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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64661	The judgement of the late Arch-Bishop of Armagh and Primate of Ireland 1. Of the extent of Christs death and satisfaction &c, 2. Of the Sabbath, and observation of the Lords day, 3. Of the ordination in other reformed churches : with a vindication of him from a pretended change of opinion in the first, some advertisements upon the latter, and in prevention of further injuries, a declaration of his judgement in several other subjects / by N. Bernard.	Ussher, James, 1581-1656.; Bernard, Nicholas, d. 1661.	1658 (1658)	Wing U188; ESTC R24649	53,942	189

THE JUDGEMENT Of the late ARCH-BISHOP OF ARMAGH And I Primate of Ireland 1. Of the Extent of Christs death and satisfaction c. 2. Of the Sabbath and observation of the Lords day 3. Of the Ordination in other reformed Churches With a Vindication of him from a pretended change of opinion in the first Some Advertisements upon the latter And in prevention of further injuries A Declaration of his judgement in several other subjects By N. Bernard D. D. and Preacher to the Honourable society of Grayes-Inne London Gather up the fragments that remain that nothing be lost Joh. 6. 12. London Printed for John Crook at the Ship in St. Pauls Church-yard 1658. TO THE READER THE first Treatise containing the Judgement of the most eminent Primate of Ireland concerning the True Intent and Extent of Christs death and satisfaction upon the Crosse was written by him at the request of a Friend a little before the Synod of Dort a Copy of which being taken was unknowne to him carried thither by a Member of it upon the multiplying of them exceptions were taken by divers and by one Penne contracted into a Letter to him which the second Treatise is an answer unto both these I had from him about twenty eight yeares agone and now upon the desire of such whose judgements I subscribe unto and the prevention of other mistaken Copies which possibly might be produced I have been hastened to the printing of them That which hath given the occasion is the mistake lately published of the change of his Judgement in it a little before his death But by the view of these I believe the Authour will receive satisfaction In the vindication of which two Letters being desired from me long agone which have been hitherto deferred the publick I have been importuned to permit them to be annexed Unto which I shall here adde but this That not onely in the forenamed subjects but in the rest relating to the Remonstrants the Primate concurred with Bishop Davenant whose Lectures Demorte Christi praedestinatione reprobatione he caused to be published only that little Treatise added in the conclusion of it entituled Sententia Ecclesiae Anglicanae de praedestinatione capitibus annexis c. taken to be Bishop Davenants and implyed so by the Printer ab eodem uti fertur Authore which possibly hath occasioned the apprehension of a change in him also I have been assured by a Person of Eminency who affirms it out of his own knowledge that it was Bishop Overals And now upon this occasion I have thought fit to publish a Learned Letter of the Primates wrote many yeares agone to Doctor Twisse concerning the Sabbath and Observation of the Lords day having two Copies corrected throughout with his owne hand with parts of two other Letters of the same matter which I had together with the former as also his judgement in divers other subjects both in Doctrine and Discipline with some Advertisements for the clearing and preventing of any further misapprehensions Unto which is added his Reduction of Episcopacy to the form of Synodical Government c. before published And at the request of the Printer a distinction of those Bo●kes which are owned by the Primate from such as are not If the Readers Opinion shall dissent in any of the above-named or swell into an opposition let him not expect any defensive Armes to be taken up by me it being my part to declare his judgement as I finde it Which with the most Pious and Learned I doubt not but will be as it hath been of a Reverend and high esteem If it may but moderate the heat which hath lately broken out among us about some of them the fruit expected is reaped And as these shall be of profit and acceptance I shall be encouraged to a further gathering up of the like fragments N. B. The Judgement of the late Arch-Bishop of Armagh and Primate of Ireland of the true Intent and Extent of Christs death and satisfaction upon the Crosse. Written in Answer to the request of a Friend March 3. 1617. The true Intent and Extent of Christs Death and Satisfaction upon the Crosse. THe all-sufficient satisfaction of Christ made for the sinnes of the whole World The true intent and extent is Lubricus locus to be handled and hath and doth now much trouble the Church this question hath been moved sub iisdem terminis quibus nunc and hath received contrary resolutions the reason is that in the two extremities of opinions held in this matter there is somewhat true and somewhat false The one extremity extends the benefit of Christs satisfaction too farre as if hereby God for his part were actually reconciled to all mankind and did really discharge every man from all his sins and that the reason why all men do not reap the fruit of this benefit is the want of that faith whereby they ought to have believed that God in this sort did love them Whence it would follow that God should forgive a man his sins and justifie him before he believed whereas the Elect themselves before their effectuall vocation are said to be without Christ and without hope and to be utter strangers from the Covenants of Promise Ephes. 