A dialogue between Timothy and Titus about the articles and some of the canons of the Church of England wherein super-conformity is censured and moderation recommended : with a serious perswasive to all the inferiour clergy of that Church / by one that heartily wisheth union amongst Protestants.

A Friendly and Cordial Exercitation to my Brethren in the Ministry. Whose Lives are unbecoming their Function.

Reverend Brethren,

I Call God and his Holy Angels to Witness, I have had many sad and serious thoughts, for the Miseryand Destractions of our Church. And can truly say, the former dis∣course is the effect and result of such thinking; and how would my heart rejoyce, and my sadness be turned into singing, might I conduce any thing, by what I Preach or Write to her Settlement and Union? But who can hope this, till all her Sons shall speak and do the same things; Preaching according to her Articles, and acting and living an∣swerable to her Prescriptions, which are Sober, Righteous, and Godly? Nothing gives a greater blow, and bane to Religion, than the discords, and loose lives of her Profes∣sors, and much more of her Ministers. If Pride and Covetousness, if Envy and Ma∣lice, if Slander and Censoriousness, if Division and Uncharitableness, if Debauchery and

Loosness, look ill (and are of ill Consequence) in other men, much more in Ministers. We are not called the Salt of the Earth, to corrupt others; Lights, to walk in Darkness; Stewards, to be Unfaithful, and Angels, to live like Devils. We cannot Sin at so easy a rate as other men, for as our evil examples do more hurt than others, so our doom will be more dreadful, when we come to give up our account to our Lord Jesus, the Bishop of our Souls, and of the Souls committed to our trust, whom he hath redeemed by his Precious Bloud. It is noted among King Alphonsus sayings, that a great man cannot commit a small Sin. I may say much more that a learned man and a Teacher of others cannot commit a small Sin, or at least, that Sin is great in him, which is smaller in a∣nother. For we Sin against more knowledg, and against more light and means of knowledg; there must needs therefore be more wilfulness in our Sins: If we Sin, 'tis because we will Sin. Yea our Sins must needs have more Hypocrisy in them, than o∣ther men's, by how much the more we have spoke against them. O what an hainous thing is it in us, to study how to disgrace Sin to the utmost, by setting forth the Author, Nature, and danger of Sin, thereby to make it as frightful and odious ••o our People as we can; and when we have done to live in it, and secretly cherish that, which we openly disgrace? To cry it down in others and keep it up in our selves, in our own Hearts and Lives? To call it publickly all to naught (beastly Drunkenness, hellish Swearing, damned Covetousness, Body and Soul destroying Whoredom, &c.) and yet make it our Bedfellow and Companion; what vile Hypocrisy is this? is not this to bind heavy Bur∣th••ns for others, and not to touch them our selves with a finger? what can you say to this in the day of Judgment? Did you think still of Sin, as you spake, or did you not? If you did not, why did you dissemble? if you did, why would you keep and commit it? if Sin be evil, why do you live in it? if it be not, why do you disswade men from it? if it be really dangerous, how dare you venture on it? if it be not, why do you tell men so? if Gods threatnings be true, why do ye not fear them? if they be false, why do you trouble Men needlesly with them, and put them into such frights without cause? Do you know the Judgment of God, that they that commit such things are worthy of Death, and will you do them? O my Brethren yet let not any of us, who bear the Name of Christs Ambassadors, bear the Badge of a miserable dissembling Pharisee, They say, but do not.

