restanrādae quam retinendae subservire debet they rather revile them and raile at them in a publique way and it is very observable that divers ministers and others whose faces have formerly shined with the glimpses and rayes of Gods countenance upon them whose discourses have ben exceeding savory and spirituall since they fell upon this violent and railing stormy and promoted selfintrest their spirits have ben flat dul their discourses generall and confused and their society uncomfortable neither is there that spirituall life and vigour in them that was wont to bee If the vitall parts of a mans body bee weakened you will say hee is in a consumption it is so in spiritualls when there is not that life of faith love joy c. in the saints which they have manifested in times past 11 Symptome If there be ā departing from the simplicitie of the Gospel Againe if ye depart from the simplicity of a Crucified Christ and cry up every new notion every vaine opinion as a glorious discovery of God are unstabied and unsetled like so many wandering stars waves of the sea being tossed to and from with every winde of Doctrine ready to change your Religion and principles every day according to the judgments of men with whom yee converse It s a symptome that ye are but babes and infants in the Knowledge of Christ for it is the Property of children to be much affected with new things for a little while and then to cast them away againe for other toyes Thus it was with some members of the churches at Corinth and Galatia who it seemes were unstable Christians and much given to novelties and therfore a great trouble vexation to the Apostle for no sooner was he departed from them but they were taken with new doctrines and run after the false Apostles disrelishing both the person and Doctrin of Paul in so much that he breaks out into that vehement interrogation to the Galathians a Gal. 3.1 Oh foolish Galathians who hath bewiched you that you should not obey the truth as if he had said I left you in a good condition when I was last with you you did obey the gospel of Christ but since my depature ravening wolves Satan and his instruments have been among you and they have bewitched you with their false doctrines And againe have yee begun in the spirit and will you end in the flesh with many other passages to this purpose in his epistle to the Churches So that it was not the least worke which Paul had to do to settle and stablish Christians in the Doctrine of Christ after they had submitted to it nor was it the least of his suffrings nay it was a heavy affliction to him as it is to every faithfull dispenser of the Gople that after all this paines and care trouble and suffrings in there behalfe they should depart from the simplicity of that Gospel which hee had boldly preached and contended for * Nostra bac aetate inven as inuumeros qui cam Evangelium Dei audivissent mirabili quodam zele ardo-respiritus in amorem illuis exarserint postea vero per falsos featres circumventi consummat onem salutis suae non amplius in fide ac spiritu Christi sed in justitus carnis quarere coepermt the mother after shee is delivered of her child is put to as much trouble in nurfing and educating it as she was in bringing it forth So was Paul in a spirituall sence he had many throwes and panges after he had begotten them to Christ nay he falls in travaile with them again my little children saith he of whome I travaile in birth againe till Christ be formed in you I wonder not that professors in these daies are cold and dead hearted and that they ly open to the violence of every storme and every temptation for how can it be other wise with them so long as they play fast and loose with truth and depart from the true rocke and foundation But for your better information in this point I shall heere lay downe two cautions First notwithstanding what hath beene said yee ought not to content your selves with this or that measure and degree of faith Two cautions 1. Rest not in the measure you have attained to and knowledge it the mystery of the Gospel as some professors do who fearing they should fall into error and be deluded with new lights as it is called * Learned Zanchy cals it a new heavenly light remaine still in their old formes Si igitur sentimus in animis nostris novū celestem lucem accensam c In explicat ad Ephes fol. 47. and measures as if nothing could be added to their knowledge in spirituall things wee ought neverthelesse to take heed of laying new foundations and taking up new Gospels for no other foundation can any man Lay then that which is Layed b 1 Cor. 3 and if an Angell from heaven preach any other Gospel let him be accused c Gal. 1.8 every faithfull Christian holds to the true foundation though hee cannot argue against every thing that crosses the foundation or vindicate every truth which hee is convinced of yet he closes with that heavenly Martyr that said though he could not despute for Christ yet he could dy for Christ 2 Caution Censure not thy