be placed upon the border of their Vestments The Form of it and the Orders of God for it is written in the 4 last ver of the foregoing chap. the words are these And the Lord Spake unto Moses saying Speak unto the Children of Israel and bid them that they make them Fringes in the Borders of their Garments throughout their Generations and that they put upon the Fringe of the Borders a Ribband of blue And it shall be unto â—ou for a Fringe that ye may look upon it and remâ—mber all the Commandments of the Lord and do them And that ye seek not after your own Heart and your own Eyes after which you use to go a Whoring That ye may remember and do all my Commandments and be Holy unto your God I am the Lord your God which brought you out of the Land of Egypt to be your God I am the Lord your God Which Command was no sooner delivered by Moses but presently Corah and his Confederates stood up and told him to his Face That he took too much upon him to order them what to do These things have at last brought me through a Wilderness of troubled thoughts home to my Text which contains four parts 1. A Message from God to Israel by Moses and Aaron ver 23. 24. 2. The Message it self which was both short and smart and we may observe that as these Mens Remonstrance was short and bitter so Gods Answer to it in this Message is shorter and smarter Get you up from about the Tabernacle of Corah Dathan and Abiram 3. Moses the Messenger's Expedition to deliver it And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan and Abiram He that had an Ear always ready to hear had an Heart always ready to obey Iâ— God bid Moses rise he is ready to go if God bids him go he runs so the Psalmist I made hast and prolonged not the time to keep thy Commandments Psal 119. 60. And again I will run the way of thy Commandments when thou hast set my Heart at Liberty ver 32. 4. Moses's Love to and care for the rest whom he thought not past recovery delivering his Message to them in such a frame of Spirit as he thought most likely to prevail with them if any thing would in begging and intreating them Depart I pray you from the Tents of these wicked Men and touch nothing of theirs least ye be Consumed in all their Sins Now from these parts of the Text and from what hath been spoken as previous to it I shall deliver these six Propositions or Points of Doctrine 1. That it is dangerous and unsafe for Christians to Congregate themselves with such a People tho' never so full of Knowledge and seeming Holyness that do deny Conformity to such Laws and Ordinances as God hath delivered to them by the Hands of faithfull Governors 2. That God will reject and disown the Knowledge and Holiness of such a People 3. That the Sin of such Nonconformity doth exceedingly provoke the Lord to Anger and stir up the Fire of his Jealousie 4. That a People under such Delusions may think themselves Holy and Righteous and at the same time be most sinful and wicked 5. That it is no new thing for a Spirit of damnable Delusions to shelter it self under the Cloak and Masque of extraordinary Holiness 6. That it is the Part and Duty of all the Servants of God in their several and respective Places and Callings to use all Lawfull means and endeavours to stop the further breaking forth of such horrible Delusions and Destructive Principles Having delivered these six Propositions I shall return to prosecute the first Which whilst I am doing I humbly pray you to hear me without Prejudice for the Lord who knoweth the Secrets of all Hearts knows that I have none against the Persons of any of the Sons of Men for I Believe that Christ dy'd as well for them as for my self and therefore I cannot hate them And the Method I shall Observe will be this 1. I offer to your Consideration the Reasons why I Judge it dangerous and unsafe to Congregate with such a People 2. I shall give you a Prospect of the preposterous and unlucky Dispositions of these Mens Spirits under this new discovery of theirs Scisme I may call it 3. Give you a Taste of the harsh bitter and lamentable Effects which this new Doctrin of theirs brought forth in the Common-Wealth of Israel which when we have weighed in the Ballance of the Sanctuary we shall easily be perswaded to believe Solomon That there is no new Thing under the Sun 4. Shew you how the Just Holy and Righteous God took this Disturbance of the Church's Peace at their Hands and what a kind of Savour the Smoak of these Mens Incense did send up to Heaven 6. And Lastly Consider what the more then probable drift and design of these Men might be which they intended to carry on under this false â—eligious Cloak and I beseech you Christians that you will mark me warily whilest â—lav down my Reasons for Proof of my first Assertion that so ye may neither misaprehend me here nor misreport me abroad to my Prejudice aud Scandal of others The first Reason why it is dangerous so to Congregate is Reason 1. Because every particular Christian hath not the special Gift of the Holy-Ghost to discern Spirits Every Man and Woman in any true measure Professing Christ may have so much Knowledge and be so far enlightened as to be sencible of their Misery by reason of Sin committed in the State of Nature to know what Christ hath done for them in satisfying Gods Justice and remouing the Curse of the Law and Punishment due to such Sin To believe in him for Pardon of Sin to love and delight to do his Commandments And yet not have the special Gift of the Holy-Ghost to diseern Spirits The Apostle St. Paul in the 1. Cor. 12. 