out how could he have been restored not by might nor by power but by the Spirit of our God It may be this was done that we might say no more The Lord liveth which delivered us from the Treason of pretended Catholicks but The Lord liveth which hath delivered us from the Tyranny and blood rage of the wild Fanatical Enthusiasts Surely all these things have been permitted that the Stone which the Builders refused might be made tried and precious and that his Patience his Piety his Constancy in Religion his Christian Magnanimity being manifest to all the World by the impatient desire of all Nations he might become the head of the Corner Surely these things were suffered that the Faith and Patience and Loyalty of the Church of England might be made bright and glorious by the Flames of Persecution and that in the day when God shall have given our most Gracious Sovereign the hearts or necks of all his Enemies it may not repent him of the Kindness he hath shewn to Religion and Government in lifting out of the dust the despised Head of that only Church for ought I know which makes Obedience without base restrictions and limitations an Article of its Religion Lastly these things it may be have been permitted that by the Triumph of this day and by the vengeance lately executed in the sight of this Sun the Atheistical world might be convinced that the Powers that be are ordained of God and that though the wicked do evil an hundred times and God prolong their days yet Vengeance is his and he will repay it and They that resist shall receive to themselves Damnation FINIS Against the Antiscripturists A SERMON Preached at WHITE-HALL February 20. 1669 70. BY SETH Lord Bishop of Sarum Printed by His Majesties Special Command LONDON Printed by A. C. for Iames Collins at the Kings Arms within Ludgate near St. Pauls 1672. Against the Antiscripturists 2 Tim. iii. 16. All Scripture is given by Inspiration of God IN the verse preceding it is said concerning the Scriptures of the old Testament that they are able to make a man wise unto salvation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the faith which is in Iesus Christ And it follows immediately All Scripture c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Faith is often by a Metonymy taken for the Gospel which is the Object of the Faith of Christians We read often of the Preaching and Hearing of Faith of the Analogy of Faith the common Faith which was once delivered to the Saints in the preaching of Christ and the Writings of his Evangelists and Apostles and so I conceive it is to be taken in this place So that the meaning of the whole is this The Old Testament understood and expounded according to the Analogy of the New is able to make a man wise And the Pen-men of the Canonical Books of the Old Testament wherein Timothy had been instructed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and of the Books of the New Testament which except those of St. Iohn were extant before the writing of this Epistle were inspired and directed by the Spirit of God The words of the Text are an entire Proposition asserting the Divine Authority of the Canon of Scripture and my endeavour shall be at this time to prove the truth of that Proposition Wherein that I may proceed with all plainness and clearness I shall premise two words by way of Petition Precaution 1. By way of Petition I suppose and take for granted 1. The great principle of the power of God and his providence in governing the world 2. That our Body of Canonical Books of the Old Testament is the same with that which was in Use in the time of Christ and his Apostles And our body of the New Testament the same which was anciently received in the Church So that what shall be proved of those is applicable to the Original Scripture used in our time 3. That those Books of New Testament whose Authors were not anciently questioned were written by those Authors whose name they bear And that those few others which were sometimes questioned by some particular Churches and afterward Universally received contain in them no one point of Faith or Manners dissentient from the Contents of those Books which were never questioned 2. By way of Precaution and Admonition I must intreat you to take notice that I shall not now meddle with the Controversies concerning Apocrypha Translations Keri and Chetib Hebrew points various Lections dubious Authors or parts of Scripture But my endeavour at this time shall be to Assert the Divine Authority of the body and substance of the Original Books of the Canon of the Old and New Testament And this not in the way of common place but in a particular Examination or Refutation of the most dangerous Opinions of the Antiscripturists which are these I. Of those who pretend to believe the truth of the New Testament and yet they deny the Divine Authority of the Old II. Of those who pretend to believe the truth but deny the Divine Authority of the New Testament III. Of such as pretâ—nd to believe matters of Fact to have been truly related in the New Testament but do not believe the truth of the Doctrinal parts relating to Faith and