1. Part.

FIrst then, this first word, But, ex­cludes a temporall Kingdome; the Apostles had fild themselues with an expectation, with an ambition of it; but that was not intended them. It was no wonder, that a woman could conceiue such an expectation, and such an ambition, as to haue her two sonnes sit at Christs right hand, Mat. 20.20. and at his left, in his Kingdome, when the Apostles expected such a Kingdome, as might affoord them honours and preferment vpon Earth. More then once they were in the disputation, in which Christ deprehended them, Mat. 1.81. which of them should bee the greatest in his Kingdome. Neither hath the Bishop of Rome, any thing, wherein he may so properly call himselfe Apost licall, as this error of the Apostles, this theire infirmitie; that heis euermore too conuersant vpō the con­templation [Page 9]of temporall Kingdomes. They did it all the way, when Christ was with them, and now at his last step, Cum actu ascendisset, when Christ was not Asending, but in part ascended, when one foot was vpon the Earth, and the other in the cloud that tooke him vp, they aske him now, wilt thou at this time, restore the Kingdome? so women put their husbands, and men their fathers, and friends, vpon their torture, at their last gaspe, and make their death- bed a racke to make them strech and encrease ioyntures, and por­tions, and legacies, and signe Scedules and Codicils, with their hand, when his hand that presents them is ready to close his eyes, that should signe them: And when they are vpon the wing for heauen, men tye lead to their feet, and when they are laying hand fast vpon Abrahams bosome, they must pull their hand out of his bosome againe, to o­bey importunities of men, and signe [Page 10]their papers: so vnderminable is the loue of this World, which determines euery minute. GOD, as hee is three persons, hath three Kingdomes; There is Regnum potentiae, The Kingdome of power; and this wee attribute to the Father; it is power and prouidence: There is Regnum gloriae, the Kingdome of glorie; this we attribute to the Sonn and to his purchase; for he is the King that shall say, Mat. 25.34. Come ye blossed of my Fa­ther, inherit the Kingdome prepared for you, from the foundation of the World. And then betweene these three is Reg­num Gratiae, The Kingdome of Grace, and this weattribute to the Holy Ghost; he takes them, whom the king of po­wer, Almighty God hath rescued from the Gentiles, and as the king of grace, Hee giues them the knowledge of the mi­sterie of the Kingdome of GOD, Mat. 4.11. that is, of future glory, by sanctifying thē with his grace, in his Church. The two first kingdomes are in this world, but [Page 11]yet neither of them, are of this world; because both they referre to the king­dome of glory. The kingdome of the Father, which is the prouidence of God, does but preserue vs; The king­dome of the Holy Ghost which is the grace of God, does but prepare vs to the kingdome of the Sonne, which is the glory of GOD; and thats in hea­uen. And therfore, though to good men, this world be the way to that kingdome, yet this kingdome is not of this world, sayes Chist himselfe: Though the Apostles themselues, Iohn 18.36. as good a Schoole as they were bred in, could neuer take out that lesson yet that lesson Christ giues, and repeates to all, you seeke a Temporall kingdome, But, sayes the Text, stop there, A king­dome you must not haue.

Beloued in him, whose kingdome, and Gospell you seeke to aduance, in this Plantation, our Lord and Sauiour Christ Iesus, if you seeke to establish a [Page 12]temporall kingdome there, you are not rectified, if you seeke to bee kings in either acceptation of the word; To be a King signifies Libertie and inde­pency, and Supremacie, to bee vnder no man, and to be a King signifies Abun­dance, and Omnisufficiencie, to neede no man. If those that gouerne there, would establish such a gouernment, as should not depend vpon this, or if those that goe thither, propose to them­selues an exemption from Lawes, to liue at their libertie, this is to be Kings, to deuest Allegeance, to bee vnder no man: and if those that aduenture thi­ther, propose to themselues present be­nefit, and profit, a sodaine way to bee rich, and an aboundance of all desira­ble commodities from thence, this is to be sufficient of themselues, and to neede no man: and to bee vnder no man and to neede no man, are the two acceptations of being Kings. Whom li­berty drawes to goe, or present profit [Page 13]drawes to aduenture, are not yet in the right way. O, if you could once bring a Catechisme to bee as good ware a­mongst them as a Bugle, as a knife, as a hatchet: O, if you would bee as rea­dy to hearken at the returne of a ship, how many Indians were conuerted to Christ Iesus, as what trees, or druggs, or Dyes that Ship had brought, then you were in your right way, and not till then; Libertie and Abundance, are Characters of kingdomes, and a king­dome is excluded in the Text; The A­postles were not to looke for it, in their employment, nor you in this your Plantation.