4. saith That there are diversities of Gifts but the same Spirit that gives them And then at ver 8. reckons them up in order thus For to one is given by the Spirit the Word of Wisdom to another the Word of Knowledge by the same Spirit To another Faith by the same Spirit to another the Gift of Healing by the same Spirit To another the Working of Miracles by the same Spirit to another Prophecy by the same Spirit to another the Discerning of Spirits to another divers kind of Tongues To another thâ— Interpretation of Tongues And then Concludes thus But all these worketh that one and the self-same Spirit dividing to every one severally as he will Knowing then that there are many lying Spirits and many false Christs many false Prophets and deceitfull Teachers gone forth into the World who ever have and ever will by their sly Insinuations endeavour to draw away Disciples aâ—ter them and seduce the Servants of Christ to leave and forsake the plain High-way of Salvation to go into the by-paths of
Jure Divino we know our Duty to God without your Lordly teaching of us Hence it was that Moses told them ver 28. Hereby shall ye know that the Lord hath sent me to do all these Works for I have not done them of my own Mind 2. The second Article contains a Plea for their own Holiness to Justifie the Innocency of their Enterprize and to let all Israel know that their Proceedings were from Religious Principles that Religion is the Center of all that they go about to compass seeing all the Congregation are Holy they will not allow one prophane Person to be amongst them If we were a wicked and prophane People ye might have some colour 3. In the third Article they take God to witness thâ—t â—heir Intents were Just and Honest that they thought nor meant any Harm nor Evil to any one and avouch God to be the Primum Mobile of their Intents and Purposes as if they had said Be it known unto you Moses and Aaron and let all Israel take notice that what we do proceeds not from our selves we are moved of God to do it and that it is a Revelation of the Mind and Will of God the Lord is amongst us 4. The fourth Article contains a seemingly Rational Argument for the Confirmation of the former three Wherefore then mark that word Wherefore then lift ye up your selves above the Congregation of the Lord Are not we the Congregation and People of the Lord Are not we the only holy People of an holy God Have not we the presence of the Almighty God amongst us What Reason have you then to lift up your selves above us Can ye teach us better than the Lord who is in us for so one Latin Translation reads the Text Omnis multitudo Sunctorum est et in ipsis est Dominus the People are all Holy and the Lord is in them Why do ye then go about to prescribe us a way or tye us up to a Form of Worshiping God This was the substance of their Charge against their faithful Rulers Their Prolocutors were Corah a self-wil'd Levite and Dathan and Abiram two unstable Reubenites accompany'd with the Aid and Assistance of 250 Chieftains the boldest and and most confident that they could pick or chuse in the Warlike Camp of Israel Now who could presently think or immagin that under these Words we are all Holy and the Lord is amongst us there should lie so great a Sin as to provoke a Gracious and Merciful God to destroy miraculously those very People whom not many Years before he had miraculously deliver'd from Opression and Slavery Who would have thought that this outside clean Cup and Platter had been inwardly filled with Ravening and Wickedness That those white Painted Sepulchres had been full of dead Mens Bones and Rottenness Who would have imagined that these Mens Principles would have digged so many Graves for the Israelites Carcases as afterwards they did That such Confusions and Disorders would have followed the Heels of these Men professing extraordinary Holyness and Righteousness Our work then at this time will be to get the true and real Knowledge of these Mens Sin that knowing it we may the more resolvedly derest and abhor it and thence shun and avoid them And this way we must go to work even to enquire of the Oracles of God what they were in a three-fold respect 1. What they were in their Generation and Tribe 2. In their Qualifications or Parts 3. In their Estimation or Credit