Law-Power

CHAP. I.

WEE crave leave to treat with you about those words ere set down in the close of the former Treatise,

If ye never met with those words before bless God you have met with them, and make much of them now. These are none like them so far as we know, to instruct yourselves, and us to a right understanding of the way, to point the eye to it, to guide the foot in it, that our walk therein may be according to sound judgment and discretion.

[§ 1] We have heard you speak highly enough, and pray as earnestly for Learned, and ordained Ministers. Well, If you will say more, we think all the Godly in the land can join with you in your desires: but stopping there▪ we believe they will stop too, and cannot pray the same thing. Though yet we believe, That all other faithful servants of Christ, have the

they love order, they hate confusion. Notwithstanding we take the boldness to tell you our persuasion And this be spoken without the least refection of Dishonor upon the Churches, governed by Presbyters, who separate from the world at the Lord's Table, as we suppose.

Srs, We beseech you for the Lord Jesus Christ His sake, and love of the Spirit; for His Churches sake; for His Truths-sake; for decency, and order sake; for the Office, or Stewardship-sake, whereof you must give an account shortly, Consider, putting it upon your thoughts: ye say ye are the Ministers of Christ; ye stand in His stead; ye are Stewards in His House, ye are Stars in His hand; What are ye not, which we, with yourselves, account ho • ourable, makes for your stability, and strength, security, and safety. Put this to your souls now; and if it be possible deal clearly and truly at this point in the resolution of this Question;

Then He hath written the law of that Relation upon your hearts; What man hath done, should be little with you, and without something more, is nothing to us; Hath God caused you to pass under that Relation? that is the Question: If you say yes, hold it forth, that all may see you speak as well as hear you, and give Righteons judgment, Now the Lord God help you all, and everyone to look after this writing of God upon your hearts; for we are more than jealous, as you give us sad cause; That, it is not yet done, we mean the law of this Relation is not written upon your hearts. You may think it is, and you may say it is, It is nothing to us, nor we believe to any Godly man in all the whole Nation, what you say as to this matter, or what you think, while we see what you do: which was, that Amalecke should be utterly destroyed, nor person nor thing spared; There are none so confident in believing (we mean a counterfeit belief) than are they, that are most outrageous in sinning; So may ye say ye have kept the charge of the Lord; You have performed His Commandment, ordering matters in His house, as becometh Stewards there.

[§ 2] First, This ye have not done sure, for what meaneth those abominations committed there, not only by your connivence winking at it, but by your allowance also, and more, your doing and justifying of what you do, where it is done; what meaneth all this?

Secondly, What meaneth then those Beasts in the shape of men, and they are the worst Beasts, presenting their Infants to Baptism, and themselves to the Lord's Table? not requiring of them so much as a bare profession of faith and repentance: all that, they can make; yet more than is required: What meaneth all this, if the law of your Relation be written on your hearts?

Thirdly, What meaneth this (which being granted will prove an In▪ let to, who knows how great a flood of ungodliness) That things must be ordered in God's house, not according to the Principles grounded in God's Word, but according to the Principles of Infant Baptism? What meaneth all this? If the law of your Relation be written in your hearts?

Fourthly, What meaneth then, That unreasonable, and wicked men pass for Believers, having no faith; and for Disciples, who hate Discipline; and for Saints, who persecute holiness? If the law of your Relation be written in your hearts, can this be?

Fifthly, What meaneth then, That this monstrous body, we mean your Church, hath so much glory, and favor in your eyes; and the Church of Christ the true members thereof, as in charity you should judge, so little; That alone honorable with you, this alone despicable, so far as appeareth to man's eye; you are every day washing the face of the one to make it look goodly, and fair before men, and so to in-state it in, and possess it of glorious matters, while you bewray the face of the other (which must needs be, while you wash the one) not with dust, as you may read hereafter, but with mire, and dirt? Surely ye could not do so, if the law of this Relation were writton on your hearts; for thus ye and we read;

Well, The Lord knows who are His, and He hath made some of them to know it, that they are His, for Him they serve. And now they know, That He loves them, and to the end, that hath no end He loveth them. And now for man's love, if they have it they thank him for it; if they have it not it matters little, and troubles them less upon their own score. But this they know, That upon whose heart soever this law of Relation is written, this law of love is written also; 1 Joh. 5. 1. Idem est motus animae ad finaginem & rem, saith Aristotle some where; But see what it is to swallow down the Principles of Infant Baptism, and to regulate all matters in the house of God according thereunto? as some do; for it is to the men of that way and judgment we speak.

Sixthly, If you have the law of your Relation written upon your hearts; what meaneth then, that you do with your poor people, sottish, and brutish ones; so contrary to this law? In suffering them to take Sanctuary at the Ordinance of Baptism? thereby to shelter them from the wrath that is to come? and while they live in their sins, give them right, and title to all Church-Administrations? Surely, surely, they, that feel the law of this Relation upon their hearts cannot do so, no not for a world can they do it; it were to make a poor ignorant people to

which we are assured is far from your purpose to do: But you know there is utter destruction of souls will be the end of this work, though it is not your end that are the workmen; no, the thought of it, that you should destroy souls is an abomination to you. Let your work, as to this matter, be an abomination to you also. You cannot in evil things, and doiugs separate the end from the means, (if the man will go onn sinning, his end will be perishing forever:) as ye ought not in good things to separate the means from the end. (if the end I drive to, be eternal life, the means must be taken that conduce thereunto.) Therefore by the mercies of God, we beseech you, and because of the terror of the Lord, His heavy wrath, and displeasure, doleful, and dreadful punishments, that must be the portion of all Stewards, that feel not the law of their Relation written upon their hearts. by the finger of God there, and regard not to feel it, we would persuade with you to Consider these matters, what your doings have been, and are, how agreeable to the mind of your God, rule of His word, law of your Relation; advise with one another about it, and then speak your minds.

Having praemised these six things for trial, whether, the law of your Relation be written upon your heart, we proceed herein according to the proposed Method, and first to show

CHAP. II.

