the wildernesse viz. it is written Psal. 33. 12. Blessed is the Nation whose God is the Lord c. this was spoken of the Jewes then the people of God Gen. 22. 18. In thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth bee blessed Gen. 18. 18. All the Nations of the earth shall be blessed in Abraham I know some will not be satisfied fully with these Texts of Scripture and I know their objections therefore I will produce some other although I know these are for the same purpose Another Scripture saith That Nations shall flow to thee viz. to Christ But let us see what the Lord saith by the mouth of his Prophet Esay chap. 55. ver. 5. these are the words Thou shalt call a Nation whom thou knowest not and Nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee viz. to Christ he did not mean that whole Nations should or would run to Christ singularly generall viz. not every particular man or woman should bee converted to Christ but that the Nation should in the more generall profession embrace the doctrine of Christ and many of them in truth of heart as the Jews did at that time when David the kingly Prophet spake those words now quoted out of the 33 Psalm aforesaid though there be many rebellious Corahs and other sinfull murmuring people and wicked transgressors amongst these as there was amongst those Jews as they were in the way to Canaan land the type of heaven And now me thinks this Monster is stopped in his aime and hopes I therefore now will proceed to another Point as I have proved it by Reason and Scripture that divisions in the divine exercises of our Religion is naught and dangerous to the state of Christians And also that it is a great happinesse to bee united together in a warrantable uniformity in the Divine ordinances of our Religion Now I come to prove more particularly what speciall decrees and ordinances the Apostles did ordain and appoint for the Churches of God in the Primitive time the better to accommodate them in a warrantable uniformity and thus I prove it Acts 15. 23. to 31 4â— compared with chap. 16. v. 4. In ver. 23. wee may see the Apostles and Elders and Brethren sent greeting to the Brethren in Antioch in Syria and Cilicia these were divers Churches And in ver. 29. you may see what the decrees were that they had decreed for them or at least what some of the decrees were the which were for all those Churches And in chap. 16. Paul and Silas going through the Cities delivered them the decrees for to keep that were ordained of the Apostles and Elders which were at Jerusalem Here wee may see that all those Cities had but one sort of decrees as is more then likely for the Apostles did ordain for Antioch Syria and Cilicia but one sort of necessary things as in ver. 28 29. of chap. 15. doth appeare plainly the which Paul and the rest delivered to those in Antioch as in ver. 30. appeareth and afterward they came to Syria and Cilicia as in ver. 41. you may see and those ordinances did much confirme the Churches as you may see in the last words of this 41. ver. aforesaid and in ver. 5. of chap. 6. also surely uniformity in the truth is a meanes of confirmation and unity of affection and in 1 Cor. 7. 17. Thus ordain I in all Churches in this place the Apostle resolves some questions to the Corinthians and putteth them and other Churches into one uniformity as is cleare by the words of the text viz. Thus ordain I in all Churches and so in 1 Cor. 16. 1 2. As I have given order to the Churches of Galatia even so doe yee there was a uniformity in providing for the poor Thus we may see the blessed Apostle did endeavour uniformity in all the Churches of God I wish the like practice were amongst us in these dayes viz. uniformity in godly wayes But some may demand a question if the Apostle did not sometime in some cases give leave to Christians in case of Conscience for want of true knowledge in some particulars to doe or not doe It 's true he did so but not in those things that were of any danger to the state of the Church or Churches for those that were weak in knowledge for the present that they might not sin against their conscience in eating of herbs by him that did think he might not eat flesh likewise to celebrate service to God upon some speciall day or dayes rather then in some other days provided that they did not doe it as having respect to the old types or shadows that did foreshew the comming of Christ the substance lest they either be intangled with justification by works or else in stead of relying on the true Christ already come should as the Jews do now look for a Jesus to come as hee is already come But this liberty the Apostle did not confirm to be as a law alwayes for them to rest on as not to seek for better assurance of knowledge therein for hee at that time did shew the very legs of that statue in these words viz. He that eateth herbes is weake and so said he of him that should bee opinionated about the observation of a day Not that which before was to be observed as a type Gal. 4. 10. but that we may set apart some days more especially then others for divine exercises for the Apostle had done so himself very likely setting apart the first day of the week as in 1 Cor. 16. 2. and as you may perceive by their usuall meeting upon the Lords day and other dayes so often spoken of in the Scriptures But what is all this to those things that are now in these our dayes so much pleaded for Alas those things were but flea-bitings to them that some would have now adayes shall we give way to such things as are so materiall as will ruinate the state of Christians God forbid the government of the Church is of a higher nature the Apostles did not give toleration in such great matters this is the staffe of Bands the which if it be broke I am sure the other staffe called Beauty wil soon be all to shivers If all that plead tendernesse of conscience may have liberty as they desire every one that is without grace will take up that plea Do you not think that a very varlet or peevish or perverse man out of a malignant disposition will plead liberty of conscience to act meer knavery surely yes I condemne not all but if men may bee allowed to plead and in pleading obtain liberty as they list you will hold them in no good duty To speak plain and short hee that hath been a professor of Christianity any competent time and yet is pleading for liberty of conscience against those things that common capacity can fathome is either a vain professor or else his
