Gospel preacht by this Author R. B. and the Gospel preacht by St. Paul to be different and not the same First because the Gospel preacht by St. Paul was accompanied with infallible Divine evidence to attest the truth thereof for the conversion of men and whereon infallibly to ground their faith and obedience thereunto without which he neither would nor could binde any to beleeve and obey it but the Gospel preacht by this Author hath no such evidence yet he will dare to say That all at least those that hear it are bound to beleeve and obey it Secondly Because illiterate men are uncapable of the Gospel preacht by this Author without their taking many things implicitely upon trust and upon the word of their Teachers as he himself tells us in page 238 239. of his Saints Rest where he thus expresseth himself viz. Something must be taken upon trust from man whether we will or no yet no uncertainty in our faith neither For First saith he The meer illiterate man must take it upon trust that the Book is a Bible which he hears read for else he knows not but it may be some other Book Secondly That these words are in it which the Reader pronounceth Thirdly That it is translated truly out of the Original Languages Fourthly That the Greek and Hebrew Copies out of which it was translated are true authentick Copies Fifthly That it was Originally written in these Languages These with many more as he there tells us the vulgar must take upon the word of their Teachers Behold here what use and benefit this Author makes of his having now the full use and benefit of the Holy Ghost which was formerly given and then sealed the Christian Doctrines and Scriptures and stands there still as he tells us if we could beleeve him in his Book of Infidelity Part â— pag 32. And must we needs therefore take these and all other his Doctrines which he hath raised or may raise either from Scripture or out of his own fancy for true and undoubted Christian Doctrines formerly sealed by the Holy Ghost upon the account of his bare saying That he hath now the full use and benefit of the Holy Ghost formerly given c. Sir If this be your meaning then speak it plainly out and for shame doe not impose upon the world such Gâ—olleries as these meerly by implication But the Gospel preacht by St. Paul and other the true Ministers of Jesus Christ needed none of all this it being preacht to all people in their own Languages and to the understanding of the meanest and this was all the Originals Copies and Translations that they were troubled withall or needed to bring them to the faith of the Gospel they not being necessitated to take the least tittle thereof impliâ—itely upon trust or upon the word or credit of their Teachers For When Philip went down to the City of Samaria and preached Christ unto them the vulgar people as illiterate as they were with one accord gave heed to the things which Philip spake hearing and seeing the Miracles which he did and without more ado they beleeved and were baptised both men and women Act. 8 12. All which was done before any of these beleevers had received the Spirit for after this were sent from Jerusalem Peter and John who administred the Spirit to them by laying their hands on them ver 17. Even as Peter declared their ordinary method of administring of the Spirit to be after faith and baptism Act. 2. 38 39. by his bidding the Jews to repent and be baptized every one of them and that they i. e. every one of them should then receive the gift of the Spirit because the promise to wit of the Spirit was to them and their children and to all that should afterward be converted or called to the faith of the Gospel as well all afar off as those that were neer And therefore it was that Paul demanded of the Disciples at Ephesus If they had received the Holy Spirit since they beleeved and they answering That they knew not whether there were any Holy Spirit or not He presently asked them Vnto what then were they baptized He well knowing that the gifts of the Spirit was necessary to be administred to all and to every one after their beleeving and being baptised and therefore by laying his hand on them he administred the gifts of the Spirit to them for thereby the Holy Ghost came on them and they spake with tongues and prophesied Act. the 19. 1 2 3 6. compared with Ephes 1. 13. This also is contrary to the Doctrine of the Gospel now preached by this our Author and others So then it is most evident that to the true Ministery of the Gospel appertained these three special administrations as essentially necessary thereunto 1. The administration of the Word infallibly and evidently attested for the conversion of men to the beleef and obedience thereof 2. The administration of Johns baptism by water for the remission of sins 3. The administration of Christ's baptism with the Spirit by the laying on of hands whereby the gifts of the Spirit were conveyed on the baptised beleevers Moreover St. Paul tells the Corinthians That his preachâ—ng to them was not for them to take any thing from him implicitely upon trust or upon any perswasive words of his or of mans wisdome but upon the demonstration of the Spirit and power which he produced before them to attest the tâ—uth and Divine Authority of his Doctrine that so their faith should not stand upon the word credit or wisdome of men but upon the power of God 1 Cor. 2. 4 5. for if they should have taken it implicitely upon the word and credit of Paul so great an Apostle as â—e was without the aforesaid Divine infallible evidence This had not been to beleeve God but to have resolved their faith into some humane testimony even to have laid their foundation upon the sand where all would have fallen at the next assault as this Author himself hath told us in his Saints Rest pag. 20â— 3. The Gospel preach'd by St. Paul was joyful news to every creature under Heaven Col. 1. 