and like the possessed man breaks the cords and bands the good Spirit would binde him with as easily till the Spirit hath set them on as we can doe burnt flax or make a thred snap before the Candle Therefore this prido is discerned and slaine first which is enmitie in the will affections and mind There it is still when discovered and slaine there but it doth a man no hurt being discovered and slaine as pride doth not for though it be as they say as the heart is the first that lives and the last that dyes yet the man is humbled for his pride and walks softly all his dayes and doth put forth an holy enmity now against all that in his soule which exalts it selfe against his God his Lord his Christ and Word of His grace Secondly This is it he would bring home to his owne and others hearts The Lord God by His Word and Spirit hides pride from our eyes first by giving us a sight into our selves what an hell there is within us and makes it looke like hell whereas before it might looke like heaven what a dunghill there is within us and makes us smell the stench of it as of a Dunghill whereas before it did savour with us as a garden of spices or a bed of Roses And then according to the exceeding riches of His grace and abundant mercie through Christ gives us a sight of Himselfe Job 42. 6. a saving experimentall knowledge of Himselfe in Christ we heard of Him before with the hearing of the eare and how did we slight Him till pride was hid from us our proud heart was subdued but now our eye hath seene Him And what then Now He is exalted in our soules for we are made low Now He and He alone riseth in our thoughts higher and higher still and so we fable now sin appeares to be sin the worst can be said of it and grace appeares to be grace the best can be said of that too it is grace now Christ is exceeding welcome for sin is above measure sinfull He is pretious sin is vile The hony-combe trampled upon before while we were full of Prov. 27. 7. our selves that is proud relisheth now like an honey-combe as it useth to doe with an hungry soule and truely now we would abhorre our selves and repent in dust and ashes First To apply this to our purpose ye must take Gods way if you meane to doe Gods worke and this way you cannot choose but take when ever ye goe to worke as workmen that need not be ashamed feeling the law of their Relation written upon their hearts Secondly Preach Christ unto the People lift Him up as an Ensigne before them So the Apostles did so the Ministers of Christ doe that feele the law of their Relation they tell their hearers what lost ones they are without Him what glorious creatures they are being found and accepted in Him His fullnes will convince us as one saith abundantly of our emptinesse His Job 9. 148. purity will shew us our spotts His All sufficiencie our nothingnesse labour by all meanes attend and insist upon the meanes which you cannot but doe if you feele the law of your Relation how to wooe for Christ as His Paranymphs speaking a good word for Him Thirdly Be sure you lay your ground-worke well we are more than jealous of you about that matter as we told you before Tell your people home as you can to their hearts what a Cup of wrath they are borne to and that they must drinke it up to the bottome the very dregs of it if they goe out of the world as they came in without any reall change wrought upon them by the Word and Spirit for they were borne Children of wrath so soone as they were Children of men and they have been ever since they were borne filling-up their measures and after their hardnesse and impenitent heart treasuring-up to themselves wrath against the day of wrath and the revelation of the righteous Judgement of God Fourthly And tell them herewithall which you must needs doe if ye know the law of your Relation and feele it written upon your hearts That their Church priviledges they hold themselves borne unto being Baptized there trusted to and gloryed In as the manner is stand them in no more stead than the Arke at Shiloh did the Jewes or sacrifices multiplyed or the Temple of the Lord The Rocke and Manna Circumcision or the Lords Super administred at Corinth Beate them off from putting any Confidence in the flesh if you doe not you doe nothing to purpose nay you must tell them more If no inward glory be gained by our glorious priviledges which indeed the Nation partakes off above many if not above all in the world these will serve but to expose us to more wrath and fiery indignation from the Lord rendring our condition worse than was theirs of Corasin Math. 10. 15. â—am 4 6. 10. Ezek. 5. 10. and Bethsaida and our judgement from the Lord more intollerable even in this world as Jerusalems was and at the end thereof than Sodome's and Gomorrah's was And these things you will speake before the people sadly and mournfully as the Apostle saith weeping for you know who said it though you know he was an Heathen If you will have us weepe you must weepe first When you find the law of your Relation pressing upon your spirits Ye will not mention before your people the principles of Infant Baptisme as ye have glossed them with a Comment worse than the text nor will you make mention of god-fathers or god-mothers either Something we have read how they came in at first But when the law of your Relation constraineth you ye will see no need of them now the Church of the living God shall be no more abused with them nor that ordinance prophaned But these things yee know better than we can tell you Blessed are ye if ye doe thereafter And what are you if ye doe contrary to what you know we say not but leave it upon your thoughts Fifthly Preach sound doctrine to them holding fast the forme of sound words and whatsoever is contrary to it Command them to bid defiance to it yea to curse it as Paul did being that which their soule must abhorre when they feele the law of their Relation Thus ye doe ye will say but we doubt it because your people are so well pleased with your doctrine Now certaine it is as once the Apostles found it to be and told us it would ever be especially in these latter times they will not endure sound doctrine 2 Tim. 4. 3. which will make them sound in the saith Sound doctrine is to a swinish spirit such is every spirit by nature till the good Spirit hath wrought thereon like a corroding plaister to proud flesh or a launce to a sore full of corruption which will cut to the core and cut it out We intend cheifly this
