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<DATE>2009-12-08</DATE>
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<NAME>Pip Willcox</NAME>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P><HI>Orders given out; the Word,</HI> Stand Fa&s;t.</P>
<P>As it was lately delivered in a farewell SERMON BY Major <HI>Samuel Kem,</HI> to the Officers and Souldiers of his Regiment in Bri&s;toll.</P>
<P><HI>Novemb.</HI> 8. 1646.</P>
<Q><P>For now are we alive if yee &s;tand fa&s;t in the Lord.</P>
<P>Finally my brethren be &s;trong in the Lord and in the power of his might.</P>
<P>Put on the whole Armour of God that yee may be able to stand, &amp;c.</P></Q>
<P><FIGURE>
</FIGURE></P>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed by <HI>I.M.</HI> for <HI>Michael Spark,</HI> and are to be &s;old at the &s;ign of the blue Bible in <HI>Green Arbour.</HI> 1647.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>TO the Noble and Experienced faith|full Officers of my Regiment, Captain <HI>Hart</HI> &s;enior, Capt. <HI>Grig,</HI> Capt. <HI>Pope,</HI> Capt. <HI>Roe,</HI> Capt. Lieut. <HI>Richards.</HI></HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Noble Gentlemen,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_IT was your love fir&s;t ingaged me to take the charge of the City Regiment, and I appeal to you, whether my private gain, or the publicke &s;ervice was my ends, in accepting of my Commi&s;&s;ion; &s;ince which received; I have put you in a po&s;ture, whereby you are inabled to defend your &s;elves, or offend the Kingdomes Enemies; it is my happine&s;&s;e I can &s;ay and none dare gain-&s;ay, the faithfull acting my part, Yet am I a debter to your Love; and in regard the chamber &s;tock of my abilities fail me to di&s;|charge
<PB REF="3">
what I owe; yet were it di&s;hone&s;ty not to keep promi&s;e, what therefore you heard with &s;o much patience; and importu|ned (with more hope to be granted) I have here pre&s;ented to your charity. Do but be|leeve it, and &s;tand fa&s;t in the Truths of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and it &s;hall be a compleat compen&s;a|tion for all my labours with you.</P>
<P>And &s;ince I mu&s;t leave you, give me leave to comfort you, and to tell you my heart: that I think you are the happie&s;t Garri&s;on in the Kingdome maugre you &s;emi-Reduce|ment, whil&s;t you po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e within your line, that reall piece of Valour, humility, and &s;in|cerity, and no le&s;&s;e Noble then Cordiall Pa|triot of his Kingdome, your Governour: Who, abhors all &s;elf-ends, and denyeth atten|dance onely for the publick good, and &s;hould I here that he were Charioted from you either by di&s;couragement or ingagement, I &s;hould &s;adly cry out, Oh my Father, my Father, the hor&s;e-men and chariots of I&s;rael and pray for a double portion of his Spirit on all his publicke aiming &s;chollers in this Kingdom.</P>
<P>Yea, give me leave to councell you: the
<PB REF="3">
word is, Stand Fa&s;t, I be&s;eech you do &s;o to God and his Glory; to Je&s;us Chri&s;t and his Truths, to your Covenant in its naked true primitive intentions, as at fir&s;t before the All-&s;eeing-God; to both the honourable Hou&s;es of Parliament who have adventured all for you, to the worthy a&s;&s;embly of Di|vines who &s;eek God continually for you and attend his Will to declare it to you, and to me the mo&s;t unworthy of the Kingdome and your &s;ervants who flyes to you for protection; yeilding my Commi&s;&s;ion and &s;ub&s;cribing my&s;elf, Noble Gentlemen,</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED><HI>Yours and the Kingdoms faithful, although mean, Servant</HI> Samuel Kem</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="encomium">
<PB REF="4">
<HEAD>Vpon his much honoured friends Farewell Sermon <HI>M. D.</HI> the&s;e few lines.</HEAD>
<L>KNow Soldier, the&s;e en&s;uing pages tel</L>
<L>The properties of a true Centinel;</L>
<L>Orders are given out, The word <HI>Standfast,</HI></L>
<L>Which intimates true valor fir&s;t and la&s;t</L>
<L>For let me tel thee if thy heels prove light</L>
<L>What ere thy Colours be, thy Liver's white,</L>
<L>Therefore be &s;tedfa&s;t, Though the giddy rout</L>
<L>Wear windmils in their heads and wheel about</L>
<L>Keep thou thy Po&s;ts, though others Hedghog like</L>
<L>Shrink up their courage in &s;ome narrow Dike</L>
<L>Of &s;elf re&s;pects, there's no &s;uch liberty</L>
<L>In Truths plain field either to &s;quat or fly.</L>
<L>Such as out-run the Truth may here wel know</L>
<L>They can have no good ground for what they do;</L>
<L>Stand to your Arms then (Chri&s;tians) and advance</L>
<L>To beat all fal&s;hood out of Countenance,</L>
<L>And rout the infantry of new rays'd Crimes</L>
<L>And Troops of Hobby-hor&s;es of the&s;e Times;</L>
<L>This is the only way to get to be</L>
