with their manifold faylings and infirmities and with a continuall bewayling of the corruption of their nature â—he wickednesse and hardnesse of their hearts their offending God want of faith and other graces Job 40 4. and 42. 6. Psal 22. 6. Isa 6. 5. 1 Tim. 1. 15 Rom. 7 14 to 25. For touching a privative holines they will all acknowledge that there is nor one of those righteous precepts set down Exodus 20. which they have not broken ten thousand times and ten thousand waies yeâ— O God will the best of them say there is no veyn in me that is not full of the blood of thy Son whom I have crucified and crucified agein by multiplying many and often repeating the same sins there is no artery in me that hath not the spirit of error the spirit of pride of passion of lust the spirit of gâ—ldines in it no bone in me that is not hardened with the custome of sin nourished and suppled with the marrow of sin no sinewes no ligaments which do not â—ye and chain sin and sin together And as touching a positive holines they well find and will freely conlesse that they are not sufficient of themselves to think much lesse to speak least of all to doe ought that is good 2 Cor. 3 5. Iohn 15. 4. 5. and that there is so much wearisomnes pride paâ—sion lust envie ignorance aukeâ—dâ—esse hypocrisie infidelity vaine thoughts unprofitablenes and the like cleaving to their very best actions to defile them that their very praying and fisting and repenting their hearing beleeving and giving their holiest communication their most brotherly admonition c. are in themselves as filthy raggs Isa 64. 6. were they not accepted in Christ covered wiâ—h his rigâ—â—eousâ—es and washed white in his most precious blood True in Scripture phrase and in Gods account they are pure and holy and just either because they are sincere that is holy in their purposes and indeavours and aspiring after perfection of holinesse or in regard that Christs holinesse is made theirs or holy in comparison of the wicked or in regard of the worlds unjust censures But otherwise the more holy a child of God is the more sensible he is of his owne unholinesse thinking none so vile as himselfe though few enemies to holinesse will beleeve it as it fared with holy Job Job 40. 4. and 42. 6. and with Isaiah chap. 6. 5. and 64. 6 and with St. Paul 1 Tim. 1 15 Rom. 7. 14 to 25. and with holy David who almost in every Psalme so much bewailes his sins originall and actuall of omission and commission Well may a blind sensualist that thinks the commandement is not broken if the outward grosse sin be forborne brag of a good heart and meaning of the strength of his faith and hope of his just and upright dealing c. yea in case such abstain from notorious sins what should hinder but they are excellent Christians If God be not beholding to them for not wounding his Name with oathes for not drinking and playing out his Sabbaths for not rayling on his Ministers for not oppressing and persecuting of his poor members Or secondly Well may a Papist that by maintaining mens works works out his own maintenance think he can fulfill the law with ease and by workes of supererrogation merit of God for others That he may deserve heaven by his good works or at least bear half the charges of his own salvation But those that are of Christs teaching know both from the word and by experience that of themselvs they are not only weak but even dead to what is good moving no more then they are moved that their best works are faulty all their fiâ—s deadly all their natures corrupted originally And that they deserved to die so soon as they began to live That their understandings are darkned and dulled their judgements blinded their wills perverted their memories disordered their affections corrupted their reason exiled their thoughts surprised their desires intrapped and all the faculties and functions of their soules no better then poysoned Or as one expresseth it My powers are all corrupt corrupt my will Marble to good but wax to what is ill True we have ability we have will enough to undoâ— our selves scope enough to hell-ward but neither motion nor will to doe good that must be put into us by him that gives both power and will and power to will Finally each sanctified heart feâ—les this but no words are able sufficiently to expresse what impotent wretches we are when we are not sustained For as a child may assoon create it selfe as a man in the state of Nature regenerate himself So in the state of Regenerasy there is the like impossibility to act except God bestow upon us dayly Privative grace to defend us from evill and dayly Possitive grace enabling us to doe good So that we have no merit but