washed us and all believers in his blood and made us to him a chosen generation a Royal Priesthood a peculiar people zealous of good works We desire to give his Spouse our Mother the Church all Duty and support we pray her Priests lips may preserve knowledge their lives be holy harmlesse and unspotted their Doctrine pure and unallayed by Error their labour constant and successeful to the gathering together of Gods Elect their maintenance liberal and their influence on men strong and vigorous for the Gospels sake We pity and disapprove a Minister who is not a burning and shining light we suspect him who comes before he be sent and utters what he hath not in Commission who cryes Peace when God proclaims war and affixeth a pretended Revelation to a real Fascination We cry up Learning not as if God could not act by absolute Soveraignty but because he is pleased to bid us seek after wisedom and commands his Ministers to be throughly furnished to instruct reprove correct and to shew themselves workmen that need not be ashamed which we believe and know none ordinarily can do without the help of Arts and skill in Tongues We honour the Calling of the Ministry and persons of the Ministers because we know it is the will of God that his servants should Reverence that Ordinance to support which the perpetual concurrence of God is promised to the end of the world and though the vessels that bring this treasure be earthen yet we professe them estimable for their Office sake what ever they abstracted from their function otherwise be and we pray that the Maintenance of the Ministry be continued accounting it no puisne mistake to alienate or secularize that which hath been consecrated and designed by the Charities of pious Christians to Churches and Church-mens uses and confirmed to them by the Laws and Customes of the Nation remembring that of Solomon It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy Prov. 20. 25. We pray for all our Parents both Politick and Natural that God would give them life and love that God would order them so to moderate the golden Rains of Government that they may be to us an occasion and Example of living in all godlinesse and honesty and that we may yeild them obedience according to the will of God and the station they and our selves are in We love Religion and the power of godlinesse not as a cloak of malice ambition disorder but as an armour of God whereby we may worst Satan and glorifie God in the example of a holy and blamelesse life to men-ward We are in Charity with all men save those who deny Charity to Christ and his Church whose implacability to pity or pray for were to offend God and disown Christ because to encourage his adversaries but yet our zeal carries us not forth to terminate this guilt of impenitent adversation to Christ on any person whose heart because we know not we dare not judge and therefore we desire to decline all Pragmatick censure or rash Pharisaicalnesse to muster up personal Errors to the disgrace of any Profession which we cannot comply with praying rather for circumspection and holy warinesse that we give no offence to the Church of God then insight into the failings of others or oportunity to divulge them and resolving by the grace of God to forgive and forget wrongs done us out of choice and conscience and not out of necessity and for forms sake We believe the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Sacred Scriptures and abhor all such dispute about them which proceeds from vain curiosity or doubt of their verity and divine inspiration discussing things only to our edification not to any indifferency much lesse diminution of their authority or the Churches fidelity We earnestly and with all humble importunity deprecate grieving the holy spirit of God by quenching his motions or by lying against the Truth or fostering any known sin incompatible with his abode in the soul nay we earnestly begge that he would ever lead us into and keep us in all Truth that he would perswade us to be holy meek gentle wise and such every way as becomes the Members of Christ who is in all points compleat being to his Church Wisedom Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption We sadly groan under the prophanation of Christian Sabbaths the Separation and Sanctifying of which we believe to be Sacred and to be observed strictly without labour or unlawful pleasure though not to a Jewish severity the Sabbath being made for man and workes of Nature Necessity and Piety being lawfull nay fit to be done thereon and we never did nor never shall repine at any Law which punishes sin and promotes virtue but blesse God for all means by which we may see God honoured from our selves and others We lament the Overliness of Preaching and the cheap value put upon those Ordinances people with the coy Israelites nauseating the Manna that once they prayed for and rejoyced in many Ministers imbasing themselves and their Message by trite and impertinent discourses without method or any measure of studied sharpnesse shunning so much what the Apostle says he avoyded the enticing words of mans wisedom 1 Cor. 4. 