I think I should have done it And who can prove that this had been his sin And yet this was a using of another mans gifts instead of his own And I have heard men that are much against Parish Churches and Liturgies wish that some unlearned men of good utterance might read some excellent Sermonâ—books to the people in ignorant places that can get no better And who can prove the reading of a Homily unlawful Moreover Christ hath given to all his members such gifts as are suitable to their places as well as to Ministers such gifts as are suitable to theirs And the place of a Master of a family requireth the gift of Catechising and instructing the family And they are as truly obliged to use their gifts as Ministers are theirs And yet who doubteth but it is lawful for Parents to teach and catechize their children by such books and forms of Catechisms as are composed by the gifts of abler men Moreover Prayer is the duty of every one and specially of the heads of families And therefore every true Christian hath gifts procured by Christ for so much as is his duty And he is bound to use his gifts And yet those gifts are so low in many that I fear not to call that man effectively an enemy to families souls and prayer who forbiddeth all such to use such forms of prayer as are composed by the gifts of others The famousest Divines in the Church of God even Luther Zwinglius Melancthon Calvin Perkins Sibbs and abundance of Nonconformists of greatest name in England did ordinarily use a form of prayer of their own before their Sermons in the Pulpit and some of them in their families too Now these men did it not through idleness or through temporizing but because some of them found it best for the people to have oft the same words and some of them found such a weakness of memory that they judged it the best improvement of their own gifts Now besides the first composure of these prayers which perhaps was done 20 years before none of these men did use their own gifts any moâ—e than if they had used a form composed by another For the memory utterance is the same of both These all were famous worthy men whom no wise man judgeth to be insufficient for the Ministry for want of gifts But if such as these may so many years forbear the exercise of their gift of extemporary prayer much more may far weaker Ministers do it Abundance of young Ministers are trained up under aged experienced Divines what if one of these should sometimes make use of the same words of prayer which the aged Minister used the day before as finding them fitter than any that he could devise himself Must he forbear to do better because he cannot do so well by the use of his own gifts alone And in some Ordinances as Baptism and the Lords supper c. the same things must be daily prayed for And he that thinketh he must not frequently speak the same things will quite corrupt the Ordinance of Christ. And he that will imâ—gine that he must have always new words will at last have new things or worse than nothing If then it be meet to use often the same words why may not a weak Minister use the better words of others when he hath none meerly of his own that are so fit Nay is it not the Duty of such to do it Every man is bound to do Gods service in the best manner that he can Cursed be the deceiver that hath a better in his flock and bringeth that which is corrupt But to utter prayers and praise to God in a full methodicall and congruous manner and in words suitable to the Majesty of the worship of God is better to the people and to the honour of Religion then to do it in a more confused disorderâ—y broken manner with barrenness and incongruity of speech But this lâ—st is the best that many honest Ministers can do by their own giâ—ts when they may do it in the former better manner by making use of the words and gifts of otherâ— Therefore it is a duty for such men so far to use others gifâ—s of inventing words before their own And among us there is no man forbidden in the Pulptt to use his own gifts to the utmost and pray without any set form of his own or other mens And I would at last desire any of the Objectors but to name that text of Scripture which directly or indirectly commandeth every Minister to use his gift of inventing words and method or his gift of extemporary prayer every time that he prayeth to God Or which forbiddeth to use the gifts of others though better than his own Obj. But what if the forms imposed be worse than the exercise of our own gifts Answ. First That may be below one mans own invention which is above-anothers Secondly And that may be more defective than your own invention could reach to which yet may be more desirable for other advantages As if all the Churches for some good ends should agree to to use one mode or method or form as now we do in singing Psalms the benefit of that concord might do more to the Churches service than my singular better form or words could do And if the lawful Rulers commanded me that which perhaps I could somewhat exceed my self I should do much in obedience to their command Or if the people had a greater averseness or unfitness for my more congruous words than for others more fective I should take that for the best food or physick which is most agreeable to the stomack and disease But especially if I am restrained from the publick preaching of the Gospel or exercise of any of my Ministry unless I will use a more disordered or defective form I shall take it for my duty then to use it Because it is more to the Churches edification In a word God hath bound all his Ministers to use all their gifts to the Churches greatest edification But to use a more defective form with liberty to use my best gifts also and to exercise my Ministry publickly to all is more to the Churches edification than to use my own gifts only a few days in a corner and then to lie in prison and use them no more Though no man must of choise prefer the less congruous before the more congruous when he is free which I confess is a sin yet it is a duty to prefer a less congruous order before none or before a better for a day with a restraint of that and all our Ministery hereafter For my part I have often truly professed that I look at many Liturgies which I have read as I do at the prayers of some honest men who use little method nor very meet words and often toss Gods name through weakness who put that last which should be first that first which should be last but yet the
points that no controversies or opinions will shake his faith or destroy his love to God or man Thirdly He will honour God by upright practise and shew forth the power and excellency of religion in the true success upon the heart and life His Religion which begins in solid faith will grow up into sincere Love and good works Fourthly He will be without partiality a Lover of all the servants of Christ and therefore escape temptations to faction and division because his Religion consisteth in those common truths and duties which all profess Fifthly he will not only safely receive all further truths from these principles but all his knowledge and disputes will be sanctified as being all subservient to faith and love and holiness Whereas he that taketh the contrary course and presently falleth to the study of by-opinions and layeth too much upon them will prove too like a superficial hypocrite and a deceiver of himself by thinking that he is something when he is nothing Gal. 6. 5 6. And he will make a pudder in the world for nothing as children do in the house about their babies and their bawbles He will make but an engine of his by-opinions to destroy true Piety and Christian Love in himself first and then in all that will believe him He will first make himself and then many others believe that Religion is nothing but proud self-conceit and faction And he will be the shame of his profession and the hardener of the wicked in their sin and misery by perswading them that the Religious are bnt a few ignorant whimsical fanaticks These are too sad experienced truths DIRECT XXXII Lay not a greater stress upon your different words or manner of prayer than God hath laid And take heed either of scorning reproaching or slighting the words and manner of other mens worship when it is such as God accepteth from the sincere IT is an easie thing to turn the native heat of Religion into a feaverish out-side zeal about words or circumstances or ceremonies whether it be for them or against them O what a wonder is it that by so palpable a trick as thâ—s the Devil should deceive so many and make such a stir and disturbance in the Church I know that one party will cry up Order the other will cry up Spirituality and both will say that God maketh not light of the smallest matters in religion nor no more must we And in this general position there is some truth But if nothing could be said for both their errours they would then be no deceits nor be capable of doing any mischief Some things that you contend about God hath left wholly undetermined and indifferent And some things