not justly be condemned by another Church much less opposed or deserted by her own state For that such a Church is without doubt Gods Trustee and hath not been faulty in the discharge of her Trust and may not be hindred or molested in dischaging it SECT VIII The Trust of particular Churches is immediately from God himself both in regard of the Magistrate and of the Minister That Trust much stood upon in the Primitive times and ought to be so still because it is founded on the holy Scriptures And that this Doctrine concerning the Trust of particular Churches doth not canton or disjoynt the Catholick Church T IS no hard matter to prove That particular Churches are Gods immediate Trustees though they have but a limited Trust For else will follow the greatest absurdity that can be imagined and much greater that may be granted viz. That God hath left the blood of his Son the dictates of his Spirit the honour of his name exposed to all the contempts and prophanations and corruptions of perverse and ignorant and wicked men if he hath not entrusted them all with some such persons who are bound to see them neither prophaned nor contemned nor corrupted And who were those his Trustees at first but only his Apostles and who have they been ever since but their Successors Bishops and Ministers Take heed unto the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers Acts 20. 28. O Timothy keep that which is committed to thy Trust 1 Tim. 6. 20. The Minister whether Bishop or Priest is immediately intrusted with the care of souls and with those truths and administrations which directly concern the soul For the civil Magistrate though he be Christian yet is not capable of discharging the spiritual part of this Trust being not called of God as was Aaron to do the office of a Priest though he be called of God as was Moses to have power and dominion over Priests For in that he is governour of the State he is also governour of the Church which is in and within the State and in that he is governour of the Church he must needs have his share in the Trust of the Church concerning Religion as far as Religion is liable to the government of the State sc to be ordered protected and defended by it For as God at first used the extraordinary power of miracles to maintain his word and Sacraments and to strike the opposers and profaners of them either with death or with other corporal punishments as S. Paul saith of the Corinthians For this cause many are weakly and sick among you and many sleep 1 Cor. 11. 30. sc because of your profaning the blessed Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ So in process of time he was pleased to use the ordinary power of the Civil Magistrate for the same purposes never leaving himself without witness having given a directive and spiritual power to the Ministery a coactive and external power to the Magistracy for the suppressing of wickedness and vice and for the promoting of true Religion and Virtue Therefore both Magistracy and Ministery have the immediate Trust of Religion and God hath commanded both to assist hath allowed neither to oppose the other in the execution of his Trust Both are obliged to see there be a right exercise of Religion the one to perform it the other to countenance and protect it And both have their Trust immediately from God and this is that which I call the Trust of particular Churches nor is it to be imagined That if God had given the Trust of all Churches to some general Vicar of his who derived his power immediately from him and was to derive the same to others but that he would have given some notice of this universal Trustee that others might not invade this Trust without his leave much less manage it without his Authority yet this he was willing to plead for who said Petrus Paulo dedit licentiam praedicandi Gl. in Grat. Dist 11. cap. 11. that Saint Peter gave Saint Paul a licence to preach and that Authoritate Domini by Gods own command who said Acts 13. Sepatate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereto I have called them He will needs bring Saint Peter from Jerusalem to Antioch of purpose to lay his hands on Saint Paul though the Holy-Ghost reckons up these particular men who were bid do that work and reckons not Saint Peter among them nay though Saint Paul himself plainly tels us that he had Preached full three years before he once saw Saint Peter Gal. 1. 17 18. and then was fain to go up to Jerusalem not to Antioch to see him and only to see him not to receive commission or Instruction from him So Saint Chrysostome upon the words Gal. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He wanted Peter for nothing but being equal in honour with him that I may say no more now yet he went up to him as to his Superiour and his Ancient And he tell us this of purpose saith he that we should not think the ensuing reprehension proceeded either out of hatred or envy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for it is plain he loved the man and respected him more then any other of the Apostles for he saith Other of the Apostles saw I none Yet he did but go to see him not to learn of him much less to receive spiritual power from him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I did but see him I did not learn of him saith the same Saint Chrysostome And indeed it is scarce imaginable that Saint Paul was rapt up into the third Heaven the proper dwelling place of God to hear unspeakable words to be Tongue-tied on earth by any man so as not to be able to preach without his License Nay on the contrary it is clearly evident from the Holy Scriptures and from all Antiquity that not only Saint Paul but also all the other Apostles did Preach the Gospel found Churches ordain Bishops excommunicate offenders without any delegation from Saint Peter only by their own immediate Authority And it is also evident that they all derived their Authority to their several Churches after them and that those several Churches did very much insist upon that authority which they could not lawfully have done had it not been derived to them by the Apostles Thus Saint Cyprian pleads for his Church of Carthage Ne quisquam se Episcopum Episcoporum constituat aut tyrannico terrore ad obsequendi necessitatem collegas suos adigat quando habeat omnis Episcopus pro licentia libertatis potestatis suae arbitrium proprium tanquam judicari ab alio non possit quà m nec ipse possit alterum judicare Neither let any man make himself a Bishop of Bishops nor by his tyrannical threats seek to compell his collegues to be his Vassals since every Bishop hath his own native liberty and power to determine for himself as one that may neither Iudge his fellow-Bishop
humiliation was in the fulness of time BVT when the fulness of the time was come God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the Law To redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of sons The words do plainly set forth our Saviour Christs emptiness but they carry with them a threefold fulness First a fulness of Time when the fulness of the time was come Secondly a fulness of Love God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the Law Thtrdly a fulness of joy To redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the Adoption of sons All which considerations are so fit to welcom Christ at his Nativity That I will conform to them the three Chapters of my ensuing discourse For though time be little or nothing in its continuance an instant only but is all in its succession yet the fulness of time which the Apostle mentions may be to us as a looking-glass wherein to behold and to contemplate if not the nature and duration yet sure the work and the consultation of eternity SECT III. The fulness of time in which Christ came to humble himself was the Perfection of time THE Hebrews call the perfection of every thing its fulness so Cant. 5. 12. The Church speaking of Christ saith His eyes were fitly set but it is in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 manentes juxta plenitudinum sitting or set in fulness that is In all manner of perfection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Aben Ezra set so exactly as those precious stones that are inlayed and set by measure And Saint Matthews 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not only ut Impleretur but also ut Perficeretur not only That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet but also that it might be Perfected To wit That it might be perfected and consummated in the Anti-type which had been only begun or initiated in the Type All the former Prophesies of the Old Testament receiving in Christ not only their fulness but also their Perfection So then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Apostles meaning Gal. 4. 4. represents unto us two things Plenitudo Temporis and Perfectio Temporis the fulness of Time and the perfection of Time And both these were joyned together in that particular Time which the eternal Son of God was pleased not only to honour but also to sanctifie by his coming into the world for it was a full Time and it was a perfect Time SECT IV. God observed the fulness of time for the sending of Christ to fill our souls with Patience and with Piety which two make up the true Christians fulness AS God observes a time for every Gift so he observes a fulness of time for a full Gift To endue our souls with a fulness of Patience and with a fulness of Thankfulness with a fulness of Patience whiles the full gift is yet coming and with a fulness of thankfulness when it is at last come This twofold fulness must be in every Christian soul to entertain our Saviour Christ or it will have an emptiness of Christianity They are both together in the Prophets Hymn of Thanksgiving Isa 25. 9. Lo this is our God we have waited for him and he will save us This is the Lord we have waited for him we will be glad and rejoyce in his salvation We have waited for him there 's the fulness of Patience we will be glad and rejoyce in his salvation there 's the fulness of Thankfulness First God requires in all Christian souls a fulness of Patience Hence it was that though he promised Christ in the first beginning of the world Gen. 3. 15. yet he did not send him till towards the latter end of it surely to make us the more sensible of our own misery and by it the more capable of his mercy And to endear his everlasting love unto our souls whiles we profess by our waiting his leisure That we cannot pretend Desert where we are bound to Patience and consequently what we cannot expect with too much Patience we may not receive with too little thankfulness But there is also another reason of our Patience that as Christ was long expected in his first so he may also be long expected in his second coming For as we waited for the Saviour so also must we wait for the salvation God waits to give it much more must man wait to receive it so saith the Prophet Isa 30. 18. And therefore will the Lord wait that he maybe gracious unto you there 's the first God waiting to give grace Blessed are all they that wait for him there 's the second man waiting to receive Grace And he waits not in vain for he is blessed in and for his waiting and much more after it So saith the Apostle Rom 8. 24. By hope ye are saved Our salvation though it is unseen for it is by hope yet it is not unsure for we are saved we must seek it with diligence that we may find it for it is unseen and we must seek it with Patience because we shall find it by seeking for it is not unsure If there be diligence in seeking there will be joy in finding according to that of the Psalmist Psal 71. 12. As for me I will patiently abide alway and praise thee more and more with the increase of Patience is the increase of Piety the more Patiently he abides the more Piously he praises till at last from a fulness of Patience he comes to a fulness of Piety that is to say a fulness of Devotion and of thankfulness SECT V. The Authority of God and of his Church for a solemn Festival to celebrate the coming of Christ and that the Church did not more then her duty in appointing that Festival and an Advent Sunday to prepare for it and that we cannot justly or safely gainsay that appointment LEss then a fulness of time would not serve God to give his Son Less then a fulness of time may not serve us to acknowledge that gift So that we have a sufficient warrant for a long and a solemn Festival to celebrate the coming of Christ into the world God himself observing a time and a fulness of time to send forth his Son to come to us is warrant enough for us to observe a time and a fulness of time to give thanks and to rejoyce for his coming Be ye followers of me even as I also am of Christ was the Apostles irresistible argument for the Corinthians obedience 1 Cor. 11. 1. And it may still be the Argument of every National Church which is the Grand Apostle of its own Nation and must be till the worlds end you are bound to be followers of me when and where I do follow Christ though no further may you obey me nor may I challenge your Obedience then that we may both together follow our blessed Saviour The Authority of the Apostle is under the
Auhority of Christ The Authority of the Church under the Authority of Scripture the word of Christ But where the Apostle doth indeed follow Christ there to run away from the Apostle is in effect to run away from Christ even as to follow him is indeed to follow Christ The like must be said of the Authority of the Church which succeeds the Authority of the Apostles unless we will suppose all the promises of Christ to his Apostles and all the Precepts of the Apostles to the People to have been meerly momentary and temporal and not to have been written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come 1 Cor. 10. 11. A supposition so far from true godliness that you see it is directly against the express Word of God Wherefore we may not doubt to follow the Church in those things wherein the Church follows Christ And the Church follows Christ in all those things for which she can alledge either Precept or Precedent from the Word of Christ or can give a reason agreeable with his Word And we cannot deny but that in this case the Church hath both Precedent and Precept and Reason drawn from the Word of Christ The Precedent is in general from the Jews appointing the Feast of Dedication without any peculiar command of the Old yet not without the approbation of the New Testament John 10. 22. In special from the Angels of God who most zealously kept this Festival The Precept is from the general equity of the Levitical Law which still obligeth Christians as it is subservient to Moral and Religious though not to Typical and Ceremonious worship and that plainly calls for Annual Festivals in honour of Christ unless we will say that less honour is due to him since he is come in the flesh then was due to him before his coming The Reason is clearly from the very institution of the Church for God gave Pastors and Teachers for the edifying of the body of Christ Ephes 4. 12. but the right way of edifying is to lay the foundation upon the chief corner-stone And doubtless this was the reason why the Church first appointed an Advent Sunday which must needs be very antient or else all the Order of the service could not depend upon it because she observed that all the Documents of the Old Testament did aim only at this To fit and prepare men for the coming of Christ and therefore was desirous That we might so prepare our selves to receive Christ at his first coming to save us that we might not tremble at his second coming to Judge us Accordingly the Greek Church began their preparatory Feast for the Nativity of Christ on the 20. of December that is five compleat daies before the Feast it self as appears by their Chronologie where the 20. of Decem. is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the beginning of the Preparatory feasts of the Incarnation of our blessed Saviour Lord make me so to celebrate thy coming to us in our flesh that I may daily find and feel thy coming to me in my soul God observed a time so may we in that he teacheth us by his example God observed a time for his Son so will we if he doth also teach us by his Communion Saint Peter intimates both kinds of Gods teaching man 1 Pet. 1. 