Tricoenivm Christi in nocte proditionis suæ The threefold svpper of Christ in the night that he vvas betrayed / explained by Edvvard Kellett.

PAR. 6.

ANother errour of these times is this: (I wish it were not (in some people) more than an errour) that after Sermons ended, the giddy people flock toge∣ther, and under the specious title of Repetition (forsooth) they repeat only their vanity. They doe indeed keep Conventicles contrary to the Law; stow them∣selves in the house of one of the most furious Zelotes, make long prayers, filled up with their professed Repetitions; censure, raile, mis-expound Scriptures, propound

foolish and curious questions, and receive back ridiculous answers; gather up summes of money to uphold faction, and to animate the obstinate Ones; breed up youth to boldnesse, fiercenesse, selfe-conceipt; and to swallow downe a pre∣sumption of their owne salvation. Then they proceed to declare Who shall bee saved, Who shall be damned (which is more than Men or Angels, good or bad doe know till toward death.) What scandalls have beene offered, what sins, un∣der that Cloke, committed, every great Towne knoweth; and every Christian heart lamenteth that knoweth this.

But I would fain learn of these false Breehren, or their false guides, Where ever, since the beginning of the world, or by Whom Such Conventicles were practised, by any of Gods people, unlesse it were in the dayes of persecution, or where the Churches were shut up from the true service of God. When Satan was let loose, when the raging sword was drunk with blood, we read Heb. 11.37. &c. They wandred about in sheep-skins and goat-skins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented: Of whom the world was not worthy; They wandred in deserts, and in mountaines, and in dens, and caves of the earth. This did they doe also after S. Pauls death, during the Ten great Persecutions. But never was there heard of one Conventicle of Ortho∣dox Christians, when religious Princes favoured the Church (as Gods holy Name be blessed they doe, and long time may they prosper) and whilst the Gospel flourished (as these thousand yeeres it never prospered more.) And will our peo∣ple be wiser than all that ever went before them? or dare their profane mouthes accuse our most sacred and holy King, as an enemy to the true Professours, and doctrine of Christ? than whom (God be blessed) we never had a more religious, favourable, gratious, temperate, chaste, and sanctified Prince, since England em∣braced Christianity.

Rather than they should mis-spend their time in their own will-worship, edifie unto evill, give scandalls to the Church, call themselves weak brethren, whilst they think themselves the most learned Doctors, and devoutest part of Gods mi∣litant Church: I could wish them each in their private houses (if our Liturgy and Church Service be not savory enough, that is, not long enough for them) to do as the Iewes did. As they on their Sabbaths had a long Lecture, or Lectures every Sabbath day, one of which you may see before: so let these on the Lords day, or each day of the Lord, when our Church Service is ended, reade the same Lecture, or Lectures, and another (if they please) out of the New Testament. Let them reade, with hearty precedent prayes unto God for a blessing; Reade, not to prate, and to dispute, but to practise holy duties: Let them remember Psalme 25.9. The meek will God guide in judgment: to the meek will he teach his way. Let them be assured, Saving knowledge goeth up and downe our streets, and there is none of yeeres of discretion but knoweth enough to be saved, even Jesus Christ, and him crucified. There remaineth nothing but that each man labour to be Christiformis, and, as farre as our weaknesse will permit, to imitate Christ in holinesse of life, and to be conformable to him here, in lowlinesse of minde, that he may perfect us hereafter.

Oh, but the people judge, and say, It standeth with Reason to serve God more than the Magistrate appointeth; and whatsoever is reasonable, may passe for a Law. For Tertul, de corona militis cap. 3. saith, if the Law consist of reason, then every thing, by whomsoever brought forth, which partaketh of reason, shall be a Law. But say I, Tertullian here fell short of the truth. For the cause why Lawes are in force, is, not only because they accord with Reason (though no Law ought to be unreasonable) but because the Lawes are made by such as have authority to make Lawes; and it openeth too great a window unto licentiousnesse, that every thing shall be held a Law, which every one thinks is consonant to Reason. Ra∣ther observe this distinction. If any man, whosoever, findeth any Rule, running along with Reason and Religion, if it be not crossed by his superiours, let that be, if he will, a Law to him; let him be guided by it, till he finde a better Rule, or be

taught otherwise by Authority. But a Generall Rule it must not be, till he who hath a Law-making power, doe stamp it with the approbation of publicke autho∣rity. Order commandeth a subjection of the Inferior to the Superior. Order is relucentia sapientiae, a bright shining ray of wisedome; and participateth of the light of wisedome (saith Cusanus de venatione sapieutiae cap. 31.) Let Gods people beware of will-worship, though gilded with religious pretences. Let them re∣member what Calvin in his Epistles saith: When men desire to worship God as themselves please, whatsoever they averre of their owne, is a stincking propha∣nation. And still (I say) Nesutor ultra crepidam; A Cobler must not go beyond his Last. The temptation of the Serpent, (Dit eritis, yet shall be as Gods) is to this day a temptation, which Satan useth, and by it seduceth many thousands, who think they know Good and Evill; and therefore will run on in their own by∣pathes, forsaking the Kings high-way, the good and dangerlesse High-way; and by their Singularity doe favour of arrogance, and pride. For it is agrecable to prudence, and humility, ad Majorum & Peritiorum consilia recurrere, to trust to learned Counsell; as may be gathered from Aquinas, 2a, 2ae, Quast. 49. Artic. 3. as it is arrogance and pride, to trust too much to a mans owne selfe, God gave guides unto the Church, he left not every one to guide himselfe wholly. Whost faith fellow ye, saith the Apostle.