Popery and Hypocrisy Detected and Opened, Sermon

Popery and Hypocrisy Detected and Opened · Sermon

Popery and Hypocriſy Detected and Opened FROM THE HOLY SCRIPTURES: As it reſpects Magiſtrates, Miniſters, and People.

IN A SERMON Upon the Occaſion of A General Faſt, Kept Decemb. 22. 1680.

By the Author of the Plotters Doom, A True Son of the Church of England.

LONDON: Printed for Richard Janeway, in Queens-Head-Alley in Pater-Noſter Row. 1680.

p. 1A Faſt-Sermon Upon JOEL II. 13.

Rent your Heart and not your Garments, and turn unto the Lord your God.

BY the Commands of God and the Government, we are here aſſembled to celebrate a Faſt, and I have choſen this Text as ſuitable to the Occaſion, becauſe it inſtructs us how to perform our Duty herein both acceptably unto God, and profitably unto our ſelves; without which our preſent Faſting, and all our Religious Performances, are but a meer mocking of the Almighty, and putting a Cheat upon our own Souls.

I ſhall not inſiſt on the Context any farther then to give you a general ſcope of this Prophecy, that you may ſee how this Command in the Text, to rent our Heart and not our Garments, doth ariſe.

The Prophet foreſeeing ſundry Judgments of God impending, and ready to fall on this drouſie ſtupid ſottiſh People, calls on them to awake: Awake ye Drunkards, Chap. 1.5. and weep and howl all ye drinkers of Wine: And when he hath thus awakened them, he gives them ſuch a dreadful deſcription of thoſe Judgments that the Lord was a bringing on their Land, that he declares the very Earth ſhall quake before them, nay the Heavens themſelves ſhall tremble at them, in the 10th verſe of this Chapter; and certainly they muſt be notable Judgments that makes both Heaven and Earth to p. 2quake and tremble at them. You read in many places ſuch Judgments threatned that the Earth ſhould tremble at them; but here are ſuch Judgments as ſhall make the Earth and Heavens too, to tremble: Well therefore might the Prophet, after this amazing deſcription of this great and terrible day of Judgment, which he denounced was coming on them, ask this queſtion, Who was able to abide it? verſ. 11. For if the Earth quake, and the Heavens tremble at it, 'tis no marvel that the Sinners in Zion are afraid, and that fearfulneſs ſurprizeth the Hypocrites, as Iſaiah expreſſeth it, Iſa. 33.14.

The Prophet having thus declared the greatneſs and terribleneſs of their approaching Doom, propoſeth to them the one and onelyonly way to prevent it, and that is Repentance. One branch of which Propoſition, is this of my Text; for the whole runs thus: Therefore alſo now ſaith the Lord, Turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with faſting, and with weeping, and with mourning, verſ. 12. and rent your heart, and not your Garments, as here in the Text.

To which, thus brieſly I have brought you, and given you the occaſion of theſe words, Rent your Heart and not your Garments: Which before I handle, I muſt crave leave to give you theſe following Remarks upon the Context.

1. That the Almighty ſeldom or never ſtrikes a Nation with his Judgments, but he gives them firſt a Warning of it.

2. That the Warnings that God gives a Nation of his approaching Judgments, ought to rouz and awaken them to their Duty.

3. That nothing can avert Gods Judgments on a Nation for their Sins, but Repentance.

4. That it hath ever been the wont and practice of the true Prophets and faithful Miniſters of God, to preach forgiveneſs of Sins and averſion of Judgments, upon no other terms but Repentance onelyonly.

And now I proceed with the Text, Rent your heart and not your Garments, and turn unto the Lord your God. Wherein you have theſe three particulars:

Two Duties enjoyned. And

One Practice forbidden.

The two Duties enjoyned, are theſe:

1. Rent your Heart.

2. Turn unto the Lord your God.

The Practice forbidden, is, That they ſhould not rent their Garments.

p. 3The whole Text is but a figurative Expreſſion; for it was a Cuſtom amongſt the Jews, upon the hearing of any ſad diſaſter that either had or was like to happen upon their Nation in general, or upon their Families or themſelves in particular, to rent their Garments. So upon the ſight of Joſeph's Coat, the Patriark Jacob rent his Cloaths, Gen. 37.34. through an apprehenſion that his Son was deſtroyed; and ſo you ſind King Hezekiah, upon that invective and menacing Speech of Rabſheka, rent his Cloaths, Iſa. 37.1. Likewiſe Ezra, upon hearing the enormous behaviour of the People, rent his Garments and his Mantle, Ezra 9.3. And you read that Tamar, King David's Daughter, being raviſhed by her Brother Amnon, rent her Garment of divers colours, 2 Sam. 13.19.

But this external ſign of Sorrow grew at length ſo into meer cuſtom and formality, that it ſignified no more the ſence of their minds, then our common wearing of Mourning does: And therefore God, that did accept it while there was any thing in it, now it was grown to be a Ceremony only, would have none of it, but expreſly forbids it, ſaying, Rent your heart and n…t your Garments. As if the Lord ſhould ſay, Come, don't ye think to cheat me with your pitiful feigned and formal Repentance of renting your Garments, and tearing your Cloaths, while you keep your ſins whole: But inſtead of all this ado of renting your Garments, rent your Hearts: 'Tis not your Cloaths, 'tis your Wickedneſs and your Corruptions that I would have you rent off from you. Wherefore rent your Hearts, the Seat and Fountain of all your guilt; and don't ye think that the tearing your Coats ſhall explate your Sins, or make an amends for your breaking my Commands, and the defiling your own Conſciences.

Wherefore the Text affords us this Propoſition: That true Repentance, and ſuch as is acceptable to God, conſiſts not in any formal exterior Obſervations, but in the renting off of Sin from the Heart.

The terms of this Propoſition are ſo plain that they need no explanation: for the known and common acceptation of Repentance, is the best, that It is an Averſion from Sin, and a Converſion to God

And by formal and exterior Obſervations, is meant ſuch Religious Performances as Cuſtom and Tradition, not Divine Injunction, hath deliver'd to, and impoſed upon us. And therefore I proceed to the proof of the Propoſition, which is two-fold:

p. 41. Negative, That true Repentance, and ſuch as is acceptable to God, conſiſts not in any formal outward Obſervations.

2. Poſitive, That it doth conſiſt in renting off Sin from the heart. But I doubt I ſhall not be able in this preſent opportunity to reach unto this ſecond head of our Propoſition. Wherefore to the firſt or negative part thereof.

1. That true Repentance, and ſuch as is acceptable unto God, conſiſts not in any formal exterior Obſervations: For the proof of this part of the Propoſition, take ye the Phariſees, who certainly were the greateſt Sticklers for, and Promoters of ſuch Obſervations, of any Generation of men that ever you read of, either in ſacred Writ, or in prophane: for they were ſo eaten up with the ruſt and canker of Ceremonies and Traditions, that Chriſt tells you, that they made the Commandments of God of none effect by them, Mat. 15.…. and yet you find theſe men, for all their multitudes of formalities and ſuperficial Obſervations, were ſo far from true Repentance, and ſuch as is acceptable unto God, that our bleſſed Lord accounts and calls them but Hypocrites, who though they did draw nigh to him with their mouth, and honour him with their lips, yet their hearts were far from him, verſ. 7, 8. And therefore it is worthy your notice, that our Saviour denounces more Woes againſt this Generation, then againſt all the World bolides; and teſtifies that for all their protended zeal and ſanctity, in their formal and outward demeanor, that very Publicans and Harlots (though they are but a brace of he moſt hateful … of People that the World has in it, yet even thoſe) ſhould go into the Kingdom of Heaven before them, Matth. 21.31.

In Iſa. 1.10, 11. you meet with a Crew of Rulers and people ſo wickedly religious, that they quite nauſeated the Almighty with their Sacrifices; inſomuch that God forbids them bringing any more: and yet for all this puther of Devotion, you find that theſe mighty religious Rulers, were but Rulers of Sodom, and theſe bigotted people, were but the people of Gomorrah, verſ. 10. and therefore they and their Oblations both, were but an abomination to the Lord. So that you ſee, true Repentance conſiſts not in exterior Obſervations.

The Prophet Jeremiah is commanded by the Lord in the beginning of Chap. 7. to go and ſtand in the Lords Houſe, and to proclaim there, to all that go in at thoſe gates to worſhip the Lord, That they ſhould amend their ways and their doings: What? Amend their ways and their doing when they are going into the Temple? And p. 5going thither too to worſhip the Lord there? Yes: for you may go to Church, and to Gods worſhip, and yet go to the Devil too for all that, if you are but ſuch Worſhippers as theſe were: for in verſ. 9. you have this Character of them, that they were Thieves, and Murderers, and Adulterers, and perjured Perſons, and Idolaters; which are but a pretty odd pareel of Worſhippers of God: And yet, as odd as they are, you hardly find any in all the Scriptures that cry up the Temple, and God Almighties Church and Worſhip, at a higher rate then theſe do, verſ. 4. Inſomuch that when the Prophet call'd for true Repentance from them, to prevent that great Captivity was coming on them; they had ſuch a confidence in their Temple, and their worſhipping therein, that they would not credit him in any of the threatnings and denunciations againſt them. But for all their confidence in, and crying up of the Temple, pray ſee what a Reſolution the Lord takes up, concerning theſe wicked formal impious wretches; for he commands his Prophet, verſ. 16. that he ſhould not ſo much as pray for them: Pray not thou (ſaith the Lord) for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make interceſſion to me, for I will not hear thee. What a Church! and a Church that boaſts it ſelf ſo much in its Worſhip! that pays ſo much Reverence and Reſpect to the Temple of the Lord! that are ſuch conſtant frequenters of Divine Service, and of his Worſhip therein! and that are every way ſo abundant in their Formalities and Religious Obſervations! and yet to be ſuch miſcreants that neither Cry nor Prayer is to be lift up for them! Yes, ſuch miſcreants you ſee a Church may be. Wherefore 'tis not your going to Church, no nor your performing Worſhip there, that will ought avail you, if you amend not your ways and your doings; for theſe both went and worſhipped too in the Temple, and yet you ſee what vile Wretches, nay very Caſtaways, they were for all that. From whence 'tis manifeſt, that true Repentance, and ſuch as is acceptable unto God, conſiſts not in any formal out-ſide Performance whatſoever.

