the Lord your God before he cause darkness and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains and while ye look for light he turn it into the shadow of death and make it gross darkness When folk will follow their own imaginations and will not walk in the light of the word of God the Lord fills them with drunkenness and leaves them to dash upon one another and destroy one another like drunken men fighting in the dark But neither words nor rods will be rightly understood or laid to heart till the Spirit be poured from on high If the Lord would pour out his Spirit we would not only be brought to see our sins but to be ashamed of them to take shame and confusion of face to our selves we would sorrow and mourn and lament after the Lord we would turn from our sins to the Lord and joyn our selves to the Lord and we would joyn together in seeking the Lord in his Ordinances then the Wilderness would be a fruitful field the dead and scattered bones would be joyned together and live then Judah and Israel would be one stick in the hand of the Lord Ezek. 37. Then the Children of Israel and Judah would come together going and weeping seeking the Lord their God asking the way to Sion with their faces thitherward saying Come and let us joyn our selves unto the Lord in a perpetual Covenant that shall not be forgotten Jer. 50.4 5. When the Spirit is poured out from on high upon his people then the Lord turns to them a pure Language that they may call upon the Name of the Lord to serve him with one consent then they turn humble Suplicants and pour out their hearts in groans and sighs that cannot be uttered then Pride and Haughtiness is taken away and people become poor in Spirit and have no confidence in the flesh but trust in the Lord and rejoyce in the Lord Jesus Zeph. 3.9 10 11 12. Rom. 8.26 27. Phil. 3.3 Till the Lord come till he return with mercy and loving-kindness and turn us again and cause his face to shine and see our ways and heal us we will but wax worse and worse there is no remedy for us but in his Sovereign Gracc and those mercies that have been of old and endure for ever Let us look to him who is exalted to give Repentance to Israel and Remission of sins that he would turn us that we may be turned and heal our backslidings and heal our breaches that he may utter that quickning word Ezek. 37.9 Come from the four winds O breath and breath upon these slain that they may live O Lord come and overcome our evil with thy goodness for who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passes by the transgression of the Remnant of thy heritage and retains not anger for ever because thou delights in mercy who will turn again and will have compassion upon us he will subdue our iniquities and thou wilt cast all their sins in the depth of the Sea thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob and the mercy to Abraham which thou hast sworn to our Fathers from the days of old Micha 7.18 19 20. We have not remembred our Covenant but have spoken words falsly in making a Covenant Nevertheless O Lord remember thy Covenant and establish to us an everlasting Covenant that we may remember our ways and be ashamed Establish thy Covenant with us that we may know that thou art the Lord that we may remember and be confounded and never open our mouth any more because of our shame when thou art pacified toward us for all that we have done O Lord Righteousness belongs to thee but unto us confusion of faces as it is this day to all of us to our Kings Princes Fathers Ministers people of all ranks belongs Confusion but to the Lord our God belongs mercies and forgiveness tho' we have sinned against him Lord give us Repentance and turn us and we shall be turned Let thy power be great according as thou hast spoken saying The Lord is long-suffering and of great mercy forgiving iniquity and transgression Lord humble our uncircumcised hearts that we may take with our sins and accept of the punishment of them that we may remember them with shame and sorrow but do not thou remember against us former iniquities but according to thy mercy remember us for thy goodness sake O Lord remember for us thy Covenant and repent according to the multitude of thy mercies and for thy names-sake pardon our iniquities for they are many and great And when Wisdom and Council and Strength when Light and Life is gone and when Unity is gone when there is none to help and none of the Sons of Zion to take her by the hand in her distress when there is none to make up the breach no Intercessor let thine own arm bring salvation When all earthly Glory is stained blasted and gone appear in thine own Glory in the glory of thy wisdom power and Sovereign grace in building Sion build the house and bear the glory that when thou hast done the work by thy Spirit grace grace may be glorified and that this may be written for the Generations to come that the people which shall be created may praise the Lord. We do not present our Supplications before thee for our righteousness for we are all as an unclean thing and our righteousness as filthy rags but for thy great mercy O Lord hear O Lord forgive O Lord hearken and do defer not for thy own sake O our God! for this people are called by thy Name O Lord the hope of Israel the Savior thereof in the time of trouble though our iniquities testifie against us do for thy name sake if thou mark our iniquity we cannot stand but there is forgiveness with thee that thou may be feared there is mercy with thee and plenteous redemption and thou redeemest Israel from all his iniquities and troubles O remember not against us former iniquities let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us for we are brought very low help us O God of our Salvation for the Glory of thy name and deliver and purge away our sins for thy name sake save this people bless thy Inheritance feed them also and lift them up for ever Save us O Lord our God and gather us to give thanks unto thy holy name and to triumph in thy praise Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting and let all the people say Amen Praise ye the Lord. Unto the King eternal immortal invisible the only wise God be Honour and Glory for ever and and ever Amen FINIS
Speeches are Persecutions Matth. 5.11 Jer. 18.18 they incite one another to devise devices against Jeremiah and to smite him with the Tongue I remember not of any thing in the Letters which I have missed except his Predictions for the Historian is a sort of a Prophet he hath a faculty of foretelling things to come I know not how he hath fallen upon it or whether it be be ill come or not he very confidently affirmed in the year 1677. That if Mr. John Welsh had hearkened to the desire of drawing near to the shelter of an house for meeting with the people but for one Sabbath though that might have contributed for taking off all Sentences against himself and others and to an Universal Liberty for all outed Ministers to preach without Molestation that then he would have forefaulted all the protection and countenance he had singularly enjoyed before that time This was far said No sober judicious Person will think that it could be unlawful in such Circumstances at least to preach at a house but though there had been somewhat wrong in it how comes he to know that for that failing Mr. Welsh would have lost the Protection and Countenance which he had formerly enjoyed it was presumptuous boldness for him to take upon him to determine so peremptorily concerning the forefaulting of the Protection and Countenance of God who hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and does for his names sake even when his peoples sins testifie against them and remembers his Covenant and Mercy for his People Another of his Predictions is That all indifferent Spectators will judge as he says and that Posterity will see and say as he says whether the indulged men will or not But I think they are over-credulous who will believe that he had the foreknowledge what way the Judgments of men present and of the Generations to come would incline and determine There is yet a third Prediction of another Author which is That the Indulgence should become as odious and detestable to all the godly in the Land as ever Prelacy was To this Prophecy the Author of the History and Letters makes an Addition while he says in one of his Letters That what that person was perswaded of will quickly appear the first had only said it would be but he says it will quickly appear augur augurem but these Prophets were so fearfully mistaken in seeing things that were that there is very good reason to doubt of their foresight of things to come yet there is more Art in this inartificial Argument founded upon the Authority of a man who hath but confidence to say boldly what he says concerning things to come than in many artificial Arguments and these Predictions will go further with weak credulous people than very solid reasons for people of that sort especially if they be curious think more of a man who will take upon him to tell but some things that will be though the event be of small consequence than they will think of a solid judicious man who can tell them from the word of God what they should do that they may glorifie and enjoy God and therefore there is such flocking of people to Fortune-tellers Speamen Dummeos Wizzards and Southsayers Now if curious people have such a conceit of those who foretel though they be suspected to have their Knowledge from the Devil they will think much more of men who are in reputation for Religion if they take on them to foretel things to come they will readily be very desirous that such Predictions may not fail I know one who pressed some of his acquaintaince to get weapons for fighting in such a year upon this ground That if there were not Blood that year then such a person who had foretold that there would be Blood would prove a false Prophet These Predictions are very taking when they suit with peoples Inclinations and when the fulfilling of these Predictions contribute to their honour and when they who are not active in fulfilling them are casten as ungodly and despicable and therefore these Predictions of Ministers which did foretel That the Indulgence would become despicable could not but be very taking with people who were inclined to despise it and this could not but be very effectual to press them to despise it that if they did it not then they would be known to be none of the godly and this would press others to despise it that they might not be ranked among the ungodly I have observed that several have an Art of bringing about several things by foretelling them some make people offend at these things which they would never have offended at by foretelling that the people will be offended So Satan hath brought about many mischiefs by foretelling them and the Actors of them this was a very effectual trick to render the Indulgence despicable to foretel that it would become odious and detestable to all the godly for they who believe these Predictions would reason them If we do not detest and hate the Indulgence we cannot list our selves among the godly and then if the Indulged Ministers did not relinquish the Indulgence and hate it that they could not be reckoned among the godly and if they did not make haste to hate it and detest it very shortly that then they could not be accounted godly because this Prediction was to be quickly accomplished It was no great matter to foretell that the Indulgence and indulged Ministers would become odious when there was so many Letters and Copies of printed Books full of odious reproaches cast at the Indulgence and Indulged Ministers when such causes were working and such Fire-balls cast and the people were so prepared to take fire it was an easie thing without any Spirit of Prophesie to foretel a Fire when such trains were laid and kindled Again when a poor Church is going to ruin the ordinary Forerunner of that ruin is the contempt of the Ministers 2 Chron. last They mocked the Messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets until the wrath of the Lord rose against his people till there was no remedy O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou who killest the Prophets read Matth. 23. ver 34. to the end so that if these two Ministers had spoken a little more indefinitely they might have passed for pretty good Guessors if they had said only that the Indulgence would be detestable to the godly but taking on them to foretel that it would be detestable to all the godly and that quickly hath quite broken their credit as Prophets for there are many of the godly who have always been far from detesting the Indulgence and they are much further from detesting it now than before And the Authors of these Predictions have by these Predictions and some other Practices of that nature much wronged their own Reputation This is ordinary when a Church is going to ruin the Despisers of the Lords Servants go before this contempt uses