At least CHRIST expresses him­selfe thus farre, in this answer, that if he would giue them a kingdome, Non adhue. hee would not giue it them yet. They aske him, Wilt thou at this time, restore the kingdome? and hee answers, It is not for you to know the times: what­soeuer God will doe, Man must not [Page 14]appoint him his time. The Apostles thought of a kingdome presently after Christs departure; the comming of the Holy Ghost, who lead them into all truthes, soone deliuered them of that error. Other men in fauour of the Iewes, interpreting all the prophesies, which are of a Spirituall Kingdome, the kingdome of the Gospell, into which, the Iewes shall be admitted) in a literall sense, haue thought that the Iewes shall haue, not onely a temporall kingdome in the same place, in Ierusalem againe, but because they finde that kingdome which is promised, (that is the king­dome of the Gospell) to bee expressed in large phrases, and in an abundant manner, applying all that largenesse to a temporall kingdome, they thinke, that the Iewes shall haue such a king­dome, as shall swallow and annihi­late all other kingdomes, and bee the sole Empire and Monarchy of the world. After this, very great men in the Church [Page 15]vpon these words, of One thousand yeares after the Resurrection, haue im­magin'd a Temporall Kingdome of the Saints of God heere vpon Earth, Apo. 20. be­fore they entred the ioyes of Heauen: and Saint Augustine himselfe, De Ciuit. Dei 20.7. had at first some declinations towards that o­pinion, though he dispute powerfully against it, after: That there should bee Sabatismus in terris; that as the world was to last Sixe thousand yeares in troubles, there should be a Seuenth thousand, in such ioyes as this world could giue.

And some others, who haue auoi­ded both the Temporall kingdome ima­gin'd by the Apostles, presently after the Ascention, And the Emperiall king­dome of the Iewes, before the Resurre­ction, And the Carnall kingdome of the Chiliasts, the Millenarians, after the Resurrection, though they speake of no kingdome, but the true kingdome, the kingdome of glory, yet they erre as [Page 16]much in assigning a certaine time when that kingdome shall beginne, when the ende of this world, when the Resurrection, when the Iudge­ment shall be. Non est vestrum nosse tempora, sayes Christ to his Apostles then; and lest it might be thought, that they might know these things, when the Holy Ghost came vpon them, Christ denies that he himselfe knew that, as Man; and as Man, Christ knew more, then euer the Apostles knew. What­soeuer therefore Christ intended to his Apostles heere, hee would not giue it presently, non adhuc, hee would not binde himselfe to a certaine time, Non est vestrum nosse tempora, It belongs not to vs to know Gods times.

