it It will be expedient for me to premise certain Theological conclusions or principles which all Orthodox Divines unanimously and univocally have acknowledged to be undoubted Truths as Praecognita and Canons to have recourse unto for the decision and determination of any Controversie as need shall require which if they deny to assent unto they are not to be disputed with as the proverb speaks Contra negantem principia non est disputandum There 's no disputation to be held with him that will deny the principles of Art The Principles I think fit to premise are these four 1. That the Canonical Scripture is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is authentical and creditable of it self 2. That there is no contradictions in the Canonical Scripture 3. That the same makes and so by consequence alloweth to be made distinction between things that sometime in Scripture have the same denomination This appears by many instances in Scripture whereof I will name these three Fear Faith and Sorrow First About Fear the Scripture mentioneth a fear which is gracious and godly which the learned have termed Filial and a Fear which is gracelesse which the learned have termed Servile of this we have an example in 2 Kings 17.33 34. where it 's said of the Babylonians in the former verse that they feared God and then in the latter verse that they feared him not Whence it 's evident that a distinction must be made of the fear of God whereof some is a Gracious Fear and some a Gracelesse otherwise there would be a contradiction between the two verses which Scripture admits not Secondly About Faith The Scripture doth distinguish it into these two sorts namely a Faith that hath Works and a Faith that is without works which it also calleth a dead faith James 2.17 Faith if it have no Works is dead being alone Thirdly About Sorrow The Scripture speaks of a godly sorrow for sin and a worldly sorrow in 2 Cor. 7.10 Godly sorrow worketh Repentance to salvation but the sorrow of the World worketh death Hereby it 's clear that a distinction is sometimes to be made betwixt things that have the same denomination The fourth Principle which I shall premise is this That seeming contradictions in Scripture are so to be expounded by help of other Texts either speaking of the same point or otherwise that they may symphonize and accord together Which help the Scripture affords in one place or other If our Adversaries will yield to be tryed about the forementioned Controversies by these old Canons which have been universally received for undoubted truths by all Christian Churches in primitive times when the waters ran clearest from under the Threshold of the Sanctuary I shall adventure to bear the disgrace if I do not convince them of error about each Controversie that I have before named The first Controversie handled About Election THeir first Error that I shall undertake to confute is their assertion That God's election of men unto salvation is grounded upon his foresight of their Faith and Obedience or sanctification and Good Works That is that he electeth such and such men to life and salvation because he foreseeth that they will believe and walk in obedience to his Commandements This Assertion I shall prove to be an error by these four Arguments The first Argument If men shall therefore believe because they are elected and ordained to eternal life then they are not elected and ordained to eternal life because they will believe This consequence cannot be denied by any intelligent man But men shall therefore believe because they are elected and ordained to eternal life and therefore are not elected and ordained to it because they will believe The Assumption I prove out of Acts 13.48 where it 's said That as many as were ordained to eternall life believed Here Faith is made the fruit and effect of election to eternal life and therefore cannot be the cause of it for nothing can be the cause and effect too of one and the same thing My second Argument is this If men be elected or chosen that they may be holy then their election must needs be the ground and cause of their holinesse and sanctification But men are elected that they may be holy so saith the Scripture Ephes 1.4 He hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the World that we should be holy and without blame before him in love Therefore Election is the ground and cause of holinesse or sanctification and not holinesse the ground and cause of election The third Argument If the good pleasure of God's will be the ground and first cause of mens election and predestination to salvation then God's fore-sight of their Sanctification and Good Works cannot be the first cause and ground thereof This consequence is undeniable But the good pleasure of God's will is the first cause and ground of mens election and predestination to salvation Therefore God's fore-sight of their sanctification and Good Works cannot be the first cause and ground thereof The A sumption I prove from these two Texts of Scripture passing by many other to the same purpose Rom. 9.11 S. Paul there affirms That the purpose of God according to Election stands not of Works but of him that calleth Where works are denied and Gods will affirmed to be the cause of election And Ephes 1.5 and again verse 11. the good pleasure of God's will is made the ground and cause of mens election to salvation The words in the fift verse are these Having predestinated us to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ unto himself according to the good pleasure of his will And the words in the 11. verse are these In whom also we have obtained an inheritance being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the councel of his own will If the Adversaries answer that Election may be according to the good pleasure of God's will and yet the good pleasure of his will may not be the cause of Election To this I reply That the Apostle makes it plain in the 11. verse that he speaks of the good pleasure of God's will as the cause of Election by the addition of these last words in the verse Who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will For if he worketh all things after the counsel of his own will then Election is necessarily one of those things which he worketh after the councel of his own will and therefore the counsell of his own will must needs be the cause thereof The fourth Argument is this If Good Works be no causes of salvation then neither of election unto salvation this is plain because Election is the cause of Salvation But Good Works are no causes of salvation and therefore no causes of Election The minor Proposition or Assumption is proved by Ephes 2.8 9 verses where the Apostle saith By grace ye are saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the
