever And in this sence I proceed to the Paralell 1. The first plague in Egypt was the turning of their waters into bloud Aaron did lift up his red and smote the waters that were in the river in the sight of Pharaoh Exod. 7. v. 20. and in the sight of his servants and all the waters that were in the river were turned into bloud And the fish that was in the river died ver 22. and the river stuncke and the Aegyptians could not drinke of the water of the river and there was blood throughout all the Land of Aegypt Now what are the waters of a Kingdome Quest I find in Scripture two sorts of them which are eminent Answ 1. Eze 47. v. 1.2 c. There are the waters of the Sanctuary which are the Ministry and preaching of the word these are the Ecclesiasticall waters And alas how were those turned into blood throughout the Land Instead of cleansing which is one use of waters they did defile and pollute For Popery Arminianisme Antisabbatarianisme c. they were the rising Doctrines generally vented in your golden Pulpits And instead of refreshing and quickning too for that 's another use of waters they did in many places grieve the hearts of the righteous How common a practice was it to preach downe preaching and to jostle out praying with prayers When poore soules asked or came to the Church for bread Mat. 7. v. 9. lo a stone was given unto them nay cast at their heads if they asked for fish ver 10. the waters were turned into blood the fish was dead and instead thereof too many Ministers gave them a Scorpion like unnaturall spirituall parents as they were Thus were the spirituall waters turned 2. There are Civill waters of Judgement in a Kingdome too Amos 5. v. 24. Let iudgement runne downe as waters and righteousnesse as a mighty streame Amos 6. v. 12. But alas againe how were these also turned into gall and hemlock yea into blood in diverse cases and places the potion it selfe became a poyson unto many for those very waters of our Lawes which were enacted to purge away the wicked like drosse and to refresh and releeve all loyall subjects these streames like Jordan were driven backward Psal 114. v. 3. upon the free holy loyall spirits of the Kingdome and our owne Ordinances were turned upon us This was ours Paralell to the first of Aegypts Plagues 3. But now behold the Removeall of this already in some comfortable measure Pure doctrine is againe let loose yea truth insteed of falling in the streets now lifteth up her voyce in the places of concourse and equity can also enter Unsound doctrines are suspended and extra-judiciall opinions are now judged themselves Reddita Roma sibi est England doth once more at present enjoy her English protestanisme and priviledges The second Aegyptian plague was the Frogs And the Lord spake unto Moses say unto
looke upon the names of the Commissioners of both sides so often me thinks there commeth into my minde the transaction and transactors of that businesse betwixt the Israelites Josh 22.10 11 12 c. and those other two tribes and halfe beyond Jordan it was concerning an Altar of Testimony which these latter had builded Great danger there was at first of a bloudy Religious-civill warre but afterwards by the prudence of the Commissioners on both sides they rightly understanding each others meaning all is concluded in a firmer peace then before the bone is stronger after setting then it was before the dislocation and the Altar is called Ed. a witnesse Some thinks we may write the word Ed. a witnesse upon every ensigne gunne speare and sword that hath bin lifted up on either side in those late Northerne expeditions and each weapon may be kept as a testimony of the Lords mercy our Soveraigns goodnesse the Parliaments wisdome and the Commissioners noble service on both sides Secondly There is the Act it selfe all the Demands Desires Articles with their severall Grants Answers and Conclusions Prov. 25. v. 11. like apples of gold in studds of silver and all this is closed and crowned Psal 46. v. 8. with a day of publique thankesgiving Let us adde those words of the Psalmist Come behold the works of the Lord what desolations he hath made in the earth In other Kingdomes desolations ver 9. but in ours He maketh warres to cease he breaketh the bow and cutteth the speare in sunder ver 11. he burneth the Chariot in the fire The Lord of hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our refuge Selah Thirdly There is the Act of Oblivion a dramme of Lethe to close up all that so all Acts and Monuments of hostility may be buried in everlasting forgetfullnesse 2. Addition or messe of Deliverance already served in unto us is that Declaration of the Commons in Parliament last September containing these foure heads 1. For removing the Communion table taking away the Railes levelling of Chancells c. 2. For abolishing of Crucifixes Scandalous pictures of Persons of the Trinity Images of the Virgin taking away of Tapers Candlestickes Basons c. 3. Against Corporall bowing both at the name Jesus and towards the East 4. For Sanctification of the Sabbath c. I am forced by the generall neglect and contempt of this Declaration to make it my next Addition though it be in time one of the last I have but two things breefely to shew in this poynt 1. Gods great goodnesse to us in granting such an Order 2. Our vile and base unthankfulnesse