THE CASE Of All Crucifixes, Images, etc. Made with hands, and for Religious use, in the Case of Cheapside-Crosse is discussed. Whether their Militia, the setting of them in a posture of Defence, be according to Law. The contrary is maintained by him who hath little Law, against those who have as little Reason. Notwithstanding the Dispute is carried all along in a cool and orderly way, so as the man in understanding may read himself here, and the times, That the Idol, before the eye and in the heart, hath made them fierce and perilous: Yet blessed be God who hath given his servants hearts engaged upon the casting these Idols forth; hath appeared with them; hath wrought wonders for them and the Land, which are briefly recorded for the City's memorial, after a fragment of a * D. Holdsworth. Sermon speaking clean contrary to the mouth of God is Answered from His mouth. JUDGES 6.31. Will ye plead for Baal? Will ye save him? If he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his Altars. ECCLES. 7.10. Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this. Printed in the Climacterical year of Crosses and Crosse-men, MDCXLIII. BY WAY OF PREFACE To the Reader. SHould I, in rendering an account of this Case, present thee with a Toy, it might pass with allowance; for experience tells us; That a Toy sometimes makes a fuller discovery, what men's inclinations are, than a very serious matter can do. But surely this Case will be granted to be sad and serious both, if we consult with Papist, Atheist, or Protestant either: And, I verily believe, of general concernment also, relating not only to the Street-Crosse, but Highway, Church, chapel, Chancel, Window, Closet, Corner, Brow, Breast-Crosses, all the Crosses in the world, that are the work of the cunning Crafts-man, or otherwise made with hands and the fingers ends to help devotion or for Religious use. And yet I have not named the Master piece, nor the Master workman; this is the heart, and that the Idol there, set up in that place, where God should have His Throne: (note in passage, an Idolater dethrones God) for in the heart, the peace, the love, the fear of God should bear sway; and in token of victory over the Idol there, bear away the Garland a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Palmam obtineat. Col. 3.15. Hos. 13.2. , as the purpose of the word is. Were all the forementioned Idols (they are the work of the Crafts-man, according to his own understanding odious to God and good men b God will have no worship of our devising; we may only do what He bids us, not bid what He commands not. Never did any true piety arise out of the corrupt puddle of man's brain: If it flow not from Heaven, it is odious to Heaven. Doctor ●…ils contempt. lib 12. ) were they all cast out to the Moles and to the Bats, the heart would fetch them in again, smooth them over and set them up before the eyes: for not only these piles of Abominations, but every point of popery, had their original draught in the heart, there they were first hatched. In very deed the heart is a Common stew (no better;) therein you may find the Pope's Chapel and Mass-book too. Therefore, though the Cross in the street, hath moved the quarrel, and it shall be served in its kind; one man or more hath (served) defiled that Baal a little, by the good word of God with me, I shall defile it much c 2 King. 10.18. : But yet, since the quarrel hath its rise only thence, with Gods help it shall be carried on, to the defiling the Master-worke, and its workman, I mean the heart and the Idol there, for thereon will the Lord power forth the fury of His wrath, and the strength of battle. And there is mighty Reason why it should be so; for, to say all in a word; That Idol hath not only mated the God of Hosts, setting up its self in His Throne, but also hath, doth, and will move all the quarrels in the world. Saint James his question can receive no other answer but his own, Whence comes wars and fightings among you d James 4.1. ? Hence, even from your Idols, your lusts that war in your members. That hath been the answer, and that must be the answer to the world's end. Devils and Idols do all the mischief in the world. But yet we will not believe this, and it is a strange matter, and as strange a conceit, That we should feel our Crosses, feel them smart and sore upon us, and not believe, that the Idol hath caused them. It is a weak and fond conceit too: as if we could think, That affliction comes out of the dust; Job 5 6. and trouble springs out of the ground: that the rush grows up without mire & the flag without water. Job 8.11. I thought it very fit to mind thee (Reader) hereof on the threshold, that thou mightest enter the house with more care and watchfulness: for this will persuade thee to believe; That the Crosses Case is a sad and serious case, which now I shall open unto thee so fare, as may be suitable to a Preface. You are not such a stranger to our Occurrences, as not to have seen or heard what a stir there was some months since, about the Cross; what crossing of shins, and of heads, and of backs, and of hearts too! What bloody noses, and scratched faces, and back-blows there were, and all about the Cross, to maintain it according to its dignity, in a posture of defence. A man could not pass that way, but he must declare himself, whether for the Cross or against it; he must not conceal himself in the Crosses case, (as in good reason he might in such a presence but) if he did, he was Crossed, as aforesaid. One evening, hearing a noise thence, as sometimes from Paris Garden, I stepped up the street, to resolve myself, whether there were any Bulls and baiting there: and behold both; for there they stood as dogs at a Bay, baiting each at other; who? The Psalmist answers, a company of spearmen (carrying their weapons in their mouths a Psa. 57.4. ) the multitude of the Bulls, with the Calves of the People b Psal. 68.30. . Lord rebuke them said I, and away I trudged; for truly I never liked to crowd-in amongst unreasonable Creatures, that cannot tell when, or how far to put forth their strength, nor how to suspend or call it back. But so every thing acteth according to its principles, and I according to mine; So soon as I returned home, I examined the case seriously & hearty; and I issued the same, or rather the sacred Scripture for me, thus; though I could not handle it altogether in the same order. 1. That the defacing the Cross is an act justifiable by the highest Law and in the Highest Court. Surely it was never questioned by sober men since man was upon the face of the earth, till now; whether of the two (considering what an Image it is) had better warrant, the cunning Carver to fashion the nose by day; or the Carvers adversary, to strip it off by night. 2. That this Cross so defaced is not to be pitied, pity shown to stocks and stones argueth cruelty towards a brother. A Righteous man regardeth the life of his beast, but the tender mercies of the wicked are (the tender mercies of the) cruel. Prov. 12.10. So we should read it; tender mercies, and cruel! that cannot be: the meaning is, the wicked have no mercies at all. Plane nullae Jun. 3. That the Cross stands not by warrant of Law; but by the pleasure of Man, holding only by Tenure of free will and ignorance. 4. That it is an Idol and must down; his covering and ornament must be defiled also, with the hand and heart both; & this will cause wars, even the strength of battle; for the heart will struggle to maintain his Idol, and the Idol will have great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. Rev. 12.12 Notwithstanding all the trouble, God will overcome at last, and the Idol shall be defiled. But good provision is made, that the City, parting with an Idol, may have an Ornament, such as will advance the name of her God, and be to the heart of the righteous there, the most specious Ornament, that ever was seen in the world; A pillar shall be raised, named, dedicated, to the Known God, known by confounding His adversaries, and working salvations for his Israel. An objection follows touching the Cross, and an answer thereunto, than a little good counsel, and then I have done prefacing. Obj. It will be said, the Cross stands defaced only and no more; it is not defiled: And perhaps his friends will beautify him again (they make him a god, against propriety of speech, it shall be the masculine gender) wash his face and wipe the dust from his eyes. Ans. Perhaps so, yet I cannot believe it: Not, that now God has begun, His enemies shall make an end. The Crosses case is before a judge, who will do right, for He is the judge of all the world. He hath given sentence in this case; But yet betwixt the giving sentence against an evil work, and the execution of the same, there may lie, though no gulf, yet a great space of time: Therefore the hearts of the sons of men are fully set in them to do evil a Eccles. 8.11. . while we are let alone (not troubled) we are the more nearly joined to Idols b Hos. 4.14. . But this is the comfort, sentence is not only pronounced, but in part executed upon these Idols: God hath appeared to be as He hath said, I will be terrible to them, I will famish all the gods of the earth c Zeph. 2.11. : So He hath said, than He will do it, no doubt of that. He hath begun, He will make an end. He hath smitten the earth more terribly d Esa. 2.19. this last year, than the year before; It is not his manner (for his charge is against it) to smite like a man, thrice e 2 King. 13.18. , and then stay; He will go on till He Hath consumed. But Reader, let us come home to ourselves and consider, what patience have we? There is need of a great deal, and that it hath a perfect work f James 1.4, . Nay, there is a mother Grace, get that, and we have all; What faith have we? you will say, a little faith, as a grain of Mustardseed. God be thanked for that little, for that will grow; But we cannot stay the growth of it. It was well answered to one, who said he was getting such a grace; " you should have got it before, for you must use it now. Antea parandum utenduus nunc. We cannot live upon a little in these dear, hard g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fierce, perilous h Mat. 8.28. 2 Tim. 3.1. times. A little will not serve the turn now. These are smiting & extraordinary times. Take we unto us the whole Armour of God: above all taking i Ephe. 6.13. the shield of faith. And now, supposing ourselves standing in a good posture, like completed soldiers, having our militia well ordered and sure, let us fall a smiting too; and so (if the expression be fit) save God the labour of smiting: when He smites, the stroke will be terrible. Either God must smite or we must smite. At what? Every man at the Idols in his own heart; There they are set up in that throne, else there had never been a stumbling block set up before the eye. We must smite at these. And we must smite, not as once the King did, by halves: he smote thrice and stayed: No, we must smite five or six times, till we have smitten the Idols set up in our hearts, and have consumed them; and then the stumbling blocks before the eyes will fall off themselves and be utterly destroyed. We, silly men, can be taken with no argument but what may be felt. Behold here it is, and was intimated before. Look we all over the circumference, and round about, and to every part of the same, so wide and large, we shall see all the lines of our sorrows, our troubles and our fears tend directly to the Idol in the heart, there they be centred, thence they come, be we well ware of it; That we keep our hearts with all diligence, and our souls from Idols. Then see the benefit; though we have the bread of affliction for our meat here, and tears in plenty for our drink (for in reforming times so it may fall out) yet notwithstanding all that, it will be peace at the last: There is a word of promise for that; though at evening tide trouble, yet in the morning it is not k Esa. 17.14. : Though in the midst of our years, & for a moment afterwards we are disquieted; yet, doing as aforesaid, our end shall be peace. Amen. THE CROSSES CASE. SECT. 1. The Case opened. The injury done to the Carvers work there. His blasphemy in giving sacred Names to that, which his own fingers have made. THe sad Story touching the Cross gins, which yet made sober men laugh, others cry, or do worse. Not long since a notable indignity was done upon the Pile of Images in Cheapside of ancient standing there. Some body, we are sure of that, and a Man sure, but whether one or two or more, we cannot so well tell, stepped up above the bars of Iron there enclosing the Cross, wrenched off a Leg and part of the Thigh from that Image, they presumptuously called Christ; plucked away the Pope's Mitre; disarmed his Cardinal; cracked the Queen Mother's Crown, took away the half, and most shamefully defaced a fift, for its Nose is gone. In common speech we call those Images so, as an unskilful Painter, drawing the figure of a Lion, and supposing the beholders might think it an Ass, ●e writ at the bottom of the Table, This is a Lyon. Well then because those Images stand upright like the Palm, we will take them to be as they are called, neither Bears, nor Lions, but as in vulgar opinion and common speech; the first I dare not Name, the second the Pope, the third his Cardinal, the fourth the Virgin Mary, the fift I know not who▪ old Saint George perhaps, Doctor Heylins' Saint, or Saint Innocent, for it stands like an harmless fellow, more like to take a wrong then to do any; but if it be he, he has been a brave fellow, a Pope in his days, some say a Bishop now; or Saint Faux; he had that honour conferred upon him ever since his Firework. Reader, let us understand our own freedom, that we have as great a liberty of conceit in these cases as the Carver hath, and may use the same liberty in giving a Name to this Saint now its Nose is off, as the Carver did when he first put the Nose on. And we will give it a true Name, the same which all its Ancestors have had before it: As the plain fellow said, he would call a Spade a Spade, that he would, and so we are resolved to do; or, which more instucteth, as the good King called the Brazen Serpent in those days, when they would burn incense to it, not the Brazen Serpent then, but Nehushtan a 2 King. 18.4. plain brass and no more, nor of any more use then; so we must call it (and there is much more reason for it) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Stone; some more cost and pains bestowed upon it and its fellows by the Carver, than what they had when they lay together in the same Quarry, and yet but a Stone. And it is the Name by which the Lord calls them; She defiled the land and committed Adultery; with what? with Stones and with Stocks. b Jer. 3.9. The cunning Carver should well observe this, who, as bold now as ever, dares give different Names to Similar or like parts, as that this Stone is, I must add, etc. for I fear to speak forth; but this I will say, a lie is in his mouth, as it is in his hand, and blasphemy also. All his Art and Cost can make it no other thing, but what it is, Wood and Stone; therefore the part (of the wood and stone) Must have the same Name with the whole. * Pars similaris est, quae idem cum toto Nomen habet. But it cannot be expected that the cunning workman will hear and fear and do no more presumptuously, because it hath been a question long since, whether the Carver or his stock be more senseless. r Psal. 135.18. Having now given this Saint its true Name, which belongs to all its fellows, being descended from the same common stock, and having reproved the Carvers blasphemy. I go on in my story to inquire the time when this Sacrilege (as they call it) was committed. When was it done? We cannot tell the precise time; it was a Night work, that is certain; for, as was said touching the defiling of such another Image; And so it was because he feared his fathers househould, and the Men of the City that he could not do it by day, that he did it by Night. Judg. 6.27. So here, the Man (for I will take him single) feared the Men of the City, and did it by Night; what time of the night? whether in the third or fourth watch is uncertain too. But certain it is he watched his time, and took it whilst the Watch was fast asleep. So we have the story: now hear what followed. SECT. II. The next morning opened the case more clearly, and the thoughts of men about it. Next night they made their watch strong, but had they thought on it sooner, they had made a wiser choice. Ancient Records assure us, that Geese are the most approved watch, and choicest guard about Images. NExt morning the battery made upon the Cross was in to make supplication; and, beholding what was done, in stead of supplication they put up a railing accusation against him, that had done them no hurt: And the wise Citizens, neighbours there abouts were troubled about it, they chattered, and little better than railed too. Then they resolved upon the question (for they saw they had to do with a sleeping watch) to watch it better for after times, so to keep their Cross in a posture of defence: for that purpose, they had Soldiers keeping watch about it, and a Captain a good friend to the same. Had they but one night sooner taken their time for so grave a consultation, and been pleased to have admitted me into their council, I think I should have overruled them by a ruled case, and so have dissuaded from making choice of Soldiers to watch their Cross: for they for the most part, and as their supply is, will eat and drink to the full, and then, as experience tells us, are fast asleep when the spoiler comes. The Children of darkness were wiser at this point, then are they, who profess themselves children of light. They committed the safeguard of their Images to those Creatures, which are very wakeful, being fed with dry meat, and their drink is as small as water. It is a Bookcase registered in the Roman Antiquities, and thereon depends a very bloody story; I will pass that over, and briefly set down so much as relates to the case, because it may stand us in stead, if not to watch the Cross, yet to safeguard our houses. The Romans had a plurality of Images as we have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. (I must not yet call them Gods nor Idols neither, I shall anon by very good warrant) their Household and their Closet Images; some standing more open, other some more reserved. But these suffered many indignities and very scornful usage, not only from Mice, Rats, and Spiders, but from the hands of violent Men, who have tumbled them about the house, and trod them like mire in the street, as if the Carver had bestowed no cost nor worth upon them. They had also their Tutelar Images, such wherein they placed the safeguard of their City, and whereto they gave the same Veneration, (I must not say Adoration) as the Papists to their Cross; these they committed to their strongest hold, their Capitol; and for their safeguard and surest watch, there they appointed a most wakeful Guard over them, a guard of Geese, which did discharge their cure very well and like themselves, and so quitted the place in a time of great extremity and most eminent danger, as we may read if we would draw out the story a little longer. I will record no more of the story here, but what honour and dignity was done by the Romans to their Geese for their good service done to them and their Images; in memory whereof, and in return of thankfulness for such a deliverance; c Luc Fl. lib. 1. cap. 14. Aug. de civet. lib. 2. cap. 22. The Romans appointed as great a Festival to the honour of their Geese, as the Papists do to the glory of their Cross, for it stands upon record at this day, being registered the Goose's Holiday. SECT. III. All that hath been said hitherto was intended purposely for the scorn of Images, their Carvers, Servers, and upholders. The Sober man can turn to a sacred Story, and learn from it the doom of Images, and Image servers. IT will be said now, That all this hitherto is