Means much available for strengthening of Faith or for repairing those decayes or ruines which the subtiltie of Satan works in our soules yet the Reiteration of the Sacrament of Baptism is neither Necessary nor allowable much lesse Commendable for such purposes And the Raritie or rather Singularitie of It was to my apprehension Emblematically prefigured by the Sacrifice of the Red Heifer or the Water of sprinkling which was Legally sanctified or consecrated by her Ashes The Law concerning this kind of Purification is not to be found I take it in Leviticus at least not in that sixteenth Chapter wherein the Law of the Sacrifice of attonement is punctually set down However the forementioned Glossarie upon the Romish Canon for consecrating Holy Water either through negligence See Chapt. 48 Num. 6. or ignorance or both avouch that place for it If the sacrifice of the Red Heifer had belonged unto the Feast of attonement it must have been reiterated once every year whereas the Hebrew Antiquaries affirm that this solemnitie was not used above tea times during all the time of the Law of the Tabernacle or Temple And whether it were so often used may be questioned because there is no Law or Precept for the Continuation of it but only for the use of the water of sprinkling being once consecrated by it so often as the occasion specified in the Law did require 2. But unlesse the frequent use of the water so mingled with the ashes did wast or exhaust the ashes of that one sacrifice which Eleazar not Aaron was commanded to offer These might have been preserved without putrifaction for a longer time then the Law of Ceremonies was to endure For Ashes as good Naturalists tell us being well kept are immortal or an Emblem of Immortalitie But it may be that as soon or as often as the Ashes of any such sacrifice were by frequent use of the water of sprinkling exhausted or wasted the Legal Priests were bound by the Law mentioned to offer another for consecrating the water of sprinkling whose use was to continue as long as the reason mentioned in the Law did indure 3. The chief use or End of the water of sprinkling mingled with the Ashes of this sacrifice was to purifie such as had made themselves Legally unclean or had casually fallen into such uncleanness One branch of this uncleanness was the touching or being touched by any Dead Corps And unto this use of the water of sprinkling mentioned Numb 19. 11. that of our Apostle Heb. 9. 14. hath special Reference more then Allusion How much more shall the bloud of Christ purge our Consciences from DEAD works That this Legal Sacrifice for sinne was an Exquisite Type of Christs Bloudy Death and sufferings or an exact picture of his bloud wherewith the heavenly Sanctuary or Holy places were purified although the bloud of this Legal sacrifice were not brought into the Earthly Sanctuary no good Writers which I have read either deny or question That the Water of sprinkling consecrated by the aspersion of the Ashes of this Legal Sacrifice did truely resemble the water of Baptism by which we are washed from sin and consecrated unto God as clean persons that is made members of his Church here on earth is so evident in it self that it needs no Paraphrase or Laborious Comment upon the fore-cited Law Yet to this purpose the learned Reader may find much pertinent matter in Chytraeus his Comments upon the Book of Numbers and in many others It will be more needful or better suiting with my intentions in this place to prevent the captious exceptions which some Anti-Papists have heretofore taken and now resume against the expressions of our Publick Liturgie in that Part of it which concerns the Administration of Baptism Almighty and everlasting God which of thy great mercie diddest save Noah and his Familie in the Ark from perishing by water and also diddest safely lead the children of Israel through the red sea figuring thereby thy holy Baptism and by the Baptism of thy wel-beloved Son Iesus Christ diddest sanctifie the floud Iordan and all other waters to the mystical washing away of sin We beseech thee for thine infinite mercies that thou wilt mercifully look upon these Children Sanctifie them and wash them with the holy Ghost that they being delivered from thy wrath may be received into the Ark of Christs Church and being stedfast in faith joyful through hope and rooted in charity may so passe the waves of this troublesome world that finally they may come to the land of everlasting life there to reign with thee world Without end through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen Seeing now dearly beloved Brethren that these Children be regenerate and grafted into the body of Christs Congregation let us give thanks unto God for these Benefits and with one accord make our prayers unto Almightie God that they may lead the rest of their life according to this beginning We yeild thee heartie thanks most merciful Father that it hath pleased thee to regenerate this Infant with thy holy Spirit to receive him for thine own Child by adoption and to incorporate him into thy holy Congregation and humbly we beseech thee to grant that he being dead unto sin and living unto righteousness and being buried with Christ in his death may crucifie the old man and utterly abolish the whole body of sin that as he is made partaker of the death of thy Son so he may be partaker of his resurrection so that finally with the residue of thy holy congregation he may be Inheritor of thine everlasting Kingdom through Christ our Lord. Amen 4. It is no part of our Churches Doctrin or meaning that the washing or sprinkling infants bodyes with Consecrated water should take away sinnes by it's own immediate Vertue To affirm thus much implies as I conceive a Contradiction to that Apostolical doctrin The like figure whereunto even Baptism doth also now save us not the putting away the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good Conscience towards God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ who is gone into heaven c. 1. Pet. 3. 