WHat an influence this law of Relation written in the heart by the finger of God, hath upon the

of a Minister; We will speak of him single; for as it is with one, it is with all, who find that first,

[§ 1] First, He is his Lord's

he speaks a good word for Christ where ever he comes, if it be seasonable, thereby to make-up the match, and betroth the soul unto Him; He laboreth to come within the bosom of a sinner, and grapple so powerfully with his spirit, that He may take no nay at his hand: and for the attaining this end, and to make him see what need he hath of Christ; He will lay open the loathsome nature of sin, and let-in the terror of the Lord upon the Conscience, that the careless, and rebellious sinner may come to a parley of peace, and be content to take Christ upon His own terms, and take up the profession of the Truth, and not stand at the : Though so doing he must part with all he hath of His own, his dearest lust and all: And here He discovers to the sinner, as he can, the cunning fetches of his cursed heart, and hunts him out of his that he may not cozen himself, and sit down with some reserved Delusion, and go no farther. And this is the Lord's way sure in whose stead he stands, and therefore craves of Him daily His eye-salve, that he may stand in His counsel, and walk in His way, and do that which he hath seen with his heavenly Father, as He hath done, and by His Word and Spirit still doth; so doth he in His strength, and by the directions of His Word; We will insist upon this a little.

When ever the Lord brings any soul over to Himself, He first

Man, every man borne into the world, and growing up there, is a stout rebel, a stiff-necked, creature, as his father is; and as years add Cubits to his stature, so is there an addition made to his pride, and rebellion: as he grows-up, he grows more like his father every day; now so soon as the Lord God is pleased to deal with this man by His Word, and Spirit, He knocks down this Monster pride, for this bears-up mightily against the Word, and Spirit, and, like the possessed man, breaks the cords, and bands, the good Spirit would bind him with; as easily till the Spirit hath set them on, as we can do, burnt flax, or make a thread snap before the Candle. Therefore this prido is discerned, and slain first, which is enmity in the will, affections, and mind; There it is still when discovered, and slain there; but it doth a man no hurt, being discovered, and slain, as pride doth not: for though it be, as they say, as the heart is, the first that lives, and the last that dies, yet the man is humbled for his pride, and walks softly all his days, and doth put forth an holy enmity now against all that in his soul, which exalts it self against his God, his Lord, his Christ, and Word of His grace.

Secondly, This is it he would bring home to his own, and others hearts. The Lord God by His Word, and Spirit, hides pride from our eyes first, by giving us a sight into ourselves, what an hell there is within us, and makes it look like hell, whereas before it might look like heaven; what a dunghill there is within us, and makes us smell the stench of it as of a Dunghill, whereas before it did savor with us, as a garden of spices, or a bed of Roses; And then according to the exceeding riches of His grace, and abundant mercy through Christ, gives us a sight of Himself, a saving experimental knowledge of Himself in Christ; we heard of Him before with the hearing of the ear, (and how did we slight Him, till pride was hid from us, our proud heart was subdued) but now our eye hath seen Him. And what then? Now He is exalted in our souls, for we are made low; Now He, and He alone riseth in our thoughts higher, and higher still, and so we fable; now sin appears to be sin (the worst can be said of it) and grace appears to be grace (the best can be said of that too) it is grace; now Christ is exceeding welcome; for sin is above measure sinful. He is precious, sin is vile.

The honey-comb trampled upon before, while we were full of ourselves, that is, proud, relisheth now like an

First, To apply this to our purpose, ye must take God's way, if you mean to do God's work; and this way you cannot choose, but take when ever ye go to work, as workmen, that need not be ashamed, feeling the law of their Relation written upon their hearts.

Secondly, Preach Christ unto the People, lift Him up as an Ensign before them; So the Apostles did, so the Ministers of Christ do, that feel the law of their Relation; they tell their hearers what lost ones they are

attend, and insist upon the means, which you cannot, but do, if you feel the law of your Relation, how to woo for Christ, as His Paranymphs, speaking a good word for Him.

Thirdly, Be sure you lay your ground-work well, we are more than jealous of you about that matter, as we told you before. Tell your people home, as you can to their hearts, what a Cup of wrath they are borne to, and that they must drink it up to the bottom, the very dregs of it, if they go out of the world, as they came in, without any real change wrought upon them by the Word and Spirit; for they were borne Children of wrath, so soon as they were Children of men; and they have been ever since they were borne, filling-up their measures; and after their hardness, and impenitent heart, treasuring-up to themselves wrath against the day of wrath, and the revelation of the righteous Judgment of God.

Fourthly, And tell them herewithal, which you must needs do, if ye know the law of your Relation, and feel it written upon your hearts; That their Church- privileges they hold themselves borne unto, being Baptized there, trusted to, and gloried In, as

Beate them off from putting any Confidence in the flesh; if you do not, you do nothing to purpose; nay you must tell them more, If no inward glory be gained by our glorious privileges, (which indeed the Nation partakes off above many, if not above all in the world) these will serve but to expose us to more wrath, and fiery indignation from the Lord, rendering our condition worse, than was theirs of and our judgment from the Lord more intolerable, even in this world, as Jerusalem's was, and at the end thereof, than Sodom's, and Gomorrah's was. And these things you will speak before the people sadly, and mournfully, as the Apostle saith; When you find the law of your Relation pressing upon your spirits, Ye will not mention before your people the principles of Infant Baptism, as ye have glossed them with a Comment worse than the text; nor will you make mention of god-fathers, or god-mothers either; Something we have read how they came in at first; But when the law of your Relation constraineth you, ye will see no need of them now, the Church of the living God shall be no more abused with them, nor that ordinance profaned. But these things ye know better, than we can tell you, Blessed are ye, if ye do thereafter; And what are you if ye do contrary to what you know? we say not, but leave it upon your thoughts.

Fifthly, Preach sound doctrine to them, holding fast the form of sound words; and whatsoever is contrary to it, Command them to bid defiance to it, yea to curse it as Paul did, being that, which their soul must abhor, when they feel the law of their Relation; Thus ye do, ye will say but we doubt it, because your people are so well pleased with your doctrine; Now certain it is, as once the Apostles found it to be, and told us it would ever be, especially in these latter times, they will not

which will make them sound in the saith. Sound doctrine is to a swinish spirit, (such is every spirit by nature, till the good Spirit hath wrought thereon,) like a corroding plaster to proud flesh, or a launce to a sore full of corruption, which will cut to the core, and cut it out. We intend chiefly this.

