is to be found The silly Cock doth sometimes find an earthly pearle of great price in an earthly dunghill and a foole may as soone as a wise man find a great iewell in the mire of the street but this heauenly pearle and iewell of loue whereby we doe most resemble God and shew our selues to be borne of him 1. Ioh. 4. 7. and whereby all men doe know vs to be the disciples of Christ Ioh. 13. 35. This I say is not to be found in the dunghill and myry heart of naturall and vnregenerate men that are only of the earth earthly It is only to be found in the children of God that are borne from aboue and by their regeneration are from heauen heauenly as he is into whom they are incorporated whose hearts are sanctified by the word Ioh. 17. 17. and purified by faith Acts 15. 9. as before we haue heard Thus much of the loue of God and men peculiar only to the children of God and so consequently of the further dignity of the said children of God thereby CHAP. XIII Of a further degree of the freedome of Gods children THus we haue heard of the precious freedome of Gods children in that they are not only discharged from the seruitude of sinne but are also made the seruants of God and may serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse from whence it commeth that they are sober watchfull and louing as before we haue heard There remaineth yet a further degree of the said liberty and freedome of Gods children as one special part as it were of the matter of their new birth and as one speciall point wherein as well as in other things consisteth their being as they are the children of God This is that besides that before mentioned they are also enfranchized and made free of a most excellent of a rich and of a glorious city euen of the heauenly Ierusalem wherof many glorious things are spoken in many places of the scripture as the Prophet speaketh of the old Ierusalem in the same respect viz. as it was the Church of God Psal 87. 3. especially in the 21. Chapter of the Reuelation where it is most excellently and diuinely described not only as it is in heauen with God and in the presence of God and of his holy Angels but also as yet it is and shall be vpon earth Of this excellent and glorious city are all the chilldren of God made free beeing released from their naturall seruitude and bondage vnto sinne This freedom of the new Ierusalem seemeth to be noted by the Apostle to the Hebrews where after the opposition of many and diuers things whereunto they were not come as vnto the mount that might not be touched to the burning fire to blacknesse and darknesse and tempest and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words c. by all which hee meaneth their deliuerance from the Lawe which consisted in the letter not in the spirit then hee addeth that they were come vnto the mount Sion and to the city of the liuing God the celestiall Ierusalem and to the company of innumerable Angels and to the assembly and congregation of the new borne which are written in heauen and to God the iudge of all and to the spirits of iust and perfect men and to Iesus the Mediator of the new Testament and to the bloud of sprinkling which speaketh better things then that of Abel Heb. 12. 22. c. This is a most pregnant and noble testimony not only setting forth the excellency of that City whereof all the children of God are made free but many other points also before more largely handled To speake yet a little more of this freedom As apprentices that serue in Cities in London Canterbury Yorke Norwich and other when they haue serued a certaine time according to the custome and order of such Cities or other townes corporate then they are not only released from their seruice but they are also themselues made free of the Cities and do enioy diuers priuileges and benefits belonging to such Cities so they that are released from the bondage of sinne and satan are made free also of the heauenly Ierusalem before spoken of and do enioy the priuiledges and benefits thereof such as do not belong to any forrainers but are proper only to the children of God and to those that are discharged of their masters whom by nature they serued Yet here this difference is not to be forgotten betwixt the priuileges of this heauenly City and the priuileges of all earthly cities For the priuileges of earthly cities are intended towards such as haue serued their times in some trade or other as rewards of their said seruice supposed faithfully to haue been performed by such seruants but the priuileges of the heauenly city now spoken of are no rewards of our seruice to sinne and satan for the reward or wages thereof is nothing but death Rom. 6. 23. but only benefits belonging to the children of God only of Gods free grace and goodnesse yet the more to comfort them against their former hard seruice of sinne and against the daily reliques of sinne in them and the manifold stormes and tempestâ— whereuâ—to by the meanes thereof they are subiect Now the more excellent this heauenly city is the greater needs must be the benefits and priuiledges belonging thereunto and therefore also the greater benefit is the freedome thereof The freedome of Rome was wont to be so highly esteemed Note that Claudius Lysias a chiefe captaine for the Romans at Ierusalem acknowledged that freedome to haue cost him a great summe Acts 22. 