gratified and it self brought into Dis-esteem then it is fit lor such whose Care is to keep all right to take Inspection in the Matter to Meet together in the Fear of God to wait for his Counsel and to speak forth his Mind according as he shall manifest himself in and among them And this was the Practice of the primitive Church in the Matter of Circumcision For here lay the Debate some thought it not needful to Circumcise the Gentiles others thought it a thing not to be dispensed with and no doubt of these for we must remember they were not the Rebellious Jews but such as had already believed in Christ there were that did it out of Conscience as judging Circumcision to be still Obligatory For they said thus Except ye be Circumcised after the manner of Moses ye cannot be saved Now what Course took the Church of Antioch in these Cases Acts 15.2 The Church at Antioch sends a Case to Jerusalem for Advice from the Elders They determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain other of them should go unto Jerusalem unto the Apostles and Elders about this Question We must not suppose they wanted the Spirit of God at Antioch to have decided the Matter neither that these Apostles neglected or went from their Inward Guide in undertaking this Journey yet we see they judged it meet in this Matter to have the Advice and Concurrence of the Apostles and Elders that were at Jerusalem that they might be all of one mind in the matter For there is no greater Property of the Church of Christ than pure Vnity in the Spirit that is a Consenting and Oneness in Judgment and Practices in Matters of Faith and Worship which yet admits of different Measures Growths and Motions but never contrary and contradictory Ones and in these Diversities of Operations yet still by the same Spirit the true Liberty is exercised as shall be declared hereafter Therefore prayeth Christ That they all may be one as he and the Father is one To which Purpose also let these following Scriptures be Examined Rom. 12.16 Be of the same Mind one towards another 1 Cor. 1.10 Now I beseech you Brethren by the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no Divisions among you but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same Mind and in the same Judgment Ephes. 5.21 Submitting your selves one to another in the Fear of God Phil. 2.2 Fulfil ye my Joy that ye be like-minded having the same Love being of one accord of one Mind And yet more remarkable is that of the Apostle Paul to the Philippians Chap. 3. Vers. 15. Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded and if in any thing ye be otherways minded God shall Reveal even this unto you Vers. 16. Nevertheless whereto we have already attained let us walk by the same Rule let us mind the same thing Vers. 17. Brethren be Followers together of me and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an Example So here though the Apostle grants Forbearance in things Pretenders and Innovators Judged by the Power of God wherein they have not yet attained yet he concludes they must walk so as they have him for an Example and so consequently not Contrary or otherways And therefore we conclude that whereas any in the Church of God pretending Conscience or Revelation shall arise to teach and practise however insignificant or small in themselves whether Principles or Practices yet if they be contrary to such as are already received as true and confirmed by God's Spirit in the Hearts of the Saints and that the introducing of these things tend to bring Reproach upon the Truth as such as are not edifying in themselves and so stumble the Weak those who have a true and right Discerning may in and by the Power of God authorizing them and no otherways Condemn and Judge such things and they so doing it it will be Obligatory upon all the Members that have a true Sense because they will feel it to be so and therefore submit to it And thus far as to the Nature of themselves Secondly As to the Spirit and Ground they proceed from Whatsoever Cons. 2 Innovation Difference or divers Appearance whether in Doctrine or Practice What proceeds not from the Spirit of God to be withstood and denied proceedeth not from the pure Moving of the Spirit of God or is not done out of pure Tenderness of Conscience but either from that which being puft up affecteth Singularity and therethrough would be observed commended and exalted or from that which is the Malignity of some Humours and natural Tempers which will be Contradicting without Cause and secretly begetting of Divisions Animosities and Emulations by which the Vnity and unfeigned Love of the Brethren is lessened or rent I say all things proceeding from this Root and Spirit however little they may be supposed to be of themselves are to be guarded against withstood and denied as hurtful to the true Church's Peace and a Hindrance to the Prosperity of Truth Quest. If it be said How know ye that these things proceed from that Ground Answ. For Answer I make not here any Application as to particular Persons or Things but if it be granted as it cannot be denied that there may arise Persons in the true Church that may do such Things from such a Spirit though pretending Conscience and Tenderness then it must also be acknowledged The Spirit of Discerning in the Church Judges Transgressors that such to whom God hath given a true Discerning by his Spirit may and ought to judge such Practices and the Spirit they come from and have no Vnity with them Which if it be owned in the General proves the Case to wit That some pretending Conscience in Things seeming indifferent but yet it proceeding in them from a Spirit of Singularity Emulation or Strife those that have received a Discerning thereof from the Lord may and ought to judge the Transgressors without being accounted Imposers Oppressors of Conscience or Inforcers of Vniformity contrary to the Mind of Christ against which the Apostle also guardeth the Churches of Old Phil. 2.3 4. Let nothing be done through Strife or Vain Glory but in Lowliness of Mind let each esteem other BETTER THAN THEMSELVES Look not every Man on his own Things but every Man also on the Things of others Now if it be an Evil to do any Thing out of Strife then such Things that are seen so to be done are they not to be avoided and forsaken So that we are confident our Judgment herein cannot be denied or reputed Erroneous except it be said That none will or can arise in the Church of Christ Pretenders may arise and must be watched against pretending such things from such a Spirit which I know not any that will it being contrary to the express Prophecies of the Scripture and the
hereunto we stand there for this Word always proceedeth and doth Eternally proceed from God in and by which the Vnsearchable Wisdom of God and Vnsearchable Counsel and Will Conceived in the Heart of God is Revealed unto us That then the Scripture is not the Principal Ground of Faith and Knowledge as it appears by what is above spoken so it is provided in the latter part of the Proposition which being Reduced to an Argument runs thus That the Certainty and Authority whereof depends upon another and which is received as Truth because of its proceeding from another is not to be accounted the Principal Ground and Origin of all Truth and Knowledge But The Scriptures Authority and Certainty depends upon the Spirit by which they were dictated and the Reason why they were received as Truth is because they proceeded from the Spirit Therefore They are not the Principal Ground of Truth To Confirm this Argument I added the School-Maxime Propter quod unumquodque est tale illud ipsum est magis tale Which Maxime though I Confess it doth not hold Vniversally in all things yet in this it both doth and will very well hold as by Applying it as we have above Intimated will appear Neither are they the Primary Rule of Faith and Manners The same Argument will hold as to the other Branch of the Proposition That it is not the Primary Adequate Rule of Faith and Manners thus That which is not the Rule of my Faith in believing the Scriptures themselves is not the Primary Adequate Rule of Faith and Manners But The Scripture is not nor can it be the Rule of that Faith by which I believe them c. Therefore c. But as to this part we shall produce divers Arguments hereafter As to what is Affirmed That the Spirit and not the Scriptures is the Rule it is largely handled in the former Proposition the Sum whereof I shall Subsume in one Argument thus That the Spirit is the Rule If by the Spirit we can only come to the True Knowledge of God If by the Spirit we be to be led into all Truth and so be Taught of all things Then the Spirit and not the Scriptures is the Foundation and Ground of all Truth and Knowledge and the Primary Rule of Faith and Manners But the First is True Therefore also the Last Next The very Nature of the Gospel it self declareth that the Scriptures cannot be the Only and Chief Rule of Christians else there should be no Difference betwixt the Law and the Gospel As from the Nature of the New Covenant by divers Scriptures described in the former Proposition is proved Wherein the Law and Gospel differ But besides these which are before-mentioned herein doth the Law and the Gospel differ In that the Law being outwardly written brings under Condemnation but hath not Life in it to save whereas the Gospel as it declares and makes manifest the Evil so it being an Inward Powerful thing also gives Power to Obey and delivers from the Evil Hence it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is Glad Tidings The Law or Letter which is without us kills but the Gospel which is the Inward Spiritual Law gives Life for it consists not so much in Words as in Vertue Wherefore such as come to know it and be acquainted with it come to feel greater Power over their Iniquities than all Outward Laws or Rules can give them Hence the Apostle concludes Rom. 6.14 Sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the Law but under Grace This Grace then that is inward and not an outward Law is to be the Rule of Christians Hereunto the Apostle Commends the Elders of the Church saying Acts 20.32 And now Brethren I commend you to God and to the Word of his Grace which is able to build you up and to give you an Inheritance among all those that are sanctified He doth not commend them here to Outward Laws or Writings but to the Word of Grace which is Inward even the Spiritual Law which makes free as he elsewhere Affirms Rom. 8.2 The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of Sin and Death This Spiritual Law is that which the Apostle declares he preached and directed People unto which was not Outward as Rom. 10.8 is manifest where distinguishing it from the Law he saith The Word is nigh thee in thy heart and in thy mouth and this is the Word of Faith which we preach From what is above said I argue thus The Principal Rule of Christians under the Gospel is not an Outward Letter nor Law outwardly written and delivered but an Inward Spiritual Law ingraven in the heart the Law of the Spirit of Life the Word that is nigh in the heart and in the mouth But The Letter of the Scripture is Outward of it self a dead thing a meer Declaration of good things but not the Things themselves Therefore it nor is nor can be the Chief or Principal Rule of Christians § III. Thirdly That which is given to Christians for a Rule and Guide The Scripture not the Rule must needs be so full as it may clearly and distinctly Guide and Order them in all things and occurrences that may fall out But in that there are many hundred of things with a regard to their Circumstances particular Christians may be concerned in for which there can be no particular Rule had in the Scriptures Therefore the Scriptures cannot be a Rule to them I shall give an Instance in two or three Particulars for to prove this Proposition It is not to be doubted but some men are particularly called to some particular services their being not found in which though the Act be no general positive Duty yet in so far as it may be Required of them is a great Sin to Omit forasmuch as God is zealous of his Glory and every Act of Disobedience to his Will Manifested is enough not only to hinder one greatly from that Comfort and Inward Grace which otherwise they might have but also bringeth Condemnation As for Instance Some are Called to the Ministry of the Word Paul saith There was a Necessity upon him to preach the Gospel Wo unto me if I preach not If it be Necessary that there be now Ministers of the Church as well as then then there is the same Necessity upon some more than upon others to occupy this place which Necessity as it may be Incumbent upon particular persons the Scripture neither doth nor can declare If it be said Object That the Qualifications of a Minister are found in the Scripture and by applying these Qualifications to my self I may know whether I be fit for such a place or no. I Answer The Qualifications of a Bishop or Minister Answ. as they are mentioned both in the Epistle to Timothy and Titus are such as may be found in a private Christian yea which ought in
there cannot so much as the shew of one solid Argument be brought from Scripture I confess Ministers may use Exhortation in this as much as in any other case Paul's Labour was a Gospel free of Charge even as the Apostle did to the Corinthians shewing them their Duty but it were fit for Ministers that do so that their Testimony might have the more Weight and be the freer of all suspicion of Covetousness and Self-interest that they might be able to say truly in the sight of God that which the same Apostle subjoins upon the same occasion 1 Cor. 9.15 16 17 18. But I have used none of these things Neither have I written these things that it should be so done unto me For it were better for me to die than that any man should make my glorying void For though I preach the Gospel I have nothing to glory of for necessity is laid upon me yea wo is unto me if I preach not the Gospel For if I do this thing willingly I have a reward but if against my will a Dispensation of the Gospel is committed unto me What is my Reward then Verily that when I preach the Gospel I may make the Gospel of Christ without Charge that I abuse not my power in the Gospel Thirdly As there is neither Precept nor Example for this forced and Reason III stinted Maintenance in the Scripture so the Apostle in his solemn farewel to the Pastors and Elders of the Church of Ephesus Paul Coveted no body's Silver or Gold guards them against it Acts 20.33 34 35. But if the thing had been either lawful or practised he would rather have Exhorted them to be Content with their stinted Hire and not to Covet more whereas he sheweth them first by his own Example that they were not to Covet or expect any man's silver or Gold Secondly That they ought to Work with their hands for an honest lively-hood as he had done And lastly he exhorts them so to do from the words of Christ Because it is a more blessed thing to give then to receive shewing that it is so far from a thing that a true Minister ought to aim at or expect that it is rather a Burthen to a true Minister and Cross to him to be brought upon Necessity so to lack Reason IV § XXX Fourthly If a forced and stinted Maintenance were to be supposed it would make the Ministers of Christ just one with those Hirelings whom the Prophets cryed out against No Hireling fitting the Gospel of Christ. For certainly if a man make a Bargain to preach to people for so much a year so as to refuse to preach unless he have and seek to force the people to give it by Violence it cannot be denied that such a one preacheth for Hire and so looks for his gain from his quarter Mich. 3 5. yea and prepares war against such as put not into his mouth but this is the particular special Mark of a false Prophet and a Hireling and therefore can no ways compete to a True Minister of Christ. Next That a superfluous Maintenance that is more than in reason is needful ought not to be received by Christian Ministers will not need much proof seeing the more moderate and sober both among Papists and Protestants readily confess it who with one voice Exclaim against the excessive Revenues of the Clergy And that it may not want a proof from Scripture Moderate Protestants and Papists exclaim against the Excess of the Clergy's Revenues what can be more plain than that of the Apostle to Timothy 1 Tim. 6.7 8 9 10. where he both shews wherewith we ought to be content and also the hazzard of such as look after more and indeed since that very obligation of giving Maintenance to a Minister is founded upon their Need and such as have opportunity to Work are Commended rather in Not receiving than in Receiving it can no ways be supposed lawful for them to Receive more than is sufficient And indeed were they truly pious and right though Necessitate they would rather incline to take too little than to be gaping after too much § XXXI Now that there is great Excess and Abuse hereof among Christians the Vast Revenues which the Bishops and Priests have The Excess of the Priests and the Bishops Revenues both Papist and Protestant do declare since I judge it may be said without any Hyperbole that some particular persons have more paid them yearly than Christ and his Apostles made use of their whole life time who yet wanted not what was needful as to the outward man and no doubt deserved it far better than those that Enjoy that Fulness But it is manifest these Bishops and Priests love their fat Benefices and the Pleasure and Honour that attend them so well that they purpose neither to follow Christ nor his Apostles Example nor Advice in this matter But it 's usually Objected That Christians are become so hard-hearted Object and generally so little heed Spiritual things that if Ministers had not a setled and stinted Maintenance secured them by Law they and their families might starve for want of bread I Answer Answ. This Objection might have some weight as to a Carnal Ministry made up of natural men who have no life power nor vertue with them and so may insinuate some need of such a Maintenance for such a Ministry but it saith nothing as to such as are called and sent of God They wanted nothing whom God sent they labour'd with their hands who sends no man away faring upon his own Charges and so go forth in the Authority and Power of God to turn people from darkness to Light for such can trust to him that sendeth them and do believe that he will Provide for them knowing that he requireth nothing of any but what he giveth power to perform and so when they return if he Inquire can say They wanted nothing And such also when they stay in a place being Immediately furnished by God and not needing to borrow and steal what they preach from books and take up their time that way fall a working of their lawful Imploiments and labour with their hands as Paul did when he gathered the Church of Corinth And indeed if this Objection had any weight the Apostles and primitive Pastors should never had gone forth to Convert the Nations for fear of Want Doth not the doctrine of Christ teach us to Venture all and part with all to serve God Can they then be accounted Ministers of Christ who are afraid to preach him lest they get not Money for it or will not do it until they be sure of their payment What-for serves the Ministry but to perfect the Saints and so to Convert them from that hard-heartedness But thou wilt say I have laboured and preached to them Object and they are hard-hearted still and will not give me any thing Then surely thou hast either not
Condemnation of the Devil Moreover he must have a good Report of them which are without lest he fall into Reproach and the Snare of the Devil For a Bishop must be blameless as the Steward of God Tit. 1.7 8 9. not self-willed not soon angry not given to Wine no Striker not given to filthy Lucre but a lover of Hospitality a lover of good Men sober just holy temperate holding fast the Faithful Word as he hath been taught that he may be able by sound Doctrine both to exhort and to convince the Gain-sayers Q. What is incumbent upon such to do A. Take heed therefore to your selves and to all the Flock Acts 20.28 over which the holy Ghost hath made you Overseers to feed the Church of God * 1 Pet. 5.1 2 3. The Elders which are among you I exhort who am also an Elder and a Witness of the Sufferings of Christ and also a Partaker of the Glory that shall be revealed Feed the Flock of God which is among you taking the Oversight thereof not by Constraint but willingly not for filthy Lucre but of a ready Mind neither as being Lords over God's Heritage but being Ensamples to the Flock Q. Though they be not to Lord it over the Flock yet is there not a Respect due to them in their Place 1 Tim. 5.17 A. Let the Elders that Rule well be counted worthy of double Honour especially they who Labour in the Word and Doctrine Q. Albeit then among true Christians every one that believeth is to have the Witness in himself being perswaded in himself by the Spirit yet is there not also a real Subjection to be to one another in the Lord 1 Cor. 14.32 A. The Spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets Obey them that have the Rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your Souls Hebr. 13.17 as they that must give Account that they may do it with Joy and not with Grief for that is unprofitable for you 1 Thess. 5.12 13. And we beseech you Brethren to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you and to esteem them very highly in Love for their Works sake 1 Pet. 5 5. Likewise ye Younger submit your selves unto the Elder yea all of you be subject one to another and be clothed with Humility for God resisteth the Proud and giveth Grace unto the Humble Q. How ought true Teachers to minister in the Church A. As every man hath received the Gift even so minister the same one to another 2 Pet. 4.10 11. as good Stewards of the manifold Grace of God If any speak let him speak as the Oracles of God If any Man minister let him do it as of the ability which God giveth that God in all Things may be glorified through Jesus Christ. Q. I perceive then that every true Minister of the Church of Christ is to Minister of the Gift and Grace of God which he hath received But some are of the Judgment that natural Wisdom or Parts and Human Learning are the Qualification Human Learning which are of absolute Necessity for a Minister but Grace they judge not to be so absolutely necessary but that one may be Minister without it what saith the Scripture in this Case A. A Bishop must be sober just holy temperate Tit. 1.6 8. Q. Methinks it is impossible for a Man to be blameless just holy sober and temperate without the Grace of God So that if these Qualifications be absolutely necessary then surely that without which a Man cannot be so qualified must be necessary also But what saith the Scripture as to the Necessity of Natural Wisdom and Human Learning A. Where is the Wise where is the Scribe where is the Disputer of this World 1 Cor. 1.20 21 hath not God made foolish the Wisdom of this World For after that in the Wisdom of God the World by Wisdom knew not God it pleased God by the Foolishness of Preaching to save them that believe Q. It seems then the Preachings of the true Ministers are not gathered together by Wisdom and Learning It hath been supposed that a Man must be greatly skilled in Learning to make a good Sermon what is the Apostle's Judgment in the Case A. For Christ sent me not to Baptize but to preach the Gospel 1 Cor. 1.17 not with Wisdom of Words lest the Cross of Christ should be made of none Effect And I was with you in Weakness and in Fear 1 Cor. 2 3 4 5 and in much Trembling and my Speech and my Preaching was not with Enticing Words of Man's Wisdom but in Demonstration of the Spirit and of Power that your Faith should not stand in the Wisdom of Men but in the Power of God Q. I perceive the Apostle lays far more stress upon the Demonstration and Power of the Spirit in a Preacher than upon human Literature ought Ministers then to preach as the Spirit teacheth them A. Also we speak not in the Words which Man's Wisdom teaches 2 Cor. 2.13 but which the Holy Ghost teacheth And they were all fill'd with the Holy Ghost and began to speak Acts 2.4 as the Spirit gave them Vtterance Q. Is it Christ then that speaketh in and through his Ministers A. For it is not ye that speak but the Spirit of your Father Matth. 10.20 which speaketh in you For it is not ye that speak but the Holy Ghost Mark 13.11 For the Holy Ghost shall Teach you in the same Hour Luke 12.12 what ye ought to say Since ye seek a Proof of Christ speaking in me 2 Cor. 13.3 which to you-ward is not weak but is mighty in you Q. What is the Apostle's Mind of that human Learning which some cry up so much and think so needful in a Minister A. Beware Col. 2.8 lest any Man spoil you through Philosophy and vain Deceit after the Tradition of Men after the Rudiments of the World and not after Christ. O Timothy keep that which is committed to thy trust 1 Tim. 6.20 avoiding prophane and vain Babbling and Oppositions of Science falsly so caled Q. Though true Ministers speak not by the natural Wisdom of Men yet is their Testimony altogether void of Wisdom A. Howbeit we speak Wisdom among them that are perfect 1 Cor. 2.6 7. yet not the Wisdom of this World nor of the Prince of this World that came to nought but we speak the Wisdom of God in a Mystery even the hidden Wisdom which God ordained before the World to our Glory Q. What is the Reason that Man by his natural Wisdom is not capable to Minister in the Things of God A. For what Man knoweth the Things of a Man 1 Cor. 2.11 14 save the Spirit of a Man which is in him even so the Things of God knoweth no Man but the Spirit of God But the natural Man received