23. But the Gospel preach'd by this Author is far short of that being sad news to most men especially to such as beleeve not his Doctrines when they often interfere thwart one another as in part is here already shewed yea and some things published by him in print hath he already in print * Next to the 160. pag. of his Saints Rest part 1. He thus writes viz Reader understand that since I wrote this I begin to doubt of the soundness of what is expressed in the four next foregoing pages which I am not ashamed to acknowledge but ashamed that I published it so rashly revoked and so may he doe as there is just cause many more before he die yea it is hoped that he will ere long publickly own this truth which he now
publickly opposeth for he hath so closely pursued it and so neerly approached it that he cannot but see some glimpses of its glory For why else would he or needed he to have so perverted Joh. 15. 24. as he hath often done to obscure its lustre to prevent its shining forth to the view of all men and that so purposely and â—â—advisedly if the truth opposed by him had not glanced its light fully and directly into his face and he cannot but know how unsafe and dangerous it is in any man to persist in opposing a truth after it is once discerned by him Fourthly The Gospel which St. Paul preached was the same which Christ preached but the Gospel preach'd by this Author is not the same which Christ preached because the Doctrine of the Gospel which Christ preached would be proved and upheld by Joh. 15. 24. being truly and in its genuine sence cited but the Doctrine of the Gospel preach'd by this Author would be disproved and overthrown by its being truly and in its genuine sence cited for why else would he or needed he so much and so often as he in his writings hath done to have perverted it to a contrary sence or to any other then its true and genuine sence to prove his Doctrine He being no Baby not to know what he did nor why he did it when he did it Whence will necessarily result these conclusions First That the Gospel preached by this Author not being the same which Christ and St. Paul preach'd must be some other and being any other cannot be the true nor he any true Minister of the Gospel Secondly That none can be blest by beleeving or obeying the Gospel which he preacheth because St. Paul positively asserts Gal. 1. 8. Though we or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel unto you then that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed This he duplicates in the next verse thus As we said â—efore so say I again If any man preach any other Gospel unto you then that ye have heard let him be accursed And who now can secure this our Author from the reach of these Comminations or reasonably imagine how any man can be blest in beleeving or obeying that Gospel for the preaching whereof the preacher is accursed Thirdly That this Authors Sermons and Books are liable to the same destiny unto which he himself hath doomed almost all other mens In his Saints Rest Part 1. pag. 132. where he makes these pathetical demands viz. How many Sermons zealously preached How many Books studiously compiled will then to wit in the world come by the Authors be all disclaimed These interrogations implying negations are as if he should have said That the Sermons and Books which will in the world to come be disclaimed by the Authors are so many as they can hardly be numbred And why may we not put into this numerous company the Sermons and Books also of the rest of the Presbyterians of whom one both learned and Mr. John Goodwin in his fresh discovery of the high Presbyterian Spirit pag. 38 56. judicious thus writes viz. That day after day they preach broad-faced contradictions and make the Scripture to say and unsay which being interpreted is to make them say just nothing Nor are many of their writings any whit more excusable upon the same account And that he had thorowly tryed many of their Doctrines and tenents and found them lyars yea and had opportunity to stigmatize them for such publickly and alarm the world concerning the hatefulness and danger of them Wherefore I could wish that our Author in his future undertakings would please to look round about him and to grasp and duly weigh the whole matter of which he intends to treat and to lay aside whatsoever he findes vain or sinewless and no more to obtrude upon the world such empty humane traditions for necessary Divine Doctrines as he hath done and that with such unwarrantable and groundless confidence as thereby he hath given many great advantages more then I finde hath been yet taken against him by any Alas poor mortals silly wretches dust and ashes meer baggs of warm dung as we are can we command back the Sun when it is set or instead thereof place in the Firmament some equivalent light to prevent the darkness which necessarily will follow its setting No more can we though furnished with all the acquired Arts of humane learning our natures are capable of call back the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ when it is withdrawn by God as now apparently it is the times and seasons for these things being solely in his own power and dispose For doth not the Scripture plainly fore-tel of these times of general Apostasie was not the woman Rev. 12. expounded by the learned to typifie the true Church to be driven into the wilderness from the converse and sight of men to be fed there by God and therefore not by Popedoms Bishopticks Masterships of Colledges or Hospitals Parsonages Tythes Augmentation or any other forced maintenance from men And was not her Man-child the Masculine Divine and powerful gifts he firâ—tborn fruits of the Spirit to be taken up unto God and to his throne from whom and whence they were at first received by Christ and given unto men Eph. 4. 