gift of God Not of works lest any man should boast And again Tit. 3.5 Not by works of righteousnesse which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost The Advesaries answer That these and such like Texts are spoken of works before regeneration To which I reply that in Tit. 3.5 the Apostle expresly nominates works of righteousnesse and denies them to be any causes of salvation but there be no works of righteousnesse before regeneration for then an evill tree should bring forth good fruit which our Saviour denies Matth. 7.18 And therefore even good works after regeneration are in Scripture denied to be any causes of salvation Hereof I shall have occasion to speak more largely hereafter and therefore will not insist any longer in the illustration of it Before I proceed to the next Controversie I will display the weak argumentation of Mr. Henry Haggar for defence of election from fore-seen sanctification by his straining Scripture from its proper sense and in not comparing it with other Scripture where the genuine and proper sense is clearly explained He toils himself to prove the said point because it 's said in 2 Thes 2.13 that men are chosen to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and therefore thence collects that they are not chosen before they are sanctified by the Spirit which is a very inconsequent collection for it doth not follow that because men are choto salvation through sanctification of the Spirit that therefore sanctification of the Spirit is the cause of their election or that therefore it precedes their election but that therefore sanctification is a necessary antecedent way and means through which they must be brought to salvation whereto they are elected as the way to any place is not the cause of a man his coming thither but only a necessary requisite to be observed of him And thus this Text fitly agrees with other Texts of Scripture as that before mentioned Ephes 1.4 where it 's said That we are chosen that we should be holy which Text he hath waved and never mentioned at all but as Satan alledged the words of the Psalmist leaving out a part as knowing it would disclose his wresting and perverting the true sense of the other Text which he alledged And so he neglects the premised rule of expounding Scripture by Scripture which is of necessity to be observed to find out the true sense and meaning of any Text that is ambiguous or may be variously expounded He alledgeth also the 1 Pet. 1.2 where it 's said That men are elected according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through sanctification of the Spirit Whence he collects that God knows men first before he doth elect them To this I answer First That God's prescience or foreknowledge of men and his election of them are in him together and one and the same act for all his attributes are himself and whatsoever is said to be in him is himself as it hath ever been acknowledged by all learned Divines But in humane apprehension of them his decrees precede his prescience for he doth not decree things to come because he foresees them but foresees them because he hath decreed them as is colligible from S. Paul's speech before named Ephes 4.11 where he affirms that God worketh all things according to the Counsell of his own will whence it 's manifest that his own will is the first cause of all his works and not his prescience though his prescience do concur with his will Secondly I answer That the foreknowledge of God there mentioned is a foreknowledged with approbation for the original word which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifies fore knowledgement as all men of learning know which implies a concurence of his election and approbation with his foreknowledge of men and not any precedence of his knowledge before his approbation and election of them And this affords an answer also to that place which is brought by some of the adversaries for defence of election from foreseen faith and holinesse in Rom. 8.29 where it 's said that whom God did foreknow he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son where the Greek verb which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies properly fore-acknowledged which intimates an election either with it or before the foreknowledge and besides the words following lead to this sense in that the Apostle expresseth that the predestination which he mentioneth as a sequell of God's foreknowledge is a predestination to be conformed to the image of his Son that is to be holy as Christ is holy A predestination to holinesse cannot be a predestination for holinesse as was shewed before He alledgeth but one Text of Scripture more about this point which is in the fourth Page of his discourse and which he abuseth very sufficiently as he doth the two former and that is Ephes 1.11 and 12. verses where the Apostle speaketh of himself and others that they were predestinated that they should be to the praise of God's glory who first trusted in Christ Whence he ridiculously collecteth that they did first trust in Christ before they were predestinated Whereas the priority or precedency of their faith there mentioned by the Apostle hath no relation at all to their predestination in Grammatical construction but to the faith of the Ephesians that were Greeks or Gentiles and called to the faith of Christ after Paul and the other Apostles that were Jews as appears evidently by the next verse where the Apostle adds In whom also ye trusted after that ye heard the word of truth As if he should have said In whom we trusted first and then ye afterwards which agrees also with other Scripture as Rom. 1.16 where the Apostle saith that the Gospel is the power of God to salvation to every one that believeth to the Jew first and also to the Greek The second Controversie Of the Vniversality of Christ's Redemption TO decide and determine this controversie I must first state the question aright between us and the adversaries To speak nothing of the word All which sometimes is put for all sorts of men and sometimes for all particular men of all sorts Seeing we acknowledge that Christ died not only for all sorts of men but for all of all sorts that do repent and believe The controversie depends upon these three Quaeries 1. Whether Christ died for unbelievers at all or not 2. Whether he died for them in as full and ample sense as for believers 3. In what sense he died for them and in what sense he died not for them To the first quaery or question I answer affirmatively for my part that Christ died for unbelievers in some sense To the second I answer negatively scil that he died not for unbelievers in as full and ample sense as for believers which I prove from Scripture three ways First Because it 's said sometime in
