A full SURVEY OF SION and BABYLON And A clear Vindication of the Parish-Churches and Parochial-Ministers of England from the uncharitable Censure the infamous Title and the injurious Nick-name of Babylonish Or A Scripture Disproof and Syllogistical Conviction of M. Charles Nichols of Kent his Erroneous Assertions Justifying his Separated Congregation for the true House of God and branding all the Parochial Churches and the Parish Officiating Ministers in England with the infamous Title of Babylonish Delivered in three Sabbath-dayes Sermons in the Parish Church of Deal in Kent after a Publick Dispute in the same Church with the said Mr. Charles Nichols upon the 20. day of October 1653. By Thomas Gage Preacher of the Word to the Church within the Bounds and Limits of Deal in Kent 2 Tim 3. vers 9. They shall proceed no further for their folly shall be manifest to all men Gen. 49. vers 6. O my Soul Come not thou unto their secret unto their Assembly mine honour be not thou united Ex Augustino Con. Epist. Pelag. Lib. 1. Cap. 1. Cum non desinant fremere ad Dominici gregis caulas atque ad diripundas tanto pretio redemptas oves aditum undique rimari commune nobis est pestilentibus insidiantibus eorum scriptis medentia munientia scripta praetendere quibus rabies qua furunt aut etiam ipsa sanetur aut à loedendis aliis repellatur London Printed by W. Bentley and are to be sold by Ioshuah Kirton at the Kings Arms in St. Pauls Church yard 1654. To the Worshipfull his ever Honoured Friend Captain JOHN LIMBERY Esquire Iustice of the Peace for Middlesex and of the Admiralty for Oyer and Terminer SIR OF all things which the Lord hath made in this great World Man is the most noble for whose sake other Creatures were created to whose feet the things below are subjected Of all the Essentials which Man the little World doth consist of the Soul is the most excellent It is infused by God which notes out the Dignity of it It hath command of the body which notes out the Authority of it It is a work as one calleth it both great Divine and admirable Of all the powers in the Soul none is comparable to the Reason Of all the Branches in the Reasonable part none is equal to the Minde none excelleth the understanding Of all the vertues in the Minde Wisdom gives the greatest light Wisdom swayeth with chiefest might Oh the breadth that Wisdom spanneth Oh the length that Wisdom reacheth Oh the heigth that Wisdom climbeth Oh the depth that Wisdom gageth when once it comes into a Soul cleared by Gods Spirit in some good measure from those duskish Clouds of Ignorance and Errour with which before it was obscured Without this how can men discern of things that differ how can they see what is good and what is evil and so exercise the power of their reason in ensuing the one in eschewing the other When dangers are imminent and coming against us Wisdom foreseeth them forecasteth against them When troubles are incumbent and lying upon us it doth either remove them or preserve us in them In a word what Walls are to Cities what skins are to beasts scales to fishes feathers to birds and shells to some creeping and baser Creatures the same is wisdom to that naked born Creature Man even a Covering a defence Yea Wisdom saith the Preacher strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the Citie And they are truely endowed with wisdom who by the light of it do distinguish gospel-Gospel-truths from errours and keep their Souls pure and undefiled from the infection of false and time-poysoning Doctrines Wisdom truely is in them who by the light and guidance of it have found out and continue in the true Church of Christ the true Zion of God where salvation is truely placed where pardon of sin is onely obtained where Soul-feastings and Divine teachings are truely enjoyed where are protections on every dwelling place where are true Ministers cloathed with salvation where the Saints do shout aloud for joy where all afflictions are sanctified where all good news are to be heard and where God hath commanded the blessing and life for evermore And such a gift of wisdom Worthy Sir have I admired in you by which light in your far and forraign travails you have alwayes discerned good from evil Truth from Errour Religion from Superstition Zion from Rome and Babylon It is true in you that wisdom hath preserved you from many snares to folly If Riches be snares the Riches of the West-India's even those Treasures amongst the Spaniards never ensnared your conscience If honour entice who of our English Nation was ever more honoured by Spaniards in the West-India's than your self as the â—ime of your abode in Hispaniola and at the Court of Santo Domingo doth sufficiently witness If favour of Great men and Princes doth allure and often obscure the light of true wisdom who ever of our English Nation enjoyed such a favour from that Greâ—t Don of Spain the Duke of Medina Sidonia as your self as also from the Duke of Nacara the Duke of Maqueda the King of Spains Chief favourite that