Ambrose - Houston-Packer Collection BX5200 .A49 1674

purv'ey i or us, as ior Elias, 1 Kings r 9 • )• one while ye lit us to oqr holy vocation, ' as ye did to lfaiab,Ifai. 6· 6, 7• another while ye difpofeofthe oppertunities ofo\U callicg for oood, as ye did of Philip'r to the Eunuch, AfJs 8. 26. one while ye fo(etel our danger, as ro L?t, Gen. 19• 1 2, 1 3· ·another while ye comfort our affiid:ion, as to Ha– gar,Gen. 2 I· I?· one while ye oppofe evil pwjetl:s ag1inllus,as 10 Bala4m,Num.n.3•·•n– other while ye will be ilriven with for blelfing, as withJacob, Hof. I 2·4· one while ye refill our offenlive courfcs, as to Mofir, Ex0~. +· 24,2 5,26. another while ye incmi– tageus in our devotions, as ye did Pa~t!, and Sibs, and Corneliar, Ad:s 16. 25. aRd Acts JO· 3• 4.· one while ye deliver from durance, as Ptter, Ach 12, 7> 8, 9· anorher while ye prderve from danger and J eath, as the three children, Dan.3 ·2 5. one whik ye are ready to rt11rain our refumption, as the Cherub before the gate ofParadife, Gen. 3• z 4 • anl){her while to excite our courage, as to Eliar, 2 Kings r.r 5• one while to refrdh, and cheer us in ourfufferin5, as to the Apoflles, AfJs 519,20,1 ' · another while to pervent our fufferings, as to Jacob in the perfuit of Lahanand Efo_u,Gen,3 1•34• and ·Gen. ' 2· 1. one while ye cure our bodies, as at the Pool of Bethefda, Job. 5· t· ano– ther while ye carry up am fouls to glory, as ye did toLazarus, Luke I 6. 2 2. it were endleffe to inlhnce in all the gracious offices which ye perform. Ijha/1 med " repeat no more out of hi~t, t:>hom I have fo often'•cited in the difcourff that f,llowe.r. Bm if any be offended, that I have fo highly ej!eemed oftbir Bijhop, ir there any commttnionwithfuchinname or thing; l I[halla>t{wer, t. I never war offe.xded with tbe >tame of Bi010p, nor will any wife ma>t, that fittdr tbe IIJme fo freqreently ufed in Scri· pturer, be offwded with it. 2· Nor am [offended vvitb the thing, ifmuieration vveu uftd, andfitch an Epifcopacy ere{led ar Bi/110p Hall, and Bijhop Uiher did propormd M fatiJff– fJory • andfucb men tumanage it or vvm peaceable, godly,all deminent for grace tVtd giftJ; nor do I believe that any Oatb ta.'<._en by me vvar agahljl fitch an Epifcopacy. Thus fome affirm\ *it is not agaiul\ mcderate Epifcopacy, but onlyagaittl\ the exorbitant fpecies, ,. 11axt.Of introducing unavoidably the many mifchifes which we have feen and felt. If all Church go– exorbitanciu of povver vverc rettcnched by tbe Bijhop, and if tbofe Prerbyteriet, vvhicb no vernment. Law hithtrto hatbforbidden,were r<jlortd to theirprimitive rigbtr,lk]tow no rcafon but I mif,bt P· 10 S• Jitbmit botb to the name and rhing: But from tbe dominion ofobfolmc Prelacy, and from tberigorom impojitim ofCerem?nier by it, and from tbe exlirpatim of di§mting 'Brethren, who 111iU not, or dare uat crmfcici1li mfly {lf.bmit, [ubjcribe, or [wear unto it, the Lord deliver ur. 3· I ever look._ed upon !lijhJp Hlll as p,.ceable and mJdil·ate. *Mr. Baxter cites • •• 1 on him on that [cm, I £hall prove( foith he) lrom the ex1mple of reverend Bi010p HaU, Chu:Chgo– th•t moder>te men wtll agree on the foregoing terms , - Bleffed be God vernmeot. (foith the 11 BijiJOp) ther< is no diifcrence in any dlcntial matter betwixt the Church ofP·~~fi,· 11 England aud her Siilero ofthe Reformation·, we accord in every point of Chriilian J~t.~~.[!• Doctrine without the lcatl vari~tion, ---the only difference is in the form of mRker.p.,4 6, outward adminil\ration, wherein we alfo are fo far agreed, as that we all p1ofeffe this 47,48,49· form not to be effential to the bting of a Church, though much importing the well er better betng of it, according 10 our fevera! apprehenlions thereof: and that we do all retain a r'verend and loYing opinion of each other in our own fcveral wayes; not fecing any reafon why fopoor a divcrlity ihould work any alienation of effection in us one tow.rds another. But withal notiling 11mders but that we may come yet clofer toone another, if both may Iefolve to meet in that Primitive Government (whereby it iS meet we ihould 1 both be regulated) univerfally agreed on by all Antiquity whereic aJ} thing,s were ordered and tran{acted by the con!ent of the Presbytery , moderated by one coailant Prdidei11 thereof~ -And·ifin this point (wherein the diilance Is fo nar· row) we could condefcend to each other, all other circum!lances and appendances of various pracbfes or opinious, might without any difficulty be accorded. But if there mull be a difference of Jc\d5ment in thefe matters of outward policy, why ihould not Our hearts be !lill oue l why {hould fuch a diverfity be of power to endanger the difolving of the bond of brotherhood 1 may we have the grace but to follow the truth in love, we ihlll iu thefe fevera Itracts overtake her happily i(l the end, and lind her embracing of p~ace, and crowning w; with bleffednelfe. So far Billwp HaU. 4• Nor wa{ h< only peaceable aJrd moderate, but g,olden-mouth'd aNd of godly life, UMr. Baxter reck._ont biru amongjt[IJI1/e othcrr, that have been excellent inlhuments of the Churches good, and ll&axt.ikiip.4; {o eminent tor Geds graces and gifts, that their names ~ill be precious wl)ilil Chnil hath 111 Engla11d a Reformed Church ; where there in all EHnl•w;l but one fuel! man dilfmtiug from ll5 ( fai tbbe) as Hoopcr, Farrar·, I.atil~er , Craumer, b ~ . . F.idi<J'> >'

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