people an inward worship of soul in spirit and in truth before God but withal I enjoyn outward worship of the body which is but a reasonable service to God that made the body exemplary and significant before men in such habits and gestures as may most conduce by the advice of the whole Church for the private spirit of the prophets in those things ought to be subject to the publick spirit of the Prophets to reverence devotion and edification in knowing humble meek and quiet spirits rightly discerning the innocent nature of such things not prohibited and so indifferent and the Christian liberty allowed to them to use those things indifferent when commanded and to lay them aside when not commanded However let the many Obligations to unity by the true Faith you joyntly professe give you more satisfaction then the occasions of dividing the Ceremonies in which you differ give you offence so that you may not upon so small occasions in such small matters sacrifice to your private passion and perswasion the publick Peace and Prosperity of the Church especially since I never heard of any sober Christian or truly godly Minister who being in other things prudent unblameable and sincere did ever suffer any check of conscience meerly upon the account of having been conformable to and keeping communion with me nor did they ever complain of Ceremonies Liturgy and Episcopacy as any damps to their real graces or to their holy communion with Gods blessed spirit but admired them as the united influence the joynt consent the combined devotion of all good Christians in this Nation who publickly agreed with one mind and in one manner to serve the Lord in a way allowed by the most pious of Princes practised by the best Nobility owned by the wisest Gentry maintained by the most learned Clergy and embraced by the best sort of Commons I allow only such Ceremonies as make religious Duties not more pious but more conspicuous not more sacred but more solemn not more spiritual and holy but more visible imitable and exemplary to quicken my children to allure others to instruct and edifie all 5. Are ye offended with my Canons and Injunctions Is it fit that a few men whom order and Policy hath made inferiour to others as the Rulers and Representatives of the whole society should prefer their own private Opinions and Judgements before the well-advised Results the learned Connsels the pious Endeavours and solemn Sanctions of so many eminent for piety prudence integrity publick influence and just Authority 6. Are my solemn Fasts and Feasts your grievances those solemn remembrances of Gods Mercy to men in Christ celebrated with prayer praises preaching and communicating to Gods glory and all sober Christians improvement according to the known president of the Jews and the general practice of the Christian Church What harm is there if some good men observing a day observe it to the Lord and others not observing a day observe it not to the Lord 7. Do you resent my Endeavours for Unity and uniformity Alas I desire only that men sincerely worship one true God and profess the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ that they may be partakers of the gifts and graces of the blessed Spirit and may have an holy communion with that adorable Trinity and with one another in love and charity as Christians enjoying the noblest life the sweetest society and most heavenly fraternity imitating God emulating Angels Children and expectants of happiness Partakers of grace and daily preparing for eternal Glory that all men who have been called baptized and instructed by lawful Ministers here in the mysteries and duties of the Gospel may make a joynt and publick profession of the Christian Faith and Reformed Religion in the name and as the sense of the whole Nation grounded upon the holy Scripture guided also and administred by that uniforme order due authority and holy Ministry for Worship and Government which according to the mind of Christ the pattern of the Apostles and the practice of all primitive Churches hath been lawfully established by the wisdom and consent of all Estates in this Kingdom for Gods honour the Churches safety the publick peace and the common good of souls 8. Do I not allow you a just liberty to do such things constantly and chearfully which are most proper and advantagious to the nature and excellency of men to think what is true to do what is fit and enjoy what is just in reference to God others and your selves I have taken from you no liberty but that of doing evil you are at liberty to enjoy all the comforts priviledges and Ordinances which Christ hath instituted in an holy order and regular way for private or publick good and to hope for that reward and crown which God the righteous judge hath promised those that persevere in well doing My highest aim is that you may have liberty to exercise a good conscience void of offence towards God and towards man that they may willingly in all things live honestly 9. Are ye displeased with my Members Alas innocent men they pursue after the knowledge of and communion with God in order to a rational religious spiritual gracious perfect and unchangeable life enjoying themselves in the blessed enjoyment of God the enjoyment of whom satisfieth all their desires rewards all their duties requites all their sufferings compleats all their happiness crowns and perfects true Religion They endeavour that on earth which they hope for in heaven viz. a right knowledge and a willing performance which as reasonable they owe for ever to God their Maker Preserver and Redeemer in Christ With this religious frame and temper of which themselves only are conscientious they prepare for a glorious and blessed immortality with a sincerity of