and opportunity can permit that wee might by all meanâ— saue some yea and those that are g Vers 19. free from all men should make themselues seruants vnto all men h Gal. 5. 13 by loue seruing one another that they might gaine the more But say others i 1 Cor. 5. 12 what haue wee to doe to iudge them that are without Reproofe therefore is to be â—estrayned onely to brethren in religion at least in outward profession And others obiect that all who â—re not truly religious are dead in sinnes and tresâ—asses â— Eph. 2. 1. and therefore in exhortation we haue nothing to doe with them what say they must wee speake to carkases and dead men Archip. First I answere that S. Paul in the former place speakes of iudging by publique censure of the Church which can reach to none but to those that are within the Church which may not restrayne priuate l 2 Thess 3. 14. 15. admonition no not from such disorderly disobedient persons from whose company the brethren themselues are restrayned by the Apostle Nay by how much the lesse the censure of the Church can reach to those that arâ— without so much the morâ— must wee admonish them priuately as wee haue opportunity if wee intend the doing of any good vnto them as wee are bound to doe euen m Gal. 6. 10 to all though they be not of the houshold of faith Secondly they who are dead in sinnes trespasses according to the Apostles meaning are yet n 1 Tim. 5 6 liuing in the flesh though dead in regard of spirituall vegetation and may be quickned as o Eph. 2. 1. those were of whom the Apostle speaketh Nay wee al that now p Gal. 2. 20. liue by faith were dead as they by nature and may not they then as wel as we be quickned by grace As the Apostle pleading for the Iewes that were cut off saith to the beleeuing gentile q Rom. â—â— 18. 23. Boast not against them for God is able to graffe them in so say I to thee despayre not of these for God who quickned you in their case is able also soone to quicken them together with you Should a man that hath escaped danger of drowning by fauour of a draw-bridge afforded him pluck vp the bridge from his indangered fellowes following after him Behold r Ioh. â— 24 thou hast passed from death to life by the grace of him who is Å¿ Iâ—h 14 6 the way the truth and the life and wilt thou stop this passage of graâ—e from thy fellowes behinde thee Mayest thou not so prouoke the Father of mercies who t Exo. â—4 keepeth mercy for thousands to speake to thee in his wrath as the Lord saith in the parable u Mat. â—8 32 33 O thou wicked seruant c. shouldst not thou also haue had compassion on thy fellow as I had pitty on thee Doth thy soule abhorre those enuious vv Gen. 26. â—8 Philistins that stopped Abrahams wels wherewith cattell were watered and refreshed and wilt thou stop the x Ier. 2. 1â— fountaine of liuing waters the y Zac. â—3 â— fountaine that is opened for sinne and for vncleannesse to refresh thousands of mens weary soules O how are they branded that z Psal â—8 41 limited the holy one of Israell in his power and art not thou blame-worthy if in thy thought thou limit him in his rich mercy who is a Rom 10. 12 the same Lord ouer all rich vnto all that call vpon him who hath b Rom 11. 32 concluded all vnder sinne that he might haue mercy of all gentile as well as Iew and of the elect yet vn-called without aswel as of those within For this purpose must not c Maâ— 15. 15 the gospell be preached to euery creature in all the world and that d Mat. 28. 20 euen vnto the end of the world Now therefore as well as in the dayes of the Apostle e 2 Cor. 6. 1. is the accepted time behold now is the day of saluation and the houre is not yet expired whereof the Lord of life saith f Ioh. 5. 25 verily verily I say vnto you the houre is comming and now is when the dead shall heare the voice of the sonne of God and they that heare shall liue And if by hearing they that are dead in sinnes and trespasses shall liue then you see the dead must be spoken vnto that they mâ—y heare and liue Thou wilt say perhaps true and were I a preacher g 1 Cor. 9. 16 woe were to me if I should not preach the gospell to the dead h Act. 20. 28 of whom I am made an ouer-seer But say I thou art a neighbour though no preacher and if they that be dead in sinne be thy neighbours the royall law chargeth thee to loue them as thy selfe if their bodies which none will deny how much more then their soules Yea were it but thy neighbours nay thine i Exo. 23. 4. 5 enimies oxe straying or asse lying vnder a burden thou must in pitty help him What doth God take care for oxen and asses as the Apostle k 1 Cor. 9. 9 10. saith No doubt for our sakes this is written that he that seeth his neighbourâ— soule lying vnder the burden of sin l Leu. 19. 