active and passive is the meritorious cause of salvation and of all the means conducting thereunto So Colos 1.14 We have redemption through his bloud even the forgiveness of sins And 1 John 1.7 The bloud of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin And 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Knowing that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers but with the precious bloud of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot with many such like Texts Thirdly Faith is the instrumental cause that is to say the instrument whereby we receive Christ and apply his merits to us so John 1.12 As many as received him to them he gave power to become the sons of God even to them that believe on his name And Ephes 3.17 The Apostle saith that Christ dwells in our hearts by faith And hence it is our righteousnesse is called both the righteousness of faith Rom. 10.6 And the righteousnesse which is by faith Heb. 11.7 And the righteousnesse which is of God by faith Phil. 3.9 Fourthly and lastly Vocation and Justification and Sanctification and good works and eternal life and salvation are the joynt fruits and effects of the aforenamed causes successively following one another Vocacion Justification and Sanctification and good works are the first fruits and effects of the foresaid causes brought forth here in this life as numerous Texts of Scripture testifie which I need not recite because they are familiarly known and because I have mentioned divers of them formerly And Eternal Life and Salvation is the last fruit the consummation and ultimate end of all as it 's very often taught and testified Rom. 6.22 Being made free from sin and become servants to God ye have your fruit unto heliness and the end everlasting life And 1 Pet. 1.9 Receiving the end of your faith even the salvation of your souls These are the links of the golden chain of salvation and the order of the causes thereof as they are annexed and held forth to us in the word of God And in Rom. 8.30 they are summed up together though in fewer words Whom he did predestinate saith the Apostle them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified And hence is Mr. Haggar's grosse error in his concatenation of the causes of salvation detected and confuted In that he makes sanctification and good works causes of salvation which are but fruits and effects of God's election and the merits of Christ apprehended by faith for they go before salvation only as necessary antecedents and as the appointed way to lead us to salvation and as preparatives for Heaven as hath been already declared but not as causes thereof 1. They are Via regnâ— but not causa regnandi So that as the way to any place is not the cause that brings any man to it though he must needs passe through the way to come to that place but the cause of his coming to it is his own will and motion So sanctification and good works though they be necessary antecedents to salvation so that we cannot passe to Heaven but through them yet they are not the causes which brings us thither but the causes thereof are the mercies of God and the merits of Christ apprehended by Faith And so I end this Controversie If now I have not untied the Gordian knots of these long debated Controversies so fully and openly as to give satisfaction to all whose thoughts have been formerly puzzled about them as I believe I shall not yet my labour will not be wholly lost in these regards First Because I have hereby declared my willingnesse to do the Church service to my power by putting my hand to the supportation of the truth of the gospel which these stormy times have so impetuously and vehemently shaken Secondly Because what I have delivered may happily give satisfaction to some and let them loose out of the briers of their hesitation that were doubtful before what opinion to incline to Thirdly Because this Essay may happily be an occasion to invite and induce some more Logical and Learned pen to publish a more Scholastick and plenary solution of them The fifth Controversie About Original sin THat I may the more fully discover and confute this error I will unfold these four points about the sin of our natures the sin wherein we are conceived and born which therefore all Orthodox Divines have fitly and properly called Original Sin First I will render a reason of the epithete why it is called Original Sin Secondly I will give a definition of the Sin what is Thirdly I will alledge some of the evident proofs of Scripture for the justification of it Fourthly I will frame some irrefragable and convincing arguments drawn out of Scripture to prove it by necessary and undeniable consequence The first Point opened THe sinful corruption or corrupt disposition of man's nature from the womb hath many epithetes or names given unto it in Scripture which denote and declare that it hath its original and beginning with man's conception and birth and therefore is fitly and properly termed Original Sin and so ever hath been for above this thousand years by all sound and learned Divines both ancient and modern For though it be not in terminis in these very words so called in Scripture yet hath it divers other epithetes and names there given it which are consignificant and import and imply the same sense and meaning with these words Original Sin amongst which take notice of these Rom. 6.6 It 's called The old man and the body of sin 1 Cor. 5.7 It 's termed The old leaven Rom. 7.17 The sin that dwelleth in us Rom. 7.23 The law in our members Rom. 7.24 The body of death Gal. 5.16 The lusts of the flesh Jam. 