it corruptions in Doctrine corruptions in Worship corruptions in Manners so to make a mixture which he doth in opposition unto that God who being himselfe a pure and simple Essence is most delighted in purity and simplicity Put these together and you see a first respect wherein the visible Church of Christ is compared to a floore A floore for mixture Secondly A floore Because here is the same Husbandry used that is in the Barne-floore Here is threshing here is fanning here is winnowing All these shall we find no where more frequent more ordinary then in the Church as if the Church were the proper element for every of these The Church is Christs threshing place O my threshing his fanning place his winnowing place No where shall we find the flaile the fanne the sive more buâ—â—â— then here The Worlds flayle Gods fanne the Devils sive the flayle of persecution the fanne of Affliction the sive of Tentation no where so busie as in the Church Well may the Church in all these respects be called a floore But I will confine my selfe to the Text Here is the fanne at worke What fanne why that fanne which is in the hand of Christ the fanne of the word This fanne is walking and working in this floore and not without some efficacie and power What ever the Husbandmans fanne doth in his Barne-floore that doth this fanne in the Church which is the proper place for this fanne to stirre and move in and in that respect againe fitly called a floore Here it is where Christ standeth with the fanne in his hand working upon his corne his Elect severing them from the chaffe of sinnefull corruption dressing them that they may be pure corne fit to be laid up in his heavenly garner The Church is a floore And in the second place Christs floore The visible Church is Christs floore His first by Guift Secondly His by Purchase 1. His by Guift Guift from God his Father who hath indeed given unto him the whole world Aske of mee and I shall give thee the Heathen for thine Inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy Possession All the Kingdomes of the earth are put into the hands of Jesus Christ as Lord paramonnt over them all Even Heathens and Infidels which know him not which never heard of his Name yet they are under his governement But the Church after a more speciall manner as being his peculiar Seigniâ—rie I have sâ—t my King upon my holy hill of Sion In the Church Christ hath a more peculiar interest The Church it selfe and all the members of it being given to him by God his Father I all the members of the visible Church they are also given unto Christ Of all that thou hast given me I have lost none save the Sonne of Perdition All the Apostles I Judas amongst the rest though a son of perdition lost in Gods decree and marked out for hell yet given unto Christ to follow him in an outward profession And thus are all the members of the visible Church even all that professe the Name of Christ they are given unto Christ And consequently the Church is His his floore His by Donation And secondly His by Purchase What his Father gave him he also bought and purchased Even as David purchased the Threshing-floore of Araunah the Jebusite that he might offer a Sacrifice upon it Thus Christ hath purchased this floore his Church not that he might offer Sacrifice upon it but that he might offer it up as a Sacrifice unto God his Father Take heede unto your selves and to the flock of God whereof the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feede the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood The Church purchased with the blood of Christ True it is if we speake properly this purchase is peculiar unto Gods elect his Church invisible for whose sake Christ dyed But for their sakes from whom the Church taketh the denomination as being the better and most considerable part of it it is attributed to the whole Church even to the Church visible It is his floore by purchase Yet further in the third and fourth place It is his floore in respect of his presence his providence His presence in it his providence over it His presence in it which is continuall The Story telleth us of Boaz that he went downe to his floore and lodged there lying downe at the end of the heape of Corne Even â—o is Christ ever present in his Church There he lyeth downe there he lodgeth Shew me O thou whom my soule loveth where thou feedest where thou lyest downe at noone It is the Spouses speech to her welbeloved to which his answer followes If thou knowest not O thou fairest among women get thee forth by the steps of the flock and feede thy Kids by the Tents of the Shepheards Would we know where Christ feedeth lodgeth where he manifesteth his presence chiefely and principally upon earth It is in his flock by the Tents of the Shepheards In his Church in the midst of his Ordinances Christ is ever present in this floore manifesting his presence in it And fourthly Exercising his providence over it His providence first in watching then in governing 1. Watching in and over this floore To this end Boaz lay downe in his floore at the end of the heape of corne to watch it least it should be stroyed or stolne or purloyned away To this end is Christ present in his Church his floore viz. to watch his corne in it to defend his people against enemies without or enemies within to defend his Church against the open hostility of bloody tyrants and persecutors Beasts which would stroy this corne as also against the secret devices of cunning seducers Theeves that would stâ—ale away his corne deceiving the very Elect if it were possible To this end he watcheth in this floore watcheth and that not as Boaz did in his lying downe and sleeping there No The watchman of Israel neither slumbereth nor sleepeth He exerciseth a speciall providence in watching over this floore 2. And secondly In ruling and governing it ordering all the businesses in it Even as the Husbandman ordereth all the businesse in his own floore giving direction to his servants for threshing fanning c. So hath Christ the ordering of this floore Not an Ordinance in his Church but is of his ordering and appointing He it is that ruleth the whole businesse of his Church both for substance and materiall circumstances prescribing Lawes to his Church governing it which he doth by his word Put these together and you see the doctrinall part of this first Branch of the Text opened and illustrated I see I must wade no further into it at present What use shall we make of this which hath been spoken As briefely as I may First Is the Church of Christ a floore in respect of mixture Here
are hanged upon them or fixed to them Faith a Pillar to the Church Modo Architectonico a Pillar holding it up as a Pillar doth a House which resteth upon it Faith the right-hand pillar Next to that is Order Order the Beauty of a Church Vbi Ordo dominatur ibi pulchritudo splendescit saith the Father Where Order raignes Beuty shines A thing much to be joyed in where it is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} saith Paul to those Colossians Rejoycing and beholding your Order Much to be desired where it is not or where it is not in some degree of perfection The Beauty of a Church Nay more of the Essence of a Church Faith and Order saith Beza they are the generall parts of which a Church consists Each essentiall to a constituted Church requisite not onely to the well-being but the being of it without which it cannot be a Church a constituted Church A Church it cannot be without Faith which maketh it an Essentiall Church A constituted Church it cannot be without Order some Order which maketh it an Integrall and Organicall Church as our Learned Countrey-man distinquisheth This it is that makes the difference betwixt Ecclesia and Agora as Illiricus well observes betwixt a Church and a Market The one is Conventus Ordinatus an Orderly Convension or Assembly The other Confusa Congregatio a Confused and Prâ—â—iscuous Gathering Even as it is betwixt an Armie and a Route that which differenceth the one from the other is Order An Armie is an Orderly Body made up of Commanders Officers Common-Souldiers divided into severall Regiments Squadrons and Companies Martialled in Rankes and Files observing a Militario Order Such is the