Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Jesus Christ himself being the chief Corner-stone Quest How then is it said to be the Pillar of Truth And of what Importance is that to the Actuating Scripture Answ As the Laws and Ordinances of Courts and Governments are publickly fixed that every one may know and take notice of them so the Church in all its Members but especially by Deputed Ministers giving themselves wholly to it proclaims preaches and makes offer of the most Publick Notice of the Word of Truth within it self that all the Children and Servants of the Family may be continually catechiz'd and built up therein and Strangers have opportunity to know if they would apply themselves to it Thus it is a Famous City set on an Hill that cannot be hid and therefore its Laws Constitutions Manners cannot but in all reason be inquired of by all that do so much as pass by it It is a Candlestick bearing the lofty Torch of Divine Truth Of this the Pillars of the Temple at Jerusalem and the affixing to them the Rolls of Divine Revelation was an eminent Type and alluded to by the Apostle As therefore from a Prince come forth Edicts Proclamations Manifesto's and Declarations according to Laws which are fastned to Publick Pillars of the Court it self and all open and conspicuous Places of Concourse so are there in the Church the most advantagious Publications of the Divine Truth and Word to all both the Natives and Free-born of the Church it self and Ingenuous Strangers that would hearken out the most Reasonable Proposals of Truth or whom God is pleased to Naturalize to himself Quest What is the meaning of the Church being the Ground of Truth And how does this actuate Scripture Answ It means nothing but the Perpetuity and Continuation of Truth with the Church establishing it self by all that Firmness of Divine Evidence and Reason and on those very Securities taking Possession of the Church as the Ark of its Strength where it self or the God that is Truth it self places the Soles of his Feet as on his unmovable Footstool for ever Of which the Ark in the Holâ—est was a Type the Footstool of the Throne of Mercy the secure Repository of the Tables of the Covenant the Ark of Testimony over which the Shecinah or Glory appeared as inthron'd attended with Cherubims and setting its Feet upon it the place of my Throne and the place of the Soles of my Feet Ezek. 43. 7. For thus the True Church against which the Gates of Hell cannot prevail is the unchangeable Rest of Truth It adheres to Truth it buys the Truth and never sells it Truth dwells with it for ever God never suffers it to apostatize from Truth but by the constant holding of the Judgment and retaining the Love and Zeal of the Affections of those that are indeed his Church he hath setled his Word in his Church on Earth even as it is for ever settled in Heaven The Church therefore actuates Scripture by finding out Reasons debating enforcing defending by all Arguments that Truth of Scripture and so persisting in it for ever Quest Cannot then the Church fail Answ It hath been said before the True Church cannot fail For the True Church is as hath been described the House of God the Pillar and Ground of Truth and that which is so cannot fail and God will have such a Church always in the World If any Person City or Nation that seem to have been the Church have this Light eclipsed the â—anâ—lestick removes for it is only a Candlestick for the sake of the Light and the Pillar it self shakes and falls if the Records fixed to it are taken away and the Palace and Court remove with the Prince who is always with his Truth and the lively Motion of it So much Truth therefore and active Display of it so much a Church in any Place and the Truth removing or lying dead the Church removes also or is ready to die in that Place Quest But is there no higher Sense of the Church being the Pillar and Ground of Truth Answ No other but what arises from the most intimate and inseparable Union betwixt the Church and Truth Truth taking an undefailable possession of the Church so that whereever Truth in that Fulness as to lead to Life and Happiness is there is the Church and no where else The True Church then may be stiled a Pillar and Ground of Truth in the highest Sense if rightly understood that is Truth it self that is the unmovable Pillar and everlasting Foundation hath so closely banded the Church with it self that it is One Pillar and Foundation with it Thus the Church may be both the Building and the Rock and Foundation to succeeding Parts and Members of the Church The Building as it self rests upon the Pillar and Foundation of Truth else it can't be the Church The Pillar and Foundation of Truth to the still succeeding and rising Church as it is One with Truth it self to which every True Member first comes and unites and therein to the Church even as every Degree of Building is a Foundation and Support to the still growing Building not in it self but as it is surely cemented to the Foundation regulated by it and partakes its Strength Yet if it swerve never so little from the Foundation it is presently a Deformity and the more it swerves the greater danger of the Ruine of it self and all that rests upon it Quest May not this help to explain that so much disputed Expression of our Saviour Thou art Peter and upon this Rock I will build my Church and the Gates of Hell shall not preval against it Answ I shall be glad if it may give any Light to it and hope it may For the Apostle Peter making that Confession of the Divinity of Christ not singular but representing the whole Body of Apostles and Christians and being possessed with and by that Truth he confess'd was both part of the Building upon that Rock and as united with that Rock he became Rock it self upon which succeeeding Christians were to be built The Prophets and Apostles are in this Sense Foundations and the Twelve Apostles Twelve Foundations Christ himself being the Corner-stone in whom alone the whole Building even the Apostolick Foundation it self rises in a strict and proper Sense Quest Is there not a good Security then in joyning our selves to the Church to those that have been in the Building before us Answ No otherwise than as we joyn our selves by their Ministry to that Foundation it self which always lies sure upon which they themselves must alone rest if the True Church For by placing our selves not upon them but upon that Common Foundation we are adjusted to the whole Building that was before us that lies regular with that Foundation by the Care of him who is both the Foundation Corner-stone and is also he that built all things even God in Christ Quest We must then seek to
every thing revealed in his Word But in things neither Commanded nor Forbidden if Conscience be apprehensive of danger any way this is the Honour and Dignity that God hath conferred upon Conscience as his immediate Vicegerent in the Soul and carrying his Authority by always presenting it in his Word and Command that a Man should suspend his Action wherein Conscience is not satisfied and at rest concerning the Goodness of the Action and this is the Honour which those that are above either in their Authority in the Church or the strength of their Understanding Gifts or Graces should bestow upon those that are below that they should not either by their Authority Influence or Example Scandalise the little ones or the weak that are so either in regard of their low Station or the weakness of their Gifts and Graces that is draw them into the Sin of doing any thing of which Conscience hath a mistrust of displeasing God in so doing in regard that it both weakens and disables Conscience in the discharge of that Trust reposed in it for the carrying on the Soul in a Christian Course its Authority being violated and prostrated in the reverence due to it and disturbs the Peace and Comfort it ought to Minister to the Soul in that Course For by this sort of Scandal the Apostle Witnesses the Weak Christian falls into Sin his Conscience is defiled is wounded is grieved is made weak All the mischief of which the value of indifferent things is not such as that it can answer and make recompense for and so to sin thus against the weak is to destroy them for whom Christ died and therefore to sin against Christ which is the reason of those weighty Discourses of our Saviour against Scandal Mark 18. and of the Apostle Rom. 4. and 1 Cor. c. 8. and cap. 10. which being compared give great light one to another Quest But it seems that a Conscience only in doubt might be setled by the Advice Example and Authority of those that are the Elders or Eminent Members of the Church for when Doubt supposes the Conscience inclining neither this way nor that way in it self but standing between both or sometimes moving to one side and then to the other the coming in of those Considerations taken from the Example and Authority forenamed should give an over-weight to that side on which they fall Answ Yet on purpose to shew the great Dignity of Conscience and its Government without which approving and directing accordingly even Obedience to the Divine Commands wants the just Complement of a Good Action and also to shew of how little moment in Christianity all things are not under a Divine Sanction the whole weight of the Apostles Discourse is hung upon a doubting Conscience a Conscience in doubt concerning things indifferent when urg'd either way Quest But are not all Sinnews of Government hereby cut and dissolv'd even of Civil Government for Conscience may be in relation to such Commands disatisfied Answ As Scripture every where supposes the whole Government in the Church of God to be confined within the Monarchy and Word of Christ and nothing to be Imposed or Forbidden but according to that so it doth every where disinterest the Church of Christ to judge or intermeddle in Civil Government or Things pertaining to it it supposes Civil Powers will oblige to and determine Indifferencies in Civil things this way or that way as they please and therein exercise a Lordship but Christ having declared it shall not be so among his Disciples does yet Command by himself and his Apostles all Obedience to these Principalities and Powers even thus Commanding if not against Gods Command directly so that in all such things the Doubting Conscience is only to be instructed in its Rule and Duty but can have no more Relief against Obedience to Civil Commands than it hath against Obedience to the Commands of God when it is mistaken about those Commands for such Obedience to Magistrates is Obedience to the Divine Command Quest There appears so near an Assinity in the Commands concerning Indifferent Things of those that have Rule in the Church with the Commands of those that have Civil Rule that the one may be a Measure for the other or wherein is the difference especially when they joyn in one in their Commands concerning