Popery and Hypocrisy Detected and Opened FROM THE HOLY SCRIPTURES: As it respects Magistrates, Ministers, and People.  
IN A SERMON Upon the Occasion of A General Fast, Kept Decemb. 22. 1680.  
By the Author of the Plotters Doom, A True Son of the Church of England.  
LONDON: Printed for Richard Janeway, in Queens-Head-Alley in Paternoster Row. 1680.   

A Fast-Sermon Upon JOEL II. 13.  Rend your Heart and not your Garments, and turn unto the Lord your God. 
BY the Commands of God and the Government, we are here assembled to celebrate a Fast, and I have chosen this Text as suitable to the Occasion, because it instructs us how to perform our Duty herein both acceptably unto God, and profitably unto ourselves; without which our present Fasting, and all our Religious Performances, are but a mere mocking of the Almighty, and putting a Cheat upon our own Souls.  
I shall not insist on the Context any farther than to give you a general scope of this Prophecy, that you may see how this Command in the Text, to rend our Heart and not our Garments, doth arise.  
The Prophet foreseeing sundry Judgements of God impending, and ready to fall on this drowsy stupid sottish People, calls on them to awake: Awake ye Drunkards, Chap. 1.5. and weep and howl all ye drinkers of Wine: And when he hath thus awakened them, he gives them such a dreadful description of those Judgements that the Lord was a bringing on their Land, that he declares the very Earth shall quake before them, nay the Heavens themselves shall tremble at them, in the 10th verse of this Chapter; and certainly they must be notable Judgements that makes both Heaven and Earth to quake and tremble at them. You read in many places such Judgements threatened that the Earth should tremble at them; but here are such Judgements as shall make the Earth and Heavens too, to tremble: Well therefore might the Prophet, after this amazing description of this great and terrible day of Judgement, which he denounced was coming on them, ask this question, Who was able to abide it? vers. 11. For if the Earth quake, and the Heavens tremble at it, 'tis no marvel that the Sinners in Zion are afraid, and that fearfulness surpriseth the Hypocrites, as Isaiah expresseth it, Isa. 33.14.  
The Prophet having thus declared the greatness and terribleness of their approaching Doom, proposeth to them the one and only way to prevent it, and that is Repentance. One branch of which Proposition, is this of my Text; for the whole runs thus: Therefore also now saith the Lord, Turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning, vers. 12. and rend your heart, and not your Garments, as here in the Text.  
To which, thus briesly I have brought you, and given you the occasion of these words, Rend your Heart and not your Garments: Which before I handle, I must crave leave to give you these following Remarks upon the Context.  

1. That the Almighty seldom or never strikes a Nation with his Judgements, but he gives them first a Warning of it.  
2. That the Warnings that God gives a Nation of his approaching Judgements, aught to rouz and awaken them to their Duty.  
3. That nothing can avert God's Judgements on a Nation for their Sins, but Repentance.  
4. That it hath ever been the wont and practice of the true Prophets and faithful Ministers of God, to preach forgiveness of Sins and aversion of Judgements, upon no other terms but Repentance only.   
And now I proceed with the Text, Rend your heart and not your Garments, and turn unto the Lord your God. Wherein you have these three particulars:  
Two Duties enjoined. And  
One Practise forbidden.  
The two Duties enjoined, are these:  

1. Rend your Heart.  
2. Turn unto the Lord your God.   
The Practice forbidden, is, That they should not rend their Garments.  
The whole Text is but a figurative Expression; for it was a Custom amongst the Jews, upon the hearing of any sad disaster that either had or was like to happen upon their Nation in general, or upon their Families or themselves in particular, to rend their Garments. So upon the sight of Joseph's Coat, the Patriarch Jacob rend his , Gen. 37.34. through an apprehension that his Son was destroyed; and so you sinned King Hezekiah, upon that invective and menacing Speech of Rabsheka, rend his , Isa. 37.1. Likewise Ezra, upon hearing the enormous behaviour of the People, rend his Garments and his Mantle, Ezra 9.3. And you read that Tamar, King David's Daughter, being ravished by her Brother Amnon, rend her Garment of divers colours, 2 Sam. 13.19.  
But this external sign of Sorrow grew at length so into mere custom and formality, that it signified no more the sense of their minds, than our common wearing of Mourning does: And therefore God, that did accept it while there was any thing in it, now it was grown to be a Ceremony only, would have none of it, but expressly forbids it, saying, Rend your heart and n●t your Garments. As if the Lord should say, Come, don't ye think to cheat me with your pitiful feigned and formal Repentance of renting your Garments, and tearing your , while you keep your sins whole: But instead of all this ado of renting your Garments, rend your Hearts: 'Tis not your , 'tis your Wickedness and your Corruptions that I would have you rend off from you. Wherefore rend your Hearts, the Seat and Fountain of all your guilt; and done't ye think that the tearing your Coats shall explate your Sins, or make an amends for your breaking my Commands, and the defiling your own Consciences.  
Wherefore the Text affords us this Proposition: That true Repentance, and such as is acceptable to God, consists not in any formal exterior Observations, but in the renting off of Sin from the Heart.  
The terms of this Proposition are so plain that they need no explanation: for the known and common acceptation of Repentance, is the best, that It is an Aversion from Sin, and a Conversion to God  
And by formal and exterior Observations, is meant such Religious Performances as Custom and Tradition, not Divine Injunction, hath delivered to, and imposed upon us. And therefore I proceed to the proof of the Proposition, which is twofold: 

1. Negative, That true Repentance, and such as is acceptable to God, consists not in any formal outward Observations.  
2. Positive, That it doth consist in renting off Sin from the heart. But I doubt I shall not be able in this present opportunity to reach unto this second head of our Proposition. Wherefore to the first or negative part thereof.    
1. That true Repentance, and such as is acceptable unto God, consists not in any formal exterior Observations: For the proof of this part of the Proposition, take ye the Pharisees, who certainly were the greatest Sticklers for, and Promoters of such Observations, of any Generation of men that ever you read of, either in sacred Writ, or in profane: for they were so eaten up with the rust and canker of Ceremonies and Traditions, that Christ tells you, that they made the Commandments of God of none effect by them, Mat. 15. ●. and yet you find these men, for all their multitudes of formalities and superficial Observations, were so far from true Repentance, and such as is acceptable unto God, that our blessed Lord accounts and calls them but Hypocrites, who though they did draw nigh to him with their mouth, and honour him with their lips, yet their hearts were far from him, vers. 7, 8. And therefore it is worthy your notice, that our Saviour denounces more Woes against this Generation, then against all the World bolides; and testifies that for all their protended zeal and sanctity, in their formal and outward demeanour, that very Publicans and Harlots (though they are but a brace of he most hateful 〈…〉 of People that the World has in it, yet even those) should go into the Kingdom of Heaven before them, Matth. 21.31.  
In Isa. 1.10, 11. you meet with a Crew of Rulers and people so wickedly religious, that they quite nauseated the Almighty with their Sacrifices; insomuch that God forbids them bringing any more: and yet for all this pother of Devotion, you find that these mighty religious Rulers, were but Rulers of Sodom, and these bigoted people, were but the people of Gomorrah, vers. 10. and therefore they and their Oblations both, were but an abomination to the Lord. So that you see, true Repentance consists not in exterior Observations.  
The Prophet Jeremiah is commanded by the Lord in the beginning of Chap. 7. to go and stand in the Lord's House, and to proclaim there, to all that go in at those gates to worship the Lord, That they should amend their ways and their do: What? Amend their ways and their doing when they are going into the Temple? And going thither too to worship the Lord there? Yes: for you may go to Church, and to God's worship, and yet go to the Devil too for all that, if you are but such Worshippers as these were: for in vers. 9 you have this Character of them, that they were Thiefs, and Murderers, and Adulterers, and perjured Persons, and Idolaters; which are but a pretty odd pareel of Worshippers of God: And yet, as odd as they are, you hardly find any in all the Scriptures that cry up the Temple, and God Almighty's Church and Worship, at a higher rate than these do, vers. 4. Insomuch that when the Prophet called for true Repentance from them, to prevent that great Captivity was coming on them; they had such a confidence in their Temple, and their worshipping therein, that they would not credit him in any of the threaten and denunciations against them. But for all their confidence in, and crying up of the Temple, pray see what a Resolution the Lord takes up, concerning these wicked formal impious wretches; for he commands his Prophet, vers. 16. that he should not so much as pray for them: Pray not thou (saith the Lord) for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me, for I will not hear thee. What a Church! and a Church that boasts itself so much in its Worship! that pays so much Reverence and Respect to the Temple of the Lord! that are such constant frequenters of Divine Service, and of his Worship therein! and that are every way so abundant in their Formalities and Religious Observations! and yet to be such miscreants that neither Cry nor Prayer is to be lift up for them! Yes, such miscreants you see a Church may be. Wherefore 'tis not your going to Church, no nor your performing Worship there, that will ought avail you, if you amend not your ways and your do; for these both went and worshipped too in the Temple, and yet you see what vile Wretches, nay very Castaways, they were for all that. From whence 'tis manifest, that true Repentance, and such as is acceptable unto God, consists not in any formal outside Performance whatsoever.  
