Power but of God the Powers that be are or lained of God This or that Form of Civill government is of God mediately i. e. by the means of man 1 Pet 2.13 Submit your selves to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake Wherefore yee must needs bee subject not only for weath but also for Conscience sake Rom 13.5 Concerning the Power of the Civil Magistrate in matters of Religion See in the next chapter That Visible Politica-Charches Church-Officers and Church-Ordinances are Gospel-Institutions appointed by Christ to continue to the end of the world appeareth as followeth briefly That Commandement which Pâ—â—â— gave to Timothy is to be kept untill the appearing of our Lord Jesus 1 Tim 6.14 But Visible Political-Church estate is part of that CoÌ„mandment which Paul gave to Timothy 1 Tim 3.15 Therefore Visible political church-estate is to continue untill the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ i. e. to the end of the world The word Commandment relates generally to all conteined in this Epistle prescribed unto Timothy to be observed Whence Beza readeth it pâ—eception rather then Precept This is part of that Depositum that great thing deposited which the holy Apostle so frequently affectionately calleth upâ—n his dear Timothy to see unto Yea and sometime forbeareth not as with a severe and most vehement adjuration to charge bin with the custody of 1 Tim 5.13 14 20. I give thee charge in the sight of God O Timothie keep that which is committed to thy charge Either God since the institutioÌ„ of the Ceremonial worship Polity of Israel by Moses hath changed the Rule of Political Church-estate more then once or he hath left his people without any Rule as concerning Political church-estate or else the Political church-estate instituted in the Gospel is to continue to the end of the world But since the institution of the Ceremonial worship Polity of â—srael by Moses God hath changed the Rule of the Political estate of the Church but once Heb 12.26 27. And it is not a trueth to say that he hath left his people without any Rule as concerning the Political estate of the church Heb 3.5 6. 1 Tim 3.14 15. 1 Cor 14.33 Therefore the Political Church-estate instituted in the Gospel is to continue unto the end of the world Pastors Teachers are Church-Officers Pastors Teachers are to continue to the end of the world Therefore Church-Officers are to continue unto the end of the world The Apostle Ephe. 4.11 12. having instructed us concerning the institution use of Pastors Teachers proceeds verse 13. to inform us concerning their duration where unto that question how long are Pastors Teachers to continue He hath prepared an answer long since in those words till we all come in the Vnitie of Faith of the knowledge of the Sonn of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fullnes of Christ. Wee have in the text presented before us the duration of these Officers described from two periodical and indubitable notes First the meeting of all the elect in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God Secondly the attaining of all believers unto a perfect man or he full stature of Christ. By the first understand the effectual calling together with the perfect agreement of all the Elect in the faith By the second the perfection of Christ mystical The head and members Christ all believers make one mystical person or one mystical-bodie The perfection whereof is heâ—e held forth by a metaphor taken from the full stature of the body natural after which there is no augmentation Now the perfection or full stature of the body mystical after which it receiveth no augmentation imports two things First that no member shall then be wanting secondly that every member shall be perfect From the premises it being manifest that these two periodical notes shall not be untill the end of the world therefore as manifest it is that Pastors and Teachers being to continue untill then they are to continue unto the end of the world Those three verses are as Aarons rod an argument were it alone sufficient quite to take away the murmurings of the people Yet for the further satisfaction of the Reader touching the Gospel-ministry two things may here not unseasonably be spoken to 1. Concerning the nature of extraordinary Gospel-ministers 2. Concerning immediate mission of persons in these dayes Touching the first Church-Officers are Extraordinary i. e. but for a time as Apostles Prophets Evangelists Ordinary i. e. such whose function continueth and is standing at all times To the constitution of an Apostle four extraordinary gifts concurred 1. A Call immediately by Christ Matthias substituted in the place of Judas is elected by Lot which was a divine vote Acts 1.26 Paul hath a vision of Christ and heareth a voice from heaven Acts 26.16 1 Cor. 15.8 2. Plenitude and amplitude of the power of the Keyes i. e. all Church-power in all Churches John 21.21 Mat. 28.19 Mark 16.15 3. Infallible assistance in their administration when called thereunto 2 Pet. 1.20 21. 4. Power to work Miracles 2 Cor 12.12 The Prophets were called immediately by the Spirit their work was to interp et dark Scriptures by a special gift without study Acts 13.1 15.32 1 Cor 14.24 Prediction of things to come Acts 11.27 28. 