Sixthly, While you are delivering forth unto them

take this in with it, which shall argue its soundness, and you sound also; That your people's hearts are very unsound, and their ears uncircumcised, notwithstanding with their ear they must attend, for therefore they have an ear, and the very male of their flock they must lay out this way, all their strength, else

But this is not all you tell them, you will make them know, as ye can, That there is an

that stands within like an armed man, and till it be removed, or subdued, will oppose all that is good, keep it from entering the soul, viz: They come to hear, and cast it out they cannot, nor is it possible with them, as their case is so to do; yet are they commanded to do it, nor is the command in vain; They must endeavor to do it, looking up to Him, and spreading it before Him, and attending the means whereby it is done, we mean, whereby this This is the point you must insist upon, as did your Lord before you; do not sooth up your Disciples with that vain title, and lying vanity, It is notoriously false and known so to be in all the earth: We are borne more like Devils, than Saints; at the best, we bear the Image of the earthly.

Indeed you must tell them so, they are, while they are, as they were borne into the world, and best pleased to be what they are, so far from being Believers, Disciples, Saints, that they are, as was said, wolves, dogs, swine, and much worse, because a

Ye have heard, or read what that excellent man Mr Bolton said to his dear Children, when he was departing from them,

And was he not well assured of what he spake from his Lord's own mouth? And he gives the reason at the sixth verse, (we borrough that Learned man's words) for that which is borne of flesh is flesh, and is as uncapable of seeing the mysteries of the kingdom of God, as fleshly eyes are of seeing Spirits.

Ye must preach this sound Doctrine to their ears soundly, and till it sound unto their hearts, and is taking there, what ever they are in your eyes, they are as vile, as the vilest in the Lord's eyes, and in the eyes of His people, (for they are not washed from their

and accordingly they must be dealt with, thrust away from partaking in sacred things, as you would heaps of dung out of the chiefest rooms. When ye are at this point dealing

ye will see cause to pray, and the godly with you, as the Primitive Saints for th' Apostles of Christ, for if all must be heard, all must be spoken, and spoken it must be, as the Oracles of God, and not teach only, but command with all authority, that so ye may commend yourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God, as he did who felt the Your people shall know, if ye know the law of your Relation, That ye are the Lord's Ambassadors, ye speak in the person of Christ, and in the virtue of His Spirit, and must speak as if Christ by you spake unto them, that is, as having power and authority committed to you for the edification of the Church.

And be sure ye begin right, Assuring them they were not borne with a Christ in their hearts, but enemies to Him; that they stand at an infinite distance from Him, and are willfully set on it to have no acquaintance with Him; therefore they are but false conceits, and presumptions, of their being in Him, before the Word, and Spirit hath been praevailing with them. Assure them, they, by nature, hate the Lard of life, and holiness by Him, more than they hate that, their soul most loatheth; and they

and a curse in the procuring cause of it) as a father loveth his dearest Child These things ye must speak to them with all boldness, for these things are most profitable for them to know first. This our But now ye shall be dealt hatefully with, dealing faithfully with them, as was told you,

But the law of your Relation will help you to swallow that, and more; and ye can remember what the Lord, and Master found from His hearers, and all His faithful servants ever since; This may comfort you too; you shall have no hurt from them, though they do their worst. And if you gain any of them unto Christ, they will be your dear Friends to their death, because you told them the truth. And for them that persist in their hatred, you know it is not a simple hatred, with which we hate most hurtful creatures; for it is mixed with fear, and dread of you, speaking to them, as men that know the law of your Relation; they hate you, but they fear you too, as a man (so that learned man Dr Reynolds)

For just reason we have been longer at this point; we leave it upon your thoughts, and so hasten to the practice of a Godly Minister, to see what that will be before his people, when he feels the law of this Relation written upon his heart by the finger of God. But first we would for you and our Instruction, from these premisses draw these conclusions, and then, we will proceed to show what a Godly Mans practice is, we mean, his, who feels the law of his Relation written in his heart.

[§ 2] First, That the same finger of God, which doth write the law of this Relation upon Ministers hearts, showeth them the ordinances of their Lord's house, how they ought to behave themselves

But this the Spirit of God never doth before He hath made them ashamed first of all they have done, contrary unto the true way of God's worship; They shall or God will cast shame upon them; He will humble them for all their abominations before; He will reveal to them the right way of the service of His house. And therefore it may be, God will not use those Ministers, how choice soever are their parts, who departed from God, when there was a general departure of the Nation; for why may it not be now, as once God threatened; when Israel d • d depart from Him to false worship, they might be employed in mean services, but they should not Come near Him; The Lord had listed up His hand against them; And it may be feared the Lord may do so against some Ministers, nowadays; How ever, except there be extraordinary repentance, and taking shame unto themselves, The Lord may remember what they have done, and what their complaints were, and what little use, and improovement they have made of the blessed liberties they have had since to order matters in their Lord's house full-up to what He hath commanded. In the next place

Secondly, They that know whose spokesmen they are, in whose stead they stand, have learnt Christ, and can teach Him, using great boldness, and liberty of speech; They are as the Officers of a great Prince going before Him, to praepare a way for Him, and will make bold to strike and to scatter those unruly throngs of men, who press too near upon His sacred preson; They will boldly smite with the rod of His mouth; they will cry aloud, and not spare; they will (as he saith) pull down mountainous lusts, subdue strong holds; They will, in the strength of God (that is the scope, and end of their Ministry) bring low every mountain, and hill; make the crooked straight, and the rough smooth; This in desire and endeavor they do. And if any show themselves stout against against God, making their brows brass; These will set their faces as flint against all these; for so God hath commanded, and so doth the law of their Relation command

Thirdly, They do all things in right order, and according to their pattern: they proclaim war first with men's lusts, coming as with a sword in their hand, and fire in their mouth against them, and so make room for peace in the hearts of men, which passeth all understanding; But they will make them know first they are enemies to

while they are enemies to and friend with themselves, and their sins. These that understand their Commission, the power of Christ they are invested with, together with the law of their Relation, will assure them, that they must cast hell upon their sins, or upon their souls; If they will continue to be workers of iniquity, they will hold-on to work out their damnation to the utmost.