And the Reasons are plain: for if true Repentance, that is, such as is wellpleasing to God, did consist in these customary external Compliances; then the wickedest men, and the worst of Hypocrites, would be more acceptable to God, than the sincerest Christians; nay, Papists would be more acceptable God than Protestants; and Pagans then either: for the worse the Worship is, the more are the Ceremonies. Balaam will have Seven Altars to Elijah's One: for they are fain to supply the defects of their Worship by the multitude of exterior Performances and Observations.  
Again, If true Repentance, and such as is acceptable to God, did consist in such Observations, than all the Scriptures were a falsity: For why should the Lord command us to 〈…〉 Hearts and not our Garments, if the renting of the Garments is that which is acceptable to him? Why should the Lord profess himself to 〈◊〉 weary of their Sacrifices, (though a part of the 〈…〉 himself) in the first of Isaiah, and 〈…〉 to make ourselves clean by putting away the 〈◊〉 of 〈…〉 before his Eyes, and bid us cease to do evil, and learn to do well? In muttering over a few Prayers by rote, and sorrowful faces, ●●c. might serve the turn, to what end are we told in the holy, Word of God, that the Lord is the Searches of Hearts, and the Tr●●● of R●●ns, and that he knows all our thoughts a far off, it 〈◊〉 the work of Repentance, and all our Religious Performances, the formal and exterior Observations are that which are acceptable to him? Nay, why is Repentance, why is Faith, why is Love called Work and Labour in the Scripture? Why is the way that leads to the Heavenly Kingdom called a narrow Way, and 〈…〉 Gate, and we commanded to strive to enteron, and 〈◊〉 that many shall ●e●● to enter in that shall not be able? For all this labour and toil may be saved, if formal and mere bodily Observations makes us acceptable unto God, The first worship that we find performed unto God, are the Offerings of the two Brother's Gain and Abel● in Gen. 4. and su●e 〈◊〉 man●●●● render a reason why Ca●● and his ●●●●ring should be 〈…〉 exterior Observations be ●●●ly required by 〈…〉.  
Wherefore let us now see what profitable Use we may make from this 〈◊〉 of the Proposition, That true Repentance, and such as is accep●●●● 〈◊〉 God, consist● not in any formal and exterior Observation.  
〈…〉 the 〈◊〉 Use shall be for Instruction. Is it so, that true Repentance consists not in any exterior Observations? Then hence we may learn how much and deservedly they are to blame, that place 〈…〉 more in renting the garment, then in renting the heart; 〈…〉 to a Ceremony, or some external Observation, as an 〈…〉 of true Repentance: Who instead of preaching up a good, a virtuous, and a Christian Life, and of pressing their People to bring forth Fruits meet for Repentance, do lay out a deal of Dull Divinity in urging their Auditors to a thorough Conformity to a few Humorous and Caprioious Ceremonies.  
In the 15th of St. Matth. and the beginning of the Chapter, you find the Scribes and Pharisees, for want of other matter, quarrelling our Saviour, because his Disçiples transgressed the Tradition of the Elders, in eating Bread without washing their hands: A tidy crime, and cause of quarrel, was it not? And yet you may see by our Lords reasoning, that they were such Traditional and Ceremony-Fopps, that they would quarrel him and his Disciples too sooner and fiercer upon this account, than if they had broken a Commandment of God: Would to God the Papists only had the Succession of this Pharisaical temper among them; but the more is the pity, we daily see and hear protestant Pharisees, as well as Popish, who had rather mix Heaven and Earth together, and hazard the consusion of Church, nay and State too, than part with a dry and empty Ceremony: what if I should instance but in Christening with the Sign of the Cross? I doubt I am not uncharitable in thinking, that many even of us Protestant Ministers, would rather never christian a Child at all, than to christian it without that Ceremony, though they do acknowledge that Christening is a Divine Command, and the Signing with the Cross is but a Humane; and that the Child is never the better for it, nor never the worse without it. As for them indeed that do think that the Sign of the Cross hath some magical virtue in it, that it is a spiritual Spell to drive away Spirits and Hobgoblins, and a good guard against Jack o'th' Lantern and haunted Houses, and that do believe it keeps the Devil in some better decorum towards us than otherwise he would observe, they have some pretence to be tenations of it; but we that laugh at such fooleries, and that deny these Popish and pious Frauds, as sitter to be ridiculed than to have any Reverence done them; for us, I say, to be so peevishly fond of it, as that we will break all the bonds of Love and Peace rather than part with it, does show us rather of an obstinate and a passionate, than of a Religious Mind. I might instance in other Ceremonies also, but this is sufficient to instruct us, that our Conformity to formal and exterior Observations in Religious matters, is no Essential part of a sound and true Repentance.  
Secondly, Is it so, that true Repentance, and such as is acceptable unto God, consists not in any formal and exterior Observations; then be instructed not to overvalue them; there is a mighty propensity in our Natures, to say of our exterior Observations, as Micah did of his Consecrated Levite, Judg. 17. last ver. Now know I, says he, that the Lord will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my Priest. But he was so mistaken, that you find in the very next Chapter, that this very Priest, which he hugged himself so much for, joined with a company of Robbers to plunder his Master's House, and steal away his Gods from him, ver. 20. So all your Confidence in the external parts of Religion, will but serve you like this Levite, Cheat and deceive you. Nay of all the deceits in nature this is the most dreadful, for it not only deludes you to the day of your Death, but continues its delusion at the very day of Judgement; for in the 7th of St. Matthew, you find that these Confidents come with such a marvellous boldness to Christ, that they argue the matter with him, saying: Lord, Lord, have we not preached in thy Name, and in thy Name have cast out Devils, and in thy Name done many wonderful works? verse. 22. Nay the Evangelist St. Luke goes further, and tells you that these mistaken Souls demand entrance into Heaven, saying: Lord! Lord! Open unto us: For we have (received the Sacrament) eat and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our Streets, Luke 13.25, 26. Good Lord! what a dreadful delusion is this, that carries exterior Professors not only through Death, but to the day of Judgement too? and are never convinced of their mistake till they receive that final and eternal doom, Depart from me ye warkers of Iniquity, v. 27. And certainly it is from hence that St. John the Baptist thus chargeth the Pharisees and Sadduces that came to his Baptism, Think not to say within yourselves, we have Abraham to our Father, Matth. 3.9. As if he should say; Have a care, for that thought will make you rest short of true Religion, and make you miscarry at the last. And as St. John bid them that they should not think to say, that they had Abraham to their Father; so I bid you, do not think to say that you have the Church for your Mother; for it is not your being Sons of the Church, if you reckon your Sonship merely from your Birth, or Baptism or outward Conformity, that will profit you any thing; for you may come to Church and perform all the Ceremonies and exterior parts of worship, and yet be bid depart at last among the workers of Iniquity, if the Power of Godliness as well as the Profession thereof be not found in you: Wherefore, be instructed not to overvalue any formal or external part of Religion whatsoever. And thus much for Instruction: Come we next to Rproof.  