15 16. But as he which hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation because it is written Be ye holy for I am holy As if he had said ye ought to be holy not only for the example but also from the Communion of my Holiness It is not for Christians to be guilty of prophaness when Christ by his communion calleth them to holiness SECT VI. Christmas no superstitions word And Christmas day observed not for it self but for its duty takes off all controversies and can fall under no just exceptions and may not fall under any unjust cavils much less calumnies GOD observed not time for it self but for his Son so must we observe no Festival for it self but only for our Saviour no day for it self but for the Lord. Were Christmas-Day for that word is no more Popishly superstitious to me then the spirit of Python Acts 16. 16. or the signs of Castor and Pollux Acts 28. 11. were Paganly superstitious to Saint Luke I say were Christmas-Day to be observed for it self as the 25. Day of December we had need to go not only to the Roman Archives for a moral assurance but also to the Christian Archives the word of God for a Theological assurance That Christ was born on that very Day or we could not Religiously observe it in the assurance of Faith But since Christmas-Day is to be observed for its Duty which is to give God thanks for the blessed Nativity of his eternal Son who took our nature upon him and was born of a pure Virgin to Redeem us from Sin Death and the Devil a moral assurance is more then enough for the Day which indeed is the best assurance we can have of any day since we have a full Theological assurance for the Duty And here I cannot but say in zeal to my Saviour and to the salvation of their souls of whom Saint Peter prophesied when he said That there shall come in the last daies scoffers walking after their own lusts 2 Pet. 3. 3. what Saint Paul once said to the Iews at Antioch Acts 13. 40 41. Beware therefore least that come upon you which is spoken of in the Prophets Behold ye Despisers and wonder and perish yea behold that ye may wonder and wonder that ye may not perish in your despisings of God and of his Church For whosoever shall scoff and mock at the keeping of Christmas-day in relation to the 25. Day of December is guilty of Ignorance Immodesty and Indiscretion because he mocks at the Practice of millions of men much wiser then himself But he that shall mock at keeping it in relation to the Duty must also be guilty of Impiety Infidelity and Irreligion because he mocks at the profession of an Article of the Christian Faith and of that Article which is indeed the Ground and Foundation of all the Rest For if Christ had not been born he could not have suffered nor have risen again So that upon this one Article of Christs Nativity are indeed grounded all the other Articles of our Christian Faith So nearly doth it concern us to maintain our publick profession of this Article least we should be thought to have forgotten or to have forsaken all the rest And this is reason enough why amongst other daies we should still observe this day of Christs Nativity not for it self for so happily it may not be safe to observe any day but for the Lord so shall we not impeach our Christian liberty and we shall improve our Christian Piety SECT VII The difference betwixt a Jewish and a Christian observation of daies This latter a moral part
life which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ I doubt not but the Church might for her liberty have changed more of those Collects then she thought fit to change but infinitely bless God that she valued her Christian charity above her Christian liberty so that she hath never at all changed but for the better not desiring to depart from other Christians but only to come nearer to our Saviour Christ And truly when the Contest was once broached between the Church and the Scriptures in point of authority the most unhappy Contest that ever was broached among Christians for some Church men by laying aside the Authority of Christ did in effect teach other men to lay aside the authority of the Church I say when this unhappy Contest was once broached between the Church and the Scriptures in point of Authority it was high time for our Church to cleave to the Scriptures that she might profess her desire and intention of remaining truly Christian wherein she did but follow Saint Peters own example saying Lord to whom shall we go Thou hast the words of eternal life John 6 68. For surely our blessed Saviour did not bring down with him the words of eternal life to carry them back again to heaven but to leave them here on Earth and where hath he left them if not in the holy Scriptures Wherefore since Christ himself alledged the Scriptures to confirme the Apostles in their faith who yet believed because they had seen him with their their own eyes John 20. 29 How shall any Christian Church deny the People to read the Scripture c. and not hinder the confimation of their faith in Christ For when the Church hath done all that she can to make true believers she must confess that their faith doth not stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God 1 Cor. 2. 5. and that the word of God is the chiefest instrument of his Power according to that of the holy Apostle For the word of God is quick and powerfull and sharper then any two edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of Soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Heb. 4. 12. In which words the Spirit of God setteth forth the excellency of the word of God from its nature and from its effects from its nature that it is quick and powerfull neither a dull nor a dead letter but quick in motion and powerfull in operation from its effects that it pierceth that it devideth that it discerneth the thoughts and intents of the Heart Piercing the thoughts by entring into the botom of our hearts to make us sound and sincere Christians against Hypocrisie Dividing the thoughts by separating good from evil Truth from falshood in our Religion to make us Orthodox Christians against Heresie and discerning the thoughts by shewing us the first truth and the chiefest good in our religion to make us firm and constant Christians against Apostasie For that man never yet discovered Christ in his Religion who could be perswaded to fall away from it He was at the best but a divider of the truth from falshood He was not a Discerner of the first Truth in that Truth which he professed for then he would have been immovable in his Profession Wherefore if you would indeed perswade or rather tempt me for t is properly a temptation which induceth to evil to leave the Scriptures that I may cleave to the Church you must first be able to shew so much in behalf of the Church as is here said in behalf of the Scriptures or you were as good perswade and tempt me to quit my reason that I may get Religion or to cease to be a man that I may begin to be a Christian SECT II. The Apparition to above five hundered at once cleared And Christ considered in his Instructions before he ascended That these Instructions are more particularly to be observed as more directly conducing to the Constitution and the Conservation of his Church Those Instructions briefly explained as they are set down Mat. 28. 19 20. THE proper work of a Christian is to consider and contemplate his Saviour Christ in all his sayings and in all his doings for never any speak like him who was the eternal word of God never any did like him who was the eternal son of God but more particularly in those which come neerest his Ascention for all those his sayings and doings do more immediately and directly concern the Constitution and the conservation of his Church it pleasing the blessed Redeemer and lover of Souls to give his special directions and instructions to his holy Apostles when he was even now to be taken away from them that so he might leave behind him in their minds the stronger impressions of his all-saving Truth and the greater assurance and perswasions of his everlasting love Wherefore though no one word that ever our blessed Saviour was pleased to speak either concerning his love towards us or our duty towards him should be let fall to the ground without our observation because he was so much our friend yet the words that he spake last of all should most diligently be received most carefully retained and most conscionally regarded because they were the words not only of a loving but also of a parting friend and by consequent such words as should both represent him and comfort us during his absence though never so long and keep him in our remembrance till his coming again when he will undoubtedly exact a severe account both of the Ministers of the people how they have observed those words For this cause though our blessed Saviour did after the day of his Resurrection make five more apparitions before his Ascension as that after eight dayes when S. Thomas was now with the rest of the Apostles Joh. 20. 26. And that to his Disciples who went a fishing Joh. 21. 4. And that to his eleven disciples on the mountain in Galilee Mat. 28. 16. And those two spoken of by S. Paul which are not at all mentioned by the Evangelists the one to above five hundred brethren at once the other to S. James alone 1 Cor. 15. 6 7. Yet I will omit all these because the words he spake to his Apostles were spoken on the very day of his Resurrection as well as at the time of his Ascension Only I cannot but wish that Beza had spared his Criticism upon S. Pauls words 1 Cor. 15. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quod si vero scriptum erat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Quinquaginta Non certè mirum est quingentos hic fratres commemorari quum postea coacto universo coetu numerentur duntaxat centum viginti Act. 1. 15. What if it were at first written by the numeral letter◠which signifies fifty and that fifty come after to be made five hundred for we see that all the
t is plain that the New Testament was not only before their eyes but also within their hearts for they proved all their several Doctrines out of it particularly this position that Christ is God by the union of the manhood with the God-head they proved 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of the Apostle Saint Pauls writings among which is also reckoned up the Epistle to the Hebrews 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of the Epistles general of Saint Peter Saint John Saint Jude 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of the Gospels peculiarly so called Concil Ephes par 1. And t is most evident that the Doctrines delivered by the four first general Councils in their Creeds are all plainly to be proved by the Scriptures so that we may easily grant that they placed the Holy Gospel in the midst of their Synods as it were to make protestation that they intended to obtrude no other faith to the world then what they had met with there and could prove from thence and consequently not to desire other mens communion with them in their Doctrines further then themselves had in the same Doctrines communion with the Holy Ghost Wherefore this is the ready way for every particular Church to be sure to keep communion with the Catholick Church in her Doctrine to adhere stedfastly to the written Word of God which is the only indisputable ground of that Doctrine For this Word alone sheweth that the Jews in Moral worship had communion with Christians and that both the Jews then had and Christians now have in the same worship communion with Christ They have Moses and the Prophets saith our blessed Saviour let them hear them Luke 6. 29. And again If they hear not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead ver 31. We Christians have not only Moses and the Prophets but also the Apostles for the foundation of our Churches and as we are sure that Moses and the Prophets were delivered incorrupt to our first Fathers for else our Saviour Christ would not have appealed unto them but rather have reproved the Jews for corrupting them so ought we to be sure that the Apostles are now delivered as incorrupt unto us unless we will say that the Christian Church hath been less faithful then the Jewish Synagogue in keeping the Text and by so saying quite disannul her authority in expounding it and so cut our selves off from one of the best means of our salvation Why thou should not these writings of Moses and the Prophets and the Apostles which are the only proof of our Churches be also the grand establishment of our communion For as t is the faith that makes the Church so t is the agreement in the Faith that makes the communion of the Church truely Christian Accordingly our own Church hath taught us to pray most exquisitely for this Christian communion in these words Beseeching thee to inspire continually the universal Church with the Spirit of truth unity and concord and to grant that all they that do confess thy holy Name may agree in the truth of thy holy word and live in unity and godly love A prayer so full of true Christian affection that its Christianity will acquit it from Novelty though it be scarce to be found in any antient Greek or Latine Liturgie for it setteth forth true Christian communion in all its four causes in its efficient cause the Spirit of truth unity and concord in its material cause the universal Church in its formal cause the agreement in the truth of Gods holy Word and in its final cause to live in unity and godly love How can any man that heartily saith this prayer be either an Heretick by willingly sinning against the truth of Gods Word or a schismatick by wilfully sinning against the unity of Gods Church We may conclude then That all the several Christian Churches in the world which have been are and shall be do concur together as members to make up the body of Christ or the Catholick Church and that all of them as Christian are joyned together though thousand of miles and years asunder in one outward communion by agreeing in the same word of Christ and in one inward communion by enjoying the same Spirit of Christ The outward communion joyns the members to the body and I would to God that they were not so much disjoyned and disjoynted The inward communion joyns the body to the head and I bless God that in that respect there can be no disjunction T is dangerous to be a separatist from the first but t is damnable to be a separatist from the second communion to communicate with Gods most holy Spirit in Gods most holy Word is the most sure and ready way to communicate with the Catholick Church aud that will keep us from being hereticks for no heretick as such doth communicate either with Gods Word or with Gods Spirit To communicate with the Catholick Church is the most sure and ready way to communicate with Christ himself and that will keep us from being Schismaticks for no Schismatick as such doth communicate with Christ either in his body or in himself But still we must remember that communion with the Word and with the Church is nothing worth without communion with Christ and with the Spirit and that will keep us from being hypocrites For no hypocrite doth communicate with Christ and with his Spirit either in his word or in his Church And we have need in these dangerous times of all three cautions for never was there any Heresie without a Schism and seldome is there any desperate Schism without most damnable hypocrisie SECT VI. The Catholick Church properly so called hath in it neither Herereticks Schismaticks nor Hypocrites but commonly so called comprizeth all those Christians who outwardly embrace the truth and worship of Christ That our own particular Church keeping communion with the Catholick requires our communion by the authority of the Catholick Church The authority and Trust of particular National Churches from Scripture and Councils A sober and a pious resolution not to sin against the authority of the Church by willfull Schism and the reasons of that resolution THE special number of right believing and therefore righteously doing Christians in all the several Churches of the Christian world which communicate in all things wherein Christians should is alone truly and properly named the Catholick Church because it consisteth of them only that without addition diminution alteration or innovation in matter of doctrine hold the common faith once delivered to the Saints so that t is impossible for them to be Hereticks And without all particular or private division or â—actâ—on retain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace so that t is impossible for them to be either Hypocrites or Schismaticks they cannot be hypocrites because they have the spirit of God and they cannot be Schismaticks because they hold the unity of