these Indifferoncies Answ The Commands of Civil Authority concerning Indifferent Things in Religion deserves a particular consideration for which a proper place shall be reserv'd But that the Church is such a kind of Political Regiment that should set up for it self as one of the Polities of this World by Canons and Constitutions of its own not founded in the Word of God but introduced on other pretences and that if Christians do not Submit to them they should be accounted Schismaticks and Excommunicated as Heathens if they do not hear the Church that is thâ— Rulers of the Church thus Ordaining in their own Wisdom and all this by the Charter of the Keys or the Power of Binding or Loosing is as gross a Forgery as Popery hath any in this Point Indeed if there were such a state of things there were reason to believe the whole Church should by proper ways and means found out by Christ be modelled into one universal Uniformity of Government and Ceremony seeing the whole Church is but one and that the Romane supposing it had not so grossly contradicted the Laws of Christ might sooner pretend to be the Metropolis of it and the Bishop of Rome the Head of the Unity than any other it being the first Imperial City that was famous for Christianity But how little Uniformity is to Christ or his Kingdom in those things wherein he hath not interposed at all but left Christians free and intended they should be free appears in the Ununiform Unity of the History of the Evangelists concerning his Life Doctrine Death and Resurection To suppose therefore the Church to be in this manner Uniformed by the Prudence of its Governours is to turn it so far into a Civil State and the Bishops of it into Lay-Elders CAP. XIII Of the Anti-Church and its Opposition in every Thing to the True Church Quest IS there not an Anti-Church or antichristian-Antichristian-Church that stands in Opposition to the true-True-Church Answ There is and hath been so for many Ages and that hath taken upon it in the most Publick way to be the Church of Christ the House of the Living God the Pillar and Ground of Truth Quest With what Advantages hath it been arm'd thus to take upon it self at all the Name of a Church Answ It having risen out of the True Ancient Apostolick Church that received the True Christianity from the Apostles at Rome and the Faith of which as the Apostle Paul witnesses Rom. 1. 8. was spoken of throughout the World it hath retain'd the Scriptures and the Fundamentals of Christianity the Writings of the First Christians and Apostolical Men and so hath continued
fanciful Distinction of themselves under Christ as an ordinary Chief of a Party and not as the Divine Head of the whole Body in the Catholick Truth Even as he erred that vulgarly called Christ Good not knowing him to be God the Supremely Solely Good Quest Are they all true Converts that are of the Church Answ All that are indeed the Church are so but all that may appertain to the Church are not so as all that were of Israel were not Israel There is a visible Profession that is too often not sincere yet this makes Men Of or belonging to the Church but not truly The Church Many are so called that are not chosen But all that are truly The Church are also truly called and truly Converts not only outwardly and visibly the Church but inwardly and invisibly so too whose praise is not of Men but of God In the mean time they that are onely of the Visible Church have the Means of Grace and are not thrown out of that Register of God's People till the Final Judgment cuts them off A very great Benefit in it self Quest Is not the Church then so Catholick or General as the Profession of the True Religion is Answ The Catholickness of the Church as hath been often inculcated is its Union to God and Christ and that in sincerity As to the general Profession though the number of it be as the Sand of the Sea a Remnant only shall be saved For God will finish the Account and cut it short in Righteousness for a short work will the Lord make in the Visible Church There shall be an often eating or brousing it off a retrenching of it again and again it shall cast the Leaves of its meer Professors as the Teyle-tree or Oak when yet their Substance is in them the Holy Seed are the Substance of it Isa 6. ult not losing them it loses nothing Quest In what sense is it then said The Gates of Hell shall not prevail against the Church Answ It is undoubted none can fail while they are the Church while united to Truth to the God of Truth to Christ the Way the Truth and the Life It is also certain from this high Declaration there always shall be a Church in the World so united Hades or Mortality shall not prevail over it and how much farther it assures the Perseverance of those that are once truly the Church I leave the thing it self to speak It is said They that overcome ar Pillars that never go out of it and They that go out of it were not of it for if they had been indeed of it they would no doubt have continued with it And how the Church it self shall always continue if any True Member of it may perish is not easie to conceive Quest How is the Church ordained by God to actuate Scripture as it is the Record of Catholick Religion Answ The Apostle in his Noble Description of the Church hath laid the Foundations of our Instruction herein in those three Honourable Titles he hath given it 1. That it is the House of the Living God 2. That it is the Pillar of Truth 3. That it is the Ground of Truth Quest Before the Explanation of each of these Titles in the first place I desire it may be determined whether these things are spoken of the Catholick or of a Particular Church the Particular Church of Ephesus Answ Although I have already affirmed That the Catholick Church differs from a Particular True Church only in the Compass and Comprehensiveness of it yet I very willingly represent it over again in this Instance These things are truly applied to the Catholick Church to the Particular Church of Ephesus to every Particular Church nay it reaches down to every single living Member of the Church so far that God makes his abode with him dwells in him he is a Pillar in the House of God the Truth rests and dwells in him and shall be with him for ever so that he is a Ground of Truth and hath more of the Church in him than greater seeming Portions of it that erre from the Truth Quest If you please now to proceed in the Explanation of these Titles and first What is the Importance of the Churches being the House of God for the actuating the Scripture Answ God the most High Possessour and Owner of Heaven and Earth places his Court Family and particular Residence where he pleases and he hath chosen the Church to be this to him This is my Rest here will I dwell for ever for I have desired it Heaven is my Throne Earth is my Footstool where is the House you will build me To this Man will I look that trembles at my Word And where God dwells there he manifests himself As a Master of a Family makes known in his House and Family his Nature Will Laws and Government so God does in his Church In Judah is God known his Name is great in Israel In his Church he shews the Light of his Countenance expects and rewards Services as a Great Master and makes known his Dislikes and Displeasure This is brought to pass in the Church by those many Ways that God hath of bringing his Word to any Places or Persons giving it Reception among them and then stirring up his Children and Servants to hear his Voice to search his Mind and Will and to understand it so that it is as a Voice continually behind them In his Temple therefore in his House every one must needs speak of his Glory His Word cannot lie still for all are concerned to meditate ponder inquire and discourse of it and are by Supreme Management excited so to do and so much as this Exercise in his Word is by any means depressed so far God is withdrawn and the Excellency of the Church-state lost Now of the Church being the House of God there was this great Type God dwelt in the Temple at Jerusalem as in a Palace there was such a Diet of Shew-bread changed every day of Sacrifices of all sorts such Perfumes of Incense and Odours such Officers and Servants attending continually such Resorts of the whole Body of the People to the Court of this Great King and Princely Housholder Together with this State runs along in a mighty Stream Gods shewing his Word to Jacob his Statutes and Judgments to Israel In the New Testament the Pomp and Ceremonial Part is wholly transferred into Spirituality but Spirituality is not lower but higher in the Substance of all that could be figured by these things and the substantial part of that State the Communication of the Word of God is much exalted in the true Christian Church that the Light of One Day is now as much as the Light of Seven was before Thus the Church as the Family of God cannot but actuate his Word Quest What is the meaning of the Church being the Pillar of Truth Does the Church support Truth Answ Not so for it self is built upon the
them Captive with the rest though in different Baskets as the Prophet Jeremy represents Quest How do they survive in the time of the displac'd and dejected Candlestick Answ They are either called out to a Zealous Appearance and Suffering for Truth or sometimes retired into Corners like the Seven thousand in Israel or the Church in the Wilderness that they cannot appear like a Church offering those Publick Notices of Divine Truth a Church is designed for Quest How is a Visible Profession lost from Particular Persons Answ It is too often thrown up by Apostasie or Profaneness or dwindled into a very Spiritless Form but very often a Profession without the Power being not inconsistent with the working of Iniquity it may pass out of this World like a Lamp burning but being found to burn only in a small Temporary Light without Oyl in the Vessel a Plenitude of Grace in the Heart shutting out every Lust it becomes a Lamp put out in utter Darkness Quest What is to be inferred from all this Answ That there is no Trust but in the Lord himself the Truth it self by which at all times the Church that is indeed the Pillar and Ground of Truth and wherein it is so will be known to us and in uniting to Truth we are united to That Quest There remains one thing yet to be understood in the Description of the Church which is its Power of Governing even as it is Governed by the Word of God Vnder what Notions I beseech you is that Government expressed in Scripture Answ That Power is by our Saviour represented under the Mataphor of Keys and the Use of those Keys in opening and shutting or in Binding and Losing Quest What is the meaning hereof Answ The meaning is plainly this When the Church of Christ hath by the Key of Knowledge inquir'd into all the Divine and Heavenly Doctrine of the Gospel and Word of God it hath in and according to that Word and only so a Power of