some Hundreds of Years all this Western World was Popish Italy Spain France England Germany and no Religion visible in all these Countries but Popery The Name of Protestant not owned the Protestant Religion not to be seen And where was then your Religion say the Papists to us To whom to give a full Answer let us compound these three or four things together We must tell them or else we speak not as the Truth is that the Popish Religion was far from being the true Religion and the Popish Church from being the true Church all that time or from ever being so I shall not insist upon many Arguments to prove this I shall only give you one Argument from a Scriptural Reason and one Consideration of a Scriptural Expression The Argument from a Scriptural Reason is this That Church that is built more on Traditions and Doctrines of Men than on the Word of God is no true Church nor Religion But the Church of Rome is built more upon Traditions and Doctrines of Men than on the VVord of God Ergo. The Foundation of the true Church of God is Scripture Eph. ii 20 And are built upon the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets But if you look upon what the whole Frame of Popery is built you will find it upon a Sand of Humane Tradition That the Pope is Head of the Church that he pardons Sin rules over Princes where find you this in Scripture They are but Points of the cursed Inventions of Men. That Priests can sing Souls out of Purgatory that the Service of God should be in an unknown Tongue that the Priests can change the Bread into a God and generally the whole Rabble of their Romish Religion hath not so much as any one underpinning of Scripture Warrant but all founded upon the rotten Trash of Humane Invention and Self-ends The Scriptural Expression to be considered is that Title of Rome Rev. xvii 5 MYSTERY Babylon the Great the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth For that it speaks of Rome is plain ver 18. The Woman which thou sawest is the great City which reigneth over the Kings of the Earth And described even as the Roman Writers themselves do describe her ver 9. The Seven Heads are Seven Mountains on which the Woman sitteth She is stiled Mystery Babylon She was a Mystery of Iniquity Babylon while she takes upon her Sion Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth when she takes upon her to be Mother of all Churches and the only Spouse of Christ in the World A Jezabel as Rev. ii 20 that takes on her to be a Prophetess but is a Seducer And Mysterious is the Providence of God in permitting such a Deceiver that should seduce all the Western World with a general Seduction It is observed that Popery and Mahometism rose together one overwhelmed all the East the other the West Where had been Glorious Churches there this Smoke of the Bottomless Pit clouded and darkened all And it is observable that wheresoever the Gospel had been these two came and spoiled all And Popery the more abominable than the other because under the Name of Christ and the Gospel it led Men from Christ and the Gospel We may say upon Thoughts of both as it is Rev. xvi 5 Thou art righteous O Lord which art and wast and shalt be because thou hast judged thus Because they received not the Love of the Truth that they might be saved it was just with thee Righteous God to send them strong Delusions that they might believe a Lie That they all might be damned that believed not the Truth but had Pleasure in Unrighteousness 2 Thess. ii 10 11 12. So that to question where was the Church of God before Luther we must answer 1. That the Roman Church was not it for that was but Babylon the Mystery of Iniquity the Plague of God upon the World for not receiving the Love of Divine Truth 2. Wheresoever there were any in that time that kept to the Truth of God they were the Church of God Ubi Imperator ibi Roma So wheresoever the true Profession of the Truth was there the Church was Where two or three are gathered together in my Name there am I in the midst of them The Seven Thousand that worshipped not Baal were the true Church I shall not insist to shew that even in the thickest and darkest Times of Popery there were other Churches in the World that were not infected with that Plague as the Grecians Abyssines c. But even Stories do shew that even within the Compass of the Popish Church there were some in all Ages that held to the Truth of God and Abominated the Wickedness and Delusions of the Church But if any such could not be named yet God never left himself without Witness and it hath ever been the Glorious Providence of God to preserve a Noah in a wicked old World a Lot in Sodom an Abraham in an Idolatrous Chaldea a Job in Heathen Arabia and a Jeremy in a most wicked Jerusalem a Church to himself in the worst Times But observe that the Church of God is the least part of the World and so the least part of the visible Church We must distinguish the Church in Opposition to the World and in Opposition to Hypocrites and carnal Gospellers So the Scripture nameth Saints in Opposition to the Heathen and in Opposition to unholy Christians Now take the Word in this latter Sense which is the most proper and the true Church of God is the least part of the Church I deny not that the Church of England Scotland and Ireland is a true Church of God in regard of outward Profession But there are Multitudes in these that are not the true Church in regard of sincere Profession but profane Hypocrites Castaways Imagine a great Parish or Congregation that meet together and in the Church hear and wait on the Ordinances and have the Word and Ordinances truly administred They attend upon them in outward Attendance but out of the Church are Profane and Ungodly We cannot but say here is a Church in Opposition to the Heathen a true Church in Opposition to a false where the Ordinances are not rightly administred Yet we cannot say this is a true and sincere Church of God because they do but outwardly profess and not at all Practice So Israel professed went to the Temple Es. i. had Ordinances rightly administred This was a true Church so far But they lied sware falsely committed Adultery oppressed the Innocent and such like Can we then say they were a true Church of God See that Eph. v. 25 26 27. Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it That he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of Water by the Word That he might present it to himself a Glorious Church not having Spot or Wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be Holy and without Blemish Let us take up all these
Augustine or Hierom say but what the Scriptures say is Truth And Non creditur quia non scribitur It is not believed because it is not written And Non quid Hieronymus sed quid Moses quid Paulus Not that which Hierom saith but what Moses what Paul say Let us determine the thing by the Determination of this Question Is any Man to be damned if he believe not what the Church Councils Fathers have spoken A Papist may chance say so but will either Reason or Conscience say so with him Let any Religious Conscience say Can he think himself damned because he believes not every thing that the Council of Nice hath decreed or what Hierom or Augustine have spoken They have confest themselves Men subject to Error I know they were so and must I be bound upon Pain of Damnation to believe what it may be in time they believed not themselves And let Râ—ason speak Must I be bound to believe every Tradition that a Monk Friar or a whole Church of such hold out fetched no one knows whence Here is the Advantage of your Protestant Religion here the Benefit of the Ministry we refuse not nay we beg that you try the Scriptures whether we speak true or no. If not spit in our Faces Do you think the Apostle took it ill Acts xvii 11 that the Bereans tried his Doctrine by the Scriptures Luke hath honoured them for it with the Title of More honourable than those of Thessalonica And it speaks the Mind of Paul with whom he travailed that he took it well too Our Ministery begs this of you that you consult their Bibles whether we speak true or no and we have but one Request more that if you find it true you would believe embrace and follow it A Popish Preacher would tell you you must believe it whether you understand it or no VVhether it be agreeable to Scripture or no. For the Church such a Council or Father hath said it and they know better than you I may say as it is 1 Cor. xv 19 If in this Life only we have Hope in Christ we are of all Men most miserable So we are in a miserable Condition if upon the Penalty of Salvation we are to believe every Tradition and Trash that foolish or ungodly Men would put upon us But we have a sure VVord of Prophecy and make much of Scriptures and bless God for them that we have what to rely on Miserable Faith to believe as the Church believes we know not What or if we do we know not Why. But we know what we believe viz. The VVord of God and we know why we believe it viz. because it is the VVord of God Object But how do we believe that they are the Scriptures but that the Church hath told us so How do we believe that such and such Books were written by such and such Men but by the Authority of the Church And the Scriptures had never come to you if it were not for the Church of Rome Thus they plead Answer I. If the Church of Rome could have hindred we must never have had the Scriptures as we have Some of the Learned'st of them have called the Scripture a Book of Heresies and wish'd that there were none at all And they keep them from their own People have put not a few to Death for reading them for having Bibles And would they let us have them if they could chuse They are sensible that we by Scripture have discovered their Errors and that we are thereupon withdrawn from them and would they have convey'd them to us No it was the VVork of the Lord and the Mercy of the Lord and it is marvellous in our Eyes that all their Policy and the Slight of Satan could not hinder them from us Like to that Picture where you have a Candle burning and Pope and Friars and the Devil blowing and cannot blow it out This Divine Light is the Sun in the VVorld that cannot be so totally clouded but that God makes it break out here and there VVhat would the Pope give that there were not a Bible in all the Protestant Churches For then should we be led blindfold by them as they would have it But blessed be God who hath shewed us Light that Light is in Goshen VVhich if at the Courtesie of Rome we must never have had it II. As far as we owe our receiving of Scripture to Men we are least beholden to the Romish Church They put us off with a Latin Translation barbarous and wild But we have a surer VVord the Sacred Hebrew and Divine Greek And the Hebrew we owe to the Jews and the Greek to the Greek Church rather than the Roman Rom. iii. 2 Unto them the Jews were committed the Oracles of God And from them we received the Old Testament And not from them neither for could they have prevented we had not had it Consider how many Copies were abroad in the VVorld The Old Testament was in every Synagogue And how many Copies would Men take of the New So that it is impossible but still Scripture must be conveyed Could all the Policy of Satan have hindred he had done it For the VVord of God is his Overthrow So that it was owing to a Divine Hand And our Faith stands not on the Church to believe the Scriptures but God hath carried the Authority of them from Age to Age. I receive not Testimony from Men saith Christ. No more does his VVord But the Scriptures themselves have overpowered the Belief of Men. As to the Comparison commonly made from John iv 42. They said unto the Woman Now we believe not because of thy saying for we have heard him our selves and know that this is indeed the Christ They first believed the VVoman but then they believed not for her VVords but for Christ's sake So first say some Men believe the Scriptures are Scriptures for the Churches sake but after for their own But it is not proper to say we believe Scriptures are Scriptures because of the Church without distinguishing upon believing As Augustin's Non credidissem Scripturis c. I had not believed the Scriptures had not the Church told me That is while he was unconverted But we may satisfie this by an easie Distinction betwixt believing that Scripture is Scripture and believing that the Church all along hath taken them for Scripture To make this plain by a Comparison Canones Apostolorum and Donatio Constantini are believed by the Church of Rome to be from the very Apostles and Constantine I believe that that Church believed them so and yet I believe not a VVord of them to be so My Belief the Church held them so is from the Church but my Belief they are not so is from themselves A good Soul desires to build up its self by the Rule of Faith and Life He finds that the Church hath counted Scripture so and that he believes But as yet he believes not they are