shewed to him in the entertainement thereof First this Declaration was a great mercy for some of the things there to be removed were a part of our late Innovations they have bin some of the rocks and sands which have wracked multitudes of our conscientious and powerfull Ministers In short are they not at least some of them maine grounds of Papists hopes and other Protestants despaires touching communion with us and yet lo now by this Declaration a price is put into our hands to remove this rocke and to take away these sands to cause other reformed Churches to hope and the Romish to despaire of our returne towards them and is not this a precious advantage a wonderfull favour especially if we consider how strongly those superfluities of our Religion were back'd of late Why they were the rising Ceremonies the very roade to preferment from some he that could but fill his hands yea his Church with these was by them made a Priest of the High places and now to have such things abolished and downed by Authority from Parliament yea to have but free permission from all the Commonalty of the Kingdome to doe it I say 't is a thing which for a while since was incredible 2. But now how is this golden opportunity improved Brethren it doth even sicken my body and sadden my spirit to observe how dully nay how contemptuously this mercy of God and goodnesse of that Honourable House is entertained amongst us amongst us I say againe Some godly forward Parishes indeed there are in this place but I speake onely of the guilty Hath the Lord placed this City in the midst of our County as a Beacon upon an hill yea as the Center heart and head of the West and shall this beacon not blaze by it's example in every part when there is holy loyall refining fire put into it by so great Authority nay shall this heart and head of the West in great part convay nothing but dullnesse and drowsinesse to that whole body In a word are we the Redeemed people the Mayden City faithfull for ever to our King and doe many of us now thus requite the Lord that preserved us Are or can they be thus unthankefull to the King of Kings in this great trust and service Oh let all whom this concernes immediately and all others who may have any hand in it more remotely let them all take home these words of a grieved Minister with shame and sorrow yea let them goe home and sinne no longer But you will say you must first answer our doubts and Objections before you presse thus vehemently upon our consciences and affections and these our Objections are many 1. Obiect 1 Is touching the Authority of this Declaration it came not say they from both Houses and therefore is no constrayning Law I answer severally to both parts of the Obiection First Answ 1 Suppose that it came not from both Houses yet 1. Ye need not doubt but that there is Authority in it sufficient to beare out every man in the exact execution of that Order against any one that shall oppose him and the truth of this Answer I beleeve the vilest caviller durst not to question 2. The House of Commons which some doe ignorantly or basely nick-name the Lower-House they are our selves we in them in this sence and they in us so that we may say touching this self-nesse as the Tribe of Judah said to David they are as it were neere of kinne to us I meane that as our Votes were in their Elections so 't is fit that our Wills should be bound up in their Injunctions and Declarations 3. And where is he that durst to sow a jealous or evill surmise of disagreement betwixt the two Houses of Parliament concerning their Injunctions To that other clause Answ 2 that denyeth this Declaration to have any Constraining power I answer First And is it come to that now that we doe need force and constraint to make us reforme things amisse I had thought for a yeere agoe that bare permission and liberty to remove such things as these would have beene a sufficient inducement unto us all Little little did I then dreame that Protestants would have needed compulsion to such a reforming worke as this 2. But however know this ye that slight this Declaration as an
after a while his drink faileth him ver 7. ver 9 10. And it came to passe after a while that the brooke dryed up c. Now the Lord provideth him another Hostesse at Zarephath and she is as unlikely a Cater as the former ver 11 12 13. for she had but an handfull of meale in a barrell and a little oyle in a Cruse Yet see rather then this precious realous v. 13 14 15 16. publike spirit shall want a miracle shall be wrought The barrell of meale shall not waste neither shall the cruse of oyle faile c. So provident is the Lord for such persons Ob. But now miracles do cease An. Yet the same providence doth still continue and wonders are wrought for such persons to this day doe we not see it Ps 105. v 17. ver 18. Have not some such active spirits of late bin like Ioseph as it were sold for servants and exiles Whose seet they hurt with fetters they were laid in irons But what 's the issue May we not goe on ver 19. Vntill the time came that their cause was known the Word of the Lord tried them ver 20. The King sent and delivered them the Peeres and the people let them goe free And hath the Lord done thus in our times already Then let all holy loyall active publike spirits know this that hee is still the same and his yeares doe not faile What need wee any more examples Psa 37 28. I conclude this Consolation with those words of the Psalme The Lord loveth iudgement and forsaketh not his Saints they are preserved for ever 3. Vse 3 EXHORTATION The third Generall Exhortation last and greatest Vse is a vehement Exhortation which must be divided into two parts the first Generall the last Particular 1. Generall Let all reall Christians and loyall Subjects bestirre themselves to the uttermost now or never to imitate these Israelites in my Text and Chapter 1. In the Chapter as before there is Ioshua and the chosen men being lawfully thereunto called fighting with idolatrous and implacable Amalek in the vally ver 9. 