is come for then mens hearts will be so filled with fears and cares to avoid the present evil and to preserve what they have in this world as that they will not be able to make a right judgment of things relating to the world to come but their reason will be so biassed by their affections as then to think those Arguments for the Popish Religion rational and plausible which now they think very simple and absurd Wherefore now in this time of peace and calmness when your reason is not disturbed with tumults nor your conscience awed with dangers I here ask you in the presence of God Are your judgments convinced by those Arguments which I have laid before you in Gods Holy Word that the Scriptures contain in themselves compleatly Eternal Life and thus you ought to take them alone for the only rule of faith and that you are not to hearken to any Doctrines of men ever so holy ever so learned farther than they can make their Doctrine evident to your understandings by plain places of Scripture and that whatever miracles are pretended to be wrought by them if they tend to prove any things which you according to the best of your understanding verily believe are against Scripture you are to take them for lying wonders wrought by that great deceiver and tempter of mankind the Devil Are you now fully perswaded of all this or no For your fuller satisfaction I repeat it again and do you consider it well Are your judgments c. If you doubt of any part of this I as your lawful Pastor set over you by God and the King his vicegerent require you to repair to me and propose your doubts and I hope by Gods assistance to give you full satisfaction And if you are already satisfied then in Gods name I require you to hold fast to the Scriptures his Holy Word and not to suffer your selves to be carried away with any wind of Humane Doctrine And when if ever times of change and danger come and your judgment begins to alter from what now seems to you apparent truth and fully agreeable to Gods Holy Word you ought to conceive that alteration proceeds from the delusion of the devil the world and the flesh not from any new inspiration from God for he is the same to day and for ever he cannot change 't is you that change But perchance some will say in those days This Papist tells me things I never heard of before new and better arguments and upon better information I may and ought to change to better resolutions Oh my beloved take heed 't is not better information but the old man loves to have it so for it will then make better for his enjoyment of this world But I will now take from you this subterfuge you shall not 'scape me so Go now to the ablest Papist you can hear of consult with such see what new and better arguments they can now give you and if you think you have met with such come to me I shall take any pains to give you better satisfaction But if you come no more at me now but in the change of times your heart and reason change I shall if I so long live and you ought infallibly to conclude 't is not Reason nor Religion but the blindness of your heart and the corruption of your flesh that leads you blindly away from the God of truth to follow the Doctrine of erroneous man For no doubt you may now in times of settlement and quiet make a far better judgment of things than in times of bustle and danger No man whilest he carries this house of clay about him can mount to that high pitch as to be above the reach of storms and combustions but will undoubtedly be shak'd and disordered with them The stiffest Oak will bend with boisterous winds Wherefore now as I said is the time to make a clear rational judgment of truth and to make also firm resolutions to adhere to that And then if danger comes and your heart be besieged by powerful enemies be sure to observe the counsel of good King Hezekiah 2 King xviii 36. Hold your peace and answer not a word to any deluding Rabshakeh who shall endeavour to withdraw you from our Heavenly King Christ Jesus and his holy Word and revolt to the proud Prince of Babylon the Pope of Rome Disputing is dangerous when interest is the Argument that takes captive the hearts of most men silence then will be the safety And be you assured that in that great and terrible day of the Lord the word that I have now spoken unto you for 't is the Word of God shall judge and condemn you if you swerve from it Lastly for a Conclusion let me advise all those who are not throughly setled in their Religion to endeavour it with all speed no man ever so young ever so strong hath any assurance of life for a day we see it by daily experience and it would be a very sad thing for a dying man to be then to chuse his Religion I advise you therefore not to delay this necessary work and when you are on serious mature consideration well setled in the Faith admit no more of debates for 't is a great artifice of the Devil so to busie mens heads in matters of Faith as wholly to neglect good Life without which Faith is fruitless and dead for though we are justified by Faith yet it must be Faith working by Love Gal. v. 6. And he that loves God keeps his Commandments Iohn xiv 15. and 21. And therefore 't is meer Hypocrisie in those who seem so zealous for the truth of Religion but take no care to live the life of Religion of which sort there are too too many they wear out their Life and their Bible in tumbling it over for Texts to oppose the Papists but pass over all those Texts wherewith they should be armed to oppose the temptations of the Devil These ought you to have done and not to leave the other undone Mat. xxiii 23. These persons will be ranked with those who in that final day shall come and say Lord Lord we have Prophesied in thy Name cast out Devils and done many wondrous works and yet shall hear that dreadful Sentence from the Lord I never knew you depart from me all ye that work Iniquity Mat. vii 23. You are then to search the Scriptures both for true Faith and good Life and to captivate yoâ—â— hearts in obedience to Gods Commandments as well as your understandings in obedience to the Faith both are equally requisite to Eternal Life and both are plainly and fully declared in the Scriptures they make us wise unto Salvation and throughly furnish us unto every good work so that we are lest without excuse in either You know these things and happy are ye if ye do them not otherwise And thus Beloved having laid plainly before you out of Gods Holy Word the way
Fathers but by this and the following discourses you will find the doctrine of man is no sure ground to build your Faith and Salvation on but only on the Word of God Moreover were the Doctrines of the Fathers of far more Authority yet among their Writings there are many spurious Books foisted in by idle Monks who were the common transcribers of the Fathers Works before Printing Bellarmine the great Champion of the Papists doth acknowledge this and hath written a Book to distinguish the true from the false yet hath reserved some in his Catalogue for true making for their Doctrines as spurious as those he hath cast out You see then 't is very difficult to know which are the genuine Books of the Fathers and when you know that 't is as difficult to know what is the clear sence of their Writings and thirdly to know which are their Orthodox Opinions which their Errors for there is no learned Papist but will acknowledge they had Errors and after all this we have no warrant to build our Faith and Salvation on their Doctrine Wherefore to save all men this great labour both needless and fruitless I resolved on this short easie plain way to prove That in the Scripture alone without any other Book in the world we have clear full and compleat instruction for matters of belief and practice in summ all things necessary for our salvation in Scripture and that there is no need to consult any other Book but the Bible alone for all And Secondly I do here further prove that it is both dangerous and impious to affirm the Scriptures are not compleat in themselves for our Salvation And Thirdly that 't is both irreligious and idolatrous to believe in any man or assembly of men in matters of Salvation which saves all men the labour of looking farther than the Bible for it And because the Papists pretend Scripture which we acknowledge to be our Rule of Faith for some of their Opinions differing from us I have here I hope fully Explained and Answered those Scriptures especially what they pretend for Transubstantiation and Corporal Presence of our Saviour Christ in the Lords Supper which I shall add at the end in a short Tract by it self because it is not at all contained in that Text whereon my three Sermons depend And thus I hope this little Book if not confuted subservient to Scripture may without any other satisfie and settle any one in all the Controversies we have with the Papists First by having proved we are not to believe any thing with divine Faith but what is plainly contained in Scripture Secondly by having Answered what they pretend from Scripture Thirdly because for all other differences with us they have no Scripture Now if any Papist can confute me in any one of these material principal things I shall heartily thank him and promise in the word of a Christian I shall readily acknowledge my Error and embrace his Truth But if he only cavil or scurrilously scoff at trivial things as some to their own shame and reproach have formerly done I shall thank them also for this for thereby they prove their own Errors and confirm my Truths I have this one thing more only to trouble the Reader with The first of my three Sermons on that Text Search the Scriptures was Preacht in September 1677 and in June 1678. comes out a little book to the same intent of that Sermon expressing several things in it and in the very same manner by what means I know not but this I and many others know that my Sermon was Preached almost a year before that Book came forth and therefore I could not have them from that Author called The same Author that wrote the whole Duty of Man who it seems must countenance Books to the worlds end However I thought it fit to Print that Sermon with the other two first because it contains several things not in that Book and secondly the other two would be very defective without it And now good Reader I beg your favourable Censure if you find any small Mistakes or Errors for you know and I confess being a man I may err humanum est errare sed in errore perseverare belluinum est therefore I abhorr it I conclude all with my Prayers for you and begging your Prayers for me that God in his great mercy by the light of his holy Word and holy Spirit would guide us all into all saving truth And to his Divine Majesty from whom cometh every good and perfect gift be ascribed as is most due all Honour and Glory for ever and ever Amen A SERMON ON JOHN V. Ver. 39. Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have Eternal Life WHEN I last appeared here my business was to arm you with Christian Courage and firm resolution to fight manfully the good fight of Faith with full assurance of a glorious reward from the sure hand of our most gracious God who never fails to reward those that seek and serve him And this our fight must be not with the arm of flesh and sword of steel which is often subdued and broken by a stronger but with the power of the Word and Sword of the Spirit which no power upon earth or under the earth can subdue because he that is with us is stronger than all that are against us Now for the present I shall endeavour to shew you what we are to fight for And this we learn from the Apostle St. Iude who commands us to contend for the faith once delivered to the Saints once for all the faith which was delivered by our Saviour and his Apostles once to remain to all future Generations for the Salvation of all Mankind Which Faith is contained in the Holy Scriptures and written there for our Learning as the Scripture it self tells us Search therefore the Scriptures for it for in them ye have Eternal Life In these words we have two things set forth unto us First A Command Secondly The Reason of the Command The Command to Search the Scriptures then the Reason of this Command for in the Scriptures we have Eternal Life Both these things are so plain in themselves that they need no explication But the perverse wits of evil men who can find nodum in scirpo have invented some difficulties in them to excuse their pernicious practices clean contrary to them The Governours of the Romish Church guilty of such practices have invented these difficulties For they having many things in their Church Devotions quite contrary to Scripture as I shall shew you e're this business be ended find it necessary to shut up the Scripture from the Laity who would not so blindly be seduced into them had they the light of Holy Scripture to discover the grossness of them And therefore First They will have it that this command of our Saviour to Search the Scriptures belongs only to the Clergy and they are to teach the people out
of them Secondly As to the reason of the Command That in them we have Eternal Life the Romists add that you must take along with you the explication of the Church and such other additions as the Church shall propose for the Church say they is guided by the same Holy Ghost as did guide the Apostles and Evangelists to dictate and write the Scriptures and therefore the Doctrines of the Church are equally to be held and as necessary to Eternal Life But Beloved these are meer juggling mists cast before the eyes of men to lead them blindfold into their superstitious gainful practices And God willing I shall prove unto you that both these their assertions are groundless and false First I shall prove that this command of our Saviour Search the Scriptures belongs to all that are capable to understand matters of Salvation whether Clergy or Laity Men or Women or even Children and that 't is not only lawful but pious to search into the Scriptures Secondly I shall prove that the belief of the Scriptures alone is sufficient to Eternal Life without any addition and that we are not bound to believe any Doctrine the Church shall teach but what is fully contained in Scripture or so clearly deduced from thence that any man of common understanding may plainly see the evidence of that deduction And farther I shall prove that 't is a damnable thing for any man or Church to teach any Doctrine as necessary to Salvation but what is so fully contained in or so clearly deduced from Scripture as I now mentioned And seeing both these points are matters of Salvation wherein all mankind learned or unlearned high and low are concerned I think it necessary to handle these matters in so plain a way as may sute with the capacity of all even the unlearned who are most easily seduced into error I begin with the first part the command of our Saviour Search the Scriptures and to prove that this belongs to all And for the more methodical proceeding in this business I shall divide all sorts of men into three ranks and shew that to search the Scriptures belongs to all three Priests Princes and People And first for Priests there can be no doubt The only doubt in this point is whether they do search the Scriptures so diligently and studiously as they ought that St Pauls objection be not laid to their charge Thou that teachest others teachest thou not thy self Wherefore I beseech you of the Clergy that are present to consider what a shameful and scandalous thing it is that a poor mechanick tradesman should be more ready in quoting Scripture for his error than you for the truth and you that should be able as the Apostle saith with sound Doctrine to stop the mouths of all gainsayers such weak silly gainsayers should stop your mouths with corrupted Doctrine and mistaken Texts and you not able to shew their gross mistakes and so with the noise of Scripture-proofs they go away triumphant confirmed in their errors by reason of your neglect of reading the Scriptures or not understanding what you do read I beseech you consider it well and let this brief admonition suffice without any farther enlargement on this