in which your brother erreth his errour is so small a fault as not at all to hinder his acceptance with God nor with any man that judgeth as God doth Had you ever understood Rom. 14 15. you would have understood all this It would make a knowing Christian weep between indignation and compassion to see in these times what censures and worse are used on both sides about the wording of our prayers to God! How vile and unsufferable some account them that will pray in any words which are not written down for them And how unlawful others account it to pray in their imposed forms some because they are forms and some because they are such forms and some because that Papists have used them and some because they are imposed when God hath given them no command but to pray in faith and fervency according to the state of themselves and others and in such order as is agreeable to the matter and in such method as he hath given them a Rule and Pattern of But of all quarrels about forms and words he hath never made any of their particular determinations no more than whether I shall preach by the help of Notes or study the words or speak those which another studied for me It is a wonder how they that believe the Scriptures came first to make themselves believe that God maketh such a matter as they do of their several words and forms of prayer That he loveth only extemporary prayer as some think and hateth all prescribed forms Or that he loveth only prescribed Forms as others think and hateth all extemporary prayers by habit Certainly in Christs time both Liturgies by forms and also prayers by habit were used And yet Christ never interposed in the Controversie so as to condemn the one or the other He condemneth the Pharisees for making long prayers to cover their devouring widdows houses and for their praying to be seen of men But whether their prayers were a Liturgy and set forme or whether they were extemporary he taketh no notice as telling us that he condemned neither And it s like the Pharisees long Liturgy was in many things worse than ours though the Psalms were a great part of it And yet Christ and his Apostles oft joyned with them and never condemned them Nay as far as I can find the Pharisees and other Jews were not in this so blind and quarrelsome as we nor never made a controversie of it nor ever presumed to condemn either Liturgies or Prayers by habit I shall now pass by their errour who are utterly against publike prayers from a habit as having spoken of it at large elsewhere when I had opportunity I shall now only answer the contrary extreme Obj. Where hath God given any men power to prescribe and impose forms for others or commanded others to obey them Answ. First where ever he hath given any power to teach their inferiours to pray who cannot do it in a better way He hath given Parents this power where he hath bid them Bring up their Children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord Is it not by the Law of nature the Parents duty to teach their children to pray And is not the learning of the words first profitable to their learning of the sense May they not teach their Children the Lords Prayer or a Psalm though it be a Form And why not then other words which are agreeable to their State And he that taught his own Disciples a Form and Rule of Prayer and telleth us that so Iohn taught his Disciples and saith to his Apostles As my Father sent me so send I you by making them Teachers to his Church did allow them to teach either by forms or without as the cause required All the Scripture is now to Preachers a form of Teaching And when we read a Chapter we read a prescribed form of Doctrine And it haâ—h many forms of prayer and praise and forms of Baptizing administring the Lords Supper If you say that the Apostles had an infallible spirit I answer True And that proveth that that their Doctrine was more infallible than other mens but not that they only and not other men may teach by the way of forms All the Books of Sermons now written are
because God useth to work by means and vary the success according to the quality of the means and instruments we may well conclude that the Gifts and Holiness of the Pastors is a very excellent and needful help to the peoples setled Piety and Pence And that where this help is wanting that ordinary means is wanting by which God useth to convey this blessing I have met with many who are either insufficient or ungodly themselves or are guilty of bringing such into the Churches who use to make very light of this and say God is not tied to mens goodness or abilities in distributing his graces which is true but nothing to the purpose He is not tied by any force or necessity nor is he so tied as that he cannot do otherwise But yet this is his ordinary way of working which hath made it a maxime that as to means Infused graces are obtained in the same way as acquired gnifts And let the contrary minded answer me these questions First If it be only the Office of the Ministery and not the Gifts and Graces that are ordinarily needful to their success why doth Religion decay and perish in all parts of the world where the Gifts and Graces of the Ministers decay Why are almost all the Greek Churches the Armenians the Russians the Abassians so lamentably ignorant and most of them as vicious as ignorant in so much that the notorious wickedness of their lives and contemptibleness of their understandings doth keep Christianity out of most of the Heathen and Infidel Nations of the world that are acquainted with them and keepeth up the reputation of Mahometanism and Heathenism Is not the experience of all the Christian world a sufficient proof The Greeks and other such corrupted Churches have a truly ordained Ministery as well as we if that were enough to serve the turn Secondly What is more evident among our selves than that Parishes do much vary in piety and concord as their Pastors vary in ability piety diligence and fidelity Thirdly Though Parents have all equal authority to instruct and rule their children and families is any thing more notorious than that notorious ignorance and impiety prevaileth in most families where the Rulers are ignorant and impious Yet they have as true a power from God to do their duty as the Pastor hath to do his yea and promises from God for the success Fourthly What is the Office but an Authority and Obligation to do the Ministerial work And will work succeed well that is not done Or will it be done by bare Authority and Obligation to do it Will it serve to the building of your house to the conduct of an Army to the healing of your sores or sicknesses that you have an Architect a Captain a Chyrurgeon and Physician whose office is to do these works Fifthly What need men study or bestow so many years at the University if Ordination and Office be enough Sixthly Interpreting the Original Text is one part of the Ministerial work If the bare Office without the Tongues did never make any of you a good Translator and Expositor why should the bare office serve turn for other parts of the work without proportionable abilities Seventhly Why do you lay so much blame on the Ministers who dissent from you or that are the teachers of the dissenting people as if all the divisions were caused by them if the difference of teachers make no difference in the work and flocks Eighthly Why is it that in most ages of the the world the Pastors of one mind have desired the silencing or deposing of those that were against them as being injurious to the flocks if all Ministers be alike to them what need there so much silencing imprisoning and banishing as the world hath seen if the Office alone do make sufficient Pastors Ninthly Why also is there so much difference between the Pastors reputations and their labours when they are dead Why is the name and works of an Augustine a Hierome a Basil a Nazianzen more honourable than of any other Pastor who had as true ordination and office as they Tenthly Why should the Kingdome be at so much cost upon the Ministery And why should one have more maintainance than another If the Office alone be all that 's necessary one Abâ—na may serve for ordination in all the Empire of Abassia and a few Priests may be had for ten pounds a year who have the same ordination as the ablest men But having sufficiently shamed this errour I dismiss it If the reverence due to the Office be once lost the labours of all the Ministery will be obstructed And if only the Person lose the reverence of his place his own labours will be hindred The contempt of the Office and so the whole Ministery tendeth to Infidelity or Atheism And the contempt of particular Ministers tendeth to Schism and to the ignorance and corruption of their flocks And though the contempt of the person is bad enough of it self yet if it fall on many and there remain not a considerable number who preserve their necessary reputation it turneth to the contempt of the Office it self and consequently of the Gospel And it must be apparent worth that must preserve the persons honour The silver lace did make the Apprentices in Apelles shop to reverence a foolish gallant a while but when he began to talk they all fell on laughing at him Our grave attire will go but a little way to keep up our reputation without some better testimony of our worth An empty head a stumbling and hesitant tongue dry and dull and disorderly preaching and sensless cold or confused praying a vain and frothy kind of talk a common and carnal conversation all these or any one of these will more abate the reverence of our persons than the title of Doctors or the length of our clothing or the enlarging of the philacteries will advance it Math. 23. 