21.11 Joel 2.28 Aâ—ts 2.9 Luke 2.36 Acts 21.9 Evangelists were extraordinary Ministers called by the Apostles as ordinary Ministers are by the Church Such were Timothy Titus Quest Touching the querie whether we have any Scripture warrant to expect persons immediately sent of God in these dayes Answ We have no promise of any such ministry in our times The last dayes Acts 2.17 are by some senced as relating to the last dayes of the Jewes immediately preceding the dreadfull famous destruction of that Nation According to them called the great terrible day of the Lord. Thus James chapt 5.3 speaking of the wealthy Jewes saith that they have treasured up their wealth as fire against the last dayes i. e. against those times of destruction when their wealth should but do them a mischief marking them out as prizes preyes for the enemy But this interpretation is left to free disquisition The Apostles seem not so to have expected any succession of Apostles Hence in their life time they appointed Elders in every Church Acts 14.23 And left behind them a prescribed form as a directory of the Churches concerning persons to be called by man into the Ministry successively in the ages to come 1 Tim 3 Titus 1. But though we have no promise of any such ministry yet in the Scripture we have frequent prediction caution of pretenders to immediate mission of deceivers false Apostles false Prophets false Teachers Speakers of lyes in the name of the Lord with Command and directions to try them not by their own profession for that is no
may be an heretick who is neither dogmatist schismatick or seditious neither teaching his errours as truthes nor causing irregular separation from Church-Cōmunion nor sowing seeds of discord or mutiny in the Common-wealth By Quiet heresy or heresy alone understand heresy although uttered and not retracted yet without endeavour either directly or indirectly tending to induce others to receive their errours As also without disturbance of publick order either ecclesiastical or Civil This divers godly-learned do not only exempt from the number of Capitals but also seeme Cautious if not silent concerning subjecting it to any Corporal punishment By Heresy Turbulent understand heresy both uncured and incorrigible i. e. in Coniunction either with Teaching lyes in the name of the Lord. Or with disturbance of publick-order whether Ecclesiastical or Civil This is not only heretical but also pestilential and here is a season wherein it is the duety of the civil-Civil-Magistrate to put forth his Coercive power as the matter shall require in the defence of Religion Order Church common-wealth So farr is our doctrine from asserting subiection of the Conscience to the Coercive power of the Magistrate as that we look at it as irrational to extend his power unto the error of Conscience as such We subiect not the bare proposal owning of heresie if cured as obnoxious unto Civil authority We affirm not that it belongs to the Magistrate to inflict any punishment for quiet heresie We affirm not quiet heresie to fall within the necessary obiect of Magistratical Cognisance but leave it unto free disquisition We know that it belongeth not unto the Magistrate to compel any man to be a believer nor to punish any for not being a believer But we believe it belongs to him in case to punish a Blasphemer or turbulent hereticks who seeth not a wide difference between these Wee through grace abhorre prejudicing the liberty of Conscience in the least measure and account such report of us to be a slander And through the same grace Wee both dread and beare witness against liberty of heresy liberty to Blaspheme the Blessed Trinity the Person and Office of Christ the holy-Scripture the tabernacle of God and those that dwell in heaven Howsoever fallaciously transformed into mis-represented under the plausible vizard of liberty of conscience falsly so called We say Religion is to be perswaded with Scripture-reasons not Civil weapons with Arguments not with punishments But Blasphemies immediate and heresies carried on with an high hand and persisted in are to be suppressed with weapons punishments where reasons arguments cannot prevail We distinguish between Heresie Quiet and alone Turbulent i. e. Incorigible accompanied with soliciting the people to apostacy from the Faith of Christ to defection from the Churches to Sedition in the Common-wealth And that after due meanes of conviction and Authoritative Prohibition We subject not any to Civil or Corporal punishment for heresie if quiet and alone We do not inflict any Church-censure in case of heresie without doctrinal conviction on the Churches part and contumacy on the delinquents part foregoing In case of Heresie incorrigible in conjunction with endeavours to seduce others thereunto and tending to the disturbing of Publick-order we accknowledg it to be the pious wisdom of the Magistrate to proceed gradually and where gentler meanes may rationally be looked at as effectual there to abstain from the use of any severer remedie And according to this method hath been the gradual proceeding of the Magistrate here with those hitherto incorrigible Quakers who from England have unreasonably and insolently obtruded themselves upon us 1. Instructing them 2. Restraining them untill an opportunity of their returne 3. Publishing a law to warne and prohibite both them and all others of their sect from cōming into this Iurisdiction otherwise to expect the house of Correction And in case they returned yet again then to loose one of their eares c. At last upon experience of their bold contempt of these inferior restraints