And the Reaſons are plain: for if true Repentance, that is, ſuch as is well-pleaſing to God, did conſiſt in theſe cuſtomary external Compliances; then the wickedeſt men, and the worſt of Hypocrites, would be more acceptable to God, than the ſincereſt Chriſtians; nay, Papiſts would be more acceptable God than Proteſtants; and Pagans then either: for the worſe the Worſhip is, the more are the Ceremonies. Balaam will have Seven Altars to Elijah's One: for they are fain to ſupply the defects of their Worſhip by the multitude of exterior Performances and Obſervations.

p. 6Again, If true Repentance, and ſuch as is acceptable to God, did conſiſt in ſuch Obſervations, then all the Scriptures were a falſity: For why ſhould the Lord command us to … Hearts and not our Garments, if the renting of the Garments is that which is acceptable to him? Why ſhould the Lord profeſs himſelf to … weary of their Sacrifices, (though a part of the … himſelf) in the firſt of Iſaiah, and … to make our ſelves clean by putting away the … of … before his Eyes, and bid us ceaſe to do evil, and learn to do well? In muttering over a few Prayers by rote, and ſorrowful faces, …c. might ſerve the turn, to what end are we told in the holy, Word of God, that the Lord is the Searches of Hearts, and the Tr… of R…ns, and that he knows all our thoughts a far off, it … the work of Repentance, and all our Religious Performances, the formal and exterior Obſervations are that which are acceptable to him? Nay, why is Repentance, why is Faith, why is Love called Work and Labour in the Scripture? Why is the way that leads to the Heavenly Kingdom called a narrow Way, and … Gate, and we commanded to ſtrive to enteron, and … that many ſhall …e… to enter in that ſhall not be able? For all this labour and toil may be ſaved, if formal and meer bodily Obſervations makes us acceptable unto God, The firſt worſhip that we find performed unto God, are the Offerings of the two Brothers Gain and Abel… in Gen. 4. and ſu…e … man… render a reaſon why Ca… and his …ring ſhould be … exterior Obſervations be …ly required by ….

Wherefore let us now ſee what profitable Ʋſe we may make from this … of the Propoſition, That true Repentance, and ſuch as is accep… … God, conſiſt… not in any formal and exterior Obſervation.

… the … Uſe ſhall be for Inſtruction. Is it ſo, that true Repentance conſiſts not in any exterior Obſervations? Then hence we may learn how much and deſervedly they are to blame, that place … more in renting the garment, then in renting the heart; … to a Ceremony, or ſome external Obſervation, as an … of true Repentance: Who inſtead of preaching up a good, a virtuous, and a Christian Life, and of preſſing their People to bring forth Fruits meet for Repentance, do lay out a deal of Dull Divinity in urging their Auditors to a thorow Conformity to a few Humorous and Caprioious Ceremonies.

p. 7In the 15th of St. Matth. and the beginning of the Chapter, you find the Scribes and Phariſees, for want of other matter, quarrelling our Saviour, becauſe his Diſçiples tranſgreſſed the Tradition of the Elders, in eating Bread without waſhing their hands: A tidy crime, and cauſe of quarrel, was it not? And yet you may ſee by our Lords reaſoning, that they were ſuch Traditional and Ceremony-Fopps, that they would quarrel him and his Diſciples too ſooner and fiercer upon this account, than if they had broken a Commandment of God: Would to God the Papiſts only had the Succeſſion of this Phariſaical temper among them; but the more is the pity, we daily ſee and hear proteſtant Phariſees, as well as Popiſh, who had rather mix Heaven and Earth together, and hazard the conſuſion of Church, nay and State too, than part with a dry and empty Ceremony: what if I ſhould inſtance but in Chriſtening with the Sign of the Croſs? I doubt I am not uncharitable in thinking, that many even of us Proteſtant Miniſters, would rather never Chriſten a Child at all, than to Chriſten it without that Ceremony, though they do acknowledge that Chriſtening is a Divine Command, and the Signing with the Croſs is but a Humane; and that the Child is never the better for it, nor never the worſe without it. As for them indeed that do think that the Sign of the Croſs hath ſome magical vertue in it, that it is a ſpiritual Spell to drive away Spirits and Hobgoblins, and a good guard againſt Jack o'th' Lanthorn and haunted Houſes, and that do believe it keeps the Devil in ſome better decorum towards us than otherwiſe he would obſerve, they have ſome pretence to be tenacions of it; but we that laugh at ſuch fooleries, and that deny theſe Popiſh and pious Frauds, as ſitter to be ridiculed than to have any Reverence done them; for us, I ſay, to be ſo peeviſhly fond of it, as that we will break all the bonds of Love and Peace rather than part with it, does ſhew us rather of an obſtinate and a paſſionate, than of a Religious Mind. I might inſtance in other Ceremonies alſo, but this is ſufficient to inſtruct us, that our Conformity to formal and exterior Obſervations in Religious matters, is no Eſſential part of a ſound and true Repentance.

Secondly, Is it ſo, that true Repentance, and ſuch as is acceptable p. 8unto God, conſiſts not in any formal and exterior Obſervations; then be inſtructed not to overvalue them; there is a mighty propenſity in our Natures, to ſay of our exterior Obſervations, as Micah did of his Conſecrated Levite, Judg. 17. laſt ver. Now know I, ſays he, that the Lord will do me good, ſeeing I have a Levite to my Prieſt. But he was ſo miſtaken, that you find in the very next Chapter, that this very Prieſt, which he hugg'd himſelf ſo much for, joyn'd with a company of Robbers to plunder his Maſters Houſe, and ſteal away his Gods from him, ver. 20. So all your Confidence in the external parts of Religion, will but ſerve you like this Levite, Cheat and deceive you. Nay of all the deceits in nature this is the moſt dreadful, for it not only deludes you to the day of your Death, but continues its deluſion at the very day of Judgment; for in the 7th of St. Matthew, you find that theſe Confidents come with ſuch a marvellous boldneſs to Chriſt, that they argue the matter with him, ſaying: Lord, Lord, have we not preached in thy Name, and in thy Name have caſt out Devils, and in thy Name done many wonderful works? verſ. 22. Nay the Evangeliſt St. Luke goes further, and tells you that theſe miſtaken Souls demand entrance into Heaven, ſaying: Lord! Lord! Open unto us: For we have (received the Sacrament) eat and drunk in thy preſence, and thou haſt taught in our Streets, Luke 13.25, 26. Good Lord! what a dreadful deluſion is this, that carries exterior Profeſſors not only through Death, but to the day of Judgment too? and are never convinced of their miſtake till they receive that final and eternal doom, Depart from me ye warkers of Iniquity, v. 27. And certainly it is from hence that St. John the Baptiſt thus chargeth the Phariſees and Sadduces that came to his Baptiſm, Think not to ſay within your ſelves, we have Abraham to our Father, Matth. 3.9. As if he ſhould ſay; Have a care, for that thought will make you reſt ſhort of true Religion, and make you miſcarry at the laſt. And as St. John bid them that they ſhould not think to ſay, that they had Abraham to their Father; ſo I bid you, do not think to ſay that you have the Church for your Mother; for it is not your being Sons of the Church, if you reckon your Sonſhip merely from your Birth, or Baptiſm or outward Conformity, that p. 9will profit you any thing; for you may come to Church and perform all the Ceremonies and exterior parts of worſhip, and yet be bid depart at laſt among the workers of Iniquity, if the Power of Godlineſs as well as the Profeſſion thereof be not found in you: Wherefore, be inſtructed not to overvalue any formal or external part of Religion whatſoever. And thus much for Inſtruction: Come we next to Rproof.

If it be ſo, that true Repentance, and ſuch as is acceptable unto God, conſiſts not in any outſide Formalities; then be Reproved all ye of the Clergy, that do ſo utterly pervert your Office and the Ends of your Miniſtry. What, were you ſent of God to preach Repentance and remiſſion of Sins to the Children of men? Are you ſent by God to cry out to men, that they ſhould Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand? Matth. 3.2. And to awake them that ſleep, that they ſhould Ariſe from the dead, that Chriſt may give them light? Epheſ. 5.14. What, were you ſent to bid men Rent their hearts and not their garments, and to turn men from darkneſs to light, and from the power of Satan unto God? Matth. 26.18. And do you ſpend your Miniſtry about ſuch triſting ſtuff, ſuch ſorry things as you your ſelves acknowledge to be but indifferent? Truly this is but indifferent Divinity, and ſuch as I doubt you will give but a very indifferent Account of, when our great Lord and Maſter ſhall appear; therefore pray bethink your ſelves: For,

Firſt, Conſider ſeriouſly whether ever God required this at your hands: He hath required here in the Text you ſee, that you ſhould bid men Rent their hearts and not their Garments: But where hath he required you to teach men to Rent their Garments and not their hearts? to obſerve the formal and exterior parts of Religion more than the real and interior parts thereof? For Religion is a heart work, and conſiſts not in Formality but Reality; and therefore the good men of God have prayed in all Ages like David in the 51 Pſal. ver. 10. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right Spirit within me. Hence is it that King Hezekiah beſeeched the Lord to remember for him, how he had walked before him (what in Ceremony and Formality? No;) in truth and with a perfect heart, Iſa. 38.3. and therefore the true Prophets of God have ever cryed out, O p. 10Jeruſalem, waſh thy heart from wickedneſs, Jer. 4.14. They are phariſaical Hypocrites that cry up the waſhing of the hands, and that place the total of Religion, Divine Worſhip and Devotion, in exterior Obſervations, where Gods Word never placed it: In the fifth of St. Matthew, among thoſe glorious Beatitudes of our bleſſed Saviour, you will find one appropriated to the pure in heart, ver. 8. but you no where find a bleſſing appropriated to formal Ceremonies, or bodily Geſtures, or lip Devotions; wherefore, thoſe ſowre and angry Gentlemen that are ſo mightily for the Gaityes of exterior Obſervances, may do well to bethink themſelves in time, what anſwer they will give the Lord to that great queſtion, Iſa. 1.12. Who hath required this at your hands?

