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<NAME>John Latta</NAME>
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<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
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<P><HI>THE RIGHT SEPARATION INCOVRAGED; IN A SERMON PREACHED To the Right Honorable the Hou&s;e of</HI> LORDS, <HI>in the</HI> Abbey-Church <HI>at</HI> We&s;t|min&s;ter, <HI>on Wedne&s;day,</HI> Novem. <HI>27. 1644. being the day of the Monethly publick Fa&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>By <HI>THOMAS HILL, B. D.</HI> Pa&s;tor of <HI>Tychmer&s;h</HI> in <HI>Northampton|&s;hire,</HI> and one of the Members of the A&s;&s;embly of <HI>DIVINES.</HI></P>
<Q><BIBL>Hebr. 7. 26.</BIBL> <P>Such an high Prie&s;t became us, who is holy, harmle&s;&s;e, undefiled, &s;eparate from &s;inners.</P></Q>
<Q><BIBL>Luk. 3. 17.</BIBL> <P>Who&s;e fan is in his hand, and hee will throughly purge his floore, and will gather the Wheat into his Garner, but the chaffe will hee burn with fire unquenchable.</P></Q>
<Q><BIBL>Jude ver. 22, 23.</BIBL> <P>And of &s;ome have compa&s;&s;ion, making a difference. And others &s;ave with feare, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment &s;potted by the fle&s;h.</P></Q>
<P>LONDON, <HI>Printed by</HI> R. Cotes, <HI>for</HI> John Bellamy, <HI>and</HI> Philemon Stephens, <HI>1645.</HI></P>
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<DIV1 TYPE="Parliamentary order">
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<OPENER><DATELINE><HI>Die Veneris</HI> <DATE>29 <HI>Novemb.</HI> 1644.</DATE></DATELINE></OPENER>
<P>_IT is this day Ordered by the Lords in Parliament, That this Hou&s;e doth here|by return thanks to Mr. <HI>Thomas Hill,</HI> for his great paines taken in his Sermon Preached by him on Wedne&s;day la&s;t before their Lord&s;hips in the Abbey Church <HI>We&s;tmin|&s;ter,</HI> it being the day of the Monethly Fa&s;t: And this Hou&s;e doth hereby de&s;ire him to Print and Publi&s;h the &s;ame. And la&s;tly, it is Ordered that none &s;hall Print or re-print his &s;aid Sermon without being authorized &s;o to doe under the hand of the &s;aid Mr. <HI>Hill.</HI></P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Joh. Brown, Cler. Parl.</SIGNED>
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<P>I doe hereby appoint <HI>John Bellamy</HI> and <HI>Philemon Stephens</HI> to Print my Sermon.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>THOMAS HILL.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</POSTSCRIPT></CLOSER>
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<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
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<HEAD><HI>TO THE Right Honorable the Hou&s;e of PEERES A&s;&s;embled in</HI> PARLIAMENT; <HI>Sitting at</HI> We&s;tmin&s;ter.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>My Lords,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_GODS Providence hath ca&s;t you in|to the&s;e times wherein there are ve|ry many of <HI>Solomons Puritans, Prov. 30. 12. There is a genera|tion that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not wa&s;hed from their filthine&s;&s;e.</HI> Wherin <HI>Iudes</HI> Separati&s;ts &s;warm, &s;uch mockers <HI>who walk after their owne ungod|ly lu&s;ts, who &s;eparate them&s;elves, &s;en&s;uall, hav|ing not the Spirit, Iude ver. 19, 20.</HI> But I hope his Spirit is teaching you to bee <HI>Pauls Separati&s;ts,</HI> acquainting you with &s;uch a pure Separation from
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unclean per&s;ons and things, as may well bee the ob|ject of your <HI>thoughts,</HI> the matter of your <HI>Coun|&s;els,</HI> the &s;umme of your <HI>Prayers,</HI> and &s;cope of your <HI>Indevours.</HI> It will bee a very great addition to your greatne&s;&s;e, to ingage your &s;elves fully herein. There are no men more mi&s;erable then tho&s;e who are <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gratius e&s;t no men pietatis quam pote&s;tatis.</NOTE> great and evill, none more happy then they who are great and good. It is noblene&s;&s;e indeed to have an heroicall &s;pirit for God: It is true high-minded|ne&s;&s;e to bee heavenly minded, to have pure mindes.</P>
<P>This poore Church hath had her <HI>Autumn,</HI> her declining under many pollutions, and her <HI>Winter</HI> of Humiliation; Ble&s;&s;ed bee the good hand of God, wee &s;ee &s;ome hopes of a <HI>Spring,</HI> of pure Reforma|tion, which will u&s;her in a <HI>Summer</HI> of deliverance.</P>
<P>It is true, wee are &s;till in the <HI>Wilderne&s;&s;e,</HI> where wee meet with many <HI>Amalekites,</HI> who do oppo&s;e us, and with divers fal&s;e &s;pies, who rai&s;e an evill re|port of the promi&s;ed Land, di&s;paraging by their <HI>tongues</HI> and <HI>pens</HI> our hop't for Reformation. The Lord keep us all from Wilderne&s;&s;e &s;ins, from repi|ning and quarrelling at his di&s;pen&s;ations: farre bee it from any to de&s;ire &s;uch Captaines as would bring us back againe to <HI>Aegypt.</HI> Your <HI>Lord&s;hips</HI> have had the honour to bee our <HI>Io&s;huahs,</HI> to bee our Leaders in &s;everal &s;teps of the Reformation: (which
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will &s;tand upon Record to the everla&s;ting renowne of the Hou&s;e of <HI>Peers)</HI> and I hope you have ta|&s;ted &s;ome &s;uch bunches of Grapes from the <HI>Holy Land,</HI> as will quicken your de&s;ires after a more full &s;eparation from all impurity.</P>
<P>There are two taking words abroad, grown very familiar in our di&s;cour&s;es, <HI>Purity</HI> and <HI>Liberty.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Let Purity and Liberry goe hand in hand.</NOTE> Sweet words, precious things, it is pity they &s;hould ever bee &s;evered. It is well worthy of your care to incourage &s;uch a purity as will adorn and &s;weeten Liberty, and withall to countenance &s;uch a Liber|ty as will maintain and cheri&s;h purity. God forbid, that any &s;hould expect countenance from you, for any thing like <HI>licentiou&s;nes,</HI> whereby purity &s;hould bee in the lea&s;t mea&s;ure blemi&s;hed and betrayed.</P>
<P>Sometimes among&s;t <HI>Phy&s;icians</HI> there is as much in the Method, as in the Medicine; I beleeve <HI>Poli|ticians</HI> may finde the &s;ame. I doubt not but in your <HI>Treaty</HI> for <HI>Peace</HI> you will begin with <HI>Purity;</HI> the wi&s;edome which is from above, is first pure, and then peaceable; and rather abate in any thing which <NOTE PLACE="marg">James 3. 17.</NOTE> concernes <HI>your &s;elves,</HI> then in <HI>purity,</HI> wherein the honour of God is &s;o much intere&s;&s;ed.</P>
<P>Ride on pro&s;perou&s;ly in all your Marches after <HI>Scripture purity;</HI> If you meet with Mountaines of difficulty in the way, bee not di&s;mayed. <HI>Re|member
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Lots Wife,</HI> what it co&s;t her who <HI>looked back</HI> only, though &s;he <HI>went not back.</HI> You wel know, that <HI>Faith</HI> and <HI>Friend&s;hip</HI> are be&s;t tryed in extre|mities, and in the heat of oppo&s;ition.</P>
<P>If the di&s;tractions &s;till continue <HI>without,</HI> labour to get and keep a calm <HI>within,</HI> no fea&s;t like that of a good Con&s;cience, which is <HI>Meat, Mufick, Wel|come;</HI> No &s;uch Friend, who will bee a cheere|full Companion though <HI>alone,</HI> even in the <HI>wor&s;t</HI> &s;ea&s;ons: Bee yee therefore <HI>doing</HI> much for your God in the cau&s;e of purity, <HI>alwayes abouding in his work, fora&s;much as you know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.</HI> Bee plea&s;ed to ac|cept <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15. 58.</NOTE> this from a Remembrancer to</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Your Honours<LB>
in the behalf of purity, and<LB>
for your own Salvation,<LB>
THOMAS HILL</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
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<DIV1 TYPE="sermon">
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<HEAD>THE RIGHT SEPARATION INCOVRAGED.</HEAD>
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<BIBL>2 COR. 6. 17, 18.</BIBL>
<Q><P>17 <HI>Wherefore comes out from among them, and bee yee &s;epa|rate, &s;aith the Lord, and touch not the unclean<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 letter"> thing, and I will receive you,</HI></P>
<P>18 <HI>And will bee a Father unto you, and yee &s;hall bee my Sons and Daughters, &s;aith the Lord Almighty.</HI></P></Q>
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<P>_IT need not &s;eeme &s;trange that <HI>Chry&s;o&s;tome</HI> &s;pent &s;o many pages in the high Commen|dation <NOTE PLACE="marg">Seven Orati|ons in the commendati|on of <HI>Paul. Chry&s;o&s;t. tom.</HI> 8</NOTE> of <HI>Paul</HI> being hee was &s;o <HI>&s;uperlative|ly&punc; abundant</HI> in the work of the Go&s;pel, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 letter">. 10. None of the <HI>Apo&s;tles,</HI> hath <HI>&s;poken, written, done,</HI> and <HI>&s;uffered</HI> &s;o much; Hee be|ing <HI>overcome</HI> with the love of his <HI>Saviour,</HI> felt a <HI>&s;weet violence</HI> con&s;training his &s;pirit to &s;tudy how hee might expre&s;&s;e as much zeale <HI>for him,</HI> as ever hee had &s;hewed <HI>again&s;t him.</HI></P>
<P>An <HI>Epitome</HI> of <HI>Pauls Journall</HI> concerning his Apo&s;tolicall pere|grination, you have here drawn up in this &s;ixth Chapter, (which yet hee mode&s;tly expre&s;&s;eth in the plurall number:) <HI>ver.</HI> 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,
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8, 9, 10. <HI>Giving no offence in any thing, that the Mini&s;tery bee not blamed, but in all thing <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1+ letters">oving our &s;elves or the Mini&s;ters of God in much pa|tience, <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 span"> in nece&s;&s;ities, in di&s;tre&s;&s;es, &amp;c.</HI> Hee very well knew, that the <HI>good life</HI> of a Mini&s;ter gives <HI>new life</HI> unto his Ser|mons in the hearts of his hearers, and that the <HI>godly example</HI> of the <HI>leaders,</HI> is the mo&s;t compelling Rhetorick to ingage the <HI>followers.</HI> Hereupon, having be&s;ought the <HI>Corinthians, ver.</HI> 1. That they <HI>re|ceive not the Grace of God in vaine,</HI> hee would have them <HI>proportion</HI> the <HI>crop</HI> to the <HI>&s;eed,</HI> and an&s;wer <HI>Go&s;pel Grace</HI> appearing <HI>to them</HI> with the <HI>graces</HI> of the <HI>Go&s;pel</HI> &s;hining <HI>in them.</HI> This coun&s;ell <HI>unto them,</HI> hee <HI>edgeth</HI> with the <HI>Summary</HI> of his own doings and &s;ufferings <HI>for them.</HI></P>
<P>Then hee renues his importunity with <HI>profe&s;&s;ion</HI> of great affe|ction <HI>unto them,</HI> and with <HI>expectation</HI> of the like <HI>from them, ver.</HI> 11, 12, 13. u&s;ing this as an ingaging in&s;inuation.</P>
<P>And &s;o in the following ver&s;es, the better to advance his <HI>Go&s;pel de&s;igne,</HI> that they may with <HI>improvement</HI> intertaine the <HI>Grace of God,</HI> hee puts in caveats by way of <HI>dehortation, again&s;t communion with the ungodly in their &s;infull wayes,</HI> and this by &s;everall arguments.</P>
<P N="1">1. One drawn from the <HI>imparity</HI> that is betwixt Saints and un|beleevers, <HI>ver.</HI> 14. <HI>Bee not unequally yoked;</HI> How unmeet a match is it for you <HI>Corinthians</HI> to bee yoked with &s;uch? you cannot well draw together in Go&s;pel wayes.</P>
<P N="2">2. Another, from the <HI>high autipathy,</HI> and <HI>invincible contrarietie,</HI> that is betwixt them, <HI>ver.</HI> 14, 15. <HI>What concord?</HI> you may as well reconcile <HI>light</HI> and <HI>darkne&s;&s;e, Chri&s;t</HI> and <HI>Beliall,</HI> as Beleevers and Infidels.</P>
<P N="3">3. The la&s;t, from the rich <HI>advantage</HI> they have by their intere&s;t in &s;uch precious <HI>priviledges</HI> and <HI>promi&s;es, ver.</HI> 16.</P>
<P>That hee may make them perfect Separati&s;ts from evill, and the more prevailingly per&s;wade them to walk with God as becom|meth Saints, you &s;hall finde in the&s;e words two generall things to that purpo&s;e. <NOTE PLACE="marg">Two generall parts of the words. Adhortation. Incourage|ment.</NOTE></P>
<P>Fir&s;t, <HI>A &s;erious Adhortation</HI> to make a <HI>full Separation</HI> from <HI>unclean per&s;ons and things, ver.</HI> 17. and this as a conclu&s;ion out of the fore|going premi&s;es, intimated in that particle of illation, <HI>wherefore,</HI> This <GAP DESC="foreign">, this <HI>wherefore</HI> carries an ingagement with it. <HI>Wherefore, come out from among them, and bee yee &s;eparate, &s;aith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing.</HI></P>
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Secondly, <HI>A quickning incouragement to act it.</HI> ver. 17, 18. <HI>And I will receive you, and will bee a Father unto <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 word"> and yee &s;hall bee my Sonnes and Daughters, &s;aith the Lord Almighty.</HI> The Spirit of <HI>God</HI> knew wee need &s;trong arguments to <HI>di&s;-ingage</HI> us from our <HI>Belived evils.</HI> Nothing below <HI>God</HI> him&s;elfe, can bee a <HI>prevailing attractive,</HI> his love and favour is the be&s;t <HI>load|&s;tone,</HI> to draw us <HI>from &s;in to him&s;elfe.</HI></P>
<P>This <HI>Adhortation</HI> of the Apo&s;tle, <HI>ver.</HI> 17. is expre&s;&s;ed almo&s;t <NOTE PLACE="marg">Fir&s;t generall Part&punc; <HI>Adhortation.</HI></NOTE> in the words of the <HI>Lord,</HI> by his <HI>Prophet I&s;aiah, Chap.</HI> 52. 11. <HI>Depart yee, depart yee, goe yee out from thence, touch no uncleane thing, goe yee out of the midde&s;t of her, bee yee clean;</HI> Thus our <HI>Tran&s;lators</HI> following the <HI>Hebrew,</HI> wherein likewi&s;e they have <HI>Hierome</HI> going before them, render the words. Indeed the <HI>Se|venty Interpreters,</HI> in their <HI>Greek Tran&s;lation,</HI> make here &s;ome difference. The word <GAP DESC="foreign"> which <HI>Hierome</HI> renders <HI>mundamini,</HI> and our <HI>Tran&s;lators, bee yee cleane,</HI> they read it <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>bee yee &s;eparate.</HI> This <HI>Paul</HI> makes u&s;e of by his <HI>Apo&s;tolicall Authori|ty,</HI> though it &s;eeme not every way &s;o an&s;werable to the <HI>He|brew.</HI></P>
