bounds do the same things she doth by Equivalencie and run to the same End by a quite contrary way The Romish Church it cannot be denyed makes her Popes and Prelates with other Pillars of their Church plain Idols They which out of an undiscreet and furious zeal seem most to abhor this kind of Idolatry commit Sacrilege and rob God of his honour as the Romish Church doth And he that robs God of his honour doth the very same thing and no other which an Idolater doth Now they are said in Scripture to rob God of his honour and to commit an abomination more then heathenish for the heathen do not spoil their Gods which defraud him of his tithes offrings which were due unto the Priest for his ministration and service in Gods House But they rob God of his honour more immediately and more directly which despise or contemn his Embassadors not in word only but in taking that Authority from them which he hath expresly given unto them and which is worst of all in seeking to alienate it unto them over whom he hath in matter of salvation appointed them Guides and Overseers That Precept of our Apostle I am sure will stand good when all Laws or Intendments of Laws to confront it will fail Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves Heb. 13. 17. What Rule doth he mean meerly Civil or Temporal No! What then Ecclesiastick Not that only But the Rule of Government spiritual such as is proper to the Bishops of the Church For so it follows for they to whom you are to submit your selves watch for your souls as they that must give an accompt and you are therefore to obey that they may do their office with joy and not with grief for that saith the Apostle is unprofitable for you Now that in this plenty of preaching and frequencie in hearing The most hearers profit so little in the School of Christ the true Reason is for that men do not submit themselves unto their Pastors in such sort as they ought but think it his Duty or Office only to preach and their duty only to hear not to be Ruled or Governed by him whereas the ones preaching is vain and the others hearing is vain unless this duty of obedience be first planted in their hearts The Pastors Grief which ariseth from neglect or contempt of this Duty will prove in the issue the Peoples Curse 8. But the main stream of Popery from which the name of Babylon is derived unto Rome was the Absolute Infallibilitie of the Romish Church Representative The branches of this supposed absolute Infallibilitie were Two The First That the sense of Scriptures which that Church doth maintain or avouch concerning Faith or Manners is alwayes Authentick undoubted and true But whereas many Points as well of Doctrine as Practise concerning Faith and Manners were in that Church established by Prescription and Use without so much as any Pretence of warrant from Scripture They were inforced in the Second Place to maintain That the Unwritten Traditions of the Church were of equal Authoritie with the Scriptures and that the present Church was as Infallible in her Testimony of the One as in her Judgment of the other The Infallible Consequence of which supposed Infallibilitie is This That the people were absolutely to believe whatsoever that Church should propound unto them as a Point of faith or practise commendable and to abjure whatsoever that Church should condemn for heresie or ungodliness By Absolute Belief or obedience they intend a belief or obedience not only without Condition or scruple in the first undertaking but without Reservation of appeal upon any new discovery of dangers unseen unsuspected in the first undertaking The Churches Authority once declared was in their Divinity sufficient to quell or put to silence all succeeding Replies or mutterings of Conscience Both these dangerous Errors were well Reformed The later stream or puddle of Traditions in a manner drained by this Church and State For every Bishop at his Consecration doth solemnly promise or vow not to propound any thing to the people as a Point of Faith unless it be either expresly conteined in the Scripture or may be thence deduced by necessary Inference To bind or tie all Bishops thus solemnly unto the observance of this Rule the wisdom of those Times had these Reasons Not only to curb or restrain the licentious Abuse of Bishops former Authoritie but because they knew that the people were in many Cases concerning the service of God and other Christian duties bound to yeeld more credence and obedience to their Bishops and Pastors then unto men not called to Sacred or Pastoral Function It is One Thing to believe any Doctrinal Proposition as A Point of Faith necessary to salvation Another to believe it so far as we may safely adventure upon any practise or duty injoyned by superiors That is to believe it not Absolutely but Conditionally and out of such belief to obey them not absolutely but conditionally that is with reservation of freedom or libertie when either the truth shall be better discovered then now it is or greater dangers appear then for the present we do suspect The Obedience which we give unto Superiors may be Ex Fide of Faith albeit the points of doctrine or the perswasions out of which we yeeld this obedience be not De Fide No points of Faith or necessary to salvation 9. But a great many well-meaning men there were who shortly after this happy Reformation could not content themselves to stand upon such sure Termes of Contradiction unto the Romish Church as the first Reformers had done but sought in this Point which was indeed above all others to be abhorred to be most extremly Contrary unto her Wherein then doth that Contradiction to the Romish Church wherein the first Reformers of Religion did entrench themselves and wherein doth the Extream Contrarietie whereunto others more Rigid Reformers if they could have effected their Projects would have drawn this Church and Land consist The Romish Church as you heard before did make Unwritten Traditions a Part of the Rule of Faith as soveraign as the written Word of God and did obtrude those observances which had no other warrant then such Tradition as altogether necessary to salvation The First Reformers of this Error were contented to contradict them only in this And their Contradiction is expresly mainteined partly in the Articles of Religion partly in the Book of Consecration of Bishops The Contradiction is This That all things necessary to salvation are contained in Scripture which is all one as to say That the Scripture is the only Rule of Faith Yet did they not for all this utterly reject All use of Tradition or Ceremonies as you may find expressed in the thirty fourth Article in which though Rites and Ceremonies or other customs of the Church be not injoyned in particular as they take for granted by God himself
as immediately from Christ or from God the Father and the Son in the same manner as Saint Peter did though not in the same measure But the Difference of the measure in which we receive it or the difference of our growth in Christ doth not argue a different manner either of our receiving it or of growth by it 7. But is this the worst Practise of the Romish Church that she adds one Article more unto our Creed than Saint Peter knew or taught others to believe or that she makes Peters successors to have a Foundation which he had not If thus she did and no more this were enough to convince her of Grosse Heresie But this one Article of faith or this second foundation of faith which she pretends is of such a transcendent nature that it devours all the rest and doth if not overthrow the First foundation of our faith yet which is all one it draws us from it For as many successions as there be of Popes or of Peters pretended successors so many several foundations there be of their faith which successively adhere unto them Nor are these several or successive foundations either immediately cemented or firmly united to the first Foundation which is Christ or one to another They are as so many Rows or Piles of stone laid one upon another without any juncture or binding than loose sand And all that absolutely unite themselves to the present Romish Church that is to Peters pretended successors must of necessity fall off from the First Foundation Christ God and man and flote with these secondarie foundations to wit Peters succcessors when the floods of temptations do arise The point then to be proved is this That the present Romish Church to wit the present Pope or such as rely upon him as a second or intermediate foundation in this structure cannot possibly be built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets they cannot grow up together as living stones firmly united in Christ Jesus as in the Corner-stone Now the proof of this Point is clear because none can be built upon the Foundation of the Prophets and the Apostles unlesse they absolutely believe as they believed and firmly acknowledge that which they have commended unto us in their writings to have been delivered unto them by God himself for so they expressely teach us to believe Believing then as they believed we must believe that albeit the Apostles and Prophets be not the Foundation here meant in the Text yet that they were Master Builders appointed by God for squaring and fitting all that lived with them or that succeeded them for this foundation