great Conde Dugue Earle of Olivares and the Count of Castilia then President of the India's being trusted by the first to go and view the Silver and Golden Treasures of America a favour denied unto others and fully empowered by him to make choice of what Ports you pleased and there to lade your Ships with what Commodities might seem most advantagious unto your self If pleasures and vanities do tickle where do they abound more than in the India's and in that place especially where with so much honour from the best and Noblest in Santo Domingo you did sometime abide Yet in the midst of all these snares with wisdoms light you eyed Zion still you kept your self free from errours you were never defiled with Babylons superstitions Yea when troubles and evils were incumbent and lying upon you even the loss of ship and of Riches at your return into England wisdom preserved you in the midst of evils and as a true Member of Zion you found your losses and afflictions sanctified unto you Zion and Babylon Truth and Errour are the subject of these my weak indeavours which must be known by the light of wisdom With which light as you have hitherto discerned good from evil so I desire you may with the same take notice of Zion and of Zions true Ambassadours pointed out unto you in this my Treatise and eschew those Errours of Babylon and Antichristian fallacies which as Rocks and Sands under the waters are here discovered to be amongst us under a pretence of Christian and Gospel-Truths I must confess that when I called to minde that Proverb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 know thy self I was not without some â—nwillingness drawn to a publick Dispute and afterwards to preach in publick upon this subject not being ignorant
Antichristian or Babylonish which I prove thus Those who by their life and Doctrine have witnessed against Antichrist could not be Antichristian But our Bishops since the Reformation have witnessed against Antichrist Ergo They were not Antichristian The Minor is clear in Cranmer Ridlâ—y Hooper Latimer Farrar Iewel Pilkington Sands Babington Abbot Davenant Hall Morton Usher and Dr. Brownrigge in his sound and Orthodox Divinity taught and professed publickly in Trinity Colledge in Cambridge against the unsound and corrupt Divinity taughâ— and professed in Rome But thirdly I answer that they did indeed Ordain our Ministers not qua Lord Bishops but qua Presbyteâ—s and had other Presbyters to joyn with them so that our Ordination from them is valid and may in no wise be disclaimed more than thoâ—e Ministers who were ordained in the Pâ—imitive Churches They were ordained in Cyperians time by Bishops and Presbyters The fourth Councel of Carthage ordered that no Bishops should ordain without the Counsel of his Clergie Antichrist was not then got in his feaâ— A Bishop if we consider him meerly as a Bishop was but a Minister and set apart to do the work of a Minister And so Ordinaâ—ion from them was bâ—t as from Ministers who have Commission fâ—om Christ to ordain and therefore the Argument proves nothing against us to null our lawfull succâ—ssion and Ordination Thus beloved having made a large progress through Mr. Nichols his three Erroneous Propositions having by Syllogistâ—cal Reasons and by Scriptures shewed unto you what is Babylonish and Antichristian and what not to wit that which is agreeable with the word of God with the express Command of Christ and with practise and example of the Apostles or that which crosseth the word the Command of Christ the practise and example of the Apostles have cleared our Churches and shewed unto you that as Parochial they are not Babylonish neither in their first Constitution Parishes having been constituted before Antichrist was discovered nor in the end of their Constitution that being for the better and more convenient feeding of many Souls by many Pastours nor in their mixture of good and bad together which mixture I have proved in all those Churches to whom Paul in his Epistles did write having shewed also unto you what practises against the word the express command of Christ the examples of the Apostles and according to the Iesuites examples are practized in Mr. Nichols his Congregation which he calls â—he House of God and finally having vindicated our Parochial Pastours and Parish Officiating-Ministers from Mr. Nichols his false aspersion and uncharitable censure of them branding them with the infamous Title of Babylonish I shall draw nearer to an end and conclude wiâ—h a use of Exhortation to some few duties 2. Vse of Exhortation I have beloved these three Lords dayes carried you about the bounds of Zion and Babylon I have shewed you at large what people what Churches are the Zion of God and what practises are Babylonish and how free our meetings and our Ministers are from such practises and in these three dayes surveying these bounds I have blown my Rams horns that the Walls of Babylon might fall as did the Walls of cursed Iericho formerly at the blowing of