Hellenists be they where they would they in the Dispersion used no doubt the Greek It may be supposed Philo himself did not understand Hebrew as is observed by Drusius 3. No Judge might be admitted into the great Sanhedrin unless he had Seventy Tongues that is many Languages 4. The Synagogae Libertinorum Cyreniorum c. Acts vi shew Diversity of Nations And there is as little doubt of Diversity of Languages 5. That in Acts vi there is a plain and evident Distinction of the Hellenists and Hebrews living asunder and severally even in the Time of having all things common 11. Again a great Controversie the Assembly had with the Congregational Men about Paul and Barnabas their coming from the Church at Antioch to the Apostles and Elders at Jerusalem Acts xv to know what was to be done with the Believing Gentiles since certain that came down from Judea thither had taught that it was needful to circumcise the Brethren and to keep Moses's Law in point of Salvation Now by this Application of Paul and Barnabas about this Question to the Apostles and Elders here in the Name of the Church at Antioch an Argument was raised that that Church submitted it self to be ordered and directed by the Church and Ministers thus met at Jerusalem But to evade this Goodwin in behalf of the Congregational or Independent Party moved to prove that this Meeting was for the Government of Jerusalem only For that there were some of the Sect of the Pharisees there that were of the same Mind v. 5. To him Lightfoot answered that these Churches would never have sent for Determination in point of Government for them had they not known the Presbytery constantly sitting at Jerusalem for Acts of Government of their own Church Bridg to this answered that then it was no Synod And that they met for Acts of Government finally to find out the Truth but not formally to exercise the Acts of Government To this our Divine Replyed That the Consequence did not hold it was a Presbytery before Ergo no Synod now 2. That their meeting about those Pharisees in Jerusalem ver 5. that were of the same mind with them at Antioch as Goodwin had said did make this Consequence that then they met for the Government of their own Church 3. That this did infer their Act of Government formally that Paul and Barnabas Ministers of the Uncircumcision came to Jerusalem to question about a Business which concerned the Converted Gentiles Now if it had been only to find out the Truth Peter and James Ministers of the Circumcision had been most proper for to have determined this Point with them Why then should they convent the Elders if not for an Act of Government 12. When the Assembly was drawing up the Order for the Administration of the Lord's Supper there were these Words used The Bread and Wine being set before him the Minister in PLATTERS the Word Platter was thought to be improper and so it was altered The Bread in comely and convenient Vessels But Lightfoot liked not this Expression but opposed it And when they had used the Word Sanctification of Elements because they avoided the using of the Word Consecrate Lightfoot scrupled at that Word SANCTIFY as an Hebraism as Consecrate was accounted a Romanism And therefore he offered the Word Set apart as a Medium Hence arose a Debate But after a long time it was exprest He shall begin the Act with Sanctifying and Blessing the Elements 13. When Lightfoot had Discoursed Learnedly about the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper and for General Admission to it and explained the institution of it from the Passover and that therefore in Luke there is mention made of two Cups as there was in the Passover Rotherford the Scots Commissioner that liked not our Divine who in truth spared not often to thwart the Scots labouring in this Assembly to bring in their Discipline into this Church of England took upon him to prove against him that there were not two Cups meant by that Evangelist Chap. xxii but that it was an Hysterosis And that there was no mention of a Cup in the Institution of a Passover and no news of that but in the Rabbins speaking contemptibly as it seemed of that sort of Learning But Lightfoot answered 1. That in all the Evangelists there is hardly an Hysterosis in any one of them in so small a Compass And that it is hard to find any Hysterosis in Luke at all unless it be in one or two Places 2. That it is true that Wine was not mentioned in the Institution of the Passover For Israel was not in the Land of Wine But when they came into the Land of Wine why might they not take Wine to the Passover as well as lay down some things that were circumstantial under the Institution Adding that there were divers things in the New Testament which we must be beholden to the Rabbins for the understanding of them or else we should not know what to make of them 14. When the matter of a Synod lay before the Assembly divers would have the Members of a Synod to consist of Laiâ—y as well as the Spiritualty The Proposition ran Pastors and Teachers lawfully called and it was added by some OTHER FITTING PERSONS are constituent Members of a Synod The Scots opposed this Addition exceedingly and so did Palmer Seaman and our Divine Those that were for it were Marshal Vines Herle and the Independents who grounded themselves upon Acts xv 7 13. where Peter and James calls the Council Men and Brethren and ver 22. It pleased the Apostles and Elders with the whole Church to send Chosen Men c. The Apostles and Elders pointing out the Clergy and the whole Church the Laity Where Lightfoot gave this Construction of the Words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Viz. by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Brethren was meant the Uncircumcised Converts as at ver 1. and 23 they are understood Now it is most like that the Uncircumcised Churches would send their Ministers and not Laymen And by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not meant the Church but that Meeting of the Council Seaman took at Lightfoot and followed largely Herle applauded the Interpretation but refused it and gave some Reasons why viz. Because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 4. is taken properly for the Church And the Men that brought the Letters to the Churches could not be said to Send Greeting ver 23. The Apostles and Elders and Brethren send Greeting unto the Brethren which are of the Gentiles To this Lightfoot answered That the Interpretation of Scripture is from the scope of the Place as in the Hebrew word that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Translates it is apparent Vines denyed his Interpretation of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For that James and Peter called all the Company 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Men and Brethren But Lightfoot shewed that that was a common Hebraism
Lord's VVill than offend and do things that deserve Beating VVhich is a Matter to be considered of about the Sins and Condemnation of the Heathen There be Four Things may be taken Notice of from these VVords of Christ. I. The Bond and Equity that should bind Men to the Obedience of the Lord's VVill. II. The Bond and Equity that binds them over to Punishment if they obey it not III. The Distinction of the Sins of those that live under the Knowledge of the Law and VVord of God and those that do not IV. The Gradual Difference of their Punishment III. An Inquiry why God appointed the Jews a Carnal Ceremonious Institution IF any ask that material Question VVhy since God requires to be worshipped in Spirit and Truth did he set up a VVorship Carnal and Ceremonious as he did among the Jews Not the least part of the Answer must be because they were a Carnal People and gross to apprehend the Things of Religion doting infinitely on Formal Services and Ceremonious Rites The Apostle saith of the Hebrews converted to the Gospel that they were dull af Hearing Heb. v. 11 Much more might he say so of them unconverted They must have a Visible a Gay a Ceremonious Religion or else no Religion will go down with them Remarkable is that Passage of the Apostle Gal. iv 3 Even so we when we were Children were in Bondage under the Elements of the World As an Heir before he comes to Age is under Tutors and Governors ver 2. VVhere you may observe these Two considerable Things I. That till the Gentiles came in to make up the Church of God the Church was in her Nonage in her Minority or Childhood But when they came in to make up the Church then the Church grew into Manhood II. That because of the Childhood of the Church then best pleased with Childish things God saw it requisite to set up such Childish Carnal Beggarly Rudiments among them as the Apostle calls them because of the Dulness and Grosness of their Hearts to apprehend better And what our Saviour saith of one Particular of their Law Mat. xix 7 Moses because of the Hardness of their Hearts gave them Commandment to give a Bill of Divorce So Moses because of the Grosness and Dulness of their Hearts gave them all those Ceremonies that made up their Religion IV. A Meditation upon the Length of Time the second Temple was in Building Forty and Six Years was this Temple in Building John ii 20 NOT to trouble our selves with the Disputes among Learned Men about the Computation of these Years it is enough that we have asserted by these Jews who no doubt knew the Matter well enough that it was so long in building Six and Forty Years A long time Six times as long and more than Solomon was building his Temple which yet was far a more noble Fabrick than this was And so far more noble that they which had seen that and saw the Foundation of this laid wept sadly to see the Difference Ezra iii. 12 First God raised up Cyrus King of Persia purposely for this End that he might be a Means for Building of the Temple which the Soldiers of Nebuchadnezzar had burnt down See Esay xliv 28 That saith of Cyrus He is my Shepherd and shall perform all my Pleasure even saying to Jerusalem Thou shalt be built and to the Temple Thy Foundation shall be laid And Chap. xlv 1 Thus saith the Lord to his Anointed to Cyrus whose Right Hand I have holden to subdue Nations before him and I will loose the Loins of Kings to open before him the two leaved Gates and the Gates shall not be shut Secondly Cyrus accordingly sends the People out of Captivity gives them Commission and Charge to build the Temple Ezra i. 2 3. gives Order for the Measures of it and restores the Silver and Golden Vessels to it that had been taken from the Temple when the City was captived Ezra vi The People fall upon Work immediately after their Return out of Captivity Ezra iii. So that here was God's setting on Cyrus his Concurrence and the People's setting about the Work Yet Forty Six Years was this Temple in Building If we look about to observe where the Reason lay why the Work went on so slow we must look Three Ways I. We may look upon the Enemies of the Jews that put in all the Hindrance they could as you may read in the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah In Dan. ix 25 Gabriel tells Daniel that Jerusalem Street and Wall must be built in troublous Times And those two Books tell you how the Enemies of the Jews round about were Troublous Hinderers all the Time II. You may look upon the Jews themselves and find them faulty and contributing to the slow going on of the Work by their Coldness and little Forwardness in it They took more Care of Building their own Houses than the House of God Hag. i. 2 This People say the Time is not yet come the Time that the Lordâ—s House should be built Ver. 4. Is it Time for you O ye to dwell in your ceiled Houses and this House to lye waste They had got their own Houses ceiled but the Temple of God little or nothing at all done to that III. Now you may say Where is God's Providence all this while Which is a third thing to be lookt upon Did he bring the Children to the Birth and wanted Strength to bring them forth Did he set his own Work of his House on Foot and yet is it carried on with no more Speed than that Forty-six Years are taken up before it be finished Nebuchadnezzar could build the great Babylon in far less Time And Alexander the Great could build I know not how many Alexandria's in a few Years above Six which is the odd Number in this Account And the Work wherein God's own Hand was a first and chief Mover to find such a Delay And so indeed God's Work of Building himself up a House his Work of Reforming Repairing a Church a People a Nation hath ever gone but slowly on and the Wheels of that Work ever driven very heavy Do I need Instances We may take it too sadly at home Well from this present Business of the slow Proceeding that is hinted in the foresaid Words of the Jews we cannot but think of God's Providence and may very well be called to consider of it since there came such interfering in this Business of Building God's own House Which one would have thought Divine Providence would have carried on with more Success and Speed Strange Dispensation of Providence That seems different nay contrary to it self and one while to promote one way another while the contrary As if the same God that was well pleased with the Building of his House and commanded it seemed as well content when the Building was hindred and his Providence would not remove that Hindrance It was the Dispensation of God's Providence that
