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<DATE>2008-0X-XX</DATE>
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<NAME>John Pas</NAME>
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<TEXT>
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<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
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<P>GODS APPEARING For the TRIBE of LEVI: IMPROVED In a Sermon Preached at S^t^. <HI>Pauls, Nov.</HI> 8. To the Sons of Mini&s;ters, then &s;olemnly ASSEMBLED.</P>
<P><HI>By</HI> GEO: HALL, <HI>Mini&s;ter at S^t^. Botolph Alder&s;gate.</HI></P>
<Q><BIBL>Rom. 8.31.</BIBL>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">;</P></Q>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed by <HI>Tho: Roycroft,</HI> for <HI>Philemon Stephens,</HI> at the gilded Lyon in <HI>Pauls</HI> Church Yard, 1655.</P>
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<DIV1 TYPE="to the reader">
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<HEAD>TO THE READER.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Reader,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>I Can hardly &s;atisfie my &s;elfe, and thee much le&s;&s;e, who do&s;t wonder to finde me in Print, My comming forth into this open light, who have rejoyced in my clo&s;e retyredne&s;&s;e; is, as if the Batt &s;hould &s;tare the Sun in the face, at noon day. I de|&s;ire thee to know, that, as the &s;ervice fell un|expectedly upon me by Lot, &s;o the perfor|mance no le&s;&s;e unexpectedly ingageth me, to
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be thus publicke: I was not a little tempted, to decline the employment, and even ready to &s;ay in &s;ome di&s;couraging Con&s;iderations, O my Lord, &s;end I pray thee, by the hand of him, whom thou wilt &s;end: And &s;ee, how my Experience ju&s;tifieth my Fears; the Re|port is come to me, of one (an unknowne Hearer) who hardly refrained him&s;elfe in the Congregation, from clamouring again&s;t me, as a Preacher of fal&s;e Doctrine: Ser|pents will bite the heels; I am in this &s;ome|what concerned, to &s;ubmit to common cen|&s;ure what was delivered; let the fal&s;e Do|ctrine be pointed at, I de&s;ire no mercy, and &s;hall ju&s;tifie every &s;yllable: The adventure was (in my owne apprehen&s;ion) great, while (as St. <HI>Paul</HI> in that time of his greate&s;t perill, when the Ship was falne into a place, where two Seas met) &s;o was I ingaged, betweene oppo&s;ite Parties, which I was to &s;peake unto; the rigid Punctilio-men, both of the right hand, and of the left; unto whom, to &s;peake of any thing tending to Moderation, is the &s;ame thing, as to bring &s;everall &s;welling
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mountaines together, to grow into one even ground: But, as they do not finde me &s;o for Communion with di&s;&s;enting Brethren, as to buy it upon the unfit termes of yeelding up my owne &s;ure Principles; &s;o I wi&s;h them to &s;it downe, and calmely con&s;ider, whether (as Chri&s;tians) we are not bound to make all faire offers for it we may, and to lay downe all our Animo&s;ities, of which the Mi&s;cheif is &s;o &s;adly vi&s;ible.</P>
<P>Now, that I may be &s;ure not to di&s;appoint thee, I promi&s;e little i<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> this Sermon, but the Subject, the extraordinary occa&s;ion, the Orthodoxy, the plaine, open Hone&s;ty, and Zeale, without intemperate heat: If thou finde &s;omething, which may be of good u&s;e, and (for the temper) proper and &s;ea&s;onable (as &s;ome would per&s;wade me) I repent not my well meant few dayes labour, mo&s;t glad|ly would I be&s;tow, and bee be&s;towed, If in the lea&s;t I may be profitable.</P>
<P>I never cared (as all who have known me, can witne&s;&s;e) to wrap up, and hood my &s;elf, as &s;hy of di&s;covering what I am, and now it
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will appear, I am no Changeling, though one, who would &s;acrifice him&s;elfe for the Unity or Gods Church.</P>
<P>I would give thee a little further adverti&s;e|ment; For that Generation of men, who are haters of Mini&s;ters <HI>Toto genere,</HI> who are for a <GAP DESC="foreign">, nothing le&s;&s;e then utter extirpation of us; and who, if they were Ba&s;ilisks (as they are Serpents) would look us dead; The&s;e I do either roughly treat, or &s;lightingly pa&s;&s;e by: Di&s;ingenuity, is th<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> <HI>Vis pla&s;tica;</HI> And what can Ingenuity, or rea&s;oning prevail upon &s;uch? As for the other &s;ort, who face us, and with the mu&s;tered Forces of their pretended Gifts, do invade our Pulpits, and pull away the Cu&s;hion from us: We &s;tand and admire not them, but the infinite patience of God, who plucketh not his right hand out of his bo&s;ome, to con&s;ume, &s;uch uncommi&s;&s;ioned underta|kers; He judge between them, and us (whom he hath been plea&s;ed to &s;eperate, and call neer unto him&s;elf) Whether their taking our Cen|&s;ers, and holding forth, be upon any warrant, or no; I am &s;ure it will be hard for them to
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plead, what We can. I am vvilling to &s;uppo&s;e thee a &s;ober Well-wi&s;her to a fixed Mini&s;try, and I hope, one who do&s;t &s;olicite God, in thy Prayers, for us who are be&s;et with &s;o many, and tho&s;e unrea&s;onable Adver&s;aries; In lieu of tho&s;e Prayers, take our ble&s;&s;ing with thee, that God would give thee &s;uch Wi&s;dome, as is mo&s;t needfull to guide, and direct thee, in the wor&s;t, and mo&s;t perilous times, that thou maye&s;t &s;teer an even, &s;afe cour&s;e, without dan|ger of making Ship-wrack of thy Faith and good Con&s;cience, till thou arrive in thy wi&s;h|ed Haven, <HI>In &s;inu Abrahae,</HI> out of all the &s;till new threatning Stormes, of this tempe&s;tuous evill World.</P>
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<HEAD>Gods appearing for the <HI>Tribe</HI> of LEVI.</HEAD>
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<Q><BIBL><HI>NUMB. 17.8.</HI></BIBL>
<P>And it came to pa&s;&s;e, that on the Morrow <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> went into the Tabernacle of witne&s;&s;e, And behold the Rod of <HI>Aaron</HI> for the hou&s;e of <HI>Levi</HI> was budded, and brought forth Budds, and bloomed Blo&s;&s;oms, and yeelded Al|monds.</P></Q>
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<P>_A Good day, and happy de&s;ign of our &s;olemn Meeting, a Meeting not of Vanity but Piety, not <GAP DESC="foreign">, to make a &s;hew of our &s;elves, to number our Tribe, that it may be &s;poken how many of the Lords people, are Sons of the Prophets; but in &s;in|glene&s;&s;e of heart, to pre&s;ent and dedicate our &s;elves
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unto the God of our Fathers: We are come up hi|ther,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 122.4.</NOTE> as the Tribes to the Temple at <HI>Jeru&s;alem, Even the tribes of the Lord, unto the Te&s;timony of I&s;rael, to give thanks unto the Name of the Lord:</HI> And ble&s;&s;ed be his Name, who taketh plea&s;ure in the pro&s;perity of his Servants, and hath given us this occa&s;ion of a free and &s;olemne Convention.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Micha 3.11.</NOTE>People in this Age, love to talke of Gods appear|ings for them, <HI>Fondly leaning upon him,</HI> and &s;aying, <HI>Is not the Lord among&s;t us?</HI> But let the Hou&s;e of <HI>Levi</HI> now &s;ay, The Lord hath appeared for us of a truth; and,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;. 62.24.</NOTE> <HI>It is well &s;een O God, how thou goe&s;t, how thou our God, and King, goe&s;t in the Sanctuary:</HI> He hath appear|ed, I &s;ay, both for his Prie&s;thood, under the Law, and for his Mini&s;ters under the Go&s;pel; and this have I prepared to entertaine you with (which the Lord hath brought &s;uddenly to me) and I hope it will prove &s;avoury meat, that a ble&s;&s;ing may follow it; How God did manife&s;t his e&s;peciall favour to the Hou&s;e of <HI>Levi,</HI> in the Signall Election of <HI>Aaron,</HI> the Head, and Prince of the Tribe.</P>
