do you forget what you confess in the Symbole of your Belief when you say I believe the Holy Catholick Church which is the Communion of Saints which had it been subjected to sense had not been put into our Confession which consisteth simply and absolutely of the objects of our Faith Let it not therefore move thee that this Kingdom of Christ this Commonwealth of the Saints is not visible to the eye for it is better believed and comprehended in the mind than discerned by the sense C. But seeing it consists of men what is the reason it should be invisible M. Because God in the administration of his Kingdom differeth from the conduct of humane reason or the Methods of that old beguiler And here now we may contemplate the wonderful and admirable wisdom of God The devil filleth all placeâ— with sin death and desolation God disposeth all things in justice life and healthfuâ— salvation Now observe with what inexpressible art God doth this to deceive thaâ— Deceiver Under sin he covereth justice under death life under condemnation salvation under infirmitie strength under folly wisdom From hence it is said that all the World is overspread with evil from hence Satan is said to be the Prince of this world because he seemeth to govern all things according to his own sensualitie as though there were no providence but it is not so by no means so the true and legitimate Prince is he to whom the Father said Ps 2. Ask of me and I will give thee the nations for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession He is the true Lord who conquering death and the Authour of death saith in the 28 of Matth. All power is given to me both in heaven and in earth C. You have proved these things very fully and the matter is strengthened by the nature and definition of faith for faith is defined by the Divines to be a firm comprehending of those things in the understanding which are not seen M. I rejoyce that you have so well profited by our discourse that you can assist the cause I maintain But to make it yet more clear unto you I will propound a similitude We are in this life as in a Citie which of right belongeth to some good Prince but this Citie is usurped and oppressed by a certain Tyrant with severe bondage as for example Pharaoh oppressed the Israelites in that memorable calamity now if any man enter this Citie and observe the Customs of it he will say it differs very little from that of Aegypt which with outward appearance and seeming willingness followeth and obeyeth the Tyrant but inwardly consenteth with the true and lawful Lord and although they can contribute nothing else yet they sigh and wish for him expect him and bewail the burthen of their servitude and when he shall come with power to chase and subdue the enemy and to restore the Citie to freedom then the Tyrant shall feel of what force the Faith and Love of this people is to their Lawful and merciful Prince for in stead of many Subjects he shall then find many Enemies for that old saying is a true one He that hath many servants hath many Enemies What are we not all Subject and mancipated to sin even against our wills Fitly therefore may we say with Paul With the mind I serve the Law of God but with my body I am Subject to the dominion of sin Add also that many men commit many errours through ignorance and those will admit excuse and pardon for a difference must be put between sins of weakness and sins of malice and presumption But wherâ— our King Christ Jesus accompanied with might and Majesty shall come to sight the last battel with the Devil then that infinite multitude of the Elect that innumerable company of celestial Citizens shall appear Now they are not discernable because as I have said either through force or ignorance they are compelled to wear the Tyrants colours In the mean time till the expectation of that time be satisfied our prudent and abundantly wise Prince hath some secret and clandestine conferences with them heartens them and comforts them and bids them continue faithful to him and he will accept this their desire of him this Faith for perfect obedience And although he can deliver us he delayeth it suffers us to undergo the Discipline of afflictions to kindle in us a greater desire of his coming These are the Divine stratagems the royal arts which do deceive both the narrow judgement of men and also elude the deceits and snares of the Devil for who would say that in so many sins there should be any righteousness in such a perturbation such a trifluctuation of miseries any quiet rest or peace in so much folly any wisdom in so much servitude any liberty or in so many dangers any safety who would ever have thought the thief who was even buried alive in all wickedness and brought to be crucified for his notorious and flagitious offences had been one of the Sons of God and of the number of the Elect On the other side who would have imagined that Judas Isâ—ariot chosen to the Honour of an Apostleship and daily and hourly a continual hearer of Divine truth and heavenly wisdom should not have been a Citizen of Heaven O the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgements and his waies past finding out Here is the new Art here are new reasons of heavenly administration this is the