the undoing of the Nation to this Day Against these our Saviour so declaimeth Mat. xv 3 Why do you transgress the Commandment of God by your Tradition And in other Places And the Apostle 1 Pet. i. 18 where he speaks of their vain Conversation received by Tradition from their Fathers Now these Traditions in the two greatest Points of Religion viz. Concerning Christ and the Way of Salvation had introduced Doctrines as contrary to the Prophets and Truth as might be They made the Way to Salvation so easie that it was no strait Gate nor narrow Way that led thither but a few Ceremonious Works Washings Purifications Sacrifices would do the Business By these they thought they could be justified And how easie was it to perform these As for Christ our Messias they thought he should be a Temporal Deliverer and would live always and converse among them and enstate and keep them in all Earthly Pomp and Prosperity To this it is the Apostle speaks here God will send Jesus Christ among you but not as your Traditions teach to be always bodily present with you for he is now in Heaven and Heaven must contain him and there he must be till the restoring or accomplishing of all things But not of all things that are spoken by your Masters of Traditions but which God hath spoken by the Mouth of his holy Prophets According to the Sense of the Prophets not your Traditions AN EXPOSITION OF Two Select Articles OF THE Apostles Creed VIZ. I. The Holy Catholick Church II. The Communion of Saints AN EXPOSITION OF Two Select Articles OF THE Apostles Creed I. I believe the Holy Catholick Church AFTER the Creed hath done with what is to be believed concerning God it comes to speak of what is to be believed concerning other Matters of Faith It teacheth the Trinity and that we are to believe in Father Son and Holy Ghost and most largely what to believe concerning the Son His Incarnation and Acting for Man's Redemption After mention of Faith in the Trinity I believe in God the Father In his Son Jesus Christ and I believe in the Holy Ghost it first comes to teach what to believe concerning the Church and that in this Article I believe the Holy Catholick Church A Papist's Faith upon this Article comes to this Credo in Ecclesiam Sanctam Romanam Catholicam i. e. I believe in the Holy Roman Catholick Church In which they speak Impiety to believe in Men Falshood to call the Roman Church Holy and Nonsense to call that particular Church the Church Catholick or Universal I shall not insist to confute their Belief in this Point the first Part whereof is so plainly confuted by Scripture that bids not to trust in Man the second by Experience and History that tells of the abominable Unholiness of the Roman Church and the third by all Reason and common Language that tells it Nonsense to call a particular Church the Church Universal I shall first unfold to you the Article and then speak to what is observable upon the Meaning and Intent of it The Church you see is made the Object of Faith in it But of what Faith and in what Sense the Articles following shew Viz. To believe that there is a Holy Catholick Church as that there is a Communion of Saints that there is Forgiveness of Sins c. In the Article are three Things to be believed I. That there is a Church of God II. That it is Catholick III. That it is Holy The hardest thing is What is meant by Catholick and it is not easie to say How there is a Holy Church when there is so much Wickedness and Abomination in the World It is said by the Psalmist Psal. xiv 2 3. The Lord looked down from Heaven upon the Children of Men to see if there were any that did understand and seek after God They are all gone aside they are altogether become filthy there is none that doth Good no not one And where then can you find a Holy Church The Apostle Paul saith Phil. ii 21 All seek their own not the things which are Jesus Christ's And John saith 1 Ep. v. 19 The whole World lyeth in Wickedness And where can you then find a Holy Church Diogenes searched the City throughout with a Candle at Noon day and said Hominem quaero I seek for a Man So search Jerusalem with a Candle and how rarely can we find one that is Holy And where then is the Holy Catholick Church First As to the Word Catholick it signifies Universal It is rendred General in the Titles of the Epistles of James Peter and John And those are call'd General Epistles because not written to particular Persons Cities or Countries as those to Timothy the Romans the Galatians c. but generally to all in many or all Countries As S. Peter to the Strangers in Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia and Bithynia S. James to the twelve Tribes wheresoever scattered So the Catholick Church is first meant in Opposition to the particular Church of the Jews and secondly as meaning the Church of the Gentiles of all Nations that truly profess Christ throughout the World The Jews under the Law cry'd The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord are these So since the Gospel even hitherto they cry The Church of God are we But the Scripture tells us they are a Synagogue of Satan And Scripture teacheth us to acknowledge a Catholick Church the Church of God abroad in the World among all Nations at one time or other We shall take up the Words particularly and single And first of the Word Church And the Article doth teach and call upon us to believe That God hath ever a Church in the World I shall not insist upon the Signification of the Word in Greek and Latin nor of the Deduction of it into our English Tongue Some think our English is derived from the Greek Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies Belonging to the Lord. As 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lord's Supper 1 Cor. xi 20 And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lord's Day Rev. i. 10 So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Church to mean the Lord's Portion as Israel is called by that Title very oft There is none of you I suppose but know what is meant by the Church of God viz. Those or that Company that worship and serve God throughout the World About the Definition or Description of the Church of God is now and hath been almost ever under the Gospel the greatest Controversie one of them in Religion As at present whether the Roman Church be a true Church Which many Protestants deny And whether the Protestant Church be a true Church Which the Romanists deny Whether the Church of England be a true Church Which Separatists deny Whether Separatists be of the true Church Which the Church of England denies The like Scruple is made of the Greek Russian Jacobin Abyssin and other Churches Into which Controversie I
Christ it is in the Heart and Spirit and there for ever II. This is the Church Militant here Much is spoken of the Church Militant And Scripture Warrants such a Title Ye sight against Principalities and Powers And As a good Soldier of Jesus Christ. Now how many Thousands are there in the visible Church that never strike Stroke that are Lookers on nay scarce so much that mind not the Christian Warfare at all and that never resist the Flesh the World or the Devil II. I come now to the second Question How far to believe the Church As the Church is sometimes taken for Councils Synods or Convocations or Primitive Fathers I mean not barely the Colliar's Faith to believe as the Church believes tho' he knew not what it was but knowing throughly the Determinations of these whether it be absolutely necessary for us to believe them because they are the Determinations of the Church The Romanist saith Yes And he that believes not what Holy Mother Church determines is a Heretick He that believes not according to what the Council of Trent hath determined let him be Anathema 〈◊〉 answer We first begin here That the Scriptureâ— coâ—ntain all things needful for Faith and Life 〈◊〉 in Es. viii 19 20. And when they shall say unto you seek unto them that have familiar Spirits and unto Wizzards that peep and that Mutter Should not a People seek unto their God To the Law and to the Testimony If they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no Light in them So may I say also in this case if they say to you Seek to Councils Fathers Canons Determinations of the Church To the Law and to the Testimony to Scripture and Holy Writ that contains every thing you need to enquire after for Salvation What to be believed and what to be done Psal. cxix 105 Thy Word is a Lamp unto my Feet and a Light unto my Path. VVhithersoever you need to walk for the pleasing of God doing your duty to Men or to your own Souls the VVord of God is a Light sufficient In the Place before-mentioned Es. viii 19 20. Should not a People seek unto their God For the living to the dead To the Law and to the Testimony It is curiosity to enquire after Necromancy But if we desire to know what is fit and needful To the Law and to the Testimony Mal. iv 4 Remember ye the Law of Moses my Servant which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel with the Statutes and Judgments Prophecy was then ceasing People might complain what shall we do for Instruction VVhy go to the VVord of God which you have in your Hands to the Law of Moses that will teach you Luke xvi ult Dives desires Abraham to send one from the Dead to teach his Brethren that they might escape that Place of Torment No that needs not Moses and the Prophets will teach all things needful They have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them The Apostle speaks this fully 2 Tim. iii. 16 17. All Scripture is given by Inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness That the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good Works The Papist saith it is not sufficient to instruct in all things of Religion True not of the Romish Religion For the Rags that patch that you must go to some Broker For the Divine VVardrobe of Scripture hath none such viz. the Orders of Monks and Friars Pilgrimages single Life of the Clergy Salt Oil Spittle in Baptism Tapers at the Communion Processions Praying to and for the Dead and a Thousand other Trinklements and Trumperies Scripture never knew such base VVare we must go to some other kind of Shop for it And that Pedlar with them is Tradition VVhen they cannot find Authority to warrant them by Scripture then they have Recourse to some Tradition VVhen they have some Bastard-Doctrine or Practice and want Scripture to father it then they go to some old rotten Tradition Just so did the Jews and these are so like them that Egg to Egg is not more You know Christ's Accusation of those Mat. xv 8 9. This People draweth nigh unto me with their Mouth and honoureth me with their Lips but their Heart is far from me But in vain they do worship me teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of Men. And the very same Quarrel hath he against these The Jews pretended a Thousand Traditions of the Fathers so do these they equalled them with Scripture so do these they spoiled all Religion and made the VVord of God of none Effect and so do these As if God were a Niggard in his VVord and did not afford Food for Salvation but we must seek it in Dunghills The Scriptures are called the Scriptures of Truth the Word of Grace of Salvation able to make Man perfect throughly furnished to every good Work and yet these forsooth must be patch'd out with Traditions or they avail nothing As Argo was patch'd till there was nothing of the old Ship left So these Men have patch'd up a VVord of God till there is nothing of the VVord of God left in it Secondly The Scriptures are to be believed for themselves and they need not fetch their Credit from any thing else Dan. x. 21 I will shew thee that which is noted in the Scripture of Truth They are the TRUTH See John v. 39 Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have Eternal Life and they are they that testifie of me Observe the Bent of Christ's Discourse To clear that he was the Messias he produceth the VVitness of John ver 33. Ye sent unto John and he bare Witness unto the Truth His own VVorks v. 36. But I have a greater Witness than that of John for the Works which the Father hath given me to finish the same Works that I do bear witness of me that the Father hath sent me A Voice from Heaven ver 37. And the Father himself which hath sent me hath born witness of me But he concludes in Scripture as the most undeniable Testimony Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have Eternal Life and they are they that testifie of me See also 2 Pet. i. 17 18 19. For he received from God the Father Honour and Glory when there came such a Voice to him from the excellent Glory This is my beloved Son c. And this Voice which came from Heaven we heard when we were with him in the Holy Mount We have also a more sure Word of Prophecy A Voice from Heaven might possibly deceive the Jews feigned such but the Word of prophecy is sure that is a more sure Word The Reason of the Scriptures Credibility is because they are the Word of God 1 Thess. ii 13 When ye received the Word of God which ye heard of us ye received it not as the Word of Men but as it
