would conclude that neither sin nor Law nor the powers of Hell should be able to condemn me As Paul in many places witnesseth We believe saith he that man is justified by faith not by the works of the Law David likewise in this placeth mans beatitude when God imputes righteousness to him without works Blessed are they whose sins are forgiven and whose iniquities are blotted out Blessed is that man to whom God hath not imputed sin Lastly I would conclude that from the appearance of works no infallible criterium could be grounded of our everlasting condition because we are not ignorant that those men that have been most dear to God have collapsed and continued in most presumptious and dangerous sins who afterwards upon repentance have been restored to eternal happiness Therefore we ought not to judge rashly of the final estate of others but leave them to their master either to stand or fall Rom. 14. C. I approve your answer brother Maynordus for it most rationally confutes the cavils of the adversaries and their mistaken expositions and solidly confirmeth our opinion And hereafter by the assistance of God I will thus repel the darts of the devil and elude the subtile arguments of some men M. The Lord teach thy hands to war that bows of steel may be broken by thine arms Psal 18. I conceive I have now sufficiently shewed the first hatching of this barbarous opinion and all its serpentine turnings and windings It remains now that we proceed to the confirmation of our most salutiferous perswasion C. You judge rightly otherwise you may incur the same censure with Lactantius who was said very soundly to confute the opinions of his adversaries but very weakly to maintain and prove his own assertions But in my judgement these men seem ignorant of the duty of a prudent Oratour neither do they fully understand the disposure uâ—ed by Lactantius in his Books of Divine Institutions For it is the part of a wise Oratour as Cicero teacheth us to endeavour all he can that that part of his Oration which consisteth in the refutation of his Opponent be more firm compact and pithy than that which concerns his own Defence to cast all our darts against him but if our own assertions be easier to be proved and his harder to be overthrown then it is an excellent course to endeavour to entice and withdraw the minds of men from the opposite defence and to convert them to the favouring of our own Which things being true I see no reason why it should be objected against him that he laboured more in refutation than in proof for such is the cause of Religion that it must not be supported by the infirmity of humane arguments and subministration of reason but must flourish in the embraces of an active Faith Go ye into all the world saith our great Master and preach the Gospel to every creature he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned Paul also saith That a Bishop should be able by sound Doctrine both to exhort and convince the gainsay rs Tit. 1. For there is no more required but the sincere and pure word of God which to them that are ordained to eternal beatitude is more sure firm and infallible than principles and demonstrations are to Geometricians And therefore if any man hath detected and confuted an erroneous opinion he hath well performed his undertaking I speak not this as though Lactantius had not confirmed true Religion as it was to be proved against them who were ignorant of the Scriptures or despised them For when in the first three Books he confuted the superstitious errours of his adversaries then he falls upon the proof of Christian Religion in the next three Books and in the seventh he sets down the true end of our Religion and sweetly invites men to pursue the reward of immortalitie M. What you speak of that Father is very true that he was to contend against such as denied the authority of the Scriptures neither did they admit of Proofs deduced from that authority But we who have to deal with such men as reverence the Sacred Monuments of Truth must proceed in a different manner I will therefore demonstrate the Amplitude and Largeness of the Church Triumphant fâ—om four most firm and most clear topick places and with as much brevity as the reason of the matter will allow First from the power of God Secondly from his wisdom Thirdly from his mercy and goodness and Lastly from Divine Testimonies To begin therefore with the first I say Caelius that if we should grant the Church and Kingdom of God to be narrower or less peopled than that miserable Commonwealth of the devil I fear we should derogate from the glory and majesty of our Creatour and King For the power and greatness of a King consisteth not so much in wealth and treasure as in the multitude of his people the largeness of his territories the extent of his provinces and the vast number of his Subjects who pay him tribute and are subject to his Dominion How did the people of Rome swell to that greatness but by the multitude of Kingdoms and variety of Nations which they subdued and governed from hence they were stiled the powerful Romanes and Lords of the world From hence their Senate was called the Haven of Nations the Refuge of Kings For what is greatness but an abundance of power and majesty and what is power but a facultie of protecting others defending themselves and a deliverance of the oppressed from the possession of an enemy but if the enemy of God and man be better provided of subjects than the King of Heaven he is then more powerfull and his greatness more wonderful But who was ever so prodigiously wicked as to affirm the devil to be more powerful than God the work than the workman the basest servant than the most wealthy Lord wherefore doth the Lord of Heaven delight himself in these Titles King of kings Lord of lords the Mighty God the Lord of Hosts Strong in battel and the like C. Although the current of your discourse doth very much affect me nor do I willingly hinder it yet I cannot forbear for a while to stop it Some man might here say this also is a great argument of the power of the King of Heaven in that he hath destinated the major part of mankind who were all his enemies to everlasting banishment M. This might be alledged of some Tyrant who leaves no means unattempted either through justice or oppression to enlarge his Empire and such a Tyrant is that old adversary the devil But to affirm this of our Heavenly King who is our most lawful Soveraign our common Father who made us and hath taken an everlasting care to preserve us were most injurious scandalous and blasphemous Neither is that any right demonstration of power that a Prince destroyeth the greater part of his people but on the contrary