Application of that Doctrine to Particular Cases binding Men under the Sense of Guilt and fear of Damnation in such or such Sins and an impenitent Continuance in them or of Absolving and assuring Men of the Divine Favour and Acceptance in a holy course of Life and Obedience to God and of Pardon upon Repentance after Falls into Sin and Disobedience and so of Declaring and Pronouncing upon Men as to their present State in the Church by Excommunication or Absolution all these are the Power of Binding and Loosing according to what our Saviour speaks in parallel Words Whose Sins you remit they are remitted whose Sins you retain they are retained meaning still according to his Word the Pole-Star by which they are to direct all their Motions who claim any such Power For only where it is declard according to the Word is it that what is bound on Earth is also bound in Heaven and what is loosed on Earth is loosed in Heaven there being an Invariable Agreement between what is Published from Heaven in the Word of God concerning the State and Actions of Men on Earth and the Transactions in Heaven in relation to them He then that pronounces agreeably with that word pronounces as Heaven does and will pronounce Heaven binds what he binds and looses what he looses because he speaks the Voice of Heaven in both Cases But that there should be any Binding or Loosing except in the Power of this Word and according to it in its Vertue in its Truth nothing can be more contrary to the Ends to the Glory to the Soveraignty of Christ To bind any single Christian by Excommunication and not according to this Word is as much a Brutum Fulmen a Thunder to no purpose a causeless Curse that shall not come as for the Pope to Excommunicate whole Protestant Churches Quest What is a Particular Church Answ It is the Catholick Church in a Neighbourhood or number of Christians Communicating one with another ordinarily even as the whole Cotholick Church would if it were possible Communicate with it self in the Ordinances and Worship of Christ exactly according the to Rules of his Word wherein this is the distinguishing Character of the True Church that its Communion is not with it self primarily but its Communion is so with it self as to be with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ principally as the Fountain-Head Center and Rule of the Communion and therein it holds out and invites to its Communion CAP. X. Of the Officers appointed by Christ in his Church Quest CAn there be either an Orderly or an Effectual Actuation of the Truth by the Church as a Congregation without distinct and separate Offices and Officers that may attend continually on this very thing Answ It is imposible for an Assembly without Order would cease to be an Assembly and fall into a Confusion or Rude Multitude All Wise and Prudent Assemblies have always had Elders to preside over them and our Lord hath ordained such to moderate throughout his Congregation or Church to conduct all the Publick Services of Religion For all things therein are actually administred by the Ministers of Christ the Noblest Organical Parts of the Church like those Senses that attend upon the Understanding most immediately Seeing Eyes and Hearing Ears so these upon the Word of Christ And that they may be most fitted ingaged and provoked hereunto they are even according to the very Laws of Nature separated to their Offices and unto all Preparations for them by Reading and Meditation as to their Proper Calling and Business of Life seeing they do not pretend to Immediate and Extraordinary Inablements or Excitations to their Service Quest What Titles or Characters does the New Testament place upon these Officers Answ Those that we have especial Respect to for in the Deacons if strictly taken we are less concerned receive Denominations either from their Work and Service or from that Honour and Estimation due to the Faithful Discharge of such a Service From their Work they are stiled Apostles Evangelists Pastors Teachers Ministers Servants of God and Christ and in a just sense of the Church also From the Estimation and Honour due to the Discharge of their Work and the Authority it ought to carry in the Hearts and Consciences of Christians they are styled Bishops Elders Rulers Guides and Ensamples as also Embassadours And the Work and the Honour do so enclose one another that they ought not to be separated and are in their Institution the Measure one of another extending both to Obedience and Support of them in their Work and the Titles are so prepared by the Wisdom of the Holy Ghost that they ought not to be changed for any other nor the Scripture Language herein to be altered for any Words not importing the same proper Sense Quest How shall the True Ministers of Christ be known that there may be that Obedience and Submission paid to them that is commanded Answ There can be no other Means to
to do from that very time of the Apostles to this Day and hath also actuated the Truth of the Scripture and those Fundamentals of it according as its Interest hath led it in some Ages more in some less as shall be presently more discovered Quest Having then the Scriptures those Fundamentals of Christianity and the Discourses of the Ancient Fathers and Doctors upon them in such a length of time with what reason can it be looked upon as an Anti or Antichristian-Church Answ With very great reason because by a multitude of Additions fowlest Idolatrous and Superstitious Corruptions and false Interpretations upon the Scriptures the Fundamentals of Christianity and the Discourses of the Ancients shamefully interpolated and by Spurious Writings under their Names despited it hath turned whole Christianity into a very contrary thing to it self while therefore it holds those points of Christianity and the Records of it in veneration and yet supports all its Falshoods thereby it becomes perfectly an Antichurch or Antichristian It hath in regard of those Articles of Truth it holds and actuates so much as to have the Name of a Church and Christian and yet having them so falsified corrupted and changed from themselves it becomes a Mock-Church a Mock-Christianity that is an Antichurch and Anti-christian in despite of the True-Church and True-Christianity And as to its Actuation of Truth it hath so Actuated Truth as to Actuate by Truth its own Falshoods and Lies upon Truth Quest How then did it rise to such an Eminency and pretence of being Catholick and Publick Answ The many Concurrences of Divine Providence under his deep and unsearchable Judgments in the Government of the World in relation to that state he had appointed for his Church I leave to the History of the Church and Roman Empire in those times by which may be understood how the Papacy took the advantage to Exalt it self not only above the Episcopal Chairs then in an Ambitious Contest for Supremacy but above all that was called God that is the Imperial Power it self and so set its Foot upon the Necks of Christian Princes throughout the World till the great Cheat began to be detected and all this by and upon pretence of being the Vicar of Christ or the Head of the Catholick that is the Roman-Church Quest These things I confess not so convenient to my Inquiry I desire only to know how in the middle of so many horrible Corruptions this Antichurch could be so bold as to vaunt it self the Vniversal Church of Christ Answ Taking the utmost benefit of its Antiquity in the Christian-Faith and Fundamentals of it and especially of the Conspicuousness and Famousness of its State and in the mean time the Corruptions growing up by degrees and not so observably as at once for Papal Rome was not built in a Day It usurped the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven as its own the Key of Knowledge in its Infallibility the Keys of Power in opening and shutting Heaven Gates so as that in the Darkness then overspreading the World and the Church Ignorance the Mother of False-Devotion so bewitching the Minds of Men that they all wondered after the Roman-State as new modelled under the Beast Arm'd with two Horns like those of a Lamb counterfeiting Power from Christ the Lamb but that spake as a Dragon pursuing all its pretendedly Christian Decrees with the extreamest Salvageness of any of the greatest Earthly Tyrants but all under a Mask of the Catholick Apostolick Church by which Fascination of Zeal to the most excellent Religion though so Vitiated Princes and People Surrendred their Power to this great Sorceress using at once all the Frauds and Cheats of False-Prophesie and the Arts and Policy of the most Designing Universal Monarchy Thus while this Antichurch stole into Power by the best appearances of True-Religion and secured it by all the Blandishments of a Meretricious Religion it found it self so strong as to force its False-Religion by its Power and using both together raised the Grandeur of both a Secular and Spiritual Tyranny to such a height Quest But how did the true-True-Church in this time Actuate Truth or agree with those Characters of being the House of God the Pillar and Ground of Truth Answ It was by the might and prevalency of this Secular and Spiritual Tyranny so suppressed that it was in a manner known only to God who reserv'd a number to himself in the midst of so great a Defection wherein that promise was made Good the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against his Church Exposing and Actuating Truth pure from those Corruptions is hardly and very hardly to be found in History in any of the Lines and Motions of it in the most dark and dolesom period of that Defection Quest How was it with the True-Church recovering it self from this great Darkness Answ God raised up by extraordinary Measures of though but an ordinary presence such who by Indefatigable searches into his Truth and Word and those Records of Christianity that Antichurch was concerned to preserve because as was said it could not without so much of a Church be an Antichurch and by bold Publications of it shook so that Inchanted City that a tenth part of it fell And by the great contrivance of Providence even the chief of that Antichurch were forc'd by way of Repercussion to raise greater Light by endeavours to defend themselves from Scripture Antiquity and Reason by the Summons of all that Learning Wit and Industry could levy in their Defence so that they were necessitated to awaken out of that Barbarity and Ignorance in which they had been so long drown'd and to Actuate even Truth more fiercely that they might together with it make as potent and prevalent as they could and give countenance to those great Falshoods they had interwoven with it From all which broke out such a light in the World that Princes rowz'd themselves and no longer crouch'd down under such an intoxicated Servitude which had long gall'd and pinch'd them but that they knew not how to rid themselves from it till the Sorcery was laid bare which still gave greater scope for the display of Truth Quest Could the Scripture be inconscious or silent concerning so great Revolutions in the Church of God as these Answ It is in all True Reason most impossible and therefore it is a mighty Argument that those great places of Scripture that do so notoriously agree to such a purpose as the Discovery of this Antichristian State are justly apply'd to it by Protestant Interpreters Quest If you please point me to the chief of those places you refer to Answ I will do it very briefly as being too large for the present purpose to enumerate many or enlarge upon any of them But what more proper to delineate such a State than the Apostasie the Apostle describes 2 Thess 2. 3. and 1 Timoth. 1. 4. or than the Church in the Wilderness Revel 12. 14. the Witnesses Prophecying