them I shall yet cause the sound of them to be heard all the Nation over committing what I have here spoken unto you to the Press that so whatsoever practises are Babylonish in the Land and Nation may be discovered Babylons strength and walls may be more ruâ—ned while Zâ—on shâ—ll stand as a Rock unmoveable and Hell-Gates Councels and practises shall never I hope prevail against her I have found in my search and Survey of Zions Walls and Bulwarks that yet she stands amongst us Our Churches I have found by the light and truth of Scripture â—o be Gods spirituâ—l Zion I have found their Antiquity as Parishes to be â—â—om the fiâ—st Pâ—imitive times and that it belongeth to the Decency and good Order of Zâ—on that in so stately great a House there be many Chambers and several distinct Tables where the Ordinances of God may be dispensed and the mulâ—itude of Souls belonging to Zion may be more conveniently fed I have found also out of Scripture that our Parish Officiating-Ministers are true Shepheards with the true properties of Shepheards and true Pastours Ordained by Christ his own Commission to feed the Souls in Zion having the lawfull power of the Keyes by Imposition of the hands of â—he Presbytery without which all Commission given by the people is subreptitious and false and against the Institution of Christ and consequently Babylonish and Antichristian And finally I have found Mr. Niâ—hâ—ls his three Assertions against us to be false not enduring the Trial and Touchstone of the Holy Scriptures and nothing by him truely Objected to prove us Babylonish but that we are a mixt multitude with many corâ—upt persons and sinners amongst us which he might as well have Objected against all the Churches mentioned in the several Epistles of Paul to prove Paul false in calling them Saints and Churches and against the Churches of Asia and yet not have unchurched them â—s upon this ground he hath not been able to unchurch us Yet because our sins onely are the great block and beam in his eye which hindreth his sight that he cannot see where a true Church is nor see that we are true Churches yea truer than his I beseech you let it be your care and indeavour for the time to come to give him no further offence by your sins but to live so religiously that this block and beam being removed from his eye he may see that we of Deal as well as those of other Parishes are a Church he may be won and recalled by your Godly walking and Conversation to come back to us and to send back again unto our Churches those whom he hath caused to separate from us Which that ye may perform the better give me leave to conclude this large discourse with an Exhortation to these duties following 1. Duty First Let us humble our selves for our sins which have been such Offences and Scandals to our Friends and Neighbours which have brought such destructions and divisions amongst us which have stirred up forraign Enemies against us which threaten us yet with greater miseries than those which hitherto we have suffered which make us as unclean as Lepers and cause others to loath us yea to separate from us Oh Let us read our sins in our miseries in our wars in our divisions which are amongst us We have nourished Malignant lusts Babylonish and Antichristian Brats within us which rebâ—l against the Spirit and fight against the Soul we have made sport and pass-time with those sins which shed the bloud of the Lord Jesus Oh Let those sins draw tears from us which drew bloud from Christ. We have grieved the holy Spirit and therefore well may the Spirit refuse to comfort us who have grieved him Well may
in Zion for Israel my Glory Isai. 46. vers 13. Tenthly here God will be a sure unfailing and known Refuge God is known to her Palaces for a reâ—uge Psal. 48. vers 3. Eleventhly here the Lord is our safety There the Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streames Isai. 33. vers 21. Twelfthly here the Lord is to his people a strength of Walls and bulworks In that day shall this song be sung in the Land of Judah We have a strong Citie Salvation will God appoint for Walls and Bulworks Open ye the gates that the righteous Nation which keepeth the truth may enter in Thou wilt keep him in a perfect peace whose minde is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee Isai. 26. vers 1 2 3. Thirtenthly here are omnimode Salutes all manner of Salutations O that the Salvation of Israel were come out of Zion Psal. 14. vers 7. Fourteenthly here are incomparable favours priviledges comforts blessings the like no where else to be enjoyed For first here is pardon of sin and iniquity And the Inhabitant shall not say I am sick the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquitie Isai. 33. vers 24. Secondly here is the blessed and holy spirit of God always guiding and assisting And the Redeâ—mer shall come to Zion and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob saith the Lord. As for me this is my Covenant with them saith the Lord My spirit that