ridiculous. Indeed it is so acknowledged, and so intended, as best befitting now the brutish workman and his work; The Name he presumptuously puts upon it; the regard also and watch he foolishly sets about it: He that will be serious, can turn to the sacred story, thence observe a greater defilement than was all this here with us, upon the Images and their worshippers, for there was a Guard and Captain set about them, who smote the worshippers with the edge of the Sword, than brought forth the Images and burned them. 2 King. 10.23.25,26. They ceased not here, for they broke down the very chief and Prince of the Images (the Image of Baal) Vers. 27. and they broke down its house over its head, and about its ears too. What then? then Baal's friends called a guard to watch it by night, and cunning workmen to build it by day; and Carvers to form and fashion it anew; was it not so? No, Baal had not a friend that durst appear for him. I pray you let us read on in the story, and observe it well; The Soldiers and Captains broke down the house, (the covering of Baal, that which sheltered it from the injury of weather, we shall hear more of that anon) and made it a draught house unto this day. Here was a defilement indeed, a notable indignity, greater by fare then had been, if they had plucked off his Leg and Thigh too, and Nose also; they shattered the Image to pieces; they broke down the house of Baal; and which was the highest indignity that could be offered, but best befitting that Lordly thing, they set there in place and stead thereof, a vessel, wherein is no pleasaure, Hosea 8.8. for they made Baal's house a Draught-house unto this day; Now Baal's friends will appear in his case, and object here, First. Ob. That these worshippers so smote with the edge of the Sword were the worshippers of Baal. An. Yes there is no doubt of that, for the context is plain: b Vers. 23. but yet this is more than they will grant us anon; when they will say, it is one thing to serve an Image, another thing to worship it (but of this in due place) Those worshipped Baal, that is plain, and were called Baalites, such, who cut and flashed themselves till the blood gushed forth upon them, 1 King 18.28. much after the manner as the Papists use upon their Good Friday. Obj. 2. And the Image was Baal's Image; and than it was served well enough, for it was an Idol, and the most filthy, beastly, most abominable Idol that ever was gazed upon; some conclude the name of it was Priapus, and there is searce any man, Scholar or no Scholar, but he knows what that was, a filthy god indeed. An. 2. My little reading can give little satisfaction what this Idols Name was; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Baal is a common Name as Lord with us; and he was resembled by divers figures according to the pleasure of the Carver and the employment he was designed unto: He served the Sechemites according to Covenant, as their Guardian or Tutelar god, which they called Baal-Berith, a Jud. 8 33 and his Figure was (I conjecture so, and the wisest can no more) a Goose. He served others to drive away the flies, which they called Baalzebub, 2 King. 1.3. vid. junium. their Fly-god; and his figure was a fly. He served others to watch their fields, and gardens to fright away the Crows thence, which they called Baal-peor, and his figure was, Priapus as some affirm at this day. These are but conjectures wherein we take a latitude: The truth is, Baal's Image was a very proteus for his various shapes; he was every thing, what the Carver pleased, and yet nothing, neither fish nor flesh; but if any thing in the world than wood or stone, a very stock, which is the Name was given to all his Ancestors, and must serve to all the pedigree of Images unto the world's end. The holy Ghost gives us his proper Name, calling him, That shame. d Hosea 9.10. We are sure that is his Name, and belongs of right to all the stock of Images that ever were, or ever shall be framed by the cunning Workmen, not a shameful Idol, but in the Abstract, That shame. And yet let us take good notice of this, that Baal's Image, that-shame, was not such a shame, such a filthy thing as is that Image so lately defiled. Why so? Because Baal's Image was, as it was named, Baal's Image; and this had its form or figure as you heard, a Goose, a Fly, or a loathsome thing, which I will name no more, being called by his proper Name, and so it was named, that shame; like to like, a very good agreement. But the Image now so lately defiled is as filthy all over as Baal's Image was: and that which makes it more filthy and more abominable yet, is the Name, the daring workman at first put upon it, was received from his mouth and so continued to this day, he named it and so do others from his mouth; (I fear to speak after them, yet I must) Christ, the Lord Christ declaring himself to be the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead e Rom. 1.4. All this suggested in the Name, for they call the Image now defiled. Christ rising from the grave. Truly I want words to set forth the abominations and Blasphemies of this generation, I mean the generation of those cunning vile men, those Image-Carvers. And yet, now I remember, words could stand us in no stead, because the workmen and their works are alike, so blockish, and senseless, as aforesaid. We will conclude from the premises, that, sigh this Image is so filthy and abominable, yet is called by so excellent a name: Sith, it is that shame, that shame to Christianity, to profession, to the Gospel, to those who would show themselves Men, and yet is Named that glory, the glory of the Church her Christ, a King, a Prophet, and a Priest; sigh I say it is so named, and yet this Glory is changed into the similitude of a Stone or Lead, such vile and contemptible matter; therefore the person that plucked off the Leaden Leg and part of the Thigh from the Image did very well: And if the Magistrate now shall break down all the Images, and defile their Covering, so destroying them out of Israel, he shall do better: for besides what hath been said, we must consider this, That Baal's Image, though a filthy thing, that shame, yet was the Image (as ours are) pleasant to the eyes, and to be desired; which appears, because Israel, a wise and understanding people were enamoured with it, so as they joined themselves to it. a Numb. 25.3. See how ensnaring these filthy things were! They were a trap and a snare and a gin to Gods own people. Are they not as ensnaring still? I will inquire into that anon, and resolve it. In the mean time sober men will learn by this, to observe their charge and do thereafter; Esa. 30.22 Ye stall defile also the covering of thy graven Images of Silver, and the Ornament of thy molten Images of Gold; thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth, thou shalt say unto it, get thee hence. We shall make very good use of this sacred Scripture anon, in defence of the accused if he stood at the bar: In the mean time we will take a view of what is said; The madness of these men is rebuked, who miscall their Images; their folly manifest for keeping a guard and watch over them: sober men have taken forth their lesson also. Now I must reprove these so pitiful men for showing mercy and brotherly compassion towards stocks and stones. Surely a scorn will be put upon them for such foolish pity. SECT. FOUR Their foolish pity is laughed at by the Ancients, Jews and Gentiles; Living Images command pity, the dead scorn. I Will not ask the former sort (the Papists) what aileth them g judg. 18.24. , for their gods are defaced. Nor will I at present say to the other sort, as he to the men that stood by, will ye plead for Baal, will ye save him h judg. 6.31. Barn. 6. Hor. Sect. 1. Sect. 8. Mar. 8. Ep. 39 Tib. 1.10. M. faelix in fol. h. 16. l. 2. v d. Com. Lact. 2.2. ? I think it may sit very well to reason out the case a little in scorn of that Image, as I find both Jews and Gentiles, Heathens and Christians have done before me in the like case; and so I shall make way to my scope after this manner; Here is a battery committed; What though? let him complain that is damnified, hurt, or grieved. First, here is no damage none at all; the Pope's power is not a jot the less now his Mitre is gone; his Cardinal can do as much with one hand, as he did before with two. And the Mother can command her son as imperiously as ever she did, though half her crown be gone. And the defaced Saint smells as well now without a Nose as before when it was fresh and new out of the Carvers shop. They have received no damage none at all. Secondly, nor are they hurt or grieved; It is their patience you will say to stand stock still and silent, when vilified or injured: yes, be it so, but here I should rather think it the effect of use and custom: for these Images have been so long exposed to the scattering of Crows and other birds, to the spitting and spauling, to the injury of weather, hail, rain, winds; that now they can suffer any thing, even dust to be cast into their eyes, and yet not wipe it off. Here is no hurt done, no grievance at all. The Image next cried not Oh, no not when the fellow plucked off its leg and thigh both; nor did it resist at all, nor thrust the man from it, when he more than played with its nose; doubtless there was no hurt done, for than it would have cried out in the ears of its neighbours. Why then do the men of the City complain? where lieth the grief? they are a little wiser I hope then Demetrius the Silver Smith, and pretty well persuaded Acts 19.26. That they are no Gods which are made with hands, why then should they complain as they do and call out so bitterly? SEGT. V. These so pitiful men show compassion to the Cross and none to the City; they are questioned and rebuked for so doing. THey have but one thing to answer, and truly they will speak against their own Souls; they tell us a goodly pile of Images is defaced, which (they will tell us anon) they accounted an ornament to the place. Well but sith they will cry out of this indignity, which was offered to a pile of stones; I must question them about their outcry in the presence of God, & they must answer as in the same presence. But who are they that are now to be questioned? if they are not known by their contrary walking; nor their folly yet made manifest, it shall not be made so by my pen. The duty of private persons is to go backward and cover the nakedness of their brethren; and in reference thereto, I hope my care shall be to carry all level to this mark, the good of my brother and his information; therefore I must question them for their foolish pity (indeed you cannot give it a lighter word.) But before I question them I must put down a Thesis first, a truth which no man can deny, and it is this. " Man, as he is the most excellent creature in the world so is he the most noble and venerable Image that ever was looked upon since Jesus Christ was upon the earth; he is a living Image of God, made by the very hand of God, and in this respect a thousand fold more excellent than all Images made by the hand of Man; this is the Thesis; I must premise three words more. Six years ago or thereabouts, three Images were defiled all at once, which could breathe, and smell, and hear, and wipe the dust from their eyes; yea, such they were, that had knowledge to open the eyes of them, who were borne blind. These three were Pillored, defaced, stigmatised, in plain English, marked for Rogues, because they were faithful and kept close to the Law of their God, as was made manifest when their cause was made known, and the Word of the Lord had tried them; we read on there, Then they sent and loosed them, the Peers and the people, let them go free. c Psal. 105.18,19,20. But when time was, so villainously they were used, and for the reason above said. Now I put the question to these pitiful men, much after the same, which Gidion put to Zeba and Zalmunna; Judg. 8.18 What manner of Images were they, which ye saw (or heard were) so abused? They must answer as their brethren in that place did, As thou art so were they, each one resembled the Children of a King. Then I must reply as followeth, Vers. 19 They were your brethren even the sons of your mother. I may go on, for the case will allow of the same zeal; As the Lord liveth the pity and compassion these men have shown to stocks and stones when they shown none to their own flesh, cryeth for vengeance against them. What? can they pity Images, which cannot wipe the dust from their eyes, and can they show no pity at all to these, who resemble the children of a King, who are their Brethren, even the Sons of their Mother? As the Lord liveth they have done and spoken all this for and behalf of the Cross against their own souls. What? so careful to maintain the honour of their Cross, and so careless of their brethren? Zech. 11.9. That that dyeth let it die, and that that is to be cut off let it be cut off. What care they? (I allude to these words, which are indeed the words of the Lord, showing Himself careless of a stubborn people, who would be careless of Him, and of His words) what so careless of their Brethren? David was not so towards his enemies; Psal. 35.13.14. But as for me when they were sick my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled my soul with fasting, I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or Brother; I bowed down heavily as one that mourncth for his Mother. It is a point of humanity to pity men in their adversity; it may be our own case, being our selves also in the body; Heb. 13.13. I ask again, what, so careless of their Brethren? why not as careless of stocks and stones? The Lord smote Jonahs' Gourd, and it withered, He prepared also a vehement wind, which with the Sun beat upon the head of jonah, that he fainted, and then he spoke like a distempered Man, unadvisedly with his lips. We must observe how the Lord questions him. jonah 4.8. Dost thou well to be angry for the Gourd jonah? Yes; Then said the Lord, Vers. 10. Thou hast had pity on the Gourd, for the which thou hast not loboured, neither madest it grow, why then is thy eye evil? wherefore art thou displeased, that I should spare so great a City, where are so many persons and so much Cattle? This reproof would fall heavy upon these men, for they have pitied a more base, vile, and contemptible thing than was the Gourd; but they have not pitied their Brethren, nor that place, where are so many persons and so much Cattle; I do present it only to their saddest and most retired thoughts, and conclude it with a yet sharper reproof from the Lords own Mouth in a very like case, for than they did lavish gold out of a bag to beautify an Image; here they have done as much and more, for they lavish words also to defend the same; The reproof is, and it is a sharp one; Isa. 46.8. Remember this, and show yourselves Men; bring it again to mind O ye transgressors. SECT. VI They justify themselves. with a little Reason, and as little Law, which tells them, That their brethren were defaced by power from lawful au thoritie; the Cross not so, but in an unwarranted way. The contrary is maintained, and the person cleared by the best reason and Law both, and in the Highest Court, the Law and Court of Heaven. WE must hear now what these wise Men have to say for themselves, for they will not be mad without Reason. They have a twofold Reason, and the latter hath some show of Law, why they were so careless of their Brethren, and have enveighed so much against the defilement of, and injurious dealing (as they call it) against their Cross. First, they do acknowledge as Men, Prov. 17.17. that a friend indeed loveth at all times, and a brother is borne for adversity. Nay they yield too; Prov. 18 24. That there is a friend that sticketh closer than a Brother. But yet in that they shown themselves neither as friends nor as Brothers to their Brethren in adversity, they have this only to say, Prov. 21.10. That better is a neighbour that is near, than a Brother that is afar off. Therein is the pith of their Reason. The Cross is their Neighbour near unto them, daily in their eye, which falling into the hands of a thief who wounded it, commands their pity: their Brethren are afar off, some beyond the Seas, all out of sight, and then out of mind, and not regarded: So they say, or if they say not so, yet their actions make their thoughts and words legible. I would only advise here, that they would turn to the parable, Luk. 10.29 and resolve themselves at this point, Who is their Neighbour? The Cross they say; The fore-quoated place tells them not, their Brother is their neighbour; and their neighbour their brother all the world over. He that is fallen into the hands of spoilers; He that needs my hand or my heart, my purse or my prayers, he is my neighbour, though a thousand miles off from me. I say again, he is neighbour and brother too. Who? Not that, which is nearest to me in place, for so stocks and stones may be, as in this case: But he who partakes of the same common nature with me; and so challengeth a nearness with my affections and place in my heart; he is my neighbour. The neighbourhood then (for so we may call it) of the Cross should not have taken up any room in their thoughts, living Images were spoilt and left wounded; they stood bound to show themselves neighbours; to show mercy what they could; But clean contrary they neglected their brethren and shown themselves neighbours unto dead Images, for there they shown mercy, and would not be accounted uncharitable men for all that, for they have now a second Reason which they call Law. 2. What was done to these living Images was done by the hand of lawful power. So they say. Answ. I cannot yield that. A power it was, permitted by God, but maintained against God and His laws, and the undoubted Right of His subjects and people; but that dispute is needless here, let it pass. Grant them their saying, let the Authority be whose it will be (the Devils I think, for he doth cast the Righteous into prison) Revel. 