Defense and Justification of Tithes and Infant Baptism, Prayer – Publishers advertisement 2
To the High and Mighty PRINCE, The Captain-General of SIONS ARMIES, And the Lord of Lords, and King of Kings, the Wonderful Counſellor, the Mighty God, the Everlaſting Father, the Prince of Peace, the Great Lord, Patron and Governour of his Church and Children, the Lord Jeſus Chriſt.
The moſt humble Supplication and Petition of one of his moſt unworthy Servants, and daily Orator at the Throne of Grace.
MY truly gracious Lord, the bleſſ…d Father of thy poor divided, John 19.23, 24.diſtreſſed Church and Children, thy coat was without ſeam, woven from the top throughout. O that thy Church and people were without Rents, Schiſms, and Diviſions; but this is the grief of thy poor ſervants ſoul, that thine and thy Churches enemies have ſowed Tares among thy wheat, Judg. 9.13. 1 Cor. 1.12.yea that a ſpirit of Diviſion is come into the midſt of thy Congregations, and ſeparateth Saints from Saints; ſo that one ſaith, I am of Paul, another, I am of Apollo, another, I am of Cephas, another I am of Chriſt, far unlike thoſe bleſſed chriſtians in the Primitive times, who were of one heart and of one ſoul in thy worſhip and ſervice, Acts 4.32.agreeing ſweetly together in the Faith of thee their Lord and Saviour; but alas, alas how contrary are we to them, by means whereof inſtead of that bond of love and peace, Epheſ. 4.34.and that unity of the Spirit and truth which ought to be amongſt thy Diſciples, behold a looſneſs for Diviſions, and a ſpirit of Error and Separation hath made thy Saints naked to their ſhame, Exod. 32.25. Pſal. 2.1.2, 3. Pſal. 83.2, 3, 4. Iſai. 26.8, 9.Behold O Lord, Satans Kingdom, and the Kingdom of Antichriſt can hold faſt together and combine againſt thy Majeſty and thy children, the deſire of whole Souls is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee; yea, whoſe ſouls deſire thee in the night, and whoſe ſpirits within them ſeek thee early in the morning; but thy Kingdom outwardly ſeemeth like a tottering ſtate, a broken Nation, a people ready to be deſtroyed by a common enemy; I confeſs Lord that it hath been ſo in former Ages, Jeruſalem was brought to great ruine, Lam. 1.5.and their enemies were Lords over them, and adverſaries the chief, by occaſion of their diſmal diviſions, yea the Romans, Titus, and Veſpatian deſtroyed that City. The Eaſtern churches falling into Error and Hereſies, were deſolate by that falſe Prophet Mahomet, and the Turkiſh Tyrants, as the Weſtern were by the ſtrong deluſions of an Antichriſt in Rome; and what will become of thy Churches in theſe Nations if thou delay to heal our breaches, and to give Grace, Pſ. 60.2.the Graces of union and peace amongſt thy people. O moſt bleſſed Lord, Rom. 8.34. Epheſ. 1.17. James 1.17.wilt thou not intercede for us to thy Father, the Father of glory, from whom cometh every good and perfect gift, for thy merits and righteouſneſs ſake, to enlighten the minds, and move the hearts of thy choſen ones to ſee and conſider the great evill of that ſin of fad Diviſions and Schiſms in the Churches, or among them that pretend at leaſt that they fear thy Name: and the great evill and miſery that hangeth over all our heads, if thou in thy infinite mercy be not our Protector and preſerver. O that thou wouldſt diſcover the plots and deſigns of Antichriſt, Pſal. 37.12, 13 Mat. 1.16. Pſal. 124.6, 7. 1 Cor. 4.13.and the abettors of that Kingdom of Darkneſs, and make thy children though harmleſs as Doves, yet wiſe as Serpents, to eſcape the deſtructive traps and ſnares they have and do daily lay for thy ſervants. Remember O bleſſed Saviour the reproach and ſcorn that is caſt upon thy Miniſters thy Ambaſſadors, whom thou haſt ſent to the people of theſe Nations, to turn them from darkneſs to light, Acts 26.17, 18and from the power of Satan to God. We confeſs O Lord, too many of us have by our unfaithfuln…ſs in our places juſtly provoked the eyes of thy glory, Iſai. 3.8.and becauſe we have not been more careful to ſeparate the