<L>Captain Lievtenant to Integritie&punc;</L>
<L><PB REF="4">Now to the Author of this Book one word,</L>
<L>Who &s;peaks and then maintains it by the &s;word,</L>
<L>Stil crop the peaking Errors which appear,</L>
<L>That <HI>Malobus</HI> like not one may &s;hew its ears.</L>
<L>Stil preach the <HI>truth,</HI> although &s;ome <HI>Gadarens</HI></L>
<L>Have made thee quit their Coa&s;ts by hoggi&s;h means</L>
<L>Stil fight for <HI>truth</HI> fear not a &s;quint-ey'd troop</L>
<L>Of fal&s;e opinions, rather make them &s;toop</L>
<L>To &s;ence and truth, or el&s;e &s;o rout their train</L>
<L>That they may never Rally up again.</L>
<L>Wel ha&s;t thou left the Land to put to Sea</L>
<L>Where you'l not find &s;o much incon&s;tancie;</L>
<L>Fi&s;her of men, ca&s;t out thy net once more</L>
<L>'Tis like you'l catch at Sea, more then a &s;hore.</L>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="encomium">
<PB REF="5">
<HEAD>To his friend the Author:</HEAD>
<L>SIR, wil you leave us, and is this your la&s;t</L>
<L>Orders given out, the word &s;tand fa&s;t,</L>
<L>Weele you obey, and &s;eeing we mu&s;t part</L>
<L>Who ever comands our per&s;ons you the heart:</L>
<L>Farewell dear Major, this we are for&s;t to &s;ay</L>
<L>You put us in a po&s;ture, and we wi&s;h your pay</L>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Yours in Truth, <HI>R. R.</HI></SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="sermon">
<PB N="1" REF="5">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL><HI>1 CORINTH. 16.13, 14.</HI></BIBL>
<P>Stand fa&s;t in the Faith: quit you like men: Be strong. Let all things be done in love.</P></Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>_THE words of departing friends, if &s;ea&s;onable, make &s;en&s;ible not the head, but the heart, of tho&s;e in Relation; The&s;e are my la&s;t, and I am come to take leave of you, for action, but never in af|fection; Communions below, howbeit la&s;ting are not everla&s;t|ing; The &s;takes of the Tabernacle mu&s;t be removed; And every Member of the Church Militant mu&s;t be joging on: The Temple is our type of a &s;etled condi|tion above: In a word I am to leave you; and there|fore de&s;ire to leave &s;uch orders (becoming my Tru&s;t with you) as may &s;ecure you for Gods glory and your mutual comforts. The Alarum beats Chri&s;tian &s;oldi|ers, to your arms, take heed (as the ca&s;e &s;tands) of facing about, but as you were; to yout ground of Scripture foundations, and &s;o <HI>stand fa&s;t in the faith.</HI> And although
<PB N="2" REF="6">
reducable, in regard of humane Actings, yet never in this life mu&s;t you expect a di&s;charge from &s;piritual millitary undertakings, for when you were li&s;ted in Je&s;us Chri&s;t mu&s;ter-role it was not for a day le&s;&s;e or more then your life, And therefore I be&s;eech you <HI>&s;tand fast.</HI></P>
<P>The grand General again&s;t your precious &s;ouls hath taken the field with a va&s;t Army, as &s;ubtil, as power|ful, as cruel to execute, as malicious to pro&s;ecute his de&s;igns; his main body is &s;inful fle&s;h, and the more dangerous becau&s;e &s;o neerly related unto us. And I mu&s;t tel you that Relations in War are of dangerous con&s;equence: This Body is flankt on the right and left with potent Troops of prevailing Enemies; And Self-ends hath under hand Commi&s;&s;ion to be Scout-ma&s;ter General; who&s;e &s;ub-undertakers are acting under various &s;hapes; all &s;pecious; yet all &s;ervants to Self-ends. Avoyd his Ambu&s;hments, when falling on, and you may, <HI>&s;tanding fa&s;t,</HI> come off with honor. The&s;e thing premi&s;ed (as that there is no further u&s;e of me in this City, and I being de&s;igned for other &s;er|vice; and knowing that errors in battel are irrecove|rable; I could do no le&s;&s;e, but heartily wi&s;h I could do more, then direct you, and coun&s;el you; E&s;peci|ally upon the di&s;covery of a late, large, and numerous Recruit on the Enemies Partie; for the mo&s;t part all con&s;i&s;ting of &s;uch as have revolted from our own Partie; and have quit their ground of truths: The Commander in cheif of this Regiment is Error, who&s;e Colours are fre&s;h, and of glorious re&s;plendency; but changeable; and therefore <HI>&s;tand fa&s;t,</HI> for his faire&s;t quarter is ruine; which appeareth by his free quarter in your families, when his fir&s;t actings are to divi&s;ion,
<PB N="3" REF="6">
yea betwixt tho&s;e of the neere&s;t and deared relations, <HI>and a hou&s;e divided cannot &s;tand.</HI> I by Commi&s;&s;ion am ingaged for your relief, and therefore for your fu|ture &s;ecurity I &s;hal intreat you to &s;trengthen your &s;elves by this Recruit con&s;i&s;ting of three Divi&s;i|ons.</P>
<P><LIST>