17 must not as the Law saith hatâ— his brother in his heart but he shall in any wise rebuke his neighbour not suffer sinne vpon him Whereto cut off all such cauils as if onely brethren in religion or profession were to be rebuked the Lord himselfe makes brother and neighbour termes conuentible or of equall extent and in this case euery soule that thou seest to haue neede is thy neighbour though he be the man whose face thou neuer sawest before as m Luk. 10. 29 c. Christ sheweth at large in that parable where he tels the perâ— Lawyer who is his neighbour And heere n Deu. 15. 9 beware there be not a thought in thy wicked heart to o Zac. 7. 10. imagine euill against thy brother in thy heart saying he may be for ought thou knowest a vessell of wrath fitted to destruction and neuer to be quickned For p Deu. 29. 29 the secret things belong vnto the Lord our God but those things that are reuealed belong vnto vs and to our children for euer that wee may doe all the words of this Law Whither God will quicken this or that particular mâ—n or no is a secret yet known onely to him q â— Tim 2. 19 who hath this seale the Lord knoweth who are is thou seest thy duty of loue reuealed which thou must doe to helpe quicken him and it is thy want of r 1 Cor. 13 7 charity not to hope that he may be quickned till thou see God reueale the contrary for what knowest thou whither thou shalt quicken and saue him when the
neede of the phâ—sitian but they that are sick I came not to call the righteous that is h Luk. 16. 15 thoâ—â— that iustifiâ— themselues before men but sinners to repentance that is such as i Mat. 11. 28 labour and are heauy laden with the k Psal 38. 4. burden of their sinnes The l Gal. 3. 24 Law therefore must be the Schoole-master to bring men to Christ from mount Sinai they must come to mount Sion from m Heb. 12. 21 feare and quaking to n Vers 24. that speaketh better things then that of Abel and neuer any receaued the spirit of adoption to cry Abba Father but they first â— receaued the spirit of bondage o Rom. â— 1â— to feare For vnlesse men come to Christ with aâ—hes and mourning and the spirit of heauinesse how â—â—all he p Esa 61. 3. giue them beauty for ashes the oyle of ioy for mourning and the garment of praise for the spirit of heauinesse Arist This is that which is euery where spoken against as the q Act. 28. 22 doctrine of the Apostles was and say men this is to begin at the wrong end For say they you must first begin with faire and soft words to winne the loue of men or else you will neuer doe other good then stirre the world about your eares and make variance and combustion as some crackt-brained preachers doe where â—re they come And in common discretion say tâ—ey how should men expect the quiet fruite of righteousnesse from others if they gash and cut them to the heart with such terrors and sharpe rebukes Arch. First I answeare this sounds as if some young conceited scholler not knowing what belongs to husbandry should tell a ploughman whom he seeth breaking vp his fallow grounds and ploughing and grubbing vp his thistles and thornes alas â—â—r what meane you can â—ou looke your ground â—hould euer yeelde you good crop if you vse it â—us hardly Or like as if â—ome Shepeards swaine beâ—olding a wise builder pulâ—ing down ruinous towers and digging vp and casting out the rubbish that he may lay a sure foundation should blame him for making such heapes ruines where in his conceipt there needed not but a few plaâ—tering or dawbing reparaâ—ons And when we heare the Lord r Iere. 1. 10. setting the Prophet to roote out and to pull downe to destroy and throw downe and then to build and plant and when accordingly the Prophet chargeth the men of Iudah and Ierusalem to Å¿ Iere 4. 3. breake vp their fallow ground and not to sow among thornes who is so simple but he that will not learne that may not heereby be instructed how to begin spirituall husbandry and building This is not therefore to begin at the wrong end for thus began God himselfe with Adam and Eue after their transgression by t Gen. 3. 7 8 c. shame and feare and iudging them to lay a ground in their hearts for the Lord Iesus the corner stone that so they might be fitted to receaue the promise of the blessed seede And as all the Prophets held the same course so Iohn Baptist greater then all the Prophets began his u â—uk 3. 3. preaching with the baptisme of repentance for the â—emission of sinnes and â— so did the Lord Iesus vv Mat. 4. 17 himselfe and x Luk. 24. 47 directed also his Apostles to the same course which not 〈◊〉 they obserued in y Heb. 6. â—â— Act. 20. 