Grave into Hell Also the Fourteenth of the Acts They ordained them Elders they loved to cry up Consecration of Churches and Dedication and such kinde of things and Episcopal Ordination too for these all advanced the power of the Priests and the Bishops which brought in Transubstantiation amongst Papists and therefore in the Geneva Translation that was render'd chosen by suffrages by lifting up of hands the word Primarily imports that it may be in some of the Fathers it includes both they will tell you because afterwards having chosen Elders by Suffrages or Voyces they did Ordain them Next I come to the first of the Corinthians 12.28 An abominable violence offered to the Original God hath set in the Church Apostles Teachers Helps Governments and you shall finde here a great imposture it may be now altered appearing so gross but I have seen it and read it in some Translations Helps in Government which is a most horrible prodigious violence to the Greek words for they are both the Accusative case Helps there are Elders Government there are Deacons now to obscure these you must put it helps in Government I had it related since the delivery of this plain Sermon by one who most confidently affirmed it That the learned man to whom it belonged to Translate the first Book of Samuel having rendred that which Samuel from God spake concerning Saul 1 Sam. 8.11 This shall be the maner of the King that shall reign over you He will take your sons c. He was sent for to Lambeth and there perswaded to make the words Will take your sons c. Shall take which he conscienciously refused well knowing it was not spoken by Samuel to Saul by way of direction for duty what he should do but Prophetically and Eventually what he would do And then lastly for Easter this was another place that was altered as you have heard to keep up that holy time of Easter as they would think it for herein was the innocency though unhappiness unto us of the Primitive Worthies and other Christians these had fair intentions in bringing in many things they thought to win upon the Heathen and therefore would not wholly anull but change things change some of their great Feasts into Christmas-time change now it may be Pentecost into Whitsontide and the Passover into Easter it had a good intent but minding their own intentions more then Gods Word their Rule you see how these constitutions of men are degenerated Now I beseech you let us not suffer our selves to be abused when a word Easter shall be thrust in for it was divers hundred years after Peter that the word Easter came in shall we therefore go and keep up an Easter Communion above all times else for such pretences as these are Brethren the more you joyn Truth and Love together the more you 'll be free from these fond kinde of Devotions And let me say this It is Blinde Devotion indeed and many men that are so zealous for these and women too they think to get protection for other courses It may be many a Lady that paints and spots and trifles away precious time if she be but zealous at an Easter Communion she thinks to get a protection for all vanities else A Citizen if he be a Patron to such a Minister frequent Lectures then he may be frollick and vain and loose c. Here is Love without Truth Let me adde this Truth without Love makes many swell and contemn others and Love without Truth edifies to Superstition and to Idolatry sometimes What brought in Praying to Saints but Love without Truth But you 'll allow me to be so indulgent to my self as that if either the ordinary place or the ordinary time be not observed to pity a man that hath seven moneths labored under a quartane Ague and had a fit late last night I might make three Uses and the first should have been this To shew you why many Professors are so barren and many Christians so dry and unstable amongst you because they have not minded this conjunction of Truth and Love which is the Gospel method to grow up into Christ and so to our Spiritual thriving For upon him all our fruit is found Hos. 14.8 Take this as a Use of Caution I beseech you would to God I knew what language to speak to win upon you I would beseech you this Honorable Representative City who have so great an influence have been so much concerned and are still so much interested to beware that you suffer not your selves by any policies of men or cunning undermining whatsoever to be cheated of your Truth and Love lest you lose your selves and Religion and City and Estates and indeed the Kingdom Brethren there are desperate Designs on foot and as so much good hath been brought to this Kingdom heretofore by the City and their Zeal and their Purses and their Courage and their Fidelity so now there hath been of late great tryings of conclusions how to work upon the City so far to make them instrumental for the destruction of all and the Devil hath many active Soldiers abroad First There is indeed one unhappy Regiment of those that are Erroneous though divers of them very honest-hearted and of those that are not such friends to love as they should be and certainly much hath been our misery by reason of uncharitable mistakes of Errors in matter of Faith and Schisms in point of Love Secondly There is another Jesuitical Atheistical Prophane Party that take advantage of these Errors and these Divisions as he saith They do fish in troubled waters that know how to improve all these Errors