But that is not enough. For the errors first and last about this point, from hence they seem to grow, that men look not back enough, have not an eye to this, how it was "in the Mat. 19. 4. beginning," by the very Law of God. Being therefore to search for the original warrant by which the assemblies of 'This the God's people are called and kept, this place of Numbers is grant of it. generally agreed to be it; that here it is first found, and here it is first founded; even in the Law, the best ground for a power that may be. In Lege quid scriptum est? quomodo legis? saith our Saviour, original "What is written in the Law? how read you there?" as if He Lu. 10. 26. should say, If it be to be read there it is well, then must it needs be yielded to; there is no excepting to it then, unless you will except to Law and Lawgiver, to God and all. Let us then come to this commission. of the The points of it be three; first, "two trumpets of silver," The parts to be made out of "one whole piece" both. Secondly, with grant. these trumpets "the congregation" to be called, and "the camp" removed. Thirdly, Moses to make these trumpets, and being made to use them to these ends. These three; 1. the instrument, 2. the end for which, 3. the party to whom. Now, to marshal these in their right order. 1. The end is to be first; Sapiens semper incipit a fine, saith the philosopher. 'A wise man begins ever at the end,' for that indeed is causa causarum, as logic teacheth us, the cause of all the causes,' the cause that sets them all on working. 2. Then next, the instrument, which applieth this power to this end. 3. And so last, the agent who is to guide the instrument, and to whom both instrument and power is committed. 1. The end for which this power is conveyed is double, as the subject is double whereon it hath his operation; 1. the camp, and the 2. congregation. On either of these a special act exercised; to "remove the camp," to "call together the congregation." One for war, the other for peace. That of the camp hath no longer use than while it is war. God forbid that should be long; nay, God forbid it should be at all. The best removing of the camp is the removing of it quite and clean away. But if it be not possible, if it lie Rom. 12. not in us, to have peace with all men, if war must be, here is order for it. But the calling of the congregation, that is 18. SERM. it; that is to continue, and therefore that which we to deal VII. with. [1.] Assem bling, a motion extraor dinary. The calling of the congregation, as in the two next verses, either in whole or in part; either of all the tribes, or but the chief and principal men in them. A power for both thesc. And in a word, a power general for calling assemblies; assemblies in war, assemblies in peace, assemblies of the whole, assemblies of each or any part. 2. This power to be executed by instruments: the instruments to be trumpets, two in number; those to be of silver, and both of one entire piece of silver. 3. This power, and the executing of it by these instruments, committed to Moses. First he to have the making of these trumpets, Fac tibi; then he to have the right to them being made, Et erunt tibi; then he to use them to "call the congrcgation," and if need be to "remove the camp." None to make any trumpet but he; none to have any trumpet but he. None to meddle with the calling of the congregation or removing the camp with them but he, or by his leave and appointment. Wherein as we find the grant full, so are we further to search and see whether this grant took place or no. Whether as these trumpets were made and given to "call the congregation," so the congregation from time to time have been called by these trumpets. And so first of the granting this power to be executed, and then of the executing this power so granted. So have we two subjects, "the camp" and "the congregation." Two acts, to "assemble" and to "remove." Two instruments, the "two silver trumpets." Two powers: to make them, to own them being made for the two acts or ends before specified; first for calling the assembly, and then for dislodging the camp. And all these committed to Moses. The sum of all this is, the establishing in Moses the prerogative and power of calling and dissolving assemblies about public affairs. Then God spake to Moses, &c. If we begin with the end, the end is assembling. Assembling is reduced to motion; not to every motion, but to the very chiefest of all, as that which draweth together all, and so at once moveth all. For as in the soul when the mind summoneth all the powers and faculties together, or in the body when all the sinews join their forces together it is ultimum potentiæ; so in the body politic when all the estates arc drawn together into one, it is nixus rather than motus, a main sway rather than a motion; or if a motion, it is motus magnus, no common and ordinary, but an extraordinary great motion. Such a motion is assembling, and such is the nature of it. tion." Yet even this, great and extraordinary as it is, such and so Yet necesurgent occasions may and do daily arise, as very requisite it is sary. such meetings there should be; very requisite, I say, both in war and in peace, both for "the camp" and for "the congregation." For "the The ground whereof seemeth to be, that power dispersed may camp." do many things; but to do some, it must be united. United in consultation; for that which one eye cannot discern, many For "the may. United in action; for many hands may discharge that congregaby parts, which in whole were too troublesome for any. But action is more proper to war: that is the assembly of fortitude. And consultation rather for peace: that is the assembly