wicked men passe for Beleevers having no faith and for Disciples who hate Discipline and for Saints who persecute holinesse If the law of your Relation be written in your hearts can this be Fifthly What meaneth then That this monstrous body we meane your Church hath so much glorie and favour in your eyes and the Church of Christ the true members thereof as in charitie you should judge so little That alone honourable with you this alone despicable so far as appeareth to mans eye you are every day washing the face of the one to make it looke goodly and faire before men and so to in-state it in and possesse it of glorious matters while you bewray the face of the other which must needs be while you wash the one not with dust as you may reade hereafter but with mire and dirt Surely ye could not doe so if the law of this Relation were writton on your hearts for thus ye and we read In whose eyes a vile person is contemned but he honoureth them that feare the Lord Well The Lord knowes who are His and He hath made some of them to know it that they are His for Him they serve And now they know That He loves them and to the end that hath no end He loveth them And now for mans love if they have it they thanke him for it if they have it not it matters little and troubles them lesse upon their owne score But this they know That upon whose heart soever this law of Relation is written this law of love is written also For every one that loveth Him That begat loveth Him also that is begotten of Him 1 Joh. 5. 1. Idem est motus animae ad finaginem rem saith Aristotle some where The love that beares up the soule to God beareth it also to the Image of God Qui amat-supra amat infra he that truely loves God above heartily loves his Brotheâ— beneath But see what it is to swallow downe the Principles of Infant Baptisme and to regulate all matters in the house of God according thereunto as some doe for it is to the men of that way and judgement we speake Sixthly If you have the law of your Relation written upon your hearts what meaneth then that you doe with your poore people sottish and brutish ones so contrary to this law In suffering them to take Sanctuary at the Ordinance of Baptisme thereby to shelter them from the wrath that is to come and while they live in their sinnes give them right and title to all Church-Administrations Surely surely they that feele the law of this Relation upon their hearts cannot doe so no not for a world can they doe it it were to make a poore ignorant people to beleeve a lie which we are assured is far from your purpose to doe But you know there is finis operis and operantis utter destruction of soules will be the end of this worke though it is not your end that are the workmen no the thought of it that you should destroy soules is an abhomination to you Let your worke as to this matter be an abhomination to you also You cannot in evill things and doiugs seperate the end from the meanes if the man will goe onn sinning his end will be perishing for ever as ye ought not in good things to seperate the meanes from the end if the end I drive to be eternall life the meanes must be taken that conduce thereunto Therefore by the mercies of God we beseech you and because of the terrour of the Lord His heavy wrath and displeasure dolefull and dreadfull punishments that must be the portion of all Stewards that feele not the law of their Relation written upon their hearts by the finger of God there and regard not to feele it we would perswade with you to Consider these matters what your doings have been and are how agreeable to the mind of your God rule of His word law of your Relation advise with one another about it and then speake your minds Having praemised these six things for tryall whether the law of your Relation be written upon your heart we proceed herein according to the proposed Method and first to shew CHAP. II. WHat an influence this law of Relation written in the heart by the finger of God hath upon the doctrine and practise of a Minister We will speake of him single for as it is with one it is with all who find that law as aforesaid and of his Doctrine first § 1 First He is his Lords Paranymph or spokesman he speakes a good word for Christ where ever he comes if it be seasonable thereby to make-up the match and betroth the soule unto Him He laboureth to come within the bosome of a sinner and grapple so powerfully with his spirit that He may take no nay at his hand and for the attaining this end and to make him see what need he hath of Christ He will lay open the lothsome nature of sin and let-in the terrour of the Lord upon the Conscience that the carelesse and rebellious sinner may come to a parley of peace and be content to take Christ upon His owne tearmes and take up the profession of the Truth and not stand at the Cost * This is Gods resolution to humble the soule so low till it can in truth and seriousness bid Christ welcome upon any conditions His mercy and the blood of His Son is so pretious and unvaluable that He will not cast-it away where no notice shall be taken of it but He will make the heâ—rt subscribe experimentally to that Truth of His. 1 Tim. 1. 15. D. Re. Tr p. 389. Though so doeing he must part with all he hath of His owne his dearest lust and all And here He discovers to the sinner as he can the cunning fetches of his cursed heart and hunts him out of his Muses that he may not cozen himselfe and sit downe with some reserved Delusion and goe no farther And this is the Lords way sure in whose stead he stands and therefore craves of Him dayly His eye-salve that he may stand in His counsell and walke in His way and doe that which he hath seene with his heavenly Father as He hath done and by His Word and Spirit still doth so doth he in His strength and by the directions of His Word Wee will insist upon this a little When ever the Lord brings any soule over to Himselfe He first hideth pride from his eyes Man every man borne into the world and growing up there is a stout rebell a stiffe-necked creature as his father is and as yeares adde Cubits to his stature so is there an addition made to his pride and rebellion as he growes-up he growes more like his father every day now so soone as the Lord God is pleased to deale with this man by His Word and Spirit He knocks downe this Monster pride for this beares-up mightily against the Word and Spirit
Sixthly While you are delivering forth unto them sound doctrine take this in with it which shall argue its soundnesse and you sound also That your peoples hearts are very unsound and their eares uncircumcised notwithstanding with their eare they must attend for therefore they have an eare and the very male of their flocke they must lay out this way all their strength else Math. 1. deceivers they are and they are accursed But this is not all you tell them you will make them know as ye can That there is an intus prohibens that stands within like an armed man and till it be remooved or subdued will oppose all that is good keepe it from entring the soule viz The enmities that are there against God and the word of His grace They come James 1. 21. 1 Pet. 2. 1. to heare and cast it out they cannot nor is it possible with them as their case is so to doe yet are they commanded to doe it nor is the command in vaine They must endeavour to doe it looking up to Him and spreading it before Him and attending the meanes whereby it is done we meane whereby this enmity for that one word containes all is discovered to us and slaine in us by sound doctrine soundly preached This is the point you must insist upon as did your Lord before you The absolute necessitie of regeneration or of being begot and borne againe doe not sooth up your Disciples with that vaine title and lying vanitie They were borne and baptized such It is notoriously false and knowne so to be in all the earth We are borne more like Devills than Saints at the best we beare the Image of the earthly Indeed you must tell them so they are while they are as they were borne into the world and best pleased to be what they are so far from being Beleevers Disciples Saints that they are as was said wolves dogs swine and much worse because a beast in the shape of a man is the worst beast Ye have heard or read what that excellent man Mr Bolton said to his deare Children when he was departing from them He verily beleeved that none of them durst thinke to meet him at that great Tribunall in an unregenerate state And was he not well assured of what he spake from his Lords owne mouth Except Joh 3. 