they were not at the Tabernacle yet they were of those that were written by Moses and presented unto the Lord and therefore the Lord put his spirit upon them Verse 26. Now I pray what Moses hath written your name and presented it unto the Lord Besides we must not gather general Rules from extraordinary examples Because Deborah and Huldah prophesied therefore shall any infer that Women ougth to teach in the Church Doth not the Apostle teach the contrary 1 Cor. 14. 34. 1 Tim. 2. 12 CHAP. 18. The subject of this Chapter is Original sin You speake much in the commendation of young children which were commendable in you were it not done for by-ends you set them forth in their most beautiful Characters but Latet anguis in Herba you would shroud an old Pelagian Heresy under them You magnifie their condition as being free from actual sin but your purpose in it is to denie Originall Sin You say They are not born in sin First therefore I will shew what Original sin is and that it is in all men by Nature and then answer your Cavills For the better understanding of it we must know there were in Adam before his fall three things 1. The substance of his body and soul 2. The faculties and 3. The qualities of them that is to say the image of God consisting in a conformity of all his wiâ—l and affections and powers to Gods will Now when Adam sinned he did not lose the substance or faculties of his soul and body but the conformity of his will and Affections and powers to Gods will and consequently in stead of that comes want of Original righteousnesse and a pronesse to sin and wickednesse Now that this is in all mankinde by nature appears in Psa. 51 5. behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me Eph. 2. 3. We are all by nature the children of wrath Gen. 6. 5. Again the Circumcision of infants under the Law proves something there was in the soul that ought to be cut away which God promised to do Deut. 30. 6. Likewise the Baptisme of Infants doth shew there is something unclean that hath need of cleansing which God hath promised to do Iohn 3. 5. Titus 3. 5. Ephesians 5. 26 27. The death of infants doth confirm it who die not ex necessitate naturae but ex merito peccati not out of the necessity of nature but for the punishment of Original sin for the wages of sin is death or death is the wages of sin Rom. 6. 23. now it cannot be meant of actual sin and therefore it must be for Original sin Which is cleer out of Rom. 5. 12 18. Your argument ab injusto that it is an hard thing to say that thousands are now in hell for Original sinne Who art thou that disputest with God Rom. 9. 20 if they be the children of Christian Parents there is hope of mercy though they die without the Sacrament of Baptisme because they are born within the Covenant If they be the children of Infidels we may remember the book of life which no man knows but God therefore we may suspend our judgement therein So it is we know whosoever is not found written in the Book of life shall be cast into the Lake of fire Rev. 20. 15. But a strange thing it is that this should be a hard saying to you if any man said so who deny the perpetuity of Hell fire You object Mark 10. 13. And they brought young Children to him that he should touch them This place makes against you it shews there was somthing in them that was to be healed or else they would not have brought them to Christ to be touched you confesse it is brought to prove the Baptisme of Infants and so it is not without reason for if they be born of beleeving parents as those were otherwise they would not have brought them to Christ to be touched and blessed then have they as good right to the Sacrament of Baptisme as the Children under the Law had to the Sacrament of Circumcision in regard the promise was made to Abraham and to his seed and to all that are afar of even as many as the Lord our God shall call Acts. 2. 39. You object Matth. 18. 2 with an absurd exposition of it For his Disciples striving for superiority his answer related particularly to their ambition that they should not strive for Superiority but be converted and become humble otherwise they should not enter into the kingdom of Heaven but let me ask you what then should become of them you should have done well to have expounded that also but it was not for your purpose Also the conference of Christ and Nicodemus Iohn 3. 4. This makes not on your side doth not Christ plainly tell him except a man be born again of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God He gives a reason for it in the next Verse That which is born of flesh is flesh c. Lastly you contradict your self fouly in this Chapter you say you denie not the Baptizing of Children with water to them that are free to do it and immediately you call Baptisme Iohns administration of water and say it was onely to last Iohns time and then to be made void CHAP. XIX It is the saying of the Apostle 2 Tim. 3. 13. That evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived Here we have it verified in you for here you are grown to such to such an height of impudence that you dare out-face a truth as apparent as the light at noon-day You say We have no ground from the Lord Iesus Christ by precept nor example to Baptize with water What say you to that of Ioh. 3. 5. before mentioned where our Saviour tells Nicodemus that except a man be born of water and the spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God Likewise that of our Saviour himself Mat. 28. 