is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed from henceforth and for ever Isai 59. vers 20 21. Thirdly here is true teaching divine instructing Many people shall go and say Come ye and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his ways and we will walk in his paths for out of Zion shall go forth the Law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem Isai. 2. vers 3. Fourthly here onely is a true holy teaching Ministery I will cloath her Priests with salvation and her Saints shall shout aloud for joy Psal. 132. vers 16 Fifthly here are true Soul-feastings and Soul-banquetings In this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things a feast of wines on the Lees of fat things full of marrow of wines on the Lees well refined And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people and the vail that is spread over all Nations Isai. 25. vers 6.7 Sixthly here are protections on every dwelling place marvellous preservations the Bramble bush on a light fire yet not burnt up The Lord will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion and upon her Assemblies a Cloud and smoak by day and the shining of a flameing fire by night for upon all the glorie shall be a defence Isai. 4. vers 5. Seventhly here all afflictions are sanctified in so much as her exactors shall be righteousness and her oppressours peace poison a Triacle and if the enemy be established it is but for correction Eighthly here all good news are to be had here is to be heard all good news from heaven or earth that may concern either this life or the life to come Finally there God hath commanded not onely his blessing as I said before but especially life for evermore As the dew of Hermon and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion for there the Lord commanded the blessing even life for evermore Psal. 133. vers 3. Behold beloved the place to which Gods people are called from Babylon Oh what Prisoner in Babylon what Bond-slave to sin and Sathan what wretch lying in Antichristian darkness would not willingly shake off his shackles and with Peter Acts 12. Chap. Come out of a Prisons darkness to enjoy such liberty such light such comforts such security such blessings such salvation such Amnesty and general pardon such tydings and news from heaven such protections such sorts of salvation such presence of Grace such Soul-feastings Soul-banquetings as out of Scripture I have presented unto you from Zion Who would be any longer a loytering Jew in Babylon Who would hanker after any Antichristian practices dote any longer upon any Anti-scripture untruths serve man serve times serve self-ends to endanger his Soul to be wedded to ignorance to forfeit Zions Jewels riches blessings yea life for evermore 4. Reas. But fourthly The Prophet stirs up the people to deliver themselves from Babylon upon this ground and reason God had now removed all rubs he had opened the Kings heart and the prison doors If they would be active it was in their own power to deliver themselves and therefore the Prophet calls upon them to use their power and to take that fair opportunity which was offered for their deliverance and their glory Deliver thy self O Zion As if he should say thy shackles are knockt off the Ports are open the Commission is now sealed Come out be not cruell to thy self What wilt thou be thine own tormentour thine own prisoner Before the seventy years were expired thou wast detained in Babylon thou wast a prisoner there but now thy time is out and therefore if thou stayest longer yet thou art not a prisoner but a dweller in Babylon Deliver thy self O Zio that dwellest in Babylon In which word the Prophet seems to put the Emphasis and strength of his exhortation And so indeed all Christians may be said to dwell willingly in sin and ignorance when truth being cleared unto them all scruples removed Adversaries objections answered fallacious shadows under a pretence of substantiall truths discovered yet to please men to maintain faction to uphold Schisme to carry on further their spight and malice against the Ministery they will live in errors grope in darkness follow blinde leaders dwell in Antichristiau practises and continue Members of such societies under a pretence of the house of God whose foundation is not unmoveable like Zions nor of materials taken out of the Scripture word or example of Christ or the next builders the Apostles And thus beloved having cleared my Doctrine and by four reasons shewed unto you why Zion must take all fair opportunities and use all lawfull means to deliver her self from Babylon and from those practises and errours which are Babylonish or any way Antichristian I come to use and Application wherein I shall spend more time than in the explication and inlarge my poor and weak indeavours for your better instruction and information concerning these two chief terms in my text Zion and Babylon 1. Vse Is it so that Zion must separate and deliver her self from Babylon Then my first use shall be of search and inquiry into Zion and into Babylon For how can Gods people deliver themselves from Babylon if they be ignorant of the
