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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77155	Zeale for Gods house quickned: or, A sermon preached before the assembly of Lords, Commons, and Divines, at their solemn fast Iuly 7. 1643. In the Abbey Church at Westminster. Expressing the eminencie of zeale requisite in church reformers: / by Oliver Bowles, Pator of Sutton in Bedfordshire. Published by order of both Houses of Parliament.	Bowles, Oliver, ca. 1577-1646?	1643 (1643)	Wing B3884; Thomason E63_6; ESTC R9592	34,766	57

while we are consulting Errors may enter so deeply that they may prove incurable Nor yet let it be done negligently first for that it is the Lords work to the negligent doing whereof belongs a curse secondly Ier. 48.10 in that it is to us of neare concernment all our wealth goes in this bottom thirdly for that many eyes are upon us from abroad both of friends who will praise God for what we doe well and of foes who watch for our balting 2 Our second suit to you is that when the Lawes of Christ for the due administration of his ordinances shall be discovered you would be pleased to account it your greatest honour to submit to them Christs government is the only liberty thraldome to your lusts is the only true bondage If you honour God he will honour you It is his Gospel that hath clothed you with scarlet put ornaments of gold upon you put every pretious stone in your garments Be not jealous as if Christs Government would eclypse your greatnesse Christs rule and your honours are not incompatible the Lord Jesus tells us his Kingdom is not of this world he commands that Caesar have his right It is the style of the spirit of God that calls you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dignities with respect to which the Schoole allowes that outward Pomp which Magistracy is honoured with Reges Principes quos in reverentia à subditis haberi oportet pretiosioribus vestibus ornentur ampliores habitationes possidear●t Aqu. 1. 2● qu. 102. and the same spirit mentions the pomp of Agrippa when hee came to sit in Judgement without dislike Acts 25.23 Secondly as it sets out the unspeakable good of a zealous Reformer and what a blessing such a one is so it points out to us what that is which of all other doth most unbeseeme a Reformer viz. the want of Zeale which will render such whom God hath called to this office most odious to him most abominable to men ages present will count themselves unfortunate in such ages to come will curse such the opportunities which God afforded them and which they for want of zeale have squandered away will rise up in judgement against them What might such have done if a spirit of zeal had eaten up their spirits they might have saved the Churches at home and abroad given Antichrist that blow that should have thrown him as a mill-stone into the middle of the sea delivered liberties lawes and inheritances to posterity saved City Countrey the lives of millions of men they might have finished the work they began all succeeding ages might have blessed God for them their owne works have praised them in the gate Now if zeale be wanting they will undoe all the Churches of Christ as much as in them lies they will uphold tottering Babylon destroy flourishing England deliver up their posterity to absolute slavery make themselves the monuments of shame and ignominy to all that know or shall heare of them Oh tell it not in Gath publish it not in the streets of Askelon c. Must it not needs be so when so necessary a correquisite as zeale is wanting for what is a Reformer without zeale but as a body without a soule a Bee without a sting a souldier without his weapon a Bird without wings salt without savour Oh then you Noble Senators who are under God the Chariots and Horse-men of our Israel what ever you part withall part not with your zeale let this be your honour and crown and as a diadem upon your head that yet you be zealous for your Religion your Countrey your Lawes and Liberties shall you but remit your former zeale a spirit of lukewarmnesse which God forbid seize upon you sell truth for peace you will live and die without honour and render your selves and us the most miserable Nation under heaven Vse 3 Let me addresse my selfe to you Right Reverend and beloved in the Lord. Behold the Lord hath by a providence of his singled us out among our Brethren for this great worke in hand Both you and we all are desirous this day to lay our selves low before the Lord importunately to intreat his assistance that he would be pleased to magnifie his power in our weakenesse Hee might have made choyce of many of our Brethren every way as able if not more able then our selves but so is his pleasure and we dare not but be at his dispose The Lord can worke as well by the Oaten Pipe as by the Silver Trumpet Be then exhorted by him who reckons himselfe the meanest of you all and who in respect of his many infirmities might well have been dispensed withall be I say exhorted to cloath your selves out of respect to the worke in hand with zeale as with a cloak to fall upon the businesse you are designed to toto animi impetu you are called out to contend for the truth that was once given to the Saints which hath beene sealed with the bloud of Martyrs hath beene justified by the learned pennes and disputes of all the Worthies of this Kingdome without interruption for above this 