2.10. yet will it not follow, that they should not show pity and compassion to their Brethren, children of a King, and sons of the same Mother: they go on reasoning and object. Obj. This insolent fellow committed a Riot, and made a Battery upon a venerable Image against all Reason, and in affront to Authority. Answ. We will examine that, and must reply. The man did not act against Reason; knowledge and understanding guided his steps, carrying him to that work, the defiling of those Images: For it was concluded long since from the Chair at Oxford; That it was expedient the Cross should be taken away: surely there was Reason and reading both, and this the Man might know being so publicly known. Obj. They reply; It was not concluded from the Chair that Common hands should remove or defile it. Answ. Why may not common hands serve to remove an unclean thing? It is an unclean thing; and common and unclean will stand together. But this is to beg the Question, which we are to resolve anon. Obj. Their meaning is; It is not concluded that a man should do this without, or against the command of the Ruler; things must be done orderly, by order from lawful Authority. Answ. True, and so he did; not without, or against the command of the Ruler, the King of kings, and Lord of lords. The command is peremptory, directed not to one but to the people; Deut. 12.23. And you shall overthrow their Altars, and break their Pillars, and burn their groves with fire, and you shall bow down the graven Images of their Gods; and destroy the Names of them out of that place; Mark how the charge runs, like a Whirlwind, for it is against Images; overthrow, hue, break down, destroy. Obj. But it is meant you shall do this, but not against the mind of the Ruler. Answ. I answer first: when we have a command from above, no command from below can countercheck it: His command who is absolute must stand; according to His charge things must be done. Obj. But in an orderly way, not with tumults and noise. Answ. Here was neither: he did his work neither with multitude nor with tumult k Act. 24.18 . The noise and tumult was the next morning and after night by those who maintained the Militia of ●…e Cross. We abhor tumultuary courses, heady and unwarrantable proceed, and have nothing whereof to accuse the Cross enemies herein: That which he or they did against it, was done, as was now said, not with tumult or noise, but with as much discretion and silence as could be. The Crosses friends they came with multitude and with tumult; with a Guard and a Captain both, against all precedents of former Ages, except in the case of Baal's Altar, They should have resolved as Jehu (in the like case) and said as he did; 2 King. 10.18. the person yesternight served Baal a little, we shall serve him much; he took away the leg and thigh we will take away the whole bulk, he plucked off the Nose, we will pluck of its head. This had been a work for a Guard and Captains, and but according to former precedents. Obj. But that which was done, and that which is argued should have been done, that and this must have a warrant from the Ruler, his Fiat first, let it be done. Answ. Indeed it should have been so, and then it had been done more decently, and in better order. How much to be wished, that so it might have been, that the Chief and Prime Man in the City had been the first that would have consecrated his hands upon the Image? Exod. 32.29. Then things are done decently, and in order to a blessing, when the Ruler like a true Gideon, goes before, and bids his followers look on me and do likewise. Judg. 7.17 What hopes the man had, that the Magistrate would lead him the way to the defiling of the Cross, I examine not, but leave the world to judge; certain it is, the Man saw that nothing did so cross the Militia of the kingdom as Crosses, and Images (I must not call them Idols yet) outfacing God and His command there: Therefore he would venture upon the tallest of them all, and hazard his joints to pluck off a limb, which the cunning Carver had put on. Who hath any thing to say to that? His joints are his own, and well hazarded in a matter so nearly concerning the honour of God. It was a Zeal according to knowledge for aught we can see, and well ordered for aught I know, or any wise man dare judge. And it is to be thought according to the Rule of pure charity and right reason, that he fe●… God and honours the Ruler as much and more than they that complain of him, and stand so stiff for the Militia of the Cross. He waited patiently these seventeen years what the Magistrate would do, and observing him this year more ready to beautify the Cross then to defile it, and such a fall of Idols, and Idoll-shepeheards, and yet the Cross standing still, he resolved to venture a broken shin and to play the Soldier, so entered the Lists against Pope and Cardinal, and the venerable Lady too. And truly the success was I think, beyond expectation, such as may assure us, he had a power with him, a watch and guard over him, for he disarmed the Adversaries, returned conqueror, loaded with the spoils of Mitres, Arms, Noses, Crowns, and so, by the benefit of the Night he got the day and is safe enough. Let them that are grieved complain: It is a very small thing to him who complains against him in that matter; he thanks God, the Law is open, the law of Heaven he means, and the two bloody Courts are shut: He takes no more liberty now then before, for he chose the Night to do that, which should have been done in the Day time and before the Sun: But he knows, that which would have been accounted a crime there, is accounted a virtue now in the judgement of good men, * Quae hic mala putautur, hac sunt in coelo bona Lact. 5. 15. ●…. and the Court of Heaven: and thereto he appeals and from thence he hath his Quetus est in this matter. And he is assured that when the Lord comes, Who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the Counsels of the hearts; he shall have praise for defiling that which God Himself, 1 Cor. 4.3. and the souls of all the Godly do loath and abominate. And so much to clear the person from the cavils of lewd men, who hold up dead Images and throw down the living, what they can; pitying the one and neglecting the other. This could not be omitted here because the folly of such men must be made manifest, who made an outcry now when they should have rejoiced; and complained not, nor mourned when time was, though they were called unto both; for so David did, he mourned for his enemies, these not so for their Friends. SECT. VII. Twenty Arguments to maintain the Militia of the Cross, our men refuse them all, create one of their own; It must stand because it is an Ornament. THe chief and hardest work is now behind, and is like to cause a hot contestation. The question is, whether this pile of Images shall stand or fall? The adversary puts himself in good hope, and the thing out of all question; The Cross shall stand, for he hath twenty arguments for the standing and maintaining of it in a posture of defence. There is no Papist so silly and simple but if he can tell, and is sure of it, that twice ten is twenty, he hath so many Arguments for the Cross and the maintaining the Militia of the same. But I shall not trouble myself and the Reader with any one of those Arguments, for just reasons; First, because I am not to contend with rigid and professed Papists: But with Protestants at large, and in Name only: and they will not urge any one of these arguments for the standing of the Cross▪ (indeed they are ashamed of them, they are so ridiculous.) Besides, if I shall prove anon that the Cross is an Idol, as I think I shall, than those twenty Arguments and as many more will not be worth two straws. I do assure the Reader that our Military men, I mean those that stand for, defend, watch and ward the Cross do renounce all those Arguments, twenty at the least, thinking themselves wise enough to frame an Argument, that they may call their own, which the Papists do scorn also. If my word might be taken I would give it with the strongest assurance that Man can give; that they have but one argument for the Militia of the Cross, I mean for the defence thereof, and that is this. It is an ornament to the place where it stands, and to the whole City; And for that only reason (such as it is) they can lavish gold out of the bag for the repairing its losses, and beautifying thereof: And being so repaired, they would undertake to defend and guard it all the days of their life. Why (wise men) would you do so? If Silver and Gold be so plentiful with you, lavish Gold out of the bag, and weigh Silver in the balance, and send it into Ireland. No, they will not hear of that, we knew that before; they that favour Crosses, speak, plead for, and love dead Images, hate the living; we know it by their practice; But yet I say, they have but this only to say for the standing of their Cross, It is an Ornament. What an Idol? and yet an ornament; those words are as we use to say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, ye cannot make the words agree, an Idol and an Abomination; there is an agreement: An Idol I then down with it even to the ground; that agrees well also, the ground, and an Idol: Thence its original, thither let it go. But they will not grant it to be an Idol; an Image they will grant it to be, and no more. SECT. VIII. We say the Cross is an Idol, therefore an abomination; they grant it to be an Image but no Idol; and allow service to it, but no worship; that distinction is ridiculous. BUt here they must yield more whether they will or no; it is the work of men's hands we say; so are your they say, and yet no Idol. I cannot tell that, our may be Idols, and we little better, but I go on; There is a bowing to it; therefore an Idol say we: The Papists bow before it, not to it; he doth not terminate his worship there, he is not such a fool, but carrieth the worship through the Image unto God, therefore no Idol say they, an Image if we will, and more they will not grant us; though we should strive tooth and nail, hand and foot, yet we shall drag them no further. Here would be a strife about words and Names; for two Names there are (we shall hear them anon) which yet signify but one thing, differing no more than do with us, our meat and food. According to the grave Counsel, I will leave it off before it be meddled with a Prov. 17.14. , only the Reader must know this; that our Men and the Papists go along hand in hand thus fare; they do allow of Images but no Idols: and they know a way to give the Image its due, and God His, by a fair distinction, and keep themselves from Idols well enough. There is they say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I know not how to English it to their minds, but I think it is this. There is Veneration and Adoration, or if that like not, let it be worship and service. The first they give to God only, the other to the Image (and yet no Idol) They worship God and they serve Images: Here is a divided service, like a ship cut in sunder, neither Mine nor Thine, but the waters b Cassellilus Narim si dividis nec tu nec socius habebitis. Macrobius. Sat. 2. Cap. 6. : A mongrel Religion, like that we read of, 2 Kings 17.33. they feared the Lord and served Devils, for it was after the manner of the nations; next verse you read, They feared not the Lord; no, He must have our fear our worship and service, and all; and the Image, as it is nothing, so must it have nothing at all. The forenamed Chapter will clear it to us, that the Hebrews acknowledge no such distinction, Vers. 12. Vers. 16. they served Idols and worshipped the Host of Heaven. But they, who would have further resolution in so plain a case, may read our Church's Jewel Jewel Ap. Art. 14. (I could cite Greek Authors here more than two or three) who brings the dispute to this issue; there is no more distinction between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Worship and Service in the sacred Scripture, then is betwixt operation and working. And so he tells us a short but merry tale of the Physician's wife, and her opinion touching Pepper. The question was amongst the good wives, whether Pepper was hot or cold; both answered the Doctress, It is hot in operation but cold in working; there is the distinction, subtle enough for a woman, who finds it work enough to understand and guide one Tongue: the Man's distinction is no wiser, who professeth to understand three; for if I serve God aright, I worship Him aright; if a thing operates well, it works well, and if my meat be good my food is not bad: he that understands neither Greek nor Latin understands these words, and no difference in them at all, we will then smile at the distinction and let it go, for we must be serious Though yet we will remember what Bishop Jewel said at this point also, what Religion is that, whose service we cannot mention without suspicion of scoffing? SECT. IX. Clear proof made from the clearest light, and truest evidence, that Images are Idols. NOw we come closer to the business, to prove that Crosses, Crucifixes, Images, are Idols. And to make this clear we will: First, Hear what the Papists say. Secondly, what our own men must grant. Thirdly, we will consult with the Oracle, what the Word of God saith; I shall be short in all this, for it were a shame to make it a long work to prove a Cross an Idol. 1. What say the Papists? a In Breviar infra heb. dom. 4. quadra. hear them if your ears can endure; All hail O Cross, our only hope in this time of the passion, increase righteousness to the godly, and give pardon to guilty persons. We have heard them with our ears, do they not tingle? We will hear no more, for I do assure the Reader, so many words as they have touching the Cross so many blasphemies. I need not ask now, is the Cross an Idol? The Papist will say, No, No? They bend before it, they pray unto it, than it is a God b Ecce plumbatur, construitur erigitur, nec ad huc Deus est. Ecce ornatur, consecratur, oratur, tunc postremo Deus est. Min. Fol. infol. pag. 16. line 25. whether the Papist will or no. But I have done with them, our ears are too chaste to hear Blasphemers: hear what our Men say, they are a little wiser: and more sober a little. What say they? 2. They say there is no Idolatry in the Cross, no Idol service given unto it, none that they see. They see no bending before it, nor praying unto it, so they say. We say, that surely they might see if they took time for observation, all that before mentioned, done before their Cross: others have seen it more than two or three times, I will name one in the Margin * Master Standish without Cripplegate. , a man of good report. Certainly men and women both have been observed to bow there, and to patter out we know not what, not themselves neither. Hist. of the world lib. 1. Chap. 10 Sect. 7. And the Devil hears them, that's certain too: for there he is crept into those stocks and stones, and there hath nezled himself, as the learned Knight saith. Those men might consider, and they must grant unto us now, that that may be done before the Cross which they see not. And therefore I command from them now, what they cannot deny me, that is this, That the Cross is subject to possibility of an Idolatrous use. This they must grant me. For what though they would scorn to bend before a stock? What though they see none that so do? Yet it is possible, that others do bow to it and pray before it too, I say there is a possibility, because I will say no more but what they must yield me a possibility (though we know it is a certainty, and hath been so deposed.) And now I command the rest; Because there is a possibility, that thereby many may be deceived, and thrust away from the service and pure worship of God; what follows then? Therefore it is nought and must be thrown down. Then take away the Bread and Wine both, for Papists Idolise the one and Drunkards the other. True, but here is a wide difference; Bread is of God's institution, so is not the Cross, therefore down with it, thine eye shall not pity it, neither shalt thou spare, (no, though it be thy Brother, Son, daughter, wife, if these or any of these would thrust thee from thy God) but down with it even to the ground; because there is a possibility, it may thrust thee away from the Lord thy God. We must avoid all possibility of Idolatry, all things that may lead that way; and walk on straight, turning to neither hand, in a right path, the way of the upright, for that is safe. There is a worship of God (a worship in spirit and in truth) which is not subject to a possibility of being Idolatrous: For there is no possibility of darkness in Light, no possibility of evil in goodness. A wise man takes a safe path. So we have heard what our men say and what they must grant, A possibility of Idolatry in the Cross. And than what is drawn and commanded from them by necessary consequence. The Cross must down even to the ground. It must not be spared nor pitied, that hand which holds it up is as he who builds the walls, which God hath cursed. Now we inquire of the sacred Scripture, that will put the matter out of question, not that there is a possibility of Idolatry in Crosse-service, but that it is the greatest Idolatry that ever was in the world. 3. What saith the word, we are charged to hear that; thus we read, Esay 28.28. their Land also is full of Idols, they worship the works of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made. Quest. How proves he that? Answ. They bowed before it, they humbled themselves unto it: so we read in the next Verse, and a fearful judgement follows, therefore forgive them not. Why? They bowed, they humbled themselves before Wood and Stone: Therefore, etc. Obj. The adversary replies, that in that Scripture there is mention of Idols not of Images; of bowing before Idols, (bowing before an Image makes it an Idol, but let it go, and let them go on) we speak for Images, and the fellow brings us a Scripture against Idols, which we condemn as well as he, so they say. Answ. Now I must turn them to another shored Scripture, what find we there? That which should make us tremble, for there we find the Lord provoked to anger, and the anger of the Lord is like the roaring of a Lion, which makes the Beast of the Forest to tremble. But what provokes the Lord? Idols I warrant you: Yes, they ever were, are, and will be a great provocation, a smoke in His nose, and a fire that burneth all the day. But yet this word is not mentioned there, but such things as ye see in Cheapside, or some of the Chappells, Graven Images, so we read, Jer. 8.19. They provoked Me with graven Images, and with strange vanities. And how then? how doth it appear that God was provoked with that people because of their Images? By the heat of His displeasure, it abideth upon them, it scoroheth them at this day, as the Midsummer Sun doth the earth at mid day. Indeed it is as clear as the Sunshine, when neither mist nor cloud appears, overshadowing the same: But I keep to the Text; though they thought themselves in a secure estate, Is not the Lord in Zyon? though they looked good would come to them from this place, and from that by means here or there, yet no good came, none at all, Their Images, strange vanities stopped the passage. We looked say they to that hill, and that mountain, to this time, and to that, now help would be; but our eye failed with expectation, no help came, The harvest is past, the Summer is ended, and we are not saved: Let us ponder, and well weigh the words; I go on to a third Scripture, where they must well consider how an Idol is described, Hosea 13.2. A thing wrought according to a man's own understanding; that is an Idol: When a man in the worship of God, will ●…me something suitable to his own judgement and reason, than he makes Idols. If we would worship God purely, (else not at all) than we must mingle nothing of our own, nothing of our own wisdom, understanding, reason: if we do, we mar all. We must be such fools, as to yield our ear wholly up to hear what God saith, and follow close what he commands touching His Worship. It follows, All of it the work of the Craftsman. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys. in Esay 2. Quasi quicquam esse possit artifice suo majus lact. lib. 2. 1. ●…. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. 1. Hom. 37. Yes, he makes God, and Jesus Christ, and the Virgin Mary, this goddess and the other, he doth the deed; I know this is blasphemy, but I must say as he doth, with one piece of the block he hath heated his shins; with another piece of the block he roasteth his meat; and of the remainder he makes a god, for he resolves to bow before it. No man is such a fool, as to bow before a lump of gold, or a wooden stock, for then as he goes through Cheapside or through a Forest, he must bow at every step. But the Craftsman comes, that daring fellow, the god-maker, he polisheth it according to his understanding, than it is a god; and than it follows, they kiss the Calves. I do not think so, no more than the Papists do kiss their Idols. They bowed and did some reverence before it, so they kissed them: Now we have the description of an Idol, and it sufficeth. Yes, it sufficeth to persuade men that have reason and faith too; but not sufficient, being barely read and no more, to persuade with unreasonable and wicked men, and to deliver us from them; therefore let us conclude with the prayer in that place, 2 Thes. 3.1,2. " that the word of the Lord may have free course & be glorified: That is the ready way to be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; from the mischief of Idols and Idol makers, David could not tell which of the twain was the veriest stock. But let us well consider the judgement that followeth. They made Idols according to their own understanding; They kissed the Calves, what if they did? Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud, as the early Dew, as the Chaff driven with a whir lewind, and as the smoke out of the Chimney. Hosea 13.3. Mark it good Reader, as a morning cloud; how quickly dispelled? As an early dew, how soon dried up? as the chaff. a little wind drives it, a greater whirls it we know not whether; as the Smoke, how presently it vanisheth? See the condition of Idols and Idol men, and their burden from the Lord! SECT. X. Though the proofs clear the Cross to be an Idol, yet it must not down they say, because it is an ornament. Their saying is weighed at the Sanctuary and found to be as light as vanity, The greatest Prophets, and the best Kings defiled their Image and their Ornament both. BUt now if they should grant us, that the Cross is an Idol, which they must do, if they grant a possibility that any knee ever hath in former time, or ever may in after time bend before it: Why yet they will never grant but that it may be an ornament for all that, and therefore may stand to beautify the place as it hath done: There lieth the pith of their reason, It is an ornament, therefore let it stand, and let it be maintained in a posture of defence. Be it so, but they shall never thrive with that Argument, as much might have been said for the Image in the 3. of Daniel: without controversy a goodly Image, and beautifying the place very much to the outward eye: And as much for the Queen Mother's Idol, which notwithstanding her son out down and stamped it, whether under his feet or to powder, I cannot tell: but, in an holy indignation, he stamped it and burned it at the brook Kidron. 2 Chro. 15.16. And more might be said why the Brazen-Serpent might be spared, which yet we read was brake to pieces, and must be called by its Name, plain Brass now, and of no more use. Much also might be said why the Chariots of the Sun might be spared; for they were goodly Chariots, and for beauty and outward excellency, fare exceeding the Cross, or any one Cross in the world; and yet the good King burned them with fire. 2 King. 23.11. Nay I do verily believe, the Calf was a goodly piece of workmanship, great cost bestowed upon it; and doubtless, though but a Calf, yet the most specious. Calf that ever was seen in the world, for they turned their glory into it: Psal. 106.20. And why might not that be suffered to stand for an ornament? Moses will resolve that, not by his word, but by his hand: Surely he saw reason good enough, else he had not been carried with such indignation against it, as we read He burned it in the fire. Exod. 32.20. There was an end of a Molten-Calfe. Nay not yet; he ground it to powder. Then it was small enough, it could never be put together again; no, but the people might have pitied the Dust thereof, therefore he strewed it upon the water, they should never see it again. Yes, but they might, the water might cast it forth, and leave some Ashes upon the sand. Therefore he made the Children of Israel drink of it; now the nature of it was changed quite. When Idols are dealt withal, then behold not a cutting down only, but a stamping, a burning, an utter abolishing: because the heart is so prone to Idolatrous worship. Truly me thinks if these men will slightly pass over what these good Kings did, Asa and Hezekiah, when they were dealing with Idols how they broke them to pieces and stamped them to powder: yet they should regard what Moses did in such a case; for that is most notable, and he the greatest Prophet that ever was, and faithful in all the house, his example should be observed and followed. But notwithstanding these Men well never have done Reasoning and questioning. I will take leave to put one question, there is but one Answer to make to it, therefore we cannot miss of it: And the Answer will be to the shame of their own faces and confusion of Idols for ever. The Question is. Why might no man know where Moses Sepulchre was? Deut. 34.8. The Answer must be; for fear of an Idolatrous worship: had the people known the place, they would have worshipped the mould there, and kissed his bones. He was the greatest Prophet in the world, and had the most honourable burial that ever any man before or since that time; for the Lord buried him. The people who said to a molten Calf h Exod. 32.4,5. , They be thy gods, and dedicated a feast to Jehovah, the Calf I mean: doubtless they would have done as much to Moses body; therefore there was such a contention about it. i Judas. 9 Did the Devil strive about a dead man's body for any love or delight in the same? No, the Devil's aim was to gain the hearts of the people, to set up an Idol for himself there, that was his aim, therefore he contended; and he gains much upon us this way, by presentations to the eye. Therefore hath he many relics, I know not what, nor of whom, but precious things they say, and with those (toys and knacks) he takes the simple ones every day; he hath also gloriousness of Altars, infinite number of Images, priestly ornaments very costly; and divers fopperies about his service, all to catch the affections of those, who not receiving the truth in love, are given up to believe lies. Quest. Now I can answer their question too, why may not the Cross, be it an Image or (as the Roundheads say) an Idol, yet why may it not stand? it hath stood there time out of mind, why may it not stand till the world's end? Answ. I might answer, it may not; because it is an offence and grief of heart to the strong Christian; a stumbling block to the weak; a very downfall to the stubborn and wilful. But this one answer shall serve, though they should ask till to morrow morning; For fear of an Idolatrous worship; therefore the Cross must not stand. There is possibility of it, at the least it may draw us from God, therefore the Cross must down. I know their minds; they are not satisfied herewith. They will keep up the Cross notwithstanding all that I have said, or any man else can say. Very good reason they should do as they say, maintain the standing of the Cross notwithstanding what I have said, or any man else: for what are man's words, mine or another's? But if I have spoken out of the Word of God, and by authority thereof: They might have so much manners (being reasonable and ingenuous men, not half so obstinate as are downright Papists, whose will is their reason) to regard what the Lord saith. What though no argument which I have given, is sufficient why it should down (and insufficient be it, if it be not the clear Word of God) is not God's Word enough? His charge sufficient? Ye shall, etc. Deut. 12.2. Is not His prohibition strong enough? Thou shalt make no graven Image, etc. And in the last place is it not enough? That in this case, and to teach us what to do, we have the example of the best Kings and the wisest Prophets? Certainly this is enough, if we have not to do with wicked and unreasonable men. I will then be pretty confident, having brought no word against this Image but what hath clear ground in the Word of God; That the Image is an Idol; Why? what more Why's yet? It was answered before, because there is as much danger of kissing an Image now, as there was once of kissing a dead man's bones, or the mould there; therefore an Idol, and then an abomination, and must down; nay it must be defiled and its ornament also, and the heart must do it; and that will fret us to the heart, and make tumults and combustions in the world now, and more anon: It follows. SECT. XI. The ornament of Images must be defiled with the hand and heart both; the most High God will have it so; and the stoutest heart in the world must bend here or break. But before this be done, look to hear of wars and rumours of wars. SUppose now these men should grant us this (and it were a large grant) that the Cross is an Idol, and must be cast down; though they are so pitiful, they have not the heart to do it themselves, yet they will suffer it to be done, suppose I say, they will yield so fare; why yet they will check at two things; first, they would not have their ornament defiled, and about this though we could contend mightily, with our tongues, and hands, and hearts, and all, yet we must yield, for God will overcome at the last: The second shall be granted them, they shall have an ornament; but of that in due place. First, as Amaziah said, 2 Chro. 25.9. but what shall we do for the three hundred Talents? so also; They have lavished gold out of the bag, and weighed silver in the balance, and hired a cunning workman, who hath made a god of it, must they now lose all their cost? now that the leg, and thigh, and nose are stripped off, may they not make use of the deckings and adorn which are upon the remaining parts? The meaning is for we will come to a low rate, may they not reserve the scrape of their Images? the old ends of gold and silver there? Truly no; for, suppose they should reserve what is pleasing in their eyes, and to be desired; yet what could they do with it? That is easily answered, you will say; Pro. 17.3. The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold a. True, but all the fining pots in the world and a furnace seven times hoated cannot purify and refine that silver and gold; for now it is put upon an Idol, it is an accursed thing. These men will not believe me now, and no matter; I am very well contented still that my words be slighted. But I pray you & them, let us hear what the Lord saith, as we desire & expect that He should hear us in the day of our trouble, when we shall call to Him, make haste Lord to our help, make no tarrying. Such a time will be, let us hear Him now (that is the ready way to be heard then) and chew upon His words now one after another; and as the Prophet saith, eat them. What saith the Lord? ye shall defile. What is that? Why, you suppose some sanctity & holiness in an image; see now, you must defile it; that is, you must deal with it, as with the vilest, filthiest, most contemptible thing that your eye can look upon; as Moses dealt with the Calf; King Asa with the Queen Mother's Image; King Ezekiah with the Brazen Serpent, and Chariots of the Sun; so must you defile the Images. We remember very well what overthrowing, breaking, hewing down, destroying, stamping, burning, drowning, eating, there was when they set upon this work of defiling; so we must defile Images. Pretty flexible they are; so they will defile the stone, and the wood, and the lead, such poor staff; and so I have dragged them on a little further: but for the silver and gold, the rich & precious things, the Lord must pardon them for that, they have not the heart to defile such good things. No; they will hear, I hope what the Lord saith, and hear Him out; then they must defile the silver and the gold, for the Lord will have it so; Esa 30.22. ye shall defile the covering of the graven Images of silver, and ornament of gold. Observe we well the covering of silver, the ornament of gold, precious stuff I warrant you; yet it must be defiled. Truly I am persuaded so well of the civility of those men, that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quidem▪ they will not so much as mutter (pine perhaps) at all this, for these are the words and charge of the Lord. But now they think verily, they have done the deed, the Image is defiled according to the Word of the Lord. No not yet; the main and chief work is yet behind; a work that will plunge the stoutest Papist in the world, and bring him to his knees, before he doth it. Alas, the hardest part of the work is yet behind. All the defiling hitherto is done by the hand; now the heart must be employed too, and then the work will be done indeed. We commonly say and we say very well, What the heart doth not do, is not done. Many motives and by and's may carry the hand to the defiling these Images, their cover, and ornaments too. The Ruler may command me (in the Lord) than I must obey: vain glory, a zeal for our own house, to get myself a Name, so Jehu was moved. But it is a clean and pure zeal, which moves the heart with an indignation against them, and sets that a work to defile the same: Mark we now; Images are most filthy things, and thy heart must rise against them with a loathing of them, and so to defile them, as such things thou canst not look upon and wilt not name, they are so filthy. So we read on, Thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth: thou shalt say unto them, as to that thy soul abhors, and is an offence of heart unto thee, get thee hence. Certainly the Lord God, even the Lord God, 1 Tim. 6.15. Who is the blessed and only potentate, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords hath fully answered them at this point. Doubtless the proudest man upon earth dares not answer again, nay, he dares not whisper. Thus Idols must be defiled; It is a work which commands the heart, and there are great thoughts of heart about it. I proceed on to make some discovery of the same. SECT. XII. How vain and brutish man's thoughts have been and are touching Images, and the defiling of them. I Cannot pass this point, for it is a discovering point: what my thoughts were about it, I shall speak out to my shame; I care not so God may be glorified in me, or by me. Truly, I shall tell a fair tale of myself now, how bruiish I was and ignorant, even as beast before Thee. † 1. Time was when I thought Crosses and Images were pretty gaudy things; made only for children to gaze upon, as the Cross in the hornbook, pictures and babies, and the like. It was a childish thought, and may pass well enough: when I was a child, I thought as a child. I understood as a child, and did as a child, I delighted in poppers, I played with pictures, and rid a gallop upon a long Reed: but when I became a man, I put away those childish things, and yet my thoughts touching Images were not such as became a man of understanding, for thus I thought, What hurt is in a Crucifix? It will serve the Layman (I know not who that is, but that is the word in use) in stead of a book; and is able to work much upon his Imagination, and to affect his heart by his eye. These were wise thoughts. By the good hand of God upon me, I rectified them thus; " That nothing was set down by the Evangelists touching the complexion, stature, feature of Christ: why? That no man might presume to set his hand to the framing of that astonishing work, wrought once for all, by the Holy Ghost. Much should be said here: I intent a very little: I weighed the words which I find cited by our Jewel, touching the bold blasphemy of this god-maker; Qui creavit me dedit mihi potestatem creandise Apol. Page 260. He that made me, hath given me power to make him: that is good divinity thought I, but the good Bishop answers him very well; " God hath made hell fire to the destruction of all them, that yield their mouth to such blasphemy: I instance here in the Cross, because that is the Image most in use, and most presumptuously framed. I go on to tell how I came to be resolved and settled in my judgement, that there should be-no Images at all, I mean such as were lately defiled. Tertullian hath much against them; Epiphanius saith more to our purpose, we will hear him. * Esiote memores, dilecti filii, ne in ecclesiam, etc. Sed perpetuo circumferte Deum in cordibus vestris, &c, Non enim fas est Christianos per oculos suspensum teneri sed per occupationm mentis: Jewel Apol. page 553. " My dear children be ye mindful that we bring no Images into the Church: But evermore carry God in your hearts thither, and forth again. Nay suffer not Images to be in your private houses, they will undo you, for it is not lawful to lead a Christian man by his eyes, but rather by the study and exercise of his mind. But Lactantius speaks home and convinced me clearly; these are his words, Non dubium est quin religio nulla fit ubicunque simulacrum est. l. 2. cap. 18. Determinately and out of all douht, there is no religion where there is an Image; that is, no Religion which God accounts of; it is a Religion, but such as his soul hates. There are no people under heaven so rude, brutish, and barbarous, but have some Religion amongst them: The * See Loc viru●. de hollo sacro p. 339. Psal. 68.30. Turks have a Religion, and others as brutish as they, whom David calls Psal. 68.30. the multitude of the Bulls, with the Calves of the people; " That is no Religion in God's account, which is not comely for a Christian. I must note in the last place (for I do but point at things) that this consideration wrought with me most of all how the anger of the Lord hath smoked against His own people because of their Images and Idol services; They turned the glory of God into a lie; Therefore the Lord turned them out of the good land, out of the place of their habitation; ● King. 17 2 King. 21 13. He swept them away, and wiped them as one wipeth a dish, turning it upside down; see! these Images, and that Idol service can stock up a kingdom by the root, Certainly thought I, these things, that provoke the Lord to anger, that makes His wrath burn to the neathermost hell, are pernicious things, and to be defiled, as we heard. And God be thanked, Who hath so taught me and instructed to discretion; that I may be warned and learn to abominate Images as the Jews do, for so it is clearly intimated, Ezek. 16.43. I will recompense thy way upon thine head, and thou shalt not commit this lewdness above all thine abominations. But I must go on to tell how brutish my thoughts were; I have not told the half yet. † 2. Time was when I thought, that to defile an Image had been an easy work; cast a little dirt in its face, than it is defiled; and if you wrench from it his leg and his nose than you have defiled him utterly: Such were my brutish conceits. Verily thought I the command is very easy to flesh and blood, Ezek. 14.6. Turn yourselves from your Idols, and your faces from all your abominations: the easiest matter in the world: if I turn my back upon them, I am turned; and if you turn a man into the Church; persuade with him to hear God's Word constantly there, than you have turned the man, and he is turned from his Idols. A brutish conceit; it was mine. I thank the Lord and his good Word I am better instructed now; that a man must turn from his Idols as from loathsome things, and his face from them, as from that his soul doth abhor and abominate; then his heart defiles them, and then it is done: Now the man is turned indeed but this goes to the very heart, and of that anon; only this I add here; that to turn from an Idol is to give check to the strongest motion in the world; and to cast it out of the heart, is to cast out ones self, which will never be done till God, who turned Jurdan bacl, gives in His casting voice; and than it will be done. I go on to make my brutish thoughts more legible yet, that they who observe them may be made wiser thereby. † 3. I verily thought, that every Idol had a face like a man, and a Nose there, which might be defiled before he was ware; and stolen away while he was asleep; It must needs drop from out of the hands and singers ends of some cunning work man; he only makes Idols thought I: And they are not where to be found but in the Pope's Chappells, or in other out-places by the appointment of his holiness, and of his Deputie-lieutenants upon earth. Were not these wise thoughts, think you? And no wiser could my conceit be touching Idolaters, such only, thought I, as do how before stocks and stones, and humble themselves before a Table. They indeed are gross Idolaters, and no other in the world. I thank the Lord who hath better instructed me: I know now by sad experience, that I have one within me, the most cunning Idol framer in the world. I Must speak the truth, God is at my right hand; whatsoever was pleasant & desirable in my eyes or to my understanding (being but a creature) he I am speaking of, can make an Idol of it; & so it hath done, and made me smart sound according to the threat; Psal. 16.4. Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another God. What he made my Idol, God made my Cross: blessed be His Name. I could not pass this without observation, what a cunning Deceiver and Idoll-maker every man (for I think heart answers heart, as face answers face in water) hath within his own breast: And let the Child in understanding observe it; That if the heart had nor made and set up that abomination in that Holy of Holies, (so it should be kept) there had never been an Idol made of Wood and Stone in the world, nor set up before their eyes there. This might have been reserved for the Closet; But I must go on to tell, that in my Closet and Temple work, I have been an Abominable Idolater: This Deceiver hath beguiled me even in matters concerning the worship and service of my God. I regarded only the outside of the service, and if it was performed, if I had said my prayers I had done my duty and it was enough; for the manner how (which is all in God's service) it was no matter. But that very conceit made it an Idol service, which I considered not: so also the course of the world, the rudiments there; all these were Idols unto me: Then could I set up my Threshold by the Lord's Threshold, and my Post by His Post, Ezek. 43.8. that is, I could mate the wisdom of God in His ordinances, institutions and commands with my follies, the addition of my own inventions: Adhibendo traditiones suas ad praecepta sua Junius. I could frame something even in the worship of God suitable to my own judgement and reason; and I could think it as good every whit as that, which God appointed; not considering what manner of service God commands, nor what Worshippers He seeketh. Joh. 4.23. Jer. 1.31. It is not utterable how bold and daring the heart will be, to intrude upon the ordinances of God, mingling such things therewith, which" He never commanded nor ever came into His heart. We go a whoring after our own inventions. The heart told me, that the Cross in Baptism was as innocent a ceremony as the Pope's Name. What great matter to make a Cross upon the forehead with your finger? Yes, it is a great matter, and a very Idol saith judicious Calvin upon Hosea 13.2. for it is an addition of man" according to his own understanding, others can stand it out perhaps stoutly enough: my understanding must be carried captive by the Word of God, not regarding what others say who speak their own words. In cultu dei cessare debent quicquid est prudent●… quicquid rationis in hominibus quicquid consilii & d●nique omnes eorum se●sus nam si hic tantillum sibi permit tunt, nihil alind quam Dei cultum vitiant, etc. mera idola colunt. Let me fall flat under the power and authority of that sacred Scripture, which tells me, I must not serve God after my own manner according to my own understanding (for then I make it an Idol service) but as God hath commanded thereafter I must do. I shall say least of that, whereof I should say most; how I made an Idol of both Sacraments, I thought of Baptism as the Jews of their Circumcision, that there was no other but what was made with hands: Matth. 3.11. I dreamt not of a Baptism made without hands, with the Holy Ghost and with fire. And so this followed, a gross and an idolatrous conceit; I thought it enough, that I had a sprinkling of water upon my face, or was dipped there, and so was made a Christian outwardly in name and in a bare profession only. But when I considered two Scriptures, Jer. 9.25.26. Rom. 2.28 I saw it as clear as the Sun, that the Baptism of fire and of the Holy Chost; some inward work was to be looked after; for the outward, if no more, did but entitle me to a bare name only, gave me no pre-eminence at all above the heathen; rather thrust me down below them, and aggravated my guilt * Reatus impii est piam nomen salv. de guver. l. 4. pag. 145. Lege paginas precedent. . I must acknowledge in the next place, how I made an Idol of the other Sacrament; not but that I did see and feel and taste the bread and wine there. My Idolatry was of a finer thread, yet very gross and palpable, such as I can feel now: for I looked not to the heart and soul of the Sacrament; neither how I came addressed thereto, what brokenness of heart I brought thither; what life of affection, what strength of faith: Thither I came according to custom, and after the course of the world, dragging my heart thither, and not my heart me; and there I sat according to form, and went away after the manner: Let it be considered whether this be not to make an Idol of a most sacred and mysterious ordinance. I should pass on to that monstrous Idol Self Righteousness, which takes up so much room in the heart, that there is no place for the righteousness of another; hath blotted much Paper, and stained, yea spoilt all our good works. I should also speak something touching the necessity of defiling that monster (so Luther calls it) and these gods before pointed at; for if that be not done nothing is done, and if that be done, all is done; if the Idols in the heart are cast out thence and defiled, stocks and stones cannot stand before the eye, they shall be defiled too: but as the saying is, this is all the labour, this the work indeed: I can say but this to it in reference to Paul's words and Luther's after him: Gal. 1.15. See Luther his excellent Exposition thereon. When God is pleased (what? for my pharisaical Religion, or my blameless life in my conceit? for my prayers, fastings, and good works? No, much less than for my abominations, my doting upon my Idols, every thing my heart could delight in: Is He pleased with this? No, how then? For His merce grace alone) to reveal His Son unto me: When I shall turn indeed and indeed from Idols, and my face from all my abominations, than I am sure (for so it hath been, and so it is with all the faithful and true Penitents, so they and so I) shall loathe my Gods, and myself because I made them so. Ezek. 6.9. 20.43. Then my heart must defile his Idols, and when the heart doth it, than it is done. But here the heart will stand out, maintaining his strong holds while it hath a being (in its self and upon his own bottom:) he will maintain his Idol as long as he can, and maintain war against him, that would destroy it and take it away. I go on to make yet more manifest those thoughts of heart about this defiling work, which may yield us a good understanding of ourselves, and of the Times, and then I am at my Mark, the White I aim at, and would carry all unto. SECT. XIII. The heart, to maintain its Idol, maintains war against him, that would smite at it, and defile the same. He will not yield up his strong hold while he hath a being in himself. TIme was when I thought I could read another man's heart better than mine own; and others to be mad and myself a sober man. I looked into the second Chapter of Exodus, and found an Iraelite there, I thought, if there were a man in the world at that time mad and beside himself, that was he. Moses would have given him good counsel, and have reform him, how doth he accept of such a kindness? (for truly he that seeks to reform me, does me the greatest kindness that can be imagined; for he that would destroy my Idol would save my soul) How doth that Israelite accept the kindness of his friend? As we read, Intendest thou to kill me. Exod. 2.14. There we may observe how he requited the loving kindness of a friend, he counted reforming a kill; it was a death to him to be counselled and reform: he was not himself sure when he spoke so, and so I thought. See now how I could judge another man to be mad, who stands or falls to his own Master: there is no man if the Lords hand hath not been upon his heart to tame it somewhat, and bring it into order, but is as stout and mad as was he; nay, more besides himself, than was that Israelite, because he may have a greater light to walk by than had that Israelite; for he lived in Egypt, we live in the Goshen of the world. This then is the conclusion; " That the heart standing in its old posture, and frame, settled upon its own bottom and principles, stands as opposite to reformation or sound counsel (I will take the former word all along) as the two poles, which the Astronomers call in English North and South, or as are life and death: And the demands of the one from the other are as contrary too, and must be so. And it is as impossible for man, nay for all the men on the earth, to make a good understanding betwixt these two, Reformation and the Heart as to bring the North and the South together, those two poles which stand at an eternal opposition, or to make an agreement betwixt the Temple of God, and Idols, fire and water, life and death: Jer. 17. my heart tells me (and though he be the greatest imposture in the world, yet you and I may believe him now, as you will believe the words of a dying man, for than he is serious) that reformation is a kind of killing; it is a mortification, a crucifying (the words sound like Latin, more plainly it is) a death, it defiles my Idols, it starves my gods; you may say to him, that will reform you indeed (nay, if the heart be not over poured than you will say) as the Israelite did, intendest thou to kill me? And he will answer, if he me●nes to do his office to purpose, yes that he will, he will kill thee, if he can, he hath a mind to it, he will kill in me and thee, that which we call self; nay, he will deal cruelly with us, he will pluck away our gods which are as dear unto us as our right eye and arm. This is a killing a death sure enough. 1 King. 22 Truly the heart is so contrary to it, to reformation I mean, as the bad King was to the honest Prophet (one against four hundred) the heart hateth it and will oppose it, while it hath a being in itself: why? for saith the heart, Reformation intends no good concerning me but evil: (though indeed it intends nothing but good to me.) For it would defile my Idols, and starve my Gods, but that is a death, I can no more hear of it than Pilate could, what truth was, he asked the question, Joh. 18.38. what is truth? and turned his back upon it, not staying the answer, and so did most contrary to truth, so will the heart do: The heart may ask, what is Reformation, what is it to d file an Idol? But the heart will not abide the answer. I would be understood in this point, and that a child in understanding might conceive me thus: If reformation comes towards the heart, it seems to march furiously like Jehu, slashing and killing where it comes as if it would not spare any one Image or Image server, It will cast down all the Idols before the eyes, and cast out all the gods out of the heart. Death seemeth to march along with it, where it comes, for it takes away all life from the course of the world, wherein I walked: All delight from the beggarly rudiments and old customs of the times, wherein before I took pleasure; it draws forth my hand to remove the stumbling block before my eyes, and commands my heart to defile all my Idols there, and that is a perfect death indeed; I say a perfect death, so fare as reformation is perfected; and the heart flies from it as from death, it cannot abide so much as to hear of it, but if it must hear of it and entertain it too, than the heart welcomes it as a man takes fire into his bosom: indeed reformation comes into the world as the Lord Christ came, to send fire on the earth. It was so in all ages downward to this day, it will be so to the end of the world: Luke 12.49. Behold He shall come saith the Lord. Who? The Lord Christ, what to do? To reform His Church, Mic. 3.1. He shall sit as a resiner and Purifier of Silver. A gracious and a glorious work; how will it be entertained? As a man welcomes fire and sword, which must either purify him or consume him: who may abide the day of His coming? and who shall stand when He appears for He is like a refiners fire and like Fuller's Sope. This refining work is a searching work, and finds bad welcome in the world. Look we into the Church the Congregations there, upon the Priest and his people, how do they fret at it, though but one foot and coming towards them, as if already cut to the very heart. But I need not look abroad nor unto others; I will return to my own heart, for there I can read all this. SEGT. XIV. If reformation be a defiling of Idols, and the work in hand, than a man needs not go into the Congregations to behold the carriage of the Priest and people there, nor abroad to inquire, what news? he may return home to his own heart, and read the news there. I Can read the times now, what news is most stirring, and and fittest to be enquired after; and yet not move one step from the Idol and my own heart: I can tell what is done in the great world, by looking diligently what is done in my little world. And the way I take must be this, I must read Reformation, and the processes thereof, and what its demands are; then I must read in my own heart how that stands towards it, in its natural posture: And behold it stands in a posture of offence, nay of defiance most contrary thereunto. I will bring them (I had almost said together, but that is impossible to man) to an interview, that we may hear how they greet one the other, what is demanded, and what denied betwixt them. Thereby I shall make more than a conjecture what is done in the Kingdom, what motions, and contrariety of wills there. Reformation tells me, I must not walk according to the course of this world. Ephe. 2.22 My heart makes answer, that according to that course it will walk, though it be according to the spirit that now worketh in the Children of disobedience: Reformation saith, I must forsake the beggarly Rudiments, and old customs, such as were in Queen Mary's days; the heart answers, she will not forsake them, they are her lovers, she hankers after them, and after them she will go: Reformation tells me, I must worship God according as He hath commanded, I must not make a mingle mangle in Religion: I must not serve God partly as He hath commanded, partly according to my own understanding; I must not mate the wisdom of God with my foolish conceits, my silly inventions. The heart answers she likes her own way, and would hear no more of that matter, for she is settled and resolved to serve God her own way, and to maintain that way till she dies: Reformation tells me, I must through down the Idols before my eyes. My heart is pretly flexible here, so it be but a stock or a stone: God hath given me reason, & I must show myself a man, it were a shame to stumble in a Sunshine, at stocks and stones. But Reformation is not contented with this. It goes on, commands me to give up my two Idols, my ease, which I love so well: The profit and glory of the world, which I dote upon. Me thinks I find my heart mad upon these Idols, Jer. 50.38. now they are demanded of me, and my two eyes sparkle with rage; rather than I will part with them; My Plate shall go, and, which should be more precious, a good conscience also: My ease is more than my Plate; and my credit in the world my chiefest Jewel:— Reformation hears not, it stands like an upright Judge; as doth the stalk of a balance. It demands as once Moses did, All; All my gods, how pleasing, how serviceable to mine own ends, how desirable soever; how dear or near, no matter: I must yield them up and my strong holds there (the house of my Images, and guardians thereof) with my Imaginations and every thing that exalteth itself. 2 Cor. 20.4. The heart will stick here, nay it will die here before it will yield: offer the heart fair, heaven and eternal happiness, it will not yield; offer it foul, hell & everlasting misery, it will not yield up its Idol, he will not suffer it to be slain before his strong holds shall be given up, before his reasonings can give or take satisfaction. As the Lord said, Jer. 22.29. O Earth, earth, earth, hear the Word of the Lord. It cannot hear, no more can the heart; it is desperately wicked, who shall make a good understanding betwixt him and reformation? Of this in the close. Now we have seen at what a distance the heart stands to heaven, that pattern we are to be conformed unto; how it fighteth to maintain his Idols, which he will not part with till he dies. Then we may easily gather by the unquiet motions within, what is done without; if there be such motions in one man's little world, what motions will there be in Cities, in Towns, in a Kingdom, when Reformation assays to go through the same, to defile the Idols there? If men will fret and fume and do more, because stocks and stones are defiled; what will they do for the Idol in the heart, to maintain that in a posture of defence? If defiling of Idols in one man's heart, cause such a shaking, what a terrible shake will it be, when the Earth shall no more cover her blood, but the men there must yield up their Idols to the Moles and to the Bats? Reformation will cast a spewing upon all our worldly glory; it will defile the three gods of the world, honours, pleasures, profits, for which the heart will contend till it die; then the most stirring news is, wars and Rumours of wars; Saint James resolves it so; whence comes wars and fightings amongst you, even of the lusts, which war in your members. There they war first, than they break forth in the world. If we could open the records of all ages, and then put Saint James his question; we must also make his answer, our own winds, the winds from within us make our Sea so tempestuous: The counsel is good, calm it with your Prayers, and resolve to throw out your Idol; * Fluctus maris tuis precibus mitiga, Hier. Ep. 45. ult. But that work will cause a mighty contention. While there is a Devil in Hell, a Prince in the Air, a party on earth, and a king over them, which is the Angel of the bottomless pit, so long Reformation will find a mighty opposition, what the gates of Hell can make. And if Reformation be so opposed, as that which destroyeth defileths Idols, than it is quickly read, how reformers are accounted of. Eccles. ●. 9,10. The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done, is that which shall be done, and there is no new thing under the Sun. Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? It hath been already of old time, which was before us. They that have been employed in Temple-worke, and in defiling of Idols, they have ever been accounted factious, seditious, rebellious, those that would turn the world upside down. Acts 17.6. I must add (etc.) for there is a great deal more: yet we read all in these words, Behold they belch out with their mouth; Psal. 59.6. what are their words? very Swords are in their lips, they would slay the righteous man therewith, for they call him by their own name, Exulem me de suo nomine vocat. Cicer. Paradox. and that is a devouring name, as bad as can be; their tongue is as an arrow shot-out, Jer. 9.8. which malice ever draws to the very head, as Jehu drew his bow with his full strength. 2 King. 9.24. But none of all that is strange: The righteous are not troubled at it, their patience can digest more than this; besides, their Lord and master hath been so reproached, and Matth. 10.25. If they have called the Master of the House Belzebub, How much more shall they call them of his household? But what shall we think? Can Reformation go on? Shall Idols be defiled even now? Shall these Refiners prosper? There is some resolution given hereunto, as followeth. SECT. XV. Notwithstanding the contempt that is cast upon Reformation and Reformers, yet both shall go on and prosper. I Will begin with Questions and Answers. Quest. Shall this work of defiling Images, (for that I call Reformation) shall it go on? Answ. Yes sure, God wills and commands Images to be defiled, and it must be done. Quest. At this time? Answ. There I am at a stand, I cannot certainly tell that; I think so, but in God's time it shall be done, which time, the Father hath put in His own power. Act 1.7. But the righteous, they that walk in the truth, that 3 Joh. 3.4. do faithfully whatsoever they do, may say as their Brethren before them, Neh. 4.2. our work is Reproached and we are despised. They may say so indeed, but it is a very good sign, that the work goes on, Idols shall be defiled even now. It is, I say as comfortable a sign as can be wished; the devil and his party have great wrath, Revel. 