Scriptures upon that Account But he reads studies meditates on them finds the Divine Excellency Sweetness Power of them And then he believes they are the VVord of God And that now is not for the Churches sake but for themselves The Church of England in the Thirty-nine Articles hath determined such Books Canonical VVhy Because the Church hath ever held them so That is some Furtherance to their Belief but not the cause of it They first believed the Church held them so but they saw Cause and Reason in the Books themselves to believe they were so As the Samaritans believed not at first that Christ was Christ for the VVoman's Relation but they believed she thought so and believed he might be so but that he was so they believed upon his own Words So we believe the Church owns the Scriptures but he is but a poor Christian that believes the Scriptures are the Scriptures upon no other Account He may believe the Canons of the Council of Trent about Scripture upon such an Account But he is a right Christian that believes the Scripture is the Word of God upon Proof and Trial. II. The Communion of Saints THIS Article harps upon the String of that before I believe the Holy Catholick Church and I believe that Church is in a Communion It is a Church of Saints for it is a Holy Church and tho' it be Catholick dispersed in divers Nations yet there is a Communion of those Saints But to what is this Article material What is it to me whether there be a Communion of Saints or no It is material in it self and if thou beest a true Christian it is material to thee And there is no true Saint but he blesseth God that there is such a Communion and he rejoyceth to be of that Communion as in the opening of the thing you will see the Cause If I should say there is a Communion of Devils or a Communion of ungodly Wretches Devils incarnate I doubt it would prove too true and it might not be unprofitable to observe such a fearful Communion to avoid it But when I say there is a Communion of Saints it is not only a Truth in Divinity but it is a Comfort in Religion and a Perswasive in Reason that Men would strive to be of that Communion if they did but understand what it meant It is not only I believe there is a Company of Saints for the Article before speaks that but I believe there is a Sacred Union Communion common Interest among that Company what is advantageous to every Member and to the whole What this Communion is and wherein it consists we must find out by these Considerations I. That Saints are very thin in the World Here one of Christ's little Flock there another but very rare Jer. iii. 14 And I will take you one of a City and two of a Family and I will bring you to Zion There were many Thousands in the City and but One of so many and many Cities in a Tribe and but Two of all these the Lord 's picked ones to bring to Zion Take the Character of a true Saint of God as David pictures him Psal. xv and how rarely is such an one to be found Day was when in all Jerusalem among Thousands of Persons such a Person was not to be found Jer. v. 1 Run ye to and fro through the Streets of Jerusalem and see now and know and seek in the broad Places thereof if ye can find a Man if there be any that executeth Judgment and seeketh the Truth and I will pardon it Cast out the Chaff and Refuse that is in the World and how very little Wheat is to be found Openly prophane and close Hypocrites carnal Gospellers and lukewarm Christians covetous Worldings and voluptuous Epicures set these aside by themselves and look at those that truly fear God and eschew Evil that deny themselves and dare not break any Command of God and how small is that Number But Three Hundred in Gideon's Army fit to do the Work of God of Thirty-two Thousand If there be Three Hundred of Three Hundred Thousand that prove true Saints it is well if there be so many as it is sad there be no more Let me pose any one or let every one pose their own Heart Dost thou think thou art a true Saint of God Every one will be ready to assume the Title but sift thy Heart to the Bran and what saith it Is there no Love of the World No Malice Pride Self-seeking Coldness in Religion Carelesness of Duty there I tell thee a Saint's Heart is a rare Jewel we may go a great way before we find one Oh! that all the Lord's People were Prophets as Moses said so I say Oh! that they were Saints But it proves not so A Saint is a rare Creature and they grow very thin in the World here and there a Berry in the Top of a Bough here and there a Plant of the Lord 's planting but very rare Therefore when the Creed speaks of the Catholick Church meaning true Saints that serve God in Truth it speaks not Multitude tho' it mean Universal But it speaks that such are scattered up and down the World here some in one Nation there some in another here One in One City there another in another II. Therefore Communion of Saints cannot mean Personal or Local Union or Communion Saints in one Place or in one Lump together Not a College of all Saints in one Place but a Communion 'twixt them as scattered here and there all the World over As there is a Communion 'twixt two Friends one in Turky another in England one in New England another in Old The Jews little understand the Communion of Saints when they construe Hos. i. 11 Then shall the Children of Judah and the Children of Israel be gathered together and they shall appoint themselves one Head c. and such other Places Literally of their Meeting together and going to Canaan together and dwelling there together Whereas the Words mean their gathering into Communion of another Nature How would you understand that Mat. xxiv 31 And he shall send his Angels with a great Sound of a Trumpet and they shall gather together his Elect from the four Winds from one end of Heaven to the other By the Angels he means his Messengers the Ministers by the Sound of a Trumpet he means the Gospel by the whole he means that after the Destruction of Jerusalem of which the Speech is in the Verses before God by the preaching of the Gospel would fetch in his Elect among all Nations or call home the Gentiles But how gather them together What Into any one Place or Country or City No but into such a Communion as we are speaking of in the several Nations or Countries where they lived One Saint in Judea another in Assyria another in Greece All staying in the Place where they receive the Gospel and yet all gathered together into one
to be for some expert sober Persons of the Laity But our Divine proved at large that none in the Synagogue read the Law and the Prophets but publick Officers and of the Levitical Order And that by these Arguments First By their multitude of Universities for the Education of the Levites for such Purposes viz. Fourty Eight Secondly By their Curiosity that not a Tittle of the Law should be mistaken by those that Read it But Mr. Reyner urged that the Levites were not Types of the Pastors but the Priests were To this he answered that the Levites in the Temple were one thing and in the Synagogues another For that though these at the Temple were Servants to the Priests yet in their Synagogues they were their Pastors 3. He seemed not to allow of the Ordination by Presbyters only disputing about that Place that was urged chiefly in behalf of it viz. 1 Tim. iv 14 With the laying on of the Hands of the Presbytery For after some had spoken dubiously of the Place as Mr. Herrick who questioned whether it spake of Ordination and whether these Presbyters were Preaching Presbyters or Presbyters or Elders of the Laity and Mr. Sympson who said that laying on of Hands was used in other things Lightfoot 1. Declared himself to be of Selden's Mind saying his Interpretation must needs be right and that it means 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Admission to be an Elder 2. That it would be hard to find a Presbytery that might lay their Hands upon Timothy This Text cost a great deal of Debate but at last being put to the Question it was voted to pass But our Divine and some others with him gave their Negative Yet 4. To shew his Judgment in extraordinary Cases When the Bishops whose Office was to Ordain were voted out of the House and their Jurisdiction laid aside the Assembly brought in this Position concerning Ordination That in extraordinary Cases some things extraordinary may be done until a settled order may be had Divers spake largely upon this Pro and Con. Lightfoot was of this mind shewing that even some Posiâ—ive Laws of God gave place not only to Necessity but even to Convenience As the steps to Solomon's Altar and many Candlesticks and Tables in the Temple But when as a proof of it that place was produced 2 Chron. xxix 34 The Priests were too few that they could not slay all the Burnt-Offerings wherefore their Brethren the Levites did help them And Bathurst spake to this place to prove it pregnant and likewise out of Numb xviii 4 5 6. and Levit. i. would prove that the Levites had nothing to do to slay the Sacrifices Lightfoot gave Answer to him and so did Coleman and Selden two others well skilled in Jewish Learning who shewed the contrary But being put to the Vote it was carried for a pregnant place But Lightfoot here gave his Negative 5. Some in the Assembly called in Question Matthias his Equality with the rest of the Apostles and that he was rather a Degree below them because chosen by Lot and not immediately called by Christ So one Gibson To this our Divine gave this Answer That the Lot did argue his immediate Call Because the Apostles could not ordain him for an Apostle by Imposition of their Hands but sought to the immediate Imposition of Christ's Hands by a Lot 6. When the Assembly came to examine whether there were anciently in the Church Ruling Elders and they as it seems of the Laity which some had laboured for the confirming of by certain Places of Scripture one of the Assembly named Baily began to speak professing seriously that till the last year he had lived convinced by Bishop Bilson of the Jus Divinum of Bishops till confering with a Gentlewoman who said to him that it was a wonder he could not see ground for Presbyterial Government which all the Reformed Churches have it struck him so that he fell to study the Reformed Writers Calvin Beza c. and by them was convinced And then after this Preface as though he had been throughly studied in this matter he fell upon the places of Scripture and that with some vehemiency and smartness and would prove a Ruling Elder And Mr. Rutherford one of the Scotch Commissioners backed him to make way to bring in the Scotch Discipline into the English Church Gillaspe another Scotch Commissioner said in behalf of his Ruling Elder that this Practice of the Reformed Churches arose from a sure Light But this found considerable Opposition in the Assembly and that by the Learnedest Men as Vines Gataker and our Divine who began first and after Rutherford had done spake to this import 1. That as for that place in 1 Timothy v. 17 Let the Elders that Rule well be counted worthy of double Honour especially those who labour in the Word c. The Apostle 't is true meant hereby two sorts of Officers but that those were Pastor and Deacon which he had spoken of before as sufficient for the Church in 1 Tim iii. 2. That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word in another place urged for Ruling Elders both in the LXX Translators and in the Syriac are Praesidentes and Praecedentes though not in Government 3. That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Helps and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Governments 1 Cor. xii 28 would enforce Deaconry and Ruling Elders Which Words when it was Debated whether they signified Officers or Gifts and Ny and Newcomen averred that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signified only the Act of Government Lightfoot stood up and shewed how the Word was taken by the LXX Who used it in Prov. i. 5 and xi 14 and divers other Places in that Book to translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which imported not the Act but the Ability and Gifts fit to Govern And that the other Word Helps meant nothing else but Helps to interpret the Language and Sense of those that spake with Tongues As he shewed might be collected by Ballancing the two Verses in the Place in Hand together viz the 28 th and 29 th Then spake Mr. Vines upon the said Place viz. 1 Cor. xii 28 Where he shewed that the Apostle spake there of several things and that those things were for the Benefit of the Church and that they related to Persons for he had before spoke of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gifts That it spake of several Gifts in several Persons That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 differed from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signified without doubt a Prefecture Yet grant all this it was very questionable whether this Place proved a Ruling Elder For that he conceived the Government was in the Hands of the Preaching Elder And then he fell to the backing of Lightfoot's Interpretation which he did fully Another Day they fell again upon the same Debate about Ruling Elders when Mr. Lightfoot was again concerned Wilkinson began thus If the Place alledged hold out so clear a ground