Church an Armie Terrible as an Armie it is said of the Church Vniversall and it may be said of every particular Church it is or ought to be an Armie Acies ordinatâ— an Armie as for Strength so for Order without which it cannot be a Church Of such concernement is Order to the Church and that some Perfection of Order Without the one it cannot be a Constituted Church and without the other it cannot be a Setled an Established Church He shall sit upon the Throne of David and upon his Kingdome to order and to stablish it it is spoken of Christ and his Church Isa. 9. To Order and to stablish No Establishing of a Church without Order No such way to Establish it as by Order Which the more exact and perfect it is the more Beautifull the more Stable the Church is and therefore not to be sleighted as it is by many Next to the Faith of the Church no one thing of so great concernement as â—rder If Faith be the right-hand Pillar Order is the left Q. But wherein consists this Order which we erye up to be so requisite at least to the well being of a Church A. Here give me leave to follow the steps of a Reverend and Learned Worthy of this Church or rather Calvins before him whom therein he followes church-Church-Order consists principally in these three things 1. In the Vnitie and Agreement of the Members of a Church 2. In the Orderly walking of those Members 3. In a right Discipline duly exercised All these three did the Apostle not without singular complacencie and joy take notice of in the Church of Colosse He there saw a sweet Harmonie and agreement betwixt the members he saw their personall walkings and Church-businesses all carried in a Regular and Orderly way Three things much to be desired in every Church 1. Vnitie and Agreement and that both in Judgement and Affection That the Members of a Church might be all {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} to use Pauls words Like-minded One-Hearted Having the same Love being of one accord of one minde as Paul saith to his Philippians minding and speaking one and the same thing Mutually imbracing and Naturally caring for the state one of another Thus knit together in that double Bond of Faith and Love Here is the first Branch of Church-Order Vnitie and Agreement A second is in the Carriage and Dâ—meanour the life and conversation of the Members of a Church which ought to be Orderly Orderly both towards God Themselves Others A living Righteousnesse Soberly Godly as the Apostle hath it Godly to God-ward Soberly to Themselves-ward Righteously to the World-ward which who so doe not they are said to walke {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} without Order Disorderly Withdraw your selves from every Brother that walketh Disorderly Here is the second Branch of this Order Order in the Personall walkings of Christians such as joyne themselves to a Church 3. A third is that which we call Discipline Church-Discipline taking the word in the latitude of it the largest sense as it comprehends under it the right-Right-Ordering of all the affaires and businesses of the Church whether of Officers for their Election Ordination c. or Ordinances as viz. Word Sacraments Prayers Censures all which ought to be done as the Apostle hath it {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Orderly according to Order So were the Services under the Law done The Service of the House of the Lord was set in Order 2 Chron. 29. So ought all Services under the Gospell to be done Let all things be done decently and in Order Put these together and you have the full comprehension of this second Generall so requisite in every Church-Order Now to winde up what I have raveled and to returne from whence I have made this necessary digression In which of these two Chambers shall we find the Errours and Imperfections in this Church of onrs needing and calling for Reformation Shall we find them in matters of Faith in points of Doctrine or in Order Not in the former So much I suppose is or will be freely confessed and acknowledged at all ingenuous and impartiall hands As for the great things of the Gospell matters of Faith or Doctrine the first Reformers of our Church had so happy a hand therein that there is to be found little if any hay or stubble therein It is the free publick and true acknowledgement oâ— one no back-friend to Church-Reformation in his Sermon before the Honourable House of Commons upon that Subject Not in Faith not in Doctrine Blessed be God for that Wherein then why in Order There it must be or no where And here I dare not say but that some things may be found amisse some Errours some Defects some Corruptions and those possible to be found in every corner of this Chamber In every of those three Branches which I particularized even now In some of them they are more palpable not more palpable then deplorable In the two former I think none but will acknowledge foule errours foule deformities 1. As first in point of Christian Vnitie and Agreement Herein what disorder in the Church of God amongst us The Church
and precise difference betwixt the precious and the vile the Chaffe and the wheate not casting out any of the one not retaining any of the other In which two things as in opening of the clause fore-going I shewed you consisteth the fidelity of a Fanner Faithfull Fanners such as may doe the worke of the Lord not negligently not deceitfully but with all their might all their strength every wayes approving themselves to their Lord and Master in doing his worke according to his owne mind and will Such Fanners beg we from the Owner of this Floore Withall imploring his direction his assistance for them that he would both guide and blesse the Fanne in their hands making their endeavours effectuall for the through purging of this Floore of his 2. Thus seeking it from God seeke we it also from men those into whose hands Jesus Christ either hath or shall put this Fanne of his These I meane to whom he hath committed a lawfull Power and Authority whether supreame viz. under himselfe or subordinate over this Floore this Church of his for the ordering of it Beg we it from them that they would set the Fanne a work using all lawfull warrantable waies and means both for the discovering and casting out of what ever remainders of Chaffe there are to be found in this Floore Thus earnestly pray we for this Reformation Which doing then In the next place Quietly wait for it A good thing so to doe in all straits and difficulties It is good saith the Church that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord This doe we in this case a case wherein the worke happily may meet with some unexpected difficulties sticking in the birth as now a long time it hath done not comming off either so easily or speedily as it may be we made account of in this case let us wait and quietly wait waiting for the Law of our God as the Prophet Isaiah saith the Iles the Gentiles should doe The Iles shall wait for his law Isa. 4â— i. e. for the Doctrine of Jesus Christ This let us of this Iland doe Christ being now as we hope about that great worke which the Prophet there speaketh of in the words immediately fore-going setting Judgment in the Earth that is as the Geneva note glosseth upon it setting all things in good order in his Church for such is Christs way sometimes to bring Order out of confusion Oâ—let us now wait for his law even for what ever it is that he shall reveale unto us out of his word to be according to his will for the ordering and regulâ—ting of this Church of his This wait we for and quietly wait for it Quietly not Precipitating Quietly not Anticipating the worke 1. Not Precipitating not overhastening of it Overâ—asty births are seldome long lived never perfect Be we conâ—ent as â—â—turall mothers are to tarry the time the appointed 〈◊〉 for this Birth which we hope the Church 〈◊〉 in her woâ—be God◠〈◊〉 I meane who aâ—â—e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 downe a time a season for all other things a time for every purpose under the Sunne times for us to observe So he hath set downe a time a time with himselfe for the effecting of this worke The Apostle writing to his Hebrewes he tels them of a {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a