he presenteth his Gift his body his merits his prayers his incense our names also or persons in some sort gifts or services all of them but Sacrifice none of them These two words offer and present are coupled together in the Answer thus He in his Ascension offered and presented himself as the prepared Sacrifice to his Father To offer a prepared Sacrifice is one thing which Christ then did not it is another to present himself who was before offered in Sacrifice and thus did our Priest and Advocate and Intercessour appear in the presence of God for us Hebr. 9. 24. So this is the abuse to make us beleeve that because whatsoever is presented may be said to be offered therefore it must be offered as a Sacrifice Another Text is Psal. 110 Thou art a Priest for ever The eternity of his Priesthood can be no where but in heaven Therefore no where but in heaven was his Sacrifice perfected Thus he seemeth to argue thence Answ. Priest and Sacrifice are relative where one is the other is also A priest must offer sacrifice but it is not requisite that he should do it always in actu exercito it is enough that it be done in actu signato that is that he will offer or hath offered or can according to Law and Rite offer sacrifice Jesus Christ is a Priest for ever but he doth not ever or always sacrifice The Sacrifice was offered but once and how often doth the Apostle rehearse that word Once by vertue of which he was consecrated a Priest for ever One Text more Hebr. 9. 12. by his own bloud he entred into the Holy place having obtained eternal redemption for us Answ. But this bloud was shed upon the cross as the bullock and the ram were first slain and then their bloud was carryed into the most holy place The Sacrifice was without the Application of it was within the veil Having obtained that is formerly by his passion and this Redemption thus obtained before his Ascension is called eternal because it did abide and continue so that there was no need of any second any other Redemption to follow after Ascension Q. 160. Who is the head and governour of this Church A. Jesus Christ himself is the onely head and Lord of it though he substitute others for helps of government and usefulness therein Q. 161. What be they A. For more inward growth and helpfulness he hath given Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastours and Teachers For outward order Bishops or Elders and Deacons The Church is considered two ways 1 Generally consisting of all those who are joyned together in profession of Christianity and outward means of salvation 2 more especially consisting of those who are the best and principal united to God in faith and love The former of these is termed the Church visible or The many called the other is termed the Church invisible or The few chosen The visible Church Catholick is the whole number of professing Christians thorowout the world All that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ This great body or societie Ecclesiastical containeth and comprehendeth under it as parts of it all the parish Churches all Classical Diocesan Provincial and National Churches Of the Catholick invisible Church Jesus Christ is the onely Head and Lord but he hath not substituted any other in his stead nisi vicarium spiritum sanctum unless the Holy Ghost He hath indeed appointed officers in the Church visible which officers have hitherto usually been divided into two sorts first Temporary extraordinary and secondly Perpetual and ordinary which division I think it had been better to retain than to give us a new one which will not hold For certainly the Apostles and Evangelists did govern outwardly and as certain it is that the Bishops or Elders did teach and feed the flock of God for inward growth and helpfulness Acts 20. 28. and 1 Pet. 5. 2. It should seem that he means here The Catholick Church visible for such was the Church he described in Answ to Qu. 158. A company of men called out of the world and gathered into the worhip of God In this Church indeed our Saviour hath set officers 1 Cor. 12.28 in which whole chapter the Apostle treateth of this kinde of Church and it is true also that Jesus Christ may be said to be Head of this Church in regard of the Graces of Edification derived from him for the Offices Ministery and Government of his Church and in regard of the common benefits and common gifts of a spiritual kinde and thus is said v. 12. So also is Christ where he meaneth by Christ this Body of the Catholick Church visible of which he is in some sort the Head and which is in some sort his Body and therefore called Christ Though most properly he is as most commonly he is said to be Head onely of that Body whereof he is also the Saviour Eph. 5. 