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love_n	believe_v	faith_n	work_n	6,340	5	6.3714	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A88695	The persecuted minister, in defence of the ministerie, the great ordinance of Jesus Christ. Setting forth the severall names of Apostles, prophets, &c. [brace] 1. That there is a ministerial office. 2. That the sacrament of baptisme by a lay-person is invalid. 3. That necessity is no plea. 4. That the long omission of the Lords Supper is unwarrantable. With many other things, plainly and methodically handled / by William Langley late of S. Maryes in the city of Lichfield, minister ...	Langley, William, b. 1609 or 10.	1656 (1656)	Wing L408; Thomason E860_4; ESTC R202682	143,990	208

to spare this plea and let some other speak for you alienus laudet te non os tuum it would sound better in your neighbours mouths take heed to your selves I beseech you take heed that you doe not welcome Religion under a wrong notion there is an Idol called Self set up in every corner and men fall down worship it this is Englands great abomination men thinking themselves something when they are nothing mistaking the means of grace and holinesse for grace and holinesse it self formality and meer outsidenesse in Religion are those things which breed so many miscarriages amongst us Here in effect thou hast bestiam Pharmacopolae that Julian the Pelagian upbraided S. Augustine with the Beast that the Apothecary promised his Patient of wonderful virtue which afore morning was come had eaten up her self Doe you desire a description of true virtue He tell you Brevis vera descriptio virtutis est ordo amoris saith S. Augustine it is nothing else but the ordering of our love Religion is the Jewell of the Ring and consisteth of two parts Faith and Works the latter demonstrates the former You know S. James his rule Shew me thy faith by thy Works Believe it it is a notable hypocrisie to boast of Religion Thus did the Pharisees Joh. 8. The varnish of their own hypocrisie did delude them so that they grew in love with their seeming virtues and Narcissus-like were enamoured of their own shadows Every man saith Luther hath a Pope bred in him an opinion of his own works albeit there be in him no reall virtue and true substance as wickedness so this devil of conceitednesse is the ruine of thousands a speckled Pharisee is all one to God as a spotted Publican he dislikes the hot feaver and inflammation of hypocrifie aswell as the cold palsie and shaking-fits of impiety there is a Generation of men that are so proud of their worth and puffed up with vain conceit that when the rod of God is shaken over the heads of a Nation they make themselves the onely men that are fit to stand in the gap They blaze the honour of their Ministers preaching to be so full of life that they and onely they know the marrow of the Scriptures and as for their Prayers they think them so effectual as if Elias Spirit were redoubled on them and every one of them a second Elisha What others in charity may give is not modest in you to assume to your selves Prop● io suo ore non sonat laus Let others praise you 2 Cor. 10.18 For not he that commendeth himself is approved but whom the Lord commendeth Prov. 27.2 Let another man praise thee and not thine own mouth a stranger and not thine own lips Saint Paul was so modest that he calleth himself the greatest sinner and the least Saint Saint Peter a sinfull man Luke 5.8 The Centurion one unworthy Luke 7.9 S. Paul a miserable man Rom. 7.24 Yea the best Saints have ever thought themselves the greatest sinners and have condemned none more than themselves Take advice from a poor man the drop that sips in at the leak drowneth the ship aswell as the waves overturn her Many little sands gathered to a great heap have swallowed great vessels Continual drops of rain cause great floods even so those sins we esteem little are heavy enough to sink us to hell Non contemnenda quia parva sed metuenda quia multa Let us not despise our sinnes because they are little but fear them because they are many saith S. Augustine Secondly that a Christians chief Righteousnesse is a righteousnesse without him It is a bold saying of Reverend Luthers Christiana sanctitas non est activa In his Common places sed passiva sanctitas extra nos est justitia non in nobis A Christians righteousnesse is a Righteousnesse without us it is in God whereby we stand righteous before God Hieron Tom. 2.254 All our perfection consists in acknowledging our imperfection All our Righteousnesse in forgivenesse of sins Aug. lib 19. cap. 17. rather than in perfection of virtue I exclude not inherent Righteousness We are Mundi mundandi Clean in part August lib. 9. Conf. cap. 13. and in part to be made clean Vae etiam laud●bili vitae hominum si remotâ misericordiâ discutias eam Woe