thorowly effectual to that blessed desired and longed-for end Now from the whole Premises these following Positions may be clearly laid down First That those Professors of the fear of the Lord that have been so polluted Position I as is declared and that do continue in those Evils whether of Commission or Omission are very unworthy and very unmeet to be accounted Members of his House and though they may be at present Members of several Congregations yet they are such as shall be cut off from the City of the Lord if they repent not when he shall come thorowly to puâ—ge his Mat. 3. 11. Floor and gather his Wheat into his Garner Secondly That is the great duty of those that are gifted and gracious spirited Position II men and men that have obtained mercy to be faithfull that are in the several Congregations and Societies of them that profess the fear of the Lord whether they are Officers among them or †For some Officers may be â—â— guilty of these Evils as some others any others that are so qual fied to do these three things First To promote and press with all earnesâ—ness and â—ervency of Spirit the work of unseigned Humiliation before the Lord and of true Repentance for all or any of these Evils that are found among any of them all yea to be lying at the Feet of the Lord continually and to give him no resâ— until he pour our such a poâ—tion of his Spirit upon them as may truly â—nable them to be ashamed of all the Evils they have done and to loath themselves in Truth for all their abominations I say To give the Lord no rest until Duty I he do these things for them and not to content themselves with keeping a day of Fasting and to think when that is done all is well but to be impoâ—tunate seckers of the Lord for such a truly broken and penitenâ— Spiâ—it as God will not despise that they may be truly as it is â—aiâ— Ezek. 7. 16. of them that shall escape from the Sword without and thâ—â—â—estilence and Famine within like Doves of the Valâ—eys 〈◊〉 of them 〈◊〉 every one for his Iniquity even for his and her partâ—cular Inâ—quiâ—y most especially and also for all the abomiâ—ations of others also that they may have that special Mark chap. 9. 4. And Secondly It is the Duty also of such faithful Serâ—ants of the Lord Duty II in the several Congregations to declare unto the Members of each Society that are guilty of such Evils and live in them That they ought not to be admitted to be paâ—takeâ—s of the great Ordinance of the Lords Supper unless they repent so as to reform and thorowly amend their wayes it being a very dangerous thing to approach to the Table of the Lord in these pollutions and deformities and not having on their beautiful Garments viz. The Royal Robes of Righâ—eousness the Blessed Ornament of a meek and Isa 51. 10 1 Pet. 3. 4 1 Pet. 5. 5 Rev. 15. Psal 45. quiet Spirit and the precious cloathing of Humility even all those white Robes and Golden Girdles and Cloathings of Wrought Gold that do signifie all the Fruits and gracious Operations of the Holy Spirit And that it is dangerous appears 1 Cor. 11. 26 27 to 30. For as often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye do shew forth the Lords Death until he come Wherefore whosoever shall eat this Bread and drink this Cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup for he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eâ—teth and drinketh damnation to himself not discerning the Lords Body For this cause many are weak and sickly among you and many are fallen asleep Where it is clear that it is a very dangerous thing for a man to draw near to the Table of the Lord without examination of himself whether there be any iniquity that he lives in whether he be a Vestâ—â— on whom holiness to the Lord is visibly written or not It is very dangerous to rush unto the Table of the Lord without any fear or dread of coming unworthily not considering that such as have so done are guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord and that such as have so done have for this cause been sick and weak and have fallen asleep And it is most certain That It is a dangerous thing to come to that Table without the Spirit of Love that ingages the Soul to true and uâ—feigned love to all Saints as Members of the same Body so as to communicate freely and liberally as God hath blessed as to Members of our own Body not like a Churâ— It is a dangerous thing to come to that Table with hearts full of Adultery Mystical Adultery hearts given up unto other Lovers and not to the Lord. It is dangerous coming to that Table with froward hearts contentious spirits having any heart rising against any person or persons Or which is somwhat less It is a dangerous thing to come to that Table with slightings of any others that are members of Christ as truly as we for the Corinthians coming together and some having a fulness of outward things did eat and drink when others