Beloued, vse godly means, and giue God his leisure. You cannot beget a Sonne, and tell the Mother, I will haue this Sonne born within fiue Moneths; nor, when he is borne, say, you will haue him past daunger of Wardship [Page 17]within fiue yeares. You cannot sowe your Corne to day, and say it shall bee aboue ground to morrow, and in my Barne next weeke. How soone the best Husbandman, sow'd the best Seede in the best ground? GOD cast the promise of a Messias, as the seede of all, in Para­dise; In Semine Mulieris; The Seede of the Woman shall bruise the Serpents head; and yet this Plant was Foure thousand yeares after before it appeared; this Messias Foure thousand yeares before he came. GOD shew'd the ground where that should grow, Two thou­sand yeares after the Promise; in Abra­hams Family; In semine tuo, In thy Seed all Nations shall be blessed. God hedg'd in this Ground almost One thousand yeares after that; In Micheas time, Et tu Bethlem, Thou Bethlem shalt bee the place; and God watered that, and wee­ded that, refreshed that dry expectati­on, with a Succession of Prophets; and [Page 18]yet it was so long before this expecta­tion of Nations, this Messias came. So GOD promised the Iewes a Kingdome, in Iacobs Prophecie to Iuda, Gen. 49. That the Scepter should not depart from his Tribe. In Two hundred yeares more, he saies no more of it; Deut. 17.14. then he ordaines some institutions for their King, when they should haue one. And then it was Foure hundred yeares after that, before they had a King. GOD meant from the first houre, to people the whole earth; and God could haue made men of clay, as fast as they made Brickes of Clay in Egypt; but he began vpon two, and when they had beene multi­plying and replenishing the Earth One thousand sixe hundred yeares, the Flood washed all that away, and GOD was almost to begin againe vpon eight persons; and they haue seru'd to peo­ple Earth and Heauen too; Bee not you discouraged, if the Promises which you haue made to your selues, [Page 19]or to others, be not so soone discharg'd; though you see not your money, though you see not your men, though a Flood, a Flood of Bloud haue broken in vpon them, be not discouraged. Great Creatures lye long in the Wombe; Ly­ons are litterd perfit, but Beare-whelpes lick'd vnto their shape; actions which Kings vndertake, are cast in a mould, they haue their perfection quickly; a­ctions of priuate men; and priuate Purses, require more hammering, and more filing to their perfection. One­ly let your principall end, be the pro­pagation of the glorious Gospell: and though there bee an Exclusiue in the Text, GOD does not promise you a Kingdome, Ease, and Abundance in all things, and that which hee does intend to you, he does not promise presently, yet there is an Inclusiue too; not that, But, but something equiuolent at least, But yee shall receiue power, after that the Holy Ghost is come vpon you, and yee shall [Page 20]be witnesses vnto me, both in Ierusalem, and in all Iudaea, and in Samaria, and vnto the vttermost parts of the Earth.

2. Part.

NOw our Sauiour Christ does not say to these men, since you are so importunate, you shall haue no Kingdome; now, nor neuer, tis, not yet; But, Sed. hee does not say, you shall haue no Kingdome, nor any thing else, tis, not that; But: the importunitie of beggers, some­times drawes vs to such a froward an­swer, For this importunitie, I will ne­uer giue you any thing. Our patterne was not so froward; hee gaue them not that, but as good as that. Samuel was sent to super-induct a King vpon Saul, 1. Sam. 16. to annoint a new King. Hee thought his Commission had been deter­mined in Eliab, Surely this is the Lords Annointed. But the Lord said, not hee; [Page 21]nor the next, Aminadab; nor the next, Shammah; nor none of the next seuen; But; but yet there is one in the field, keeping sheepe, annoint him; Dauid is hee. Saint Paul prayed earnestly, and frequently, to be discharged of that Sti­mulas Carnis: God sayes no; not that; but Gratia mea sufficit, Thou shalt haue grace to ouercome the tentation, though the tentation remaine. God sayes to you, No Kingdome, not Ease, not Abundance; nay, nothing at all yet; the Plantation shall not discharge the Charges, not defray it selfe yet; but yet alreadie, now at first, it shall conduce to great vses: It shall redeeme many a wretch from the Lawes of death, from the hands of the Executioner, vpon whom, perchance a small fault, or perchance a first fault, or perchance a fault heartily and sincerely repented, perchance no fault, but mal­lice, had otherwise cast a present and ig­nominious death. It shall sweepe your streetes, and wash your doores, from [Page 22]idle persons, and the children of idle persons, and imploy them: and truely, if the whole Countrey were but such a Bridewell, to force idle persons to work, it had a good vse. But it is alreadie, not onely a Spleene, to drayne the ill hu­mors of the body, but a Liuer, to breed good bloud; alreadie the imployment breedes Marriners; alreadie the place giues Essayes, nay, Fraights of Mar­chantable Commodities; alreadie it is a marke for the Enuie, and for the am­bition of our Enemies; I speake but of our Doctrinall, not Nationall Enemies: as they are Papists, they are sorrie wee haue this Countrey; and surely, twen­tie Lectures in matter of Controuersie doe not so much vexe them, as one Ship that goes, and strengthens that Plan­tation. Neyther can I recommend it to you, by any better Rhetorique, then their mallice: They would gladly haue it, and therefore let vs be glad to hold it.

