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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A53265	New-England pleaded with, and pressed to consider the things which concern her peace at least in this her day, or, A seasonable and serious word of faithful advice to the churches and people of God, primarily those in the Massachusets Colony, musingly to ponder, and bethink themselves, what is the tendency, and what will cetainly be the sad issue, of sundry unchristian and crooked wayes which too too [sic] many have been turning aside unto, if persisted and gone on in delivered in a sermon preached at Boston in New-England, May 7, 1673, being the day of election there / by Urian Oakes ...	Oakes, Urian, 1631-1681.	1673 (1673)	Wing O21; ESTC W23179	65,078	72

their transgression and the house of Iacob their sins have they not in the feare of the Lord conscientiously declined and abhorred to palliate dawbe and flatter and upon the account of a carnall interest to couple in and comply with men of corrupt principles and designes May they not with some measure of holy boldness and good conscience say as that great Apostle Acts 20.26 27. that brow beatings censures reproaches calumnies and contempts notwithstanding they have not shunned to declare all the counsel of God if denyed the Pulpits and seats of our houses of publick worship will attest it and New-England what ever the issue be of the contest between her and Christs Embassadours to her shall know that there have been Prophets among them The Eminent faithfulness of the judicious Author which is his praise in our gates in his thorow and home-plain dealing in this Sermon or Treatise as we believe it acceptable to God so we are perswaded it will procure it a friendly reception and entertainment in all humble hearts For such as are otherwise affected let them have thy pitty and prayers Now the good Lord ●ouchsafe so to Assist and Bless his poor Builders and Watchmen that they may not build and watch in vain and so spare and save his people that they may be kept from falling and be presented faultless before the presence of his Glory with exceeding joy Which is the hearts desire and prayer of us Who are Thine in him who is both Lord and Christ. Iohn Sherman Thomas Shepard DEUTERONOMIE 32.29 O that they were wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter end BLessed Moses that Renowned Servant of the Lord and King in Ieshurun having served his own Generation by the Will of God and performed his high and honourable Undertaking in Leading and conducting that untractable rebellious People of Israel to the borders of Canaan and after many Temptations and Exercises in the Wast and Howling Desart brought them to a fair view and near prospect of that long promised and much desired Land was just now ready to deliver up his trust and resigne the weighty charge of that great Congregation unto Ioshua his servant and successor on whom it was devolved by the immediate order and disposal of the Lord. You have in this Chapter his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His Swan like Song or his Farewell Sermon as I may not ineptly call it dictated to him by the Spirit of God and delivered by him to that people at his departure from them into another World And it is a very precious and a stately portion of Scripture The Hebrews say of this Song of Moses that it is a Summary of the whole Law wherein mention is made of Gods Magnificence the Creation of the World the One true God that is to be Worshipped t●● Generation of the Flood the Division of Languages and Lands the E●●●ction and Separation of the Children of Israel for the peculiar Treasure 〈◊〉 Inheritance of the Lord the benefits conferred upon them in the Wild●●ness the future Resurrection of the dead with many other things of gr●●● importance and concernment You may well call it a Song of Degre●● as David doth some of his Psalme in respect of the superlative excellency of it It is certainly a Prophetical Song wherein we have a prediction or Prophetical Declaration of what the Lord the God of their Fathers would do for that people of Israel in that good Land of Canaan and of the manner of their demeanour and deportment of themselves there Moses by the spirit of Prophesie gives us in this Chapter as in a true Glas● the feature of that People as it look'd in after-times He begins the 〈◊〉 with a Rhetorical pathetical Apostrophe wherein there is a most 〈◊〉 and weighty contestation or appeal to Heaven and Earth importing the deafness and stupidity of his hearers that he had as good apply his speech to sensless and inanimate Creatures as to them and the great concernment of what he had to speak as fit and worthy that Heaven and Earth and all the World should hearken to it After his Exordium Proem or Preface wherein he labours to procure Benevolence Attention and Docility You have 1. A Narrative wherein he