1.14 A man 's own lust In which Text in the next words following it is punctually distinguished from all actual sins as being expresly affirmed to be the procreant cause of all actual sin for the cause and the effects cannot be one and the same The second Point opened what original sin is ORiginal sin is a pravity vitiosity or vitious habit or corrupt disposition of man's nature from his first conception as a just punishment of all mens sin in Adam whereby they are born the children of wrath and become subject to death both of body and soul and also become prone to commit all actual sins Or thus Original sin is a pravity of man's nature from his first conception whereby he seems to be prone to all sin as a just punishment of Adam's sin or transgression whereof all men are guilty and for which all men are exposed and subjected to death both corporal and eternal Both these definitions have one and the same sense And from them ye may observe that there be three things in Original Sin or three parts of it The first
fire out of the earth where was no combustible matter and a voice told him that he should deliver the Jews and bring them into their Country whereupon without raising any force he by the counsel of his wives father declared the will of God to the King of Egypt who forthwith commitâ—ed him to prison but the prison doors were opened unto him by miracle and he went to the Kings bed side and summoned him again to obey God and when the King had asked him the name of the God Moses told it him in his ear whereat he fell into a swound But Moses raised him up again by the hand and the Priests that made a scoff at it died incontinently And afterwards this Author declareth how the King required signs and that thereupon Moses turned his rod into a Serpent and so in order recordeth almost all the wonders which Moses wrought in Egypt that are mentioned in the Scripture The miracles that were wrought by the prophet Elias as that of obtaining rain by prayer after a great drought in the dayes of King Ahab with some other are reported by one Menander an Ephesian in his Tyrian History (a) Mor. ibid. The miracles of our Saviour are avouched by a number and that both in general and in particular In general both Josephus in the place before cited and also Mahomet in his Alcaron confesse our Saviour to have wrought many miracles though Mahomet denied him to be God and affirmed that Christ had a check for it when he came to Heaven as Mr. Parsons hath it in his book quoted here in the Margint (a) Pason Resolut part 2. cap. sect 2. consid 3. In particular first the supernatural eclipse of the Sun at the passion of Christ is recorded by an old Astronomer called Aesculus who proveth by the aspect and posture of the Sun and Moon at that time that that eclipse could not be natural because all natural eclipses of the Sun are precisely at the change of the Moon and this was about the full for it was two dayes before Easter which solemn feast was always kept by the Jews in the full of the Moon as both Scripture testifies and that learned and credited Author before mentioned Philo Judaeus (b) Philo de Vita Moysis lib. 3. Of the truth of this miracle also I find a pregnant proof in an Epistle of Dionysius Areopagita to Polycarpus where Dionysius affirms that he and one Apollophanes being together in a City called Heliopolis at the time of this eclipse observed two supernatural occurrences in the same First they observed the Globe of the Moon to fall first upon that part of the body of the Sun which is toward the East and to proceed to a totall obfuscation or obscuration thereof and then to withdraw it self back again which it never doth in natural eclipses but begining to enter upon the Western surface of the Sun procreds to the Eastern where the eclipse ceaseth Secondly they observed again that by nine of the clock at night the Moon was withdrawn to a diametrous opposition to the Sun which by course of nature could not possibly come to passe in that space of time being but six hours And this miracle Dionysius entreated Polycarpus to urge Apollophanes withal to win him to the Christian faith in regard himself was an eye-witnesse thereof Again the resurrection of Christ hath open acknowledgement both from Josephus in the place twice above mentioned and from Pilate himself that put him to death by a Letter that he writ to his Lord Tiberius then Emperor of Rome wherein he certifies him how the Souldiers who were suborned and hired by the Jews to say that Christs Disciples came and stole him away in the night had confessed the plain truth unto him namely that Jesus was risen indeed to life again out of his Sepulchre and withall he sent to Tiberius the particular examination of divers other persons which he had taken about the same businesse who avowed that they had seen and spoken with such persons as were risen from death at that time with Jesus which said persons assured them also of his resurrection This Letter of Pilate's was laid up amongst the records of the Romans as witnesseth both Aegesippus in his History who lived in the next Age after the Apostles and immediately after him Tertullian in his book against the Gentiles where he professeth that upon his own knowledge such a Letter there was to be seen amongst the records of the Romans This Tertullian might very well know in regard he was a pleader of causes in Rome divers years before he was a Christian (a) Parson Resol part 2. cap. 4. sect 2. I might hereunto add sundry other testimonies out of Authors of adverse professions to Christian Religion to prove the truth of the miracles done by our Saviour and his Apostles for confirmation of the divinity of the Gospel but these are abundantly sufficient And therefore I hasten to the next argument of this sort Argu ∣ ment 3 which may be the infinite number of Martyrs that have laid down their lives and shed their blood in defence of the holy Scriptures and that with most admirable alacrity and cheerfulnesse and with most inseparable courage and fortitude For evidence hereof I will refer the Reader to these stories First For the Martyrs of the Old Testament to a very short story of the Martyrdom of the Macchabees written by the aforenamed Josephus and usually annexed to his other books agreeing with the 6. 