80. yeeres but of late by a cunning ambitious and corrupt party we had almost beene cheated of it even of that truth which ought to be dearer then our lives Blessed be our God who hath given a turne and made a stop of their proceedings whose worke was as to put out the eyes of the people of the land by Ignorance so to have leavened them with Heterodox Opinions and were we not indeed gone almost as farre as Rome gates in a declining way Our worke is a noble work it is servare depositum to be Feoffees in trust for that saving truth that patterne of wholsome words which hath been derived to us as from the pure sountaine of Scripture so also by the Channell of purer Antiqui●y comes with Letters of commendation from the sufferings of Gods choysest servants such they were whom the world was not worthy of I beseech you in the bowels of Jesus Christ we may quit our selves like men doe our utmost that we may vindicate the truth of God from all the aspersions of evill-minded men cleere it from those ambiguities wherewith ungodly men have perplexed it and doe such further worke in worship and discipline as shall by God and Man be required of us What would our Ancestours those glorious lights of former times have given to have had such a price put into their hands as we unworthy ones at this time have May we not justly think that what opportunity we have is but the effect of the fervent prayers the many teares and sad sufferings of our sage and Reverend Predecessors that are now with the Lord Are there not already upon us in this worke for which we are assembled the eyes of our Brethren of the Reformed Churches as expecting the issue of this businesse Nay is not the whole Nation in expectancy of what this meeting will produce

ZEALE FOR GODS HOUSE QVICKNED OR A SERMON Preached before the Assembly of Lords Commons and Divines at their solemn Fast Iuly 7. 1643. In the Abbey Church at Westminster EXPRESSING The Eminencie of Zeale requisite in Church Reformers BY OLIVER BOWLES Pastor of Sutton in Bedfordshire It is good to be zealously affected alwayes in a good thing Gal. 4.18 Published by Order of both Houses of Parliament LONDON Printed by Richard Bishop for Samuel Gellibrand at the Brazen Serpent in Pauls Church-yard 1643. Die Iovis 27. Iulij 1643. IT is this day Ordered by the Lords in Parliament That Mr. Bowles hath hereby thanks given him for the great paines he took in the Sermon he made at the Fast for the Assembly of Divines in the Abbey Church Westminster on Friday the seventh of this instant Iuly And is hereby desired to cause his said Sermon to be forthwith Printed and published Io. Brown Cler. Parliamentor To the Right Honourable the House of LORDS AND The Honourable House of COMMONS Assembled in PARLIAMENT AND To the Learned and Religious DIVINES called by them and now assembled to consult about matters of RELIGION Right honourable and most worthy OVt of your vigilant care for the common good you have found out a way amidst your many distractions to convene an Assembly of grave and learned Divines with whom you might advise concerning the settling of Doctrine Worship and Church Government You saw cause which might move you so to doe in respect first of those licentious spirits who took occasion as to vent their own fancies so to attempt any thing in matter of Doctrine and Worship secondly in that for want of an established Church-government we were and still are in danger to fall from a Tyranny to an Anarchy thirdly In that evill minded men seeing no effectuall meanes provided to suppresse such variety of Sects as did start up were ready to censure you as the fautors of such opinions What you have done hath been done with much prudence in that you have given way for the admittance of Divines of different Iudgements to be chosen to whom a liberty is not denied to plead every one for his own party And not only so but you have further embodied divers of your worthy Ones of both Houses as Members of our Assembly by which priviledge we have many and singular advantages When this Assembly for the greater part was by your summons gathered together you were pleased out of a due consideration of the weighty affaires to be transacted to appoint a solemne Fast to be kept chiefly by the Members of the Assembly And when you had so done your pleasure was to lay your command upon my selfe though the unworthiest of many to bee employed in the service of that day Surely it was not but that you had your choyce of many other most able and worthy Divines only it was your pleasure that dayes and multitudes of years should speak ●●b The Grace I chose as most meet to treat of was that of Zeale as conversant about Gods House first for that it doth directly oppose Lukewarmnesse the most dangerous and yet the Epidemicall disease of our time secondly for that no one grace doth more promote the work of Reformation as will appeare in the subsequent discourse thirdly for that among all other ornaments there is none that doth more beautifie a Reformer in the eyes of God and man Prov. There are many creatures said the wise man that are comely in there going but none so comely as a Zealous Reformer Accordingly then you Parliamentary Worthies goe on and prosper cease not to carry on your Work which is Gods work with Zeale and Courage It is Perseverance alone that will both crowne you and perfect your endeavours What encouragement have you had in