5. Mark 12. 40. Luk. 20. 47. It is their double measure of the spirit of wisdome and Goodness which must procure a double measure of honour to the Ministery And if we excel them never so much in Learning it will not suffice unless we excel them in our proper Ministerial gifts of preaching exhortation and prayer which are the works of our Office it will neither preserve the honour of our Office nor attain its ends When many of the people can open the case of their souls in prayer in more orderly clear and congruous expressions than the Pastor can it tendeth to bring down the honour of the Pastor in the peoples esteem Some think to repair this by casting out all prayer except that which is read out of a book or recited by memory alone that so there may be no observable difference of mens abilities But this is so far from curing the peoples disease that it increaseth it And they still say all this is no more than we can do our selves or then a child of ten years
to a better if you are free But if as servants or children or wives you are under another Government which restraineth you be patient and use such means as God provideth for you This is the true way of your church-Church-duty and not to think that you must have a knowledge of the Godliness of all that you communicate with or that you must refuse communion if the Pâ—stor he remiss and negligent Obj. But will it not be my sin if I communicate with such as I know to be notoriously wicked when a little leaven leaveneth the lump Answ. It will be your sin if you obey not Christ Mat. 18. 15. in admonishing them and so if it be long of you that they are not removed or if you do not your duty to reform the Pastor or remove him But otherwise if they be there without your fault it is no more your sin to communicate with such men than it is to live and converse with fellow servants that are wicked when it is not you but your Master that hath the choice of them And the leavening of the lump which the Text speaketh of is the tempting of others to the like sin and not that the innocent shall be held guilty of it nor were the words spoken to the people to perswade them to do the Pastors work or to separate from the Church but to the Pastors to perswade them to cast out the sinner and to the people to perswade them to execute their Sentence and the Apostles in particular It would rule and quiet people if they knew the trust and work of the Pastors from their own DIRECT XII Well study the gracious Nature and Office of Iesus Christ and his great readiness to receive those that come to him though weak in faith and his backwardness to refuse such Commers that so you may desire a Church-discipline that is suitable to the Nature and Office of Christ and to the design and tenor of the Gospel CHrists outward Discipline is agreeable to his inward As those that come to him by faith he will in no wise cast out or reject so those that come to him by profession of faith he would not have his Ministers in any wise reject And coming to Christ when he was personally on earth did signifie the following of him in presente as well as believing in him Just so far as men will come so far they shall be received by Christ If they will come but towards him he will not put them back If they will come but to his visible Church by a dead profession he would not have his Ministers repulse them The outward priviledges of the visible Church which they come to they shall possess If they will come over to the Church of the regenerate they shall be saved But where ever they stop it shall be their own doing Many came to Christ when he was on earth whom he never repulsed though he was marvelled at and grudged at for entertaining them Some came so far as to own his Name and did Miracles by it that yet did not follow him whom the Apostles would have hindered but Christ reproved them Mar. 9. 38. Luk. 9. 49. Some came only to receive a Cure of their Diseases from him whom his Disciples sometimes repulsed but so did not he when little children were brought to him his Disciples rebuked those that brought them as thinking them unfit for his reception but Christ rebuked them for their forbidding of such guests When he eat and drank with publicans and sinsinners and when he received the kindness of a woman that had bin a great sinner the Pharisees censured him therefore as ungodly But yet he would not abate his clemency Many at this day can scarce digest it that he sent forth a Iudas to preach the Gospel when he knew that he was a thief and an hypocrite and foreâ—new that he was a Son of perdition and would betray him and that the Devil would enter into him yea knew that he was a Devil Ioh. 6. 70. 13. 2. yeâ— that this Iudas should be one of the twelve select Apostles and one of the Family of Christ. Yet Christ repulsed him not And if he did not partake of the Sacrament at his last Supper it was not because Christ did turn him out but because he went away himself And accordingly the Apostles received 3000 at once into the Church upon their sudden profession of repentance even of such as had killed the Lord of life And though Simon Magus would not come out of the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity yet was he not kept out of the visible Church when he professed to believe and desired baptism Indeed if men will not come so far as to the profession of true faith and repentance they are not to be received into thâ— Church Because the Church is a Society of such Professours And if they will not come they cannot be received The Church and Sacrament must not be altered and made another thing than Christ made it for the receiving of another sort of men We must not do as some that would have no profession of saving faith and repentance but only a consent to learn required of them that are baptized and so baptism changed into another sort which Christ never instituted and the Church never used to this day But if Christians had well studied the compassions of a Saviour and the tenour of his Gospel and his practice upon earth and instead of a surly flying from their neighbours and groundless censuring them were possessed themselves with that love and tenderness which is the Evangelical temper and the image of their Lord it would put in end to many of our divisions and bring us neerer the truth and one another DIRECT XIII Yet left you run into the worse extream remember still that the destroying of sin and the sanctifying of mans nature and life by recovering us to the obedience and Love of God was the design and work of the Redeemer And that Holiness and Peace must go together And that the outward order and discipline of the visible Church must be subservient to the inward spirituality and prosperity of the regenerate Church And no such favour must be shewed to sinners as favoureth and strengthneth their sin and hindereth the increase of holiness IT is woful work which ungodly Pastors make in the visible Church under the name and pretense of Vnity Concord Peace and Order when an enemy to true holiness hath the managing of these you may easily imagine how they will be used But sad experience hath told the Christian world these 1300 years more doleful things thâ—n could otherwise have bin imagined The compassion which Christ shewed to sinners was to convert and save them from their sin But the compassion which caâ—nal Pastors shew them is to harden them in their sin and make them believe that repentance and holiness are but hypocrisie or needless things The Unity and Concord