7th Chapters of the second Book of the Macchabees at the end of the Old Testament a story it is worth the reading perhaps it may extract some tears which I speak out of experience but yet they may haply be sweetned with a mixture of gladnesse like those which dropped from Joseph's eyes at the sight of his brother Benjamin I will rehearse but one speech of the first of nine Martyrs there mentioned named Eleazar who when he had told the savage Tyrant Antiochus that instigated him to renounce Moses law that no torment should make him forsake Gods word and his Religion with undaunted courage and constancy turns himself away from him and addresseth his speech as it were to his Bible after this manner O sacred Religion I will never violate thee the foundation of my salvation the defence of the believer the ground of faith Never will I lift up my hands contrary to thy precepts never will I believe any thing to be just which is repugnant to that which thou hast taught me And whilst he spake thus saith the story he was haled to the torments For the Martyrs of the New Testament they are numberlesse and almost in every Ecclesiastical History as in Eusebius Socrates Evagrius Sozomen and many others who have recorded not only their sufferings for their witnesse bearing unto the Gospel of Christ but the manner thereof to have been in such sort that is with such innocency hilarity courage
books of Scripture and their wonderful humility in conculcating their own glory and confessing their own grosse faults and delinquencies when they have occasion to speak of themselves that they may exhibite and ascribe all glory to God manifesteth the divine authority of their writings for we know it is otherwise in all other Authors The truth hereof appears first from the books which Moses writ wherein he hath reported not only the cruelty of his grandfather Levi to the discredit of his own birth but also openly confesseth his own sin and how much the Lord was offended with him for it several times so as he was therefore debarred the entrance into the Land of (a) Numb 20.12 Canaan This truth also appeareth from the Gospel of S. Mark for there S. Peter's sin in he denial of his Master is more expresly set forth and aggravated then in any of the other Gospels and yet was it penned if not by the dictation of S. Peter as some report yet by his approbation at least as saith (a) Euseb Hist Eccl. lib. 2. cap. 15. Eusebius Lastly the Apostle Paul likewise rips up his own faults and notifies them with aggravation I was saith he a blasphemer a persecutor and an (a) 1 Tim. 1.13 oppressor This argues strongly that these men were set on work by God and guided by him and not by their own fancies and affections in that they were so far from flattery connivance or partiality that they spared not themselves at all nor regarded their own disgrace and infamy so that thereby glory might accrue to God In the eighth and last place Ar ∣ gument 12 the irresistible and supernatural power and efficacy of this word doth mightily declare it to be divine and heavenly which it expresseth not by one or two acts but by various operations and those specifically distinct one from another which ordinarily and frequently issue and proceed from it More especially we may observe these four supernaturl effects of it as demonstrative of its divinity First It 's a searcher of the heart and a discerner of the most secret thoughts and intricate imaginations of it and a revealer of the same this appears from Psalm 14.1 where it speaks thus The fool hath said in his heart there is no God Which affirmation imports that the Inditer of the Psalms was privy to some thoughts in the hearts of fools which none but God himself can discern Nay Scripture reveals some such thoughts as man himself without the light of it would searely ever have espied as that All the thoughts and imaginations of mans heart are only evill (a) Gen. 6.5 continually And that concupiscence is sin which Paul confesseth he had not known if the Law had not said thou shalt not (b) Rom. 7.7 lust And therefore this word which pierceth thus deeply as to the rifling of the very cogitations of mans heart must needs be of God whose alone property it is to search the heart and least through the propensity of mans nature to slight those things which belong unto his peace we should neglect or overslip the observation of this as a note of the divine power of Scripture it self rounds us in the ear in two places if not more and gives us intelligence and notice of it In one place it tells us That the word of God speaking of this written word is lively and mighty in operation and sharper then a two-edged sword dividing between the soul and the spirit and the joynts and marrow and is a disceruer of the thoughts and intents of the (c) Heb. 4.12 heart And in another place it saith That the illiterate unbelieving person having the thoughts of his heart made manifest by prophesie that is by the word preached will fall down on his face and worship God and report that God is in the (a) 2 Cor. 14.25 Preacher Where it gives us to understand that the discovery of mens thoughts by the preaching of the word shall extort from them this open and ingenuous confession that verily God speaks in them and that the word is his which is published by them Secondly the supernatural power of Scripture appears in that it shakes and terrifies the consciences of wicked men even the greatest upon earth of Kings and Princes and that in such a sort as is impossible for the word of any mortal to do That it doth so is clear from these instances in Scripture It 's said of Saul King of Israel that he was so affrighted with the Prophet Samuel his reproof of him for his disobedience to God's word that he confessed his sin to Samuel which he had denied before and sued to Samuel for favour with all (b) Sam. 15.24 submisnesse It 's said also of Felix who was a Vice-roy that he trembled when he heard Paul preach of righteousnesse and the judgement to (c) Acts 24.26 come Now that mans word should be thus formidable to Kings and Princes it cannot be imagined because no man hath coercive or compulsive power over the King and where such power is wanting menacies from thence are no more feared then the crack of a paper gun at least not in that manner and measure that the affrighted consciences of men do fear the thundrings and threatnings of the Law in Scripture And therefore that word which strikes such deep horror and amazement into