Canon it forbids Christians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to return to their Military Employment and in the Ninteenth it commands Rebaptization of such as were Baptized by Hereticks The Emperour Zeno being expulsed the Tyrant Basiliscus by the perswasion of Timotheus Aelurus wrote Letter in condemnation of the General Council of Chalcedon unto which as impious as they were no less than five hundred Bishops subscribed at the Tyrants Command And touching the Canon if the Council of Laodicea be right in it that of Carthage is not so and consequently that of Constantinople which takes in both must needs be in an Error These things premised Can the unvariable and infallible Scripture hang upon a variable and errable Authority such as Mans is May all the precious Promises of Life and Salvation be precarious and pendent on an Humane Arbitrium Tertullian in his Apology speaking of that old Decree among the Romans that no God should be consecrated without the approbation of the Senate saith Apud nos de humano arbitratu divinitas pensitatur nisi homini Deus placuerit Deus non erit If the Authority of Scripture depend on the Church then we may say Nisi homini Scriptura placuerit Scriptura non erit and by consequence all the Faith of the Saints must be pendulous and hanging on uncertainties If the Churches desinition be so momentous to Scripture let us see what the Church hath done in it Hath it collected the Canonical Books into a body 'T is probable Ezra collected the Books of the Old Testament into a body and so think many of the ancient Fathers And I suppose St. John collected the Books of the New Testament together for he lived after all the other Apostles even unto the time of Trajan that by his vigilancy the Canon of the New Testament might be kept pure and unadulterate When after St. Pauls death there was a Book called Periodus Pauls Teclae spread abroad under the Name and Title of Paul St. John discovered it to be spurious insomuch that the Author of it confessed that he did it amore Pauli And I believe what was done in this collection of the Canon was not done by an ordinary Spirit but by a Prophetical Spirit in Ezra and an Apostolical one in St. John In the mean time it appears not to have been done by an act of the Church but leaving this particular When and how did the Church define the Canon Such a momentous thing should have been done by the Primo-primitive Church in the first Century whilest the Church of Christ was a pure Virgin as Egesippus said Lib. 3. Dist 21. Quest 1. Thus the School-man Durandus lays it down Hoc quod dictum est de approbatione Scripturae per Ecclesiam intelligitur solum de Ecclesiâ que fuit tempore Apostolorum qui suerunt repleti Spiritu sancto No Church so fit to do it as that which had so much of the holy Spirit but nothing was done in it in that Age. The so called Canons of the Apostles which in the 85th Canon take in three Books of Macchabees into the old Canon and the Constitutions and Epistles of Clement into the new are clearly adulterate these condemn second Marriages deprive not a Clergy-man of communion for Fornication or Perjury or Thest and speak of Altars Oblations Vessels of Gold and Silver sanctified Cantors and Lectors and many other such-like altogether unknown in those Apostolical times About these Canons Mirè inter se digladiantur Pontisicii saith one Gelasius in a Roman Synod of seventy Bishops declares them Apocryphal in toto Bellarmine rejects all but the first fifty and I think all the Romanists cast away the 85th Canon touching the Scripture as Supposititious The first Virgin-Century doing nothing in this grand matter one might have lookt for it in the second or third but there is no foot-step of it In the fourth Century about the year 320 came the famous Council of Nice and then it might have been expected as the aptest foundation for their Orthodox Conclusions against Arrius and withal for a stated Rule against all future Heresies but there is a failure also nothing was done in it And into what Heart can it enter that in all those 320 years there was no Canon no Authority of Scripture no foundation for the Primitive Christians to fix their Faith upon In those days Paganism was strong and Persecutions hot and Divine Cordials necessary and yet the Scripture for want of the Churches Definition was not of Authority as to the Christians then living I say according to the Popish Thesis it was not But to go on Afterwards about the year of our Lord 368 came the Council of Laodicea which in the 59th Canon orders That no Books should be read in the Church but the Canonical ones of the Old and New Testament and enumerates as Canonical such as are received in the Reformed Church only omitting the Apocalypse And now had not that Omission been and had this Council been a General one the work had been done But afterwards in this very Century about the year 398 the third Council of Carthage in its 47th Canon reckons up as Canonical Tobit Judith two Books of Macchabees and five Books of Solomon accounting Wisdom and Ecclesiastious to be two of them In this Council St. Austin was present who yet in his Book de Civitate Dei Lib. 17. cap. 20 saith That Wisdom and Ecclesiasticus in the judgment of the more learned were not Solomens and were chiefly received in the Western Church it seems