preaching to the Gentiles Matt. 10.5 6. These twelve Jesus sent forth and commanded them saying Go not in the way of the Gentiles and into any City of the Samaritans enter ye not but go rather to the lost Sheep of the house of Israel 4. Let the Gentiles come to us and be circumcised after the manner of Moses and we will receive them and then they may hear Preaching in our Synagogues every Sabbath-day and be sure of Salvation For Salvation is of the Jews Joh. 4.22 5. The Church of the Jews hath been a glorious Church the only visible Church in the world for some thousands of years and these men preaching to the Gentiles will diminish the glory of this famous Church Their great Apostle teacheth us that their riches will be our diminution Rom. 15.12 6. Hitherto we have had but one Church and now by their preaching to the Gentiles we are like to have many more Churches erected 7. These men are cast out of the Synagogue by the general consent of the Jewish Church Joh. 9.22 The Jews bad agreed already that if any man did confess he was the Christ he should be cast out of the Synagogue And may we not forbid an excommunicate person preaching 8. Neither these men that preach nor the Gentiles that hear them do observe the Rites and Ceremonies of the Law of Moses which the Church of God hath observed ever since Moses gave them to us Act. 21.21 They are informed of thee that thou teachest all the Jews that are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses saying that they ought not to circumcise their children neither to walk after the customes The Jews might have pleaded these and several other excuses for their forbidding the Apostles preaching to the Gentiles yet none of these did keep off God's wrath from them And therefore let not the Informers shrowd themselves and seek to hide their sin under specious pretences which shall be enquired into more particularly afterward but lay to heart the greatness of their sin in hindring these Ministers from preaching the Gospel of Christ whereby men may be saved 4. Arg. They that do not receive Christ's Ministers nor hear their words shall be in a worse condition than the men of Sodom at the day of Judgment Matt. 10.14 15. And whosoever shall not receive you nor hear your words when ye depart out of that house or city shake off the dust of your seel verily I say unto you it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah at the day of Judgment than for that city The men of Sodom and Gomorrah will be in a very miserable condition at the day of Judgment for they were exceeding great sinners Gen. 13.13 The men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly They were such sinners as that the Lord rained down fire and brimstone upon them And that fire which consumed the men of Sodom was a forerunner a declaration and testimony to the world of the eternal fire which they and other impenitent sinners should suffer in the other world Jude v. 7. Even as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities about them in like manner giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh are set forth for an example suffering the vengeance of eternal fire And And yet our Lord Jesus who best understood how every man's case shall go at the day of Judgment in regard he himself is the Judge of the world asserts it for an undoubted truth verily I say unto you that it shall be more tolerable at the day of Judgment for the Inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah than for them that do not receive those Ministers whom he sends or do not hear the Word they Preach And if so how dreadful will the condition of these Informers and their Adherents be at the day of Judgment who do not only not receive the Ministers of Christ nor hear the Word they Preach but endeavour to suppress their preaching and will not suffer those that would hear and embrace them to attend upon their Ministery persecuting them that Preach from house to house which is a greater sin than barely not to receive the Preachers of the Word Obj. We do receive Christ's Ministers and do embrace his Gospel although we hear not these men neither suffer others to hear them but do what we can to suppress them And therefore the fore-mentioned Scripture doth not touch us 1. Though you receive the Gospel of Christ with your ears yet your opposition that you make against the Ministers shews you have not received the Gospel of Christ into your hearts For this makes the woolf lye down with the lamb and keeps the Asp and the Cockatrice from hurting the sucking child Isai 11. And makes the briar to become a mirtle-tree and the thorn a firr-tree Isai 55.11.13 2. Persecuting those that preach and hear the Gospel is a greater sin than not to receive the Ministers of Christ nor hear their words And if you be one of those that persecute the Ministers of Christ this Scripture will do more than touch you it will take hold of you and fall heavier upon you than if all the rocks and mountains were cast upon you 5 Arg. The Judgments threatned and executed upon them that by their informing against and betraying the people of God into the hands of their enemies have brought them into trouble do plainly evince the greatness of the Informers sin I pass over the remarkable Judgments that have been executed on this generation of men in our days if any one would be at the pains to make a collection of them it might be a warning to others But I shall wave these and mention only some examples out of the Scripture the truth whereof is questioned by no man that believeth the Scripture to be the Word