57. taxeth the Socinians for confounding Christs Kingly Office with his Priestly and in his Annotations subjoyned to his last Edition of that System he says As these two Offices must not be divided or drawn assunder or separate so they should not be confounded for Christs Priestly Intercession in Heaven is only for the Elect but his Royal Power is exercised as in calling and protecting the Elect so also in restraining compescing and punishing the enemies of his Church and in that same 10th Chap. Thes 55. Annot. A. In which respect the blood of the New Covenant is said to cry for better things than the blood of Abel Heb. 12.24 for the blood of Abel requireth vengeneance but the blood of Christ seeks and obtains Grace and Peace And the excellent Doctor Owen in his Exercitations prefixed to the Continuation of the Exposition on the 3 4 5. Chapters of the Epistle to the Hebrews Exercitat 8. pag. 117. saith For neither did Christ as King expiate and purge our sins which could be done only by a bloody Sacrifice nor doth he as Priest subdue his enemies and ours which is the work and whereunto the power of a King is required in brief as a Priest he interposeth with God for us as a King he acts from God towards us Pag. 119. For the Kingly power of Christ is intended unto his enemies the stubbornest of them and those who are finally so but Christ is a Priest offered and intended only for the Elect. Pag. 122. speaking of the Offices of a King and Priest considered absolutely he says That the Office of a King is founded in nature the Office of a Priest in Grace the one belongs to men as Creatures capable of Political Society the other with respect unto the supernatural end only Pag. 123. For that the Office of Priesthood is that faculty and power whereby some persons do Officiate with God in the name and on the behalf of others by offering Sacrifices all men in general are agreed And thereon it is consented also that it is in it's entire nature distinct from the Kingly Power and Office Pag. 124. For every Priest as we have shewed acts in the name and on the hehalf of men with God but a King in the name and on the behalf of God with and towards men as to the ends of that rule which God hath ordained The Priest represents men to God pleading their cause the King represents God to men acting his Power for all the acts of the Priestly Office belongs to oblation and intercession and these effects consists either in 1. Averruncatione mali or procuratione boni these they affect morally only by procuring and obtaining of them The Acts of the Kingly Office are Legislation destruction of enemies and the like Pag. 129. The special nature of his Sacerdotal Intercession which consists in the moral efficacy of his Mediation in procuring Mercy and Grace And in his Exposition on the 5th Chap. v. 1 2. where the Priestly Office is described For every High-Priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God for men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sometimes vice or loco in the stead Joh. 10.11 15. Chap. 13.38 Sometimes pro only as it denotes the final cause as to do a thing for the good of men 2 Tim. 2.10 And both these senses may have place here for where the first intention is the latter is always included he that doth any thing instead of another doth it always for his good and the High-Priest might be so far said to stand and act in the stead of other men as he appears in their behalf represented their persons and pleaded their cause and confessed their sins Levit. 16.21 But in their behalf and for their good and advantage to perform what on their part is with God to be performed is evidently intended in this place and pag. 130. he expounds the things pertaining to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Expression is eliptical and sacred hut what is intended in it is sufficiently manifest the things which were to be done with God or towards God in his worship to answer the duties and ends of the Office of the Priesthood that is to do the things whereby God might be appeased atoned reconciled pacâ—fied and his anger turned away see Chap. 2.17 and pag. 136. He sheweth from the Text That Compassion is a qualification of an High-Priest for their relief who are sensible of their ignorance and wandrings and therefore are apt to be cast down and discouraged and that it is a qualification required in the Priest and necessary unto him for the aforesaid end So it is said of our Saviour the great High-Priest that he made reconciliation for the sins of the people and Intercession for Transgressors I shall only add one other and that is Thomas Goodwin B. D. in his Treatise entituled The heart of Christ in Heaven to sinners on earth Part. 2. 188. First saith he this Office of High-Priesthood is an Office erected wholly for the shewing of Grace and Mercy the Office of the High-Priesthood is altogether an Office of Grace and I may call it the Pardon-Office set up and erected by God in Heaven and Christ he is appointed the Lord and Minister of it and as his Kingly Office is an Office of Power and Dominion and his Prophetical Office an Office of Knowledge and Wisdom so his Priestly Office is an Office of Grace and Mercy the High-Priests Office did properly deal in nothing else if there had not been a Mercy-seat in the Holy of Holies the High-Priest had not been at all appointed to go into it it was mercy reconciliation and atonement for sinners that he was to treat about and so to Officiate for at the Mercy-seat he had otherways no work nor any thing to do when he should come into the most Holy place Now this was but a typical allusion to this Office of Christ in Heaven and therefore the Apostle in the Text when he speaks of this our High Priests being entered into Heaven he makes mention of a Throne of Grace and this is the very next words to my Text Chap. 5.1 2 3. verses in which he gives a full description of an High-Priest and all the properties and requisites that were to be in him Pag. 189. the great and essential qualifications there specified that were to be in an High-Priest are Mercy and Grace It 's said he was ordained for men that is for mens cause and for their good pag. 190. thus you see the ends which he is ordained for are all matter of Grace and Mercy the qualification that was required in an High-Priest was That he should be one that could have Compassion Mercy and Compassion is that which is here made the special and therefore the only mentioned property of the High-Priest as such and the specifical essential qualification that was inwardly and internally to constitute him The Reader will find much more
to this purpose in the place cited but from what hath bin cited from the Authors mentioned whose Books are common and no doubt have been seen by the Author of the Epistle he might have seen that it was great rashness to suppose that none would or could deny that Christ by his blood did intercede for vengeance Those Authors mentioned have a far other up-taking of Christs Priestly Office and of that part of it his Priestly Intercession by his blood for they think his Priestly Office was wholly an Office of Grace and altogether an Office of Grace founded in Grace and Mercy and that Mercy is an essential qualification of a Priest as a Priest that it 's an Office for men for expiating sin and not for punishing it that the designe of it is mercy and grace that the Priestly intercession is only for the Elect and in this distinguished from Christs Royal Power which as it is for protecting the Elect so it is for punishing the enemies of his Church 2. But suppose Christ did intercede by his blood against some I enquire at him how he knows that he intercedes by his blood for vengeance upon the Authors of the Indulgence what knows he but some of them may be elect I am sure he will not say that the blood of Christ which was shed on earth for the Elect doth plead against them within the vail in Heaven if he say that he knows they are all Reprobates he knows more than the Author of the Cup of cold Water knew in the year 1678. for pag. 40. he says It may be there are some of the Elect so far left at present as to run along with this course I hope he will not take on him to say They have sinned the sin against the Holy Ghost If by vengeance he mean eternal vengeance he must conclude them Reprobates if he mean temporal vengeance how knows he that Christs blood pleads for that We see Aaron as Priest stood betwixt the dead and the living to stay the Plague he made an atonement to avert the wrath of God and not to bring it on Numb 16.46 47 48. And the Plague which came after the numbring of the people is stayed by building an altar It belonged to the Priest as Priest to bless in the name of the Lord for ever 2 Chron. 