that after their being sent away againe again they continue to returne yet again and again to the seducing of diverse the disturbance vexation hazard of the whole Colonie The Court finding the Law passed to be an insufficient fence against these persons proceeded to a Sentence of Banishment Their restraint before the Law published was but restraint in the Prison until an opportunity of shipping them away They who after the Law was published would that notwithstanding break in upon us from England or other forraign parts by Rode-Island after their correction received and discharging their daes might return again to the Island if they pleased The wolfe which ventures over the wide Sea our of a ravening desire to prey upon the sheep when landed discovered taken hath no cause to complain though for the security of the flock he be penned up with that door opening unto the fold fast shut but having another door purposely left open whereby he may depart at his pleasure either returning from whence he came or otherwise quitting the place Their Sentence of Banishment as Circumstanced by an Impartial and equal eye may be looked upon as an Act which the court was forced unto Se defendend in defence of Religion themselves the Churche and this poor State and People from Ruine which the principles of confusion daylie and studiously disseminated by them threatned to bring all unto if not seasonably prevented Exile from a wildernes from a place of exile though voluntarie from a place confinement whereunto would indeed justly be counted exile is an easie exile Object If it be the trueth of God which is pleaded for it is below the trueth to stand in need of the defence of man God can defend the cause of Religion without his help Answ Whether this obiection savour more of Inchantment then an argument i. e. whether it be looked upon as a meer argument or doth not rather give cause to call to mind the witchcraft practised sometimes upon the Galatians is with the Reader whose senses are excercised in discerning good evill to consider That a malefactor especially such who chooseth sin rather then suffering pleadeth for impunity why should it seem strange But to attempt the representing of the application of the remedy of iniquity as iniquity Antichristianism persecution is indeed a device and that as empty of reason as full of transgression A piece of the sophistry of the Prince of darkness to charm that sword into a perpetual scabbard by a sallacie the dexterous vigorous use wherof puts away the evill committed from and for the time to come prevents the committing of evill in Israel But Christians especially Church-members should not be ignorant of his devices 2 Cor 2.11 The Jewes acted with a spirit of mockery hardned their hearts desperatly by putting the tryal of Christ upon a false discovery Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the Cross that we may see and believe Mark 15.32
horrid aspect then all the forenamed put together as arguing some signal inlargement of the power of darkness as being in a high degree diabolical prodigious portentous Heretical doctrine is not only a sin but profession of a doctrine which is both all sin a way of sin The speaking of lies against the Lord and his trueth destructive to the soules of men and all this in the name of the Lord. Heretical doctrine consists in the blaspheming of the trueth as it is in Jesus as a ly and publishing of a ly in the place thereof The first born of Satan not a little aggravated in respect of its propagation by apostates viz. those tongues which formerly bare testimony to the trueth now bent against it and for opposite errours Thine own nation the chief Priests have delivered thee unto mee what hast thou done If the people of God did well upon the hearing though of but single blasphemie to manifest deep detestation thereof by the rending of their cloathes should wee at the publishing of such a compiled Systeme frame of heresie which containeth many blasphemies befound insensible would not their pious zeale rise up in judgement against us It is from the Spirit of trueth to open our eyes to discern the Spirit of errour The remedie or Scriptural-prescript to be applied in times of heretical pestilence consists of some dueties common to all persons and orders Some proper to families Churches the Christian Magistrate The Dutyes common to all are 1. To sanctify God in respect of his present providence looke not upon these emissaries of Satan as casuall or despicable but as commissionated executioners of Gods coercive vindictive displeasure for our abuse of the Gospel without repentance of which before Chap. 2. 