Sermons, Sermon 1
THE PILLAR AND GROVND Of TRUTH.
1. TIM. 3. 15.
But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thy selfe in the house of God, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the Truth.
THere are two maine principles, upon which the whole frame of Popery is founded; first, That the Church of Rome is the onelyonly Catholike Church: secondly, That the Church cannot erre. By which latter principle they have brought on themselves a desperate necessitie, never to amend or reforme whatsoever is once decided by the Church. These are the principles they first instill into their Novices; these are the trains, wherewith they seeke to winne men to themselves: for when they cannot prove their points in speciall and particular, they take them all in grosse, and by this one principle (Our Church, which cannot erre, hath so decided it) they prove a bundle of them altogether. So when they can shew no ground in Scripture for their clouded, ungrounded, superadded opinions, they fasten them and hang them all upon this pinacle of the Church, which because it is infallible, admits of no examination. And whereas truth seekes out no corners, desires to see the light, and come to triall; Poperie delights to hide it selfe in these obscure and uncertaine generalities. As for example: aske them what ground they have for invocation of Saints, worshipping of Images, Indulgences, superadded Sacraments, and a multitude of superstitious ceremonies; their answer is, The Church hath so decided, and her decrees are all infallible, and not to be examined by particular men, which are inferiour. So that pull but this pillar downe, as Sampson did, and the whole frame of Poperie, with all that stay themselves upon it, comes presently tumbling downe.
Yet because they think it too improbable a course to build all on the naked assertion of the Church, which is onelyonly to interprete and not to make the Text, therefore they bring in Traditions, which they call unwritten verities, and make them of equall value and credite with the Text: but if you aske them what these unwritten verities are, and how they may be knowne from counterfeit; they say onelyonly the Church can tell that, to whose custodie they were committed, and who onelyonly is able to iudge infallibly, which are the genuine Traditions, and which not. And if Scripture at anie time bee brought against any of these points, they say it belongs to the Church of Rome to declare what bookes of Scripture are canonicall, what translation is authenticall, what interpretation must be the sense of Scripture, and in effect they will be onelyonly iudged by themselves, and whatsoever we say, they choke us with these principles, Theirs is the only Church, and, The Church can never erre.
Now of all places of Scripture, whereby they would vindicate to themselves this priviledge, this verse that I have read is one of the chiefest; but how iustly, wee are now to consider.
Sayes the Apostle to Timothy, I have written unto thee, that thou mayest know how to behave thy selfe in the house of God: as if he should say, It is of much moment that the house of God be ordered and kept aright, be swept continually and purged, because it is the Pillar and Ground of Truth, that is, the ground and place where truth (which is the housholds food) is nourished, and doth grow; into which if falshood creepe, their food will soone be poisoned, and so not nourish but corrupt, not fit them to salvation but destruction: so that the Apostle in this verse hath this double scope.
First, to describe the Church by this distinguishing propertie, that it is the Pillar and Ground of Truth, that is, Truth is the signe, whereby this house of God is knowne from other houses.
Secondly, he sayes, in the house of God &c. not in the Church of Ephesus, lest anie should conclude (as now the Papists would) that the truth were so nailed and fastened to anie one particular house or pillar, that it could never be taken downe from thence, and hanged up in another place; which is flat contrarie to the scope of the Apostle in this place, who in the beginning of the next chapter shewes evidently, that in the later times some should depart from the faith, and give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of Devils, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstaine from meats.
The Papists would make us beleeve, that because the truth was once at Rome, it is there still. Indeed the house and place where once it was, they may still shew perhaps; but the inhabitant is now departed, and the truth, which was the signe, is taken downe, and hanged up elsewhere, in stead whereof these verie errours hang, which the Apostle doth foretell to be the signes of Truth's departure, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstaine from meats. If they object, they forbid not all to marrie. I answer, no hereticke or people since the beginning of the world, did ever doe it, nor is it credible that anie ever will; for then the world would soone be at an end: but they forbid some to marrie at anie time, as the Clergie; all at sometimes; and that not as a precept of conveniencie, but necessitie and holinesse.
