Samaritanism Reviv'd A SERMON Preached at the PARISH CHURCH OF Great Yarmouth Upon the Ninth of September BEING THE DAY Appointed for a Solemn THANKSGIVING FOR THE Discovery of the late Horrid PLOT against His Majesty's Person and Government By LVKE MILBOVRNE LONDON Printed by Samuel Roycroft for Walter Kettilby at the Bishops-Head in St. Paul's Church-yard 1683. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE WILLIAM EARL OF Yarmouth BARON PASTON of PASTON HIGH STEWARD OF HIS MAJESTIES BURGH OF GREAT YARMOVTH MY LORD THe Innocence of the Clergy of our Church as by Law Establish'd whatever their Pretences are to the Contrary is indeed the greatest Scandal and most real Offence to the several Dissenting Parties While the Vices of a Clergy-man are Notorious Hypocrites have somewhat to amuse the Vulgar with when they live within the Rules of the Church those of the Contrary Parties are consequently ashamed as having no Evil thing to say of them But that Shame soon breaks out into a Malicious Rage and where the wish'd for Crimes are not to be found some employ themselves under the Prince of Hell to forge Lyes and affix them boldly sewing up Men in the Skins of Bears and Wolves and then exposing them to be torn in Pieces by Dogs The Blessed Jesus met with this Dealing from Obdurate and Hypocritical Jews the Christians of the First and Purest Ages from Pagans and the Lawful Clergy to this day and in our Reformed Church meet with it from pretendedly Pure and Moderate but really Apostate Protestants That Veneration with I upon the most unprejudiced and deliberate Study have entertain'd for the Church of England has made me too a Sharer in that Glory of suffering by the Words and Actions of Ill-Men whose greatest Pique against me is That Bad as I am I am not yet Bad enough to Associate with them Ill Will therefore employs all its Care to trace my Errors and besides the Dull and Bashful Scurrility of Senseless Libels and the utmost force of Belinsgate Rhetorick it has betray'd it self so far as to declare that nothing but the Fear of Humane Laws secur'd my Life This is indeed a very odd Method of Refining upon Religion and perswading any that Men of such Warm Tempers have attain'd to Extraordinary Degrees of Spirituality there was so little of this in the Practice of our Saviour and his Apostles and the best Christians in all Ages that for my part I count it a real Breach of Charity and an Affront to the Gospel to reckon such among the Proselytes of Christianity I have to the utmost of my Power endeavour'd to advance such Principles as were most necessary to make Men Truly Good in their several Relations Devout and Pious towards God Obedient and Submissive to their Lawful Superiours Uniform and Reverend in their Publick Church Services and Charitable and Peaceable one among another Others have done this better having carried on that Great Work with Greater Abilities but none with Greater Sincerity or under Greater Discouragements than my self Had these Doctrines been Vniversally entertain'd we should have heard of no Separatists or Fanaticks no Plotters no Traitors no Rebels My Lord He deserves not the Name of a Minister of the Gospel who is afraid to speak in the Cause of his God and of his King Never was any Prince the Subject of so many Miracles as Ours and were not the Sons of Separation Mad as well as Blind He whom God has so oft and wonderfully preserv'd might at length be free from the Plots of Traitors and among the most desperate Villains be believ'd Invulnerable The Preachers of Loyalty might prosecute their Great Masters Work in Peace and if the Affection of the Dumb Son of Croesus was to be lov'd and admir'd for setting his Tongue free to save his Royal Fathers Life the meanest Gospel Minister might expect some Favour for speaking Plain when the Cruel and Barbarous Hands of Traiterous Hypocrites are lifted up against the Dear and Sacred Life of his Soveraign Such an Occasion gave Being to this Discourse which now puts it self under your Honours Protection and that which bears so Great a Name in its Front must be by All concluded Loyal The Author owns the Weakness of the Vndertaking and therefore the Boldness of the Address but is so well acquainted with your Goodness that he dares not doubt of Pardon for My Lord Your Honours most Obliged Most Faithful and Obedient Servant LVKE MILBOVRNE EZRA IV. 1 2 3 4 5. Now when the Adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the Children of the Captivity builded the Temple unto the Lord God of Israel Then they came to Zerubbabel and to the chief of the Fathers and said unto them Let us build with you for we seek your God as ye do and we do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esarhaddon King of Assur which brought us up hither But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the chief of the Fathers of Israel said unto them You have nothing to do with us to build an House unto our God but we our selves will build together unto the Lord God of