Sermon 28 May 1645, Title page – Errata
A SERMON PREACHED BEFORE THE RIGHT HONOURABLE HOUSE OF LORDS, IN THE ABBEY-CHURCH AT Weſtminſter, Wedneſday the 28. of May 1645. Being the day appointed for ſolemne and publick humiliation.
BY ALEXANDER HENDERSON, Miniſter at Edenburgh.
MAT. 6.10.
Thy Kingdome Come.
LONDON, Printed by F. N. for Robert Boſtock, dwelling in Pauls Church-yard at the ſigne of the Kings-head. 1645.
To the Chriſtian Reader.
NOt any deſire or confidence of mine owne, but ſubmiſſion and obedience, made me firſt preach, and now print this Sermon. Not any opinion or eſteeme I have of it, but example and cuſtome, have moved mee to ſet ſome words before it; Theſe have I directed generally to the Chriſtian Reader, that I may not onelyonly include the Noble Lords of Parliament, if any amongſt them ſhall be pleaſed to looke this way; but may alſo invite all other Chriſtian Readers (and ſuch I wiſh all Readers to be) to beſtow ſome of their moſt ſerious thoughts upon ſo precious and excellent a ſubject, as is the Kingdome of our Lord and Saviour Jeſus Chriſt; which is here but generally hinted and briefly touched, but is repreſented to the life in Scripture, and to the full treated and debated by Divines. Jeſus Chriſt by vertue of the three Offices, of his Propheſie, Prieſthood, and Kingdome, is made unto us of God, Wiſdome and Righteouſnes and Sanctification and Redemption. His ſufficiency and ſutableneſſe to be unto us a Saviour, conſiſteth in the dignitie of his Perſon, and in his willing undertaking and faithfull adminiſtration of theſe his Offices: The Summe of the Grace given us through communion with him, is compriſed in theſe ineſtimable benefits; Without the one he could not be a perfect Saviour, without the other our ſalvation cannot be perfect. It hath been of old and is at this day a juſt complaint, that of the Offices of Chriſt, his Kingdome is leaſt conſidered of, and moſt miſtaken; Which as it is diſhonour to his Name, ſo is it a mightie hinderance to the comfort of ſome, to the ſanctification of others, and to the ſalvation of many; and is a maine cauſe of the many diſorders and ſcandals in the Church of Chriſt.
The Papiſts will have their Pope, by reaſon of the Kingdome of Chriſt, to be the head and (which is the ſame) the King of the Church, and at leaſt in ordine ad ſpiritualia, to be the head and King of the Kings of the Earth. A ſeect of Politicks, which ſubject Religion to Policie, and Chriſt to the world, will have the ſupreame civill power, at leaſt in ordine ad temporalia, to be the Head and King of the Church; And both the one and the other doe turne the Kingdome of Chriſt into a worldly Kingdome. Ignorant and carnall Profeſſors are content to be ſerved with Chriſt, as a Prophet to teach them, and a Prieſt to ſatisfie and make interceſſion for them, but are not willing to ſerve Chriſt as their King, that he may rule over them. And many modeſt and peaceable Chriſtians ſuffer themſelves to be robbed or couſened, if not of the one halfe, yet of a neceſſary and large part of the Kingdome of Chriſt, while they either ſatisfie themſelves with the internall influence of Chriſt their Head, upon their own ſpirits, or give way to ſuch as for their owne ends would have them beleeve, that the whole adminiſtration of the Kingdome of Chriſt is internall, not diſtinguiſhing betwixt that which is ſpirituall, and that which is internall, nor conſidering the externall adminiſtration of the Kingdome of Chriſt, although it be in this world, yet to be ſpirituall and heavenly, and not of this world. Judicious Martin Bucer in the beginning of the Reformation, wrote to pious Prince Edward the ſixt, two books of Church-policie, to which he prefixeth the title De Regno Chriſti, of the Kingdome of Chriſt. The complaints powred forth by him at that time againſt the wiſe-men of this world, and the common ſort of people, as enemies to Chriſts Kingdome, may be now renewed, and with new aggravations; ſo rare a thing is it in any age to finde a people diſpoſed to receive the whole Kingdome of the Sonne of God.