the hearts of men yea of Kings who fear no mans word because no man hath coercive power over them must needs be more then humane Thirdly It usually prevails against the enemies and haters of it such as all men are by nature to open their eyes and to turn them from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan unto God and to win them to a love and liking of it self which is an effect proper only to divine power That it doth produce this effect I presume no Christians will deny whence it testifieth of it self that it converts (a) Psal 19.7 souls and is the power of God to (b) Rom. 1.16 salvation And that it 's mighty through God to cast down strong holds casting down the imagination and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of (c) 2 Cor. 10.4 5. Christ This is a supernatural effect and wrought by the power of this word and therefore it necessarily and concludingly follows that it 's not mans word for that cannot work above the strength of nature of or by it self neither can win the affection of him that hates it without a change or variation of it self which yet this word doth If it be objected that it 's not the power of the word but the power of God's spirit that produceth this effect I answer that it 's true indeed that God's Spirit is the principal efficient cause hereof but the word is the instrumental and so the concurrence and cooperation of the Spirit of God
with this word speaks it to be his own ordinance for else God would give no such blessing to it Fourthly and lastly It ministers comfort above the power of nature to a depressed and distressed conscience in the greatest extremities and pressures of afflictions that are incident to this present life yea and in the very hour of death against the fear both of death and hell and condemnation when all humane comforts shake hands with us and forsake us And therefore extending it self beyond the power of nature also in this particular it 's apparently divine That it doth minister comfort to wounded and distressed consciences needs no proof it 's confessed of all without contradiction as having been proved by examples without number in all Ages And that nothing else can either heal or comfort a wounded and perplexed conscience is as true too Mirth and passime with such like avooations and the society of friends may allay the smart of this wound for a time but cannot possibly heal it It 's this balm of Gilead this rod and this staffe of God which comforted (a) Psal 23.4 David and but for which he had perished in his (b) Psal 119.92 affliction which alone and nothing else comforteth all that make a right use of it in their deepest misery And this is one and a principal end for which this word was written namely that it might minister comfort to us in this present life by breeding in us a stedfast hope of a better Iâ—fâ— to come This S. Paul teacheth where he saith that Whasoever things were written aforetime were written for our instruction that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have (c) Rom. 15.4 hope And now that I have led up the Reader to this highest stair of this gradation whence he may contemplate the glorious beams of divine lustre bespread throughout the whole region of Scripture I shall beseech him to stay here his thoughts and to demur and pause a while upon this last reason or Argument drawn from the power of Scripture to prove the divinity of it for it 's a very valid and powerful argument indeed a most evident eviction of the point in hand making it conspicuous to the eye of reason it self for here he may see God himself bearing witnesse of this Scripture to be his by four visible seals which he affixeth unto it which are these four supernatural effects now mentioned Having therefore so many broad seals of Heaven appensed unto it it must needs hold forth from it self the highest and surest ground of credibility that it is of God and not of man I confesse this hath sealed to my own conscience both that the Scripture is God's true word and that the Church of England is God's true Church I mean one member and branch of it for in it I see and so may all that are in it if their eyes be not holden with prejudice these wonderful and divine effects now mentioned wrought ordinarily by the ministry of this Word in deed and in truth and that without number which could not possibly be so if either the Word or the Church were not God's For if the Church were his and not the Word the Church should receive a blessing from him but not by the Word And if the Word were his and not the Church the Word should be glorified but the Church should not be blessed or bettered by it If all such as now separate themselves from this Church as if it were none of God's whether Papists or Anabaptists would mindfully consider this and lay aside their prejudice I cannot see what should withhold them from a speedy and joyful return to it again And now I am in good hope the promises being well considered that the Readers who before took the Scriptures for God's word upon the credit of the Churches testimony will now looking more inquisitively into them themselves then heretofore say to the Church as the Samaritans said to the woman that told them of Christ Now we believe not because of thy saying for we have seen it our selves (a) Joh. 4.42 and know that this is indeed God's own Word Yet I would not here be mistaken as if I meant that every one that looks into Scripture might presently espy this at the first sight for I confesse that the sight and certain knowledge thereof which is to be attained by this introspection into it is not obvious to every eye that looks upon it but my meaning is that this truth is evident in Scripture in it self and to the humble intelligent and inquisitive Reader whose mind is also prepared by the knowledge of the grounds principles of the Christian faith and in some measure inlightened from above Neither do I here slight or undervalue the Churches testimony for I acknowledge it to be very important and useful for this purpose as being a prime inducer and as it were a paedagogue to usher in and conduct us to the principal teacher of this truth which next after the spirit of God himself is the heavenly light of Scripture it self but it 's neither last nor best nor highest nor surest ground and proof thereof And therefore I desire the Reader to take notice that though I have