bound to be more afraid of giving scandal to them than unto you Are not men most afraid of overthrowing the children and the weak rather than those that are stronger than themselves If you are apter to sin and turn from Christ than the people of the Parish Churches we should rather separaâ—e from you than from them If not we must more take heed of scandalizing them than you Obj. But Christ pronounceth a â—o to them that offend his little ones Answ. If by offending them be meant only persecuting and hurting them as many think then it is nothing to the question in hand For I hope communicating with others is not a persecuting you And bare displeasing them it is certain that the text doth not mean at all But if by offending them be meant scandalizing them that is laying snares before them whether by fraud or persecution to turn them from Christ and draw them to sins then it confirmeth all that I say And the term little ones conteineth the reason of the words Because as little children are easily overthrown easilier deceived so the young weak believers of little faith are most in danger of being turned away from Christ or ensnared in any sin or errour And therefore if you think the Parish Churches to consist of weaker persons than your selves the woe is to you or us if we offend them The truth is offending and giving scandal is commonly taken in the Gospel for any action which is not our necessary duty by which either Heathens and Inâ—idels and enemies to Christ are like to be drawn to harder thoughts of the Christian faith or any wicked man is like to be kept from a godly life or else by which the young ungrounded and unsetled sort of Christians may be tempted to turn back and forsake the faith which they have professed or fall into any dangerous sin And therefore seeing the separatists profess to be setled in the faith already and many in the Parish Churches are weak and many averse to some duties of Religion and more in danger of being turned away we are bound to be much more afraid of giving scandal to the Parishes than to the separatists Obj. But Christ cared not for offending such perverse ones as Herod or the Pharisees Answ. Christ feared not to displease the greatest when it would be done by doing good No more must you or they be pleased by our neglect of any duty But Christ was against laying any trap before either Herod or the Pharisees to make them sin And it is not your censure of others that will warrant us to use them as Reprobates forsaken of God If every man that can be uncharitable enough to call his neighbours Pharisees or enemies of Christ without proof shall keep us from communion with them then the worse any man is the more he shall be Lord of all other mens consciences DIRECT XXV Be not over-tender of your reputation with any sort of men on earth nor too impatient of their censures displeasure or contempt THe fangs of the censorious are a common scandal and as strong a snare or temptation to some men as worldly preferments are to others When we come among men whom we take for the most Religious and hear them keenly censure all for hypocrites or formalists profane or schismaticks who are contrary to them in opinion or practise at the first we are in danger of being carried away as Barnabas in dissimulation and to say as they say or at least comply with them by our silence and practise lest we should be censured by them as others are Especially Ministers are greatly in danger of this snare For the prophane hate them for their doctrine and their holy lives And it is the godly that are the fruit of their labours and the satisfaction which they have for all their sufferings and the comfort of their lives And if these forsake them and despise them with whom shall they find any comfort in the world Therefore they are very much in danger of complying too far with their errours and weaknesses to keep their interest in them And they think it is that they may do them good And perhaps this was the case of Peter and Barnabas with the weak Judaizing Christians For Paul telleth us Rom. the 14. that it was the use of the weak who thought those things to be duties and sins which were not so to judge the strong who knew their liberty And it was the custome of the strong to despise the weak Just as at this day the mistaken superstitious Christian saith They are prophane that are not against all that he is against And those that see his errour say what giddy whimsical fanaticks are these So was it then and so it is like to be till God give the world a better mind Many a faithful Minister I have known who have freely confessed to me that the censures of peevish self-conceited Christians enclined to separation was a far stronger temptation to them to forsake or overrun their own understandings than all the offers of honours or riches could be on the other side It is a hard thing when we have spent our labour and lives to bring men to Christ and have got them into a state of hope and forwardness to be shortly after cast off by them as formalists oâ— temporizers or any thing that their sick fancies will call us But for all this it is but one of those trials which God will have his servants undergo And both Ministers and private persons must be above the praise and the dispraise even of self-conceited Religious persons before they can be sit to follow Christ as tried and firmly setled men Stand your ground if you are in the right Truth will bear all your charges at the last and will defend it self and you If you please men whoever they be contrary to God and conscience you are servants of men and verily you have your reward Math. 6. But you are no longer the servants of Christ. Gal. 1. 10. And you will never be setled but change as the Moon as the parties or opinions of the censurers change But if you stick to the words of truth and soberness at last the sober part of the Religious will be your encouragers and many of the giddy will come to you by Repentance when experience hath shewed them that which they would not learn of you That which is vertiginous will at last settle its rest on that which is permanent and firm As boys when they have made themselves wheel-sick with turning round will lay hold on the next post to keep them from falling Therefore bear the censures of the ignorant Please them in all things lawful for their good and edification and become all things to all men in a lawful way But depart not from the principles or practise of Christian-union Communion Charity or Sobriety to please a dividing hot-brain'd party nor to escape their sharpest censures He is
so many prescribed words or forms of teaching And if we may use forms of Teaching as well as the Apostles why not also forms of praying If you say that the Apostles prescribed the Church no Liturgy I answer That only proveth that no one is universally necessary nor to be universally imposed but not that therefore no use of forms of prayer are lawful May we not now use the Lords Prayer or pray in some other Scripture form Obj. But the Apostles compelled none to use them Answ. Christ and his Apostles assumed not the civil Sword and therefore so compelled men to nothing But yet their authority bound the conscience when Christ said when ye pray say Our Father c. he bound them in duty to do as he bid them though he forced them not But Secondly tell me if you can where God forbiddeth you to use good and lawful words in prayer meerly because the Magistrate or Pastor bids you use them Is this the meaning of all the Precepts of honouring and obeying your Superiors Do nothing which they bid you do though otherwise lawful O strange exposition of the Fifth Commandment If you command your Child to learn a Catechism or Form of Prayer before his meat or for other times will you teach him to say Father or Mother it had been lawful for me to use this Form if neither you nor any body had bid me But because you bid me now it is unlawful O whither will not partiality lead men Obj. But though it be lawful to impose forms on children yet not upon aged Christians Answ. Aged persons have too many of them as much need of such forms as children Age maketh not the difference We are fain to teach many aged persons forms of Catechism as well as children Why not therefore forms of prayer Obj. But it is not lawful to impose forms publikely on whole Congregations of Believers Answ. All sects in the world do it I never heard any Separatist or Anabaptist or any other publike Minister but he imposed a form of prayer upon all the Congregation He is void of common sense that thinketh that his extemporary prayer is not as truly a form to all the people as if it had been written in a book The order and words are not of your own invention but invented by another to your hand and imposed upon you to use For I hope you come together to pray and not to hear a prayer only But the difference is First that one imposeth every day a new form on you and the other imposeth every day the same Secondly And that one telleth you not what words you shall pray in before you hear them and the other writeth them down for you to know before hand For my part I wonder why written or unwritten long-premeditated or suddenly expressed prayers should be taken for unlawful But however do not think the difference to lie where it doth not For doubtless to the people they are both formes and both imposed though not imposed by the same persons and authority Obj. But at least you have no proof for imposing forms â—n the Ministers themselves Ans. First I know no man that questioneth but some form of prayer and praise were imposed by God himself on the Iewish Ministers And one was taught by Christ to his Apostles And a form of Profession of faith and of Baptism and the Lords supper is imposed on all the Ministers of the Church And Ioel 2. 