French Protestant Du. Pless lib. 1. de Missa cap. 3. That the Apostles retained the pure worship and service of God used in the Synagogue of the Jews as far as they contradicted not the Dispensation under Christ and so though they changed the Sacrifices and the Sabbath Christ being the substance shadowed by them and the Lords Day being appointed to succeed this yet the service it selfe in other particulars did continue and this appears to be the practise of the Jews for we find their Confession saith he Mat. 3.6 Mar. 1.5 Acts 13.38 their Lessons Acts 15.21 Acts 13.14 Luke 4.18 Their Psalmes and Hymnes Eph. 5. Col. 3. Their Sermons and other such holy Offices Et primi Christiani huie Officis se accommedarunt id lib. 1. Demiss cap. 4. the first Christians confirmed hereunto c. So also the Observation of the Anniversary Festivalls of the Church of Baptizing Infants and after their Confirmation The admission of separated Persons to the Calling of the Ministery by imposition of Hands The different Offices of those so called and separated by the known Titles of Bishops Presbyters and Deacons and this according to the received Doctrine of the Universall Church for 1500. Years without any considerable opposition in Church censures and that these were such practises of the Universall Church these all who have gone before us in the Profession of that holy Discipline of out Lord Jesus hath been abundantly proved out of their Testimonies and Records And from these premised Grounds we may take an estimate what Church or Churches holds the truest and most perfect correspondence with the Catholicke Certainly they who glory most in that Attribute and Title have the least Reason and Right both because they have not the good report of these all nor the Testimony of the Universall Church for their Doctrines which they maintain and also because the Universall Church hath defined against their Innovations both in Faith and Practise Witnesse the Decree of the Councill of Ephesus the third of those foure which are generally received for undoubted Generall Councills which runs thus Nemini licere c. It should not be lawfull for any to Produce Write or Compose any Beleise beside that which was establisht by the Fathers at Nice and that c. Can. 7 And so Conc. Floren. Sess 10 Now they who would Engrosse and Monopolize this Title have changed the Apostolicall Creed by making a new one which holds no Analogy with the old Apostles Creed all which their superadditions are extrinsecall to that Rule of Faith and so no parts of the Christian Religion And this New Creed which they made is ratified by Bulla Pii 4. super forma juramenti professionis fidei thus mixing the Tares of their own inventions and policies with the Wheat of Gods Word and corrupting the masse or lump of holy Faith by the leven of the new additions And their practise is as grosse and un-Christian in dividing the Apostolicall Communion by Excommunicating full three parts of the holy Catholicke Apostolike Church That Church which holds the one Catholike Faith holy and undefiled holds the truest conformity with the Catholike which the Roman Church at present doth not because she hath defiled the Old Faith with New Doctrines for which she neither hath the consent of Antiquity nor of the Universall Church of this Age and those Churches which either in part or in whole admit not the Apostles Creed or oppose any truth therein contained or any of the Explications thereof by the foure first Generall Conncells are justly adjudged Hereticall and so is the opposing any practise which is truely and genuinely Apostolicall and so received by the Universall Church in all Ages hereticall and a voluntary separation from the Communion of that Church which requires nothing for matter of Faith but the Apostolicall Creeds according to the Decree of the Councell of Ephesus and nothing in point of practise but the observations of the Catholike Church since the Apostles Ages the known Worship and Service of God in the use of Liturgies Prayer the Word and Sacraments the standing Government in the distinct and severall Orders and Officers thereof and the exercise of Ecclesiastique Discipline is directly Schismaticall as tending to the breach of the Catholique Communion dividing that body into two opposite parts which should be whole one and entire so that according to the sore going Grounds which are confessed by the Roman party and so will be evidence and proofe against them the English Reformed Church cannot be guilty of Heresie because She holds the Apostolicall Creed without addition or diminution The Romish Synagogue or Court is truely and properly Hereticall and Schismaticall too inasmuch as she hath Composed a New Creed and so made an addition to the standing Rule of Faith and hath obtruded the beleife thereof to all other Christians under pain of damnation And again the Reformed English Church cannot be guilty of Schisme because she holds Communion with the whole Church in all her ancient Apostolicall Catholike usages and customes and disclaims all which are not so as to her practise but condemns not nor censures any other particular Church further then by Apologizing and defending her selfe to be truely Apostolicall and if herein she be wanting to her selfe yet she can produce the Testimony and good report for her Apostolicalnesse of the best Reformed