4. that they speak not the words of sobernesse but rave and range about the wildernesse of Common places and delight in forms of impertinent words as if to know nothing but a trace and tone of tedious Hyperbolizing and to crucifie ingenious pains between the two Thieves of idlenesse and wordly businesse were to shew ones self an able Minister of the new Testament We wonder at the disuse of Sacraments specially that of the body and blood of our Lord which in some places hath not been given or received this many years contrary to the Canons of the Church and Acts of Parliament which require them to be given and received thrice at least every year which being the Sacrament of Confirmation sealeth up the Soul of the worthy Receiver in the comfort and assurance of Gods love in Christ and the pardon of sins by his Merit for his sake and we bemoan the Non-residencie of Ministers so much heretofore condemned as contrary to Law unlesse in cases extraordinary their partiality in doing their duty some Preaching but not administring the Sacraments either of Baptism or the Lords Supper others giving one Sacrament but not both not burying not marrying not visiting the sick nay not owning their sheep further then to take of them their fleece others not preaching at all because they cannot preach where and what they would and manymost eminent worthies not daring to preach lest they should become a Rock of offence to those men who have mens persons in admiration and had rather hear no Preacher then not one of their judgement and party so miserable is the Church straitned that she may well cry out Lam. 1. 12. Behold and see
of Humane or Civil constitution but of Divine and Supream Ordination flowing not from Aarons Priesthood but the Eternal Law made by the Majesty of Heaven and wrote in the Tables of mans heart from the beginning God the great Maker of all things not onely ordering the whole world of mankind to attendance at large on him but also the best and choicest of them to be his special train to whom he gave his own portion for Maintenance this appears in Melchisedeck who hundreds of years before the Levitical Priesthood was setled received Tythes of Abraham as he was Priest of the most high God and this not as many of the Ancients to whom I do reverence and in opposition to whom I would not be understood say as a requital of that honour which Melchisedeck had done him in giving him bread and wine but as instructed by God and specially required to take that as the Res Dominica substantia Dei census or Lords Rent which Abraham was to pay in in ackowledgement to him who was the supream Majesty and by whose power and permission he was then a Conquerour over those Kings and Armies which disturbed the holy seed Now because God knew that in time devotion would flag and Ieshurun spurn with the heel against his Maker when he was fat therefore God in probability conjoyned the Kingly and Priestly Office in the same persons to wit the Patriarchs and Heads of Familie that both might seem to accomplish the end of God the Priesthood sanctifie the Kingly Office and the Kingly Office secure the Priesthood that as the one hath right to receive so the other should have might to compel what is due to be paid from the greatest contrarient Mistake me not I intend no controversie I am to offer my thoughts as an Orator not to dispute as a School-man I shall leave debates to Theologues It becomes me onely to evince the reasonableness and necessity of a Ministry from what is obvious to me in Reason and Authors So ancient is the Office of Priesthood that a Learned man of our own saies That as Melchisedeck Priest of the most high God in Gen. 14. is said to have neither Father nor Mother neither begining nor end of days so may it fall out in search after the Antiquity and dignity of Priesthood that we shall not find out its Original and first Rise it being Primaeval and beyond mention of Record yet in the holy story I read that before the Law there was a Priesthood the Patriarchs were of this In the Law there was a Priesthood Levi and his Posterity in their Families were of that thus amongst the Jews And to this for a long time was appended ths Office of Government and Civil distribution So careful was God to intrust power in pious hands that he took away all fear of their abusing it out of the peoples mindes and gave them a lesson by what they saw in the Temporary Priest to expect with admiration the Eternal Priest and Law-giver Christ Jesus who should be compleatly furnished to all purposes of power and purity that he might perfume their Sacrifices and prostrate the enemies of his Church and this onely in a Spirituall way for his Kingdom is not of this world But a Ministry he has ever had since his departure and I am sure ever will so long as his Word abides which saies The Gates of Hell shall not prevail against the Church Nor did the Jews and Christians onely set apart persons for holy employments giving them Priviledges Tyths and Honour but the very Heathens did thus perhaps from the instinct of Nature The Egyptians chose their Priests and Kings from amongst Philosophers Alex. ab Alex lib. 2. cap. 8. The Greeks Kings and Priests were both one And we read of Iethro Priest of Midian and of the Priests of the Philistims of Baal Molech Ashtaroth and other mentioned in holy Writ and prophane stories In our Nation while the Samothei Sarronites or Druydes continued they had great Priviledges their