and that the Rule by which as well the Pastors and Teachers as the people taught by them must be fitted and squared for this foundation is the doctrine of faith conteined in their Writings Both these parts of truth to wit that the Books of the Old and New Testament are their Writings or Dictates and that in these Writings the Doctrine or Rule of Faith is contained must be absolutely believed and taken for unquestionable before any modern pastors in the Church can be fram'd or fashioned to be true stones in this building But no man which absolutely believes the present Romish Church can have any absolute belief that the Old and New Testament or the Writings of the Apostles and Prophets are infallibly true or contain the Word of God The best belief that any Romanist can have is but Conditional and the Condition is this If the present Romish Church to wit the Pope and such as rely upon his authoritie be absolutely infallible and cannot err in matter of faith But it will be Replyed In as much as the Roman Catholicks take it as a Principle most unquestionable that their Church cannot erre they for this reason must beleeve the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets concerning Christ to be infallible and the bookes of the Old and New Testament to conteyne the word of God because the Church their Mother which they firmely beleeve cannot erre doth tell them so or as their owne writers speake because the Church their mother doth Canonize these bookes for the bookes of God This indeed is the chiefe advantage which they Presume their Lay-people have of ours in that they believe the Churches testimony concerning the bookes of God to be infallible and if they beleeve the Church to be in this point infallible they cannot doubt but that these bookes are the word of God But if wee look more narrowly into this mysterie of iniquitie and take their full meaning with us it will further appear that this absolute belief of this present Churches absolute infallibilite doth overthrow or undermine the whole frame of faith For they extend this supposed infallibilitie of the Romish Church so farre and make the belief of it so necessarie that without this fundamentall principle as they say wee cannot infallibly believe or know the bookes of the Old and New Testament to containe in them the word of God And in avouching this it is evident that they leave both the Authoritie of the Apostolical and Prophetical writings and the Authoritie of the Present Church altogether uncertaine so uncertaine that nothing avouched by either of them can be by their doctrine so certain as to become any Foundation of their faith If wee cannot infallibly believe the bookes of the Old and New Testament to be the bookes of God himselfe and of divine Authoritie otherwise then by believing the present Romish Church to be infallible let them tell us how they can possibly believe or prove that the Romish Church or any other Congregation of men hath any such infallible authoritie This authoritie must be either believed or known by light of nature or by Divine Testimonie or Revelation That the infallibilitie of their Church can be known by light of Nature they do not they dare not say For that Peter on whom that Church as they pretend is founded was an Apostle of Christ cannot be known by light of Nature or by sense it cannot be infallibly believed but by Divine Authoritie Revelation or Testimonie By what Divine Testimonie then do they know that Peter was an Apostle or that the Church was to be builded on him or on his successors You know they pretend that place of S. Matthew Chap. 16. 18. Thou art Peter and upon this rock will I build my Church and that of S. Luke Chap. 22. 32. I have prayed for thee that thy faith shall not fail And yet they deny that we can possibly know these words to be the words of God or to have any such meaning as they make of them unlesse we will believe the Churches Authoritie in avouching them to be the words of God and her interpretation of them to be infallible But leaving them wandring in this Round or Circle as we found them long agoe let us further consider the manner how we are built upon Christ the Chief Corner-stone and how we must
blood he himselfe here saith it He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him and for this reason his flesh is meat indeed and his blood is drink indeed the onely meat and the onely drink which men should hunger and thirst after Other meates and drinks should be sought for yea life bodily it self should be desired onely to this End that by the prolonging of it wee might be partakers in greater measure of this meat and drink which preserves the Bodie and soul unto everlasting life 5. The Questions then to be discussed are Two First What it is to eat Christs flesh and drink his Blood Secondly What it is for Christ to Dwell or abide in us and us to dwell or abide in Him All agree that there is A Twofold eating of Christs Bodie and A Twofold drinking of his Blood One meerly Sacramental and another Spiritual Which agreement notwithstanding There ariseth A Third Question viz. What manner of eating Christs Flesh and drinking his Blood is in this place either onely or principally meant For the Resolution of this Question we are breifly to explicate each member of this Division viz. 1. What it is to eat Christs Bodie and drink his Blood Sacramentally onely 2. What it is to eat his Bodie and Drink his Blood Spiritually First then All that are partakers of this Sacrament eat Christs Bodie and Drink his Blood sacramentally that is they eat that Bread which Sacramentally is his Bodie and drink that Cup which Sacramentally is his Blood whether they eat or drink faithfully or unfaithfully For All the Israelites 1 Cor. 10. Drank of the same Spiritual Rock which was Christ Sacramentally All of them were partakers of his presence when Moses smote the Rock Yet with many of them God was not well pleased because they did not faithfully either Drink or participate of his presence And more displeased he is with such as eat Christs Bodie and Drink his blood unworthily though they eat and drink them Sacramentally For eating and drinking so onely that is without faith or due respect they eat and drink to their own Condemnation because they do not Discern or rightly esteem Christs Bodie or presence in the H. Sacrament May we say then that Christ is Really present in the Sacrament as well to the unworthy as to the faithful receivers Yes this we must grant yet must we add withal that he is really present with them in a quite contrary manner really present he is because virtually present to both because the operation or efficacie of his Bodie and blood is not metaphorical but real in both Thus the bodily Sun though locally distant for its substance is really present by its heat and light as well to sore eyes as to clear sights but really present to both by a contrarie real operation and by the like contrary operation it is really present to clay and to wax it really hardneth the one and really softeneth the other So doth Christs Bodie and Blood by its invisible but real influence mollifie the hearts of such as come to the Sacrament with due preparation but harden such as unworthily receive the consecrated Elements If he that will hear the word must take heed how he hears much more must he which means to receive the Sacrament of Christs bodie and blood be careful how he receives He that will present himself at this great Marriage Feast of the Lamb without a wedding garment had better be absent It was alwayes safer not to approach the presence of God manifested or exhibited in extraordinarie manner as in his Sanctuarie or in the Ark then to make appearance before it in an unhallowed manner or without due preparation Now when we say that Christ is really present in the Sacrament our meaning is that as God he is present in an extraordinarie manner after such a manner as he was present before his incarnation in his Sanctuarie in the Ark of his Covenant and by the Power of his God-head thus extraordinarilie present he diffuseth the vertue or operation of his Humane Nature either to the vivification or hardning of their hearts who receive the Sacramental Pledges So then a man by eating Christs bodie meerly Sacramentally may be hardned may be excluded from his gracious presence But no man hath Christ dwelling in him by this manner of eating his flesh and drinking his blood unlesse withal he eate the one and drink the other Spiritually The Eating then of Christs bodie and drinking his blood meerly Sacramentally is not the eating and drinking here meant 6. They are said to eat Christs Flesh and drink his Blood Spiritually which rightly apprehend his Death and Passion which by Faith meditate and ruminate upon them making application to themselves aswel of the great danger which may ensue upon the neglect of such great benefits as he hath purchased for them as of the inestimable good which alwayes accompanies the right esteeme or contemplation of his Bodie which was given for them and of his Blood which was shed for them He which thus eateth Christs Flesh and drinketh his Blood by Faith although he do not for the time present eat his Bodie or drink his blood Sacramentally hath a true interest in this promise He that eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood dwelleth in me and I in him so he do not neglect to eat his Bodie and drink his Blood Sacramentally when occasion requires and opportunitie serves So that Spiritual eating and drinking Christ by Faith is the true preparative for the worthy receiving of his bodie and blood Sacramentally He that doth not so prepare himself for the receiving of his body and blood doth receive him unworthily whilest he receives him Sacramentally The main Question is Whether Christs words be to be understood at all of Sacramental eating and drinking or of Spiritual eating and drinking onely 7. Many there were and yet are in Reformed Churches which deny this place to be meant of Sacramental Eating But as Beza amongst others well observes they which deny this place to be meant at all of Sacramental eating err no lesse then they do which restrain it only to Sacramental eating Their error which deny it to be meant at all of Sacramental eating is so much the worse because it gave advantage to our Adversaries of the Romish Church which want no wit to work upon all advantages given To omit others Jansenius and Dr. Hessels two of the most exquisite expositors of Scriptures and most Judicious Divines which the Romish Church had after the Reformation was begun by Luther and Zuinglius and prosecuted by Calvin expressely deny our Saviours dispute in this Chapter with the Jews to be meant at all of Sacramental eating or drinking The Reason which enforced these two great Divines to slight the authoritie of most writers in their own Church and to wave the authoritie of most ancient Fathers which it is evident do understand this
observe did report of Them to the Asiaticks who slandered and persecuted them Take notice saith he of the late and daily Earthquakes compare our estate with theirs They he means Christians have more confidence to God-ward then you have 15. This was The solid Truth whose liveless Lineaments or obscure Picture nature had drawn unto the Heathen in the former indefinite Notions or Suggestions The best fruits of a good conscience the principal end why we are to study and labor for the preservation of our Consciences void of offence towards God and man throughout the whole course of our life is that we may be enabled in that last day to stand without horror or confusion before the Son of Man As peace of conscience breedeth confidence so the onely Fountain whence this peace of conscience can issue must be our reconciliation to that supreme Judge whose doom or Censure the Consciences of meer natural men implicitly or by instinct of Nature dread albeit they cannot apprehend the express manner of the Judgement to come or who it is that shall be Judge Both these and all like points which are necessary unto true Christian Faith must be learned out of the Book of Life Thus much of the First General viz. Heathen Notions of a Judgement to come c. we proceed to the second according to the method proposed in the 9 th Chapter CHAP. XI By what authority of Scripture the Exercise of this Final Judgement is appropriated unto our Lord Jesus Christ 1. THat there was to be a Judgement general to all but most terrible to the wicked and ungodly was a Truth revealed before any part of the sacred Books now extant were written But if it be a Revelation more ancient then the written Canon what warrant can we have to believe it besides Tradition Is then Tradition a sufficient warrant for us to believe unwritten verities or Revelations made to Gods Saints for many thousand years ago It is not unless the Tradition be expresly avouched by some Canonical Writer But then it or rather the Vouchers authority concerning the truth of the Tradition is to be believed So that our Belief in this Point must be resolved into a written verity or a parcel of Canonical Scripture The Revelation concerning the final Judgement whereof we now speak was made to Enoch before the Flood The Avoucher of this Revelation is St. Jude ver 14 15. And Enoch also the seventh from Adam prophesied of these saying Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Saints To execute Judgement upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him Besides the authority of St. Jude which makes this Tradition to be no more a meer Tradition but Canonical Scripture we have other more special Grounds to believe that Enoch did thus Prophesie then we have to believe any other pretended Revelations which are not contained in Scripture The truth and certainty of this Judgment denounced by Enoch was so publickly and notoriously known that the Hebrew Church before our Saviours incarnation did begin the Writ or Instrument of their Great and terrible Excommunication with the first words of Enochs Prophesie Dominus veniet the Lord shall come As if they meant to bind the party whom they excommunicated besides all other punishments or infamies over to this Grand Assize But is there in this Prophecie any particular character of Christ Any pregnant intimation that this Great Judge of the world should be the Second Person in the Trinity rather then The First In the words themselves there is no peculiar Character of Christ save only in The Title LORD which as we said before is peculiar to Christ whether it be in the Original exprest by the word Jehovah or Adonai whensoever Judgment or visible exercise of Jurisdiction Regal is the subject or matter of the prophetical discourse as in this Prophecy of Enoch it is Besides this Character in the words of the prophecie the Prophet himself Enoch was a lively Type of Christ the great Prophet in the very ground of his Title to Lordship and Jurisdiction Enoch was translated that he should not see death but before his translation had this testimony that he Pleased God Hebr. 11. 5. Before his Translation he denounced this Wo or Curse against all that continue in ungodliness fore warning the world withal that the Lord himself whose Embassador he was should come to put his Embassage in execution The congruity of the Fact or Type with the Body fore-shadowed implies that this Propheeie was then to be fulfilled after the Prince of Prophets had been translated as Enoch was from earth but in a higher degree then Enoch was into heaven it self And albeit before his translation he had a more ample Testimony then Enoch had this is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased yet was he not made Lord and King and Judge till after his Resurrection and Translation From that time the Angels and Principalities and Powers even all the Hoast of Heaven intimated by Enoch became by that Title subject unto him That Christ is that very Lord against whom those ungodly men whom Enoch mentions did speak such bitter words our Apostle St. Paul though obscurely yet fully implies in the conclusion of his first Epistle to the Corinthians chapt 16. 22. If any man love not the Lord Jesus let him be Anathema 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Let him be accursed or excommunicated with that Great and terrible Excommunication 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the Lord shall come for so they call their Excommunication as we do Writs by the first words of the Writ or Instrument and these were the first words of Enochs Prophecie Veniet Dominus The Lord shall come The full meaning or implication of the Apostle is That whosoever doth not love the Lord Jesus shall be liable to all the Iudgments or Woes denounced by Enoch against the hard speeches of ungodly Sinners which they have spoken against their Lord and Iudge 2. That God is Judge of all the Earth that there shall be a final Judgment generally awarded to all the Inhabitants of the Earth by God himself the places of the old Testament are infinite I shall only touch the principal or more pregnant testimonies to this purpose To begin with the First Gen. 18. 22. When the men turned their faces from thence and went towards Sodom Abraham stood yet before The Lord and drawing neer he said wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked ver 23. And again ver 25. To slay the righteous with the wicked and that the righteous should be as the wicked that be far from thee Shall not The Judge of all the Earth do right Thus he spake in the case of Sodom whose Judgment this Lord and Judge of all the earth was then