Churches and indeed the Universall Church of this Age. But I have extended this digression further then I intended or may be adjudged by others convenient and pertinent But sure I am not so far as the weight and importance of the subject doth deserve for in such subjects there should not be à nonnulla desiderantur somewhat more expected and yet here much more might be added A good report and a good name is better then precious oyntment and nothing entitles a particular person to that but his own Faith he is too flat and Stoicall nay Cynicall who cares not what others report concerning him especially if those others be in number of these all men of good report and fame It is true a good man will not be offended at a rayling cursing Shimei an evill man reporting false evill things yet a good man will endeavour to keep his credit with good men as well as a good Conscience to himselfe For ordinarily as Tacitus observes and it was well observed by an ingenious Person that it is pitty St. Augustine said it not Contemptu famae contemnuntur virtutes they that neglect the good opinion of others neglect those vertues which should produce and beget that good opinion Therefore St. Hierome protests to abhorr that Paratum de trivia that vulgar dunghill language I care not what all the world sayes so long as my own Conscience checkes me not for we unlesse we will be debaucht must study not onely to be but to appear also vertuous Let your light saith our Saviour Mat. 5.16 so shine before men and we must follow
the paths of holinesse and righteousnesse for then we have assurance that we shall passe from Death to Life through Death to Eternity 2 Tim. 4.7.8 I have fought a good sight I have finished my course I have kept the Faith Henceforth there is layd up for me a Crown of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall give me at that day and not to me onely but unto them also that love his appearing The Third Part. ALmighty God which did safely leade thy people Israel through the Red Sea Behold see we beseech thee we are people be thou our God and guide for our help standeth in thy name leade us by the still Waters in the paths of righteousnesse for thy names sake And though the Devill and the World pursue our Soules with deadly hatred yet send out thy truth and light let them leade us and bring us to thy holy Hill and to thy Tabernacle and when we walk through the Valley of the shadow of death let thy right hand uphold us for our Souls followeth hard after thee let our passage to the Heavenly Canaan though through many tribulations be easie peaceable religious and comfortable that we be not condemned with the World but we may passe from death to life from Egypt to Canaan from the World to thee the lover and Saviour of Soules And to this end make us to passe the time of our sojourning here in fear that whatsoever may happen to us in the way yet at the end we may so passe the Waves of this troublesome World that we may come into the land of everlasting life through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen IERICHO Taken Heb. 11.30 By Faith the Walls of Jericho fell down after they were compassed about seven dayes VVE have done with the Acts and Sufferings of Moses Now follows the feats of Ioshuah his Successor and of Israel under his conduct For then By Faith the Wall of Iericho fell down c. The first Part. The full Historicall Relation is Penned Joshuah 6. and is plain beyond exception that which is to be examined may be What use the Hebrews to whom the Apostle presseth this for an instance could make hereof seeing these events were miraculous and extraordinary and they had no assurance God would work extraordinarily and miraculously for them Could they fancy without high pride and presumption that the Seas should divide themselves into a Passage for them or that fenced Cities should fall down as their approaches or upon their Beseigings And the right determining of the case thus stated may be this It is true we cannot expect may not demand what in particular their Faith obtained because they had a promise from God for these whereas we have no such Promises and therefore cannot aske them in Faith Rom. 14.23 which alwayes pre-supposeth either expresse Praecept or Promise in such cases But in generall we know That what we aske beleeving we shall receive that is what we ask by warrant and allowance of Gods Word which is the potent assurance evidence and record for our Faith If any extraordinary Revelation be indulged then we may pretend to the like extraordinary successes because Gods power is still the same alwayes infinite and when he will actuate as I may speak that Power then Credenti omnia possibilia nothing is impossible to a Beleever without an hyperhole or excesse of expression nothing which is an Object of Faith and so far as it is so nothing for which we have a promise provided we keep within that compasse and the tenure thereof for God hath restrained and stinted our desire in Earthly things and prescribed bounds and limits to our Petitions concerning them It is true for our spiritualities we have an absolute word of Promise as large as can be desired That our Faith can conquer Hell and purchase Heaven which is indeed every thing which can be hoped for so that if we will not lose and cast away our selves God will save us in despight of all