of God Doeg turned Informer and informed against Ahimelech the Priest for entertaining David at his house and enquiring of God for him and giving him Victuals and giving him the Sword of Goliah 1 Sam. 22.9 10. And by this information he so incensed Saul that he slew those Priests that had entertained David But now mark what a grievous curse fell upon this Informer Ps 52.5 God shall likewise destroy thee for ever be shall take thee away and pluck thee out of thy dwelling-place and root thee out of the land of the living That this curse is denounced against Doeg for informing against Ahimelech for entertaining David at his house is evident from the title of the Psalm A Psalm of David when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul and said unto him David is come to the house of Ahimelech The curse denounced against Doeg is very dreadful consisting of these branches 1. Eternal destruction and that from the hands of God God shall likewise destroy thee for ever As he had been the destruction of the Lord's Priests so God should destroy him but with a more terrible destruction they were
of his Ministers whom he sends to Preach the Gospel received with love and honour and all kindness shewn to them as well as to his Apostles and Prophets And to engage us to an honourable willing and chearful reception of them he telleth us that he will take it all one when we receive his Ministers as if we received himself or his Father Joh. 13.20 Verily verily I say unto you he that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me It is not said He that receiveth my Apostles or he that receiveth my Prophets but he that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me And that we may be assured thereof he adds a double asseveration Verily verily I say unto you Hence I argue If he that receiveth whomsoever Christ sendeth receiveth the Lord Jesus Christ then he that receiveth or persecuteth any of the Ministers of the Lord Jesus whom he sends to preach his Gospel receiveth and persecuteth the Lord Jesus himself 9 Arg. It is Satan that stirs up men to betray persecute imprison and make war against the servants of Christ when Judas took up a resolution to betray Jesus Christ it was the Devil that put this motion into his heart Joh. 13.2 The Devil having put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot Simons son to betray him When there is trouble raised up against those that keep the Commandments of God it is the Devil that stirs up men to raise up persecution against them Rev. 12.17 And the Dragon was wroth with the woman and went to make war with the remnant of her seed which keep the Commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus This action of betraying imprisoning and persecuting the servants of Christ is such a fulfilling of the Devils will and hath so much of the Devils nature in it that the Holy Ghost calls the betrayers and persecutors of the people of God by the name of Devils Joh. 6.70 71. Have not I chosen you twelve and one of you is a Devil He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon for he it was that should betray him being one of the twelve Why was Judas called a Devil It was for betraying the Lord Jesus Rev. 2.10 Behold the Devil shall cast some of you into Prison The Devil did not appear in his own person and hale these Saints into Prison but he stirred up evil-minded men to do his work and they fulfilling his lusts are called by his name Did the Informers consider that it was the Devil put it into their hearts to disturb these Assemblies where Prayer is made to God and God's Word is Preached it would startle them and make them draw back unless they were wonderfully hardened in their sin 10 Arg. These men whom you afflict and molest are righteous men as hath been before proved And it is a mighty sin to afflict righteous and just men There are different degrees of sins some are small sins others great sins others mighty great sins This sin of afflicting the just is among those that are mighty great sins Amos 5.12 I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins they afflict the just they take a bribe and they turn aside the poor in the gate from their right The Prophet having taxed Israel of being guilty of mighty sins and if any should ask what mighty sins they were guilty of he presently adds They afflict the just See the greatness of this sin in several particular 1. All the wrongs and injuries done to righteous men the Lord takes as ill as if done against himself Zech. 2.8 He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye The eye is the tenderest part of the body and the apple of the eye the tenderest part of the eye a touch on the apple of the eye is more grievous more afflicting than a blow on the back or hand it is not said he that killeth you he that beateth you with many stripes but he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye intimating that the smallest afflictions the least troubles that are brought upon righteous men are exceeding grievous to God he counts what is done to them as done to the apple of his eye There are no afflictions brought upon righteous men but he esteemeth himself afflicted in their affliction Jer. 63.9 In all their affliction he was afflicted when they are in misery their miseries are not only grievous to them but they grieve his Soul also Judg. 10.6 His soul was grieved for the misery of Israel And what a monstrous sin is this for a creature to presume in his heart to do that which afflicts and grieves the Soul of God in whom we all live and move and have our being and