Secondly, Let thoſe that fall under this Reproof, bethink themſelves, whether in their heat and zeal of preaching up Conformity to exterior Obſervations, they have not fed their Flocks with husks inſtead of Bread? And by reaſon of this may not your Hearers cry out with the Prophet, My Leanneſs! my Leanneſs! Wo unto me, Iſa. 24.16. In the Jewiſh Church there were many external Obſervances commanded, and therefore had Divine Authority for their warrant; and yet when theſe Externals were ſcrew'd up to that height, and grew ſo rank that Religion run all into ſtalk, and had nothing but a bare appearance and mere outſide in it, the Lord loathed and abhorred them, though they had his own Precept for them: Pray will you ſee how that great and Evangelical Prophet Iſaiah both opens and ſhuts up his Prophecy: In his firſt Chapter you find him opening his Prophecy thus: Thus ſaith the Lord, Bring no more vain Oblations, Incenſe is an Abomination to me, the New Moons and Sabbaths, the Calling of Aſſemblies I cannot away with, it is iniquity even the ſolemn meetings; your New Moons and your appointed Feaſts my Soul hateth, they are a trouble unto me, I am weary to bear them. And now ſee how he ſhuts up his Prophecy in his laſt Chapter: He that killeth an Oxe is as if he ſlew a man, he that ſacrificeth a Lamb as if he cut off a Dogs neck: he that offereth an Oblation as if he offered Swines blood, he that burneth Incenſe as if he bleſſed an Idol, ver. 3. Yet Sacrifices, Oblations, Incenſe, New Moons, Sabbaths, p. 11their ſolemn Aſſemblies, and their Feſtivals were all commanded by the Lord; but when all Religion came to be put in theſe exterior Obſervations, and that they eat up and uſurped the place of the life and power thereof, they became an Abomination to God and all good men, and their Sacrifices, Oblations, and Incenſe, were but as Murder, Prophanity, and Idolatay before the Lord. A mighty memorable and particular inſtance of this matter, you have in the Second of Kings, Chap. 18. ver. 4. In the third Verſe it is ſaid, that King Hezekiah did that which was right in the ſight of the Lord, according to all that David his Father did. And the fourth Verſe tells you what thoſe right things were; He removed the high Places, he brake the Images, he cut down the Groves, and that he might make clear work, it is added, that he brake in pieces the brazen Serpent that Moſes had made. The occaſion of making it you will find in the twenty firſt of Numbers, which was thus: The Children of Iſrael in their Journeyings in the Wilderneſs, were grievouſly afflicted with fiery Serpents, which bit and killed many of them: Upon this the people beſought Moſes, that he would pray unto God for them, that he would take away thoſe Serpents; which Moſes did: And the Lord gave this anſwer to the prayer of Moſes, ver. 8. Make thee a fiery Serpent, and ſet it upon a pole, and it ſhall come to paſs, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it ſhall live. And in the ninth Verſe, Moſes made this Serpent of Braſs, and put it upon a pole, and it came to paſs that if a Serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld that Serpent of braſs he lived, as the Lord had promiſed. And you find that this brazen Serpent had the honour to be reckoned a Type of Chriſt, even by our Lord himſelf, John 3.14. As Moſes lift up the Serpent in the Wilderneſs, even ſo (ſays our Saviour) muſt the Son of Man be lifted up; that whoſoever believeth in him ſhould not periſh, but have eternal life. How then comes it about, that the breaking this brazen Serpent in pieces, ſhould be one of thoſe excellent Acts which is ſaid to be right in the ſight of the Lord? Why, the Text tells you that the Children of Iſrael burnt Incenſe to it: And when any thing becomes an Idol, though it hath been honoured with never ſo great a Divine preſence, and hath performed p. 12never ſo many and mighty operations, and have been never ſo much inſtrumental in the hand of God, to work wonders in the world, yet it muſt be removed and deſtroyed: A Mind that is throughly ſet for God, and a Magiſtrate that is reſolved to diſcharge his duty aright, muſt down with not only Images and Groves, and thoſe groſſer parts of Idolatry and Will-worſhip; but the brazen Serpent alſo, when it not only ceaſeth to propagate true Religion, but is ſet up in oppoſition againſt it: For though it have been never ſo uſeful and ſerviceable to heal and ſave the people formerly; yet when it does degenerate and becomes inſtrumental to deſtroy them, it ſhould down too; for 'tis not their paſt excellency nor ſervice ſhould prevail with you to ſpare them, when they are become a preſent damage. Well then, if exterior Obſervations of Gods own appointment, and ſuch as have had his expreſs Commands to warrant them, may become ſo abominable, when it runs up into Forms and Ceremonies only, and engages it ſelf in a direct oppoſition to the power and life of Religion, how abominably abominable muſt thoſe Obſervations needs be that have no ſacred Sanction, and at beſt nothing but humane Precepts and humor to maintain them? And are they to be reproved that exalt and cry up the formal and external Obſervations of Inſtituted Worſhip, and give it the preference to the internal and Spiritual part of Religion, as ſuch as do but betray and undo their hearers? And are they to be excuſed that magnifie and exalt the formal and exterior Obſervations of invented Worſhip, to the eternal and everlaſting Ruin of the Souls that credit them? God forbid: But I muſt go on.

Thirdly, Let ſuch as are included in this Reproof, bethink themſelves; for whatever they may fancy, they are but of the Devils ſide, and are but doing this work; for God calls for renting the heart, 'tis the Devil that would ſhamm off this duty by renting of the Garments; for he cares not how much nor how abounding you are in this work of exterior Obſervations, ſo you do but let alone That: he will compound with you, and let you pay Tithes of Mint, Cummin, and Anniſe, all the days of your life if you will, ſo you will but omit the weightier matters of the Law, Judgment, Mercy and Faith. Nay, he'll p. 13aid and encourage you in your formal and exterior Obſervations, ſo that you will but reſt there and go no further; for he'll let you be indefatigably zealous in that work: In the 18th Chapter of the firſt Book of Kings, you find the ſtrangeſt Queſtion ſtarted, that ever you read of in any Book either Religious or Prophane; for the Queſtion was, Who ſhould be God? The God of Heaven or Baal? The Prieſts and Worſhippers of Baal contended ſtrongly that Baal was God, and to be ſerved and followed: The Prophet Elijah aſſerts that the Lord is God, and that they ought to ſerve and follow him. At length they agreed in this iſſue, that two Bullocks ſhould be brought, and the Clergy that were for Baal ſhould chooſe one of theſe Bullocks, and cut it in pieces and lay it on wood, and put no fire under; and the Prophet Elijah would dreſs the other Bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under, and they ſhould both call on the Name of their Gods, and the God that anſwered by Fire, he ſhould be God, verſ. 23, 24. Well! this was done; and now pray mark the carriage of theſe Worſhippers: The Prieſts, the Text tells you, called on the Name of Baal from Morning to Noon in their dull Let any, ſaying, O Baal hear us, we beſeech thee to hear us good Baal; and they leaped up and down about the Altar; but there was no hearing, nor no anſwering for all that. Then they cryed aloud, and cut themſelves with Knives and Launcets till the blood guſhed out; and this they did until the Evening Sacriſice, but received no anſwer ſtill. And now the holy Prophet comes to act his part, and pray obſerve, that he uſeth no ſuch Formal and Exterior Obſervations; no Cap…rings nor Cringings neither about the Altar, nor no Canting out of a little Nonſence or Tautology from Morning to Noon, and from Noon to Night: No cutting nor ſlaſhing himſelf, nor mingling blood with his Sacrifice, but calmly and humbly addreſſeth himſelf to God, in an honeſt and plain Prayer ſuitable to the occaſion. Then the fire of the Lord fell, and conſumed the burnt Sacrifice, and the Wood, and the very Stones, in ſo prodigious a manner, that all the people were convinced, and falling on their faces, with an univerſal Vote cryed out, The Lord he is God, the Lord he is God. Verſe 37, 38, 39. From whence you may diſcern, how p. 14elaborate and indefatigate a corrupt Clergy is to propagate the Devils ſide, and the worſer Worſhip; and how they lay out themſelves in promoting the Obſervation of exterior Ceremonies, which are of no avail. They cry aloud, frisk about the Altar, and cut themſelves like any mad, and do a world of things which were never commanded by God, and which are but ridiculous among men; and yet all this Frenzie muſt paſs for true Religion and Decency of Worſhip, or they'll quarrel you for Fanatiques. One would wonder what Baalam mean'd, Numb. 23, &c. where he commands ſeven Altars to be built, and ſeven Oxen and ſeven Rams to be prepared: One would think that he were going to offer to a whole Heptarchy of Gods, did not the Scripture every where ſhew us, that hypocrytical falſe Prophets and falſe Worſhippers are mighty Wonderfull abounding in their Altars and Offerings, and all the exterior parts of Religion: pray will you take a view of that formal Gentleman you meet with in the 18th of St. Luke, verſ. 12. and ſee how he pranks himſelf up with his exterior performances: I faſt twice a week (ſays he) I give Tythes of all that I poſſeſs; and yet for all that he was but a proud Phariſee ſtill, a wicked falſe Hypocrite ſtill, and came out of the Temple the ſame man that he went into it; ſo that though he faſted and went to Church every Wedneſday and Friday, yet he had been as good he had ſtayed at home; for he got no good by going thither: It only prided him up to deſpiſe his Neighbours, and wrought in him a Conceit that he was better than them; and pray God this be not the Caſe of too many of us: For while we lay the ſtreſs of all Religion upon formal and exterior Obſervations, we are but doing the Devils work, even when we are engaged in Gods Service. For whiles we are but for Renting of the Garments only, and ſo quarrelſomly ſet for formal and exterior Obſervations, we may pray and preach too in the Temple as long as we will, and yet be ſtill but on the Devils ſide for all that.

