not so uncertain and multiform a thing 4. And if Mans disposition or actual knowledge be Gods Law it may be also called Mans Law And so the Kings Law should be the Subjects perception of it It is therefore most evident that the true Law of Nature is another thing And is it not then a matter of admiration that so many sagacious accurate Schoolmen Philosophers Lawyers and Divines should for so long time go on in such false definitions of it The whole World belongeth to the Law of Nature so far as it signifieth to us the will of God about our duty and reward and punishment The World is as Gods Statute Book The foresaid natural aptitude maketh us fit to read and practise it The Law of Nature is as the external Light of the Sun and the said natural disposition is as the visive faculty to make use of it Yet much of the Law of Nature is within us too But it is there only in genere objectivo signi Man 's own Nature his Reason Free will and Executive power are the most notable signs of his duty to God To which all Mercies Judgements and other signifying means belong § 5. The way that God doth by Nature oblige us is by laying such fundamenta from which our duty shall naturally result as from the signification of his Will § 6. These fundamenta are some of them unalterable while we have a being and some of them alterable And therefore some Laws of Nature are alterable and some unalterable accordingly As for instance Man is made a Rational free Agent and God is unchangeably his Rightfull Governour of infinite Power Wisdom and Goodness Therefore the nature of God and Man in via thus compared are the fundamentum from whence constantly resulteth our indispensable duty to love him trust him fear him and obey him But if our being or reason or free-will which are our essential Capacities cease our obligations cease cessante fundamento God hath made Man a sociable Creature and while he is in society the Law of Nature obligeth him to many things which he hath no obligation to when the society is dissolved As when a Parent Childe Wife or Neighbour dieth all our duties to them cease Nature by the position of many circumstances hath made Incest ordinarily a thing producing manifold evils and a sin against God And yet Nature so placed the children of Adam in other circumstances that the said Nature made that their duty to marry one another which in others would have been an unnatural thing Nature forbiddeth Parents to murder their children But when God the absolute Lord of life would that way try Abrahams obedience when he was sure that he had a supernatural command even Nature obliged him to obey it Nature forbiddeth men to rob each other of their proper goods But when the Owner of all things had given the Israelites the Egyptians goods and changed the propriety the fundamentum of their former natural obligation ceased Changes in natura rerum which are the foundation of our obligation may make changes in the obligations which before were natural But so far as Nature that Nature which foundeth duty is the same the duty remaineth still the same The contrary would be a plain contradiction § 7. The Authoritas Imperantis is the formall object of all obedience and so all our duty is formally duty to God as our Supream or to Men as his Officers But as to the Material object our Natural duties are either I. Towards God II. To our selves III. To others § 8. I. The prime duties of the Law of Nature are towards God and are our full consent to the three Relations of which two are mentioned before To be Gods Rational Creatures and not obliged to take him heartily for our Absolute Owner and Ruler is a Contradiction in Nature § 9. Mans Nature being what it is and Related thus to God and Gods Nature and Relations being as afore described Man is naturally obliged to take God to be what he is in all his Attributes forementioned cap. 5. and to suit his will and affections to God accordingly that is to take him to be omnipotent omniscient and most good most faithfull and most just c. and to believe him seek him trust him love him fear him obey him meditate on him to honour him and preferre him before all the World and this with all our Heart and might and to take our chiefest pleasure in it All this so evidently resulteth from the Nature of God and Man compared that I cannot perceive that it needeth proof or illustration § 10. It is a contradiction to Nature that any of this duty proper to God may be given to any other and that any Creature or Idol of our Imagination should be esteemed loved trusted obeyed or honoured as God For that were falshood in us injury to God and abuse of the Creature § 11. Nature requireth that Man having the gift of speech from God should imploy his Tongue in the Praise and service of his Maker This plainly resulteth from our own Nature and the use of the Tongue compared with or related to Gods Nature and perfections with his propriety in us and all that 's ours and his Government of us § 12. Seeing Man liveth in totall dependance upon God and in continual receivings from him Nature obligeth him to use his heart and tongue in holy desires express'd and exercised in Prayer and in returning thanks to his great Benefactor of which more anon For though God know all our sins and wants already yet the Tongue is fitted to confess our sins and to express our desires And by confessing and expressing a twofold capacity for mercy accreweth to us That is 1. Our own Humiliation is excited and increased by the said Confessions and our Desires and Love and Hope excited and increased by our own Petitions the tongue having a power to reflect back on the heart and the exercise of all good affections being the means of their increase 2. And a person that is found in the actual exercise of Repentance and holy Desire and Love is morally and in point of Justice a much fitter recipient for pardon and acceptance and other blessings than another is And it being proved by Nature that Prayer Confession and Thanksgiving hath so much usefulness to our good and to our further duty Nature will tell us that the tongue and heart should be thus imployed And therefore Nature teacheth all men in the World that believe there is a God to confess their sins to him and call upon him in their distress and to give him thanks for their receivings § 13. Seeing Societies as such are totally dependent upon God and mens gifts are communicative and Solemnities are operative Nature teacheth us that God ought to be solemnly acknowledged worshipped and honoured both in Families and in more solemn appointed assemblies It greatly affecteth our own hearts to praise
among themselves who are his disciples How to mortifie sin and to contemn the wealth and honours of the world and to deny the flesh its hurtful desires and lusts and how to suffer any thing that we shall be called to for obedience to God and the hopes of Heaven To tell us what shall be after death how all men shall be judged and what shall become both of soul and body to everlasting But his great work was by the great demonstrations of the Goodness and Love of God to lost mankind in their free pardon and offered salvation to win up mens hearts to the love of God and to raise their hopes and desires up to that blessed life where they shall see his glory and love him and be beloved by him for ever At last when he had finished the work of his ministration in the flesh he told his Disciples of his approaching Suffering and Resurrection and instituted the Sacrament of his Body and Bloud in Bread and Wine which he commandeth them to use for the renewing of their covenant with him and remembrance of him and for the maintaining and signifying their communion with him and with each other After this his time being come the Jews apprehended him and though upon a word of his mouth to shew his power they fell all to the ground yet did they rise again and lay hands on him and brought him before Pilate the Roman Governour and vehemently urged him to crucifie him contrary to his own mind and conscience They accused him of blasphemy for saying he was the Son of God and of impiety for saying Destroy this Temple and in three days I will re-build it he meant his Body and of treason against Caesar for calling himself a King though he told them that his Kingdom was not worldly but spiritual Hereupon they condemned him and clothed him in purple like a King in scorn and set a Crown of thorns on his head and put a Reed for a Scepter into his hand and led him about to be a derision They cover'd his eyes and smote him and buffeted him and bid him tell who strake him At last they nailed him upon a Cross and put him to open shame and death betwixt two Malefactors of whom one of them reviled him and the other believed on him they gave him gall and vinegar to drink The Souldiers pierced his side with a Spear when he was dead All his Disciples forsook him and fled Peter having before denied thrice that ever he knew him when he was in danger When he was dead the earth trembled the rocks and the vail of the Temple rent and darkness was upon the earth though their was no natural Eclipse which made the Captain of the Souldiers say Verily this was the Son of God When he was taken down from the Cross and laid in a stone-Sepulchre they set a guard of Souldiers to watch the grave having a stone upon it which they sealed because he had fore-told them that he would rise again On the morning of the third day being the first day of the week an Angel terrified the Souldiers and rolled away the stone and sate upon it and when his Disciples came they found that Jesus was not there And the Angel told them that he was risen and would appear to them Accordingly he oft appeared to them sometimes as they walked by the way and once as they were fishing but usually when they were assembled together Thomas who was one of them being absent at his first appearance to the rest told them he would not believe it unless he saw the print of the nails and might put his finger into his wounded side The next first day of the week when they were assembled Jesus appeared to them the doors being shut and called Thomas and bad him put his fingers into his side and view the prints of the nails in his hands and feet and not be faithless but believing After this he oft appeared to them and once to above five hundred brethren at once He earnestly prest Peter to shew the love that he bare to himself by the feeding of his flock He instructed his Apostles in the matters of their employment He gave them Commission to go into all the world and preach the Gospel and gave them the tenour of the New Covenant of Grace and made them the Rulers of his Church requiring them by Baptism solemnly to enter all into his Covenant who consent to the terms of it and to assure them of pardon by his Blood and of salvation if they persevere He required them to teach his Disciples to observe all things which he had commanded them and promised them that he would be with them by his Spirit and grace and powerful defence to the end of the world And when he had been seen of them forty days speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God being assembled with them he commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem but wait till the holy Spirit came down upon them which he had promised them But they being tainted with some of the worldly expectations of the Jews and thinking that he who could rise from the dead would sure now make himself and his followers glorious in the world began to ask him whether he would at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel But he answered them It is not for you to know the times or seasons which the Father hath put in his own power But ye shall receive power after that the holy Ghost is come upon you and ye shall be witnesses to me both at Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the earth And when he had said this while they beheld he was taken up and a cloud received him out of their sight And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up two men stood by them in white apparel and said Why gaze ye up into Heaven This same Jesus which is taken up from you into Heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into Heaven Upon this they returned to Jerusalem and continued together till ten days after as they were all together both the Apostles and all the rest of the Disciples suddenly there came a sound from Heaven as of a rushing mighty wind and the likeness of fiery cloven tongues sate on them all and they were filled with the holy Ghost and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them utterance By this they were enabled both to preach to people of several languages and to work other miracles to confirm their doctrine so that from this time forward the holy Spirit which Christ sent down upon Believers was his great Witness and Agent in the world and procured the belief and entertainment of the Gospel wheresoever it came For by this extraordinary reception of the Spirit the Apostles themselves were much fullier instructed in the doctrine of salvation than
they were before notwithstanding their long converse with Christ in person it being his pleasure to illuminate them by supernatural infusion that it might appear to be no contrived design to deceive the world And they were enabled to preach the word with power and by this Spirit were infallibly guided in the performance of the work of their Commissions to settle Christ's Church in a holy order and to leave on record the doctrine which he had commanded them to teach Also they themselves did heal the sick and cast out devils and prophesie and by the laying on of their hands the same holy Spirit was ordinarily given to others that believed so that Christians had all one gift or other of that Spirit by which they convinced and converted a great part of the world in a short time and all that were sincere had the gift of sanctification and were regenerate by the Spirit as well as by Baptismal water and had the love of God shed abroad in their hearts by the holy Ghost which was given them A holy and heavenly mind and life with mortification contempt of the world self-denial patience and love to one another and to all men was the constant badge of all Christ's followers The first Sermon that Peter preached did convert three thousand of those sinful Jews that had crucified Christ And after that many thousands of them more were converted One of their bloody persecutors Saul a Pharisee that had been one of the murderers of the first Martyr Stephen and had haled many of them to prisons as he was going on this business was struck down by the high-way a light from Heaven shining round about him and a voice saying to him Saul Saul why persecutest thou me And he said Who art thou Lord And the Lord said I am Jesus whom thou persecutest it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks And he trembling and astonished said Lord what wilt thou have me to do And the Lord said Arise and go into the City and it shall be told thee what thou must do And the men that journeyed with him stood speechless hearing a voice but seeing no man And so Saul was led blind to Damascus where one Ananias had a vision commanding him to Baptize him and his eyes were opened This Convert called Paul did hence-forward preach the Gospel of Christ from Country to Country in Syria in Asia at Rome and a great part of the world in marvellous unwearied labours and sufferings abuses and imprisonments converting multitudes and planting Churches in many great Cities and Countries and working abundance of miracles where he went