<P>I confe&s;&s;e many have been puzzled about &s;ome places of <NOTE PLACE="marg">Why many &s;o much un&s;atis|fied about &s;ome places quoted out of the Old in the New te&s;ta|ment. <HI>Non verbis in|haeret, &s;ed &s;en|&s;um proponit, Mu&s;c.</HI></NOTE> Scripture, quoted out of the Old Te&s;tament in the New, as in <HI>Hebr.</HI> 2. 13. <HI>&amp;c.</HI> partly becau&s;e our narrow mindes are not able to <HI>comprehend</HI> the whole wi&s;edome <HI>of the Spirit of God there|in,</HI> as in <HI>Hebr.</HI> 5. 5. <HI>&amp;c.</HI> partly becau&s;e wee doe not ob&s;erve that <HI>Liberty which the Holy Gho&s;t</HI> u&s;eth many times to follow the <HI>&s;en&s;e</HI> rather then the <HI>words,</HI> as in 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 2. 9. <HI>&amp;c.</HI> partly becau&s;e wee doe not con&s;ider that in <HI>citing</HI> &s;ome <HI>places</HI> out of the <HI>Old Te&s;tament, the Originall is not alwayes exactly followed,</HI> but &s;ome|times the <HI>Septuagint,</HI> even where that differs &s;omewhat from the <HI>Hebrew Text.</HI> This appeares, if you compare <HI>Act.</HI> 8. 33. with <HI>I&s;ai.</HI> 53. 8. and al&s;o in divers other places. The <HI>Greek Tran|&s;lation</HI> of the <HI>Old Te&s;tament,</HI> was then mo&s;t <HI>common,</HI> and a|mong&s;t them then be&s;t <HI>under&s;tood,</HI> and when the <HI>Apo&s;tles</HI> made u&s;e of it, if they did not <HI>finde it,</HI> yet po&s;&s;ibly they might <HI>make it Scripture,</HI> they being guided by the Spirit of God in|fallibly, what they revealed as the mind of God to the Chur|ches, in what words &s;o ever, it <HI>was Canonicall.</HI> Therefore, bee not offended at any little variation here, when you com|pare
<PB N="4" REF="7">
the words of the <HI>Apo&s;tle, Paul;</HI> and of the <HI>Prophet I|&s;aiah&punc;</HI></P>
<P>Onely for your better direction herein, bee plea&s;ed to re|member, that whereas the Prophet <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 52. 11. exhorted the remnant of <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> that they would come fully out of unclean <HI>Babylon,</HI> the Apo&s;tle here applies it to Chri&s;tians, to the <HI>Saints</HI> at <HI>Corinth,</HI> per&s;wading them &s;o farre to renounce communi|on with the wicked, that they bee not polluted by them. Here|in <NOTE PLACE="marg">Three &s;teps of renouncing communion with the wic|ked.</NOTE> they were to take three &s;teppes, wherein you are to follow them.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, <HI>Come out from among&s;t them.</HI> Sometimes even locally, by a per&s;onall withdrawing of your &s;elves. The pollutions <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Come out from among&s;t them.</NOTE> may grow &s;o generall, that you cannot dwell among&s;t them, without infection from them. You may heare a voyce from Heaven, calling the people of God out of <HI>Babylon, Rev.</HI> 18. 4. when ever <HI>Rome</HI> becomes a <HI>Sodome</HI> for filthy uncleanne&s;&s;e, an <HI>Aegypt</HI> for cruell bondage, and a <HI>Babylon</HI> for Idolatry, and o|ther <NOTE PLACE="marg">R<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">v. 11. 8. Rev. 18. 2, 3.</NOTE> great abominations, it is high time for the Saints to leave it.</P>
<P>Secondly, <HI>Bee yee Separate;</HI> if you doe not alwayes bodi|ly <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Bee ye &s;epa|rate.</NOTE> and locally renounce the &s;ociety of all wicked men, yet e|vermore &s;piritually, <HI>bee yee &s;eparate from them,</HI> expre&s;&s;e your di&s;like of their wicked cour&s;es, bearing witne&s;&s;e again&s;t them. Po&s;&s;ibly your Callings and Relations may oblige you to ci|vill conver&s;e with them, yet whil&s;t you are con&s;trained to &s;tay among&s;t them, <HI>thinke, affect, &s;peak, act&punc;</HI> as men of another &s;pirit, maintaining an holy &s;eparation from their impurity.</P>
<P>Thirdly, <HI>Touch not the unclean thing.</HI> Here the Apo&s;tle be&s;peaks <NOTE PLACE="marg">3 Touch not the uncleane thing.</NOTE> a more ful renouncing of fellow&s;hip with al uncleanne&s;&s;e. <HI>Mo&s;es Law</HI> provided again&s;t unclean touches; under the Go&s;pel <HI>Saints</HI> &s;hould bee as carefull. Hee doth not only &s;ay, beware le&s;t you <NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">. Chry&s;o. Second gene|rall part: <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">ncouragement.</HI></NOTE> wallow in filthine&s;&s;e, not onely forbid them to act that which is evill, but di&s;chargeth them from touching the <HI>unclean thing.</HI> Suffer not your &s;pirits and con&s;ciences to bee defiled in any de|gree, no, not with the lea&s;t touch of wickedne&s;&s;e, by any vo|luntary compliance with it.</P>
<P>The <HI>incouragement</HI> backs the <HI>Adhortation.</HI> And <HI>I will receive you, and will bee a Father, &amp;c.</HI> That you may bee willing to
<PB N="5" REF="7">
act the Adhortation, &s;eparating your &s;elves from all unclean|ne&s;&s;e, you may finde here almo&s;t as many <HI>incouraging argu|ments,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Duo Deus pro|<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="3 letters">tet, Recep|tionem. Adop|tionem;</HI> Caje|tan.</NOTE> as <HI>words.</HI></P>
<P>Fir&s;t, God promi&s;es <HI>receptionem, I will receive you:</HI> As if the Lord &s;hould &s;ay, when I have called you out from among&s;t the wicked, and di&s;charged you from fellow&s;hip with the un|cleane, <NOTE PLACE="marg">1. <HI>Reception.</HI></NOTE> you mu&s;t make account as you &s;eparate from them, they will with &s;coffes, &s;cornes, and per&s;ecutions di&s;claime you: when <HI>Saul</HI> was become a <HI>Paul,</HI> there was a <HI>change</HI> in his old <HI>friends,</HI> as well as in him, his former <HI>Patrons</HI> became his bit|ter <HI>per&s;ecutors,</HI> the more <HI>zealous</HI> hee grew for his <HI>God,</HI> the more violently did they <HI>oppo&s;e</HI> him. In &s;uch a ca&s;e the Lord would have all Pro&s;elytes know they &s;hall exchange with advantage, <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Volo vos vaga<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="2 letters">|ri, &s;ed exeuntes, at &s;eparatos ego &s;u&s;cipiam vo<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">, in mea domo &s;pirituali loco tandem aete na in caelis.</HI> Caje|tan.</NOTE> &s;uppo&s;e by <HI>renouncing fellow&s;hip</HI> with their <HI>wickedne&s;&s;e,</HI> you lo&s;e their <HI>per&s;onall favours,</HI> yet bee not di&s;couraged, I will own you when they throw you off, I will receive you into my &s;piritu|all and eternall Hou&s;e. You &s;hall have <HI>communion</HI> with mee in my <HI>Church</HI> on <HI>Earth,</HI> and bee made everla&s;tingly happy by the <HI>injoyment</HI> of mee in <HI>Heaven.</HI></P>
<P>Secondly, God promi&s;es <HI>adoptionem,</HI> I will receive them as a Father doth his children. They &s;hall have not onely <HI>hou&s;e-roome,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">2. <HI>Adoption.</HI></NOTE> but al&s;o <HI>heart-roome.</HI> I will receive you, not onely into my <HI>hou&s;e,</HI> but into my <HI>favour.</HI> Under the &s;weet relation of a <HI>Father,</HI> as beloved <HI>Sonnes</HI> and <HI>Daughters,</HI> I will entertain you. I will expre&s;&s;e the <HI>affection</HI> of a <HI>Father,</HI> and you &s;hall injoy the <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Officio paterno erga vos me<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">ge|ram, amando, providendo, cu|ram habendo, &amp;c.</HI> Cajetan.</NOTE> <HI>priviledges</HI> of <HI>children.</HI> The Lord Almighty will performe this. His <HI>love</HI> as a Father will <HI>ingage</HI> his <HI>power;</HI> his <HI>power</HI> as Almigh|ty will <HI>&s;ecure</HI> and advance his <HI>love.</HI> Here is the Saints <HI>Incou|ragement</HI> to a <HI>right Separation.</HI></P>
<P>The&s;e two generals will commend to your con&s;ciences, and con&s;iderations two &s;uitable Ob&s;ervations.</P>
<P><HI>God expects the Saints &s;hould make a Separation from unclean|ne&s;&s;e.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Ob&s;ervation.</HI></NOTE></P>
<P>It is a great peece of the <HI>Devils policy, agere</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, as much as hee can at lea&s;t to pretend an <HI>imitation</HI> of the wi&s;e <HI>God</HI> in his actions. Hereupon, as the Lord hath communicated him|&s;elfe
<PB N="6" REF="8">
to his people by a <HI>Covenant,</HI> which hee publi&s;heth by his <HI>Mini&s;ter<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 letter">,</HI> and confirmes by his <HI>Sacraments.</HI> So the <HI>devill</HI> by way of re&s;emblance conveyes him&s;elfe by <HI>compacts,</HI> by <HI>&s;orceries,</HI> by <HI>charmes;</HI> And likewi&s;e, as the Spirit of God gaines much upon us by <HI>names,</HI> inviting us to <HI>Piety,</HI> under the name of <HI>wi&s;|dome,</HI> deterring us from <HI>&s;inne,</HI> by calling it <HI>folly:</HI> In the &s;ame <NOTE PLACE="marg">See booke of <HI>Solm.</HI> Proverbs</NOTE> method Satan indevours to ingage &s;ome in wayes of <HI>intempe|rance,</HI> under the title of <HI>good-fellow&s;hip;</HI> others in the wayes of <HI>covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e,</HI> calling it <HI>good-husbandry.</HI> And withall often times doth hee mo&s;t indu&s;triou&s;ly practice to di&s;courage us from that which hee knowes to bee <HI>good,</HI> by branding it with &s;ome <HI>bad name.</HI></P>
<P>Hence evermore the <HI>be&s;t Per&s;ons</HI> and <HI>things</HI> have been re|proached with the <HI>wor&s;t names.</HI> Even the &s;weet and precious <NOTE PLACE="marg">Act. 11 26.</NOTE> name of <HI>Chri&s;tian,</HI> given to the <HI>Di&s;ciples</HI> at <HI>Antioch,</HI> was &s;oon &s;tain|ed by bla&s;phemous wits and tongues. By the <HI>Jewes</HI> they were in contempt called <HI>Nazarites,</HI> by <HI>Julian</HI> &s;cornfully termed <HI>Ga|lileans,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">The Devil hath made much u&s;e of bad names to oppo&s;e good, both per|&s;ons and things</NOTE> by <HI>&V;lpian</HI> under <HI>Severus, Impo&s;tors;</HI> by <HI>Demetrian,</HI> (whom <HI>Cyprian</HI> confuted) <HI>procurers</HI> of all the <HI>Plagues of God</HI> that came upon the world. This afterwards proved to bee the portion of the <HI>Walden&s;es</HI> in the <HI>Lateran Councell</HI> to bee condemned as <HI>Cathari&s;ts, Publicans, &amp;c.</HI> They did indeed di&s;cover the <HI>Prelates,</HI> and <HI>Brie&s;ts</HI> among&s;t the <HI>Papi&s;ts</HI> to bee the grand <HI>Soule-deceivers; Deeeptores animarum, Diaboli laqueos:</HI> Hereupon the <HI>Popi&s;h Cler|gie</HI> conceived them&s;elves concerned how to render them odious <NOTE PLACE="marg">Vid. <HI>Catalog. Te&s;tium veri|tatis, l.</HI> 15. <HI>Petr&punc; de Buis.</HI></NOTE> to the world, under the mo&s;t <HI>ignominious names.</HI></P>
<P>The <HI>Saints</HI> in this <HI>Church</HI> have found the &s;ame de&s;igne pra|cticed again&s;t them in the&s;e <HI>later times.</HI> Though the Scripture <HI>commands purity,</HI> and &s;o highly <HI>commends</HI> it, that our Saviour makes it one of the Beatitudes; <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed are the pure in heart, for they &s;hall &s;ee God;</HI> yet under the nick-name of <HI>Puritans,</HI> the mo&s;t gracious <HI>Chri&s;tians</HI> have been not a little di&s;paraged. At <NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 5&punc; 8.</NOTE> fir&s;t indeed there were <HI>Ceremoniall Puritans</HI> onely, &s;o they were traduced who would not comply heartily with <HI>Prelaticall Ce|remonies;</HI> Then afterwards the iniquity of our times ro&s;e to this height, that any <HI>Mini&s;ters</HI> Orthodox in Judgement, and con&s;cientious in practice, were oppo&s;ed as <HI>Doctrinall and morall Puritans;</HI> And at la&s;t &s;uch <HI>Nobles</HI> and <HI>Gentry,</HI> who had but
<PB N="7" REF="8">
good <HI>State-principles,</HI> and were faithfull to the publick, were <NOTE PLACE="marg">Many faithfull Servants of God in <HI>England</HI> cryed downe heretofore as Puritans, and now as Separa|ti&s;ts.</NOTE> cryed down as <HI>State-puritans,</HI> and accounted <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 span"> many the <HI>Troublers of this I&s;rael.</HI></P>
<P>The Devill and his <HI>agents</HI> are now acting the &s;ame part a|gain&s;t the power of godline&s;&s;e, though in another new dre&s;&s;e. The <HI>beauty</HI> and <HI>purity</HI> of true Chri&s;tianity is among&s;t many in <HI>England</HI> at this time, clouded under the name of <HI>Separation,</HI> as if the word <HI>Separate,</HI> did alwayes carry a crime with it.</P>
<P>Wee doe not enough con&s;ider that there is a <HI>Right de&s;irable inoffen&s;ive Separation,</HI> unto which the Scripture directs; Indeed becau&s;e divers do runne into unhappy <HI>extremities of <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="2 letters">paration,</HI> (whom yet wee &s;hould pity, and with meekne&s;&s;e of wi&s;dome &s;eek to reduce, becau&s;e they &s;eem to aime at purity therein) hence it is grown &s;o common to repre&s;ent all &s;uch who con|&s;cientiou&s;ly endevour to <HI>&s;eparate from &s;inne,</HI> as guilty of a <HI>&s;in|full Separation,</HI> not onely at <HI>Tables</HI> and <HI>Tavernes,</HI> but even in <HI>Pulpits</HI> too often&punc; &s;uch as long to &s;ee purity and unity meet in the Churches of Chri&s;t are by &s;ome involved in a reproach full Separation; yea, our <HI>zealous Reformers,</HI> are by intemperate tongues and pennes la&s;hed as <HI>odious Separati&s;ts.</HI> I hope there|fore, it will not bee thought un&s;ea&s;onable to pre&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="3 letters"> to this <HI>Noble Auditory,</HI> who have &s;o farre ingaged them&s;elves for a pure <HI>Reformation,</HI> what that <HI>Right Separation</HI> is, which is &s;o much <HI>incouraged</HI> by <HI>God him&s;elfe.</HI></P>
<P>Two things I &s;hall indevour by the helpe of Gods holy Spirit to di&s;cover.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, <HI>From what the Saints are to Separate:</HI></P>
<P>Secondly, <HI>Why they are to make &s;uch a Separation.</HI></P>
<P>There is a <HI>fivefold Separation</HI> which the Lord who is <HI>glorious</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">God expects from his Saints a fivefold Se|paration. 1 From un|clean cour&s;es.</NOTE> <HI>in holine&s;&s;e,</HI> challenges from all his Saints.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, The Saints mu&s;t &s;eparate <HI>from all unclean cour&s;es.</HI> They &s;hould all accept and act that coun&s;ell which <HI>Daniel</HI> gave <HI>Ne|buchadnezzar, Dan.</HI> 4. 27. <HI>Break off thy &s;innes by righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e.</HI> It is not enough upon a day of Humiliation, and now while&s;t God is breaking us by his Judgements, to bee &s;omewhat <HI>bro|ken for our &s;innes,</HI> unle&s;&s;e wee by Reformation <HI>break off from them.</HI> They are not worthy the name of Saints, who <HI>live in</HI> any <HI>gro&s;&s;e</HI> &s;infull practices, or <HI>allow them&s;elves</HI> in any <HI>little ones.