the Eastern received them not In the end of the next Century about the year 494. Gelasius Bishop of Rome with seventy Bishops enumerates the same Books as Canonical which are reckoned so in the Council of Carthage save only that he omits the Book of Nehemiah and names but one of the Macchabees These particular Provincial Councils being of incompetent Authority to desine the Canon for the Universal Church and withal variant nay repugnant among themselves Whither must we go but to a General Council but Oh how late very late doth that come How long will the Authority of Scripture and Faith of Christians be suspended and to how little satisfaction will this desinition be About the year 682 was the sixth General Council of Constantinople in Trullo and as to this Point what did it It consirmed the Canons of the Apostles the Council of Laodicea and the Council of Carthage which three in this Point being totally inconsistent each with other every one by the leave of these Fathers who confirmed them all may chuse what Canonical Books he will have whether those in the Canons of the Apostles or those in the Council of Laodicea or those in that of Carthage and what pitiful incertainties are here And now it is to little purpose to fly over many Centuries more till we come to the Councils of Florence and Trent these are late ones and as our Learned Whitaker
he hath a true perswasion of the things of God but after Experience a Plerophory or full perswasion thereof Here I shall Instance in that one Fundamental Comprehensive Truth which is pregnant with all other viz. that the holy Scriptures are the very Word of God and so to be embraced by all Christians The Papists say That the Authority of the Scriptures depends at least quoad nos on the Definition of the Church and that upon that account chiefly it is to be beloved by us By the Church they mean the Church of Pastors and those gathered in a Council to desine the Canon of Scripture Saint Paul speaks of a Church which is The Pillar and Ground of the Truth 1 Tim. 3.15 But as our learned Whitaker hath observed That is not the Church of Pastors but of Believers and in truth the Word of Life is more purely held forth in the Lives and Experiences of Believers than in the Gifts of Pastors This Thesis some of their Grandees have prosecuted even to Blasphemy saying That without the Judgment of the Church they would give no more credit to Matthew than to Livy and value the Scriptures much as they do Esops Fables That this Opinion is false is as clear as the Light true Faith is a pure infusion which hangs on the irradiating Spirit as a Beam on the Sun and in Scripture sees with the credenda the reason of believing in the Divine Authority stamped thercon The Ministery used about it may be Mans but the Authority on which it leans must be Gods Theol. Nat. Tit. 209. Tota causa tota radix totum fundamentum credendi verbis Dei debet esse quia ipse dicit saith Raimundus De Sabunde Unless we believe God for himself our Faith is not Divine if the Fulciment of it be humane it is such it self Saint Paul would not have Our Faith stand in the wisdom of men Comment in Mich. 7. 1 Cor. 2.5 Saint Jerom saith In homine spes vana vera in Deo est and a little after Nolite credere in ducibus non in Episcopo non in Presbytero non in Diacono non in quâlibet hominum dignitate If Believers believe the Scriptures upon the Authority of Pastors Pastors believe them upon their own Or if they say that they have the Testimony of the Spirit all Believers may say the same and thereby believe as well as themselves and without their Authority The Thessalonians Received the Word as the Word of God without asking the Judgment of the Church 1 Thess 2.13 The Bercans Received it with all readiness and instead of consulting the Church Searched the Scriptures Acts 17.11 The true Church cannot be known but by the Scriptures De Uniâ—â—â— Feel caâ—â— 3. â—â— Thus Saint Austin writing against the Donatists saith Sunt certe libri Dominici quorum Autoritati utrique consentimus utrique credimus ibi queramus Eccl siam ibi discutiamus cansam And again Ecclesiam suam demonstrent si possunt non in sermonibus rumoribus Afrorum non in Conciliis Episcoporum non in literis disputatorum non in signis prodigiis fallacibus sed in preseriptâ— legis in Prophetarum praedactis in Psalmorum cantibus in ipsius Pastoris vocibus in Evangelistarum praedicationibus laboribus hoc est in omnibus Canonicis Sanctorum Librorum Autoritatibus And if I must know the Church by the Scripture I must in all reason own the Scripture before I own the Church or its Decisions The Church may bear witness to the Scripture but in a subordinate Ministerial way The supream adequate witness thereof is only that Spirit which outwardly indited it in the letter and inwardly imprints it on the Heart The Church may bear witness to the Scripture but it can add no Authority to it If the Church hath Authority to define the Canon it must have it from Scripture and then the Scripture must have Authority even quoad nos before that Definition unless they will absurdly distinguish and say That the Scripture-Authority before the Definition is only as to Pastors and not as to Believers till after it All the Churches Authority is from Scripture and How can the derivative Authority add to the Primitive The Scripture is