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
manner or ground of his inference would be impertinent if not contradictory to the principal conclusion intended by him which we are bound explicitly to believe For it is not enough to believe that the bodies of men which are committed to the grave shall not utterly perish but be quickned again as the corn which is covered with the ground but we are bound further to believe That every man shall arise with his own body with the same very body wherein he lived that he may receive his doom according to that which he hath done in the body whether it be good or bad This conclusion is not included in the Apostles inference or Experiment drawn from the corn which groweth out of the putrified seed for he expressly affirmes in the ver 37. that the body which springeth out of the ground is not the same seed that is sown 2. In Answer to the former difficultie some good Commentators there be which grant that our Apostles instance in the seed which first dies and is afterwards quickned is not a Concludent proof or forcible Reason but rather a similitude or Exemplification and it is the property or character of similitudes or examples illustrant non docent they may illustrate the truth taught they do not teach or confirm it Tertullian with other of the Fathers have diverse illustrations or exmeplifications of the Resurrection in the course of nature out of all which it would be hard to extract a full Concludent proof Lux quotidie interfect a resplendet The light dayly vanisheth and recovers brightnesse again darknesse goes and comes by an interparallel course to the removall of light Sidera defuncta reviviscunt The stars dayly set or fall and rise again The seeds of vegetables do not fructifie untill themselves be dissolved and corrupted All things sublunary are preserved by perishing their reformation or renewing supposeth a defacing Many of these and like observations taken out of the book of Nature may serve as Emblemes or devices for emblazoning or setting forth our hopes or belief of the Resurrection But concludent proofs they cannot be unlesse we grant that the Book of nature hath by Gods appointment Types or silent Prophecies of Divine mysteries as well as hath the book of Grace But shall we say or believe that the Apostles inference in this place is only Emblematical or Allegorical or rather a Physical or Metaphysical Concludent Proof Aproof not only against such as acknowledge the truth of the Old Testament or written word of God but a proof so far as it concerns the possibility of a Resurrection contained in the Book of nature His conclusion he supposeth might by observant Readers be extracted out of the Instance or Experiment which he brings For unlesse out of the Instance given in the Corn which first dies and afterwards is quickened the Possibilitie of the Resurrection of such a Resurrection as he taught might concludently be proved they which doubted of or denyed this truth had not incurr'd the censure of folly they had not deserved the Title or name of fools But not to be able to read that which was legible in their own books that is in the works of nature was a childish folly a folly which in men of years and discretion could not proceed but from insufferable incogitancy or negligence If we examine the Apostles inference according to the Rules of true Philosophie which never dissents from true Divinitie his Instances are concludent his Argument is an Argument of proportion a majore ad minus from the greater to the lesse All the difficultie is in framing or setting the Termes of it aright 3. All the exceptions which are taken against his proof are reducible to this one general Head That he argues or makes his inference from the works of nature unto a work supernatural or from the generation of vegetables ordinary in the course of nature unto the Resurrection of our bodies which can be no work of nature no generation but a work as supernatural as Creation But they which thus Object should consider that those works which we term works of Nature as generation of vegetables the increase of the earth the fruit of trees and the like are not in our Apostles Philosophie any way opposite to the works of God or to works miraculous and supernatural This Proposition is in his Divinitie and in true Philosophie most certain Whatsoever nature works God doth work the same and he works the same immediatly though not by himself alone for nature worketh with him though immediatly by him But the former Proposition is not convertible that is we cannot say that God works nothing without the Co-agencie of nature as we say that nature worketh nothing without the co-operation or Power of God Nature worketh nothing cannot possibly work without the power and direction of God God worketh many things since the world was made by him or nature created by him without the association or co-operation of nature or any causes naturall And the works which he worketh by himself alone either without the association or interposition of causes naturall or contrary to the ordinary course of nature are properly called works miraculous or supernaturall and Miraculous they are called not because they alwayes argue a greater or more immediate exercise of Gods Power then is contained in the works of nature but in that they are unusuall and without the compasse of ordinary Observation Sometimes those works which are truly miraculous may less participate of the Almighty Power then the usual works of nature do It was a true miracle that the Sun should stand still in the vale of Aialon but not therefore a Miracle in that it did argue a greater manifestation of Gods Power then is dayly manifested in the course of nature or works of other creatures But a great Miracle only in that it was so rare and unusual The dayly motion of the Sun about the earth if we search into the true and prime causes of it includes a greater measure or more branches of the Almighty Ceators Power then the standing still of the Sun did in the dayes of Joshua or the going back of it did in the dayes of Hezekiah For in our Apostles Divinitie Act. 17. 