The Papists indeed say, thatthe Church is so the pillar and ground of truth, that there is no truth but what comes from the Church, & that whatsoever comes from the Church is true infallibly, and not subject to errour: but this cannot be the Apostles meaning here. First, there may be truths in other Writers that are not of the Church: though the Garden bee the most convenient and ordinarie place and ground of hearbs; yet some Violets may be gathered in the Woods, and on the high-way side.
By Truth therefore here is meant divine and sacred truth, a plant of Gods owne Garden, not growing in the Wildernesse and Wast.
Besides, as some truths may be found without the Church, so some errours may be found within the Church: though the Garden be the proper ground and place of hearbs, yet weedes may also grow there, as tares may in the field, which notwithstanding is the proper place of wheat.
Againe, when hee saith, The Church is the pillar and ground of truth, his meaning is, that in the Church of God, the truth ought alwaies to bee preserued and kept, that is, those that professe themselues to bee the Church, ought to maintaine the truth; that is their duetie, which they are bound at all times to performe: but it's no good consequence to infer, A thing is surely done, because some ought to doe it; for men doe not alwaies performe their dueties, nor discharge the trust that is committed to them.
Lastly, it is to bee marked, that the Apostle saith in general tearmes, The Church is the pillar and ground of truth, not this or that particular people, of Ephesus, or Corinth, or Rome, or anie other citie or countrey; for the Church may make a progresse, from one people to another, as now it hath from those famous cities of Asia unto other parts. Indeede while the Church continues in a place, so long the fundamentall truthes continue, but when shee changeth habitation, the truth goes with her; for these cannot dwell asunder: while the Church continued at Rome, so long the truth continued, but no longer.
If they object, that a pillar is the prop and Obiect.sustent aculum of that building wherein it is, and therefore cannot bee removed to another place, unlesse the building be destroyed and perish: since then the Church of Rome was once the pillar and ground of truth, it is so still.
I answer, the Apostle in this place speaks of a pillar, not more architectanico, as understanding Ans.by it some essentiall and inseparable peece of the building, but more forensi, for such a post or pillar, on which tables and proclamations, and such things are wont to hang; and from such pillars, such things may soone bee separated. Such a pillar was this people of Ephesus, which stood long after the truth was taken downe and Mahumetanisme hanged up in stead therof. And that its thus meant, appears by the other word, foreign, ioined with it, which signifies a seate or receptacle, at all times separable from what is in it. And indeed (as before I said) the Church is the ground of truth, as the garden is the ground of herbs, which wee know, may bee plucked up and planted in another place. As therefore that which hangs on the pillar may be plucked down, or other things hanged with it, as herbes may bee translated from one garden to another, or weedes grow with them; so that people which are now the Church of God, may cease to be so, or continuing the Church, may bee obnoxious unto errours.
And that this is the meaning of the place, and not that which the Papists hence deduce, namely, That the Church cannot erre; may appeare by these reasons.
First, not to be capable of errour, is the inseparable attribute of God himselfe; for God and truth are termes conuertible, which cannot bee said of any creature; because to creatures, truth is a rule, from which they may decline; as the Carpenters hand may from the line that guides it. Truth is not of the essence of a creature, as it's of Gods, and therefore separable and distinct; as the Carpenters line, is a thing distinguished from his hand, and therefore may be separated, his hand may sometimes deuiate and goe awry. The decree and will of God is the rule it selfe, and from it selfe it cannot deuiate or erre; but the creature hath a line of rectitude, drawne to it by the Scripture, from which, though now de facto it doth not swerue, yet de possibili it may. Esa. 8. 20. To the Law and to the Testimonie; if they speake not according to this word, it is because they hauehave no light in them. As if one should say to a Pilote, Know that in your eye, and in your hand, there is no inseparable and inbred rule, to guide you in your course, but here is a compasse for to direct you; if you look beside this, or neglect this, you will fall vponupon the rockes and sands: so the Lord saith to his Church, Know that in you there is no inherent selfe-sufficient light, but here is my word, to be a lanterne to you; if you keepe not your eye on this, you may erre quickely, and make shipwracke of your faith.