not alledged the Churches testimony by it self as a particular argument to prove this truth because the drift of this Treatise is to shew the Scripture it self best to do it yet is it involved and lapped up amongst the external and lesse principal proofs namely in the second and third arguments And whereas Papists glory much in that saying of S. Augustines which is oft set down in his works Ego verò non crederem Evangelio nisi me Catholicae Ecclesiae commoveret authoritas That is I would not believe the Gospel but that the authority of the Catholique Church moved me As if this saying of his favoured their Tenet in this controversie between us and them It appears clearly to the contrary from another saying that he hath in his Tractate upon the Gospell of S. John where he speaks thus upon those words before mentioned of the Samaritans to the woman Now we believe not because of thy saying for we have seen it our selves Primò saith he per faeminam posteà per praejentiam sic agitur hodiè cum eis qui foris sunt nondùm sunt (a) Aug. in Joh. 4. Tract 15. Christiani That is first by the woman then by his presence so fareth it now with them that are without and are not yet Christians And the words following in the same place shew plainly his meaning to be this That as the Samaritans believed in some measure that Jesus was the Christ by the report of the woman but afterwards more undoubtedly when they came to enjoy his presence to have the sight of him and conference with him So the unbelievers which are out of the Church are first induced to believe in some measure that Scripture is God's
Ptolomy King of Egypt enquired once of the Roman Embassadors that came to his Court about the estate and government of the great and famous City of Rome he received this answer from them That at Rome the gods were honoured Magistrates reverenced the good rewarded and the bad punished This they spake to magnifie the glory and flourishing estate of their City And indeed when the Chariot of a Christian Common-wealth is moved upon these four wheels and they also turn upon the axle-tree of holy writ we may fitly apply unto it that laudatory congratulation wherewith the Psalmist salutes the Church Ride prosperously because of truth and meeknesse and righteousnesse and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things thine arrows shall be sharp in the heart of the Kings (a) Psal 45.4 enemies For this verily comes to passe when superiour Powers make God's written word the rule and levell of their Government and the honour and observance of it the aim and end of the same Whereas on the contrary when such higher Powers slight God's word so far forth as to omit to execute justice by the right rules of it and in room thereof dare substitute their own private thoughts and affections as the ballance by which to measure it forth then are they the very bane and blame and shame of a Common-wealth and like a canker in a tree which both disgraceth the beauty of it and also corrodeth to the utter mortification and destruction of the whole body of it except it be pared away I have read that ever in the first and best Councels as in the Councels of Chalcedon Nice and Ephesus the holy Orthodox Fathers and Bishops were wont to have the Bible placed on a desk or such like convenient supporter in the midst of the room before them that by the sight thereof they might be put in mind to conclude and determine nothing against the honour and contents thereof It were to be wished that all in place of Magistracy and Judicature would be pleased so far forth to follow the example of these grave and reverend Fathers as to have this Book of God if not in their hands or before their eyes yet at least in their mindes and memories at all times when they are imployed about the administration of justice and judgement that it might be a remembrance unto them to do nothing against the contents of it as they desire to escape the curses that are denounced in it against such as violate the sacred laws and rules of it Secondly As Princes and Rulers should protect so Ministers should preach this word because it 's God's yea Be instant in season and out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and (a) 2 Tim. 4.2 doctrine For If the Lord God have spoken who can but (b) Amos 3.8 prophesie When the chief Priests and Rulers of the Jews forbad Peter and John to teach any more the Gospel of Christ they answered We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and (c) Acts 4.20 heard The reason is premised in the precedent verse namely because they were so commanded of God For Apostles and Ministers their successors are Embassadors for (d) 2 Cor. 5.20 Christ And therefore may not unfaithfully conceal their embassy but A necessity is laid upon them and woe is unto them if they preach not the (e) 1 Cor. 9.16 Gospell And they are disposers of the mysteries of God and it is required of the disposers saith S. Paul that a man be found (f) 1 Cor. 4.1 2. faithful And great necessity there is of the faithful dispensation of this Word by the Ministers thereof as in regard of their duty to God who sends them so in respect of the good of men to whom they are sent For it is the food and physick of their souls by which the spiritual life of grace is first inspired and ever after conserved in them Hence is that speech of Moses to the Israelites Set your hearts unto all the words which I testifie among you this day which ye shall command your children to observe to do all the words of this law For it is not a vain thing for you because it is your (a) Deut. 32.46 47. life So that there is the same necessity of it to the conservation of the life spiritual as there is of food and physick to the maintenance of the life natural For though the words of men be but wind and so can feed neither the body nor the soul yet God's words are both spirit and (b) Joh. 6.63 life and so have an occult and hidden power in them above all other words enabling them to feed not the soul only but even the body also and that to life eternal and therefore are compared both to (c) 1 Pet. 2.2 milk and strong (d) Heb. 5.12 13 14. meat fit food both for young and old Whence also is that sentence of the wise man The lips of the righteous feed (e) Prov. 10.21 many that is with God's word And that saying in the Prophet Jeremiah I will give you Pastors according to mine heart which shall feed you with knowledge and (f) Jer. 3.15 understanding And for this cause both our Saviour charged Peter very strictly to feed his (g) John 21.15 16 17. sheep meaning with God's word and S. Paul to the Elders of the Church of Ephesus Take heed saith he unto your selves and to all the flock over the which the holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own (a) Acts 20.28 bloud And S. Peter also those Elders to whom he writ Feed the flock of God which is among (b) 1 Pet. 5.2 you And again though the words of men cannot heal yet God's word can and doth so saith the Psalmist He sendeth forth his word and healeth (c) Psal 107.20 them Yea The word of the Lord healeth all things saith the wise (d) Wisd 16.12 man Which the Centurion believing said therefore to Christ But speak the word only and my servant shall be (e) Matth. 