matter And now I may proceed to the second sort of men that are to search the Scriptures that is Princes and all Magistrates for Deut. xvii 18 19 20. we find a command for them And it shall be when he sitteth upon the throne of his Kingdom that he shall write him a copy of this Law in a book out of that which is before the Priests the Levites And it shall be with him and he shall read therein all the days of his life that he may learn to fear the Lord his God to keep all the words of this Law and these statutes to do them That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren and that he turn not aside from the Commandment to the right hand or to the left This command was given hundreds of years before the Iews had any Kings which shews great providential care and earnestness in God that Kings should be studious in his Holy Laws And 't is a very pertinent note that learned Grotius hath on this place That the King is to write himself a Copy of Gods Laws which is the best way to imprint a thing in a mans memory for when a man Copies out any thing he insists upon every word the time of writing and so makes the deeper impression in his mind to remember it Whereby you see that Kings are required as well as Priests to be very conversant in the Scriptures to read them all the days of their life And the reason of this is given by the Prophet Isa. xlix where speaking of the Church of Christ which was to be set up among the Gentiles he tells the Church that Kings should be her nursing-fathers and Queens her nursing-mothers And sure Fathers and Mothers should be able to teach their Children and not their Children teach them From whence I might infer that Kings should be more knowing in Scripture than Church-men Kings being as it were their Fathers And so it was with King David he did so meditate on the Laws of God both day and night that he thereby became wiser than his teachers I suppose he means the Priests who taught him in his minority But let this pass and let us take nursing-fathers here as Protectors only and Governours yet as such they ought to be very knowing in Scripture that they may distinguish between sound and corrupted Doctrine for sure they are not to protect and nurse up Heresie which they may chance to do if they have not a right understanding of Scripture but are led away by false and deluding teachers as the Arrian Emperours were and so proved oppressing Tyrants over the Orthodox Church Thus you see 't is necessary for the Spiritual Government of the Church that Kings should observe this command of God and have the Bible before them and read therein all the days of their life And 't is very necessary also for the Civil Government of the State as 't is there in Deut. exprest that their hearts be not lifted up above their brethren and that they do not multiply to themselves wives nor silver nor gold What is here said of Kings or great Persons concerns all you that are in Authority under the King at present or are like to be hereafter For seeing that Kings cannot be personally present in all parts of their Dominion they are constrained to appoint others under them to perform that which they cannot do themselves From whence it necessarily follows that this command of God to Kings belongs to all those who act by their Authority And as it is in the business of Godfathers and Godmothers that inferior persons are often substituted to perform the parts of great ones so is it in Church-fathers and Church-mothers and their Substitutes are to be Nursing-fathers to
reading the Scripture it causes them to fall into very extravagant Opinions and Heresies How horrid a thing is it to affirm this Really it appears no less than blasphemy against the Holy Ghost whereof our Saviour pronounc'd that dreadful Sentence That it should never be forgiven neither in this world neither in the world to come For to say the reading of Scripture causes the people to fall into Heresie is the same in effect as to say the Holy Ghost is the Author of sin for I have most clearly proved unto you that the Scripture dictated by the Holy Ghost commands all to read the Scripture But I hope they intend no such matter as blasphemy but think they have some colour for what they say from 2 Pet. iii. 16. where St. Peter speaks of the unlearned and unstable wresting the Scriptures to their own destruction But I pray you mark how St. Peter joyns unstable with unlearned the want of stability is the main cause of their wresting the Scriptures For I shall shew you by and by that they who abound in learning yet wanting stability wrest the Scriptures as well I should say as ill as the unlearned But first I desire my pretending wise men to advise a little with St. Paul Rom. vii 10. where he tells us that the Commandment which was ordained unto life he found unto death did he therefore lay aside the Commandment God forbid the Commandment was Good and Holy how then came it to pass He tells us vers 8. that sin taking occasion by the Commandment wrought in him all manner of concupiscence And again vers 11. Sin taking occasion by the Commandment deceived him and by it slew him Thus Beloved you see 't was not the Commandment that wrought death in St. Paul but sin that is concupiscence the corruption of nature that was in him this caused all the evil And just so it is in our case 'T is not the Scripture which causes Heresies Schisms and Divisions amongst us God forbid we should say so but sin taking occasion by the Scripture works all these the corruption of mens natures blinds and deceives them the pride and wilfulness of their heart the conceit of their own holiness and godly understanding sets them forward in opposition to the common received Doctrine and to affect singularity and applause by teaching some new thing Then they tumble over the Scripture to find out Texts that carry some colour for it as they fondly conceive and having found such they presently blaze abroad their new Doctrine which the giddy unconstant people always fond of new things presently catch at and follow This puffs up the Teachers and sets them agog and makes them ready to suffer any thing in that behalf for this increases the reputation of their Sanctity as suffering imprisonment and the like for the truth and at length by large Contributions this comes to increase the wealth of their purse also and then there 's no reducing them to obedience and order Now as St. Paul saith 'T is not the Scripture which causeth all this but sin the Spiritual pride of their heart takes occasion by the Scripture to work in them Divisions and Heresies And though the Scripture were wholly shut up from them yet the same sin their Spiritual pride of heart would cause the same Divisions and Heresies Do not we see this daily happen to them who reject the Scripture and walk by their new inward lights which they pretend God infuses into them This makes it most manifest that all our Divisions as St. Paul saith proceed from sin that is in us And doth not St. Iames agree with St. Paul in this when he saith From whence come wars and fightings among you come they not hence even of your lusts that war in your members So from whence come these Divisions and Contentions come they not hence even of their lusts that war in their Members Now I beseech you to consider were it not as sensless as wicked to shut up the Scripture the word of life from the whole Congregation of the faithful because the sin and corruption of some turn it to their death But as Iob xi saith Vain man would be wise though a man be born like a wild asses colt Yea he would be wiser than God who well foresaw these Heresies and Divisions and forewarns us by St. Paul 1 Cor. xi 18 c. not only that they would come but also must come for the tryal of the Elect Our Saviour also tells us that he came not to bring peace on earth but a sword to set a man at variance against his Father and the Daughter against her Mother Matt. x. 34 c. And doth vain man think by his wisdom to frustrate the Divine Decree yea to stop our Saviours mouth from preaching the Gospel and say I beseech you Sir hold your peace you set men at variance even Father and Son Mother and Daughter one against another What think you Beloved were this wisdom or desperate sinful folly It is just the same or indeed far worse than to desire God to withdraw the Sun from shining on the earth because it causes evil weeds to grow up in evil ground Wherefore my Beloved I beseech you let us hearken to the true wisdom of God and not to the vain deceivable wisdom of man born as ignorant as the wild asses colt Yet he will be so wise as for the preventing of Errors and Divisions to shut up the Holy Scripture from the people which God hath commanded to be delivered to the people But I shall shew you yet farther the perverseness of these pretending wise men Is it not well known to all men verst in the writings of antiquity that the most dangerous spreading Heresies which infested the Church for several Ages and whereof some continue to this very day sprang not from the people but from learned eminent men Priests and Bishops Monks and Abbots and divers others famous for learning as the Arian the Nestorian the Eutychian the Pelagian the Macedonian the Manichean Heresies and several others which have mightily disturbed the Christian Church in all Nations East West North and South And then by the rule of our rare wise men the Scripture must be shut up from these also Bishops and Priests as well as people from all Seal it up and bury it in a Cave till the Resurrection of the dead and before that time all Religion may be dead and buried also and in the mean time we may take the Alcoran for our meditation or Ovid de Fastibus and so all become Turks or Heathens and the Kingdom of Satan set up instead of the Kingdom of Christ. Satan himself could not have found out a better exploit to do his work And really my beloved I must in all seriousness tell you that the Christian world was very far degenerated and declining into Heathenism by shutting up the Scriptures in later Ages before it pleased God in his great
mercy to stir up Dr. Luther Bucer Melancthon Calvin and several others to open again the Gospel unto us and by the light thereof to discover the Heathenish superstitions of the Church of Rome who had again revived many practices of old Pagan Rome the Pagan had their purifying Waters called Aquae Lustrales in imitation whereof the Papists have their Holy Water to sprinkle themselves withal when they enter the Church So instead of the Pagan Vestal Fires the Papists have their lamps continually burning day and night before their Altars The Pagans had their Tutelary gods as Protectors of this and that place so have the Papists their several Saints for several Countreys St. Dennis for France St. Iames for Spain St. Peter for Rome St. George for England St. Patrick for Ireland The Pagans carried the Idols of their gods about in Procession with great pomp burning Incense and singing Hymns unto them the Papists do the very same to the Idols of the blessed Virgin and Saints to the reproach rather than the honour of their memory as if they had been Heathen and not Christian Saints Many many more are their superstitious fopperies forsaking the body Christ and follow the infatuating shadows of humane inventions Teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of men God only knows what a Chaos of confusion we had been sunk into before this had not God stirred up those Worthies I mentioned when the Pope like a God upon earth had usurped that Anti-Christian power as to thwart the commandments of God and Christ our blessed Saviour as I have already shewed you in many particulars But there is one I have not yet mentioned more remarkable and detestable than any of those I mean the countermanding that solemn and last command of our Lord and Saviour Jesus at his last Supper after he had instituted the blessed Sacrament of his body and blood to our endless comfort and commanded his Apostles to do the same in remembrance of him And I pray you take notice of one circumstance therein which perchance you have never yet observed and 't is this When our Saviour delivered the Bread unto the Apostles he said Take eat this and no more but when he delivered the Cup he gave a more exact command for it saying Drink ye all of this As if he had said Be sure that every one of you partake of the Cup let no one omit it And why so particularly command the Cup more than the Bread Truly with great reason He divinely foreseeing the sacrilegious dismembring of this blessed Sacrament which the Roman Church would make in depriving the people of the Cup. Whereas one would think this Command of our dying Lord and Saviour for us should of all other Commands be most exactly performed to a tittle in every point Yet the Pope as ungratefully as insolently presumes to command to keep the Cup from the People Who could have believed such an insolency had not the whole world seen it By the same rule he might and perchance before this time had not his high presuming power met with such opposition in Germany would have taken away the Bread also and made the People only gazers on and admirers of the great dignity of the Priests who alone were admitted to that Holy Supper for so it is among them now for the most part the Priest saying Mass every day but the common people generally receive the blessed Sacrament but once or twice a year Now had the Pope taken away the Bread also he might have given the very same reason for that as he doth for taking away the Cup. They give two reasons First because it may happen that in delivering the Cup to many people the Wine which they call the Blood may be spilt Why so in giving the Bread some crums may fall and they affirm that Christs body is entirely contained in the least crum Secondly They say the People have the Blood of Christ in his Body when they receive that and therefore they need it not again in the Cup. Though 't is apparent in Scripture that our Saviour gave it in the Cup apart to signifie his bloodshedding from his body saying This is my blood which was shed But 't is no matter what our Saviour said the Pope says otherwise and we must hearken to him he says 't is sufficient for the People to receive the Blood in his Body And so should he say that he is the Head of the Church and if he alone receive the Bread and Cup and no other neither People nor Priest receive either 't is sufficient if the Head receive them the Head stands for the whole Body the Pope guided by the Holy Ghost says so and then who dares say otherwise And thus you see that if we once let go the Scripture farewell all Religion all the commands of God are to small purpose what the Pope says must be a Law Good Lord deliver us The time is welnigh past and I must hasten to an end Wherefore I shall now add only a short reflection on what hath been said with a word of Exhortation in the close You have heard Gods Command to the People of Israel concerning the Old Law That all should read it teach it their Children write it on the doors and posts of their dwellings discourse of it in their Houses by the way and in the fields You have heard also Gods Command to the Prophets To go to all the house of Israel to all the people and cry aloud to them all the day long You have heard our Saviours Command to the Apostles To go and Preach the Gospel to all Nations to every creature You have heard how the Apostles guided by the Holy Ghost directed their Epistles To all the Faithful to all the Saints You have heard Saint Paul strictly command his Epistles to be read to all the holy Brethren And now shall any man be so insolently so desperately wicked as to dare to controul the Command of God so often reiterated and countermand the Scriptures to be shut up from the People Man a worm of the Earth thus to oppose his Creator Nay my beloved hearken yet farther The Romanists declare it to be a sin for the people to read the Scripture And you know the wages of sin is death eternal death so then the Romanists declare it to be Eternal Death for the people to read the words of Eternal Life Stand amazed O ye Heavens at this If this be not transcendent madness and transcendent wickedness too tell me what is To say the Sun is darkness is ten times more tolerable than to say the word of Eternal Life is Eternal Death to him that reads it But now I beseech you mark what a ridiculous Salvo they bring for this their horrid wickedness O say they but you may have leave of your Confessor to read the Scripture if he find you fit for it that is if he find you a dull tame Ass ready to bear all the
