that teach the contrary 1. AS for that Text which we deferred to speak to we shall now take it into consideration It was Gal. 2.16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but by the faith of Iesus Christ even we have believed in Iesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the Law For by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified From this place of Scripture also there are some that would inferre a superannuating and annulling of all moral honesty and reall Righteousness whatever pretending that nothing but mere Faith is required to make us approvable before God And indeed they fansy that this whole Epistle administers invincible arguments to maintain this mischievous Conclusion though there be not to any indifferent Judge any solid reason of so full a confidence Which we shall easily understand if we take notice that the designe of this Epistle is only to reduce those Galatians again to the truth of Christianity that were almost apostatizing to Iudaisme and the Ceremonial Law of Moses Ye observe dayes and moneths and times and years I am afraid of you lest I have bestowed labour on you in vain Chap. 4.10 11. But the main scope of the Apostle is against Circumcision as is plain upon the very first perusall of the Epistle which he beating down together with the Law of Moses and extolling the Faith in Christ seems sometimes to excuse a man from walking according to the moral Law under the pretence of Faith in Christ. But as S. Peter hath well observed there be many things in S. Pauls Epistles hard to be understood which foolish men pervert to their own destruction But that we be not led into the same errour and mischief it will be of no small concernment to trace the footsteps of S. Paul that so we may wind our selves out of this dangerous Maze or Labyrinth 2. Whereas then he seems to nullifie or vilifie at least the Law in the advancing of that Righteousnesse that is by faith let us see what this Righteousnesse that is by faith and what that of the Law is Chap. 2.19 For I through the Law am dead to the Law that I might live unto God I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me I through the Law am dead unto the Law what a riddle is this that the Law should deprive it self of its disciples And yet it doth so For it is a Schoolmaster to Christ or rather an Usher which when it hath well tutour'd us and castigated us removes us up higher to be made in Christ perfect who is the perfection of the Law But the Law it self makes nothing perfect and this is the reason that Righteousness is not of the Law And to this purpose speaks the Apostle in this very Epistle at the 21 verse of the 3. Chapter Is the Law then against the promises of God God forbid For if there had been a law given which could have given life verily righteousnesse should have been by the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A law that could enliven and enquicken us But that is beyond the power of the Law That 's the title and prerogative of Christ who is the Way the Truth and the Life I am the Resurrection and the Life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die Joh. 11. This therefore is the Righteousness of Faith or belief far above the Righteousness of the Law or killing letter 3. Wherefore when this Faith is come that worketh us up to a living frame of Righteousness within us we are no longer under the servility of the Law of Moses but are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus Now none are the children of God but those that are led by the Spirit of God as the Apostle elsewhere witnesseth in his Epistle to the Romans And those that have the Spirit of God what fruits they bring forth is amply set out by the Apostle in this to the Galatians chap. 5. v. 22. The fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meeknesse temperance against such there is no law For indeed there is no need of it they being a law unto themselves So we see how those that are in Christ are not under the Law because that inward fountain of obedience or living law in their hearts is above it They do really and truly fulfill it through the Spirit that is by faith For that Spirit is the begetter of Love and Love is the fulfilling of the Law For all the Law is fulfilled in one word even in this Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self Gal. 5.14 This I say then walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary one to another that ye may not do the things ye would Which certainly is the true and genuine sense of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Grotius also has noted And these are contrary that is to say oppose one the other namely the Spirit the flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the end you may not do those things that your own corrupt will or carnall minde inclines you to which naturally coheres with what follows But if you be led by the Spirit you are not under the Law For against such there is no law as was said before Which implyes if they be not led by the Spirit they are liable to the curse of the Law to death hell and damnation For so also speaks the Apostle when he hath reckoned up the works of the flesh That they that do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God ver 21. And v. 25. he openly declares That they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts 4. So we see plainly that the Righteousnesse that is of faith is not a mere Chimaera or phansie but a more excellent Righteousness then that of the Law For the Law is no quickening spirit but a dead letter But Christ is the Resurrection and the Life And he is God our righteousness mighty to save and can with ease destroy the powers of death darkness and the Devil out of the Soul of man but we must have the patience to endure the work wrought in us by him I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me And if we will still cloak and cover our foul corrupt hearts with forged conceits of Hypocrisie's own making and excuse our selves from being good to one another or to our selves because God in Christ is so good to us hear what the Apostle speaks in the sixth and last Chapter of this Epistle at the seventh verse Be not deceived God is not mocked For whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also
being required on their part but to believe that Christ died for them and upon no other condition then that bare belief as if Christ did not give himself to redeem us from sin but to assert our liberty of sinning which is the most perverse and mischievous misconstruction of the grace of God revealed in Christ that possibly could be invented and point-blank against the end and design of his coming into the world For he gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works 5. Yet as repugnant and irrational as this Errour is it had attempted the Church betimes as appears by sundry monitions of the Apostles when exhorting their charge to holiness of life and real righteousness they often intimate their proneness of being deceived in thinking they had leave to be remiss in these matters Some instances you may have observed already to which you may add that of S. Iames Be ye doers of the word and not hearers onely deceiving your own souls But that of S. Iohn is most express and emphaticall Little Children let no man deceive you he that doth righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous that is even as Christ was righteous who was not putatitiously and imaginarily righteous but really so indeed though it seems by this caution there were that went about in those times to perswade it might be otherwise And I could wish that this errour were not so taking in the Church as it is at this day then which notwithstanding no greater I think can be committed nor more dangerous it rendring this admirable Engine as I have termed it which God has set up in the world for the advancement of Life and Godliness altogether invalid and useless 6. Wherefore all the following Powers of this Instrument depending on this first unless we can make good this the rest will have no force nor motion Therefore that I may make all throughly glib and expedite I find an obligation upon me not to rest in these though never-so-evident testimonies That we are strictly bound to inherent sanctity and holiness but to clear also to the judicious the unwarrantableness and weakness of the grounds of this Errour which they would obtrude upon the world as the chief Mystery of the Gospel namely That if one do but believe though devoid of all sanctification yet he is approved as holy and righteous by the imputation of Christs righteousness and so consequently shall inherit everlasting life let him live here as he will I shall take the rise of my discourse from that grave and affectionate counsel the holy Apostle has given to young and weak Christians and which I even now mentioned Little children let no man deceive you c. CHAP. V. 1. The Apostle's care for young Christians against that Errour of thinking they may be righteous without doing righteously 2. Their obnoxiousness to this contagion with the Causes thereof to be searched into 3. The first sort of Scriptures perverted to his ill end 4. The second sort 5. That the very state of Christian Childhood makes them prone to this Errour 6. What is the nature of that Faith Abraham is so much commended for and what the meaning of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 7. A search after the meaning of the term Justification 8. Justification by faith without the deeds of the Law what may be the meaning of it 9. Scriptures answered that seem to disjoin Reall righteousness from Faith 10. And to make us only righteous by imputation 11. Undeniable Testimonies of Scripture that prove the necessity of real Righteousness in us 1. THAT which Plato commends in Law-givers and Institutors or Governors of Commonwealths that they have a special and prime care of Childhood and youth as the diligent in Husbandry make peculiar fences for their young plants to save them from the dangers their tenderness exposes them to that also is observable in the blessed Apostle who amongst many other provisions he has made in the behalf of all younglings in Christianity has also armed them and fenced them with this caution against being mistaken so dangerously in Christianity as to conceit they may by a bare professing themselves Christians be righteous though there were neither any real Righteousness in their hearts nor any fruits of it in their hands A wicked Errour which several Seducers tempted men to such as were Nicolaus Marcio and Carpocrates as Historians have taken notice of 2. And because there can be no better Antidote then the being convinced that there is an obnoxiousness in younger Christians to this contagion I shall diligently search out and set forth the causes whereby they become obnoxious that finding themselves so they may have the greater care to keep themselves from being smitten with this pestilentiall infection Where we shall finde that come to pass in Spirituall things that often happens in Natural For as weak bodies contract diseases from meats and drinks nay from that which is so perpetual and palpable a principle of life that we can scarce live one moment without it I mean the refreshing Aire which casts many tender bodies into Agues and Feavers and other distempers so tender and weak Souls often by ill concoction turn the very bread of Eternal life the Word of God into morbifick matter and in stead of getting growth and strength by feeding thereon weaken the Divine life in them and sink themselves into most dangerous and desperate maladies 3. The first cause then of the proneness of young Christians to this present Errour is certain places of Scripture the meaning whereof they not rightly understanding make bold to interpret them in favour to their own carnality and fleshly desires It would be too voluminous a business to cull out all the places that are perverted to this ill purpose We shall content our selves in producing the chiefest in answering to which we shall naturally satisfie all the rest And these I may cast into two sorts For they are such as either seem to import That a bare Faith will justifie us and so we may become righteous by an empty belief or else such as seem to say That the righteousness of Christ becomes ours or That we are righteous by that righteousness that is in him And of the first kind is that Rom. 4. Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness Now to him that worketh is the Reward not reckoned of Grace but of debt but to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness And Rom. 5. Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through Iesus Christ our Lord. And Rom. 10. For Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believeth And at the ninth verse of the same Chapter If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and shalt believe in thy heart that God