19. Go therefore and teach all Nations Baptizing them in the name of the Father Son and holy Ghost Have we not examples for it also read Iohn 4. 1 2. Again can you answer to that of the Eunuch Acts 8. 36. And as they went on their way they came to a certain water and the Eunuch said see here is water what doth hinder me to be Baptised and they went both down into the water both Philip and the eunuch and he Batised him v. 38. The very name or signification of the word Baptisme from {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} may confute you moreover water is one of the parts of the Sacrament Is it not called the Laver of Regeneration Titus 3. 5. wherein Christ doth wash and cleanse his Church 1 Cor. 6. 11. and such were some of you but ye are washed c. Eph. 5. 26. that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word
therefore faith was imputed to him for righteousness And again in the â— to the Gala. Abraham believed and it was imputed to him for righteousness I see you do not understand what the Covenants are I shall briefly tell you therefore Gods Covenant is his contract with man concerning the obtaining of Eternal life upon a certain condition This Covenant consists of two parts Gods promise to man and mans promise to God The promise of God is that whereby he bindeth himself to man if he perform the Condition Mans promise to God is that whereby he voweth his Allegiance unto his Lord and to perform the condition between them Again there are two kinds of this Covenant First the covenant of works and the covenant of grace Jerem. 31. 31 32. The Covenant of works is Gods covenant made with condition of perfect obedience and is expressed in the Moral Law The Moral Law is that part of Gods Word which commandeth a perfect obedience from man as well in his nature as in his actions and forbiddeth the contrary Rom. 10. 5. and 1. Tim. 1. 5. The Covenant of grace is that part whereby God freely promising Christ and his benefits exacts again of man that he would by faith receive Christ and repent of his sins Hos. 2. 18 19. Eze. 36. 25 Mala. 3. 1. And this covenant though it be one in substance yet it is distinguished into the old and new Testament or covenant The old Testament or covenant is that which in Types and Shadows prefigures Christ to come and to be exhibited The new Testament or Covenant declareth Christ already come in the flesh as it is apparently shewed in the Gospel The Gospel is that part of Gods Word which contains a most worthy and welcome message namely that mankinde is fully redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God manifested in the flesh So that now for all those that repent and believe in Jesus Christ there is prepared a full remission of sins together with Salvation and life everlasting Iohn 3. 14 15. Acts 10. 43. Thus have I shewed you what the Covenant is and the difference which it seems plainly you your self did not understand though you taxed another for ignorance But now the Divels and damned are out of this Covenant they are under the curse they cannot repent they cannot truly believe they are hardned and therefore no hope of Salvation to them In the next place of your errours and abominable absurd shifts to maintain them you have found out a prettie distinction of everlasting You say when everlasting and the words for ever are mentioned singly they signifie a time which shall have an end but when they are ingeminated or repeated as from Everlasting to Everlasting or for ever and ever then they signifie Eternitie or a time without end or to this purpose page 18. Your own words shall confute your errour your tongue shall make you fall for if you read Apoc. 14. Verse 11. you shall finde that they that worship the beast are tormented with fire and brimstone And the smoak of their torments ascend for ever and ever habemus confitentem that the pains of Hell are perpetual because they are said to endure for ever and ever Your next answer contains such horrible Blasphemie that it deserves rather a reply from the hand of the Hangman then an answer from the Pen of any man You say and I tremble to repeat it that Hell fire not only is as eternal as God but that God himself is that consuming fire viz. of Hell A most damnable assertion which is all one as to say that Summum bonum is Summum malum that he who is the chiefest good and happiness it self is the chiefest evil And Hell fire it self which was made for the Divels and the damned Mat. 25. 41. For what can it be else let the exposition be what it will the Playster will be too narrow for the Sore God is sometimes compared in the Scripture unto a consuming fire to shew the greatness of his anger against sinners and that except they repent he will burn them up and consume them as a fire consumes the Wood the Chaffe the Stubble but I never heard before that God was said to be Hell fire and I hope shall never hear it again You said absurdly that David was in Hell even while he was upon the earth understanding Hell locally as I understand for why else should you urge it here which cannot be A body cannot be in two places at the same time Secondly you quote the 88. Psalm 6 7. 't is common in the Scriptures for the Spirit of God to use Hyperboles that is transcendent kinds of speaking as it is said that there were among the Canaanites Cities walled up to Heaven that is the Walls were very high So when the greatness of the miseries afflictions and troubles of Gods Children is set forth it is compared unto Hell Ion. 2. 