commemorates the great benefits which had been and were to be conferred on that people from ver 4. to 15. The Lord took special care in the first division of the habitable parts of the World that there might be an Inheritance laid out for the Children of Israel and assigned the Land of Canaan to them ver 8. He singled them out for his peculiar people ver 9. he conducted them graciously in the Wilderness ver 10. and afforded them not only safe conduct in the way but also wholsome Instructions in his Laws and Commandments ibid. He granted them protection from the many dangers they were exposed unto and was as tender and careful of them as a man is of the Apple of his Eye or the Eagle of her young ones ver 10 11. He made comfortable provision for them in their Journey introduced them into that Land flowing with Milk and Honey confirmed and settled them in Possession and Fruition of the good things of it ver 13 14. Moses mentions and records in this Song which was appointed of the Lord to be written and taught the Children of Israel that it might be a Song of Witness for the Lord against them Deut. 31.19 these and other loving kindnesses of the Lord. 2. A Prediction of the Apostacy Idolatry and horrible Ingratitude of ●●rael from v. r. 15. to 19. They would be so far from rendring again unto the Lord according to the benefits done unto them in that good Land that 〈◊〉 would requite him evil for good and load him with their sins Amos 〈…〉 as he loaded them with his benefits All those Cords of a Man 〈◊〉 Bands of Love with which the Lord drew them to himself would not hold them or bind them fast unto him but they quickly snapt all a●●nder and broke loose from all engagements and rushed on prodigiously and desperately in wayes of Provocation and Rebellion 3. A severe Commination of deserved Chastisements and Punishments from ver 19 to 36. 4. A Word of Consolation Administred unto them from ver 36 to ●● When they should have sinned themselves into a deplorable condition so that all Humane helps and hopes failed and their case in appearance and to the eye of reason was desperate God would then awake and arise and plead their cause against insolent and injurious Adversaries and glorifie himself in their deliverance He would certainly preserve alive an Holy Seed a Remnant in the worst times and shew himself faithful and bountiful even to an undeserving people 5. The Conclusion of the song wherein he predicts the multiplication of the Church and enlargment of the Kingdom of Christ and exhorts the remnant of Israel to praise God for their deliverance from

men in Wisdome and Understanding He hath not set Task-masters and Oppressors over us or caused those that hate us to rule over us as he threatens Lev. 26.17 As a roaring Lion and a ranging Bear so is a wicked Ruler over the poor people Prov. 28.15 God hath delivered you from the Paw of the Lion and and of the Bear so that you have not known by woful experience to this day what a wicked oppressing Ruler means nor seen one of these cruel and imperious Beasts among you God hath not given us Rulers that would fleece us that would pull the bread out of our mouthes that would grinde our faces and break our bones that would undermine and rob us of our Liberties Civil and Religious to the enslaving of this people and their children after them but he hath given us men of Nehemiah's spirit that have not sought themselves but sincerely designed the good and consulted the welfare and prosperity of these Plantations to go in and out before us Men that have not rigorously exacted the bread of the Governour Neh. 5.18 but have chearfully receded from their own Right sympathizing with and compassionately considering the low estate and condition of this people Nor hath the Lord in displeasure left us to be Levellers and Libertines to do every man what seems good in his own eyes Thus far he hath delivered us from Anarchy and Confusion as well as from Tyranny and set over us pious and faithful Rulers that have been indeed according to the obligation intendment of their Office Rom. 13.3 4. a terrour to evil and not to good works and Ministers of God to us for good which is an admirable and invaluable mercy I know indeed that profane and licentious persons would have Magistrates that would connive at and countenance their Swearing and Drunkenness and Filthiness and Sabbath-breaking and the like gross enormities that there might be no Master of Restraint or Coercive Power exercised in the land that they might sin without controll and go to hell without interruption or molestation and that wanton Gospellers giddy Professors men of corrupt mindes would have Magistrates that will allow them in publishing and spreading their damnable Heresies disturbing the Peace and Order of the Churches of Christ and spurning at or setting their foot upon all that is precious and sacred amongst us But behold the goodness and patience of God! notwithstanding all our contempt of them murmurings against them unsutable behavior towards them insensibleness of the greatness of our mercy in the enjoyment of them uneasiness of too many diaffected persons under their Government or attempts of men to bereave us of them yet we have still our rulers as at the f●●st our counsell●rs as at the beginning And though many of our worthy Patriots have acted their parts graciously wisely faithfully gone off the stage with honor yet there is a succenturiation or succession of men in their places of the like Spirit Principles and Abilities This is because the Lord our God hath loved our Israel 2 Chron. 