Fourthly, Again, bethink your ſelves, you that are concern'd in this Reproof, that while you are for Renting of p. 15the Garments only, for the outſide, guilded part, or Husk of Religion; you are but for a Faction and a Party, and have no Communion with the Ʋniverſal Church of Chriſt: You are but for Chriſtians of your own Size and Hue, and grow up into a little creeping narrow ſpirit, that can never love nor ſerve any Soul but what is juſt and directly of your own dimenſion: Whereas a Chriſtian of the Univerſal Church, is of a large, comprehenſive, generous Spirit and Principle, and loves a good and a vertuous man, that makes it his Religion to Rent his Heart and not his Garments, let his perſwaſion in other and minuter things be what it will. For this is Gods Religion, all other is but Mans, and ſubject to Innovation and Changes, according as their humours vary, and muſt be managed by brutal and unnatural heats and ſury: Hence is it that you ſee thoſe that are for Renting the Garments, for formal and outward Rites, are alwayes ſowre and quarrelſome, fretting themſelves, and vexing others, if they come not up to every Punctilio of their Obſervances: For they quarrel your Carriage, your Company, your Diſcourſe, and in a word your whole Converſation. For 'tis a Spirit of ſuch a ſilthy, rude, impoſing Nature, that you muſt be an abſolute Slave to it, or it is never ſatisſied. Pray look into the ſecond of St. Mark, and you will there find theſe men quarrelling our Saviour upon all theſe Accounts, for they fall out with him no leſs than four times in that one Chapter. Firſt, They quarrel his Diſcourſe, and charge him with Blaſphemy, in ſaying to the ſick of the Palſie, Son, thy ſins are forgiven thee. Why doth this man ſpeak Blaſphemy, ſay they, who can forgive ſins but God only? verſ. 5, 7. Secondly, They quarrel him for his Company, and charge him with Profanity, in eating and drinking with Publicans and Sinners: How is it, ſay they, that he eateth and drinketh with Publicans and Sinners? verſ. 16. Then they quarrel his Converſation, and charge him Firſt with Neglect of Duty in his Non-obſervance of Faſting: Why do the Diſciples of John and of the Phariſees faſt, (ſay they) but thy Diſciples faſt not? verſ. 18. And then laſtly, with the breach of the Sabbath, when his Diſciples plucked the Ears p. 16of Corn: Why do thy Diſciples on the Sabbbath day, ſay they, that which is not lawful? verſ. 24. So that our bleſſed Saviour himſelf, you ſee, who was ſo exact in all the parts of his Converſation, could not pleaſe them, neither feaſting nor faſting: For if you go one Inch too ſwift or too ſlow for their pace, they run upon you preſently, and reckon you none of their Church; and truely it matters not much whether you are or no: For their Church conſiſts of a little Faction, of a few Formal waſpiſh Fopps, that place more Religion in an old Cobweb'd or a new upſtart Ceremony, than a good man durſt place in his exacteſt performances. Theſe are thoſe which our Lord calls blind Guides, and denounces ſo many Woes againſt in the 23d of St. Matthew, and you may ever know them by that Character which he hath given them in the 24^th Verſe, they ſtrain at a Gnat: Are mightily offended at your omiſſion of ſome poor ſtarveling exterior Obſervation: But ſwallow a Camel. You may drink, and whore, and tare, and ſwear, and be as debauched as a Devil, and this never offends them, they will never quarrel you for this; for this will down well enough. For though they compaſs Sea and Land to make a Proſelyte to their Ceremonies and exterior Obſervations, yet when they have made him ſo, though he be two-fold more the Child of Hell than he was before, they are ſatisfied, verſ. 15. So that you ſee whom they convert, they do but pervert: For they care not for increaſing the Church of Chriſt, but lay out all their Care and Induſtry to greaten and increaſe their own Faction and Party. If they get but ſuch as will Rent their Garments, and be of their Outſide Religion and Profeſſion, they have done their doe, and care not whether ever they rent their Hearts or no.

Fifthly and laſtly, You that come under this Reproof, bethink your ſelves betimes, for in your crying up the Renting of the Garments, formal and exterior Obſervations, againſt the Renting of the Heart, you are engaged in a direct Oppoſition to Chriſt: For his Kingdom, Church and Worſhip are all Spiritual, and built upon the ſure Foundation of Scripture Precepts and Divine Inſtitutions. But exterior Ceremonies and Obſervations are too much Carnal, and built but on p. 17the falſe bottom of humane Inventions and Injunctions. Pray ſee the ſecond of the Epheſians and the twentieth verſe, and you'l there find that the true Church is built Ʋpon the Foundation of the Prophets and Apoſtles, Jeſus Chriſt himſelf being the chief corner Stone. And the ſame Apoſtle tells you in the 1 Cor. 3.11. that Other Foundations than this can no man lay, that is, no man can warrantably and by any divine Authority lay any other Foundation than this that is laid. And therefore you ſee that thoſe that are for exterior Obſervations, they leave the Canon of the Scripture, and ſupport their Building by Laws and Canons of their own deviſing, and to oblige the Magiſtrate to give a Sanction to their devices, they decry not only the Law of God but the Laws of the Land too, and preach up and magnifie Abſolute Rule as the Magiſtrates Right, and by that Bait and Lure draw the Government to their ſide; for they give to Caeſar more than the things that are Caeſars, that they may take away from the People the things that are theirs. Nor is it for Caeſars ſake that they do this neither, for they inſlave us to the Magiſtrate for no other end, but that they may enſlave the Magiſtrate and us both to themſelves. For, for Gods ſake what doth the King get by my Conformity to a few Ceremonies and formal Obſervations? Or what does he loſe by my Non-Conformity to them? And if his Majeſty neither gains by my Obſervance, nor is damaged by my non-Obſervance of them, wherein is it his intereſt to be concerned at it? And as his Majeſty receives neither Advantage by the doing of it, nor Detriment by the leaving of it undone, ſo neither doth any of his people. For ſaving the Reverence due to the Folly of this humour, pray who is a penny the better for my going to Church? or a penny the worſe if I ſhould go to what they call a Conventicle? If then neither King nor People be benefited by the one, nor damaged by the other, how comes it to be the Intereſt of the Government to be ſo mightily or indeed at all concerned in the matter? Why nothing but that thoſe Gentlemen that are ſo wonderfully fond and fooliſhly forward for Renting of the Garments, for a formal and external Gaity in Religious Worſhip, perceiving they cannot carry on p. 18a deſign ſo directly oppoſite to the pure and ſpiritual Worſhip of Chriſt, eſpecially in a Reformed and Proteſtant Nation; without the aid of the Magiſtrate, they revive the old Cheat, and perſwade the Magiſtrate that thoſe that are for renting the Heart only, and are Non-Conformiſts as to renting the Garment or exterior Obſervations, are Enemies to their Government, and ſo frighten the Magiſtrate, that they think they have no other way to ſecure their Government but by deſtroying them; when the plain truth is, that 'tis themſelves are afraid that if the Doctrine of renting the Heart only ſhould prevail, they are undone; and therefore by their Art they transfer the fear that's on themſelves to the Magiſtrate, and inſinuate that the Government is ſtab'd through their ſides, though you ſee neither the Magiſtrates nor the People are at all concern'd in the caſe, and that the controverſie is only with them who are too ſtrait ſaced in the point of renting the Garments, and that ſtand over ſtiffly for exterior Obſervations, in oppoſition to Chriſt in his more pure and ſpiritual worſhip of Renting the Heart: And ſo much for Reproof. Come we now to Admonition.

The third Ʋſe or Improvement of this Point ſhall be for Admonition, and this Admonition extends it ſelf to all Perſons, to the Governors and Governed.

Firſt, To Governors.