and that 1. With God 2. With the People 1. For their Generation or Tribe we read that they were of the two Tribes of Reuben and Levi as the first ver of the chap. plainly shews in these words Now Corah the Son of Izhar the Son of Kohah the Son of Levi and Dathan and Abiram the Sons of Eliab and On the Son of Peleth Sons of Reuben took Men. Of which two Tribes these two things are Recorded that they were Unstable and Self-will'd and by no worse a Man than their own Father And this upon his Death-bed too two infamous Blots in both their Escutcheons the Records are written in Gen. 49. the Blot upon Reubens Escutcheon at ver 3. Reuben thou art my First-born my Might and the beginning of my Strength the excellency of Dignity and the excellency of Power Unstable as Water a foul Blot in a fair Escutcheon The Blot in Levi's Escutcheon at ver 5 6. Simeon and Levi are Brethren Instruments of Cruelty are in their Habitations O my Soul come not thou into their Secret unto their Assembly mine Honor be not thou united For in their Anger they Slew a Man and in their Self-will they digged down a Wall In their Self-will there is the Blot in Levi's Escutcheon Now if we joyn the Blots in both their Escutcheons together and compare them with these Mens Words and Actions in my Text we may safely conclude the truth of that Proverb Naturae sequitur Semina quisque suae And take this for a Maxim in Divinity That Instability of Heart to walk with God in his antient ways and Self-will'dness of Spirit to prefer a private Error in Judgment before the publick Peace and welfare of the Church Is the grand Anvil upon which the Devil hath forged all his Machination of Heresy and Scisme to the Continual disturbance of the Church in all Ages of the World 2. In the next place we will consider them in their Qualifications and Endowments and this to 1. Negatively 2. Possitively 1. Negatively they were not the Ignorant sort altho Thousands of those were seduced by their Leaders nor yet of the lowest basest and meanest among them altho Thousands of these were ready to Aid and Assist them in their Enterprize nor were they openly Prophane or Debauch'd Persons altho' such had there been any such in Israel would easily have become Sticklers to these Mens Principles 2. But Possitively for their Qualifications they were Men of excellent Gifts and Parts for there were many Levites amongst them and many of good Rank and Quality Reubenites of the Tribe of Jacobs First-born and without all Peradventure Stout Men of their Hands too if need required And this is clear from what is Recorded in ver 2. And they i.e. Corah and his Confederates rose up before Moses with certain of the Children of Israel Two Hundred and Fifty Princes of the Assembly famous in the Congregation Men of Renown The Fame of these Men spread far and near throughout all Israel sparkling in the Firmament of the Church like blazing Stars talkt of in every Tent especially of these Two Tribes Thus did their Renown ring in the Ears of unsteadfast and backsliding Israel Famous and Renowned they were for what Not for any open or vissible Sin or Wickedness for the Iniquity of these Men was a Misterious Riddle to many honest Hearted Israelites Latet anguis in Herba The green Herbs of their admirable Knowledge and seeming Holiness did so
Heresie and Scisme and so undiscernibly maâ—age their Crafty Devices that the very elect choise and eminent Christians will hardly escape from being entangled with such Deceits Now then seeing that these things are certainly true it cannot but be dangerous and unsafe for the best of Christians to venture themselves into any such Congregations as have made a causeless Separation from such a Church where the the Word of God is truely taught Publick Prayer in a Form of sound Word suitable to every State and Condition of Men answerable to all their wants both for Soul and Body and all put up to God in the Name of his only Son Jesus Christ And all this Confirm'd and Establish'd by the Successive Royal Laws and Sacred Statutes Acts and Ordinances of the most Christian Kings Princes and Parliaments that ever were since the Reformation as the Church of England is in Statu quo Our Blessed Saviour hath assnred us by the words of his Sacred Lips That many will come in his Name and deceive not a few but many And the Apostle St. John saith That there are many Antichrists and exhorts them not to believe every Spirit because many false Prophets were gone forth into the World Seeing then that the number of Deceivers are many and the Deceived a Thousand times more I hold it the greatest Wisdom that can be in a Christian to take heed how he adventures into every Congregation of People least he become one of those many that Christ fiath foretold will certainly be deceived for want of this special Gift of the Holy-Ghost to discern Spirits Reason 2. A second Reason is because such Mens Principles will