Sovereign Balm, Title page – Errata
foreign OR, Soveraigne Balſome, Gently applied in a few weighty Conſiderations (by way of Quaerie) for healing the diſtempers of ſuch Profeſſors of Religion as Satan hath wounded and drawn aſide (under the Notion of living in God) to the utter renouncing and caſting off the uſe of Divine Ordinances, and Goſpel-Inſtitutions of Worſhip.
With an Apendix by way of Poſtſcript to ſuch Profeſſors, wherein the moſt principall grounds upon which they build their practiſe, are fully anſwered and removed.
And a Catalogue of the errors that many of them hold ſince they left the Ordinances, diſcovered. As alſo a true Relation of Gods extraordinary working upon one of this way very lately in Plimouth, to the ſight of his error, for the good of others publiſhed.
By Will. Bartlet, an unworthy Miniſter of the Goſpel, and Lecturer at Bytheford in Devonſhire.
Even from the dayes of your Fathers yee are gone away from my Ordinances, and have not kept them: Return unto me, and I will return unto you, ſaith the Lord of Hoſts, &c. MAL. 3.7.
Is there no Balm in Gilead? Is there no Phyſitian there? Why there is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered? JER. 8.22.
Brethren, if any of you doe erre from the truth, and one convert him; let him know that he which converteth the ſinner from the error of his way, ſhall ſave a ſoule from death, and ſhall hide a multitude of ſinnes. IAM. 5.19, 20.
Imprinted at London by G. Dawſon, for Elizabeth Overton in Popeshead Alley, neere the Royall Exchange. 1649.
TO ALL THE CORDIALL Friends, and ſincere lovers of the Lord IESUS and his SYON.
PRETIOUS SOULES,
YEE cannot be ignorant how the propheſies of old,a2 Tim. 3.1 ad 10. 2 Pet. 2. per tot. 1 Joh. 2.18.22. Jude 4. ad finem. Matth. 24, 24, 25, &c. mentioned by the holy Apoſtles of our Lord and Saviour Jeſus Chriſt; yea by Chriſt himſelf, concerning the perilouſneſſe of the laſt dayes, in reſpect of the evils both of opinion and practice, that ſhould bee broached and embraced by all ſorts of people in them; are now in our times abundantly fulfilled; wherein there is as much difference, and as great variety, (if not greater) betweene men in their opinions, as there is between them in their faſhions, which I finde to bebSic etiam in cunctis Angligenis, tanta veſtium varietas & aſperitatis multiformitas inolevit ut neutrius generis paenè quilibes cenſcatur, ex qua re bene prophetavit tempore Regis Etheldredi, &c. Anony. propheſied of alſo, many hundred years ſince, touching England: and like as mens faſhions in their apparrell, diet, and behaviour, are ſome of them more monſtrous, odious and loathſome then others; ſo are their opinions in Religion, and matters of Doctrine and Worſhip: and ſo blaſphemous, abominable, and damnable, are ſome opinions and practices now in England, as that nothing but the patience of an infinite God could poſsibly ſuffer them to have any longer a Being amongſt us. How were the Churches of Chriſt weakned and endangered by ſuch Peſts in the Primitive times? What a manycforeign. Antichriſts were there then? 1 Iohn 2.18. What a many falſe Chriſts, falſe Apoſtles, falſe Prophets and Teachers, ſelfe-lovers. Sin-lovers, and lovers of pleaſures more then lovers of God, going up and down deceiving poore ſouls, eſpecially poore ſilly women, that were alwayes learning, but never came to the knowledge of the Truth, 2 Tim 3.6. who were not onelyonly reſiſters, but ſubverters of the faith delivered once to the Saints, Jude 3.4. And is it not ſo at this day? Are nor the Churches of Chriſt as much poſered and endangered now through ſuch falſe Chriſts, falſe Apoſtles, falſe Teachers, &c. meere Antichriſts, that have a forme of godlineſſe, but deny the power thereof. The Lord Jeſus (the great Shepheard of his ſheep, Hebr. 13.20.) hath but newly recovered his poore afflicted weather-beaten Lambes, from bloody Cavaleriſme, tyranny and oppreſsion, but forthwith their ſouls are aſſaulted withdBeza tranſlates it Spirituall malices, the words are foreign, the ſpiritualneſſe of evill and wickedneſſe; carnall wickedneſſes are inferiour to ſpirituall, which ocupieth the