whatsoever without casting their sins in their teeth for in many things wee sin all The first Text quoted is Rom. 16. 17. Now I beseech you Brethren marke them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which yee have learned and avoid them for they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ but their own belly and by good words and faire speeches deceive the hearts of the simple The scope of these Texts is to prevent divisions in the Church of these Romans which in some was already begun and that division was in their not assembling themselves according to the Apostles institution and that in some pretence that all that Paul had taught was not an absolute truth for they divided contrary to the doctrine which they had received saith the Text for in some case a man may divide but he must have some warrantable cause but the end of this their division was not to serve Christ Jesus but their own bellies for so saith the Text and this must be done in or by some faire colourable demeanor viz. good words and fair speeches saith the Text but all this was but to deceive saith the Apostle and because they could not delude the wise therefore they would tamper with the ignorant for so saith the Text they deceive the hearts of the simple from hence I note also that these were false Teachers that did make this division for their own private gain viz. to suck from the poore silly people in way of pretence to teach them the truth for they did it to serve their belly You shal see more of them in some of the next Scriptures following The next Scripture quoted was 1 Cor 1. 10. Now I beseech you brethren by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that yee all speake the same thing and that there be no divisions among you but that you be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same judgment In this Scripture the Apostle perswades these Corinthians from division amongst the common hearers there chiefly at least and shewes some cause of it in them and that was for want of a mind and judgement well informed and therefore they did much contend with each other as in the 11 verse you may see And therefore they were partiall in respecting and affecting of their Teachers without just cause for those Preachers were so knowing that they did not differ in their judgements in those things they taught but this was their carnality in affecting the Preacher more for his wisdome in words and phrases c. rather then for the truth of matter as is very likely and cleare in the 17 verse for there hee saith he did not preach the Gospel with wisdome of words that is chiefly lest the Crosse of Christ should be made of none effect But by what hath been observed here chiefly for our purpose is that there ought to have been no divisions amongst them seeing there was no cause and in Chap. 3. ver. 3. he did also forbid divisions and tells them the reason of it viz. they were carnall and lookt upon their Teachers more then to Gods word and working by the Ministery of their Preachers as is to be seen in the fifth verse and truly I must note one thing more from the words of the third verse and that is this The reason why men have not their judgement better informed is because they doe not renounce their carnall corruptions for the more a man desiâ—eth to renounce his corruptions the better understanding he shall have in the Word of God Yee are carnall said hee But I passe to the two other Scriptures named for they are those which I doe most intend for my chiefe purpose The first of them is Heb. 10. 24 25. these are the words of the Text Not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is c. In this verse the Apostle pre-admonisheth them to beware that they bee not drawne away from their publick Assemblies in their godly exercises by the examples or enticing of some that had already forsaken them By the Apostles expression in this verse it seems those that did forsake did not shew forth any notorious evill ayme or end for the present wherefore they did forsake the assembling of themselves together with those that the Apostle here forewarneth therefore those might have some close colourable pretence which as yet did not breake out but some evill ayme they had for the Apostle noteth them and forewarneth the rest Selah Surely it was an evill in them for the Apostles Constitution was good in the government he had established amongst them it seemes here also that amongst the Church of God divisions are naught for the Apostle endeavours the contrary what ever the intent be of those that forsake and divide without some apparent and weighty cause The next place is 1 Cor. 12. 24 25 26. I will name but part of the first verse and then all the rest these are the words God hath tempered the body together having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked that there should bee no schisme in the body but that the members should have the same care one of another And whether one member suffer all the members suffer with it or one member be honoured all the members rejoyce with it the Apostle in these verses excellently alludeth to the body of a man to shew the constitution or frame of Christs mysticall body viz. his Church on earth that as the body of man consists of divers members so doth the Church of Christ and have their severall offices of care and good performances one unto the other and if any member suffer the residue are sensible of its wants of prosperity and if it bee well and healthfull the residue of the members of the body rejoyce with it because the honouring of one member is the honouring of the whole as a gold-ring on the finger is esteemed an ornament to the whole body c. Thus it is with the mysticall body of Christ saith the Apostle in ver. 27 28. they are to take care one of another as the corporall body of man the which it cannot doe if it bee divided member from member therefore saith the Apostle in ver. 24. God hath tempered the body together c. and in ver. 25. he tells us that the end of Gods joyning the members together thus is that there should be no Schism in the body but that the members should have the same care one of another thus it is with the mysticall body of Christ if the members be divided then is the body spirituall weakned and in great imperfection and danger especially if many members be either lame or quite divided from it Thus you see by all these Texts of holy Scriptures that Schismes Divisions and forsakings the Assemblies of Gods people in the onely way of Religious exercises is utterly forbid and the