Manners IV. Such as deny the truth of the Relation of matters of Fact in the New Testament and in consequence reject the whole Body of Scripture Of these as briefly and plainly as I can I. The first Opinion is of those who pretending to believe the Truth of the New Testament deny the Divine Authority of the Old Testament The Severians and the Manichâ—es Basilides and Carpâ—â—rates of old The Catabaptists of later times some Anabâ—ptiâ—ts is Antinomians and other Fanatical Sectaries amongst our â—elves In opposition to these I shall shew that supposing the truth of the New Testament the Divine Authority of the Old Testament is to be acknowledged Because the Divine Authority of the Old Testament is asserted by Christ and his Evangelists and Apostles in the New 1. Next to the Redemption of the world the great business which Christ had to do upon Earth was to Convince men that he was the Messias and so to assert his Legislative Authority And the great Argument which he used for the conviction of the world was this All the Marks and the entire Character of the Messiah and of his Actions and Passions were prefigured and foretold by the Law and the Prophets and the Psalms i. e. in the Volume of the Old Testament And all things foretold or prefigured concerning the Messiah were accomplished by himself So that though the great Works of Christ and the purity and excellency of his Doctrine and of his Life were of themselves sufficient to justifie the Introduction of his Law into the World yet he was pleased to resolve as it were his own Authority into the Divine Authority of the Old Testament and to make use of those otheâ—
Profession and acting contrary to the Spirit of Christ have made that holy Name to be blasphemed it is reason that they be esteemed the utter enemies of Christianity and that they themselves should bear their condemnation but to charge their exorbitancies upon that Profession which they have prophaned and injured is such an injustice as cannot consist with moral honesty or Philosophical ingenuity So then hîc Rhodus hîc saltus As Saint Paul 1 Cor. xv 14 17 20. concerning the Resurrection of Christ If Christ be not risen our preaching is vain and your faith is vain but now is Christ risen so I If within the compass of those Foundations which I have mentioned be found any colour or shadow of license for any person whatsoever upon any pretence whatsoever to entrench upon the power of lawful Magistrates if any warrant at all for open Rebellion or privy Conspiracies for murthering or deposing of Princes or absolving Subjects from their Allegiance then let Kings cease to be our Nursing Fathers and Queens to be our Nursing Mothers let David look to his own house let the Light of our Eyes the Breath of our Nostrils the Restorer of Religion the Defender of our Faith look rather first to defend himself It will then be reasonable to expect that the Kings of the earth should stand up and the Rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his Christ that they should break their bonds in sunder and cast their cords from them then our Preaching is vain and your Faith is vain But now indeed the case is otherwise and that evidently What the Laws of men could never do with all their Temporal Rewards and Punishments in that they are weak that Christianity in the true Spirit of it performs to the utmost height that is conceiveable The Foundation of Government and Obedience is deeply and firmly rooted in the Foundation of our Religion And if the Scripture cannot be broken if it be true that Heaven and Earth shall pass away before one jot of it shall pass away it is as true that the Ordinances of the Sun and Moon shall fail before this Ordinance shall be dissolved For if by the Principles of our Religion we are obliged to believe concerning the Books of the Old Testament that they have been delivered by holy men of God who spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost 2 Pet. i. 21. then the holy Ghost hath said By me Kings reign c. Prov. viii 15. If Christ be the Son of God the Son of God hath said Render to Caesar the things which are Caesars Mat. xxii 21. If the Holy Spirit did overshadow Peter and the rest of the Apostles then Peter overshadowed and filled with the Spirit commands us in the Name of God to submit our selves to every Ordinance of man 1 Pet. ii 13. If Saint Paul were called to be an Apostle by the miraculous appearance of our Lord Christ after his Ascension and was by him immediately instructed in the pure and genuine spirit of Christianity then Saint Paul's Theory concerning Government is an authentick Christian Theory whereby the Doctrines and practises of Christians are to be judged and that Theory is delivered in the seven first Verses of this Chapter Let every soul be subject to the higher Powers c. And they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation I call it a Christian Theory of Government because it is a brief and comprehensive Scheme whereby all Questions concerning Obedience and Government may according to Christian Principles be resolved The whole discourse of the Apostle consisteth