send them the light of his Holy Gospel to shine amongst them Amen So much for the first part of my Text Christ's Command to search the Scriptures Now we come to the second part the reason of the Command For in them ye have Eternal Life a most weighty reason there cannot be a greater than the gaining of Eternal Life We all find by experience in our selves the truth of that saying Iob ii 4. Skin for skin yea all that a man hath will he give for his Life For which there is great reason according to nature for all that a man hath affords him no content or comfort in death which takes away the sense of all things If therefore life be so dear unto us because it gives us a capacity to enjoy these poor earthly delights that have so great and drossy an alloy of intermingled cares and troubles which alwaies attend them or if it were possible to enjoy them with more ease and tranquillity yet are they but momentary surely then Eternal Life which alwaies brings with it the enjoyment of heavenly pleasures free from all solicitous care and fear and full of all imaginable delight yea far beyond all that our narrow brain can now imagin for eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him And this unconceivable delight being to continue beyond Methusalem's Age or the Age of the whole world to have an eternal duration for ever and ever I pray you then consider at how high a value we should esteem the means whereby we are to attain such an excessive weight of glory For the present then my business must be to shew you that the Holy Scriptures contain in them compleatly without any additional requisite the means to attain Eternal Life and then doubtless there will need small exhortation to move you to put a high value on them Let us then fall immediately on this business Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have Eternal Life Though I doubt not to make out this matter absolutely clear unto you yet I fear some weaker persons may stagger a little at one word in my Text and may erroneously fancy that it gives great cause of doubt and that is the word Think ye think ye have Eternal Life Our Saviour doth directly say that in the Scriptures we have Eternal Life but only tells the Iews that they thought they had in them Eternal Life and perchance they thought amiss Who can tell Who can tell certainly he could tell who gave them this counsel to search the Scriptures which you may be sure he would never have done did not the Scriptures contain in them Eternal Life if not it had been a vain thing to search the Scriptures for it and our Saviours Advice had been vain which God forbid we should say or think wherefore we may assuredly conclude that our Saviour who advised the Iews to search the Scriptures he both could tell and would have told them had they thought amiss for he came down from Heaven for this very end namely to teach them and us the way to Eternal Life and therefore says of himself I am the Way and the Truth and the Life I came to teach this unto you and all the world And as St. Paul declares Acts xiii he came to teach first the Iews verse 26. To you is the word of Salvation sent And again verse 46. It was necessary that the Word of God should first have been spoken to you And our Saviour himself preached only to the Iews and in their sight he wrought all his Miracles All which makes it most evident that he used all means possible to inform them aright in the way to Eternal Life who then can doubt but that if the Iews had been mistaken in their opinion of the Scriptures our Saviour would most readily have corrected their error So that this manner of speaking in our Saviour In them ye think ye have Eternal Life is far from intimating any doubt in this matter 't is rather a fuller conviction of the Iews 't is a way of arguing which the School-men call Argumentum ad hominem which is the shortest and plainest way to confute another You think you your selves confess that the Scriptures contain Eternal Life in them this is a truth you cannot deny And our Saviour Luk. x. 25 26 27 28. fully declares this to be his sence likewise where being asked by a Lawyer of the Iews Master what shall I do to inherit Eternal Life He said unto him What is written in the Law how readest thou And he answering said Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy strength and with all thy mind and thy neighbour as thy self And he said unto him Thou hast answered right this do and thou shalt live Here you see our Saviour directs him for the gaining of Eternal Life to look into the Law and when the Lawyer had declared what was written in the Law our Saviour presently concludes This do and thou shalt live thou hast no need to be instructed farther the Law fully declares what thou art to do for the gaining of Eternal Life And this Evangelist St. Iohn who wrote my Text tells us toward the end of his Gospel that he omitted to write many things of our Saviour But these were written that we might believe and believing that we might have Life Now if we can have life by believing these things it follows most evidently that there is no necessity of believing other things If you answer That the belief of other things may prove great helps to Eternal Life and who would not be glad to have all the helps he can to obtain Eternal Life To this I reply That the belief of other things may prove hinderances for ought we know and not helps Were it not then most desperate folly for me to venture upon other things which may prove hinderances to my Salvation when God tells me that he hath revealed unto me by his holy Prophets Apostles and by his own Son all things necessary to Salvation Was not this the business for which our Saviour came into the world as I said before to teach us the way to Eternal Life And when our Saviour went out of the world he left his Apostles to finish the work he had begun promising them that he would send them the Holy Ghost who should lead them into all truth And as the Apostles received the knowledg of all truth so they faithfully delivered it to others for so St. Paul Acts xx assures the Elders of Ephesus whom he sent for to Miletus That he had declared unto them the whole counsel of God and that he had not kept back any thing that was profitable to them vers 20. Mark I beseech you he declares not only necessary things but all things profitable all kept nothing
back that was profitable Doth not this I pray you fully confirm what I said That the belief of any thing more than what is declared in Scripture may prove rather a hinderance than a help to Salvation Nay 't is not only may be but probably if not certainly will be a hinderance and not a help since the Apostle assures us that he declared all things profitable that is all things helpful And doth not St. Peter 2 Epist. i. 8. and following verses discourse to this purpose For there he tells them that in doing those things which he had taught them they should make their calling and election sure and that thereby an entrance should be ministred unto them abundantly Were it not then as sensless as dangerous to venture on any other means or helps as they call them than what the Scripture shews for our Salvation for if we follow that it makes our Salvation abundantly sure But say the Romanists all that the Apostles declared was not committed to writing but some by word of mouth and so passed by tradition from hand to hand and for this they bring us a Scripture 2 Thes. ii 15. My Brethren stand fast and hold the traditions which ye have been taught whether by word or our Epistle From whence say they 't is evident that all things the Apostles taught for mans Salvation were not delivered in writing but some by tradition from word of mouth The answer to this is very easie for though St. Paul did not teach the Thessalonians all things by writing but some by word of mouth yet it doth not follow but that his Epistles to the Thessalonians with other his Epistles as also the Epistles of the other Apostles the Acts the Gospels all together did contain in them all things necessary and profitable also to Eternal Life For this reason St. Paul commanded his Epistles written to one Church to be read to other Churches as I formerly shewed you And so St. Peter in his Epistles commends to the people likewise the Epistles of his beloved Brother Paul And therefore I did not say that any one Epistle two or three did contain all things necessary to Eternal Life Nor did our Saviour tell the Iews that in any one or more Prophets they had Eternal Life but in the Scriptures they had Eternal Life in Moses Psalms Proverbs Prophets in the whole Scripture And if the Old Testament were so perfect and so glorious as to contain in it all things necessary to Eternal Life which glory was to be done away as St. Paul saith shall not the New Testament the Ministration of the Spirit be much more glorious and perfect 2 Cor. iii. 7 8. Would God be less careful of his Church establish'd by his own Son in Person which was to remain to the end of the world than of that erected by Moses his Servant which was but a shadow of that to come Can any man be so simple as to think this though perchance so perverse as to affirm it This and such like things they may whisper in a corner to silly women or men as silly but certainly none can have the face to say this to any man of understanding 't is so absurd and so fully confuted by St. Paul not only in the places before cited but also in 2 Tim. iii. 16 17. where he tells him that all Scripture is given by inspiration from God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works Observe I beseech you That the man of God may be perfect perfect in Doctrine in faith in good works in all things Oh! my beloved God send me and you the perfection of Scripture the Doctrine and Works there taught and let the Papists follow their Doctrines of men their perfection their works of merit yea and of supererogation too Whereas we learn from Scripture that when we have done all we can we are unprofitable Servants but their Doctrines of men teach them that their great Saints Bennet Francis Dominick Ignatius and many hundreds more are such profitable Servants and have done such mighty works of perfection as not only to merit Heaven for themselves but also to gain Heaven for others by their superabundant merits which the Pope hath power when he pleases to apply to Souls scorching in Purgatory and dismiss them away presently to Heaven Sure a hard hearted cruel man that will let any lie long in those raging flames if he have power to release them Who can but pitty those poor silly Souls that are led into everlasting flames by these seducing Teachers so flatly contrary to the Scriptures cited now and others That no man may deliver his brother or make agreement unto God for him For it cost more to redeem their Souls it cost the blood and death of our Saviour Jesus For our sins being trespasses against the infinite majesty of God none but our Saviour who is also of an infinite Majesty both God and man could make a just satisfaction for them Had a thousand Bennets Dominicks c. and ten thousand thousands more been sacrificed on Crosses all had been in vain we should all lie for ever in everlasting flames These Scriptures are shut up from the eyes of poor blind-folded Papists But Blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear Matt. xiii 16. Your eyes and your ears see read and hear these Scriptures daily preached unto you Hold fast these the words of Eternal Life which alone will make you wise unto Salvation and throughly furnish you unto all good works make you perfect without any Doctrines of men as you shall hear more particularly by and by What then must we lay aside all the Writings of the Holy Fathers and Doctors of the Church even in the purest times by no means for they may be very helpful to us in expounding obscure places of Scripture for which several sorts of learning are very useful First The perfect understanding of the Original Languages in which the Scriptures were written as the Hebrew the Syriac the Greek Languages Now many of the Primitive Fathers were either born or much educated when those Languages were naturally spoken and thereby could much better judg of the propriety and full signification of many words which we are much to seek in and each Country Language hath several proverbial sayings and antient forms of speech which in process of time grow out of use and very hard to be understood we see that very few now are able to understand old Chaucers Language English being very much altered since Secondly History and Geography are very necessary for the understanding of several passages in Scripture And certainly those Primitive Fathers living near the times and places when and where our Saviour and the Apostles taught and acted may be able to inform us of several circumstances and give us great light in many
great examples and leaders to piety and godly life but I say it only to prevent our being led into errors by their Authority who though they were very learned and godly men yet still were men and being men were subject to error and for this cause no assurance can be had in the word of man alone but of him only who was God and man for God only is truth And as for the miracles pretended to be wrought by the Fathers of the Church in confirmation of their Doctrine I answer First We find in no authentick Author any miracles wrought by the prime and principal Fathers of the Church in confirmation of any Doctrine taught by them St. Cyprian St. Ambrose St. Ierome St. Austine St. Chrysostome St. Gregory Nazianzen and such like Secondly For the pretended Fathers of the Church in later Ages and Mothers also it is sufficiently known what gross and ridiculous impostures have been in later Ages noised abroad for great miracles Our learned Dr. Stillingfleet hath sufficiently set them forth in their proper colours These fine devices began about the six hundredth year after Christ and in a few years after they grew as familiar as jugling feats especially in the female sex of whom I find none that wrought them in the Apostles days when true miracles were frequent among men and when there were women certainly as holy as any whatsoever in future Ages We do not find that the blessed Virgin her self ever wrought any miracle though now the Papists will tell you of a thousand wrought daily by several images of hers But this we know that in the later days lying wonders shall be wrought to deceive if it were possible the very Elect and we also know that whatever seeming miracle is wrought contrary to the word of God is a lying wonder for Gods word is truth and all liars that speak against that But these miracles which they pretend to be wrought at the images of the blessed Virgin and other Saints are apparently contrary to the word of God which commands us not to bow down to nor worship any images and consequently these must needs be lying wonders wrought to deceive the people who are thereby induced to worship those images and do daily visit them and prostrate themselves before them with as much reverence and devotion as if Christ himself were there present This is fully known to every man that hath travelled those parts But the Popish Priests here surely ashamed of their own Devotions will boldly deny it and finding us too strongly fortified with Scripture truth to be seduced by their supposititious Saints with their lying wonders and too quick-sighted to be catched with such stauking horses they come upon us with a whole Army of the Church Militant the Universal Catholick Church meaning the Romish Church falsly so called yea and back'd with Scripture too and so fight us