brother upon every alteration Secondly neither ought yee to censure Christians as Apostats for reiecting some things which they formerly embraced for this they may doe and yet not change the foundation or cry up another Christ but it may be they have more light and knowledge and a cleare judgement concerning the foundation and the superstructure or matter to be builded theron that whereas they have formerly builded hay stubble such like combustible matter which shal be consumed by the fire of the spirit of God a 1 Cor. 3.12 they now build Gold and silver and pretious stones that is true Doctrine and faithfull workes upon the true foundation Twelfthly 12 Symptome If ye live more on the acts than on the object of faith love joy if you cast your eye more on that which is inherent in you as your faith in Christ your love to God your knowledge of spirituall things which are weake and imperfect for yee know but in part yee beleeve but in part yee love but in part then on the righteousnesse of Christ which the Lord in his infinit love and grace hath imputed unto you It appeares that you are not much acquainted with the mystery of the Gospel neither do yee give that honor to Christ the obiect of faith which is due to him for should these graces or rather effects of grace have a greater traine more attendants and a fuller Court then that glorious righteousnesse which is layed up for you in Christ should these which are but hand-maides and servants have greater respects and be more honoured in
who whilest they depend on their owne righteousnesse are the greatest enemies to the righteousnesse of Christ Secondly in a more refined mysterious way attributing that to frames of spirit and to the acts of faith love joy which some falsly call God in them which should be attributed only to the righteousnes and bloodshed of the Lord Jesus If you fall on any thing for life salvation though never so spetious besides the righteousnesse of Christ as Mediator or if you looke on any thing either externall without you or internall within you as a ground of your peace apart from or without relation to the blood of Christ whereby the same is rendered acceptable in the sight of God this is to fall under a Covenant of works and oh that this were but rightly considered by those who count the knowledge of Christ in his Mediatorship and Preist-hood to be no other than a knowledge of him after the flesh Object Rom. 8.14 Yee have not received the spirit of bondage againe to feare how then can the Saints be brought into bondage and under a Covenant of works T is true Answ the Spirit of God having once spoken peace to a believer he doth not afterwards bring him into bondage by telling him that he is under wrath and in chaines of darknesse for this were a plaine contradiction which is far from the Spirit of God who is truth and is no lye z 1 Joh 2. c 7. neverthelesse the Saints may be brought into bondage after they have received the Seale of the Spirit as they may also be deluded with errors which wee must not impute to the Spirit of God but to Satan and the flesh for these two joyne together to rob God of the glory of his grace The Spirit who is free in his operation causeth terror and slavish feare in the believing soule no other wayes than the Sunne causeth darkness by suspending his beames and irradiations doubtlesse so far as wee hearken to the suggestions and language of the Spirit of God wee shall be conducted into the way of truth peace and comfort but wee often give credit to Satan that lying spirit and so are led from Christ the true way into dangerous paths Suppose yee take counsel both of an honest-man and a deceiver so far as you follow the advise of the honest-man yee prosper well in your businesse but if you will be tampering with the advise of the deceiver which is our case then wee have to doe with Satan who is the great Jugler yee will be cozened and deluded Ninthly 9 Symptome If ye slight the communion of Saints if the society and communion of Saints especially such as keep close in their judgments to the simplicity of the Gospel and are most spirituall holy and watchfull in their conversations be tedious and burthensome unto you so that you forsake their assemblies and meetings as it was the manner of some in the Apostles dayes a Heb. 10.25 And though yee are convinced that they have much of the Image of God upon them and your hearts have been wonderfully expatiated and enlarged whilst you frequented their assemblies God having unbosomed his love to you in the communication of their experiences yet now your spirits swell and rise up against them as too strick and too watchfull for you not long since their company and discourse was delightsome and precious unto you oh you could not be absent from them an houre you were never in your right element but when you were conversing with them I appeale to you did not your hearts often burne and were not your affections raised heaven wards in communicating with them where then is your former zeale and love seeing now yee are as much or more affected with the company of meere worldings or lukewarme Gospellers or sleight spirited Opinionists than with the Society of these precious saints certainely they have but could affections to Christ who looke on the communiion of saints as an arbitrary indifferent thing And as this is a symptome of decaying in spiritualls so it argues much vanity and slightnesse of spirit if you be taken up in your meetings with circumstanciall and trisling things and so fall to jangling and strif (a) 1 Tim. 1. 