Prospering Profaneness Provoking Holy Conference, Title page – Dedication
Foelix ſcelus, Querela piorum, ET Auſcultatio Divina; OR, Proſpering prophaneneſs provoking Holy conference, and Gods Attention, in which you have
The Happy eſtate of the wicked,
The Holy exerciſe of the godly,
The Hazard and event of both.
Plainly propounded in ſundry ſermons preached at Botolphs Algate London: and after contracted in two ſermons preached in Peters Church in Weſt-Cheſter, July 17. 1659.
Now publiſhed to the counſell and confirmation of the godly; and check of the falſe ſurmiſes and reports of the wicked.
By ZACHARY CROFTON.
Job. 1….5. He that is ready to ſlip with his feet, is as a Lamp deſpiſed in the thought of him that is at eaſe.
ver. 6. The Tabernacles of the robbers proſper, and they that provoke God are ſecure, into whoſe hand God bringeth abundantly.
Pſal. 44.17. All this is come upon us: yet have we not forgotten thee; neither have we dealt falſly in thy covenant.
Pſal. 12.5. For the oppreſſion of the poor, for the ſighing of the needy, now will I ariſe ſaith the Lord, to ſet him in ſafety from him who puffeth at him.
London, Printed for Tho. Parkhurſt at the three Crowns a… the lower end of Cheapſide, 1660.
To the Right worſhipfull the Major, Bayliffs, and Burgeſſes of the ancient Corporation of Newcaſtle Underline in Staffordſhire.
Right worſhipfull and well beloved,
AMongſt my many friends, I have at this time made bold to prefixe your names to this ſmall tract: you have been my people, and I doubt not, but will bee my patrons; you have already appeared my purgators from the reproaches, which hereticall rage hath raiſed againſt me: yet that is not the end of this Dedication, the truth is Gods, and I doubt not his defence of it, and its Author, but to expreſs my hearty affections towards you, I think I may ſay you know I love you: I hope to rejoyce in many ſouls among you as ſeales of my Miniſtry: I cannot but let the world know, my Miniſtry afforded me moſt comfort among you; The Lord forgive the ſin of ſuch as divided between me and you, as my love is to you, my care is for you. A people you are obnoxious to temptation, & converſant in holy cōference; & ſo ſit for theſe inſtructions: you are ſubject to the ſame providences with other men, and no leſs apt to be ſwayed by them againſt divine precepts: your ſchiſmaticall neighbours ſtudying to ſeduce you, will (without doubt) ply you with the arguments of providence: and the lukewarmneſs to, and ſlighty receſſion from holy Ordinances of many among you; the Skepticiſme of others who change their tune with the time and company, the ſeparation already made by ſome, and the Erraſtianiſme of others, making the Church no other then the Common-wealth in a religious dreſs, decked by the looking glaſs of the civill Magiſtrates mind: The attendance of the allegiance of ſome of you on whomſoever by a providence, though never ſo prophanely can ſtep into a chair of State; but eſpecially the late diſcords which have fallen out between you and your Miniſters, & the rather (for that as I have heard) your Town hall hath (though but for a time, and that it may bee by connivance too) become a Chappell of contradiction to your Church, wherein the Lords day was ſpent in a different worſhip, to what you profeſs; cannot but make me fear, that you too much incline to dance after providence, beyond what God alloweth, & Scriptures doth direct: I muſt confeſs if providence muſt be our rule, univerſall toleration, nay, rather protection & propagation of ſchi…me, error, and hereſie, muſt be our duty, but I would deſire that you may know the providences of God may diſpoſe our condition, but not direct our converſation. I would beg you, to approve your ſelves obedient to Scripture precepts whilſt obſervant of ſucceſſefull providences; as ſenſible that one divine direction will afford more comfort in evil times then all providentiall diſpenſations: notwithſtanding therefore, your eyes ſee to the trouble of your ſouls, men of Atheiſme, & irreligion, perfidie & perjurie, ſchiſme & ſacriledge, ſubverting all civill Magiſtracie, ſupplanting Goſpel order, blaſpheming Gods truth, and ordinances; making ſchiſmes in, and from Chriſt his Church; and ſetting up themſelves by ſinfull projects, and violent intruſion into Church and State, yet proſper in this prophaneneſs, tempting God