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Show Soo 1679· v--v--v Parr II. Sea. 6. An .Addrefs to Proteftdnis; contradi£t:ory. This Sacred Tye of Confcitnu, t~IIS 6roken, [ drtwe/ to 6H Heavenly Obligarion$ in rbe Soui,Scripture-AurborJJy, and line/t ilt Proujlum Principles. Chrift may at this Rare betom~ what the ]rou would have bad Him and His Apofiles to be reputed. to wn, Turners of t he World up-fide doWJJ,. as their Enemies reprefented 1hem; and 'the Godly Ma rtyrs ot all Ages, fo many Self-Murtherers ; for they rni~ht jullly be efieem'd Rfjij/ers of Worldly .Autboruy, fo far as that Al:lrhorny concerned .u felf with rbe lm(lofirion of Religion, becaufe they reiufed the Conformay commanded by lt, even to Death. , , . And it may not be unworthy of C.efar s ConfideratJOn, that from thefe Proceedings People are tempted to infer, there is nothing in Religion bur Worldly ..dmu an~ ~nds, becaufe fo much Worldly Po_wer i1 abu.s'd, under the Name ofRellgwn, to vex and defitoy Men for bctng of another Heiigion . and that he hazards the heft Hold and Obligadon he hath ro Obedienc~, which is Confcienc~: For where they are taught only ro Obey for JnureH; D11ty and ConvzOzo1: are out o_f Doors. By all M~ans _let Confci· tnce ~e Sacred, and Virtu~ and Imegnry (though under D1ffenung Principles) cherifh'd : Chttrity is more, powerful than Severity, and Perfwojion rhau all the Penal Laws in rhc World. Laflly, To the Reproach of this _Courfe ~irh ~ifc;_ Men, it hath never ·yet obtain'd the End defired, fince mftead of Compliance, the Difference is thereby widened, and the SufFerers are pided by Speaators, which only helps to increafe the Nu~ber of J:?Hfenrers, .f~r whoever is in_ the Wrong, few think the Pcrfecuror tn the R~ht. Thts In 311 Ages, h3vtng been the ]ffue of fevere Profecution of DiJI'enters for Maners of Religion ~ whJt a Cruel, Troublefome, Thanklefs, Succeflefs Office is it for Ctji1r to be employ'd in ? May he rake bener Meafures of his A!lthority and lnterett, and ufe his Power to the Encouragement of all the V1rtuous and buiJ1flrio11s, and Juft Puni!hme~t of the Lazy and Viciotn in a1l Perfwafions; 10 fhall the Kingdom Flourijh, and the Government Prof~r. Churc1J Power fup_pofeth a Church fitit. It will not be improper there .. fore to examine; jirft, What a Scripture New-Teftaq)ent·Chu rch is i aud next what is the Scripture· Power belonging to fuch a Church. A Scripture~ Chmchas {he may be ca_lled Vifible! is a Company or_Sociery of hople, he!ievin_{, erofej]ing and pra8ijing accordrng to the DoOr me and Example of Cbrijt Yej1n and hi.r .JJ.pofl(es, and nor .a~cording to the Scriber and Pbat ·ifee.r, that taught for Dofl~me r~e. TradJt1ons of Jl!nr. Th~y are fu~h as A Mat. u.ro are Meek in Hearr, Lowly tn Sptrlt (a) Cha!t: 10 Life, (0) Vmuous tn all h 'Pet.Fz. Converfation, (c) full of Self Denial, (d) Long-fuffering and Patient, (e) : ~f: '.'8.2 ' not only forgiving, (f) but _loving th~ir. very Ene.mies; whic~ an_fwers 1 Pet.lts Chrift's own Chara£ter of hunfelf, Religton and Ktngdom, whtch ts the tJ Mat. tt. ;4 moft apt DH1:infiion rhar ever can be given of the Nature of his Church e1 Cor. 4· 6. and her Authority, viz. (g) .My Kingdom i.r not of t1Ji.t World. Which f yu;e ~· '37· well conneas with. Render unto Ca:far the Things that are Ca:far"s, and zm· I 0 ' 1 ' 36' to God the Things that are God's. · It was an Anfwer to a very fufpicious Queftion; for it was familiarly llruited tf.ar he teal a King, and come to po./fefs his Kingdom, .nJ auu, by fome, caYed the King of the Jews. . . The Jews being then fubje8:ed to the Roman Empire, it concerned Pt!au, Cttjal s Deputy, to underft~nd ~is Preten~ons, w~ich upon be~ter In forma· tion he found to center 10 th1s, M] Krngdom u not of thu World, elje tDould my Suhjel!J jigbr for me. As if he had faid, thefe Reports arc a meer lerverfion of my Peaceable a.gd Self-denying !mentions; an Iuf<~my invent· ed hy malicious Scribes and Pharifeu, that they might the better prevail with Cttftzr to Sacrifice me to their hatred and revenge. . I am Ctfar,s Friend, l feek none of his Kingdoms from him, nor Will I fow Sedition, plot or confpire his Ruin; no, Let all Men render Utllo i:zfar the Things that are Ca:far's: That's my Do8:rine; for I am come to erea: a Kingdom of a,nothet Nature than that of this World, to wit, a Spiritual troz.. I. An Add,.