that were poor in this world had not and were hungry The Apostle calls these Actions in them that were full a despising of the Church of God the poor Members aâ— truly making up the Church of God as those that were rich and a shaming of them that have not The poorer sort it may be seeing their fulness having their Bottles of Wine and costly Cakes and dainty Viands being made ashamed that had it not Now their thus â—lighting the poor which Evil James also reproves as hath been shewed and shaming of them in that particular is the sin the Apostle here reproves and advises them rather to eat and drink in their own Houses then They it may be would tarry for the rich to grieve and shame the Poor and not to slight the Poor but to tarry one for another for sayes he verses 20 21. When ye come together therefore into one place this is not to eat the Lords Supper for in eating every one taketh before another his own Supper and one is hunâ—ry and another is drunken that is Hath drunk sufficiently and fed sufficiently And vers 33 34. Wherefore my Brethren when ye come together to eat tarry one for another and if any man hunger let him eat at Home that ye come not together unto condemnation It is a dangerous thing to come to that Table with a proud Heart Psal 101. 5. Him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer Such shall not be welcome to his Table In a word He that is guilty of and continueth in any Evil whether of Omission or Commission whether of the Evils that have been declared
must be a cry made in the Wilderness that must have a tendency to prepare the way of the Lord and to make his Paths strait Isa 40. 2 3. to exalt the Valleys and to make low the Mountains and Hills to make the crooked strait and the rough places plain that the way of the Lord may be prepared But as yet although the Judgements the dreadful judgements of the Lord have come upon the People in these three Nations one upon the back of another and his anger is not yet turned away but his hand is stretched out still yet there is no appearance of his Peoples making preparation for him there is not yet a turning to him that smiteth them they do not put away the evil of their doings from before his eyes and Isa 9 13. 17. cease to do evil and learn to do well but they seem to be so far from it as they are not come to any sence of any of the Evils they have done to provoke him to do all that he hath done but they go on in their provocations of him more and more and are in the same sinful posture now that they were in seven years agoe as if they were altogether blind and did not see the causes for which he first turned the Wheel upon them nor because of which his anger is not yet turned away but his hand is stretched out still but they are directly and exactly in the posture of that people mentioned Jer. 8. 9. Why then is this people of Jerusalem sliden back by a perpetual backsliding They hold fast deceit they refuse to return I hearkened and heard but they speak not aright no man repented him of his wickedness saying What have I done Every one turned to his course as the Horse rusheth into the Battel There hath been a grievous back-sliding from the Lord by his People in these Nations into many Evils and how lamentable is it it seems to be perpetual to be more and more provoking the Lord to his very Face and God having striken and smitten them now is hearkening for their repentance and for their speaking right words and confessing their Iniquities and justifying him in his Righteous Judgements but instead hereof it may be truly said That no man repenteth him of his wickedness no man speaketh right words in giving glory to God no but men are so far from so doing as they do not so much as say What have I done as if they had not so much as a thought that they had done any thing to procure all these dreadful Judgements No man thinks the cause is in himself no man sayes What have I done to procure all these heavy Judgements What cause is there in me Or O that I knew what particular sin or sins in me in particular are the causes of these things And oh that I might obtain strength from on high to turn from them But every * I mean the generality though one here and there is not so Isa 69. 