heart and uprightness of conversation which hath no other Rule but Gods Word no other End but Gods Glory no other Comfort but the Constancy of this Disposition to their Lives end Innocent men they look for one common Salvation they use one common Sacrament they professe one Faith and Rule of Holiness they have one Gracious Temper the same inward sense of Duty and Devotion they walk in the same order with the Catholick Church over the face of the earth 10. Do you envy me my Patrimony and Maintenance what the Law of God allows me what the Gospel hath provided me what the Piety of Elder times hath bestowed upon me what good Kings Peers and people of their own endowed me with freely honouring the Lord with their substance that they that served the Altar might live by the Altar O why may not my children who attend the Gospel live by the Gospel since they attend a Ministry as venerable in its Mysteries as clear in its Doctrine as glorious in its chief Minister Jesus as painful to it's Ministers and as comfortable to pious and devout souls as the Ministry of the Law Why are you offended that they of my children that are taught should
communicate to them of my children that teach in every good thing 11. Do you envy my just Power and Authority whereby with the wisdom gravity and integrity of such men as are invested with that power I may check all abuses and disorders in the Church and by a well-ordered discipline I may recover my self to my former glory and renown for which I was spoken of throughout the World 12. Do you except against the private infirmities the personal failing of my Bishops and Ministers as less strict and unblameable in their lives less painful in their calling less prudent in their undertakings or less compassionate in their Government though all the world knoweth that within me Learning flourisheth knowledge multiplyeth Grace aboundeth excellent Preaching thriveth Sacraments are duly administred the fruits of Gods spirit are mightily diffused hospitable kindness is exercised Christian Charity is maintained plain heartedness and Good works are eminent though I know the Christian world cannot shew men more eminent then some of my Clergy are for well-weighed knowledge for Christian Courage and Patience for sincere piety for indefatigable industry for Care and Vigilancy for exemplary Vertue for sound Doctrine useful Writing prudent Governing for a firm Constancy for fatherly Instructions charitable Corrrections and imitable conversations who guide the people without any allowed licentiousness in conversation any undecency in Devotion any irregularitie in Administration in all which according to the sacred direction of Gods Word according to the heavenly assistance of Gods spirit through Faith in Jesus Christ they teach them to worship the only true God who is blessed for ever as the admirable instruments of Gods glory and the good of mens souls teaching them a fruitful and effectual Faith a sound and judicious knowledge an hearty and sincere Love a discreet and prudent Zeal a severe and through Repentance fervent and devout Prayers godly and unfeigned Sorrow spiritual and unspeakable Comforts well grounded and firm Hope heavenly and holy Conversation a meek obedience and submission in the general frame of Christian mens carriage Though I have men famous for greatness of Learning soundness of Judgement gravity of Manners and Sanctity of Lives yet among my ten thousand Ministers it 's likely some may do amiss If when there was but three men in the world one was a Murtherer if among Noah's sons one of the three was disobedient If among Jacob's children of two one was prophane if of twelve Apostles one was a Devil another dissembled and a third denyed his Master if among the Asian Angels there is none but was to be reproved if among the few Primitive Preachers there was a Demas that loved the present world a Diotrephes that loved the preeminence among my so many thousand Clergy it 's not likely but that some may fall short of the severe exactness required in all Ministers who ought to be patterns in good works Oh my Clergy are not Angels but men subject to the like infirmities with other men If they should say they have no sin they would deceive themselves and the truth would not be in them but if they confess their sins he is faithful and just to forgive them their sins and to cleanse them from all unrighteousness Be Perfection the glory of other Church-members the glory of mine is Sincerity Without all peradventure the most holy and all-seeing God who walketh in the midst of the Golden Candlesticks whose pure eyes are most intent upon the Ministers of the Church hath found iniquity in his servants the Bishops and other Ministers both as to their persons and professions all things being open and naked to him with whom we have to do 1. He observes how many consecrated and set apart to the service of God and his Church in the name place power and authority of Jesus Christ and approaching his gracious presence with Aaron in the holy of holies in the glorious manifestations of God in Christ to his Church by publick Ordinances and spiritual Influences have not so sanctified the Name of the Lord God their God in their Hearts and Lives in their Doctrines and Duties 2. The great Searcher of hearts knoweth how rashly many of his Ministers undertake how carelesly they manage that great and terrible work under which Angels may swoon and great Apostles cry Who is sufficient for these things how vulgarly they converse how lazily they live how loosely they behave themselves how ambitiously they design how covetously they reach how enviously they repine how unexemplarily they walk unworthy of the favour and indulgence shewed them to the amazement