names which are three in one as the three rooms in one Ark. The divers creatures in the Ark shew the mixture of the Church visible consisting of reasonable and unreasonable clean and unclean wheat and tares good and bad And in that there were seven couples of clean and but one couple of unclean it shewes that reprobates have little to do in Gods true Church and though some yet are they nothing in comparison of those that are out of the Church visible So Noah being Master and Lord of all these might well type forth Christ under whose feet God hath put all things in subjection Psal 8. Mathe. What signification of Christ and his Church had Moses Tabernacle and Solomons Temple Phila. Very great and lively For 1. Moses Tabernacle was a type of the Church Catholick as it is militant wandring in this world and discontinuing from the Lord. Bed de tab lib. 1. c. 1. Chrys in Psa 5 And by Solomons Temple the Catholike Church triumphant in heaven which Churches though two in number are but one in Christian faith Both these viz. Tabernacle and Temple typed Christ First the Tabernacle did because Christ is said to dwell or pitch his Tabernacle as the Greek word signifieth in Joh. 1.18 so did the Temple too Beza in John 1.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therefore he said dissolve this Temple and I will build it again in three dayes meaning the Temple of his body Joh. 2.19 21. well so called being the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelt in him bodily Col. 2.9 even as the Tabernacle and Temple was sometimes filled with the glory of God Exod. 40.34 and 1 Kin. 8.10 And as these typed out Christ so they did the Church both in the whole body and the members of it 1. In the whole called the house of God 1 Tim. 3.15 and Rev. 21.3 Now Jerusalem is called the Tabernacle of God because he meant to dwell with men by the Gospel ruling in their hearts as once he did in the Temple of old Jerusalem 2. In the members of it Therefore Eph. 2.21 they are called a Temple and ver 22. an habitation of God by the spirit and a Temple of the Holy Ghost Haymo in Rev. 21. 1 Cor. 6.19 whose greatnesse though the world cannot contain yet he is content to dwell in a contrite heart But beside if we consider the place where Moses received the platform of the Tabernacle it will be more clear Moses received it in Horeb which signifieth a drie desart as Sinai or Seneh a bush in which God at first appeared to him The dry desart signified the world wherein the Law of God is given The burning bush the fiery afflictions of the Church in this land of thorns The man Moses that was faithfull in all the work of the Tabernacle having received it from God did well represent Christ who received from the bosome of his Father what things he delivered for the rearing up of his Church and so was as Moses a Mediator between God and his people Exod. 35.30 34. The chiefe workmen typed out the Apostles that had their gifts by infusion as Bezaleel and Aholiab of Judah and Dan signifying praise and judgement and were indeed Arch-builders as 1 Cor. 3.10 and so to be esteemed of all men Those that were subordinate to them might prefigure out inferiour ministers of which every one must prove faithfull 1 Cor. 4.1 So the people offering typed forth those in after times under the Gospell that should freely give themselves first to God and then of their goods liberally for the upholding Gods Church and service so often prophecied of Psal 45.12 Psal 110.3 Psal 72.10 11. and Isa which was fulfilled by the Eastern Magi Mat. 2. and by the Primitive Converts Acts 2. And so also by the many indowments of the Church given by Princes and others who beleeved the Gospell Besides the time of setting up the Tabernacle and Temple had relation to Christs comming Exod. 24. for as that was set up by Moses in the seventh month and the Temple by Solomon in seven years 1 Kin. 6.37 38. and in the seven sevens of years the second Temple was finished So after seventy sevens of years Dan. 9.25 from the Angell Gabriels speech to Daniel Christ the Messiah came from heaven and took up an earthly temple of our nature laied it down by death for our sins and raised it up again for our justification upon which doctrine he hath built his Church of which the Jewish was but a shadow This may further be understood by the triple division of this Tabernacle and Temples rooms which were three Fist the Court. Secondly the holy place and the most holy The most holy place was divided from the holy by a vaile Heb. 9.3 Heb. 10.20 This vaile typed Christs flesh which like Moses vaile hid his glorious appearance from our dull sight But when his flesh was rent upon the crosse the vaile of his divine power appeared by renting the vail of the Temple making as it were a way for us to come to the mercy seat Heb. 9.5 for within this vaile it stood Mathe. What signification had the matter of the utensils of that house to the Church Christian Phila. Very much being shadowes of things to come Col. 2. Rab. Maurus in Ex. l. 3. c. 10. For the matter of the boords and pillars being either Shittim wood incorruptible by nature it typed forth Christs body which never saw corruption and the body of beleevers too to whom sin shall not be imputed and from whom at last all corruption shall be removed 1 Cor. 15.53 The silver sockets may figure faith which joineth Christ and the Church together The coverings Christs protection under which the Church doth alwaies shroud her selfe Mathe. And what may the rooms signifie Phila. Surely the most holy place might well figure out the heavens for in them is the true mercy seat and glorious cherubins Orig. in Exod. Bed de tab l. 2. c. 13. into which Christ entred once for all to appear before God for us Heb. 9.12 24. In type whereof the High Priest in the Law entred once a year but Christ once for ever to take possession for us till the vaile of the earth rent to give way to our bodies at the resurrection to take possession of the heavens most holy place The holy place signified the Church on earth Orig. in Lev. 16.12 who must here offer up praier and praise in the name of Christ till he come again and our sacrifice of obedience taught us by word and sacraments which requires us to offer our selves a living sacrifice to God Rom. 12.1 for which he hath made us Priests as well as Kings Rev. 1. ◠to suppresse our rebellious corruptions In regard whereof the Church is called holy as the heavens is the most holy Between which there being no receptacle for souls named you may conceive Limbus patrum and
comming to judgement Mathe. What benefits have we by his resurrection Phila. Surely very many as first the confirmation of our faith in Christ that he was the Son of God because he raised himselfe from the dead and that we are justified from our sins or else why is our surety let out of the prison of his grave but that Gods justice is fully satisfied Rom. 4. and the last verse Again it causeth a twofold resurrection in us first from sin to a new life of grace Rom. 6.4 Secondly of our bodies from the grave 1 Thes 4.14 so it gives us an hope of heavenly inheritance 1 Pet. 1.3 4. The reason whereof is because Christ sustained our persons in himselfe and so we have our part both in his death and resurrection Rom. 8.11 Therefore this doctrine ought ever to be remembred 2 Tim. 2.8 not only in our head but in our life by standing up from the dead Eph. 5.14 lest if we have no part in the first resurrection we lose also our part in the second And remembred it ought to be the rather because it may comfort against the most sad afflictions Esa 26.19 from whence Christ can raise us So against the fear of Gods wrath because it is fully satisfied from which baptism a type of the ark and of our rising with Christ above the deluge of Gods justice doth now save us 1 Pet. 3.21 and against the power of death Rom. 8.11 which by vertue hereof is so subdued that it shall not alwaies suppresse us Mathe. For what end or purpose did Christ ascend into heaven Phila. To fulfill what was foreshewed in legall types and shadowes of him As the high Priest of the Jewes entring into the most holy place Heb. 7.26 which was a type of heaven as he himselfe was of Christ So to shew that he fulfilled all things on earth which concerned our redemption and reconciliation and therefore now ascended in triumph leading captivity captive as Abraham did the forces of the four Kings Psal 68.18 and as Barack did the Midianites and so enter into his glory prepared Iohn 17.5 through the gates of heaven intimated Psal 24.7 and so demonstrate that Angels and principalities and powers were made subject to him 1 Pet. 3.22 Also that in Heaven he might make intercession for us Heb. 9.24 who yet are in this world as in the outward court of the most holy place where the Jewes stood when the High Priest entred to make an attonement for them he being sprinkled with blood having the holy censer with sweet incense in his hand by which means he hath opened a way for us into heaven Heb. 10.10 as he had promised and now performed it John 14.2 3 Eph. 2.6 by carrying our flesh into heaven as a pledge that we should all follow that beleeve in him also that we might place our mind where our treasure is and not misplace them on earthly things Col. 3.1 nor to dream of his bodily presence in this world as if we would know him still after the flesh This doctrine of Christs ascension should make us to forsake sin and satan not be subject to that slave which Christ hath led captive So to be willing to die that we may go to the place which Christ hath entred for us and therefore not to mourn immoderately for the dead in Christ who are seized of heaven already Mathe. What is meant by Christs sitting on Gods right hand for I conceive not God to have either right or left hand nor how Christ is tied to any such posture Phila. You are to understand that sitting so importeth in Scripture abiding or habitations as Luke 24.49 sometime judiciary power as Solomon was said to sit on the throne of his Father though he was not alwaies tied to that posture 1 Kin. 2.30 So by right hand is understood power and help and glory Psal 44.3 Sometimes therefore as man is said to be helped by Gods power and protected when he standeth on his right hand Psal 16.8 or holdeth by his right hand Psal 73.23 So one is exalted when one is said to be on Christs right hand Psal 45.29 which is spoken of the Church So Christ by his sitting is understood to rest in felicity from all his labor and pain and on Gods right hand having dignity imperiall and power judiciall so that we are to understand by his sitting on Gods right hand that he doth not only rest in joy and felicity but hath obtained the highest dignity above all men and Angels Eph. 1.28 and that he is copartner with his father in his Kingdome and therefore he hath power over all things in heaven and in earth Mat. 28.18 not that God the Father ceaseth to rule but that he pleaseth to administer his Kingdome by his Son yet he also makes Christs enemies his footstool Psal 110.1 till which time Christ must reign by and in the Kingdome of grace 1 Cor. 15. but then he shall deliver up this Kingdome to God the Father i. the rule which he exerciseth now by Gospell means shal cease when his enemies are subdued and the elect fully gathered and glorified not that his Kingdome by which he is equall with God shall cease for of that his Kingdome shall be no end but of that Kingdome by which he governeth by means and holy methods of Word and Sacraments and mysteries of godlinesse Now then who can be ashamed of Christs service who is so great a potentate but rather to submit to his government with all reverence and conscience of his greatnesse and power that so we may shew our selves worthy subjects and servants to him lest we cause that blessed name to be blasphemed by which we are called And who can choose but trust in him for provision in all wants and deliverance in all temptations of satan or any adversity since our Saviour hath an universall power by sitting at the right hand of God Mathe. Whether is this the uttermost degree of Christs honor and exaltation Phila. No for he shall come from thence to judge the world In which we are to consider many things for the terror of some and the comfort of others Mathe. What need or why must there be a judgement day Phila. First for the confusion of wicked men who have mocked at it 2 Pet. 3.3 whom he confutes in that chapter first of being ignorant that the world was made by the Word of God and that he destroied once by water Gen. 7.11 in the 600. year of Noahs life and that the world which is now is reserved for fire unto the day of judgement and perdition of ungodly men foretold by Isa 66.15 Dan. 7.10 Mal. 4.1 and threatning a fire that shall consume the wicked both root and branch Secondly he shewes the reason why God deferreth it not that he is slack in his purpose but because he would not have them all to perish by a sudden surprize but that Jew and Gentile