As in Gen. xiii 8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We are MEN BRETHREN In fine so well did our Divine acquit himself in this Assembly and such was the General Opinion of his Learning and Integrity that when Much Munden in Hertfordshire was under Sequestration and Mr. Sedgwick moved that some one of the Assembly might be recommended to that Place Lightfoot was Nominated and it was ordered with Universal Consent that he should be recommended to the Committee for that purpose which happened in Jan. 1643. 'T is true this Learned Man was noted for certain peculiar Opinions differing therein from such as were commonly received and believed and thereupon was disliked by some Nor will I deny it but yet I must add that they were such Notions as were innocent and did no harm such as had no bad influence upon Religion nor tended in the least to the Breach of the Churches Peace which he ever held very sacred nor lastly Such as abated the necessity of a Vertuous and good Life And for evidence hereof I will mention some if not the chief of them First That the Jews shall not be called but are utterly rejected And that the Time of their Rejection happened before the Times of Christ and that it so happened to them for their fond and impious Traditions rather than as it is commonly asserted after Christ for their Wickedness in Murthering their Messiah and persecuting the Gospel how grievous a Crime soever that was And that their last and only Calling was in the Times of Christ and his Apostles when some few of them viz. A Remnant were brought in to the Faith of Christ. But that neither then there was nor ever shall be any Universal Calling of them And that that pâ—ace in the Epistle to the Romans Chap. xi 5 At this present time there is a Remnant c. was very unfit to prove this Calling of the Jews to be either Universal or after a great many Ages Secondly His mean Opinion of the Greek Translation of the Bible by the Seventy that it was hammered out by the Jews with more Caution than Conscience more Craft than Sincerity and that it was done out of Political Ends to themselves As that the Bible might be represented after that manner to the Heathen among whom the Jews dwelt that they might have no occasion from any Passages therein to revile or cavil with them and that the Jewish Nation might live the more securely concealing in the mean time as much as they could the Mysteries and Truths contained therein Thirdly His Opinion concerning the Keys that they were given to Peter alone And this he openly hâ—ld in the Assembly of Divines When a long Debate happenning whether the Keys were given to all the Church or to the Apostles only our Divine stood up and granted that in all Ages the Learned hâ—ld that the Keys meant the Government of the Church but that for his part he held that the Keys were only given to Peter according as Christ spake only to him To THEE will I give the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven But mark in what sense he meant it That is to open the Gospel to the Gentiles which was meant he said by the Kingdom of Heaven And that it was to this purpose Peter spake Acts xv 7 in an Assembly of the Apostles and Elders at Jerusalem Ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us that the Gentiles by my Mouth should hear c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is from this Promise of Christ given to him And Fourthly He did not allow that Binding and Loosing related to Discipline but to Doctrine And that because the Phrases to Bind and to Loose were Jewish and most frequent in their Writers and that it belonged only to the Teachers among the Jews to Bind and to Loose And that when the Jews set any apart to be a Preacher they used these Words Take thou Liberty to Teach what is Bound and what is Loose To which I might add Fifthly His peculiar Interpretation of those Words of God to Cain If thou dost not well Sin lyeth at the Door SIN that is not Punishment to take hold of thee but a Sin-offering to make Attonement for thee and that that was the common Acceptation of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e Sin in the Books of Moses And that God did not intend to terrifie Cain by those Words but rather to keep him from Despair These and perhaps other Notions and Expositions of Scripture however Novel they seemed to be yet as they were not without probability so they never made any Assaults upon Fundamental Doctrines or true Christian Holiness and Peace And thus we have seen somewhat of his Learning and Divinity But that which made it the more valuable was his Integrity and Goodness Which opens to us a second Scene of the Man and brings us to the Consideration of him II. As a Good Christian. And for the the better evidencing of this I shall use the same Method for the most part as I have done before to shew his Learning Namely by looking into his Behaviour while he sat a Member of the Assembly of Divines 1. He was an earnest Promoter of the Peace of the Church And because the breaking of the Communion of Christians by Schisms and Separations and withdrawing from the National Church into distinct Churches did effectually tend to kindle the Fire of Contention and Uncharitableness and to beget Estrangements in the Family of Câ—rist where Love ought to be the great Badge therefore he always set himself to oppose those Practices And for this purpose he would often urge how our great Master and Lord kept up constant Communion with the Jewish Church whereof he was Born a Member and came up duly to the Temple at the Set Feasts and observed the Churches Rites and Customs however corrupt they were in many respects and the Officers and Prime Professors of it very Degenerate and Hypocritical Which Argument he hath managed well in his Discourse upon the Widow's Mite in this Book as well as in other Places of his Printed Sermons extant in his Works To which I might add that when in his Discourse upon one of the Select Articles of the Creed now published he had occasionally said that it might so happen that a Man might be excommunicate out of a true Protestant Church and yet it were hard to doom such an one to Perdition he presently put in this Caution That he spake not this to animate any to separate or withdraw from the visible Church wherein we live Adding withal his Grief at the Separations among us That for such Divisions of Reuben there were great Thoughts of Heart And it is remarkable that when once in the Assembly some began to move whether the Church of England were a true Church and the Ministry of the Church of England a true Ministry some would have waved it lest it might have brought on the Business of
And so they maintain it is lawful to Excommunicate Depose Murder Princes out of Zeal to Religion And so they made it lawful nay laudable to murder so many innocent Souls in that Massacre in France Against Transubstantiation I hope every one laughs at the Doctrine of Transubstantion that will fetch Christ from Heaven at every Sacrament The Master-piece of Delusion Satan shews here how much Delusion he can practice in the greatest Ignorance For a Man against Sense and Reason Philosophy and Divinity to believe a Priest can calâ— Christ out of Heaven and turn a piece of Bread into his very Body The strangest Madness in the World I see it feel it Bread and yet must believe it Flesh. I know it was made yesterday by the Baker yet now I must believe it turned into my Creator I know Christ is in Heaven and yet must believe that he is here on Earth The Heathen were never more blind And against the immoral Doctrine of Equivocation Whereof he thus vehemently express'd himself I cannot but admire the Impudency as well as abhor the Wickedness of the Jesuits Doctrine of Equivocation A Doctrine that hath put on a Whore's Forehead a brazen Face and the Devil's Impudency it self before Men as well as it hath clothed it self with horrid Abominableness before God It is a Doctrine that teacheth Men to Lye and yet will maintain they Lye not And by their Doctrine there can be no Lying Forswearing or Deceiving in the World though they Lye Forswear and Deceive never so deeply A Trick beyond the Devils He turns Truth into a Lye These can turn a Lye into Truth A Popish Priest or Jesuite is brought before a Protestant Magistrate He puts him to his Oath Are you a Popish Priest or a Jesuite They will Swear NO roundly and make no Bones of it having this Reserve in their Mind I am not a Priest to you or I am not a Priest of the English Church or I am not a Jesuite to tell you or be your Confessor or some such lurking reserved Thought in his Mind This Man hath not told a Lye tho' he speaks not a Word true He hath not taken a False Oath though he hath Sworn Falsly As the Devil changeth himself into an Angel of Light so these a Lye into a Truth But as he is a Lyar still and is most dangerous when he seems a good Angel so is their Lye when they thus Cloath it with the pretence of Truth Into their secret let not my Soul come and with their Counsil my Glory be not thou united Finally He shewed them the Preference of the Protestant Religion before that of the Papists This is the Reason saith he that so many Protestants turn Papists This he spake in the Year 1674. Because Popery opens an easier way to Heaven a Thousand fold than the Protestant doth Add to this the Viciousness of the Times And the more Viciousness abounds the more will such Apostacy abound according to the intimation of our Saviour Matth. xxiv Because Iniquity shall abound the Love of many to God and his Truth shall wax cold Men would fain enjoy their Pleasures here and yet go to Heaven too They would fain have their Paradise here and have Paradise hereafter This Popery helps them too almost with a wet Finger Hath a Man committed Whoredom Adultery been Guilty of Deceit Luxury Uncharitableness let him go and Confess himself to a Priest and the Priest absolves him and those Sins are gone and there is no more danger of them Or Oh! For how many Thousand Sins for how many Thousand Years can the Pope Pardon him How may Pilgrimage to such a Saint fetch him off How may so many Fastings so many Ave Maries so often lying in Hair-cloth so many Masses make all well and out of Danger That it is as easie almost with them to get to Heaven as for a Man to do his ordinary Days Work But the Protestant Doctrine makes obtaining Salvation a harder Task according to the Truth of the Scripture John vi you read of divers that went away from Christ because they thought his Doctrine a Hard Saying So doth the poor Protestant Religion lose Followers upon the same account None is of poor Michaiah's side because he speaks Truth and Home But let Ahab have the Four Hundred false Prophets for they will be sure to make all well for him let him do what he will There are Four Hundred and Four Hundred false Prophets in the Popish Cause that will warrant the veriest Ahab that ever was Heaven If he have but Money to fee them well will Pray him to Heaven Sing him to Heaven Pardon him to Heaven and he shall never see Hell and it may be not Purgatory It is easie to see by this Comparison which is the truer and better Religion of the Two By these and such like sound and sober Discourses he built up his People committed to his Charge in Truth and Godliness So that it is reported he had not a Dissenter in his Parish The People of his Flock Honest Quiet and Industrious his Church constantly and conscientiously repaired to every Lord's Day with due Devotion And thus I have at length dispatched what I had to say both of our Author and these Remains of his which are now made Publick And I who have once more revived the Memory of this great Ornament of Literature and of our Church of England shall I hope not only be Pardoned but merit some Thanks from the Piously Learned and Sober-Minded Rank of Men. I had some inclination to have added a Fourth Tract of this Author's Namely A Chronicle of Events and Occurrences in the World under the Kings of France and the Ottoman Emperour made by one Joseph a Priest who lived about the Times of Henry VIII Being a Fair Translation out of Hebrew into English done by the Doctor 's own Hand Which he seemed to have taken all this pains about because the History is interspersed with what befel Jerusalem after the Destruction of it by Titus the Emperor and with the Wars waged by divers Kings and Princes for the Gaining and Possession of that Place once so famous for being the Spot of all the Earth appointed for God's Holy Temple to be built on and for the Son of God to Converse and Die and Redeem the World in And also because here is set forth by the Pen of a Jew himself the State and Condition of the Jews in the latter Times and particularly the sad Persecutions and Calamities that befel them by the just Judgment of God in these Western Parts of the World as well as in other Parts by the German and French Nations Whereby might be seen some History of that Desolate Forsaken People and of the Scourge of God upon them in successive Generations ever since they Rejected and Crucified their Messiah and took the Guilt of his Blood upon themselves and their Children The State of which People from Age to Age
