It belongeth unto the care of the magistrate, to endeavour the converting and reclaiming of him; which though it cannot be effected, yet further and principal care must be used to prevent the spreading of infection. This was done, in the apostles' time, by rejecting a heretick, refusing to have brotherly communion and society with him. So an effectual means may be used to keep the leaven from the lump. Use what mercy and lenity you judge most consonant unto Christian meekness, towards the persons themselves; but, above all things, be zealous for the purity and peace of the church, wherein divisions and subdivisions exceedingly tend to weaken, to distract, to betray it. We have to do with wise and vigilant, with subtile and sedulous enemies,-who formerly were, and no doubt still are, intent upon their design to shake this nation from the true protestant religion, wherein, as the Duke of Roan gravely observed, the interest thereof did stand. And I believe, if the new things which are broached, were duly examined, you would find, in most of them, if not legible characters (as the doctrines which deny, or diminish original sin, and affirm free-will), yet a secret aspect and tendency towards Rome. They cry down our ministers as no ministers of Christ: and so did Champney, and Kellison, and the Romanists heretofore. They cry down our ordinances as polluted, and impure, and not to be joined in; and so the Pope forbad the English papists, in Queen Elizabeth's time, to join in the same worship and ordinance with Protestants. They cry down learning, and schools of prophets and what greater advantage can a learned papist have, than to have none but unlearned adversaries to dispute withal? They teach adoration of Christ in a sinful man at his feet, a plain manuduction to adoration of Christ in a host. They tell you, they dare not limit Christ's body to heaven ;— a handsome step towards corporal presence in the sacrament by transubstantiation. They press to follow a light within, secretly intimating imperfection in the scripture, unto which, why may not as well ecclesiastical traditions be added, as an c Opto equidem, ut si fieri potest, nemo de fratribus pereat. Si tamen quosdam schismatum duces, et dissentionis auctores non potuerit ad salutis viam consilium salubre revocare, cæteri tamen vel simplicitate capti, vel errore inducti, vel aliqua fallentis astutiæ calliditate decepti, vos à fallaciæ laqueis solvite, &c. Cypr. de unitat. Eccles. imaginary light? They say, we must follow the commands of that light;-a shrewd preparation to any desperate attempt, when season and advantage calls for it. The Lord give you wisdom to foresee evils: they are better prevented than suppressed. And for that purpose, be pleased To encourage orthodox, godly, and learned ministers, and the schools of learning; vindicate and protect them from reproach and contempt. When Alexander the Great sent ambassadors unto Athens, requiring them to deliver up their orators into his hands; Demosthenes, " in his oration thereupon to the people, tells them a fable out of Æsop, that the wolves, being at war with the sheep, sent a message unto them, that if they would live at quietness, and have a firm peace concluded, they should yield up their dogs unto them: which as soon as they had done, they were devoured by the wolves. The like artifice use our adversaries now ;-that they may make a prey of the people, their principal care is to pull down our ministry, and schools of learning; that so, the watchmen being removed, the sheep may be exposed to ruin. e To take care, that all who own Christian religion amongst us, be required to attend upon the ministry and dispensation of the gospel; that they may not presumptuously exempt and deprive themselves of the means of grace and salvation, as of my knowledge some do; who have wilfully, for these many years, withdrawn themselves from any Christian assemblies, where God is worshipped, or his name made known. To endeavour to heal and close up breaches amongst brethren, that men, agreeing in faith, worship, and obedience, may be no longer strange to one another, but join hand in hand against the dangers which are threatened from a common adversary; who, at those unhappy breaches, hath let in these little enemies to open the door unto him. To secure and set mounds about fundamental doctrines; and, for that purpose, to take care for public and private catechising. To provide that ministers may be known to be orthodox d Plutarch, in Demosth. blematic. part 3. prob. 19. • Vid. Aug. Ep. 48, 50.-Alting, theolog, prc in the great and weighty controversies between us and Rome; that wolves may never privily creep in under sheep's clothing. To hinder the printing and spreading of dangerous and infectious books, either from ports or presses, or any other way of diffusing leaven into the people. I conclude with this profession, that I have not pressed this doctrine of the peace of the church to the straightening or grieving of any, who love our Lord Jesus in sincerity. I know the best men know but in part, and must mutually bear with, and pray for one another, that wherein they differ, God will reveal himself unto them. My aim and desire hath been to preserve the foundations, to keep the protestant religion from such encroachments, as may insensibly make way for the endangering of it. We see what we could hardly have believed, how facile and flexible the minds of many people are to be seduced and carried into opinions, which, some years since, they would as hardly have been persuaded to believe that they should live to embrace, as Hazael was that he should rip up women with child. The Lord make you tender of his people, vigilant against his enemies, zealous for his church, valiant for the truth. DEATH'S ADVANTAGE, 1657. SIR, TO THE HONOURABLE JOHN CREW, ESQ. Having been prevailed with by the earnest desires of those who were nearly related unto that worthy gentleman, at whose funeral this Sermon was preached, to let it (after it had been itself so long buried) something unseasonably revive and go abroad into the world, I have taken the boldness to prefix so honourable a name as yours before it, upon a double account-one relating unto the deceased gentleman, the other unto myself. For the former, if we may take the character of a wise and worthy man by the affection which he beareth, and choice which he maketh of eminent examples, whose prudence and piety to follow,-I may truly, and therefore, without flattery to you or him, pronounce this dear friend, now with God, a very wise and a very good man, having been frequently an ear-witness of the singular honour he did bear to your person (in mentioning of whose zeal and care to promote the glory of God, the truth of the gospel, the interest of religion, and good of your country, he did greatly delight to expatiate), and whom he did propose to himself as a special pattern for his imitations. For mine own part, as I have the same reasons which moved him to bear an honourable and high esteem towards your person, and the gifts and graces of God bestowed upon you; so you have, by your abundant favours to me, and particularly your earnest and solicitous endeavours to have preserved my station in the university, when changes in the states caused changes there, laid so great a debt upon me as I have no way discharged, but only by putting you over to the best paymaster, and, in my prayers, commending you unto Him, who doth not forget your labour of love. To his gracious protection I commend you, and all the branches and interests of your family, and remain Your humble and most obliged servant, DEATH'S ADVANTAGE: Opened in a SERMON, preached at Northampton, at the Funeral of PETER WHALEY, Esq. then Mayor of the said Town. PHIL. I. 21. For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. THE Apostle, having saluted these Philippians, and testified his sincere love unto them, and hearty prayer for them, in the eleven first verses,-doth, in the next place, endeavour to comfort them against any offence or trouble, which they may sustain by the occasion of his sufferings for the gospel, verse 12, 13; assuring them that they tended to the defence. thereof; many being thereby provoked, and, by the example of his courage and comfort, animated to speak the word without fear,' verse 14. And although some, indeed, had evil and envious intentions to reproach his apostleship, and to add affliction to his bonds, yet Christ being preached, he did rejoice, notwithstanding his own sufferings; as knowing, that by the benefit of their prayers, and by the supplies of the spirit of Christ, his own salvation, and the glory of the Lord, should thereby be promoted, verse 15-20. And if the Lord may be thus magnified, and himself saved; if his life may tend to the honour of Christ, and his death to his own advantage; he is most indifferent and contented to yield to God's holy will either way: for, saith he, " To me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." "If I live, my work, my conversation, my ministry, will be wholly to serve and glorify him; and if I die, my death will not only be glorious unto him, but gainful unto me; I shall be ever with the Lord, which is best of all!"-The Apostle, therefore, is at a stand, in a strait betwixt two, which to choose: On the one |