slighted It is not my custom in this place to particularize any mans defects and errours neither would I have done it now had not my Text called upon me to surround the bounds of Zion and Babylon and to shew you what is the truth taught and professed in Zion and what is Babylonish and Antichristian and to answer those Propositions of Mr. Nichols affirming our Parochial Churches Babylonish and his own to be Zion and the house of God And as he hath gone about to brand us with an infamous Babylonish title thereby thinking to draw yet more of you to his separation I cannot in conscience discharge my duty to God and your Souls unless I vindicate our Churches and shew yet more Babylonish and Antichristâ—â—n practises and untruths in his Congregation whereby it may be Charactâ—rized unto you not to be the house of God nor the Pillar and Ground of Truth 2. Errour A second errour and untruth practized in Mr. Nichols his Congregation is in the administring the Sacrament of the Lords Supper at which Mr. Nichols allows a Lay-man or gifted brother to make a prayer at the setting apart those empty Elements for a Sacramental use to the Soul Which how contrary it is to the truth of the word and the example of Iesus Christ when first he instituted that Sacrament under the Elements of Bread and Wine I shall leave you to judge from what St. Luke relates of the last Supper in these words saying He took bread and gave thanks and brake it and gave unto them Luke 22. vers 19. and from St. Paul saying when he had given thanks he brake it 1 Cor. 11. vers 24. from which places I gather that though Christ had present about him his Apostles Brethren though then weak more able and gifted than are any of Mr. Nichols his Congregation yet Christ suffered none of them at that time to pray or give thanks but himself did it Secondly that prayer and thanksgiving at that time belongs to him and ought to be performed by him who breaks the bread and by no other that hath the power of the Keyes by lawfull Ordination which Mr. Nichols his Farmeâ—s and Millers have not And thirdly that without Mr. Nichols can clear his Ordination better than he hath done fâ—om the peoples Election of him the Administration of that Sacrament belongs to him but his abuse rather of so sacred a Mystery will one day lie with the heavy weight of Sacriledge upon his Soul 3. Errour A third errour and untruth practized by him is in the manner of his gatherinâ— his Church and building it up upon other mens foundations quite contrary to the practise and example of St. Paul who saith of himself So have I strived to preach the Gospel not where Câ—â—ist was namâ—d least I should build upon another mans foundation Rom. 15. vers 20. from whence I observe that St Paul strived not as Mr. Nichols strives Paul judged charitably of other mens preaching Mr. Nichols judgeth uncharitably of ours Paul judged others able to build up a Spiritual house to Christ Mr. Nichols judgeth us unable Pâ—ul judged that Christ was named and called upon in other Churches as well as in his own Mr. Nichols judgeth our Churches Babylonish and our people congregâ—ted not to name nor call upon Christ as if we called upon Angels Saints or some Heathenish Gods Paul though there were divisions among the Corinthians and some were for him some for Apollo and some for Ceâ—has widens not the wound of their division nor goes about to draw any from Apollo or any from Cephas Mr. Nichols makes our divisions his advantage to draw whom he can from our Churches Paul would not build upon another mans foundation Mr. Nichols builds upon ours and admits to his Congregation such as have acknowledged comfort to their Souls from the work of the publick Ministery as by experience I can speak of some who before Mr. Nichols resorted to or intruded himself into Deal acknowledged my Doctrine true sound wholesom and comfortable who since are become stones in Mr. Nichols his new building And thus it appears that his practise is not agreable to the true and peaceable practise of the Apostles especially of Paul 4. Errour A fourth errour practized by him is the unsetled place of his Church contrary to the Constitution of the first Primitive Churches which were known and named by the places as the Church at Ierusalem the Church at Antioch the Church at Ephesus the Church at Corinth and the like to which Paul directed his Epistles by the names of the place but were he to write to Mr. Nichols his Church he could not call it by any one place as the Church at Adisham where Mr. Nichols lives there being more of his Church many miles off in other places flying about on the Sabbath dayes or Trouping about on Hors-back on those dayes to hear him than there are present with him at Adisham But the Letters must be directed to Mr. Nichols his scattered Church at Adisham or elsewhere or to the flying and wandring or Trouping Church