to want too wholly neglect the Works of their Callings and chuse to live idly and rely upon those Contributions for a Maintenance they think it better to live by the Sweat of other mens Brows than their own and so indulge themselves in all the Ease and Softness that the Severity of those Times would admit of Hereupon Idleness makes them rude and sawcy and having nothing to do they become impertinently curious and inquisitive into other mens Affairs and these are they whom the Apostle admonisheth in the Words of the Text To study to be quiet and to mind their own c. Having thus shewed you the particular occasion of this Advice I shall in the further prosecution of these Words I. Inquire into the Nature of the Duties prescribed II. Evince the reasonableness of the observance of them III. Make some short Reflections on the whole I. To the First of these And the Thing recommended to us is a Peaceable Temper and Behaviour which will make us easy to our selves and others This is the End proposed and the Means of attaining it is by being intent on our Proper Callings and industrious to discharge the Duties thereof One would think that Peace had those many and so desirable Advantages attending it that the very Sound of the Word should create a longing after it and that there were no need of pressing that as a Duty which so much commends it self as a Publick Blessing to all that are possest of it yet so inordinate are the Passions so contrary the Interests and so different the Humours of men that it is no very easy thing either to procure or preserve so desirable a Mercy The Apostle therefore requires Christians not only to be contented to live quietly if they may but to study and contrive it to use all the Lawful and Honest Arts they can think of to obtain it by labouring for that Temper which is not only inoffensive but obliging Rom. 12.17 18. And thus doth he advise the Christians at Rome Recompence to no man evil for evil provide things honest in the sight of all men if it be possible as much as in you lies live peaceably with all men q. d. You must be so far from offering Injuries and so giving others a just occasion to trouble and be angry with you that you must make the best Provision you can for Quietness and Agreement and not omit any thing which you lawfully may do to prevent Disturbances and promote Peace This Peace which all men should pursue is not only private between man and man but publick as that of Societies The Peace of their Country and that both in Church and State That all men should endeavour to promote Love and Unity in the Town or Place of their abode by a chearful and strict observance of all things that may conduce to such a good end And on the contrary by shewing themselves in all Companies and upon all occasions profest Enemies to Faction and abhorrers of Schism and utterly to dislike all such devilish and ill natur'd Projects as tend to Trouble and Confusion A mind thus peaceably affected teacheth a Person readily to obey all lawful Commands of his Superiors not to dispute the Reasons of Laws or to ask Governours wherefore they have required such and such things but to consider it is their Duty to be subject and so readily to obey in all things where God has not forbidden When people are captious and make it their Business to perplex their own and other mens Consciences by corrupt Constructions of wholesome Laws this looks liker a design of quarrelling than a desire of quietness viz. when persons instead of contributing what they can to the Quiet of the State by a due submission to Governours and a chearful obedience to Laws where the Matter of them is Just and Honest shall presume to question the Authority of their Lawgivers and to dispute the Titles of their Princes this is down-right Faction and smells of the Pride and Insolence of Absalom O that they themselves were but Kings in Israel Again when people instead of having a due regard to the Precepts of the Gospel which require all Christians to prosecute Peace and Unity and that external by communicating in all the Parts of Religious Worship as well as that Internal of Heart and Affections and instead of conforming to what they themselves own they lawfully may do for the peace of the Church's sake I say instead thereof imploy all the Wit they have to invent new Scruples and revive old Objections against some Ceremonies and Circumstantials of Religion and make this a Plea for Separation this is a plain sign of a Schismatical Dividing Spirit destitute of that Charity which disposeth good men to seek the Peace of Sion and to desire the repair of all its Breaches If I forget thee O Jerusalem saith the Royal Psalmist let my right hand forget her cunning if I do not remember thee let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy plainly intimating that a publick Spirit will sacrifice private Affections and Desires to the Publick Good and in his pursuit of it studies not to gratifie a Faction or to carry on the Interest of some beloved Party but all Pride and Prejudice and