23.13 and offering burnt-offerings and peace-offerings 2 Sam. 24.25 Again whatsoever Christ intercedes for by his blood he obtaineth it now how knows he that temporal vengeance will certainly come upon the Authors of the Indulgence May not Sovereign grace avert the temporal judgment which mens heinous sins have deserved who can set bounds to the Grace of God who hath Mercy on whom he will have Mercy and hath shewed mercy to some of those who were the chief of sinners 3. Suppose that were granted that Christ did by his blood intercede for vengeance and that the Author of this Epistle could condescend upon the particular persons against whom Christ intercedes and that he intercedes against the Authors of the Indulgence because of the complex of this deed of the Indulgence yet this would make no discrepancy betwixt Christs Intercession in Heaven and Mr. Hutchesons Speech upon earth for except he proves that Christ intercedes for vengeance upon them for their taking off the civil restraints of penal Statutes and granting the peaceable exercise of the Ministry all he says is nothing to the purpose For Mr. H. and the Indulged Ministers did give thanks for this and not for the complex of the Indulgence for they never gave thanks for the Instructions He will never prove that Christ as King willeth the execution of vengeance upon Magistrates for taking off such undue restraints and much less will he be able to prove that Christ as Priest intercedes by his blood for vengeance upon that account And as for the Prayer which is in the end of Mr. Hutchesons Speech That the Lord would bless his Majesty in his Person and Govenment and their L. L. in the publick Administration that was according to the Lords Command 1 Tim. 2.1 2 3. where it is expresly said That this praying for Kings and all that are in Authority is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour And what they meant by his Majesties Government is clear from what they said before in the Description of Magistracy which they design lawful Authority and the excellent Ordinance of God Seeing Mr. Hutcheson spoke according to the good and acceptable will of the Lord revealed in his word this alledged discrepancy betwixt Christs Intercession and their Speech is one of the Authors roaveries a Melancholy dream with which he may affright himself but the Indulged Ministers are not such weak Fools as to be affrighted with his many terrible words of terrour trembling confusion of face shame and astonishment This minds me of the censure which I saw of him in an Answer to the History of the Indulgence that he hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 passions without reason The Indulged Ministers believe that they have followed the Lords will in not slighting the opportunity of the peaceable exercise of their Ministry which the Lord in his good providence did offer to them and they look upon the direction which they had from the Lord in this matter to chuse the good and refuse the ill and upon the Lords assistance of them in the exercise of their Ministry and his helping them hitherto to run with patience in the course of their Ministry notwithstanding of the contradictions and false reproaches they have met with from some from whom they expected better things and upon the blessing of the Lord in the exercise of their Ministry as the fruits of Christs Intercession so far are they from being confounded and terrified with reflecting upon the Intercession of Christ There are other things in this 3d. Question which may be denyed at for example That our Rulers in affronting Christ have outdone all that ever went before them and were resolved never to be out-done by any who should come after them What no not by the Council at Jerusalem who condemned him of Blasphemy and after commanded his Apostles not to speak at all to any man in the name of Jesus But the Gentlemans observation holds here for he goes as far as his fancy can go he minds me of a Drunken man in the times of Popery who could not get on upon his Horse at length having prayed to the Haly-rude of Crail to help him on he went to some advantage and did cast himself over the Horse and then he blamed Haly-rude of Crail because it could not do except it did over-do I wish his stile were as solid and temperate as that Speech of Mr. Hutchesons which though he slightingly calls an Harangue yet was such as did well become a Minister of the Gospel whereas this Author by a flood of great swelling words is often carryed away beyond all bounds of Rime
6. Some things become necessary or the more necessary to be done because of those who urge the forbearance of them out of some erroneous principle or for establishing of some error And thus Mr. Rutherford sheweth in the forecited Treatise That to forbear the cating of Swines-flesh before a Jew who alledges that it is a sin or breach of the Commandment of God to do so to forbear it now when we are fully possessed in that liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free were to harden the Jew in his Judaism and the way to bring us again under the yoke of the Ceremonial Law Now 1. seeing God hath ordained Magistracy for protection of his servants and people and for protecting them in the exercise of his worship it was expedient and necessary to accept of this Protection when offered and not to refuse it for the acceptance of the effect and product of the exercise of that Authority which is Gods Ordinance was an acknowledgment and owning the Ordinance of God a honouring of those to whom by Divine appointment honour is due And this was a contributing to render the Ordinance of God effectual for that end for which he had instituted and ordained it and upon the contrary the refusing of this relaxation and of the protection of lawful Authority would have been a slighting and despising of the Ordinance of God and a doing of that which tended to render the Ordinance of God ineffectual for that end and use for which God ordained it Now the relaxation of this restraint which had been long upon the publick exercise of their Ministry and the protection of lawful Authority which Mr. H. accepted of was the very exercise of that Authority which is the Ordinance of God 2. Seeing the Magistrate in loosing that restraint which hindred the peaceable exercise of the Ministry did his duty he did somewhat of that which he was obliged to do it was necessary that the Ministers whom they were willing to loose from the restraint formerly laid on and whom they were willing to protect in the exexcise of their Ministry should in their place and station further and promove the Magistrate in any good which he was willing to do as when a Minister is willing to do his duty in preaching and Catechising the people should be willing to hear and be Catechised so when a Magistrate is willing to permit or allow Ministers to preach in his Dominions and to protect them in the exercise of their Ministry it 's the duty of Ministers who have the access to the peaceable exercise of their Ministry under the protection of lawful Authority to accept of the peaceable exercise of their Ministry and to refuse this offer were the way to mar and stifle the good which the Magistrate was willing to do Now when the Magistrate is willing to do any thing which is right and his duty it 's a sin to mar impede and stifle any good that he is willing to do 3. Seeing peace and the protection of lawful Authority and the peaceable exercise of the Ministry under the protection of lawful Authority are great blessings of God and God promises and gives them to his people as great benefits and his people are obliged to pray for them Isa 48.18 Isa 60.15 16 17 18. Isa 11.6 7 8 9. 1 Tim. 2.1 2. Therefore it 's necessary to accept these mercies and benefits when the Lord in his Providence offers and gives them and to refuse them when they are offered were to slight the mercies of God and to refuse what we are bound to seek and to be thankful for when we get it 4. Seeing the fixed setled and peaceable exercise of the Ministry is so necessary as appears from the Lords taking care that Ministers might be setled in Cities and Churches and from the many conveniencies of a setled Ministry which are wanting in an unfixed Ministry for they who may not stay among a people cannot so know their state and case and so cannot apply their Doctrine sutable to their case and cannot make full proof of their Ministry among them in laying the foundation in all the principles of the doctrine of God and then leading the people forward unto greater perfection in knowledge in declaring the whole Counsel of God and they have not access to Catechise and visit c. as those who have the setled and fixed exercise of their Ministry have and then peace and quietness in preaching and hearing the Gospel hath many conveniences people not only know whither they shall go to hear but they may come seasonably without hazard by the way and without fear of disturbance when they are come so that they may more compose themselves for hearing than they can who are in a continual apprehension of a hostile Invasion and often alarmed with hearing or seeing some noise or appearance of armed soldiers These fears and confusions are great Impediments of the sanctification of the Sabbath Now the setled and peaceable exercise of the Ministry which is so many ways expedient and necessary cannot be had but by the Magistrate and therefore to have refused to make any use of the Indulgence had been to refuse the setled and peaceable exercise of the Ministry 5. This acceptance was useful for preventing many evils of sin and calamity The indulged Ministers could not see how they could without sin refuse to make any use of the Indulgence and they conceived their refusal to take the benefit of the peaceable exercise of their Ministry would have given occasion of offence and provocation to the Magistrate and to the destitute Congregations who desired their help the desire of a people who are wandring as sheep without a Shepherd had a cry that they could not see how they could slight without sin The acceptance prevented the filling of the Kirk with a Conformist whom the people would not have heard and freed those Parishes of the quarterings plunderings imprisonments which they were formerly obnoxious unto it prevented their uncertain wandrings on the Sabbath their disquieting and confounding fears their running and fleeing on the Sabbath which is such a calamity that our Saviour directs the Jews to pray that their flight might not be in the winter neither on the Sabbath-day Matth. 24. and prevented rendevousing and fighting and mingling blood with Sacrifices on the Lords day The many disorders and confusions and sad sufferings the imprisonments and finings and banishments and the great effusion of the blood of the people of God which have followed upon the hostile clashings betwixt Magistrates and people may teach us how necessary the peaceable exercise of the Ministry under lawful Authority is and how necessary it is to take and seek and follow after peace with all men especially with the Magistrate The Indulged Ministers cannot nor could not see how a refusing to have any making or medling with the Magistrate which these Authors urge could consist with the respect due to Authority or with
show that those of the outed Ministers to whom the Magistrate had granted the peaceable publick exercise of their Office in some Parishes in their returning to those Parishes where they were formerly ordained Ministers or not having access to the peaceable exercise of their Ministry in their own Parishes upon the â—nvitation of destitute Congregations with the consent of Presbyterian Ministers concerned going to exercise their Office in those destitute Congregations till they might have access to return â—o their own Parishes That these Ministers in so doing did sin Of what Law of God is this practice of theirs a Transgression Is it a sin for Ministers whom God hath called to the work of the Ministry to exercise their Office in the Parishes where they were ordained Ministers or to help destitute Congregations who desire them to come and help them Is it a sin because the Magistrate permits them to preach The Author himself dare not say this as appears from his first Answer to the first Objection A Minister â—ins not in preaching the Gospel though an Uâ—urper a Robber permit him to preach and much â—ess doth the Permission of the lawful Magistrate render his preaching sinful Object The Magistrate appoints them to preach and to preach in such or such a parish and therefore it 's sinful Ans 1. If it were a sin in the Magistrate to appoint a Minister to preach in such or such a place and a sin for the Minister to preach because the Magistrate appointed him to preach in such a place then the Ministers who wrote the first Book of Discipline and the Church of Scotland who approved it did sin in desiring the Magistrate to appoint Ministers to preach in such and such Parishes We did shew from the first Book of Discipline That they desired the Magistrate to do this and more too even to compel them to preach 2. This Author grants in his Answer to the third Objection That the Magistrate may place Ministers when the Church is corrupt and all things are out of order the vanity of his evasion by which he seeks to elude that Argument taken from the 10th Chapter of the second Book of Discipline is before