it lying Foursquare and being solid square measure for so it must be if the Length Bredth and Height are all equal Answ I did not at all forget it but suffered your Questions to lead through all I less design'd that they might come to the Principal Character of the True Religion and the True Church so exactly adequate to one another Quest Will you then more fully explain this Similitude Answ That I may the better do it I must repeat it from the very Ground and Bottom of it which is that God makes use as he pleases of all the Knowledge and Science that is in the World to Minister to Divine Knowledge in which he principally intends to Instruct as being most absolutely necessary for all of what condition soever As then Mathematicks is the most Demonstrative Science and some things in it are of most retired and fine Speculation so are others most known and necessary to all imployed in Mechanicks Thus God hath been pleased to deposite some Prophetick Truths in the most mystick parts of that Learning and some of the more general use in the most known and acquainted parts of it now those that are more secret and not so necessary I shall leave to those that are most fitted thereunto But what is most plain and imports what is most necessary for all I will insist upon As then Number and Measure are means Ordained for Humane Nature and principal Instruments of Reason to come to the most certain knowledge of things and to be secured they are and continue what they justly ought to be so True Religion is thereupon presented to us under exact Number and Measure falling in one with another the Number Twelve multiplied into a Square Cube of Twelve thousand Furlongs And as the Foursquare Figure does so bind and is so compact with it self that it cannot receive the least Addition but with the loss of its Square nor the least Diminution but under the same Forfeiture thus True Religion is so perfectly it self that it can neither be added to nor diminished from but with a proportionable loss of it self God was pleased upon this account to chuse this Figure for the Altar under the Law for the Breast-Plate of Judgment this was the Measure of Solomons Oracle how far the Measures in Ezekiel agree I leave The Heathen by Natural Wisdom had such a Sense of the so Just to it self Foursquare that they called a Good Man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a Foursquare Man And lastly as Solid Square Measure is in all parts of it and throughout every part exactly Square and gives the most certain account of the whole content of a Body so is True Religion in all its Parts exactly so it self and every Part of every Part is reduced to the same exactness for so the Length Bredth and Height of it are equal and so is the True Church exactly adequated to True Religion The Faith is therefore said to be at once delivered to the Saints because it can receive no New Measures and it is called the Common Salvation or Doctrine of it because the Universal Standard is one This then is the Measure of a Man and the Measure of the Angel For by that Wisdom that is natural to a Man in which Beasts have no share that is to Number and Measure is made plain to us Angelical Number and Measure that is the Number and Measure of True Religion as the Angel delineated it beginning in the Apostolical Twelve and Multiplied by it self to an exact Square Figure or Measure Square in the whole product Square in every particular part and of that just content And with this exact Number Twelve so Foursquare agreed the Altar Temple and they that worshipped therein when the outward Court was left out of Measure to be trodden under Foot by Heathenish Idolatry and Superstition disguis'd under Popish Christianity of which whenever it shall be perfectly freed it shall appear in that Glory here describ'd All richest Pearl pure Gold most transparent Jasper that is Brightest Clearest Truth and of the exact Apostolical Number and Measure Quest Is there no farther Improvement to be made of this Divine Symbole the Foursquare City Answ There is when I have first observed to you False-Religion is out of all Square just Measure and even Number it is a constant and perpetual Odd wandring from True Religion and the justness of it to it self and that both in Doctrine Worship Rules of Life and Discipline so that it is impossible in it to Measure one thing from and by another or any one point of any of these by it self uneven in the whole Product uneven in every part uneven in the Root The most significant Emblem of the Popish-Church which having the Fundamentals of Christianity hath yet lost the Apostolical Twelve by innumerable most irregular and wild Additions and deformed every Single Article of Truth by most disagreeable Corruptions of it and therefore as a Man most Learned in Numbers hath demonstrated the Number 666 a Number no way to be reduced to a Foursquare Figure is the most Fit and Significant Hieroglyphick of it and indeed of all False-Religion that must have something of Truth to make it a Religion but as it is false is an Odd from that Truth Quest Let me now desire the most plain and useful Application of this Parabolick Scheme Answ You shall have it and it consists in observing Four Prime Characters of the True Christian Religion that may be as Four Equal sides of this Foursquare and of the Church adjusted to it from each of which may be measured to each of the rest and the Equality or Inequality will discover the Truth or Falshood of all that is brought to the Tryal 1. The Transcendant Holiness Goodness and Purity of the Doctrine Precepts of Worship Rules of Life Discipline is one side of this Christian-square with which whatever does not Square is convicted not to be of that Doctrine and Religion whether it look towards God in all the Highest most Honourable Apprehensions of him suitable Discourse Worship Love and Obedience or whether it look towards Men in all Justice Righteousness Mercy Compassion Charity Benevolence Beneficence and these as they respect all the particular Offices of Life Publick of Magistrates Subjects or Private as of Parents Children Husband Wife Master or Servants The Peace and Welfare of Mankind are treasur'd up in the Law of Christ or lastly whether it look to a Man 's own Person in Soberness Purity Continency in the Thoughts the Words the Actions The Honour and best State of the Mind and Body are provided for by this Doctrine that is after Godliness not only in the World to come but in this Life Whatever now does not agree with these wholesom words is detected not to be Christian which is all Truth Virtue and Praise 2. There being nothing more intimate to Man in this fallen state than the Sense of Guilt and knowledg that he is a
the cow and the bear shall feed their young ones shall lie down together and the lion shall eat straw like the ox And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice den They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain for the earth shall be full of the knowledg of the Lord as the waters cover the sea THIS Context is a high and eloquent Declaration of the excellent peaceable and benign Temper that Christianity introduces into the world under the emblem of a general pacification between the mighty and the weak the armed and unarmed the noxious and innocent the oppressive and oppressed parts of the Creation And whether we look upon it as a description rising out of the Rules and Principles whose natural and genuine effect where ever they take will be such as is here drawn out or whether it be also a Prophecy of what shall in some time at least come universally to pass that there shall be such a noble experiment of true Christianity in the world as we have great reason to believe there shall And so whether the effect shall be throughout to conversion and the truly Christian change or whether it shall only smooth and polish many men who have not the true Grace of God within but shall be asham'd in such a land of light to deal Isa 26. 10. perversly and not to behold the majesty of the Lord in that transcendent Goodness and Grace he appears in both in the Commands and great Exemplar of yet so that there shall be a multitude of sincere Converts to that state However we expound either of these they are both alike to the discourse intended it being undoubted that Christanity alwaies lays the grounds and reasons gives the commands and urges the precepts inspires the temper here describ'd and doth most effectively in all times upon many though few comparatively and in all reasonable hope shall upon the generality in some time so prevail in the world that all that Belluine Ferocious and Salvage Temper of men shall be put off and proscribed the world the hearts of men being either truly chang'd by the Grace of God or universally so far convinced by high considerations and over comming light for the knowledg of the Lord shall cover the earth as waters do the sea that at least they will not discover that Leonine and Wolvish Temper that cruelty and venome so natural to mens hearts in this sinful and degenerate state And this extends not only to the superseding the cruelty of action oppression spoyling of goods imprisonment Massacres martyrdoms and all sort of Tortures but to the taking away that poyson of Asps that is in mens lips the Lyon-like teeth of slanders and invective the swords and knives of cruel mockings and Revilings men offer one to another in the management of Religious Controversies For these things the Prophet speaks of are especially to be understood with respect to Religion as men are upon their hatred to true Religion or the mutual differences in it become Lions Leopards and Tygers in their executions Cockatrices Aspes and Scorpions in their bitter words and Anathema's All which according to the influences of Christianity upon mens minds declared in this Prophecy shall be taken out of the world except upon the account of those things alone which will be causes of mens eternal damnation at the Tribunal of God and Christ if the infliction be Spiritual or such iniquities as God hath indeed commanded to be punished by a Judg in this world if the sentence be temporal Of such a change as is here set out the Apostle Paul was a great and remarkable instance whose conversion as it hath been thought a prophetic Pattern of the calling of the Jews so it may be as well thought of this happy transmutation of the world most probably concurrent with it if either be universal as we have reason to hope for he was taken in the very manner of a fierce and wild beast breathing out threatnings and slaughter against the Disciples of the Lord and immediately Acts 9. 