The EPISTLE quertch zeale, brit only to fprinkle it, that itmay hurl) With~ in compaffe; and not fire that houfewhich is intended hut towarme. . . . VVe have neither purpofe i)or Commisfion to ftep,a~ · · fide her~and complaine oftheTimes. .All times have fom; what amiffe in them, elfe Preachm ihould have; ~he le{fe work. And if thefe times have more Jhan m~IJY others~ which our Forefathers have feen, we muft neecfs beforry there is fo rriuch-wor{eforPreachim:and more,iftheywhich live by the Gofpell ofpeace, ihouldmak,eany. Forafte~ the building up oftheFaithif[hrif/;, theirchiefe workefhogld be, to beate down tho!eflrong Holds, whichanyfinshave built up in the hearts ofmen, topollute or defame[hrij/i.-. ;nThrm.r. anity. .And true Preachers indeed are, ~s ~·Jeromefpeak~s,' MaxiU£ Eccleji£, the Jawbones-ofthe Church, which by preaching,beate downe the carnall life ofman. ,Nowa1J h!l.– tred, contention, variance, allfeditionanddifobedienJ~to,Law... . ~"'· s.ro: full Authorityis (as'tisreckonedbythe llpofJ}e) 4r.(Jo'ngtfoe rPorftes ofthejlejh. .t\.nd therefore fince all Pr_eachersare tile !a-wes ofthe c.hurch, and~hefins ofthepeopleare, as'it wer:~.. to be growndmter~axtUas, betweenethefela-wes,before thepwple themfelves can be made fit to nouri!h theChurch~ or the Church them : How can this be done, ( efpeeifllly done as it ought) ifthe[awes be weak or fallen, -andcaun9~ do their dffice ~ · · . . · Butourhopeisthat qodwill[obleffe "Your8v.fajefliein your government,"Your people in their loyalty, thePreachers in their wifdom added to zeale and diligence,that the hearts and hands ofall forts ofmen, !hall be joyn'dtogether CC! pre... ferveqods TPorjhip in truth, "Your Majeflies thronein honour; theChurch in religious devotion, and all 'Yourpeoplein obedi... ence and union . the onlymeanes tomake both yourMaje.. flie, and 'Your p~ople happy in this life, and bleffed in that which is to~ome. .And we humbly defire men ofall forts to thinkeferioufly ofthis; that ifthe Puhli~fuffer either in f~f!.~c_~ ~~~ ~t~t~~ ~?. ~~~s pr~!~~pl~~~~~1 <:>! PEofi~ ~~n fiftancl . . . ~rnr~
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