at our own weapon and thence thunder out irresistable Cannon Shot He that will not hear the Church let him be unto thee as an Heathen man and a Publicane Matt. xviii 17. Beloved my time would fail me should I now engage in a fresh battel I shall therefore refer this to another time and for the present add only a few words of direction for those who take comfort in reading the Scripture and desire to improve their knowledge therein but meet with many obscure and difficult places which exceed their capacity in which they would gladly be farther instructed To this I answer first That I conceive it fit to advise with some learned orthodox sober and godly Divine if they have any such in their Neighbourhood for give me leave to say men so compleatly qualified are not every where to be found in these unfortunate days But if they can find any such let them desire his assistance and if this godly person can by other plain places of Scripture and clear reason make the sense of that doubtful place evident to his understanding then he may well conclude that to be the true meaning of the Holy Ghost But if this godly Counsellor makes use of any human Authority that is any one or many Fathers of the Church or Councils or the like to make good his exposition and cannot do it by clear places of Scripture or such circumstances as make that doubtful place clear to your understanding but require you to submit meerly to their Authority then you are to afford him no more than a human belief which helps you nothing forward to your salvation for that wholly depends on divine faith and belief in God not in man as I have shewed you And as for the doubtful places pass them over as doubtful and the clear knowledge thereof not necessary to your salvation God requires of no man beyond the talent which he hath given him and in his infinite goodness hath so provided that all things necessary for salvation may be understood of all What can be more plainly set forth to common understanding than it is in Scripture That there is one God Creator of Heaven and Earth one Saviour Iesus Christ the Son of God who dyed for all men rose again the third day ascended into Heaven and shall come again at the last day to judge and reward every man according to his deeds And then for the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lords Supper and such like necessary things they are also plainly set forth in Scripture even to vulgar understandings And lastly for our course of life what can be more plainly prohibited than fornication adultery all lasciviousness murther striking railing cousening What can be more plainly commanded than to do justice shew mercy charity c. and in sum to do unto all men as we would have them do unto us Now whosoever shall believe and practise all these plain things my Soul for his he shall never miss of his Salvation though he miss the understanding of a hundred places of Scripture many whereof the most learned understand very little better though they can talk more of them When our Saviour represents unto us the great Judgment day Mat. XXV He doth not call any to his right hand because they understood these and these dark places in Scripture nor curse any on his left hand because they understood them not but the whole Judgment depends on doing or not doing Come ye blessed for ye have fed the hungry cloathed the naked c. and go ye cursed for ye have not done so Wherefore the question in the Gospel is Good Master what shall I do to inherit Eternal Life and our Saviour's Answer is This do and thou shalt live And S. Paul tells us though we understood all Mysteries yet this profiteth not without Charity Charity and the deeds thereof with a firm belief of so much of Scripture as God enables us to understand would undoubtedly bring us to Christ's right hand in that great day Were but our practice according to the measure of our knowledge it
would be happy for us but hence comes our misery that instead of practising what we understand we fall to disputing of that we understand not and so we grow into passion from passion into faction from faction into schisms and heresies Were our passion laid aside there would be no need of laying aside the Scriptures but we should read them to our edification whereas we now read them to our destruction and confusion and thus the word of Eternal Life becomes unto us the savour of Death unto Death Wherefore my beloved when you take the Scriptures into your hands to read let your main intention be to observe the Instructions there given for your behaviour and course of life and then labour to stir up your affection and desire to practise it As for matters of belief as much as is necessary will quickly be attained but for practice that will require the whole study of a mans life Neither doth this consist so much in reading as in meditating on what we do read and striving to subdue our hearts in obedience to it and sending up also short but fervent ejaculations to Almighty God for the powerful assistance of his holy spirit to enable us to perform that is the end of all to perform This do and thou shalt live And if we thus read the Scriptures they will be unto us as the words of Eternal Life and the power of God to our Salvation Which God of his infinite mercy grant THE THIRD SERMON ON JOHN V. Ver. 39. Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have Eternal Life THE last thing we were upon in handling this Text was that the Scriptures wherein we say we have Eternal Life tells us that we are to hear the Church and he that will not hear the Church let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican Mat. xviii 17. Here say the Papists we have a plain easie and safe rule to guide all in matters of Faith both learned and unlearned this cuts off all disputes and prevents all errors Hear the Church what the Church believes we must belieue and if we will not hear the Church we are hereticks heathens If this be the safe and only way to heaven what man in his right wits would not take this safe and easie way Doubtless a very easie way and truly I think that is the reason why many so much incline to it most men love an easie way to Heaven and few are found willing to take much pains for it And those few that are conscientious in their way are often scrupulous also and fearful and being wearied with anxieties and disputes in their melancholy moods may be willing to lie down on this specious bank not considering Latet anguis in herba the lurking Adder that there lies concealed For certainly this way is as dangerous as easie far from safe Can any man think it a safe way to forsake the God of truth and his holy word and hearken to vain erroneous men and their doctrines whereof our Saviour bids us beware No Let God be true and every man a liar Rom. iii. 4. But you will say what the Papists here urge is not the Doctrine of men but the Word of God Hear the Church I grant 't is the Word of God but strangely abused by the interpretation of men and wrested very far from the clear meaning of the Text as I shall now shew you Look I pray you a few verses before and see what is the business here treated of and to what this saying relates V. 15. If thy Brother shall trespass against thee go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone if he shall hear thee thou hast gained thy Brother V. 16. But if he will not hear thee then take with thee one or two more that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established V. 17. And if he shall neglect to hear them tell it unto the Church but if he neglect to hear the Church let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican I beseech you what is this to our purpose to the determination in matters of Faith Are trespasses matters of Faith No but they will prove from hence by necessary consequence That if you are to hear the Church in matters of fact such as trespasses much more are you to hear the Church in matters of faith They will prove I thought we had laid aside all proofs and consequences for they produce this Text as a clear evident rule to cut off all doubts and disputes a plain and safe way for all men learned and unlearned What is proposed as a plain rule to clear all doubts and determine all controversies ought in it self to be as clear as the Sun so that whosoever is not stark blind must needs see it and then doubtless I am stark blind for I cannot see one word here tending to matters of faith But they will argue thus If we are to hear the Church in temporal matters much more in spiritual matters for the Church being a spiritual body hath more to do in spirituals than temporals As blind as I am I plainly see as gross a mistake here in the word Church as before in the word Trespasses Did not I fully shew you the other day that this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Text which we in English translate Church never in Scripture signifies the Clergy but the Congregation of the people the assembly of the faithful though we in English use the word Church very variously which is often the cause of great mistakes and therefore I pray you remember it well that in Scripture it still signifies the Congregation of the People And would the Papists have the Congregation of the People be our Infallible Guide to give rules of Faith and determine all controversies If so I see a sure and fatal consequence to their Infallible Head the Pope he and his triple Crown would soon be tumbled from his Throne to the ground and all his power under foot But put the case we would take the word Church here for the Clergy as the Papists would have us yet this gives no commission farther then to determin trespasses And as for their consesequences 't is very absurd to infer that because God leaves unto men to determin the small matters of this world therefore men may determin matters of that infinite weight as the eternal salvation of Souls For though the Church that is the Congregation should make a wrong judgment in the case yet the party suffering may if he please make great advantage by it for the patient suffering the loss for peace sake as God hath required he shall gain a hundred fold in Heaven but the party that forsakes Gods Wâ—â—d and hearkens to the wrong determination in matters of Faith shall suffer a hundred fold damage in Hell This therefore God reserves to himself and his Holy word unto which we are
not to add any thing nor subtract from it under a severe penalty there declared Wherefore we must take this Text as it lies without any human addition and so 't is evident that it contains nothing but the determination of matters of trespass between Neighbours of which our Saviour would have the offender privately admonisht and if no amendment than appeal to the Congregation in publick Not one word here concerning matters of Faith And thus beloved you see what a vain empty sound this great clamor is which the Papists make of this Text Hear ye the Church and whoever will not hear the Church let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican Every part of it most grosly mistaken and wrested from the true meaning matters of fact such as trespasses and injuries wrested to matters of Faith the word Church wrested from the Congregation to the Clergy contrary to the whole current of Scripture Wherefore my beloved you see how necessary it is for you to follow this counsel of our Saviour and search the Scriptures and advise also with the more learned Pastors of our Church to arm you against these seducing teachers I hope this Text is sufficiently cleared and so I pass unto another 1 Tim. iii. 15. There 't is said The Church is the Pillar and ground of truth This Scripture say the Papists plainly relates to matters of Faith for truth is the object of our Faith we readily grant it What then Why then we are to hold fast to the Faith of the Church for that is the Pillar of truth ergo she cannot err This is another of their feigned consequences far from the meaning of the Text let us then peruse the Text it self with the circumstances there set down as we did the former and you will not find any such thing here as the Papists pretend That thou mayst know how thou oughtest to behave thy self in the house of God which is the Church of the living God the pillar and ground of truth First That thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thy self in the house of God There is nothing more frequent in Scripture than to set the word House for the People the house of Israel for the people hundreds of times And so Moses was faithful in all his house Heb. iii. 2. that is among all his people And so 1 Pet. ii 5. tells the Christians That as living stones they are built up a spiritual house to God And again iv 17. If judgment begin at the house of God that is the people of God Wherefore here Behave thy self in the house of God signifies the houshold the people of God That place where a man dwells is commonly called his house and God being said to dwell among his people 2 Cor. vi 16. I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people therefore the people are called the house of God Next follows Which is the Church of the living God that is the Congregation of the living God for 't is the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which I shewed you alwaies in Scripture signifies the Congregation Now I pray you put this together that thou mayest know how to behave thy self among the people of God which is the Congregation of the living God the pillar and ground of the truth This last part of the verse the pillar and ground of the truth is metaphorical and may be interpreted several ways according to several mens apprehensions But in the first place I conceive all must grant that no metaphorical saying can be a clear evident and general rule to explain and determin other sentences but rather in it self needs an exposition But however you take this place it is evident that the Papists from hence can never have any proof for the infallibility of their Church as they would have it for S. Paul calls the Congregation of the people the pillar and ground of the truth But to shew you how little this Text will serve their turn though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 never in Scripture signifies the Clergy yet for their greater conviction let it pass The Clergy are here called the pillar and ground of truth What then Why then the assembly of the Clergy must be infallible Hold there I beseech you Why can truth be fallible no certainly but the pillar of truth may fail the pillar may decay and go to ruin but the truth of God endureth for ever 1 Pet. i. 23. What then is meant by these words The pillar and ground of the truth I will shew you I suppose you have seen pillars set up in high ways at the meeting of several ways together and inscriptions written on the several sides of the pillars This way leads to such a place That way leads to that place some pillars have arms in them and hands pointing to the ways The pillar is only that which bears the inscription 't is the inscription that gives you the true information which is the way Now St. Paul saith Rom. iii. 2. speaking of the people of the Iews and the great advantage they had over other Nations For unto them were committed the Oracles of God And so St. Stephen Acts vii 38. tells his brethren the Iews that their fathers received the Oracles of God to give unto us So we may say of the Christians to their great honour and advantage above all other people in the world To them were committed the Oracles of God the Holy Scriptures to give unto us As then of old the people of the Iews were peculiarly the people of God the house of God which was then the Church of the living God the pillar and ground of the truth and they bare the Oracles of God the Holy Scriptures So St. Paul now calleth the Christians the peculiar people of God the house of God which is the Church of the living God the pillar and ground of the truth for they now bear the Oracles of God the Holy Scriptures the word of truth teaching us the true and perfect way to the Heavenly Ierusalem This my Exposition is strongly backed and confirmed by another Text of Scripture which is accounted by all men the best way of expounding Scripture Rev. i. 20. The seven Churches or Congregations are set forth by seven golden Candlesticks and you know candlesticks give no light of themselves but only hold the candles which give the light so the Churches are to hold forth Christ he is the light of the world and his Doctrine contained in the Scriptures they give the light they teach us the way to Eternal Life As in the former place the pillars bear and hold forth the inscriptions the Oracles of God so here the Candlesticks hold forth the light of Gods Holy Word this teacheth us the way herein lies the infallible truth not in the Church the Congregation that consists of fallible men Gods Word is truth all men are liars And
