wrapt up in Laelius his notes This Faustus writ two books though no great scholar as he confesseth to Puccius if he had so little knowledge in the tongues and Arts. Socin Respons ad Defi. Puccii p. 49. One book handles the authority of Scripture the other handleth the cause for which the Gospell of Christ is to be beleeved The error of this Socinus was spread far in Sarmatia and Transylvania Silesia Lituania Mathe. What were their errors Phila. That there is no naturall knowledge leading a man to a beliefe of a Deity contrary to Paul who saith that the invisible things of God are seen by things created Rom. 1.20 and that the Gentiles do by nature the things written in Gods law Rom. 2.14 So they say Christ is not God and yet they give him divine worship and so make him an Idol and themselves Idolaters So they deny the Godhead of Jesus Christ which forfeits their own Christianity and overthroweth Christian Religion and all divine honour due to Christ from men This was the heresie of Samosatenus Bishop of Antiochia of whom you have heard already How can these men be called Christians who deny the office of Christ No marvell though they refuse to be baptized in the name of the Trinitie if they denie with Sabellius two persons in the Trinitie for they say Christ is not trulie God Iohn 8.58 yet Paul saith he was in the form of God Phil. 2.6 and the character of his glorie Heb. 1.2 and in him dwelt the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily Col. 2.9 So they say that the Holy Ghost is not God and so Macedonius held who was justlie condemned by the second generall Council of Constantinople in the year 386. But if the Holie Ghost be not God why doth St. Iohn rank him as equall to the Father and Son 1 Iohn 5.7 Again they say the Incarnation of Christ is repugnant to reason which I have formerlie disproved and that it is not fullie proved in Scripture yet St Iohn tels us that the Word became flesh Iohn 1.14 So they say that Christ did not by his death satisfie for our sins yet it is said that he is the propitiation for our sins and that is all one 1 Iohn 2.2 So they say it is against Scripture to beleeve three persons in the Godhead and yet Christ institutes baptisme to be given in the three names of Father Son and Holie Ghost So they say man was not created in originall righteousnesse yet Solomon saith God made man upright but he hath sought inventions So they say that the old Testament is not necessarie for a Christian man yet Christ saith Moses spake of him Iohn 5.46 and the men of Berea searched the old Testament to prove the truth of the new Acts 17.11 These are very dangerous errors because they overthrow the foundation of Christian faith namely Christs satisfaction for us and plainlie Antichristian in denying Christ to be God And also they denie the person of the Holie Ghost They confound faith and works together They say the Law is imperfect and yet that man is justified by the works of the Law not by the law of faith Rom. 3.27 Also that the soule of man hath no subsistence after death whereby it apprehendeth joy or sorrowes and so consequently they may denie heaven and hell as things only imaginarie They stand much upon reason and would subject not only Fathers and Councils but also the Scriptures to it and so every man doth like the Pope in being the judge of all by his own reason Beside they are tied in a knot with Arminians and Anabaptists concerning the power of magistrates and are one as lawlesse as the other And the Papists are well pleased with them because they perceive them to do their work for them in rooting out all Protestant Magistrates and Ministers Mathe. What Achans beside have troubled our Israel Phila. The Antitrinitarians Antitrinitarians who hold opinions against the Holie Trinitie and scraped up the old Heresie of Arrius denying Christ to be God and with the Socinians denie the Trinitie of persons and that the eternall generation of the Son is against truth contrary to Micah 5.2 whose goings out have been from everlasting And they say Christ is called God not in regard of his divine essence but his dominion yet Christ saith I and my Father are one Iohn 10.30 So they denie the Holie Ghost to be God yet St Peter told Ananias when he lied to the Holie Ghost that he lied not to man but to God Acts 5.3 These by some Writers though first sprung up in Polonia 1593 are called Legatinarians from one Legate who for obstinate holding these opinions was burned in Smithfield March 18. Anno 1611. and after him in April following another was burned at Leichfield for the same heresie Mathe. I hear also of men called Millenaries who pretend to antiquity and would prove their opinions from Scripture I pray what are their opinions Phila. They are a branch of the Anabaptists in some of their opinions Millenaries Their antiquitie is fetched from Cerinthus a Jew who lived about the 96 year after Christ in the time of Domitian who held with Ebion that Jesus was only begotten of Ioseph and Mary and that he was not Christ born but that Christ came upon him at his Baptisme in the form of a Dove and that Jesus suffered but that Christ fled away whom St Iohn confuteth in his Gospell John 1. This man pretended revelations from Angels and held that eternall life was here upon earth and that after the resurrection Christs Kingdome should be on the earth and that his subjects should eat and drink marry and keep holy daies and offer sacrifice and that this should last a thousand years Into which error also Papias fell Euseb l. 3. c. 36 the Bishop of Hierapolis for want of observing the Apostles writings So did Irenaeus Bishop of Lyons in France both men of great authority in their times Iren. l. 5. cont Valent. namely in the first hundred years after Christ So in the reign of Galienus Nepos and his followers called Nepotiani affirmed from Rev. 20. 5 6. that the godly should rise before the wicked and should live with Christ upon the earth in abundance of all earthly pleasures Eus l. 7. c. 22. But if that text be taken literally those godly must be beheaded and so dead first and then rise againe yea and Christ must be come first These were convinced by Coracion Eus l. 7. c. 23. But our latter Millenaries exceed all those before them in error for they will not stay till Christ come or those godly be raised Oh that men would study dark mysteries lesse and divine duty more the Kingdome of Christ lesus would be the better obtained but say that Christs Kingdome must be set up out of hand to promote which alll the ungodly must be slain that the meek may inherit the earth in
they would have given him other titles than they did Pius 2. Ep. 301. as might become one of so high degree This swelling title of head of the Church and Christs Vicar and Universall Bishop was a forerunning signe of Antichrist as said Gregory the great who was Pope in his seventh Book Greg. M. lib. 4. Ep. 36. and Epist 39. to Mauritius the Emperor and therefore he much declined and waved such titles Mathe. I pray what think you of Antichrist what or who is he Phila. You know St John tels you there were many Antichrists in his time 1 John 2.18 that is some that were contrary to the Gospell of Christ in faith or manners or both Jerom. in Mat. 24. Some account all the heads of Heresies to be Antichrists Others say that they be such as overthrow all good manners and so one describes the state of the Church of Rome saying that the Princes and Judges are the beasts seale Papa Honorius in dial de libero arbit the Clergy his pavilion the Monasteries his Tabernacle the Nunneries his bedchamber and the people to bear his image This he spake of the second Beast Rev. 13.11 And Bernard the Abbot saith plainly Bern. ad Gaufrid Lorat Epi. 125. who writ about 546 years since that the Beast in the Revelation to whom a mouth is given speaking blasphemies is he that sits in Peters chair The other Beast is more subtle as this is cruell yet both joine against Christ So many other conclude the Pope and Papacy to be that man of sin and son of perdition that hath laied an opposite foundation to Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Thes 2.3 4. politickly pretending Christian profession and yet overturning his truth Indeed if one would be lead by Chronograms or the numerall letters in the word Lateinos Pet. Mart. in 2 Reg. 4. Iren. l. 5. c. 25. or Ecclesia Italica or in the Hebrew word Romiith or in Maometis one may find the number of the Beast Rev. 13.18 which is 666. about which time after Christ the Pope was made supreme and universall Bishop in the West and Mahomet chiefe Prophet in the East And though I will not build my faith on numbers in names nor do I think that all names be imposed inevitably by the influence of the stars yet this is not altogether to be despised since Nimrods name included his nature i. an apostate rebell and Cyrus his name in Hebrew was like himselfe wh was an head to the people and in the Persian language a glorious Sun This Antichristianity is called the mysterie of iniquity 2 Thes 2.7 for it is a secret wickednesse in the name and nature of it for Antichrist may signifie one that is a vicegerent for Christ As 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a Deputy or a Lievetenant for him and thus the Pope would be thought Christs Vicar because he sitteth in the Temple of God or a part of the Church visible corrupted and exalts himselfe above all earthly power that hath given to it the title of God or Lord and shewing himselfe as God 2 Thes 2.4 both in placing and displacing Kings and forgiving sins So is the nature of his doctrine opposed to Christ very subtilly namely because faith must appear by works therefore to set up works to justifie our persons which works the popish writers call also the works of faith not of the law though they be but works of mens inventions and so they prefer works before the formall righteousnesse of Christ imputed to man for justification Mahomet speaks also very well of Christ but he enjoins externall works of his own collection by which men must be saved So the Pope and Mahomet join in one against Christ in this and also in holding that the holy Scriptures are not sufficient for salvation but their canons and rules of obedience have more attributed to them for performance then the obedience of faith which devices are like the locusts that came out of the bottomlesse pit of their inventions Rev. 9. having the face of a reasonable creature but a scorpions sting which gives no rest to the soule but poisons it yet if hue and cry were made after the Pope and Mahomet a man might justly stop the Pope upon suspicion of being the more proper Antichrist for these reasons First because the name of Antichrist agreeth most properly to him and his seat yea all the descriptions of Antichrist in Scripture doth so likewise But by the Pope we mean not every Bishop of Rome from the Primitive times for many of them were Confessors and Martyrs till the time of Sylvester neither was Antichrist discovered much till Boniface the third took from the Emperor Phocas the name of Universall Bishop and his See of Rome to be called the supreme head of all Churches After this we find in the Pope and Church of Rome all the marks of Antichrist for he sets in the Temple of God like an Hornet in a Bee hive driving out the labouring Bees and devouring their hony The popish writers make this an argument of their Church being the true Church and Temple of God because Antichrist sits there It is true that they have the name and shew of a Church Christian but have neither true Doctrine nor Sacraments in their simplicity as the Scripture sets them forth and hath delivered them to the Church so that they have only the name of a Church as Sardis had that she was living but indeed was dead Rev. 3.1 And in this Church Antichrist sitteth as a usurping Tyrant over Gods ordinances abusing them and changing them at his pleasure and over all authority Ecclesiasticall and Civill that beareth any similitude of Elohim even as St Paul foretold 2 Thes 2.3 4. And this may be proved from their own writers some of them saying that it is not lawfull for any man to reprove what the Pope approves for all men ought to be judged by him Zodericus Zamorra lib. 2. cap. 1. but he by none and that he hath all power in heaven and earth so assuming to himselfe the right of Christ as well as his title King of Kings and Lord of Lords which made him so bold as to let Emperors kisse his feet Alexand. pap 3 and to set his foot upon the neck of the Emperor Frederick abusing the 91 Psalm saying thou shalt tread upon the Lion and the Dragon as also Pius the fift did when he deposed Queen Elizabeth abused Jer. 1.10 Behold I have appointed thee this day over Nations and Kingdomes Beside is not he right Antichrist that arrogates to himselfe power over Gods word and his law and saith Gratia in gloss that he can dispense with the law of nature and contrary to the Apostles and therefore hath dispensed with Princes to marry their brothers wives which St John Baptist would not allow to Herod and make parricides saints and forgives sins to
