them ashamed first of all they have done contrary unto the true way of Gods worship They shall shame themselves for this or God will cast shame upon them He will humble them for all their abhominations before He will reveale to them the right way of the service of His house And therefore it may be God will not use those Ministers how choice soever are their parts who departed from God when there was a generall departure of the Nation for why may it not be now as once God threatned when Israell dâ—d depart from Him to false worship That they should beare their iniquities they might be imployed in meane services but they should not Come neare Him The Lord had listed up His hand against them And it may be feared the Lord may doe so against some Ministers now adayes How ever except there be extraordinary repentance and taking shame unto themselves The Lord may remember what they have done when Israell departed from God and what their complaints were and what little use and improovement they have made of the blessed liberties they have had since to order matters in their Lords house full-up to what He hath commanded In the next place Secondly They that know whose spokesmen they are in whose stead they stand have learnt Christ and can teach Him useing great boldnes and liberty of speech They are as the Officers of a great Prince going before Him to praepare a way for Him and will make bold to strike and to scatter those unruly throngs of men who presse too neare upon His sacred preson They will boldly smite with the rod of His mouth they will cry aloude and not spare they will as he saith pull downe mountainous lusts subdue strong holds They will in the strength of God that is the scope and end of their Ministery bring low every mountaine and hill make the crooked straight and the rough smooth This in desire and endeavour they doe And if any shew themselves stout against against God making their browes brasse These will set their faces as flint against all these for so God hath commanded and so doth the law of their Relation command Thirdly They doe all things in right order and according to their patterne they proclaime war first with mens lusts comeing as with a sword in their hand and fire in their mouth against them and so make roome for peace in the hearts of men which passeth all understanding But they will make them know first they are enemies to this peace while they are enemies to holinesse and friend with themselves and their sins These that understand their Commission the power of Christ they are invested with together with the law of their Relation will assure them that they must cast hell upon their sins or upon their soules If they will continue to be workers of iniquitie they will hold-on to worke out their damnation to the utmost Fourthly They that preach as men that know the law of their Relation find not one principle of holinesse no not one thorough the whole booke of God which is peaceable Indeed all tends to peace at last but intends warre at first What may be found among the principles of Infant Baptisme they know not nor will they seeke to know They will goe by Scripture-rule which assureth them if they please men mens lusts they cannot please God Fifthly These searching and reprooveing Ministers these profit the hearers and doe their soules good these and onely these whereas a partiall unsearching and un-reprooveing Minister to use that learned mans words is one of Gods curses against a place the forerunner of a finall and fearefull visitation Hos 9. â— The dayes of visitation and recompence come saith the Lord the Prophet is a foole the spirituall man is mad for the multitude of iniquitie and the great hatred If a man Mich. 2. 11. walking in the Spirit and falshood that is professing the worke of a spirituall man and yet betraying His Office or in a false and lying Spirit prophecying of wine and strong drinke that is cherishing and encourageing sensuall Livers in their pernicious courses He shall even be the Prophet of this people Thus in all ages and never more apparently thus than now in our dayes hath the Lord punished with an extreame revenge the Rebellion of a people against His Gospell Sixthly They that will preach the Truth as it is in Jesus as their love of Christ and law of their Relation constraineth them shall find Luthers words true That this preaching will derive the hatred of the world against them They shall stand as a Marke for all the world with the god thereof to shute against Therefore for something hath been spoken this way already and more may be spoken anon In the last place Seventhly These are and there is more than need they should be so above the world They are dwellers in heaven Christ in them by His Spirit they in Him by their faith they feele the law of their Relation working as strongly in them as the law of sin in their enemies and so they can as was said of Luther beare the hatred and shocke the rage and violence of the whole world they have a backe of steele and underneath everlasting Armes they cannot be greatly mooved never remooved from their Anchor-hold We proceed § 3 The law of the Relation written upon a Ministers heart is marvailously prevailing to regulate his practise before his people and within Gods house First His practice will be humble and meeke so he will