<P>The Text points us to look back to what had pa&s;|&s;ed before,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 8.7.</NOTE> and there we find, that as <HI>Sin took occa&s;ion by the Law to work evill</HI> in the Apo&s;tle, &s;o here Mercy took occa&s;ion by wickedne&s;&s;e and rebellion to work good, to magnifie and exalt it &s;elf. A Mutiny was kindled, by &s;ome hot headed men, levelling Spirits, and Pretenders to Giftedne&s;&s;e, again&s;t their Gover|nours, <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and <HI>Aaron;</HI> they put them&s;elves for|ward in a pretended zeal, to give a check to the in|croachment of the Prie&s;t upon them, in an a&s;&s;umed peculiarity of Office, in &s;etting up a Pale, where all
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(as they thought) &s;hould be Common: <HI>Corah</HI> the Ring-leader, gets many Complices to &s;econd him, no le&s;&s;e then two hundred and fifty Captains of <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> they together, take &s;tomack, roundly to tell their Leaders, that they took too much upon them, that they acknowledged no &s;uch difference to be made between them and others: If they were annointed, yet the people al&s;o had an Unction of Holine&s;&s;e, and would allow no &s;uch di&s;crimination, as their arro|gance made: Thus early did the humour of &s;triving with the Prie&s;t begin, that we may not wonder at it now; no &s;mall di&s;couragement was this to <HI>Aaron,</HI> e&s;pecially, when he con&s;idered who they were that maligned him, even of his own Tribe, of <HI>Levi,</HI> for &s;o I find them to have been, a&s;&s;ociated with &s;ome <HI>Reube|nites,</HI> indeed the <HI>Levites</HI> did ri&s;e again&s;t <HI>Aaron,</HI> and the <HI>Reubenites</HI> again&s;t <HI>Mo&s;es.</HI> The Quarrel grew hot, and the I&s;&s;ue was ea&s;ily fore&s;een to be the wor&s;t confu&s;i|on, and rea&s;oning the matter with unrea&s;onable men, would not compo&s;e and end it, &s;ome extraordinary Expedient was nece&s;&s;ary to &s;top the Train, before it went far: It was time for <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> to con&s;ult God, yea, for God al&s;o, to lay to his hand, to ari&s;e and &s;hew him&s;elf, when thus his Prie&s;thood was invaded; and &s;uch an I&s;&s;ue is devi&s;ed, to which the matter &s;hould be put, as the Mutiniers could not but confe&s;s ju&s;t &amp; rea&s;onable, and &s;hould find mo&s;t convictive of their In&s;olency, Cen&s;ers to be taken by both, and &s;o the Controver&s;ie to be decided from Heaven, by a Glory re&s;ting upon that part, which God &s;hould owne, &s;o it was. But the conviction of &s;uch Wretches, was not enough, <HI>Shall not the Judge of all the Earth do right?</HI> It
<PB N="4" REF="7">
was fit, that the Honour of God which now &s;uffer|ed, &s;hould be magnified in their exemplary puni&s;h|ment, and that by his immediate hand, a di&s;crimina|tion &s;hould be made, between tho&s;e whom he had called neer unto him&s;elf, and others, who would not own any: And behold, that the World might take notice, they were judg'd un worthy to tread upon Gods earth, who had no more regard to his Sacred In&s;titution, the earth cleaves under them, becomes an open Sepulcher, and &s;wallowes them up alive, with no intention to cover their Fault, when it cove|red their per&s;ons.</P>
<P>Their per&s;onall puni&s;hment was not enough nei|ther, after-times might forget any &s;uch judgment, or mi&s;-report it. <HI>Corahs</HI> Spirit might ri&s;e again in o|thers, and rai&s;e new di&s;turbances; to prevent that danger, God would give the people a vi&s;ible, and la|&s;ting &s;ign, in what particular Tribe, the Prie&s;thood &s;hould re&s;t, a Rod mu&s;t be brought for every Tribe, and the name of the chief of every Tribe written up|on it: and that Rod of the twelve (all being layd up together in the Tabernacle) which &s;hould be found to blo&s;&s;ome, and flouri&s;h, that &s;hould give a cleer evidence, and put it out of all di&s;pute, for &s;uc|ceeding times, out of which Tribe, and what parti|cular man was de&s;igned, and pitched upon by God, for his Prie&s;t: It was done accordingly, and then the Text comes in, <HI>And it came to pa&s;&s;e, &amp;c.</HI> Now that this Text may be to us, according to the &s;ubject of it, a Rod budding and bringing forth, not Blo&s;&s;oms only, but Fruit al&s;o, let us make the be&s;t improvement of it we may, and let your thoughts be
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exerci&s;ed upon
<LIST>
<ITEM>the Hi&s;tory</ITEM>
<ITEM>the My&s;tery</ITEM>
</LIST>
of it.</P>
<P>The Hi&s;tory, what more remarkable pa&s;&s;ages are in that?</P>
<P>The My&s;tery, how u&s;efull, pertinent, and applica|ble with us?</P>
<P>What then are the more remarkable things of the Story?</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Aarons</HI> Rod budds, con&s;ider the &s;everal Rods, when layd up, they were all alike, one as little pro|mi&s;ing as another, the Characters as fairly written, of the names of the re&s;t, as of <HI>Aarons,</HI> and yet behold, as vi&s;ible a difference appears between them, as be|tween a living, growing, Fruitfull Branch, and a bundle of dry &s;ear &s;ticks: Do we look into nature for a rea&s;on of this, that was quite non-plu&s;t: It could not work beyond the Sphear of its activity, and did as much forbid one Rod to flouri&s;h, as ano|ther. <HI>Can a Ru&s;h grow without Mire?</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Iob 11. Iohn 5.</NOTE> <HI>A Branch that is cut off grow, except it abide in the Vine?</HI> In the natu|rall impo&s;ibility of this, lies the &s;trength of our Savi|ours Argument, and Application.</P>
<P>But we ea&s;ily over-look nature in this, that God, who at fir&s;t made all things to have a being out of nothing, could well make this Rod to budd, without earth, Or moi&s;ture, or other helps, and advantages: It is not now &s;o ingenious to ask, <HI>How could this thing be?</HI> As why? and that is as ea&s;ily an&s;wered; All <HI>I&s;ra|el</HI> were repre&s;entatively in the&s;e twelve Rods, and it was nece&s;&s;ary, a difference &s;hould be made, the other twelve Princes &s;tanding in competition, and think|ing them&s;elves as well qualified for the Prie&s;thood,
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as he who was inve&s;ted with it; Now &s;urely tho&s;e Princes believed the Prie&s;thood to be the greate&s;t honour, who made this the height of their emulous ambition, and were in good hopes they &s;hould have carried it, they would not el&s;e have had their names put into this Divine Lottery, written in &s;everall Rods. And nece&s;&s;ary it was in that juncture of time, that &s;ome one Rod &s;hould keep life in it &s;elf, and how vainly &s;hould they be Competitors any longer, again&s;t whom God did thus manife&s;tly appear.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Aarons</HI> Rod doth not only bud, but blo&s;&s;ome, putting forth it &s;elf, and giving proof of its germina|tion; Nature is &s;low, and lea&s;urely in its producti|ons, the mo&s;t lively branches which continue in the Tree, cannot make Buds and Blo&s;&s;omes at once, how much le&s;&s;e a twig cut off from the &s;ap that nouri&s;h|ed it; We mu&s;t therfore conclude, <HI>the finger of God was here,</HI> there was &s;omething more then ordinary in <HI>Aarons</HI> Blo&s;&s;oming Rod: It was of an <HI>Almond</HI> Tree, according to that in the Prophet <HI>Jeremies</HI> Vi&s;ion, <HI>I &s;ee the Rod of an Almond Tree;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ier. 1.11.</NOTE> The Originall word comes from <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>Vigilare</HI> and <HI>Fe&s;tinare,</HI> to a wake, and to make ha&s;t, becau&s;e the Almond Tree is the fir&s;t in the Spring, that awakes and ha&s;tens to put forth it &s;elf: And mo&s;t elegantly doth the Royall Preacher &s;et forth the gray haires of venerable old Age, by the Blo&s;&s;omes of the Almond Tree,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccl. 5.12.</NOTE> <HI>The Almond Tree &s;hall flourish,</HI> the Blo&s;&s;omes of that being white, and com|ing out &s;oone&s;t: But the Story here &s;hewes us a pro|duction too quick for the Almond Tree al&s;o, though the quicke&s;t of all, ju&s;tly marvelous in our eyes, Buds and Blo&s;&s;omes in one night, what a quick Spring was