9.8 God hath walled us about with a godly Magistracy given us Rulers out of our selves which was the priviledge of Israel that they might take wise men and understanding and known among their Tribes to be Rulers over them Deut. 1.13 hath caused justice and judgement to run down among us as a mighty stream One of the great miseries of the World is the Tyranny and Oppression of Rulers God hath thus far secured you from it and given you to taste the sweet and pleasant fruits of a good Magistracy Good Magistrates good Laws and the vigorous Execution of them hath been the priviledge and glory of New-England wherein you have been advanced above most of the Nations of the Earth This is a mercy of no small elevation 2. As to your Sanctuary mercies God hath sequestred you from the rest of the World allured you into this Wilderness and brought you into these parts of the Earth out of the streets of Rome as some conceive whether rightly or no I cannot determine that you might set up his way and worship in the purity and Gospel-glory of it This was the refreshing mercy of God to his People when he first brought them over and that which sweetned to them many a bitter Cup and supported them under the burdensome inconveniencies of a Wilderness condition Here you have seen the goings of God in the Sanctuary the fingers before and the players on Instruments after Psal. 68.24 25 the orderly Administration of the Worship and Ordinances of God Churh-officers duely qualified and set apart to their work and ruling authoritatively in the Lord according to the order of the Gospel using their power to ●●●●●cation and not to destruction And Church members allowed and us●●g their liberty and priviledge obeying and consenting in a due exercise of their Judgement of Discretion The Doctrine of Faith duely dispensed the worship of God solemnly celebrated without the mixture of human Inventions and Discipline administred for the substance thereof according to the appointment of Jesus Christ. And in case of difficulties emerging through want of light or peace Councils orderly assembling and acting in the fear of God Ministerially declaring the mind of God and commending their advice to the Churches concerned without ●●y irregular imposing upon their liberty And this course also attended generally with the Blessing of God for the final issue of controversies and ending of differences These are such mercies as are almost appropriately yours if all circumstances be considered so that hardly any People under heaven equal you in this respect God hath instructed us as he did Israel in the Wilderness Deut. 32.10 you have been provided of all helps and advantages for the edification of your souls and a rich Blessing upon them This is the Milk and Honey with which this Canaan though a Wilderness flows Here you have seen the Rivers the Flouds the Brooks of Honey and Butter Job 20.17 And for the continuance of these mercies the Lord hath given you Schools of Learning and prospered that work of the education of your Children in the hands of those that have undertaken it both in infe● our private Schools and in the Colledge that Nursery of Piety and good Li●terature even to admiration So that God hath made this Wilderness to be glad for his People and this Desart to rejoyce and blossome as a Rose Isai. 35.1 3 As to those great blessings of Peace and Plenty at least a competency and sufficiency of outward comforts You have here in these Chambers of Secresie and Safety which God hath brought you into in this place of Retirement and Hiding enjoyed peace and rest when other parts of the World have been embroiled and that dear Nation of which you are a part hath been involved in Blood and Distractions emptied from Vessel to Vessel undergoing strange alterations The Lord hath been a Wall of fire about us and his salva●ion