to the commendable life of man if God set mercy aside in judging it Were ye sensible of your own nothingnesse and did but see your own nakednesse you would never so vainly boast of your acquired holinesse and trumpet forth your selves to be Religious and a Godly partie Pont in 10th of John 2. saith No man ought in this life to justifie and commend himselfe if he consider the time past he hath cause to lament his sins if the time present to blush at his infirmities if at the time to come to fear lest he fall Thirdly a man may go farre in the wayes of Religion and yet for all that fall short of heaven he may be Righteous in respect of others and yet damnable in himself Fourthly the blossoms of profession will not serve without the fruits of a holy practise Gal. 5.25 If we live in the spirit let us walk in the spirit Jam. 2.20 Wilt thou know O vain man that faith without works is dead Jam. 1.26 If any man among you seem to be religious and bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his own heart this mans Religion is but vain Whiles you style your selves Religious you give a mighty wound unto Religion by your censoriousnesse malice persecution and uncharitablenesse no Characters of Religious persons Would to God you would talk lesse and doe more of goodnesse Where God bestoweth a greater portion of grace he expects a greater proportion of holinesse Let your light shine before men c. Fiftly that is the most dangerous vice that bears the countenance and wears the cloak of virtue As there is an unfeigned zeal of a false Religion Gal. 1.14 so a counterfeit zeal of a true Religion Beware ye be not of the number of those Solomon speaks of Prov. 30.12 that make Religion a faction for there are many in this City go under that name that are unclean and filthy It is seen by sad experience that many poor souls are wofully deluded by a carnal opinion arising from their own conceit and Sathans deceipt I conclude then it is unhandsome to blaze your own goodness you may justly suspect your own sincerity Let your pious charitable deeds commend you Hear the Apostle 1 Cor. 3.18 Let no man deceive himself If any man among you seemeth to bewise in this world let him become a fool that he may be wise But I much admire you excuse not Mr. Butlers marrying of two whom I much honour either you want a handsome excuse or else think it not worthy the taking notice of Did you not hear of it was it not observed what a gap doth this open to disorder

whereby we have an assurance of Gods favour It is a signe to signifie and represent a seal to ratifie and confirm the promises we read are confirmed to the believing soul Rom. 15.8 First in the Book of his Eternal Counsel that Book S. John speaks of Revel 5.1 2. which had 7 seals to signifie that it was perfectly ratified Secondly in his Son our Saviour for him hath God the Father sealed John 6.29 The riches of the New Testament are confirmed to us by the blood of Christ Heb. 9.15 Thirdly by Gods privy Seal his Spirit is called the Spirit of promise Ephes 1.13 Fourthly God confirmeth his promises by this Sacrament which is his broad Seale to confirm our faith and ratifie our assurance in Christ It doth give and conferre faith but more surely and strongly confirms faith which confirmation is not by any inherent power in it but by the holy Spirit working a strong perswasion and assurance in us sealing the blessings of the Covenant which doe chiefly consist of three parts First the forgivenesse of sins Jer. 33.8 Isa 43.25 Secondly the adoption of sons Jer. 31.31 32. Thirdly the promise of Eternall blessednesse And what greater blessings than pardon to poor sinners acceptation of bondslaves to be sons and to have the promise of Everlasting life This is the Covenant written by God to which he hath put to his Seale for our further assurance One Tree of Life served Adam One Rainbow gave assurance to Noah but to us behold Two unchangeable Sacraments two witnesses whereby we have full assurance Now I conceive that the deferring of this Seale from time to time which doth confirm our Charter is a great weakning of our faith hindrance of our assurance and ratifying the blessings of the Covenant of grace Thirdly the long Omission is a barre to the communion that should be betwixt Christ and Christians one with another hence it takes its denomination of communion 1 Cor. 10.16 17. As faith receives him so by this we are joyned near to him and have spiritual fellowship with him by this he means that the faithfull which come with due preparation are joyned and united to Christ by Faith instrumentally by the Bread sacramentally and by the Holy Ghost spiritually made one spirit 1 Cor 6.17 or one spiritual body as the members receive life from the head and the tree moysture from the root so the faithful from Christ Secondly this seals that communion