time of Reformation a period untill which those {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} as he there calleth them those carnall legall ordinances and Constitutions were to continue Surely as that first so all successive Reformations under the Gospell they have all of them their times their periods set downe and appointed by God Be we contented to tarry that time not making haste He that beleeveth will not make haste so make haste as to use any unlawfull or unwarrantable wayes and meanes for the compassing of his desires and hopes So indeed did Jacob make haste thinking to go the next way to get the blessing but he had better have gone further about and have tarried Gods time for it Take heed of Precipitating the worke 2. And in the second place take heed of Anticipating it viz. by taking the Fanne out of the hand of Christ himselfe or out of their hands into which hee hath put it 1. Out of the hand of Christ himselfe This did thâ—se franticke Germane Anabaptists of the last age attempt to do Impatient to tarry Christs leisure for the through purging of his Floore they would set upon the worke to purge not the Church only but the world And how would they doe it Not by the Word but by the Sword therewith attempting for that was their professed designe to cut-off and destroy all the wicked from off the Earth Here if I listed to enter the Listes with mad-men I should not need to goe out of the Text for weapons He hath his Fanne in his hand and hee will throughly purge his Floore The through purging of the Church much more of the world is Christs owne worke and a worke which he will do but when Not here but hereafter In the meane time our Rule is and theirs should have been that direction of the Husbandmans to his servants touching the Wheat and the Tares Let them both grow together untill the harvest least whilest yee pluck up the Tares ye root out also the wheat with them But I forbeare to presse this â—oping that there is none here present or belonging to this place touched with this frenzy 2. Beware of taking the Fanne out of the hand of Jesus Christ or else out of their hands into which he hath put it There is a two-fold Government that Jesus Christ exerciseth upon earth The one inward and invisible viz. in the hearts of men the other outward and visible in his Church Now the former of these he exerciseth immediately by his Spirit the latter mediately by Instruments by men And thus he purgeth his Church here not immediately but mediately even as the Husbandman doth his Floore which he purgeth not by himself but by his servants into whose hands he puts the Fanne delegating and appointing some in every Church to be the ordinary instruments of publick Reformation Who these are I have glaunced at already take it now a little more fully and distinctly They must be publike persons Publike workes call for publike Instruments Publike persons are of two sorts Civill Ecclesiasticall Magistrates Ministers And upon their shoulders in an ordinary way doth this worke lye So it was in the building re-building of the Temple The chiefe undertakers in that worke were Zerubâ—abel and Jeshua Zerubâ—abel the chiefe-Prince with the Elders the chiefe of the people as you have it explained Ezr. 6. 14. Jeshua the chief-Priest with his Brethren the other Priests and Levites and Prophets all joyning hands in the worke The Prophets exciting and encouraging the Elders Ezr. 6. 14. The
yet remaining in it That there is Chaffe yet remaining in this Floore it must not be denyed Certainly were there not this Fanne the Fanne of the Crosse the Fanne of Judgement should not be so busie at worke as at this day it is and now for so many moneths hath been It is Jobs speech to his Friends Doth the wild Asse bray when hee hath grasse or doth the Oxe low over his fodder The very bruit beasts doe not complaine when they have what they would have Surely it cannot be but something must be amisse amongst us otherwise God would never deale with us and other of his Churches as at the present he doth Certainly we may hence conclude that as yet he hath not what he would have Something there is amisse amongst us and something which we hope he is about to reforme Questionlesse some scum there is in this Pot which whilest it hath bin plaâ—ing with so long a continued prosperity hath even boyled and sodden-in And hereupon it is we hope that God hath now powred in this full cup of cold-water that as he hath hereby in part raised this scumme already so he may in his time purge it out Some Chaffe in this Floore some Corruption in this Church which we trust Christ is about to purge out and reforme And doe we apprehend this to be his aime and Designe Let every of us further it vvhat vve can not hinder it Hinder it we cannot Which may serve as an argument to put us on to further it Hinder it if we would we cannot He will purge and throughly purge his floore This he will doe and that in despight of all opposition maugre the malice of Satan Antichrist and all their accursed Instruments and Adherents Let them all doe what they can either by power or pollicy to keepe the chaffe in the Floore of Christ yet Christ will purge it out And can we not hinder it Why then let us put to our hands to the furthering of it None of us in this case but may do something if we have hearts to the worke Quest But then What shall we doe A great usefull and seasonable Question but it will require more time for the resolution of it then is at the present allotted me Let me only tell you what my designe and purpose in the Answer of it is viz. to shew you these two things 1. What the Reformation is which we are to desire and seeke And secondly What we shall doe to further and compasse that Reformation Two usefull points The former I shall only touch upon in the generall having already bounded my selfe from particular inlargements upon this subject In the second I shall deale more distinctly and particularly but the time being now past taketh me off from present prosecution of either I shall adjourne them both if God please to another occasion THE THIRD SERMON May 3. 1643 MATTH. 3. 12. And he will throughly purge his Floore THe subject of the Text as you have already heard is Church-Reformation a great and a glorious worke the great designe as vve hope of Jesus Christ upon this and other of his Churches at this day Apprehending it so to be be we excited every of us to put to our hands in our severall places to doe what we may for the promoting and furthering of that designe in the Church of God amongst us This Exhortation I propounded the last day and give me now leave to prosecute it Doe what we may every of us for the furthering of this great Designe But what shall we do For answer hereunto I then chalked out the way wherein I intend now to walke which was first to shew you What that Reformation is which we are to seek Secondly What we shall doe to compasse that Reformation Begin with the first of these Qu What is that Reformation which amongst us is so desired and so desireable A question of great and present concernement other wise I should not so much as have medled with it Reformation it is the common Theame of the times No one thing more frequently more freely spoken of every where but my feares are not so clearely so distinctly understood by many it may be by some of them who seeme to be most zealous in the cause either for or against it To rectifie not to quenth or quell the zeale of the one to kindle and blow it up in the other I shall adventure to descend into or rather upon these troubled waters hovering over them as the Spirit is said to have done over those first waters Movebat super faciâ—m Mooving upon the face of the deepe or walking upon the surface of them as our Saviour once did upon the Sea not diving into them passing over the point as lightly as tenderly as overly as generally as with convenience I may Yet so as I may give some satisfaction to those which doe or shall desire it For resolution we must looke a little back casting an eye so far as with humble modesty we may upon the Churches deformation enquiring what chaffe there is yet left in this floore what Errours what Imperfections what corruptions there are or may be supposed to be left in this Church unpurged out unreformed Chaffe there is Errours Imperfections there are as what Church without Let that be granted yealded But wherein lye those Errours those Imperfections To find them out we shall not need to goe far about there are but two Rooâ—â—s two Chambers as I may say wherein we are to make search for them They must be either in matters of Faith or Order To these two heads the Apostle reduceth the whole businesse of a Church Col. 2. 