21. The meaning of our Church intends no further then thus That if this Sacrament of Baptism be duely administred the blood or bloody Sacrifice of Christ or which is all one the Influence of his spirit doth alwaies accompany or is Concurrent to this solemn Act. But whether this Influence of his spirit or Vertual presence of his body and blood be either immediatly or only terminated to the soul and spirit of the party Baptized or have some vertual influence upon the water of Baptism as a mean to convey the Grace of Regeneration unto the soule of the partie Baptized whilest the water is poured upon him is Too Nice and curious a Question in this Age for sober Christians to debate or contend about It may suffice to beleive that this Sacramental pledge hath a Vertual Presence of Christs Blood or some Real
Sacrifice and most perfect offering Of all the Legal Sacrifices which present themselves unto my former observation or present memory there is one kind only which can beare the true shaddow or serve as a Modell of the Everlasting Efficacie of his onely Sacrifice once offered for all And that was the sacrifice of the Red Heifer Numb 19. and the Legal Use which GODS People under the Law were to make of Her Ashes The correspondencie between the effects of the Ashes of this sacrifice and of the blood of Christ is gathered by our Apostle Heb. 9. ver 13 14. If the Ashes of an Heyfer sprinkling the unclean sanctifâ—eth to the purification of the flesh how much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal spirit offered himself to God purge your consciences from dead workes to serve the living God But wherein did this sacrifice picture out the Everlasting Efficacie of the Blood of the Son of God in more peculiar manner than other Legal sacrifices did 14. First in that all such as were legally unclean by touching a Corps or Grave by comming into a Tent wherein a Corps lay unburied or suffering the vessels in such a Tent to be uncovered were to be purified by the Water of Sprinkling which was qualified or consecrated to this purpose by the Ashes of the Red Cow or Heyfer and as often to be purified by this water as they should incurre this Legal uncleanness And yet the sacrifice of this beast was not to be offered so often as this people did incurre these Kinds of legal uncleanness Thus much is Evident from the practice of the Jewish Church during the time of the Law For this water of purification was often every year oft-times Every month to be sprinkled upon some one or other of this people oft-times upon one and the same man within one and the same year even as often as he should by chance or negligence incurre any of the former branches of uncleannesse Yet was not this sacrifice whose ashes were still to be mingled with the water of purification to be offered once Every year in every Age or in many Ages The Sacrifice of the Red Heyfer as the Jewes confesse was but nine times offered during the time of the Law Once by Eleazar Aarons Son in the wilderness And this sacrifice was not reiterated untill the destruction of Salomons Temple that is not during the space of a thousand yeares and more It was the Second Time offered by Ezra after this peoples Return from Captivitie and but seven times after unto the destruction of the second Temple And this Foolish Nation since that time hath not presumed to offer it but expects the offering of it the tenth time by their King Messias Thus is the faithless Synagogue by Gods providence the Keeper not of the Sacred Oracles onely written by Moses and the prophets but even of those Traditions which testifie the summe and truth of these Oracles to wit that this legal sacrifice amongst the rest was to be accomplished in their Messias He was indeed to set the Period to this legal Rite and to all the rest not by offering them after a Legal Rite or manner but by offering up himself instead of them all once for all in bloodie sacrifice in whose infinite Value and Everlasting Efficacie all other sacrifices or offerings for sin were so terminated or swallowed up as Land-rivers or currents of waters are in the sea But what circumstance have we from the written Text that this sacrifice was not to be so often offered as this people had occasion to use the water of sprinkling or the Ashes of this sacrifice to cleanse them from their former Legal pollutions Numb 19. It is said ver 9. that the Ashes should be laid up without the Camp in a cleane place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reserved or kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for the water of separation The Ashes were to be reserved not for this Generation onely present but for the use of Posteritie As Manna which was commanded in the same Character to be reserved in the Ark was the Type of Christ as he is the food of life or the bread which came down from heaven So were these Ashes as an Emblem of the Everlasting Efficacie or operative vertue of his sacrifice There is no Bodily substance under heaven which can be so true an Emblem or model of incorruption as Ashes are Being the Remainder of bodies perfectly dissolved or corrupted they are not capable of a second corruption And when it is said that the Ashes should be reserved for a water of separation the meaning is that one sacrifice might afford ashes enough to season or qualifie as many several vessels of water as this people for many generations should have occasion to use for Legal purification So it is said in the same ninth verse that the Reservation of these Ashes was a Purification for sin A purification not in Act onely or for one or two turnes but a Continual Purification or as a Treasurie or storehouse for making as many purifications or waters of sprinkling as this people had occasion to use And so Christ is said Heb. 1. 