<PB N="7" REF="8">
this? Here I would give a hint to our &s;uddainly gifted and illuminated Bretheren, if they would be plea&s;ed to take it; Though <HI>Aarons</HI> Rod did bud and blo&s;&s;ome in a night, his Qualifications for his Office did not come &s;o &s;uddenly, both his inward acquired and not infu&s;ed Abilities,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Exod. 29.35.</NOTE> and his outward Calling and &s;olemn Annointing and Con&s;ecration <HI>for &s;even daies together,</HI> do all &s;hew, too much ha&s;t may be made into the Prie&s;thood: And what can I &s;ay to tho&s;e Novices, again&s;t who&s;e admittance the Apo&s;tle entred his Caveat, who will needs be in <HI>Aarons Office</HI> before their Buds be come forth.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Aarons</HI> Rod, did not onely bloom Blo&s;&s;oms, but al&s;o yeilded Almonds, not onely gave hopes, and promi&s;es, and Earne&s;t of Fruit, but the fruit expe|cted, and that not overha&s;tned, but kindly, and come to due maturation: This was the height of the wonder, Buds, Blo&s;&s;omes, ripe Fruits, and all with|in &s;o little a time, as a night; who &s;ees not in the&s;e &s;everall productions, both &s;atisfaction given, to that pre&s;ent age, in the Fruit, a &s;ure proofe of <HI>Aarons</HI> Calling to the Prie&s;thood, and &s;ecurity given to Po&s;terity, for con&s;tant &s;ucce&s;&s;ion, in the Buds and Blo&s;&s;oms, which did tell what fruit &s;hould come in after times, from the &s;ame Stock. Of the&s;e Almonds much good u&s;e may be made, many wayes; we con|tent our &s;elves now with this; There is no &s;uch good, and &s;ure proofe, of the calling of God, as Fruitfulne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>Some more weak and &s;crupulous &s;heep of Chri&s;ts Flock, do &s;tand looking upon their Pa&s;tor, and que|&s;tion his Calling, to take the care of them when
<PB N="8" REF="9">
they &s;hould be feeding; they &s;cruple whether their Mini&s;ters be lawfully called to the over&s;ight of them, though never &s;o duly ordained, when they might find it by their owne Improvement; let that &s;cruple cea&s;e: If with right Ordination (and the continued practice of the Church determines what that is) there be fruitfulne&s;&s;e in their Mini&s;try, if there be on their part laboriou&s;ne&s;&s;e, watchfulne&s;&s;e, de&s;ire to approve them&s;elves to the con&s;ciences of men, endeavour to gaine &s;oules unto God; if they be Doctrinall men (as Doctor <HI>Donns</HI> word was) <GAP DESC="foreign">, Living Lawes, their lives, &s;ound Com|mentaries upon their Doctrine, the&s;e be evidences enough, here be Almonds upon <HI>Aarons</HI> Rod.</P>
<P>And in this will we make our free appeals to God, to judge between us, the legally ordained Mini&s;ters of the Church of <HI>England,</HI> and who&s;oever our op|po&s;ers; If we have not fruit to &s;hew of our Callings, which Gifted pretenders &s;hall vainely boa&s;t of, if there be not, in all places where we have been &s;etled, &s;ome &s;eals of our Mini&s;try, <HI>Epi&s;tles,</HI> and <HI>Letters</HI> of <HI>Commendation</HI> of it to be produced; if men have not thrived happily, under our labours, and been fit|ted for Heaven, if Chri&s;ts Kingdom be not more ad|vanced by us, then it can be by any of tho&s;e Invaders of our Mini&s;try, then let Heaven and Earth be wit|ne&s;&s;es again&s;t us, let us be razed out of the land of the living; yea, we may boldly make the impreca|tion, Let the earth do by us, as it did by <HI>Corah, Da|than,</HI> and <HI>Abiram,</HI> even &s;wallow us up quick.</P>
<P>But &s;tay, Fruits &s;o <HI>extempore,</HI> &s;o &s;oon ripe, as the&s;e Almonds on <HI>Aarons</HI> Rod, might perhaps as &s;oon wi|ther;
<PB N="9" REF="9">
not &s;o, they were kindly, and la&s;ting, by this good token, That for perpetuall memory, both the Rod and Fruit, were kept in the Arke of God: And in this (if it be fit to make compari&s;ons between them) &s;aith a Reverend Auther; This Rod of <HI>Aaron,</HI> had the pre-eminence above that of <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> though that did very great Miracles, yet the wonders which it did, pa&s;&s;ed away: But this carried &s;till the Miracle in it &s;elf, and &s;o was a mo&s;t precious Relique: And that the Fruit &s;hould continue upon it, and that be conti|nued in the Ark, was al&s;o mo&s;t nece&s;&s;ary, for a &s;igne of the perpetually &s;ucce&s;&s;ion of the Prie&s;thood.</P>
<P>By the way, If we had then lived, and &s;hould have &s;een the Ark rifled, the Buds, Blo&s;&s;oms, and Almonds (all the good Ornaments of the Rod) pluckt off, and the Rod it &s;elf broken, would we not have &s;haked our heads at it? If any of <HI>Levi</HI> e&s;pecially &s;hould have been acce&s;&s;ary to the mi&s;|chief, would we not have cryed &s;hame upon them? It is well con&s;idered by a Ma&s;ter of Contemplation, who &s;pends good thoughts upon this Subject, what comfort <HI>Aaron</HI> mu&s;t needs take, to &s;ee his Rod among all the re&s;t, thus flouri&s;hing, and fruitful, what a good A&s;&s;urance he &s;aw in this, of Gods gracious Election, and Approbation of him; And what a &s;atisfaction is it, to us al&s;o, whom God hath called neerer to him|&s;elf, to knows, what ample Te&s;timony he hath given to our &s;acred Calling. <HI>And who &s;hall make my Glorying vaine.</HI> If I now take a fit occa&s;ion, <GAP DESC="foreign">,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 11.13.</NOTE> (as the Apo&s;tle) to magnifie and &s;peak big words of our holy Office: After &s;o much Dirt, and Contempt, as hath been ca&s;t upon our Coat, let none call, what I
<PB N="10" REF="10">
&s;hall bring for the honour of it, &s;welling words of va|nity, but a ju&s;t vindication, and Apology.</P>
<P>To the &s;topping of the mouthes of all our Vilifiers and Contemners; We will plead the high dignity of our Office, and to the Conviction of all &s;uch, as do &s;ugge&s;t our u&s;ele&s;ne&s;&s;e, the high nece&s;&s;ity and impor|tance of it.</P>
<P N="1">1. For the Dignity of it fir&s;t, who can deny, that in the beginning of the World, for many hundreds of years, the Kingdome and Prie&s;thood did concur in the &s;ame per&s;on, and when they were &s;evered, were divided between two brethren, <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and <HI>Aaron.</HI> To Mini&s;ter before the Lord, was the Prerogative of the Fir&s;t-born: And how ob&s;ervable is it, that the Spi|rit of God &s;uppo&s;es Royalty annexed unto the Prie&s;thood,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Exod 19.6.</NOTE> <HI>Yee are a Royall Prie&s;thood,</HI> 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.9. (<GAP DESC="foreign"> and &s;o the <HI>Sept.</HI> renders that, <HI>Ex|od.</HI> 19.6. <HI>Yee &s;hall be unto me, a Kingdome of Prie&s;ts:</HI> As if to be Royall without the Prie&s;thood, were not Dignity enough, <GAP DESC="foreign">, &amp;c. To Raigne as a Monarch, and to Officiate as a Prie&s;t, the&s;e are properly inherent in the &s;ame per&s;on,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ari&s;t. pol. <HI>10.</HI></NOTE> &s;aith <HI>Ari|&s;totle.</HI></P>
<P>And that even among Heathens, the Prie&s;ts were in the highe&s;t E&s;teem, and Veneration, is a State Truth.</P>
<P>Among the <HI>Egyptians,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign"> Grace with tne precious Crown of Prie&s;t|hood,<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;id. petu|fiot. <HI>2.</HI> lib. ep. <HI>291.</HI></NOTE> Is <HI>I&s;id. pelu&s;iots</HI> of them; And that they were <GAP DESC="foreign">, Next to the Prince, in dignity, and Authority, <HI>Di. Si|culus</HI> a&s;&s;ures us,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Diod. &s;iculus.</NOTE> That they were &s;o among the Greeks
<PB N="11" REF="10">
known, by the &s;everal names, of <GAP DESC="foreign">, their Authors give us full account.</P>
