The Church is Catholick as containing all Places and Persons but it is not universal as to some Acts which being done any where are valid and equally bind every where Answ. Yes it is Catholick in the Admission into its Baptism which being duly administred in one Church makes a man free of the whole Christian Society and gives him a Right to all Christian Priviledges in all other Churches So that go where he will every Church shall own him for a Christian and admit him to Communion without requiring him to be Baptised over again Quest. So that a true member of Christ who is allow'd to Pray and receive the Sacrament in one Church ought to be allowed the same in every Church Answ. Yes and so they were in ancient times when upon producing their Certificates and Commendatory Letters from their own Churches Strangers and Travellers were owned as Brethren and admitted to Communion in the remotest Places Quest. And is it not fit they should seek this Communion wheresoever they pass Answ. Yes very fit to shew themselves true Catholicks and that they own the Christians of all other places as Brethren and Fellow-members But this must be only where they may be admitted to Communion upon lawful terms For when Churches will suffer none to Pray or Communicate with them without professing some Errors or joyning in some forbidden Practice there is no seeking to associate with such Assemblies Quest. Can you shew this Catholick efficacy in other Acts Answ. Yes not to insist on others secondly in excluding Persons out of the Church by Excommunication For if a man is justly excommunicated in one Place the Church as I shall shew being but one that is valid and ought to stand till he is duly loosed and reconciled again in all places He is cast out by Christ who for any unchristian Practices is regularly and justly bound or excommunicated by the Church of Christ for whatsoever you bind or retain on Earth saith he shall be bound and retain'd in Heaven Joh. 20. 23. and Mat. 18. 18. And whilst Christ himself rejects 't is not for any other Church of Christ to receive him And thus it was in the Ancient Church where if any for Heretical stubbornness or lewd Lives were cut off from Christ by their own Church no other Churches would admit them 'till they had made their peace again And to prevent any over-sight and unwary Communion with an Excommunicate Person when any Strangers and Travellers especially whom they had ground to suspect came to them from Foreign parts they would not admit them to joyn in their Church-Offices till they produced their Communicatory Letters to certifie their being in Communion with their own Churches And this must make all good Christians extreamly careful by all innocent ways to keep the peace of their own Church and never contumaciously provoke or proudly slight it presuming if it casts them out they may do as well by being let in and harboured by others Which if all Christ's Members really believed Church Discipline would not be so precarious a thing nor would any think as I fear too many do that a Church is beholding to them for sticking to her and keeping in her Communion Quest. What is it to Believe the Holy Catholick Church Answ. Not only to believe there is such a Church but also agreeable to that belief in all those Acts which declare our Union with it to adhere to it as its Members against all Factious Innovators and Dividers Quest. Is this Church but one Body Answ. No. For we are call'd to peace in one Body Col. 3. 15. and there is but one Body as one Spirit one Lord one Baptism Eph 4. 4 5. Quest. And is it to be one by an External Visible Unity Answ. Yes for an external Union in the common Offices and Advantages of the Society must shew it to be what the Sripture calls it one Body It must have such an Union as may be taken notice of by Men and from whence they will say Christians are all of one Religion I pray not for these alone but for all that shall believe on me through their word That they may all be one and that so visibly that the World may see it and thereby know and believe that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me Joh. 17. 20 21 22 23. And this visible union is their maintaining one Communion and Church-Fellowship i. e. their readiness to Pray and Communicate together and join in all Acts of Christian Worship Faith and Charity with each other By this shall all Men know that you are my Disciples if ye love one another If ye Love one another i. e. if ye love so as to unite not only in Faith and Affection but in Worship too and pray and communicate together For a readiness to worship God together must shew as much as any thing their unity in Discipleship and that they are all Servants of one and the same Lord and Master Joh. 13. 35. And accordingly Prayers and Sacraments are set down among the Bonds of Union which compact together the Members of this one Church Of the Eucharist says St. Paul we being many are made one Body by being all partakers of that one Bread 1 Cor. 10. 17. And of Baptism we are all Baptized into one Body 1 Cor. 12. 13. and as many as have been Baptized into Christ are all one in Christ Jesus Gal. 3. 27 28. And among those various ways whereby the Church becomes one Body he lays down as one Faith which they all Profess So one Baptism whereof they all partake one God and Father of all whom they all invocate with one Hope and one Lord whom they all serve and worship Eph. 4. 4 5 6. Quest. Doth this visible union imply a profest subjection of the whole Church to one visible Head the Bishop of Rome Answ. No that is a Title too haughty to be assumed and a Power too extensive to be managed by any one Person Besides in Scripture there is not the least mention of this universal Headship No not in the Lists of Church-Powers and Ministrations where this which is the highest of all others could not be left out Nor in Silencing any Heresies or deciding any Controversies and Disputes of which there was great number then in the Church and for determination whereof as it ought to have been used so 't is not conceivable had it then been owned but the Apostles would have directed and sent men to it or the Litigants themselves would have appeal'd to its sentence Among the Apostles our Blessed Lord precludes all pretence to such Power telling the Twelve when they were at Strife who should be highest in Empire and Lordship that one of them should not bear Rule and exercise Authority over the rest Luke 22. 24 25 26. And as for St. Peter in particular he set up no claim of Power over the other Apostles but bore
Apostle loads with such heavy consequences telling the Judaizers they were faln from grace and Christ would profit them nothing or be of none effect to them and the Denyers of the Resurrection that then is Christ not risen they are yet in their Sins their Faith is vain and so is the Apostles Preaching c. as give us cause to think had they prevailed and become the common Profession in those Churches they would have rendred them Christians meerly in Name but in Truth would have unchurched them But other Churches that kept true to the Foundation did in those days build many great errors thereupon At Corinth they built Wood Hay and Stubble upon the Foundation and fell to hold not only speculative Errors but some very dangerous Tenets in practice such as the lawfulness of incestuous Marriages esteemed as may seem as a thing indifferent even by the Pastors themselves and of Communicating in Idol-Feasts wherein they thought they did not sin so long as they believed an Idol is nothing At Colos they were prone to superstition to place Religion in uncommanded Abstinencies such as touch not taste not handle not which were the Doctrines and Devices of men Col. 2. 20 21 22. At Ephesus St. Paul foretold that several would arise speaking perverse Things Act. 20. 30. And at Rome and abundance of Churches in the Provinces where the Jews had Synagogues besides those rigid Judaizers who deny'd the Redemption by Christ and merit of his Sacrifice there were others who believed these but yet maintain'd together with them the necessity of the Mosaick Rites observing the Jewish difference of Meats and Days and teaching the Gentiles to live as do the Jews Ro. 14. 2 5. Gal. 2. 14. But amidst all these errors which were held sometimes by Parties and Factions and sometimes by the greatest numbers in the Churches the Apostles preach'd to them to own the erroneous as Brethren whom upon the account of those great Truths they held God had received Rom. 14. 3. to beware of Schisms and Divisions as things that shew'd Carnal Professors 1 Cor. 3. 3. and to keep the Bond of Peace Eph. 4. 