class="x-ebookmaker-pageno" title="[Pg 24]"/> deprive Parents of that comfort they may take from the baptisme of their Infants dying in their Childehood. Fourthly, How unseasonable and unkindely it is, to interturbe the State and Church with these Amalekitish onsets, when they are in their extreame pangs of travell with their lives. Fifthly, to take a through view of those who have preambled this by path. Being sometimes in the Crowds of foraigne Wederdopers, that is, Anabaptists; and prying into their inward frames with the best eyes I had; I could not but observe these disguised guises in the generality of them.

First, a flat formality of Spirit without salt or savour in the spiritualties of Christ, as if their Religion began and ended in their Opinion. Secondly, a shallow slighting of such as dissent from them, appearing too often in their faces, speeches and carriages. Thirdly, a feeble, yet peremptory obstinacy; seldome are any of them reclaimed. Fourthly, a shamefull sliding into other such tarpauling tenets, to keep themselves dry from the showers of Justice, as a rationall minde would never entertain, if it were not Errour-blasted from Heaven and Hell: I should as shrewdly suspect that Opinion, that will cordially corrive with two or three sottish errours, as that faith that can professedly live with two or three sordid sins. I dare not feare our godly Brethren in England to be yet comming to this passe; how soon they may, themselves know not, the times are slippery: They will undoubtedly finde God as jealous of his Ordinances, as themselves are zealous of their Opinions.

Sixthly, That Authority ought to see their Sub

jects children baptized, though their Parents judgements be against it, if there be no other Evangelicall barre in the way.

Seventhly, That prudent men, especially young, should doe well not to ingage themselves in conference with Errorists, without a good calling and great caution; their breath is contagious, their leprey spreading: receive not him that is weak, saith the Apostle, to doubtfull disputations; much lesse may they run themselves into dangerous Sophistications. He usually hears best in their meetings, that stops his eares closest; he opens his mouth to best purpose, that keeps it shut, and he doeth best of all, that declines their company as wisely as he may.

Brethren, have an extraordinary care also of the late Theosophers, that teach men to climbe to Heaven upon a ladder of lying figments. Rather than the Devill will lose his game, he will out-shoot Christ in his owne bow; he will out-law the Law, quite out of the word and world: over-Gospell the Gospell, and quidanye Christ, with Sugar and Rats-bane. Hee was Professour not long since at Schelstat in Alsatia, where he learned that no poyson is so deadly as the poyson of Grace.

The wisest way, when all is said, is with all humility and feare, to take Christ as himselfe hath revealed himselfe in his Gospel, and not as the Devill presents him to prestigiated phansies. I have ever hated the way of the Rosie-Crucians, who reject things as Gods wisedome hath tempered them, and will have nothing but their Spirits. If I were to give physick to Spryts,

I would doe so too: but when I want physick for my body, I would not have my soule tartared: nor my Animall Spirits purged any way, but by my Naturall, and those by my bodily humours, and those by such Ordinaries, as have the nearest vicinage to them, and not by Metaphysicall Limbeckings. I cannot thinke that materia prima or secunda, should be good for me, that am at least, Materia millessima sexcentesima quadragesima quinta.

Here I hold my selfe bound to set up a Beacon, to give warning of a new-sprung Sect of Phrantasticks, which would perswade themselves and others, that they have discovered the Nor-west passage to Heaven. These wits of the game, cry up and downe in corners such bold ignotions of a new Gospell, new Christ, new Faith, and new gay-nothings, as trouble unsetled heads, querulous hearts, and not a little grieve the Spirit of God. I desire all good men may be saved from their Lunatick Creed, by Infidelity; and rather beleeve these torrid overtures will prove in time, nothing but horrid raptures downe to the lowest hell, from which he that would be delivered, let him avoid these blasphemers, a late fry of croaking Frogs, not to be indured in a Religious State, no, if it were possible, not an houre.

As some are playing young Spaniels, questing at every bird that rises; so others, held very good men, are at a dead stand, not knowing what to doe or say; and are therefore called Seekers, looking for new Nuntio's from Christ, to assoile these benighted questions, and to give new Orders for new Churches. I

crave leave with all respect to tell them, that if they looke into Act. 20. 20. 25. Gal. 1. 8. 9. 1. Tim. 6. 13. 16. and find them not there; they may happily seeke as the young Prophets did for Eliah's corps, where it never was, nor ever will be found.

I cannot imagine why the Holy Ghost should give Timothy the solemnest charge, was ever given mortall man, to observe the Rules he had given, till the comming of Christ, if new things must be expected.

Woe be to them, who ever they be, that so trouble the wayes of God that they who have found the way to Heaven, cannot find the way to Church: And woe be to them, that so gaze at the glorious light, they say, will breake forth in the thousand yeares to come, that they make little of the gracious Truth that hath been revealed these sixteen hundred years past. And woe be to them that so under-value the first Master-Builders, I mean the Apostles of Christ, that unlesse he sends wiser than they, He must be accounted lesse faithfull in his house than Moses was.

I have cause enough to be as charitable to others as any man living; yet I cannot but feare, that those men never Moored their Anchors well in the firme soile of Heaven, that are weather-waft up and down with every eddy-wind of every new doctrine. The good Spirit of God doth not usually tie up the Helme, and suffer passengers to Heaven to ride a drift, hither and thither, as every wave and current carries them: that is a fitter course for such as the Apostle calls wandring Starres and Meteors, without any certaine motion, hurryed about with tempests, bred of the Ex

halations of their own pride and self-wittednesse: whose damnation sleepeth not, and to whom the mist of darknesse is reserved for ever, that they may suffer irreparable shipwrack upon the Sands and Rocks of their owne Errours, being of old ordained to condemnation.

Eightly, let all considerate men beware of ungrounded opinions in Religion: Since I knew what to feare, my timerous heart hath dreaded three things: a blazing starre appearing in the aire: a State Comet, I mean a favourite rising in a Kingdome, a new Opinion spreading in Religion: these are Exorbitancies: which is a formidable word: a vacuum and an exorbitancy, are mundicidious evils. Concerning Novelties of opinions; I shall expresse my thoughts in these briefe passages. First, that Truth is the best boone God ever gave the world: there is nothing in the world, any further then Truth makes it so; it is better then any creat' Ens or Bonum, which are but Truths twins. Secondly, the least Truth of Gods Kingdome, doth in its place, uphold the whole kingdome of his Truths; Take away the least vericulum out of the world, and it unworlds all, potentially, and may unravell the whole texture actually, if it be not conserved by an Arme of superiordinary power. Thirdly, the least Evangelicall Truth is more worth than all the Civil Truths in the world, that are meerly so. Fourthly, that Truth is the Parent of all