dividing it self from the rest causing schisme or contention in the Body or making a rent unnecessarily in any particular Church which is a part § 4. But when Parties and Sects do trouble the Church we must still hold to our meer Christianity and desire to be called by no other name than Christians with the Epithets of sincerity And if men will put the name of a Party or Sect upon us for holding to Christianity only against all corrupting Sects we must hold on our way and bear their obloquy § 5. What CHRISTIANITY is may be known 1. Most summarily in the Baptismal Covenant in which we are by solemnization made Christians in which renouncing the Flesh the World and the Devil we give up our selves devotedly to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost as our Creator Redeemer and Sanctifyer 2. By the ancient summary Rules of Faith Hope and Charity the Creed the Lords Prayer and the Decalogue 3. Integrally in the sacred Scriptures which are the Records of the Doctrine of Christ and the Holy Spirit § 6. But there are many circumstances of Religious Worship which Scripture doth not particularly determine of but only give general Rules for the determination of them as what Chapter shall be read what Text preached on what Translation used what Meeter or Tune of Psalms what time what place what Seat or Pulpit or Cup or other Vtensils what Vesture gesture c. whether we shall use Notes for memory in preaching what method we shall preach in whether we shall pray in the same words often or in various with a book or without with many other In all which the People must have an obediential respect to the conduct of the lawfull Pastors of the Churches § 7. Differing opinions or practices about things indifferent no nor about the meer integrals of Religion which are not Essentials do not make men of different Religions or Churches universally considered § 8. Nothing will warrant us to separate from a Church as no Church but the want of something Essential to a Church § 9. The Essential or Constitutive parts of the Church Catholick or Vniversal are Christ the Head and all Christians as the Members § 10. All sincere and sanctified Christians are the members of the Church mystical invisible or regenerate And all Professors of sincere Christianity that is all Baptized persons not apostatised nor excommunicate are the members of the Church visible which is integrated of the particular Churches § 11. It is essential to particular political Churches that they be constituted of true Bishops or Pastors and of flocks of baptised or professed Christians Vnited in these Relations for holy communion in the worshipping of God and the promoting of the salvation of the several members § 12. It is essential to a true Bishop or Pastor of the Church to be in Office that is in Authority and Obligation appointed by Christ in subordination to him in the three parts of his Offices Prophetical Priestly and Kingly That is to teach the people to stand between them and God in Worship and to guide or or govern them by the Paternal exercise of the Keyes of his Church § 13. He that doth not nullifie or unchurch a Church may lawfully remove from one Church to another and make choice of the best and purest or that which is most suited to his own Edification if he be a Free-man § 14. But in case of such choice or personal removal the Interest of the whole Church or of Religion in common must be first taken into consideration by him that would rightly judge of the lawfulness of the fact § 15. If a Church which in all other respects is purest and best will impose any sin upon all that will have local communion with it though we must not separate from that Church as no Church yet must we not commit that sin but patiently suffer them to exclude us from their communion § 16. True Heresie that is an Error contradictory to an essential Article of the Christian Faith if it be seriously and really held so that the contrary truth is not held seriously and really doth nullifie the Christianity of him that holdeth it and the Church-state of that Congregation which so professeth it But so doth not that fundamental Error which is held but in words through ignorance thinking it may consist with the contrary truth while that truth is not denyed but held majore fide so that we have reason to believe that if they did discern the contradiction they would rather forsake the error than the truth But of this more elsewhere CHAP. XIV Consectary II. Of the true Interest of Christ and his Church and the Souls of Men Of the means to promote it and its Enemies and Impediments in the World SO great and common is the Enmity against Christianity in the World yea against the life and reality of it in all the Hypocrites of the Visible Church that the guilty will not bear the detection of their guilt And therefore the Reader must excuse me for passing over the one half of that which should be said upon this subject because they that need it cannot suffer it § 1. Every true Christian preferreth the Interest of Christ and of Religion before all worldly Interest of his own or any others For he that setteth himself or any thing above his God hath indeed no God For if he be not Maximus Sapientissimus Optimus Greatest Wisest and Best he is not God And if he be not really taken as such he is not taken for their God And he that hath no God hath no Religion And he that hath no Religion is no Christian And if he call himself a Christian he is an Hypocrite § 2. Though we must preferre the Interest of Christ and the Church above the Interest of our Souls yet must we never set them in competition or opposition but in a