Our Sins have more perfidiousness in them than other Mens. We have more engaged our selves against Sin. Besides all our common Engagements, as Christians, we have many more as Ministers. How oft, and how earnestly (for God's sake, Religions sake, and their own Souls sake) have we called others from it, how oft have we declared the Terrors of the Lord against it? All these did imply that we renounced it our selves. Every Sermon, that we preach against it, every private Exhortation and Admonition, every Confession of it in the Congregation, is a renewed engagement upon us to forsake it. Every Child that we Baptize and receive into Covenant with Christ, every Admini∣stration of the Holy Supper of our Lord, wherein we call upon Men to repent and for∣sake Sin, to renew their Covenant with God, and lead a new Life, according to his Word, doth import our own renouncing of Sin, the World, and the Devil, and our Engagement to Christ, and Obligation to live according to his Gospel. And shall we entertain and encourage Sin in our Lives against all these Professions and Testimonies of our own. O what Treachery and Perfidiousness is this! to make such a stir against Sin in the Pulpit, and yet to give it Countenance by our Practice? O'tis this promotes Athe∣ism and Debauchery, 'tis this that casts Contempt upon our Church, reflects great Dis∣honour upon God, and obstructs the Power and Prevalency of the Gospel. Methinks if we are sincere Christians (to whom the Glory of God is dearer than their Lives) it must needs wound us to the Heart, to hear the Name and Truth of God reproached for our sakes. To see Men point to any of us and say, There goes a covetous Priest, a scan∣dalous Preacher, an open Tipler, a frequent Swearer, and secrer Whoremonger. These are they that preach for Strictness and Holiness, that condemn us by their Sermons, and themselves by their Conversations. Brethren bear with me for my Plainness and Zeal. 'Tis good (saith the Apostle) to be zealous in a good thing. My Zeal for the Cause of God and Religion (which lyes bleeding amongst us) constrains me.

Whose Heart can endure to hear Men cast the Dung of our Iniquities in the Face of the Holy Ghost▪ in the Face of the Gospel which we Preach, and in the Face of all that desire to fear the Lord. For if one of us, a Leader of a Flock; be but once (tho he continue not in it) ensnared in a scandalous Crime, all the pious Ministers, and other Godly Christians round about him, suffer by it. For the Wicked and Ungodly (and all

our Enemies) cry out, they are all alike: Their being nothing more common with evil Men, than for the Faults and Crimes of one Professor (especially if a Minister) to re∣proach the whole Party.—O take heed therefore Brethren, in the Name of God, of every Word you speak, of every Step you tread, of every Action you do: For you bear the Ark of the Lord, you are entrusted with his Honour, and dare you let it fall and trample it in the Dirt? If you do. God can find out ways enough to wipe off all that can be cast upon him: but you will not so easily remove the Shame and Sorrow, you hereby bring upon your selves. Remember therefore that standing Decree of Hea∣ven, Them that honour me, I will honour, and they that despise me, shall be lightly esteemed, saith the Lord. And know thus much, that all our Preaching and Persuation of others, will prove but dreaming and trifling Hipocresy, till we be throughly wrought upon to live according to the Word our selves. For he that hath not so strong a Belief of the Word of God, and the Life to come, as will take off his own Heart from the Vanity of this World, and set it upon a resolved Diligence for Salvation, it cannot be expected that he would be faithful in seeking▪ the Salvation of other Men. Surely he that dares damn himself, dares let others alone in the way to Damnation. He that will let go his hopes of Heaven, rather than leave his wordly and sensual Delights, I think will hardly leave these for the good and saving of others. In reason we may conceive, he will have little pity on others, that is willfully cruelly to himself; and that he is not to be trusted with other Mens Souls, that is unfaithful to his own, and will sell it to the Devil for the short Pleasures of Sin. I beseech you therefore Brethren, as you tender the wellfare of your own Souls, and the Souls of others, as you would have the Church of God flourish, the Kingdom of Satan lessened, and the Gospel of our ever blessed Lord run and be gloryfied in the Conversion of Sinners, and in the Lives and Conversations of his Saints; take heed to your ways, and become exemplary in your Lives, that others, seeing your good Works, may glorify our Father which is in Heaven.