a few do much resemble that man who made a most magnificent feast fit in the preparation of it to entertain a whole City but when the guests came to sit down that were invited there appeared onely a very thin number and might not a man demand wherefore all this preparation mountains are delivered of a mouse C. Who will deny this for to what purpose should he prepare many things with ostentation which he did not intend to distribute M. But far otherwise doth our Lord deal by us for when some had refused to come to his Supper Luke 14. Go out saith he to a servant into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in hither the poor and the lame the maimed the halt and the blind and when this was done and yâ—t room was remaining Go saith the Lord into the high-ways and hedges and compel them to come in that my house may be full C. Oh the wonderful benignity of the Lord to whom it seemeth not enough to invite onely but to compel men to a fruition of his plenty But how doth he compel men for this phrase may sound harsh to some ears especially seeing our Lord seemeth to be of a different Opinion saying The Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence and is taken by violence M. First we may call them violent who deny themselves in the brideling of their appetites and moderating their sensualities who oppose the activity of Faith against the wit of reason and prefer the Kingdom of God before all the fugitive pleasures of all the kingdoms of this world He that will follow me saith the King himself let him deny himself this is that holy violence Let him take up his cross and follow me For the Kingdom of God is not overcome by any man but by him who hath first overcome himself He that obtains this conquest as Plautus saith is Victor victorum Conquerour of conquerours Again God is then said to compel when of chips of Hell he makes Cedars of Paradise Of sons of wrath sons of God and coheirs with Christ when by a kiss of love and a spiritual embrace he carrieth them up to Heaven who by nature were concenterd in hell Thus when St. Paul did precipitate hlmself into blasphemies and did exagitate the world with persecutions God suddenly wraps him up into the third Heaven This blessed compulsion also did they undergo that were of the Baptists Auditory who as soon as the Sermon was at an end contended in a holy faith who should first lay hold on Christ for our Lord meant nothing else in those words but to express the vehemency of desire in the multitude to attain everlasting happiness This he also shewed in the similitude of a conquered city into which the Souldiers strive to enter Of which matter if any man doubt let him read the Testimony of St. Luke in the seventh chapter who expounding those things which Christ said of John and of the Kingdom of God saith All the people that heard him and the Publicanes justified God being baptized with the baptism of John Now God dealeth with us even as we use to do with tender infants we hang up a piece of money or some other thing and shew it the child pointing to it as a reward of his weak endeavours to reach it we invite and allure him to take it which when he cannot perform then by little and little we let down the money neerer the childs hands till he have caught it Then we rejoyce the child triumpheth that he hath got the gold and we shout and praise the child as if he had done some great matter But tell me now what did this little infant perform You placed the money you provoked him to take it you let it down that he might reach it onely you did not put the money into his hands and yet you praised him and cockered him as if he alone had done all But God besides all these things doth more for us He doth not onely set a felicity before us invite us excite us and raise us up but also by the gracious instinct of his Spirit sweetly allure us and compel us to like it to will it to choose it to embrace it and to love it C. O blessed constraint O delightful violence let us therefore with them congratulate this priviledge that he hath adopted us to the participation of the glorious inheritance of the Saints that he hath rescued us from the powers of darkness and translated us to the Kingdom of his dearest Son M. We ought indeed to return our thanks to him but who can offer thanks worthy of so great mercies Our most liberal Prince will fill his house will people his Kingdom but how large can we suppose this house this Kingdom to be when it is as capacious as his love as far extended as his goodness and as patulous as his mercy in which there is sound neither measure nor circumscription And because this house is capable to entertain a multitude of guests and not a paucity onely therefore Christ saith In my Fathâ—rs house are many mansions John 14. Now compare the words of our Saviour with the opinion of these men they say His house is a narrow house a small house and that it shall also continue above half empty the Lord witnesseth his desire to have it filled and as Isaiaâ— saith It shall be even too naâ—row by reason of the inhabitants chap. 49. Now consider who is most worthy of belief God or man that is truth or a lie C. Who will make any doubt of that when God onely is true and all men are lyars M. What then hath our King omitted wherein hath he been deficient in goodness or wisdom that his Kingdom should be dilated amplified and replenished Moses the Commander of the Isra lites by the direction of God appointed them six Cities for Refuge three on this side and three on the further side of the River of Jordan that they who killed a man unawares through errour might flee thither and escape Romulus the first Founder of Rome set up a Sanctuary also unto which any malefactour might flee and by that means avoid punishment This was the first beginning and foundation of that stupendious Empire of the Romanes neither is it worth a wonder for who is not moved with the names of liberty and freedom and safety who doth not chearfully run thither to find it where it is promised the same Moses consecrated every fiftieth year to liberty and plenty for in that year the slaves were emancipated and the bond-men made free New tables were instituted new Ordinances devised and possessions did revert to the owners by their former right to the inheritance the Harvest and the Vintage of that year was in common it was proclaimed by the sound of Rams-horns and Trumpets and from thence called the year of Jubilee But hath the wisdom and goodness of God been less liberal to us hath he not sent Christ or rather did