His History is laid down in part of the New Testament There are also many of his Epistles to Rome to Corinth Galatia Ephesus Philippi Coloss Thessalonica to Timothy to Titus and to Philemon and the Hebrews as is supposed There are also the Epistles of Peter James John and Jude with the Revelation of John containing many mysterious Prophesies An Eunuch who was of great power under the Queen of Ethiopia was converted by Philip and carried the Gospel into his Country The rest of the Apostles and other Disciples carried it abroad a great part of the world especially in the Roman Empire and though every where they met with opposition and persecution yet by the power of the holy Ghost appearing in their Holiness Languages and Miracles they prevailed and planted abundance of Churches of which the most populous were at Jerusalem Antioch Rome and Alexandria And though they were all dispersed abroad the world and out of the reach of mutual converse yet did they never disagree in their Doctrine in the smallest point but proceeded through sufferings in Unity and Holiness in the work of saving Souls till most of them were put to death for the sake of Christ having left the Churches under the Government of their several Pastors according to the will of Christ This is the abstract of the History of the holy Scriptures § 14. The summ of the Doctrine of Christianity is contained in these Articles following consisting of three general Heads I. Things to be known and believed II. Things to be willed and desired and hoped III. Things to be done I. 1. There is one only GOD in Essence in Three Essential Principles POWER UNDERSTANDING and WILL or OMNIPOTENCY OMNISCIENCE and GOODNESS in Three Subsistences or Persons the FATHER the SON and the HOLY SPIRIT who is a Mind or Spirit and therefore is most Simple Incorruptible Immortal Impassionate Invisible Intactible c. and is Indivisible Eternal Immense Necessary Independent Self-sufficient Immutable Absolute and Infinite in all Perfections The Principal Efficient Dirigent and Final Cause of all the world The CREATOR of all and therefore our Absolute OWNER or Supreme RULER and our Total BENEFACTOR and CHIEF GOOD and END 2. GOD made Man for himself not to supply any want of his own but for the pleasing of his own Will and Love in the Glory of his Perfections shining forth in his works In his own Image that is with Vital Power Understanding and Free-will Able Wise and Good with Dominion over the Inferiour Creatures as being in subordination to God their OWNER their GOVERNOUR and their BENEFACTOR and END And he bound him by the Law of his Nature to adhere to GOD his MAKER by Resignation Devotion and Submission to him as his OWNER by Believing Honouring and Obeying him as his RULER and by Loving him Trusting and Seeking him Delighting in him Thanksgiving to him and Praising him as his Grand BENEFACTOR chief Good and ultimate end to exercise Charity and Justice to each other and to Govern all his inferiour faculties by Reason according to his Makers will that he so might please him and be Happy in his Love And to try him he particularly forbad him to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil upon pain of death 3. Man being tempted by Satan to break this Law of God did believe the Tempter who promised him impunity and advancement in Knowledge and who accused God as false in his threatning and as envying Man this great advancement And so by wilfull sinning against him he fell from God and his uprightness and happiness under the displeasure of God the penalty of his Law and the power of Satan And hence we are all conceived in sin averse to good and prone to evil and condemnation is passed upon all and no meer Creature is able to deliver us 4. God so loved the World that he gave his only SON to be their REDEEMER who being the Eternal WISDOM and WORD of God and so truly GOD and one in Essence with the FATHER did assume our Nature and became Man being conceived by the HOLY SPIRIT in the Virgin Mary and born of her and called JESVS CHRIST who being Holy and without all sin did conquer the Tempter and the World fulfilling all righteousness He enacted and preached the Law or
may let it go and boast of your better choice as you find cause How much did the light of nature teach the Stoicks the Cynicks and many other Sects which differeth not much in austerity from Christ's precepts of mortification and self-denial Socrates could say Opes ac nobilitates non solum nihil in se habere honestatis verum omne malum ex eis aboriri Laert. l. 2. in Socr. p. 99. Dicebat unicum esse bonum scientiam malumque unicum inscitiam Id. ib. Et referenti quod illum Athenienses mori dâ—crevissent natura illos inquit Ib. Et multa prius de immortalitate animorum ac praeclara disserens cicutam bibit p. 105. Magna animi sublimitate carpentes se objurgantes contemnebat p. 96. When he was publickly derided Omnia ferebat aequo animo And when one kickt him and the people marvelled at his patience he said What if an Ass had kickt me should I have sued him at Law p. 93. When he saw in Fairs and Shops what abundance of things are set to sale he rejoycingly said Quam multis ipse non egeo cum libere quo vellet abire carcere liceret noluit plorantes severe increpavit pulcherrimosque sermones illos vinctus prosecutus est If so many Philosophers thought it a shameful note of cowardise for a man to live and not to kill himself when he was falling into shame or misery much greater reason hath a true believer to be willing to die in a lawful way for the sake of Christ and the hope of glory and to be less fearful of death than a Brutus a Cato a Seneca or a Socrates though not to inflict it on themselves Soundly believe the promises of Christ and then you will never much stick at suffering To lose a feather and win a Crown is a bargain that very few would grudge at And profanely with Esau to sell the birth-right for a morsel to part with heaven for the paltry pleasures of flesh and fancy were below the reason of a man if sin had not unmann'd him Matth. 16.25 26. Whosoever will save his life shall lose it and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it For what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul Virulent Eunapius giveth us the witness of natural reason for a holy mortified life whilst he maketh it the glory of the Philosophers whom he celebrateth Of Antoninus the son of Aedesius he saith Totum se dedidit atque applicuit Diis loci gentilibus sacris mysticis arcanis citoque in Deorum immortalium contubernium receptus est neglectâ prorsus corporis curâ ejusque voluptatibus remisso nuntio sapientiae studio profano vulgo incognitum amplexus Cuncti mortales hujusce viri temperantiam constantiam inflecti nesciam mentem demirati suere Eunap in Aedes What a Saint doth he make Jamblichus to be of whom it was feigned that in his Prayers he would be lifted up above ten cubits from the earth and his garments changed into a golden colour till he had done Eun. in Jambl. p. 572. Even while he raileth at the Alexandrian Monks ut homines quidem specie sed vitam turpem porcorum more exigentes c. p. 598. contrary to the evidence of abundant History he beareth witness against a vitious life And if holiness and mortification or temperance be so laudable even in the judgment of the bitterest Heathens why should it be thought intollerable strictness as it is more clearly and sweetly proposed in the Christian verity And if he say of Jamblicus Ob justitiae cultum facilem ad deorum aures accessum habuit we may boldly say that the righteous God loveth righteousness and that the prayers of the upright are his delight and that their sufferings shall not always be forgotten nor their faithful labours prove in vain CHAP. XII The reasonable Conditions required of them who will overcome the difficulties of Believing and will not undo themselves by wilful Infidelity I Have answered the objections against Christianity but have not removed the chiefest impediments for recipitur ad modum recipientis the grand impediments are within even the incapacity or indisposition or frowardness of the persons that should believe It is not every head and heart that is fit for heavenly truth and work I will next therefore tell you what conditions Reason it self will require of them that would not be deceived that so you may not lay that blame on Christ if you be infidels which belongeth only to your selves Cond 1. Come not in your studies of these sacred Mysteries with an enmity against the doctrine which you must study or at least suspend your enmity so far as is necessary to an impartial search and examination For ill will cannot easily believe well Malice and partiality will blind the strongest wits and hide the force of the plainest evidence Con. 2. Drown not the love of truth in a vitious fleshly heart and life and forfeit not the light of supernatural revelation by wilful sinning against natural light and debauching your consciences by abusing the knowledge which already you have Sensuality and wilful debauchery is the common temptation to Infidelity when men have once so heinously abused God as that they must needs believe that if there be a God he must be a terrour to them and if there be a judgment and a life of retribution it is like to go ill with them a little thing will perswade such men that there is no God nor life to come indeed When they once hope it is so and take it for their interest and a desirable thing they will easily believe that it is so indeed And God is just and beginneth the executions of his justice in this world and the forsaking of a soul that hateth the light and wilfully resisteth and abuseth knowledge is one of his most dreadful judgments That man who will be a drunkard a glutton a whore-monger a proud ambitious worldling in despight of the common light of nature can hardly expect that God should give him the light of grace Despighting truth and enslaving reason and turning a man into a beast is not the way to heavenly illumination Cond 3. Be not ignorant of the common natural Truths which are recited in the first part of this book for supernatural revelation presupposeth natural and grace which maketh us Saints supposeth that reason hath constituted us men and all true Knowledge is methodically attained It is a great wrong to the Christian cause that too many preachers of it have missed the true method and still begun at supernatural revelations and built even natural certainties thereupon and have either not known or concealed much of the fore-written natural verities And it is an exceeding great cause of the multiplying of Infidels that most men are dull or idle drones and unacquainted with the common natural truths which
unity and concord and harmony of the Church consisteth 1. In their Universal Adoption or One Relation to God as their reconciled Father in Christ 2. In the one Relation they have all to Christ their Head 3. In the unity of the Spirit which dwelleth and worketh in them all 4. In their One Relation to the Body or Church of Christ as its members 5. In the unity of that Faith which stateth them in these relations 6. In the unity of the Baptismal Covenant which initiateth them 7. In the unity of the Gospel in the Essentials which is the common rule of their faith and life and the ground of their hope and comfort 8. In the bond of mutual brotherly love 9. In the concord of a holy life 10. In the unity of the End which they all intend and shall at last attain the pleasing of God and the heavenly glory § 24. The Means of this Unity and Concord are 1. All as aforesaid which promote their holiness From holiness is the centring of all hearts in God and it destroyeth that dividing Selfishness which maketh men have as many ends as they are persons 2. The learning and ability of the Pastors to hold the flocks together by the force of truth and to stop the mouthes of cavilling dividers and seducers When no gain-sayers are able to stand before the evidence of that truth which they demonstrate 3. The holy lives of Pastors which keep up the love of truth and them in the peoples hearts 4. By the paternal government of the Pastors ruling them not by force but willingly and in fatherly love and a loving familiar converse with them 5. By the just execution of Discipline on the impenitent that the godly may see that wickedness is disowned 6 By the concord of the Pastors among themselves and the prudent use of Synods or Councils to that end 7. By the humble and submissive respect of the people to their Pastors 8 By keeping up the interest and authority of the most ancient and experienced of the flock over the young and unexperienced who are the common causes of division 9. By the Pastors avoiding all temptations to worldliness and pride that they tear not the Church by striving who shall be the greatest or have the preeminence 10. By godly Magistrates keeping their power in their own hand and using it to rebuke intollerable false Teachers and to encourage the peaceable and restrain the railing and violence of Pastors and parties against each other and by impartial keeping the Church's peace § 25. Hence the causes of Church-divisions are discernable 1. The encrease of ungodliness and sin which is as fire in the thatch and possesseth all men with dividing principles practices and ends 2. The disability of Pastors over-topt in parts by every Sectary 3. The ungodliness of the Pastors which looseneth the hearts of the people from them 4. The strangeness violence or hurtfulness of the Pastors 5. The encouragement and tolleration of all the most flagitious and impenitent in undisciplin'd Churches which frighteneth men out of the Church as from a ruinous house and tempteth them to an unwarrantable separation because the Pastors will not make a necessary and regular separation 6. The discord of the Bishops among themselves 7. The peoples ignorance of the Pastoral power and their own duty 8. An unruly fierce censorious spirit in many of the young and unexperienced of the flock 9. The Pastors striving who shall be the greatest and seeking great things in the world or popular applause and admiration 10. The Magistrates either permitting the endeavours of dividing Teachers in palpable cases or suffering self-seeking Pastors or people to disturb the Church § 26. But next to common ungodliness the great causes of the most ruinating Church-divisions are 1. Wars and dissentions among Princes and States and civil factions in Kingdoms whereby the Clergy are drawn or forced to engage themselves on one side or other and then the prevailing side stigmatizeth those as scandalous who were not for them and think themselves engaged by their interest to extirpate them 2. Mistaking the just terms of union and communion and setting up a false centre as that which all men must unite in Thus have the Roman party divided themselves from the Greeks and Protestants and made the greatest schism in the Church that ever was made in it 1. By setting up a false usurping constitutive Head the Roman Bishop and pretending that none are members of the Church who are not his subjects and so condemning the far greatest part of the Catholick Church 2 By imposing an Oath and divers gross corruptions in Doctrine Discipline and Worship upon all that will be in their communion and condemning those that receive them not and so departing from the Scripture-sufficiency These two usurpations are the grand dividers § 27. All Hereticks also who speak perverse things against Christianity to draw away Disciples after them or Schismaticks who unwarrantably separate from those Churches in which they ought to abide that they may gather new congregations after their own mind are the immediate adversaries of Church-union and concord § 28. So are the importune and virulent Disputations of contentious Wits about unnecessary things or matters of faction and self-interest § 29. Especially when the Magistrate lendeth his sword to one party of the contenders to suppress or be revenged on the rest and to dispute with arguments of steel § 30. The well-ordered Councils of Bishops or Pastors of several Churches assembled together have been justly esteemed a convenient means of maintaining the concord and peace of Christians and a fit remedy for the cure of heresies corruptions and divisions And when the cause requireth it those councils should consist of as many as can conveniently meet even from the most distant Churches which can send their Bishops without incurring greater hurt or discommodity than their presence will countervail in doing good And therefore the councils called General in the Dominions of the Christian Roman Emperours were commendable and very profitable to the Church when rightly used But whereas the Pope doth argue that he is the constitutive Head of the whole catholick Church throughout the world because his Predecessors did oft preside in those councils it is most evident to any one who will make a faithful search into the History of them that those councils were so far from representing all the Churches in the world that they were constituted only of the Churches or Subjects of the Roman Empire and those that having formerly been parts of the Empire continued that way of communion when they fell into the hands of conquerors their conquerors being commonly Pagans Infidels or Arrian Hereticks I except only now and then two or three or an inconsiderable number of neighbour Bishops There were none of the Representatives of the Churches in all the other parts of the world as I have proved in my Disputation with Mr. Johnson