of two general parts First A strict Injunction Secondly Effectual Motives First The Injunction in the first words Let every soul be subject to the higher Powers c. Secondly The Motives in the words following which are taken from I. The Original and Institution of Government it is ordained of God hence follows II. The Sinfulness of Resistance They resist the Ordinance of God And III. The Danger of it They shall receive damnation Which is again enforced by IV. The End of Government in respect of evil and good men Out of all which follows V. The necessity of subjection Wherefore ye must needs be subject And VI. The nature of that necessity it is not of prudence but of Conscience After all which the Apostle like a legitimate Demonstratour resumes his Proposition and concludes it with an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verse 7. Render therefore to all their dues tribute to whom tribute is due custom to whom custom fear to whom fear honour to whom honour The words which I have chosen contain in them the danger of resiâ—tance to the Civil Powers They relate both to the Antecedent and Subsequent part of the Apostle's Discourse and are as efficacious towards the pressing of the Injunction of Obedience as it is possible for words to express or men to conceive The strongest and most operative Arguments upon men at leastwise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are Arguments of terrour The most terrible thing within the compass of humane apprehension is Damnation which imports besides the judgments of this life the eternal privation of the enjoyment of God utter darkness and everlasting burnings Those that resist shall receive to themselves damnation Those that resist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Resistance is a Relative Act and it implies some person or thing to be resisted What then is the Correlate of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is delivered in the first Verse Those that resist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Authorities set over them Civil Authorities having jus Gladii the Authorities supreme or subordinate justly obtaining over them It is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is here used which signifie corporal strength and power but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Scripture distinguisheth from both the other From 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke iv 36. and ix 1. 1 Cor. xv 24. Ephes. i. 21. from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iude 25. It answers the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Septuagint translates by all the names of Legal Authority 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is taken for the Persons of Governours as well as for their Power so Ephes. iii. 10. That to Principalities and Powers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 might be known c. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 against Powers and the Rulers of this World Ephes. vii 2. So that we may not separate their Personal and their Politick capacity It remains that we enquire the meaning of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what it is to resist in the Language of the Gospel Now 1. That to oppose by force is to resist it is so plain that I need not speak to it We meet both the words in that sence Iames iv 6 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God resisteth the proud and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Resist the Devil 2. But the word signifies Opposition by
Edicts of Princes and Magistrates with our new pretenders to Reason and Philosophy is that engine whereby the Devil hath prevailed to scandalize the world and cast it into Antiscriptural infidelity It is for this cause that I have conceived it requisite after many others who have done worthily to have recourse once more to the Original Reason of things and the common grounds whereupon mankind doth proceed in matters of this nature Where hoping that I have escaped the absurdity of begging the matter in Question discoursing in a circle and the inconveniences of some other methods I have endeavoured to demonstrate That supposing the truth of the New Testament both 1. The Old Testament and 2. The New Testament are to be received as of Divine Authority 3. And supposing matters of fact to be truly related the Doctrinal parts are to be believed 4. For the Historical Relation of matters of fact that there is no ground to dis-believe it That for the reception of it it hath 1. All the advantages whereof an History is capable 2. Far greater advantages than any other History Wherefore I conclude that All the Scriptures i. e. the Canonical Books of the Old Testament and the Books of the New Testament were Given by inspiration of God Quod erat demonstrandum Concerning the Sinfulness Danger Remedies OF INFIDELITY A SERMON Preached at Whitehall February 16. 