28. We live and move and have our being in God that is all things that are have their being in him and from him their being is but a participation of his infinite being The life of all things living is but a participation or shadow of his Life The Motion of all things that move is but the participation of his Power so that when the Sun did cease to move or stand still in the dayes of Joshua it was partaker only of his Power sustentative or of that power by which he supporteth all things It ceased to move only by meer substraction or cessation of his motive Power by whose vertue or influence it dayly like a Gyant-runs his course Thus dayly to run
A Discourse about Thou art Peter c. Book 2. ch 30 Valentian his Inchanted Circle Anton. Fernand. See Book 8. Ch. 7. And Book 10. Chap. 15 16. See Matth. 16. 16 19. Two Fundamental points collected by collating Scripture with Scripture The Exaltation of Jehovah as King is that Kingdom of Heaven which S. John Baptist preached to be then approaching The Septuagint Deut. 32. 43. reconciled with Psal 97. 7. See Chap. 2. §. 5. and ch 3. §. 11. The Grounds of Christs Title to be Lord. Other grounds of Christs Title to be the Lord. Revel 5. 13. An universalitie of Duties as well as of Tongues is included in this confession The same will of God is declared by Moses and the Prophets and by Christ but more fully by Christ The first Instance how Christians are bound more strictly to obey now then Jews were before Christ Mal. 4. 2. Matth. 4. 16. Luke 2. 32. John 1. 6. What service of men is forbidden 1 Cor. 7. 23. A second instance of obedience more strictly enioyned Christians then it was the Jews See the 10 Book Chap. 39. pag. 3187. * So Christ saith Joh. 15. 8. Herein is my Father glorified that you bring forth much fruit so shall ye be my Disciples See how Salvian answers the like Objection in his 5 Book De Providentia Deut. 4. 5 6 7 8. See the Application Chap. 2. §. 5 6. f. 3316. An Advertisement concerning H. Scripture Experiments in Nature and in our selves or Consciences confirm the truths of H. Scripture Five General Points Heathen Notions of Two Sorts The Pythagorean Notion S. G. Nazianzen's story of Bishop Marcus Arethusus is in his third Oration or former Invective against Julian S. Austins story of Bishop Firmus Metaphrastes hath a story of Anthimus Bishop of Nicomedia partly like This. The opinion of the Stoicks How Virtue is a Reward to it self Gen. 15. 1. Hebr. 11. 26. Philip. 3. 14. Heb. 12. 2. Rom. 2. 7. Notions of Good and Evil as fresh as those of True and false ☞ ☞ The Jealousie and inquisitiveness of Conscience shews that it is deputed by God as our visitor or supervisour The Checks Gratulations of our Consciences be tastes or pledges of the Two-fold award that shall be given at the last day Rom. 2. 6 7 c. The Heathen Notions of a final Judgement vanished like dreams A Discourse about Dreames Though Heathen Notions were like Dreams Christian Divines may see realities of Truth in them Touching Epicurus See Book 10. fol. 3139. How Epicurus did collect That Nature detested Vice See the conference betwixt Dionysius and Daâ—ocles Tull. Tùscul Lib. 5. And Philip Comines of Lewis the eleventh See Wisdom 17. ver 11. See Juvenal Set. 13. See Horace Epist Lib. 1. Epist 1. Hic murus abenevâ— esto Nil conscire sibi Psalm 3. 6. and 23. 4. and 27 1. and 46 1. Prov. 28. 1. Wisd 5. 1. That there was to be a Judgement was known to the original world It was foretold by Enoch See Book 10. Chap. 38. num 11. p. 3171. Enoch a lively Type of Christ Testimonies of the Old Testament That God That Christ shall be Judge See Book 7. Chap. 36. It was revealed by degrees That Christ should be Judge Two Conclusions one Corollary An useful General Rule Christs Answers to the Jews were but Comments upon the Prophets A main Branch of That Good Confession which Christ witnessed was His Title to be Judge The Adversative Particle Nevertheless The blasphemous and treacherous Jews condemn Christ of Treason and Blasphemy The Application So God took away the Author of this Book some 16. or 17. years ago It is 〈◊〉 this was preacâ—'d at Newcastle where he was Vicar divers yeers The literal meaning of Dan. 7. 13. enquired Polanus his restriction of Dan. 7. 13. to Christs Ascension One Prophesie may in the literal sense have two verifications yea contrary senses lib. 7. cap. 17. An answer to all Texts bâ—ought for the Rom Churches great Glory by distinction Inchoativè and Completivè See chap. 12. §. 8. An Exposition of Jerem. 31. 34. Mal. 3. 2. meant Inchoativè of Christs first coming Completivè of his second By first coming he means His coming to judge and punish the Jews The coming spoken of John 21. 22. Such a discrimination of Elect and Reprobate as was then may not be lookt for till Doomes-day See Book 10. chap. 37 38. Dan. 7. 13. fulfilled Acts 1. 9. The manner of Christs going up to Heaven shewd the manner of his coming to Judge the Earth The Place or Term from which Christ shall come to Judgment To what Place Christ probably shall come See Book 9. Chap. 43. Two Senses chiefly apt to receive the impressions of Terror Terrors of Sounds and Terrors of Sights A view of the terrible Spectacles and Sounds preceding Doomsday See Book 1. Chap. 24. See Book 1. chap. 24. §. 