to a soul when it is separated from the corporeal spirits Or if the soul out of the body were as liable as it is by diseases of the body while it is in it to the loss of memory yet all those arguments which prove the Life of Retribution hereafter do fully prove that God will provide it a way of exercise and prevent all those hinderances of memory which may make his Judgment and Retribution void Again therefore I say To argue ab ignotis against clear evidence in matters that our own everlasting joy or sorrow is concerned in so deeply is a folly that no tongue can express with its due aggravations OBJECTION XX. THe belief of the immortality of souls doth fill men with fears and draw them to superstition and trouble the peace of Kingdoms by unavoidable sects in the prosecution of those things which are of such transcendent weight when otherwise men might live in quietness to themselves and others and in promoting of the publick good Answ This is the maddest objection of all the rest but in our days there are men found that are no wiser than to make it I have answered it fully in divers popular Treatises as that called A Saint or a Bruit c. 1. The greatest and best things are liable to the worst abuses Thus you may argue against Reason that it doth but fill mens brains with knavish craft and enable them to do mischief and to trouble the world and to live themselves in cares and fears c. Upon many such reasons Cotta in Cic. de Nat. Deor. doth chide God for making man a rational creature and saith he had been happier without it And were it not for this wit and reason we should have none of these evils which you have here now mentioned Why then is not reason as well as Religion on that account to be rejected On the same reason Philosophy and Learning may be accused as it is with the Turks and Moscovites What abundance of sects and voluminous contentions and tired consuming studies have they caused witness all the volumes of Philosophers and School-men On the same account you may cry down Kings and Civil Government and Riches and all that is valued in the world for what wars and bloudshed hath there been in the world for Crowns and Kingdoms what hatred and contention for honour and wealth If you could make all men swine they would not stir for gold or pearls or if they were dogs they would not fight for Kingdoms and if they be blind and impious worldlings they will not be zealous about Religion unless to dis-spirit it and to reduce it to the service of their fleshly interest which is the hypocrites zeal No man will contend for that which he valueth not But 2. Consider that though dogs will not fight for Crowns they will fight for bones and some times need men of reason to stave them off And though swine fight not for gold they will fight for draff and burst their bellies if they be not governed And though unbelievers and Atheists trouble not the world to promote Religion they set Families Towns and Countries and Kingdoms together by the ears for their worldly pelf and fleshly interest Enquire whether the wars of the world be not most for carnal interest even where Religion hath been pretended and hearken in Westminster-hall and at the Assizes whether most of the contendings there are such as are caused by Religion or by the love of the world and of the flesh And where Religion seemeth to be a part of the cause it is the Atheists and ungodly that are commonly the chief contenders who think it not enough to hope for no life to come themselves but they cannot endure other men that do it because they seem wiser and better and happier than they and by their holiness gall their consciences and condemn them 3. The extremity of this objections impudency appeareth in this above all that it is most notorious that there is no effectual cure for all the villanies of the world but true Religion and shall the cure be made the cause of that disease 1. Read and judge in Nature and Scripture whether the whole matter of Religion be not perfectly contrary to the vices of the world Will it trouble Kingdoms or disquiet souls to love God above all and to honour and obey him and be thankful for his mercies and to trust his promises and to rejoice in hope of endless glory and to love our neighbours as our selves and to do no injustice or wrong to any to forbear wrath and malice lust adultery theft and lying and all the rest expressed in this treatise 2. Is it not for want of Religion that all the vices and contentions of the world are Would not men be better subjects and better servants and better neighbours if they had more Religion Would not they lie and deceive and steal and wrong others less Do you think he that believeth a life to come or he that believeth it not is liker to cut your purse or rob you by the high way or bear false witness against you or be perjured or take that which is not his own or any such unrighteous thing Is he liker to live as a good subject or servant who looketh for a reward in heaven for it or he that looketh to die as a beast doth Is he liker to do well and avoid evil who is moved by the effectual hopes and fears of another life or he that hath no such hopes and fears but thinketh that if he can escape the Gallows there is no further danger Had you rather your servant that is trusted with your estate did believe that there is a life to come or that there is none Nay why doth not your objection militate as strongly against the thief's believing that there will be an Assize For if the belief of an Assize did not trouble him he might quietly take that which he hath a mind to and do what he list but this fills his heart with fears and troubles 3. Compare those parts of the world Brasil and Soldania c. which believe not a life to come if any such there be with those that do and see which belief hath the better effects 4. What is there of any effectual power to restrain that man from any villany which he hath power to carry out or policy to cover who doth not believe a life to come 5. And if you believe it not what will you do with Reason or any of your faculties or your time How will you live in the world to any better purpose than if you had slept out all your life What talk you of the publick good when the denying of our final true felicity denyeth all that is truely Good both publick and private But so sottish and malignant an objection deserveth pity more than confutation Whatever Religious persons did ever offend these men with any reall Crimes I can assure
sort we do believe to keep drowsie hearts awaken 8. The way of taking Religion upon trust without rising up to make it our own hath filled the Church so full of Hypocrites who have no better than an humane Faith that thereby the complexion of it is much changed from its primitive beauty And thousands do perish by felf-deceit And though some of their Gifts be serviceable to the Gospel others of them do more effectually serve the Devil against the Cause and Servants of Christ than they could have done if they were professed Infidels 9. It makes me blush and stirrs my Indignation to read and hear abundance of hot and vehement Disputes and tedious or Critical discourses about many small lesse needfull things by those men that never studyed the Foundation nor can with Sense and Reason defend their Christianity against an Infidel Such preposterous methods are perverse and nauseous 10. I am much afraid lest many of those ignorant zealous Christians who now turn to that Sectary whom they cannot answer would turn to the Infidel at last when they finde themselves unable to confute them through their own insufficiency and ungroundednesse in the Truth 11. But if they do not Apostatize what a shame will it be to the Church of God to have our Religion thus betrayed by such as are not able to defend it And how many others may it tempt to Infidelity to hear an Ignorant Christian baffled 12. I am too sure that too many Teachers that should be Champions for the Truth are lamentably unfurnished for such a Conflict by neglecting the study of the Foundation and bestowing all their thoughts on the Superstructure 13. I know that it is Gods method to cause the growth of Faith at the root in proportion to its growth in tallnesse and in fruit It is his mercifull Providence to keep those whose Faith hath weaker roots from the strong temptations which others undergoe As the Plant that is little doth bear but little of the stroke of the windes which else would quickly overturn it but the root growing downward as the top groweth upward the radication and the assaults are still proportioned So Faith must grow equally in its Roots and Branches while we live Had I felt as strong assaults against my Faith while I was young as I have done since I am not sure it would have scap'd an overthrow 14. I have in the anatomizing of the Controversies which most hazard the Church of Christ found so much latent Atheisme and Infidelity that I think among many that do not observe it the true root of all the difference is Whether there be a God and a Life to come And whether the Scriptures be true And I think that A sound agreement in these would do more to the ending of such Controversies and to the healing of our Wounds than any disputing of the Controverted points 15. We have had hot and scandalous Disputes among Christians de Resolutione Fidei each Party invalidating the others Foundations as if it had been our work to perswade the Infidel World that they are in the right And I thought it the only way to end that Controversie to open all the Causes of our Faith The Roman Party may here perceive our Grounds and better know into what we resolve our Faith than if we named only one sort of Cause and said I resolve it into this As if all the Frame had but one Wheel Faith hath variety of Causes and Objects into which respectively it may be said to be resolved by those that will not use an insignificant Word to make People believe there is a difference where there is none and to keep men from understanding the matter it self Augustine saith of his Friend Nebudius Ep. 23. Bonif. That he exceedingly hated a short Answer to a great Question and took it ill where he might be free of any that did expect it from him Answer me in a word is the Command of an ignorant or a slothfull person or of a Deceiver when a Word is not capable of the necessary Answer 16. There is no more desireable work in the World than the converting of Idolaters and Infidels to God and to the Christian Faith And it is a work which requireth the greatest judgement and zeal in them that must perform it It is a dolefull thought that five parts of the World are still Heathens and Mahometans And that Christian Princes and Preachers do no more to their Recovery but are taken up with sad Contentions among themselves And that the few that have attempted it have hitherto had so small successe The opening of the true method for such a Work is the highest part of my design In which though many others have excellently laboured especially Savonarola Campanella Ficinus Vives Micraelius Duplessis Grotius and our Stillingfleet my Zeal for the saving of Mens Souls hath provoked me to try whether I might adde any thing to their more worthy Labours in point of Method and perspicuity of Proof 17. Lastly I have long agoe written much on this Subject which is dispersed and buryed in the midst of other Subjects except my Book of the Unreasonableness of Infidelity And I thought it more Edifying to set it in order together by it self If these Reasons justifie not my undertaking I have no better The Lord have mercy on this dark distracted sensual World Christians watch pray love live hope rejoyce and patiently suffer according to this Holy Faith which you professe and you shall be blessed in despight of Earth and Hell Octob. 31. 1666. Your Brother in this Life of Faith Richard Baxter Virtus Fidei in Periculis secura est securitate periclitatur Chrysost in Mat. 20. To the Doubting and the Vnbelieving READERS THE natural love to knowledge and to my self which belong to me as I am a Man have commanded me to look beyond this life and diligently to enquire whether there be any certainty of a better and which is the way to it and to whom it doth of right belong And what I have certainly discovered in this search the love of Mankind and of Truth and of God oblige me to communicate But it was not a cursory glance at Truth nor a look towards it afar off in my state of ignorance and diversion which brought the satisfying light into my mind nor can you reasonably expect it should do so by you I saw that in one Savonarola Campanella Ficinus Vives Mornay Grotius Cameron Micraelius which I now see might satisfie all the world if it were duly received But it was not a bare reading of one or all of these and others which was a due reception I found that truth must be so long retained and faithfully elaborated by a diligent and willing mind till it be concocted into a clear methodical understanding and the Scheme or Analysis of it have left upon the soul its proper image by an orderly and deep impression yea till the Goodness of the matter become