3. to have made a purification for our sinnes when he had by himself purged our sinnes saith our English he sate down on the right hand of the Majestie on high But the Translation under Correction comes somewhat short of the Original and the shorter it comes of it the more advantage it yeilds unto their opinion which think their sinnes were remitted and purged before they were actually committed The Apostles words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 haveing made a Purification for sin he hath ascended into heaven The word Purification is not to be restrained to One Act or operation but includes or implies the Perpetual qualitie of himself or substance of his sacrifice being by this one Act consecrated to be a perpetual Fountain of purification As he did not onely make one propitiation for our sinnes So neither did he once actually purge us from our sinnes by offering up himself but still remaines the purification of our sinnes that is he doth still purifie and cleanse us from our sinnes as often as we seek by Faith and true repentance to be cleansed and purified by him 15. So then the Blood of the Legal Sacrifice or Heyfer did consecrate the Ashes to be as a Storehouse or treasury of legal purification and the Ashes thus consecrated by this sacrifice did hallow or consecrate the Water which was put into them to make actual purification as often as occasion required So did our High Priest by the One Sacrifice of Himself consecrate his Blood to be an inexhaustible Fountain of purification Evangelical And his Blood and Body thus consecrated once for all do consecrate or sanctifie the Water of Baptism to cleanse or wash Infants from sin Original and such as are of yeares when they are baptized from sinnes Actual
rightly believe in him specially against such as duly administer his holy Sacraments may with its improvement be concludently inferred by the Tenents and daily Practises of that Church both which are as punctually and as fully contradictory to the Doctrine of the Author of this Epistle Chap. 9. and 10. and to many other principal Maxims of Christian Religion as any Doctrine Tenent or Practise can be one to another For the Law having a shadow of good things to come and not the very image of the things can never with those Sacrifices which they offered year by year continually to make the Comers thereunto perfect For then would they not have ceased to be offered because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of Sins But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sinnes every year For it is not possible that the bloud of Bulls and Goates should take away sins c. Heb. 10. 1 2 3 4. By the which we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ ONCE FOR ALL. And every Priest standeth daily ministring and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices which can never take away sinnes But this man or rather this Priest after he had offered ONE SACRIFICE for sinnes for ever sat doâ—n on the right hand of God from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Whereof the holy Ghost also is a witness to us for after that he had said before this is the Covenant that will make with them after those dayes saith the Lord I will put my Laws into their hearts and in their minds will I write them and their sinnes and iniquities will I remember no more Now where Remission of these is there is no more offering for Sin ver 10. to 18. 4. The force of our Apostles Inference and the very Pith of his Discourse throughout these Passages presented to the Readers View doth more punctually refute the Doctrine of the Romish Masse then it did the Contradicting Jews or other Blasphemers of Christs Name and Office either before or since this Divine Epistle was written The Pith and Marrow of all his Arguments consists in This That even the best of Legal Sacrifices or services were they bloudy or unbloudy were altogether Unsufficient to Purifie the Conscience could never take away sin Because They were to be Reiterated the best and most solemn of them every Year and many of them every Day others as oft as Casual Occasions did require Now if this Argument be Concludent as no Christian can denie it to be against the Jews which pleaded for the Sufficiencie of Legal Sacrifices it will conclude a fortiori or with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb 9. 14. against the absolute Perfection or Sufficiencie of our Saviours Sacrifice of Himself supposing that it should be as the Romanists teach Thus much it will inevitably inferre according to the Peremptory Canons of the Roman Church which plainly teach and under pain of damnation injoyn all Christians to believe that Christs Body and Bloud That very same Body that very same bloud which were once offered by himself upon the Crosse are daily offered by the Masle-Priest Or as if this were not enough to out-vie the Jewish Synagogue in the Sin of Contradiction to Christ they adde that every such offering is a propitiatorie Sacrifice as well for some that be dead as for the living And I think such Oblations as they make do the one sort as little good or as little harm as they doe the other unlesse they sollicite the Priest to make this kind of Attonement for them But to such Sollicitors or Executors of such Sollicitations both Doctrine and Practise must needs create as great danger as any Heresie or Branch of Contradicting Infidelitie hath done or can do to the mainteiners of it This Branch of the Roman Churches Doctrine doth as punctually Contradict that Fundamental Doctrine Heb. 9. 13. If the bloud of Bullocks and Goats c. as it doth the forecited Passages Heb. 10. 