5. Beholding your Order and the stedfastnesse of your Faith There are but these two maine things to be eyed in a Church the perfection of a Constituted Church consisting in them Faith and Order the two great supporters of a Church like those two Pillars in the Porch of Solomons Temple Jachin and Boaz Establishment and Strength as the words signifie Faith Doctrine or the Doctrine of Faith the right-hand pillar the maine and principall thing in a Church So much the Apostle there insinuates in that he calleth it {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Firmamentum fidei as the vulgar Latin renders it The Firmament the Ground-worke and Foundation of Faith Such is the Doctrine of Faith to the Church Totius adificij {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} i. e. Fulcimentum as Beza glosseth upon it The maine Basis or Buttresse of this Building the maine Pillar of the Church Faith and the Church they are mutuall Pillars each a Pillar to other the Church a Pillar to Faith and Faith a Pillar to the Church but in a different respect The Church is a Pillar to Faith The Pillar of Truth modo forensi a Pillar houlding it forth as Pillars doe the publick Edicts or Proclamations which
preposterous and inordinate zeale in snatching the Fanne or Whip out of the hand of Christ which in some sense they may be said to doe who take it out of the hands of his Servants his Officers those to whom in an ordinary way he hath commited the authority and charge of purging his Floore his Temple Reforming his Church Here is the fifth Direction A sixth and last is yet behind Earnestly praying quietly waiting for this Reformation then if ever God give us to see it humbly submit to it I though it should not be every way according to our own minds agreeable to the modell which we have moulded and framed to our selves So did the Churches to the Determinations and decisions of that first Councell or Synod the Councell at Jerusalem Notwithstanding that the Councell had imposed some burdens upon them so they call them burdens not to their Consciences for such they were not but in respect of some restraint put upon their liberty by them as viz. The absteyning from meats offered to Idols from blood c. things in themselves of an indifferent nature and so lawfull for them to doe yet the Councell apprehending and conceiving them necessary necessary not simply and absolutely but respectively pro tempore for that time not in themselves in their own nature but extrinsically and accidentally necessary viz. for the preserving and maintaining of Peace and Vnitie in the Church as Calvin well explaines it it enjoynes them and the Councell enjoyning the Churches submit and that both humbly and joyfully Surely even such a submission ought Christians to yeald to the determinations of lawfull Authority in things not contrariant but agreeable to the Rules of the word either to the particular and expresse rules and directions therein conteyned or else to those generall Rules of Decencie Order Edification the three maine points of the Churches compasse according to which she is to steare her course in the ordering of all such Church affaires as are not expresly and distinctly stated and regulated in the word of which nature no question some will be found In all these God and his Church expects a humble submission from the hands of all private Christians The Law was expresse under the Law In matters of controversie which could not easily be decided the people were to repaire to the Priest and the Judge and to their Order they were to stand So you have it expressely Deut. 17. If there arise a matter too hard for thee in Judgement c. Thou shalt come to the Priests the Levites and to the Judge the Judge for the time being who was to raâ—ifie the sentence of the Priest and enquire and they shall show thee the sentence of Judgement This the Priest and the Judge were to doe Ex Offiâ—io And marke what followes Thou shalt doe according to the sentence which they shall shew thee and thou shalt observe to doe according to all that they informe thee viz. according to the sentence of the Law as you have it vers. 11. that is the Law of God which was to be their Rule Now surely however that Law being Judiciall was as touching the obligation of it Temporarie yet the equity and Moralitie of it is perpetuall In cases controversall about the Religion Worship and Service of God the people ought to make their addresses to the Priest and the Judge Ministers and Magistrates desiring and expecting their decisions their determinations and to that sentence of theirs being as I said consonant and agreeable to the Word viz. to the particular or generall Rules of it they ought quietly and humbly to submit So the Apostle presseth it in that knowne place Heb 13. Obey them thâ—â— have the Rule over you {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Ductoriâ—us Prâ—â— sitis your Leaders your Rulers be they Civill or Ecclesiasticall though he speake there chiefely of the latter And submit your selves {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Obey and Submit viz. in Believing and practising what they teach and require agreeable to the Word of God which still must be their Rule and ours Time taketh me off I must strike sayle Put we now these directions together and reduce them to practise Would we have the Floore of Jesus Christ amongst us purged and throughly-purged the Church of God blessed with a happy Reformation of what is amisse amongst us Be we thankefull for what we have Mourne over what we want Begin the worke of Reformation at home at our own Hearts Lives Families which having done then earnestly pray for quietly waitâ— for such a Reformation as may be after Gods own Heart and Mind which he shall please to tender unto us thankefully receive it humbly submit to it So doing doubt we not but God will doe his own worke in his owne time To this end it is that God the great Husbandman hath put the Fanne into the hand of this his righteous Servant the Lord Christ that he should purge his Floore And this he will doe and that faithfully throughly He will throughly purge his Floore Our hopes are that he is now about to doe it and that he will speedily doe it Whether so or no we are assured he will doe it Whether this Floore this particular Church in this Kingdome or no we have no assurance though some comfortable hopes but his Floore his Church his Church visible upon Earth he will purge washing off those spots and freckles from the face of it which doe now any wayes deforme it beautifying and adorning it with all requisite ornaments and habiliments which may make it lovely in his eyes and the eyes of his Saints so dressing and preparing it as a Bride adorned for her Husband This the Lord Jesus the Head of the Church in his own time will doe And for this let all of us waite and pray REV. 22. 20. Even so come Lord Jesus come quickly FINIS Christ floore vvhat Generally this inferiour vvorld vvhich is A floore being the pavement of Gods house Christs floore vvhere he exerciseth divers pieces of his husbandry up on his corne Iohn 10. verse last Threshing Isaiah 25. 10. Isaiah 21. 10. Amos 1. 3. Fanning Ieâ— 15. 7. Winnowing Tribulations here not to bee vvondred at Heb 4. 9 10. 1 Pet 4. 12. The floore shall be purged Rev. 21. 1. Christs floore more specially is his Church visible Aquin. ad locum The visible Church what 1 Pet. 1. 1. 1 Pet. 5. 2. The visible Church a Floore For mixture of Corne and Chaffe Rev. 21. v. last 2 Tim. 2. 10. 1 Tim. 3 15. Gal 6. 10. ver. 16. ver. 17. So it is de Facto not de Jure ver. 19. 1 King 7. 49 50. Mat 13. 47. ver. 30. Mat. 22. 10. 2 Pet. 2. 13. Iude 12. Reason God will have it so For the Tryall 1 Cor. 11. 19. For the benefit of his people Satanwill have it so Mat. 13. 25. The
