in humane reason they can by no other means be remedied than by the special hand of Heaven Which we come therefore here to implore in a particular blessing upon the consultations and endeavours of the great Council of the Kingdom and in defeating the wicked counsels and devices of our enemies and uniting the hearts of all his Majesties loyal Protestant Subjects But these great Blessings we cannot reasonably hope to obtain no not by our Fasting and Humiliation and Prayers unless we endeavour a true reconciliation with God by being unfeignedly penitent and resolving to forsake those sins which we our selves confess have brought us into such distresses and perplexities as nothing else can remedy Now in order unto this As I excited you on the last Day of solemn Fasting and Prayer to a serious and speedy Repentance by such Arguments as I found in those words of our Saviour to another of the seven Churches of Asia ii 16. Repent or else I will come unto thee quickly and fight against thee with the sword of my mouth so at this time I shall direct you a little in the way and method of repentance and point at some things of which you are to repent from these words which I have read out of our Saviour's Letter to the Church of Sardis with whom we of this Church have too manifest a resemblance For as our blessed Lord complains ver 1. we have a name that we live i. e. are good Christians but alas in deed and truth are dead for we produce not the fruits of Christian vertue There is a great deal of bustle and stir about Religion for which we seem to be mightily concerned but the inward life and power of it is generally wanting which we do not love to be troubled withal Nay we can scarce say so much of our people as God doth of Judah in the first Lesson for Evening Prayer lviii Isai 2. They seek me daily and delight to know my ways as a Nation that did righteousness and forsook not the Ordinances of their God c. which alas we have most openly deserted though this was far short we find in that Chapter of making them an acceptable Nation to him At the best we must confess we are fallen asleep and grown very slothful as our Saviour here supposes ver 2. them of Sardis to have been and there is so great and universal a decay of true piety and goodness among us that we are in apparent danger to lose the small remainders of it Something good there is still left in this Church as there was in that but far from that intire and compleat obedience which our Lord expects from us as will appear by considering what is to be done by us for our recovery to a better condition And there are three things which our Lord here requires of them in my Text and are incumbent upon every one of us as our necessary Duty if we would be saved from our present danger First To remember what they had received and heard Secondly To hold it fast Thirdly To repent of their forgetfulness I suppose their looseness and indifferency in their Religion I shall treat of them all in the order wherein they stand and consider them both with respect to the condition of that Church to whom they were first delivered and then with respect to ours who have no less need of such admonitions I. The first of them supposes That they had been taught some Doctrin which they had received and entertained with belief and had heard it also often since inculcated and pressed so I understand the words by those Pastors who were set over them by the Apostle or those who first delivered the Truth unto them Which was nothing else but the Christian Religion of which I must not here speak at large but only tell you It is that way of serving God which is prescribed by Christ and his Apostles in the Books of the New Testament Wherein we now read what they then received by word of mouth from the Apostles and understand fully what we must believe and do to be saved Now as there is no cause to which God more frequently ascribes the sins and particularly the Idolatry of the Children of Israel than their forgetfulness of Him and of his Law and of what He had done for them so this very thing stupid forgetfulness and neglect of what Christ and his Apostles delivered by Signs and wonders and mighty deeds introduced that deadness in Religion of which our Saviour complains in the beginning of this Chapter and He foresaw would bring in all the corruptions which afterwards followed in the Church and began very early to appear in the Christian World For there arose false Apostles and false Prophets nay direct Antichrists as this very Apostle Sr John tells us men who denied the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ that brought in damnable Heresies sleighted the authority of the Apostles turned the Grace of God into lasciviousness nay brought back the old Idolatry as you read in the foregoing Chapter of this Book vers 14.20 And though this Church of Sardis is not charged with so deep a degree of Apostasie as those of Pergamus and Thyatira yet there was great danger of falling into it unless they took this advice of our Saviour to remember better than they had done what they had received and heard Which is the very same with that which God himself had given of old to the Israelites to prevent their defection from Him in many places of the Book of Deuteronomy viii 1 2 18 c. and which his Prophets were