that spirit in the bond of peace Whence we may gather this Negative definition of a true Catholick that he is such a one who is neither Heretick nor Schismatick nor Hypocrite and this positive definition of a the Catholick Church that it is such a number Christians as profess the faith of Christ in Verity Unity and Sincerity in verity and so are distinguished from Hereticks in unity and so are distinguished from Schismaticks in sincerity and so are distinguished from Hypocrites And this is the Catholick Church perfectly and properly so called And of this Catholick Church are those words of Epiphanius to be understood at the end of Colorbasii or his thirty-fifth heresie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My dove my undefiledis but one saith Christ Cant. 6. 9. that is his holy spouse the Catholick Church called a dove for her mildness innocency and purity and called undefiled for the perfect grace and knowledge she hath received from God through our Saviour Christ by the holy Ghost But yet we must acknowledge that the Catholick Church commonly so called is of a larger signification then to express and of a larger extension then to comprize only these choice and selected Christians For all that outwardly embrace the truth and worship of Christ do make but one Catholick Church for as much as they all concur in the outward profession of faith in the same common Saviour and in the outward use of those means of Salvation which he hath appointed though they neither profess the faith so incorruptly as it was taught nor use the means so inoffensively as they were appointed And this Divinity That all Christians are incorporated into one body of Christ or one Catholick Church hath been taught us by Saint Paul who saith That he might reconcile both Jew and Gentiles unto God in one body Eph. 2 16. and again That the Gentiles should be of the same body Eph. 3. 6. that is to say of the same body externally by the same word and Sacraments and of the same body internally by the same spirit of Christ Wherefore the unity of this body of Christians as t is a visible body is from one thing and as t is a mystical body is from another For the unity of the Mystical body of Christ is only from the Holy-Ghost joining all the members together and each particular member to the Head But the unity of the visible body of Christ is from one Lord one Faith one Baptism all the members of the Church as t is visible being to be discerned and known by this character even by the outward profession of that truth and by the outward use of those means which Christ their common Lord and Saviour hath instituted and ordained for their Salvation Wherefore all men that have the profession of Christs saving truth and do practice the means of salvation must be acknowledged to belong to one Christian or to one Catholick Church as being sanctified by the profession of that truth and the use of those means though their ptofession be not so entire nor their practice so exact as it ought to be Whence the Apostle writing to the Corinthians though much over run with Heresie and Schism yet writeth on this manner Vnto the Church of God which is at Corinth to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus 1 Cor. 1. 2. For in that they were of the Christian Church by the outward profession of Christs truth and the practice of his commands they were sanctified in Christ Jesus though some of them were Hereticks and denied the resurrection others were Schismaticks and denied the Apostles authority For even Hereticks and Schismaticks though they do not hold in verity and in unity the entire profession of Christs Truth yet are they of the Christian Church generally so called for that truth which they do hold and as far as they remain parts of the true Christian Church so far they may be a means of saving others either by preaching the word or administring the Sacraments though by reason of their Heresie and Schism they themselves without repentance are not in the state of Salvation And surely we cannot reasonably think that there were neither Hereticks nor Schismaticks in the Churches of Ephesus Philippi and Colosse and yet the same Apostle saith To the Saints which are at Ephesus Ephes 1. 1 To all the Saints which are at Philippi Phil. 1. 1. and to the Saints and faithfull brethren in Christ which are at Colosse Col. 1. 2. In all which Epistles doubtless Saint Paul writ to the visible body of the several Churches and sent his letters to the visible head of that body as Saint John did his epistles to the Angels of the several Churches Rev. 2. 13 and yet he called them Saints and faithfull brethren not that they were all really such but that they were indeed called of God to be such and if they were not so in their own inward affection t was their own fault He was sure they were so in their outward profession and therefore might justly be so called It was their parts to make good that glorious title not his part to forbear it for they were indeed sanctified through the outward profession of Christs saving Name and Truth and therefore he could not in charity but think and say they were also sanctified by the inward affection of the same Nor may any man suppose that the Apostle did send his directions and instructions to the mystical but to the Visible body of Christ unless he will say that the Apostle intended to bring confusion into the Church which for its singular order is called acies ordinata a well ordered army wherein not one man is suffered to be out of rank or that he intended to gratifie some proud contentious spirits by laying such grounds of schism and faction as might breed strifes and quarrels about the right of Church Government unto the worlds end For who can tell by looking in a mans forehead that he is one of the mystical body of Christ having communion with him through the Holy-Ghost whence it will follow that those who are best conceited of themselves will violently invade at least readily usurp the government of others and consequently pride and presumption will challenge universal jurisdiction for they who have so much pride as to say they are more neerly linked in communion with Christ then their brethren have seldome so much piety as to make good that saying Wherefore it is safest for men to believe that though the promises of grace chiefly concern the mystical yet the precepts chiefly concern the visible Church for as much as Christ hath intrusted that both with the doctrine and with the means of salvation with the ministry both of his Word and Sacraments For these are without question deposited with the visible Church though none are benefited by them so far as to attain Salvation but only those that are of the invisible Church or the mystical body of Christ But
men can establish a better Religion then Gods word hath established they cannot find they should not seek a better Church then such as most entirely professeth that Religion For a Church which hath the Religion God commands must needs have the Communion God approves This smal piece seeks to justifie such a Church and hopes to be the confirmation of your faith and not only the Account of mine Wherein I profess my self an Accountant not as a Politician but as a Divine For without doubt so many pious Ministers scandalous chiefly for this that they durst be true to their Oaths and to their Trust in such a perfidious and false age have not lost themselves for nothing in this present world But they have a good conscience to comfort them against their losses and a good cause to countenance them against the world However this can be no immodest assertion to say that he which values the Communion of his Church above his living is most likely to value the Religion of his Church above his life and God make me such a scandalous Minister For I may not forsake the true Christian Religion without being a againstâ—…y â—…y God nor the true Christian Communion without being a Separation from Him And if such a Religion and such a Communion be in the Church I seek to justifie I shall fall under the curse of Meroz if I do not my best to justifie it For this is not to come to the help of the Lord to the help of the Lord against the mighty Judges 5. 23. unless we ought rather to say they have lost their might by opposing the Lord who have lost their Innocency by opposing his Church If you be Unchristian you may perchance think I seek to justifie a Church that is not to be regarded If Antichristian A Church that is to be oppressed But if truly Christian you know I seek to justifie a Church which conscience doth bid you to regard and God doth forbid others to oppress A Church which doth most entirely set forth Gods glory without the falsities of a superstitious or the novelties of a factious worship and in that it doth most entirely set forth Gods glory it cannot but most entirely promote Mans salvation And this being the proper End of Religion is also the proper work of a Church which though it may be a company from the multitude of worshippers yet is it not a Communion but from the verity and unity of worship O thou who art the way the truth and the life the way for us to walk in the truth to direct our goings the life to reward us at our journeys end forgive us our many strayings out of thy way our fierce oppositions against thy truth that thou mayst give us the happy enjoyments of thy life O thou eternal Sun of righteousness who hast enlightned the Christian Church by thy Holy word and holy example and multiplied illuminations of thy holy Spirit be pleased also to enlighten our wandring souls that thy holy word may instruct us thy holy example may guide us thy holy Spirit may rule and govern us that we may not love darkness more then light because our deeds are evil But may love thee who hast given us thy heavenly light may love thy Church to whom thou hast given it may love thy Ministers by whom thou hast given it may love our own souls for which thou hast given it and dost still continue it So shall we be preserved from that inner darkness which will not see thee here and from that outer darkness which shall not see thee hereafter and also be preserved in the unity of thy Church to be ever with thee by a Holy Communion in Earth and by a blessed fruition in Heaven Amen Amen The Justification of the Church of England according to the true principles of Christian Religion and Communion consisting of three Chapters CAP. I. That the Church of England is Gods Trustee for the Christian Religion as to the people of this Nation SECT I. Christ delivered the trust of his Word and Sacraments to his Apostles they delivered the same to Bishops and Presbyters their Successors but the Apostles had an illimited their Successors have a limited trust The necessity of the succession of these Trustees to the worlds end yet is the succession of Doctrine more necessary then the succession of Persons DID Christian Churches more consider the obligation and the charge then the priviledges and the honour of being God's Trustees none of them would arrogantly claim much less tyrannically invade anothers trust But each would timorously undertake carefully manage and conscionably discharge her own T is evident that our blessed Saviour trusted all his Apostles equally with the teaching of his Word Administring his Sacraments and governing of his People because he gave to each Apostle an infallible Judgement and an illimited commission the one enabling the other authorizing each of them to guide and govern the whole world though for the better expediting of their work every one of them betook himself as it were to his own peculiar Diocess according to that of Paul For we stretch not our selves beyond our measure 1 Cor. 10. 14. But t is easie to distinguish betwixt their Power and their use of it For surely if we consider the Power only of each Apostle none of them by taking care of all Christian People could usurp anothers authority or intrude himself into anothers Trust Thus that commission and command given to Saint Peter immediately by and from our blessed Saviours own mouth Feed my sheep Feed my lambs John 21. though we suppose those sheep and lambs did comprize all Christs Flock that then was or ever should be which is as much as the words can bear and more then they do claim or will justifie yet even that large Commission taken in a larger sense then it was given was no supersedeas to Saint Paul for taking care of all the Churches 2 Cor. 11. 28. Instantia mea quotidiana solicitudo omnium Ecclesiarum He calleth the care of all Churches his daily instance that is his daily work and labour even in the Judgement of the Latine Church at the time of the Vulgar Translation For Saint Paul as well as Saint Peter and the rest of the Apostles as well as Saint Paul had an universal commission to teach and baptize all Nations Mat. 28. and by consequent an universal Trust concerning all those Nations who should be taught and baptized for else they might both teach and baptize in vain And this universal trust he that commanded them to undertake enabled them to discharge for the holy Spirit of God leading every one of them into all truth fitted every one of them to lead all the world besides But we dare not say it was so with the successors of the Apostles For they neither had an infallible Judgement that they might have an illimited authority nor had they an illimited authority that they might
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lib. 4. de orth fide cap. 18. They are holy and religious books but yet are not reckoned among the Canonical Scriptures because they were not deposited in the Ark So the Books of the New Testament were known to come from God in that they were deposited in the Ark that is to say in his Church And hence it was that the Epistle of Saint James and some others though they were not at first generally received in all Churches yet were they no longer questioned after once it was made appear by the Testimony of those Churches where the Authentick Copies of them had been deposited that they had been indicted by some Apostle or approved by some Apostolical man till then they were questioned in regard of their Authors if not in regard of their Authority but after that they were questioned in regard of neither so great a confidence did God repose in particular Churches that it is evident he entrusted them with his own Word to keep it to witness it and to explain it as the Church of the Jews with the Old Testament which Church though it were Catholick or universal in its Doctrine yet was it meerly particular or national in its extent for he shewed his word to Jacob his statutes and ordinances unto Israel he had not dealt so with any Nation neither had the Heathen knowledge of his Laws Psalm 147. ver 19 20. And several Churches of the Christians with several parts of the New Testament as the Church of Rome with that Epistle sent to the Romans and the Church of Corinth with those two Epistles sent to the Corinthians and so of the rest And as for the seven Catholick or general Epistles commonly so called they had the title of Catholick or general Epistles not because they were sent to no particular Churches but because they were sent to many as Saint Peters to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus Galatia Cappodocia Asia and Bythinia which being not directed particularly to one of these was therefore called a general Epistle as belonging to them all not because it was sent at large to all of them for so perchance it might have been received by none but because it was to be communicated to all unless that we had rather say that these Epistles were called Catholick 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because they were sent of purpose to confute some new risen Hereticks or Schismaticks particularly the Solifidean Heresie and the itch of separation either from ambition or covetousness or perversness as may appear by the arguments of the said Epistles however those also were at first deposited with some particular Churches and hence it was that some of them were sooner generally received then others even those which had been at first deposited with the more eminent Churches Thus we see the trust of particular Churches and in them the trust of the Catholick Church concerning the Scriptures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eis credita sunt eloquia Dei They were entrusted with the Oracles of God Rom. 3. 