Reasons in some particulars also rendred by the Apostle in the words of this 12 Chap. of 1 Cor. 24 25 26 verses Now next I am to perform three things which I have promised you before I come to the Goliah and his younger brethren and of these three things I will be briefe for I long untill I come to the main ones The first is to shew by Reasons That divisions in godly exercises of our Religion do occasion great inconveniences to the Church or children of God First it estrangeth and weakeneth their affections one towards the other this we have experience of enough already on both sides amongst us in these dayes I shall not need to use many words to cause you to conclude with me this truth for by our divisions in some points of doctrine and much more in the government of the Church and the severall ways that severall persons and Congregations steer the Church is divided or weakned in their affections Secondly by these divisions there is produced an evill opinion one of another whereupon one is jealous of the other lest the one do circumvent the other in his way which hee hath resolved to walke and rest in for all men in every way in Religion accounts his one way best and therefore thinks him not so good as himselfe that differs from his wayes whereupon upon smal occasions they wil be ready to flout and scoffe at each other and to fall at length to blows perhaps too Thirdly when our affections are so weake towards each other then Civill wars are apt to bee amongst us for every one will bee jealous lest the other would rob him of or divert him from that which hee accounts so precious in his own way of Religion Fourthly when wee be so much divided then wee are liable to be a prey to a common Enemy Fifthly by divisions in these kinds we are liable to have Teachers of divers errors to a farther confusion in Religion for the severall preachers of the Word of God that are Preachers to so many severall sorts of Sects will bee as strange to each other themselves so that they will not meet to conferre together about Religion or at least but few together because there are but few of many Sects that are of good ability in knowledge as Preachers and so they will bee the more unable to know and preach the truth to the people Sixthly there will bee little power in any to punish or restrain those that are to be restrained or punished because the State will bee so divided both in opinions and severall Companies in sum we shall be an absolute Babel The next in order which I promised you is the benefit or happinesse which we may attaine unto by a godly unity in affection I hope much need not to bee said of this for all people have experience of it unlesse fooles and little Infants c. but yet something of it I will note in particular First I will in summe conclude in this truth that the deprivation of inconveniences is an injoying of happinesse for if that which is evill bee taken away there remaineth that which is good and so saith Solomon in these words Take away the drosse from the silver and there remaineth a vessell for the refiner Wee shall then bee joyned in our affections to love each other the which will have joyned to it a good opinion of each other and this is in holy Scripture called the staffe of Beauty Neither shall we be so jealous of each other with an evill suspition nor fall to blowes nor jars nor Civill wars For then we shall be joyned together in one and be a staffe of Bands and being so wee shall the lesse feare a Common enemy then shall our Preachers meet advise and conferre together for to be the better able to teach us the truth yea they and we shall bee so amiable to each other as that they will bee incouraged to watch over us with joy and not with grief the which will be not unprofitable but profitable unto us then we may retain a power to restrain errors Heresies and stubbornnesse in evill In sum I say we shall not be a Babel of confusion but as a flock of doves or sheep by this blessed unity in godlinesse here in this world and attain everlasting blisse after this life ended in heaven with God and his holy Angels One point more I have to wade in before I come to the Hydra and his young ones And that is this viz. That a godly unity in affection is much forwarded by a lawfull uniformity in divine Ordinances I hope I shall not need to trouble my self nor the Readers hereof with many arguments to make this good seeing we now are taught it by wofull experience by the want of it but yet I will begin with an authentick Scripture and that is in matter of Religion for that is it which most occasions either unity if we well comply together or divisions if we dissent from others in it for we esteem that best which wee think will most advantage us for men do not usually strive much for chaffe or drosse but for wheat gold silver or pearles or such like things This Scripture is Heb. 10. 24 25. these are the words Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is but exhorting one another c. Let us said hee we who are not disunited in our way of our godly exercises of Religion provoke one another to love and good works as if hee should say Wee who are not divided from each other in our ways of godly exercises are not divided in our assemblies whereby we may be helpfull one to each other in provoking each other to love that is unity in affection and good works And that this is the true genuall sense of the verse it will appeare in the next verse where he dehorteth them from forsaking the assembling of themselves together as the manner of some then was In which words you may see that some having forsaken the uniformity in those godly exercises which these that are here exhorted did perform had forsaken their assemblies also and therefore had lost this good opportunity which these in ver. 24. had that is to say to provoke unto love and to good works you may know by experience that what one man disliketh in another doth cause so much the less love or liking in him towards that man in whom he imagineth something worthy of his dislike for the true proverb is Like loveth its like and the more they faile in their likenesse the lesse they love and this holdeth in every thing that is esteemed good and the more good the matter or thing is accounted by one party and disliked by the other the more will their affections of love bee abated especially in mankinde and much more