<P>In what high &s;trains the Greek Fathers &s;peake of this Function, is obvious to all that read them, <GAP DESC="foreign"> the excelling Prie&s;thood, is St. <HI>Chry|&s;o&s;tomes</HI> language of it, <GAP DESC="foreign">, the grea|te&s;t of all Ornaments, <HI>Nazianzen</HI> calls it, <GAP DESC="foreign">, is S <HI>Cyrills,</HI> a thing honourable and great in Gods e&s;teem; And tho&s;e, who are in this Office,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Concil &s;ar|dic. Can. <HI>20.</HI></NOTE> to be <GAP DESC="foreign"> venerable, and to be lookt upon with mo&s;t re&s;pect; nay, a Coun&s;ell gives it this Elogy, <GAP DESC="foreign">, The name of Prie&s;thood to be Divine, and in the fir&s;t place, to be reverenced. Hath our Profe&s;&s;ion been &s;et &s;o high, and have we lived to &s;ee it, in a Chri&s;tian reformed Nation, &s;corn'd, and layd as low as the du&s;t? The name of Prie&s;t, ca&s;t as a re|proach? this is not more the Athei&s;me, then the Fol|ly, and weakne&s;&s;e of men, to make that a terme of &s;corne, which we have rea&s;on to bind as a Crown to us. I would faine know, how, or when, the name of Prie&s;t (though we do not affect it under the Go&s;pel, with judicious <HI>Hooker,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Chri&s;tus &s;acerdos quoad <GAP DESC="foreign">, in Terris quoad <GAP DESC="foreign"> in Celis, At|tingius,</NOTE> we acknowledge it antiqua|ted, and improper now) when (I &s;ay) this name of Prie&s;t, fell &s;o low, as to become mo&s;t vile and con|temptible? What? was it, when our Lord and Sa|viour him&s;elf was plea&s;ed to owne it? <HI>A Prie&s;t for e|ver;</HI> They are deceived, that think to put us out of Countenance, with giving us a name of greate&s;t ho|nour; we will beare this after Chri&s;t, not as out Cro&s;&s;e, our Burthens, our &s;hame, but our be&s;t <HI>Eu&s;igne</HI> of Honour: We all wil joyn with the Apo&s;tle, <GAP DESC="foreign">,
<PB N="12" REF="11">
<GAP DESC="foreign">,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 1.16.</NOTE> <HI>I am not a&s;hamed</HI> of my Office; And in that word of his, <HI>Minus dicitur, plus intelligitur,</HI> the Apo|&s;tle meant more, then he expre&s;t, <HI>I am not a&s;hamed,</HI> was, not onely, I blu&s;h not for the Go&s;pel, I account not my imployment in it, no di&s;paragement, but, <HI>Vehementer glorior,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 15.20.</NOTE> I exceedingly glory in it, accord|ing to that in another place, <GAP DESC="foreign">, In which is implyed, this was his Ambition, this he would contend for, as for a Preferment, as an honour from God; When God commanded his people to be numbred in every Tribe, he appointed all the o|ther Tribes, to be numbred from twenty years up|wards as you find.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Num. 1.3.</NOTE> But of the Tribe of <HI>Levi,</HI> the numeration to be from a month upwards, When they were in <HI>Fa&s;ciis,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Olea&s;ter.</NOTE> and lay in their Cradles. One askes the rea&s;on of this, and an&s;wers, <HI>Agno&s;ce Sacerdos, quanti te Deus fecerit,</HI> See, O thou, who out of that Tribe art called to the Prie&s;ts Office, how much thou art beholding to God, above others. I mu&s;t change the Note <HI>Agno&s;ce Sacerdos, quantilli te vulgus fece|rit.</HI> What e&s;teem God hath of us (of our office at lea&s;t) I wi&s;h, people would con&s;ider from hence, how he takes the Allitude of mens wickedne&s;&s;e from their Offences again&s;t us; This is reckoned as the great aggravation again&s;t his people, and brought as a &s;igne of their imminent ruine: <HI>This people are as they that &s;trive with the Prie&s;t,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ho&s;. 4.4.</NOTE> Or rebuke the Prie&s;ts; Nay not reverencing their per&s;ons was guilt enough, <HI>They reverenced not the per&s;on of the Prie&s;ts,</HI> &s;landering them, is made to be a kind of bla&s;phemy (<GAP DESC="foreign">) Is the Apo&s;tles word:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Lam. 4.16. Rom. 3.8.</NOTE> And <HI>he that de&s;pi&s;eth you, de|&s;pi&s;eth me,</HI> &s;aith our Lord and Ma&s;ter; And how ill
<PB N="13" REF="11">
the Affronts, and Indignities offered to Prie&s;ts and Prophets have &s;ped, and pro&s;pered,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>On</HI> John.</NOTE> The Ob&s;er|vation is offered to us, by Reverend Mr. <HI>Hilder&s;ham,</HI> and exemplyfied in foure Kings of <HI>Judah,</HI> not far one from another, who in the beginning of their Raigns were excellent Princ<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">s, and pro&s;perous:<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Chron. 16. 12. 24. 21. 25. 27. 26. 19.</NOTE> But after the violences, a<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">d di&s;honours they did unto &s;uch, they never pro&s;pered, but came to ill ends; The in|&s;tances are, <HI>A&s;a, Joa&s;h. Amaziah, &V;zzia.</HI> I mu&s;t refer you to their Story, and I take my &s;elf off, from in&s;i|&s;ting any longer upon the Dignity of our Office, in which I may quite lo&s;e my &s;elf.</P>
<P N="2">2. The &s;econd thing was the Importance of it, how high that is, of what u&s;e we are, let the Apo&s;tle be our Speaker, <HI>Let a man &s;o account of us,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 4.1.</NOTE> <HI>as of the Mi|ni&s;ters of Chri&s;t, and Stewards of the My&s;teries of God.</HI> (<GAP DESC="foreign">) as Stewards, without which, &s;uch a Family as Gods is, cannot be well admini&s;tred;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Occomonos &s;ocio&s;que Dei. <HI>2 Cor. 5.20.</HI></NOTE> And &s;o <HI>Ignatius</HI> calls us <GAP DESC="foreign">, El&s;ewhere, <HI>We are Amba&s;&s;adors for Chri&s;t.</HI> That is an employment, not of more honour, then u&s;e, In reference to which it was &s;aid, that we do <HI>Cau&s;am a|gere generis humani, We are Agents with God,</HI> for men.</P>
<P>Our ble&s;&s;ed Saviour gives us the name of <GAP DESC="foreign">,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 5.14.</NOTE> <HI>The light of the World,</HI> and &s;o S. <HI>Chry&s;o&s;tome,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, like the light of Heaven, enlight|ning the Univer&s;e: What do they then, that <HI>quench this light,</HI> that <HI>put us under Eu&s;hels?</HI> In the Ver&s;e be|fore, he called us <HI>the Saelt of the Earth;</HI> That,<NOTE PLACE="marg">V. 13.</NOTE> which &s;ea&s;ons all, What have they done, who have ca&s;t &s;o many of us out upon the Dunghill? He &s;aith, that we are, <HI>as a City on a Hill,</HI> in open view; &s;ure then we
<PB N="14" REF="12">
are not &s;o ob&s;cure, and incon&s;iderable, as we are made: yea, indeed, as Beacons on a Hil; &s;o we are &s;til wher we &s;tand weather-beaten, the Winds from every quarter blowing hard upon us; <HI>Nazianzen</HI> gives us the names of <GAP DESC="foreign">,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 1.14.</NOTE> Mini&s;tring per&s;ons, as the Angels are <HI>Mini&s;tring Spirits, &s;ent forth to mini&s;ter for them, who &s;hall be Heirs of Salvation:</HI> Another Greek Father, that we are <GAP DESC="foreign">, Gods Interpreters, and <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Procuratores magni Regis,</HI> &s;o <HI>Valens</HI> and <HI>Valentinian</HI> did call Mini&s;ters.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Theodoret.</NOTE></P>
<P>Now in which of the&s;e names is it, that we are &s;uppo&s;ed to be u&s;ele&s;&s;e &s;upernumerary Creatures? that may well be &s;pared, and men have no need of us? let people con&s;ider us in all changes of times.</P>
<P N="1">1. In times of peace, when all things are quiet, we are <GAP DESC="foreign">, Shepheards, <HI>To lead Gods Flock in|to the green Pa&s;tures, and by the &s;till waters:</HI> And can the Sheep well want their Shepheards?</P>
<P N="2">2. In times of danger, we are Watch-men, to &s;tand upon the Watch-tower of the Lord, to give warning of evils coming,<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 62.6.</NOTE> <HI>To tell what of the night. I heve &s;et Watch-men upon thy Walls O Jeru&s;alem:</HI> And is there any &s;afety and true &s;ecurity, where no Watch is kept?</P>