temporal A mountain of gold could not have swayed so much with St. John as thirty pieces of Silver did with Judas so unequally was the balance of his heart set that this small sum being put as it were in the one scale did over-poize his Lord and Master who was the fountain of all spiritual Graces being put in the other scale It was not then the weight of the money but the Excesse of his desire and propension to money which made him so foully to miscarry The whole art or skill of a Christian consists in these two points First In examining or finding out the strength or sway of his affections unto things temporal And secondly In abating or weakning their strength or in weaning his soul from such desires This is that which the Scripture cals the Circumcision of the heart and that is no other then a putting off of all superfluous or impertinent desires or a lopping or limiting of our natural desires that they extend not beyond our compasse A Grain of Faith or spiritual Grace may sway more in a man of moderate desires then an Ounce of the same faith or Grace can do in a man of immoderate or vast desires The first fruit of Grace is to moderate our desires or affections this is the only way to become rich in Faith and rich in Grace Thus much the heathen Philosopher had observed that the way to be truly rich was not to make continual addition to our wealth or coyn but by substraction or abatement of our desires of it Unless we use the same Method in matters spiritual we can have no certaintie of our salvation no assurance of our setled Estate in Grace albeit our apprehensions of Eternal Life through Christ be quick and lively albeit our zeal to the professors of the truth be strong and servent Though it be most true which St. John saith that Greater is he which is in us then he which is in the world that is Christ Jesus is much stronger then the Divel yet unless we hold our desires and propensions to things temporal within compass and keep our selves within the bounds which he hath set us we have no assurance of his protecting of us against his adversary who is much stronger then we are or can be without his special Protection But say we have set a short period to our desires of things temporal and brought our natural affections into a tolerable subjection unto the spirit of Grace Are we hereby freed from danger or from suffering prejudice in our spiritual Tast of Eternal Life No! Besides that moderation of our natural desires or affections in which The forsaking of all that we have consists there is required a Perpetual watchfulness over all our wayes we must carefully look to every particular step For as a Judicious Divine hath well observed albeit he which is thus far a Christian in heart be endowed with the extraordinary Graces of the spirit be like a man of an able and active body well armed and skilfull in the use of his weapons yet even such a man may quickly take the foile if his adversary encounter him upon a slippery ground For this reason as there must be An Habitual for saking of all that we have lest otherwise our own concupiscences do tempt and betray us so there must be a perpetual watchfulnesse to prevent all advantages which the great tempter never ceaseth to seek out against us hence is that other precept of our Saviour so often inculcated by himself and by his Apostles Be sober and watch watch and pray continually c. Without sobriety there can be no watchfulnesse And this sobrietie consists not only in the moderation of our meat and drink or other pleasure of the sense but in the government of our very thoughts and speeches It includes a maturitie of Judgement and deliberation in all our resolutions and undertakings It is no lesse opposed to restless or hasty furious passion then to habitual excesse in any other kind whatsoever For Celeritas semper malis conatibus addit a Comes Unruly or prodigious Acts are for the most part ushered by rashness A lesser weight if it move swiftly or be violently thrown will sway more and give a greater blow then a far greater weight which moveth slowly or with lesse violence The swiftness of Motion or violent passions will mis-sway our inclinations or propensions though in themselves moderate as far as the setled weight of an habituate inclination or Custome Now albeit we be commanded to be sober and watch to watch and pray continually yet this being an Affirmative Precept Obligat semper non ad semper though it alwayes binds us yet it doth not bind us to all times alike The due observance of it is more specially required at those times which are set a part by Gods law as the Sabbath is or at those times which are by the Church consecrated for religious meditations and performances such as is this instant time of Lent if I should term it the Holy Time of Lent I should with some men incur the censure of superstition seeing all times are alike holy Be it so if we consider them in themselves yet the time of Lent being sequestred or set apart by the Church those feastings or merry meetings which in the season of Joy lately past were not unlawful if the like should be practised or exercised in it would convince the practisers of prophanness I know there is a Doctrinal Error too well entertained in many parts of this Kingdom which much hinders the due observance of this Time but so it doth the performance of many other necessary duties The Error is this That humane Lawes or Lawes Ecclesiastick made by the Church do not bind the Conscience his Doctrine hath been maintained by some worthy and Orthodox Pastors in this Church without any Error if their meaning were rightly conceived But what they conceive not amisse is so expressed that it hath occasioned many to erre foully not in Doctrine only but in Practise Their meaning I know is no more then this That no man doth sin or wound his Conscience but by transgressing some Law of God This in Thesi is most true Yet let me request you to remember or consider what hath been told you before in the controversie between us and the Romish Church concerning Christian Obedience and Loyaltie to Princes that however no man can sin but by transgressing Gods Lawes yet an Ecclesiastick or humane Law being made this year for restraint of our liberty in things indifferent may make the same Act or practise to be a transgression of Gods Law which the year or years before had been no transgression of it But the Law concerning the observation of Lent as well in respect of dyer as of frequenting the house of God is not of this or the last years standing it hath the warrant and custome of the Ancient Church and the highest authoritie of this
to censure their forefathers to whom they owed more respect then we do to them for Idolatry prophanenesse and guilt of innocent blood and thus they censured them without dissimulation or affected zeal And yet in thus judging their Fathers they did condemn themselves for they did the same things or worse But you will say It is not possible that we should do the same things which these later Jewes did or worse things then they did For Christ cannot be buffeted cannot be spit upon cannot be crucified again Yet may we do those things and would to God oft-times we did them not which are more displeasing to him now enthroned in Heaven as King then all that the Jewes did unto him whilst he was in form of a servant here on earth It was not the evil which the Jewes did to him as to their professed enemie but the evil which was in themselves as their pride envie hypocrisie uncharitable censuring of others which made him that made them to be their enemie and him that had been their Protector to fight against them These are diseases not Proper to the Jewish Nation but Epidemical and common to all Nations and places The matter of them as our Apostle in this Chapter disputes is alike common to all But the Jewish Nation came to their Crisis at Christs first appearance in humilitie Our Critical Day is not to be expected until his second appearing in Majesty and glory Then nothing which lies hid in the heart but shall be laid open then and not before will all enmitie betwixt the serpent and the womans seed appear And in that day it shall be more tolerable for them which crucified him then for us unlesse we take warning by Gods known Judgements upon them and their seed to avoid those practises and accustomances which wrought and swayed them by means secret and unsensible to exercise enmitie and hostilitie against their Lord their Maker and Redeemer 14. And here my purpose was to have used the former Parallel betwixt the Ancient Jewes which killed the Prophets and the later which condemning them for so doing did not withstanding kill our Saviour as a Map whereby to shew you in what particulars many in this Land who not content with that discreet and judicious Reformation which is contained in the publick Acts and Liturgie of our Church by their solicitous care and anxious zeal to be extreamly contrary unto the Romish Church almost in all things do by judging her and her children condemn themselves doing the very same things or worse things then she doth and help to make up that measure of iniquitie upon this Land which the Romish Religion whilst it was here authorized had left unaccomplished But for this point and others which serve for use and application of the general Doctrine hitherto delivered this present time will not suffice The Application shall be brief Take heed you measure not your love to truth by your opposition unto error If hatred of error and superstition spring from sincere love of truth and true Religion the root is good and the branch is good But if your love to truth and true Religion spring from hatred to others error and superstition the root is naught and the branch is naught There can no other fruit be expected but hypocrisie hardness of heart and uncharitable censuring others CHAP. XXXVIII The Second Sermon upon this Text. ROMANS 2. 