OCR Text |
Show Firft, David faith they fhall prof per ehac love the I'eaceof Jerufolem, and li-ekethegoodofit;P[alm. 122.6 &<. And So/omor. f~ith, where the Righteuut rtjO]ct thtre it greot Glory , P.ro. z8. I2, And what is the Church, b\lt a Congregation of Righteous men? If the Rejoycing of the Church be the glory of a Nation, furely the difiw bin ~, and di.ftrafrin!!, and dilfo.Iviogof the Church, is the fhame and Confufion of a N4tion. 2. Confider the Excellcpcy and Preheminence of the Church• above all other S.xict yes.. Shduhr fairefl amongfl women, Cant. J.8 •. and 6. h SIN u t~ Ci!ty .andHuufeofGpd, Revel. :u. 2. Pfal. 48. 1. 1. Tim. 3· r). The world and all the Societyes of it, are for the C,hurch, 1 Cor. 3· z 1, 22. The .world would-riot fubfifi, but fpr the ~urch: nor any. Countrey in'the world, but for the fervice of the, Church. eA''d can the Church then breok.! up, into peice1, llnd dijfolve into.nothing, and)<t the Peoce andweOfare •f the Citty, not in the I< aft m<afure. impaired or diflurbed i' 3• lc is a matter ofjuft difpleafure to God, and fad greife of heart to the Church, when Civill Sta~es looke at rheeftate of th~ Church, as oflittle, or no concernmeQt to themfelves. Zacb. I.·15 . l;ament. I -12. Obje[J I· Many glorio11' ondjlourifhing Cittyetoftheworld m-intaint their Civil/ Peace : Jea tbe very Americans, ond wildefl Pagans, /it•P. the Pe3ce of their 'Iowne~,,and Cittyu, tho11gh neither in the •nr, nor in the other c•n any man pr011e • true Church of God in ·theft pla~n. · An[. ttis true, where. the Church is not;Cittyesand Townes may enjoy feme meafure of Civill Peace, yea and flourifh in ourward profperity for a time, through·the Patience and Bounty and Lon!l·fuff,ranq of God. Tbe time~ •fJgnorance Gvd win~th at .A[J. 17-30. ButwhJ!n the Church cometh to be Planted amongll rhem,lf then Civill States doe negle.'hhem, &•fuffer the Churchet to corrupt, and annoy themfelve.s by pollutions in Religion, the the. ftaffe ufrhe Peace of the Cotmpon-wealth will foone be· broken, as .the .Purity of Religion is broken in the Churches. The Common-wealth of Rotm flourifhed five hundred yea res before the Kingdome of God in his Church came amongft rhem: and th~ dccayes of the <:ommon-wealth occafionrd by the perfecutions., of the Church, were Repaire4 by the Publkk.efiablifhment of ' the theChurche. peace in ChrilHan Emperors. But when the Churches begun to pollute themfelves by the Idolatrous worfhip oflnuges , and the Chriltian Emperors tooke no care to reforme this abufe - in Churches, the Lord fent in (amongft other barberous nations) th_e _T«ri<!1 to puni!h,not onely deg~nerare Churches, but alfo the CIVlll_ StJte.for th1s wickedndfe. And therefore the Holy Gho" npbra•deth them for their continuance in Image worfhip, though the Turke were let loofefrom the River Euphroto, to fcourge them for it, Rev. 9· I4- 20, Goe now,and fay, cbe eftate of the Church whether true, or fJ!Ie, ( pure.or corrupt) doth not concerne the Civill Peace of the Sate. ' ObjdJ; 2, The Pwe oft be Church (whether trtle or falft) i1 JPirituoU '~nd fa of on higher a"dfam diffirent nature from the peace of the Countrey, or People, which u meere~ and EJJentiaYy Civi/1 ond bkmant. An[. 1. Though the inward peace of the Church be fpirituall and heavenly : yet there is an outward peace of the Church due to them (even from J?rincesand Magiftrates) in a way of godlineffe and hone~y? I. Tim. ,z: I. 2. But in a way of ungodline!Je, and Idolatry, It rs an wholefumefaithfulnelfe co the -Church if Pri~ces . trou?le the outwar,d' pe~cc of the Church, that fo the ' {;h~rc~ findrng rhemfelves wounded al)d pricked in the haufe of therr frrend•, they may repent, and ·returne to their firft HHsband, Zach. 13. 6 .. Hofia. z. 6.7. A~f 2. 1 bough the pe.ce of che-Gountre_yor Common·wealrh ~e Civlll ·~~ hum•ne, yet it is diflrl.t!ep and cmt off, by . dill urbmg the. fpmmall purity, and peace of the Church. Jehu cmtin~ fhorr his ReformatiorJ, God curt fhort the coafts·of the ·Civill Stat<. zKing. to. 31. 32. • A'!f: 3· _€ivill Peace(tofpe•kepl'qperly)isnotonelya· peace m CJvr.llthm~s, for 'theObjefr;·butapeaceof.all the perfons of th_e Citty, for the Subje&. Thi: Chu.rch is· one· Society in the Cttty, as well as is the Society, pfM~rehams,. or Drapers, Fifhmongers, and HJb~rdafhero; apd.ifit be a part~f . Civil! Juftice, Out .of ~egardto ClVIll Pea~e,to protefr all other Societyes in peace accordmg to the who\efomeOrdinances of their Company, is it not !o, much more co p)'Otell the Church·Societyin peace, accordmg to thewholefome Ordinances of the Word of.Chrift ? · · Chap. 7· |