is a sin against God what a thing will Man be and what a Hell will Earth be Deny the Law of Nature and you turn men loose to every villany and engage the World to destroy it self and set all as on fire about their ears For if God only move us Physically there is neither virtue nor vice good nor evil in a moral sense But what God moveth a man to that he will do and what he doth not move him to he will not do and so there being only motion and no motion action and no action there will be no Duty and no obligation and so no Moral good or evil § 5. II. If God should Rule us only by Physical motion and not by Laws he should not rule man as man according to his Nature But God doth rule man according to his Nature Therefore not only by Physical motion Otherwise Man should not differ from Inanimates and Bruits A stone is to be moved Physically and a Bruit by the necessitating objects of sense But Man hath Reason which they have not and he is a free Agent And therefore though God concurr to his Physical motion as such yet he must move him as Rational by such objects and such proposals and arguments and means as are suited to Reason By presenting things absent to his understanding to prevail against the sense of things present and by teaching him to preferre greater things before lesser and by shewing him the commodity and discommodity which should move him God would not have made him Rational if he would not have Governed him accordingly § 6. III. If the way of physical motion alone is not so excellent and suitable as the way of Moral Government by Laws also then God doth not only move man physically and leave it to Magistrates to Rule as Morally But the antecedent is true Therefore so is the Consequent God doth not omit the more excellent and choose a lower way of Government and leave the more excellent way to man And that the Minor is true appeareth thus The way which is most suitable to the object or subject of Government is the most excellent way But such is the Moral way by Laws The other Beasts are as capable subjects of as men and Trees as either Wisdom and Justice are eminently glorified in the Moral way And Omnipotency it self also appeareth in Gods making of so noble a Creature as is governable by Reason without Force § 7. IV. If God were not the Soveraign Ruler of the World there could be no Government of mens hearts But there is a government of hearts Therefore God is the Ruler of the World Man knoweth not the Hearts of those whom he governeth And therefore he can take no cognisance of heart-sins or duties unless as they appear in words or deeds And therefore he maketh no Law for the government of hearts But the Heart is the Man and a bad heart is the fountain of bad words or acts and is it self polluted before it endeavoureth the injury of others He that thinks all indifferent that is within him is himself so bad that it is the less wonder if being so indifferent yea so vitiated within he think nothing evil which he hath a minde to do He that thinketh that the heart is as good and innocent which hateth his God his King his Friend his Parents as that which loveth them and that it is no duty to have any good thought or affection but only for the outward actions sake nor any sin to be malicious covetous proud deceitfull lustfull impious and unjust in his cogitations contrivances and desires unless as they appear in the acts doth shew that he hath himself a heart which is too suitable to such a Doctrine But Nature hath taught all the World to judge of men by their Hearts as far as they can know them and not to take the Will which is the first seat of Moral Good or Evil to be capable of neither Good nor Evil. Therefore seeing Hearts must be under Government it must not be man but the heart-searching God that must be their Governour § 8. V. If God were not the Governour of the World all earthly Soveraigns would be themselves ungoverned But they are not ungoverned Therefore God is their Governour and so the Governour of the World The Kings and States that have Soveraign power through all the World are under no humane Government at all Though some of them are limited by Contracts with their people But none have so much need to have the benefit of Heart-government none have so strong Temptations as they And no mens actions are of so great importance to the welfare or misery of the World If the Monarchs of the Earth do take themselves to be left free by God to do what they list what work will be made among the people If they think it no duty to be just or mercifull or chaste or temperate what wonder if they be unjust and cruel and filthy and luxurious and use the People for their own ends and lusts and esteem them as men do their Dogs or Horses that are to be used for their own pleasure or commodity What is the present calamity of the World but that the Heathen and Infidel Rulers of the World are so ignorant and sensual and have cast off the fear of God and the sense of his Government in a great degree when yet most of them have some conviction that there is a God who Ruleth all and to whom they must be accountable What then would they be if they once believed that they are under no Government of God at all If they should oppress their Subjects and murder the innocent it would be no fault For where there is no Government and Law there is no transgression No one forbiddeth it to them and none commandeth them the contrary if God do not For the people are not the Rulers of their Rulers nor give them Laws And Neighbour Princes and States are but Neighbours Therefore if they should sacrifice peace and honesty liberties lives and Kingdoms to their lusts no man could say They do amiss or violate any sort of Law Obj. But the fear of Rebellions and the peoples vindicating their liberties would restrain them Answ Only so far as they feel themselves unable to do hurt As a man is restrained from killing Adders lest they sting him And the advantage of their place doth usually empower them to make desolations if they have a minde to it And great mindes will not easily bear a popular restraint And indeed the honester and better any people are the more undisposed are they to rebell And therefore Tyrants may with smallest danger and fear destroy them Obj. But their own interest lieth in the peoples welfare and therefore there is no danger of such miseries Ans Did Nero think so that wished Rome had but one neck that set the City on fire that he might sing over it Homers Poem of
the less do forfeit his mercies by their inhumane and irrational ingratitude and abuse Which is the sin of all proud covetous voluptuous persons the ambitious fornicators gluttons drunkards and lovers of sports recreations idleness or any pleasure as it turneth them from God § 34. Above all other sin we should most take heed of the inordinate love of any creature for it self or for our carnal self alone because it is most contrary to our love to God which is our highest work and duty § 35. Those mercies of God are most to be valued desired and sought which shew us most of God himself or most help up our love to him § 36. We must love both our natural selves and neighbours the bad as well as the good with a love of benevolence desiring our own good and theirs But at the same time we must hate our selves and them so far as wicked with the hatred of Displicency and with the love of Complacency must only so far love our selves or others as the Image of Divine Goodness is in us or them I speak not of the meer natural passion of the parent to the child which is common to man and beast nor of the exercises of love in outward acts for those may be directed by God's commands to go more to one as a wicked child that hath less true amiableness in him But all holy love must be suited to the measures of the truest object § 37. The love of God should be with all our soul and with all our might not limited suppressed or neglected but be the most serious predominant action of our souls How easie a matter is it to prove Holiness to be naturally mans greatest duty when love to God which is the summ of it is so easily proved to be so All the reason in the world that is not corrupted but is reason indeed must confess without any tergiversation that it is the most great and unquestionable duty of man to love God above all yea with all our heart and soul and might And he that doth so shall never be numbred by him with the ungodly for those are inconsistent § 38. The exercises of love to God in complacency desire seeking c. should be the chief employment of our thoughts For the thoughts are the exercise of a commanded faculty which must be under the power of our will and the ultimate end and the exercises of love to it should daily govern them And what a man loveth most usually he will think of with his most practical powerful thoughts if not with the most frequent § 39. The love of God should employ our tongues in the proclaiming of his praise and benefits and expressing our own admiration and affection to kindle the like in the souls of others For the same God who is so amiable hath given us our speech with the rest of his benefits and given it us purposely to declare his praise Reason telleth us that we have no higher worthier or better employment for our tongues and that we should use them to the best The tongues of men are adorned with language for charitable and pious communication that they may be fit to affect the hearts of others and to kindle in them that sacred fire which is kindled in themselves Therefore that tongue which is silent to its Makers praise and declareth not the Goodness and Wisdom and power of the Lord and doth not divulge the notice of his benefits condemneth it self and the heart that should employ it as neglecting the greatest duty it was made for § 40. The lives of Gods Beneficiaries should be employed to his praise and pleasure and should be the streaming effects of inward love And all his mercies should be improved to his service from a thankful heart All this hath the fullest testimony of reason according to the rules of proportion and common right To whom should we live but to him from whom and by whom we live What but our ultimate end should be principally intended and sought through our whole lives A creature that hath all from God should in love and gratitude bring back all to him and thus we make it more our own § 41. This Life of Love should be the chiefest Delight and Pleasure of our Souls which all other pleasure should subserve and all be abhorred which contradicteth it Nothing is easilier confessed by all than the desirableness of Delight and Pleasure and the most excellent object which most be most beloved must be our chief delight for Love it self is a delighting act unless some stop do turn it aside into fears and sorrows Nothing can it self be so delectable as God the chiefest Good and no employment so delectable as loving him This therefore should be our work and our recreation our labour and our pleasure our food and feast Other delights are lawful and good so far as they further these delights of holy love by carrying up our hearts to the original and end of all our mercies and delights But nothing is so injurious to God and us as that which corrupteth our minds with sensuality and becometh our Pleasure instead of God § 42. The sense of the present imperfection of our Love should make us long to know God more and to love him and delight in him and praise him in perfection to the utmost extent of our capacities If it be so good to love God then must the highest degree of it be best and reason teacheth us when we feel how weak our Knowledge and Love is to long for more yea for perfection § 43. Thus hath Reason shewed us the end and highest felicity of man in his highest duty To Know God to Love him and Delight in him in the fullest Perfection and to be Loved by him and be fully pleasing to him as herein bearing his Image is the felicity and the ultimate end of man LOVE is mans final act excited by the fullest Knowledge and God so beheld and enjoyed in his Love to us is the final Object And here the Soul must seek its Rest Obj. But quae supra nos nihil ad nos God indeed is near to Angels but he hath made them our Benefactors and they have committed it to inferiour Causes there must be suitableness as well as excellency to win love we find no suitableness between our hearts and God And therefore we believe not that we were made for any such employment And we see that the far greatest part of mankind are as averse to this life of Holiness as our selves and therefore we cannot think but that it is quite above the nature of man and not the work and end which he was made for Answ 1. Whether God have made Angels or Rulers or Benefactors or what love or honour we owe them as his Instruments is nothing to our present business For if it be granted that he thus useth them it is most certain that he is nevertheless
future Blessedness may weigh down all the riches and pleasures of the World But take away the respect to the life to come and weak man would meet with no such comforts It is true also that Virtue and Piety is most desirable even for it self But that is especially as it will be it self indeed in a life of fuller perfection than this For here it is so weak and clogged with so many corruptions and infirmities that the comfort of it is little perceived But as a Childe in infancy hath less pleasure than a Bruite for all his Reason and as young Scholars for a time do meet with more trouble than pleasure in their Learning and half-witted Artists are oft more incommodious than none and no one would much seek after Arts or Learning for all its excellency if they had not hopes to ascend above that troublesome smattering degree Even so in the present Case though the least Virtue be in it self more valuable than all sensual pleasure yet considered as Good to us we should never be able to preferre it if we had not hopes of a higher measure than most of the truly virtuous and obedient do here attain Either it is fleshly worldly pleasure or it is the pleasing and enjoying of God in Holiness and Love which is Mans ultimate end If it be the former then certainly the sensual and wicked are in a better condition than the obedient For they have much more of that kinde of delight while the best are oft tormented and persecuted by their cruelty But if it be the latter then it is sure to be enjoyed hereafter seeing we have here so small a measure and also finde that all the Virtue and Holiness of this life consisteth much more in desire and seeking than in delightfull enjoying And our Delights are for the most part the effects of Hope of what we shall possess hereafter more than of the sense of our present happiness There is no righteous Governour on Earth that will suffer if he can help it his disobedient Subjects to persecute those that most carefully obey him and to make them a common scorn and to imprison them torment them burn them at Stakes or banish them and then say That their obedience is in its own nature so much better than disobedience that it is Reward enough of it self It is not the work of a Ruler only to see that no man be a loser by him or his service in point of commutative Justice but to see that by distributive Justice such a difference be made between the obedient and disobedient as the difference of their actions do require in order to the ends of Government Justice giveth every one his due Mercy it self when it remitteth a penalty doth it for the same ends and upon such reasonable considerations of repentance confession satisfaction reparation according to power that it may be called a Just Mercy God is such a Lover of Holiness that he will in his Government manifest that Love and such a hater of sin that he will signifie his hatred of it to the sinner Moreover the Body it self is part of the Man and that part which hath no small interest in the sin It seemeth therefore unjust that the Bodies and sensitive powers of the disobedient should have all kinde of pleasures and the Bodies and sense of the obedient have the pain of Fasting self-denyal persecutions cruelties and no further