12.12. therefore we know they have but a short time. Obj. But in a short time they may do a length of mischief. An. True, but they are held short in a chain, which the Lord holds in His hand, and they cannot proceed an inch farther, than He lets it forth: And a great good sign it is, they shall not proceed much farther because the Almighty hath them in His fetters. And they feel themselves checked and curbed-in as a wild bull in a net. But they think their tongue is their own, and at liberty, therefore they say as once they did; Ob. What do these men? will they fortify themselves? Neh. 4 2. An. Yes, that they will, in the Lord and power of His might, Eph. 6.10. for wisdom and strength are His; Dan. 2.20. And He is a good Lord, a strong hold in the day of trouble, and He knoweth them that trust in Him. Nahum 1.7. The adversary mooks on. Ob. Will they make an end in a day? Neh. 4.2. An. No, nor in a year neither; Temple work, the defiling of Idols there goes on more slowly than Rome's work doth; yet we know the proverb, and that Rome's Leaven hath not soured the whole lump yet; and experience tells us, that the heirs of the beard or head wax not white altogether. One Idol is smitten now, another to morrow, in good time, they shall all be defiled. The adversary goes on much cast down (as formerly) in their own eyes, for they perceive, that the work (now also as then) is wrought of our God, Neh. 6.16 and is so firm and stable, that a Fox cannot break it down with all his cunning, they must add the strength of a Lion to it too, and therein is their hope. Ob. That these feeble men shall not be able to go on. An. Thus the adversary reproached anciently the servants of the Lord, who went on the better and more comfortably: though indeed they were then, and are now but a feeble folk; so are the Coneys too, yet make they their houses in the rocks. Prov. 30.26. A feeble folk that have the munition of Rocks for their defence; and a Redeemer that sainteth not, nor is weary; They may do great things: for He is mighty and strong; The Lord of Hosts is His name, He shall throughly plead His cause, That He may give rest to the Land, and disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon. Esa. 33.16. 40.26. Jer. 50.34. Again, we say their strength may well be wasted in all this time; but they have a continual influence and supply from the Spring head, the God of their strength, to whom they have a continual recourse: for as the waters near them run from the fountain every morning and return to it every night; so do they receive from God and return to God: so they renew their strength like Eagles, and go from strength to strength with the increase of God; for as was said, when they be at a low ebb, than they slow upward to their fountain and spring head; whereas these scorners are like waters we observe running from the spring head and never return again; and they are feeble men indeed, but let them say what they have devised. Ob. That these feeble men shall not be able to carry on the work, and bear up any longer against the tide of opposition and contradiction of tongues; so some say and vaunt too and good men fear. An. I will answer first as Master Jewel (whose face did shine in every man's eye but his own) in a case not unlike, " I have no skill saith he in the wicked man's Almanac, Gods will be done. It is His cause whatsoever shall happen, and His Name be blessed for ever for what He hath done. But so vaunted the heathen against the faith of Christ: Ad certum tempus sunt Christiani, postea peribunt, & redibunt Idola: redibit quod erat autea Verum tu cum expectas, miser infidelis, ut transeant Christiani, transis ipse sine Christianis. August. In Psal. 70. See Ap●l. pag. 26. These Christians are but for a while, fall they shall and that shortly: Then shall our Idols come again, and it shall be as it was before. But, O thou miserable Infidel, while thou lookest that the Christians should pass, thou passest away thyself without the Christians. This conceit is like that of the country fool, Rusticus expectat dum defluat amnis, at ille Labitur, & labetur in omne volubilis aevum. Horace l. 1. Epist. 2. who coming to a quick running stream, thought verily the water would soon pass by, and he might pass over anon on foot, not considering that the stream was continually fed from the springhead. Master Jewel goes on and reads out of Aug. Ecce veniet tempus ut finiantur, & non sint Christiani. Sicut caeperunt ad aliquo tempore, ita usque ad certum tempus erunt. Sed cum ista dicunt, sine fine moriuntur, & permanet Ecclesia praedicans brachium Domini omni generationi venturae. " They say behold, the day will come, when all these Christians shall have an end; as they had a time to begin, so shall they have a time to continue. But while they make these cracks, they themselves die without end. But the Church continueth still, praising the Almighty arm of God to every generation that is to come. The application is full and easy. But suppose now, that the work should stop and cease, as the Temple-worke did, for some years; and the Church should have her Idols again, from which (the Lord deliver us) we are not cleansed to this day. So fare wicked counsellors may prevail as they did in former time. What then? yet not with standing the Reformers have not laboured in vain, nor spent their strength for nought and in vain a Esa. 49.4. . It is a comfortable speech; " There is no service that is done to the Lord but shall have its due and seasonable recompense, Whatsoever good thing any man doth, the same shall he receive b Eph. 6.7,8. . Mordecay was remembered, and in the fittest season, so were Nehemiah and his brethren. remembered for good. Temple-worke is an acceptable work; and they that defile Idols do according to Gods own heart; And shall not that service be remembered? Judge you: Babel's King shall not serve a great service for nought. The Lord put that King upon the service against Tirus, and He paid Him wages for His Army: Ezek. 29.18,19. and if the Lord be Paymaster, He will pay like Himself, the wages shall be no less than a Kingdom. Woe unto him that useth his neighbour's service without wages, and giveth him not for his work. Jer. 22.13. Doth the Lord pronounce this woe? Then certainly He will not use any faithful man's service without wages: He will give him for his work, and better payment than Babel's King had; yet that was a Kingdom. Indeed, it is very comfortable for them that serve a great Service for the Church of Christ. Surely their service shall not be forgotten, for they have done it as to the Lord, and not unto men. Therefore they have a stronger consolation than all this; that which contains all, they have the consolation of God, the same with which the Lord Himself was comforted. They can say as their Lord did, though Israel be not reform, though her Idols be not defiled at this time, yet surely our judgement is with the Lord, and our work with our God. Esa. 49.4. Thus we have concluded what ever falls out, though things go bacl as the Adversary would have it, and our sins do deserve. It is a point of good discretion, Pro tua sapientia debebis optare optima, cogitare difficilima, far quaecunque erunt. Cic. Ep. fam. L. 9 19 as to wish the best, so to forecast the worst and to prepare to bear what ever cometh: yet still holding to the conclusion of experience, that it shall be well with them that serve the Lorld, their recompense is sure. When we look up, fixing our eye where we should, our hopes exceed our fears, and we conclude, that the Reformation must go on; He that hath wrought hitherto, will work, He that brought them onward so fare, will not leave them within sight of the promised Land; He that hath protected will protect still, and uphold with the hand. Though yet, as Luther said, Gal. 3.2. " when we are reforming ourselves or others, and defiling Idols, the devil overcommeth sometimes. Why? for our advantage every way, that we may have the experience of a stronger against that strong one, and may say with Saint Paul, when I am weak then am I strong, we will then speak confidently, the Reformers shall go on and prosper, for; They are in the Work, in the Way, in the Hand of the Lord: 1. In the work, and they wrought with God this day. Reforming work is God's work, as we heard. 2. They are in God's way; this is His way, He lets in a clear light into the soul: first, He discovers, He manifesteth Christ there; then the Idols are casting out and defiling: This is their way also, they labour with all their might to exalt Christ, than the Idols fall and are defiled: when the soul comes to see the excelling beauty of Jesus Christ, the glory of the world is darkness to her; but Idols are as a monstruous cloth. Again, in God's way still, He began at the Sanctuary, so did they; and did they make clean work there, did they carry forth the filthiness thence, 2 Chro. 29.5. surely things would go on; but they are in God's way. He purifies the sons of Levi, Sanctuary men, so do they. But they will not be purged; No, than they must be consumed, choose they whether. Either the Idol must be left or the soul must be lost, there is but one way: Ah but they shall never go on in that way; Sorcerers, Adulterers, false swearers, oppressors (to sum up all) and those that fear not Me saith the Lord; Mal. 3.5. What all these doughty men can do shall be done as in ancient days, in way of opposition to this work, and to keep their Idols in a posture of defence. True, but that which follows now will be too hard for them all, for; 3. They are in God's hand; There is security against all might and power whatsoever; there they may be merry in the Lord, laugh and rejoice. As Luther said, when the Rulers set themselves against him, and the people raged, now saith he, the Lord laugheth, I am not such a fool as to cry: his meaning was (for there is a figure) he would laugh too, and being merry, he would sing the 46. Psalm. These servants of the Lord may laugh also, and for the same rearon. They are in God's hand, a good, a gracious, an Almighty hand; that is the confidence: five hundred men cannot pluck one man thence. They will hold fast the confidence; Heb. 3.6. This Hand brought them together at first, hath kept them ever since, hath prospered them to this time: can they cast away their confidence now? No, they know whom they have trusted; He will keep them as the Apple of His eye; they have borne the burden and heat of the day: the wicked shall not receive the wages. They have sought God for this thing, and have sown in tears, the wicked shall not reap in joy; surely they say, Psal. 89.42. The Lord will not set up the right hand of His adversaries; He will not make His enemies to rejoice. This is their confidence now; so though the kingdoms are moved, yet they may be still calm and quiet in their minds, for so they are commanded; Be still: Psal. 89.10. what and the Kingdoms moved? What can still the spirit then? this; Know (that is, trust perfectly) that I am God, and I will be exalted, etc. It is an ordinary observation, that all the Letters in Jehovah are quiescent i. e. do import quietness and rest; it is of lively use. I desire not so much to look upon bare Letter as the Name itself, the goodness, mercy, wisdom, power of God; and behold there the soul can find rest and sweet repose when there is terror on every side; when Kingdoms are moved, the earth quakes, than there is rest: Where? In God. O blessednesses, completely blessed is the man, Psal. 1.1. that can say, and knoweth what he saith, The Lord is my God; He reigneth, be the earth never so unquiet, yet He is King, and will be exalted. When there is an Earthquake, and we look for it; when not the winds, but the Lord will shake it, smiting it terribly, then, in such a trembling time, this man is as the Lord hath promised to make his people, a quiet habitation. Esa. 33.29. Who would not be as He is? Who would not rest as he doth? in the arms, and under the shadow of the Almighty? Surely every man. Surely then, if he would be assured and confident, he must give up his gods; he must yield up their strong holds, but this must be more fully considered. SECT. XVI. Every man must return to his own heart, and inquire diligently the means of reconciliation, and resolve upon yielding up the Idol. REformation and the heart stand at a wide distance, as we heard; there must be a yielding, so as they may be brought together. Reformation cannot yield, it is stiff as was the Heathens good, made of the same matter the Pepists make theirs, which they called Terminus, we call it a Bound-stone, the old Landmark, cedebat nulli, Prov. 23.10. Aug. de Civit. Dei 4. 23. it would not yield an inch for any man's pleasure; Reformation is as stiff, it will yield nothing, not a hoof, not a husk, not such a poor matter as was a piece of ground full of Lentiles; 2 Sam. 23.11,12. It was not a considerable piece. What though? yet the Philistims should not have it. So stiff is Reformation in yielding to any thing against God's right. And great reason it should be so, why should it yield that which is another's? God gives all, He must have all, all the heart, and all the soul, and all the mind. Indeed Reformation can yield nothing; It commands in God's name, and will have all its Demands, the heart must bow and submit, or perish for ever. As the Lord said to Jeremiah, Jer. 15.19. let them return unto thee: But return not thou unto them: That is, they must yield to thy terms, thou shalt not yield to theirs. Reformation hath the same charge from the Lord, and is as peremptory in her demands. And now it will be made manifest to the whole world, that the heart is as it is said to be, deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. Jer. 17.19. It appears thus; The soul is the most precious thing in the world, never any thing came up to the price of it, but the blood of God, He gave to the full worth, for He gave Himself. What is an Idol now? Nothing, We know that an Idol is nothing in the world, saith the Apostle, 1 Cor. 8.4. or if any thing, then, as he hath said, That shame. A goodly price that our souls are prized at by us; below thirty pieces of Silver, Zach. 11.13. and no wonder. For so the Lord Christ was prized. But yet we must behold how desperately wicked the heart is. Reformation requires no more but the giving up the Idol, with the strong hold (the form without the power) which maintains it. See now! the heart will not yield; it will venture an eternal soul, the everlastaing-well-being thereof, rather than it will yield up its Idols: It is settled and resolved to keep his enmity, to maintain a defiance, it will hold it out till it die; though if I would quickly, while I am in the way with him, agree with this adversary, Reformation I mean, and upon its own terms and conditions, it would be the happiest agreement that could be made; for then the Idol, which troubled my peace all my life long, will be thrust out, and my Lord would come in, and with Him all things. Paenitentiam mihi praecipis, sed talis sum ego miser, & quod sentio me Nolle neque posse, quare tuis postratis pedibus, etc. Lutheri concio de paenitentia Anno Dom. 1518. But this is a work I neither will do nor can do: I can stand it out stoutly, I can hold fast the form only, and that will hold fast my Idol; I am stubbornly bend to maintain war and all my strong-holds: But to make a good agreement and understanding betwixt Reformation and my heart: To yield to the Demands there, and so to bring Reformation and my heart together, is as impossible to me, as to make the North and South meet as friends, and to kiss each other, which stand as we heard, at an eternal opposition. But with God all things are possible: Psal. 147.15. His Word runneth very swiftly, He sent forth His Commandment, and it was done, Let there be light, and there was light, Let there be a firmament, and it was so. Nay, He hath done a more astonishing work then all this: He hath made Heaven and Earth to meet, and kiss each other He hath filled up that gulf betwixt us, and made it passable. He hath brought two together, God and Man, and hath caused a good understanding betwixt them: So as they are no longer two now, but one Immanuel: Then He can do what He pleaseth, therefore my eye must be to Him, Who only doth wonders; And it is every man's work who knows his duty, for surely we have no might against this great company of gods, which are within us and fight against us, neither can we overpower our own hearts. But if our eyes are upon the Lord: If we set ourselves as one man to seek Him, we shall find that there is hope in Israel concerning this thing: for the King of Israel is a merciful King, hear what He saith; Jer. 3. ●… thou hast played the harlot with many lovers: yet return again to Me saith the Lord: My righteousness is near: my salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge the people. What then? Isay 〈…〉 Then the Isles shall wait upon Me, and on my Arm shall they trust. I have digressed: I have been upon the defiling of Images and their Ornament, which is the hardest work in the world; if it hath taken up more space here then was expected it could have done, it was that it might take up more room in the heart. I must remember, I am closing the treatise, which I cannot do, before I have resolved according to my promise, a second doubt. SECT. XVII. The heart deceives us in point of Ornament; that which must be defiled, is but in Name so: The City, in place of an Idol will raise up a Pillar, and write thereon the former year's deliverances. Concerning this present year there is a great question, wherein she will be resolved in the next Section. MAn is much mistaken in point of Ornament; that which he counts pleasant to his eyes, and to be desired, defiles him, and must be defiled. But it is our infirmity, and more, I may say our Death; that we account that an Ornament, which is our shame: if that be taken from us, our Idol I mean, or an offer made that way, we are ready to whine, and can say almost as he did, and what have I more? Judg. 18.24. O the darkness that is in our minds! The veil spread over our hearts, not yet taken away, but of this enough. And yet, O that a deceived heart might beguile us no longer! It was a good answer the man of God gave Amaziah, making question about the Talents, the Lord is able to give thee much more than this; 2 Chro. 25.9. more than our ease, that will slay us: More than our Bargain for a penny a day, that will prove but poor wages, though it be a Bishopric. More than the glory of this world, for a cloud will come and overshadow it. More than Kingdoms here below, which have no foundations; or if any, then like that foundation the foot hath standing upon the waters: Therefore these must be shaken as the kingdoms before them, which have been shaken and broken to pieces, but the Kingdom of Heaven cannot be shaken: Heb. 11.10. Heb. 12.28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fluctuo, tanquam in Salo seu maristans. We cannot but know all this, if we will show ourselves men. Therefore let the Idol fall, let his Ornament be defiled, whether without and before the eye, or within the house of my imaginary; let it go, and be defiled, the Lord can give us much more, a Peace which may be interrupted, but can never be taken away. A glory which may be eclipsed here below, but shall shine forth to all eternity; An inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven. 1 Pet. 1. I would sharpen this point, and make it keen in the heart of the Idols, the King's enemies and ours. Let us then ask ourselves this question seriously, soberly and sadly, Is it peace? 