own native language as the word you either because the Scripture useth the word thou or else because they think every man their fellow The books that some of their own have written shew enough of their simplicity Mathe. Are we not troubled with some of the old Pelagians Phila. There have been some long agoe that held some of the opinions of old Pelagius Britto the Welsh man alias Morgan Cond in the fift Council of Carthage and in others Pontanus Cat. Haeret. who lived in the time of the Emperour Theodosius the younger about the year 416. His followers of latter time are reckoned to hold many errors as 1. That Adam should have died by the course of nature though he had not sinned yet we find that God joins death to disobedience Gen. 2.17 So 2. They say Adams sin only hurt himselfe not his posteritie yet Paul saith otherwise Rom. 5.12 by one man sin entred and death passed upon all men because all men did partake of that one sin yea even those that never sinned as Adam did ver 14. i. actuallie but not originallie as children have no sin but that and yet die August Beza But therefore 3. These Pelagians denie originall sin in children but how then saith David in sin my mother conceived me Psal 51. and therefore originall sin is propagated by generation 4. They say the children of the faithfull though not baptized are saved and they shall enjoy everlasting life but not in heaven but Christ saith Joh. 3. that those which belong to Gods Kingdome must be baptized with water nor doth the Scripture set forth to us any third place between heaven and hell 5. They say that men are born in Adams perfection stature and age excepted yet sure they are not born in such integrity as Adam was made for then all would be equally wise and good when they come to age 6. They say men have free will by which they are enabled to do well without Gods grace yet saith Paul not I but the grace of God in me 7. Gods grace they say is obtained by the merit of our works yet Paul saith that they that are in the flesh cannot please God and therefore by naturall works they cannot merit grace 8. They say that the word grace in Scripture doth not signifie remission of sin or donation of the Holy Ghost but the doctrine of the Gospell But this is found otherwise for as there is the doctrine of faith Fides quam credimus fides quâ credimus which is preached Rom. 10.8 and the vertue of faith by which we beleeve it and are thereby justified Rom. 5.1 So the promulgation of the Gospell is a common grace afforded to many Tit. 2.11 teaching us to denie ungodlinesse and next by it is begot saving grace 1 Tim. 1.14 the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant in me with faith and love which is in Jesus Christ 9. They say that faith is the knowledge of the Law and the Historie not any speciall work in us but then the faith of divels and good Christians are both alike Jam. 2.19.10 They say the Law is not impossible for a man to keep and it is satisfied by the externall obedience why then doth Paul say that by the work of the Law no man can be justified Rom. 3.20 yet he that can fulfill it may be justified by it and hath no need of Christ Gal. 3.12 So 11. They say that to pray for the conversion of sinners or for the Saints perseverance is vain because it is in the power of their own free will But surely the will of man hath not power to revive him though he had power to kill himselfe and therefore praier is very fit to be used for people unconverted and also for the godly because of their frailties therefore Christ bids us pray for our enemies and Paul boweth his knees dailie for the Ephesians c. 3.16 So 12. They slight the doctrin of predestination which is applauded by St Paul Rom. 8. and comfortable to Gods people Many other errors they hold not worth relating Mathe. But I hear of some called Independents and Levellers I would willingly know what they are Phila. Independants are those that set up a congregationall government which shall depend upon no other Church Synod nor Classis and though they be against the Bishops yet they would have in every Church Bishop-Independants and so many Parishes so many prelacies because they are Independant upon any other They are bred from Separatists and Brownists The first of them that I can hear of was one Mr Robinson who leaving Norwich turned a rigid Brownist at Leyden He dying many of his followers went from thence to New England and planted at Plymoth there and spread their errors by discourse and into old England by letters where they endeavor to set Church against Church and Conventicles against our Churches which they call steeple-houses which were at first set up for the honour of God and his service though abused by the Papists to superstition yet are they never the worse when they are returned to a right use for as there is no inherent righteousness in their wals so neither is inherent superstition in them It is true that Jehosaphat took away the high places and groves because God had appointed and a place was consecrated for his service 2 Chro. 17.6 and such high places and groves were forbidden But they just contrary to Jehosaphat pull down the consecrated places and set up high places in chambers and meet in the groves and woods God give them a right understanding in the use of Churches Beside this they set themselves to overthrow learning and to rob it of all maintainance and the ministers of all dues and yet ask wherein have we robbed God Mal. 3.8 where God answereth them in tithes and offerings which God thought a fit way to maintaine his Priests And Christ bids the Leper go shew himselfe to the Priest and pay his offering Mat. 8.4 And Paul found it was equity that as they which did wait on the Altar were partakers of the Altar So that it was Gods Ordinance that they that preach the Gospell should live on the Gospell 1 Cor. 9.13 14. Yet these like Julian the Apostate would rob the Church of maintainance that there might be no ministrie because they despise prophecie Again they allow no set forms of Praier no not Christs form and yet they will say St Pauls namely The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ the love of God the Father and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost c. Yet it hath ever been the practice of all true Churches Jewes and Christians to have set forms as well for the uniform consent of the people Rom. 15.6 in praier and in praise as also for the confining not of the spirit as they suppose but of their inconsiderate spirits to the words of truth and sobernesse Yet there was alwaies liberty enough to shew
the works of mortification till we have crucified the old man and even wounded sin to death by becomming to us the spirit of judgement and burning Esa 4.4 both to condemn our selves and to consume our drosse therefore it continually lusteth against the flesh and makes our hearts to rise against sin Gal. 3. as it doth against any thing we hate and if at any time we yeeld to the flesh this good spirit becomes like a voice behind calling to us that we are out of the way Esa 30.21 by daily good motions and checks of conscience and by baptizing us with fire Mat. 3.11 inflaming our hearts with an holy revenge upon sin and with a love to all goodnesse righteousnesse and truth Then next he doth infuse divine graces into the heart which are like so many letters commendatory of us to God as faith to beleeve above reason naturall as Abraham did Rom. 4.17 and without any visible means Heb. 11.1 so also he worketh in us love to God by which we tender the pleasure of God above all things in doing and suffering of which we are never ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by this holy spirit which he hath given us Rom. 5.5 and makes us wait by hope for the righteousnesse to be revealed Gal. 5.5 with longing and sighing Rom. 8.23 and praying by the spirit of supplication poured by him upon us Zac. 12.11 and never leaves till he hath made us partakers of the divine nature resembling God in selfe-contentment though we be shut out of the worlds society and in being in love with good men that are begotten of God 1 John 5.1 therefore he is called the spirit of love Rom. 15.30 and in wisedome Mar. 13.11 whereby the elect discern those mysteries which none knoweth but God and they for they are not discerned by others 1 Cor. 2.14 and also in transforming them into the practise of those things they hear and beleeve by this spirit from one glorious grace to another 2 Cor. 3.18 and this through the sanctification of obedience 1 Pet. 1.2 by which he gives us comfort by giving us peace of conscience and joy in assurance of remission and freedome from the guilt of sin in which respect he is called the comforter John 16.7 and so he is but especially in the times of affliction wherein he gives them such tastes of heavenly glory as makes them to contemn all earthly things and rejoice in tribulations Rom. 5.4 because this spirit of glory resteth upon them 1 Pet. 4.14 Thus he goeth alwaies with the elect working in them a spirituall strength to persevere though sometimes they be like smoking flax almost choked in their sad melancholy fumes or like bruised reeds that have no strength then doth he establish the inward man Eph. 3.16 by nourishing the seeds of grace sown in our drie ground by his sweet dew from above Esa 44.3 and by his secret and powerfull assistance in the times of triall 2 Cor. 12.9 bearing witnesse to them that they are the sons of God for all their crosses in this world Rom. 8.15 which he sealeth to them by the promises beleeved concerning Christ and himselfe Eph. 1.13 All which considered we should make much of this spirit and not grieve it nor quench it Not grieve it by acting without it by our own sensuall desires and separating our selves from the societies where he doth affoord his gracious dispensations Jud. 19. or do not acknowledge his power in giving them skill and abilities to perform their severall places and callings nor