572 An Apologie againft Brownifts. --- preachedwe hold the FoumlationandWalls; C<remonieshardly fo much as R.eed, A or Tile: But how then (fay you)have they overturned our bert builders? Tnis is a wordofrare favour: I had thought you had held us all ruiners, not builders: Or if builders; ofBabel,not ofJeru~akm.: in which_work the b<:fi builders arc the worfi. Thofe whofe hand hath been m thJs aB:, wauld tellyou, that not fo much the Ceremonies are ll:ood upon,as obedience: IfOod pleafc to rry Adam but With an Apple, it is enough: What doe we quarrel! at the valueofthefruit,'when we have aprohibition? shillJei isilain : what, me.erly for goingoutoftheCity? the aft was little,the bond was greot: what iocommanded, matters not fo much, as by whom; infulr not we may rhanke your ourrage fur this lotfe. ' For your rctonion ofmy Zoarand,sodom: I cangive you leave to bewitty;you ufe it fo feldom:but when youhaveplaied with theallufionwhat you lift,I mu!hell B youthat hewhich willneeds urge acomparifon to goon foure feer,is not worthy ro goe upon two: Zoar was neer toSodom,not part ofit; Zoarwas referved when Sodo111 'FUitm D1111j11e was defiroyed : ZoaTJ neerodfe to the place !"here sodome flood, needed not have l>abtrtdtblttrar given Lot cauleofremovall. Zo•r might fafely have been the harbour of Lot : his qui}ttam{tr- feare was,forwant offaith:God promifed himand the place fecuriry: the far-fetcht VatiiTU propttr application therefOreofrhewickednes of ZoRr,to our Ceremonies, might well have tum djx1rat. been forborne, and kept to your felfe: much lelte needed you (like fome Anti-Lfl) Aftrur.inGtn. to call for fire and brimftone from heaven upon your Zoar. SE;p. Hotl' we woulihave 6ehavedoHr{elves in theTemple,r:oherethe money-changersfl'ere, •ndthey that fold DO'Vet, weJball anfwerpu, wl>enpuproveJOur chur<hto hetheTemple c ofGod, compiledandhuill offpiritualiJhefl'n •ndlivef]ftonet, rKing.s.r 7, r8. and6, ' 7. I Pet.o.s. a,dofthe Ced4fi,FirreA,•ndThJ~/rees ofLebanon,oChron.o.8.framed andjet together intlt4t comelj or(ier,whicbagreater tha• Salomon hAthprefcribed: unto rPhich God lwh promifedhn prefence. But 'll'hilejl,.e t4f<s illo be(tH iJ lr) • cMf•fetihttp ofdeadanddefiledandpoOutedftonu; avliofiall rpbbijh,of6rimandbr•mhlerofthewilderneffc,for them'!fl part Jilt erfor burni11g thaduildtvg; ,.el<f<sourfelver ,.,herhound tofber:P.. our obedience,;, tlepartingfron: it,tbanourvalour inpurging it, udto follctl' the Prophetr counfell inJl1it1g ••t ofBabylon,.,. the ffee·goat: before tbe jl~eft,Jer.so. 8. SECT IOH ~LIX. D Tl:eflateoCthe HOw you would have behavedyour fe!fe in the Temple ro theMoney-chanTc=mple,andof gers, you will anfwer when weprove our Church to be GodsTemple, built our Church in ofthat matter, and in that form whichGod bath prefcribed : and hereyou refcml>Iance, f<nd us to I Kit:g.S. I 7-and • chron.o '8. Ignorantly;as ifs ai<>ID0./1 Temple had flood rill Chtiilitime: when neither rhefirfi,norfecond(rhongh called BethGIIIOI411t)outlafiedmore than foure hundreyeeres: Or as iftheMarket bad been under the very roofeof that Temple.Whether He,.dr were built ofthe fame matterwith Salo1110111, & in fullcorrcfpondence toit, I difpute not: it was certainly dedicated to Gods fervice,and that (which youwould hardlydifgefi) in a folemn anniverfary Holy day: though nor erected upon thewordofany Prophet.But to let patfeAlligories:wemufi proveour felves the true ChurGhofGod;Thus wedoe it,We are rrue~htifiians,fur E wewere baptized into theName ofChrifl;we truly profe{]);our continuance in the fame faith intowhich we were baptized; we joyn together in thepublikeServices ofGod; wemaintaineevery point ofthe mofi ancientCreed!; we overthrbw nor thefoundation by any confequence.Therfore what ever is wanting to us, what ever is fuperfluous, in fpight ofall thegates ofHell', we are the true Church ofGod. Let me a!keyou: W ere ootthc people ofthe ']enot in the Prophets, and in Chrifis time, aconfafedheapeofdead and defiled, and (for I will ufe your Tautologies) polluted fiones, and ofall rubbi!h, ofbryers and brambles oftheWildernefTe, for the moft pan fitter for burning than building?Canwe be worfe than thcy?Ifwickedneffecan defile aChurch, they !hall jufiifie us: did either thofeProphets, orour Saviour,yarher fhew their obedience to God in departingfrom it, than their valoudn purg•~g u?
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