this was in stead of all other Righteousness to him and that he was reputed as righteous all over now although he were not so at all in any other things 7. Now for Iustification we shall best understand the meaning of the word from the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 First therefore besides the forensal acception 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to be just Gen. 38.26 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thamar is more righteous then I. So Eccles. 31.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that loves gold will not be just Secondly it signifies to appear just Psa. 51.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is that thou maist plainly appear or approve thy self to be just And Psal. 143. â— For in thy sight no man living 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall appear just Thirdly and lastly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to make just and pure to free from vice and sinfulness Psalm 73. v. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Therefore have I cleansed my heart in vain And Eccles. 18.22 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nec tuam probitatem usque ad mortem differas saies the Translation And Rom. 6.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that is dead is freed from sin Also Act. 13.39 And by him all they that believe are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses i. e. Ye are more throughly cleansed and purged from sin and wickedness then you could be ever under the Law of Moses Which is consonant to other passages in Scripture as That the Law makes nothing perfect and again If there had been a Law that could have given life then verily righteousness might have been of the Law And now we have found out a warrantable sense of these words we shall be able more expeditely to discover the sense of the foregoing places of Scripture alledged for this pernicious conceit of a Christians being righteous without any real Righteousness in him 8. Wherefore to that in the 4. to the Romans whose force will be the greater if we adde that also which is written a little before in the 3 chap. v. 28. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law and what he inferrs also vers 9. That Iews and Gentiles and all are under sin Wherein the meaning of the Apostle is to magnifie as was most fit the ministration of the Gospel and so he signifies to the world that whatsoever is discovered hitherto is imperfect lapsed and ruinous all but weak and sinful before the coming in of Christ even the works of the Law themselves and that smooth external Righteousness of mere Morality and Ceremony So that all the world are found guilty before God and by the deeds of the Law there shall be no flesh justified in his sight For by the Law is but the knowledge of sin vers 20. it gives no strength to perform Wherefore now reckoning nothing upon all these things we are as it were to begin the world again and to endeavour after such a Righteousness as is by Faith in Christ Jesus and not to rest in any thing that may be done by the ordinary power of the flesh but to aspire after that Righteousness which is communicable to us by that Spirit which raised Jesus Christ from the dead But neither Abraham nor any one else can be justified by any carnal righteousness of their own but that highly-spiritual act of Abraham reaching beyond the common rode of Nature who against hope believed in hope that was that which commended Abraham so much to God And thus from the Example of Abraham would the Apostle commend the Christian faith to the world and in particular to the Jews the Offspring of Abraham For at the end of the fourth chapter he makes this use of Abraham's faith being imputed to him for Righteousness that is reputed by God as a very excellent good act as it indeed was that we might also be brought off to believe on him that raised up â—esus our Lord from the dead who was delivered for our offences and raised again for our justification In which verse are contained the two grand priviledges of the Gospel that is the forgiveness of sins upon the satisfaction of Christs death and the justifying of us that is the making of us just and holy through a sound faith in him that raised Jesus from the dead Which interpretation the 11 verse of the 8 Chapter doth sufficiently countenance But if the Spirit of him that raised up Iesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortall bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you viz. to Righteousness as is plain out of the foregoing verse And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin but the Spirit is life because of righteousnesse that is The body of death which we desire to be delivered from as the Apostle speaks appears by the presence of Christ in us to be thus deadly a body by reason of sin we feeling for the present nothing but an heavy indisposition to all holinesse and goodnesse in the body and its affections and all sinfulnesse and unclean Atheisticall suggestions from the flesh which is death to the Soul For to be carnally-minded is death So that by reason of the sinfulnesse of our body and the sad heavinesse thereof it appears as deadly and ghastly a thing to us as Mezentius his tying the living and the dead together when once Christ is in us but our Life is then that Righteousnesse which is of the Spirit we finding a comfortable warmth and pleasure in the gratefull arrivals of that holy and Divine sensation But he that raised Christ from the dead will in due time even quicken these our mortall bodies or these dead bodies of ours and make them conspire and come along with ease and chearfulnesse and be ready and active complying Instruments in all things with the Spirit of Righteousness Which belief is a chief Point in the Christian Faith and most of all parallel to that of Abraham's who believing in the Goodness and Power and Faithfulness of God had when both himself and his wife Sara were dry and dead as to natural generation and so hopeless of ever seeing any fruit of her womb who had I say Isaac born to him who bears Ioy and Laughter in the very Name of him and was undoubtedly a Type of Christ according to the Spirit For Isaac is the Wisedom Power and Righteousness of God flowing out and effectually branching it self so through all the Faculties both of mans Soul and Body that the whole man is carried away with joy and triumph to the acting all whatsoever is really and substantially good even with as much satisfaction and pleasure as he eats when he is hungry and drinks when he is dry And thus by our entrance and progress in so holy a
making Christian Religion recommendable to them that are without 7. As also he does herein against the third Rule in no small measure For by spoiling Christ of his Divinity and of being acknowledged in very truth the Son of God all those condescensions of his which he stooped to for our good the esteem of them is much slackned and relaxed and will not stick the mark so strongly as upon this ancient and universal Hypothesis of the Church of Christ who did acknowledge that he was really the Son of God which must needs enhance the esteem of his Sufferings exceedingly and therefore more effectually melt our affections into the greater remorse for Sin and stouter resolutions to mortifie and kill all inordinate motions and desires all perverse and corrupt suggestions of our Natures be it never so harsh to us and bring them under the scepter of the crucified Jesus Which this Sect so little considers that they very hardly are drawn to acknowledge Christs death a Sacrifice for sin and so by their dry harsh and rash reasonings expunge one of the chiefest Powers and choicest Artifices of the Gospel for the making men good CHAP. VII 1. Imputative Righteousness Invincible Infirmity and Solifidianism in what sense they seem to complie with the second and last Rule and how disagreeing with the third 2. The groundlesness of mens Zeal for Imputative Righteousness 3. And for Solifidianisme 4. The conspiracy of Imputative Righteousness Solifidianism and Invincible Infirmity to exclude all Holiness out of the Conversation of Christians 5. That large confessions of Sins and Infirmities without any purpose of amending our lives is a mere mocking of God to his very face With the great danger of that Affront 1. THE last Examples of applying and examining of Opinions according to the Rules we have set down shall be in Imputative Righteousness in Perfection and Infirmity in Iustification by Faith alone and in the Reign of Christ upon Earth And as for Imputative Righteousness Infirmity and the Opinion of the Solifidians I must confess they seem to pretend much to the exaltation of the Person of Christ and to make men sensible of their great need of him and seeming to promise ease and security to careless sinners may also make the Gospel more passable to those that are without that have a minde to enjoy this world as well as that which is to come and is as plausible to such kinde of people as Roman Indulgences and Pardons Absolution upon slight Penances and the like To which kinde of errours and miscarriages I cannot but impute a great part of the degeneracy of Christendome at this day Nor can I imagine how the more perfectly Reform'd Churches could have failed of proving generally excellent Christians indeed if these Opinions of Imaginary Righteousnesse Empty Faith and the Invinciblenesse of Sin had not stept into the room of those Follies and Errours they had fled from Whence it is apparent how highly they transgress against the third Rule and consequently how cautious men should be of either receiving them or communicating them to others 2. For as for Imputative Righteousness it is very suspicious seeing the Scripture is silent therein that it is the suggestion of Hypocrisie and Deceit to undermine that due measure of Sanctification whereunto we are called For otherwise this invention is utterly needless the Sacrifice of Christs Passion being sufficient to expiate whatever sins we fall into from any pardonable Principle Which Sacrifice were utterly needless if the perfect Righteousness of Christ were so imputed to us as that we might reckon it our own For then were we as righteous as Christ for he has no greater Righteousnesse then his own whereby he is righteous And this Righteousness consisting as well of abstaining from sins as doing acts of Righteousnesse it is plain that all this is imputed to us and that therefore hereby we are to be accounted of God as never to have sinned and therefore there wanted no Expiation for sin and so Christ died in vain For the imputation of his Righteousness will serve for all Wherefore an opinion so absurd one cannot imagine why any should be so well pleased with unless they intended it a shelter for sin and to excuse themselves from real Holinesse and Righteousnesse 3. Neither do I know to what end but this men should so zealously press the Opinion of being saved by Faith alone in such a perverse sense as some do not meaning thereby a living Faith working by Love but we must be justified by Faith prescinding from Charity Obedience and whatever is accounted Holy and Just. But it is plain that unless a man will say he is justified by a dead Faith which is no more true Faith then a dead corps is a man that real Sanctity will as surely accompany Faith as Light does the Sun and that the controversie is as ridiculously raised of Faith whether it alone justifie as if one should move a question whether the Sun alone makes it day For if they mean the Sun without the raies it is evidently false but if they mean the Sun alone without the Moon or Stars it is as evidently true But by prescinding life from Faith and contending that it justifies is as incongruous as to assert that the Sun without Light makes day and as mischievous as to insinuate that inward Sanctity is not necessary to Salvation And therefore when they talk of Faith alone they ought to explain themselves so as that they may not be understood to exclude Christian Holiness but Iudaicall and what other needless imperfect and superstitious Principles of Justification men have stood upon in the world and withall to urge an operative Christian Love which is the fulfilling of the Law 4. To this Imputative Righteousnesse and Iustifying Faith from which they would fain disjoyn real Sanctity they adde Christian Infirmity whereby they would insinuate the Invinciblenesse of Sin So that two of these Opinions suggesting That that due degree of Righteousness we have spoken of nay indeed any degree thereof is needlesse and this other That it is impossible what can this tend to but an utter neglect of all Holiness in Christian Conversation The profession of which frame of Religion though some take it to be a great piece of service of God yet that Apostle whose expressions they too often abuse declares that it is a mere mocking of him as if they did naso suspendere adunco 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be not deceived God is not mocked as a man sows so shall he also reap For this abuse and perverse application of the Mystery of Christianity to lewdness and secure wickedness is a mere deluding and mocking of the benigne counsel of God in Christ. It is to flear in the face of Heaven and under pretence of extolling Christ really to subvert his Kingdom upon earth 5. Is not this a mere mocking and confronting of the Divine Majesty whenas he has sent Christ into the World on