Judgement to make a more equal Retribution In a word I think there are few that compare the life of an Emperour of Turkie or Tartary or any wicked sensual Worldling with the life of many a thousand persecuted and tormented Saints but will confess that no Distributive Justice doth make in this life so sufficient a difference as may make men know the Justice of the Governour the desirableness of a holy state or the danger of the contrary it was the observation of this that made most of the Atheists of the world think that there was no God or that he exercised no moral Government over men and that made even the innocent often to stagger and tempted them to think their labours and sufferings were all in vain till they look'd before them to the end And if God's Justice make not a sufficient difference here it is certain that there is another life where he will do it because else he should not be just his Laws would be delusory and his Government would be defective and successful only by deceit Obj. God is not obliged to do Justice to men any more than to any other creatures he suffereth the Dog to kill the Hare the Deer and innocent Sheep the Kite to kill the harmless Doves and Chickens the ravenous Birds and Beasts and Fishes to devour and live upon the rest and Man upon all and he is not bound to do them Justice Answ The Bruits are no subjects capable of moral Government and consequently of Propriety of Right or of Wrong God that made them uncapable of Government thereby declared that he intended them not for it Let no man here play with ambiguities and say that God governeth all the creatures The word Government is taken equivocally when it is applied to a dead or bruitish subject a Ship a Coach a Horse a Dog and meaneth not the same thing which we discourse of It is Moral Government by Laws and Judgment which we treat of When God had made Man a Governable Creature he thereby declared his will to be himself his Governour which is all the obligation that God is capable of as to actions ad extra He therefore that made the rational world his Kingdom did thereby engage himself to govern them in Justice there is therefore no comparison between the case of men and bruits who never were subjects but utensils in his Kingdom § 2. II. If there were no retribution in the life to come the secret sins and duties of the heart and life would be under no sufficient Government But the secret sins and duties of the heart and life are under a sufficient Government Therefore there is a Retribution in the life to come This Argument is a particular instance to clear the former general Argument The Major is proved by experience the Heart is the Fountain of Good and Evil man cannot see it and therefore pretendeth not to govern it or make Laws for it if they did it would be all in vain The heart may be guilty of Atheism Blasphemy Idolatry Malice Contrivements and desires of Treason Murder Incest Adultery Fraud Oppression and all the Villany in the world and no man can know or punish it and God doth not do it ordinarily in this life with any sufficient act of Justice So also all those sins which men are but able to hide as secret Murders Treasons Revenge Slanders Fraud c. do escape all punishment from man And God hath no observable ordinary course of outward Justice in this world but
in a light and speaking to him from Heaven and is sent to preach the Gospel which he doth with zeal and power and patient labours to the death Act. 9. Ananias is commanded by God to instruct him and baptize him after his first call Act. 9 Peter at Lydda cureth Aeneas by a word who had kept his bed eight years of a Palsie Act. 8. At Joppa he raiseth Tabitha from the dead Act. 9. Cornelius by an Angel is directed to send for Peter to preach the Gospel to him The Holy Ghost fell on all that heard his words Act. 10. Agabus prophesied of the Dearth Act. 11. Peter imprisoned by Herod is delivered by an Angel who opened the doors and loosed his bonds and brought him out Act. 12. Herod is eaten to death with worms Act. 12. At Paphos Elymas the Sorcerer is strucken blinde by Pauls word for resisting the Gospel and Sergius the Roman Deputy is thereby made a Believer Act. 13. At Lystra Paul by a word cureth a Creeple that was so born insomuch as the People would have done sacrifice to him and Barnaâ—as as to Mercury and Jupiter Act. 14. Paul casteth out a divining Devil Act. 16. And being imprisoned and scourged with Silas and their feet in the Stocks at midnight as they sang Praises to God an Earthquake shook the foundations of the Prison the doors were all opened and all their bonds loosed and the Jailor converted Act. 16. The Holy Ghost came upon twelve Disciples upon the imposition of Paul's hands Act. 19. And God wrought so many miracles by his hands at Ephesus that from his body were brought to the sick handkerchiefs and aprons and the diseases departed from them Act. 19. At Troas he raised Eutychus to life Act. 20. His sufferings at Jerusalem are foretold by Agabus Act. 21. At Melita the people took him for a God because the Viper hurt him not that fastened on his hand And there he cured the Father of Publius the chief man of the Island of a Flux and Feaver by Prayer and Imposition of hands In a word in all places where the Apostles came these miracles were wrought and in all the Churches the gifts of the Holy Ghost were usual either of Prophesie or of healing or of speaking strange languages or interpreting them some had one and some another and some had most or all And by such miracles were the Christian Churches planted And all this power Christ had foretold them of at his departure from them Mark 16.17 These signs shall follow them that believe in my Name shall they cast out Devils they shall speak with new tongues they shall take up Serpents and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them they shall lay their hands on the sick and they shall recover Yea in his Life-time on Earth he sent forth his Apostles and seventy Disciples with the same power which they exercised openly Luk. 9.1 c. 10.16 17. Thus was the Gospel confirmed by multitudes of open miracles And Christs own Resurrection and Ascension was the greatest of all And here it must be noted that these Miracles were 1. Not one or two but multitudes 2. Not obscure and doubtfull but evident and unquestionable 3. Not controlled or checked by any greater contrary Miracles as the wonders of the Egyptian Sorcerers were by Moses but altogether uncontrolled 4. Not in one place only but in all Countreys where they came 5. Not by one or two persons only but by very many who were scattered up and down in the World And that miracles and such miracles as these are a certain proof of the truth of Christ and Christianity is most evident in that they are the attestation of God himself 1. It is undenyable that they are the effects of Gods own Power If any question whether God do them immediately or whether an Angel or Spirit may not do them that makes no difference in the case considerable for all creatures are absolutely dependant upon God and can use no power but what he giveth them and continueth in them and exerciseth by them the power of the creatures is all of it the power of God without him they are nothing and can do nothing and God is as near to the effect himself when he useth an instrument as when he useth none So that undoubtedly it is God's work 2. And God having no voice but created revealeth his mind to man by his operations and as he cannot lie so his infinite wisdom and goodness will not give up the world to such unavoidable deceit as such a multitude of miracles would lead them into if they were used to attest a lie If I cannot know him to be sent of God who raiseth the dead and sheweth me such a Seal of Omnipotency to his Commission I have no possibility of knowing who speaketh from God at all nor of escaping deceit in the greatest matters of which God by his Omnipotent Arm would be the cause But none of this can stand with the Nature and righteous Government of God This therefore is an infallible proof of the Veracity of Christ and his Apostles and the truth of the History of these Miracles shall be further opened anon § 10. IV. The fourth part of the Spirit 's Testimony to Christ is subsequent in the work of Regeneration or Sanctification in which he effectually illuminateth the mind and reneweth the soul and life to a true resignation obedience and love of God and to a heavenly mind and conversation and so proveth Christ to be really and effectively the SAVIOVR This evidence is commonly much over-look'd and made little account of by the ungodly who have no such Renovation on themselves because though it may be discerned in others by the fruits yet they that have it not in themselves are much hindred from discerning it partly because it is at a distance from them and because it is in it self seated in the heart where it is neither felt nor seen by others but in the effects And partly because the effects are imperfect and clouded with a mixture of remaining faults but especially because that ungodly men have a secret enmity to holy things and thence to holy persons and therefore are falsely prejudic'd against them which is encreased by cross interests and courses in their converse But yet indeed the Spirit of Regeneration is a plenary evidence of the truth of Christ and Christianity To manifest which I shall 1. consider What it is and doth 2. How and by what means 3. On whom 4. Against what opposition 5. That it is Christ indeed that doth it I. The change which is made by the Spirit of Christ doth consist in these particulars following 1. It taketh down pride and maketh men humble and low in their own eyes to which end it acquainteth them with their sin and their desert and misery 2. It teacheth men self-denial and causeth them to resign themselves to God and use
senses these present things will be a strong temptation to us Prosperity and plenty wealth and honour ease and pleasure are accommodated to the desires of the flesh partly to its natural appetite and much more to it as inordinate by corruption And the flesh careth not for Reason how much soever it gainsay And then all these entising things are neer us and still present with us and before our eyes when Heavenly things are all unseen And the sweetness of honour wealth and pleasure is known by feeling and therefore known easily and by all when the goodness of things spiritual is known only by Reason and believing All which laid together with sad experience do fully shew that it must be a very great work to overcome this World and raise the heart above it to a better and so to sanctifie a soul 2. And worldly men do rise up against this Holy work as as well as worldly things Undenyable experience assureth us that through all the World ungodly sensual men have a marvellous implacable hatred to Godlyness and true mortification and will by flattery or slanders or scorns or plots or cruel violence do all that they are able to resist it So that he that will live a holy temperate life must make himself a scorn if not a prey The foolish wit of the ungodly is bent to reason men out of Faith Hope and Holiness and to cavill against our obedience to God and to disgrace all that course of life which is necessary to salvation And it is a great work to overcome all these temptations of the foolish and furious World Great I say because of the great folly and corruption of unregenerate men on whom it must be wrought though it would be smaller to a wise and considerate person To be made as an Owl and hunted as a Partridge or a beast of Prey by those that we converse with when we might have their favour and friendship and Preferments if we would say and do as they this is not easie to flesh and blood But its easie to the Spirit of God 3. The Devil is so notoriously an enemy to this sanctifying work that it is a strong discovery that Christ was sent from God to do it What a stir doth he first make to keep out the Gospel that it may not be Preached to the Nations of the World And where that will not serve what a stir doth he make to debauch Christs Ministers and corrupt them by ignorance heresie error schism domineering pride sensuality covetousness slothfulness and negligence that they may do the work of Christ deceitfully as if they did it not Yea and if it may be to win them to his service to destroy the Church by Oppression or Division under pretense of serving Christ And what cunning and industry doth this Serpent use to insinuate into great ones and Rulers of the Earth a prejudice against Christ and Godliness and to make them believe that all that are seriously Godly are their enemies and are against some interest of theirs that so he might take the sword which God hath put into their hands and turn it to his own service against him that gave it How cunning and diligent is he to seduce men that begin to set themselves to a Religious life into some false Opinions or dividing Sects or scandalous unjustifiable practice that thereby he may triumph against Christ and have something to say against Religion from the faults of men when he hath nothing to say against it justly from it self and that he may have something to say to those Rulers and People with whom he would fain make Religion odious How cunningly doth he engage ungodly men to be his Servants in seducing others and making them such as they are themselves and in standing up for sin and darkness against the light and life of Faith So that ungodly men are but the Souldiers and Preachers of the Devil in all parts employed to fight against God and draw men from holiness and justice and temperance to sin and to damnation So that it is a very discernable thing that Satan is the Head of one party in the World as the Destroying Prince of Darkness and deceit and that Christ is the Head of the other party as the Prince of light and truth and holiness And that there is a continued war or opposition between these two Kingdoms or Armies in all parts and ages of the World of which I have fullyer treated in another Book If any shall say How know you that all this is the work of Satan I shall have fitter occasion to answer that anon I shall now say but this that the nature of the work the tendency of it the irrationall erroneous or brutish tyrannical manner of doing it the internal importunity and manner of his suggestions and the effects of all and the contrariety of it to God and Man will soon shew a considerate man the author Though more shall be anon added V. All this aforegoing will shew a reasonable man that the Spirits Regenerating work is such as is a full attestation of God to that Doctrine by which it is effected And if any now say How prove you that all this is to be ascribed to Jesus Christ any more than to Socrates or to Seneca or Cicero I answer 1. So much truth of a sacred tendency as Plato or Pythagoras or Socrates or any Philosopher taught might do some good and work some reformation according to its quality and degree But as it was a lame imperfect doctrine which they taught so was it a very lame imperfect reformation which they wrought unlike the effects of the Doctrine and Spirit of Jesus Christ I need to say no more of this than to desire any man to make an impartial and judicious comparison between them And besides much more he shall quickly finde these differences following 1. That the Philosophers Disciples had a very poor dark disordered knowledge of God in comparison of the Christians and that mixt with odious fopperies either blasphemous or idolatrous 2. The Philosophers spake of God and the Life to come almost altogether notionally as they did of Logick or Physicks and very few of them Practically as a thing that mans happiness or misery was so much concerned in 3. They spake very jejunely and dryly about a holy state and course of life and the duty of Man to God in resignation devotedness obedience and love 4. They said little comparatively to the true humbling of a Soul nor in the just discovery of the evil of sin nor for self-denyall 5. They gave too great countenance to Pride and Worldliness and pleasing the senses by excess 6. The Doctrine of true Love to one another is taught by them exceeding lamely and defectively 7. Revenge is too much indulged by them and loving our Enemies and forgiving great wrongs was little known or taught or practised 8. They were so pitifully unacquainted with the certainty