asking counsell of him or direction from him Esa 30.1 but rather despise it even in his ordinances 1 Thes 4.8 and turn their ear from it as Neh. 9.20 30. and harden their hearts against it Zac. 7.12 and rebell against his doctrine and so grieve him in his ministers Esa 63.10 and Acts 7.51 as St Stephen told the Jewes yea to tempt him by venturing to try whether he will punish them or no as Ananias and Saphira did Acts 5.9 by all which they shew that whatsoever portion of the spirit they have received yet it is in vain Also we must not quench it as some do fire by casting on water or withdrawing that which should feed it â— Tim. 1.6 or lose it as we do springs for want of endeavor to draw or pump them And this men do when after they have had some taste of heavenly gifts in remorse for sin or some joifull apprehensions of Gods promises yet they fall away and having begun in the spirit yet end in the flesh Gal. 3. So when they fall into grosse sins after calling to grace they cause the Holy one to cease from them in his operation for a time and so lose the joy which formerly they found in Gods service So do they discourage the spirit of their Teachers so that they cannot do their work with joy but griefe Heb. 13.17 Thus by living in known sins they sad the spirit which would seale them to the day of redemption Eph. 4.30 which may possibly conduce to the unpardonable sin against the Holy Ghost if these be not repented of Mathe. I pray declare to me that sin as plain as you can Phila. It is a wilfull and totall falling away from the grounds and true beginnings of Christ and from that spirituall fellowship which one hath had with the people of God therein after ones illumination and outward sanctification contemning the Gospell and despighting the methods and operations of the Holy Ghost without repentance even to death All this may be gathered from Heb. 6.4 5 6. and Heb. 10.25 26 27. But this must be rightly understood As first that he must be one inlightned with some competent knowledge in true religion and sanctified by outward calling at least to the covenant of grace Heb. 10.29 and the seals thereof though not sanctified by saving grace which shewes it selfe by true repentance from all sin and by relying on Christ by faith for his salvation So next he must wilfully apostate Heb. 10.26 as it were without temptation not as David by lust or Peter by feare yea it must be a totall falling from all parts of truth which may possibly over-power his nature by the terrors of the law Also he must despise the Gospell and even loath the way of salvation by Christ and scorne the Gospel which is the meanes of sanctification and hath in some manner worked formerly upon himselfe some change of mind and manners Besides he must offer some despight by blasphemie and persecution and that not of ignorance as Paul did but of desperate malice and that not only to the person of the holy as many have done to the person of the Father and Son by many presumptuous sins but to the work of grace and operating power of the Holy Ghost in us by which God commeth more neer to us then in other things or to his power shewed outwardly for approving
mankind from the wrath of God the slavery of Satan and the dominion of sin and death which rightly to know and beleeve leads to life eternall Mathe. How may one attain this knowledge Phila. By right understanding the holy Scriptures in its propositions and consequences Now the Scripture tels us that the first man sinned and so incurred the wrath of God upon himselfe and all his posterity Rom. 5. yet he so graciously promised him that the seed of the woman should break the serpents head i. ruine the policies and works of the Devill wrought in and against man Now from whence commeth this doth God intend to put up this wrong and passe it over then how can his justice be satisfied or if infinite justice must be satisfied by some suffering for that sin then who must undergo it If we look upon God as absolutely one without distinction then the offended must mediate with himselfe and so put up this offence yea the Father God must be the sufferer without any mediator Gnosticks or Patrispassiani But this cannot be for a mediator is not of one but God is one Gal. 3.20 yet infinite justice must be satisfied by an infinite person The scriptures therefore declare that in the Godhead there be three persons Father Son and holy Ghost Now though we cannot so well apprehend how the essence divine can mediate to it selfe for man yet we may conceive how one person can mediate to another and so that the Son who lay hid in the bosome of the Father before all time did consult and mediate with the Father about it We must therefore understand first That God made man as perfect as a creature rationall could be made saving only that he gave him not immutability which is a portion beyond created nature For the very Angels that stood once were yet mutable in themselves and they that stand now are not immutable in themselves though they be in their estate and the reason is they that fell chose to stand by their own naturall power without dependency upon God they that stood chose to stand by dependency upon the Archangell the Son of God the first born of every creature Colos 1.15 and of whom the whole family of heaven and earth is named Eph. 3.15 these were the elect Angels Now as they stood by love so man must be recovered by faith in him Aug. Servans hos salvens illos that is the same Archangell and Son of God Jesus Christ who is the head of men and Angels Col. 1.18 creating both but preserving them and saving us from all the bitter effects of sin and leading us to eternall selicity by grace on earth to glory in heaven This is the way to felicity first To know God Then secondly my selfe and miserable condition and thirdly The remedy in Christ Mathe. How come men to wander so much in the seeking of it Phila. The reason of it is first The sin of Adam and Eve who sought to find the chief good in that which God the chiefe good prohibited Mans soule is troubled with a vertigo ever since and running round in a maze is not able to find the right object and if any time we come neer it yet like the Sun comming to his verticall point in the tropick we turn back to the old course Some men know nothing of felicity yet they aime at something they fansie to be good for them yea at a kind of immortality as in writing building or to practise Arts or Arms or purchasing and conquering all which are but shadowes of felicity and may keep our names alive while the soule may be damn'd as the body is dead Some are worse that place their felicity in carnall delights as in cating drinking Phil. 3.19 and wantonnesse which ends commonly in bitternesse shame and death Now though that felicity is thus divorsed by mans mistakings 〈…〉 ing round in a large circumference of mans vain apprehensions yet by serious consideration it may be reduced to one centrall point for when we have wearied our selves like Noah's Dove we must return to the Ark at last for rest and safety for only in God the soule takes rest Aratus for as we are the off-spring of God Acts 17.27 28. so he is not far from any of us and we may find him by nature if we would grope after him but especially by Scripture which teacheth us to know God in Christ for none can come to the father but by him otherwise we know not felicity at all or not rightly for as no man can divide a circle till he have found the center so neither the circumference of true felicity till we fix the foot of our affection in God like one foot of a compasse And as a man may find the center of a circle though he seeth it not so may one find God in the circumference of his works though he never saw him and felicity in Christ though he never yet knew it before Mathe. The knowledge of God being mans felicity it is not amisse to prove there is a God for he that commeth to God must beleeve that God is therefore I pray you prove to me there is a God Phila. I suppose you urge not this question because you doubt it but because you would have reason to satisfie others therein Therefore that there is a God fit to be known of all men I shall prove by reason for though Scriptures be enough to prove it to us that beleeve yet not to them who beleeve not therefore reason in this point is needfull for many will not beleeve unlesse their understanding be over-powred by miracle or revelation or by some extraordinary energeticall operation of God upon the soule they will not beleeve except their reason be convinced of the truth of Scriptures that they are of God and of divine revelation otherwise he thinks that his faith is but implicit or folded up in other mens beleefe or a weak yielding to antiquity or authority of Lawes and Customes without examination of their analogy and agreement with pure and primary reason and I beleeve if pure reason were not clouded by idlenesse ignorance or wilfulnesse it would prove a more impartiall judge of truth than the Pope himselfe who beleeves the Scripture by the ground of antiquity and forceth his conclusions drawn therefrom upon mens consciences by his own authority which men being made his vassals yield to any thing for quietnesse sake though themselves have no satisfaction therein From whence it is that most Christians profession of Religion is but either forced by fear of authority or voluntarily resigned up to another mans judgement or setled upon ones obstinate wilfulnesse neither which is saving faith For though we give some assent to Scriptures at first being moved by the authority of the Church to whom we owe respect and reverence as the people of Samaria first beleeved for the womans sake John 4.42 yet at last they beleeved
years after Meses Acts 7.27 It is true the Scripture saith he was learned in all the learning of the Aegyptians but their learning consisted rather in the hieroglyphick emblems then in letters And though there were Magicians and wise men among them before Josephs time Psal 105.21 Gen. 41.8 yet they are said to learn wisedome of Joseph and might also of the Patriarchs being in Aegypt four hundred years who had by tradition the sciences from Sheth which afterward might be called the learning of the Aegyptians who at that time had the Israelites in bondage and so took the name of learning to themselves But these books of Moses are most clearly divine and authentick declaring an history from the Creation for two thousand years forward with excellent revelation of divine oracles which teach men to know the true God 3. They be the word of God because it treateth of those works which are proper only to God and of which none can give evidence but the spirit of God and such as are inspired therewith As of the creation of the world the preservation and destruction of it the restauration of it again the qualifying of the Church with divine Oracles and religious services typicall and spirituall morall ceremoniall judiciall honouring it with unparalleld miracles declaring mans eternall redemption and by prophecies of the state of the Church to the worlds end Mathe. This proofe being taken only from Scripture will not suffice some who beleeve them not for their own sakes Phila. It is true such therefore may be confirmed of the truth of them from prophane writers who testifie of their truth and antiquity if they had rather beleeve such then the Scriptures themselves the Fathers or Ecclesiastick writers For many prophane Authors attest what is written in them as Homer and Plato and others Homer Plato Ovid. Hieron Aegypt Berosus