by ſtout words and religiouſly eſpouſing him by faſting & prayers unto their horrid impieties, and yet are delivered be you carefull you do not admire providence into illogicall and irreligious concluſions: I would not darken any the diſpenſations of God to our Land, but wiſh that in our revolutions all men may read that God ruleth in the kingdoms of men, he pulleth down and ſetteth up by bis own ſoveraignty: but my work and endeavour is to direct men to the righ… husbanding of providence, that ſucceſsfull ſin may not be lifted up, with the crie of ſanctity, nor oppreſſed loyalty, juſtice, and piety, bee dejected, deſpiſed, and diſowned: We live in changing days, and therein great is the cry of providence the godly are cenſured for not dancing after providence into Jeroboams changes in Church and State: whilſt palpable & poſitive prophaneneſs is pleaded for as piety and generation-work of God: I pray you conſider ſad are the changes which are onelyonly defended by after providences: alteration may be of divine appointment, yet diſowned by God, when effected by mens ſinfull accompliſhments, they have ſet up Kings but not by mee, ſaith God, in a caſe againſt which Iſrael muſt not fight, for this thing is from the Lord, 1 King. 12.21. Hoſ. 8.4. It will never content a gracious heart to attain an end of Gods appointment, unleſs by means of Gods approvement: anointed David, provoked by perſecution, durſt not cut his way to the throne, his heart ſmote him for cutting the lap of Sauls garment, when providence put his head into his power. Jeroboam for catching a Kingdom by a providence beareth this brand, Jeroboam who made Iſrael to ſin; better it is to wait on, & walk with God in affliction, then be the ſubjects of ſuch providences, to wander with David in a wilderneſs til God cleer the throne; then with Jeroboam by perfidie, ſedition, & rebellion to rend away a Kingdom, and poſſeſſe it themſelves, though this condition be of divine appointment.
But (beloved Sirs) that I may not too long parley with you at the threſhold, ſhall I be bold in the name of the Lord to propound unto you ſome few duties to be done by you in ſuch days of providence? ſhall I beg that in theſe evill times you will obſerve theſe four directions?
1. Propound the word, not providence of God as the reaſon of your faith and rule of converſation. This, not that, is appointed to this end: Jeſus Chriſt by one providence might have made to himſelfe many proſelites, yet would not allow it, but ever referred his hearers to Scriptures: the new lights of our age blaze much with providence but look you to the Law and the Teſtimonie if any ſpeak not according to this rule, there is no truth in him: Oh let not Chriſtian faith be founded on Turkiſh reaſon.
2. Perſevere in truth and piety, Hereſies muſt come, that they who are ſound may be made manifeſt; Schiſme muſt ſucceed, that the fixed in Chriſt may be found ſincere: theſe muſt not onelyonly come on the the ſtage; but ſtand and ſucceed; it may be unto perſecution of the Orthodox and ſound; as did Arrianiſme in the Grecian Empire, & Anabaptiſme in Germany, they are no other then tryalls of faith and patience: be it your care to cleave to truth, when diſowned and diſregarded: and continue in the Church, though diſordered and diſcouraged: let not the boyſterous blaſts of providence remove you from your ſtedfaſtneſs in the faith, or union of the Church Catholick. I know the deſign of ſome ſchiſmaticall neighbours, by courting, nay ſome of them by creeping into your town is to paganize you, (as they have done other places) and ſet up their own ſchiſmaticall aſſemblies; and I fear your over affectionate obſervation of the providential riſing of ſome from you, hath been as a ſnare of ſeparation from the Churh unto more then naturall relations: but however Church gatherers have gathered the power & treaſure of theſe Nations to themſelves: forſake not you the aſſembling of your ſelves together, as the manner of ſom is, and ſtand out againſt the ſinful aſſembling of Church gatherers: The glittering glory of particular Churches of ſelfe-conſtitution (that way of Corah) and ſelfe conſecration (that way of Jeroboam) will prove, nay I may ſay doth prove an ignis fatuus, leading into the fools paradiſe of high expectations, but leaving men in the wilderneſs of confuſion. They that feared God in Iſrael