walke with his God and before His people The Godly wise A lifted-up spirit in any man the greatest closer of the heart against the truth of God Dr. Owen of Jol. 72. will never thinke him to be a man of God if he be proud and haughtie It was a distinguishing Character that Beda gives whereby to know a man of God and that he will preach to the people the preaching of God If he be a man of God follow him saith he of Augustine that counterfeit Saint And Englands faigned Apostle But how shall we know said the people whether he be a man of God or no Beda answered If he be gentle and lowly of heart he carryeth the yoake of the Lord and will offer unto you to carry the same yoake but if he be disdainfull and proud then it is certaine he is not of God nor hath heard Gods word nor can endure His yoake and little good service can he doe A proud person being like a gouty hand or swelled Arme which troubleth the body doth it no service Surely a true servant of Christ is as like his Lord and Master as can be lowly and meeke for he remembers still that for His sake and to teach him He stooped as low as the feete and washed them and a little while after became a Worme and no Man humbled Himselfe and became obedient unto the death even the Death of the Crosse Secondly As he
then whether a Minister of Christ ought not contend with the observers of that heathen-Feast as Nehemiah did with the Nobles prophaning the Sabbath day at least by conniving at those who did 13. 17. we take it that such cleared Truths as these and those relating to formes of prayer are not to be put to question or if they be we are not as we conceive to be carefull to answer in these matters we are not to deliberate upon them They that will put these things to question may feare to be delivered-up into a minde voyde of judgement And they that are resolved in these points and would resolve the gaine-sayers Let them looke into their 〈◊〉 For what hope have they of our ranke to prevaile with those who have withstood the Resolves from Gods word by the mouth of Gods faithfull Ministers They that contend for these matters are not weake ones but vaine and superstitious persons built-up high in their fleshly confidences so as your words can move with them no more than can a blast of winde move a tower of brasse or the waves a rocke In a word Let not us dispute Gods right but give it Him nor the lawes of His house but give our observation unto them nor the way of His people but walke we therein and with so right a foote in desire and endeavour that we may put a beauty upon the way and so adorne it that we may draw others to it to walke together with us as Friends in it having concluded within themselves making observation by our walke This is the way of Holinesse for see how Holily they walke who are walkers in it Onely take this with it more suspect that at the least to be a cursed liberty the worldly Church contends for and reckon upon that to be the Holy way they would stand up against contradicting and blaspheming In the second place Let us pray God make us Learned to the Kingdome of God That we may humble all our knowledge to the obedience of Faith God grant to all his people the Spirit of wisedome and understanding That they may be able to discerne the Spirits whether they are of God or no. That they may take heed of false Prophets and give eare to the voyce of the Prince of Pastors and fly the voyce of strangers and beware of blinde Guides that so often have deceived them Amen § 7 Thirdly In the last place We will sett downe those foure savoury Speeches we before made mention of Mr Chillingworth speakes first what the goodnesse of the man was we know not but this speech is very good If I did not finde in my selfe a love and desire of all profitable Truth if I did not put away idlenesse and earthly affection and to search to the bottome of my opinions in reference to Divine matters being prepared in my mind to follow God and Him onely which way soever He shall leade me If I did not hope that I either doe or endeavour these things Certainly I should have little comfort in my separation from the world at present and little hope of obtaining salvation hereafter There is the first speech Mr H Sanders speech is next The power of godlines is first Pag. 175. to be heeded if we be nothing within no great matter though we sit at the right or the left hand of Christs outward Kingdome let us contend principally to be members of Christ to be of the invisible Church imbodied in the Church of the first-borne here we cannot easily be too carefull or too curious But as to externall fellowship though the mind of Christ in this also be to be sought and followed â—et so much earnestnesse and confidence needs not as in the other Vnlesse men take care how to live 't is not much matter how they worship Thou maist be this we take to our selves as chearefully and thankfully as this good man spake it to himselfe and his good people heartily in a purer Church than another and yet be the impurer and vainer soule of the two It is better to see a mans Conversation commending his way than to see men beholding to their way for their esteeme Mr Ant Palmers words follow An holy fellowship with Sermon upon Math 8. 