higheſt part of the Soule, &c. and are not laid out in carnall paſſions and concupiſcences, &c. Lawr. Com. and Warre with Angels. p. 5. ſpiritual wickedneſſes in high places, Eph. 6.12. Some read it, In high places; but I ſuppoſe it may be read better, in heavenly places, or things, aseThe word is foreign in ſublimi, ſaith Beza, but it ſignifies heavenly, as in the Margent of your Bibles, which may have relation to things as places, and then it ſhews the things about which his malicious ſtudies are converſant, that is, to take all heavenly things from us, and to deprive us of whatſoever is heavenly. id. ib. ſome obſerve on the place. If the differences amongſt us, touching mens opinions and practiſes, were onelyonly about ſuch things as are not much materiall, or were not at all determined in the Scripture, or after ſuch a manner as is dubious not onelyonly to particular perſons, but whole Churches of Chriſt, the matter were not great; for God is infinitly wiſe herein, and in my weake apprehenſion, hath left theſe things ſo, that thereby there might be occaſion given the more to exerciſe our Charity, Patience and Humility one towards another. But when they ſhall grow to ſuch a height, as to call into queſtion fundamentall truths, and not ſo much to queſtion them, as flatly to deny them, and to pluck up the foundation it ſelf; then 'tis high time for us to look about, & not only to hold faſt, that no man take our Crown, but tofforeign. i. ut fitis propugnatores fidei. uti Hen. Steph. in verb. contend for the faith once delivered to the Saints, Jude 3. And is it not thus with us at thisgWho can number the duſt of Atheiſts, Papiſts, Hereticks, Hypocrites, or meaſure the ſpacious Globe of meere Formaliſts, or ſelf-condemned Apoſtates? Barl. day? Don't we ſee that men are not aſhamed to write and ſpeake againſt the Divinity of Chriſt, and the Scriptures, againſt the Deity of the Holy Ghoſt; yea, how they deny the Trinity, and plead for theſe very abominations that are (without controverſie) odious and loathſome both to God and good MenhA catalogue of ſome of which abominable errors held by ſuch as caſt off the uſe of ordināces you ſhall find ſet down in the end of the Book.. Now concerning errors in Doctrine, I have not ſo directly to deale with, in the following Diſcourſe (though my ſoule bleeds to conſider the diſhonour comes to the Lord Jeſus by them,) but thoſe which more eſpecially concerne Worſhip, and not every petty error here neither, but the grand and capitall one, and that wherein I judge all error of Doctrine and Apoſtaſie at laſt to terminate, viz. the Renouncing and caſting off, of all Duties and Ordinances, or Inſtitutions of Divine Worſhip, ordained by Chriſt himſelfe to be obſerved in the dayes of the New Teſtament; unchurching the right conſtituted Congregations and Aſſemblies of Syon, dna plucking up the publick Miniſtery of the Goſpel by the roots, and this not ſo much in ſome reſpect (as thoſe that are called Seekers, who deny publick Churches, Miniſtery, &c. for want of Apoſtles, and other like extraordinary gifted men to adminiſter, &c.) but abſolutely looking on the performance of Duties, and uſe of Ordinances, Miniſtery and Churches, as poore, low, weake Diſpenſations, Childiſh things, not fit for ſuch as live in God to ſtoop ſo low, as to make uſe of. And ſo under a pretence of living in God, they teach poore, weake ſoules, that there is a life to be attained unto, wherein they may liveiThat there is a life to be obtained by Beleevers here on earth, that is above ordinances, is not denyed. But that this life is without ordinances altogether, when they may enjoy the uſe of them, and that puts them neceſſarily upon the renouncing and caſting them off, is that which we flatly deny, as being contrary not only to the ſacred Scriptures, but experience of the ſoundeſt Chriſtians, as I have ſhewed in the following Diſcourſe. without the uſe of Ordinances, or performance of Duties, without obſervation of the Lords day, or Sabbath, without Church-fellowſhip, without inſtructing their children in the knowledge of the Scriptures, without craving a bleſsing on the Creature when