due conjunction though not in an equality I adde this to warn men of some common dangerous errors in this point some think that if they do but feel themselves more moved with another Ministers preaching or more edified with another way of Discipline they may presently withdraw themselves to that Minister or Discipline without regard to the Unity and good of the Church where they are or whatever publick evil follow it Whereas he that seemeth to deny even to his Soul some present edification for the publick good shall finde that even this will turn to his greater edification And some on the contrary extream have got a conceit that till they can finde that they can be content to be damned for Christ if God would so have it they are not sincere Which is a case that no Christian should put to his own heart being such as God never put to any man All the tryall that God putteth us to is but whether we can deny this transitory life and the vanities
and desire the Reader who thinketh that his Reply doth need any confutation but to peruse Ortelius or any true Map of the Roman Empire and Myraeus or any Notitia Episcopatuum and withal the names of the Bishops in each Council and then let him ask his conscience whether those Councils were true or equal Representatives of all the Christian world or only of the Subjects or Churches of one Empire with a few inconsiderable accidental auxiliaries and if he smile not at Mr. Johnson's instances of the Bishops of Thrace and other such Countries as if they had been out of the verge of the Roman Empire at least he shall excuse me from confuting such Replies And since then Christ hath enlarged his Church to many more Nations and remote parts of the world and we are not hopeless that the Gospel may yet be preached to the remotest parts of the earth and an equal just Representative may become more impossible than it now is Yet now such proper universal Councils are so far from being the constitutive visible Head of the Church or the Pope as there presiding or any necessary means of its Vnity and Peace that rebus sic stantibus they are morally impossible For 1. Their distance is so great from Abassia Egypt Armenia Syria Mexico New-England and other parts to those of Muscovy Sweden Norway c. that it will be unlawful and impossible to undertake such journeys and deprive the Church of the labours of the Pastors so long on this account 2. It cannot be expected that many live to perform the journey and return 3. The Princes in whose countreys they live or through whose dominions they must pass are many of them Infidels and will not suffer it and many still in wars and most of them full of State-jealousies 4. When they come together the number of just Representatives which may be proportioned to the several parts of the Church and may be more than a mockery or faction will be so great that they will not be capable of just debates such as the great matters of Religion do require or if they be it will be so long as will frustrate the work and waste their age before they can return when usually the cause which required their congregating will bear no such delays 5. They cannot all speak to the understanding of the Council in one and the same language for all the commoness of Greek and Latine God hath neither promised that all Bishops shall be able to converse in one tongue nor actually performed it 6. Such a council never was in any Christian Emperours time for they neither could nor did summon all the just Representatives of the Churches in other Princes dominions but only those in their own § 31. The predominancy of Selfishness and Self-interest in all hypocrites that are but Christians in name and not by true Regeneration and the great numbers of such Hypocrites in the visible Church are the summary of all the great causes of Divisions and the Prognosticks of their continuance § 32. Unity and harmony will be imperfect whilest true Holiness is so rare and imperfect And to expect the contrary and so to drive on an ill-grounded unholy unity is a great cause of the Division and distraction of the Churches § 33. When differing opinions cause discord betwixt several Churches the means of Christian concord is not an agreement in every opinion but to send to each other a Profession of the true Christian Faith subscribed with a Renunciation of all that is contrary thereto and to require Christian Love and Communion on these terms with a mutual patience and pardon of each others infirmities § 34. No Christian must pretend Holiness against Unity and Peace nor Unity and Peace against Holiness but take them as inseparable in point of Duty And every tender Conscience should be as tender of Church-division and real Schisme as of drunkenness whoredom or such other enormous sins Jam. 3.14 15 16 17. § 35. III. The extensive interest of the Church consisting in the multiplication of Christians is 1. Principally in the multiplication of the Regenerate-members of the Church-mystical 2. And subordinately in the multiplication of Professed Christians in the Church Visible § 36. It is not another but the very same Christianity which in sincerity constituteth a mystical member and in Profession a Visible member of the Church which is not two Churches but one so that all are Hypocrites who are not sincere § 37. The instituted door or entrance into the Church visible is by Baptisme § 38. The Pastors of the Church by the power of the Keyes are Judges who are to be admitted by Baptisme and to Baptise them And the people are to take the baptized for Church-members and in point of publick communion to see as with their Pastors eyes ordinarily though as