2. To justify God in the humble confession of our sin acknowledgment of this his righteous tremendous dispensation 3. Repentance 4. A speedie and effectuall endeavour to stablish our hearts in the trueth That wee henceforth be no more children tossed to fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine Ephe. 4.14 For when for the time yee ought to be teachers c Heb. 5.12 Hold fast that which is good 1. Thess 5.21 2. Tim. 1.13 Tit. 1.9 Rev. 2.13.25 3.3 11. Distingwish between questions of docility or teachablenes tending to cofirme us in the truth and questions of scepticisme tending to hold the mind in an irresolution concerning the trueth Affectation of uncertaintie in matters of religion is against religion Certainty is of the nature of faith Doubting Faith are opposite To reduce trueth unto the hazzard and promote errour unto the hope of a question is to render errour trueth of equall credit An anti-religious levelisme leading unto Atheisme and if the triall be before corrupt reason as the judge it is a notable stratageme to represent trueth for errour errour for trueth The serpents art in managing the first temptation was by way of question Yea hath God said Gen 3.1 Vncertainty between two Opinions was the cause of Israels halting Advantagious indeed unto Baal's followers but an evill unsufferable unto the holy spirit of Elijah zealous that the people of God should walk upright No marveil the state was distracted whilest religion was unsetled So farr as the way whereby we should serve God is a question it is out of question we cannot serve God Scopticism in all points of faith is deservedly abhorred See Kecker Gymnas Log. lib. 2. cap. 7. but especially in fundamentals Monstrous births saith Plato are not brought to light neither are portentous disputations and monstrous opinions to be suffered in the Common-wealth 5. Fidelity in walking according to the trueth If any man will do his will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self John 7.27 Duties incumbent upon the heads of families are Exemplarines Instruction Government Vpon the Churches Doctrine and Discipline All experience proveth that the bitter root of heresie hath never prevailed where Doctrine Catechism and Discipline have been upheld in their purity vigour Concerning the power and duty of the Christian Magistrate in matters of Religion it is summarily spoken to in the Authors preface unto the sufferings of Christ But full information is at hand in diverse elaborate and solid treatises upon that subject lately published It may therfore suffice at Present to present the Reader with some texts to that purpose And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel saying who soever curseth his God shall bear his sin And he that blasphemeth the Name of the Lord he shall surely be put to death and all the Congregation shall certainly stone him as well the stranger as he that is born in the land when he blasphemeth the name of the Lord shall be put to death Lev 24.15 16 But other Scriptures omitted I shall here transcribe only two more both which are eminently pregnant with this trueth wherein also are cases put between the cause of God and our neer relations on purpose to provide against obstructions in this great business of Religion The first we have Deut 13. per totum Relating to all times succeeding that constitution If thy brother the son of thy mother or thy son or thy daughter or the wâ—fe of thy bosome or thy freind which is as thine own soul intice thee secretly saying Let us go and serve other gods thou shalt not consent unto him nor hearken unto him neither shall thine eye pitty him neither shalt thou spare neither shalt thou conceale him but thou shalt surely kill him thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death afterward the hand of all the people vers 6 8. The second wee have Zech. 13.1 3. Expressely relating unto the times of the Gospel In that day viz after the Comming of the Messiah in the time of the Gospel when the families of the tribes shall mourne Chapt. 12.11 The familie of the house of David apart the familie of the house of Nathan apart c There shall be a fountain opened i.e. the doctrine of Christ under Moses dispensation is compared to a fountain vailed 2 Cor 3.13 c Under the Gospel-dispensation unto a fountain opened The vail of the Temple the ceremonial law being taken away And it shall come to pass that when any shall yet Prophecie then his father his mother that begat him shall thrust him through when he prophesieth These words thrust him through may be understood either of a Capital punishment Juridically dispensed or of any other smart punishment piercing though not Capital As God hath armed the Magistrate with Civil power for the defence of Religion so hath he animated him unto the regular and seasonable exercise thereof by holding forth many excellent fruits through the concurrence of divine benediction concomitant and consequent unto his fidelity in this duty 1. The vindication of the name trueth of God from
shall see Satan in a chaine The first aspect presents all formidable as the product of Satans will which conteining the extirpation of all good with the introduction of all iniquity confusion misery upon supposition it should obtaine what can be superadded in the way of evill therunto The secōd represents every thing beautiful in its time it being an impossibillity that he whose wayes to his end are past finding out should do any thing in relation either to way or end incongruous or indecent unto him who is absolute perfection it self Look upon the spirit of error in it self it is like the Lyon roaring upon Sampson look upon it in the Promise 't is as the Carkass of the Lyon but behold there is a swarm of Bees and honey in the carcass of the Lyon In its own nature it is a flood of waters cast out of the mouth of the Serpent In the promise it is as the waters of Noah unto the freinds servants of the Trueth When I thought to know this it was too painfull for mee untill I went into the sanctuary of the Lord then understood I their end Psal 73.10 17. CHAP 3. Of the destructivenes of the Doctrine and Practice of the Quakers Vnto Religion the Churches of Christ and Christian States DIseases may well