The aboun– dJ.ncc o(hc1\~tik.cs in thcprinli– tlUI!Church, Ourwcakc-. ncsil)thc f~th. Gtl.J;IS.j 0 :1ri!ching humour i<l maw:rsof religion. \Vcmuflbc conlhntill thcf.\ith, .Sermon inthe,~ount•. 151 Teachers to bring in daninablc doCtrine, and X I! wchauc great qufcto praifc t-he name orGodj ~--- mooues them to fcducc men from true religi- ,. & in this regard we muH la Dour to be conHar.t I Qn;This thing Clmfhbd plaincly forctf.l,Mat. ' in holding it, yea toliuc and d!c \o\'ith ir.This is 14. 24. and Saint Pttrll chargeth the Elders of the principal point which Chrift here ~imes at; I EpbeGts, f(J tak.; htcd( vnto themfelues and to and theretOre we mu(l carefully !carnc it: and . . their jlock,gs: for I k..._now (l~ith he) tbat afte~· my for this purpofC let vs rcmcmhct· rhcfc p:.nricu- !~;~~~i.~cr;,~ .. departing jhtdi gritttoru wolttu enter in among lar direCtions which follow . Fidl,thac (~ od ha·_. the trntk 7ou, not [paring the flockf. Moreoua, of jotJr uing rcftorcd vmo vs true rcli_g,i0,doth J'c!]uifC I 1 ownc {due~ ]hall me;~ arife, JP~akJ.ng perm_~fc we 01011ld lone it as tht chiL-fdt trc:~.fi1rc tll~::lt<"-', things to drawe Dif'cip!n aficr them, And ~amt ucr this kingdomc inioycd. \Vickcd Ah:dl Peter foretells of the like, as vvc heard before, could not abide E!:,u J ::mJ bJt1idMif.fbGods a ~.k:n:~ :J. z. Pet. z. x. The truth ·hereof is vereficd by true Prophccs,but hated then~;for 1,.\'hich c:uiC 1? ch~?.21.t:. experience; for in the firft fourc hundercd God left him ro bimfclfc, & tUfi:Cred him robe" ycarcs, afre1· Chrifi, which were the prime feducedby foure hundred falfc Prophets of Eaand chic:fdl times of the Church, there arofe a/,ancl therby brought him to dcHruCl.ion. ftnd fourefcore and eight fcucral kinds off..1lfe pro- . B the ApofHe !peaking ofrhc kihgdon1c of / :'1;:. phccs, which feduced men from chc f3.ith and I tichrift, faith, that God therein giues nu·n vp to ! true rcligi6,& prcuailcd greatly.And no doubt flro"{ i!iu(iom tbat they jiJould bdceHt' lies, be- ~ in the end ofthe world Sztan wil now{hew his c:u:/c tluy hm(t nor lou('d rhe trmiJ, 2. ThdC 2 . . malice as great againfi the Church, as hee did I 0.1 r .Now this louc we mufi l11c'.\'e by our othcn:and therefore Chrifl bids tak.§ heedofthem bedicnce in duties of picric !O God, a;HI in the And for this caufe, vvhcn we fee men that procxcrcife of iuftice and mcrcie tO\·\ :~rd cur brc-... fcde religion, fall av,•ay to hcrdie, and be cot:- thrcn, clfe God "''ill nanilate his Gofpc1 froril ruptcd,fceking aliO to fc:.ducc others, we mufi vs,and giue it to a nation that V\'iH bring fonh 1 not rnuch maruell at it, or be thereby difcourathe fruits thereof. ' t j gcd; but rather watch more carefully, for the A feconcl rule to be obferurd for tbc maif1t:1i:.: ::. Hu!c. ! dcuill will ftirrc vp falf<.: Prophets daily to denlllg ofnuc rel1g10n !S rh1s:thm: m1ndte:-s C!'pc- ~c~~·~::~n 1 f I cciuc the Churchof God. I CJal!y,and thofc that llltcnd that c~lling,Oimnd oug1 •[ to be I I I. ln.ftruClion. From this commandemcnt h1ghly efleemc and ICt,ctcnrly accoun~of-t l>ofc ~~~:~~~.:~, we may alfo fee, th:n ·we :1re feeble, full of men and thctr wnungs, \\hjch by GOds ·niea'y 1 weakcncffe in the f.1ith, fo as a little thing will e; haue bccnc the 1m:ancs to 1cflOlcvnro \ s,pmc eafily make