3. a man be borne againe he cannot see the kingdome of God And he gives the reason at the sixth verse we borrough that Learned Dr. K. Preface pag 4. mans words for that which is borne of flesh is flesh and is as uncapable of seeing the mysteries of the kingdome of God as fleshly eyes are of seeing Spirits Ye must preach this sound Doctrine to their eares soundly and till it sound unto their hearts and is taking there what ever they are in your eyes they are as vile as the vilest in the Lords eyes and in the eyes of His people for they are not washed from their dung * Pro. 30. 12. Isa 4. 4. and accordingly they must be dealt with thrust away from partaking in sacred things as you would heapes of dung out of the chiefest roomes When ye are at this point dealing soundly with them ye will see cause to pray and the godly with you as the Primitive Saints for th' Apostles of Christ Grant unto Acts 4. 29. 5. 20. thy servants that with all boldnesse they may speake thy word all the words of this life that He commands you for if all must be heard all must be spoken and spoken it must be as the Oracles of Acts 10. 33. God and not teach onely but command with all authority that so ye may commend your selves to every man's conscience in the sight of God as he did who felt the law of his Relation written in his heart Your people shall know if ye know the law of your Relation That ye are the Lord's Ambassadours ye speake in the person of Christ and in the vertue of His Spirit and must speake as if Christ by you spake unto them that is as having power and authority committed to you for the edification of the Church And be sure ye begin right Assuring them they were not borne with a Christ in their hearts but enemies to Him that they stand at an infinite distance from Him and are wilfully set on it to have no acquaintance with Him therefore they are but false conceits and presumptions of their being in Him before the Word and Spirit hath been praevailing with them Assure them they by nature hate the Lard of life and holiness by Him more than they hate that their soule most loatheth and they love Prov. 8. 36. death and a curse in the procureing cause of it as a father loveth his dearest Child These things ye must speake to them with all boldnesse for these things are most profitable for them to know first This our hurt is not to be healed with pleasing words But now ye shall be dealt hatefully with dealing faithfully with them as was told you We cannot endure wholesome words But the law of your Relation will helpe you to swallow that and more and ye can remember what the Lord and Master found from His hearers and all His faithfull servants ever since This may comfort you too you shall have no hurt from them though they doe their worst And if you gaine any of them unto Christ they will be your deare Friends to their death because you told them the truth And for them that persist in their hatred you know it is not a simple hatred with which we hate most hurtfull creatures for it is mixed with feare and dread of you speaking to them as men that know the law of your Relation they hate you but they feare you too as a man so that learned man Dr Reynolds hateth a Lyon or as a Malefactour hateth the Judge as a theife hateth the light For just reason we have been longer at this point we leave it upon your thoughts and so hasten to the practise of a Godly Minister to see what that will be before his people when he feeles the law of this Relation written upon his heart by the finger of God But first we would for you and our Instruction from these premisses draw these conclusions and then we will proceed to shew what a Godly Mans practise is we meane his who feeles the law of his Relation written in his heart § 2 First That the same finger of God which doth write the law of this Relation upon Ministers hearts sheweth them the ordinances 1 Tim. 3. 16. of their Lords house how they ought to behave themselves there all the formers thereof and all the lawes thereof writeth Exek 43. 11. he in their sight as in former times so now that they may keepe the whole forme thereof and all the ordinances thereof and doe them But this the Spirit of God never doth before He hath made
bread to be given unto them and they will not receive it among the Dogs They are marvailously separated Psal 4. We must be separated from them here or in hell live with them for ever Learned and Holy Sibs and now they can no more mixe themselves with the wicked workers of iniquity though they would stoope to their foote or take them into their besome to doe them good than they can mixe with their workes or light mixe with darknesse or Christ with Belial The Children of God they will not at any time or place unlesse by a good warrant much lesse at the Lords Table mixe with the Children of the Devâ—ll their dearest fathers enemies as well as theirs Thirdly They are the Spouse of Christ or His Bride They will through grace carry themselves honourably and as becometh the Law of that Relation And if ever you will deale with them which you will doe if you know the Law of your Relation you must take them out of the throng and tumult of the world as was said The Bride of Christ is a virgin modest and shamefast you must appoint a set time and place to meete with them If ye will not doe so not feeling the law of your Relation upon your hearts they will meete without you and they know who will give them a meeting they doing all they doe decently and in order He Who never failed them hitherto You must take them out of the throng and tumult of the world alone and apart as the Beloved His Spouse Cant. 7. 11. and as He tooke the blind man out of the Towne Mark 8. 23. And Fourthly These are the servants of the most High God And the Law of that Relation gives Law to their thoughts all their saying and doings Their eyes looke up to their Lord what He Commands that doe they and what He forbids that they avoide as an Adder in their path or a she Beare in their way What care they what the principles of Insant Baptisme say if these say but accoring to that we have heard sayd they heare what the Word saith for the word hath bored their eare They follow their Lord going before them by His Spirit in the directions of His word for they know His voice and a stranger will they not follow but will flee from Him for they know not allow approove not of the voice of a Stranger Fifthly They are the Friends of Christ that is the Relation Câ—nt 7. 15. they stand in to Him now He walkes with them in His Galleries and holds them there while He openeth His whole soule unto them All things saith Christ that I have heard of my Father I have made knowne unto you An Admirable Scripture Certainly Christ hath heard great things of His Father He is the John 15. 