That the Churches of Chriſt in this world are ſubject to many troubles. So Chriſt himſelf foretold John 16. In the world ye ſhall have Tribulation: The Church in the World is like a Ship on the Sea, and it is nothing ſtrange, to ſee it toſſed with Winds and Waves: Chriſt's Ships [his Church and paſſengers] have in their Sailing more than ordinary ſtorms, Lament. 1. 12. Behold and ſee, whether any ſorrow be like my ſorrow, (ſaith the Church) wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me, in the day of his fierce Anger. The Ship in its nature is a tumbling and rolling thing, moving too and fro, and by its conſtitution ordained for motion. The Church triumphant is landed, and is above motion, but the Church militant is afflicted and toſſed with Winds and Waves, Storms and Tempeſts. How many States and Common-Wealths are up and down, now green and flouriſhing, and anon in their cadency like May-Flowers? God doth many times Roll them like Bowls in an Alley: Pride, Exceſs, Oppreſſion, Injuſtice, and abounding Iniquity, do put a Biaſs on the Bowl, that it tumbleth over and over, and God with the touch of his foot (as I may ſo ſpeak) turns the Bowl out of his place. Read the Hiſtory of the Church, and ye ſhall find that the Church for one good day of Eaſe, Peace and Reſt, hath had ten or twenty troubleſome days of War, Perſecution, Diviſion, Plots and Conſpiracies. Read the Hiſtory of the Judges, and of the perſecuting and Chriſtian Emperours, and ye ſhall ſee what viciſſitudes the Church had: It was ſometimes up and ſometimes down; they had Eaſe and Court, and favour but a ſhort time with the godly Emperours.

It is true; Chriſt ſeems ſometimes to be aſleep, and this much ſhakes his Childrens Faith, he lies as if he were aſleep, that the Paſſengers may cry aloud to him for help.

That Pride is the cauſe of Contention, it makes men to overvalue themſelves, and undervalue others: Therefore the Romans painted Pride in the form of a Devil, having three Crowns upon his head, one upon another. In the Firſt was written Tranſcendo, I ſurpaſs all others, becauſe the proud man thinketh he exceedeth all other men. Therefore ſaith Hugo, Pride is a Vicious Haughtineſs, whereby a man deſpiſeth his inferiours, and earneſtly buſieth himſelf to rule over his equals, and thoſe alſo that are above him.

In the ſecond Crown was written, Non obedio, I obey no others; for pride would give laws to others, but obey none himſelf.

In the third was written, Perturbo, I trouble all, and ſometimes the Pride of ſome perſons troubleth a whole Nation. Prov. 13. 10. Only by Pride cometh Contention; It is the great Incendiary of the World. Euſebius ſheweth that when the Emperours began to favour the Chriſtians, they began to fall out and diſagree among themſelves.

In the time of the ten famous Perſecutions of the Church by the▪ Heathen Roman Emperours, it is noted, that after the death of Valerian, the Church had reſt and proſperity for above forty years: In this time the Church grew exceedingly, and Chriſtians were gratious in the eyes of Emperours, and Preſidents; and many Churches were built for them, which proſperity being abuſed by the Biſhops and the Clergy and other Chriſtians unto Pride, and Idleneſs, ſtrife and Contention; It moved the Lord to ſcourge them with another (See the tenth Perſecution) which began in the nineteenth year of the Emperour Diocleſtan, which raged very ſore, and extended unto this Iſland, which was then under the goverment of the Romans: Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, though they had a Preheminence above many others, yet the Pride of their Spirits, cauſeth them to ſwell againſt Moſes and Aaron.

The Venetian Hiſtory informs us, that in a time when the Common-Wealth of Venice was much afflicted.

Baimonti Tepulo, who iſſued from a noble family, but bearing a Deviliſh hatred to his Country, with divers others of the ſame quality and means, conſpired againſt it, divers of the common people being in pay with the Conſpirators, who in the midſt of a horrible tempeſt intermingled with hail and rain, the air being filled with Thunder and Lightening, ran armed to the Pallace, which they aſſailed, having filled the large Market-Place of St. Marks with armed men.