by the spirit of God ver 28. by which they were convinced both what and from whence he was Joh. 7.28 Again this sin must be continued in without remorse which sometimes maketh men despair of mercy when they reflect upon the greatnesse of their sins which men may doe though they never committed this sin yet this sin is continued unto death as appeared in Julian the Apostate without any repentance and therefore is called the sin unto death 1 John 5.16 and the sin unpardonable by our Saviour Mat. 12.13 not because it exceeds Gods mercy or the merits of Christ but because it prevents and disappoints the application of them for want of faith and repentance they having apostated in their very heart which is the place where faith and charity should be rooted although they do not alwaies shew it outwardly Heb. 3.12 Mathe. How may one be sure to escape this sin Phila. First let him examine himselfe whether he have the Holy Ghost Rom. 8.9 and we may know it by its lusting against the flesh and making our heart to rise against sin Gal. 5.17 Next it begets in us a pleasant taste of things that are of a spirituall nature for of our selves we have spirituall foul palates like people in feavers Rom. 8.5 that makes them distaste what is good Next it stirs us up to mortifie sin and all evill concupiscence Rom. 8.13 and then it gives us victory over sin by making us free from the law of sin by the law of the spirit of life Rom. 8.2 so that the body is dead because of sin but the spirit is life because of righteousnesse Rom. 8.10 by which the heart is circumcised as well as the outward man or the outward manners Rom. 8.29 Beside this spirit doth transform us into the image of holinesse from one glorious grace to another as he hears them related in Gods word wherein we behold the glory of God 2 Cor. 3.18 also it makes us glorifie God in the very fires of affliction because his love is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost Rom. 5.5 and when a man findeth that he hath the Holy Ghost then let him beware of those sins that are forerunners of this As first the forsaking of that means by which they were once enlightned as the Jewes did the ministry of John the Baptist who was a burning and a shining light and for a while they rejoiced in his light but after fell away So take heed of affecting mens praises more then Gods and of a common alienation of the mind from goodnesse and of evill actions without temptations of envy at godly men and misinterpretations of their good words and works If they have any sense of these sins break off the course of them lest you proceed to the contempt of the operation of this good spirit but rather behave themselves as those that partake of the spirit Gal. 5.25 by bringing forth the fruits of the spirit Gal. 5.22 as love joy peace long suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meeknesse temperance c. by which they are known to be his Church Mathe. What mean you by the Church Phil. This word Church is to be considered nominally locally and personally The word or name Ecclesia the Church was used among the Athenians for an assembly of Citizens called together out of the common multitude by name by a publick Crier to hear the decrees of the Senate which word is used by the Apostle to signifie the Church Christian which also signifieth a company of people called together by the voice of Gods ministers out of the rude world and kingdome of Satan to hear the Gospell revealed from Heaven But the word Church is derived of the Greek word that signifieth Lord from which word Kyriake or Kyrios Lord comes the Scotch word Kirk and our word Church 2. This word is taken for a place of holy assemblies to meet in about the service of God so 1 Cor. 11.18 when you come together in the Church which though not it may be such as ours is yet being a place set apart for such an use he cals it the Church And such places the Christians had from the Primitive times which being the place that conteined those that were the living Churches of God namely faithfull Christians the place so conteining in a figurative form of speech Aug. Q. 57. in Levit. is called by the name of the people contained therein which ancient writers have not feared to call holy places in regard of their separation to holy uses and therefore as Christ did not allow common things to be set or carried through the Temple so the ancients did not like that holy services that concerned generall meetings should be done in common places or houses Basil in Rug. comp explic Q. respo 310. except dedicated to holy uses urging that in 1 Cor. 11. to forbid common eating in the Church and the holy banquet in a private house That the word Church hath been used for place it appears by all that have anciently written on the 1 Cor. 11. or commented thereupon Sedul Com. Ciâ—yâ—ost Theodo And indeed there were such places from the beginning of the Gospels reception even from the time of the Apostles to the Emperor Constantines time Called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 three hundred years after Christ though they were no stately structures but at first some upper rooms in houses which some devout Christians dedicated to divine worship Bede de locit sanct â—â— 3. c. 3. the first of which was thought to be that upper chamber where Christ kept his last supper and where the holy spirit descended upon the Apostles where they had assembled before and where Christ had twice appeared to them on the first daies of the week John 20. In this place it seems the Apostles met often upon weighty occasions as in the choice of the seven Deacons Hieron Ep. 27. and there was the first Councill held about circumcising the Gentiles Acts 15.6 And this place some called the chamber of Sion and the upper Church of the Apostles Cyril Hieroso which place seemed to be sufficiently consecrated by the presence of Christ in the celebration of the holy mystery of his Sacrament Psal 50.2 so that from Sion God appeared in perfect beauty and the Gospel went forth from Sion as the Law from Sinai And we need not make doubt of this when we consider how men sold their possessions and then laied them down at the Apostles feet who no doubt with such money would purchase some place for Christian-assembly and rather this then any other being first sanctified by Christs institution of his last supper there and therefore some take this place for that house where the Apostles sate together when the Holy Ghost fell upon them Acts 2.2 and indeed we read not of any place more likely for their convention than there where their Master and our Lord
each in each Aug. de Trin. Christ is in the Father and the Father in him and the holy Spirit in both so they be all in each For the Son is in the bosome of the Father and the Father in the Image of the Son the holy Spirit in the breath of each and they both in his operations 3. All in each for one is possessed of the other 4. All in all the whole essence being in every person And yet 5. But one in all because all three are but one God And take heed of thinking therefore 1. That there is no God 2. That there be no persons in the God but only relations Socin Patrisp offices or dispensations For so we may count the Father to suffer not the Son for our redemption 3. That they be only like one another in substance Arri. Eunom Tritheit but not of the same substance or of an unlike substance but of one and the same substance And take heed of thinking they be three gods for there is but one God in essence though three persons in subsistence one God in being though three persons in the manner of that being Nor may you like the Mahometans acknowledge one God without persons or like the Indians denie the Son of God Mahom. Indians because then they say God must have a wife These people only understand carnall generation not spirituall and in what they know naturally therein they abuse themselves Jude ver 10. and speak evill of what they know not For they perceive not how the soule begets children namely the thoughts and words without female conjunction This high knowledge of God should teach us to admire him whom we cannot comprehend and therefore to serve him in faith fear and reverence Psal 2.11 especially in his Temple and service Psal 138. and so say with Job O Lord what I know not do thou teach me so that in thy knowledge I may find felicity We must not think this knowledge to be superfluous since it is life eternall to have it John 17.3 Mat. 16.18 and that Christ so much approved St Peter for acknowledging it I know all men cannot apprehend this alike yet if we desire that Christ would shew us the Father John 14.8 and that we may have his Spirit he will not denie it to him that asketh him especially if we lament for the losse of the excellent knowledge no doubt he will reveal so much of it to us as shall acquire eternall life Mathe. What means hath God given us to know him by Phila. Two means his Works and his Words His Works Natura naturans natuâ— rata and the book of Nature naturated by the power of God His Word is the book of Nature naturating i. of God himselfe without which revelation man cannot apprehend God at all or very darkly The reason whereof is 1. Because Adam seeking curious knowledge beyond the light which God gave him in nature he lost that light of God which by nature he had and despoiled himselfe of that image and character of God which God had impressed upon him and so fell into false conceptions of God in his generations and by himselfe into a more obscure apprehension of him in his time 2. This dark knowledge of God in man ariseth from the depravation of his affections which desires to know God sensibly as men behold Princes which cannot be in this world 1 Cor. 15. no more then flesh and blood can inherit heaven till it be mortified by death and fermented in the grave and refined at the resurrection Moses desire was exuberant to see Gods glory in visible appearance For though God was pleased to be represented by Angels in shapes of men in the Old Testament yet he hath no shape For to what will ye liken me saith God 3. Men being not read in Scriptures are oftentimes driven by some accidents in the world and change of times and strange events above or beside reason to think that either there is no God or else that God is not just Psal 37.36 Psal 73.1 2 3. Wisd 1.1 2. 4. Because we find all things fall alike to all and a naturall succession of things to be as they were alwaies so they think we are all born at adventure and all things come by nature or fortune 5. It comes by the devils craft deluding men with vanity and making them not to think of God and so bold to perpetrate horrible sins through blindnesse and hardnesse of heart whereas if they did but consider Gods waies and footsteps in Scripture in making all things and in disposing them to their severall ends and orders the rare knowledge given to man above other creatures the peace of his mind when he doth well the terrors of his conscience in doing ill the impression and stamp of Elohim upon his Magistrates whom he calleth Gods the strange vengeance following wicked men to them whom temporall Judges either do not or cannot punish Besides prodigious signs in heaven of future calamities So to see monstrous births terrible earthquakes which though they have naturall and second causes yet why they are not alwaies or oftner or not at all or in this place more then that must needs be the rule of some superiour power But yet nothing of all these leads us to the knowledge of God like the Scripture Mathe. Why so Phila. Because the Scriptures are the word of the true God of whom nothing can testifie better then his own word and truth therefore Christ saith Search the Scriptures for they testifie of me Secondly because they clearly set forth God in his nature attributes and works Mathe. How prove you the Scripture to be the Word of the true God Phila. Because it alone doth treat primarily of that God who is Trinity in Unity three persons in one Godhead and of their relations one towards another and their operations in and towards man 2. Because it is the most ancient truth as the true God is the ancient of daies Now what is most ancient and first is true Moses writings are most ancient upon which the rest of the Bible is a comment and the New Testament is a perfect complement and is therefore called grace and truth which came by Jesus Christ John 1.17 because he brought to man by the Gospell the love and favour of God and brought the truth prophesied into fact and performance But this Moses is the ancientest writer Eupolem Masius whom some call Musaeus some Trismegistus as some have thought the Aegyptian Serapis to be a monument of Joseph Sure enough he was the oldest writer of divine Revelation if not of any other He lived in the time of Cecrops King of Athens Aug. The oldest writing the Greeks have is the wars of Troy which fell out in the time of Israels Judges which was three hundred years after Meses Acts 7.27 It is true the Scripture saith he was learned in all the