be concluded malignant and mortal at least in their next tendency when they seize vpon the vitalls and Spirits The doctrine under examination being censured according to this proportion will soon be found guilty of the charge The destructivenes of the doctrine of the Quakers unto Christian States appeareth from The nature of the Object they single out imediately to fight against viz The Trinity Christ The Scripture as the Rule of life Order both Civil especially as acknowledged in al Christian States with Power in matters of Religion Ecclesiastical as instituted in the Gospel The Spirit they are acted by The suitablenes of their doctrine unto discontented seditous factious and tumultuous spirits especially if pressed with poverty or a suffering condition The experience of the examples of their predecessors in Germany acted by the same principles Fundamentals in Religion are so denominated Principally properly so Christ is a foundation Mat. 16.16 Doctrinally so the Scripture is a foundation in that it holds forth the doctrine of life 1 Cor 3.10 11. Eph. 2.20 Practically so Order is according to some not ineptly said to be of the foundation in that it is requisite in the way of means for the preservation of what is fundamentall For the making good the first maine article of the charge the clearenes of the trueth of the heads instanced in as the four parts thereof their fundamentality with the contrariety of the doctrine-impleaded thereunto being manifest is necessary In order whereunto the Trinity and Scripture being some-what spoken to above and that of the Person of Christ in this place not calling for it it remaineth onely to demonstrate 1 The nature and necessity of order 2 That in their opposing the Magistrats as now established in Christian estate they oppose civill order 3. That the visible-politicall-Churches Church-Officers Church-worship administrations are Gospel-institutions appointed by Christ to continue to the end of the world Order is a divine disposal of superior inferior relations in humane or Christian societies distributing to each one respectively what is due thereunto There was Order directive in Innocencie order both directive and coactive is necessary in mans fallen estate Order is Gods way of lapsed mans wel-doing wel-being It is the forme of societies Formes are essential without which things cannot be By Order plurality is formed into and subsists in unity Without it plurality is but an heap Neither nature nor society whether humane or christian no not so much as a family can stand without order Ephe. 1.22 1 Cor 12.19 If all were one member i. e. if there were no order where were the body Order is a divine preservative of Trueth Peace and Communion The good of Order is further intelligible by the evill of confusion James 3.16 As confusion is not farr from every evill work so order hath a tendency to every good work Order without action is negligence action without order is presumption Action without knowledg is reprehensible and order unprofitable but Order Action Vnderstanding perfect bodies Politick The great good which is in order is the cause why the wicked one so restlesly oppugneth it The working of Satan against Order is a policy against a policy The policy of hell against the Policy of heaven Whilest we remember that God is the God of Order it is not hard to discern the maligning therof as proceeding from the Serpent For God is not the author of confusion but of peace as in all the Churches of the Saints 1 Cor 14.33 34. In Ecclesiasticks it is a maxime indispensable in Paul's motion Let all things be done decently and in Order 1 Cor 14.40 Doing nothing is more eligible then doing without order Many times there is not so much good in the matter done as there is evill in that it is disorderly done In Civills in case of non-administration wickedness reignes Judges 17.6 In case of mal-administration incorrigible in the Magistrate the Psalmist cryeth out that the foundations of the earth are out of course Psal 82.5 Such a foundation then is Order as it being cast down what shall the Righteous do Their Opposition to Civil Order is thus evinced That doctrine which denyeth obedience unto the order of Magistracy in its due subject Exod. 18.21 interpretatively and in effect denyeth the order of Magistracy i. e. Civil order But their doctrine denieth Obedience unto the order of Magistracy in its due subject Therefore their doctrine denyeth the order of Magistracy i. e. Civil order That they deny obedience unto the order of Magistracy in its due subject witness both their scripts behaviour wherin they deny obedience unto all Christian Magistrates who are not of their own mind Their pernicious principles herein from the execution of which the good hand of God hath hitherto restrained them are notoriously palpable in the practise of Storke Mancer their Predecessors About 1521. Nicholas Storke a ring-leader amongst a company of mutinous and seditious persons pretended to immediate visions and thereupon preached that there should come a new world wherein should dwell Righteousness therefore they ought to exterminate all the wicked withall the Princes unbelieving Magistrates from the earth They faith the Author called all those unbelievers which were not of their faith faction In Alstad a Town in the Earledome of Manifield one of the 4. Estates in upper Saxonie Thomas Mancer enrolls the names of them which were entered into league with him and by solemn Oath promised assistance to dispatch the wicked Prince to substitute new ones They saith the same Author generally accounted all Superiours wicked The being of Magistracy is from God immediately There is no