to strike at the apple of his eye 2. Righteous men are nearly related to God they are his servants Ps 116.6 Truly I am thy servant I am thy servant They are his friends Joh. 15.14 Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you They are God's children Gal. 3.26 Ye are all the children of God by saith in Jesus Christ They are members of Christ's body 1 Cor. 12.27 Now ye are the body of Christ and members in particular And it must needs be an horrible sin to abuse to imprison to fine to hale out of their meetings the servants the friends the children of God and the members of Christ when they are about their Masters work when they are worshipping and serving their heavenly Father 3. The Lord beareth a great love to righteous men Ps 146.8 The Lord loveth the righteous And how contrary is this to God's Will that you should afflict those whom he loveth 4. Righteous men are blessings to the places where they live Prov. 11.11 By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted what was promised to Abraham Gen. 12.2 I will bless thee and thou shalt be a blessing belongs to all the members of Jesus Christ Gal. 3.9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham And therefore they that afflict and persecute righteous men are not only unthankful for but they are enemies to their own good for they partake of many blessings for righteous mens sake What Laban said to Jacob Gen. 30.27 I have learned by experience that the Lord hath blessed me for thy sake The same might those Villages and Cities say where righteous men dwell did they observe the dealings of God with them we have learned by experience that the Lord hath blessed us for these righteous mens sake 11 Arg. The practise of these men who punish or cause to be punished righteous men for praying to God and for Preaching and Hearing God's holy Word is greatly prejudicial to the whole Kingdom and that on several accounts 1. As it brings down National Judgments one man's sin may cause a whole Nation to suffer Achan's sin brought God's wrath upon all the Congregation of Israel Josh 22.20 Did not Achan the son of Zera
Ps 37.1 2 7 Fret not thy self because of evil-doers neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity for they shall soon be cut down like the grass and wither as the green herb Rest in the Lord and wait patiently fret not thy self because of him that prospereth in his way because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass Their feet stand in slippery places and they shall slide in due time Inf. 7. Let all persons both officers and others to whom these Informers resort to desire or require their assistance who are convinced of their evil ways be cautious of affording them any help in carrying on their evil designs lest they become partakers with them in their sin They that are helpers in an evil work are involved in guilt and will receive punishment from the hands of the Lord as well as the chief agents But some may say These Informers threaten to bring us into trouble if we will not go along with them and help to break and disperse the Assemblies of these men it is not love to them or the work they do that makes us go along with them for it is against our Conscience to molest these men either in or for their worshipping of God but we do it that we may not come into trouble Ans 1. Trouble of Conscience is greater than any worldly trouble whatever and harder to be born Prov. 18.14 The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity but a wounded spirit who can bear If you will act against your Consciences for fear of being brought into trouble it is the way to wound your spirits and a wounded spirit may prove an intolerable burthen to you 2. See how far you are from Moses his spirit he chose affliction rather than the pleasures of sin Heb. 11.25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasure of sin for a season But you choose the drudgery of sin rather than to run the hazard of a light affliction 3. As those Informers threaten to bring you into trouble if you joyn not with them in their evil designs so God does threaten wo and wrath to them that spoil those that did not spoil them and deal treacherously with those that dealt not treacherously with them Is 33.1 Wo to thee that spoilest and thou wast not spoiled and dealest treacherously and they dealt not treacherously with thee What hurt did these men do to you that you should assist them that would spoil their goods and their opportunities of serving God whose threatnings are to be dreaded most the threatnings of God or of Men 4. You have more cause to fear offending God than to fear the trouble these men can bring upon you by not joining with them in their evil ways For 1. Which is easier to be born the wrath of these men or the wrath of God The wrath of God is more dreadful than the wrath of all the men in the world 2. God is to be feared more than all the men in the world for there is no man can do such things as God can do unto us The worst that man can do is to kill the body but God can cast both body and soul into hell-fire Luk. 12.4 5. I say unto you my friends be not afraid of them that can kill the body and after that have no more that they can do But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear Fear him which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell yea I say unto you Fear him 5. Put your trust in God and labour to do that which is right and pleasing in the sight of God and then you need not fear what these or any other men can do unto you Ps 56.11 In God have I put my trust I will