21. laying the foundation first of repentance from dead workes and then of faith towards God but all that in the primitiue times preached with Apostolicall approbation as S. Paul z 1 Cor. 14. â—4 26 witnesseth so conuinced and iudged all vnbeleeuers that they fell downe on their faces worshipping God and reporting that God was in them of a truth Secondly concerning the combustion and variance that accompanieth the a Zac. 7. 5. ministery of the spirit and the b 1 Thes 1. 5. 6. Gospel where euer it comes not in word onely but in power and in the holy Ghost which is a c Esa 4. 4. spirit of iudgement and of burning let me intreate men to stay themselues and seriously to consider of what spirit such men are who now dare to cast that as a reproach against Preachers wherein our Sauiour gloried professing that he d Mat. 10. 34 came not to send peace on earth but e Luk. 12. 49 fire sword and for which hee so highly magnified the Preaching of Iohn Baptist saying f Mat. 11. 12 From the dayes of Iohn Baptist vntill now the kingdome of heauen suffereth violence and the violent take it by force What will â—â—ey indite afresh the Lord 〈…〉 us as the chiefe Priests 〈…〉 d who when they had â—othing else to say layed it â—eauily to his charge sayâ—â—g g Luk. 23. 5. Hee stirreth vp the people teaching throughout all Iury c Or shall â—ae spirit of Festus or any wiâ—e temporizer stand vp againe against those fiery-tongued men that h 1 Pet. 1. 12. Preaâ—hed the Gospell with the â—oly Ghost sent downe â—rom heauen and iudge â—hem to bee i Acts 26. 24. madde with â—uch learning or at least as â— men besides themselues k 2 Cor. 5. 13 because l Verse 11. knowing the terâ—or of God they so powerâ—â—lly perswaded men that â—â—ey turned many from iâ—â—ls and turned out diuels and ouerthrew idolatrous and diuellish crafts and gaines whereby they m Act. 16. 19 c 19. 24. c. exceedingly troubled as some cryed out their city and n Acts 17. 6. turned the world vpside downe as others said Or must wee now at last cast yeelâ— vp that chosen vessell S. Paul to be a o Acts 24. 3. pestilent fellow and a mouer of sedition through the world as hee was accused because he was p 2 Tim. 3. 11 persecuted at Antioch and Lystra pelted and q Acts 14. 19 driuen away with stones from Iconium r Acts 16. 22 c. openly whipt and stockt in Philippi Å¿ Act. 17. 5. 6 forced to hide his head at Thessalonica and his ministery generally opposed and blasphemed with t Acts 18. 6. â— insurrections v Acts 19. 28 20. 1 vproares w Acts 21. 30. 34 tumults and x Acts 22. 22 23. out-cryes following him and â— bands y Act. 20. 22. 〈◊〉 afflictions in euery ci 〈…〉 abiding him I confesse that the wiseâ—â—me from aboue is peaceâ—ie as pure and neither â—eacher nor Professor â—ay either carry in his own â—eart or kindle among oâ—â—ers any z Iam. â— 14. c. bitter enuying and strife which is earthly sensuall and diuellish the â— seruants of God must not â— 2 Tim. 2. 24. 〈◊〉 striue but rather as blesâ—ed peace-makers they must raw water out of the wels â—â—saluation to quench all 〈◊〉 fiery passions that are 〈…〉 on fire of â—ell But the
they â— chanted to the sound of Amos 6. 5. the viol and inuented to themselues instruments of musick like Dauid Like I say in forme and sound of the instruments but most vnlike in the intention of the hearts that vsed them For whereas Dauid vsed them to make melody to â—â—e Lord with grace in his heart they vsed them to make melody to the diuell in w Vers 3 4 6. sacrificing to their belly-god Let men therefore with x Iob 32. 22 Elihâ— tremble to giue flattering titles and y Rom. 16. 18 goodly words and faire speaches to serue not the Lord Iesus but their owne bellies z Esa 32. 5. in calling the vile person liberall and the churle bountifull and euill good which is a Esa 5. 20. wofull For all such flattering rhetorick being excluded from all those in whom b Esa 32. 1 5 Christ raigneth is nothing else but a c Eph. 4. 14. cogging sleight of men cunning craftinesse of methodicall guile which the diuell vseth to d Rom 16. 18 deceaue e Pro. 29. 5 insnare and f Pro. 26. 28 ruinate many a simple soule And such flatterers may be compared to faithlesse stewards who bestowe the choise prouision of foode and rayment prepared for their Lords owne children and faithfull seruants vpon deboshed rogues and idle vagabonds which how much it may vexe and prouoke to anger the children and seruants and strengthen the others in their roguery I leaue to others to iudge Arist But saith not the Scripture say some â— why iudgest thou thy Rom 14. 10 â—bother And h Mat. 7. 1. iudge not that ye be not iudged and againe i 1 Cor. 4. 5. iudge nothing before the time vntill the Lord come Arch. The first place now alleaged is against the erroneous iudgement of such men as would iudge others in k Rom. 14. 