1667 68. BY SETH Lord Bishop of Sarum LONDON Printed by A. C. for Iames Collins at the Kings Arms within Ludgate near St. Pauls 1672. THE SINFULNESS OF INFIDELITY Heb. iii. 12. Take heed brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God Exhort one another daily I Shall not spend time in a disputation concerning the Author of this Epistle viz. whether it were Paul or Barnabas or Luke or Clemens or Apollos c. but shall with the Church of England suppose St. Paul to have been the Author of it If the Author of it be not infallibly known this ought not to detract from its Authority Most of the other Epistles have been acknowledged to be of divine Authority because they were known to have proceeded from Apostolical writers This on the contrary hath been concluded to be an Apostolical Epistle propter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Characterem by reason of that divine and Apostolical Spirit which to those who have had their Senses exercised hath manifestly appeared in it If it were lawful in this sense to compare spiritual things with spiritual I should not fear to affirm that this Epistle hath in it some peculiar advantages compared with some other of the Epistles Advantages I mean of usefulness not of Authority seeing all of them issued from the same Spirit The design of it is General Fundamental Comprehensive not Private Circumstantial Occasional And it hath peculiarly conveyed to the Church two great treasures 1. A Compleat Model or Systeme of Christian Divinity And 2. the way of that Analogy and manner of ratiocination whereby the true Spirit and meaning of the Types and Prophesies of the Old Testament is to be found out and applied It was directed to the Hebrews That is to those of the Jewish Nation who had received the Gospel and made a profession of Christianity And the main Scope and design of it is to preserve the Professors of Christianity from Apostacy and Infidelity The means used to this purpose are partly Didactical and partly Protreptical Demonstrating the truths of the Gospel and then urging the professors of those truths to be stedfast in the faith and to beware of Infidelity The Method here used is a mixt method of Doctrine and Application Dogmatical truths and pathetical Exhortations continually interwoven He begins with the Great foundation of our faith Christ is the Son of God the brightness of his glory better then the Angels Wherefore if the Word spoken by Angels was stedfast how shall we escape if we neglest so great salvation From the Comparison of Christ with Moses he concludes against Hardness of heart and Infidelity He demonstrates the Priesthood of Christ to be more Excellent then that of Aaron and in the midst of his argument he falls into an Application or Corollary concerning the dreadful Condition of them that fall away This is his design and method throughout the Epistle Whatever Doctrine he is upon this is still the drift and aim of all his Applications namely to preserve the Professors of Christianity from Apostacy and Infidelity The words which I have chosen are a Reiteration or Reinforcement of an Application or Corollary arising from the Consideration of the Excellency of Christ above Moses Moses was faithful in the house as a Servant Christ as a Son over his own house This house are we if we hold fast our faith Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith Harden not your hearts Take heed brethren left I say the words are an Use of Exhortation and in them are considerable 1. The Persons to whom directed Professors of Christianity expressed in the Word Brethren 2. Matter or Object about which it is conversant Unbelief heart unbelief 3. Form of Exhortation by way of Caveat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 take heed Now every Caveat implies 1. Evil in the thing 2. Danger of the thing 3. That there are ways and means to prevent it This is implyed in the Caveat and expressed in words following My design at this time will be to enforce the Exhortation of the Text And seeing that every Application is a Consequence or Corollary arising from some Antecedent Proposition and the force of it is finally resolved into the truth and evidence and concernment of that Antecedent Therefore it will be necessary to draw out that Antecedent by reflecting briefly upon the Text as it lies in the Series of the Epistle I. Then for the Persons They are here styled Brethren and elsewhere Holy Brethren Partakers of the heavenly Calling They were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 baptized into the profession of the Gospel they had tasted of the Word of God and the powers of the world to come II. The Matter Unbelief or rather Disbelief not Negative Infidelity but a positive Revolting from the faith which they had professed Generally a Disbelief of the Word of God Particularly a Disbelief of the Gospel as to the Doctrines or Promises or Threatnings Thereof III. For the Form that which is here expressed by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 look to it is in the other of forms Exhortation throughout the Epistle expressed by terms of the greatest Emphasis and earnestness imaginable Let us Fear lest we fall short 4. 1. Labour to enter 4. 1. Use diligence be not slothful 6. 11 12. Press earnestly draw near hold fast 10 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let us give more deligent heed lest by any means we should let it slip 2. 1. So that the Sum of the Apostles Argumentation is this The last resolution of all the Obligation