not be afraid what man can do unto me Obj. But these men bring Warrants with them from the Magistrates which require us to go along with them else we would not attend such vile persons as many of these are but when we have a Warrant from the Magistrates to go with them we must be obedient to authority Ans 1. It is your duty to obey your Superiours in all their lawful commands If your Warrants contain nothing in them but what is warranted by the Word of God you ought to do what is enjoyned you therein But if they contain any thing contrary to the mind and Will of God in that case you are to obey God rather than man 2. When the Informers procure Warrants from the Magistrates to give your assistance to them under pretence that there is a seditious Meeting believe not their reports For many of them are false accusers but see with your own eyes and hear with your own ears what is said and done in their Assemblies which they call seditious before you create any disturbance to them And it may be you will be convinced that God is in the midst of them of a truth and that the reports which the Informers raise up of these men and their Meetings are false and slanderous reports When the Pharisees sent Officers to apprehend Christ upon the strange rumours that were spread abroad concerning him in stead of disturbing and bringing him to the Rulers they went away and extolled his preaching Joh. 7.32 45 46. The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him and the Pharisees and chief Priests sent officers to take him Then came the officers to the chief Priests and Pharisees and they said unto them why have ye not brought him The officers answered never man spake like unto this man When you are sent to disturb these men did you attend with humble hearts while they are praying to God and preaching his holy Word I doubt not but you would be convinced in your Consciences that there is nothing said or done at these Meetings that deserveth punishment and that you ought not to offer any violence to them 3. If you find any person under a pretence of Religious exercises contriving insurrections or if you hear them stirring up the people to sedition you may make use of your power to suppress sedition and insurrections I plead nothing for such kind of men but abhor and declare against their practises who use Religious exercises as a pretence to carry on sedition and insurrections 4. When you go to the Assemblies of these men if you find them assembled together in a peaceable manner if you see and hear nothing but praying to God in the name of Christ for things agreeable to the Will of God and preaching the Gospel whereby men may be saved if you hear nothing contrary to sound Doctrine If you see nothing inconsistent with godliness instead of molesting these men or causing them to be punished you should do well to carry the Informers before the Magistrates and acquaint them that in obedience to their commands you have been searching for seditious Meetings but could find none that those men
unto thee against Israel and against Judah and against all the nations It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I purpose to do unto them that they may return every man from his evil way that I may forgive them their iniquity and their sin I observe here 1. Jeremiah had no assurance that the Jews would read or hear what he wrote there was only a probability of it It may be the house of Judah will hear Yet he was commanded to write in a book the judgments of God that hung over their heads for their sins 2. When Jeremiah was hindered from preaching as he formerly had done ver 5. I am shut up I cannot go into the house of the Lord. God prescribed this way as the most likely means to bring them to repentance for Jeremiah to write unto the Jews Write all these words that I have spoken to thee against Judah It may be the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I purpose to do unto them that they may return every man from his evil way 3. Though these Informers should not hearken to the counsel that I have given them yet whether they will hear or whether they will forbear it is the mind and will of God that sinners should be called to repentance Ezek. 2.7 And thou shalt speak my words unto them whether they will hear or whether they will forbear for they are most rebellious 4. Scorning is a great sin and bringeth down mighty judgments Prov. 19 29. Judgments are prepared for scorners Jer. 22.28 Now therefore be ye not mockers lest your bands be made strong Yet though these Informers should prove scorners we must not conclude their case desperate but use means to bring them to repentance both reproving them for their sin and letting them see there is mercy for them if they will turn when they are reproved for their sins Prov. 1.22 23. How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity and the scorners delight in scorning and fools hate knowledg Turn at my reproof behold I will pour out my spirit upon you I will make known my words unto you But if they will persist in their sins and scorn those means that are used to bring them to repentance their scorning will not hurt me but themselves Prov. 9.12 If thou scornest thou alone shalt bear it And let such persons consider what is said Prov. 3.34 Surely he scorneth the scorners And Prov. 1.24 to the 32. 