8 11. compared with Act. 2. 33. and are not these in more abundance to be powred out on the sons of men Before the great and terrible day of the Lord Joel 2. Act. 2. compared with Esa 44. 3. even when he shall send his Angel to preach and make known his everlasting Gospel unto them that dwell upon the earth Rev. 14. 6. and when he shall call his ancient people the Jews until which time this Babylonish darkness which hath overspread the world is like to continue even that darkness which the Prophet tells us shall cover the earth and gross darkness the people or Gentiles until they shall come and partake of the Jews light when the Lord shall arise to them and his glory be seen upon them Isa 60. 1 2 3. And therefore the duty most incumbent upon us now in these Aporetick times is not to hate persecute judge or condemn one another in matters of Religion but to joyn in prayer for and with the Jewes That God would be merciful unto them and bless them and cause his face to shine upon them that his way may be known upon the earth and his saving health among all Nations then shall the earth yeeld her increase and God even their own God shall bless them God shall bless them and all the ends of the earth shall fear him Psal 67. For then many people shall goe and say Come let us goe up unto the mountain of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us his ways and we will walk in his paths for out of Zion shall goe forth the Law and the word of the Lord from
for all have that also nor can it be the perswasions of the Spirit that he can pretend to have which the others may not pretend to have as well as he And I think it may be boldly asserted unpossible for such different perswasions to proceed from the spirit of God as to judge or condemn one another for Hereticks or Erroneous Persons either as these do Wherefore it is more safe and reasonable to deem that none of them all were nor are indued with the Spirit of God but such onely who could or can and also did or do manifest the same by some Divine Evidence and Demonstration as none being destitute thereof can possibly do The fourth Charge is in the eighth page being thus If the Church or Ministery saith R. B. had an end Christs Kingdom had an end and he Reigned not for ever Mat. 28. 20. Lo I am with you alwayes even to the end of the world To this express Promise Clem. Writer hath no wiser an answer but that it is conditional if they teach men to observe all things that Christ hath commanded them he will be with them else not To which R. B. replies and saies This is your forgery there is no such words but an absolute Promise Answ And doth the Promise indeed come in so independently as R. B. hath here set it forth Reader see with thine own eyes for thou and I too have look'd too much and too long with other mens see if it hath not a necessary Dependence and Relation to the next precedent words in the Text which thou shalt finde to run thus viz. Going therefore teach or disciple all or in all nations baptizing them c. teaching them i. e. the baptized Disciples to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you alway even to the end of the world The genuine and true sence whereof I conceive to be this viz. That in their so doing and teaching alway Christ promiseth to be with them and their true Successors alway even to the end of the world But R. B. his sense seems to be thus much That Christ doth there promise absolutely to be with them and their successors alway even to the end of the world they teaching whatsoever false Doctrine or introducing never so many humane inventions into the Gospel-Worship yet that Christ's promise is absolute still to be with them alway even to the end of the World notwithstanding An Exposition highly gratifying the Pope and justifying his Divine Authority being Peters Successor No Papist can advantage him by an Exposition of this Text more or better then R. B. hath here done And whereas R. B. tells me This is your forgery there is no such words but an absolute promise Answ Can any man give his Sence of any Text or explain the meaning thereof but he must do it in some other and more words then are in the Text yea and doth not R. B. himself in the next words following tell us That the promise is absolute Christ being with them to support and help them in his Work Answ These words not being in the Text is his forgery also for how else is my taking but the same liberty forgery and his doing the same thing no forgery But perhaps his Commission is with a non obstante to pervert or falsyfie Scripture at his pleasure and yet have the absolute promise of Christ still to be with him to support and help him in that his Work How strangely hath he perverted the true meaning of this Text For 1. He cites the last words thereof as if they had been intire and absolute without dependence upon any precedent words 2. The word whatsoever he leaves out and also them which relates to the baptized disciples and instead thereof he foysteth in men as if the teaching last mentioned in the Text had relation to men in general and unconverted whereas it is confined onely to the baptized Disciples that they being converted and baptized should then be taught to observe all things whatsoever Christ had commanded those eleven Disciples and accordingly R. B. himself hath opened and given the sense of this very Text in his book of Infidelity Part 4. page 40. And nothing in Scripture is more evident then that Christ after his Resurrection commanded these eleven not to go out in the exercise of their Ministery and preaching of the Gospel for the converson of men to the faith until they were indued with power from on high telling them that they should be so indued when the Holy Ghost was come upon them Luk. 24. 