The testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple Psal 19. 7. The entrance of thy words giveth light it giveth understanding to the simple Psal 119. 130. therefore God would have the book of the Law read before all the Congregation of his people men women and children that saith he they may hear and that they may learn and fear the Lord your God and observe to do all the words of this Law and that their children which have not known any thing may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God c. Deut. 31. 11 12 13. 2. To confute the Enthusiasts who rely on immediate inspirations and revelations of the spirit and so vilifie and despise the Scriptures but let them boast of the spirit as much as they will certain it is that whilest they contemn the word as they do the spirit which they are led by is not that spirit which Christ promised the Spirit of Joh. 16. 13. Spiritus veritatis Isa 19. 14 Spiritus vertiginis Vulg. truth but that which the Prophet saith the Lord had mingled in the Egyptians a perverse spirit God in his perpetual and unchangeable Covenant hath joyned his spirit and his word together Isai 59. 21. And therefore most presumptuous are they who wil disjoyn them one from the other 3. To confute many opinions that are started up among us in these times they are called new lights but whether they be new or old they are falsly called lights being opposite to that true light the Scripture to which we must take heed 2 Pet. 1. 19. Isai 8. 20. as to a light shining in a dark place they that broach these opinions speak not according to the Law and the testimony and therefore there is no light in them That the moral Law is now of no use to a believer that he is not to confesse sin nor to be humbled for sin that the soul is not immortall that Christ is not God coessentiall with the Father if these and many such like doctrines which are now spread abroad in the Land be lights I wonder what we shall call darknesse Certainly the Prince of darknesse even in the darkest times of Popery did never devise such damnable heresies and hellish blasphemies as are now maintained I say with S. Peter Seeing you know these things before beware least ye also be carried away with the errour of the wicked and fall from your own stedfastness But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ 2 Pet. 3. 17. 18. Vse 2. Secondly if matters of faith be fully contained in the Scripture let it be our care to acquaint our selves well with the Scripture to embrace the doctrine therein delivered and to hold it fast There are 3. branches of this Exhortation 1. Let us acquaint our selves well with the Scripture Search in the book of God and read Isai 31. 16. Search the Scriptures John 5. 39. Let us consider 1. That God hath ordained the Scriptures for this end that we might be instructed and edified by them They were written for our learning Rom. 15. 4. 2. That it is a singular mercy that we have the Scriptures David magnifies the goodnesse of God towards the Israelites in this respect He hath given his word unto Jacob his statutes and his Ordinances unto Israel He hath not dealt so with any Nation c. Psal 147. 19 20. So Paul notes this as the great priviledge which the Jews had above others that unto them were committed the Oracles of God Rom. 3. 1 2. The greater the mercy is the more grievous is the contempt of it I have written unto them saith God the great things of my Law and they were counted as a strange thing Hos 8. 12. 2. Let us embrace the doctrine delivered in the Scripture Not every doctrine that is preached or printed no take heed of that Believe not every spirit but try the spirits whether they be of God for there are many false Prophets gone out into the world 1 John 4. 1. Prove all things 1 Thes 5. 21. And how must we prove and try every doctrine but by the Scriptures so the Bereans did and they are commended for it Act. 17. 11. But having 1 Pet. 2. 8. tried a doctrine and found it agreeable to the Scripture we must embrace it we must take heed of stumbling at the word as Peter â—aith some do Some stumble because of the many opinions that are abroad because some hold one thing some another therefore they will hold nothing Take heed of this consider 1. That it hath been thus of old in matters of Religion In our Saviours time there were severall opinions concerning him Some said he is a good man others said nay but he deceiveth the people Joh. 7. 12. See also Joh. 7. 40. 43. and Mat. 19. 13 14. 2. The Scripture hath foreshewed that there shall be false doctrines and heresies There shall arise false Christs and false Prophets c. Mat. 24. 24. But there were false Prophets also among the people even as there shall be false Teachers among you who privily shall bring in damnable heresies c. 2 Pet. 2. 1. 