mysterious way of God alone who onely is wise powerful and good Great is our Lord and of great power his understanding is infinite Psal 147. C. By this way of judging according to the shallow judgement of man I suppose Elias was deceived when he made his complaint that he onely was left of all those that did worship God but what answered the oracle of God to him I have reserved to my self seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal Rom. 11. M. You gues right and if in one place in one nation there were so many althougâ— to a definite number be here put for an infinite multitude and those unknown to â— greater Prophet how many may we suppose then to have been and now to be iâ— the whole World C. Verily I think an innumerable company M. Let us then believe that this our heavenly King is able and knoweth how to purchase to himself a greater kingdom than the Enemy who hath neither wisdom nor power C. But upon what reason do you refuse the ascription of wisdom and power to the Enemy when it seems repugnant to his name to deny him those attributes for you may call to mind they were termed Daemones or evil Spirits from their great power or wisdom by many of the Ancients for Plato who followed Hesiod and other Poets doth conceive them to be called Daemones quasi Daimones which signifieth prudent or
or Leprosie repair to the Priests I know some men from hence would authorise private Confession or rather confusion for with such foolish and impious Allegories they indeavour to obscure the Doctrine of Christ it was an argument of Divine power and an evident testimonie of the obedience of Christ who came not to destroy but to fulfil the Law for it was expresly said in the Law that the Priest should judge of the leper The Lord also commanded the rich Man to sell all his goods and give them to the poor and to follow him that saying very much troubled him and made him sad yet perhaps he afterwarwards put it in execution And if he did not he ought to have done it in obedience to the command of so good and gratious a Master it will be sufficient for us to have such a preparation of mind that if the welfare of our brethren and the glorie of the Lord require it to part with all things yea life it self but this being a singular injunction and commanded onely to one man doth not bind the generality of men so that they should neglect their estates or impend all their wealth upon the poor any more than they are bound to sacrifice their sons because God commanded Abraham to such an obedience and therefore because our Lord said unto the Jews that many are called but few are chosen we must not generally extend and stretch these words to all times and persons C. You mean if I understand you right that those sayings were meant of the Jews of those times and solely to be appropriated unto them of whom many by the Prophets and afterwards many were called by the Lord himself but few were chosen namely Apostles Disciples and some Women as the Holy Scriptures do witness these were the little flock to whom Christ did Minister that consolation in Luke saying Fear not little flock for it is the will of your Father to give you a Kingdom this is that remnant of which Paul in the 11 to the Rom. saith Even so then there is at this time a Remnant according to the election of grace these are that seed of whom also Isaiah speaketh Except the Lord of Sabboth had left us a seed we had been as Sodom and been made like unto Gomorrha In all which places the paucity of the Jews of those times which should be saved is not obscurely signified M. You take my meaning right and you have very aptly connumerated those places of Scripture Those that do detort that saying of our Saviour should observe that all those parables in the 20 21 and 22. Chapters in Matthew do contain the rejection of the Jews and the calling of the Gentiles In confirmation of this truth weigh those words in the first similitude in the 20 Chapter they murmured against the good man of the house saying These last have wrought but one hour and thou hast made them equal unto us which have born the burthen and the heat of the day And it is manifest that after the resurrection of Christ these Jews did make complaints and when Paul and the rest of the Apostles preached the Gospel to them that were without they held it an unjust thing that the Gentiles should be made equal to them the ancient and Holy people of God this is plain to be seen both in the Acts of the Apostles and also in the Epistle to the Romanes In the same parable also these words Take what is thine and go thy way do clearly imply the rejection of the Jews and what is more manifest than that convertible Text Those that are last shall be first and those that are first shall be last Who I pray are those last made first but the Gentiles alienated from the Common-wealth of Israel and now preferred before the Jews and who are those first made last but the Jews for a time rejected till the fulness of the Gentiles be come in Then also those Israelites shall be saved as we have shewed before Moreover the Parable of the 21 Chapter cannot admit of doubt and that in the 22. Chapter is so perspicuous that if in the first there possibly were any doubt to be raised yet this would easily