discovered 3. Suppose it were unlawful for the Magistrate to appoint a Minister to exercise the Office of the Ministry in a particular Parish yet it would not be sinful for that Minister to preach in that Parish if the Parish were vacant and earnestly desired him to exercise his Ministry among them and if his preaching there were not injurious to any if the Magistrates appointing a Minister to preach c. in a Parish render the Ministers preaching in that Parish sinful then the Magistrate by such appointments might make the exercise of the Ministry in any Parish or in all Parishes in his Dominions sinful which is a most absurd Conceit Or is it sinful to accept of the peaceable exercise of their Ministry in such or such Parishes because the Magistrate gives them Injunctions and Rules to regulate them in the exercise of their Ministry But 1. These Injunctions were the Magistrates Acts and not the Ministers 2. The Ministers accepted not of these Injunctions but declared they could receive no such Ecclesiastick Rules from the Magistrate and that they had full Prescriptions from Christ which they behoved to observe as they would be answerable to him of whom they had received their Ministry 3. The Act of Instructions as it was distinct from the Act of Indulgence in which the publick peaceable exercise of their Ministry was granted and came not to the Ministers hands for a considerable time after they had received the Act of Indulgence so there was a great difference in the nature of the Acts and the Indulged Ministers did right in making use of what was good and refusing what was evil 4. If the Magistrates sending Injunctions to Ministers renders the exercise of their Ministry sinful then the Magistrate may render the exercise of the Ministry in any place in every place of his Dominions sinful by sending Instructions to all the Ministers in his Dominions which is another absurd Conceit which if it were received would make it easie for an ill-disposed Magistrate to mar all preaching by writing and sending Acts of Instructions to all the Ministers in his Dominions Object The Act of Indulgence flowed from a sinful Supremacy and therefore it was sinful to make any use of it Ans To say nothing of the making use of a Pass given by a Captain of Robbers or of a Covenant of peaceable commerce made with an Usurper who hath no just title which Casuists do not condemn I answer That that Act which indeed was the Act of Indulgence and which the Indulged Ministers made use of viz. The Relaxation of the Civil Restraint which hindred the peaceable exercise of their Ministry or the granting of the publick peaceable exercise of Ministry was no Act of any sinful Supremacy but the exercise of that power which the Magistrate hath from God for doing good As from the right stating of the question it evidently appears That this accepting of the publick peaceable exercise of the Ministry was not sinful so it evidently appears That it was lawful and commendable and a duty to which they were obliged as the work of the Ministry is a good work so the peaceable setled exercise of it under the protection of lawful Authority is a great mercy that hath many blessings and advantages in it it 's a promised blessing it 's a blessing for which the people of God should pray and because the peaceable setled exercise of the Ministry cannot be where Magistrates are without their allowance or permission therefore it 's duty to pray That the Lord would incline the heart of Rulers to grant the peaceable publick exercise of Religion in their Dominions and when the Lord inclines the hearts of Rulers to this we should not slight such a promised Mercy nor refuse the return of our Prayers but thankfully receive this blessing of God conveyed by the hand of the Magistrate and make use of this Talent to the Glory of God and edification of his Church I remember I have spoken before of the advantages of the peaceable setled exercise of the Ministry and of the necessity of accepting of it especially in answering the last head of the Authors Arguments and shall say no more of the state of the question but this That they who but understand the terms of the question will see that all the Arguments which the Author brings to prove the accepting of the Indulgence sinful do evanish as smoke and lose all colour when they compere before the light of naked Truth And they will see that what these Ministers did in exercising their Ministry in these desolate Congregations when the Lord in his good Providence had given them peaceable access thereto was so evidently a religious work a labour of love a work of mercy a seasonable expedient necessary work
Commands or Directions given to others into Pactions without the consent of those to whom such Commands or Directions were given it would make a strange reel in the World and men should thus be involved by Paction to perform Conditions though they never consented yea though they declared they did not nor could not consent 2. Although the Council had shewed by their imprisoning of Mr. Blair that they meant those Injunctions for Conditions that being so long after the Indulgence it could no way constitute the nature of the Indulgence which had its being and existence long before 3. The meaning of one Party though shewed will not make a Paction except the other party consent 4. The Author grants That Mr. H. spoke the same upon the matter that Mr. Blair did and so did several others who were before the Council at that time and the Magistrate as I am readily informed said That it was some circumstances of what was done by Mr. Blair that occasioned his imprisonment But 5ly Suppose he had been only imprisoned upon that account because he would not receive those Injunctions that will not prove that the Magistrate did mean them for Conditions for the Magistrate often imprisoneth men for disobeying Acts of Council though the persons imprisoned have made no promise to obey those Acts and though the Injunctions which they obey not were never meant by the Council for Conditions 6. Suppose the Magistrate had in the very Acts of Indulgence signified that they had meant those Injunctions for Conditions and had put in those Injunctions as Conditions in the Acts of Indulgence I do not see how this would have rendred their ministerial actings in the Parishes to which they were indulged unlawful nor rendred those Ministers any ways guilty providing that they had no ways consented unto those Injunctions Suppose Pharaoh had granted liberty to the Midwives to do their Office to the travelling Hebrew Women upon condition that they should kill the Male-Children this should not have barred the Midwives from that work of mercy towards the Hebrew-Women in Child-birth and if the Midwives had no way consented to this Condition they would have no ways been guilty of any sin though necessary Duties be clogged with sinful Injunctions imposed by men they should not be omitted but the Duties should be done and the sinful Injunctions disobeyed And suppose the Midwives knew that Pharaoh would have restrained them from doing that Labour of Love that work of necessity and mercy to the Labouring Women if they had foretold that they would not kill the Male-Children I think they did better to hold their Tongue than to put themselves out of a capacity to do so needful a Duty to the Travailing-Women but there is no need of this for vindicating the practice of the indulged Ministers because they declared to the Magistrate That they had received full Prescriptions from Christ which they behoved to observe and that they could not receive such Prescriptions as the Magistrate gave What he says in his 3d. about accepting a favour with a burden and the similitude of a Father granting a Portion of Land and enjoying the payment of Debts is before answered The impertinency of that Similitude is very palpable if a Father should command his Son to worship God in secret Prayer and withal give him some superstitious Directions the Son were not to neglect secret Prayer because of those supeardded superstitious Injunctions But it 's time for me to weary of Repetitions In Object 15. he supposes That the acceptance of the favour had need of a Purgation by a Protestation but the granting of the safe and peaceable exercise of the Ministry ought not to have been protested against The many accounts upon which he says the accepting of the Indulgence was so foul that no Protestation could have salved the matter we have found upon examination to come to no account To the 16. Object which rationally concludes That the Magistrates allowance being directed to none but to Ministers antecedently ordained cannot be a just ground of Scruple He answers That this allowance being more than a Permission did flow from the Supremacy and import the deriving of a Power to exercise the Function in such a place from the Magistrate I reply the allowing of Ministers to preach the Gospel is the Magistrates Duty and flows from no other Supremacy than that which every Magistrate hath as supream Magistrate in his own Dominions If Magistrates should maintain defend protect Ministers in the exercise of their ministry they should allow them to preach otherways they should be obliged to maintain c. what they do not allow He granted before That the Magistrate may command Ministers to preach the Gospel and command imports allowance and something more and where there is no setled Judicatories in the Kirk which outed Ministers own to settle Ministers in particular Charges if the Magistrate may not in that case settle Ministers in particular Charges but only command them to preach where they please some places where there were most need of preaching might be left utterly destitute and the Magistrate could do nothing to remedy that evil We heard that the second Book of Discipline is for the Magistrates placing Ministers in some cases and therefore to offend at the word Allowance is not the kindly work of a well-informed tender Conscience but an effect of Ignorance Altho' we should be displeased at sin yet we should never offend or stumble for offending properly imports stumbling at sin much less at what is lawful all stumbling is sin and flows from sin and not from due Tenderness His answers to the 17 Obj. are his own false imaginations for what the indulged Ministers did was no virtual invalidating of their prior Ordination Nor 2. did it say That as to the Ministry they depend upon any power in the Magistrate as the fountain of their Ministry It 's true the peaceable and safe exercise of their Ministry is from the Magistrate under God who hath appointed Magistrates to be the shields of the earth and nursing fathers to his Church Nor is the acceptance of this favour a subjection unto any incroachment Nor is this the Question whether the restraints formerly laid on were vincible or not but whether the relaxation of these restraints was to be accepted or rejected He cannot but acknowledge that the Magistrates enjoyning and warranting as he words it includes a permission to Preach and is a real relaxation of former restraints and in so far might be made use of but if the Author would have dealt fairly he should have retained the words which the Magistrate made use of in the Acts of Indulgence and not foisted in his own words The refusal of this relaxation when the Magistrate offered it would have been an offence and scandal to many persons and it would have been so far from defeating Erastianism that it could onely have evidenced the refusers to be ignorant of the Erastian Controversie and