3 Such is the malice of Satan that he will doe what he can to pervert the truth where God sowes good corne he will sow tares Mat. 13. 39. 4. God suffers it to be so first to try those that are his There must be heresies among you that they which are approved may be made manifest 1 Cor. 11. 19. See Deut. 13. 1 2 3. 2. That the truth may be more cleared and confirmed then otherwise it would be if it were not impugned and opposed See Acts 15. 1. 2. 6. 7 22. c. 30. 31. It is observed that the Doctors that were before Pelagius wrote more securely concerning grace and free will but when Pelagius arose and asserted free will so as that he overthrew grace then Austine and others bestirred themselves and made it evident that without Gods grace man hath no power nor ability in him to do any thing whereby to please God But again some stumble at this that such as were eminent for profession fall into grosse opinions but neither is there any cause to stumble at this For thus also it hath been even in the Apostles time Nicolas was of no mean repute in the Church as appears Acts 6. 5. Yet it seems he became the Author of a detestable Sect called the Nicolaitans Rev. 2. 15. So what account Paul made of Demas we see Col. 4. 14. and Philem. verse 24. yet he proved an Apostate 2 Tim. 4. 10. 2. This also is fore-told The Spirit speaketh expresly that in the later times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits c. 1 Tim. 4. 1. The falling away of Professors should make us take heed to our selves and cleave the more close to the truth as Peter admonisheth 2 Pet. 3. 17. Take heed lest ye also
is delivered but the same that was before delivered by the Apostles they have delivered the faith once that is the whole faith whatsoever is in matter of Religion to be believed we must hold that which they delivered and according to our callings deliver it but not any thing as matter of faith besides it much lesse against it Timothy keep that which is committed unto thy trust Upon which words an ancient Writer doth thus descant That which is committed Quod tibi creditum non à te inventum quod accepisti non excogitâsti Cùm dices novè non dicas nova Pròfectus sit fidei non permutatio Vincent Lirin unto thee not that which is invented by thee that which thou hast received not that which thou hast devised When thou speakest after a new manner do not speak new matter Let there be a growing in the faith not a change of the faith To the Saints So Christians are termed Eph. 1. 1. Phil. 4. 21 22. All that are called to be Christians are called to be Saints 1 Cor. 1 2. The words being thus explicated afford first this observation That the Doctrine of Faith is Doct. 1 fully delivered in the Scripture or that the Scripture containes in it whatsoever is in matter of Religion to be believed The Law of the Lord is perfect saith David Psal 19. 7. That is the Doctrine of the Lord as the word there used doth import and the Doctrine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comprehended in the Scripture The Rabbines indeed speak much of a Law given only by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word of mouth besides that which is written And there is nothing almost so frivolous but they will have it a thing delivered to Moses from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mount Sinai and so continued by Tradition But we know no such traditionall Law as they talk of Whatsoever things were written before were written for our learning Rom. 15. 4. Search the Scriptures for in them you think to have eternall life and they are they that testifie of me â—oh 5. 39. From a child thou hast knowne the holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation thorough faith which is in Christ Jesus All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousnesse that the Man of God may be perfect thorough furnished unto every good worke 2 Tim. 3. 15 16 17. Vse 1. This then serves first to confute the Papists who charge the Scripture with imperfection and hold that many things are necessary to be believed which are not contained in the Scripture and that therefore the defect of the Scripture must be supplied by unwritten Traditions But if the Scripture be the Word of God which they do not deny then by the testimony of God himself as the places before cited doe demonstrate the Scripture is so compleat that we have no need of Traditions Ob. They object that the Apostle commended 1 Cor. 11. â— the Corinthians for keeping the traditions so the word signifies though we read it Ordinances 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he delivered them unto them Answ I answer all doctrine that is delivered though it be written is a tradition that is a thing delivered In the same Chapter v. 23. I have received 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Lord that which I also delivered unto you c. the word is that from whence is derived the other that signifieth Tradition That which the Apostle there saith he delivered was delivered not only by speaking but also by writing as is evident by that which follovveth in the same place See also 1 Cor. 15. 