28. Paul also himselfe being free borne of that city pleadeth his said freedome in that behalfe against those iniuries that were offered vnto him vers 25. and so by pleading thereof he found the more fauor at least they feared the more to wrong him as they had done The freedom of many Cities in this land especially of London and of the â—inque ports in Kent is such that many great men are content both that their sonnes being of good yeers and growth shall serue seuen eight or nine yeeres yea and to giue likewise good summes of mony right out with them that they may haue the benefit of the freedome after their time expired and also to procure the said freedome for themselues in diuers respects What then is the freedome of this heauenly Ierusalem whereof now we speake and for which Christ hath giuen a greater price then all the cities in the world yea then ten thousand such worlds are worth Truly it is this that whereas we are here pilgrims and strangers 1. Pet. 2. 11. yet beeing free of the heauenly Ierusalem wee haue our conuersation in heauen Philip. 3. 20. that is that we behaue our selues as citizens of heauen liue according to the lawes which we haue from heauen and do that which we doe as cheerfully and willingly as the Angels in heauen Is this all No we haue liberty
must such ministers as doe so preach that word of truth that thereby men are begotten againe vnto God be acknowledged to be the ministers of God and sent by God For doth not the Apostle ioine all these together calling vpon God beleeuing hearing preaching and sending them that did preach Rom. 10. 14. 15. And doth he not thereby plainly teach that they do go all together and that none can truely call vpon God which doth not beleeue none can beleeue which doth not heare none can heare which haue no preachers none can preach except they be sent and that consequently whosoeuer do so preach that men therby are brought truely to call vpon God and truely to beleeue in God they are sent of God so to preach Is not the same point further manifest by that argument whereby the same Apostle instifieth his Apostleship and ministery to the Corinthians euen by the successe and efficacie of his preaching amongst them against such as denied his Apostleship as many in these daies doe altogether deny all the ministerie of the Church of England Am I not saith he an Apostle c. Are not ye my worke in the Lord If I be not an Apostle vnto other doubtles I am vnto you for ye are the seale of my Apostleship in the Lord. 1. Cor. 9. 1. 2. And againe Neede we as some other epistles of recommendations vnto you or of recommendation from you yee are our epistle written in our hearts which is vnderstood and read of all men in that ye are manifest to be the epistle of Christ ministred by vs and written not with inke but with the spirit of the liuing God not in tables of stone but in fleshly tables of the heart 2. Cor. 3. 1. 2. 3. What meane all these words Euen this that such had beene the successe of the ministerie of the Apostle amongst the Corinthians that both himselfe had good assurance in his owne heart of his calling vnto them and that other also might thereby euidently perceiue and vnderstand as much Doth not our Sauiour proue his sending as a Messias and to be a Messias by the workes which he did The workes that I do beare witnes of me that the father hath sent me Iohn 5. 39. As his workes beseeming a Messias and in the power of none but of the Messias proued him to bee the Messias so do not also the workes of ministers of the gospell and proper onely to such as are sent from God proue men to be such ministers Doubtlesse saith hee that being borne blinde had his sight giuen him by Christ this is a maruellous thing that ye know not whence he is and yet hee hath opened mine eies Iohn 9. 30. And againe If this man were not of God hee could haue done nothing verse 33. May it not in like maner and much more be said of the ministers of the Church of England to all them that make question of their calling Doubtles this is a maruellous thing that ye know not whence they be or deny them from whence they are and yet they open the eies of the mindes of many Yea euen of them that doe make such question of their calling and doe peremptorily deny them to be of God as those wicked Iewes to whom that poore man so spake denied Christ to be of God If such ministers were not of God they could haue done nothing in the lightning mens eies of their vnderstanding to know what the hope is of his calling and what bee the riches of his glorious inheritance in the Saints c. Ephes 1. 18. No man can make opposition to these things but hee must also oppose himselfe to the former scriptures And if the former scriptures be for the iustifying of the ministery of the Church of England as thereby the word of truth is preached to the effectuall begetting againe of men vnto God no other Scriptures can be against it for the nullifying therof because the scriptures do all most sweetely agree together without any contradiction of any one to any other As therefore when our Sauiour seeing many of his disciples to go back and to walke no more with him that is vtterly to leaue him said vnto the twelue will ye also go away Peter answered him Master to whom shall we go thou hast the words of eternall life Iohn 6. 66. 67. 