8.8 whole I aim not here to prescribe one manner and measure of preaching to all for some are endued with more ample and excellent gifts for the performance of this work then others and therefore have a greater task enjoyned them then others For unto whom much is given of him shall be much (f) Luke 12.48 required But this I urge with the Apostle Peter Let every man as he hath received the gift minister the same one to another as good disposers of the manifold grace of (g) 1 Pet. 4.10 God For Cursed is he that doth the work of the Lord (h) Jer. 48.10 negligently And the unprofitable servant who hides his Lord's talent shall be cast into utter darknesse where shall be weeping and gnashing of (i) Mat. 25.30 teeth I confesse there be some such now
Government of the World by Angels preached before the Astrologers in 4. Dr. Joh. Whincop God 's Call to Weeping and Mourning A Sermon preached at a Fast before the Parliament in 4. Mr. George Walker A Sermon preached at a Fast before the Parliament in 4. Richard Meggot The Rib Restored or the Honour of Marriage A Sermon preached in Dionis Back-Church occasioned by a Wedding the fifth of June 1655. newly published Mr. Valentine A Sermon preached at a Fast before the Parliament in 4. Mr. William Good Jacob Raised A Sermon preached at a Fast before the Lords in Parliament in 4. Mr. Thomas Goodwin The great Interest of States and Kingdomes A Sermon preached before the Parliament in 4. Mr. Samuel Kem The King of Kings His privy marks for the Kingdomes choice of new Members A Sermon preached upon the choice of Burgesses for the City of Bristol in 4. Mr. Ben. Hubbard Sermo Secularis Or a Sermon to bring to remembrance the dealings of Jehovah with this Kingdome of England in 4. Mr. J. P. A Sermon preached upon Matth. 22.21 wherein is set forth the King 's Due in part and the Peoples Duty in 4. Mr. Ambr. Stavely Iudex Expurgatorius Or a short Examination of the doctrine of Purgatory A Sermon lately published in 4. Mr. Peter Sterry The Clouds in which Christ comes A Sermon preached before the Parliament in 4. The teaching of Christ in the Soul A Sermon preached before the Parliament in 4. Mr. Robert Wilde The arraignment of a sinner at the Bar of Divine Justice A Sermon preached in St. Maryes in Oxon at an Assize there the 5th of March 1655. newly published in 4. Mr. Giles Firmin Stablishing against shaking or a discovery of the Prince of darknesse Scarcely transformed into an Angel of light powerfully now working in the deluded people called Quakers in 4. Mr. Stephen Marshall The Power of the Civil Magistrate in matters of Religion vindicated A Sermon preached before the first Parliament on a Monthly Fast day newly published Mr. Simeon Ash Good courage discovered and encouraged A Sermon preached before the Commanders of the Military forces of the City of London in 4. In Octavo large Mr. Robert Young A Soveraign Antidote against all Grief with the Victory of Patience in 8. Mr. Ben. Needler Expository Notes with Practical Observations upon Genesis lately published in 8. Octavo small Mr. George Hopkins Salvation from sin by Jesus Christ or the Doctrine of Sanctification which is the greater part of our Salvation founded upon Christ who is both the Meritorious and Efficient cause of sanctifying Grace purchasing it for working and perfecting it in his people c. newly published in 8. Mr. John Thrap Theologia Theologiae the true Treasure or a Treasury of holy Truths touching God's Word and God the Word in 8. Bp. Davenant An Exhortation to Brotherly Communion betwixt the Protestant Churches in 8. Bp. Cooper The Triumph of a Christian in three excellent Treatises 1. Jacob's wrestling with God c. in 8. The Bee-Hive of the Romish Church A work of all good Catholicks to be read and most necessary to be understood in 8. Mr. John Simpson The Perfection of Justification against the Pharisees the Purity of Sanctification against the Stainers of it the Unquestionablenesse of Glorification against the Sadduces in 8. Mr. Hall The Loathsomnesse of long hair A Treatise wherein the question is stated many arguments agaimst it produced with an Appendix against Painting Spots Naked Brests c. lately published in 8. Vindiciae Literarum The Schools Guarded or the excellency usefulnesse of Arts Sciences Languages History all sorts of Human Learning in subordination to Divinity with an Appendix in Answer to Mr. Webster lately published in 8. Mr. John Warren of Hatfield in Essex Principles of Christian Practice Illustrated with Questions and Scripture-answers lately published in 8. Mr. Daniel Evans A Baptismal Catechisme shewing unto what persons whether of riper years or as yet Infants the Sacrament of Baptism ought to be administred according to the Scriptures lately published in 8. Twelves large Mr. Thomas Gery The Fort Royal of Christianity Defended Or a demonstration of the Divinity of the sacred Scriptures with a discussion of the great controversies in Religion about universal redemption free-will original sin c. in 12. newly published The Practice of Christianity or the Epitome of Mr. Rogers seven Treatises in 12. Mr. Yhomas Jackson The true Evangelical Temper wherein Divinity and Ecclesiastical History are interwoven and mixt c. in three Sermons in 12. Twelves small Mr. Mullard Celestial Soliloquies composed of several divine Meditations and Prayers drawn from the holy Scripture in 12. Francis Thin Esq The perfect Embassador treating of the Antiquity Priveledges and Behaviour of men belonging to that Function in 12. FINIS