Secondly, where there is ignorance there may bee errour; for ignorance is the cause of errour, as darkenesse is of stumbling; for a man cannot hauehave a perfect iudgement of things, except he hauehave a perfect knowledge of them: now the most learned Bishops that euer were, in generall Councels (which is the representatiue Church, in all mens iudgements least subiect unto errour) hauehave beene ignorant of manie things; for euen in humane things, whereof we are more capable, the wisest men have beene readie to professe, that the greatest part of that they knew, was the least of that they knew not; much more in things divine, in which our eyes are like the eyes of battes and owles, vntounto the brightest sunneshine, too weake and too angust to comprehend them: therefore their knowledge beeing defective, their iudgement likewise must needes be so. 1. Cor. 13. 11. Wee know in part, saith the Apostle, therefore wee prophesie in part. Aristotle could say, He that looks not round about a thing, and sees not all the parts and corners of it, can give no certaine judgement of it: now who can say in divine mysteries hee is able to see all things? and if he be not, hee may both bee deceived, and deceive.
Lastly, where God intends to give the end he alwaies gives the meanes to effect and bring that end to passe; but he giues not to the Church the meanes of infallibilitie, as perfect knowledge of the truth, sincere louelove of it, right ordered zeale for it; hee takes not alwaies from them those sinnefull lusts, which breed errings from the faith, and often thrust and impell men into errour.
How oft have generall Councels, beene distracted into factions, leavened with malice, puft up with pride, &c? and shall we say when their hearts and mindes are thus corrupted, that their tongues are notwithstanding infallibly ouer-ruled, to poure forth nothing else but oracles? To say that at that instant there fals a spirit upon them to guide them with immediate revelation, is to approve the fanaticall fancies of the Anabaptists; which they take on them to abhorre; which notwithstanding if anie doe affirme, as some have beene bold to doe, they must consider, that the Prophets which were guided by such spirits, and had the truth inspired by visions, and immediat revelations, did never argue, discusse, or reason of the things they spake and wrote; but only did declare and manifest what was revealed; but in generall Councels the truth is bolted out by reasonings to and fro, the conclusions many times disputed of, and strongly argued on both sides: now where the premisses are onelyonly probable, the conclusion cannot bee infallible; for they are the cause of the conclusion, and there cannot be more in the effect than was formerly in the cause. This is sufficient to evince that though generall Councels, doe not at all times defacto erre (for wee all acknowledge the great benefit of the foure first generall Councels) yet to say that de possibili they cannot, is vtterly vntrue.
Christ hath promised, Iohn 16. 13. to send Obiect. 1.his Spirit which should lead them into all truth; and Matth. 28. 20. to be with them to the end of the world.
These places must needes bee understood Answ.primarily of the Apostles themselues, who onelyonly were infallibly led into every truth, and but secondarily of their successors, that is, so farre as they insist in their steps and doctrine; for if that were the sense that Bellarmine, Stapleton, and other popish writers give, namely, that the promise is indifferently made to their successors, as well as to themselves, then particular Bishops and Ministers should be infallible judges of truth & falshood, & so all controverfies in the Church would presently have an end, so as never to spring againe. If they say, its not to beunderstood of them taken single & apart, but as met together, & assembled in a Synode. I answer, there is not the least intimation of this distinction in those places: but the place for such a promise is Matth. 18. 20. Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them; But this place is to bee understood of the least meetings of true Christians in the name of Christ, as well as of the largest Councels, and so the smallest companie or convention should bee capable of this promise of infallibilitie, as well as the most general and ample Councell.
But they farther object, If there should not be a visible, external unerring judge, to which at all Obiect. 2.times those might resort for resolution, that are not themselues able to wade through the depth of diuinity-controuersies, there would be no end of wrangling and disputing, nor any certaine meanes to finde the truth in matters questioned.