<P N="3">3. In times of War, of the greate&s;t u&s;e, Charriots and Hor&s;e-men: Indeed, &s;ome of us have been but too &s;erviceable this way, God forgive their active|ne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P N="4">4. In times of Seduction, Guides, Reducers of them, who are too ea&s;ily whi&s;tled away, Hunters of the lit|tle Foxes, Je&s;uites, Sectaries: And I appeal to every ones experience, did they dare to look abroad, to fo|rage
<PB N="15" REF="12">
and play about, as they do, while our Mini&s;try was in its due power?</P>
<P>And here to all Antimini&s;teriall Spirits (perhaps &s;ome may be within hearing) unto whom we are &s;uch eye-&s;ores, and who would in&s;inuate us, to be &s;uch Cyphers, I offer this to be chew'd upon:</P>
<P>Wheras they would carry the face, &amp; name of men of Godline&s;s, whether they can &s;hew us, any truly godly per&s;ons, that ever appeared again&s;t a fixed Mini&s;try? Whereas they would &s;eem to be men of Prudence, and Rea&s;on, whether they can &s;hew us, any rationall &s;ober per&s;ons that have oppo&s;ed it? I am &s;ure the Apo&s;tle &s;ets forth the Oppo&s;ers of it, by &s;uch Chara|cters, as they have no rea&s;on to be proud of:</P>
<P N="1">1 To be <GAP DESC="foreign">, And let them take their choice of the &s;ignification of that, either, wicked, and vicious, or trouble&s;ome: 2. To be <GAP DESC="foreign">, Ab&s;urd men, of no Topicks; And 3. <GAP DESC="foreign">, men of no Logick, not to be rea&s;oned, or di&s;puted with (and who ever gain|ed any thing, by entring into the Li&s;ts with them) and from &s;uch, the Apo&s;tle begs the prayers of his <HI>The&s;&s;alonians,</HI> to be delivered, &amp; &s;o do we; Nay,<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 The&s;. 3.2.</NOTE> he hath another terme for them, if they like it, <GAP DESC="foreign">, Men of &s;ick braines, as well as of corrupt minds.<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Tim. 3.8.</NOTE></P>
<P>And that We, or our Fathers, &s;hould be oppo&s;ed or &s;et again&s;t, made <GAP DESC="foreign">, as a &s;igne to be &s;poken again&s;t; We have no rea&s;on either to wonder, or complain, when we con&s;ider,</P>
<P N="1">1. How much our betters have the &s;ame lot with us; when I read that &s;ad place, <HI>He poureth contempt upon Princes,</HI> My hand is upon my mouth,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 107.40.</NOTE> it may wel be &s;o with us: Nay, when we look higher to the
<PB N="16" REF="13">
Prince of peace, that Divine Preacher (who &s;pake as never man &s;pake) and con&s;ider,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 12.3.</NOTE> <HI>what contradictions of &s;inners he endured again&s;t him&s;elfe.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. When we con&s;ider what our enemies are, &s;uch as we heartily pity, wi&s;hing unto them, <HI>Sanam nemtem.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. When we con&s;ider, what our work and Office is, <HI>Predicare nihil aliude&s;t, quam derivaere in &s;e furorem mundi,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Luther:</HI> To Preach, is nothing el&s;e, but to chafe, and bait the World; and we may expect no other, but it will turne again&s;t us: Our worke is, <GAP DESC="foreign">, as <HI>Nazianzen</HI> excellently; To &s;natch away as much as we can from the World, and to give it to God.</P>
<P>And becau&s;e I &s;ee, there are <GAP DESC="foreign">, ma|ny Adver&s;aries, our Mini&s;try is hard be&s;et, by Pa|pi&s;ts on one hand, and Sectaries on the other, I can|not but borrow a few Sands of my houre, to Apologize.</P>
<P>The Romani&s;t fir&s;t, clamours upon our Mini&s;try, as polluted, becau&s;e marryed, and they look up|on us, a Soleci&s;me, an ab&s;urdity in nature, Sons of Mini&s;ters, are as &s;o many <HI>Inju&s;&s;a gramina,</HI> unbid|den, illegitimate births, even as bad as Pope <HI>Joanes</HI> i&s;&s;ue: We are therefore mo&s;t neerly concerned, to take off this blot from our Fathers, and our &s;elves; Indeed, it we could not till now, ju&s;tifie our Births to be lawfull, it would be &s;omewhat too late to plead it; if we be Weeds, We are overgrown weeds in his Garden of Gods Church: But if (after &s;uch able Advocates, as we have, had to plead our Ca&s;e) we have not enough to ju&s;tifie a marryed Clergy, let us be u&s;ed as Ba&s;tards, ca&s;t out, and denyed
<PB N="17" REF="13">
<HI>entrance into the Congregation of the LORD.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Deut. 23 2.</NOTE></P>
<P>That under the Law, the Fathers were marryed, no que&s;tion is made, they were onely too much proofs, in their Poligamy; under the Go&s;pell al&s;o, there was a univer&s;all, unre&s;trained lawfulne&s;&s;e of marriage, el&s;e the Apo&s;tle would never have called the interdiction of this common liberty,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Tim. 4.1.</NOTE> <HI>A doctrine of Devils,</HI> as he doth, That place doth not one|ly warrant our liberty, but &s;ticks a black Brand of Diabolicalne&s;&s;e upon them, who will not allow it, let them claw it off as well as they can.</P>
<P>The Apo&s;tle was al&s;o <GAP DESC="foreign"> indeed,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts. 17.18.</NOTE> (as the <HI>E|picureans</HI> and <HI>Stoicks</HI> called him) a Trifler, a Sower of words to little purpo&s;e, when he gave that Cau|tion, <HI>That a Bi&s;hop &s;hould be the Husband of one Wife;</HI> If he was not allowed any,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Tim. 3.</NOTE> That he <HI>&s;hould have his Chil|dren in due &s;ubjection:</HI> If their Marriages were Tre&s;|pa&s;&s;es, and their Children &mdash;<HI>&s;puria vitulamina.</HI></P>
<P>Strangely, and mo&s;t unadvi&s;edly,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 13.4.</NOTE> did he proclaim <HI>Marriage to be honourable in all,</HI> without any Re&s;tricti|ons; If to Mini&s;ters it were unclean, what would he bring them into a &s;nare?</P>
<P>Will holy precedents add any more authority, and licen&s;e of marrying to us? The Apo&s;tles were mo&s;t of them (if not all) married men, <HI>Peter, Phillip,</HI> yea, <HI>Paul</HI> al&s;o; If be&s;ides hints to this purpo&s;e in Scrip|ture, which makes it not improbable:<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>1 Cor. 9.5.</HI> ad Phil|lad.</NOTE> <HI>Clemens A|lex</HI> and <HI>Ignatius</HI> be of credit.</P>
<P>Will the cour&s;e of Antiquity from the Apo&s;tles carry it? We provoke our Adver&s;aries to di&s;prove us, that till the Coun&s;ell of <HI>Nice,</HI> the liberty of Mar|riage did continue, inviolable: By this Token, that
<PB N="18" REF="14">
when &s;ome of the Fathers there, propo&s;ed, to have a binding decree of Continency,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Socrates, lib. <HI>1.</HI> ocap. <HI>80.</HI></NOTE> <HI>Socrates</HI> calls it a new Law, which they would bring into the Church; And <HI>Paphnutius,</HI> eminent for his Piety (one who &s;uf|fered the pulling out of one of his eyes in per&s;ecuti|on, and was &s;o honoured by <HI>Con&s;tantine,</HI> that he ki&s;&s;ed the empty place, where his eye had been) who was no married man neither, and therfore the fitter to be heard in this ca&s;e, cried out with vehe|mency, that they ought not, to lay that heavy yoak upon men of the Church; And his zealous denying the Propo&s;ition, prevailed to &s;top it.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>An.</HI> 860.</NOTE>Yea, this liberty (though &s;haken) continued in &s;u&s;pence, under <HI>Nicholas</HI> 1. witne&s;&s;e that famous E|pi&s;tle of <HI>Huldericus,</HI> Bi&s;hop of <HI>Au&s;purg,</HI> to him, rea&s;on|ing the ca&s;e &s;trongly with him, unto which the Ad|ver&s;aries are referred, by the Irrefragable Apologi&s;t for our married Clergy.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">An. <HI>1080.</HI> Hunting|don Hi&s;t. edit &s;alit, p. <HI>378.</HI> Caietan Opu&s;c. Tom. <HI>1.</HI></NOTE> And that <HI>An&s;elme</HI> was the fir&s;t, who in a Synod here in London, forbad marriages in <HI>England,</HI> to Ec|cle&s;ia&s;ticall per&s;ons, we refer to cleer account of Sto|ry. But we content not our &s;elves with this nei|ther, we have the ingenious acknowledgments of their own be&s;t Champions again&s;t them, <HI>Noc ratione, nec authoritate probatur? quod ab&s;olute loquendo, Saecerdos peccet contrahendo matrimonium.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Panormit. de clero conjug. cap. cum Olim.</NOTE> But <HI>Panormitan</HI> their Lawyer, and a Cardinal al&s;o, &s;peaks more fully and hone&s;tly, <HI>Credo pro b ono, &amp; &s;a|lute animarum e&s;&s;et, ut volentes po&s;&s;int matrimonium con|trahere:</HI> And the &s;huffling of them among them&s;elves, they being no way agreed upon their Verdict; Some &s;aying, that the marriage of Clergy men is forbidden,