1. turned into a meek merciful tender and compassionate Lamb over whom at his conversion there shone a light round about him in resemblance of this knowledg of the Lord that shall cover the earth at the brightness of which they that journeyed with him stood speechless which might allegorize the making tame even those in such a day of Divine Appearance that are no true Converts Now this Apostle as we know ever after breath'd nothing but the Love Meekness and gentleness of Christ in himself and offers in all his writings to inspire it into others as we shall have abundant occasion in the progress of this discourse to observe severe in nothing but what was irreconcilable with this excellent Christian spirit Object Before I pass on I shall only remove one Objection which may seem a very great one viz. That our Saviour saith by way of surprize upon any such expectations Suppose ye that I am come to send or give peace on the earth Think not so I came not to send peace on the earth I Mat 10. 3 4. c. Luke 12. 51. c. tell you nay but rather division and a sword and a fire For I am come to set a man at variance c. and from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided three against two and two against three c. Answ In answer to this we may easily perceive our Saviour in this place speaks neither his own intention and design nor the proper tendency and rational effect of his Doctrine for in that sense he saith to his Disciples attempting to imitate the fiery zealot spirit Ye know not what spirit ye are of for the Son of man comes not in a Chariot of fire to destroy all that will not be of his Religion for he came not to destroy mens lives but to save them Luk. 9. 55 56. In this place therefore he only signifies what would arise through the great Corruption of man whose lusts and passions would be apt to swell and rage at so excellent a Doctrine so destructive to sin and to all false Religion defended by long possession and ancient Tradition and composed for the Patronage of mens lusts Hence men would be implacably set against the Religion of Christ and would be divided with extreme hate from those that espoused it as their chief interest and happiness and not be drawn to Apostatize from it though it gathered upon them the spite and rabid Inclinations of the world in general and of their nearest Relations in particular Indeed the prophane and enemies of Christianity are wont to cry out against Religion on such occasions as if it wrought all the mischief in such cases when it is their own wickedness that troubles things as Solomon says The foolishness of man perverteth his way and then his heart
and condescension to those that think disseringly from him I come therefore now to the main of the Discourse and to make good that the Nature Constitution and Rules of Christian Religion are most exactly prepared to ingenerate promote and establish love peace and quietness among men even Vniversal and Oecumenical peace but especially among Christians and that by the most compendious Authority viz. the word that is nigh to us in Scripture and true and undoubted reason without going up into Heaven or down into the deep or sending beyond the Sea or turning over voluminous Writings of Ancients Church-History Tradition which perplex things with endless intricacies for before any one can with due rational satisfaction receive them he must for himself search them and when he hath done compare and be able by sagacity to find out the true Genius of the Writer and distinguish what is sincere from things spurious and counterfeit But suppose a man well satisfied herein yet still how various are interpretations and what contrary senses do the same periods yeild to several Readers and when all is agreed that can be agreed it is incertain except things are brought to a higher test wherein the peccancy and lubricity the oversight and weakness of humane nature have had place or what hath been conducted by the Word and Spirit of God by true Wisdom according to the pure and chast Laws of Christianity So that though all knowledg and learning reading and acquaintance with the records of elder times be most valuable and to be desir'd in its due place yet as to the ascertaining our minds in what concerns us not only to everlasting Happiness but to present Peace God hath provided better for us and within a nearer compass wherein our search cannot be too curious or industrious but within lesser room for such a kind of acurate seâ—rch as is due to the Scripture which in short gives us the conclusion of all matters necessary to life and godliness in present would be more than the most of mankind have either leisure patience or skill for if extended upon the monuments of antiquity so variously insisted upon for the finding out what men very often have a mind to find out in them rather than fairly to take what is offered by them But the things I shall present as Christian foundations of universal Peace and Benignity and most especially among the Disciples of Christianity are such as are plainly found in the Word of God and attested by sound reason 1. The first Foundation of universal Peace and Love and Benificence in Religion given us by Christianity is The Vniversal Consent Vnity and even Vniformity in Natural Religion throughout the souls of men if they would shew themselves men and act as men every where presum'd upon and appeal'd to in the Gospel Under this Head I will endeavour these Three things 1. To take a brief view of Natural Religion observing the intimate union of Christian Religion with it as Scripture brings it to light at its full lustre and presents it at its full Dimensions 2. To shew the great agreeableness of Christian Religion with Natural and the testimony Christianity receives from it in what it reveals above and beyond natural Religion and the Reasons we have for our acceptance of it thereupon 3. To observe the grounds of Universal Peace and quietness in the world upon its consent in Natural Religion offer'd to us by Scripture and Reason For that there are such grounds herein I shall shew Christianity supposes and that it strongly intimates they are the measure and standard of such a Peace and quietness to mankind in general Before I enter upon these I must premise 1. That Natural Religion in many things doth not at first and immediately appear to us but upon strong and sedate motions thinking reasoning meditating as we recover natural science by study and labour in many points of knowledg which yet being found are most plain and evident 2. There may be strong prejudice against some Principles of Natural Religion and yet no more argument against the truth of them than that in former times there was a general confident disbelief of the Antipodes was a disproof of them in which cases yet Truth will by degrees prevail to victory 3. It is certain the true and lively characters of this Religion are so defac'd and blotted by the fall that they cannot be perfectly recovered but by Revelation Many Truths clear enough in themselves concerning God his Worship the intercourse of the souls of men with him and in relation to their eternal condition yea and in plainer things than these viz. concerning true Righteousness Mercy Humility Soberness Patience are not seen but in their darker rudiments till they are revealed by God but when they are so revealed they so notably fall in and unite with the remains of Natural Religion preserved in us that they assure the same original writing of all both what we find more immediately in our hearts by their own light and what we receive from the Word of God Yet so that Natural Religion is no where found in that brightness as in the Word of God though revelation being supernatural is an orb above natural yet so large that it comprehends this lower and less The noticeâ— of Natural Religion by mans apostacy retir'd as plants into the earth in Winter Divine Revelation as the Sun returning at the Spring encourages them so that they sprout up afresh and grow being cherished by its warmer beams and so that we know these newer notices are of the primitive implantation by their being drawn out in a continuation from the elder roots Yea those things that in the state of innocency had no place viz. Faith in the pardoning-Mercy of God and repentance for there being no sin there was no need of these by way of supposition of mans sin and so great a goodness of God any way discovered to man flow as freely from the same fountain of Natural Religion as any other duties of it as is after to be shown 4. Notwithstanding all these former premisals that seem to abate from it I affirm Natural Religion is a Basis for the common peace and quietness of Mankind upon which they might easily so concenter as to preserve the world from blood and cruelty on religious accounts if they would as I have said shew themselves men I come therefore to take briefly the intended view of Natural Religion and to observe the intimate union of Christian Religion with it I. And first the acknowledgment of a supreme Being the Lord and Giver of all with all the Reverence Love Obedience Service due to him as the great Author Benefactor Lord and Judg of the whole world is the first most fundamental Principle of Natural Religion and so plain and evident that whoever denies it may without any brand of cruelty be dealt with as a Traytor to the Vniverse 1. For first he hath unhindg'd the order subordination