Though there bee no infallible, visible, humane Answ. 1.iudge; yet there is an invisible, in fallible judge, and that is the holy Ghost, speaking in the scriptures, which are therefore called the word of God. And this judge in many respects, is better and fitter than anie other. First, this may be easily had, is alwaies readie, and at hand, to which men of all sorts may soone repaire; the other ambulatory, to many inaccessible, and to all difficult to bee obtained. Secondly, the sentence of this judge is certaine and inflexible, not subiect to errour; but the others mutable like a leaden rule, that may bee bended to and fro: for in men, affections hauehave their place; which is the reason that among men there are Lawes, because the Law is not capable of affections; but the Lawyer is. Thirdly, this judge is better knowne, and may sooner bee agreed upon by all; for bee it granted that the true Church is a judge infallible, yet it may be sooner known which is the true Scripture, than which is the true Church, there beeing more pretenders to the one, than to the other.
While the Church is militant upon the earth, Answ. 2.God hath not said, there should bee any such end of controuersies, as these men dreame of; but rather he hath said the contrarie, 1. Cor. 11. 19. There must bee heresies in the Church, that those may perish who receiue not the louelove of the truth to bee saued, and that those which are approued might be knowne.
If there were anie such meanes, by God appointed Answ. 3.in his Church to determine controversies infallibly, yer a generall Councell (though in his place to be respected) is not likely to bee it; for is it like God would appoint a meanes for ending controuersies in his Church, that for at least three hundred yeares, (that is, till the time of Constantine the great) could not be had? and though he and others his successours (while the Empire was undivided) might easily assemble Councels, yet when the Empire fell into many subdiuisions, and the parts thereof were gouerned by seuerall Kings, of different religions, as now they be, it is impossible the Church should hauehave the benefit of them.
What is the vse then and benefit of generall Quest.Councels, if they could be obtained?
They are the best meanes to finde out Truth; Answ.for manie candles give more light, and manie eyes see more than one; and in the multitude of Counsellors there is health: and as they are the best meanes to finde it, so from them it hath no small authoritie; yet notwithstanding they may erre in necessary and fundamentall points, as the Councell of Ariminum, and Seleucia, where there were as manie more Bishops, as at the first Nicene Councell; and therefore held in two Cities, because no one was able to containe them; yet erred in a fundamentall point, decreeing for Arrius heresie against the Deity of Christ. The second Councell at Ephesus did the like, and so ten Councels, at Tyrus, Ierusalem, Philadelphia, Ariminum, Seleucia, Constantinople, Alexandria &c. so the second Councell at Nice set up Images, and commanded them to bee worshipped, which in the second Councell of Constantinople immediately before were utterly condemned.
More instances might easily bee given, but these suffice to warrant this conclusion, That a generall Councell may erre in fundamentall points. For though the universall Church of Christ, taken for his mysticall bodie on earth, and complete number of his elect, cannot erre in matters fundamentall (for then they might fall away, and the gates of hell prevaile against them) yet the externall visible bodie of the Church may erre, because the truth of God may bee locked up within the hearts of such a companie, as in competition of suffrages cannot make a greatet part in a generall Councell; so that the sentence decreed therein may bee a fundamentall errour.
From these grounds thus laid, may fitly rise a threefold application.
First, seeing it is thè received and approved doctrine of the Papists, That the Church of Rome cannot erre in points of Faith and Doctrine; wee see how little hope there is that wee and they should ever bee reconciled, or that one truth should arise from a composition of their and our opinions: for if they yeelde in any thing to us, it would presently follow, that in that wherein they now yeelde, before they erred, and so this fundamentall point of their Churches not erring, would from thence be overthrowne. Wee may alter our Tenents if wee will, but they are strongly engaged to keepe theirs without anie change or variation; we may goe to them, they cannot come to us; witnesse the Germane Interim, so carefully and often tempered, wherin there were but few of their ingredients left out; yet was it more than Charles the Fifth could do to get it entertainment on eitherside: and therefore those Cassanders that thinke by wit and policie to reconcile us, attempt a thing impossible. For of what materials shall any middle course bee framed, when neyther side can spare the smallest piece of timber in their building? they cannot, because thereby they should bee argued of erring for merly; we cannot, for true Religion is of a brittle nature, breake it you may, bend it you cannot, no not in the least degree. It cannot bee accommodated to interests, and respects of policie and seruing turnes; it cannot be mixt with errour, no more than oyle with water, iron and steele with clay. Daniel 2. 43. They shall mingle themselves with the seede of men, but they shall not cleave one to another: even as iron is not miset with clay; or as the elements when once they are mingled in a compound bodie doe lose their proper formes; even so Religions, when made ingredients, and compounding parts of any other, do lose their formes, and cease to bee religions in Gods account. 2 King. 17. 33. It is said, the mingled people of Samaria feared the Lord and served their owne gods, after the manner of the Nations whom they carried away from thence; that is, they jumbled all together, the fear of God, & worship of their Idols, thinking thereby to fit both parties, Iewes and Heathens, with a religion wherein both might bee gratified. But what saith God? doth he approve this mixture? verse 34. VntoUnto this day they doe after the former manners, they fear not the Lord, neither do they after their statutes, or after the law or commandement which the Lord commanded. God will not owne his owne commanded worship when mingled and compounded with another.