1 2. Then Ionas yrayed unto the Lord his God out of the fishes belly and said I cried by reason of my affliction unto the Lord and he heard me out of the belly of Hell cried I and thou heardest me You mention that place in the 1. Cor. 3. 10 11. nothing to the purpose for that fire there mentioned is to trie Doctrines that are built upon Iesus Christ the foundation the true corner stone whether they be Gold or Silver Hay or Stubble if they be of the first sort they shall abide if of the second they shall burn and vanish Now this fire is not the fire of Hell nor of Purgatory as the Papists hold but the fire of Gods Word or the spirit working by the Word which by the light thereof that is as clear as the day when once it ariseth in our hearts doth manifest and declare what is Silver what is dross If any mans work abide he shall receive a reward Dan. 12. 3. They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the Firmanent and they that turn many to righteousness as the Stars for ever and ever But if his Work burn he shall suffer loss Mat. 5. 19. He shall be accounted least in the Kingdome of Heaven yet if he have kept the foundation he shall be saved yet as by fire He doth not say by fire but as by fire that is by afflictions which are compared to fire 1. Pet. 4. 12 13. for by them God shall correct him and cause him to see his errour Before I was afflicted I went wrong saith David Psal. 119. 67. And in Iob 33. 14 15. God speaketh once yea twice yet man perceiveth it not He openeth his eyes by correction that he may keep back his soul from the Pit And this I conceive is the meaning of the spirit of God in these expressions Thirdly you nrge that place of Hos. 13. 14. I will ransome them from the power of the Grave c. To which I answer First there is a civil
death when men are so overwhelmed with miseries that they seem to be dead and buried whilest they are alive The Prophet fore-tells that they should be brought into such a condition for their sins and yet God should deliver them out of it when they repented which came to pass for they were delivered into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar and after delivered by the Edict of Cyrus But who can better expound the Prophet then the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. 54. who expounds it of the Resurrection So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption and this Mortalitie shall have put on immortalitie then shall the saying be brought to pass that is written death is swallowed up in victory And that very fitly for when we die death gets the victory over us when we rise again life gets then victory of death You bring a place out of the 27. of Isaiah v. 1. which if you will apply unto the Devil and his Angels is enough to break their hearts could they conceive any hope of your redemption In that day the Lord with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish Leviathan that crooked Serpent and he shall slay the Dragon in the Sea In that day when God shall do this shall be sung this song the Church is a Vineyard of red Wine I the Lord do keep it I will water it every moment lest any hurt it I will keep it night and day Fury is not in me that is though he correct it in his anger yet his fury shall not rest upon it though bryers and thorns should be set against him he would go through them and burn them up together By briers and thorns he means the Enemies of his Church whom he will destroy for ever in the day of Judgment But some interpret this place of the destruction of the Babylonians by the Persians and their deliverance by Cyrus which afterwards came to passe and then the Church had cause to sing that song Your last Argument overthrows your own cause Isa. 30. 33. Tophet is prepared of old for the King it is prepared it consists of fire and much wood the breath of the Lord like a stream of brimstone doth kindle it Tophet was a Temple in the valley of Hinnon wherein stood the abominable Idol of Saturn to whom the Israelites offered up their children and that they might not hear their mournful cries they sounded bells to drown their voices from whence it came to be called Tophet of Toph which signifies a bell By this vallie of slaughter the Prophets do many times set forth Hell and the torments thereof Again the Assyrians or the Babylonians were always cruel enemies to the Church of God they often invaded their Country burnt up their Cities slew their people and carried them away captive wherefore Satan and his Angels with his instruments are many times compared to the King of Babel his Souldiers and his people Now in this place the Prophet goes about to set forth the day of judgement when not onely the Babylonians but all the enemies of the Church shall be destroyed Satan and his Angels Tyrants Persecuters Hereticks c. and he begins it in this manner The Lord shall cause his glorious voice to be heard and shall shew the lighting down of his Arm with the indignation of his anger and with the flame of devouring fire with scattering and tempest and hailstones For through the voice of the Lord shall the Assyrian be beaten down which smote with the rod with the rod of his mouth when he shall pronounce the last sentence against them But what shall become of them they