to have their effect there being many other in the event incurable evils upon men in despight of right Reason the cure of which yet any one may freely offer and discouse 2. Having thus far insisted upon the first Particular under this Head of Natural Religion I come to shew the agreeableness of Christian Religion with Natural in what it reveals above and beyond Natural Religion and the great Reasons of our Acceptance of Christian Religion thereupon which was the second Head propos'd And that I may make this the clearer let it be distributed into these three Branches 1. That it is hereby necessarily suppos'd Natural Religion is given to be a Test and Touch-stone of Truth in Religion 2. That Christian Religion hath such an evident agreement with Natural Religion as to be approved and recommended by it 3. That it being so excellent and so recommended it lays the true grounds of peace throughout the world in Religion 1. As to the first I thus argue If a man have no notes of distinction within if there be not a Religious Rational Understanding planted by God as a nature in man if there be not Principles ingrafted into that Understanding how shall a man know the goodness of anything propos'd to him the conformity of it with what it is pretended to be When our Saviour challenged the Phraisees requiring a sign from Heaven for the truth of his Doctrine thus Why even of or from within your selves judg ye not what is Luk. 12. 5 7. right He imply'd The very essence of a man as an Intellectual Rational Spirit must be also full of Religious and Moral Principles and so must have innate judgment of Religious Truth as many other Scriptures assure us Without this a man can have nothing but an Implicite faith for his Religion a strong belief it 's true Now seeing Turks Jews Papists every one that is throughly possess'd with his Religion hath the same this kind of Faith is no other than these several Religionists laying a wager one with another which is the true Religion and it greatly derogates from the Christian Religion to suppose there is no more but this confident adventure for it rather than for any other and no grand assurance within in Natural Religion Even matters of Divine Revelation however immediately from God must be hence known and discovered else every thing that calls it self Revelation must be taken for Divine Although the Prophets might be at some times under a strong supernatural hand that transported their minds as it did also in extraordinary cases their bodies yet they were generally under the still-voice speaking to their faculties enlightning their reason sanctifying their affections by which they had even at the time of their greatest raptures a sense of the excellency of Divine Truth an habitual acquaintance with the ways of Divine approach and presence a search into the things they had spoken even after they had spoken them So the Apostle Peter tells us They searched what or what manner of time the Spirit that was in them did signifie 1 Pet. 1. 11. They had a holy gust of Divine things a judgment discerning between any sort of private spirit and the universal Spirit of Grace and Truth else how did they differ from Balaam 2 Pet. 1. ult Abraham no doubt had a free debate with himself of the certainty that the voice was Divine that commanded him to Gen. 22. sacrifice his Son and argued within himself the reasonableness of returning his Son and especially his Son Isaac to the Author of all life and being and of Isaac's most particularly and so he resign'd him But Infinite Truth and Goodness always jealous over the sacredness of Nature's Laws would not permit the execution The great power of Miracles is not their astonishment of sense but summoning mens minds with great authority to Rational and Religious Considerations laid up in store within them The sum then of this Point is this Natural Religion always with us as intimate as our faculties as certain and true as they are in their frame and creation must be our Ordeal if I may so call it our Fiery our surest way of trial of all Proposals made to us in Religion that is after due awakening our minds and examination of things by them and the blessed assistances or highest infusions of the Divine Spirit are breath'd into our natural sentiments in things pertaining to God inlightned purified and guided into all truth 2. The second Branch follows viz. Christian Religion hath such an evident agreement with Natural Religion as to be approved and recommended by it even in what it reveals above and beyond Natural Religion Now if it be first evident there is not one good thing in that whole Religion as every thing in it is holy just and good but Christianity hath united it self with it self it hath so carefully gathered up all the fragments of it that no one thing is or can be lost And if it be made good in the second place that whatever Christian Religion reveals beyond natural Religion endures the touch of Natural Religion and is besides its own proper credentials recommended by it there cannot be any thing added to evince that Christian Religion is a foundation of Oecumenical peace in Religion seeing Natural Religion is the Oecumenick Religion the Religion of all mankind It must be so for every man hath it written in his heart and Christian Religion is in much of it one and the same Religion is all of it most agreeable with Natural Religion and recommended by it It then necessarily follows no man can be wisely Rationally Religious but he must be so far Christianly Religious and what Christian Religion offers beyond the wisdom and rationality of a man beyond the Law of the first creation is yet as agreeable with it as light with light greater light with lesser light how then can he that shews himself man be cruel outragious against or out of peace with it He that falls out with it falls out with Godliness Righteousness Soberness Humility Truth peace with God attonement to him with laying hold upon Eternal Life and flying from the wrath to come with Patience Meekness Mercy Compassion from God to men from men to one another He that persecutes Christianity must persecute righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Ghost in which whosoever Rom. 14 17 18. serveth Christ as every one must do that serves him is accepted of God and approved of men and therefore to despite Christianity is not only Belluine but Devilish So that the third Branch plainly results from the two former viz. if Natural Religion be the standard and touchstone given us to try all things in Religion by and that Christian Religion comes off from the tryal more precious than Gold It follows then of what value it ought to be to all the world To demonstrate then the second Branch that Christian Religion so agrees with Natural as to
Christianity have found it most to their advantage of Edification to unite with such a Congregation of Christians All these or any of these may create an obligation to such conjunctions But because the hottest disputes in relation to Christian Practise so as to conserve Peace and Order have risen in this very juncture of particular Societies of Christians I will endeavour to settle upon an indisputable state of things and leave out what is more intricate and controversal that we may see how far the Laws of Christ extend here to Love and Peace in these following Assertions 1. That Our Lord hath given Rules for such Holy Grave and Honourable Societies under the name of Churches as must needs invite all of the same excellent Christian Temper into their Communion according to the opportunities they have to joyn with them their Doctrine Worship and Practice so Pure and Heavenly so evidently for the good of mens souls so composed to all true Decency Prudence and a Discipline so Humble Natural Strict only to the truest benefit of those that are under it that it cannot look like a secular Dominion but for the service of Faith the help of Joy the safety of Souls and their eternal Interest This I am sure every one will yeild is the Frame and Constitution of a Christian Church let it be found whereever it can be found Let every Church see to it self whether it be so Tempered and Constituted or not How then does it seem possible that when there are such Societies Christians should not fly to them as the Doves to the windows seeing Christianity improves the sociableness of Humanity into the truest publickness of Spirit and desire to enjoy Good with more than in solitude 2. It is the express Command of Christ and his design in all his institutions that there should be such Assemblies of his people and servants for the Glory of his Father for his own Glory for the Salvation of his People for Divine worship for the discharge of the several Duties of Christians for the Communications of their Gifts and Graces so that the forsaking of the Assemblies of our selves together as Heb. 10. 25. the manner of some was is very little distant from Apostacy it self How can there then be but Churches where there are Christians seeing so much of the concerns of Christianity lye therein and who indeed possess'd with those concerns does not rejoice in them and bless God for his unspeakable Gift in the Constitution of them 3. Yet is there no Law of Christ that main force should be us'd upon men to bring them into any Assembly of Christians at all much less into one rather than another especially when the main Reasons or Motives of uniting with Assemblies according to the Laws of Christ present themselves to mens Apprehensions and Consciences more in some than others Indeed mens over-zealous Affectation of some and unworthy neglect of others as one for Paul another for Apollos another for Cephas another for 1 Cor. 1. 12. Christ as if these Ministers by whom they believed were to set up for themselves as Heads of Christianinty and to rival Christ himself as if but upon the same level with them was very justly and severely chastiz'd by the Apostle but a true value for all the Stewards of Divine Mysteries and 1 Cor. 4. 1. Churches and a particular value for those Pastors and Congregations wherein God hath vouchsafed especial Blessings for mens Souls or gives opportunity to receive such is very agreeable to the Gospel as the Apostle though he refus'd undue measures of Honour yet assumes that of being 1 Cor. 4. 15. 1 Cor. 9. 2. a Father as above thousands of Instructors Christianity and the Ministry of it being so Holy and Humble a state that no one acting according to it either Arrogates or Envies so he that hath much of the Honour of it hath nothing over or above the measure of a Steward and he that hath least should have nothing under that measure if he be found Faithful So the Congregations have the equal Glory of being of the Body of Christ and Churches to be little Representations of and imbodyed with his own Catholick Church in the grand Vnion of all Christians with the Head Here then is the ground of Christian Peace and Union in Churches 4. It is a Principle in Nature and much Confirm'd and Exalted by Christianity that the Worship of God and the Salvation of mens Souls should be made as Publick and Vniversal as may be Go Preach the Gospel to every creature and Baptize all Nations was the very Commission Christ gave to his Apostles and first Embassadors and is continued to all his Ministers to the end of the world not of Mat. 26. 19. the world of that Age only but to that end of the world which is till his second coming until which he hath promised his presence The Great Congregation is the most natural Receptacle of Divine Truth the state of Religion under the Gospel is rarely spoken of especially when declared Psal 100. 1. 117. 16. 1 c. in its Magnificence with a less Publick Character than All People All Nations All Lands the Round World in its whole Circle from the rising of the Sun to the going down of the same All the Earth True Religion aspir'd to it even under the narrow Dispensation of the Law and in this very sense it is most true that the Apostle said in his time The whole Creation groaneth and travelleth in pain until Rom. 8. 19 c. now and the earnest expectation of it waiteth for the Adoption the Manifestation of the Sons of God to be gathered together under the whole Heaven Nor will some of every Nation satisfie the full intention of this Magnificence but that Nations as Nations imbodyed and Kingdoms as Kingdoms shall become the Lords and his Christs is the plenary sense of the Divine Spirit when even as of Israel an indisputably National Church God shall say of Heathen Nations as of Egypt and Assyria known to Israel so well and known so well as Rankly Heathen and therefore chosen as Representatives of the whole Heathen world Yet of these God shall say Blessed be Egypt my people and Assyria the work of my hands and Israel Isa 19. ult my inheritance for in that day Israel shall be but a third with Egypt and Assyria and there shall be a High-way through them All and they shall serve together there shall be a free passage of Truth through All. A High way of the Gospel throughout and an Vnion of Worship So then if we find so much for a National Religion in the Prophecies of the times of the Gospel in the Old Testament which grasp more than those passages in the New Testament which relate to the then matter of fact only if our Saviours Commission for making disciples and preaching the Gospel extend to all Nations if the Prophetick book of the New