persons and all that repaired to them were exempted from all secular Services and Taxes all Laws made and Judgements stood to which they declared the best of every thing offered to them Plutarch saies That the Laws did enjoyn reverence and Honour to Priests and holy men because they impart the holy things of the Gods not onely to themselves their children friends and families but to all men indifferently And Plato brings in Socrates affirming That amongst the Egyptians no man could be a King 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unless he were a Priest and if any man got Rule or by Usurpation obtained the Kingdom he was compelled after such obtainment to be Priested that he might be what the Law required both King and Priest Romulus the Founder of the City of Rome Empress of the world set apart Priests and highly priviledged them So did after him Numa his Successor and so did all times downward that were orderly observing the Maxim of Plato which surely he had by Tradition from the Jews as well as by dictate of Nature Not to remove or change those Priesthoods which were ancient and preserved by our Progenitors From the times of the Apostles Christianity held the Order of Priesthood or Ministry sacred And those Emperors and Princes who were good and virtuous did their Duty to them as their Spiritual Fathers Socrates tells us That the Emperour Constantine the Great would not sit down in the Council of Nice with the holy Bishops there convened before they besought him to sit and Sozomen affirms That he refused to give Judgement against the Clergy and when the Arrians brought Accusations against the Orthodox Bishops he took and burned them not permitting their publication saying These Accusations will have proper hearing at the last day of Iudgement Yea Eusebius testifies that he would make great Feasts for the Fathers of the Church set them down with him at the Table largely reward them when they departed command observation of their Canons kiss the wounds of those Bishops and Presbyters that had been tortured and lost their eyes in times of Persecution and would often say If he saw any sin committed by a Priest he would câ—…ver it with his Imperial Robe So writes Theodoret What Honour has been done the Church since appears in stories Emperors Kings and Princes did take their Crowns from the hands of the Clergie for such Bishops were receive Institution from them pertook of the Sacraments of the Church from their hands made them of their Council and Closet employed them on Embassies and other high affairs of State out of pure love and zeal and out of experience of their fidelitie and fitness and not from that pusillanimity and manless subjugation which by many in our Age scornfully is called Priest-riddenness as I may so say their term being Priest-ridden when they express a man addicted to the
would have all men do according to their opportunities and places the sword of power in the Magistrates hand is to defend the sword of the Spirit in the mouth of the Ministrie I read of but two swords in Luke 22. 38. which our Lord saies are enough if the people have a third 't is like Melchisedeck without Father or Mother and perhaps they will say to God and the Church as Levi is said to do to his Father Mother and Brethren but in a much worse sense Non novi nos as not seeing nor acknowledging them If the Magistrate be so stressed that he cannot protect those that are pious and peaceable the Lord help I can but mourn for the endangered if not altogether slain of the Daughters of that people And if the Clergy-man grow ridiculous and be rejected then farewel learning farewel peace farewel piety I think they were never in being in the world without their instrumentality The Romans held the extinction of the Vestal fire a signe of the destruction of their City 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be the cause thereof what will Dyonysius Halicarnass lib. 2. p. 128. There was a time when Israel was without a teaching Priest and without the Law and the true God 2 Chron. 15 3. but that time was v. 5. said to be no time of peace but of vexation and nation was destroyed of nation and city of city for God did vex them with all adversity verse 6. It is a strange stupidnesse and ingratitude that many are under they least value those who are most bounteous to them Other Artists study to accumulate wealth and gain estates the Clergy-man may say as Demosthenes did to his Athenians My Councels and carriages are not such as will bring me to riches and greatnesse but such as will make my neighbours and Countrymen thrive such as are often hurtful for me to give not them to receive and imitate Are the clouds ill stewards for the earth when they lodge the vapors attracted from the earth to disgorge them down upon the earth in fruitful and seasonable showrs Truely I think the Clergy-man most an end spent his Tythes where he had them often on those from whom he received them seldom left he a son vastly stated or honourably allied his hand was too often in his purse to keep it full he most an end cares not for to morrow Sufficient for the day are the sorrows thereof Mistake me not I am not a man so transported with love to the Ministry but that I can see and lament the flatteries follies crafts contentions