5. But the authorized practise of consecrating their Holy water for remission of sinnes and Sanctification is most palpably Contradictory to our Apostles meaning or to the meaning of the holy Spirit in that other Instance of the Water of Sprinkling wherein the Ashes of the Red Cow were Special Ingredients and gave the vertue and Tincture unto it for purifying men from such Legal uncleannesse as the best Ceremonies of the Law and This Water in special was Consecrated for The Law for the Consecrating This water and the Use or Ends for which it was Consecrated we have Numb 19. The mistaking of which place and the gross misse-use of the like water solemnly consecrated by that Canonical Authoritie which the Romish Church doth challenge â—ver all other Churches is set down in such plain terms that no honest hearted Roman Catholick specially of the English Scotish Netherlandish or German Nation if he be able to read the New Testament in his own Native Language but he will be either heartily sorry for Alexander the fifth who made this Canon or at least ashamed that their Forefathers should approve it or that it should be practised by their Instructers if they would permit them to have the reason of the Canon or Decree rightly translated into a Language which they understand The Canon with the Glosse upon it is here transcribed in the same words wherein it was first conceived and published In Decreti 3. part de Consecrat distinct 3. c. 20. prout habetur in Corpore Juris Canonici Jussu Gregorii 13. Lugd. impressâ— Anno 1618. 6. Sic se habet Glossa in hunc locum Aquam Sale Haec est decima pars distinct Secundùm Jo. de Fant CASUS Quaeritur cur aqua cum sale benedicatur Et respondetur ut ea homines aspersi sanctificentur Cum enim in vetere Testamento cinis vitulae sanctificabat sal per manum Helisaei Prophetae sanavit sterilitatem aquae multò magis aqua cum sale benedicta omnia conspersa purificat Aquam sale u ¶ Aquam Sale Quia per aquam confessio per salem amaritudo signatur morsio unde haec est mistura unde geminus procedit partus divisio sc delictorum ortus virtutum bonorum operum 32. q. 1. c. Cum renuntiatur Haec designata est per mistionem Judae qui confessio dicitur Hu stands for Hugo Card. Arch. for Archidiaconus su for supra in for infra Thamar quae amaritudo dicitur unde Phares divisio Zaran ortus geminus sc partus provenit H U. conspersam populis benedicimus ut eâ cuncti aspersi sanctificentur x ¶ Sanctificentur Quaeritur quomodo aqua benedicta dicatur populum sanctificare vel mundare ADDITIO Ad hoc potest responderi secundum id quod no Su. ea dist 2. c. Signum in
against the moral Law of God So doth his Blood or operative Vertue of his Everlasting sacrifice consecrate or qualifie the Elements of Bread and Wine to purifie and cleanse our soules from such actual sinnes as after Baptism we have committed This perennal Efficacie or Operative Vertue of Christs Body and Blood consecrated once for all by the sacrifice of himself to be a perpetual purification for such as were to be consecrated Kings and Priests unto their God which was thus pictured by the former Legal or Mosaical Rites was more expressly foretold by the Prophet Zacharie For having in the twelfth Chap. ver 10. Prophesied of the piercing of the Son of Gods most pretious Body by the Jewes for which when God should open their eyes to see the truth they should lament and mourn he explicates the Use or End to which the Divine Providence had destinated this their malitious crueltie Chap. 13. 1. In that day there shall be a Fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness By this offering of himself Once for all by this opening of his pretious Side he hath consecrated all that are Sanctified and all that are sanctified are sanctified by it Yet not actually sanctified or actually consecrated by his Blood before it be sprinkled in our hearts by Faith And to instruct us that the Legal Water of separation or sprinkling did foreshadow the Blood of Christ the Apostle termes it The blood of sprinkling Heb. 12. 24. CHAP. LVI The Efficacie of Christs Sacrifice and the Use of his Priest-hood Two distinct several Things Wherein the Exercise of his Priest-hood doth consist How it was foreshaddowed Ordinaâ—ces effectual by vertue of Christs Presence Vertual Presence is a Real presence 1. SUch as deny the Everlasting Efficacie of Christs Sacrifice may be presumed likewise to deny the Vse of his Everlasting Priesthood Howbeit all such as grant the everlasting Efficacie of his Sacrifice cannot hence be concluded to admitt the everlasting use of his Priesthood For these be Two distinct Points of our Belief If Belief in Christs death or in the Everlasting Efficacie of his sacrifice were all that we are bound to believe we were not bound to acknowledge any other Act of his Priesthood besides the offering up of himself in Sacrifice But by this one Act of his Priesthood he was consecrated to be an Everlasting Priest And if he be an Everlasting Priest he still executes the Office or Function of an High Priest And it is our Dutie the Chief Point of our Religion to supplicate unto him as to The Onely High Priest of our Soules that he would make us partakers of his Everlasting Sacrifice as we say ex Officio by exercising the Office or Function of an High Priest The Question is Wherein the Function or exercise of his Priesthood doth consist To this we answer First Negatively That it doth not consist in the often offering up of himself by his Priests or Ministers here on Earth For if he were on Earth saith the Apostle Heb. 8. 4. he should not be a Priest This argues that he exerciseth his Priest-hood in the heavenly Sanctuary not in Temples made vvith hands So saith the Apostle more expresly Heb. 9. 