The whole City was quickly in Armes, and there was a ſore Fight; the Fight ceaſed not till ſuch time as the Senate getting the upperhand, the Conſpirators were beaten back from the Palace. Baimonti returning from his own houſe through the Mercers Street, a woman forth of a Window, threw a Mortar on his head, with which blow he fell half dead to the Ground, and was ſlain out right by thoſe who perſued him, who preſently returned to the Pallace. Some of the Conſpirators which were Patricians by birth, being taken on the Dice-Bridge, were by the command of the Prince forthwith beheaded; whereupon that place hath ever ſince born the Name of Mal-pas. And to extinguiſh the memory of theſe wretches, it was decreed in all places to deface the Arms of Baimonti and his Complices; their houſes were razed to the Ground, and all their Goods confiſcated, a Penſion was given to the Woman and her Heirs, who with the blow of the Mortar ſtayed Baimonti.

When James the Firſt, King of Scotland, had beſieged the Caſtle of Roxburgh, which was ready to be ſurrendred unto him, the Queen came to the Camp in great haſte unto the King, ſignifying that there was a Conſpiracy begun againſt him, The King thereupon raiſed the Siege, and returned home.

In the firſt Reformation in England, under K. Edward the VI, the Popiſh Prelates and Clergy (the State having before diſcarded the Pope) did eaſily joyn with the Proteſtants, though not in their Opinions, yet in the publick Service of the Church, and had not the Pope ſoon after been reſtored by Queen Mary to his former Authority, in all Probability that Faction long ſince had been ended; but after the Readmiſſion of the Pope, and his having Liberty to tamper with his Party at pleaſure, in the Second Reformation by Queen Elizabeth, not a Popiſh Biſhop could be perſwaded to come to our Church: And this practiſe hath been continued by the greateſt part of the Recuſants, their Followers, to this Day; notwithſtanding our Service be, in it ſelf, leſs offenſive to them, and in no part oppoſite to any point of their Creed, than that in King Edwards was. Thus it pleaſed their Politick Governours, to preſerve and perpetuate the Remains of their party by this utter Breach and Alienation, inhibiting them, not only the reading of the Proteſtants Books, and repairing to their Churches▪ but alſo to joyn with them in any Divine Service, by whomſoever, or how lawful ſoever performed, thereby kindling in them, an extream hatred and deteſtation of their oppoſites.

How did Pope Celeſtine III. deſpiſe Government and Dominion, when he Crowned the Emperor Henry VI. with his Feet, and with his Foot ſtruck the Crown from his Head again? or Pope Adrian, that made the Emperor Henry IV. ſtand barefoot a long time at his Gate in cold Weather?

What is it but to deſpiſe Government, to depoſe Kings from their Thrones (if they croſs the Popes Will) and to diſcharge their Subjects from their Duty and Allegiance? Is it not a point of Anti-Chriſtian and High Contempt of Government, when a Pope ſhall expect, that the Emperor, his Lord and Prince ſhould hold his Stirrop, and then chide him for not holding it at the right ſide? The Apoſtle goeth on, and having ſhewed the Root of this Contempt of Government, viz. Preſumption and Self-will, he ſheweth ſome Fruits of it alſo: They are not afraid to ſpeak evil of Dignities: The words in the Original are very weighty, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , they tremble not to blaſpheme Glories; they tremble not; whereby he implyeth, that this is a Sin to be trembled at, viz. This Reproaching of Men, placed in Eminent Dignity, and that Men ſhew themſelves to be given over to a ſtrange height of wickedneſs, when they are not afraid to open their Mouths in reproachful Terms againſt ſuch: Then it is called Blaſpheming, becauſe Princes are called Gods, and are in the place of God here on Earth, God having communicated unto them ſome part of his Authority and Command over their Brethren by his word, as by a Commiſſion dated in the Court of Heaven: And in that reſpect their Perſons are in a manner Sacred, and it is a petty blaſphemy to reproach them. The Apoſtle calls them 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Glories, and ſo one tranſlates it, gloria praecellentes, Men eminent in Glory: And Beza, tho he tranſlates it, Dignitates (as our Engliſh alſo) yet in his notes he doth Paraphraze thus; Auguſta Majeſtate preditos, men endued with eminent majeſty. This ſhews what great things may be attributed to Princes and Rulers without flattery; ſo that we do not exceed the bounds which the word of God hath ſet. Curſe not the King, no not in thy ſecret thought, Eccl. 10. This is one ſtrong argument that the Lord doth Reign throughout the Earth, who though he doth ſometimes permit the corruptions of men to break out into diſorder, yet he doth ſo far over-rule them, as to preſerye ſome order in the Societies of men. We have cauſe to bleſs God, that though our Government hath ſuffered ſo many convulſions in our days, yet he hath not ſuffered it to be utterly confounded. If we look upon men we are apt to complain of many things, but if we look up to God, we have cauſe to thankful that things are no worſe.