as some Expositors affirm and yet they denyed the resurrection from the dead therefore this is no true infallible signe neither Sixthly are you not as forward to corporall pride as the Presbyterialls too although I think you are not so sick of the fashions as some of the Presbyterialls are Seventhly are you not more obstinate in your way of separation after conviction then the Presbyterialls are I wish I could not justly complaine of this for I have knowne many when they have yeelded in many chief things in their way of separation and yet would go on still in their way of divisions so that with you is wilfull obstinacy also I doe not speak this to excuse the Presbyterialls from many sins no I blame our selves exceedingly too But this is the maine thing which I aime at to beat downe men from esteeming of themselves above that which they are And thus much for this point also Some have such shallow-heads and gnats about their eares I think their hearts be dead where is their hopes their feares Now farther you say that many of our side are ignorant in the Word of God and live loosly in their conversations It is true they doe so and you say they be proud and scornfull in their carriage to their inferiours and think to have others to stoop to them because of their gay-cloaths and big looks they having many of them much of this worlds good but yet they have little or no vertue in them the which is that which is worthy of the true respect and not a bare title In this I will not dissent from you but will conclude that a wise man will not much respect any thing that is but an adjunct of a man and is no part of the man for Dives was gay and had this worlds goods but yet he was not any whit the better esteemed of God but hell must be the place of such a one but yet these with us may have some saving grace in them for you must endevour to distinguish degrees of good and evill otherwise you will never bee able to make a true conclusion And truly this is a great reason for me to conclude that your Leaders are either ignorant of these things or else they keep you blinde on purpose that so you may remaine Separatists still You may know that those that have this worlds goods are lyable to many temptations which other inferiour people are more free from and though they themselves fail as much another way perhaps too Have you never seen a man that being holden in from occasions of temptations by being in a mean estate and thereby afflicted who afterwards having been raised to a greater estate was more vaine then those whom hee before counted wicked see how good David failed in godlinesse when great temptations encountred him as being at rest in his kingdom of wealth walking and solacing himself upon his house top and having such an object of carnall delight and that sin did occasion another as great O that was a great one indeed for having faln into the sinne of adultery and thereby being lyable to disgrace he thought to cover it by using policy and yet that policy must neverthelesse goe somewhat neare him too but yet he thought having such an occasion to hazard Vriah in battail it would be the more tolerable and therefore hee adventured upon the cutting off of Vriah that so he might take her to be his wife to cover the sin from being known To be short they are more lyable to carnality and vanity then many other men are although they have saving grace in them But what is all this for the Point we stand for viz. the government of the Church I still stand for truth although abuses be for I know no outward accommodations will bestead us at the great and dreadfull day of judgment No strouts nor clouts nor words that swell That will bestead us then For I know well and doe you tell 'T is vertue maketh men And now in the next place I must note another thing which is prevalent in keeping men from renouncing an opinion once maintained by them though now convinced and that is the undergoing of some disgrace lest others doe deride them and truly my heart almost bleedeth to think of it for it is a great tryall indeed and especially if men have not a great measure of grace but yet I hope we do consider that God is to have his glory what ever we undergoe Let God be true and every man a lyer And I hope â—f the Presbyterialls be well admonished they will forbeare scoffing at those that shall come and joyn with us For as one once said so say I Are there not sins with us also yes surely in many things we sin all O that we could joyn together then might wee easily prevail of the Parliament wholsome Laws yea and Officers too to keep us in a more stricter way in godlinesse Now let us take some notice of such things as may whet our affections more specially to perform our duties severally First God is worthy of all honour and to have all glory ascribed to him yea all good is and ought to be ascribed to him for he is the totality of all things in him we live move and have our being and in him all things consist whose goodnesse doth appeare in his creating of us after his own Image in holinesse and righteousnesse and knowledge and other qualities in a fit degree for creatures to have resemblance of their Creator and to be blessed for evermore whose purity may be seen in his Law which he hath set to our view to behold his excellency in the which Moses the man of God admired with these words to the children of Israel What Nation is there under heaven that have Lawes so righteous as ye have And David saith thus of them to God Thy Law is very pure therefore thy servant loveth it And consider also how wee in the loines of our first Parents are falne from that happy estate of that blessed Creation and also what is due to us now by falling from God by our disobedience even everlasting damnation and torture and torment in hell for evermore Consider also the goodnesse of God in providing for us a remedy that we may not be subjects of torments in hell but be vessels of glory in heaven onely upon good and honest conditions faith in the merits of his Son our Saviour and requiâ—eth nothing of us but to walk honestly righteously and godly in this world according to those graces of his holy Spirit knocking at the doores of our hearts and bidding us open yea that giveth us power and ability to open onely that we be not wanting in the not using those abilities which he doth give us but if we slight and neglect this second great mercy of his then must we be subjects of the greater torments in hel for evermore with dreadful Devils