preparing War against all such as put not in their Mouths teaching for Hire and divining for Money p Mich. 3.5 11. Nor yet of those which teach things which they ought not for filthy Lucre's sake q Tit. 1.11 That run greedily after the Error of Balaam for Reward loving the Wages of Vnrighteousness r 2 Pet. 2.15 And through Covetousness with feigned Words making Merchandise of Souls s 2 Pet. 2.3 Men of corrupt Minds destitute of the Truth supposing that Gain is Godliness t 1 Tim. 6.5 but they know that Godliness with Contentment is great Gain u 1 Tim 6 6. and having Food and Raiment they are therewith content x 1 Tim. 6.8 ARTICLE XVII Concerning Worship THe Hour cometh and now is when the true Worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him y John 4.23 God is a Spirit and they which worship must worship him in Spirit and in Truth z John 4 24. For the Lord is nigh to all them that call upon him to all that call upon him in Truth a Psal. 145.18 He is far from the wicked but he heareth the Prayer of the Righteous b Prov. 15.29 And this is the Confidence that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his Will he heareth us c 1 John 5.14 What is it then We must pray with the Spirit and with the Vnderstanding also d 1 Cor. 14.15 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our Infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh Intercession for us with Groanings which cannot be uttered And he that searcheth the Heart knoweth what is the Mind of the Spirit because he maketh Intercession for the Saints according to the Will of God e Rom. 8.26 27. ARTICLE XVIII Concerning Baptism AS there is One Lord One Faith so there is One Baptism f Ephes. 4.5 which doth also now save us not the putting away of the Filth of the Flesh but the Answer of a Good Conscience towards God by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ g 1 Pet. 3.21 22. For John indeed baptized with Water but Christ with the Holy Ghost and with Fire h Matth. 3.1 Therefore as many as are baptized into Jesus Christ are baptized into his Death and are buried with him by Baptism into Death that like as Christ was raised up from the Dead by the Glory of the Father even so they also should walk in Newness of Life i Rom. 6.34 having put on Christ k Gal. 3.27 ARTICLE XIX Concerning Eating of Bread and Wine Washing of one anothers Feet Abstaining from things Strangled and from Blood and Anointing of the Sick with Oil. THe Lord Jesus the same Night in which he was betrayed took Bread and when he had given Thanks he brake it and said Take eat this is my Body which is broken for you this do in Remembrance of me After the same manner also he took the Cup when he had supped saying This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood this do ye as oft as ye drink it in Remembrance of me For as oft as ye do eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye do shew forth the Lord's Death till he come l Cor. 11.23 24 25. Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his Hands and that he was come from God and went to God he raiseth from Supper and laid aside his Garments and took a Towel and girded himself after that he poured Water into a Bason and began to wash the Disciples Feet and to wipe them with the Towel wherewith he was girded So after he had washed their Feet and had taken his Garments and set down again he said unto them Know ye what I have done unto you Ye call me Master and Lord and ye say well for so I am If I then your Lord and Master have washed your Feet ye also ought to wash one anothers Feet For I have given you an Example that ye should do as I have done unto you m John 13 2 3 4 12 13 14 15. For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us to lay upon you no greater Burden than these Necessary Things That ye abstain from Meats offered to Idols from Blood and from things Strangled and from Fornication from which if ye keep your selves ye do well n Acts 15.28 29. Is any man sick among you let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them Pray over him Anointing him with Oil o James 5.14 ARTICLE XX. Concerning the Liberty of such Christians as are come to know the Substance as to the Vsing or not Vsing of these Rites and of the Observation of Days THe Kingdom of God is not Meat and Drink but Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost p Rom. 14 17. Let no man therefore judge us in Meat or Drink or in Respect of an Holy-Day or of the New-Moon or the Sabbath-Days q Col. 2.16 For if we be dead with Christ from the Rudiments of the World why as though living in the World are We subject to Ordinances Let us not touch or taste or handle which all are to perish with the Using after the Commandments and Doctrines of Men r Col. 2.20 21 22. For now after we have known God or rather are known of him why should we turn again unto the Weak and Beggarly Elements or desire again to be in Bondage to observe Dayes and Months and Times and Years lest Labour have been bestowed on us in vain s Gal. 4.9 10 11. If one man esteem a Day above another another esteemeth every day alike let every man be fully perswaded in his own Mind He that regardeth a Day regardeth it unto the Lord and he that regardeth not the Day to the Lord he doth not regard it t Rom. 14.5 6. ARTICLE XXI Concerning Swearing Fighting and Persecution IT hath been said by them of Old Thou shalt not Forswear thy self but shalt perform unto the Lord thine Oaths But Christ says unto us Swear not at all neither by Heaven for it is God's Throne nor by the Earth for it is his Foot-stool neither by Jerusalem for it is the City of the great King neither shalt thou swear by thy Head because thou canst not make one Hair white or black But let your Communication be Yea Yea Nay Nay for whatsoever is more than these cometh of Evil u Mat. 5 33 34 35 36 37. And James chargeth us Above all things not to swear neither by Heaven neither by the Earth neither by any other Oath but let your Yea be Yea and your Nay Nay lest ye fall into Condemnation x Jam. 5.12 Though we walk in the Flesh we are not to War after the Flesh for the Weapons of our Warfare are not to be
as a Heathen and a Publican And lastly That the Church Gathering or Assembly of God's People has Power to Examin and call to an Account such as appearing to be among them or owning the same Faith with them do Transgress and in Case of their refusing to hear or Repent to Exclude them from their Fellowship and that God hath a special Regard to the Judgment and Sense of his People thus orderly proceeding so as to hold such bound in Heaven whom they bind on Earth and such loosed in Heaven whom they loose on Earth I am partly Confident that no rational Man will deny but that these naturally follow from the above-mentioned Scripture and if there should be any found so unreasonable as to deny it I could prove it by necessary and unevitable Consequences which at present as taking it for granted I forbear to do If it be reckoned so great a Crime to offend one of the little ones that it were better for him that so did that a Milstone were hanged about his Neck and he were drowned in the Depth of the Sea without Question to Offend and gainsay the whole Flock must be more Criminal and must draw after it a far deeper Judgment Now if there were no Order nor Government in the Church what should become of those that Transgress How should they be again Restored Would not this make all Reproving all Instructing The End of Church-Order all Caring for and Watching over one another void and null Why should Christ have desired them to proceed after this Method Why doth he place so much Weight upon the Judgment of the Church as to make the refusing of Hearing it to draw so deep a Censure after it which he will not have to follow the refusing to hear one or two apart though the Matter be one and the same And so as to the Substantial and Intrinsick Truth of the Thing there lies the same Obligation upon the Transgressor to hear that one as well as all for that one adviseth him to that which is right and good as well as the whole and they do but homologate or Confirm that which that one hath already asserted Yet Jesus Christ who is the Author of Order and not of Confusion will not have a Brother cut off or reputed a Publican for refusing to hear one or two but for refusing to hear the Church And if it be Objected That the Church of Rome and all other false Churches make use of this Scripture and cover their Persecution and Cruelty Objection and Oppression by it and thou sayst no more than they say I answer I suppose no man will be so unreasonable as to affirm that the Church of Rome abusing this Scripture will make it false in it self but how we differ in our Application of this Scripture shall be spoken of hereafter I am not now claiming Right to this Power as due to us that is reserved for another place but this I say is that which I now aver to be manifest from the Scripture-Testimony and to be in itself an unquestionable Truth That Jesus Christ intended there should be Order and Government in his Church which is the Thing at present in hand to be proved which if it be so really true as it cannot be denied then I hope it will also necessarily follow that such who really and truly are the Church of Christ have Right to exercise this Order and Government Secondly That the Apostles and Primitive Christians did practise Order Reason II and Government we need but to read the History of the Acts of which I shall mention a few pregnant and undeniable Testimonies Church-Order Practised by the Apostles and Primitive Christians In Elections· as we may observe in the very first Chapter of the Acts from Verse 13. to the End where at the very first Meeting the Apostles and Brethren held together after the Ascension of Christ they began orderly to Appoint one to fulfil the Place of Judas it may be thought this was a needless Ceremony yet we see how the Lord countenanced it I hope none will say that the Apostles appointing of these two Men or of him upon whom the Lot did not fall Contradicted their Inward Freedom or Imposed upon it but both agreed very well together the one in the Will and Movings of God in Appointing and the other in the same in submitting to their Appointment Moreover after they had received the holy Ghost you may read Acts 6. so soon as there was an Opportunity how they wisely gave Order concerning the Distribution of the Poor in Distributions for the Poor and Appointed some men for that Purpose So here was Order and Government according to the Present Necessity of the Case And the Lord God was well pleased with it and the Word of God encreased and the Number of the Disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly Might they not have said then as some say now We will give our Charity to whom we see Cause and we will take no Notice of your Appointments and Orders Whether would God have approved of such yea or nay Thirdly When that the Business of Circumcision fell in whether it was fit or not to Circumcise the Gentiles We see the Apostles saw not meet To suffer every one to follow their own Minds and Wills They did not judge W. M. in his Queries as one confusedly supposeth That this Difference in an outward Exercise would commend the Unity of the true Faith nay they took another Method It is said expresly Acts 15.6 And the Apostles and Elders came together to consider of this Matter and after there had been much disputing about it no doubt then in Differences occurring there were here Diversities of Opinions and Judgments the Apostles and Elders told their Judgments and came also to a positive Conclusion Sure some behoved to submit else they should never have agreed So those that were the Elders gave a positive Judgment and they were bold to say That it pleased not only them but the Holy Ghost By all which it doth undeniably appear that the Apostles and Primitive Saints practised a Holy Order and Government among themselves and I hope none will be so bold as to say they did these Things without the Leadings of the Spirit of God and his Power and Authority concurring and going along with them The Apostles Doctrine concerning Order in the Church And that these Things were not only singular Practices but that they held it doctrinally that is to say it was Doctrine which they preached that there ought to be Order and Government in the Church is manifest from these following Testimonies 1 Cor. 4.15 16 17. 15. For though you have ten Thousand Instructors in Christ 1 Cor. 4 15 16 17. yet have ye not many Fathers for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel 16. Wherefore I beseech you be ye Followers of me 17. For this Cause have I sent unto
Motion or Assistance will come afterwards to be proved and to suppose God cannot or will not move any but Ministers by his Spirit to Exhort were to limit him which is presumptuous in us to do But in this appeareth the difference Some do not Speak altho ' endued with the Spirit in Publick that we Confess many may and know Thousands among us whom we acknowledge to be good Men and sufficiently Endued with the Spirit towards the work of Regeneration in themselves and brotherly Love and Care to their Brethren who never find themselves moved to speak a Word in Publick and there are others whom God calleth to make Teaching and the Over-sight of the Church so their Constant Business that they are less engaged in worldly Affairs than the generality of those called Clergy-men even among J. B.'s Brethren and therefore are owned and honoured and so far as need requires maintained by the Church But to say that no Man ought without he be thus particularly Called at any time speak in a Publick Assembly since we say that they ought not but when moved by the Spirit is not only to accuse us Yet none to bind up God from moving with his Spirit when and in whom he please but imperiously bind up God from moving with his Spirit whom and when he pleaseth And this being Applied will Answer his Queries pag. 369. where n. 14. he affirms That to suppose Ministers may use an honest Trade is to account the Work of the Ministry a light business But this is to account it no more a light business than the Apostle did who recommended Working with their Hands for a livelihood to the Elders of the Church of Ephesus Act. 20.34 35. giving them his own Example in so doing But they indeed must have small Experience of a true Ministry who do not know a Man may be better qualified to discharge it by being inwardly exercised in the Spirit and Instructed thereby than by all the Labour and Study they can derive from their Books and perhaps it may be true Book-Study will not do Paul labour'd with his Hands which he after affirms that such who bring their Preaching always out of Books will find little time to follow another Trade but it seems such Preachers are uncapable to follow the Apostle's Exhortation above mentioned and therefore we will justly conclude them to be no true Gospel-Ministers ¶ 5. That he may be like himself he begins his 20 th Chapter of Women-Preachers with Railing saying The Quakers are against all the Appointments and Ordinances of Christ then he goeth on at a high rate Inveighing against the Liberty of Womens speaking from Paul's words 1 Cor. 14.34 as being against the Law as being contrary to Modesty and Shamefacedness urging pag. 398. the Apostle's Authority in Writing that Epistle which we deny not And then he urgeth against us 1 Tim. 2.11 alledging That its being said Adam was first formed and then Eva and Eva being first in the Transgression infers that Womens Preaching is against the Law of Nature and that this Silence is imposed upon Women as a just Judgment for Eva 's Transgression For this last Inference we have nothing but his Affirmation To the former I answered in my Apology shewing that these words of the Apostle cannot be taken absolutely and without limitation since the same Apostle giveth Rules How Women ought to Pray and Preach th' Apostle tells how Women should behave themselves in their Praying and Preaching in the Church But he reckons that this is for me to make the Apostle Contradict himself while this is his own Case who takes the Apostle's words without limitation else there is not the least Contradiction yea his desiring them to Ask their Husbands at home shews that it cannot be taken Vniversally seeing all Women have not Husbands And for his saying That what the Apostle saith Chap. 11. v. 5. But every Woman that Prayeth or Prophesieth with her Head uncovered c. is not to be meant of their carriage when they are Praying themselves but when they are present at others doing of it This is his bare Affirmation without Proof Contrary to the express words of the Text which saith Every Woman that Prayeth c. not when she heareth another Pray And by this way it might be as easily affirmed where the Apostle in the same place speaks of Men's Praying with their Heads covered that it is not when they Pray themselves but when they hear others And that there must be a Limitation he confesseth saying That the Lord made use of Prophetesses of Old and that he is free to make use of whom he will If so then if the Lord do so now who dare plead against it Yea the practice of J. B.'s Brethren doth Contradict this Scripture if they will not admit a Limitation For will he deny but heretofore at Presbyterian Meetings where sometimes 20 and 30. and more have been together Women have both Spoken and Prayed And have not Women Spoke and Prayed at your Meetings yea been Invited too yea been invited and urged to do so by Eminent Preachers there present And is not that properly a Church where Christians are met together to Worship God and Edify one another If he say this was only private I answer However Private it was it was still a Church for it is not the Greatness of the Number that makes the Church since the fewer Number may more properly sometimes be Esteemed the Church than the greater And if he take the Apostle's words absolutely without Limitation it will Exclude Women from speaking in any Assembly met for Religious Worship and Exercise unless he will be so Superstitious as to ascribe the Churchship to the old Popish Mass-house-Walls and if so What! is the Church Old Popish Mass-House-Walls it will trouble him to prove there were any such in Corinth used by Christians when the Apostle wrote to them so as to think that if Women speak not there they do not speak in the Church And yet how comes it that by the Acts of the General Assembly Whores are not only permitted but constrained to speak in the most publick Assemblies and that in a place allotted for them no less Eminent than the Pulpit Sure if such Women may there speak of their sins and tell how they have been Tempted of the Devil good Women moved by the Spirit of God may tell what God has done for them in preserving them from such Evils Neither will it serve to say that it is not Authoritative speaking for the Apostle's words are I permit not a Woman to speak not I permit her not to speak Authoritatively for the words added Nor to usurp Authority over the Man is a distinct Precept Women may usurp Authority over their Men who never offer to Preach in the Church as also some may speak there who may be very subject to their Husbands Besides they permit Women to Sing publickly which
