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A75501
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An Apology for God's worship and worshipers [sic] both in the [brace] purity of the one and liberty of the other : from the gracious and (oft) miraculous defence that God makes for them both, when exposed to violation or violence.
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1683
(1683)
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Wing A3543A; ESTC R43602
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185,797
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397
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they go Armed to Hector the Lord of Hosts the Ark had frighted them and yet they will persue it in cold blood it slew them at home yet they persue it abroad they are forced to remit the Ark and yet now allow not the good use of it In all ages the purest souls and services were stil most liable to Hostility Jshmael mocks the promised Seed Joseph is a dreamer the Archers shot at him Pharaoh calles it idle to crave freely to serve God Exod. 5.8 the Archers of Jabin made a noise even in places of drawing waters as Judges 5.11 be it natural or religious Water Ariel may be distressed Isaiah 29.1 And Gods City besieged yea Christ himself preaching is assaulted Joh. 7.32 45. And again in the Garden with Bands Swords and Staves the stone on the Sepulchre watcht to prevent Resurrection or stealth Mat. 27. 64. Satan oft Resisteth Paul The Witnesses Rev. 11.5.9 must lye dead as such i.e. Naturally or Politically so and in a sort they may be so in spirit too Thus sacred things are exposed This may come to pass three wayes either by the neglect of them on whom it is incumbent Or the profane abuse of the male adinistration or else by the open opposers of it expressed so Some as Saul doing it avowedly others under some pretended odium by which they eclipse and slander it The last I intend the rest I gently passe As for the neglect of so sacred a thing if total it argues grose Ignorance or Atheistical contempt or Scepticisme no Worship no Diety so it produces a great Oblivion of Gods name often so complained of as Isai 65.11 Jer. 23.27.28 Of this Israel in Sauls time I doubt by his meanes was guilty the Ark of God was obsolete then they Inquired not at it 1. Chron. 13.3 in Sauls Reing yet in 1. Sam. 14.19 Saul attempted it for he bids Ahiah bring the Ark but after bids him forbear so did scarce ask or staid not for answer and once forced himself to offer but staid not for Samuel and in vers 37.41 he did ask again but did it amiss and so God answered not to his wrath and hast whether the neglect flowed from Saul that minded War more then Worship or from the Peoples sloth that are stil apt to dance or sleep to the Courts Pipe Regis ad exemplum This was the omission all Sauls and Part of Davids Reign forty six years Now this exposes Divine worship and all sacred things to contempt and Oblivion Omissions are still-born sins yet do cry and pull down Breaches as in Vzahs case 1 Chr. 15.2 13. and God beares not well to see Duty neglected or done amiss That exposes the Worship this provokes Secondly Pure Worship is exposed by corrupt or male Administrations that antiquates it by disuse This alienates God from it by abuse of both the Object and Institution that makes it nothing this another thing that Subjects it to Mans will do or not do this to Gods Wrath for our miss-doing Now Gods Judgments are changed Laws violate and so Ordinances and Covenants broke Isai 24.5 To miss the Object the Order Way and manner of Adoration is to defile and vitiate the thing break Second and Third Command and make it all vain It is done by Addition or Detraction by Innovation or Invasion upon it of this Kings Preists and others have been guilty in Scripture time and since 1. Kings have intruded on Gods Altar layd by their Scepter for the Censer Vziah being strong and his heart up-lift to his fall the sight of the brazen Altar suffices not he 'll attempt the golden to offer incense 2 Chr. 26.16 19. The Act was good but the Agent bad and not consecrated for it the Priests tho but Subjects were both above and against the King in that it was the persons Arrogancy not the Power but the vitions pride that Azariah and those eighty valiant Preists bravely withstood Nay one sayes the City was poluted and robbed of prophesie because they detruded him not Josephus adds then was an Earthquake and the Temple was rent a beam of Light so flashed