power of the Sanhedrim either their original power or the power left them by the Romans They sit in Moses Chair c. Whatsoever therefore they bid you do do it Matth. xxiii 2 3. And so likewise the Apostles they seem to be unconcerned as it were in the governing part of Civil Policy No word is found in all their Writings enquiring into the Rights of the Roman Emperours who were sovereign or limiting the Exercise of their Power Only thus much they take for certain such as they were they were ordained of God And they spend all their labour in founding deeply and firmly establishing that other part which concerns Obedience From this Observation it will follow That whatever Things or Persons were not before the times of Christ and his Apostles exempt from the power of the Magistrate are not by the Foundations and Principles of Christianity exempted Non eripit mortalia qui regna dat coelestia And it will only remain for us to enquire what was the manner of the Nations of the World and of God's peculiar people in reference to these Particulars before and at the times of Christ and his Apostles To which if we shall add the practice of the best and most ancient Christian Emperors I know not what more can be desired to clear the present Argument I suppose it needless to put in a Caution that while we speak of the Magistrate's power to order matters of Religion we do not entitle him to the Priest's Office the Spiritual Function or the Execution of it in preaching the word administring the Sacraments exercising the power of Ordination or of the Keys c. Blessed be the Lord God of our Fathers who hath put it into our Sovereign's heart to be tender of the rights of the Church as of the Apple of his Eye This is a Calumny insisted on generally by almost all our Adversaries but it is too rude and gross to be spoken to in this place Rather let us see whether the Sovereigns among all people Heathen Jews Christians have not claimed and exercised power in all Causes over all Persons as well Ecclesiastical as Civil 1. For Causes The New Testament sometimes divides the Gentiles into Greeks and Barbarians sometimes into wise and unwise according to which division the Romans are I suppose reckoned under the Greeks from whence they were mostly extracted and with whom they contended in Civility Briefly 1. the Greeks 2. the Romans 3. the Barbarous Nations did always exercise such a power 1. Aristotle the greatest among the Greeks tells us that the first and principal thing in a Common Wealth is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And accordingly if we consult the Fragments which are left us of the Laws of the most antient Grecian Common-Wealths we shall find nothing so frequent as the Ordinances concerning their Religion 2. Amongst the Romans Cicero the wisest saith that Religion is the Foundation of Humane Society as in truth it is To say nothing of the Ordinances of Numa the Ius Pontificium c. the Titles of the Twelve Tables are many of them concerning Religion 3. As for the Barbarous Nations I shall not multiply Testimonies nor go beyond the line of Scripture In the third of Daniel we find an Edict of the King of Babylon enjoyning all People Languages and Tongues to commit Idolatry Vers. 4. 5. And by and by another Edict that no man should speak amiss of the God of Shadrach Mesech and Abednego Vers. 29. In the sixth we find Darius the Persian by the advice of his Council signing a Decree against petitioning for thirty days any God besides himself Verse 9. and shortly another that all men should tremble and fear before the God of Daniel Verse 26. In the third of Ionah the King of Nineveh and his Nobles proclaim a publick Fast. In the first of Ezra Cyrus puts forth an Edict to build the Temple at Hierusalem In the fourth Artaxerxes reverseth it In the sixth Darius re-inforceth it I suppose it is now evident that Greeks and Barbarians did exercise this power To think to elevate the force of these Instances because all these were Strangers from God and aliens from the Common-Wealth of Israel is to mistake the purpose for which they are alledged However it was not thus among the Kings of the Nations only but among the holiest and wisest of the Governours and Kings of Israel and Iuda who for abolishing false Worship and ordaining the true are often highly commended by the Holy Ghost in the Scriptures The time would fail me to speak distinctly and particularly of the Ordinances concerning Religion which were made by Moses Ioshua David Solomon Asa Iehoshaphat Hezekiah Manasses also and Iosiah concerning whom the Scripture gives these Characters Moses was the man of God Joshua the servant of the Lord. David a man after Gods own heart There was none like unto Solomon Asa his heart was perfect with the Lord. The Lord was with Jehoshaphat Hezekiah did that which was right in the sight of the Lord. Manasseth was heard of God Josiah did that