Principium scientificum and therefore to be received by its light without a quare or reason why it is so the Scripture is a Foundation to the Church Eph. 2.20 and such a one that the Church is no further a Church than as it is built thereon and How can the Church be a Foundation to the Scripture The Scripture is a Law to the Church every Soul must be under it and How can the Subject-Church give Authority to the Law which it Self is under The Judgment of the Church hath been variable in the Council of Carthage under Cyprian it was Decreed that those which were baptized by Hereticks returning to the Church should be rebaptized the one Baptisin being only in the Church and none without it Vbi Ecclesia non est Baptisma non est Afterwards the first Council of Carthage called the First not as if it had been first in time but as omitting the first Cyprianical Council as antiquated enacted that Baptism made in the name of the Sacred Trinity should not be reiterated all crying out Absit against reiteration In the seventh General Council of Constantinople the 338 Bishops cried down Images might and main Quomodo Dei matrem quam obumbravit plenitudo Deitatis vulgaris Gentilium ars pingere audet non fas est Christianis qui spem Resurrectionis babent demonum culturae consuetudinibus uti flagitium est as Gregorius Theologus said Fidem habere in coloribus non in corde Quis gloriam splendorem Christi effigiare posset mortuis coloriius said Eusebius Pamphili in his Letter to the Empress Constantia One would have thought that the broken Images would never have been set together again but within less than half a Century comes the second Council of Nice and there the 350 Bishops bring in Images again under the wings of the old Cherubims and set them up upon Jacobs Pillar and back them with Fathers and Miracles They throw out Anathema's against the Iconoclasts and reject with a Curse the Books of Eusebius as a Man delivered over in reprobum sensum And are well perswaded that Angels are Corporeal and may be pictured A little after and within the same half-Century comes the Council of Francford halting between both the former speaking half in the Language of Ashdod and half in the pure Language allowing Images but denying any Worship to them And as touching the Canon it will afterwards appear how the Council of Laodicea differs about that from the third Council of Carthage and how the fixth Council of Constantinople in confirming them both varies from it self The Judgment of the Church hath been subject to Error the famous Council of Nice had two lapses in it in the twelfth
Coelis By Faith we possess that which is in Heaven All our Graces are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 6.9 Things having or containing Salvation No parts or pieces of this World but such as Heaven dawns and begins here below The holy Spirit is as the First Fruits to assure us of the whole Crop in Heaven and as the earnest of the total Sum of Glory which shall be paid above The Believer here hath so much of Heaven as to make him strive wrestle run work watch and wait with his Loyns girt and Lamps burning and as the twelve Tribes to serve God instantly Acts 26.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 running with full speed and stretching out himself in the Race that he may come to the Crown of Life and surely his Hope if fastned about a nullity would not put forth such strong and vigorous operations Heaven must be a real thing indeed which so carries away the Heart from all the World and engages it unto it self Another considerable part of Scripture stands in threatnings against Sinners Touching experimenting these I need say very little our Good God doth not give out Threatnings in the same manner as he doth give out Promises he gives out Promises that they may be fulfilled and experimented but he gives out Threatnings that they may not be fulfilled and experimented but rather that by them Men may be warned in a way of Faith and Repentance To fly from the wrath to come The applying of a Promise in a right manner makes it to belong to us but the applying of a Threatning makes it not to belong to us judging our selves we prevent the Judgment of God The Believer even before Conversion more or less felt the Threatnings taking hold of him and shutting of him up under Wrath till Jesus Christ opened the Prison-dores and made him Free indeed And if afte Conversion he forget the old Chains and run into wilful Rebellion again he will feel them a second time The bones will be broken and Comforts lost the Conscience will be wounded and the Wounds will Stink and be corrupt because of his foolishness God may depart away and leave the Graces withering and the poor Soul all in the dark with Terrors round about it This is a very sad Experiment and yet undeniably proves that the Threatnings are from God his Justice appearing on the top of them like devouring Fire Passing over those three great Pillars of Scripture Precepts Promises and Threatnings I now proceed to the Sacred Truths which lie therein as Rich Veins of Gold and Silver do in a Mine And to avoid Prolixity I shall pick out of them some supernatural Ones such as cannot be known by the mere Light of Nature but drop down from Heaven in a way of pure Revelation concluding with my self That if Faith can make an Experiment in these