from one place to another which is most proper to it or to the church in Kent sometimes here and sometimes there all which is against the Constitution of the Primitive Churches setled in and named by some one certain and determinate place This practise is taken from the Church of Rome and therefore is Babylonish where in my time beyond the Seas I observed people for their pretended devotions much flying and wandring about either to places of Pilgrimage or upon the Sabbath dayes travelling five or six miles from their Parishes to such or such a Chappel to such or such a Cloister of Friars or Colledge of Jesuites under a pretence of gaining Indulgences by hearing Mass or Sermon in such a place and of such a Father And this hath been the Common practise of the Jesuites to draw the people there from the Parish Priests to perswade them that their Doctrine is soundest their lives purest whereas the Friars and the Parish Priests say they are of lewd and wicked Conversations and their Doctrine unprofitable and to this purpose they press to the people many Indulgences which they have obtained from the Pope for all such as shall hear their Doctrine and shall resort to their Churches and Chappels which now is more particularly practized by the Jesuites at Paris By whsch policy the Parish Churches there are very much deserted few people resort unto them and the Parish Priests are left to preach to the bare Walls and to some few old silly Women This policy if not under a pretence of Mass and Indulgences at least under a pretence of more pure Doctrine I have found to be much in Mr. Nichols whose people it seems have learned to run after him many miles upon the Sabbath dayes forsaking their Parish meetings as unprofitable to them and judging the day ill spent their Souls unedified except they hear him and no
which were these three Propositions sent unto me by Mr. Nichols viz. 1. Parochial-Churches are Babylonish-Churches 2. We i.e. The Church I serve in Christ are the house of God 3. Officiating Parish-Ministers are Babylonish Against the two first I propounded those Arguments which in my Sermon thou mayest peruse the answers were such as I do there also faithfully relate True it is I confess I have added more than was spoken upon the day of our Dispute yea more Reasons and Arguments than that day were handled the time being short for the better inlarging my judgement and for the better instructing my people in points of so high a nature Of the Dispute I shall give thee no further account than what I give in my Sermon which took up three Sabbath-dayes work and I have conceived it might seem too much pressing the Press with the same Relation twice What in my Sermons I relate concerning the Arguments Objected and the Answers of Mr. Nichols I have indeavoured to relate with a clear Conscience as to the full substance judging my self not bound to relate in particular every flying word in heat of Argument from him and from my self which would be hard to perform or remember and to this purpose that my Arguments may see the light and the World may judge whither the Answers be satisfactory or not so that in case they shall appear too slight and light Mr. Nichols may reply again in publick to all the particulars objected in my Sermon against him All which that I might perform more faithfully I have intreated the Censures of three or four able Divines who were present at the Dispute who having perused my writings before I sent them to the Press have judged them to contain nothing false as contrary to the reality and truth of the Arguments and Answers upon the day of our publick meeting and Dispute I leave thee therefore Gentle Reader to peruse this my small labour I commend the Cause as of great moment to thy consideration Weigh well the matter judge of our Reasons Answers and the Replies without partiality Let thine upright heart affect as thy right knowledge in every thing shall settle thy judgement convince thy conscience I leave every one to their own liking approve or disallow do their own will so will men in these dayes I am one in my self to them indifferent Let truth prevail and God receive glorie and his Zion prosper Amen Farewell From my study at upper Deal in Kent March 12. 1653. Upon the occasion of this Work and the Authour my Reverend Friend Mr. THOMAS GAGE THe World grown old and sick sleeps ill her head With dreams and fancies is disquieted Whom busie Sathan restlesly doth ply With meats corrupt to fâ—ed her malady Her maker means her good and still doe's raise Physicians wife and learned in his wayes To cure her sad distemper At whose Art Hell frowns and Lucifer to take his part Spawns forth a brood of Empericks whose skill Labour 's to stop the Cure and keep her ill To which intent thâ—y studie to disgrace Those Reverend Artists and their work deface With Obloquies to whom as may appear The Crazie World give 's too attentive ear The great Iâ—hovah heare's and see 's their drift And how they thrive and seasonably does lift