which was right and his Goodness was recorded Now the Acts of every one of these concerning the Worship of God and matters of Religion are recorded and applauded in the Scriptures For these all ordered and regulated Services and Sacraments and Covenants with God they erected Altars and Tabernacles and Temples and dedicated them unto the Lord they destroyed Idolatry reformed abuses in Gods Worship settled both the standing Worship of God and occasional Thanks-givings and Humiliations to omit other matters The whole Aaronical Ministery which consisted in ceremonies and Sacrifices Typical and Carnal Ordinances was not ordered by the hand of Aaron but of Moses who was King in Iesurun The Tabernacle and Temple-service which beside the Mosaical Institutions consisted of Spiritual abiding Ordinances was instituted by David who being the sweet Singer of Israel and acquainted more then ever any man for ought appears with the ways and helps of lifting up the Heart to spiritual intercourse with God to that end appointed the use of Musick in the Church and without fear of stinting the Spirit he prescribed Set-forms of Praise and Prayers for the use of the Temple and ordered the service for every day A Psalm consisting partly of the one hundred and fifth ninety sixth and one hundred and eighteenth he first delivered to Asaph and his Brethren at the reduction of the Ark from the house of Obed-Edom 1 Chron. xvi 7. And divers other Psalms were composed by him for the Service of the Church And what he had ordained Solomon put in practice In the fifth Chapter of the second Book of Chronicles we find the pattern of the Service of this Time and Place the Sons of Asaph Heman and Ieduâ—hun arrayed in white Linen with musical Instruments praising the Lord saying For he is good c. viz. reciting the one hundred and
eighteenth Psalm and in token of God's acceptance a Cloâ—d filled the house The one hundred thirty and sixth Psalm likewise was wont to be sung in Thanksgivings So we find also Hezekiah and Iosiah praising the Lord in the words of David and Asaph Thus stood the matter under the Law the ordering of matters of Religion was not exempted from the Supreme Power Hezekiah varied from Moses his Law and was blameless Neither was it otherwise in the best and purest Times under the Gospel It had been but a slender invitation to the Emperours to become Christian if by submitting to Christianity they must lose so considerable a part of the Sovereign Power enjoyed by all their Predecessours and be thereby exposed inevitably to Seditions and Rebellions upon every Frantick eruption of religious Melancholy The primitive Emperours understood themselves otherwise and so did the Christians under them I may not stand to recite the Annals of the Church If Constantine had not interposed for the composing of the Arrian Heresie what had become either of Government or Religion The drawing up of Canons for the regulation of Religion was by our Lord committed to the Apostles and their Successours the Bishops and other Ecclesiastical Persons but that these Canons should be enforced as Laws by temporal Penalties it was by sanction of Civil powers In the second Oecumenical Council the Fathers assembled at Constantinople beseech Theodosius the Elder to ratifie the Decrees of that Synod Thus we find Iustinian establishing the Nomo-Canonicon or Code of the Universal Church consisting of the Canons of the four first General and five ancient Provincial Councils and commanding them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be kept as Laws Briefly to determine this Question we need only to view the Titles of the sixteenth Book of the Code of Theodosius the thirteen first Titles in the Code oâ— Iustinian Photius's Nomo-Canon and the like The Pretence of exemption of Ecclesiastical Causes so as hath been intimated as it is inconsistent with Government so it is also with the Principles of Christianity 2. Thus much having been spoken concerning the regulation of Matters of Religion it will be needless to enlarge concerning the second Pretence of the exemption of Ecclesiastical Persons This Tenet is equally dangerous with the former and equally contrary to the Principles of Christianity It were to be wished that all men professing themselves Ministers were thorowly convinced of the Doctrine of Obedience otherwise as they grow popular they become dangerous Sacerdotum quidam eo sunt ingenio ut ni pareant territent And Saint Chrysostom commenting upon every Soul c. saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Both the Apostle the Evangelist and the Prophet Our Saviour was both Priest and Prophet and the Apostles were Ecclesiastical persons yet did not think themselves exempted Such persons were not exempted either before or after the Times of our Saviour neither in 1. a Single or 2. Joynt capacity From the beginning it was not so 1. As to Single persons under the Law we find an Instance of the Exercise of the Sovereign power over an High-Priest offending in Abiathar whom Solomon thrust out and placed Zadoc in his room 2. As to the calling of Assemblies before the Gospel-times