2. that is they were entrusted to keep them and to witness them but Saint Pauls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am entrusted with a dispensation sc of the same Oracles speaks more that they were also entrusted to explain them and we cannot deny the continuance of this trust unto the Worlds end unless we will affirm that God hath laid aside the care both of us and of his Church neither regarding the salvation of our souls nor the authority and continuance of his own Church and so by consequent exterminate out of our Creed as well as out of the world the Catholick Church and the communion of Saints and by consequent deprive our selves of the forgiveness of sins the Resurrection of the Body and the life everlasting SECT III. The second part of the Trust of Particular Churches is concerning the people of God What that Trust is and how it comes to be derived to them is shewed from Saint Pauls speech Acts 20. to the particular Church of Ephesus and from Saint Pauls Epistles to Timothy and Titus and from other several Epistles of his to particular Churches GOD is very angry with a man when he Trusts his soul in his own hands for then he leaves him exposed to the Temptations of his own concupiscence to the errours of his own ignorance to the slips and stumblings of his own infirmity to the precipices and downfalls of his own presumption and to the bondage and thraldom of his own corruption Therefore we justly extoll the power and goodness of God in our preservation no less then in our Creation and himself thinks it no less honourable to keep a soul then to make it and therefore Saint Paul calleth him God our Saviour thrice in one Epistle By the Commandment of God our Saviour 1 Tim. 1. 1. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour 1 Tim. 2. 3. We trust in the living God who is the Saviour of all men specially of those that believe 1 Tim. 4. 10. Which if it had been observed by the transcribers of some private Manuscripts one would not have read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God the Father and our Saviour Jesus Christ Another would not have read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of God our Father and Jesus Christ for this variety of reading proceeded questionless from that opinion which some held That the name of Saviour belonged only to the person of Christ because it is palpable that in the Authentick Copy of the Greek Church as it is in Saint Chrysostome and of the Latine Church as it is in the Edition of Sixtus Quintus the words are read as Beza records them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God our Saviour and the Lord Jesus Christ where God the Father is plainly called our Saviour because he is the chief and principal cause of our salvation For it is the Fathers mercy that saveth us though the Sons merit and we could not have received should not have embraced the merit of the Son had it not been for the mercy of the Father Therefore the same Apostle as delighted with this expression saith again according to the commandmnnt of God our Saviour Tit. 1. 3. being willing to ascribe to the Father no less then to the Son the Honour and glory of our salvation Behold all souls are mine saith God himself Ezek. 18. 4. and Rabbi David gives us this gloss upon the words All souls belong to me and I have given them bodies of flesh to guide and lead after me and I do delight in their life not in their death for they are mine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 umiccebodi nigzaru and they were taken from mine own Glory q. d. They are mine and I care not to lose them They were parts of mine own glory and I am willing to glorifie them they were at first springs and branches of mine own Tree even the Tree of life and I am desirous to engraft them in that Tree
the Law of man hath taken care of all these so much more hath the Law of God taken care of them and most of all in Gods own worship Here the Holy Spirit will have 1. Persons rightly ordered prescribing the decent behaviour both of men and women from the first verse of the eleventh Chapter to the sixteenth 2. Things rightly ordered prescribing the right administration of the holy Eucharist from the sixteenth verse to the end of the Chapter Lastly actions rightly ordered prescribing the right use of Spiritual gifts and Functions in the twelfth thirteeenth and fourteenth Chapters In respect of all these it is the Apostles injunction to the Corinthians and the Churches injunction to us Be ye followers of me even as I also am of Christ as my Church must submit to Christs authority in the exercise of Religion to avoid superstition so I must submit to my Churches authority to avoid faction and confusion For what my Church requires by vertue of his command I cannot disobey without contempt of his authority Excellently Aquinas Majores sive perfecti soli Deo inhaerent cujus est immutabilis bonitas qui et si inhaereant suis praelatis non inhaerent illis nisi in quantum illi inhaerent Christo secundum illud Imitatores mei estote sicut Ego Christi 22. qu. 43. art 5. c. Those that are firmly grounded and to be called perfect Christians do in all things cleave to Christ himself and stick fast to him whose goodness is unchangeable and therefore so is also their will and resolution for though they rely upon the Church which Christ hath set over them yet they relye upon their Church as that relyeth upon Christ according to that of Saint Paul Be ye followers of me as I am of Christ Every good Christian man relies immediately upon Christ for his Religion and much more every good Christian Church can you not deny me to be a Major in this case and will you needs make my Church a Minor Am I of ripe years and must my Church be under age must I relye upon Christ and must not my Church much rather relye upon him There cannot be a greater impudence then for one man to perswade another to leave Christ and stick to him unless it be for one Church to perswade another to do the same And are not they perswaded to leave Christ who are perswaded to leave the Holy Scriptures that they may stick to uncertain Traditions For where is Christ to be certainly followed but in his undoubted word How then can any Church forsake Christs written word and pretend to follow him Saint Paul cares not to be so authentical and yet doubtless had more authority then those that are so He praiseth the Corinthians for keeping the Ordinances or Traditions as he had delivered them 1 Cor. 11. 2. but he professeth he had delivered no other then what he had received For I delivered unto you that which I also received 1 Cor. 15. 3. Nay in the same Chapter wherein he praiseth them for keeping what he had delivered he averreth that he had delivered what he had received ver 23. For I have received of the Lord that which I also delivered unto you nor is it reasonable we should imagine the Apostle of Christ would stand more upon his own then his Masters honour or would have praised the Corinthians for remembring him in all things if so be he had so grosly forgotten himself as not to have remembred his Master and who hath made a Church above an Apostle Therefore we may be sure that the Traditions Saint Paul gave the Corinthians were such as had been given him and we could scarce be sure of this were not the same Traditions still given us and consequently we cannot part with the least degree of this certainty but we must part with the best and greatest reason of our praise for what is or can be the praise of any Church but that she remembers the Apostles in all things and keeps the Traditions as they delivered them unto her so that upon the certainty of the Traditions depends the Fidelity of the Church and those Churches must needs approve themselves to be most faithfull which can make the surest proof of their Traditions that they are indeed truly Apostolical now it is evident that the written word is so acknowledged by all Churches but the unwritten word is not so and t is observable that those who stand most upon the credit of unwritten Traditions yet are of late very willing to endeavour to prove most of the Doctrines and practices depending thereupon by some Texts of the undoubted written word surely not to gratifie their adversaries who refused the other but themselves who look upon these as the much better and surer proofs Wherefore the holy Scriptures which are the only proof that the Church hath a Trust from God concerning his Worship are the only Rule by which she can either conscionably or acceptably discharge that Trust Conscionably in offering nothing to mens consciences but what God hath offered Acceptably in offering nothing unto God but what himself hath required and if every particular Church did exactly follow this Rule none could detest the Communion of another without detesting the communion of God himself For this is the Apostles own determination I give you to understand that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed 1 Cor. 12. 3. that is doth accurse or detest any thing that is truly of the Christian Religion for that is little other then to detest and accurse Christ Jesus himself Men may bestow their hearts as they please about Ceremonies and formalities and happily be charged only with indiscretion but not so about real forms of worship not so about sound and solid prayers unless they will also be charged with irreligion For if the prayer which is used by any Christian Church doth truly honour Jesus no other Church can detest her communion in that prayer without detesting Jesus himself Therefore it is not from the Spirit of God but from our own spirits that we dislike any thing which truly belongs to Jesus whether in his Doctrine or in his worship and consequently what is exactly agreeable with the known Word of Jesus is also exactly agreeable with his will and accordingly all Churches are bound to agree in that though they may disagree about other matters Therefore let every Church faithfully discharge her Trust about the worship of God and there may be a hope of a Christian agreement among all Churches for then those that shall disagree from the rest will prove themselves either Antichristian or unchristian either Antichristian as being against Christ or unchristian as being without him either faulty for having a false or faulty for not having a true worship of Christ For a true and laudable worship cannot but challenge our communion either actually in our corporal presence if we live among such good Christians as have
admit the stamp and impression of Christ upon our stony hearts t is because we have been as Iron when we should have been as wax and not having received nor desirous to receive the seal of our Lord do question the authority of his Embassadour of his Apostle not having in us the image of Christ do contemn the authority and forsake the communion of his Church For as the want of natural affection discovered the harlot not to have been the true mother of the child 1 King 3. 26. So the want of filial obedience discovereth us not to have been true children but by no means our Church to have been a false mother There is great reason and greater necessity why all true sons of this distressed and despised Church should now especially insist upon this Doctrine since at this time the contumacy of the children hath made disputable nay almost desperate the authority of the Mother Wherein as we have S. Pauls example to invite us so we have his authority to justifie us for questionless he did therefore so much magnifie his own Apostleship that we should learn to magnifie it much more Thus we find in the beginning of every Epistle so many large Encomiums and high commendations of his office as if he had taken that for his Text Rom. 11. 13. Quamdiu quidem ego sum gentium Apostolus ministerium meum honorificabo As long as I am the Apostle of the Gentiles I will magnifie mine office There needs but one instance for all Gal. 1. 1. Paul an Apostle not of man neither by man but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead where Saint Chrysostome gives us this remarkable gloss 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Because they sc who went about to pervert the Galatians did undervalue his Doctrine saying it was from men but that S. Peters Doctrine was from Christ therefore in the first place he withstands that objection viz. by affirming that he was an Apostle not of men neither by man but by Jesus Christ and God the Father as well as S. Peter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In that he saith he was not an Apostle of men he saith what was common to all the Ministers of the Gospel for both their authority of preaching and the doctrine which they preached was from heaven But in that he saith neither by man he saith what was proper only to the Apostles for our blessed Saviour did not call them by other men but only by himself We do not seek now for such an Apostleship in any Christian Church as is not by man we only say it is not of man and that is enough to procure sober mens attention and conscientious mens obedience for in that it is not of men it is clearly of God And as it was not arrogancy but necessity in Saint Paul which made him stand so much upon his authority so is it not the pride of the Clergy a string which they most harp upon who are most guilty of it but their duty which maketh them stand so stiffly for the authority of the Church Let him speak for both whose modesty and humility was greater then his learning and yet whose learning was greater in reality then our new Divines is now in shew or pretence and that was the late Bishop of Salisbury Bishop Davenant in his most excellent Commentary upon the Colossians where almost at the beginning sc in the fifth page you shall find these words Paulus non arrogantiae causa sed ne in detrimentum Ecclesiae vilesceret illius autoritas Apostolicam dignitatem sibi vendicat Ita etiam oportet in Ecclesiastica dignitate constitutos officii sui autoritatem atque existimationem tueri contra contemptores schismaticos Saint Paul doth not out of arrogancy challenge to himself the dignity and honour of an Apostle but for fear lest otherwise the Church of God should suffer detriment or loss by the contempt of his authority And so likewise it still behoveth those who are placed in Ecclesiastical dignity to maintain the repute and authority of their office against despisers and schismaticks And truly this is but a reasonable position both in regard of those in authority who do only maintain their own unless we will deny that to be their own which God hath so manifestly given them and in regard of those under authority who cannot be willing to obey what they are not desirous to maintain and yet must either obey or be guilty of hainous impiety such as now joyns them in communion with the Devil by their sin for rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft 1 Sam. 15. 23. and without doubt all witches are the Devils communicants and such as will hereafter keep them in communion with the Devil by their punishment They that resist shall receive to themselves damnation Rom. 13. 2. And questionless it is a most reasonable probleme What communion hath light with darkness and what concord hath Christ with Belial 2 Cor. 6. 15 16. And yet a more reasonable demand I would not that ye who are Christians should have fellowship with Devils 1 Cor. 10. 20. Not in their sin for Christs sake not in their punishment for your own sakes Again there may be yet further alledged these reasons why we should zealously maintain and carefully obey the power and authority of our own particular Church 1. Because reverence and suspition cannot consist together and therefore I may not lightly suspect those whom I am bound to reverence such as are my spiritual Pastors and Teachers whom for this reason I may not lightly suspect in respect of their integrity much less of their authority 2. Because else there must be perplexitas facti a perplexity in point of fact that private men will not easily know with whom they are bound to keep their Christian Communion in the publick worship and service of God which yet is an undeniable and should be an undoubted duty of the Text. 3. Because else there must be perplexitas juris a perplexity in point of Law which is such a perplexity as God will not endure and man may not endure for then the conscience can never be at quiet when it must so keep one Law as to break another And that perplexity cannot be avoided if we allow two several Churches to have power from God to order and command the duties of our Religion for then they may lay upon us at the same time quite contrary commands and consequently whilst we are obeying the one we must be disobeying the other But it is past all dispute that our own Church hath power from God over us in matters of Religion because the Apostle saith expresly Obey them that have the rule over you Heb. 13. 17. Which cannot be understood of those who are at a distance from us in another Country because it follows For they watch for your souls as they that must give an account But t is against reason to say or think that