vs forfakc our faith and true rcligirdtg10n: for though they we1e men fub1cCt to on; if this were not fo, what fhould we necdc crror,:~.nd in fome things might flippe, ycnhCy this ~xhortation? who vias more couragious &. were the \\'orthy in!humcnts ·of Gods mCrcit' forward in profdiion then Peter? and yet the for the planting ofhis Gofpcl :lmong Vs,"'~ll!cl~ 1 voiccofatillydamfellmadehimdeniehis ma- !ince their time bath beenc fealcd vvith. rhc ficr, and fo, torfwearc ,his faith and religion. blood ofmany Martyrs,in England,Gerrnanic, The Galatians rcceiucd the Gofpel fo gladly and elfe-whcre: in \<\·hich regard, though '\vC I fromPaul at the firlt, that hee profeffeth, thl!)' muft oncly depend on the pure word of God wou!dhatteplt:ck.£ om theirowne e;cs tohaue don~ for certcntic of truth, yet\\ e :.re to git!e nlu~?h him good; and yet when hce writ vnto them, vmo them, and be followers of them, for the hee wonders the_;• were fo foone fal!m to another fubfiancc of rciigion, \Nhcrein they doc-tfl6H Gofpc!, recciuing the doCtrine of iuftification foundly confcm in o_nc tt:nrh. This I no·rc, ht· ..· l}y workcs, Yea, this fhcv,•erh, that we hauc caufc they begin to be in dil'gl'acc with i11an;J, itching eares,whcreby we will readily and wiland corrppr Popifh w·riters arc t:lrrc b([tcrac... l linply reccinc wholdi.)mC doClrinc for a time, counted of. bun. [oonc after, defire new doCtrine againc; Thirdly,if any among vs doubt ofanY. point l· R1:1c:. 1likc vnto dw Iewes, who for a while d,·l{fhted D in rcligion,lct him doe thcfc two things tell~ !J·j~ i11;~:.,r17H: fin tbc lig·ht of fohns Jf.finis1-(J·ic, lob. 5· 35.and rcfolution, VI hich arc the ordinaric mc:Jncs· i:b ~ru:h,ln re· 1 to the old Hr:Jclitcs, who liked Mann.a at the knowethc truth; fi1H, let him fearch (he l2ol}r il:,:ki:l, I firH:, bur after a while wearc wcarie ofir, and Scriptures diligemly,not bypriuate fiudie 0nc~ : complained that their foulcs dried away,wherly, bm by conference v..ith "the godly.Secol1d..: [vpon they lulled aft<;r the ilcfh-pots of Egypt ly, let him in true humi!itic of hc:-.1 t pray vritt; I ag-mnc. So we at the firfi did \.\ 1 i11ingly recciue God for rhe illu'min:ltion of hi.s 1i.,irir, "'here: · the Gofpcl ofChrifi;but nowmcmy \\'axe weaby hcc may in mindc rig,htly _t<?ncciuc of tht! 1 ric with it, and beginnc to like of Popi{h dotruth, embrace it by faith in his hrarr, _:md Chine, preferring their corrupt writers, before honour it by obedience in his lift ; thus doinn thofe that haue beene the reHorcrs oftrue rclicon!lamly, and in finccricjc._, heO)a!J be fure r~ , gion VlltO VS, be rreferued from CrrorJ)o'th finaJl and funda- . I I I. lnflruEf. Vv'e muft labour to maine1~1Cnt~tll, 3nd_ in_due time fl1_<dl lmo\.\' the truth; I tainc faith,and good con!cicncc,and not fi1ffcr forthc pro1mft !S, Ask_:andrre(!Ja/lha.m:, pckJ Ollr fducs to be drawnc there-from: byGods 'ttndyecfba/!fi,.:de,verf. I:!, 3J~.d s~!nt 111mt..r f{!ithl mercic we lnue had the Gofpd oftruth arnonolf any mt:n l~t:k.frvifedtme ncafl.~ric for his t.::\)~ 1 lJn~.~.s. v_s_~ l~~1g~1~1~and~~~ ~til~_2nioy~for ,w:..:.:h.;.:~':.:h~~"-ua:..t.:.:io'-n-'-'-''--, ' him tU/;s of Gbd, v'fing ,._ithail orhC'r ' _____________ ____..:x:.:-_:.' ,. ---r;::;:t[,)J '
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