it did belong to the Supreme Magistrate We find Moses not Aaron Ioshuah not Eleazar David not Abiathar Solomon not Zadoc summoning the Priests and Levites to meet together And In the Primitive Times of the Christian Emperours we do not meet with Councils or Synods called by the Bishop of Rome nor with Ministers casting themselves into Classical and Synodical Meetings nor with Assemblies of Divines called against or without the Prince's consent The indiction of Times and Places the convocation of Persons the Presidency the order of Debates the dismission of the Assemblies the roboration of Canons as to making them Laws of the Empire in the General and provincial Councils were all the work of the Supreme Magistrate And As for matters of Appeal we find Paul appealing to Caesar Athanasius from the Synod at Tyre to Constantine to whom three Appeals were likewise made in the Cause of Caecilianus and Donatus and many more instances of this and the like nature 3. I should now dismiss this Head concerning Religion did there not remain one Pretence more and that so wild and monstrous that it looks as if it were the last effort of the enemy of man-kind ultimus Diaboli conatus for it strikes at the Heart both of Government and of Religion It is this that Saints and gifted Persons as they call themselves are exempt from humane Laws and in effect resolves into this that to reprobate others and assume to themselves the Title of the Godly Party to talk of Reformation and the Power of Godliness of advancing the Kingdom of Jesus Christ c. is to justifie Sacriledge and Treason and horrid Rebellioâ— and to qualify them for the Kings and Priests and Prophets of the world â—ow far this Satanical madness hath prevailed to the confusion of all things Civil and Sacred to the scandal of Religion the planting and watering of Atheism and Infidelity I tremble to call to our remembrance If my present business were to resuâ—e the men that have given this offence â—ow easie were it to examine their Gifts and their Saintship and how hard to find them But as the woman of Samaria said to our Saviour Art thou greater than our Father Iacob are they greater Saints or better gifted then Peter and Paul and the rest of the Apostles He that said Let every Soul be subject to the higher Powers had been wrap'd up whether in the body or out he could not tell to the third heavens hath any of them been carried higher Christ the natural Son of God the Brightness of his Glory the Express Image of his Person said Render to Caesar the things that are Caesars are they greater then Christ also But my present purpose being chiefly to remove these scandals from Religion come and let us reason together What could Christ and his Apostles have done more to prevent this scandal then they have done Their Doctrine and practice hath been already shewn and the Danger and Heinousness of the Sin of Resistance in all the kinds and degrees of it discovered neither can any thing more be imagined which might be desired to anticipate and obviate this pretence unless it be that these things should have been particularly foretold and the Persons at least their Party and Sect described that the world might be forewarned of them Will it then satisfy the enemies of our Religion concerning the Truth and Infallibility of the Scriptures and the abhorrency of the Christian Principle from this damnable Tenet if it shall briefly appear that these things have been punctually foretold by Christ and his Apostles Christ hath given warning of grievous Wolves in Sheep's cloathing More particularly Saint Paul hath told us
writing Histories then carry their own credentials in them when the principal parts of them are delivered with such circumstances of times places and persons as may rendeâ— them liabâ—e to Examination and Refucation if they contain any falshood in them And in this particular no History hath any advantage over that History whereof we are speaking as will be evident to him that considers it throughout Concerning Iohn the Baptist it is recorded that he was born some few Months before Christ that his Mother was Elizabeth that his Father was Zachariah a Priest of the Course of Abia that they lived in the Hill-Countrey He began to preach in the 15. of Tiberius Pilate being Governour of Iudaea Herod Tetrarch of Calilee his Brother Philip Tetrarch of Iturea and of the Region of Trachonitis and Lysanias Tetrarch of Abilene Punctual and particular Soon after this he was Imprisoned and Beheaded by Herod for reprehending him about Herodias all which were matters of Fact very easie if false to have been refuted Concerning Christ his birth is stated to have been at a time the most remarkable that ever was when the whole world was taxed by Augustus in the days of Herod when Cyrenius was Governour of Syria the place easie to be enquired of it was in a Manger in an Inn in a Town that was a little one among the thousands of Iuda easie to be examined When he was about 30 years oldâ— he was Baptized of Iohn and within a few days after he called his Apostleâ— and in less than four yeears space he performed all his mighty