and Divisions to drive on their own Design and nothing more ordinary then for some Malignants though I love not names or disaffected persons call them what you will those that are no friends to Truth and Love nor Parliament nor Army nor any Scripture-Reformation they will come in one company and aggravate the Miscarriages of the Parliament and Army Now what is their plot to keep open the Breach that so at last Episcopacy and the old Common-Service-Book may come in again Who sees not this And I confidently say and pray God it may be considered in time that you out of any Discontent or out of any passionate Animosities I hope the Lord will keep so wise a City from it suffer not your selves to be ridden by them Do you not remember first they would have divided Army and Parliament there was a time God prevented that Do you not remember there was a time they would have divided City and Army the Lord keep you from that evil And now their last conclusion is to divide those that are Friends and engaged in one Covenant to try if they can set England and Scotland at variance and engage them in Blood again And this is their Plot and how shall they bring this about O by that malignant Jesuite
and do the Truth upon all occasions Indeed Truthing it in love which were an admirable Motto for Saints and most seasonable in these unsound and censorious times Truthing it in love Truthing it in love seeking and following the Truth with constancy is the Gospel method of our spiritual welfare This was Johns counsel to the Elect and his comfort concerning the Lady a practice worthy it seems of great persons This was Johns joy concerning her and her children and concerning his Gaius too in the beginning of his third Epistle That they walked in the Truth and the Truth dwelt in them and they in Truth loving one another Here is Truthing it in Love now in short what reasons why this is the Gospel method to our welfare first considered Singly Truth and Love as they are in themselves contribute much Secondly Joyntly consider the happy marriage of Truth and Love they operate much to advance this Gospel-design First For Truth It hath a soveraign vertue to prevent and to cure those spiritual maladies which are most obstructive to the good of Persons and Churches Truth keeps from Ignorance from Superstition from Errors from Heresies yea from prophaneness Love keeps from Strife from Schism although there bee some differences amongst Saints all men see not by the same Light if there be Love it will keep them from making a difference in affection or keep them from all unwarrantableness disclayming communion with their Brethren It is want of Love that doth that Secondly Truth if there be differences in judgement as there may be yet it hath this power that it will teach men to hold their Christian liberty by satisfying their conscieriees in the lawful use of it Love will teach them not to use their Liberty unseasonably to the offence of their Brethren the Truth makes you free if you know the Truth in John 8.32 Truth will give us a Freedom that we shall not suffer our selves to be under unnecessary and unwarrantable humane impositions but shall see our Freedom and in the use of indifferent things Love will make me so tender and so Indulgent to the Conscience of my Brother that I le rather deny my self then offend him here is Love and Truth singly as to the preventing of evil And then Secondly Here is Truth and Love that have a direct Subservience to promote the best good of Saints in their Communion with Christ now Truth enlightens the minde concerning the whole Councel of God concerning agenda and credenda teaching us that like as Usurpers not as Libertines we encroach upon the Headship of Christ and Love enflames us and enclines to embrace Truth and reject Falshood and what ever is prophane Psal. 119.127 128. I hate every false way I love thy statutes c. Truth will not onely inform us but engage us to inform others to teach and instruct them that they should know what they should do and Love will teach us to do it with Meekness Exhort them that are contrary minded with meekness oftentimes we preach smart Sermons give hot reproofs like as when Physitians give Potions scalding hot they will spit them out again and cannot endure them and they go away prejudic'd I cannot endure to hear such a man he is so hot and furious and vents his own spirit O it's Love and meekness causes us to deal tenderly and softly meekly with our Brother and this is indeed the Spirit of the Gospel There is no more diabolical Spirit then a furious Spirit and no more Gospel Spirit then a meek and calm Spirit But I must contract The next thing is Love and Truth joyntly when they are married joyntly together and go hand in hand and Saints by them joyn-heads and hearts O then and then onely they operate fruitfully Truth without Love breeds onely empty dry Speculations which puff up Love without Truth is a blinde if not a Popish yet an unwarrantable devotion amongst formal Protestants What is the reason you shall see now amongst many of your dull and cold Protestants more zeal about Christmas day then the Lords day about hearing a Passion Sermon upon that they call Good Fryday then upon any other day Here is Love without Truth now Truth and Love joyned together would keep the people from being too fond about these unwarrantable practises But will some say what do