Ye have heard the firſt Branch of the Propoſition, That true Repentance and ſuch as is acceptable to God, conſiſts not in any Exterior Obſervations: Be admoniſhed then, not to impoſe upon your people what can never be acceptable unto God. But remember that you are Gods Vicegerents, and therefore ſhould impoſe nothing upon your Subjects but what is acceptable to him whom you repreſent, and what you have juſt ground to believe that he himſelf would impoſe were he perſonally preſent; and have you any ground to believe that if he were perſonally preſent, that he would Act againſt his own Commands, and Puniſh men becauſe they would not break his own Precepts? For 'tis his Precept that you ſhould only rent your Hearts, but that you ſhould not rent your Garments; and do you think that the Lord would go againſt his own Will, and againſt his own Word? and if you think p. 19that he would not, then why do you? For God has not advanced you, and ſet you in thoſe high Stations and in his Stead, that you ſhould rule ad libitum, and make your own Luſts and not his Laws the Standards of your Actions; No, Let who will teach you theſe Doctrines, 'tis but ſlight Crapedivinity, and ſuch as the Ancients and the Orthodox never knew: Liſten not therefore to thoſe that put you upon ſuch wild and Savage Notions, to perſecute all that are not for renting their Garments, for every formal and exterior Obſervation; and be not rode by thoſe heady humerous perſons to your own deſtruction. You have ſeen how they have embroiled this Kingdom, and that of Scotland too, in a bloody and inteſtine War upon the Account of Ceremonies and exterior obſervations, once already. For this quarel of theirs has coſt more Engliſh and Scottiſh blood than all the Ceremonies of the Roman Church and Ours too are worth, though they were bound in one bundle both together. Wherefore pleaſe to Remember that Exhortation in the ſecond Pſal. and the tenth verſ. B…ſe now therefore O ye Kings, be Inſtructed ye Judges of the Forth. And truly ye have need of Wiſdom and Inſtruction▪ … you ſtand but in ſlippery places. And if you truſt your …lves ſo wholly to the Conduct of others, as that that yo… will ſee by no Eyes but theirs, nor hear with no Ears but theirs, nor will make uſe of no ſence of your own but theirs, you may ſoon ſlide. For if ſo great a Man and ſo great a Magiſtrate as David was, and one that kept ſuch a diligent watch over himſelf, tells you that his ſeet were almoſt gone, his ſteps had well nigh ſlipped, Pſal. 73.2. ſurely Governours ought to be very carefull of their footing, and to ſee that they be not trapann'd, neither by themſelves, no nor by the advice of others, into precipitate Acts. How happy was it for King Ahaſuerus that the followed his own ſence and not Hamans? and how happy had it been for Pilate if he had obeyed his own Judgment, and not followed the hot and furious Clamors of that Corrupt Clergy, Math. 27.20, 21, 22. Have a care therefore how ye are engaged by others to lay out your Power, or elſe before you are aware you'l miſcarry; in the Eleventh of Matth. and the Eleventh verſe, p. 20you read of one of the greateſt men that ever the World brought forth: For our Saviour teſtifies, that among them that are born of Women, there hath not roſen a greater than John the Baptiſt, and yet this great man loſt his Head to pleaſe a Miſs. For though King Herod feared him, and knew that he was a juſt man and a holy; nay though he obſerved him, and when he heard him, did many things, and heard him Gladly, Mark 6.20. yet Herodias's Daughter Danced off his Head for all that: ſo that you had need look about you that you be not ſurprized, and this in all Caſes, but eſpecially in thoſe that relate to Renting the Garments and exterior Obſervations; becauſe your Flatterers will perſwade you in that Caſe, that your ſin is ſo far from being a ſin, that it is a Service to God, and a Service to his Church; according to that Prophecy of our Saviour, Joh. 16.2. the time cometh that whoſoever killeth you, will think that he doth God Service; and when men, eſpecially Magiſtrates, are under that Miſtake, that they reckon their Sin to be their Duty, they then play the Devil for Gods ſake. In the 66 of Iſaiah and the 5 verſe, you will find a people that hated their Brethren and caſt them out, and yet ſaid, Let the Lord be Glorified; they ſang their Gloria Patri, even while they were engaged in the Devils work: But the Text tells you that God ſhould appear to the joy of them that were Hated and Perſecuted, and their Enemies for all their Crying Let the Lord be Glorified, ſhould be aſhamed: 'Tis not therefore your Crying Glory to the Father, To the Son, and to the Holy Ghoſt, that will ought avail you, or ſtand you in any ſtead, while you hate and Perſecute your Brethren, becauſe they cannot Conform to our exterior Obſervations. Be admoniſhed then to let your people alone; and if they Rent their Hearts, Live honeſt and vertuous Lives, let it ſatisfy you, though they cannot rent their Garments and Conform to every outward Ceremony or Obſervance: And ſince the Lord hath Commanded them not to Rent their Garments, let not your Commands run counter or contrary to the Lords, leſt you be found ſighters againſt God, and Advancers of your Laws in oppoſition to and above the Laws of the Almighty; in the p. 21Prophecy of the Prophet Malachy, you find the Lord diſpleaſed that they offer'd up to him ſuch Blind and Lame and Sick Sacrifices, that their Governours would not accept from their hands though they offer it unto them, Mal. 1.8. And ſure the Lord would be much more diſpleaſed, if Governours ſhould Puniſh their People for Offering ſuch Sacrifices as are acceptable unto him; and the Pſalmiſt tells you that the Sacrifices that are acceptable to God, are a broken Spirit: For a broken and a contrite heart (ſayes he) O God thou wilt not deſpiſe, Pſal. 51.17. And therefore have we this Command in the Text, to Rent our Hearts, as the only Sacrifice that is Acceptable unto God; and will you dare to contradict this Command; and Oblige your people to Rent their Garments, which the Lord hath expreſly forbidden, as that which is unacceptable to him? God ſorbid. And thus much to the Governours. Come we now to the ſecond part of this Admonition, to the Governed.

Is it ſo, that true Repentance, and ſuch as is acceptable unto God, conſiſts not in any formal or exterior Obſervations? Then be you admoniſhed to two Duties.

Firſt, To Moderation.

Secondly, To Peaceableneſs.

1. To Moderation; that's a great Exhortation the Apoſtle gives us in the fourth of Philip. and fifth verſe, Let your Moderation be known unto all men; and 'tis an admirable Reaſon that the Apoſtle annexeth to enforce his Exhortation, For the Lord (ſays he) is at hand. You ſee here in the Text, and from the plain Word of the Lord, that 'tis not renting your Garments, nor any exterial obſervations, but the renting of the Heart that is Commanded and Accepted of God. Then be not immoderate for any external Obſervances; for if ye are, true Religion never will nor can take root in you; In the fourth of St. John, Chriſt met with a poor Samaritan Woman, and diſcours'd her ſo long that at length ſhe ſaw he was a Prophet, and therefore reſolved that ſhe would improve the preſent Opportunity: (But how?) Not by enquiring after the Truth of Worſhip, but about the Place: Sir (ſayes ſhe) I perceive that thou art a Prophet, our Fathers Worſhipt in this Mountain, and ye ſay that in Jeruſalem is the p. 22Place where men ought to Worſhip, v. 19.20. Now pray ſee how Chriſt nips this little external Quaere: And Jeſus ſaith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh when ye ſhall neither in this Mountain, nor yet at Jeruſalem Worſhip the Father, v. 21. and then goes on to ſhew her what true Worſhip was, and who the true Worſhipers are, but ſayes not one word of the Place. In like manner many are mightily inquiſitive about Places, Times, Geſtures and Circumſtances of Worſhip, and have a great zeal for all theſe external parts of Religion, and yet are totally ignorant both of the true Worſhip and true Worſhippers: wherefore you had need be very Moderate and Sober, that you be not ſo tranſported with external Obſervations, and run away with the Shadow inſtead of the Subſtance of Religion; for Moderation tempers the mind, and allayes thoſe heats and excurſions which otherwiſe it is apt to make: And therefore it is called a being ſober-minded, in the 2 Titus, v. 6. for without this ye are like Mad Diſtracted perſons, and will run upon a Neighbour or a Relation for diſſenting from you in a Ceremony or ſome exterial Oblervation, as if he were a Turk or an Inſidel: But this makes a man remember, that in Chriſt Jeſus, neither Circumciſion nor Ʋncircumciſion availeth any thing, but a new Creature, Gal. 6.15. And therefore this teacheth us to put no ſuch mighty ſtreſs and value upon that which is of no avail; but to imbrace Moderation as that which will ballance the mind, and keep it in an even and ſober poſture at all times and in all caſes.

2. Be admoniſht to Peaceableneſs, and reckon not this admonition ſtrange; for the holy Scripture tells you of ſome that hate peace; and the Pſalmiſt ſaith, he had long dwelt with ſuch, Pſal. 120.6. My Soul (ſayes he) hath long dwelt with him that hateth Peace: I am (ſayes he) for Peace, but when I ſpeak, they are for War: And yet theſe Haters of Peace have alwayes the Impudence to complain firſt, and to burthen others with their Guilt; and if you ſearch the Scriptures, you will find none ſo deeply culpable of this Crime as thoſe that were for external Obſervations; for who ſo much oppoſe the Miracles and Doctrine of Chriſt, and ſo bloodily purſued him to the very Death, as thoſe that were for the Traditions of the Elders?