of prudence. And in peace, chiefly for making of laws; for that every man is more willing to submit himself to that whereof all do agree. The whole "camp" then when it is assembled, will be the more surely fortified; and the whole "congregation," when it is assembled, will be the more soundly advised. And hereby it cometh to pass, that there ever hath and ever will be great use of calling assemblies. this land of Britain. Let me add yet one thing further, to bring it home to Especially ourselves. There is no people under heaven may better for s speak for the use of assemblies than we; there was nothing that did our ancestors the Britons more hurt, saith Tacitus a of them, nothing that turned them to greater prejudice than this one, that they met not, they consulted not in common, but every man ran a course by himself of his own head; and this was the greatest advantage the Roman had of them, they were not so wise as to know what good there was in 2 Nec aliud adversus validissimas gentes pro nobis utilius, quam quod in commune non consulunt. Rarus ad pro L pulsandum commune periculum con- SERM. public conventions. Therefore great use of assemblies, may we say of all others. VII. Now if they be needful for "the camp," and for "the congregation" as it is a civil body, I doubt not but I may add also every way as needful for "the congregation" properly so Necessary called, that is, the Church. The Church hath her wars to Church. fight, the Church hath her laws to make. for the Wars with heresies, wherein experience teacheth us it is matter of less difficulty to raze a good fort than to cast down a strong imagination, and more easy to drive out of the field a good army of men than to chase out of men's minds a heap of fond opinions, having once taken head. Now hercsics have ever been best put to flight by the Church's assemblies, that is, councils, as it were by the armies of God's Angels, as Eusebius calleth them; yea, it is well known some heresies lib. 3. could never be thoroughly mastered or conquered but so. De vita Constan cap. 6. 2 Instruments. Trumpets. 52. Then for the Church's laws, which we call canons and rules, made to restrain or redress abuses, they have always likewise been made at her assemblies in councils, and not elsewhere. So that as requisite are assemblies for the congregation in this sense, as in any other. By this then that hath been said it appeareth that God's Fac tibi here is no more than needs, but that meet it is the trumpets be put to making. And so I pass over to the instruments, which is the second part. Assembling we said is reduced to motion. Motion is a work of power. Power is executed organice, that is, by instrument; so an instrument we must have, wherewithal to stir up or to begin this motion. 1. That instrument to be the trumpet. It is the sound that God Himself made choice of, to use at the publishing or proclaiming His Law. And the same sound He will have continued and used still for assemblies, which are, as hath been said, special supporters of His Law. And the very same He will use too at the last, when He will take account of the 1 Cor. 15. keeping or breaking of it, which shall be done in tubá novissimâ, by the sound of "the last trump." And He holdeth on, or continueth one and the same instrument, to shew it is one and the same power that continueth still; that whether an Angel blow it as at Sinai, or whether Moses as ever after, it is one sound, even God's sound, God's voice we hear in both. 2. They are to be twain, for the two assemblies that follow Two. in the next verses; either of the whole tribes, coagmentative, or of the chief and choice persons of them only, representative. And for the two tables also. For even this very month, the first day, they are used to a civil end; the tenth day to a holy, for the day of expiation; of which this latter belongeth to the first, that former to the second table. "Of 3. 3. They are to be "of silver" (not to seek after speculations) only, for the metal's sake, which hath the shrillest and clearest silver." sound of all others. 4. They are to be "of one whole piece" both of them, not of two diverse; and that must needs have a meaning, it can not be for nothing. For unless it were for some meaning, what skilled it else though they had been made of two several plates? but only to shew that both assemblies are unius juris, both of one and the same right;' as the trumpets are wrought and beaten out, both of one entire piece of bullion. 3. But it will be to small purpose to stand much upon the instrument; I make way therefore to the third point, how they shall be bestowed, who shall have the dealing with them ; for on them depends, and with them goeth the power of calling assemblies. 4. "Of one entire piece." commit First, to whom these trumpets, to whom this power was To whom granted, "to call the congregation ;" and then whether "the ted. congregation" were ever after so called by this power and these trumpets. 1. Where first it will be soon agreed, I trust, that every Not to all. body must not be allowed to be a maker of trumpets; nor when they be made, that they hang where who that list may blow them; that is, that every man hand over head is not to be in case to draw multitudes together: there will be, saith St. Luke, turbatio non minima, “no small ado" if that may be Acts19.23. suffered. If Demetrius getteth together his fellow-craftsmen, they may of their own heads rush into the common hall, and there keep a shouting and crying two hours together, not knowing most of them why they came thither-and yet thither they came. There is not so much good in public meetings, but there is thrice as much hurt in such as this; no |