of their High-calling the dishonor of their Profession to the forfeiture of their Dignity and Plenty the endangering of their Peace and Safety 3. He that is about our paths and about our dwellings hath observed how unpreparedly negligently and irreverently how partially popularly and passionately how formally and vainly without any power of godliness Life of Religion some perform the work of God the great work of Eternal concernment to our own and other mens souls 4. He whose eyes see whose eye-lids try the children of men hath looked down from heaven and observed the iniquity of some mens holy things their dead and unreasonable instead of a living and acceptable service he hath taken notice of that supine negligence which hath sunk some mens Ministrations below the just majesty solidity and gravity of Gospel-dispensations others by an affected height and depth for want of plain instruction and charitable condescending amuse the poor people who know not what they say nor whereof they do affirm 5. He that will reprove and set mens sins in order before them hath taken notice of some mens remiss compliance and others exact rigours according to their private tempers judgements and passions whereby they swerved too much from that just charity discretion legality and constancy which my Canons intented and my constitution health and peace required especially in the peevish touchinesse of these times when so many subtile and envious ones lie in wait to destroy me Yet my Church-mens exorbitancies are not my constitutions their failings are not my frame their infirmities are not my nature their fall is no more mine who disallows it then the Angels fall may be the Heavens that forbid it their weaknesses are humane my authority is divine that charity which thinketh no evil will not lay upon me those enormities which I forbid by a Law which I restrain by Discipline which I mourn for in mine Humiliation and discountenance in those great patterns that shew a most excellent way These sins O the Christian world are transgressions of my Law affronts to my Authority the baffles of my Cannons and Injunctions O that my Apologie were written yea printed in a book for the satisfaction of the world that the good that I would do that I cannot do and the evil that I would not do that I do I find a law of my members against the law of my mind So
in Doctrine shewing uncorruptness gravity sincerity sound speech that cannot be condemned that they that were of The contrary party were ashamed having no evil to say of them when I ordained Elders in every City I had men blameless sober just holy temperate whose judgements were setled whose passions were allayed whose affections were composed whose actions were advised and conversation exact and uniforme since every one did what was good in his own eyes My young Ministers have been unstable in all their ways unsetled in their minds rash in their undertaking imprudent in their carriage weak in their discourses unexperienced in their behaviour not even orderly and stayed in their conversation to the grief of good men who esteem all Ministers very highly in love for their works sake to the joy of those evil men that have ill-will for Sion who cry Aha aha so would we have it O young men who requireth these things at your hands Why do you run before I am willing to send you O how dare you take this Office uppon you until you are called with solemn preparation as was Aaron Are not you afraid now you have newly passed the elements of Philosophy â—nd the first principles of Nature to look into those mysteries which the Angels desire to look into to search into that knowledge which passeth knowledge Are not you afraid to ascend that pulpit whither Luther said he never ascended though very aged without fear and trembling are not you afraid to undertake that dreadful work from which the Prophets fled the Fathers avoided the Primitive Pastors trembled at Do you know what you do when you undertake to be Embassadors in Christs stead to bring back the world to God to be Co-workers with God in the salvation of souls to be Angels of the Church to be as Stars in Gods right hand to be Stewards of the Mysteries of God to watch for precious souls as they that must give an account How can you govern others who cannot govern your selves What power have you over others who have hardly any power over your selves What esteem can you find among them who will naturally dispise your youth Did not Philosophy think you fit O young men to hear Morals and shall Divinity admit you to read divine Lectures How can you in the heat of youth in the vigour of your lusts appear in the world perswading men to mortifie their lusts to crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts With what hope can you endeavour to compose the world to that great Rule to which you cannot compose your selves How will you behave your selves as guides among persons whose years and experience are so much beyond yours How impertinently will you converse how weakly will you discourse how imprudently will you deal how contemptibly will you live among a staid and discreet people wiser then you in their Generations The goodness of God having furnished man with two chief Instruments saith an incomparable man both necessary for this life hands to exercise and a mind to devise great things the one is not profitable longer then the vigour of youth doth strengthen it nor the other greatly till age and experience have brought it to perfection SECT 2. Of Debauched Men ordained 1500. OH am I as Juhan blasphemed the sanctuary of all prophaneness Am I a refuge for all licentiousness Whom a strict Colledge expels whom the severe University discountenanceth whom civil men note with a