2. In the Text and bordering verses Moses ver 10 11 12. Aaron and Hur clime up to the top of the hill to pray and to encourage the rest Thus every one doth further the great publike worke either by himselfe or by others either immediately and directly or remotely and by consequence and so let us all set our selves against Amalek By Amalek I mean all spirituall and politike all forraigne and domestike all open and secret enemies of our God our Religion our King Kingdome Lawes and Reformation Loe here in my Text are both old and young high and low no age therfore no condition that is able may be exempted Exo. 7. v. 7. Exo. 33.11 For Moses Aaron and Hur they were aged men Moses was fourescore yeers old and Aaron fourescore and three when they spake unto Pharaoh Ioshua he was a young man Againe Moses was chiefe Magistrate Aaron the High-Priest there are both Nobles and Clergy and Hur with Ioshuah and his souldiers 1 Chro 2. â—0 may not unfitly represent the Commons the Army the Artificers and all For Hur was grandfather unto that famous Bezaleel Thus all estates and ages are representatively present and all present are active learne wee therfore this heart-lesson from the Text. Quest But how and what may we doe to be active and to hold up our hands to purpose against Amalek Answ In this generall part of mine Exhortation I shall prescribe some generall lessons meanes or directions to be observed If we would further the great work against Amalek then 1. Meanes 1 Looke we backe with shame and sorrow upon our former cowardize and pollutions Brethren these Ecclesiasticall and Civill Amalekits the popish and tyranicall faction have a long time bin unto the best of us but as those ensnaring Midianites to Israel While Israel abode in Shittim Num. 25.1 2 3 the people began to commit wheredome with the daughters of Moab which called the people unto the Sacrifice of their gods and the people are and bowed downe to their gods And Israel coupled himselfe unto Baal-Peor wherefore the wrath of the Lord was kindled against Israel And thereupon command is given ver 17 18. to vex the Midianites and smite them for saith Moses they trouble you with their wiles wherewith they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor and in the matter of Cozbi c. We have eaten too much of their broth and have had our fingers many of us too deepe in the pye as they say by our connivance silence cowardize c. I speake this both to Ministers and people They have vexed us with their wiles wherewith they have beguiled us in the matter of 1. Of the Sabbath by their Antisabbatarian doctrines and commands and we have many of us yeelded too farre unto them both within booke and without It was the fashion you know of late to dismoralize the fourth Commandement that holy just and good law so strongly centered in the very heart of the Decalogue and so providently fenced and marked in the fore-head with a Memento Remember that law hath bin of late repealed by wicked men and then Antisabbaturianisme was become a stirrop to preferment But alas alas here lyes our shame and sorrow we have basely as it were held that stirrop to those men as that Emperour did to the proud Pope whilst they have mounted themselves into the saddle of prophanenesse Oh that ever the sincere and powerfull Ministers of the Gospell Gal. 2.11 12 13 14. should so farre be led away with the error of the ungodly that ever like Peter James and Barnabas they should walke with a limping or crooked foote and destroy againe the things which they had builded Well Brethren let us 1. Sit downe and pick these thornes out of our consciences Râ—v 16.15 2. Let us henceforth watch better and keepe our garments lest we walke naked and men see our shame 3. Let every one that hath bin thus seduced by feare or flattery let him Sampson like now revenge himselfe in an holy and loyall way upon those Midianitish-Amalekitish-Philistines for his eyes which they have put out let him put up one fervent prayer the more daily against them Let him presse if a Minister one Text one Sermon one â—â—se at least the more towards a pure and thorow reformation And as the Romane history faith of that Empresse when her husband Domitian was slaine she dealt one blow amongst the rest and said take that for the death of my Paris she spake and did that most unlawfully but let us as we may in a most loyall and Christian way give one stabbing prayer protestation exhortation the more against the wickednesse of such ungodly mâ—n and say lo that for your Antisabbatarianisme take this for the fourth Commandement Brethren this is the way to draw good out