5. If none of these Informers should vouchsafe to read what I have written for the convincing them of their sin yet it may fall into the hands of their friends and relations and they may hereby be put upon mourning and praying for them and endeavouring their conversion 6. As for their being enraged at what I have written I shall reply 1. Our Lord Jesus spake nothing but the truth yet many of the Jews were so incensed against him that they would have thrown him down headlong from an high hill Luk. 4.28 29. And all they in the synagogue when they heard these things were filled with wrath and rose up and thrust him out of the City and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their City was built that they might cast him down headlong Yet he did not forbear reproving them for their sins though he was hated by the world on this very account for testifying that the deeds thereof were evil Joh. 7.7 The world cannot hate you but me it hateth because I testifie of it that the deeds thereof are evil Yea though their hatred arose to such an height as that they wont about to kill him yet he taught them and reproved them for their sins v. 14 19. Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went into the Temple and taught none of you keepeth the law why go ye about to kill me Joh. 8.40 And now ye seek to kill me a man which hath told you the truth 2. If God shall touch any one of their hearts and reclaim them from their evil ways instead of being enraged they will bless God and be thankful to them whom God makes instruments of keeping them from sin When David was kept by Abigails advice from shedding of blood he was thankful to God for putting it into Abigails heart to come to him and thankful to her for her good counsel 1 Sam. 25.32 33. And David said to Abigail Blessed be the Lord God of Israel which sent thee this day to meet me and blessed be thy advice and blessed be thou which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood and from avenging my self with mine own hand Nabal was a son of Belial who had requited David evil for good To be kept from persecuting the servants of God is as great a favour as to be kept from avenging a mans self on a son of Belial And if David was so thankful to God the author and Abigail the instrument of his preservation from sin why should not these men in stead of railing and fretting say in their hearts Blessed be the Lord God of Israel that sent this man to shew us our sin and blessed be he and blessed be his advice To prevent mistakes and the uncharitable censures that some may be ready to pass upon this ensuing discourse I do freely and sincerely declare that I have no design to take off any Magistrate Officer or any other persons from using all due care and diligence to prevent tumults and Insurrections but only to lay open the greatness and prevent the growth of their sin who under a pretence of preventing seditious Meetings do suppress religious Exercises The discovery of the folly of these men and their practises being a likely means to put a stop to their sinful proceedings as the Apostle speaks of those that resist the truth 2 Tim. 3.9 But they shall proceed no further for their folly shall be manifest unto all men as theirs also was CHAP. I. THere are certain men risen up in this Nation called INFORMERS whose trangression saith within my heart that they are wandred out of the path of life and are going on apace in the broad way that leads to destruction I have not only heard of them but I have met with some of them in the very act of their sin When I had considered their ways I thought my self obliged to endeavour the turning them from their sinful courses For I find in the Law of Moses a strict charge given to him that meeteth his Neighbours Ox or Asse going astray to bring it back though his Neighbour be his enemy Exod. 23.4 If thou meetest thine enemies Oxe or his Asse going astray thou shalt surely bring it back to him again It is a greater act of Charity to bring back a sinner that is gone astray from God than to bring back an Oxe or an Asse of our enemies that was gone astray from him And we are under stronger obligations to endeavour the
of the Church of England If any man will put such a harsh sense upon these words The practise of the Church of England that he will have none understood but the conformable part of the Church of England Yet in this sense it may be pleaded It is not contrary to the practise of the Church of England for men that have been brought up at the University and after their examination of their fitness for the work of the Ministry have been ordained and set apart thereunto with fasting and Prayer to preach sound Doctrine and before and after their Sermons to pray to God in the name of his Son for things agreeable to his Will which is the practise of these men But if it be said it is the practise of the conformable Clergy in England to use the forms of Prayer prescribed by the Liturgy which these men do not I answer It is the practise of the Ministers of the Church of England to pray with other Prayers when in their Pulpits both before and after Sermon than what are prescribed in the Liturgy so that praying in other words and in another method than what is prescribed in the Liturgy either before or after Sermon in Publick Assemblies as the Non-conformists do is not contrary to the practise of the Church of England 2. Neither is praying and preaching without having the Liturgy read to the Assembly contrary to the practise of the Church of England For at Funeral Sermons the reading of the Liturgy is often omitted And it was the usual practise at the chiefest Church in Cambridge and I suppose still is continued where the Vice-Chancellor Masters and Fellows of Colledges and other Students assemble together to have praying and preaching both