Life and Death of Mr Hanserd Knollys, Letter
Mr. Knollys's laſt Legacy to the Church, written a little before his Death.
To the Church whereof I am Paſtor, Grace, Love, and Peace, by Jeſus Chriſt our Lord and Saviour, Amen.
HOly Brethren, Partakers of the Heavenly Calling, I not being able to Preach any more unto you, do take liberty by writing to give you this as my laſt Counſel, and I hope the whole Church will ſeriouſly conſider what I have written, as the laſt words of your very aged Paſtor, whoſe departure, as I hope, is at hand.
Firſt of all, I do humbly beſeech my Reverend and Beloved Brother Steed, for Chriſts ſake, that the fervent Love to the Church, and the watchful Care over the particular Members of it, Expreſſed and Publiſhed in his little Epiſtle touching Singing, may be revived; and alſo that the Brotherly Love of the Miniſtring Brethren, and likewiſe of all my beloved Brethren, who are helps in Government, may be ſtirred up to Help, to Aſſiſt, to provoke the reſt unto good Works, Gal. 4.18.
Now I do unfeignedly, and without vain boaſting, commend many of you, my beloved Brethren and Siſters, for continuing in the Apoſtles Doctrine, and Fellowſhip in breaking of Bread, and in Prayer, (but as for the reſt, who forſake the aſſembling of themſelves, with rhe Church on the Lords Day, I commend them not,) eſpecially not only in this time of Liberty, but when it was a time of violent Perſecution, when I was ſhut up a Year and four Months, (bleſſed be God for Priſon Mercies,) in New-Priſon. And having mentioned that time of Perſecution, can I paſs it by without commending the conſtant Aſſembling of our Brethren and Siſters all that time, every Lords day to worſhip God? And may I not with great Comfort, commend the Labour of Love of our Miniſtring Brethren, in the Work and Doctrine of the Goſpel, without ceaſing, (as you well know,) and among whom they ſtill labour and faint not. And now ſome of our younger Brethren, begin to improve their Gifts and Talents for the Glory of God, and the Edification of the Church, whom I deſire may be encouraged.
Another thing very commendable in this Church, is the Charity, which they have added to their Brotherly kindneſs, 2 Pet. 1.7. It was great Brotherly kindneſs, which was manifeſted to the Church, by thoſe Brethren who lookt out our Meeting-Houſe, and prepared it for us as it now is: And unto this, many of our Brethren and Siſters, have added their Charity in a free and very liberal Collection and Contribution, given into the Truſtees of the Fund: And I hope they will be ready to do the like again, when the like Neceſſities call for it. Read I pray you the 8th. and 9th. Chapters of the ſecond Epiſtle unto the Church of Corinth: All this, and much more, are the Riches of Grace, which God hath freely given by our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, unto this Church for his own Glory.
Nevertheleſs, I muſt in Love and Faithfulneſs to your precious and gracious Souls, (holy and beloved,) tell you of ſome things, not to ſhame you, (for I my ſelf am found guilty as well as you, and more than ſome of you,) but to warn you, and to counſel you, (as a Father doth his Children,) and they are theſe.
Firſt, That ſeveral of us are fallen in ſome degree, from our firſt Love, cooled in our Spiritual Affections to Jeſus Chriſt, and to the Saints. —Muſt not you and I confeſs, that it is not with us now, as it was in the day of our firſt Eſpouſals? God the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit remembers it. Jer. 2.1, 2. And we ſhould remember from whence we are fallen, and ſhould ſay, I will go and return unto my firſt Husband, for then was it better with me, than now, Hoſ. 2.7. Rev. 2.4, 5.
Now the firſt part of my Counſel, which I deſire to take and receive from Chriſt, and to give unto you, my dearly beloved Brethren and Siſters, who are convinced, and have confeſſed it before the Lord, on ſeveral days of Faſting and Prayer.