opposition and all the powers of darknesse But for our Temporalities the Promise is conditionall made up with exceptions and proviso's which confines our petitions to suite for them under a clause of submission and expediency in ordine ad spiritualia for we have his concessions and grant for them onely for so much and so long as may tend to his glory and serve for our spirituall concernments and interests The Second Part. 1. Iericho fell as the sounds and Alarums of c. The Enemies of Gods Church shall fall and not be able to arise not by the force of Armes or prevalency of the Sword or any other humane assistances but by the Voyce of his Messengers and the Preaching of his Word sounding like a Trumpet by them and the Prayers of his People God sheweth himself the Almighty by giving efficacy and strength to his word to cast down every thing that exalteth it selfe against the knowlodge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ a Cor. 10.4.5 and to the spirituall weapons of his Church prayers and tears he doth great and wonderfull things for her not by force or an Army but by his Spirit Zach. 4.6 And when Anti-Christ shall be confounded and destroyed God to shew the irresistable power of his word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will reduce bring him to nothing when he is in his Pontificalibus his greatest height of pride consume him with his word for it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of great efficacy Heb. 4.12 sharper then any two-edged Sword like Samuels Sword to cut Agag in pieces that he appear no more to hew a way through all opposion and cut down all opposers God needs not will not have his Cause Managed by a standing Army Religion alwayes loseth by the Sword of Violence and Force is both unnecessary and improper for the meek temper of Christian Profession That Cause is very bad which hath nothing but an Arm of Flesh to justifie it and a few impertinent excuses as insufficient to sanctifie the designe As Adams Figg Leaves were to hide his nakednesse And the reason is given by the Captain of our Profession My Kingdom is not of this World Iohn 18.36 is neither erected nor established by Worldly Power those Arts of fraud and force which are practised for a worldly Kingdom 2. Though God might have done this immediately by himself yet he takes in the Ministery and Hands of the Priests In the great Affaires of his Church God brings about his own work by them God the Efficient they the Labourers and Work-men under him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 co-workers under workers to him who labor under him 1 Cor. 3.9 15.10 his Ministers under him for his people 2 Cor. 3.6 Christs Embassadors in his absence and by his Commission to negotiate the Affaires of his Kingdom 2 Cor. 5.20 Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you By us we pray you in Christs
so in an ordinary saving Faith a little if sound will receive a blessing to encrease and multiply a power to remove evill habits out of the soule contracted by evill Education or Example by naturall corruption or complyance with sinfull customes and plant and seed holinesse there which if it be diligently manured and managed all tares weeded out as they bud will fructifie to maturity We have a promise for it Mat. 25.29 Habenti dabitur to him that Husbands well even the least Talent he shall receive an addition and a plentifull one too for he shall have abundance upon every improvement shall receive more that he shall have over-plus a sufficient stock of grace to employ and turn his hand with and serve all his uses 3. Rahab a Cananite a stranger from the Covenant of Promise an Alien from the Common-wealth of Israel is now admitted and received into that Society and Communion and made partaker of the same Grace and Hope with Abraham and Sarah by her Faith She was one of the Primitiae Gentium an earnest of the after calling of the Gentiles that they should be no more strangers and forreiners but fellow Citizens Ephes 2.3 an exact discovery of that great Mistery of Christ that the Gentiles should he fellow heires and of the same Body c. And so it is expresly mentioned of this Rahab That she became an Israelite indeed Iosh 6.25 where she is said to dwell in Israel untill this day for she was Allied to the noblest descent and extraction being Married to Salmon who begat Boaz of Rachab Mat. 1.5 the Progenitors of David and of whom Christ came according to the Flesh So that here we may affirmatively conclude with Saint Peter Acts 10.34.35 Of a truth I perceive that God is no respector of persons But in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse is accepted with him And with Saint Peter 1 Cor. 7.19 Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing but the keeping of the Commandements of God And Gal. 5.6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision avayleth any thing nor uncircumcision but Faith which worketh by love 4. Rahab beleeved and therefore separated her self from the company and communion of her hardened fellow Citizens and joyned her self to the society of Gods people and yet she was none of those sensuall separatists spoken of by Saint Jude 19. who walked not with the Church of God but after their own ungodly lusts heaping to themselves Teachers choosing and carving for themselves without the Order of Gods Church and