on his face that the Leprosie presently fell on him he that went open-faced to the Altar that without the gold-plate of Holiness the very Priest durst not do is smote with a shamefull Plague and so secluded for ever from men for that so daring an approach to God unduely Thus the Worship of God was exposed to Violence he that by place ought to defend it is a profane Intruder forfeits Crown and Scepter to use the Censer by incense inflames wrath sets his will above Gods deems his person under as high and sacred an Unction as High Priest as Bishop Hall sayes His soveranity is too high to be checked by a subject and as he speaks God smites it is a foolish and bold misprision to think that being great on earth we may be bold with heaven when Gods messengers counsel intreat and threaten in vain it is time for God to show immediate judgments wilful offenders must look for nothing but fearful revenge affecting the Alter lost him his Throne So he Let that Pontifex maximus of Rome see and tremble and all his successors that so invade Gods Alter not to offer but sit in the side of the Congregation to hinder them that would serve and ought know ye the scab is in its frontles front the right eye is darkened and the crys of the Alter defiled with blood and violence are gone up before the Lord God of Zaboth But of all the daring exposals of Worship to injury and alteration no Prince passed Jeroboam that is therefore so oft said to make Israel sin for coming in smooth and by pretence of divine unction upon Rehoboams tyranny and Israels revolt he layes the bottom of his Throne upon the spring of Idolatry and as slily makes the insinuation plausible to Israels case He pleads thus If they return to God they cannot long be mine I must divert them from Jerusalem or I shall not live and reigne I may change tho not inhibit Religion They saies Hall shall have the same God with formality to ease them I 'll humour them as Aaron with two Calves of Gold and now 't is no Calves no King he must needs know Idolatry rent ten parts off to him and yet will use profane policies to promote his Kingdom by it He knew Images were forbid and rival Altars to Gods at the Temple yet dares to innovate for settlement of his Throne And what follows see H. Answorth his Plea and now he makes bold with Gods Law No sooner the Calves are up but ten Tribes are down on their Knees the vulgar soon are carry'd to the Religion of Authority as the Vane veirs about under the Crown now Altars Temples Services Priests Feasts all are new Egypt is brought to Bethel Calves fixt for Gods and Bruits adore them Beggars made Priests to both new holy-day-Feasts are prescrib'd not out
Vineyard so that instead of Grapes that he looked for it yielded wild and sowre ones that he looked not for and so it was trod down and eaten up Isa 5.5 7. Ezek. 15.2 7. And when the Master came lo he 's served so and worse they kill'd him Mat. 21.41 43. and that Gospel Tenure was let out to us And if the Kingdom of God be again took from us the same Case that was theirs may be also ours 2. Formality does it A luke warm Profession is next to none and as ungrateful and nauseous as the Water that is tepid to God's Stomach and to be cast up in any Corner out of Sight and if it be set aside afterward is coldest Rev. 3.1 2 15 16. A Name to live is hateful to Christ Life being absent the Carcase without the Soul of Religion is good for nothing save for the Roman Eagles and Vultures to pick. They say Ravens have a Charter about London not to be shot at that so all the Carcases may be spent I wish some Roman Crows had not God's Commission and Mens Protection allow'd because our Formality is infectious to the Air of God's Worship and smells so ill with God 3. Hatred to the Power of Godliness and intestine Enmity to the Professors thereof Many a Pulpit is fill'd with this Drivel Luther's Prayer had need be said by us A Pastore glorioso c. From a vain-glorious contentious scornful scurrilous jerking envious Ministry Libera nos Domine You would have Dissenters conform and too many do but what Welcom give you them that come Griping Satyrs Jerks and Jeers bitter Reflections as Salt to rub their Eyes with Some come you say to save their Souls others to save their Bacon or Estates Is it civil to invite to a Feast and cut or pierce with the Spit Which one of yours so describes in a few Verses thus Mr. L. Gr. We 're burthen'd with our old Sir Johns That feed us not with Bread but Stones That cant an Homily or two That Daws and Parrots