A case of conscience concerning ministers medling with state matters in or out of their sermons resolved more satisfactorily then heretofore. Wherein amongst other particulars, these matters are insisted upon, and cleared. 1 How all controversies and debates among Christians ought to be handled regularly, and conscionably to edification by those that meddle therewith. 2 What the proper employments are of Christian magistrates, and Gospel-Ministers, as their works are distinct, and should be concurrent for the publick good at all times. 3 What the way of Christianity is, whereby at this time our present distractions, and publick breaches may be healed : if magistrates and ministers neglect not the main duties of their respective callings. Where a ground is layed to satisfie the scruple of the Demurrer, and of the Grand Case of Conscience. / Written by John Dury, minister of the Gospel, to give a friend satisfaction: and published at the desire of many. Octob. 3. Imprimatur, Joseph Caryl.

And our be∣haviour there∣in before God to make it our happinesse.

If then, in this case of dangerous unsettlement, wherein the Master-builders are at variance, and most that are un∣der them, seeme willing rather to pull down what others have built; then by counsell to uphold joyntly what ought to be setled, (which is a sad presage,) we should every one seriously consider what becometh us in our places: lest we be given over to delight in each others destruction, let us reflect upon our wayes, and order our behaviour rightly therein towards God and men; that upon the discoverie of that which is a misse, we may henceforth labour to make them such as beseems Christians. For if we set our selves to murmure at the changeablenesse of humane affaires, this is nothing else but to controul Gods counsell, whereby he hath appointed that to be one of the speciall meanes of our felicitie: if we murmure and fight against the afflictions, which our outward man must suffer under these changes: this is nothing else, but to kick against the pricks, and to strive in vain against the unalterable law of nature: and if we set our selves to discover, and condemn the faults of other men under these changes, to trouble our selves and others at the supposed causes thereof, rather then to finde out a way to redresse the same, this is nothing else but ma∣liciousnesse and madnesse: but if in all these trialls and changes, we studie the constant and equall rule of Christia∣nity, to order our wayes therein before God and men, with∣out partiality, this is that, which will make us truly hap∣pie in all our unsetlements: for as concerning the state, wherein at the present we are, (seeing it is evident that God by an extraordinary hand of judgement hath cast us into it) as it is now unavoidable, so to be under the chan∣ges

thereof, is not to be counted our sinne, but rather our triall; and through the lot of our affliction, the way to a blessing, if we behave our selves as Christians ought to do therein. For if all the good or evil, of every outward con∣dition as to us, doth wholly depend upon the frame of our spirit, and upon the way of our behaviour before God therin; then it doth follow, that according to our spirituall temper or distemper, and our orderly or disorderly carria∣ges in this condition, the event thereof will be our happi∣nesse, or our miserie; for if our spirits are distempered, and our course disordered against the rule of our profession, it is evident that this will redouble the evill of our affliction, inwardly and outwardly, making it both wayes sinfull, and thereby miserable: but if our outward changes take us not off from the way of Christianity, which is unchan∣geable, we have just cause to beleeve, that by the increase of vertue and grace, they will become our onely happinesse, because we have a promise, that in all these things we shall be more then conquerours through him that loveth us: Rom. 8. 37. And we are further taught, that as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also shall abound by Christ. Now the sufferings of Christ are said to abound in us, when in all our afflictions we walk sted fastly with him in the profession of his way: for then whiles the outward man doth decay, the inward is renewed day by day: is there any thing even in the midst of greatest distresses, that can obstruct the enjoyment of this consolation, but the discomposure of our spirits, and the disorderlinesse of our behaviour in the work of our em∣ployment. And lest by these means we may be deprived of our comforts, and lose the fruit of our labours which are undertaken for the reparation of that which is laid waste among us; let us point at the chief distempers and disor∣ders which obstruct our work, that they may be removed, and the course sutable to the Rules of our holy profession, heretofore set down, seriously taken up, and sincerely fol∣lowed.

I have already given you my sense of severall distempers and disorderly carriages of some particular men, in their

distinct wayes, which have a speciall influence upon our spirituall affairs, to make us, as the confused builders of Ba∣bylon, the authors of our own dissipation and ruine: I shall now mention a few disorderly courses, which are incident unto all men more or lesse, and seeme to discompose the healthfull constitution of our whole societie, in the ma∣nagement of all outward affaires: and here, although I am not ignorant, that the distemper of the spirit, and the disor∣der of the behaviour are things very farre distant in their nature, and distinct in their properties: yet because in mat∣ters of outward concernment they are seldome separate, and going hand in hand, they beget interchangably and are begotten by each other; therefore, and for brevities sake, I shall not heed their distinction at this time; but leave it to every ones thought in that which I shall offer: here then let me speak of the distemper and disorderlinesse proceeding from these following roots of bitternesse, viz: from envie, from jealousies and fears; from tale bearing and pri∣vate censuring; & from revenge, which I conceive to be the chief causes of our present diseases: and of all these this is to be said in the generall, that as no man can exempt himself from the danger of these sinfull motions, so those that are most remarkably engaged either by their places or proceed∣ings in the management of publick affaires, are most lyable to the temptations thereof, which are so much the more hurtfull to the Societies of mankind, by how much the per∣sons upon whom they seize are found more eminent in parts or places: and the affaires upon which they reflect are more important; and by how much the complication of these distempers in those that are acted by them is more powerfull, lesse corrigible, and lesse discernable.

Notes

• 2 Cor. 2. 5.
• 2 Cor. 4. 16.