appointed for Walls and Bulwarks to us Here the glorious Lord hath been unto us a place of broad Rivers and Streams to defend us from all annoyances And our eyes have seen our Sion the City of our Solemnities and our Ierusalem a quiet Habitation a Tabernacle not taken down neither the stakes removed nor Cords broken Isai. 33.20 21. The mercy of the Lord hath compassed about his People that have trusted in him Deliverances have been commanded seasonably and no weapon formed against us hath prospered God hath found us in this Desart Land and compassed us about and kept us as the Apple of his Eye Deut. 32.10 And all that have attempted to devour you have offended and evil hath com● upon them just as it was with the Adversaries of Israel Jer. 2.3 God hath scattered his favours and dealt out his blessings with a liberal hand to you Having blessed you in basket and store raised you up ●o some considerableness in the World from low beginnings Gods People followed him into this Wilderness for Himself and for his Kingdome and Righteousness he hath added cast in over and above other things also when they came they asked Communion with Himself in his Worship and Ordinances this was the one thing they desired as David speaks Psal. 27.4 And he hath in a way of surplusage and advantage over and above given them other mercies Yea and as he saith to David 2 Sam. 12.8 If what he hath done had not been enough 〈◊〉 wou●d moreover have given you such and such things He hath given you more in a sense then he promised you much more then the first Adventurers and Vndertakers could rationally expect or promise themselves in a Wilderness And indeed if we cast up the Accompt and Summe up all our mercies and lay all things together this our Common-wealth seems to exhibit to us a specimen or a little model of the Kingdome of Christ upon Earth not in the wild sense of those that are called Fift-monarchy men but in the sober sense of many of our Divines wherein it is generally acknowledged and expected This work of God set on foot and advanced to a good Degree here being spread over the face of the Earth and perfected as to greater Degrees of Light and Grace and Gospel glory will be as I conceive the Kingdome of Iesus Christ so much spoken of When this is accomplished you may then say He hath taken to himself his great Power and Reign● and that the Kingdoms of this World are become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of h●● Christ Rev. 1.15 17 You have been as a City upon an hill though in a remote and obscure Wilderness as a Candle in the Candlestick that gives li●ht to the whole House You have to a considerable Degree enlightned the whole House world I mean as to the pattern of God● House the Form and Fashion and Outgoings and Incomings thereof convinced ●nd helped many and le●t others that sh●t their eyes against the Light of you● Profession and Practise without excuse God ha●● be●● doing in my Apprehension the same thing for the substance o● it here that shall be done more universally and gloriously when Israel shall bl●●som h●d 〈◊〉 fare of the world w●th fruit Isa. 27.6 you have 〈◊〉 though an handfull of people separated from the greatest part of the Christian World as it is prophesied of Iacobs remnant that it should be in the midst of many people Mic 5.7 as a Dew from the Lord and as the showers upon the grass God hath priviledged and honoured you greatly in this respect 2 All this hath been accomplished for you by the mighty Hand of God Though not in a way of miracle as it was with Israel of old yet in a way of wonders of mercy and Grace and glorious appearances All this is not come to pass either by the meer counsel of man or by chance and Accident They were wise and sober and industrious and good men that laid our Foundations and did what men could do in their several capacities towards the setling us upon lasting Foundations of Righteousness and Holiness but there hath all along appeared more of God then of man is it It must be acknowledged with all Humility and Thankfulness that it is God himself that hath brought us hitherto as David speaks 2 Sam. 7.18 you got not this Land with your own Sword or Bow your power and policy Cease ye from man in this respect But it was a Land which the Lord espyed out for you Eze. 20.6 I may appeal confidently to the consciences of those that hear me that have any pleasure in the great works of God and have considered the operation of his hands Was it not the mighty hand of God upon those Worthies that first came over that touched and bowed their hearts that made them willing to leave a pleasant Land Dulce solum natale the Land of their Fathers Sepulchers and of their own Nativities to relinquish their settlements and fair accomodations as to many of them and their dear Friends Relations that they loved as their own souls with whom it was in their hearts to have lived and dyed and to cast not their bread but themselves and their Fami●ies upon the great waters to venture all upon the meer mercy of God who called them to his foot as he did the righteous man whom he raised from the East Isa. 41.2 And to follow him into a wilderness a land that was not sown a place of great hardships and difficulties And was it not God who then sweetned their wilderness condition to them conducted them as with the Pillar