what places are those which as you say contradict this Opinion C. The first is because at the Deluge onely eight persons were saved and if the salvation of the Elect were typified by this deliverance doubtless the number of the Elect is very small but this seems confirmed by S. Peter in his first Epistle chap. 3. where speaking of the Ark he saith In which very few that is eight Souls were delivered The like Figure whereunto even Baptism doth now also save us M. These words of S. Peter rightly understood do unfold the mystery of that action First he saith that the waters of the floud were shadows or figures of Baptism and the destruction of sin therefore Noah did typifie Christ the Publisher and Preacher of Righteousness and by the Ark is signified the faith of the Kingdom of Christ for as none were preserved from the waters but those who hearkening to Noah took sanctuary in the Ark so now also none enter at the door of Salvation but such as having heard the Gospel preached believing repent and following Christ Jesus the Pilot of his Heavenly Ark the Church are wasted by faith as in a ship through the raging waves and whirlpits of death and hell Whereas Peter subjoyns that very few were saved from the deluge those words may very aptly be referred to the paucity of believing Jews at his first manifestation in the flesh For James also writing to the Jews scattered about all the coasts of Asiâ— comforteth them that they be not dejected through various tribulations nor discouraged through the paucity of believers and sheweth them also that the sufferings of Christ the persecutions of the Godly and the scarcity of those Jews that should free themselves from that hallucination and blindness of mind was foretold by the Prophets and prefigured by types and as that inundation destroyed not them that took shelter in the Ark neither can crosses calamities nor death it self endamage those that trust in Christ but be rather wholly converted to the advantage of a believing soul Peter therefore as I have shewed speaketh not of the universality of the Elect but his words must be restrained to those contemporary Jews to whom as he was an Apostle of the Circumcision he directed that Epistle C. I confess with joy my Maynardus thou hast enlightned a very dark passage in S. Peter but what can you answer to this argument that of that vast multitude of Israelites which God brought out of Egypt onely two Calâ—b and Josuah were admitted into the Land of Promise M. The best and safest rule to unvail the mysteries of the Old Testament is to consult the Apostolical sense of those places Paul handling that place in the tenth chapter of his first Epistle to the Corinthians draweth it into example thereby to warn and deter them from sinning by the sad president of those Israelites that fell in the Wilderness And in the Epistle to the Hebrews that he may discover the root of all iniquity he saith that they to whom the Land of the Canaanites was promised and they who fled out of Egypt through unbelief should not possess that land which God also there called his Rest because it doth declare the peace and unity of the Kingdom and Church of Christ in which we shall live secure trusting in the good will of God towards us in Jesus Christ Of which rest the Prophet Isaiah maketh mention in the two and thirtieth chapter saying And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation and in sure dwellings and in quiet resting places Behold here the sense of the Apostle upon the words where there is not a syllable of the paucity of such as shall be saved and doubtless it were an act of great temerity to bow or wrest the Text further than the very matter doth declare or wider than the Prophets and Apostles have conceived of it C. But can you shew by some other passages of Scripture for without this authority I know you attempt nothing what must be understood by Josuah and Caleb and why onely the little ones the rest being excluded should possess the Land of Canaan M. There is no doubt but these two were preserved to be witnesses of those wonderful deliverances which God had vouchsafed to that unthankful people because they onely had the courage amongst all the Spies to undertake the extirpation of the Canaanites but if we raise the matter into a higher consideration seeing that those transactions pointed to the times of the Messiah it will be no impropriety to affirm that Josuah and Caleb were Types and adumbrations of the paucity of those who upon the first coming of our Saviour should believe in him notwithstanding the majesty of God was refulgent in him by the frequent attestation of miracles which very thing those severe comminations against that stubborn and contumacious people do seem to import For saith God in the fourteenth of Numbers all those men which have seen my glory and my miracles which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness and have tempted me now these ten times and have not hearkened to my voice surely they shall not see the Land which I swore unto their fathers neither shall any of them that provoked me see it And a little after he excepteth Josuah and Caleb and all those under the age of twenty years Of which thing God complaineth in Isaiah which place also S. Paul citeth in the tenth to the Romanes I have spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people S. John also in the beginning of his Gospel saith He came unto his own but his own received him not C. I perceive by these two for as it is written In the mouth of two or three witnesses every truth shall be established the Apostles and Disciples of our Lord are presignified who as they did testifie of his wonders and miracles so did they chiefly bear record of his Resurrection For so our Lord himself saith to his Apostles Ye shall bear witness of me through the utmost parts of the earth But now I expect to hear what you can say concerning the posterity of them that sell in the wilderness for certainly in this also is comprehended a great mystery M. I should indeed have little to answer to this matter had not S. Paul that great Revealer of hidden things opened a way unto it For the Apostle in the eleventh to the Romanes doth plainly prophesie that Those branches which were cut off through unbelief shall through Faith be reingrafted What else doth this signifie but that the posterity of them that perished in the desart shall have access into the Land of Promise was not all Judea after the death of our Saviour turned into a solitude were not almost all them that had seen Christ destroyed by war famine or pestilence yet their generations as Paul witnesses shall be received into his Kingdom In confirmation whereof he doth accomodate the predictions of the Prophets and thus unfoldeth