[Page 23]Thus then this Text proceedes, Spiritus Sanctus. and gathers vpon you. All that you would haue by this Plantation, you shall not haue: GOD bindes not himselfe to measures; All that you shall haue, you haue not yet: GOD bindes not him­selfe to times, but something you shall haue; nay, you haue alreadie some great things: and of those, that in the Text is, The Holy Ghost shall come vpon you. Wee finde the Holy Ghost to haue come vpon men, foure times in this Booke: First, vpon the Apostles, Acts 2, 1. at Pentecost: Then, when the whole Congregation was in prayer for the imprisonment of Peter and Iohn. 4, 31. A­gaine, when Peter preached in Cornelius his house, 10, 44. the Holy Ghost fell vpon all them that heard him. And fourthly, when Saint Paul laid his hands vpon them, 19, 6. who had beene formerly bap­tized at Ephesus. At the three latter times it is euident, that the Holy Ghost fell vpon whole and promiscuous [Page 24]Congregations, and not vpon the Apo­stles onely: and in the first, at Pentecost, the contrarie is not euident; nay, the Fathers, for the most part, that handle that, concurre in that, that the Holy Ghost fell then vpon the whole Con­gregation, men and women. The Ho­ly Ghost fell vpon Peter before hee preach'd, and it fell vpon the hearers when hee preach'd, and it hath fallen vpon euery one of them, who haue found motions in themselues, to pro­pagate the Gospell of Christ Iesus by this meanes. The Sonne of GOD did not abhorre the Virgins Wombe, when hee would be made man; when hee was man, hee did not disdaine to ride vpon an Asse into Ierusalem: the third Person of the Trinitie, the Holy Ghost, is as hum­ble as the second, hee refuses Nullum vehiculum, no conueyance, no doore of entrance into you; whether the exam­ple and precedent of other good men, or a probable imagination of future [Page 25]profit, or a willingnesse to concurre to the vexation of the Enemie; what col­laterall respect soeuer drew thee in, if now thou art in, thy principall respect be the glorie of God; that occasion, whatsoeuer it was, was vehiculum Spi­ritus Sancti; that was the Petard, that broke open thy Iron Gate; that was the Chariot, by which he entred into thee, and now hee is fallen vpon thee, if thou doe not Depose; (lay aside all consideration of profit for euer, neuer to looke for returne) No, not Sepose, (leaue out the consideration of profit for a time; for that, and Religion may well consist together:) but if thou doe but Post-pose the consideration of Temporall gayne, and studie first the aduancement of the Gospell of Christ Ie­sus, the Holy Ghost is fallen vpon you; for by that you receiue Power, sayes the Text.

There is a Power rooted in Na­ture, and a Power rooted in Grace; Potestatem. a [Page 26] Power issuing from the Law of Nati­ons, and a Power growing out of the Gospell. In the Law of Nature, and Na­tions, A Land neuer inhabited by any, or vtterly derelicted, and immemori­ally abandoned by the former Inha­bitants, becomes theirs that will pos­sesse it. So also is it, if the inhabitants doe not in some measure fill the Land, so as the Land may bring foorth her encrease for the vse of men: for as a man does not become proprietarie of the Sea, because hee hath two or three Boats fishing in it; so neyther does a man become Lord of a maine Con­tinent, because hee hath two or three Cottages in the Skirts thereof. That Rule which passes through all Muni­cipall Lawes in particular States, Interest Reipublicae vt quis re sua bene vtatur; The State must take order, that euerie man improoue that which he hath, for the best ad­uantage of that State, passes also through the Law of Nations, which is to all [Page 27]the World, as the Municipall Law is to a particular State: Interest Mundo, The whole World, all Mankinde must take care, that all places be emprou'd, as farre as may be, to the best aduantage of Mankind in ge­nerall. Againe, if the Land be peopled, and cultiuated by the people, and that Land produce in abundance such things, for want whereof, their neigh­bours, or others (being not enemyes) perish; the Law of Nations may iusti­fie some force, in seeking, by permu­tation of other Commodities which they neede, to come to some of theirs. Many cases may be put, when not one­ly Commerce, and Trade, but Plantations in Lands, not formerly our owne, may be lawfull. And for that, Accepistis potestatem, you haue your Commission, your Patents, your Charters, your Seales from Him, vpon whose Acts any pri­uate Subiect, in Ciuill matters, may safely relye. But then, Accipietis potesta­tem, You shall receiue power, sayes the Text; [Page 28]you shall, when the Holy Ghost is come vpon you, that is, when the instinct, the influence, the motions of the Holy Ghost enables your Conscience to say, That your principall end is not Gaine, nor Glory, but to gaine Soules to the glory of GOD; this seales the Great Seale, this iustifies Iustice it selfe, this authorises Authoritie, and giues power to Strength it selfe. Let the Consci­ence be vpright, and then Seales, and Patents, and Commissions, are Wings; they assist him to flye the faster: Let the Conscience be lame, and distorted, and hee that goes vpon Seales, and Patents, and Commissions, goes vpon weake and feeble Crutches. When the Holy Ghost is come vpon you, your Conscience rectified, you shall haue Power, a new power out of that; what to doe? that followes, to bee Witnesses vnto Christ.