and power as no where more Strange that any should question whether Christ have a floore a Church amongst us or no But it may be said the Fanne may worke out of the floore sometimes in other corners of the Barne and sometimes abroad in the open field And thus say our adversaries of the Seperation the word may be and often is preached where there is no true Church Paul preached the word to the scoffing Athenians say they who yet were no true Church To this Evasion I have insinuated an answer already in that I said not the Preaching but the ordinary Preaching of the word is an effentiall marke and note of a true Church The word may be preached two wayes Either Occasionally or Ordinarily in a setled way Now in the former way it may be preached to Heathens and Infidels where there is no more but the Passive Capacity of a Church It is the latter of these that we conclude to be an evidence of a true Church viz. the setled preaching of the word amongst a people that professe subjection to it Where the fanne is constantly at worke day after day and weeke after weeke who questions but there is a floore Where the word is preached in a fetled way day after day weeke after weeke yeare after yeare to a people professing subjection and obedience and not without power and efficacy especially being attended and accompanied with the Sâ—ales of the Covenant the Sacraments for substance rightly administred surely it cannot be denied but that there is a Church a true Church And this is it we say for the Church of England or Churches in England for I am not curious or scrupâ—lous about the word In this floore Christs fanne hath beene stirring and that lively his Gospell hath beene preached and that powerfully succeâ—sefully and that for more then a whole age together How much Corne is now layed up in Gods Garner which this Fanne hath dressed in this Floore How many blessed soules now triumphing in Heaven which were here gained and brought home unto Christ by the ministery of the word in this Church And shall we yet question whether it be a true floore or no upon a bare supposall that the Corne was not brought in at the right doone or that the boards were not layed right at the first whether a true Church or no because of some supposed failings in the first constitution The Argument happily is displeasing to some of you Let me tell you it is not pleasing to my selfe Had I not met with it so full that I could not baulke it without manifest injury to the Text and to sleighting of the generall current of Expositors writing upon it whose company I shall ever make much of I would not have fallen with it at present A word or two more to sweeten your pallates and I have done Is the Church Christs floore here is Comfort to the Church and to all that wish well to it The Church being his floore he will have an eye to it So will a faithfull servant have to his Masters floore he will have an eye to it that the Corne shall not be either stollen or ftroyed Such a faithfull servant will Christ approve himselfe unto God his Father Moses was faithfull in all Gods House and Christ will be faithfull in his Floore in looking to his Corne that it be not stroyed Threshed fanned winnowed it may be but stroyed it shall not be Not a Graine of Wheate shall miscarry in this Floore Expresse and emphaticall is that of the Prophet Amos in the place fore-named I will sift the house of Israel amongst all Nations like as Corne is sifted in a five yet shall not the least graine fall upon the earth Marke it Gods Corne may be sifted winnowed but not a graine of it shall fall to the earth If Wheate it shall not be stroyed Why Christ will have an eye to this floore to his Church not any true member of it shall perish or miscarry Of all that his Father hath given him he will loose nothing A word of Exhortation and but a word Is the Church Christs floore let him have the ordering of it and of all businesses in it This priviledge we will allow the Husbandman to order the businesse in his own floore Let Christ doe as much in his Church in ordering all the publick Ordinances in it And who but he should doe it It being his floore over which he hath an absolute Soveraignty So much for this time THE SECOND SERMON April 19. 1643. MATTH. 3. 12. And he will throughly purge his Floore WE have here set forth as you heard the last day the Exercise of the Soveraigne Authority of Jesus Christ over and upon his Church His Church that is here meant by the Floore the visible Church of Christ which in what respects it is called a floore and His floore I then shewed you Not to looke backe Come we now to the second particular to see what shall be done to this floore It shall be purged saith the Text throughly purged He will throughly purge his Floore Purge it Not cast it off not breake it up I like not that Surgerie saith one of our late Worthies which upon every aylement dismembreth and cutteth of I know not who would like that Husbandry which because of some chaffe in the floore would presently breake it up Not so purge it purge it This is Christs way let it be ours He will throughly purge his Floore The Church then shall be purged throughly purged This is that which the Lord promiseth to the Church of the Jewes Isa. 1. I will purely purge away thy drosse What ever it was that defiled or imbased that Church she should be purged from it and purely throughly purged This promise he will make good to his Church under the Gospell It shall be purged throughly purged Purged What shall it be purged from Who shall purge it When shall he purge it By what â—eans shall he purge it And wherefore will he so purge it Enquire we into every of these five particulars by way of Explication and Illustration To most of them to the foure first we shall find an answer in the Text Begin with the first From what shall this floore be purged The Text it selfe insinuates the answer from the Chaffe that is in it He will purge hâ— floore and will burne the chaffe First purge it out cast it out of the floore then burne it And from this shall the visible Church of Christ be purged from the chaffe that is in it What chaffe Take the word as we will understanding by it either corrupt persons or corruptions themselves Both in the phras and language of Scripture knowne by the name of chaffe Corrupt and wicked men they are chaffe The ungodly are like the chaffe saith the Psalmist Chaffe for their vilenesse barrennesse inconstancy c. As corrupt men so corruptions
What is the chaffe to the wheat saith the Lord Jer. 23. Gods truthâ—s as wheat sound and solid False Doctrines are as chaffe Such are corruptions in Doctrine and such are corruptions in worship and such are corruptions in Discipline all as chaffe that will not endure the Fanne of the word And from this chaffe shall this floore of Christ the Church be purged viz. both from corrupt men and from corruptions themselves 1. Corrupt wicked men Hypocrites and others they are in the Church as ill humours in the body In the body but not of it Joyning themselves to the mysticall body of Christ but no true Members of it And being such they shall be purged out Wicked men Hypocrites and others they are as Drosse and Tinne mixed with the good and pure mettall and being such they shall be purged out I will purge away thy drosse saith the Lord amongst other her corrupt Judges and Councellours which should be taken away Wicked men they are the Goates which now flock and feed together with the Sheepe Joyning themselves unto the people of God and having communion with them in many it may be in all the publike ordinances of God They are the Tares which grow up together with the wheat in the same field They are the chaffe which cleaving close to the Corne lyeth with it upon the same Goaffe upon the same heape Being so they shall be severed they shall be weeded purged out The Church shall be purged from corrupt men 2. And secondly from Corruptions themselves Corruptions there are and will be creeping in and cleaving to the state of the visible Church or Churches of Christ upon Earth Corruptions not only in manners which are personall but corruptions in Doctrine corruptions in worship corruptions in Discipline Church-corruptions Now from all these shall the Church be purged I will take away all your Tinne What ever it was that corrupted the state of that Church This will Christ doe for his Church under the Gospell He will purge away all her Drosse all her corruptions be they as I said in manners Doctrine worship Expresse and full is that of the Prophet Ezekiel Ezek. 36. 