<ITEM>Fir&s;t, Fidelity, or Con&s;tan|cy. <HI>Stand fa&s;t in the truth: quit your &s;elvs like men, be &s;trong.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Second, Spiritual Gallantry. <HI>Stand fa&s;t in the truth: quit your &s;elvs like men, be &s;trong.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Third, Unity. <HI>Let all things be done in love.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>The fir&s;t of the&s;e wil keep you from being Rou|ted.</P>
<P>The &s;econd from being Conquered.</P>
<P>The third from being Ruined.</P>
<P>The fir&s;t wil argue you men.</P>
<P>The &s;econd wil report you gallant men, or men of men.</P>
<P>The third wil demon&s;trate you holy and humble Chri&s;tian men.</P>
<P>And therefore now beloved Officers and Chri&s;tian fellow Soldiers, take Courage; take you the Field to &s;care not to face your Enemies, and give me leave to &s;hew you your General, compleatly accoutred in <HI>Johns</HI> vi&s;ion, ob&s;erve his ordering the Feild; and give me leave (leaving the i&s;&s;ue to God) to fal on.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, let Con&s;tancy in the Faith, and all the Truths of Je&s;us Chri&s;t have the Battalia.</P>
<P>Secondly, let &s;piritual Courage have the right wing.</P>
<P>Thirdly, let Love have the le&s;t, and overcome all.</P>
<P>I &s;hal adventure to fal on with Con&s;tancy; &s;econd me with Courage; and I be&s;eech you that all may be
<PB N="4" REF="7">
done, and &s;uffered by the conque&s;t of Love.</P>
<DIV2 N="1" TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Fir&s;t, of the fir&s;t.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Stand fast</HI> that's the Word; Faith in the heart, not in the head, is the &s;ignal; <HI>Stand fast</HI> not a while and then revolt or give ground. To walk a while in the truth, and after for any ends to de&s;ert it, is ba&s;e, it argues not a Soldier to li&s;t his name, and to purcha&s;e a feather (&s;hews are light things in military actings) or wear a &s;word, or to appear on the march, if they either take hedge or windmil for a &s;helter, or quit their ground, or tru&s;t in the &s;hock of Battail. Tru|ly we &s;ay a drunken man never made good Soul|dier; nor a reeling headed man a good Chri&s;tian Soldier.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="2" TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Secondly.</HEAD>
<P><HI>In the Faith,</HI> not in fal&s;hoods, in the truths, not &s;hews; zeal and &s;tedfa&s;tne&s;&s;e are right, when the one is a &s;harp weapon for Truth, and the other is &s;tiffe and unbending for the Faith. Now you are to know there is a two-fold Faith; One by which wee beleeve. Secondly, Is, that which is beleeved; and this is called Doctrinall Faith. Now when Chri&s;tians are zealous, re&s;olute, and will dye in the Truths, and for the Truths of Je|&s;us Chri&s;t, this is <HI>to &s;tand fa&s;t in the Faith,</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="observation">
<HEAD>Ob&s;ervation.</HEAD>
<P>Standing fa&s;t to the Truths of Je&s;us Chri&s;t &s;trenu|ou&s;ly with con&s;tancy, is a notable peece of &s;pirituall Gallantry,</P>
<P>This you &s;hal find hinted to the Angel of the Church of <HI>Smirnians,</HI> Revel. 2.10. <HI>Fear none of the&s;e things which thou &s;halt &s;uffer for the truth;</HI> and in the 11. ver&s;e and latter end, <HI>Be faithful to the death, and I wil give
<PB N="5" REF="7">
thee a crown of life;</HI> The Spirit of God records this point of Gallantry in the Church of <HI>Pergamus,</HI> ver&s;e 13. <HI>I know thy works, where thou dwelle&s;t, where Sathan hath his &s;eat;</HI> i. e. where wicked men are in authority, and here&s;ie prevaileth; <HI>yet thou holde&s;t fa&s;t my name, and hast not denyed the faith, even in tho&s;e dayes where|in</HI> Antipas <HI>my faithful Martyr &s;uffered,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Rev.</HI> 3.10, 11, 12. 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 2.23, 24. <HI>Let that therefore abide in you which ye have heard from the beginning; If that &s;hall abide in you, ye &s;hal continue in the Son, und in the Fa|ther,</HI> now to be in God, is to be Heroick indeed, 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1.12. <HI>That ye be e&s;tabli&s;hed in the pre&s;ent truth;</HI> 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 5.9. <HI>Whom re&s;ist stedfa&s;t in the Faith:</HI> 2 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 2.15. <HI>Therefore brethren &s;tand fa&s;t.</HI> It was Gallantry in the <HI>Grecian</HI> women, who when their &s;ons put on their &s;heilds, gave them in charge either to bring them back or dye: It is &s;toryed of <HI>Epaminondes</HI> that hee was &s;o addicted to his buckler, that he was wont to &s;ay, I wil either hold thee, or dye with the lo&s;&s;e of thee.</P>