24. Christ is not entred into the holy places made with hands which are the figures of the true but into heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us Nor yet that he should offer himself often as the High priest entreth into the holy place every year 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with bloud of others For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself The truth then is as you have heard before that Christ by his bloudy Sacrifice upon the Crosse was consecrated to be an Everlasting Priest And that this Consecration was not accomplished untill his Resurrection from the dead For it is not conceivable that he should be an Everlasting Priest before he became an Immortal man and by his rising c opened the Gate of Everlasting life After he was thus consecrated by death and by the resurrection from the dead to be an Everlasting Priest after the Order of Melchizedeck he was not to offer any sacrifice nor do we read that Melchizedeck offered any Wherein then did Melchizedecks Priesthood consist Only in the dignitie of Authoritative blessing See Book 9. Ch 9. and 11 He was saith Moses the Priest of the most high God and he blessed Abraham and said Blessed be Abraham of the most High God possessour of Heaven and Earth St. Cyril * See the note at the end of this Chapter in his Parallel betwixt Christ and Melchisedech speakes more expressly and reads the Text more punctually for the Opinion of Reformed Churches than we our selves for the most part doe 2. This exercise of Christs spiritual Priesthood in the heavenly Sanctuary was foreshaddowed by sundry services and sacrifices of the Law By that Solemn Attonement which the High Priest made in the most holy place and as we have often said by the sacrifice of the Red Heifer also Albeit that solemnitie did prefigure him likewise in the Act of his Consecration or designation to his heavenly Sanctuary This Heifer was slain by another without the Camp in Eleazars sight and yet Eleazar the Priest was to sprinkle the bloud of this sacrifice before the Tabernacle of the Congregation that is with his face towards the Sanctuary on which unless he did constantly look whilest he did sprinkle the bloud the service was frustrated as the Jews say This testifyed that the validity of this Act or the purification intended by it was to be expected from the Sanctuary Christ likewise was slain by the hands of sinful men without the City Heb. 9. 14. And yet though slain by them he offered himself by the eternal Spirit And whether by This eternal spirit or by his spirit as man or by both certain it is that by the Spirit he sprinkleth the bloud of the new Covenant upon us and prepareth a way for us to the heavenly Sanctuary As the people under the Law might not enter into the Congregation nor the Priests into the Sanctuary untill they had been purifyed from their uncleanness by the water of sprinkling so neither could we or any of Gods people have accesse unto the most holy Place or heavenly Sanctuary untill the way were prepared for us by the bloud of the Son of God nor untill we be sprinkled and purifyed with his Bloud Having therefore brethren boldnesse to enter into the holyest by the bloud of Jesus by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the vaile that is to say his flesh And having an high Priest over the house of God Let us draw neer with a true heart in full assurance of faith having our
Freedom in respect of divers Objects and degrees in Natural men 3090 SECT V. Of the great Duty of Mortification and of the use of Free-will for Performing it 3096 CHAP. 28. Of the General Contents which concern the Duty of Mortification and which be the especial works of the flesh we are to Mortifie 3096 29. How farr the duty of Mortification is Universal how farre Indefinite 3099 30. Containing the true Rule for examining our Perswasions concerning our Estate in Grace 3103 31 How the Flesh is Mortifyed by Vs How by the Spirit 3106 32. Whether Mortification and Conversion may be said to be ex pr visis operibus though God alone do properly Mortifie and convert us 3112 33. By what Spirit we are said to Mortifie the Deeds of the Body 3115 34. Containing the Manner and Order of the Spirits working or of our working by the Spirit 3120 35. Wherein the accomplishment of Mortification or of Conversion unto God doth properly consist 3124 36. Contâ—ining the Scope or Summe of what hath been said concerning Free-will and the service of it in the duty of Mortification 3129 Sect. VI. Concerning Election and Reprobation and That the Decrees of God be not terminated to the Abstract Entities or Substances of men 37. Concerning the Limitation of these Two Propositions Rom. 8. 13. 1. If ye live after the slesh ye shall dye 2. If through the spirit ye do mortifie the deeds of the Body ye shall live 3146 38. A Sermon on St. Iude's Epistle verse the fourth enquiring who those men were which were of Old ordained to the Condemnation there spoken of and what manner of Ordination is there meant 3164 39. A serious Answer to Mr. Henry Burton who took exception at a Passage in this Authors Treatise Of the Divine Essence and Attributes about Objective Goodnesse c. 3175 40. A Paraphrase upon the Eleven first Chapters of Exodus with useful Observations and parallels 3190 41. Salvation only from Gods Grace or An Exposition of Romans 9. 16. It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth But of God that sheweth mercy 3210 42. An Exposition on Romans 9. verses 18 19 20 21 22 c. or a Treatise of God his just Hardening Pharaoh c. 3222 SECT VII Of the Acts or Exercises of Christs Everlasting Priesthood CHAP. 43. Concerning the Manner or meanes by which the Son of God doth now de Facto through the continual Exercise of his Everlasting Priesthood in his heavenly Sanctuary set Free indeed all such as seek for the working out of their own Salvation with fear and trembling pag. 3252. 