"savoureth altogether of Uncharitableness and not of Love: for as all they that have once de"clined to that Schism, are found to be exceeding

proud and disdainfull towards all that are contrary minded; yea even such as (before they were infected with that Leaven) were patterns "of all Love, Modesty and Humility unto others; "so will they not acknowledge nor reverence any "of the most excellent graces that God hath given to any of his Servants amongst us, nor so "much respect them as Papists will do. No, they. profess greater detestation and despite to the "most godly and most sincere men amongst us, "than they do to such as are most notorious in

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profaneness and malice to the truth." And for. shameless lying, spitefull railing, and scurrilous and Ruffian like profaneness which they observe and describe at large in them, I have not found that these come any whit short, but rather (I fear) overpass the deeds of their Predecessours. So that I find that note of St. Augustine to be most true, which he observes out of the Parable concerning the man that fell among thieves *. "Tis said of him that he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. Jerusalem was the Church of God, the holy City. There was the Temple, and publick place of the worship of the God of

Luc. x. 30.

+ Ps. lxxxvii. 1, 2, 3. cxxviii. 5. Israel.

Isruel. Jericho, a type of the world, unkind to God's spies*, as the world is to his Ministers; where God had no publick worship at all. Betwixt it and Jerusalem, there was a Desart, infamous for frequent Robberies and Murthers there committed in which respect it was called ADOMIM, for the store of Bloud there shed. There was King Zedekiah taken by the Army of the Chaldeans, when he fled from Jerusalem. And thither the man bended his course. Whereupon St. Augustine notes, si non descendisset, in latrones non incidisset, had he not gone down from God and his Church, he had not fallen into the hands of Thieves: so long as he had kept himself in God's way, he would have kept him from all harm and danger: But if he will goe from the Church, let him go whither else he please, God will give him over into the hands of Thieves, who shall strip him, wound him, and leave him half dead. Our Church-forsakers in these days have sped no better than that man did then, but since they left our Jerusalem, the place of God's publick worship, they have fallen into the hands of Thieves, that great and old Cheater, the Devil and his Instruments, the Seducers of our times, who craftily lye in wait to deceive: And these have stript them of their

* Josh. ii.

† 2 King xxv. 5.

Raiment,

Raiment, all that external appearance of Peace, Charity, Modesty and Humility, that formerly they seemed to be clothed withall, and have not left them so much as one ragg remaining to hide their Nakedness: wounded them in their minds and judgments with errours and falshoods; in their Consciences with Superstition and vain devotion; in their affections with utter aversness and crossness to all that is orderly and imposed by Authority; insomuch that they are left half dead; some life remains in them; to any thing that is evil and forbidden, they are quick and active, but to any thing that is truly good and enjoined, as dead as a stock: wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge. Such is God's Justice and Severity on those that leave Jerusalem for Jericho.

In a word; if all of this sort of People throughout the Nation be as those with whom I have to doe (and I know there is the same corruption in the Natures of all, though there may not be the same eruption in all), God and Godliness have not greater enemies, nor the Devil greater instruments to advance his Kingdom, in the introduction of Atheism and Prophaneness, than themselves. God's publick worship and worshippers are matter of their loathing and scorn,

*Jer. iv. 22.

་

and

and if ever any of them afford their presence to any part of it, it is of purpose either to quarrel at or deride it. And as he whom they serve goes about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour, so do they make it their business to beget prejudice in the hearts of all with whom they converse, against their own Ministers and Ministry, and to make Proselytes to themselves and their party, of the worst and easiest sort of People. The pretext of Piety and Conscience is both the Veil wherewith they hide their unparallelled Pride, Malice, and Hypocrisie; and their Bait wherewith they catch simple Souls in their Net. As at the building of the Temple under Zerubbabel*, the adversaries making shew of helping forward the work by setting their hands to it, pretending they sought the same God the Jews did, proved themselves to be the greatest Enemies to God's People, and hinderers of the building by their coloured Friendship; so I know not any whose courses are more to the disturbance of the peace, and prejudice to the enlargement of the Church, and furtherance of Religion, than these men that would be noted for a Form of Godliness, but indeed deny the Power of it.

I heartily wish, that in their lives they would.

Ezra iv. 1, 2,

hence

henceforth stoutly confute this Character I have given of them, which yet comes far short of what by wofull experience I have found in them: And when I see it done, I shall as gladly retract what I have written, as with sorrow of heart I have uttered it. In the mean time I return from what I have digressed.

If a greater excellency of gifts and parts in one Minister above another, be pretended as a cause of their wandring, they forget what St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, when there grew Schisms and Divisions amongst them, upon the account of the diversity of gifts which they ob served in their Teachers. I am of Paul* (saith one), his matter is powerfull, his Doctrine sound, his Method plain. I am of Apollos (saith another), he is an Eloquent man, mighty in the Scriptures; him I prefer. I am of Cephas (saith a third), his preaching I most affect. I am of Christ (saith a fourth), I care for none of all the former, they are but men; I will therefore have my dependance wholly on Christ, with neglect of the instrument. But what saith St. Paul to all this? Is Christ divided †? Can he be the head of such divers and disagreeing boi dies, being himself but one? Is he divided from his Ministers, so as not to work by his Spirit, in

1 Cor. i. 12.

+ Ver. 13,

C

the