2. 2. 2. The other extremity contracts the riches of Christs satisfaction into too narrow a room as if none had any kind of interest therein but such as were elected before the foundation of the World howsoever by the Gospel every one be charged to receive the same whereby it would follow that a man should be bound in conscience to believe that which is untrue and charged to take that wherewith he hath nothing to do Both extremities then drawing with them unavoidable absurdities The Word of God by hearing whereof faith is begotten Eph. 1. 13. must be sought uuto by a middle course to avoyd these extremities For finding out this middle course we must in the matter of our Redemption carefully put a distinction betwixt the satisfaction of Christ absolutely considered and the application thereof to every one in particular The former was once done for all The other is still in doing The former brings with it sufficiency abundant to discharge the whole debt the other addes to it efficacy The satisfaction of Christ onely makes the sinnes of mankind fit for pardon which without it could not well be the injury done to Gods Majesty being so great that it could not stand with his honour to put it up without amends made The particular application makes the sins of those to whom that mercy is vouchsafed to be actually pardoned for as all sins are mortal in regard of the stipend due thereunto by the Law but all do not actually bring forth death because the gracious Promises of the Gospel stayeth the execution even so all the sinnes of mankind are become venial in respect of the price paid by Christ to his Father so farre that in shewing mercy upon all if so

we not know They have not all obeyed the Gospel Rom. 10. 16. all are not apt to entertain this Message of peace and therefore though Gods Ambassadours make a true ten-tender of it to all unto whom they are sent yet their peace only resteth on the sons of peace but if it meet with such as will not listen to the motion of it their peace doth again return unto themselves Luke 10. 6. The Proclamation of the Gospel runneth thus Apoc. 22. 17. Let him that is a thirst come for him this Grace is specially provided because none but he will take the paines to come But least we should think this should abridge the largenesse of the offer a Quicunque vult is immediately added and whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely yet withall this must bee yielded for a certain truth that it is God who must work in us to will and to do of his good pleasure and though the call be never so loud and large yet none can come except the father draw him John 6. 46. For the universality of the satisfaction derogates nothing from the necessity of the speciall Grace in the application neither doth the speciality of the one any wayes abridge the generality of the other Indeed Christ our Saviour saith Joh. 17. 6. I pray not for the world but for them that thou hast given me but the consequence hereby inferred may well be excepted against viz. He prayed not for the world Therefore He payed not for the world Because the latter is an Act of his satisfaction the former of his Intercession which being divers parts of his Priest-hood are distinguishable one from another by sundry differences This his satisfaction doth properly give contentment to Gods justice in such sort as formerly hath been declared His Intercession doth solicit Gods mercy The first containes the preparation of the remedy necessary for mans salvation The second brings with it an application of the same And consequently the one may well appertain to the common nature which the son assumed when the other is a speciall Priviledge vouchsafed to such particular persons onely as the father hath given him And therefore we may safely conclude out of all these premisses That the Lamb of God offering himselfe a sacrifice for the sinnes of the whole world Intended by giveing sufficient satisfaction to Gods Justice to make the nature of man which he assumed a fit subject for mercy and to prepare a medicine for the sinnes of the whole world which should be denied to none that intended to take the benefit of it Howsoever he intended not by applying this all-sufficient remedy unto every person in particular to make it effectual unto the salvation of all or to procure thereby actual Pardon for the sins of the whole world So in one respect hee may be said to have died for all and in another respect not to have died for all yet so as in respect of his mercy he may be counted a kind of universal cause of the restoring of our Nature as Adam was of the depraving of it For as far as I can discerne he rightly hits the naile on the head that determineth the point in this manner Thom Contra Gentiles lib. 4o. 55. Mors Christi est quasi quaedam uuiversalis causa salutis si cut peccatum primi hominis fuit quasi universalis causa damnationis Oportet autem universalem causam applicari ad unumquodque s●ecialiter ut effectum universalis causae participet Effectus igitur peccati primi parentis pervenit ad unumquemque per carnis originem effectus autem mortis Christi pertingit ad ad unumquemque per spiritualem regenerationem per quam Christo homo quodammodo conjungitur incorporatur AN Answer of the said Arch-Bishop of Armagh to some exceptions taken against his aforesaid Letter as followeth ICannot sufficiently wonder why such exceptions should be taken at a Letter of mine which without my privity came to so many mens hands as if thereby I had confirmed Papisme Arminianisme