shall I know that there is indeed such holiness in Christians as you mention and that it is not dissembled and counterfeit Answ I have told you in the fore-going answer 1. If you were truly Christians you might know it by possession in your selves as you know that you love your friend or a learned man knoweth that he hath learning 2. If you have it not your selves you may see that others do not dissemble when you see them as afore-said make it the drift of all their lives and prefer it before their worldly interest and their lives and hold on constantly in it to the death When you see a holy life what reason have you to question a holy heart especially among so great a number you may well know that if some be dissemblers all the rest are not so Obj. But I see no Christians that are really so holy I see nothing in the best of them above civility but only self-conceit and affectation and strictness in their several forms and modes of Worship Answ 1. If you are no better than such your self it is the greatest shame and plague of heart that you could have confessed and it must needs be because you have been false to the very light of Nature and of Grace 2. If you know no Christians that are truly holy it must needs be either because you are unacquainted with them or because your malice will not give you leave to see any good in these that you dislike And if you have acquainted your self with no Christians that were truly holy what could it be but malice or sensuality that turned you away from their acquaintance when there have been so many round about you If you have been intimate with them and known their secret and open conversation and yet have not seen any holiness in them it can be no better than wilful malice that hath blinded you And because a negative witness that knoweth not whether it be so or not is not to be regarded against an affirming witness who knoweth what he saith I will here leave my testimony as in the presence of God the searcher of hearts and the revenger of a lie yea even of lies pretended for his glory I have considered of the characters of a Christian in the twenty particulars before expressed in this Chapter § 10. and I have examined my soul concerning them all and as far as I am able to know my self I must profess in humble thankfulness to my Redeemer that there is none of them which I find not in me And seeing God hath given me his testimony within me to the truth of the Gospel of his Son I take it to be my duty in the profession of it to give my testimony of it to unbelievers And I must as solemnly profess that I have had acquaintance with hundreds if not thousands on whom I have seen such evidences of a holy heavenly mind which nothing but uncharitable and unrighteous censure could deny And I have had special intimate familiarity with very many in all whom I have discerned the Image of God in such innocency charity justice holiness contempt of the world mortification self-denial humility patience and heavenly mindedness in such a measure that I have seen no cause to question their sincerity but great cause to love and honour them as the Saints of God yea I bless the Lord that most of my converse in the world since the 22d year of my age hath been with such and much of it six years sooner Therefore for my own part I cannot be ignorant that Christ hath a sanctified people upon earth Object But how can one man know another's heart to be sincere Answ I pretend not to know by an infallible certainty the heart of any single individual person But 1. I have in such a course of effects as is mentioned before great reason to be very confident of it and no reason to deny it concerning very many A child cannot be infallibly certain that his father or mother loveth him because he knoweth not the heart But when he considereth of the ordinariness of natural affection and hath always found such usage as dearest love doth use to cause he hath much reason to be confident of it and none to deny it 2. There may be a certainty that all conjunctly do not counterfeit when you have no certainty of any single individual As I can be sure that all the mothers in the world do not counterfeit love to their children though I cannot be certain of it in any individual Object But it is not all Christians nor most that are thus holy Answ It is all that are Christians in deed and truth Christ is so far from owning any other that he will condemn them the more for abusing his Name to the covering of their sins All are not Christians who have the name of Christians in all professions the vulgar rabble of the ignorant and ungodly do use to joyn with the party that is uppermost and seem to be of the Religion which is most for their worldly ends be it right or wrong when indeed they are of none at all Hypocrites are no true Christians but the persons that Christ is most displeased with Judge but by his precepts and example and you will see who they are that are Christians indeed Object But what if the preaching or writings of a Minister do convert and sanctifie men it doth not follow that they are Saviours of the world Answ What ever they do they do it as the Ministers and Messengers of Christ by his Doctrine and not by any of their own by his Commission and in his Name and by his Power or Spirit Therefore it witnesseth to his truth and honour who is indeed the Saviour which they never affirmed of themselves Object What if Pythagoras Socrates Plato the Japonian Bonzii the Indian Bramenes c. do bring any souls to a holy state as its like they did it will not follow that they were all Saviours of the world Answ 1. They have but an imperfect Doctrine and consequently make on the minds of men but a lame defective change and that change but upon few and that but for a few Ages and then another Sect succeedeth them So that they have no such attestation and approbation of God as Christ hath in the renovation of so many thousands all abroad the world and that for so many ages together 2. They did not affirm themselves to be the Sons of God and the Saviours of the world if they had God would not have annexed such a testimony to their word as he doth to Christs 3. The mercy of God is over all his works He hath compassion upon all Nations and setteth up some candles where the Sun is not yet risen The Light and Law of Nature are his as well as the Light and Law of Supernatural Revelation and accordingly he hath his instruments for the communication of them to
are all baptized into one body whether we be Jewes or Gentiles bond or free and have been all made to drink into one Spirit And in 1 Cor. 14. the gift of speaking with tongues was so common in the Church of the Corinthians that the Apostle is fain to give them instructions for the moderate use of it lest they hindered the edification of the Church by suppressing prophecy or instruction in known tongues And therefore he perswadeth them to use it but more sparingly And James 5.14 15. exhorteth Christians when they were sick to send to the Elders of the Church that they may pray for them and anoynt them and they may be forgiven and recover By which it seems it was no unusual thing in those times to be healed by the Prayers of the Elders Yea the very Hypocrites and ungodly persons that had only the barren profession of Christianity had the gift of Miracles without the grace of Sanctification And this Christ foretold Matth. 7.22 Many shall say in that day Lord have we not prophesied in thy Name and in thy Name cast out devils and done many wonderfull works Obj. But all were not healed by them Paul left Trophimus at Miletum sick Why doth not Paul cure Timothy of his weak stomack and infirmity without drinking of Wine if he could do it Answ 1. Certainly they did not cure all men that were sick For then who would have dyed It was none of the intent of the Spirit of Christ in working Miracles to make men immortal here on earth and to keep them from Heaven 2. And it is easily confess'd that the Spirit was not at the command or will of them that had it And therefore they could not do what and when they pleased but what the Spirit pleased And his operations were at his own time and disposal And this proveth the more fully that it was the testimony of God and not the contrivance of the wit of man 3. And miracles and tongues were not for them that believed but rather for them that believed not And therefore a Trophimus or a Timothy might be unhealed § 35. 3. These Miracles were oftentimes wrought even for many years together in several Countreys and places through the World where the Apostles and Disciples came and not only once or for a little space of time Dissimulation might be easilyer cloaked for a few acts than it can be for so many years At least these gifts and miracles continued during the Age of the Apostles though not performed every day or so commonly as might make them uneffectual yet so frequently as to give success to the Gospel and to keep up a reverence of Christianity in the World They were wrought not only at Jerusalem but at Samaria Antioch Ephesus Corinth Philippi and the rest of the Churches through the World § 36. 4. They were also wrought in the presence of multitudes and not only in a corner where there was more possibility of deceit The Holy Ghost fell on the Apostles and all the Disciples at Jerusalem before all the people that is They all heard them speak in several tongues the wonderfull works of God even the Parthians and Medes and Elamites and the Inhabitants of Mesopotamia Judaea Cappadocia Pontus Asia Phrygia Pamphylia Egypt Lybia Cyrene Rome Jews and Proselites Cretes and Arabians Act. 2.8 9 10 11 12. It was three thousand that the Holy Ghost fell on Act. 2.38 Those that went into the Temple and all the people saw the lame man that was cured by Peter and John Act. 3. The death of Ananias and Sapphira was a publick thing so that fear fell on all and hypocrites were deterred from joyning with the Church Act. 5. The gifts of tongues and interpretation were commonly exercised before Congregations or multitudes And crowds of people flocked to them to be healed As with Christ they uncovered the roofs of the houses to lay the sick before him so with the Apostles they strove who might come within their shadow or touch the hem of their garment or have Cloaths or Napkins from them that they might be healed So that here was an age of publick Miracles § 37. 5. All these miracles were uncontrolled that is They were not wrought in opposition to any controlling Truth which hath certain evidence contradicting this nor yet were they overtopt by any greater miracles for the contrary A miracle if God should permit it to be wrought in such a case might be said to be controlled either of these two wayes 1. If a man should work Miracles to contradict the certain light of Nature or perswade men to that which is certainly false 2. If men should do wonders as Jannes and Jamâ—res the Egyptian Sorcerers which should be overtopt by greater wonders as those of Moses and as Simon Magus and Elymas by Peter and Paul In these cases God could not be said to deceive men by his power or permission when he giveth them a sufficient preservative But these Miracles had no such controll but prevailed without any check from contradictory Truths or Miracles Thus Christ performed his Promise Joh. 14.12 Verily verily I say unto you he that believeth on me the works that I do shall he do also and greater works than these shall he do because I goe unto the Father § 38. III. The third testimony of the Spirit to the truth of the Apostles witness was the marvellous success of their doctrine to the sanctifying of souls which as it could not be done without the power and Spirit of God so neither would the righteous and mercifull Governour of the World have made a company of profligate lyars and deceivers his instruments of doing this excellent work by cheats and falshoods This I spake of before as it is the Seal of Christs own doctrine I now speak of it only as it is the Seal of the Apostles verity in their testimony of the Resurrection and Miracles of Christ Peter converted three thousand at once Many thousands and myriads up and down the world were speedily converted And what was this Conversion They were brought unfeignedly to love God above all and their neighbours as themselves Act. 2.42 46. They continued stedfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and prayer And all that believed were together and had all things common not by levelling but by lone and sold their possessions and goods and parted them to all men as every man had need and did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart praising God and having favour with all the People Act. 4.32 The multitude of Believers were of one heart and of one soul neither said any of them that ought of the things that he possessed was his own but they had all things common All that are in Christ have his Spirit and are spiritually minded and walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Rom. 8. They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts
he is not a deceiver and so may be perswaded to trust and try him himself § 101. The way to know that others are thus regenerated is 1. By believing them Fide humana 2. By discerning it in the effects And though it be too frequent to have presumptuous self-conceited persons to affirm that the Spirit of Christ hath renewed them when it is no such matter yet all humane testimony of matters so neer men even within them is not therefore incredible but wise men will discern a credible person from an incredible In the forementioned instance many may tell you that they are cured by the Physician when it is not so but will you therefore believe no one that telleth you that he is cured Many may boast of that learning which they have not and tell you that they have knowledge in Mathematicks or in several Arts But is no man therefore to be believed that saith the same But yet I perswade no man here to take up with the bare belief of another mans word where he seeth not enough in the effects to second it and to perswade a reasonable man that it is true But as he that heareth a man that was sick profess that he is cured may well believe him if he see him eat and drink and sleep and labour and laugh as the healthfull use to doe so he that heareth a sober man profess with humble thanks to God that he hath changed and renewed him by his Spirit may well believe him if he see him live like a renewed man § 102. Though you cannot be infallibly certain of the sincerity of any one individual person but your self because we know not the heart yet may you be certain that all do not dissemble Because there is a natural impossibility that interests and motives and sufficient causes should concurre to lead them to it As before I said we are not certain of any individual woman that she doth not dissemble Love to her Husband and Children but we may be certain that all the women in the World do not from many natural proofs which might be given § 103. All these effects of Renovation may be discerned in others 1. You may discern that they are much grieved for their former sins 2. That they are weary of the remnant of their corruption or infirmity 3. That they long and labour to be delivered and to have their cure perfected and live in the diligent use of means to that end 4. That they live in no sin but smaller humane frailties 5. That all the riches in the world would not hire them deliberately and wilfully to sin but they will rather choose to suffer what man can lay upon them 6. That they are vile in their own eyes because of their remaining imperfections 7. That they do no wrong or injustice to any or if they do wrong any they are ready to confess it and make them satisfaction 8. That they love all good men with a love of complacency and all bad men with a love of benevolence yea even their enemies and instead of revenge are ready to forgive and to do what good they can for them and all men And that they hate bad men in opposition to complacency but as they hate themselves for their sins 9. That they love all doctrines persons and practices which are holy temperate just and charitable 10. That their passions at least are so far governed that they do not carry them to swear curse or rail or slander or fight or to do evil 11. That their tongues are used to speak with reverence of holy and righteous things and not to filthy ribbald railing lying or other wicked speech 12. That they suffer not their lusts to carry them to fornication nor their appetites to drunkenness or notable excess 13. That nothing below God himself is the principle object of their devotion but to know him to love him to serve and please him and to delight in these is the greatest care and desire and endeavour of their souls 14. That their chiefest hopes are of heaven and everlasting happiness with God in the perfection of this sight and love 15. That the ruling motives are fetch'd from God and the life to come which most command their choice their comforts and their lives 16. That in comparison of this all worldly riches honours and dignities are sordid contemptible things in their esteem 17. That for the hope of this they are much supported with patience under all sufferings in the way 18. That they value and use the things of this world in their callings and labours in subserviency to God and Heaven as a means to its proper end 19. That they vse their relations in the same subserviency ruling chiefly for God if they be superiours and obeying chiefly for God if they be inferiours and that with fidelity submission and patience so far as they can know his will 20. That their care and daily business in the world is by diligent redeeming precious time in getting and doing what good they can to make ready for death and judgment to secure their everlasting happiness and to please their God § 104. All this may be discerned in others with so great probability of their sincerity that no charitable reason shall have cause to question it And I repeat my testimony that here is not a word which I have not faithfully copied out of my own heart and experience and that I have been acquainted with multitudes who I verily believe were much better than my self and had a greater measure of all this grace § 105. If any shall say that men superstitiously appoint themselves unnecessary tasks and forbid themselves many lawful things and then call this by the name of Holiness I answer That many indeed do so but it is no such that I am speaking of Let reason judge whether in this or any of the fore-going descriptions of Holiness there be any such thing at all contained § 106. He that will be able to discern this Spirit of God in others must necessarily observe these reasonable conditions 1. Choose not those that are notoriously No-christians to judge of Christianity by a drunkard fornicator voluptuous carnal worldly proud or selfish person calling himself a Christian is certainly but an hypocrite And shall Christianity be judged of by a lying hypocrite 2. As you must choose such to try by as are truly serious in their Religion so you must be intimate and familiar with them and not strangers that see them as afar off for they make no vain ostentation of their piety And how can they discern the divine motions of their souls that only see them in common conversation 3. You must not judge of them by the revilings of ignorant ungodly men 4. Nor by the reproach of selfish men that are moved only by some interest of their own 5. Nor by the words of faction Civil or Religious which judgeth of all men according to the
heaven hath overcome the greatest difficulty of my belief and I should the more easily believe that he will do the rest and that I shall surely come to heaven when I am fit for it Object But Christ doth not only undertake to regenerate and to save us but also to justifie us and this by a strange way by his Sacrifice and Merits Answ The greater is his wisdom and goodness as made known to us I am sure an unpardoned unrighteous person is uncapable of felicity in that state and I am sure I cannot pardon my self nor well know which way else to seek it And I am sure that so excellent and holy a person is fitter to be well-beloved of God I than But I pray you remember 1. That he undertaketh not to pardon or justifie any man whom he doth not renew and sanctifie 2. And that all his means which seem so strange to you are but to restore God's Image on you and fit you for his love and service And this we can testifie by experience that he hath done in some measure in us and if I find his means successful I will not quarrel with it because it seemeth strange to me A Physician may prescribe me remedies for some mortal disease which I understand not but seem unlike to do the cure but if I find that those unlikely means effect it I will not quarrel with him nor refuse them till I know my self to be wiser than he and have found out some surer means It is most evident then that he who saveth us is our Saviour and he that saveth us from sin will save us from punishment and he that maketh us fit for pardon doth procure our pardon and he that causeth us to love God above all doth fit us to enjoy his love and he that maketh us both to love him and to be beloved by him doth prepare us for heaven and is truly the MEDIATOR § III. Four or five Consectaries are evident from this which I have been proving 1. That we have left no room for their insipid cavil who say that we flie to a private spirit or conceit or Enthusiasm for the evidence of our faith There are some indeed that talk of the meer perswasion or inward active testimony of the Spirit as if it were an inward word that said to us This is the word of God But this is not it which I have been speaking of but the objective testimony or evidence of our Regeneration which could not be effected but 1. by a perfect doctrine and 2 by the concurrent work or blessing of God's Spirit which he would not give to confirm a lie The Spirit is Christ's witness in the four ways fore-mentioned and he doth moreover cause me to believe and increase that faith by blessing due means But for any Enthusiasm or unproved bare perswasion we own it not § 112. II. That Malignity is the high-way to Infidelity As the holiness of his members is Christ's last continued witness in the world so the malicious slandering and scorning at godly men or vilifying them for self-interest or the interest of a faction is the devils means to frustrate this testimony § 113. III. That the destruction of true Church-discipline tendeth to the destruction of Christianity in the world by laying Christ's Vineyard common to the Wilderness and confounding godly and the notoriorsly ungodly and representing Christianity to Pagans and Infidels as a barren notion or a common and debauching way § 114. IV. That the scandals and wickedness of nominal Christians is on the same accounts the devils way to extirpate Christianity from the earth § 115. V. That the great mercy of God hath provided a sure and standing means for the ascertaining multitudes of holy Christians of the truth of the Gospel who have neither skill nor leisure to acquaint themselves with the History of the Church and records of Antiquity nor to reason it out against a learned subtil caviler from other extrinsick arguments Abundance of honest holy souls do live in the fervent love of God and in hatred of sin and in sincere obedience in justice and charity to all men and in heavenly desires and delights who yet cannot well dispute for their Religion nor yet do they need to flie to believe as the Church believeth though they know not what or why nor what the Church is But they have that Spirit within them which is the living witness and Advocate of Christ and the seal of God and the earnest of their salvation not a meer pretense that the Spirit perswadeth them and they know not by what evidence nor yet that they count it most pious to believe strongliest without evidence when they least know why but they have the spirit of Renovation and Adoption turning the very bent of their hearts and lives from the world to God and from earth to heaven and from carnality to spirituality and from sin to holiness And this fully assureth them that Christ who hath actually saved them is their Saviour and that he who maketh good all his undertaking is no deceiver and that God would not sanctifie his people in the world by a blasphemy a deceit and lie and that Christ who hath performed his promise in this which is his earnest will perform the rest And withall the very love to God and Holiness and Heaven which is thus made their new nature by the Spirit of Christ will hold fast in the hour of temptation when reasoning otherwise is too weak O what a blessed advantage have the sanctified against all temptations to unbelief And how lamentably are ungodly Sensualists disadvantaged who have deprived themselves of this inherent testimony If two men were born blinde and one of them had been cured and had been shewed the Candle-light and twilight how easie is it for him to believe his Physician if he promise also to shew him the Sun in comparison of what it is to the other who never saw the light CHAP. VIII Of some other subservient and Collateral Arguments for the Christian Verity HAving largely opened the great Evidence of the Christian Verity viz. The SPIRIT in its four wayes of testifying Accidentally Inherently Concomitantly and Subsequently I shall more briefly recite some other subservient Arguments which I finde most satisfactory to my own understanding § 1. I. The natural evidence of the truth of the Scripture about the Creation of the World doth make it the more Credible to me in all things else For that is a thing which none but God himself could reveal to us For the Scripture telleth what was done before there was any man in being And that this World is not eternal nor of any longer continuance is exceeding probable by the state of all things in it 1. Arts and Sciences are far from that maturity which a longer continuance or an Eternity would have produced Guns and Printing are but lately found out The body of man is not yet well Anatomized
vain a bubble the honour of man and the glory of this world is will not be offended at the King of Saints because his Kingdom is not of this World And he that knoweth any thing of the difference between God and the Creature Heaven and Earth will not despise the Eternal Jehovah because he weareth not a silken Coat and dwelleth not in the guilded Palaces of a Prince If Earthly Glory had been the highest it had been the glory of Christ And if he had come to make us happy by the rich mans way Luk. 16. To be cloathed in Purple and Silk and faring sumptuously every day then would he have led us this way by his example But when it is the work of a Saviour to save us from the flesh and from this present evil World the Means must be suited to the end Obj. XII But it is a very hard thing to believe that person to be God Incarnate and the Saviour of the World who suffered on a Cross as a Blasphemer and a Traytor that usurped the Title of a King Answ The Cross of Christ hath ever been the stumbling-block of the proud and worldly sort of men But it is the confidence and consolation of true Believers For 1. It was not for his own sins but for ours that he suffered Even so was it prophesied of him Isa 53.4 Surely he hath born our griefs and carryed our sorrows yet did we esteem him stricken of God and afflicted But he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed All we like Sheep have gone astray we have every one turned to his own way and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all And it is impudent ingratitude to make those his sufferings the occasion of our unbelief which we were the causes of our selves and to be ashamed of that Cross which we laid upon him by our sins It is not worth the labour to answer the slanders of his accusers about his usurpation of a Kingdom when they believed it not themselves He was above a worldly Kingdom And it could be no blasphemy for him to say that he was the Son of God when he had so fully proved it by his works 2. His suffering as a reputed Malefactor on a Cross was a principal part of the merit of his Patience For many a man can bear the corporal pain who cannot so far deny his honour as to bear the imputation of a Crime For the innocent Son of God that was never convict of sin to suffer under the name of a Blasphemer and a Traytor was greater condescention than to have suffered under the name of an innocent person 3. And in all this it was needfull that the Saviour of Mankinde should not only be a Sacrifice and Ransom for our sinfull Souls but also should heal us of the over-love of Life and Honour by his Example Had not his self-denyal and patience extended to the loss of all things in this World both life it self and the reputation of his righteousness it had not been a perfect example of self-denyal and patience unto us And then it had been unmeet for so great a work as the cure of our Pride and love of Life Had Christ come to deliver the Jews from Captivity or to make his Followers great on Earth as Mahomet did he would have suited the Means to such an End But when he came to save men from pride and self-love and the esteem of this World and to bring them to Patience and full obedience to the will of God and to place all their happiness in another life true Reason telleth us that there was no example so fit for this end as Patient submission to the greatest sufferings The Cross of Christ then shall be our glory and not our stumbling-block or shame Let the Children of the Devil boast that they are able to do hurt and to trample upon others The Disciples of Christ will rather boast that they can patiently endure to be abused as knowing that their Pride and Love of the World is the enemy which they are most concern'd in conquering Obj. XIII It was but a few mean unlearned persons who believed in him at the first And it is not past a sixth part of the World that yet believeth in him And of these few do it judiciously and from their hearts but because their Kings or Parents or Countrey are of that Religion Answ 1. As to the Number I have answered it before It is no great number comparatively that are Kings or Lords or Learned men and truly judicious and wise will you therefore set light by any of these Things excellent are seldom common The Earth hath more Stones than Gold or Pearls All those believed in Christ who heard his word and saw his works and had wise considerate honest hearts to receive the sufficient evidence of truth The greater part are every where ignorant rash injudicious dishonest and carryed away with prejudice fancy custom error and carnal interest If all men have means in its own kind sufficient to bring them to believe to understand so much as God immediately requireth of them it is their fault who after this are ignorant and unbelieving and if it prove their misery let them thank themselves But yet Christ will not leave the success of his undertaking so far to the will of man as to be uncertain of his expected fruits He hath his chosen ones throughout the World and will bring them effectually to Faith and Holiness to Grace and Glory though all the Powers of Hell do rage against it In them is his delight and them he will conform to his Fathers will and restore them to his Image and fit them to love and serve him here and enjoy him for ever And though they are not the greater number they shall be the everlasting demonstration of his Wisdom Love and Holiness And when you see all the worlds of more blessed Inhabitants you will see that the Damned were the smaller number and the Blessed in all probability many millions to one If the Devil have the greater number in this World God will have the greater number in the rest 2. It was the wise design of Jesus Christ that few in comparison should be converted by his personal converse or teaching and thousands might be suddenly converted upon his Ascension and the coming down of the Holy Ghost Both because his Resurrection and Ascension were part of the Articles to be believed and were the chiefest of all his Miracles which did convert men And therefore he would Rise from the dead before the multitude should be called And because the Spirit as it was his extraordinary Witness and Advocate on Earth was to be given by him after he ascended into glory And he would have the World see that the Conversion of men to Faith and Sanctity was not the