they make uſe of it, or returning thankes for it. And that which is moſt abominable, that they may attain and enjoy ſuch a liberty, as to be under no law, but that of the Spirit, as they ſay, and ſo may perpetrate any impiety, without controll, or check of God or Man; for they live in God alone, and ſo are above all things here below: & ſo would make a perſons living in God, & living in the practice of ſin, to conſiſt & ſtand together. Theſe are the men that the following Diſcourſe concernes, and whom I cannot but look on (eſpecially thoſe of them that out of a profeſſed judgement, and fixed ſelfe-will, doe in a high and peremptory manner proceed in their way) as the dangerous peſts that can be, both to the State, as well as to Religion; for take away true Chriſtian Religion, or the true worſhip of God, and power of godlineſſe out of a State, or Common-wealth, and what do you therein but as it were take the ſoul from the body: For what is the ſincere practiſe of ſound Religion and godlineſſe in a State, butkThere is nothing in a true Chriſtian Common-wealth that can onelyonly direct it ſelf to the benefit of State onelyonly, but that Religion muſt bee alſo reſpected, the care of State being but the By, and Religion the main of every Chriſtian intendment. And ther fore oftentimes even in thoſe things which ſeem moſt properly to concern the State, is Religion in them moſt regarded; the care of State in reſpect of Religion, being like the care of our bodies, for which holy men care, but ſo only as for the houſes of their ſoules. &c. Levers Hiſtory of the Defend of the Cath Faith. the life and ſoule of it? Let that be once neglected, corrupted, or extirpated, and the other cannot long ſtand after; and when is Religion deſtroyed, but when we make it to patronize impiety. And hence it is that ſuch as are guilty of the forementioned abomination, in renouncing Ordinances, &c. are ſo frequently deſcribed by ſuch Epithites as ſhew nothing but confuſion and deſtruction to betide thoſe places and perſons where they are entertained and countenanced. It is ſufficient in this place, (having ſpoken more largely hereof in the cōcluſion of the Appendix) to ſhew you that the Apoſtle Peter calls theml2 Pet. 3.17. Leſt ye be led away with the error foreign. ſo in chap. 2.7, &c, foreign dicuntur homines qui volunt eſſe fine lege, qui emnia legum repagula perfringunt, ab foreign & foreign, quod legem praeſertim drvinam ſignificat, homines qui nec jus nec fas curant &c. Ger in loc. vocat foreign quos prius foreign & foreign oſtendit, hos, nullo jure, nullis ne legibus poſſe in ordine retineri, ſed perumpunt omnia jura: quid vis enim ſibi licere putant, Scripturaſque ſibi ſubjiciunt. Horum exemplum valdè eſt pernicioſum etiam piis, ideo cavendum, ne horum erroribus abrepti, veritatem fidei amittant. Aret. in loc. ut ſupra. foreign, which Lorinus, and other more ſound Interpreters doe tranſlate, ex-leges, or lawleſſe Libertines, ſuch as under a pretence of Chriſtian liberty, allow themſelves in the practice of all manner of ſenſuall luſts, to the diſgrace and ſcandall of the Goſpel; for through their occaſion the way of truth is evill ſpoken of, 2 Pet. 2.2. Yet whiles I am oppoſing the opinion and practice of ſuch New, though no True Goſpellers, &c. I would not have ye (the pretious ſervants of God, that keep his Commandements, and the Teſtimony of Jeſus, Rev. 12.17.) to conceive that I doe in the leaſt goe about to plead for any ordinances or worſhip of mans invention, or making; for falſe ordinances and worſhip that are forged in Antichriſts ſhop, and beare no other ſtamp upon them then the Image of humane Authority: For I know as it's all one tomLever ut ſupra, p. 366. deny God and to deny his Service; ſo I do latry is as wel in falſe worſhip as in no worſhip: & I am aſſured that Ordinances of divine worſhip that are of mans making though never ſo wiſe or great, are no plants of Gods. planting, neither doth he accept of them, or of thoſe that make uſe of them, butnMatth. 