Infamie is one of the highest punish­ments that the Law inflicts vpon man; Testes. [Page 29]for it lyes vpon him euen after death: Infamie is the worst punishment, and Intestabilitie (to be made intestable) is one of the deepest wounds of Infamie; and then the worst degree of intestabi­litie, is not to be beleeued, not to be ad­mitted to be a Witnesse of any other: Hee is Intestable, that cannot make a Testament, not giue his owne goods; and hee Intestable, that can receiue no­thing by the Testament of another; hee is Intestable, in whose behalfe no testi­monie may be accepted: but be is the most miserably Intestable of all, the most detestably intestable, that discre­dites another man, by speaking well of him; and makes him the more sus­pitious, by his commendations. A Christian in profession, that is not a Christian in life, is so intestable, hee discredites Christ, and hardens others against him. Iohn Baptist was more then a Prophet, because hee was a Wit­nesse of Christ; and hee was a Witnesse, [Page 30]because hee was like him, hee did as hee did, hee lead a holy and a religious life; so hee was a Witnesse. That great and glorious name of Martyr, is but a Wit­nesse. Saint Stephen was Proto-martyr, Christs first Witnesse, because hee was the first that did as hee did, that put on his Colours, that drunke of his Cup, that was baptised with his Baptisme; with his owne Bloud: so hee was a Witnesse. To be Witnesses for Christ, is to be like Christ; to conforme your selues to Christ: and they in the Text, and you, are to be Wit­nesses of Christ in Ierusalem, and in all Iu­daea, and in Samaria, and vnto the vtter­most parts of the Earth.

Saint Hierome notes, that Iohn Bap­tist was not bid to beare witnesse in Ierusalem, Jerusalem. in the Citie, but in the Wilder­nesse; hee, and none but hee: there were but few men to witnesse to, there; and those few that were, came thither with a good disposition, to be wrought vp­on there: and there, there were few [Page 31]Witnesses to oppose Iohns Testimonie, few Tentations, few worldly Allure­ments, few worldly Businesses. One was enough for the Wildernesse; but for Ierusalem, for the Citie, where all the ex­cuses in the Gospell doe alwayes meete, they haue bought Commodities, and they must vtter them; they haue du­chased Lands, and they must state them, they haue married Wiues, and they must studie them: to the Citie, to Ierusalem, Christ sends all his Apostles, and all little enough. Hee hath sent a great many Apostles, Preachers, to this Citie; more then to any other, that I know Religious persons, as they call them, Cloi­stered Friars, are not sent to the Citie; by their first Canons, they should not preach abroad: but for those who are to doe that seruice, there are more in this Citie, then in others; for there are more Parish Churches heere, then in others. Now, beloued, if in this Citie you haue taken away a great part [Page 32]of the reuenue of the Preacher, to your selues, take thus much of his labour vp­on your selues too, as to preach to one another by a holy and exemplar life, and a religious conuersation. Let those of the Citie, who haue interest in the Gouernment of this Plantation, be Wit­nesses of Christ, who is Truth it selfe, to all other Gouernours of Companies, in all true and iust proceedings: That as CHRIST said to them who thought themselues greatest, Except you become as this little Child; so wee may say to the Gouernours of the greatest Companies, Except you proceed with the integrity, with the iustice, with the clearenesse of your little Sister, this Plantation, you doe not take, you doe not follow a good example. This is to beare wit­nesse of Christ in Ierusalem, in the Citie, to bee examples of Truth, and Iustice, and Clearenesse, to others, in, and of this Citie.