followed the deſpiſed and driven out Prieſts to Jeruſalem; let it be your prayer & care not to follow the flocks of Chriſt his pretended companions, I pray you recall to mind what inſtructions I gave you many years ſince from that Text Cant. 1.7. & whilſt you have power prevent Congregational foxes from ſpoiling your vines, though you cannot keep them out of cloſe corners, you may from places of concourſe, and command them out of your common Hall, and publick places of aſſemblie, give them no countenance whoſe only errand is confuſion: you are now a Church of Chriſt become not the guilded Synagogue of Satan. Will not reaſon tell you ſelfe-conſtitution is a ſedition in the Common-wealth and ſchiſme in the Church? Is authority eſſentiall to a civill, and not to a religious Corporation? What ſuperſtructure can bee built on a ſinfull ſchiſmatical foundation? judge ye: though it flouriſh flie from it, it cannot but fall: I ſay bee you ſtable in truth, ſteady in the union of the Church, conſtant to Gods covenant, and continuing in prayer, though God carry diſcouragingly towards his people: for God laughs the Devill to ſcorn, when Job ſerveth him for nought: and the Saints conſtancy in holineſs doth witneſs that there is a reward to the righteous, when the proſpering providences of the prophane do ſuggeſt, it's in vain to ſerve God.
3. Prize and preſerve among you a ſound and zealous Miniſtry, ſuch you have enjoyed, ſuch you may (by your own advantages which you above other Towns) enjoy, Paſtors to feed witb knowledge and underſtanding, are Gods promiſes and his peoples priviledge, bread and water of affliction to be imbraced before their removeall: let not the generall contempt providence poureth on M…niſtry, deaden your affection to your Miniſters; but know them as over you in the Lord: I am not a little grieved for your late differences with godly Miniſters; I wiſh you would ſeriouſly ſurveigh your ſouls, ſee wether ſome ſpirit of pride, paſſion, prejudice, or vain glory, do not act and occaſion them: take heed you jar not with Miniſters, untill you wreak your quarrell on Miniſtry; I wiſh ſome of you have not already proclaimed open warr: I will not acquit your Miniſters from their infirmities; but deſire you take heed to your ſelves; in this day of diſcouraging providences to Gods Miniſters; true piety ſhould prize & prefer them: ſo evill are the times that diſ-ſatisfaction in a prophane Miniſter can ſcarcely paſs without the cenſure of diſ-reſpect to Miniſtry; much leſs when fomented & continued againſt a man who is a faithful, painful, and diligent (and in the generall courſe of his life, let malice ſay its worſt) a godly Miniſter: my beloved, let the office and perſon be diſtinguiſhed, and the dignity of the one will darken and cloud the infirmitie of the other; and the authority of the one will awe duty denied to the weakneſs of the other. Receive Miniſters as they are indeed the meſſengers of the Lord of Hoſts, & Embaſſadors of Jeſus Chriſt, and then deſpiſe them even in their diſtreſs if you can:
4. Purſue your conference and mannage it with all prudence, avoid the evills incident to it, purſue the directions herein propounded: you have heretofore been acquainted with them but have need to bee put in remembrance: take heed of ſpirituall pride in conference, leaſt it prove an Audley conference that may plunge you into the precipice of Anabaptiſme, and other hereſies: my heart bleeds over thoſe men with whom you know I have ſometime paſt had ſweet communion though they wil not now hear mee, bee warned by their example.
Be carefull of, and conſtant in theſe and other duties directed in the word, what ever men ſay or croſs providences ſeem to ſuggeſt: Let Ecebolius whirl about with every wind of providence in the Empire, untill hee proclaim the ſhame of his own unconſtancy; be you pillars of truth, and Cedars of holineſs, ſtanding in ſtormy days, as indeed rooted and built up in Chriſt, and reſolved into divine revelation as your rule, however diſpoſed by providence as to your preſent outward condition: whereunto that you may bee ſtrengthened, read theſe notes as helpfull, and offered from the hearty affections, and with the hearty prayer for Gods bleſſing,
of your Quondam Paſtor, yet zealouſly affectionate for the good of your ſouls ZAC. CROFTON. from my Study in Botolphs Algate Lon. Nov. 3. 1659.