1. Therefore Thou art inexcusable O man c. 1. THe Points worthy our Consideration are Three First How our Fore-elders in the beginning of Reformation and many amongst us since the Reformation established did or do condemn themselves whilest they judge the Romish Church in particulars worthy of Condemnation by all Secondly How the Romish Church in General and many professing Reformed Religion condemn themselves even whilst they judge the Iews in Points most gross and damnable Thirdly How not the Romish Church only or the Jewish Synagogue but many amongst Professors of true Religion men in Opinion Orthodoxal evidently condemn themselves whilest they judge or censure the very Idolatry of the Heathen The Points for which one Church or Nation one sort of People or generation of men may judge another either concern matters of Manners and practise or matters of Opinion and doctrine or matters mixt that is Errors in Opinion which induce misdemeanors in practise If Errors there be any which do not draw after them dangerous or ungodly Practises these rather deserve pity or toleration then Rigid Censure But Doctrinal Errors which induce lewd practises are more dangerous more to be detested then the most gross or lewdest practises into which some men fall being not mislead or drawn into them by Plausible Errors or false doctrine Practises how gross soever if they want the supportance or Countenance of Doctrinal Rules pollute the souls consciences of the parties peccant they are not so powerful to seduce others But Misdemeanors or perverse Affections being coutenanced by Pretence or Colour of sacred Authoritie are most infectious Briefly there is no false Doctrine but it is an Inconvenience whereas grosser misdemeanors without error in doctrine are but Mischiefs And it is a Maxim received by the most sage and prudent that Better is a Mischief then an Inconvenience or at least an Inconvenience is worse then a Mischief But worst of all is an Inconvenience which draws Mischief after it and such is every Error in Doctrine which inclines or disposes men to evil practises or which doth leaven or malignifie the affections of the heart naturally bad or but indifferent That which our Fore-elders did most condemn in the Romish Church or at least that which they went about to reform was the Excessive Wealth which the Church or Clergie had gotten into their possession with the Transcendent Authoritie of the Papacie by which they sought to detain what they had gotten or to gather more Whatever the manner of getting their wealth or Revenues was the manner of using or imploying them was exceeding bad and did deserve yea require a Reformation Our Fore-elders did well in judging the Clergie for abusing Revenues sacred to the maintenance of idleneness superstition and idolatry But would to God they had not condemned themselves by judging them or that they had not done the same things wherein they judged them Happy had it been for them and for their posterity if those large Revenues which they took from such as abused them had been imployed to pious uses As either to the maintenance of true Religion or to the support of the needie or to prevent oppressing by extraordinary Taxes or the like This had been an undoubted effect of pure Religion and undefiled before God But it was not the different Estate or condition of the parties on whom Church Revenues were bestowed that could give warrant unto their Alienation or which might bring a blessing upon their intended Reformation but the Uses unto which they were consecrated or the manner how
they were imployed Now the manner of their imployment no man whose Ancestors have been Parties in this business will take upon him to justifie Nor have the posterity of such as were at that time most inriched with the spoils of the superstitious Church any great cause to rejoyce at their Ancestors easie purchase It was a practise just and right as being authorized by God himself that the Israelites should despoile the Egyptians of their costly ear-rings and gawdy jewels But albeit the Israelites who were the borrowers had better right unto them then the Egyptians which did lend them yet much better had it been if the Egyptians had either not lent them or after the lone recovered them than that they should have afforded as they did both matter and opportunity for erecting golden Calves in Israel And of two Evils it had been the lesse if the Churches Revenues had been possessed by their first Owners and not been mis-imployed in ryot luxurie and other branches of prophaneness whereby the measure of this Lands Iniquity was rather augmented then diminished however the nutriment of superstition and Idolatry was by this means abated But be our Fore-elders fault if not in alienating yet in mis-imploying Church Revenues as it may be worse then superstition equivalent to Idolatry it self it was in no wise the fault of Reformed Religion nor of the Reformers of it it must be charged upon the mainteiners of superstition For at the Dissolution of Abbies and other Religious Houses there was no Publick Reformation of Religion attempted save only the denyal or Abjuration of the Popes Transcendent Authority and Restauration of the King unto his antient and hereditary right of Jurisdiction in Causes Ecclesiastick Nor was that Boysterous King so much to blame in dissolving material Temples or houses rather abused then consecrated to superstition as he was after this Reformation if so it may be called in destroying so many living Temples of God which sought not the dissolution of his Kingdom nor any other Reformation of him and his people save only the clearing and purifying of their hearts and brests which had been consecrated unto Gods service from the infection of Romish superstition and Idolatry 2. Idolatry was that which in the first place required Reformation because it did pollute the whole service of God And I think it would be hard to finde any generation of Christian men since the first plantation of Christianity which did more abhor idols or adoration of images in the Church then the first Reformers of that Religion which we now professe did witness Those learned Homilies against the peril of Idolatry And yet would to God that many of those times of high authoritie and most zealously forward in the work of Reformation had not condemned themselves by judging the Romish Church or their fore Elders which lived in it Or that our Apostles censure of the Jewes hate or opposition unto Gentilism had not fallen as jump and fit upon the times of Edward the sixt as it did upon the times and people to whom it was first purposely fitted Our fore Elders especially the Nobilitie and Gentry of those times did abhor idols no lesse then the Jewes did and yet did commit more grosse and palpable sacriledge then the Jewes to my observation at any time had done And what could it boote them to deface Images or pull down Idols in the material Churches so long as by their very spoils they nourished that Great Idol Covetousness in their own hearts Thus to seek to inrich themselves or fill their private Coffers with the spoils of Abbies or Churches or by Tithes and offerings was but to continue the practise of the Prelacie or Clergie in destroying Parishes to erect Monasteries or demolishing lesser Religious houses to build up others more sumptuous more Luxurious 3. Many at this day there be which out of zeal complain that the Lawes against superstition and Idolatry are not severe enough and there is no moderate man unlesse of the Romish faction but could wish that such lawes as have been made for suppressing the growth of it were more constantly more impartially executed then they are In all this neither of them are to blame And yet by soliciting Gods cause and the cause of true Religion against the mainteiners of superstition and Idolatry we shall but solicite our own condemnation unless we bear a like zealous desire and good affection for the depressing and rooting out of all sacrilegious Practises or Opinions And yet seriously to attempt the Reformation of this foul sin which is Equivalent to Idolatry and hath the same burthen of Gods curse would be a matter I am perswaded as full of difficultie and danger in this Land as to attempt the defacing of Images in the Church of Rome or in any Province subject to her Jurisdiction But the further prosecution of this point would better befit an Audience of States-men of Parliament-men or Lawyers then this place or Audience Only let me forewarn you That your Predecessors have been grievous offenders in this kinde witness the short revenues or poor Endowments of your goodly Churches 4. But this sin of sacrilege or Church robbing hath been though not common to all yet in a manner peculiar to such as exercise the Co-active Power of Reformation The Clergie in whom the Power directive was did either not at all or unwillingly partake with them in this offence they have been and are the Patients that is the men which suffer wrong not Doers of wrong in this kinde And if we set aside those Points of Romish Religion which did not come to opposition or counterpoize with Power Royall or with the Interest of Potentates or commodities of private men The Reformation made by our fore elders in other points of Doctrine was judicious and Religious They did no way condemn themselves by judging the Romish Church The judgement which they exercised was the judgement of the Lord. The Reformation which they intended and accomplished was The Lords doing But many which have enjoyed the benefit of that wholsome Reformation and of true Christian libertie restored by it have not submitted themselves their opinions or Practises to the Lawes or Rules prescribed by it Many have taken upon them and yet do not only to judge or censure the Romish Church but even to condemn the Reformation of their Ancestors as if it did to this day savour of the superstition from which it was severed of those men I only speak which out of an hatred Antipathy or loathing the Romish Church do cast themselves out of all Churches and will be members of none unlesse they may be heads of some one new one of their own making or of some that hath no real patern or Module save only in their own busie heads or brains 5. To instance in some particular errors into which the very hate of Romish errors hath transported them One of the most waightie Masses of Poperie which required