Works whereof I shall mention only some few particulars At Cana in Galilee he turned Water into Wine at a Wedding where was much company He raised the Daughter of Iairus the Ruler of the Synagogue there was but one in that place she was his only Daughter and about twelve years Old He healed the Servant of that Centurion that had built a Synagogue Can any thing be more particular At Bethany fifteen Furlongs from Ierusalem a few days before his death he raised Lazarus after he had been dead four days Could any thing be more examinable His death was at Ierusalem at the time of the Passover a time of greatest annual concourse in the world and then it is said that the Sun was darkened the Veilrent the Rocks torn in pieces the Graves opened Can any thing be more refutable than these things if they had been false So likewise for the Apostles The healing of AEneas at Lydda raising of Dorcas at Ioppe the passages with Cornelius Captain of the Band called the Italian Band at Caesarea and many other acts of Peter The increpation of Barjesus at Paphos in the presence of Sergius Paulus the Governour The healing of a Cripple at Lystra in the presence of the Priest of Iupiter besides many other acts of Paul and the rest of the Apostles are so cirumstantiated in the History that if false they might have been very easily contradicted But besides all these this History contains a Narration of things done and said not only by persons well affected but by Herod and Pontius Pilate and the Roman Governours by the Pharisees the Scribes the High Priests and the Sanhedrim all of them Enemies both to the Historians and the History and if any of these things had had been convicted of falshood would not the credit of the whole Gospel have at once been utterly overthrown I conclude therefore that in respect of internal Arguments for belief no History hath or indeed can have any advantage above the History of the New Testament 2. As for External Arguments I can but name them Though the whole world interessed themselves against the story so examinable as you have heard though the Books were extant while the memory of things was recent Matthew within seven years Mark within eleven Luke about twenty four post mortem Christi the Epistles of Peter and Paul within thirty years all the rest intra unius hominis aetatem yet no man could ever convince them of falshood The stories were received by men of the greatest Wisdom Learning and vertue amongst the Greeks and Latines Many of the hardest passages were attested and confessed by Enemies and Unbelievers The Authors owned by Iulian the Miracles confessed by Celsus the checking of the operation of the Devil by Porphyrius the Darkness and Earthquake at the death of Christ by Thallus and Phlegon Trallianus the Crucifixion of Christ by Pilate under Tiberius by Tacitus And in one word The entire Volume of the Scriptures the very same which our Church receives by vertue of the belief of the History of the Gospel before any general Council or the time of Constantine without any Convocation of the Clergy or imperial Edict for that purpose was instinctu quodam Christiano generally received by all Christians and the world made Christians In respect of all these Arguments internal and external I might have justly said that the History of the Gospel hath the advantage of any other History but seeing there are some particulars wherein the advantages are super-eminent I shall speak a little of that distinctly by it self and so conclude 2. These advantages I shall reduce to two heads Testimonium Rei Dei 1. For the Testimonium Rei consider 1. Opposition to the Gospel 2. Prevailing of 1. Never any story was so much opposed as the Books and History of the New Testament by Jews and Gentiles by the World and by the Devil The beginnings and propagation of the Gospel was by the Jews maliciously and strenuously opposed in the times of Christ and his Apostles and in all succeeding Generations Lest all men should believe in Christ because of his Miracles the Rulers took counsel to destroy him the People cryed out to have him Crucified Lest the last errour as they called it should be worse than the first they sealed up his Sepulchre and set a watch upon it and lastly suborned the Souldiers to say that his Disciples came by night while they were sleeping how could they know this and stole him away That the first Miracle wrought by Peter and Iohn might not spread among the People the Rulers and Elders and Scribes Annas and Caiaphas and John and Alexander and all the Kindred of the High Priest laid hands upon them and put them in hold and threatned and commanded them not to speak at all in the Name of Jesus When Stephen had uttered his testimony the people cryed with a loud voice and stopped their Ears and ran upon him with one accord and cast him out of the City and stoned him Wherever they met with Believers Men or Women they haled them into Prison breathing out threatnings and slaughter Where-ever they met with the Preachers they opposed and blasphemed they tumultuated they stirred the Gentiles they enraged the chief men of the Cities and the