<PB N="8" REF="9">
Paul,</HI> 2. <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 word">.</HI> 1. calls for this improvement of the&s;e graci|ous promi&s;es, that the <HI>Corintbians</HI> &s;hould bee <HI>clean&s;ing them&s;elves from all filthine&s;&s;e of fle&s;h and &s;pirit, perfecting holine&s;&s;e in the feare of God.</HI> They &s;hould not &s;tint them&s;elves with any de|gree of holine&s;&s;e, Gods owne purity being their Copy, 1. <HI>Joh.</HI> 3. 3. but evermore bee purging out all defilements which fall either upon their bodies or upon their &s;pirits.</P>
<P>Secondly, The Saints mu&s;t &s;eparate <HI>from unclean company:</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 From unclean company.</NOTE> What &s;hould <HI>Doves</HI> doe among&s;t <HI>Crowes?</HI> when <HI>David</HI> did ap|peale to God, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 26. 4, 5. in the integrity of his heart, hee could m<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 letter">ke this profe&s;&s;ion, which would bee as comfortable to you as it was to him. <HI>I have not &s;ate with vaine per&s;ons, neither will I goe in with di&s;&s;emblers, I have hated the congregation&punc; of evill doers, and will not &s;it with the wicked.</HI> Po&s;&s;ibly your <HI>callings,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Qui non digno|&s;citur ex&s;e, dig|no&s;citur ex&s;ocio.</NOTE> your <HI>relations</HI> may tye you to a frequent conver&s;e with &s;ome unclean per&s;ons, (which is a &s;ad portion where ever it falls) yet <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">electively,</HI> it is not agreeable to the &s;pirit of a Saint, to &s;in|gle out &s;uch as your <HI>Companions,</HI> as your <HI>bo&s;ome friends,</HI> as the people of your <HI>delight,</HI> to make a league and combination with them. Wi&s;e <HI>Solomon</HI> advi&s;es, <HI>Prov.</HI> 22. 24, 25. <HI>Make no friend|&s;hip with an angry man, and with a furious man thou &s;halt not go: le&s;t thou learn his wayes and get a &s;nare to thy Soule.</HI> Angry men though they are very dangerous, yet not the onely dangerous companion<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 letter">: All <HI>&s;infull</HI> and unclean <HI>&s;ocieties</HI> are <HI>infectious;</HI> You &s;hould alwayes goe into bad company as a <HI>Phy&s;itian</HI> goes into <HI>Plague-hou&s;es.</HI> Hee carries his <HI>Antidote</HI> with him to pre|&s;erve him&s;elfe, and his <HI>pre&s;cripts</HI> for the health of others. So &s;hould Saints fortifie their <HI>own Spirits</HI> again&s;t danger, by <HI>pray|ing</HI> and <HI>watching;</HI> and by &s;peaking healing <HI>&s;peeches,</HI> and ex|pre&s;&s;e &s;uch exemplary <HI>actions</HI> as may helpe to <HI>cure</HI> the <HI>Soules</HI> of others. When the Sower went forth to &s;ow, &s;ome <HI>&s;eeds fell by the wayes &s;ide, and the fowles came and devoured them up, Mat.</HI> 13. 3, 4. who are the&s;e fowles, but the devill and his factors? birds of this feather do build very often in <HI>Tavernes,</HI> and <HI>Ale|hou&s;es,</HI> the cages of unclean company; they are the bu&s;hes which harbour them ordinarily, you had need beware of &s;uch places. The more <HI>Saints</HI> meet in any company, the more of the <HI>Holy Gho&s;t</HI> is there, the more of Chri&s;t, it is a little corner
<PB N="9" REF="9">
of Heaven. The more unclean and wicked per&s;ons there are in any company, the more of the devill is there, who <HI>rules in the children of di&s;obedience, Ephe&s;.</HI> 2. 2. Saints mu&s;t turn away from &s;uch.</P>
<P>Thirdly, Saints mu&s;t &s;eparate even <HI>from the very appearance of</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">3. From the very appea|rance of un|cleanne&s;&s;e.</NOTE> <HI>uncleanne&s;&s;e,</HI> 1 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 5. 21. <HI>Ab&s;tain from the appearance of evill,</HI> not onely from all <HI>kinde of &s;in,</HI> (as &s;ome render the Greek) but from all <HI>appearance of &s;in;</HI> they &s;hould avoyd the <HI>&s;hews</HI> as well as <HI>realities;</HI> and that both appearances of <HI>errours</HI> in <HI>Do|ctrine,</HI> and appearances of <HI>exorbitancy</HI> in <HI>conver&s;ation.</HI> This <NOTE PLACE="marg">There are <HI>re<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 letter"> malae, &amp; malae pariter &s;pecies Bern.</HI></NOTE> was <HI>Daniels</HI> care, who was an Oracle for wi&s;edome, <HI>Ezek.</HI> 28. 3. In <HI>Chap.</HI> 1. 8. <HI>Hee purpo&s;ed in his heart that bee would not defile him&s;elfe with the portion of the Kings meate.</HI> Some Expo&s;itors <NOTE PLACE="marg">V. <HI>Pembles</HI> &amp; <HI>E&s;tius</HI> his Notes.</NOTE> &s;ay, &s;ome of the meates might bee <HI>prohibited</HI> to the Jewes, o|thers, for feare of <HI>&s;uper&s;tition;</HI> the <HI>Babylonians</HI> meat being ble&s;|&s;ed by invocating their Idols: another conceives hee did de|cline it, to avoyd <HI>&s;candall,</HI> hee would not fare &s;o pompou&s;ly, while&s;t his Brethren &s;uffered &s;uch hard things. Learned <HI>Cal|vin</HI> apprehends <HI>Daniel</HI> might at be&s;t &s;ee an appearance of un|cleanne&s;&s;e <NOTE PLACE="marg">V. <HI>Calvin in locum.</HI></NOTE> in it, therefore u&s;eth twice that expre&s;&s;ion, that hee might not <HI>defile him&s;elfe.</HI> This holy man &s;u&s;pected the Court delights might prove a &s;nare to him, hee might learn intem|perance, and &s;o lo&s;e him&s;elfe and forget his God; There was to him &s;uch a &s;hew and danger of uncleanne&s;&s;e in it, hee would rather live with <HI>pul&s;e</HI> then venture upon the <HI>Kings meat.</HI> Hee well knew that any one may &s;oone bee plunged into <HI>great &s;innes,</HI> who doth not &s;hunne the very <HI>beginnings</HI> and <HI>appearan|ces</HI> of the <HI>lea&s;t;</HI> and that hee &s;carce makes con&s;cience of <HI>any</HI> evill, who doth not make con&s;cience of <HI>all.</HI></P>
<P>It is true, in &s;eparating from the appearance of uncleanne&s;&s;e, the Saints &s;hould wi&s;ely con&s;ider whether the appearance of it bee <HI>Reall,</HI> when there is an outward re&s;ultance of &s;ome inward pravity; or whether it bee onely <HI>imaginary,</HI> when for want <NOTE PLACE="marg">Appearance of evill, Reall. Imaginary.</NOTE> of <HI>knowledge,</HI> or of <HI>love,</HI> or of <HI>both,</HI> &s;tanders by conceive it hath a &s;hew of evill in it. To a mind not rightly <HI>informed,</HI> to an heart not <HI>charitably affected,</HI> good actions may &s;ometimes bee <HI>mi&s;-interpreted,</HI> as if they had an appearance of uncleanne&s;&s;e in them. In this ca&s;e <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> him&s;elfe did not forbeare to con|ver&s;e
<PB N="10" REF="10">
with &s;inners, though &s;ome through <HI>ignorance</HI> or <HI>malice,</HI> did reproach him as a friend to Publicans and &s;inners, <HI>Luke</HI> 7. 34.</P>
<P>For want of a wi&s;e con&s;ideration, what is <HI>indeed</HI> an <HI>appea|rance</HI> of evill to bee avoyded, many may bee as ea&s;ily, and as farre tran&s;ported as the <HI>Jews,</HI> who did ignorantly task them|&s;elves with needle&s;&s;e <HI>ob&s;ervances,</HI> and impo&s;e uncomfortable <HI>burdens</HI> upon others. Where the Lord forbad them to <HI>eate or</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">See <HI>Godwyns Iewi&s;h Antiq. p.</HI> 152.</NOTE> <HI>drinke things &s;acrificed to Idols,</HI> they prohibited all <HI>drinking with Heathens,</HI> becau&s;e it is doubtfull whether it were offered to <HI>I|dols</HI> or no. The Lord commanding them in the time of the <HI>Pa&s;&s;eover, to put away leaven out of their hou&s;es,</HI> they would not take the <HI>name</HI> into their <HI>mouthes</HI> all the time of the Fea&s;t. But if there bee <HI>reall grounds,</HI> to call any thing an appearance of e|vill; this <HI>golden Rule</HI> of the <HI>Apo&s;tle, Ab&s;taine from the appea|rance of evill,</HI> will extricate you in many puzzling ca&s;es of Con&s;cience. If one bee inqui&s;itive about the lawfulne&s;&s;e of <HI>Painting</HI> the face, <HI>patching, &s;potting, carding, dicing,</HI> about many of your habits, cu&s;tomes, recreations; you may re&s;olve diver&s;e &s;uch queries with this Aphori&s;me, <HI>In all doubtfull ca|&s;es</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>In dubiiis elige tuti&s;&s;imum; Illa e&s;t pars tu|tior in qua non e&s;t periculum peccandi.</HI> A|me&s;. Ca&s;. Confc. l. 3 c. 17. S. 26.</NOTE> <HI>take the &s;afe&s;t way;</HI> That is certainly the &s;afe&s;t, <HI>where there is no danger of &s;inne;</HI> not &s;o much as an <HI>appearance of evill.</HI> If you doe &s;uch things, <HI>it may prove a &s;in,</HI> it may bee an appea|rance of uncleanne&s;&s;e, there is not the lea&s;t &s;hew or &s;hadow of uncleanne&s;&s;e in <HI>forbearing</HI> &s;uch <HI>habits,</HI> &s;uch <HI>cu&s;tomes,</HI> &s;uch <HI>&s;ports,</HI> as becommeth Saints; Therefore re&s;olve to &s;eparate, not onely from unclean <HI>practi&s;es,</HI> and unclean <HI>&s;ocietie,</HI> but al&s;o from what|&s;oever doth indeed <HI>appeare</HI> to bee unclean.</P>
<P>Fourthly, Saints mu&s;t &s;eparate from <HI>communion with a fal&s;e</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">4 From com|munion with a fal&s;e Church, when unclean in the very &s;ub|&s;tantialls.</NOTE> <HI>Church,</HI> being grown unclean and corrupt in the very <HI>&s;ub&s;tan|tials of Doctrine, Wor&s;hip, and Government.</HI></P>
<P>Learned and Godly Divines grant, that the Saints may hold &s;ome <HI>fellow&s;hip</HI> with a Church which is much <HI>corrup|ted.</HI></P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. Though it bee tainted with diver&s;e gro&s;&s;e <HI>errors</HI> in <HI>opinion,</HI> as, <HI>Matth.</HI> 5. 20. to 43.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. Though the <HI>publick wor&s;hip</HI> bee &s;tained with vile <HI>hypocri&s;ie,</HI> as <HI>Mark.</HI> 7. 6. to 13.</ITEM>
<ITEM><PB N="11" REF="10">
3. Though the <HI>publick government</HI> become oppre&s;&s;ive, with <HI>tyranny</HI> and <HI>di&s;order,</HI> as <HI>Joh.</HI> 9. 22.</ITEM>
<ITEM>4. Though Church members bee blinded with <HI>ignorance;</HI> and carryed away with <HI>&s;uper&s;tition,</HI> as <HI>Matth.</HI> 15. 9. 14.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>Who knowes not that &s;uch di&s;tempers were found in the <NOTE PLACE="marg">See reverend&punc; Mr. <HI>Helder&s;hant</HI> on <HI>John</HI> 4. p. 159, 160&punc; See 1 Cor. <HI>chap|ters</HI> 5, 6, 11, 15.</NOTE> Church of <HI>Hieru&s;alem?</HI> yet the <HI>Apo&s;tles,</HI> and primitive <HI>Chri&s;ti|ans,</HI> as <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> him&s;elfe had formerly done, did joyn with them in the <HI>Ordinances</HI> of God, <HI>Act.</HI> 3. 1. <HI>&amp;c.</HI> And when many weeds had over-grown the Church of <HI>Corinth,</HI> in <HI>Doctrine, Di|&s;cipline,</HI> and <HI>Conver&s;ation, Paul</HI> &s;eriou&s;ly per&s;wades them to a <HI>Reformation,</HI> and not pre&s;ently to a <HI>Separation</HI> among them|&s;elves, but &s;till ownes them with all their defects, as the Church of God, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1. 1.</P>
<P>And though the <HI>Church of Rome</HI> was very much degenerated, yet for a long time the true <HI>Churches of Chri&s;t</HI> held communion with it. Indeed when it was grown &s;o abominably impure, in the very <HI>vitals</HI> &amp; <HI>&s;ub&s;tantials</HI> of <HI>Chri&s;tianity,</HI> then God <HI>would &s;end from Heaven</HI> to invite the Saints to make a <HI>Separation</HI> from it, <HI>Rev.</HI> 18. 4. <HI>Come out of her my people, that yee bee not partakers of her &s;innes, and that yee receive not of her Plagues.</HI></P>
<P>I need not &s;pend time to ju&s;tifie the Separation of <HI>Luther</HI> and the <HI>Reformed</HI> Churches from <HI>Romi&s;h Babylon.</HI> The <HI>Schi&s;me</HI> began in <HI>Rome</HI> it &s;elfe. <HI>They were the Schi&s;maticks who forced</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Non fugimus, &s;ect fugamur. Vide Davenant, ad pacem eccle&s;. adhort.</NOTE> <HI>us to fly from them.</HI></P>
<P>Fir&s;t, There was <HI>Mon&s;trous Here&s;ie</HI> in Doctrine maintain|ed.</P>
<P>Secondly, Gro&s;&s;e <HI>Idolatry in wor&s;hip</HI> practi&s;ed.</P>
<P>Thirdly, Intolerable <HI>Tyranny</HI> in Government owned.</P>
<P>Fourthly, Another may now bee added, The <HI>man of &s;in is revealed</HI> to bee among&s;t them, 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 2. which more fully <NOTE PLACE="marg">Vide Camero. de eccle&s;. Tract, de Schi&s;mat.</NOTE> warrants a departure from them who now &s;o clearely appeare to bee the <HI>Anti-Chri&s;tian-Church.</HI> E&s;pecially &s;eeing after much meanes u&s;ed for their <HI>conviction,</HI> they continue to <HI>reject</HI> and <HI>bla&s;pheme</HI> the Truth of Chri&s;t. As in <HI>Act.</HI> 13. 46. and 19. 9. <NOTE PLACE="marg">5 From fellow|&s;hip in any thing that is un|clean even in the true Chur|ches of Chri&s;t.</NOTE></P>
<P>Fifthly, The Lord will have his Saints &s;eparate not onely from fal&s;e Churches, but al&s;o <HI>from fellom&s;hip in any thing that is uncleane, even in the True Churches of Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>Admit a particular <HI>Church</HI> having many corruptions in it,
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continue a <HI>True Church,</HI> and &s;o whil&s;t <HI>Chri&s;t ownes it</HI> wee may <HI>owne it,</HI> and &s;ome communion may bee maintained with it, in that which is <HI>&s;ound</HI> and <HI>good;</HI> yet when you cannot live with them in <HI>externall communion,</HI> unle&s;&s;e you will hold <HI>fel|low&s;hip</HI> with them in &s;ome <HI>&s;innes,</HI> as to approve &s;ome <HI>erroneous</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>See Chilling worth in praef. An&s;. to</HI> 2 <HI>Motive</HI></NOTE> <HI>Doctrine,</HI> or practice &s;ome <HI>&s;uper&s;titious wor&s;hip;</HI> If this Church will not allow you her Communion, but upon &s;uch <HI>conditions,</HI> in &s;uch a ca&s;e the <HI>Church for requiring this condition is Schi&s;ma|ticall, and not you from &s;eparating from it.</HI> God will not allow you to <HI>do</HI> any <HI>evill,</HI> though you might thereby enjoy the grea|te&s;t <HI>good. Rom.</HI> 3. 8. His Saints mu&s;t rather forbeare the &s;weet|ne&s;&s;e of fellow&s;hip with others in &s;omewhat that is good, then &s;uffer them&s;elves to bee unavoydably ingaged ingaged in doing or ju|&s;tifying any thing which is unclean and &s;infull in the pure eyes of God, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 5. 11. If they bee like to bee involved in defiling their con&s;ciences, if in danger to bee compelled to bla&s;pheme, they &s;hould keepe them&s;elves from &s;inne what ever they &s;uffer; better <HI>undergoe</HI> the greate&s;t then <HI>commit</HI> the lea&s;t <HI>e|vill;</HI> by this Compa&s;&s;e the primitive Saints &s;ailed, <HI>Act.</HI> 8. 1. and 11. 19.</P>