Epolemus Plut. in l. ratio brutorum Vid Euseb l. 9. c. 34. de prop. Evangel Lactan. l. 4. c. 6. speak of the Creation others of the long lives of the Patriarchs as Ephorus and Alexander the historian before the flood others of the drowning of the world others of the Tower of Babel as Alydenus so Damascenus of Abrahams travels Plutarch of Noahs Dove so Pliny of Moses miracles Diodorus Siculus of Moses and Strabo with much reverence as well as Dionys Longinus The Sybils prophecied of mans Redeemer Suetonius in the life of Nero speaks of Christs miracles and Pliny of the wise mens star Macrobius of Herods massacring the infants of Bethelem Mathe. All this proves only the historicall part to be true Phila. If we beleeve the history to be a divine truth we cannot well doubt of the doctrinall part being interserted one with another and both of them equally attested by divine miracles both of Moses the Prophets and Christ and his Apostles which miracles being from the divine power would never have been produced to attest false doctrines in Scriptures therefore the Scriptures in doctrine as well as in history is the word of God But beside the rare modification of them sheweth them no lesse For though they transcend reason yet they deliver nothing contrary to right and pure reason nor any thing contrary in nature though things above nature Again the doctrinal part of them is agreeable to the nature of God is who Goodness Righteousnesse Love and Truth and Holinesse yea they discover to man all his secret corruptions which is the property only of God to do nor doth it in any thing contradict it selfe being rightly understood though written by divers men in divers ages and therfore surely were indited by that one eternall Spirit who is Unity in Verity as wel as Unity in Trinity Farther it shews man a way to be saved from sin and damnation without annihilating the Justice of God or making his mercy degenerate into fond pitty for want of satisfaction to his justice and this surpasseth the wisedome of Angels and men yea the effects of it are divine for it brings rest to a troubled mind which no book else can do and satisfieth mans knowledge in things worthy of faith and affords as much and more reason why we should beleeve them then any book beside Therefore the wisest and soberest men of all ages have consented to it and thousands of godly Martyrs have sealed it with their pious lives and constant deaths Vid. Martyrol Mathe. I pray give me some proofe that the Scriptures have as much reason and more to be beleeved then other writings Phila. 1. Because we can find no just exception against the Writers in regard of their abilities or their integrities and upon the same ground we beleeve all other Historiographers But if you say you know not whether those are the Authors of the books that are entitled to them as Moses and Paul I say you have as much reason to beleeve that as that any ancient writer is the Author of his own book 2. We may rather and ought rather to beleeve them then others not only because of the excellency of their matter as I said before but also because the Authors of them had no selfe interest in writing these books as either of gain or glory favor or the friendship of men nay they were content with labor and travell poverty and persecutions scorns and infamy misery and death Therefore certainly they be the Word of God Cyril 10. and so to be beleeved To call the Authors of them into question were to outdo Julian the Apostate who would not deny that Luc. Philo. and scoffing Lucian who did not deny Paul to be the Author of the second Epistle to the Corinthians twelfth chapter though he scoffs at his professed extasie Indeed they may challenge as much beleefe of their authors in this point as any writing both because they have been so successively delivered continually so mentioned and generally so acknowledged by all parties Mathe. Doth God declare himselfe in all the books of Scripture alike Phila. No but in some more historically as in the five books of Moses In some more my stically as in the Prophets In some more clearly as in the New Testament but in all instructively both for faith and manners perfectly and sufficiently Mathe. Why are some called Canonicall and some Apocryphall books Phila. They are called Canonicall which are the rule of faith and manners namely for us to beleeve and practice and they are numbred by the Church to begin with Genesis and to end with the Prophet Malachy for the Old Testament And the New Testament begins with St Matthew and ends with the Revelation of St John And all these are the subject of our faith but not all for our practice Mathe. Why so Phila. Because many precepts in it are temporall as the Ceremoniall Law some for the Jewes particular state only as the Judiciall Lawes the equity whereof we may observe though not according to the letter as we are bound to observe the
do nor at all contradict themselves but sometimes things are omitted for mystery sake as Moses a most accurate describer of Genealogies leaves out the Father and Mother of Melchisedeck that he might be a type of Christ to Abraham and all others For Christ considered simply as God had no mother and simply as man he had no father not that Melchisedeck had no generation though not in the Genealogy Heb. 7.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vid Arab. caten c. 31. fol. 67 c. 30. fol. 66. at a. For we may find in some Eastern writings that he was the son of Heraclim the son of Phaleg the son of Eber. So sometime that is set before which is done afterward to stir up our diligence to search as 1 Sam. 16.21 Saul entertaineth David and loveth him and chap. 17.55 Saul enquireth whose son he is So there is great difference between Moses Genealogy from Shem to Abraham and of Lukes from Abraham to Shem in which we find two Nachors Gen. 11. and two Canaans Luke 2.34 c. So Heber to be the son of Nachor whom Moses sets down for the son of Selah which differences may be reconciled by comparing the Hebrewes account with the Grecists or Greek Jewes who very likely have made the mistake So by the Genealogy of Matthew Jacob is Josephs father and by St Luke Heli is his father but Iacob was his naturall father and Heli his father in law Mat. 1. Luke 2. by having Mary to his wife The doctrine of Scriptures also seems to vary but doth not and is reconciled by distinguishing as St Paul saith faith only justifieth and St Iames saith works justifie that is faith only justifieth by applying Christs merits to the soul but faith alone justifieth no mans christian profession but that is justified by works in the sight of men and faith it selfe is also approved by them These differences do vindicate the Scripture from any politike or crafty design that the authors had to impose upon men a sounder beleefe by continuing all circumstances most precisely without any appearing difference 3. R. Moses B. Maimon As for any diversities of readings in the Text and Margent of the Old Testament there be waies and books of directions enough to reconcile them the marginall notes being put down by the members of their great Synagogue Manasseh B. Israel his Conciliator vet Testam R. Isaac Jacob and Elias Levits a modern Jew who made the consignment of the Canonicall books such as was Daniel Ezra Haggai Zacharie and Malachi and that not because the Text was doubtfull but for some mystery Mathe. But we find divers books rejected by some Churches Phila. If they rejected them upon reason no doubt other Churches found as great reason to receive and hold them and I know not why one reason should not prevaile with you to hold them as well as the other to doubt of them I know Ecclesiastes is condemned by some as a book maintaining Epicurisme but it is rather Solomons recantations in the beginning crying down all for vanity and in the end concluding the summe of mans duty Others takes the Canticles for a love-ditty made to Pharaohs daughter but many of the expressions of it are not competible with womanhood nor beauty Cant. 7.4 It is rather a spirituall song full of Antiphona's and Responsories betwixt Christ and his and his Church Rab. Abr. Aben Ezra in cant cap. 1. The Jewes that best knew their own Canon say that it is abominable to think that this book treateth of venereall matters Indeed it is the rarest and most excellent not only of many which Solomon made to whit as some say 1005. but also the best of any other in sacred writ because it containeth in it doctrin of all sorts Porphyr So some say the Prophecy of Daniel is but an history written after the things there written were done namely in the time of Antiochus but indeed the book was delivered to King Alexander by Iaddus the high Priest 150. years before that time Others refuse the Epistle to the Hebrewes because it hath not the name of the author set to it They may as well reject the Book of Iudges and Ruth But this Epistle was alwaies received in the Greek Church as for the Latine Church it makes too bold with Scripture to put in or to dash out of it at her pleasure So some have questioned the Epistle of St Iames and Peters second Epistle and Iohns third Epistle yet upon debate they have been received and therefore now the lesse to be doubted Mathe. But some regard Scripture not to be the word of God the more for the Canon John 1.1 1 John 1.1 John 6.63 For they say the Word of God is God himselfe and that Christ the Son of God is the Word and that Gods word is Spirit and life not the letter for the letter killeth Phila. You may easily answer these thus Ask them from whence have they these arguments against the written Word but in the written Word If they allow not the written Word from whence they have these to be the word of God their arguments against the written Word are nothing If they do allow it so to be then they make God to fight against himselfe We know that a word of God there is that may be called himself As 1. The Word essentiall in the divine mind Genesis 1. as when God said i. the Trinity said or determined Let us make man This word cannot be any thing but God nor divided from God no more then thoughts can be from our minds 2. Hence is the Word personall and so Christ is the word begotten before all worlds by whom the world and all things were made and he is called God 3. Hence is the Word prophorical or enuntiative which God giveth by his spirit divers waies to men as by visions dreams inspiration and by an audible voice this is not called properly God though the fountain of it the holy Spirit be God The first of these words is immanent and consultative The second is emanent and generative The third is proceedent and communicative and therefore communicates Gods will declaratively to certaine men who spake and wrote as they were inspired by that divine spirit whose writing the Scripture is and is as improperly called God as God may be called the Bible The fourth is the word operative or efficacious Gods spirituall benediction of it to us But these men must pretend to some hidden way to make the world wonder a while and at last to smile at their simplicity who are not content to hear God speake in his word but must turn the word into God himselfe and so make him or it a kind of Idoll Mathe. But men doubt it because their translations are differing Phila. Either the Scriptures must be translated or else are never like to be known to the world abroad 2. They must be translated as every language will