11. one plods on in the same Evils still that he or she hath done And this may be made manifest by the discoveries that are made of the temper and posture of their Spirits in all their Meetings generally there is usually a great complaining of their Sufferings and many cries put up for deliverance and great lamentations over their desolations and distresses and they roar all like Bears and mourn sore like Doves because they have long looked for deliverance but there is none for Salvation but it is far from them But there is little acknowledging the causes of all these things there is little or no sence of them appears in their Spirits It is true they will in general acknowledge that they are Sinners and so will the worst of men do but they rarely make acknowledgements of the particular Sins of which they generally are most deeply guilty And though some are more excessively guilty of some sins and others of others then some others of them are yet most of them are exceeding guilty of some particular Evils or other of the Evils herein declared to them I say in their Meetings together to Worship the Lord they do not come with any sence of them at all many times having not so much as a thought of them by any thing that appears in their words or actions but as if they were altogether blind and saw nothing of evil in themselves they come before the Lord without any shame or blushing for their sins in particular or any sence of his indignation against them for those Evils and consequently are far from Repentance and from turning from them for they are strangers to the first step of Repentance I considered my wayes saith David and turned my feet unto thy Testimonies Psal 119. 59. But they do not so much as consider their wayes nor say What have I done And without this How can they be sensible of the evil of their wayes And if they have no sence of the evil of their wayes How can they be ashamed of them How can they be grieved and broken in heart because of them How can they bewail and lament their unworthiness and vileness in rejecting the Word of the Lord even the blessed Precepts and Instructions of the Lord and casting them behind their back to fulfil the lusts of their flesh And if they do not lament sore and mourn over their unworthy wretched base dispositions of Spirit How can they repent of them and turn from them confess and forsake them loathing themselves because of them abhoring themselves in Dust and Ashes But for the most part they are not come to this step to say What have I done They are not yet come to consider their wayes But not doubting but that when many of them read these high charges that are brought against them they will be so far from stumbling at it or being offended as they will rather say Good Lord if this be my Case indeed that though I think I have considered my wayes yet indeed I have not considered them as I ought be pleased to help me to come to this step in Truth and in sincerity and in good earnest to search and inquire and say What have I done Even I What have I in particular done to provoke the Eyes of thy most Blessed aad most Glorious Majesty to do all this that thou hast done unto thy People in delivering the dearly Beloved of thy Soul into the hand of an Enemy and to chastise them by wicked men who are thy Sword the Staff in whose hand is thine indignation O help me in the multitude of thy tender Mercies to search what I have done and not to cease going from step to step until thine expectation be answered until thy Corrections have such kindly effects upon my Soul as that thou mayest say Thou hast thine end and that true Repentance of and turning from Sin is brought forth which thou aimest at in all thy rebukes and chastisements
your forsaking him and imbracing the present World Was he a barren Wilderness unto you or a Land of Darkness What Iniquity have ye found in him Jer. 2. 5 31. Will you say You were some of you poor in this World What then Did he not chuse you to be rich in Faith and Heirs of a Kingdom And was not your condition therein better then the greatest Emperours upon Earth Jam. 2. 5. Could ye not be content to be an Heir of a Kingdom but like foolish Children must sell your birthright for a mess of Pottage and chuse to fall in league into friendship with this World and consequently to enmity with God What have you done Know ye not what ye have done Know ye not that the friendstrip with this World is enmity with God Knew ye not that if ye fell in love with that Strumpet she would steal your Hearts from God Behold This is the plain assertion of the Spirit of God Jam. 4. 5. Whoseever therefore will be a friend of the World is the Enemy of God Where are ye now What a sad gulf have ye implunged your selves into ye Adulterers and Adulteresses that have treacherously departed from the Lord and are become very filthy very lewd very poluted very treacherous Creatures Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge And where will ye appear that Heb. 13. 4 have been such Adulterers in grain and have so greatly provoked the Eyes of his Glory with your abominable Uncleannesses and sinful Dalliances with a deceitful Harlot and have not had so much as thoughts of forsaking her to return to your first Husband but you have loved Strangers and after them Jer. 2. 