25. From all your filthinesse and from all your Idols will I cleanse you saith the Lord Cleanse them from their filthinesse from corruptions in manners â—hose spirituall pollutions and defilements From their Idols all corruptions in Doctrine in worship And let me adde also corruptions in Discipline too It is the Lords promise to the Church of the Jewes in that place fore-named Isa. 1. 26. I will purge â—â—ay thy â—rassv c. And I will restore thy Iudges as at the first and thy Counsellours as at the beginning And this will Christ doe for his Church under the Gospell He will restore her Judges as at the first and her Counsellours as at the beginning Restoring his Church to Primitive Order and Discipline purging out what ever corruptions are in this respect crept into it All this without question shall be done the Church shall be purged And throughly purged {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} perpurgabit Thus did Christ purge the Temple in the dayes of his flesh he made a thorough sweepage driving out all the buyers and sellers c. And thus will he purge his Church {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} He will throughly purge it Purge out All corrupt men and All corruptions I will purely purge c. Repurgabo ut purificationem so Montanus renders the place I will diligently and throughly purge thee as the Fornace or fining pot doth the silver This is that which the Prophet Malachi tels the Church Mal. 3. where prosecuting the same Allegory he sets forth the sedulity and exactnesse of Christ in this purging of his Church He shall sit downe to try and to fine the silver hee shall even fine the sonnes of Levi and purifie them as gold and silver Marke it full expressions Christ shall purge and purifie his Church and this he shall do both diligently and throughly Diligently not cursorily He shall sit downe to try c. As a man that intends a worke seriously he sitteth downe to it Throughly he shall try and fine and purifie c. The Prophet multiplieth words heaps up expressions all to intimate the throughnes the perfectnes of this work Gods works they are all perfect works As for God his way is perfect Psal. 18. Such they either are or such they shall be before he leave them Such was his worke of Creation perfect at the first Every thing which he had made was very good i. e. perfect Such shall his worke of new Creation be the worke of Regeneration though imperfect at the first yet before hee leave it it shall be perfect He who bath begun â— good worke in you will perfect it saith Paul to his Philiâ—pians The new birth though at the first â—n 〈◊〉 yet it shall grow to a perfect man This will Christ doe as for every true member of his Church The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me saith the Psalmist Psal. 1â—8 last so for the Church it selfe The â—â—w Heaven and th◠〈◊〉 Earth shall be as perfect as the old ever was He that hath begun the good worke of restoring purging his Church will also perfect it he will purge it throughly purge it He will doe it Who Why that shall the Lord Jesus Christ There have you the answer to the second enquiry which I am fallen upon unawares He shall throughly purge his floore saith the Baptist The floore is His as I have showen you and being so he will take care as for other things so for the purning of it To this end God the Father the great Husbandman hath put the Fanne into the hand of this his Servant that he should dresse his Corne purge his floore To this onâ— amongst other hath he given all Power and Authoriâ—y to him as over the whole world so over his Church after a speciall manner that he should purge it And this he will doe which is properly his worke He is like a purging fire and like Fullers soape saith the Prophet Malachi speaking of Christ Mal 3. 3. He shall sit downe to try c. He shall make it his worke to purge the Church And indeed who but he should doe it I who but he can doe it The purging of the Church is a great worke So was the purging of the Temple a greater worke then it is ordinarily apprehended Temple purgatiâ— maximum miraculum saith the Father The purging of the Temple it was one of the greatest miracles that ever Christ did in the dayes of his â—lesh That a private person so he was then accounted and taken to be nay a despicable person of so inferiour a ranke the Sonne of a Carpenter should come into the Temple with a whip in his hand
which should be one one in the Members of it I pray that they may be all one saith our Saviour speaking of all that are given to him to beleeve on him to make profession of his Name One in Head and Heart Judgement and Affection united to Christ and amongst themselves by those sacred bonds of Faith and Love how is it divided rent torne Christians Members of the same mysticall body how severed and hat both in Judgement and Affection The evidence is too cleare against us 2. And no lesse cleare in the second particular In the Personall walkings of Christians what Irregularitie amongst those which joyne themselves to the Church or Churches of God amongst us how many that walke {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Disorderly neither Righteously nor Soberly nor Godly persons every wayes Scandalous in their practise running counter to their professions shaming the Gospell of Christ and the Church of God as ungracious Children doe their Mother as worthy to be severed and seperated from all Church society and communion as ever was Leaper or uncleane person to be cast or kept out of the Campe or Temple A blot it must be acknowledged and a blot very readily hit that we should have such and so many of these Blots and Spots {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} as S. Peter and Jude calleth them in our most sacred Feasts whether for want of Power to keepe or cast them out or for want of the due exercise of that power I dispute it not That it is so de Facto it must not it cannot be denied So as in this point it seemeth that the Temple of God amongst us is yet imperfect having too great an outward Court of an Ignorant and Prophane multitude layed unto it In both these as I said the evidence is too cleare against us 3. And I will not take upon me to cleare and acquit the third and last I am no Accuser neither come I hither to pick holes in the Churches coate to passe a peremptorie censure upon what ever standeth established by the Law to which I am a Subject Yet dare I not say but even therein in point of Discipline take the word largely there may be some things and many things amisse Some things Redundant and Superfluous fit to be pared off and taken away Some things deficient and wanting wherein the Church hath not yet attained her full perfection Neither can it be thought any dishonour to those ever honoured Worthies the first Reformers of this Church that they should leave it in some particulars imperfect Strange and wonderfull it is that coming out of such darknesse they should see so much as they did that they should leave the Church so perfect which they found so imperfect and that both for Faith and Order in both like that first Chaoâ— without forme and voide But to doe them right and the Church no wrong Enquire we yet a little further of what Nature and Qualitie are those Errours those Imperfections which we suppose to be yeâ— left remaining Are they Fundamentals or no destructive to the Essence and being of a Church or no Not so This also is or I suppose will be freely yeelded and acknowledged at all Judicious hands In the first Reforming of this Church God tooke care for all fundamentall Ordinances of his worship furnishing the Church with what was necessary for the making and building up of Saints and the bringing of his people to Heaven Word Sacraments Prayer those great Ordinances of God the very Basis of the Church together with all the substantials appertaining to them were all setled and established at the first