Reformation and Refining was that they made The Church which in their Language was the bodie of the Clergie A body Politick or kingdom distinct from the body of the Layetie holding even Christian Kings and Emperours to be Magistrates meerly Temporal or civil altogether excluded from medling in affairs Ecclesiastick Now this being granted the Supream Majestie of every kingdom State or nation should be wholly seated in the Clergie The greatest Kings and Christian Monarchs on earth should be but meer vassals to the Ecclesiastick Hierarchie or at the most in such subordination to it as Forraign Generals and Commanders in chief are to the States or Soveraignties which imploy them who may displace them at their pleasure whensoever they shall transgresse or not execute their instructions or Commissions For this reason as in the handling of the first verses of the 13. Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans hath been declared unto you before All the disputes or Lawes concerning the Supremacie of Kings or Free States within their own Dominions were to no purpose unlesse this Root of mischief and Rebellion be taken away which makes the Clergie a body politick or Common-weal Ecclesiastick altogether distinct from the Layetie-Christian Now this erroneous Root of mischief hath been well removed by the Articles of Religion established in this Church and Land Article the 37. wherein The same authoritie and power is expresly given to the Kings of this Realm and their successors which was in use and practise amongst the Kings of Judah and the Christian Emperors when kingdoms and Common-weales did first become Christian The Law of God and of nature will not suffer the Soveraign Power in Causes Ecclesiastick to be divorced from the Supream Majestie of any Kingdom or free Soveraigntie truely Christian But what be the contrary Errors into which such as take upon them to be Reformers of the Reformation already made have run headlong Or how do they the same things wherein they judge the Romanists The Romanists as they well observe deserve condemnation by all Christian States for appropriating the Name or Soveraign Dignitie of the Church unto the Clergie and by making the Prerogative of Priests and Prelates to be above the Prerogatives of Kings and Princes The Contrary faction of Reformers not content to deprive the Clergie of those civil Immunities and priviledges wherewith the Law of God the Law of Nations and the Fundamental Law of this Kingdom have endowed them will have them to be no true members of the Common-weale or Kingdom wherein they live Or at the best but such Inferior members of the Common-weale as the Papists make the Layetie to be of the Church men that shall have no voice in making those Coercive Lawes by which they are to be governed and to govern their flocks yea men that shall not have necessary voyces in determining controversies of Religion or in making Rules and Canons for preventing Schisme I should have been afraid to beleeve thus much of any sober man professing Christianitie unlesse I had seen A book to this purpose perused as is pretended in the Frontispice by the Learned in the Laws But the Author hath wisely concealed his own name and the names of those learned in the Lawes which are in grosâ—â— pretended for its Approbation And therefore I shall avoid suspition of ayming at any particular out of mis-affection to his person in passing this general Censure No man could have had the heart to write it no man the face to read it without blushing or indignation but he that was altogether unlearned and notoriously ignorant in the Law of God in the Law of nature and in the Fundamental points of Christianitie 6. All Errors in this kind proceed from these Originals First The Authors of them Charitie may hope by Incogitancie or want of consideration rather than out of Malice seek to subject the Clergie unto the same Rule unto which the Church was subject for the first 300. years after Christ during which time the Kings and Emperours under which the Christians lived were Heathens And whilst the chief Governours were such no Christians could exercise Coercive Authoritie as to Fine imprison or banish any that did transgresse the Lawes of God or of the Church The Apostles themselves could use no other manner of punishment besides delivering up to Satan Excommunication or inhibition from hearing the word or receiving the Sacraments Secondly the Authors of the former Errors consider not That whilest the Church was in this subjection to meer Civil and not Christian Power the Lay-Christians of what rank soever though noble men by birth were as straightly confined and kept under as were the Clergie Yea the Clergie in those times had greater authoritie over Lay-Christians then any other men had Authority much greater over the greatest then any besides the Romish Prelates do this day challenge over the meanest of their flocks But after Kings and Emperors and other supream Magistrates were once converted to the Christian Faith their dignities were no whit abated but gained this Addition to their former Titles that they were held supream Magistrates in Causes Ecclesiastick That is they had power of calling Councils and Synods for quelling Schisms and Heresies in the Church power likewise to punish the Transgressors of such Laws or Canons as had been made by former Godly Bishops or Prelates which lived under Heathen States or of such as the Bishops or Clergy which lived under their Government should make for the better Government of Christs Church Unto punishments meerly spiritual which the Apostles and Bishops had formerly only used Christian Emperors added punishments temporal as imprisonment of body loss of goods exile or death according to the nature and qualitie of the transgression But that any Laws or Canons were made by Christian Kings or Emperors for the Government of the Church or that any Controversies in Religion were determined without the Express Suffrages and Consents of Bishops and Pastors though all wayes ratified by the Soveraigntie of the Nation or State for whom such Canons were made no man until these dayes wherein we live did ever question 7. And of such as question or oppose Episcopal Authoritie in these Cases I must say as once before out of this place in like case I did If Heathen they be in heart and would perswade the Layetie again to become Heathens their Resolutions are Christian at least their conclusions are such as a good Christian living under Heathens would admit But if Christians they be in heart and profession their Conclusions are heathenish or worse For what Heathen did ever deny their Priests the chief stroke or sway in making Lawes or ordinances concerning the Rites or service of their Gods or in determining Points Controverted in Religion To conclude this Point The men that seek to be most contrary to the Romish Church and are most forward to judge her for enlarging the Prerogative of Priesthood beyond its ancient
yet obedience is due unto them in particular and they which disobey or transgress them in any particular are to be punished or made Examples lest others be emboldened to do the like And the Reason why they would have such punished which I would request you to observe is lest their impunity should minister offence to the weak brethren And a man cannot give greater offence to the weak or ignorant then by emboldening them to disobedience in Cases wherein obedience is due But soon after these Publick Injunctions other Private Spirits rose up which out of desire to be Extreamly Contrary to the Romish Church concerning Traditions did expresly contradict their Lawful Governors in that Article The Contrary Error into which they run by seeking to avoid the error of the Romish Church was in brief This That no Christian man is bound to obey superiors in matters of sacred Rite or Ceremony or in Duties of ordinary practise unless their Governors or such as demand their Obedience can shew them expresse Authority of Scripture or can convince their understandings that God by his Word doth enjoyn them to obey in these particulars But thus to oppose the Romish Church by way of Contrarietie is but to seek the overthrow of a Tyranny by the Erection of an Anarchie For if the Flock or inferior members of the Church owe no obedience unto their superiors but upon these Termes then Pastors Prelates yea Kings should owe the same obedience unto the meanest Tradesmen or Day-labourers that Tradesmen or Day-labourers owne to them For Pastors and Prelates even Kings themselves are bound to obey the Word of God by whomsoever it shall be manifested or made known unto them and to obey it in every particular which it manifestly