p. 23And who raiſed the uproars, the mutinies and tumults againſt the Apoſtles of Jeſus Chriſt in every Country, City, Town, and place where they came, but the ſame Spirit? And yet they had the foreheads to accuſe the holy Apoſtles, nay our bleſſed Lord and Saviour himſelf for Seditious, and the Ringleaders of Sedition. Be careful therefore that ye be not inſnar'd to herd with this tumultuous and unpeaceable ſpirit; for if ye do, you'l run clamouring with them to the Magiſtrate againſt your neighbours, and againſt your friends, to ruin and undo them for the non-obſervance of ſome external rites and cuſtoms. You ſee how fierce and ſavage this ſpirit hath been in all ages, and quite through the Scriptures, that have been for renting the garments and exterial obſervations. But pray look and ſee where you can find that they that were for renting the heart were ever tainted with this unpeaceable and turbulent temper. And yet (which is greatly to be lamented) you generally find the Magiſtrate take in with that mutinous ſpirit againſt this, and laying the imputations due to them upon theſe: Heareſt thou not (ſays Pilate to Chriſt) how many things they witneſs againſt thee? Mat. 27.13. and yet they were all falſe Witneſſes, and he himſelf was unjuſt; they were ſuch; for after the Witneſſes had ſpoken, he calls our Saviour a juſt perſon, verſ. 24. and waſheth his hands as innocent of his blood. And yet Oh the wickedneſs of an unjuſt Judg'l for all this, againſt the convictions of his own Conſcience he falls in with that curſed impious and unpeaceable party againſt-Chriſt. Have ye not need then to be admoniſht to look well to your ſelves, that your hearts do not engage you to this unpeaceable ſpirit? There ever was, and I am afraid ſtill is too much Tory-Divinity in the world; but you may eaſily know it, for it is always on the Tantivy, Away with him, away with him, crucifie him, crucifie him, was ever their language. And if you do but ask why? what evil hath he done? this does but whet their rage, and make them urge the multitude to cry out the more, Let him be crucified. For they are acted by a wild kind of ungovernable zeal, ſuch as the Apoſtle St. Paul tells you he had before his Converſion, Act. 22.3. I was zealous towards God, (ſays he), as ye all are this day, and that you may ſee what their zeal was that day, pray look into Act. 21.27. you will find that ſome Jews which were of Aſia (where St. Paul had been preaching) had ſpy'd him in the Temple at Jeruſalem, and they ſtirred up all the people, and laid hands on him, crying out, Men of Iſrael help, this is the man that teacheth all men every where againſt the p. 24people, and the Laws, and this place, and further, Brought Greeks alſo into the Temple, and hath polluted this holy place. And upon this outcry all the City was mov'd, and the people ran together, and they took Paul and drew him out of the Temple; and the Text tells you, They went about to kill him: and had certainly done it, had not a Captain of a band reſcued him, verſ. 31.

So that you ſee what their zeal at that day was, and is but the ſame which the ſame Apoſtle tells you in fewer words in Phil. 3.6. That he was as concerning zeal a perſecutor of the Church. So that this wild kind of vagabond zeal, which is always converſant about exterial obſervations only, and ſpends it ſelf but about the bark and husk of Religion, doth but make men the fiercer and the more inve…om'd in their minds againſt true Chriſtianity, and renting the heart; for this zeal will tranſport you to ſuch inquietudes and extravagancies that ye will prefer a Barrabas a Robber and Murtherer before Chriſt and a ſincere Chriſtian. It will make you mutinous and ſticklers for the worſt men, and the wickedeſt intereſt; what need have ye then of this admonition to be of peaceable ſpirits, that ye be not hurried away by a miſtaken zeal into ſuch ſtrange and brutiſh exorbitances?

And thus much for Admonition, come we now to the next and, laſt improvement of this Point, which is Examination.

And this ſhall be Threefold:

1. To the Magiſtracy.

2. To the Miniſtry.

3. To the People.

1. To the Magiſtracy: For I am for the old Computation of reckoning Moſes before Aaron, and am for placing the Crown above the Miter; though I am ſure this is no way to a Biſhoprick; for all our new faſhioned Divinity is for the other Calculation, and mightily diſſatisfied if you don't put the Church before the State; however I addreſs my-ſelf firſt to you: Is it ſo that true repentance, and ſuch as is acceptable unto God conſiſts not in renting the garments, or exterial obſervations? then be you exhorted to examine your ſelves whether you lay out your Magiſtracy conſonant to, and agreeable with this Doctrine: The higheſt Character that was veer given to any Magiſtrate, is that which we find given to David, p. 25That he was a man after Gods own heart. And indeed the heart and mind of a Magiſtrate ſhould be agreeable to the heart and mind of God, for he bears his Image, and is his Deputy in the Earth. Upon which account Magiſtrates are alſo ſtiled Gods in Scripture. Now therefore examine your ſelves as to this duty before you, and ſee how your hearts ſtand affected towards it. God is all for renting of the heart for zeal and ſpiritual worſhip, on ſuch days, and in ſuch duties as we are now engaged in. But are you not more, or rather for renting the garment? for vain Ceremonies, and humane invented obſervations? How then comes this diſcrepancy betwixt the heart of God and your hearts? between Gods mind and your minds? Inquire well into the matter, for there muſt be a fault ſome where; and it cannot be on the Lords part. Hath not God told you by his own Son, That he is a Spirit, and they that worſhip him, muſt worſhip him in ſpirit and in truth; and that his Father ſeeketh ſuch to worſhip him, Joh. 4.23, 24. And will you ſeek ſuch to puniſh them? Examine your ſelves, and do not think to ſhamm it off, That 'tis for the Church that you do this. Pray turn to 1 Sam. 15. and you will there find one of the greateſt Cheats that you meet with in the whole Word of God; for 'twas by a Magiſtrate, and a Magiſtrate of the higheſt Order, and 'twas a Cheat that had a pretence for the Church too. The buſineſs is this: King Saul received a commiſſion from God to go and ſmite the Amalekites, for laying wait for Iſrael in their way when they came up from Egypt; and the ſumm of the Commiſſion you have in the third verſe, Go and utterly deſtroy all that they have, and ſpare them not; but ſlay both man and woman, infant and ſuckling, ox and ſheep, camel and aſs. Purſuant to this Commiſſion, Saul gathers 210000 of the people together, and goes up and ſmote the Amalekites, but ſpared Agag their King, and the beſt of their ſheep, and of the oxen, and the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good; and would not utterly deſtroy them. But every thing that was vile and refuſe, that they deſtroyed utterly, verſ. 9. Upon this breach of his Commiſſion, the Lord ſends his Prophet Samuel to meet Saul at his return, and you find that Saul met Samuel in a very brisk humour, verſ. 13. for Saul ſaid unto him, Bleſſed be thou of the Lord, I have performed the commandments of the Lord. But Samuel replied, What meaneth then this bleating of the ſheep in mine ears and the lowing of the oxen which I hear? verſ. 14. And now pray p. 26ſee the Cheat that Saul would have put upon the Almighty, and his Prophet; for he ſaw he was run on ground, and therefore obſerve his anſwer: The people (ſays he) ſpared the beſt of the ſheep, and of the oxen, to ſacrifice unto the Lord thy God, ver. 15. So he would have ſhuffed off, and excuſed his ſin upon the ſpecious pretence of maintaining the Church, and the Worſhip of God. But this would not do, for the Prophet reproves him in verſ. 22. thus: Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and ſacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than ſacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams; for Rebellion is as the ſin of Witchcraft. 'Tis the diſobedience of a King againſt his God is ſo ſtiled; and therefore he proceeds and tells him his doom, That becauſe he had rejected the word of the Lord, the Lord had rejected him from being King. And that's all that Saul got by this Cheat.

Do not think therefore to palliate your faults with your eſteems for the Church, and the Divine Service of God; for God had rather have no ſuch Worſhip at all, than a Worſhip that muſt be ſupported and maintained by the breach of his holy Commands. In the 7th. of St. Mark, you may ſee a knot of Hypocrites, and ſuch as were of no inferiour rank neither. So much for the Charch, that they break not only the Law of God, but the Law of Nature too; for the Law of Nature as well as the Law of God, obligeth us to honour our Parents, and as a part of that honour, to ſuccour and relieve them in their neceſſities; but they were ſo unnaturally Religious, that they would give to the Church what they ſhould give to their Parents; and by their gift to the Church they were held abſolved from the Law of God and Nature, to do ought for their father or mother, verſ. 11, 12 ſo that let their father and mother ſtarve if they would, for them, they were reſolved to be ſuperabundantly Religious. But God bleſs us from ſuch an unnatural and abominable Religion! Well therefore might our Saviour conclude that Diſcourſe with this remark, That Traditional men, and ſuch as are ſo much for exteriour obſervations, do ever make the Word of God of no effect, verſ. 13. You were as good have no Bibles, for they will ſuffer you to make no uſe of them; for theſe Jews they had the Law of Moſes, and it was read in their Synagogues every Sabbath day, as St. James aſſures us, Act. 15.21. And though in that Law it was written, Honour thy father and mother, and that p. 27too with a promiſe of length of days; yet you ſee when mens Traditions prevailed, it had been as good they had had no Law at all. And therefore by the way, whatſoever Profeſſion or form of Religion makes you barbarouſly ſowre and unnatural to your Relations, friend and neighbours, which the Law of God, and the bands of Humanity obligeth you to love, reſpect and tender, you may lay your life upon it, that that Profeſſion and form of Religion is but a falſe and counterfeit Chriſtianity, be what it will. Wherefore you that are Magiſtrates had need examine and try your ſelves, and to purpoſe too, whether you are for that Religion which is acceptable to God, the renting of your heart? or whether you are for that only which conſi…ts in renting the garments, and trifling reſervations. And ſo much to the Magiſtrates.