the Church to countenance and protect the Orthodox Teachers They are likewise to read daily in Gods Holy Word for the very same ends that their hearts also be not lifted up above their brethren that they do not multiply to themselves silver nor gold which all in Authority are by nature prone unto and inferiours probably more than Kings themselves for Kings being born to great dignity power and revenue are not so transported with it as persons who from a low condition are exalted unto them commonly their minds also are exalted And so we see on the contrary part men who are tumbled down from dignity power and wealth are far more dejected with it than those who are born and bred in low and poor estate these are as contented and chearful in that condition and commonly more than great ones in theirs and just so born Princes commonly are less arrogant and less covetous than those risen to great dignity Now reading daily in Gods Holy Word especially in the Gospel doth very much abate all exorbitancy in these matters when there we contemplate the poverty the humiliation the meekness the affability of the King of eternal glory Yet this hindered him not in shewing his Authority when it was needful for he sharply rebuked the vices of the Iews and with a scourge whipt out of the Temple the money-changers and other Mechanicks that prophaned it The severity of justice mingled with meekness and affability in due time and place hath a wonderful commanding authority over the hearts of all and makes Government both beloved and feared Besides reading the Scriptures hath another great effect conducing very much to Government for 't is very powerful in operation making great impressions of all vertues in the minds of men the practice whereof in the Magistrate gains him great reverence to his Authority and is also a great inducement to the people to follow him in the way of vertue and then the Government will be so easie to him as he may lead them with a twine thread as commonly we say to whatsoever he pleases Vertuous persons never resist Authority knowing 't is the Ordinance of God but will rather defend it with their lives whereas all vitious persons hate Government as a restraint to their licentious appetites and a curb to their covetous and injurious oppressions of others and are therefore ready on all occasions to mutiny and rebel against Authority but then the Magistrate having by his just and vertuous proceedings possest himself of the hearts of all good men and increased the number of them by his pious example shall be sure to have all their hands ready to assist and protect him in the due execution of his Office No laws in the world can preserve Government long without the operation of Gods Laws on the consciences of men for when evil men have conceived and nourished up wicked designs in their hearts their passions will be so blown up and enflamed by mutual discourse and animating one another and their reason so blinded by their passions that they will venture on the most irrational and desperate attempts and proceed to some sudden mischief though it be to their own ruin and loss of life But the Laws of God principiis obstant give a check to the first motions of wickedness the all-seeing eye of God and his severe avenging hand with eternal flames strikes a terror in the heart and there suppresses all evil designs before they go farther securing the Government in continual peace and safety And thus I have shewed you the obligation that lies on Princes and all Magistrates that are under them to be studious in reading the Scripture and in acting according to Gods Holy Laws considering how advantagious it will be to the ease and happiness of their Government There remains now to treat of the third rank of men the People and to shew you that they also are included in this command of our Saviour to search the Scriptures And this I shall prove unto you by the whole current of the Bible I begin with the Old Testament the Books of Moses and the Prophets Did not Moses deliver all his Laws and Ordinances to the people and that by Gods express command as you may see Exod. xix and several Chapters following where 't is often repeated Call all the people Tell the people c. twenty times over and more And so again in Deut. vi 7. and again xi 18. When Moses repeated unto the people all the Ordinances of God he called all the people together all Israel and commanded them to teach their Children all the words of the Law and to expound to them the meaning thereof and farther that they should write them on the posts and gates of their houses that they might have them always before their eyes and to wear them as frontlets on their foreheads and on their arms as bracelets for perpetual remembrance and to talk of them to their children when they sate in their houses when they were in the field and when they walked by the way All this you have set down at large in those Chapters mentioned I beseech you now can any thing be more earnestly required more strictly commanded And then again for the Prophets as you will find almost in every Chapter Go to my people Speak in the ears of all this people Cry unto this people and say I have sent unto you all my servants the Prophets rising up early and sending Sure I have said enough and enough for the Old Testament Now for the New from the very beginning to the end Were not the very first glad tidings of the Gospel declared unto the people the meanest of the people Shepherds and by them to others of like condition and when Iohn the Baptist came out of the Wilderness to preach Was it not to the people And when Christ himself went forth to preach Was it not to the people and those of the lowest degree And he gave it unto the Disciples of St. Iohn as a special sign of his being the Christ That the poor had the Gospel preached unto them as if it were chiefly intended to them And accordingly St. Paul tells us 1 Cor. i. 26. Ye see your calling Brethren how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called And as our Saviour himself preached unto all and for the most part to those of the lowest degree so when he was to leave this world he gave the like charge to his Disciples That they should preach the Gospel to every creature as you may see in the last Chapter of St. Mark to every creature that is to every humane Creature which expression of our Saviour carries great energy as if he had said In the preaching of the Gospel do not go the way of the world and make your application to the great to the rich to the powerful no but to those of low degree as I have done to
the poor to the despised of the world to every creature ever so mean ever so contemptible be sure you preach it to them Thus much for the Gospel Then follow the Acts written to Theophilus one of the Laity And so the Epistles of the Apostles That to the Romans is directed all that are at Rome to all That to the Corinthians to all that call upon the name of the Lord Iesus to all in every place and so the rest And 't is observable that there is no mention made of the Clergy in any of his Epistles but in that one to the Philippians where he expresses the Bishops and Deacons and yet even there he puts them in the last place first to all the Saints that are at Philippi and then adds with the Bishops and Deacons so that this Epistle is primarily directed to all the Saints But perchance some ignorant people may stumble at the word Church in some of his Epistles as if those Epistles directed to the Church were intended to Church-men as we call them meaning thereby the Clergy the Ministers of the Church But Beloved this word in the Original Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated by us Church doth not at all signifie Church-men but the Laity assembled together which we properly call the congregation of the faithful and so in Scripture the Church of such a town the Church in such a house that is the faithful or the Saints of that town or in that house those that use there to assemble together for the worship of God But we use the word Church by corrupt custom promiscuously sometimes for the Congregation sometimes for the house wherein they meet sometimes for the body of Church-men and so we say the Canons of the Church that is the Canons composed by Church-men But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Scripture is never so placed but only for the Congregation of the faithful This is more expresly declared Rev. ii 1. where the Bishop is called the Angel and the Congregation distinct from the Minister is called the Church The Angel of the Church that is the Bishop the Pastor or chief Minister of the Congregation And therefore St. Pauls Epistles directed to the Church of such a place is just the same as to the Congregation to the faithful or to the Saints of such a place which consisted of the Laity and not only of men but Women also and Children they were likewise to read the Scriptures And according to this he gives it as a great commendation to Timothy that of a Child he had learned the Scriptures And we know that this was the practice of the Primitive Christian Church many Ages For St. Hierome one of the four eminent Doctors and Fathers of the Church who lived 400 years after Christ in his Epistle to Laeta a Roman Matron sets down a method for her to teach her little Girl the Scriptures what books she should read first and what next first the book of Psalms then the Proverbs then Ecclesiastes and after other books named in the Old Testament he concludes Ad Evangelia transeat nunquam ea depositura de manibus Acta Apostolorum Epistolas tota cordis imbibat voluntate Let her then pass over to the Gospels and never let them go out of her hands And as for the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles let her apply her heart to learn them with all diligence And St. Gregory another of the four eminent Doctors who was the last of them and lived 600 years after Christ and was Bishop of Rome who for his great sanctity and learning was called Gregory the Great he in his book of Morals written for the instruction of all gives this Rule Divinas Scripturas saepiùs lege imo nunquam de manibus tuis sacra lectio deponatur Read often the divine Scriptures yea rather let them never go out of your hands And in another place he tells us Dictis obscurioribus fortes exercet parvulis humili sermone blanditur There you will find obscure sayings to exercise strong men and lowly sayings for little ones Here you have the Doctrine and Practice of the Primitive Church for many Ages And yet the Romanists will most impudently affirm that we are the deserters of Antiquity and they only follow the practice of the Primitive Church But let us return to St. Paul who as I have shewed you directs his Epistles to the whole Congregation of the faithful And as St. Paul so St. Iames to the twelve Tribes who were the faithful So St. Peter the first Epist. to all the Elect the second to all the faithful So St. Iohn St. Iude all written to the faithful in general And I pray you observe what a strict charge St. Paul gives at the end of his Epistles to the Colossians and the Thessalonians I charge you by the Lord that this Epistle be read to all the Holy Brethren to all It were very superfluous to add more for this business But notwithstanding all this the Governours of the Roman Church shut up the Scripture from the people and with very great reason they teaching the people so many things clean contrary to Scripture The Scripture severely forbids the worship of images the Governours of the Roman Church teach the people to worship them The Scripture commands exact performance of all vows made unto God the Pope takes upon him to dispense with the most solemn vows that can be made even though the blessed Sacrament be received upon them The Scripture commands obedience to Kings and all that are in Authority the Pope dispenses with all obedience and oaths made unto their Kings and often commands them to rebel make war and murther them yea the Son to rebel against his own Father as the Son of Henry the fourth Emperour The Scripture forbids marrying with many near Relations the Pope dispenses with all The Scripture commands the Service of the Church to be in the known language of the people the Pope commands it to be in a language the people understands not at all The Scripture tells us God only can forgive sins the Pope says he also can and if you will give him largely he will forgive you largely The Scripture tells us there is but one Mediator between God and man the man Christ Iesus the Roman Church teaches there are thousands of Saints and Angels and pray unto them and the blessed Virgin much more than to Christ or God the Father ten Ave Mary's for one Pater Noster Good reason then have the Romanists to add unto these contradictions of Scripture and many more that grand iniquity of shutting up the Scripture from the people lest they should discover these contradictions They do wisely in their Generations But now that some Protestants who teach none of these things should think it fit to shut up Scripture from the people is wonderful and the reason they give for it is as bad as the thing because forsooth ignorant people