25 will ye go And what will ye do in the end thereof But that they may not be charged with this great Sin of Covetousness which is more hateful in the Lords People then Idolatry or Adultery in others whom it may be the Lord will not charge with it Let me now declare before I proceed any farther who they are that in the clear Light of the Scripture do appear to be guilty of it not naming Persons but leaving them to acknowledge themselves to be the men or women before the Lord and before some of his People if they have a Heart so to do to the end he may be glorified And first They that having made a Profession of being Saints and have some of them been Members of Churches and have for a time been great Lovers of the Word of God and with desire have desired to be fed with the sincere Milk of the Word in Lectures and other Sermons and in several Meetings and having been so fed it hath been sweeter unto them then the Honey and the Honey-Comb And yet afterwards having opportunities of trading and imployment in the World or of Offices Military or Civil have found Wealth coming in thereby and by degrees have weaned themselves from the blessed Paps of Sion's Consolation and from the Milk of the abundance of her Glory whereof they might have suck'd and been satisfied and have gone to the Brests of this World and taken pleasure in them and her Brests have satisfied them almost at all times Having had the World flowing in upon them plentifully and delighting themselves therein although they have been sensible of great â—eanness and barrenness of Spirit and have lost in a great measure their first Love But the pleasures of this new Lover hath so taken away their hearts as they have therewith contented themselves though without the Heart solacing Comforts of their true Husband which sometimes they enjoyed I say such as these have been guilty of this great Sin as appears by these following Scriptures Hos 2. from vers 5. to 16. Ezek. 16. from vers 15. to 30. Jer. 2. 11 12 13. Ezek. 23. 35. Deut. 33. 15 18 19. And secondly They are those covetous persons that out of eager and thirsting desires of heaping up more and more of the Wealth of this World though they have had comfortable Estates for the supply of themselves and theirs already and have had no need so to do yet have neglected almost all opportunities of enjoying Communion with their God their first Husband either in hearing Lectures or Sermons or in meeting together in Church-Meetings or in taking any solemn constant times of waiting upon their Lord in Closets or in Family-Duties And if sometimes these things have been done yet it hath been but when worldly business would admit oâ— it and many of these Opportunities have been neglected week after week and day after day The which many of those that have lived in the Families with them and have bin in Church-fellowship with them can plentifully witness And it is known how many days have bin past by some of these idolatrous adulterous covetous Persons and but one half hour in a day spent in any Religious performance yea sometimes not that and that in the Evening when they have been wearied with other business and been fit for nothing â—ut to sleep and dream or in the Morning when haste about other business hath hurried them away And when done done with formality coldness and dead heartedness enough I say Those that have so greatly neglected these and many other religious Duties to pursue the Worlds Profits though they have had no necessity so to do having comfortable Estates these are the Covetous Persons by the World condemned and not those whose necessities constrain thereto at sometimes for many blessed Servants of the Lord have been so put to it for want of dayly supplies for themselves and Families as they have been fain to work morning early and evening late to provide daily Bread for their Family having onely had from hand to mouth Some single Persons and some that have had others depending upon them and if some of these should be charged with this Sin they that so charge them may wrong the Generation of the Just and condemn the Innocent But mâ—ny of these that have had very little of this World and have received no Contributions from others have appeared at Lectures and Church-Meetings moâ—e constantly and far more diligently then they who have had twenty times their Estates And therefore they that are and have been in a mean condition and unavoidably are compelled to much dayly Labour are not hereby so much condemned But many of these will rise up in Judgement against their Brethren and condemn them in that though they have been very needy and necessitous yet they have been more constant Attendants upon the solemn Worship of God then them And that these that though not for need but for desire of much Wealth have made so bold as to neglect holy Duties are the sinful Covetous Persons appears by these several Scriptures 1 Tim. 6. 10. Heb. 13. 5. Col. 3. 5. Demas hath forsaken us and loved this present World 2 Tim. 4. 10. Luk. 16. 13. Jam 4. 5. But thirdly Another character of a covetous Person