44. The Coherence of the eighth Chapter to the Hebrews with the seven precedent and two following The exact Proportions or Parallels betwixt the mundane Tabernacle with the two Sanctuaries therein and the Caelestial with those in it betwixt the Manner or Rites in the Consecration of the One and the Other Betwixt the High-Priests of the Old Testament and Christ our onely High-Priest of the New intimated in this explicated in the following Chapters 3253. 45. That the soules of Righteous men Abraham c. Were in a Blissefull heavenly Mansion before But after The Kingdom of Heaven was perfectly set up and open to all Beleevers By Christs Placing As man at the Right Hand of God Their Condition was bettered 3255. 46. A Parallel betwixt the Rites of Dedicating The Tabernacle the vessels c. with Blood of Beasts And of Consecrating The Heavenly Places with the most Pretious Blood of Jesus Christ 3257. 47. Before the fuller draught of that Parallel If the Blood of Bulls and the Ashes of an Heifer much more the Blood of Christ treated on in the Two next Chapters The Apostles Translating the Hebrew word Berith by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is shewed to be not a meere Allusion but of strict Proprietie 3259. 48. The Parallel between the most Solemn Services of the Law and the One Sacrifice of Christ and The high Praeeminence and Efficacie of This in comparison of Those The Romanists Doctrine That in the Masse Christs Body is identically Carnally present and that there is a proper Sacrifice Propitiatorie offered derogates from the Absolute Perfection of Christs offering himself Once for all 3261. 49. That the Forraign mainteiners of the more then Fatal Irrespective Rigid Decree make Christ Jesus rather a meere Sacrifice Then a True Everlasting Priest acting for us and dayly working out our Reconciliation to God So do such as teach That the sinnes of some were Remitted before they were Committed Of the Superexcellency of Christs Priest-Hood and One Sacrifice in Comparison of the Aaronicall Pr. and the Many Servâ—ces thereof 3266. 50. The Raritie of That Rite of Consecrating the Water of Sprinkling by the Ashes of the Red Heyfer an Emblem of Baptism and the Singularitie thereof Our Churches meaning in some Expressions at the Administration of That Sacrament 3270. 51. Inordinate Libertie of Prophesying brought Errors into the Church and hindred the Reformation 3273. 52. That Justification Consists not in One Single Act. In what sense Fides est Fiducia is True 3276. 53. Christs Parable Math. 12. 43. c. applyed Two degrees of Reconciliation the First Active or but meer Grammatically Passive The Other Reall-Passive So Correspondently Two Branches of Justification The One from Christs Death the Other from the benefit of His Priesthood daily participated to us 3277. SECT VIII Of Errors disparaging Christs Priesthood CHAP. 54. Three Errors disparaging Christs Priesthood 1. The Novatian denying the Reception of some sort of sinners 2. Alate Contrary Error affirming That Every sin which some sort of Men Committ is pardoned before it be committed 3. The Romish Doctrine of the Masse giving Scandal to the Jew All of them respectively derogating from the infinite Value or Continual Efficacie of Christs Everlasting Priesthood 3280. 55. From the Text Hebr. 10. 1 2 16 17. and from this Maxim That Christs One Sacrifice of himself was of Value absolutely infinite it follows not That such as worship God in spirit or such as are received into the Covenant of Grace have their sinnes remitted before they commit them That Doctrin makes Christs Resurrection Useless in respect of us and our Baptism needless Legal worshipers Conscious and their sinnes remembred in such sort as Evangelical worshippers are not The Vast odds betwixt Christs One Sacrifice and the Many legal We must distinguish betwixt the Infinite Value and Infinite Vertue of Christs Sacrifice The precious Effects of H. Baptism and the Eucharist flowing from the Efficacie of Christs Sacrifice and Priesthood How Legal Sacrifices c. prefigured Christs 3292. 56. The Efficacie of Christs Sacrifice and the Vse of His Priesthood two distinct several things Wherein the Exercise of his Priesthood doth Consist How it was foreshadowed Ordinances Effectual by Vertue of Christs Presence Vertual Presence is a Real Presence 3301. A Table of the Texts of Holy Scripture Expounded or Illustrated in this BOOK Genesis Chap. Verse
the due Consideration of the Multiplicitie of the former sacrifices and the often Reiteration of them Of bloudie sacrifices some were reiterated Every day others Every year or in Sett Festivals or upon Special Occasions for private Persons And this last sort of sacrifices or Offerings were to be reiterated so often as Occasions or occurrences did interpose No one sacrifice could purifie the same party though peccant only against the Law of Ceremonies from his Legal Uncleannesse for any more Turns then One. Every Recidivation or Relapse into the same sin or error was to have a new Purification 6. Now if it were possible to calculate First The multitude of sinnes and of sinners against the Moral Law of God in comparison of such as did sinne against the Law of Ceremonies Secondly The excessive number of sinnes committed by every particular Christian man and bear this truth in mind that there needs no other sacrifice either for sinne or sinners besides That One of Christ himself upon the Cross the Influence of whose infinite value is daily and hourly communicated to all such as seek salvation by him The Superexcellencie of this our high Priest and of his sacrifice in respect of all Legal Priests and services will farre surmount the compasse of the Highest Heavens or Orbes imaginable in comparison of the least sensible part of the Earth 7. But some New-started Opinions there be which take away much matter of Admiration in this great Subject of Divine Meditation and dull the spirits of otherwise wel-minded men in the search after the virtue of Christs Everlasting Sacrifice and Priest-hood Of these new Opinions One special One is for I must not here touch upon the rest That the sinnes of some men of all the Elect were remitted before they could be comitted An Opinion voyd of all Reference to any pious use or practise A Speculation most untrue prodigiously absurd For no actual sin by whomsoever committed can be remitted to men living here on earth otherwise then by some new Influence from the Everlasting Sacrifice of Christ or as our Apostle speakes without the sprinkling of that bloud Which speaketh better things then that of Abel Heb. 12. 