easie Compend of our Active Duty to God and Man yea to ourselves Soberly That is with Moderation Temper Government of our Passions and Affections Let your Moderation be known unto all Men Phil. 4.5 said the same Apostle His Reason was pressing and unanswerable For the Lord is at hand So be Sober for the Lord 's at hand and let Men see that we are so Though the Exhortation chiefly regards Ourselves that we may not Abuse or Disorder our selves Overdo or Act in reference to our own Persons and Affairs As if he had said be sober and moderate in thy Giving Getting Conversing in thy Pains and Pleasures in Thoughts VVords and Deeds in thy whole Man and Life Righteously Refers to our Neighbour to do as we would be done to To defraud none oppress none 1 Cor. 6.7 8 9. Eph. 6.1 10. Col. 3.20 25. Prov. 20.10 Ch. 22.28 but Discharge all Relations and Conditions uprightly to Parents Magistrates Husband VVife Children Servants Neighbours Strangers Enemies Just VVeights and Measures Old Land-marks and an Even Ballance These are well-pleasing to God in all Ranks and Relations Godly in this present VVorld relates chiefly to God the Faith VVorship and Obedience we owe to him Obedience by a pious Life For this is the will of God even our Sanctification without Holiness none shall see him 1 Thess. 4.3 So that to be Godly is to Live after God not the World and after his Spirit not our Flesh but to Crucify the flesh with the lusts thereof Rom. 13.12 14. Gal. 5.22 25. and put on the Lord Jesus Christ his Meekness his Patience Humility Mercy Forgiveness Love Temperance and Righteousness and make no more provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof No more be in pain Matt. 6.31 33. what we should eat or drink or put on or how we may make our selves Wealthy or Mighty in the Earth after the way of the Old Gentiles that knew not God as is the Custom of almost the whole Christian World so called at this very day which General Declension shews that a General Judgment and an Over-flowing Scourge of God is at hand but to seek the Kingdom of God first and deny our selves Job 14.14 and watch and pray waiting all the Days of our appointed Time until our Great and Last Change shall come So that Godliness is God-likeness Translation Renewing yea the First Resurrection that those who Attain to it the Second Death shall have no Power over them This Godliness with Contentment is the greatest Gain 1 Tim. 4.8 Ch. 6.6 1 Joh. 3.5 8. and profitable in all things the Sum and Substance of Religion and of all God's Dispensations in the World yea the very End of Christ's coming and the blessed Fruit of his Victory over Hell Death and the Grave that Sin might have an end the Devil's Works in Man and Woman be destroyed and Man made an holy Temple and Tabernacle for God to dwell in This is Godliness and this Godliness is the way to please God 2 Cor. 6.16 Matt. 6.20 1 Tim. 6.18 19. to lay up Treasure in Heaven to be fruitful in Grace rich in Faith and good VVorks and to lay hold on Eternal Life and become Heirs of an Inheritance Incorruptible Which brings me to the Fifth and Last thing observable from this Comprehensive Passage viz. The Comfortable Reward and End of this Life and Grace in vers 13. Looking for that blessed Hope and the glorious Appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ That is Looking for the Fulfilling of that blessed Hope to Have what they Hoped for An Hope that does not make Ashamed those that have it but is an Anchor to the Soul in the greatest Storms that Attend Men on thair Way to Blessedness It is for the Accomplishment of this Hope the gracious Livers have a Title to Expect and Wait. They that have been Taught by the Grace what to deny and what to do and to look and live above the VVorld and by an Eye of Faith to pierce through the dark Clouds of Time and stedfastly to look into the things that are Eternal they are but Travellers and Pilgrims as were all the Godly Fathers of old Time and expect with them a City Heb. 11.10 whose Builder and Maker is God These wait for the Glorious Appearing of the great God and their Saviour Jesus Christ as the Blessed End of their Hope and to them he will certainly come as the Glorious and Faithful Rewarder of the Faith Obedience and Perseverance of his poor Disciples and Servants They shall Reign with him a Thousand Years and for ever Their Obedience and Sufferings are but Temporal but the Recompence Everlasting Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard Isa. 64.4 1 Cor. 2.9 10. Psal. 84.1 10. nor has the Heart of man been able to perceive the good things that God has laid up in store for those that love him But in the Heavens that do not wax Old and which will never pass away those holy Courts of God the true Followers of Jesus the Children of Light and Disciples of the Cross that come through the many Tribulations from Conviction to Conversion from Conversion to Consummation the End of all shall Understand Tast and Enjoy those Hidden and Divine Pleasures that are as Ineffable as they are Eternal This Reader is the Old Divinity that of Christ and his blessed Apostles Time and Teaching renewed in our Days by the fresh Breaking-forth of the same Light Spirit and Grace that brought this Doctrine of Immortality to Light in those Primitive and Happy Ages yea Immortality it self a Divine Never-dying Life into the Soul that which quickens it out of the sleepy and dead Estate Sin brings it into by which it looseth all Savour or Relish of Spiritual Things I say this is the Divinity God has Renewed among us an Experimental Work or Operation of his Light Spirit and Grace in our Souls This Light is the great Luminary of the Intellectual World that expels the Darkness and scatters the Mists of Sin and Death that the Souls of Men labour under where it is Received and Obeyed This is the Day of God in which the whole World has a Visitation that by which we are to see our Way to God and Duty to him and all Men as the outward Sun is the Means by which we see our outward Ways and the Difference of outward Things This was the Principle that divinely endued the Author of the ensuing Volume and has enabled him to Write of God and his Attributes by the Power and Truth of them upon his own Soul He felt his Justice in himself for his Disobedience His Mercy by the Forgiveness of his Sins through Faith and Repentance His Holiness by the Sanctification of his Grace through Obedience to the Teachings of it That God is a Spirit by the Spiritual Operations upon his own Soul the Spiritual Part of himself And Omnipresent because he felt his Presence or him present as a
Word is an Ordinance of Jesus Christ because first Christ appointed Ministers and Pastors to be in his Church But this cannot be asserted in opposition to the Quakers who grant the same And why citest thou Eph. 5.11 and 1. for 12.8 which if they prove the Continuance of Pastors and Teachers prove also the Continuance of Prophets Evangelists and Apostles which ye deny As to the second Reason That the Ministry is not common to all but that there be some Pastors and Teachers is also owned by us Yet that hinders not but that any at a time may speak when the Saints are met together as the Lord moves by his Spirit according to 1 Cor. 14.31 For it is one thing to be particularly called to the Ministry and another to be moved to speak at a particular time which distinction that it was usual among the Apostles in the Primitive times is easily observed in the fore-named Chapter For a Third Reason thou say'st True Minister's Call is not of Man Whom God calleth to the Ministry he doth it either immediately without the intervention of Men or mediately by Men authorised for that purpose But for this thou bring'st no proof neither art thou able to make out that ever God called any under the New Covenant mediately to their Ministry by Men as they were not to have an Immediate Call in themselves Though the Approbation of Good and Experienced Men in its place is not denied by us but dearly owned Fourthly thou say'st Who ever pretends to an immediate Call they ought for the satisfaction of others to shew signs and tokens of their Apostleship To which I answer That those who come preaching the Gospel not in speech only The proof of the same Call but also in Power and in the Holy Ghost and in the evidence and demonstration thereof as it is 1 Thess. 15. and 1 Cor. 2.4 give sufficient proof that they are Called of God though they come not with outward Miracles And though Paul came to some with Miracles where he preached the Gospel yet many believed who saw no outward Miracle Also many of the Prophets wrought no Miracle nor John the Baptist And though some miraculous things came to pass about his Conception and Birth those do not of themselves prove him to be a Prophet Outward Miracles for Miraculous things and Miracles were wrought upon many who were no Prophets If Miracles be necessary to evince a Man sent of God he must come with these Miracles before the People which John did not Nor did Jonas come with any Miracle to convince the Ninivites but simply declared his Message And John Calvin asserteth Calv. l. 4. c. 3. Inst. That there is no need of Miracles and yet he maintaineth that in his day God raised up Apostles or Evangelists saying That it was needful such should be to bring back the poor People that had gone astray after Antichrist Neither did any Protestants pretend to any Miracles they pleading against the Papists That there was no absolute need of any in respect they preached not a New Gospel but that which was already confirmed with Miracles by Christ and his Apostles And so thy Plea against us here is the same that was urged by the Papists against the Primitive Protestants An evil and adulterous Generation said Christ seeketh after Miracles and though Miracles should be given they who will not believe the Testimony of the Spirit of God in their Consciences bearing witness to the Truth will not also believe because of Miracles as we see plainly in the Jews And whereas thou say'st John's Immediate Call is evident by the special Predictions both of Malachy and Isaias concerning him So are there many special Predictions concerning the Lord his pouring forth of his Spirit upon many in these latter days to Prophecy or Minister as the Spirit should put words into their Mouths And as for these Scriptures Tit. 1.5 Acts 14.23 which thou bring'st in the Fifth place they prove not that those Elders had not the Authority and Call of the Spirit of God in themselves And whereas in the Sixth place thou say'st Though Ministers be set a-part and ordained by Men yet their Ministry is not from Men but from God I Answer Where the Inward Call and Authority of the Spirit of God is not witnessed it cannot be said to be of God And though Moses be said to Consesecrate Aaron yet it doth not follow that Aaron had no immediate Call from God Seventhly thou say'st The Ministry is so necessary that it is the Will of Jesus Christ that it should continue unto the end of the World Eph. 5.12 13. Ministry perfecting the Saints But thy proof from that Scripture is altogether impertinent as to you who believe not that the Saints can be perfected in this Life seeing the Ministry is given for the perfecting of them And that this perfection is on Earth is clear from the following Verse That hence-forth we be no more as Children tossed to and fro for in the other Life there is no hazzard of being so tossed And if the Ministry perfected not Men in this life it nowhere perfecteth them for in the other Life it hath no operation upon them The Law and Priesthood thereof was abolished because it made nothing perfect and if the Gospel-Ministry should not make perfect it should also be abolished And seeing your Ministry perfecteth not it is not the true Ministry of the Gospel as indeed it is not for it standeth not in the Power of God nor is it excercised in the Will and Motion of God your Ministry being such that the whole ESSE or BEING of it may be without Saving Grace or true Holiness you expresly affirming That Holiness is not necessary to the Being of a Minister but that a Man may be a Minister of the Gospel who ought to be received and heard though he have not the least Grain of Holiness Eighthly thou say'st They who cast off the Ministry of the Word wrong their own Souls c. Answ. If it be understood of the Ministry of Christ it is granted but of yours it is denied In the Fifth place Page 44. thou would'st prove That the Lord's People are under a tye and engagement to keep the first day of the Week for a Sabbath For a First Reason thou say'st The Fourth Commandment requires the keeping holy of one day of seven But as it requires the observation of one day of seven so it expresly instanceth that day to be the seventh which day â—â—e keep not Wherefore as to the Second Reason If the Command be Moral and Perpetual as thou callest it it ought to be kept in every Point of it which ye not doing therein condemn your selves The outward Sabbath not perpetual But the outward Sabbath or the keeping one day of the Week for a Sabbath is not perpetual but abolished together with the New-Moons and other Feasts of the Jews See Coloss. 2.16 17. Let
and worship him but to plead so obstinately as ye do that the Fourth Commandment bindeth to a particular observation of that day and yet to be found so slack in the observation of it as you generally are in such an Inconstancy as the Quakers cannot own And so whereas thou would'st confine the Lord his giving rest and comfort to the Souls of his People and the falling of the Manna to the First Days calling them Spiritual Market-days as if there were no other we cannot own it knowing that the Lord giveth rest and comfort every day and causeth the Manna plentifully to fall every day to those that walk in his fear and wait upon him and he has no such circumscribed Market-day as thou dreamest of The Priest's Market-day But that ye I mean the Priests make a Market-day of that day so that ye may call it Your Day as thou say'st Page 44. our day we know wherein you sell and vend your Babylonish Commodities and will be forcing and compelling all to come and buy of them or if not to send you Money whether they receive ought or not or else ye will endeavour by the help of the Magistrate to have them punished So that it is made manifest that it is only the Inventions of Men that we disown and not any of the Ordinances of Jesus Christ. Page 46. Thou grantest the word Original Sin is not found in Scripture and yet thou pleadâ—st for it because say'st thou the thing intended by it is contained and expressed in Scripture Answ. We deny that the thing by you intended is exprest in Scripture to wit That all Infants are sinners before God only for Adam 's sin and that there are Reprobate Infants who are sent to Hell only for Adam 's first sin This we deny nor do the Scriptures cited by thee prove it Psal. 51. Behold I was conceived in sin But first if this place should prove the Infant guilty of any sin Infants not guilty of Adam's sin it should be of the sin of its own immediate Parents In iniquity did my Mother bring me forth Now you say the Infant is not guilty of the sin of its own immediate Parents but only of Adam's and Eve's first sin of which this Scripture speaks nothing 2. It doth not say I was conceived and brought forth a Sinner as you would have it why make you Infants guilty of Adam's sin and not the sins of their immediate Parents Now it is granted that there is a seed of sin derived unto Adam's Posterity The Seed of Sin but we say none become guilty of sin before God until they close with this evil seed and in them who close with it it becomes an Origine or Fountain of evil Thoughts Desires Words and Actions which are their sins who close with it But that the guilt of Adam's first sin lyes at the door of Infants who never actually sinned we deny For a Second Proof thou citest Rom. 5.12 alledging It should be rendred that in Adam all sinned But it is no such matter For the words however they be truly Translated can never be so rendred In Adam all sinned The strictest Translation of the words is thus upon which all have sinned or in which all have sinned They hold forth how that Adam by his Sin gave an entrance to Sin in the World and Death by Sin and so upon this accasion all others have sinned to wit actually in their own Person so that all who ever sinned actually it was upon the occasion of Adam's Sin For the Apostle is here speaking not of Infants who are not capable of any Law but of such as have a Law and act against it Yea from the Apostle's words in the other following Verse it is plain that Sin is not imputed to Infants For saith he Sin is not imputed where there is no Law Now there is no Law given to Infants as such for they are not capable of it What the Law saith it saith to them No Law no Transgression who have in more or less some exercise of understanding which Infants new born have not Or if the words be translated in which all have sinned that word WHICH hath a nearer Relative than ADAM to wit Death for the seed of sin is justly called Death because where it is joined unto and obeyed it killeth and so in this seed all have sinned who ever did actually sin And as for the 18 th Verse of Rom. 5. which is commonly used to prove Infants guilty and under Condemnation it is not rightly translated for the word Judgment or Condemnation or Guilt is not at all in the Greek but those who have drunk-in this imagination have added this word to the Scripture so bending and bowing the Scripture to their false Opinion And whereas thou say'st We were all in the Loins of Adam and therefore wouldest infer That Infants are sinners in him or guilty of his sin I say It follows not more than to say We are guilty of all the sins of our Fore-fathers because we have been in their Loins Again thou labourest to prove that Infants are sinners because they are subject to pains and diseases and death But this proveth them not to be Sinners as it proveth not that the Earth is a Sinner or that the Herbs and Trees of the Field are sinners for even these things have suffered by Adam's fall a great decay And as for the outward Death of those that are saved from Eternal Death it is rather a Sleep The outward and eternal Death than a Death as Christ said concerning Lazarus he sleepeth And concerning the Maid she is not dead but sleepeth And therefore that Scripture Rom. 6.23 cannot be applied to them who dye not or perish not eternally for though the Saints lay down the outward man is not as the punishment or reward of their Sins which are forgiven and from which they are delivered And so the sting of Death being taken away in those who are saved it is not that Death which is the Wages of Sin And seeing the Apostle said unto the Saints that all things were theirs even Death it cannot be that their Death should be reckoned the Wages of their Sin How many of the blessed Martyrs have looked upon their Suffering a most violent Death for Truth and Righteousness as a Gift of God How then could it be said to be the Wages of their Sins which implys as if their Sins were not all freely forgiven Page 48. From this Doctrine thou say'st it will follow First That all Infants that dye in their Infancy are saved and though Charity may be pleaded for this Opinion thou say'st yet what Scripture can be alledged for it Infants dying how saved Answ. If I should bring that Scripture Suffer little Children to come unto me for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven It will much more naturally flow from the words than that they ought to be sprinkled which is the meaning
Abundance of the outward Knowledge of Christ and they needed not Preach that to him which he knew therefore was he sensible of the seasonableness of their Advice saying as I am certainly informed by one of the two How good a thing would it be for an old dying Man like me to know that Christ within which ye speak of He bringeth not any thing of weight in his fourth Section as Reply to that which is contained in the 22 th page of my last where I shew We do no ways confound the Light-giver with the Light or enlightning given the Reason alledged here is because we call that Light Jesus Christ wherewith all Men are Enlightened which implieth no more his Consequence than that usual expression that it is the Sun by which we are outwardly Enlightened implies any confounding of the Sun with the Beams Whereas in his last he said There was a certain Light in all men and that as the Remainders of God's Image in him since the Fall in the end of page 24. he explains it to be the Light of Reason and Vnderstanding and thereby makes the Reason of Man all one with Christ and the Spirit which page 10. and 22. he granted to be in Wicked Men as to common Operations After that he laboureth much in this fifth Section to prove That Man retaineth some Good since the Fall he instanceth nothing but the Soul which he saith is Good and Pretious and of great Excellency and Worth and Retains a Similitude to the Image of God as being Spiritual and Immortal W. M's Confusion Where it is observable That he grants the Souls of Wicked and Unconverted Men to be of great Worth and Excellency and yet he denies the Works of the Pure Spirit of God to be of any Worth or Excellency and that because the Soul has a share in them If so be the Souls of Wicked Men are conform'd to the Image of God because they are Spiritual and Immortal then are Devils also conform to the Image of God for they are also Spiritual and Immortal in the same sense that the Souls of Wicked Men are Lastly I desire the Reader may here observe how he hath entirely omitted that part of page 23. of mine where I shew How and in what sense the Light is to be understood or called the Light of Nature and of what Nature Therein clearing us from the Aspersion of Pelagianism By which Omission it may appear how willing these Men are to Calumniate us and apt to pass by that which tends to our Vindication Page 25. Head 5. Sect. 1. He alledgeth We vilifie the Scriptures and that because we confess That the end of our Meeting is not to Read them but to Wait on God adding that therefore we make an opposition betwixt Reading the Scriptures Reading the Scriptures is owned and Waiting on God But as this Conclusion hath no Proof so it is most Inconsequential As if nothing could be distinguished except it were Opposite According to which he might Argue that because Preaching and Praying are not all one therefore they are Opposite That some have been Countenanced of God in Reading the Scriptures is not denied by us and therefore the bringing of it forth against us is wholly Impertinent And whereas he avers That Reading of the Scripture is the means of having the Word of God to dwell richly in us alluding to Col. 3.16 He should have first proved the Word there mentioned to be the Scripture before he had been so hasty to draw his Conclusion His alledging some passages where Christ and others spake upon some words of Scripture saith nothing to the purpose For as I confessed it was sometimes used by them so I told him it was also frequent among us But the Question is Whether their settled Custom of speaking upon a Text be according to Scripture And thereupon I shew him how Christ and his Apostles did Preach without it as Christ Matth. 5. and in many other places And Paul to the Athenians But this of Paul mentioned by me in my last he hath left unanswered And in Answer to 1 Cor. 14 29 30 31. For ye may all Prophesy one by one c. He saith This will not conduce to keep up the successive talking of Quakers Prophesying restricted only to Prophets by W. M. falsly alledging it to be Restricted to the Prophets which he says it will be hard to prove our Preachers to be Adding That it maketh not against their Way because Ministers speak among them two or three Here though in relation to us he Restricts this place to the Prophets yet in relation to himself he doth it not else he must prove their Ministers that so speak to be Prophets as he desires me to do our Preachers Now this he cannot since he says peremptorily page 97. That such a thing is ceased And therefore this may shew how he twinds and wrests the Scripture to make it answer his corrupt Ends. It is a manifest shift to avert the strength of this place where the Order of the Church which is quite contrary to theirs is expresly mentioned To run to the matter of Womens Speaking thereby to make a Digression to a new Debate which hath been largely defended by us and particularly by Margaret Fell in a Book never yet answered And as to the place alledged we have often shewn how it cannot be understood in a rigid Literal sense else it would contradict the same Apostle 1 Cor. 11.5 where he proposeth to Women the Method and Manner of their behaviour in their publick Preaching and Praying The Promise was that the Daughters as well as the Sons should Prophesie Joel 2.28 Acts 2.17 As a second Reason of our vilifying the Scriptures he adds and that by way of derision They will not have the Scripture called their Master's Letter No forsooth their Master's Letter is writ in their hearts c. Answ. Here his Malice hath not only led him foolishly to Deride us but the Apostle yea God himself The Law of God is our Master's Letter For the Law of God is our Master's Letter and this is in our Hearts if we be under the New Covenant Hebr. 8.10 I will put my Law into their minds and write them in their hearts and vers 11. They shall not need every man to teach their neighbour for they shall all know me c. His Argument taken from Christ's writing to the seven Churches of Asia makes nothing against us except he will be so ridiculous to aver that these Churches had no Rule nor Knowledge of their Master's Will before they received that Writing Which if they had it was not there only And this was that Incumbent to be proved for which that Example was brought for the Testimony of Christ through his Servants whether by Word or Writ is dearly owned by us as hath often been declared With the like Impudence he concludes That we bend our strength to Evacuate the Authority