he refers to the judgment of the Reader pag. 159. I apprehend the Historian durst not for his Conscience conclude that it was sinful to hear or that it was a Duty to withdraw from hearing the Indulged Ministers he knew and his Conscience put him to declare that the acceptance of the Indulgence and the Councils Order as he calls it settling the Indulged Ministers did not make it sinful to hear these Ministers for he confesses that notwithstanding of the settling of these Ministers by the Councils Order yet if there were no other to be heard they not onely might be Lawfully heard and joyned with but they should and ought to be heard See the stating of the Question in his 28 Questions But though he durst not positively conclude the sinfulness of hearing the Indulged Ministers yet the poor People thinks that he hath done it and they are run so far from hearing the Indulged Ministers that they are without his cry to bring them back though there were no other to hear And too many by these questions about hearing are become careless of all hearing and some place their Religion in no hearing It had been good for many they had never intermedled with these questions about hearing for they are by the wind of Erroneous and Schismatical Doctrines driven from the Publick Worship of God And they take the profanation of the Sabbath in despising the Publick Ordinances to be a piece of tenderness and Religion and if the Lord prevent it not they are like to turn Quakers Pagans Atheists and to shake off the very form of Religion both in publick private and secret The Lord in mercy pity and prevent the ruine that the poor People are blindly running upon Page 159. He proposes Objections to be answered The first Objection should have been proposed thus Ministers of the Gospel who are Ordained and admitted Ministers of their respective Congregations and Ministers who not having access to these Congregations where they were Ordained Ministers are invited by desolate vacant Congregations to Preach the Gospel to them and who upon their invitation and consent of the Ministers concerned come to help these destitute desolate Congregations should not be disowned discountenanced deserted while they are doing the Work of the Ministry to which God hath called them by these People who invited them to Preach the Gospel to them But the Indulged Ministers were either Ordained c. oâ— invited and come with consent of the Ministers concerned c. And therefore they should not be deserted while they are doing the Work of the Lord to which these respective Congregations invited them If he had thus proposed the Argument he could not have evaded the force of it but it is his way to make Objections so as he may leave some way for himself to escape The true state of the Question is Whether these respective Congregations should disown and reject these Ministers of the Gospel whom they had invited and with consent of the Ministers concerned had received and appropriate to themselves to whom they had submitted and whom they had countenanced in the exercise of their Ministry Now why should they reject them as if they had nothing to do with them whom they received Why should they disown them whom they owned and whom they desired to own them Why should they withdraw from hearing these whom they invited to Preach to them Should they leave them because they Preach the Gospel to them While this Author calls in question if the Indulged Ministers be Lawfully called and appropriate Pastours of this Church he calls in question if this Church have any Pastours for they were Ordained by laying on of the hands of the Presbytery according to the Order of the Gospel and if this make them not Pastours of this Church I would know who are Pastours of it As for his second Objection taken from Mr. Livingston's Advice to hear Mr. John Scot an Indulged Minister he had better forborn to mention it than to have past it with such Answers as he gives Mr. Livingston whom he acknowledges an eminent Seer and Servant of Christ advised to hear the Indulged This Historian advises to withdraw from hearing the Indulged And it 's no disparagement to the Historian to say that Mr. Livingston's Advice was preferable to this Historians Advice who for Learning Piety Prudence Experience and Age was far inferiour to Mr. Livingston The onely thing which Mr. Livingston missed so far as I remember was a Testimony and if he had been well informed of the Testimonies which the Indulged Brethren gave upon several occasions and particularly before the Council and of the consonancy of their Practice to their verbal Testimony and their former Principles he would have been much confirmed in advising to hear Indulged Ministers The Historian says that he does not certainly know whether this Advice of Mr. Livingston proceeded from want of full information of Circumstances or from Ignorance of the Magistrates design or from fear that Field-meetings would cease but he inclines to the last because Mr. Livingston speaks not of his Peoples going to the Field-meetings Answ We have seen that any Light which this Historian hath gotten from Circumstances is darkness And I am very confident if Mr. Livingston had lived to see what Erroneous and Schismatick inferences this Historian hath made from the information which he hath gotten of many Circumstances and had seen the horrid Divisions and Confusions following upon these Erroneous dividing Doctrines he would either have judged that that Circumstantial Light was darkness or if it was light that this Historian did draw darkness out of light But I know no Circumstance of any importance which could make any thing against the Indulgence which was unknown to Mr. Livingston Mr. Livingston was a wiser man than to take his measures of judging of the Lawfulness or Unlawfulness of hearing Indulged Ministers from the Magistrates designs and intendments Though Ministers and People were clear that the Magistrate had an ill design in permitting or allowing Ministers to Preach the Gospel and People to hear or in permitting Masters of Families to pray in their Families or in permitting Physicians to cure Diseased People yet no rational man who is not blinded with Humour or some prejudice will conclude from the Magistrates ill design which is his Act and no way approved but disapproved by these Ministers Masters of Families Physitians that it 's unlawful for them to Preach Pray or Cure Diseased Persons Mr. Livingston's fears that Field-meetings would cease it seems have been better founded than the Historians confidence that they would continue And though it cannot be supposed that Mr. Livingston was an Enemy to Field-meetings yet none who knew him will think that he was so fond of the Fields that he would have preferred the Fields to a Kirk if the Kirk could have contained all who were to hear him And seeing he speaks nothing of Field-meetings it seems he had not learned that
Authority That we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all Godliness and Honesty Which shews that the Assembly of Divines at Westminster did not think that the Kingdom of Christ is to be set up by ruining earthly Kings and Kingdoms and that they take not the right way to advance Christs Kingdom who reject the Magistrates countenance and maintenance of the Church Or who by despising and provoking Magistrates to wrath tempts them to discountenance the Church And seeing they look on the Church as Christs Kingdom the Historian hath not taken the right way to advance this Kingdom but hath taken the way to ruine it by dividing it For a Kingdom divided against it self cannot stand And if he had pondered the explication of the third Petition it might have been a mean to have prevented his giving so much place to his own Humour and Will in this History and helped him to more submission unto the Holy Providence of God than doth appear in this History I wish he had ere he began to write this History put up that Petition And lead us not into temptation Or at the close of it put up that Petition And forgive us our sins We have great need ere we begin Debates and Controversies even when they are necessary to pray that we be not led into temptation And great need to close such Debates even when the cause maintained is right with praying Lord forgive us our sins I have examined all that had any appearance of Reason in this History and refuted many things which needed no refutation if it had not been for the sake of simple People who are often deceived by big words where there is no shew or colour of Reason I have often by Reason refuted the unreasonable clamours both of the Author of the Epistle and of the History whereas I might have opposed clamour to clamour for what is founded upon meer clamour may be as easily cried down as it 's cried up Let none because of the Authors errors in this History cast at other useful Books which he hath published nor reject any thing that is true and right in this History Good men have their failings and we may not take our measures of them from their miscarriages under a fit of temptation Job's Friends had a just hatred against Hypocrisie and they mistake Job and falls foul upon him as a Hypocrite and speaks many things that are not right things in the heat of Debate This Author had a just indignation against Erastianism and a Spiritual Supremacy in Magistrates and he apprehended that his brethren had interpretatively homologate this Erastian and Spiritual Supream power in the Magistrate and having mistaken them he hath fallen foully upon them and spoken much evil of them without cause These things which in the Epistle and History are wrong are things for the most part which several people had drunk in and the printing of these errours hath given occasion to rectifie the mistakes of erring people if they will not shut their eyes against the light The Lord who is excellent in working draws good out of evil and maketh all things work together for good to them who love him and are the called according to his purpose he can over-rule the darkness of error so as it shall be subservient to clear the truth In the worst times the Elect hath obtained and shall obtain The Lord reigneth and ruleth in the midst of Enemies he can when men are scattering the dust of Zion be making way for laying a solid foundation in the deep humiliation of his people for building his house The Church hath been before as dry and scattered bones as bones scattered at the graves mouth and yet he who raiseth the dead hath made these bones to come together and live It 's our best to leave the answering of that Question Can these Bones live To the Lord himself to Jehovah who makes things that are not to be who doeth great things and unsearchable marvellous things and without number If we would take shame and confusion of face to our selves and would humble our selves in the sight and sense of our sins our darkness and stumblings and justlings in the dark and justifie the Lord in his judgments that are come upon us and yet ascribe to him the glory of his Mercy and out of our depths and darkness cry to him that he would cause his face to shine and enlighten our darkness and send out his Light and Truth and pour out the Spirit of a sound mind and that he would quicken us by the Spirit of Life that is in Christ Jesus that we might call on his Name and look on him whom we have pierced and mourn that when mens endeavours to gather the scattered sheep are not effectual that he the great Shepherd would seek out his sheep and deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day And if we would wait on him in the way of his Judgments and hope in his Word his Covenant which he uses to remember for his People and to repent according to the multitude of his Mercies and though we have no ground of hope in our selves yet hope against hope on the Lord who is the hope of Israel and the Saviour thereof in the time of trouble and that because with him there is Mercy and plenteous Redemption And so continue humbly praying hoping waiting for him He could soon redeem us from all our Iniquities and all our Troubles and cure all our distractions and distempers and give Light and Life and Unity and Peace Let us take shame to our selves and give him the glory due to his Name that his Name may endure for ever and be continued as long as the Sun that men may be Blessed in him and all Nations call him Blessed Blessed be the Lord God the God of Israel who onely doeth wondrous things And Blessed be his Glorious Name for ever and ever and let the whole Earth be filled with his Glory Amen and Amen The Conference continued Farmer SIR there are many things considerable in this Answer to the History of the Indulgence which I purpose to consider but there is one thing which not a little troubles me That the withdrawing from hearing the Indulged Ministers is called Schism Now I remember we are by Covenant bound to extirpate Schism and if I have been practising Schism in withdrawing from hearing the Indulged Ministers I have been Acting contrary to the Covenant Minister They who deal truly in the matter of the Covenant will study to fulfill their Vows not onely in some things but in all things Schism is a dissolution of that Union which ought to be among Christians and especially it appears in refusing that Church-fellowship or Ecclesiastical Communion which ought to be observed or in an unwillingness to communicate or to have communion with the true Church in Holy Actions Casuists shew that it is a most grievous