<P>Yet here remember <HI>Camerons</HI> di&s;tinction of a <HI>Schi&s;me</HI> into <NOTE PLACE="marg">Schi&s;ma Nega|tivum, Po&s;itivu~. Fide Cameron de Eccle&s;. Tract. de Schi&s;mat.</NOTE> <HI>Negative</HI> and <HI>Po&s;itive.</HI> There may bee in the Church a <HI>negative Separation,</HI> a per&s;onall forbearing of any thing which will undoubtedly pollute us; when a <HI>po&s;itive Separation,</HI> where there is not only a <HI>denying of communion</HI> with others, but a &s;udden <HI>con&s;ociating</HI> of them&s;elves into di&s;tinct <HI>bodies,</HI> into lit|tle independent <HI>Corporations</HI> by them&s;elves for the wor&s;hip and &s;ervice of God, will not &s;o ea&s;ily as &s;ome imagine bee ju&s;tifyed to hold <HI>con&s;i&s;tency</HI> with that <HI>peace</HI> and <HI>order</HI> which is &s;o de&s;ira|ble in the Churches of Chri&s;t: But of this I &s;hall &s;peak more particularly in the Application.</P>
<P>Having &s;hewed you <HI>from what you mu&s;t &s;eparate,</HI> with the &s;e|verall &s;teppes you are to take therein, I will indevour fully to ingage you in that nece&s;&s;ary worke, by the cleere evidence of &s;ome arguments, either couched in the bowels of the Text, or <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rea&s;ons why the Saints &s;hould &s;eparate from unclean|ne&s;&s;e.</NOTE> borrowed from the neighbouring words; They are the&s;e foure, which will di&s;cover <HI>why the Saints &s;hould &s;eparate from uncleanne&s;&s;e.</HI></P>
<P><PB N="13" REF="11">
Fir&s;t, The Saints ought to <HI>proportion their carriage to their</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 From the Saints priviled|ges. 1 Pet. 2. 9.</NOTE> <HI>priviledges,</HI> (they are largely expre&s;&s;ed, <HI>ver.</HI> 16.) all which be&s;peak a <HI>Separation</HI> from uncleanne&s;&s;e. <HI>They are the Temple of the living God.</HI> Fir&s;t, they are <HI>new built</HI> by God him&s;elfe, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 2. 10. Secondly, <HI>Set apart</HI> from profane u&s;es for God, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 4. 3. Thirdly, yea <HI>dedicated and con&s;ecrated</HI> unto him in a peculiar manner, <HI>Titus</HI> 2. 14. Againe, the Saints are the <HI>Temple of the living God,</HI> therefore it is mo&s;t incongruous for them to conver&s;e with <HI>dead</HI> and unclean <HI>company,</HI> and to mul|tiply <HI>dead</HI> and &s;infull <HI>workes.</HI> This is the argument which the Apo&s;tle <HI>Paul</HI> u&s;eth, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6. 19. why they &s;hould flye <HI>Forni|cation, Know yee not that your body is the Temple of the Holy Gho&s;t in you?</HI> and by the &s;ame rea&s;on all other uncleanne&s;&s;e; Gods Temple &s;hould have no <HI>cob-webhs,</HI> no <HI>un&s;wept corners</HI> in them. <NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">.</NOTE></P>
<P>Further, God &s;aith here, <HI>ver.</HI> 16. <HI>I will dwell in them, and walk in them, and I will bee their God, and they &s;hall bee my peo|ple.</HI> Here is an high degree of owning them, and of greate&s;t intimacy with them; God is in the <HI>midde&s;t</HI> of his <HI>enemies</HI> as <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>In Templo vis o|rare; in te ora; &s;ed prius e&s;to Tem|plum Dei. Ille enim in Templo &s;uo audit orantem</HI> Aug.</NOTE> ruling them; But hee is <HI>in his Saints</HI> as in his <HI>Hou&s;e,</HI> as in his <HI>Temple,</HI> which is for communion, there hee <HI>dwels,</HI> there hee <HI>walks,</HI> there hee is plea&s;ed to <HI>communicate</HI> him&s;elfe to them, and heare them <HI>&s;peak</HI> to him; They have not onely his <HI>pre&s;ence,</HI> but al&s;o mo&s;t &s;weet <HI>di&s;coveries</HI> from him; as in <HI>Joh.</HI> 14. 21. All which &s;hould hold them at a di&s;tance from &s;inne and all uncleanne&s;&s;e. <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 From the fil|thine&s;&s;e of &s;in and &s;inners.</NOTE></P>
<P>Secondly, &s;in is in the nature of it, of a <HI>polluting di&s;po&s;ition, Heb.</HI> 12. 15. <HI>One roote of bitterne&s;&s;e will defile many,</HI> it &s;taines all who doe not &s;eparate from it, as being &s;o directly contra|ry to the pure <HI>nature,</HI> holy <HI>will,</HI> ble&s;&s;ed <HI>Image</HI> and <HI>glory</HI> of God. Hence it is in Scripture frequently compared to the mo&s;t loath&s;ome things. Sinners are <HI>Vipers, Swine, Dogges,</HI> yea, <HI>bri|ars,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 3. 7. Matth. 7. 6. I&s;a. 1. 6. Eze. 24. 11, 12 Hebr: 6. 8. 2 Tim. 2. 17: 1 King 8. 38.</NOTE> <HI>thornes, &amp;c.</HI> Sinne is <HI>Dro&s;&s;e, &s;cumme, rottenne&s;&s;e,</HI> and the wor&s;t of di&s;ea&s;es, <HI>Lepro&s;ie, Plague, &amp;c.</HI> all which doe pro|claime a &s;eparation. It defiles the <HI>body</HI> and <HI>&s;oule,</HI> 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 7. 1. It defiles the <HI>heart</HI> and <HI>con&s;cience, Tit.</HI> 1. 15. It puts mudde in|to the <HI>&s;pring</HI> of all your actions, which will make the <HI>&s;treames</HI> very foule. It defiles our be&s;t <HI>duties, Prov.</HI> 15. 8. and it defiles our <HI>&s;ociety,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15. 33. Whereas, the more you &s;eparate from
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&s;inne unto God, the more the &s;oule is conformed to the pure <HI>law</HI> of God, which is both our <HI>rule</HI> and <HI>beauty,</HI> and the more it will bee <HI>transformed</HI> into Chri&s;t, which is our <HI>glory.</HI></P>
<P>Thirdly, there is no po&s;&s;ibility of <HI>reconciling Chri&s;t and &s;in,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">3 No reconcili|ation with Chri&s;t, but by &s;eparation from &s;in.</NOTE> therefore the Saints have great rea&s;on to <HI>fall out</HI> with &s;inne, that &s;o they may bee in &s;ome capacity of <HI>falling in</HI> with Chri&s;t. They can expect no <HI>communion with him,</HI> unle&s;&s;e there bee a <HI>&s;eparation from &s;inne.</HI> When once they have <HI>wa&s;hed</HI> and made them&s;elves <HI>clean, put away the evill of their doings from before Gods eyes, cea&s;ed to do evill, I&s;a.</HI> 1. 16. then they are invited to a &s;weet <HI>familiarity</HI> with him, <HI>ver.</HI> 18. <HI>Come now, let us rea&s;on toge|ther.</HI> Then, and not till then they &s;hall have communion with him to <HI>&s;oule-&s;aving purpo&s;es.</HI> The &s;ame language <HI>James</HI> &s;peaks <HI>Chap.</HI> 4. 8. <HI>Draw nigh to God, and hee will draw nigh to you, clean&s;e your hands you &s;inners, and purifie your hearts you double minded.</HI> You cannot meet and injoy <HI>fellow&s;hip</HI> with God, but in <HI>paths</HI> of <HI>purity. Je&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> would not ingage him&s;elfe to &s;up with any of the <HI>Laodiceans</HI> till they had &s;eparated from their luke|warmene&s;&s;e, <HI>Rev.</HI> 3. 20. Here in <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 14, 15, 16. the Spirit of God makes choyce of five <HI>emphaticall words</HI> in the <HI>Greeke,</HI> and <NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">?</NOTE> expre&s;&s;es it by way of <HI>interrogation,</HI> which containes a vehe|ment <HI>negation</HI> in it. What <HI>fellow&s;hip?</HI> what <HI>communion?</HI> what <HI>concord?</HI> what <HI>part?</HI> what <HI>agreement</HI> have the Saints of God with uncleanne&s;&s;e. As if <HI>Paul</HI> &s;hould have &s;aid <HI>five times</HI> over, the Saints who are in <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and have <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> in them, mu&s;t not, cannot <HI>reconcile them&s;elves,</HI> to any compliance with &s;inne and &s;inners, no more then reconcile <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> with <HI>Beliall.</HI></P>
<P>Fourthly, unle&s;&s;e the Saints make a &s;eparation from un|cleanne&s;&s;e and fellow&s;hip with wicked men therein, as they <NOTE PLACE="marg">4 Inevitable danger of com|municating with &s;in and &s;inners.</NOTE> <HI>come to &s;hare in their &s;ins,</HI> &s;o <HI>will they bee involved in their calami|ties.</HI> <Q>If <HI>I&s;rael</HI> had not &s;eparated them&s;elves from <HI>Aegypt,</HI> by the blood of the Pa&s;chall Lambe, but had communicated with them in their Idolatry, they might have felt the &s;word of the de&s;troying Angell in their hou&s;es, as well as the <HI>Aegyptians.</HI></Q> It did co&s;t them very deare afterwards, that they had &s;uch fel|low&s;hip with <HI>Achans</HI> offence, for his act they &s;marted, indeed becau&s;e <HI>Jo&s;h.</HI> 7. 1. <HI>The children of I&s;rael committed a tre&s;pa&s;&s;e in the accur&s;ed thing,</HI> they were not carefull to keepe them&s;elves
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and one another from that evill as God had charged them, <HI>Jo&s;h.</HI> 6. 18.</P>
<P>It was a &s;ea&s;onable prayer of that man of God; <HI>Lord deli|ver mee from my other mens &s;innes;</HI> God knowes wee have <HI>per|&s;onall</HI> finnes enow &s;tanding upon our &s;core to undoe our &s;oules eternally; the greater rea&s;on have wee to renounce all com|munion with <HI>other mens uncleanne&s;&s;e.</HI> Hence <HI>Paul</HI> calls upon the Saints in <HI>Ephe&s;us, Ephe&s;.</HI> 5. 11, <HI>Have no fellow&s;hip with the unfruitfull workes of darkne&s;&s;e, but reprove them rather;</HI> make them not your &s;innes, by <HI>command, coun&s;ell, con&s;ent, connivence,</HI> nor any other way; but rather beare witne&s;&s;e again&s;t them, at lea&s;t by a checking <HI>&s;ilence,</HI> if not by a &s;ea&s;onable <HI>&s;peech,</HI> by <HI>lookes,</HI> by <HI>ge&s;tures,</HI> by &s;ome rebuking <HI>actions,</HI> if not by downe|right <HI>reproofes;</HI> If you joyne <HI>hearts</HI> in &s;inning again&s;t God, ex|pect <NOTE PLACE="marg">Revel. 18. 4.</NOTE> to goe <HI>hand in hand</HI> under puni&s;hments from him.</P>
<P>If God lookes that all his Saints &s;hould make &s;uch a &s;epara|tion <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 1. <HI>In&s;truction.</HI></NOTE> as not to touch any uncleanne&s;&s;e, then behold how <HI>much worke you have this day for deepe humiliation!</HI></P>
<P>So farre are you from an&s;wering Gods expectation herein, that many of you are drenched in great defilements, and wal|low in gro&s;&s;e impurity. The Lord helpe you to behold it with <HI>weeping eyes</HI> over your <HI>&s;elves</HI> and this <HI>unclean Nation.</HI> May not the Lord &s;end his <HI>Prophet</HI> to you, as once hee did <HI>Ezekiel</HI> to <HI>Hieru&s;alem, Ezek.</HI> 22. 24. <HI>&amp;c. Son of man, &s;ay unto her, Thou</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Con&s;ider &s;adly with reference to <HI>England, Eze.</HI> 22. 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31.</NOTE> <HI>art the Land that is not clean&s;ed, nor rained upon in the day of In|dignation?</HI> (&s;ometimes raine waters and makes a barren Land fruitfull, &s;ometimes there is a raine of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e which wa&s;heth away unrighteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, <HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 10. 12.)</P>
<P N="25">25 <HI>There is a con&s;piracy of her Prophets in the mid&s;t thereof like a roaring Lyon, ravening the prey; They have devoured &s;oules, they have taken the Trea&s;ure and pretious things: they have made her many Widowes in the mid&s;t thereof.</HI></P>
<P N="26">26 <HI>Her Prie&s;ts have violated my Law, and have profaned my holy things, they have put no difference between the holy and profane, nei|ther have they &s;hewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my Sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.</HI></P>
<P N="27">27 <HI>Her Princes in the mid&s;t thereof are like wolves ravening the
<PB N="16" REF="13">
prey, to &s;hed blood and to de&s;troy &s;oules, to get di&s;-hone&s;t gaine.</HI></P>
<P N="28">28 <HI>And her Prophets have daubed them with untempered morter, &s;eeing vanity and divining lies unto them, &s;aying, Thus &s;aith the Lord God, when the Lord hath not &s;poken.</HI></P>
<P N="29">29 <HI>The people of the Land have u&s;ed oppre&s;&s;ion, and exerci&s;ed robbery, and have vexed the poore and needy, yea, they have oppre&s;|&s;ed the &s;tranger wrongfully.</HI></P>
<P>It concernes you wi&s;ely to con&s;ider that the complaint in the 30 ver&s;e, bee not as ju&s;tly taken up again&s;t you.</P>
<P N="30">30 <HI>And I &s;ought for a man among them, that &s;hould make up the hedge, and &s;tand in the gap before mee for the Land, that I &s;hould not de&s;troy it, but I found none.</HI></P>
<P>What, no mourners? none that &s;igh and groan for <HI>Englands</HI> filthine&s;&s;e? then the &s;ad portion in the 31 ver&s;e may prove yours:</P>
<P N="31">31 <HI>Therefore I have powred out my indignation upon them, I have con&s;umed them with the fire of my wrath, their owne way have I recompen&s;ed upon their heads, &s;aith the Lord.</HI></P>
<P>May you not heare God &s;peaking to this polluted Kingdom, as once to his <HI>Hieru&s;alem, Jer.</HI> 13. 27. <HI>I have &s;een thy adulteries, and thy neighings, the lewdne&s;&s;e of thy whoredome, and thine abomi|nations on the hills in the field; Woe unto thee, O Jeru&s;alem, wilt thou not bee made clean? when &s;hall it once bee?</HI> What not after &s;o many yeeres <HI>purifying Sermons?</HI> not after &s;o many <HI>melting mer|cies,</HI> which &s;hould have led thee to repentance? not after &s;o ma|ny <HI>purging judgements?</HI> What not yet clean&s;ed by all the&s;e <HI>ri|vers of teares</HI> upon &s;o many <HI>praying dayes,</HI> by all the&s;e <HI>&s;treames of blood,</HI> in &s;o many <HI>cruell fights?</HI> Oh when <HI>&s;hall it once bee?</HI> What? <HI>England</HI> never clean&s;ed from her <HI>old abominations?</HI> Doubt|le&s;&s;e, if wee &s;till tread in <HI>Hieru&s;alems</HI> &s;teps, wee mu&s;t expect her cup of Trembling to bee put into our hands, till wee bee utter|ly overturned.</P>
<P>Hi&s;torians make a &s;ad relation of the <HI>De&s;olation of Hieru&s;alem, twelve &s;everall times</HI> the heavy <HI>judgements</HI> of God fell upon them, <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Jero&s;olyma duo|decies in univer|&s;um expugnata. Vide Perelium, Mellif. bi&s;t p.</HI> 24</NOTE> as the wofull fruites of their abominations: So as at la&s;t it became the <HI>Jews pri&s;on,</HI> and then their <HI>grave,</HI> and after an <HI>heape of carka&s;&s;es,</HI> then of &s;tones, <HI>Luk.</HI> 19. 41, 42, 43, 44.</P>
<P>I hope you will <HI>(Right Honourable</HI> and <HI>Beloved)</HI> &s;eriou&s;ly humble your &s;elves before God this day, for that you have in
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many things walked &s;o <HI>unbecomming Saints.</HI> In&s;tead of <HI>Sepa|rating</HI> from all <HI>Impurity,</HI> the All-&s;eeing God knows, you have <NOTE PLACE="marg">You may di|vers ways help to fill up the mea&s;ure of <HI>En|glands</HI> unclean|ne&s;&s;e.</NOTE> <HI>contributed</HI> very much to make <HI>England</HI> more <HI>unclean.</HI></P>