never go to seek their stragling Souls by going to their Houses to endeavour their Return not once in twelve months but if they be lost lost they may be for you especially if they be some of the Poor of the Flock if mean in the World and they may wander from Mountain to Hill and be devoured of wild Beasts for you have neither cared to seek that which was lost nor to bring again that which was driven away nor to heal the Sick c. And WO BE TO YOU ye Shepherds of Israel saith the Lord Ezek. 34. 2. that do not the work of a Shepherd but take care to feed your selves and cloath your selves and if that be done whether you have it of the Sheep or any other way you are satisfied though you do not those Offices of Shepherds of the Flock as those that should watch for their Souls as those that must give an account of them to God O how sad an account have ye to make for these things Heb. 13. 17 These Sins of your Omissions unto whom so great a Charge is committed have been very great provocations of the Eyes of his Glory of whose blessed Service you have been so negligent and you must be told of it with a SPARE NOT. Again As this hath been the Sin of Prophets and Teachers so it hath been the Sin of others also even of many of all distinctions Presbyterians and Quakers c. for it is the concern of all that fear the Lord to endeavour the Reclaiming and Recovery of any that are fallen or overtaken with a fault and to endeavour the restoring of them with the spirit of Meekness But this hath been a general Sin among very many viz the Omission of this Duty It is true that many Professors are not gifted for such a Work as â—ohers are but every one ought to be found performing it according to their capacity as need â—equires and neglect of the discharge hereof in any of the Lords People hath been their sin which the Lord will have them humbled for But the great Sin among the Sins of Omission of the Lords People is the Sin of Omission of the constant attending of the Assemblies of the Saints in all times wherein that Assembly whereunto a person appertains doth appoint any solemn Assembly for the publick worshipping the Lord together waiting on the Lord to see his goings in the Sanctuary to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire into his Temple For the Lord is pleased to declare Rev. 1. 13 20 that his presence is in the midst of the Churches in the Assemblies of his Saints and there his people may inquire may seek after may find and obtain the Knowledge of the great Mysterieâ— of his Gospel and Kingdom and there the spiritual Eye may behold his Beauty And if some cannot see any Beauty there it is because their Eyes are blinded But every spiritual Eye may and doth behold in some measure the Beauty of the Lord in his Temple in his Churches But the reason why those that are truly spiritual see but a little is because there is a great defection in the very best of the Churches and most of the Elders of the Churches have their blots and some in particular are very â—oul ones as hath been said and may appear before this discourse be ended it being to shew the Lords People their Transgressions and the Churches and the Elders of the Churches their Sins But though there be a very great defection and backsliding in the Churches and the very Elders of the Churches to their shame yet there the Beauty of the Lord is to be seen if any where upon Earth though it be very much beclouded But though there be but a little Light yet some-Light and some spiritual Beauty there is among many Churches and Congregations of Saints and let particular Souls know that then they shall know if they follow on to Hos 6. 3. Prov. 10. 4. Isa 32. 20 Prov. 2. 4 know the Lord And he that improves a little well shall gain much more The diligent hand maketh rich and blessed are they that sow beside all Waters Blessed are they that improve all opportunities in publick and private to search for the Knowledge of the Glory of the Lord as for Silver and dig for it as for hid Treasures In all places or means in which there is any ground to expect the obtaining of that blessed Treasure But this hath been the Sin of the House of Jacob or those that pretend to be of that House viz. of the Israel of God That they have greatly neglected not onely other Duties in the performance whereof they might have been blessed but also this great Duty of attending the Assemblies of the Saints wherein in an especial manner they ought to â—e diligent For in the Assemblies of the Saints God is most evidently and visbly honoured and gloâ—ified by his People in the Eyes of the World And the more they have been opposed the more ought his Saints to be diligent in giving up themselâ—es by a faithful obedieâ—ce unto his Precepts in the observance of all his Ordinances and appointments blamelesly purely and not according to mens inventions for in vain do they worship him that teach â—or Doctrine the Precepts of men But instead of waiâ—ing on the Lord in the Assemblies of his Saints in former