or Leprosie repair to the Priests I know some men from hence would authorise private Confession or rather confusion for with such foolish and impious Allegories they indeavour to obscure the Doctrine of Christ it was an argument of Divine power and an evident testimonie of the obedience of Christ who came not to destroy but to fulfil the Law for it was expresly said in the Law that the Priest should judge of the leper The Lord also commanded the rich Man to sell all his goods and give them to the poor and to follow him that saying very much troubled him and made him sad yet perhaps he afterwarwards put it in execution And if he did not he ought to have done it in obedience to the command of so good and gratious a Master it will be sufficient for us to have such a preparation of mind that if the welfare of our brethren and the glorie of the Lord require it to part with all things yea life it self but this being a singular injunction and commanded onely to one man doth not bind the generality of men so that they should neglect their estates or impend all their wealth upon the poor any more than they are bound to sacrifice their sons because God commanded Abraham to such an obedience and therefore because our Lord said unto the Jews that many are called but few are chosen we must not generally extend and stretch these words to all times and persons C. You mean if I understand you right that those sayings were meant of the Jews of those times and solely to be appropriated unto them of whom many by the Prophets and afterwards many were called by the Lord himself but few were chosen namely Apostles Disciples and some Women as the Holy Scriptures do witness these were the little flock to whom Christ did Minister that consolation in Luke saying Fear not little flock for it is the will of your Father to give you a Kingdom this is that remnant of which Paul in the 11 to the Rom. saith Even so then there is at this time a Remnant according to the election of grace these are that seed of whom also Isaiah speaketh Except the Lord of Sabboth had left us a seed we had been as Sodom and been made like unto Gomorrha In all which places the paucity of the Jews of those times which should be saved is not obscurely signified M. You take my meaning right and you have very aptly connumerated those places of Scripture Those that do detort that saying of our Saviour should observe that all those parables in the 20 21 and 22. Chapters in Matthew do contain the rejection of the Jews and the calling of the Gentiles In confirmation of this truth weigh those words in the first similitude in the 20 Chapter they murmured against the good man of the house saying These last have wrought but one hour and thou hast made them equal unto us which have born the burthen and the heat of the day And it is manifest that after the resurrection of Christ these Jews did make complaints and when Paul and the rest of the Apostles preached the Gospel to them that were without they held it an unjust thing that the Gentiles should be made equal to them the ancient and Holy people of God this is plain to be seen both in the Acts of the Apostles and also in the Epistle to the Romanes In the same parable also these words Take what is thine and go thy way do clearly imply the rejection of the Jews and what is more manifest than that convertible Text Those that are last shall be first and those that are first shall be last Who I pray are those last made first but the Gentiles alienated from the Common-wealth of Israel and now preferred before the Jews and who are those first made last but the Jews for a time rejected till the fulness of the Gentiles be come in Then also those Israelites shall be saved as we have shewed before Moreover the Parable of the 21 Chapter cannot admit of doubt and that in the 22. Chapter is so perspicuous that if in the first there possibly were any doubt to be raised yet this would easily remove and dissolve it especially when the same sentence Many are called few are chosen is found also in the conclusion of that parable Now that this similitude was by our Lord appropriated to the Jews who can make a question when he observes these words The wedding is ready but they which were bidden are not worthy Go ye therefore into the high wayes and as many as ye shall find bid to the marriage This is the same which our Lord commanded to his Disciples Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to all creatures Mark the last Chapter This Paul and Barnabas testifie in the Acts It was necessarie that the word of God should first have been spoken to you but seeing ye put it from you and judge your selves unwoâ—thie of everlasting life See we turn to the Gentiles for so hath the Lord commanded us Now compare this of Paul with that of our Saviour and you will find that one egge is not more like another Christ saith They that were invited were not worthiâ— Paul saith You judge your selves unworthie Christ saith Go out into the high waies Paul saith We go out unto the Gentiles for thus hath the Lord Commanded But let us rise to dinner there is an importunate creditour must also have some satisfaction That which remaineth which indeed is the most important matter we will difer until the afternoon M. THe serenity of the air my Caelius and this pleasant face of heaven doe even invite us to forsake the house With your allowance therefore we will repair to yonder summer-house and spin out our discourse C. It is most agreeable Maynardus for I prefer the benefit of your conversation before all sublunary contentments It is now your part to proceed and as the gravitie of the matter doth require I shall lend you a very attentive ear M. I will proceed conditionally that you will interpose when you doubt of any thing spoken C. I shall most willingly M. Then First I will declare the first rise and beginning of that opinion concerning the paucitie of the Elect. Secondly I will prove by plain and solid arguments the amplitude and Largeness of the CHURCH TRIUMPHANT In the beginning as by the subtle malice of the Devil death got an enterance into the World so by his artifice and emulation this envious and narrow Opinion hath been advanced and disseminated for this father of lies this enemy of mankind saw and collected by indubitable signs that the Church of God was established in mercy as upon an unremoveable foundation and that by degrees God would settle his heavenly Kingdom which should consist of infinite multitudes of Citizens therefore hath he endeavoured and doth still contrive by a thousand deceits temptations and trecheries to coarctate