occasion to be witnesses to our practice in this thing which says just nothing Why might not W. M. his Intelligencers fail him in this as well as his Brother 's David Lyall did in telling him That there was not one word spoken among the Quakers at their Meeting the 3 d of the 11 th Month 1670. Which though a manifest untruth in matter of Fact he spared not to bring forth in his Chair of Verity upbraiding the Magistrates as if God had miraculously sent an Officer to stop or impede our Worship though they had refused to do it J. Nailor's sincere Repentance The Story of J. Nailor which he subjoins any may observe to be meerly brought in to render us Odious and fill up the paper though indeed it tends no ways to our disadvantage he being in that thing and at that time altogether denied by us and hath since in print freely acknowledged his fall in that hour of Temptation of whose sincere Repentance and true return to the fellowship of the Truth we have had many evident tokens whereas were we to retort we could find a Thousand to one among your Church-members many whereof are daily knit up for Thieving Murder c. and some burnt for Witchcraft without the least sense of true Repentance For to vindicate their manner of singing with a mixt Multitude he alledgeth That all men yea all the Earth are called to praise God And though all be called to do so Singing by whar Instrument it is acceptable yet there are things absolutely needful previous to this duty And granting their want of praising to be sinful yet the way to prevent this evil is to come first to that wherein they may be in a capacity to do it acceptably Therefore saith the Apostle I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the understanding also 1 Cor. 14.15 Where he speaks of singing he always subjoins the Instrument wherewith it is altogether needful that we take it And that the same may be urged in the case of Praying without any absurdity in its place shall be shewn He says It is no more a lie to use words in singing which sute not our condition such as I water my Couch with tears My heart is not haughty than to read them But there is a great difference betwixt Reading and Singing in Reading we but relate the Conditions and Actions of others as wholly distinct and extrinsick from our selves but in Singing we do really address our selves to God as in Prayer and it is no less a lie to sing to God words that sute not our Condition than to pray with them The Saints in Scripture used such expressions as did sute the present posture of their hearts in their Spiritual Songs see Luke 1.46 and 2.29 He shall not find me in the whole Bible where they borrowed or sealed the Expressions of others Experience which no ways suted their own Condition this is a meer human Invention which has its original from the Romish Vespers and Mattins and from no other foundation Head 10. Concerning Baptism page 81. he alledgeth That John distinguisheth not the matter of his Baptism from Christ but only his work But his proof for this overthrows himself For since as he says truly John could only administer Baptism with water John's Baptism and Christ's differ in the Matter and End but Christ with the Spirit this sheweth them to have differed in the matter for without doubt John could administer the matter of his own Baptism And whereas I told him they differed in the End because the one pointed to the other even as the shadow pointed to the substance Instead of replying to this he tells me That the Scripture speaking of John 's Baptism calls it the Baptism of Repentance intimating its End was to signifie and seal Remission of Sins which likewise is the End of Christ's Baptism As this no ways answers my Argument so it makes nothing to the purpose for it is one thing to signifie Repentance and Remission of Sins and far another to know and possess it which is the End and constant fruit of Christ's Baptism Gal. 3.27 As many of you saith the Apostle as have been baptized unto Christ have put on Christ. And therefore it may be observed that without any proof he concludes that John's Baptism and Christ's agree both in the Matter and End Page 82. As a Reply to Acts 19.2 cited by me to shew And Substance that they differed in substance he saith The meaning is not that they were ignorant of the Person of the Holy Ghost Contrary to the very express Scripture-words viz. We have not so much as heard if there be any Holy Ghost He saith further That the Apostles did not a-new baptize such Persons that had been baptized with the Baptism of John In direct Contradiction to the Scripture-words verse 5. When they heard this they were baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus W. M. contradicts the Scriptures And when Paul had laid his hands upon them the Holy Ghost came upon them Now verse 3. sheweth That they were baptized unto John's Baptism before so let him clear himself here of giving the Scripture the Lie if he can Section 2. page 83. To prove the perpetuity of Water-Baptism he begins with that often answered Argument of the Apostle's practice adding That though Christ Matth. 28. doth not mention Baptism with Water so neither with the Spirit alledging That thus the one may be excluded as well as the other Answ. Seeing Christ commanded them to baptize it cannot be denied but it was with his own Baptism which is that of the Spirit He adds That if Baptism of the Spirit were intended it would infer a needless Tautology in the Command of Christ as being all one with these words Go Teach Answ. Teaching and making men holy and righteous are different things Water-Baptism not commanded by Christ. For he will grant that he and his Brethren have been Teaching People these several years and yet he will have much ado to prove all their Church-members are really made Righteous and Holy Why then doth he account these two one reckoning it a Tautology to express them severally A little after he insinuates and that most falsly That I deny Peter's commanding Cornelius to be baptized Concealing my express words page 31. which are these And though it be said ver 48. that he commanded them to be baptized in the Name of Christ yet it holds forth no Command from Christ only the thing being agreed upon that it might be done he bid do it This he hath left un answered And whereas he adds That doing things in the Name of Christ is as much as his Command He bringeth no proof for giving but not granting it did hold so Matth. 18.20 in the case of Meeting that will not prove it is always so taken To evict my Objection against any determinate Commission the Apostles had of Baptizing
and the Gift by Grace which is by one Man Jesus Christ. Therefore as by the Offence of one Judgment came upon all Men to Condemnation even so by the Righteousness of one the free Gift came upon all Men unto Justification of Life Q. That proves abundantly that Christ's Death is of sufficient Extent to make up any Hurt Adam 's Sin brought upon Mankind What is then the cause of Condemnation A. He that believeth on him is not Condemned but he that believeth not is Condemned already 1 John 3 18. because he hath not believed in the Name of the Only Begotten Son of God And with all Deceivableness of Unrighteousness in them that Perish because they received not the Love of the Truth 2 Thess 2 10 11 12. that they might be saved And for this Cause God shall send them strong Delusions that they should believe a Lie that they all might be damned who believe not the Truth but had Pleasure in Unrighteousness Q. Seeing it is so of a Truth according to the Scriptures Testimony that God has purposed Love and Mercy to all in the appearance of his Son Jesus Christ Is the Gospel or Glad Tidings of this Salvation brought nigh unto all by which they are put into a Capacity of receiving the Grace and being saved by it A. If ye continue in the Faith grounded and setled Col. 1.23 and be not moved away from the Hope of the Gospel which ye have heard and which was preached to every Creature which is under Heaven whereof I Paul am made a Minister Q. What is the Gospel A. I am not ashamed of the Gospel for It is the Power of God unto Salvation Rom. 1.16 unto every one that believeth Q. Is this Gospel hid 2 Cor. 4.3 4. A. If our Gospel be hid It is hid to them that are Lost in whom the God of this World hath blinded the Minds of them which believe not lest the Light of the Glorious Gospel of Christ should shine unto them Q. Is this Light then come into the World And are not Men condemned because they love it not and not because it is hid from them John 3.19 A. And this is the Condemnation that Light is come into the World and Men love Darkness rather than Light Q. Why do they so A. Because their Deeds are Evil. Q. Is every Man enlightened by this Light John 1.8 9. A. He was not that Light but was sent to bear witness of that Light that was the True Light which enlighteneth every Man that cometh into the World Q. Doth this Light discover all things A. All things that are reproved are made manifest by the Light for whatsoever doth make manifest Ephes. 5.13 is Light Q. Do Evil Men preach up this Light or mind it John 3 20. A. Every one that doth Evil hateth the Light neither cometh to the Light lest his Deeds should be reproved Job 24.13 They are of those that Rebel against the Light Q. Do good Men love it and follow it John 3.21 A. He that doth Truth comes to the Light that his Deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God Q What Benefit doth redound to such as love the Light and walk in it 1 John 1.7 A. 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 cleanses us from all Sin Q. Doth Christ command to take heed to the Light A. While ye have the Light believe in the Light that ye may be the Children of the Light John 12.36 Q. Were the Apostles Commanded to turn People to the Light Acts 26.17 18. A. Delivering thee from the People and from the Gentiles unto whom now I send thee to open their Eyes and to turn them from Darkness unto Light and from the Power of Satan unto God that they may receive Forgiveness of Sins and Inheritance among them which are sanctified through Faith that is in me Q. Doth this Light abide with every man all his Life time in order to save or only during the Day of his Visitation John 12.25 A. Yet a little while is the Light with you walk while ye have the Light lest Darkness come upon you Again He limiteth a certain Day saying in David To day after so long time Hebr. 4.7 as it is said To day if ye will hear his Voice harden not your Hearts Q. How can it be proved that there is a Day wherein People may know things concerning their Peace which afterwards may be hid from them A. And when he was come near he beheld the City Luke 19.41 42. and wept over it saying If thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy Day the things which belong unto thy Peace but now they are hid from thine Eyes Q. Is there any further Scripture-Proof of the Lord's willingness to gather a People who would not and therefore were Condemned A. Oh Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets Matth. 23.37 Luke 13.34 and stonest them which are sent unto thee How oft would I have gathered thy Children together even as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her Wings and ye would not Then his Lord after that he had called him said unto him Matth. 18.32 33 34. O thou wicked Servant I forgave thee all the Debt because thou desiredst me shouldst not thou also have had Compassion on thy Fellow-Servant even as I had Pity on thee And his Lord was wroth and delivered him to the Tormentors till he should pay all that was due unto him Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold and said It was necessary Acts 13.46 that the Word of God should first have been spoken to you but seeing ye put it from you and judge your selves unworthy of Everlasting Life lo we turn to the Gentiles Because I have called and ye refused Prov. 1.24 25 26. I have stretched out my Hand and no man regarded But ye have set at nought all my Counsel and would none of my Reproof I also will laugh at your Calamity Jer. 18.9 10. I will mock when your Fear cometh And at what Instance I shall speak concerning a Nation and concerning a Kingdom to build and to plant it If it do Evil in my Sight that it obey not my Voice then will I Repent of the Good wherewith I said I would benefit them Q. Doth God's Spirit strive then for a season and afterwards forbear A. And the Lord said Gen. 3.9 My Spirit shall not always strive with man Q. May it then be resisted A. Ye Stiff-necked and Uncircumcised in Heart and Ears ye do always Resist the Holy Ghost as your Fathers did so do ye Acts 7.51 For the Wrath of God is Revealed from Heaven against all Ungodliness and Unrighteousness of man Rom. 1.18 who hold the Truth in Vnrighteousness Q. Hath God manifested to Man
that which may be known of himself A. That which may be known of God is manifest in them Rom. 1.19 for God hath shewed it unto them Q. Is then this Light or Seed sown in the Hearts of Evil Men A. And he spake many things to them in Parables Behold a Sower went forth to sow and when he sowed Matth. 13.3 4 5 7. some Seeds fell by the way-side c. some fell among stony places c. and some fell among Thornes c. Q. Are these places where the Seed is said to have fallen understood of the Heart of Man A. Hear ye therefore the Parable of the Sower when any one heareth the Word of the Kingdom Matth. 13.18 19. and understandeth it not then cometh the Wicked One and catcheth away that which was sown in his Heart this is he which received the Seed by the way-side c. Q. Is this Seed small in its first Appearance A. The Kingdom of Heaven is like to a Grain of Mustard Seed which a Man took and sowed in his Field Matth. 13 31 32. which indeed is the least of all Seeds Q. Forasmuch as many understand not this under the Notion and Appellation of Light or Seed it being quite another Dialect than the common though I must needs confess it is the very Language of the Scriptures Is there a saving Manifestation of the Spirit given unto all A. The Manifestation of the Spirit is given to every Man to profit withal 1 Cor. 12.7 Q. Sure if it be to profit withal it must be in order to save for were it not useful nor yet sufficient to save what Profit could it be of But in regard some speak of a Grace that is Common and of a Grace that is Saving is there such a Grace Common unto all as brings Salvation A. The Grace of God that brings Salvation hath appeared to all Men. Tit. 2.11 Q. That which brings Salvation must needs be saving What doth that Grace teach us A. Teaching us that denying Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts we should live Soberly Tit. 2.12 Righteously and Godly in this present World Q. Certainly that which teacheth both Righteousness and Godliness must be sufficient for therein consisteth the whole Duty of Man What saith the Apostle elsewhere of this Instructor A. And now Brethren I commend you to God and to the Word of his Grace Acts 20.32 which is able to build you up and to give you an Inheritance among all those that are Sanctified Q. What is the Word of God A. The Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any Two-edged Sword Hebr. 4.12 13. piercing even to the dividing asunder of Soul and Spirit and of the Joints and Marrow and is a Discerner of the Thoughts and Intents of the Heart Neither is there any Creature that is not Manifest in his Sight but all things are naked and open to the Eyes of him with whom we have to do Q. Ought we not to take heed to this Word A. We have also a more Sure Word of Prophecy whereunto ye do well that ye take heed 2 Pet. 1.19 as unto a Light that shineth in a Dark Place until the Day dawn and the Day-Star arise in your Hearts Q. I perceive the Scriptures are very clear both concerning the Vniversality and Sufficiency of this Light Seed Grace and Word of God but is this Word nigh or afar off Inward or Outward A. Say not in thine Heart Who shall ascend into Heaven that is to bring Christ down from above Rom. 10.6 7 8. or who shall descend into the Deep that is to bring up Christ again from the Dead But what saith it The Word is nigh in thy Mouth and in thy Heart that is the Word of Faith which we preach Q. That is clear as to the Word Is there any Scripture speaks of the Light 's being Inward A. God who commanded the Light to shine out of Darkness has shin'd in our Hearts 2 Cor. 4.6 7 to give the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ. But we have this Treasure in Earthen Vessels that the Excellency of the Power may be of God and not of us Q. But seeing it is also called the Seed of the Kingdom is the Kingdom of God also within A. The Kingdom of God comes not with Observation neither shall they say Lo here or Lo there for behold Luke 17.20 21. the Kingdom of God is within you CHAP. VI. Concerning Faith Justification and Works Question WHat is Faith Answer Hebr. 11.1 Faith is the Substance of things hoped for and the Evidence of things not seen Q. Is Faith of absolute necessity A. Without Faith it is Impossible to please him for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a Rewarder of them Hebr. 11.6 that diligently seek him Q. Are we Justified by Faith A. Wherefore the Law was our School-Master to bring us unto Christ that we might be Justified by Faith Gal. 3.24 Q. What is the Nature of this Faith that availeth to Justification A. For in Jesus Christ neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Uncircumcision but Faith which worketh by Love Gal. 5.6 Q. Are Works then necessary to Justification as well as Faith A. But wilt thou know O Vain Man that Faith without Works is Dead Was not Abraham our Father justified by Works Jam. 2.20 21 22 23 24. when he had offered Isaac his Son upon the Altar Seest thou how Faith wrought with his Works and by Works was Faith made perfect And the Scripture was fulfilled which saith Abraham believed God and it was imputed to him for Righteousness He was called the Friend of God Ye see then how that by Works a Man is justified and not by Faith only Q. If then both be equally required in Justification what are these Works which the Apostle excludes so much Rom. 3.20 A. By the Deeds of the Law there shall no Flesh be Justified in his sight Q. But though we be not Justified by the Deeds of the Law is not this to exclude Boastings that the Grace of God may be exalted Ephes. 2.8 9 10. A. For by Grace are ye saved through Faith and not of your selves it is the Gift of God not of the Works lest any Man should boast for we are his Workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good Works Q Are even the Works which are performed by Grace excluded Are we never said to be saved or justified by them Tit. 3 5 6.7 A. Not by Works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his Mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour that being justified by his Grace we should be made Heirs according to the hope of Eternal Life Q. I perceive then that to be
Justified by Grace is to be Justified or Saved by Regeneration which cannot exclude the Works wrought by Grace and by the Spirit How doth the Apostle add in the next verse for the maintaining this against those that Cavil about the Law A. This is a Faithful Saying and these things I will that thou affirm constantly Tit. 3.8 9. that they which believe in God might be Careful to maintain good Works these things are good and profitable unto Men But avoid foolish Questions and Genealogies and Contentions and Strivings about the Law for they are unprofitable and vain Q. Doth the Apostle Paul that is so much against Justification by the Works of the Law speak any where else of being justified by the Spirit A. But ye are Washed but ye are Sanctified but ye are Justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 6.11 and by the Spirit of our God Q. But since the Law gives not Power nor Ability to obey and so falls short of Justification Is there no Power under the Gospel by which the Righteousness of the Law comes to be fulfilled inwardly A. For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the Flesh Rom. 8.3 4. God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful Flesh and for Sin condemned Sin in the Flesh That the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit Q. Seeing then there is Power in the Spirit is not Works through it a Condition upon which Life is proposed under the New Covenant Rom. 8.13 A. For if ye live after the Flesh ye shall Dye but if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the Deeds of the Body ye shall Live Q. Do not the Apostles then frequently propose Life to People upon Condition of Repentance and other Works Acts 3.19 A. Repent ye therefore and be Converted that your Sins may be blotted out And if Children then Heirs of God and joint-Heirs with Christ if so be Rom. 8.17 that we may suffer with him that we also may be glorified together * 2 Tim. 2.11 12 21. It is a faithful Saying For if we be dead with him we shall also live with him If we Suffer we shall also Reign with him If a Man therefore purge himself from these he shall be a Vessel unto Honour sanctified and meet for the Master's Use and prepared unto every good Work Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen Rev. 2.5 and Repent and do the first Works or else I will come unto thee quickly and remove thy Candlestick out of his place except thou Repent Q. It appears clearly by these Passages that the Apostle excludes only our Righteousness which he elsewhere explains Reward of Works as being the Righteousness of the Law from being necessary to Justification and not such Works as the Law of the Spirit of Life leads to and are not so much ours as Christ in us are not such good Works Rewarded though they require no absolute Merit as being the Fruits of free Grace yet doth not God judge according to them and may they not be said to have a Reward A. But if a Man be just and do that which is lawful and right Ezek. 18.5 6 7 8 9. and hath not eaten upon the Mountains neither hath lift up his Eyes to the Idols of the House of Israel neither has defiled his Neighbour's Wife neither hath come near to a Menstruous Woman and hath not oppressed any but hath restored to the Debtor his Pledge hath spoiled none by Violence hath given his Bread to the Hungry and hath covered the Naked with a Garment he that hath not given forth upon Usury neither hath taken any Increase that hath withdrawn his Hand from Iniquity hath executed true Judgment between Man and Man hath walked in my Statutes and hath kept my Judgments to deal Truth he is Just he shall surely Live saith the Lord God For the Son of Man shall come in the Glory of his Father with his Angels Matth. 16.27 and then he shall Reward every Man according to his Works Then Peter opened his Mouth and said Of a Truth I perceive that God is no Respecter of Persons Acts 10.34 35. but in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh Righteousness is accepted with him The Righteous Judgment of God Rom. 2.6 7 10 who will render to every Man according to his Deeds To them who by Patient Continuance in well-doing seek for Glory and Honour and Immortality Eternal Life But Glory Honour and Peace to every Man that worketh Good to the Jew first and also to the Gentile For we must all appear before the Judgment-Seat of Christ 2 Cor. 5.10 that every one may receive the things done in his Body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad Which is a manifest Token of the Righteous Judgment of God that ye may be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God 2 Thess. 1.5 for which ye also suffer But who so looketh into the Perfect Law of Liberty James 1.25 and continueth therein being not a forgetful Hearer but a Doer of the Work this Man shall be blessed in his Deed. * Hebr. 10.35 Cast not away therefore your Confidence which hath great Recompence of Reward †1 Pet. 1.17 And if ye call on the Father who without respect of Persons judgeth according to every Man's Work pass the time of your sojourning here in fear Rev. 22.12 14 And behold I come quickly and behold my Reward is with me to give every Man according as his Works shall be Blessed are they that do his Commandments that they may have a Right to the Tree of Life and may enter in through the Gates into the City Christ saves from Sin Q. It should seem that the Purpose of God in sending his Son the Lord Jesus Christ was not simply to save Man by an Imputative Righteousness altogether without them but also by the washing of Regeneration or an inward Righteousness What saith the Scripture further of this Matth. 1.21 A. And thou shalt call his Name Jesus for he shall save his People from their Sins Tit. 2.13 14. Looking for that blessed Hope and the Glorious Appearing of the Great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might Redeem us from all Iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar People zealous of Good Works CHAP. VII Concerning Perfection or Freedom from SIN Question I Perceive then by all these Scriptures afore-mentioned that Christ as well as he hath purchased Pardon for our Sins hath also obtained Power by which we may even here be cleansed from the Filth of them may we expect then in this Life to be freed from the Dominion of Sin Rom. 6.14 A. For Sin shall not have Dominion over you Q. For what Reason Rom. 6.14 A. For ye are