If it be so, that true Repentance, and such as is acceptable unto God, consists not in any outside Formalities; then be Reproved all ye of the Clergy, that do so utterly pervert your Office and the Ends of your Ministry. What, were you sent of God to preach Repentance and remission of Sins to the Children of men? Are you sent by God to cry out to men, that they should Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand? Matth. 3.2. And to awake them that sleep, that they should Arise from the dead, that Christ may give them light? Ephes. 5.14. What, were you sent to bid men Rend their hearts and not their garments, and to turn men from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God? Matth. 26.18. And do you spend your Ministry about such tristing stuff, such sorry things as you yourselves acknowledge to be but indifferent? Truly this is but indifferent Divinity, and such as I doubt you will give but a very indifferent Account of, when our great Lord and Master shall appear; therefore pray bethink yourselves: For,  
First, Consider seriously whether ever God required this at your hands: He hath required here in the Text you see, that you should bid men Rend their hearts and not their Garments: But where hath he required you to teach men to Rent their Garments and not their hearts? to observe the formal and exterior parts of Religion more than the real and interior parts thereof? For Religion is a heart work, and consists not in Formality but Reality; and therefore the good men of God have prayed in all Ages like David in the 51 Psal. ver. 10. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right Spirit within me. Hence is it that King Hezekiah beseeched the Lord to remember for him, how he had walked before him (what in Ceremony and Formality? No;) in truth and with a perfect heart, Isa. 38.3. and therefore the true Prophets of God have ever cried out, O Jerusalem, wash thy heart from wickedness, Jer. 4.14. They are pharisaical Hypocrites that cry up the washing of the hands, and that place the total of Religion, Divine Worship and Devotion, in exterior Observations, where God's Word never placed it: In the fifth of St. Matthew, among those glorious Beatitudes of our blessed Saviour, you will find one appropriated to the pure in heart, ver. 8. but you no where find a blessing appropriated to formal Ceremonies, or bodily Gestures, or lip Devotions; wherefore, those sour and angry Gentlemen that are so mightily for the Gaityes of exterior Observances, may do well to bethink themselves in time, what answer they will give the Lord to that great question, Isa. 1.12. Who hath required this at your hands?  
Secondly, Let those that fall under this Reproof, bethink themselves, whether in their heat and zeal of preaching up Conformity to exterior Observations, they have not fed their Flocks with husks instead of Bread? And by reason of this may not your Hearers cry out with the Prophet, My Leanness! my Leanness! woe unto me, Isa. 24.16. In the Jewish Church there were many external Observances commanded, and therefore had Divine Authority for their warrant; and yet when these Externals were screwed up to that height, and grew so rank that Religion run all into stalk, and had nothing but a bare appearance and mere outside in it, the Lord loathed and abhorred them, though they had his own Precept for them: Pray will you see how that great and Evangelical Prophet Isaiah both opens and shuts up his Prophecy: In his first Chapter you find him opening his Prophecy thus: Thus saith the Lord, Bring no more vain Oblations, Incense is an Abomination to me, the New Moons and Sabbaths, the Calling of Assemblies I cannot away with, it is iniquity even the solemn meetings; your New Moons and your appointed Feasts my Soul hateth, they are a trouble unto me, I am weary to bear them. And now see how he shuts up his Prophecy in his last Chapter: He that killeth an Ox is as if he slew a man, he that sacrificeth a Lamb as if he cut off a Dog's neck: he that offereth an Oblation as if he offered Swine's blood, he that burneth Incense as if he blessed an Idol, ver. 3. Yet Sacrifices, Oblations, Incense, New Moons, Sabbaths, their solemn Assemblies, and their Festivals were all commanded by the Lord; but when all Religion came to be put in these exterior Observations, and that they eat up and usurped the place of the life and power thereof, they became an Abomination to God and all good men, and their Sacrifices, Oblations, and Incense, were but as Murder, Profanity, and Idolatay before the Lord. A mighty memorable and particular instance of this matter, you have in the Second of Kings, Chap. 18. ver. 4. In the third Verse it is said, that King Hezekiah did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his Father did. And the fourth Verse tells you what those right things were; He removed the high Places, he broke the Images, he cut down the Groves, and that he might make clear work, it is added, that he broke in pieces the brazen Serpent that Moses had made. The occasion of making it you will find in the twenty first of Numbers, which was thus: The Children of Israel in their Journeying in the Wilderness, were grievously afflicted with fiery Serpents, which bit and killed many of them: Upon this the people besought Moses, that he would pray unto God for them, that he would take away those Serpents; which Moses did: And the Lord gave this answer to the prayer of Moses, ver. 8. Make thee a fiery Serpent, and set it upon a pole, and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it shall live. And in the ninth Verse, Moses made this Serpent of Brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass that if a Serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld that Serpent of brass he lived, as the Lord had promised. And you find that this brazen Serpent had the honour to be reckoned a Type of Christ, even by our Lord himself, John 3.14. As Moses lift up the Serpent in the Wilderness, even so (says our Saviour) must the Son of Man be lifted up; that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. How then comes it about, that the breaking this brazen Serpent in pieces, should be one of those excellent Acts which is said to be right in the sight of the Lord? Why, the Text tells you that the Children of Israel burnt Incense to it: And when any thing becomes an Idol, though it hath been honoured with never so great a Divine presence, and hath performed never so many and mighty operations, and have been never so much instrumental in the hand of God, to work wonders in the world, yet it must be removed and destroyed: A Mind that is throughly set for God, and a Magistrate that is resolved to discharge his duty aright, must down with not only Images and Groves, and those grosser parts of Idolatry and Will-worship; but the brazen Serpent also, when it not only ceaseth to propagate true Religion, but is set up in opposition against it: For though it have been never so useful and serviceable to heal and save the people formerly; yet when it does degenerate and becomes instrumental to destroy them, it should down too; for 'tis not their past excellency nor service should prevail with you to spare them, when they are become a present damage. Well then, if exterior Observations of Gods own appointment, and such as have had his express Commands to warrant them, may become so abominable, when it runs up into Forms and Ceremonies only, and engages itself in a direct opposition to the power and life of Religion, how abominably abominable must those Observations needs be that have no sacred Sanction, and at best nothing but humane Precepts and humour to maintain them? And are they to be reproved that exalt and cry up the formal and external Observations of Instituted Worship, and give it the preference to the internal and Spiritual part of Religion, as such as do but betray and undo their hearers? And are they to be excused that magnify and exalt the formal and exterior Observations of invented Worship, to the eternal and everlasting Ruin of the Souls that credit them? God forbidden: But I must go on.  
Thirdly, Let such as are included in this Reproof, bethink themselves; for whatever they may fancy, they are but of the Devil's side, and are but doing this work; for God calls for renting the heart, 'tis the Devil that would shame off this duty by renting of the Garments; for he cares not how much nor how abounding you are in this work of exterior Observations, so you do but let alone That: he will compound with you, and let you pay Tithes of Mint, Cummin, and anise, all the days of your life if you will, so you will but omit the weightier matters of the Law, Judgement, Mercy and Faith. Nay, he'll aid and encourage you in your formal and exterior Observations, so that you will but rest there and go no further; for he'll let you be indefatigably zealous in that work: In the 18th Chapter of the first Book of Kings, you find the strangest Question started, that ever you read of in any Book either Religious or Profane; for the Question was, Who should be God? The God of Heaven or Baal? The Priests and Worshippers of Baal contended strongly that Baal was God, and to be served and followed: The Prophet Elijah asserts that the Lord is God, and that they ought to serve and follow him. At length they agreed in this issue, that two Bullocks should be brought, and the Clergy that were for Baal should choose one of these Bullocks, and cut it in pieces and lay it on wood, and put no fire under; and the Prophet Elijah would dress the other Bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under, and they should both call on the Name of their Gods, and the God that answered by Fire, he should be God, vers. 23, 24. Well! this was done; and now pray mark the carriage of these Worshippers: The Priests, the Text tells you, called on the Name of Baal from Morning to Noon in their dull Let any, saying, O Baal hear us, we beseech thee to hear us good Baal; and they leapt up and down about the Altar; but there was no hearing, nor no answering for all that. Then they cried aloud, and cut themselves with Knives and Launcets till the blood gushed out; and this they did until the Evening Sacrisice, but received no answer still. And now the holy Prophet comes to act his part, and pray observe, that he useth no such Formal and Exterior Observations; no Cap●rings nor Cringing neither about the Altar, nor no Canting out of a little Nonsense or Tautology from Morning to Noon, and from Noon to Night: No cutting nor slashing himself, nor mingling blood with his Sacrifice, but calmly and humbly addresseth himself to God, in an honest and plain Prayer suitable to the occasion. Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the  Sacrifice, and the Wood, and the very Stones, in so prodigious a manner, that all the people were convinced, and falling on their faces, with an universal Vote cried out, The Lord he is God, the Lord he is God. Verse 37, 38, 39 From whence you may discern, how elaborate and indefatigate a corrupt Clergy is to propagate the Devil's side, and the worse Worship; and how they lay out themselves in promoting the Observation of exterior Ceremonies, which are of no avail. They cry aloud, frisk about the Altar, and cut themselves like any mad, and do a world of things which were never commanded by God, and which are but ridiculous among men; and yet all this Frenzy must pass for true Religion and Decency of Worship, or they'll quarrel you for fanatics. One would wonder what Baalam meant, Numb. 23, etc. where he commands seven Altars to be built, and seven Oxen and seven Rams to be prepared: One would think that he were going to offer to a whole Heptarchy of Gods, did not the Scripture every where show us, that hypocrytical false Prophets and false Worshippers are mighty Wonderful abounding in their Altars and Offerings, and all the exterior parts of Religion: pray will you take a view of that formal Gentleman you meet with in the 18th of St. Luke, vers. 12. and see how he pranks himself up with his exterior performances: I fast twice a week (says he) I give Tithes of all that I possess; and yet for all that he was but a proud Pharisee still, a wicked false Hypocrite still, and came out of the Temple the same man that he went into it; so that though he fasted and went to Church every Wednesday and Friday, yet he had been as good he had stayed at home; for he got no good by going thither: It only prided him up to despise his Neighbours, and wrought in him a Conceit that he was better than them; and pray God this be not the Case of too many of us: For while we lay the stress of all Religion upon formal and exterior Observations, we are but doing the Devil's work, even when we are engaged in God's Service. For whiles we are but for Renting of the Garments only, and so quarrelsomly set for formal and exterior Observations, we may pray and preach too in the Temple as long as we will, and yet be still but on the Devil's side for all that.  