23 24 25 26 27 p. 85. such as are Godly by frequent Conference communicating their experiences of God in a more holy Church-fellowship than the mixt Congregations are yet reduced into will abundantly quicken and strengthen faith and every gift and grace of beleevers and make much for the retaining and encrease of comfort Dr Owens words follow and therewith we will close all You On Ezek. 17. 24. p. 32. that doe enjoy Holy Ordinances Labour to have holy hearts answerable thereunto you have heavenly institutions labour to have heavenly Conversations if we be like the world in our walking it is no great matter if we be like the world in our worship it is sad walking contrary to God in His owne Paths shew-out the power and efficacie of all Gospell Institutions in a frame of Spirit course of life and equability of spirituall temper all your dayes Keepe up the power of private worship both personall and family I have seene many good Lawes for the Sabbath and hope I shall see some good examples Looke what the roots are in the family such will the fruit be in the Church and Common-wealth if your spirits are not well manured there you will be utterly barren elsewhere that is done most cleareto God which is done within dores This being set home by the Spirit of holinesse will keepe our foote close-up to wisedomes wayes which are pleasantnes and all her paths peace and tends to that Blessed End that hath no End Eternall life Excellent Bradfords good Counsell and prayer shall put a close to all Molest not the good Spirit of God which is given you as a gage of Eternall Redemption a Counsellour and Master to lead you into all truth which good Spirit I beseech the Father of mercies to give unto us all for His Deare Sonnes sake Jesus Christ our Lord To whom I Commend you all and to the word of His grace which is able to helpe you all that beleeve it follow it and serve God thereafter A Postscript THe Author humbly craves leave after he hath mentioned onely 1 Augustines short Apologie for his long work which will fit the Author very well speaking that in seaven Treatises which might have been spoken as one spake in so many pages if not in so many lines That he much disliked if not detested as his friend Nebridius did a short answer to a great question and would not that any should expect the like from him for then he would manifest his indignation against it And 2 what Justin Martyr spake of old to the old Heathen These things we offer to your Consideration If they seeme agreeable to true Reason and Scripture Truth accept and put an account upon them If they
wicked men passe for Beleevers having no faith and for Disciples who hate Discipline and for Saints who persecute holinesse If the law of your Relation be written in your hearts can this be Fifthly What meaneth then That this monstrous body we meane your Church hath so much glorie and favour in your eyes and the Church of Christ the true members thereof as in charitie you should judge so little That alone honourable with you this alone despicable so far as appeareth to mans eye you are every day washing the face of the one to make it looke goodly and faire before men and so to in-state it in and possesse it of glorious matters while you bewray the face of the other which must needs be while you wash the one not with dust as you may reade hereafter but with mire and dirt Surely ye could not doe so if the law of this Relation were writton on your hearts for thus ye and we read In whose eyes a vile person is contemned but he honoureth them that feare the Lord Well The Lord knowes who are His and He hath made some of them to know it that they are His for Him they serve And now they know That He loves them and to the end that hath no end He loveth them And now for mans love if they have it they thanke him for it if they have it not it matters little and troubles them lesse upon their owne score But this they know That upon whose heart soever this law of Relation is written this law of love is written also For every one that loveth Him That begat loveth Him also that is begotten of Him 1 Joh. 5. 1. Idem est motus animae ad finaginem rem saith Aristotle some where The love that beares up the soule to God beareth it also to the Image of God Qui amat-supra amat infra he that truely loves God above heartily loves his Brotheâ— beneath But see what it is to swallow downe the Principles of Infant Baptisme and to regulate all matters in the house of God according thereunto as some doe for it is to the men of that way and judgement we speake Sixthly If you have the law of your Relation written upon your hearts what meaneth then that you doe with your poore people sottish and brutish ones so contrary to this law In suffering them to take Sanctuary at the Ordinance of Baptisme thereby to shelter them from the wrath that is to come and while they live in their sinnes give them right and title to all Church-Administrations Surely surely they that feele the law of this Relation upon their hearts cannot doe so no not for a world can they doe it it were to make a poore ignorant people to beleeve a lie which we are assured is far from your purpose to doe But you know there is finis operis and operantis utter destruction of soules will be the end of this worke though it is not your end that are the workmen no the thought of it that you should destroy soules is an abhomination to you Let your worke as to