of Tiberius Eus l. 2. c. 13. This Magus taught men to worship images especially his own and his companion Helena Next to him was Menander Menander Epiph. cont haeres a Samaritan and a conjurer some think one of Simons disciples who taught that the world was made by Angels and that he was sent to save the world and to baptize The Apostle speaks contrary to him about Angels Col. 2.18 and also about baptisme Eph. 4.5 that there is but one Lord one faith one baptisme Next was one Ebion Ebion See Acts 15.6 First Council of Apost abolished circumcision who said Christ was only a man begotten of Joseph and Mary and that the observation of Moses Law was needfull to salvation This man and his followers condemned Paul as an Apostate from the Law who by his doctrine did establish the Law Rom. 3.21 They also rejected all the New Testament save the Gospell of St Matthew and yet that proves Christ not begotten by Joseph Mat. 1.18 23 25. So one Cerinthus pretended he received a revelation from Angels that after the resurrection Christ should have a Kingdome upon earth Cerinthus and that his subjects should eat drink marry contrary to Christs doctrine Matthew 22.30 In the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like the Angels Next sprung up the Nicolaitans Nicolaitans Acts 6. who by a mistake of Nicolas one of the seven Deacons to assoile himselfe from jealousie of his faire wife said that for his part he could be content any other should marry her upon which they held wives in common Clém. Alex. strom 3. which thing Christ saith he hated Rev. 2.6 15. these arose in the first hundred yeers after Christ There was also about the next hundred year after Christ In the second hundred yeers Carpocrates Epiph. cont haeres 1 Tim. 4.1 2 3. Eus l. 4. c. 7. divers others As 1. Carpocrates of whom came Gnosticks that professed strange hidden mysteries They worshipped gold and silver Images as they said of Jesus So of divers Philosophers these also forbad marriages and allowed fornication as the Pope doth also and by their unclean lives brought a great scandall upon Christians Valentinus set up a plurality of Gods masculine and feminine Valentinus which it is very like he borrowed from Poetry as Hesiod Hesi in theogon that writes of such a subject So one Marcus one of his schollers brings in a new form of baptisme Marcionites In the name of the unknown Father and in the name of the verity the mother of all things and in the name of him that descended on Christ These and all the Gnosticks followers of Carpocrates denied the resurrection of the body and said that salvation belonged only to the soul contrary to St Paul 1 Cor. 15. Cerdon and Marcion denied the same also Cerdon and Cerdon said there were two Gods one the author of good the other of evill They denied also the verity of Christs humane nature Aug. index and the truth of his sufferings Polycarpus called this Marcion the first born of the Devill He held a man might be baptized often It may be he thought himselfe to need it by reason of his whoredomes in which he lived for which his Father excommunicated him out of his Church at Pontus Apelles and Lucianus his schollers follow him but not in all his opinions but they said Christs body was not made of the substance Apelles or seed of the woman as God said Gen. 3.15 but of elements and after his resurrection was resolved into them again yet the Scripture saith he had flesh and bones when he appeared to his disciples and so was taken up Acts 1.9 Tatianus the author of Encratitae Tatianus who abstained from wine and flesh and all sensitives came next and condemned marriage Col. 2.1 Tim. 3.1 and St Pauls Epistles also for they confute their errors Montanus that perswaded women to leave their husbands Montanus Synods of Asia condemned him Eus l. 5. c. 3.14 17. to become Prophetesses He called himselfe the Holy Ghost as did also Macedonius after him and forbad second marriage contrary to Paul Rom. 7.3 Many other there were I only shall reck on the chiefe Some added cheese to their bread in the holy Supper as the Artotiritae In the third hundred yeers more weeds appeared Some denied the writings of St John as the Alogi Some met in stoves naked men and women called Adamiani Some denied Christs divinity as the Theodotiani Some magnified Melchisedeck above Christ Some would have no possessions but approved voluntary poverty and accounted marriage an unclean estate of life these were called Apostolici Some would not procreate children yet fornicate like Onan Gen. 38.9 10. these were Origeniani Some said Euseb l. 6. c. 33. if one denied Christ for fear of persecution and yet held the faith in their heart sinned nor yet Christ approveth it nor Luke 12.9 nor St Paul 2 Tim. 2.12 Novatus following Novatus con demned in the Councils at Rome Eus lib. 6. c. 41. So at Antioch So at Ancyra tom 1. Concil Sozom. l. 7. c. 12. was clean contrary for he held that a man doing so was never to be admitted into the Church upon what repentance soever contrary to Gods word Isa 1.18 He was excommunicated by Cornelius Bishop of Rome and Cyprian Bishop of Carthage but his heresie continued longer then any before Arrius coming in under a shew of zeale and holinesse and because they held as well as the true Catholicks the divinity of Christ and suffered for it under the Arrian persecution which ensued His followers were called Catharoi or Puritans Sabellius confessed one God Sabellius but denied three Persons So doth the Socinians in a manner also if they think that the Trinity is nothing but a distinct manner of apprehending the Godhead without personality This Heretick Sabellius was the disciple of one Noetus in the daies of the Emperour Gallus and in the year of Christ 257. and before him affirmed by Hermogenes and Prazeas but nursed up by Sabellius Ruffi l. 1. c. 29. which opinion confounds substance and subsistence together and so they understood that the Father suffered when the Son suffered for us because all the three terms of Father Son and Holy Ghost are by them given to one person and not only to one God and therefore they were called Patrispassiani father-sufferers In the year Nepotians 264. an Aegyptian Bishop Nepos in Galienus reigne raised the opinion which the Millenaries or Chiliasts hold now that the godly should rise from the dead before the wicked and should live with Christ So held Papias Bishop of Hierapolis in the first century of yeers on earth in all earthly pleasures as Cerinthus held before in the first hundred yeers after Christ Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria confuted Coracion who held this opinion in three daies disputations at
sect had continued in Germany a long time but not above ten years in any full vigour Gastius de Anab. Exord they being suppressed and punished severely by the Princes there a remnant of them came in two ships into England 1535. and lurking here a while were taken and made to recant others were severely punished as you may read in your Chronicles whose dregs other people have sucked in Howe 's Chron. 1538. Camb. in the life of Q. Eliz. But in the year 1561. Queen Elizabeth by proclamation commanded them all to depart the land within twenty daies upon pain of imprisonment and confiscation of goods whether they were free born or forreigners Mathe. But what tenets are now peculiar to this sect among us and your judgement therein Phila. 1. That no children ought to be baptized 2. That none are rightly baptized but those that are dipt 3. That there ought to be no set form of praier by the book 4. That there should be no distinction between Clergy and the Laity but all that are gifted may preach and give Sacraments 5. That it is not lawfull to take an oath though demanded by the Magistrate 6. That no Christian can with a good conscience execute the office of a Magistrate All which though I have here and there plainly though cursorily confuted yet I shall do it at your request more particularly Mathe. I pray do so Phila. First I shall prove that Infants ought to be baptized 1. Because it bears analogy with Scripture for God thought fit in making a Covenant with Abraham to institute a Sacrament by which infants as well as elder people might be admitted into his Church which Sacrament was Circumcision Then surely God having by his son Christ abolished Circumcision would not leave those who are the children of Abraham by faith Gal. 3.7 without some Sacrament by which their children also might receive the same benefit Calv. Insti l. 4. c. 16. part 6. unlesse the Gospell hath lesse liberty then the Law which Christ denieth laying I am come that ye might have life more abundant and then surely the means of life also namely baptisme for circumcision is so called Col. 2.11 12. circumcision without hands Mathe. But baptisme of Infants is no where commanded in Scripture Phila. It is not necessary to be injoined in so many words because there is sufficient warrant for it by bearing a proportion with circumcision the sign being only changed In many such cases the Scriptures are silent leaving men to draw consequences of practice from generall propositions As for example when Christ saith except a man be born again doth he not mean a woman as well as man or because he said only to his Disciples at his last supper where there was no woman present Do ye this in remembrance of me may we not therefore give the Communion to women without a special warrant I suppose no wise man will say so And so also for keeping the Lords day there is no command nor yet to rebaptize any which yet the Anabaptists do ordinarily practise Mathe. But children can make no profession of faith or repentance as those did that came to John the Baptist Mat. 3. and therefore are not I think to be baptized Phila. Yes surely because they are the seed of such as professe true religion and so are within the covenant and promise made to the visible Church and her seed in Abraham Gen. 18.18 In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed Which word nations compriseth young and old every one in their modell and capacity of blessing therefore circumcision was the seal of Abrahams faith Rom. 4.11 which he had before he was circumcised was given to Isaac as the seal of that faith which he had faederally as the son of Abraham and was to appear in him actually after his circumcision and so baptisme may be lawfully given to infants now under the Gospel though they be not circumcised Rom. 4.11 16. Mathe. But Christ saith go teach and baptize inferring that they should be taught and be capable of teaching before they be baptized Phila. No such matter For that direction of Christ Mat. 28.19 Go teach all nations baptizing them The word translated teach signifieth properly disciple them which may be done by this Sacrament of entrance into Christs school or Church and therefore teaching is set downe by another word after discipling 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in verse 20. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you Mathe. But we read not of any children baptized in the New Testament Phila. True but we read of whole housholds baptized as Acts 16.33 the Jailor and all that belonged to him Among whom if you will say there were no children because they are not set down I reply there is no women nor servants set down neither and so then the Jailor was the whole family and Lydia and Stephanas were their whole family But certainly Paul would have set down the omission of his baptizing children if he had omitted them in those families since that he is so exact in telling us what housholds he did baptize 1 Cor. 1.14 And truly if the want of a peculiar command or practice in the New Testament should exclude Christian children from baptisme we are left in a more uncomfortable estate for our children then the Jewes were But where the equity of the law remains there the law is still in force and where is the same reason there the same thing may be done for substance though the circumstance may differ And I am sure our children have as much need by baptisme to have sin washed away as theirs had by circumcision to have sin cast away Mathe. But that promise of God Gen. 17.7 of which circumcision was the seal was made only to Abraham and his seed by nature Phila. If it were so why is it not kept for the Jewes are cast off from being Gods people therefore that everlasting Covenant was and must be understood of Abrahams children by promise not by nature and so beleevers being within the Covenant may rightly claim the seal of the Covenant for their children Cyp. l. 3. ep 8. Aug. ep ad Dard. 57. which seal baptisme is to the Christians children as circumcision was to Jewish the one corresponding to the other even as the cloud and the red sea in which they and their children were all baptized 1 Cor. 10.1 Tertul. de Resur sarnis 2. typed our baptisme Beside is it not reason that those to whom the Kingdome of God belongs should be received into his Kingdome of grace the Church And that children are such Christ sheweth plainly Mar. 10.14 And that they were little infants it is plain for he took them in his arms Nay farther the Apostle saith that if one of the parents be a beleever their children are holy 1 Cor. 7.14 and if so then surely they are capable of the Sacrament of