Fourthly, They that preach as men that know the law of their Relation, find not one principle (of holiness ) no not one, thorough the whole book of God, which is

Indeed all tends to peace at last, but intends war at first. What may be found among the principles of Infant Baptism, they know not, nor will they seek to know; They will go by Scripturerule, which assureth them, if they please men (men's lusts) they cannot please God.

Fifthly, These searching, and reprooveing Ministers, these profit the hearers, and do their souls good; these, and only these; whereas a partial, unsearching, and un-reprooveing

Thus in all ages, and never more apparently thus, than now in our days hath the Lord punished with an extreme revenge the Rebellion of a people against His Gospel.

Sixthly, They that will preach the Truth as it is in Jesus, as their love of Christ, and law of their Relation constraineth them, shall find Luther's words true,

They shall stand as a Mark for all the world, with the god thereof, to shute against. Therefore, (for something hath been spoken this way already, and more may be spoken anon.) In the last place.

Seventhly, These are, and there is more than need they should be so

They are dwellers in heaven; Christ in them by His Spirit, they in Him by their faith; they feel the law of their Relation working as strongly in them, as the law of sin in their enemies; and so they can, as was said of Luther, they have a back of steel, and underneath everlasting Arms; they cannot be greatly moved, never removed from their Anchorhold. We proceed.

[§. 3] The law of the Relation written upon a Ministers heart, is marvailously prevailing to regulate his practice before his people, and within God's house.

First, His practice will be humble, and meek; so he will walk with his God, and before His people. The Godly wise will never think him to be a man of God, if he be proud, and haughty. It was a distinguishing Character, that Beda gives, whereby to know a man of God, and that he will preach to the people the preaching of God:

Surely a true servant of Christ is as like his Lord and Master as can be, lowly, and

for he remembers still, that for His sake, and to teach him, He stooped as low, as the feet, and washed them; and a little while after became a Worm and no Man, humbled Himself, and became obedient unto the death, even the Death of the Cross.

Secondly, As he feels the law of that Relation, of a Minister, so also, of a father to His people, and they to Him in the Relation of Children, even as Paul was, he desires, and endeavors to be

And how curiously doth he walk before them, looking round about him, least he should loose his way, or miss his end, and should be blamed in that, for which he blames others; he considers with all his heart, turpe est Doctori, And remembers all along his walk, that his people observe him more in the street, within, or without the house, than they do in the pulpitt; their eyes are more intent upon his and thereafter they fashion themselves, and their whole course commonly, by what they see him do, not to what they hear him say, unless he speaks to please their Lusts; Therefore feeling this Law of his Relation, with all his care, he is careful here; so as he can say, as his pattern before him; (And they were as careful to give no offense to them that were without) We must add this, That there be no mistake here. These that know the law of their Relation, behaving themselves thus gently, are as sharp as who are sharpest, in reprooveing of sin, for it is good to reprove, as God reprooves. Ye remember who he was, that did not May we not add; do not some deal with Drunkards, as sweetly, as they should deal with Disciples? And with notorious sinners (unexcommunicate) as if they were Saints? It were infinitely better for them, if they had been delivered-up to Satan; for now they are delivered-up to their own hearts lusts. that they may be sound in the faith. Sores must be cut, and lanced, before they be healed.

Thirdly, They that know the law of their Relation, and feel it upon their hearts, do know, they stand before the people as Ambassadors sent unto them from the Prince of the Kings of the earth; nay they are in

therefore as they must speak unto them, whereof before; so must they deal with them, as to all Church-Administrations; neither more nor less; but full-up to their Commission; even as Christ Himself did do, when He was upon the Earth, and hath appointed to be done, till His return from Heaven, all that, which is comely to be done, by all those, that stand in His stead; and are Stewards in His house; whereto so much hath been said, that we shall say no more to it in this place; Nor shall we speak to this Relation, which indeed contains much: they stand in Relation of Shepherds to their sheep; they walk-on before them (like the Admiral Ship carrying the Light ) and they look well to their walk, and observe as well, who follows them; and accordingly they deal with them; and who will not follow them, but follow unto Strangers let them go; for these good Shepherds will make a difference, as becometh men instructed to Discretion: and so are enabled to judge between Cattle, and Cattle, the Rams, and the He-Goats.

When we have said all, (and how little is our All in these matters?) ye may sum-up all in this one

he that finds the law of that one Relation written in his soul by the finger of God, they humble themselves to walk with their God; and treat with their people, as a father with his children; standing before them in God's stead, they deal with them, as becometh faithful Stewards, and good Shepherds. In a word, They make clear proof, that they have learnt Christ, and can teach him; when they show forth His life in theirs; when they walk, even as He hath walked; when, as

He was, so they are in this world;

when the same mind, judgment, affections are in them, which were in Christ Jesus their Lord.

From all this, we would draw these Conclusions, and then proceed.

[§ 4] This Minister of Christ, that feels the law of his Relation written upon his soul, fully knows,

or endeavors his utmost so to know, the state of his people, as exactly well in desire, and endeavor, as a father doth the state of his children; a Steward the state of the household; the Shepherd the state of his flock. It is his 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and not a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , his very work, and buisines to

Secondly, Put the case, (for teaching sake we may do it, though it be not possible, but that a Minister knowing that Relation must know it) That he knows not the state of his people; then this must follow; he must speak unto them generals only, for not knowing their states in particular, he cannot speak unto them in particular, and so deal with them answerably. Some of them declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not: they trample pearls under their feet, turn again and rent the Dispensers of them; accordingly these must be dealt with. Some again, and none of the worst have need of

other some may need Cordials; Some have need to be searched, and humbled; some to be encouraged, and comforted; their states in particular must be inquired into, that the Minister of Christ may do accordingly. We remember the expression, that James saith, As if he should say, none can be able to pray for you so effectually for your comfort, as those, That know your sins well, and so can confess them before God. A Minister must know the state of his flock.