<P>It was the gallant re&s;olution of a <HI>Roman</HI> Officer either to keep his ground or lo&s;e his life. Truly Chri|&s;tian friends it is gallantry in you in the&s;e &s;ad times of Alaruming Truth in its quarters; and upon the &s;e|veral charges is given the men of truth, daily to <HI>stand</HI> or <HI>fall</HI> with it in our hearts.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="question">
<HEAD>Quaere.</HEAD>
<P>But Sir I pray what is <HI>truth?</HI> one &s;aith he is for <HI>truth,</HI> and this is <HI>truth,</HI> another &s;ays that is, and is for it; what is the <HI>truth</HI> you councel us to &s;tand fa&s;t unto.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="answer">
<HEAD>Solut.</HEAD>
<P>There are humane moral <HI>Truths,</HI> rules in &s;ecular Arts, &s;uch as <HI>Paul</HI> held fa&s;t until his conver&s;ion, but
<PB N="6" REF="8">
then let go, not the u&s;e of them but the abu&s;e of them, he left glorying in them, <HI>counted all dung for the excellent knowledge of Je&s;us Christ.</HI></P>
<DIV3 N="2" TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Secondly.</HEAD>
<P>There are Divine truths called Scripture truths, the&s;e are either Imaginary or Real; I do not &s;ay it is gallantry to &s;tand fa&s;t to all that every man delivers to you for truth, or propounds, or conjectures to bee &s;o, but &s;uch as Scripture determines to be &s;o; &s;uch as the word wil own, and wil own the word upon de|mand, in the evidence of his, not our own &s;pirits. For truly it is with Truth at this day, as with the Infant brought to <HI>Solomon,</HI> the fal&s;e mothers cry divide it, and let every one &s;hare in that limb, which his own con&s;cience (which indeed is no con&s;cience) guides him unto, which is to profer them&s;elves to po&s;terity, the founders of an intolerable Toleration of all Er|rors; and by this way, <HI>Antichri&s;t</HI> him&s;elf (again&s;t whom we have &s;olemnly prote&s;ted, and before God &s;o unanimou&s;ly covenanted) mu&s;t be in equity admit|ted a childs portion; The LORD direct our <HI>Solomons</HI> to that height of &s;urpa&s;&s;ing wi&s;dome, as to give the child of Truth to its own Parents that cry a whole, and one or none.</P>
<P>To &s;tand fa&s;t to this whole truth of God, and for it, is indeed Spiritual gallantry.</P>
<P><HI>Athana&s;ius</HI> and others of the <HI>Nicene</HI> Fathers would not add one jot about the Diety of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, no not in any time; Times may differ, men may change and vary, but Truth never; whether in pro&s;perity, as in <HI>Constantines</HI> days, or in adver&s;ity, as in <HI>Neroes,</HI> truth is the &s;ame; The fixed &s;tars &s;hine in the colde&s;t nights, yea then brighte&s;t.</P>
<P><PB N="7" REF="8"><HI>Jo&s;ephus</HI> reports of the <HI>Samaritans</HI> that if any good befel the <HI>Jews,</HI> then they would claim their kindred, and boa&s;t that they came from <HI>Jacob;</HI> but if in any mi&s;ery, or under a cloud with the &s;tate they gave out, they had no relation to them. Many there are that vary their re&s;pects to truth according to the &s;avour, the eminent per&s;ons in it &s;et on it. But give me the men that wil &s;tand their ground on a&s;&s;ault, and make up the breach although they fal man by man in the gap; yea under the &s;word, own truth as <HI>Paul,</HI> or in a Den of Lions, or a fiery furnace, that pi&s;h at all the barkings, bitings, frownings, fawnings of curri&s;h hereticks, that have <HI>Peters</HI> gallantry better managed, <HI>Although all for&s;ake thee I wil not.</HI></P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="question">
<HEAD>Quaere.</HEAD>
<P>I pray Sir inform us how we may <HI>quit our &s;elves like men,</HI> and <HI>&s;tand fa&s;t to Truth?</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="answer">
<HEAD>Solut.</HEAD>
<P>Fir&s;t, get a &s;olid &s;ound judgement; &s;o made by the light of a clear &amp; &s;anctified under&s;tanding of Scrip|ture principles, admit not of a reeling head, a revolting Soldier is a ba&s;e man, unworthy the name or &s;ociety of &s;oldiers; never to be tru&s;ted more; <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 4.14. the Apo&s;tle exhorteth them that <HI>they be henceforth no more children to&s;sed to &amp; fro with every blast of doctrine by the &s;light of men;</HI> take heed of &s;uch a judgement as is car|ryed up and down with the current. The Primitive times yeelded more &s;ound judgements; <HI>Athani&s;ius</HI> held fa&s;t in his Judgement the diety of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> again&s;t the <HI>Arrians; Augu&s;tine</HI> the doctrine of <HI>grace</HI> again&s;t the <HI>Pelagians;</HI> Truly I confe&s;&s;e it is an honor to a man to confe&s;&s;e an Error, but a horrid &s;hame to &s;uffer for any &s;elf-ends any truth to bee &s;upplanted,
<PB N="8" REF="9">
by any Innovation or Errour.</P>
<DIV3 N="2" TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Secondly.</HEAD>