wont to give in after times as the first step to their recovery when they had revolted from God their Saviour xlvi Isai 8 9. vi Mic. 5. Who here calls upon his Church in like manner to bring to remembrance and think again and again till they had fixed it in their mind what they had received and with what affection also they had embraced the Gospel of God's Grace for that may be implied in the Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how you have received and heard as the only means to preserve them from lapsing farther into a worse condition and losing that good which was still remaining but ready to dye among them This the Apostles afterward endeavoured with great care and diligence and promised as we read in St. Peter 2. i. 12 13 15. to endeavour that after their decease they might have those things in remembrance always which they had been taught But for want of the like diligence and watchfulness in the people who did not take such heed as they ought to have done to these admonitions the Christian Religion in process of time was so adulterated that a great part of the Church fell into that lamentable apostasie which is foretold and described in this Book of the Revelation and which we see now fulfilled too plainly in the Church of Rome and those of its
Communion Which have so far degenerated from the primitive Christianity such is the mischief of not reflecting perpetually upon what was first delivered and received that their Religion looks more like the old Paganism revived in a new shape than that good old way of worshipping God which our Saviour taught when He came to destroy the works of the Devil And they were still plunging themselves further into such gross Superstitions as endangered the very Being of Christianity by magnifying the Blessed Virgin and St. Francis to such a degree that they were regarded more than Christ himself that a Reformation became absolutely necessary and was generally desired as it were easie to shew by men of the greatest note in these parts of Christendome for choise learning and piety Nay in that very Council which they themselves packt to hinder the Reformation that of Trent I mean Ten several Kingdomes and States desired both by their Ambassadors and Prelates That the Cup in the holy Communion might be restored to the people from whom it had been sacrilegiously taken to the manifest violation of the Christian Religion which had instituted it in both kinds And many pressed for Divine Service in a known tongue the want of which was another palpable corruption and shameless abuse in the Roman Church Which many desired might be reformed in other Particulars but nothing could be obtained from them who were resolved to baffle all these pious endeavours In order to which they took such a course that there were more Italian Bishops in that Council who would vote as they were directed sometime more by twenty sometime by an hundred than there was of all the World beside So that in effect all these Parts of Christendom would have reformed had not Italy opposed it and craftily combined by all manner of artifices to hinder these honest intentions Which blessed be God prevailed notwithstanding in this Church and were so zealously and yet so prudently prosecuted that we were happily purged by the singular Grace of God to us from all those corruptions which had infected the Body of Religion without the loss of any part of that Truth which was anciently and at first received For when we reformed we did not set up a new Religion as they falsely and foolishly accuse us but only cast out their novel errours and reduced all things to the ancient Standard or Rule of Faith and Worship which was once delivered to the Saints that is to the Church of Christ As will appear by applying all this to our selves and remembring you as briefly as I can what it is that we received and have often since heard to be the true Doctrine of Christianity as it stands reformed from the corruptions and abuses of the Roman Church 1. Which is no other than that which the Church of Sardis and all the rest at first received The fundamental Principle of our Religion being this That all things necessary to be believed and done for the obtaining salvation are contained and plainly enough expressed in the holy Scriptures A Compendium of which as to matters of Faith is drawn up in the Apostles Creed as it is explained by the famous Council of Nice which comprehends all things that are necessary to be believed in order to eternal life 2. Yet we acknowledge that it is not sufficient as you have often heard to believe but though our sincere profession of Faith according to what is revealed in the holy Scriptures and comprehended in the Creed do enter us into the state of Justification yet the fruits of Faith in a godly life are absolutely necessary to continue us in it For that very Faith which justifies us doth imply and include in it a purpose and is accompanied with a promise of holy obedience Which if it be not performed we cannot be accepted with God nor claim the promise of eternal life This is another Principle which we have received 3. And among the rest of the duties which are required of us by our Faith the holy Scriptures teach us this as plainly as any whatsoever That Christian People ought to have a great regard