3. Act. 6. 14. Ob. But say they the Apostle bade the Thessalonians hold the Traditions which they had been taught whether by word or by his Epistle and therefore unwritten Traditions are to be held as wel as those that are written Answ It follows not that because Paul delivered some things to the Thessalonians by word which he did not deliver by writing therefore some things are to be received by Tradition which are not contained in the Scripture For 1. Pauls Epistles to the Thessalonians are but a part of the Scripture so that many things are contained in the Scripture which are not contained in those Epistles 2. Paul might deliver something to the Thessalonians which was requisite for them and yet was no matter of faith necessary for all to hold If it were of such concernment the Papists for all their Traditions are as far to seek as we For I presume they can no more tell then we what it was which the Apostle delivered to the Thessalonians meerly by word which he did not deliver by writing But no marvel if the Papists so contend for Traditions when as they hold and maintain many Doctrines as Purgatory Prayer for the dead Prayer to Saints and a hundred more which have no ground at all in Scripture but are most repugnant to it they are like 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Pharisees who as Josephus relates of them delivered many rites and customs to the people which were not written but received only by Tradition And so much also the Scripture shews of them Mar. 7. 3 4. But see how our Saviour censured them for this Mar. 7. 7 8 9. Again they of the Church of Rome will not allow us to build upon the Scripture but upon the authority of the Church that is indeed upon the authority of the Pope for so they resolve all at length into him His decrees and determinations they wil have all to submit unto without any more ado without examining or considering whether they be consonant or no unto Scripture But to the Law and to the Testimony saith the Prophet Esay if they speak not according to this Isa 8. 20. word it is because they have no light in them Ob. They object that heretikes alledge Scripture and therefore it is not safe to rest in it Answ I answer so the devil did alledge Scripture yet did our Saviour confute him by Scripture Mat. 4. and so by Scripture must heretiques be confuted although in defence of their heresies they alledge Scripture See Act. 18. 28. But again they of the Romish Church withhold the Scripture from people and wil not without special dispensation allow them to look into it and how then should their faith be grounded upon it as it ought to be They pretend that the Scripture is dark and difficult and so by misunderstanding it people fal into errour and heresie but we wil believe the Scripture rather then them and the Scripture tels us that though there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â— Pet. 3. 16. be some things in it hard to be understood yet that neither all things in it nor the most are such but that as there is that which may puzzle the most learned so that which may instruct the most simple
of them For to him that thinketh any thing unclean to him it is unclean Rom. 14. 14. And he that doubteth viz. of the lawfulnesse of that whith he doth is damned that is condemned of his owne conscience if he eat For whatsoever is not of faith is sin Rom. 14. 23. To use the creatures in faith is also to use them with a perswasion of interest in them and right unto them through Christ in whom we recover that which we lost in Adam And therefore that which David speaks in the eight Psalm of the dominion that God gave unto man over the creatures the Apostle applies unto Christ Heb. 2. 6. c. And Heb. 1. 2. it 's said that Christ is appointed heire of all things And 1 Cor. 3. 22 23. All things are yours and ye are Christs This is not to be understood as if unbelievers and aliens from Christ had not a civill right to the things which they possesse but that they cannot have a religious and sanctified use of them because they cannot use them in faith so as to be perswaded of their interest in the creatures thorough Christ they having no union nor communion with him 2. With prayer and thanksgiving prayer for Gods blessing upon them and thanksgiving unto God for the comfort and benefit of them Nothing is to be refused if it be received with thanksgiving For it is sanctified by the word and prayer 1 Tim. 4. 4 5. Christ took the loaves and the fishes and gave thanks c. Mat. 15. 36. so Paul took bread and gave thanks to God c. Acts 27. 