ye blame us about Easter and a Communion at Easter c. Have we it not in Scripture See what Scripture they have for it I would this secret were declared to all the world it would break many snares with which divers are intangled In the Acts there is the word Easter indeed in the twelfth Chapter When he had apprehended him he put him in Prison and delivered him to four quaternions of Soldiers to keep him intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people There is Easter but will you hear now how it came in first You 'l easily believe that it must be jumbled in one way or other if you understand the Original There was the word Passover but no Easter the word Easter was not found out in many hundred years after this was spoken of Peter But here was a secret It was a glorious work of King James he set divers Oxford men and Cambridge men and City Ministers with others to Translate the Bible a glorious work how ever Translations may be slighted amongst us yet Bugenhagius and other Divines when they had the Bible Translated into the Dutch language they kept that day of the year a Feast of Thanksgiving for the Translation of the Bible they were so affected with the mercy but it 's a great unhappiness when the Translation of the Bible shall be brought to serve our purposes I have it from certain hands such as lived in those times that when the Bible had been Translated by the Translators appointed the New Testament was looked over by some of the great Prelates men I could name some of their persons to bring it to speak Prelatical Language and they did alter as I am informed by the means of one that was a great observer in those times and lived then Fourteen places in the New Testament to make them speak the Language of the Church of England that was so cryed up and I 'le tell you some of them First In the first of the Acts speaking of Judas Let another man take his Bishoprick it is forc'd it signifies Charge or Inspection but that you may believe that the Bishops are the Apostles Successors let another man take his Bishoprick Again In the second of the Acts it is Not suffer my Soul to lie in Hell this is clear Former Translations have it not suffer my Soul to lie in the Grave But it was learned Bilsons Opinion and thrust into the Thirty nine Articles that Christ did Locally descend into hell and to make that Translation agree with the Articles they must change
experience which made him groan so sadly Psal. 51.8 Make me to hear joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce When he had broke his conscience by sinning God would break his bones for sin And again ver 12. Restore to me the joy of thy salvation and ver 10. Create in me a clean heart and renew a right Spirit within me It s true the Lord had so far deserted him in regard of sensible comforts that he may desire their restoring and which may be observed by the way let the proud Arminian say what he can David was not become silius irae but onely silius sub ira still a beloved son he begs indeed the cleansing of his heart but onely the renewing of a right spirit within him 2. The Lord whips his children to an improvement of the grace of Christ by suffering them in his holy and wise providence to fall into some great and it may be some scandalous sin which shall draw on a sharp affliction This is to a Saint a most sharp cure yet God makes it often effectual to that happy end for though we be the onely proper authors of sin yet Gods permission is not otiosa but effâ—cax permissio He knows how to govern its subserviency to the Covenant of Grace and to bring good out of evil otherwise he would neither suffer evil of sin or punishment to be David too clear an instance of this Rule Hereby the Lord whipped him out of himself to seek mercy from his Savior Psal. 51.1 Have mercy upon me O God according to thy loving kindeness according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions FINIS Acts 24 25 The Apostle useth four Arguments to Vnity Endeavoring to keep the Vnity of the spirit in the bond of 〈◊〉 Verse 7. Vers. 11 12. Vers. 13 14. Verse 15. Doctr. 1. Doctr. 2. Doctr. 3. Doctr. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Headship it self oâ— Christ. 1. Respectu Dignitatis 2. Respectu Regiminis 3. Respectu Influxui 4. Respectu Vnionis The appropriation of Christs Headship Note Note Christs Title to this Headship of his Church Luke 19.10 Vse 1. Pope no vicarious Head of the Church v. Polau Sputag p. 3351. v. Bâ—dâ—l Vse 2. Caution It s dangerous to be injurious to any of Christs members Dan. 2.45 Verse 4 5. Strong encouragement for all Christs members Rom. 16.28 Vse 3. Contrary to Pauâ—s Doctrine Phil. 2.13 Note To believe is mans act but faith is Gods gift Vse 4. Caution Rom. 9.15 2. Tim. 2.20 2. Doctr. Christs intention and expectation in giving gifts 1. That there should be a growth Eph. 1. last 2. A growing up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3 Growing up to Christ in all things Note The grounds Reason 1. Reason 2. Reason 3. Note The end The stability in Christ. Stability in judgement Stability of affection Psal. 73.25 Psal. 11. Stability of conversation Note Improvement of Christ. In all conditions and relations In all duties Vse 1. That is to preach the Gospel for the working faith in Gods elect Note Vse 2. For Citizens chiefly who enjoy such rich Gospel-advantage Mat. 11.22 Growth must be