taken with numbers either seducers and deceivers or the train that they draw after them The Vulgar are much pleased with this gaudiness muster and shew and it is hard to take their minds off from this pageantry if there be many of these deceivers they take as it were fatisfaction to be deluded The Apostle doth indeed take notice of the strength of their Faction and so may we too without any blame in us but perhaps if it makes any great impression in us we may too much gratifie them in their vain glory for they love to be admired yes and feared too upon all occasions for their Troops none make more oftentation of the people they boast every where of their Many which they produce when either Reason or Arguments fail them just as the Devil in the Gospel did to Christ My name is Legion for we are many Yet Christ for all that and perhaps the rather cast them out I doubt not though it be a kinde of menace to the government thus to out-brave it with force yet God will still bear up both the Church and Crown and strengthen their hands to over-aw them that work now as Deceivers but if their adherencies were so great as their friends would make us beleeve they would quickly pull off their mask and disguise and scarce so tamely ask and sue for that which with more daring they could command But in the mean while it is the great joy of a Christian to meditate and call to minde those remarkable abatements and casting down the courages and spirits of such Deceivers though never so numerous by very late examples when all outward Force was theirs to make use of And it cannot but be a great refreshing to all humble hearts and such as are sensible of our sad fractions that they can scarce finde any Faction that took content and high complacency in multitudes but God took some way or other in his good time to lessen and abate their pride either by the weak arm of a Supreme Magistrate deserted or by their own divisions these numbers no good Christian that hath a heart prepared to embrace what God shall allot them though it carries with it the face of never so direfull and angry a persecution can tremble at or fear Not that I contemn or despise numbers for I hope I shall always have in great veneration the Glorious Company of the Apostles the goodly fellowship of the Prophets the holy Army of Martyrs and the Catholick Church throughout all the world But I was always of that opinion when by Gods permission any strong combination of men are knit together in detriment to the truth of the Eternal God and casting blots upon his Sacred Oracles in unworthily betraying the true and pious sense of holy Scripture to serve wicked purposes and practices that neither their numbers nor their cunning contrivances can keep them long from the shame that must pursue such Sacrilegious Cheats but as their numbers must needs melt at the breath of Gods displeasure for so high an impietie so their impure and stained cozenages and impostures are so easily detected though wilfulness may shut the eyes of the Vulgar that their despicable troops together with their scattered and routed falsities will but the more at length dress out the triumph of pure and undefiled verity To conclude all Our Apostle is in our eye and he well maintains his innocency and denies any insincerity in his Doctrine any deceit cozenage or imposturage in his preaching which if true he could not lose his reputation in any thing sooner and I could wish some that are ready thus to hazard theirs upon the account of errours would consider it So unworthy a thing it seems to our Apostle to be esteemed a Broacher of Corrupt Doctrine a vender of paint and fucusses or indeed any thing that are mixtures and sophisticate or that hath onely the shadowings of truth the fallacies of Arguments and the pretty Romance victories of Errours to elude with far from that humour which is now so common to decline the Churches Doctrine as too mean a vassalage to submit to which truths perhaps may serve to so low ends as to serve God with fear reverence purity and holiness to the subduing of lusts hating of sin to lead men into the paths of righteousness and so to heaven but not to the triumphs and glorious credit that vended errours may procure them in this world which is the brave designe they drive on and truly they might do much to that end but that ordinarily such falshoods light into mean Artists hands to dress and into very dull souls to manage I must needs say the time is come that many consent not to wholsome words nor can endure sound doctrine but after their own lusts heap to themselves teachers having itching ears and turn away from the truth yet if we will indeed do right to our sacred Order win credit and honour to our holy Office and to our Ministration in the Word if we would have Christians our hope our joy our crown of rejoycing in the presence of our Lord at his coming we must not be vain talkers and deceivers speaking lies in hypocrisie and teaching things that we ought not for filthy lucres sake we must shew incorruptness gravity sincerity sound speech that cannot be condemned we must not desire to please men but God who tryeth our hearts And we cannot have a more illustrious example then our Apostle St Paul who walked not in crastiness but by manifestation of the truth commended himself to every mans conscience in the sight of God in all things approved himself as the Minister of God by unfeigned love by the word of truth that he had corrupted no man that Christians were in his heart to live and die with them and his words toward them were not yea and nay or as my Text expresseth him and Timothy We are not as many that corrupt the word of God but of sincority as of God in the sight of God speak we in Christ FINIS