Magician and Impostour who though he did very strange things whilst he lived yet if he were once judicially tried condemned and put to death they did not make any question but that it would be with him as with other Malefactours the trouble of him would end with his life as is usually observed in matters of this kind otherwise it would be a great flaw in Providence and the generations of men would not be able to subsist for the insolencies of Witches and Sorcerers But God thus extraordinarily and miraculously interposing his power in raising Iesus from the dead gave the most certain and most confounding Testimony against the malicious cruelty of the Jewes if we may call that Malice which the love and Candour of Christ in the midst of his bitter sufferings named only Ignorance that possibly could be given For their judicial proceedings are hereby not only in an extraordinary way made suspicable and taxed of injustice but by such a miraculous means that it is manifest that none other but God himself is their Accuser as well as the Acquitter of the innocent whom they put to death and did so throughly martyr that none but the hand of God could recover him to life The same therefore of so notable an Accident the chief of the Jews very well knowing and that it would if believed demonstrate that all he did or said before in his life-time was right and from an undeniable principle that the people might not receive him for their Messias now whom three daies agoe they had crucified hired the Souldiers that watched his Monument to tell abroad that his Disciples stole him away by night while they were asleep 2. But here haply some may demand how it came to pass that these chief Priests and Rulers being so punctually informed by the Souldiers which watched the sepulchre of Christ that he was risen from the dead were not converted to the Faith themselves and convinced that Iesus was indeed the expected Messias But we may very well conceive that what might prove very effectual to move others to believe in Christ might yet take no hold upon them Partly because they were further engaged in this bloudy and direfull Tragedy then others were and having a deeper sense of honour and repute with the people then of the favour of God and love to the Truth they might in a desperate and obdurate condition venture as the saying is over shoes over boots being more willing to expose themselves to any thing then to that shame and reproach that would attend the acknowledgment of so hainous an errour And then partly because though this Accident may seem very strange yet they might conceit that it was not above the power of Evil Spirits to perform who might change themselves into the lustre of Angels of light and therefore that it was but a greater temptation upon them to try their faithfulness and obedience to the Law of Moses For what would not they think rather then find themselves guilty of so grand ignorance as not to know the promised Messias when he came into the World and of so gross a crime as to be murderers of him that from Heaven was declared the Son of God 3. But out of this Solution you 'l say arises as great a Difficultie as the former viz. How we can be ascertained that Christ is really raised from the dead Because some delusive Spirits might open his Sepulchre and carry him away and afterward appear in his shape making use of his Body to shew to Thomas or changing their own vehicles into the likeness of flesh and bones so that no man's sense may discover any difference But to this many things may be answered and 4. First That that which may be an Exception or Evasion in any case is of consequence in no case For what does there at any time really happen but Evil Spirits have a power to imitate so near that our Senses may well be deceived Secondly Though they have this power in themselves yet I deny that they can exert it when and so far as they please and therefore God would not permit them to add so irresistible credit to the whole Ministry of Christ by this last Miracle if Christ had not really been the Messias but he being the Messias it was no delusion of theirs but a real transaction by that hand that is Omnipotent 5. Thirdly Every thing was exactly as if he had risen from the dead the Watch saw the Earth-quake and the stone rolled from the door of the Sepulchre by an Angel from Heaven Peter look'd in and beheld the linen cloaths lying by themselves the Body of Christ was missing there He appeared to his Disciples elsewhere he discoursed with them eat drunk with them they felt his flesh and put their very fingers into his wounds What greater demonstration then this could there be that he was really risen from the dead And therefore by men indifferent it must needs be acknowledged to be so though there be a possibility of being otherwise 6. Fourthly Those Miraculous things either happening to him or done by him while he was alive they being so real as they were must needs beget Faith in the unprejudic'd that this Accident was real also For is it so strange a thing that that Divine power should raise Christ from the dead that enabled him to raise Lazarus out of the Grave when he had been four daies buried to say nothing of his other Miracles and those evident Testimonies from Heaven that he was the Son of God For though there was some room left for the shuffles and subterfuges of the blinded Jews yet to those that are free and piously disposed the Resurrection of Christ compared with what either supernaturally was done by him or happened to him in his Life and at his Passion they do so binde and strengthen one another that there is no place left for misbelief 7. Fifthly Besides the Testimony of the Angels that told Mary Magdalen Ioanna and others that Christ was risen and that they did fondly to seek the living amongst the dead our Saviour's owne Prophesie concerning his rising the third day could not but make the thing undoubtedly sure to his Disciples and all such as were concerned in it and had believed on him before whereby they became zealous assertors and witnessers of it to the World 8. Sixthly and lastly All these things happening thus extraordinarily and supernaturally to a person that professed himself the Messias at that very time that the Jewish Prophesies foretold the Messias would come it is an unanswerable Demonstration that this was he and that therefore all things that he did spoke or happened unto him were no vain Illusion but Reality and Truth 9. Neither does his appearing and disappearing at pleasure and coming in to his Disciples when the doors were shut at all weaken the truth of his Resurrection and vital actuating that very Body that lay in the grave For he gave
that Iustice Meekness and power of working of Miracles were deriv'd upon our Saviour from the Natural influence of the Configuration of the Heavens at his Birth and as if he did not willingly lay down his life for the World as he himself professes but were surprized by Fate and lay subject to the stroke of an Astrological 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Sidereal Interfector As also to meet with that enormous Boaster and self-conceited Wit the prophane and giddy-headed Vaninus a transported applauder and admirer of that wild and vain supposition of Cardan upon which he so much dotes that it is the very prop and master-piece of his impious Writings the both Basis and Finishing of all his villainous distorted doctrines against the Truth and Sacredness of Christian Religion To which two you may add also Apollonius though long before them a high pretender to divine Revelations and hot Instaurator of decaying Paganism but withall a very silly affected of Astrological predictions by which it is easily discoverable at what a pitch he did either divine or philosophize And methinks it is a trim sight to see these three busie sticklers against Christianity like three fine Fools so goodly gay in their Astromantick Disguises exposed to the just scorn and derision of the World for their so high pretensions against what is so holy and solid as the Christian Faith is and that upon so fond and frivolous grounds as this of Astrology BOOK VIII CHAP. I. 1. The End and Usefulness of Christian Religion in general 2. That Christ came into the World to destroy Sin out of it 3. His earnest recommendation of Humility 4. The same urged by the Apostle Paul 1. WE have no finished the Third part of our Discourse and have sufficiently proved That Christianity is not only a Reasonable and Intelligible Idea of something that may be worth Providence's setting on foot some time or other or as a seminal Form lurking unactive in the seed under ground but that it has shot it self into Real existence and is as a grown Tree that spreads its arms far and wide It remains now that we consider the Branches and Fruit thereof And I dare boldly pronounce that this is the Tree whose leaves were intended for the Healing of the Nations not for a Pretence and Palliation for Sin and that the Fruit thereof to the true Believer is Life and Immortality This is a brief comprehension of the glorious End and great Usefulness of the Gospel But we shall be something more explicate in a matter of so mighty importance You may understand out of what has been said in the First part concerning the Nature of the Mystery of Godliness that the Gospel is a kind of Engine to raise the Divine life into those Triumphs that are due to it and are designed for it from everlasting by the all-seeing Providence of God Let us now consider how fit the Dispensation of the Gospel is for this purpose that is to say Those things that are testified in it or prophesied of it or intimated by it how all these things aim and conspire to this End partly by affording the most effectual means imaginable for the re-installing the Soul into an higher state of Righteousness here then any other Dispensation that has yet appeared in the World and thereby more certainly transplanting her hereafter into a blessed state of immortal Life and partly by exhibiting such warrantable grounds of doing Divine Homage to the Lord Jesus Christ in whom this Life we speak of resideth so plentifully he being anointed therewith far above the measure of his fellows So that in this respect though the other design has taken so little effect in the World yet we cannot but acknowledge that the Divine life has not been disappointed of all her exteriour Pomps and Triumphs We shall begin with the former kinds of the Powers of this Engine 2. The First wherof consists in this In that it is so plainly and clearly declared in the New Testament That the great End of Christs coming into the World was to remove Sin out of it and to purifie mens Souls from all uncleanness and wickedness as is apparent from sundry places As 1 John chap. 3. He that committeth sin is of the Devil for the Devil sinneth from the beginning For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God Again Tit. chap. 2. For the grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world Looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Iesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie to himself a peculiar people Zealous of good works Also Ephes. ch 5. v. 25. Husbands love your wives even as Christ also loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word That he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish I might add several other places but I shall content my self with but one ratification more of this truth from the mouth of our blessed Saviour who professes he came not to destroy the Law but to fulfill it that is to set it at an higher pitch as appears by the whole scope of his Sermon upon the Mount The observance of which Precepts he does seriously require of his disciples and followers as appears from that Similitude he closes his discourse withall where he pronounces that they that kept and practised his sayings should be safe as one that builds his house upon a Rock but those that heard and practised not should be as he that built on the Sand that is upon a false and deceitfull foundation And a little above he does plainly protest even against such that may have prophesied cast out Devils and done Miracles in his name which yet are greater matters then either the making or hearing of long Praiers or long Sermons because they kept not this Law of Righteousness he there propounds he does protest that in the day of Judgment he will not know them but bid them depart from him as Workers of Iniquity This is sufficient to demonstrate That the End of the Gospel is to renovate the Spirits of men into true and real inherent Righteousness and Holiness which in counter-distinction to the Animal life which had domineered in the World so long not only in the prophane Actions but also in the very Religious Rites of the Heathens as I have already shewn at large I have denominated the Life Divine and numbred out those Three parts