regard it He that eateth eateth to the Lord for he giveth God thanks and he that eateth not to the Lord he eateth not and giveth God Thanks Q. But is it not convenient and necessary that there be a Day set a part to Meet and Worship God in Did not the Apostles and Primitive Christians use to meet upon the First Day of the Week to make their Collections and to Worship A. Now concerning the Collection for the Saints as I have given Order to the Churches of Galatia 1 Cor. 16.1 even so do ye upon the First Day of the Week Let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prosper'd him that there be no Gatherings when I come CHAP. XI Concerning Baptism and Bread and Wine Question HOw many BAPTISMS are there Answer One Lord One Faith One Baptism Q. What is this Baptism A. The like Figure whereunto even Baptism doth now save us Ephes. 4.5 not the putting away the Filth of the Flesh but The Answer of a good Conscience towards God by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 3.21 22. who is gone into Heaven and is on the Right Hand of God Angels and Authorities and Powers being made subject unto him Q. What saith John the Baptist of Christ's Baptism how distinguisheth he it from his A. I indeed baptize you with Water unto Repentance but he that cometh after me is Mightier than I whose Shoes I am not worthy to bear Matth. 3.11 he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with Fire Q. Doth not Christ so distinguish it also A. And being assembled together with them commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem Acts 1.4 5. but wait for the promise of the Father which saith he ye have heard of me For John truly baptized with Water but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence Q. Doth not the Apostle Peter observe this A. And as I began to speak the Holy Ghost fell on them Acts 11.15 16. as on us at the Beginning Then remembred I the Word of the Lord how that he said John indeed Baptized with Water but ye shall be Baptized with the Holy Ghost Q. Then it seems John's Baptism must pass away John's Baptism that Christ's may take place because John must decrease that Christ may increase A. He must increase but I must decrease John 30.30 Q. I perceive then many may be sprinkled with and dipped and baptized in Water Christ's Baptism and yet not truly baptized with the Baptism of Christ What are the real Effects in such as are truly baptized with the Baptism of Christ A. Know ye not that so many of us Rom. 6.3 4. as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his Death Therefore we are buried with him by Baptism into Death that like as Christ was raised up from the Dead by the Glory of the Father even so we also should walk in Newness of Life For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ Gal. 2.27 have put on Christ. Buried with him in Baptism wherein also ye are risen with him Col. 2.12 through the Faith of the Operation of God who hath raised him from the Dead Q. I perceive there was a Baptism of Water which was John's Baptism and is therefore by John himself contra-distinguished from Christ's was there not likewise something of the like nature appointed by Christ to his Disciples Bread and Wine of eating Bread and drinking Wine in Remembrance of him 1 Cor. 11.23 24 25. A. For I have received of the Lord that which also I have delivered unto you that the Lord Jesus the same Night in which he was betrayed took Bread and when he had given thanks he brake it and said Take eat this is my Body which is broken for you this do in Remembrance of me After the same manner also he took the Cup when he had supped saying This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood This do ye as oft as ye drink it in Remembrance of me discontinued Q. How long was this to continue 1 Cor. 11 26. A. For as often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye do shew the Lord's Death till he come Christ's coming John 14.18 23. Q Did Christ promise to come again to his Disciples A. I will not leave you Comfortless I will come to you Jesus answered and said unto him If a man love me he will keep my Words and my Father will love him and We will come unto him and make our Abode with him Inward Q. Was this an Inward Coming John 14.20 A. At that Day ye shall know that I am in my Father and ye in me and I in you Q. But it would seem this was even practised by the Church of Corinth after Christ was come inwardly was it so that there were certain Appointments positively commanded yea and Zealously and Conscientiously practised by the Saints of Old As Certain Appointments not perpetual which were not of perpetual Continuance nor yet now needful to be practised in the Church John 13.14 15. A. If I then your Lord and Master have washed your Feet ye also ought to wash one another's Feet For I have given you an Example that ye should do as I have done to you Acts 15.28 91. For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us to lay upon you no greater Burden than these necessary things That ye abstain from Meats offered to Idols and from Blood and from things strangled and from Fornication from which if ye keep your selves ye shall do well Fare-wel Jam. 5.14 Is any man sick among you let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them pray over him Anointing him with Oil in the Name of the Lord. Q. These Commands are no less positive than the other yea some of them are asserted as the very Sense of the Holy Ghost as no less necessary so Bread and Wine than abstaining from Fornication and yet the generality of Protestants have laid them aside as not of perpetual Continuance But what other Scriptures are there to shew that it is not Necessary that of Bread and Wine to Continue Rom. 14.17 A. For the Kingdom of God is not Meat and Drink but Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost Let no man therefore judge you in Meat or in Drink or in respect of an Holy Day Col. 2.16 20 21 22. or of the New-Moon or of the Sabbath-Days Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the Rudiments of the World why as though living in the World are ye subject to Ordinances touch not taste not handle not which all are to perish with the Using after the Commandments and Doctrines of Man Q. These Scriptures are very plain The Spiritual Bread and say as much for the Abolishing of this as to any Necessity
for my Names sake but he that endureth to the End shall be saved Mat. 10.22 Mark 13.13 Luke 21.17 John 15.18 19. And ye shall be hated of all Men for my Name 's sake If the World hate you ye know that it hated me before it hated you if ye were of the World the World would love his own but because ye are not of the World but I have chosen you out of the World therefore the World hateth you These things I have spoken unto you that ye might have Peace John 16 33. in the World ye shall have Tribulation but be of good Cheer I have overcome the World And all that will live Godly in Christ Jesus 2 Tim. 3.12 shall suffer Persecution Q. Ought we then to fear Persecution Persecution A. Fear not them which kill the Body Mat. 3.10 28 but are not able to kill the Soul but rather fear him who is able to destroy both Soul and Body in Hell And I say unto you my Friends Luke 12.4 5. Be not afraid of them that kill the Body and after that have no more that they can do But I will fore-warn you whom ye shall fear fear him which after he hath killed hath Power to cast into Hell yea I say unto you fear him Q. What Advantage is it to them that suffer Persecution cheerfully and Hazzards to them that shun it Advantageous A. Blessed are they which are persecuted for Righteousness sake Mat. 5.10 1 Pet. 3.4 for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven But if ye suffer for Righteousness sake happy are ye and be not afraid of their Terrour neither be troubled Whosoever therefore shall confess me before Men Mat. 10.32 33 37 38 39. him will I confess also before my Father which is in Heaven but whosoever shall deny me before Men him will I also deny before my Father which is in Heaven He that loveth Father or Mother more than me is not worthy of me and he that taketh not his Cross and followeth after me is not worthy of me He that findeth his Life shall lose it and he that loseth his Life for my sake shall find it Also I say unto you Whosoever shall confess me before men Luke 12.8 9 him shall the Son of Man also confess before the Angels of God but he that denyeth me before Men shall be denyed before the Angels of God Then said Jesus unto his Disciples If any Man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me for whosoever will save his Life Mat. 1◠24 25. shall lose it and whoso ever will lose his Life for my sake shall find it If we suffer we shall also reign with him 2 Tim. 2 12. Luke 14 26. if we deny him he also will deny us If any come to me and hate not his Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren and Sisters yea and his own Life he cannot be my Disciple Luke 9.23 24 And he said to them If any Man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross daily and follow me for whosoever will save his Life shall lose it but whosoever will lose his Life for my sake the same shall save it And when he had called the People to him Luke 8.34 35. with his Disciples also he said unto them whosoever will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me for whosoever will save his Life shall lose it but whosoever shall lose his Life for my sake and the Gospel's the same shall save it Q. There is nothing more certain according to those Scriptures than that Christians must suffer Persecution in this World Reviled even in their Persons and Estates But shall they not also suffer in their good Names in being accounted Blasphemers Hereticks and Deceivers A. The Disciple is not above his Master nor the Servant above his Lord Mat. 10.24 25. it is enough for the Disciple that he be as his Master and the Servant as his Lord If they have called the Master of the House Beelzebub how much more shall they call them of his Houshold Blessed are ye when Men shall revile you Mat. 5.11 and persecute you and shall say all manner of Evil against you falsely for my sake Acts 6.11 12. Then they suborned Men which said We have heard him speak blasphemous Words against Moses and against God And they stirred up the People and the Elders and the Scribes and came upon him and caught him and brought him to the Council Acts 17.6 And when they found them not they drew Jason and certain Brethren unto the Rulers of the City crying These that have turned the World upside down are come hither also But this I confess unto thee that after the Way which they call Heresy so worship I the God of my Fathers Acts 24.14 believing all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets 1 Cor. 14.13 Being defamed we entreat we are made as Filth of the World and are the Off-scouring of all things unto this Day 1 Cor. 6·8 By Honour and Dishonour by Evil Report and Good Report as Deceivers and yet true Q. It is easily apparent from what is mentioned that Christians are to expect Persecution and Tribulation and that they are always the Sheep and never the Wolves the Persecuted and never the Persecutors Pray for persecutors the Afflicted and not the Afflictors the Reproached and not the Reproachers Is it not fit then that Christians be so far from Persecuting others that they ought to Pray for the Persecutors is this Christ's Command A. But I say unto you Love your Enemies Bless them that Curse you do Good to them that hate you and Pray for them which despightfully use you and Persecute you Q. * By Christ's Was this Christ's own Practice A. †Luke 23.34 Then said Jesus Father forgive them for they know not what they do c. Q. Is Christ herein to be our Example A. For even hereunto were you called 1 Pet. 2.12 22 23. because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an Example that ye should follow his Steps who did no Sin neither was Guile found in his Mouth Example who when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not but committed himself unto him that judgeth righteously Q. Is there an Instance of any Saints in Scriptures and Stephen's who followed his Example herein A. And he Stephen kneeled down and cried with a loud voice Acts 7.60 Lord lay not this Sin to their Charge c. Q. It appears by all these Scriptures that Christianity consisteth in the Exercise of Fear and Trembling Humility Patience and Self-denial What ought we then to think of such Beware of Seducing Spirits who place much of their Religion in Abstaining from Marriage and certain Meats
Worshipping of Angels and other such Acts of voluntary Humility A. Now the Spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter times some shall depart from the Faith 1 Tim. 4.1 2 3. giving heed to seducing Spirits and Doctrines of Devils speaking Lies in Hypocrisie having their Conscience seared as with an hot Iron forbidding to Marry and commanding to Abstain from Meats which God hath Created to be received with Thanksgiving of them which believe and know the Truth Let no Man beguile you of your Reward in voluntary Humility Col. 2.18 and Worshipping of Angels intruding into these things which he hath not seen vainly puft up by his Fleshly Mind CHAP. XIII Concerning Magistracy Question WHat is the Duty of a Magistrate Answer The God of Israel said the Rock of Israel spake to me he that Ruleth over Men must be Just 2 Sam. 23.3 Ruling in the Fear of God Q. What do the Scriptures speak of the Duty of such Subjection as are under Authority A. Let every Soul be Subject to the Higher Powers Rom. 13.1 2 3 4 5. for there is no Power but of God The Powers that be are ordained of God Whatsoever therefore resists the Power resists the Ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves Damnation For Rulers are not a Terror to good Works but to the Evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the Power Do that which is Good and thou shalt have Praise of the same for he is the Minister of God to thee for Good But if thou do that which is Evil be afraid for he beareth not the Sword in vain for he is the Minister of God a Revenger to execute Wrath upon him that doth Evil. Wherefore Ye must needs be subject not only for Wrath but also for Conscience sake Submit your selves to every Ordinance of Man for the Lord's sake whether it be to the King as Supream 1 Pet. 2.13 14 15. or unto Governours as unto them that are sent by him for the Punishment of Evil-Doers and for the Praise of them that do well for so is the Will of God that with Well-doing ye may put to silence the Ignorance of foolish Men. Tribute Q. Ought Tribute to be paid to them A. For for this Cause pay we Tribute also for they are God's Ministers Rom. 13 6 7. attending continually upon this very thing Render therefore to all their Dues Tribute to whom Tribute is due Custom to whom Custom Fear to whom Fear Honour to whom Honour Then saith he unto them Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's Matth. 22.21 and unto God the things that are God's Obedience Q. Are we obliged to obey Magistrates in such things as we are perswaded in our Minds are contrary to the Commands of Christ Acts 4.18 19 20. A. And they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the Name of Jesus but Peter and John answered and said unto them Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God judge ye for we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard And when they had brought them Acts 5 27 28 29. they set them before the Council and the High-Priest asked them saying Did not we straightly command you that ye should not Teach in this Name And behold ye have filled Jerusalem with your Doctrine and intended to bring this Man's Blood upon us Then Peter and the other Apostles answer'd and said We ought to obey God rather than Man Moderation Q. What ought to be Magistrates Behaviour in such Cases according to the Counsel of wise Gamaliel A. Then stood there up one in the Council a Pharisee named Gamaliel Acts 5.34 35 38 39. a Doctor of Law had in Reputation among the People and commanded to put the Apostles forth a little space and said unto them Ye Men of Israel take heed to your selves what ye intend to do as touching these men And now I say unto you Refrain from these men and let them alone for if this Counsel or this Work of Men it will come to nought but if it be of God ye cannot overthrow it leâ—t happily ye be found even to fight against God Tares Q. What Command giveth Christ to his People under the Gospel in Relation to this matter How doth he hold forth their Duty under the Parable of the Tares A. So the Servants of the Houshold came and said unto him Sir didst thou not sow Good Seed in thy Field Matth. 13.27 28 29. from whence then hath it Tares He said unto them An Enemy hath done this The Servants said unto him Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up But he said Nay lest while ye gather up the Tares ye root up also the Wheat with them Tares the Wicked Q. Doth he explain these Tares of the Wicked whom the Godly must not take upon them to cut off lest through mistake they hurt the Good but leave it to God to do it by his Angels A. * Matth. 13.38 39 40 41. The Field is the World the good Seed are the Children of the Kingdom but the Tares are the Children of the Wicked One the Enemy that sowed them is the Devil the Harvest is the End of the World and the Reapers are the Angels And therefore the Tares are gathered and burnt in the Fire So shall it be in the end of this World the Son of Man shall send forth his Angels and they shall gather out of his Kingdom all things that offend and them which do Iniquity CHAP. XIV Concerning the Resurrection Question WHat saith the Scripture of the Resurrection of the Dead Answer And have Hope towards God Acts 24.15 which they themselves also allow that there shall be a Resurrection of the Dead both of the Just and Unjust Q. To what different End shall the Good be raised from the Bad and how are they thereunto reserved A. Marvel not at this for the Hour is coming in the which all that are in the Graves shall hear his Voice and shall come forth John 5.28 29. they that have done good unto the Resurrection of Life and they that have done Evil unto the Resurrection of Condemnation But the Heavens and the Earth which are now 2 Pet. 3.7 by the same Word are kept in store reserved unto Fire against the Day of Judgment and Perdition of Ungodly Men. Q. What must be answered to such as ask how the Dead are raised and with what Body A. Thou Fool that which thou sowest is not quickened 1 Cor. 15.36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44. except it die and that which thou sowest thou sowest not that Body which shall be but bare Grain it may chance of Wheat or some other Grain But God giveth it a Body as it hath pleased him and to every Seed his own Body All
Spirit of Life maketh free from the Law of Sin and Death s Rom. 8 1 2. For such are become dead unto Sin and alive unto Righteousness and being made free from Sin are become Servants of Righteousness t Rom. 6 2.18 Therefore ought we to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect u Matth. 5.48 For the Yoke of Christ is easie and his Burthen is light x Matt. 11.30 And his Commandments are not grievous y 1 John 5.3 And whosoever will enter into Life must keep the Commandments z Matth. 19.17 Hereby do we know that we know God if we keep his Commandments a 1 John 2.3 He that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandments is a Liar and the Truth is not in him b 1 John 2.4 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not whosoever sinneth hath not seen him neither known him c John 3.6 Let no Man deceive us he that doth Righteousness is Righteous even as he is Righteous He that committeth Sin is of the Devil whosoever is born of God doth not commit Sin for his Seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God d 1 John 3.7 8 9. For not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the will of the Father which is in Heaven e Matth. 7.21 Circumcision is nothing and Vncircumcision is nothing but the keeping of the Commandments of God f 1 Cor. 7.19 ARTICLE XV. Concerning Perseverance and Falling from Grace WE ought to give Diligence to make our Calling and Election sure which things if we do we shall never fall g 2 Pet. 1.10 For even Paul kept under his Body and brought it into Subjection lest by any Means when he preached to others he himself became a Cast-away h 1 Cor. 9.27 Let us therefore take heed lest there be in any of us an evil Heart of Vnbelief in departing from the Living God i Hebr. 3.12 Likewise let us labour to enter into that Rest lest any Man fall after the same Example of Vnbelief k Hebr. 4.11 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the Heavenly Gift and were made Partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted of the good Word of God and the Powers of the World to come if they shall fall away to renew them again unto Repentance l Hebr. 6.4 5 6. For he that abideth not in Christ is cast forth and is withered m John 15.16 Yet such as overcome he will make as Pillars in the Temple of his God and they shall go no more out n Rev. 3.12 And these are perswaded that nothing shall be able to separate them from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus o Rom. 8.38 ARTICLE XVI Concerning the Church and Ministry THe Church of God is the Pillar and Ground of Truth p 1 Tim. 3.15 Whereof the Dear Son of God is the Head q Col. 1.18 From which all the Body by Joints and Bands having Nourishment Ministred and knit together increaseth with the Increase of God r Col. 2.19 Which Church of God are they that are sanctified in Christ Jesus s 1 Cor. 1.2 Who when he ascended up on high gave Gifts unto Men And he gave some Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the Work of the Ministry t Ephes. 4.9 11. Who ought to be blameless vigilant sober of good Behaviour given to Hospitality apt to teach not given to Wine no Strikers not greedy of filthy Lucre but patient not Brawlers not Covetous u 1 Tim. 3.2 3. but Lovers of good Men sober just holy temperate holding fast the Faith as they have been taught that they may be able by sound Doctrine both to Exhort and to Convince Gain-sayers x T it 1.8 9. Taking heed to themselves and to the Flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made them Overseers to feed the Church of God y Acts 20.28 Taking the Oversight thereof not by Constraint but willingly not for filthy Lucre but of a ready Mind neither as being Lords over God's Heritage but as being Ensamples to the Flock z 1 Pet. 5.2 3. And such Elders as rule well are to be counted worthy of double Honour especially they who labour in the Word and Doctrine a 1 Tim. 5.17 And to be esteemed very highly in Love for their Works sake b 1 Thess. 5.5 12. As every Man hath received the Gift so ought the same to be Ministred If any Man speak let him speak as the Oracles of God if any Man minister let him do it as of the Ability which God giveth c 1 Pet. 4.10 11. Preaching the Gospel not with the Wisdom of Words lest the Cross of Christ be made of none effect d 1 Cor. 1.17 Nor yet with enticing Words of Man's Wisdom but in Demonstration of the Spirit and of Power that the Faith may not stand in the Wisdom of Men but in the Power of God e 1 Cor. 2.4 5. Howbeit such spake Wisdom among them that are Perfect yet not the Wisdom of this World not of the Princes of this World which cometh to nought but they speak the Wisdom of God in a Mystery even the hidden Wisdom which God ordained before the World to their Glory f 1 Cor. 2.6 7. Which things they also speak not in the Words which Man's Wisdom teacheth but which the Holy Ghost teacheth g 1 Cor. 2.13 For it is not they that speak but the Holy Ghost or Spirit of the Father that speaketh in them h Matth. 10.20 Who if they sow spiritual things ought to reap carnal things for so the Lord hath ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel for the Scripture saith Thou shalt not muzzle the Mouth of the Ox that treadeth out the Corn and the Labourer is worthy of his Reward i 1 Cor. 9.11 14 Yet a necessity is laid upon them yea Wo is unto them if they preach not the Gospel and their Reward is that when they preach the Gospel they make the Gospel of Christ without Charge k 1 Cor. 9 15 17 18. Not coveting any Man's Silver or Gold or Apparel but their Hands ministring to their Necessities that so labouring they may support the Weak remembring the Words of the Lord Jesus how he said It 's more blessed to give than to receive l Acts 20 33 34. For they are not of the greedy Dogs that can never have enough m Isa. 56.11 Nor of the Shepherds that look to their own Way every one for his Gain from his Quarter n Ibidem That Feed themselves and not the Flock o Ezek. 34.8 That make the People Err biting with their Teeth and crying Peace and
