122 The Covenant of Work.- Chap.i7 Apoilles abfence.; finite the Shepherd, and the Sheepwill be fcat- tered ; when there is no Shepherd in lfrael, every man does that which is right in his own eyes as when there is no King in I /rael. 2. By Experience, in Mofes his fourty dayes abfence from the Ifraelites , what grofte opinions of worfhip did they entertaine? Let us go no further then our felves, fence a Miniflery in E'ngland was blotted, and men made it their honour to revile and reproach it ; how fruitful have we been in thofe monfters, from the Lowell fteppe of Semifeparation to the highefl pitch of Rantifme? which hath occafioned all thofe atteflations to the truth of Chrift Jefus ágainft Errours, Herefies, and Blafphemies of this time , from the Minifters of Chrift in molt parts of this Nation ; Jefus Chrift leaving not himfelf without witneffe, in which we may fee lifts of them unto trembling amazement. But if we cannot fee it at home, let us hear of it from abroad : from the pen of a Protefiant Divine, making obfervation of the fiate of the Church in England gives this fad, and too true report unto the world: a That England infoure_;,ears /pace is become an heap and finke of all Errours and SeEis. No, `Province from the beginning of the world, ever brought forth in fo little a fpace fo many monf roes Herefies u this. Honor. Reggus Comment de flatu Eccle[æ in Anglia, pag.t. Hach Chrift any thing that he may enjoy unqueflioned among us ? as he may not have an Embaffadour , fo he mutt not enjoy a Day, or an Ordinance, not iomuch as his Deity among us. 3. If neither Reafon nor Experience will ferve to convince us, let the Apofile be heard Ephef . á, z i, t 4. He gave gifts unto men, fame Apoftles, and force `Prophets, and force Jvangeli fts, axd forne Paf ors, and feme Teachers :.. That We be not as children toff to andfro, with every winde of Dot`trine. Onc end of the Miniftery is eftablifhment of Saints againfl Errours. And it is not the leaft of the cunning Heights of men to throw down a Miniftery, that Errour may be introduced , and Herefies planted ; we muft not look to be fecure from Seducers, longer then a Miniftery ballafis us. It is objetked that in New Teftament- times there is a Promife, that God-will poure out his Spirit on all flefb, fonnes and daughters (hall prophect; your old men fhall dream dreams, your young men fhall fee viitans. And all upon the fervants, and upon the handmaids, in thole a Anglia his 4. annicfata eft colluvies & terna omnium errorum fe- êfarum : nulla à condito orbe provincia tam parvo [patio tot monffrofas he- refes protulit, atque &cc, Referunt Thc- el. Cefiren f. in attefatiene fua excujá, Anno Domini 648. Objrb}ions a- gainft a Mini- fterial ordi- nance anfwe. red.
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