in the forenoon and afternoon every Sabbath-day without the use of the Liturgy in that Assembly Also when there is Concio ad Clerum which is frequent in Term time there is praying to God and preaching his Word without the use of the Liturgy And yet I suppose no man will say These are none of the Church of England 3. It is no crime to use different words and different methods in preaching so they that preach do preach sound Doctrine And why should it be esteemed such a great crime to use different forms and Methods in Prayer provided that they that pray pray to one and the same God in the name of one and the same Mediator for things agreeable to the Will of God 4. As for the Informers that plead they have Law for what they do if this were a truth which yet I will not grant them I would advise them to consider how contrary their practise is to the Laws of God I might name many instances I will mention but two or three Pro. 25.15 Lay not wait Oh wicked man against the dwelling of the righteous spoil not his resting-place Isa 16.3 4 Hide the out-cast bewray not him that wandreth Let my out-casts dwell with thee Moab be thou a covert to them from the face of the spoiler If Moab who was a stranger to the Common-wealth of Israel was to shew that humanity towards the Israelites when in a suffering condition as not to bewray him that wandred but to hide them permit them to dwell in safety to be a covert from the face of the spoiler Then what shall we say to them that profess themselves Christians and yet are so far from hiding and being a covert to the servants of God that they lye in wait to betray them and endeavour to spoil them of their goods Zech. 8.12 Let none of you imagine evil in your heart against his neighbour and love no false oath for all these are things that I hate saith the Lord. When you are contriving how you may do evil to these men you are doing that which the Lord hates The greatness of your sin and your contrariety to the Word of God hath been so fully set out in the former Chapter that I shall need to add no more on this head only I shall mention this The Laws by which we shall all be judged at the last day are the Laws of God and therefore we should do nothing here but what we can give a good account of at the day of Judgment Jam. 2.12 So speak ye and so do ye as they that shall be judged by the Law of Liberty Plea 6. If these men would preach and meet in Churches we would not molest them but we hate this meeting in houses and barns and such like places Ans 1. But why should you be so much offended at preaching in houses and other retired places when as our Lord Jesus Christ and his Apostles preached not only in the Temple and the Synagogues but in private houses and ships and other places where the people could come conveniently to hear them Jesus Christ preached in an house when there was as many as the house could hold even to the very doors Mark 2.1 2. It was noised that he was in the house And straight-way many were gathered together insomuch as there was no room to receive them no not so much as about the door and he preached the word unto them He preached out of a ship Luk. 5.3 He entred into one of the ships which was Simons and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the Land and be sate down and taught the people out of the ship He preached sometime upon the mountains Matt. 5.1 2 And seeing the multitudes he got up into a mountain and when be was set his Disciples came unto him and he opened his mouth and taught them He did not decline preaching in any place where he had an opportunity to dispense the Word And as Jesus Christ so also his Disciples preached in houses as well as in the Temple and in the Synagogues Act. 5.42 And daily in the Temple and in every house they ceased not to teach and to preach Jesus Christ Act. 20.20 I kept back nothing from you but have shewed you and have taught you publickly and from house to house For the space of two years Paul preached in his own house and received all that came to him and no man forbade him Act. 28.30 31 And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house and received all that came unto him preaching the Kingdom of God and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence no man forbidding him And sometimes their Meetings and Preachings were very private Gal. 2.2 Joh. 21.19 2. Could these men enjoy publick places to preach in they would choose them rather than private houses not that they place any holiness in them or think the worship of God more acceptable in one place than in another but because of the conveniency of them Act. 17.24 God that made the world and all things therein seeing he is Lord of heaven and earth dwelleth not in temples made with hands It 's the worship and worshipper that God looks