leave a black Brand of detestable hatred upon their very Names amongst the Generations of the People of God that shall Survive them For tho' they may prosper for a time and take their swinge for a time and run their Wildgoose chase for a time and tho' they take liberty to kindle these Fires and compas themselves about with such Sparks and tho' they walk in the Light of these Fires and Sparks of their own kindling yet this shall they have at the hand of the Lord they shall lie down in Sorrow and leave a Curse upon their Names amongst the Surviving Genâ—rations And this was verified on these very Men in my Text for when the Geneologies of the Surviving Tribes were Numbred and Recorded there lieth a Bloâ— of Disgrace upon their Names so that in plain Terms their Names stunck after they were dead The Record is to be seen in Chap. 26. of the Book of Numbers ver 7 8 9. the Words of the Record are these These are the Families of the Reubenites and they that were Numbred of them were Forty and three Thousand and seven Hundred and Thirty And the Sons of Pallu Eliab And the Sons of Eliab Nemuel and Dathan and Abiram This is that Dathan and Abiram which were Famous in the Congregaâ—tion who strove against Moses and against Aaron in that Company of Corah when they strove against the Lord. And the Earth opened her Mouth and swallowed them up together with Corah when that Company Died what time the Fire Devoured two Hundred and Fifty Men and they became a Sign Nor did their Names stink only upon Record but in the Memories and Thoughts of the Surviveing honest Hearted Israelites as appeareth by the Words of the Plea of the Daughters of Zelophehad made in open Court for Inheritance of their Fathers which Plea was also Recorded aud continueth to this Day Num. 27. ver 1 2. Ver. 1. Then came the Daughters of Zelophehad the Son of Hepher the Son of Gilead the Son of Machir the Son of Manasses the Son of Joseph And these are the Names of his Danghters Mahlah Noah and Hoglah and Milcah and Tirzah And they stood before Moses and Eliazar the Priest for Aaron was then Dead and before the Princes and all the Congregation by the Door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation saying Our Father Died in the Wilderness and he was not in the Company of them that gathered themselves together against the Lord in the Company of Corah but died in his own Sin and had no Sons 4 Why then should the Name of our Father be done away from amongst his Family because he hath no Son give unto us therefore a Possession amongst the Brethren of our Fathers 5. And Moses brought their Cause before the Lord and the Lord spake unto Moses saying 6. The Daughters of Zelophehad speak right thou shalt surely give them a Possession of an Inheritance amongst their Fathers Brethreu and thou shalt cause the Inheritance of their Father to pass unto them By the Contents of which Record it is evident that the Remembrance of these Mens Doings was Odious to Posterity more Instances we have as in Simeon and Levi Simon Magus Thudas Judas of Gallilee Nicolitans c. Reason 3. Is because the Breath of such Mens Doctrine is infectious to a sound Judgment the Sons of Men are as really snbject to Spiritual Infection as the Body is to that which is Carnal the Body is not more liable to the Infection of the Plague of Pestilence than the Judgments of the Sons and Daughters of Men are to the Plague of Spiritual Delusions And this my Assertion I ground upon Reason drawn from the Testimonies of Sacred Writ besides Woful and Daily Experience There are three Diseases amongst Men notably Infectious above others viz the Leprosie the Pestilence and the Cancer all whieh three Diseases of the Body do paralell the three grand Infectious Diseases of the Soul viz. Disobedience Heresie and Scisme The first whereof is Epidemical and hath Infected all Mankind with the Leprosie of Original Sin The second is more Secret and indiscernable falling upon sound Constitutions when they think least on 't even whilest they are Talking and Drinking with their Friend and concerning this Disease it is observable that the Party Infected hath a desire to Infect others tho' never so near and dear to them the like desire have all Scismaticks The third Infectious Disease viz. the Cancer hath its Residence for the most part in the Mouth or Tongue that they who drink of the same Cup with them are in danger of Infection For Confirmation of this Assertion I shall give you a Precedent and Precept from the Sacred Scriptures The Precedent is double and of Lamentable Memory because the Sin appeared in the Punishment of those that Committed it The Precept is alone yet worthy of a serious notice because it was Transmitted by an Epistle from an Universal Apostle to a Bishop of a particular Charge 2 Tim. 16. 17. 18. The first Precedent or Example is Recorded in Numb 12. where two prime Servants of God are found Tardy in their Obedience to him which shewed it felf in the Malignant Humour of Miriam and Aarons Murmuring against Moses who tho' their own Brother yet under God their Supream Governour nevertheless they could say