times wherein the Lords People enjoyed Prosperity and as much Liberty as they could desire they many of them followed the World and the Profits thereof and others for tâ—iâ—â—â—ng occasions neglected their Duties when it was not for matter of Gain unto them but meerly from a sluggish dull dead frame of spirit and Indifferency in the Lords Service And when Churches have appointed solemn days of waiting upon the Lord in solemn Assemblies besides the Sabbath or first day of the Week there have been slender appâ—â—â—ances of them of all Distinctions Even of some of the Baptised Churches I say not all of the Baptised Churches but some are very guilty hereof also and it is too well known to them that their solemn Assemblies being appointed have been slightly observed weekly â—n the week Days yea many times when days of Fasting and Prayer and days of Thanksgiving have been appointed upon solemn occasions they have been unworthily neglected by many Church-Members and by some Elders also some affording but half the day to the Lord and some no part at all O unworthy People Was the Lord a barren Wilderness unto you or a Land of Darkness Was there no pleasure to be found in waiting upon him Was he no more delightful to your Soul then a Land of Darkness which is very unpleasant to the Body Was he so to your Souls Was there no more in him then in a barren heathy Wilderness Who can chuse but have his heart rise against the unworthy doings of such a People as have by their Aâ—â—ions seemed to manifest no more regard unto the
For hadâ—t thou â—ot high thoughts of thy self and wer 't thou not swoll'n and puâ—t up so as to think thou art some body and thou oughtest to have thy will done and thy business done and thy orders observed in every puâ—ctilio of them thou woâ—ldst not be so offended if sometimes thou wer 't â—isappointed of having thy will and pleasure but wouldst rather think sometimes Wâ—at am I Who am I that I should expect such continual exact observance of my will I am a poor unworthy Creature and though my Will be câ—ost or I am disappointed of my expectation whether through the sinful wilfulness caâ—elesness or perveâ—sness of my Servant or through their infiâ—mity or weakness and debility for such Services or through any accidental occasion yet I ought patiently to bear it considering how unworthy I am of having my will or my Work or my Business â—one and admire Grace that I have any thing that is satisfactory or comfortable to me being such a sinful polluâ—ed vile Woâ—m as I am having so often and so greatly â—ebelled against GOD. But another may say I being a Master or Mistress am offended and angry sometimes because my Servants are not so careful as they should in keeping my House clean or being clean about dressing Food and clean in ordering Cloaths for wearing which I love and love the more because Cleanness is a shadow of Purity and is a thing the Spirit of God in the Scripture commends as Eccles 9. 8. And clean Cloaths and a clean House and clean Vessels for use are very desirable things and I love to have things so and cannot endure the contrary Answ Though it be true that these are very desirable things and such Servants are to be most desired as have these qualities yet this justifies not any Master or Mistress that have Servants cast upon them by the Providence of God that are not so if they be passionaâ—e oâ— froward In such a case reproof may be given and a dislike may be shewn of such things if it be done in such a way as doth neither move nor disturb the person reproving nor the person reproved nor raise any unkindly heaâ—s or heart-risings in either but â—o as the party reproved may see that they are not despised though their miscarriage is disliked may see that the party reproving hath respect to them notwithstanding the dislike of the offence and may see that the party that reproves them can bear with a fault with much meekness and patience For though Uncleanness be of the greatest abhorrency to a Master oâ— Mistress of any outward thing yet it is but the crossing theâ—r will and if it be that which a Servnant is not a Lover of or be so habited in the contrary as they cannot conform to that cleanliness that is desired yet that also which is most averse to our natures ought we to bear patiently when we cannot avoid it and to consider that our Passion or Impatience cannot reform it but rather strengthen it and that if we cannot bear things that are contrary to our pleasures and earnest desires this doth manifest that we have not such a due sence of our own unworthiness are not so humble so lowly in heart as we ought to be we being such unworthy Creatures as deserve nothing that is desirable or comfortable to us and therefore should â—ear contentedly those things which are most irksome to our natures and acknowledge that we might justly be deprived also of all the other Mercies that we enjoy And