<P>Fir&s;t, Every one of you hath <HI>an unclean &s;pring within,</HI> in your own <HI>corrupt natures,</HI> which bubbles up daily in many impure <HI>thoughts, de&s;ires, &amp;c. Jer.</HI> 4. 14. <HI>O Jeru&s;alem wa&s;h thine heart from wickedne&s;&s;e, that thou maye&s;t bee &s;aved; how long &s;hall</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 When an un|clean &s;pring is within you.</NOTE> <HI>thy vaine thoughts lodge within thee?</HI> And in <HI>Matth.</HI> 15. 19. 20. <HI>For out of the heart proceed evill thoughts, murders, adulteries, for|nications, thefts, fal&s;e witne&s;&s;e, bla&s;phemies, the&s;e are the things which defile a man.</HI> The heart is the Fountain, which is full of filth, many carnall principles, &s;infull inclination, &amp;c. hence &s;o ma|ny unclean &s;treames in our <HI>polluting</HI> actions.</P>
<P>Secondly, You defile both your &s;elves and others by <HI>cor|rupt</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 When by your conver&s;e you defile o|thers. Heb. 12. 15.</NOTE> <HI>&s;peeches,</HI> and &s;infull <HI>conver&s;ing together, Ephe&s;.</HI> 4. 29. <HI>Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good, to the u&s;e of edifying, that it may mini&s;ter grace to the hearers.</HI> Sometimes one <HI>rotten hearted</HI> per&s;on in a family, like one <HI>rotten apple</HI> upon an heape, corrupts many others; they little know what it is to &s;peak to <HI>edify profitably,</HI> but rather at a <HI>Table</HI> in a <NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">.</NOTE> <HI>with-drawing roome,</HI> pull <HI>down</HI> that in one houres di&s;cour&s;e, which a faithfull <HI>Mini&s;ter</HI> hath been <HI>building</HI> up by many Ser|mons, <HI>ver.</HI> 30. And <HI>grieve not the holy Spirit of God;</HI> &s;uch &s;in|full di&s;cour&s;ing doth not onely <HI>&s;ad</HI> the <HI>&s;pirits</HI> of the <HI>Saints,</HI> but even grieve the <HI>Spirit</HI> of God him&s;elfe, <HI>ver.</HI> 31. <HI>Let all bit|terne&s;&s;e and wrath, and angor, and clamour, and evills &s;peaking bee put away from you with all malice.</HI> One pa&s;&s;ionate word be|gets another, and &s;o you doe mutually helpe to defile one ano|thers &s;oules.</P>
<P>Thirdly, You adde much to the common pollution, even <NOTE PLACE="marg">3 By the ini|quity of your holy things.</NOTE> by <HI>the iniquity of your holy things.</HI> If you plea&s;e to con&s;ult with <HI>Exod.</HI> 28. 38. you &s;hall finde there a cour&s;e pre&s;cribed how <HI>Aaron was to beare the iniquity of the holy things, among the children of I&s;rael, that they may bee accepted before the Lord.</HI> Which cleer|ly intimates that there are not onely <HI>evill doings,</HI> but al&s;o <HI>evill</HI> of our <HI>good doings,</HI> there are <HI>Sermon</HI> &s;innes, <HI>Prayer</HI> &s;innes, <HI>Com|munion</HI> &s;innes, <HI>Humiliation</HI> &s;innes, many <HI>Sanctuary</HI> &s;ins, which doe defile both our &s;pirits and performances, and ca&s;t more
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<HI>mudde</HI> into <HI>Englands</HI> unclean &s;treames, whereby wee become more obnoxious to the di&s;plea&s;ure of the <HI>Holy God:</HI> Hence you may ob&s;erve, <HI>Ezek.</HI> 9. 6. God gave commi&s;&s;ion to the de&s;troy|ers, to <HI>begin at the Sanctuary.</HI> For the mo&s;t part <HI>pollution</HI> be|ginnes at the Sanctuary, and there &s;hould they beginne <HI>de|&s;truction.</HI></P>
<P>Fourthly, Po&s;&s;ibly be&s;ides all your owne per&s;onall &s;innes, whereby the Land is &s;o much defiled, you may by <HI>compliance</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">4 By making the filth of o|ther mens &s;ins your own.</NOTE> <HI>owne them,</HI> yea, and helpe to make the <HI>Kingdome guilty</HI> of all the &s;innes that are committed by any in the Kingdome; Here|by you who are advanced to &s;uch authority in the State, may make tho&s;e &s;innes which were too <HI>common</HI> before, in &s;ome kind to become <HI>Nationall,</HI> and leave a de&s;tructive <HI>guilt</HI> upon the <HI>King|dome.</HI> As <HI>Mini&s;ters</HI> by not <HI>reproving</HI> their flock, &s;o <HI>Magi|&s;trates</HI> by not <HI>puni&s;hing</HI> the offenders, &s;t<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 letter">nd <HI>charged</HI> with their &s;innes: The Lord teach you wi&s;ely to con&s;ider how angry hee was with <HI>Eli</HI> for his connivence, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 3. 13. God would ruine his hou&s;e, <HI>becau&s;e his Sonnes made them&s;elves vile, and hee re&s;trained them not.</HI> It is high time to looke about you, le&s;t your indulgence to any other mens &s;innes multiply &s;o much uncleanne&s;&s;e, as may both ruine your <HI>own-hou&s;es,</HI> and hazzard the whole <HI>Kingdome.</HI></P>
<P>If God expects his Saints &s;hould &s;eparate, then give mee leave here to enter a <HI>Caveat again&s;t ra&s;h cen&s;uring, and condemning</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 2. Caution again&s;t ra&s;h cen&s;uring of al &s;eparation</NOTE> <HI>of all Separation.</HI> God him&s;elfe by his Word, and by his pra|ctice teacheth there may, there mu&s;t bee &s;ome <HI>Separation.</HI></P>
<P>Fir&s;t, in his owne <HI>eternall coun&s;els</HI> hee makes a &s;eparation, his <HI>electing</HI> love <HI>&s;ingles</HI> out &s;ome, chu&s;ing them to grace and glory, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 9. 13.</NOTE> pa&s;&s;ing by others.</P>
<P>Secondly, his Spirit in the Mini&s;tery of the Go&s;pel makes a &s;eparation, <HI>picking out</HI> here and there one, <HI>drawing</HI> them to <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 1 9.</NOTE> communion <HI>with Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>Thirdly, when the <HI>Son of man</HI> &s;hall come in his glory, <HI>with all the holy Angels, hee will &s;eparate the &s;heep from the goates,</HI> the &s;heep on his <HI>right hand,</HI> the goates on the <HI>left.</HI> And here <HI>Paul</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 25. 31, 32, 33.</NOTE> invites you to a &s;eparation, and therefore doubtle&s;&s;e there is no rea&s;on you &s;hould bee offended at the <HI>Name</HI> or <HI>Thing,</HI> when
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it is rightly <HI>&s;tated</HI> and <HI>practi&s;ed:</HI> This I &s;hall indevour to re|pre&s;ent in the&s;e two following Conclu&s;ions.</P>
<P><HI>There mu&s;t bee no Separation made from fellow&s;hip with the Ca|tholick Church.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Conclu&s;ion.</HI></NOTE></P>
<P>Such a &s;eparation would rend the very body of Chri&s;t him|&s;elfe. Hee is plea&s;ed to call the Church his body, <HI>the fulne&s;&s;e of him that filleth all in all, Ephe&s;.</HI> 1. 23. This would <HI>di&s;-joynt</HI> that &s;weet Harmony, which is the <HI>beauty</HI> and <HI>&s;trength</HI> of that body, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 4. 16.</P>
<P>The improvement of the Go&s;pel is the advancing of Saints to this honour and happine&s;&s;e, <HI>Heb.</HI> 12. 22, 23. <HI>But yee are come unto Mount Sion, and unto the City of the living God, &amp;c.</HI> To the <HI>Generall A&s;&s;embly, and Church of the fir&s;t-borne;</HI> In this your pilgrimage you mu&s;t &s;till bee comming to this Church, but never &s;eparating from it, becau&s;e in comming hither, you <HI>come to Je&s;us the Mediator of the new Covenant, ver.</HI> 24.</P>
<P><HI>You need not make a &s;eparation from a particular Church, becau&s;e</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 <HI>Conclu&s;ion.</HI></NOTE> <HI>there are &s;ome defects found in it.</HI></P>
<P>If you are bound to &s;eparate becau&s;e of <HI>defects,</HI> to what <HI>par|ticular Church</HI> will you a&s;&s;ociate, which &s;hall not bee defective? Onely the <HI>Church Triumphant</HI> in Heaven is <HI>ab&s;olutely perfect,</HI> weeds will ince&s;&s;antly bee &s;pringing up in all Gods Gardens here on earth. This hath evermore been taken for granted a|mong&s;t all &s;ober &s;pirits, that imperfections doe not pre&s;ently <HI>unchurch</HI> a True <HI>Church,</HI> and &s;o though they cry for a <HI>Refor|mation,</HI> yet doe not warrant a <HI>Separation.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Que&s;t.</HI> But what if &s;ome wicked per&s;ons continue in Church Society, doth not that give a ju&s;t occa&s;ion of &s;eparation unto <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rea&s;ons why &s;eparation not &s;uddainly to be made from a Church though &s;ome wicked per&s;ons be to|lerated in it. See <HI>Ame&s;. Ca&s;e con&s;c. l.</HI> 4. <HI>c.</HI> 24. <HI>&s;ect.</HI> 15.</NOTE> others?</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Such <HI>Divines</HI> to whom God hath revealed much of his minde concerning <HI>Church-affaires,</HI> give divers rea&s;ons why the <HI>tolerating</HI> of &s;ome wicked per&s;ons in a Church, is not a &s;ufficient ground for others to &s;eparate &s;uddenly from it.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, becau&s;e, that <HI>tolerating may bee onely an errour or infir|mity of the Church,</HI> wherein you are to beare with it, and not thereupon to &s;eparate from it.</P>
<P><PB N="20" REF="15">
Secondly, <HI>Patience is to bee u&s;ed towards a particular Brother, when hee is overtaken, Gal.</HI> 6. 1. Much more mu&s;t <HI>you</HI> in &s;uch a ca&s;e <HI>expre&s;&s;e it towards a Church.</HI></P>
<P>Thirdly, The <HI>&s;uddain &s;eparating of the godly, is not the be&s;t me|thod to cure a &s;ick Church,</HI> but rather puts it into a more <HI>de&s;perate condition, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Que&s;t.</HI> Doth not the fellow&s;hip of wicked per&s;ons in the Or|dinances make them ineffectuall?</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Their wickedne&s;&s;e may make the precious Ordinan|ces of God ineffectuall to <HI>them&s;elves,</HI> yet not to &s;uch <HI>others</HI> whom the Lord invited and for whom he prepared the&s;e Go&s;pel-dain|ties; Will a loving Father deny his owne <HI>children</HI> their <HI>bread,</HI> becau&s;e &s;ome <HI>dogges</HI> creep under the Tables? Indeed as in <HI>Hag.</HI> 2. 13. <HI>If one that is unclean by a dead body, touch any of the&s;e, &s;hall it bee unclean? And the Prie&s;ts an&s;wered and &s;aid, It &s;hall bee unclean.</HI> To whom was this uncleanne&s;&s;e contracted, not to <HI>others,</HI> but to <HI>them&s;elves?</HI> And hence, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11. 28. <HI>Let a man examine</HI> Him|&s;elf, <HI>and &s;o let him eate.</HI> Hee doth not &s;ay, let him examine all others that come.</P>
<P>It is indeed a very de&s;irable and beautifull thing, which would much increa&s;e our <HI>Communion comforts,</HI> to &s;ee none but <HI>Chri&s;ts Members</HI> at his <HI>own Table.</HI> Yet how can the very be|ing of an ungodly per&s;on there, enervate the power of the Or|dinances unto thy &s;oule? It is mo&s;t true, <HI>A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5. 6. That ince&s;tuous per&s;on, (and &s;o <NOTE PLACE="marg">How a little leaven leaven|eth the whole lump:</NOTE> others) leaven a Church <HI>Phy&s;ically,</HI> not by their <HI>pre&s;ence,</HI> &s;im|ply, becau&s;e they are there; Then the being of an <HI>Hypocrite</HI> in Church fellow&s;hip, (however hee creep in,) would leaven all, if bare <HI>pre&s;ence</HI> did it; But <HI>Morally</HI> by his <HI>Impurity,</HI> hee being &s;uffered without cen&s;ure for &s;o great an offence, doth imbol|den and harden others in &s;in, whereby the whole Congrega|tion might in time bee <HI>&s;owred</HI> with &s;uch <HI>leaven.</HI> The pre&s;ence of an unclean per&s;on cannot hurt you, further then you make his uncleanne&s;&s;e yours, by not doing your duty again&s;t it.</P>
<P>What though 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 10. 17. they being <HI>many, are one bread?</HI> If an unclean, unworthy per&s;on, by creeping unto Gods Or|dinances, and enjoying communion with the Saints therein, doe obtain this advantage, &s;o as by profe&s;&s;ion to &s;eem <HI>one bread</HI>
<PB N="21" REF="15">
with them; yet this doth not imply, that the Saints are there|by made <HI>one</HI> with him in his <HI>wickedne&s;&s;e.</HI> If an unclean per&s;on challenge more then belongs to him, this doth not deve&s;t the Saints of what is their <HI>due,</HI> and their <HI>priviledge,</HI> nor mu&s;t it hinder them in performing that <HI>&s;ervice,</HI> they owe to their Sa|viour, <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Incommoda fa|ciunt aliquando ut praeceptum affirmativum de&s;inat obligare, quod alias non po&s;&s;it non ob&s;er|vari &s;ine pecca|to. Ame&s;. Ca&s;. l.</HI> 4. <HI>c.</HI> 24. <HI>&s;ect.</HI> 15: <HI>Si ex &s;eparatio|ne vel &s;chi&s;ma metuendum, vel contagio peccan|di multitudinem inva&s;erit, divinae di&s;ciplinae &s;eve|ra mi&s;ericordia nece&s;&s;aria&punc; e&s;t: con&s;ilia &s;epara|tionis tunc ina|nia plus pertur|bant infirmos bo|nos, quam corri|gant animo&s;os malos, Aug. con|tra Parmen l.</HI> 3. <HI>c.</HI> 2. Matth. 18. 15, 16, 17.</NOTE> being <HI>called</HI> to it. They mu&s;t <HI>remember</HI> Chri&s;t &amp; his death, though others <HI>forget</HI> him, and their duty towards him.</P>
<P><HI>Que&s;t.</HI> But I cannot do any duty (as it is expre&s;&s;ed, <HI>Matth.</HI> 18. 15, 16. &amp;c.) remaining in Communion with &s;uch a particu|lar Church, may I not then &s;eparate?</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Fir&s;t, in this ca&s;e a man had need bee cleerly &s;atisfy|ed, that to doe &s;uch things <HI>(&s;oil.</HI> to admoni&s;h, to excommu|nicate, as in <HI>Matth.</HI> 18.) <HI>bee his duty, pro hic &amp; nunc, in &s;uch and &s;uch circum&s;tances. Affirmative precepts, though they do &s;emper obligare, yet not ad &s;emper.</HI> They do not binde mee to act in e|very juncture of things. In Morals, in matters of this nature, circum&s;tances have &s;uch an influence, that what was my duty in one po&s;ture of things, may cea&s;e to bee my duty, when it is otherwi&s;e circum&s;tantiated. I am not in all circum&s;tances e|qually obliged to <HI>reprove offences,</HI> or to proceed to <HI>Church cen|&s;ures.</HI> Sometimes the di&s;ea&s;e hath &s;o far prevailed, the body will not beare phy&s;ick.</P>
<P>Secondly, a man likewi&s;e, before hee &s;eparate from a Church becau&s;e hee cannot do his duty therein, had need bee &s;ure that his not being in a <HI>capacity to do his duty</HI> to the full, <HI>bee a &s;uffici|ent ground of Separation.</HI> <Q>The order in <HI>Mat.</HI> 18. is to ca&s;t off the offender, if he heare not the Church, not to ca&s;t off the Church if &s;hee heare not him.</Q></P>