17. a form of prayer is taught the Priests Secondly But we are not now pleading for the needless imposing of any forms nor the causless restraint of extemporarary prayers I have fully born my testimony against that in due season But many things are lawfully and necessarily obeyed which are not lawfully commanded as I shall shew you more anon I could heartily wish that we could say that all Ministers of any party were such as were wholly above the need of forms Or at least such whose own composures were better for for the Church than any that could be offered them by others If it were not a contradiction But all that I now expect from the Objectors is that they tell me or themselves what proof they have that it is a sin for a Minister only to use an imposed form when all the Congregation else may use it Answer this well before you go And I pray let all the people note here that it is not nor cannot be denied but that a form even a new one every day may be lawfully be imposed upon all them and that the question is only of the Ministers use of imposed forms Obj. But our Ministers do not impose their prayers by forcâ— Answ. Do you think that there is no imposition but by force Your Pastor is your guide in the worship of God and God hath imposed it on you to to follow him and joyn with him in lawful prayer And what the words shall be and what the matter and order chosen for that time time the Speaker chooseth for you And so he bindeth you by his Ministerial authority which is a true and lawful imposing though he compel you not by the sword or force Obj. But Christ hath given gifts to all his Ministers and commanded them to use them And they use them not when they use imposed formes Therefore we must not obey men against Christ. Answ. No doubt but all that are lawful Ministers have such gifts as are necessary to the essential works of their office But the degrees of their gifts have very great variety as Paul fully sheweth in 1 Cor. 12. and oft elsewhere And the necessary gift for hearty acceptable prayer is true Desire excited by the spirit of supplication which sometime venteth it self but by sighes and groans Rom. 8. 16 26. But the Ministerial gift of prayer is Knowledge and Utterance by which a Minister may be able to express the desires and wants of the people unto God which includeth memory in some degree Even as Knowledge and Utterance are his Gift of preaching And some have more Knowledge and worser Vtterance And some have better Vtterance and less Knowledge And some through want of memory are defective in both The lowest rank of lawful Ministers may be so defective in their own gifts both of Knowledge Memory and Utterance as to have need of the help of the gifts of others who much excel them As a Minister who hath tollerable Gifts for preaâ—hing may yet need the writings of other men before hand and may bring both their Matter and Method into the Pulpit yea and oft times their words so that though he have Gifts yet being weak he may use the gifâ—s of others I have been counselled since I was silenced to compose Sermons my self and give them in writing to some weak Minister that hath an excellent Voice and utterance and to let him preach them And really if I had not known that such have good books enough at hand for such a use
to purchase them DIRECT XXXVII In your judging of Discipline Reformation and any means of the Churches good be sure your Eye be both upon the true End and upon the particular Rule and not on either of them alone Take not that for a means which is either contrary to the word of God or is in its nature destructive of the End THere are great miscarriages come for want of the true observation of this rule First If a thing seem to you very needful to a good end and yet the word be against it avoid it For God knoweth better than we what means is fittest and what he will bless As for instance some think that many self-devised ways of worship contrary to Col. 2. 21 23. would be very profitable to the Church And some think that striking with the sword as Peter did is the way to rescue Christ or the Gospel But both are bad because the Scripture is against them Secondly and if you think that the Scripture commandeth you this or that positive means if Nature and true Reason assure you that it is against the End and is like to do much more harm than good be assured that you mistake that Scripture For first God telleth us in general that the means as such are for the End and therefore are no means when they are against it The Ministery is for edification and not for destruction The Sabbath is for man and not man for the Sabbath Secondly God hath told us that no positive duty is a duty at all times To pray when I should be saving my neighbours life is a sin and not a duty though we are commanded to pray continually So is it to be preaching or hearing on the Lords day when I should be quenching a fire in the town or doing necessary works of mercy Wherefore the Disciples Sabbath-breaking was justified by Christ and he giveth us all a charge to learn what this meaneth I will have mercy and not sacrifice which must needs import I prefer mercy before sacrifice and would have no sacrifice which hindereth mercy Therefore if a Sermon were to be preached so unseasonably or in such unsuitable circumstances as that according to Gods ordinary way of working it were like to do more hurt than good it were no duty at that time Discipline is an Ordinance of Christ But if sound reason tell me that if I publickly call this man to Repentance or excommunicate him it is like to do much hurt to the Church and no good to him it would be at that time no duty but a sin As Physick must be forborn where the Disease will but be exasperated by it Therefore Christ boundeth our very preaching and reproof with a Shake off the dust off your feet as a testimony against them And give not that which is holy to dogs c. When treading under foot and turning again and rending us is lâ—kest to be the success the wisdome of Christ and not that of the flesh only requireth us to take it for no duty This is to be observed by them that think that Admonitions and excommunications and exclusion from the Sacrament must be used in all places and at all times alike without respect to the End come of it what will Or that will tempt God by presuming that he will certainly either bless or at least justifie their unseasonable and imprudent actions as if they were a duty at all times To be either against the Scripture or against the End is a certain proof that an action is no duty because no means DIRECT XXXVIII Neglect not any truth of God much less renounce it or deny it For lying and contempt of Sacred truth is always sinful But yet do not take it for your duty to publish all which you judge to be truth nor a sin to silence many lesser truths when the Churches peace and welfare doth require it TO speak or subscribe against any truth is not to be done on any pretense whatsoever For lying is a sin at all times But it is the opinion of injudicious furious spirits that no truth is to be silenced for peace Truth is not to be sold for carnal prosperity but it is to be forborn for spiritual advantage and true necessity First if the publishing of all truths were at all times a duty then all men live every moment in ten thousand sins of omission because there are more than so many truths which I am not publishing Nay which I never shall publish whilest I live Secondly Positives bind not always and to all times Thirdly while you are preaching that opinion which your zeal is so much for you are omitting far greater and more necessary Truths And is it not as great a sin to omit them as the lesser Fourthly Mercy is to be preferred before sacrifice What if the present uttering some truth would cost many thousand mens lives Were not that an untimely and unmerciful word And is it not as bad if but accidentally it tend to the ruine of the Church and the hurt of souls It were easie to instance in unseasonable and imprudent words of truth spoken to Princes which have raised persecutions of long continuance and ruined Churches silenced Ministers and caused the death of multitudes of men Fifthly And where is there any word of God which commandeth us to speak all that we know and which forbiddeth us to forbear the utterance of any one truth Sixthly And for the most part those men who are most pregnant and impatient of holding in their opinions on the pretense of the pretiousness of truth do but proudly esteem their own understandings precious and do vend some raw undigested notions vain janglings or errors under the name of that truth which must by no means be concealed though the vending of it tend to envy and strife and to confusion and every evil work When those that have the Truth indeed have more wisdome and goodness to know how to use it It is not Truth but Goodness which is the ultimate object of the soul. And God who is infinite Goodness it self hath revealed his Truths to the world to do men Good and not to hurt them And the Devil who is the Destroyer so he may but do men hurt will be content to make use even of Truth to do it Though usually he only pretendeth Truth to cover his lies And this angel of Light hath his ministers of Light and Righteousness who are known by their fruits whilest the pretenses of Light and Righteousness are used to Satans ends and not to Christs to hurt and destroy and to hinder Christs Kingdome and not to save and to do good As the Wolf is known by his bloody jaws even in his sheeps cloathing DIRECT XXXIX Know which are the great duties of a Christian life and wherein the nature of true Religion doth consist And then pretend not any lesser duty against those greater though the least when it is indeed a duty is not to