4 5 c. The terrors on mount Sinai Types of the Terrors of Doomsday A special Observable It was Christ that shook the earth at the giving of the Law The dreadful sounds that will be heard at Doomsday Clavius Another Author tells that the Birds fell to the earth upon a great shout given by a multitude in an Army or at some great solemnity The Process of the final Judgement Of this Rule see chap. 11. §. 9. Christs Exercise of the power of the Keys of Hell and Death not fully manifested till Doomsday The great Excellencies of Christs Name The Word The Real Dignity Emblemed in the Sharp Sword going out of Christs mouth is Defender of his Church Whether S. John and S. Paul by The Word of God mean our Lord Jesus Christ An Explication of Heb. 4. 12 13. The Word writ or preached not only nor chiefly meant Heb. 4. 12. Most high perfections implyed in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Books to be opened at Christs coming See ch 10. §. 9 Psal 32. 1. 1 Cor. 1. 23 ☜ Three Errors about the last Judgment See Tully De Senectute Two Points proposed Pythagoras his broken Notion of a Resurrection See Juvenal 15. Sat. v. 174. The Solid Truth extract out of Pythagoras his Opinion of Transmigration Vid. For catulum lib. 1. pag. 87 90. Points wherein Heathens held consort with Christianitie The opinion of the Genethliaci This Error of the Genethliaci may Facilitate the Christians Belief of Gods Power Some Christians erre as much as the Genethliaci Three principal Propositions That there is a Logical Possibilitie presupposed to the working of Gods Power See Book 10. Fol. 3177. The bringing Possibilitie into Act doth not impair Gods power but shewes the exercise of it pro hac vice See §. 9. These differ as Addition and Substraction ☞ The Jesuite makes a Sinister use of this Truth touching The Power of God The several Shifts of Romish Writers to maintain their Doctrine of Transubstantiation Of Christs virtual influence See Book 10. ch 55 56. The Corinthian Naturalist his Two curious
help of this Rule For Instance to lay this Rule unto St. John Baptists speech Matth. 3. 10 11 12. Now also the ax is laid unto the root of the tree Therefore every tree which bringeth forth not good fruit shall be hewn down and cast into the fire I indeed Baptize you with water unto repentance but he that cometh after me is mightier then I whose shoes I am not worthy to bear he shall Baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire Whose fan is in his hand and he will throughly purge his floor and gather his wheat into the Garner But will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire This Prediction cannot be exactly fulfilled until the Final Sentence be given and put in execution And yet within 43 years after his Baptism by John there was a manifest and lively representation exhibited to the World of his second coming unto Judgement and this representation was exhibited upon the Nation of the Jews The full accomplishment whereof shall at his second coming and not before be universally and exactly accomplished in all Nations and Languages and People Wherein then doth this representation of Final Judgement which at his first coming was exhibited in the Jewish Nation punctually consist In this especially There was such a notorious and manifest Crisis or distinction between the Elect and Reprobate of the Jewish Nation or seed of Abraham at his first coming as in no Nation or People had been experienced before nor shall be experienced in any before the day of Final Judgement in which this distinction of Elect and Reprobates shall not be onely universally manifested but solemnly declared in respect of all mankinde Every Son of Adam shall in that day be irrevocably marshalled or ranked either amongst the absolute Reprobates or absolute Elect In the one or other rank of which estates neither all nor most of every Nation or Church are at all points of time in the Interim to be accounted no not in respect of Gods Eternal Decree Nor may the Verdicts or Aphorisms whether of our Saviour himself or of his Apostles after his death concerning Election or Reprobation be extended to other times or Nations in the same measure or Tenor wherein they were verified and experienced in the Nation of the Jews at or upon our Saviors first coming Thus far to extend them in respect of all Times or Nations were to transgress the Analogie of Faith or received Rules of Interpreting Scriptures and to dissolve the sweet and pleasant Harmony between the Law and the Gospel or between the Evangelists and the Prophets And thus far of the second Point in handling whereof divers passages have intruded themselves which are not impertinent to the third Point CHAP. XII Of the manner of Christs coming to Judgement which was the third General proposed in the ninth Chapter 1. IT is said in the former Prophecie of Daniel chap. 7. ver 13. that One like the Son of Man came in the clouds of Heaven unto the Ancient of days The literal fulfilling of this Prophetical vision is recorded Acts 1. 9. And when he to wit Christ the Son of Man had spoken these things whilest they beheld He was taken up and a cloud received him out of their sight But whither he was carried in the Cloud which received him they could not distinctly see Their bodily eyes could not see so much by day as had been revealed to Daniel in vision by night But admit that this cloud did carry him into the presence of the Ancient of days or of God his Father What is this manner of his going into Heaven unto the manner of his coming to Judge the Earth which is The Point in hand Certainly much for so the Angels ver 11. admonished his Disciples which stedfastly beheld the Manner of his Ascension Ye men of Galilee why stand ye gazing up into Heaven This same Jesus which is taken from you into Heaven shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go into Heaven But shall the manner of his coming to Judge the World be in every point like unto the manner of his ascending into Heaven No! then it should not be so terrible as we believe it shall be The chief parts then of this similitude are these Two The First As he did locally and visibly go into Heaven so he shall locally and visibly come to judge the earth The second As he was received into Heaven in a cloud so he shall come to Judge the World as he himself foretold the High Priest and his Complices Matthew 26. 