Fourthly, Again, bethink yourselves, you that are concerned in this Reproof, that while you are for Renting of the Garments only, for the outside, guilded part, or Husk of Religion; you are but for a Faction and a Party, and have no Communion with the Universal Church of Christ: You are but for Christians of your own Size and Hue, and grow up into a little creeping narrow spirit, that can never love nor serve any Soul but what is just and directly of your own dimension: Whereas a Christian of the Universal Church, is of a large, comprehensive, generous Spirit and Principle, and loves a good and a virtuous man, that makes it his Religion to Rent his Heart and not his Garments, let his persuasion in other and minuter things be what it will. For this is God's Religion, all other is but Man's, and subject to Innovation and Changes, according as their humours vary, and must be managed by brutal and unnatural heats and sury: Hence is it that you see those that are for Renting the Garments, for formal and outward Rites, are always sour and quarrelsome, fretting themselves, and vexing others, if they come not up to every Punctilio of their Observances: For they quarrel your Carriage, your Company, your Discourse, and in a word your whole Conversation. For 'tis a Spirit of such a silthy, rude, imposing Nature, that you must be an absolute Slave to it, or it is never satisfied. Pray look into the second of St. Mark, and you will there find these men quarrelling our Saviour upon all these Accounts, for they fall out with him no less than four times in that one Chapter. First, They quarrel his Discourse, and charge him with Blasphemy, in saying to the sick of the Palsy, Son, thy sins are forgiven thee. Why doth this man speak Blasphemy, say they, who can forgive sins but God only? vers. 5, 7. Secondly, They quarrel him for his Company, and charge him with Profanity, in eating and drinking with Publicans and Sinners: How is it, say they, that he eateth and drinketh with Publicans and Sinners? vers. 16. Then they quarrel his Conversation, and charge him First with Neglect of Duty in his Nonobservance of Fasting: Why do the Disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, (say they) but thy Disciples fast not? vers. 18. And then lastly, with the breach of the Sabbath, when his Disciples plucked the Ears of Corn: Why do thy Disciples on the Sabbbath day, say they, that which is not lawful? vers. 24. So that our blessed Saviour himself, you see, who was so exact in all the parts of his Conversation, could not please them, neither feasting nor fasting: For if you go one Inch too swift or too slow for their pace, they run upon you presently, and reckon you none of their Church; and truly it matters not much whether you are or no: For their Church consists of a little Faction, of a few Formal waspish Fops, that place more Religion in an old Cobwebed or a new upstart Ceremony, than a good man durst place in his exactest performances. These are those which our Lord calls blind Guides, and denounces so many Woes against in the 23d of St. Matthew, and you may ever know them by that Character which he hath given them in the 24th Verse, they strain at a Gnat: Are mightily offended at your omission of some poor starveling exterior Observation: But swallow a Camel. You may drink, and whore, and tore, and swear, and be as debauched as a Devil, and this never offends them, they will never quarrel you for this; for this will down well enough. For though they compass Sea and Land to make a Proselyte to their Ceremonies and exterior Observations, yet when they have made him so, though he be twofold more the Child of Hell than he was before, they are satisfied, vers. 15. So that you see whom they convert, they do but pervert: For they care not for increasing the Church of Christ, but lay out all their Care and Industry to greaten and increase their own Faction and Party. If they get but such as will Rent their Garments, and be of their Outside Religion and Profession, they have done their do, and care not whether ever they rend their Hearts or no.  
Fifthly and lastly, You that come under this Reproof, bethink yourselves betimes, for in your crying up the Renting of the Garments, formal and exterior Observations, against the Renting of the Heart, you are engaged in a direct Opposition to Christ: For his Kingdom, Church and Worship are all Spiritual, and built upon the sure Foundation of Scripture Precepts and Divine Institutions. But exterior Ceremonies and Observations are too much Carnal, and built but on the false bottom of humane Inventions and Injunctions. Pray see the second of the Ephesians and the twentieth verse, and you'll there find that the true Church is built Upon the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner Stone. And the same Apostle tells you in the 1 Cor. 3.11. that Other Foundations than this can no man lay, that is, no man can warrantably and by any divine Authority lay any other Foundation than this that is laid. And therefore you see that those that are for exterior Observations, they leave the Canon of the Scripture, and support their Building by Laws and Canons of their own devising, and to oblige the Magistrate to give a Sanction to their devices, they decry not only the Law of God but the Laws of the Land too, and preach up and magnify Absolute Rule as the Magistrates Right, and by that Bait and Lure draw the Government to their side; for they give to Caesar more than the things that are Caesar's, that they may take away from the People the things that are theirs. Nor is it for Caesar's sake that they do this neither, for they enslave us to the Magistrate for no other end, but that they may enslave the Magistrate and us both to themselves. For, for God's sake what doth the King get by my Conformity to a few Ceremonies and formal Observations? Or what does he lose by my Nonconformity to them? And if his Majesty neither gains by my Observance, nor is damaged by my nonobservance of them, wherein is it his interest to be concerned at it? And as his Majesty receives neither Advantage by the doing of it, nor Detriment by the leaving of it undone, so neither doth any of his people. For saving the Reverence due to the Folly of this humour, pray who is a penny the better for my going to Church? or a penny the worse if I should go to what they call a Conventicle? If then neither King nor People be benefited by the one, nor damaged by the other, how comes it to be the Interest of the Government to be so mightily or indeed at all concerned in the matter? Why nothing but that those Gentlemen that are so wonderfully fond and foolishly forward for Renting of the Garments, for a formal and external gaiety in Religious Worship, perceiving they cannot carry on a design so directly opposite to the pure and spiritual Worship of Christ, especially in a Reformed and Protestant Nation; without the aid of the Magistrate, they revive the old Cheat, and persuade the Magistrate that those that are for renting the Heart only, and are Non-Conformists as to renting the Garment or exterior Observations, are Enemies to their Government, and so frighten the Magistrate, that they think they have no other way to secure their Government but by destroying them; when the plain truth is, that 'tis themselves are afraid that if the Doctrine of renting the Heart only should prevail, they are undone; and therefore by their Art they transfer the fear that's on themselves to the Magistrate, and insinuate that the Government is stabbed through their sides, though you see neither the Magistrates nor the People are at all concerned in the case, and that the controversy is only with them who are too straight saced in the point of renting the Garments, and that stand over stiffly for exterior Observations, in opposition to Christ in his more pure and spiritual worship of Renting the Heart: And so much for Reproof. Come we now to Admonition.  
The third Use or Improvement of this Point shall be for Admonition, and this Admonition extends itself to all Persons, to the Governors and Governed.  
First, To Governors.  