that Christians have one with another For we that are many are one bread and one body because we are all partakers of one head 1 Cor. 10.17 It puts us in minde of our unity and concord being one body and to avoid discord and dissention 1 Cor. 11.18 20. When ye come together c. This was one end why it was ordained of Christ to be a bond of love and chain us together that we break not from God and our Brethren Of the Church of England Art 28. The Church of England saith that the Supper of the Lord is not onely a signe of love that Christians ought to have amongst themselves one to another c. This are we taught by the same bread compact of many corns the same wine prest out of many grapes 1 Cor. 10.17 Oh how many great and grievous are our distractions Brother against Brother Father against Son Minister against Minister People against Minister he hath no part in Christ that doth not grieve at this What a shame is it that the Sheep of the same Shepheard the Children of the same Father the Servants of the same Master the Heirs of the same Kingdome the Guests of the same Banquet the Partakers of the same Hope the Members of the same Body the Professours of the same Faith should contend and strive one against another fighting quarrelling hating envying and backbiting one of another Saint Paul condemning the abuses of the Corinthians exhorts them to tarry one for another 1 Cor. 11.33 that they would go hand in hand and lay aside all difference and dissention And our Saviour enjoyns Brotherly reconciliation Mat. 5.24 When thou bringest thy gift c. I appeal to any judicious Christian whether this fact doth not conduce to the renewing and maintaining of love and was by our Saviour instituted to that very end and whether the seldome use of it be not a great cause of that generall hatred rancour spight and envy of one against another Fourthly the long Omission of it is a barre to the frequent meditation of the great work of Redemption Art 28. The Church of England calls this a Sacrament of our Redemption by Christs death It was Christs last word to his Disciples the words of a dying friend which ever leaves behinde deep impressions Doe this in remembrance of me it was reserved till the approaching of his death that we might the better remember him when he was dead God gives the Rainbow a token of mercy to posterity the first born must be sanctified that so the day of the Jewes deliverance out of the Land of Aegypt might be remembred There must be a Golden pot of Manna reserved for the remembrance of that great mercy in feeding the Jewes with Angels food When the Lord parted the waters of Jordan he commanded Joshua to set up 12 Stones in memoriall of his mighty and miraculous works and that when the Children of Israel should aske in time to come what was meant by those stones they should answer that the waters of Jordan were cut off before the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord. Even so the Lord hath left unto his Church the Sacrament of his Supper as a visible representation of a crucified Christ and hath commanded us to continue this holy remembrance of his death and passion 1 Cor. 11.25 26. to be kept in memory and remain to posterity that they might know the occasion of it I desire that it may be considered whether the long omission of the Lords Supper doth not hinder Christians from a frequent meditation of the great work of Redemption Fiftly the long Omission is a barre to the serious and sad remembrance of our sins it is true we are every day to call to minde our wormwood and our gall to cast up our accompts Quid feci quid non feci Yet we had need of all helps to this end and the Sacrament being a lively representation of a crucified Christ doth bring to our mindes the remembrance of our bitter sins that brought to Christ such bitternesse of torment Magna amaritudo peccati quae tantam amaritudinem peperit Great was the bitternesse of sin which brought forth so much bitternesse of torment When we behold a crucified Saviour we presently reflect on our sins as the proper and principall causes of Christs sufferings Pilate Herod Judas the Jewes and Gentiles were but instruments which our sins set on work None are more guilty than we whose sinnes are those bloody instruments that slew the Lord of glory