called with respect to their Animal property and not their Rational or that that Wisdom that is Foolishness with God is not meant of the Rational but only the Animal Property any Rational Man laying aside Interest may easily Judge § IV. I come now to the other part to wit That this Evil and Corrupt Seed is not imputed to Infants until they actually join with it Infants no Sin imputed to them For this there is a Reason given in the End of the Proposition it self drawn from Eph. 2. for these are by nature Children of Wrath who walk according to the Prince of the power of the Air the Spirit that now worketh in the Children of Disobedience Here the Apostle gives Their evil walking and not any thing that is not reduced to Act as a Reason of their being Children of Wrath. And this is sutable to the whole strain of the Gospel where no man is ever threatned or judged for what Iniquity he hath not Actually wrought Such indeed as continue in Iniquity and so do homologate the sins of their Fathers God will visit the Iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children Is it not strange then that men should entertain an Opinion so Absurd in it self and so cruel and contrary to the Nature as well of God's Mercy as Justice concerning the which the Scripture is altogether silent But it is manifest that man hath Invented this Opinion out of Self-love The Absolute Decree of Election springs from Self-love and from that bitter Root from which all Errors spring for the most part of Protestants that hold this having as they fancy the Absolute Decree of Election to secure them and their Children so as they cannot miss of Salvation they make no great difficulty to send all others both old and young to Hell For whereas Self-love which always is apt to believe that which it desires possesseth them with a Hope that their part is secure they are not solicitous how they leave their Neighbours which are the far greater part of mankind in these Inextricable Difficulties The Papists again use this Opinion as an Art to Augment the Esteem of their Church and Reverence of its Sacraments seeing they pretend it is Washed away by Baptism only in this they appear to be a little more Merciful in that they send not these Vnbaptized Infants to Hell but to a certain Limbus concerning which the Scriptures are as silent as of the other This then is not only not Authorized in the Scriptures but Contrary to the express Tenor of it The Apostle saith plainly Rom. 4.15 Where no Law is there is no Transgression And again 5.13 But sin is not imputed where there is no Law To Infants there is no Law so no Transgression Than which Testimonies there is nothing more positive since to Infants there is no Law seeing as such they are utterly Vncapable of it the Law cannot reach but such as have in some measure less or more the Exercise of their Vnderstanding which Infants have not So that from thence I thus argue Sin is Imputed to none where there is no Law But To Infants there is no Law Therefore Sin is not Imputed to them The Proposition is the Apostle's own words the Assumption is thus proved Those who are under a Physical Impossibility of either hearing knowing or understanding any Law where the Impossibility is not brought upon them by any Act of their own but is according to the very Order of Nature appointed by God to such there is no Law But Infants are under this Physical Impossibility Therefore c. Secondly What can be more positive than that of Ezech. 18.20 The Soul that sinneth it shall die the Son shall not bear the Father's Iniquity For the Prophet here first sheweth what is the Cause of man's Eternal Death which he saith is in his Sinning and then as if he purposed Expresly to shut out such an Opinion he assures us The Son shall not bear the Father's Iniquity From which I thus argue Infants bear not Adam's Transgression If the Son bear not the Iniquity of his Father or of his Immediate Parents far less shall he bear the Iniquity of Adam But the Son shall not bear the Iniquity of his Father Therefore c. § V. Having thus far shewn how Absurd this Opinion is I shall briefly Examine the Reasons its Authors bring for it Object 1 First They say Adam was a publick person and therefore all men sinned in him as being in his Loins And for this they Alledge that of Rom. 5.12 Wherefore as by one man Sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned c. These last words say they may be translated in whom all have sinned Answ. To this I answer That Adam is a publick person is not denied and that through him there is a Seed of Sin propagated to all men which in its own Nature is sinful and Inclines men to Iniquity yet will it not follow from thence that Infants who Join not with this Seed are guilty As for these words in the Romans the Reason of the Guilt there alledged is For that all have sinned Now no man is said to Sin unless he actually Sin in his own person for the Greek words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may very well relate to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the nearest Antecedent so that they hold forth how that Adam by his Sin gave an Entrance to sin in the World And so death entred by sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. upon which viz. Occasion or in which viz. Death all others have sinned that is actually in their own persons to wit all that were Capable of sinning of which number that Infants could not be the Apostle clearly shews by the following Verse Sin is not imputed where there is no Law and since as is above proved there is no Law to Infants they cannot be here Included Object 2 Their Second Objection is from Psal 51.5 Behold I was shapen in Iniquity and in sin did my Mother conceive me Hence they say it appears that Infants from their Conception are guilty How they infer this Consequence for my part I see not The Iniquity and Sin here appears to be far more Ascribable to the Parents Answ. than to the Child It is said indeed In sin did my Mother Conceive me not My Mother did Conceive me a sinner Conceived in Sin Answer'd Besides that so Interpreted Contradicts expresly the Scripture before-mentioned in making Children guilty of the Sins of their Immediate Parents for of Adam there is not here any mention Contrary to the plain words The Son shall not bear the Father's Iniquity Object 3 Thirdly They Object That the Wages of Sin is death and that seeing Children are subject to diseases and death therefore they must be guilty of sin Answ. I answer That these things are a Consequence of the Fall and of
what the Spirit of God furnisheth him with not minding the Eloquence and Wisdom of Words but the Demonstration of the Spirit and of Power and that either in the Interpreting some part of Scripture in case the Spirit which is the good Remembrancer lead him so to do or otherwise Words of Exhortation Advice Reproof and Instruction or the sense of some Spiritual Experiences all which will still be agreeable to the Scripture though perhaps not relative to nor founded upon any particular Chapter or Verse as a Text. Now let us Examine and Consider which of these two sorts of Preaching be most agreeable to the Precepts and Practice of Christ and his Apostles and the Primitive Church recorded in Scripture For First as to their Preaching upon a Text if it were not meerly Customary or Premeditated but done by the Immediate Motion of the Spirit we should not blame it but to do it as they do there is neither Precept nor Practice that ever I could observe in the New Testament as a part of the Instituted Worship thereof Object But they Alledge That Christ took the Book of Isaiah and Read out of it and Spake there-from and that Peter preached from a sentence of the Prophet Joel Answ. I Answer That Christ and Peter did it not but as Immediately acted and moved thereunto by the Spirit of God and that without Premeditation 1. Christ's and Peter's speaking was not by Premeditation which I suppose our Adversaries will not deny in which case we willingly approve of it But what is this to their Customary Conned Way without either Waiting for or expecting the Movings or Leadings of the Spirit Moreover that neither Christ nor Peter did it as a settled Custom or Form to be constantly practised by all the Ministers of the Church appears in that most of all the Sermons recorded by Christ and his Apostles in Scripture were without this as appears from Christ's Sermon upon the Mount Matth. 5.1 c. Mark 4.1 c. and Paul's Preaching to the Athenians and to the Jews c. As then it appears that this Method of preaching is not grounded upon any Scripture-precept so the Nature of it is contrary to the preaching of Christ under the New Covenant as exprest and recommended in Scripture For Christ in sending forth his Disciples expresly mentioneth that they are not to speak of or from themselves or to fore-cast before hand but that which the Spirit in the same hour shall teach them as is particularly mentioned in the Three Evangelists Matth. 10.20 Mark 13.11 Luke 12.12 Now if Christ gave this Order to his Disciples before he departed from them as that which they were to practise during his Abode outwardly with them much more were they to do it after his Departure since then they were more specially to receive the Spirit to lead them in all things and to bring all things to their remembrance Joh. 14.26 And if they were to do so when they appeared before the Magistrates and Princes of the Earth much more in the Worship of God when they stand specially before him seeing as it is above shewn his Worship is to be performed in Spirit and therefore after their receiving of the Holy Ghost it is said Acts 2.4 They spake as the Spirit gave them Vtterance not what they studied and gathered from Books in their Closets in a premeditated Way Franciscus Lambertus before cited speaketh well Franc. Lambertus his Testimony against the Priests studied Inventions and Figments and sheweth their Hypocrisy Tract 5. of Prophecy Chap. 3. saying Where are they now that glory in their Inventions who say A brave Invention A brave Invention This they call Invention which themselves have made up but what have the Faithful to do with such kind of Inventions It is not Figments nor yet Inventions that we will have but things that are Solid Invincible Eternal and Heavenly not which men have Invented but which God hath Revealed for if we believe the Scripture our Invention profiteth nothing but to provoke God to our Ruine And afterwards Beware saith he that thou determine not precisely to speak what before thou hast meditated whatsoever it be for though it be lawful to determine the Text which thou art to Expound yet not at all the Interpretation lest if thou so dost thou take from the Holy Spirit that which is his to wit to direct thy speech that thou may'st prophesy in the Name of the Lord denuded of all Learning Meditation and Experience and as if thou hadst studied nothing at all committing thy heart thy tongue and thy self wholly unto his Spirit and trusting nothing to thy former studying or meditation but saying with thy self in great confidence of the Divine promise The Lord will give a word with much power unto those that preach the Gospel But above all things be careful thou follow not the manner of Hypocrites who have written almost word by word what they are to say as if they were to Repeat some Verses upon a Theatre have learned all their preaching as they do that act Tragedies And afterward when they are in the place of prophesying pray the Lord to direct their Tongue but in the mean time shutting up the way of the Holy Spirit they determine to say nothing but what they have written O unhappy kind of Prophets yea and truly Cursed which depend not upon God's Spirit but upon their own Writings or Meditation Why prayest thou to the Lord thou false Prophet to give thee his Holy Spirit by which thou mayâ—st speak things profitable and yet thou repell'st the Spirit Why prefer'st thou thy Meditation or study to the Spirit of God otherwise why committ'st thou not thy self to the Spirit § XIX Secondly This manner of Preaching as used by them 2. The words man's Wisdom brings beget not Faith considering that they also affirm That it may be and often is performed by men who are Wicked or void of true Grace Cannot only not Edify the Church nor beget or nourish true Faith but is destructive to it being directly contrary to the nature of the Christian and Apostolick Ministry mentioned in the Scriptures For the Apostles preached the Gospel not in the Wisdom of words lest the Cross of Christ should be of none effect 1 Cor. 1.17 But this Preaching not being done by the actings and movings of God's Spirit but by man's Invention and Eloquence in his own will and through his natural and acquired parts and Learning is in the Wisdom of words and therefore the Cross of Christ is thereby made of none effect The Apostles Speech and Preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and of Power That the Faith of their Hearers should not stand in the Wisdom of men but in the Power of God 1 Cor. 2.3 4 5. But this preaching having nothing of the Spirit and Power in it both the Preachers and Hearers confessing they Wait for
no such thing nor yet are often-times sensible of it must needs stand in the Enticing Words of man's Wisdom since it is by the meer Wisdom of man it is sought after and the meer Strength of man's Eloquence and Enticing words it is uttered and therefore no wonder if the Faith of such as hear and depend upon such preachers and preachings stand in the Wisdom of Men and not in the Power of God The Apostles declared that they spake not in the words which man's Wisdom teacheth but which the Holy Ghost teacheth 1 Cor. 2.13 But these Preachers confess that they are Strangers to the Holy Ghost his Motions and Operations neither do they Wait to feel them and therefore they speak in the words which their own natural Wisdom and Learning teacheth them mixing them in and adding them to such words as they steal of the Scripture and other Books and therefore speak not what the Holy Ghost teacheth Thirdly This is contrary to the Method and Order of the primitive Church mentioned by the Apostle 3. True Church's method was to speak by Revelation 1 Cor. 14.30 c. where in Preaching every one is to Wait for his Revelation and to give place one unto another according as things are Revealed But here there is no waiting for a Revelation but the Preacher must speak and not that which is Reveald unto him but what he hath prepared and premeditated before-hand Lastly By this kind of Preaching the Spirit of God which should be the Chief Instructor and Teacher of God's People 4. The Spirit is shut out by Priests to be the Teacher and whose influence is that only which makes all Preaching effectual and beneficial for the edifying of Souls is Shut out and man's natural Wisdom Learning and Parts set up and Exalted which no doubt is a great and chief reason why the Preaching among the generality of Christians is so Vnfruitful and Vnsuccessful yea according to this doctrine the Devil may preach and ought to be Heard also seeing he both knoweth the Truth and hath as much Eloquence as any But what availes Excellency of speech if the Demonstration and Power of the Spirit be wanting which toucheth the Conscience We see that when the Devil confessed to the Truth yet Christ would have none of his Testimony And as these pregnant Testimonies of the Scripture to prove this part of Preaching to be contrary to the Doctrine of Christ so do they also prove that of ours before affirmed to be Conform thereunto Object § XX. But if any Object after this manner Have not many been Benefitted yea and both Converted and Edified by the Ministry of such as have Premeditated their Preachings yea and hath not the Spirit often concurred by its Divine Influence with preachings thus premeditated so as they have been powerfully born in upon the Souls of the Hearers to their Advantage I answer Though that be granted which I shall not deny it will not infer that the thing was good in it self more than because Paul was met with by Christ to the Converting of his Soul riding to Damascus to persecute the Saints that he did well in so doing Neither particular Actions Answ. nor yet whole Congregations as we above observed are to be measured by the Acts of God's Condescension in times of Ignorance But besides Paul Persecuting was Converted is therefore Persecuting good it hath often-times fall'n out that God having a regard to the Simplicity and Integrity either of the Preacher or Hearers hath faln in upon the heart of a Preacher by his Power and holy Influence and thereby hath led them to speak things which were not in his premeditated Discourse and which perhaps he never thought of before and those passing Ejaculations and unpremeditated but living Exhortations have proved more beneficial and refreshful both to Preacher and Hearers than all their premeditated Sermons But all that will not allow them to Continue in these things which in themselves are not approved but contrary to the practice of the Apostles when God is raising up a people to serve him according to the primitive purity and spirituality yea such acts of God's Condescension in times of Darkness and Ignorance should ingage all more and more to follow him according as he Reveals his most perfect and Spiritual Way § XXI Having hitherto spoken of Preaching II. Of Prayer how the Outward is distinguisht from the Inward now it is fit to speak of Praying concerning which the like Controversy ariseth Our Adversaries whose Religion is all for the most part Outside and such whose Acts are the meer products of man's natural Will and Abilities as they can Preach so can they Pray when they please and therefore have their set particular Prayers I meddle not with the Controversies among themselves concerning this some of them being for set Prayers as a Liturgy others for such as are ex tempore Conceived it suffices me that all of them agree in this that the Motions and Influence of the Spirit of God are not Necessary to be previous thereunto and therefore they have Set Times in their publick Worship as before and after preaching The Priests set times to Preach and Pray deny's the Spirit and in their private Devotion as Morning and Evening and before and after meat and other such occasions at which they precisely set about the performing of their Prayers by speaking words to God whether they feel any Motions or Influence of the Spirit or not so that some of the Chiefest have confessed that they have thus Prayed without the Motions or Assistance of the Spirit acknowledging that they sinned in so doing yet they said they look upon it as their Duty to do so though to Pray without the Spirit be Sin We freely Confess that Prayer is both very profitable and a necessary Duty commanded and fit to be practised frequently by all Christians but as we can Do nothing without Christ so neither can we Pray without the concurrence and assistance of his Spirit But that the State of the Controversy may be the better understood let it be considered First That Prayer is twofold Inward and Outward Inward Prayer is that Secret turning of the mind towards God whereby What Inward Prayer is being secretly touched and awakened by the Light of Christ in the Conscience and so bowed down under the sense of its Iniquities Vnworthiness and Misery it looks up to God and joining issue with the secret Shinings of the Seed of God it breaths towards him and is constantly breathing forth some secret Desires and Aspirations towards him It is in this sense that we are so frequently in Scripture commanded to Pray continually Luke 18.1 1 Thess. 5.17 Eph. 6.18 Luke 21.36 which cannot be understood of Outward Prayer because it were impossible that men should be always upon their Knees expressing words of Prayer and this would hinder them from the Exercise of those Duties no less positively Commanded
I Answer So was he also Circumcised it will not follow from thence that Circumcision is to Continue For it behoved Christ to fulfil all righteousness Why Christ was baptized by John not only the Ministry of John but the Law also therefore did he observe the Jewish Feasts and Rites and kept the Passover it will not then follow that Christians ought to do so now And therefore Christ Mat. 3.15 gives John this reason of his being baptized desiring him to Suffer it to be so now whereby he sufficiently intimates that he intended not thereby to Perpetuate it as an Ordinance to his Disciples Secondly they Object Matth. 28.19 Go ye therefore and teach all nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father Object II and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Answ. This is the great Objection and upon which they build the Whole Superstructure Whereunto the first general and sound Answer is by granting the whole but putting them to prove that Water is here meant since the Text is silent of it What Baptism Christ doth mean in Matth. 28 And though in reason it be sufficient upon our part that we Concede the whole expressed in the place but deny that it is by Water which is an Addition to the Text yet I shall premise some Reasons why we do so and then consider the Reasons alledged by those that will have Water to be here understood The First is a Maxime yielded to by all that Arg. I We ought not to go from the literal signification of the Text except some urgent necessity force us thereunto But no urgent Necessity in this place forceth us thereunto Therefore we ought not to go from it Secondly That Baptism which Christ commanded his Apostles was Arg. II the one Baptism id est his own Baptism But the one Baptism which is Christ's Baptism is not with Water as we have already proved Therefore the Baptism commanded by Christ to his Apostles was not Water-baptism Thirdly That Baptism which Christ commanded his Apostles was such that as many as were therewith baptized did put on Christ But this is not true of Water-baptism Therefore c. Fourthly The Baptism commanded by Christ to his Apostles was not Arg. IV John's Baptism But Baptism with Water was John's Baptism Therefore c. But First they alledge That Christ's Baptism though a Baptism with Allegation I Water did differ from John 's because John only baptized with Water unto Repentance but Christ commands his Disciples to baptize in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost reckoning that in this Form there lieth a great difference betwixt the Baptism of John and that of Christ. I Answer as to that John's Baptism was unto Repentance Answ. the Difference lieth not there because so is Christ's also For our Adversaries will not deny but that Adult Persons that are baptized ought ere they be admitted to it to Repent and Confess their Sins yea and that Infants with a respect to and consideration of their Baptism ought to Repent and Confess So that the difference lieth not here since this of Repentance and Confession agrees as well to Christ's as to John's Baptism But in this our Adversaries are divided for Calvin will have Christ's and John's to be all one Inst. lib. 4. cap. 15. Sect. 7 8. Yet they do differ and the difference is in that the one is by Water the other not c. Secondly As to what Christ saith in commanding them to baptize in the Name of the Father Son and Spirit I confess that states the Difference and it is great but that lies not only in admitting Water-Baptism in this different Form by a bare expressing of these words for as the Text saith no such thing neither do I see how it can be inferred from it For the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is into the Name Of the Name of the Lord how taken in Scripture now the Name of the Lord is often taken in Scripture for something else than a bare sound of words or literal Expression even for his Vertue and Power as may appear from Psal. 54.3 Cant. 1.3 Prov. 18.10 and in many more Now that the Apostles were by their Ministry to baptize the Nations into this Name Vertue and Power and that they did so is evident by these Testimonies of Paul above mentioned where he saith That as many of them as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ The Baptism into the Name what it is this must have been a baptizing into the Name i. e. Power and Vertue and not a meer formal Expression of words adjoined with Water-baptism because as hath been above observed it doth not follow as a natural or necessary Consequence of it I would have those who desire to have their Faith built upon no other foundation than the Testimony of God's Spirit and Scriptures of Truth throughly to Consider whether there can be any thing further alledged for this Interpretation than what the prejudice of Education and influence of Tradition hath imposed perhaps it may stumble the unwary and inconsiderate Reader as if the very Character of Christianity were abolished to tell him plainly that this Scripture is not to be understood of baptizing with Water and that this form of baptizing in the Name of Father Son and Spirit hath no warrant from Matth. 28 c. For which Whether Christ did prescribe a Form of Baptism in Matth. 28 besides the Reason taken from the Signification of the Name as being the Vertue and Power above expressed let it be considered that if that had been a Form prescribed by Christ to his Apostles then surely they would have made use of that Form in the administring of Water-baptism to such as they baptized with Water but tho' particular mention be made in divers places of the Acts Who were baptized and how and tho' it be particularly expressed that they baptized such and such as Acts 2.41 8.12 13 38 9.18 10.48 16.15 18.8 yet there is not a word of this Form And in two places Acts 8.16 19.5 it is said of some that they were baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus by which it yet more appears that either the Author of this History hath been very defective who having so often occasion to mention this yet omitteth so substantial a part of Baptism which were to accuse the Holy Ghost by whose guidance Luke wrote it or else that the Apostle did no ways understand that Christ by his Commission Matth. 28. did injoin them such a Form of Water baptism seeing they did not use it And therefore it is safer to conclude that what they did in administring Water-baptism they did not by vertue of that Commission else they would have so used it for our Adversaries I suppose would judge it great a Heresy to Administer Water-baptism without that or only in the Name of Jesus without mention of Father or Spirit as it is expresly said