Ye have heard the first Branch of the Proposition, That true Repentance and such as is acceptable to God, consists not in any Exterior Observations: Be admonished then, not to impose upon your people what can never be acceptable unto God. But remember that you are God's Vicegerents, and therefore should impose nothing upon your Subjects but what is acceptable to him whom you represent, and what you have just ground to believe that he himself would impose were he personally present; and have you any ground to believe that if he were personally present, that he would Act against his own Commands, and Punish men because they would not break his own Precepts? For 'tis his Precept that you should only rend your Hearts, but that you should not rend your Garments; and do you think that the Lord would go against his own Will, and against his own Word? and if you think that he would not, then why do you? For God has not advanced you, and set you in those high Stations and in his Stead, that you should rule ad libitum, and make your own Lusts and not his Laws the Standards of your Actions; No, Let who will teach you these Doctrines, 'tis but slight Crapedivinity, and such as the Ancients and the Orthodox never knew: Listen not therefore to those that put you upon such wild and Savage Notions, to persecute all that are not for renting their Garments, for every formal and exterior Observation; and be not road by those heady humorous persons to your own destruction. You have seen how they have embroiled this Kingdom, and that of Scotland too, in a bloody and intestine War upon the Account of Ceremonies and exterior observations, once already. For this quarrel of theirs has cost more English and Scottish blood than all the Ceremonies of the Roman Church and Ours too are worth, though they were bound in one bundle both together. Wherefore please to Remember that Exhortation in the second Psal. and the tenth verse. B●●●●se now therefore O ye Kings, be Instructed ye Judges of the Forth. And truly ye have need of Wisdom and Instruction▪ 〈◊〉 you stand but in slippery places. And if you trust your ●●lves so wholly to the Conduct of others, as that that yo● will see by no Eyes but theirs, nor hear with no Ears but theirs, nor will make use of no sense of your own but theirs, you may soon slide. For if so great a Man and so great a Magistrate as David was, and one that kept such a diligent watch over himself, tells you that his feet were almost gone, his steps had well nigh slipped, Psal. 73.2. surely Governors ought to be very careful of their footing, and to see that they be not trepanned, neither by themselves, no nor by the advice of others, into precipitate Acts. How happy was it for King Ahasuerus that the followed his own sense and not haman's? and how happy had it been for Pilate if he had obeyed his own Judgement, and not followed the hot and furious Clamours of that Corrupt Clergy, Math. 27.20, 21, 22. Have a care therefore how ye are engaged by others to lay out your Power, or else before you are ware you'll miscarry; in the Eleventh of Matth. and the Eleventh verse, you read of one of the greatest men that ever the World brought forth: For our Saviour testifies, that among them that are born of Women, there hath not rosin a greater than John the Baptist, and yet this great man lost his Head to please a Miss. For though King Herod feared him, and knew that he was a just man and a holy; nay though he observed him, and when he heard him, did many things, and heard him Gladly, Mark 6.20. yet Herodias' Daughter Danced off his Head for all that: so that you had need look about you that you be not surprised, and this in all Cases, but especially in those that relate to Renting the Garments and exterior Observations; because your Flatterers will persuade you in that Case, that your sin is so far from being a sin, that it is a Service to God, and a Service to his Church; according to that Prophecy of our Saviour, Joh. 16.2. the time cometh that whosoever killeth you, will think that he doth God Service; and when men, especially Magistrates, are under that Mistake, that they reckon their Sin to be their Duty, they then play the Devil for God's sake. In the 66 of Isaiah and the 5 verse, you will find a people that hated their Brethren and cast them out, and yet said, Let the Lord be Glorified; they sang their Gloria Patri, even while they were engaged in the Devil's work: But the Text tells you that God should appear to the joy of them that were Hated and Persecuted, and their Enemies for all their Crying Let the Lord be Glorified, should be ashamed: 'Tis not therefore your Crying Glory to the Father, To the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, that will ought avail you, or stand you in any stead, while you hate and Persecute your Brethren, because they cannot Conform to our exterior Observations. Be admonished then to let your people alone; and if they Rend their Hearts, Live honest and virtuous Lives, let it satisfy you, though they cannot rend their Garments and Conform to every outward Ceremony or Observance: And since the Lord hath Commanded them not to Rent their Garments, let not your Commands run counter or contrary to the Lords, lest you be found sighters against God, and Advancers of your Laws in opposition to and above the Laws of the Almighty; in the Prophecy of the Prophet Malachy, you find the Lord displeased that they offered up to him such Blind and Lame and Sick Sacrifices, that their Governors would not accept from their hands though they offer it unto them, Mal. 1.8. And sure the Lord would be much more displeased, if Governors should Punish their People for Offering such Sacrifices as are acceptable unto him; and the Psalmist tells you that the Sacrifices that are acceptable to God, are a broken Spirit: For a broken and a contrite heart (says he) O God thou wilt not despise, Psal. 51.17. And therefore have we this Command in the Text, to Rend our Hearts, as the only Sacrifice that is Acceptable unto God; and will you dare to contradict this Command; and Oblige your people to Rent their Garments, which the Lord hath expressly forbidden, as that which is unacceptable to him? God forbid. And thus much to the Governors. Come we now to the second part of this Admonition, to the Governed.  
Is it so, that true Repentance, and such as is acceptable unto God, consists not in any formal or exterior Observations? Then be you admonished to two Duties.  
First, To Moderation.  
Secondly, To Peaceableness.  
1. To Moderation; that's a great Exhortation the Apostle gives us in the fourth of Philip. and fifth verse, Let your Moderation be known unto all men; and 'tis an admirable Reason that the Apostle annexeth to enforce his Exhortation, For the Lord (says he) is at hand. You see here in the Text, and from the plain Word of the Lord, that 'tis not renting your Garments, nor any exterial observations, but the renting of the Heart that is Commanded and Accepted of God. Then be not immoderate for any external Observances; for if ye are, true Religion never will nor can take root in you; In the fourth of St. John, Christ met with a poor Samaritan Woman, and discoursed her so long that at length she saw he was a Prophet, and therefore resolved that she would improve the present Opportunity: (But how?) Not by enquiring after the Truth of Worship, but about the Place: Sir (says she) I perceive that thou art a Prophet, our Fathers Worshipped in this Mountain, and ye say that in Jerusalem is the Place where men ought to Worship, v. 19.20. Now pray see how Christ nips this little external Quaere: And Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this Mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem Worship the Father, v. 21. and then goes on to show her what true Worship was, and who the true Worshippers are, but says not one word of the Place. In like manner many are mightily inquisitive about Places, Times, Gestures and Circumstances of Worship, and have a great zeal for all these external parts of Religion, and yet are totally ignorant both of the true Worship and true Worshippers: wherefore you had need be very Moderate and Sober, that you be not so transported with external Observations, and run away with the Shadow instead of the Substance of Religion; for Moderation tempers the mind, and allays those heats and excursions which otherwise it is apt to make: And therefore it is called a being sober-minded, in the 2 Titus, v. 6. for without this ye are like Mad Distracted persons, and will run upon a Neighbour or a Relation for dissenting from you in a Ceremony or some exterial Oblervation, as if he were a Turk or an Insidel: But this makes a man remember, that in Christ Jesus, neither Circumcision nor Uncircumcision availeth any thing, but a new Creature, Gal. 6.15. And therefore this teacheth us to put no such mighty stress and value upon that which is of no avail; but to embrace Moderation as that which will balance the mind, and keep it in an even and sober posture at all times and in all cases.  
2. Be admonished to Peaceableness, and reckon not this admonition strange; for the holy Scripture tells you of some that hate peace; and the Psalmist saith, he had long dwelled with such, Psal. 120.6. My Soul (says he) hath long dwelled with him that hateth Peace: I am (says he) for Peace, but when I speak, they are for War: And yet these Haters of Peace have always the Impudence to complain first, and to burden others with their Gild; and if you search the Scriptures, you will find none so deeply culpable of this Crime as those that were for external Observations; for who so much oppose the Miracles and Doctrine of Christ, and so bloodily pursued him to the very Death, as those that were for the Traditions of the Elders?  