taking them on heaps either confusedly or unsatisfactorily when they have their own choice being never contented put off one to day and another to morrow and so if possible in infinitum and all this from a malignant humor an itching in the eare 2 Tim. 4.3 nor those Pharisaicall separatists who divide themselves from the Body of Christ either upon a vain supposition of Pride that they are holier and the rest prophaner and therefore Procul ô proeul ite come not neer them stand far from them or upon as bad of uncharitablenesse as if the Congregation were not holy and they good soules are afraid to receive infection from it as if the true service of the true God could be unholy and poysonous because some of the servants in that duty are false and wicked For how can their supposed ir-reall it matters not in this case but I will suppose it reall nakednesse touch and defile me when I abhor it for it self piety it and pray against it in them and I onely joyn and communicate with them in that which is confessedly good But she was an holy separatist who forsook the service of false Gods and betook her self to the Worship of the true God her Idolatrous Worship she exchanged for the true and divided not from the Cananites quasi homines as men but from their sins For doubtlesse she desired and wished their conversion and it is a most just and lawfull separation to depart from all iniquity and to keep themselves unspotted from the World James 1.27 Rev. 18.4 And I heard another Voyce from Heaven saying Come out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her Plagues 2 Cor. 6.14.15.16.17 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbeleevers for what fellowship hath righteousnesse with unrighteousnesse and what communion hath light with darknesse And what concord hath Christ with Belial or what part hath he that beleeveth with an Infidell And what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols for ye are the Temple of the living God as God hath said I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will rective you and such was her separation whereas dayly experience doth evidence That the other humerous separatists are the greatest manuonists designers plotters and contrivers for the World in the whole World and the greediest unsatiable pursuers of the things of the World devourers not onely of Widows Houses but of Kingdoms Inheritances holy things mixing and confounding all with most Heathenish Worldly Policies not considering that the love of this World is enmity with God 5. It was Rahab the Heathen the Gentile house-wife who was the Harlot Rahab the Beleever the Convert is joyned to an Israelite in chast and holy Wedlock Fornication is a Work of the Flesh a pollution of our Bodies Marriage is honourable in all Those may justly suspect their Faith and distrust their conversion who indulge and allow themselves in those unclean satisfactions of the Flesh and Heathenish pollutions Reade that one Law of God Deut. 23.17.18 There shall be no Whore of the Daughters of Israel nor a Sodomite of the Seâ—t of Israel Thou shalt not bring the hire of a Whore or the price of a Dog into the House of the Lord thy God for any Vow for even both these are an abomination unto the Lord thy God Consider what Saint Paul presseth 1 Cor. 6.15.16.17.18 Know ye not that your Bodies are the Members of Christ shall I then take the Members of Christ and make them the Member of an Harlot God forbid What know ye not that he which is joyned to an Harlot is one Body for two saith he shall be one Flesh But he that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit c. And remember that direfull judgement Revel 21.8 But the fear full and unbeleeving and the abominable and murderers and whoremâ—ngers and sorcerers and Idolaters and all lyar shall have their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death 6 Rahab beleeved and was saved True Faith is the saving grace Infidelity the damnable sin because Faith is alwayes attended with Obedience Infidelity is still followed with Impenitency Indeed Faith and Obedience like Hippocrates Twins
mentiris Achille c. And Aeneas resolves Dido was Nobly Borne from her honourable respects Tanti talem genuere Parentes And the perswasive to Ascanius for high attempts was fetcht from his Alliance Te Pater Aeneas avnuculus excitet Hector As for the Jewes any who is acquainted with the History of the Old Testament will finde them to be great honourers of their Families and Tribes and so the Maccabees and these Hebrews And therefore the Apostle useth here this holy fraud to catch them with those Arguments which would take and please Et prodesse volunt delectare and profit them And here also I crave pardon to interpose a conjecture which is That Job that Magnus Victoriaerum Dei artifex great Pattern of Piety though honourably remembred and enrolled by God himself in the Book of Life Ezek. 14. as one of the three eminently righteous Persons is yet omitted in this Catalogue for this reason Because he was none of the Jewish Race or Hebrew Line and so his Example would not have been so pertinent and effectuall And to come yet somewhat more home as these Hebrews had the practise and experience of the former Ages to establish their Faith so have we and more too and therefore greater reason have we not to be moved at the sufferings of Christians nor