-,fi tb(Protefk!n, Sfnritu•l krngdoin, to be fel up in the Hearr. d C . . . 8o1 upon that will I fit, 3nd rcle rhe Chlldren ~f'Mt: ~fcj{!J.Ce IS my ThroM, r679. \Vhoever lzves So!Jefly Ri'ghre rfl. d G d IJ n 1 tghtcoufne&; and ~ mY. good and loving S~bjeEt . o;n~ ;bn ° "~/'1 rbu World, flull be Pan IJ. for Cttfar, Iince fuch Virtue fs the EArl e~ftll c tamly make no ill ones Sea 6. Charge both more eafie and fafe than b 14 GH;e~n1menr, and renders h1s Tuus 2. a . this, would I fuffer my Self to be re e ore. a any other Delign than .a. conquered People? Were it hot mt~acbe~ traduced a_ffid perlecuted by would not then 'many Provocatio'ns hav;na atuffi,w fu er than revenge, of another kind than the Forbearance a fawrr m me fame Infrance were I animated by another Principle tha~d th~r~v~iW I re;c~> kertamly, ])jv!De Sweetnefs, I fhould nqt ~ave forbidden .fl. fi"h ~ ee ~lefs and up thy Sword, or Inftru8:ed my p 11 b vfer g t1ng, fa.ywg, pur ed all Aftfonts, and by Plots anod ~~hrs S~ ear rongs; but have reveng- Mat.26. f21 t~ my Ene1dmhtes, a~d tte A~uifition of e~or{3J~t~m;ir:~'~n~t~~~~~db~b~~ t ey wou ave JOUgnt for me Nay I am r . I Pity to' :EnemieS", fenfible of their c!uei Oi no~ on y panent y, and with W Jll io them whofe Etern 1 H ih rnagc towards me for thy Good t)!ef furrher intend ag!intt ~e .1&1 e2 rl only fee~; but I forefee what wit d.tber free -a ~hir~erer rha~ fi ~!e ~h~~r ~o c_rucifie me. An.d to do u, "that Cr¥flty with all the Aggtavarign l.nd Cont=~~~';he They ~'Hrerform Ma<·•7·><* ~emf~~ves, ~nd ~po~ng me to the Derifion of other/ c~~~y ::n'n~o~k ~~~: ~~·. f1'l sn~~l ~nye ~mgfhiJ j:thl a ~rO'lDR of Thorn.r, and m mine Agonies of Soul. Ver.4B, L o , or a or 1a , gtve me GaO and Vinegar to dr" k B "(irhllanding all this, to fatis~e the WoJ!d that my R '1 ·. .ut bnot- Wrath and Revenge2 I can for.atve them. e 1g1on lS a ove And tb fecqre <2~far and hiS People from 11 F f 1 · With!tanding thy Aurhbrirf, and the rnapy Le:ionse~}s A g i~ofi~t~n, not- Luke2'3· 3~ mand, 'both to my Defiverance and the Enforcement / e s MdJ:g t com- Mat. 26. 5~ h_1an'kind ; I refolve to prQm~t~ petther with, worldly PJ'wer afo~ t~io~ ;~Jbt of ~e Natur~ Of my Rel!gton and Kingdom. And as I neitter alfume !lor pra 1ce an\r f~Ch Thmg my felf. thiJt am the great Author Promoter ~,!ld Edm.ple ol thtsHoly Way; fo have I not only never tau ht m Dlf. 'ctfles ~o l1ve or all otHe,rwjfe, or given them a Jlower I refufegto nfe m - ft_ ~ ~lint exprefiy tofbad them, and warn'd fhcm, in my Infiru£hon 0~ tlrr:l~dmg ~ny l~e§e~fl Revenge, Inipofition or Coerlion towards any. fhis s evt ent 1n my ednon preached upon the Mount where 1 f: 1 b lickly, and -with, lrmc~. Pla!Onefs, ndt only proh1hired Revenge, a~~e Jn' 0p~ed Mat. ~· ~ tJeWEnemus~ :altbng It to beLa grear Token oftrueDtfciplecl{i~ to 41,46,47·. u er rongs, ._t" cd quer Cruelty by Pauence and Forgivenefs which is 'certainly very far {ro~ Im{iofition or' Compulfion upon other M;n, Furthermore, when I was ftrongly bent for Jcrufalem and fcnt Meffi · ~er~ before to J?repa~e fome E~ter~ainrpent for m~ and' my Company e~~ R Vt!~age belonging to t.he Samaruam, and the People refufed becaufe they Lake9• ~3.J -a.pp~hended I was gotng to ]erujalem, though fome of m D1fci Ies s., ss, ~6! part~cul~rly fttmes ~rl~ John., were provok'd to that Degree, tt!at rhe/anr: cd me-l If I were w~lllflp that t~ey .£hquld command fire from Heaven to ~eftroy thofe Samarzi~ns, as ~~~~ m another Cafe had done; I turned a-vbut, and rebukea tHem, !aymg, Te know nor wbar Manner of S 1rrr e 4/'e, lJ/; [;or I q~. not co!IJe into rhe World ro dejlroy Men's Llv(s, Out,p by C: peaceaB e J?danne, Example and I:ue, to fave them. 1 ~t' anoth7r T1me, one of my D!fciples relating to me fome PalTJges of thea Tra valls, told hte .of a certam Man they faw, that caft out Devils in t.uk,.. 4~; sq 1117: Name, and becln~fe he w.as hot of their Company, nor followed them, fa1d he, we forbad h1m; as tf they thereby ferved and pleafed me but l_prefendy teftified my Diffike of1the Ignorance and Narrownefs of ~heir ~al, -hnd, to inf<?rm them. better,, told them, they fhould not have forbid lum? for be that u nor agamjfm'tsfor rl.t. . My Drift is nbtOPinion, but Piety : They that c:tll: out Devils, convert Sltlners, and turn Men to Righteoufnefs, are not againft me,- nor rhe Na- ~ K. uue |