The Apostles were to doe this in Iudaea Iudaea. [Page 33]too, their seruice lay in the Countrey as well as in the Citie. Birds that are kept in Cages, may learne some Notes, which they should neuer haue sung in the Woods, or Fields; but yet they may forget their naturall Notes too. Prea­chers that binde themselues alwayes to Cities, and Courts, and great Auditories, may learne new Notes; they may be­come occasionall Preachers, and make the emergent affaires of the time, their Text, and the humors of the hearers, their Bible: but they may lose their Naturall Notes, both the simplicitie and the boldnesse that belongs to the Prea­ching of the Gospel; both their power vpon lowe Vnderstandings, to rayse them, and vpon high Affections, to humble them. They may thinke, that their Errand is but to knocke at the doore, to delight the eare, and not to search the House, to ransacke the Con­science. Christ left the Ninetie and nine for one Sheepe; populous Cities are for the [Page 34]most part, best prouided; remoter parts need our labour more, and wee should not make such differences. Yeoman, and Labourer, and Spinster, are distinctions vpon Earth, in the Earth; in the Graue there is no distinction. The Angell that shall call vs out of that Dust, will not stand to suruay, who lyes naked, who in a Coffin, who in Wood, who in Lead; who in a fine, who in a courser Sheet: In that one day of the Resur­rection, there is not a fore-noone for Lords to rise first, and an after-noone for meaner persons to rise after. Christ was not whipp'd, to saue Beggars; and crown'd with Thornes, to saue Kings; hee dyed, hee suffered all, for all: and wee (whose bearing witnesse of him, is to doe as hee did) must conferre our Labours vpon all; vpon Ierusalem, and vpon Iudaea too; vpon the Citie, and vpon the Countrey too. You (who are his Witnesses too) must doe so too; Preach in your iust actions, as to the [Page 35] Citie, to the Countrey too. Not to seale vp the secrets, and the mysteries of your businesse within the bosome of Merchants, and exclude all others: to nourish an incompatibilitie betweene Merchants & Gentlemen; that Merchants shall say to them in reproach, You haue playd the Gentlemen; and they in equall reproach, You haue playd the Merchant: but as Merchants grow vp into worshipfull Families, and wor­shipfull Families let fall Branches a­mongst Merchants againe; so for this particular Plantation, you may consi­der Citie and Countrey to be one Body: and as you giue example of a iust Go­uernment to other Companies in the Citie, (that's your bearing witnesse in Ierusalem;) so you may be content to giue Reasons of your Proceedings, and Account of Moneyes leuied ouer the Countrey, for that's your bearing wit­nesse in Iudaea.

[Page 36]But the Apostles Dioces is enlarged, farther then Ierusalem, farther then Iu­daea, Samaria. they are carried into Samaria; you must beare witnesse of me in Samaria. Be­loued, when I haue remembred you, who the Samaritans were, Men that had not renounced GOD, but mingled other gods with him, Men that had not burned the Law of GOD, but made Traditions of Men equall to it; you will easily guesse to whom I apply the name of Samaritans now. A Iesuit hath told vs (an ill Intelligencer I confesse, but euen his Intelligencer, the Deuill himselfe, sayes true sometimes) Maldo­nate sayes, the Samaritans were odious to the Iewes, vpon the same grounds as Heretiques and Schismatiques to vs; and they we know were odious to them, for mingling false gods, and false wor­ships with the true. And if that be the Caracter of a Samaritan, wee know who are the Samaritans, who the He­retiques, who the Schismatiques of our [Page 37]times. In the highest reproach to Christ, the Iewes said, Samaritanus es & Daemonium habes, Thou art a Samari­tan, and hast a Deuill. In our iust detestati­on of these Men, we iustly fasten both those vpon them. For as they delight in lyes, and fill the world with weekely rumors, Daemoniū habēt, they haue a De­uill, quia mendax est & pater eius. Iohn 8.44. As they multiply assassinats vpon Princes, and Massacres vpon people, Daemonium ha­bent, they haue a Deuill, quia homicida ab initio: as they tosse, and tumble, and dispose kingdomes, Daemonium habent, they haue a Deuill, Math. 4.10. Omnia haec dabo was the Deuils complement: but as they mingle truthes and falshoods together in Religion, as they carry the word of GOD, and the Traditions of Men, in an euen balance, Samaritani sunt, they are Samaritanes. At first Christ forbad his Apostles, to goe into any Citie of the Samaritans; after, 10.5. they did preach in many of them. Beare witnesse first in [Page 38] Ierusalem, Acts 8.25. and in Iudaea; giue good satis­faction especially to those of the house­hold of the Faithfull, in the Citie and Countrey, but yet satisfie euen those Sa­maritans too.