found 3. You would shew a humble sense of your own frailty who dare not proudly contemn your brethren 4. You would shew more love to God himself when you love all of God whensoever you discern it and cannot abide to hear his gifts and mercies undervalued 5. You would increase the grace of love to others in your selves by the daily exercise of it when backbiting and detraction will increase the malignity from which they spring 6. You would increase Love also in the hearers which is the fulfilling of the Law when detraction will breed or increase malice 7. You will do much to the winning and conversion of them whom you commend if they be unconverted For when they are told that you speak lovingly of them behind their backs it will much reconcile them to your persons and consequently prepare them to hearken to the counsel which they need But when they are told that you did backbite them it will fill them with hatred of you and violent prejudice against your counsel and profession Yet mistake me not It is none of my meaning all this while that you should speak any falsehood in commendation of others nor make people believe that a careless carnal sort of persons are as good as those that are careful of their souls or that their way is sufficient for salvation Nor to commend ungodly men in such a manner as tendeth to keep either them or their hearers from repentance Nor to call evil good or put darkness for light nor honour the works of the devil But to shew Love and impartiality to all and to be much more in speaking of all the good which is in them than of the evil Especially if they be your enemies or differ from you in opinions of Religion Tit. 3. 1. Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers to obey Magistrates to be ready to every good work to speak evil of no man to be no brawlers but gentle shewing all meekness to all men For we our selves were sometime foolish c. Grace is clean contrary to this detracting vice DIRECT L Study the Duty of instructing and exhorting more than Reproof and finding fault I Deny not but that it is duty to tell a brother of his fault and to reprove and that with plainness too Math. 18. 15. Lev. 19. 17. And it is but few that do this rightly of many that will backbite and censure But yet I have long observed that many Christians are enquiring How they must manage the duty of Reproof who ne-never enquire how to perform the duty of Christian exhortation or instructing of the ignorant When as this later is much more usually a duty than the former And you are bound to exhort a multitude whom you are not bound to reprove And exhortation to good is a duty which the hearer is usually less offended at It doth not so much gall and exasperate his mind It shameth him not so much and yet is the greater part of our duty to him as the positives of Religion are before the negatives Exhortation rightly used is the plain direct expression of Love and an earnest desire of anothers good When Reproof doth savour of a mixture of Love and displeasure and the wrath doth often cloud the love And I must say that I find many surly proud Professors much proner to Reproof than to Exhortation Their pride and self-conceitedness makes them too forward to reprove their Governours and the ignorant people are ready enough to reprove their Teachers and the servant to reprove the Master or the Mistris but not to be reproved by them Ministers must be wise and cautelous how they set such people on reproving and finding fault with others when their own pride and passion and fond self-opinion is ready to put them on too far DIRECT LI. The more you suffer by your Rulers or any men the more be watchful lest your sufferings tempt you to dishonour them And the more you are wronged by your equals the more be afraid lest you should be tempted to withdraw the Love which is their due THe Honouring of our superiours is a Moral or Natural duty of the fifth Commandement which sufferings will not excuse us from And so is the Love of all men even of our enemies And selfishness and Passion are things so powerful that it is wonderful hard to escape their deceit They will blind the mind and change the judgement and corrupt the affections before you are aware or believe that you are at all perverted Every man must watch most where his temptation is strongest Do you not think that you have a far stronger temptation to dishonour a persecuting Magistrate than a good one And to hate an enemy than a friend Therefore arm your selves and one another against this snare And when others are aggravating the fault and injury do you in company remember each other in what danger you are now of losing your innocency and of doing your selves more hurt by that than any powers or enemies can do you It is an easie thing to Love one that loveth you and to honour a Magistrate that doth good to you and all But as the Apostle saith of servants 1 Pet. 2. 18 19 20. Be subject Not only to the good and gentle but also to the froward For this is thank-worthy if a man for conscience toward God endure grief suffering wrongfully For what glory is it if when ye be buffeted for your faults you take it patiently But if when ye do well and suffer for it ye take it patiently this is acceptable with God DIRECT LII Make conscience of heart-revenge and tongue-revenge as well as of hand-revenge IT is so notorious that Revenge is a usurpation of Gods prerogative a heinour sin that Professors could not so frequently easily commit it if they did not first deceive themselves and take that to be no revenge which is To do any open hurt to another they take notice of as sinful revenge But is there no secret wish in your heart that some evil may befal another Nor no secret gladness that some evil hath befaln him You will say It is not in revenge but in hope he may repent But take heed what is in your heart It s one thing to Repent of his injury to you as such and to make you amends and repair your honour And it s another thing to repent of it as a sin against God to the saving of his own soul. Is it not the former that you more desire than the later And are not your Tongues employed too often in revenge What are all your secret reflections and endeavours to dishonour those that have wronged you but revengeful speeches Railing and backbiting and nibling at anothers honour and good name may be acts of revenge as truly as the actions of the hand DIRECT LIII When you are exasperated at the hurt which you feel from Magistrates remember the good which the Church receiveth by them
and what errours are intoâ—erable Yet as long as it is certaâ—n that such a difference there is and that accordingly men must do doth it not rather concern both parties to search after it and practise as far as they can discern than to cast away Reason because there is a difficulty in using it aright Just thus the Papists do with us about the like notion of fundamentals or essentials of Christianity They call to us for a just enumeration of the fundamentals and because they find so much difficulty there as may find words and work for a perverse wrangler they insult as if they might therefore take either all things or nothing to be essentials and of necessity As if Christianity had no constitutive essentiall parts and so were nothing And when they have all done they are forced themselves in their writings to distinguish the fundamentals essentials and universally necessary points from the rest as Daveâ—pâ—rt Costerus Bellarmine Holden c. do And doth it not then concern them as much as us to know which they be What if it be a hard thing to enumerate just how many bits a man may eat and not be a glutton or how many drops a man may drink and be no drunkard or just what meats and drinks must be used to avoid exceâ—s in quality or just what sort of stuffes or silks or cloth or fashions may be used without excess in apparel will you thence infer that men may eat and drink any thing in quantity and quality or else nothing or that he may wear any thing or must go naked What if you cannot justly enumerate what herbs or roots or drugs are wholsome and what are unwholsome which purge too much and which too little Must therefore all be used indifferently or none If I am not able to enumerate just how many faults or weaknesses may be tollerable in my servants Must I therefore have none till I have those that are faultless or else must I