<P><HI>Qu.</HI> But may we not de&s;ire communion with the pure&s;t <HI>Church?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> You may; yet withall ob&s;erve how this may bee &s;ought, and obtained by you with the <HI>peace, order,</HI> and <HI>edification</HI> of the Churches. It is po&s;&s;ible to <HI>remove</HI> to another Church, without a <HI>&s;eparation</HI> from your owne. Onely I wi&s;h the&s;e two things were remembred by &s;uch as thinke of &s;eparating.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, Try to gather <HI>purity into your own Church,</HI> and to &s;eparate all impurity <HI>from it,</HI> before you &s;eparate to another, or gather a <HI>Church out of other Churches.</HI> Endevour to &s;eparate the <HI>dro&s;&s;e</HI> from among you, before you &s;eparate your <HI>&s;elves</HI> from the <HI>gold.</HI></P>
<P>Secondly, If at la&s;t you will &s;eparate, doe not <HI>uncharitably
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condemn</HI> the <HI>true Church,</HI> who&s;e fell ow&s;hip you leave. There is too often an errour on both hands, to cry up every thing wee like, as <HI>Jus Divinum,</HI> and what wee di&s;like, to bla&s;t it as <HI>An|tichri&s;tian.</HI></P>
<P>When the Saints doe &s;eparate, let it bee; <NOTE PLACE="marg">If you &s;eparate let it bee&punc;</NOTE></P>
<P>Fir&s;t, A <HI>prudent Separation,</HI> from <HI>evill,</HI> not from <HI>good;</HI> from the vile, not from the pretious: Po&s;&s;ibly they may &s;ometimes <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Prudently.</NOTE> bee nece&s;&s;itated to <HI>&s;u&s;pend communion</HI> from &s;ome particular Church, in &s;omewhat that is good, becau&s;e then unhappily much evill was incorporated into that Church, and yet not <HI>excommunicate</HI> them&s;elves, but <HI>&s;till own,</HI> and <HI>approve,</HI> what is <HI>good</HI> therein, <HI>Rom.</HI> 12. 9. <HI>abhor that which is evil, cleave to that which is good.</HI></P>
<P>Secondly, A <HI>pious &s;eparation;</HI> from evill unto good, not from one evill to <HI>another,</HI> not from <HI>extremity</HI> to <HI>extremity,</HI> not from <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Piou&s;ly.</NOTE> <HI>Tyranny</HI> to <HI>Anarchy,</HI> not from Prelaticall <HI>u&s;urpation</HI> to popu|lar <HI>licentiou&s;ne&s;&s;e.</HI> So farre as you concurre with them&punc; and bid them <HI>God &s;peed</HI> in any of their errors, you <HI>are partaker of their e|vill deeds,</HI> 2 <HI>Joh. ver.</HI> 11.</P>
<P>Thirdly, A <HI>peaceable &s;eparation.</HI> Separate from the unclean, <NOTE PLACE="marg">3 Peaceably.</NOTE> <HI>without a &s;ebi&s;me,</HI> (that is) without an <HI>unwarrantable rent,</HI> not ra&s;hly condemning all who come not up to your height; not as one affecting a <HI>proud &s;ingularity,</HI> but as one who is nece&s;&s;ita|ted to withdraw out of pure <HI>tenderne&s;&s;e</HI> of con&s;cience; not out of any pa&s;&s;ionate &s;elfi&s;hne&s;&s;e, but as one who labours <HI>to plea&s;e his neighbour for good to edification, Rom.</HI> 15. 1, 2.</P>
<P>Fourthly, A <HI>loving &s;eparation.</HI> Though &s;ome Saints &s;hould differ and have a kinde of &s;eparation in &s;ome <HI>opinions</HI> and <HI>pra|ctices,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">4 Lovingly.</NOTE> wherein the holy Scripture allowes a latitude, yet &s;till united in <HI>affection,</HI> (which the Devill mo&s;t oppo&s;es) one <HI>&s;oule</HI> though in divers <HI>bodies,</HI> though in divers <HI>Churches,</HI> &s;till <HI>&s;triving together for the Faith of the Go&s;pel, Phil.</HI> 1. 27.</P>
<P>Then, as you de&s;ire to approve your &s;elves Saints, &s;tudy how you may an&s;wer Gods expectation, <HI>Minde purity in the whole</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 3. Direction. Exod. 15. 11. Hab. 1. 13. Col. 1. 12.</NOTE> <HI>cour&s;e of your lives.</HI> Your God is an holy and pure God; Hea|ven is a pure place; never expect communion with him in his Church here, or in heaven hereafter, without purity and holine&s;&s;e. As you mu&s;t bee <HI>vi&s;ible Saints,</HI> to make you fit mem|bers
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of particular <HI>Churches</HI> here, &s;o mu&s;t you bee <HI>reall Saints,</HI> that you may bee members of the <HI>Church my&s;ticall, Heb.</HI> 12. 14. <HI>Follow holine&s;&s;e, without which no man &s;hall &s;ee God.</HI></P>
<P>Many indeed will ea&s;ily bee per&s;waded to <HI>pretend</HI> to <HI>purity,</HI> and have gotten their <HI>tongues tipt,</HI> in the&s;e times of Reforma|tion, with &s;ome pure <HI>Go&s;pel Language,</HI> yet in conclu&s;ion will bee a&s;hamed, becau&s;e their <HI>hearts are not &s;ound in Gods Statutes,</HI> according to <HI>Davids</HI> prayer, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 119. 80. But tell mee thou Hypocrite, (&s;aith hee) If it bee a good thing to &s;eeme good <NOTE PLACE="marg">Chry&s;o&s;t. Aut ergo e&s;to quad appares, aut appare quod es.</NOTE> why wilt thou not bee that which thou woulde&s;t appeare to bee? for that which is a &s;hame for a man to appeare to bee, is it not much more &s;hame for him to bee indeed? And if it bee good to bee a <HI>gilt Profe&s;&s;or,</HI> is it not much better to bee a pure <HI>golden Chri&s;tian?</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Means and me|thod how &s;pi|rituall purity is promoted in the Saints. I watch again&s;t the lea&s;t evill.</NOTE></P>
<P>Fir&s;t, Watch again&s;t every evill, the occa&s;ions, the begin|nings of it; what&s;oever defileth, though it bee thy beloved, gainfull, plea&s;ing &s;inne, away with it, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 97. 10. Main|tain con&s;tantly thy fortifications again&s;t all a&s;&s;aults: If there bee a traine of importunate &s;ollicitations laid to overcome thee, blow up all with <HI>Jo&s;ephs</HI> holy defiance, <HI>Gen.</HI> 39. 9. <HI>How then can I do this great wickedne&s;&s;e, and &s;in again&s;t God?</HI></P>
<P>Secondly, <HI>Breathe after inward purity</HI> of &s;pirit and con&s;ci|ence, <HI>Tit.</HI> 1. 15. <HI>&V;nto the pure all things are pure,</HI> in their <HI>acti|ons,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Labour after inward purity.</NOTE> as well as in their <HI>injoyments.</HI> A cha&s;te minde will keepe you undefiled in the way. A pure Fountain in your Garden will helpe to make all cleane. Pray for your &s;elves, as <HI>Paul</HI> for his <HI>The&s;&s;alonians,</HI> 1 <HI>Phe&s;t.</HI> 5. 23. <HI>And the very God of Peace &s;anctifie you wholly, and I pray God your whole &s;pirit, &s;oule and body, bee pre&s;erved blamele&s;&s;e unto the comming of the Lord Je&s;us.</HI></P>
<P>Thirdly, <HI>Reach after pure Ordinances,</HI> that you may &s;ee and ta&s;te the <HI>&s;implicity of Chri&s;t,</HI> in all divine admini&s;trations. The <NOTE PLACE="marg">3 Prize pure Ordinances.</NOTE> more of Chri&s;t in any Ordinance, the more <HI>&s;weetne&s;&s;e</HI> and the more <HI>purifying influence</HI> it hath upon our &s;oules: Humane in|ventions will <HI>&s;tain</HI> and <HI>formalize;</HI> Divine In&s;titutions, when they are kept pure, have a mo&s;t &s;overaigne healing, <HI>clean&s;ing ver|tue.</HI> Hence <HI>Paul</HI> reduces all to the fir&s;t in&s;titution, as hee recei|ved it of the Lord, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11. 23. <NOTE PLACE="marg">4 Make choyce of pure com|pany.</NOTE></P>
<P>Fourthly, Single <HI>out pure company;</HI> mingle not your &s;elves in
<PB N="24" REF="17">
intimate familiarity with &s;uch who&s;e conver&s;es carry defile|ments with them. Remember what incouragements <HI>Solomon</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Di&s;camus ex hac parte &s;anctam &s;uperbiam, &s;cia|mus nos e&s;&s;e illis meliores,</HI> Hie|ron. ep.</NOTE> gives to clo&s;e with holy &s;ociety, <HI>Prov.</HI> 10. <HI>ver.</HI> 11. <HI>The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life.</HI> ver. 20. <HI>The tongue of the ju&s;t is as choyce &s;ilver,</HI> ver. 21. <HI>The lips of the righteous feed many.</HI> Shun &s;uch acquaintance, where you can expect no good, and can hardly e&s;cape without receiving &s;ome hurt. <HI>David</HI> made this one Character of a Citizen of <HI>Sion, P&s;al.</HI> 15. 4. <HI>In who&s;e eyes a vile per&s;on is contemned, but hee honoureth them that feare God.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">5 Get pure af|fections in the u&s;e of lawfull comforts.</NOTE></P>
<P>Fifthly, Keepe <HI>pure affections in the u&s;e of lawfull comforts.</HI> It is not enough for Saints to have a <HI>lawfull</HI> u&s;e of temporall ble&s;|&s;ings, unle&s;&s;e they gain an <HI>holy</HI> u&s;e of them, that they may bee <HI>&s;piritualized</HI> unto them, <HI>Col.</HI> 3. 1, 2. Saints &s;hould propor|tion their carriage to their hopes. Seek high things, if you bee highly born. If you would bee <HI>great per&s;ons</HI> indeed, minde the <HI>great things</HI> which are above.</P>
<P>Sixthly, Maintain <HI>pure aimes in all your undertakings.</HI> The <NOTE PLACE="marg">6 Keep pure|aimes in all your affaires.</NOTE> la&s;t end hath a great Influence upon mens actions. Such men are, as their ends are. Doe not look a&s;quint at carnall &s;elfe, that will mi&s;-leade you into uncleane wayes, looke at the &s;anctifying of Gods name, the comming of his Kingdom, the doing of his will with a &s;ingle eye. It kept <HI>Paul</HI> very even, and gave him much occa&s;ion of glorying, that his aimes were &s;o pure, &s;o full of &s;implicity and godly &s;incerity, that hee could with confidence appeale to a threefold Tribunall. In 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1. 12. There was the Throne of his owne Con&s;cience, and in <HI>ver.</HI> 13. The Throne of the <HI>Corinthians</HI> knowledge, and then <HI>ver.</HI> 14. The highe&s;t Throne of all in the <HI>day of the Lord Je|&s;us.</HI></P>
<P>Having thus di&s;patched the <HI>Adhortation,</HI> let us now look into the &s;econd generall part of the words, and &s;ee what incou|ragement wee can thence gather to ingage you in a &s;eparation from all uncleanne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>The Lord Almighty will undoubtedly as a Father receive all tho&s;e</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 <HI>Ob&s;ervation</HI></NOTE> <HI>who are &s;uch Right Separati&s;ts indeed, that they renounce communion with any impurity.</HI></P>
<P><PB N="25" REF="17">
The pollution of &s;inne made the fir&s;t breach betwixt God and man, leaving him unfit for communion&punc; with &s;o glorious a Maje&s;ty; there is no recovering fellow&s;hip with the Lord, unle&s;&s;e the great ob&s;truction bee removed, unle&s;&s;e wee re|nounce &s;inne, which provoked him to withdraw from us. Indeed when once the &s;oule bethinks it &s;elfe, and beginnes to looke after God, hee is r<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 letter">ady to meet her with deale imbraces, <HI>Luk.</HI> 15. 20. <HI>But when hee was yet a great way off, his Father &s;aw him, and had compa&s;&s;ion, and ran and fell on his neck and ki&s;&s;ed him.</HI> Yea, this whole 15. <HI>Chapter</HI> of <HI>Luke</HI> is &s;pent in three in|couraging Parables to this purpo&s;e, di&s;covering that no <HI>Shep|herd</HI> is more de&s;irous to &s;eek his <HI>lo&s;t &s;heep,</HI> no <HI>woman</HI> more in|qui&s;iti<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="2 letters"> after her <HI>lo&s;t groat;</HI> no <HI>Father</HI> more carefull of the re|turne of his <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 span">, then the Lord into entertain &s;uch as unfainedly di&s;claim all impurity.</P>
<P>Here you have two particulars fit to bee con&s;idered, in the pro&s;ecuting of this ob&s;ervation:</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, <HI>Gods readine&s;&s;e to receive them.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Gods readi|ne&s;&s;e to receive &s;uch as <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 span"></NOTE></P>
<P>Secondly, <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 letter">he kinde entertainment hee gives them.</HI> Hee receives them as a <HI>Father.</HI></P>
<P>Two Arguments may bee produced which will evidence Gods <HI>readine&s;&s;e</HI> to <HI>receive</HI> all &s;uch as &s;eparate from unclean|ne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P N="1">1. The fir&s;t is drawn from the <HI>gracious <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="2 letters">&s;po&s;ition and inclina|tion</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Argument.</HI></NOTE> of our good God: He &s;aith, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 30, <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 word"> profe&s;&s;ed that <HI>hee waites</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 span"> also pronounceth them <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 span"> for him. You can not <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 word"> more ready to <HI>for&s;ake</HI> &s;inne, then hee is ready <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 span"> <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 55. 7. <HI>Let the wicked for&s;ake his way, and</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 span"> <HI>thoughts, and let him return <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 span"> the Lord,</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 span"> <HI>him, and to our God, for hee will abundantly pardon,</HI> as in the Hebrew. Hee knows how to <HI>multiply pardons</HI> as <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 word"> <HI>multiply &s;in<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 letter">.</HI> Though thou bee a <HI>man of iniquity,</HI> as it is in the <HI>Heb. v.</HI> 7. <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 span">.</P>
<P N="2">2. The &s;econd Argument is taken from the Lords <HI>ingage|ment</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 <HI>Argument.</HI></NOTE> to all <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 word"> as come to him, renouncing all their impurity. Hee hath conde&s;cended to make him&s;elfe their <HI>debton</HI> by his
<PB N="26" REF="18">
unchangeable <HI>promi&s;es, Matth.</HI> 5. 3. <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed are the pure in heart, for they &s;hall &s;ee God,</HI> and the more purity of heart they have, the more they &s;hall <HI>&s;ee</HI> in God, and <HI>injoy</HI> the more of God.</P>
<P>Chri&s;t ingages him&s;elfe to the uncleane <HI>Laodiceans,</HI> that if they will <HI>heare his voyce and open the doore, Rev.</HI> 3. 20. Hee will <HI>come in and &s;up with them, and they with him;</HI> whatever luke|warmne&s;&s;e they have been &s;tained with before, yet now upon &s;uch termes, hee promi&s;es they &s;hall enjoy a <HI>&s;weet</HI> and <HI>inti|mate communion</HI> with him. Yea, here lies a threefold ingage|ment.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, this is &s;uitable to the <HI>Tenour</HI> of the <HI>Covenant</HI> of <HI>Gods Free Grace, Ezek.</HI> 36. 25. Whom hee clean&s;es hee owns as his people.</P>
<P>Secondly, this is agreeable to the <HI>intention</HI> of <HI>Chri&s;ts death,</HI> who laid down his life that hee might <HI>purifie a peculiar people</HI> unto him&s;elfe, <HI>Tit.</HI> 2. 14.</P>