64. in the clouds of heaven The literal meaning of both places and the intent and purpose as well of the Angels as of our Saviour in this prediction infers That this Son of man whom they now beheld with bodily eyes was that very God whose glorious kingdom and reign the Psalmist describes Psal 104. 3. Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters who maketh the clouds his chariots who walketh upon the wings of the wind Who maketh his Angels Spirits or the Spirits his Angels his Ministers a flame of fire So they will appear when they attend him Coming to Judgment which will be in flaming Fire In all the manifestations of Christ to be the Son of God The Cloud is still a Witness First In his Transfiguration upon the Mount A Cloud did overshadow him and out of the Cloud this testimony was given him by God the Father Matth. 17. 5. this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear him 2. Whilest he ascends to God his Father Acts 1. 9. A Cloud receives him And 3. When he shall come from heaven or from his Fathers presence to judge the earth he shall have a Cloud for his Canopy For more particular Description of the Manner of his Coming the next Point is From what place he shall come Now it is expresly said in our Creed That Christ Jesus our Lord who was conceived by the holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried descended into hell who the third day rose again from the dead ascended into heaven and there sitteth at the right hand of God shall thence come to Judge the quick and the dead But this word Thence is of ambiguous Reference It may be referred in general either to the Heavens into which he ascended or unto the Right hand of God or unto both Certain it is that he shall come from Heaven as visibly and locally as he ascended thither Yet whether he shall come from the Right hand of God is questionable but not by us determinable unless it be determined already in the first Chapter of this Book what is literally meant by The Right hand of God either in the Creed or in those places of the New Testament out of which This Article is taken If Christs Body as Lutherans did contend chapt 3. § 6. be every where or if
freely given us without any merit precedent therefore the Kingdom of heaven it self or life eternal although it be truly merited yet is called by our Apostle The gift of God not the stipend or wages of God In giving this Reason they speak very consequently to their former Position that we are justified by Christ only as by the Efficient Cause but immediatly and formally justified by grace inherent in us though merited for us by Christ But would to God they would learn at length to speak as consequently to the truth delivered here Rom. 6. 23. verse by our Apostle as they do to their own Tenets or to the Canon of the Trent Councill concerning Justification which Tenet or Canon neither Calvin nor Chemnitius which examined that Canon could more punctually have crossed after it was made then our Apostle here in this verse did almost 1500. years before it was made For he doth not say that Eternal Life is the grace of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Christs sake or for his merit which might denote only the efficient Cause but that it is the grace of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in or through Jesus Christ our Lord. This imports not the efficient only but the immediat and next Cause of this gift of God it excludes the interposition or intervention of any Causality whatsoever besides Christ And thus much here Of the state or issue of the controversie betwixt us and the Romish Church concerning merits The Appendix or second Branch whereof according to the order proposed in the twentie seventh Chapter Section 1. was The state of this very Question Betwixt God the righteous Judge of All and our own souls or Consciences or if you will betwixt our Consciences and us And this being rightly stated will put into our mouthes That true confession which every Christian soul must make so often as it shall become A Petitioner unto God who made it 7. This we know and all do grant That God made the First Man righteous Whether this Original righteousness were a supernatural Grace or no is A question betwixt us and the Romish Church and it hath been touched by us if not throughly handled in the very entrance or begining of the tenth Book Certain it is that it was A Grace and either a part of mans Being or of our nature as it was the workmanship of God or A Grace conferred upon our nature with its First Being And A Grace which could no way be Merited either De condigno or de congruo Their very First Being was the meer gift of God So were all the Qualifications and Graces wherewith it was indued Suppose man had continued in this first estate this had been but a continuance of that free Gift of God which was bestowed upon him with his beginning If he had been advanced or translated to a better or more perfect estate this likewise had been a new Free Gift or Grace of God which could not be Merited by man For his very First Estate was more worth then all the Labor and endeavors which God required at his hands for the preserving of it so that he was still indebted unto God as well for every moment or hour of life in such an happy estate as he was for his first Creation and if he had been advanced to any better