I ſuppoſe that our Enemies of Government, will not uſe altogether Korah's Plea, they will not plead that all the People are Holy. But they go another way: The Supream Power (ſay they) is originally in the People, and why would they ſuffer any one ſingle Perſon to rule over them?

Reſp. Should it be granted, that the power at the firſt was originally in the People, yet to inveſt the body of the People with the whole Power, what doth this ſavour of but Frenzy, Anarchy, and Madneſs, and would ſoon turn to the ruine of that People that ſhould make the tryal of it, and run the hazard of ſo woful an experiment. Many Hiſtories inform us, how the multitude have always been deſirous of change in Government. Livy makes mention of the Citizens of Capua, that being Livy, Decad. 3. lib. 3. gathered together in a mutinous manner, would needs depoſe the Senate, and being weary of their Government, agreed to put them to death. But Pacupius Calavius the head Magiſtrate, being willing to ſave them, when they had paſſed ſentence upon one of them, to have him Executed, bad them firſt in his ſtead to chuſe a good and righteous Senatour. At the firſt they were all ſilent, not knowing how to find a better: After, when ſome odd fellow of the crew, paſt all ſhame and reverence, ſeemed to nominate one to ſucceed; by and by they grew to loud words and great outcries; ſome ſaid flatly they kenw not the man, others laid heinous things to his charge, ſome ſaid he was of a baſe beggarly condition; others objected hsi trade and way of living: Thus they grew more and more vehement upon the propoſals of a ſecond and third to their choice. Whereupon they bethought themſelves, and repentted of what they had done already, conſidering how much they failed, and were to ſeek upon every new Election; and ſo at length they were content to keep their old Senators ſtill. Juſt ſo it is with the many-headed multitude, as changeable, unconſtant, and variable as the weather, never at any certainty, diſcontented with the preſent Government, which if changed for another, they would like no better, weary of preſent things, affecting change and alteration; either they ſerve baſely, or rule proudly.

As for liberty, that is the mean between them both, they have neither the skill to deſpiſe with reaſon, nor the grace to entertain in any proportionable meaſure, Sir Wat. Ralegh Hiſtory of the world. as one ſaith. But what ſay our Church Levellers, the people are all holy, what need there be any one to teach them? they can teach themſelves; the Church are all Saints, they all know the Lord, from the greateſt to the leaſt; what need is there then of any ſuch thing as the miniſterial Office, Heb. 8. 11. They have received of God an Unction, or an anointing which teacheth them: and need not that any man ſhould teach them, 1 John 2. 27.

That thoſe that are the greateſt Deceivers of the people, do often pretend moſt Zeal for the Peoples Liberty: So we ſee here in Korah and his Company, St. Peter ſaith, 2 Pet. 2. 3. of falſe Teachers, that through Covetouſneſs by feigned Words they make Merchandize of thoſe whom they ſeduce. Doth not the Scripture among divers kinds of Merchandize in the Ware-houſe of the Whore of Babylon, number the Souls of men? Rev. 18. 19. Hereticks for Gain by feigned Words do ſell the Souls of Men to the Devil; by fair pretences they draw Men into damnable Hereſies, &c. Pernitious Practiſes, and into the way of Deſtruction.