15.8, 9-13. Col. 2.20, 21, 22, 23, 24. Ezek. 20.39. lookes on them as vain worſhippers and willworſhipers, polluters & prophaners of his glorious & reverend Name. Or (2.) that I allowed of theuſe of true ordinances and worſhip that Chriſt himſelfe hath inſtituted and commanded, in a falſe way, or contrary to the right order which Chriſt hath preſcribed to his people in the Goſpel, and was in uſe in the primitive and Apoſtolicall times for our example, viz. a Society and Combination of Saints in which (for the moſt part) they ſubſiſt properly, and are to be performed, as I have at large ſhewed in anotheroModell of the Congregational way, where this matter is fully handled and cleared in the two firſt Chapters. place: For I know that the ſame God that hath called his people to worſhip him, doth require them to take the ſame way and order he hathpAs God hath not left it indifferent whether he be ſerved and worſhipped, or not, ſo he hath not left people at their own liberty to worſhip him how and in what manner they pleaſe, or as it ſeemeth good in their own eyes, but hath given forth a Rule and order to be obſerved by his people under the new Teſtament, as be did under the Old; which order of Gods worſhip is beſt diſcerned in the practice of the Saints in the Primitive and Apoſtolical times, ſet forth in the new Teſtament. That men might not prevaricate or alter the form of Gods ſervice, hath God himſelfe preſcribed us a preciſe form, how and in what form (or manner) we ſhould ſerve him, damning all diverſity to this his own order, wherewith he is onelyonly pleaſed, and wherewith he is alwayes pleaſed. Levers Hiſtory of the Defend of the Cath. Faith. preſcribed them, or elſe they may not expect acceptation with him, but rather reproofe from him, Ezek. 20.29, 40. eſpecially after he hath made known his m…nde herein unto us and given us pretious helps for diſcovery that way, according to Acts 17 30. Neither is it ſufficient for us to ſay, that much good is done to poore ſoules by the uſe of Gods ordinances, though not performed in that way God hath appointed: For doubtleſſe however God is all ſufficient to worke good from our evill, yet we our ſelves can have but little credit or cōfort in it, ſeeing we take not Gods way to do his work. And if David, and other of the ſervants of God under the Law, apprehended wrath from God, and occaſion of humiliation to themſelves, for not ſeeking or ſerving of him after the due order hee had preſcribed them, 1 Chron. 15.13. how much more may ſuch expect diſpleaſure from God, that now in this cleare Sunſhine of the Goſpel neglect or refuſe to ſeek and ſerve him as he hath required them by Ieſus Chriſt; but continue to adminiſter the holy things of Gods houſe (whether out of prejudice to the Congregational way, or from looking ſo much to the examples of men like themſelves or out of ſlaviſh feare what will become of them, I know not) in a moſt confuſed and diſorderly way and manner, to and amongſt drunkards, ſwearers, perſecuters, ſcoffers, and moſt prophane ignorant people, that ought to be driven from, not admitted to Church-priviledges, never making a ſeparation between the clean and unclean, the holy and prophane: like thoſe Prieſts in Ezekiels dayes, for which the Lord was ſo muchqVide the godly and learned Lectures of Mr. W. Greennill on the five firſt chapters of Ezekiel, where he abundantly holds this forth, but eſpecially p. 453, 454. diſpleaſed, Ezek. 22.26. Or 3dly, that I would have thoſe that enjoy the ordinances of Chriſt in a right way and order of the Goſpel, to make a God or Saviour of them, to place their happineſſe in them, and make them the reſting place of their hearts, or the center into which the lines of their pretious affections ſhould run, or aſcribe to them any vertue or power of their own to conferre grace; for this were to idolize ordinances with the Papiſts, and give them the honour is due torIt's not our ſtirring up our graces, opening our hearts, putting forth our ſelves to the utmoſt, that will make an Ordinance effectuall without Chriſt, it's he muſt doe the deed, as Ioh. 15.5 &c. Paul may plant, but there is no rooting of thoſe plants but by Chriſt, Apollos may water, but no growth nor increaſe but by Chriſt, 1 Cor. 3.6. Id. ut ſupra. p 294. When the