Selfish Designs being submitted to the Honour of God and the Good of his Church his chief endeavour is to follow after those things that make for Peace and whereby we may edify one another Let every man do his Duty in his Proper Station observe what the Laws of God and Man require of him in order to this blessed End instead of teaching others how to govern and command let himself learn to obey according to the Apostle's Direction Let men resolve to be subject to principalities and powers to obey magistrates Tit. 3.1 2. to be ready to every good work to speak evil of no man to be no brawlers but gentle shewing all meekness unto all men And this is the true way to be quiet for as Peace and Concord are best secur'd by Sobriety and Diligence in the Works of our particular Callings so Tumults and Disorders are the Natural Effects of Idleness and Impertinency and therefore the Apostle exhorts to Assiduous Industry and dissuades from being curiously inquisitive after other mens Affairs as the most proper Methods of Quiet and Tranquility So that the latter part of the Verse forbids Curiosity and Idleness as malignant Vices productive of all those Mischiefs which Human Societies are subject to The inquisitive and busie Spirit is the off-spring of Pride and Envy argues the want of Peace and Contentment in the person 's own Breast and a spiteful endeavour to prevent or disturb them in others Were men thankful and contented in the Station which Providence hath placed them in they would study to conform their Minds to their present Condition acquiesce in the Dispositions of a Wise God and employ
A SERMON Preached at St. LAWRENCE CHVRCH IN READING IN THE COUNTY of BERKS On the 3d of October 1692. being the day on which the Mayor was Sworn By JOHN GRIFFYTH M. A. and Vicar of White-Waltham Berks. Printed at the Request of the Mayor and Aldermen IMPRIMATUR Geo. Royse R. R mo in Christo Patri ac Dom. Dom. Johanni Archiep. Cant. Ã Sacris Domest January 31. 1692 3. LONDON Printed for William Rogers at the Sun over-against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleetstreet 1693. TO THE Worshipful Mr. JOHN SAVNDERS Mayor the Recorder Aldermen and Burgesses of the Corporation of Reading Mr. MAYOR THIS Sermon which was first Preached being now Printed at your Request I shall make no Apology for it I know a Plain Discourse will never please the Curious and one for Peace will always be unwelcome to the Factious and as I pretend not to gratify them so I shall never endeavour to humour these My design in Preaching it was to persuade People to lead quiet and peaceable Lives in all Godliness and Honesty And your desire of having it Published implieth a Resolution of prosecuting this good End and to convince the unruly That many things which are Impertinencies in private Persons are Duties incumbent on a Magistrate SIR You cannot shew your self a truer Lover of your Corporation nor contribute more to its Happiness any other way than by incouraging the Practice of True Religion which will oblige Men to be useful in their Generations by imploying their Hands more and their Tongues less That your Town may thus flourish by abounding in Love and every good Work is the hearty desire of SIR Your Faithful Servant JOHN GRIFFYTH 1 THESS IV. 11. And that ye study to be quiet and to do your own business and to work with your own hands as we have commanded you AMongst the many other Advantages of the Christian Religion which may reasonably commend it to all wise men this is no inconsiderable one That it is adapted to the real Interests of men in all Relations and Capacities That the Rules it prescribes tend not only to mens personal tranquility and contentment but the Publick Peace and Settlement of all Societies The Author of this Religion Christ Jesus his Entrance into the World was celebrated with Proclamations as of Glory to God in the highest so of peace on earth and good will towards men And the Christian Institution it self lays the strictest Obligations on mens Consciences to observe those Homiletical those publick Vertues of Common Conversation which are for the good of others as well as themselves such as Patience Meekness Gentleness Charity c. so that a good Christian cannot be an ill Neighbour the Precepts of his holy Profession require him to put on all those good Qualities and Habits of the Mind which dispose men to Peace and Good Nature and to study to live so as to be easy both to themselves and all that are about them Ver. 9 10. of this Chap. And thus doth St. Paul tell the Thessalonians That they were taught of God to love one another that therefore they should increase more and more in such Christian Charity and to that end They should study to be quiet and to do their own business c. The occasion and design of this Epistle which is supposed to be the first of all St. Paul's Epistles seems by comparing it with the 17 th of the Acts of the Apostles to be this When many both Jews and Gentiles had been converted to Christianity by the Preaching of Paul and Silas the