unto our Fathers to eat the fruit thereof c. behold wee are servants in it And it yieldeth much increase to the Kings whom thou hast set Over us because of our sins also they have dominion over our bodies and over our cattell at their pleasure And we are in great distresse Now in this condition behold them betaking themselves to the same course And because of all this wee make a sure Covenant and write it and our Princes Levits and Priests seal unto it Verse 38. This were they wont to doe upon these occasions Now whether there be the same occasions to be found amongst us us of this Nation or no I suppose there is none of us here present wil make any question of it Alas the Evidence is but too cleer and that as for our present Affliction so for our former Defection the one of which usually attends upon the other Affliction upon Defection so you find it in all the places forementioned and so we at least many of our brethren in this Kingdome finde it by sad and wofull experience at this day Our Defection went before and that a great Defection The Temple of God amongst us scoured blessed be God the doors thereof were not shut up yet we cannot say but it was polluted and that by bringing in humane Inventions to thrust out divine Ordinances The Lamps some of them extinguished and put out the most of them burning dim either for want of oile or snuffing How few Burning and shining Lamps The Worship of God for the most part how was it turned to a meer Formalitie our condition therein being but too like that of Israels herein the Text little to be seene in most places but a {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the meager carcasse of a cold and formall devotion The heart of Religion being well nigh eaten out Little power of it to be found in the hearts and lives of the greatest part Multitudes of scandalous persons swarming every where and yet continued members of the Church Swearers Drunkards Vnclean Persons Prophane Persons such as hated Reformation yet even they taking the Covenant of God the Seal of his Covenant in their mouthes polluting the holy Ordinances of God by their unworthy partaking in them For the rest how have the greatest part been either meerly Civill or else Lukewarme Little Heate little Life little Power of Godlinesse to be felt or seene Surely our Defection and our Provocations have beene great And our Affliction at this day seemes to answer it Our case being now the very same with Israels in the days of King Asah In those times there was no peace to him that went out nor to him that came in but great vexations were upon all the Inhabitants of the Countries And Nation was destroyed of Nation and Citie of Citie for God did vex them with all adversity So was it with them And is it not so with us at this day Now in this condition what shall wee doe Why Now let us joyne our selves to the Lord in a perpetuall Covenant Now never was Covenant more seasonable more needfull for any people then it is for England at this day Let us now make a Covenant with the Lord our God and that a Perpetuall Covenant Covenants wee have made but alasse they have beene temporary momentanie soone forgotten Let us now joyne our selves to the Lord in a perpetuall Covenant that shall not be forgotten No way so hopefull as this to appease the wrath that is gone out smoaking against us and burning amongst us to put an end to our present Afflictions and Distractions to remove the Evils which we feel to prevent the judgments which we fear to procure the mercies which we want to continue the mercies wee enjoyne to stay our God amongst us Ob. True you may say were it onely such a Covenant a joyning our selves to the Lord in a Covenant then might wee hope for such an issue But alasse this Covenant here propounded and tendered to us wee finde it to be of another nature containing in it somthings to us impertinent and others scarce warrantable A. Here I know some thing will be expected by way of satisfaction Give me leave as briefly as fully as I may or can Liber are animam to discharge conscience both mine own others by resolving such scruples as are most obvious and as I conceive of greatest importance In the Generall take the resolution thus Though this be not the onely thing in this Covenant yet I take it and so would I have every one here present to looke upon it to be the mayne viz. The ioyning of our selves and the whole Kingdome to the Lord What else means this grand Designe of a through Reformation a Personall a Nationall Reformation Personall of our own hearts lives Families Nationall of the Kingdom the three Kingdoms The former we promise to performe the latter we engage our selves by all lawfull ways in our severall places and Stations to endeavour And what is this but a Ioyning our selves to the Lord by Covenant Some particulars I confesse here may be found which at the first sight may seeme to be heterogeneall some of them Forraigne and others of them of meer Civill concernment but upon a review we shal find most of them if not