the mercy of God to save us nothing but the blood of Christ and his mediation to cleanse and redeeme us nothing but his obedience to inrich us As for our good workes wee are beholding to God for them not God to us nor wee to our selves because they are onely his workes in us Thirdly They are so far from justifying what they do that they are humbled for those very sins from which they are in a manner exempt knowing that they are beholding to God and not to themselves that Cains envie Ishmaols scoffing Rabshekeyes rayling Shemies cursing Sâ—nacheribs blasphemy Doegs murther Pharâ—ahs cruelty Sodoms lust Judas his treason Julians apostacy c. are not all their sins and as much predominant in them as they were in each of these for all of them should have beene thy sins and mine if God had left us to our selves for out of the heart naturally proceeds nothing but evil thoughts murthers adulteries fornications thefts false witnesse blasphemies and the like Matth. 15. 19. And wee are all cut out of the same cloth Lord saith St. Austen thou hast forgiven me those sins which I have done and those sins which onely by thy grace I have not done They were done in our inclination to them and even that inclination needs Gods mercy and that mercy he cals pardon If we escape temptation it is his mercy if we stand in temptation it is his mercy if our wils consent not it is his mercy if we consent and the act be hindered it is his mercy if we fall and rise againe by repentance all is his mercy And this likewise proves that they are no Puritanes Briefly to sum up all there is not a beleever that is any whit acquainted with the Scriptures but when he hath done any thing amisse he accuseth himself if any thing well he giveth all the praise to God And indeed this is the test of a true or false Religion and may be applyed to each particular Christian that which teacheth us to exalt God most and most to depresse our selves is the true that which doth
Luthers story speakes of the Church of Rome in generall His words are these under pretence saith hee of Peters Chair they exercise a Majesty above Emperours and Kings under the Vizard of vowed Chastity raigns adultery under the Cloake of professed Poverty they possesse the goods of the temporality under the title of being dead to the world they not only raigne in the world but also rule the world under the colour of the keys of heaven to hang under their girdle they bring all the Estates of the world under their girdle and creep not only into the purses of men but into their consciences also they heaâ— their confessions they know all their secrets they dispence as they are disposed and loose whom and what and where they list And wherein did our Lordly Prelats who have alwaies made Gods people under the colour of puritans the onely object of their cr uelty come short of the Papists Did they not under a colour pretence of being fathers of the Church by their usurped government dethrone Christ the head of the church and under the colour of Religion take away the vigour and power of Religion And while they calld themselves the chiefe priests were they not Christâ— chief enemies certainly none will now when they are so well discovered deny it that have eyes in their heads and open But I hasten to acquit the innocent whom all these guilty persons do most unjustly and maliciously accuse and stigmatize for the sole and only puritans and hypocrites In whose tryall two things are principally to be examined and enquired of First What profession they make and how agreable that is to the rule of Gods word Secondly What their practice is and how agreeable that is to their profession Sect. 88. Ob. Now as touching the first they are much found fault withall as what needs so much profession faith the sensualist when his spight is at Religion cannot men serve God in secret but they must blow a trumpet and hang out a flag for others to take notice of it Answ To the which that I may make a full and satisfactory answer pardon the prolixety of it First Such are to know that profession can no more be separated from the truth of Religion then light from the Sun If thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt beleeve with thine heart thou shalt be saved for with the heart man beleeveth unto righteousnesse and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation And whosoever beleeveth on him shall not be ashamed Rom. 10. 9. 10. 