68. so my good brethren though ye doe see many to withdraw themselues from them that haue preached the words of eternall life and still do preach the same and though ye also be earnestly sollicited to doe the like yet determine in your hearts and answer accordingly To whom shall wee go these haue the words of eternall life The comparison obiected by some of children begotten to men as well by adulterie and fornication as by lawfull marriage thereby to insinuate that as such children do not iustify either adulterie or fornication so in like maner such Children as before we haue said to be begotten againe vnto God by the ministery of the Church of England do not iustify the said ministery this comparison I say is so odious so beastly so detestable and abominable that a man would wonder it should come from such men as they would seeme to be that obiect the same For in an adulterous generation as there is a common worke of God so who seeth not also a plaine worke of nature Yea such a worke of nature as is in the very beasts themselues in the procreation of other of their owne kinde But the regeneration of Children vnto God is a worke aboue all nature onely and wholly of God yea of the free grace and abundant mercy of God as afterward shall further appeare Furthermore touching this comparison it might as well haue beene obiected against the former argument of the Apostle from the successe of his preaching amongst the Corinthians as it is now obiected against vs reasoning in like maner from the efficacie and fruit of our ministery Againe all children either in adulterie or infornication begotten and borne in time of the Law were forbidden to enter into the congregation of the Lord that is to bee admitted to any publike office to the tenth generation Deut. 2 3. 2. Dare any man say the like of such as are begotten againe vnto God by the present ministerie of the Church of England Yea dare any man deny any so begotten to haue right and interest into all the promises and blessings of God for this life and for the life to come as well as any other begotten vnto God by the ministery of any other Herein beloued deceiue not your selues Halt not with God neither shew your selues vnthankfull vnto him by denying his rich mercie towards you in your regeneration If ye haue good testimony thereof to your owne soules If by the ministerie of the Church of England ye haue euer felt any true vertue of Christs death to the mortifying of sinne in you and of his resurrection to the life of righteousnes If
the wicked haue no part in the foresaid loue of God but it is proper and peculiar only to the children of God And thus we see that the foresaid loue of God towards his children is not only to be considered as the principall and first mouing cause of their regeneration but also as a singular and most honourable benefit and prerogatiue Thus much for the first consideration of the loue of God in making vs his children viz. as it was the cause of our election at the first euen before all times vnto our adoption and regeneration to be made in time Touching the second consideration of Gods loue in making vs his children namely as it hath been declared particularly in giuing his sonne for the effecting of our adoption whereunto we were predestinated and elected it is said So God loued the world that he hath giuen his only begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish c. Ioh. 3. 16. If God so loued the world that he sent his sonne that men might haue euerlasting life by beleeuing in him then also in his said loue he sent his sonne to adopt them vnto God For none can beleeue but such as are adopted and haue the spirit of adoption whereby to beleeue God to be their father And adoption is one necessary step to euerlasting life and without adoption and regeneration can no man enter into the kingdome of heauen as our Sauiour teacheth Nicodemus in the same chapter Neither is it only manifest thus by consequence that God so loued the world that is the elect men in the world that he sent his sonne for their adoption but the Apostle doth also teach the same expresly When the fulnesse of time saith he was come God sent his sonne made of a woman and made vnder the law that is not only borne in the time of the law but also made subiect both to the obedience and to the curse of the law that he might redeeme them that were vnder the law that they might receiue the adoption of sonnes Galat. 4. 4. 6. By these testimonies it is manifest not only that God declared his great loue towards vs in sending his own and only sonne into the world to make vs his children but that also God the sonne was a principall agent in the work of our adoption and regeneration as well as God the father and that wee could no more haue been made the children of God without the worke of God the sonne then without the worke of God the father The same is yet further manifest by the Euangelists interpretation of the propheticall words of Caiph as spoken as hee was high Priest touching the necessity of the death of one for the people and that the whole nation should not perish For this saith the Euangelist spake hee not of himselfe but being high Priest that same yeere he prophecied that Iesus should die for that nation and not for that nation only but that he should gather together the children of God that were scattered Ioh. 11. 50. By gathering together he meaneth adopting and by the children of God he meaneth not them that were already in act the children of God but that were appointed and predestinated so to be as before we heard It is also in the said place to be obserued Note that he speaketh not passiuely but actiuely He saith not that the children of God might be gathered together but he saith that he might gather together c. So he noteth that the gathering together and adopting of the children of God is a worke of Iesus Christ as well as of God the father The same our Sauiour himselfe testifieth saying Other sheepe I haue also which are not of this fold them also must I bring Ioh. 10. 16. he saith not they shall be brought but that he himselfe must bring them Peter accordeth with both the former testimonies making this to be the end of Christs suffering once for sinnes c. not that we might be brought only to God but also that he might bring vs vnto God 1. Pet. 3. 