glory Thus Aristotle lib. 6. Eth. cap. ult ingeniously answereth their objection who would make Prudence to be above Sapience because Prudence commandeth Sapience and he answereth it by this distinction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Illius causa praecipit non autem illi Prudence commands for Sapience but not over her we are willing to look upon Christs Church as upon the best Prudence in the world but withall we must look upon Christ himself as the only Sapience the only true and eternal wisdom and accordingly say That the Church commandeth for Christ but not over him He that commandeth over another is certainly his superiour but he that commandeth for another is not so but rather his inferiour As Physick commandeth or prescribeth for health and therefore in that regard is not superiour but inferiour to health being made subservient to its recovery or continuance And if we will not allow this distinction we must according to Aristotle affirm the state or Common-wealth to be above God himself for she prescribeth his worship and if we will allow it we may not deny the Church to be under him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Aristotle wherefore if it be absurd in the judgement of a heathen to allow the civil state a power eminent above or equal with the false Gods because she commandeth their worship Then much more ought it to be absurd in the judgement of a Christian to allow the Ecclesiastical State a power eminent above or equal with the true God meerly upon the ground and reason of the same command Yet on the other side as Prudence ought to prescribe for Sapience so the Church ought to prescribe for Christ And as he that neglecteth the particular prescriptions of Prudence is the further from attaining the general dictates of Sapience So he that neglecteth the particular directions of Christs Church is the farther from apprehending the General instructions of Christs Word I must then take both Christs Word and Christs Church for my guides in the choice of my Christian Communion His Word for my guide that I be not guilty of superstition His Church for my guide that I be not guilty of Faction And having taken these two guides either I shall meet with no objections from mine own conscience and it is no matter what I meet with from other mens tongues against my Religion or I shall meet with very good solutions to answer them As for example Let this be the Catechism concerning my Religion Quest 1. Vpon what authority do you profess your Religion Answ Upon the highest authority in heaven and in earth the authority of God and of his Church The authority of God for 't is consonant to his word as my Rule The authority of Gods Church for 't is consonant to her Practice as my Example Quest 2. Do you think that you are bound to ground your Religion upon this twofold authority Answ I do especially as to the publick exercise or profession of it For without the first I shall have superstition instead of Religion without the second I shall have faction instead of Communion Quest 3. How can you prove that your particular Church hath authority from God to order you in the outward exercise of Religion Answ By the same proofs of the Text which prove any Church whatsoever to have that authority For Christs commission to Saint Peter Feed my sheep John 20. 16. is by him derived unto other Pastors Feed the Flock of God which is among you 1 Pet. 5. 2. He saith not Feed that part of my flock which is among you to help or to assist me but Feed the Flock of God to honour and obey him And he saith the flock of God which is among you to shew that the flocks needed no more look abroad for their Pastors then the Pastors needed look abroad for their flocks since they were actually one among the other And yet if the words had been less punctual they had not been less prevalent For feed the flock of God must alike concern all Churches since no prophesie or command of the Scripture is of any private interpretation 2 Pet. 1. 20. and therefore this command must alike concern all Churches Quest 4. What need you look after the Authority of God in the choice or practice of your Religion is not his Church allotted you for your only guide Answ No it is not for my Religion though it be for my Communion For if I serve God with a blind obedience I cannot serve him with my conscience and that is no other then a blind obedience to serve him upon anothers not upon his own command They that would perswade me to this should make the ninth Article of the Apostles Creed the First and teach me to say I believe the holy Catholick Church before I say I believe in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost For all the world cannot deny but my belief in God is the only ground of all my Faith even as my love of God is the only ground of all my obedience And since all Religion consists in faith and obedience well I may look upon my Church as the conveyance but I must look upon God only as the Donor and Giver or the Author of my Religion SECT II. That the Communion of the Church of England is truly Christian in Doctrine free from Heresie and from the necessary cause thereof a false ground or foundation of Faith that is Believing upon the Authority of man instead of God I had little Reason and should have less Religion to be true to my Church if my Church were not true to my Saviour the eternal Truth Therefore I must needs acquit my Church from Heresie that I may keep my self from Apostasie For if she hath fallen away from Christ I might lawfully fall away from her at least internally by with-drawing my affection which ought to be fixed upon Gods Truth if not externally by with-drawing my person which ought not to disturb the Churches Peace Let me see then how my Church hath kept Gods Truth that I may learn how to keep my Church And herein I cannot but perswade my self that what our blessed Saviour once spake to those Jews which believed on him he still speaketh to us Christians who profess the same belief If ye continue in my word then are ye my Disciples indeed And ye shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make you free John 8. 31 32. And by the rule of contraries If we continue not in his word then are we not his Disciples in deed but only in shew and we shall not know the Truth and the Truth shall not make us free Therefore no Church can boast of being his Disciple which doth not continue in his Word that she may continue in his Truth And in this respect I cannot but continue in my Church that I may continue both in his Word and in his Truth because I see she hath continued in both so that the Truth
wil-worship and superstition That the general equity of the Levtical Law as far as it was not Typical is still in force concerning the solemnities of Religion and that approves Anniversary as well as weekly Festivals Sect. 4. Of the antient contention about the observation of Easter That the Apostles zeal more about duties then about days doth not overthrow the observing of particular days in the service of God And that those days ought to be observed by Preaching Praying Administring the Sacraments and also by Alms-deeds so that false administration sc of the Holy Eucharist in one kind and false devotions and false doctrine and sordid illiberality in not relieving the poor are all alike profanations of a Festival Sect. 5. The practice of the Primitive Christians in observing the Feast of Easter and that there was no superstition in that practice Sect. 6. That the Lords day which is observed weekly is to be observed in memory of our Saviours Resurrection And hath a double sanctification one by relation to its duty which is publickly to serve God and to give him thanks for our redemption by Christ and is the Principal The other by institution as consecrated to this duty and is the less principal That the Antisabbatarian Doctrine which advanceth duties above days is not only of Christs but also of Moses his own teaching and makes most for the true observation of the Sabbath which yet is more properly called the Lords day then the Sabbath Sect. 7. That Sunday hath a better Title to holiness and unchangeableness as the Lords Day then as the Sabbath And that the Lords Day and the Lords labourers or Ministers are both to continue to the worlds end by virtue of Gods command in general and of Christs determination and institution in particular Sect. 8. That Sunday as the Lords Day is most truly a Christian Festival and ought to be most religiously observed and so ought also other Festivals instituted in honour of Christ as being likewise our Christian Sabbaths Sect. 9. The fourth Commandment was not given to limit the First and therefore excludes not other Festivals shewing our true love of Christ but rather commands them The true manner of observing any Christian Festival particularly Easter is to account and make it a day of observations by observing our selves and our Saviour Our selves what we have been what we are what we desire to be Our Saviour what he was in his humiliation what he is in his exaltation what he will be in his Retribution Sect. 10. That the end of this and of all other Christian Festivals is our spiritual Communion with Christ and therefore they ought to be celebrated more with spiritual then with carnal joys that though our carnal joys are greater in their proportion yet our spiritual joys are greater in their foundation Sect. 11. A zealous observation of this Christian Festival proceedeth from the true love of our Redeemer and thankfulness for our redemption A set form of praise fittest to express that thankfulness CAA. 2. That God is to be adored only in Christ Hath four Sections Sect. 1. THat no man whilst he is in the state of sin cares to come neer God and that Adam after his sin could not have adored God rightly if Christ had not been revealed to him as the propitiation for his sins Sect. 2. That no Religion adoreth God rightly which adoreth him not in Christ and of the excellencies of the Christian Religion That no other Religion teacheth such conformable truths to right reason declareth an expiation for sin promiseth so great a reward sheweth so pure a worship or so innocent a conversation Sect. 3. The reason why God cannot be rightly adored but only by Christians is because he cannot be truly known and loved but only by those who know and love him in Christ The true way to gain that knowledge and to shew and keep that love is universal obedience both to his affirmative and negative precepts without which there can be no saving knowledge of God That the Christians do know and worship God in Christ cleerly and substantially and that the Jews did so know and worship him in Types and Figures so that the Jewish and the Christian Religion differ not in substance but only in degrees of perfection Sect. 4. That those Christians who adore God by any other Mediator then by Christ alone do not rightly adore him And that those who do rightly adore him ought not to be discouraged in their Religion and much less be deterred from it Christ glorified in his Ascension Hath a Prooem and three Chapters The Proeem That our blessed Saviours Ascension is not so truly observed by our Commemoration as by our imitation and the manner how to consider the history of his Ascension The first Chapter is Christ considered before his Ascension The second Chapter is Christ considered whilst he was Ascending The third Chapter is Christ considered after he was Ascended CAP. 1. Christ considered before his Ascension Hath three Sections Sect. 1. Christ considered in his Apparitions before he ascended as to Mary Magdalen and to Saint Peter c. The wrong use that hath been made the right use that may be made of those Apparitions Sect. 2. The Apparition to above five hundred at once cleared And Christ considered in his instructions before he Ascended That those instructions are more particularly to be observed as more directly conducing to the Constitution and the conservation of his Church Those instructions briefly explained as they are set down Mat. 28. 19 20. Sect. 3. That the words which our Saviour Christ spake to his Apostles before he ascended may be reduced to these three heads Words of instruction consolation benediction That the effect of them all is registred in the Text not left to unwritten Tradition That the Apostles though thus instructed comforted and blessed yet preached not the Gospel till the coming of the Holy Ghost upon them whereby they had not only ability but also authority or Mission and Commission in a full degree CAP. 2. Christ considered whilst he was ascending Hath three Sections Sect. 1. THat the words used to express Christs ascension did manifest his twofold claim or title to heaven the one by inheritance as God the other by merit or purchase as man And that Christ in his ascension wrought a twofold miracle one in the conquest of Earth the other in the conquest of Heaven and what comfort and benefit redounds to us Christians from these Titles and these Miracles Sect. 2. The time of Christs ascension particularly named in the Text and the observation of that Day is founded upon the practise of the Apostles which in the exercise of Religion is to be embraced as precept why the Apostles left not many precepts concerning circumstances of worship to the Christian Church The place of the ascension was Bethany in Mount Olivet and what considerations arise from thence Sect. 3. The persons before whom our Saviour Christ ascended
have known Christ and Christianity That Christ teacheth us by his voice in holy Scripture more certainly then by his voice in holy Church and that the Scripture is to teach the Church as the Church is to teach the people Sect. 4. That the state of true Christianity is to be learned only in the Church of Christ For there only doth Christ teach by his word which the Church is bound to translate that the people may understand it And by his Spirit accompanying his word which teacheth both infallibly and irresistibly by taking away our resistance That the state of true Christianity is not confined to any one particular Church for that Christ teacheth more or less in all Christian Churches and yet this is no ground for Sectaries to run from the Church Sect. 5. That the certainty in true Christianity or the state thereof is from the Word and Spirit of Christ the uncertainty from our selves Of doubtings in good Christians concerning their state That some are by way of admiration others by way of Infirmity but none by way of Infidelity CAP. 2. Of the knowledge of the state of true Christianity Hath two Sections Sect. 1. THE knowledge of our being in the state of true Christianity is from our keeping the words of Christ That Antinomians cannot be much less know they be in the state of true Christianity Sect. 2. Three Practical principles necessary to be maintained by all those who desire to be good Christians and to know themselves to be in the state of true Christianity 1. That Christ hath words to be kept as well as to be believed 2. That true love of Christ will make us labour to keep his words 3. That true faith in Christ was never yet without this Love CAP. 3. Of the comforts that arise from the knowledge of our being in the state of true Christianity Hath three Sections Sect. 1. THE first comfort arising from the knowledge of our being in the state of true Christianity is That we are thereby assured of the Love of God Sect. 2. The second comfort arising from the knowledge of our being in the state of true Christianity is That we are thereby assured of Communion with God The cause the work and the effects of that Communion The cause of Communion with God is God The work of it contemplation of God and consultation with God The effects of it That it makes a man live for to with and in God Sect. 3. The third comfort arising from the knowledge of our being in the state of true Christianity is That we are thereby assured of the continuance of our Communion with God For his Desertion will be only for Tryal not for Punishment unless we become unfaithful and unfruitful Christ Reteined in the true Christian Communion Hath a Prooem and three Chapters The Prooem Christian Communion is to be considered in its Authority in its Excellency in its Sincerity The first Chapter is of Christian Communion in its Authority The second Chapter is of Christian Communion in its Excellency