in those times which is not competent with us Abraham to make his halfe sister his wife Iacob to have many wives which is not competent with other ages Mal. 2.15 and therefore reproved by the Prophet So neither are those actions imitable which many were agitated to by zeal and fervour of spirit for Gods cause as that of Moses to excite one brother to slay another nor that of Phineas in transferring Zimri and Cosbi for what actions are exorbitant from common Law are not to be made exemplar Mathe. What may we judge of those that are called Apocryphall books Ph. We are to think them as helps to understand Scripture in many places especially Solomon Wisd and Eccl. Judith Tobie Esdras Mac. and to know the State of the Jewes before the Prophet Malachies time in their captivity and after it also And so neither to contemn them nor yet to build our faith upon all things there written as the Church of Rome injoineth people to do under penalty of a curse as we are to beleeve the Canonicall Scriptures Conc. Trid. but to trie what analogy they hold with truth and so make use of them as in Heb. 11.35 takes an instance of faith from the mother of seven sons 2 Machab. 7.7 Mathe. Some make doubt of the Scriptures Canonicalness because they say there be more books in the world then we have inserted in our Bibles and all that we have in our account Canonicall are not thought to be so Phila. You need not trouble your selfe with that but rather make an holy use of that we have by building our selves up in our holy faith and thank God that he hath reserved for us by his Church a copy of sacred writ sufficient for our salvation which is written that we may beleeve and the rest lost or left out John 21.25 that we may not look after more then is necessary The Jewes reckoned but 22 books of the old Testament we find more Joseph cent Appion Vid. Concil Lao. de lib. Canon Magd. cent 4. fol. 838. c. 4. yet they contained as much as we have but their compiling differed from ours And these were consigned by Ezra the scribe after the return from Babylon in the time of Hagge Zachary and Malachy all in Hebrew Which tongue though it be a good signe of Canonicall Scripture yet it is not the only signe for many of the Apocryphall books were so written at first as Ecclesiasticus seems to be by the Preface a book of great worth and next sure to the Wisedome of Solomon So Tobit and the fourth of Esdras but rather the consignation of the Jewish Church and their continuall receipt of them for such Atha in Synop. So some write of more Psalms of David then 150. but if we should admit of more I feare it would encourage many selfe conceited men to make Psalms too under pretence that they had the spirit of God as well as David as did some in the Councill of Laodicea Conc. Lao. ut supra c. 59. and urged for it Ioel 2. your sons and daughters shall prophecy which Council excludes or at least omits the Epistle to the Colossians and the Apocalyps yet it reckons 14 Epistles of St Pauls of which that to the Colossians must be one or else there is but 13. Kirstonius in Arab. notes on the Evangel Calv. vid. Bod. method hist c. 7. And why the Apocalyps was left out it may be was because more lately written and divulged except the Councill were of their minds who reckoned it Apocrypha or theirs who slighted it as Ambrese did Persius the Satyrist because of its obscurity We read also of the Gospell of St Thomas and St Bartholomew all which is nothing to us so long as we know that our old Testament and the Jewes agree together still and are the same they were in the time of Christ And for the New Testament we have those that have been generally received as Orthodoxall by the Church and for 1300 years together consigned as Canonicall by the Councils as Nice Laodicea and Carthage Mathe. But whether have not the Iewes corrupted the old Testament Phila. 1. Aug. They would not certainly out of envy to the Gentiles rob their own posterity of the truth Philo. Beside they held it as a sin inexpiable so to do Polanus leb 1. cap. 37. and would die an hundred deaths rather then change one jot of them They know also that the world was created for the Scriptures sake and therefore the world would be turned to a chaos ere they should be altered and so they were faithfull trustees Rom. 3.2 But 2. They could not do it for there was so many Copies dispersed by reason of their dispersion over the world that it was impossible to corrupt it Bellarm. Beside certainly God would not suffer that to be corrupted by which he meant to save the world and therefore Christ said Luke 16.17 that not one iota should perish till heaven and earth passed away Mat. 5.18 And 3. They did not for then they would above all other places expunged or altered those that related to Christ as Esa 7. ver 14. Behold a Virgin shall conceive Gnalemah Bethulah not a young woman for that had been no wonder nor worth the world Behold So Esa 9.6 To us a child is born and a Son is given called Wonderfull c. Nor did they deface his passion though they deformed him foreprophecied so clearly Esa 53. Bellarm. Which words in their own language do more forcibly convince the Jewes then the Vulgar Latine doth as in Psal 2.12 Kisse the Son Nesheku Bar. i. embrace Christ not Discipline And therefore certainly the Old Testament was not corrupted by the Jewes 4. Our Saviour never charged them with corrupting the Text but only with misunderstanding or mis-interpreting nor any of the Fathers in their writing against them Just Marr. except one for wronging the Septuagints translation So that it is void of corruption however in the reading there may be some variation yet no deprvation of the Copy Mathe. But methinks they deliver things impossible and some things contradictory and some things in them seem doubtfull in regard of difference of text and margent in the old Testament and diversity of readings in the new Phila. Not things impossible to him whose word it is who to his works requires our faith more then our understandings else his works did not exceed magitians 2. Nor is there any contradictions in them if you observe the rule of contradictions which must be a assertion of the same thing at the same time according to the same part notion or apprehension You must know therefore that there is a vast difference between Scriptures and other books For they do not omit somethings out of mis-knowledge as other books do nor at all contradict themselves but sometimes things are omitted for mystery sake as Moses a
angels called an Abysse and bottomlesse pit but whether it be under the waters where the old Rephaims or giants buried in the deluge of which is spoken Pro. 21.16 a man that wandereth from the way of understanding shall remain or in any subterraneous fires Pro. 21.16 which break out in divers places of the world Surius Hecla Aeina which fires I take to be not subtile enough to torment such spirits But that there is a place of torment to which they are reserved is typed forth to us by a place under the waters where the dead lie sighing Which place of hell is naked before God without any covering which is called also Job 26.5 6. Abaddon Prov. 15.11 the place of destruction And such a place seems to be under the earth from which Esay eloquently saith Esa 14.9.10 that the hell from beneath is removed to meet the King of Babylon after his ruine saying to him in an upbraiding manner art thou become like one of us So the vallie of Hinnom is a type of it from which hell was called Gehenna after the captivity from the detestable use of that where they burnt their children in Tophet to the Idol Moloch for which God made it a place of abomination First by the burning of 185000 of the dead Assyrians there whom the Angel slew 2 Kin. 19.35 prophecied of therefore Esa 30.33 and there likened to hell And 2 ly by King Josiah who made it a common lay-stall Jer. 7.22 And thirdly by buring the bodies of the Jews there who were massacred by the Babylonian army when Jerusalem was taken till no place was left to bury there therefore afterward called the vallie of slaughter Jer. 19.6 all which together with the burning of Sodom with fire and brimstone argueth such a dreadfull place to be reserved but where it is or whether yet it is till all these lower places be dissolved is doubtfull Mathe. Where are these evill spirits Phila. About the earth and the aire Therefore St Paul cals Satan the Prince of the power of the aire Hieron in Ephes 6. O ig in Num. cap. 22. 2 Pet. 2.4 Jude ver 6. And all the Doctors for the first 400. years held the same opinion Indeed the devill durst adjure Christ not to torment him before the time whereby it seems they were not as yet cast into hell but as St Jude saith and Peter also they were cast downward and are reserved in chains or for chains of darknesse to the last judgement when they shall be confined by the divine workman when the mystery of God is finished to their terra damnata the Abysse of blacknesse of darknesse for ever Mathe. What doth or can this knowledge profit me Phila. Very much As 1. Ovid. rudis indigest moles Since God first made a rude Chaos as a subject to work upon though he could have made all rightly formed at first but to shew how he intended to work upon us whom he foresaw would make our selves a deformed lump namely that his spirit must move upon us and that he would call light out of darknesse that we might become children of light for the Creation was a type of our recreation and the first Adam of the second and making all so excellent as he did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was a prototype of what he meant to do by his personall and declarative word by whom and for which all things were created 2. Out of light he made the highest heavens the place of the blessed for them to dwell in a light never to be extinguished that we might know there is a rest for the people of God and therefore not to set up our rest here nor mind things below but above to have our conversation in heaven and seek another City whose builder and maker is God 3. He began with light not that he needed it but to teach us not to doe the works of darknesse but walk in light and to begin our works with the light of true understanding not with blind affection or rashnesse 4. Because some of the Angels of light fell because they would not stand by the way God had determined as by his grace power or order but rather by their own devise and so fell from heaven Take heed of desiring to be independent which God hath granted to nothing in this world for all depends on Gods power or love or grace or order Jude Ep. that he hath set except such as will fall by envy pride or rebellion into destruction especially men if they go in the way of Cain or the gainsaying of Corah or love with Balaam the wages of unrighteousnesse they must needs fall with the apostate Angels Mathe. What order did God observe in creating the world Phila. 1. He made the generall and more imperfect creature as the elements under the name of heaven and earth 2. Things composed of them some with life as trees herbs beasts birds fishes some without life as stars meteors stones and minerals with which when he had furnished the world like a fair house then he made man and put him in possession of all 3. He made some in actuall being Homers Chain as the vegetative and chiefe sensitives some only in potentiality of being as those many creeping things which heat and moisture is apt to produce 4. In this great work he hath ordained certain midling natures by which as by certain links of a chain we may be led to the highest natures As 1. Water and earth is coupled by slime air and water by vapors fire and air by exhalations So chrystall is a middle nature between water and the harder sort of precious stones So Quicksilver between water and mettals Corall between roots and stones so some vegetals are of a middle nature between a plant and a living creature as the Mandrake and the Zeophytes so some sensitives as the Amphibions are creatures of a middle nature between fish and flesh such are Crocodiles Seals and Sea-Morses so Estriges are a middle nature between a beast and a foul a Bat between a creeping thing and a bird an Ape between man and beast Hermaphrodites between man and woman a man between a bruit and an Angell an Angell a middle nature between an intellectuall and rationall spirit Christ a mediator uniting God and man together Mathe. Whether had God no coadjutor in this work of Creation Phila. He had none For God is the sole cause of creation and Being is the first effect of creation and nothing can come between the first cause and the first effect but a meer nothing and therefore God had no instrument or coadjutor to assist him No not Angels for they can do nothing in an instant as God doth in creation by an efficacious word only which doth distinguish him from all false gods and heathen vanities as Jer. 10.11 your gods that made not the heavens and the earth shall perish Mathe. Of what did he make