His servants hearts and Spirits up withall To give the cunning Cheats a fatall fall In their discovery Here 's one â—a's cas'd A subtil Fox and that we may distaste His guilded Cates which outwardly seem fair But open'd offer nought but winde and air With Arguments of solid worth and weight Ha's Gag'd the hidden depths of his deceit William Stanley ZECHARIAH 2. Verse 7. Deliver thy self O Zion that dwellest with the Daughter of Babylon PRovidence dearly Beloved in the Lord hath fitly pointed out unto me this portion of Holy Writ in a seasonable time you having seen and beheld this week past in this very place a great difference and strugling of Judgements concerning Babylon and Zion Behold therefore two Nations two manner of people strugling in the bowels of this Text Iacob and Esau Zion and Babylon Yea further behold how this strife and strugling disquiets the bowels of this Nation which now lies groaning in its throws and pangs in its agony and bloudy sweat while two differing parties pretending both to be the Zion of God cry to be delivered from both practises and errours of wicked and cursed Babylon Oh that we might fall into a devout agony and penitent sweat Oh if we cannot sweat bloud that we might sweat tears Oh that every pore of our body might be a weeping eye a crying a praying mouth to beg a safe delivery for our labouring Mother who travails in the anguish of her spirit God formerly comforted Rebekah in the like case to ours at present when Genes 25. vers 23. The Lord said unto her two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels Oh that the like comfort may be afforded unto us from the God of all comfort Let it be our hearty and earnest prayer that either Babylon may be separated and expelled out of the bowels of Zion or Zion delivered out of Babylon Oh let us blow off the ashes from our Zeal let us inflame our hearts with sad but fervent devotion Sure if as Heraclitus dreamed our Soul were but an exhalation the heat of our devotion would melt it into one indivisible tear Our Soul would be its own tear and we might well weep out our eyes and Souls together in these dayes of strife and strugling In the words you may observe Zions bondage and Zions deliverance She was yet in the house of bondage like Galba's wit as â—uetonius well notes Ingenium Galbae male habitat She had but a foul habitation an ill feaâ— and worse Neighbours Zion that dwellest with the Daughter of Babylon She sits down by the Rivers of Babylon by the waters of strife by the Rivers of confusion as Bartholdus describes well Babâ—lon Civitas ista statum peccati significat ex qua est omnis confusio enough to make her weep as David saith Psal. 13â— vers 1. By the Rivers of Babylon there we sate down yea we wept But secondly we have here Gods Alarm to Zion for her deliverance the Prophet cries out Ho Ho in the verse before my Text Heus Hâ—us Divinum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heaâ—k Heark God himself sounds an Alarm So Ho O Zion Awake Awake Rouse up thy self out of thy secure pleasing dream Quicken thy Spirits Put on strength O Zion put forth thy strength use all possible means and diligence for thy deliverance Deliver thy sâ—lf O Zion The words of the Prophet present unto our serious consideration two things very observeable First That it is sometimes the hard Lot of Zion and the people of God to dwell with the Daughter of Babylon and among such whose Practises and Principles are Babylonish and Antichristian This point is so clear by our own
understanding to have been from Eli he ran unto him and said Here am I vers 5. To whom the Priest replying I called thee not ly down again Samuel had no sooner returned to his rest and shut his eyes but God gives him a second call And Samuel arose again and went to Eli and said Here am I for thou didst call me And he answered I called not my Son ly down again vers 6. The third time he went to his rest and it is observed in the 7. verse that Samuel did not know the Lord neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him But in the 8. verse The Lord called Samuel again the third time and he arose and went to Eli and said Here am I for thou didst call me And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the Childe And then Eli instructed him what he should do saying Go ly down and it shall be if he call thee that thou shalt say speak Lord for thy servant heareth vers 9. And so he did the fourth time that the Lord called him then he knew his call to be from Heaven and answered unto the Lord as the Priest had instructed him Now what from hence I observe is that God might the first time have spoken and revealed unto Samuel what he did after without three several returnings to the Priest telling him at the first It is not Eli that calleth thee but I but he would not as ancient Writers observe because God would have Samuel go the right way to work being young and not yet acquainted with lights and Revelations he would have him go to the Priest that he might