of Cloud and Fire protected them from the many dangers that threatned them and directed them being a Sun as well as a shield unto them Psal. 84.11 in the happy settlement of Church and State effecting great things by small and despicable means was it not the same mighty hand of God that routed and put to flight the spirit of Error and Heresie that was growing and getting ●ead among you in your beginning times plainly threatning the subversion of your State and the destruction of your Civil and Sacred Concernments and Enjoyments was it not the same Almighty Arm that vanquished the Pequots and put the dread and terrour of you into the hearts of the Natives that you have awelt safely in this wilderness and slept securely in thes● woods Ezek 34.25 Hath not the Lord given a miscarrying womb unto all such as have conceived and been big with mischievous designs against you Insomuch that all their counsels and endeavours have been abortive and fruitl●ss Hath not the same Hand of the most High broken the head of many a Leviathan in pieces and given him to be meat to the Faith of his people inhabiting this wilderness Psal. 74.14 Hath not that glorious hand of God been stretched out from year to year for your Defence and Deliverance though you are maligned and envyed

complaints of this in Nevv-England and are they altogether without cause may not any man that observes what Griping and Squeesing and Grinding the Faces of the poor and Greediness there is among us fear it Hence a private Selfish spirit that works of Charity and Beneficence and of Publick concernment are neglected to the damage of the publick and disgrace of Religion Hence no progress in a Course of Piety no getting onward in the Journey to Heaven You have men now where they were twenty years ago For they are sunk and stuck fast in the mire and clay of this present world cannot stir There is much thorny ground in this Country and the Seed of the Word is choaked and the springing of any good in their Souls is checked and hindred by the cares of the World deceitfulness of Riches and lusts of other things There is so much rooting in the Earth that there is little growing upward Heavenward I mean men are coupling both Worlds together as one speaks that they may drive them both before them Certain it is that such mens hands will never be lifted up to any singular enterprizes and Atchievements for God and the good of the Societies where they live This is such a monstrous deportment of a Covenant people towards God as might even transport Heaven and Earth into an Extasie of Admiration and astonishment Ier. 2.12 13. Nothing being so portentous prodigious in Nature and beside the course of it as that a people of so many mercies and such singular Engagements to the Lord and of such wonderful experiences of the fruit of dependence upon God should forsake God the Fountain of all their comfort and run for supply to empty muddy pits the perishing vanities of this World And what will the end be Those that get Riches and not by right either in a way of Injustice or Inordinacy shall be like the partridge never hatch the Eggs they sit on or enjoy the good of their labours but shall leave them in the midst of their dayes and be Fools to purpose at their end Jer 17.11 They may heap up si●ver as the dust but the Innocent shall divide it and prepare Raiment as the clay but the just shall put it on Job 27.16 17. Nay I am apt to think that the Unjust and Cruel and wicked one may plunder it away and possess it yea God will Tear away such Estates sooner or later Iob. 20.15 It is seldome seen that Estates gotten either injuriously or over-greedily prosper● with posterity Vix gaudet tertius Haeres The third Heir hath scarce any joy of them And truly the general end of this worldly spirit among us is like to be this that Church and Common-wealth will be neglected all sink and the Tree be chopt down or fall whilest men are busily building and feathering their several Nests in the Branches of it unless the Lord shew mercy Sad it is that many good men have so far forgotten their great Errand into this Wilderness Sure they were other and better Things the People of God came hither for then the best Spot of Ground the Richest Soil in the World much more this Wilderness can afford You would think if the Land were full of Idols and men were generally addicted to Idolatrous practises that the Land were greatly defiled and that God would lay all desolate Truly Covetousness is Idolatry in Gods account Eph. 5.5 And New-England notwithstanding the pure Administration of Gods Worship and Ordinances is yet a Land fall of Idolaters This is for a Lamentation What will the end of this be 4. Consider what will be the latter end of that great Pride that is among us Who doubts but that Pride is a prevailing spreading sin in New-England Now pride expresseth it self variously There is pride appearing in the Garb in garish