of some Ministers and wonder that they are not ashamed to call him Master who is Peace Truth Wisedom Justice Bounty Unchangeablenesse while some of them are contentious faedifragous vain rash injurious avaritious nay one while this another that and at no time what they should be I have not so subjected my self to them yet nor ever will I by Gods leave as the servants of the Scythians did whose Masters put out their Servants eyes that they might yield better obedience to them I can blush to see the personal Errors of many of them progging up and down and plotting how to lay foundations of outward greatnesse how to strengthen their designs by multiplying friends amongst great men how to make their lives pleasant to them by feeding high affecting gentile fashons coaching it to al quarters while their brethren not lesse worthy nor greater sinners then themselves are in want heavinesse restraint wander about in mean attire with wan looks and empty bellies being destitute afflicted tormented and their own Cures and charges are neglected they Non-resident loving any place rather then their own homes and any businesse beyond that of their calling not considering that of the Apostle No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a souldier nor yet that of the Heathen Men ought rather to attend their duty then their gain and advantage It is one of the great cavils that people make with Ministers That they Preach what they Practice not that they live not lives of Self-denial Patience contempt of the world but trade in the merchandize of Pomp Fury Rigidnesse that they spend their times in Talk Visits Solicitings and not in their Studies not in duties of devotion not in holy watchings over their flocks that they give God that which cost them nought their sudden thoughts immethoded discourses and slovenly Sermocinations that they Preach Repreach the labours of other men new vamped and care not how they run their Ministerial course so they perform what contents their giddy Auditory not answering their own consciences which cannot but check them for doing the work of the Lord negligently Ier. 48. 10. I confesse these dead flyes cause an ill savour in the oyntment of our heavenly Apothecaries who ought so studiously to preserve their Reputations that Envy it self should have nothing to carp at Lights ought to burn clear Salt to keep its savour else the one is fit to be snuffed and the other to be cast on the dunghil A Spiritual man taking thought for to morrow in that forbidden sense Matth. 6. 34. Labouring for the meat that perisheth how he may sit in this world at the right hand of power and greatnesse be clad in purple and fare deliciously seems to me a great Soloecisme or contradiction 'T is a good note of Casiodore The generous mind makes after the loftiest Prey Eagles wind not the wing after Sparrows and flyes nor will he who is in pursuit of a Kingdom descend to think of a petty Coppy-hold Small and wodden stuff are for Swains and Hinds to look after the brave House-keeper looks to his Plate his Coyn his Evidences as those which must keep up his Port and render him conspicuous Those who think of the recompence of Reward of the glorious wages which follows work wel done have no conversation here in vain delights and pleasures dare not encumber themselves lest they lose the one thing necessary they do rather think how to augment heaven and to Enlarge the Empire of God in the Souls of men how to profit the Times in which they live by good counsel holy example earnest prayers multiplied tears then how to enrich themselves or Nobilize their Families The Orator tells us That to be useful to Communities is more noble and generous then to accumulate wealth And truely where ever I see a Church-man carrying the bag and begrutching the duty and charity which God calls for from him towards his flock and the poor God having enabled him to perform them both I shall think of Iudas who thought much of every thing that fell besides his own cup. But let no man be offended though wicked Saul be among the Prophets Christ had one Iudas in his family Noah one Cbam in his Ark the Church may have
will expect honours and employments when the waters abate and the Ark is setled on her Ararat we are ill Salamanders better Doves we live not in nor thrive not we dissentions Peace is our Nurse and Concord our Sphear to move in we can make Panegyricks to Peace and endeavour to Amphionize the severities of men we can skill to charm venemous beasts by the Magick of our Eloquence Carmina vel coelo possunt deducere Lunam Carminibus Circe socios mutavit Ulyssis Frigidus in pratis cantando rumpitur anguis By Poetry the Moon 's from Heaven brought Ulysses mates by Circe temper taught The Snake of 's poyson rob'd surpris'd caught For as that exquisite Politico who knew what he said once wrote Eloquence is the great Dominator and Soveraign of the world for what ever is done in Government is by soft perswasion which he that best skills to use will soonest attain his ends We can rejoyce more in our Oratories and contemptible obscurities then in Pallaces of Marble beds of Ivory Walks of State or Parks of Pleasure we can live on short Commons and with mean clothing and think our selves rich if we may keep our integrities Caeterum juxta miserias