and I know not what error of Mr. Culverwels which as you write is and hath been opposed by many yea all good men The Papist saith one doth thus distingnish A Mediator of Redemption and Intercession And Bellarmine saith another divides the satisfaction and application of Christ. To which what other Answer should I make but this To hold that Christ is the onely Mediator of Redemption but the Saints are also Mediators of Intercession That Christ by his Merits hath made satisfaction to his Father in grosse and the Pope by his indulgence and his Priests by their Oblations in the Masse do make a particular application to particular persons To joyne thus partners with Christ in this manner in the Office of Mediation is Popery indeed But he who attributing the entire work of the Mediation unto Christ alone doth yet distinguish the Act of Redemption from the act of Intercession the Satisfaction made by him unto God from the Application thereof communicated unto men is as far from Popery as he that thinks otherwise is from the grounds of the Catechisme For that Christ hath so died for all men as they lay down in the conference of Hague ut reconciliationem cum Deo peccatorum remissionem singulis impetraverit I hold to be untrue being well assured That our Saviour hath obtained at the hands of his father Reconciliation and Forgivenesse of sinnes not for the Reprobate but Elect onely and not for them neither before they be truly regenerated and implanted into himselfe For Election being nothing else but the purpose of God resting in his own minde makes no kind of alteration in the party elected but onely the execution of that Decree and Purpose which in such as have the use of reason is done by an effectual calling in all by spiritual regeneration which is the new birth without which no man can see the Kingdom of God That Impetration whereof the Arminians speak I hold to be a fruit not of his Satisfaction but Intercession and seeing I have learned from Christs own mouth Joh. 17. 9. I pray not for the reprobate World I must needs esteem it a great folly to imagine that he hath impetrated Reconciliation and Remission of sinnes for that world I agree therefore thus farre with Mr. Aimes in his Dispute against Grevinchovius That application and impetration in this latter we have in hand are of equall extent and That forgivenesse of sinnes is not by our Saviour impetrated for any unto whom the merit of his death is not applyed in particular If in seeking to make straight that which was crooked in the Arminians opinion he hath bended it too farre the contrary way and inclined too much unto the other extremity it is a thing which in the heat of disputation hath befallen many worthy men before him And if I be not deceived gave the first occasion to this present controversie But I see no reason

why I should be tied to follow him in every step wherein he treadeth And so much for Mr. Aimes The main error of the Arminians vid. Corvin in Defen Armini cap. II. and of the patrons of universal grace is this That God offereth unto every man those means that are necessary unto salvation both sufficiently and effectually and That it resteth in the free will of every one to receive or reject the same For the proof thereof they alledge as their predecessors the Semipelagians did before them that received Axiome of Christs dying for all men which being rightly understood makes nothing for their purpose Some of their opposites subject to oversights as well as others more forward herein then circumspect have answered this Objection not by expounding as was fit but by flat denying that famous Axiome Affirming peremptorily that Christ died onely for the Elect and for others nullo modo whereby they gave the adverse party advantage to drive them unto this extream absurdity viz. That seeing Christ in no wise died for any but for the elect and all men were bound to believe that Christ died for themselves and that upon pain of damnation for the contrary infidelity Therefore all men were bound to believe that they themselves were elected although in truth the matter were nothing so Non tali auxilio nec defensoribus istis Tempus eget Neither is their hope that the Arminians will be drawn to acknowledge the error of their position as long as they are perswaded the contrary opinion cannot be maintained without admitting that an untruth must be believed even by the commandment of him that is God of truth and by the direction of that word which is the word of truth Endeavouring therefore to make one truth stand by another and to ward off the blow given by the Arminians in such sort that it should neither bring hurt to the truth nor give advantage to error admit I failed of mine intent I ought to be accounted rather an oppugner than any wise an abettor of their fancies That for the Arminians Now for Mr. Culverwell That which I have heard him charged withall is the former extremity which in my Letter I did condemne viz. That Christ in such sort did die for all men that by his death he made an actuall reconcilement between God and man and That the special reason why all men reap not the fruit of this reconciliation is the want of that faith whereby they ought to have believed that God in this sort did love them How justly he hath been charged with this error himselfe can best tell But if ever he held it I do not doubt but he was driven thereunto by the absurdities which he discerned in the other extremity For what would not a man fly unto rather then yield that Christ no manner of way died for any Reprobate and none but the elect had any kind of title to him and yet