<P>Labour to have a &s;tubborn and &s;tout wil in relation to what is &s;urely known to be the truth of God; take heed of a flexible coming wil; yea hold it fa&s;t in affe|ction, that which we love dearly we &s;tick clo&s;e too. A child wil hardly be weaned from the bre&s;t it hath found &s;weetne&s;&s;e and &s;trength from, and is experienced in nouri&s;hment; you that have found God pre&s;ent with much &s;weetne&s;&s;e in his Ordinances by the publick ad|mini&s;tration, I be&s;eech you do not now trample on them and de&s;pi&s;e them, whil&s;t they and theirs is the &s;ame for &s;weetne&s;&s;e, for holine&s;&s;e.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="3" TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Thirdly.</HEAD>
<P>Stand fa&s;t to the <HI>Truth</HI> in profe&s;&s;ion, <HI>Philip.</HI> 2.18. holding forth the word of life, not only to beleeve <HI>Truths,</HI> but to confe&s;&s;e them before men, not with <HI>Peter</HI> to revolt and effect to &s;ay we know not the man.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="4" TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Fourthly.</HEAD>
<P>In conver&s;ation practi&s;e <HI>Truth,</HI> Saint <HI>John</HI> cals it walking in the <HI>Truth,</HI> when men hold on in the <HI>Truth</HI> again&s;t all di&s;couragements; although they lo&s;e by it apparantly, yet they hold it forth couragi|ou&s;ly.</P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="question">
<HEAD>Quaere.</HEAD>
<P>But pray Sir why do you &s;o far ingage us in this &s;er|vice, in the&s;e days of Liberty.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="answer">
<HEAD>Solut.</HEAD>
<P>It is worthy thy ingagement, for <HI>it is more excellent then the excellente&s;t of the creatures,</HI> Prov. 3.14, 15. you cannot pitch on &s;uch an excellency; <HI>Revel.</HI> 3.11. <HI>Hold fast,</HI> &s;ays the Spirit, <HI>let none take thy Crown;</HI> the
<PB N="9" REF="9">
Crown is the top of Royalty; who would not keep his ground, if a Crown were the &s;take.</P>
<P>But its excellency wil further appear if you con&s;ider the&s;e two particulars: Fir&s;t the holine&s;s of it; The more holy, the more excellent; Cor|ruptions are diminutions of excellency; the more mixt things are, the more ba&s;e they are; as the mixture of Gold and Tin, Wine and Water, Sil|ver and Dro&s;&s;e; ever the more pure, the more glo|rious. Now the <HI>Truths</HI> of God are holy, not as men with mixtures of Corruption, but as the Light at Noon-day, without any mi&s;ts, fogs, mix|tures of darkne&s;&s;e; and although <HI>Truth</HI> may be in a fog as the Sun, yet not foggy.</P>
<DIV3 N="2" TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Secondly.</HEAD>
<P>The more God is in any thing the more excel|lent but God, is altogether in his <HI>Truth:</HI> Hee is there in the brightne&s;s of his wi&s;dom; in the great|ne&s;s of his power; in the Riches of his mercy, in the honor of his ju&s;tice; yea in this Word is his Chri&s;t and our Je&s;us, therefore worth &s;tanding fa&s;t unto.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="3" TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Thirdly.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Truth</HI> is made over to us under termes of Con|&s;tancy and perpetuity, and therefore in Scripture termed our heritage, per&s;onal e&s;tates are often &s;old, tho&s;e that are out by de&s;cent hereditary ought to be kept for po&s;terity; <HI>God forbid, &s;aid</HI> Naboath, <HI>I &s;hould &s;el the inheritance of my Fathers:</HI> P&s;a. 119.111. <HI>They are my heritage, &s;aith</HI> David, <HI>for ever.</HI> Let me tel you, po&s;terity is worthy our thoughts, and what we &s;hal leave to them in point of <HI>Truth.</HI></P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="4" TYPE="part">
<PB N="10" REF="10">
<HEAD>Fourthly.</HEAD>
<P>God tru&s;ts us with his truths, 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 1.14. It is by the Apo&s;tle called <HI>the good thing committed to us to keep;</HI> now in matters of tru&s;t we &s;hould be faith|ful; It is the mo&s;t vile&s;t and unworthye&s;t thing in the world to betray a Tru&s;t, e&s;pecially where <HI>truth</HI> is on their &s;ide; In matters of tru&s;t we &s;hould be faithful to the death. It is ob&s;ervable Tru&s;t mu&s;t be redelivered: 2. wholy, not le&s;&s;e then delivered: 3. Only to the Tru&s;ter; and truly otherwi&s;e it is extreamly injurious to God; For although they are ours for efficacy, yet they are Gods for the au|thority. <HI>Truths</HI> are Gods Jewels of tru&s;t; and he will call all of us to an account what u&s;e wee have made of them; what we have done with them; what unto them; what mixtures of our own heads with them.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="5" TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Fifthly.</HEAD>