4 5 6 7. neglecting those blessed truthes wherein the Saints concur and agree as namely the Doctrine of Justification by Christ of assurance by the spirit and liveing upon God by saith in our severall callings and relations and herein professiors doe as children use to do who looke more on the outside than on that which is with in and prize bables and toyes more than Preclous things Religion which consists in a conformity of the hart to God is now turned into a dispure and made use of only as a head notion a sad thing hee that is the greatest disputant and can utter bigg swelling words is counted the most excellent Christian whereas many dispute much of religion that manifest but little of the power of it and those that are spirituall and walke circumspectly can tell you from experience that they have seldome or never mett with the comforts of God in disputes but have come away from them with sad harts and drooping spirits and how can it be otherwise since men exalt their owne notions and gifts more than Christ and strive more for victory than for truth in contending for their opinions Thirdly when men are let loose to a spirit of bitternesse 10 Symptome If there be much bitternesse against dissenting brethren invie and parsecution So that they stuff and fill their bookes sermons and discourses with gall and wormeword and rake up all the dunghills they can meete with that so they might find a matter against brethren who in some things oiffer from them looking on that which is true Christian charity according to the Apostls description (a) 1 Cor. 13. as want of true zeale such a spirit as this hath acted much of late in professors that live under seuerall formes and indeed ye that have a close commuinon with God a cleere judgment in the things of God may see these angry bitter men that would violently obtrude upon their brethren every opinion they hold though but Circumstanciall under a penalty notwithstanding their heat of spirit grow exceeding colde in the practicall part of Godlinesse and in the duties of Christian Charity while they continually cry out errors errors c. without excerciseing bowells of compassion towards their brethren they themselves loose much of their Communion with God for whereas they ought in tendernesse of heart to pray and mourne for their brethrē if fallen into any error either of doctrin or practise and endeavour by meekness of spirit to set them in joynt againe * So the word signifies Gal. 6.1 in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quemadmodum incolumitati naturae diligentia medicorum servit ita Christiana Charitas sanitati mentium cordium tam
THe Saints are cloathed with the Sun yet often under a Cloud Their path is like the morning light shining more and more unto the perfect day yet they often decline Cloudings are their affliction and Declinings are their sinne To prevent or remedy either is a great worke Both are aimed at in this little Treatise wherein the case of a Spirituall declension is distinctly stated and the symptomes of it clearly represented So that the Christian Reader comparing his heart and life with this discourse may either praise God for his growth or pray away his decayes in grace Soul-declinings are too visible among the Saints in England And therefore I judge it seasonable to make this or any faithfull Discovery and cure of them legible June 9. 1648. Joseph Caril THE SAINTS Declining state UNDER Gospel Administrations OR The case of Desertion briefly stated in a few Considerations with several Symptomes of the Saints Decreasing and Declining in Spirituals Very useful in these times wherein there is much of Notion and little of the Power of Godliness manifested By William Troughten Minister of the Gospel at Wanlep in Leicestershire LONDON Printed by J. M. for Livewell Chapman at the Crowne in Popes-head Alley MDCLII To his Excellency the Lord Fairfax Generall of the Parliaments forces Noble S ir THE God of Armies hath done great things by you as an instrument for the peace and security of his people in this bleeding Kingdome I may speak it without flattery that you are the glory of England and so you will be ever esteemed by all true English-men your place is honourable your birth is noble but much more your spirit which God hath raised and fitted for great and honorable acheivements When Saul was made King of Israel the Lord gave him a royall spirit fit for Kingly government and surely when your