They would be satisfied, what Mira­cles you work in Virginia, and what peo­ple you haue conuerted to the Christian Faith, there. If wee could as easily call natural effects Miracles, or casuall acci­dēts Miracles, or Magicall illusions Mi­racles, as they do; to make a miraculous drawing of a Tooth, a miraculous cut­ting of a Corne; or, as Iustus Baronius sayes, when he was conuerted to them, that he was miraculously cur'd of the Cholique, by stooping to kisse the Popes foot: If wee would pile vp Miracles so fast as Pope Iohn 22. did in the Canoni­zation of Aquinas, Tot Miracula confecit, quot determinauit quaestiones, hee wrought as many Miracles, as he resolu'd Questi­ons, wee might find Miracles too. In truth, their greatest Miracle to me, is, [Page 39]that they find men to beleeue their Mi­racles. If they rely vpon Miracles, they imply a cōfession, that they induce new Doctrines; that that is old, & receiu'd, needs no Miracles: If they require Mi­racles, because though that be ancient Doctrine, it is newly brought into those parts, wee haue the confession of their Iesuit Acosta, that they doe no Miracle in those Indies; & he assignes very good reasons, why they are not necessary, nor to be expected there. But yet beare wit­nesse to these Samaritans, in the other point; labour to giue them satisfaction in the other point of their charge, What Heathens you haue conuerted to the Faith; which is that which is intended in the next, which is the last branch, You are to be witnesses vnto me both in Ieru­salem, and in all Iudaea, and in Samaria, and vnto the vttermost parts of the Earth.

Literally, Fines terrae. the Apostles were to be such Witnesses for Christ: were they so? did the Apostles in person preach the Gospel [Page 40]ouer all the World? I know that it is not hard to multiply places of the Fathers, in confirmation of that opinion, that the Apostles did actually and personally preach the Gospell in all Nations, Math. 24.14. in their life. Christ saies, The Gospell of the Kingdome shall be preached in all the World; and there he tels the Apostles, that they shall see something done, after that; Therefore they shall liue to it. So hee saies to them, Marke 13.9. You shall be brought before Rulers and Kings for my sake; but the Go­spell must first be published among all Nations: In one Euangelist there is the Commission; Luke 24.47. Preach in my name to all Na­tions. And in another, the Execution of this Commission, Marke 16.20. And they went and prea­ched euery where. And after the Apostle certifies, and returnes the execution of this Commission, Col. 1.5. The Gospell is come and bringeth forth fruit to all the world: and vpon those, and such places, haue some of the Fathers beene pleased to ground their literall exposition, of an actuall [Page 41]and personall preaching of the Apo­stles ouer all the world. But had they dream'd of this world which hath beene discouer'd since, into which, we dispute with perplexitie, and intricacy enough, how any men came at first, or how any beasts, especially such beasts as men were not likely to carry, they would neuer haue doubted to haue admitted a Figure, in that, Luke 1.1. The Gospell was preached to all the world; for when Augustus his Decree went out, That all the World should bee taxed, the Decree and the Taxe went not certain­ly into the West Indies; when Saint Paul sayes, Rom 1.8.16.19. That their Faith was spoken of throughout the whole World, and that their obedience was come abroad vnto all men, surely the West Indies had not heard of the faith and the obedience of the Romanes. But as in Moses time, they called the Mediterranean Sea, the great Sea, because it was the greatest that those men had then seene, so in the [Page 42] Apostles time, they call'd that all the World, which was knowne and traded in then; and in all that, they preach'd the Gospell. So that as Christ when hee said to the Apostles; Mar. vlt. vlt. I am with you vnto the end of the World, could not intend that of them in person, because they did not last to the end of the World, but in a succession of Apostolike men, so when he sayes, the Apostles should preach him to all the World, it is of the Succession too.