judged it unlawful to Eat flesh c saith If they eat doubting they eat their own Damnation Now it is manifest for all this that either the doing or forbearing of this was to another that placed no Conscience in it of no moment so I say he that Eateth that which in his Conscience he is perswaded is not lawful for him to Eat doth Eat his own Damnation so he also that placeth Conscience in Eating bread and wine as a Religious Act if he do it Vnprepared and without that due Respect wherein such Acts should be gone about he Eateth and Drinketh his own Damnation not discerning the Lord's Body i. e. not minding what he doth to wit with a special Respect to the Lord and by way of a special Commemoration of the Death of Christ. § VI. I having now sufficiently shewen what the True Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ is how it is partaken of and how it has no necessary Relation to that Ceremony of bread and wine used by Christ with his Disciples it is fit now to consider the Nature and Constitution of that Ceremony for as to the proper Vse of it we have had occasion to speak of before whether it be a standing Ordinance in the Church of Christ obligatory upon all II. Whether this Ceremony be a necessary Part of the New Covenant and Obligatory or indeed whether it be any necessary part of the Worship of the New Covenant-dispensation or hath any better or more binding Foundation than several other Ceremonies appointed and practised about the same time which the most of our Opposers acknowledge to be ceased and now no ways binding upon Christians We find this Ceremony only mentioned in Scripture in four places to wit Matthew Mark and Luke and by Paul to the Corinthians If any would infer any thing from the frequency of the mentioning of it that will add nothing for it being a matter of Fact is therefore mentioned by the Evangelists and there are other things lets Memorable as often yea oftner mentioned Matthew and Mark give only an Account of the matter of Fact Mat. 26.26 Mark 14.22 Luke 22.19 1 Cor. 11.23 without any Precept to do so afterwards simply declaring that Jesus at that time did desire them to Eat of the Bread and Drink of the Cup To which Luke adds these words This do in Remembrance of me If we consider this Action of Christ with his Apostles there will appear nothing singular in it for a Foundation to such a strange Superstructure as many in their Airy Imaginations have sought to build upon it for both Matthew and Mark press it as an Act done by him as he was Eating Matthew saith And as they were Eating The breaking of Bread was no singular thing but a Custom to Jews P. Riccius and Mark And as they did Eat Jesus took bread c. Now this Act was no singular thing neither any solemn Institution of a Gospel-Ordinance because it was a Constant Custom among the Jews as Paulus Riccius observes at length in his Celestial Agriculture That when they did Eat the Pass-over the Master of the Family did take Bread and bless it and breaking it gave of it to the rest and likewise taking Wine did the same so that there can nothing further appear in this than that Jesus Christ who fulfilled all Righteousness and also observed the Jewish Feasts and Customs used this also among his Disciples only that as in most other things he laboured to draw their Minds to a further thing so in the use of this he takes occasion to put them in mind of his Death and Sufferings which were shortly to be which he did the oftner Inculcate unto them for that they were Averse from believing it And as for that Expression of Luke What it is To do this in Remembrance of Christ Do this in Remembrance of me it will amount to no more than being the last time that Christ did Eat with his Disciples he desired them that in their Eating and Drinking they might have regard to him and by the Remembring of that opportunity be the more stirred up to follow him diligently through Sufferings and Death c. But what man of Reason laying aside the Prejudice of Education and the Influence of Tradition will say that this Account of the Matter of Fact given by Matthew and Mark or this Expression of Luke to do that in Remembrance of him will amount to these Consequences which the generality of Christians have sought to draw from it as calling it Augustissimum Eucharistiae Sacramentum Venerabile Altaris Sacramentum The Principal Seal of the Covenant of Grace by which all the Benefits of Christ's Death are sealed to Believers and such like things But to give a further Evidence how these Consequences have not any bottom from the Practice of that Ceremony nor from the words following Do this c. let us consider another of the like Nature as it is at length expressed by John c. 13. v. 3 4 8 13 14 15. Jesus riseth from Supper and laid aside his Garments and took a Towel and girded himself After that he poured Water into a Bason and began to Wash the Disciples Feet and to wipe them with the Towel wherewith he was girded Peter saith unto him Thou shalt never Wash my Feet Jesus answered him If I Wash thee not thou hast no part with me Christ's Washing of Feet and its Manner related So after he had Washed their Feet he said Know ye what I have done to you If I then your Lord and Master have Washed your Feet ye also ought to Wash one anothers Feet For I have given you an Example that ye should do as I have done to you As to which let it be observed that John relates this Passage to have been done at the same time with the other of breaking Bread both being done the Night of the Pass-over after Supper If we regard the Narration of this and the Circumstances attending it it was done with far more Solemnity and prescribed far more punctually and particularly than the former It is said only As he was Eating he took Bread Compar'd with the Breaking of Bread so that this would seem to be but an Occasional business But here he rose up he laid by his garments he girded himself he poured out the Water he Washed their Feet he wiped them with the Towel He did this to all of them which are Circumstances surely far more observable than those noted in the other The former was a Practice common among the Jews used by all Masters of Families upon that occasion but this as to the Manner and Person acting it to wit for the Master to rise up and Wash the Feet of his Servants and Disciples was more singular and observable In the breaking of Bread and giving of Wine it is not pleaded by our Adversaries nor yet mentioned in the Text that he particularly put
of the week At Troas the Supper till Midnight deferred when the Disciples came together to Break Bread Paul preached unto them ready to depart on the Morrow and continued his Speech until Midnight Here is no mention made of any Sacramental Eating but only that Paul took occasion from their being together to Preach unto them And it seems it was a Supper they intended not a Morning-bit of Bread and Sup of Wine else it 's not very probable that Paul would from the Morning have preached until Midnight But the 11 th Verse puts the matter out of Dispute which is thus When he therefore was come up again and had broken Bread and eaten and talked a long while even till break of day so he departed This shews that the Breaking of Bread was deferred till that time for those words and when he had broken Bread and eaten do shew that it had a relation to the Breaking of Bread afore-mentioned and that that was the time he did it Secondly These words joined together and when he had broken Bread and eaten and talked shew it was no Religious Act of Worship They only did Eat for refreshing the Body but only an Eating for bodily Refreshment for which the Christians used to Meet together some time and doing it in God's Fear and Singleness of Heart doth notwithstanding difference it from the Eating or Feasting of profane persons And this by some is called a Love-Feast By some called a Love-Feast or a being together not meerly to feed their Bellies or for outward Ends but to take thence occasion to Eat and Drink together in the Dread and Presence of the Lord as his people which Custom we shall not Condemn but let it be observed that in all the Acts there is no other nor further mention of this matter But if that Ceremony had been some Solemn Sacrifice as some will have it or such a Special Sacrament as others plead it to be it is strange that that History that in many lesser things gives a particular Account of the Christians Behaviour should have been so silent in the matter Only we find that they used sometimes to Meet together to Break Bread and Eat Now as the Primitive Christians began by degrees to depart from that Primitive Purity and Simplicity so as to accumulate Superstitious Traditions The Christians began by degrees to depart from the Primitive Purity and vitiate the Innocent Practices of their Predecessors by the intermixing either of Jewish or Heathenish Rites so also in the Vse of this very early Abuses began to creep in among Christians so that it was needful for the Apostle Paul to Reform them and Reprove them therefore as he doth at large 1 Cor. 11. from ver 17. to the End 1 Cor. 11.17 Concerning the Supper of the Lord so called Explained which place we shall particularly Examine because our Adversaries lay the chief Stress of their matter upon it and we shall see whether it will infer any more than we have above granted 1 st because they were apt to use that Practice in a superstitious mind beyond the true Vse of it as to make of it some Mystical Supper of the Lord he tells them v. 20. That their Coming together into one place is not to Eat the Lord's Supper he saith not This is not the right Manner to Eat but This is not to Eat the Lord's Supper because the Supper of the Lord is Spiritual and a Mystery 2 ly he blames them in that they come together for the worse and not for the better the Reason he gives of this is v. 21. For in Eating every one hath taken before his own Supper and one is hungry and another is drunken Here it is plain that the Apostle Condemns them for that Why the Custom of Supping in Common was used among Christians because this Custom of Supping in general was used among Christians for to increase their Love and as a Memorial of Christ's Supping with the Disciples that they should have so vitiated it to Eat it apart and to come full who had abundance and hungry who had little at home whereby the very Vse and End of this Practice is lost and perverted And therefore he blames them that they do not either Eat this in Common at home or reserve their Eating till they come all together to the Publick Assembly This appears plainly by the following verse 22. Have ye not houses to eat and to drink in or despise ye the Church of God and shame them that have not Where he blames them for their Irregular Practice herein in that they despised to Eat orderly or reserve their Eating to the Publick Assembly and so shaming such as not having Houses nor Fulness at home came to partake of the Common Table who being hungry thereby were ashamed when they observed others come thither full and drunken Those that without prejudice will look to the place will see this must have been the Case among the Corinthians For supposing the Vse of this to have been then as now used either by Papists Lutherans or Calvinists it is hard making sense of the Apostle's words or indeed to conceive what was the Abuse the Corinthians committed in this thing Having thus observed what the Apostle said above because this Custom of Eating and Drinking together some time Tee Rise of that Custom had its rise from Christ's Act with the Apostles the Night he was betrayed therefore the Apostle proceeds ver 23. to give them an Account of that For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you that the Lord Jesus the same Night in which he was betrayed took Bread c. Those that understand the difference betwixt a Narration of a thing and a Command cannot but see if they will that there is no Command in this place but only an Account of Matter of Fact He saith not I received of the Lord that as he took Bread so I should command it to you to do so also there is nothing like this in the place yea on the contrary ver 25. where he repeats Christ's Imperative Words to his Apostles he placeth them so as they import no Command This do ye as oft as ye drink it in Remembrance of me That as often imports no Command of this Supper And then he adds For as often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye do shew the Lord's Death till he come But these words as often imports no more a Command than to say As often as thou goest to Rome see the Capitol will infer a Command to me to go thither But whereas they urge the last words Ye shew forth the Lord's Death till he come Object insinuating That this imports a necessary Continuance of that Ceremony until Christ come at the end of the World to Judgment Answ. I Answer They take Two of the Chief Parts of the Controversy here for granted without proof
First that as often imports a Command the contrary whereof is shewen neither will they ever be able to prove it Secondly Christ's Outward and Inward Coming That this Coming is understood of Christ's last outward Coming and not of his Inward and Spiritual that remains to be proved whereas the Apostle might well understand it of his Inward Coming and Appearance which perhaps some of those Carnal Corinthians that used to come drunken together had not yet known and others being Weak among them and inclinable to dote upon Outwards this might have been Indulged to them for a season and even used by those who knew Christ's Appearance in Spirit as other things were of which we shall speak hereafter especially by the Apostle who became Weak to the Weak and All to All that he might save some Now those Weak and Carnal Corinthians might be permitted the Vse of this To Remember Christ's Death till he Come To Arise in the Heart to Shew forth or Remember Christ's Death till he come to Arise in them for thô such need those outward things to put them in mind of Christ's Death yet such as are dead with Christ and not only dead with Christ but buried and also arisen with him need not such Signs to Remember him And to such therefore the Apostle saith Col. 3.1 If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God but Bread and Wine are not these things that are above but are things of the Earth But that this whole matter was a meer Act of Indulgence and Condescendence of the Apostle Paul to the Weak and Carnal Corinthians appears yet more by the Syriack * And likewise the other Oriental Versions as the Araebick and Aethiopick have it the same way Copy which ver 17. in his entring upon this matter hath it thus In that concerning which I am about to command you or instruct you I commend you not because ye have not gone forward but are descended unto that which is less or of less Consequence Clearly importing that the Apostle was grieved that such was their Condition that he was forc'd to give them Instructions concerning those Outward things and doting upon which they shew they were not gone forward in the Life of Christianity but rather sticking in beggarly Elements And therefore ver 20. the same Version hath it thus When then ye meet together ye do not do it as it is just ye should do in the day of the Lord ye eat and drink Thereby shewing to them that To Meet together to eat and drink Outward Bread and Wine was not the Labour and Work of that Day of the Lord. But since our Adversaries are so zealous for this Ceremony because used by the Church of Corinth though with how little ground is already shewen how come they to pass over far more positive Commands of the Apostles To abstain from things strangled as matters of no moment As First Acts 15.26 where the Apostles peremptorily Command even the Gentiles as that which was the Mind of the Holy Ghost To abstain from things strangled and from Blood And Ja. 5.14 where it is expresly Commanded The Anointing with Oil. That the Sick be Anointed with Oil in the Name of the Lord. If they say These were only Temporary things but not to Continue Object What have they more to shew for this there being no express Repeal of them Answ. If they say The Repeal is implied because the Apostle saith Object We ought not to be jugded in Meats and Drinks I admit the Answer Answ. but how can it be evited to militate the same way against the other Practice Surely not at all nor can there be any thing urged for the one more than for the other but Custom and Tradition And for that of James they say There followed a Miracle upon it Object to wit the Recovery of the Sick But this being Ceased so should the Ceremony Though this might many ways be answered to wit Answ. That Prayer then might as well be forborn A Ceremony ought to Cease its Vertue failing to which also the saving of the Sick is there ascribed yet I shall accept of it because I judge indeed that Ceremony is Ceased only methinks since our Adversaries and that rightly think a Ceremony ought to Cease where the Vertue fails they ought by the same Rule to forbear the laying on of Hands in imitation of the Apostles since the Gift of the Holy Ghost doth not follow upon it Thus Laying on of Hands § IX But since we find that several Testimonies of Scripture do sufficiently shew that Such External Rites are no necessary part of the New Covenant-Dispensation therefore not needful now to Continue however they were for a season practised of old I shall instance some few of them whereby from the Nature of the thing as well as those Testimonies it may appear that the Ceremony of Bread and Wine is Ceased as well as those other things confessed by our Adversaries to be so The Ceremony of Bread and Wine is Ceas'd The first is Rom. 14.17 For the Kingdom of God is not Meat and Drink but Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost Here the Apostle evidently shews that the Kingdom of God or Gospel of Christ stands not in Meats and Drinks and such like things but in Righteousness as by the Context doth appear where he is speaking of the Guilt and Hazzard of judging one another about Meats and Drinks So then if the Kingdom of God stand not in them nor the Gospel nor Work of Christ then the Eating of Outward Bread and Wine can be no necessary part of the Gospel-Worship nor any perpetual Ordinance of it Another is yet more plain of the same Apostle Col. 2. Col. 2.16 the Apostle throughout this whole Second Chapter doth clearly plead for us and against the Formality and Superstition of our Opposers for in the beginning he holds forth the great Priviledges Christians have by Christ who are come indeed to the Life of Christianity and therefore he desires them ver 6. As they have received Christ so to walk in him and to beware lest they be spoiled through Philosophy and vain Deceit after the Rudiments or Elements of the World because that in Christ whom they have received is all Fullness And that they are Circumcised with the Circumcision made without Hands which he calls the Circumcision of Christ and being buried with him by Baptism are also arisen with him through the Faith of the Operation of God Here also they did partake of the True Baptism of Christ and being such as are Arisen with him let us see whether he thinks it needful they should make use of such Meat and Drink as Bread and Wine to put them in Remembrance of Christ's Death or whether they ought to be judged that they did it not ver 16. Let