pretious from the vile, Mal. 2.9.thou maiſt in juſtice cauſe us to appear vile, baſe, and contemptible before the ſons of men; yet Lord remember that although ſome unworthy ones have diſhonoured thy name, and that holy and honourable calling, yet thou haſt many that are faithful in the Land, 1 King. 19.18.that have not bowed their knee to Baal: for their ſakes therefore, and for thy own glory ſake, and the honour of thy great name, remember thy ſervants; and remember I moſt humbly pray the enemies of thy Church, and of thy painful holy Ambaſſadors; Remember and rebuke O Lord the ſacriledg that is committed in the Nations, Rom. 2.22. Luke 10.7.robbing thee of thy reſerved part, which thou haſt kept for the maintenance of thy faithful Labourers. Move the hearts, and touch the conſciences of all thy ſervants in Power and Authority, and put it into the hearts of the Parliament to reform what thy all-ſeeing eye ſeeth amiſs in the Land, and give Repentance to all eſtates, that thy Judgements which hang over our heads, may be removed, Pſal. 39.10. John 1.3.and thy great mercies continued if it be thy bleſſed will; and work ſuch a gracious union in the hearts of all thy Saints here, that walking in thy truth, and love one with another, we may all enjoy a bleſſed communion in Grace in this life, John 17.20, 21, 24.and in the end that moſt glorious union and communion with thy own glorious Majeſty, yea with God thy Father, the Bleſſed Spirit, and all bleſſed Saints and Angels for ever in Glory. This is the moſt Humble Petition of,
June 12. 1659. Thy moſt unworthy Servant, and Ambaſſador for thy Majeſty, Immanuel Bourne.
FINIS.
Books ſold by John Allen, at the Riſing Sun in Pauls Church-yard.
Mr. Caryl's
5th. Vol.
7th. Vol.
8th. Vol.
9th. Vol.
on Job.
Several Caſes of Conſcience concerning ASTROLOGY, and ſeekers unto Aſtrologers anſwered, both from the VVord of God, and from the Teſtimony of our moſt godly and eminent Divines; publiſhed by a Friend to the Truth, in which Book Judicial Aſtrologie is proved to be
1. Expreſly forbidden by the VVord of God as a grand offence, and ought not to be practiſed, countenanced, and tollerated, Deu. 18.10, 11. Lev. 20.6. Iſai. 47.13, 14. Jer. 10.2.
The Reaſons why it is ſo expreſly forbidden, are:
1. It is a practice whereby men do aſſume to themſelves that which is peculiar unto God, viz. Judgement concerning future events either concerning Kingdoms or Perſons, Iſai. 41.22, 23.
2. Becauſe it draws the heart of men from God the Father, and Chriſt his Son, from conſidering the VVorks of the one, & hearkning to the words of the other, Iſai. 5.12. Col. 1.8, 18, 19. Deut. 18.10, 16.
3. Becauſe it is falſe, deluſive, and uncertain, Iſa. 44.15.
4. Becauſe it nouriſheth vain and forbidden hopes and fears, Jer. 10.2.
All which Conſiderations publiſhed, are to this end.
1. As an alarum, that the Conſciences of thoſe that ſtudy it may be awakened, that they may be fully convinced of the great evill that is in it, that abhorring ſuch an abominable evill that is ſo hateful to God, and a reall trouble to the Conſciences of good men; by leaving the ſin, they may avoid the puniſhment.
2. That Conſcientious Magiſtrates may know how nearly it concerns them to do their duties, in vindicating the Glory of God, by putting a period to the ſtudy of Judicial Aſtrology, a practiſe indeed that brings the honour of God into ſo much contempt in the world.
3. Laſtly, That all thoſe that have a deſire to learn it, and thoſe who enquire of Aſtrologers what good or ill Fortune (as they term it) ſhall happen to them in the courſe of their lives, may through Gods Grace ſtifle ſuch unlawful deſires; all which through the Grace of God ſhall be the prayers and ſupplications of him (put up in the name of the Lord Jeſus) who is their friend to his power,
JOHN ALLEN.
He that conver…eth a ſinner from the errour of his way, ſhall ſave a ſoul from death, and ſhall hide a multitude of ſins. James 5.20.
End of the text · Immanuel Bourne, Defense and Justification of Tithes and Infant Baptism (1659)