<PB N="19" REF="14">
<HI>Jure divino, Bellermine</HI> thinks that too high: Others, <HI>Apo&s;tolico: Gratean,</HI> &s;ees not that neither; Others, <HI>Po&s;itivo, &amp; mero humano:</HI> This divi&s;ion makes their report le&s;&s;e valued, by any indifferent Judge. And what need we any further pre&s;cription to beare out our Clergy Marriages, when we have &s;o many Fa|mous holy Bi&s;hops both in the Ea&s;tern and We&s;tern Churches, that were married, I &s;hall &s;eem vain in na|ming them, I onely take notice of <HI>Nazianzen,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Naz in carmini|bus de ciia &s;ua.</NOTE> who witne&s;&s;eth, that he was born of a Bi&s;hop: Nay, <HI>Eoni|facius,</HI> a Bi&s;hop of <HI>Rome, Patrem habut presbyterum,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Platina,</HI> I could ea&s;ily forgive the zeal of the&s;e good men, in their declarations again&s;t marriage, if I did not find them more loo&s;e,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Citat. a Rev. Ep. Davenan|tio in De|term.</NOTE> and favourable to Fornication, if it had not been &s;aid by <HI>Pighius</HI> and <HI>Co&s;terus, Toleravilius e&s;t in Saceradote, &s;i fornicationem admittat, quam &s;i ducat &V;xorem:</HI> In their Court of Con&s;cience, Fornication is a veniall &s;in, but marri|age a mortall; Indeed not &s;o deadly, but his holine&s;s may di&s;pence with it: And here is the my&s;tery of in|iquity, the Popes a&s;&s;umed this power of forbidding Clergy Marriages,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ibid. ex A|quinate.</NOTE> <HI>&V;t di&s;pen&s;are po&s;&s;ent de voto Celiba|tus.</HI></P>
<P>But why do we look &s;o farr abroad as <HI>Rome,</HI> for Adver&s;aries, when vve have &s;o many at home, and even in the midde&s;t of us: our Mini&s;try may &s;ay With <HI>David, They came about me like Bees,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;. 118.12. Exod. 11.7.</NOTE> O that we could add, <HI>And are extinct: Again&s;t any of the Chil|dren of I&s;rael &s;hall not a Dog move hit tongue,</HI> or bark; Again&s;t us in our vvhole Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall Order, there hath been continuall barking, <HI>Martin</HI> Mar-prelate, and Mar-Prie&s;t al&s;o, is &s;till alive; let me familiarly
<PB N="20" REF="15">
expre&s;&s;e our Condition, Since the time of our not peevi&s;h, and voluntary, but inforced drawing off from <HI>Rome,</HI> in our Reformation, much like <HI>Hagars</HI> departure from <HI>Sarah,</HI> driven away by her impe|ciou&s;ne&s;&s;e: The Seperati&s;ts, and Papi&s;ts, have been playing at Tennis, and our Hierarchy, and Mini&s;try, are the Balls they to&s;&s;e; The Seperati&s;t aimes to &s;trike us into the Popes Hazzard, calling us Anti|chri&s;tian; and look, how many Bi&s;hops we have had, &s;o many Popes; (It is well Pope <HI>Cranmer,</HI> Pope <HI>Latimer,</HI> Pope <HI>Ridley</HI> come in to the number.) The Papi&s;t, vvith vehemence Rackets us back a|gaine, as Schi&s;maticall, and Hereticall, and ill is it with us, which &s;oever vvins the Game: Our Brother Anabapti&s;t (St. <HI>Francis</HI> was &s;o mannerly, that he u&s;ed to call every Bea&s;t Brother, as our Quakers now, are plea&s;ed to call us Fellow-Crea|tures) And vve pity both the one and the other, &s;aying, <HI>Lord have mercy on him for he is Lunatick:</HI> the Anabapti&s;t (I &s;ay) &s;hoots out his forked Arrows again&s;t us (tho&s;e are his Arguments) bitter words: but &s;hall I Apologize? Nay, let him alone, let him empty his Quiver, without our harme; And let not this day be clouded, vvith any complaints, or pa&s;&s;ionate reflexions, though I might turne about, and &s;ay, <HI>Is then not a cau&s;e?</HI> A better improvement vvill be made, of the little remainder of Time, in &s;ome &s;afe, and &s;ea&s;onable vvords of Coun&s;ell; and &s;ix vvords vvill compri&s;e what I vvould commend to you, as I do to my &s;elfe.</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>Be Thankfull.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Be Regular.</ITEM>
<ITEM><PB N="21" REF="15">Be Circum&s;pect.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Be Stedfa&s;t.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Be Moderate.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Be Charitable.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P N="1">1. Be thankfull, <HI>Seemeth it a &s;mall matter,</HI> &s;ayd <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> to tho&s;e Mutenous <HI>Levites</HI> in the Context,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Numb. 16.9.</NOTE> <HI>That God hath &s;eparated you from the congregation of I&s;rael, to bring you neer to him&s;elf?</HI> So, is it a &s;mall matter, that, God hath made us <HI>Apo&s;tolici &s;eminis Frutices,</HI> in <HI>Tertullians</HI> Language, Branches of and Apo&s;tolicall ho|ly Stock? That we have had the Advantages both of &s;tricter Education and better Example?</P>
<P N="2">2. Is it a &s;mall matter, that in us,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 27.27.</NOTE> (who&s;e &s;mell is as the &s;mell of a Feild which the Lord hath ble&s;&s;ed) not a little of that reproach, is this day taken off, which hath lain upon the I&s;&s;ue, and Po&s;terity of Mi|ni&s;ters, as forlorn, unble&s;t, and de&s;titute, expo&s;ed, and left like the O&s;triches Eggs in the earth,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iob 39.14.</NOTE> <HI>for the du&s;t to warm them,</HI> and to pa&s;&s;e all hard adventures, that <HI>the foot may cru&s;h them,</HI> or <HI>that the wild Beast may break them:</HI> We &s;hall be mo&s;t ungrateful, and unwor|thy, if we acknowledge not a particular providence over us, yea, if we deny, that our Parents leave us rich Heirs, when they leave us Heirs of Gods Ble&s;|&s;ing: <HI>The Ble&s;&s;ing of the Lord, it is that which maketh rich:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 10.12.</NOTE> Who accounts not <HI>Jacob</HI> the richer, and more ble&s;t,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 32. 10.</NOTE> becau&s;e he began with &s;o little: <HI>With my Staff, came I over this Jordan, and now I am become two Bands.</HI></P>
<P>How many now pre&s;ent may &s;ay &s;o? and (I am confident) they do with hearts lifted up unto God, with &s;uch a &s;mall &s;tock, yea, with nothing did I be|gin, and now am I become Wealthy. Tho&s;e, who
<PB N="22" REF="16">
cannot go &s;o high, have a competency proportiona|ble to the way of Trade they are in, and may &s;ay, <HI>I have enough my Brother,</HI> and he who hath enough is rich: Let both &s;orts give God his due Glory. Thus the rich mans Wealth will be kept from melting, and thus the meaner E&s;tate will grow, and multi|ply.</P>