49. Act. 1. 4 5 8. And as these were commanded by Christ so they accordingly stayed and waited until they received this power before they went forth Now if R. B. had been disciplized and baptized by any of these Eleven or by any true Ministery succeeding them he ought and undoubtedly should have been taught the very same Lesson viz. to stay until he had been indued with like power from on High as these Eleven did and who had run before they had been sent as R. B. hath done if they had not so stayed Multitudes are the Scriptures throughout his first and second sheet which he forceth against their genuine sence to do him Divine Service in up-holding the Ministery he pleads for In his first sheet page 4. he brings in for that purpose Christs speech in Luke 10. 16. He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me Answ These words were spoken by Christ to the twelve Disciples Chap. 9. 1. and to the seventy Chap. 10. 1. VVhom he sent out to preach giving them power over all devils and diseases and to do other miraculous works to attest the truth of their Mission and Message as is to be seen Chap. 9. 1 2 6. and Chap. 10. 9 17 18 19. Charging them to take nothing for their journey neither staves shooes scrip bread purse nor money giving them also other special directions for their behaviour wheresoever they came Chap. 9. 3 c. Chap. 10. 3 c. Now although these words of Christ were truly applicable to these to whom they were spoken and to all others succeeding them unto whom God should himself in like manner bear witness by such mighty works yet are they not applicable to any others to whom God bears no such witness The Reason is because their preachings being evidently witnessed by God himself to be truth it was and might therefore be truly said of such He that believed not them made God a lyar And also to such He that heareth you heareth me c. Yet it is no more true nor appliable to the preachings of R. B. nor of any of the Ministers he pleads for coming without such Divine Evidence then it is to the Preachings of the Jesuites or of any other coming without such Divine Evidence to attest the truth of their Mission or
we shall then be necessitated to despise the other party and by consequence to despise Christ and God himself but God puts no people upon any such necessities and therefore also the Ministers of the reformed Churches are not the true Ministers of Christ Whence will as a necessary consequence follow That all the Arguments which are or can be brought by R. B. to prove them such are fallacious and deceitful and all the Scriptures brought by him to ground and make good the said Arguments are perverted and abused because no good or sound Argument nor any Scripture in its true and genuine sence can be brought or produced to prove a lye and falshood as this is And if they who said they were Jews when they were not blasphemed Rev. 2. 9. What do they less who say They are the Ambassadors and Ministers of Jesus Christ when they are not Now if any skilful in humane Arts will please to put these Grounds and Reasons into Syllogistical Forms he may but I must let him know That this is not desired by the forementioned plain man for we may gather his Opinion of humane Learning and of the Art of Logick by his words uttered at Nice who had therefore rather with a plain and sincere minde with Faith and good works trust to such plain and downright Grounds and Reasons of his own then to any Artificial Logical or Fallacious Arguments brought now into the Churches by humane Learning whereby such a cunning Sophister as R. B. is able to make plain men such as he was believe The Crow is white the Swan black and the Moon to be made of green Cheese A POST-SCRIPT READER THe supposed ground of this Charge if he had any at all from my mouth was from a small Conference he had with me some five years since after which about three years since he sent me a Book of his Infidelity desiring me impartially to read it over which when I did I found therein very many things unsound at least to my apprehension some few whereof I noted in the Margent with my Pen with some hints of my exceptions thereunto which Book when I had thus gone through I returned unto him again with an Epistle in a blank Page thereof The Copy of which here followeth To Mr. RICHARD BAXTER At KIDDERMINSTER This deliver SIR I Have read over this your elaborate Piece most Learnedly and Zealously compiled wherein are many observable Things some excellent Good and some liable to Exception being asserted with much more Confidence then Proof at least as I conceive I have noted some few Places bear with the Rudeness and Imperfections thereof being sudden Conceptions hastily exprest not in the least intending it for your scanning but marking them meerly for my own further Consideration upon a Re-view But in my second Thuoghts considering your Ingenuity and Worth in divers respects to exceed the ordinary Pitch of Men of your Function I altered my Intention and resolved to subject the same notwithstanding all its Defects to your View well knowing that you by your far greater Abilities can easily descant what further and more exactly to that or the like effect might be urged by an abler Pen which I wish you would please impartially and without offence to consider as I have done your Book sent me I hope in much Candor and Love for which being much obliged I kindly thank you Farewel Decem. 