11. True fire not painted cannot but heat breake forth and ascend We cannot carry musk in our bosome but the sent will disperse it self There cannot be a candle in the house but it will appear at the window every fountain hath it streams by which it may be known Three things saith the Spanish proverb cannot be kept in Fire love and the cough it may as truly be said of grace If Christ the Paschall Lamb be in the House of the soul the sprinkling of his blood will be seen without by sanctification and holines of life Whosever is indeed good shall and must also seem good for first his works will praise him whether he will or no his fruits will shew what tree he is Indeed profession may be without grace as leaves may be without fruit but grace cannot be without profession as fruit cannot be without leaves That which is not gold may glister but that which is gold cannot chuse but glister We read of Wolves that come in sheeps cloathing but never of sheep that come in wolves cloathing Many harlots will put on the semblances of chastity never the contrary It is no trusting those who wish not to appeare good Good men in Scripture are compared to good and fruitfull trees the heart is the root grace the sapp good works the fruit profession the leaves and blossomes Now if there be sap in the root of a tree and fruit grow on the branches its impossible but some blossoms and leaves will shew themselves Nor can it be expected that eveiy such tree like the mulbery should first bring forth fruit and then blossoms For even repentance and good works are but the fruites of faith and the usuall method is First the roote then the tree then the leaves and blossoms and last of all the fruit Sect 89. Indeed there is a dead faith spoken of Iam. 2. 17. 20 26. which cannot be seen which resembles the Ebone tree that bears neither leaves nor fruit But a true and lively faith is operative and works by love Gal. 5. 6 Yea it constrains thereunto for the heart and mind having begot holy thoughts the lips will not fail to bring them forth witnesse the thiefe upon the crosse If the law of God saith David be in a mans heart his mouth will speak of wisdom and his tongue will talk of judgement Psal 37. 30. 31. The soul that hath received fuâ—l confirmation from God in the assurance of its salvation cannot but bow the knee and by all gestures of body tel how it is ravished whence it is that many at their first conversion are held by their carnal friends to be mad or beside themselves as our Saviour was by his kinsfolk Mark 3. 21. Ioh. 10. 20. Secondly Vnlesse he keep his lips alwaies sealed up he must either dissemble which is cowardly and base Or else his language will bewray what countryman be is For if he speak like the vertuous woman in the Proverbs he opens his mouth with wisdome and the law of grace is in his tongue And while the door of his mouth is open the standers by may behold as it were in a temple the goodly similitudes and images of the soul Neither can he avoid speaking for admit he be in adverse company they will so beset a man with questions and draw him on and pick it out of him that without an absuâ—d silence he must shew an inclination one way even as a ballance cannot stand still but falleth to one side or other or if he do not they will gather as much by his silence as by his speech For in this case carnall men are very apprehensive for as the paynter Protogenes knew Apelles by the draught of one line though he had never seen him before so will they a gracious soul by his very silence Or lastly a man cannot dissent from their wicked customs he cannot refuse to run with them to the same excesse of ryot in drinking swearing prophaning the Lords day and the like much lesse can he admonish them and so discharge his conscience as who having but a spark of the spirit of God in him can choose but he makes too great a shew and his profession troubles them Sect. 90. Indeed they name profession but their spight is against your religion for be but as prophane as they their quarrel is at an end yea it is only your holy religious conversation
that raiseth their spleen in that it â—oth plainly though silently reproove and condemn tâ—eir sinfull and ungodly courses 1 Pet. 4. 3. 4. Nor can they be so sottish as to think Religion and the service of God to be all lyning no outside There is a power of Godlinesse and a form there must be He that hath but a form of Religion is an hypocrite but he that hath not a forme is an at heist Again they will call upon us to hear lesse and pra ctise more but it is not so much out not practizing of what we hear that troubles them as our much hearing which shames them for hearing so little they cry up practice to cry down preaching as the Papists extoll St. Iames that they may disparage Saint Paul But for resolution herein It is not to be expected that religion should be spoken against under the name of Religion or holinesse under its own