allow them to do any thing that they list Though just at the verge of evil even that which is good may be matter of doubt yet God in Nature and Scripture hath given us sufficient light for an upright safe peaceable life Thirdly And if ever Baptism had been well understood by these objectors the essentials of Christianity had been understood Hath not Christ himself determined who they be that shall be admitted into the Church and numbered with Christians in the very tenor of the Baptismal Covenant And did not the Church take the Creed to be sufficient for its proper use which was to be the matter of the Christian profession as to the Articles of faith to be believed And yet are we now to seek in the end of the world what Christianity is and what are the essentials of our faith and who is to be received as a professor of Christianâ—ty But this is a subject more largely to be handled if Rulers will permit it And in the mean time because it is not the Magistrates but the Pastors that I am now speaking to I shall pretermit the most which is to be said and only acquaint you in the conclusion that one of these following wayes must be chosen I. Either to tollerate all men to do what they wil which they will make a matter of conscience or religion And then some may offer their children in sacrifice to the devil and some may think they do God service in killing his servants â—nd some may think it their duty to perswade people that there is no God nor life to come nor duty nor sin but all things are left to our own wills as lawless Secondly Or else you must tollerate no errour or fault in religion And then you must advise what measure of penalty you will inflict If but a little then you tollerate the errour still For they that err will err still and they that conscienciously pray as Daniel did Dan. 6. or forbear to obey the King as the three Confessours did Dan. 3. will do so still for all your penalty And so there is no cure but a tolleration still But if you inflict upon them banishment or death you must resolve that the King shall dwel alone and have no subjects and so be no King nor have any servant and so be no Masters nor endure so much as a wife and so be no husband and if he have children must use them as K. Philip of Spain did his eldest son Prince Charles and so be no Father It can be no less than this at last Or if you will imprison them every subject must be in prison and then who shall be the Jaylor and who shall find them food Thirdly Or else you must deal partially and unjustly and condemn one while you acquit another for the same fault or condemn one sort of errours while you allow to tollerate others as great As if all were to be punished who believe not Christs descent into Hell while all are tollerated who deny the rest of the Articles of the Creed Fourthly Or else you must make sure that all the Kings subjects shall be born under the same Planets and of the same parents and have the same temperament and complexion and the same teachers and company and all hear the same words and all see the same objects and all have the same callings employments interests passions temptations advantages and the same degree of natural capacity and of grace That so there may be no difference or defect in their apprehensions Fifthly or else you must â—istinguish and say that some are tollerable and shall be tollerated and some errours arâ— intollerable and shall not be tollerated in the tongue I mean for you must tollerate them in the mind whether you will or not And then you will find a necessity of discerning as well as you can the tollerable from the intollerable And if so for Christs sake and his Churches sake and your own sake bethink you whether Christ be not the King of his Church and whether he hath given his Church no Laws for its Constitution and Administration By which we must try who are to be the members of himself and his Church and to have Communion with himself and one another and who are to be rejected and avoided And whether the Holy Ghost iâ— not the Author of the Church-establishment in the Scriptures And whether we can expect more infallible deciders of such cases than Christ and his Spirit and Apostles And whether the Church be not the same thing now as then and and its universal constitution and necessary administration the same And whether the primitive Church or ours be the purer and more exemplary And whether it would do Kings and Kingdomes and the souls of men any dangerous hurt to have all Christians hold their Union and Communion just on the same terms as they did under Peter and Paul and all the Apostles Or at least whether it be worthy all the calamitous divisions
of strict observing it And make New Duties and new sins which scripture makes not such II. Account all those ungodly that use set prayers or worship not God in the same manner as you do III. Brand all Dissenters with the odious names of graceleâ—s formaâ—ists That you may make them all seem unlovely to others IV. When this hath stirr'd them up to wrath call them wicked persecutors and have no communion with them V. Backbite and reproach all those as Compliers with sin or such as strengthen the hands of the wicked and the persecutors who would recal you to Love and Humility And cherish all sects be they never so erroneous or Passionate that will take your part and speak against them But First when the Wrath which you thus kindled hath consumed you Secondly or your Divisions crumbled you all to dust Thirdly and your scandals hardened men to scorn Religion to their damnation remember Wo to the world because of offences and wo to him by whom offence cometh Read Act. 20. 30. 1 Cor. 1. 10. 13. 3. 3. Rom. 16. 17 18. Iam. 3. 13 14 15 16 17. Study these on your knees I deny not but that our Antagonists in these Conâ—roversies may peradventure have met with some not â—nlike to Ithacius who mightily bending himself by â—â—ll means against the Heresie of Priscillian the haâ—red of which one evil was all the vertue he had ☜ became so wise in the end that every man carefull of vertuous conversation studious of the Scripture and given to any abstinence in diet was set down in his Kalender for suspected Priscillianist◠☜ For whom it should be expedient to approve thâ—ir soundness of faith by a more licentious and loose behaviour ☜ Such Prâ—ctors and Patrons the truth might â—are Yet is not their grossness so â—â—â—â—llerable as on the contrary side the scurrilous and more than satyrical immodesty of Marrinism the first published schedules whereof being brought to the hands of a grave and very honourable Knight with signification given that the Book would refresh his spirits he took it saw what the title was read over an unsavoury sentence or two and delivered back the Libel with this answer I am sorry you are of the mind to be solaced with these sports and sorrier you have herein thought my affection like your own FINIS Errata P Râ—f p. â— lin 23. for 〈◊〉 read not pag. 〈◊〉 l. 27. for enâ—â—ameâ—r enslave Contents p. 1. l. 14. dele to be p 2 l. 3. for timer true p. 3. l. 3. for own Church read outward Church p. 6. l. 28. for Solomons knowledge r. common knowledge p 7. l. 11 for their r. then p. 17. l. 32. r. christianity p. 26. l. 11. for moved r. proved p. 〈◊〉 15. for sâ—em r. serve p 9. l. 27 for they read the p. 95 〈◊〉 26. dele in p. 132. l. 19. read â—word thâ—m p. 144. l 11. for ever r. even p 162. l. 26. for them 〈…〉 p. 165. l. 4. for Historical read Histerical p. 16â— l. 1. read reveal 〈◊〉 p. 16â— l. penultu for is read in p. 180. l. 30 dele be p. 181 l. â— dele time p. 183. l. 20. read 20 years p 185. l. 30 read deâ—ectiâ—e p. 21â— l. 15. read 〈◊〉 p. 221. l. â— read 〈◊〉 taâ—â— p. 13â— l. â— read Independency p. 170. l. 13. read appealed p. 298. l. 27. for be read become A Catalogue of Books written and published by the same Author 1. THE Aphorisms 2. The Saints Everlasting rest in quarto 3. Plain Scripture proof of Infant Church-membership and Baptism in quarto 4. The right Method for a setled Peace of Conscience and Spiritual Comforts in thirty two Directions in octavo 5. Christian Concord or the Agreement of the Associated Pastors and Churches of Worcestershire in quarto 6. True Christianity or Christ Absolute Dominion c. in two Assize Sermons preacht at Worcester in twelves 7. A Sermon of Judgement preacht at Pauls London Decemb. 17. 