3. And upon these Christian Grounds and in correspondence to these Apostolical Ordinances it is that the Protestants of the opposite Confessions are ready to Communicate with the Lutherans notwithstanding their Errors of Ubiquity and Consubstantiation And that the Champions of our own Church have sundry times declared their readiness to Communicate even with the Church of Rome in any truly Christian thing notwithstanding the Errors that Church has added to the Foundation But that they have barr'd us all out by imposing their Errors and so staining and polluting their Worship that with a good Conscience we cannot joyn with them And accordingly whilst they were free to come and till the Pope forbid them the Romanists were for many years admitted to our Publick Service and Sacraments notwithstanding their different apprehensions in the first part of Queen Elizabeth's Reign Quest. I suppose you speak this of our uniting with them only whilst their Errors are meer Errors of Faith and consist in Opinion Answ. Yes for 't is not so when they found any corrupt Worship thereupon But if together with such unfundamental Errors they have a faultless Worship which they call us to joyn in we must not separate for their Errors whilst they keep them to themselves and we are under no necessity of sharing in them And that we never are whilst they do not impose them but leave us at liberty either to dissent where their errors are in little Matters or to gainsay and confute them where they are of more importance to Religion and mens Souls Quest. I think I see when a Church errs so foully in Faith that we ought to forsake her But another ground of withdrawing our Communion you said is Corruption of Worship And when is a Church so far corrupted in her Worship that we ought not to joyn in it Answ. That may be either in case of intrinsick impediments in the matter of her Offices Or when good Prayers and Devotions are put up to God but in an unknown Language Quest. When is she so far corrupted in the very matter of her Worship and Publick Services Answ. When she falls off either from Worshipping the one true God or by one Mediator Jesus Christ or mixes Sin in all her Prayers whereby Grace and Mercy are to be sought or in her Sacraments of Baptism or the Lords Supper wherein that Grace and Mercy are sealed and convey'd We cannot live Religiously without Prayers nor pray to any but the true God except we pray like Idolatrous Heathens nor Pray to him by any other but by Jesus Christ the defective Prayers of Sinners needing to be expiated as was †observed before they are preferr'd and not being acceptable from any other hands nor claim the benefit of his intercession for our Prayers 'till we are Baptized and made Members of his Church nor shew our selves worthy of such a Saviour and assure as much as may be the Blessings we pray for without partaking of the Lords Supper So that if any Church has embody'd Sin into her Service in these particulars we cannot perform the necessary parts and vital acts of Worship in her Communion with a good Conscience Quest. So that if the Publick Offices of any Church direct their Prayers and Adorations not only to God but also to Creatures either Rational Beings or senseless Images or if they prefer not these Prayers to God by Jesus Christ alone but make use of other Mediators as Departed Saints or Angels or if they pollute their Baptism and the Lords Supper by unlawful mixtures the twisting of these Corruptions into her Worship without any further Imposition is enough to bar all good People from joyning with her in these Offices Answ. Yes For as we must be careful publickly to Worship and serve God so must we be as careful not to offer up any sinful and forbidden Thing in service to him which is not to honour and please but affront and provoke him So that when any particular Office is thus tainted in any Church we must separate from that although at the same time whilst that will be allowed we be ready to joyn in others When 't is generally corrupt and sound and unsound lye intermixt thro all their service we must separate from them in all Offices Quest. But what if the Devotions themselves are good and directed only unto God by Jesus Christ but in a strange Language which we do not understand Were it enough to desert a Churches service for that reason Answ. Yes because God will have Prayers with the understanding 1 Cor. 14 15 16. and God being a Spirit receives such only as Christ notes who Worship him in Spirit which a man doth not whose Spirit is idle and understands not what he says to God John 4. 23 24. So that if
as well as our own danger will constrain us not to live unto our selves but unto him that died for us 2 Cor. 5. 14 15. Quest. We believe that he is now in Heaven at God's right Hand to present our Prayers and intercede for us and procure whatsoever we stand in need of What effect ought this to have upon us Ans. Make us look up to him with affiance in his Patronage and apply to God by him with confidence in all our distresses Having such an high-priest now passed into the heavens says the Apostle let us come boldly unto the throne of grace Heb. 4. 14. Quest. We believe that as by his Death he purchased so in Heaven he is now taking up and preparing Mansions of Eternal Bliss for all such holy Souls as by purity of heart and life are fit to partake of and delight in them What must every Man of this belief do to be true to his own sentiments Ans. Purifie himself that he may be meet to enjoy and qualified to relish the immaculate pleasures of that pure and spotless Place Every man that hath this hope in him purifies himself even as he is pure 1 Jo. 3. 3. Quest. We believe that at the last day Christ will judge all men according to their deeds 2 Cor. 5. 10. Eternally rewarding all that are truly Pious Humble Temperate Just True and Peaceable and eternally condemning all that are otherwise What should every Person do in common care and prudence that is fully persuaded of this Ans. Faithfully serve and fear God who will call him to this strict account He should be sober and watch unto prayer 1. Pet. 4. 5 7. and be temperate in all things 1 Cor. 9. 25. and owe nothing but love to any man Rom. 13. 8. and follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12. 14. Quest. We believe the Holy Ghost is ready to assist us in every good act and help all that will use his aid to be as Holy as God requires they should be What would all that seriously attend to this belief do upon it Ans. Obey his motions and concur with his assistances and never wilfully do any thing that will forfeit the aid and influence of so desireable and Divine a Guest as he is Have that is use Grace that you may serve God acceptably Heb. 12. 28. Work out your own salvation for it is God that worketh in you Phil. 2. 12 13. and grieve not the Holy Spirit of God Eph. 4. 30. Quest. We believe the communion of Saints which implies an obedient submission and adherence to our common Rulers and particularly a communion in Prayers and Sacraments What would God or Men expect from a Person of this belief Ans. To keep the unity of the Church and frequent the publick Assemblies where these Saints are to meet and unite in all Divine Offices Quest. So that to name no more these Points of Belief already mentioned if duly attended to would influence and act on all serious embracers of them into love of God and Honour and godly Fear and make them rest contented in all estates and trust God with all Futurities and have affiance in him in the greatest Difficulties and shew patience and perseverance under the most tedious Delays and purifie their Hearts and Lives and render them universally Righteous as God is and keep them Holy and Humble and Temperate and Just and Peaceable thereby to come off well at the Great Day of Accounts It would cause them to love honour and obey their Saviour Christ and repent truly of all their sins and put them upon Prayers and Devotions and keep them in the unity of the Church and the Publick Assemblies and make them encourage the Grace of God and joyn therewith their best endeavours all which are only the forecited particulars Ans. Yes where a belief of these things is these fruits may reasonably be expected from it For they naturally follow on such apprehensions and accordingly are ascribed to them and intended to result from them in the Holy Scriptures Quest. And as it appears in these so I suppose it might be made appear how we are led on by some Points of Belief to every other Point of Practice Ans. It might so but I judge these to be abundantly enough Quest. But although all among us profess to believe these Principles yet are few thus affected with them or influenced thereby into these practices Ans. Too true alas But therein they act most unreasonably and are false to their own persuasions Whereas if a Man has a real belief of these things and will both attend or dwell upon it and be true to it following on whither it leads him in its own natural tendency and according to all reason it would affect and influence him as has been declared From this Faith such Fruits are reasonably to be expected though where Men act out of reason and either forget themselves or to gratifie some unlawful lusts are wilfully false to their own opinions no such things will follow it Quest. If Faith be such a sertile Grace and so apt to usher in all others though it be but one in the Root and Cause yet in the Fruit and Effect it will be all Virtues Ans. Very right and so it is What in Nature Pleasure and Pain are among the Passions