may incline them to Wantonness Wantonness to Apostacy And therefore it was not prudent to take such into Office in the Church and to its Charge The Words admit two Senses I. Wanton against Christ and the strict Rule of Christ that they should be under They will not endure the Yoke as the wanton Heifer but will marry to satisfie their own Will Having Damnation or Judgment that is being justly condemned because they cast off their first Faith or Trust committed to them So that the Apostle condemns not their marrying simply for then he should go against his own Rule It is better to marry than to burn but provides that such Inconveniences accrue not to the Church II. Wanton in Religion She may fall in Love with an Infidel and wantonly may forsake her Religion and so become a Scandal to the Church and Perdition to her self As the Apostle cries down such Marriages 2 Cor. vi 14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with Unbelievers And God complains Mal. ii 11 That Judah had profaned the Holiness of the Lord and married the Daughter of a strange God VII Wantonness Unchristian THE Vulgar Latin reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. v. 11 Luxuriantes in Christo to no Sense at all Others They will marry in Christ to as little But the Words in the English are very proper according to the Greek Wax wanton against Christ. The Greek word as it properly signifies to be wanton or to live delicately and in Pleasure and so rendred Rev. xviii 7 so in proper Derivation it signifies to shake off the Reins as an untamed Horse Hence it may be observed that Wantonness is a thing that is Unchristian a thing that becomes not Christians The Apostle allows it not in any to be employed in Office in the Church in 1 Tim. v. 11 and elsewhere not in any other Rom. xiii 13 Let us walk honestly as in the Day not in Rioting and Drunkenness not in Chambering and WANTONNESS not in Strife and Envying Observe hence two things First That Christians that live in the Day and not in the Night should walk as in the Day Secondly That they should walk 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Honestly Comlily Men in the Night care not how they are dress'd when none sees them but in the Day they take Care of their Habit that it be decent that they may appear comely before Men. And so it is with Christians who are of the Day The Apostle gives two general Rules for Christians walking I. Negatively Not to walk as Heathens which are in Darkness and walk they know not they care not how Eph. iv 17 This I say and testifie in the Lord that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk in the Vanity of their Mind See with what Vehemency he speaks I testifie in the Lord. I speak it from God and charge you before him That henceforth ye walk not as â—ther Gentiles Nil ultra Now the Day is come walk no more as Children of Darkness 1 Thess. iv 3.4 5. For this is the Will of God even your Sanctification that ye should abstain from Fornication that every one of you should know how to possess his Vessel in Sanctification and Honour Not in the Lâ—st of Concupiscence even as the Gentiles which know not God II. Positively as becomes the Gospel Phil. i. 27 Let your Conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Christ That is as is suitable to the Rule of the Gospel and as may be an Honour to the Gospel And as becometh Saints Eph. v. 3 Now that Wantonness is Heathenish and not becoming Saints let us consider how it may be taken and that under two Considerations First As opposed to that Gravity and Seriousness that should be in Christians and is agreeable to the Gospel Secondly As opposed to Chaste Modesty or that Wantonness that tends to Uncleanness or is the same with Lasciviousness I. It becomes not Christians to be foolish or toyish or wanton in Word Dress or Action but to be of such Gravity as is far from Wantonning and as becomes the Gravity of the Gospel He that knows the Gospel needs no proof out of the Gospel else I might produce the Rules particularly for all sorts of Men and Women In all requiring Sobriety Gravity Modesty Take but that Place Eph. v. 4 Neither Filthiness nor Foolish Talking nor Jesting which are not convenient Take up that Copy As becometh Saints Where do we ever find the least wanton Gestures in the Saints of God upon Record VVhat Gravity what sweet Severity in them It is observed of Christ that he wept but was never seen to laugh Nor do you find much mention of any such thing in his Disciples It was an ingenious Answer of a Painter that Pictured the Apostles of Ruddy Complexions Being asked why he so painted them his Answer was because they would be ashamed to look on the Light VVanton Carriage of many that called themselves Christians The Saints commonly are called God's Fools and the Reason is because they will not be Fools before Men but keep themselves to the Sobriety of their Profession The Apostle saith 1 Cor. iii. 18 If any Man among you seemeth to be Wise in this World let him become a Fool that he may be Wise. But it means as to Reliance upon VVisdom not to befool themselves to make sport to Men. It was Sampson's Misery to be the Philistine's Fool and make them Sport But the same unhappy Misery too many do willingly take to themselves spending their Life in VVantonness and Foolish Sporting As those in Job Ch. xxi 12 13. They take the Timbrel and Harp and Rejoice at the Sound of the Organ They spend their Days in Wealth and in a Moment go down to the Grave And where are they then It is the Speech of an Atheist not a Christian Let us Eat and Drink for to Morrow we Die 1 Cor. xv 32 But it is a Gospel-Counsel that follows ver 33 34. Be not deceived Evil Communications corrupt good Manners Awake to Righteousness and Sin not VVhat did God bring us into the VVorld to do To spend away a Life and in fine to be Damned VVhat are we admitted into the Gospel to do To live in Pleasure and VVantonness like those that know not God How far is this from the End of a reasonable Soul Of a Christian Consider those Words Wo unto you that Laugh now for ye shall Mourn and Weep Luke vi 25 But is no Mirth or Sporting allowed to Christians Is not that too severe Eccles. â—i.2 I said of Laughter it is Mad and of Mirth what doth it And Eph. v. 4 â—here no Jesting is tolerated Durus Serma i. e. A hard Saying To make some Reply to this 1. Earthly Pleasures and Delights are more Delights in Fancy and Opinion than Reality Psal. xxxix Men walketh in a vain Shadow No Substance at all Now a Solid Christian goes upon other Grounds His Delight is upon another Foundation There
WERE and cannot Now we are So in this Case God be thanked that ye were the Servants of Sin that it may be said Ye were but that now ye are not But II. Since there is mention of Servants take a Parallel viz. an Israelite saying thus God be thanked that ye were Bondmen in Egypt His meaning is especially to thank God for their Delivery out of Egypt and what accrued to them upon their being Bondmen there They had never seen so great Wonders never seen so great Deliverance had they not been Bondmen And he thanks not God barely for their Bondage but for the Good and Mercy that followed it So God be thanked that ye were the Servants of Sin Else ye had never known the Riches of the Grace of God else ye had never come to prize the Infiniteness of his Mercy in your Deliverance Ye had never been so careful to be Servants of Righteousness but that ye have known what Slavery it is to be Servants of Sin So that he gives not God Thanks barely for their Slavery to Sin but especially for what was come to pass with them upon their Sinfulness He would not say to any upon Earth God be thanked that ye ARE so sinful but he says God be thanked that ye VVERE and are not That God made your great Sinfulness his Opportunity to shew you Mercy X. The Papists the Millenaries and the Traditionary Jews confuted from that Place Whom the Heavens must contain until the Times of Restitution of all things c. Act. iii. 21 HE shall send Jesus Christ to you Act. iii. 20 And yet the Heavens must contain him A Paradox unless Christ could be in many Places at once VVhich the Papists would fain justifie that they may have his Body in every Sacrament And yet there is a great Truth in this Paradox if we distinguish 'twixt the very Person of Christ and the Influence that proceeds from him As God dwelleth in the highest Heaven and yet dwelleth in an humble Heart As the Sun is in the Firmament and yet the Sun in his Influence is on the Earth also So Christ in his Body and Person is in Heaven and the Heaven must contain him till the Restitution of all things and yet Christ is among Men in the Vertue of his VVord and Influence of his Spirit As the Prince is on his Throne and yet the Diffusion of his Power Justice Clemency is thro' his whole Kingdom The Presence of Christ is everywhere as he is God and his VVord and Spirit everywhere where he pleaseth to send them But that the BODY of Christ should be everywhere is utterly against all Philosophy Divinity Scripture and the Nature of a Body And the Doctrine that Christ's very Body is received by every one that receiveth the Sacrament is clean against all these and against the very Nature of a Sacrament But the thing is not worth insisting on tho' an Argument is commonly taken hence to confute that Doctrine Restitution This is a VVord of Difficulty and requires some Resolution and which being resolved will help the better to understand the rest of the Verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Restitution or Restoring of all things Times of Restoring of all things Restitution To what To their old Estate Or to a new and a better Estate This Expression breeds the main Difficulty in this Place And this encourages the Millenary to dream of Christ's reigning here on Earth a Thousand Years before the final End of the VVorld For then they conceive the Jews shall be restored to be a People again universal Peace to be restored to all the VVorld and Swords beaten into Plow-shares and Spears into Pruning hooks Then an universal Peace Concord and Tranquility to be restored to the Church and all the Glorious Things the Prophets have spoken of to come to pass and be settled I. The VVord indeed in Greek Authors commonly signifies Restoration to a former Estate Hence Circuitus Solis the Course of the Sun from the Vernal Equinox to that Point again is called the Restoration of the Year And so is that to be understood Acts i. 6 Lord wilt thou at this Time restore the Kingdom to Israel That is that Israel shall have a Kingdom as heretofore But how does this Sense agree here The restoring of all things in the Prophets to their former Estate What former Estate can here be meant to be the Pattern of another to come And the Millenary will not agree to this Interpretation who dreams not of restoring to any former Estate but to such an one as never was before II. Therefore there may be Restoration or Restitution to a better Estate As Mat. xvii 11 Elias truly shall first come and restore all things Now Elias in the Baptist restored not all things to the former Estate but to a new and better And it is said He restored all things Yet here all things are to be restored still and the Restoration not yet effected Therefore that Restoration cannot be the Restoration here meant neither Therefore III. The meaning is Making good Accomplishing all things So Elias Baptist made good all things written of him and that concerned his Office And the Times are coming when there shall be an accomplishing and making good all Things in the Prophets And so the Arabic reads Until the Times which shall confirm the fulfilling of all those things God hath spoken by the Prophets And the Syriac not much unlike But it will be demanded then When are those Times when all things spoken by the Prophets shall be fulfilled Truly Reason it self may answer At the end of the World For have not the Prophets spoke of the end of all things and of the Resurrection both of the Just and Unjust and of the Eternal Reward of both Till that time then the Heavens must contain Christ. And where should we look for Christ at any time in any Generation but in Heaven All things that God hath spoken by the Mouth of his Holy Prophets The Apostle in so saying seems to face the saying of the Jews Traditions in this Case To give you a brief Story of their Traditions 1. Before the Captivity they had Prophets Urim Visions of God Apparitions of Angels So that in Matters of Doubt they resorted to a Prophet as Saul and his Servant to Samuel In Matters of State to Urim as David did 2. After the Captivity these ceased viz. After the first Generation No Vision no Prophet more So that in how changed a Condition were they now How destitute of their great Priviledge 3. Then the Devil saw his Opportunity and stirred up some Instruments to foist Traditions upon them instead of Oracles And they taught that God gave a written Law but an unwritten Exposition of it And some Glosses that they had invented themselves they imposed as the very Words of God to Moses at Sinai So that every fond Invention of Men now went current as the Oracles of God And this is