publick too as it may be The duties of Pastors and Teachers towards the people and of them towards those that are so over them in the Lord which consist in watchng for their souls as those that must give an account for them and those souls therefore yielding obediâ—nce to those Rules of the Word of God the Administring of which is stil'd a Ruling All these require a particular presence one with another and in such a proportion of number one to another that the principal Duties may not be defeated by the over-number but that the services of all one to another may extend to all may comprehend all may continually pass and re-pass between all and in which all may continually demonstrate their consent and agreement But yet all these things cannot be in bar of a National Religion seeing that a Nation as I have already said hath and undeniably must have a National Union and if True Religion be fixed there and carried along with that Union it may well be call'd a National Religion at least and without any injury a National Church the Agreement in the one carrying also an Agreement in the other makes it so And as in such a National Union though the standard of all things as of the whole state of Law Judicature Trade Business Militarystrength of a Nation be preserv'd in Capital Cities and Courts yet by the care of Government they are all in due proportions distributed as the Blood in the veins by fit Channels to every particular as it were in circuit so the publick agreement in Religion settles the Religious Interest of a Nation more eminently in those things that do most represent the consent of the whole in it yet with due care of every part and member of the Nation to bring it home particularly to them and making the mutual entercourse in it free and open to all persons in all places where they have occasion to pass up and down and maintain an entercourse one with another that wherever they are or have occasion to be they may enjoy the Freedom of publick Worship and National Religion to which at all times they give a knowing and even conscious Vote that agree in it the Assemblies being as it were in view under a sufficiency of Masters of the Assemblies of the Nation together and as National Union does not swallow up lesser or even Family Union no more does a National any lesser Church or Religious Society except by mens own fault And wherever men thus united come in the Nation they gladly lay hold of the opportunity of joyning with any other particular Assembly to which sameness of language and manners give them ready admission besides particular knowledge and that National Religion cannot be so very particular as congregational is no more reason to deny National and rest wholly in Congregational than it is to deny Congregational and rest in Family Religion or to deny Family and rest in Personal Religion because these are each closer than other 3. A third end of Churches comes to be considered that more particularly enforces National Religion and justifies its Nationality viz. That there may be a more illustrious famous and remarkable offer of Religion to notice and observation for the drawing in and congregating others to it Thus a Church is a Pillar and Ground or Seat of Truth and a magnificent House of the Living God And what more advantageous to this end than a Nation united in the True Religion which we know hath greatly the odds of particular Congregations in this Illustriousness and Magnificence nor does this run out yet to the building the Babel of Rome that would mount up as a Tower to Heaven or as too ambitious Pyramids that are often rebuked with Lightning from Heaven for coming too near it seeing as I have before shown such an Universality enforced is destructive to all the ends of publick Religion Humane Society being so bounded by Nations though all the Treaties of Nations of the same True Religion may be managed to give it the honour due to it that can be procurated in such Treaties So much then as National exceeds and extends it self beyond any narrower compass and yet rejoyns it self to and with it self after the manner of particular Congregations so much does it partake of the magnificencies of Scripture concerning the publickness of Christian Religion and the Catholick Church and yet returns into the closeness of particular Churches with themselves and is the just point betwixt the Tyranny Ambition and endlesness of Popish Vniversality and putting Christianity under a Bed or Bushel National Religion and National Union in it is as a city set upon an Hill that cannot be hid as a candle set upon so exalted a candlestick that gives light to all within it self and about it even as far as the Fame of that Nation reaches The Churches much more as rising up into a National State are the Glory of Christ As therefore though we may be in some regard more exact in the most private we go out of our Personal Religion into Family Religion out of our Family Religion into Congregational and as the Christians at first most probably according to the Laws of Humane Society went out of Congregations into Consociation of Churches in Religion so we out of all these where National Union in true Religion allows it go into that National State that we may build the honour of Religion to the highest in so sensible and understanding a Consent and Union in it so publick an acknowledgment of God and though hereby it be as a Net that draws in bad as well as good even visibly and apparently yet when we consider the possible care against it in particular Congregations though still National when we further consider the state of the Jewish Church of Corinth the state of the Apocalyptick Churches the doubt will not be so cogent as to move National Religion out of the Nature of things The only remaining Doubt is that thus National Magistracy becomes as the Head of such a Religion the National Religion is gathered and united in the Magistrate and his Laws and that which should only be united in and depend upon the Laws of Christ becomes subject to another Head on pretence of which Magistrates have been attempted on too with force to bring their power to true Religion The Answer I give to this shall be very brief in three Heads 1. I always own any pretence taken from exalting Christ and his Kingdom to enforce Civil Powers to ratifie truest Religion into National Constiâ—utions and Laws is most destructive of the Kingdom of Christ which is not of this world that is to use force for its own promotion and utterly subverts Government seeing private persons may under this shelter and disguise rise up and invade and disturb any Civil State or Government whatever When Religion is our Birthright by our Laws it may be by the same Laws defended when it is not Prayers
two Cases to be the Expedient against Scandal he therefore perswades the not eating upon these Contingencies as by the by which was a very easie performance for Christian Charity but the Thing he was wholly intent upon was that great Doctrine of not Scandalising for the sake of Indifferent Things These Circumstances easily vanished the main Point remains unmoved They were only a Scheme a momentany and transitory one to display this great Doctrine in and to present it upon When these things grew into a Ritual Religion the Scheme was altered and shifted they grew sinful and were condemned the Doctrine stood yet and for ever stands firm planted upon them Object 4. The Rites used are such as are recommended from Antiquity and were of use of old in the Primitive Church Answ Allow it to be so All that can be collected from thence is but Example wound up to its highest Peg when it does not reach Christ And whenever it does not reach him it does not bind Be ye followers of me as I 1 Cor. 11. 