That it is uſual with evil Men, to draw falſe Concluſions from true Premiſes. What was the ground Korah went upon: That all the Lord's People were Holy, every one of them. This is true according to Scripture, in a Senſe, externally holy, as a people profeſſing the Lord to be their God. But what was the Concluſion they drew from hence, it was, that therefore Moſes and Aaron took too much upon them, and that there was no need of Magiſtracy or Miniſtry. Take heed of ſudden Entertaining any New Doctrine though it ſeem to be countenanced by ſome Scripture miſapplyed.

That true Zeal doth oppoſe great Sins with great Deteſtation. This mutiny tended to deſtroy thoſe two great Ordinances of the Magiſtracy and Miniſtry, and to bring confuſion into the Church and Commonwealth of Iſrael, and to provoke the Wrath of God againſt them: And therefore Moſes, though the meekeſt Man upon Earth, yet he was far from coldneſs and neutrality, in this reſpect he was full of Zeal, he falls upon his Face in Deteſtation of ſo foul a Rebellion, and was very wrath with them, verſe 15. True Zeal is proportioned to the Object. The greater the Sin is againſt which it is ſet, the more it is ſtirred; it is fervent as the Cauſe requireth; it is governed by true prudence or diſcretion, and proceeds with caution. A true Chriſtian uſeth Zeal as a skilful Rider doth his Horſe, making uſe of the mettle of his Horſe, ſuitable to the Uſe he hath of him. True Zeal mindeth the Cauſe, and according to the Importance of that, riſeth or falleth as the Tide, which followeth the courſe of the Moon.

That it is true Wiſdom to undertake ſuch a Cauſe, and ſo to manage it, that whatſoever oppoſition may ariſe, a man may confidently and ſafely appeal to the righteous God. So it was with Moſes, he had undertaken an extraordinary Work, and he had managed it in an extraordinary way; yet ſuch was his carriage in it, that he approveth himſelf to God: And then if men did offend him, ſcorn and reſiſt him; here was his comfort, that his witneſs was in Heaven; though Men did condemn him yet God did juſtify him. Carnal Wiſdom thinks it beſt for men to engage in ſuch a Cauſe, and ſo to carry themſelves, that men may be pleaſed with them; but it is cold comfort to a Priſoner at the bar, that ſome ignorant perſons ſtanding by ſhall acquit him, and the Judge on the Bench ſhall condemn him: A good cauſe and an evil Conſcience are ſo unſuitably match'd, that ſome ſleight occaſion of diſcontent is enough to divorce them.

That evil Men are apt falſely to object things againſt their Betters, which may truly be retorted upon themſelves. Theſe Men ſay to Moſes and Aaron, Ye take too much upon you, which Moſes reſtores unto them, v. 7. ye take too much upon you ye Sons of Levi, and juſtly accuſeth them for medling with things too high for them, which the Lord had never called them to, 1 Reg. 18. 17, 18. Ahab ſaith unto Elijah, Art thou he that troubleſt Iſrael? The Prophet retorteth this upon him, becauſe of his Abominations. The Phariſees charge Chriſts Diſciples for tranſgreſſing the Traditions of the Elders: To whom Chriſt anſwereth, why do ye alſo transgreſs the Commandments of God by your Traditions?

That evil Men pretending only to quarrel with men, do many times riſe up againſt God. Theſe Mutineers pretended to riſe up againſt Moſes and Aaron; but Moſes tells them, that they are riſen up againſt God, That they were gathered together againſt the Lord. What is Aaron that ye murmur againſt him? When by the Providence of God, Men are placed in the Magiſtracy and Miniſtry, and ingaged in it, and act faithfully in their places: Thoſe that band againſt them, do band againſt the God of Heaven, denying his Prerogative, whoſe Right it is to pull down one and ſet up another: Therefore when Men riſe up againſt ſuch, the Lord vindicates his own Authority, and exalts his own Name.