burthen of his imposed Superstitions and zealously embrace them then perchance you may have leave as I said of your Confessor to read the Scriptures and then 't is no sin Your Confessor your Confounder thus insolently to usurp over your Christian Liberty You that are called to the glorious liberty of the Children of God and have heard God the Father speaking unto you in the Law God the Son speaking to you in the Gospel God the Holy Ghost speaking to you in the Apostles three Persons one Almighty God commanding you to read the Scriptures and teach them your Children must you now ask a silly blind worm of the Earth leave to read them Can you ever suffer your selves thus to be blindfolded fettered and enslaved under Popish Tyranny Thus to be deprived of the Gospel the Word of Life the Power of God unto Salvation No Beloved I hope you will never be so infatuated by deluding words nor so terrified with any threatning powers upon Earth or under the Earth as to quit this Heavenly Food of your Souls Man liveth not by bread only but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Earthly Food entreth into the belly and so passeth out into the draught but this Heavenly Food the Word of God abideth for ever and shall nourish up our Souls unto Everlasting Life This ought to be our daily bread herein we should read and meditate day and night and say with David I have more delight in thy Commandments than in thousands of gold and silver For here we find a Heavenly Treasure for our Souls here we learn all things profitable for our Salvation this is the Book which teaches Priests that blessed work of gaining Souls unto Christ by sound Doctrine and godly Example which will make them shine in this World as Stars in the Firmament Let your Light so shine This is the Book that teaches Princes and all Magistrates their duty to God for the People to administer justice with uprightness to shew mercy with prudence to subdue the rebellious to protect the oppressed and this will make them feared loved and even adored as Gods upon Earth I said ye are Gods this Book will teach the People their duty and piety towards God their duty and loyalty to their Sovereign reverence to all in Authority love and peace with their fellow Subjects Here great ones learn humility rich men charity poor contentedness the oppressed patience the afflicted comfort it worketh all in all to Gods glory and our own eternal happiness Happy are the people that are in such a case yea blessed are the people who have the Lord for their God and his Holy Law for their instruction in all things as we have other Books may be helps to Devotion and give us some instruction for life but all come much short of this Holy Book When you would have a Tree thrive and bear fruit you dig about it you manure it with soil and water it all these are good helps yet all these without Sun-shine upon it effect little 't is the Sun that fetches up the sap causes it to budd blossom and bear fruit And so 't is that Sun of Righteousness who there speaks to us and sends the powerful raies of his grace upon our hearts 't is he that worketh in us and causeth us to bring forth fruit The Law of the Lord as David saith converteth the Soul it doth not only instruct the Soul as other Books but also converts the Soul gives life unto Souls dead in sin for 't is the word of life the power of God unto salvation And blessed be the infinite goodness and mercy of God who so freely imparts this Heavenly Blessing to us all Come come hither all ye that hunger and thirst ofter Righteousness come Clergy come Laity come Male and Female come Old and Young come Rich and Poor come and ye shall all be satisfied Come buy without money and without price for our God is a most gracious God he will not send any one away empty no but giveth liberally to all men And to this our most gracious God be ascribed as is most due all honour and praise majesty and glory now and for ever Amen The Second SERMON ON JOHN V. Ver. 39. Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have Eternal Life THE former part of this Text Search the Scriptures I have already treated of shewing you that this Command of our Saviour belongs to all conditions of men and women and that 't is not only lawful but pious also and profitable for all to read the Scriptures and to teach them their Children that from their very infancy they may suck in the sincere milk of the Word that they may grow thereby And this I proved unto you by the whole current of the Bible both Old and New Testament And therefore it is a strange presumption very foolish and very impious for vain man born ignorant as the wild Asses Colt to pretend to give reasons for shutting up the Scripture from the People God having so expresly and so often commanded all to read the Scriptures And consequently 't is a blasphemous speech to say that the peoples reading the Scripture causeth them to fall into schisms and heresies for it casts a reproach upon Gods Command making him the Author of Sin But now put the case that the peoples reading of Scripture were the real cause of their falling into Schisms and Errors which God forbid we should say in earnest but only let us suppose it and then consider whether or no it be not far worse with them that shut up the Scripture from the people than with us that let them read it For first none of our Sectaries that depend on Scripture fall into such damnable Errors as the Papists Idolatrous worship and dismembring the blessed Sacrament and some others Secondly we have but few in corners here and there run into Errors not one of a hundred or scarce of a thousand whereas their whole Church from the lowest to the very highest People Priests Bishops Archbishops Pope and all as it was with the Iews in their fits of Idolatry all run into the same Nay 't is worse with these than with the Iews for these have not recovered themselves out of their Errors many hundred years together but most obstinately persist in them notwithstanding the many learned Protestant Writers that have so palpably discovered them yet like Demetrius the the Silver-Smith with his Crafts-men so the Pope and his adherents animate one another saying their Craft will be in danger to be set at nought their Idol-Temples would be despised and their wealth and magnificence utterly destroyed And thus Beloved you see the miserable and desperate condition of these poor blinded and fettered Christians the Pope hath got them fast within his enchanted Chain and 't is his interest never to let them go and all this by shutting up the Scripture Lord have mercy upon them and
passages which otherwise we could not well understand Thirdly Where a passage of Scripture may have several significations and thereby make it doubtful what is the more proper meaning of it there those Primitive Fathers can best tell us in what sence it was received in the Primitive Church And surely in doubtful places every modest man will think it fit to incline to those Primitive Godly men whose nearness to the Apostles gave them great opportunities of knowing the true sence and whose godly lives give us great assurance of their fidelity in delivering unto us what they received from their godly Fore-fathers some the very Disciples of the Apostles Several other reasons might be added for our regard and reverence to these Primitive Fathers in their Expositions of the dark or doubtful places of Scripture Yet I humbly conceive nothing of all this is necessary to understand those matters of faith which are necessary to Salvation as that God created and governs the world or the incarnation death and resurrection of Christ. These and such necessary things are so plainly set down in Scripture as that men of ordinary capacity may understand them without any Comment of the Fathers But what if any one or more very learned and very godly Fathers even such as laid down their lives for the faith what if they teach me a Doctrine in which the Scripture is wholly silent Ought I not to believe in them To this I small give you an answer from Tertullian one of the first Christian Writers who lived in the second Century about a hundred and fifty years after Christs Ascension He tells us in his Prescriptions against Heresies that this was the rule among Christians That they were not to believe any thing but that which Christ and his Apostles had delivered unto them in the Scripture Hoc priùs credimus non ess◠quod ultra credere debemus And a little after sets down a Creed which very little varies from that which we have amongst us called the Apostles Creed This saith he is our rule of faith and we believe Nihil esse ultra quod credere debemus That there is nothing more for us to believe for this rule here set down is a compendium of all I do not cite this out of Tertullian as if I would prescribe unto you from him what you are to believe by his Authority for he doth not tell us this as his own opinion but only relates what was the belief and practice of the Church in his Primitive days who was so near after Christ. And this Tertullian is generally believed by the Learned to be as faithful a relater as any antient Writer whatsoever And he was of so great a credit with that learned and godly Father and Martyr of the Church St. Cyprian who lived not many years after Tertullian that he always called him Master and daily read his Works calling to his Servant Da Magistrum Give me my Masters Book to read Which shews he was of great credit But Tertullian after the discourse I now mentioned out of him confirms what he had said by Scripture Authority which is of far more weight than Tertullian and St. Cyprian both citing that place of St. Paul to the Galatians Chap. i. vers 8. Though we or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached let him be accursed Now you must know that the Original Greek from whence our Gospel is translated hath this more effectual to our purpose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which more exactly in English is rendred thus If any man preach unto you any thing besides what we have preached he doth not say contrary to what we have preached but besides which is the same in effect as to say any thing more And Arius Montanus a learned Papist in the University of Sevil in Spain who translated the Greek new Testament word for word sets it down just as I have done unto you Praeter quod evangelizavimus Besides what we have preached St. Paul means If they shall preach any more as necessary to Salvation for this is to make the Word of God of no effect he having in his Holy Word given us a rule of Faith for our Salvation and then for any one to say you must believe more is in effect to say Gods Word is not sufficient This is an accursed saying according to St. Paul Now if neither St. Paul nor an Angel from Heaven had any Commission to preach any thing besides what is already set down in the Scripture certainly we may shut up our ears to any one or to all the Doctors of the Church preaching unto us any thing more than what is there contained As for Example If they shall preach 't is necessary to obey the Pope to believe Purgatory or the like things which are not expressed in Scriptures let them be accursed as St. Paul saith A second Question may be what you are to do when any Father or Fathers expound a place of Scripture contrary to what you believe is the plain meaning of that place Must you quit your own judgment and believe in them This is just like the Prophet whom God sent to Bethel with an express command not to eat bread there he hearkened afterward to the old lying Prophet who pretending to have received a contrary message from God dissuaded him from what God had commanded for which he was slain by a Lion in his return And surely all men have great reason to expect the like recompence for their disobedience who forsake that which they verily believe is Gods Command and hearken to the Doctrins of men To this my Answer I shall give you another from a person of great Authority St. Austin a most eminent Doctor of the Church In one of his Epistles to St. Ierome he gives a clear judgment in this case First He tells us that when he reads the Holy Scriptures he entirely submits his own judgment to them and absolutely believes every thing there to be true meerly because it is contained there Gods Word is truth it cannot be otherwise therefore whether he understands it or no yet still he believes it truth But as for all other Writers he saith Alios autem ita lego ut quantalibet sanctitate doctrináque praepolleant non ideo verum putem quia ita ipsi senserint sed quia mihi vel per illos autores canonicos vel probabili ratione quod à vero non abhorreant persuadere potuerint Other Writers I so read as that be they ever so Holy ever so Learned I do not therefore believe their opinion to be true because they thought so but so far only as they prove it true by Canonical Scripture or by such reasons as seem not to be contrary to the truth And then tells St. Ierome that he doubts not but he is of the same mind And as for my part I am fully of Saint Austins mind and farther think it
of God to confirm their Doctrine for we have no other assurance of the Doctrine delivered by the Apostles but the miracles which they wrought in confirmation of it Excuse me for herein you are foully mistaken we have our Saviours command given them to preach the Gospel to all the world and we have his promise made to them that he would send the Holy Ghost unto them to lead them into all truth which we are assured did descend upon them working miraculously in divers and sundry manners Wherefore to speak properly we say That we do not believe in the Apostles but we believe in God the Holy Ghost speaking to us by the Apostles And which is yet more our Saviour himself which was both God and man yet he doth not require us to believe in him as man but as God assuring us so Ioh. viii 28. I do nothing of my self but as my father hath taught me I speak these things And again xii 49. I have not spoken of my self but the father which sent me he gave me a commandment what I should say and what I should speak By which we are fully instructed that we are not to believe in any man living but only in God speaking to us by man and therefore we are not to give Divine Faith to the Doctrine of any man the greatest Saint that ever was unless we are as fully assured that he hath God the Holy Ghost speaking in him as we are that he spake to us by the Apostles And certainly we have no such assurance of any man since the Apostles no special command given by Christ to preach any new Gospel no promise of the Holy Ghost to lead them into all truth no visible descension of the Holy Ghost in after Ages no gift of tongues nor prophesie But it may be you think that at the end of St. Matthews Gospel where Christ sends the Apostles to preach and says Lo I am with you always even unto the end of the world this promise must be intended to the Apostles Successors also the Fathers of the Church that Christ would be with them unto the end of the world for the Apostles themselves were not to continue unto the end of the world but their Successors All this I grant that Christ will be with the Fathers of the Church the Successors of the Apostles to the end of the world who succeed the Apostles in their Doctrine as well as in Office Christ will bless them and prosper that Doctrine unto the end of the world Wherefore I pray you consider the whole context of that place Vers. 19 20. Go ye therefore and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you always even unto the end of the world So long as you teach the things I have commanded you so long I am with you even to the end of the world The promise then of being with them to the end of the world is conditional viz. If they teach the things that Christ hath commanded either by himself or by his Apostles who were guided by his Spirit all which commands of Christ and his Apostles are delivered unto us in the Scriptures On this condition the promise was made in teaching the things commanded and not otherwise What is this to teaching of new Doctrine not commanded by Christ not contained in Scripture Not one tittle of promise made for that nor any commission given to teach new Doctrines but rather a curse for the person teaching any other Gospel than what was already preached be he man on earth or Angel from Heaven Gal. i. 8. Why because the Doctrine preacht by Christ and his Apostles was compleat for our Salvation And therefore we do not find that any one of the antient Holy Fathers doth pretend to any such infallible guidance of the Holy Ghost and thereby require submission and obedience to his Doctrine but rather declares quite contrary as I have newly mentioned unto you out of St. Austine one of the four principal Doctors of the Church who gives us a general rule Not to give any assured belief to any the most learned and most Holy Fathers farther than they can prove their Doctrine by Scriptures that is our compleat rule of faith Is it not then a strange disobedient wilful blind submission to their Doctrine expresly contrary to the rule of faith given by themselves And great reason had St. Austin to give us this rule when he had found as he expresses in another place that St. Cyprian a preceding Father of the Church most eminent for learning and sanctity who laid down his life for the faith this great Doctor Saint and Martyr taught and maintained an error even unto death which error of his was condemned afterwards by the whole Christian Church And not only St. Cyprian but all the great Bishops of Affrica joyned with him in this error And long before St. Cyprian Papias Bishop of Hierapolis whom that famous Bishop of Lyons Irenaeus affirms to have been a Disciple of St. Iohn the Evangelist and very probably he might be so for St. Iohn dyed in the hundred and second year of our Lord and Papias was then a Pastor of the Church He taught if not began as most antient Writers conceive the error of the Chiliasts That Christ should come again to reign here on earth a thousand years Irenaeus Bishop of Lyons mentioned before learnt this error of him and did propagate it farther till at length it infected most Writers of that Age. And this Irenaeus himself was the Disciple of St. Polycarpus and Polycarpus the Disciple of St. Iohn and therefore 't was no wonder that this error was taken up by many Doctors of the Church having two such famous men the Authors of it Yet this error was not long after rejected by the whole Christian Church Good reason then had St. Austin to give us that rule not to subscribe to any Doctrine of the Fathers but such as they proved by Holy Scriptures And it was a seasonable caution to future Ages against his own Doctrine for he himself taught the error that it was necessary to administer the Sacrament of the Lords Supper to Infants and this was an opinion generally believed in the Christian Church for many years though afterwards and to this day concluded a gross error And I beg leave to say this as true as free That whoever reads the Doctors and Fathers of the Church writings of the erroneous customs generally practised in their times but afterwards rejected by the whole Christian Church as well by the Papists as others shall find these Fathers as zealously maintaining by forced arguments and wrested Scriptures those their erroneous customs as the soundest truths God is my record I say not this out of any reproach to them whereof many have been great Champions for the fundamental truths and