that are in the Earth Now when the Spirit of Sedition shall possess the Minds of Men and prompt them not only to dislike but speak Evil of such Dignities and those that enioy them and to assemble in Companies to Assault their Governours as these Men in my Text did Moses and Aaron whom they knew God had set over them and frequently acknowledged it No wonder the Psalmist in Psal 119. 126. said It was time for God to work when Men went about to undermine the Laws of God to make them void The Translation of our Church Psalms reads it thus It is time for the Lord to lay to thy Hand for they have destroyed thy Law When these Men in my Text had gathered the Congregation together against Moses and Aaron what to do Why to cut them off and Subvert the Government both of Church and State It was high time for God to appear in flaming Fire to take Vengeance upon them and pluck of the Crown of spiritual Pride from their haughty Heads Which he did as you have heard and so rejected their Confidences and blasted their intended Proceedings 4. They were of an envious Spirit they envied the State and Dignity which God had conferred upon Moses and Aaron in Constituting them their Governours in the Church This ill Quality Cooperated with the rest to provoke them to a Commotion and civil Discord amongst themselves And that the old Serpent had shed the Spawn of Envy into their Spirits the Kingly Propet affirms it with a sad Memento 106. 16. 17 18. They envied Moses in the Camp and Aaron the Saint of the Lord. The Earth opened and swallowed up Dathan and covered the Congregation of Abiram And a Fire was kindled in their Company the Flame burnt up the ungodly By the last words in ver 17. viz. The Congregation of Abiram It is very probable that Abiram had a gathered Church which some of our Modern Dissenters call the Congregational or Independent way of gathering Churches And if so as it is very likly then he was the first that ever I read of who gathered a false Church out of a true one And so by the Text it is clear that whilst Corah and his Confederates were affronting Moses and Aaron in publick Dathan and Abiram were at a private Meeting in their Tents Praying for their good Success or waiting for a Watch word from them when they should rush forth with Weapons to Assault their Rulers For when Moses gave a charge to the rest of the People to come away from their Tents they came forth and stood in their Tent-doores with their Wives and Children with brazen faced Impudency as if they would outface God and all just Authority I did not know till after more than Forty times reading this Antient Record of Holy Writ and an exact Inspection into the Design of the Seditious Party with a deligent Observation of their prerended Holiness grounded upon false Principles Their gathering the Common People like Herds of Goats in a Tumultuous manner against their Rulers their crying them down to get into their places I say till I had diligently consulted the Record of this lamentable History I did not know that Presbiterâ— and Independency were of so long a standing in the World For Chorah an inferior Levite contends with Aaron to level the Office of an High-Priest to that of a Levite and flatly tells him that he takes too much upon him to lift up himself above them being all of one Tribe he sawnoreason there should be any difference in Dignity and therefore he resolves to Conform no longer but set up for himself and have Elders under him of his own choosing And as for Dathan and Abiram they defiâ— all Superintendency for it were they as well as Corah that told Moses and Aaron That they took too much upon them to lift up themselves above them They were able of themselves to give Laws and Orders to their Congregated Proselites without their Lordly â—urisdiction and in this State of Independency they died Impenitently How fitly may we apply the Words of Solomon to the Former and Latter Troubles of the Church Eccle. 1. 9 10. The thing that hath been is that which shall be and that which is done is that which shall bedone and there is no new thing under the Sun Is there any thing whereof it may be said see this is new It hath been of old time before us And whence is it but from the Envy and Malice of the old Serpenr who is called the Devil and Satan Who as our Saviour saith John 8. 44. Was a Murderer from the beginning and abode not in the Truth And so became an Enemy to all Government above himself which Practice he continues still in the World by seducing the Sons of Men into his old Principles of Disobedience 'T is true indeed this old Serpent doth often renew his Shape but never alters his ill Qualities he often changeth his Habit but not his Disposition alters his name but not his Nature shifts places but retains still his old Principles I will conclude this Branch with the Sacred Caution of the Apostle St. Peter 1. Eph. 3. 