15. wisdome of the Father He hath been with the Father from all eternity and the Father loves Him He will tell Him all the Glorious things He hath in His Heart and Christ will hide none of these things from His Friends Judge you now how strong the law of this Relation is with all His Friends will they not deale friendly with Him Thinke you can they allow of any person or thing that offends His glorious eyes will they be a Companion of His enemies deriders of him as the covetous are A mans Companion is as he saith the Counterpaine of himselfe Of all other Mr. Sanâ— page 173. things Company is the worst dissembled as that worthy man hath it from Excellent Learned Preston Truly they can say our fellowship is with the Father and with His Sonne Jesus Christ our Friend And Sixthly Lastly He is their Shepheard they His sheepe they heare Him and follow Him in all things And if they are as sheepe without a Shepheard in sight They have an eye to see their great Shepheard and over-seer of their soules He hath undertaken for them to follow them with His eye upon them where ever they are to deale well with them * Psal 32. 8. Jer. 40. 4. and Him they will heare and Him they will follow An hireling they flie from and with Goats they cannot mixe In a word and a plaine word They are an abomination to the wicked and the company of the wicked visibly Prov. 29. 27. such in Church-Communions is an abhomination unto them They feed in cleane Pastures upon the daintiest meate provided for them They love to feed together to lie downe together to walke together for what Communion betwixt light and darknesse Christ with Belial with the wicked they cannot mixe CHAP. IV. First WE have heard That the Law of the Relation of a Minister for that one containes all those dignities glories titles of honour His Lord hath bestowed upon him calling them Angells His par-Nymphs or spokes-men to wooe and gaine the good will of soules towards Him Ambassadours Fathers Stewards Shepheards Friends we have heard how engageing all this is to a Minister to preach pure Doctrine and to live an holy life which they must doe and cannot doe otherwise having the Law of their Relation written upon their Hearts Secondly We have heard also how engageing the law of the Relation the people stand-in to their God in Christ is to them being felt in them written upon their hearts by the finger of God they cannot but walke this law constraining them in the way of holinesse full-up to that Law and their Rule perfectly and with a right foote as to their course and way or walke though through humane frailty some of their steps may be out of the way SECT I. WEE come now to the third part of our undertaking which was to cleare this way of the Holy from th' objections cast-in even by Ministers themselves as well as by their people in Common account Godly as their people are as so many scandalls or blocks to keepe from entrance upon the way or from a comfortable walking on-ward in it And to tell our observation we have made from our eye and eare this first we find objected Object 1. It is an uncouth way who or how few enquire after it or tread in it Not one Minister of ten yet reputed Godly nor one Man or Woman of twenty Nay may we not say scarcely one Minister of an hundred or ten of a thousand among the common people To this we reply Ans Granting what is said and cannot be denied for where ye heare the Ministers contradicting you shall heare the people blaspheming and this ye and we heare every where But this proves the Holinesse of the way because it is spoken against every where contradicted and blasphemed Act. 13. 45. 28. 22. The way is as Christ Himselfe was a contemned slighted person who asked after him and as the Church is That walkes in it which was said This is Zion which no man asketh after that is very few Jer. 30. 17. But note it in passage they that enquire not after this way
is so full a consent and no difference at all To shut up this The way of the holy wherein Christ walketh with them or in them as they in Him is as different from the way wherein the uncleane walke as their person are so they looke not to the differences They are no cause but an occasion of it a Every man should â—ay The occasion did bâ—t helpe the pâ—incipâ—ll was my heart Heb. 12. 14. They follow peace with all men and giving a just offence to no man holines without which no man shall see God Wee will take in here worthy Mâ— Mantons words All true peace and sweet agreement is founded in purity and holines which meekneth spirits And the purest and sweetest agreement is in the truth First there is a pure language and then one shoulder Zeph. 3. 9. One faith is urged by the Apostle as the ground of union Eph. 4. He will bring it to that at length The world looketh at purity as the make-bate but it is the great reconciler The world would have stirres ended they would have no difference in Church matters neither would they have holines So in those matters they must be well accorded amongst themselves But the counsell is seasonable Have salt in your selves and peace one with another Mark 9. 50. Doctrine must be kept wholesome and Truth retaine its savour and acrimony and then looke after Agreement Certainly where God hath put enmity between those there will be a difference whilest the world stands what a difference what a war what a contention what a bloody field is fought within the bosome of some Godly persons at all times If not of every Godly person sometimes The flesh fighting against the Spirit Gal. 5. 17. the Spirit against the flesh for these two are contrary The carnall Rom. 8. 7. mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be You may as well perswade darkness to shine as the fleshly mind to obey and be at peace with the spirit of the mind renewed When all differences are accorded betwixt righteousnes and unrighteousnes Truth and falshood so as these may kisse and embrace each other When Christ and Belial Earthly Adam and spirituall Adam when these shall meet and comply each with other Then shall the broad way and the narrow be accorded too and no difference between the walkers therein There is no more sure signe of an holy way than that the unholy differ from it come not neare it turne their backe upon it and passe away as they should doe from sinne turne from it as an abhomination That is an holy way sure whereto the wicked stand so crosse and contrary Let our soules choose and delight in the choice of that way which is an abhorring to the flesh Object 5. Yea but they That pretend to this holy way and to walke in it make it but a pretence sure They are quite out of the way for observe how supercilious they are and censorious they passe by others with a kind of scorne bidding them as they bid stand by come not neare us for we are holier than you Ans To this we will say this first That looke what a man is in being he is in working the meaning is If his being is in Christ his walke is in Christ If he be out of Christ he is without God in the world and his walke is after the flesh and according to the world most contrary to Holines But for this holy man that walks in the wayes of holines In desire and endeavour his conversation is most exact and pure And of any sin though he cannot say he is free from any yet he can say his soule abhorres the least slighting much more the scorning of any be he or she never so bad Oh no they that converse with him are his witnesses and God also that he is so farre from scorning or slighting of others that he is more enclined to mourning than to scorning he can mourne over the Contrary