35. And it is said of the Israelites 1 Sam. 9. 13. that they would not begin to eat untill the Prophet came and blessed the sacrifice or feast to which they were bidden He that eateth eateth to the Lord for he giveth God thanks saith the Apostle Rom. 14. 6. so that they which eat and do not give God thanks eat not to God but to themselves as he complaines of some saying And when ye did eat and when ye did drink did ye not eat for your selves and drink for your selves Zach. 7. 6. But our thanksgiving must be reall and serious not formall and perfunctory For God is not mocked Gal. 6. 7. He cannot indure that people should draw near him with their mouth and honor him with their lips whenas they remove their hearts far from him Isa 29. 13. Vse 4. If God made all things then all things are his and consequently he may dispose of them as he pleaseth Is it not lawfull for him to do what he will with his owne Mat. 20. 15. The Lord saith thus Behold that which I have built will I break down that which I have planted wil I pluck up Jer. 45. 4. We ought therefore to be content with that portion which God doth allot us though it be but little and to take patiently all losses and crosses that do befall us The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord Job 1. 21. Vse 5. Hence also we ought to consider how we are degenerated from what God did make us He is good and made every thing good more especially man whom in a more especiall manner he made like unto himselfe Gen. 1. 26. But now alas we are naturally altogether corrupt and sinfull Gen. 6. 5. 8. 20. Psal 51. 5. Eccles 7. 29. we must therefore be regenerated and be made new creatures We must put on the new man which after Christ is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse Eph 4. 24. We lost our originall integrity in Adam we must recover it in Christ As by the disobedience of one man viz. Adam many were made sinners so by the obedience of one man viz. Christ shall many be made righteous Rom. 5. 19. As in Adam all dye so in Christ shall all be made alive 1 Cor. 15. 22. viz. all that are Christs as the Apostle explains himself v 23. Vse 7. Finally this may teach us that meer outward and ceremoniall Worship is not sufficient to please God but that the heart must be given unto him God did indeed prescribe unto the Jewes many carnall Ordinances as they are called Heb 9. 10. And now also he doth require some bodily performances as to hear the Word receive the Sacraments c. But he neither doth nor did require such things as if he needed any thing that the creature can do seeing he made all but only he would have the creature to shew its subjection to him as the Creator God that made the world and all things therein seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth dwelleth not in Temples made with hands neither is he worshipped with mens hands as if he needed any thing seeing he giveth to all life and breath and all things Acts 17. 24 25. Thus saith the Lord the Heaven is my throne and the Earth is my footstool Where is the house that ye build unto me and where is the place of my rest For all these things hath my hand made and all those things have been saith the Lord but to this man will I look even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my Word Isa 66. 1 2. THE SEVENTH SERMON JOH 5. 17. My Father worketh hitherto and I work OUr Saviour having cured a lame man on the Sabbath day the Jews hearing of it and being desirous to take any occasion whereby to quarrell with him sought to prosecute him as a transgressor of the Law and one that had broken the Sabbath v. 16. Our Saviour so answered for himself as to let them know that they did not rightly understand the Commandement concerning the Sabbath which was not to inhibit and restrain such works as did evidently make for the glory of God and the good of men but only ordinary works which hinder the performing of those duties which God then requires And he further shewes that Gods resting on the seventh day after that he had made all things in six daies is not so meant but that God doth still continually work though not in that manner as in those first six dayes wherein he made the world viz. so as to make any new kinds of creatures yet so as to preserve and govern the things that he hath made And therefore to do any thing that is requisite and needfull for the preservation either of man or beast is not unlawfull This is the meaning of these words But Jesus onswered them My Father worketh hitherto and I work My Father worketh hitherto viz. by preserving and governing his creatures And I work viz. as God together with the Father and as Man conformably to the Father This sufficing for the explication of the words we may observe from them That all things are Doct. continually preserved and governed of God As God at first made all things so he still uncessantly preserveth and governeth all things That Gen. 2. 2. And he