17 18. Therefore Beloved seeing ye know these things before beware least ye being lead away with the Error of the Wicked fall from your own Stedfastness But grow in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to whom be Glory both now and for ever Amen 5. They were of a sullen selfwill'd Spirit nothing would please them but what proceeded from their own Wills They answeared Moses as some of their Successors did the Prophet Jeremy Chap. 19. 11. Return ye from the Evil of your ways They said Ver. 19 There is no hope but we will walk after our own devices and we will every one do the Imagination of his evil Heart Yea when they were in Captivity in Babilon they would not be Reclaimed from their own Wills but they made him this desperate Answer As for the Word which thou hast spoken to us in the name of the Lord we will not hearken to thee but we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth out of our own Mouth Jer. 44. 14. Spiritual Wickedness doth not only blind but bind the Spirits of unstable Men with strong Cords of selfwill'dness It is a hard thing to recover any one out of any Error that hath laid the Reins of his own will into the neck of his own Judgment Sic volo sic Jubeo stat proratione voluntas His own Will is the Rule he resolves to walk by and to any other Persuasion he is like the deaf Adder that stops her Ear at the Voice of the Charmer charm he never so wisely One of the sorest Plagues that God can inflict on any Man is to leave him to his own Will and the Councils of his own Heart which must needs destroy him Some do think that Liberty of Conscience is the only way to propogate the
Heart he gave to Jerusalem a little befere they were carried away Captive into Babilon Chap. 6. 8. Be thou Instructed O Jerusalem Least my Soul depart from thee least I make thee Desolate a Land not Inhabited 'T is true that such Offences will come but woe be to them by whom they do come o ye think that Christ the Prince of Peace will Patronize your Divisions Will ye lay the Burthen of Spiritual Wickedness upon his Back and by force of strange Arguments compel him to bear another Cross This would be one way to Crucifie him afresh and to press him down as a Cart is pressed with Sheaves Are the Divisions of Christians pleasing to God Do ye think that Christ takes it well at your Hands to Foment so many Divisions as ye have crumbled your selves into since ye have left our Church Is the Study of Divisions the visible mark of Christianity Is this to do the Will of God on Earth as it is done in Heaven Are there any sort of Dissâ—nters there No. The Angels were never known since the Fall to fall out amongst themselves either in Heaven above or in any Service that they have been imployed in for Christ upon Earth There is no Strife or Contention amongst them they serve Christ with one Consent and Praise him with one Voice they all Glorifie his name in one Form of sound Words and Perseverance in the same Those two Servants of Christ the Evangelical Prophet Isaiah and the great Evangelist St. John do both agree in their Testimonies concerning this thing The Testimony of the Prophet is written in Chap. 6. 3. And one Cried unto another and said Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of Hosts the whole Earth is full of his Glory The Testimony of the Evangelist is written in the Book of the Revelation Chap. 4. 8. And they Rest not Day and Night saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come You may plainly perceive by these Sacred Records that there are no Dissenters in Heaven that the Angels do serve Christ in Unity of Spirit and in Uniformity of Words So that we may easily gess who were the first Dissenters even the fallen Angels and therefore the name of a Dissenter can be no Glory to the Professors of the Christian Religion But that the fallen Angels were the first Dissenters from the way of Truth The Blessed Jesus in whom are hid all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge hath put the Question out of Doubt in his Discourse with the Pharisees in John 8. 