of Truth and the way of Error the way of Godliness and the way of Iniquity the way of Life and the way of Death I most humbly and most earnestly beseech our most Gracious God for his Son Christ Iesus's sake to give you a right understanding in all things and to preserve you continually in the way of Truth Holiness Righteousness and Life Everlasting Amen THE END A SUPPLEMENT To the PRECEDING SERMONS TOGETHER WITH A TRACT concerning the Holy Sacrament OF THE Lords Supper Promised in the PREFACE By the Right Reverend Father in God HERBERT Lord Bishop of HEREFORD London Printed for Charles Harper 1679. A SUPPLEMENT To the Preceding SERMONS IN the Preceding Sermons I have proved these six things 1. That by God's special appointment all persons are to read and learn the Scriptures for their Edification in Faith and good Life and therefore 't is both foolish and impious for vain Man to take upon him to give reasons why the People should not read them 2. The reason of this because that in the Scriptures we have eternal life as our Saviour tells us which St. Paul explicates more particularly saying That they make us wise unto salvation that is they teach us all things necessary for our belief and they throughly furnish us unto all good works that is they teach us all things requisite for good life And these things the Scriptures compleatly contain in themselves without any Humane Doctrines so that if there were no other Writings nor Instructions in the World but the Scriptures alone yet we should not want any thing necessary to eternal life 3. That we are not to believe any thing with Divine Faith but what is clearly contained in Scripture for such a belief is a Duty belonging to God alone and 't is the greatest and most acceptable Duty and Sacrifice we can perform unto God to captivate our understandings in Obedience to Faith in God and therefore to give this principal Divine Service unto Man is high Idolatry and consequently to believe in the Apostles themselves had been great Idolatry had not Christ fully assured us That they should have the Holy Ghost to guide them into all Truth So that to speak properly we do not believe in the Apostles and Prophets but in God the Holy Ghost speaking in them And for this reason we find St. Paul very wary in distinguishing and declaring to the people what he delivered as from the Lord and what he delivered as from himself though he was perswaded he had the Spirit of the Lord even in that But yet no clear and full assurance that it was spoken directly by the Lord. Nay our blessed Saviour himself though God and Man yet would not have us believe in him as Man and therefore assures us That the words he spake were not his but the Father's speaking by him 4. I have proved that we have not any clear and full assurance from God That any Assembly of Men or Church since the Apostles are infallibly guided by the Holy Ghost into all Truth and therefore to believe in any Assembly of Men or Church without this full assurance of the Holy Ghost's speaking in them is Idolatry also for by such a belief you pay them the greatest Divine Worship 5. Though we should grant That some promise of Infallibility were made in Scripture to the Church yet this must include the Laity as well as the Clergy for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we translate Church is always set in Scripture for the Congregation of the Faithful and is not once set for the Clergy distinct from the Laity But there is no such thing as Infallibility granted to any neither Priests nor People nor both together 6. Grant yet farther that the word Church in Scripture should signifie the Clergy and a promise of Infallibility made to them as Successors to the Apostles yet the same Promise being made and the same Authority given to all the Apostles alike the Successor of St. Peter and his Clergy cannot from hence challenge any more Infallibility than the Successors of the other Apostles with their Clergy and Church But the Papists deny this Infallibility to other Churches Certainly then other Churches may as well deny it to them All these things I have proved But now for a fuller conviction of the Papists and perchance for better satisfaction to some others I have a mind to grant yet farther That Christ made some particular Promise to St. Peter above the other Apostles yea and to St. Peter's Successors also 't is impossible from Scripture to prove either of these but let it pass so let us now see how the Papists can from hence fix this Infallibility to the Bishop of Rome and his Churches For I have shewed you from Scripture which doubtless is of better Authority than any Writings the Papists can bring for St. Peter that Rome was comprised in St. Paul's Jurisdiction and that he lived and preached and suffered there But we will pass over this also and yield to St. Peter's Jurisdiction over the whole World What then Then St. Peter was Bishop of Rome and setled his Successor there And how do the Papists prove this They answer that many authentick Historians tell them so is this all their Proof Humane Testimony from History is this a sufficient foundation for a prime Article of Faith on which depends the Salvation of all Christian Souls Is this a sure Rock or rather a bank of Sand to build their Infallibility upon Do not the same Historians relate that St. Peter was Bishop of Antioch and we have more reason to believe History for this because the Scripture tells us he was there but not one tittle of his ever being at Rome but strong Presumptions to the contrary St. Luke in the Acts speaking so much of St. Paul's going thither hath not one word of St. Peter's who being as the Papists believe so eminent an Apostle above all the rest seems somewhat neglected by St. Luke which makes me suspect St. Luke was not of their Opinion And shall we accuse St. Paul also for want of charity or civility never to mention St. Peter in all those his particular and numerous Salutations to and from others in his Epistles we must not think that their quarrel at Antioch where St. Paul withstood St. Peter stuck so long in his mind as to omit all Salutation to him in several Epistles We ought rather in charity to St. Paul to believe St. Peter was not at Rome And truly methinks the Papists themselves who pretend so much to honour St. Peter do him no small dishonour in affirming him to be at Rome when St. Paul answered for himself before Nero the first time St. Paul complaining that no man stood with him but all forsook him And if those Historians which the Papists rely on for St. Peter's being Bishop of Rome speak true in the circumstance of time then he was at Rome when St. Paul first answered
As for example If one of their Priests should pronounce the words of Consecration in the Lord's Supper and not intend to consecrate the Bread then 't is no Sacrament but the Bread remains bare Bread still because he did not intend to consecrate it I pray you remember this for I shall have occasion to mention it again hereafter So when any Bishop says the words for ordaining a Priest and doth not intend really to ordain they say he is no Priest So when an Archbishop seeming to consecrate another Bishop says the words but doth not intend his Consecration then they believe this Man is not hereby really made Bishop the words without the intention having no effect From hence 't is evident That if the Bishop that consecrated the Pope did not intend to make him Bishop he is none or if the Bishop that consecrated that Bishop that consecrated the Pope did not intend it then he was no Bishop and consequently could not consecrate a Bishop he being none himself So that going back from Bishop to Bishop if one of a hundred in process of time hath failed of intention then there can be no assurance that this Man is really a Bishop and Pope Now considering how many devilish wicked Bishops have been among them 't is more than probable some one of them hath minded the business of his Consecration no more than a Horse nay perchance in the wickedness of his heart hath laughed at that thing as a meer foppery as that blasphemous devilish Pope laughing said O quantum nobis profuit haec Fabula Christi What mighty advantage hath that Fable of Christ brought unto us But whether he really intended Consecration or no that being in the secret of his own heart alone is impossible to be known by another 'T is then most evident we cannot possibly have any assurance that such a Mâ—n is a Priest Bishop Pope and St. Peter's Successor and if he be not St. Peter's Successor then his Determinations signifie nothing as the Papists confess Where then is their assurance of any Pope's â—nfallibility having no assurance that he is Pope Bishop or Priest Can any Man think Gods infinite Goodness and Providence would leave hiâ— Church in so great distraction as the Papist s belief of their Pope's Infallibility embroils us in No certainly but God hath left us a short and safe way his holy Scripture in searching of which with sincerity and humility we shall be sure to find eternal life for God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble I have a desire to go yet a little farther And let us suppose there were Infallibility settled in the Church of Rome I desire to know particularly where 't is to be found Here we shall find the Papists at a great stand Some say 'T is in the Pope alone some in a General Council alone some say in Pope and Council together Nay some will farther tell you That whether Pope or Council or both together decree any thing yet that Decree is not obligatory in any National Church as for example in the Church of France unless the Church of France have approved and received that Council You see at what a loss we are still for Infallibility they themselves are not agreed where 't is to be found But certainly of these three several Opinions I pass over the fourth it is most rational and coherent to their first Principle That the Infallibility is fixed in the Pope whom they all grant to be St. Peter's Successor for this Infallibility being originally granted to St. Peter 't is most coherent to this that it should descend to his Successor Besides they that would have it in the Pope and Council together say That the Pope only hath the power to call General Councils and to confirm the Decrees of the Councils so that if he doth not both call and confirm all the Decrees they are of no force nor any obliged to submit to them And thus in effect this Infallibility determines in the Pope alone the Council signifying nothing without him And then if this Infallibility be residing in the Pope I pray you remember what I told you but now the impossibility of assurance of any man's being rightly Pope which requires so many assuring Circumstances But now after all these innumerable difficulties and perplexities to find out where this Infallibility lies I meet with another grand difficulty yea as great as all these put together For if we consider what strange horrid wicked Creatures have been Popes since the Creation of the World there have not been persons more abominably and devillishly wicked what possible assurance then can be found sufficient to make us believe the Infallible Spirit of the Holy Ghost inhabits in such Dens of uncleanness and cruelty as the Breasts of such detestable Monsters of Iniquity To believe the high incomprehensible mystery of our Saviour s incarnation That the Omnipotent Divine Nature and the weak Nature of Man are united in one Person of Christ is sure a thing of very hard belief and requires the express Word of God to make us to submit and captivate our understandings in obedience to it What then can be sufficient to make us believe this so extreamly contrary to all reason That the All-glorious and All-holy Spirit of God and the spirit of the Devil should be united in the heart of such abominable Popes What can captivate our hearts to this belief I confess we are to submit to God's Word though it seem ever so contrary to reason I dare not say otherwise But then I beg leave to say That I may require to see the Word of God for this as plainly and as expresly as we see the Sun in a clear Sky at Noon Gideon as it is set forth Iudg. vi after that God had plainly declared unto him by an Angel That he should conquer the Midianites and had confirmed his Word by that miracle of Fire rising out of the Rock and consuming the Sacrifice yet presumed to require of God a farther assurance by a Miracle of Dew filling a Fleece of Wool yea and after that a third Miracle of having the Fleece dry and all the ground wet round about it and the great goodness of God hearkened to him in all I hope then the infinite goodness of God would not be angry if I should desire one two or three evident assurances to make me believe a thing to humane reason far more impossible than his conquering the Midianites God was graciously pleased to assure us by his beloved Disciple St. Iohn of the Incarnation of his Eternal Son that he had heard and 〈◊〉 â—nd looked upon the Original word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies consideringly to observe yea and his hands had handled the Word of Life all which put together is as compleat an assurance as can be imagined and all this to assure us of the Union of the two Natures Divine and Humane in one Person as I