<P>It concerneth you to keep your ground, for your eternall wel-being dependeth on it: You can no more live &s;piritually without pure <HI>truths,</HI> then cor|porally without bread; you cannot be convinced without <HI>Truth;</HI> you cannot be contrite, and have your corrupt hearts prickt, but by the <HI>Truth,</HI> Acts 2. When they heard tho&s;e <HI>Truths</HI> they were prickt at their hearts &amp;c. Conver&s;ion is from <HI>Truth,</HI> P&s;a. 19.7. <HI>Converting &s;ouls, &amp;c.</HI> Faith is brought into the &s;oul by hearing the <HI>Truth;</HI> Augmentation is from it, in grace; Je&s;us Chri&s;t is united to the &s;oul by faith, Per&s;everance is from it; <HI>Rom.</HI> 1.16. 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3.16, 17. <HI>vid.</HI></P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="1" TYPE="application">
<PB N="11" REF="10">
<HEAD>U&s;e <HI>1.</HI> Information.</HEAD>
<P>Of the unworthy walking of this age for the mo&s;t part in relation to this duty of &s;tanding fa&s;t to the <HI>Truth;</HI> yea of many that are eminently furni&s;hed with common gifts and excellent parts, there is much &s;lipperine&s;&s;e and ba&s;e un&s;etledne&s;&s;e of &s;pirit upon them, even to <HI>truth</HI> it &s;elf, both in doctrine and conver&s;ation, for truth in doctrine we may complain as the Apo&s;tle to the <HI>Galatians</HI> in the 1. and 6. I wonder you are &s;o &s;oon removed from him that called you into the grace of Je&s;us Chri&s;t unto another Go&s;pel; it is grown no wonder in our times; for how do the mo&s;t, for mo&s;t ba&s;e ends, quit their ancient grounds which they received and beleeved, and gloryed in for <HI>truth;</HI> and for pre|ferment-&s;ake &s;hew <HI>truth</HI> a fair pair of heels, and a foul heart. The ancient Di&s;ciples left &s;hips, nets, cu&s;tome-hou&s;e, for to follow <HI>truth;</HI> but now pro|fe&s;&s;ed Di&s;ciples leave Chri&s;t for places of Exci&s;e and Cu&s;tom-hou&s;e. Some turn &s;neaking <HI>Anabap|ti&s;ts;</HI> &s;ome fal off to <HI>Socinian</HI> bla&s;phemies; &s;ome to <HI>Antinomians</HI> fancies; and many <HI>Seekers.</HI> Seek you any of you great things for your &s;elves, &s;eek them not; It is no time to be furni&s;hing your Cabins, when the boults and butt-ends of the very planks of the &s;hip are &s;tarted out. The Lord pity us, what a &s;pirit of giddyne&s;&s; is upon us&punc; and if any old errors which is unknown to mo&s;t, with &s;ome quaint ex|pre&s;&s;ions and hye-flying Phylo&s;ophical notions are delivered, how cowardly do we &s;tart off from the old <HI>truths</HI> of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and are inva&s;&s;ail'd by up&s;tart <HI>errors;</HI> It is a &s;ad time, but this a more &s;ad
<PB N="12" REF="11">
<HI>omen</HI> of wor&s;er times, even the rabble of opinions in this City of <HI>Bri&s;tol;</HI> of which I may &s;ay, that as the &s;word hath &s;lain many, &s;o hath error many more in a few moneths time. One while &s;uch a man preacheth truth, and you are willing to pul out your eyes to do him good; a little after, you are ready to pul out his eyes, and he is a low man, and not worthy your pre&s;ence, and &s;o di&s;couraged. How many wayes do you make to heaven in this place? I be&s;eech you where I am related unto, to look to your Guards; Keep a &s;trict watch, double your Guard, eye your &s;allyports; <HI>and put on the whole Armour of God, that you may be able to &s;tand fa&s;t to the Truth in the day of a&s;&s;ault; that you may quit your &s;elves like men.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="application">
<HEAD><HI>U&s;e</HI> 2.</HEAD>
<P>Informeth us of the cau&s;es of this lowerline&s;&s;e, and ba&s;ene&s;&s;e of Spirit; and incon&s;tancy to <HI>Truth.</HI></P>
<DIV3 N="1" TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Fir&s;t.</HEAD>
<P>When men are ignorant, they may ea&s;ily prove incon&s;tant; True men have abundance of indi&s;tinct knowledge, much head knowledge, little heart knowledge, Now the one makes men talk admi|rably, but the other to &s;tand to it gallantly: Tru|ly Ignorance is the &s;punge to &s;uck in all Errors; and &s;piritual Pride the bawde to vent them; that which is weak is light; chaff may be to&s;&s;ed any way.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="2" TYPE="part">
<PB N="13" REF="11">
<HEAD>Secondly.</HEAD>
<P>When mens apprehen&s;ions are very large, but their affections very foul; when men know much of <HI>truth,</HI> but withall love much of the <HI>world,</HI> or &s;elf, or &s;inful Liberty: Now you know a foul &s;to|mach ever makes an il head, and a &s;ecret love of <HI>&s;in</HI> works out a love of <HI>truth:</HI> Men ea&s;ily grow erro|neous when they affect Liberty, and wax Irreligi|ous.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="3" TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Third <HI>Cau&s;e.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Men are &s;trangely infected with a ba&s;e and late predominant Epidemical di&s;ea&s;e the Itch of &s;piri|tual Pride, which was caught of our fir&s;t Parent; The greate&s;t Errors ever drop from tho&s;e that are mo&s;t proud, and are taken up by tho&s;e that are mo&s;t ignorant.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="4" TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Fourth.</HEAD>