So Gal. 5. 1. 2. Bee not entangled againe with the yoke of bondage (that is) take heede of entertaining those rites and customes of the ceremoniall law, from which now by Christ ye are set free. Well, but what if circumcision the ancient character bee still retained, and joined unto Christ? is it not better to be sure of both? See what he answers in the second verse; Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if you bee circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. And again, vers. 4. Christ is become of none effect to you; As if hee should say, Take whether you will, either Christ or circumcision; for both yee cannot have: So Esay. 1. vers. 21, 22. How is the faithfull Citie become an har lot? But how proveth hee that? Thy siluer is become drosse, thy wine mixt with water. He denies not but they had silver and wine amongst them; but as silver mixt with baser mettall becommeth drosse, and is no longer accounted silver: so wine when it is mixt with water leaves off to be accounted wine. Ier. 23. 28. Hee that hath my word let him speake my word faithfully; for what is the chaffe to the wheat? Whatsoever of our owne we offer to annexe to the word of God, in Gods account is as if wee added chaffe to wheate, by which addition the wheate can bee no gainer They that goe about to mixe true and false religions, are like those that take too big a graspe, and so let whatthey meant to have sustained fall and breake, as wee see in Ieroboam who mingled truth and falsehood, not changing the worship, as hee thought, but the place and manner of the worship onelyonly, lest the kingdome should returne unto the house of David, that was the interest, whereunto he thought to make religion stoope, 1. Kings 12. 26. &c. But what came of it? He made a nullitie of religion, and of his and his posterities title to the kingdome. Saul had a strait command to destroy all the Amalekites, but because in execution of it hee needs would interpose his owne discretion, in sparing Agag, and some of the cattel, God takes the kingdome from him for it. Moses will not yeeld to the King of Egypt to leave one hoofe behinde him, of any thing that did belong unto the Israelites. Mordecay, because God forbad them to make peace with Amalek for ever, will rather hazzard his owne and others safetie, than so much as bow the knee to Haman an Amalekite. Daniel when God commanded to pray towards the Temple, will not omit that circumstance of his praier, though he cannot practise it without hazzard of his life. This is the disposition of all whose hearts are perfect with their God; they dare not pare away the least lap from the garment of religion, nor adde the least flye to this boxe of precious ointment; for in this curious clocke-worke of religion, every pin and wheele that is amisse distempers all: And as we are wont to lay aside cracked vessels, and distempered watches as unusefull, so doth God distempered and mixt religions. As to the Iewes, a garment made of linzy woolsie might not be worne: so to vsus a Samaritan religion, made vp of true and false, is not to be endured; but as the stomacke loathes lukewarme water, so God lukewarme religions. As therefore Eliah exhorts the people to follow either God or Baal, and not to halt betweene them both; so it's good for vsus to take heede of mingling truth and falsehood, whereof God is more impatient than of either of the two extremities apart. For one to be a downe-right Papist may be a sinne of ignorance; but to blend and mingle with it, to picke and choose some tinctures of it to serue our worldly turnes, cannot but be a sin of knowledge: for if one were fully in his heart perswaded that Poperie were the truth, he would embrace that, and cleave to that alone; againe, if our religion were thought to be the right, that onelyonly will be entertained; but when we mingle thus, and will not runne without a by as, but for advantage halt willingly betweene both, wee cannot bee accepted. This we speake but for prevention, not knowing what temptations aftertimes may bring; it is good preventing Physicke to know the truth.