injoynes And if obedience were not due to Pastors Prelates and Kings in matters concerning the service of God or sacred Rites until they can shew warrant for every particular which they enjoyn out of Gods word there were no obedience at all due unto them but unto Gods Word only And every man might say to them as the Emperour said to the Pope Non Tibi sed Petro. But so the Sacred Rule of Faith and manners should be not the Author of such Order as we believe it is but an occasion of confusion in every Christian Estate or Congregation 10. But this is the happiness of the English Church or Clergie that all the Arguments which have been or can be brought by Factious or discontented spirits in matters of Rites Ceremonies or Discipline do draw their strength from such false or mistaken Principles as if way were given to their growth or exercise of their force they could not peck the least hole in the Miter or make the least thirle in the Surpellice without working a proportionable crack or flaw in the Royal Crown Their Authors disobedience to Lawes or Discipline Ecclesiastick would quickly induce if opportunitie served open rebellion against the Prerogative Royal. Reason and Experience had taught the Heathen States-men That it was a matter of like sufferance or equally insufferable to live Ubi omnia Licita et ubi nihil Licitum In A State wherein all must be subject to the Will of One man and in a place where every man may do what he will A Tyran is like a Ravenous Beast which devours all that comes within his Walk or Range but which there are many wayes for a wise man to escape But if a Tyrannie once dissolve into an Anarchie Homo homini fit Lupus every man becomes a Wolfe unto his neighbour Their habitations or places of meeting become but nests of waspes or serpents 11. Let Rome then be accounted as it was when our Forefathers departed from it and as it still remains the spiritual Babylon Let the Pope be a Tyran more cruel and Barbarous then Nebuchadnezzar or Belshazzar yet let us remember that when God called his people out of Babylon he called them unto Jerusalem which is by interpretation the vision of peace A citie as the Psalmist in the literal sense perhaps meant compacted But in the mystical or Emblematical sense a City at unity in it self The long Durance of an hard and forein yoke had taught them subjection unto their native Governours Zerubbabel their Prince and Jesus their High-Priest The hatred contempt and scorn which they had endured amongst barbarous Aliens was a Cement to unite their hearts in brotherly affections But we by misimploying our peace and securitie of dread from the Enemy have turned the Grace of God into wantonness and transformed that Christian Libertie which our forefathers purchased with their Ashes into such Licentiousness as if we had departed out of Babylon to build a Babel in Jerusalem How have our Printing-houses become the Cels and Arcenals of strife and contention And our Pulpits been made Babels or Towers of Confusion When the men which came from the East attempted to build a Tower unto Heaven God as you know confounded their Language that they could not understand one another and the enterprize was dissolved and the enterprizers were dispersed over the face of the earth This was the Lords doing and therefore it was a confusion which did not end in Contention Though one of them did not understand another Yet we do not read but that every man did well understand himself But our misery is that every one will over-understand another when he doth not half-understand himself or the matter whereof he writes or speaks and so raiseth contention without an Adversarie and builds up a Babel without help making a confusion without mixture of Language only by pouring out his own simplicitie ignorance and malice and making no conscience of taking Gods Name in vain quoting Scripture to no other end then to countenance blasphemie or to dazle the eyes of the unlearned whilst he transforms the Nature and Goodness of God into worse similitudes then the Papists or Heathen do One while speaking against Arminians another while unwittingly pleading for them one Page containing a comfortable Use or Application whereas in the next before and after it he hath laid the Doctrinal Foundations of despaire or more then desperate presumption Thus to contradict themselves is so familiar and natural unto them that they cannot endure to be contradicted by any others which in the spirit of meekness would shew them the way how they might maintain all those Conclusions which they so much labour for and that without giving advantage to the Adversaries without dissension or disagreeing from themselves 12. These are the men that must be disclaimed as no true members of the English Church or at least no fit Expositors of her Tenets Otherwise we shall be inforced to grant that our Church participates as well of Babel or Beth-aven as of Bethel I have been the bolder to insist the longer upon This Point because some of good place and Authority in the Church and Common-weale take notice That some unlicensed and scandalous
pamphlets Schismatical and Seditious books find no where better welcome or entertainment then in this Town And wise men I hope will account it a work of charitie rather then of crueltie to take Rats-bane from children albeit they should long after it more greedily then after any wholsom meat Or if any be so stubborn as not to part with this poison by gentle perswasions the only Remedie must be to exclude them from communicating with others in the food of life For us Dearly beloved let us in the bowels of Christ Jesus I beseech you content our selves with the Reformation already established by Authority It is no time to sally out against the Adversary in single bands or scattered companies but rather with the joynt forces of our united affections of prayers and endeavours either to batter the Foundation of their Churches wals or manfully to defend our own keeping our selves within the bounds whereunto authoritie hath confined us The common Adversaries of the Truth which we professe want no strength of wit or weapons of Art to work upon all advantages which our ignorance negligence indiscretion or dissension may present unto them And this one great advantage they have of us that we for the most part fight as it were every man upon his own head without the advice or appointment of our chief Leaders and Commanders So do not our Adversaries they have the perfect Discipline of War And I cannot but approve his wish That either they had our vine or we their fence And it is a Rule to be observed aswell in spiritual warfare as in any others yea most especially in it Arma tenenti Omnia dat qui justa negat By denying that to our Adversaries whereto they have fair Title out of Gods Word or out of Venerable Orthodoxal Antiquitie we shall but betray the true Cause which we maintain against them in main and Fundamental Points which if we would wisely maintein them are most defensible Observe I beseech you what hath been said unto you and the God of wisdom and of peace give you understanding in all things profitable to your Salvation CHAP. XXXIX The Third Sermon upon this Text. ROMANS 2. 1. Therefore Thou art inexcusable O man c. A Romish Error breeding Doubt of Salvation charged upon its proper evident Ground viz Their making The Intention of A Bishop Essentially necessarie to the Consecration of A priest And the Intention of a Priest so necessary that no Sacrament can be without it The Error of The Contrarij Teaching a Preposterous immature Certaintie of Salvation The Right Mean betwixt or cure of these extremities prescribed unto us by our Reformers of Blessed memorie contained in the Publick Acts of The Church 1. ANother Doctrinal Point there was mainteined by the Romish Church when our Fathers departed from it which required Reformation And this Point contains all the several Tenets of that Church which did occasion or nurse Doubt of Salvation or Perplexity of Conscience in every private man so often as he should examine his Estate in Grace his hopes or Interest in Gods mercy or promises to all First then by Gods assistance Of the General Error or that branch of it which especially required Reformation Secondly Of the Contrary Error or Inconveniencies into which many by Curiositie of Reformation have run Thirdly Of the True Mean or Orthod oxal Doctrine which the Reformers of our Church did hold and maintain and have delivered unto us in the Publick Acts of the Church approved and ratified by the General Consent of this Kingdom The Error of the Romish Church was Doubt of Salvation with This Error that Church hath been often charged by all the best writers of Reformed Churches But sometimes or by some men in those Churches not upon so Evident Ground as it might be charged For some there be which charge this Error directly upon their Tenet concerning The Nature of Faith or Hope But for their Defence if we joyn issue with them upon those Terms they have more to say then they can have if we charge this Error upon their Doctrine concerning The Intention of the Priest in the Administration of the Sacraments By whose hidden vertue Faith and Hope are begotten and increased For how much soever they may seem to magnifie The Sacraments of the New Testament in respect of