themselves in the truth by the admonishing of themselves in the principles of Religion though not in things too high for their intellectuall faculties for that more chiefly is the publick Pastors duty And also in the accommodating themselves in these outward comforts of the things of this life And it is fit that their Preachers of Pastors should live amongst them also that so they may the better view and know the state of their severall floâ—ks that they may give them their meat in due season as they are able to digest it for some must have milk being babes and some at some times may be able to concoct and digest stronger meat and also that he may keep out wolves the better that would devour the flock and theeves that would rob them of their fleeces and especially in cold weather viz. when they cannot well spare it and that they may the better maintain their own Pastors or Teachers that so they may have a maintenance for themselves and their families and provide some portions for their children yea leave their wives some better maintenance after their death if they chance to survive them and not leave them in want to their grief and disgrace yea their Pastors or Teachers should have to give to those that want viz. to the Poore especially that so he may bee a good example to his flock and so be well incouraged to take care of his flock with joy and not with grief because that will be unprofitable for themselves viz. the flock Not like some that would have them live anywhere scattered abroad as sheep without a shepherd among them somewhat like some in some times whose Pastors would have them come from every quarter yea and to allure them to them from other their faithful watchers and feeders that are abler then themselves yea draw as many as they can get from all parts under pretence that their Pastors are not able to teach them truth nor that they are lawfully called to be Preachers of the gospel unto them and so discourage them in the Ministery of the gospel deprive them of a maintenance for their livelihood and their wives and children they thus occasioning such people with fair words and insinuations to approach too often as is said to their boles or basins or such like thing or some other thing in stead thereof which if this be and be permitted long time together they will as perhaps some of them hope ere long have as great sums of mony as some whom they have condemned for having too much And further what think you will become of the residue of the poor sheep left in all those parishes from whom these were thus allured they must starve for their Pastors or Teachers have not wherewith to live therefore if they stay there still many of them may starve and hunger you know is a sharp sauce surely they must leave the rest of the flock and then that remnant of the flock must starve for want of spirituall food and this wil occasion them to be more wicked to the dishonour of God and their own damnation and the perverting of the whole kingdome Judge now if this way of the Separatists be not a dangerous way thus dividing without just cause doubtlesse this is a sin that will be closely laid to their charge that are the workers of it therefore if you will doe it still cause them then to allow to their own Pastors that are able and honest in some competent degree their own maintenance and this you may easily do by not suffering them to follow you or be of your company unlesse they will doe this their duties to their own Pastors or Teachers that so you may not be thought to have silver coloured fingers and golden coloured hearts But me thinks I spy a monster now appearing arising out of the bottomlesse pit with a foxes head and a crocodiles heart its heart had a dark superscription on it hard to be read but that God gives some some ability in times of great danger to discern it but looking wishfully upon it I discerned it to bee anagrammatticall and then I knew how to read it the word was as I had put the letters in their due place Covetousnesse As for his head I did read presently what that did portend or foreshew I knew there must be subtlety I bethought my selfe of this mysterie and thus interpreted it summarily This Monsters heart whose name is Covetousnesse in the mystery doth imploy his foxes head to prevent this fair accommodation of the Church which I am now working with my pen and me thought he presented to me an objection to prevent my diverting of him of his ungodly and kingdom-destroying gain and that was this as followeth viz. you cannot prove that there is any promise that a Nationall Church is to be anywhere at least not now under the gospel Upon this me thought I soon understood his head and the Anagram of his heart also and then I compared them together and easily and truly knew him to be one of Baalzebubs crew and from that conclusion I quickly drew another and that was this he that is this Monster under pretence of a more purified Church which I wish also but with a true heart in the sight of God would in pleading against a nationall Church overthrow parochiall Churches otherwise he could never have hopes to obtaine his desire Then I bethought of what I had before concluded concerning the Church of Christ what it doth consist of in the largest sense and that is this Those that make an open profession of faith to bee saved by the merits of Jesus Christ and declare it in the partaking of his ordinances and frame their lives accordingly viz. do not habitually act capital sins though it may sometimes fall out through more then ordinary temptation they be as it were overtaken now and then as David was sometime one way and others some another way These we are to esteeme the Church of God although perhaps they may not have grace in their hearts nor yet be saved But this is the rule that we ought to be guided by to esteem of a supposed member of Christs mysticall Body untill hee declareth the contrary by wicked words or more sinfull deeds for secret things doe belong to God onely and the strict knowledge of the heart is one of those secrets Thus when I had noted againe this point I then thought and was fully satisfied That Christ hath more members amongst us in most Parishes then this Monster did pretend although by reason he hath much hindered the setling of the government of the Church with us in the Presbyteriall way or at least very neare that way Many for want of a good discipline and laws to restrain vice be lame in their practise of godlines c. I then adventured as a Lion me thought to encounter this Monster and I took the way which my Saviour did in