1. am of Christ said the Apostle just about to discourse of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ordinances or Traditions Those Concurrences All Every where Always must begin in Scripture and be found there else they do but oblige our Prudence not our Conscience Only so far as Antiquity or the Primitive Church inables us to see with our own Eyes the Sense of Scripture or the Determinations of Natural Light and Reason in any Case so far it obliges us in Conscience All else is but the Deference of Modesty and due Regard which cannot weigh against Scandal except we make the Oracles of Antiquity equal to the Heavenly Oracles and then we must demand the same Certainty of the Divine Inspiration of the one as of the other or else we may quickly run into the greatest of Scandals Object 5. The Commands of Lawful Authority take away the Indifferency and make Necessary what was before Indifferent Answ The Question is not Whether Magistrates ought to be obeyed in all things Indifferent for that is readily granted if in all Circumstances they are Indifferent nor whether Rites are Indifferent Things for that is also supposed to be granted but the question must be Whether it is an indifferent thing to give or receive Scandal upon the account of Indifferent Things seeing that may indisputably fall out or the Apostles Discourses fall to the Ground and in one sort of Indifferents as well as others else the Apostles Discourse will be ineffectual to any the like Case Seeing then the Tribunal and Authority of God is higher than of any of the Supreams of this World and that Scandal is cognisable only before him and that whatever incurs Sandal is inseparable from Sin against God it must needs follow that in a Case of Doubt from which a Man cannot acquit himself he cannot obey Men in that without disobeying God who hath declared to him Whatever is not of Faith is Sin and he that doubteth and doth what he doubteth of is Damned that is Condemned within himself and in the thing it self And the Reason in such a Case must be the same as in a Case of Obeying Magistrates against any express Divine Prohibition For though the thing doubted of does much differ if it be indeed indifferent Yet the Prohibition is as plain against doing what is doubted of and what is not of Faith as in any Case Seeing then all Humane Authority must lower its Top to Divine I cannot see but that in Indifferent things in Religion which is Gods peculiar for we speak only of that the Magistrates Power is excluded in case of real doubt of Conscience in which a Man can do nothing but he runs into Gods danger even as in any other case of such danger by reason of Sin And what is offered in Relief will not avail viz. That Obedience to Magistrates is certainly a Duty but whether there be any disobedience to God about such or such Indifferents is in doubt and if the thing be indeed indifferent it is a doubt upon mistake And then there is a disobedience to God in an undoubted Rule and Command to avoid it in a case not only of doubt but of mistake This I say cannot avail Because the measure is not to be drawn betwixt Obedience to Magistrates in all lawful things or things indifferent but betwixt Obedience to Magistrates and Obedience to that Rule of the Word of God in all cases of doubt which is as clear and as little subject to doubt as any Rule whatever Yet does not this evacuate the Power of Magistrates it being restrained to things indifferent in Religion and in Doubt and the Doubt fixed upon a grand Principle of Truth Nor is that of greater satisfaction That in Obedience to Magistrates there are so many degrees of Good and so many of Evil in the Disobedience but in doing well or ill concerning Indifferents there are much fewer Degrees both of the Good and the Evil therefore Obedience to God in so great a Morality as Obedience to Magistrates is always to be preferred before our doing well in Indifferents and the fear of Evil in one to be avoided much rather than the same fear in the other The Reason of Dissatisfaction is this That the Measure is not betwixt the Morality of Obedience to God in obeying Magistrates and doing well or ill about things Indifferent but betwixt the Morality of Obeying God in one of his clear and undoubted Precepts and in another of the same Evidence and Clearness which must needs be one and the same and of the same Rate of Morality Seeing Obedience to God is the Fundamental Morality If it were not thus the Magistrates Prohibition of Sacrifice of the Cup in the Lords Supper must exempt from Obedience to God in those Duties because Obedience to Magistrates is a Moral Duty but the other Ceremonial But it is out of Measure certain Obedience to God is both the top and the bottom of all Morality and although Obedience to Magistrates is a great point of Morality yet Obedience to God is so before it as to be the Measure of it Besides if Obedience to God be to be valued not by his Authority but by weighing the Precepts themselves much more Obedience to Magistrates is to be estimated by the Commands they give of which Indifferents in Religion will never be made out to be worthy to be the Tests either of their Authority or our Obedience whatever unthinking Men have said therein Indeed among the Divine Commands God hath chosen Mercy rather than Sacrifice honouring Parents rather than Corban but it is because he hath so declared in his Word and in Mens Consciences But all the Laws of God do harmoniously Conspire and Subordinate themselves one to another among which Obedience to Magistrates and Preserving the Government and Peace of Conscience are none of the least nor of any contest or distance of unkindness between themselves Whoso
Succession from the Apostles without cautioning for any thing of their true Spirit and which so hangs Salvation at the Girdle of those that would be their Successours as turns Christianity into a most Arbitrary and Tirannick Party But they that know the Scriptures know assuredly Christ hath founded no Rule Government or Authority in his Church whatever but whose whole display of it self is in Teaching Instructing according to his Word If that be not clear and evident the whole Authority and Power falls to the Ground This Word appearing in and with it self though by the Ministers of it hath the sole Power over Conscience They that would Rule without this as Rulers appointed by Christ in his Church are but Lay-Elders Lay-Bishops or indeed they leave the Word of God and serve Tables But in this Universal Rage of Scandal God hath not so forsaken the World but that his Spirit lifts up a Standard against it Evil is not Infinite but is at all times stopp'd by Evidences of God and true Goodness environing it on every side and bounding it that it cannot do what it has a mind to do and is therefore forced to leave it undone for it can go no farther than the Beings that carry it can go and God is always above them and hems them in on every side Scandal hath only a permission from God a Dispensation to manifest it self it is always subject to Truth as Night is to Day It is subject to be reduc'd and contracted as God pleases And thus have I finished the Third Head of Discourse concerning Scandal It must needs be that Scandals come I come to a brief Dispatch of the Fourth Head The Demonstration of the World's Woe because of Scandal 1. Let the Scandal be never so fair and plausible in its Pretence or Reasons of Seduction from God and our Duty there is so great a Force of Truth and Higher Reason against it that our Guilt and Condemnation is unavoidable in not resisting the Temptation Nothing can justifie a Plea against the Divine Law not an Angel from Heaven we must pronounce Anathema upon him if he undertakes it There are such Foundations of Truth laid by God that cannot be moved and they have such Evidence and Assurance to all sincere Minds that there is no excuse against the Guilt of being taken with Scandal 2. There is therefore always some most Guilty Cause of Scandal and its prevalency within every Man that is taken by it Some Lust and love of Evil that betrays him and on which he is condemned When Scandal rages most abroad and comes with lying Signs and Wonders and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness it is because Men have pleasure in unrighteousness and receive not the Truth in the love of it 3. Scandal is it self Misery and Ruine A Man cannot fall and be snared he cannot be wounded and broken but he must be miserable Life Health Salvation are only in Obedience to God and Conformity to his holy Will Who hath Woe Who hath Wounds Who hath Grief But he that hath received Scandal against the Divine Truth This is a deep Ditch he only that is hated of God falleth into it as not to recover It is vain to pretend the Force the Power the unavoidableness of Scandal when it self is Death and Ruine How many are pleased with their Scandals and will by no means part with them Many excuse themselves they could not withstand their Deceipt and Violence and will not apprehend their Case The first closely embrace Death or as Solomon says love Death The latter can have no other Pity at the highest but that they are undone their Scandals are upon them and they pine away in them as they speak in Ezekiel and how then should Ezek. 33. 10. they live God hath no pleasure in their death yet still they dye except restor'd by Repentance 4. Were it not for Scandal were it not some unhappy and mischievous mis-representation of Divine Goodness and Truth were there not something that imposed upon the Understanding and seduced the Will with a false appearance of Truth and Good Rational Beings could not resist Truth nor fall out with Infinite Goodness or on the other side entertain Falshood or fall in love with Evil and so would be every way secure from Destruction Surely were it not for Scandal some most mischievous possession upon our Minds while there are any hopes of Mercy we could not refuse and reject it nor cleave so fast to sin and death which can have no desirableness but to the deceived Soul as Holiness and the Favour of God cannot be disgustful to any but the Scandalised Were it not for some indissolvable Scandal even the sin against the Holy Spirit might be repented of and forgiven some irreconcileable prejudice retains both the sin and so the punishment And in Hell there is that Eternal Scandal for ever holding fast the Damned That a Creature deprived of God justly hate and rebel against him Or it is best for it in that Circumstance so to do Were it possible to be loosed from this Snare of Death this Everlasting Chain of Darkness there might be an escape out of Hell it self Were there not an Eternal Discontent and Disgust to God Hell could not be Hell nor Devils Devils any longer so miserable a thing is Scandal The fifth Head in this Discourse is the accumulative Woe to him by whom Scandal cometh the Woe by way of Transcendency 1. The Designers of Scandal must be as so many Satans in the World of the just contrary Spirit and Action to God and Christ and the Holy Spirit in the World and therefore shall be for ever separated from that Blessed Presence into that Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels the God and the Angels of Scandal Some have in all Ages been brandedly infamous herein but none like him whose coming is after Satan with lying Signs and Wonders and all deceivableness of Vnrighteousness All those Atheistical Defamations of God and Religion and the Scurrilities of Prophane Wits are deeply dyed in this Guilt They are like the throwing of Firebrands Arrows and Death so is the Scandalising of Men in such sports of Wit to their Ruine They that offer themselves as Coppies and Patterns of Wickedness in defiance of Heaven dwell near to this insupportable Woe They whose Laws Armed with cruel Penalties are so many destructive Traps and Engins of Mischief against all that are Professors of true and sincere Religion shall be gathered out of Gods Kingdom their Scandals and themselves that work iniquity by them They that in Indifferent Things that they themselves acknowledge Indifferent use a violent Example that must be answered with Conformity though Men do with greatest Seriousness and Solemnity protest their Doubt in the Case and though Scandal be planted every where in their Indifferencies had need as our Saviour bids them take heed they offend not they despise not though they should be but the Little ones in