estate this had made him a new Debter unto his Maker it had been more then A Continuance of the former Debt The utmost issue or best effect of all his endeavors could only have made him Capable or not unworthy of the Continuance of Gods Favour and grace which he most freely extends to all that do not make themselves Unworthy of them That the First Man then was endowed with grace this was Gods sole Work That he made himself unworthy of this First Grace and so lost it this was his own work Yet after he had made himself and his posterity thus Unworthy of the First Grace God bestows a Second upon him the Grace of Redemption and this Grace could not be merited by him it was A more Free gift of God then his first Creation was That was an Act or gift of his Bounty this later was An Act of his abundant Mercie Bounty extends it self to such as are not worthy of it but Mercie reacheth to such as are most unworthy of Bounty to such as deserve the severity of punitive Justice What shall we say then that the Second grace which was promised to mankind in the womans seed though it cannot be merited by any yet being freely and actually bestowed upon them may merit the Continuance of it the Increase of it or advancement to a better Estate 8. To be freed from the Sentence of Death which was denounced against our First Parents is an extraordinary Grace or Blessing of God and This Blessing we all receive by the Grace of Baptism and this Blessing we all enjoy so long as we continue in Grace and the longer we enjoy this Grace or blessing the more still we are indebted to our Gracious God then they are which never receive it which want it Now it is not possible that we should merit any thing at Gods hands by the long enjoyment of that blessing which the longer or in greater measure we enjoy the more still we are indebted unto him that gives it To what use or end then doth this Grace serve Only to make us more indebted to God then we were for our natural Being Nay But to make us see the misery of our First Estate better then we could possibly see it whilst we continued in it and to enable us to make a better and more thankful acknowledgment of our Debt to God for all his blessings then without this Grace or this blessing of Redemption we possibly could do Let the Advocates then of the Romish Church extol the excellency of Grace unto the Skies or Heavens whence it descends we will not in this contradict them but only request them to consider that the more excellent Grace in it self is the greater should their condemnation be that make no better use of it then they do if God should enter into Judgment with them And certainly that man hath received but a mean portion or Talent of Grace which sees not his accounts to God to be much encreased if God should call him to a strict account for not imploying his Talent or not stirring up that Grace of God which is in him 9. But suppose we did stir up this Grace or suffer our selves to be stirred up by it to good works to what use or end doth our fruitfulness in Good Works serve To this end only that we may not be found unworthy either of the Continuance of Gods Gracious Favour or of the Continual Increase of it To acknowledge the First Receit of Grace to be the sole work of God and yet to ascribe in part the Increase of it to our own Merits or right use of it is no
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
put the two first words and the four last together And so the Expression will appear to be not only more full but a great deal more elegant in the Original then it is in the ordinary Latin or then I know how to make it in our English As thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. About translating the Original in the last words of my Text there is some diversitie amongst Interpreters The Vulgar Latin which the Romish Writers are bound to follow translate the last words thus Ad quem nobis est Sermo that is as they would express the Hebraism De quo Loquimur of whom we speak but much amiss and far from the meaning of the Original Beza much better Cui nobiscum est negotium To the same effect our English doth With whom we have to do But the Antient Gloss much better then both Cui nobis redenda est Ratio to whom we are to render an Account This indeed is the main business which we have to do with the Son of God or he with us And so the Syriack renders it save only that He puts it in the third Person plural To whom men must give an account which words according to the proprietie of that Tongue and of the Hebrew may be taken impersonally to whom account must be given And this Interpretation I find warranted by the Authoritie of S. Chrysostom and Theophylact two of the best Expressors of the Original or Greek Dialect And thus the Original will run clear without any Hiatus or interruption either in the Subject or Foundation or in the structure of the Attributes or several Propositions 9. According to this Importance of the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Brest-plate the first of Aarons holy Garments made for Glory and for Beauty wherein the High-Priest did bear the names and the judgment of the Sons of Israel and wherein the Urim and Thummim were set was called in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The meaning of which is better exprest by the Latine Rationale then I know how to render either of them in English but so called it was with reference to the Son of God as he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Abstract as he is Life it self and Light it self not carrying Spectacles on his Brest as the High-Priest did All the knowledg or Light of discovering Secrets which came by the Brest-plate or Rationale or by Urim or Thummim when it was in its prime use was but a glimmering Type or Shadow