18. As therefore we could not haue been saued without Christ so neither could we haue been adopted without him Therefore also as before we heard the dignity of Gods children to be the greater by the worke of the father so it is also the greater hereby that the father worketh herein by the sonne and the sonne worketh with the father as well in this our second creation as in the first For Christ is the same in glory and excellency with the Father Whatsoeuer is spoken of the Father according to the Deity the same may also be sayd of the sonne For I saith Christ himselfe and my Father are one Ioh. 10. 30. and the Apostle saith that hee being in the forme of God thought it no robbery to be equall with God Philip. 2. 6. And he is called the heire of all things by whom God the Father made the world and the brightnesse of the glory and the ingraued forme of his fathers person Heb. 1. 2. 3. Neither was Christ only so excellent as he was God but he was also very excellent in his humanity the same being conceiued in the wombe of a virgin by the immediat operation of the holy ghost and being personally vnited to the Godhead that both natures might make one person and so vnited being also altogether without sinne vnspotted vndefiled most holy and righteous In his offices also he was most honorable being the onely King Priest and Prophet of his Church yea such a King Priest and Prophet as of whom Dauid and Salomon and all their kingly posterity with the Priests of the law and the Prophets extraordinarily raised vp and sent to the ancient people of God were but types figures and shadowes The more excellent therefore that Christ is and was before his sending into the world and afterward the more hath God dignified his children in sending him so into the world to make them his children The more honorable persons that any Prince doth imploy for the good of any other the more is he dignified and graced for whose good such honourable persons are so imployed Did not Balak King of Moab much honour Balaam by sending vnto him first some of the Elders and Princes of Moab and Midian Num. 22. 5. 7. and 13. and afterward more Princes and more honorable then the former vers 15. Was it not a great honor to the Prophet Isaiah that Hezekiah sent Eliakim the steward of his house and Shebna his Chauncellor and the elders of the Priests to aske counsell of him touching Rabsheka 2. King 19. 2. May not the like be sayd of Iosiahs sending Hiâ—kia the Priest Ahâ—kan the sonne of Shaphat Achbor the sonne of Michaiah Shaphan the Chancellor and Asahia the Kings seruant to Huldah the Propheâ—esse for counsell from the Lord touching the finding of the laweâ— 2. King 22. 12. That the Centurion sent not one of his own seruants but the
therefore these things are so who seeth not but that the state of Gods children is much dignified thereby For who doth not highly account of nobility what striuing what labouring sometime also what offering and paying is there for it For it For what Euen for names and titles of nobility which earthly Princes haue in their power to bestow what striuing then what laboring and what praying in stead of paying ought there to be for that nobility which only commeth from the God of heauen and earth Nobles here of the world sit with Princes of the world in their Parliaments to make lawes for the gouernment of other But it is better to receiue lawes from God then to make lawes for men and it is much better for a man to gouerne himselfe then without that to prescribe and giue lawes for the gouernment of other Last of all we shall heare afterward that the least of Gods children shall sit in greater place with Christ Iesus euen to iudge the world in his heauenly Parliament then the greatest nobles that euer were in the earth did euer sit with any earthly Prince in their earthly parliaments Thus much for this point CHAP. VII Of the excellent instruments that God vseth in the work of our regeneration viz. the minister of the word and the word it selfe HAuing hitherto spoken of the excellency of the authors of our regeneration and of the principall motiues of them thereunto c. let vs in the next place consider what instruments the sayd authours haue vsed to effect our regeneration This point I will dispatch very briefly that I may the more hasten to other things Touching this therefore though God himselfe I meane Father Sonne and holy ghost bee the onely authors of our regeneration yet we heard before that men are the instruments of God whereby the immortall seed of our new birth is conueied vnto vs for the effecting of our sayd new birth These are chiefly the ministers of the word touching whome as wee haue heard the Apostle saith that some plant and other water but that God giueth increase so hee also saith of himselfe and all other that they are labourers together with God Now touching the ministers of the word especially of the gospell it is said for their commendation and honour How beautiful are the feete of them that bring glad tidings of peace c. Rom. 10. 15. out of Isa 52. 7. Where the word of admiration how is to be noted as teaching as before hath beene insinuated chap. 2. that indeede the calling of the ministers is more honorable then well can be expressed The synecdoche also of their feete put for their whole man importeth that if the feete of them that bring glad tidings bee so beautifull how much more beautifull should their faces be For what doth the glad tidings of peace there meane but the preaching of the Gospell which is the doctrine of our reconciliation to God and of our peace made with God by Iesus Christ by whom it pleased the Father to reconcile all things vnto himselfe and to set at peace through the bloud of his Crosse both the things in earth and the things in heauen Col. 1. 20. that is both the elect liuing stil vpon the earth and also elect whose soules before that time had beene translated into heauen For as touching the Angels of heauen what neede they any reconciliation or how could they be reconciled that neuer had offended God or were alienated from him Therefore the gospell is called the ministerie of reconciliation 2. Cor. 5. 