Christ I will call for fire from heaven upon them Poor man thou art of a hot spirit wouldest thou have it increased with flames from above that fire enlightens warms and so melts but doth not burn and fry men for their salvation Take heed what thou dost to others but be sure that God hath forbidden thee his presence unless thou dost come with a cool charitable spirit They put Religion to disgrace when leaving off the practise of undoubted piety and the diligent performance of uncontroverted duties they imployed their wits in spinning niceties and perplexing the faith with foolish and endlesse Questions Then Religion began to dwindle into vain words and lost its glory which consists in a good life managed by a wise and holy soule It is true our Saviour said that from the days of Iohn Baptist the Kingdom of heaven suffered violence and the violent took it by force But what was that violence Clemens Alexandrinus tells us {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} c. i.e. They took the Kingdom of Heaven not by the violence of words but by the constancy of a holy life and continuall prayer For other things they let alone they contended not in a worldly way {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} they armed themselves peaceably how was that {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} as the Apostle did most peaceably train them and direct them having bid them to put on the knowledge of the truth then Righeousness or Obedience then Peaceablenesse Faith Hope and Prayer Those which are thus armed as they hurt not others so they are invulnerable themselves {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} but those other strifes about words and opinions left them exposed to all sin and danger and the Religion which they professed to shame and dishonour As Am. Marcellinus said of Constantius Christianam religionem absolutam et simplissimam anili superstitione confudit i. e. he spoyled the Christian Religion which is most simple and perfect with foolish superstition What did the impertinencies of the Schoolmen and all their great industry about trifles their {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} If the whole Church should unanimously busie themselves about such things the Devil would have cause to laugh and say as he did scoffingly {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} I can willingly allow you this concord you do well to be one in this respect These things overthrow not his Kingdome neither do they establish or honour our Saviours but give occasion to the world to think Christianity an intricate thing and Christians genus hominum controversum a perplexed people They added sometimes to all this unworthy scuffles for Ecclesiastical dignities which was then too apparent when the cloud of persecution was blown over and the profession of christianity by the favourable aspect of the times grown profitable and Honourable When Damasus and Vrsinus contended to blood for the Episcopal Seat a hundred thirty seven being slain about it in one day what said the Heathen which stood by Omni contentione laterum jurgari debere c. They deserved the most severe reprehension They might have been happy if despising the greatnesse of the City which now they only oppose with vices they had according to the Example of some of the country Bishops by temperance and humility purity and modesty approved themselves to the eternal God and his true worshipers but they could never walk lovingly together towards heaven when they fell out by the way for Earth The fourth and last offence is when heavenly pretenses are made use of for worldly designs When men say Gods glory but mean their own Religion hath the same honour and use with a Stalking-Horse It is almost the same matter when men talk of Christians but regard none but their own party perswasion and pronunciation by degrading others in spirituals they advance their own worldly interest It is but a poor businesse when men stickle vigorously for Christs Kingdom having assured themselves before of sitting upon his right hand and left He was a notorious selse-designer that bragged Come see the zeal that I have for the Lord These men will hugge such as fondly or craftily call their unworthy principles and actions by splendid names whilst the ingenuous sons of Truth condemn their Hypocrisy and grieve to see how the workers of iniquity please themselves to have such famous Complices There is little or nothing done for the Honour of God by Christians when by uncharitablenesse and quarrelsom controversies ambition and covetousnesse howsoever disguised they give examples of sin in contradiction to their Profession and so tempt those that need no such furtherance to Incredulity and Atheisme For they will think if those which pretend Religion neglect to be conformed to it they may well enough slight the name when the others despise the thing If we compare the practise of Piety which is found in these dayes with that of the first ages of Christianity Christians are now of so poor a growth and contemptible stature that when they dare compare themselves they cannot but be in their own eys as the Israelites were in comparison of the Gyants Grashoppers and those which have no good will to Christianity seeing it do no great matters now adays are apt to judge the narrations of the High piety and noble charity of the Primitive times fabulous To shut up all That which hath been said should kindle a zoal in all the true lovers of God to vindicate the Honour of his suffering Gospel Take up Christians the spiritual weapons of which his Armory is full and conquer this present world Throw down sin by despising it in all Tentations Chase away evill Angels into their own dark den abhor all invitations that proceed from a spirit of disobedience Recover the beauty of Holinesse by unblameablenesse of life and expressing the lovely Image of Christ in all heavenly conversation Be afraid to be bad when you may securely as to this world and with incouragement of much ill company Bring Charity into fashion again by acts of mercy in despight of Covetousnesse Disgrace that well-favoured Harlot painted Hypocrisy by practising all manner of plainnesse truth and sincerity Redeem lost time and be revenged upon sloth and sinful omissions by a doubled diligence In what you have particularly dishonoured God endeavour to make the greatest reparation you can knowing that we can never make a sufficient amends for the least sin Live by faith and show that some dare trust God neither make any doubt of the Happy immortality which he hath promised to his faithful servants Since the world will not be otherwise taught for words availe nothing do what you can to mend it and by Example to prepare it for the participation of God till he come in pity and repair the ruines of his decayed work and to throw all wickednesse into the bottomlesse pit In the mean while think it comfort enough to your private capacity to know That he which offereth to God the forementioned praises doth glorify him and that he which ordereth his own conversation aright shall not fail in due time to see the salvation of God FINIS John 5.17 V. 19. John 8.29 â—amblich de vitaÌ„ Pythag. cap 6. Act. 14.11 Iust. Martyr Theophilus Antiochenus Athenagoras Max. Tyr. Dissert. Exod 33. 18 19. Vers. 5. 6. Gen. 1. ult Psal. 104. Vers. 31. Joh. 17.4 Orat. ad Graec. Mark 2.27 Neh. 9.3 Lib. 2. contra Marcion Hosea 11. 7 8. Psal. 51. 16. Rom. 4 10. I. Mart. Dial. cum Tryph. Psal. 50.8 Isa. 1.11 Jer. 7.22 I. Marâ—yr Chrysost. Verse 3,4 Silius Ital. 2 Cor. 3. 18. 1 Pet. 2.9 Matth. Lib. 2. Dissert. 16. Iambl Proâ—â—ept c. 4. Hier. I. Martyr Apolog. 1. Conc. Trid. Sess. 22. Loco supradicto Rom. 1 Cor. 2. 10. c. Tertul. Apolog. Col. 2.18 20,21 Hist. Ecclesiast lib. 5. Epist. ad Ephes. In Apol. Strom. 5. Eph. 6. 14,15,16 Am. Marc lib. 27.