obliged the world so that all due homage and divine reverence to the Person of Christ must be laid aside and this bold Impostor silence the constant faith of Christians by his high pretensions of being the Head and Father of such a Family whose Inscription must be Love who with this Family of his is God and Christ and Cherubims and Seraphims Angels and Arch-Angels already busie in their office of judging the quick and the dead and gathering the elect from all the corners of the Earth 5. But in my apprehension at the very first sight he shews himself very injudicious if not malicious in making a difference betwixt the true Houshold of Faith and Family of Love besides his gross and impudent injustice in usurping that badge of honour to himself that was won by another in a field of bloud For as I was going to say what has this H. N. done to merit this title more then in scribling many fanatical Rhapsodies of unsound language abusively borrowed from the sacred Scriptures and in perverting the sense and supplanting the end by his wicked elusions and vain Allegorical evasions and so under pretense of beginning an higher dispensation of Righteousnes and Religion in the world then ever was yet treacherously introducing in stead of true Religion nothing but Sadducisme Epicurisme and Atheisme This voluminous Enthusiasme of his together with the gracing of the Family with the splendour of his crimson habiliments is all I find that can pretend to any contestation or competition with the true Master of Divine Love or to any obligation of his Followers 6. I must confess our Saviour compiled no Books it being a piece of Pedantry below so noble and Divine a person But that short Sentence which he writ with his own most precious bloud As I have loved you so love you one another is worth millions of Volumes though written with the truest and sincerest Eloquence that ever fell from the pen of an Oratour Nor did he wear any gay Clothes but when by force the abusive souldiers put a scarlet robe upon him indespight and mockery Nor was he resplendent in any colours but what was the die of his own bloud in his solemn and dreadful Passion when he was so cruelly scourged when out of agonie of mind he sweat drops of bloud when he was nailed to the Cross and the lance let bloud and water out of his side All which ineffable and unsupportable torments this innocent Lamb of God suffered for no demerit of his for what thank is it to suffer for a factious Impostor or open evil doer but out of mere compassion and hearty love to mankind that he might by this bitter Passion of his and the glorious consequences of it his Resurrection and Ascension gain us to God And now let all men judge if there can be possibly any Authour or pretended Instructer of the World in that holy and divine Love indeed comparable to the Lord Iesus who has given this unparallel'd demonstration of his love unto us CHAP. III. 1. The occasion of the Familists usurpation of the Title of Love 2. Earnest precepts out of the Apostles to follow Love and what kind of Love that is 3. That we cannot love God unless we love our neighbour also 4. An Exposition of the 5 and 6 verses of the 1 chapter of the 2 Epist. of S. Peter 5. Saint Paul's rapturous commendation of Charity 6. His accurate description thereof 7. That Love is the highest participation of the Divinity and that whereby we become the Sons of God And how injurious these Fanaticks are that rob the Church of Christ of this title to appropriate it to themselves 1. HEarken therefore to me yet that would follow after righteousness ye that seek the Lord Look unto the rock whence you were hewen and to the hole of the pit from whence you were digged Look upon him whom ye have pierced and whose bloud is the seed of the Church whose Spouse was taken out of his side as Eve out of the side of Adam Acknowledge your original and recount with your selves the price of your Redemption even the inestimable bloud of that immaculate Lamb Christ Jesus The sense whereof is the strongest cement imaginable to unite us to our Saviour and one unto another But the Church having been given up so long a time to bitter factions and persecutions to warre and bloudshed and all manner of enmity and hostility one against another it is no wonder if a stranger has invaded that Title which she may justly be thought to have either refused or forfeited For my own part I know not how to apologize for either the fond opinions or foul miscarriages of the Wilderness of Christendome But sure I am That the Banner over the true Spouse of Christ is Love That Love is the badge and cognoscence of all his faithful members by which they are known to be His living members indeed That Love and Peace is the last Legacy which was left to the disciples by their dying Lord and Master an inheritance entailed upon all the true sons of God for ever That Love is the fulfilling of the Law and has filled almost every page of the Gospel and all the Writings of the Apostles and when they speak of Faith it is none other Faith then that which worketh by Love 2. Out of the many repetitions and inculcations of this holy and heavenly Vertue I was a gleaning out some to present you withall for an evidence how serious the Gospel of Christ is and how sufficient in the urging of his indispensable duty We go on therefore and adde to what we have already cited these following places Galat. 5.6 For in Iesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but Faith which worketh by Love And if Circumcision be nothing without Faith working by Love what can Baptizing or Rebaptizing or any external ceremony be without this true Faith whose life and spirit is Love which the Apostle directs us to And after v. 13 14. For brethren ye have been called unto liberty only use not your liberty for an occasion to the flesh but by love serve one another For all the Law is fulfilled in one word even in this Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self Where this Law of Love is so carefully described that the abuse of this Title to Lust and Libertinisme is plainly excluded against such as talk so much of Love and are but Libertines at the bottom Which caution also is very soberly and prudently put in by S. Iohn Ep. 1. chap. 5. v. 2. By this we know that we love the children of God when we love God and keep his Commandements Which is a plain demonstration that that Love which Saint Iohn exhorts to so copiously in his Epistle is a Love purely divine and such as no man can be assured he doth practise unlesse he keep all the Commandements of God For even a carnall man may love the Children of
Dispensation are we well approved of by God and being justified thus by faith we have peace with him through our Lord Iesus Christ Rom. 5.1 So that this Iustification is not a mere belief that Christ died for us in particular or that he was raised from the dead whereby anothers Righteousness is imputed to us but a believing in God that he has accepted the bloud of Christ as a Sacrifice for sin and that he is able through the power of the Spirit to raise us up to newness of life whereby we are encouraged to breath and aspire after this more inward and perfect righteousnesse Which advantages God propounds to all the hearers of the Gospel without any respect of works or former demurenesse of life if so be they will but now come in and close with this high and rich dispensation and be carried on with couragious resolutions to fight against and pull down the man of sin within themselves that this living and new way of real Divine righteousnesse may be set up and rule in their hearts I say if they be encouraged to this holy enterprise by Faith in Christ for the remission of sins and for the power of his Spirit to utterly eradicate and extirpate all inward corruption and wickednesse this Faith is presently imputed to them for Righteousnesse that is they are and are approved by God as dear children of his and as good men and are of the seed of the Promise For they are born now not of the will of man nor of the will of the flesh but of the will of God and their will is wholly set upon righteousnesse and true holinesse which they hunger and thirst after as sincerely and eagerly as ever they did after their natural meat and drink and God who feeds the young Ravens is not so cruell as to deny them this celestial food which food they reach at and as it were wrest out of his hands by Faith in the power of his Spirit whereby they account themselves able to doe all things 9. And this is the only warrantable notion that I can finde of being justified by faith Nor do those places above recited prove any other then this For that which seems to make most of all for another viz. Rom. 4.5 But to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness may very well be interpreted according to that tenour of sense I have already declared For that is the great and comfortable priviledge of the Gospel that without any respect of former works if so be we do but now believe remission of sins in Christ and believe in his power that justifies the ungodly i. e. that makes just the ungodly and purifies and purges them from all sin and iniquity from which by their own naturall power they could not purged and restores them to inward reall righteousnesse by the working of his Spirit this Faith is imputed for Righteousnesse For they that do thus believe are good and righteous men for matter of sincerity so that they have peace with God through the bloud of Christ and by the power of that Spirit that is now working in them are renewed daily more and more into that glorious image and desirable liberty which arises in the further conquest of the Divine life in them and makes them righteous even as Christ was righteous And now the hardest is satisfied the other places alledged will easily fall of themselves by the application of what has been said concerning this nature of Faith and Iustification 10. As for those places of Scripture that seem to attribute the Righteousness of Christ to us as where he is said to be made unto us wisedom righteousness sanctification and redemption the sense is only this that he works in us wisedom righteousness c. Otherwise it might be inferred that we shall have only an imputative Redemption and that we shall not be really saved and redeemed As for that other As by the disobedience of one man many were made sinners so by the obedience of one man many shall be made righteous I say it is a place against themselves For by Adam we became really sinners and sinful contracting original corruption from his loins therefore by Christ we are to be made really righteous And this was the end of his obedience that was obedient even to the death of the crosse that we being buried with him by baptisme into death like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life Rom. 6. Wherefore there really being no ground in Scripture for this childish mistake and it being as unreasonable that one Soul should be righteous for another as that one Body should be in health for another if I shew that the Scripture it self does expresly require of us that we be righteous and holy in our own persons there is then nothing wanting to the full discovery of this childish and ungrounded conceit of being righteous without any Righteousness residing in us 11. And in my apprehension this very Text of S. Iohn is a clear eviction of this Truth it plainly declaring that they are mistaken who ever conceit themselves righteous without doing righteousnesse or without being righteous in such a sense as Christ himself was righteous There are also several other Testimonies of the Apostles to the same purpose some whereof I have noted already as where he saith That Christ was manifested to take away our sins and that he came to destroy the works of the Devil and that he that is born of God sinneth not because the seed of God abideth in him that is a permanent Principle of Divine life and sense whereby he seeth and abhorreth whatsoever is wicked and unholy And again 1 Ioh. â— Hereby we know that we know him if we keep his commandements He that saith I know him and keepeth not his commandements is a lyar and the truth is not in him but whose keepeth his word in him verily is the love of God perfected Hereby know we that we are in him He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also to walk even as he walked Like that 2 Tim. 2.19 Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity CHAP. VI. 1. Their alledgement of Gal. 2.16 as also of the whole drift of that Epistle 2. What the Righteousnesse of faith is according to the Apostle 3. In what sense those that are in Christ are said not to be under the Law 4. That the Righteousness of faith is no figment but a reality in us 5. That this Righteousnesse is the New Creature and what this new Creature is according to Scripture 6. That the new Creature consists in Wisedom Righteousness and true Holiness 7. The Righteousnesse of the new Creature 8. His Wisedom and Holinesse 9. That the Righteousness of faith excludes not good Works The wicked treachery of those