shall be cast into Hell and all the people that forget God which hell is here called Tophet when was this made of old But it cannot hold them all Yes 't is deep and large There wants fewel no there is fire and much wood Though it be kindled yet it may go out no it is like a burning River of Brimstone the breath of the Lord continually kindling it and wherefore is all this to burn the Assyrian and his Babylonians This exposition is plain enough yet to do it more fully Transitus Virgae fundatus quem requiescere faciet Dominus super eum He shall make the rod of his anger to rest upon him That is upon Satan and his Angels and the wicked that shall be tormented in those flames they which worshipped the Beast and his image and receive his mark in their forehead or hand the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation and shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the Lamb and the smoke of their Torments ascendeth up for ever and ever and they have no rest day nor night Apo. 14. 11. what can be more strong against you to prove the eternity of the punishment of the damned You conclude these are all the fruits of hell to take away their sins and great fruits they are if true to Purge the Devils and the damned it far exceeds the fire of Purgatory for that onely purgeth some as the Papists vainly teach of their venial sins and the temporal punishment of their mortal but this purgeth all Cain Esau Judas Julian the Devil and damned but let me tell you you were not best to trust to it but make your peace with God if it may be before you come there for if you come to be shut up in that Dungeon or as in the 20. Revel. 10. when you shall be cast into the Lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false Prophet are and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever eternity in your own sense there will be no hope of deliverence When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord 2. Thes. 1. 7 8 9. What can be more plain to all except to such as have their understanding darkned by the ignorance that is in them and their minds alienated from the life of God because of the blindnesse of their hearts and because they will not receive the love of the truth that they may be saved but provoke God to send them strong delusion that they should beleeve a lye and be damned But you wickedly and vainly boast that you fight against the enemies of the truth when it appears plainly that you fight against the friends of the truth nay against the truth it self and that you are not a brother of Christ as you in the pride of your heart call your self but a brother of Anti-Christ whom Christ will destroy with the breath of his mouth I am come to examine the 5. Chap. which is of Christs ascension and his coming to Judgement
signes of his comming 1. The preaching of the Gospel through the whole World Mat. 24. 13. 2. The revealing of Antichrist 2. Thes. 2. 3. 3. A general departing of men from the faith 2. Thes. 2. 3 4. Corruption of manners Men shall be lovers of themselves Covetous boasters proud Blasphemers c. 2. Tim. 3. 2. 5. Great calamities Mat. 24. 6. 6. Deadness of heart Luke 21. 26. 7. The calling of the Jews Rom. 11. 25 26. 8. The sign of the Son of Man Mat. 24. 30. The manner of his comming with power and great glory Mat. 24. 30. with all his holy Angels Mat. 25. 31. With the voice of the Arch-angel and the Trumpet 1. Thes. 4. 16. Mat. 25. 31. He shews what he shall do He shall separate the Sheep from the Goats c. He shall say come yee blessed go ye cursed c. Then the consequent The Sheep shall go into everlasting life and the Goates into everlasting Torment Besides he commanded his Disciples to preach this doctrine Acts 10. 40 41 42. Now what can be set down more plain more punctually so that we may say boldly with the Apostles Now speakest thou plainly and speakest no Parable Iohn 16. 29. Let not therefore the scoffing Athiest say Where is the promise of his comming for since the fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation Nor let any Apostata ask in derision what his Throne is made of or seek to know the particular time of his comming For our God shall come and will not keep silence devouring fire shall go before his face and a mighty tempest shall be stirred up round about him Then shall be execute judgement apon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him Jude 15. Psal. 50. The next thing observable that I meet with is your quoting that in the 3. of the Colossians Verse 1. If you be risen with Christ seek the things which are above c. Of which words the sense may be first considered and then what force the consequence may be to the purpose The things above are primarily the joyes of Heaven 1 Cor. 2. 9. secondarily the gifts and graces of Gods spirit as faith love sanctitie according to that of Iames 1. 17. every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and commeth down from the father of lights c. which gifts do far exceed the things below and are the way to bring us to the Kingdome of Heaven Non est via ad Regnum sine primitiis Regni The Apostle gives several reasons to move us thus to seek The first is because we are risen with Christ sacramentally in Baptisme Col. 2. 13. being buried with him in Baptism wherein also you are risen with him and really by the inward working of the spirit of God which had raised them up from the death of sin to the life of righteousness Titus 3. 