this matter be an abhomination to you also You cannot in evill things and doiugs seperate the end from the meanes if the man will goe onn sinning his end will be perishing for ever as ye ought not in good things to seperate the meanes from the end if the end I drive to be eternall life the meanes must be taken that conduce thereunto Therefore by the mercies of God we beseech you and because of the terrour of the Lord His heavy wrath and displeasure dolefull and dreadfull punishments that must be the portion of all Stewards that feele not the law of their Relation written upon their hearts by the finger of God there and regard not to feele it we would perswade with you to Consider these matters what your doings have been and are how agreeable to the mind of your God rule of His word law of your Relation advise with one another about it and then speake your minds Having praemised these six things for tryall whether the law of your Relation be written upon your heart we proceed herein according to the proposed Method and first to shew CHAP. II. WHat an influence this law of Relation written in the heart by the finger of God hath upon the doctrine and practise of a Minister We will speake of him single for as it is with one it is with all who find that law as aforesaid and of his Doctrine first § 1 First He is his Lords Paranymph or spokesman he speakes a good word for Christ where ever he comes if it be seasonable thereby to make-up the match and betroth the soule unto Him He laboureth to come within the bosome of a sinner and grapple so powerfully with his spirit that He may take no nay at his hand and for the attaining this end and to make him see what need he hath of Christ He will lay open the lothsome nature of sin and let-in the terrour of the Lord upon the Conscience that the carelesse and rebellious sinner may come to a parley of peace and be content to take Christ upon His owne tearmes and take up the profession of the Truth and not stand at the Cost * This is Gods resolution to humble the soule so low till it can in truth and seriousness bid Christ welcome upon any conditions His mercy and the blood of His Son is so pretious and unvaluable that He will not cast-it away where no notice shall be taken of it but He will make the heâ—rt subscribe experimentally to that Truth of His. 1 Tim. 1. 15. D. Re. Tr p. 389. Though so doeing he must part with all he hath of His owne his dearest lust and all And here He discovers to the sinner as he can the cunning fetches of his cursed heart and hunts him out of his Muses that he may not cozen himselfe and sit downe with some reserved Delusion and goe no farther And this is the Lords way sure in whose stead he stands and therefore craves of Him dayly His eye-salve that he may stand in His counsell and walke in His way and doe that which he hath seene with his heavenly Father as He hath done and by His Word and Spirit still doth so doth he in His strength and by the directions of His Word Wee will insist upon this a little When ever the Lord brings any soule over to Himselfe He first hideth pride from his eyes Man every man borne into the world and growing up there is a stout rebell a stiffe-necked creature as his father is and as yeares adde Cubits to his stature so is there an addition made to his pride and rebellion as he growes-up he growes more like his father every day now so soone as the Lord God is pleased to deale with this man by His Word and Spirit He knocks downe this Monster pride for this beares-up mightily against the Word and Spirit
seeme toyes as such contemne them but doe not hostilely persecute them And 3 he would humbly offer to Consideration what Learned Mr William Jenkin hath for the clearing the two cheife Heads of Controversie here debated-on Admission of all Infants to Baptism And grown persons to the Lords Table In his exposition upon Jude second part pag. 274 275 276 277 278. After these three things as the Author was saying he humbly craves leave he may close his booke with the very words as Augustine closeth his of the City of God Videor mihi c. I thinke with my selfe I have by the supply of His Spirit done my Dutie and discharged the Debt I saw my selfe bound to pay to my Lord to His house and His people Now they that thinke I have said too little they also that thinke I have said too much Let both th' one and the other pardon me And they that thinke I have said enough Let them give the praise not to me I wholy disclaime it but to their's and my Lord God with me Amen And Observing Lod Vives in his Commentary speaking as properly take his words too If I have spoken that which pleaseth let the Reader thanke God in my behalfe if any thing that displeaseth let him pardon it for the Lord God's sake And for that which is well spoken let him pardon that which may be ill spoken though never so well meant The following words doe not fit this work nor this place for the Author cannot expect that from the Readers though never so Curteous which having neither time nor oportunity he could not possibly doe himselfe he meanes the Correcting the mistakes here which must be many when th' Author could at no time be advised with And to point to one or two mistaks where the sense may be mistaken by it were there leysure for it would little advantage the Reader for quid exempta