The next Head is to the Miniſters; and would to God there were no cauſe to preſs the improvement of this Point upon us alſo. But methinks I hear the Lord ſaying, Phyſician cure thy ſelf, Luk. 4.23. We are called the Phyſicians of Souls, and uſually ſay the care of Souls is on us; and it behoves the Phyſician to look well to it, that the remedy he preſcribes be warrantable and proper againſt the diſtemper, or elſe we ſhall prove our ſelves to be like Jobs friends, Phyſicians of no value, Job 13.4. Wherefore let us examine our ſelves and ſee whether we that are ſo abounding in our Preſcriptions to cure others, are ſound our ſelves? and let us be content to try our ſelves by this Text, Whether we are more for renting the heart, or for renting the garments? for the life, ſpirit and power of Religion, or for ſome little jejune and ſtarveling ceremonies and crotchetly obſervations? Whether we are not more reconciled to, and have a ſtronger affection for a lewd and wicked Conformiſt than for a virtuous and ſober Nonconformiſt? And pray God our own Conſciences do not anſwer for us, that this is true. For 'tis a ſtrange venom of ſpirit that ſome of us are too apt to diſcover upon all occaſions againſt ſuch as differ but in the leaſt from us in outward forms of Worſhip, though they are never ſo exact and exemplary in their lives, and every way are of a ſound and Orthodox faith. What invictives have we in our Pulpits, out of our Pulpits, in all Companies, and at all ſeaſons againſt Diſſenters? eſpecially againſt their Miniſters? In Numb. 11.27. you find a young Informer p. 28running to Moſes, and telling him that Eldad and Medad were Prophecying, or Preaching in the Camp; upon this information, Joſhua that then waited upon Moſes, was but a young man too, and would have had Moſes forbid them; (but he lived to be both older and wiſer) but ſee how that meek ſervant of the Lord anſwers them, v. 29. Envieſt thou for my ſake! would to God that all the Lords people were Prophets, and that the Lord would put his ſpirit upon them: as i… he had ſaid, you tell me of Two that are Prophecying in the Camp, and I would to God there were twice 200000 there. Now do not we like this young man, run to the Magiſtrates with our informations, and cry out, here's a Conventicle, and there's a Conventicle, and Eldad and Medad pray in this and preach in that place; and then you pray and preſs the Magiſtrate that he would forbid them; nay not forbid them only, but that he would ſend to apprehend them, and clap them up into Gaol; and all this at a time too, when wickedneſs covers the face of the whole land, and grows up ſo rank under our Miniſtry, that it is not able to top it: Pray let us examine and ſee, whether this ſpirit be agreeable to the ſpirit of Moſes, or to the ſpirit of this young informer. St. Paul tells you of ſome that preached Chriſt even out of envy and ſtrife, as ſome preached him out of good-will, Phil. 1.15. Now if any preachers were to be forbidden, one would think theſe ſhould be they; and yet the Apoſtle profeſſeth that he did rejoice that Chriſt was preached even every way, whether in pretence, or real ſincerity; ſo that admit they did preach out of no principle, but envy only, yet you ſee, that a true Apoſtolical ſpirit can and will rejoice at their preaching, though emulation or envy only prompts them to it; let us reflect then, what it is that acts us in this unchriſtian, I had almoſt ſaid inhumane rage againſt our diſſenting brethren: for it is not (whatever we may pretend) the Spirit of God; for that you ſee is of another nature and temper, and acts thoſe that are under its conduct in as different a practice from this of ours, as is light from darkneſs; and pray God we come not nigher the character of thoſe blind guides ſpoken of in Mat. 23.13. that ſhut up the Kingdom of Heaven againſt men, and neither go in our ſelves, nor ſuffer them that are entring to go in; and if we are of the number of theſe, how unfit are we to teach others the mind of God? and to guide their feet into the ways of peace, that are not able to guide our ſelves. Doth not our envy at them therefore rather ariſe from this conſideration, (if envy can be conſiderate) that we are afraid that people ſeeing p. 29the vileneſs of our converſation, and the ſobriety of theirs, the lazineſs of our Miniſtry, and the laboriouſneſs of theirs, will at laſt come to be more in love with them than with us: For if the generality of profeſſed Chriſtians ſhould come to that pitch in Religion, as to be for renting the heart and not the garments, I doubt we ſhould be out of eſteem, for they would then be for a Miniſtry ſuitable to their profeſſion; whereas we are a Miniſtry moſtly for renting the garments, and exteriour obſervances; ſo that whenever the people riſe but one degree above that ignorance, that we are obliged to keep them in, we naturally go out as a ſtinking ſnuff, and there is a Mene Tekel on our Miniſtration: wherefore is it not from hence that we dunn the Magiſtrates continually to down with them, for fear that the ſoundneſs of their doctrine, and the uprightneſs of their lives, will down with Rome and Renown; and is it not from hence, that we are every where laying out, and engaging our ſelves and intereſt in getting the worſt of Magiſtrates, the worſt Parliament-men, the worſt Juſtiees, the worſt Mayors, &c. that all the Countries and Cities can afford; inſomuch that it is almoſt become the ſureſt indication of a Knave, to have us Clergy men for him; and of an honeſt man to have us againſt him, that can be given; for our breath bleſſes every man we are againſt, and blaſts every man we are for. Examine the matter, and ſee whether you do not find all this too true; and can the world ever believe us a good Miniſtry, while we are ſo engaging for a bad Magiſtracy? or will they ever believe us to be true Proteſtants, while they ſee us join Votes and Hands with profeſs'd Papiſts? The Romaniſts contriv'd, and are carrying on an Helliſh Plot againſt the life of our King, Government and Proteſtant Religion, and when God in infinite mercy was pleaſed to diſcover it, have not many of us ſhewed our ſelves peeviſhly backward to credit ſuch diſcovery, and no leſs forward to undervalue reproach, or ſcandalize the diſcoverers? The ſame Engineers of Hell ſince forged a falſe, wicked ſham-plot to be caſt on the Presbyterians, and thereby cut off the moſt active Proteſtants, and divers of as good Church of England-men as any in the land; and did not ſome of us nurſe up that ſpurious Brat for them, and make our Pulpits rattle, and our hearears ears tingle with Railings againſt Preſbyterians; and all this without the leaſt occaſion, and when it was impoſſible to ſerve any other than a Popiſh Intereſt by it? Is ſtifling a Popiſh Plot, and cauſeleſly inraging as much as in us lies the Magiſtrate againſt Proteſtant-Diſſenters, and endeavouring to abſolve p. 30Popiſh delinquents from deſerved puniſhments, the way to ſuppreſs Popery? or crying up and eſpouſing the intereſt of a Bigotted Popiſh Succeſſor any demonſtration of our zeal to the Proteſtant Religion? The Prophet Zephaniah tells us of a ſtrange odd kind of dappled people that lived in his Age, that did ſwear by the Lord, and that ſwear by Melcham, (i. e.) by the true God, and by a falſe God too, Zeph. 1.5. ſomewhat too like many of the Miniſters and Popiſh-Proteſtants that are for our Church, and the Church of Rome too, and indeed for any Church (provided they are but for renting the garments, and ſuperficial obſervances, and lip-labour only, and can withal keep their Honours, Preferments and Revenues): You read in Exod. 12.38. That a mixed multitude went up with the children of Iſrael out of Egypt (for we are but party-colour'd and mixt men at the beſt) where I take mixed multitudes for men of mixed ſpirits. But upon what grounds or inducements they went up, we do not find; but this we find, that upon all occaſions they were the forwardeſt to murmur, and repine, and for returning into Egypt again: The like may be ſaid of many that came out of the Roman bondage with us in the firſt Reformation; upon what account they came with us we know not, but this we know, that theſe men of mixed ſpirits have always been for returning to old idolatrous Garlick and Onyons, I mean to Rome again. Let us therefore, I ſay, examine our hearts, and upon a ſtrict impartial diſquiſition, it will be well if many of us of the Clergy do not find that moſt of our envy and paſſion againſt our diſſenting brethren proceeds from this, that they are for going forwards ſtill, and further Reforming, whereas we are for going back, or for ſtaying where we are, at the beſt: And I doubt the trueſt Reaſon of our hatred to them, is that they are for renting the Heart, which is grounded on the Commands of God, and that we are for renting the garments, and outward Ceremonies, which are founded on the fancies or ſuperſtitions of men; wherefore the Lord grant that we may examine our ſelves thoroughly in this matter.

And ſo I paſs to the Third and laſt Head of this Examination, and with which I ſhall conclude, and that is to the People.

3. Is it ſo, that true Repentance, and ſuch as is acceptable to God, conſiſts not in renting the garments, &c. then examine your ſelves whether ever you did truly repent or no? whether in duties of this kind that we are now a celebrating, you have not been like thoſe in p. 31Iſa. 58. that faſted for ſtrife and debate, and to ſtrike with the fiſt of wickedneſs; that hung down their heads like a bullruſh and ſpread ſackcloth and aſhes under them; or like thoſe hypocrites that the Lord ſpeaks of in Mat 6. that put on ſad countenances, and disfigured their faces, that they might appear unto men to faſt. But this is of no value, but only to aggravate your condemnation; 'tis not your putting on your black, nor your pulling off your Patches, nor your Paint, or laying aſide your Ruſſian Periwigs for a day that the Lord reſpects: No, no, this amounts to nothing in his ſight; examine your ſelves therefore, for if you have only rent your garments, and performed the outward part of Religion, think of your ſelves what you will, you are but in a miſerable condition: That is a mighty word of our Lord in Matt. 21.28, 29, 30. A certain man (ſays our Saviour) had two ſons, and he came to the firſt, and ſaid, Son go work to day in my vineyard; he anſwered and ſaid, I will not; but afterwards repented, and went; and he came to the ſecond, and ſaid likewiſe, and he anſwered and ſaid, I go Sir, but went not. His ſecond ſon ſeems to pay great obſervance to his fathers pleaſure; and to be a perfect conformiſt to his fathers commands, very ceremonious and reverential in his anſwer, I go Sir (ſays he); but for all theſe good words, and exteriour appearances of obedience, he was of a wicked, falſe, deceitful heart, and did but delude his father with his conformity, for he never went to the work commanded. Now examine whether of the ſons you are; for if you are not of the number of thoſe that only refuſed to go, yet afterwards repented and went, you are certainly of the race of the ſecond ſon, that ſaid, I go Sir, but lyed, and went not.

But that you may be more faithful to your ſelves in the diſcharge of this duty of examination, try your ſelves in theſe Two particulars.