reap For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting 5. The aim therefore of the Apostle is not to extenuate or discountenance real Vertue and Righteousnesse but to point us to it and shew us where it may be had Not in dayes or years not in New Moons or Festivals not in Circumcision nor in the dead letter of the Law but in Christ and the Spirit of God in the renewed Image of God in the new birth in the new life in the second Adam from Heaven in the new Creature But God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Iesus Christ by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world For in Christ Iesus neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but a new creature Which the Apostle elsewhere cals the new man That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man that is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts and be renewed in the Spirit of your minde And that you put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse that is not in external Ceremonial holiness or outward sanctimonious shew but in the regeneration of the inward Spirit to a new life from the very heart And again Colos. 3. vers 9. Lie not one to another seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds and have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him where there is neither Greek nor Iew circumcision nor uncircumcision Barbarian Scythian bond nor free but Christ is all and in all 6. This new Creature then is nothing else but the Image of God in the Soul of man So witness both these Texts The new man which after God is created in Knowledge Righteousness and true Holiness The very same that Plato speaks at once in his Theaetetus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To be like God is to become Holy Iust and Wise. But because most men even the old Adam in us take themselves to be holy just and wise it will be seasonable here to see what Iustice Holinesse and Wisedom this is that is in the new Creature 7. And who can tell it so well as he that is it Matth. 5. Ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old Thou shalt not kill and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgement But I say unto you that whosoever ◠angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgement and whosoever shall say unto his brother Racha shall be in danger of the Councell but whosoever shall say Thou fool shall be in danger of hell-fire Ye have heard that it was said by them of old Thou shalt not commit adultery But I say unto you that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart Again it was said of old Forswear not thy self But I say unto you Swear not at all but let your communication be Yea yea and Nay nay for whatsoever is more then these cometh of evil Ye have heard it also said An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth But I say unto you Resist not evil Ye have heard also Thou shalt love thy neighbour but hate thine enemy But I say unto you Love your enemies Bless them that curse you Do good to them that hate you and pray for them that despightfully use you and persecute you Behold the exact and unblameable Righteousnesse that is in the regenerate Soul far above the doctrine or thoughts of either the Legal Pharisee or mere Moralist External Righteousness in the outward man or to be internally just as far as corrupt Reason suggests is but filthy rags in respect of this Righteousnesse Christ requires of us and the new Creature doth bring into us once grown up to its due stature in us Let every man examine himself by this Rule 8. And as this Iustice is far above yea sometimes contrary to the Justice of the Natural man for with him to hate his enemies to recompense evil with evil is just so the Holiness is far transcending the Holinesse of either the ancient or modern Scribes and Pharisees and Zelotical Ceremonialists For all outward Ceremonies of Time or Place of Gesture or Vestments Rites or Orders they are all but Signes and Shews but the Body is Christ. Lastly that the natural man phansie not himself Wise as who is not of all precious things the most forward to appropriate that to himself that he phansie not himself Wise before he be Holy and Iust let him examine his Wisedom by that square in the third Chapter of S. Iames's Epistle Who is a wise man and endowed with knowledge amongst you Let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of Wisedom But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts glory not and lye not against the truth This wisedom descendeth not from above but is earthly sensual and devilish For where envying and strife is there is confusion and every evil work But the Wisedom that is from above is first pure then peaceable gentle and easie to be entreated full of mercy and good fruits without partiality without hypocrisie The Righteousnesse then of the new Creature is a Righteousness far above the letter of Moses's Law though exactly performed it 's Holiness more resplendent then the Robe of Aaron and all his Priestly attire or whatsoever Ceremonies else God hath instituted or man invented it 's Wisdome far above all the thin-beaten subtilties of either the wrangling Sects or disputacious Schools without contention or bitter contradiction 9. So that it is plain from the constant scope of the Apostle both in this Epistle and every where else That he does not vilifie true Vertue and Morality but drives at an higher pitch and perfection thereof and that the Righteousness of Faith which he prefers before the Righteousness of Works is not by way of exclusion of Good Works out of the Righteousness of Faith but of urging us to exacter and more perfect works of Righteousnesse then could be performed under the dispensation of the Law How wicked a treachery therefore is it against the Church of Christ and how impudent a piece of boldness in those false Teachers that would bear men in hand That this doctrine of the being approved in the eyes of God by a dry and dead Faith devoid and destitute of all real sanctity and holiness is not only a Christian truth but the most choice and principal doctrine in all Christianity when there is not any footstep of any such thing in all the Instructions and Informations of either Christ or his Apostles CHAP. VII 1. That no small measure of Sanctity serves the turn in Christianity 2. As appears out of Scriptures already alledged 3. Further
contract and covenant in a familiar and kind way one with another And the holy Writers are so far from giving any considerable occasion to title the Gospel by the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they frequently set it in opposition thereunto And if at any time they attribute that term to it it is ordinarily not without some softning or mitigating qualification as the Law of Faith not of Works and the Law of liberty Jam. 1.25 So that we see that there is a very sufficient ground why notwithstanding the Jews call'd their Pentateuch and other holy writings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Law that the primitive Christians should call the Evangelical writings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Covenant it usually also signifying Testament to which the Author to the Hebrews alludes chap. 9.17 which comes exceeding near to the nature of a Covenant where one is constituted Heir upon Condition 9. The very Title therefore of that Authentical Volume of our Religion gives some general knowledge of the nature of it if it had been fitly translated out of the Greek But the Latine Christians as well in the old as in the new Testament ever translating 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Testamentum etiam ubi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nominatur as Grotius takes notice whenas God yet cannot die and therefore will never have occasion to make his last Will and Testament have given occasion to our English Translatours to follow them in the Title of this Book and to render it Testament rather then Covenant by which notwithstanding is to be understood Covenant Otherwise if you understand a last Will and Testament what sense will the Old Testament bear CHAP. VI. 1. That there were more Old Covenants then one 2. What Old Covenant that was to which this New one is especially counterdistinguished with a brief intimation of the difference of them 3 4. An Objection against the difference delivered with the Answer thereto 5. The Reason why the Second Covenant is not easily broken 6. That the importance of the Mystery of the Second Covenant engages him to make a larger deduction of the whole matter out of S. Paul 1. IN general therefore our Christian Religion is a Covenant the Terms and Conditions whereof are comprehended in those Books which we ordinarily call The New Testament which were better and more significantly rendred The New Covenant The nature whereof we cannot so well understand unless we reflect back upon the Old Covenants mentioned in the Scripture which preceded this and there being more then one take notice which of them especially this New one is set opposite to That there is mention of more Covenants then one is manifest from Ephes. 2.12 And particularly Circumcision in the book of Moses and the Prophets is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the New Testament Acts 7.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And God gave unto Abraham the Covenant of Circumcision 2. But questionless that One most eminent most solemn and most formal Covenant which God made with the Children of Israel beginning it at their going out of Aegypt but perfecting it on Mount Sinai in Arabia this is that Old Covenant chiefly glanced at by them that styled our Religion The New Covenant and they had a very good warrant for it out of the Prophet Jeremy ch 31. v. 31 32. Behold the daies come saith the Lord that I will make a New Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Iudah Not according to the Covenant that I made with their Fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the Land of Aegypt which my Covenant they brake although I was an husband unto them saith the Lord. But this shall be the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel After those daies saith the Lord I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my people Which promise also is recorded in the 54. of Esay And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord and great shall be the peace of thy children So that there is found an Old and a New Covenant set opposite the one against the other by the Prophets own ordering The difference of whose natures consists mainly in this That the Old Covenant is an external Covenant something without a man the other an inwardly-ingrafted principle of Life This is that word which is in our heart as well as in our mouth of which Paul professes himself a preacher and therefore must be the gospel of Iesus Christ. 3. But you 'l say The Evangelists and the Apostles Writings are without too as well as the letter of Moses I but yet for all that it is very manifest and plain that they have not reached the Dispensation of the Gospel that have not attained to an inward principle of life Which being the great distinguishing design of the Gospel we are to look upon it in this design and end and that it has not done its work and is in a manner nothing to us till this be done He that believes in me out of his belly shall flow rivers of water And John 6. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud dwelleth in me and I in him As the living Father has sent me and I live by the Father so he that eateth me even he shall live by me Which passages plainly enough import the most intimate principles of life that may be the divine nature being turned as it were in succum sanguinem within us being converted into the juice and nourishment of our Souls 4. But our conversation under the Mosaical Covenant and our frame of Spirit there is but an ordinary accustomary temper or habit of doing or not doing such and such things and consequently all that righteousness but a fleshly rational fabrick of minde which Fear and Custome have carved out in the surface as it were of our Souls which characters by the same instruments are so preserved legible But under the Covenant of Christ nor Fear nor Custome but an inward spirit of life works us into everlasting holiness and a permanent Renovation of nature and Regeneration of the hidden man 5. From whence the reason is to be understood of that difference the Prophet Ieremie intimates betwixt the Old Covenant and the New That the old Covenant was broken by his people but the new one should not be broken For the one being an external yoke and the other the inward pleasure of life and radicate desire of the Soul it is no wonder that what is forced lasts not long but that upon the first opportunity and provoking occasion like unmanaged horses we cast off the burden that so pinches us and galls us in lying so heavy upon us and being no part of us But the perfect Law of liberty becoming as it were our own life and nature our greatest burden would