it may much more do so in others I shall first instance in that Sacred Truth of The blessed Trinity of Persons in Vnity of the God-head This is as one hath it Fundamentum Fundamentorum The Foundation of Foundations unless this stand fast all Evangelical Truths fall to the Ground we are no longer Christians then we acknowledg it So sublime is this Mystery that as Saint Bernard saith Scrutari haec temeritas est credere pietas est nosse vero vita aeterna est And when Gregory Nazianzen was pressed to assign a disserence between those words Begotten and Proceeding he made this answer Dic mihi quid sit generatio ego dicam quid sit processio ut ambo insaniamus distinguere inter processionem generationem nescio non valeo non sufficio This Truth is totally supernatural it could never without a Revelation enter into our Heart humane reason no not that of Adam could not reach it Indeed there are strange passages touching it in Trismegistus and Plato Trismegistus saith God who is Mind begat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Speech or Word which is another Mind and with that Speech another which is the Fiery God and Spirit of the God-head Plato speaks of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A most Divine Word and of the begotten Son of the Good and the learned Grotius saith Apud Platonicos reperias 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 three Persons in one But sure these men knew nothing of this Mystery if they spake somewhat like they spake not the same or if the same they borrowed it from Moses Plato is called the Atticizing Moses and his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one and many is an old Tradition derived from the Jews and his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken from Jehovah or I am Or which is most probable the notions of the Trinity in Plato and Trismegistus were foisted into their Works How many Books have been put out under the names of the Apostles and ancient Fathers which have not been truly such Such imposture in the Primitive times was very ordinary And if Men would be thus bold with Apostles and Fathers what might they not do in Heathens Besides some think there are clearer notions of a Trinity in some of the Heathens than in Moses's Books and so by consequence the Heathens should know more of it than Israel which is contrary to the Scriptures which tell us In Judah is God known Ps 76.1 and He hath not dealt so with any Nation Ps 147.20 It is therfore likely that such passages in Heathens were inserted into their Books by Christians in a way of Pious Fraud such as was anciently used This Sacred Mystery was intimated in the Old-Testament Elohim in the plural Created Gen. 1.1 Let us make Man saith God Gen. 1.26 By the word of the Lord were the Heavens made and all the Host of them by the Spirit of his Mouth Ps 33.6 Holy holy holy is the Lord of Hosts I say 6.3 The ancient Jewish Rabbins as Petrus Galatinus hath shewed embraced this Doctrine Rabbi Simeon on that in the Prophet saith Sanctus hic est Pater Sanctus hic est Filius Sanctus hic est Spiritus Sanctus the three Middoth or Properties in Rabbinical Writers are the three Persons in the Godhead And the Cabbalists have these words Pater Deus Filius Deus Spiritus Sanctus Deus Tres in Vno Vnus in Tribus In the New-Testament we have this Truth clearly laid down in the Baptisin of Christ we have all the three Persons appearing The Father in a Voice the Son in the Flesh the Holy Ghost in the Dove Mat. 3.16 17. The Primitive Christians used to say to any that doubted of the Trinity Abi ad Jordanem videbis Go to Jordan and you will see it Christ Commands That Baptism should be In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Math. 28.19 Or as the Greek Article imports In the Name of that Father that Son and that Holy Ghost which discovered themselvs at Christs Baptism There are three that bear Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the
vivimus si totum Deo damus Gotteschalcus preaching up the Doctrine of Grace according to St. Austin and Prosper suffered a close Imprisonment for above twenty years together for that Truth and no question he experimented the power of Grace whilest he suffered for it Bonaventura hath a notable passage Hoc piarum mentium est ut nihil sibi tribuant sed totum Dei gratiae It is the true genius of Believers to attribute nothing to themselves but all to Grace And in the same place he saith That holy Men know the influences of Grace Potius experiendo quam ratiocinando rather by experience than argument The profound Bradwardine confesses That at first Pelagius seemed to be in the right it was more grateful to him to hear of Mans power in the Schools of Philosophers than of Gods Grace in the Church But afterwards Gratiae radio visitatus being visited by a beam of Grace from Heaven What a second Austin and Champion for Grace did he prove His Book de Causâ Dei against Pelagius is a sufficient witness thereof After all the great Luther saith in plain terms That Liberum arbitrium est merum mendacium Mans Free-will is but a lie And if any of the Fathers have predicated it certè ex carne ut fuerunt homines non ex Spiritu Dei sunt locuti they spoke according to the flesh as Men not from the Spirit of God and saith of himself That he would not have any thing of Salvation