Holy Catholick Church can we only think of that which is visible as to an outward Profession in which Millions perish and go to Hell for ever No we are to think of the Church invisible the number known to God of his Faithful ones And on the other Hand as a Man may be in the visible Church and yet not be saved So possibly a Man may be out of the visible Church and yet may be saved An Infant not yet Baptized is not yet admitted into the visible Church but it were hard to say all so dying were not saved David's Child not Circumcised died and yet who doubts of his Salvation Consider David's Demeanor upon his Death and compare it with the Demeanor of him upon the Death of Absalom 2 Sam. xviii 33 The King was much moved and went up to the Chamber over the Gate and wept and as he went thus he said Oh my Son Absalom my Son my Son Absalom would God I had died for thee Oh Absalom my Son my Son This for Absalom But for his Infant 2 Sam. xii 18 David 's Servants feared to tell him that the Child was dead For they said Behold while the Child was yet alive we spake unto him and he would not hearken unto our Voice how will he then vex himself if we tell him that the Child is dead But how well he took it see v. 23. Now he is dead wherefore should I fast Can I bring him back again I shall go to him but he shall not return to me He could not but doubt Absalom's Condition because he died in Rebellion But had he doubted so of the Child's Condition could he have been so well apaid upon his Death Had he been of Popish Faith to believe that Children are not saved that receive not the Sign of Admission into the Church could he have been so well satisfied And in another Case a good Man may possibly die excommunicate out of the visible Church It were hard to conclude such a Man's Damnation meerly upon that reason John ix 34 The Jews there cast out a Man for arguing that Christ must be a true Prophet because he cured him who had been born blind And ver 22. The Jews had agreed already that if any Man did confess that he was Christ he should be put out of the Synagogue And Christ told the Disciples that they should be cast out of the Synagogue If they died in that Excommunication out of that visible Church did that prove their Damnation How many Holy Men have died excommunicate out of the Church of Rome Which so little argues their Damnation that it rather argues the contrary Nay it may come to pass that a good Man may die excommunicate out of a true Protestant Church neither for Heresie nor Impiety and yet it were hard to doom such an one to Perdition I speak not this to animate any to separate or withdraw from the visible Church wherein we live For such Divisions of Reuben there are sad Thoughts of Heart But that by observing this needful Distinction you may the better observe the Intent of this Article Learn then this Distinction of Visible and Invisible As the Apostle hath it All are not Israel that are of Israel So all are not the Church of God that are of the Church visible As we may say every Minister is not a Minister every Soldier is not a Soldier And let this be thy Meditation upon this Article God hath a Holy Church that serve him truly whom the World cannot discern And I must get to be of that number or this my Profession will be greater Damnation This needful Distinction will help to answer that Cavil of Papists Where was your Church before Luther Answer God saw his own that profess'd his Truth in the midst of Popery As there was a Lot in Sodom and Seven Thousand that bowed not to Baal This also will afford an Answer to that reproachful Cavil Do you think your Ancestors were damned that lived in Popery And they think they have us in a Strait by this Argument But we may answer 'T is not for us to judge God hath His whom Men cannot discern I doubt not but that many were in the Popish Church that were not of it The Papists indeed brag of the Visibility of their Church They will have it a City on a Hill a Candle on a Candlestick c. Mat. v. 14 15. and make a puff at the Protestant Church because it was not visible Two Hundred Years ago and their Church hath been a Thousand Years They tell us we had had no Scriptures had not their Church preserved them No Ordination of Ministers had it not been conveyed all along in their Church And such things as these they vapour as if there could be no true Church but theirs which hath been visible in all Ages I remember a Story when one had proclaimed a King with a World of Titles the King of France made his Herauld proclaim him nothing but King of France King of France divers times over accounting more Dignity in that one Title than in all the others The Church of Rome proclaims her self pompously in her arrogated Titles that She She is the Mother Church the Holy Church the Catholick Church the Only Church and I know not what The Protestant Church need to say of her self no more than that she is the Church of God The other brags of Antiquity Universality Visibility Succession and other Bravado's whereas the Protestant Church hath but this to glory of and it is enough That she is built upon the Prophets and Apostles Ingenious was that Picture In one Scale you see all the Trinklements of Popery and the Pope and Friars hanging on in the other the Protestants put the Bible and it outweighs This is the Glory and sure Friend of a Church to be built upon the Holy Scriptures altho' there be no Visibility of that Church to the Eyes of Men at all But that we may take up the Consideration of this thing the better and that we may see how needful it is to take the Distinction proposed observe these things It is true the Church of Rome if a Church hath been visible a Thousand Years and more when no Protestant Church was to be seen So the World was visibly of one Religion Two Thousand Years viz. Irreligious Heathenism when but only in one spot of Ground one that served the true God was not to be found Abraham in Chaldea when he first hearkned to God how might this Romish Argument have been used against him What thou only of all the World not worship Gods of Gold and Silver Look thro' Europe Asia and Africa and thou wilt not find one of thy Mind Was Abraham's Religion ever the worse for being so lonely or the other the better for being so universal Michaiah and the false Prophets of Ahab he One they Hundreds Were their Words ever the truer for their Multitudes 'T is true that for
Particulars 1. Christ loved his Church and gave himself for it What for all that make an outward Profession Adulterers Fornicators Drunkards and the like Doth he love such Doth he give himself for such Many and many better Professors shall be refused of Christ at the great Day because they were not sincere in their Profession tho' not so abominable in Conversation Mat. vii 22 23. Many will say to me in that Day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy Name and in thy Name have cast out Devils and in thy Name done many marvellous Works And then I will profess unto them I never knew you depart from me ye that Work Iniquity We cannot think that such were so abominable in their Conversation but Christ found they were not sincere in Profession The foolish Virgins we cannot imagine that they were Whores for they were Virgins Or that they were abominable in their Lives but they were foolish drowsie and negligent Now if Christ is so far from owning such as are so fair-carriaged think you he owns loves and gave himself for horrid Wretches that despise him 2. The true Church is cleansed sanctified without Spot or Wrinkle Look on the most nay almost all in the visible Church that make an outward Profession and do they carry such a Mark How few are there upon whose Conversation is Holiness to the Lord As Tit. i. 16 They profess that they know God but in Works deny him At Christ's Table there was One Devil to Eleven Saints in the visible Church it is well if there be one Saint to many Devils One of a City and Two of a Tribe like a few Berries after beating the Olive-Tree I may use the Stile of Eliphaz Job xxii 15 Hast thou marked the old way which wicked Men have trodden Mark the way of the World which most Men walk in Observe how unsuitable it is to the Gospel to the Example of Christ and the Discharge of a good Conscience And then look upon these Marks of the true Church of God And then judge whether it be not true that the Church of God is the least part of the VVorld and the least part of the Church visible Our Saviour asserts the former in Fear not little Flock c. Also the latter in Many are called but few are chosen Many in outward Profession in the visible Church but few truly the Church of God And so we may answer that Cavil of the Papists we spake of before Where was your Religion all the time of Popery Answer In the Scripture Had a Jew questioned a Heathen at his first Conversion Where was your Religion heretofore He might have answered In the Scriptures We profess nothing but what is in the Scripture As Acts xxvi 22 Saying none other things than those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come But where was our Church It was but invisible Some there were that worshipped God according to Scripture that he saw and knew tho' invisible and unknown to Men. That then that we are to believe in this Article is I. That God ordinarily hath had hath and will have a visible Church for the glorifying of his Word and Name But II. Tho' the Church be not visible yet God hath always some that belong to him and serve him And this is the Church of God tho' not to be discerned of Men. These most properly are the Church as Ecclesia signifies that is Called out A People called out of the World tho' in the World yet called out of it so that they are not of it Called off from the Course Way Doings of the World as it were into another Climate Many are called that is Have the Call held out to them but they follow it not called to but not called out But these as the Apostles did follow the Call of Christ and forsake the World Called to be Saints and they become Saints or Holy Now for further Explication and Illustration of this Article I shall descend to enquire into two Questions I. Whether every Christian who is bound to believe that there is a Church is bound also to believe that he is of this Church II. How far Christians are obliged to believe the Church that is Councils Synods or Primitive Fathers I. Whether every Christian is bound to believe that he is of this Church For certainly it seems strange for Men to believe as Standers by only as if they were not concerned in the thing believed I believe that there is a holy chosen number to be saved that God delights in them that they faithfully serve him and that they have Communion with God Forgiveness of their Sins But what is all this to thee What art thou the better for it And therefore certainly the Article hath further aim than to intend only a bare Belief But doth it reach to this I believe I am of this number To proceed gradually first let me observe two things by the way 1. That nothing is to be believed as a necessary Point of Faith but it concerns the Soul therefore believing of it must be to benefit the Soul Corde creditur ad justitiam With the Heart Man believeth to Righteousness It is not all to believe the thing is true but fâ—rther to believe so as the Soul may have Advantage Take an Instance One of the first things in Religion to be believed is That the Scriptures are the Word of God and divinely true This who believes not The Devil himself cannot deny it Nay he cited Scripture as the Word of God to our Saviour And there are Thousands in Hell that never made doubt of this Therefore the believing of this must have a further reach that the Soul may receive Benefit upon so believing 2. The believing the needful Points of Religion is not an Act of the Understanding only but of the Will and Conscience also It is a Question Whether Faith be an Act of the Understanding or Will And it is concluded of both especially the latter I believe that there was a Julius Caesar an Alexander Magnus Here is only an Act of the Understanding because I have no more to do with it but only to believe it But I believe that Christ was born died rose again that there is Forgiveness of Sins that there is a God an Heaven a Day of Judgment And in reference to these I have something more to do than barely to satisfie my Understanding that the things are true For I have to work my Will and Affections upon my Belief that my Soul may be benefited to Eternity These things premised let us apply to the thing in Hand Then I am not only barely to believe that there is a Church but my Soul is to be working upon this Belief for its Good to be affected in Heart according to the Import of the thing believed And this may be upon a twofold Reflexion When I say I believe a Holy Catholick Church that there is always a Company of