Christian Magistrate if he can supply himself with those that are 3. That the Christian Magistrate is to lay aside the fallible opinions of men and promote every one in Church and State according to his merit in the Christian life and his ability promoting the interest of the Church of Christ and the Nation he serves 4. That he is to continue or provide an honourable and competent allowance for them that labour in the word and doctrine 5. That the vigilancy of the Christian Magistrate is to keep under such Sects as pretend to Immediate Inspiration unaccountable and unintelligible to sober Reason and why 6 That the endeavour of impoverishing the Clergy smels rank of Prophaneness Atheisme and Infidelity 7. That the Christian Magistrate is either to erect or keep up Schools of Humane Learning with the weighty grounds thereof 8. A further enforcement of those grounds upon the fanatick Perfectionists 9. The hideous danger of casting away the History of the Gospel upon pretence of keeping to the Light within us 1. TO come to a Conclusion therefore and to touch the Point we have aimed at all this time What a Christian Prince or the Supreme Magistracy may contribute to the advancement of the Gospel of Christ From these general Principles we may inferre First that he is to give Liberty of Conscience to all such as have not forfeited it namely such as I have last of all described especially if they be Natives of the place were it possible for them to be of any Religion then Christian. But withall to require a publick and solemn account of their change of Religion wherein it may appear whether it be Conscience or Design or humour that makes them Apostatize Which either fraud or giddiness shall make the party obnoxious to such rebuke and penalty as may probably deterre the people from the like causeless revolts But if the person be of a serious life and shall be found to have changed his opinion upon such grounds of Reason as though false yet may possibly mislead a wel-meaning man yet for sureness he shall be put upon his Oath Which test though it be abused to over-petty matters yet certainly must not loose its due use in causes of so solemn importance In which kind of cases if any refuse upon a pretended scrupulosity of swearing at all and in an affectation of seeming more precisely holy then others without question it is not Religion but some fathomless depth of knavery that lies at the bottom and they may justly be suspected of some treasonable and treacherous design against the Religion and Government under which they live Wherefore before they should have liberty to profess themselves of another Religion they should be required to take a solemn Oath with a deep Imprecation of Divine vengeance upon Soul and Body that nothing moves them thereto but mere conviction of Conscience and that they have no secular design at all in their change nor desire any more liberty then what they think themselves bound in conscience to allow to others Which publick Examination and Oath is very useful also and justifiable upon mens relinquishing of the publick worship of God in the Churches though they do not professedly declare themselves to be no Christians For not to joyn with them in publick worship is the next door to that Apostasy This practice would be of infinite advantage for the Truth of Christianity For hereby the Priesthood will be more cautious how they clogge the Gospel with unwarrantable trumperies and those that would revolt by this calling them to an account first shall be forced to feel the strength and solidity of that Religion they would bid adieu to and their secret designes prevented by the solemnity of an Oath And lastly the Christian Magistrate by giving this liberty after these due circumstances which assuredly he will have very seldome occasion for by reason of the Evidence of our Religion will avoid the justifying the iniquity of other Religions who not by power of Reason and Conscience but by outward Force hinder their Natives from turning Christians 2. But Secondly Though these serious people shall not be deprived of their Liberty Lives or Estates nor any way impaired in their private fortunes yet they shall be disabled from bearing any Office of trust in the Commonwealth especially if there be of the Christian Religion that will manage them with equal skil and fidelity For it is plainly unnaturall if not impossible that a man that is serious in his Religion should not prefer one of his own Faith before a Stranger if in other things they be equal Besides that the Lawes of Caution and Prudence cannot fail to suggest so reasonable a choice which are very much to be listned to in things of this nature For present possession of power is better assurance then the Oath of well-meaning but withall of temptable and lapsable Mortals 3. Thirdly The Christian Magistrate is to give no assistance of his power nor countenance any further then Christianity it self is concerned that is to say He is to give that assistance which is due from a Magistrate for the defending and promoting of our Religion so far forth as it is plainly discoverable in the written Word of God in the Literal and Historical meaning thereof For to cant onely in Allegories is to deny the Faith of Christ. And as for Opinions though some may be better then othersome yet none should exclude from the fullest enjoyment of either private or publick Rights suppose there be no venome of the Persecutive spirit mingled with them But every one that professes the Faith of Christ and believeth the Scripture in the Historical sense thereof let his Opinions be otherwise what they will he is according to his life worth and ability every where to be preferred in either Church or State Which is absolutely the most advantageous way for the advancing of the Gospel and making the World good that the Wit of man can find out And External Force being so unfitting in it self and most of all unbecoming the Christian Magistrate in matters of Religion what one might fancy lost in laying aside Persecution would in as great a measure be regained by countenancing this free and naked Representation of the Beauty and Perfection of the Gospel quite rid of all pretended Traditions and whatever obfuscations and entanglements of humane Invention For then the Truth of God would be like an unsheathed sword bright and glittering sharp and cutting and irresistibly convincing the rational Spirit of a man Whenas now our Religion is wrapt up in so many wreathes of hay and straw that mo man can see nor feel the edge of it 4. Fourthly Being Compulsion is not to be used nor Prudence excluded For it is the same fanatical madness to exile Prudence out of affairs of Church and State as to exclude Reason and Mathematicks out of Philosophy it is very plain that the Christian Magistrate is engaged to adde to Liberty
persons at great distances off nor doth cease till a due distance after the congress 7. Concerning Preaching that which is most remarkable is this That whereas there are three chief kindes thereof namely Catechizing Expounding a Chapter and Preaching usually so called whereof the first is the best and the last the least considerable of them all this worst and last is the very Idol of some men and the other rejected as things of little worth But assuredly they are of most virtue for the effectual implanting the Gospel of Christ in the mindes of men and of the two as I said Catechizing the better because it enforces the catechized to take notice of what is taught him and what is thus taught him is not so voluminous but that he can carry it away and remember it for ever and withall the most Useful as being the very Fundamentals comprized in the Christian Creed or the first and most natural results from them tending to indispensable duties of life and therefore will alone if sincerely believed and faithfully practised carry a man to Heaven But the next profitable way of Preaching is Expounding of a Chapter provided that he that does so makes it his only business without any vain excursions to shew his reading to render those places of the Chapter that are obscure easie and intelligible to the capacity of the Auditors with some brief but earnest urging of their duties from such passages as most necessarily tend thereto This will make the private Reading of Scripture pleasant to his charge And it will prove the more effectual for their good if he contain himself within the New Testament and fetch only so much out of the Old as will be subservient for the full understanding of the New There is nothing so likely to convince the Conscience as this when men are able to reade and understand the Text of Scripture it self and are sensibly beat upon by the power of that Spirit that is found in those Writings far beyond all the fine Speeches and Phrases of humane Eloquence Which yet is the greatest matter in this Third way of Preaching and the truest use that can be made of it namely not to fill the peoples head with unprofitable or hurtful Opinions but by the artifice of a more florid and flowing style to raise the affections of the Auditors to the love and pursuit of such things as are commanded us by the Precepts of the Gospel I confess therefore This exercise may be of laudable use in such a Congregation where all the people are throughly grounded in the Fundamentals of Christianity and are well skilled in the knowledge of the Bible otherwise if the other Two necessary wayes of Preaching be silenced by this more overly and plausible way it is to the unspeakable detriment of the flock of Christ. Which will happen even then when it is performed after the very best manner How great then is the evil think you when the exercise of their popular Eloquence is nothing but a Stage of ostentation and vain-glory to the Speaker and begets nothing but an unsound blotedness and ventosity of Spirit in his hearers and admirers they being intoxicated with lushious and poisonous Opinions which tend to nothing but the extinguishing of the love and endeavour after true Righteousness and Holiness and the begetting in them a false security of minde and abhorred Libertinisme Had it not been far better that they had rested in the Fundamentals of their Faith comprised in the Apostles Creed with an obligation on their Conscience to live according to the Laws of Christ and his holy Precepts then to be led about and infatuated by the heat and noise of such false Guides 8. Concerning Praying it is an Epidemical mistake That men think extemporary Prayers are by the Spirit and that the Spirit is not in a Set Form Whenas in truth the Spirit may be absent in the highest extemporary heats and present in the use of set Forms where there may appear greater calmness and coolness For the Spirit of Praier does not consist in the invention of words and phrases which is rather a Gift of Nature as the Faculty of extemporary speaking in other cases is proceeding from heat and phansy and copiousness of the Animal Spirits but in a firm belief in God through Christ and in an hearty liking and sincere desire of having those holy things communicated to us that we pray for And therefore he that reads or hears a publick Liturgy read in such a frame of minde as I have described does as truly pray by the Spirit as he that invents words and phrases of his own For there is nothing Divine but this holy Faith and Desire the rest is mere Nature And it is a demonstration how ignorant these men are that talk so loud of the Spirit whenas they cannot so much as discern what is truly Spiritual from what is but Animal and Natural To which you may adde That if none pray by the Spirit but those that invent their own words the whole Congregation are very Spiritless Prayers they all hanging upon the lips of the Minister who alone will be acknowledged to pray by the Spirit Whose pretended assistance is not yet always so powerful as to protect him from the incurring of the danger of Non-sense and of making the Publick Worship of God insipid or else distasteful and loathsome or which is even as ill contemptible and ridiculous 9. Wherefore it is far more safe as it is undoubtedly more solemn to use a publick Liturgy that bears the authority of the whole Church then to venture so holy and devotional a performance upon the uncertainty of any mans private spirit who will be but tempted to ostentate his own conceited Eloquence or forced to discover his own weakness and folly Whenas a set Form will prevent all Pride and knackishness and preserve the publick worship in its due reverence and honour especially where it is contrived with that cautiousness that nothing is expressed therein that engages the Minde in controverted Opinions but speaks according to the known tenour of Scripture undepraved by humane glosses 10. But you will say if a Minister be cut so short in these performances of extemporary Praier and expatiating Preachments how shall he be able to give any eximious Testimony of his abilities in his calling how shall he have the opportunity of shewing his Gifts To which I answer That the end of the Ministry is not the Ostentation of any mans particular Gifts but the Edification of the People which are better edified by diligent catechizing and faithful and judicious expounding of the Scripture then by loose and ranging Discourses out of the Pulpit where he that speaks having taken leave of his short Text may fill the ears of his Auditors with nothing but the noise of his own conceits and inventions whenas in the Exposition of a whole Chapter suppose at a time the peoples mindes will be kept closer to those