And I may adde to them the substantials of Discipline also Wherein then lyeth the Errour why surely for the most part in circumstantials Such is Order to Ordinances a Circumstance an Appurtenance And herein probably there may be some possibly many and those very considerable defects to be found amongst us The House of God amongst us may want some of her Vtensils and Ornaments The Worship of God though for substantialls entire yet may want some of her Appurtenances and Accoutrements The Ordinances of God though for substance rightly dispensed and administred yet in the manner and Order of their Administration possibly they may be found some of them at the least not so Regular and Orderly Now put these together and see what it is that standeth charged upon this Church as needing and calling for Reformation Her Defects in point of Order Her Members first are not so joynted and cemented together as the Timbers and Stones of the Temple ought to be Many of them in the second place in their personall walkings doe not answer their profession being scandalous in their lives and conversations Her Ordinances in the third place some of them defective in some Circumstances wanting some Appurtenances or else not so Exact for the Order and manner of their Administration Q. Why but you may say are these Errours and Defects Tanti are they of such high concernement as that the Reformation of them should be so earnestly desired A. To this I must answer and I shall doe it freely Of Concernement they are and that of great concernement Though not of so great as some have taken them to be who have forsaken and abandoned the Church for them renouncing nullifying it as being no floore because of these remainders of chaffe in it no Church because of these defects these corruptions Yet of greater then others happily conceive them That will appeare if we doe but consider these two things 1. The Inconveniency of allowing or tolerating of these corruptions 2. The conveniencie of their Reformation For the former Corruptions in a Church are like Moathâ—s in a Garment if let alone they will be subject to decay it Many and great are the Inconveniencies and hazzards which the Church of God amongst us by reason of these acknowledged corruptions or imperfections at the present lyeth under 1. The want of unity and agreement what an Eye-sore Nay what a Heart-sore For the Divisions of Reuben were great thoughts of heart To see the seamelesse Coat of Christ nay his Body rent and torne in pâ—eces Christians members of the same mysticall body so divided in head and heart in judgement and affection a sad spectacle and as sad a presage Vnity as it is the Beauty so is it the strength of a Church No one thing either deformes or weakens it more then division 2. To have the outward Court of the Temple so wide as that it should admit and receive all comers what a disproportion To have all sorts of persons Persons openly profane and scandalous received into and retained in the bosome of the Church admitted to Church society and Communion even communion in those sacred mysteries the Seales of the Covenant what a scaâ—dall What a Hazard Hereat and hereby some are offended others hardened the Church
endangered Indangered and that both in respect of guilt and infection Both these wayes that of the Apostle carries a truth with it A little leaven leaveneth the whole lumpe leaven corrupt and scandalous sinners not purged out but allowed or connived at in a Church it leaveneth the whole lumpe layeth the whole Church under a guilt where the Church is Accessary to that Toleration besides the danger of souring leavening infecting others possibly the whole Church probably some of the members of it both ways the Church is damnified or indangered 3. To want a due and right Order in dispencing the Ordinances of God or managing the affaires and businesses of the Church it is a thing of dangerous consequence I though the substance be right David in bringing the Arke from Kiriath-Jearim to Jerusalem from a private house the house of Abinadab to its own place the Tabernacle which he had prepared for it for the substance of the duty he was right in it yet mistaking in the Order laying the Arke upon a Cart which should have been carried upon the Priests and Levites shoulders God made a Breach amongst them for it The Lord our God saith he made a breach amongst us for that we sought him not after the due order Not observing the order instituted and appointed by God in his Law Of such dangerous consequence may some failings in point of order be Were there nothing else this alone may provoke God against a people to cause him to breake in upon them to make a Breach amongst them Great Inconvenience in allowing tolerating of these corruptions On the other hand as great convenience in their Reformation To have all the stones gathered out of the Lords vineyard to have all stumbling-blocks and scandals all grounds and causes and as much as may be occasions of division removed and taken out of the way whereby the hearts of Gods people may come to be cemented and united together To have the Court of the Temple reduced to it's due scantling and proportion made neither too wide nor too strait there may be an errour on both hands To have the House of God cleane swept and garnished purged from all corruptions furnished with all requisite Implements and Ornaments not only her Altar Table Candlesticke but also her Tongs and her Snuffers c. and those all of pure gold To have her Officers and Ordinances all reduced to native primitive purity and simplicity To have this Vineyard amongst us not only planted with choice vines but to have a hedge set about it a hedge of Discipline about the Ordinances to have a Towre and a Wine-presse and all other requisites in it How would this ad both to the beauty and safety of the Church to the Power and Glory of the Ordinances to the joy comfort and growth of all the Members of the mysticall Body Let them not then be blamed who seeke and seeke earnestly for the purging of this floore the Reformation of this Church in the fore-named particulars But what then shall we doe for the compassing or furthering of this Reformation Here falls in the second Question For Answer to which take some directions one for the present for I see I shall not be able to compasse what I intended In the first place Be we thankefull for what we have A usefull a needfull direction No means more effectuall to obtaine what we want and would have then thankefully to acknowledge what we have already received This doe we in the behalfe of the Church of God amongst us not lessening not undervaluing much lesse over-looking and forgetting the great things which our God hath already done for us This doe some I feare too many amongst us whose eyes are all upon the Churches blacknesse they are evill eyes which are so a thing which the Church chargeth the Daughters of Jerusalem her friends not to doe Looke not upon me because I am blacke Cant. 1. her blemishes her spots her defects her corruptions and in beholding of these they are Eagle-eyed but in the meane time as for her comelinesse her beauty her graces her blessings these they either over-looke or else looke overly and coyly upon them as if they were not worth the looking on The Story tels us of the Israelites that when they first saw that Bread which God rained downe from Heaven for them They said one to another saith the Text it is Mannah or as the Septuagint and Montanus with others render it according to the Originall Man-Hua Quid hoc What is this And is not this the language of some amongst us at this day touching that Bread of life which God daily raineth from Heaven for the feeding the soules of his people These sacred Ordinances of his his Word and Sacraments Man-Hua Quid hoc What are thâ—se Ordinances indeed but they cannot have them in the way of an Ordinance as they say dispenced in a due Order after such a manner as they would have and therefore nothing worth especially wanting some other Ordinances to attend and accompany them A dangerous surfet my Brethren Such was that of the Israelites which they tooke of their Mannah We can see nothing say they but this Mannah this we know not what Why what would they have