it is an invincible evidence of power when the greater number are by him preserved For the clearer understanding of this Suppose two Princes one whereof without all Law or provocation save that of his own exorbitant will sought the ruine of his people and bent all his intentions to destroy them the other used all industry care and diligence though they were ungrateful to preserve them should not the greatest power be judged to be in him the Protector C. Yes indeed M. What if he preserved but a greater part would you suppose him to be a more powerful Prince than the other C. Why not Truly both the more powerful and also the more merciful for if he could have saved all he would have saved all M. I do not think so where then is his justice for without it there can be no exercise of virtue for the punishment of and his severity unto a few doth exalt and magnifie his clemency to the rest C. I confess it but we must be circumspect least whilest we praise his clemency and augment his power we diminish his justice But if these attributes be equal in God then the number of the blessed and the number also of the damned are equal M. Such an equality is not to be required where there is neither debt nor merit here onely the true bounty the free mercy of God are discerned for God oweth to no man and it is lawful for him to do what he pleaseth with his own creature the work of his own hands and fashioned for his glory unless that the nature of all men especially that of a Prince should be more propense to clemency and pardon than addicted to punishment and revenge as God himself witnesseth of himself saying The Lord the Lord God merciful and gratious long-suffâ—ring and abundant in goodness and truth Now no motive is so prevalent as the promise of salvation to win souls to God nothing is so magnificent so princelike so highly liberal as to succour the afflicted to pardon the suppliant and to deliver men from dangers on the contrary nothing is more abject vile and deformed than to make the highest cruelty to cohabite with the greatest power C. If God loweth nothing to man why is it said in the 20. of Matthew that the Master of the house bid his Steward call the labourers and give to every one their hire Also our Lord Christ saith to those that suffer reproach and persecution for his Names sake Rejoyce and be exalted in joy for I say unto you great is your reward in Heaven M. Our Lord out of his meer goodness and benignity calleth that a reward or recompence which is the effect of his own liberality and this by the sequâ—l of that parable is manifest The good man of the house went out to seek labourers not they to seek him as he saith in Isaiah I am found of them that did not seek me I was made manifest to them that asked not after me He calleth them he hireth them he sendeth them he sendeth for them and he payeth them Some acknowledge the goodness of the Master and murmure not others complain using many objurgations taxe him of unjustice and boast their own works and day-labours all these the Lord thus satisfieth Friend I do thee no wrong didst thou not agree with me for a penny take what is thine and be gone I will give unto this last even as unto thee is it not lawful to do what I will with mine own aâ—t thou envious because I am good and libâ—ral What I pray thee do all these things import but the bounty of the Master of the house which is most plainly proved by those words that it was lawful for him to do with his own as bâ—st pleased him For he now calleth those things his which before he called by the name of a hire that we might understand his wonderful goodness for he adorneth his own gifts with the name of a reward that he might cherish and rowse up our sluggish natures to the lively performance of our duties For otherwise hath not the Lord stampt it as a Law saying when you have kept all the Commandments say of your selves You are but unprofitable servants for you have pâ—rformed but your duty C. What is there intended by the word penny M. The penny signifieth the Covenant which he hath made with us offering to us life or death honour or ignominy felicity or misery All these things Life Honour Felicity are by his Fatherly indulgence promised to them that do not attribute them to their own works or merit but to the proud and such as boast of their own works as did the Jews or those that despaire of the loving kindness of God nothing is due but reproach and confusion For as Paul saith The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is everlasting life through Jesus Christ our Lord. C. Can life and death then be called a recompence or reward M. Yea life in reference to the promise death in respect of sin may be so called For reward beareth an indifferent signification and is appliable in good and bad things to good and bad men Of bad men and vain-boasters the Lord saith They have received their reward And this is the same which the good man of the house saith Take what is thine and be gone Peter also saith That the wicked find the reward of their unrighteousness C. I now plainly perceive that the Doctrine which you raised from that Parable in our morning discourse is properly to be understood of the calling of the Jews if you please therefore pursue your purpose M. My purpose was to declare the infinit power of God by which we might conjecture of the largeness of his Church and Kingdom For if the Majesty of a King is best conspicuous in the abundance of riches in the multitude of people and a great number of Kingdoms Provinces and Nations we must necessarily conclude That the Kingdom of God who onely can be truely said to be powerful great and wonderful is much bigger than that tyranny of the devil For I will never call that Prince great who hath a great multitude of enemies but I will term him powerful to whom many pay subjection and in this I â—â—â—e Solomon on my side In the multitude of the people saith he is the Kings honour but in the scarcity of men is the destruction of a Prince C. This cannot be denyed when those things are abstracted from persons and â—lmes but when I consider them more nearly and look upon them in the lives and customs of men I confess I am puzled what to think for do you not see that Satan doth possess the greatest part of the world which as John saith is covered with evil therefore not without cause is the devil called The Prince of this world and lord thereof M. What my CAELIUS Know you not that John saith Judge not according to appearance but judge righteous judgement