18 and the word of reconciliation verse 19. It is also called the Gospell of peace Ephes 2. 15. As the ministery of the Law may be called the ministery of wrath because it discouereth our sinnes whereby we deserue the wrath of God and so it testifieth the wrath of God in which respect Iosias at the finding of the book of the Law that had bin long hid is sayd to haue rent his clothes 2. Kings 22. 11. as perceiuing thereby the transgressions of the people and the wrath of God hanging ouer their heads for the same as I say the Law in that respect may ie called the ministery of wrath because it testifieth and sheweth the wrath of God prouoked by mens sinnes against the Law so the gospell may be and is called the gospell or the glad tidings of peace not only because it maketh peace here below betwixt man and man betwixt man and other creatures Isa 11. 6. c. and in man Note likewise towards God making them as meeke as lambes that were before as fierce as Lions Tigers but also because it testifieth God to be at peace by Iesus Christ with mē In this respect therfore wel might the Apostle wel might the Prophet say in commendation of the ministers of the gospell How beautifull are the feet of them that bring glad tidings of saluation And if their feet are to be thought so beautifull much more their faces The face of Moses hauing receiued that law that is as wee heard the ministery of wrath was so beautiful and did so shine that the people could not indure the sight thereof Exod. 34. 30. Wherefore did the Lord put such glory vpon the very face of Moses was it not to make him in respect of his ministery the more honorable with the people What then is to be said of the ministers of the Gospell in the former respect Before the comming of Christ prophets that were sent to call men to repentance the first step of the children of God and the beginning of their regeneration prophets I say so sent to call men to repentance by denouncing the iudgments of God against them were so honorable that both God himselfe ioyned the regard of them with the regard of kings saying Touch not mine anointed and doe my prophets no harme Psal 105. 15. and also that kings were glad of their company for the honoring of them before their people 1. Sam. 15. 3. And therfore they accounted them as their fathers 2. Kings 6. 21. and 13. 14. yea wicked kings did so account of them as appeareth by the two former places speaking of the kings of Israel who after the falling away of the ten tribes from the house of Dauid were all euill In the time of our Sauiour such Prophets beeing in some sort ceassed Iohn Baptist raysed vp betwixt such prophets and Euangelicall ministers is commended by our Sauiour in this manner What went ye out into the wildernes to see A reed shaken with the wind but what went ye out to see a man clothed in soft raiment Behold they that we are soft clothing that is such as flant ruffle it out in silkes veluets and be georgeously aparrelled are in Kings houses But what went ye out to see A Prophet yea I say vnto you and more then a Prophet c. So our Sauiour magnifieth Iohn Baptist not onely aboue gallant and gorgeous
19. 10. 11. and 119. 14. 72. and 103. And as the word of God generally is thus commended so specially the Gospel is valued at the same rate Mat. 13. 44. 45. where it is not only called by the name of the kingdome of heauen because it is the word of that kingdome Mat. 13. 19. that is the word whereby we attaine both vnto the kingdome of grace in this world and also the kingdome of glory in the world to come but also by a double parable for the more certainty thereof it is commended to be better then all treasures and then all pearles Paul also comparing the Gospell with the law saith thus If the ministration of death written with letters and ingrauen in stones was glorious so that the children of Israel could not behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance c. how shall not the ministration of the spirit be more glorious For if the ministration of condemnation was glorious much more doth the ministration of righteousnesse exceed in glory 2. Cor. 3. 7. 8. 9. Yea so excellent also is the mystery of the Gospell that one end thereof is said to be that vnto principalities and powers in heauenly places that is vnto the blessed Angels waiting vpon God in the heauens might be made knowen by the Church the manifold wisedome of God Ephes 3. 10. our Sauiour also threatneth that such as should not receiue his disciples sent forth by two and two to preach for a time for preparation of the way to the Gospell should find it harder at the day of iudgement then the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrha who had been most fearefully destroied with fire and brimstone from heauen Mat. 10. 15. The Apostle also speaking comparatiuely of the punishment of the transgressors of the law and of the Gospell saith If the word spoken by Angels was stedfast and euery transgression and disobedience receiued a iust recompence of reward how shall we escape if we neglect so great saluation which at the first began to be preached by the Lord and afterward was confirmed vnto vs by them that heard him God bearing witnesse thereunto both with signes and wonders and diuers miracles and gifts of the holy Ghost c. Heb. 2. 3. 