mark of hatred and abhorrence must I admit to my sacred Order and honour with my most solemn Ministrations My care is that each Minister should be of an holy and unblameable conversation What have these poor creatures to do to take Gods word held forth by me in their mouths seeing they hate to be reformed O my reverend Sons what do you bring a man to teach the world a God and his service Who is without God in the World What do you send them to speak of that God who is not in all their thoughts Why are they employed to propogate the knowledge of God who desire that the knowledge of the holy One may cease from them To what purpose do they preach an holy Life who never intend to live it Why do they put those poor souls to pray for those things of God which they do not desire to read that Bible which they do not believe to bind those heavy burthens upon the people which they themselves do not intend to bear to teach that on the Sabbath demurely which they will contradict throughout the Week profanely Is there any need of authorizing publick patterns of impiety Do you intend to destroy what ye have built I know you not Why then do you send lewd Ministers to teach men by an evil example that prophaneness which I have endeavoured to reform by my good instructions Wo is me that I see those within me running to all excels of riot who are imployed to teach a pure Religion and undefiled before God. You O reverend Fathers taught men to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and live soberly justly and godly in this present world and will you suffer men to go from among you to teach all ungodliness and worldly lusts O alas one man a Divine and a Beast What consecrated to God and devoted to sin An abomination in the holy place Behold thou art called a Minister and restest in the Law and makest thy boast of God and knowest his will and approvest the things that are more excellent being instructed out of the Law and art confident that thou thy self art a Guide to the blind a light to them which are in darkness an Instructer of the foolish a Teacher of babes which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth of the Law thou therefore that teachest another teachest thou not thy self thou that preachest a man should not steal dost thou steal thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery dost thou commit adultery thou that abhorrest Idols dost thou commit Sacriledge thou that makest thy boast of the Law through beeaking the Law dishonourest thou God for the Name of God is blasphemed among the people through you SECT 3. Of Vnlearned Men Ordained I Am ashamed that that ignorance which formerly found preferment should now find orders too and that I should settle them legally in that calling whereunto I alwayes said they had illegally intruded themselves It was too much to suffer that daring ignorance to Vsurp the sacred Office much more to consecrate it to it The late Miscarriage want nothing to compleat them but to be hallowed The Catholick Church never entertained a Ministry but what was qualified either with extraordinary gifts from above or with humane learning from below by which the mind being instructed and improved in all the riches of wisdom and knowledge which are part of the glory and image of God in man by this learning all truths are clearly unfolded How do you think poor souls can clear divine truths
lying hid in the depth darkness and ambiguity of Original words without skill in Languages How can they attain the genuine and emphatick sense of the Word of God without skill in the Original words and phrases How can they maintain the truths I have established and confute the errours I have condemned How can they detect the fallacies with which my poor people are deluded and convince the gain-sayers with which I am troubled and discover those sophisms in which poor souls wrap themselves darkning wisdom with words without understanding without the art of sound reasoning How can they convey the holy truths they are furnished with to others without an holy Eloquence a sacred Perswasion and Rhetorick which may commend them to mens minds and enforce them upon their hearts how can they satisfie themselves and others in the Controversies of this Age without the Observations Histories and Customs of former Ages and standing in the ways and asking for the old which is the good way and walk therein so find rest for their souls How is it possible for those poor creatures to understand sundry passages of Scripture depending upon propriety of words Idioms or upon the Customs Rites Proverbs Forms Usages Laws Offices and Antiquities of the Assyrian Persian Greek and Roman Governments without a competent portion of humane Learning My Religion was as the Kings Daughter all glorious within attended on by Arts and Sciences those Handmaids who cloathed her with garments wrought with needle-work of divers colours embroidering her with pathetick Elegancies with solid Eloquence and Orations with Sublimity and Gravity with Method and Acuteness with excellent Morals and useful Observations of a very sober sense But now alas it 's exposed to a prophane world with the ridiculous impertinencies and foolish adventures of men zealous but not according to knowledge What empty discourses do I hear what incoherent Notions do I read what vain trifles am I troubled with what pilfering learned mens works do I endure O what abundance of things should a Minister understand O what a great defect is it to be ignorant of them O how much do we miss a competent Knowledge in ordinary Ministers 1. To satisfie themselves and others exactly in the true and original will of God. 2. To explain and unfould the words in which Gods will is originally expressed and