the world Phila. Of nothing and that not of nothing privatively as an Idol is said to be nothing in the world 1 Cor. 8.4 i. hath no divinity in it Nor of a comparative nothing as Esa 40.15 The whole world is nothing in comparison of God but he created all of nothing negatively and simply i. he had nothing to make all but his word only And he only can bring a thing to nothing when he pleaseth to substract his divine influx as Psal 90.3 So he can only turn one substance into another without naturall preparation as water into wine John 2. and Lots wife into a pillar of salt Gen. 19. Therefore Satan to trie Christs divinity would have him to turn stones into bread So God only can give forms to things Gen. 1.2 3. to which purpose his spirit was said to move upon the waters So he only gives life preserves and restores it Therefore to God we attribute three creations 1. To make all of nothing 2. When he makes that good which was perfectly evil Gen. 1.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 51. Create in me a new heart 3. When he shall restore all men at the Resurrection Mathe. In what form did God make the world and into what parts Phila. Certainly round so Psal 93.1 He hath made the round world so fast that it cannot be moved And this roundnesse is sphericall not like a round trencher but like a ball as appeareth now by experience though thought otherwise in former times The parts in generall are heaven and earth the one including the other For the earth and sea making one globe hangeth in the aire upon nothing Job 26.7 Not as the Poets think weighed with its own weight But because as Job saith God stretched out the North upon the empty place By North Ovid. Metam lib. 1. Thahava understanding not so much the Northern part but that magneticall vigor which God hath impressed upon that vast circumference in which the earth hangeth which vigor figuratively is called the North because though it attracted all the parts of the Chaos to the center of the North and South Poles yet the North Pole hath the more magnetick vertue which vertue is of such power in both Poles that if the earth could be remembred from them yet it will thither again like a needle removed from the Load-star Thus God hath hung this huge globe upon no basis nor sustentation for the sea runs in the earths channell and the earth hangs meerly by a magnetick attraction and meridionall projection without any prop at all Mathe. Whether might not the world have been made better Phila. Not in respect of the totall though in regard of some parts for every part was good though not one part so good as another but all being made God saw that it was so very good as it could not be mended So in respect of some particular men it were better they were born Noble or rich yet in regard of the totall corporation of men in which all cannot be alike it is better for them to be as they are It is sufficient that God makes all good though not all in the same height of goodnesse Mathe. To what use is the heaven and the stars Phila. For the nourishing of the inferiour creatures in the aire earth and sea by their influences For God therefore hath included the inferiour globe in the heavens upon whose highest extream circle he sitteth Psal 68.32 and by his providence in nature nourisheth this great egg causing a perpetuall generation and production of creatures therein The stars serve to give light to measure time by their motion to divide seasons to give life to plants as say some of the Hebrew Doctors that every herb hath its mazal or star Mathe. Have they not power in mens Nativities and Fortunes Phila. The Scriptures deliver to us no such thing save what is said And it is fit we rest therein and not to thrust our selves into things of uncertainty as Colos 2.18 some did about the worship of Angels for what power can they have more then over the bodie of man as to encline his mind to this or that since man is endued with free will and subjected to education which is more powerfull then stars as we see in some Socrates marked out by nature to some vices which good tutoring preventeth Therefore surely as judiciall Astrology is doubtfull so it cannot be lawfull 1. Because it imputes that to the stars which God hath not endowed them withall 2. Because it hath no evidence of divine writ 3. The authors of it were men of no sound judgement or Religion as the old Aegyptians Chaldeans Babylonians or Arabians Nor doth God any where in Scripture commend it to his people either for knowledge or practise and yet were it fit for them surely God would not grudge it them as the devill insinuated to Eve about the tree of knowledge But we find it forbidden under the names of a planetary or an observer of times as if one day were good and another bad Deut. 18.10 and God hath denied his people to consult with Astrologians and punished them for being furnished with sooth-saiers from the East and proclaimed himselfe to be one that frustrateth the tokens of the lyars and maketh the Diviners mad and chargeth his people that they should not be afraid of the signs of heaven as the heathen were Hor. Ode babylonios tentare numeros And indeed some of the ancient heathen Poets have thought it ridiculous to cast figures or to try nativities And the Primitive Christians in token of their conversion to Christ burnt their books of curious Arts. Beside some of great knowledge in it yet will not practise it and they that have done it have run into high presumption As he that supposed that Christs disputing so young with the Doctors was caused by the Planet Jupiter being in his ascendent and Libra the cause of his justice and righteousnesse Thus they make Jacobs star subject to Planets which if he were he had needed no other star to be created purposely for his nativity Beside Mat. 2. it renders the providence of God but vain to be depended upon if the influence of the stars necessitates us to good or evill Also it makes void the crosse of Christ if a man could be exempted from it by the benignity of his stars So it prevents our devotion and waiting on God by faith and hope which God requireth in all those that are in covenant with him Besides stars are things meerly materiall consisting of light and heat and not things spiritually animated by either Angels as Trithemius and others thought who counted seven elect Angels to be the praefects of the seven planets The old Poets like the heathen before them thought Philo. Biblius Diodorus Plat. de defect Orac. that the souls of their great Heroes were placed there and so called them after their names as Saturn Jupiter
in the body by conversion of it selfe to the phantasie which then it hath not nor by any formerly received species kept in memory for then the souls of children departed should understand nothing but the soule separated understandeth as Angels do know a new thing presented to them By which we may see plainly that souls separated know not what is done here on earth Aquin. p. 1. q. 89. art 8. further then God pleaseth to reveal to them and who can prove God doth any such thing continually by way of reflection upon them Mathe. How fell men from God being made so righteous Phila. Solomon saith they found out inventions i. Adam and all his successors did yea and Eve first who was called Adam of God as well as he Ishab Virago Gen. 5.2 But her husband Adam called her woman Gen. 2.23 and afterward Havah Evah the mother of all living Gen. 3.20 Her first invention was to open her eare too wide to the Devils subtile counsell who had fallen himselfe first from God and from heaven the place of blessednesse and cast down into these lower regions where finding man to be Gods favourite he was very industrious to bring him to destruction with himselfe And for this purpose makes the serpents body the organ of his speech and tempts the woman supposing her to be inferiour to the man in understanding but far more inclinable to curiosity His temptation of her was to eat of the tree God forbad Aug. de civ dei lib. 13. c. 20. and set apart as a token of his prerogative and their obedience she consented and gave to her husband upon which St Paul saith 1 Tim. 2. the man was not deceived but the woman being deceived was in the transgression That is the man was not deceived immediately by the serpent but the woman was nor did the woman deceive him but gave it him for she had no mind to make him transgre sse for she was so perswaded by the serpent as if she had not transgressed in eating thereof her selfe so he was tempted by her but not deceived by her nor the serpent For the serpent left that work to the woman knowing how prevalent she might be with him being his only companion This tree whose fruit was forbidden them was called the tree of knowledge of good and evill Moses Barcephas translated by Masius not that it had any such vertue to increase knowledge for the tree was naturall not metaphysicall but it is called so from that unhappy effect which they should find after the eating of it Junius For as Adam in his innocence knew good and might have obtained it and knew evill and might have avoided it so after his fall he knew the good he had lost and the evill he found the good of obedience the evill of disobedience not but he knew good before by prudence but not evill by experience till now Their sin therefore was not a precacious carnall knowledge one of another as some think for we find a command for it increase and multiply but no time set of abstinence or continence by breach whereof they might offend God Gen. 4.1 And we find also in Scripture that they had no carnall knowledge of each other till they had sinned for had Eve conceived in the state of innocency no doubt but the children had been innocent also which had been so conceived Mathe. What was it that most prevailed with Adam to do this Phila. 1. Perswasion of the woman filled with unquiet vanity 2. It may be the false understanding of Gods threatning who had said the day on which thou eatest thereof thou shalt die and perceiving Eve had eaten and yet was not dead he was the more easily perswaded to eat But God meant they should become mortall not die presently 3. A loathnesse to displease her or sad her spirit that was his only comfort 4. His own ambition of a farther knowledge in himselfe did betray and over-power his understanding so that he did not look seriously into the evils incident and the sorrowes emerging from that act but affecting the supposed glory to be obtained by tasting he was driven on and transported by the gentle gale of perswasion and so turned from the Creator to the creature and so fell under Gods infinite wrath to be poured eternally upon body and soule Mathe. How did he escape it Phila. Naturall death he could not for justice must have its course he having brought himselfe under the power of death yea his soule too but that God himselfe provided a plaister so soon as he was wounded by the serpent For since he could not stand by the Law he propounds to him a promised seed of the woman who should loose the bands of Satan in which they were tied purposed of God upon the foresight of their fall that so they might live by faith since they could not by works Not that God did hereby abolish mans duty but shewed that his duty was insufficient to justifie him in his sight whose infinite justice he had offended So that now all he did in pious practices was only a fruit of his faith not a cause of his justice Rom. 5.18 to shew his gratification not justification therefore did God shew forth his intent of this way of worship and religion from the beginning And therefore as he forbad them the tree of knowledge to shew that none could come to felicity by seeking curious and unnecessary knowledge so he barred them of the tree of life lest the carnall knowledge they had got should lead them into farther presumptuous error as to eat of the tree of life in hope that might bring them to eternity as they hoped the other tree should have made them wise and so abuse that for nutriment which God set rather for a Sacrament Mathe. How was the hope of Gods promise continued Phila. By Covenant Types Promises Prophecies till the fulnesse of time came 1. By Covenant This covenant did not appear plainly at first saving to Adam in the promise of Christ Gen. 3.15 called the seed of the woman For we find no covenant made by God with any of the Patriarchs about Religious worship till Abraham though they that were of the line of Sheth were called the sons of God because they professed that true Religion constantly which they had received from Adam by tradition But these mixing themselves with the daughters of men i. the linage of Cain God was displeased so that he drowned all the world save Noah and his family which were but eight persons in all This time was called an obscure or dark time Scaliger in Proleg in Euseb Varro de re rustica and it continued even after the flood till the time of Moses who first gave the true light of Gods proceeding with man It is true that there were many good men before and after the flood But as the flood obliterated the memory of some so the confounding of