brought upon such Mathe. I pray let me know that Phila. First Heresie and Schisme is a greater sin against humane society then murther for that destroieth but some men but Heresie and Schisme destroieth or endeavoureth to destroy the Church 2. Murther can but destroy the body but this the soule Murther destroies only naturall life but this destroieth life spirituall and eternall Beside Heresie rents a man from the truth and Schisme from the communion of the Church and so breaks the bond of unity and charity by which God is forsaken as well as the Church and if they think to maintain these rents they have made from the Church of England to be lawfull let them tell you what Church hath lesse error or lesse evill manners and yet maintains none either by her doctrine or authority I beleeve they will find even the Church of Corinth and many of the Churches of lesser Asia to be guilty of greater error and worse manners then the Church of England was when they separated from it and yet Paul cals one the Church of God and Christ in the Revelation doth call the other Churches yet these men while they condemn the Church of England of tyranny they have been more cruell to themselves by separation then the Church could be or was by excommunication Mathe. I pray before you tell me of their punishments let me know what other kind of Sectaries have vexed the Church Phila. Papists when they were in authority they persecuted the Church when they were supprest Papists then secretly they corrupt the Church By Papists I mean not the old before the Trent Councill or rather Conventicle begun in the year 1546. in the time of Pope Paulus the third though they were bad enough but the Papists that sprung up since because they have brought in new errors as other new Sectaries have done As 1. Concerning free will that it works by it selfe with grace in our conversion though the Apostle saith that the naturall man receiveth not the things of God 2. 1 Cor. 2.14 They say originall sin is quite taken away in baptisme so that it ceaseth to be sin yet St. Paul saith that when he doth that which is evill it is by sin that dwelleth in him Rom. 7.17 So they hold that the certainty of salvation depends only upon hope not on faith contrary to John 1.12 saying Christ gave them power to be made the sons of God that beleeved on his name They say the merit of Christs death and obedience is our satisfaction not our righteousnesse but Paul saith he was made to us righteousnesse and made sin for us that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him So they say we are justified by a generall faith of apprehension by which we beleeve the Scriptures to be true but Paul saith by a particular faith of application of Christ and all his merits to our selves as Gal. 2.20 who died for me and gave himselfe for me So they say a man is not justified by faith alone but by other vertues but Paul saith we are justified by faith without the deeds of the Law for indeed good works do but justifie our faith not us nor do they justifie us as a cause but are signs and fruits of our justification So they say a man may merit at Gods hands because God hath promised to reward us and Christ hath deserved that out works should merit but Paul refuseth all for Christs merits and desireth only to be found in him Phil. 3.9 and not in his own righteousnesse So they say that Christ hath satisfied for our sins and eternall punishment belonging to them but the temporall we must satisfie in this world or in purgatory It is true we must satisfie men for wrongs done this is but a civill satisfaction So we must fatisfie the Church by some testimony of repentance if we have offended the Church but we know of none we can make to God but only in Christ and for purgatory after life we find none in Scripture but beleeve as death leaves us so judgement finds us So they talk much of traditions to be beleeved as necessary to salvation because the Apostle bids the Thessalonians to hold fast the traditions which they had been taught 2 Thes 2.14 whether by word or by our Epistle But then they ought to prove to us that the traditions which they would have us receive are such as were delivered of Christ to his Apostles or from the Apostles to the Church 2 Tim. 3.16 or else give us leave only to hold that the Scriptures alone hold forth to us all things necessary to salvation So they hold vowes of things not commanded are a part of Gods worship such as is a vowed single life wilfull poverty and blind regular obedience which destroy Christian Liberty and therefore till they prove such things commanded in Scripture they must give us leave to hold only our vow in baptisme and to reject the other as humane inventions of seducing spirits spoken against 1 Tim. 4.1 2 3. So they hold the worshipping of images to be a religious work but that is forbidden in the second Commandement which they have taken away and divided the tenth into two Pascha Raubertus first sets it forth in lib de Corp. Christi sang cap 14. Ioannes Diaconus in vita Grego 1. Legend of Simeon Metaphrastes in vit Arsenii the better to bring the people to image-worshipping So they hold Christ to be bodily present in the Communion Bread and Wine a strange opinion which was at first but at School-Question afterward maintained by tales and fictions of Christ appearing in the Sacrament like a little child A shamefull opinion to subject Christ to orall eating and gutturall swallo wing True it is that Christ is really there present in a spirituall and mysticall manner in a Sacramentall relation to the signs and by faith to the beleeving receivers yet I know the Church of Rome hath peremptorily condemned them for hereticks that would not hold the bodily presence For Pope Leo the ninth and Victor the second and Nicolaus the second called Councils against Berengarius who had disproved it by Aug. and Scotus Yet Pope Innocent the third in his Conventicle of Lateran gave it the name of Transubstantiation and ratified the doctrine thereof and hath been the destruction of many a godly Martyrs life in the time of Queen Mary So they call the Lords Supper a sacrifice which they call the Masse and it serves for the quick and dead with them But it is not properly so called but only as it is a memoriall of Christs offering up himselfe or because then we do in Christ offer up our selves a living sacrifice or because we make an offering at that time for the Minister and the poor So they make fasting it selfe a part of Gods worship Rom. 14.17 whereas the Kingdome of God consisteth not in meat or drink nor in fasting from it
bound to take the Law as a rule of his conversation But why did not then Christ abolish the Law as well as fulfill it Mat. 5.17 or why doth the Apostle say that he doth not by his preaching up faith to justifie a man Rom. 3.31 make void the Law but establish it surely by accepting it for a rule of an holy life though not either to justifie or condemn us but to walk according to it out of love to righteousnesse Rom. 7.22 Again 18. They say a man is not bound to pray except the spirit moveth him yet Paul saith pray continually and Peter bids us be sober and watch to praier as if it were a duty and if we look upon it as a duty then we are to do it without expecting farther incitation by immediat infusions So they say that the spirit works in hypocrites by gifts and graces but in Gods children immediatly but then they need not take heed it seems to the sure word of prophecy as saith St Peter which he prefers for the Churches establishment before that of revelation calling it a more sure word of prophecy 2 Pet. 18 19. So they pretend that a Minister that hath not this new light cannot edifie them that have it I wonder then how the Apostles edified the Church who had not this new light or dark lanthorn rather of vaine opinions for I have shewed you that they are contrary to the Apostles doctrins or if their light were the most saving grace of God yet a man that hath it not may edify others by preaching salvation to others though himselfe be a castaway So they say no Christian ought to be prest to the duties of holinesse This is to make the world beleeve that there is no need of preaching 2 Tim. 4.2 yet St Paul bids Timothy to preach in season and out of season and Titus to rebuke and exhort with all authority Tit. 2.15 Mathe. What other Sects troubled the Protestant Church Phila. The Arminians revived the heresie of Pelagius Britto who lived in the daies of the Emperours Arcadius and Honorius who held that men by nature might fulfill the whole Law of God and denied originall sin and said that men were sinners by imitation only of Adams not by carnall propagation contrary to Psal 51. And that children had no need of baptisme for remission of sin and that the Godly men in Scripture that confessed their sins did it for example sake rather then out of guiltinesse whom St Augustine sufficiently confutes and their tenets were condemned by the fift Councill of Carthage in the year 419. as hereticall Also by the Milevitane Councill in Numidia The patron of the Arminians was one Jacobus Arminius professor of Divinity at Leyden in the Low Countries in the year 1605. his followers are called Remonstrants Now as Pelagius being driven from Rome came into England and infected it with his errors though by the travels of Germanus Altisidorensis and Palladius sent hither by Caelestinus Bishop of Rome the land was freed from his poison So Arminius infected England by his writings and his well-wishers such as Conradus Vorstius but was reasonably well stopt by the diligence of King James in sending over certain learned and grave Divines to the Synod of Dort Yet neverthelesse these errors have found many favourers in England though they are against Scriptures and the Articles of the Church of England As concerning prepestination they deny it by saying that it is only the will of God