proportionable to the means you enjoy Growth must be of all parts Vse 3. For information concerning the Ministery Consider the Original of the Ministery Gal. 1.1 Note Doubtles it is a great and provoking evil to cry down the whole Ministery because some seek themselvs or others of the Ministers affect too much power hereby the devil carries on his design Behold the Ministery in Christs intention in the giving of it That Ordinances and Ministery now cease and we are under another new Administration A most dangerous and most unsound opinion See Mr. Saltmarsh his Book called Beams of the bright morning Star p. 134 c. What another Administration then that of the Father through the Son by the Spirit Reasons against this Interpretation of Mat. 28 20 for his third Administration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Thess. 8.9 Iude ver 3. 1 Cor. 15.9 24 28. Eph. 4.11 1. What is Truth 2. What is this love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. What is it to speak or follow the Truth in the Text. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vers. 14. Scripturae plenitudinem adoro Truthing it in Love a good motto for Saints Doctr. 3. 2 Ioh. 2.4 5. Verse 2 3. Reasons why Truthing it in love so useful What Truth and Love do to prevent evils singly considered â— Tim. 4.3 4 1 Cor. 10.28 29 30. 1 Cor. 8.13 What Truth Love do to promote the best good of Saints being joyntly considered 2 Tim. 2.25 What Truth and Love being joyntly considered 1 Cor. 8.1 Note 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after the Passover not after Easter if truly translated Acts 12.4 vid. Minshulâ—s Dict. Note 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 1.20 Acts 2.27 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There was both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet sometime the former included in the latter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Helps Deacons Governments Elders Noâ—e this grand Imposture 1. Vse of Instruction 2. Vse of Caution Two dangerous Regiments Captare impacata inquieta tempora A little book in quarto called Look about you Note 3 Vse of Exhortation Note Some Errors are 1. Contrafidem 2. Infide 3. Praeterfidem In Elephante melancholia transit in nutrimentum corporis Though the Elephants be maximae virtutis maximi intellectus yet gregatim semper in cedunt and so not uociva as solivaga are Homini erranti viam ostendit Rules concerning Truth and the pursuance of it 1. Rule about Truth Ezek. 13.2 Eph 4.17 Cassianus his Collat. 2. de discretione cap 5. 2. Rule about Truth 3. Rule about Truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jus Divinum nititur verbo Divino Ames Note 4. Rule about Truth Note 5. Rule about Truth 2 Cor. 11.3 6. Rule about Truth Note Inclinus ad neutram partem sit Dominis â—â—riusâ— 1. Rule about Love 1 Cor. 16.14 Eph 5.2 Col. 3.12 13. 2. Rule about Love 3. Rule about Love 4. Rule about Love Rom. 5.1 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil. Eph 5 2 5. Rule about Love 6. Rule about Love Phil. 1.27 3.15 16. Concordiâ— communa periculum â—ollâ—tâ—r Livy l. 28. Note 3 Epist. ver 1. Verse 2. Verse 3. Non vis errare ego sum via non vis falli ego sum veritas non vis mori ego sum vita non habes quaÌ„ eas nisi per Christum non habes quò eas nisi ad Christum Ezek. 28.3 Sermo Dei est sicut hamus non capit nisi capiatur Aug. 1 Cor. 9.19 to 22. four times together Isa. 8.18 Division 1. part 1. persons Exhorting Exhorted 2. part substance of ExhortatioÌ„ Be strong 3. part The rock of thy strength 3. The grace that is in Christ Jesus Explic. Note Note 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non satis babuit humeroruÌ„ was said of one who wanted strength proportionable to his work Some copies read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both will come to one purpose though the last more full and indeed more probable In Christ Fulness Redundancy of grace 1. A Prophetical fulnes of grace in Christ. 1. Strength in his word 1 Ioh. 2.14 2. Strength of his Spirit 2. A priestly fulness of grace in Christ. 1. Christs gracious satisfaction 2. Christs gracious intercession 3. Christs Kingly fulness of grace 1. Christs powerful suppressing his enemies Chap 18. last verse 2. Christs powerful advancing his people Col. 2.13 Psal 103. Mat 16 18. Rev. 3.21 2. The redundancy of grace that is in Christ Jesus 1 Redundancy of his grace into all their faculties Rom. 5.12 15. 2. Redundancy of the grace in Christ into all the graces of the Saints 3. Redundancy of the grace that is in Christ Iesus into all their duties 4. Redundancy of the grace in Christ Jesus into the various estates of his Saints Psa. 62.10 1. part Christs title unto possession of this strengthening grace which is threefold 1. By the grace of Vnion 2. By the grace of Vnction Note 3. By the grace of Office 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Camer 2 Pet. 1.4 Note 3 part The various sweetnes sweet variety of the strengthning grace in Christ Iesus Note Applic. A serious invitation for al strangers to seek acquaintance with and interest in Iesus Christ. Ioh. 3.19 Vid L. Verulans Apothegmes 26. Note 1 Vse Note See in Arminius his Works a notable Discourse about Gods Providence in mens sins Deus non permittit peccatum tanquam otiosus spectator sed effâ—â—aci quadam permissione quamvis nullo modo sit Author peccati