that the Lord amidst your greatest dangers hath beene mightily seene in the protection of your persons No weapons of warre that have beene formed against you have prospered the tongues of men that have risen up in judgement against you hath he condemned Hath not the same God assisted you to doe many glorious works whereby his name hath beene honoured his people unspeakably benefitted How hath the Lord kept you together untill this day notwithstanding the endeavours of all the Devills in hell and wicked men on earth to scatter you to divide you What a foundation hath the Lord laid of your continuance together till your work be done Surely it is for that hee hath yet some great things for you to doe If you which God forbid shall faint and out of by respects withdraw your selves from the service bee sure God without you will accomplish his work but tremble to think what will become of you and yours How would it bee a thing much to be bewailed that you Noble and brave spirited Patriots who have hitherto borne the heat of the day the brunt of the businesse so farre denied your selves as to runne the hazard of all that you are have or might expect should now by failing in your last act loose your crown forfeit your reward from God and man And now for you my Reverend and much Honoured Brethren in the common work of the Ministry Who can but blesse the Lord for that degree of his spirit no doubt it is the effect as of your own prayers in the day of your solemn humiliation so of many of the prayers of his people which hee hath showred down upon you Not only do your learned debates your exact and judicious Scripture-discussions your Scholasticall disputes the discovery many of you have made of your exact knowledge in Antiquity shew that God is among you as he that hath fitted you for the work but further your sweet amicable converse your following of the truth in love your differences in judgement carried on without alienation of affection doe not they all say that God is with you God forbid that either the Devill or wicked men should break asunder that sweet bond of Amity wherewith God hath lincked you in one Bee incouraged then dearely beloved in the Lord from one whom God was pleased though the unworthiest among you yet to make his mouth to you to goe on as carried along with a Spirit of indefatigable zeale in the pursuance of the work you are called unto Behold it is soule-soule-work and that of neerest concernment that God hath put into your hands to bee transacted Is not your work a counter-Counter-work to that great and long plotted designe whereby Popery should have been re-advanced Gods saving truth been suppressed his worship substantially corrupted and utterly destroyed Is it not a work of the largest extent as that which concernes all other Reformed Churches whose happinesse or misery will bee involved in ours Yea ages to come will either blesse or curse you as you shall follow or neglect the opportunity And now for my self be pleased to take notice that my strength and voice failing me by reason of my weaknesse I

his bold and daring for it cost him his life reproofe of Herod for his Herodias his turning of Mountaines into Valleys his making of rough wayes plaine doe all witnesse The want of zeale in the people in Iehosophats time 2 Chron. 20 33. they having not prepared their hearts to seek the God of their fathers kept up the high places 2 Chron. 29.36 30.1 but in Hezekiah's time the zeale of the people plucked them downe the work was done suddenly for the people were ready of such moment it is that where Church-reformation is in hand a spirit of zeale should run in the veines of the Reformers No such unbesceming evill as when the cause of God lies at stake for men to be cold lukewarme Neuters warping sometimes one way sometimes another In the further prosecution of this truth three particulars doe present themselves 1. Convincing reasons must be rendered why zeale must be present in Church-reformation 2. What influence zeale ought to have in Church-Reformers 3. How Zeale must bee qualified that it may be kept within its bounds zeale not confined is as wilde-fire For the first of these three Reasons doe offer themselves as arising from the nature of the work in respect of its 1. Excellency 2. Difficulty 3. The destructive nature of Church-evills if not reformed The excellency of the work I argue three wayes Reas 1 1. In that the work of Church-reformation is one of Gods speciall favours whereby the Lord would endeare his Church to him Esay 1.25 When after the Churches sad sufferings he would doe his people a speciall favour he tells them that he will purge away all her drosse Esay 54.11 12 13. and take away all her tinne So when the Lord would expresse himselfe in the greatest declarations of his love to his Church Ver. 13. Oh thou afflicted and tossed with tempest I will lay thy stones with faire colours thy foundations with Saphires c. God will set up his ordinances in a more glorious way all thy children shall be taught of the Lord. Accordingly in this latter age of the world what is the great work for which the Church blesses God with the song of Moses and the song of the Lambe is it not the victory over the beast his name mark c. all done by Church-reformation Rev. 15.3 4. Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty c. 2. The excellency of the work is argued jointly from the relations betwixt God and his Church and the office which Reformers do Cant. 4.12 The Church is Gods Garden which being planted with all variety of flowers is apt to be overgrowne with weeds that not only marre the beauty of it but eat out the good herbs Reformers their work is to weed the Lord his garden throw out all those noisome herbs which would have spoiled all the good ones Verse 13. The Church is the Lords Orchard wherein trees of all kindes both for fruit and and medicine grow upon the banks thereof The Master of that Orchard is impatient of any such trees that cumber the ground and after many yeares beare no fruit Reformers their work is to root out the plants that God never planted H●● 3.6 The Church is Gods house where he delights to dwell Reformers are to cast out all the durt drosse and garbage that was odious and irksome to the Master of the house they sweep downe all the cobwebs wherein the Spiders did build The Church is Gods Spouse Cant. 4.12 in whose beauty his soule delights that she should be deformed with strange attire ornaments borrowed from notorious strumpets the Lord cannot endure Reformers they strip her of all her harlotry attire take off all her Iezabel-like paintings and render her to Christ in her native simplicity The Church is the Lords Vineyard Cant 8.12 which he keeps and waters every moment Reformers their work is to take the Foxes that destroy the Vines How welcome should the feet of such be Cant. 2.15 and how should the precious nature of the work in relation to God draw out all our strength 3. That the excellency of the work may be yet further evidenced consider it in the objects whereabout it is conversant that is either Things or Persons Things are Doctrine Worship and Government Doctrine is a ray or beame of supernaturall truth issued out from God as a speciall favour to his people tending to informe them in right notions and apprehensions concerning God Christ our soules and the whole way of salvation This is called the word of life the wholesome word the word of salvation how usefull is this word 2 Pet. 2.1 since men do as surely perish by damnable heresies as by morall vices Doctrine is as the waters of the Sanctuary how great a sinne to puddle or poison these was it not capitall among the Romans to poison the common springs How noisome was that plague to the Egyptians to have all their waters whereof they should drink turned into blood was it not much more as the soule is more excellent then the body pestilentiall to have all the maine Articles of our Religion not that of Justification excepted to be all This Petit. with R●monstr exhibit in Parl. in Ian. 1640. or the most desperately corrupted as may be seene in the Ministers Remonstrance exhibited together with their Petition for Reformation The second particular whereabout Reformation is conversant is worship whereby God and we have communion one with another wee doe in a holy manner trade with God and hee with us This is as Iacobs ladder The Angels of God ascend and descend by it our prayers ascend Gods blessings descend The ordinances are those golden pipes by which the golden oyle empties it selfe into the hearts of Gods people They are the Churches breasts from whence her children suck nourishment They are the Churches barne and her Wine-presse They are on Christs part the kisses of his mouth the mutuall embraces betwixt God and the Christian Soule Dry up all the breasts in such a City as this how great will the cry of the Infants be This mischiefe by the putting down of Preaching and strange Innovations brought and urged upon us in our most solemn worship had in a great part seized upon us and will yet certainly prevaile if the Reformers doe not seasonably and strongly oppose The third particular is Church Discipline or Government all Societies and so the Church is upheld by ruling and being ruled This amongst other benefits it will yeeld That it will preserve the honour of Gods censures and ordinances that great censure of Excommunication which is no lesse then the delivery up of a man to Satan and next the day of judgement it is judicium maxime tremendum it shall no longer Lackey up and down for Duties and Fees as it hath done amonst us and as it did in the darkest times of Popery as Gerson complaines Gers lib de defectib

What manner of persons ought we to be in humbling of our soules before the Lord crying mightily to him who alone keepes the key of the Cabinet unlocks the secrets of his will opens the eyes of our understandings Luk. 24. Can we looke backward to the many brave excellent-spirited and well-parted men who have turned some to Justinian some to Galen some to Litleton others betaken themselves to a retired Privacy which long agoe might have sate in Moses Chaire had there not stood the fiery blade of corruptions in worship and government to keepe them out How many silver Trumpets that might have made sweet melody in Gods house have beene hanged upon the willow trees and all because this worke was not done How many hundreds of worthy learned soule-saving Ministers men excellently fitted for the worke have beene driven out of our Land the Lord lay it not to our charge No small affliction to be put upon the disserting of ones native Countrey and all those Charitates which under God are the life of our life and further to be cast upon forraigne Countries those sometimes unwholesome for our English bodies