name for the divel is no dunce but under the name of profession puritanisme hypocrisie c. But when any use these tearms and know also that they will be taken in an evil sence it is a manifest signe that they hate and speak against Religion under these names and notions and so against holines it self under the name of profession for otherwise they would not persecute honest and orthodox christians and say they mean base and dissembling hypocrites so imitating the Romans who in detestation of proud Tâ—rquine that had tyrannized over them banished a good Citizen onely because he bare that name Sect. 91. And so much to prove the necessity of profession That true beleevers cannot but shew the power of grace both in their words and actions not to have them seen and heard by men as did the hypocriticall pharises Matth. 6. 2. and 23. 5. noâ— thereby to merit from God as do the Pharisaicall papists They do good works not because they should be seen yet such as may be seen Wherein they observe this rule good actions they will not forbear let the malignant world be pleaâ—ed or displeased but if they can conceal themselves so neither God nor others loose thereby they will like one that sent a letter and a box with 500. pounds in it to Sir Edwine Sands to be bestowed for the education of Children in Virginia and for the propagating of the Gospel there And concluded with Your brother in Christ dust and ashess But hear their reasons and why they do it for all Gods people walk by rule Indeed men of the world think we can alleadge no other ground for our proâ—ession but humor but we have no lesse then six solid reasons for it for 1. First God as strict y commands us to professe him with our mouths as to beleeve in him with our hearts These words which I command thee this day shâ—ll be in thine heart Deut. 6 6 and what follows thou shalt teach them diligently and talk of them when thou siâ—test in thine house and when thou walkest by the way when thou liest down and when thou risest up Thou shalt bind them for a signe upon thine hand and they shall be as frontliâ—s between thine eyes yea thou shalt write them upon the posts of thine house and on thy gates vers 7. 8. 9 Yea our Saviour commands it upon pain of damnation Matth 10. v. 32. 33 whichis a terrible place for cowards and scoffers And as the word of God commands it so the holy Ghost commends it Mark 15. 43. And highly condemns the contrary in those chief rulers John 12 42. who durstnot confesse Christ though they did beleeve in him Sect. 92. 2. Secondly they do it that God may have glory by it Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorisie your Father which is in heaven Matth. 5. 16. A father gains much honour by the vertuous and good demeanour of his children And the glory of a King doth much consist in the multitude of his known and loyall subjects Yea Christ hath therefore made us a chosen generation a royall priesthood a peculiar people c. that we should shew forth the prayses of him who hath called us out of darknesse into his marvelous light 1 Pet. 2. 9. So that to be good and not to appear or to appear good and not to be is not the way to glorifie God or for him to glorifie us Sect. 93. 3. Thirdly We professe Christ openly that we may win others to the same truth St. Paul wisheth the Philippians to shine as lights in the midst of a naughty and crooked Nation by a blamelesse and pure life thereby to winne others amongst whom they lived Phil. 2. 15. And St. Peter the like to his converts 1 Pet. 2. 12 A holy life is like a precious and sweet persume whose savour spreads it selfe and is pleasant to all that come near A godly man by his vertuous example though he otherwise be silent yet by that dumb Oratory he preacheth to the world and doth not seldom win others to imitate the same We read that many infidels were won to the Christian faith by seeing the vertous lives of the Christians Yea Zozomen reports that the devout life of a poor Captive Christian maid made a King and all his Family imbrace the faith of Christ And the like memorable president we have in St. Alborn who receiving a poore persecuted Christian into his house and seeing his holy devotion and unblameable life was so much affected therewith that hee became both an earnest professor of the faith and in the end a glorious martyr for the Faith And what saith our Saviour No man lighteth a Candle and putteth it in a privy place neither under a bushell but on a Candle stick that they which come in may see the light Luke 11 33. Yea a Candle in the house gives light not only to them that are within but also to passengers in the street No matter how close evils bee nor how publique good is Yea to conceale goodnesse is a vice and vertue is better by being imparted Yea so much the better by how much the more it is communicated and to keep it private is the only way to be deprived of it Sect. 94. 