everlasting Heb. 7.24 A Sacrifice he was in his manhood not Eucharisticall but expiatory offered up whole like the Holocaust for sin which was burned up to ashes by the fire of Gods wrath And his Godhead was the spirituall Altar called the eternall spirit by which he offered up himselfe Heb. 9.14 yet the Crosse might be taken as a materiall Altar upon which his body was laid for though the Altar sanctifieth the gift as it is the utensill of Gods instistution yet he that sanctifieth himselfe may sanctifie the Altar too by his own oblation the fruit whereof made a blessed attonement by the sweet savour thereof Eph. 5.2 for all those that are crucified with him by crossing their own corrupt natures and that look upon Christ by faith as on the brazen Serpent that cured the people Iohn 3.14 and also to consecrate themselves to God as a living sacrifice to his service Rom. 12.1 Mathe. I pray shew me the reasons why he was erucified in such a manner Phila. He was crucified naked to satisfie for Adams losing the garment of innocence and might uncloath us of mortality of which the skins given to Adam for cloathing was an Emblem and cloath us with his merits also that he and we might enter into heaven naked as Adam did into earthly paradise so to comfort us that when the world and death strips us naked of all we have to suffer it joyfully for we shall find a cloathing from heaven 2 Cor. 5.4 when mortality shall be swallowed up of life and therefore to be content in the mean time Lignum mortis Lignum vitae that the world be crucified to us and we to the world Again he was fastned to the wood that death might be driven out of the world by a tree as it came in by a tree and life brought back to us again He was laied on the crosse as Isaac on the wood and nailed as foretold Psal 22.17 they digged my hands and my feet also that all bils and bonds of law against us might be nailed with him to his Crosse 1 Pet. 2.14 Then he was lifted up that he might carry our sins from the earth and conquer the spirits that rule in the aire Col. 2.15 He was crucified with his hands spread as reaching them out to embrace both Jewes and Gentiles that are not a gainsaying people His blood was shed on the Crosse to answer all the sacrifices of the Law without which there had been no remission Heb. 9.18 whereas it is now an universall medicine for all our soules languishing 1 John 17. and obtaineth for us eternall redemption Heb. 9.12 Beside he was crucified between two theeves 1. Because it was foretold that he should be reckoned among the transgressors 2. Esa 53.12 That he might sanctifie the death of repenting malefactors for his death in effect was to be divided among sinners of whom at last he would be Judge while some stand on his right hand and some on his left as the bad and repenting Theefe hung Now while he hung on the Crosse alive he suffered beside the paine 1. The division of his garments and casting lots on his vesture as was prophecied Psal 22.19 2. To shew that his very enemies should partake of his graces 3. Into four parts to shew that his good grace should edifie the four parts of the world So the not dividing his other coat shewed that his righteousnesse should be applied whole to every beleever And the casting lots for it argued that no man had his merits by their deserving but by the meer gift of God Col. 1.12 who disposeth of the Lot To all which misery they added derision Mat. 27.39 wagging their heads and upbraiding him with his words of destroying and building the Temple in three daies Yet it was truth in his sense of his resurrection ut praedixit sit revixit and mocking at his miracles saying he saved others but himselfe he cannot save Others mocked at his trust in God Others at his praiers as if he called upon Elias to save him which he suffered that we might know the abominableness of our sins that heaped such contempt upon the Son of God Also that we might be delivered from the scorn of this world and enjoy the comfort of our repute from God and a good conscience Heb. 12.3 without reviling the world again Nay more they blasphemed God as if he could not deliver him as the wicked said Psal 22. with whom they join issue and so condemn themselves to be of the wicked crew even like theeves who also did the same But beside all this he suffered great torments both in body and mind In body by hanging on the Crosse by his nailed hands and feet so that his heart might be rightly said to be melted like wax Psal 22.15 This was undergone to satisfie for our despising the threatning and the power of God in punishing those sins we had committed in the body also to free us from eternall torments and to sanctifie whatsoever pains we suffer in the body by diseases or from persecutors So he suffered anguish in soule when he cried out my God my God why hast thou forsaken me which some writers take to be meant of his descending into hell for now God seemed to desert him by deferring his deliverance and by withdrawing from his humane nature the divine support of comfort that he being sensible of them we might be delivered from them by his meritorious suffering them Yet we are not to conceive that the divine nature of the Sonne did forsake the humane but that the union was obscured or eclipsed nor that God the Father forsook him quite but permitted his humane nature as surety to feele what was due to the principall And this first confutes those that think he suffered not in soule though the Prophet say he made his soule an offering for sin And if not in soule his bitter cry argued more impatience then the Martyrs had It also may comfort men in their distresse of mind since Christ was forsaken for a time and surely it should work in us a feare of sin that made God thus to deale with his only Son whom he spared not being only the principall how terrible will he be against unrepenting sinners whom he will forforsake for ever and to make us consider with commiseration those that are troubled in mind a wounded spirit who can bear No wonder if many of them cry out they be damn'd of whom we are to judge charitably since Christ complains of Gods forsaking him through fear whom yet he calleth his God by faith Lastly he through paine suffereth thirst and they to adde to his misery gave him vinegar and so they fulfilled the Scripture Psalm 69.22 and he compleated our redemption saying it is finished Mathe. But did he only suffer on the crosse without any glorious testimony of his roialty and Deity Phila. No God left him not without witnesse For Pilats
more than Apollos Temple at Delphos could which after this was destroied by thunder and earthquakes Theo. l. 3. c. 11. as if God meant to put an end to Judaisme and to Heathenisme and to set up Christianity And though the Emperor Julian out of hatred to Christianity Sozom. lib. 5. c. 19 20. permitted the Jewes to re-edifie their Temple yet God by storms and tempests earthquakes and fire flashing out of the earth resisted it Mathe. They being thus destroied and their Religion expunged among what people did God then plant his Church and true Religion Phila. Among Christians of what Nation soever 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of which you read Acts 2.5 there were sojourners at Jerusalem Jewes devout men of all nations which were not Jewes by Country but rather by profession and yet Jewes by blood but dispersed abroad called men of Israel Acts 2.22 39. yet others were there and therefore ver 10. called proselytes and Act. 17.4 worshipping Greeks or Gentiles Now these * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Proselytes were such as disclaimed heathenisme and joined themselves to the Jewes They were of two sorts 1. A Proselyte of the Covenant or of Righteousnesse 2. Of the gate Deut. 14.21 The first subjected himselfe to Circumcision and to all the Law of Moses and therefore was admitted to the Jewish society and priviledges even to stand in the first Court of the Temple where the Lay-people of the Jewes assembled to worship The second sort subjecting themselves only to Noahs seven precepts which were 1. To renounce all Idolatry Schindler in Pentaglot p. 1530. 2. To worship the true God that created all things 3. Not to murther 4. To forbear all unlawfull copulations 5. To abstaine from theft 6. To do * Iren. l. 3. c. 12 to doe as they would be done unto justice and judgement on malefactors 7. To refraine from eating like Canibals flesh with blood as any member torn from living creatures of which sort of proselytes as is thought was Naaman the Syrian the Eunuch and Cornelius These were not admitted into the Jewes Court of the Temple as the other proselytes were but stood in the Court of the Gentiles which was separated from the other by a little low wall after the second Temple was built In this place they suffered beasts and birds to be sold for the use of the Temple to sacrifice and thought it a place fit enough for such proselyts to worship God in among the unclean Maâ—k 7.11 But Christ comming thither drives out those market men and calleth even that place his house of praier where these despised Gentiles were allotted their place of worship So beginning there to break down the partition wall between Jew and Gentile alluded to by St Paul Eph. 2.13 15. making way for one to come as neer the throne of grace as another Here was the first sign of admission of the Gentiles to worship God in Oratories as well as the Jewes in their Temple Court by Christs acceptation Againe we find these Gentiles called worshippers of God as in Acts 17.4 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so far as they were lead by the knowledge of the Law and the Prophets by which they were lead to the hope of eternall life and the expectation of Christ which knowledge made the Gospel find the more easie passage into their hearts upon the Apostles preaching and expounding the Prophets to them concerning Christs Death and Resurrection or else we must suppose them to be miraculously converted so many thousands at once without their Will and Understanding and so could give no reason of their faith and beleefe These latter proselytes received the Gospell with great joy and of these converts Christ built his New Testaments Church by the ministry of his Apostles through preaching which he confirmed by signs and wonders Acts 15.10 For when it was questioned whether the Gentiles that beleeved or should beleeve should conform to circumcision or not it was concluded by St Peter that no such burden should be laid upon them Acts 10.28 because he had received no such order from God in his vision at Ioppa from whence he was immediately sent to Cornelius an uncircumcised proselyte between whom and Jewes God put no difference Acts 15.9 but purified their hearts by faith and gave them also the Holy Ghost Acts 15.8 9. to whom also St Iames assented Acts 15.19 God therefore did most wisely dispose that the comming down of the Holy Ghost should be at that time when Jewes and Proselytes were assembled from all parts round about Canaan to celebrate the Feast of Pentecost at Ierusalem that so they being converted might upon their return home disperse the same to others These both Jewes and worshipping Gentiles no doubt were the first founders and dispersers of Christian Religion and it may be the Apostle thought they were no farther bound to preach to the Gentiles but to these only that came from the adjacent places from every nation But God made it appear otherwise to Peter Paul and Silas who were by the spirit separated and sent to that purpose to the remote Gentiles Mathe. What visible association were there of the Gospell people at first beside conversion of people Phila. The first was of the Apostles and Disciples Acts 1.13 14. together with the mother of Jesus and other women after Christ was taken from them into heaven Unto these more were added ver 15. then the number was 120. These being assembled in an upper room in Jerusalem after praier Peter stood up and advised to chuse one in the place of Judas Iscariot which lot fell upon Matthias Acts 1.15 26. When they had thus filled up the number of the twelve Apostles their next meeting was upon the day of Pentecost a Feast of the Jewes Levit. 23.11 15. called a Feast of weeks or fifty daies begun on the sixteenth day of Nisan or the second of the Passeover or the morrow after the Feast of the Passeover which was the fifteenth as the killing of the Passeover was on the fourteenth of the same month at even On this sixteenth day they were to offer a sheafe of their first corn and the Priest was to wave or shake it before the Lord. Upon which day Christ the first fruits of the dead rose out of the grave with an earthquake This feast ended with the offering of two waved loaves as a sign at the finishing of harvest at the end of fifty daies So Christ having compleated the harvest of mans redemption and presented himselfe in both natures divine and humane to God as intercessor he sent upon his Apostles the holy Ghost with plenty of celestiall gifts to feed and sustain his Church In respect of which candid gifts of sight it was stiled rightly Whitsunday and the Christians were clothed in white garments Their next association was in the Temple at praier time and at breaking of bread in their houses