remove and dissolve it especially when the same sentence Many are called few are chosen is found also in the conclusion of that parable Now that this similitude was by our Lord appropriated to the Jews who can make a question when he observes these words The wedding is ready but they which were bidden are not worthy Go ye therefore into the high wayes and as many as ye shall find bid to the marriage This is the same which our Lord commanded to his Disciples Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to all creatures Mark the last Chapter This Paul and Barnabas testifie in the Acts It was necessarie that the word of God should first have been spoken to you but seeing ye put it from you and judge your selves unwoâ—thie of everlasting life See we turn to the Gentiles for so hath the Lord commanded us Now compare this of Paul with that of our Saviour and you will find that one egge is not more like another Christ saith They that were invited were not worthiâ— Paul saith You judge your selves unworthie Christ saith Go out into the high waies Paul saith We go out unto the Gentiles for thus hath the Lord Commanded But let us rise to dinner there is an importunate creditour must also have some satisfaction That which remaineth which indeed is the most important matter we will difer until the afternoon M. THe serenity of the air my Caelius and this pleasant face of heaven doe even invite us to forsake the house With your allowance therefore we will repair to yonder summer-house and spin out our discourse C. It is most agreeable Maynardus for I prefer the benefit of your conversation before all sublunary contentments It is now your part to proceed and as the gravitie of the matter doth require I shall lend you a very attentive ear M. I will proceed conditionally that you will interpose when you doubt of any thing spoken C. I shall most willingly M. Then First I will declare the first rise and beginning of that opinion concerning the paucitie of the Elect. Secondly I will prove by plain and solid arguments the amplitude and Largeness of the CHURCH TRIUMPHANT In the beginning as by the subtle malice of the Devil death got an enterance into the World so by his artifice and emulation this envious and narrow Opinion hath been advanced and disseminated for this father of lies this enemy of mankind saw and collected by indubitable signs that the Church of God was established in mercy as upon an unremoveable foundation and that by degrees God would settle his heavenly Kingdom which should consist of infinite multitudes of Citizens therefore hath he endeavoured and doth still contrive by a thousand deceits temptations and trecheries to coarctate
the more good it is C. I have often heard it and alwayes took it for a rag of Philosophy M. Oh brother Caelius it is Divine for good and true are convertible terms and of whomsoever predicated whether of Moses or Cicero Paul or Plato yet they flow from God whose nature and essence is good and true and because as you said whatsoever he willeth is good and just and that it pleaseth him to be called rich in mercy certainly this must appear in the glorious salvation of many men otherwise why doth David sing out the earth is full of the mercies of God and why is he called the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation O the blind envy of some men that would abridge contract and engross this goodness to some few peâ—sons O the ingratitude of others that indeavour to traduce and calumniate the benignity of God as if he were some Tyrant or merciless destroyer Some perhaps are still diffident and require an indubitable sign that may remove and banish all hesitation behold the greatest pledge the firmest security even Christ Jesus the son of God upon whose coming God set sorth a Declaration of his Love for him hath he sent into the world and upon him hath he cast the burthen of all our iniquities Isaiah the 53. and again behold the Lord shall give you a sign a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and his name shall be called Emanuel This is that sign which we read of in the 12. of Matthew An evil and an adulterous gâ—neration seeketh a sign but no sign shall be given them save onely that of the Prophet Jonas to wit the death of Christ and his rising again the third day What greater significancy of love could the Lord exhibit to miserable mankind than to send his Son his onely Son to be the reconciliation for our transgressions or who now can scruple the amplitude the immensity of this goodness this Love this mercy how shall we be able with the Saints to know and comprehend the height the depth the length the breadth of this mercy it is necessarie that the Love of Christ be the greatest of all other not onely in respect of the magnitude but also the multitude of sinners otherwise we should disrobe and denudate it of its proper dimensions and who now will be so rashly bold to say that the benefit of so much love and so great goodness should be confined to a paucity of men for my part I think no man can harbour such a thought without a guilt of sacriledge what did he not deliver the greater part of the world from their wickednesses when he prayed unto his Father upon the Cross to forgive those Jews and Aliens