1. How your affections ſtand.

2. How your wills are inclined.

1. How your affections ſtand, ſearch your ſouls, and ſee whether you are more in love with renting your garments, or renting your hearts; whether you are more taken with the new faſhion'd modes and gaities of a glittering, formal, exteriour profeſſion, or p. 32with the old faſhion'd plainneſs, and ſincerity of Goſpel-worſhip. In 2 King. chap. 5. you have a great man coming to Eliſha to be cleared of his Leproſie, and he came in great ſtate with his Horſes and Chariots, and ſtood at the door of the houſe of Eliſha, and Eliſha ſent a Meſſenger unto him, ſaying, Go and waſh in Jordan ſeven times, and thy fleſh ſhall come again to thee, and thou ſhall be clean, verſ. 9.10. Now here was the end for which he came; for his end was to be clean; but becauſe the means to that end was not ſo formal and full of ceremony as he would have them, he went away in a huff, verſ. 15. And Naaman was wroth, and went away and ſaid, Behold I thought the Prophet would ſurely come out to me and ſtand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and ſtrike his hand over the place, and recover the Leper. And becauſe the Prophet did not follow thoſe methods in cleanſing, which he had fancied, he turns, and went away in a rage. But you find that he had ſome wit in his anger; and though he would not hear the Lords ſervant, yet he would hear his own ſervant reaſon him out of his Choler; and then he went into Jordan ſeven times, according to the ſaying of the man of God, and was cleanſed, verſ. 13, 14. Now examine your ſelves, whether this be not your caſe; you would be cleanſed, but it muſt be by ſuch gentle and ceremonial methods as you fancy, or elſe you are wroth and going away in a chaff, as mediums too mechanick and beneath your grandure; try now your affections in ſuch a caſe, is not the ſimplicity and plainneſs of the Goſpel an offence to you? and are you not for Humane Trappings and Gauderies, that may put a greater finery and pomp upon them, ſo that you are wrath with all thoſe that think ſound Truths are the greateſt beauties when they are moſt unarted, and in their own dreſs? Sound your affections therefore how they ſtand in this caſe. Whether they be for inward work, renting the heart, or outward, only for renting the garments; and if they give the preference to heart-work, they are certainly right, and well ſet for God; but if to formality, ceremony, and exterior obſervations, they are moſt aſſuredly wrong, how right ſoever you may think them to be.

Secondly, Examine and ſee how your will is inclined, and this both to your ſelves, and towards others.

p. 33Firſt, To your ſelves, you ſee the will of God both negatively and affirmatively, both in what you ſhould, and what you ſhould not do herein; that you ſhould rent your hearts, and that you ſhould not rent your garments: Examine then whether your wills be not croſs and averſe to this will of God; that though God hath bid you rent your hearts, and not your garments, yet you will rent your garments, and not your hearts: you will be for formal and exterior obſervations, rather than for that unfeigned repentance that is acceptable unto God. It is ſaid Pſal. 40.8. I delight to do thy will, O God. Examine then whether your will takes up a delight to be conformable to the will of God; you pray every day, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; ſearch therefore your own ſouls, and ſee whether your will and heart be in that petition, or whether you ſay it only by rote and cuſtom; if your will be well inclined to it, then you will conform to the will of God here in the Text, and not ſet up your poſts againſt Gods poſts, nor your will againſt Gods will, as you certainly do, if you are for renting the garments before renting the heart; and for formal obſervances, before true and ſpiritual Worſhip. Many a time in the Goſpel you find our Lord anſwering ſupplicants, Thus be it unto thee according as thou wilt. O examine then your wills, how they ſtand inclined, for if they are not bent to God, it were mercy to you if you miſs'd your own wills; So Saul found it before his converſion, he would needs be going to Damaſcus, (while he was breathing out blood and cruelty to perſecute the poor Chriſtians there alſo): but Almighty mercy prevented and made him miſs his will, in Acts 9. Among the many offerings which were in the time of the Law, there was one which was called a free will-offering, to which the Pſalmiſt alludes, Pſal. 119.108. Accept, I beſeech thee, ſays he, the free will offerings of my mouth, O Lord: and this offering above all the offerings ſeems to be moſt acceptable unto God; it was purely voluntary, becauſe unconſtrained; therefore towards the place for the firſt publick Worſhip, you find the people ſo liberal in this offering, that Moſes was fain to reſtrain them from offering any more, Exod. 36.6.

Now examine your ſelves, whether your wills are thus bent for God; whether you voluntarily and without any reluctancy or conſtraint ſo cloſe with this holy pleaſure and command of God; nor to buſie your ſelves about the many things of renting your garments, p. 34and keeping a buſtle about the formal ceremonious outward modes of Worſhip; but have your wills taken up and wholly inclined to the one and only thing neceſſary, the renting of your heart; and if upon a thorow ſearch you find your wills thus well inclined to your ſelves,

Then Secondly, examine how they ſtand as to others: for many are for that for themſelves, which they would deny to others; they would be free themſelves in their Worſhip, but they would put a force on others. Examine therefore how your wills ſtand inclined in this particular; are you willing to give another the ſame meaſure that you would have meeted to you again; do you love your neighbour as your ſelf, and are willing that he ſhould rent his heart, and worſhip God according to the perſwaſion of his Conſcience; though he do not rent his garments, nor perform thoſe formal and exteriour obſervations that you do, as you your ſelves are willing to worſhip God according to the perſwaſion of your own Conſcience? are you willing to maintain the unity of the ſpirit in the bond of peace, agreeable to that great exhortation, Eph. 4.3. Or do your wills incline you to break all the bonds and tyes of unity, love and peace, which God and Nature have laid upon you; becauſe your neighbour doth not rent his garments, and perform ſuch formal and exteriour obſervations as you would have him? In Mat. 13.14. our Lord put forth a Parable of a man which ſowed wheat, or good ſeed in his field, and in the 25th an enemy came and ſowed tares among the wheat; in the 26th. verſ. the tares appeared, in the 27th. verſ. the Miniſters or ſervants tell their maſter of it; in the 28th. verſ. they ask the Maſter leave to root them out; Wilt thou, ſay they, that we go and gather them up? For they were willing to the work, had he been ſo. But now pray obſerve their maſters anſwer, and the reaſon thereof in the 29th. verſ. But he ſaid, nay, leſt while ye gather up the tares, ye root up alſo the wheat with them. And in the 30th. verſ. ye have the Maſters expreſs command, Let both grow together until the harveſt; and this harveſt our Lord himſelf tells you (in the explanation of this Parable is the end of the world, verſ. 39. And it is well, we have our Maſters mind in this matter, for elſe here would be mad work in the world; for you ſee that the very Miniſters are for rooting up; and pray whether would this go? and where p. 35would be an end of it? for we reckon the Diſſenters tares; and we would be a rooting up of them; then the Papiſts reckon us the tares, and they would be rooting out of us. And 'tis well if the Turk do not reckon both them and us all tares, and would be a rooting up both them and us, and the whole Chriſtian name for tares. So that all the bonds not only of Chriſtianity would be broken, but thoſe of common ſociety alſo. Therefore try your wills by this command of your Maſters; for admit the Diſſenters were tares, which without a notorious breach of Chriſtian charity you can never judg them to be; for truly bate but their not renting their garments, their conformity, to a few formal and exterior Ceremonies, they give as good an evidence, that they are wheat, and good grain, as the beſt of us can do; but I ſay admit they were, yet here is the will and mind of your Lord concerning them; and do you think that he did not know what was moſt fit and propereſt to be done in the field of his Church? The Ministers you ſee then (and I do not perceive that they have altered their temper yet) were eager and hot to root them up; Wilt thou, ſay they, that we go and gather them up; Nay, ſays our Lord leſt while ye gather up the tares, ye root up the wheat alſo. He knew whither that zeal would tend, and that though it pretended to root up none but tares, yet it would fall upon the wheat too; and therefore gives them a poſitive command, to let them both grow together until the harveſt. Wherefore do you find your wills ſeconding the will of God in this command? Or have you a riſing of heart againſt it? Examine well the matter, for if your wills conform not to the will of Chriſt your Maſter, even in this particular, whatever opinion you may have of your ſelves, you are the worst Nonconformists that the Church hath in it; for your Nonconformity is of a cruel and a bloody nature, and ſuch as would make the Church a Shambles. You ſee what work the Inquiſition hath made in the world, and all thoſe murders and miſchiefs that it hath committed, have been perpetrated under the pretence of plucking up of tares. Make a thorough inquiry therefore into your hearts, and ſearch the moſt inward receſſes of your ſouls, how the inclinations of your wills are in this point, leſt you alſo fulfill that dreadful Prophecy of our Saviour, Of ſetting a man at variance againſt his father, and the daughter againſt her mother, and the daughter in law againſt her mother in law, and make a mans p. 36fees to be thoſe of his own houſhold, Mat. 10.35, 36. And leſt under the pretence of Law, you break all the Laws of God, Nature, Duty, and Relation; to the obſervance of which you are ſo ſtrictly injoined. But if you find your wills inclined to anſwer the will of Chriſt, and will uſe no other force than Goſpel arguments, and an upright converſation, to convert and turn the Tares to be good ſeed, and are willing that others ſhould live quietly; that rent their hearts, though they do not conform to ſuch renting of the garments, to ſuch exterior forms and Ceremonies as you practice; then have we ground to believe, that God will accept us; and turn away that deluge of wrath which threatens our King, our Church, our Princes, our Nobles, and all ranks, degrees, and orders of men in the Land; for the averſion of which we do ſolemnize this day; and which God of his inſinite mercy grant for his dear Sons ſake, our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, Amen.

FINIS.

End of the text · Samuel Palmer, Popery and Hypocrisy Detected and Opened (1680)