of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ratio or Verbum Dei The Word of God to whose sight and inspection the most secret thoughts which lurk in the Centre of mans heart the very temper and constitution of our souls are more perspicuous and clear then the inward parts of the Sacrifices were to Legal Priests after they had divided them joint from joint and broken them up For unto this Dissection or Anatomy of Legal Sacrifices our Apostle alludes in this description of the Son of God specially in those words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All things are open and naked unto his Eyes Soli Deo Gloria Dr. Iackson Dr. Iackson made Dr. Sheldon and Dr. Newlin Supervisors of his Will and entrusted his Papers with them Dr. Lany See the Preface to the First Book See his Sermons upon Jer. 26. p. 32. See this Book fol. 3716. See fol. 3373 Of the Author of the Work Of the Order of this and other his Works Of the Figuring the Folio Volumes Of the Matter of this Eleventh Book The whole Book consists of Six Sections The Use of the last Section Psa 58. 1 See Stows Annal. fol. 3043. Idem fol. 3044. See Gen. 48. 13 14 17. It is probable that there are distinct Thrones in Heaven Heb. 8. 1 2. See Mr. Mede Places appropriate Job 1. 6. See Mr. Mede upon 1 Cor. 4. 1 Christ was exalted according to both Natures See 8. Book Chap. 15. See 8. Book Chap. 11. See 8. Book Chap. 14. See Book 8. Chap. 1. The difference about the Ubiquitie of Christs Bodie rather Verbal then Real Christs Bodie is not every where A Lutheran Syllogism A Lutheran Objection that proves aut nihil aut nimium See Chap. 11. §. 11. See Book 10. Chap. 55. 56. Besides what may be found in Cyrill of Alex See Cyrill Hierosol in Cateches Mystag 1 3 4. * Hist lib. 5. So. Suetonius in Vespas Viz. At his Resurrection and Ascension See Book 9. Chap. 39. See St. Cyrill Alex. in his Gâ—aphyr on Exodus Of the inconstancie of Vulgar affections See Book 10. Ch 23. f. 3073 John 6. 32 33 41 48 50. c. 1. Cor. 15. 45. So the Church Leiturgie in the words of ministration Three Questions See Book 10. f. 3298 3304. Eating and Drinking meerly Sacramental not meant in St. John 6. 56. The 3d. or main Question Beza's Observation Jansenius and Dr. Hessells his opinion Vid. Tollet in 6. Johan Annot 26. By this Exposition one might as well Communicate by Receiving only the Cup as the Bread only A Rule to know when And may may be changed into Or. A Second Rule when And must be turned into Or. A difficultie arising from the words if literally meant of Sacramental eating The Application relating to the 1 st General Two Duties 1 To examine our selves 2. To Discern The Lords Bodie Of the first part of mans Redemption or the Ransom paid for all See Book 9. Chap. 5. Three Uses of the Doctrine that Christ paid the Ransom for all Joh. 1. 29 2 Cor. 5. 14 15 Heb. 2. 9 2 Pet. 2. 1 See Book 8. pag. 142. Dangerous to Dallie with Gods mercies See Book 10. Chap. 31. Book 10. Ch. 50 A Second Duty to Examine our selves The Second General Though a man be in the house as the Dweller The house may be in the Man as the right owner possessor hous-holder Two Difficulties Joh. 17. 11 21 22 23 26. The former difficulty explained Esai 8. 14. Rom. 9 33. 1 Pet. 2. 6. Anton. Fernandius Cited in the next Chapter The Second Difficultie explained See Joh. 15. 2 3 4 5 6 7. where the abode is mutuall Joh. 14. 27 Joh. 16. 33 Three Points to be Discussed * Anton. Fernand. Conimb visiones vet Test vis 2. Cap. 28. Gen. fol. 83. Sect. 6. num 9. And Benedictus Ferdinandius Borb Lusit in his 2 d Tom. of Comments upon Gen. Cap. 28. Sect. 2. Num. 8. Fol. 568. saith Rom. Ecclesia est Turris fundatur in Petri confessione at que in Domini promissiore And a little after he cites S. Athanasius Lib. 2. De Trin. Optimè S. Athanasius Unum hoc est immobile fundamentum una haec est felix fidei petra Petriore Confessae Tues Filius Dei vivi c. The 2 d Point Beza's Observation Pineda on Ch. 38. Job vers 6. The 3. Point propounded Paragr 2. See Book 3. Chap. 7. 8.
Questions St. Pauls first Answer to both Questions An Objection against the Answer in point of Charitie The Answer to that Objection A second objection in point of sufficiencie The Answer to this objection Exceptions against the Proof The Exceptions answered Works truly miraculous may have a less share of Gods Power then usual works of nature See this Authors Sermons printed at Oxon. Anno 1637. pag. 39 40. The 2 d Difficultie urged Aquinas his Solution true but impertinent The Authors Solution of the former Difficultie The Corinthian Naturalists second Question The answer to this Question See Book 10. Fol. 3113. The general use of this Doctrine ☜ ☜ Christians should chuse such friends as have share in the First and hopes of the second Resurrection The Atheist's Exception The Naturalist his Demand See Book 10. Fol. 3113. The Naturalist's Objections framed into a Bodie See Chap. 13. §. 11. It is the very nature of the Matter not to be unum idem The Answer to the Naturalist his Objections * See the Epistle of the Churches of Vienna and Lyons to the Brethren of Asia and Phrygia in Euseb Hist 5. book 1. chap. ad finem There is much good moralitie to be learned from the contemplating the mixtures and separation of metals The Atheists wilie but not wise Objection against the possibilitie of a Resurrection by Recollection of Reliques The same Objection re-inforced The Atheists Objection answered It hath Two Loops First Loop The Second Loop of the Atheists Objection An Ocular Demonstration that the Atheists principles or supposals be False ☜ The scruple incident into an ingenuous minde Vide Glossam Hugonem in hunc Locum How S. Pauls inferences may be collected A Philosophical Maxim advanced and much improved ☞ ☜ See Chap. 4. §. 