so many thousand Reprobates should bee bound in conscience to believe that he died for them and tied to accept him for their Redeemer and Saviour yea and should be condemned to everlasting torments for want of such a faith if we may call that faith which is not grounded upon the word of truth whereby they should have believed that which in it selfe was most untrue and laid hold of that in which they had no kinde of interest If they who dealt with Mr. Culverwell laboured to drive out one absurdity by bringing in another or went about to stop one hole by making two I should the lesse wonder at that you write that though he hath been dealt withall by many brethren and for many yeares yet he could not be drawn from his errour But those stumbling-blocks being removed and the plain word of truth laid open by which faith is to be begotten I dare boldly say he doth not hold that extremity wherewith hee is charged but followeth that safe and middle course which I laid down for after he had well weighed what I had written he heartily thanked the Lord and me for so good a resolution of this Question which for his part he wholly approved not seeing how it could bee gainesayed And so much likewise for Mr. Culverwell Now for Mr. Stock 's publick opposition in the Pulpit I can hardly be induced to believe that he aimed at me therein If he did I must needs say he was deceived when hee reckoned me amongst those good men who make the universality of all the elect and all men to be one Indeed I wrote but even now that God did execute his Decree of Election in all by spirituall generation But if any shall say that by all thereby I should understand the universality of all and every one in the world and not the universality of all the Elect alone hee should greatly wrong my meaning for I am of no other mind than Prosper was lib. 1. De vocat Gent. Habet populus Dei plenitudinem suam quamvis magna pars hominum salvantis Gratiam aut repellat aut negligat in electis tamen praescitis atque ab omni generalitate discretis specialis quaedam censetur universitas ut de toto mundo totus mundus liberatus de omnibus hominibus omnes homines videantur assumpti That Christ died for his Apostles Luke 22. 19. for his sheep John 10. 15. for his friends John 15. 13. for his Church Ephes 5. 25. may make peradventure against those who make all men to have a share alike in the death of our Saviour but I professe my selfe to hold fully with him who said Etsi Christus pro omnibus mortuus est tamen specialiter pro nobis passus est quia pro Ecclesia passus est Yea and in my former writing I did directly conclude That as in one respect Christ might have been said to die for all so in another respect truely said not to have died for all and my beliefe is That the principall end of the Lords death was that he might gather together in one the Children of God scattered abroad John 11. 52. and That for their sakes he did specially sanctifie himselfe that they also might be sanctified through the truth John 17. 19. And therefore it may be well concluded That Christ in a speciall manner died for these but to inferre from hence that in no manner of respect he died for any others is but a very weak collection specially the respect by me expressed being so reasonable that no sober mind advisedly considering thereof can justly make question of it viz. That the Lamb of God offering himselfe a sacrifice for the sinnes of the world intended by giving satisfaction to Gods justice to make the nature of man which he assumed a fit subject for mercy and to prepare a Soveraigne medicine that should not onely be a sufficient cure for the sinnes of the whole world but also should be laid open to all and denied to none that indeed do

take the benefit thereof For he is much deceived that thinkes a preaching of a bare sufficiency is able to yield sufficient ground of comfort to a distressed Soule without giving a further way to it and opening a further passage To bring newes to a bankrupt that the King of Spain hath treasure enough to pay a thousand times more than he owes may be true but yields but cold comfort to him the miserable Debtor sufficiency indeed is requisite but it is the word of promise that gives comfort If here exception bee taken That I make the whole nature of man fit for mercy when it is as unfit a subject for grace as may be I answer That here two impediments do occurre which give a stop unto the peace which is to be made betwixt God and man The one respects God the party offended whose justice hath been in such sort violated by his base Vassals that it were unfit for his glorious Majesty to put up such an injury without a good satisfaction The other respects man the party offending whose blindnesse stupidity and hardnesse of heart is such that he is neither sensible of his own wretchedness nor Gods goodnesse that when God offers to be reconciled unto him there must bee much intreaty to perswade him to be reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5. 20. In regard of the latter I acknowled with the Apostle That the naturall man receives not the things of the spirit for they are foolishnesse to him neither can he because spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2. 