23. which as his Spouse or wife shall live and reign with him for ever in heaven And I have some reason to think that our Catechist did not intend in this place so much to exclude the Bishop of Rome from being the spiritual head of the Christian world as he did intend to exclude the Christian Magistrate from ruling in a National or any other particular Church Many years now past that the King of England should be called Head of the Church offended the parties of each extremitie As those of our own were sorely troubled at it so was it the point or sting of the charge against the Bishop of Rochester when Hadr. Junius was blasted from Rome for that in the Dedication of his Greek Lexicon to Edward the VI he called him Supreme Head of the Church of England he pleaded for himself by letters to the Court of Cardinals that here with us to clip the Kings Title was almost as Capital as to clip his Coin Howbeit it was thought fit in the beginning of the Queens Reign whether to alter it or explain it by putting Governour in stead of Head More as I suppose out of charitable condescension then any necessity or harm in the word inasmuch as the word doth not note any internal efficacy or influence but onely outward regiment the title or term of LORD being as liable to exception both the one and the other signifying no more then Superiority or pre-eminence and a King or Queen regnant might as well be called Head of these National Churches as Saul was called by Samuel Head of the tribes of Israel 1 Sam. 15 17. And that argument had with it more fallacy then civility which some formerly have used Omnes filii participes c. All that are sons are partakers of chastisement or Discipline No true or right-bred son that is extra Disciplinam Therefore the Supreme Magistrate being a Christian must be censurable as others are because he is a son of the Church But of what Church is he a son of
Spirit the righteousness of the Law is and shall be fulfilled in me The brief Instruction to be gathered out of these Questions and Answers is this that the Law that is the Decalogue or ten Commandments is of good use to bring us to Christ but after that we be brought to him then his Grace and Spirit be sufficient to direct us so that we shall not much need the Law to be a Rule to us at leastwise not regard it more than any other piece of Scripture To this I answer We have hitherto in our Church been taught and have learned that the Decalogue is a Rule directing and a Law binding even justified and regenerate Christians though otherwise than it bindeth persons unregenerate Artic. 7th of the 39. Though the Law given by Moses as touching Ceremonies do not binde Christian men nor the civil precepts be of necessity to be received yet no Christian man what soever is free from the obedience of the Commandments which are called Moral No man be he never so perfect a Christian So the Articles of K. Edw. 6. Assemblies larger Catechisme The Moral Law is a Declaration of the will of God to mankinde directing and binding every one as well persons regenerate as others to perfect and perpetual conformity and obedience thereunto The Congregational Churches in the Declaration of their Faith chap. 19. 5 6. The moral Law doth for ever binde all as well justified persons as others to the obedience thereof and is a Rule of life to true beleevers as well as to others Thus have these taught agreeably to the Catechismes and Christian Institutions of other reformed Churches and writers For whether they have made the ends and uses of the Moral Law fewer or more this hath still been one to be Norma vivendi a Direction to order our life by We thought we had attained hitherto to walk by the same Rule and to be of one minde in this matter whatsoever our other differences be And why this Authour should by teaching otherwise draw away disciples after him let him see to it Open door Preface It 's injurious Many preachers in stead of Gospel-preaching become teachers of the Law and jumble Law and Gospel together so that they neither preach Law nor Gospel but a mingle mangle of both not knowing what they say nor whereof they affirm talking of Duties to them who want Principles to perform them rightly by these words of his it should seem that as the Law must not be a Rule of Duties to persons unconverted so it must be no Rule at all to any person whatsoever But I prove that the ten Commandments even As given by Moses do oblige justified persons to the Duties therein enjoyned First by Scripture When Jesus Christ came he confirmed the Law Moral Matth. 5. 17. Think not that I came to destroy the Law I came to fulfill it Now that he meant the Law Moral and that As given by Moses appears by the following explication of the several Commandments vers. 21 and 27 and 33. Matth. 22 v. 38,39 He gave the sum of the first and second Table calling them the first and second the two great Commandments Moses gave the Law in ten Precepts and two Tables and as so given Christ confirmed it The Apostles also in their Epistles exhort Christians to the Duties of the Law As given by Moses as well for manner as matter Jam. 2. He that said Do not commit adultery said also Do not kill And the Apostle Paul Ephes. 