which were the complotters and contrivers of his death Father saith he forgive them for they know not what they do and he said rightly they know not what they doe for had they known saith Paul they had never crucified the Lord of life 1. Cor. 2. Now if Princes Magistrates and many others as Peter witnesseth in the 3. of the Acts killed him through imprudence what shall we think of all the world beside of them that had and have at this day just causes of invincible ignorance Shall we exclude all these from the kingdom of God We cannot certainly if we diligently contemplate the nature and goodness of God if we think upon the clemency of our Lord Christ and what he required of us for he prayeth for all them that sinned through imprudence and infirmity Neither did he pray in vain Paul who at first was a persecutour and a contumelious sinner saith Notwithstanding that he obtained mercy because he did it ignorantly in unbelief And then he addeth This is a faithfull saying and worthie of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of which I am Chief Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy that to me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a patern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting And did not God demonstrate this before to Jonas Who was grieved that he would spare Niniveh and destroy his Gourd that did shed him from the violence of the heat therefore God saith unto him And hast thou pitty on the Gourd for which thou hast not laboured neither madest it grow which sprang up in one night and perished in one night and should not I spare Nineveh that great City wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons thaâ— cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand and also much cattel Here we plainly see the most benign and merciful God doth spare a multitude and avert the present punishment of his severity because of their ignorance And shall we imagine that he who remitteth a temporal judgement because of unadvised actions and involuntary sins will inflict an eternal mulct or that he judgeth the death of the body to be greater than the destruction of the soul Ignorance doubtless hath some excuse especially if it be not tainted with fraud or malice C. This indeed is not denied yet they say that Christ died indeed for all meritoriously but for a few onely effectually because few onely do expect that advantage and benefit of Salvation by his death and very few are found worthy of that incomparable treasure of his satisfaction Therefore he is not blame-worthy who offered himself liberally for all men but they are to be condemned who refused this propitiation M. Oh how many errours are contained in those few words for as Epâ—curus that he might not offend the Athenians outwardly acknowledged a God but in judgement denied him so these men in words confess the death of Christ but deny the power of it For when the Epicureans durst not deny the Gods yet they denied a Providence which is inseparably conjoyned to the nature of God and so by consequence they denied God but more modestly and covertly and are not these men guilty of the same prevarication They teach that Christ died for all men and affirm at the same time that the benefit of his death doth concern very few men What is this but to deny the virtue of his passion the glory of his obedience to say that men can abolish the energy force and effect of his divine love St. Paul saith far otherwise when with so much gravity and mellifluous plenty he doth aver that no force is able to separate us from the love of God which he hath manifested unto us in Christ Jesus Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect it is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Who shalâ— then separate us from the love in Christ Rom. 8. Me thinks they that are so peremptory in the defence of that Opinion that Christs bloud was sprinkled only upon
feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted of God because the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom and a good understanding have all they that keep his Commandments With this fear as with salt the Lord doth season their hearts and preserve from corruption even whilest they are ignorant of him those that he purposeth to call into his kingdom This inchoation of their liberty is afterwards perfected in the time of their vocation by the preaching of the Gospel and by Faith C. I have received full satisfaction and I hope hereafter that both my self and others will give greater credit to the Oracles of God then to the perverse opinions and interpretations of men M. Now that we may conclude this digression I say that wheresoever or whensoever such are found in that moment of time they have attained to this Sanctuary this propitious year of Jubilee Onely as it is written Let us call upon the name of the Lord and we shall not be disappointed Also Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall escape Joel 2. Also The name of the Lord is a strong tower the righteous flyeth unto it and is safe Prov. 18. To this tower this sanctuary the Lord himself beckneth the poor the miserable the wretched the desperate sinners in this sweet invitation Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will