<P>My &s;econd words is, Be regular, an&s;werable to the Extraction.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Thucydid. lib. <HI>4.</HI></NOTE><GAP DESC="foreign">, walk worthy of this honourable City, whereof you are Members, and vvorthy of the Parents from whom you de&s;cended: <HI>Think it not enough to &s;ay, We have Abraham to our Fa|ther:</HI> Our Fathers were good men, faithfull in all Gods Hou&s;e, of Worth and Reputation, &s;hining in their Orbs, as Stars of a faire Magnitude; <GAP DESC="foreign">, having their bright Lamps of good practice burning, and their &s;il|ver Trumpets of good Doctrine &s;ounding: What is this to us? What, to be the I&s;&s;ue of them who are the light of our <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> if we <HI>walk not as Children of light?</HI> What for <HI>Hophni</HI> and <HI>Phineas,</HI> to be the Sons good <HI>Eli</HI> the high Prie&s;t, if they be lewd, and gracele&s;&s;e, and &s;candalous, making men not onely to loath the Offering of the Lord, but even all then who offer al&s;o,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Malo &s;a|cerdotatem virum Syd. A. pollin.</NOTE> &s;uppo&s;ed to be as bad as them&s;elves: We know the change laid upon our Parents, <HI>To rule their owne hou&s;e well, to have their Children in &s;ubjection with all gra|vity.</HI> Doth it not then lye upon us, to approve our &s;elves &s;o, &s;hould vve not all be, <HI>Viri &s;acerdotales;</HI> Cle|rical men, having the Graces of our Fathers, to &s;hine in us, as tho&s;e precious Stones did on <HI>Aarons</HI> Brea&s;t|plate:
<PB N="23" REF="16">
Next to a debaucht &s;candalous Mini&s;ter, which I acknowledge to be the greate&s;t eye-&s;oare in the World; The light which he holds forth, being like a burning Taper in the hand of a Gho&s;t, of a De|vill, making him look but &s;o much the more ga&s;tly, and affrighting: His filthy Conver&s;ation is like the &s;team of a Dunghill, &s;o much more noi&s;ome, and of|fen&s;ive, by how much it is more gilded with the beames of the Sun upon it: Next to this I &s;ay, is the &s;candalous Son of a good Mini&s;ter, he throwes dirt in his Fathers Face, if he be alive, and abu&s;es his A&s;hes if he be dead; To be the Son of a Religious Mini|&s;ter, and of <HI>Belial</HI> too,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>2</HI> Calab.</NOTE> this is &mdash;<GAP DESC="foreign">, I hope I need not pre&s;&s;e this any further, J would much rather &s;ay with the Apo&s;tle, <HI>I joy in be|holding your Order:</HI> And&mdash;<GAP DESC="foreign">, May no irregular di&s;&s;olute per&s;ons, be reckoned of our Tribe.</P>
<P N="3">3. Be wi&s;e and circum&s;pect, Brethren,<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Tim. 3. <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">. 1.</NOTE> we are ca&s;t to live in the dregs of time, <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>In the la&s;t daies;</HI> Not perhaps, &s;o at the very bottome, That J &s;hould undertake to tell you, the end of the World is falling upon us, this next yeare J cannot &s;ee that in the Stars, nor by any Apocalypticall Calculations, though &s;ome (who are more &s;agacious) think they do: But in times &s;o neer the la&s;t, that they are vi&s;i|bly vvor&s;e, and more Apo&s;taticall then the former wor&s;e? J mean, more perilous, and more vvicked. Both do inforce our circum&s;pect walkings; If not to make the daies better (which we &s;hould aime to do) yet, that they may not make us wor&s;e; Evill times do call for double Prudence, that we may neither be taken in to the Whirpools of danger, nor carried
<PB N="24" REF="17">
down the &s;tream of ungodline&s;&s;e; certainly never was there &s;uch need of the Serpents wi&s;dome and the Doves Innocency, to keep Integrity and Indemnity together, To re&s;olve &mdash;<GAP DESC="foreign">, I will be hone&s;t and righteous, and di&s;charge a good con&s;ci|ence,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccle&s;. 7.16.</NOTE> and yet <HI>not righteous over-much</HI> neither, &s;o hotly and indi&s;creetly, and peevi&s;hly, as to be doing mi&s;|chief, to tempt, trouble, <HI>Why &s;hould I de&s;troy my &s;elf?</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, live clo&s;e, and retired, &s;o as to keep neere&s;t Communion with God, and to have lea&s;t to do with the World: This I do magnifie, and account, the Apex, the top of wi&s;dome.</P>
<P N="4">4. Be &s;tedfa&s;t, not Giddy, and Virtiginous, This Age hath beene taken with an unhappy Vertigo, which hath made men not keep the ground they fir&s;t &s;tood upon; &s;hall I add inoffen&s;ively (while I &s;peak <HI>inter nos,</HI> and onely of our &s;elves) There hath been a wanton delight, to be meddling, trying ex|periments, and ringing of Changes &mdash; <HI>Quieta movere merces magna videbat,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Salu&s;t.</NOTE> yea, &s;o di&s;temperd have &s;ome been, that like the intoxicated man, who (the liquor being bu&s;ie in his braine) fancyed him&s;elfe at Sea,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Athenaeus.</NOTE> in a great Storme, in pre&s;ent danger of Ship|wrack, and thought there was a nece&s;&s;ity of light|ning the Ship, and throwing &s;ome of the lading o|ver board, and &s;o threw the Goods of the Hou&s;e out at the Windows; So, I &s;ay, have &s;ome fancyed a pre&s;ent nece&s;&s;ity, of aboli&s;hing, and throwing a|way, what they would have done better to have kept; But the wor&s;t &s;icklene&s;&s;e, and novelty hath been, Growing weary of old Truths (as well as old E&s;tabli&s;hments) and e&s;pou&s;ing new fond opi|nions,
<PB N="25" REF="17">
<HI>For&s;aking the ancient paths,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ier. 18.15.</NOTE> wherein the Pro|phet advi&s;eth us to walk, and choo&s;ing to go <HI>in paths not cast up,</HI> yea, good God! how many wayes have many been lo&s;t? Some proving Apo&s;tates to God, and Religion, relli&s;hing the Cup of <HI>Romes</HI> in|chantment, and making them&s;elves drunk with it, &s;o that that Scarlet Whore, can openly brag of the numerous Ly&s;t of her new Pro&s;elites, and Servants, though they are &s;uch indeed, for the mo&s;t part, that we could well &s;pare them, and care not to Lure them back againe. Others crumbling away into Conventicles,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 12.9.</NOTE> ready to joyne with every frantick Sect, and &s;o making Gods <HI>I&s;rael</HI> to become a <HI>&s;peckled Bird</HI> of &s;everall Colours, of all varieties of Religions: O what Rivers can wa&s;h off that deep &s;candall, which &s;ticks upon this late glorious, and mo&s;t Uni|form, but now mi&s;erably deformed, and even Antick Church, for which we may thank the Giddine&s;&s;e of men; well, but while others have gone away after &s;trange delu&s;ions: Believe you, J be&s;eech you, that you heare Chri&s;t calling to us e&s;pecially vvho are the Sons of his Teachers in <HI>I&s;rael, Will yee al&s;o go away?</HI></P>
<P>Of all, it will be mo&s;t to our &s;hame, and to the &s;hame of our Fathers hou&s;e, if while they were &s;trong Pillars in the hou&s;e of God, vve prove our &s;elves Weather-cocks, turned about vvith every wind.</P>
<P>If vve vvho are Branches of the firm Cedars, &s;hall &s;hew our &s;elves, as the &s;oft bending Willowes, of no &s;trength, or Con&s;i&s;tency; O let us remember, the be&s;t Inheritance our Fathers could leave us, were
<PB N="26" REF="18">
their Principles, and let us not (upon any termes) part with our Inheritance.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Tim 1.5.</NOTE>The Apo&s;tle well in&s;inuates with his young <HI>Timo|thy,</HI> telling him, he was <HI>per&s;waded that the &s;ame Faith which dwelt in his Grandmother</HI> Lois, <HI>and his Mother Eu|nice, was in him al&s;o,</HI> I do not pre&s;s this that we &s;hould all be of the &s;ame Religion, that our Grandmothers were of, becau&s;e, it was their Religion; but our inhe|ritance of &s;ound Faith from our Fathers, is the &s;ame that his was, from his Mother and Grandmo|ther, who&s;oever then be fickle and warping, let us hold our own, and let our word be, <GAP DESC="foreign">,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Eph. 3.17.</NOTE> <HI>rooted and grounded in Faith.</HI></P>
<P N="5">5. Be Moderate, and Peaceable; after tho&s;e un|happy divi&s;ions, for which there hath been and yet is &s;uch thought, &s;uch bleeding of heart, &s;o many prayers and teares poured out by good men, and w^c^h have co&s;t &s;o much precious blood, what can be more &s;ea&s;onable and needfull, then cementing Coun|&s;ell?<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ier. 32.</NOTE> That all Gods Building (O when wee &s;hall &s;ee it) may be rai&s;ed up, as of one &s;tone; By having <HI>Cor unum, &amp; viam unam,</HI> one heart, and one way:</P>