Onely by Pride cometh Contention in this Case also And they are poor proud Worms puft and swollen Dust and Ashes that contend about any outward things that are of self-concernment and cannot meekly and patiently perswade and reason onely with persons offending without passion or discontent in all such cases as are our own outward concernments I do not hereby condemn persons that endeavour to have such desirable things as are lawful and warrantable in themselves as these things are But that which is condemned is the impatient bearing the crossing of our desires in those lawful things We may desire them and endeavour to procure them But if one Servant be not of a cleanly temper we ought patiently to bear that until we can â—aiâ—ly put off one and take another and use any good and just means to obtain those desnable things But in the mean time consider that as no hair of our head can fall to the ground without the Lords Providence much more may it be said That no Servant can come into a mans service without the Lords Providence and it may be appointed of him as a punishment of the iniquity of such a Master or Mistress and ought patiently to be born of meek and huâ—ble Persons Remember what David said of Shimei It may be the Lord hath said unto 2 Sam. 16. 10. him Curse David who shall then say Wherefore hast thou done so And so do you say And if one Servant be unpleasing to you bear that and if another be so bear that until the Lord shall direct you to a better But if you have â—ever so many disappointments of that kind it must still be born acknowledging always that he punishes us less then our Iniquities deserve Ezra 9. 13 The like may be said of any Discontents or Passions or Heats that may arise between Husbands and Wives and Prethren and Sisters and Neighbours and fellow-Servants they all proceed from Pride Either because one Party cannot bear an Offence which had he Humility he would bâ—ar Or the other party cannot endure to be charâ—ed with a fault whereas had he humility he would sweetly receive Reproof whether he was guilty or not guilty as was said before pag. 39. I say the cause of all Passions and Contentions arise from want of Humility in the one party or the other or in both But sometimes it arises buâ— from the one party as for Example If a man be proud he is apt to take offences though he have to do with persons that are never so humble and never so meek Because sometimes through such forgetfulness as the most careful person may be subject to there may be offences taken As if a Servant or a Friend have forgotten to do what was expected and what was fit to be done a proud person that thinks he ought to have every thing that he desires and cannot be content to have his Will crost in any thing will be froward and impatient though it were not possible for the Party to do the thing having forgotten it And again A proud person that is puft up with apprehensions of his own worth will expect such and such observances from Neighbours and from Relations which a humble person never minds and if the persons be never so meek that such a man hath to do with it is not possible but Contentions and Passions will break out in the proud Person because the meek Person with whom he hath
opposed and imprisoned and banished and if hang'd it were good enough for them and if they were even cut off that troubled the Presbyterians it were but righteous in their account So little of the Spirit of God appeared in them and so little Love had they to all that differed from them and so ill thoughts did they harbour of them And on the other hand it hath been a frequent thing for the Baptised the Quakers and Independants to judge the Presbyterians to be Antichristian and to be in Babylon in an Antichristian Way as being such as the Lord would never own And yet it is to be hoped that by this time they are convinced on all hands in a good measure that they did eâ—e in so judging and speaking one of another For the Baptised People and the rest do now see that there is a spirit of Integrity and of the true Fear of the Lord among them that are called Presbyterians and that they cannot by the Temptations of this World nor yet by the Threats of it be drawn to comply with things against their Light to keep their Beâ—â—â—ces as they judged they would for many of those that had hard thoughts of the Presbyterians judged that those that were Preachers among the Presbyterians preached onely for Hire and for Reward and that if their far Benefices were taken away their work would be ended But they do now see that it is not so but that they can and do preach though there be no Tythes nor Rates put into their mouths and that they can be content as weâ—l as Independant and Baptised Preachers and Quakers to do their Lords Work and trust him to engage the Hearts of their Hearers to administer to them supplies for their Livelihoods And though it be not