Israel as King Cyrus the King of Persia hath commanded us Then the People of the Land weakned the hands of the People of Judah and troubled them in Building And hired Counsellors against them to frustrate their purpose SOLOMON tells us that there is no new thing under the Sun Eccles 1.9 for the thing that hath been it is that which shall be and that which is done is that which shall be done which may give us a good reason of what he instructs us in elsewhere Say not thou Eccles 7.10 What is the cause that the former days were better than these for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this Which may serve as a Check to those who are always complaining of the Times whereas did they but prudently examine the Records of past Ages they would find the same Evils prevailing in some places heretofore which they now wonder at as such new and unheard of things The Word of God it self as it gives us Examples of the greatest Piety and Holiness so it gives us Instances of the most horrid Sins such as may seem impossible to be exceeded by the most reprobate Villains under Heaven and 't is our unhappiness that the Patterns of the first kind are generally past by and slighted but even those who make some slight pretences to goodness are very solicitous lest by their Predecessors they should be outdone in Wickedness So miserably is the intent of all Records Sacred and Profane perverted for they are both written for our Examples to teach us that we should not lust after evil things as we sind some in story have done and that we should look upon such History as written for our Admonition upon whom the Ends of the World are come 1 Cor. 10.6 as the Apostle advises Among the several Sins Copied out from those Enemies of Religion who liv'd in former
Tyrants had formerly asserted to themselves Divine Honours therefore now no Honour at all ought to be given to Christian Kings and Princes or as if because some Vsurper formerly had liv'd in a Royal Palace therefore a Lawful Prince must settle his Throne no higher than a Dunghil But he who truly loves God will reverence his Sanctuary and he who loves a neat Service and Attendance in his own House will never endure meanness or slovenliness in the House of God and he who can be content to dwell himself in cieled Palaces will not be willing the Ark of God should remain among Curtains whilst the Samaritan strives to overthrow it and when once overthrown to keep it down That the Enemies of Religion find no surer way of obstructing the grateful Restauration of Gods Service Obser 3. than an Hypocritical Pretence to joyn in the Work The Devil is never so truly Dreadful as when he puts on the Shape of an Angel of Light otherwise every one stands upon his Guard but then the Subtile Serpent insinuates himself into the Bosoms of those who least suspect his Poysonous Nature And wicked Men can never possibly do such mischief as when they put on the Visor of Piety the Servants of God avoid them when they appear like themselves but when the Sheeps Clothing has invested the Wolf even He may pass for a very Innocent Creature This therefore is the last Result of Hellish Policy That roaring Lion who walks about continually seeking whom he may devour makes use frequently of the Foxes the little Foxes to ruine Gods Church to that end the Samaritans here desire to build Gods Temple with the Jews they declare their Reverence to the same God their offering the same Sacrifices a very fair Conformity as they pretend and which undoubredly in a short time would have purchas'd for them the Title of The Church of the Jews It is not to be question'd but that the acknowledgment of the True God and the offering due Sacrifices to him as God is the main Foundation of true Religion but a bare Foundation without a Superstructure is of no worth for upon these Principles plainly and evidently depend a great Number of other things which if not observ'd prove that the Foundation was never truly own'd For if a Man believe indeed that there is a God and by offering Sacrifices acknowledges there is a Duty owing to that God nothing can be commanded by that God nothing forbiddâ—n but the Man if he hopes for Salvation must sincerely and to the utmost of his Power obey it in which point the Samaritans fail'd foully St. Pauls words were true of them Rom. 1.21 When they knew God they glorified him not as God but became vain in their Imaginations and their foolish Heart was darkned they fear'd God but worshipp'd their own graven Images Upon account of which though it be said that they fear'd the Lord 2 Kings 17.33 Ver. 34. yet 't is asserted again Vnto this day they do after the former manners they fear not the Lord neither do they after their Statutes or after their Ordinances or after the Law and Commandments which the Lord commanded the Children of Jacob inferring plainly the same from their Practice which I would do that though for fear they acknowledg'd God yet so long as they obey'd not the Injunctions of that God their Profession