attire in affected trimmings and adornings of the outward man that Body of Clay that is going to the dust and worms How are men and women garnishing those dishes Bodies I mean that must shortly be set upon the worms Table for them to feed sweetly upon Though this may seem a small matter yet the Holy Ghost takes notice of the pride of gate and Garb. Isa. 3.16.17 c. And of strange Apparrel for which the Lord threatens to punish the Princes and Kings Children that one would have thought might have worn any Apparrel and swaggered at any Rate cum Pr●vilegio Zeph. 1.8 This kind of pride is very much unbecoming a people circumstanced as we are a poor people in a wilderness condition Hath God brought us into a wilderness and caused us to dwell alone and separated us for a peculiar People to himself that we should imitate the Nations in these vanities I know very well that there is a lawful ●ure of Rich and Costly Apparel of Beautiful Garments of these and those Ornaments To be cloathed in Scarlet and put on Ornaments of Gold was not unbecoming some of the Daughters of Israel 2 Sam. 1.24 Nor am I so Severe or Morose as to exclaim against this or that Fashion provided it carry nothing of Immodesty in it or Contrariety to the Rules of Moral Honesty The civil Custome of the place where we live i● that which must regulate in this case But when persons spend more time in trimming their Bodies then their Souls that you may say of them as a Worthy Divine wittily speaks that they are like the Cinamon Tree nothing good but the Bark When they go beyond what their State and Condition will allow that they are necessitated to run into Debt and neglect works of mercy and charity or exact upon others in their dealings that they may maintain their Port and Garb or when they exceed their Rank and Degree whereas one end of Apparel is to distinguish and put a difference between persons according to their Places and Conditions and when the Sons and Daughters of Sion are proud and haughty in their Carriage and Attire in an humbling time when the Church is brought low Ierusalem and Iudah is in a Ruinous Condition and the Lord calls to deep Humiliation This is very displeasing to God and both Scripture and Reason condemn it These are the most gross and fantastical and foolish buddings of Pride But that which I principally intend is more spiritual and less observed A Fond and Foolish Admiration of Self Pride of Parts Gifts Graces Priviledges Haughtiness because of Gods Holy Mountain any Over-weening conceit of a mans self because of any thing that God hath conferred upon him This is a close and secret evil bred in the bone in some cases not easily discerned or discovered 〈…〉 and occasions a great deal of trouble in Churches and other Societies Hence men the up against the order that is established according to God and ●●bel against the Authority that is set up in Church and Common-wealth Men have great Apprehensions of their own Wisdome and Grace and Abilities and Fitness to Rule and Order

every thing though it is their place to be ruled and nothing is well done if they be not at one end of it Factious men are Proud men Self admiring men they look on themselves through their own magnifying Glass and admire that every body doth not admire them and wonder that all the World doth not wonder after them as it is said They did after the Beast when his Deadly VVound was healed Rev. ●3●3 and that all the Sheaves in the F●●●d about them do not fall down and make ob●ysance to their Sheaves Such men are in their own apprehension good enough to rule and too good to obey and can pick holes and find as many faults with our Rulers in the management of Civil and Ecclesiastical affairs as the mutinous Israelites with Moses and Aaron or proud Absolom with his Father David in his Government Hence men are rebellious against the Word of God and the voice of his Messengers The proud men would not hea●ken to the Prophet Ier. 43.2 Hence also Men are stiffe in their Opinions and confident in their perswasions even about things of doubtful Disputation to such a degree that they cannot bear with any that do not comport with them in their Apprehensions And if they have imbibed this or that Heterodox Opinion that is never so much against the sense of the generality of Gods People Wise and Judicious yet they hold in 〈…〉 will not let it go but will rather separate from Churches part with the communion of Saints lose their interest in Ordinances yea 〈…〉 all Order and hu●l●● into a disturbance and confusion then lay down the Darling notions they have taken up Hence men carry it as though they were infallible they cannot be in an errou●● and impeccable too They cannot be in a fault Hence mens hearts rise and swell against faithful Admonitors and they must not be reproved or contradicted Hence men contend eagerly for disputable things so as to impose their belief on other men and make their