cursed Tenet I told you that the last Monster as I thought did arise out of the bottomlesse pit from Baalzebub but I think this is that old Dragon himself neverthelesse I beleeve some honest people might be intangled in this error also because this hath been a time of difference in many things among the learned The first Scripture is Acts 21. 20. compared with ver. 24. In ver. 20. you may see that the Jewes that were beleevers were zealous of the Law and in ver. 21. you may easily collect that they still observed the old Ceremonial rites and customes from which Paul did disswade them in teaching but in ver. 24. you may see it clearly that Paul observed the old morall Law still for there you may perceive that some had given a false information of Pauls not observing the Law as is very likely the which is by those Jewes mentioned in this verse and confessed to be an untruth being now better informed for these are the words of the Text at the latter end of it All may know that these things whereof they were informed concerning thee are nothing but that then thy self also walkest orderly and keepest the Law Now Paul had alwayes preached down the Ceremoniall Law that were but types and figures of Christ c. therefore it was the Morall Law and truly why not to be observed by us under the Gospel as well as by the beleevers before Christs comming in the flesh provided we observe it but as those beleevers did for they used it but as a guide to live honestly by for Abraham Isaac and all the servants of God recorded in the Scriptures of truth are said to be justified by faith and therefore God commanded the Jewes that were beleevers in the promise of everlasting life by faith in Christ in the time of the Prophet Malachi to remember the Law of Moses which he had commanded in Horeb these are the words of that text Remember yee the law of Moses which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel c. Rom. 7. 14. We know the Law is spirituall saith the Apostle there viz. it is suitable to the pure Spirit of God by the which our Spirits should be qualified and guided to thoughts words and deeds and therefore in Matth. 5. 17 18. our Saviour Christ forbiddeth us to have so much as a thought that the Law or the Prophets should be destroyed but shall continue till all things be fulfilled and that will not be till heaven and earth be passed away c. Now that he meant the written Law in this Text is plaine for the words are Vntill heaven and earth passe the Law shall not passe But if hee had meant the Law onely written in the hearts of the godly darkly for so it is but darkly in the best then he would not have said till heaven and earth passe for the Law spirituall in the hearts of those that are to be saved shall be more perfect in them for evermore And beside to put you out of all doubt see 1 Cor. 9. 21. where Paul confesseth ingenuously That hee was then under the Law to Christ even then when hee was a beleever in Christ for salvation yea as in Rom. 7. 22. hee confessed hee did delight in the law of God after the inner man but even then there were some that did slander him in this very point as is more then likely as you may easily perceive in Rom. 3. 31. by his speech there as by way of vindication the words are these Doe we then make void the Law through faith God forbid yea we establish the Law thus you may see that he did not null the Moral Law by his preaching of faith nor yet by his beleeving it therefore O yee Antinomians detest your cursed Tenet for the best of us doe see our sins but dimly in our selves and although the more a man is sanctified the more hee can discerne the remnants of his sins in him yet he cannot see them all And you know the lesse a man is sanctified the darker he is in his judgement in the knowledge of sin to speak plainly thus we have all even the best of us need of a guide for God hath ordained outward meanes as well as inward for the edifying of his Saints And if we retain the Law for a looking-glasse to shew us our deformities and not to be justified by it what hurt then is there in the retaining it It is to us not a curse but a blessing but if we reject it and cast it off from using it I am sure we shall thereby procure not a blessing but a curse therefore beware lest you have unawares admitted of some Jesuiticall spirits I will note one thing more out of that in Mat. 5. 17. viz. that our Saviour joynes the Law and the Prophets together and saith That he was not come to destroy the Law or the Prophets why will you understand one of them in the spirituall sense onely and the other in the literall onely for I hope you will all conclude that he spake of the Prophets in the literall sense that their prophesies that are written shall last no longer then the end of the world therefore it is the Law also that is written that our Saviour meant and not the Law written in the hearts of his children and I hope that in 1 Cor. 9. 21. and also that in Rom. 7. 22. will fully satisfie any honest man that is capable of Babes meat but I feare they hold another dangerous Tenet which this latter cursed Tenet doth produce viz. God is not angry with his children though they act or commit such actions or deeds which God by his Morall Law hath forbid as adultery or fornication or theft or idolatry and the rest and consequently that a man needs not repent after any such vile actions To this I answer that God is angry with them when they so transgresse against him and also did usually afflict them sore see for this Deut. 9. 20. the Lord was angry with Aaron even to destroy him in making the golden Calf although he were occasioned therunto through fear of the peoples doing him some hurt this evill deed of Aaron you may see in Exod. 32. 21 22 23. 24 25. Deut. 4. 21 22. Moses said That the Lord was angry with him for their sakes for they occasioned him to be rash and unadvised in his words as in Psal. 106. 32 33. And hee smote the Rock in a rash anger and therefore God was angry with him Deut. 3. 26. 2 Chron. 19. 1. Therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord for my part I doe conclude with Saint Paul and say I am under the Law to Christ 1 Cor. 9. 21. for he in almost all his Epistles brings some of the Morall Law against them dehorting them from sins contained in it As for this Morall Law it brings to us no curse That Rule may still us awe