instruct him what to do and that the Priest might judge of his light and calling A good example in Scripture for men in these times to know that if any must try and judge their lights their Revelations their calls and gifts they must not be the people but the Ministers And therefore Mr. Nichols surely is much deceived in giving to the people and slighting in the Ministers that which God would have Samuel acknowledge fitter for Eli to try and judge his call from Heaven than for the people But least it should be answered that this was the old Policy but the New Testament allows no such Doctrine nor respect or duty to Ministers more than to the Community of the faithfull I shall with the new Policy under the Gospel prove the like In the 8. of Acts Luke tells us what happened to the Eunuch who riding in his Chariot read that part of the Prophesie of Isaiah He was led as a sheep to the slaughter and as a Lamb dumb before the shearers so opened he not his mouth In the mean while The Angel of the Lord spake unto Philip saying Arise and go towards the South unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza vers 26. When Philip was come to the place Then the Spirit said unto him Go near and joyn thy self to this Chariot and Philip came thither to him and heard him read the Prophet Isaias and said understandest tâ—ou what thou readest And he said How can I except some mâ—n should guide me And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him vers 29 30 31. Philip answered his desire and went up to the Chariot and taking occasion of the Prophecy he was reading instructed him so far iâ— the Mysteries belonging unto Iesus Christ that he truely believed and was baptized I observe also from hence what hidden Mystery may be here that the Angel who instructed Philip what he should do and observe is not allowed by Gods permissiâ—n to instruct the Eunuch in the points of faith but Philip a Church Officer must do it And the very same may be observed in the History which Luke also relates Act. 10. of Cornelius the Centurion a Religious man given to prayer and Alms-deeds yet wanting more instruction in the Mysteries of the Faith of Iesus Christ to whom God sends an Angel vers 5 6. who said unto him Send men to Joppa and call for one Simon a Tanner he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do Why might not this Angel also who spake to Cornelius or some of the Community of the faithfull thereabouts if they had the power of the Keyes instruct Corneâ—ius while he stayes sor the coming of the Apostle but Peter an Officer of the Church must do it he must instruct guide and convert him Austin his answer is that God would teach us herein that he hath not appointed us Angels for our Instructers Masters and Leaders nor any other to tell us of lights Revâ—lations gifts and callings but hath left us Officers of his Church to do this work and farâ—her that so far we are to believe Angels if they should speak unto us as here to Cornelius and such lights as they should reveal unto us as they may be examined tried judged whither they be true â—ights or strong delusions from Sathan who often times transfigures himself into an Angel of light by such as Philip was as Peter was by Officers of the Church and true Ministers of the Gospel to whom and to no other Christ hath committed the power of the Keyes Yet further Aâ—stin observes from Act. 9. what Christ himself answered Saul vers 6. when he said Lord â—hat wilt thou have me to do And the Lord said unto him Arise and go into the Citie and it shall be told thee what thou must do Who must tell Saul what he must do who must try examine and judge of his calling who must instruct him who can instruct him better than Christ himself who is talking with him Yet Ananias a Church-Officer in the judgement of many very grave Divines must do it To him he is sent but not to the whole Community of the faithfull to judge of the light which compassed him about in the way to Damascus to examine the Revelation he had there Nay Christ would remit him to his Officer in his Church to shew that this is the ordinary way of Government by himself left to his Church that not the people but his Ministers by virtue of the power of the Keyes shall try and examine gifts and callings and such as they finde true by the Touch stone of the word to allow and admit such into the Church and to 〈◊〉 belonging to Church Government And without this trial by Church Officers and Ministers I cannot safely judge Mr. Nichols a true Pastour of a Church while preferring the people before the Ministers and taking orders from them he slights the ordinary way of Christ for Church Government and those Officers whom God hath shewed us to be respected And thus beloved I have shewed unto you the first errour and untruth meerly Antichristian practised in Mr. Nichols his Church which he calls Gods house which cannot be Gods house being the Pillar and Ground of the Truth and yet there the Truth of Ordination according to the Scripture is