14. And this impediment is not taken away by Christs satisfaction which is a work of his Priestly function but by the enlightening of the mind and softning the heart of the sinner which are effects issuing from the execution of the Prophetical and Kingly Office of our Redeemer When therefore I say That by Christs satisfaction to his Father he made the Nature of Man a fit subject for mercy I mean thereby that the former impediment arising on Gods part is taken away that if it were not for the other for the having whereof we can blame none but our selves and in the not removing whereof wee cannot say God hath done us any wrong there were no let but all men might be saved And if it pleased God to extend his mercy unto all as he keeps his freedome therein in having compassion on whom he will have mercy and leaveing others in blindnesse naturall hardnesse of their own heart yet the worth of Christs satisfaction is so great that his Justice herein should be no loser But if this Justice you will say be satisfied how comes it to passe that God exacts payment again from any I Answer We must take heed we stretch not our similitudes beyond their just extent least at last we drive the matter too farre and be forced to say as some have done That wee cannot see how satisfaction and forgivenessè can stand together and so by denying Christs satisfaction be injurious to Gods justice or by denying remission of sinnes become injurious to Gods mercy Wee are therefore to understand that the end of the satisfaction of Gods Justice is to make way for Gods free liberty in shewing mercy that so mercy and Justice meeting and embraceing one another God may be just and the justifier of him that believes in Jesus Rom. 3. 26. Now the generall satisfaction of Christ which was the first act of his Priestly Office prepares the way for Gods mercy by making the sinnes of all mankinde pardonable the interposition of any barre from Gods Justice notwithstanding and so puts the sonnes of men onely in a possibility of being justified a thing denied to the nature of fallen Angels which the sonne was not pleased to assume But the speciall application of this satisfaction vouchsafed by Christ unto those persons onely whom his Father hath given him out of the world which is an appendant or appertaineth to the second Act of his Priest-hood viz. his intercession produceth this potentia in Actum i. e. procureth an actuall discharge from Gods anger And maketh justification which before was a part of our possibility to be a part of our presenr possession If it be said It is a great derogation to the dignity of Christs death to make the sinnes of mankinde onely pardonable and brings in a bare possibility of justification I answer It is a most unchristian imagination to suppose the merit of Christs death being particularly applyed to the Soul of a sinner produceth no further effect than this Saint Paul teacheth us that we be not onely justifiable but justified by his bloud Rom. 5. 9. yet not simply as offered on the Crosse but through faith in his blood Rom. 3. 25. that is through his bloud applyed by faith The bloud of Jesus Christ his Sonne saith Saint John 1 John 1. 17. cleanseth us from all sinnes yet cleanse it doth not by being prepared but by being applyed prepared it was when hee poured it out once upon the Crosse applyed it is when he washeth us from our sinnes therein Rev. 1. 5. It is one thing therefore to speak of Christs satisfaction in the generall absolutely considered and another thing as it is applyed to every one in particular The consideration of things as they are in their causes is one thing and as they have an actuall existence is another thing Things as they are in their causes are no otherwise considerable but as they have a possibility to be The application of the Agent to the patient with all circumstances necessarily required is it that gives to the thing an actuall being That disease is curable for which a Soveraigne medicine may be found but cured it is not till the medicine be applyed to the patient and if it so fall out that the medicine being not applied the party miscarries We say He was lost not becanse his sicknesse was incurable but because there wanted a care to apply that to him that might have helped him All Adams sonnes have taken a mortall sicknesse from their Father which if it be not remedied will without faile bring them to the second death no medicine under heaven can heale this disease but onely a potion confected of the blood of the Lamb of God who came to take away the sinnes of the world which as Prosper truly notes habet quidem in se ut omnibus prosit sed si non bibitur non medetur The vertue thereof is such that if all did take it all without doubt should be recovered but without takeing it there is no recovery In the former respect it may be truly said That no mans state is so desperate but by this means it is recoverable and this is the first comfortable newes that the Gospel brings to the distressed Soule but here it resteth not nor feedeth a man with such a possibility that he should say in his heart Who shall ascend into heaven to bring Christ from above but it brings the word of comfort