that in Religion Faith is among the Graces viz. the Source Root and Ground-work of all the rest which are only its different expressions according to its various Aspects as it looks several ways and is conversant about several Objects For as Pleasure simply offer'd and apprehended begets Love if offer'd as absent especially as remote it turns Desire if as attainable chiefly when that attainment seems near it becomes Hope if as attainable surely Confidence and as Pain doth the like with the Passions opposite So Faith as I have observ'd when it is of God's Precepts turns Obedience when of his Threatnings Fear and holy Awe when of his Promises Hope and Trust when the things promised are to be sought of him it becomes Prayers and Devotions when they are delaied Patience and Perseverance when they are bestow'd and receiv'd Thankfulness when 't is of his Providence it turns Contentedness when of the horrible nature and effects of sin Repentance when of the spotless rewards of the other World purification of our Hearts and Lives when of the last Judgment universal Innocence that may stand the trial of it when of God's Purity and Perfection Imitation of him or being Righteous as he is when of Christ the Lord and his Laws keeping the Commandments when of the Holy Spirit and his assistances godly Care and good Endeavours when of the Communion of Saints keeping Unity in the Church and attending Publick Ordinances So that according to several objects and occasions this one Principle of Faith transforms it self into all shapes and becomes all Duties which are all therefore ascribed to
at his mouth for he is the Messenger of the Lord of Hosts Mal. 2. 7. And so are the Ministers of Christ among us Christians Loe I am with you teaching them all things whatsoever I have commanded and that always even to the end of the World. That is with you during your own lives and the Pastors and Teachers your Successors for ever after your deaths Mat. 28. 20. So that if we would give ear to Christ and own him for the Prophet of the Church we must seek the mind of God from the Holy Scriptures and from the mouths of our Bishops and Pastors who are his established Ministers to inculcate and explain those Scriptures Quest. Another Office you say he was design'd and anointed to was the Office of a Priest. Wherein doth that consist Answ. In two things 1. The payment of a Price to make Reconciliation and expiate mens sins with God. And 2. Interceding for ever after that they should have the benefit and blessing of it A Prophet is employ'd from God to men to declare his will and pleasure to them But a Priest is employ'd from men to God ordain'd as St. Paul says for men in things pertaining to God Heb. 5. 1. So that a Priest stands for the Church to make Reconciliation and intercede for it Quest. And did Christ act the part of a Priest for the Church paying a Price to make Reconciliation with God and in virtue of that to intercede for it Answ. Yes he reconciled us to God by dying in our stead We are reconciled to God by the death of his Son Rom. 5. 10. And being now raised from the Dead he is entred into Heaven where he ever lives to make intercession for us Heb. 7. 25. Quest. Doth he intercede that men may have this Reconciliation whilst they go on in sin Answ. No but only when they forsake it and Repent that their sins may be blotted out Act. 3. 19. So that till they amend they must never expect that he should move for them Quest. What doth the consideration of Christ's Priesthood teach us Answ. To hope for the Mercy of God for our sins upon our true Repentance If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous who is the Propitiation for our sins 1 Joh. 2. 1 2. And having him our High-Priest we may draw near with full assurance of Faith if once our Hearts are sprinkled and cleansed from an evil Conscience Heb. 10. 21 22. And in general it teaches us whensoever we want any Mercy or Favour from God to apply to him by Jesus Christ who is anointed to be the sole Intercessor or Great Master of Requests from whom he will receive our Prayers Quest. You said thirdly that Christ was invested with the Office of a King to his Church what doth that imply Answ. Two things 1. That he govern it by his Laws and Officers the Bishops and Pastors 2. That he protect it from all visible and invisible Enemies by his Spirit and Providence And both these Parts of Regal Power Christ exercises over his Church He is our Lord to command the Head over all things to his Body which is the Church Eph. 1. 22 23. and sits now as a Protector at God's Right-hand till his Enemies be made his Foot-stool Psal. 110. 1. Quest. 'T is plain he exercises his Kingly Power of Governing us by his Laws which are contain'd in the holy Scriptures But doth he also govern his Church by his Officers viz. the Bishops and Ministers making them his Deputies here on Earth Answ. Yes for they are called his Pastors Eph. 4. 8 11. which is the Scriptural word for Governours to feed and to rule being used promiscuously in the holy Language That saith of Cyrus he is my Shepherd that is my Deputy in Power or Substitute in Government Isa 44. 28. And God brought David to feed Jacob his people and Israel his inheritance that is to Rule them So he fed them according to the Integrity of his Heart and guided them according to the skilfulness of his Hand Psal 78. 71 72. His Ministers are his Substitutes in Government whom we are to hearken to and obey in his place Know them that are over you in the Lord and admonish you 1 Thess. 5. 12 13. and obey those that have the rule you for they watch for your Souls Heb. 13. 17. Quest. What must this teach us Answ. To submit to our own Bishops and Ministers acting for and under him as we would to Christ himself if we would own him to be King over us For they are his Deputies to Rule the Church in his place And whilst they act according to his Commission he Decrees and Sentences Binds and Looses Speaks and Acts by them as every Royal Prince doth by his Representatives and Ministers in all Authoritative Acts whereto they are commission'd by him which when done by them have the same Authority and Force as if performed by himself in Person And therefore if we reject them in such cases we shew that we will not have him to Reign over us He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me Luk. 10. 16. And accordingly St Paul both in binding and loosing declares he acted in the person of Christ 2 Cor. 2. 10. and commends the Galatians for receiving him as Christ Jesus Gal. 4. 14. Quest. And wherein must we shew this Submission Answ. In uniting with them in Prayers and Sacraments they having the charge of ministring in his Worship and Service and what he solemnly and openly receives in his Princely Dependancies being from the Mouths and Mediation of his own Stewards and Officers In hearkening to their Godly Admonitions because he has left them to instruct and rebuke Sinners In meekly undergoing their deserved Censures and seeking again the Peace of the Church by true Repentance And lastly in chearfully conforming to all their Church-Laws and Constitutions when they do not thwart or oppose his Christ himself our Soveraign Lord and King has given Laws for all necessary things but has left them to regulate Rites and Ceremonies which are variable matters and to take care of the Order and Decency of Worship in the publick Assemblies Let every thing be done decently and in order in the Church 1 Cor. 14. 40 is a Precept given to Church-Governours for they have the care of God's Publick Service And when they make any innocent or useful Appointments in these things we must cheerfully obey and conform our selves Obey them that have the Rule or Guidance over you for they watch for your Souls Heb. 13. 17. Quest. Is it another part of his Kingly Power to protect his Church from all visible and invisible Enemies Answ. Yes he guards it against all inward and invisible Enemies by his Spirit and from all outward and visible Enemies by his Providence But the security he gives against these is not that it shall never be eclipsed and persecuted but only