The third Chapter is of Christian Communion in its Sincerity CAP. 1. Of Christian Communion in its Authority Hath six Sections Sect. 1. CHrist requires our Communion by his own Authority as our Head which hath the most noble and most powerful influence upon the members The nature the reasons the cause the proofs of our Communion with Christ Sect. 2. That our Communion with Christ is as our Participation of Christ External or Internal The one may be the Communion of Hypocrites the other only of good Christians The way to be a good Christian in a bad Church Sect. 3. That our internal Communion with Christ is through his Spirit and our Faith which may not be a phansie or fiction much less a faction but a faith Knowing by Evidence Approving by Adherence Applying by Affection and Working by Practise That such a faith will make our Communion with Christ real and substantial in the thing it self though in the manner it be only spiritual and mystical Sect. 4. Christian Communion beginneth with the Church but endeth with Christ both in the Word and Sacraments and Prayers And that the Church is bound in all these to advance not to hinder our Communion with Christ either by denying the People the use of the Scriptures or by teaching them superstitious prayers as to Saints and Angels wherein Christ neither can nor will communicate with men The ready way to have Communion with Christ is by Peace and Holiness and wherein that Communion chiefly consisteth Sect. 5. That the Catholick Church requires our Communion by the authority of Christ as his Body That the whole Christian Church is this Catholick Church and that it is known to be so by the undoubted Word of Christ And how a particular Church may be sure to keep Communion with the Catholick Church Sect. 6. The Catholick Church properly so called hath in it neither Hereticks Schismaticks nor Hypocrites but commonly so called comprizeth all those Christians who outwardly embrace the truth and worship of Christ That our own particular Church keeping Communion with the Catholick requireth our Communion by the authority of the Catholick Church The Authority and Trust of particular National Churches from Scripture and Councils A sober and pious resolution not to sin against the Authority of the Church by wilful Schism and the reasons of that resolution CAP. 2. Of Christian Communion in its excellency Hath two Sections Sect. 1. THE excellency of Christian Communion because of its large extent as reaching to all Christians though of different perswasions and professions Sect. 2. The excellency of Christian Communion as holding of Christ and from him having Immortality Piety Verity and Charity And that the Church is the proper Place Angels and men the Company and God the Author of this Communion CAP. 3. Of Christian Communion in its Sincerity Hath four Sections Sect. 1. THE sincerity of Christian Communion consists in this That it gives all to Christ Hence those Christians justified who do so in their Festivals The Sabbatarians questioned for not so doing The Apostles new method of teaching Christian Divinity by interlining of prayers and praises that Christ might be the more glorified and the Christian Religion the less adulterated Sect. 2. The sincerity of Christian Communion is the Bullwark of its authority and first to be regarded by every Christian Church as being the glory of her Prosperity and the comfort of her Adversity Such a sincere Communion never to be deserted when once happily attained Sect. 3. The sincerity of Christian Communion comprehendeth both the Purity and the Solemnity of Religion and is the whole Duty of the first Table The Purity or Substance of Religion being enjoyned in the three first Commandments The solemnity or publick exercise of it with the adjuncts thereto belonging being enjoyned in the Fourth The Exercise of Religion from the End the adjuncts from the Letter of the Law The Sabbatarian the greatest opposer
Iew he would have been zealous to have proved his Sabbath before Moses could he have made good his proof and that these words seem to be spoken by way of anticipation to continue the history like that of the Saints rising at our Saviours death Saint Mat. 27. 52. which yet was not so till after his resurrection for Christ was to be the first that should rise from the dead Act. 26. 23. The reason of the name Sabbath depends upon the creation of which God repented soon after as saith Moses it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth and it grieved him at his heart Gen. 6. 6. when as the reason of the name Lords day depends upon the Redemption of which he cannot repent For Christ rising again from the dead now dieth not death from henceforth hath no power upon him for in that he died he died but once to put away sin but in that he liveth he liveth unto God Rom. 6. 9 10. And as Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more so neither can this Festival die which is consecrated to the memory of his resurrection but as long as the first day of the week shall last so long it must be our Lords day and not our own As is the mercy immortal so is the duty that recordeth it and as is the duty so is the day on which it is recorded As is the Lord himself so is his day as much as a day can be the same yesterday and to day and for ever The same in all ages and successions of the Church Not changeable now by the Authority of his present Catholick Church because that hath a power for edification not for destruction 1 Cor. 10. 8. and in this change the Church that is now would but pull down what the Church when it was under the master-builders hands did set up Not changeable by the Authority of Angeis for they in so doing would in effect preach another Gospel another Christ delivered for our offences and risen again for our Iustification and so being themselves under Saint Pauls anathema Gal. 1. 9. I dare further say and I hope it is no presumption sure it is intended with reverence not changeable by Christ himself according to his power of excellency whereby he is head of the Church and founder of all Christian Institutions because though the change be Metaphysically possible that is in its own nature for that all daies are alike in themselves as to Gods worship yet it is not morrally possible that is in the end and reason of the change because Christ cannot rise again from the dead and consequently there cannot be another day as a memorial of his resurrection More daies then this may be set apart for the honour of Christ by the example and from the reason or end of this for the duty is of extent large enough to employ many daies and God having consecrated time to his own service hath made it lawful or rather necessary for the Church to do so too and we find the Jews did ordain the feasts of Purim and Dedication without any peculiar precept from the text and yet are justified for so doing But this day must be set apart by the example of Christ himself who made it his free-will-offering to God by making on it the first ordination of the ministers of his Gospel Other daies are authorized by vertue of this but this day is authorized by vertue of Christ who chose it for the day whereon to ordain his Apostles the Teachers and Governors of his Church and also to give unto them the power of ordaining others So that both the circumstances of time and person the day and the Ministers of Gods publick worshp have no less then the chief corner stone for their foundation For they both are grounded upon the practise of Christ on the day of his resurrection though builded upon the practise and precepts of his Apostles So we read John 20. 19. The same day at evening being the first day of the week came Jesus and stood in the midst and saith unto them Peace be unto you the same day at evening the evening follows the morning in the Christian but went before it in the Iewish account of daies The evening and the morning made the first Sabbath but the morning and the evening made the first Lords day what other reason can we give of the change but because the Lord rose from death in the morning Being the first day of the week Why is the first day of the week so punctually named Surely not to tell the Apostles what day it was but to tell us that should be after them that we might know the very day on which Christ had purchased for and bestowed on his Church such unvaluable mercies and so know it as to keep it as it followeth ver 21. Theu said Jesus unto them again Peace be unto you Now it is more then an ordinary salutation it is certainly a most solemn benediction Peace be unto you as my Father hath sent me even so send I you and when he had said this he breathed on them and saith unto them receive ye the Holy Ghost We have here the practise and example of Christ for solemnizing the day of his resurrection and for the ordaining of his Ministers We have his example for the observation of the Lords day which as he made holy by his own rising so he kept holy by his blessing and ordaining the Apostles on it And we have his example for the ordination of the Lords Ministers and there is little reason why we should easily and much less slightly pass by the former since we are sure that the latter is to continue till the worlds end for this is the full meaning of the words As my Father sent me and endued me with the Holy Ghost or with spiritual authority to be the teacher and governor of his universal Church So I send you and endue you with the Holy Ghost or with spiritual authority and power to be teachers and governors of the Church after me And as the Father sent me with power and authority of sending others and of giving them the Holy Ghost or my spiritual power So do I send you with the power of sending others and giving unto them the Holy Ghost or this spiritual authority and power of sending others still after them even to the worlds end This is the full meaning of those words and therefore the antient Fathers particularly Saint Cyprian and Firmilian did rightly apply this Text to prove by it the authority of the Church in their daies and we may as rightly alledge it now to justifie the same authority For the Bishops are obliged by this Text to ordain a succession of Ministers even to the worlds end One must be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection saith Saint Peter Acts 1. 22. If God say One must be ordained it is not for
Where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To make more Disciples and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To Baptize are put for one and the same thing And this may properly be the signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this place only to make Disciples by baptizing them without any preaching or else the words cannot concern all nations for they cannot concern children since t is in vain to labour to make them Christs Disciples by preaching but not in vain to make them so by baptizing But if we will needs have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie to teach then we must distinguish upon the Doctrine And these two words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be so distinguished as to shew that t is not the same Doctrine which is to be zealously preached before and after men are made Christs Disciples as if he had said Teach strangers and aliens the Doctrine of faith to make them my Disciples but teach Converts and Christians the duties of life to keep them my Disciples and to make them good Christians Though I must confess that Epiphanius hath found out all this only in the first word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which he hath thus explained 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epiph. Haer. Herodiani That is Bring them over from their wickedness to the truth and from divers Sects and Heresies to one communion which is all one with Make them my Disciples or teach them to observe all my commands Whence we may gather this definition of Christs Disciple he is one that observes all Christs commands and therefore carefully embraceth the Christian truth and as carefully maintaineth the Christian communion Whence it necessarily follows that neither Hereticks nor Schismaticks are to be accounted Christs Disciples since the one embrace not his truth the other maintain not his communion And lo I am with you alway even unto the end of the world I that have the power of life and death do promise or rather give you my actual assistance and favour and grace as if I were still actually present with you And this presence of my power and grace shall never be taken away neither from you nor your successors as long as this world shall last so that both you and they for they are also necessarily included since this promise cannot be made good without a succession in the Ministry may cheerfully undertake and couragiously discharge your callings notwithstanding all the contradictions and persecutions you shall meet with from disobedient and gainsaying people For I that am above all the world have placed your Doctrine above their contradictions and your life above their persecutions and the worst they shall be able to do shall be to send you the oftner to your Master for instruction or the sooner to your Master for reward Surely the Apostles understood more in this promise then we can express and therefore they made neither excuse nor delay when they were bid to go though they were sent out into the wide world already destitute and very speedily to be afflicted and tormented Of whom the worlâ—â—as not worthy if we consider them in their persons much less if we consider them in their calling yet were they sent into the world to be despised in their persons and to be opposed in their calling and sent with no other credential letters to countenance them with no other guard to protect them but only this And lo I am with you alway This was the answer that put Moses to silence though he had been almost refractory in objecting that he was slow of speech Now therefore go and I will be with thy mouth and teach thee what thou shalt say Exod. 4. 12. This was the answer that silenced the Prophet Jeremiah so that he replyed no more Ah Lord I am a child and cannot speak after God had once said unto him Be not afraid of their faces for I am with thee to deliver thee Jer. 1 8. And this answer must silence all our objections in Saint Chrysostomes gloss 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Talk not to me of the difficulties that are in the work for I am with you who make all things easie and if all things then surely not only our doings but also our sufferings in his service and for his glory He will make all easie those who are called by him shall labour with more ease then others loiter and suffer with more pleasure then others domineer But those only are called by him to whom he hath said Go and teach To those alone he hath given the command of teaching and to those alone he hath given this promise Lo I am with you alwayes They that are concerned in the precept which can concern no other but such as can justly plead a succession to the Apostles in the Ministry of the Gospel are also concerned in the promise And they that are concerned in this promise may turn Preacheâ—s with confidence and preach with comfort But they that are not concerned in this promise as t is to be admired how they can have the confidence to be Preachers so t is to be affirmed they can have no true spiritual comfort in their Preaching Nor would the world so abound with uncommissionated Preachers that dares not abound with uncommissionated Souldiers were not their confidence more in themselves then in their Saviour more in their own swords then in his word for the support of their preaching which is a very sinful confidence Nor would such Preachers be so zealously disposed to preach did they not more rejoyce to advance their own then their Saviours glory and interest by their Doctrine which is a very miserable comfort But I will conclude all with Prospers gloss upon this Text as I find him cited by the learned Brugensis Nolite trepidare de vestra infirmitate sed de med potestate confidite qui vos in hoc opere non derelinquam non ad hoc ut nihil patiamini sed quod multo majus est praestiturus ut nullâ saevientium crudelitate superemini Be not afraid of your own weakness but relie wholly on my strength for I will never forsake you in this work not that you shall not suffer very much from your cruel adversaries but that notwithstanding all their cruelties I will make you more the conquerours in your sufferings SECT III. That the words which our Saviour Christ spake to his Apostles before he ascended may be reduced to these three heads words of instruction consolation benediction That the effect of them all is registred in the Text not left to unwritten tradition That the Apostles though thus instructed comforted and blessed yet preached not the Gospel till the comming of the Holy Ghost upon them whereby they had not only ability but also authority or mission and commission in a ful degree IT may not be amiss to consider some of our blessed Saviours consolations and benedictions as well as instructions which he bestowed on his Apostles before he