juvat de pluribus vua The Reader readily grants that favour he himselfe may crave An Advertisement of certaine Bookes sold by Henry Cripps in Popes-head-Alley With a short Apologie of the Author premised why he is willing such publick notice should be given thereof TRUTH hath said it How can ye beleeve which receive honour one of another and seeke not the honour that cometh from God onely These words gave some check or discouragement at the first but after due consideration encouragement rather for if this be the Aime and End of publishing to the world these Books the seeking honour of men or loving the praise of men more than the praise of God If by these meanes it might be gained Then let the Lord God blast the work and the work-man Make him and it as the untimely fruit which withereth before the Sunne But if the work-man in all this hath through Grace Holy Aimes and pure ends The Glory of God and the good of his Neighbour in rendring the doctrine hereafter mentioned and the bare-mentioning thereof is enough to render it an abomination throughout the land which causeth desolation there Then let him and his work be blessed And let his God remember him concerning this also and spare him according to the greatnesse of His mercy Amen THE LORDS TABLE ought not to be spread like that in an Inne for all commers published that it might prove an Antidote against the spreading infection of that poysonfull doctrine That all are to be admitted to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper It being one of the most effectuall principall meanes for reall Conversion saith one next mentioned the other say the same thing though not in the same words held-out in three pernicious Pamphlets which eat as doth a Canker The one published by M William Prynne some yeares since called A vindication of foure serious Questions Th' other by Mr Humpheryes notorious all over the Nation The third by John Timson this last yeare after learned M Joh Collings would have forbad th' errour of the man which some may call his folly or madnes speaking in most pages of his said Pamphlet as a man that had deposed reason and so could speake cross to sacred Scripture right reason and the judgement of all the orthodox Ministers and people that ever were or now are in the world FOVR GRAND ENQVIRIES wherein the foundation whereon that bloody and damnable Doctrine aforesaid beareth is loosened viz. That all persons baptized into a Church are all holy and eo nomine have a right to all Church-Communions they and their children how abominable soever they are so be they are not suspended from not excommunicated out of the Church nor are children in yeares fooles or mad men LAW-POWER wherein we may see The Way of Holinesse paved forth before us and troden-in by all those Ministers and people who have felt the law of their Relation written in their hearts A TREATISE OF PRAYEY wherein two Questions are resolved touching formes of prayer both in the Negative That they are not good for the evill nor of any use for the good to teach them to pray And six touching the Lords prayer all in the Negative two onely are specified here 1 That the intendment of our Blessed Saviour was not that His Disciples then or now should pray in those very words 2 Nor is the repeating that prayer in the pulpit the Tessera of a Godly Minister because the hudling that prayer after the manner may shew the man not so serious as ridiculous in praying INFANT BAPTISM is not the priviledge of all Infants upon the bare account onely of their parents Baptism published together with the FOVR ENQVIRIES to prevent the evill may be taken-in from some unscripturall passages not becomming sound doctrine which the Reader may find in a Dialogue concerning the practicall use of Infant Baptism towards the end of the same composed by a learned Divine and as is meet to think orthodox pious and Godly in other points though in his zeal at this point it is conceived he hath erred with his pen not taking the Word of God for the Rule and Reason thereof CHRISMAS DAY no Holy Day published to prevent those heathen and raunting practises superstitious customes Abominable prophanesses in fashion at that time A MINISTERS DVTY to Declare against all precepts and practises contrary to sound Doctrine and practise of Christ Himself and all those He accounts faithfull putting them into the Ministery Wherein it is proved also That if a Minister will live peaceable and quiet among sinners he must suffer them to be at peace and quiet with their sinnes peaceablenesse of sinners being nothing else but impiety not opposed in themselves or by others for who ever is not opposed by the streame goeth with it and altogether who will to the Lords-Table A CHVRCH-COVENANT lawfull and needfull to be entred into by all that intend to walk in Church fellowship according to Gospel order The Authors Name is annexed to th' Epistle before these Treatises and the Reasons of making them so publick are given on the back-side of the generall Title page Direction to the Binder GEnerall Title Appeal Conference Infant Baptism Lords Table Christmas Formes of prayer Ministers duty four Grand Enquiries Law-power Covenant the Account and Exceptions may be stitched alone If altogether then Account before the Appeal and Exceptions after Infant Baptism FINIS