to be ashamed of Christ Crucified and to performe our whole Baptismall Covenant in as much as we have the advantage of what examples they had and besides the Patternes of the Apostles and Apostolicall men famous in their Generations We have the Acts or rather upon perusall of that Book the sufferings of the Apostles and we have Tradition all along handing out to us the Christian Acts and sufferings of Confessors Martyrs and severall Religious People ever since for the space of 1600. years and all attested by Historians of undoubted fidelity especially those of the first six Centuries Hence set dayes were customarily and by Order Appointed for the solemne Celebration of the Acts and sufferings of those Primitive Saints in the Christian Church the Apostles and some Apostolicall as I said Persons not so much for their honour certainly not for religious worship of them by Invocation Oblations c. but for our Imitation and to blesse God for such Instruments of his glory and our good For that their sufferings were for this end Saint Paul is expresse The suffering of an eminent principall member redounds to the good of the whole body Col. 1.24 tends to its edification and confirmation Phil. 1.12 For although Christ proposed himselfe to us for the grand Exemplar Learne of me And follow me yet we could no otherwise follow Christ but as the Boy Ascanius followed his Father Non-passibus equis by an uneven motion we cannot follow him regularly but we trip and stumble and often fall for he could not sin and it is he must lift us up And as his Example is too high so his lesson is too hard we cannot transcribe the Copy but with blurring and crooking in and out nay we shall be so far short that we shall doe nothing like unlesse he leade us by the hand and even then our hand may be easily known by its foulnesse as when he takes not by the hand to hold we fall the errors of our feet may be easily marked and so though Christ be a more high and sure being an infallible Patterne for imitation then any or all other holy men amassed together yet the Examples of these who were subject to the like passions as we are more suitable for our conviction and condition because we cannot doe or suffer as Christ did neither for the manner or measure For in him all fulnesse dwels And the Spirit was given to him without measure John 3.34 but we may doe and suffer as holy men did before us for to them as well as to us and to us as well as to them the Spirit is given by measure and God accepts according to what a man bath and not what he hath not And hereupon this practise hath been observed to commemorate the holy Saints in Scripture especially for they are infallibly such as a duty of that part of the Communion of Saints as an help by their Example for our instruction and consolation Thus much by the way and the digression hath been long and tedious yet because as Travellers sometimes goe out of the was to fetch in Provision for their supplies and comfort and this course though it retard the way yet makes it pleasant especially to those who have long Stages So because this digression may be both delightfull and profitable I have insisted the longer and brought in some additionall supplies for a further refreshment But now to returne The way of God in the dispensation of temporalls so far at is discoverable is various sometimes he takes one way sometimes another as is evident in the precedent Presidents Pascimur hic patimur God sometimes cherisheth and favoureth his Children sometimes he frownes on them corrects and chastens them and that by sharpe rebukes sometimes he suffers his little Flock to wander and to walk through the Valley of the shadow of Death sometimes again he gathers them he feeds them in a green Pasture and leads them forth besides the Waters of comfort Christianity is compared to a warsare and that is not a condition of ease but of trouble hardnesse and hazard and so a Christian must have his Armour even the whole Armour of God and he must endure hardnesse as a good Souldier of Jesus Christ The Church of God is compared to a Ship which though somtimes she goe smoothly and calmly yet for the most part she is unquiet as the Element she moves upon and many times she is tossed too and fro with strong gusts and tempests and either by the violence of the Wind and the siercenesse of the surging Seat in danger to sinke or to ground on Sands or split on Rocks or spring a leake and so be swallowed and devoured and the Disciples of Christ are the Mariners and Passengers in this Ship and sometimes in these great tempests Christ the Master sleepeth till the Disciples by Prayer awake him and then he ariseth and rebaketh the Wind and the Sea and there is a great calme Saint Chrysostome compares the life of a Christian to a Webb so marvelously woven and made up of trouble and comfort that though the longer threads reaching from our Birth to our Death be all of trouble yet the weft interjected is all of comfort So that from hence it is apparent That these their troubles and sufferings are not the effects of Gods vindicative justice acts of revenge and so properly punishments as a crosse or dangerous passage by Sea is not an Exile to a Mariner though it be to a Malefactor that flyes that way but it is in his Calling and Trade a Traffique and Taske but effects of love acts of Discipline For Poena in suo