all of them to lie in a way of tendency unto that great and maine end like so many lesser streams which though happily they have their severall windings and turnings yet at the length they all discharge and unload themselves into the same common Channell All of them conducing either Immediatly or mediatly to the promoting of this desired Reformation 1 To this purpose tends that first branch of the first Article where wee promise to endeavour the preservation of the Reformed Religion in the Church of Scotland against the COMMON ENEMY A clause which seemeth to look directly upon them but withall it reflects and looks back upon us who are much interssed concerned in their whether woe or welfare In their peace we may the rather hope for peace In their Ruine we cannot look long to survive Such are the mutuall engagements and concerments of both Kingdomes as that in all probabilitie they are like to stand or fall sinke or swim together And such is that other Clause in the Close of the same Article where wee promise to endeavour the bringing of all the Churches in the three Kingdomes to the neerest conjunction and uniformitie in Religion Government c. A Designe of high concernment No one thing tending more directly to the setling and establishing of the true Religion of God in all of them 2 To like purpose is the obligation in that second Article which ingageth all to endeavour the extirpation of Popery and the eradicating of such other evill weeds as may endanger the sucking out the heart of Religion how ever hinder the growth of it 3 To the same purpose as truly though not
THE SAINTS Solemne Covenant VVITH THEIR GOD As it was opened in a Sermon preached at BECCLES in the Countie of Suffolk at the taking of the Nationall Covenant there by the Ministers and other Officers of that Division BY IOH BRINSLEY Minister of the Word at Great Yarmouth IER. 50. 5. Come and let us joyne our selves unto the Lord in a perpetuall Covenant that shall not be forgotten Imprimatur IOS CARYL London printed by Andrew Coe MDCXLIV To the much honoured Sir IOHN WENTWORTH and Sir IOHN ROWSE Knights With the rest of the Right Worshipfull the Commissioners for the Countie of Suffolke Councell and Strength RIGHT WORSHIPFULL BY the appointment and in the presence of some of you was this Sermon preached And at the like request it is now published together with an addition of a Supplement to the Applicatorie part which was then through straitnesse of time left imperfect My ayme in both was and is to promote the publique service of the Kingdome and in particular the service of that day If herein I have not done what haply some would have had me by speaking their conceptions I would have them and the world know I have done what I conceived most expedient for the promoting of the service which then I was put upon and as far as I apprehend the great designe of the Kingdome That I have herein concealed my own private judgement in the point of Church Government It is not because I am afraid or ashamed to give account of it but only that I might not by an unseasonable anticipation of the judgement of that venerable Assembly now convened for the deciding and stating of that controversie both render my selfe seemingly presumptious and lay blocks in my own way by sowing of scruples which my worke was to remove and pull up What successe God was pleased to give unto my poore labours at that time some of you are witnesses My hopes are that being not altogether unsuccessefull in the hearing they may prove not wholy unusefull in the reading Such as they are I presume to put them into your hands laying both them and my selfe at the Churches feet Whose I am and ever shall be JOH BRINSLEY THE SAINTS SOLEMNE COVENANT PSAL. 50. 5. Gather my Saints together unto me those that have made a Covenant with me by sacrifice THe same occasion that hath this day brought you together in this place hath also brought this Text to my hand Wherein as Expositors for the most part conceive of it you have a generall Citation or Processe issuing out of the high Court of Heaven against the Church and people of the Iews summoning and requiring them to come and appeare before the Tribunall of the great God there to make answer to somewhat that should be objected against them The Quarrell in brief was this In that Church as in every Church there ever have been and will be there were many formall Hypocrites such as stood much upon legall Ceremonies and Sacrifices in so much as they placed all their Religion in those externall observances in the mean time over-looking those {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} as our Saviour calleth them The weightier things of the Law Iudgement Mercie and Faith or Faithfulnesse with the exercises of true Pietie and Charitie not regarding the true inward Spirituall worship and service of God Hereupon the Lord by his Prophet here cites and summons the whole Church to come and give an account of the generall formalitie Gather my Saints together unto me c. In the