<P>And, Thirdly, this is the <HI>method</HI> of the <HI>Spirit</HI> of God, in the execution of his eternall Coun&s;els for the &s;alvation of our Soules, it is in a way of <HI>Sanctification,</HI> and clean&s;ing us from the filth of fin, 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 2. 13. that &s;o wee may bee meet to bee <HI>partakers</HI> of the <HI>inheritance of the Saints in light.</HI></P>
<P>And as for the Lords entertaining &s;uch as &s;eparate them|&s;elves from all uncleanne&s;&s;e, it is mo&s;t like a <HI>tender Father.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 The kind en|tertainment God gives them as a Father.</NOTE></P>
<P>Fir&s;t, Hee <HI>welcomes</HI> them at their <HI>fir&s;t return</HI> home to his hou&s;e with joyfull imbraces, <HI>Luk.</HI> 15. 23. There is great triumph in Heaven at the recovery of a lo&s;t &s;inner.</P>
<P>Secondly, Hee will <HI>kindly own</HI> them, and with candid inter|pretation, accept of weak prayers, and &s;mall endevours from them, <HI>Mal.</HI> 3. 16, 17. The li&s;ping, the &s;tammering of a childe is plea&s;ing to the love of a Father.</P>
<P>Thirdly, Hee can <HI>indulgently overlook great weakne&s;&s;es</HI> in them, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 103. 13. forbearing their frowardne&s;&s;e, their evill man|ners, expecting no more from children then their &s;trength will beare.</P>
<P>Fourthly, Hee takes <HI>care to &s;ecure them</HI> in time of <HI>dangers,</HI> and <HI>troubles:</HI> If hee bee provoked to &s;end a deluge of calamities, yet hee will provide an <HI>Arke</HI> for them again&s;t a &s;torme, as for his <HI>Noah, Gen.</HI> 6. 18.</P>
<P><PB N="27" REF="18">
Fifthly, Hee will <HI>helpe them at plunges,</HI> carrying them through difficult &s;ervices; A father will, when his children come to a &s;lippery bridge, or a dangerous &s;tile, lead them over by his own hand: As in <HI>Deut.</HI> 32. 10, 11, 12.</P>
<P>Sixthly, Hee will bee &s;ure to <HI>make rich provi&s;ion</HI> for their &s;pi|rituall, temporall, and eternall welfare. Hee knows what they have need of, and what is be&s;t for them, <HI>Matth.</HI> 6. 31. 32. Having given them <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> hee will withhold no good thing el&s;e from them, <HI>Rom.</HI> 8. 32. Yea, being <HI>children of God,</HI> they &s;hall bee joynt <HI>heires</HI> with <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> him&s;elfe, <HI>Rom.</HI> 8. 17. Thus honourably doth the Lord receive all them, who come unto him upon his own termes, leaving their impurity be|hinde them, they &s;hall under&s;tand and ta&s;te <HI>the loving kindne&s;&s;e of the Lord.</HI></P>
<P>If the Lord bee plea&s;ed &s;o farre to ingage him&s;elfe as a Fa|ther, <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 1. <HI>Information.</HI></NOTE> to receive all &s;uch as make a Right &s;eparation from un|cleanne&s;&s;e: Then, when God &s;till <HI>denies to receive our reque&s;ts,</HI> and <HI>&s;u&s;pends his Fatherly compa&s;&s;ions</HI> in our extremity, wee have <NOTE PLACE="marg">Wee may &s;care <HI>England</HI> is not yet clean&s;ed.</NOTE> great rea&s;on to <HI>&s;u&s;pect our &s;elves;</HI> and yet to make more exact inquiry what <HI>impure things,</HI> and <HI>per&s;ons</HI> there are among&s;t us. Wee in <HI>England</HI> may powre out <HI>Jo&s;huahs</HI> complaint, <HI>Jo&s;h.</HI> 7. 8. <HI>O Lord what &s;hall I &s;ay, when I&s;rael turneth their backs before their enemies?</HI> and expect the Lords an&s;wer to him, <HI>ver.</HI> 10, 11. And <HI>the Lord &s;aid unto Jo&s;huah, Get thee up; wherefore lye&s;t thou thus upon thy face? I&s;rael hath &s;inned, and they have al&s;o tran&s;|gre&s;&s;ed my Covenant which I commanded them.</HI> Now is a pro|per &s;ea&s;on to con&s;ider whether there bee no <HI>Achan</HI> in the <HI>camp,</HI> whether no <HI>Jonahs</HI> &s;till <HI>a&s;leepe</HI> in a <HI>corner,</HI> which occa&s;ions the &s;torme, and indangers the &s;hip. This were mo&s;t &s;uitable work for a day of Humiliation. You may have many <HI>Praying dayes,</HI> yet if they bee not <HI>clean&s;ing</HI> and <HI>&s;couring dayes,</HI> your Prayers will &s;till mi&s;carry, your Coun&s;els bee &s;hattered, and your grand undertakings bee di&s;appointed. Remember <HI>Judg.</HI> 10. 10. The <HI>children of I&s;rael cryed unto the Lord,</HI> yet to little pur|po&s;e, till they &s;wept away the unclean things. The Lord re|pul&s;ed their prayers, and bade them, <HI>ver.</HI> 14. <HI>Goe and cry unto the Gods which yee have cho&s;en, let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.</HI> Indeed when they &s;aid, <HI>ver.</HI> 15. Wee <HI>have</HI>
<PB N="28" REF="19">
&s;inned, and when, <HI>ver.</HI> 16. They <HI>put away the &s;trange Gods from among them, and &s;erved the Lord.</HI> Then, <HI>His &s;oule was grieved</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>England</HI> mu&s;t bee clean&s;ed, el&s;e not delive|red.</NOTE> <HI>for the mi&s;ery of I&s;rael.</HI> Could wee in <HI>England</HI> act our pray|ers, not onely bemoane our uncleanne&s;&s;e, but put it away from among us, renounce all our impurity, wee might hope to find our <HI>Heavenly Father,</HI> &s;o farre <HI>grieved</HI> with our <HI>mi&s;eries,</HI> that our <HI>&s;orrows</HI> might bee turned into <HI>rejoycings.</HI></P>
<P>Then, let all the Saints who have indevoured to &s;eparate them&s;elves from all uncleanne&s;&s;e, learn hence, <HI>with all hum|ble</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 2. <HI>Incouragement.</HI> Let the Saints fly to God as to a Father. Abba Father found 3 times, Rom. 8. 15. Mark. 14. 36. Gal. 4. 6. <HI>Abba Syr. Chry|&s;o&s;t. vocat verbu~. puerorum legiti|morum quo pa|rentes &s;uos ap|pellant.</HI></NOTE> <HI>boldne&s;&s;e, to improve this ble&s;&s;ed priviledge,</HI> make u&s;e of this &s;weet <HI>Relation</HI> you have unto God, runne to the Throne of Grace, and cry <HI>Abba Father. Rom.</HI> 8. 15. If hee hath bound him&s;elfe to receive you as a <HI>Father,</HI> doe you follow him as <HI>chil|dren,</HI> doe not onely <HI>&s;ay,</HI> Abba Father, but <HI>cry,</HI> Abba Father; Sometimes a childe can &s;ay or doe nothing to helpe it &s;elfe, but cry after his Father; Though hee bee &s;tuck fa&s;t in the mire, yet <HI>looking after</HI> the Father overtakes him, <HI>crying after</HI> him overcomes him. Oftentimes <HI>[Ah Father]</HI> proves an <HI>effectu|all prayer,</HI> there is prevailing Oratory in the <HI>Name,</HI> in the <HI>Re|lation.</HI> Therefore, if thou can&s;t do nothing el&s;e in the behalf of poore <HI>England,</HI> yet put thy finger in thine eye and com|plain to thy Father, tell him how ill it fares with thy poore Brethren and Si&s;ters in <HI>ga&s;ping Ireland,</HI> in <HI>un&s;ettled Scotland,</HI> in <HI>bleeding England,</HI> and what a bitter cup of <HI>trembling, Germany,</HI> and the <HI>Palatinate,</HI> have had in their hands for above <HI>twenty yeeres together.</HI> As <HI>Mary</HI> and <HI>Martha</HI> &s;ent to Chri&s;t, <HI>Joh.</HI> 11. 3. &s;aving, <HI>Lord, behold hee whom thou love&s;t is &s;ick:</HI> Repre&s;ent by thy Prayers, the <HI>&s;ick</HI> and <HI>&s;ad</HI> condition of many of tho&s;e whom the Lord dearly loveth among&s;t us. Po&s;&s;ibly thou maye&s;t heare the &s;ame gracious an&s;wer, concerning the <HI>cau&s;e</HI> and <HI>people</HI> of God here, as in <HI>ver.</HI> 4. <HI>Je&s;us &s;aid, This &s;ickne&s;&s;e is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Sonne of God might bee glorifyed thereby.</HI> Onely hee will have us to bee brought &s;o low, that the <HI>&s;entence of death</HI> being pa&s;&s;ed upon us hee may bee magnifyed in our <HI>Re&s;urrection.</HI> O therefore &s;uffer not your &s;elves to bee di&s;couraged from wonted importunity in Prayer.</P>
<P>You have here two excellent props of Faith; <HI>Gods power,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Two props for faith in Prayer.</NOTE>
<PB N="29" REF="19">
and <HI>Gods will;</HI> The Lord Almighty is your Father; As hee is Almighty, hee is <HI>abundantly</HI> able, as hee is a Father, hee is as <HI>cheerefully willing.</HI> Hee who is Almighty can work, with|out <HI>meanes,</HI> as well as with meanes, by <HI>weak meanes</HI> as well as by &s;trong, <HI>contrary to meanes,</HI> as well as according unto meanes. Hee who is a Father will <HI>help,</HI> when you may think your &s;elves at lo&s;&s;es, and in the dark, as hee hath promi&s;ed, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 42. 16. <HI>And I will bring the blinde by a way that they know not, I will lead them in path that they have not known, I will make darkne&s;&s;e light before them, and crocked things &s;treight, the&s;e things will I doe unto them, and not for&s;ake them.</HI></P>
<P>It the Lord Almighty will receive all Right Separati&s;ts, as <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 3. <HI>Direction.</HI> Let the Saints love as Brethre~ as children of the &s;ame <HI>Father</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign"></NOTE> a Father, this may oblige all the Saints in their moving to|wards a pure Separation from uncleanne&s;&s;e to <HI>imbrace one an|other as Brethren.</HI> It is mo&s;t whole&s;ome coun&s;ell, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 17. <HI>love the Brother-hood,</HI> not onely love this or that Brother, which may bee done upon politick re&s;pects, becau&s;e hee is learned, di&s;creet, or u&s;efull, but love the <HI>brotherhood,</HI> the fraternity, the <HI>whole corporation of Saints;</HI> Yea, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1. 2. <HI>See that yee love one another with a pure heart fervently.</HI></P>
<P>Fir&s;t, It mu&s;t bee <HI>hearty love,</HI> not lip love onely.</P>
<P>Secondly, From a <HI>pure heart,</HI> not out of carnall &s;elfe-&s;eek|ing.</P>
<P>Thirdly, It mu&s;t have <HI>fervency</HI> as well as purity, &s;uch love as will not bee quenched by &s;ome pa&s;&s;ions, di&s;courte&s;ies, diffe|rences, &amp;c. O this were mo&s;t becomming Saints, like chil|dren of the &s;ame heavenly Father, to joyne <HI>hearts, heads,</HI> and <HI>hands</HI> with all Brotherly affection.</P>
<P>This <HI>State</HI> were not in &s;o much danger to bee <HI>broken</HI> by <HI>ene|mies,</HI> if wee did not give them advantage by <HI>breaches among&s;t our &s;elves:</HI> And this makes our pre&s;ent <HI>Church differences</HI> the more &s;ad, becau&s;e many of them are among&s;t Brethren; who are indeed going from <HI>Aegypt</HI> to <HI>Canaan,</HI> from <HI>Babylon</HI> to <HI>Hie|ru&s;alem,</HI> but they forget their <HI>Relation</HI> to God and one ano|ther, and mo&s;t unhappily fall out and quarrell in the way.</P>
<P>In King <HI>Henry</HI> the eighths dayes, there was a &s;trange tem|per of things, both Prote&s;tants and Papi&s;ts were per&s;ecuted. <NOTE PLACE="marg">About <HI>Anno</HI> 1540.</NOTE> At one time three were <HI>burned</HI> for not &s;ub&s;cribing the &s;ix Arti|cles,
<PB N="30" REF="20">
and <HI>three hanged</HI> for denying the Kings Supremacy; the &s;ight whereof made a Frenchman cry out: <HI>Deus bone quomodo hic vivunt Gentes, &s;u&s;penduntur Papi&s;tae, comburuntur anti-papi&s;tae!</HI> What a place is this, where <HI>Papi&s;ts are hanged,</HI> and <HI>antipapi&s;ts are burned!</HI> Is it not more prodigiou&s;ly &s;trange to &s;ee Bre|thren, under the names of <HI>Independents</HI> and <HI>Presbyterians,</HI> not onely per&s;ecuted by others, but even <HI>condemning</HI> and doing &s;e|vere <HI>execution</HI> upon one another? I doubt you doe not often enough remember that of <HI>Mo&s;es, Act.</HI> 7. 26. <HI>Sirs, yee are Bre|thren, why doe yee wrong one to another?</HI></P>
<P>They who have &s;weetly agreed in the <HI>de&s;tructive part of Refor|mation</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Since the preaching of this Sermon our hope of a|greement is much incourag|ed. On the 4 of <HI>Ianuary</HI> 1644. when the Arch bi&s;hop of <HI>Cant.</HI> was condem|ned, the <HI>Directo|ry</HI> pa&s;&s;ed both Hou&s;es of Par|liament, with the removall of <HI>Common Prayer book, Ceremonies &amp;c.</HI> And on the 10 of <HI>Ian.</HI> when his head was ta|ken off, the chiefe head of our Divi&s;ions in the A&s;&s;embly about Excom|munication was chopped off by Accommo|dation.</NOTE> for the pulling downe <HI>Popi&s;h</HI> &s;uper&s;titions, and <HI>Prela|ticall</HI> u&s;urpations; They who have joyned like Brethren in one <HI>practicall Directory,</HI> for publike Wor&s;hip, by a prudent moderation, &s;ettling &s;uch an order therein, as may prevent <HI>confu&s;ion</HI> in Church-Admini&s;trations, and withall leaving &s;uch <HI>liberty</HI> as may relieve <HI>tender con&s;ciences;</HI> They who have taken divers &s;teppes towards an happy accord in the <HI>doctrinall part,</HI> in one <HI>Confe&s;&s;ion of Faith;</HI> and form of <HI>Catechi&s;me;</HI> why &s;hould not they al&s;o as children of one Father, as Subjects of the &s;ame King, (by the help of your Prayers and indevours) bee brought to &s;hake hands in <HI>le&s;&s;er things,</HI> harmoniou&s;ly con|curring in matters of <HI>Church-government?</HI></P>
<P>The Devill hath a great <HI>plot,</HI> a dangerous <HI>de&s;ign</HI> upon us here|in, (the Lord make us more vigilant again&s;t it) when other attempts pro&s;per not, hee indevours, by <HI>dividing</HI> our <HI>&s;pirits,</HI> to weaken our <HI>Coun&s;els</HI> of Reformation, hee knows how by the affixing of <HI>exa&s;perating names, Presbyterians, Independents, &amp;c.</HI> to blow the coale, and inflame the differences in <HI>things.</HI> Come into &s;ome companies, you &s;hall heare people talk them|&s;elves and one another into a pa&s;&s;ion again&s;t <HI>Independents;</HI> o|thers will draw as ugly a picture of <HI>Presbyterians,</HI> (and through both the&s;e names too many &s;trike at the power of <HI>godli|ne&s;&s;e)</HI> yea, and by the words heighten the differences <HI>them|&s;elves</HI> more then needs. Whereas, if there were &s;uch <HI>prudent love</HI> as the relation of Brethren be&s;peaks, they might rea&s;on them&s;elves into an hopefull agreement. <HI>Presbyterians</HI> would appeare in &s;o many things <HI>Independents,</HI> and <HI>Independents</HI> in
<PB N="31" REF="20">
&s;o many <HI>Presbyterian,</HI> or rather <HI>Cla&s;&s;icall Divines</HI> will bee &s;o farre <HI>Congregationall,</HI> and <HI>Congregationall</HI> ones, &s;o farre <HI>Cla&s;&s;icall,</HI> (for indeed the word <HI>Independent</HI> &s;eemes not &s;o comely, either for <HI>creatures</HI> or <HI>Churches,</HI> the very law of Nature will not allow the &s;ame per&s;ons to bee parties and Judges without an appeale) that both might bee much &s;atisfyed. The <HI>meekne&s;&s;e</HI> of <HI>wi&s;dome,</HI> in much love &s;tudying the Word of God, might po&s;&s;ibly di&s;cover &s;uch a reconciling way, wherein the <HI>Pre&s;|bytery</HI> &s;hall have &s;o much power as will helpe to <HI>bound</HI> the <HI>Li|berty</HI> of the <HI>People,</HI> and withall the <HI>intere&s;t</HI> of the <HI>People</HI> bee maintained in &s;uch a manner, as may be&s;t <HI>ballance</HI> the power of the <HI>Presbytery.</HI> Whereas, if the differences bee fomented, remember the Apo&s;tles doome, <HI>Gal.</HI> 5. 15. <HI>But if yee bit and de|voure one another, take heed that yee bee not con&s;umed one of ano|ther.</HI></P>