And who raised the uproars, the mutinies and tumults against the Apostles of Jesus Christ in every Country, City, Town, and place where they came, but the same Spirit? And yet they had the foreheads to accuse the holy Apostles, nay our blessed Lord and Saviour himself for Seditious, and the Ringleaders of Sedition. Be careful therefore that ye be not ensnared to herd with this tumultuous and unpeaceable spirit; for if ye do, you'll run clamouring with them to the Magistrate against your neighbours, and against your friends, to ruin and undo them for the nonobservance of some external rites and customs. You see how fierce and savage this spirit hath been in all ages, and quite through the Scriptures, that have been for renting the garments and exterial observations. But pray look and see where you can find that they that were for renting the heart were ever tainted with this unpeaceable and turbulent temper. And yet (which is greatly to be lamented) you generally find the Magistrate take in with that mutinous spirit against this, and laying the imputations due to them upon these: Hearest thou not (says Pilate to Christ) how many things they witness against thee? Mat. 27.13. and yet they were all false Witnesses, and he himself was unjust; they were such; for after the Witnesses had spoken, he calls our Saviour a just person, vers. 24. and washeth his hands as innocent of his blood. And yet Oh the wickedness of an unjust Judg'l for all this, against the convictions of his own Conscience he falls in with that cursed impious and unpeaceable party against-Christ. Have ye not need then to be admonished to look well to yourselves, that your hearts do not engage you to this unpeaceable spirit? There ever was, and I am afraid still is too much Tory-Divinity in the world; but you may easily know it, for it is always on the Tantivy, Away with him, away with him, crucify him, crucify him, was ever their language. And if you do but ask why? what evil hath he done? this does but whet their rage, and make them urge the multitude to cry out the more, Let him be crucified. For they are acted by a wild kind of ungovernable zeal, such as the Apostle St. Paul tells you he had before his Conversion, Act. 22.3. I was zealous towards God, (says he), as ye all are this day, and that you may see what their zeal was that day, pray look into Act. 21.27. you will find that some Jews which were of Asia (where St. Paul had been preaching) had spied him in the Temple at Jerusalem, and they stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him, crying out, Men of Israel help, this is the man that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the Laws, and this place, and further, Brought Greeks also into the Temple, and hath polluted this holy place. And upon this outcry all the City was moved, and the people ran together, and they took Paul and drew him out of the Temple; and the Text tells you, They went about to kill him: and had certainly done it, had not a Captain of a band rescued him, vers. 31.  
So that you see what their zeal at that day was, and is but the same which the same Apostle tells you in fewer words in Phil. 3.6. That he was as concerning zeal a persecutor of the Church. So that this wild kind of vagabond zeal, which is always conversant about exterial observations only, and spends itself but about the bark and husk of Religion, doth but make men the fiercer and the more inve●om'd in their minds against true Christianity, and renting the heart; for this zeal will transport you to such inquietudes and extravagancies that ye will prefer a Barrabas a Robber and Murderer before Christ and a sincere Christian. It will make you mutinous and sticklers for the worst men, and the wickedest interest; what need have ye then of this admonition to be of peaceable spirits, that ye be not hurried away by a mistaken zeal into such strange and brutish exorbitances?  
And thus much for Admonition, come we now to the next and, last improvement of this Point, which is Examination.  
And this shall be Threefold: 

1. To the Magistracy.  
2. To the Ministry.  
3. To the People.    
1. To the Magistracy: For I am for the old Computation of reckoning Moses before Aaron, and am for placing the Crown above the Mitre; though I am sure this is no way to a Bishopric; for all our new fashioned Divinity is for the other Calculation, and mightily dissatisfied if you don't put the Church before the State; however I address myself first to you: Is it so that true repentance, and such as is acceptable unto God consists not in renting the garments, or exterial observations? then be you exhorted to examine yourselves whether you lay out your Magistracy consonant to, and agreeable with this Doctrine: The highest Character that was veer given to any Magistrate, is that which we find given to David, That he was a man after Gods own heart. And indeed the heart and mind of a Magistrate should be agreeable to the heart and mind of God, for he bears his Image, and is his Deputy in the Earth. Upon which account Magistrates are also styled Gods in Scripture. Now therefore examine yourselves as to this duty before you, and see how your hearts stand affected towards it. God is all for renting of the heart for zeal and spiritual worship, on such days, and in such duties as we are now engaged in. But are you not more, or rather for renting the garment? for vain Ceremonies, and humane invented observations? How then comes this discrepancy betwixt the heart of God and your hearts? between God's mind and your minds? Inquire well into the matter, for there must be a fault some where; and it cannot be on the Lord's part. Hath not God told you by his own Son, That he is a Spirit, and they that worship him, must worship him in spirit and in truth; and that his Father seeketh such to worship him, Joh. 4.23, 24. And will you seek such to punish them? Examine yourselves, and do not think to shame it off, That 'tis for the Church that you do this. Pray turn to 1 Sam. 15. and you will there find one of the greatest Cheats that you meet with in the whole Word of God; for 'twas by a Magistrate, and a Magistrate of the highest Order, and 'twas a Cheat that had a pretence for the Church too. The business is this: King Saul received a commission from God to go and smite the Amalekites, for laying wait for Israel in their way when they came up from Egypt; and the sum of the Commission you have in the third verse, Go and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass. Pursuant to this Commission, Saul gathers 210000 of the people together, and goes up and smote the Amalekites, but spared Agag their King, and the best of their sheep, and of the oxen, and the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good; and would not utterly destroy them. But every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly, vers. 9 Upon this breach of his Commission, the Lord sends his Prophet Samuel to meet Saul at his return, and you find that Saul met Samuel in a very brisk humour, vers. 13. for Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the Lord, I have performed the commandments of the Lord. But Samuel replied, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears and the lowing of the oxen which I hear? vers. 14. And now pray see the Cheat that Saul would have put upon the Almighty, and his Prophet; for he saw he was run on ground, and therefore observe his answer: The people (says he) spared the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God, ver. 15. So he would have shoved off, and excused his sin upon the specious pretence of maintaining the Church, and the Worship of God. But this would not do, for the Prophet reproves him in vers. 22. thus: Hath the Lord as great delight in  offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams; for Rebellion is as the sin of Witchcraft. 'Tis the disobedience of a King against his God is so styled; and therefore he proceeds and tells him his doom, That because he had rejected the word of the Lord, the Lord had rejected him from being King. And that's all that Saul got by this Cheat.  
Do not think therefore to palliate your faults with your esteems for the Church, and the Divine Service of God; for God had rather have no such Worship at all, than a Worship that must be supported and maintained by the breach of his holy Commands. In the 7th. of St. Mark, you may see a knot of Hypocrites, and such as were of no inferior rank neither. So much for the Charch, that they break not only the Law of God, but the Law of Nature too; for the Law of Nature as well as the Law of God, obligeth us to honour our Parents, and as a part of that honour, to secure and relieve them in their necessities; but they were so unnaturally Religious, that they would give to the Church what they should give to their Parents; and by their gift to the Church they were held absolved from the Law of God and Nature, to do aught for their father or mother, vers. 11, 12 so that let their father and mother starve if they would, for them, they were resolved to be superabundantly Religious. But God bless us from such an unnatural and abominable Religion! Well therefore might our Saviour conclude that Discourse with this remark, That Traditional men, and such as are so much for exterior observations, do ever make the Word of God of no effect, vers. 13. You were as good have no Bibles, for they will suffer you to make no use of them; for these Jews they had the Law of Moses, and it was read in their Synagogues every Sabbath day, as St. James assures us, Act. 15.21. And though in that Law it was written, Honour thy father and mother, and that too with a promise of length of days; yet you see when men's Traditions prevailed, it had been as good they had had no Law at all. And therefore by the way, whatsoever Profession or form of Religion makes you barbarously sour and unnatural to your Relations, friend and neighbours, which the Law of God, and the bands of Humanity obligeth you to love, respect and tender, you may lay your life upon it, that that Profession and form of Religion is but a false and counterfeit Christianity, be what it will. Wherefore you that are Magistrates had need examine and try yourselves, and to purpose too, whether you are for that Religion which is acceptable to God, the renting of your heart? or whether you are for that only which consi●ts in renting the garments, and trifling reservations. And so much to the Magistrates.  