words we might take notice of two particulars the Processe and the Persons The Processe or Citation it selfe in the first words Gather together unto me or before me The Persons cited summoned you have them here described first by their Quality they were Saints Gods Saints Gather my Saints together unto me Secondly by their Act they were Covenanters which Act is amplified by the Manner and Solemnitie of it they were such as had made a Covenant with their God and that a solemne Covenant Those that have made a Covenant with me by Sacrifice It is this last branch of the Text that my eie is upon at this time being led to it by the present occasion wherein you have the Saints of God described to be such as had made a Covenant a solemne Covenant with their God Those that have made a Covenant with me by Sacrifice By Sacrifice Gnales Zabach saith the Originall super Sacrificium Over Sacrifice This Clause I find diversly construed by divers Expositors some carrying it one way some another according to a threefold interpretation of the precedent word Saints 1 By Saints some here understand the Faithfull people of God among the Iews the select companie of True VVorshipers Taking the word in that sense they conceive this latter clause to be a description of them They were such as had made a Covenant with God over Sacrifice that is say they over and besides Sacrifice or in stead of Sacrifice So they explain the words super Sacrificium i.e. praeter Sacrificium or pro Sacrificio Besides Sacrifice they were such as did not rest themselves contented in any Legall Ceremonie they did not subsistere in cerenis umbris as Calvin speaks sit down in those shadows they apprehended that there was aliquid altius somewhat of a higher nature in the Covenant betwixt God and his people and that they mainly looked at and applied themselves unto Or in stead of Sacrifice In stead of those legall Sacrifices and ceremoniall observances wherein the greatest part placed all their Religion they consecrated themselves unto the Lord gave up themselves unto God by a solemne Covenant In stead of those dead and unreasonable Sacrifices of bruit beasts they offered up unto God that {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} as the Apostle describes the Sacrifices of Christians that Living Sacrifice that Reasonable service devoting themselves to the true inward spirituall worship and service of God whereunto they had bound themselves by solemne Vow and Covenant This Exposition I find Calvin and Mollerus after him not wholy disallowing 2 Others in the second place taking the word Saints in a clean contrarie sense understanding by it formall Hypocrites who are here called by the name of Saints either by way of 〈◊〉 of else because they were such {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} as the Apostle faith of them Iews and Saints outwardly in the outward appearance Saints by Profession they looke upon this 〈◊〉 clause as a Character of them They were such as had made a Covenant with God over Sacrifice or with or by Sacrifice 〈◊〉 say they they so offered Sacrifice to God as if that had been all that his Covenant required which when they had done they now thought that God could not but be well pleased with them nay they thought that hereby they had tied and bound God after a
so immediatly tends that ingagement in the third Article for the mutuall preservation of the RIGHTS and PRIVILEDGES of PARLIAMENTS and the Liberties of the Kingdomes with the joint-preservation and defence of his Majesties person and authoritie Which of what concernment they are for the establishing and preserving of the true Religion of God I shall not need to tell you The Laws and just Liberties of a Kingdome they are as the outworks to Religion If these be surprized or stormed taken in it is not to bee expected that Religion should long hold out And therefore not onely expediencie but necessitie requires that they should be taken into the same counsels with Religion it selfe Of these Laws and Liberties the Kings Majestie with his Parliaments are by office the proper Guardians the grand Conservatours Great Reason then their should be a speciall respect had unto them upon whom under God wee have such an immediate dependance either for our welfare or wee I might go on and shew you the like in the three other Articles The discovery of Incendiaries persons dangerous to the Church or dangerous to the State such as shall seeke and endeavour the breeding or fomenting of Divisions in either and consequently indanger the Ruine of both of which you may read Article 4. The endeavour of preserving the Cevill Peace and Union betwixt the two Kingdoms a mercy denied to our Forefathers now setled and established by the mutuall agreement of both Parliaments spoken of Article 5. The mutuall defence and assistance of all that are or shall be confederated with us in the lawfull pursuit of this Covenant mentioned Article 6. All these how conducible they are to the maine end here propounded I suppose