That undervaluing of Gods Mercies makes Men unthankful for them, and diſcontented at their preſent Condition: Moſes ſaid unto Korah, ſeemeth it a ſmall thing to you, that the God of Iſrael-hath ſeparated you from the Congregation of Iſrael, to bring you near to himſelf, to do the Service of the Tabernacle of the Lord, and to ſtand before the Congregation, to miniſter unto them? And he hath brought thee near to himſelf, and all thy Brethren, the Sons of Levi with thee, and ſeek ye the Prieſthood alſo? When great Mercies are undervalued by evil Men, God hath little Thanks, and Men have little Content.

That Evil and Unthankful Men are ſoon apt to forget thoſe Miſeries out of which the Lord hath delivered them. Theſe men v. 13. call Egypt a Land, flowing with Milk and Honey: They ſpeak not of the cruel Bondage they were kept in, that rigorous Servitude that made them weary of their Lives. Now they talk as if God and Moſes had done nothing for them, but deprived them of many comforts they had there. How many men do ſoon forget thoſe dangers, miſeries and ſtraits out of which God hath delivered them? Such forgetfulneſs is diſpleaſing to God.

That thoſe that undertake to maintain a bad Cauſe; who want Strength of Argument to maintain it, they will ſtrengthen it with great words, they will talk confidently and peremptorily before the people, who are apt to be taken more with words than matter.

So here theſe Men talk confidently to Moſes, who being called to come up to the place of Judicature, ſay, we will not come up: Wilt thou make thy ſelf altogether a Prince over us? Wilt thou put out the eyes of theſe Men? Unleſs thou wilt ſay the people have loſt their Eyes, they may ſee thou art guilty of wronging the Multitude. Falſe Teachers are ſaid to ſpeak ſwelling Words, full of vanity, 2 Pet. 2. 19. Hereticks love to ſpeak in a lofty ſtrain, to amaze the ignorant: With what great ſwelling Words do the Popiſh Hereticks ſet forth the Pope's uſurped Supremacy▪ and the glory of their Church? How do they talk of Antiquity, Univerſality, perpetual Succeſſion, Inſalibility, glorious Miracles, ſuch as Chriſt and his Apoſtles never wrought? How do their words ſwell in extolling their Popes Authority over Councils, making his words ſpoken in his Chair as Divine Oracles, as if they had iſſued out of the Throne of Chriſt? let us then put a great difference between great ſwelling words of Vanity, and ſolid and ſubſtantial truths.

God's puniſhments on Traitors are of three ſorts, External, Internal Eternal.

1ſt- External, either when he doth it by ordinary means extraordinarily ſtirred up. The Servants of Amon conſpired againſt him, and ſlew the King in his own houſe, and the people of the land ſlew all them that had conſpired againſt King Amon 2 Reg. 21, 23, 24. Or by means which man cannot uſe, as Miriam was ſmitten with Leproſie for murmuring againſt Moſes, Numb. 12. 1. This puniſhment was memorable both for the ſuddenneſs and ſoreneſs of it; wherefore it is after-ſaid, Remember what the Lord thy God did to Miriam in the way after that ye came forth out of Egypt, Deut. 24. 9. Abſalom was hanged by the hair alive upon an Oak and ſmitten by Joab, and here I have ſhewn you how ſeverely God dwelt with Korah and his company.

And now I wiſh that that Scripture, Pſal. 29. laſt may be made good this day; That all that erred in ſpirit ſhall come to underſtanding, and they that murmured ſhall learn Doctrine. To murmur at Gods Providences, is very prejudicial to us, Seneca tells us, that Caeſar having prepared a great Feaſt for his Nobles and Friends, the day fell out to be very wet, that nothing could be done to the honour of that meeting; Caeſar being greatly diſpleaſed, willed all them that had bows, to ſhoot up their Arrows at Jupiter (then their chief God) in defiance of him for that rainy weather; which they did accordingly. But the Arrows fell ſhort of Heaven, and falling upon their own heads, many of them were ſorely wounded; ſo by our murmuring againſt our Rulers, or againſt any of Gods Providences, we hurt not him at all, but they will light on our own heads, and wound us dangerouſly. Let us all ſtudy peace, and live peaceably, and labour to make up thoſe unhappy breaches that are among us.