nature is not of God 1 Thes 4. 3. This particle as is not alwaies a meer note of similitude but sometimes is used to set forth the truth of a thing as Joh. 1. 14. The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory as the glory of the only begotten Son of God c. That as the glory c. imports that the glory of Christ which S. John speaks of was indeed the very glory of the only begotten Son of God So Philem. v. 9. being such a one as Paul the aged saies Paul of himself it is therefore as much as if he had said being Paul the aged So likewise Mat. 14. 5. They counted him as a Prophet it is spoken concerning John Baptist and the meaning is they counted him indeed a Prophet as his Father Zacharias prophecied of him when he was newly born saying And thou child shalt be called the Prophet of the highest c. Luk. 1. 76. So here it being said that Christ was found in fashion as a man the meaning is that he was very man indeed like other men sin only excepted Heb. 4. 15. The scope of the Apostle is to shew how low Christ did humble himselfe 1. Unto death 2. Such a kind of death even the death of the Crosse First therefore observe from hence That Christ Doct. was obedient unto death where three things are to be shewed viz. 1. That Christ did suffer death And 2. That it was the will of God that Christ should suffer death And 3. That Christ in obedience to the will of God did suffer death 1. Christ did suffer death So all the Evangelists record and so S. Paul preached 1 Cor. 15. 3. So the Prophets fore-shewed Saying none other things then those which the Prophers and Moses did say should come that Christ should suffer viz. death as appears by the words following and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead Acts 26. 22 23. Daniel fore-told Christs death saying After threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off Dan. 9. 26. So Isaiah prophecied of him saying He was cut off out of the Land of the living Esa 53. 8. And v. 12. He hath powred out his soul unto death Christs death also was prefigured in the Law which was given by the Ministery of Moses all the sacrifices were figures of Christs death therefore he is called the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world Joh. 1. 29. All the Lambs and so other beasts that were sacrificed in the time of the Law did typifie and prefigure Christ who as a Lamb was to be slaine and sacrificed for us The Author of the Epistle to the Hebrewes shews Christ in this among other things to have differed from the Priests that vvere in the Law that whereas they offered often Christ offered but once and that because he offered himself his offering was his suffering so that if he should have offered often he must also have died often whereas men use to die but once and so was Christ to die but not oft'ner See Heb. 9. 25 26 27 28. Ob. But it may be objected that some places of the Old Testament speaking of Christ seem to import that he should not die Thou art a Priest for ever c. Psal 110. 4. His dominion is an everlasting dominion c. Dan. 7. 14. Ans Indeed some from those and the like places did inferre that Christ should not die For when they heard Christ speak of his death they objected against it saying We have heard out of the Law that Christ abideth for ever Joh. 12. 34. As if because he should abide for ever as was signified in the * The Law is sometimes put for any part of the Old Testament as Joh. 15. 25. and 1 Cor. 14. 21. Law that is in the writings of the Old Testament therfore he should not die but they erred not rightly understanding the Scriptures which speak of Christs abiding for ever For the meaning of them is not that Christ should not die but that although he did die yet he should soon rise again and so abide for ever Christ being risen from the dead dieth no more death hath no more dominion over him Rom. 6. 9. 2. It was the will of God that Christ should suffer death There is nothing whatsoever comes to passe but by the will of God Who hath said Nihil fit nisi omnipotens fieri velit vel ipse faciendo vel permittendo ut fiat ab aliis Aug. and it cometh to passe and the Lord commandeth it not Lam. 3. 37. otherwise then by the will and pleasure of God not so much as a sparrow doth fall to the ground Mat. 10. 29. much lesse could so great a thing as Christs death have been had it not been the will and pleasure of God that it should be Pilate condemned Christ to die and others did execute the sentence which Pilate had pronounced but neither Pilate nor others did any thing to Christ but as God had before determined to be done Acts 4. 27 28. 3. It being the will of God that Christ should suffer death Christ in obedience to the will of God did suffer it This Commandement have I received of my Father said Christ Joh. 10. 