hand of the Lord is upon an Ordinance, & upon a man in that ordinance, then there is good gotten, and then doth the ſoule gain, 2 Cor. 10.4 our weapons are mighty through God. p. 60. Chriſt alone; as if ordinances had died for us, and redeemed us from hell, and purchaſed life and ſalvation at the hands of God for us, & were now a pleading our cauſe for us in heaven, and making inte ceſſion to the Father in our behalfes, & had received power to conquer our corruptions, eaſe our burthens, ſupply our wants, perfect our graces, &c. when the contrary is moſt cleare and evident; and therefore as thoſe that caſt off the uſe of ordinances altogether, do run into the extream on the left hand, ſo doe thoſe people run into the other extream on the right hand, of truſting in ordinances, and placing their righteouſneſſe in the meere obſerving of them. And thus the Lord Ieſus Chriſt (our alone pretious Redeemer) is to this day, as of old, crucified between theſe two Thieves, of denying him in his ordinances, by a totall renouncing them, or d…wn-right idolizing them, by placing their righteouſneſſe in them. And therefore (pre…ious ſoules) while I am condemning the one my deſire is, you would not conceive me in the leaſt to plead for, or countenance the other. But my deſire and ſcope in what is done in the following diſcourſe, is to preſſe them that profeſſe Chriſt, and ſubjection to his Goſpel, to keep the Golden Mean, and to avoyd both theſe Rockes, of lifting too high, or caſting down too low, the ſacred Inſtitutions & Ordinances of worſhip, which the Lord Ieſus Chriſt, the Head and King of Syon, hath appointed his Churches in all ages to make uſe of: And hee who is the great Searcher of hearts, and diſcerner of the reines, knowes, I have had nothing elſe in my eye, in order to his glory and his peoples welfare, but this alone. Now for the Work it ſelfe, I could have wiſht it in the hands of ſome of the Lords Worthies, that are farre my ſuperiours every way, and might poſſibly have done it more fully and accuratly then I have; however, ſeeing it is the Lords pleaſure to call me, and goe before me in it, I cannot but follow him; and who knowes what the Strong God may doe byſVide Mr. Marſhals Sermon on Pſalm. 8.2. called, A two edged Sword out of the mouth of Babes. weak means? Poore David whoſe heart was upright with God, and ſought his glory in what he enterpriſed, did more with a Sling and a Stone in the Name of the Lord, againſt Goliah, that defied the Heaſt of the living God, 1 Sam. 17. then Saul with all his valiant warriours poſſibly could. 'Twas not Sauls Armour could procure David the Conqueſt, and therefore he throwes it from him, and goes to the work of God in Gods way. Happy ſoules that have learn'd that Art, and know how to ſet about the Lords work with the Lords Tooles; ſuch may be ſure with David, to find a proſperous gale to attend them, & much bleſſed ſucceſſe to follow their honeſt endeavours. Wherfore to trouble you no longer (dearly beloved) but craving your candid Interpretation of, and earneſt ſupplication for a bleſſing on the preſent work, and that in order to the eſtabliſhing of your own ſouls, and the recovering thoſe that are gone aſtray from the paths of peace and righteouſneſſe, I leave your pretious ſouls in the arms of him, who never leaveth his, even the God of all grace, 1 Pet. 5.…0.who hath called us into his glory by Chriſt Jeſus, who (after yee have ſuffered a while) make you perfect, ſtabliſh, ſtrengthen, ſettle you. In whom I deſire and truſt for ever to be found
Your and the Churches unfained Friend and Servant, W. BARTLET. March 1. 1648
Courteous Reader, you are deſired, in reſpect of the Authors abſence, and great diſtance from the Preſſe, to mend with your Pen, or in love to paſſe by ſuch faults as theſe which have eſcaped.
For the Title, Balm for the Bruiſed, read A Soveraigne Balſome for the wounded. Pag. 2. marg.d r. obſervandum. P. 3. marg.n. r. in nova Eccleſia, &c. p. 4. marg.ſ for Apoſtolis r. Apoſtolos. p. 9. margh for Mr. r. Miſtreſſe Avery. p. 9. marg. for Id. ibid. r. Muſc. in loc. p. 9. l, 17. r. inexpreſſible. p. 33. mar. for worſhip r. walking,