not he himself in Christ the Lord come to constitute this Sanctuary to reveal this Tower of liberty safety and refuge And with what reason and upon what conditions he did it will easily be understood for they that hastened to those Sanctuaries fled thither with body and goods and were oftentimes taken or killed before they escaped thither But to this Refuge of our Salvation it is enough to run with faith and unfeigned desires Their Sanctuaries were limited to a certain place and a certain number of years but to this there may at any time be a confluence of any people from any part of the world Their places of refuge were not capable of all men and were appointed almost but for one Nation this Heavenly Tower of Defence will receive an infinit multitude of people and is common to all men The body onely and the goods were there preserved here man is invested with glorious immortality and enfeaffed with eternal liberty Few were there made better but if they came thither wicked wicked they there continued Here upon our first entrance we are transsubstantiated into new creatures and throughly changed as if we were new born again for our gracious King who hath opened unto us this Sanctuary of Salvation doth not onely remit unto us the punishment due to our transgressions but doth also make us just holy and innocent Lastly they who fled to the places of Succour appointed by Moses and Romulus changed their Lord and were free from all past dangers but afterwards they were severely punished if they were found guilty of new delinquency nor after that relapse was there any Refuge allowed them But in our Sanctuary as often as a man offendeth so often is he pardoned provided that with true repentance he maketh his appeal and preferreth his petition to the King And he that runneth to this Holy Asylum this Heavenly Temple is no longer a servant but for ever free being manumitted by the son of God For such is the goodness of our King that he will make us all the sons of God and coheirs with his Son Priests Prophets and partakers of the Divine Nature 2. Pet. 1. C. But what and where is this Asylum this City of Refuge and year of Salvation M. This Caelius is the Church of the living the City of the Saints the Pillar and Prop of truth and this year of Jubilee is all that intervention of time from the Nativity of Christ to the Day of Judgement of which time the Apostle saith Now the acceptable time approacheth the Day of Salvation draweth neer This is not more at this time than at another not more in this year than in another not more in Europe than in Asia or Africa not more at London than at Rome and therefore is the Church stiled the Catholick Church For seeing this great City consisteth of such men as believe in and reverence the living God wheresoever they are dispersed there is the Church and the year of Jubilee and that sempiternal place of Refuge C. What is your opinion of those that never heard of these things or if they have heard of them it was onely by a scattered report but they had not the insinuations of them by the preaching of the Gospel or any Divine Institutions For it is certain that many Nations as we have lately had experience by the discoveries in America have lived and died who never heard of Christ But to think that all those men for so many ages were predetermined to damnation is not consentaneous to the Divine goodness and just government of our Heavenly King Although it may appear a difficult matter to conclude either way of their final condition yet I conceive no otherwise of them then those who lived before the coming of Christ and the promulgation of the Law of Moses for if they did or now do observe â—he law of nature worship our God do nothing to others that they would not have done to themselves or repent them of such evil doings my opinion is they may be saved for they that feared God were always dear and acceptable to him as Peter witnesseth in the Acts of the Apostles such were Abimelech Melchisedech Jethro Joh and his four friends Hiram also the King of the Tyrians the Queen of Sheba Cyrus and Darius Kings of Persia and the Wise men at the Nativity of Christ with innumerable others as it is highly probable un-mentioned in the Book of God For this was the judgement of the most Ancient Fathers Origen and Clemens Alexandrinus as it is recorded in their writings Qui verbum non accepit auditione saith Clemens ei vema dandi propter ignorantiam Who hath not heard the Word preached his ignorance shall excuse him for as the Apostle saith Rom. 10. How shall thâ—y believe in him of whom they have not heard The untaught shall not be condemned but they who have heard the Embassadours of Christ and despise the offers of his grace This is the peremptory Sanction of our Lord himself Go saith he preach the Gospel and teach all Nations he that believeth shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned This is the Law and most just Decree of our King that as he who heareth the Gospel and believeth shall be saved so he that heareth and believeth not shall be damned From whence it follows that he is not condemned by the Gospel who hath not heard the Gospel but they are therefore seperated to condemnation because they contemned the law of nature and the testimony of conscience by which they shall be judged as St. Paul witnesseth in the second to the Romanes this is the eternal purport of all Laws that they to whom a law is given shall if they transgress that law be judged by it but not those who are not bound by that law And if this be observed in all well-governed Common-wealths which are as images of that Heavenly Kingdom much more may we presume that it is observed by God himself who is King of kings and the common Father of all mankind C. Indeed these things seem most worthy of our righteous God and altogether agreeable to his gentle nature thus we see he would not inflict punishments upon the Ninivites without cause declared for he first sent his Prophet to them that by his preaching they might understand the will of God Yet that saying of Peter in the Acts doth seem to thwart this opinion for he teacheth That there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved but the name of Jesus Christ Acts. 4. M. That is not otherwise to be understood than as we said before to concern them to whom that name hath been preached although whosoever is saved hath salvation by God his Saviour as he proclaimeth of himself in Isaiah I even I am the Lord and besides me there is no Saviour But that is Jesus Christ God to be praised for ever although explicitly and declaratively he