Nor would I put you only to an outward, sober and civil Conversation, but also (as the means to it) to look after an inward Renovation. We, as well as other Men, have vitious and corrupt Natures, which must be sanctified and renewed, or we can never be saved: Prove your selves therefore whether you be in the Faith, in Christ by a through Sanctification and serious Repentance, or not. Take heed you be not void of those Graces of God's Spirits, which you offer to others and excite others to pray for and endeavour after. That you preach not the Word of Conversion to others, and your selves being yet unconverted, should prove Castaways. And know that a Gospel Con∣version, or work of true Grace, implys not only sober and righteous Actions, but san∣ctified and renewed Affections: not only blameless Lives, but clean and pure Hearts; and you shall be able to judg of the one by the other. For if the inner Man be renewed, the outward Man will be reformed; where the Heart is truly sanctified by God's Spirit, there the Life will be conformable to God's Law.—And being satisfied about our own Spiritual State, that it is safe and good, let us in our respective places vigorously endeavour the Renovation and Conversion of others, studying and by all means striving to fit our selves for so great a work, as these that are sensible of the difficulty of it. O what Qualifications are necessary for us, who have such a Charge upon us, as we have! He must not be a Babe in Knowledg, that will teach Men all those mysterious things, that are necessary to be known in order to Salvation. How many Difficulties in Divi∣nity to be opened? How many obscure Texts of Scripture to be expounded? How ma∣ny Duties to be done, wherein our selves or others may miscarry, if in the Manner, End, Circumstances and Matter they be not well informed? How many Sins to be a∣voided, which without understanding and foresight can••••t be done? What a number of Satan's Wiles, of his sly and subtile Temptations, must we open to our Peoples Eyes, that they may escape them? How many weighty and yet intricate Cases of Conscience must we dayly resolve? And can such work, and so much work be done without Know∣ledg and other due Qualifications? O what strong holds have we to batter, and how many of them, what subtile, diligent, and obstinate resistance, must we expect at every Heart we deal with? Prejudice hath block'd up our way, we can scarce procure a pa∣tient hearing, but many think ill of what we say, while we are speaking. We cannot make a Breach in their groundless Hopes and carnal Peace, but Men have twenty Shifts and seeming Reasons to make it up again; and as many Enemies, that are seem∣ing Friends, ready to help them. We Dispute not with them upon equal Terms; but

have Children to deal with that cannot understand, as we have distracted Men (in Spi∣rituals) to reason with, that will bawl us down with rogueing Nonsence: we have A∣theistical Persons to encounter, that deny Principles; wilful and unreasonable People, that when they are silenced are never the more convinced, and when they can give no Reason, will give you their Resolutions. I will not believe you, nor all the Preachers in the World in this, nor change my Mind, nor alter my Course, say what you will. Like the Man Salvian had to deal with, that being resolved to devour a poor Man's Estate, and being * 1.1 entreated by Salvian to forbear, told him, he could not grant his Request, for he had made a Vow to take it; so that the Preacher, & ita religiosissimi sceleris ratione, was fain to depart. Now when I consider all this (and much more incumbent upon us Mini∣sters, which is no Burden for a Childs Back) I cannot but break out with the Holy A∣postle and say, What manner of Persons ought we to be, in all Holy Conversation and Godli∣ness? Lord! What manner of Persons ought we to be in all holy Resolutions and Endea∣vours▪ for our great indispensable and weighty work? Let us therefore with Seriousness and holy Resolutions, separate our selves from the World, and devote our selves with our Might to God and the good of Souls, labouring both by our soundness of Doctrine and holiness of Living, to add unto the Flock of Christ, the Church of God, such as shall be saved. And to approve our selves in the sight of all Men, to be the Lights of the World, the Ambassadors of Christ, a Chosen Generation and a Royal Priesthood, shewing forth the Practices and Vertues of him, who hath called us out of Darkness into his marvelous Light. Which that we may all do, I conclude with that excellent Prayer of our Church, pertinent to this Exhortation.

That it may please thee, O Lord, to illuminato all Bishops, Priests and Deacons, with true knowledg and understanding of thy Word, and that both by their Preaching and Living they may set it forth, and shew it accordingly.—

And let every one that wisheth well to Zion, say Amen.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Lib. 4. de Guber∣nat. p. 133.