1. 1655. Clement Writer The Reasons of my thus returning the book were chiefly these First I saw the contents thereof were such as made me something suspect that it was sent me as an Assault to provoke me to some open Contest with him which I desired to prevent as being not onely indisposed thereunto but also utterly unable to incounter with such an Assailant though it were to defend Truth against him Secondly considering if I should have made no return nor given him any account at all of my reading it he might have imagined that Truth had been on his side and have ascribed the modesty of my silence to the prevalency of that which he mis-calls Truth Wherefore to prevent both these I sent him in this loving and private manner my notes for him to consider of taking him then to be both honest and ingenious but I am not the first that hath been mistaken in that kind and therefore thought that by my communicating to him my apprehensions in this Friendly and private manner I should have had the like Love and Friendship returned me or at least never any way to have been quarrelled with about our different perswasions otherwise then by some friendly and private conference about the same which I expected and desired But I heard nothing from him at all about my Notes nor ought else until about August 1657. He being then in Worcester sent to speak with me I readily went my selfe alone thinking then he intended some such Conference but I was much deceived therein for coming to the House where he was he sent for me up to him in a Chamber whereinto I had no sooner entred but in came one slinking after me in a Ministers habit and without speaking any word sate him down at a distance from us in the same Room which observing I resolved in my self to be very reserved whatsoever his business was with me The Scoene being thus set in a stern authoritative manner he began to question me about a small Treatise then lately come forth intituled Fides Divina wherein as it seems some few of his Doctrines are touch'd demanding of me who was the Author of that Book I told him If I knew I would not tell him without the Authors leave seeing the Author himself had conceal'd it He then told me That he knew that I was the Author because it concurred with my Animadversions or Notes which formerly I had sent him To which I answered If he knew the Author before why did he but then ask to know who it was Telling him withal that he might be much mistaken in his Conclusion from such a Ground because there were very Many in England of the same Judgement with my Notes and far abler then my self to compile such a Book After which he would have had me declare my Faith and he would declare his and then see how far we agreed and in that we differ'd he would reason or Dispute it with me but this I declined telling him That I was no meet Match for him so great a Scholar unless I had some as great as himself to unty his fallacies wherewith hee might else soon entangle me Yet then the better to allure me to speak out fully according to the monstrous shape and ugly look of his aims He said to me What dare you not declare your Faith You need not fear any thing now in this time of Liberty But this Bait neither would be swallowed by me for I then ask'd him If it would be his wisdome without all fear upon such terms to
of men being in an unknown Tongue to them A. Especially as it came from the first Pen-men thereof Page 81. B. As these Testimonies were left by him to wit Christ on certain Record N. Upon what Record was it so left by Christ Page 149. B. Would you have him bring you another Gospel when Paul would hold an Angel from heaven accursed if he should so do Gal. 1. 7 8 9. N. The sence of this Text is perverted being applied to the Scripture A. For the Text runs thus Though we or an Angel from heaven preach any other Gospel unto you then that that we have preached unto you let him be accursed As we said before so say I now again If any man preach any other Gospel unto you then that ye have received let him be accursed So that it is evident that Paul here had reference onely to the preaching of the Gospel to the Galatians whereby they were converted to the Faith which preaching was confirmed to them by miracles and by ministring to them the Spirit after their believing as may be seen Chap. 3. 5. Insomuch that this Text being rightly understood and duly considered quite overthrows that Doctrine which this Author would maintain and here prove by it Page 150. B. This is the Word which is able to make men wise to salvation N. Through Faith in Christ Jesus A. And through that alone the Gentiles were also made wise to salvation who knew not the Scripture Page 150. B. By this word it is that those must be washed and cleansed and sanctified whom Christ will present pure and spotless to his Father at last Ephes 5. 26. N. The Word preached by the true Ministry witnessed by God and not the Scripture is here meant Page 167. B. That many Heathens excel in this Learning to wit Humane Learning and it was Gods Truth which they received by the study of the Creatures though they detained it in Unrighteousness yea so much excellency was in it that the abuse of it will leave them without excuse though they never had the Scriptures nor heard of Christ for that which may be known of God is manifest in them for God shewed it unto them For the invisible things of him from the Creation of the world are cleerly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal Power and Godhead so that they are without excuse Rom. 1. 