Those of our profession, that goe; you, that send them who goe, doe all an Apostolicall Function. What Action soeuer hath in the first intention there­of a purpose to propagate the Gospell of Christ Iesus, that is an Apostolicall Action: Before the end of the World come, before this Mortalitie shall put on Immortalitie, Rom. 8. before the Creature shall be deliuered of the Bondage of Corruption vnder which it groanes, before the Martyrs vnder the Altar [Page 43]shall be silenc'd, before all things shall be subdued to Christ, his Kingdome perfited, and the last Enemie (Death) destroyed, the Gospell must be prea­ched to those men to whom ye send, to all men. Further and hasten you this blessed, this ioyfull, this glorious con­summation of all, and happie re-vnion of all Bodies to their Soules, by prea­ching the Gospell to those men. Preach to them Doctrinally, preach to them Practically; enamore them with your Iustice, and (as farre as may consist with your securitie) your Ciuilitie; but inflame them with your Godlinesse, and your Religion. Bring them to loue and reuerence the name of that King, that sends men to teach them the wayes of Ciuilitie in this World, but to feare and adore the Name of that King of Kings, that sends men to teach them the wayes of Reli­gion, for the next World. Those amōgst you, that are old now, shall passe out of this World with this great comfort, [Page 44]that you contributed to the beginning of that Common Wealth, and of that Church, though they liue not to see the growth thereof to perfection: Apollo watred, 1. Cor. 3.6. but Paul planted; he that be­gun the worke, was the greater man. And you that are young now, may liue to see the Enemy as much impea­ched by that place, and your friends, yea Children, aswell accommodated in that place, as any other. You shall haue made this Iland, which is but as the Suburbs of the old world, a Bridge, a Gallery to the new; to ioyne all to that world that shall neuer grow old, the Kingdome of Heauen, You shall adde persons to this Kingdome, and to the Kingdome of Heauen, and adde names to the Bookes of our Chronicles, and to the Booke of Life.

To end all, as the Orators which de­claimed in the presence of the Roman Emperors, in their Panegyriques, tooke that way, to make those Emperours see [Page 45]what they were bound to doe, to say in those publique Orations, that those Emperors had done so, (for that increa­sed the loue of the Subiect to the Prince, to be so told, that he had done those great things, and then it conuayd a Counsell into the Prince to doe them after.) As their way was to procure things to be done, by saying they were done, so beloued I haue taken a con­trary way: for when I, by way of ex­hortation, all this while haue seemed to tell you what should be done by you; I haue, indeed, but told the Con­gregation, what hath beene done al­ready: neither doe I speake to moue a wheele that stood still, but to keepe the wheele in due motion; nor perswade you to begin, but to continue a good worke; nor propose forreigne, but your owne Examples, to doe still, as you haue done hitherto. For, for that, that which is especially in my con­templation, the conuersion of the [Page 46]people, as I haue receiu'd, so I can giue this Testimonie, That of those persons who haue sent in Moneyes, and con­ceal'd their Names, the greatest part, al­most all, haue limitted their Deuotion and Contribution vpon that point, the propagation of Religion, and the con­uersion of the People; for the building and beautifying of the House of GOD, and for the instruction and education of their young Children. Christ Iesus himselfe is yesterday, and to day, and the same for euer. In the aduancing of his Glory, be you so too, yesterday, and to day, and the same for euer, here: and hereafter, when Time shall be no more, no more yesterday, no more to day, yet for euer and euer you shall enioy that ioy, and that glorie, which no ill acci­dent can attayne to diminish, or E­clipse it.