Thirdly, That there is no case, or condition, these people can be supposed to be in, but this Minister of Christ upon whose heart the law of his Relation is written, is able in the strength of Christ, by the supply of the Spirit, to give in that, which shall fit the case, be an adequate, or proportionate help, aid, succor, cure thereunto; he shall be able to give-in Reproof, correction, instruction, counsel, comfort, as the case and condition shall require. And

Fourthly, In the last place▪ This will follow: If their estates in particular must be inquired-into, then they must be dealt with in particular, alone, and apart; And there must be time and place for it. This the people will not endure, and this course ye seem not to approve, neither, we shall hear your reasons, wherefore, in due place. We have told you what you will teach in point of Doctrine, and what you will do in point of practice, so soon as ye shall feel the finger of God writing the law of your Relation upon your hearts.

CHAP. III.

[§ 1] NOw we proceed to tell ourselves, and you, if ye will hear what those people will do, in whose hearts the finger of God hath written the law of their Relations. They will speak, and do the very same thing, which all God's people, Minister and people speak, and do, in whose hearts the Law of their Relation is written.

It may be asked here; What are these Relations? And what is the Law thereof? Breifly, and to narrow these matters as much as we can.

Their Relations are these; First, The great, and dreadful God for His dear Son's sake (manifested in the flesh) stands related to them, as theirs,

they to Him, as His people; more particularly, the great God saith of everyone of these; Isa. 43. 1. He again Ecchoeth forth to his God, (for all is reciprocal between God, and this gracious Saint). The intercourse is mutual; if He say, He is ours; We say again, we are thine Lord, and we give ourselves to thee; The claim is mutual; He claimeth us for His; we Him, for Ours. Breifly, there is the Relation; Now the Law is this; As Jehovah God saith to this person (so singly we must speak) All I am, and I am all; All I have, and I have all; All I can, and I can all, I am for Thee, who doest trust Me, art my Disciple indeed, My Saint in Truth; So now saith this Believer, this Gracious Saint, this separated-one, What I am, it is of Thee; What I have, it is from Thee; What I can, it is by Thee. All I am, I have, I can, it is for Thee O my Beloved ; It is a Curse that one should sow, and another reap; It is God that sows, shall the flesh, or the world, or the Devil reap? God forbid, He that sows, He shall reap, saith that person, that feels the Law of His Relation. For thus this Person saith to his There is the Law of that Relation.

Secondly, The great God stands to them in the Relation of a Deare Father; they to Him as Deare Children; God saith to everyone of them first, or last, I am thy Father, and call Me so,

He, or she Ecchoes again to Him, Thy son, Thy daughter; there is the Relation; The law thereof is this; This Heavenly Father in, and through Christ, makes over Himself unto His Child; This Child makes a deed of gift, as we may say, of himself back again, unto his Father, through Christ, by Whom he received all, gives Him all his love, and all too little (yet he has not the less, but much more for all his Relations here below, well corrected, and ordered, now God hath all) all And now this Child shall be spared, as a father spareth his, and so he shall be served, For all things in heaven and earth shall serve him, and Minister to him, if need be; And this Child, while he is himself, and not over-taken nor surprised, is as tender of his Fathers Name, as he is of that he most dearly loveth, and as fearful to offend Him, as he is to offend the tenderest part about him, the apple of his eye; There is the great Law of that Relation also.

Thirdly, The great God stands to them in Christ, as a Bridegroom (for as was said, His love never decayeth; as servant at last, as at first) they to Him, as

There is the Relation: The Law is this: The Bridegroom is entirely the Brides; The Bride is entirely the Bridegroom's. His delight is in her (that implies all, tongue can express, or heart can wish open it never so wide) and she with the same delight, in her measure, taking pleasure in Him. There is the Law of that Relation; we might be very large, and it is hard to speak little of so much as might be said, once more.

Fourthly, He stands to them, as a Lord, they to Him as servants; He saith to everyone of them, Thou art my servant: he, or she to Him again; Thou art my Lord, (a Name of as much use and comfort as Jesus is with a Saint) and my God: There is the Relation.

The

as to the substance, or matter, form, or manner of the work; what I command thee, and as I will have it done; all My will, and, all according to My will. The matter of a service hath been rewarded, when the manner of doing it hath been revenged. I do it, Lord, saith this As the eyes of a servant looks to the hand of his Master; as the eyes of a Maiden to the hand of her Mistress, so my eyes wait upon Thee, my Lord, and my God. We will only name two Relations more.

The Great God stands related to these His people everyone of them, as a friend to a friend, as a Shepherd to his flock. From this, and all that which went before, we will set down these Consectories.

CHAP. IV.

First, WE have heard, That the Law of the Relation of a Minister (for that one contains all those dignities, glories, titles of honor, His Lord hath bestowed upon him, calling them Angels, His

we have heard how engageing all this is to a Minister to preach pure Doctrine, and to live an holy life, which they must do, and cannot do otherwise, having the Law of their Relation written upon their Hearts.

Secondly, We have heard also how engageing the law of the Relation the people stand-in to their God in Christ, is, to them, being felt in them, written upon their hearts by the finger of God; they cannot but walk (this law constraining them ) in the way of holiness, full-up to that Law, and their Rule, perfectly, and with a

as to their course, and way, or walk, though through human frailty, some of their steps may be out of the way.

CHAP. V.

WE come to that, which the great Devider, that Selah-Hammalekoth, if we may express it so, that rock of Divisions betwixt person and person, people and people. Thus it is objected;

Object. 7.

We will hear what two ready Scribes, well instructed both unto the kingdom of heaven, have said to this Dividing thing we call separation. We will set down what that holy and learned man saith, who speaks much in a little, contracting, as we may say, the spirits of a point into a few words, which are these;

We will make bold also to subjoin worthy Mr Ant: Palmers words, which are these in the second part of his Answer to Mr Hs: objection against separation from the wicked, unless in case of excommunication.

So far that worthy man.