That the punctual Correspondence of the Event to the Prediction of the Astrologer does not prove the certainty of the Art of Astrology 5. The great Affinity of Astrology with Daemonolatry and of the secret Agency of Daemons in bringing about Predictions 6. That by reason of the secret or familiar Converse of Daemons with pretended Astrologers no argument can be raised from Events for the truth of this Art 7. A Recapitulation of the whole matter argued 8. The just occasions of this Astrological excursion and of his shewing the ridiculous condition of those three high-flown Sticklers against Christianity Apollonius Cardan and Vaninus 356 BOOK VIII CHAP. I. THE End and Usefulness of Christian Religion in general 2. That Christ came into the World to destroy Sin out of it 3. His earnest recommendation of Humility 4. The same urged by the Apostle Paul 361 CHAP. II. 1. Christs enforcement of Love and Charity upon his Church by Precept and his own Example 2. The wretched imposture and false pretensions of the Family of Love to this divine Grace 3. The unreasonableness of the Familists in laying aside the person of Christ to adhere to such a carnal and inconsiderable Guide as Hen. Nicolas 4. That this Whifler never gave any true Specimens of real love to Mankinde as Christ did and his Apostles 5. His unjust usurpation of the Title of Love 6. The unparallel'd endearmentâ— of Christs sufferings in the behalf of Mankiâ—d 364 CHAP. III. 1. The occasion of the Familists usâ—rpation of the Title of Love 2. Earnest precepts oâ—t of the Apostles to follow Love and what kind of Love that is 3. That we câ—nnot love God unlesse we love our neighbour also 4. An Exposition of the 5 and 6 verses of the 1 chapter of the 2 Epist. of S. Peter 5. Saint Paul's rapturous commendation of Charity 6 His accurate description thereof 7. That Love is the highest participation of the Divinity and that whereby we become the Sons of God Aâ—d how injurious these Fanaticks are that rob the Church of Christ of this title to appropriate it to themselves 368 CHAP. IV. 1. Our Saviour's strict injuction of Purity from whence it is also plain that the Love he commends is not in any sort fleshly but Divine 2. Several places out of the Apostles urging the same duty 3. Two more places to the same purpose 4. The groundless presumption of those that abuse Christianity to a liberty of sinning 5. That this Errour attempted the Church betimes and is too taking at this very day 6. Whence appears the necâ—ssiâ—y of opposing it which he promises to do taking the rise of his Discourse from 1 Iohn 3.7 373 CHAP. V. 1. The Apostle's care for young Christians against that Errour of thinking they may be righteous without doing righteously 2. Their obnoxiousness to this contagion with the Causes thereof to be searched into 3. The first sort of Scriptures perverted to this ill end 4. The second sort 5. That the very state of Christian Childhood makes them prone to this Errour 6. What is the nature of that Faith Abraham is so much commended for and what the meaning of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 7. A search after the meaning of the term Justification 8. Justification by faith without the deeds of the Law what may be the meaning of it 9. Scriptures answered that seem to disjoin Reall Righteousness from Faith 10. And to make us only righteous by imputation 11. Undeniable Testimonies of Scripture that prove the necessity of real Righteousness in us 376 CHAP. VI. 1. Their alledgement of Gal. 2.16 as also of the whole drift of that Epistle 2. What the Righteousness of faith is according to the Apostle 3. In what sâ—â—se those that are in Christ are said not to be under the Law 4. That the Righteousness of faith is no figment but a reality in us 5. That this Righteousness is the New Creature and what this new Creature is according to Scripture 6. That the new Creature consists in Wisdome Righteousness and true Holiness 7. The Righteousness of the new Creature 8. His Wâ—sdome and Holiness 9. That the Righteousness of faith excludes not good Works The wicked treachery of those that teach the contrary 384 CHAP. VII 1. That no small measure of Sanctity serves the turn in Christianity 2. As appears out of Scriptures already alledged 3. Further proofs thereof out of the Prophets 4. As also out of the Gospel 5. And other places of the New Testament 6. The strong Armature of a Christian Souldier 7. His earnest endeavour after Perfection 388 CHAP. VIII 1. That the Christians assistance is at least equal to this task 2. The two Gospel-powers that comprehend his duty 3. The first Gospel-aid The Promise of the Spirit with Prophecies thereof out of Ezekiel and Esay 4. Some hints of the mystical meaning of the last 5. Another excellent prediction thereof 391 CHAP. IX 1. The great use of the belief of The Promise of the Spirit 2. The eating the flesh of Christ and drinking his bloud what it is 3. Further proof of the Promise of the Spirit 4. That we cannot oblige God by way of Merit 5. Other Testimonies of Scripture tending to the former purpose 395 CHAP. X. 1. A Recapitulation of what has been set down hitherto concerning the Usefulness of the Gospel and the Necessity of undeceiving the world in those points that so nearly concern Christian Life 2. The ill condition of those that content themselves with Imaginary Righteousness figured out in the Fighters against Ariel and Mount Sion 3. A further demonstration of their fond conceit 4. That a true Christian cannot sin without pain and torture to himself 398 CHAP. XI 1. That the want of real Righteousness deprives us of the Divine Wisdome proved out of Scripture 2. As also from the nature of the thing it self 3. That is disadvantages the Soul also in Natural speculations 4. That it stifles all Noble and laudable Actions 5. And exposes the imaginary Religionist to open reproach 6. That mere imaginary Righteousness robs the Soul of her peace of Conscience 7. And of all divine Ioy 8. Of Health and Safety 9. And of eternal Salvation 10. That God also hereby is deprived of his Glory and the Church frustrated of publick Peace and Happiness 400 CHAP. XII 1. Of the attending to the Light within us of which some Spiritualists so much boast 2. That they must mean the Light of Reason and Conscience thereby if they be not Fanaticks Mad-men or Cheats And that this Conscience necessarily takes information from without 3. And particularly from the Holy Scriptures 4. That these Spiritualists acknowledge the fondness of their opinion by their contrary practice 5. An appeal to the Light within them if the Christian Religion according to the literal sense be not true 6. That the Operation of the Divine Spirit is not absolute but restrained to certain laws and conditions as it is in the Spirit of
circumstances thereof 5. That Contradictions notwithstanding are to be excluded out of Religion 6. And that the Divinity of Christ and the Triunity of the Godhead have nothing contradictious in them 453 CHAP. II. 1. That there is a latitude of Sense in the words of Athanasiuâ— his Creed and that One and Unity has not the same signification every where 2. The like in the terms God and Omnipotent 3. Of the word Equal and to what purpose so distinct a knowledge of the Deity was coâ—municated to the Church 4. In what sense the Son and Holy Ghost are God That Divine adoration is their unquestionable right And that there is an intelligible sense of Athanasius his Creed and such as supposes neither Polytheâ—sme Idolatry nor Impossibility 5. That there is no intricacy in the Divinity of Christ but what the Schools have brought in by their false notions of Suppositum and Union Hypostatical 6. That the Union of Christ with the Eternal Word implies no Contradiction and how warrantable an Object he is of Divine worship 7. The Application thereof to the Iewes 8. The Union of Christ with God compared with that of the Angels that bore the Name Jehovah in the Old Testament 9. The reasonableness of our Saviours being united with the Eternal Word and how with that Hypostasis distinct from the others 455 CHAP. III. 1. That the Communicableness of Christian Religion implies its Reasonableness 2. The right Method of communicating the Christian Mystery 3 4. A brief example of that Method 5. A further continuation thereof 6. How the Mystagogus is to behave himself towards the more dull or illiterate 7. The danger of debasing the Gospel to the dulness of shallâ—â—ness of every weak apprehension 459 CHAP. IV. 1. The due demeanour of a Christian Mystagogus in communicating the Truth of the Gospel 2. That the chiefest care of all is that he speak nothing but what is profitable for life and godliness 3. A just reprehension of the scopeless zeal of certain vain Boanerges of these times 4. That the abuse of the Ministery to the undermining the main Ends of the Gospel may hazard the continuance thereof 5. That any heat and zeal does not constitute a living Ministry 461 CHAP. V. 1. The nature of Historical Faith 2. That true Saving Faith is properly Covenant and of the various significations of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. In what Law and Covenant agree 4. In what Law and Testament 5. In what Covenant and Testament agree 6. That the Church might have called the Doctrine of Christ either the New Law or the New Covenant 7. Why they have styled it rather 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The first Reason 8. Other Reasons thereof 9. The occasion of translating 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The New Testament 463 CHAP. VI. 1. That there were more Old Covenants then one 2. What Old Covenant that was to which this New one is especially counterdistinguished with a brief intimation of the difference of them 3 4. An Objection against the difference delivered with the Answer thereto 5. The Reason why the Second Covenant is not easily broken 6. That the importance of the Mystery of the Second Covenant engages him to make a larger deduction of the whole matter out of S. Paul 466 CHAP. VII 1. The different states of the Two Covenants set out Galat. 4. by a double similitude 2. The nature of the Old Covenant adumbrated in Agar 3. As also further in her Son Ismael 4. The nature of the New Covenaent adumbrated in Sarah 5. As also in Isaac her Son and in Israel his offspring 6. The necessity of imitating Abraham's faith that the Spiritual Isaac or Christ may be born in us 7. The grand difference hetwixt the First and Second Covenant where in it doth consist With a direction by the by to the most eminent Object of our Faith 8. The Second main point wherein this difference consists namely Liberty and that First from Ceremonies and Opinions 9. Secondly from all kind of Sins and disallowable Passions 10. Lastly to all manner of Righteousness and Holiness 468. CHAP. VIII 1. The adequate Object of saving Faith or Christian Covenant 2. That there is an Obligation on our parts plain from the very Inscription of the New Testament 3. What the meaning of Bloud in Covenants is 4. And answerably what of the Bloud of Christ in the Christian Covenant 5. The dangerous Errour and damnable Hypocrisie of those that would perswade themselves and others that no performance is required on their side in this Covenant 6. That the Heavenly Inheritance is promised to us only upon Condition evinced out of several places of Scripture 476 CHAP. IX 1. What it is really to enter into this New Covenant 2. That the entring into this Covenant supposes actual Repentance 3. That this New-Covenanter is born of water and the Spirit 4. The necessity of the skilfull usage of these new-born Babes in Christ. 5. That some Teacheâ—s are mere Witches and Childe Suckers 479 CHAP. X. 1. The First Principle the New-Covenanter is closely to keep to 2. The Second Principle to be kâ—pt to 3. The Third and last Principle 482 CHAP. XI 1. The diligent search this new-Covenanter ought to make to find out whatsoever is corrupt and sinful 2. That the truly regenerate cannot be quiet till all corruption be wrought out 3. The most importunate devotions of a living Christian. 4. The difference betwixt a Son of the Second Covenant and a Slave under the First 5. The Mystical completion of a Prophecy of Esay touching this state 483 CHAP. XII 1. That the destroying of Sin is not without some time of conflict The most infallible method for that dispatch 2. The constant ordering of our external actions 3. The Hypocritical complaint of those for want of power that will not do those good things that are already in their power 4. The danger of making this new Covenant a Covenant of Works and our Love to Christ a mercenary friendship 5. Earnest praiers to God for the perfecting of the Image of Christ in us 6. Continual circumspection and watchfulness 7. That the vilifying of outward Ordinances is no sign of a new-Covenanter but of a proud and carnal mind 8. Caution to the new-Covenanter concerning his converse with men 9. That the branches of the Divine life without Faith in God and Christ degenerate into mere Morality The examining all the motions and excursions of our Spirit how agreeable they are with Humility Charity and Purity 10. Cautions concerning the exercise of our Humility 11. As also of our Purity 12. And of our Love or Charity The safe conduct of the faithfull by their inward Guide 485 BOOK X. CHAP. I. THat the Affection and esteem we ought to have for our Religion does not consist in damning all to the pit of Hell that are not of it 2. The unseasonable inculcation of this Principle to Christians 3. That it is better