Councils ministerially to determine controversies of Faith and cases of Conscience to set down Rules and Directions for the better ordering of the publick Worship of God and government of his Church Art 5. Synods and Councils are to conclude nothing but that which is Ecclesiastical and are not to meddle with Civil affairs which concern the Commonwealth unless by way of humble petition in cases extraordinary or by way of advice for satisfaction of conscience if they be thereto required by the Civil Magistrate Chap. 23. Art 3. The Civil Magistrate may not assume to himself the administration of word and Sacraments as the power of the keys of the kingdom of heaven yet he hath authority and it is his duty to take order that unity and peace be preserved in the Church that the truth of God be kept pure and intire that all blasphemies and heresies be suppressed all corruptions and abuses in worship or discipline prevented or reformed and all Ordinances of God duly setled administred and observed for the better effecting whereof he hath power to call Synods to be present at them and to provide that whatsoever is transacted in them be according to the word of God These Articles and the Scripture-proofs do clearly hold out and confirm That Christ not the Magistrate is the Head King Lord of the Church which is the Body House and Kingdom of Christ that Church and not the Magistrate is the Fountain of the Spiritual Power of the keys of the kingdom of Heaven that the Offices in the Church are of divine institution given by Christ and that these Offices which Christ hath given are sufficient for gathering and perfecting the Church seeing he hath given them for that end and that they are Ministerial and not Lordly and hence it follows that the Office of a Prelate who claims a majority of Directive and Coercive power over Ministers who not only takes upon him without election to moderate Synods but also is above the censure of the Synod and who can hinder the Synod from concluding any thing how necessary soever they find it and without whose Authority the Synod is no Synod who imposes Moderators upon the meetings for exercise and to whom these meetings are countable for their actings without whom there can be no ordination deposition excommunication relaxation from it who exacteth an Oath of Canonical obedience from Ministers not being in the Rolls of the Offices and Officers given by Christ and being a Lordly and so more than a Ministerial Office Presbyterians cannot own it nor judg it useful for gathering or perfecting of the Church They shew also that the Magistrate to whom God hath given the Lordly power of the sword is so far from having a spiritual Supreme power of the keys of the kingdom of heaven that he hath not the power of the keys of the kingdom of heaven given to him at all for the power of the keys which Christ hath given is Ministerial and makes those who are invested with it Ministers of the Church but the power of the Sword is Magistratical and a Lordly Dominion and that it belongs to Synods and Councils and not to Magistrates to make Ecclesiastical Rules c. and that none neither Magistrates nor Ministers may order Ecclesiastical matters according to their mind and pleasure but those things must be ordered according to the mind and will of God revealed in his word And all true Presbyterians believe That seeing both the Lordly Power of the Magistrate in general and in special the Kingly Power and the Ministerial Power of Church-Officers are of God and his Ordinances that they are not contrary to one another for the Ordinances of God do not justle one against another but sweetly agree and any justling or clashing which hath proceeded from the corruptions of Magistrates or Ministers are not to be imputed to the Lords Ordinances and it 's the earnest desire of all truly godly and loyal subjects who seek the glory of God and the Magistrates true honour and interest That whatsoever in the actings of their rightful Magistrates hath exceeded the bounds which the Lord hath set to them may be in mercy discovered to them and in time reformed That all occasions of grief and stumbling may be taken out of the way of truly loyal subjects and all occasion of doing mischief may be cut off from those who take advantage from those excesses to render the Magistrate contemptible and to overthrow that Power which they have from God As for what they say of Ministers hindering those who would have given a testimony and censuring others who did give it the truth is Presbyterian Ministers endeavoured to restrain some young men who instead of preaching the Gospel made it their work to revile the Magistrate and Ministers who made use of the liberty granted by the Magistrate but these youths discovered themselves not to be of Presbyterian Principles by their refusing to be subordinate to the Ministers and by reproaching them who would have reclaimed them from their disorderly and Schismatick practices By this the Magistrate may perceive if the Presbyterian Ministers who are Presbyterians indeed had by allowance of the Magistrate the peaceable exercise of their Ministry and liberty of meeting for regulating their own actings and the actings of those who profess themselves to be Presbyterians such unruly persons who stir up the people to Schism and Sedition would not be admitted to the Ministry or if they after their admission discovered themselves to be of pernicious principles they would be put from the Ministry and so the people who are true to Presbyterian Principles would not own them and so they would not have access to pervert the people with Seditious and Schismatick doctrine this would be found the most proper Remedy for these distempers But what wonder is it if young men who are ordinarily rash being but Novices who have not studied the Body of Divinity and who have no experience and know not the Principles and Practices of Presbyterial Government who are not put ro Presbyterial Exercises for their trial and instruction and who it may be have never seen any thing of the Exercise of Presbyterial Government in Presbyteries or Synods and who are not under the iâ—spection of meetings of Presbyterians but wander to and fro at random not thinking themselves accountable to any meeting of Ministers nor censurable by any What wonder is it if such persons when they are blown up with the vain applause of some ignorant and humorous people who under their sad sufferings have taken up such prejudice against the Magistrate and all to whom the Magistrate shews any favour that they think what is most cross to the Magistrate is most right and any thing which the Magistrate allows they think it wrong and so they cry up those Preachers most who speak most invectively against the Magistrate and against those Ministers to whom the Magistrate shews any favour I say what wonder is
Galatians It 's to this fellowship with Christ that God calls us in the Gospel and then give all diligence to make your calling and election sure It 's sad to see several people who will talk great things of the interests of Christ in the Land so ignorant of Christ and of union with him and so unconcerned as to their own interest in Christ that though they have no assurance of it and cannot give one mark of interest in Christ yet they are not sensible of this nor regrating it nor earnestly seeking in publick or private to know him to be in him to know if they be in him but they are taken up with other things Christ is not in their mind heart and mouth they are not speering after him in their private converse as the Spouse doth in the Song Saw ye him whom my soul loveth They are more in seeking to know some useless barren notion some jangling debate than they are in seeking to know Christ and him crucified more taken up in apprehending some unedifying empty conceit than in apprehending Christ or seeking to be apprehended by him Who can think that they are truly careful about Christs interests in the Land who are careless about their own interest in Christ and give no diligence to make sure their calling If folk were taken up about the one thing necessary it would take them off their vain janglings about these things which tend neither to edification nor peace They who are striving to enter in at the strait gate and taking the kingdom of heaven by violence and working out the work of their salvation with fear and trembling and giving diligence to make their calling and election sure will not find leisure to dote about questions and strifes of words whereof cometh envy strife railings and evil surmisings That weighty question What shall I do to be saved would take folk off from unedifying questions and doubtful disputations 2. Be much in the exercise of Faith and Repentance ye must live and walk by Faith and be daily searching out your sins looking into the sink of original corruption that loathsome stinking corrupt body of Death that is ever present with you to hinder you from good and incline you to evil and to the innumerable swarms of actual sins which compass you about and ye must be daily confessing your sins judging your self lamenting after the Lord lying at the Fountain opened to the house of David and Inhabitants of Jerusalem and coming through the great High Priest Jesus the Son of God to the Throne of Grace to obtain Mercy and find Grace to help in the time of need These exercises would hold you doing and keep you from medling as a busie-body in things too high for you and that do not belong to you and are not within the compass of your calling if ye were thus exercised ye would walk humbly with God and humbly with men ye would be so far from bidding others stand by themselves as if ye were holier than they that in holiness of mind ye would esteem others better than your selves and so far from casting at fellowship with the Lords people in publick Ordinances or private worship that ye would rather judge your self unworthy of their fellowship and if ye could do it would rather separate from your self than from others ye would think it a great mercy and priviledge that the like of you had any