5. Secondly because Christ sits at the right hand of God And therefore where our treasure is there should our hearts be also Mat. 6. 21. Thirdly because Christ should come to judgement When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we also appear with him in glory Col. 3. 4. by life here is understood eternal life 1. Iohn 5. 11. also according to that in Heb. 5. 9. he is called our life because he is the Author of our everlasting life Fourthly because he bestows this life Luke 12. 32. But when may it be asked doth he bestow all this At his appearance Christ appears three wayes First corporally God was manifest in the flesh 1. Tim. 3. 16. Secondly spiritually when he makes himself manifest to the eyes of our souls by the preaching of his word Gal. 3. 1. Lastly when he manifesteth himself in glory and commeth to judge the World Phil. 3. 20 21. Let our conversation be in Heaven from whence also we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body according to the mighty working whereby he is able even to subdue all things to himself In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Iesus Christ Rom. 2. 16. Not that we shall have other bodies but the same Iob sayes in my flesh shall I see God I shall see him for my self and mine eyes shall behold and not another Iob 19. 26 27. But they shall have new qualities 1. Cor. 15. 52 53 54. And now how doth that text of Col. 3. 1. serve for your purpose The truth is you could not have brought any place that did more strongly confute your Heresie It seems plainly you do not understand the Scriptures I shall adde something before I proceed concerning the Allegories which indeed are not Allegories but fancies by which you overthrow as much as in you lies the true sense and meaning of the Scriptures the Articles of sound faith and the foundation of true Religion You say The Scriptures are an Allegorie and to prove it you quote Gal. 3. 24. meaning the 4. 24. Which words are These things are an Allegory that is Abraham having two sons one by a bond maid the other by a free-woman it pleased God to signifie by these two the two Covenants Now these being an Allegorie doth it prove that all the Scriptures are an Allegorie What is the History of the creation of the World The History of the Kings The History of the Acts of the Apostles And of our Redemption by Christ If you make such Allegories you will leave nothing sound in the Word of God The Holy Ghost doth not set down the principles of our Religion such as are Christs ascension and his comming to judgement Allegorically but plainly so that he that runs may read them and he that reads may understand them And I doubt not but that it will appear to all that are not wilfully blind that your Book is not truth triumphing against the enemies and aspersers thereof but falshood aspersing truth and the defenders of it which by Gods assistance I have wiped away and howsoever truth may for a time be clouded yet it will break through the thick mists of errour and Heresie for The truth is great and will prevail The end of the first two disputations CHAP. VII In this Chapter you go about to overthrow the Resurrection of the body Although you say I do grant the Resurrection of the body and do not denie it though you say I do And again you say there were some then as well as now that think the Apostle meant carnally the rising again of the same body of flesh and bones Also you say speaking of the Resurrection of the dead Page 34. line 21. this Resurrection is to be within you and you are to know it while you
reason of which the word of truth might be evil spoken of but that they may be mindeful of that excellent admonition of the Apostle 2 Ioh. 7. 8 9 10 11. For many deceivers are entred into the world who confess not that Iesus is come in the flesh This is a deceiver an Anti-Christ Look to your selves that we loose not those things which we have wrought but that we receive a full reward Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the Doctrine of Christ hath not God He that abideth in the Doctrine of Christ hath both the father and the Son If there come any unto you and bring not this Doctrine receive him not into your house neither bid him God-speed for he that biddeth him God-speed is partaker of his evil deeds CHAP. 14. You argue those that do preach the Doctrine of Damnation telling the people that they are eternally damned are no Gosâ—el-Ministers do preach from an evil spirit but Christ did not preach this Doctrine of eternal damnation to any for he did preach salvation to all men and the acceptable year of the Lord and to prove this you quote Luk. 4. 18. Iohn 3. 17. To tell you your Major or Minor is false or to treat you after the manner of Disputants is a thing passeth your understanding therefore I shall answere you thus Those that preach according to the Commission Christ gave unto his Disciples to preach at his departure are Gospel preachers but those that preach damnation to the impenitent and unbelievers as well as Salvation to the penitent and believers preach according to that Commission therefore they are Gospel preachers Mark 16. Go into all the World and preach the Gospel that is he that believes and is baptized shall be saved and he that believeth not shall be damned is not here damnation to the unbelievers as there is Salvation for believers Are they not commissionated to preach this throughout the World and did they not faithfully perform it Read Rom. 2. 