then hanged in iron cages the King in the midst higher then the rest by the height of a man he endured the first three pinches in silence afterwards cryed out for mercy till he was dispatched John Matthiz a Baker of Harlem a Prophet after a revelation from heaven Commands all books to be burnt except the Bible Herbert Truteling a smith hereupon called them dirty Prophets Therefore Matthiz shot him dead This Matthiz by the impulse of the Spirit without the Scripture taketh a long spear runneth up and down Munster crying out that he had received a Commandement from the Father to repulse the enemy from the Cittie He no sooner approacheth the Camp then a Souldier one Misnicus faceth him and shoots him dead At Sengal in Helvetia 1527 Thomas Schucker with a sword beheads his own brother Leonard in the presence of his Father Mother by the impulsion of the Spirit without Scripture Upon the place of execution he shewed no remorse but professed that it was the will of God revealed to him from heaven Coppius a Flanders man Quintinus a Taylor of Picardie Claudius Persevatus Pocquius a Priest who conitnued still to say Mass in Holland Brabant and other parts of the Low-countrys and in France seduced above four thousand in Calvin's time All the murders whoredomes villainies saith M. Rutherford practised by Muncer John Becold David George Swenckfield they fathered on the Spirit without the Scripture or on such an allegorick sense as their unclean spirit expounded the word by so as a man knows not when they sin when they serve God I shall take off my pen from transcribing any more of these examples many wherof are at hand What further troubles were caused by these factious spirits in Moravia Bohemia Poland Hungarie Austria Silesia Westphalia Freizland Holland and Brabant in France I leave the studious Reader to inform himself from the histories of those times Did Luther in those times write to the Senate of Mulhusen to beware of the wolfe Muncer and have not we cause now to beware of the spirit of Swenckfield Muncer Becold Quintinus more then reviving in this present doctrine of confusion Iliad ψ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rem Regem Regimen Regionem Relligionem Tollere tentarunt Region Estate Rule Civil Divine Religion ALL they seek to undermine Amongst these three wayes of teaching Authority Reason Example the last is peculiarly accommodated to the capacitie nature of man as that which both inlightens affects Examples make difficult things plain and doubtfull things certain Hence they are aptly called the Pledges of speech delivered for the assurance of the mind of the hearer concerning the subject spoken of upon the reception whereof all experience attests unto a perswasive operative influence concomitant in rational subjects It were a great violation of charitie to looke at all seduced as thus minded we know the very method of the Masters of Spirituall pestilence sufficiently admonisheth us that their novices are not arrived at the heights of the mystery of their iniquity 'T is probable that many of their considerable proficients are not alike insighted into these secrets of darkness Yea that not a few of them would readily really profess their detestation of the perpetration of the villanies forementioned All which notwithstanding it were great defect of prudence after so fair or rather formidable warnings past and such prodigious apparitions present not timously to put our selves into a regular and necessary posture of defence Alas men know not their deceitfull hearts At the same time we may both hear Hazael saying But what is thy servant a dog that he should do this great thing and see the man of God weep foreseeing the evil that he would do unto the children of Israel Be it so that many are led away in their simplicity yet a discerning spirit may well doubt that neither Achitophels head nor heart is wanting in the design Besides why should not men of the same Spirit temptation opportunity concurring be looked at as too like to walk in the same steps From the same root reason teacheth us if not maturely prevented to expect the same fruits from the same principles the same issues from the same cause the same effects To give warning is the duty of the watchman to take warning is the duty of the Citty The experiences of generations foregoing are the instructions of generations following The history of the experiments of others is our advantage The improvement thereof in season will be not only our duty and wisedom but also a token of mercy The woe 's of Ancestors ought to be the warning of Successors CHAP 4. Of the Remedy against Heretical doctrines and in particular against the doctrine of the Quakers NOtwithstanding manifold evils prevailing threatning yet the Prophet will not admit that there is no Balm in Gilead that there is no Physician there Though Christ hath not seen good to exempt his with a preservative from exercise by temptation yet hath he so provided as to supply them with a defensative against the evill of temptation There was not more sicknes amongst the people then there was healing vertue in the Disciples gift Mat 10.1 A venimous Serpent may be brought into Crete or Ireland but may report