spoken before An old Sect 130 years ago Secondly Apostolikes because they wandered about without staves shooes or mony They washed each others feet and left houses wives and trades They grew chargeable to the common purse they put away their wives when they pleased at last were excommunicated by the rest of the brethren as idle vagabonds The third were Separatists because they sequestred themselves from the world and brave cloaths marriage meetings feasts and musick and arms looked sad and sighed much The fourth were called Catharists because they pretended purity without sin and said children had no originall sin and denied them baptisme and would not say the Lords Praier The fifth were Silentes because they seldome spake The sixth were called Enthusiasts who said the gift of prophecy by dreams came to them and therefore would lie much in trances like Mahomet when he was in a paroxisme or fit of the falling sicknesse or like our Quakers They said Anabaptisme was holy but childrens baptisme came from the devill The seventh were called Liberians or Libertines who misunderstanding the liberty of Christ to be worldly and carnall thought themselves free from paying rents tributes or tithes though Christ paied tribute to Caesar and also took liberty to commit all uncleannesse The eighth were called Adamites because they thought themselves in the state of innocence and therefore accounted cloaths to be a sign of the curse and therefore went naked as did the old Adamiani 300 yeers after Christ in their Conventicles or Hupocausta under ground caves which were warmed by secret furnaces or stoves in which place they stood naked men and women The ninth sort were called Hutites from their author Iohn Huta These denied Christs divinity with the Arrians The tenth were called Augustinians who conceived there was no entrance into Paradise till Augustin the Bohemian opened it forgetting that Christ said to the thiefe on the crosse this day thou shalt be with me in Paradise The eleventh was the Beuckeldians who said that it was an holy thing to have many wives at once forgetting Mal. 2.14 where it is called trechery against the wife of thy youth of which covenant God is the witnesse The twelfth was the Melchiorists who of one Melchior Hoffman their Prophet at Strausborough whom they look for to come with Elias at the day of judgement and hold that Christ was not conceived and born of the blessed Virgin Mary but only passed through her as water through a conduit in which they agree with the old Eutychians The thirteenth were the Georgians so called of David George the originall of the Familists who thought himselfe a greater Prophet then Christ and that he would rise three yeers after his death and restore the Kingdome of Israel but he was never heard of since The fourteenth were Menorists so called of one Menor a Frisian by whose name for a certain time they were generally called These differed not in doctrines from the rest no more then did the Muncerians and Hutites Some were founded as I have shewed upon ancient heresies some of them hold the same opinions with the rest but have added more to them Many others there were as the Henerobaptist Gastius de Ana. Exord p. 20. that baptized himselfe daily if the weather were temperate Others did follow Servetus who not only denied baptisme to children but denied the deity of Christ who was burnt at Geneva in the year 1553. Hist of Anab. p. 53. Others sottishly abusing Christs words except you become like children you cannot enter into the Kingdome of heaven would turnble and battle in their own dung and play like children and innocents and lie with one another but I beleeve not very innocently Calv. contra Libert Some denied the resurrection of the body Deukius held Origens error that in time the devils and wicked men should be saved Others set all Christian duty in praier like the old Euchytae Others so left all things to God that they neglected the means God appointed Vid. Hezychi Stephan Budaeum Others held that all that were not plunged in water were not rightly baptized whereas the Greek word in the New Testament for baptizing signifieth washing or sprinkling as well as plunging as Mark 7.3 and Heb. 9.10 And if the Scriptures gives a word of divers interpretation no doubt but it was that the Church might use such a form in baptizing as the word admits or as the region and weaknesse of the party baptized permitteth Mathe. But do our Anabaptists now among us hold such hereticall opinions Phila. I beleeve all do not hold alike but take them together or severally you shall find all or some either to have a tincture of old heresies or else newly dipped into other colours divers from the truth Mathe. I pray make that appear Phila. Some of them hold that Christ shall come from heaven 1000 years before the generall judgement and shall raign with the Saints upon earth and shall destroy all the wicked viz all that are not of their sect And this before Christ come they have endeavoured to put in practice and so they prove Millenaries and somewhat worse Others hold that they are the communion of Saints and that all those that have been notorious sinners and excommunicate may not be restored again upon their repentance and so they be Novatians Yet this is but a pretence for I find their practice contrary for they do either account their own sins none or else favour them in the punishment Others say that in the true Church there are no scandalous livers and if so it wil be hard to prove their Church to be true though they say the Church is bounded in their societies and therefore separate from all other Christian assemblies therein shewing themselves Donatists Some again of them hold that Christ took not his flesh of the Virgin Mary And so held also the Priscilianists Others of them hold that it is lawfull for the people to lay violent hands on the magistrates and depose and slay them how supreme soever they be and so are plain Jesuits Some of them hold that election is of foreseeen faith and that man hath free will of himselfe to refuse or accept Gods grace and that a true beleever may fall away totally and finally from grace and so are Pelagians contrary to St Johas tenet 1 John 3.9 Others say that there ought to be a parity in the Church of ministers contrary to St Paul who saith that without all contradiction the lesse must be blessed of the greater Heb. 7.7 and therefore left Titus in Creet to ordain Elders i. ministers in every City Also that Church Service and Ceremonies are superstitious and that the Church of England is no true Church and therefore must be left and in this they be Brownists Mathe. How came these into England Phila. After this sect had continued in Germany a long time but not above ten years in any full vigour Gastius de
be rooted out and that their Family of Love shall possesse the earth and their posterity shall remain for ever He made himselfe a greater light then Christ and said that in his light Christ was perfected and that he was codeified in God and God hominified in him and this they count the everlasting Gospell spoken of Rev. 11.15 They said the speech of Christ was made good in H.N. I must walk to day and to morrow Luke 13.32 and the third day I shall be perfected that is by to day is meant the time of Christ by to morrow the time of the Romish Religion and by the third day the time of H.N. and his Family If you demand how this Sect came into England I answer by those that translated the book of David George called the Wonder Book and H. N. his book called the Gospell of the Kingdome So did one Christopher Viret a Joiner in Southwark in Queen Maries daies translated some of them out of Dutch into English If you desire to know more of their blasphemous and abominable errors you may read their confession set down by Mr Knewstub and Henock Claphams book Mr Knewstub Conf. called the error of the right hand and of the left They be made up of many heresies their conversation is full of uncleannesse they partake with the old Adamites of whom St Augustine writeth who in their Conventicles or Paradice made warm by stoves they exercise the rites of their religion in praying hearing of sermons Lamb. Horten. p. 53. Gaftius p. 222. and receiving the Communion all naked both men and women Some of these have begun to practice their naked truth as they call it here in England since the year 1642. Mathe. But it may be Sir I shall not find these books and so shall not be able to discover them when they speake and therefore I pray tell me some of their errors which you can remember Phil. They say every one of their congregation is as perfect as Christ Familists opinions or else he is a devill the latter part whereof I do believe Also that it is lawfull to do whatsoever the higher power commands though it be against Gods command Herein they perform blind obedience like Papists and the Jesuits Novices If a man do so how doth he forsake his father and mother for Christ Or why said the Apostles to the higher powers that it was more fit to obey God then man So they affirm that in saying God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost we acknowledge three Gods not perceiving we call them so because they are all but one God in essence 1 John 5.7 though three distinct persons Here they smell of the old heresie of Noetians that held there was but one person in the Godhead as the Socinians do now They say there is no other heaven nor hell than in this world among us What place then is that to which Christ is gone before to prepare for us or that fire foretold of Christ into which wicked men must depart So that they are not bound to give alms but to their own Sect yet St Paul saith do good to all So that there ought to be no contrary both to the Law and Gospell practice in all ages that there was a world before Adams time this is to be wise above what is written So that they ought not to bury their dead because it is said let the dead bury their dead Mat. 8.22 which he spake not as to have the dead neglected nor despising those that did that charitable work but to warn him that he out of too much care of worldly ceremonies neglect not the blessed state of life to which Christ called him saying follow me Also that they need not say Davids praiers because they have no sin but St John saith 1 John such deceive themselves and the truth is not in them But farther they have blasphemous opinions concerning God as that God hath no other Deity in himselfe but such as men partake of in this life 2 Pet. 1.4 Indeed we are said to partake of the divine nature but that is not by the participation of equality but of quality both of grace and glory not of the divine essence but the holy disposition or conditions thereof So they hold that Christ is not a person God and man but an estate or condition in men common to them only who have received the doctrine of Henry Nicholas So they say that Adam was all that God was and God all that Adam was as if God communicated his whole essence to Adam as to Christ which no man can well beleeve Again they would have none baptized till they be thirty yeers old Indeed Christ was not nor could not till there was one sent to baptize namely John the Baptist They say there was no truth preached since the Apostles times yes even that which they have often heard but perverted because they did not entertain it in a love thereof and so God hath given them up to delusions So they affirm that the resurrection of the body is only a rising from sin and wickednesse But St John tels us of another Rev. 20.5 6. Rev. 20.6 as well as St Paul in the 1 Cor. 15. They account marriage whoredome where the parties married have not true faith Yet surely it is more holy then the copulation of H. N. with the three women in his house clothed all alike and called his Wife Sister and Cousin which Cousin falling sick confessed that he had made unlawfull use of her body and made her beleeve she should never die The Governor hearing of it came to apprehend him but the unclean bird was fled so the Governor seized on his nest in the yeer 1556. even when H. N. was fifty seven yeers of age Knewstub p. 15.27 older than wiser As for their high conceits of H. N. that he could no more erre then Christ and of their great opinions of their illuminated elders I refer you to authors Knewstub p. 15.27 Mathe. Who else hath disturbed the Protestant Church Phila. The Antinomians so called Antinomians because they hold that there is no use of the Law under the Gospel Some say the first author of this Sect was one John Agricola of Isleby who set forth his opinions 1535. But the first that appeared here was John Eaton Curate of St Katherine Colemans Parish in London He writ the book called the Hony-comb wherein he endeavors to prove that God does not nor cannot see any sin in justified people That he seeth no sin to condemn them for is most true as Num. 23.21 He beheld no iniquity in Jacob to bring him under the curse yet he saw enough in Israel to punish them in the wildernesse To think otherwise is to take part with the wicked Psal 10.11 God hideth his face and will not see it and as Psal 50.21 because God winked they thought he was