the Sacraments of the Law as that they conferre Grace upon the receivers of them Ex Opere operato by the very Sacramental action which the Sacraments of the Law did not Yet all this being granted no man can be more certain of his Estate in Grace then he is of the good Intention of the Priest which administred the Sacraments Now this Assurance or perswasion of the Priests Intention can be no sure Ground of Faith truly Christian 2. The Sacrament of Baptism they hold to be absolutely necessary unto Salvation and that All such infants as die without Baptisme are excluded from the Kingdom of Heaven And yet they hold withall that Unlesse the Priest when he comes to Baptize any Infant do intend to do what the Church appoints him to do the Baptisme is invalid or of none effect albeit he use the Formal Words of Baptisme and apply the Sacramental element to the body of the Infant presented by the solemn prayers of the Church or Congregation present Besides the solemn Pronunciation of the Words I Baptize thee in the Name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Ghost and the washing of the body in water there must be Interior mentis intentio the internal Intention of the Priests minde must joyntly concur with the Word and Sacrament or rather with the Holy Ghost for producing the Invisible Grace or Gift of the Spirit which is the proper Effect of the Sacrament So that how well soever the Parents the Friends and neighbours assembled demean themselves at or before the performance of this Sacred Act yet every Infant brought to the Sacred Laver may be Two Wayes remedilesly prejudiced by the Priest to the ruine of its soul or losse of salvation First It may be deprived of the fruit or benefit of this Sacrament which is by their Doctrine absolutely necessary to salvation by the meer negligence or carelesnesse of the Priest as in Case he forget in heart or mind to intend his dutie of doing that which the Church in like Case usually doth or appoints to be done whatsoever else he do or say all is nothing it is no Baptisme Secondly The Infant may be so far prejudiced as is said by the malice or impietie of the Priest As in Case he be so wickedly disposed as secretly to subtract or withdraw his Intention by any interposed condition or Limitation though not expressed the Baptisme is invalid or of no effect To give you One of their own Instances or Ruled Cases If one should come to one of their Priests and request him to baptize such a mans child naming his Parents and
he shall thus with himself resolve If this very child be brought unto me I intend to do to him as the Church enjoyns but if any other be presented unto me I have no Intention to baptize him however I use the words of Baptisme and wash him with water The Resolution of their Doctors is that in Case another child be brought unto the Font and not that Individual child for which he was first spoken unto he shall have no benefit by his Baptisme 3. For a Priest to make such secret Conditions limitations or reservations the Romish Doctors acknowledge to be a wicked and sacrilegious part But this is all the comfort which the Infant presumed to be baptized or his Parents can have if the Priest be disposed to be thus malitious That the Intention of the Priest is necessarily required not only by way of Precept or to the better administration of the Sacrament but Necessitate Medii as a meanes so necessary that without it there can be no Sacrament at all not their School-men or private Doctors only but some of their General Councils have declared For the Council of Florence makes this Intention of the Priest to be of the very Essence of the Sacrament Now Essentia non Suscipit magis minus If the Priests Intention be of the Essence of this Sacrament it must be as necessary as the Intention of the holy Ghost And yet their later Doctors are in this point more Rigid then the ancient were which lived not long after the Council of Florence For Thomas of Aquine the great Master of the modern Jesuites required only an habitual Intention his Scholars the Jesuites alwayes required a virtual Intention which is more then an habitual Again whereas some of their Doctors in Ages past did think it a Probable Opinion which might without Censure of impietie be believed that in Case ordinary Priests were negligent or otherwise defective in the administration of the Sacraments the High-Priest of our souls to wit Christ Jesus might or would supply their defect or negligence Zuares a late great Doctor in that Church censures the Author of this opinion for his zeal without discretion And Soto another great Doctor who was present at the Council of Trent peremptorily denies all relief or remedy from Christ to any Infant in Case the Priest will be so wicked as either not to Intend to do what the Church doth appoint or to withdraw his Intention or purpose to do him good by baptizing him If the Priest purpose to remit his sins by Baptism they are remitted by Christ if he purpose not to remit them but to retain them they are not remitted but retained by Christ 4. Besides the Sacrament of Baptism and the Sacrament of the Lords Supper which Two the Reformed Churches only acknowledge instituted by Christ as generally necessary to salvation the Romish Church presseth Three other upon all Lay-People as necessary unto their salvation Ex necessitate praecepti that is they are bound in duty to receive them and in Case they omit them when they may have them they forfeit their interest in Gods promises And those are the Sacrament of Confirmation the Sacrament of Absolution upon Confession and the Sacrament of Extreme Unction These make a plausible shew or pretence that the Romish Church hath greater store of means for salvation or for conferring Grace then Reformed Churches have But how well soever God by their doctrine hath provided for their Church in granting it such a multitude of Sacraments such an extraordinary manner by w ch their supposed Sacraments confer Grace upon such as receive them yet when all is done they grant a Negative voice to the Priest in the distribution of all Sacramental Grace And such a Negative as is not usual in other Cases For all other Governors of humane Societies whether Ecclesiastick or Civil have only a Negative voice which if they do not expresly use their silence is interpreted for a Grant or testification of their Consent unto the business proposed But albeit the Priest profess his Consent unto the Sacramental Act by pronouncing the Sacramental words yet if he be pleased by secret Condition or tacit Limitation to withdraw the Consent of mind or spirit from his external act or words pronounced by him the Spirit of God shall want his influence upon the souls of such as receive the Sacrament And as they grant a Negative unto every ordinary Priest in the distribution of Sacramental Grace unto the Laytie So they give the like Negative unto the Bishop or Prelate in the distribution of Sacramental Grace unto their Priests For the ordination of Priests is in their Doctrine a Sacrament of the new Law or Gospel and of this Sacrament the Intention of the Bishop or Prelate which administreth it is an Essential part If the Bishop either through negligence or malitiousness do not afford his secret Intention or consent the ordination of the Priest is invalid the words pronounced by him or imposition of hands doth imprint no Character upon his soul and without this character he is no Priest 5. And here by the way you may inform your selves why such as are contented in all points to believe as the Romish Church believeth have their own Priests or Prelates in such esteem or estimation as no other people besides have their lawful Governors The true Reason is not any extraordinary worth in their persons but this strange kind of Power or Authoritie which were it true or where it is acknowledged to be true might justly exact double honour more then humane even both parts of that honour which the heathens respectively gave unto their several gods Some gods the heathens honoured with Placatorie Sacrifices lest being neglected they should do them harm Other gods whom they conceived to be the Authors or distributers of things good and comfortable they adored or honoured with propitiatory Sacrifices Both kinds of sacrifices or services one and the same Romish Priest may wrest from the people committed to his charge The one to wit Placatorie Sacrifices he may exact and the people will be ready to perform lest he withdraw or alienate his Intention from them or their children whilest he administers the Sacrament unto them For his malitious or fraudulent withdrawing of his Intention from the Sacrament may procure them greater losse or harm then the Heathen could conceive their angry or wreakful gods could work them The other kind of Sacrifices to wit Propitiatorie the people committed to his charge will be willing to exhibit to the Romish Priest that he may be the more diligent circumspect and attentive whilest he administreth the Sacraments seeing upon supposal or presumption of his diligence or Intention in this business they hope for a greater blessing then the heathens expected from their good or favourable gods But to conclude this First Point If we put all these together First The Intention of the Prelate or the Bishop necessary by their doctrine