minded and if he might be suffered he would repâ—oove them for their contrary walking even weeping letting as many teares fall from his eyes as words from his mouth or when his eyes are dry his heart mournes or he wisheth it might be so And groanes from the heart are as acceptable as teares from the eyes as was said perishing for ever is such a mournefull dreadfull thing to his thoughts He considers withall who made the difference and what hath he that he hath not received then why should he glory either in himselfe or over others No he that walks humbly with his God cannot walke proudly before others he is meeke and gentle towards all waiting when God will give repentance There is one consideration and two Scriptures amongst many which the good Spirit hath brought home unto this man and sealed upon his heart whence it is he walkes humbly loathing himselfe and admiring free grace The Consideration is That all the Sonnes of Adam by nature Mr. Brinsley are as one saith like so many carkases buried together in the same Church-yard or lying together in the same Golgotha or Calvery thesame Charnell house Now this man suppose it so hath Joh. 5. 25. heard the voice of the Son of God in the Ministry of the Gospell and now he is risen from the dead for Christ hath given himselfe Eph. 5. 14. Surely he hath no cause of glorying over his brother that may lye still rotting in that grave but infinite cause hath he of glorying in his God all the day long who hath made such a difference even because it pleased Him whereas as to outward accomplishments and naturall endowments his brother might be like a flourishing Bay-tree and he a poore shâ—â—â—b or bramble-bush His pride were Eccles 4. 14. intollerable that out of a prison cometh to reigne or of a despicable wretch is new become Prince in all Lands This is the Psal 45 16. humbling consideration He hath regarded the low estate of His handmaiden The well minding an oppressing Egypt and an Read Holy Mr Sanders p 103. howling wildernes will keepe the heart very low in Canaan The Scriptures are these And such were some of you 1 Cor. 6. 11. Observe we well what some of them were Speake evill of no man be no brawlers but gentle shewing all meeknesse unto all men why for we our selves also were c. Tit. 3. 2 3. Wee thought it fit to be the longer here though indeed we hasten to an end because we find good Mr Baxster after his manner dealing not so kindly as became him with the people of God at this point and in these words I confesse I have no great zeale to shut Christ out of all other Societies and coope Him up to the Congregations of these few that say to all the rest of the Churches stand by we are more holy than you These words are in his Preface
stands in as ye would from a quag-myre wherein ye are sinking over head and eares Presbyterian Churches we hope are for the most part of them faithfully administred and therefore cannot admitt of a mixt prophane multitude to the Lords Table Fifthly Be pleased to Consider and aske your selves what ye have been doing all these blessed times all along while the Lord wonderfull in Counsell and excellent in worke hath been doing such glorious things in all the peoples sight that are not blinded with light Certainly the voyce of rejoycing and salvation is still as it hath been in the Tabernacles of the righteous And they are working together with God in His owne strength who doth all to helpe-on the glorious worke of the Lord and carry it on to an expected end so serving glorious providences their God instructing and enabling them so to doe Nor are they discouraged at all but rather the more animated and spirited to their worke in the power of His might seeing the contrary workings which must be looked for in such times of the Devill and Satan together with all his cursed Children He hath great wrath now why so angry because he knoweth his time is but short We crave leave to put it to the Question againe What are ye doing now about the worke we call Reformation to the Midwyfring or bringing it forth into the world doe ye a sweate at this Neh. 3. 20. a Nescit tarda molimina spiritus sanctus Qui non zelat non aâ—aâ— We doe not love reformation if we have not zeale for it Satan endures no mediocrity nor will God you must be wholy and â—â—â—â—ely His or lot at all your ove must be much else He will account it no little â—atred Not to love God and work for Hâ—â— in the same degree heaâ— and height of love as we â—ought is a degree of hatâ—ed oâ— Him worke doe ye build earnestly as they at Jerusalems wall he was fyery hot at his worke flagrante animo as Junius translateth it This worke will not be done else As the Lord God hath a zeale at this worke so have all His servants they worke for God now as the Devill and his servants worke against Him The Devill knowes he hath but a little time he will doe as much worke as possibly he can and he will doe it earnestly and presently he will not delay a Minutes time he sees all will scape out of his hands else see what present work he makes by the Ranters hands and Quakers hands and by the hands of the corrupt Ministry in the Land that filth garbage and common sinke all over the earth see what worke he makes by them in their Churches and Chappell 's And among the rest see what worke he hath made by two at the least and indeed by all the carnall Ministery over the Nation Verily Deare and Honoured Sirs ye must worke as earnestly for the Lord and Christ as the Devill doth now with all his fellow-helpers in this iniquity doe worke against Him Sixthly In the next place be pleased to Consider what ye have been praying for all these times ye love Jerusalem as ye have mourned for her ye seeke for peace and prosperity heartily your peace here and hereafter being involved therein ye are fellow-Commoners with her joynt-adventurers in the same Ship on the same bottome consider againe and againe what ye have been praying for all these tempestâ—ous times when this Ship hath been in so much danger sometimes covered over with waves tossed with Tempests and not comforted What were ye sleeping all that time or were ye praying We will take the boldnes to answer for you here so be ye will make full proofe that ye are the Lords Remembrancers and then you can never hold your peace day nor night ye have enquired after the Accomplishment of those glorious things the Lord hath caused to be prophesied off and His people to pray for grounding themselves upon His promise and His Oath The calling of the Jewes The utter downfall Dr. G returne of prayers Pag. 13. of all Gods Enemies The flourishing of the Gospel The full parity and liberty of Gods Ordinances The particular flourishing and good of the Society and place ye live-in all they whose hearts are right have and doe treasure-up many such prayers as these and sow much of such pretious seed which they must be content to have the Church it may be in after ages to reape We would adde to these Holy and Learned Mans words those we read some leaves after pag. 43. That which was the Spirit of supplication in a man when he prayed Rests upon him as the Spirit of obedience in his course so as that Dependance he hath upon God for the mercie he seekes for is a speciall motive meanes to keepe him fearefull of offending and diligent in Duty to looke to his paths to walke and behave himselfe as