ease you These are the wayes the secrets of holy state and the Divine Policies which our King useth for the Instanration of his kingdom And if the kingdoms of the earth are enlarged by such artifice how much more shall we think the kingdom of Heaven to be dilated which is far more capacious more firm and more easie of access C. Truly I suppose it will infinitely exceed the kingdom or rather the dungeon of the Devil even as much as there are more who wish and desire ease impunity Honour and Salvation then who are in love with labours punishments servitude ignominy and death eternal and certainly but few men will precipitate themselves into these calamities when they may with such facility redeem themselves from the fear of them And although a small industry onely seemeth necessarie to the prevention of these endles torments yet we see but few men that contend to get to this refuge this most pleasant Citie and what should be the cause of this slackness this dulness this indiligence is to me altogether unknown M. The cause is manifest First that which I named before to wit that the new reason of state which our King maketh use of in the administration of his affairs deceaveth those that with the judgement of men seek after this citie as gloriously visible and conspicuous Secondly the Church is congregated and constituted out of this holy Sanctuary by the preaching of the word and the administration of the Sacrament and these being concealed from the greater part of the World by this means this citie for a long time was kept hid and so little taken notice of that it was scarce discernable who were the true Citizens But as soon as the glad tidings of the Gospel have arrived then we see them flock to this citie as in the time of Christ and his Apostles For when Christ himself had said that the kingdom of God was at hand and after that he had exhorted men to bring forth fruit worthie of repentance he then called them all unto him with that joyful summons Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you ease Of this joyful invitation this liberal year the Prophet Isaiah foretold when speaking in the Person of Christ he saith I am endued with the Spirit of the Lord Jehovah hath Anointed me and sent me to declare joyful tidings to heal them of broken Spirits and to give liberty to them that are in bondage sight to the blind to deliver the oppressed out of their streights and to preach the joyful year of the Lord. The Apostles also those faithful Embassadours of Christ did invite all mortal men to this great benefit this most blessed kingdom Old things are past away behold all things are become new and all things are of God who hath reconciled us to himself in Christ Jesus and hath given to us the ministerie of reconciliation to wit that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath committed to us the word of reconciliation Now then we are embassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled to God for he hath made him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him But shortly after false Apostles and counterfeit Embassadours brought in humane traditions and began to lay upon mens shoulders the burthen and heavy yoak of the Law which things did deject not erect mens minds did terrifie them not allure them did wound them not heal them from whence 〈◊〉 came to pass that few made their approach to this kingdom or if they drew near they soon returned and departed For the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is not propagated and advanced by the sword but by preaching by the energie of the Spirit by good example patience charitie meekness justice temperance constancy goodness faith lenity long-suffering and all those blessed and peaceable fruits of the true Spirit of God So our Lord himself so his Disciples propagated the truth and sowed the Heavenly Doctrine of Christ in mens hearts For our Lord as Hilarie told Constantinus Augustus did rather teach than exact a knowledge and confession of himself and giving Authority to his precepts by the frequent attestation of miracles he despised a will that was any other way compelled to acknowledge him And full of truth are these words for nothing so free as the judgement in Religion For Religion flourisheth by sound reason and strong perswasion not by fear and threatnings It is defended preserved by dying not by killing by patience not by cruelty by justice not by butchery by faith not by fraud rotten policy For he that will establish Religion by imperious ordinances force doth not seek to defend it but to violate and pollute it But because we see the night approaching Caelius unless you have ought to interpose I shall descend to such places of Scripture as seem to favour this my opinion of the amplitude of the kingdome of God C. I have not the least doubt remaining and I earnestly intreat you before the night prevent us to hasten to those proofs as the chief end of our meeting M. In the first place therefore weigh diligently that magnificent promise of God made to Abraham so often repeated and inculcated God promiseth and confirmeth his promise with an oath that he will make his seed as the dust of the earth so that if a man can number the dust of the earth then