Jews raise a Tumult whereupon St. Paul makes his escape to Athens whence being certified by Timothy of the State of the Church in Thessalonica how they continued constant and firm in their Religion notwithstanding all the Attempts of their Enemies to discourage them he writes this Epistle to establish and settle them in those Truths they had received he animates them by the Example of his own Constancy to perseverance in their Holy Profession he sets down particularly some of those Vertues which he would persuade them to the practice of In the first place he exhorts them to Holiness towards God for this being the will of God even their sanctification ver 3. of this Chapter he who was to teach them how they ought to walk and please God requires them to distinguish themselves from the prophane Gentiles which knew not God by the purity of their Hearts and Lives Every one possessing his vessel in sanctification and honour c. ver 4 5. He then dissuades them from Fraud and Injustice and to have a regard to exact Righteousness in all their Dealings That no man should go beyond or defraud his brother in any matter ver 6. but that instead of contriving and designing any Injury one to another they should study to promote each others Welfare by Acts of Beneficence and all the Offices of an Active and Industrious Charity These Thessalonians were a People too prone to be turbulent and as it were naturally addicted to Tumults and Seditions their City being very populous and one of the Metropolitan Cities of Macedonia they were apt to create Factions and Disturbances upon any slight Occasion They called together the Rabble upon Paul's Preaching to drive out both the Apostle and Christianity it self if they could out of the City Acts 17.5 For they were moved with envy and took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort and gathered a company and set all the City in an uproar A Practice too usual in all great and populous Towns and as it appears no new Trick of the Devil 's to disturb the Peace both of Church and State Again amongst those who pretended to embrace the Christian Religion and to be converted to the Belief of it by St. Paul's Ministry there were some who made their Holy Profession a Cloak for Idleness and neglect of the Duties of their Proper Callings who instead of busying themselves in their own Vocations were still prying into other mens Concerns and intermedling with things which did by no means belong to them And of these sort of people doth the Apostle speak in 2 Epist 3.11 Who walk disorderly working not at all but were busybodies Now that which gave occasion to such Idleness was this The Christians of this Church they who were Believers in Deed and not in Shew only at St. Paul's Instance raised great Charities and made very liberal Contributions towards the relief of such as were not able to work who were the only Poor that the Primitive Christians knew of or judged proper Objects of Charity Their Alms were so considerable and their forwardness therein such that the Apostle proposeth them to the Corinthians as Examples of Goodness and Liberality 2 Cor. 8. Now some who were among them and made a profession indeed of Christian Religion and that was all seeing what good Provision was made by these Collections for such as were in want resolve
their Thoughts to find out how they might best serve him and their Generations in the Post they are in Thus doth the Apostle advise Servants and those of Low Estate amongst the Corinthians 1 Cor. 9.20 to abide in the Calling whereunto they were called Not but that they might accept of Liberty and use it thankfully when they might have it yet whilst Providence continued them in meaner circumstances they ought to be contented and not by promising themselves an imaginary Freedom neglect the real Duties of their present State Whence is it that so many among us intermeddle with things that are above their Sphere and far out of their sight that every ordinary Mechanick pretends to Politicks shall underrake to form new Schemes of Government and prescribe to Superiors what Laws they should enact and how they should execute them Whence is it that so many ignorant persons who lack to be taught their Catechisms and to be instructed in the First Rudiments of the Christian Religion shall yet quarrel with the Constitution of the Church and find fault with its Government Discipline and Worship I say whence springs all this rude Impertinency but from a proud ambitious Spirit they are weary of being what they are and so affect to be they know not what Indeed the secret Grumblings of their Stomachs are the same with them of Korah and his company they have the same Murmurings against Magistrates and all Superiors as those had against Moses and Aaron Numb 16.3 Ye take too much upon you and they fall under the Character which the Apostle Jude gives of filthy Dreamers Who despise dominion Jude 8. and speak evil of dignities It is of ill consequence and hath a tendency to disorder and confusion when private men busie themselves