Secondly, seeing wee have proved that the iudgement of the Church is not infallible in 2points of faith & doctrine; hence we may learn, to take up nothing meerely upon trust, not to thinke things are so onelyonly because the Church hath said it; this foundation is too sandy for us to build our faith upon, that should be built upon the rocke which is the word of God: upon which ground, in a manner, the whole Fabricke of Poperie will soone be overthrowne, seeing all, or most of them, are only tooke up upon the Churches credit; for in all the book of God ye shall not finde a word for invocation of Saints, worshipping of Images, universalitie, & supremacy of the Bishop of Rome, purgatory, Popish indulgences, praier in an unknowne tongue, praier for the dead, consecration of oyle, tapers, and holy water, and all that rabble of superstitious ceremonies; but are the hay and stubble that men have heaped together, now one, and then another, according to their seuerall fancies, till the mysterie of iniquitie was come vntounto its fulnesse: for all these controversies are founded, either upon the decrees of the Pope, or unwritten traditions, or the authority of the Church, or Scripture wrested from the native sense to that which they are pleased to put upon it; so that this principle of their Church not erring, is that indeede on which the very waight of Popery doth depend; let this be taken away, and all comes quickly down.
Thirdly, as the Apostle here exhorts Timothie, and in him all Ministers to take heede how 3hee behaves himselfe in the Church of God; so may we doe all Magistrates, both supreme and subordinate to be circumspect & wary how they behave themselues, in this Church of God: for though the Ministers be the bees that make the honey, yet the Magistrates are the hives wherin it is made and kept; the Ministers are the vines that bring forth grapes, yet Magistrates are the elmes that underprop and hold up these vines; the Minister defends the Church with tongue & pen, the Magistrate with hand & power, wherewith for that end God hath furnisht him; Ministers are the preachers of both tables, Magistrates the keepers; the executiue power of Word and Sacraments belongs alone to Ministers, but directiue and coactiue, for the orderly and well performance, belongs to Magistrates. And the text it selfe affordes us motives.
It is the house of God, and its reason the tenant 1should keepe the house in reparation; and they are Magistrates as well as Ministers; for if the ruines and breaches of the house bee once neglected, both heresies and superstitions will soone creepe in, and carrie captiue with their errours those of the family.
It is the Church of God, of which good Magistrates 2are nurses, Esay 49. 23. as therfore the nurse is bound to looke to the childe, and see it cherished with wholsome food, and kept from dangers, as they will answer to the parents, whose childe it is; so Magistrates are bound to defend and keepe the Church, to see it nourished with milke, and not with poison, that is, with truth, and not with errour, as they will answer to that God, who with his owne blood hath purchased it unto himselfe, Acts 20. 28. It is the flock of God, and its no disparagement for Kings to bee his shepheards, as David was; if Wolves therefore doe enter through their negligence, and snatch up now a sheep, and then a lambe, the Lord will one day require it at their hands, as Laban did at Iacobs.
It is the pillar and ground of Truth, that is, the field or garden wherein Truth growes, and 3.Magistrates the gardiners or husbandmen; and therefore bound to see the good plants watered, the weedes and stones throwne out that hinder growth, the hedge kept strong and good about it; lest as the Serpent got into Eden, and beguiled Eve, so the Serpents of our times creep through into this Garden, and corrupt the minds of any from that simplicitie which is in Christ. The like Motives are every where in Scripture scattered; Revel. 2. 20. I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Iezebel, which calleth her selfe a Prophetesse, to teach and seduce my servants to commit for nication, and to eate things offered to idols. Therefore neither Errours, nor their Authours in the Church of God are to be suffered. Iohn 15. 13. Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall bee rooted out: And who should root them out, but Magistrates, to whom Gods Vine-yard is committed?