work or give them a reward for what they do are partakers of their evil deeds As the adversaries of the Jews hired men to hinder the building of the temple Ezr. 4.5 They hired counsellers against them to frustrate their purpose all the days of Cyrus So some men that are adversaries to these Meetings and are ashamed to appear in this odious work themselves do hire men fit for their turn to carry on this evil design Let such persons remember what a mark of displeasure the Lord left upon the Moabites for hiring Balaam to curse Israel Not only the men of that generation but their posterity was excluded for ever from coming into the Congregation of the Lord for this sin Neh. 13.1 2 On that day they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people and therein was found written that the Ammonite and Moabite should not come into the congregation of God for ever Because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water but hired Balaam against them that he should curse them Howbeit God turned the curse into a blessing All that clense their hearts from sin and walk according to the rule of the Word are as dear to God as the children of Israel were of old yea they are God's Israel Ps 73.1 Truly God is good to Israel even to such as are of a clean heart Gal. 6.16 As many as walk according to this rule peace be on them and mercy and upon the Israel of God And if God were so angry with the Moabites for hiring Balaam to curse Israel that he would not suffer them to come into the Congregation of the Lord for ever Then how much more will God's anger be kindled against those that profess themselves Christians and yet hire vain persons to persecute such as are Israelites for worshipping and serving the Lord Inf. 3. Are these Informers guilty of such a great sin then let me advise such as are or hereafter may be tempted to turn Informers in the words of Solomon Prov. 1.10 11 12 13 14 15. My Son if sinners entice thee consent thou not If they say come with us let us lay wait for blood let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause We shall find all precious substance we shall fill our houses with spoil Cast in thy lot among us let us all have one purse My Son walk not thou in the way with them refrain thy foot from their path Let no proffer of any reward tempt you to persecute innocent men for serving God for such as lye in wait against the innocent lye in wait to destroy their own soul Prov. 1.11 18 Let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause They lay wait for their own blood they lurk privily for their own souls It is mentioned by the Psalmist among the Characters of those that shall inherit the Kingdom of Heaven that he must be one that will not be hired by any reward to do any hurt to an innocent man Ps 15.1 5 Lord who shall abide in thy tabernacle and who shall dwell in thy holy hill He that back-biteth not with his tongue nor doth evil to his neighbour nor taketh reward against the innocent Remember our Lord Jesus when the Devil offered him all the Kingdoms of the world and all the glory of them to have committed one act of sin he rejected his proffer with disdain Matt. 4.6 7 8. As the gaining the whole world could not tempt Christ to consent to one act of false worship So no gain should tempt you to disturb the true worshippers of God that worship him in Spirit and Truth So as to hinder one act of true worship Inf. 4. Let the Friends Relations and Acquaintance of these Informers as they love their Souls pity them and pray to God for them and reprove them for their sins and plead with them to turn from their evil ways If you let them go on in their sins without reproving them you have no love for their souls but you hate them in your hearts Lev. 19.17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour and not suffer sin upon him And if they do not or will not hearken unto you plead with God for them that he would give them repentance and pull them as fire-brands out of the fire before they fall into everlasting burnings And watch your seasons to deal with them when God shall lay affliction upon them that is a good season to be dealing with them for they that are as the deaf adder in the day of prosperity and will not hearken unto any good counsel have their ears open to instruction in a day of trouble Job 36.8 9 10. Inf. 5. If these Informers and their adherents be guilty of such great evils then it concerns those that are placed in the condition of watch-men upon Mount Zion to warn them of their sin and to warn others also that they be not partakers with them in their sins For if they dye in their sins and they have given them no warning their blood will be required at their hands Ezek. 3.17 18 Son of man I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel therefore hear the word at my mouth and give them warning from me when I say unto the wicked Thou shalt surely dye and thou givest him not warning nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way to save his life the same wicked man shall dye in his iniquity but his blood will I require at thy hand Inf. 6. Caution to those that are sufferers by these Informers Let neither the greatness of their sins nor the greatness of your sufferings who are persecuted by them provoke you to return evil to them for the evil they have done unto you Rom. 12.17 Recompence to no man evil for evil Vengeance belongs unto God and not unto us and therefore we must not go about to avenge our selves on those that injure us v. 19 Dearly beloved avenge not your selves but rather give place unto wrath for it is written Vengeance is mine I will repay saith the Lord. Our Lord Jesus hath taught us that we must love pray for and do good to the worst enemies we have in all the world even such as hate us curse us use us despitefully and persecute us Matt. 5.44 But I say unto you love your enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them that despitefully use you These men are the rod of God and therefore look beyond the instruments to the hand of the Lord who correcteth you that he may make you partakers of his holiness and humble your selves under his mighty hand and turn to him that smiteth you and then the Lord will turn all your sufferings to your advantage And as you must not offer any violence to these men so neither should you fret nor be cast down at their prosperity