must give light to Christianity and prepare men to receive it And they think to know what is in Heaven before they will learn what they are themselves and what it is to be a man Cond 4. Get a true Anatomy Analysis or Description of Christianity in your minds for if you know not the true nature of it first you will be lamentably disadvantaged in enquiring into the truth of it For Christianity well understood in the quiddity will illustrate the mind with such a winning beauty as will make us meet its evidence half-way and will do much to convince us by its proper light Cond 5. When you have got the true method of the Christian doctrine or Analysis of faith begin at the Essentials or primitive truths and proceed in order according to the dependencies of truths and do not begin at the latter end nor study the conclusion before the premises Cond 6. Yet look on the whole scheme or frame of causes and evidences and take them entirely and conjunct and not as peevish factious men who in splenish zeal against another sect reject and vilifie the evidence which they plead This is the Devils gain by the raising of sects and contentions in the Church he will engage a Papist for the meer interest of his sect to speak lightly of the Scripture and the Spirit and many Protestants in meer opposition to the Papists to sleight Tradition and the testimony of the Church denying it its proper authority and use As if in the setting of a Watch or Clock one would be for one wheel and another for another and each in peevishness cast away that which another would make use of when it will never go true without them all Faction and contentions are deadly enemies to truth Cond 7. Mark well the suitableness of the remedy to the disease that is of Christianity to the depraved state of man and mark well the lamentable effects of that universal depravation that your experience may tell you how unquestionable it is Cond 8. Mark well how connaturally Christianity doth relish with holy souls and how well it suiteth with honest principles and hearts so that the better any man is the better it pleaseth him And how potently all debauchery villany and vice befriendeth the cause of Atheists and unbelievers Cond 9. Take a considerate just survey of the common enmity against Christianity and Holiness in all the wicked of the world and the notorious war which is every where managed between Christ and the Devil and their several followers that you may know Christ partly by his enemies Cond 10. Impartially mark the effects of Christian doctrine where ever it is sincerely entertain'd and see what Religion maketh the best men and judge not of serious Christians at a distance by false reports of ignorant or malicious adversaries And then you will see that Christ is actually the Saviour of souls Cond 11. Be not liars your selves lest it dispose you to think all others to be liars and to judge of the words of others by your own Cond 12. Be-think you truly what persons you should be your selves and what lives you should live if you did not believe the Christian doctrine or if you doe not believe it mark what effect your unbelief hath on your lives For my own part I am assured if it were not for the Christian doctrine my heart and life would be much worse than it is though I had read Epictetus Arrian Plato Plotinus Jamblichus Proclus Seneca Cicero Plutarch every word and those few of my neighbourhood who have fallen off to infidelity have at once fallen to debauchery and abuse of their nearest relations and differed as much in their lives from what they were before in their profession of Christianity though unsound as a leprous body differeth from one in comeliness and health Cond 13. Be well acquainted if possible with Church-History that you may understand by what Tradition Christianity hath descended to us For he that knoweth nothing but what he hath seen or receiveth a Bible or the Creed without knowing any further whence and which way it cometh to us is greatly disadvantaged as to the reception of the faith Cond 14. In all your reading of the holy Scriptures allow still for your ignorance in the languages proverbs customs and circumstances which are needful to the understanding of particular Texts and when difficulties stop you be sure that no such ignorance remain the cause He that will but read Brugensis Grotius Hammond and many other that open such phrases and circumstances with Topographers and Bochartus and such others as write of the Animals Utensils and other circumstances of those times will see what gross errors the opening of some one word or phrase may deliver the Reader from Cond 15. Vnderstand what excellencies and perfections they be which the Spirit of God intended to adorn the holy Scriptures with and also what sort of humane imperfections are consistent with these its proper perfections that so false expectations may not tempt you into unbelief It seduceth many to infidelity to imagine that if Scripture be the word of God it must needs be most perfect in every accident and mode which were never intended to be part of its perfection Whereas God did purposely make use of those men and of that style and manner of expression which was defective in some points of natural excellency that so the supernatural excellency might be the more apparent As Christ cured the blind with clay and spittle and David slew Goliah with a sling The excellency of the means must be estimated by its aptitude to its end Cond 16. If you see the evidences of the truth of Christianity in the whole let that suffice you for the belief of the several parts when you see not the true answer to particular exceptions If you see it soundly proved that Christ is the Messenger of the Father and that his word is true and that the holy Scripture is his word this is enough to quiet any sober mind when it cannot confute every particular objection or else no man should ever hold fast any thing in the world if he must let all go after the fullest proof upon every exception which he cannot answer The inference is sure If the whole be true the parts are true Cond 17. Observe well the many effects of Angels ministration and the evidences of a communion between us and the spirits of the unseen world for this will much facilitate your belief Cond 18. Over-look not the plain evidences of the Apparitions Witches and wonderful events which fall out in the times and places where you live and what reflections they have upon the Christian cause Cond 19. Observe well the notable answers of Prayers in matters internal and external in others and in your selves Cond 20. Be well studied at home about the capacity use and tendency of all your faculties and you will find that your very nature pointeth you up to
Farewell vain World As thou hast been to me Dust a Shadow those I leave with thee The unseen Vitall Substance I committ To him that 's Substance Light Life to it The Leaves Fruit here dropt are holy seed Heaven's heirs to generate to heale feed Them also thou wilt flatter molest But shalt not keep from Everlasting Rest THE REASONS OF THE Christian Religion The FIRST PART OF GODLINESS Proving by NATVRAL EVIDENCE the Being of GOD the Necessity of HOLINESS and a future Life of Retribution the Sinfulness of the World the Desert of Hell and what hope of Recovery Mercies intimate The SECOND PART OF CHRISTIANITY Proving by Evidence Supernatural and Natural the certain Truth of the CHRISTIAN Belief and answering the Objections of Vnbelievers First meditated for the well-setling of his own Belief and now published for the benefit of others By RICHARD BAXTER It openeth also the true Resolution of the Christian Faith Also an APPENDIX defending the Soul's Immortality against the Somatists or Epicureans and other Pseudo-philosophers LONDON Printed by R. White for Fran. Titon at the three Daggers in Fleet-street 1667. TO THE CHRISTIAN READER BEcause there are some who judging of others by themselves will say what need this labour among Christians to prove a God a Life to come and the Truth of the Gospel Or at least what need is there of it after so much already written I take my self obliged to give you an account of this attempt For my own Reason is much against over-doing and wasting our little time in things superfluous which is but enough for necessary things But it hath recorded this among the indubitata Boni rarò nimis optimi nunquam indifferentes saepissimè mali semper The true Reasons of this work are no fewer than these following 1. Quod cogitamus loquimur That which is most and deepest in my thoughts is aptest to break forth to others Man is a communicative Creature Though it be to my shame I must confesse that necessity through perplexed thoughts hath made this Subject much of my Meditations It is the Subject which I have found most necessary and most usefull to my self And I have reason enough to think that many others may be as weak as I. And I would fain have those partake of my satisfaction who have partaked of my difficulties 2. I perceive that because it is taken for a shame to doubt of our Christianity and the Life to come this hindereth many from uttering their doubts who never get them well resolved but remain half Infidels within whilest the Ensigns of Christ are hanged without and need much help though they are ashamed to tell their needs And prudent Charity will relieve those who are ashamed to beg 3. As the true knowledge of God is the beginning and maintainer of all holinesse and honesty of Heart and Life so latent Atheisme and Infidelity in the mindes of Hypocrites in the Church is the root of their prophanenesse dishonesty and wickednesse Did they seriously Believe as Christians they would not live as the Enemies of Christianity I take it therefore to be the surest and most expeditious Cure of the security presumption pride perfidiousnesse sensuality and wickednesse of these Hypocrites to convince them that there is a God and a Life to come and that the Gospel is true 4. And this prophaneness and sensuality tendeth to greater Infidelity They that will not live as they profess to Believe may most easily be drawn to Believe and profess as they are willing to live And therefore this Prognostick commandeth me to endeavour to prevent mens open profession of Infidelity lest the present torrent of ungodlinesse selfishnesse malice uncharitablenesse perjury treachery faction whoredom and other sensualities should fall into this gulf or one that is not much unlike it 5. The best complain of the imperfection of their Faith And too many good Christians especially if Melancholy surprise them are haunted with such temptations to Atheisme blasphemy and unbelief as make their lives a burden to them And one that hath heard so many of their complaints as I have done is excusable for desiring to relieve them It hath many a time been matter of wonder to me to observe that there is scarce one deep melancholy person among ten religious or not religious before but is followed with violent suggestions to doubt of the God-head and of the truth of the Gospel or to utter some word of Blasphemy against God And he that must pray Lord increase my Faith and help my Unbelief must use other means as well as pray 6. The imperfection of our Faith even about the Gospel and the Life to come is the secret root of all our faults of the weaknesse of every other grace of our yielding to temptations and of the carelesnesse badnesse and barrennesse of our Lives So Transcendent are the Concernments of the Life to come that a certain clear and firm belief of them would even deride temptations and bear down all the trifles of this World by what names or titles soever dignified as things not worthy of a look or thought What manner of person will that man be in all holy Conversation and Godliness who believing that all these things must be dissolved doth look for the coming of Christ and for the Blessed Consequents 2 Pet. 3.11 12 14. 2 Thess 1.10 O what a life would that man live what Prayers what Prayses what holy discourse would employ his tongue with what abhorrence would he reject the baits of sin who did but see but once see those unseen and future things which every Christian professeth to believe How contemptibly would he think and speak both of the pleasures and the sufferings of this dreaming life in comparison of the everlasting things What serious desires and labours and joyes and patience would such a sight procure How much more holy and Heavenly would it make even those that by the purblind World are thought to exceed herein already And if we took our Belief to be as certain as our sight Believing would do greater matters than it doth I oft think what one told me that an Infidel answered him when he asked him How he could quiet his Conscience in such a desperate state saith he I rather wonder how you can quiet your Conscience in such a common careless course of life believing as you do If I believed such things as you do I should think no care and diligence and holiness could be enough 7. The Soul in flesh is so much desirous of a sensitive way of apprehension and sensible things being still before us do so increase this Malady and divert the minde from spiritual things that we have all great need of the clearest evidence and the most suitable and frequent and taking explication of them that possibly can be given us not only to make us Believe things unseen but to make us serious and practical and affectionate about the things which in a