every man their fellow The books that some of their own have written shew enough of their simplicity Mathe. Are we not troubled with some of the old Pelagians Phila. There have been some long agoe that held some of the opinions of old Pelagius Britto the Welsh man alias Morgan Cond in the fift Council of Carthage and in others Pontanus Cat. Haeret. who lived in the time of the Emperour Theodosius the younger about the year 416. His followers of latter time are reckoned to hold many errors as 1. That Adam should have died by the course of nature though he had not sinned yet we find that God joins death to disobedience Gen. 2.17 So 2. They say Adams sin only hurt himselfe not his posteritie yet Paul saith otherwise Rom. 5.12 by one man sin entred and death passed upon all men because all men did partake of that one sin yea even those that never sinned as Adam did ver 14. i. actuallie but not originallie as children have no sin but that and yet die August Beza But therefore 3. These Pelagians denie originall sin in children but how then saith David in sin my mother conceived me Psal 51. and therefore originall sin is propagated by generation 4. They say the children of the faithfull though not baptized are saved and they shall enjoy everlasting life but not in heaven but Christ saith Joh. 3. that those which belong to Gods Kingdome must be baptized with water nor doth the Scripture set forth to us any third place between heaven and hell 5. They say that men are born in Adams perfection stature and age excepted yet sure they are not born in such integrity as Adam was made for then all would be equally wise and good when they come to age 6. They say men have free will by which they are enabled to do well without Gods grace yet saith Paul not I but the grace of God in me 7. Gods grace they say is obtained by the merit of our works yet Paul saith that they that are in the flesh cannot please God and therefore by naturall works they cannot merit grace 8. They say that the word grace in Scripture doth not signifie remission of sin or donation of the Holy Ghost but the doctrine of the Gospell But this is found otherwise for as there is the doctrine of faith Fides quam credimus fides quâ credimus which is preached Rom. 10.8 and the vertue of faith by which we beleeve it and are thereby justified Rom. 5.1 So the promulgation of the Gospell is a common grace afforded to many Tit. 2.11 teaching us to denie ungodlinesse and next by it is begot saving grace 1 Tim. 1.14 the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant in me with faith and love which is in Jesus Christ 9. They say that faith is the knowledge of the Law and the Historie not any speciall work in us but then the faith of divels and good Christians are both alike Jam. 2.19.10 They say the Law is not impossible for a man to keep and it is satisfied by the externall obedience why then doth Paul say that by the work of the Law no man can be justified Rom. 3.20 yet he that can fulfill it may be justified by it and hath no need of Christ Gal. 3.12 So 11. They say that to pray for the conversion of sinners or for the Saints perseverance is vain because it is in the power of their own free will But surely the will of man hath not power to revive him though he had power to kill himselfe and therefore praier is very fit to be used for people unconverted and also for the godly because of their frailties therefore Christ bids us pray for our enemies and Paul boweth his knees dailie for the Ephesians c. 3.16 So 12. They slight the doctrin of predestination which is applauded by St Paul Rom. 8. and comfortable to Gods people Many other errors they hold not worth relating Mathe. But I hear of some called Independents and Levellers I would willingly know what they are Phila. Independants are those that set up a congregationall government which shall depend upon no other Church Synod nor Classis and though they be against the Bishops yet they would have in every Church Bishop-Independants and so many Parishes so many prelacies because they are Independant upon any other They are bred from Separatists and Brownists The first of them that I can hear of was one Mr Robinson who leaving Norwich turned a rigid Brownist at Leyden He dying many of his followers went from thence to New England and planted at Plymoth there and spread their errors by discourse and into old England by letters where they endeavor to set Church against Church and Conventicles against our Churches which they call steeple-houses which were at first set up for the honour of God and his service though abused by the Papists to superstition yet are they never the worse when they are returned to a right use for as there is no inherent righteousness in their wals so neither is inherent superstition in them It is true that Jehosaphat took away the high places and groves because God had appointed and a place was consecrated for his service 2 Chro. 17.6 and such high places and groves were forbidden But they just contrary to Jehosaphat pull down the consecrated places and set up high places in chambers and meet in the groves and woods God give them a right understanding in the use of Churches Beside this they set themselves to overthrow learning and to rob it of all maintainance and the ministers of all dues and yet ask wherein have we robbed God Mal. 3.8 where God answereth them in tithes and offerings which God thought a fit way to maintaine his Priests And Christ bids the Leper go shew himselfe to the Priest and pay his offering Mat. 8.4 And Paul found it was equity that as they which did wait on the Altar were partakers of the Altar So that it was Gods Ordinance that they that preach the Gospell should live on the Gospell 1 Cor. 9.13 14. Yet these like Julian the Apostate would rob the Church of maintainance that there might be no ministrie because they despise prophecie Again they allow no set forms of Praier no not Christs form and yet they will say St Pauls namely The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ the love of God the Father and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost c. Yet it hath ever been the practice of all true Churches Jewes and Christians to have set forms as well for the uniform consent of the people Rom. 15.6 in praier and in praise as also for the confining not of the spirit as they suppose but of their inconsiderate spirits to the words of truth and sobernesse Yet there was alwaies liberty enough to shew the gift of praier before and after Sermon if men could use their libertie not as occasion to fleshly phantasies Mathe.
he died not for them Not for the good for they needed no sanctification by redemption though a preservation in their standing by the vertue of him in whom they were first called to immutability of estate who was the first born of every creature because he was eternally born of God before any creature was made Col. 1.15 and by him they were made and therefore must hold their estates but yet they cannot be of the redeemed Church in regard they were never captived nor did ever fall from nor fall out with God and so need him that was only a Mediator between God and man of whom this Church consisteth which is one holy Catholike Church built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Christ being the head corner stone This is the subject of all the benefits which God hath afforded us in Christ through his spirit and is called one because it is the one only mysticall body of Christ and hath but one faith to knit it to Christ and one spirit to agitate it one God by whom it is called to worship him and to be glorified of him one love by which all the members are gathered among themselves and one salvation the felicity thereof and one bond of divine love in Christ toward her in which respect she is called his friend his beloved and his Spouse So it is called Catholike in regard of the universall largnesse of it being tied to neither persons time nor place Therefore it is either ignorantly or arrogantly assumed by the Papists who call their Roman Church Catholike whereas it wants the Catholike extension of it as well as the Catholike truths of it So it is called holy because it hath a most holy and sanctifying head by which sin is not imputed and her corruptions by the Holy Ghost by degrees taken away that she may be presented to God without spot or wrinkle Eph. 1.27 So it is called Propheticall and Apostolicall because she is founded upon their doctrine Eph. 2.20 Now the parts of this Church are triumphant or militant The triumphant is that part which now triumpheth with Christ the head of the Church over all enemies and enjoieth with him all gladnesse and felicity of soule and after the resurrection shall enjoy the fulness of it in soule and body united That the soules of the just after death do enjoy heavenly felicity is plaine because it is said Rev. 7.15 that the soules of the dead were before Gods throne in white robes serving God day and night and because Christ promised the theefe that time he died that his soule should be with him in Paradise Luke 23.43 which Paradise St Paul calleth the third heavens 2 Cor. 12.2 4. And it is said Heb. 12.23 that the spirits of just men are in the heavenly Jerusalem and therefore when this tabernacle is dissolved i. our bodies we have an house in heaven 2 Cor. 5.1 or else St Paul had little reason to desire dissolution if not to be with Christ Phil. 1.23 But yet all this proveth nothing for the Popes canonization of Saints whose memoriall is esteemed of all good men and their examples imitated but we find no Scripture for their canonization nor for those honors the Pope gives them As 1. To be written in a Catalogue thereby commanding them to be called Saints 2. By calling on them in the praiers of the Church 3. By dedicating to their memory Temples and Altars 4. By offering any sacrifice in their honor And 5. Celebrating daies festivall to their memory 6. By setting up their pictures 7. By reserving their reliques to worship And all this must be done by the Pope and none else Bel. de heatitud sanct lib. 1. cap. 7. and 8. say his flatterers and he cannot err therein yet St Paul saith that only God knoweth who are his not the Pope for he canonizeth hypocrites whom he by his indulgence hath flattered to hell in their life time and then placeth them in heaven when they are dead though their souls be in the place of torment This kind of canonization came up by Pope Leo the third Bel. ut supra about eight hundred years since and then Antichrist was detected and so canonization is Antichristian So is their giving to them religious worship which in Scripture is neither commanded nor given by any good man farther then by esteeming them of blessed memory Luke 1.44 or by praising God for them Gal. 1.5 or by imitation of their faith and vertue yea Angels have refused it at the hands of men and Apostles also as Acts 10.26 and 14.15 and Rev. 19.10 and 22.8 And as bad is their doctrine of Saints interceeding for us for there is but one Mediator who maketh intercession in whose name only we expect salvation Acts 4.10 and receive remission Acts 17.31 He is a perfect Mediator and needeth nor requireth any copartners 1 Cor. 1.13 and Heb. 12.2 Beside Aug. lib. 10. conf cap. 42. Amb. de Isaac cap. 8. Aug. in Psal 118. who can insure us that the dead departed have any cognizance of our state or praiers Isa 63.16 surely Christ is our mouth to speak to God and our eie to see him and our hand to offer to him and that praier that is not offered by him is so far from blotting out sin that it becomes sin it selfe therefore the worshipping of Angels forbidden by St Paul Col. 2.18 is unlawfull and the invocation of Saints as bad Aug. lib. de cura pro mortuis agenda since the dead know not what the living do and that true Christians beleeve not on Peter himselfe but in him upon whom Peter beleeved as Aug. saith well in his book of the City of God lib. 18. cap. 58. But worse is the religious worship of their images though there may be a civill use of them for adorning of houses or keeping of them in memory Aug. de civit dei cap. 14 in Psal 36. in Psal 113. or painting of them historically But to set up their images or pictures in Temples and holy places under pretence of instructing the ignorant as did Pope Gregory the first they have degenerated to superstition and idolatry as Serenus Bishop of Massilus forewarned that Pope nor would suffer any to be in his Churches however those logs of which the images were made have better fortune then their fellowes who being as good as they yet are laied behind the fire There was none in Churches in the time of Eusebius Bishop of Caesarea about the year 330. But the first painting of Church wass was done by Pontius Paulinus Bishop of Nola who painted the Churches with the story of the Israelites Sunfet in the wildernesse to deter the people from gluttony that came to the annuall Feast of St Faelix But surely he hath no religion that worshippeth an image though the image of Christ Lactant. de errore Orig. lib. 2. cap. 16. anno 300. for we are not to make images of things