4. Fourthly Because when ever we receive mercy or are delivered out of trouble it is to this very end Psal 50. 15. Luke 8. 38. 39. And to praise God and professe his name in the presence of others is all we can returne to him in way of thankfullnesse Yea if I may so speak how can we requite the Lord better Then in bringing him more customers to buy wine milk without mony without price Isaey 55. 1. Whence holy David so often inculcates these aud the like vowes O God thou hast taught me from my youth even until now Therefore will I tell of thy wondrous workes Thy righteousnesse O God will I exalt on high for thou hast done great things for mee Psal 71. 17. 18. 19. and
more make a good heart unrighteous then a trade of sinne can stand with regeneration for as there are some acts where in the Hypocrite is like a Saint so there are some agâ—ine wherein the greatest Saint upon 〈◊〉 â—ay 〈◊〉 like an Hypocrite As whiâ—h 〈◊〉 the Saint have not once done that even after convâ—â—sion and regeneration whereof they are ashamed Yâ—a 〈◊〉 â—r a few sinfull acts were a 〈…〉 an Hypocrite what would become of all the 〈◊〉 evâ—n the best recorded in Scripture And therefore the wise charity of Christians like the mercy of Godâ— can distinguish betwixt siâ—nes of infirmity and the common practice oâ—siâ—ne and esteem men not by a transient act but by a permâ—nent condition knowing that the tenor or accustomed course of a mans life his whole conversation must either alow or condemne him before God not some suddaine â—rruptions For neither good nor bad at the last day shall â—e judged by every one of his actions but by all not according to his â—â—eps but according to his wayes Jer. 32. 19 Indeed as charitiâ— in them does not alow oâ— groundâ—eâ—se â—uspition so it doth not thrust out diâ—cretion They may not judge rashly but they ought to juâ—ge 〈◊〉 As they are not so oveâ—ly as to take motâ—s for beames so neither are they so partiall as to account beames motes least thereby they should foster iniquitie For to be vices friend is to be verâ—â—â—â—es enâ—mie and â—o â—â—stiâ—iâ— the wicked is as bad as to condemne the just Pro. 17. 15. Sect. 20. Therefore though they will not condemne a man for one single act or sâ—â—dain accident yet iâ— they see the mâ—in◠〈◊〉 and course of his life to bâ— wholely vicious and sinfull they will and may boldly censure him a wicked man As for example If we know a man to be a common Drunkard Isay 5. 22. Heb. 2. 15. Joel 1. 5. Or a conâ—inuall Sweater Psal 10 7. Jer. 23. 10. Exod. 20. 7. 〈◊〉 5. 12. Oâ—â—n 〈◊〉 companion of Haâ—loâ—s Pro. 7. 10. 1 Cor 6 â—5 Or aâ—â— â—â—câ—stomary Deceiver Pro. 1. 13. and 20. 17 and 2â— 6. Or a frequent Slanderer of his neighbâ—â—r Dâ—ut 27. 24. Psal 101. 5. Or an open Sabbath bâ—eâ—kâ—r for God hath given the Sabbath as a â—igâ—e between him and his in point of Sanctification Exod. 31. 13 to 18. So that he who cares not to prophaâ—e the Sabbath by that signe is knowne to be none of Gods people Againe If we heare a man boast of sinne and mischiâ—fe or defend it Psal 52. 1. If we perceive that a man makes no conscience of prayer reading the word c. in his famiâ—ie Psal 14 4. and 79. 6. Jer. 10. 25. If we find one to be of a reprobate judgement touching actions and persons estâ—eming good evill and evill good Pâ—o. 17 15. and â—9 27. Isay 5. 20. Or â—hâ—t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hâ—â— brother â—or doing that which iâ— good as â—aiâ— did Abâ—ll 1 Johâ— 3. 12. Or to be an affected Scoffer at râ—ligion Gen. 21. 9. 10. 2 Sam. 6. 16 20. 21. 22. 23. Psal 1. 1. Or to lay ploâ—â— or consult 〈◊〉 others against thâ— godly Psal 83. 2 to 10 Mat. 26. 4. maâ—ke the 3 6. Or to be an accusâ—r of them Revel 12 10 Levit. 19. 16. Pro. 16. 28. If we heare one â—ejoyce at the secrâ—t infirmities of the godly or open scandals of Hypocrites Pâ—o. 11. 13. for none doe so but Gods enemies as is plaine by 2 Sam. 12. 14. because our brothers fall is the Devils victory Againe If we heare one carp and fret against the word refusing to heare it John 6. 66. and 8. 47. 2 Cor. 2. 15. 16 Pro. 29 1. Or to withstand the preaching of it â— Tim. 3. 8. Acts 13. 10. Or lastly If we heare a Minister in his preaching to disgrace or revile the godly So making sad the hearts of the righteous Or to â—astifie the wicked so strâ—ngâ—hning them in their evill â—ouâ—ses by preaching unto them pâ—â—â—â— Eze. 13. 