some other dish besides They would have flesh to their Mannah Who shall give us flesh to eâ—â— And without this their Mannah was nothing worth they were weary of it A dangerous surfet so that proved to them God heard their prayers gave them their desires sent them in another dish a second course dish and that a dainty one Quailes but they had better have been without it I pray God the like Maladiâ— amongst us doe not meet with a like Remedy the like sinne I meane our inordinate lusting understand iâ— rightly do not meet with a like punishment Certainly this surfetting of our Mannah a disease which begins to grow too epidemicall it can presage no good For this cause it was that the Carkases of so many of the Israelites fell in the wildernesse In Memoriall whereof they called the place where those Carkases were buried Kibroth Hattaavah Sepulchra concupisceâ—â—iae The grâ—â—es of lust For saith the Text there they buried the people which fell a lusting I will not I dare not say that for this cause so many Carkases are fullâ—â— amongst us in this Kingdom at this day I dare not write Kibroth Hattaavah upon the Sepulchers of any that have yet â—â—llen in this unhappy quarrell the ground whereof is said to be not Reformation but Selfe preservation not the obtaining of what we never yet had but the retaining of what God and the Law have invested us in and possessed us of But this I dare say and this I must say that the inordinate lusting of some amongst us though after things in themselves very desirable their inordinate lusting I say when they shall so lust after
Church a floore for the Husbandry used in it Isa. 21. 10. Here the fanne of the Word at worke The Church Christs floore By Donation Psalm 2. 8. ver. 6. Iosh. 17. 12. By Purchase â— Sam. 24. Act. 20. 18. In regard of his presence in it Ruth 3. 7. Cant 1. 6. ver. 7. Providence over it in Watching the Corne Mat. 24. 24. Psal. 121. 4. Ordering the businesse in it Vse 1. Anabaptists conâ—uted Vid Fâ—lk and â—â—rtvvright super Text. 1 Cor. 5. 10. Vse 2. Be not offended at mixtures in the Church amongst us Mixtures not pleaded for 1 Cor. 5. 7. But the Church Mat. 23. 16. ver. 3. Ioh. 11. 49. Hose 4. 9. Object The Church of Englâ—nâ— a true Church Quest Answ A 〈◊〉 Church how known Object Acts 17. 16. Answ The ordinary and setle spreaching of the Word a note of a true Church Vse 3. Comfort Christ will have an eye to this his Floore Heb. 3. 2. Amos 9. 9. Ioh. 6. 39. Vse Exhortation Let Christ have the ordering of it Banâ—â— Epist. 24 Doct â—hrists Floore his Church shall be purged and that throughly Isa. 1. 25. Purged Quest 1. From what shall it be purged Answ From the chaff viz Corrupt men corruptions Psal 1. penult Ier. 23. 28. From corrupt men Isa. 1. 26 Mat. 25. 32 33. Mat. 13 38. Rev. 21. ult. Corruptions Isa. 1 Isa. 1. 2â— Throughly purged Mat. 21. 12. Isa. 1. 25. Mal. 3. 3. Gods way perfect Ps. 18. 30. Gen. 1. last Phil 1 6. Eph. 4. 13. Isa. 65. 17. Quest 2. Who will purge it viz Christ Ioh. 1â— 1. Isa. 53. 1â— Mat. 28. 18. Mal. 3. 3. None but hecan doe it The through purging of the Church a great worke Hieron. Rom. 1. 4. Dionis Cart has in 2 Joh. To purge it from all corruptions Act. 1â— 29. From all corrupt persons Heb. 4. 13. Specially the casting out of Antichrist 2 Thes. 2. 4. Rev. 17 9. 2 Thes. 2. 4. 2 Thes. 2. 8. The through purging of the Church an argument of Christs Divinitie Parâ—us aâ—l loc. Calv. in Isa. 1. 25. Quest 3. When shall the Church be purged Act. 1. 6. The purging of the Church a continued work begun and carried on here perfected hereafter Ioh. 2. 15. Mat. 21. 12. Mark 11. 15. Luk 19. 45. Mal. 3. 3. Quest 4. How Christ purgeth it viz. by hu Fanne Scultet exercit super Textum Ventilabrum in manu Christi triplex 1. Doctrinae 2. Crucis 3. Iudicij Properly the Fanne of the Word Iâ—r â—3 29. 1 Cor. 3. 12 13. 2 Thes. 2. 8. Rev. 1. 16. Heb. 4. 1â— Psal 45. 5. Rev. 6. â— Isa. â—1 4. 2 Cor 3. 6. 2 Cor. â— 16. Accompanied with the wing of Discipline Accidentally â—y the Fanne oâ— the Crosse Isa. 27 9. ver. 8. ver. 9. Mat. 25. 32. Mat. 13. 30 Rev. 2â— 27. Quest 5. Wherefore shall it be so purged viz. that it may be a glorious Church Dan 2. 32. Ephes 5 27. Introduction to Application James 3. 15. 2 Sam. â—0 12 13. 1 Cor 3 2. T. G. Zerobabels Incâ—uragement Vse Doe what wee may to further this designe of Iesus Christ upon this Church viz. the Purging Reforming of it Act. 18. 10 Iob 6. 5. Ezek 24. 6. Psal 73. 10. Motive Christs worke cannot be hindered Quest What shall wee doe Vse Quest What Reformation to be â—esired in this Church Gen. 1. 2. Mat. 14. 25. Answ The Churches Imperfection wherein it consisteth Ezek. 8 12. It must be either in Faith or Order Col. â— 5. Faith and Order the two main Pillars of a Church Duo ponit Apostolus quibus constat Eccleâ—iâ— perfectio Beza ad â—ocuâ— 1 King 7 21. Faith the right-hand Pillar Ibid. 1 Tim. 3. 15. Order the left-hand Pillar Naz Col. 2. 5. Order of the Essence of a Church Ex quibus veluâ—i generalibus partibus constat Ecclesia Beza Ibid. Ames Medul lib. 1 cap. 33. Cant. 6. 10. Some Perfection of Order of great concernement to a Church Isa. 9. 7. church-Church-Order der wherein it consists viz. in 3. things Dâ—venâ—t 〈◊〉 Calvin super Col. 2. 5. Vnitie in Iulgment and Affection Phil. 2. 2. ver. 20. Regulatitie in life and convensation Tit. 2 12. 2 Thes. 3. 6. Discipline 2 Chron. â—9 35. 1 Cor. 14 â—lt The Church of England defective not in points of Faith Zerubbabels IncouragemeÌ„t by T. G. But Order viz. In Vnity Ioh. 17. 21. Regularity 2 Pet 2. 13. Iude 1â— Discipline Of what nature these supposed imperfections are Not Fundamentall T. G. Ibid. But for the most part Circumstantiall These Errours and Imperfections of great concernment The Inconvenienâ—y of tolerating them Iudg. 5. 15 16. Col. 1. 24. 1 Cor. 5. 6. 1 Chron. 13. ver. 10. 1 Chro. 15. 13 The Conveniency of their Reformation 1 King 7 48 49 50. Isa. 5. 1 2. Quest 2. Wâ—aâ— shall private Christians do â—o further this worke Direct 1 â—e thankfull for mercies enjoyed Cant. 1. 6. Exod. 16. 15. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Numb. 11. 6. ver. 4. Inordinate lusting though after things in their owne nature very desirable of dangerous consequence ver. 33. ver. 34. What great things God hath done for the Church already Ps. 80. 8. Isa 5. 1. Psal. 8. â— ver 9. ver. 10. Isa. 5. 2. Psal. 80. 13. Isa. 5. 2. Acts 7. 38. Deut. 4. 7. Rom. 9. 4. Tit 3. 5. Exod. 27. 3. â— King 7. 40 â—0 Our unthankfulnesse for Mercies received a daÌ„gerouâ— presage Zach. 4 7. Grace Grace ingraven upon every stone in this Building Ezra 3. 11. Zâ—ch 4. 10. Vse A Caution Doe not thinkâ— our selves perfect Phil. 3. 12. Rev. 3. 17. Rev. 2. 4. 14 20 Rev. 3. 8. Church perfection here is but comparative Rev. 22. 8. Gal. 2. â— Phil 3. 13. Direct 2. Mourne over Imperfections Ezek. 9 4. Luk. 19. 41. Ezra 3 12. Direct 3. Begin the work of Reformation at home Luk. 23. 28. Reforming our selves 2 Tim. 2. 21. ver. 22. Iam. 4 8. Our Fanilies Philem 2 Gen. 17. last Iosh. 24. 15. Psal. 101. 7. ver. 8. Cant. 1. 6. Direct 4. Seeke Reformation by prayer and supplications To God Phil. 4. 6. Mat 9 last Jer. 15. 9. Jer. 48. 10. To Men Direct 5. Quietly wait for it Lam. 3. 2â— Isa. 4â— 4. ver. 4. Not precipitating it Gen 18. 10 14 Eccl. 3. 1. Heb 9. 10. Isa. 28. 16. Gen. 27. Not Anticipating it by taking the Fanne out of the hand of Christ himselfe Mat. 13. â—9 30. His Officers which are Magistrates Ministers Ezr. 3. 2. Cap. 3. 2. Cap. 5. 2. Cap. 6. 14. Cap. 6. 14. Cap 3. 8 9. 2 Chro. 29. 4 5 The Fan taken out of their hands by Rash censuring Ioh. 7. 51. Lev 13. Aynsvvorth Ann. Lev. 13 3. Deut. 21. â— Eze. 44 23 24. ver. 24. Act. 23. 3. Deut. 17. 9. ver. 11. Luk. 12. 14. Mal. â—7 Vnwarrantable Reforming Ioh. 2. 18. Calv. ad loâ—um Exod. 32 20. â— Kin. 18. 4. 2 King 23. 6. In publicâ— administratione fas non est quicquid mutare sine certâ vocatione ac mandato Dei Calv. in Ioh. 2. 18. Si ad corruptelas tollendas privatus homo manum admovet temeritatis arguetuâ— Ibid. Direct 6. Humbly submit to it Act. 15. ver. 28. ver. 29. Calv. ad loâ—um ver. 31. 1 Cor. 14. last 2 Cor 108. chap 13. 10. Deut. 17. ver. 8. 9 10 11. Heb. 13 17. Conclusion Ioh. 15. 1. Isa. 53 1â— Rev. 21. 2.