The next Head is to the Ministers; and would to God there were no cause to press the improvement of this Point upon us also. But methinks I hear the Lord saying, Physician cure thyself, Luk. 4.23. We are called the Physicians of Souls, and usually say the care of Souls is on us; and it behoves the Physician to look well to it, that the remedy he prescribes be warrantable and proper against the distemper, or else we shall prove ourselves to be like Jobs friends, Physicians of no value, Job 13.4. Wherefore let us examine ourselves and see whether we that are so abounding in our Prescriptions to cure others, are sound ourselves? and let us be content to try ourselves by this Text, Whether we are more for renting the heart, or for renting the garments? for the life, spirit and power of Religion, or for some little jejune and starveling ceremonies and crotchetly observations? Whether we are not more reconciled to, and have a stronger affection for a lewd and wicked Conformist than for a virtuous and sober Nonconformist? And pray God our own Consciences do not answer for us, that this is true. For 'tis a strange venom of spirit that some of us are too apt to discover upon all occasions against such as differ but in the least from us in outward forms of Worship, though they are never so exact and exemplary in their lives, and every way are of a sound and Orthodox faith. What invictives have we in our Pulpits, out of our Pulpits, in all Companies, and at all seasons against Dissenters? especially against their Ministers? In Numb. 11.27. you find a young Informer running to Moses, and telling him that Eldad and Medad were Prophesying, or Preaching in the Camp; upon this information, Joshua that then waited upon Moses, was but a young man too, and would have had Moses forbid them; (but he lived to be both older and wiser) but see how that meek servant of the Lord answers them, v. 29. Enviest thou for my sake! would to God that all the Lords people were Prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them: as i● he had said, you tell me of Two that are Prophesying in the Camp, and I would to God there were twice 200000 there. Now do not we like this young man, run to the Magistrates with our informations, and cry out, here's a Conventicle, and there's a Conventicle, and Eldad and Medad pray in this and preach in that place; and than you pray and press the Magistrate that he would forbid them; nay not forbidden them only, but that he would send to apprehend them, and clap them up into Gaol; and all this at a time too, when wickedness covers the face of the whole land, and grows up so rank under our Ministry, that it is not able to top it: Pray let us examine and see, whether this spirit be agreeable to the spirit of Moses, or to the spirit of this young informer. St. Paul tells you of some that preached Christ even out of envy and strife, as some preached him out of goodwill, Phil. 1.15. Now if any preachers were to be forbidden, one would think these should be they; and yet the Apostle professeth that he did rejoice that Christ was preached even every way, whether in pretence, or real sincerity; so that admit they did preach out of no principle, but envy only, yet you see, that a true Apostolical spirit can and will rejoice at their preaching, though emulation or envy only prompts them to it; let us reflect then, what it is that acts us in this unchristian, I had almost said inhuman rage against our dissenting brethren: for it is not (whatever we may pretend) the Spirit of God; for that you see is of another nature and temper, and acts those that are under its conduct in as different a practice from this of ours, as is light from darkness; and pray God we come not nigher the character of those blind guides spoken of in Mat. 23.13. that shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men, and neither go in ourselves, nor suffer them that are entering to go in; and if we are of the number of these, how unfit are we to teach others the mind of God? and to guide their feet into the ways of peace, that are not able to guide ourselves. Doth not our envy at them therefore rather arise from this consideration, (if envy can be considerate) that we are afraid that people seeing the vileness of our conversation, and the sobriety of theirs, the laziness of our Ministry, and the laboriousness of theirs, will at last come to be more in love with them than with us: For if the generality of professed Christians should come to that pitch in Religion, as to be for renting the heart and not the garments, I doubt we should be out of esteem, for they would then be for a Ministry suitable to their profession; whereas we are a Ministry mostly for renting the garments, and exterior observances; so that whenever the people rise but one degree above that ignorance, that we are obliged to keep them in, we naturally go out as a stinking snuff, and there is a Mene Tekel on our Ministration: wherefore is it not from hence that we dunn the Magistrates continually to down with them, for fear that the soundness of their doctrine, and the uprightness of their lives, will down with Rome and Renown; and is it not from hence, that we are every where laying out, and engaging ourselves and interest in getting the worst of Magistrates, the worst Parliament-men, the worst Justiees, the worst Mayors, etc. that all the Countries and Cities can afford; insomuch that it is almost become the surest indication of a Knave, to have us Clergy men for him; and of an honest man to have us against him, that can be given; for our breath blesses every man we are against, and blasts every man we are for. Examine the matter, and see whether you do not find all this too true; and can the world ever believe us a good Ministry, while we are so engaging for a bad Magistracy? or will they ever believe us to be true Protestants, while they see us join Votes and Hands with professed Papists? The Romanists contrived, and are carrying on an Hellish Plot against the life of our King, Government and Protestant Religion, and when God in infinite mercy was pleased to discover it, have not many of us shown ourselves peevishly backward to credit such discovery, and no less forward to undervalue reproach, or scandalise the discoverers? The same Engineers of Hell since forged a false, wicked sham-plot to be cast on the Presbyterians, and thereby cut off the most active Protestants, and divers of as good Church of England-men as any in the land; and did not some of us nurse up that spurious Brat for them, and make our Pulpits rattle, and our hearears ears tingle with Rail against Presbyterians; and all this without the least occasion, and when it was impossible to serve any other than a Popish Interest by it? Is stifling a Popish Plot, and causelessly enraging as much as in us lies the Magistrate against Protestant-Dissenters, and endeavouring to absolve Popish delinquents from deserved punishments, the way to suppress Popery? or crying up and espousing the interest of a Bigoted Popish Successor any demonstration of our zeal to the Protestant Religion? The Prophet Zephaniah tells us of a strange odd kind of dappled people that lived in his Age, that did swear by the Lord, and that swear by Melcham, (i. e.) by the true God, and by a false God too, Zeph. 1.5. somewhat too like many of the Ministers and Popish-Protestants that are for our Church, and the Church of Rome too, and indeed for any Church (provided they are but for renting the garments, and superficial observances, and lip-labour only, and can withal keep their Honours, Preferments and Revenues): You read in Exod. 12.38. That a mixed multitude went up with the children of Israel out of Egypt (for we are but particoloured and mixed men at the best) where I take mixed multitudes for men of mixed spirits. But upon what grounds or inducements they went up, we do not find; but this we find, that upon all occasions they were the forwardest to murmur, and repine, and for returning into Egypt again: The like may be said of many that came out of the Roman bondage with us in the first Reformation; upon what account they came with us we know not, but this we know, that these men of mixed spirits have always been for returning to old idolatrous Garlic and Onions, I mean to Rome again. Let us therefore, I say, examine our hearts, and upon a strict impartial disquisition, it will be well if many of us of the Clergy do not find that most of our envy and passion against our dissenting brethren proceeds from this, that they are for going forwards still, and further Reforming, whereas we are for going back, or for staying where we are, at the best: And I doubt the truest Reason of our hatred to them, is that they are for renting the Heart, which is grounded on the Commands of God, and that we are for renting the garments, and outward Ceremonies, which are founded on the fancies or superstitions of men; wherefore the Lord grant that we may examine ourselves thoroughly in this matter.  
And so I pass to the Third and last Head of this Examination, and with which I shall conclude, and that is to the People.  
3. Is it so, that true Repentance, and such as is acceptable to God, consists not in renting the garments, etc. then examine yourselves whether ever you did truly repent or no? whether in duties of this kind that we are now a celebrating, you have not been like those in Isa. 58. that fasted for strife and debate, and to strike with the fist of wickedness; that hung down their heads like a bulrush and spread sackcloth and ashes under them; or like those hypocrites that the Lord speaks of in Mat 6. that put on sad countenances, and disfigured their faces, that they might appear unto men to fast. But this is of no value, but only to aggravate your condemnation; 'tis not your putting on your black, nor your pulling off your Patches, nor your Paint, or laying aside your Russian Periwigs for a day that the Lord respects: No, no, this amounts to nothing in his sight; examine yourselves therefore, for if you have only rend your garments, and performed the outward part of Religion, think of yourselves what you will, you are but in a miserable condition: That is a mighty word of our Lord in Matt. 21.28, 29, 30. A certain man (says our Saviour) had two sons, and he came to the first, and said, Son go work to day in my vineyard; he answered and said, I will not; but afterwards repent, and went; and he came to the second, and said likewise, and he answered and said, I go Sir, but went not. His second son seems to pay great observance to his father's pleasure; and to be a perfect conformist to his father's commands, very ceremonious and reverential in his answer, I go Sir (says he); but for all these good words, and exterior appearances of obedience, he was of a wicked, false, deceitful heart, and did but delude his father with his conformity, for he never went to the work commanded. Now examine whether of the sons you are; for if you are not of the number of those that only refused to go, yet afterwards repent and went, you are certainly of the race of the second son, that said, I go Sir, but lied, and went not.  