becomes a suitour as well as to come and pray as a suitor To apply these momentous and weighty words to our purpose Ye pray for the calling of the Jewes Then must ye pray for the remooving of that which hath letâ—ed hitherto and will let till it be remooved Surely the earth must be shaken first all those Crownes shattered to pieces that will not be laid downe at the feete of Christ The Heavens must be shaken too else we are much mistaken all false Religions in the world how specious soever in mans eye Gods house must be swept too and His floore purged from you should know what because these out-sweepings which must be are your owne doings Then Is your mind intent upon all this as your mind is such your Prayers are as to that matter Ye pray for the downfall of Anti-christ Take heed ye doe not in whole or in part hold that-up you professe to pray downe Ye pray for the flourishing of the Gospel and that your labours therein in speciall may be taking and prevailing with your people that thereby life and immortalitie may be brought to light unto their soules Ye must not now practise crosse to your prayers ye must not obstruct your owne way to the blessing ye seeke for ye must not then give that to Baptisme which the Lord Himselfe gives to the preaching of His Word So much hath been spoken to this before that we will adde little to it now only this Your Leaarned Brother feares not to tell us we owe our Religion to Infant Baptisme Truly we owe it and give unto it as much honour we thinke as he doth or ought to doe being an Ordinance of Christ and to be administred according to due order as He hath prescribed in His word which is we conceive to give due honour to it yet we feare to say we owe our Religion to it no more than we owe our lives to that Master who hath given us to weare his badge or livery we owe him all the service that is due from a Creature to a
Creature but we owe our lives to God our best service and all so we owe not as we conceive our Religion to Infant Baptisme but to the glorious worke of the Spirit together with the Ministry of the word thereby as an Instrument in the Spirits hand He Riviâ—â—s Christian Religion into the body of a Nation and into the hearts of His people growne up to the yeares of understanding Let the Covenant be opened first the abundant riches of grace therein through Jesus Christ whereunto we owe our selves and all and the seales will follow of course We take leave to tell our perswasion A godly Minister looseth more by giving so much to Infant Baptisme than he will gaine by his praying for the successe of the Gospell his God hath intrusted him with Againe ye pray for the full 〈◊〉 and liberty of Gods Ordinances doe ye not Take heed ye doe not 〈◊〉 â—ut the sinewe of this your prayer and quite weaken it by granting a liberty free Amission to all whilest you set parity aside as a neglected thing though it be the maine even the all of the Duty Remember ye should still the one is to be as full as the other full liberty and as full purity A liberty without purity will certainly bring us into straightness of place which we English anguish Rom. 2. 9. such as we cannot tell what to doe-in to get one minutes time of ease If ye will give liberty see it be stinted and bounded within the bounds and limits which God hath set us To keepe within the compasse of Gods Commands is the best liberty of all Then shall I have liberty when when I keepe all thy Commandements If we Psal 119. 45. would have liberty out of God and beyond His bounds our liberty will proove our misery our undoing and utter destruction Looke ye to it as ye looke God should looke after you and your prayers That ye carve not forth so liberally in your Lords matters granting to your people a full liberty without regard had at all to full purity But having said so much against your full liberty and all those impurities which cleave as fast to that liberty as ever any did to their Idol we will say no more here onely as ye goe on praying ye will goe on sinning and provokeing your Lord to His face in His owne House if ye doe not looke better to His Administrations there than hitherto ye have done Seventhly Be pleased to Consider That the Body whereof our glorious Lord is the Head and the Saviour is as like Him as likenesse can be a very comely and a glorious Body and however little glory or comelines may appeare from without and none at all in the worlds eye yet is she all glorious within partakeing of her Lords owne glory though not in the same degree and every one of this Mothers genuine Children are made Princes in all lands where any one of them is there is a Prince how poore and meane soever the out-side be for whatever the Lord-Christ is by Nature he and she are by Grace Consider we pray you this thing then we know what will follow upon this Consideration so be ye be much if not wholy in it That the fire will consume all that is glorious in the world yet a very little while and there will be no excellencie but the excellencie of Christ and His Church and Children we are bold to presse you unto this Consideration againe because ye and we know what must needs follow thereupon First Ye will give the Lord Christ the preheminence in your assemblies and at His Table specially ye will set His deare Children Beloved Friends and faithfull servants next unto Him And by no meanes will ye suffer that which may offend or grieve them And ye will stave off those nasty filthy Creatures two footed Dogs and swine from comeing neare unto them till they have bethought themselves what they are and of their uncleannesse And Secondly As ye know The first thing the Spirit of grace doth within doores is to set God and Christ in His own place the heart so that person that is acted by that Spirit will shew forth or proclaime Gods Justice in the world and Christ His Righteousnesse in His Church which is to set Him in His place a King and a Prophet a Prince and a Saviour and perswade an hearty obedience and subjection to Him to be directed by Him for if a man be subject to Christs Kingly Office His Propheticall office shall guide him and cause him not to erre in that he speaks from God or to God or in what he is to doe for God and His People CHAP. VII WE would give you two or three Scriptures to muse upon draw two or three things from them and then draw to a close of all The first Scripture Isa 52. 1. From henceforth there shall no more come into them the uncircumcised and the uncleane The like promise ye have Joel 3. 17. So shall ye know that I am the Lord your God dwelling in Zion my holy Mountaine Then shall Jerusalem be holy and there shall no Stranger passe through her to defile her No stranger to open that notion as we read Mr. Caâ—yl Job 15. p. 89. it opened unto us No stranger that is no child of Bolial no wicked person shall passe through her to defile and pollute her But strangers may passe through her to be visited and relieved by her The other Scriptures Mal. 3. 16. Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another Acts 2. 42 43. They continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship And all that beleeved 1 John 1. 3. Truely our fellowship is with the Father and with His Sonne Jesus Christ Rev 21. 27. 22. 15. There shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth nor whatsoever worketh an Abhomination for without are Dogs and sorcerers and whoremongers and Murderers and Idolaters And who so loveth and maketh a lye From the premised Scriptures we would Conclude First SECT I. First THat it is one of the highest priviledges promised to the Church that a time shall come when the wicked shall not come unto her Awake awake Put on thy strength O Sion put on thy beautifull garments O Jerusalem the Holy City Wherefore must Jerusalem the Holy City awake thus and be ready in her dresse in her beautifull garments why there is good newes for her from henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and uncleane As if He had said In times of Sions defection or opposition when there was no due Reformation of worship nor order among worshippers than the uncircumcised and uncleane came and stood yea even dwelt with thee as thy owne Children but oh Jerusalem A Time shall come when the uncircumcised and the uncleane shall not so much as come into thee they shall be rejected and cast out for ever Prophane ones shall find no place