hujus Temporis they are S. Ieroms words ubique gladios saevientes satis dives est qui pane non indiget nimium potens est qui servire non cogitur we dare not say we can encounter with banishment confiscations nay death it self but we pray that Gods grace would be sufficient for us that if we be brought before Rulers and Governors for his sake and the cause of Learning we may witnesse a good confession yea quit our selves like men rationally and as Christians conscienciously for we have believed therefore have we spoke and written yea we hope that the worst evils that can befall us will not make us turn the back and not the face but rather comfort our selves in God who never forsakes those that doe not first forsake him Do not O do not we beseech you mistake us as men so wedded to our wills that because we cannot be what we would therefore we cannot submit to be what we may gratifying men with no more of our compliance then will keep our peace with God and with no less then Religion and discretion allows us yes we can bear and forbear by the grace of God we can want and abound yea and be accursed too for Gods Religions and Learnings sake The Purple of pomp must give way to that of Martyrdom 'T was a heavenly speech of S. Ierom which we desire to make ours Unusquisque suo sensu ducitur quid desideramus urbium frequentiam mihi opidum Carcer solitudo paradisus est This is the true effect of sober learning and divine Philosophy It makes men stout but not Rigid valiant but not fool-hardy patient but not stupid retired but not Cynical contented but not carelesse silent but not wrathful free but not uncircumspect and therefore if after Plato's time there be a great Dearth of knowledge and humanity as a Common Plague let it be attributed to the bad Raigns of such Monsters as Nero Galba Vitellius Otho and not to the activity of their wits who were too tender to stay in Climates and Coasts where those Herricanes Raged And if any of the rougher world prefer our Room above our Company crying out with that Rich man near Gotlitz who prepared an Entertainment for his friends that came not if they refuse to come who are expected come as many Divels as will which accordingly happened for immediately the Room was full of them we shall pity and pardon their severity accounting it our duty to pray for those who despitefully use us and to comfort our selves in this That when God shall appear to men by the Spirit of judgement and by the Spirit of burning Isai 4. 4. and shall take the veil from before their eyes shewing them the beauties of Learning they will not continue snares and traps to us be no longer scourges in our sides and thorns in our eyes Joshua 23. 13. But our tabernacle for a shadow in the day time from the heat and for a place of refuge and for a covert from storm and from rain Esai 4. ult For as Ammianus said well Inter vepres rosa nascitur inter feras nonnullae mitescunt and that this will come to passe if God have any delight in this Nation wherein he hath a people nigh unto him and precious as the Apple of his eye we very really believe considering that there are many who wrastle with God in prayer and who endeavor to rescue the Times from that Censure which Arnobius gives of his Time All things and men abound in evil the name of innocencie is almost perished and considering also that God is able to turn the wrath of man to his praise and the remnant of wrath to restrain Ps. 76. 10. As therefore the holy Apostle wrot to his Corinthians so say the learned to their Countrymen Our mouths are open to you our hearts are enlarged yee are not straitned in us but in your own bowels We bring you merchandises better then those of silver and the gains of them beyond those of fine gold yee return us hatred for good will Well we will wait your retter tempers for we have learned Self-denial Charity Contentation not only from the teachings of God but also from that Philosopher who tells us That Philosophers learn not to Resist but Obey not to Return but Remit injuries not to desire great but good things not to covet what is anothers but to be contented with what is their own and of that not to be sparing not to follow Vain-Glory but Virtue nay to learn Contempt of that which every one admires Riches and to value what most men loath and deprecate Poverty Remember this O ye mighty ones God permits you to share with him in a Temporal Eminency not onely that you may live in ease feed to the full wear soft Raiment give Lawes gain Estates though these in a good degree and fair proportion be due to greatnesse but also and more chiefly that you might honour him in ordering people to his glory and the good of each other Isocrates said well when he told those that had Rule That the care of the Common good was not matter of Profit but Service not to thrive by it but to advance others thrift under it and Tacitus avers That a Prince should not think so much upon Domination and Servants as upon Government and Citizens yea famous Zanchy after he hath reckoned up what they should not do not indulge their Lusts not use lawful things unlawfully not mispend their time in idlenesse and their Revenues on profitlesse Courtiers not waste the goods of the Church in gifts adds this as the summ of all their Duty which God chiefly expects from