12. Christs death said to take away sin in a Twofold Sense The First The second Sense The Benefits punctually arising from Christs Death and from His Resurrection Had Christ only died and not risen again Though we had not come in Hell yet we had never come out of the Grave Two sorts of First fruits appointed by the Law ☞ See Paragraph the 7th How we may try our selves See Book 10. Chapt. 28. 30. The Model or Scope of the whole Chapter Of death to sin A natural and a civil death Death to sin is vowed by us in Baptism Meanes also of dying to sin received in baptisme Of baptismall Grace Difference betwixt the Elect and the Elect people of God ☞ In Baptism there is a mutual Astipulation or promise between God and man Ceremonies used at Baptism and the meaning thereof The Regiment of the Law of Grace Prospers Observation ☜ Of shame what it is and whence arising See Aristotle Rhet. l. 2. cap. 6 Ethic. Nic. lib. 4. cap. 15. Satan's Stales false honor and false shame Shame and Modesty ☞ ☜ Our service is due to God upon several Titles ☞ The service of sin and Righteousness compared in regard of this present Life See Chapter the tenth The emptiness and vanitie of sinful pleasures ☞ Gods Method and Satans practise ☞ Holiness bitter in the root or beginning but sweet in the Fruit. See A. Gellius lib. 16. cap. 1. ☞ Our fruitlesness in Holiness to be imputed only to our own ill use of the Talent of Grace given us Plin Epist lib. 10. Ep. 97. Three Heads of preparation to the holy Sacrament Of Bodily Death or the First Death ☜ Desire of death or self Homicide ☜ Of the second Death wherein it exceeds the First ☞ A double Reason of the vehemency of pain or torment in the second death ☞ The duration or Eternity of the second death and pains of it See M Mede on Pro. 21. 16 of the valley of Rephaim Poena damni Sensus Terms subordinate ☜ See Chap. 4 § 15 And Attrib 1 part p 219. 2 part p 27. See Chapt 4 § 12. Possibilitie repentance Worm of conscience Coel Rodigin lib. 8. cap. 2. lib. 25. cap. 1 The unsatisfaction of our desires in the Contentments of this present life See Book 10. Chap. 17. The hearts desire is True Happiness The Full satisfaction of all senses and Faculties in the Life to come Hippocrates See Book 10. Chap. 9 Accidental joyes The Beauteous Place The Holy Companie First in regard of the Place or Seat of the blessed ☜ In regard of the Company there The Eight Beatitudes Matth. 5. The first Beatitude Poor in Spirit ☜ Second Beatitude for Mourners The third Beatitude to the meek spirited ones See chapt 11. §. 7. The fourth Beatitude to Those that hunger and thirst after righteousness 5. Beatitude to the merciful See Master Medes notion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon Psal 112. 6. 6. Beatitude to the Pure in heart 7. Beatitude to the Peace-makers Patience and resolution in suffering for righteousness Eternal life the strongest motive and obligation to all duty ☜ See Chapt. 10. Section 7. 1 Cor. 10. See Book 10. Chap. 21. The motives Satan uses to to withdraw us ☞ ☜ The Philosophical Precept Sustine et abstine imperfectly good Belief of this Article will work obedience Of reconciliation Active or Grammatically passive only reconciliation really passive See Book 10. Fol. 3267 and 3278. ☞ Infidels of two sorts Cardanus◠Two Roots of Errors ☞ Unbelief of this Article cause of unchristian careless life ☜ The Story of Biblis ☞ See the Chapt. 20. Motives from meditation of eternal death according to general or more particular tasts of it Parisiensis his storie ☜ ☞ A seasonable lesson collected out of Job 21. Isai 14. Ecclus. 19. Rev. 18. 5 6 7. Meditations of the second death to be fitted to several parts of the body of sin for the mortifying of it ☞ Aristotle ☞ See Chap. 10. § 9 10. ☜ Avoid here the presumptuous perswasion of certain salvation and the conceit of Absolute reprobation See Book 10. Chap. 37. 51. ☞ Purge our Braines of The Erroneous Opinion of the Irrespective Decree Meditations or a Tast of Eternal death here fits us better for a tast of eternal life hereafter The force which the Tast of experienced pleasures hath upon mens souls See Book 10. fol. 3181. The Tast or true rellish of eternal joys how gained The use of affliction to that purpose That Tast is the peace of conscience and joy in the holy Ghost to which the working of righteousness is necessary The work of righteousness universal obedience The use of affliction or chastisement to that purpose ☞ ☜ How the Peace of God passeth all understanding This was written thirtie years ago or more The Tumult and discord of Passions in a natural man See Book 10. Fol. 3056. See Hor. Serm. Lib. 2. Sat. 7. See Pers Sat. 5. Of joy in the Holy Ghost No man can truly enjoy himself until he be reconciled to God The Difference betwixt Joy and gladness True knowledge of God in Christ necessary to this joy A joy in the knowledge of any sort
29 § 9. Fol. 3586. I suppose this was preached at St. Ma. in Oxon. Nothing is called Little or great but in Comparison with other things Lev. 23. 27. ☜ The occasion of Baruchs complaint Two Doctrines or two Propositions A Corollarie added to the former Things indifferent yea lawful things by Circumstances become unlawful He means some man that had turned to the Church of Rome Good men are and ought to be most religious in worst Times Sympathie planted in Bruites See the Sermons upon this Text. Fol. 3610. ☞ ☜ Apathie a Symptom of a graceless obdurate mind Numb 32. 6. 2 Sam. 11. Uriah Godfrey of Bulloign Argia in Statius Of Portia see Plutarch in vita Bruti The Author omits the Second Doctrine to be handled in the next Sermon and passeth to the Corollarie which he proves by Instance A Great Warning and a Greater Truth Libro 6. de providentia Dei See more Instances of Stupidity in the end of the Attributes Salvian This was preached in Oxon after the visitation by the Plague A Forward Souldier Petrus Strozius See Val. Maximus de Cupiditate Uiae Epist Lib. 1. Epist 22. See Lanoue Paradox second Page 204. Thuanus Lib. 26. pag. 543. colum 1. See Busbequius his fourth epist De Rebus Turc Lament 4. 