4. In these two places ioyntly considered we haue first an argument for the excellency of the Gospell from the punishment of the contemners thereof For first if they should receiue so great a iudgement not that resisted them and draue them out of their countries with fire and sword but that did not receiue them which were sent only by their preaching to prepare a way for the Gospell then as followeth comparatiuely in the second place before alleged how much greater shall the punishment of those be that both neglect and also contemne and persecute the Gospell Doth not this commination of so great punishment to the neglecters and contemners of the Gospell much magnifie the excellency of the Gospell Againe in the second place before alleged we see other arguments for the excellency thereof viz. first it was first preached touching the cleare manifestation of it not by any seruants as in former time the word had been preached but by the Lord himselfe as before he had said that in these last daies God hath spoken vnto vs by his sonne Heb. 1. 1. Secondly that God himselfe had borne witnesse actually to the excellency thereof by signes wonders c. thirdly that he also graced it with many gifts of the holy ghost according to former prophecies in that behalfe especially that of Ioel 2. 28. so applied by Peter Act. 2. 17 To conclude therfore this argument sith this word of God is so excellent whereby the regeneration of the children of God of whom I doe now speake is at first wrought and afterward perfected shall we not thinke that the state of such children of God is also excellent Do not wise men according to the worthinesse of any work apply and vse the more worthy instruments about the same Much more therefore are we to thinke the same of the most wise God CHAP. VIII Of faith a chiefe internall cause of regeneration or the first degree and step thereunto and of Christ againe as he is the chiefe matter of regeneration as before we heard him to be one of the principall efficient causes likewise thereof HItherto we haue heard of the dignity of Gods children by the efficient causes of their adoption both principall and instrumentall And all these causes touching their owne being haue beene externall For although the spirit of God be within in vs when it doth adopt and regenerat vs and so may be called internal in respect of the operation thereof in vs yet it may be accounted externall in in respect of the being that it hath of it selfe and by it selfe without vs. The next thing to be handled for the further amplification of the said dignity is faith because it may be considered in this argument either as a meer internall efficient cause of our said adoption and regeneration or as the first step and degree thereunto It may be considered first as a meere inward thing because all the being of it is altogether within vs not at all without vs. It may be considered as an efficient cause of our adoption because it is that whereby we lay hold of Christ by whom and in whom alone we do both at the first receiue the spirit of adoption and be regenerated the children of God and also afterward do feede so vpon him that wee grow vp to a perfect stature of him Therefore these phrases to come to him to eat his flesh and to drink his bloud are often vsed especially Ioh. 6. to expresse our communion with him by faith and to signifie our beleeuing in him So also it is said that Christ dwelleth in our hearts by faith Ephes 3. 17 and that we stand by faith viz. in Christ Rom. 11. 20. So also faith is not only the inward instrument of our communion with Christ but also the next fountaine of all other vertues afterward to be spoken of wherein likewise consisteth our regeneration and new birth For by faith our harts are purified Act. 15. 9. and faith worketh by loue Galat. 5. 6. and this loue is the fulfilling of the Law Rom. 13. 10. and the bond of perfection Colos 3. 14. and commeth out of faith vnfeined 1. Timo. 1. 5. and therefore fayth vnfained may be said to bee the next cause of our communion with Christ and consequently of all other things wherin our regeneration doth consist As also not beleeuing God and beleeuing the diuell were the first degrees of mans fall Genes 3. 3. and 6 so to cast away al giuing credit to the diuell and to beleeue in God is the first degree of our regeneration and new birth whereby wee that were fallen are raysed vp againe This faith is the beleeuing of all things past of all things present of all
all maiestie accompanied with his holy Angels and comming to iudge the quicke and the dead as at his former comming in the forme of a seruant he came to be iudged and not to iudge This is called his appearing because as the Gospell or grace of God which bringeth saluation vnto all men is said now to haue appeared Tit. 2. 11. in respect it had beene kept secret before since the world began and had not beene so opened as it is now reuealed vnto the sonnes of men c. Rom. 16. 25. Ephes 3. 5. so Christ Iesus being ascended into heauen and there sitting at the right hand of his father is not now so manifested at least to the bodily sight as hee shall manifest himselfe at his second comming This time of this his appearing is his mariage day whereas all time before is but as it were the time of his and our betrothing and of the preparing of vs for that mariage day to be the fitter spouse for him All this sentence of our certainty and knowledge of our being Note made like vnto Christ at his appearing is not to bee taken as spoken in the person of the Apostle onely and of them to whom he did write but of all other the children of God whatsoeuer None must looke for this perfection and likenesse vnto Christ before this time of his appearing What then will some man aske doe you say of Enoch and Elias Of the one it is said that he walked with God and was no more seene for God tooke him away Genes 5. 24. And againe that By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death neither was he found for God had translated him Heb. 11. 