that it shall never be destroyed by them The Promise is That the Gates of Hell that is the Powers of Satan and all his wicked instruments shall not prevail against the Church Matt. 16. 18. Quest. What must Christ's protecting his Church teach us Answ. To trust him with Religion and not sin to save it in the most perillous times He is more concern'd for his Church than any of us are or can be and he knows how to protect it without the help of our sins or our acting wickedly for it So that in all such times we are to practise Religion and do our duty and then recommend and trust the Preservation of it to his care Quest. If we would own Christ as our King then I perceive we must obey his Laws and Ministers and commit our selves to him in well-doing as the Protector of his Church Answ. Yes Quest. And will none partake of the Reconciliation of his Priesthood but they who thus believe him as their Prophet and obey him as their Lord Answ. No for Faith and Obedience are necessary to our Peace with God and there is no injoying the benefit of one without embracing him in all his Offices Quest. To believe in Christ then or to acknowledge Jesus to be the Christ is to own him for the Prophet of the Church by hearkning to his Word and Ministers for the Priest of God by hoping in him and applying to God by him for Reconciliation and all other mercies and for the King of his Church by obeying both his Laws and Officers and in a course of well-doing trusting both our selves and our Religion to his Protection here on Earth Answ. Yes Quest. What is meant by that which follows in the Creed his being God's only Son Answ. Our meaning is in respect of his Nature that God begat him as a Father doth a Son of like nature with himself so that he is God as well as Man. For he is equal with God Phil. 2. 6. The true God 1 Joh. 5. 20. and over all God blessed for ever Rom. 9. 5. Which last was the special Character and Title of the true God in the common stile and expression of the Jews Who from their Custom when the Priest in the Sanctuary rehearsed the Name of God of answering Blessed be his name for ever came in their common speech to call him The Blessed One which phrase the Scriptures often denote him as in Mar. 14. 61. 2 Cor. 11. 31. Rom. 1. 25. And agreeable to his having this Divine Nature we find the Divine Works as Creating and Sustaining and Divine Honours as Worship and Prayers and Baptism in the Name of the Son as well as of the Father ascribed to him in Holy Scripture Quest. Why was it requisite our Redeemer should be God Answ. 1. To give Merit to his Sacrifice which was infinitely advanced in regard his Blood was the Blood of God Act. 20. 28. How much more shall the Blood of Christ purge your Consciences who offered himself thro' the eternal Spirit Heb. 9. 14. As its being committed against God was the extreme aggravation of our sin So must its being performed by God be equally an enhansement of his Reparation 2. To several other purposes as to his having Power enough to conquer Death and Hell and save us from all our Spiritual Enemies to fit him for a capable and competent Judge of all men seeing into their Hearts and Thoughts which is one of God's Prerogatives To recommend Vertue as much as was possible by an example since in him it appears that all the things required of us are worthy of the most excellent Natures yea are not below the practice of God himself Quest. What other meaning is there of it Answ. Another is in respect of his Power because he is invested with all the Authority and Power of God. For Son of God signifies sometimes the same as the Christ that is one whom God hath commissioned to act in his stead He shall be great and the Son of the Highest and God shall give him the Throne of his Father David Luk. 1. 32. And thus Jesus Christ is God's Son for he hath given him all Power both in Heaven and Earth Matt. 28. 18. and committed all Authority to the Son that all should honour the Son as they honour the Father Joh. 5. 22 23. Quest. And being the Son of God in this sense that is having Soveraign Power from him he is our Lord Answ. Yes in respect of this derived Power and of his own Soveraign Divine Nature of his invaluable Merit and Purchace and of our voluntary Compacts and Submissions on all accounts that can found a just Dominion and Lordship over us God has given him a Name above every Name that every Tongue should confess Jesus Christ is Lord Phil. 2. 9 11. To us there is one Lord 1 Cor. 8. 6. Quest. And being God not only in Power but also in Nature must we not all worship him and pray to him and trust in him as God Answ. Yes for at the Name of Jesus every Knee shall bow Phil. 2. 10 and all must honour the Son as they honour the Father Joh. 5. 23. This is done by all good Christians and Saints on Earth who are styled They that call upon the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 1. 2. And also by those who are glorified in Heaven who sing their Hallelujah's as to God the Father so also to the Lamb Rev. 5. 11 12 13 14. Yea by the Angels too for when he bringeth his first-begotten into the world he saith and let all the Angels of God worship him Heb. 1. 6. And this Divine Honour if he were not a God in Nature as well as in Power he could never claim nor receive from them Quest. If Christ is our Rightful Sovereign Lord then we must give up our Wills to his and perform faithfully whatsoever he orders Answ. Yes Why call ye me Lord Lord and do not the things that I say Luk. 6. 46. Nay since he is our Lord and we are his Houshold-Servants we must not as he says be the Servants of Men that is so wholly given up to their Service as that we cannot mind his or serve their pleasure when it interferes with his Laws or comply with their Meen and Customs when they are contrary unto his or sooth and flatter their weak Minds and feed their sickly Humours like timerous or mercenary Slaves No man says our Saviour can thus serve two Masters Matt. 6. 24. Ye are bought with a price saith St. Paul be not ye therefore the Servants of men 1 Cor. 7. 23. And if I yet pleased or soothed up men I should not be the Servant of Christ Gal. 1. 10. Quest. Since he is our Lord we should not think any thing too mean or ill for us which he thought not so for him but compose our selves to his Behaviour willingly following where he has gone before it
But as for Pastors and Teachers to govern the Church and ordain Successors and to minister the Word and Prayers and Sacraments they will be equally wanted in every Age and therefore the Holy Ghost has appointed them to continue always Go Baptise all Nations teaching them to observe all my Commandments And lo in such Teaching and Baptising I am with you always even to the end of the World Mat. 28. 19 20. And tho as I say some of the Offices mentioned by St. Paul were necessary only in the first Age yet others which are equally necessary to the edifying of the Church and the Work of the Ministry in every Age are to continue as he says tiâ— we all i. e. all Christians that are and aâ— that shall be come in the Unity of the Faith and of the Knowledge of the Son of God untâ— a perfect Man unto the Measure of the Stâ—ture of the Fulness of Christ. So that the Church is to enjoy the Benefit of them to the Worlds end Eph. 4. 12 13. Quest. Since all that are at any time in these Offices die in one Age how are they to be continued in the next Answ. The Bishops or Governours are stilâ— to Ordain others to remedy their owâ— Mortality and supply the Necessities of the Church through all Times Thus Christ told his Apostles As my Father sent me viz with a Power of Commissioning you to succeed in this Ministry when I am gone sâ— send I you i. e. with Power of Ordaining others in like manner of Succession John 20. 21. Pursuant to this they Ordained Bishops in all Churches as St. Paul did Titus at Crete and Timothy at Ephesus And these in a constant Succession were to Ordain others as Paul bid Timothy give Commissions as he had been Commission'd himself or commit what he had heard of him to faithful Men who should be able to teach others also 2 Tim. 1. 14. and 2. 2. And with these in their Work of the Ministry God would be present and assistant in all after Times as he had been with the Apostles in the First Age. In thus Preaching and Baptizing lo I am with â—ou always even to the end of the World Mat. 28. 20. With you that is with your selves during your own Lives and your Successors in all after times which is the only way that in this Work he could be with them to the Worlds end who were all to die in that Age. Quest. Is the Holy Ghost the Author of these Offices Answ. Yes God hath set these Officers in the Church saith St. Paul 1 Cor. 12. 28. and Christ gave them as a Gift after he was ascended Eph. 4. 8 11. That is God gave them and Christ gave them by the Holy Ghost who now since Christ is gone to the Right-hand of God is come down to his Church as his Substitute from whom both the Authority and Ability of all these Officers is derived Feed the Flock saith the Apostle over which the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers Acts 20. 28. And when Christ ordain'd his Apostles giving them Power to send others as the Father gave him and to remit and retain Sins he breathed on them and said Receive ye the Holy Ghost Joh. 20. 