<P>Many have <HI>Athenian</HI> wits, and long after Novel|ties; and although old Wine be be&s;t, yet they love to drink in fa&s;hion.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="5" TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Fifth <HI>Cau&s;e.</HI></HEAD>
<P>A Colloging &s;lavi&s;hne&s;se, many giving up their faith and &s;ouls to opinions of other great men, or to Relations.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="6" TYPE="part">
<PB N="14" REF="12">
<HEAD>Sixth.</HEAD>
<P>An eminent love of the world, this made <HI>Demas</HI> and <HI>Hymenaeus</HI> for&s;ake <HI>truth.</HI> A &s;lave to the world wil never be a faithful &s;ervant to <HI>truth;</HI> he that dares pawn their &s;ouls, wil in time venter to &s;el the <HI>Truth.</HI></P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="7" TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Seventh.</HEAD>
<P>Licentious hearts, when men affect plea&s;ure, for corrupt doctrines gives more &s;cope, then <HI>truth,</HI> to a libertinious heart; and we are apt to beleeve that &s;oone&s;t that plea&s;eth us be&s;t. Erroneous points are more for plea&s;ure and ea&s;e, yea and pur&s;e too; Divine <HI>truths</HI> are for &s;trictne&s;&s;e. Now there are many <HI>Grecian</HI>-like give up their weapons for their &s;ports; many for&s;ake the <HI>truth,</HI> that they may more freely injoy their Liberty, in tho&s;e ways are mo&s;t plea&s;ing to their &s;pirits.</P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="exhortation">
<HEAD>&V;&s;e Exhortation.</HEAD>
<P>I am come heartily to beg of you this one thing, to lay a &s;olid foundation in the knowledge of the <HI>truths</HI> of God. Confu&s;ed brains cau&s;e un&s;ettled hearts, re&s;t not with <HI>Pilates</HI> quere, <HI>where art thou?</HI> or with <HI>I&s;rael</HI> to halt betwixt two opinions, nor to take up any <HI>truth</HI> on tru&s;t for any mans &s;ake what&s;oever, or any &s;elf-ends or aims; but with the honorable <HI>Bereans</HI> &s;earch the Scripture, receive <HI>truth</HI> upon the evidence of <HI>truth;</HI> be &s;ure of the
<PB N="15" REF="12">
Word, there is litle difference betwixt <HI>&s;hiboleth</HI> and <HI>&s;iboleth;</HI> yea <HI>and in the la&s;t days many &s;hal &s;ay loe this is Christ, and here is Chri&s;t;</HI> yet try: yea, the Enemy hath got the <HI>word,</HI> therefore be &s;trict upon examination, bring the mo&s;t &s;pecious expre&s;|&s;ions to the Standard, try all there.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="question">
<HEAD>Quaere.</HEAD>
<P>How &s;hal we know the <HI>truth</HI> upon his march, there being &s;o many gone out under his banners to deceive; and all is not gold that gli&s;ters, <HI>Try the &s;pirits, for every &s;pirit is not of God.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="answer">
<HEAD>Solu.</HEAD>
<P>You may make a di&s;covery
<LIST>
<ITEM>Fir&s;t, by its <HI>Unity.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Second, by its <HI>Purity</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Thirdly, its <HI>Efficacy.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Fourthly <HI>Antiquity.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Fifthly, <HI>Simplicity.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>For the fir&s;t ob&s;erve it, you &s;hal find it one as God is one, <HI>Unum et verum convertuntur;</HI> There is but one way to heaven, many to mi&s;s it. It is an uni&s;one with its principles. Erroneous doctrines want no outward harmony, and outward con&s;ent; but <HI>truth,</HI> as it is one in it&s;elf, &s;o it works men to one|ne&s;&s;e, to be of one mind; <HI>truth</HI> is of a binding up nature.</P>
<DIV3 N="2" TYPE="part">
<PB N="16" REF="13">
<HEAD>Secondly.</HEAD>
<P>Truth is comprehended in Purity, Errors are much in outward beauty (like Curtizans little in hone&s;ty; Truth is pure in its &s;elf and unto us; It is an adver&s;ary to all &s;in, becau&s;e all &s;in is an adver|&s;ary to Je&s;us Chri&s;t and to Gods glory; It is pure likewi&s;e in its operations, it &s;ets it &s;elf again&s;t all ba&s;ene&s;&s;e; <HI>Titus</HI> 1.14, 15. <HI>It is truly pure, not coun|terfeitly pure.</HI></P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="3" TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Thirdly.</HEAD>