Let's come to the Old Testament, where the lives of Magistrates are represented, as the face is in a glasse, that shewes both spots and beauty. 2 Chron. 17. Iehoshaphat commanded the Priests and Levites to instruct the People in the Law, from the seventh verse to the tenth; but thats not all, but in the sixth verse it is said, His heart was lift up in the wayes of the Lord; so that hee tooke away the high places, and the groves out of Iudah. Let us cast our eyes upon the other Kings of Israel and Iudah, and consider what God himselfe hath marked and observed in them, seeing his observation cannot but be of moment, like asterismes in the margents of a booke. Of Salomon God hath observed, 1 King. 11. 4. that when hee was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, that is, satte loose from God, and then the Lord left off to do him good: Of Rehoboam, 2 Chron. 11. 17 that for three yeares hee walked in the way of David, but when hee had established the Kingdome, and had strengthned himselfe, he forsook the Law of the Lord, and all Israel with him, chapt. 12. 1. & 2. therefore in the fifth yeare of Rehoboam, Shishak King of Egypt came up against Ierusalem, because they had transgresses against the Lord: Of Asa, 1 King. 15. 11. &c. that hee did what was right in the sight of the Lord, tooke away the Sodomites out of the Land, removed all the Idols that his Fathers had made, removed Maacah his Mother from being Queene, because she had made an Idoll in a grove, and burnes her Idoll by the brooke Kidron, but the high places were not taken downe; therefore verse 16. there was war between Asa and Baasha King of Israel all their daies: yet those high places were but the groves where the Tabernacle and Altar were which Moses made, where before the Temple was built it was lawfull for them to offer sacrifice; yet this was that for which the Lord is so offended, because when the Temple once was built, it was no longer lawfull to offer sacrifice in any other place. Now when Almighty God shall bee so curious, have such a quicke and iealous eye upon so small an over-sight as this; how sensible will he bee, when matters much worse are tolerated & permitted? Iude 3. the faith once given to the Saints. It was but once given; therefore if lost, or any way corrupted, it will not be given again: for it was given once for all, & is not to be revealed a second time; and therefore he exhorts them to contend earnestly for the same.
For our selves, wee have cause to magnifie Gods merciemercy in our present condition, under the government of his gracious Maiestie, and to remember this day, which is the birth day of his Maiestie, seeing under his shadow wee enjoy the publicke profession and practice of Religion, and may live not only a quiet, but an honest life; a blessing that we cannot prize too much, and should therefore much inlarge our hearts with thankefulnesse to God, and love to our Princes, to bestow on them not only outward obedience, but also inward, to assist them, and bee subiect to them, not by constraint, but willingly, to pray for them not formally, but heartily, as for the instruments and conduitpipes of so great blessings. notwithstanding we the Ministers of God have been bold to deliver from the mighty God of heaven and earth, to conscience his vicegerent this impartiall and inflexible rule, not fashioned and bended by the hand of man, but moulded by the holy Ghost, that thereby we may discouer where in we have fallen short, and bee carefull to amend it: wherein we have done well, and be encouraged to doe it more and more, that is, to make freer passage for the truth, and dam up the current of errours, whether Popish or Arminian, or of what kinde else soever; for it's the Lords businesse, and blessed is the man that doth it diligently: for as any walked more perfectly with God, so they had more perfect peace, and where unevenesse was found in their obedience, there was it also found in Gods blessing on them. Though wickednesse and crooked wayes may get the advantage for a start, yet by it shall no man bee established, Prou. 12. 3. And againe, though uprightnesse bee sometimes overwhelmed, yet like a corke at last it will arise from under water; the prosperitie of wicked men, like a watrie sun-shine may for a while continue, but the late evening will bring a storme that never shall blow over: he may flourish for a time, like a greene bay tree, but at last shall surely wither. Those that are perfect with their God, may have a winters season, but shall at last be sure to flourish. For if God be governour of the world, disposer of the things therein, according to his will, if good and evill are done by him alone, then certainely it must bee well with those that feare him, and ill with those that sinne against him; for it will be alwaies found a true and certaine rule, That uprightnesse and holinesse is the cause of all our happinesse, and obliquitie, and sinne the cause of all our miserie.