it is as simple to say that Antichrist must deny that Jesus Christ in plain words for then every man would detect him and detest him neither could then his doctrine be called the mystery of iniquity nor could the great whore bear on her forehead properly the name Mystery Rev. 17.5 which in former time was written upon the Popes Myter however it is now taken away and put on the front of their religion It is as vain to think that the Turk is Antichrist for he is understood to be signified in Magog whose interpretation is Uncovered but the Papacy by Gog which signifieth covered or secret because he is not as the Turk an open enemy but a close enemy of Christs An earthly minded beast having horns like a lamb but a voice like a dragon Rev. 13.11 seeming like Christ but teaching like the devill making great shew of religion with a golden chalice but it is full of soule poison Rev. 17.4 The chiefe tokens that this Antichristian whore must be taken for Rome the Popes seat is plain First because the ruine of Rome was the forerunner of Antichrist and while the Empire was setled at Rome it hindred the delection of Antichrist which many learned men do write that it was the meaning of St Paul 2 Thes 2.7 he that now letteth will let till he be taken out of the way Indeed the Emperour Constantine departing from Rome to Constantinople gave the Pope the first inlet to Romes state and government But then the Goths and Vandals invasions of Rome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hindred him again in the years 414. and 459. and 549. by turning it to ruine This was the head of the first Beast which was wounded Rev. 13.3 as able Divines write but was healed again by Popes repairing the ruines of Rome and taking on himselfe the image of the first beast and getteth as much honor to the Roman Bishop as before was given to Roman Emperours and more for he hath made Kings and Emperors to kisse his feet Rev. 13.11 and hath brought Rome into as much respect of the world as any Emperor could And as this second beast made fire to come down from heaven so doth the Pope by making that heavenly censure of excommunication and absolution stoop to his earthly pleasure and places of heavenly Scripture to serve his sensuall desires It is he that gave life to the image of the beast that is to that shape which he left to the Emperours which he made to speak what and when he pleased for they became but his creatures for he made them and caused the people to make them at his pleasure yet but as images of Emperours to what they had been The seat of this Beast is Rome which in St Johns time was built on seven hils and if it be not so now Virgill Propertius it matters not so long as it stands for old Rome And the City of Rome is called the great whore sitting and her religion spirituall fornication and her dominion very vast as extending it selfe over many nations by power and wicked policy She is likewise called Babylon Rev. 17.5 Babel was a Tower and after a City called Babylon The Tower was built by certain families that schismed from the family of Shem Gen. 11.1 2 3. Gen. 10.8 of which the apostate Nimrod was the head and therefore Micah calleth that soile the land of Nimrod Micah 5.6 Here God confounded their language and they left off to build the Tower yet afterward men built a City there which in processe of time became a great Monarchy of which Nebuchadnezzar was a famous King which City and Kingdome was a great adversary to the people of God the Jews In all which respects it was a type of Rome which at first as it was built for vain glory and to get a name as Babels tower was and next became the greatest Monarchy as Babylon did and opposed the true Church by idolatry and persecution so hath Rome done and therefore hath been esteemed as a second Babylon by authentick Writers as Tertul. adv Judeos cap. 9. Rhenanus in his ancient Copy though Pamelius the Romanist blots Babylon Roma out of the margent Heir Fabiolae de veste sacerdot Andreas in Apocal. cap. 53. Ausbert in Rev. 13. But this spirituall Babylon Rome will have a fearfull fall Grostead Bishop of Lincoln said it must fall by a bloody sword which indeed St John foretold him Rev. 17. and the 18. chap. But first by him that sate upon the white horse chap. 19. who is called the word of God King of Kings and Lord of Lords as in opposition to the titles of the man of sin and son of perdition The wals of this spirituall Babylon have been falling a long time First by divers Kings falling from them Rev. 17.16 who in time will be Romes ruine Secondly by their slit tongue and divided languages in divinity as may be found in Ferus Granatensis and Pintus and many others I will name but a few as Orkam that writ against the Decretals and in defence of the Emperour about 1333. Next Armachanus the Irish Bishop writ against Friers 1363. Then Wickliffe discharged against Rome wals two hundred volumes of books like so many vollies of shot to stop whose doctrine was called the Faedifragus Councill of Constance who contrary to their covenant burnt John Husse and also Jerom of Prague and digged up Wickliffs bones and burned them in spight as the dog that bites the stone because he cannot him that flung it Then one Walter Brut in the time of Richard the second did affirm that the 1260 daies Fox his Martyrology DVX CLERI spoken of by St John in the Revelation were prophetically so many years and that the Pope being head Captaine of the Clergy appeared to have the number of the Beast in that title Now as God stirred up many faithful Christians in England so he did abundance in forrein parts as Marsilius Patavinus Joannes de Gunduno Luitpoldus Vlricus Hargenor Dante 's Aligerus Gregorius Ariminensis Andreas de Castro Franciscus Petrarcha Joannes de rupe scissa Michael Cesenas Gulielmus Ockam Petrus de Corbaria and Matthias Parisiensis with abundance more many of whom were persecuted by the Beast and many were by Gods providence preserved who have set such a fire in Rome that will never be quenched but she must burn and the smoke rise up for ever Rev. 19.3 Mathe. But if the Pope be this great Antichrist why is St Paul and St John so close in the describing of him Phila. Not because they were fearfull of persecution but because they would prove faithfull to the Church as Daniel to save the Jews from hatred and dangers penned some things that concerned their enemies the Persian and the Grecian in a language least known to them and many things that concerned the Jewes glory or troubles he writeth in close hidden terms calling the Son of God the Prince of Princes
Luke the Physitian So the Lord allowed schools for the Prophets as we do Academies to be as medicines for the rude manners of the people If these men had more learning they would see they wanted more but having none they find none they want But however let them prove they have the spirit without learning the able minister shall prove he hath the spirit by learning as one may shew his faith by his works more evidently then another can shew faith without them Mathe. But why do you advise me to the publike meeting places as Churches rather than to chambers and conventicles surely one is as holy as the other is it not Phila. Yes in respect of any inherent holinesse in them for neither hath any but the Church hath the holinesse of dedication and separation from all other use as the Jewes Temple had till the abomination that maketh desolate was set there i. the Roman souldier And therefore God looketh it should be used with discrimination for holinesse becommeth his house for ever and sure a decent handsomnesse and behaviour doth not mis-become it But I do advise you to Churches the rather then chambers because Christ hath forewarned you of seeking him in the private chambers Mat. 24.26 Mathe. But I see as much disorder in Gods service there as in the chambers both in service and at the Communion by divers gestures Phila. The more pitty for they that pretend to sanctifie Gods name ought to make an holy discrination between those things that are called by his name and other things that are not As Gods word and Gods house and the Lords table I confesse in some things people may be borne withall as not kneeling at praiers when the Church and seats are so full that they cannot do it So at the Communion every Church have thought fit to have one gesture by themselves because people come to the Communion with one faith to feed upon one Christ and in one love and charity So some Churches beyond the seas stand some walk some sit the English Church was wont to kneele Now since our discipline is dissolved all these forrein gestures are crept into our Church and being there is no power to reduce them to their pristine gestures ministers can do no more then to instruct them to be well satisfied in their own minds and to have a charitable opinion of them For it may be they that receive it standing look on it in relation to the Passeover a type thereof which was eaten standing They that take it walking conceive it as a viaticum or a refreshment in their journie towards the land of eternall rest They that take it sitting look upon it as a spirituall banquet set before them to feed upon by faith They that kneel conceive it as a pardon sealed and delivered to them of God and so think good to take it kneeling By this charitable construction one Church or Christian shall not condemn another for a thing indifferent Mathe. But the Sabbath is not a thing indifferent yet some allow none or at least not the Lords day but Saturday the Jewes Sabbath Phila. They that will allow none deny the fourth Commandement which requires a morall Sabbath They that will not have the Lords day understand not the sense of that Commandement which bindeth not all men to the seventh which the Jewes kept but to a seventh For the Jewes themselves seem to me to have the seventh day from the creation altered as well as the beginning of the year at the Passeover of which Moses gives a reason Deut. 5.15 in repetition of the Commandement saying because God delivered thee out of Egypt therefore he commanded thee to keep the Sabbath day Nor do we find a Sabbath day kept till the reigning of Manna but that they marched one day as well as another yet if the day from the creation was altered by a new designation of a day yet the law was not broken which only intended a seventh day rest from six daies labor whensoever God should prescribe or fix the day to begin Neither is the law broken by Christians because the day is altered for the intent of the law is kept which bindeth to keep holy one in seven only the day is altered upon good ground for as the Jewes kept their day in remembrance of Gods delivering them from Pharaoh so the Christians keep one in seven i. the first day of the week in remembrance of Christs deliverance of them by his resurrection from satan sin and death and so hath performed indeed to us what was but typed forth to the Jewes by whose Holy daies and Sabbaths we are not now to be judged Col. 11.16 17. Mathe. But what need we keep a day in remembrance of Christs resurrection if we shall have no benefit by it if some say true that there is neither heaven nor hell Phila. These men shall find their error to their griefe at the resurrection which shall be procured by Christs resurrection who is the first fruits of them that sleep 1 Cor. 15. Concerning hell I have already shewed you That there must be a resurrection there needs no proofe since the wicked must be punished and the just rewarded which commonly falleth out contrary in this world and that many things may be revealed which yet lie hid as well sacred mysteries as mysteries of iniquity Rom. 2.16 And for heaven no doubt it is the place of felicity where Gods elect shall enjoy eternall life whither Christ is gone before to prepare a place for them the happinesse of which place is called by St Paul our house from heaven and the excellency of the inheritance is set down by the name of crowns and kingcomes and an eternall weight of glory of which unbeleevers must look for no part but such as have fought a good fight against corruptions and kept the faith in a pure conscience which God of his mercy give you and I grace to do through Jesus Christ our Lord to whom I commend you and so take leave for this time because important occasion cals me away Mathe. Gods peace be with you Phila. And Gods grace be with you Amen FINIS The Table of the Contents OF mans happiness p. 1 Of mans propagation p. 3 Of Christs humanity p. 9 Of principles leading to felicity p. 12 How man came to wander from it p. 13 That there is a God proved by reason p. 15 How men came to worship false deities p. 16 When came in false gods p. 17 Of Atheisme p. 19 No true God but one p. 20 Christians worship that God ibid. Persons in the Godhead three and no more p. 21 The means to know God p. 25 The Scriptures are Gods Word p. 26 Canonicall books p. 29 The Jewes have not corrupted the Text of the Old Testament p. 30 No contradiction in the Scriptures p. 31 Confutation of those that reject Scriptures p. 32 Of Scriptures translation p. 33 The judge of Scriptures sense p.