24. As much as I here intimate that passage of St. John if it be rightly scanned will clearely evince If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we ly and do not the truth But if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanseth us from all sin If we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us 1 Iohn 1. 6 7 8. 8. So then even such as walk in the light stand in need of Cleansing by the blood of Christ And with Reference to this place as I conceive that Maxim of S Austin well approved of by the best Reformed writers was first conceived by him Our Justification consists in the perpetual Remission of sin Justification Consists not in one indivisible Act. But an errour there is which I know not when it did first creep into the world but creep it did by the Incogitancie or indistinct Notions of some Late writers That Iustification is but one Act never to be resumed or reiterated This Assertion may be true in respect of That Justification Quâ Deus nos justificat or of Justification taken in the Active Sense as it concerns God For no act of his can be resumed or reiterated nor admitt any interpositions or Interims of time But if we speak of Justification in the Passive Sense or as it is an Effect wrought in our soules by the spirit of Christ there may be and are many Acts many Resumptions or Renovations of the same Act or Effect All being wrought in us by Interpositions or several Interims of time Our Natural bodyes do not require so many Refections of meat and drink for continuation of life of health and strength as the Faith by which the just do live and other spiritual Graces which accompanie Faith in the Purification of our soules do admitt yea require Refections spiritual Of these refections or refreshments of Faith or other Graces some are obtained by our dayly Prayers others being like extraordinary feasts or banquets are wrought in the participation Christs Body and Blood so often as we receive that blessed Sacrament as we ought to do But the most of us which enjoy the Libertie of Christian Lawes do not receives it so often as we ought Fewer as they ought And whosoever receives it unworthily receives it too often if he so receive but once Unto the worthy Receivers of the Sacramental pledges of Christs Body and Blood how often so ever and how many so ever receive them the Blood of Christ though but once shed becomes a Perennal unexhaustible Fountain of life everlasting But of the right interpretation of our Saviours Testament or Institution of this blessed Sacrament more at large by Gods assistance in the Article of the Holy Catholick Church In the mean time Two Prayers there be commanded by the Church our Mother to be used in the Uisitation of the Sick at the Administration of the Sacrament unto them Both which mutatis mutandis I would Commend to every piously minded Christan's Meditations or to every professed Christian that desires to be such both before and after he present himself at the Lords Table though he so present himself in perfect health of body and mind 1. O Lord look down from heaven behold visit and relieve this thy Servant Look upon him with the Eyes of thy mercie give him comfort and sure confidence in thee defend him from the danger of the Enemie and keep him in perpetual peace and safety through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen And 2. O Most Merciful God which according to the multitude of thy mercies dost so put away the sins of those which truely repent that thou remembrest them no more open thine Eye of mercie upon this thy servant who most earnestly desireth Pardon and forgivenesse Renew in him most loving Father whatsoever hath been decayed by the Fraud and malice of the Divel or by his own carnal will and frainess Preserve and continue this sick member in the unitie of the Church consider his contrition accept his teares asswage his pain as shall be seen to thee most expedient for him And forasmuch as he putteth his whole trust only in thy mercy impute not unto him his Former sins but take him unto thy Favour through the merits of thy most dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ Amen CHAP. L. The Rarity of that Rite of consecrating the Water of Sprinkling by the Ashes of the Red Heifer an Emblem of Baptism and the Singularity thereof Our Churches meaning in some expressions at the Administration of that Sacrament 1. BUt although the frequent Use of the Sacrament of Christs Body and Bloud be needful or necessary by Precept and a
hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience and our bodies washed with pure water Heb. 10. 19 20 21 22. He consecrated the Way it self by his Bloudy sacrifice upon the Cross from the very moment in which the Vail did rend asunder the door was opened and the Way prepared But we must be qualifyed for walking in this way and for entring into this heavenly Sanctuary by the present exercise of his everlasting Priesthood which is a Priesthood of blessing not of sacrifice And yet he blesseth us by communicating the vertue and efficacie of his Everlasting Sacrifice unto our soules This participation and this Blessing by it the full expiation of our sinnes we are to expect from his heavenly Sanctuary 3. See Book 9. Chapt 19. God saith the Apostle Hebrews 6. 17. willing more abundantly to shew unto the heires of promise the immutabilitie of his Counsel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 interposed himself by an oath or word by word he mediated by an Oath The Tenor of this Oath as you have heard before was That he would requite Abraham as we say in kind * See Book 8. Chapt. 30. and Book 9. Chap. 17 That as Abraham was then willing to offer up his Son his only Son Isaac in bloudy sacrifice unto him So he would offer or give His Only Son for Abraham and for all such as should follow his Example of Faith and obedience It was in the same promise confirmed by oath implyed That This only Son of God should be the seed of Abraham that in this one seed of Abraham all the nations of the earth should be blessed That for the derivation of this Blessing upon all the Nations upon earth this seed of Abraham should be made a Priest after the order of Melchisedek The hope in this Promise thus confirmed by oath to Abraham is by the Apostle in the same 6. Chap. ver 19. termed an Anchor of the soule Both sure and stedfast But why an Anchor sure and stedfast Because it entreth into that within the vaile to wit into the Heavenly Sanctuary which was prefigured by the Most Holy Place within the material Tabernacle or earthly Sanctuary into which none might come besides the high priest nor he saveing once a year and then not without Blood For he was to purifie or sanctifie it by the blood of the sacrifices which were offered without the Camp or Congregation upon the day of the Attonement And thus The Son of God being crucified without the City of Jerusalem did by his blood then shed enter into the heavenly Sanctuary and even purifie it by his blood Heb. 19. 23 24. But what doth our hope apprehend within the vail The Apostle tells us Heb. 6. 20. Even Jesus made an high priest after the order of Melchisedek that is an high priest to blesse us in the Name of the Most High God to make us blessed even blessed as the Sonnes of God or such as he himself as man is that is Kings and Priests unto our God That this his Priesthood is a Priesthood of Blessing and offereth the Blessing promised unto Abraham to all the Nations of the Earth aswell unto the Gentile as unto the Jew though in the first place unto the Jew St. Peter witnesseth Acts. 3. 25 26. Te are the Children of the Prophets and of the Covenant which God made with our Fathers saying unto Abraham and in thy seed shall all the Kindreds of the Earth be Blessed Vnto you FIRST God having raysed up his Son Jesus sent him to blesse you in turning away every one of you from his Iniquities 4. Yet seeing he entred not into the heavenly Sanctuary without blood seeing he purified Even Heaven it self by his Blood We may not expect the Blessing promised unto Abraham otherwise than by the Vertue of his Blood nor may we expect that his Blood or Vertue of it should be communicated to us otherwise than by the Exercise or Office of his everlasting Priesthood unto which he was consecrated by his blood He now workes the like Cures in our soules by the Vertue of this Priesthood which he wrought in mens Bodies whilest he lived here on earth by the Vertue or presence of his Prophetical Function We may Baptize with water in his Name and with water sanctified by his blood yet unless he baptize with the spirit sent from his heavenly Sanctuary and say unto every one whome we Baptize as he did unto the Leper I will be thou clean our washing is but in vain our whole Action is but a Ceremonie We his Priests or ministers may upon Confession made unto us either in General or in Particular Absolve his people from their sinnes for this Authoritie he hath given us whose sinnes ye remitt they are remitted whose sinnes ye retaine they are retained Yet unless He by his spirit or sweet influence of Grace say unto the soule whom we Absolve as he some-times did unto the man sick of the Palsy Be of good chear thy sinnes be forgiven thee Our Absolution is but a Complement although without our Absolution he do not in this sort Absolve his people oftentimes from their sinnes We may Consecrate the Elements ofBread Wine and administer them so consecrated as Vndoubted Pledges of his Bodie and Blood by which the new Covenant was sealed and the General Pardon purchased Yet unless he grant some actual Influence of his spirit and suffer such Vertue to goe out from his Humane Nature now placed in his Sanctuarie as he once did unto the woman that was cured of her Issue of blood unless this Vertue do as immediately reach our Soules as it did her bodie we do not Really receive his Body and Blood with the Elements of Bread and Wine We do not so receive them as to have our sinnes remitted or dissolved by them we do not by receiving them become of his flesh and of his Bones We gain no degree of Real Vnion with him which is the Sole Use or fruit of his Real Presence Christ might be Locally Present as he was with many here on earth and yet not Really Present But with whomsoever he is Vertually Present that is to whomsoever he communicates the Influence of his Bodie and Blood by his spirit he is Really Present with them though Locally Absent from them Thus he was really present with the woman which was cured of her bloodie issue by touching the hemme of his garment But not so really present with the multitude that did throng and press upon him that were locally more present with him She did not desire so much as to touch his Bodie with her hand for she said in her self If I may but touch the Hemme of his garmennt I shall be whole And yet by our Saviours interpretation She did touch him more immediately than they which were neerer unto him which thrust or thronged him And the reason why she alone did more immediately touch him than any of the rest was because Vertue of healing did