19 20. N. If I am not much mistaken the sence of this Text is here much mistaken A. For these Heathen came not to the understanding of the Eternal Power Godhead by Humane Learning nor by the Study of the Creatures but by Gods manifesting it to them in the preaching of the Gospel which was invisible or hid from or ever since the Creation of the World being the mystery which from the beginning of the World hath been hid in God Eph. 3. 8 9. and hid from Ages and generations but then made manifest Coloss 1. 25 26. This mysterious hidden or invisible power and Godhead or Divine Essence did God shew to them and was clearly seen by them and that by the preaching of the Gospel and by the mighty and powerful works done or wrought among them for the Confirmation thereof Made is very unaptly put into our Translation instead whereof done or wrought would more fitly set forth the sence of the Apostle in that place And then when these Heathen after so clear a discovery and manifestation to them of the only true and powerful God by the Gospel fell back againe to their former Idolatry this was it which aggravated both their sin and punishment to so great a height but if the same discovery had been made to them by humane Learning or the study of the Creatures then they had been guilty of the same sin and so would have been made liable to the same punishment ever since the Creation and their attaining humane Learning because they formerly committed the same Idolatry but yet were not at all guilty of the same degree of sin nor liable thereby to the same punishment for in respect of the times before the coming of Christ and the Gospel God winked at as times of their Ignorance Act. 17. 30. which could not be if that the eternal Power and God-head had been so clearly manifested to them as in the Text is set forth by the Creation or the study of the Creatures by humane Learning Nor was it the Apostles drift or business to tell the Romans there what means of knowledge the world had 4000 years before nor was it to set forth or declare the vertue or excellency of humane Learning nor of the knowledge attainable by it or by the Creation but to set forth the great and mighty power of God which had been hid from Ages and Generations since the world began but was then made manifest by the power which accompanied the Gospel beginning at the 16 verse thus 16. I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God to Salvation to every one that believeth to the Jew first and also to the Greek This he proves and sets forth by its effects in divers instances in the four next following verses thus For there-in or by it 17. Is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith as it is written The just shall live by faith 18. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the Truth in unrighteousness 19. That which might be known of God is manifest to them for God hath shewed it unto them 20. The invisible or hid things of him from or ever since the Creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made done or wrought even his eternal Power and God-head This may plainly be seen to be the drift and sence of the Apostle in that place and to this sence the Scripture accords elsewere Heb. 2. 3 4. Heb. 6. 4 5 6 7 8. but to the other sence no where And therefore seeing that humane Learning is so pur-blind as not in one thousand six hundred years to finde out the true scope and genuine sence of Scripture which lies so obvious and plain as here and in divers other places it doth where the true sence is hitherto mistaken and not to this day attained unto by humane Learning How then can it reasonablybe thought possible that Christ did ever advance humane Learning to so great and honourable an employment as to cause a Star thereof to arise of purpose to direct men to the Sun of Righteousness or to be an Usher to prepare the way for the Gospel or that he hath now delivered it up unto his Church to be continued therein or esteemed a gift of his Spirit as our Author R. B. in his book of Infidelity part 1. page 37 38. most presumptuously hath asserted Cujus contrarium verum est Page 174. B. Are not our Divines themselves
Christ evince to the world the truth of his Doctrine we shall find it was by this of Miracles and undoubtedly Christ knew the best Argument to prove the divine Authority of his Doctrine And that which was the best then is the best still See Saints Rest page 236. A. Yea and do not all the Ministers of the Gospel as they call themselves I may say of all the various Gospels now on foot in the world contest against one another onely by words and Sophisms c. without using any of the fore-mentioned weapons used by Christ as well and as much as any of the learned Philosophers and Artificial men here specified by you Page 247. B. Christ obtained victory over Satan and his best armed Souldiers both Jews Idolaters Conjurers Sorcerers Hereticks with their Witchcrafts and jugling Delusions the great learned Philosophers of all Sects with Orators and Poets and the rest of their learned men N. Are not all these sorts of Enemies to the Truth yet remaining A. Yea and hath not Christendom since given entertainment even to such as are the most notorious Deluders of them all and admitted them into highest place Rule and Authority in the Church witness our Author who informs us That the Supremest Officers even Popes themselves have been Hereticks Whoremongers Sodomites Symonists Murtherers See the lives of Silvester 2. Alexander 3 and 6. John 11 22 and 23. Gregory 7. Vrban 7. and abundance more John 13. was proved in Council to have ravished Maids and VVives at the Apostolick doors murthered many drunk to the Devil asked help at Dice of Jupiter and Venus c. in his second sheet page 13. And can it be