44. Where after they had told Christ that Abraham was their Father and that God was their Father Christ tells them plainly that they were Related to neither but that they were of their Father the Devil and the Lusts of your Father will ye do for he was a Murderer from the beginning and abode not in the Truth From these Words of our Saviour we may understaud what the Devils Sin is for which they are Reserved in Chains of Darkness unto the Judgment of the great Day Also From Christ's Words here it is evident that the fallen Angels did know the Truth and by their Unbelief fell from it and of pure and upright Angels became unclean Spirits and Devils For as no Man can be blamed for not abiding in a House wherein he never was neither would Christ have blamed the Devils for not abiding in the Truth if they had not known it and been Instructed in it Wherefore did Christ call Judas Devil Have I not chosen Twelve and one of you is a Devil Was it not because he knew the Truth and Preach'd the Truth and afterwards became an Enemy to it and betrayed his Lord and Master that had taught and Instructed him in it as by his Confession before he Hanged himself it was too manifest A Christians Eternal Happiness consists chiefly in two things A true Faith and an Holy Life A Judgment rightly inform'd in matters of Faith and a Conversation rightly ordered in the Practical Duties of true Holiness Those Men and Women whose Lives and Conversations are Holy are Baptized with the Holy Ghost and they that are truly Zealous for the Honour of God's Holy Name are Baptized with Fire so that to be Holy in our Lives and Zealous in our Spirits for the Glory of the Holy God is an outward Testimony of the inward Baptism of the Holy Ghost and with Fire precedent to which is the Baptism of Water the Gate of Enterance into an outward Profession of the Gospel Now both these Pillars of the Christian Religion are apparently to be seen in the Doctrine and Prayers of our Church to all that have not shut their Eyes against it nor turn'd their Back upon it I am bold therefore to say that the Service of God in our Church is Holy because it is Founded in the Holy Scriptures Composed of Precepts Examples or Commands Collected out of the Holy Scriptures Therefore many of our Prayers are called by the Name of Collests because they are Collected out of those Portions of Holy Scripture that are Appointed to be Read that Day that they are used All the Hymns that we use both at Morning and Evening Prayer are the very Words of the Holy Scriptures or clearly deduced from them Those that Composed it and set it in that Sacred Order as it is now Established by Law were Dr. Cranmer Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Dr. Ridly Bishop of London Dr. Hooper Bishop of Gloucester Dr. Latimer Bishop of Worcester Dr. Thirlby Bishop of Ely Dr. Day Dean of Chichester Dr. Tayler and Dr. Cox Almoner to King Edward 6 th with divers other Pious Learned Holy and Faithful Men who out of a Godly Zeal and Sacred purpoâ—e to advance the Glory of God the Gospel of Christ ' and the Salvation of Souls Formed these Prayers for the Service of Almighty God that his Houâ—e might be called as Christ and the Prophets foretold An House of Prayer for all People suitable to the State and Condition of all sorts of the Sons and Daughters of Men High and Low Rich and Poor Bond and Free Wise and Foolish Learned and Unlearned Saints and Sinners and all that Profess the Gospel of Christ may in one pure Language and Form of sound Words call upon the name of the Lord to serve him with one consent for the only Wise God hath promised it by the Mouth of the Prophet Zephaniah Chap. 3. Ver 8 9. Therefore wait ye upon me saith the Lord until the Day that I rise up to the Prey for my Determination is to gather the Nations that I may assemble the Kingdoms to pour upon them mine Indignation even all my fierce Anger for all the Earth shall be devoured with the Fire of my Jealoucy For then will I turn to the People a pure Language that they may all call upon the name of the Lord to serve him with one Consent If all Scripture given by Inspiration is profitable for Doctrine
commands a Blessing even Life for evermore To conclude this Postscript I do once again pray and beseech you for the Lord Jesus's sake who is verily and indeed the true Prince of Peace and the Covenant that he sealed with his precious Blood for the present Comfort and Eternal Happiness of the Sons and Daughters of Men is a Covenant of Peace that ye will return to the high way of Salvation again and be as heretofore good Examples to those that have not yet attain'd to those large Meásures of Knowledge and Practice as you had before ye left us you have given us a grievous wound by leaving us and ye may give us an healing Plaister by your return to us again What a joyful sight would it be to the choicest Members of our Church to see you take your own Places and possesses your own Seats again Do ye not yet know that Satan's Master-piece of Malice whereby he endeavours to work Mischief to the Church of God is to sow the Tare-seed of Divisions amongst them For if he can but start a question from the unstable Heart of any one of them that may beget a doubtful Disputation amongst them he hath his ends and tho' it may seem to increase Knowledge yet if it will but make the least rent he hath as much as he looks for he knows that there will be some Standers-by that will blow at the Coal Nothing can harm the Church of Christ but the Divisions of her own Children to avoid which a true Believer will deny himself and be silent in many things of