access to wait at the posts of the Lords doors and any place in his Courts beware of those who undervalue the preaching of Faith and Repentance for this was the Doctrine of the Prophets of John the Baptist who came preaching the Doctrine of Repentance and directing his hearers to the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the World Christ himself preached that men should repent and believe the Gospel and the Apostle Paul taught Repentance toward God and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ Repentance and Faith are as necessary for the beginning and progress of our motion towards Heaven as our two legs are necessary for walking and the exercise of Faith and Repentance cease not till all tears be wiped away and Faith be turned into sight to cut off the exercise of Faith and Repentance is to cut off the legs of a man who is fleeing from sin and wrath to the true City of Refuge Ye may be sure that those Teachers who make it their business to discover to you your sins and diseases your poverty nakedness filthiness and direct you to Christ as the Saviour of sinners as the Physitian of souls as full of grace and truth who hath fine white Raiment fine Gold who is a fountain opened who teach you to loath your selves and to love Christ to have no confidence in the flesh but to rejoyce in the Lord Jesus who teach you that you are nothing and he is all that you may not glory in your selves but in the Lord you may be assured that they preach the same that Christ and his Apostles preached and if you were rightly sensible of your own sins and humbled for them then the consideration of the sins of others would not puff you up but humble you further Dan. 9.5 6 7 8. Beware of the way of those who talk of the sins of others as if they were accusers leading a process against others and commending themselves by condemning others for that looks like the strain of the Pharisee in the 18. of Luke The sins of our Rulers Ministers and of persons of all ranks should make us ashamed Ezr. 9.6 3. Let the Glory of God and the enjoying of God be your chief end and take his word which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament for the only Rule to direct you how to glorifie and enjoy him deny your self beware of self-seeking self-pleasing of pleasing your own humors or the humors of others Let that be your great design to please God to be accepted of him if you can please others to their edification become all things to all for gaining of them but beware ye displease not God to please any make no mans Testimony though it were given immediately before his death the rule of your Faith or Practice so long as men are here on earth they know but in part and even good men may err in their judgment and practice in several things some are so easily misled that if a Paper come to their hand that pleases them in some opinion that they are addicted to they take all the rest of it for unquestionable truth without examination or if a Preacher be of their party they implicitely follow him in any thing he says or does beware of listning to Impulses and Revelations which ye find born in upon you even though ye be in a good frame of Spirit when they are cast in for Satan can turn himself into an Angel of light and wait such occasions of suggesting errors and he can delude people by
and worse continued contests Our nakedness-discovering writings what have they done but added oyl to the flame For Christs sake my reverend and dear Brethren hearken to this word in season from the Oracles of God and treasures of pure antiquity pointing out the way of a godly and edifying peace It will be no grief of heart but sweet peace and consolation when we are to appear before the Judg of the quick and the deed Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded one towards another according to Christ Jesus So heartily prayeth your Brother and fellow-â—ervant ROBERT BLAIR Thus far Reverend Mr. Blair who was both a Son of Thunder â—nd a Son of Peace a Peace maker O with what authority and seriousneâ—s did I hear him press unity in Preaching before a Synod from these words Phil. 2.1 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the spirit if any bowels mercies fulfil ye my joy that ye be like minded having the same love being of one accord of one mind And I heard him say upon Preaching before a general Assembly That he could be content to be carried from the place in which he was Preaching to his grave to have the rent that then was in the Church cured Ignorant and rash youths who have not experience and consider not what an abominable sin Schism is and what are the mischievous consequences of it and how it ordinarily ends in the ruin desolation of a Church they know little what they are doing when they are blowing up the fire of contention and it 's a sport to some to cast such fire-brands But they who have Heavenly wisdom see that that sporting is mischievous madness that it will be bitter in the latter end It is not for nought that the Spirit of God directed the Apost Paul in writing to the Church of the Corinthians in which there were many things wrong to fall first upon the ill of divisions 1 Cor. 1.10 and when he is shutting up that Epistle he exhorts that all these things be done with charity and to greet one another with an holy kiss And when he is shutting up the 2 Epist he concludes Finally Brethren farewell be perfect be of good comfort be of one mind live in peace and the God of love and peace shall be with you Greet one another with an holy kiss So thus he begins and ends with this unity and peace 9. And because no speaking nor reasoning will prevail against the working of a spirit of error and schism without the effectual working of the pirit of the Lord let us humbly and earnestly pray that the Lord would have mercy upon us for his Sons sake who came to destroy the works of the Devil pour upon us the spirit of grace and of supplications the spirit of faith repentance that we may look on him whom we have pierced mourn the spirit of a sound mind the spirit of love peace And that every one Magistrates Ministers and people may be made sensible of their own sins We should pray that the Lord would send his Spirit that convinces the world of sin to let us see our sins and to let us see them written in our judgments that we may accept of the punishment of our sins justifie the Lord when he judges The Lord often writes the sins of men in so great and legible letters in their judgments that they who run may read them David despised the Lord and occasioned the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme by his adultery and murther incestuous filthiness breaks out in his house the sword departs not from his house his people despise him and follow Absalom Shimei an exasperate Benjamite is let loose upon him to revile and curse him and cast stones at him he disowns him as no King gives him no title of honour but only calls him a man and which was worse a bloody man a man of Belial and does not cry and then flee but goes along in the sight and hearing of the King Courtiers and Soldiers cursing casting stones and dust David sees that tho' Shimei did this contrary to the Law of God which says Thou shalt not revile the Gods nor curse the ruler of thy people Yet that he did it not without the over-ruling Providence of God he saw that the Lord had let Shimei loose upon him is humbled under the hand of God Uzziah will needs go to the Temple exercise the Priests Office the Lord by Leprosie cuts him off from the House of the Lord and from the exercise of his Kingly Office When the Priests did not impartially apply the Law of God to reclaim the people from their sins no doubt they thought thus to keep in with the people but this brought them to be base contemptible before all the people Mal. 2.9 The Jews that remained in the land after the ruin of the Temple though they had but one Prophet yet they despise him they will not hear the word which Jeremiah spoke in the name of the Lord but they would do what went out of their own mouth and therefore the Lord leaves them to live like Pagans swears by his great name that his name should not be named any more in their mouths they should not have so much as the form profession of the worship of the true God Jer. 44.16 26. they would not be reproved by Ezek. ch 3.26 they are plagued with the want of a reprover When people will reject the counsel of the Lord will not hearken to his voice nor take his gracious offer made in the Gospel when they will not endure sound Doctrine nor desire the sincere milk of the word nor receive the truth in love the Lord justly gives them up to their own hearts lusts to walk in their own counsels to strong delusions to believe lyes to be tossed to and fro with every wind of Doctrine to turn aside to fables When they despise his servants will not receive his mâ—ssengers their message count them enemies for telling the truth the Lord removes his servants from them leaves them to be deluded with teachers which are after their own humours and lusts When people refuse to hear the Lords words and walk after the imaginations of their own heart Jer. 13.10 the Lord fills them with drunkenness that they destroy one another like drunken men who know not what they are doing v. 13. Behold I will fill all the Inhabitants of this Land even the Kings that sit upon Davids Throne and the Priests and the Prophets and all the Inhabitants of Jerusalem with drunkenness And I will dash them one against another even the Fathers and the Sons together saith the Lord I will not pity nor spare nor have mercy but destroy them Hear ye and give car be not proud for the Lord hath spoken Give glory to
Church-Officers He adds another Reason That in these matters which were the exercise of their Ministry they were the Servants of Christ and therefore the Magistrate should not impose upon them in these matters The Author grants that some of these Rules were formally Ecclesiastical which the Magistrate could not make and all of them are burdensom impositions clogging the exercise of the Ministry The enjoyning the Religious observation of the 29th of May by commanding cessation from work and affixing a special kind of Worship to that day was contrary to the Principle of these who think none can make Holy-days but God the discharging of the Lecture the reading and giving the sense of Scripture was not to Edification but an impeding of a mean of Edification the referring causes from Sessions to Presbyteries as now constitute was contrary to the Principle of Presbyterians who cannot put themselves in a subordination to Prelacy the restraining Ministers from Baptizing Children of other Congregations c. though formerly it did well yet did not quadrate with the present state of the Church the injunction to have the Communion in one day was impracticable the confining Preaching to Kirks hinders Ministers from Preaching in several other parts of their Paroches where Preaching is sometimes very requisite upon week-days and renders the Celebration of the Communion in some places impracticable when People will not go out from the Tables except there be Preaching without and they were burdensome and hindred Ministers from making full proof of their Ministry in being an occasion of stumbling to People who not knowing how to distinguish betwixt the Indulgence which was a permission to Preach and these impositions nor knowing how to put a difference betwixt prescribing of these Instructions and accepting of them did take up prejudices first against these Ministers and then against their Ministry and the Ordinances dispensed by them and some of them went that length to make it their work to render these Ministers and