imagined but that such heads had suitable bodies and members If any Reformation since be urged Answer not in Rome nor in the Reformed Protestant Churches witness Mr Whites Centuries being all Protestant Ministers and that of the reformed Churches and witness yet their continual supplying their Churches with teaching Ministers generally out of their Magazine of Artists and Sophisters even to this day Yea and doth not our Author being one of the most eminent Ministers of one of the most eminent reformed Churches so highly magnifie and advance humane Learning that he accounts it a gift of the Spirit delivered by Christ himself to the Church and therein to continue as before is noted out of his book of Infidelity part 1. page 38 Nor is any of all this more then what we finde foretold vizt That Antichrist should sit in the Temple of God and be there worshipped as God I shall not say that humane Learning is a special Limb of that Beast but I will say that Antichrist shall never attain to that his Advancement but by the special assistance and means of humane Learning nor shall I say that this worshipping of humane Learning as a Gift of the Spirit is a part of the fulfilling of that Prediction but this I must and dare say That the Scripture informs us How that the Apostle Paul by the spirit of Prophesie declared to the Church That after his departure grievous Wolves should enter in among them not sparing the Flock and that of their own selves should men arise speaking perverse things drawing Disciples after them and that in the latter times there should be a departing from the Faith and a giving heed to seducing spirits and Doctrines of Devils speaking lies in hypocrisie having their Consciences seared with a hot Iron And that Christians should turn away their Ears from the Truth and having itching Ears should be turned unto Fables and should heap to themselves Teachers for the purpose Act. 30. 29 30. 1 Tim. 4. 1 2. 2 Tim. 4. 3 4. which also is confirm'd by Peter telling Christians that there should be false Teachers among them who should bring in damnable Heresies denying the Lord that bought them 2 Pet. 2. 1. Now tell me is not here work cut out sufficiently meet for the most notorious exquisite of this learned artificial Rabble aforementioned yea even for the very worst of them as Witches Sorcerers and Conjurers c. for who 's more meet to teach Doctrines of Devils damnable Heresies c. then Such unless it be the Devil himself The Fourth PART Page 40. B. His teaching is joyntly by his Word Ministers and Spirit N. VVhere or who are they Page 40. B. Mat. 28. 19 20 21. where he bids them first disciple the Nations which contains the convincing of them of age of the Fundamentals and procuring their consent and then baptize them that they may be solemnly engag'd N. That is whom they convincingly did disciple those onely they ought to baptize A good and honest confession for the Anabaptists Page 40. B. Now there are two gross Errors which Professors do oft run into to their perdition the one is when they do not first lay the Fundamentals as Certainties but hold them loosly N. Can any make Fundamentals of Uncertainties Page 41. B. If they read the Scriptures c. and when they are at a loss they do not go to their Teachers N. How ill is it that the Bible had not been kept in an unknown Tongue and not made so common Page 42. B But they go as confident censurers and as Boys that will go to School to dispute with their Master N. And who many times are these Masters even very Boys coming from the University Page 42. B. They receive not the truth in the love of it that they may be saved God oft gives them up to believe a Lye and reject that truth which would have saved them if they had received it N. This is only of such as reject such a Ministry which is absent from among us Page 45. B. I have shewed you already how fully he hath sealed his Testament N. At his last Supper he said This is the blood of the New Testament which was before any of that which we call the new Testament was written Page 46. B. If it had no divine attestation or evidence that it is of God then you might reject it without sin or danger N. Here it 's confest whatsoever Doctrine is brought by any for divine without divine attestation may be rejected without sin Pa. 56. B. But when God hath put his seal to it and proved it to be his own if after this you will be questioning it c. N. This need better proof if the Scripture be here meant A. Or your or any other mans Doctrine drawn from Scripture Page 46. B. Think not the proved sealed Word of God is ever the more to be suspected because the matter in it doth seem strange and unlikely to your reason N. No rational man is guilty of this by his so thinking A. But he must upon some sufficient ground know it to be the sealed and proved word of God else he cannot in reason but doubt it to be such About the middle of his Preface B. The Holy Ghost by special inspiration was the