Circumstance rather than he will maintain a dispute that may in the least be prejudicial to the Church's Peace Abraham had cause enough to have held a dispute with Lot when their Herdsmen fell out about what I know not and doubtless might have had the better of it but he will not he had rather be silent and so quench the Coals of Strife than to encrease the Flame by contention he wisely foresaw the Mischief that was likely to follow the Strife and Contention that was begun betwixt them so that he presently endeavours to put out the Fire before it was too much kindled by refusing to contend at all Let there be no Strife I pray thee saith he to Lot betwixt me and thee and betwixt my Herdsmen and thy Herdsmen for we be Brethren All true Believers are the Children of faithful Abraham and therefore I could wish with all my Heart that these Words were written in Characters of Gold upon the fleshly Tables of the Hearts of all the Servants of Christ whom the Doctrin of the Gospel hath united by Articles of a true Faith how sweet would Peace and how bitter would Divisions be to them It is a remarkable thing and worth our notice that all the Miseries that the subtle Serpent hath brought upon all Mankind had its Rise and Beginning from a doubtful Disputation betwixt himself and our first Parents and thus he began with a soft smooth oily Language yea hath God said Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden And the Woman said unto the Serpent we may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden God hath said ye shall not eat of it neither shall ye touch it lest ye die And the serpent said unto the woman ye shall not surely die For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof then your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as gods knowing good and evil as if the Serpent had said you talk of dying if ye eat why surely ye shall not die God hath kept that Secret from you which I will reveal to you I am an Angel of Light I came down from Heaven and therefore must needs know the Mind and Will of God better than you do Ye say that if ye eat of the Tree in the midst of the Garden you shall die but I tell you that God knows that in the very day ye eat thereof your Eyes shall be opened your Understanding's enlightned your Knowledge increased and ye shall be as Gods perfectly knowing Good and Evil. Will ye then be limited by a Law when ye may have perfect Freedom Will ye be tied to the Observation of an Ordinance when ye may live above all Ordinances will ye be such Enemies to your own Good Will ye stand so much in your own Light Will ye continue blind when ye may have your Eyes open'd 'T is but stepping a little beyond the bounds of your usual walk and ye shall enjoy such unspeakable Priviledges which God never yet discover'd to you In this doubtful Disputation did the Dragon that old Serpent which is call'd the Devil and Satan lay the foundation of the mystery of Iniquity which we may plainly perceive was not wrought by a temptation to Carnal Infirmities but by a crafty Delusion to Spiritual Wickedness and if you will but consult the sacred Scriptures as Christ hath commanded Joh. 5. 39. and take diligent notice of the things ye read ye will easily perceive that Spiritual Wickedness hath had the greatest share in those Sins that have provoked the Lord to pour forth the Vials of his Wrath upon his Church and People in all Ages of the World And being assured by so sacred a Testimony as the Word of God is that the Divisions of a Kingdom do portend its Desolation let us follow those things that make for Peace and let us take the advice which the Apostle St. Paul gives us Ephes 4. 30 31 32. Grieve not the holy spirit of God whereby ye are sealed to the day of redemption Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice And be kind one to another tender-hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you And now once more I pray and beseech you that if ye have any bowels of Pity or Compassion upon your native Country if ye do not desire to see the Kingdom wherein ye were born to be made an Akeldama or Field of Blood If ye do not desire to see your Relations and Neighbours wallow in their Blood and sheathing their Swords in each others Breasts that ye will return in time from the causes of it Do ye think it will be a pleasant sight to see a Company of Bloody Soldiers â—orcibly entriâ—g your Houses with drawn Swords in their Hands with Fire in their Eyes Death in their Looks their Mouths full of cursed Oaths and devillish Execrations will the noise and lamentable screeches and outcries of your Wives and Children be pleasing to you when ye shall see them kickt and beaten like Dogs in your presence and otherwise barbarously us'd before your Eyes your Houses plunder'd and spoil'd of their best Furniture your Chambers and Chests broken up and emptied of your choicest Treasures Can it be any pleasure