to their Pastors the Guides and Conductors of their Souls in the way to Heaven whose spiritual authority over them is to be reverenced though not as infallible yet as most valuable not to be followed blindfold but fit to be consulted on all occasions and most to be relied on in dubious cases There is no principle of the Reformation more undoubted than this That a Pilot is not more necessary in a Ship or a Shepherd to watch over the Flock than such spiritual Shepherds and Guides are to teach direct and govern Christ's Church and that among other means and helps which Christian people should use to understand the Scriptures the direction of their Guides is the chief To whom it belongs as to receive men into the Church by Baptism so after they are thus born again to breed them up in their Religion as their spiritual Parents to expound and interpret to them the holy Writings and out of them to instruct the ignorant convince Gainsayers correct the peoples mistakes reprove their sins stir them up to all the Duties of a holy life satisfie the scrupulous censure the contumacious absolve the penitent and administer comfort to dejected Spirits The people indeed ought to examine whether the things they deliver out of the Scripture be so or no as the Beroeans did and are commended for it xvii Acts and conscientiously to discern between truth and falshood between the right faith and rule of life propounded to them by their Pastors and the poysoned Doctrine of Hereticks and Deceivers But they must not judge alone without their direction and guidance nor hastily conclude their Teachers to be in the wrong nor rashly dissent from them and refuse to follow their direction but rather suspect themselves and enquire further when they think they ought not to assent to them and in the issue if the things they deliver be not plainly against the holy Scriptures to suspect their own judgments rather than contradict those whom God without all doubt hath appointed to be their Instructors and Guides By which principle we have quite shut out the Roman tyranny on one hand who would lead the people blindfold whereas we endeavour to make them see and require them to open their eyes and show them that we do not mislead them and avoided also on the other hand the wild frantick liberty of those who will not be led at all but go alone and guide themselves by their own private judgment As by the other principle also of sticking to the Scriptures in all things necessary to salvation we have cut off all the fond Traditions of the Roman Church which they have equalled with the Scriptures and yet have retained many things of ancient observation which were not absolutely necessary but not sinful for peace and decency sake Because we would not seem to have undertaken
abstinence from all meats whatsoever and that for an exercise of humility and other Christian Vertues without any opinion of merit or satifaction And it may be added That it is a Religion to which the very Papists themselves are indebted several ways for their ease from many burthens For it is our Religion which hath quite spoiled the Trade that was driven by Indulgences which was so shamelesly exercised before the Reformation that Sellers of Pardons went like Pedlars from house to house and for half a Crown offered to let any man have a remission of all his sins and the delivery of a Soul out of Purgatory Which was the thing that first stirred up the just indignation of Luther to whose honest zeal they are beholden for deliverance from that imposture They are not abused neither as formerly with new lying Miracles and Apparitions which are seldom pretended now thanks be to our Religion for it in comparison with the many illusions of this kind in former times They are free also from being perpetually pillaged by divers grievous exactions which their Forefathers in this Kingdom I could shew you complained of as insupportable Nor do their people run with Offerings from one Image to another so fast as they did before our Religion let them see their follies To say nothing of their Crusado's and other things which it is not easie for the Pope himself now to gull them withal Which is to be put intirely upon the account of our Religion which hath opened many of their eyes to see more errours among them than they are willing to confess Have we not reason then to hold fast such a Religion as this so as neither to part with it nor to depart from it If truth had the same power over the will that it hath over the understanding we could never suffer our selves to be guilty of either Nay the Papists themselves would condemn their own madness for endeavouring to disturb this Religion and to bring back that authority hither which made such Fools of them But alas it is too notorious how little hold our Religion hath taken on our hearts There being so many who have revolted if not openly yet in their hearts and affections we have too much reason to fear unto the Romish delusion And others I am afraid the most who have retained what they received only in part but let go a great deal of it to the open disgrace manifest damage and almost undoing of our Religion Which is the thing I must now admonish you of in the last part of my Discourse upon these words wherein our Saviour calls upon the Church of Sardis to REPENT of