6. calleth the fifth commandment The first commandment with promise the first to wit of the second Table Moses gave the Law in ten precepts and two Tables and as so given the Apostles do mention it and urge the Duties of it Secondly I prove by his own words the Law to be a Rule to them that are in Christ Qu. and Answ 197. he saith The first lawfull use of the Law is to shew us what is sin and to convince us that we do sin that is that the regenerate do sin as appears by his Text 1 Joh. 1.8 If we say we have no sin c. How can the Law shew us that we do sin but by being a rule against which we sin Then next he alloweth the Moral Law to be profitable with all other Scriptures to instruct exhort rebuke c. indeed he doth not say to direct rule binde unless these be contained in his c. But if all other Scripture be a rule or Canon to us in belief and life why may not the Decalogue be so also or what reason can be given why the Decalogue written in the 20 Chapter of Exodus should be of use above other Scripture to discover sin and convince men Before Justification and yet after Justification should be of no more use then other Scriptures are to rule and direct us in our obedience for plainly he teacheth in his Answ to Qu. 197. What is the lawfull use of the Law That for justified persons to use the Law as a Rule of obedience More then other parts or places of Scripture is to use it unlawfully Qu. 197. he faith The Law sheweth what we may expect to be effected in us by the Grace of Christ and to that Qu. Oughtest thou not to walk in the observation of the ten Commandments the Answer is In acting forth faith and love we keep the Commandments because in walking after the Spirit the righteousness of the Law is fulfilled in us Rom. 8. 4. I answer First that place now named I beleeve he misunderstandeth for he taketh it to be meant of Sanctification whereas most probably it is meant of the righteousness of Justification as is evident by conferring the fourth verse with the first being both of the same import Secondly Whatsoever the teacher intends to sow the scholar may likely pick up here a seed of Enthusiasime for if walking in the Spirit and grace of Christ and Acting forth faith and love do bring a Supersedeas to the ten Commandments then why not to all the Scripture as well why may not the written word in general be thought needless to teach us our duties or minde us of Comfort Reproof or Instruction since this may be as well supplied in us as the righteousness of the Law is fulfilled in us by walking after the Spirit But the Spirit of God directs us by the word not discharging it but causing us to understand beleeve embrace and remember it Thirdly whereas he produceth that text in the margin Rom. 13. Love is the fulfilling of the Law to prove that if we act forth love we shall not much need to walk in the observation of the Decalogue I shall now endeavour to shew his mistake To fulfill is taken two ways First to perform perfectly To fulfill all righteousness Matth. 3. To fulfill the Ministery Coloss. 4. And thus the Ceremonial Law of Moses was fulfilled while the Priests Levites and people performed the rites and Ordinances which were enjoyned
Misopogon checks the soft and effeminate people of Antioch by his own education which was no way suitable to them My Pedagogue saith he taught me when I went into the Theatre to look upon the ground he would have him cast his eyes downward not look up upon the wanton and lascivious objects there presented to spectatours His office likewise was to accompany his young master when he went abroad or from home Thus the famous Cato the latter of the two and the last of the Romanes aged fourteen when upon a visit he went to Sylla being then at the height of his tyrannies and saw the heads of the proscribed lye by heaps at the gate of his Palace had a Pedagogue attending on him and well it was he had so for he talked so desperately upon their return that as my Authour saith semper postea adduxit excussum when ever after they were to go thither care was taken that he might be searched left the fierce youth should bear any thing about him that might carry danger with it Yea more than all this the Pedagogue did wait upon this his charge when he went to school to learn letters and literature Barthius Advers. 21. 1. Paedagogi sequebantur pueros heriles literis operam daturos and Chrysostom saith that the Pedagogue is not contrary to the Master {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} but joyns with him in the work and prepares the scholar to take the lessons that are to be taught him Manifestly distinguishing him from a Schoolmaster taken in the common and vulgar notion So our Authour with many others mistakes the second term in lex Paedagogus noster Thirdly they mistake as much and as ill the word noster for the Nos included in that Possessive they take tor particular Christians now living and for such as shall hereafter live in the Church of God Answer to Qu. 167. The law was given for a Schoolmaster to tutour men to Christ men indefinitely and indifferently meaning to humble unconverted Christians in a sense of their sins till such time as they have attained peace and pardon and then the Law hath done the work belonging to it when they have attained faith they are no longer under such a master Whereas the Apostle doth not speak of particular persons nor of the differing condition and estate of a man before his conversion and after Although it be true that the work of the Law is needfull to prepare for Justification through Christ Jesus and a distressed conscience makes way for saving grace and spiritual comfort yet that is not it which the Apostle teacheth there he maketh comparison not between two several estates of the same person but between two several people He compareth the Judaical Church and the Christian Church and considering them both together as a congregative body or one entire person he speaks of the several ages of that Body or Person The Church of God under the old Testament was a Childe or Heir in his minoritie But the Christian Church in the new Testament is as a man grown up or of full age as if he had thus said We the Jews were under the law of Ceremonies and circumcision but now we are no longer so For neither doth he say in the present time The Law is but it was heretofore a Schoolmaster to Christ And lastly they mis-understand the word Christ in this sentence The Law is a Schoolmaster to Christ For they take Christ here for a Saviour at large as faith in the next verse Gal. 3. 