<P>By the efficacy of <HI>truth</HI> other doctrines add to our Notions, but never meddle with our corrupti|ons, they &s;wel our heads, but never mend our hearts; they work in the brain, but never meddle with the &s;pirit; increa&s;e much wit to talk wel, but con|veigh little &s;trength to walk clo&s;e with God. In a word, they never bring <HI>grace</HI> or <HI>peace</HI> from Je&s;us Chri&s;t: The <HI>truth</HI> that comes from God, leadeth to God. It makes the bad good, and the good better. Truth works the heart, not only from gro&s;&s;er, but le&s;&s;er &s;ins, even the &s;pots of the world; 1 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 5.22. <HI>vid.</HI> Truth works the heart to a liking of nothing unlike it &s;elf, or unbecom|ing the Go&s;pel of Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="4" TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Fourthly.</HEAD>
<P>By the Antiquity, <HI>Id demum veri&s;simum quod an|tiqui&s;simum;</HI>
<PB N="17" REF="13">
and truly as it was &s;ometime replyed to tho&s;e of <HI>Rome,</HI> that we can look beyond <HI>Luther,</HI> So may we to the rabble of Here&s;ies in the&s;e times, we can look and &s;ee the time when they had not a being; indeed they are comparatively but of ye&s;ter|day: and it is po&s;&s;ible for an ea&s;ie Herald to drive the pedigree of the <HI>Anabapti&s;t, Browni&s;ts, Antino|mians, Pelagians, Socinians, Arians, Antetrini|tarians, Seekers, &amp;c.</HI> and to demon&s;trate them to be all &s;ub&s;ervient, although active actors for Scout ma&s;ter general, &s;elf-ends or aims, when <HI>truth</HI> like the Sun hath run its cour&s;e through all ages, not that all have imbraced it, but &s;ome have received it.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="5" TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Fifthly.</HEAD>
<P>By its Simplicity it wil indure handling, it is found; Erroneous doctrine like unfound fle&s;h, or &s;ore eyes, abhors a touch, or the light; and there|fore is more in private then publick; not that I oppo&s;e private duties, but pri&s;e them, but re&s;i&s;t tho&s;e that oppo&s;e publick Ordinances; For if what any deliver in their private conventions bee good and &s;ound <HI>truth,</HI> I be&s;eech them let it come to light, <HI>Bonum quo communius eo melius;</HI> Truth fears no trial; although il faced women would have al gla&s;&s;es broken but &s;uch as they have got made to flatter them; <HI>Truth</HI> put it &s;elf upon proof; yea in publick, <HI>Veritas non querere argales,</HI> e&s;pecially in days of Liberty of the Go&s;pel, and when <HI>truth</HI> is pallizadoed with &s;o many oaky fortifications: It is not now accu&s;ation enough to be a Chri&s;tian;
<PB N="18" REF="14">
no, be as holy as <HI>David,</HI> as muke as <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> as wi&s;e as <HI>Solomon;</HI> walk with God, and be upright before him with <HI>Abraham,</HI> yea let every man be follow|ers of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and injoy his Liberty in the <HI>Truths</HI> of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t; for, ble&s;&s;ed be God, there may be &s;ome pretences (but no ju&s;t ground for the lea&s;t fear of per&s;ecution for con&s;cience-&s;ake.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>La&s;tly.</HEAD>
<P>Having found out the <HI>truth,</HI> I beg heartily of you, yea (more then for my Arrears) to love the <HI>truth,</HI> do the <HI>truth,</HI> &s;uffer for the <HI>truth,</HI> this wil bee a &s;ure boult to keep out all Errors; when <HI>Truth</HI> is &s;til &s;tirring in your ears, and <HI>Sin</HI> ruling in your hearts, you can never do good on it; he mu&s;t needs have a meek hand to hold fa&s;t <HI>truth,</HI> or foot to &s;tand fa&s;t that hath a wicked heart; <HI>Hymenaeus</HI> let go faith and a good con&s;cience together, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 1.19. Wherefore I be&s;eech you be doing Chri&s;ti|ans, as wel as knowing ones; And now &s;hould I fal on with the re&s;erve, and &s;hew you the beauty and honour of a re&s;olved &s;pirit for the <HI>truths</HI> of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t; And have given a thorow and thorow charge to the &s;ad, yet bold divi&s;ions of the&s;e times with my left wing under the prevailing Banner of Love and Unity; and &s;hown you how good a thing it is, for brethren to live in Love and Unity, but I am prevented in managing this on&s;laught at pre&s;ent, and &s;hal take leave of you, praying you that all things may be done among&s;t you in love; And
<PB N="19" REF="14">
praying for you, That the God of <HI>truth</HI> would lead you on from this day, and fix and e&s;tabli&s;h you in the Truth. Finally brethren farewel, be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in love and peace, and the God of love and peace &s;hal be with you; yea, now the very God of peace &s;ancti|fie you all throughout. And now the Lord of peace him&s;elf give you peace by all means; The Lord be with you all.</P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
