Ch.47 of the tie of ,fieleever,r. till of late the State threw it off, and then the people follonnino- the State concluding l doubt not but God had his number in tholee ' arl times; but what were thofe fen, in compari/on of the body of the people, or predtce ff ours , fnce the time of the Goff el refrzored to its purity ; God bath wonderfully appeared in England ; but thole who tafe the argument of predece fjóurs run very high. eflnfw. 1, If the waters grew brackifh at Rome, fo that they gave their fent hither ; fo did the waters of7udea and Jenafalem grow as brackifh , yea, and of a worfer favour in the dayes of Aház; and at thofe times when they brought forth to children Gçdand gave them to ii, oloch, c zek i 6.20. 2. Neither do we look fo farre back (when we look back as farre as Dioclefian)' as the Jewes in Chrifts time ; as Paul that looked as farre as Abraham in his time : yea, Matter Firmin (as we have heard) ftayes not till he come up to him , neither are we neceffitated to look fo high. A pedigree in a fhorter line as to this purpofe will ferve our turne ; we are not tied to make it out that our Progenitours were really godly, to conferre fuck Co- venant-intereft upon us., Primitive Chriftians were adfnitted up- ón the account of Profeflion , by Mafter Firmin's confeílion,and not upon the account of reality of godlinefi'e, and they gave their pofterity intereft. We fee how much reverend Malter Hooker fpeaking the opinion of his party gives to the Churches connivance,negligence, or indulgence in this thing: If the Church (faith he) either through connivence, negligence, or indulgence (ball tolerate finch evils and cvill perfons in that fate of Church- member- , they cannot then deny them the priviledge ofMembers. And I d.are attribute as much to Gods cohnivence, his indulgence,and long- fuffering ; till he fue out a bill of divorce and openly cafts . a people off, (that they be none cf his Kingdome, or called by his name,) they are in Covenant,and their children with them. It feemes Mafter Hooke r. judges that the Church -way thus connive without fin; feeing he diftinguifheth between connivence, indul- gence, and negligence. I am fine God may out of prerogative; And to have the line broken off affoon as the power of godlinefs in a race declines is to be infinitely above God rigorous., and fevere , and the ready way to bring in 'a ítrange and monflrous confufion. Malter Firmin goes on, and (ayes. he will a little con- fider the Text in reference to them; and then inflances in that in the K k k 3 fecond 43%.
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