5. Of the other of Elias that he went vp by a whirlewinde into Heauen 2. King 2. 11. Concerning therefore the two former examples of whom the question is mooued whatsoeuer men haue thought or doe thinke and whatsoeuer the former words may seeme to insinuate which their insinuated sense shall be opened afterward this I thinke that they are not yet bodily in heauen Enoch and Elias not bodily yet in heauen neither shall be till the resurrection of all flesh when all the rest of Gods elect shall receiue their consummation and perfect blisse My reasons for this opinion are briefly these First Heb. 11. 13. after the mention as well of Enoch as of 1. Reason Noah Abraham and Sara it is expresly said All these died in faith It were absurd to restraine the generall word all onely to the three last and not to extend it also vnto Enoch and Abel Therefore it is manifest that these two died as well as the other three If it be obiected that it is said before that Enoch was translated that he might not see death and that therefore if here this verbe died bee as well vnderstood of him as of the rest then there shall be contrarieties in one and the same place I answer that the reconciliation of this doubt is very easie namely by interpreting the former phrase that hee might not see death of not feeling death after the common painfull manner of men And so the word to see for to feele or to discerne or by experience to perceiue is often taken in the Scripture The waters saw thee O God the waters saw thee c. that is they did as it were feele and by experience perceiued thy power Psal 77. 16. So the Apostle saith I see another Law in my members c. that is I feele Rom. 7. 23. There might bee many other the like places alleged but these are sufficient That also of being translated signifieth nothing els but he was taken away in an extraordinary manner not seen of men but so secretly that no man knew or by any outward thing could iudge otherwise of him but as if God tooke him immediatly into heauen And so would God in that euill and sinfull age take him away so gently and extraordinarily dissoluing the soule and the body that men might thinke him to goe body and soule into heauen for the better honoring that holy life which he then liued the rather because all other liued so wickedly To any but very meanly exercised in the Scripture it is well knowen that many things are spoken according to the opinion of men according to that which they seemed vnto men So Samuel is said to haue been raised after death by the witch and to haue spoken vnto Saul 1. Sam 28. 11. c. Not that it was Samuel For they that die in the Lord rest from their labors Reu. 14. 13. and are not therefore at the call or command of witches but onely because he appeared in the likenesse of Samuel as Satan can change himselfe into the likenesse of an Angell of light 2. Cor. 11. 14 and because Saul and his company tooke him so to be My second reason is out of the same Chapter For of all the former and of diuers other examples afterward mentioned it is written thus All these through faith obtained good report and receiued not the promise God prouiding a better thing for vs that they without vs should not be made perfect verse 39. 40. If Enoch had beene taken vp in body into heauen then had hee beene made perfect without vs. My third reason is out of the same Epistle also Chapt. 9. 8. where the Apostle by the entrance or going once yeeâ—ely of the high Priest alone into Sanctum Sanctorum into the most holy place doth teach that vnder the Law and whiles the first Tabernacle was standing the way into the holiest of all was not yet opened What meaneth the Apostle by the holiest of all but heauen especially for the bodies of men to enter thereinto For howsoeuer God had prepared heauen to be the common receptacle of the soules of the righteous after death yet Christ was the first that entred in body And this seemeth to bee the stronger argument because in the description of heauen in the same epistle afterward Chap. 12. 23. it is called the city of the liuing God the celestial Ierusalem which hath the company of innumerable Angels the assembly of the congregation of the first borne which are written in heauen and God the iudge of all and the spirits of iust and perfect men and Iesus the Mediator of the new Testament Heere therefore is mention of Angels of God of the spirits of iust men and of Iesus the Mediator heere is no mention at all of any bodies or of any men altogether in heauen If any will reply that this is a description of the whole Church in heauen and in earth both gouernours children and seruants I answer that then the words the congregation of the first borne must comprehend the Church militant in earth and so there will bee none found in heauen but God Iesus Christ the spirits of iust and perfect men and the Angels So all bodies beside the body of Christ are yet excluded Fourthly