Truly, Reader, thou hast the very marrow, and substance of the whole matter already. Yet because we have made it our very work and business in this place to remove the scandals in the way to this separation, and the offenses taken against it, and withal to speak to the understanding or the simple, as we ourselves are slow and dull to conceive; we take leave to proceed according to our proposed Method, and this we would say first.

First, We take it from Holy Writ, That this must be, there must be a

Two mansion places, heaven and hell; Now it is not possib • e to serve both these Masters; If you join to one, you separate from the other: And as impossible for the one, and the same person to be holy, and unholy at the s • me time, as it is to be in an extreate heat, and in an extreme cold at one, and the same time; As impossible to have our foot stand in both these ways, as it is for one foot to tread Eastward, and the other West; or to fixe one eye on heaven, and the other on earth. Impossible also that we should arrive at heaven, when we sails with wind and tide hell-ward, as that one and the same way should lead us to two d • ffe • ent and contrary Mansion places.

Hence then it must needs follow (to go over this again) that here must of necessity be a

They that will with full purpose of heart serve their great Master the Lord Jesus▪ Christ, must turn their backs upon them, that will serve the other Master; And separate from them, as to any familiarity, or intimacie with them. They that are resolved at this high point, they

will be holy,

they have not a velliety, a faint wish, or cold desire, but they will be holy, and walk holily; As the men of the world say, they will be rich, though they make shipwreck of faith (the profession of faith ) and of a good Conscience: what care they, they will be rich, though they pierce themselves thorough with many sorrows; The others say, as resolutely too, with the help of God, and blessing upon the means, they will be Holy; These now must make a separation from the other. They cannot be holy, and unholy together; It is said that seldom it is, that the inward and outward man prosper together; such an enemy walketh and prosperity is to the souls weal. But certain it is, holiness, and unholines are so far from thriving together, that these would come no nearer together, than the East comes to the West; Therefore the holy, and unholy must part, and separate, as their ways must part, and when they come to the end of their way, then there must be an everlasting separation, and as far, as heaven is from hell those so separated mansion places. In the second place.

Secondly, God's people must separate, for He hath as marv • ilously separated them, His gracious Saints, as He did between the Israelites, and Egyptians: Now, how unworthy had it been, and unbecoming, for the Israelites to have mixed themselves with the Egyptians? I will dwell in them, and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people;

and be ye separate saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you; and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters saith the Lord Almighty. As if the Lord had said, not else; If ye expect I should walk with you, ye must walk as is comely for sons, and daughters, that look to have that sweet and comfortable presence of God with them. If ye walk with the world, and as the world do, that is familiarly, and not having buisines with them, nor with an intent to do good unto them; If ye will walk with them, I will not walk with you saith the Lord. If ye will not separate from them, I will separate from you, and

It is, as if a man should be conversing with some nasty polluted Creature, while He is talking with the greatest Prince on earth; or as if a Bridegroom to some great Princesse, should be courting of a strumpet before his Ladies face; whence we conclude, That there is as good a warrant for Ministers and people, that know the law of their Relations, to separate from the National Church, as they have to separate from the world, and from Babylon; God will have it so; If Ishmael fall a mocking, out with him, saith the Lord, Gen. 21. 9. 12. If they will separate from Me, separate ye from them. God's people will do as their Lord bids them.

Thirdly, We say that Godly Ministers, and their people cannot be said so much to make a separation from the wicked, as these from them; The wicked will have no communion with godly Ministers or people, unless at the Lord's Table, o • at a feast of wine, and strong drink, we mean, where the flesh is feasted, nowhere else, they abhor all other communions. You must communicate with them in sin, else they will have no Communion with you; The world loves to Converse with whom they love, their own; And should not they, that are chosen out of the world love to do so too? The Godly need not separate from the wicked, these will separate from them; These can endure holy Company no more, than they can endure Holiness, which they have persecuted out of their house, and would persecute it out of the world; And should these be admitted to partake of holy things, who persecute holiness, and will Communicate with you nowhere else, but at the Lord's Table? and if not there, nowhere, And why so willingly, and cheerfully there? to speak that by the way.

Holy Bradford gives you, we think, the Reason of that, wherefore your people are so ready to Communicate with you at the Lord's Table? only what he spake of the

we may speak of the Lord's Supper (as to that we are speaking off, and contending againg) but if it bite they will bite the preacher, at least snarl upon him, showing their teeth, or turning their backs upon the word; but setting their faces to the Lord's Table, thither they will hasten, there being nothing (now that the word preached hath not done its work) that can trouble them, or make them ashamed; said that Blessed man; The wicked converse with none but those, that are like themselves; ye shall find them still platted together like thorns; surely it gives a great lesson to the godly, tells what they should do—but we proceed, And

Fourthly, Take leave to tell you our persuasion, that if the Ministers shall make no difference here between the precious, and the vile, but deal forth to the one, as to the other at the Lord's Table, the godly in Christ Jesus, all the truly godly all over the Nation will be gleaned forth from them, shortly, they shall not have one among them to Communicate with them. For if, as is recorded of John,

We will shut up this with a Complaint we have read, or heard off:

Fifthly, In the fifth place, and to speak that more fully out, which was hinted before in the second Paragraph. They that work righteousness can no more (upon choice) mixe with the workers of iniquity, than they can mix with their works. For their Lord, having set apart (marvelously separated, or made wonderful) him, that is Godly for Himself, hath given to this separated person a principle of His own, even His own Spirit, to enable him to set apart, that is, to consecrate, dedecate devote or sanctify himself, and his All to God; To live all the days of his life as a sanctified or sequestered person to God, and His service; and from wicked ways and companies. Be ye separate, and touch no unclean thing, 2 Cor. 6. 16. God by His Spirit and Word, hath made them like Himself perfect and Holy in their degree and measure, as He is perfect and Holy above all measure. These people are by way of similitude, likeness, or resemblance, the Image of God being renewed, and stamped upon them, as their God is, therefore they carry themselves God-like; Godliness being nothing else but a Godlikenesse; So that as it is said, There is none like unto the God of Jesurun: so also is it said in the same place; Who is like unto Thee O people saved by the Lord? There is none like Thee, O Lord God, saith David. It follows, What Nation is like Thy people, even like Israel? And hence it must follow, as Moses saith, speaking of God's people, So shall we be separated, I and Thy people, from all the people that are upon the earth; and, they shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the Nations. The sum is this, They that are made like God, they cannot, upon choice, familiarly converse with, and delight in the company of the wicked; A separate people, whom the wicked-one shall not touch, must touch no unclean thing.