which yet imports not a Duty to observe them Their last and chiefest Reason is as they say The Apostle's Express Command for it Let a man examine himself and so let him eat The Students affirm and do but affirm that to say This is only a Permission is a desperate Shift Let us hear how they prove it Let a man examine himself this is without doubt a Command therefore Let him eat must be a Command also We deny this Consequence and it remains for them to prove it And though this were enough in strictness yet we shall give a Reason of our denial because their Proposition whatever it may do in some Cases holds not universally true As to instance from an Example or two Let a man marry in the Lord and so let him marry The first is a Command here but not the second Let a man speak in Religious things as the Oracle of God and so let him speak The first is a Command but not the Second Many more might be named which import only a Conditional Command not that there is a Necessity upon all to Marry or upon all to Preach But if a Man Marry let him do it in the Lord and if a Man preach let him do it as the Oracle of God Also see a most plain Example of this Rev. 22. 11. He that is filthy let him be filthy still and he that is just let him be just still They are both in the Imperative Mood yet the one is a Duty the other but a Permission not Moral and Positive but Physical and Negative So if a Man partake of the Ceremony of Bread and Wine let him examine himself Seeing then their Proposition holds not universaliy true it remains for them to prove That in this particular Place it is so They bestow their 34. Paragraph pag. 70 71. to no purpose in missing the Controversy For whatever we understand by the Substance which whoso enjoyeth needs not the Shadow We do not deny but these that had the Substance made use of the Shadow at times Paul purifying himself according to the Law of Moses For Paul purified himself according to the Law of Moses after he had been long an Apostle But the Question is Whether that oblige us now This the Students have forgot to prove and will do well to advert to it when they publish their next Volume omitting needless Homilies not to the purpose And thus we hope the Reader may see that the things we bring to prove this Ceremony is ceased are not Shadows but rather that what they bring to Confirm it is nothing but Shadows Pag. 71. They go about to answer an Argument used by R. B. against this Ceremony drawn from the Apostle's Words 1 Cor. 16.16 in his first Answer to W. M. p. 54. where he shews that since the Bread is but one which must needs be the Inward the Outward must be ceased And to this they Answer saying The true and genuine Sense of the Place is c. So go on as they were Dictating and not Disputing without adding any Probation But secondly they proceed saying That seeing the one Bread is the Saints though the Apostles were truly this one Bread yet Christ instituted his Supper without any Contradiction or making them not one Bread For answer were that Practice of Christ of the Nature they would have it then should they say something but while they suppose it so and Argue from it they do but beg the thing in Controversy For the Apostles both then and after that time used many Legal and Typical Observations and yet they would Argue ill that would infer from thence because they did so and that without Contradiction to their being Christians and under the Gospel Dispensation we ought to do so too As for that Bread spoken by the Apostles in the 16 and 17 Verses The One Bread We acknowledge it to be the Spiritual Bread to wit the Spiritual Body of Christ of which the Saints feed which makes them One and is One with them as the Apostle himself wordeth it ver 17. Now what signifieth all this to prove That the Outward Bread is the One Bread Hear how the Students Evince it But thirdly we say That the one Bread spoken of ver 17. is both the outward and the inward Bread yet but one Sacramentally And is not this rarely well argued We the Students say so As to the Reason afterwards insinuated as Christ saith of the Bread that it is his Body they should have shewen how it follows Christ as Protestants well argue against Papists calls himself a Door a Rock c. what then is Christ and a Rock one Christ and a Door one Door Let them shew us if they can in all the N. T. so much as one Word of this Figment of a Sacramental or Symbolical Vnion And whereas upon this occasion R. B. argued in his Truth cleared of Calumnies pag. 54. * See above p. 34 35. That if the outward Bread were to be called the one Bread as signifying it the Sacrifices of the Law might be called one with the one Offering of Christ mentioned Hebr. 10.14 and so continued This they say signifies nothing because these are abrogated Then until they prove this Continues by vertue of a Gospel Command which they have not as ye done the same Reason will hold against it To another Reason given of the Discontinuance of this Ceremony Meats and Drinks used in Religious Acts. from Gal. 2.16 Let no man judge you in meats or drinks They say first That then it had not been lawful for the Apostle to have Reprehended the Corinthians for the Abuses in this matter This is a poor Shift indeed though they should not have been Reprehended for laying it aside altogether yet seeing they used it as a Religious Duty they might well be Reprehended if they did it not Religiously Secondly they say That then Gluttony c. ought not to be reproved and that the Quakers ere they miss to pull down Christ's Ordinance will make way for Gluttony and Drunkenness Answer Here is but a silly malicious Reflection in stead of a Reason The Apostle is speaking here as the Students themselves afterwards acknowledge of Meats and drinks used in Religious Acts and if the Proposition hold true in this Respect it will answer the End and not of Natural Eating c. Thirdly They say It must only be understood of the Legal Ceremonies because of the 14. verse asking If the Lord's Supper was contrary unto us or was nailed to the Cross What then The Students are over-hasty and should have looked to the 21 and 22 verses Touch not tast not handle not which all are to perish with the using And do not Bread and Wine which perish in the using and are therefore here included As for the Absurdity insinuated by them How could that be Nailed to the Cross that was but Instituted two Days before Will they say That abstaining
principally than to us to be a Railing and Roving and a Contradicting what I said in the former These But this Cavil often repeated before I did Answer above The like he Judgeth my Arguing there-from That as they were to Try all things by the outward Law so we are to Try all in the First Place by the Word within But here his base Disingenuity appears For he has leftâ—out these Words In the first Place that he might introduce the better the difficulty he fancieth to himself to have brought me to afterwards for by this Argument saith he I prove more than I ought to wit that the Scriptures shall not be so much as a less principal Rule Who will be so foolish as to Conclude that the saying Things ought in the first Place to be tried by the Word within The Scriptures a secondary and subordinate Rule excludes things in the second Place to be Tried by the Scriptures and is not that still to own it as a Secondary and subordinate Rule And so he may see my Feet here are easily Rid and that he held them not so fast as he fancied And as for the other part of his Alternative the Consequence is of the like Nature That what was a Principal Rule then is now only subordinate For albeit I said it was more Principal to them than now to us yet I said not it was the most Principal to them or then more Principal than what came immediately from the Spirit which he Confesseth to have been frequent under the Law yea more frequent than now according to his Principle and my saying so could only Infer that Consequence He Rejects what I urge from the Version of the Septuagint as spurious but for that we must take his Word else want a Proof And then because he cannot come off better according to his Custom he Concludes with a gross Perversion and Falshood saying It is my Opinion that the Law idâ—est the outward Law was given the Jews for a Rule even above the Spirit 's Revelations Which if it be mine as I utterly Renounce it I desire to know where I have Asserted it he might have been at the Pains to mark it but he knew it's like it was not Convenient Scriptures to be searched makes them not the Primary Rule Next he comes to prove that these Words Search the Scriptures c. Joh. 5.39 do Evince The Scriptures to be the Primary and Adequate Rule because if Christ's Doctrines should be Tried by them much more private Enthusiasms But who denies that Yet he doth not thence prove that the Scriptures are the Primary Rule by which all things must be Tried in the first Place which is the thing in Question Secondly I would ask him Whether the Words Christ spake to the Jews which are Recorded in Scripture were less a Rule to them or less binding and obliging upon them than the Sayings of Moses and the Prophets If he say They were less then he overturns all his own tedious Reasonings by which he labours to prove the Obligation of what Christ and the Apostles delivered p. 84. at the end as well as what Moses and the Prophets without the need of a New Obligation And likewise he must shew us how these Sayings come to be as binding upon us now as Moses and the Prophets or how they acquired greater Authority after Christ spake them than they had then Or why they wanted then that Authority If he say They were binding and obliging to the Jews because spoken by Christ then his Proof falleth to the Ground He is Angry that I say The Words may be interpreted Ye search the Scriptures as well as Search the Scriptures albeit the Greek Word signify the one as well as the other and for Answer very Magisterially tells 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ye Search and search ye It is quite Contrary to the very Words of Command Search the Scriptures But the Question is Whether that be the Words and that was what he should have proved But he makes no Bounds of begging the Question telling Tolet and Maldonat say It is so taken by all the Fathers except Cyrill And what then Did I undertake to subscribe to all these Authors Writings He must give me a Reason Why ere I do it And let him deny it if he dare that the Greek Word signifies Ye search the Scriptures as well as Search the Scriptures and if it do before I conclude the one more than the other I must have some better Argument than his bare Affirmation But to finish this he will conclude all by the Words of the Apostle James c. 1. v. 25. where he saith The Apostle calleth the Scriptures the perfect Law of Liberty The Perfect Law of Liberty the Royal Law in the Heart But that doth not prove them to be the Primary Rule Suppose it were granted the Apostle meant the Scriptures which remains yet by him to be proved and is not done by what he citeth Chap. 2.8 by his desiring them to Fulfil the Royal Law according to Scripture Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self which proves it not at all Yea to understand it of the Scriptures were to make the Apostle's Words scarce good Sense as if he had said Fulfil the Scriptures according to the Scriptures whereas it sutes the Place much better that the Apostle meaned They should fulfil the Royal Law in their Hearts which was one with the Scriptures that also command the same thing That the Apostle means the outward Law and not that Written in the Heart Chap. 4. 12. he hath Affirmed but not Proved Next Beroeans commended for searching the Scriptures he comes to the Beroeans being commended for Searching the Scriptures Acts 17.11 But this is the same way answered as the former For if the Beroeans were obliged to believe and receive Paul's Testimony because he preached the Truth to them by Authority from God then their Vsing or his Commending them for using the Scripture will not prove the Scripture to be the Primary Rule yea more a Rule than the Doctrine they Tried by it In the the rest of what he saith in this n. 28. he but fights with his Shadow for I never said They excluded the Law of Nature in affirming the Scripture to be the Rule or did I ever deny but that the Scripture Reveals things which Nature could never have Discovered But the Question is Whether that Truth that Man is the Off-spring of God from which the Apostle argues with the Athenians was discovered to any by meer Nature or by a Divine Principle And this is that he should have proved and therefore yet remains for him to do But to be like himself he concludes this also withh a gross Lie saying I affirm the Scripture to be no more our Rule than the Heathen-Poets which no ways follows from my Words neither hath or can he ever prove it ¶ 9. He thinks The Scriptures not determining of many
Singular Number as if thence he would Infer that One Sin is only Transmitted But how he proves his Consequence thence he has not shewen For albeit by that first Offence he gave Entrance for Sin that being his First yet it will not follow he then ceased to be a publick Person and if not nothing can be proved from granting him to be such as is above observed As by the Offence of one c. Objected Next the Words are The Offence of one and not One Offence as he would Insinuate which though in the Singular Number may include many yea all his Offences For whatever way he seek to urge this from this Place as to Adam the parallel will allow it to be Interpreted of Christ where the Apostle speaking of his Righteousness useth also the Singular Number and thence according to him we might say that it is only the first Act of Christ's Righteousness that is Imputed unto us and none of the rest so that we have nothing to do with his Death Sufferings and Resurrection What thinks he now of his own Divinity Let him loose his Knot the next time to give him one of his own modestest Proverbs The Absurdity he seeks to draw from denying this Consequence of his being a publick Person That if Adam had stood Infants should have no Advantage by him since they have no hurt by his Fall Toucheth not me at all who no where say That Infants have no Hurt by Adam's Fall Adam by his Fall became obnoxious to Temptations Adam by his Fall lost his Glory his Strength his Dominion by which he could have easily withstood the Devil and came under great Weakness whereby the Enemy's Tentations had a ready Access to him and he became very obnoxious to fall under them And so all his Posterity are come under the same Weakness and Obnoxiousness to the Enemy's Tentations who influenceth them by Entring into them and powerfully Inclining them to Sin and this malignant Influence is that Seed of Sin in all Men whereunto they become obnoxious by reason of the Fall which though in it self really Sin yet is it not Man's but the Devil 's until Man give Way to it But I deny not but the least yielding is Man's Sin among which I reckon Concupiscence to be one and so differ from Papists For albeit the Tentation simply considered or as presented by the Devil be not Man's Sin yet if he have the least Love or Desire to it albeit he join not Actually that shews his Mind is already defiled and corrupted and that he is become a Partaker of it Thus are answered his Reasonings and Questionings How this Seed of Sin can be and yet not the Persons Sin p. 121 122 c. as the Reader by Comparing may observe Only it is remarkable p. 121. where he seems to put a great Stress upon the Judgment of Augustin and citing him he brings him in saying these Words among others concerning Infants Shall they sin that are under no Command Now since they Infants are under no Law who are under no Command are under no Law for every Law imports a Command how will he reconcile this saying or his Holy Father which he brings as a matter of Authority with his accounting it both foolish and strange in me p. 119. to prove Children are under no Law J. B. taken in his own Snare So that either the Authority of Augustin he brings is not to be regarded or his Reasonings to prove Children under a Law that is a Command must be naught let him chuse which he will and clear himself of Impertinency His Argument in this page That as the Seed of Grace denominates a Man gracious even while not exercising works of Grace so the Seed of Sin must denominate a Man sinful is but a begging of the Question as in its place will appear when I come to treat of the Seed of Grace ¶ 7. When he cometh p. 123. n. 18. to Reply to my Answer to their Objection Rom. 5.12 among his preliminary Observations the first is very proper where he saith It is observable the Apostle makes Comparison betwixt Adam and Christ. I answer As Christ's Righteousness so Adam's Vnrighteousness is not Imputed to Men before actual Joining with either It is indeed so for as the Righteousness of Christ is not imputed to Men for Justification until they actually Join with it or apprehend it by Faith as himself will acknowledge for I suppose by his accounting the Antinomians Hereticks he will not with them affirm that Men are Justified before they believe so neither is the Vnrighteousness and Disobedience of Adam Imputed to Men for Condemnation until they actually Join with it but this Comparison spoils all his Doctrine Then after he has beg'd the Question a while by meer Allegations affirming his Doctrine to be so clear from the Apostle's words that it cannot be Contradicted without doing violence to the Text he forms an Argument thus That Sin which is so described to us by the Apostle that he saith it brought Death upon all Men that Men sinned by it and were made Sinners even they who could not as yet actually Sin that thereby all became guilty of Death and of Condemnation that Sin by Imputation is the Sin of the whole Nature included in Adam and rendreth the whole Nature obnoxious to Death and to Condemnation But The first Sin of Adam is described to us by the Apostle c. Ergo That Sin is the Sin of Nature c. This Argument may perhaps satisfy such as are already Proselites of his Theam but will not Convince one that either believes other ways or doubts since the Major is a meer begging of the Question And if any thing be a foisting-in of words to the Text this must be it since he foists-in the thing in Debate and words not in the Text such as Even they J. B. foist 's in words of his own to deceive his Reader who could not as yet actually Sin and joineth them with the words of the Text without distinction and not as an Interpretation that his unwary Reader may Conclude them to be of the Text. And yet the Man has the Impudence in the same page to Accuse me of Intolerable Boldness as foisting words into the Text while I expresly shew it is but an Interpretation by saying That is c. so much is he blinded with Self-Interest but I am Content there be neither Addition nor so much as Consequence made use of Let him shew me the plain Scripture that saith Infants are guilty of Adam 's Sin If he say It must be necessarily Inferred from these words in whom all have sinned I say it as necessarily follows that it is only to be understood of all that could sin which Infants could not as not being under any Law as I have above proved and Augustin whom he so much reverenceth doth affirm if his Citation from him be true And
I say That as to us they cannot be separated Then all must be Redeemed the one way who are Redeemed the other and that then every Man must be Redeemed from the power of Corruption and saved But here according to his Custom he cites not my words justly which are That they are both perfect in their own Nature albeit in their Application to us-ward they cannot be separated that is he that comes Effectually to Enjoy the Benefit of the one must Enjoy the other he that Receives the second partakes of the first also he that really receives the first receives the second also but that hinders not but many may be offered the Benefit of the first and by rejecting and resisting it lose the Benefit both of first and second and he that rejecteth it at any time albeit he receive it for a season as by his falling he loses what of the second is wrought in him to wit of Purification so he doth also lose the first which was Remission of Sin His last Cavil at this is very Impertinent which is by way of Question That if this second Redemption be necessary to Salvation as indeed it is what shall become of the Child of God that hath no Light What shall become of them J. B's Absurdities that Saints may be Vnited to Christ and not see it that have true Grace uniting them to Christ c. and yet through darkness can see and acknowledge no such thing For to pass-by the Absurdities here supposed that Saints can be said to have no Light or have Grace and be Vnited to Christ yet neither be able to see it nor acknowledge it and that not during their life-time here for unless this be also supposed he cannot Conclude what he will for that a Saint may be clouded at a time is not denied yet this maketh nothing for his purpose Will it follow because they see it not that it therefore is not needful to their Salvation His own words Imply a Contradiction to this And thus the Man Confutes that by which he would urge another in the very words by which he expresses it For is not Grace to unite the heart to Christ necessary to Salvation He will surely say Yes If then the acknowledgment of that and seeing of it which is needful to Salvation be not needful then the not-seeing or not acknowledging of a thing makes it not a thing unnecessary to Salvation which is the Absurdity he would Insinuate ¶ 3. Thus having removed out of the way his most obvious Perversions and Abuses I come to Treat of the main matter which all depends upon this one Question What is that whereby a Man is Justified so as to appear truly Just in the sight of God This he supposes to be done by the Righteousness and Death of Christ without even before any work of Righteousness be wrought in Man even as a Cautioner to whom he Compares Christ in this case frees him whose Debt he pays I on the contrary affirm By the Death of Christ no Man can be said to be Justified until Christ received in the heart there Renew and make him Just. That albeit Reconciliation and Remission of Sins be by the Death of Christ without and the door opened so that all may be at Peace by the Offer of Grace made in Christ if they reject it not yet hereby no Man can be said to be Justified or appear Just properly until Christ be received in his heart there to renew and purify him and make him Just so that however Justification may be distinguished from Sanctification yet not divided nor yet so distinguished that a Man can be truly said to be Justified who is Vnholy and Vnsanctified And therefore upon the Examining of what he urges against this and for his Position as also what he answers to my Probations for it depends the whole matter But before I enter particularly upon this and that there may no Interruption meet me when entred in it I will first take notice and remove his Mistakes and Misapplied Proofs thereupon both in what he Opposes me and Affirms for himself as also here take notice of his meer Assertions And first then pag. 299. he supposes There can be no Reconciliation by the Blood of Christ's Cross c. unless for such in whose Room Christ died as a Cautioner and Surety and so made Satisfaction that they should be Redeemed and Delivered But albeit upon this Notion and Affirmation all depends yet I miss the Proof of it if his After-Proofs say any thing to it I shall Examin them That which he mentions here written Rom. 8.3 4. is so far from doing it that it proves the Contrary For albeit the Death of Christ was that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us yet it follows not that the Righteousness of the Law must be fulfilled in all for whom he died yea the following words who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit shew The Benefit of Christ's Death is to them that Walk after the Spirit this to be the Condition Requisite on our part that we may partake of the Benefit of his Death If to prove that Man should be Reconciled Redeemed and Delivered by the Death of Christ he bring the Instances of the Righteousness of the Law to be fulfilled in us then Men cannot be said to be Reconciled Redeemed and Delivered until this Righteousness of the Law be fulfilled in them What he addeth to this That we cannot be said to be accounted Righteous and absolved from Accusation upon the account of our works of Righteousness I say no such thing freely confessing that not only pardoning of Sin but removing of the Filth as well as of the Guilt is the Act of God's Mercy and Grace as saith the Apostle Tit. 3.5 6. And yet we are saved The removing both Filth and Guilt of Sin is the Act of God's Grace and Mercy and consequently Justified according to his Mercy by the washing of Regeneration since this is the Fruit of the Grace and Spirit of God freely given us And therefore it is not enough for him pag. 203. to affirm That I pervert the Apostle's words 2 Cor. 5.19 20. God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself upon this bare supposition That this World is only understood of the Elect for if this Reconciliation had been Absolute and not in part only that is a Readiness on God's part to be Reconciled with them if they Repent which I affirm to what purpose should the Apostle as an Embassador Intreat them to be Reconciled there needed no Intreaty to that which was already done neither are his meer Assertions to this p. 303. any Answer It is strange that to prove That all for whom Christ died are certainly made alive one time or other he brings these words And that he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them