1654. new enlarged 12o. 8. Making light of Christ and salvation too oft the issue of Gospel-Invitations manifested in a Sermon preached at Lawrence Iury in London in octavo 9. The Agreement of divers Ministers of Christ in the County of Worcester for Catechiâ—ing or Personal Instructing all in their several Parishes that will consent thereunto containing 1. The Articles of our Agreement 2. An Exhortation to the People to submit to this necessary work 3. The Profession of Faith and Catechism in octavo 10 〈…〉 The Refoâ—med Pastorâ— shewing the nature of the Pastoral work especially in private Instruction and Catechizing in octavo 11. Certain Disputations of Right to Sacraments and the true nature of visible Christianity in quarto 12. Of Justification four Disputations clearing and amicably defending the Truth against the unnecessary Oppositions of divers Learned and Reverend Brethren in quarto 13. A Treatise of Conversion preached and now published for the use of those that are strangers to a tâ—ue Conversion c. in quarto 14 One sheet for the Ministery against the Malignants of all sorts 15. A winding-sheet for Popery 16. One sheet against the Quakers 17. A second sheet for the Ministery c. 18. Directions to Justices of Peace especially in Corporations to the discharge of their duty to God c. 19 The crucifying of the World by the Cross of Christ c. in quarto 20. A call to the Unconverted to Turn and Live and accept of mercy while mercy may be bad as ever they would find mercy in the day of their extremity From the Living God To be read in Families where any are unconverteâ—◠〈◊〉 21. Of saving Faith That it is not only gradually but specifically distinct from all Common Faith The Agreement of Richard 〈◊〉 with that very Learned consenting Adversary that hath maintained his Assertion by a pretended Consuâ—ation in the end of 〈◊〉 Shepheards Book of Sincerity and Hypocâ—â—â—â— in quarto 22. Directions and Perswasionâ— to a sound Conversion c. in octavo 23. The Grotian Religion discovered at the invitation of Mr. Thomas Pierce in his Vindâ—cation With a Preface vindicating the Synod of Dore from the calumnies of the new Tiâ—â—nus and David Peter c. and the Puritans and Sequestrations c. from the censures of Mr. Pierce in 〈◊〉 24. Confirmation and Restauration the necessary means of Reformation and Reconciliation c. in octavo 25. Five Disputations of Church-Government in quarto 26. A Key for Catholicks to open the jugling of the Jesuites and satisfie all thaâ— are but truly willing to understand whether the cause of Roman or Reformed Churches be of God and to leave the Reader utterly â—nexcusable that after this will be a Papist in quarto 27. A Treatise of Self-denial in quarto 28. His Apology against the Exceptions of Mr. Blake Kendal Crandon Eires L. Moulinâ— in quarto 29. The unreasonableâ—ess of Infidelity in four partâ— c. in octavo 30. The Worcester-shire 〈◊〉 to the Parliament for the Ministery
forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved to fill up their sin alway for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost ☞ Luk. 9. 54 55. Lord wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven and consume them even as Elias did But he turned and rebuked them and said ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of for the son of man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them I conclude as I began that the consciousness of our own ordinary and lamentable infirmities and the greatness of the Churches sufferings thereby in all fore-going ages and in this will condemn us of impudent self-ignorance if Ministers be not compassionate and tender towards the weaknesses of the people who cannot be expected to equal them in knowledg Alas Brethren what are we even after so many years study preparation that we should be supercilious and cruel to the infirm what difficulties puzzle us what a loss are we at in our ordinary studies How weakly do we preach and pray and write How easily do we see this in one another as our mutual censures and severities shew Who troubled Paul and the first Churches but erroneous Teachers Who prated malitiously against Iohn and cast out the brethren but a Diotrephes Who brought in the errours of the Millenaries the corporeity of Angels the errours of the Arrians Eunomians Nestorians Eutychians Macedonians and almost all the rable ine Epiphanius Augustine and Philastrius but Bishops or Presbyters Who have caused and kept open the wounds of the Churches of the East and West so long Who introduced all the errours about praying for to the dead c. that are in most of the Liturgies of the Churches in East and West And all the errours that are found in so many Councils and Confessions of Churches and in so many Volumes of Controversie as are extant Who set up the Roman Usurpation and Tyranny Who set up the Papal power above Princes and determined in the Laterane Council for their power to depose them and alienate their dominions Who set up Usurpers and raised wars against Emperors and Kings upon these grounds Who brought in Transubstantiation with the rest of the Roman absurdities Who have been the Masters of the bloody Inquisitions And who hindereth the preaching of the pure doctrine of the Gospel in all the Romanists dominions Is it not an erroneous Clergy You 'l say Those are Papists and so are not we Ans. No God forbid we should But they are a mistaken Clergy which sheweth us that the Clergy are as liable to be dividers and troublers of the Church as the Laity are and have done much more If any hence would infer that the Pastors must be vilified or deprived of their just liberties and power I would more largely tell such a one that it is also the Clergy that have opposed all these Heresies and sins and that have maintained obedience to Princes and that have preserved the Scriptures and the Christian saith and that have been the salt and lights of the world without whom Christianity never long continued in any nation And that have been the chief instruments of bringing all the souls to Heaven that have passed thither from the militant Church But I have done this in two sheets for the Ministery long ago So that our faults consist with the honour of our function and of our necessary labours and with the praise of the more blameless And even so though the peoples weakness and inclinableness to unwarrantable separations and schisms be blameworthy as a fruit of their infirmity and injudiciousness Yet must we remember that they are the members of Christ and we must â—ot deny his interest in them nor judge or use them hardlier than Christ himself hath done or alloweth us to do But study his Love and tenderness and forbearance that we may follow him in serving him and not follow our uncharitable passions and call it a serving of him who liketh no such hurtful service He that loveth Christ in none of his Infants or weaker members but in the strong and more prudent sort alone doth love him in so few that he may question whether he loveth him indeed at all And whether ever he shall hear In as much as ye did it to the least of these my brethren ye did it unto me April 14. 1668. The way of Division by Violence I. Depart from the Apostolical primitive simplicity and make things un-necessary seem necessary in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Conversation II. Endure no man that is not of your mind and way But force all tâ— concord upoâ— these terms of yours what ever it cost III. â—rand all Dâ—â— â—ters with the 〈…〉 maticks â—â—ereticks or â—â—ditious Reâ—els that the◠〈◊〉 become â—teful to high â—nd low IV. When this â—ath greatly â—ncreased their â—isaffection to â—ou accusâ—â—heir Religioâ— of all the expressions of that disaffection to make iâ— odious also V. Take thosâ— for your enemies that arâ— their friends â— those for your friends which are their enemies And cherish those be thâ—y never so bad that will be against them and help you to rooâ— them out But remember that for all this you must come to judgement And read these following words of Mr. R Hookers which he useth of some part of the History which out of Sulpitius I before mentioned Eccles. Pâ—l Epist. Dedic The way of Peace by Love and Humility I. Adhere to the ancient simple Christianity and make nothing necessary to your Concord and Communion which is not necessary II. Love your neighbors as your selves Receive those that Christ receiveth and that hold the necessaries of Communion be they Episcopal Presbyterian Independants Anabaptists Arminians Calvinists c. so they be not proved Heretical or wicked III. Speak evil of no man and especiaâ—ly of Dignities Ruâ—lers Revile not when you are reviled speak moâ—â— of the good that is in Dislenters and do them all the Good you can IV. If any wrong you be the more watchful over your passions opinions and tongues lest Passion carry you into extreams Love your enemies â—less them that curse you do good to themâ—hat â—hat hate you and â—ray for them that despâ—ghtfully use you and persecute you And do noâ— evil â—hat good may come by it V. Impartially judg of men by Gods inâ—erest in them and â—ot your own or your parties Reprove the wayes of Love-killers and Backbiters and let not the fear of their Wrath or Censures carry you into a compliance with them or cause you by silence to encourage them But rejoyce if you should be Martyrs for Love and Peace For Blessed are the â—eek for they shall inherit the earth Blessed are the Peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God Blessed are they which are persecuted for Righteousness sake for theirs is the Kingdome of heaven The way of Division by Separation I. Depart from the Apostolical Primitive simplicity on pretence