Sixthly, In the last place, we would remember, what two persons said in their Contest for the Truth, and against the opposers thereof, and apply it to ourselves;

The other, though, said he, I cannot unfold Popish Arguments, yet I have two main grounds upon which I can stand, and bid defiance to Popery, to the Pope, his Jesuits, and all the Papists in the world, So, though we can do little by way of Argument pro, or con, as they say, yet we have two grounds upon which we stand resolved to bid defiance to Church Communions with those that ground all they do, as to those signeing, and sealing ordinances, or Gospel Administrations upon the Principles of Infant Baptism only; (1) The first ground is, They have no Argument (that ever we could meet with) but from flesh, or fleshly reason to draw us to it, or persuade to a liking of it:

2. The true Church is Christ's Bride, or Spouse, your Church is not the Bride of Christ, for would the Ministers of your Church prostitute her to—we will say no more, though if we should speak it-out it would be much the same, which holy Bradford spake against the Pope, and his Priests in his Letter to the University, and Town of Cambridge;

CHAP. VI.

ANd now we think we have the hardest work behind to make a sweet and cordial close with the Truth, and one with the other, and all in Christ; yet why should this be an hard thing, if we can approve ourselves; (we take the boldness to rank ourselves with you, so inferior though we be) lovers of peace, and truth, and Friends to Righteousness, how can we be Adversaries? not to say, enemies unto one another? We would have our Lord Christ call us Friends, and deal tenderly with us, we must then more than show ourselves friends, and accordingly deal one with another; we must deal faithfully. So deal with us, we pray you, as you may see cause; Reproove us, rebuke us, we shall take it as a great favor, as an excellent oil from you, which shall not break the Head, as a fruit of your love chiefly, as the case may be, shown in Rebukes, though yet we think it not comely to return love for love, considering the lownes, and meanness of our persons; yet we should fail in our Duties, and Christian offices we owe to each other, if we should not tell you our fear at least, that the Lord our God hath a quarrel with you; give us leave Deare, and Honoured Sirs to tell-out our fear, and what makes us to fear.

CHAP. VII.

WE would give you two or three Scriptures to muse upon; draw two, or three things from them, and then draw to a close of all. The first Scripture, Isa. 52. 1.

The other Scriptures, Mal. 3. 16.

Then they that feared the▪ Lord spake often one to another:

Acts 2. 42, 43. " They continued steadfastly in the Apostles Doctrine, and Fellowship: And all that believed. 1 John 1. 3. Rev: 21. 27. & 22. 15. There shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, nor whatsoever worketh an Abomination; for without are Dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and Murderers, and Idolaters, And who so loveth, and maketh a lie. From the premised Scriptures we would Conclude. First;

CHAP. VIII.

IN the shutting-up of all, we crave leave, first to address ourselves to yourself, and brethren of the same persuasion with you. Secondly, Then to those of our own rank •• Church Communion one with another. In the third place, we will set down four savoury Speeches, spoken, as we conceive, in answer to this very plea against separation here pleaded for.

But before we can have the least hope, that our Counsel should take, we must take off as we can, another Reproach we stand aspersed with, which is this;

To this we reply.

First, That we cannot make honorable mention of them, who have, to our seeming, •• st such dishonors upon our dear Lord and Savior, His Holy things, and people of His Holiness, speaking all along in their Pamphlets most contrary to Scripture, to Reason▪ and to the judgment of all the Orthodox Ministers, and people, that ever were or now are in the world; As if the destruction from God was no terror to them, and by reason of His Highness they could endure to be an occasion of drawing down that Curse upon us, whereof we read, Levite. 7. 20. More dreadful • ow under the Gospel than that was under the Law, because Gospel Curses are most dreadful; The soul that eateth of the sacrifice of peace • ffrings, that pertain unto the LORD, having his uncleanness upon him, even that soul shall be cut off from his people. We cannot speak, (because we cannot think, honourably of those men, that have spoken so as they have don, pleading for the Admission of those to the Lord's Table, who have all their uncleanness upon them. And yet we have not to our knowledge vilified their persons, or spoken reproachfully of them, much less judged them as to their present state and being in Christ; they may be for ought we know, truly Conscientious, and men fearing God, and so, that they have don, hath proceeded from ignorance and mistake: only this seems strange unto us; that whereas all three have been told their error, and little less than braied for it, yet they should persist to bring▪ in that abomination into God's house, which causeth Desolation. We cannot think or speak honourably of them for so doing. And have so erred, though not in their hearts. And yet that saying may command all due consideration; An erroneous head, and a Godly heart will not meet. Corruption in judgment being like poison in the spring. But yet this Consideration should be for a lamention, That the envious-one called the Devil and Satan, hath so mightily prevailed in these days, as to make Ministers themselves not a few, studiously active in the mischeiving, yea ruining their own people's souls. But

Secondly; As to our not Answering any one of their Arguments we say, That had we as many spare hours as there are spare books in the world; and as well able for such a service, if it may be called so, as they are who are best able, yet we had not meddled with their Arguments; and these are our Reasons; for

First, Why should we actum agere do that we find so clearly and fully, so learnedly and holily don to our hands; so Mr Hs: is answered is he not? And Mr Prynne's twelve Arguments, if we may call them Arguments, for Free Admission of all to the Sacrament, It being one of the most effectu • ll principal means for

are Answered with twenty set against them by learned Gillespie of plessed Memory, which will be replied unto and reanswered, when blessed Jewel is by any of them who are of Hardings old▪ Taking way and judgment, the great Rode of the world. And for John Timsons Arguments (who knows how many?) we will single but one out of the throng, whereby we may make judgment of the rest▪ and of the Answers thereunto;