was but False and Vain And it 's to be noted That all the Commands of God must be punctually obey'd Smiths disc p 346. Men may not cull out this or another according to their own Fancies and as the Jews themselves have practised since the Rule being infallibly Authentick That whosoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offend in one point Jam. 2.10 he is guilty of All the Reason is because he breaks that very Foundation he builds upon the Confession of a God and our Duty to him The Apostle makes the Inference For he that said Do not commit Adultery said also Ver. 11. do not Kill now if thou commit no Adultery yet if thou Kill thou art become a Transgressor of the Law So then if any man pretend out of a sense of his Duty to God to do one or more things and yet minds not some other things which God has commanded as well as those his whole Obedience is nothing and his whole pretence a Lye he really with the Fool says in his Heart Psal 53.1 there is no God Nor will Cavils or Excuses be admitted here or the Obscurity of our Duty in any Part be a sufficient Plea for every Christian is bound as far as possible to enquire into the Word of God as left written for his Instruction and to do of himself what he finds exprest as his Duty there and further I 'le grant him that where there is no Law there can be no Transgression where men cannot know of any more to be done by them they shall not be condemn'd for not doing more But since God has appointed persons lawfully call'd to study the Scriptures and to instruct the People in his Church what those Persons so appointed learn and deduce truly from Scripture is to be attended to and whereas all Divine Commands have a certain Connexion one with another so that there can be no clashing or contradiction between them though such things be not in terminis commanded yet if they be found so concordant to the explicit and plain Rules such things are to be Vniversally submitted to and obey'd And hence it was that since among the Jews the Priests Lips were to preserve knowledge Mal. 2.7 Deut. 17.8 13. and the People were to address themsâ—lves to them for information in the more doubtful parts of their Duties These Samaritans were to have apply'd themselves to those Priests and to have conform'd in all things to their Prescriptions if they intended really to become Partners with them in one Common Church Society And 't is Folly to believe that God gave greater Power or Priviledges in these Cases to the Jewish than to the Christian Teachers for whereas among the Jews the Prince and the Priest were joyn'd together in the Maintenance of Gods True Religion so wheresoever the Prince and People profess Christianity their Work is the same the Prince defends and with the Priest declares the true Catholick Faith And upon this account it is that the Burthen that lyes upon the Teachers of the Church is the greater where the Preacher delivers apparent Falsehoods and the People are seduced by him the Fault is divided between the Instructor and the Instructed it being his work to preach the Truth sincerely and the Peoples to search the Scriptures daily to see whether these things be so but in Obscurer cases if the people be seduced 't is wholly their Teachers Fault he being more knowing than they and being bound not to teach others at random but what he knows certainly and necessarily true and for such Errors not
made it a Den of Thieves In such cases if God be angry who can wonder If God confound that People who labour to cloud his Glory and to render his Service sordid and nauseous he must then be justified when he speaks though in anger and clear when he is judged That Publick and Solemn Worship of God the Contempt of which has such dreadful effects ought first to be regarded when the Almighty sheaths his Sword again and restores Peace and Prosperity to a People So soon as the Israelites were freed from the Aegyptian Bondage and but yet on their way to the Promis'd Land they were call'd upon by God himself to build a Tabernacle and Ark with all their Furniture before which they might offer their daily Sacrifices David when he fled from Absolom Exod. 25. was careful lest this Ark should suffer by being carry'd with him in his flight Carry it back says he into the City if I shall find favour in the sight of the Lord 2 Sam. 15.25 he will bring me again and shew me both it and his habitation When he return'd indeed he presently was for raising a Temple to the God of Israel his Redeemer and since God permitted him not to build it he provided Treasure for his Son to build it with He prescrib'd the method of Divine Service 1 Chron. Chapters 22 23 24 25 26 27 c. and fixt Orders for its exact performance in that Temple As for the Temple it self where this cost was to be bestow'd and these Orders observ'd David declares The House that is to be builded for the Lord must be exceeding magnifical of fame and of glory throughout all Countries 1 Chron. 22.5 and the Reason he gives is remarkable The work is great 1 Chron. 