18. viz. that he should lay down his life and therefore he would and did lay it down And Joh. 18. 11. The cup which my Father hath given me to drinke shall I not drink it As if he should say Shall I not suffer death seeing he will have me suffer it True it is Christ considering death in it self would have avoided it but considering it as that which his Father would have him to suffer so he was willing to suffer it Mat. 26. 39 42. Q. But why would God have Christ to suffer death A. 1. For the satisfying of his Justice God had determined declared death to be the punishment that should be inflicted for sin Gen. 2. 17. 3. 19. Rō 6. 33. Christ was to satisfie for sin and therefore he was to suffer death His soul was made an offering for sin Esa 53. 10. Without shedding of blood is no remission Heb. 9. 22. And v. 26. He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself Thus Christ died for our sins 1 Cor. 15. 3. 2. God would have Christ to suffer death for the magnifying of his mercy God commendeth his love towards us sets it out in this that whiles we were yet sinners Christ died for us Ro. 5. 8. By Christs death first we are reconciled unto God When we were enemies we were reconciled unto God by the death of his Son Rom. 5. 10. In whom we have redemption thorough his blood even the forgiveness of our sins Col. 1. 14. And v. 21 22. And you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind thorough wicked works yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death 2. VVe
the way as he stiles himself Ioh. 14. 6. was not then in the time of the Law so clearly revealed as now he is in the time of the Gospell before he was set forth more darkly under types and figures but now is plainly preached And so much for this second Opinion touching Christs descent into hell Thirdly some taking the word hell for the The third Opinion hell of the damned the â—ace where the damned are in torment which is the most usuall acception of our English word hell conceive and maintain that when Christ died his soul went thither there to triumph over Satan in his own Palace and this they hold to be the meaning of that in the Creed He descended into hell But that ever Christ was in that hell I can make no part of my Creed for I see nothing in Scripture upon which faith must be grounded for it but much against it 1. The Hebrew word Sheol and the Greek word Hades which are translated hell do not properly signifie the hell of the damned but are of a more large extent as I shall shew hereafter 2. The foure Evangelists as we use to call them Matthew Mark Luke and John writing professedly the History of our Saviour Christ from his Incarnation to his Ascension do neither directly nor by consequence neither expressely nor implicitely record any such thing as his going to hell as hell is taken for the place of torment And it is observable that S. Luke in his Preface to his Gospell tells Theophilus that he did write unto him that he might know the certainty of those things wherein he had been instructed Luke 1. 4. wherein he had been catechised as according to the Originall it doth sound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so that Christs descending into hell in this sense whereof S. Luke makes no mention was no part of Theophilus his Catechism 3. S. Paul rehearsing the chiefe heads of the Gospel which he preached to the Corinthians mentioneth Christs death and buriall and his resurrection 1 Cor. 15. 1 2 3 4. but for his going to hell according to this Exposition he neither expresseth nor implyeth any such matter So that it was no part of the Gospell which Paul preached to the Corinthians and yet there was no deficiency in his preaching it was sufficient to save them v. 2. 4. These words of the Text in hand Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell together with S. Peters comment upon them Acts 2. shew that by hell is not to be understood the hell of the damned according to this Exposition For 1. It is spoken of as a great benefit a matter of joy and rejoycing that Christs soul was not left in hell Therefore my heart is glad and my glory my tongue Acts 2. 26. rejoyced my flesh also shall rest in hope for thou wilt not leave my soul in hell c. Psal 16. 9 10. But is it to be accounted such a benefit such a matter of joy and gladnesse for one not to be left in that place to which he goeth to that end that he may triumph over his adversaries whom he hath conquered as they that imbrace this Exposition say that Christ went to the hell of the damned there to triumph over the Devills 2. S. Peter Acts 2. 31. saith David in these words Thou wilt not leave my soule in hell did speak of Christs Resurrection and so to that purpose to prove the Resurrection of Christ S. Paul Acts 13. 