with State Affairs the Story of Phaeton may convince us of the sad Effects of such forbidden Experiments It argues distemper'd Heads as well as disaffected Hearts when men are sick of the Mercies they enjoy and formerly desir'd and it is not only a Reflection on the Governors in being but a calling the Wisdom of Divine Providence into question when men are always uneasie in their present circumstances and are for prescribing other ways of governing the World than the Wisdom of the Almighty hath done Therefore the Holy one who is jealous of his Honour hath in all Ages took that matter into his own hand and shewed more than ordinary marks of his displeasure against those who would intermeddle with things too high for them Thus do we find in the place forecited The Almighty resents the seditious clamours of Korah Dathan and Abiram against Moses and Aaron as against himself and punish'd them accordingly Num. 16. for ver 32. The Earth opened and swallowed both them and their Houses It is not honest meaning a pretended Zeal tor God's Glory and the Good of his Church that will excuse much less justifie such Bisibodies for when private Christians in the Primitive Church out of a wanton and irregular Zeal derided the Heathen Idolatry threw down their Images and were slain by the Heathens in the Fact they fell Sacrifices to their own Folly and were allow'd no place in the Diptychs of the Church The Apostle Peter ranks the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those who instead of minding their own Business were prying into other mens Matters amongst Thieves and Murderers and stileth them evil-doers 1 Pet. 4.15 and accounts the Sufferings they underwent no other than the Punishment they deserved The crime of being Busibodies is of a lower and higher sort saith the Learned Hammond The first is Idleness the second improves it into Sedition which is the Sin I am now speaking against a Fault which at that time was very remarkable among the Jewish Zealots who pretending to and promising themselves a perpetual immunity from all powers of men as the only Children of God which were not therefore to be under any man particularly under Heathens would force all men to joyn with them against the Romans i. e. against the publick Peace Ham. in 1 Pet. 4. calling themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Great Benefactors and Saviours of their Nation We have had too many Instances in our own days to parallel that of the Jews only with this difference that they were real Romans which the Jews conspired against but they are for the most part imaginary ones which our Modern Incendiaries delight to shew their Zeal against It is but giving the Name of Popish to either Church or State and then the cry is Down with it down with it even unto the ground and yet such Factious persons would be thought the only men of Zeal for the preservation of Religion and Liberties But alas how far is such a carriage from being either religious or civil it is so far from having any thing of Christianity in it that it falls short of Humanity and common prudence and such men whilst they affect to be thought great and would seem to despise the fooleries of children themselves become much more foolish and vain Having eyes that are lofty Ps 131. and hearts that are haughty and exercising them in great matters and in things too high for them But there are other sorts of Busibodies who if they seem not to be as proud and ambitious yet discover no less malice and ill-nature than the former viz. the Talebearers and Backbiters Lev. 19.16 the Levitical Law did forbid men to go up and down as talebearers amongst the children of God's people The Hebrew Doctors explain it thus Who is a Talebearer Ainswort in loc Even he who is loaden with words and goeth from one to another and saith Thus said such a one or thus have I heard of such a one Although the thing be true yet such a one would fain mar the whole world Such busie Sycophants are the bane of all Societies for they destroy that mutual confidence which is necessary to all friendly commerce Indeed a pragmatical forward person is deservedly shunn'd by all wise men as an unsafe dangerous companion A man's being curiously inquisitive after other mens concerns implies some malicious design or at least to mollifie the Expression can suppose no kindness for I have no reason to think that man intends to serve me who forgets himself or that he will study to promote my welfare who neglects his own therefore the Wiseman describes the Talebearer to be one who revealeth Secrets Prov. 11.13 and opposeth him to a man of a faithful spirit And it is but natural for him who hath no business of his own that he will mind to be prying into other mens Secrets and whilst he is communicating to one to learn what he can of his concerns to carry back to another and so by suggesting ill things of each other alternately to create differences and beget an ill opinion in Neighbours of one another where there was no just cause given on either side Therefore the