10. Zephaniah 2. 3. The Doctrine handled in Hypothesi An Objection 1 King 21. 2 Kings 22. 18. 19 20. The Objection pressed home The Answer to the former Objection 2 Chron. 32. 25 26. 2 King 23. 30. 2 Chron. 35. 21 24. Ezek. 14. 20 21. From a double Aspect A twofold Sympathie ariseth See Chap. 14. §. 6. Fol. 3439. Quaere whether he mean his Sermons upon Jer. 26. and other Texts printed 1637. Or Pharaohs Hardning See Book 10. Fol. 3222. ☞ See the following Sermon upon Matthew 23. 37. ☜ I suppose he means His Treatise of Prodigies or divine Fore-warnings betokening Blood which was lost in his life time and cannot yet be found Salvian in his 6. 7. Books de Gubern Matth. 7. 1. Rom. 14. 4. The Text is A Conclusion Q. From what Premisses inferred The Limitation of the Conclusion The Extent of the Conclusion Another Limitation ☞ Two Instances in Ahab and David who by judging others did condemn themselves See Book 10. Fol. 3018. and 3099. The Minor of the foregoing Syllogism ☞ ☜ See Book 4. or justifying Faith Sect. 2. The composition of Hypocrisie Pharisaical Two special sins of the Ancient Jews The Antient Jews sins The later Jews Reformation See a following Sermon upon that Fact Christs true Exposition of the Negative part of the fourth Commandement Take we heed of condemning our selves by judging the later Jews See the fourth chapter of this Book Fol. 3342. See Book 8. ☜ ☜ ☞ A Romish error requiring Reformation An Error of the Contraire extreme disparaging The Reformation A Factious Schismatical Book modestly Censured Apostolical and Episcopal Power under heathen Princes and after Princes were Christianed The Antient Heathens gave and Turks give more to their Priests then some professing Christianity do to theirs both for Power and Maintenance A Precept will be in force when pretences will be out of date The main Error of the Romish Church Infallibilitie both in expounding holy Scripture and in attesting Traditions See the second and third Books The Two former Romish Errors well Reformed The Temper Bounds of the Right and Rigid Reformer The Cure of the Error by the Right Mean The Error extreamly Contrary to the Romish Error ☞ In his Sermon before the King upon Jer. 26. pag. 32. he saith divide the sins of 40. years last past into ten parts the sins of the Pulpit and the Presse would be a large Tenth See signes of the Times pag. 57. 58. Three Points purposed A Romish Eror causing Doubt of Salvation viz The intention of the Priest c. A Romish Priest may damn an Infant through neglect or malice by the Doctrine of that Church See Soto in 4. Senten dis 1. Q. 5. Art 8. Romish Priests have a strange Negative voice The Second Point The Remedie of the Contrarii as bad as the Diease About This Point See Book 4. and Book 10. cha 51 52 53. and Serm. on Jer. 26. pag. 13. and signs of the Times p. 62. Upon this Text See Book 7. Chap. 18 19. See Book 10. Fol. 3274. Where this Author sayes 300. Bellarmines 300 Valentiaes could not do the Protestant Religion so much harm as Dr. Hessels did taking advantage of this Doctrine Of this Division see Lib. 10. Fol. 3153 3275. See Book 10. Fol. 3262 and signes of the Time p. 63. The Third Point How Fides is Fiducia see Book 10. cap. 52. See Chapt. 4. Fol. 3338. Idolatry transforms the Divine Nature into unfit similitudes The late R. R. Bishop of Winchester B. Andrews in his Sermon on that Theme The Worshipping of Imaginations the root of Idolatry See the fifth Book ☜ Some Writers not Papists transform the Divine Nature Paraeus See Book 10. Fol. 3012. ☜ See Book the Fifth The Sayings of dying men remarkable Three points considerable The Circumstance of time Observations and Uses out of the story and circumstances Touching Retaliation see the 6. Book or Treatise of Gods Attributes 2 part §. 4. chap. 31. page 343. A Cluster of Deadly Sins in the Horrible murther of Zechariah the High-Priest Levit. 17. 13. See the next Sermon upon this Text. Gen. 19. 9. Pto. 28. 4. Wisd 2. 12. 1 Joh. 3. 12. Of Pharisaical Hypocrisie See Book 4. and second Sermon on Jer. 26. See the Sermen upon that Text immediately precedent The Former Sermon on 2 Chron. 24. 22 I suppose was preached at Court This at Oxford Of the Jews Calamities see Book 1. chap. 23. and 27. The first Question Who this Zechariah was This punctually agrees with the Copy The Temple and the Altar Why Zachariah called the son of Barachiah See Dr. Hammonds Notes on Matth. 23. fol. 125. where he cites Josephus Lib. 4. cap. 19. for another Zacharias killed by the Zelots immediately before the Seige which puts a short end to this Question The Second Question Why our Saviour instanceth in Zechariah Zachariah the only Prophet that dyed with an Imprecation See Fol. 3721. ☞ The Third Question A Paraphrase or Exegesis of Christs loving and threatning expressions A Paraphrase or Exegesis of our Saviours meaning or Implication How Christs death was A Cause of the Jews Calamities The Son of God in a peculiar manner to the Jews King of Old Psa 74. 10 Luke 4 6. Ezek. 7. 21 24. Dan. 4. 17. See fol. 3729. where this was the 4 Question propounded From Abels to Zachariahs death were 3000. years from Zach. to these words spoken were 00. or 900. See a following Sermon on 2 Kings 23. 26. A Generation contains thirty years betwixt Manasseh's and Iosiahs death were about thirty three years The Objection is hardened by taking in Abels Blood Zechariah was slain 900. years Abel 3800. years before Christ spoke
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