3 4. meates dayes things that were then indifferent and so iudging and speaking euill of others without warrant of the Law they did therein l Iam. 4. 11 speake euill of the law and iudge the law as if they had bin wiser then the Law-giuer to finde out euill a shamefull presumption The second place is against the rash malicious iudgement of hipocrites who would be m Mat. 7. 3 4 pulling out moates of their brothers eye and not consider beames in their owne The third is against the vntimely iudging of such secrets as are reserued to the Lords iudgement to be manifested as appeareth in the same place Now as this last place may not hinder the iudging of n 2 Tim. 5. 23 some mens sinnes which are open before hand going before to iudgement so neither may the second place restraine the o 1 Cor. 6. 2 3. Saints who shall iudge the world and Angels how much more things that pertaine to this life And least of all may the first place stop righteous iudgement in iudging the trees by their fruits which Christ himselfe not onely p Mat. 7. 16 c. warranteth but also q Ioh. 7. 24 inioyneth and was effectually r 1 Cor. 5. 12 put in 2 Cor. 2. 6. practise in the primitiue Churches Arist Yea but yet say they S. Paul saith that wee should be Å¿ Tit. 3. 2. gentle shewing all meekenesse vnto all men and that t 2 Tim. 2. 24. 25. the seruant of the Lord must be gentle vnto all men apt to teach patient and in meekenesse instructing those that oppose themselues If to all meekenesse and gentlenesse must be shewed then to the vnregenerate also and where then will be roome say they for terror and sharpnesse Arch. I confesse those places may haue relation to men vnregenerate but looke to them both and they will shew you that by meekenesse gentlenesse patience the Apostle excludeth all u 2 Tim. 2. 23 24. foolish vnlearned questions and strifes and all w Tit. 3. 2. euill speaking and brawling which make Ministers and people vnfit to teach and help others out of the diuels snare and not terrour and sharpnesse which S. Paul and S. Iude prescribe as the means to saue some and to make them sound in faith Yea search the Scriptures and ye shall finde that regenerate men themselues haue sometimes neede of them is the best bodies may be â—icke of repletion and plu 〈…〉 es sometimes and then â—eede purging and bloud-â—etting as well as others as Mat. 16. 23 â— S. Peter y â— Cor. 6. 1 7. c. 2 Cor. 13. 2 10. the Corinthians and the z Gal. 3. 1 c Galatians And therefore a reproofe vpon an obedient eare is compared not onely to a Pro. 25. 12 an eareâ—ng and ornament of gold but also to an b Psal 141. 5 excellent â—yle and soueraigne meane of c Pro. 29. 1. cure implying that without these the Saints themselues might sometimes loose not onely their grace and beauty but also their life and safety How much more then doe the lawlesse and disobedient neede sharpe rebuke and terror for their recouery For d 1 Tim. 1. 8 9. the law is not made for a righteous man but for the lawles and disobedient that is to such principally and properly belongeth the â—â—gour and curse of the law which the Apostle calleth the lawfull vsing or the law And yet our sharpest rebukes and terrors may not be ministred no not to the worst without gentlenesse meekenesse patience First that with a e 2 Cor. 2. 4 7. 8. pittifull resenting heart wee apply them euer expressing most f Iere. 4. 19 20 9. 1. griefe and lamentation when we are Luk. 19. 41 42 c. most vrged to proclaime desolation Secondly that thereby we may patiently g Gal. 4. 12. put vp all iniuries of enuyings swellings euill-speakings and â—rutish out-rages that our 〈…〉 st reproofes may meete withall and that wee may Rom. 12 21. ouercome all those euills â—ith good Thirdly that 〈…〉 ng-sufferance wee may exhort dayly whiles it is Heb. 3. 13. called to day wayting iâ— peraduenture k 2 Tim. 2. 25 26 God will giue them repentance that they may recouer themselues out of the diuels â—hare who are taken capâ—â—ue by him at his will And 〈◊〉 all this will not yeelde â—â—em satisfaction to whom â—â—all I liken them but to â—owzy or festered froward children who hauing their â—eads crawling with flitches of lice their soares â—anckling would yet neuer acknowledge any gentlenesse meekenesse and patience in their most tender harted tending nurse-mothers except they will cast away all combes with their sharpe teeth thâ—t must fetch out the vermine and all mundifying waters or playsters that by their smarting must draw forth the corruption that may otherwise kill them Aqu. Wee haue but one doubt more in this which wee pray you to resolue which is this that when Christ sent forth his Apostles to preach they