often meeting one with another and speaking one to another and working one for another what possibly they can We will put a close to this in Blessed Sibs his words Next to the meditation of Christ and the Excellencies that are in Him I know no way more effectuall than is holy Communion with those that are led with the Spirit of Christ when we see the sweet fruite of it in others It hath been a meanes sanctified to doe a great deale of good to many and those that delight not in it never knew what the likenesse of Christ meant for those that desire to be like Christ they love the shineing of Christ in any They are a carelesse people to whom all companies are alike But they that walke circumspectly looking round about making it their onely care how to please God these will make choice of those that find some worke of grace on their hearts by the Spirit of God if not they may well doubt of their Condition and that there is no worke of grace wrought at all for grace will make us love the like As you see creatures of the same kind love to company with one another Doves with Doves and lambs with lambs so it must be with the children of God or else we do not know what the communion of Saints meanes In the last place and in prosecution of that was last said Fourthly We Conclude That the Saints loving and delighting in their Communion together are fruitfull and usefull to one another while they are together and therefore doe speake often one to the other Thereby to stirre-up one anothers pure minds And this is a Duty so cleared in the booke of God to be according to the mind and word of God to keepe off from the wicked who will keepe far off from God And oppose the meanes whereby they may be brought nearer unto Him It is so agreeable to the Divine Nature and as we heard the new creature to converse with their like and so to walke together in Gospell Order that truly we cannot conceive what can be reasonably said against â—t by any reasonable man specially by Ministers of Christ Nay we are assured nothing can be reasonably said against it True it is Ministers in name such and godly by profession doe oppose this Assembling together of Saints but they are ashamed no doubt to shew so little reason as to reason against it For to gaine Instruction from lower matters Can we thinke That the matters or concernments of a parish are so considerable That the chiefe men or Masters there with the rest must meete sometime to conferre about them for the better disposing of them according to decencie and right order Can we thinke then and thinke like men that the matters of Christ the concernments of His glory in our salvation will not require the like care and so Command the people of God Saints by calling to meete often and conferre about those high and sacred matters so nearely relateing to the welfare of that Body whereof the Lord Christ is the Saviour that these may be administred according to the mind of Christ and rule of His word praescibed by Himselfe to be observed in His house by His Stewards there If they will make full proofe that such they be by fidelity as well as in Name and by Office Well we are confident our Lord and Master makes us so whose manner was to speake alone and apart with His Disciples so doe all those that have gone forth by the footsteps of the flocke following His steps That all those Ministers who oppose this Assembling of the Saints together there to speake often one to another for the ends aforesaid are self-willed men self-will is their reason so there is no argueing with them who have nothing to oppose against this Gospell fellowship but their will or carnall Reason onely we would commend them to the Prayers of the Saints And for thy selfe Reader if thou canst skill onely in thy Mother tongue we would Commend to thy meditation that plaine English thou readest Eph. 4. 16. From whom the whole body c. and if thou canst skill in the Latine Then we heartily commend to thee Learned Calvins three doctrines therefrom and Beza's observations thereupon in his notes common with us and in his larger Annotations too large to be inserted in this place SECT II. ANd so we make bold to give in our Jealousie which may passe for better Reason than any self-will can give why Ministers reputed Godly plead for a loose way of receiving all sorts of persons to Communion at the Lords-Table and by promiscuous admissions prostitute the Ordinances of Christ to every Commer opposeing in the meane while what they can as they must needs doe allowing such doings the Communion of Saints here below and fellowship one with another First Is it not because they would not displease the people least thereby they should open the peoples mouths against them and shut their purses As certainly it would be so for two footed swine and dogs who returne to their folly as those foure footed ones to their vomit and myre cannot endure to be called such and dealt with as such in point of Church Communion Indeed as worthy Mr Manton saith this pleading for a loose way of receiving Epist before Mr. Sanders Booke all sorts of persons to holy things Looketh as exactly calculated for a wordly interest We charge you not so as he doth not but we would charge you in the name of the Lord ye would examine your selves whether it be not so And this we dare say to helpe you-on in your tryall That as long as a mans heart is over-loving and over-delighting in any thing but God he shall doe little for God perhaps much against Him For be he a man of great Part. 2. 359 illumination raised gifts as worthy Mr Burgesse saith and parts whereby he is admired in the world yet hath not a crucifyed and mortifyed heart he cannot but pray preach and discourse of those things which though not above his understanding yet above his heart and affections And then little can he or will he doe for God in his owne private house or in the house I have had much to doe with my proud swelling miâ—d my stiffe neck and stubborne heart Hier. of His God Therefore we would advise others as we doe our selves in Luthers words If they would overcome a world of enemies without they must begin with their master-lust within and when that Goliah is subdued the Army is routed and they will flye This I know saith Luther by certaine experiences That I have more cause to feare what is within me than what is without and I have hit the naile on the head when I say venter in omni Vbi non videnâ— quaesâ—um rident Christum ubi datur uâ— edant addâ—ci possunt ut credant Toâ—no upon Hos 10. 11. Avariâ—â est plerumque haeresinem comes somes