22 Pro 24 24. Vpon any of these grounds we may boldly censure him a wicked man and for the present in a damnable condition And this is warranted by the word of God for besides that they are sufficiently marked out and branded by the Holy Ghost for such in the places before quored The word else where gives two infallible ruâ—â—s whereby to know and judge of a wicked man The one is by his â—orkes the other by his words the which will be more dâ—monstrative if we take this received Axiom along with us as a ground whereon to build our insuing discourseâ— Namely that Every particular man is either in his sinnes unregenerate in the state of nature and so a wicked man or else he 〈…〉 the state of grace a beleever and so the child of God For there is not a mean betwixt them Every soule saith Chrysostome is either the spâ—use of Christ or the Aâ—â—ltâ—â—sse of the Divell We are either a branch spâ—â—â—g from Adams stock which drawes sap from that cursed â—oote of death or else we are transplanted into the vine Christ and dâ—aw our sap from him Now if we draw sap from this vine Christ its impossible but we should beare the fâ—uits of the spirit which are love ioy peace long suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meâ—kenessâ— temperance recknoed up by the Apostle Gal. 5. 22. 23. And so on the contrary if we draw sap from nature and bring forth the fruits and workes of the flesh which are manifest as Adultery uncleanesse Idolatry witch-craft hatred varience emulations wrath strife seditions herisies invyings murthers drunkâ—nnessâ— revilings and such like verse 19 20. 21 Its impossible but we should be the children of the Divell for he that committeth sinne saith our Saviour meaning constantly and greedily iâ— of the Divell 1 John 3 8. Which maketh him say to the Jowes Yee are of your father the Divell and the lusts of yâ—ur father yee will doe John 8. 44. And againe verse 34 39. Where the point is further amplified And to this St. Paul gives testimony Rom. 6. Saying Know yee not that to whom yee yeeld your selves servants to obey his servants yee are to whom yee obey whether of sinne unto death or of obedience unto righteousnesse verse 16. Whence it is that our Saviour warning us to beware of wicked men saith Yee shall know them by their fruits Mat. 7. 16. Do â—â—n gather grapes of thorns or sigs of thistles saith he Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evill fruit verse 17. 18. And in verse the 20. he tells us againe repeating the same words that by their fruits we shall know them Yea we may know them by their want of fruit we more then suspect want of sap in the root of a trâ—e if we find barrennes in the branches If either it have bad fruit or no fruit it is but a dead faith And the true method of grace is cease to doe evill
spake better nor reprobate did worse It faring with them as with one of a surfetted stomack the more good meat he eates the more he increaseth his corruption Or as it is with the milke of a Tygresse the more Salt is thrown into it the fresher it is As looke into thy selfe dost thou not in thy practice the workes of the Divell in swearing drinking whoring slandering the godly and accusing them to the Prelates in scoffing at the religious in persecuting those Ministers and people whom â—hy conscience tells thee are more faithfull and righteous then thy selfe so crucifying Christ againe 〈◊〉 his members and in all this cause others to doe the same by thine evill example Thou canst not be so impudent as to denie it though I expect neither thy acknowledgement nor amendment Which being so what more paâ—pable hypocrisie and Puritanisme then this When one shall teach the words of God and doe the workes oâ— the Divell their doctrine condemning their owne lives or their lives confuting their owne doctrine Like some foolish minstrill who sings one tune with his mouth and harpes another with his hand Of which sect was Diogenes Sinopensis in opinion a Stoicke in conversion an Epicure a foole in both And certainly most unmeet it is that such fooles should be set as watchmen over Gods heritage for if any man cannot rule his owne house saith the Apostle how should he care for the church of God 1 Tim. 3. 5. And if he cannot rule himselfe how should he rule his own house Againe there are a third sort of these prelaticall preachers who might be rancked with the grossest of hypocrites namely Pluralists and Non residentaries who under a colour of wearing the Ephod feed themselves fat with the blood of soules But I have sufficiently spoken to them in the forementioned Abstract Only this by the way That men should be Pastors over and live of the flocke that they doe not feed or scarcely see or bee maintained from the Altar at which they doe not serve is a thing that can hardly in my judgement receive a just defence Sect. 77. 