Againft Pe1jecution. firmamcnt 1 or hinder the mmion~ of the Hcavcm, or deny the rain to the thirlly Earth, you migbt )ook for as good a reward for thts, as for oppofing the merciful Redeemer of the World, in the bletTed work of mans falvation. §· !O· 3· Perfrc•tion is a rtfifling or fi~hting againfi the Holy Ghoft: A/1. 7· 51· Caith S1epbm to the Jews, [ Te fti.f·r.ecked and zmcircumclftd in IJtart tmd ear1; ye dfJ alwafn rtf!ll the Holy Gbcyi: a1 Y·'ffr. fatben did, fo do ye!] If you filence the Minifiers who are the means by which the fpirit workcrh, in the illuminating and fan&ifying ofCouls (AD. 26. 17, 18. ); or if you affiiCl: men for thoCo Holy duties, which the fpirit of God hath taught them to perform, or would force men from that which the fpirit of Chrifi is fent to draw them to; this is to raifc War againfi thar fpirir, into whofe name you were your felves baptized. ?· r 1. 4· Petfr:cmion cndeavourerh the damnation of mens fouls, eilher by depriving them of rhe Preaching of the Gofpc\ which Chould fa.vc them, or by forcjng thLm upou that lin for which God will condemn them. Yea the banill\i'ng or li!euciug of one faithful Prcachn, may c(mdu;:e to the d:IJnnJtion of m.any hundreds? If it be fa.iJ that orhcrs who are fct up in th&::ir fkad may fave mens fouls as wdl as the)'. I anfwer, I· God fddomc,if ever, did qu:dihc C\tpcrnumeraries for the work of the Minit1ry ! Many a Nation huh had too few, but l never read of any Nation that had too many who were well qualitled for that great and difficult work, no nor from theday'es of Chrift till now ! fo that if they are all fit men, there arc none of them to be fpared ; but all are too ·few if they conjoyn their grcatefi skill a_nd diligence. Chril1 biddeth us pray the Lord of the har– vdl to fend forth more labourers into his Harvefl ; but never biddeth us pray to fend out few~r, or tc c11l any in that were but tolerably fitted for the work. 2· M.my pt.'tfecutors banifh all Preachers of the Gofpe!, and fet up no other to do the fervice which they were called ro. And it is rarely fcen that any who can find in their hearts, to caft ouf any faithful MiniO:ers of ChriU, have hearts to fct up better, er any that arc competent in their ficad : But it is or– dinarily fcen, that when the judgement is fo far depraved, as to approve of the c1fiing out of worthY men, it is alfo fo far depraved as to think an ignohnt, unskilful, heartltf5, or fcanda– lous fort of Minifters, to be as lit to fave men fouls as they : And how many poor .Congu.. gations in the Eafiern and the We(lern Churches ( nay how ·many thoufand ) have ignorant, u:;godly, fenfual Pafiors, who ~re fuch unfavoury Salt, as to be unfit for the Land or for the D1.1nghill ? whileit rnen are extinguifhing the Clc:ardt lights, or thrufling them inw obfcurity : M>tth. 5· 13, 14, '5· L"uk,; 14· 35· 3· And there may be fomcthing of fuitablcnefs between a Pa– llor and the flock, which may give him advantage to be more profitable to their fouls, than ana.. ther man of equal parts. 4· And, though God can work by the wcakefi means, yet ordinarily we fee that his work upon mens fouls is fo far Moral, as 'that he · ufually profpereth men, accord– ing to the titnefs of their laboms to the work ! and fornc men have far more fucccfs than others. He that fhould expel! a dozen or twenty of the ablell Phylicions out of Lon<Lm, and fay, there are enough left in thtir fleads who may favc mens lives as well as they ; might, notwithftanding that affertion, be found guilty of the blood of no fmall numbers. And as men have fomecime an averfenefs to one fort of jQod, (as good as any to :mother man), and as this diHcmper is not laudable ; and yet he that would force them to ear norhing elfe bur" that which they lOabhor were liker to kill them than to cure them, fo is it with the fouls of many. ... And th.:=re are few who have any fpiritual difcerning and reliili, but have fomc fpecial fenfe of what is helpful or hHrtful to their fouls, in Sermons, Books and Conference, which a llander by is not fo llt a judge of as them. {elves. So that it is clear, that perfecution drivcth men towards their damn01tion ! And 0 how fad a cafe it is, to hive the damnation of one foul to anfwer for ! ( whid1 is worfe than the: murdering of many bodies.) Much more to be guilty of the perdition of a multitude ! ?· 12• 5· Perftcmion is unjujlice, and opprdllon of the innocent! And what a multitude ofter– rible threatnings again{\ this fin are found throughout the holy Scriptures? D01h a man defcrvc to be cruelly ufed,'for being faithful to his God, and for preferring him before man? and for be– ing afraid to fin againfi him ? or for doing that which God cornmandcth him, and that upon pain of greater fufferings, than m:m can infiid: upon him? Is it not h.:.s Saviour that hath faid, Fear not– them that can kJU the body, and after that bavt nrJ mort tbat they can do : but fear him who after be b11th kJUed hath p•~er to cajl into HtU; yea, I fay unroyou, fiar him : Though Chrillianity was once called a Sel1 which every where waJ {pok,.en 4f.ainft, Aet. 28. 22• and Paul was accufed as a peftilent JtUow, and a mover of[edition among tbt peoplt, ACI:. 24· 5· and Chtifi was Crucified as a U(urper of the Ctown ; yet innocency fh1ll be innocency fiill in fpight of malice, and lying accufations ; becaufe God will be the final Judge, and will bring all fecret things to light, and will jufiifie thofe whom injuflice hath condemned, and will not eaU them as i1andering tongues have called them. Yea the Confciences of the perfecutus art often forced to fay, as they did of Daniel, Dan. 6. 5• We (hrJlJ not find any occafion againft thi1 Daniel, except we fi1:d. it againjl him concerning tbe Law of hit G1Jd, And therefore the ntt which they were fain tO by for him, was a L1w againfi his Rt· ligio1t or puzyers to God :, For a Law againfi Treafon, fedition, fwcaring, drunkennefs, fornicati~ on, &c. "'Nould have done them no fervice l And yet they would fain have afperfed him there, verfr +· ]cr. 22· 1 3· Woe ta him that buildeth bu houfc by ultrighttoufneji, &c. Ifa. 33· 1. w ,e to thee · thutfi!,ihft and tbouwajlnotfPoiled: Ha.5. 20· Woe to them that eaU evil good a11d good evil: Jer. 2. 34· I• thy s~irtJ i< found the blood of the [oulr of the poor imtocemr: P rov. 6. 16, '7· H•ndr that ,fT>td "' ;acent blood the LcrJ dotb hate, &c. Kkkkl<kk •
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=