25. for justifying faith or faith in a Saviour whereas Christ here signifyeth Christ revealed or manifested in the times of the Gospel as chap. 2. verse 4. Our libertie which we have in Christ Jesus and chap. 6. vers. 15. in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth nor uncircumcisison in the old Testament it was something now it is nothing And Faith in the place now named after that faith is come meaneth Tempus Evangelii the Gospel or Doctrine of Christ exhibited in the flesh Whereas therefore they take the meaning of these two verses to be this Gal. 3. 24 25. The Moral Law shewing what God requireth of us and what the curse is that is due to the breach of it driveth us to Christ and forceth us to seek a Saviour but after we be jastified by faith in Christ we are no longer under that Law the Apostle saith not so but this it amounteth to which he saith The Ceremonial law under which ye would still continue was but to train you up and prepare you for the full manifestation of Christ incarnate and now when Christ Jesus is come the Church of God hath no more need of shadows and Ceremonies their work is done and we are freed from being under them any longer That this is the meaning of the words and that S. Paul by being under a Schoolmaster meaneth not Being under the spirit of bondage as some call it and that he speaks not of Christian liberty from the curse of the Moral Law but onely from the burden of the Ceremonial law is evident by that which follows in the fourth chapter For they who were under this Schoolmaster whosoever they were were the mean while heirs or children not servants although in some regards not much distant from servants A servant knoweth not what his lord doth A servant knoweth as much as the heir doth before he be of age being kept in ignorance little acquainted with his fathers minde yet he knoweth that his father loves him and will make him inheritour of his estate But they who are under the malediction of the Moral Law know not thus much know not so much as this comes to neither are they heirs or lords of all The Jews whiles under this Schoolmaster were children after Christ came they were sons they were sons before but how naturâ non libertate sons in their minority and under tutelage They were made partakers of Christ but not of Christ fully manifested So that the Apostle maketh opposition betwixt these two Children and Sons by sons understanding adulti men of age The difference of which words in the Apostles text chap. 3. vers. 26. and chap. 4. vers. 1 6. is not observed accordingly in some translations though in some others it be and among the former Ours is Clemens Alex. Paedag. 1. 6. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} when he called them Sons he meant they were men to distinguish them from infants or little ones under the Law So then there is nothing spoken by St Paul here that giveth countenance to them that make void the force of the Decalogue to beleeving Christians and though our Authour in expounding of the words goes not alone yet approved writers never go so far as to teach that when a Christian hath attained faith he is no longer under the Regulation of the Moral Law though they teach he is no longer under the malediction of it Qu. 216. what is
how much soever it be cried up that must assure our interest in Christ without good actions or good affections And whereas also he excludeth Revelation we oppose like wise the Apostles testimony Rom. 8. 16. the Spirit beareth witness that we are the children of God and 1 Cor. 2. 12. We have received the Spirit which is of God that we may know the things that are freely given to us of God I know no other Revelation the pretended orthodox do pretend to and he sets himself against none else and his words are general not any other pretended revelation I think that under those words in the Qu. or the like may be meant also changes and alterations in mens hearts and lives from bad to good In a funeral sermon of his pag. 18 19. he plyeth this matter much disheartening those that think they beleeve and are of Gods Elect because they finde themselves changed and reformed he telleth them they ground their faith of Christs Mediation upon their works Answ Those who are taught that good works are the product and fruit of faith cannot ground their faith upon their works Neither can good Christians value such talk as this while they remember what S. James saith Shew me thy faith by thy works and I will shew thee my faith by my works He that is suspected