placed among inhumane people put upon wildernesses wilde beasts savage people and unknowne necessities because by reason of our sinnes this worke hath not beene yet effected they saw no hope of it Oh the swarmes of godly men that like Noahs Dove could find no rest for the soales of their feet being hunted up and down hurried hither and thither and wasted with vexatious suits to their utter undoing who have been in the end forced they and their whole families with heavy hearts and some with poore estates to bid farewell to deere England as never to see it againe these would have beene content to have lived in a smoaky house and a meane condition with freedome of conscience Yea they have beene put upon it to commit themselves rather to the mercilesse rage of the tempestuous Seas to a long tedious and irkesome Sea-journey wherewith they were utterly unacquainted rather then to endure those sad impositions which were charged upon their consciences and now the Lord puts it into the hands of you the right Honorable that sit at the stern in point of reformation utterly to remove What shall I say to those millions of souls who have perished through the negligence insufficiency scandalous and corrupt proccedings of that order of men Bucer inopus In tractatu de vi usu minisleris p. 191. which it is to be hoped if our iniquities doe not hinder will be rectified by that clericalis disciplina which learned Bucer did so often call for in King Edward the 6. dayes To this end I once againe doe humbly beseech you Men Brethren and Fathers that you would take up the practise of such holy duties as may conduce to this so pious so necessary a worke And first let us all stirre up in our selves the gift of Prayer 2 Tim. 1.6 let it be frequent fervent and full of faith you know the efficacy of prayer Esay 45.11 it sets God on worke and that with a holy kinde of command it hath an omnipotency with it it never went of any arrant and returned empty Be confident if God do but stirre up our hearts in prayer hee will come in and helpe us in the worke What if we be weake Psal 10.17 yet he is strong What if wee want in our own apprehension those abilities fit for the work he can lift us up above our selves supply us with helpe What if we want that quicknesse of understanding activity of parts we see in others yet if wee can but assist and encourage others God will accept Only resolve of this never any man a successefull reformer without a spirit of prayer Elias and Luther tell us so much To encourage us Gods promises stands sure ler. 33.3 Ask of me and I will shew thee great and hidden things Prov. 25. which thou knowest not If thou seekest for wisedome as for silver c. if thou cryest after knowledge c. then shalt thou understand the feare of the Lord the knowledge of God We attaine not truth onely by disputing Lact. lib. 7 c. 2. but by learning from him who onely knowes said one of the Ancients Luther And you know who said that prayer reading meditation tentation doe compleat a Divine Secondly that God may impart to us that way of sincerity in his worship that forme of government which may be most according to his will a favour worth the knowing and which God refuses not to acquaint them with that feare him Psal 25. his secret is revealed to such let our study be to be doers of his wil. If the Glasse be cleane and soyle not the cleane water that is poured into it we poure in more if otherwise we hold our hands so the Lord doth with us that bee ministers hee will not poure the sweet water of truth but into the sanctified heart If any man Iohn 7.27 saith the Evangelist will doe his will hee shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or no. Many perplexed disputes much difference there is among Brethren whether this be the forme Christ hath left the distractions are sadly to be lamented Would wee be able to winde our selves out of these Labyrinths of disputes see the good and right way God would have us to walke in take notice of that promise in Ezekiel Ezek. 43.11 If the house of Israel shall be ashamed of their iniquities and of all that they have done I will shew them the forme of the house c. onely here we must beware we dare not to offer to Gods people such a forme as hath not its ground out of plaine places of Scripture but such onely as are Typicall and Allegoricall Allegorica Theologia unlesse the Lord himselfe make the application non est argumentativa It is our errour that oft times we doe afferre sensum ad Scripturam non referre we are oft times in fancying formes of government like that Sect of Phylosophers who having drunke in this principle that all the world was made of numbers where ever they went they thought they saw numbers If the Lord shall but behold us lothing our selves for our wayes that have not beene good disallowing our sinnes personall and nationall Luke 24. setting our hearts in a right frame then wil he open our understandings that we may know the Scripture Thirdly that God may so farre delight in us as to make us Instruments of such a glorious worke as this is let us take all occasions to dispence the holy truthes of God to his people the more wee poure out the more God will poure in the oyle in the Cruse increased by pouring out the bread wherewith Christ fed his followers multiplyed in the breaking 'T is true that this duty hath been looked upon of late as that which had neither forme nor beauty Sess