2 King. 9.22. We must then make answer, What peace? So long as our Idols are so many. It is a conclusion of experience as ancient as the time, when man was first created upon the earth; That false gods, and a true peace could never stand together: If they be entertained, the true God will departed, consider we then of the matter, and then make our choice. Is not the presence of God more than the presence of ten Idols? Is not He an Ornament? the beauty of holiness? Is not His grace the Ornament of beauty? Let our Idol go, and this God will come, else not; for what agreement betwixt Him and Idols? But if they go out, He comes in; A good Exchange and as full of comfort; our wonder will be why we did not yield sooner: why we maintained war so long, so long loved death; why we were so unwilling to let in Peace; and so way is made to give full satisfaction to the doubt (what they shall do for an Ornament?) and to the heart of the City. The Crosses good friends and neighbours do pine after the Idol; and they demand of me; " if the Cross must be taken away, and the Ornament of the Images defiled also (which upon due consideration of the premises, the stoutest adversary in the world dares not deny) What then shall be done for the City's ornament? 2. That which is fully to the mind of the City, and to the heart of the righteous there: The greatest Reason in the world that a City so famous; that hath done so worthily, quitted herself so like herself; hath so magnified her office, hath stood up for God, for His truth obove all the Cities in the world; great reason, I say that this City should have an Ornament: she may expect to be dealt with nobly and honourably at this point; so she shall be, & be put to her own choice, and then we know what she will choose. She will prepare a Pillar & write upon it, how the Lord hath befooled his adversaries the former year: how He was above them in all, wherein they dealt proudly, Exod. 18.11. breaking yokes and snares, and turning the wisdom of Achitophel into Foolishness; how He magnified His free grace; exalted His right hand; did valiantly; was glorious in wisdom, triumphed in power, was marvelous in working, when He caused His people to pass under the rod so brought them into the bond of the Covenant. Ezech. 20.37. Then they will write the Bishop's war (so they called it) the beginning, the progress, the close, all is wonderful. All the Chronicles in the world, Hebrew, Greek, Latin, English, &c. cannot yield us a story which will run parallel with this; That two great armies came from their places, stared each other in the face for some months together, and so stood in open defiance one against another in as great a contrariety of wills and affections each to other, as are the Angels in heaven to the Devils in hell: and yet before the year was up, turned bacl to back, and so departed without shedding one drop of blood betwixt them. O wonderful! yes truly. Ezech. 23.32. But the wonder must be raised higher yet; that a people prayed against, exclaimed against, proclaimed enemies, rebels, etc. for it contains much, should in the same place and time of the year, be prayed for in our Congregations, be styled and enacted our Brethren, loyal, faithful subjects to God and their King; so they were indeed, O wonderful year that! works of a God, who only doth wonders. SECT. XVIII. Touching this present year, a Doctor tells us, that God hath done little or nothing for his Church; but rather much against her. The Preachers conclusion and respects are weighed at the Sanctuary and found light: And a conclusion contrary thereunto is set down, and proved to be in divers respects agreeable to the mind of God and understanding of the Godly. THis will suffice for the former year, and fill up two Columns of the Pillar. But what hath the Lord done for His people this present year, which may now be recorded with rejoicing? We must answer, what ever adversary or friend saith to the contrary, Great things: therefore must the City continue the Records; for behold mercies after mercies, and loving kindnesses have followed loving kindnesses as the waves of the Sea. It is asked, where are they? for hark what a great Clerk saith, and a Master in Israel; " Things are as they were, nay much worse, reformation of corruptions hath been endeavoured with much zeal and diligence, yet the end not attained. Nay, in some respects it is so fare set bacl, that in my understanding, the state of Religion hath never been worse since the first reformation, than this present year. What respects? these follow, in respect of, first, the greatness of distractions, which have divided us all, one from another: then, " Secondly, multitude of Sects and Sectaries, etc. " Thirdly, dishonours done to the service of God, with so much scorn and scandal to Religion, that in foreign parts, they question whether all this time we have had any, so abruptly he breaks off. Upon easy search we may find these words towards the end of a Sermon printed very lately at Cambridge. I must ponder them whether they hold weight at the Sanctuary, whether the Doctor speak according to his charge, as the Oracles of God. 1 Pet. 4.11 I say, I must do it, for it is much against my spirit to fill up this year with cyphers, to make it a Leap year, as if God had done nothing this year worthy to be written upon the Pillar, the City stands charged to raise up now to the glory of her God. We take then a second view of the Doctor's words, he saith. Obj. " Notwithstanding the much zeal [of our Nobles and worthies he means] and diligence, things are much worse than they were. Answ. Here is a confusion indeed, for here is much zeal and as much diligence, and yet things much worse. I hope things are but in an appearance so, but I answer the much zeal first; (where that is there will be much diligence) I will be pretty confident the Doctor doth not fault the zeal as too much: But as the man of God, a Master and Seer in Israel, greatly affected with the House and Cause of his God, he would have commended the reformers zeal the more, if it had been much more, more hot and boiling against the light Prophets, and treacherous Priests, their Idols and Idol services. That is his meaning we hope, and we must deal tenderly therewith, as with the eye and conscience, and give the fairest interpretation thereof; " That it grieves him to the heart, that the success answers not; that the end is not attained, the filthiness is not carried out of the Temple, nor are those Priests cast out thence, nor are their Idols defiled. But touching all this, he can consider and comfort himself in these words, That as God hath accepted a zeal for the building of His house, though nothing was done there: 1 King. 8.18. so will He accept much zeal for the reformation of corruptions there, though the end be not presently attained. Surely the Lord takes it kindly that it was in the hearts of the reformers to do yet more for God's house, and to show much zeal there; Let reformers quit themselves in point of zeal and diligence, that they have laboured in singleness of affection, and uprightness of heart, then, though their end should fail, and the time should be deferred, yet they shall not fail of comfort. " Men must part their care so, as to take upon them only the care of duty, and leave the rest to God. They must make good their ends, and the means they have used, in confident assurance; that God will make good the issue, and turn all to the best. And this is a comfortable consideration even now for they that have given all diligence about Temple work, have not lived to see the end attained. And he that had showed much zeal there, thought verily, that his very zeal for God and His house would occasion his death. Good man! he thought himself left alone upon the earth; 1 King. 19 and O that his good Lord, for whom he was so jealous, would take away his life, and not leave his soul among Lions, for them to tear the Cawl of his heart, so dismayed and heartless have good men been sometimes, when they have been upon Temple-worke, contending for God, against Baal and his Priests. But note we this here; That never any man, from that time to this day, did comment upon Elijahs zeal, saying; It was too much, and he was served in his kind, that would contend with Princes and bear up against wind and tide. No man was so mad, and left of his wits, and destitute of understanding, that would blame the Prophets much zeal and diligence for God and His House, when he was in his fainting fits. No; There is no other use of all this, but that which the Apostle makes for the comfort of all those, that have much zeal, and are jealous for the Lord of Hosts; Heb. 10.35,36. Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of Patience, that after you have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. This is the Cordial Reformers must take, after they have taken much pains, and have been very jealous for the Lord God of Hosts, when yet things in appearance seem much worse. In the second place, I must answer those men, who may be charitable men too, & yet not acquainted with the Doctor's Zeal about Cloisters and Cloyster-men, those Abbeys and Abby-lubbers who eat the fat, and drink the sweet, caring for the body only, and no farther, what betides to the precious souls: I say, not acquainted with the Man and his known zeal, concerning these places and persons, they may read the Doctor's words backwa d, as if the much zeal of the Reforms grieved the Doctor more than the end not attained. And that is it which pincheth others also, and so they lay the blame upon much zeal that things are worse & worse. To these men I answer, I hope not so; things do but seem so to be, in a worse condition then formerly, but suppose they are so, shall we blame Reformation or Reformers for this their much zeal and diligence? God forbidden. If there be any want, as sure there is in the best man living, it is want of zeal, and of double diligence for the service of God, which we shall never call the Liturgy; The want, if any, is this; that they have not wrought through work in Temple-worke, and for the cause of God. That they have not carried out the filthiness out of the temple (which is the prime and chief work ever) and cast out those light and treacherous Priests out thence, Zeph. 3.4. who have polluted the Sanctuary, and have done violence to the Law, that is all the want, which is, want of zeal, not too much zeal. Be it known unto the world that these Reformers cannot be too zealous, though exceeding zealous: for the Lord hath been to them exceeding gracious; and the adversary is exceeding proud, and the Church's friends exceeding cold; the Church's straits are exceeding great; the Priests and their services have been, and are exceeding abominable; and the zeal of Churchmen exceeding cold, I said not well there, zeal cannot be cold; I mean, these Churchmen for the most part have no zeal at all for God, but their zeal boileth and runs over against God, Mal. 3.4. and those pleasant offerings which God hath commanded, must and will have when all is done. Therefore must Reformers now suffer themselves (if they will show themselves in any proportion answerable) to be eaten up with an Holy zeal for the house and household of God; The greatness of the provocation; the excellency of the object the weight of the occasion bears out the soul, not only without blame (unless from wicked and vile men) but with great praise in such ecstasies of zeal, seeming distempers. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Rom. 12.11. Non amat qui non Zelat. Aug. It is the glory of a Christian to be boiling in spirit, to be carried with full sail, and as it were, with the Spring tide of affection, so long as the stream runs in the due channel. And if there be great occasions for great motions, than it is fit the affections should rise higher, as to burn with zeal, to be sick of love, to be more vile for the Lord, as David, to be counted out of our wits, with Saint Paul, hereby to further the cause of Christ, and the good of souls. It was a quick answer that Luther gave Erasmus, he told Luther, you are too hot Luther, " Be it so Erasmus in your judgement, but the judge of all the world, who hath loved me with a love as strong as death, for whose cause I am exceeding zealous, will not tell me one day, Martin thou wast too hot: But it is to be doubted, He will say rather, Erasmus thou wast too cold. Away with these middling men, dangerous persons, who say, others have too much zeal, because they have none at all. Master * On Rev. 3. ver. 15, 16. Mediocritas hic est pessima nihil in te mediocre esse contentus sum totum summum totum perfectum de sidero Jero. Ep. 15. ult. 181. Vide Lact. lib. 6. ca 16. Min. Felix. p. 25. line 36. in folio. Brightman lessons them very well, so do two or three more, they shall do well to observe it, that they may prevent a curse, a spewing out. I can but point to the Margin, adding this to the line; Blessed be God for those Governors of Israel, who were the more forward in the cause of God, the more backward others were, that offered themselves willingly among the people. And blessed bee God for the people that offered themselves so willingly also: And for their zeal (which shamed the Priests) for it is much, but the Lord increase it yet more, and make it yet more hot and more boiling in, and for the cause of Christ, for He is worthy. How ever it fareth with the world, it shall be well with them, for the hearts of all that are good are towards all such, that have offered themselves willingly. And (which is their security) the eyes of the Lord are towards them for good; who would stand up for His cause against a crooked and perverse generation; It shall be well with all such, though they be smitten with the tongue and hand both, yet it shall be well: The Lord will remember all those for good, Amen. Now we go on. " In my understanding the state of Religion hath never been worse since the Reformation, than this present year, so the Doctor saith, 1. I say first, he answers himself; in my understanding saith he; he is but one man, his understanding must not be a Standard, whereat to measure the judgement of other men, in so high and dainty a cause, wherein the glory of God is so much concerned. Thousands there are who unde stand themselves as well as he, who know it to be clean contrary. 2. Seemeth the state of Religion never worse than now at this present time? Yes; So it was in ancient time, know we not this of old when Israel was in Egypt? They had never a worse opinion of their state, then when it was beginning to mend. Then they were coming out of their furnace, I say, then, when they thought themselves plunged deeper in: Then they exclaimed against Moses; O how they sparkled and kindled against Moses! just as we do against our Nobles and Worthies: he had done them the greatest wrong and disservice that could be done. Why so? Because Moses would bring them out of Egypt. But who murmured so? who was so uncivil? The ignorant multitude. True, they did complain of their blessings, and murmured with meat in their mouth; But upon enquiry you will find, that Aaron and Mirian murmured, these strove also; The Brother and the Sister contended and chid with Moses; and if sisters chide with their brothers, they will chide bitterly. Add we hereunto, What was intimated before, and must needs cause a seeming confusion in things; " The Churchman's Idols are smitten at; then we must expect that he will rage's as they did, when Stephen assured them touching the alteration of things; the casting out of beggarly rudiments; and how they had persecuted their brethren and Teachers; Act. 7.54. When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. We go on as followeth. " So fare things are set bacl. 1. I answer first, by questioning, how fare bacl? Things are not set farther bacl this year, then as they have been always, and ever will be while Reformation comes on. It plucks down first, and casteth forth the rubbish, and all this while, behold nothing but ruins. Truly every man's Tabernacle, as well as david's, if raised according to right order and rule, must be raised out of ruins. Certainly the building never went up before it went first back, and fell down even to the ground, and into ruins. Touching this more anon. 2. I ask again, are things set bacl? Certainly no; that is a deceit; the Doctor is quite mistaken. Things do not go bacl, we go bacl. The hearts of the children of men pull back the more strongly, the more Reformation draws on, and with the more strength. If Reformation comes on, my heart draws bacl mightily, and I cannot think I stand single in the world. My heart may be an emblem wherein to behold the Cloister and College both. I say again, things go not bacl, Reformation is not set bacl; we turn bacl like a deceitful bow, and the more strongly, the more Reformation comes on. 3. I ask again, are things set bacl? They are; who sets them bacl, but they who should put to both their shoulders to the setting them forward? It was so in ancient times. Who set deliverance bacl, when a deliverer was sent unto them, but the Israelites themselves with their own hands? So, when the deliverer came forth of Zion, who opposed Him? The Rulers; Joh. 7.48. Have any of the Rulers believed in Him? The chief Priests and Scribes; Were they obedient? No, All these opposed Reformation with all their power; these professed themselves the most bitter enemies thereunto. The Priests and Scribes, they (for the most part) that Are (we cannot say properly, they live, but are) Vatia hic situs est non diu vixit sed diu fuit. Sen. in cathedrals, Cloisters, Colleges, these draw bacl mightily, (and cause others so to do) when Reformation goes forward. So it hath been in all ages; whether not so now let others judge. I will tell my observation, and every man's that will observe, which is this; Those places as that earth is, under which the Mines of Gold and Silver are, nothing grows thereon (say the Naturalists) for the use of man, no not so much as a grass for meat to beasts. Then there must needs be a drawing backs. 4. We may note, that the Lord doth seem to go bacl, when He means to go forward with might and power: And when He resolves to do the greatest matters for His Church, He then so seems to stand, that the Church cannot easily judge whether He means to go forward or backward, whether He be for the Church or for her adversary; Josh. 5.13. when the Church's burdens were sorest, than her deliverance was nearest, when her groans were strong, because of cruel Taskmasters, than Moses came, and deliverance went on a main, and in full strength: Then in the last place, because, 5. This falling to ruins first; This setting back of things is a great offence in our way, Let us consider this with all our hearts, that we may not stumble at it. What setting bacl is here? Take it to the utmost extent that can be, and yet it is no other but as the Lord Christ was set back in His way to glory. He went on the lefthand as fare back as possibly could be, before he sat down on the Right hand of the Majesty on High. To express it as well as I can; The Lord Christ went a backway to His Throne; Ephe. 4.9.10. He that is now ascended up above all Heavens, is the same, that descended first into the lower parts of the earth. A backway to glory sure. He was set-backe so fare as is the Cross, and that we sometimes call Hell; and yet this backe-way was the ready way to His Crown, to His glory. Can the Church dislike this way, which Her Lord Christ hath gone before her in, and paved out unto her, though seemingly a back and contrary way? Certainly the Church and every member there must be made conformable to their Head, even in their way to Glory. They must be set back and back, and yet farther bacl. How fare bacl? Even to the place of Dragons; they may dash upon hell itself, that low bottom, before they rise up to their crown. And yet this backe-way, this unsearchable, and admirable way, though it seems an uncomfortable way, even as the shadow of death, yet shall it yield as much comfort as can be conceived, for the farther back now, the farther forward anon; the lower the descent, the higher the ascent. It was the way that Christ went in before, and all His must follow Him in the same way after; The old and ancient way it is, from the Cross to the Crown, from the lower parts of the earth to the highest Heavens: from Hell to Glory. It is well with the Body, the Church, if she be as the Lord Christ her head: But she knows it is well with her Head, yet He was set bacl, as fare bacl as can be imagined, and from thence took His rise to Glory. It is the Church's way also, a backway and darksome, but (in that way God is most glorious) leading to the inheritance of the Saints in light. The words fit very well, and do afford a strong consolation; Luk. 24.26 ought not the Church to have suffered these things, and to enter into her Glory? This will give full answer to this setting bacl, if farther bacl then yet things are. The Church may be set-backe as fare as the gates and suburbs of Hell; she may be smitten into the place of Dragons, and yet all this while be in her way to her highest preferment: 1 King. 2.31. The Church can comfort herself in these words; and will consider this with all, that, though a man hath been smitten at the Altar, whether he did fly for refuge, yet it is rare to see a man smitten to death, whom God hath truly humbled, and brought upon his knees. My meaning is; we do not read, that God ever destroyed a praying people, though things seem to that people much set bacl. I go on now, for I must examine the Respects, In respect: first; I" Of the greatness of distractions, which have divided us all one from another. Not all; Divide & impera. yet cursed be all that have so distracted us, for thereby they bore rule, and are multiplied. We say again, and say truly, not all. The good and bad stand out now, and are as discernible as is the right hand from the left: But joined we are now the closer together, the Good with the Good, the Bad with the Bad: The good hold with the good, never faster, the Bad are joined with the Bad never closer, like the scales of the Leviathan, they stick together, that they cannot be sundered: Job 41.17 But into their secret let my soul never come; Into their assembly mine honour be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their self-will they digged down a wall. Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce, and their wrath, for it was cruel: Lord divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel, Amen. Gen. 49.6. So much be said in Respect of our distractions. The second follows, In Respect of; II." The multitude of Sects and Sectaries, men are dided in their opinions; so many heads, so many conceits, every man has his way. 1. I answer first, Sects there are amongst us, not a multitude we hope: and these that are, (the greatest part of them in my observation, which is not slight) are occasioned by the Liturgy, which is called, The Divine Service. I forbear, but handle it and see, whether it be not all flesh, no spirit at all: And the Lord look upon this cause, and the offence it hath caused, and require it, He will do it. Only let this be remembered in the mean time, that it may be now as once it was; Acts 24.14. After the way which some call heresy, so worship they the God of their fathers. 2. Are there Sects? A multitude saith the Doctor. An infallible sign that light and truth is appearing in more Glory. Why? Because that Sects appear, because the thoughts of men are discovered. Certainly, we conclude and assure ourselves, because it is so, Therefore the Lord is building up Zion, therefore He is appearing in His Glory. Psal. 102. A great door and effectual, is opened. 1 Cor. 16.19. What follows? And there are many adversaries, as good a sign as can be expected. 3. Are there multitude of Sects? Yes, he might as well have said, a multitude of Rattle-heads. And what if there be a multitude of these? Shall we attribute this to the zeal of the Reformers? God forbidden; for than we should lay blame upon Christ Himself. Luk. 12.52. When He came, did He give peace on earth? Nay, rather Divisions. Divisions in opinion, Divisions in affection, five in one house, all divided and at difference about points of Religion; The father divided against the son, the son against the father, etc. one thought, this and the other that: It was so, and it must be so: There must be heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest. 1 Cor. 11.19. The third Respect follows, The third Respect follows, and in that Respect his Zeal boyles up and scaldeth. III." In Respect of the doshonours done to the service of God with so much scorn and scandal to Religion, that in foreign parts they question whether all this time we have had any. Any what? if he relates to the former Antecedent, The service of God (in charity we will think so) by which he means our Liturgy (as now it is) than we grant that it may be questioned at home and abroad, whether that be The Divine service or not. And truly if I might conclude the point (it is not so spiritual, nor in the clouds, too high for me) I should conclude, It is not, not the Divine Service, as some seem to make it, even the chief, or whole Service of God. Truly I question much whether it be a Divine Service, or a part of the same, which yet only is spoken against hitherto, and opposed at this time. And yet fare be it from any sober man to justify any carriage which may bring scandal to Religion; such as is not decent and according to rule. In the second place; 2. I say, if we of the common sort are in an extreme, too hot and eager for the casting out of this Liturgy, if we are so; It is because the contrary persons are in an extreme also, hot and zealous for the keeping of it in. Hence our troubles and disturbances in the Church; this the chief, if not the only cause of the same, let us bear one with another, Some there are, well known, and their folly is made manifest who have made that Service Book an Idol, have so honoured it, have so advanced it, have so adored it: therefore have some on the other side used it like an Idol, have defiled and disgraced it what they could. The Lord look upon this controversy and judge betwixt us and them. Who am I that I should judge another's servants? he stands or falls to his own master. But these three things I dare confidently affirm. 1. That the greatest part of these Sects, and all these troubles have been occasioned by this Service Book; and woe to them by whom the offence cometh. 2. That such affronts (let another call them dishonours, indignities, or abuses) had not been offered thereunto, had not the adverse party made that Book an Idol. 3. That those, who have had a zeal for the casting out this Book, perhaps not so well tempered with knowledge, yet can say as once in a different case, Gen. 20.5. In the integrity of our hearts, and innocency of our hands have we done this. 3. In the last place I answer, it cannot be imagined that so learned and grave a Divine can refer that any (as Grammar requires) to the other Antecedent, Religion, for what if Boys and Girls or other ruder persons will not know their Rule nor will walk by it; can it be conceived, that friends at home or strangers abroad will question a whole Nation for this, whether they had any Religion at all? Should friends or strangers do so, they would put it out of all question, that they had neither Religion nor Charity neither, who could question a whole Nation so rashly. I shall say no more to those words till the Doctor shall clear them, what he means by God's service: If he means the service of God indeed; that which is truly called so, I am confident it is not possible for him to clear this to the world; That the former, or this present year, Dishonours have been done thereunto. SECT. XIX. The Conclusion and Respects mentioned in the former Section are reserved for this. ANd now I have cleared my way of this Rubbish, and a Conclusion also Diametrally contrary to the Doctor's words all along, which is agreeable to the mind of God, and to the understanding of the Godly. You shall have it presently, but first, Psal. 149.6 let the high praises of our God be in our mouth. Jer. 32.29. Blessed be God the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, who hath given His servants, our worthies, one heart, and one way. And blessed be these worthies, who have offered themselves willingly in the cause of their God, promoting the same with much zeal and much diligence. This being premised, the Conclusion is this. " That the state of Religion hath never been better; hath never had more power, more life in it since the Reformation, than it hath had these last two years. Nay I will go farther bacl. Religion hath never been in such a way to advancement, to an exaltation, since the the day that Christ was carried up in a cloud to His Glory, than this present year. The Respects follow, for I follow his order, not very good, because I do conclude first, and prove after as he doth. In Respect first; " That things are carried in a way so contrary to sense and reason, and yet carried on. The Finger, the Hand, nay the whole Arm of God is here; His strength and power is put forth here, that is out of question, when there is no more probability, that the means can attain the end, than what makes it only possible to an Almighty Arme. Secondly in Respect; II. That things are set bacl, and yet farther bacl. A great sign that Reformation goes on, and shall go on; and Religion is advancing now, and in her ascending line. Why? Because that has been the manner always, and the Lord Christ went bacl and bacl, even to that place we call Hell, and by that back way, by that descending line, He ascended to His Glory. III. Thirdly, In Respect of those distractions amongst us; No other, but what Christ hath commanded, and will have when Reformation shall come on. As He concerning Himself, the same we may say of Reformation in His Name. It comes not to send peace but a Sword; to set men at variance one against another a Matth. 10.34,35. . It comes to send fire on the earth; It doth not give peace, but rather divisions b Luk. 12.49.51. . We may record our Lords words with trembling, and yet every faithful soul can rejoice too; Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation c Mat. 12.25. . Certainly our divisions are not a destructive sign, not a sign of desolation, but a sign of good to all that are good. Our kingdom is not divided against itself, rather one kingdom divided against another; The Kingdom of Darkness against the kingdom of Light. And the clearer this light, the more manifest the opposers of it. Again, these Divisions are of an uniting nature, they tend to unity, and setting us in joint again: Now they that fear the Lord speak often one to another: Mal. 3. and amongst them there is a firmer union than ever. Now the wicked are folden together as Thorns, Nah. 1.11. they make a tumult now, as once they did a little before they became as dung for the earth, Psal. 13.10. they are taking crafty counsel against His people and consulting against His hidden ones: What follows now? As once it was, and ever will be in such distractions and seeming confusion in persons and things; strong prayers are put up against these adversaries. Now the godly give themselves to prayer, and they cast not away their confidence; saying, Psal. 2.6. yet God is good to Israel, yet have I set my King upon My holy hill of Zion: Yet the Lord Christ He is King, and His kingdom shall be advanced, and his enemies shall He dash to pieces like a potter's vessel, by those very means, by which His enemies would dethrone Him, not suffering Him to bear rule in the world. Fourthly in Respect of; FOUR The Sects and Sectaries among us. Do they appear? A sure and certain sign that God is appearing in His Glory. Lastly in respect of, and that is the chiefest Respect, and hath in it the quintessence of all, in Respect of; V Those honours (for I take the Doctor's word, willing to go as contrary to him as he goes to the sacred Scripture the Word of truth) " Those honours that have been done this present year to the service of God, truly called so and so indeed. Can they point us to a time, our enemies themselves being Judges, when the day of the Lord; The servants and service of the Lord have been more honoured than the former and this present year? Many Parliaments have done worthily, but this hath exceeded them all, in their honours done to the service of God. And now I have said this, I have said all: For, honour God, and His service, and what would we have more? Thanks be to God for their much zeal and diligence this way; And God grant they may abound yet more in their zeal for the work of the Lord, and in giving honours to His Name, Amen. SECT. XX. God hath wrought wonderfully for His Church this present year. The City writes the remarkables upon the Pillar with a pen of Iron; she nameth the Pillar, and dedicates the same. ANd now after this contention, this is easily cleared to the world, that some notable things have been done this present year also, for and in behalf of the Church. The City than may go on and write the remarkables of this year also; What remarkables? These which the adversary allows her. Alas what are these but distractions and fears, wars, and rumours of wars? Yes, something else, which are these, That the adversary conceived chaff, and brought forth stubble; That their own breath as fire did devour them. Esa. 33.11 That the lips of a fool have swallowed up himself. Eccles. 10.12. That the adversaries plotted and plotted, and the Lord broke their snares, and discovered their plots; That the adversary girded himself, and girded himself, Esa. 8.9,10 it is twice repeated: And the Lord broke him to pieces so often, and more, for it is thrice repeated, and this year fulfilled in our eyes. The adversaries took council together, but the Lord brought it to nought, they spoke the word, but it did not stand. Vers. 10. How so? it follows, for God is with His people: All this must be written first, for thus it was done. Then the Church will write according to her adversaries allowance, all the forementioned, for they followed close at the heel, very Paradoxes all along, things managed by an Almighty hand for her weal against all sense and reason: She writes her distractions, for these united her; her fears, for these quieted her; violent deeds against her peace and dignity, these awakened her, and set her people upon their Watch-Towers: devouring words, these in stead of swallowing up, preserved her, and so the poison of Asps embalmed her name for ever, This must be recorded to all Generations. The Church can go on and write, what the Lord will do in after times. That she cannot you will say: Yes she can; for she holds fast the confidence a Heb. 3.6. , That by the greatness of Thine arm her enemies shall be as still as a stone b Exod. 15.16. ; He who hath wrought that and this the former year; This and that this present year, He will do yet more: He will make the adversaries of his Church to be as still as a stone. He that brought His Church out of Egypt, did not forsake them at the Sea. To think now, that the Lord will make a stand here, and lift up the right hand of His adversaries, were to forget the years of the Right hand of the most High, Psal. 77.10. these wonderful years bypast. Such a thought were to provoke the Lord as they did at the Sea, even at the Red- Sea. But I will not call off our thoughts from what the Lord hath done, That men may know, that thou whose Name alone is Jehovah, art the most high over all the Earth. Psal. 83.18. Now then, the City will name this Pillar. What can she call it but a Pillar? Yes, it must have a more proper Name as anciently it had, when the Lords of the Philistims were discomfited, it must be called EBEN-EZAR, hitherto hath the Lord helped us. 1 Sam. 7.12. Maugre the Malice and rage of the adversary yet HITHERTO. Notwithstanding the power and policy of the enemy, yet HITHERTO the Lord hath helped us. Over this Wall (that is not high enough) over this Hill, and that Mountain; through that gulf, and those straits; All along backwayes, and crooked paths; hard by the dens of Lions, and mountains of the Leopards, hath the Lord brought His Church HITHERTO. Blessed be His Name. Therefore she will Dedicate this Pillar also. To whom? Not to man; not to his wisdom, nor to his might; though yet she will give as much to Man, as he is capable of. Her heart is loyal, choice, and chaste too. It cannot be Ravished (it is the Doctor's word) but with the loving kindness of a God; nor is it endeared to any thing but to her Christ. The City will dedicate this Pillar to the KNOWN GOD: known by executing judgements, and showing mercies. This is all, but she must write this in Brass, and with a pen of Iron, in Capital Letters, that he who runs may read them, and the generations to come may look on, and say, What hath Jehovah done for our fathers? We their children will trust in him. Amen. This Pillar will be an ornament to the City, the most becoming and specious that ever was seen in the world. SECT. XXI. The Adversary is offended hereat; better pleased with a pile of Images, then with a pillar erected for praise. This Treatise with God's blessing upon it may inform him and make him wiser; It is concluded with two words to little children, that they may account these Idoll-pictures fit to be played with now, and to be cast out hereafter. THe Adversaries now (I mean not the Crosses Neighbours, I suppose them reasonable men, and reasonably well satisfied; but the aduersaries) will never yield to us at this point. They are as stiff against Pillars to be erected for praise, as they are for Images to be erected for Prayer. No matter what they are for, or against; The works of the Lord are great sought out of all those, that have pleasure therein: And the word of the Lord is mighty, and will be sharp in the hearts of the King's enemies: Such are they, who turn His glory into a lie. So the Lord hath said more than once or twice in this Treatise. If we shall walk contrary thereunto, He will walk contrary to us; and then woe unto us; nothing can be for us, or prosper in our hands, for, Job. 9.13. if He withdraw not his anger, the proud helpers do stoop under Him: And so we have our lesson also. To conclude, here is as much also yielded for ornament, as can be by Scripture allowance; if they will have more, if nothing will serve them but the cunning crafts-mans' work (who ventureth to make his god with his own fingers) and so they will carve for themselves, be it at their peril; They have to do with a jealous God, who will famish all the gods of the earth, their Carvers, and maintainers all three: So He saith also. Let them be well aware of that, and remember they have a fair warning. I have done, so soon as I have spoken two words to the little children; they must not be forgotten here; for, Children will be prying herein I am sure, because here is 〈…〉 golden Crosses, and gilded ●…inges; they 〈◊〉 to be gazing thereon: And very fit gazing work it is for them, so long as they play with rattles and wipe their Noses on their sleeves. Two words will serve their turn to instruct them for hereafter; the one shall be Counsel, the other a Prayer, as short both as may be, for their memories are short; The counsel is; 1 Joh. 5.21. Little Children keep yourselves from Idols. Amen. The Prayer is as short, but it must be continued while our mouths are open for ourselves and 〈◊〉 from dumb Idols, from Idol-Ministers; from brutish and unreasonable men, good Lord deliver us. Amen, Amen. Page 64. Line 11. read thus. TWO" The multitude of Sects and Sectaries, which cry indeed as the Jews before them, The Temple of the Lord, but with a worse addition, That the Temple of the Lord may be destroyed. Page 65. Line 6. manifest, add this, Lastly doth not the Doctor wrong these Sectaries? Truly I think he doth. As he makes them more in number than they are, so he makes them speak, what they speak not; nay, what they abhor to speak. I am confident his Heretics say not, Let the temple of the Lord be pulled down; but the contrary. Let the Temple of the Lord be built up. Let the Altars, the Rails, the mock-gods there, let these be put down, which the light Priests and treacherous Prophets, and bold Chancellors have built up. Down with these even to the ground: So they say, in a zeal to God's Glory, and doubtless their zeal is according to knowledge. The, etc. FINIS.