to endeavour by all means a right notion and conception of them as they are to be understood in the Scripture 3. To shew exactly what are those saving truths which are naturally contained in those words so explained 4. To confirm those truths so drawn out of the Scripture by such evident Arguments and powerful Reasons as may establish the true believer and convince the Gainsayer 5. To press those truths so made manifest upon men with that power that they may have their proper influence and efficacy upon mens hearts and lives The honest men that are industrious I would willingly encourage provided they have what I wished always and shall now expect in all my Priests and Deacons solidity gravity modesty piety and some savour of Learning joyned with humility and zeal with humanity some methods of intelligible Reason and profitable Scripture-Divinity The Law was published by Moses learned in all the Learning of the Egyptians The Gospel was propagated by St. Paul bred up at the feet of Gamaliel in all the varieties of Heathenish and Jewish knowledge the Primitive Fathers as Clemens Alex. Euseb Tertul. St. Aug. St. Ambrose Min. Fel. Lactant. and others maintained the Faith so propogated by their comprehensive Learning Therefore I have taken care that none should be admitted to Orders but they who are approved by sober and wise men as who have given themselves wholly to these things that their profiting may appear unto all as men of whom there is some hope because of their promptness of wit quickness of conceit fastness of memory clearness of understanding soundness of judgment and readiness of speech that they may in time by art industry experience and observation become skilful Linguists subtile Disputants copious Orators exact Critiques comprehensive Historians profound Divines and powerful Preachers that throughout the three Kingdoms I may have those that may settle the people rightly instruct the ignorant clearly satisfie the doubtful fully meet with the seducers skilfully and promote piety and peace succesfully As the times now are wherein Learning aboundeth even unto wantonnesse and wherein the world is full of Questions Controversies Novelties and Niceties in Religion and wherein most of our Gentry and people are by the advantage of long peace and the customs of modern Education together with a multitude of English Books are able to look through the ignorance of a Clergy-man and censure it if he be tripping in any point of History Cosmography Moral or Natural Philosophy Divinity or the Arts yea and to chastise his very method and phrase if he speaks losely or impertinently or but improperly I as these times are must not admit any Clergy-men without a competency of Learning as who may endeavour by their prayers care and industry to improve the Learning they have so as they may be able upon good occasion to impart a spiritual gift to the people of God whereby they may be established and to speak with such understanding sufficiency and pertinency in some good measure of proportion to the quickness and ripeness of these present times shewing in their Doctrine uncorruptness gravity sincerity sound speech which cannot be condemned that they which are of the contrary party may be ashamed having no evil to say of them I whose Clergy professed to use and prayed to God to bless their long Preparative Studies Meditations Writings Readings habitually to fit them for that dreadful work and for every actual discharge of it I am ashamed of those poor Smatterers who have gathered a few raw and indigested Notions either by superficial reading of the Scriptures or by hearing some Sermons or by gleaning a little here and there from the plainest Writings without any Critical Historical or Polemical Learning who are fit implements to bring in such ignorance irreverence Atheism Superstition and Confusion as shall quite put out the Christian and reformed Religion in this Nation reducing all to the ancient darkness looseness and barbarousness which hath been established by persons of real abilities of good Learning sound knowledge sober Judgements orderly Method grave Utterance and weighty Eloquence which all wise and sober Christians expect should appear in every true Minister of the Church of Christ in such a competent measure and evident manner as they may be able comfortably to discern them and usefully to enjoy them I am ashamed to see a Roll of four hundred and six and twenty Tradesmen who 1. out of desultory restlesness 2. out of covetousness and ambition 3. out of sullenness and discontent 4. out of pride and envy having intruded in former years into the sacred Calling of a Minister are now ordained
same care one for another Now ye my Sons are the body of Christ and members in particular and God hath set some in the Church first Apostles secondarily Prophets thirdly Teachers Are all Apostles are all Prophets are all Teachers are all provided for Oh covet earnestly the best Gifts not the best Livings And yet I could shew you a more excellent way Why is that Preferment engrossed by one which might maintain Twenty Why are those Revenues lost upon the folly vanity and superfluitie of one family which might provide for the honest occasions of five Oh Justice the equal Distributer of Affairs whither art thou fled Oh Equity whither art thou retired 3. If you consider not the sin do you consider the consequences of these miscarriages the envie that you already sink under the occasion given unto them that seek occasion which hath already disgraced you the great discontent that alreadie endangereth you Have not you enemies to your Order Calling and Judgement and must you incense your friends Must you provoke that God that hath hitherto upheld your Order and