21 22 23. And accordingly to shew from whom these Powers are derived in Ordinations of these Officers whether Bishops or Priests the Power is to this day conferr'd by saying Receive thou the Holy Ghost Quest. What shall we think then of those who reject the Ministry and cast off all Church-Officers and Ordinances and yet pretend in all this to be guided by the Spirit Answ. You may be sure it is not by that Spirit which Christ sent down upon the Apostles and which indited the holy Scriptures For that Spirit gave these Offices as the most necessary and greatest Blessing to the Church Whereas this Spirit of theirs plucks up what he planted and endeavours to abolish and overthrow them Quest. From what you have said I perceive how infinitely we are obliged to the Holy Ghost for that care he has taken in Planting and Propagating Christ's Church and Religion both in the miraculous Gifts he bestowed upon his Church so amply in the First Age and in the Offices and Governments he has appointed to Feed and Rule it in all succeeding Ages But besides these extraordinary Gifts bestowed only on some for the Propagation and Establishment of Christ's Church and Religion you mention'd another sort of Gifts for the effecting this Great Work of our Salvation which the Holy Ghost bestows ordinarily on Persons of all Times and Places What Gifts are those Answ. All the inward Graces and vertuous Endowments which are necessary to the Salvation of all particular Persons such as the Apostle reckons up Gal. 5. The Fruits of the Spirit are Love Joy Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance and such like v. 22 23. Particularly he excites Devotion and helps to raise in us holy Desires and Life and Quickness in our Prayers There says the Apostle the Spirit helps our Infirmities making Intercession for the Saints according to the Will of God by inspiring them with such Desires and Groanings as cannot be uttered Rom. 8. 26 27. Quest. Is the Holy Ghost the Author of all these inward Graces in us and can we not have them without his Gift Answ. No for the Renewing of our Nature is ascribed to the Holy Ghost Tit. 3. 5. And St. Paul calls all the recited Virtues Fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5. 22. And no Man can come to me saith Christ i. e. believe on me and obey me except the Father which hath sent me draw him John 6. 44. All our Graces come from God and must be sought of him And because we are daily in want of them we are taught by our Lord himself to pray Hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdom come Thy Will be done Deliver us from Evil c. as constantly as we say Give us this Day our Daily Bread. Quest. If the Holy Spirit gives these then any Man that has them may know he has Grace and that the Holy Ghost dwells and acts in him Answ. Yes if he is affected and influenc'd not only by some few but by all of them For they are the Fruits of the Spirit as I noted and where we see the genuine Fruit we may make sure of the Principle that gives Birth to it as our Saviour said the Tree is known by its Fruit Luke 6. 43 44. Mat. 7. 16 20. And accordingly they are given as Marks of Grace and a sure Proof that Men belong to God in the Scriptures Hereby know we that we know him and that we are in him if we keep his Commandments 1 John 2. 3 5. We know that we have passed from Death unto Life because we love the Brethren 1 John 3. 14. He that doth Righteousness is righteous in this the Children of God are manifest 1 John 3. 7 10. Quest. But may
and prejudicial as well as Criminal and inexcusable carelesness for Men so sloathfully and irreligiously to neglect the daily opportunities of Publick Prayers as God knows the generality do yea though under this neglect they do serve God at home and have Prayers daily in their own Families Quest. You speak of Communicating in Prayers tho' there be no Sermon Answ. Yes for certainly no man that comes to Church to serve God if he understand what that is can come more for Sermons than for Prayers sake 'T is for Prayers principally that we are to come to the House of God for my House is the House of Prayer says God Isa. 56. 7. and Mat. 21. 13. In these it is that God's Worship doth chiefly consist And by these especially the Saints of all Times and Places thought to worship God. And these above all our other Services our Mediator is careful to offer up to God from us that which he is represented as presenting at the Golden Altar from the Publick Assemblies being the Prayers of the Saints Rev. 8. 3 4. And therefore it shews a very untaught and ignorant as well as an Irreligious and Prophane Objector to pretend he will not go to Church because there is nothing but Prayers for that is one of the chief things for which he should go thither and the very Life and Spirit of our Service and Performance there Quest. But if we are bound thus not only to Unity of Doctrine but likewise to preserve Unity of Publick Worship and Communion what shall we think of Schism that is rending and dividing the Church either the whole Church or that part where we live and thereby makeing two Churches out of one Is it a Sin to Erect new Churches and separate in these Acts of Prayers and Sacraments from the Body of a Church or Nation Answ. Yes most certainly and a very great one except there be a just Cause of Separation For so at Corinth St. Paul told them whilst one was for Paul and another for Apollos and there were Divisions among them they were Carnal and walked as men 1 Cor. 3. 3 4. And at Rome he bids them mark those who cause Divisions and Offences and not adhere and associate with but avoid them Rom. 16. 17. And this he spoke of Schism whilst it was only an imperfect Birth not gone on to open Separation but only to such unquiet practices and making of Parties as would shortly end therein For so under all the Corinthian Sidings and Divisions he declares that they came together still in the same Church and met to partake in the same Worship yea and Supper of our Lord 1 Cor. 11. 18 20. Quest. What is a just Cause of Separation Answ. A Necessity of sinning if we joyn with them Which always is when some sinful things are imposed by any Society of Christians as 〈◊〉 Conditions of their Communion We are to maintain the Churches Peace only so far as lyes in us but we have no Power or Liberty to sin for it The Church it self is called Holy and therefore we must not think to shew our selves its true Members by acting unholily When without sinning we cannot continue with them the voice of the Scripture is come out from among them and be ye separate and touch not the unclean thing 2 Cor. 6. 17. Quest. And when doth a Church impose such sinful things Answ. When it will not allow us to be of its Communion without Believing or Professing Errors of Faith or committing sins in Practice As the Church of Rome doth by casting all out of its Communion who will not believe that Churches Infallibility and Transubstantiation which are Errors in Faith nor Adore the Host Worship Images Pray to Saints and An-Angels and the like which are sins in Practice Quest. It is no breach of Church-Unity then nor Act of sin to separate from such Imposers of unlawful things Answ. No but an adhering to Christ and his Apostles and the Universal Church of all Ages who disclaim these Corruptions In these Particulars the imposing Church separates her self from Christ and the Catholick Church and therefore we keep the Unity of the Catholick Church in adhering to it against her who makes 〈◊〉 upstart Combination and proves a Schismatical Divider Quest. If there is no just Cause of Separating but when we must needs commit some sin in joyning with a Church then it is never just to Separate for things indifferent Answ. No because they lawfully may be done and have no sin in them For all sin is the transgression of a Law 1 Joh. 3. 4. and therefore there can be no sin in indifferent things since they would be no longer indifferent but unlawful if there were any Law against them We are to keep Peace as much as lyes in us and indifferent things certainly do since they are no where forbidden to us Nay in these things a good Christian should be easie not only in submitting to Church-Laws but in complying with Innocent Church-Customs St. Paul thinking it Argument sufficient in a little Case to say we have no such Custome nor the Churches of God 1 Cor. 11. 16. Quest. Is it unjust also to Separate from a Church on pretence the Establish'd Means there are less Edifying Answ. Yes for the Means were less Edifying in the Assemblies at Corinth Many spoke confusedly at once which was not a doing Things to edifying 1 Cor. 14. 26 27. And many spoke in strange Tongues which could not Edifie their Hearers because they did not understand them v. 16 17. But under this less Edifying State it was not lawful to divide Whilst there are Divisions among you are you not Carnal 1 Cor. 3. 3. All Christians must seek to Edifie the Church as well as themselves and the Church is Edified by Unity and Peace Follow after the things which make for Peace for with them we must Edifie one another Rom. 14. 19. Quest. I see there is a just Cause of Separation when a Church imposes any Sins or Errors as Conditions of her Communion But what if a Church that is Defiled with these is yet so Moderate as not to impose them may she not for all that be so far corrupted with them that on account thereof all Good Men who would take due care of their own Souls ought to leave her Communion Answ. Yes if she errs so foully in Faith as to overthrow or go off from the Foundation Or if her Corruptions have so overspread and poison'd all the necessary Parts of her Worship that there is no joyning in her Prayers and Sacraments without joyning in the Corruptions too that are Embodied with them In these cases be ye Separate saith the Scripture and touch not the unclean thing 2 Cor. 6. 17. and come out of her my People that ye be not Partakers of her Sins and that ye receive not of her Plagues Rev. 18. 4. Quest. One Case you say is in Errors of Faith which overthrow the