to be dead may by a stander by be certainly known to be alive if he perceive him to draw his breath and if another of of the by-standers shall argue that it is a great weakness to ground any mans life upon his breath and that it can be no true life that is so grounded he would by others be thought in this not to be reasonable but ridiculous Mans Conversion is a work of that nature that it is not always easie to be discerned neither ought men to be too scrupulous or curious in finding the time means and manner of it But where these are obscure or uncertain and when doubts and difficulties arise touching these the help hath always been from consideration of the change that is wrought in us If a man may assuredly know that he hath attained his journeys end and arrived at the desired haven he ought not too much to trouble himself about the way how he came there Let not therefore Christians be beguiled of this supply and relief but pass by if need be the circumstances of time and place and way and insist upon the substance which is the alteration that is made which they may do as well and upon as certain ground as to this work upon the soul as the blinde man did concerning the work that our Saviour wrought upon his body saying Joh. 9. One thing I know that whereas I was blinde now I see So may a true convert say I was sometimes darkness but now am I light in the Lord Eph. 5. 8. And the prodigal son had as much cause of comfort and joy as the father had upon the new return and change appearing that He who was dead is alive and he that was lost is found And whereas he told his Auditory then pag. 19. that it is Pharisaical to conceit that God loveth us because of reformations and frames begotten in us by his grace and a certain secret insensible working of power in the heart it may be answered If the work of the Spirit be secret and insensible what better way can there be to take notice of it than by the change and alteration that is made in us He that would know whether the Sun moveth or not must not look upon the Sun nor can he see the shadow move upon the Dial but if he comes an hour or two hence he may easily discern that the Sun and the shadow are removed and that therefore they did move before But the truth is our Authour holds no such internal work or power needfull to conversion for of the six helps to Quakerisme afforded by such as are counted orthodox this is by him counted the second Their speaking of faith as wrought by some immediate power as besides the word preached but so much for this I think by the like in the Question last rehearsed he may mean also Consolations and sense of heavenly joy for in a discourse of his called A Caveat to true Christians pag. 84 85. he much mislikes that men should gather comfort or assurance from sensible feeling and visits and saith that such are thence called sensual as not living by Faith but upon matters of sense thus he there But where are they called sensual who ever called them so A little before pag. 82. upon those words of the Apostle Peter They that are unlearned wrest the Scriptures he noteth thus He means not unlearned in Aits and languages But I suppose there be few among us though so far illiterate as they be not able to read his book but even by custome of our English language have learned the difference betwixt Sensual and Sensible The word sensual is twice found Jam. 3. and Jude vers. 19. in both places it stands opposed to spiritual and signifies as much as Carnal such as intend onely and are led by their part sensitive or carnal appetite or nature common to us with the bruits sensual having not the Spirit and in our common speech a sensual man is one that is given to brutish pleasures Now shall such a Christian as is visited with the consolations of God and is made sensible of heavenly light and joy that can in some sort take up the Prophets words in the multitude of the sorrows that I had in my heart thy comforts have refreshed my soul be called Sensual It is true that the sense of divine comfort and the light of Gods countenance may denominate persons sensible namely thereof yet not absolutely sensible for such we call them that are apt to perceive and understand readily what is done or said But to say they are absolutely Sensual is so gross a mistake that I cannot but wonder it should fall from him who is skilfull in Arts and languages how soever undervaluing them in others Not living by Faith saith he but upon matters of sense Faith and Sense may be opposed and are sometimes very distant and contrary but not as sense is taken here For they who have as holy Scripture speaketh joy in beleeving or that as the Apostle Peter saith beleeving rejoyce with joy unspeakable and glorious do live by faith and upon sense too that is upon sensible consolations or perception of divine favour as a man may comfort and chear himself in a winters night by the heat of the fire and the light of it too But what is the reason why we may not beleeve that Christ hath dealt graciously with us in that he hath bestowed upon us the gifts of Faith and Obedience or that we may not conclude spiritual life from spiritual affections and desires It is this because a mans heart is deceitfull The Scripture saith indeed Mans heart