hath not been revealed to them C. I confess I thought thus within my self but I was willing to hear your opinion but when you said a little before speaking of the Church that it was wheresoever men did believe or should believe wherefore made you that addition should believe M. Because at all times and in all ages many are elected to this kingdom which are not yet called not compelled by faith to enter as were Saul Cornelius the Centurion and Sergius Paulus the Proconsul and innumerable others whose vocation and ingress was by the Lord for some time deserred who because they were from all eternity appointed to this kingdom are therefore all Citizens and Members of this heavenly Common-wealth this is manifest by these and others who the goodness of God being revealed are afterwards received into this kingdom C. They say that Cornelius oponed a passage into this kingdom by his prayers and Alms-deeds and this they confirm by those words of the Angel to him Thy prayers and thy Almes are come up for a memorial before God M. The abettors of such fancies are contumelious to God and ignorant of the Scriptures they reproch God for they rob him of his Honour and give the glory to man they are ignorant of the Scriptures not discerning an open truth Their errour ariseth partly from a non-consideration of the words preceding and subsequent which if they had perpended they had never dashed against this Rock What hath St. Luke written in the beginning of this Chapter That Cornelius was a devour man and one that feared God with all his house which gave much Almes to the people and prayed to God alway Afterwards those men that were sent by Cornelius give him this Character that he was a just man feared God and of good report among all the nation of the Jews Who now doth not plainly see that his piety to and his fear of God are first commended then his Almes and good deeds are spoken of he was a Religious and a good man and therefore gave many Almes to the poor and prayed to God alway which were the fruits and effects of his piety Therefore it is said he was of good report among the Jews But from whence came these good effects Not from his good deeds for the tree must be good before the fruit can be good as our Lord saith Matth. 7. For the cause cannot follow the effect any more than a daughter can bring forth her Mother But who made him Religious and just and fearing God Who but he that circumciseth the foreskins of our hearts That taketh away our stony hearts and giveth us hearts of flesh and new Spirits Ezech. 11. He I say made Cornelius both Religious and devout and were not these things declared unto Peter by the Divine oracle of God for when he supposed that all the rest of the Nations were alienated from the benefit of the Gospel the Angel telleth him Those things which God hath purified call not thou unclean Acts 10. Here God witnesseth that he had purged prepared and consecrated Cornelius to himself And although it was spoken because of Cornelius yet the words concern all those that God hath chosen and adorned with the beautiful knowledge of the Gospel And whereas it is said that his prayers and giving of Almes went up to God as a memorial nothing more is intended but that God heareth the prayers of the Godly that their good works are acceptable to him and that he hath them in remembrance as flowing from himself the Fountain of all good gifts And where it is said that he was frequent in prayer it is evident that this proceeded from a Divine inspiration For as Paul saith We know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with unutterable groans Rom. 8. Now if he was endued with the Spirit of God as certainly he was and that his Almes-deeds and his prayers were accepted it is as certain that he had saith without which it is impossible to please God as St. Paul doth most plainly teach Rom. 10. And if he had the illustrations of Faith then his heart was purified and cleansed as Peter testifieth of Cornelius and other Gentiles in St. Luke saying That God had enlightened them by his Holy Spirit and purged their minds by Faith C. I perceive that by degrees you have come to the right explication of the truth but there is yet one thing to be enucleated for Peter saith Of a truth I now perceive that God is no respecter of persons but in every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted by him Act. 10. Here he sheweth that by good works a man is reconciled to God M. This speech of the Apostle meaneth nothing else but what diverse other holy sentences do teach that God in his election of and his Love to mankind hath regard onely to their goodness and glorie not to their original their pedigree their country their sex their age their merit or any other personal attributes This truth is exemplified in the person of Cornelius whom God called being an alien and dignified him with a place in his kingdom The signs of Election are an ingenuous and a reverential fear of God like to that of obedient children towards their parents from whence there ariseth in them a confidence and a stedfast perswasion of the love of God to them and from thence again groweth a delight in the Law of God a complacency in the works of righteousness he that is accepted by God he feareth he honoureth loveth and trusteth in God for it behoveth that the person of that man be gracious and acceptable whose duties or offices of Love are accepted for no performances are acceptable from him against whom we entertain a prejudice or aversation of this we have experience in the common civilities of life but with God there is no prejudice for he is the searcher of the heart And John saith Whosoever doth work righteousness is born of God Also Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ he is born of God that is therefore some men live justly some man believeth Jesus to be the Christ because he is justified by God and endued with holiness and righteousness by him for unless he thus be born of God he is unable to perform any thing justly and rightly or to believe that Jesus is the Christ This the Lord himself confirmeth upon Peters confession that he was the Son of the Immortal God Verily saith our Saviour flesh and bloud hath not revealed this unto thee but my Father which is in Heaven Now there is this difference between Divine and humane justice he that is not justified by God may execute humane justice for fear of punishment expectation of glorie or hope of other reward but no man is exercised in heavenly justice who is not first justified purged by Faith and assisted with grace Therefore it is no wonder that whosoever
feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted of God because the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom and a good understanding have all they that keep his Commandments With this fear as with salt the Lord doth season their hearts and preserve from corruption even whilest they are ignorant of him those that he purposeth to call into his kingdom This inchoation of their liberty is afterwards perfected in the time of their vocation by the preaching of the Gospel and by Faith C. I have received full satisfaction and I hope hereafter that both my self and others will give greater credit to the Oracles of God then to the perverse opinions and interpretations of men M. Now that we may conclude this digression I say that wheresoever or whensoever such are found in that moment of time they have attained to this Sanctuary this propitious year of Jubilee Onely as it is written Let us call upon the name of the Lord and we shall not be disappointed Also Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall escape Joel 2. Also The name of the Lord is a strong tower the righteous flyeth unto it and is safe Prov. 18. To this tower this sanctuary the Lord himself beckneth the poor the miserable the wretched the desperate sinners in this sweet invitation Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will ease you These are the wayes the secrets of holy state and the Divine Policies which our King useth for the Instanration of his kingdom And if the kingdoms of the earth are enlarged by such artifice how much more shall we think the kingdom of Heaven to be dilated which is far more capacious more firm and more easie of access C. Truly I suppose it will infinitely exceed the kingdom or rather the dungeon of the Devil even as much as there are more who wish and desire ease impunity Honour and Salvation then who are in love with labours punishments servitude ignominy and death eternal and certainly but few men will precipitate themselves into these calamities when they may with such facility redeem themselves from the fear of them And although a small industry onely seemeth necessarie to the prevention of these endles torments yet we see but few men that contend to get to this refuge this most pleasant Citie and what should be the cause of this slackness this dulness this indiligence is to me altogether unknown M. The cause is manifest First that which I named before to wit that the new reason of state which our King maketh use of in the administration of his affairs deceaveth those that with the judgement of men seek after this citie as gloriously visible and conspicuous Secondly the Church is congregated and constituted out of this holy Sanctuary by the preaching of the word and the administration of the Sacrament and these being concealed from the greater part of the World by this means this citie for a long time was kept hid and so little taken notice of that it was scarce discernable who were the true Citizens But as soon as the glad tidings of the Gospel have arrived then we see them flock to this citie as in the time of Christ and his Apostles For when Christ himself had said that the kingdom of God was at hand and after that he had exhorted men to bring forth fruit worthie of repentance he then called them all unto him with that joyful summons Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you ease Of this joyful invitation this liberal year the Prophet Isaiah foretold when speaking in the Person of Christ he saith I am endued with the Spirit of the Lord Jehovah hath Anointed me and sent me to declare joyful tidings to heal them of broken Spirits and to give liberty to them that are in bondage sight to the blind to deliver the oppressed out of their streights and to preach the joyful year of the Lord. The Apostles also those faithful Embassadours of Christ did invite all mortal men to this great benefit this most blessed kingdom Old things are past away behold all things are become new and all things are of God who hath reconciled us to himself in Christ Jesus and hath given to us the ministerie of reconciliation to wit that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath committed to us the word of reconciliation Now then we are embassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled to God for he hath made him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him But shortly after false Apostles and counterfeit Embassadours brought in humane traditions and began to lay upon mens shoulders the burthen and heavy yoak of the Law which things did deject not erect mens minds did terrifie them not allure them did wound them not heal them from whence 〈◊〉 came to pass that few made their approach to this kingdom or if they drew near they soon returned and departed For the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is not propagated and advanced by the sword but by preaching by the energie of the Spirit by good example patience charitie meekness justice temperance constancy goodness faith lenity long-suffering and all those blessed and peaceable fruits of the true Spirit of God So our Lord himself so his Disciples propagated the truth and sowed the Heavenly Doctrine of Christ in mens hearts For our Lord as Hilarie told Constantinus Augustus did rather teach than exact a knowledge and confession of himself and giving Authority to his precepts by the frequent attestation of miracles he despised a will that was any other way compelled to acknowledge him And full of truth are these words for nothing so free as the judgement in Religion For Religion flourisheth by sound reason and strong perswasion not by fear and threatnings It is defended preserved by dying not by killing by patience not by cruelty by justice not by butchery by faith not by fraud rotten policy For he that will establish Religion by imperious ordinances force doth not seek to defend it but to violate and pollute it But because we see the night approaching Caelius unless you have ought to interpose I shall descend to such places of Scripture as seem to favour this my opinion of the amplitude of the kingdome of God C. I have not the least doubt remaining and I earnestly intreat you before the night prevent us to hasten to those proofs as the chief end of our meeting M. In the first place therefore weigh diligently that magnificent promise of God made to Abraham so often repeated and inculcated God promiseth and confirmeth his promise with an oath that he will make his seed as the dust of the earth so that if a man can number the dust of the earth then