Foundation What mean you by the Foundation of Faith Answ. Such points of it as are the very Bottom and Ground-work of the Christian Covenant whereinto we are all Baptized and whereon the Church is Erected They are such Articles as are the Root of all that Worship and Obedience we are to pay to God of all that Submission Trust and Adoration we are to shew towards Jesus Christ and of all that Labour and Success we are call'd to here in the Prosecution of an Holy Life All the Points of our Christian Faith are a-like True but all Truths are not a-like useful nor all useful Truths a-like necessary 'T is necessary for us to believe all when we are sufficiently shew'd that Christ has taught them But 't is moreover necessary for us all to see he has taught some which are not only to be Believed because they were Revealed but were therefore Revealed because necessary to be Learned and Believed of all that retain to him And these Points which are not only Profitable but necessary to the Worship and Service of God by Jesus Christ and to the maintenance of the Christian Covenant and of the Church which is Built upon it are called Fundamentals Quest. Can you shew me what points are such Answ. One is the common foundation of all true Religion Mosaical and Natural as well as Christian and that is the Belief of the one True God not only of his Being but also of his Providence and Care to Reward those that seek him Thus St. Paul sets down Faith towards God as one Article to be first laid Heb. 6 1. For he that comes to God in any way saith he must believe that he is and that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him Heb. 11. 6. This Faith in the one true God is overthrown not only when Men overlook or deny him but also when they joyn any Gentile Gods who were Apostate Spirits in Copartnership with him For every true Church must have Repentance from Idols towards God as well as Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ Act 20. 20 21. And this is Life eternal says our Saviour to know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent Joh. 17. 3. And he is Antichrist saith St. John that denies the Father and the Son 1 Joh. 2. 22. If she cast off the Belief of the one true God the common Principle of all true Religion she is the Congregation of some Faln Spirits which set up for false Gods and not the Church of the Great God of Heaven As well as if she have not Faith in Christ she is no longer Christian. Quest. But when a Church professes Faith in the one true God the common Ground-work of all true Religion What is the Particular Foundation of the Christian Religion Answ. Belief of Jesus being the Son of God and the Christ and of Salvation by his Merits and Mediation When Peter confessed Jesus to be the Christ the Son of the living God our Saviour said upon this Rock will I build my Church Mat. 16. 16 18. And St. Paul says the Foundation which he had laid and other than which no Man can lay is Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 3. 11. And the compass of saving Knowledge marked out by our Lord himself as I noted is together with the Knowledge of the one true God to know Jesus Christ whom he has sent Whilst any Church retains this Faith in Christ it is Christian and has Right to Baptism as St. Philip declar'd to the Eunuch who was Baptized upon his making this Confession Act. 8. 37 38. But if it denys this Authority of Christ and its dependance upon him for salvation it is thereby unchurched and becomes unchristian like Jewish Mahometane or Heathen Churches and is put out of the ordinary way of Salvation there being no Name under Heaven given among Men whereby we may be saved but his alone Act. 4. 12. Quest. But doth not this Grand Article of Jesus being the Christ and Saviour imply in it sundry other Articles Answ. Yes if we Believe Jesus to be the Christ we must believe all the Holy Scriptures as his Word and they contain all Articles But it more especially implies his Incarnation Passion Resurrection and other great Articles of the Creed which must be expresly owned by every one that rightly understands it And accordingly in the various Repetitions of this Grand Article and Representations of the saving Faith one or other of these is oft-times added and given as the instance of it Believing Jesus to be the Christ the Son of God you may have Life through his Name saith St. John shewing the necessity of this main Foundation Joh. 20. 31. But St. Paul speaking of this Grand Doctrine says I determined to know nothing among you but Jesus Christ and him Crucified setting out the knowledge of Christ in the knowledge of his Passion 1 Cor. 2. 2. And if thou confess the Lord Jesus and believe God raised him from the Dead thou shalt be saved exemplifying the saving knowledge of Jesus in the Belief of his Resurrection Rom. 10. 9. And when he commanded us to preach him saith St. Peter he commanded us to preach and testifie that it is he who is ordained of God to be the Judge both of quick and dead illustrating the Preaching Christ by preaching the Judgment to come Act. 10. 42. Every Spirit that confesseth Jesus Christ is come in the Flesh is of God And every Spirit that confesses it not is Antichrist and not of God saith St. John explaining the Confession of Jesus Christ by the Confession of his Incarnation 1 Joh. 4. 2 3. And speaking of the Record or Witness God had given to the Christian Doctrine he thus declares the matter attested by him This is the Record God hath given us Eternal Life and this Life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath Life and he that hath not the Son of God hath not Life Setting off the Christian Religion and the Saving Faith by the Belief of the Life everlasting 1 Joh. 5. 10 11 12. And as for the Belief of the Holy Ghost the necessity of that and of our Dependance on him to make any man a Christian our Saviour has sufficiently expressed by ordering our very Baptism which initiates us into Christianity to be into his Name Mat. 28. 19. All these Points are the very Ground and Foundation of our Subjection to the Father Son and Holy Ghost the Parties we contract withal in the Christian Covenant of all our Adoration Trust and Submission to the Blessed Jesus of our worshipping and serving God by him and of all that Holiness of Life which must gain us the Divine Acceptance on all which Accounts they are necessary and Ground-work Articles of Christian Faith and properly call'd Fundamentals Quest. By this it may seem as if the Believing Jesus to be the Christ were in more explicit words to believe the Apostles Creed since that sets
their Trespasses neither will your Heavenly Father forgive you Mat. 6. 14 15. And therefore when we pray for forgiveness our Lord allows us to do it only upon these terms Forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive them that Trespass against us Quest. What if we have wronged any Persons is it not enough towards forgiveness to do so no more Answ. No it is not but withal we must make Restitution and amends for the wrong we have done already If thou bring thy Gift to the Altar and there remembrest thy Brother hath ought against thee leave there thy Gift before the Altar and go thy way first be reconciled to thy Brother and then come and offer thy Gift Mat. 5. 23 24. Quest. I see we must hope to have forgiveness of our Sins of willfulness and also of our Sins of Passion which you shew'd to be of like guilt with them only upon our true Repentance and amendment of them But upon what terms shall our slips of ignorance and inadvertence be pardon'd since they are never perfectly amended but hang about us more or less as long as we are in this World Answ. Upon our great Charity to other men especially to their Souls in endeavouring their Conversion and Salvation And therefore that St. Peter recommends above all other Virtues and for this Reason Above all things have fervent Charity among your selves for Charity shall cover the multitude of Sins 1 Pet. 4. 8. And if any of you err and one convert him let him know that he who converts a Sinner from the Error of his way shall save a Soul from Death and shall hide a Multitude of sins Jam. 5. 19 20. Quest. For whose sake doth Almighty God allow us all this Benefit of Forgiveness Answ. For Jesus Christ's who as you have seen dyed for our Sins and gave his blood a Ransom to purchase for us all this Pardon of them He is set forth a propitiation for the remission of Sins that are pass'd thro' Faith in his Blood Rom. 3. 25. And then for his sake we shall receive all this mercy when with the dispositions before express'd in his Name we devoutly pray to God for it Quest. By the promises of the Gospel I see this forgiveness is assured to all Christians upon the terms you have described But is it in any Signs and Tokens outwardly dispensed to them Answ. Yes both in the Holy Sacraments and in Sacerdotal Absolution Which ways of ministring this forgiveness as well as the forgiveness it self are noted in some Ancient Creeds This Article being thus profess'd in St. Cyprian's Form at Baptism I believe the Remission of Sins by the Church Quest. Is this forgiveness dispensed to us in the Sacrament of Baptism Answ. Yes and that most amply the water of Baptism washing off the stain of all former Sins Be Baptized and wash away thy Sins said Ananias to Saul Acts 22. 