there is none that looketh right upon them with an impartiall and unprejudiced eye but will readily see And being subservient thereunto no reason why any should scruple the admittance of them within the verge and pale of a Religious Covenant Ob. Why but it may be said In this Covenant there are some things which may seem not onely heterogeneall to Religion but incompatible and inconsistent with it Passages subject to just scruple which a tender conscience cannot but stumble at In the taking of an Oath there are three main requisites Wee finde them all together in that knowne Text Ier. 4. Thou shalt sweare the Lord liveth in Truth in Iudgment and in Righteousnesse Now as for the first of these may some say it is possible to observe it and I wish it may be so by all that shall adventure upon this Covenant this day viz. to sweare in Truth in the uprightnesse and sinceritie of the heart But how the second how the third How in Iudgment how in Righteousnesse Alleg. 1. How in Iudgment When as there are some particulars here which the greatest part understand not know not what they mean Such is the Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government of the Church of Scotland And such are the Right and Priviledges of Parliaments with the Liberties of the Kingdomes things which the greatest part are wholly or in a great part ignorant of And how can they engage themselves to defend and maintain what they know not A. I answer as well as to maintain the Laws of the Land or the Prerogatives of the Prince neither of which are obvious to every vulgar eye few having an exact and distinct cognizance of them And yet none upon that ground scruple the engaging of themselves by solemne Oaths such as the Oath of Allegiance Supremacie c. to defend and maintain them 2 But secondly how ever wee may be ignorant of some particulars yet I suppose the generals of both either are or may be known by all that are not affectedly ignorant 3 But thirdly Take notice that as for the Dostrine and Discipline of the Church of Scotland wee are not bound to Observe but to Preserve it Not to observe it here but to preserve it there and that onely against the common Enemies of both Churches both Kingdomes Which is no more then for ought I know wee may engage our selves to doe to any other of the forregne Reformed Churches notwithstanding their Doctrine Worship Discipline be not exactly knowne unto us or it may be in some particulars not approved by us 4 An in the fourth place As for Parliament-Priviledges and Kingdoms-Liberties the oblgation here layed upon us for the maintaining of them it bindeth us no further then as they shall be declared evidenced to us to be such The like whereunto I may say of those ill weeds mention'd in the second Article Superstitiō Heresie Schisme which we here ingage our selves to endeavour the Extirpation of Here the engagement reacheth not to what ever shall be called by these names The Iews Religion Festus calls it Superstition Acts 25. The Christian Religion by the Iews is called Heresie Acts 24. And our Iust seperation from the Church of Rome is by them called Schisme but what shall be evidenced so to be by the light of the Word and consent of the Churches Alleg. 2 But you wil say in the second place Though happilie we may sweare in Iudgement understanding what we swear to yet how in Iustice how in Righteousnesse Here is the Pinche Seeing there is somwhat in this Covenant which we engage our endeavours for the extirpation of which the Law hath planted If not the Law of God yet the Law of the Land It is Prelacie by name a Plant say some of Gods own planting planted by the hands either of Christ himselfe or his Apostles or at least of Apostolicall men in the times of some of the Apostle And as planted them so watered by the Churches of Gost in all succeeding ages And shall we find our selves to endeavour the rooting out of a plant thus planted thus watered A. Mistake it not It is not Prelacy at least not this Prelacy that ever yet made this Clayme True it is Episcopacy hath done it with what right I leave it to those who are able to judge but Prelacy never Prelacy as the word hath been commonly taken amongst us for my own part if I have not mistaken it I have ever looked upon it as an Exorbitancy of Primitive Episcopacy an Excresence from that first Stem and a thing distinct from it Sure I am the Prelacy here spoken of is Which what it is the next words explaine viz. the present Church-Government by Arch-Bishops Bishops Chancellours Commissaries c. This is our Prelacy The totum conjunctum the whole body of the present Hierarchy being thus clothed thus circumstanced thus attended with such a subordination of Officers some of which most of which never yet had the face to plead a Ius divinum or yet Apostolicum neither hath the Church of God at any time found them to say no more any such {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Helpers Governours or as the new Translation renders it putting them together Helpers in Government