hands 5 He commands the Angels to transport soules out of Purgatory I hope you will say he is climed very high now 6 He even the Pope wears a Triple Crown signifying that he is the three-one-God and so much the Apostle saith of him in 2 Thess. 2. in some of the former verses That he should sit in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God And now according as I have collected out of History I wil note the horoscope of his Nativity and thus I begin it This Popery was conceived in the Apostles time as in 2 Thess. 2. is shewed 2 It was quickned in the time of Victor 3 It did stir more powerfully under Stephanus and Cornelius Bishops of Rome 4 More under Damasus and others following 5 It moved more strongly in the time neare its birth under Leo the first 6 It was born and brought to the view of the world by Boniface the third upon whom the title of Universall Bishop was conferred by Phocas the Emperor 7 It came to its height and ripenesse in the time of Hildebrand in whom Antichrist was visible France and Germany espyed it then and Greece Syria Africa and Aethiopia hath disclaimed his power as Antichristian I will adde one people more in particular that have and doe now see him to bee Antichrist and child of the Devill and those are we in England now those that have seen him in these colours may well if they have any saving grace in them know and beleeve that both the Independents so many as are sincere hearted and wee the Presbyterialists have great cause to be jealous of his wiles and fear lest he get footing again with us in England I hope in this we shall all be joyned in uniformity But now in order I come to note another great hinderance of many of the Sectaries joyning in a uniformity in this Presbyteriall government and that is this viz. They have a feare lest we should have some want of Laws to punish those that shall hap to be Idolaters amongst us for if so then the sheep that as yet have not the scab will soon bee Itchy and be spoyled too for say they the true Proverbe is That one scabbed sheep will spoile the whole flock it 's true so I am not against you in this neither because you have the Word of God for your direction to this conclusion both commands and the reasons for it too and examples of the inconveniences that have followed the neglecting of the putting in execution those good laws that God hath commanded us to use against Idolaters to prevent this so great a mischief yet now I hope we shall have care taken by the Parliament for this matter too and we have some experience of it already Let us now see what it is that God hath commanded in this case and then we willl endevour to make a true conclusion from the Word of God for he is no honest man that will refuse to be ruled and guided by that I will produce some Scripture for this point also and the first place is in Deut. 13. 6 7 8 9 10. where we may see that those that were occasioners of Idolatry in Israel were to bee put to death yea though it were a mans own child yet he must die for it and his parent must not conceal him but bring him out that he may die for it And the Parents hands must be first upon him to put him to death and a speciall Reason is rendred for it too in ver. 11. viz. All Israel shall hear and fear and doe no more such wickednesse pray see these Texts for I conclude it is a most hellish sin in any man to make a separation between God and his people thereby robbing God of his glory and his people of their salvation and in 2 Kings 23. you may read that Josiah did put to death the idolatrous Priests and Eliah did the like to the Priests of Baal as it is to be seen in 1 King 18. 40. and in Exod. 22 20. you may see Gods command is so there these are the words He that sacrificeth â—o any God save to the Lord only shall be slain Lâ—v 26. 30. yea the bones of Idolaters that were dead and lay in the mâ—numents were burnt 2 Kin. 23. 16. and the bodies of the idolatrous Kings must not lye near the place of Gods worship and service as you may see in Ezek. 43. 7. let us leave this a while to the Parliament to consider of thus you see that I am willing to yeeld to you in any thing that is certainly to be concluded on And thus much for this Point If nought but truth you will maintaine I strive to have the same If you the golden Truth would claime then I am for that name Now appeareth another point unto me ready for its taggs sent to me as from a messenger of heaven bemoaning and lamenting in the behalf of the Lords Prayer sanctified with his own lips And truly this almost affrighted me And I wondered what Beast amongst those in the Apocalyps mentioned this was that sent forth such a smoaking sulphurous favour At length I thought I had espyed two kinds of creatures and the one me thought was a subtle Jesuite in an honest mans habit who seeing an honest man willing and forward to run away from Rome and that they had but a weak judgment and therefore might run too farre hee therefore fluttering with the invented wings of either Dedalus or the wings of his son Iâ—arus beat the wind so close to their backs as they ran that they were too far gone of a sodain and were almost in the Red Sea before they were aware of it and were like to have been drowned in their own bloud And then I was well perswaded in my minde concerning this Beast and knew hee was one of Romes croaking Frogs But as for the other me thought he had some goodnesse in him indeed but yet hee had some malignity and peevishnesse in him against those that had abused the Formes of prayer before for there is some malignity in some of those that are in the most right way and so he helped forward this distemper I seeing thus where the distemper lay did resolve to walke in the middle way of truth that so I might guide the simple and settle him in the truth and send the croaking Frog to his home at Rome and thus I began to argue First that a Form of prayer of it selfe being the Word of God must needs be good Secondly that a man may pray to God in the words of that Form for though some doe but babble in a Form yet you may not conclude that all are babblers that use a Form for then you will condemn our Saviour for hee used a Form two or three times together a little before his death and the Psalms of David were penned for praises to God for some mercies before received and