4 5 6 7 8 9 10. where the Apostle pronounceth Glory Honour Immortalitie and Eternal life to every man that worketh good but denounceth tribulation and anguish wrath and judgement at the day of wrath and revelation of the just judgement of God to the impenitent that obey not the truth but obey unrighteousness Likewise in the 2. Thes. 1. 6 7 8 9. Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompence Tribulation to them that trouble you and to you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mightie Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord c. read also 2 Pet. 2. 2 3 4 5. and the whole Epistle of Iude. I hope you will not say now these men were not Gospel-preachers or that they had not the spirit of God for it was after the day of Pentecost when the cloven tongues descended and sat upon them Acts 2. 1 2 3. But let me ask you one question when Christ gave unto his Disciples the keys of the kingdome of Heaven wherein did the power of the keys consist Was it not in binding as well as in loosing You will finde it was in Iohn 20. 23. You falsely and impudently say that Christ never preached damnation to any but Salvation to all Certainly you have read Christs Sermon upon the Mount and it is most certain you understand it not for it is plain Mat. 5. 21 22 23 24. and in the 29. It is better that one of thy members perish then that thy whole body should be cast into Hell Mark 6. 11. It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in that day of judgement then for that Citie Likewise read Mat. 23 from the 13. verse to the end of the Chapter and you shall finde how many woes are pronounced by Christ there and the greater damnation to Hypocrites for their holy pretences verse 14. and the 30. It seems plainly you know not what you say and care not what you affirm that you are led by the spirit of falshood and errour and not by the spirit of truth who dare thus boldly contradict the truth But that text of Mat. 23. 14 and 33. quoted by Mr. Sanbroke I perceive confounded you that you know not what to say or at least said you knew not what something nothing to the purpose which was That Christ was then a fulfilling the Law which you your self overthrow at the latter end of this disputation Page 64. out of Heb. 13. 8. Iesus Christ the same yesterday to day and for ever Now if he were the same yesterday as certainly he was for he was the lamb slain in Gods decree ab origine Mundi therefore he had fulfilled yesterday Gods account but if it were so yet it doth not lessen your fault who have falsely affirmed that Christ preached not damnation to any but salvation to all Not to pass over your playing Legerdemain with the Scriptures your saying that Christ told the Pharisees that the kingdome of God was to be revealed in them and which should suddenly come unto them and that they hearing this demanded of Christ when the kingdome of Heaven should come also that Christ answered them The kingdome of Heaven comes not with observation Now let any one read that Chapter of Woe and damnation to the Pharisees Mat. 23. and he shall finde there is no such question or answer in that Chapter nor in that Evangelist neither is there any thing like it and therefore you falsifie the Scriptures to make a colourable answer to that which is unanswerable and what you quote out of the 17. of Luke 20. 21. is spoken upon another occasion and the answer concerned not the Pharisees but was directed to the Disciples verse 22. and he said unto his Disciples c. I think there is no man so deluded except your self as to think that Christ should tell the Pharisees that the kingdome of Heaven was within them of whom he had given this Testimony in the words before that their inside was full of extortion and excess that they were like unto painted Sepulchers full of dead mens bones and of all uncleanness But you say the Kingdome of Heaven was within the Scribes and Pharisees though yet they knew it not But Christ that knew all things knew them intus in cute he knew their conditions and concluded they were a generation of Vipers and should not escape the damnation of Hell You tell us our Schools will never teach us this lesson of knowing Christ within us First you are ignorant what Doctrine the Schools teach and I therefore can give no account of it a fools bolt is soon shot praised be God our Schools teach no such doctrine as you teach nor any of the
are observed to have few that have in them any thing of Godlinesse but such as follow your example perswading others and be perswaded themselves that heaven shall be the reward of the wicked though the Scripture saith without holinesse no man shall see the Lord I say God give you all grace to repent that you may escape the Vengeance which without repentance will assuredly fall upon you for receiving not the love of the truth and having pleasure in unrighteousnesse 2 Thes. 2. 10. 