<P>If the Almighty Lord give &s;uch incouraging entertain|ment <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 4. <HI>Exhortation.</HI></NOTE> to the <HI>generation of Right Separati&s;ts,</HI> then, I hope, you will ea&s;ily bee per&s;waded, both as <HI>patternes,</HI> and <HI>Patrons</HI> of purity, to cheri&s;h and promote it in your &s;elves and others. In the&s;e times of <HI>Reformation,</HI> &s;o manage all your coun&s;els, that the <HI>Re&s;ult</HI> may bee a <HI>pure Separation</HI> from all unclean|ne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>Never had any generation of <HI>Nobles in England,</HI> a more rich price put into their hands: The Lord fill your &s;pirits with that wi&s;dome which is fir&s;t <HI>pure,</HI> then <HI>peaceable,</HI> and full <NOTE PLACE="marg">Jam. 3. 17.</NOTE> of <HI>good fruites,</HI> that you may with all your might improve it. Some of your <HI>Ance&s;tors</HI> had thir&s;ty de&s;ires for the pur|ging of <HI>England,</HI> but they wanted opportunity. The <HI>&s;et time</HI> for God to favour this <HI>Sion was not come.</HI> His good hand hath <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 102. 13.</NOTE> ca&s;t you into that juncture of things, lets you &s;ee &s;uch a con|currence of providences, enemies as well as friends helping forward the work, Mini&s;ters Preaching, the people petition|ing for purity; O where (Right Honourable) are <HI>your hearts,</HI> where are <HI>your proportionable affections to welcome &s;uch a &s;ea&s;on!</HI> God forbid that this &s;hould lye at your doore, that &s;uch and &s;uch <HI>Nobles in England</HI> had a great <HI>price</HI> put into their <HI>hands,</HI> but they wanted <HI>hearts</HI> to improve it.</P>
<P>In former dayes it was accounted a great matter, that a Com|mi&s;&s;ion
<PB N="32" REF="21">
was granted to &s;ome per&s;ons to do &s;omewhat towards the clean&s;ing of <HI>England;</HI> following Parliaments in Queen <HI>E|lizabeths</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">A Commi&s;&s;ion granted to 32 per&s;ons, in <HI>Ed|ward</HI> the 6 days</NOTE> time, clean&s;ed &s;ome of the <HI>ci&s;terns,</HI> but &s;till left much <HI>mud</HI> in the <HI>Fountaine.</HI> God hath re&s;erved you to have an ho|nourable &s;hare in this &s;ervice; you will allow mee the liberty to &s;ay to yo<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 letter"> as <HI>Mordecai</HI> to <HI>E&s;ther, Chap.</HI> 4. 14. <HI>Who knoweth whither thou a<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="2 letters"> come to the Kingdom for &s;uch a time as this?</HI> Whe|ther God hath rai&s;ed you to &s;uch a high &s;tation for this very &s;ervice to help to purify <HI>England?</HI> Let it bee the everla&s;ting ho|nour of this <HI>Parliament,</HI> and of you <HI>Noble Senators herein,</HI> to pluck up all our <HI>weeds,</HI> take away all our <HI>dro&s;&s;e,</HI> to remove all our <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 word">,</HI> yea, to doe your utmo&s;t to advance a <HI>pure Separati|on</HI> from all uncleanne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>If any ask, (as I hope divers of you are &s;o truely Noble, that you will inquire) What &s;hould wee doe that wee may advance <NOTE PLACE="marg">Directions for the advancing a pure Reforma|tion in <HI>England</HI> 1 Begin with your &s;elves.</NOTE> a <HI>pure Reformation</HI> in <HI>England?</HI></P>
<P>Bee plea&s;ed to ob&s;erve and improve the&s;e few directions.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, Begin with <HI>your &s;elves,</HI> bee clean&s;ing your &s;elves from all per&s;onall <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 word"> of <HI>fle&s;h</HI> and <HI>&s;pirit,</HI> 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 7. 1. O that all our <HI>Reformers</HI> were indeed <HI>&s;elf-reformers!</HI> O that all our great <HI>Coun&s;ellor<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> would often keepe a <HI>become Committee</HI> in their own <HI>Con&s;ciences,</HI> to examine and di&s;cover their own errours and exorbitancies. You have many to humour, to flatter, and adore you, but few will admoni&s;h, few dare reprove you, le&s;t your <HI>&s;miles</HI> become <HI>frownes.</HI> You have the more need to bee &s;earching and clean&s;ing your &s;elves according to the <HI>Word</HI> of God, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 span">. You &s;hould wi&s;ely con&s;ider your <HI>Great|ne&s;&s;e</HI> hath an influence <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 word"> wayer.</HI> If you are <HI>good,</HI> your good|ne&s;&s;e will bee the more <HI>glorious,</HI> being ioyned with <HI>greatne&s;&s;e;</HI> but if <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 word">,</HI> your <HI>greatne&s;&s;e grea<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="2 letters">ns</HI> your <HI>&s;ins,</HI> your <HI>height</HI> makes you the more <HI>notoriou&s;ly&punc;</HI> evill. Wee expect <HI>Oracles</HI> in Noble|mens <NOTE PLACE="marg">Much good expected from great-men.</NOTE> <HI>&s;peeches, <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 span"></HI> by their <HI>action<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 letter">, coppies</HI> from their <HI>con|ver&s;ations;</HI> wee looked at <HI>Judges</HI> &s;hould fir&s;t <HI>judge them&s;elves,</HI> and remember to <HI>condemn</HI> that in their own pract<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 letter">es which they <HI>&s;entence</HI> in other mens.</P>
<P>You may pa&s;&s;e good <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 letter">ills,</HI> and <HI>Ordinances</HI> again&s;t &s;wearing, and Sabbath-breaking, yet if you continue to bla&s;pheme his <HI>Name,</HI> and prophane his <HI>day,</HI> even our <HI>Law-makers,</HI> by their
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unhappy <HI>examples,</HI> will teach others to bee <HI>Law-breakers;</HI> O bee <HI>&s;weeping</HI> every day before your <HI>own doores!</HI> God forbid, that whil&s;t you condemn the <HI>Antinomians Doctrine,</HI> any of you &s;hould bee found <HI>Antinomians</HI> in <HI>practice.</HI></P>
<P>Secondly, As friends to purity have a <HI>&s;peciall eye upon the</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Take care to clean&s;e the &s;prings.</NOTE> <HI>chiefe &s;prings:</HI> never expect <HI>pure &s;treames,</HI> whil&s;t the <HI>Fountains</HI> continue full of <HI>mud.</HI></P>
<P><TABLE>
<ROW>
<CELL ROWS="3">There are three &s;prings in <HI>En|gland,</HI> the clean&s;ing of which is of great con&s;equence.</CELL>
<CELL><HI>&V;niver&s;ities,</HI></CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>Innes of Court,</HI></CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>Noble mens Families.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Three &s;peciall Springs to bee clean&s;ed. 1 Univer&s;ities.</NOTE></CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P N="1">1. The main Spring is the <HI>&V;niver&s;ity:</HI> There your Sonnes, the hopes of your Family, are bred; If they &s;uck in <HI>unwhole|&s;ome aire</HI> thence, that may breed &s;uch <HI>di&s;ea&s;es</HI> as prove <HI>incura|ble.</HI> If tho&s;e <HI>Nurceries</HI> bee not well <HI>pruned,</HI> you may receive &s;uch Chaplains thence, as may &s;tudy to <HI>corrupt you</HI> and <HI>yours, flat|tering</HI> you into everla&s;ting mi&s;ery.</P>
<P N="2">2. Another Spring is the <HI>Innes of Court:</HI> Tho&s;e <HI>Honourable</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Innes of Court.</NOTE> <HI>Societies,</HI> where the young <HI>Nobles</HI> and <HI>Gentry</HI> &s;hould bee fa&s;hion|ed and &s;haped for the &s;ervice of their God and of their Coun|try. As the <HI>&V;niver&s;ity</HI> breed <HI>Mini&s;ters</HI> for the <HI>Church,</HI> &s;o the <HI>Innes of Court</HI> breeds <HI>Magi&s;trates</HI> and <HI>Parliament men</HI> for the <HI>State.</HI> If filth bee tolerated there for want of <HI>clean&s;ing preach|ing,</HI> and <HI>purging Government,</HI> the whole <HI>Kingdome</HI> will bee in danger to derive pollution thence.</P>
<P N="3">3. A third Spring, much to bee con&s;idered, is, <HI>Noblemens Fa|milies.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">3 Noble Mens Families.</NOTE> If there &s;hould bee found <HI>Chappels</HI> to the Devill, in re|gard of ignorance, profanene&s;&s;e, and &s;uper&s;tition, rather then <HI>Churches in their hou&s;es,</HI> maintaining Family Religion, wor|&s;hipping God purely, and walking in holine&s;&s;e of conver&s;a|tion. If there a <HI>Mercenary Chaplain</HI> bee entertained, who is like one of <HI>Baals,</HI> or <HI>Jeroboams Prie&s;ts,</HI> rather then like a <HI>Ti|mothy</HI> or a <HI>Titus,</HI> who &s;hould <HI>learne in all things to &s;how him&s;elfe a pattern of good workes; in Doctrine, uncorruptne&s;&s;e, gravity, &s;in|cerity.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Tit.</HI> 2. 7.</NOTE> If there bee nouri&s;hed a &s;et of vicious <HI>Servants,</HI> who are <HI>&s;laves</HI> to the lu&s;ts of their <HI>Lords</HI> or <HI>Ladies (be&s;ides the &s;ad experience of the poy&s;oning of many young Nobles by &s;uch Chaplaines
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and &s;ervants,)</HI> what a dangerous <HI>Influence</HI> will all this have upon the <HI>Tenants</HI> and <HI>Neighbours?</HI> and &s;o by this one <HI>muddy Spring,</HI> many <HI>uncleane &s;treames</HI> &s;hall bee fed abroad in the Country.</P>
<P>Thirdly, As you de&s;ire to perfect a pure Reformation, <HI>extir|pate</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">3 Leave no fil|thy weeds growing in the Church. Matth. 15. 13.</NOTE> <HI>all noy&s;ome weeds.</HI> Pluck up every plant which is not of Gods planting, whether per&s;ons or things, whether Offices, Ceremonies, Innovations, &amp;c. A few weeds, when <HI>rooted,</HI> and <HI>&s;eeding,</HI> will &s;oon over-runne a great deale of <HI>ground.</HI> To this purpo&s;e it is good to con&s;ider where our defilements chiefely began. It was a notable hint that <HI>Ca&s;&s;ander</HI> gave, who by two &s;everall Emperours, <HI>Maximilian</HI> and <HI>Ferdinand,</HI> was &s;et on work as a <HI>Reconciler,</HI> to compo&s;e the quarrels of the Church. <HI>The Principall cau&s;e</HI> (&s;aid hee) <HI>of the calamity and di&s;traction</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ca&s;&s;ander Con|&s;ultat. Mi&s;ericorditer corripiat homo quod pote&s;t, quod autem non pote&s;t patienter ferat, &amp; cum dilectio|ne gemat atque lugeat, donec aut ille de&s;uper e|mendet &amp; cor|rigat, aut u&s;que ad me&s;&s;em diffe|rat eradicare zizania &amp; pa|leam ventilare: &amp; tamen &s;ecuri de &s;alute &s;ua bo|nae &s;pei Chri&s;ti ani inter de&s;pe|ratos, quos cor|ripere non va|lent, in unitate ver&s;entur,</HI> Augu&s;t. 4 Advance a pure Mini&s;try in <HI>England.</HI></NOTE> <HI>of the Church is to bee laid on tho&s;e, which being puffed up with a vaine in&s;olent conceite of their Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall power, proudly, and &s;cornfully contemned and rejected them which did rightly and mo|de&s;tly admoni&s;h their Reformation. Wherefore my opinion is, that the Church can never hope for any firme peace, unle&s;&s;e they make the be|ginning which have given the cau&s;e of the di&s;traction.</HI> There is the &s;ame rea&s;on for <HI>purity.</HI> Wee cannot expect a good and &s;ound <HI>peace</HI> in the Church of <HI>England</HI> without <HI>purity.</HI> Our polluti|ons being many, occa&s;ioned among&s;t us great <HI>&s;eparation;</HI> (in divers places tender con&s;ciences were nece&s;&s;itated, at lea&s;t in re|gard of &s;ome per&s;onall acts, to &s;u&s;pend communion with their Congregations where they lived) <HI>Beginne your clean&s;ing work there.</HI> Wee have great hope that &s;uch a <HI>pure Reformation</HI> as might &s;atisfie godly &s;pirits, would produce an <HI>happy Reconci|liation</HI> among&s;t &s;ober <HI>mindes,</HI> and po&s;&s;ibly would recover ma|ny who have <HI>incogitantly</HI> runne into great <HI>extremities.</HI> How|ever doe your duty, put forth your utmo&s;t indevours, and humbly wait upon God till hee <HI>appeare in his glory,</HI> for the com|pleat purging of this <HI>Sion.</HI></P>
<P>Fourthly, <HI>Imploy your power to advance the Mini&s;tery of the Go&s;pel</HI> in the <HI>purity</HI> of it, &s;o will you much promote a <HI>pure Se|paration</HI> from all uncleanne&s;&s;e; <HI>Joh.</HI> 15. 3. <HI>Through the word yee are clean.</HI> Where are the <HI>filthy &s;inkes</HI> in this Kingdome, but in &s;uch <HI>corners</HI> as have wanted a faithfull <HI>Mini&s;ter?</HI> This made
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<HI>Cathedrall aire</HI> (for the mo&s;t part) &s;o <HI>impure,</HI> where they had &s;o much <HI>empty externall pompe,</HI> in &s;tead of the purity and <HI>&s;im|plicity of Chri&s;t.</HI> When a Mini&s;ter preacheth in the <HI>evidence and demon&s;tration of the Spirit</HI> of God, which is a mo&s;t <HI>pure Spirit,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 2. 4.</NOTE> there the <HI>Sunne of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e &s;hines,</HI> and &s;uch <HI>light will puri|fie:</HI> There the <HI>Holy Gho&s;t breathes,</HI> and &s;uch <HI>Go&s;pel aire is purg|ging;</HI> it will not indure <HI>fogges of errors,</HI> or mi&s;ts of <HI>&s;uper&s;tition,</HI> where a man of God Preaches, his Doctrine drops as the rain, his &s;peech <HI>di&s;tils as the dew, as the &s;mall rain, upon the tender herb,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Deut. 32. 2.</NOTE> <HI>and as the &s;howers upon the gra&s;&s;e,</HI> this will <HI>purify</HI> as well as <HI>&s;an|ctify.</HI> Yea, by the Mini&s;tery of the Go&s;pel, &s;inners are directed unto <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> in whom there is a <HI>full and overflowing foun|taine,</HI> for the wa&s;hing away all their <HI>pollutions.</HI> This was his <HI>Soule-clean&s;ing method, Ephe&s;.</HI> 5. 25, 26, 27. Out of love to <HI>his Church, Chri&s;t gave him&s;elfe for it,</HI> that hee might <HI>&s;anctify and clean&s;e it with the wa&s;hing of water, by the word,</HI> that hee might pre&s;ent it glorious without &s;pot or wrinkle, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>If you would indeed befriend the <HI>Church in England,</HI> and make us an <HI>un&s;potted people,</HI> concurre with your great <HI>Lord</HI> and <HI>Ma&s;ter,</HI> in opening the <HI>pa&s;&s;ages</HI> for a <HI>clean&s;ing Mini&s;tery</HI> of the Word, all the Kingdome over. The <HI>Lord Almighty</HI> act your <HI>Coun&s;els,</HI> and pro&s;per your <HI>undertakings,</HI> to make <HI>England</HI> &s;o <HI>pure</HI> that it may bee <HI>glorious, Amen.</HI></P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