it were his pleasure his justice should be no loser but all do not obtain actual remission because most offenders do not take out nor plead their pardon as they ought to do If Christ had not assumed our Nature and therein made satisfaction for the injury offered to the divine Majesty God would not have come unto a Treaty of peace with us more than with the fallen Angels whose nature the Sonne did not assume But this way being made God holds out unto us the golden Scepter of his Word and thereby not onely signifieth his pleasure of admitting us unto his presence and accepting of our submission which is a wonderful Grace but also sends an Embassage unto us and entreats us that we would be reconciled unto him 2 Cor. 5. 20. Hence we inferre against the first extremity that by the vertue of this blessed Oblation God is made placable unto our nature which he never will be unto the Angelical nature offending but not actually appeased with any untill he hath received his son and put on the Lord Jesus As also against the latter extremity that all men may be truly said to have interest in the merits of Christ as in a Common though all do not enjoy the benefit thereof because they have no will to take it The well-spring of life is set open unto all Apoc. 22. 17. Whosoeever will let him take of the water of life freely but many have nothing to draw with and the Well is deep Faith is the vessel whereby we draw all vertue from Christ and the Apostle tells us That Faith is not of all 2 Thes. 3. 2. Now the means of getting this Faith is the hearing of the word of truth the Gospel of our salvation Ephes. 1. 13. which ministreth this general ground for every one to build his Faith upon Syllogisme What Christ hath prepared for thee and the Gospel offereth unto thee that oughtest thou with all thankfulnesse to accept and apply to the comfort of thy own Soul But Christ by his death and obedience hath provided a sufficient remedy for the taking away of all thy sinnes and the Gospel offereth the same unto thee Therefore thou oughtest to accept and apply the same to the comfort of thine own Soul Now this Gospel of salvation many do not hear at all being destitute of the Ministery of the Word and many hearing do not believe or lightly regard it and many that do believe the truth thereof are so wedded to their sinnes that they have no desire to bee divorced from them and therefore they refuse to accept the gratious offer that is made unto them And yet notwithstanding their refusal on their part we may truly say That good things were provided for them on Christs part and a rich price was put into the hands of a Foole howsoever he had no heart to use it Prov. 17. 16. Our blessed Saviour by that which he hath performed on his part hath procured a Jubilee for the Sons of Adam and his Gospel is his Trumpet whereby he doth proclaim Liberty to the Captives and preacheth the acceptable yeare of the Lord Luke 4. 18 19. If for all this some are so well pleased with their Captivity that they desire no deliverance that derogates nothing from the generality of the freedome annexed to that year If one say to sinne his old Master Levites 25. 24. Exod. 21. 5. Deut 15 26 I love thee and will not go out free he shall be bored for a slave and serve for ever But that slavish disposition of his maketh the extent of the priviledge of that yeare not a whit the straiter because he was included within the general Grant as well as others howsoever he was not disposed to take the benefit of it The Kingdom of Heaven is like to a certain King that made a marriage of his Son and sent his servants to those that were bidden to the Wedding with this message Behold I have prepared my Dinner my Oxen and my fatlings are killed and all things are ready Come to the Marriage verse 4. If we look to the event They they that were bidden made light of their entertainment and went their wayes one to his Farme and another to his Merchandize verse 5. but that neglect of theirs doth not falsify the word of the King verse 4. viz. That the Dinner was prepared and these unworthy Guests were invited thereunto For what if some did not believe shall their unbelief disannull the Faith and truth of God Rom. 3. 3 4. God forbid yea let God be true every man a lyar as it is written that thou mayest be justified in thy sayings and overcome when thou judgest Let not the house of Israel say the way of the Lord is unequall For when he cometh to judge them the inequality will be found on their side and not on his O house of Israel are not my wayes equal and your wayes unequal saith the Lord Ezek 18. 29 30. The Lord is right in all his wayes and holy in all his works All the wayes of our God are mercy and truth when we were in our sinnes it was of his infinite mercy that any way or remedy should be prepared for our recovery And when the remedy is prepared we are never the nearer except he be pleased of his free mercy to apply the same to us that so the whole praise of our Redemption from the beginning to the end thereof may intirely be attributed to the riches of his grace and nothing left to sinfull flesh wherein it may rejoyce The freeing of the Jewes from the Captivity of Babylon was a Type of that great deliverance which the Son of God hath wrought for us Cyrus King of Fersia who was Christus Domini and herein but a shadow of Christus Dominus the Authour of our Redemption published his Proclamation in this manner Who is amongst you of all his people the Lord his God be with him and let him go up 2 Chron 36. 23. and 1 Ezra 2. Now it is true they alone did follow this Calling whose spirit God had raised to go up Ezra 1. 5. But could they that remained still in Babylon justly plead That the Kings Grant was not large enough or that they were excluded from going up by any clause contained therein The matter of our Redemption purchased by our Saviour Christ lieth open to all all are invited to it none that hath a mind to accept of it is excluded from it The beautifull feet of those that preach the Gospell of peace do bring glad tidings of good things to every house where they tread The first part of their Message being this Peace to this house Rom. 10. 15. Luke 10. 5. Luke 17. But unlesse God be pleased out of his abundant mercy to guide our feet into the way of peace the Rebellion of our Nature is such that that we run head-long to the wayes of destruction and misery Rom. 3. 16. and the wayes of peace do