Holy Men that truly fear God Sursum corda then lift up your Hearts First To be affected with the Goodness and good Providence of God that picketh out and preserveth such a Company to himself Not to think of the Church on Earth but to have such a thought also towards Heaven hereat to observe admire and be affected with God's wonderful Goodness in that regard Such are the Apostle's Thoughts upon the Thoughts of the Church He looks on the Church of Corinth once such a People as he describes 1 Cor. vi 9 10. Fornicators Idolaters Adulterers Effeminate Abusers of themselves with Mankind Thieves Covetous Drunkards Revilers Extortioners But now Washed Sanctified Justified And where are his Thoughts Up toward God 1 Cor. i. 4 I thank God always on your Behalf for the Grace of God which is given you So he looks on the Church of the Ephesians Chap. i. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings c. So on that of the Philippians Ch. i. 3 I thank my God upon every Remembrance of you And so to the Thessalonians 2 Thess. i. 2 We give Thanks to God always for you all And so should a Christian presly thinking of the Church of God have his Heart in Heaven blessing the infinite Goodness for chusing and preserving such a People to himself In the Inundation of Sin and Damnation to pick out a Number for himself to escape Sin and Damnation and in all the Tumblings and Storms of the World to keep a Church undrowned and unoverwhelmed an Handful in Noah's Ark in the midst of the Deluge of Sin and Troubles Secondly To be affected with the Condition and Estate of the Members of the Church He that truly knows that and them cannot but take up that of the Psalmist Psal. cxliv. 15 Happy are the People that are in such a case yea happy is that People who have the Lord for their God When you rehearse this The Holy Catholick Church in the Creed let your Thoughts first recoyl to your Bibles and see how the Holy Ghost pictures them there Lam. iv 2 The precious Sons of Zion comparable to fine Gold Mal. iii. 17 And they shall be mine saith the Lord of Hosts in the Day when I make up my Jewels Then that Psal. lxxxiii 3 They have consulted against thy hidden ones They are the Treasure of the Lord's Cabinet laid up with him tho' not minded of Men. Nay yet the Divine Limner lays on more precious Colours Joh. xv 15 I have called you Friends Nay 2 Pet. i. 4 Partakers of the Divine Nature Nay further 1 John iii. 4 We are the Sons of God And that is not all but more if more may be We shall be like to himself Now Christian when thou repeatest this Article write this Exposition of the Word Church in the Margin These are the Lord 's precious Ones His Jewels His Friends His Sons His own Similitude These are His Delight His Portion His Chosen and the very Apple of his own Eye Deut. xxxii 10 And art thou not affected with their happy Condition And affected for thine own Soul's Interest I believe the Holy Catholick Church that is such a Happy Blessed Glorious Company and dost thou not stir O my Soul No Life no Holy Emulation no striving to be like to these A poor miserable Beggar sees the Wealth and Bravery of the great Ones and he may haply envy it but he cannot emulate or hope to equal it But God hath shewn thee a Way that thou mayest be like to these and Partaker of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light and art thou not moved Alexander weeps because He was not so famous as Achilles Julius Caesar because not so famous as Alexander And hast thou not a holy Emulation in thee O Christian Such and such Holy Blessed Dear to God and hast thou no Emulation to be so too Ponder but that Title Friend of Christ and that Title Child of God and do we profess Christ and God And are we not moved at it To be a Child of God carried in the Bosom of his dearest Affections To be a Friend of Christ always in his tender Affections and Remembrances and smiled on by him at the great Day and Heart art thou so lumpish as not to be warmed with such Thoughts This very Hint may answer the Question before us viz. Is every one to believe that he is of the true Church Answer Every Heart here is he not to believe that he should be of this Church that it is not well if he be not so Nay further that he is to strive with all his Endeavour to be of it or else he is not what he should be Set this Church before you in the Picture of it Mat. xxv 33 standing on the Right Hand and Christ smiling upon it Do you not believe you should be of that number Do you not believe you ought to give all Diligence to be of it This it the thing the Article calls to you for when you repeat it And let me be a little further its Interpreter to shew you yet this Church its Meaning I. It would mind you that that is the Church that is a Church for ever The Church of God is that that shall be the Church of God when the World shall be no more I may compare the Church visible and invisible to the Body and the Soul The Body is visible and at last shall come to Dust. But the Soul is invisible and is immortal Visible Churches have died Generation after Generation Where are the visible Churches of Asia Judea c. and time will come when all the visible Churches of Europe must come to nothing But still there was an immortal Soul in those Churches a Company of Holy Ones that go to be a Church of God in another World to praise glorifie and have Communion with God for ever This Church in the World is like the Heart in the Body of Man Primum vivens ultimum moriens The first that lives and the last that dies It began to live in Adam and Eve when they embraced Christ and when it dies the World must die with it When the last Saint is gathered then even the Soul of the World and of the visible Church is gone and they die too The Life of the visible Church is the Word and Sacraments and Ordinances Wheresoever these are there the Church is alive But if these are not rightly administred the Candlestick is removed it hath but a Name that it liveth but is dead And how hath God or may God remove these But the Life of the invisible Church is the Word and Spirit and neither of these are ever to be removed For both are settled in Heaven Observable is that Phrase Jam. i. 21 The ingrafted Word It is fast joyned and growing in the Heart In the visible Church it is in the Hands but to the true Flock of
sake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He had a Remnant according to Election among them Rom. xi 5 It was then for the sake of their Fathers and for his own Name 's sake too Ezek. xxxvi And that is the second Reason Secondly He spared them for his own Name 's sake Consider we a little God's Covenant with Abraham Gen. xii 1 2. Now the Lord had said unto Abram get thee out of thy Country and from thy Kindred and from thy Father's House and I wilt bless thee and make thy Name great and thou shalt be a Blessing 1. Messiah must take Flesh of Abraham God appointed it that the Messiah should be of this Seed Heb. ii 16 He took not on him the Nature of Angels but he took on him the Seed of Abraham and the rest of the Seed of Abraham God chose for the visible Church 2. Having chosen it tho' perverse yet it had two Tyes upon him to shew Mercy First His Covenant and Secondly the Glory of his Name This Moses pleads in Behalf of Israel Upon this it is that God wisht Psal. lxxxi 13 O! that my People had hearkened unto me and Israel had walked in my Ways And Deut. v. 29. O! that there were such a Heart in them c. That is that his Covenanted People for the Honour of his Name would walk in his Ways and be obedient that he might not destroy them From hence we make two Observations First What a Canker stuck to this People in the beginning and yet they lasted a long time after This Sin and God's Doom laid on them and yet they remained a People Now wherein lyes the proper Cause of a sinful Peoples prospering enjoying of the Gospel and all good things Let England be the Example How many profane People in it How many that mind not God What Sins are among us And yet England lives Wherein lyes the Cause God's Covenant With whom VVith a peculiar People that fear him How God's Covenant God's Covenant is God's VVord of Promise and the Conditions thereof that be brought to a People And why does this Covenant procure us this Good from God Because there are some that do embrace it For their sakes God doth well to a Nation and yet they are commonly despised and persecuted So Lot was in Sodom VVhy does the VVorld stand That the Elect may be gathered Secondly A Generation may sin to that height as to bring a Guilt and Punishment upon succeeding Generations God threatens I will visit the Sins of the Fathers upon the Children This oft proves true in whole Nations As the Jews Idolatry with the Golden Calf had a sad Influence upon their Posterity And so also had that Saying of theirs long after His Blood be on us and on our Children VI. The Case of Widows marrying again considered CERTAIN VVidows were shrewdly taxed by S. Paul for marrying again in 1 Tim. v. 11 12. But the younger Widows refuse for when they have begun to wax wanton against Christ they will marry Having Damnation because they have cast off their first Faith And the Rhemists hereupon make second Matriages a Fault little less if any thing at all than Adultery I shall speak something of such a VVoman's Case The Matter here at first Sight is obscure VVe will therefore take up first the general Scope of the Apostle at this Place and then particularly unfold the several Clauses of these Verses Writing to Timothy Minister of the Church at Ephesus he gives Rules for ordering the Church there as Chap. iii. 14 15. These things I write unto thee â—â—ping to come unto thee shortly But if I tarry long that thou mightest know how thou oughtest to behave thy self in the House of God And First in the Third Chapter Rules for ordaining of Ministers and appointing Deacons and what Persons they ought to be And in this Chapter Rules concerning poor Widows to be taken to the Charge and Maintenance of the Church and to be in some Office and Employment in it They had their Xenedocheion i. e. Hospital and Widows in it to look to the Poor to get Strangers Meat to take Care of their Lodging c. Rom. xvi 1 will illustrate this I commend unto you Phoebe our Sister which is a Servant of the Church which is at Cenchrea In ver 9. they are not to be taken in under Threescore Years old So that the Apostle allows Maintainance for Widows poor Widows and Aged Widows because they had not Familes to care for as the Married had Poor that they might be relieved by the Church and do the Church some Service And Aged because such would be grave prudent and sober But the younger Widows refuse for when they have begun to wax wanton against Christ they will marry c. The Rhemists brag here for the Vow of single Life such as of Priests and Nuns Because the Apostle saith not They wax wanton and play the Whore but wax wanton and Marry Therefore they conclude it means the Vow of Chastity and single Life and they extol that Vow and cry out of the Marriage of such who have made such rash Vows First Observe that Rev. ix 8 The Locusts have the Hair of Women that is long Hair as Nazarites pretending Vows Secondly We may say Wo to them that call Evil Good and Good Evil. What is their Doom that call Vowing single Life so great a Piece of Religion which is in it self evil Chastity is good and single Life good in some Respects 1 Cor. vii 34 but to vow either is Evil because it is to vow what is not in our own Power Jer. iv 2 we are to vow in Judgment as well as in Righteousness Not only to vow that which is lawful but what is in our own Power to do For a Man to vow he will fly in the Air walk on the Sea c. is a sinful Vow because impossible so to vow a single Life is for ought he knows as impossible for him and to live chastly And God hath evidenced his Curse upon this their wretched Vowing by giving them up to horrid Uncleanness and to the Murther of their Children But we will not insist on this we are taught that Marriage is Honourable and that all cannot attain to live single and that it is better to marry than to burn But in the Case before us there is no Vow at all but another Matter A poor young Widow if taken in to be sustained by the Stock of the Church and do some Service in it as tending the Sick c. will be ready to hearken after being married and so will be careless of the Charge committed to her will be ready to be wanton and so be a Scandal Nay may be ready to be wanton against the Religion of Christ and marry to an Infidel and so cast off her first Faith The Apostle makes Supposal what young Widows may be incident to Their Age may incline them to marry their Inclination to marry