learnt may do That only prove themselves devout By this that Cromwel turn'd them out This tender Conscience disapproves That Ravens should return with Doves And croak in Pulpits yet to bring More Wrath both on our Church and King So he and to avoid this let that be the Prayer of any that love Sacred Fire as was of a witty Lad in Cambridge upon a Fire in the Colledge by a Snuff From Snuffs in the Quire Vnhallowed Fire From Candle-Ends and seeming Friends Libera nos Domine Other Cautions might be urged and Causes of God's wrath indigitate to clear this last but things multiply in the breaking In a word if the Lord depart upon the provocation of profest Sons and Daughters Deut. 32.19 it may afflict some of the best first and cause them to lament after the Lord but they being hid in the day of the Lords wrath as his promise is Zeph. 2.3 you that feared it least shall at last feel it most when you would gladly call for a Prayer as Pharaoh of Moses Exod. 9.28 Or as Jeroboam the King of Israel did of the Man of God from Judah 1 King 13.6 Or as Simon Magus of Peter Act. 8.24 c. to avert that Wo threatned on him and all in vain for 't is hard to avert wrath threatned far harder to aleviate it inflicted but to bear it when settled impossible And no one thing more affects the Lord than the purity of his Worship or more afflicts him on the contrary than to see it profaned or persecuted Some advice positive may conclude this Now for affirmative Advice in two or three words 1. If God defends his own Service and Servants how should we pray for rest on and bless his Name for it Of these each a little 1. Pray for it God will be sought unto even for that he is resolved to give Ezek. 39. v. 37. Promises are so far from releasing Prayer that they rather oblige and incourage to it though the matter be sure and time set yet it is good to gain assurance that is by Prayer the first four Commands respect God's Worship for Object Mediums Manner and Time and the first Petition our Lord calls us to make Mat. 6. looks directly at Worship what we ought to pray for we are also to endeavour in the Act God wills his Sons Kingdom surely and up it shall that his Will may be done on Earth as 't is by Angels in Heaven yet are we to pray that Kingdom may come Now here rises a Question God is a defence to us are we to rest in Prayer or is ought incumbent on us to defend for and with God respecting Worship I confess 't is a close and critical point and to answer right is to split an hair the Dilemma is cornuted if God defends what need we do it or if we do it how is it ascribed to the Lord of Hosts For answer then 't is a case oft useful seldom toucht and perillous to ventilate dangers lye on both hands I must sail betwixt Scylla and Charybdis to do it well I only dare to essay 1st In general The end and means concur the first Agent and the under Instrument the first doth not seclude or preoccupate the latter though God doth save us yet he bids us save our selves from an outward Generation Acts 2.40 He delivers Zion yet bids Deliver thy self O Zion that dwells with the Daughter of Babylon Zach. 2.7 The Lord had might sufficient to conquer Jabin by one Angel yet curses Meroz that helpt him not against the Mighty Judg. 5.23 2dly I say Time and Judgment belong to each Work as Solomon says Eccl. 8.6 and because of that so few knowing the Time and God's Way but Judging by Successes in a post facto way which is an unsure Rule the Misery of Man is great on the Earth 3dly An Offensive War duly stated is not our Question but about the Defensive and the Qualifications for it our Writers give A good Cause right Call and lawful Authority are to concenter in it Extraordinary Calls lye not in our Case or Reach to Judge of and on the defensive part God was now the Philistims were the Aggressors first though I grant Israel had also sinned 4. To the thing I only say it is good to be on God's part he is defensive on his Israel's account are they to stand as sottish stocks and neither use hand nor reason to secure Religion and Peace Perkins on Heb. 11.32.33 notes that a lawful War is very consistent with the Faith of the Gospel and if so who will deny Princes a power of self defence it is innately planted in the very order and form of nature the frame of Civil Government and all humane Constitutions and Bodies Politick the Title given to our Monarchs of Defender of the Faith when it answers the thing who dares question Tho one would grudge it should derive from or terminate in a Romish Faith