11 12. CHAP. XVI In this Chapter three things are most considerable not to trace you in every absurdity that you speak of the 1. is Gods equal love to all The 2. is universal redemption 3. That this is onely means to keep men from sin The wise man saith God is a lover of all his Creatures yet doth he love Mankinde more then the rest and therefore he is not called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} but {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} not a lover of the Creatures but a lover of man now though he love al mankind as appears by his Protecting and susteining them yet it cannot be denied but he loveth some of mankinde more then the rest because he hath shewed greater effects of his love to some then he hath to others in that he hath elected them effectually called justified and glorified them so that the love he bears to others whom he hath not elected called c. compared to this may in a manner be called hatred agreeable to that of Rom. 9. 13 Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated Now insomuch as he choseth some and refuses others as he did Jacob and not Esau he calleth some and not others as he did Abraham and none of his kindred he bestoweth more benefits upon some then upon others it is apparent his love is not equal but that he loves some more then others and therefore let this provoke us to love God more then others because he hath done more for us then for others to whom much is given of him much is required Concerning universal Redemption I know there be some places of Scripture that do seemingly make for it As 2 Cor. 5. 19. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself 1 Tim. 24. Who will have all men to be saved 1 Iohn 2. 2. He is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world Now mark the Places that are against universal redemption and then I will reconcile them As Matth. 26. 28. Mark 14. 24. This is my blood of the new Testament which is shed for many Matth. 20. 28. He gave his life a ransom for many Heb. 9. 28. Christ was once offered to bear the sinnes of many John 11. 52. there it is said that Christ should gather in one the Children of God that were scattered abroad which are onely his elect for whom he is said to lay down his life Iohn 10. 15. I lay down my life for the Sheep not for the Goats Iohn 17. 9. I pray not for the world but those that thou hast given me Is the Scripture therefore centrary to scripture or the Word against the Word no such matter one short distinction will reconcile all this which is this Christ died for all sufficientèr but not efficientèr His death was of sufficient value to redeem all the world yea and many more worlds if there had been more but yet it is not effectual for al◠because all do not make use of it and the reason is because all have not faith 2 Thessalonians 3. 2. You are declaring you say the gathering together of all men in Christ and more to this purpose for which you alledge or wrest many places of Scripture quoted in your Margent which I will answer as so many Objections Out of Heb. 2. 11. For he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one c. Nihil est Antipho quin male narrando possit depravari as we see in Satans allegation Mat. 4. 6. You take that which you think is though indeed it is not for your purpose and leave out that which is against you Read the verse before For it became him for whom are all things and by whom are all things in bringing many Sons unto glory to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings Then follows For he that sanctifieth c. so you see it is Many sonns not all this makes against you 2. Eph. 1. 10. That he might gather together in one all things in Christ which are in heaven and which are on earth even in him I pray read the verse following which hath a necessary dependance the words are these In whom also we have obtained an inheritance being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will Now how doth this prove your return of all men Doth he not speak of those that he predestinated to the Adoption of children As appears more fully out of the 4. and 5. verses and who are they Those whom he had chosen in Christ before the foundation of the World The Apostles purpose in all this is to prove the gathering together the elect both of the Jews and Gentiles into one body by the preaching of the Gospel as appears more plainly in Ephe. 2. from the 11. verse unto the end of that Chapter And also of the uniting of the Church-militant with the Church-triumphant under the same head Jesus Heb. 12. 22 23 24. Now what doth this make for the proving that Reprobates Infidels Impenitent persons yea the Divels and the damned shall be brought home to Christ Are they predestinated to be the sons of God Were they elected before the foundation of the World For shame if not for love of your own soul rectifie your judgement if you have not lost your understanding in the thick darkness of errour Also the same Apostle tells us Ephes. 4. 18 19. of a people that have their understandings darkned and strangers from the life of God and in the fifth Chapter verse 5. which I cannot pass over that no whormonger nor unclean person nor covetous man who is an Idolater hath any inheritance in the Kingdome of Christ and of God except they repent and we know that there are too many with the deaf Adder stop their ears and refuse to hear the voice of the charmer Psal. 58. 4 5. Eze. 34. 16. I will seek that which was lost and bring again that which was driven away and will bind-up that which was broken and strengthen that which was sick c. Mark I pray what is this to prove the gathering together of all men in Christ to be brought home to the father for which you quote it For observe what follows in the very same Verse But I will destroy the fat and the strong and will feed them with judgement but as for you O my flock thus