their not holding fast that is what they had received And so must I now call upon you with all earnestness it being the particular business of this Day and the only thing that can save us from perishing in the Pit which is digged for us by our Romish Adversaries who have been long plotting and now have almost effected our destruction Yet I shall not expatiate through the whole Doctrin of repentance but confine my self only to such things as relate to what hath been already spoken III. You are not now to learn what it is to repent but only what it is you should repent of that is be heartily sorry for and amend And this also is soon known if in obedience to this admonition you will but reflect upon what you have received and heard and then consider what conformity your practice holds therewith And here let me deal as plainly with you as becomes my Office and the solemn business of this Day and the present distress of this Church and Kingdom which should awaken all men of sense to examine themselves upon these three Heads First What esteem is remaining among us of the holy Scriptures in which are contained as you have heard all our Religion Secondly What fruits our Faith hath brought forth which the holy Scriptures tell us God expects from us and are so necessary that we cannot be saved without them Thirdly more particularly What the behaviour of the people of this Church hath been and is towards the Pastors and Guides of their souls with whom God hath principally intrusted his holy Oracles If all the Members of this Church would thoroughly examine themselves upon these Heads they would find I fear too much matter for Repentance I. For the first of these I shall omit the disrespect to use no harder word of one whole Sect of men to the holy Scriptures which they have in a manner laid aside and only accommodated the Phrases of it to that which they call the light within them and touch upon such things only as are common to all Parties among us In which 1. We cannot but fear and with grief of heart it ought to be spoken and considered there are great numbers who have no value for the holy Scriptures at all but have quite forsaken even Christianity it self which is therein delivered some the very belief of it and others the profession This is one of the fearful sins of this Age which cries for vengeance against us and hath encouraged this Plot to bring in Popery that is Idolatry and Tyranny among us Which durst never have shown their heads here again if they had not been emboldned by our Irreligion And though now we seem to be stirred up to oppose them yet no Religion will be found an unequal match for some Religion which though a very bad one is better than none at all 2. And secondly It cannot be denied that abundance of those who still blessed be God believe the holy Scriptures yet have lost that high esteem and affection which our pious Ancestors had for them Or if they have any it doth not appear by their diligent reading of them which many have laid aside Time was when they were read and studied with great care and fervent desire in the beginning of the Reformation when every Body that could read had them in their hands and some had a great deal of them by heart as the Jew now generally have the principal things in the Old Testament But alas this ardour soon remitted and now is in a manner extinct Musculus I remember complains heavily of it in his Preface to the Book of Genesis many years ago and we are not grown better but much worse I fear since his days And what other cause saith he can we give for it but this That the greatest part of those who seemed to have given up themselves to the Truth of God busied themselves in the Scriptures not that they might be better by framing their lives according to that rule but that they might be able to dispute and to carp at the old errours and superstitions And so some ran into all manner of wickedness others lickt up their old vomit others leaving the manifest Truth turned to new Sects which sprang up and others became neutral and fell into perfect indifference
whereby they were disposed to receive any Religion which the great men of this World should be pleased to set up by their Authority Which sad Complaint with much more that there follows I wish we had no cause to renew in this Church and had not lost our first love to our Saviour and to his holy Word Which being disgraced by the means forementioned better people have been infected with such a negligence that few read the holy Scriptures as they were wont heretofore to do but live as if they believed the Papists say true That the reading of the Scriptures is the cause of all the mischiefs that are befallen us Nay the publick reading of them in the Church is not so reverently regarded as formerly it was and as it ought to be For there are those that never mind what is read but look upon that as a vacant time to gaze about them or to whisper and discourse what they please one with another In times past good people were wont to bring their Bibles along with them hither but that now is worn out of use or so little practised that it looks as if they were as much ashamed of it as to appear in an old fashion which is held ridiculous Let such things therefore be amended I beseech you if you mean to save your Religion from being