to the people in our sensing and interpreting it shall parcel out Scripture and so vend it as it were by retail and not in gross without a due regard to the whole scain intireness harmony and unity or to what the rich and full sense of one piece may supply to to the short conciseness and seeming vacuity of the other how easily may we err and be deceived and if any temptations lie in our way as very oft they do especially of profit or popularity deceive others and perhaps which is the height of the accusation in the text purposely and maliciously too When we once lay aside that standard the Churches exposition upon which God hath set so remarkably in all ages his arms ingraven his motto and name it is verily to be beleeved at least it is suspicious when we yeeld the balance to our own wit understandings fancies and inventions to hold it that though it may go even to the eyes of men yet there may be too as it often happens more cunning then innocency in the hand that directs it so needfull it is for us to hear for the conduct and safety of souls to obey and best too for the peace and unity of Christians is the Churches skill sincerity uprightness and authority that we can with no hands better trust these weights and measures the beam of the Sanctuary it self her balance and scale who may and no doubt will preserve its steadiness constancy and evenness and is the most unlikely to beguile deceive or delude us And this is a truth that experience hath taught us that when people make light of the Churches doctrine and are fond of new disguisings and interpretations of holy Scripture the Priest shall easily comply with that humour nay by insinuations and hintings to them much cherish it for he is under no trivial temptations to do so he cannot but foresee the Mart he may open for all comers to resort to many passions are set on work besides pride which tickles him with the conceit of great abilities in himself to deceive which confinements to an authorized sense of the word restrains him from and which latitude and freedom cannot but gratifie him in especially having felt the pulse of this age distemper'd and bearing high with feavers and new diseases of refractoriness to Catholick Doctrine and wholsome words and indeed with great inclinations and longings for feculent glossings upon the dictates of the holy Spirit and divine and celestial verities but now being master of the mint which is in his eye it cannot but be a gainfull office to him for the Scripture will be a rich Bullion to coin what doctrines he shall please out of it and then to imprint or stamp what gay and holy names he shall think good upon it Indeed we should be workmen that need not be ashamed yet though our pains is in the word which is the finest Gold we can mix much dross of our own fancy with it so that the ear-rings which we make out of it for the people and vessels which we frame for the Altar and Sanctuary service are too too oft of a mean and baser metall We trade in the most holy of Grains the sacred Text but it is so ill threshed out and winnowed by some of us that the wise buyer is loath to cheapen it so ill it will serve for holy uses or bread of life It is not long since though I hope we are now reconciled to a greater sobriety and primitive truth that the Word the Scripture and its pure streams were fathomed plummed searched every bed every corner of it every grain and sand of it to the least scruple weighed to ex authorize the Hierarchy and to shuffle into the Church an Apocryphal Ordination This Word that teacheth us exactly from whose hands we must receive our holy Orders without which we should not dare to minister in holy things yet hath this been shamefully wrested to decry all solemn Designment of persons to holy offices and to level the Function with the very loom These brave and gallant attempts have been made upon our Profession not by filings or washings of some scattered pieces or medals of holy Scripture but by melting down the whole Plate the sacred Text every dram of it This Word that allows no protection no patents for committing any evil no though good may come of it yet have some culd examples out of it and so have upon occasion limned them out as handsome beautiful pieces not onely to look upon but for imitation as of Phinees Samson Ehud and Elias and seeing these drawn with colours laid in oyl in the Scripture that preserves them yet fresh some will not know but that they may copy them out but sure we must not speak wickedly for God nor talk deceitfully for him for should now any be so furiously bold beyond any moderate zeal to tread the stage as they did and innocently might do by some heroical Acts which are not our measure they must be sure to have the same licence commission and anointings the same spiritual dress and attire even Elias his mantle too which they can never for all their pretensions and illuminations wear or gird about them This is the Word so strict in precepts so severe in menaces against disobedience to them whom God hath set over us this holy Canon of Scripture this sacred Forest in which from the tallest Cedar to the lowest shrub is nothing but shade and protection for Princes and Governours to preserve their Crowns and dignities from winds and storms the rude violence of subjects nothing but sap and oyl to anoint their persons and to sacre them yet have some malicious wits feld timber from it unbark'd hew'd hackt and exposed it to sale for fuel to kindle seditions to put kingdoms into combustions to frame new Common wealths to erect Judgement-seats for arraignment Bars for Princes to plead at nay to build scaffolds and stages and then to dye them with Royal bloud This is the Word wherein as in a glass we may see our own deformities and we that hold out this glass to the people should not make it so dim with our breathing upon it we should so set it before them that is so impartially expound the Word that men may well see and view their many imperfections frailties and infirmities by which they have contracted paleness and wanness much guilt and sin whereas some of us do so cunningly hold it that they can spie in themselves nothing but beauty comeliness and excellent features that they are the children of Grace when had this glass been with less art and more innocency placed before them not upon a hollow vaulted and inclining wall bending to parties factions and adherencies they might have seen many spots and blemishes in their lives which they daily sport in and converse with as new and fresh guests yea and some wrinckles and furrows too Customary aged sins which have long lodged and