But that you may be more faithful to yourselves in the discharge of this duty of examination, try yourselves in these Two particulars.  

1. How your affections stand.  
2. How your wills are inclined.   
1. How your affections stand, search your souls, and see whether you are more in love with renting your garments, or renting your hearts; whether you are more taken with the new fashioned modes and gaities of a glittering, formal, exterior profession, or with the old fashioned plainness, and sincerity of Gospel-worship. In 2 King. chap. 5. you have a great man coming to Elisha to be cleared of his Leprosy, and he came in great state with his Horses and Chariots, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha, and Elisha sent a Messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shall be clean, vers. 9.10. Now here was the end for which he came; for his end was to be clean; but because the means to that end was not so formal and full of ceremony as he would have them, he went away in a huff, vers. 15. And Naaman was wroth, and went away and said, Behold I thought the Prophet would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the Leper. And because the Prophet did not follow those methods in cleansing, which he had fancied, he turns, and went away in a rage. But you find that he had some wit in his anger; and though he would not hear the Lords servant, yet he would hear his own servant reason him out of his Choler; and then he went into Jordan seven times, according to the saying of the man of God, and was cleansed, vers. 13, 14. Now examine yourselves, whether this be not your case; you would be cleansed, but it must be by such gentle and ceremonial methods as you fancy, or else you are wroth and going away in a chaff, as mediums too mechanic and beneath your grandeur; try now your affections in such a case, is not the simplicity and plainness of the Gospel an offence to you? and are you not for Humane Trappings and Gauderies, that may put a greater finery and pomp upon them, so that you are wrath with all those that think sound Truths are the greatest beauties when they are most unarted, and in their own dress? Sound your affections therefore how they stand in this case. Whether they be for inward work, renting the heart, or outward, only for renting the garments; and if they give the preference to heart-work, they are certainly right, and well set for God; but if to formality, ceremony, and exterior observations, they are most assuredly wrong, how right soever you may think them to be.  
Secondly, Examine and see how your will is inclined, and this both to yourselves, and towards others.  
First, To yourselves, you see the will of God both negatively and affirmatively, both in what you should, and what you should not do herein; that you should rend your hearts, and that you should not rend your garments: Examine then whether your wills be not cross and averse to this will of God; that though God hath bid you rend your hearts, and not your garments, yet you will rend your garments, and not your hearts: you will be for formal and exterior observations, rather than for that unfeigned repentance that is acceptable unto God. It is said Psal. 40.8. I delight to do thy will, O God. Examine then whether your will takes up a delight to be conformable to the will of God; you pray every day, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; search therefore your own souls, and see whether your will and heart be in that petition, or whether you say it only by rote and custom; if your will be well inclined to it, than you will conform to the will of God here in the Text, and not set up your posts against God's posts, nor your will against God's will, as you certainly do, if you are for renting the garments before renting the heart; and for formal observances, before true and spiritual Worship. Many a time in the Gospel you find our Lord answering supplicants, Thus be it unto thee according as thou wilt. O examine then your wills, how they stand inclined, for if they are not bend to God, it were mercy to you if you missed your own wills; So Saul found it before his conversion, he would needs be going to Damascus, (while he was breathing out blood and cruelty to persecute the poor Christians there also): but Almighty mercy prevented and made him miss his will, in Acts 9 Among the many offerings which were in the time of the Law, there was one which was called a free will-offering, to which the Psalmist alludes, Psal. 119.108. Accept, I beseech thee, says he, the free will offerings of my mouth, O Lord: and this offering above all the offerings seems to be most acceptable unto God; it was purely voluntary, because unconstrained; therefore towards the place for the first public Worship, you find the people so liberal in this offering, that Moses was fain to restrain them from offering any more, Exod. 36.6.  
Now examine yourselves, whether your wills are thus bend for God; whether you voluntarily and without any reluctancy or constraint so close with this holy pleasure and command of God; nor to busy yourselves about the many things of renting your garments, and keeping a bustle about the formal ceremonious outward modes of Worship; but have your wills taken up and wholly inclined to the one and only thing necessary, the renting of your heart; and if upon a thorough search you find your wills thus well inclined to yourselves,  
Than Secondly, examine how they stand as to others: for many are for that for themselves, which they would deny to others; they would be free themselves in their Worship, but they would put a force on others. Examine therefore how your wills stand inclined in this particular; are you willing to give another the same measure that you would have meeted to you again; do you love your neighbour as yourself, and are willing that he should rend his heart, and worship God according to the persuasion of his Conscience; though he do not rend his garments, nor perform those formal and exterior observations that you do, as you yourselves are willing to worship God according to the persuasion of your own Conscience? are you willing to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace, agreeable to that great exhortation, Eph. 4.3. Or do your wills incline you to break all the bonds and ties of unity, love and peace, which God and Nature have laid upon you; because your neighbour doth not rend his garments, and perform such formal and exterior observations as you would have him? In Mat. 13.14. our Lord put forth a Parable of a man which sowed wheat, or good seed in his field, and in the 25th an enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat; in the 26th. vers. the tares appeared, in the 27th. vers. the Ministers or servants tell their master of it; in the 28th. vers. they ask the Master leave to root them out; Wilt thou, say they, that we go and gather them up? For they were willing to the work, had he been so. But now pray observe their master's answer, and the reason thereof in the 29th. verse. But he said, nay, lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. And in the 30th. vers. ye have the Masters express command, Let both grow together until the harvest; and this harvest our Lord himself tells you (in the explanation of this Parable is the end of the world, vers. 39 And it is well, we have our Master's mind in this matter, for else here would be mad work in the world; for you see that the very Ministers are for rooting up; and pray whether would this go? and where would be an end of it? for we reckon the Dissenters tares; and we would be a rooting up of them; then the Papists reckon us the tares, and they would be rooting out of us. And 'tis well if the Turk do not reckon both them and us all tares, and would be a rooting up both them and us, and the whole Christian name for tares. So that all the bonds not only of Christianity would be broken, but those of common society also. Therefore try your wills by this command of your Masters; for admit the Dissenters were tares, which without a notorious breach of Christian charity you can never judge them to be; for truly bate but their not renting their garments, their conformity, to a few formal and exterior Ceremonies, they give as good an evidence, that they are wheat, and good grain, as the best of us can do; but I say admit they were, yet here is the will and mind of your Lord concerning them; and do you think that he did not know what was most fit and properest to be done in the field of his Church? The Ministers you see then (and I do not perceive that they have altered their temper yet) were eager and hot to root them up; Wilt thou, say they, that we go and gather them up; Nay, says our Lord lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up the wheat also. He knew whither that zeal would tend, and that though it pretended to root up none but tares, yet it would fall upon the wheat too; and therefore gives them a positive command, to let them both grow together until the harvest. Wherefore do you find your wills seconding the will of God in this command? Or have you a rising of heart against it? Examine well the matter, for if your wills conform not to the will of Christ your Master, even in this particular, whatever opinion you may have of yourselves, you are the worst Nonconformists that the Church hath in it; for your Nonconformity is of a cruel and a bloody nature, and such as would make the Church a Shambles. You see what work the Inquisition hath made in the world, and all those murders and mischiefs that it hath committed, have been perpetrated under the pretence of plucking up of tares. Make a thorough inquiry therefore into your hearts, and search the most inward recesses of your souls, how the inclinations of your wills are in this point, lest you also fulfil that dreadful Prophecy of our Saviour, Of setting a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law, and make a man's fees to be those of his own household, Mat. 10.35, 36. And lest under the pretence of Law, you break all the Laws of God, Nature, Duty, and Relation; to the observance of which you are so strictly enjoined. But if you find your wills inclined to answer the will of Christ, and will use no other force than Gospel arguments, and an upright conversation, to convert and turn the Tares to be good seed, and are willing that others should live quietly; that rend their hearts, though they do not conform to such renting of the garments, to such exterior forms and Ceremonies as you practice; then have we ground to believe, that God will accept us; and turn away that deluge of wrath which threatens our King, our Church, our Princes, our Nobles, and all ranks, degrees, and orders of men in the Land; for the aversion of which we do solemnize this day; and which God of his infinite mercy grant for his dear Sons sake, our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.  
FINIS.