EXCELLENCY was appointed Generall of the Parliaments Army a fourefold portion of the spirit of wisdome courage and meeknes was poured out upon you that you might be as bold as a lyon and yet as meek as a lambe which two excellent vertues have shined forth in your conversation The Lord hath given large testimony to your faithfulnesse by many unparelled successes so that the Army under your EXCELLENCIES command since they were first modelt'd have not been frustrated in any warlike attempt and however some discontented spirits that are engaged to a faction censure your proceedings yet I am confident there is no man that hath a drop of true English blood runing in his veines or that hath a right understanding of the privileges of the subjects of England but will blesse God for you and make an honorable mention of the very name of the Lord Farfax and the army under his command You are yet on the stage and many eyes are upon you he that hath hitherto enabled you to play your part wisely for the preservation of three bleeding Kingdoms will I doubt not in his own good time bring you off honourably and all those under your command that are acted by the same principles of publique interest T is true deare Sir there are divers members of your Army as there will be in such a numerous body that are slight-spirited and hold many heterodox and unsound opinions which no sober Christian can approve of yet this I can speake uppon mine owne certaine knowledge That there is a pretious publique spirited people in your army a people that mourn for the divisions of the times a people that seeke the glory of Christ and not their owne honour a people that walke much with God and have a close communion with bin and who recount continually with much thankfulnesse the sweete providences and dispensations of God towards them and the whole Kingdome by them As for your Excellency It hath pleased the Lord to try you severall waies not only by the malitious slaunders of open adversaries and by your 〈…〉 weaknesses but also the unChristian and ungratful censurings of pretended friends and of these their are two sorts i those that are riged in their opinions and practice touching Church goverment and 2 another sort who are or were lately members of your army that pretend to be above formes and to have an extraordinary knowledge of divine misteries but to speake the truth they are low and carnall and disobedient to lawfull authority both civill and martiall and indeed the power of our good God hath wonderfully appeared in carying you through these great temptations and difficulties with much settlenesse and chearfullnesse of spirit If the Lord had not been on your side may you say you bad been swallowed up ere this and the prosperity and happinesse of three Kingdomes in you Let the Lord have the glory of this as hee hath had of his other mercies from your Excellency Sir I am bold to tender this little treatise to your Excellency if I did not look on you as humble and spirituall I should not present it to you for it is not sutable to the wisdome and greatnesse of the world but to the experience of humble Saints with whose hidden priviledges and comforts I doubt not you are well acquainted Now the Lord stablish you in the truth and blesse you and yours with all spirituall and heavenly blessings in Christ Your EXCELL humbl and faithfull servant W. T. To the Reader Christian Reader I Have observed of late that the Saints generally through out this Kingdome have loft much of the power and vitalls of Religion since they entred on needlesse disputes and while some pretend to live above Ordinances and Formes they live below God and Christ in and upon the world and although they offer liberty to others yet they themselves as the Apostle speakes are the bond-slaves of corruption being lull'd asleep by Satans delufions so made insensible of the want of those reall injoyments of God which they have had in his Ordinances * See the Epistle of 12. Ministers to the Reader before the Book intituled The cleare Sun-shine of the Gospel breaking forth upon the Indions in new England lately set forth by T.S. I have therefore thought it my christian dutie to publish this small Treatise as that which may be usefull for such Professors if God give a spirit of humility self-denyall which though it be dressed in a simple and homely phrase without the varnish of humane elocution yet it discovers some spirituall experience of the work of Gods spirit which infinitely surpasseth all humane and acquired abilities The poore Indians in New England may shame the Professors in Old Enland Others have treated on this Subject in printed bookes but as I humbly conceive with due regard to their elaborate discourses they speak not fully to the present condition of the Saints and to these times of confusion wherein the mystery of iniquity works in a high measure under guilded and specious pretences and Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of light What shall we say of this