destroyed by our Romish Adversaries whom we have highly gratified by these things and invited to plot our ruine Let all men among us become serious Believers and shew that they are by reverencing and reading the holy Scriptures by frequenting the holy Assemblies and there duly attending to them by growing truly more knowing in the ground and foundation of our Religion and taking such care to be acquainted with the Scriptures that this may not be our condemnation that they lay open before us and were put into our hands in a language we could understand and yet we despised them or would not mind them II. The mischief of which is apparent For if we proceed to examine our selves upon the second Head we shall find a most lamentable account either of our ignorance or negligence or wilful disobedience For who doth not see that the Fruits of Faith are so much wanting that we are in danger to perish merely because there is so little integrity so little common honesty remaining among us but so much falseness lewdness filthiness and sottish debauchery as have made men so beyond measure dull and stupid that it hath given our Adversaries hope they were disposed to receive any Religion Nay they who are better enclined have been too careless in the Divine Service too frozen in their Devotion and not solicitous enough in the mortifying their unruly affections and passions in bridling their tongues and adding to their Faith all those Graces about which St. Peter requires us to give all diligence 2 Pet. i. 5 c. And yet the Grace of the Gospel teaches us so plainly how to walk and to please God that it is a wonder every Body does not look upon a holy life as the most necessary part of Christianity For nothing is there so earnestly pressed as this which is most lacking among us who live as it follows there in St. Peter ver 9. like blind men or which is all one that cannot see afar off nothing at a distance but merely that which is held before their eyes having forgotten that they were purged from their old sins do not reflect that is upon what was done at their Baptism but as if they were not able to look so far back wallow in their filthiness which then they solemnly renounced But this is too large a Subject for a particular Discourse and therefore I must leave it to your own private examination and search whether you have not relied too much contrary to what you have received and heard and professed upon a naked Faith and the merits of our Saviour without that care which He requires to make your Faith work by love to God and to your Neighbours And here there are as many sins to be repented of as there are Christian Duties to be practised if we have been negligent in any of them And if we will not amend but still continue to be barren and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ with what reason do we expect that He should be pleased with an idle Faith which doth us no good and not rather look for that doom which was pronounced upon the empty Fig-Tree Cut it down why cumbreth it the ground III. For the preventing of which dreadful Sentence I must call you to repentance for one most dangerous sin contrary to our Faith and Christian Profession which I fear too many will find themselves guilty of if they will but be at the pains to examine the state of their souls upon the third Head viz. The demeanour of the people towards their spiritual Pastors and Guides in the way to salvation Towards whom there are a great many pious persons it must be thankfully acknowledged who still preserve in their hearts and behaviour that due regard which Religion and reason require But it must on the other hand be bewailed that there are vast numbers among all sorts of men who do not only sleight them but have shaken off the yoke of obedience to them Which is the thing above all others that hath made the Papists so audacious and will certainly if it be not amended bring in Popery at last among us Be not offended I beseech you if in a time when plain dealing is so necessary and in a matter of such great consequence as I apprehend it I be so bold as to tell you that there are those who oppose themselves so senselesly as well as arrogantly to all spiritual Authority that this Doctrine of obedience to it they call Popery Which is a foul reproach to the Reformation an Apostasie from its Principles and a casting off the direction of the holy Scriptures which require such obedience as we preach For we do not bid men follow any Guides but such as take God for their Guide that is guide themselves and the people by the Word of God If we did go about to hide that from the peoples eyes and hinder them from reading it it would be an evident sign that we knew our selves to be reproved by the Scriptures and that instead of submitting to that Rule we would make our own authority to be the supreme Rule which is the crime of the Roman Church But there is no colour for any such charge to be laid against us who exhort who press the people to be diligent in reading the holy Scriptures only we desire them as the Scriptures themselves do that they would take along with them the assistance and direction of those whom Christ hath appointed to guide their judgment Without which direction men may easily see if they please to read them what a high crime it is to despise and