be credited no such can live there The wiles of the Devil are Serpentine and malignant yet not to be compared to the wisdom of Christ The Serpent's head is poysonous but thanks be to God through Jesus Christ his malignity is both antidated antidoted I will put enmity between thee the woman between thy seed her seed It shall bruise thy Head Gen 3.15 The Saviour of his people hath smitten Satan long agoe in his intellectuals His plots are foreseen and the remedy hath prevented the disease To Christ belongs the prerogative of being the only Politician Now a compleat Polity exhibiteth meanes sufficient as to the sufficiency of meanes for the defence of the Law and of all those that are loyal subjects thereunto Would the Patient but regularly attend the prescript there is no stratagem can infest the Churches in reference whereunto wee may not still boldly say yet there is hope in Israel cōcerning this thing Surely there is no inchantment against Jacob neither is there any divination against Israel According to this time It shall be said of Jacob of Israel what hath God wrought Num. 23.33 mine eye affects my heart Lam. 3.51 A due sight of the Spirit of errour heresie is a great help to affect a Christian Spirit therewith Monsters in nature are eye sores The face of death that King of Terrours the living man by instinct turneth his face from An unusual shape a Satanical phantasm a ghost or apparition affrights the disciples The vision of sin unto a spiritual eye is an object of much more abhorrence then the former But the face of heresie is of a more
The question is not concerning God's Power but concerning his Will God can preserve his Truth immediatly without any external meanes but his pleasure is ordinarily to doe it mediately Hence he surrounded the Arke according to divine Institution with a double fence both Ecclesiastical and Civil God can also save man immediately from evils committed against the second Table but hee ordinarily effects it by the helpe of the magistrate The injurie done unto the trueth hurteth man whose welfare depends upon the imbracing of it It hurts not God nor the Trueth in it self but only in the estimation of man As Satan is permitted to raise up men to be offendors so Christ raiseth up men to be defenders thereof to manifest that through Grace the Trueth hath even amongst men as great lovers as it hath haters When there was no Christian Magistrate God watched over the cause of Religion in an extraordinary manÌ„er The continuance of the gift of miracles together with the then recent fresh memory therof conducing not a little for that end But extraordinarie gifts ceasing and the Christian Magistrate succeeding God now expects the Civil power in an ordinary way of Providence to be subservient therunto God can bring up his sons daughters without making any use of Civil power but it hath pleased him to appoint Kings to be nursing Fathers and Queens to be nursing Mothers unto them They are but ill nurses who seing the danger of those committed to their trust so much as in them lyeth save not their nurse-lings from the poyson of the destroyer A late memorable testimony of Gods owning blessing Civil Authority in the defence of Religion who so consulteth History shall find in the many flourishing Citties and Churches with other places of name in upper Germany Helvetia lower Germany and else where Saved from the pestilence of the Heretical and blasphemous sectaryes of the last Centurie then destroying at noone-day with and not without the interposal of Civil-Authority and that not once nor twice but frequently by the very sentence of Banishment Lysander's counsel of old was when the lions skin will not hold out to piece it with a fox-skinne Why should it seeme strange that men speaking doctrines of devils and lies in hypocrisie having their Conscience seared with an hot iron and therefore past feelling of spiritual weapons object may that serve their turn against obnoxiousnes to Civill weapons of which they remain only sensible that so priviledged with impunity they may proceed in their madness without all restraint That ancient stratagem of destroyers otherwise often frustrated in their attempts to open their way unto their flock by endeavouring the removal of the keepers is famously notable from Demosthenes's recital of the folly of the sheep sometimes delivering up the doggs that kept them at the motion of the wolves Whereby he stayed the Athenians from delivering up their Orators unto Alexander upon his proposal out of whose hands they had been instrumental to save the City Should the People not of Athens but of Sion suffer themselves to be abused by heretical deceivers destroyers into a persuasion that whil'st it is Lawfull for them under a praetence to invade it is unlawfull for Civil power to defend Religion they would render themselves more like those sheep in the Fable then men of understanding in Israel not to make regular seasonable use of the meanes instituted blessed unto such an end in time of danger is to Tempt not to Trust God That God makes use of Civil power consequently of man is not from his need of him but his favour to him Not from defect of power but abundance of Goodness Notwithstanding God could save his people without the assistance of man and both could and did save them without Meroz yet curse yee Meroz said the Angel of the Lord curse ye bitterly the Inhabitants thereof because thy came not to the