their Ministry contemptible and to count it Service to God to despise his Servants and to hinder the work of their Ministry And if the very prescribing of these Rules had such effects what would the acceptance and observance of them have done Mr. H's words uttered before the Council excludes all the Magistrates impositions upon Ministers in the matters of their Ministry and so excludes these Instructions which were impositions of that nature and all impositions of that nature even the confinement is comprehended which did restrain the exercise of their Ministry and tended to hinder them from making full proof of their Ministry The denying to the Magistrate a formal Ecclesiastical Power excludes the Magistrate from all Acts which are the formal exercise of Ecclesiastick Functions and so from making Ecclesiastical Canons or Rules formally Ecclesiastical Again in asserting that Rules intrinsically Ecclesiastical given by the Magistrate are impositions he shews that the Magistrate hath not a warrantable Power to make and impose such Rules upon Ministers And in asserting that they were the Servants of Christ in the matters of their Ministry he did shew that they could not be ruled by the Magistrates will or pleasure in these matters but behoved to be ruled by his will whose Ministers they were and that therefore they could not accept of and receive any Rules of the Magistrates making or imposing which would either hinder or marr their Masters Service and the acceptance of which would any way hinder them from making full proof of their Ministry or marr them in doing these matters in which they were not the Magistrates Servants but Christs These things are imported clearly in or clearly follow from Mr. H's words and they do manifestly exclude all encroachments of the Magistrate upon the calling of the Ministry and its exercise and so explains and confirms Mr. B's words in their genuine sense He goes on If he meant saith the Historian the same Rules c. then he confirms Mr. Blairs Argument Answ So he does he both clears what he said and confirms it He clears in shewing that the Rules which they and Mr. B. could not receive were Rules made and imposed by the Magistrate for Regulating Ecclesiastick Canons Rules intrinsically Ecclesiastical of the Magistrates making and the enjoyning of which to Ministers was an imposition And besides Mr. H's words do more clearly obviate exceptions and objections than Mr. B's do though Mr. B's words taken in their genuine and native sense and the sense which Mr. B. took them in and be not wrested are clear enough For Instructions and Instructions to Regulate and to Regulate Ministers in the exercise of their Ministry sounds at the first hearing to all who have but common sense of matters of that nature Ecclesiastical Canons or Canons formally and intrinsically Ecclesiastical which the Magistrate should not form and impose For if any should Object 1. May not the Magistrate according to what is said in the first Chap. of the second Book of Discipline command Ministers to Preach Baptize Exercise Discipline according to the Rule of the Word of God Answ No doubt but the Rule of the Word of God is not a Rule of the Magistrates making and his enjoyning Ministers to observe the Rule of the Word in the exercise of their Ministry is no imposition upon them nor does that command of the Magistrate any way hinder but further the Service of Christ Object May not the Magistrate enjoyn Ministers to observe the Acts of a Synod which he hath ratified by his Civil Sanction Answ These Canons or Acts are not formed by the Magistrate but by the Synod Obj. May not the Magistrate form Acts of the same nature with these that general Assemblies and Synods form for Regulating Ministers in the exercise of their Ministry Answ That were to confound the Office of the Magistrate with the Office of the Minister and to bring the Magistrate in upon the calling of the Ministry to elicite and exerce Acts which are intrinsically Ecclesiastical It belongs intrinsically to the Office of Ministers of the Church to explain and apply the Word of God and these Ecclesiastick Rules must be drawn from the Word of God the forming of such Canons hath in all Ages been looked upon as the work of Ecclesiastical Synods who had no Power of the Sword and therefore that work is the exercise of the Spiritual Keys and not of the Civil Sword As the forming of Rules of Physick and forming Medicinal Receipts is intrinsical to the faculty of Physick so is the forming of Ecclesiastick Canons intrinsical to the calling of the Ministry Obj. May not the Magistrate interrupt the Preaching though on the Sabbath when an Enemy is coming to Assault the Town and call the People from the Church to the Walls of the City to defend it Answ That is no burdensome imposition upon the Minister in the exercise of his Ministry it 's a work of Necessity and the Lord declares his mind that in such
cases he will have mercy and not sacrifice Obj. May not the Magistrate make a general Muster through all his Dominions in one day of the week and discharge Publick Sermon upon that day Answ That is no imposition prejudging the Service of Christ for Ministers may Preach as conveniently and readily more conveniently upon any other day of the week It pertains to the Magistrate to make Laws and Constitutions for the advancement of the Kirk and Policy thereof without Usurping any thing that pertains not to the Civil Sword c. 2. Book of Discip Chap. 10. cited if I remember before the Magistrate should make Laws for advancement of Church-Policy but not for its detriment his Power about Church matters is cumulative not destructive And if he should not make Civil Laws prejudicial to the Policy of the Church far less should he make Ecclesiastick Canons and Canons that would be hurtful though they were formed by a Church Judicatory for here there are two faults 1. Taking on him to do what belongs to Ecclesiastick Courts 2. Making Rules which upon the matter hinders Ministers from making full proof of their Ministry In his 2. he quarrels at the terms intrinsically and formally as general and not obviously intelligible nor understood by every one Answ These are terms ordinarily made use of by Orthodox Divines in matters of this nature They are special and specifick terms and distinguish Ecclesiastick Rules from these Civil Laws and Constitutions which are intrinsically and formally Civil but are extrinsically and objectively conversant about Ecclesiastick matters Now we heard from the 10 Chap. of the 2d Book of Discipline that it pertains to the Magistrate to make Laws and Constitutions according to the Word of God for advancement of the Kirk and Policy thereof What he says in the end of pag. 74. about the Imprisonment and Confinement of a Ministers Person that it is wholly Political and no more Ecclesiastical than any other thing which concerns a Ministers Person as his Hat Books and Clothes and the like This shews that the Ministers who simply refused to receive Rules and Instructions formally and intrinsically Ecclesiastical and distinguished these from such Political Acts as the Confinement in refusing of which they were not so peremptory but would observe or not observe them as they judged of them in their Conscience upon their peril did in this Act very rationally That Hats Clothes and Books do immediately concern a Ministers Person are terms not obviously intelligible every one doth not understand how these do immediately concern a Ministers Person he who would have others speak as every one may understand should have spoken more plainly to make Ministers Clothes wholly Political without any distinction was a little kittle but it 's like he hath not had mind of Surplices c. when he wrote this He adds Or will Rules made concerning the length of time which a Minister is to spend in the exercise of this or that Act of his Ministry or the like be accounted Rules extrinsically and materially Ecclesiastick as to such Rules he says pag. 75. It is a Question if Magistrates may either solely or in prima instantia prescribe such Rules to Ministers however this being at best but dubious and it being to me at least very uncertain what Rules these are which may be called externally and materially Ecclesiastical I could have wished that some instances hereof had been given c. Answ 1. If he would have dealt fairly he should have used the ordinary terms and not made terms of his own for Rules formally and intrinsically Ecclesiastical are distinguished from Civil Laws and Constitutions objectively and extrinsically Ecclesiastical And iâ— his calling them Rules externally and materially Ecclesiastical is a miscalling of them that he may make a knot in a Rush where he finds none 2. If an Indulged Minister had made a Question if the Magistrate might limit the length of time which a Minister is to spend in the exercise of this or that Act of his Ministry and had but doubted of it as a thing dubious it 's very probable that the Historian would have made this no less than a betraying of the Cause He makes hideous outcries against them upon as little ground But seeing he himself grants that some of the Instructions given by the Magistrate were formally and intrinsically Ecclesiastical pag. 65. He is as much obliged as the Indulged Ministers to shew what are the Rules which are contra-distinguished from these they might be clear with him that some of these Rules were such and why might it not be Lawful for them as well as for him to doubt concerning others of them The Brother who hath answered this History shews that the paper in which these Ministers agreed would have informed him and if he had been so desirous to know he might have sent for it for his Instruction But not to go further than the instance which he brings If the Magistrate make an Act if there be Sermon in a City upon a Market-day that the Congregation shall be dismissed against such an hour here is an Act extrinsically regulating or limiting the exercise of the Publick Worship and if the time preceding that hour be a time of the day at which it is convenient for the People to meet I see no cause of complaining or clashing with the Magistrate in that matter But if the Magistrate should take upon him to prescribe to the Minister how he should explain his Text and in what method he should prosecute his Doctrines that would be an intrenching upon the Calling of the Ministry there are some things which are intrinsical to every Calling and Art and Rules for ordering these are to be drawn from the Principles of that Art and Calling and the forming of these Rules is the formal and intrinsick exercise of that Calling and Art And there are some Circumstantials that are so extrinsick that they make no moral alteration upon an Action but it may be every way as well done and to as good purpose with one of these Circumstances as another As for example whether the Sermon in a City shall begin upon the week-day at eight hours or half nine and if there be two Kirks alike convenient for the Congregation to meet in it 's all one as to the morality of the meeting whether it be here or there And in such circumstantials as these if the Magistrates Acts do not prejudge impede or marr the exercise of the Ministry Ministers have no Reason to complain that such Acts intrenches and incroaches upon the exercise of their Ministry or marrs them in the managing of these matters in which they are the Servants of Christ Seeing the Historian was so desirous to have this matter cleared and thinks it is not cleared by what these Ministers said why would he not endeavour to Resolve this Question And seeing he looked upon these Ministers at least some of the ablest of them as pedants after he