2. But secondly to bring the openly prophane and loose Libertines to this tryall who above all cry out upon Puritans and Professors If he be a notorious Puritan id est an Hypocrite whose profession and practice is cleane contrary then thou art a notorious Hypocrite in bearing the name of a Christian and boasting that thou art one but doing the workes of the Divell and that more exactly then a very infidell In adoring Christ so often as thou commeâ—t to Church as it were with an Ave Rex in thy mouth but spitting oaths in his face so soon as thou commest out and in crucifying him afresh with thy gracelesse actions in being all the weeke a drunken beastly blaspheming wretch and on the sabbath especially for foure houres as devout in the Church as the best For in praying with Gods people thou callest God father whom thou neither feaâ—est nor lovest nor trustest in Thou prayest that his namâ— may be hallowed when indeed thou doest nothing lesse that his kingdome may come and his will bee done on earth as it is in heaven when thou hatest nothing more then to be governed by his lawes and ruled by his scepter That he will forgive thee thy trespasses as thou forgivest them tâ—at trespasse against thee when thou wilt stab a man for the lye or a crosse word and not so much as pardon one that is better or would have thee better for others must swear as thou dost drink and talke obscenely as thou doest c. or thou wilt be offended with them That he will not lead thee into temptation but deliver thee from evill when thou usest all opportunities to be tempted and to tempt others to evill c. Againe in singing with the Assembly thou usest these and the like expressions of the Psalmist I love thee deerly O Lord my strength Psal 18. 1. I will alwayes give thankes unto the Lord his praise shall be in my mouth continually Psal 34 1. Evening and morning and at noone will J pray and make a noise Psal 22. 17. J will set no wicked thing before mine eyes I hate the workes of them that fall away it shall not cleave unto me Psal 101. 3. c. In all which thou doest lye and dissemble most egregiously for doest thou love God deerly no thou hatest him in thy heart as thy workes shew plainly Doest thou praise God and that continually no thou blasphemest him every houre and reprochest his children servants in them him in every place where thou commest Doest thou prayevery day thrice Yes if curses and oathes and scoffes be praying then thou prayest fifty times a day yea thou prayest continually Doest thou set no wicked thing before thine eyes and doest thou hate the workes of them that fall away no thou lyest falsly thy whole felicitie is in wickednesse and thou not onely hatest that which is good but all that is or are good or hath the appearance But in this case assure thy selfe that God infinitely more scornes that one in praying and singing in his house upon his day and among his people should offer up a petition or protestation to him who cares not whether he have his petition granted and his vowes performed or not yea that laboureth all he can to hinder the same and as much scornes that any should repeat his commandements that cares not to doe them but the cleane contrary and that the same tongue which sayes Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine should presently take the same name in vaine and so be contrary to it selfe and give the ly to it selfe then a temporall King would scorne to be so derided and abused by any base and unworthy fellow in his owne presence and before his people And yet thou knowest that the worst of deaths would be the reward of such contumacie Here also I might take occasion to shew thee how desparate thy condition is above all other mens above the Heathen man who knowes not God as thou doest Above the Athiest who beleeves not that there is a God as thou wouldest be thought to doe above the close Hypocrite who thinkes to deceive God and the world which thou boasteth thou doest not And make it appeare that every one of them is more righteous then thy selfe if they wouâ—d pay me to plead their causes As I would urge in defence of my Clyent the Hypocrite that he in the dissembling of vice and faining of Godlinesse though he doe hurt to himselfe yet he oft doth good to others by his example causing them to doe that in truth which he doth only in hypocrisie As often times Stage players by their fained mourning wring forth true teares out of the spectators eyes whereas thou by thy shew and publication of thy vicious and filthy practices dost more hurt by thy example then by the sinne