so much as formerly yet it may be it doth them more good and is more comfortable to them then their former Incomes were that were by Tythes c. And it may be seen also that those Impositions that came from Rome even from the Babylonian Crew are not submitted to by the Presbyterians but that they desire such a Reformation in all things as is most agreeable to the Word of God and not according to the Decrees Canons and Constitutions of Men. I say these things the Baptised Independants and Quakers can now see in the Presbyterians and can bless the Lord for it Again on the other hand The Presbyterians do now see that it is not a great Error for the Lords People to meet in private Houses thereto worship God and preach and hear the Word as the Primitive Saints did seeing that liberty of Worshiping God accoâ—ding to the Enlightâ—ings of their Understandings and Consciences is not to be had in the Parish Steeplehouses which some do call Churches And by this time they are all convinced that they all believe in and worship one God the Father of whom are all things and one Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things and that they are all made Partakeâ—s of the same Spirit â— Cor. 8. 6. of Truth that dispenseth his Gifts and Graces and Teachings to them all variously dispensing to every one severally as he will and that his Wind bloweth where it listeth John 3. 8. And they can rejoyce in the Grace of God that is dispensed to them all inabling them or any particular person of them to bear witness unto the Truth Some by suffering Imprisonments or Confiscations and deprivements of outward things or Banishments or Death And they can all rejoyce in that Christ is exalted by any who do preach up and witness to this Truth That Jesus Christ is the onely Lawgiver in his Church and the onely â—ph 1. 22. Isa 33. 22 Ezek. 43. 8. Rom. 14 -5 King and Head of his Church and that his Laws and Rules onely are to be obeyed and practised in his Church and that no men ought to set up their posts by his Posts and that every Servant of the Lord ought to worship him so as they are perswaded in theiâ— own mind is most agreeable to his Word and his Rules and not according to the Understandings and Prescriptions of others but according to that direction Rom. 14. 15 23. Let every man be fully perswaded in his own mind Perswaded of what Even that the Way in which he worships God is according to his Word and Laws and not according to the Words and Laws of men as knowing that whatsoever is not of Faith is sin And they all can rejoyce in this That that one Spirit in them all preâ—seth all to Holiness and Purity of Heart and Life so that out of doubt theâ—e are many of all these that now can lie down at the Feet one of another to do one another good though in some things they diffeâ— in their Understandings as much now as ever they did And they have now lâ—arned to be more afraid of Judging and Censuring and Condemning one another lest they shoulâ— be judged of Christ for so doing But though we may hope that it is thus now with many of the Lords People yet it is most undeniable that the generality of the Lords People have greatly sinned against him in their sinful Deportments one towards another â— Tim. 6. 4 in â—aking up evil surmises one of another and endeavouring to compel one another to their own Understandings and also manifesting such an unworthy spirit as that if any one party had prevailed to have absoluâ—e Dominion over all the rest it was more then pâ—obable they would have used some severity to conâ—â—â—ain the rest to conâ—orm to their Understandings This was known to be that which the Presbyterians did greatly seek for And it was too manifest by the words and actions of the Baptised Quakers and Independants thaâ— they would have gone far in the same Path †Though not to that height as the Presbyterians desired to do which was a very unworthy disposition in whomsoever it was for if it be a very grievous thiâ—g a veâ—y injurious thing for any to compel the Presbyterians to do that which is against their Conscâ—ences in the Worship of God it is the same in any other But this hath greatly displeased the Lord that any should be compelled and constrained to do any thing in his Service or Woâ—ship which they saw not his Word and Rule for He is thy Lord and worship thou him He is not thy Lord if thou observe Psal 45. 11. Mat. 15. 9. not his Rules and his Commands and Directions but the Commands and the Rules of Men. In vain do ye worship me teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of men But in that the Lords People have a Disposion to impose their own Understandings one upon another and in that though they have not had that full power so to do which they desiâ—ed yet have they manifested a persecuting spirit one against another meerly and onely for differences in Understanding by reproachful speeches which they have given