which they themselves take in a figurative sence And our Saviour's own comment upon this matter Ioh. vi declares it ought to be taken spiritually and figuratively But notwithstanding all this put the case that we were mistaken and they were in the right as to this yet certainly our case is far safer than theirs for they cannot deny that we have great probability of Scripture for us nothing directly against us so that we have a fair plea to God for our belief though erroneous whereas they have no plea not one tittle of Scripture or Reason for their erroneous Sacrilegious dismembring this Holy Sacrament flatly against Christ's Institution and Command reiterated again by St. Paul Their case then is apparently damnable If they answer They have the Command of their Pope and Church I reply That if their Pope and Church have power to reverse any one part of Scripture the same power may reverse another and another and in sum All. This is such high Phanaticism as it were as great madness in us as in them to discourse longer with them But I hope they are not all so mad and therefore I shall proceed farther to gain such and knowing that they are great admirers of the Doctors and Fathers of the Church especially the more ancient though our Faith is built wholly on Scripture without them and therefore I did not intend to make use of their Authority at all yet I shall here produce enough to give any moderate Papist full satisfaction That their Transubstantiation is against the belief of the Ancient Fathers of the true Catholick Church First then I lay this ground Their Transubstantiation plainly and necessarily infers Christ's Body to be really and corporally present in many thousand places at once in all Parts of the World where they celebrate Mass. Now if I can bring clear proof from any one eminent Father of the true Catholick Church that Christ's Body cannot be in many distinct places at once this Father clearly proves Transubstantiation cannot be St. Austin an eminent Bishop and Father was always held not only Orthodox but of great authority in the Church cited frequently in the Papists Schools to this very day And his great Piety and Modesty was a great cause of his great Authority for he bore a singular Reverence and Submission to Scripture still captivating his understanding to that nor was ever known to begin or countenance Novelty but always reverenced the Doctrine of the Primitive Church and therefore most worthy to be hearkened to This famous Bishop and Doctor of the Church in his 57 Epistle to Dardanus discourseth at large of this point An quia ubique Deus sit hominem quoque illum qui in Deo sit ubique diffusum dicere possumus Whether or no we may affirm that God being every where so the Man Christ being in God is also every where or confin'd to a certain place So that the Man Christ cannot be affirm'd to be both in Heaven and on Earth at the same time And in the discussion of this matter he sets down this for a rule Cavendum est nè ita divinitatem adstruamus hominis ut veritatem corporis auferamus We must take heed that we do not so establish the Divinity of the Man Christ as to destroy the truth and reality of his Body which cannot be in several places at once nor so much as in two places at once in Paradise and on Earth though his Divinity fill all places at once and is every where and therefore concludes thus Christum ubique totum praesentem esse non dubites tanquam Deum in loco aliquo coeli propter veri corporis modum Doubt not but that Christ is wholly present every where as God but yet is in some certain place in Heaven by reason of the reality of his Body And as Saint Austin denies that the Body of Christ being a real humane Body can be in several places at once so doth he affirm that the Body of Christ must possess a place suitable to the largeness and dimensions of the Body with length and breadth in proportion to every limb Cum corpus sit aliqua substantia quantitas ejus est in magnitudine molis ejus distantibus partibus quae simul esse non possunt quoniam suum quaeque spatium locorum tenent minores minora majores majora A Body being a substance with quantity this quantity consists in the bulk of it with parts distant one from the other and not confusedly all together but each one possesseth a proper place to it self the lesser parts a lesser space the greater a greater because amplior est quantitas in amplioribus partibus brevior in brevioribus in nulla parte tanta quanta per totum Because the quantity of the longer parts is longer of the shorter parts shorter so that the bigness of the whole must needs exceed the bigness of any part and consequently the space which the whole Body possesseth must needs be greater than the space of any one part Spatia locorum tolle corporibus nusquam erunt quae nusquam erunt nec erunt The proportion and bigness of space is so necessary to the proportion and bigness of a Body with its parts that if you take away this just space from Bodies they cannot be said to be in any place and to say a Body is not in any place is in effect to say it is not at all Now you must understand that all this discourse of Saint Austin in this place is concerning immortal Bodies and even Christ's Body now glorious in Heaven For the Question which Dardanus made and to which Saint Austin answers was concerning the being of Christ's Body now immortal Whether that could be in several places at once or is confin'd to one certain place And to shew that Saint Austin thus understands this Question his words declare saying Nam ipsum immortale corpus minus est in parte quà m in toto c. For that immortal Body is less in a part than in the whole c. and gives his reason Cùm corpus sit aliqua substantia c. as before I shall endeavour to make all this a little plainer to lower Capacities The difference between a Body and a Spirit is this A Body possesses a space according to the quantity and bigness of the Body each part of the Body filling a space sutable to the proportion of it A Body of five foot long and a foot broad takes up the room of five foot in length and a foot in breadth and cannot be contain'd in a less space each limb of this Body filling its proper place the Head in one place the Arm in another the Leg in another and so the rest so that two Bodies can't be in the same place nor two parts of the same Body in one place But a Body having many hollow parts in it as the Belly and the Head and in the most fleshy parts
whatsoever Wherefore I cannot but conclude that Saint Austin was of the same Faith with the Catholick Church of his time and that the Papists are of a very different Faith from him and them I know full well that the Papists do alledge another place of Saint Austin's where he seems to speak somewhat in conformity to their Faith as in his Explication or Paraphrase on the Thirty third Psalm Where discoursing of those words Ferebatur manibus suis He was carried in his own hands He applies those words unto Christ saying That they could not be literally meant of any body else because Christ only bare himself in his own hands when he deliver'd with his own hands his Body in the Sacrament to his Disciples To this I could answer That if St. Austin doth here seem to contradict what he had proved before it follows from hence that we cannot take the authority of any Father for our Faith because this learned and eminent Father as well as many others seems to contradict himself But I will not make so injurious an answer to so worthy a Father of the Church for in truth he doth not here contradict in the least what he said before as I shall now make appear Saint Austin in his Epistle to Dardanus doth professedly discourse the point in a Doctrinal way and doth not only give his Opinion but the reasons that so enforce it as that it can't be otherwise But it is quite another thing to discourse by way of Paraphrase as Saint Austin doth on that Psalm we may well affirm that he used the common paraphrastical liberty which is very frequent among the Fathers especially the more ancient and chiefly in Origen whom I may well call the origine of such Libertin discourse that great luxuriant Wit making flourishes upon every word often used Expressions too too light for the weighty sence of Holy Scripture but his great Wit and Learning having obtain'd great reverence these things passed pardonable in him and became too much imitated by succeeding Doctors And therefore 't is no wonder that Saint Austin not much unlike him in luxuriancy of Wit was somewhat like him in the way of Allegories and Paraphrases wherein men do not so much intend the clear positive Doctrine as flourishing circumlocutions and variety of Phansies But we may the better excuse Saint Austin in this if we take in Saint Austin's rule That it is no strange thing or false thing to affirm that of the signs which belong to the thing signified as he exemplifies in our Saviour himself Non dubitavit dicere hoc est corpus meum cùm signum daret corporis sui Our Saviour doubted not to affirm to his Disciples and say This is my body when he gave unto them the sign of his Body which was the Bread he blessed brake and gave unto them And so St. Austin doubted not to affirm and say That Christ bare his Body in his own hands when he bare Bread which was the sign of his Body And so those words He was carried in his own hands may be said to be literally verified of our Saviour secundùm quendum modum after a certain manner the Phrase St. Austin useth upon this very subject in another place not literally in the exact sence And the meaning is only this These words He was carried in his own hands cannot be so properly or so literally understood of David or any other man as of Christ for David in no sence can be said to carry himself in his own hands our Saviour may because he carried Bread the sign of his Body in his own hands And now for the clear conviction of the Papists and for the full satisfaction of every impartial man It is evident Saint Austin himself doth in this very place plainly declare He meant no otherwise than I have exprest him For after he had discoursed much of this business he concludes thus Ipse se portabat quodammodo cùm diceret Hoc est corpus meum He bare himself in his own hands after a certain manner when he said This is my body which as I said plainly shews he meant not our Saviour did really carry himself in his hands but as he saith Quodammodo after a certain manner which Quodammodo had been very improper had our Saviour really carried himself in his own hands But put the case Saint Austin had not here added this word Quodammodo after a certain manner yet any man that is the least verst in matters of Learning will certainly be far more moved in his Opinion by what Saint Austin Doctrinally and Demonstratively affirms than by what he Paraphrastically discourses which is the slightest way of discoursing in the world I will not here urge against the Papists that place of Saint Austin I mentioned but now That Christ doubted not to say to his Disciples This is my body when he gave them the sign of his Body because he doth not there purposely dispute this business but brings in that occasionally to prove somewhat else Yet from hence it is apparent enough that Saint Austin understood the Bread in the Lord's Supper to be only a sign of Christ's Body and not his real Body as the Papists believe But I return to the business in hand There is a passage in Scripture usually objected against this Argument of St. Austin's That our Saviour came into the Room where his Disciples were the doors being shut Which seems to imply That a glorified Body doth not require such spaces and dimensions of place as mortal Bodies because our Saviour's Body entred the Room passing through the material Body of Stone Wood or the like as they would have it This Objection is easily answered That no Man is able to affirm How our Saviour's Body entred the Room it being not expressed in Scripture but this is clear That our Saviour might divide the Walls or Doors or Roof or Floor and so make way for his Body to enter and yet his Disciples not perceive it As our Saviour passed through the midst of the Iews and they perceived it not when they carried him to the brow of the Hill to cast him down head long no Man supposes from hence That our Saviour passed through the Bodies of the Iews but by them unseen Wherefore it not being declared in Scripture how he entred how can any Argument be drawn from hence of our Saviour's Body passing through other Bodies and consequently how doth this confute or weaken St. Austin's Argument Certainly not at all I will set down one passage more of another memorable Father and Bishop Theodoret who disputing with an Heretick named Eranistes that denied our Saviour to have a real humane substantial Body after his Resurrection and affirmed That his Humanity was wholly swallowed up in the Divinity Theodoret arguing against him Dia◠2. Ch. 24. affirmeth That as the Bread after the Consecration in the Lord's Supper is not changed in form and substance but remains the very
Ceremonies were to be quite abolished not to be re-built again on Christ as the Romanists do yea and re-build on Christ some of the old Roman Heathen Superstitions also as I formerly shewed you for in the fiery-Trial at the Judgment-day the Fire should try every Man's work that is every Man should give a severe account of what he had built what Doctrine he had preached if pure spiritual Doctrine that like Gold Silver precious Stones would endure the fiery-Trial of that day remain and be rewarded But if Superstitious ceremonial Doctrine that like Wood Hay Stubble would not endure the fiery-Trial but would be burnt and the Builder thereof would lose his labour and reward but because he kept the Foundation Christ and was sound in the principal parts of the Faith he should be saved yet so As by Fire he should pass a severe examination and check for building such gross carnal stuff upon so pure and spiritual a foundation Which little particle As like a small spark sets on fire and burns down to the ground all that stubble-building of Papal Purgatory for no man is so ignorant but knows that this Particle As always denotes a similitude a likeness to the thing named and how absurd were it to say Fire is like Fire St. Peter in his first Epist. Ch. 4. v. 12. writes Beloved think it not strange concerning the fiery-triall which is to try you as though some strange thing happened unto you Had they taken this as the Papists do for real Fire they would have thought it strange indeed This Phrase of fiery-Trial is so familiar in Scripture that no man can without wilfulness mistake it especially here where the whole discourse all along is figurative Is not Foundation Building Gold Silver precious Stones Wood Hay Stubble all figurative not one of them literally spoken Yet forsooth this one word Fire alone must be taken literally I pray you then take Wood Hay Stubble also literally along with you into your Purgatory-Fire it will make such a blaze about your ears as that the Pope with all his Holy Water and Agnus Dei's will not be able to quench it Really these are strange Men that will thus abuse Scripture to delude poor silly people unless they repent they will doubtless meet with a far worse Fire than that their invented Purgatory-Fire not As Fire but a real and eternal Fire from which Good Lord deliver them In like manner they abuse another text in St. Iames Ch. 5. v. 14. where he speaks of one of the miraculous gifts given to the Elders of the Church and Preachers of the Gospel in those days to anoint the Sick with oyl and so cure them This the Papists obtrude to poor ignorant Souls for their extream Unction which they administer to Sick persons not for their Recovery but when they are past all hopes of Recovery as a Sacrament to confer the grace of Faith and to strengthen them then for their departure out of this world as different from the Scripture meaning as the Sun-rising from Sun-setting Life from Death And just so they abuse v. 16 Confess your faults one to another for their Auricular Confession to their Priests which is a meer Exhortation to mutual and charitable Reconciliation of all Christians one to another by the Offenders confessing and acknowledging the wrong they have done to their Neighbour and then both Parties praying for one another as all good Christians ought to do for doubtless all men are bound in Conscience as well to acknowledge and confess their faults to the party injured as to pray for him And this St. Iames exhorts all Christians to do You see now what strange deluding Persons these Popish Priests are who if they find but one word in Scripture that agrees with one word of their superstitious practice they pop this into the ears of silly people and drive it in with a Mallet yet quite contrary to the meaning of that text from whence they took it which they cannot be so ignorant but to see To whom therefore I cannot but say as the Angel did to Satan The Lord rebuke them Yet I shall not cease to pray to the Lord also for their Conversion for which while there is life there is hope I conclude then as blessed St. Stephen did for his Persecutors Lord lay not this Sin to their charge Glory be to God on high and on earth Peace Good will towards Men. Amen FINIS Three Books written by the Right Reverend Father in God Herbert Lord Bishop of Hereford 1. A Sermon Preached before the King at Whitehall 2. A Letter written to a Friend concerning Popish Idolatry c. 3. A Second Call to a farther Humiliation being a Sermon Preached at the Cathedral Church in Hereford the 24th of November 1678. All three Printed for Charles Harper at the Flower de luce over against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleet-street