29.1 for the Palace is not for Man but for the Lord God And this care of David's was so just and â—ffectual that in Hezekiah's time we find the Priests and Levites obeying the past Commands of David using the Instruments of David 2 Chron. 29.25 30. and praising God in the Words of David and he that shall but read profane Story Multa epulenta ibi Regum populorumque visuntur munera quaeque magnificentiâ suâ reddentium vota gratam voluntatem Decrum responsa manifestant Justinus de templo Delphico Lib. 24. c. 8. and see what large Donaria all Countries appropriated to their Sacred Temples upon Dangers escap'd or Victories obtain'd or the Sacred History and view the prodigious Liberalities of David Solomon and the Nobles of Israel to the Temple of God must needs conclude the Service of God was by that means render'd glorious and beautiful the gratitude of Men to God very commendable and that those who left us those great Examples were not all of them either Mad-men or Fools And indeed Men may pretend what they will they 'l never perswade any in their senses to believe them thankful to God for removing Common Judgements who do not repair the decays of Divine Worship and endeavour to restore its pristine exactness and splendor and an Vniform celebration of Gods Praises is the best proof of an agreeing sense of his infinite Goodness And thus the Christians of old in each Distinct respectively were United in the same Forms of Worship and the Vniversal Church Concordant in the same matter and the whole World convinced of the Beauty and Harmony of that Religion whose Professors addrest themselves to God so Vnitedly for Matter and with so little disparity in Words and Methods even that disparity confirming the truth of Christianity the greatness of the true God and the Divinity of the Man Christ Jesus whom though Crucified the Christian World with the greatest fervour and devotion ador'd and invocated 'T is easie to Object That though great thankfulness is really due to God after great Deliverances yet 't is indifferent in what place by what person in what order Gods praise in his Worship is declar'd 'T is true a Man may be heard with Job from a Dunghil with Jonah from the Oceans bottom with Jeremiah from the miry Dungeon or with Daniel from the Lions Den but scarce any wise Man would chuse those places for his Devotions if he were at Liberty And my Groom or Scullion may be heard in their Prayers as soon as I but it would shew little respect to Gods Service should I call them to officiate in the Head of my Family in a Scullery or Stable with their Horse or Kitchen Habiliments about them Days of deliverance are days of Joy and Feasting and the garments of Gladness ought then to be worn and our gratitude to put on the fairest face of Order Loveliness and Beauty those Sins for which we suffer should be forsaken our thankful Resentments of Gods Goodness should be expos'd to the Worlds view and that so that Religion for its deformity may not be made a Scar-crow nor Slovenliness the measure of Divine Worship nor Enthusiasm the Essence of Devotion From the practice of the Samaritans in the Text we may Observe Observ 2. That the Enemies of Religion always apply themselves to hinder the Restauration of Gods Solemn and Publick Worship The Charms of pure and undefil'd Religion and the Worship attending it are terrible and odious to the Prince of Darkness he renders it a Mormo or Bugbear to his wretched Slaves and cannot endure its allurements should reach the Souls of thinking persons and therefore as by his Wiles and Policies he endeavours to put a slur upon Piety to render it ugly and ridiculous in the sight of Men that so it may crouch to growing Impieties So when men formerly mad after Sin begin to return to their almost lost Wits again he tries all ways to hinder the good Effects of Repentance that so profest Penitents may return with the Dog to his Vomit and with the Sow that is wash'd to her wallowing in the mire That Sin should abound and that Vengeance should once more deluge the World is his aim and therefore he studies to obstruct whatsoever tends to Reformation in those things that are really amiss Whatsoever mischief the Devil designs his busie Agents here on Earth who think scorn to be damn'd alone carry on with the greatest vigour and labour to engage all whom possibly they can pervert into the same Service so the People of Israel of old when God had scourg'd them frequently for their Sins and by his punishments reduced them to Reason though their Vows and Resolutions were never so many of reforming themselves to the Pattern God had prescrib'd them their Resolutions all vanish'd into Air and easie Temptations drew them to dangerous relapses as we read in the Book of Judges Manasseh King of Judah was eminent in wickedness as his Father Hezekiah had been in piety He did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord like to the Abominations of the Heathen whom the Lord had cast out before the Children of Israel