Apprehensions the Measure and standard of theirs and conformity to them therein the condition of their Communion with them whereas Humility would teach Placid● ferro contra sentient●● 〈◊〉 Moderation and Forbearance in such cases without which there will be justling and endless contention Only by pri●e comes contention Pro. 13 1● There are many occasions of Contentions But Prias if there were nothing else would occasion and produce Variance and Contentions And what will the latter end be Why Pride goeth before destruction and dishaughty Spirit before a fall Prov. 16.18 If this be the general sin of this Country we may well fear that destruction is coming and that we are in a tottering ruinous falling Condition Pride hath budded the Rod hath Blossomed Ezek. 7.10 Unless this Pride be nipped in the Bud it will certainly thrustforth the Blossome of a Rod. God hath smart Rods for the back of a proud People 5. Consider what will be the latter End of those bitter Contentions and unchristian Distances and Divisions among us All sober and considerate wise men have great thoughts of Heart about them Sad it is if there should be Contentions and Divisions sides and parties and factions in Courts and Churches and almost all Societies amongst us This is very much unbecoming a people in our circumstances Embarked in and ex●●es for the same cause and interest in this wilderness And that which renders it more sad is that the Contentions which are among us are not meerly sudden exacerbations or ebullitions of anger and passion occasioned by these or those emergencies but that there seems to be a Froward perverse spirit mingled among us which was the judgment of God upon the Egyptians before their destruction Isa. 19.14 May not the Lord charge us as he did the Israelites Deut. 32.5 20. that we have too much of the spirit of that crooked and perverse Generation even in this respect Hence good Counsels are defeated all manner of Good almost obstructed in the●e those Societies And these contentions are not only as a paroxism and fit of a Fever that spends it self and goes off in a little time but like a Chronical distemper they are perpetuated and drawn out from year to year and there is no end of them Either they refuse healing and are the more Exasperated by the best means that can be administred by the ablest hands or admit only of a palliative cure that doth not eradicate the disease but give some check to it and yeild present relief and leave the patient in continuall danger of R●cla●vation or relapsing with lost hope of recovery into the same Distemper again We abhorr and punish that justly Adultery Witchcraft Murders and such like abominations but do we not make too little conscience of Hatred Variance Wrath Strif● Emulutions Seditions or Siding ● which are ●l works of the flesh also and to be abandoned Gal. ● 19 20. It is a lamentable thing that w●● should be thus 〈…〉 our selves when Herod and P●late can make themselves friends in order to the crucifying of Christ in his Interest and Members and the enemies of the Church of God though of very different Interests and Apprehensions in many things can cement and unite and combine to subvert the visible Kingdom of Christ upon Earth When Ge●●● and Ammon and Amalek the Philistines with the Inhabitants of Tyre can consult together with one consent and are confederate against the Church of God when the League and Combination of the Anti Christian party in the World against the Interest of Christ is so evident their Advantages so great their Successes so notorious their Rage such as reacheth up unto Heaven Then for a professing people to be contending and quarrelling biting and devouring one another is most unseasonable most unreasonable Your differences will make way for those that will make no difference between Synodists and Antisynodists Old or New-Church men Tros Tyriusve illis nullo diserimine agetur The Hatred of your Adversaries is not derived upon you as you are thus thus distinguished and diversified among your selves but upon one common account The Enmity of the seed of the Serpent is against One and All of the seed of the Woman of what Complexion soever they are and their Hatred is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 against the whole Race and Generation of Religions and Reforming professors among us These Divisions will open a wide door to your Adversaries Those that let out these waters of strife and fill their streames with bitterness that kindle these flames and encrease them or hinder the quenching of them do thereby gratifie them exceedingly that wish ill to our Sion Hoc Ithacus velit magno merceniur Atrida And indeed it would be very strange if the Industrious and indefatigable ●esuites that compass Sea and Land to do mischief and other sly and subtile and malignant Enemies should not Improve and Graffe upon the Stock of our Divisions Our Conten●ious render us