It ſhould not ſeeme ſtrange, that formerly ſuch as deſired to decline the one extreame of Prelaticall tyranny, having nothing to ſtay them in their way, nothing in the middle to reſt upon, and to aſſociate themſelves unto, did run to the other extreame of popular Anarchy; But now when from the mercy of God, by advice of the Aſſembly and Authoritie of Parliament, the caſe ſhall be changed, and a remedy provided, the people of God will know where to fix their judgement and choice. Can any wiſe-man imagine, that ſuch a Chaos of Anarchy, Libertiniſme, and popular confuſion, as now covereth the face of this Kingdome, and wherein all errors and ſects cover their Heads under the Catholick Buckler of Independency, that ſuch a Tohu Vavohu, can be the face of the Kingdome of Chriſt, or the work of the new Creation; of which it may be ſaid, And God ſaw that it was good. Can any of the godly think that the Kingdome of Chriſt draweth the minds of men from the humble exerciſe of faith, to the ambition of new and vaine opinions, that it transformeth Religion into fancy, vertue into ſpeculation, zeale into contention, truth into policy, and charitie into faction? Doth not the preſent poſture of Religion, and the conſtitution of the Church (which yet is not ſo Independent, as it is by ſome deſired to be) call as loud for a Reformation, and for ſetling of Religion, as the former did, before a Reformation was begun? And may wee not ſay, that wee have ſpent our ſtrength in vaine, and purchaſed our miſery at a great price, if wee ſhall reſt where wee are, that is, in Independency? I ſhould not exceed, if I ſhould ſay; Were wee all agreed in all things, except in the point of Independency, wee would quickly run againe into diviſions; And that nothing in a Family, in a Citie, in a Kingdome, in a State, or in a Church, hath more need of Reformation, then that Independency, which all men in all Societies naturally love and ſeek after. The Government of the Church by ſubordination of Aſſemblies, hath endured much oppoſition and many tryals, and is at this day ſet upon at all hands, yet is the Proverbiall ſpeech of the Hebrewes verified concerning it, Myrtus ſtans inter urticas, Myrtus tamen eſt, & vocatur Myrtus, The myrtle ſtanding amongſt nettles, is for all that, the myrtle, and is ſo called; And neceſſitie will drive all that love the preſervation of Religion, and peace of the Church, unto this ſhelter and ſanctuary at laſt, although in faire weather ſome kicke againſt it, and would not onelyonly pull at the branches, but pluck it up by the roots. When after all theſe tempeſts and troubles, the Kingdome of Chriſt is uniformly ſetled in the Land, Chriſt Jeſus will be ſeene in his beautie and ſtrength, his people will be filled with truth and peace, and the inſtruments of ſo good a work, eſpecially ſuch as remove impediments out of the way, ſhall againſt all envy and aemulation have their own teſtimony and honour; according to the Hebrew Sentence; Niſi ipſe elevaſſet lapidem, non fuiſſet inventa ſub eo haec margarita, if the ſtone had not been lifted, the pearle had not been found under it.
Die Mercurii, 28. Maii. 1645.
IT is this day ordered by the Lords in Parliament, that Mr. HENDERSON, who preached this day before the LORDS in Parliament, is hereby thanked for the great paines he tooke in his Sermon; And is deſired by their Lordſhips to print and publiſh the ſame, which his not to be printed or reprinted by any, but by Authority under his own hand.
Jo: Browne Cler Parliament.
ERRATA.
PAge 5. line 10. read forth. p. 10. l. 9. for indure r. obdure. p. 22. l. 26. r. naturall l. 28. r. him. p. 25. l. 11. r. clowniſhnes.