help of the Lord to the help of the Lord against the mighty Judg. 5.23 If Esther seeth her opportunity and that she is come to the Kingdom for such a time Good But if she altogether hold her peace God can cause enlargement and deliverance to arise to the Jewes from another place Albeit as the Heterodoxie of the Sectaries pre-mentioned in the last Centurie was universal corrupting the whole body of Religion so also Quakerism as to the substaÌ„ce therof their geniune offspring be in like manner a total heresie yet both because the former is legible in many Authors and the latter obvious from the penns and tongues of the present Dogmatists and because the scope of this discourse is chiefely practical the Reader may soon perceive way other errors omitted the principal heads of their doctrine are herein onely considered It remaineth that all orders persons amongst us respectively Sanctifie God according unto the prescript of Scripture and that at such a time in the regular excercise whereof wee may secure our selves of a greater blessing then the adversary threatens trouble Vnto former trials of our love unto the trueth by leaving of our countrey kinred and Fathers house and by the sufferings of this wilderness God in his wisdome now addeth this of trying us by false doctrine That this divine fatal season appointed for the revealing of the thoughts of many hearts through the judicial discovery of not a few who have had a name that they lived by their defection to heresie may amongst the rest of the Saints be also through Grace New-Englands manifestation to be approved That the evill example of the Apostacie of formerly fellow-professors may as sometimes the like did with the Apostles John 6. bring forth so much the more zealous luculent a confession of the Trueth As the enmity of opposers increaseth so the testimony of the witnesses increaseth Though the Beast blasphemeth the witnesses overcome Ye are of God little children and have overcome him because greater is hâ—e that is in you then he that is in the world 1 John 4.4 The Apostacie of Adam ends in the confession of Adam The apostacy of both reprobate Angels men ends in the confession of the Elect. The Apostacy from the Covenant of workes ends in the most Illustrious confession of the Covenant of Grace The greatest Apostacie in a farr greater confession The threatning example of the revolt of many disciples with that of Judas foreseen superadded notwithstanding Christ well knowing how to improve the apostacy of hypocrites unto the furtherance of his interest in the very height of the scandal put forth that question triumphantly not timerously Then said Jesus unto the Twelve will yee also goe away The Rule of doctrine discipline and order is the Center of Christianitie Sincere and grave spirits are like grave bodies they cannot rest out of their Center i e. the Rule Religion admitts of no eccentrick motions Doctrine and actions not according to Rule when quickened with erroneous zeal are but runÌ„ing so much the faster out of the way This people bought the trueth with Realities Countrey Relations Estates oportunities as to the things of this life were Realities should wee now sell it for that which is not Bread yea for Fanatick Frantick worse then sick ImaginatioÌ„s What advantage will it be to have departed from praelacie to ataxie From the Tradition of man unto delusions not onely contrarie to Scripture but also unworthie rational men Many momentous are the peculiar considerations whereby wee are engaged in our respective stations to own our profession stand in the regular and effectual defence of the trueth with perseverance unto the end in both It concerneth N. -E alwayes to remember that Originally they are a Plantation Religious not a plantation of Trade The profession of the purity of doctrine worship discipline is written upon her forehead A spot of this vast Jeshimon converted into Corn-fields Orchards streets inhabited and a place of Merchandize cannot denominate New-England All these notwithstanding if shee fall away from her profession call her Ichabod the Glory is departed In such case what was said of Samnium sometime a famous Citty in Italy viz that they could not find Samnium in Samnium will be verified concerning these Churches viz that N. -E is not to be found in N. -E God forbid that after N. -E hath now shined twenty years and more like a light upon an Hill it should at last go out in the snuff of Morellianism The converting of these and the like meditations into so many Nayles Goades is not the least part of the scope of this poor Script but the work of that one Shepheard in the effectual looking unto whom for wisdom faithfulness in such a season the welfare of his few â—heep in this wilderness doth in a great degree depend That wheresoever the Trueth lyeth in the points now controverted between the godly-Orthodox of the Presbiterian and Congregational way which the day will declare We may yet when we shall ly in dust leâ—ve this report to posterity that as we renounced the pollutioÌ„s under Episcopacie on the one hand So we kept far from the Tents of Morellianism Scepticism and confusion on the other hand And also that having given in our Testimonie against the Heterodoxies Heresies and Blasphemies of this Generation We both lived and dyed in the FAITH and ORDER of the Gospel Err. page 33 l. 17. Read Pastors Teachers are to continue c Pastors Teachers are Church-Offic erg FINIS