in the description of the resurrection 1. Cor. 15. 52. there is no other sort mentioned but the dead to bee raised and the liuing at that time vpon the earth to be changed The trumpet shall blow and the dead shall be raised vp incorruptible and we viz all which at that day shall be liuing shal be changed The like is 1. Thess 4. 15. 16. 17. This say we vnto you by the word of the Lord that we which liue and are remaining in the comming of the Lord shall not preuent them which sleepe for the Lord himselfe shall descend downe from heauen with a shout and with the voice of an Archangell and with the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first Then shall wee which liue and remaine be caught vp with them also in the clouds c. In neither of both these places is there any mention of any but of the dead and of the liuing and remaining here vpon the earth Enoch therfore and Elias must be reckned with the dead accounted as dead though they died in an extraordinary maner neither violent or painfull to themselues or discerned by other Fifthly all the elect being compared to a body and it being contrary to the nature of a body that any one member should bee perfected till the body haue all the members belonging thereunto how can it bee that one or two of the members of Christs body should be perfected and wholly glorified in heauen Christ wanting many members and not being compleat in his said body till the very last age of the world and till the last point of the said age For who can deny but that there are many of the elect yet vnborne When also they shall bee all borne who can deny but that they shall be called one after another Till all be borne and all be called Christs body is not perfect Sixthly who can deny the Ministers of the Gospell to bee more excellent especially the Apostles and Euangelists who first planted the Churches among the Gentiles who I say can deny these to bee more honorable then any Ministers vnder the Law Much more then any before the Law This hath beene shewed before therefore I doe not now stand vpon it This only I adde that it is said of the Apostles as an honourable thing and as a dignity and prerogatiue of them aboue all other namely that they should sit vpon twelue seats or thrones and iudge the twelue tribes of Israel Matth. 19. 28. It is likewise to be acknowledged that as the calling was more honourable then the calling of any of the Prophets so also they had more excellent graces not only speciall for discharge of their speciall places but also generally of sanctification Is this so How vnlikely then is it that any especially vnder the Law or before the Law should haue any degree of glory and be perfectly glorified before them Seuenthly there were some as wicked in their time before their time and after their time and daily are as they now in question were godly yea former times and these last times doe affoord many much more wicked then they then were or any other are godly Such was Ieroboam that made Israel to sinne Ahab and many other of the kings of Israel So Iudas that betraied our Sauiour the Pharisees that sinned against the holy Ghost the man of sinne called likewise the sonne of perdition the aduersarie that exalteth himselfe against all that is called God c. and many other contemners of the Gospell Yet none of these doe goe bodily into the place of all the damned till the day of iudgement Why then should wee thinke that they before named Enoch and Elias went bodily into heauen the place of the blessed This that I haue hitherto written of Enoch and Elias is the iudgement of diuers other that must bee acknowledged to haue beene glorious lights and worthy of much praise in the Churches Caluin indeed writeth heerein somewhat obseurely and I confesse somewhat aboue my reach and capacitie for first thus hee writeth vpon Genes 5. 24. euen word for word the Latine turned into English In summe saith hee speaking of Enochs taking away such a rapture or taking away was but a gentle and ioifull passage out of this world Yet he was not receiued into the heauens to glorie but was onely released of the miseries of this present life vntill Christ the first fruits of them that rise again sâ—ould come And sith bee was one of the members of the Church it was necessarie that hee should wait till all the members together should come foorth to meet Christ that the whole body might bee vnited to the head Notwithstanding in the very next words he doth much obscure that which before hee had written adding If any shall obiect that of the Apostle It is appointed all men to die once the solution is easie namely that death doth not alwaies make a diuorce of the soule and body but they are said to die which put off the corruptible nature in which manner they shall die whom the last day shall finde remaining These last words I confesse I cannot conceiue namely how any may be said to die whose soules and bodies are not separated and how they that shall be liuing at the last day may be said to die whom the Apostle expresly saith shall not die but only be changed Peter Martyr according to his manner writeth very largelie and somewhat I confesse different from something before written by me namely in his Commentarie vpon 2. King 2. 11. Notwithstanding in another place he commeth neerer vnto me and agreeth more with me In the former place first he writeth that it is not probable or Consentâ—â—eum like that these two Enoch and Elias should be taken to the places of blessednesse before Christ himselfe which is the first fruits of all had aduanced himselfe thither The words also of our Lord may seeme to perswade this who in Iohn saith No man hath ascended into heauen but the sonne of man that descended from heauen He therefore denieth any man to haue ascended into heauen before himselfe c. Yet afterward hee saith that they went bodie and soule into Abrahams bosome and he maketh Abrahams bosome a place aboue yet distinct from the glorious place where Christ and all his Saints departed this life are How sound this is I leaue to other of sound iudgement For my part I know no such distinction as he there maketh After this he proceedeth further denying them to haue died opposing himselfe to them that said as I haue written viz. that they died but yet an extraordinary kinde of death neither by any defect or decay of nature nor by any force and violence but after some other sort with ease and delight c. Notwithstanding in the other place before insinuated he differeth from that which himselfe had before written and agreeth with me For writing of the Eucharist against Steuen Gardiner