16. Repent and be Baptized for the Remission of Sins said St. Peter to the Jews Acts 2. 38. And he hath saved us by the Laver of Regeneration i. e. the water of Baptism and the renewing of the Holy Ghost Tit. 3 5. So that whateve pollutions men had before upon them if they come to Baptism with true Faith and Repentance they are thereby made clean again Quest. Is it also dispensed in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Answ. Yes if after the Baptismal cleansing they relapse and contract new guilt in that they are admitted to renew the same Covenant of Grace again and seal the Pardon of it For therein Christ gives us his own Blood which as he says particularly was shed for the Remission of Sins Mat. 26. 28. He entertains us there at his own Table which is an open profession to all worthy comers that he is reconciled to them and receives them again as Friends And therefore when any Baptized Christians are startled and terrified with the Conscience of their Sins let them repair to that Holy Sacrament to seal and assure the forgiveness of them But let them come with Faith and Repentance and Reconciliation to their Brethren which as I said are the Terms of our being Forgiven For the Holy Sacraments dispense this forgiveness to none but such as worthily receive them and those they do cleanse from all former Pollutions Quest. Is there also a dispensation of this Pardon in Priestly Absolution Answ. Yes for therein Christ has authoriz'd his Ministers that act in his place and stead to pronounce the Sentence of Pardon upon all true Penitents and bid them expect that what they regularly thus declare on Earth in his Soveraign Court in Heaven he will make good He breathed on them and said receive ye the Holy Ghost Whose soever Sins ye remit they are remitted and whose soever Sins ye retain they are retained Joh. 20. 22 23. And therefore when a true Penitent hears his Pardon solemnly pronounced by an Officer whom God has deputed and Commission'd for it he may quiet his heart as one whose case is judged and firmly hope God will pronounce the same at the last Judgment But this I say he must do only after true Repentance For 't is only the Ministry of Reconciliation saith St. Paul which God hath committed unto us 2 Cor. 5. 18. but the direction and ratification of it he has reserved to himself and then only ratifies what his Ministers do when they pronounce according to his own Rules and Orders So that if the Priest pronounce by mistake and absolve the impenitent God will judge right tho' he judge wrong and Condemn at last whom he had before erroneously absolved in his Judgment Quest. Christ says what they retain shall be retained as well as what they remit shall be remitted Ought not that to beget in all Christians a great dread of Excommunication and Reverence for Church-Censures Answ. Yes questionless when they proceed upon just Cause for then Christ will maintain the Honour of his Deputies and make good their sentence He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me Luke 10. 16. If any Offender will not hear the Church let him be unto thee as an Heathen man and a Publican Mat. 18. 17. In these Acts what his Ministers do Regularly and according to his Direction they do it as representing him by vertue of his Commission and Authority which having given to be sure he will stand by And accordingly St. Paul and the Church-Governours at Corinth under him exercising their Power by virtue of Christ's Commission Declares that both in binding and relaxing or forgiving he acted with the Power and in the Person or place of Christ 1 Cor. 5. 4 5. and 2 Cor. 2. 10. Quest. Do all Censures of the Church then where the Truth is on its side cut men off as from the Church which is his Body so from Jesus Christ who is the Head of it Answ. All those do which are passed for such sins or errors as are Damnable by
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A Discourse on Persecution or Suffering for Christ's sake Clearing the Notion of it and making a Discrimination of Just from Unjust Pretensions to it And passionately recommending True Christian Suffering to all those who shall be call'd thereto 14. An Answer to the Bishop of Condom now of Meaux his Exposition of the Catholick Faith c. Wherein the Doctrine of the Church of Rome is detected and that of the Church of England expressed from the publick Acts of both Churches To which are added Reflections on his Pastoral Letter ERRATA PAg. 12. lin 14. for our meaning read one meaning p. 27. l. 30. for from the Argument r. from the Agreement p. 35. l. 32. for no Deangs r. no Dealings p. 54. l. 1. for intimately nearer r. infinitely nearer p. 57. l. 4. for by an acceptable r. by any acceptable p. 113. l. 29. for be more terible r. be most terrible p. 155. l. 11. for Guilt subservient r. Gift subservient p. 172. l. 11. and p. 175. l. 24. for ingenious r. ingenuous p. 281. l. 28. for into its Baptism r. into it by Baptism p. 302. l. 16. for their Faith in Christ r. this Faith in Christ. p. 305. l. 2. for those Superstructures r. such Superstructures †Gal. 2. 20. Phil. 3. 9. * Act. 18. 8. †Mar. 1. 15. Phil. 1. 27. * 2 Thess. 2. 13. Heb. 10. 26. †Joh. 12. 47 48. * Act. 11. 1. †Jo. 1. 12. * Jo. 3. 33. †Jo 6. 35 37 64 65. †Heb. 10. 25. †Heb. 11. * Exod. 12. 22 23. †Exod. 14. 16. * Josh. 2. 9 10 11. †Act. 7. 2. * Gen. 12. 1 2. * Gen. 15. 5 6. c. 21. 12. * Rom. 13. 10. * Matth. 15. 18 19. * Vid. Grot. on Matth. 5. 20. * Antiq. l. 12. c. 13. * Rom. 4. 2 6. c. 9 31 32. Gal. 2. 16. * 2 Cor. 3. 6. †See Mr. Smith's Discourse on Legal Righteousness c. 2. * See Mr. Smith ibid. †Ro. 11. 6. * Eph. 2. 8 9. †Mr. Smith ib. c. 3. * Mat. 3. 7 8 9. * Rom. 3. 20. Gal. 2. 14 15 16. †Gal. 5. 6. * Rom. 12. 1 2. †Rom. 2. 28 29. * Gal. 6. 15. †Gal. 5. 22. * Tit. 3. 5. †2 Cor. 3. 6 7 8 9. * Gal. 3. 21 22. c. 5. 5. †Rom. 4. 6 7 8. 3. 25. * Rom. 10. 4. †Rom. 3. 24 25. * 1 Cor. 1. 30. †Ro. 3. 24. * Ro. 3 27. Eph. 2. 8 9. * Jam. 2. 10. * Luke 17 10. * Eph. 2. 8 9. * Gal. 5. 22. Psal. 37. 37. †Rom. 15. 13. * Exod. 25. 21 22. †Num. â—7 21. * Lev. 9. 23 24. †1 King. 8. 11. Ps. 80. 1. * Lev. 16. 2. †Lev. 4. 3 25 29. 5. 6. Psal. 40. 6. in all which for sin-offering the Septuagint use 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 5. 21. * Deut. 12. 11 13 14. * Lydiat Emend temp c. An account of whose method and reasons may be seen in Dr. More 's Expos. of Daniel's Visions on Vis. 4. p. 1â—0 c. * Ezra 1. 1 2 3. †Ezra 6. 1 c. * Ezra 7. 1 8 12 13 c. * Lydiat Emend temp p. 69 c. Canon Chron. p. 54 c. †In Mr. Lydiat's Calculation of the Worlds Age a point differently fixed by most Chonologers whilst they agree in the other Calculations the twentieth year from the second Ol. 77. is made A. M. 3553. * See Lydiat Emend Temp. p. 134. seq †According to the AEra Hispan in Tom. Coâ—cil though according to the common computation 't is 45. * Num. 4. 3. †For Christ's Baptism in the 19. Tib. see Lydiat Emend Temp. p. 168. seq * Lydiat ib. p. 176. seq And of all these particulars more largely in his Recensio Explicat Argum. Lib. Emend Temp. * Antiq. l. 20. â— 6 7. †Luke 3. 15 16. †Suet. in Vesp. c. 4. * Isa. â—3 1 3. * Jer. 31. 31 32 33. †Mal. 4. 5 6. * Dan. 9. â—6 27. * De Verit. l. 5. c. 14. * Vid. Episcop Instit l. 3. c. 5. * Prov. 30. 18 19. * Vid Seld. â—x Heb. l. 2. c. 3. * Verse 1. †Chap. 7. 1. a Isa. 1. 26. 62. 4. b Jer. 3. 17. c Ezek. 48. 35. d Zec. 8. 3. †Verse 1. * Chap. 7. 8 9. †Heb. 1. 5. * Ps. 69. 21. †Zech. 12. 10. * Ps. 16. 10. * Matth. 13. 55. Mar. 6. 3. †Matth. 26. 15. * Mat. 27. 7. †Luk. 22. chap. 23. * Jo. 19. 1. †Matth. 26. 67. * Mar. 15. 27 28. * Matth. 26. 65. †Lev. 24. 16. * John 19. 28 29. Matth 27. 34 48. †Matth. 27. 41 43. * Matth. 27. 46. †John 19. 34. * John 19. 23 24. †Matth. 27. 60. * Matth. 27. 57. †Mark 15. 43. * Act. 5. 36 37. * Exod. 23. 20 21. Gal. 3. 19. †Zech 9. 9. * Is. 52. 7. 61. 1 2. †Jer. 31. 34. * Dan. 9. 24 †Zech. 13. 1. * Jer. 31. 33. Heb. 8. 10. †Mr. Smith of a Legal Right ch 2. oâ—t of Breshith Rabba * Lev. 20. 10. †Mal. 1. 11. * Verse 2 4 * De Divinat l. 2. †Vid. Euseb Praep. Evang. l. 5. c. 16. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Vid. Euseb Praep. Evang. l. 5. c. 1. Thâ—â—dor de curand Graec. Affect l. 10. †Under 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Euseb. de vit Constant l. 2. c. 50 51. †Sozom. Hist. Eccl. l. 5. c. 19. Thâ—od Hist. Eccl. l. 3. c. 10 Chrys. Homil. 〈◊〉 S. Baâ— * Instit. l. 4. c. 27. †De Mâ—râ— Persec c. 10. * Apol. c. 23. * De Idol Van. p. 30. * Tertull. Apol. c. 39. * Matth. 3 16 17. †Dial. cum Tryph. * John 1. 27. †Antiq. l. 18. â— 7. †Deut. 18. 22. * John 8. 14. †John 17. 5. * John 16. 28. 8. 42. †John 8. 38. * Matth. 8. 4 9. 30. 12. 16. †John 5. 30. 14. 10. * Luke 11.