35. doth cite the later part of the Verse Thou wilt not suffer thy holy one to see corruption But Christs Resurrection though it presuppose his being in hell in some sense yet not in that sense as hell is taken for the place where the damned are in torment Christ might well enough as he did rise againe and yet never be in that hell 3. That hell that Christ was not left in David was left in else S. Peter could not argue as he doth that David in these words Thou wilt not leave my soule in hell spake of Christ and not of himselfe for that the words being understood of David are not true but most true as understood of Christ Men and brethren said Peter to the Jews let me freely speak unto you of the Patriarch David that he is both dead buried and his Sepulchre remaineth with us to this day therefore being a Prophet and knowing that God had sworne with an oath to him that of the fruit of his loines according to the flesh he would raise up Christ to sit upon his Throne He seeing this before spake of the Resurrection of Christ that his soul should not be left in hell nor his flesh see corruption Acts 2. 29 30 31. By Davids Sepulchre remaining with them to that day S. Peter means that David was left in the hell which he speaks of and therefore did not speak of himself but of Christ who was not left in it So S. Paul having cited the words immediately following these of the Text Thou shalt not suffer thy holy one to see corruption he also proveth that this was meant of Christ and not of David For David saith he after he had served his own generation by the will of God fell on sleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption But he whom God raised again saw no corruption Acts 13. 35 36 37. David spake not of himself but of Christ when he said Thou wilt not suffer thy holy one to see corruption because David did see corruption but Christ did not see it so David spake not of himself but of Christ when he said Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell because Davids soul was left in hell but Christs soul was not left in it This is the Apostles argument which necessarily evinceth that by hell here spoken of is meant some other thing then the place of torment for Davids soule was not left in that hell it never came into it that hell belonging not to the godly and elect but to the wicked and reprobate Therefore neither is this the hell in which as the words imply Christs soule was for a while though it did not remaine there 5. This Exposition of Christs descending into the hell of the damned there to triumph makes his descending into hell a part of his exaltation for it 's ones exaltation to triumph over his enemies But Christs descending into hell expressed in the Creed and intimated in the Scripture was a part of his humiliation Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell surely it was a part of Christs humiliation to be there seeing he speaks of it as a benefit and an argument of his joy and gladnesse as before noted that he was not to be left there Besides Christs Resurrection was the beginning and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb Demonst Evang. lib. 10. the first step of his exaltation therefore what went before his Resurrection as his descending into hell did belonged to his humiliation
her my people that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues Revel 18. 4. 2. Another note of the Church which the Papists 2. Succession assign is succession of Pastours and Teachers they can shevv such a succession and thence they conclude that they are the true Church But there is a twofold succession viz. personall and doctrinall a succession of persons and a succession of Doctrine the former vvithout the latter is as nothing The Priests that condemned Christ had a personall succession but vvanted doctrinall succession They could shew hovv their persons did succeed those that vvere before them and they others and so on untill they came to Aaron but they could not shevv the like succession of their doctrine so neither can the Papists shevv that they hold the same faith vvhich vvas delivered by the Apostles and therefore in vain do they vaunt of this that they can shevv a personall succession of their Popes from the times of the Apostles Bellarmine Bellarm. de Eccles l. 4. c. 8. confesseth that the argument drawn from succession doth not hold for the affirmative viz. that vvhere there is succession there is the true Church but only negatively that there is not the Church where succession is wanting So then by their own confession this argument makes little for them and as little doth it make against us For though our Divines have laboured not unprofitably to shew that successively in all ages there have been some or other who have asserted the truth which we maintain this is sufficient that we can make it appear that we hold the