then been given to him if the Headship or Lordship over his Church had been omitted or suspended until his Ascention This Jesus God raised up and made him both Lord and Christ Act. 2. 35 36. And he was the first born from the dead of every creature that in all things he might have the pre-eminence Col. 1. 15 18. For nothing was left that should not be made subject unto him but neither then nor since are all things actually made subject unto him although he then was actually crowned with the Glory and Honour of Lordship over all things Heb. 2. 5 6 8 9. which hereafter are to be actually put in subjection unto him as these Scriptures witness Psal 110. 1. Act. 2. 34 35 36. 1 Cor. 15. 24 25 26 27 28 Phil. 2. 8 9 10 11 Heb. 1. 6 13. and 10. 12 13. All which shews the imbecility of the objection being composed meerly of non-sequiturs unto which the Apostle plainly alludes and compares the Church 1 Cor. 12. where he also tells them That they having these spiritual gifts were thereby all of them baptized into that one body of Christ by that one Spirit before which they were not of that body nor sutable matter for Membership in that spiritual body of Christ their Spiritual Head and husband Even as the Apostle writing to a true Church Rom. 8. tells them That if any of them had not the Spirit of Christ the same was none of his i. e. none of his body or Church which is as a building fitly framed together groweth to an holy temple in the Lord in whom they were builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit Eph. 2. 21 22. Rom. 12. 4 5. as we have many Members in the body and all the members have not the same office so we being many are one body in Christ and every one members one of another holding the head from which all the body by these gifts of the Spirit as by joynts and bands having nourishment ministred and knit together increaseth with the increase of God Col. 2. 19. Wherefore this learned Objector may as well and as soon truly define a Natural body without members or joynts and sinews to knit them together as to define a true Christian Church or body of Christ without these gifts of the Spirit For see we not how the most learned on all sides flounder and fall before each other in their definitions of a true Church and each different party challenging their definition to be truest and the true Church to be amongst them each crying Loe here and loe there as if the Church of Christ when and where it is will not be perspicuously and distinctly discovered as a light set upon a hill to all beholders even by her own eminency and by that divine light and power which alwayes did and will accompany her without the help of blind guides with their dark-lanthorns of humane Arts and Sciences to discover and find her out This consideration alone is sufficient to evidence That the true Church is withdrawn from the earth or at least so far removed that we know not where to find it I shall instance in the definition made by one of the best reformed Churches even the Church of England as it was most advisedly framed by the wisest and ablest of them and then publickly held forth in the Articles of the Church which they stoutly defended against the world insomuch as whosoever would not conform thereto was obnoxious to censure and being a Minister was liable to be reprobated and cast out as refuse and unsavory salt In the ninteenth Article it is thus defined viz. The visible Church of Christ is a Congregation of faithful men in the which the pure word of God is preached and the Sacraments be duly administred according to Christs Ordinance Now let a Heathen be told that by these marks he may know the true Church may he not then demand how he shall know the pure word of God when it is preached c. must he not then be told that he must know that by the true Church and then again may he not ask How he may know the true Church and must he not then again be answered That he must know the true Church by their preaching the pure word of God c. And thus may he run the round again and again to the worlds end and be never the neerer knowing the true Church until he return again into his own countrey and there or elsewhere learn undoubtedly to know what the pure word of God is when it is preached and what the due administration of the Sacraments is according to Christ's ordinance and as soon as he hath learned undoubtedly to know all these he may then return hither again if he please and find out the true Church of Christ amongst us as soon as he can But how unlike are these marks unto those which Christ himself gave to know his true Church by Mar. 16. 17 18. These signs shall follow them In my name they shall cast out Devils they shall speak with new tongues they shall take up serpents and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover Unto this also accords St. Pauls description of a true Cburch 1 Cor. 12. 28. God hath set some in the Church first Apostles secondly Prophets thirdly teachers after them miracles then gifts of healing helps governments divers kinds of tongues And accordingly Ancient Christians judged these gifts of the Spirit to be absolutely necessary to the being of a true Church for Eusebius informs us That one Miliades disputing with certain Hereticks proves them no true Church or right Christians by the discontinuance of the gifts of the Spirit amongst them thus If that as they say after Quadratus and Ammias the Philadelphian those women of Montanus succeeded in the gift of Prophesie Let them shew who afterward succeeded Montanus and his women for the Apostle thinketh good that the gifts of Prophesie should reign in every Church even unto the end but now for the space of these fourteen yeers since Miximilla dyed they are able to shew us not one Euseb lib. 5. chap. 15. And so modern Authors likewise doe judge these gifts necessary to the being of a true Church for in a Book intituled The Doctrine of Baptisms set out 1652. by a nameless author supposed to be Mr. Dell in pag. 22. it 's asserted That as Spirit-Baptisme makes us one with Christ the head so with the Church the Body 1 Cor. 12. 13. for by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body c. And a little after he saith There are no more of that Church which is the body of Christ-then they that are baptised with that one Spirit The truth of all which our Objector himself so far acknowledgeth as in his Preface to the second Part of his Saints Rest to tell us That