as Salvianus writes Errant sed bono animo errant impii sunt sed hoc putant veram esse pietatem They think errour soundnesse and wickednesse godlinesse You stumble at the very threshold for every Christian should observe a right disposition in his course that is be sure to begin well to set out in the right and direct passage Otherwise if we run in wry-waies by-waies the more his labour the greater is his losse Luther postil in 1 Cor. 9.24 We must take heed lest Meta be transposita Such as will obtain Gods prize must walk in Gods path turning neither to the right hand nor to the left Deut. 5.32 33. for there is danger Com. in Gal. verse 6. and as Luther observes Often the greatest peril is on the right hand We are not to goe upon thought in the positive worship of God but to have our judgments rightly informed and throughly grounded in the truth had you consulted the Orthodox you would have had other thoughts touching this action of Mr. Butlers you must know the first thing in the order of every building is to lay the foundation sure God grant your Religion be more than thought I fear it This Age is strangely transported with an humorous appetite to novelties and rather affecteth variety of toyes than a constancy of plain and sober truth We see many Ixions that embrace clouds instead of Juno I wish he doth not preach by thought aswell as baptize and pick out crochets paradoxes and conclusions of his own imagination which commonly is very forcible and may in time bring forth Cattell ring-strak'd speckled and spotted These kinde of thoughts are but dreams that proceed from abundance of sumes which flie into the head Take it as a good observation That God judgeth of our words and works by our thoughts Men of our thoughts by our words and works Every thought of evil is not evil only those thoughts to which men joyn either consent of will or at least delight of affection Prov. 12.5 The thoughts of the Righteous are right Thought it necessary Object For the necessity of it I cannot believe that a man of Mr. Butlers understanding reading and ingenuity as he is given out to be could think it necessary the children were not weak and ready to die and if so yet no necessity for a private person to doe it There were many Ministers about and neer the City that would not have denied such a Christian act therefore no necessity Salvation may be without the Sacraments God is a free Agent Sometimes the baptisme of Water is without the baptism of the Spirit sometimes the baptisme of the Spirit goeth before sometimes accompanieth and sometimes followeth after God is not tied to the Sacrament or outward signe so that grace cannot be without it I speak not this that any should neglect the Ordinances of Christ but that none without Commission should dare to perform them Hel. for Zanc conf Boh. Belg. Ans Wirt It hath been fully proved that the Sacraments ought to be administred onely by a lawful Minister ordained and set apart to the work of the Ministery as is cleared by the Confession of the Reformed Churches Assem of Div. chap. 274. and all the Orthodox see ch 3. of the Church of England by the late Assembly of Divines the judgment of all the Orthodox Gerardus Bucanus Zanchy Beza Viril Amesius Aretius Trelcatius Piscator Calvin and others That necessity is no plea for Baptisme by Lay-persons you may see by Calvin Zanchy Piscator Beza Bucanus Trelcatius See the 7 chap. who saw with as clear eyes as Mr. Butler can doe and yet could not finde necessity a sufficient plea. Do they tell you there is no necssity to violate the Orders prescribed of God and will you affirm a necessity Fye fye Let shame cover your face Make not Necessity a stalking-horse to your private ends which many see you strive to promote But he would not have done it but upon the advice of other Reverend Divines who thought it lawful Object When God doth directly affirm a thing Answ 1 we must simply believe him but when Men speak we must not without all judgment and enquiry believe every thing but rather try all things and examine them according to the analogie of faith Rom. 12.6 and keep that which is good now good and true are all one The spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets 1 Cor. 14.32 Your practise is quite cross to the Word of God Rom. 10.15 Tit. 1.5 1 Tim. 4.14 And therefore these Orthodox Divines so termed may well be suspected We are taught not to believe every spirit but try the spirits whether they are of God because many false Prophets are gone out into the world 1 Joh. 4.1 Here is a story most improbable contrary to the judgment of all Episcopal and Presbyterial Divines to advise such an act What a strange Riddle is here that those that are Orthodox should allow and approve of what is Heterodox But that is not the title Reverend they must be a good word but foully abused It was S. Augustines wish that he might have seen three things especially Rome in her glory Paul in the Pulpit And Christ in the Flesh My wish is to see Christ advanced England restored to its glory And all Schismatical and Heretical Ministers discountenanced The Romish Church it is observed have canonized many for Saints who were no better than Devils Styles of Reverend and Orthodox is not sufficient that they were such we must take Mr. B. and his friends words for it Yea I am confident they never heard any Reverend Divines advise him so Facile