<P>It is true, Chri&s;ts Coat hath been mi&s;erably rent, in the whole cloath, as well as in the fringe: Do not &s;o much as ask, who made the Rent? let the world judge of that. Do not &s;uppo&s;e it hard to be drawne up, and made entire again: Down with what&s;oe|ver Animo&s;ities, and &s;tudy of parties, and pertinacy to keep up, what hath been &s;et up, which have al|ready given to growing Sectaries &s;uch advan|tage, and to the Devill &s;uch occa&s;ion, to laugh and
<PB N="27" REF="18">
triumph: Let tho&s;e ill invented differential Termes, whereby we have been di&s;tingui&s;hed from each o|ther, be buried and &s;wallowed up, in that name vvhich vvill lead us all hand in hand to Heaven, the name of Chri&s;tians, J know, here are many of diffe|rent per&s;wa&s;ion from me: But is there any here, vvhom J vvould not gladly accompany, and zea|lou&s;ly further towards Heaven? Why then &s;hould we not be friends in the way? If my &s;tomack, or any of yours, do ri&s;e again&s;t the name of Brotherly Com|munion, which may con&s;i&s;t with our &s;everall princi|ples retained, not differing in Sub&s;tantials; God take down that Stomack, and make us to &s;ee how much we are concerned, to keep the unity of the Spirit in bond of Peace,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Phil. 4.5.</NOTE> to make our <HI>moderation known unto all men, becau&s;e the Lord is at hand.</HI></P>
<P>Moderation, in what we may: And let me ask in one particular; Why &s;hould &s;ome in the height of their zeal, for <HI>Liturgy,</HI> &s;uppo&s;eth there can be no Service of God, but where that is entirely u&s;ed?</P>
<P>Why &s;hould others againe, think their piety con|cerned, and tre&s;pa&s;&s;ed, if I do prefer, and in &s;ome con&s;iderations, think &s;it to u&s;e a &s;et form? There mu&s;t be Abatements and allowances of each other, a coming down from our <HI>Punctilio's,</HI> or we &s;hall never give up a good account unto God.</P>
<P N="6">My la&s;t word is, <HI>Be Charitable;</HI> And a good clo&s;e &s;hall I make, if I maybe heard effectually in this, which is indeed the grand motive and induce|ment of our &s;ummoning one another this day; Not to fea&s;t our &s;elves, who are full, but to feed others,
<PB N="28" REF="19">
who are hungry and empty; We would this day pay our Vowes of thank&s;giving in the great Congre|gation, for Gods vi&s;ible ble&s;&s;ing upon us, for his goodne&s;&s;e in letting our Lot fall in &s;o faire ground, and &s;o encrea&s;ing our Store. But if we would appear thankful,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Exod. 23.15.</NOTE> where is our thank-offering? <HI>No man &s;hould appear before the Lord empty:</HI> What Pre&s;ent do we bring to &s;hew our readine&s;&s;e, of honouring the Lord with our Sub&s;tance? How can we but be damped in our enjoyment of the good things we have? To &s;ee be|fore our eyes, &s;o many &s;ad, and only too fit Objects of our Commi&s;eration? Venerable Wanderers, who ill become their condition; And the Relicts of worthy Servants of God (&s;ufferers for a good con|&s;cience) <HI>Eating A&s;hes as bread, and mingling their drink,</HI> (if they have any) <HI>with weeping;</HI> Their very Ble&s;&s;ings, adding now to the burthen of their unhappine&s;&s;e, their Children in wor&s;e ca&s;e then <HI>the young Ravens, which God feedeth when they call upon him:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 147.9.</NOTE> And were they the Apo&s;tles, or are they not de&s;cribed Mini|&s;ters, their mournful Widows, and unprovided Chil|dren, that &s;ay to you, the wealthier Citizens, here,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 4.8.</NOTE> <HI>Now yee are full, now you are rich, we are weak, but yee are &s;trong, yee are honourable, but we are de&s;pi&s;ed, even to this houre, we both hunger and thir&s;t, and are naked, and have no certain dwelling place.</HI></P>
<P>As for me (and I think others are no le&s;&s;e affected) It is my greate&s;t heart-aking, in the mid&s;t of all in|couragements, which I de&s;ire to ble&s;&s;e God for, and it turnes my Bowells within me, to have my Eares daily pierced, with the cries and complaints of the
<PB N="29" REF="19">
poor and oppre&s;&s;ed, the Widowes and Orphans: Tho&s;e cries do peirce the Heavens, and if they can|not move us, what are we made of? My Exhortation is, That tho&s;e who have yet had none, would from this day <HI>put on Bowels of Mercies:</HI> And tho&s;e,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Col. 3.12.</NOTE> who find their Bowels troubled within them, would give ca&s;e unto them&s;elves, by giving relief unto tho&s;e, who&s;e af|fliction, &s;ympathy hath made their own; And may the rich ble&s;&s;ing God follow them, and theirs, who have had it in their heart and de&s;igne, to make this a good day unto the Di&s;tre&s;&s;ed, now if there were need, I &s;hould provoke Charity; I would tell you,</P>
<P N="1">1. While &s;o many are in extream Indigency, your Pur&s;es are not your owne, you are but Stewards and Almoners, not proprietors: And next unto drink|ing up the Teares of Widowes and Orphans, is, not drying them up, when it is in your power to do it.</P>
<P N="2">2. I would urge, it is the Infamy of this age, to have been all in the Ablative ca&s;e, good at taking a|way and making Beggers: It is high time vve &s;hould turn it into the Dative.</P>
<P N="3">3. J would tell you, in moving for others, J do but exhort you to be good unto your&s;elves, and yours, that you would encrea&s;e your &s;tore, by this mo&s;t beneficiall vvay of holy U&s;ury; Indeed, vvhen accounts &s;hall be ca&s;t up, it will be found that the poor are Benefactors unto the rich; You know how the poor Widows little Meale and Oyle encrea&s;ed in the &s;pending, becau&s;e &s;pent (in a vvay of charity) upon a Prophet. We &s;hall do vvell to try the Expe|riment,
<PB N="30" REF="20">
vvhether our giving out, not unto one Pro|phet, but many, Faithfull, Con&s;cionable, Exemplary, unto the Widows of &s;uch, or their unprovided Chil|dren (for the&s;e are the intended Objects of our compa&s;&s;ion) and &s;trict care vvill be taken of the choice of the&s;e, and of the cleane di&s;po&s;all of your charity, that nothing may &s;tick by the vvay in cor|corrupt fingers) Wee &s;hall do vvell, J &s;ay, to make the experiment, vvhether our giving out unto &s;uch, vvill not bring more in? It is J confe&s;&s;e, <HI>a ca&s;ting our Bread upon the waters,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccl. 11.1.</NOTE> vvhere vve vvould think it quite carried away, and lo&s;t; But vve need not mi|&s;tru&s;t, <HI>After many daies we &s;hall find it,</HI> vvith the great|e&s;t advantage: And &s;ome of you (J am confident) do already find comfort of your Charity, privately exerci&s;ed; For, as other duties, &s;o this e&s;pecially, carries meat in its mouth, as vve &s;ay, the very work is a reward: J &s;ee in your Countenances, a cheerfull forwardne&s;&s;e to the good motion, &s;uch as becomes you; yea, J am vvilling to believe, <HI>that our zeal hath provoked &s;ome oth<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">rs</HI> al&s;o, vvho are not &s;trictly of our Fraternity; If &s;o, as their free-will Offerings, vvill, J doubt not, <HI>come up as a Memorial before God,</HI> &s;o they &s;hall not want the help and advantage vvhich our Prayers can give, that they may a&s;cend and be ac|cepted, and return to their happy account.</P>
<P>I now vvind up all, as you de&s;ire the Rod of <HI>Aa|ron</HI> &s;hould flouri&s;h and beare Fruit, that God &s;hould appear for his own Tribe, for a fixed Mini&s;try; Ap|pear you (in your &s;everall capacities) for God: And let your thankfulne&s;&s;e, your Regular and Ex|emplary
<PB N="31" REF="20">
&s;trictne&s;&s;e of Conver&s;ation, your wi&s;e cir|cum&s;pection, your grounded &s;tedfa&s;tne&s;&s;e, your free Charity, have their perfect work; And as many, as thus re&s;olve to do, <HI>Peace be on them and Mercy, and upon the</HI> I&s;rael <HI>of GOD.</HI></P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
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