was to charge some that were already the Preachers of the gospel that they should teach no other doctrine then that which they had received c. from the which some had already then swarved and turned aside to vaine janglings as many doe now amongst us in these dayes and in 2 Tim. 2. 14. you may read the like these are those words Charge them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit but to the subverting of the hearers these men to whom this charge was to be given by Timothy are those men that are deciphered in ver 2. of this Chapter that is to say to those that were already in the ministry of the Gospel this authority the Apostle sent to Timothy to exercise towards those Preachers and did not send it unto those Preachers directly this power to give the charge was seated in Timothy by the authority of the Apostle and truly if it may not bee somewhat like it now at the least in some degree we shall be in great danger to bee distorted upon all occasions though I can well wish that some choise men from among the people may bee joyned with them too in this superintendency for it will give the people great satisfaction from their feares of an unjust compulsion This one thing more I will note as the great cause of our distractions yea the greatest of all next the peoples sins in generall and that is the allowing of men and ordaining them to be Ministers of the Gospel before they were fitted for that great employment Alas I have seen some in the Pulpit that have thought a sentence in Latin would have given such a box on the eare that it would make an opposer of truth to have the staggers and if he brought in a phrase of Greek it must needs beat him to the earth but if hee produced some scraps of Hebrew that would beat him into the earth so deep as that he could never rise more untill the generall day of resurrection although the matter bee poore and unâ—ound Divinity and his method as bad I am not against the knowledge in the tongues and other Liberall Arts but honor the learning of the same but if they are not better grounded or at least as well in Divinity what should then the Pulpit doe with them Poore silly ignorant people come to learn matter wherby they may be saved and if the Teacher be not well grounded in Divinity how can hee defend the ignorant from sophisticall and knavish Foxes and devouring Wolves The next point which the Separatists pretend to be unwarrantable in our Ministers for to ordaine Preachers of the Gospel is That they are of the Popes order and receive their owne ordinations from him it being first and primarily received of him and therefore he being the maintainer of Idolatry from whom they had their ordination they cannot be the lawfull Preachers of the Word of God and therefore ought not to bee the ordainers of the Preachers of the Gospel This objection is like a Remora who turns his belly upward as is said opens his legs or some such parts of his body claspeth about this goodly Ship of ours viz the Church to the hindering of us from arriving pleasingly and safely to our heavenly Haven But I will knock him off thus first you cannot prove that if in case they have their ordination from the Pope the Pope at first was absolutely an Idolater but that he then held the fundamentalls of the true Gospel though he then was received as the universall head of those that subjected themselves unto him That this may appear a truth to you I pray you take a view of a Book called the Apology of the Protestants written about the time of the massacre in France dedicated to the King of Navarre in which you may see the Canons of the Pope and Popes at first and also those that had been made by succeeding Popes since untill that time and there you may observe that those Canons that were made by the former Popes are so much different from those that have been made since as that if he would hold himself to those first Canons of those first Popes hee must then renounce his Antichristianity and Idolatry and so joyn with us and walk together to heaven although it was a sin in him to assume that universall stile and power But secondly put case it had been so yet this makes little for you for if they see the evill that he persisted in and yet themselves hold the fundamentall truths of the Gospel of Christ though perhaps tainted in some particulars and so part from him to hold to Christ what is or may be objected against them for their so doing shal we condemn them for their forsaking the badnes of the Pope and adhering to the goodnes of the truth of Christ God forbid Nay I will say more in their behalf they have converted instrumentally many thousands to the true faith by their Ministery and built them up in it also which is a sign that they were true Ministers of the Gospel of Christ and thus much the Apostle avoucheth in these words in one of his Epistles 1 Cor. 9. 2. If I am not an Apostle to others yet doubtlesse I am unto you for the seale of our Apostleship are yee in the Lord c. It seems there were some such Jesuiticall tricks in some of his adversaries at that time who were subtle prevaricators or dangerous Sectaries from such cunning foxes and barking dogs good Lord deliver us I condemn not all there may be honest men but yet deluders must needs bee there And so much for this Point with this conclusion viz. Where we had one was bad before If this remain you 'l have a score Now seeing I have found out a Church according to the Rule the Apostle hath left us to esteeme and judge the Church by for secret things belong unto the Lord And also who are fittest to feed or to be the Preachers of the Word of God to it and who are to ordaine those that ought to be their Preachers at least chiefly and ordinarily with other Points as younger sisters to those chief Points Now it follows in the next place for me to view out a habitation for them viz. where it is fittest they should dwell or in what order manner or fit accommodation they should be in I shall be very briefe in this especially if I doe not meet with some ravening wolves in the way who perhaps will think that I am labouring to prevent them of their prey In brief thus they ought to live neare together both shepheard and sheep for conveniency that so in the first place they may have more familiar acquaintance one with the other thereby performing neighbourly duties each to other knowing thereby so much the better each others wants and accordingly accommodating themselves the better together in the more frequent exercise of edifying