credunt quod volunt He had put out his own eyes and now the blinde leads the blinde Other Reverend Divines implies Mr. Butler one such surely as he was when he came to Lichfield There is a sort of people whose Entia be transcendentia in all things absolute Superlatives Their Sots are Solomons their Black-birds Swans Like the vain Philosophers in old time Popularis aurae mancipia vaenalia Certain creatures bred of the peoples breath hoc ipso placere cupiunt quòd placere contemnunt Hicron Ep. ad Eustoc They reak not to be contemned of the Learned for Ignorant so they may be commended of the Ignorant for Learned Seeing love believeth all things it is exceeding necessary that our love should abound in knowledge whereby we may discern between good and bad between Heretick and Catholick It is no new thing to have Errour fathered on Reverend and Orthodox Divines witnesse the Apologies of Athenagoras Tertullian and others It will amaze us to see what blasphemous seditions horrible and odious impieties were fathered upon the antient Christian Divines Many under the name of Church overthrow the Church Ecclesiae nomine armant contra Ecclesiam dimicant Celsus and Antiphon writing against the truth entituled their Treatise The Book of Truth Lib. de carne

when the Lord meant happinesse to his people he made them this promise I will give you Pastors according to my heart which sha feed you with knowledge and understanding but to deprive you of this is a token that ruine and destruction is at hand unthankfull are that people that will not acknowledge the wonderfull blessing of God in the Ministery the want of this doubtlesse is one of the greatest judgments that can befall a people So the Lord threatneth Amos 8.11 to be debarred of the glad tydings of salvation and not hear the sound of the Gospel but wander in darknesse and ignorance must needs be a heart-breaking and heart-tormenting sorrow The Lord out of his love giveth Ministers to his Church and they are for their works sake to be beloved and prayed for for if the Lord should totally eclipse these Lights it would be the darkest and dismall'st day that ever your eyes beheld Divines have severall opinions upon that place of the Psalmist Psal 45 9. Vpon thy right hand did stand the Queen in gold of Ophir so the Original but in the other Translation of the Psal it is read In a vesture of gold wrought about c. To clear this exposition from novelty you must know 1. That the Septuagint reads it so whose translation is used by Christ and his Apostles Secondly the Antient Fathers for the most part interpret the words so Thirdly the clause wrought about with divers colours is nothing else but a periphrasis of the Hebrew Cethem Fourthly David seems so to expand himself verse 14. speaking of this Queen She shall be brought unto the King in garment of needlework that is of various and divers colours Thus much for the clearing of the words The matter of the Churches apparell is gold her trimming embroydered with divers colours is the righteousnesse of Christ the hand that putteth this on is faith the clasps that tie this close together are the Sacraments But there are other Expositions upon the words Divers colours which is not amisse to insert some understand divers virtues according to that of Saint Paul Col. 3.12 Put on tender mercies c. Some by this understand the divers kinds of precepts in the Scriptures Some morall others naturall some theoricall others practicall some legall others Evangelicall Some by Divers colours understand Contemplation and Action Some understand this of those graces and gifts of the Spirit mentioned 1 Cor. 12. Others of those degrees and orders in the Church Some Apostles some Prophets c. These are the embroideries of the Church with these the Lord doth clothe her and make her happy without which she is poor and naked Oh! where is your and the Nations thankfulnesse what could God Almighty have done more that he hath not done sending Labourers into his Vineyard some ploughing up the fallow ground others binding the broken-hearted leaving no means unattempted to make us happy yet have we not manifested our thankfulnesse to the Father of Lights for giving us such Lights Nay rather doe not many contemn and despise revile and rayle against them and look upon them as the every scum and off scouring of the earth They whose lips God hath seasoned and seal'd to preserve knowledge are held contemptible and their feet foule that bring the fairest message the Prophets labour to cure Jerusalem but Jerusalem labours to kill her Prophets a strange requital Many kill us whom we would cure though not in our naturall yet in our civill life our reputation though we feel not actuall murtherings we are sensible of cruell murmurings Ishmaels tongue made him a persecutor aswell as Esau's hand I tremble to consider