defenders of christian Religion reproved the folly of the Heathen world for attempting to introduce vertue into men and yet acknowledged vices and enormities in the Gods whom they adored For when they had said all they could to shame a sinner which was guilty of the worst crimes {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that is He will make a fair evasion of punishment by alledging that it is no sin to imitate the Gods Clemens Alexandrinus quoting against the Greeks that ugly passage in Homer concerning Mars and Venus sayes {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Away with your song Homer it is not good it teacheth Adultery So the wicked Hypocrites in Davids time utterly unwilling to raise their low soules up unto God would needs call him down to themselves And that they might continue more securely what they were they would needs perswade themselves that God was such as themselves So the Dirty Ranters of our times that they might wallow more quietly in filthinesse thought they had Apologized sufficiently for their villanies by saying That every thing is God It is not impertinent to this matter also that we take notice that there are many things in God which are not imitable by us because they sute not our Nature or else transcend our State Which is no wonder at all for there are divers things in the created world which though they are in themselves Excellencies yet do not fit our constitutions A man cannot shine as the Sunne doth nor is he strong as an Oake How shall we guide our selves then Easily Such as will be at leisure to think will soon perceive many imitable Perfections in God And that we may misse none God manifest in the flesh both by word and deed hath shewed us what is good and what the Lord requires us to follow And having commanded us to do nothing but what he hath done before us He hath both given us encouragement by shewing us the practicablenesse of God-like vertues in our Nature and hath excellently taught us the performance of our Duty By his Gospel that commands us to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect it is plainly revealed wherein that perfection consists as in Love Charity Mercifulnesse Forgivenesse Righteousnesse Purity and indeed the compleat beauty of all Holinesse I need not transcribe the Scriptures which have pointed out this truth to the life you have them before you I shall only write an excellent passage out of Justin Martyrs Epistle which he wrote to Diognetus in which they are very well summed up His words are these {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} c. It is not blessednesse to have dominion over others nor to seek the advantages of a worldly condition nor to oppresse those which are below us neither can any man by such things imitate God For they belong not to his Greatnesse But to bear your neighbours burdens and by how much you are above others so much the more to do good to those which are below you and to relieve those which want with such things as you have received from God makes you a God to those who receive them from you This is to be a true follower of God To conclude since by the premises we see laid before us the divine pattern of necessary Duties God grant that none of us be like the man of whom Saint James speaks Who looking into the Law of Liberty the Royall Law of our King that frees us from the slavery of sin and death takes notice of his face and peradventure of many spots there but having beheld himselfe goes away and forgets what manner of man he was nor remembers to wash them off But rather that we may look carefully upon our selves as we are represented by this holy mirrour and continue till we understand perfectly what we ought to be and then not forget to reform our selves wholly according to the prescriptions that are there and so attain the blessednesse of the Gospel of which none but obedient Christians are capable You have great abilities and constant opportunities Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus who in the fulness of time put on the form of a srevant to save the world By being in the world as he was that is in the same temper and practise {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} you shall know That you are of the truth and secure your confidence in God for the present and afterwards through his unspeakable mercies you shall be counted worthy to stand before the son of Man in the great day of his most glorious appearance Which Grace that you may obtain is the prayer of Eaton Coll. Iuly 26. 1659. Your affectionate Servant in Christ Jesus NATH. INGELO 1 Corâ— 10. 31. Whether therefore ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the Glory of God SAint Paul having received a Question in a Letter from the Corinthians viz. Whether it was lawfull to be present at an Idol Feast or to eat any thing that was sold in the Shambles if it had been offered to an Idol before either by the Owner who having offered a part devoted the whole or the Priest peradventure having brought his portion to the market gave an answer to it Chap. 8. and in this Chapter explains himself a little further As to the first branch of the Question he answers expressely That they might not be present at an Idol Feast it being a part of the worship or at least such an Appurtenance as none could partake of without sin the Heathens offering part to the Devils and feasting upon the rest Those which pretend fellowship with Christ as all Christians do in the Feast of the Holy Eucharist must take heed of this Idolatrous Communion lest they put Devils in Competition with Christ who came to destroy their works As to the other part of the Question concerning things offered to Idols and afterward sold in the Shambles he sayes they might eat without scruple because they knew an Idol to be nothing and that the Earth with the meats and fruits thereof as also the Sea Psal. 95. 5. belong to God and are held of us in his right not of Ceres or any other heathenish God or Goddesse Therefore a good man need make no question but if any guest at the Table say This or that portion was offered to an Idoll then he must forbear to eat of it Why he accounts an Idoll nothing what is it the worse It 's true it is not yet forbear for his sake for he esteems an Idol something and worships it as a God with the oblation of meat and will by thy eating after he told thee what it was be confirmed in his sinne and so through thy true knowledge uncharitably managed thy brother perisheth whom Christ in love died to save Thy Master preferred the salvation of a sinner before his own life and thou wilt