Function by abusing the maintenance he allows for his service and servants to your own advantage Must you displease his sacred Majesty by appropriating to a few ill beloved persons for whose sake his Majesty is thought the worse of that encouragement which might be equally bestowed upon well-deserving and well-beloved who might in each Parish teach his subjects their duty faithfully perswade them to obedience successfully and settle them in the Doctrine of Government according to the great Principles of Christianity most happily Must you provoke your Brethren of the Clergy to discontent by taking up all the encouragements of their Studies all their employments and hopes How many hopeful young men in City and Country are forced either to want or which is worse to live upon your small Pensions and scant allowance and what is natural for parts and ingenuity in want to dispair their fortunes and envy yours How readily do they now hopeless of any regular favour apply themselves to popular applause that their compliance may gain that among the people which their merit could not among you Do not you see how the people forsake you as Self-Seekers how the Gentry censure you as Unconscionable how the Clergy abhor you as invaders of their places and preferments Do you not see that the Law can hardly secure you that authority can scarcely defend you from all the affronts and baffles that Malice do suggest to an incensed people the adversaries triumph the many friends I have weep the Sober and Serious are amazed to see fourscore or an hundred odious men filling up a whole Church Do you imagine those many active men will rest in a dispirited poor mendicant decayed dejected and vexatious condition Do not you fear their melancholy thought their retired contrivance their forlorn meetings You know there are none so dangerous as the Discontented Scholars Monopolie is the Ruine of the State Pluralities are the ruine of the Church the one necessitates the indigent Subject to dangerous courses and practises the other the poor Scholar to as dangerous discourses and thoughts Is it not enough that mens late malice and insolencie against the Ministry reduced them to want and contempt but that to my shame who am blessed of God with abundance and honour one small part of the Ministry should reduce the other to smal Contributions poor Dependencies so uncertain and so base that men of ingenious spirits and learning must detest them who cannot endure when they do their work to beg for their wages not without forbid compliances and flatteries with vile men in their vilest humours Oh look upon the poor Curates and their Families what is their portion of the prosperity we now enjoy Alas they live by Gods mercy and mens charity How despicable is their Calling How little their Authority how inconsiderable their Instructions How successless their Doctrine how uncreditable their Lives Do not you see that your fellow-Ministers under these necessities will not long be able to assert the honour of their Calling and that no after-Generation will succeed to inherit their poverty and pains unless such as will further debase the Dignity of the Function What must all the ingenious Ministers be Stipendaries The Faction threatned no more Must they have only their allowances Anarchie could have done no more Are you restored to reduce your fellow-servants to that penurie by Law which Fanaticks would have brought them to without Law they wanted only this misery to be undone by their Brethren and perish by them of their own profession Obsect These poor men you will say are provided for answerable to their Parts Answ Have they Parts for the Calling of Ministers and have they not Parts for the Maintenance of Ministers Can they preach the Gospel and can they not live by the Gospel Are they worthy to discharge your Cures and are they not worthy to enjoy them 5. Do you desire the advantage of so many Benefices or do you desire the charge if the advantage then the poor Separatist was in the right when he called you Hirelings then indeed you make merchandise of Souls then you are the greatest Juglers and Deceivers in the world and you laugh among your selves as the Tuscan Sooth-sayers and confer Notes as that Pope with his Cardinal saying How much gain doth this fable of Christ bring us and poor souls should avoid you as the shadow of death What shall I hear him whose godliness is gain whose God is his belly whose faith is his advantage whose hope is only in this world His watchmen are blind they are ignorant they are all dumb dogs they cannot bark sleeping lying down loving to slumber yea they are greedy dogs which can Never have enough and they are shepherds that cannot understand they all look for their own way every one for his gain from his quarter Come ye say they I will fetch wine and we will fill our selves with strong drink and to morrow shall be as this day and much more abundantly Fsai 56. 9 10 11 12. If the Charge do you know what you do do you know that you must watch over the Congregation as they that must give an account so many Benefices so many more hundreds of souls that you must answer for Do you know what it is to answer the great God for an immortal soul do you know what it is to give an account of the purchase of Christs bloud do you know what is the work what is the charge of a Minister Oh poor souls you consider not whether some have not accused you to God whom you never saw whether souls under your charge are not daily going to another world with doleful complaints against you whom you never knew whether any in Hell do not cry out against you whom you never saw thousands have appeared before the Judgement-seat of God excusing themselves with your faults though you lay it not