to what malice and envy this holy calling is exposed as S. Paul saith We are made a gazing-stock to the world to men and Angels 1 Cor. 4.9 Athanasius was nick-named Satanasius Cyprian called Caprian Paul accounted mad CHRIST reputed a Conjurer casting out Devils through Reelzebub the chief of Devils In our own cause we are to be silent in Gods cause zealous for private injuries we are to passe them by with a Father forgive them but when the cause of the Gospel suffers and is wounded in the reproach of the Ministery we are not to be silent Christ when he was reviled reviled not again when he was persecuted 1 Pet. 2.23 c. but when accused of blasphemy Luke 11.15 he answers he makes apologie for himself and confutes his adversaries by severall arguments verse 17. and so on But more of this in its proper place Thirdly if God give his Church this priviledge of the Ministery they may expect a priviledge of God that is protection Hath his wisdome sent them and shall not his power protect them I send you forth in the midst of wolves 't is true but the same Christ saith I am with you alwaies c. The Prophet Ezekiel is sent to a rebellious Nation impudent Children stiffe-necked Ezek 2.3 4. but observe what followeth verses 5 6. and they whether they will hear c. We must fight with Beasts as did S. Poul 1 Cor. 15 32. with ravening Wolves with Devils under the name of Saints With unreasonable men 2 Thes 3.2 Yet we are to comfort our selves that he that sent us will protect us and being his Ambassadours he will requite our injuries and look upon them as done to himself For he that despiseth you c. The disgraces done to them the Lord accounteth them done to himself Exod. 16.8 What are we your murmurings are not against us but against the Lord. The disgraces of Gods Prophets and Ministers are alwaies rewarded with Gods judgments Pashur smites and stocks Jeremy Jer. 20 2. but God changeth his name Pashur into Magor that is Authority into fear Jeroboam stretcheth his hand against the Prophet but his hand presently dries up and he cannot pull it in again 1 Kings 13.4 The boyes of Bethel that scoffed Elisha were rent in pieces with Bears 2 Kin. 2. The mocking of his Messengers doth hale down on their own heads the wrath even the remedilesse wrath of the Lord 2 Chron. 36.16 However others disrespect them doe thou value them as the Ambassadours of God and esteem their feet beautifull that bring the glad tydings of peace c. CHAP. II. Rom. 10.15 What is required to the constituting of Gospel-Ministers viz three things 1 Abilities 2. A holy life 3. Mission or sending With some Objections briefly propounded and answered THe Apostle in the 13 verse layes down a position Whosoever shall call on the c. and descends by certain steps and degrees 1. How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed Faith must go before Invocation the Object must be known before it be desired 2. How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard It implies an impossibility to believe on one we never heard of And 3. How shall they hear without a Preacher This is the ordinary means that God hath appointed shewing the

Christs Record that he is of God but he that heareth the Word to carp and snatch at it and persecute he Messenger is of the Devil It is a positive truth that no childe of God cometh into Gods presence to hear his Word but with Godly reverence due preparation and carefull attention It is an Argument of a hard and stubborn heart of a son of Belial to sleight the Word of God how weak and mean soever the Organ or instrument be I doe declare that they fearfully sinne against God that doe disesteem the preaching and message of the Servants of God and doe procure to themselves the wrath and anger of the Lord. They that hear not Moses and the Prophets that is the Law and Doctrine of Moses and the Prophets they will not believe though one arise from the dead Luke 16.31 It was S. Paul complaint of Alexander 2 Tim. 4.15 He greatly withstood our words not our person which had been a breach of charity but our preaching which was a direct offence against piety Much to be condemned are they that will not hear and so are carelesse that carp and snatch at what they hear and so are malitious or will have nothing but placentia smooth and pleasant things spoken to them so rip up the swelling of their hypocrisie make bare their wickednesse detect their ungodly proceedings and then they will flie in your faces with Away with such a man from the face of the earth The Devil stirres not till God rouze him as the wilde Bore sleeps till he be hunted Let darknesse cover mens impieties and their slumber is unmolested produce them to light and they cannot endure it The ulcerous side full of dead flesh feels not till you touch the quick Let Elijah tell Ahab of his Idolatries and John bloody Herod of his