to save them that beleeve and persevere and that there is no other decree of election contrary to Acts 13.48 as many as were ordained to eternall life beleeved and Eph. 1.4 he hath chosen us to salvation before the foundation of the world So Ro. 8.30 whom he hath predestinated them he hath also called So they say election is of faith not of persons but Paul saith God hath called us according to his purpose in Christ before the world 4. That election of us to faith presupposeth in us honesty and humility and a disposition to eternall life whereas it is election that causeth such vertues and not they election Ephes 2.3 4. for by nature we are only given to fulfill the will of the flesh and are by nature the children of wrath as well as others but God who is rich in mercy Rom. 9.11 hath quickned us c. for election is not of works but of him that calleth for he loved us first 1 John 4.10 So 5. They say election is not unchangeable but a man may withstand Gods decree Mat. 24.24 but Christ saith the elect cannot be seduced for Christ loseth not those that are given to him John 6.39 and therefore the chaine holds from election to glorification Rom. 8.30 which certainly is the joy of Gods people that their names are written in heaven Luke 10.20 and therefore none can charge them nor condemn them Rom. 8.33 So 6. They make election generall which is a contradiction Rom. 9.18 God hath mercy on whom he will And to some it is given to know the mysteries of Christs Kingdome not to others Mat. 13.11 to babes and not to the worldly wise Mat. 11.15 16. Mathe. What farther errors hold these Arminians Phila. They say that the cause why God sends his Gospell to one people and not to another is not only Gods good pleasure but because one nation is more worthy then another Deu. 10.14 15 yet Moses told Israel that God chose their fathers out of meer love And Christ said that Chorazin and Bethsaida were a worse people then those of Tyre and Zidon Mat. 11.21 So they say that God ordained Christ to die without any certaine determination of saving any particular man or people Isa 53.10 yet Isaiah saith that when he shall make his soul an offering for sin that he shall see his seed And Christ saith I know my sheep and I lay down my life for my sheep So they teach that God did not intend to establish a new Covenant of grace with man by Christs blood but to make any covenant with man whatsoever either of works or grace But Christ is called the surety of a better estament than was before viz. of works Heb. 7.22 whereby we are justified freely by his grace through the redemption of Christ So they say that all are received into grace and favor alike in the Gospel-covenant and none shall be condemned for originall sin and yet Christ saith I pray not for the world but for those thou hast given me out of the world They say also that God confers equally the benefits of Christs death to men but the cause why some men have them and not others is by reason of their free will chusing it and not of Gods singular gift of mercy effectually working thereunto yet St Paul saith it is not in him that willeth or runneth but in God that sheweth mercy So they say Christ died not for those whom
till Herod by the Roman power deprived them of all soveraignty In whose time Christ was born 536 years after the captivity of Babylon who like Daniels stone put all the former monarchies down by setting up a new spirituall kingdome in mens hearts to which even Kings themselves should be subject Now when he came he found the Church of the Jewes in much confusion by Sects and schismes of Pharisees and Sadduces Herodians and few that would entertain his doctrine yet some there was that were his disciples and followers whom having converted by preaching and confirmed by miracles and given his Sacraments as seals of his New Testament he suffered death by the Jewes envy and the unjust judgement of Pilate for mans redemption as hath been declared and rose the third day after for our justification and about 40 daies after having instructed and confirmed them in the rule of his spirit all kingdome in the Church he ascended into heaven and sent the Holy Ghost down upon them who were with the rest of his disciples his visible Church which they mightily increased by their travels among the Gentiles after the Jewes had persecuted and despised the Gospel Mathe. Where was now the visible Church Phila. It was translated to the Gentiles who were before without Christ being aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel Eph. 2.12 strangers from the covenant of promise and had no hope but were without God in the world destitute of all good and possessed with all evill though convinced of a godhead by nature Rom. 1.19 but rightly knew him not some said that he was One of himselfe another that the world was his son so that when they came to worship God Orph. in 1 Sect. de Deo Tresmig in Pimaud c. 9. they did it by idols as I have told you seeking God downward in the creature by which they should have been led upward to God yet God of his infinite mercy takes this wild Olive and plants it upon the stock of the Jew Jesus the root and off-spring of David that they might be the children of Abraham by living in the faith of Abraham which is rightly to be a true visible Christian whether Jew or Gentile Mathe. Wherein consisted Abrahams faith Phila. In beleeving that God would raise up one out of his seed in whom mankind should be blessed even Jesus Christ whose sufferings were signified by sacrifice without which analogicall relation they â—ould never have savoured sweetly with God And as beleeved on Christ to come so Christians beleeve on the same Christ passed And this beliefe is the essentiall being of a true Christian that is a trusting upon Christ by faith for perfect redemption And this is that makes the difference between the visible and invisible Christian for the visible or externall Christian is one that partaketh of the visible priviledges of the Church as Word and Sacraments but not of the invisible graces thereof they hear and understand not they receive but perceive not they read but beleeve not they beleeve literally not spiritually they conceive but do not produce Christ but abortively But the other Christian is not only visible by profession and participation of the common rites of the Church but is also a partaker of the invisible graces offered and conveied under those outward mysteries of the Church by the grace of faith which only justifieth him to Godward Jam. and produceth good works whereby he is justified in his faith with man and approved a true visible Christian But God requires only faith to justifie before him Orig. in Rom. 3. cap. for the Lord required not of the penitent theefe what before he had wrought nor did expect what work he should fulfill after he beleeved but being justified by the confession of his faith in Christ our Saviour joined him as a companion with himselfe being now ready to enter into Paradise And that this is the essentiall being of a true Christian these Authors following will manifest namely that such invisible Christians are justified before God by faith Rom. 3. without the deeds of the Law so saith Ignat. in Epi. ad Ephes Justin in dial cum Tryphon Clem. Alex. in strom 7. Aug. ad Bonif. l. 3. c. 5. Chrysost in Genes hom 26. Ambr. in Rom. 3. Basil mag de humilitate Victor Antiochenus in Marc. 5. Raban in Ecclum c. â— Remigius in Psal 29. Idiota c. 6. de conflictione carnis animae Giselbert in alterc c. 8. Theoph. in Rom. 10. Bern. serm 3. de adventu dom Rupertus in lib. 7. in Joh. c. 7. Foleng in Psal 2. Fulgent ad Monim l. 1. Honorius in spec Ecclus de nat dom Ferus in 1 p. pass dom Aquin. in Lect. 4. super Gal. 3. sic in Rom. 3. All these hold with St Paul Rom. 3. and c. 10. with the heart man beleeveth unto righteousnesse and with the mouth confession is made to salvation Therefore the Primitive Church baptized after such confession was made as Abraham was circumcised after he beleeved Rom. 4.11 yet Isaac was circumcised and all the children of Israel at eight daies old except when they travelled through the wildernesse into the faith of Abraham So the children of Christians were baptized into the faith of their converted parents Cypr. â—p 59. See the bapt of the Church of Geneva printed 1641. they beleeving in their parents in whom as infants they had only sinned and for whom their parents beleeved as well as for themselves And though this practice be not set down in the Scripture by verball command yet considering that Christ gave some commandements by voice to his disciples touching things pertaining to the kingdome of God Act. 1.2 3. And this practice being of so great antiquity in that kingdome of God i. that is the Church we need not make doubt of it except we will be contentious against the Churches custome See Hookers Eccles Politic. lib. 1. sect 14. Dr Field on the Church l. 4.30 1 Cor. 11.16 which ought to over-rule mens fancies and stand as a law to quiet conscience because the Church is directed by the same spirit that gave the Scriptures 1 of Thes 4.8 and therefore Paul exhorts them to keep the traditions they had been taught either by word or by Epistle And that baptizing of infants was an Apostolicall tradition may be gathered both from Councils and Fathers as I have in part declared and of which you may read farther in Aug. l. 10. de gen ad lit c. 23. So Orig. Com. in 6. Rom. Cypr. Epi. ad Fidum Concil Cartha and Concil Melivitan doth curse those that deny baptisme to children See also Irenaeus in his 2. lib. cant Heres c. 39. And if it were so anciently practised and no direct time set down when it began we may well conceive that it was delivered to the Church by by the Apostles and not taken from the Pope who did not apeare many hundred years after baptisme of children was