A SERMON Preached at St MARIES in Cambridge To the UNIVERSITIE September the 6. 1668. The Sunday before STURBRIDGE Fair. By EDVVARD KEMP B.D. Fellow of Queens Colledge in Cambridge CAMBRIDGE Printed by John Field Printer to the Universitie 1668. And are to be sold by Edward Story Bookseller in CAMBRIDGE 2 CORINTH Chap. 2. V. 17. The former part of the verse For we are not as many which corrupt or as the Geneva Translation deal deceitfully with the word of God THis Text will give me occasion without seeking it far or abroad to bring into view two very different professions the Merchants and our sacred Function They are both here or rather the abuses in them exposed to the eye yet one stands but as the Metaphor to limn in more lively colours the imposturages of the other To secular Trade all wish well to the prosperity and managers of it and whether we do so or no it is likely to thrive in the world the Masters and Wardens of it are so intent in the improvement and have so many arts and wiles to drive it on yet men complain and they will so of great decay I suppose they mean they do not gather riches so fast as they have a minde to do and truly God nor any the best times can satiate them in those desires But I know not how our spiritual profession hath got many enemies whether envy to it or slander upon it or which it is to be feared our own infirmities for we have this treasure but in earthen vessels have made it much reproached meanly thought of stained blasted wounded with evil tongues nay some are come so far to malign it as to scruple our Mission to cancel our Orders to accuse it of usurpation and making it self a peculiar and an inclosure which they would have common I wish I could say too that sometimes even good mens mouths were not open'd against us that we did not grieve and sad even righteous and holy men we had never more need of walking circumspectly and warily never more need of preaching with sincerity or in our Apostles phrase to speak the truth in Christ and lie not for many errours have been sown in the ear first which have since taken root in the hearts of men St Paul in my text intimates something as if all were not right no not in his days but that there were mixtures and dashings in our spiritual wine which he clears himself from We are not as Many that corrupt or deal dece it fully in the word of God Where you have first an accusation Secondly a vindication St Paul accuseth others vindicates himself he accuseth and so he may do in some trivial matter No it is no light one it is of corrupting but it may be out of ignorance or errour of judgement neither it is purposely wilfully maliciously for it is a cheat corrupting and handling deceitfully but perhaps then in some petty merchandize not so neither a deceit in a staple commoditie in which all Christian souls have a share for it is in the word of God Against whom is this accusation not any single person but many a Corporation or Community many that corrupt or handle the word of God deceitfully And first of the accusation corrupting or dealing deceitfully where we must somewhat take notice of the metaphor to which the Apostle alludes To trade and deceits therein so that without a digression I might step into shops and warehouses where though it is never so cunningly and closely carried it is easier to detect fraud then reform it I have as much an aversion from unfolding or russling their goods as from plundering them yet if Christian advice could drive that devil of fraud out thence and sweep them from those cobwebs and desilements of deceit perhaps trade might not have that curse upon it as it hath of decay which is now the complaint I come not to their doors to reprovè them but now seeing they are come so near ours they must not take it amiss for it is no arraigning of them nor of their commodities though I put them in minde that if to God we must give an account of every idle word then sure of every lye that shall usher in a deceit of every gesture and hypocritical mine that melts the buyer to his great wrong and injury to stake an unreasonable price for good◠or any thing at all for corrupt merchandize I know well that trade conduceth much to the prosperitie of a people I intend no invective against the industrious or ingenuous managers of it they are the very life soul and Spirit of a nation they serve not onely our necessities but pleasures if not wantonness pride and luxury too yet we may not denie them their just nay honourable gains such no doubt have quick judgements and wise heads to see Christian hearts to lament nay warm wishes and desires for the redress and reformation of such sordid abuses and grievances which have with much sliness insinuated into mysteries to the great deflouring of the chastity of commerce and debauching it by dissimulation lies and arts of falshood I might further prosecute this Discourse and perhaps very seasonably at this time though inventions and devises in trade are too cunning and many for me to take notice or give any character of scarce any Craft amongst them but hath hidden things of dishonesty but I shall winde off for indeed our holy Apostle doth but glance himself at it here and so much he doth which is my warrant he supposeth that worldly commerce hath the stain of guile upon it subject to be corrupted and for us to deal deceitfully in these being terms he borroweth from trade to which deceit if it must be at all I wish it were there confined but here out of a holy zeal he reproves it in a more sacred merchandize where he found it was the moth that fretted it even the word of God by our deceitfully handling it And sure if ever Divinitie learned their Arts it is much more since the foreman of the shop turned Preacher since he claim'd to so much learning as to censure Church Doctrine and Discipline since cities by their wealth have so far governed the pulpit as either to raise or abate Ministers stipends and salaries according as they shall please their fancies and sooth their errours and sins It is not then the shop onely but the pulpit too is arraigned of these deceits And is not the Sanctuary free from them have they builded their nests in her Turrets Are not Gods Altars nor sacred Oratories exempted from these holy cheats Christ overthrew the Tables and whipt the money Changers out of the Temple but did he leave this worser filth to defile it I now could make a further search into secular Cheats or retire and indeed I must not cover or cast a veil upon our spirituall cozenages though they must needs reflect upon some of our Function and bring them upon