and exacted more than can possibly or at least ordinarily be performed Or labour under some other cloudy and afflicting Error or distemper of mind which hinders a most comfortable Religion and peaceful Piety from creating any Joy or Comfort in them Quest. But when there are none of these intrinsick impediments to interpose betwixt his Joy and them doth not he sometimes Arbitrarily and without any provocation withdraw himself and hide his Face as if he were displeased with them Which withdrawing is oft given as the cause of many Good mens Grief and Dejection and is what some call Spiritual Desertion Answ. At this rate indeed all Spiritual Comfort must needs be most variable and uncertain as depending not on any Constancy of good and comfortable Dispositions in themselves but on the Arbitrariness of such unprovoked withdrawings to try Experiments upon Men. But this I think is all humane invention the Scripture on the contrary teaching us that when Sinners purify their hearts and draw nigh to him God doth not withdraw himself and shrink away but draws nigh to them Jam. 4. 8. It is an imputation on this good Spirit not at all agreeing with his inclination which is to be an immutable lover of goodness and of good men to be unalterably pleased with them whilst they do what is pleasing to him and to delight in having them take pleasure and joy in him It seems very opposite to his Office and Undertaking For his Work and Office as I have shewn is to engender Peace and Comfort as well as Goodness in the hearts of his Servants And since that is his business he will be as constant in pursuing it and no more withdraw his Comforts than he doth his Graces from them without being justly provoked thereto by some act of their own Nay on the contrary when their own melancholly humours or mispersuasions have intercepted his joyful presence from good men he is ready with the light of his Countenance to break thro' that darkness and in great pity very often restores that Comfort to their minds which their own errour or distemper had driven from it So that these arbitrary and unprovoked desertions whether in Grace or Comforts as they have no foundation in Scripture but there meet with opposition so are they not suitable to the Holy and good Spirit 's natural Genius or his Undertaking and Office He always loves and delights in good men and never voluntarily withdraws himself but is always driven from them CHAP. IX Of the Holy Catholick Church and the Communion of Saints The Contents No assurance of Salvation by Christ but in his Church This Church Holy. And Catholick Admission into it by Baptism when regularly perform'd in any one valid in all Churches Excommunication is so too This Church is one Body by external visible unity Of the Communion of Saints in this Church Of their visible union in Faith or Doctrine And in Prayâ—rs and Devotion Of communicating in Publick Prayers A Sin to separate without just cause Imposing Sins or Errours as Conditions of Communion is a just cause Not Lawful to separate for Things indifferent Nor for better means of edification Just to separate from a Church that doth not impose her Corruptions when her Errors in Faith overthrow the Foundation That is when she ceases to own the one true God. Or denys Jesus to be the Christ or Salvation by his Merits and Mediation Owning Jesus to be the Christ implies owning the Articles of the Apostles Creed which contains all Fundamentals Whilst any Churches hold to this Creed which is the Foundation Errors in other things do not unchurch them But such Erroneous are in a worse state than Orthodox Christians Nor is her Communion to be deserted meerly for such Errors tho' very gross if she doth not impose them Just to separate from a Church of a corrupt Worship when sinful things pollute her Publick Offices Or when good Devotions are put up in a strange Language Not for Rites and Customs about indifferent Matters Nor just to separate for scandalous Members where a Churches constitution is faultless Nor tho' it neglect Discipline which should reform them Of keeping Fellowship with the Apostles by submitting to our lawful Bishops their Successors Christians to communicate in Affections in Alms and Temporal good Things Quest. WHat is the Ninth Article in the Creed Answ. The Holy Catholick Church the Communion of Saints Quest. Is there no assurance of Salvation by Christ but in his Church Answ. No for Baptism whereby we are made members of the Church is compared to Noah's Ark whereinto all were to enter that would not perish with the World 1 Pet. 3. 20 21. Christ is represented to us as the Head of his Church and the Saviour of the body Eph. 5. 23. And God daily added to the Church such as should be saved saith St. Luke Act. 2. 47. In the Church all good men have a sure claim to God's favour by Promises and Compacts which ingage him in Faithfulness But out of it they stand to courtesie and can build at best only on presumptions and uncovenanted mercies the Covenant which God seals with us respecting his Church and being proposed and ratified in the Word which it preaches and in the Sacraments which it dispences Quest. Must not this make all careful to be Members of this Body and keep in Commâ—nion with Christ's Church who profess Christianity Answ. Most certainly as without which by their Religion there is not only a want of the set means and opportunities but also of all express Contracts and Promises of Salvation Our Saviour Christ has appointed not only the Christian Religion which all are to believe and practise but the Christian Church too wherein they are to profess that Faith and Communicate as Members And the same Baptism that lists us Professors of his Religion makes us Members of his Church also Quest. Why is the Church called Holy Answ. Because it is a Body of men that is Holy that is separated from the rest of the World and dedicated to Aâ—mighty God. Ye are a chosen Generation an Holy Nation a Peculiar People 1 Pet. 2. 9. And because whatever they prove in reality their Religion is a Profession of Holiness as their Baptismal Vow which is made at their entrance on Christianity sufficiently declares To the Church at Corinth called to be Saints 1 Cor. 1. 2. Quest. Why is it called Catholick Answ. To shew its Universality and that it is not confined to one Nation or Place as the Jewish Church was And the Catholick Church notes the whole Body of Christians diffused through all places and enduring through all times The Church is also call'd Catholick in relation to the Faith it holds which ought to be the same in all Places And in this sense particular Churches are sometimes stiled Catholick meaning thereby that they are Orthodox and live in the Faith and Communion of the Catholick Church not of any Heretical Combinations Quest.