same faith which was once delivered to the Saints and have not Iude v. â— departed from the Church of Rome further then they have departed from this faith This the ancient Doctors thought sufficient and though sometimes they have alledged personall succession yet it was still with this supposition that it was accompanied with doctrinall succession otherwise they made no reckoning of it We must adhere unto those saith Iraeneus who keep the doctrine of Oportet adhaerere his qui Apostolorum doctrinam cu 〈…〉 diunt Iren. l. 4. c. 44. c. 43. he calls this principalem successionem Non habent Petri hariditatem qui fidem Petri non babent Ambros de pentt l. 1. c. 6. In eadem side conspirantâ—s non minus Apostolica depu 〈…〉 r pro consanguinitate doctrine Tertul. de Praescript c. 32. the Apostles This succession he calls the principall succession So Ambrose They do not succeed Peter saith he who have not the faith of Peter And Tertullian speaking of Churches planted since the Apostles times saith that they agreeing in the same faith are neverthelesse accounted to be Apostolicall for the consanguinity of Doctrine 3. They of the Church of Rome do also make 3. Amplitude amplitude and largenesse of extent a note to discern the Church by But this is no true note of the Church for errour and heresie may so prevail as to have more professors and abettors then the truth In the time of Ahab for one true Prophet Micaiah there were four hundred false Prophets 1 King 22. 6. c. And Eliah complained unto God saying The children of Israel have forsaken thy Covenant thrown down thine altars and slain thy Prophets with the sword and I even I only am left and they seek my life also 1 King 19. 14. So in the time of our Saviour the history of the Gospell shews how few in comparison did embrace the truth when it vvas preached unto them He came unto his own and his own received him not Joh. 1. 11. So some few hundred years after Christ the Sect of the Arians grew so great Ingemuit orbis Arrianum se esse miratus est Hieron advers Luciferian that as Hierome expresseth it the world did groan and wonder to see it self become an Arrian And in after Ages what marvell if Antichrist did so inlarge his dominion S. John having foretold that so it should be All the world saith he wandred after the beast Revel 13. 3. And he tells us that the Angell interpreting unto him the mystery of the whore sitting upon many waters said thus The waters which thou sawest where the whore sitteth are peoples and multitudes and Nations and tongues Revel 17. 15. 4. Our Romish adversaries amongst other 4. Union with and subjection to the Pope as Head of the Church See B. Mortons Book entituled the Grand Impostor 5. Miracles notes of the Church do much stand upon this that the members of the Church be united together under one head viz. the Pope But we have not so learned Christ we know and acknowledge him and him only to be the head of the Church So the Scripture plainly termeth him Ephes 5. 23. Col. 1. 18. But of any other head of the Church besides Christ we find nothing 5. Miracles also are made one note whereby the Church is to be discerned But though miracles were requisite in the first planting of the Church Mar. 16. 20. Yet now it is otherwise Yea the Scripture hath taught us to suspect those that shall pretend miracles shewing that this shall be the guise of false teachers and of Antichrist himself There shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shal shew great signs and wonders c. Mat. 24. 24. Whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders 2 Thes 2. 9. And he doth great wonders so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles c. Revel 13. Ecclesiam suam demonstrent si possunt non in sermonibus rumoribus Afrorum non in conciliis Episcoporum suorum non in literis quorumlibet disputatorum non in signis prodigiis fallacibus quia etiam contra ista verbo Domini praeparati cauti redditi sumus sed in praescripto legis in praedictis Prophetarum in Psalmorum cantibus in ipsius Pastoris vocibuâ— â— in Evangelistarum praedicationibus laboribus hoc est in omnibus Canonicis sanctorum librorum authoritatibus Aug. de Unit. Eccles c. 16. 13 14. Excellent is that of of Austine concerning the Donatists Let them demonstrate their Church if they can not in the speeches and rumours of the Africans not in the Councells of their Bishops not in the writings of any disputers not in lying signs and wonders for against them we are prepared and made cautious by the Lords owne word but in the prescript of the Law in the Predictions of the Prophets in the songs of the Psalms in the words of the Shepherd himself in the preachings and labours of the Evangelists that is in all the Canonicall authorities of the holy books Ne dicar quia illa illa mirabilia fecit Donatus vel Pontius vel quilibet aâ—ius