Wbm we are guilty of tbe Mt1lifters miftakes. 749 An[r:v. To avoid confufion, fix upon thit whit:h you think is rhe thing finful. I· Either it is bccaufe the Prayers are dtfefJive •nd faulty; 2. Or becaufe they are impojid: 3· Or becaufe )"0" !;.now :he fault before b.md. But nonc 1 of all rhefe can prove your joymug with .them finful: I• Nor P.i;hom:ni~efi becaufe they are fattlty: for you may joyn wirb as faulty prayers you confefi, if not impofld : faccre quod fi 2 , ..... Not becaufe impofed: 1. Becaufe that is an extmuation, and_ nor. :m aggravation : For it proved\ ~~:~~;c~:~3h:~ rhe MiniHer le[i·vg/untaryof the two, than thofc:: are d~at do_a wahour any command, through the qur<ld ell cl·gi~ enour of their own judgements, (as man erroneous perfons WJ!I.J 2. Bccaufc (though lawful things bi!iu._., oft become unlawful when fupcriours forbid them, yet) no rcafon can be given why a L awfttl BHcholt'{tr. thing tbould become :mlawfol becaufe a lawful fuperiour doth commaud ir. Elfe fuperiours mir,ht take away all our Chriftian liberty, and make all thmgs unlawful to us by commanding them : You would take it for a wi.ldeconceit in your Children or fervants, if they fay, when you bid them learn a Catechifin or u[e a form of Prayer, It was lawful to us till you commanded us to do it ; but becaufe you bid us do it, it is unlawful. If it be a duty to obey Governours in all lawful things, then it is not a[m to obey them. 3· And it is not your ~{~owing before hand that maketh it unlawful; for, r. I know in gmer•l before hand, that all imper!dhncn will do imperfectly: And though J know not the particular, that maketh 1t never the hwfuller, Jf fore·lt.nowledge 1t fdf d1d make it unlawful. 2. If you know thac e. g. an Antinornian or fame mifiaken Preacher would confiantly drop fame: words for his errour in Prayer or Preaching, that will not make it unlawful in your own judgement for you rojoyn, ( if it be not a flat Herefie. ) 3. It is anotbtr mans errour or fault that you [orek._now and not your own; and therefore fore·Jtnowledgt makcrh ic not yvur own. 4 • God himfelf dmh as an Vniverfal Caufi of z:;ature concu~ with ~en in thofe ads which he foreknowe~h they will finfuUy do: and yet God IS not to be Judged either an Author or approver of the fin bccaufc of fuch concurrence and fore-knowledge : Therefore our fore·knowledge maketh us no approvers, or guilty of the failings of any in their facred Minillrations, unkfs there be fome other guilt. If you fay that it is no one of thefe that maketh it unl~)Yful, but all together, you mull give us a difimd: argument to prove that the concurrence of ~hefe. ~hree will prove that UlJ)awfuJ, which cannot be proved fo by any of them alon~, for your affirmat1on mufi not ferve the turn : and when we know your argumenr I doubt not but it may be anfwex:~d. One thing I .fiill confefs may , make any defeCtive Wodhip robe unlawful to you ; and tbat is, When you preftr it before better, and may ( withont " greattr inconvenience ) enjoy an abler lrliniflry, and purer Adminijfrativn, but will not. §. 95• Obj. B•t he tlw fitteth by in filence in the poftu" M the refJ, .of the Co•gregation, jiemeth to Obj•<l· confent to aU that H [aid aml done : andwe muft avouJ aU apptarancc ofevzl. Anfw. The apptaranct of evil which Uevil indted, muU be alway avoided : But that appear.:mce of Anfil'· evil which is indeedgvod mull not be avoided. We mufi not forfake our duty lefi we[rem eojiu : that were but to preft:r hJ•p.Jcrifie before finceriry, and to avoid apptflrances more than realities: The omi{lion of a duty is a real fin: and that muli not be done [0 avoid a feeming fin. And whom doth it appear fo to? If it appeJr tvil to the blind or prejudiced, it is theis eyes chat mull be cured: But . jf it •ppear Coto the wijt, then it's like ic is evil ir>deed: For a wife man fhould not judge that to be evil that' is not. But I contffs that in a cafe that is altogether indiffcrcm, even the miHakcs of (he ignorant may oblige us to forbear; Bur theWorfhip of God mufi nor be {o forborn. It is an ir– rationa~ fancy to thlnk that you muft be_ Vncivil 1 by contra.did~ng, .or covering yo~r heads, or doing fomcthmg offenfi.v~ to the CongregatiOn, when any thmg IS f11d or done wh1ch you difallow. Your prefrncc fignifieth your Con{e;1t to all that you profcfs, even to Wodhip God according to his Word, and not to all the humane: impt:rfuS:ions thac are there cxprdTcd. §. 96. Dinct. I3· Dijtinguifh carefully ban·cen )lOUr per[onal pri-zMtC dtttiet, {md the duty of the v· {1 13· P;jt(Jr or Church with whjch ynu mu/t c;mcurr. And da not thi1tk,_ tb.lt if the Clmrch or Pnjlor, do not tre • their duty that Y'" are boJMlito do it for them. To cafi our an obHinate impenitent !inner by fentencc from the Communion of the Church, is the Pafiors or Churches duty, and notyour~, unldS in concmrence, or fubfervil!ncy to the Church : Therefore if it be nor done, enquire whether you did J•om duty tow,., rds it: If you did, the fin is 11one of yours : For it is not in y1ur power ro call out all that arc unworthy from the Church : But priv.tte f.;mili.:Jrity is in your power to refufe; and rPith {ur:h no a11t to cat. 9· 97· Din:&. 14· 1ak..e tbe meafure of )'Ottr accidental duties more from the Good or hurt of ~be Dircfi. 14• Churcb, or rf m.my, rh.m from tbe immediare good or hurt tb:~t cometh to your ftlf. You are ~Ot to take that for t~e jlJtim ot your duty, which you feel to be mofl to the commodity of your fouls; bu~ that in which yo.u may do God ~ofi fervice : lf ~he fervi.ce. of God for the ~ood of m:my, requJTe you to fiay with a weaker M1mfier, and defe6l:tve admn11firarions, you will find in the end that this was not only rhe place: of your duty, but alfo of your benefit: For your life is in Gods h~rds, and all your comforts; and that is the befi way to your peace and happinefs, in which you are moll pleafing unto God, and have bi-1 Promife of mofi acceptance: and grace. I know the leajt ad. ·z~a;tt,.ge to the ~ul, rnufi be preferred before aU e.arthly_ richei; but. not before the publick good : Yea, that way Will prove moft advantageous to :u, m whtch we exerctfe mofi obedience• .!5•98. Di~tCl:. I 5· '1af<! heed of [uffering prejudice and fanfie to go for rea/on, and raife in your DirtfJ• 1 5· m.ndr .unjuj!ifiable di~a{!et of any wa}' .or mode of Worjhip. It is wondCiful to fee wh>t fanfie and prqu~1ce :an do_ ? Get on~e a hard opt~Jon of a thmg, and your JUdgements will make light of all that ts fatd for t_t, and wtll fee nothmg that fi1o~ld reconcile you to it; Partiality will carry yoll away from equny and truth. Abundance of thmgs appear now falfe and evil, to men that once imagine
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