his spirit that are not his members Indeed there be some things that beare a resemblance with it in which the world is received and that is 1. Civility or common honesty and the next is restraining grace by which they may be said to be sanctified sacramentally or putatively Heb. 10.26 or disposed toward it Heb. 6.4 5. but this is but to have it fieri but non in facto esse i. in a way toward it but not in throughly or truly and therefore men must distinguish between civility which is wrought meerly by morall education according to naturall principles without any knowledge or desire of knowing Gods word but they are carefull to maintain equity and common honesty for the keeping up of trade and commendation of themselves upon which ground also they keep themselves from drunkennesse whoredome and enormous crimes without relation to Gods word Now sanctification though it incline to the same things or duties yet it doth it by the true medium of heavenly light which is the word of God and they that do not so are as far from sanctification as the heathen morallists Now their civility and all meer naturall mens honesty stands principally in the duties of the second table where the light of nature is most clear but for matters of piety in the first table they observe it but ceremoniously and so far as they conduce to preserve their credit among those they live withall but true sanctification hath an eie to both to give to Caesar and to God their severall duties Mat. 22.21 So the morall holy man rests only in negatives and thinks it charity enough not to do hurt but true holinesse doth both eschew evill and do good 1 Pet. 3.11 So the morall man thinks it holinesse enough to professe a dislike of popery and to quarrell with a Bishops dignity though they be utterly ignorant of the orthodox faith and the grounds of the true worship of God Again civility never goeth beyond the outward man Mat. because it takes hold only of the outward letter of the law but passeth over the spirituall sense of it So he that hath restraining grace which he takes for sanctification is much deceived for the difference between them is that restraining grace hath painfulnesse and discontentment at the bridle that God puts upon them and at the bands wherewith they are bound at which they rage Psal 2.1 3. as horses that some upon the bit by which they are guided whereas a man that is truly sanctified desireth that his very inclinations to evill were utterly abolished that it might not rebell against the law of the mind Rom. 7.23 Again they desire to extend their Christian liberty to the utmost without enquiring after the bounds of liberty or the expedience of putting it in practice but a man sanctified desireth to subsist within his bounds 1 Cor. 6.12 and had rather live where nothing is lawfull then where all things are lawful Beside there is great difference in their absteining from sin for restraining grace makes one abstaine from sin for fear or shame because they would give the greater liberty to some sin which they desire to nourish Aug. de civit dei l. 5. c. 12. as some heathens abstained from injustice intemperance and covetousnesse by that unbounded desire which they had after glory and dominion but he that is sanctified escheweth evill because it is evill and displeasing to God of whose love he hath had so large experience that he trembles to offend him Psal 130.4 Again they that have only restraining grace when the means of that straint is removed grow licentious as Israel when they had no King Judg. 17.6 and the 18.19 but they that are sanctified are a law to themselves 1 Tim. 1.9 they need none of the terrors of it though they are willing to be led by the doctrine of it By these rules thou maist know whether thou art sanctified or not and from these marks arise an assured hope of eternall glory because we carry about us the ground of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen of which at the first it may be we have but a conjecture i. a light inclination to the probability of Gospell truths next an opinion wherein the mind is more strongly swaied to think it true Next comes faith which makes a firm and undoubtfull perswasion of the truth of it Now in this case some have a little faith some a full assurance of it which is peculiar to Gods people and they may know they have it by the comfort that it affords to one under the pressures of sin and Gods justice Psal 73.23 24. and also by the ravishing of the affections to the love of those truths which is very strange and supernaturall for there is no greater antipathy in the world then there is between mans heart and Gods word and yet by faith is bred such affection to it that a man will give his life rather then one tittle of this truth should faile and beside it worketh a strange change in the whole man from sin to righteousnesse that one can hardly know him to be the same man Lact. de falsa sapient l. 3. c. 27 Non abscindit sed abscondit vitia This Philosophy could never attain to but rather hides sin then removes it but the word of God is so powerfull in operation that it not only removes sin but also all doubtfulnesse of the truth of Gospel-truth more then the authority of the Church can do which is variable and possibly erroneous So much of the rules of sanctification and hope of glory Mathe. Whereunto doth sanctification advance us more then common Christians Phila. To a true repentance and a communion with God and his Saints in the Catholick Church Mathe. I desire to know what these things are truly in themselves for I fear some do as much mistake true repentance as the Sectaries do the communion of Saints and the Papists do the Catholick Church Phila. You say true but repentance which is holy and sanctified is not a fretting griefe which some take at sin because it hath brought them into a dangerous condition for which they wish the sin undone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no place being left for other advice and counsell This hurts the mind and casts it from the hinges of deliberation except God turn it to a change of mind whereby one becomes more wise afterward to amend what he hath done amisse and to make amends for his error 2 Cor. 7.9 10. The cause of the one is the spirit of adoption whereby we are sealed the sons of God The cause of the other is the spirit of servitude the one arising from the Gospel-promises the other from the threatnings of the law for fear of condemnation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both are well distinguished by St Luke The godly repentance Acts 2.37 they were pricked in their hearts for their unkindnesse to Christ but Acts
that concerned the Jewes glory or troubles he writeth in close hidden terms calling the Son of God the Prince of Princes Dan. 8.25 and the land of Judea the land of Tzeby Dan. 11.16 and Antiochus a man of an hard face i. impudent and minding hidden things i. secret wickednesse hardly practised by any before him So the Apostles did obscure the Emperours and Popes of Rome under the terms of Beasts and Antichrist lest they should provoke them to persecute the Christians before the time For the Beast was and is not and yet is Rev. 17.8 He was in rising an hundred yeers after Constantine and then was not i. even almost extinct by the invasion of the barbarous Goths and Vandals and yet is i. recovered and gets the place of Rome once governed by Kings Consuls Dictators Decemviri Triumviri which some Writers say are the five heads or Kings spoken of Rev. 17.10 and the sixt was an Emperor which St Iohn saith is and the other was not yet come namely the Pope who when he did come continued not long but he was dispossessed by the Goths But then he recovering againe made up the seventh by assuming the temporall power and yet appeared as an eight because he had a spirituall power divers from the former Of all which matters of Antichrist and his ruine one concludeth well in these verses Antichristus eat Christus comitatus ab alto Coelicolis properat Gog Magog ecce ruit Ecce ruit regnum serpens detrusus ad orcum Bestia tum sequitur cauda propheta dein Cauda propheta dein populus seductus ab ill is Veh miseris ter veh qui fide deficiunt Mathe. Though I find by what you have said that the Pope is not the head of the Church yet may I not think the Papists and many other hereticks and schismaticks to be of the body of the Church militant Phila. You cannot justly so think for the Church militant is that part of the Church Catholick which under the banner of Christ her head fighteth or is ready to do it against his enemies the world flesh and the devill and all their crafts and errors and their afflictions in spiritual armour Eph. 6.13 But they do not so not that I think they are a company of men perfect and void of sin as the Catharists and Anabaptists do nor are they such Aug. lib. de heres cap 88. Cyp. lib. 4. Ep. 2. as having never id in matters of faith refuse to retain any sinners in their congregation as the Novatians and Donatists did But yet not such a company as consist only in outward profession and communion of Sacraments under one Pastor the Pope but have the internall vertues of faith hope and charity whether living under the Law of the Gospell yet we exclude not as the Papists do from this Church all that are not baptized or under the examination of Catechisme or all kind of hereticks apostates excommunicate persons or schismaticks farther then they wilfully continue such nor doe we think that reprobates and hypocrites are members of the Church though they outwardly professe themselves so Mathe. I pray make this appear Phila. First many that are unbaptized and but under the discipline of catechising may be and are members of the Church militant because many such are included in the covenant Act. 2.39 as the Eunuch Acts 8. and Cornelius Acts 10. yea Rahab in the Old Testament mentioned Heb. 11.31 and the theefe crucified with Christ and many were martyrs before they were baptized Beside as many have been baptized who were never true members of the Church 1 Iohn 2.19 for many sheep are out of the fold Aug. in tract 45. in Joh. and many wolves within so by the same reason many unbaptized may be members of the Church militant Bel. lib. 1. de baptismo c. 6. though not visible because they may have the baptisme of fire and blood though not of water So we say that hereticks and apostates stubbornly continuing such are not of this Church because they have made shipwrack of faith and therefore are to be shunned by the faithfull being not of their society 1 Iohn 2.19 Yet we cannot deny them admittance upon their returning and repenting And so we account of schismaticks Concil Nicen. cap. 18 19. who rent themselves off from the Church Christs mysticall body and so is no part of it because they break the union of members with the head and one another and therefore so standing they cannot be members of the Church no more then a branch rent from a tree can be part of the living tree or a member cut from the body to be part of the living body So those that are justly excommunicate in the right sense of the Catholick Church and have no mind to return and to be reconciled cannot be of the Church militant because such want repentance and love and peace But because the whole Catholick Church cannot personally or actually excommunicate one some think therefore that whether excommunication be inflicted justly or unjustly one is but cast out of the Church visible or some particular Church Indeed sometimes it may very well be so but if it be done by the rule of the whole Church surely it is all one as if done by the whole or the representative body of the Church because the same spirit guideth any part if they go by a true rule which guideth the whole as 1 Cor. 5.4 and therefore in ancient time Nic. Conc. Can. 5. if one Church did excommunicate a man another Church might not absolve him It is true that a man unjustly excommunicated is only cast out of the visible Church John 9.34 35. or particular Congregation and therefore he retaining his faith and baptisme is neverthelesse a member of the Church militant yea a man justly excommunicate yet upon his repentance is a member of the Church militant and ought to be admitted into the visible Church and particular Congregation as was the incestuous person 2 Cor. 2.7 8. for the censure of excommunication is to such a man only corrective 1 Cor. 5.5 not destructive for though it be said there for the destruction of the flesh yet I suppose that he was not delivered to Satan to be killed but rather that he finding himselfe cast out of the Church which is the kingdome of God and so deprived of the benefits thereof conveied to men by praier word and Sacrament and so in the devils power it might work in him a mortification of fleshly concupiscence by true repentance Nor do we set open this Church door so wide as to account reprobates of the Church militant nor yet notorious sinners without repentance for the members of the Church militant are living stones built upon the corner stone Christ 1 Pet. 2 5. in whom they are chosen and inrolled as his souldiers and are Saints by efficacious calling because predestinated thereto Rom. 8.30 which reprobates are not So manifest