Firſt, I do Counſel you to Repent, Rev. 2.5. And I muſt tell you, Beloved, that our aſſembling once in four Weeks, and ſpending four hours, from Eleven to Three, in Praying and Preaching, as we have often done, is not ſuch a Faſt as will make our Voice be heard on High, Iſa. 58.3, 4. Several things are eſſentially neceſſary to Evangelical Repentance, that it may be acceptable unto God by Jeſus Chriſt. —Namely, Godly Sorrow, which worketh Repentance, never to be repented of, 2 Cor. 7.9, 10. A broken Contrite Spirit, Pſal. 51.17. James 4.9, 10. Iſa. 66.2, 3. Iſa. 57.15. Read theſe Scriptures, Zech. 12.10, 11. Alas, where are our Tears of Godly Sorrow, our broken Hearts, and our afflicted Souls? Reformation after Humiliation? Repent and do thy firſt Works, Rev. 2.5. O Holy Brethren, let us do ſo, let you and I beg Grace, that we may both Mourn and turn from all our Sins, to the Lord with all our Hearts.
We have cauſe to repent of our Formality, and Laodicean Lukewarmneſs, eſpecially for want of zeal for the Houſe of God, Pſal. 69.9. Rev. 3.19. Col. 4.12, 13. Joh. 2.17.
Secondly, I Counſel you to be zealous: Zeal is a fervent and conſtant affection of a gracious Soul, in a good thing, managed with Diſcretion, Gal. 4.18. If our zeal be not fixed upon a right Object, and good Matter; it may be hot, and great, but it cannot be good. Compare the zeal of Paul, Phil. 3.6. with the zeal of Epaphras, Col. 4.12, 13.
To guide our zeal aright, two things eſpecially ought to accompany it.
Firſt, The light of Knowledge, Rom. 10.1, 2, 3. Read the words again and again, and as often as you read this Paper. Many profeſſours of the Law then, were very zealous of Eſtabliſhing their own Legal Righteouſneſs, and many profeſſors of the Goſpel, now, are as zealous, to eſtabliſh their own Legal Righteouſneſs, and not Chriſts. O! ſay ſome, If I could pray ſo, mourn ſo as others do; if I were ſo Holy and ſo Humble, &c. then I would believe. O! ſay others, if I could get power over my Corruptions, and ſtrength againſt Satans Temptations, and Victory over the allurements of this preſent evil World, then I would believe: But I have a Heart full of vile affections, vain thoughts and doubts, that I cannot believe.
Conſider, Are Praying, Mourning, Humbling our Souls, Goſpel Duties? even ſo is believing a Goſpel Duty, which God Commands, 1 Joh. 3.23. And he threatens to Damn them that hear the Goſpel preached, and will not believe, Acts 13.41.
Secondly, The Aim and End of our Zeal, muſt always be the Glory of God, and guided, as I ſaid, by Diſcretion: Wiſe as well as Warm: Greateſt zeal, in greateſt Matters, and leſſer zeal in leſſer matters. Compare, Gal. 5.11, 13. with 1 Cor. 11.13, 14, 15, 16. 1 Cor. 10.3. and Prov. 19.11.
My Counſel alſo is, and I humbly beſeech our honoured and beloved Elder, and entreat our Miniſtring Brethren, who are Helps in Government, to joyn together to ſet in Order theſe things.
I mean no other things, than thoſe holy Adminiſtrations which Chriſt, his Apoſtles, and Diſciples, practiſed in the beginning. Search theſe Scriptures, 1 Pet. 2.21. Philip. 3.17. Luk. 14.16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22. Acts 28.23, 24,—28, 29, 30, 31. and 1 Cor. 14.13, 23, 24, 25, 29. 1 Tim. 4.13. Col. 4.16. 1 Theſ. 5.27. Rev. 1.3. Conſider, holy Brethren, that as Reading and Expounding are two different Adminiſtrations, ſo are Prophecying and Preaching, yet both Goſpel Ordinances, Rom. 12.6, 7.
Fourthly and Laſtly, My Counſel to the Church is, that you will look out a Miniſter of Jeſus Chriſt, whom he hath in ſome competent meaſure, qualified with ſuch Miniſterial Gifts and Graces as may make him worthy of ſo great honour, as is due to a Paſtor, and Elder of the Church of God, yea, of double honour, 1 Tim. 5.17. Both of Maintenance and Obedience, Heb. 13.17.
And now my dearly beloved Brethren and Siſters, I commit you all to the Word of his Grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an Inheritance among them which are Sanctified. So I remain, while in this Tabernacle,
Your Brother in the Lord Hanſerd Knollys.
FINIS.