left in his own hand and glories in this Deus salutem meam extra meum arbitrium tollens in suum receperit All is in the hand of Free-grace And a little after concludes Hec est gloriatio omnium Sanctorum in Deo suo After this manner do all the Saints glory in their God crying out over every good thing in themselves Grace Grace Many Books have been wrote touching Will and Grace But were the experiences of Saints written and visible there would appear such Magnalia or wonderful works of Grace that every unbyassed person would say Conclusum est contra Pelagianos There is no doubt but the efficacy of Grace is very great and glorious in the Hearts of men Thus much for a taste may sussice touching the experience of Scriptural Truths Supernatural Truths may be experimented much more such as fall in with the Light of Nature CHAP. XII The Divine Experiments of Faith in Scripture-Ordinances Baptism Preaching of the Word Prayer and the Lords Supper and lastly in the great Works of Power recorded in Scripture IN the next place I proceed to the Divine Ordinances in Scripture These the Believer may experience to be Divine God bare such a Testimony to the Typical Ordinances under the Law that his People experimentally knew that they were from him In Circumcision God set his Seal and Love-mark on his ancient People and at the doing of it they blessed him that a Child was brought into Covenant In their Burnt-offerings fire from Heaven consumed them as a witness of their acceptation Hence the Psalmist prays The Lord accept thy Burnt-sacrisice Psal 20.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in cinerem vertat let him turn it to ashes thereby testifying his acceptance thereof In their first Temple they had many Symbols of Gods Presence as the Ark with the Tables in it and Propitiatory or Mercy-seat by the Vrim and Thummin they could ask Counsel of God the Shechinab the Glory or Majesty of God dwelt between the Cherubims and acceptance in their Services and Sacrifices offered unto God But pretermitting these as being but Shadows and by Christians experimented in Jesus Christ the substance of them I shall instance in the four great standing Ordinances in the Christian Church and shew how the Believer may experience them to be from God and in that experience prove the Scripture which appoints them to be from him also The first Ordinance I shall instance in is that of Baptism This by the Ancients was stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Illumination as ushering in the Evangelical light St. Basil calls it Vestimentum candidum signaculum sancium the white garment and holy sign It is by St. Austin named Porta Gratiae the door of Grace and first entrance into the Church And by St. Bernard Christianismi investitura the first putting on Christianity In Luther it is Aqua non Creatoris sed Dei salvatoris the water not of the Creator but of God the Saviour Among the Jews the Proselyte of the Gates was only tyed to the seven Precepts of Noah but the Proselyte of Righteousness was bound to all the Mosaical Ordinances and was initiated into Judaisin by Circumcision and Baptism and the blood of Oblation The Jewish Rabbins built this Baptism of Proselytes on that Command of God Exod. 19.10 That the people should sanctifie themselves and wash their clothes in order to the reception of the Law Such as were Baptized they called Renati new-born or regenerate and reputed them to be Subalis Divinae Majestatis under the wings of the Divine Majesty But as yet Baptism was no Divine Ordinance but only a Jewish custom Afterwards this custom was turned into a sacred Ordinance in John's Baptism which was not of Men but from Heaven He saith of himself That he was sent to Baptize Joh. 1.33 And by whom St. Luke tells us The word of the Lord came 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon John Luk. 3.2 as a Divine Warrant for the Work His Baptism is called The Counsel of God Luk. 7.30 And was sealed from Heaven by a wonderful Theophany the whole Sacred Trinity manifesting themselves at Christs Baptism by him Afterwards Christ gave a solemn charge about it Go teach all Nations Baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Mat. 28.19 and adds a sweet Promise thereunto Lo I am with you alway even to the end of the world ver 20. Thus Baptism is firmly established in Scripture and the Believer may experience it to be of God He though Baptized an Infant wanting the use of Reason and uncapable in himself to make any formal Vow or Covenant yet finds a secret bond or obligation lying upon his Conscience which remembers him of his Baptism in some such words as those of an Ancient Abrenunciasti Diabolo operibus suis abrenunciasti seculo voluptatibus ejus Thou hast renounced the Devil and his works the World and its pleasures forget not thy Baptism And the reason of this bond is because Baptism is an Ordinance of Stipulation called by St. Peter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the stipulation or interrogation of a good Conscience towards God 1 Pet. 3.21 It is an entry into Covenant with God and binds the Conscience Were it no Ordinance of God there would be no Stipulation and so no Obligation upon Conscience But when the Believer finds his Baptismal Vow pressing there he knows that Baptism is of God Again he knows it by the inward strength