N00213:144
A call from heaven to the present and succeeding generations or A discourse wherein…A call from heaven to the present and succeeding generations or A discourse wherin…
A call from heaven to the present and succeeding generations or A discourse wherein is showed, I. That the children of godly parents are under special advantages and encouragements to seek the Lord. : II. The exceeding danger of apostasy, especially as to those that are the children and posterity of such as have been eminent for God in their generation. : III. That young men ought to remember God their creator. / By Increase Mather, teacher of a church in Boston in New-England. ; [Nine lines of quotations]A call from heaven to the present and succeeding generations or A discourse wherin is shewed, I. That the children of godly parents are under special advantages and encouragements to seek the Lord. : II. The exceeding danger of apostasie, especially as to those that are the children and posterity of such as have been eminent for God in their generation. : III. That young men ought to remember God their creator. / By Increase Mather, teacher of a church in Boston in New-England. ; [Nine lines of quotations]
Boston: printed by John Foster, 1679
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
3. I beseech you in the Name of the Lord, that you would in special manner beware of that which was the sin of Solomon: and what was that? Truly sinful Toleration was Solomons great iniquity, whereby he did forsake the Lord. It is said of him, he built high places for Ashtaroth, 2 King.23. 13. because he did tolerate and give public allowance, unto those Idolatries: and that sin of his was the reason why the Lord stirred up Adversaries against him. Do we not find that all the godly reforming Magistrates, spoken of in the Scripture, thought it their concern ⟨p. 76⟩to pull down false worship, as well as to set up the true worship of God. It is a most vain objection which some have made, that we do not read in the New Testament, that the Magistrate did ever punish any, on account of Transgression against the first Table. No more (•aith Calvin) do we read in the New Testament, that the Magistrate; did ever punish men for murder, or other crimes, doth it therefore follow that he ought not so to do? But therein it is said that they ought to punish all evil doers. •om. 13.4. 1. Tim.1.9. And that Transgressions against the first Table are evil deeds, Gal.5.19.20. Phil.3.2. 2. Joh. 10,11. And the holy Apostle wished those false Teachers, who disturbed the peace of the Churches in Galatia cut off. Gal.5.12. Some judicious Authors conceive [b]that he wisheth there had been a christian Magistrate in the world to take such a course with those seducing spirits as they deserved. Moreover, sinful Toleration is an evil of exceeding dangerous consequence. Men of corrupt minds, though they may plead for Toleration, and cry up liberty of Conscience, &c. yet if once they should become numerous, and get power into their hands, none would persecute more than they: So the Donatists