it either to prevent it from coming upon us or to redress it when it is come For it calleth us to unity against division to constancy against distraction since there can be no constancy where there is no unity It calleth us to a communion with Christ and with his Church which communion must have unity from the nature and constancy from the author of it For our Saviour Christ is the same yesterday to day and for ever Heb. 13. 8. and as he is unchangeable in himself so he desires to be found unchangeable in his members He will have them the same yesterday and to day and for ever And indeed so they are for they do partake of the constancy who were real partakers of the unity in the Christian communion which is betwixt Christ and his Church Those Christians do shew forth a kind of immutability or unchangeableness by their constancy in religion who truly have communion with Christ in the unity of his Church For they cannot run a gadding after other mens phansies who are really established in their own consciences They know they have met with the true Christ already and therefore look not after false Christs and regard not them who say loe he is here or loe he is there They have found him in his Church and will not look for him in the desert or in the secret chambers For Christ having said to his Church Loe I am with you alwayès even to the end of the world would not have us think that we can be with him if we will not be with his Church Therefore we must look for Christian communion in Christs Church though we must not look for it only in his Church but also much rather in himself For in truth Christ and his Church do make but one true Christian communion Accordingly it will be necessary to consider this communion first in its authority for that Christ calleth us thereto by his own authority as the head and the Church calleth us thereto by the authority of Christ as his body After that we shall consider the same communion in its excellency for authority and excellency are reciprocal in Gods commands He commonly commaning that with the greatest authority on which he hath bestowed the greatest excellency And lastly we shall consider the same Christian communion in its sincerity for in spiritual exercises or duties of the soul such as is the desire and practice of this communion the greatest part of the excellency consisteth in the sincerity for God the seer and searcher and judge of hearts accounteth nothing excellent in his service but what proceeds from the heart Lord make me earnestly desire this Christian communion for its authority as proceeding from Christ the eternal Son of God make me highly admire this communion for its excellency as continuing with Christ make me cordially embrace this communion for its sincerity as wholly ending in Christ A true Christian communion indeed which hath its beginning from Christ its continuance with Christ its end in Christ which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex ipso per ipsum in ipsum which is of him and through him and to him as the Apostle speaks Rom. 11. 36. Because it is of him it hath great authority because it is with him it hath great excellency because it is to him it hath great sincerity CAP. I. Of Christian Communion in its Authority SECT I. Christ requires our Communion by his own authority as our Head which hath the most noble and most powerfull influence upon the members The nature the reasons the cause the proofs of our communion with Christ COmmunion with Christ is the only way to Salvation by Christ for if we embrace not his Communion here we shall not enjoy his Salvation hereafter For Christ as man is the head of our Christian Communion though as God he be not only the commander of it by his word but also the defender and maintainer of it by his power so that the gates of hell are not able to prevail against it And this is Saint Augustines Judgement upon those words of our blessed Saviour John 1. 5. I am the true Vine That our Saviour spake those words Secundum quod caput Ecclesiae as he was the Head of the Church that is according to his humanity whereby he is of the same nature with us men as a Vine is of the same nature with its branches Nor can there be a fitter similitude to express the communion of Christ with his Church then is this of a Vine with its branches For as a Vine in the winter is without its branches so was Christ in his passion without his disciples for they all forsook him and fled Mark 14. 50. And as a Vine when it is without its branches is without it is beauty so it is said of Christ whiles he was yet without its disciples hanging upon his cross He hath no form nor comeliness and when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him Isa 53. 2. And as a Vine is first planted in the earth before it brings forth branches So was our Saviour first laid in the earth before his Church was increased and multiplied And as the Vine is the basis and foundation which sustaineth the branches so is Christ the foundation of his Church Other foundation can no man lay then that is laied which is Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 3. 11. The fellow-labourers with God spoken of in the ninth verse may help under prop the branches but t is only the Vine that can sustain them And as the branches have all their greeness and growth and fruit from the Vine So hath the Church all its beauty and nourishment and increase from Christ and as the Vine doth transfuse its nature and therewith its vertue into the branches so doth Christ communicate to his members his name whereby they are called Christians his vertue whereby they are made Christians nay the very nature and being of his filiation or Son-ship as far as it is communicable in that he makes them the Sons of God with himself though not by nature yet by adoption and Grace Lastly which is Saint Augustines observation As the branches are the most contemptible of all sorts of wood when they are off from the Vine but the most glorious whiles they are on it so is it with men whiles they are without Christ they are most base and contemptible Saint Peter can liken them to nothing but to dogs or swine But it is hapned to them according to the true proverb the Dog is turned to his own vomit again and the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire 2 Pet. 2. 22. But whiles they are in Christ they are glorious and excellent above all others the same Saint Pteer labours for variety of titles to express their excellency But ye are a chosen generation a royall Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar People 1. Pet. 2. 9 Nay yet more
he gave his mind to the holiness of the Temple 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and would not let Uzziah offer incense therefore it is said he it is that executed the Priests office because he was most zealous for the glory of the Priest-hood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So Kimchi it seems by the Text that officiating in the Priests office without being a Priest was a profanation under the Law and why should we think otherwise under the Gospel since those who now succeed them in the administration of publick worship have obtained a more excellent ministry by how much they are the Mediators of a better Covenant Heb. 8. 6. For those words though spoken directly of Christ yet are proportionably true of the Ministry instituted by him who are surely the Mediators of a better Covenant therefore have obtained a more excellent Ministry consequently to invade their office must needs be a more dangerous profanation and we see those who are guilty of it are commonly even to this day struck as Vzziah was though not with a corporal yet with a spiritual leprosie that infects more dangerously though less discernably And if their office may not be invaded without profanation then much less may it be despised opposed without irreligion For God gave all the authority belonging to the Ministry of the New Testament to our Saviour Christ and he gave the same to his Apostles with power and command of giving it to others after them to the worlds end so saith the Text John 20. 24. As my father hath sent me Therrs the authority of the Ministry given unto Christ even so I send you there 's the same authority given by him to his Apostles not only for themselves but also for others for as Christ was sent that he might send them so were they sent that they might send others after them Thus Saint Paul saith for himself According to the glorious Gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust 1 Tim. 1. 11. And he saith no less for Saint Timothy I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other Doctrine And again This charge I commit unto thee 1 Tim 1. 3. 18. Thereby acknowledging that he had received this trust not only to discharge it himself but also to commit it to others that should discharge it after him For this calling of Ministers having been instituted for the perfection of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ Ephes 4. 12. t is evident it must be continued as long as there shall be any Saints to be perfected or the work of the Ministry to be performed or the body of Christ to be edified and as evident that it may not be despised or opposed by any who will not put himself out of the communion of Saints or cut himself off from the body of Christ For the Text is as plain as if it had been written with a Sun beam which saith He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you dispiseth me and he that despiseth me dispiseth him that sent me Luke 10. 16. He that despiseth you that are sent by me despiseth me that sent you and he that despiseth me that am sent of my Father despiseth him that sent me nor may we say that our Ministers are not sent of God for how shall they preach except they be sent doth now infer as well as then that if there be no sending there can be no preaching either we must say that preaching and consequently praying and administring the Sacraments for there is the same reason of all is not Gods work or that those who lawfully do it have Gods authority for what they do And if they have Gods authority how shall they not have my obedience Saint Pauls saith not only for himself and his assistants but also for all that were to succeed him in his Ministry We were allowed of God to be put in trust with the Gospel 1 Thes 2. 4. They have Gods allowance or approbation and may lawfully undertake the Ministry of the Gospel nay more they have Gods command or trust and must necessarily discharge what they have undertaken so the same Saint Paul Necessity is laid upon me yea woe is unto me if I preach not the Gospel 1 Cor. 9 16. Not speaking the words occasionally concerning his person we must betray the authority of the Scripture to say so making it an imperfect rule to give us only momentary or occasional directions but doctrinally concerning his calling and therefore this woe lieth upon all those that succeed him in the Ministry binding them to use their utmost endeavours both by their preaching and by their living and by their dying to advance the Gospel of Christ or if they do not their duty this woe lieth upon them and consequently if they do it lâ—eeth upon those that oppose or hinder them For it is a clear case that our Saviour Christ hath in every Nation of Christendom entrusted his worship and Word and Sacraments and what ever else directly concerns the salvation of souls with some peculiar men who must rather forgoe their lives then forsake their trust to whom he still saith as he did to his Apostles when he first gave them his commission Fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell Mat. 10. 28. They were not to fear mens killing if they did their duty but Gods killing if they did it not And least the world should think them hated of God because they were by him exposed to all dangers in another place where he still deterreth them from fearfulness in discharging this trust he calleth them his friends And I say unto you my friends be not afraid of them that kill the body and after that have no more that they can do But I will fore-warn you whom you shall fear fear him that after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell yea I say unto you fear him Luke 12. 4 5. They are to prefer the discharge of their Trust above their lives and shall not I prefer it above my humour Shall I think that my Saviour who hath bid me take him for an heathen or a publican that neglects to hear the Church will take me for a good Christian if I my self be guilty of that neglect Mat. 18. 17. I will then willingly acknowledge that those only to whom Christ hath given the power of loosing and binding in heaven are in this respect called the Church for so the sequele of the context there requires and that if I hear not these I shall be in his account but as a heathen or a publican For this is the Church which God hath in this Nation entrusted with the blood of his Son with the dictates of his Spirit and with the souls of his
was performed by Ezra the Scribe And we find our blessed Saviour and his Disciples sometimes upon extraordinary occasions preaching and praying publickly neither in the Synagogues nor on the Sabbaths that is neither in consecrated places nor on consecrated Days to shew the work it self had a holiness incommensurable with and therefore unconfinable to either but still we find only them who were without doubt consecrated persons publickly preaching and praying we find no unholy or unconsecrated persons in all the Book of God either authorized or allowed to do this Work of God which immediately concerneth his publick worship But on the contrary it is said expresly The Lord separated the tribe of Levi to bear the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord to stand before the Lord to Minister unto him and to bless in his name unto this day Deut. 10. 8 Those whom the Lord had not separated durst not meddle with the Ark of his Covenant nor stand before the Lord to Minister unto him and to bless in his name One Vzzah that was not of this separated tribe was struck dead for taking hold of Gods Ark though it were with a good intent to sustain it when the Oxen shook it 2 Sam. 6 7. And we cannot say that this was not written for our learning unless we will twice contradict Saint Paul not only in the general Thesis when he saith Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples and they are written for our admonition 1 Cor. 10. 11. but also in this very particular hypothesis when he saith No man taketh this honour unto himself but he that is called of God as was Aaron so also Christ glorified not himself to be made an High Priest but he that said unto him Thou art my Son Heb. 5. 4 5. In which words though he confine not the Priesthood to the tribe of Levi of which Aaron was for he saith that Christ was an high Priest who was of the tribe of Judah yet he confines it to the calling of God for he saith Christ glorified not himself to be made an High Priest but he that said unto him thou art my Son If Christ would not glorifie himself by taking the Priesthood till he was called of God then surely no Christian can do the office of a Priest without being called but he must disobey God and dishonour Christ and to countenance any man that doth so must needs be both ungodly and unchristian much more to discountenance those whom God hath called and who do not their own but his work Ministring indeed unto him exactly according as himself hath prescribed both in Worship and Word and Sacraments and blessing in his name and by his authority If we will needs expel these Ministers what do we else but expel our own Blessing Sure we cannot deny but our Saviour Christ hath given unto his Ministers the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven for the Keys which he promised only to Saint Peter Mat. 16. 19. He gave to all his Apostles John 20. 23. Nay also the Keys of the Kingdom of Hell for so those whom he had sent out return with joy saying Lord even the Devils are subject unto us through thy name Luke 10. 