Lusts and then thou art mine enemy Many had rather goe to Hell fast asleep than to Heaven with their eyes open to be lulled in the cradle of security than awakened by the voice of God Thus you see that reverence and esteem to the Ministers of the Gospel consists First in carefull attention and diligent hearkning to their Doctrine Secondly it consists in the Reverend regard and estimation of their persons There is a Thief which entreth not by the door and cometh to destroy beware of such an one and there is a good Shepherd which entreth in at the door and careth for the sheep know such an one and account of him and have him in singular love for his works sake Why doth God style them Angels Stewards Ambassadours Why doth he parle with them enter them into commons make them his fellow-commoners one main Reason is that you should with the word have a reverend regard and estimation of them according to these Exhortations 1 Thes 5.12 And we beseech you brethren to know them c. And obey them that have the rule over you Heb. 13. ver 17. It is observed that the worst men of a Parish regard a Pastor the least one gives a Reason they are like Legs and Arms out of joynt and so cannot endure the touch of the Chirurgions hand whose chief care is to worke their cure He that is sick of a Lethargie desires to sleep though he die for it and he that is lulled asleep in sinne cannot away with the Watchman of God Nothing is a greater trouble to him that loveth sleep than to be kept awake It maketh the secure soule cry out against the Minister as those against Paul Acts 22.22 Away with such a fellow he troubleth the City Acts 16.20 when as they in their carnal security malice and envy are the Ahabs that trouble Israel None but the scum and refuse of people the most carnal-minded are the contemners of the Ministers of the Gospel for from a loathing of their persons there followeth a detestation of their doctrine the instrument of conversion and means of salvation and so in the end ruine and destruction It is a sad thing that many more affect take delight in variety of Teachers than in verity of Doctrine Brethren the meanest Preacher whom God hath sent you can shew you that which if you obediently follow shall effectually save you The Word is powerfull what Instrument soever bringeth it and Gods strength is made manifest in our weaknesse it is not we by our Learning and Eloquence but God by his Spirit that must work you to himself I have observed that this immoderate crying up of some to be Elijah's and Elisha's to have their spirits redoubled on them and the vilifying of others have been a great cause of those rents amongst us and Factions we may see thus kindled which while we live perhaps we shall not see extinguished I am of Paul and I of Apollos and I of Cephas were such cryes as bred in the Church of Corinth sad divisions and make the Apostle conclude them not Christians but carnal 1 Cor. 3.34 For ye c. This way and course is a direct opposition to that unity and unanimity that God would have in his Church for observing rather the diversity of Instructors than the unity of truth there ariseth in the end as many mindes as men as many Sects as Cities as many Gospels as Gossips for schismes heresies disorder and confusion are the effects of Christians unchristian divisions and therefore if ye would not be thought carnal cease from partiality and carry a loving affection and honourable esteem towards all the Servants Ambassadors of Christ As Saint Paul of Epaphroditus so I of them Receive them in the Lord with all gladnesse and hold such in reputation Phil. 2.29 Doe not discourage them either by contempt of their persons or doctrine I speak not this as to any one particular I neither stand or fall by the opinion of any When a Minister first steps into the Ministery he is to consider he is as a Lamb amongst Wolves S. John Baptist came neither eating nor drinking and yet the people said he had a Devil CHRIST came eating and drinking and they said he was a glutton and a wine bibber The Servant is not greater than his Master He must not saith S. Chrysostome in his 6. Hom de laudibus Pauli enter into this high and holy calling except he be willing to suffer a thousand deaths I thought good to let you know your duty in these times in which so much contempt and contumely is thrown upon the Ministers of the Gospel and this high and honourable calling is esteemed base and contemptible We may justly complain with the Prophet We are wearied with men Isa 7.13 With the other Prophet that We are wondred at Zach. 3.8 And with the Apostle that We are made a spectacle unto the world to Angels and to men 1 Cor. 4.9 And are as the filth of the world and off scouring of all things unto this day verse 13. This contempt and disobedience of Gods message and Messengers may be easily perceived by