seeme toyes as such contemne them but doe not hostilely persecute them And 3 he would humbly offer to Consideration what Learned Mr William Jenkin hath for the clearing the two cheife Heads of Controversie here debated-on Admission of all Infants to Baptism And grown persons to the Lords Table In his exposition upon Jude second part pag. 274 275 276 277 278. After these three things as the Author was saying he humbly craves leave he may close his booke with the very words as Augustine closeth his of the City of God Videor mihi c. I thinke with my selfe I have by the supply of His Spirit done my Dutie and discharged the Debt I saw my selfe bound to pay to my Lord to His house and His people Now they that thinke I have said too little they also that thinke I have said too much Let both th' one and the other pardon me And they that thinke I have said enough Let them give the praise not to me I wholy disclaime it but to their's and my Lord God with me Amen And Observing Lod Vives in his Commentary speaking as properly take his words too If I have spoken that which pleaseth let the Reader thanke God in my behalfe if any thing that displeaseth let him pardon it for the Lord God's sake And for that which is well spoken let him pardon that which may be ill spoken though never so well meant The following words doe not fit this work nor this place for the Author cannot expect that from the Readers though never so Curteous which having neither time nor oportunity he could not possibly doe himselfe he meanes the Correcting the mistakes here which must be many when th' Author could at no time be advised with And to point to one or two mistaks where the sense may be mistaken by it were there leysure for it would little advantage the Reader for quid exempta juvat de pluribus vua The Reader readily grants that favour he himselfe may crave An Advertisement of certaine Bookes sold by Henry Cripps in Popes-head-Alley With a short Apologie of the Author premised why he is willing such publick notice should be given thereof TRUTH hath said it How can ye beleeve which receive honour one of another and seeke not the honour that cometh from God onely These words gave some check or discouragement at the first but after due consideration encouragement rather for if this be the Aime and End of publishing to the world these Books the seeking honour of men or loving the praise of men more than the praise of God If by these meanes it might be gained Then let the Lord God blast the work and the work-man Make him and it as the untimely fruit which withereth before the Sunne But if the work-man in all this hath through Grace Holy Aimes and pure ends The Glory of God and the good of his Neighbour in rendring the doctrine hereafter mentioned and the bare-mentioning thereof is enough to render it an abomination throughout the land which causeth desolation there Then let him and his work be blessed And let his God remember him concerning this also and spare him according to the greatnesse of His mercy Amen THE LORDS TABLE ought not to be spread like that in an Inne for all commers published that it might prove an Antidote against the spreading infection of that poysonfull doctrine That all are to be admitted to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper It being one of the most effectuall principall meanes for reall Conversion saith one next mentioned the other say the same thing though not in the same words held-out in three pernicious Pamphlets which eat as doth a Canker The one published by M William Prynne some yeares since called A vindication of foure serious Questions Th' other by Mr Humpheryes notorious all over the Nation The third by John Timson this last yeare after learned M Joh Collings would have forbad th' errour of the man which some may call his folly or madnes speaking in most pages of his said Pamphlet as a man that had deposed reason and so could speake cross to sacred Scripture right reason and the judgement of all the orthodox Ministers and people that ever were or now are in the world FOVR GRAND ENQVIRIES wherein the foundation whereon that bloody and damnable Doctrine aforesaid beareth is loosened viz. That all persons baptized into a Church are all holy and eo nomine have a right to all Church-Communions they and their children how abominable soever they are so be they are not suspended from not excommunicated out of the Church nor are children in yeares fooles or mad men LAW-POWER wherein we may see The Way of Holinesse paved forth before us and troden-in by all those Ministers and people who have felt the law of their Relation written in their hearts A TREATISE OF PRAYEY wherein two Questions are resolved touching formes of prayer both in the Negative That they are not good for the evill nor of any use for the good to teach them to pray And six touching the Lords prayer all in the Negative two onely are specified here 1 That the intendment of our Blessed Saviour was not that His Disciples then or now should pray in those very words 2 Nor is the repeating that prayer in the pulpit the Tessera of a Godly Minister because the hudling that prayer after the manner may shew the man not so serious as ridiculous in praying INFANT BAPTISM is not the priviledge of all Infants upon the bare account onely of their parents Baptism published together with the FOVR ENQVIRIES to prevent the evill may be taken-in from some unscripturall passages not becomming sound doctrine which the Reader may find in a Dialogue concerning the practicall use of Infant Baptism towards the end of the same composed by a learned Divine and as is meet to think orthodox pious and Godly in other points though in his zeal at this point it is conceived he hath erred with his pen not taking the Word of God for the Rule and Reason thereof CHRISMAS DAY no Holy Day published to prevent those heathen and raunting practises superstitious customes Abominable prophanesses in fashion at that time A MINISTERS DVTY to Declare against all precepts and practises contrary to sound Doctrine and practise of Christ Himself and all those He accounts faithfull putting them into the Ministery Wherein it is proved also That if a Minister will live peaceable and quiet among sinners he must suffer them to be at peace and quiet with their sinnes peaceablenesse of sinners being nothing else but impiety not opposed in themselves or by others for who ever is not opposed by the streame goeth with it and altogether who will to the Lords-Table A CHVRCH-COVENANT lawfull and needfull to be entred into by all that intend to walk in Church fellowship according to Gospel order The Authors Name is annexed to th' Epistle before these Treatises and the Reasons of making them so publick are given on the back-side of the generall Title page Direction to the Binder GEnerall Title Appeal Conference Infant Baptism Lords Table Christmas Formes of prayer Ministers duty four Grand Enquiries Law-power Covenant the Account and Exceptions may be stitched alone If altogether then Account before the Appeal and Exceptions after Infant Baptism FINIS