17. And how then can we disturb those Ministers whom he hath sent without grievously sinning against his authority and dangerously sinning against our own souls For what is this in effect but to shut up Heaven and to open Hell but to keep out God and to let in Devils Tell me if you can why men are not now so frequently possessed with Devils as they were before the coming of Christ but only because Christ hath given his Church power over them And if we will needs beat down his Church why should not the Devils again recover their former power of possessing men This we have found true by sad experience that since we have forsaken our Church which prayed God to beat down Satan under our feet God hath let Satan get up even over our heads Angelis malis duplex poenalis convenit locus Infernus pro ipsorum culpa in quem omnes post diem judicii detrudentur Aer autem ista caliginosus usque ad diem Judicii ad bonorum exercitium ne totaliter sc ab utilitate naturalis ordinis exciderent saith Aqu. par 1. qu 64. art 4. God hath allotted the Devils two places of torment Hell in regard of their own sin and they shall be all thrown down thither at the day of Judgement And also the region of the Air. till that day comes for the exercise of good men lest otherwise those evil Spirits should quite have fallen from the order of nature and been out of all capacity of doing good God hath set the Devils over our Heads in respect of Place But t is only our contempt of God can set the Devils over our heads in respect of power And the contempt of Gods Ministers comes very neer the contempt of God for so himself hath taught us He that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me Luk 10. 16. What is it then I will take heed of sinning against the letter but much more against the end of the fourth Commandment I will take heed of sinning against the circumstances but much more against the substance that is required in the exercise of Religion I will glorifie God in the Sabbath Day that is in all the adjuncts or solemnity but I will much more glorifie him in the Sabbath Duty that is in the substance or form of his publick worship I will first make sure of my Religion then of my Communion first of my Liturgie then of my Company first of Essentials then of Ceremonials I know they are blessed that dwel in thy house Psalm 84. 4. But withal that this is the reason of their blessing They will be alwayes praising thee Great is the blessing of Christian Communion whereby men dwell in Gods house but greater is the blessing of Christian Religion whereby men are alwayes praising God I will not willingly sin against thy house but above all I will not sin against thy praise I will not cast them out of thine house whom thou hast commanded to dwell in it that they may be always praising thee Psalm 134. 2. much less will I cast thee out of thine own house by disturbing thy praises If others will not forsake their false Churches to come to the true worship of God what shall I answer at the last day if I forsake a true Church to set up a false worship If they so highly prize a Religion that is in part against thee a Communion that is in part without thee for which they can produce only some few specious pretence what will become of me if I regard neither thy Religion nor thy Communion for which I have so many unquestionable arguments or rather so many irresistable Demonstrations I will then be very zealous for that Christian Communion wherein
those Presbyters of the Church of Ephesus were as much ordained and appointed by men as any can be of any Church till the worlds ends supposing they be rightly ordained to whom yet the Apostle saith Take heed unto all the Flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers Act. 20. 28. For the ordination of Ministers though it is by man yet is it not of men but of God even as also is the Gospel which they are ordained to preach so that to resist them and their Doctrine is not to resist men but God so said he who first ordained Ministers of the Gospel and still assisteth them in their ministrations He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me Luk. 10. 16. How shall any man go on this errand without Gods sending when the eternal word himself would not preach till he was sent How shall any man despise those whom the Word hath sent and not despise the Word that sent them and the Father that sent the Word And how shall any man despise the Father and the Son and not grieve the Holy Spirit who proceedeth from them So impossible is it for any to despise the Church which God hath set over him and not sin against God the Father Son and Holy Ghost For the argument is à minori ad majus if it be dangerous to despise one much more to despise all if to undervalue a Disciple much more an Apostle For as the Apostles had a greater trust then the 70. Disciples so hath every National Church which is as it were the grand Apostle of its Nation a greater trust then any particular Bishop or Presbyter of the same and the Church now hath that trust as the Apostles first had it from God the Father Son and Holy Ghost Saint Paul saith of himself but doubtless he saith it for more then himself that he was an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God that is of God the Father 1 Tim. 1. 1. Saint Luke saith of him that t was God the Son even Jesus our blessed Saviour who called him to be an Apostle who said unto him Saul Saul why persecutest thou me and who said of him He is a chosen vessel unto me to bear my name before the Gentiles and Kings and the Children of Israel Acts 9. 4 15. The same Saint Luke saith in another place that he was called to the Function of the Apostleship by the commandment of God the Holy Ghost Act. 13. 2. The Holy Ghost said Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereto I have called them Which variety of expression doth not only verifie that common axiome of Divinity Opera Trinitatis ad extra sunt indivisa The works of the blessed Trinity in regard of any external product are indivisible so that what is externally done by one person is done by all But it doth also testifie the great trust which was laid upon every one of the Apostles in that he received his commission from God the Father Son and Holy Ghost And as this trust hath since been and still is derived to the Church so it hath been and is derived by the same glorious and blessed Trinity Whereby we see the large Exposition that is to be given to those words he that heareth you heareth me Luk. 10. 16. for it is all one as if it had been said he heareth God he heareth the Son of God he heareth the Spirit of God Wherefore supposing that this national Church wherein we live is as Gods Apostle to this Nation no sectary can justly pretend to God or Christ no Enthusiast can justly pretend to the Spirit of God and Christ why he should not hearken to the dictates and follow the directions of this Church which God and Christ and the Spirit of God and Christ hath set over him I find in the antient Calenders on the twenty sixth of May this Title Augustini Anglorum Apostoli The feast of Saint Augustine the Apostle of the English He was looked upon as one that had planted the Christian Faith amongst us and was therefore in the judgement of the Latine Church esteemed and called our Apostle I will not dispute the ground but only admit the Title for if one single Priest or Bishop was not unfitly called the Apostle of our Nation Then much more may a whole company of Bishops and Presbyters be so called and ought to be so esteemed who have more generally propagated more firmly established and more carefully preserved amongst us the true Christian Faith It is Saint Pauls own argument to the Corinthians If I be not an Apostle unto others yet doubtless I am to you for the seal of mine Apostleship are ye in the Lord 1 Cor. 9. 2. As if he had said no Embassadour can more justifie his trust and his authority by his Princes seal annexed to his Credential letters then I can justifie my Apostleship towards you in that by my preaching you have been converted to the Lord and are confirmed in him what Saint Paul was to the Corinthians in bringing them to the knowledge and to the communion of Christ to the knowledge of Christ by preaching the word to the communion of Christ by administring the Sacraments that our Church hath been and still is to us And therefore what Saint Paul said to the Crinthians that our Church may justly say to us Since these things were written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come 1 Cor. 10. 11. If I be not an Apostle unto others yet doubtless I am to you For the seal of mine Apostleship are ye in the Lord Though others may pretend they have some cause to doubt the trust and the authority of our Church as if she had not a true succession of Ministers which in truth is but a meer pretence or rather a cavil as the learned Mason hath sufficiently demonstrated and should be least objected by them who will have the whole Church depend upon the Pope and cannot deny that they have had many and long lived Anti-popes to disturb their succession yet sure we our selves can neither have cause nor pretence to doubt it since we cannot reasonably deny but our Church hath a true succession of Doctrine so that for us who have not only the speculative but also the practical the experimental knowledge of the Gospel unless we have been grosly wanting to our selves and impiously wanting to our Saviour for us I say to doubt of our Church is little other then to doubt of our Religion as if that either had not come from Christ or could not bring us to Christ and keep us with him For there can be no doubt of the Embassadours authority if there be no doubt of his Princes seal and if we our selves be not the seal of our Churches Apostleship in the Lord the fault is meerly our own t is because we would not
was not another Saint Chrysost is very copious in his descant upon this reproof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He saith not lest as Adam was deceived but he sheweth them to be women who were thus affected for it is the part of women to be deceived But how doth he say here to the Corinthians If ye received another Gospel ye might very well bear who saith to the Galathians If any man preach any other Gospel unto you then that ye haue received let him be accursed Gal. 1. 9. the same Father who maketh this objection returneth this answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Those false Ministers did make their boasts as if the Apostles had taught imperfectly but they forsooth brought somewhat more perfect For so it was requisite that by their vain boasting and babling they should mix a mad hotch-potch with the sober and sound Tenents of divinity And to shew they did this mention is made of the Serpent and of Eve who had been deceived before by the vain promise and the more vain expectancy of additional perfections Thus far Saint Paul proceeds by way of reprehension declaring the great sin of the Corinthians in being so ready to forsake the substantial truth of Religion established for the fond expectancy of a reformation pretended And yet he proceeds further by way of admonition as being more desirous to keep them from the change of Religion then to rebuke them for changing it Accordingly he admonisheth them to beware of pretenders in Religion who desire occasion wherein they may glory as they would beware of false Apostles who did labour to plant a false and of deceitful workers who did labour to supplant the true Religion For such are false Apostles deceitful workers ver 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Saint Chrysostome They are deceitful workers for though they work hard yet their work is only to pluck up what others have well planted Transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They are all for outward shew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They have only the shew or appearance of Apostles The sheeps skin is without whilst the ravening wolf is within And no marvel For Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of light Therefore it is no great thing if his Ministers also be transformed as the Ministers of righteousness whose end shall be according to their works ver 14 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For when their Master dareth do any thing t is no wonder that the Scholars follow their Master What was it that he dared That when he was a feind of darkness banished from the presence of God he transformed himself into an Angel of light as if he still had access to him and did appear before him So these men would needs be accounted the Apostles of Christ when they did not his work had not his authority sought not his glory For all they all looked after was to be accounted his Ministers not to be so which makes the same S. Chrysostome give us this for a dogmatical conclusion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nothing is so much like the Devil as to do any thing especially in Gods service meerly for shew or ostentation I will not say that this sin comes neer some mens works in this our age but I must pray that this reproof may come neer some mens hearts that they may not be the Ministers of Satan when they should be the Ministers of Christ which will be if they use fair pretences for foul designs and cry up Reformation that they may throwdown Religion This I wil say That abolishing of Liturgy is no part of a true Reformation and I think that all true Protestants will say the same with me sure I am the first would For in the confession of Faith offered by the Aâ—bingenses to Francis the first King of France An. Dom. 1561. we meet with these words Nec ullas preces effundimus coram Deo praeter has quae in scriptura sancta continentur aut cum ejusdem sensu plane conveniunt Molinaeus de Monarchia Francorum apud Goldastum Nor do we pour out any prayers before God besides those which are contained in the holy Scripture or plainly agree with the sense of it Which words plainly evince that they had a set form of prayer either taken out of the Text or made exactly to it For had they left it in the power of their Ministers to pray as they pleased they could not have assured their King that their prayers did plainly agree either in words or in sense with the word of God Nor did the Protestants of France only stick fast to Liturgy but the Protestants of Germany did the like For when the Marquess of Brandenburge being himself a Calvinist whilst his Subjects continued Lutherans would have removed the Lutheran and set up the Calvinical forms of worship his Subjects would not endure so much as the meer change so far were they from the utter abolition of Liturgy And all the chief contentions betwixt Protestants and Papists have been whether this or that form but never any Protestant contended for no form That 's against the very nature of reason that men should contend for a meer non-entity Non entis nullae sunt passiones that which is not cannot have any affections of its own much less should it have any affections ef ours And if it be against the nature of reason it cannot be according to the dictates of Religion for Religion teacheth nothing at all against Reason though it teach very many things above it Nay yet more That 's against the very nature and being of Protestantism which by the same reason that it sticks only to the written Word of God as the ground of its doctrine cannot allow unwritten Traditions much less unwritten unknown unlimited imaginations of men for the ground of its Devotion For it is unreasonable to protest that God only shall be our guide in our Tenents and man only our guide in our prayers If we will have the Doctrine of our Religion from God we must also have the exercise the practice of it from him since t is vain to have a Religion Doctrinally true but practically false for not if ye know these things happy are ye saith our blessed Saviour but if ye do them John 13. 17. And if the written Word alone be embraced as the Rule of our Doctrine how can it be rejected as the pattern of our practice And this being granted we must needs have set forms of prayer for all the written Word consists of set forms in so much that if there were no set forms there could be no written Word To protest against a false and superstitious form of Gods worship may become a good Protestant and a good Christian but to protest against a true Religious form of Gods worship if it may become a good Protestant cannot become a good Christian and t is ill joyning with such Protestants as do not joyn with good