And in a bold confidence, that this cannot be proved, he hath argued the Case afresh this last year, against two of his good Masters. And now we have Cause to believe, he will be answered with silence, these worthy men Mr Hs: Sanders, and M John Collings having, as we conceive, a command from their God, Answer him not; his error, which some may call folly will not, by that means, depart from him. They will commend him to God, and Word of His Grace, which is able to do that which all the ablest men in the world are not able to do, make his folly depart from him. In the next place because;

Secondlly, To make Answer was no part of our undertaking, but to give-in our persuasion in some matters before specified in their proper place to a neighbor Minister calling us to an account about them; and in special about free Admission of all to all Church Communions. This we have don according to our Measure, loosning the foundation upon which their whole building stands, and taking away that rotten pillar, which upholds it which is this;

This is the very substratum or underbearer, upon which their building stands, And whereby a great multitude which no man can number, being as the sand of the Sea, are built up as high as Heaven, and, having no other stay to lean to must be cast down to the low • most Hell: To loosen this sandy foundation, and to throw down this rotten building, or daubed wall, before the great hailstones fall, and a stormy wind rents it, was a great part of our undertaking; that we might cast a flood, if possible, and utterly drown the fools paradise, or lay our batteriers to his Castle he hath (by your good help, the Master-builder) built in the Air; his strong Confidence, we mean, that being borne and baptized in a Church, he is a privileged man to abide in God's Tabernacle here below, and to dwell in His Holy Hill forever and ever above in the highest Heaven Had we the Confidence of one man, we would speak as he doth; A glorious Saint put a short Question, and a shorter Answer thereunto, we will set it down, and so an end of this matter; What brings men to hell in the Church? false Confidence, saith he, Having 〈2 pages missing〉 with sorrows. We will commend to your Reading, as we said, and best observation, and the Lord set it home unto you* Isa. 62. 10. as our English, 12, as Junius devides the Chapter, with his notes upon it; and so we commend you to God, and the work of His Grace with you.

To yourself Sir, who were the occasion of all, so this we would speak as Jerome to Augustine;

But then you must come clear off from that horrid opinion so often mentioned, That the Receiving the Lord's Supper &c.

[§ 6] Secondly, Now to ourselves, and those of the same rank with us, endeavoring after the same thing, purity of Doctrine, of Discipline, and life.

First, Let us not trouble ourselves with controverted points; True it is, in some Cases, Expositorum diversitas excitat attentionem, Diversitie of opinions, make the hearer more attent. But this is never where the Text is plain; or if he be more attent he will be more unresolved. It is as true also, That Truth getts advantage by a necessary conflict of arguments, but this is among the Learned in the Schools; and when the Case admitts of some doubts; seldom or never among those of our rank; And where the Case is clear and resolved. Disputes among such, and in such cases, the more amuzes them, putting them into Doubts, where they should make none; None at all; None at all, as we conceive and have proved, whether all are to be admitted to the Lord's Table? Whether Christmas-day, as we call it, with the like, of the same stamp, or institution, is to be kept holy? And being resolved at that point, as you are, in the Negative, then, whether a Minister of Christ ought not contend with the observers of that heathen-Feast; as Nehemiah did with the Nobles profaning the Sabbath day, at least by conniving at those, who did. 13. 17. we take it, that such cleared Truths as these and those relating to forms of prayer, are not to be put to question, or if they be, we are not, as we conceive, to be careful to answer in these matters; we are not to deliberate upon them. They that will put these things to question, may fear to be delivered-up into a mind void of judgment. And they that are resolved in these points, and would resolve the gain-sayers; Let them look into their 〈◊〉 . For what hope have they, of our rank, to prevail with those, who have withstood the Resolves from God's word by the mouth of God's faithful Ministers? They that contend for these matters, are not weak ones, but vain and superstitious persons, built-up high in their fleshly confidences, so as your words can move with them, no more, than can a blast of wind move a tower of brass, or the waves a rock. In a word; Let not us dispute God's right, but give it Him; nor the laws of His house, but give our observation unto them; nor the way of His people, but walk we therein, and with so right a foot in desire and endeavor, that we may put a beauty upon the way, and so adorn it, that we may draw others to it, to walk together with us as Friends in it, having concluded within themselves, making observation by our walk; This is the way of Holiness; for see how Holily they walk, who are walkers in it; Only take this with it more, suspect that at the least, to be a cursed liberty the worldly Church contends for; and reckon upon that to be the Holy way, they would stand up against, contradicting and blaspheming.

[unspec 2] In the second place. Let us pray God make us Learned to the Kingdom of God; That we may humble all our knowledge to the obedience of Faith. God grant to all his people the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, That they may be able to discern the Spirits, whether they are of God, or no. That they may take heed of false Prophets, and give ear to the voice of the Prince of Pastors, and fly the voice of strangers, and beware of blind Guides that so often have deceived them. Amen.

[§ 7] Thirdly, In the last place, We will set down those four savoury Speeches, we before made mention of. M ^r Chillingworth speaks first, what the goodness of the man was, we know not, but this speech is very good, [unspec 1]

There is the first speech.

Mr H: Sanders speech is next:

Mr Ant: Palmers words follow;

Dr Owen's words follow, and therewith we will close all;

This being set home by the Spirit of holiness, will keep our foot close-up to wisdoms ways, which are pleasantness, and all her paths peace, and tends to that Blessed End, that hath no End, Eternal life. Excellent Bradfords good Counsel, and prayer shall put a close to all.

Molest not the good Spirit of God, which is given you, as a gage of Eternal Redemption, a Counselor, and Master to lead you into all truth; which good Spirit, I beseech the Father of mercies to give unto us all, for His Deare Sons sake, Jesus Christ, our Lord; To whom I Commend you all, and to the word of His grace, which is able to help you all, that believe it, follow it, and serve God, thereafter.

Direction to the Binder.

GEnerall Title; Appeal; Conference; Infant Baptism; Lord's Table; Christmas; Forms of prayer; Ministers duty; four Grand Enquiries; Law-power; Covenant; the Account and Exceptions may be stitched alone. If altogether then Account before the Appeal, and Exceptions after Infant Baptism.