nothing should be exhibited to their belief but what they will all affirm they have a satisfactory conception of they will at last tread down Religion to nothing For they will not stint themselves there I mean in the rejection of the Divinity of Christ and of a Triune Deity but the notion of Angels and Spirits and of an Immateriall Soul and lastly of any Being whatsoever that is truly spiritual will appear so inconceivable to some that at last Religion will be tumbled down as low as mere Body and Matter and will find no Object but the visible World and the Sun and Starrs must be the greatest Deities And so either the ancient Pagan Superstition or else down-right Atheisme must take place CHAP. IV. 1. The due demeanour of a Christian Mystagogus in communicating the Truth of the Gospel 2. That the chiefest care of all is that he speak nothing but what is profitable for life and godliness 3. A just reprehension of the scopeless zeal of certain vain Boanerges of these times 4. That the abuse of the Ministery to the undermining the main Ends of the Gospel may hazard the continuance thereof 5. That any heat and zeal does not constitute a living Ministery 1. SOme such account as this will the prudent Communicatour of the Mystery of Christianity give to him that asks a reason of his Faith declaring his sense of things with meekness and fear as S. Peter speaks that is to say with patience and mildness towards him whom he informs and with holy respect and reverence towards God whose Messenger in some sort he is and therefore ought to be careful that he mistake not his errand in any thing nor mingle of his own what he has no commission to speak nor distort the truth out of fear or favour nor make himself suspected by any levity or affected vanity in style or words that are misbecoming a matter of so great importance For quaintness of wit and studied eloquence may tickle the Ear for a time like a Musical aire the while it is playing but a faithful and serious declaration of the most weighty parts of our Religion will wound the very Heart and captivate the Soul to the Obedience of Christ. 2. And above all things he that either of himself adventures or has any better call to this office let him ever have in his eye the Usefulness of the Mystery he indeavours to communicate remembring that that is an Universal property thereof and that if either his inadvertency or curiosity has carried him into any Useless speculations or Theories he is most certainly led out of his way and that he is now imparting humane inventions which are nothing at all appertaining to the Gospel of Christ that he is now feeding his charge not with the sincere milk of the Word but the brackish sweat of some over-heated Brain This is the most common and the most dangerous mistake that is to be observed in this Function as if their very Art and Faculty were to let fly words for whole hours together whereof not one is directed or intended towards the mark and scope of the Gospel which is the rooting out of Sin and destroying the Kingdome of the Devil 3. And yet it is a wonder to see the zeal and heat and hear the noise of these Boanerges these Sons of thunder as if every sentence were fire and lightning from Heaven against the strong holds of Sin and Satan and that they would humble every thought to the obedience of Christ who came into the World to redeem us from all iniquity and to purchase to himselfe a Church pure holy and undefiled without either spot or blemish Which End notwithstanding is for the most part not onely not aimed at but too often crossed and supplanted by Hypocritical insinuations of either the Needlesness or Impossibility of these things To be short For the most part the discourse is so off and on that a man knows not what they would have but it is as if one should bring Grey-hounds into the field and let them slip and cry allooe when yet there is no game before them Which noise though it may make them skip up and look about a while yet they will presently finde themselves unconcern'd there being nothing in sight for them to pursue 4. But if they would exhort to follow peace and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord this were worth our pursuance indeed as being the known and certain end of the preaching of the Gospel But if we see no such design therein and therefore act opposite to it and vilify the dawnings of that Day of righteousness that is to arise upon the World and to make that Habitations of Christendome a Land of joy and peace and discourage the people of God by telling them dreadful stories of the Sons of Anak those invincible Giants whenas there is nothing too hard nor invincible to the true Iosua our Lord Jesus the wisdome power of God verily it is to be feared that this Function which was intended by God a Fortress against Sin if it prove by unskilful zeal such a Bulwark of unrighteousness that He may dig it down and remove it as a ruinous wall of a garden whose dead rubbish and stones ever falling on the innocent herbs and flowers do smother and stifle them or as an old decaied hedge which is to be pull'd up and carried away the quick-set being grown 5. But if we will work the works of the Lord in faithfulness and according to the design of the Gospel we our selves shall become part of that Quick-set and be made living stones to hold up one another in the Temple of God And that those that are not thus enlivened may not take themselves to be so by reason of their extraordinary promptitude and vivacity I must not forbear to declare that this life we speak of is no natural heat nor the external effects of it Nor is that a living Ministry according to this sense that makes shew of the greatest zeal For verily it is well known that cooling Physick may be administred in very hot broth And it is too-too possible that such things may be delivered with the greatest heat and fervency imaginable which once received into the Minds of the hearers are so far from warming them afterwards and spiriting them to true holiness and righteousness that they even slake and extinguish the desire thereof which yet is no less a crime then stifling the life of God in the World as much as in us lies and undermining the Kingdome of Christ upon Earth These things I could not but take notice of concerning the Communication of the Gospel as being of very great use as well to the Hearer as the Teacher that neither the one might mistake himself nor the other be deceived by him CHAP. V. 1. The nature of Historical Faith 2. That true Saving Faith is properly Covenant and of the various significations of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. In what Law and Covenant agree 4. In what Law and Testament 5. Iâ— what Covenant and Testament agree 6. That the Church might have called the Doctrine of Christ either the New Law or the New Covenant 7. Why they have styled it rather 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The first Reason 8. Other Reasons thereof 9. The occasion of translating 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The New Testament 1. THE Third Derivative property of this Mystery is a power of winning assent which arises from the convincing clearness of the Truth of the Gospel This Assent which is general to all convincing Truths of what nature soever appropriated thus to this Divine Mystery is called Faith And this Faith in persons unconcerned suppose Angels or Devils whom the Gospel may not be meant for and yet believe the truth of it at least the good Angels or else in such persons as may be concern'd in the Gospel and yet will not close therewith though they believe it if there be any such that can doe so is vulgarly called an Historical Faith As if a man should throughly understand how such a one has purchased a Lordship upon such and such terms this is an Historical Knowledge in him and he can tell the whole transaction of the business and does believe it but in the mean time has no share there he professing himself either unable or unwilling to meddle upon these terms Such is Historical Faith which alone stands us in no stead to Salvation and gives no share or portion in the Kingdome of Heaven 2. But if out of this Belief and Knowledge we seriously close with the terms of the Gospel this will prove a Saving Faith and is not mere Historical knowledge and belief but Covenant The Conditions and Promises whereof are clearly comprehended in the New Testament as we ordâ—narily call it from the Latine translation But the Greek Inscription is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which might be better rendred the New Covenant but is capable also of being interpreted the New Law For of so large an extent is the signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it denoting both Law Covenant and Testament as Hugo Grotius has observed out of Plato Aristophanes and Isocrates 3. And well may these three kinds of Rights pass under one common notion and name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if we consider what agreement and affinity they have one with another For first Law and Covenant agree in Sanction especially publick Leagues and Covenants which of old were made by the mactation of some beast from whence Sanction is à Sanguine from the bloud of the Sacrifice For which cause also the Hebrew Doctours willingly deduce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 succidere as the Latins foedus à feriendo Whence the phrase of striking a covenant is so obvious both in Hebrew Greek and Latine Authors And that there is Sanction in Laws as well as in publick Contracts and Covenants is plain for that the bloud of him that transgresses is to satisfie the Law In legibus Sanctio dicitur ea pars saies Grotius quae Sanguinem delinquentis legi consecrat In laws that part is called Sanction which consecrates the bloud of the Delinquent to the law 4. Again Law and Testament have this common to them both that neither are without covenanting or contracting Nam haeres eo ipso quòd haeres est praestare debet factum defuncti subjectus alterius impeperio eo ipso quòd subjectus est ejusdem legibus parere debet For an heir or executor as such is hereby bound to perform the deed of the deceased and he that is a Subject is as such bound thereby to obey the laws of him whose subject he is as the same Author tells us 5. Lastly Covenant and Testament agree in this that at first it is free to a man whether he will contract or no and so whether he will take administration or no or be such a mans heir But it is not alwaies free whether a man will be such an ones Subject or no whenas Subjection may unavoidably descend on one as born of such parents and in such an ones Jurisdiction 6. Out of this distinct apprehension of these several significations of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we may the more easily judge which is the most competible to the nature of the Gospel and observe the wisdome of the Ancients in making this Inscription rather then any other For they might have intitled it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having a double invitation thereto For first the Jews called their Pentateuch as also the rest of their Books of Holy Writ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Christian Doctrine is so termed also both by Paul and Iames Galat. 6. Bear ye one anothers burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ and Iam. 2. If you fulfill the royal law according as it is written Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self ye doe well They might also have inscribed it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whose determinate sense had been then The new Covenant But then it would have hid that special sense of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Author to the Hebrews alludes to chap. 9.17 7. But they have made choice of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rather then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 first because they seem to have an intimation from Christ himself thus to style the Gospel Matth. 26.28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is my bloud of the new Covenant The same also you may read in Mark and Luke So that here being mention of Bloud Sanction properly so called and which is most conspicuous in the nature of a Covenant is herein manifested The Author to the Hebrews does more accurately and fully prosecute this Matter chap. 7 8 and 9. where ver 19. he plainly parallels the bloud of Christ to the bloud of the Covenant made by God with the Jews For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the Law he took the bloud of Calves and Goates and scarlet wool and hyssop and sprinkled both the book and all the people saying This is the bloud of the Covenant which God hath enjoined unto you To which bloud of the Jewish Covenant all along to the end of the chapter he compares the Sacrifice of Christ and the shedding his most precious bloud when he did Foedus ferire make a Covenant of peace with God for remission of sins to all Mankind 8. The other reason why they have styled it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Covenant rather then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is because this Inscription more plainly insinuates unto us the sweet condescension of God Almighty and his singular goodness in the Gospel who in sending of Christ hath not dealt with us summo jure nor imperiously and minaciously as severe Law-givers use to doe but mildely and kindly as those that