to Private converse they are Judges themselves § 39. Those that are baptized in Infancy should at age have a solemn transition into the rank of adult members upon a solemn serious owning and renewing of their Baptismal Covenant § 40. God doth not require a false profession of Christianity but a true But yet he appointeth his Ministers to take a Profession not proved false as credibly true Because we are no heart-searchers and every one should be best acquainted with himself and God will have every man the chooser or refuser of his own felicity that the comfort or sorrow may be most his own And a humane belief of them that have not forfeited their credit especially about their own hearts is necessary to humane converse § 41. And God taketh occasion of Hypocrites intrusion 1. To do good to the Church by the excellent gifts of many Hypocrites 2. To do good to themselves by the means or helps of Grace which they meet with in the Church § 42. But the proper appointed place which all that are not at age perswaded to the profession of true Christianity should continue in is the state of Catechumens or Audientes meer Learners in order to be made Christians § 43. The Visible Church is much larger than the Mystical though but one Church that is the Church hath more Professing than Regenerate Members and will have to the end of the World and none must expect that they be commensurate § 44. As a Corn Field hath 1. Corn 2. Straw and Chaffe and 3. Weeds and stricken ears and is denominated from the Corn which is the chief preserved part but the straw must not be cast out because it is necessary for the Corn but the weeds must be pull'd up except when doing it may hurt the Wheat Even so the Church hath 1. Sincere Christians from whom it is denominated 2. Close Hypocrites whose gifts are for the good of the sincere and must not be cast out by the Pastors 3. Hereticks and notorious wicked men who are impenitent after due admonition and these must
be cast out except when it may hazard the Church § 45. The means of increasing the Church must ultimately be intended alwayes to the increase of the Church mystical for Holiness and Salvation § 46. These means are 1. All the fore-mentioned means of holiness for holiness is the Church's glory the Image of God which will make it illustrious and beautiful in the eyes of men when they are sober and impartial and will do most to win them home to Christ 2. Especially the great abilities holiness patience and unwearied diligence of the Ministers of Christ is a needful means 3. The advancements of Arts and Sciences doth much to prepare the way 4. The agreement and love of Christians among themselves 5. Love to the infidels and ungodly and doing all the good we can even to their bodies 6. A spiritual pure rational and decent worshipping of God 7. And the concord of Christian Princes among themselves for the countenancing and promoting the labours of such Preachers as are fitted for this work § 47 The hinderances then of the Church's increase and of the conversion of the heathen and infidel world are 1. Above all the wickedness of professed Christians whose falshood and debauchery and unholiness perswadeth the poor Infidels that Christianity is worse than their own Religion because they see that the men are worse that live among them And 2. the badness of the Pastors especially in the Greek and Latine Churches and the destruction of Church-discipline and impurity of the Churches hereupon together with the ignorance and unskilfulness of most for so great a work is a great impediment 3. The defectiveness in Arts and Sciences 4. The many divisions and unbrotherly contentions of Christians among themselves either for Religion or for worldly things 5. Not devoting our selves and all that we have to the winning of Infidels by love and doing them good 6. A carnal irrational or undecent manner of worshipping God for they will contemn that God whose worship seemeth to them ridiculous and contemptible 7. The discords wars or selfishness of Christian Princes who unite not their strength to encourage and promote this noble work but rather hinder it by weakening the hands of the labourers at home 8. Especially when the very Preachers themselves are guilty of covetous or ambitious designs and under pretence of preaching Christ are seeking riches or setting up themselves or those that they depend on These have kept under the Church of Christ and hindred the conversion of the world till now § 48. The attempts of the Jesuits in Congo Japon and China were a very noble work and so was the Portugal Kings encouragements but two things spoiled their suceess which Protestants are not liable to 1. That when they took down the Heathens Images they set them up others in the stead and made them think that the main difference was but whose Image they should worship And withall by their Agnus Dei's and such like trinkets made Religion seem childish and contemptible 2. But especially that they made them see that while they seemed to promote Religion and to save their souls they came to promote their own wealth or the Popes dominion and to bring their Kings under a forein power § 49. The honest attempts of Mr. Elliots in New-England is much more agreeable to the Apostles way and maketh more serious spiritual Christians But the quality of place and people and the greatness of wants doth hinder the multiplication of Converts And higher attempts were very desireable § 50. The translating of fit Books into the language of the Infidels and dispersing them may in time prove the sowing of a holy fruitful seed § 51. Prosperity useth greatly to encrease the Church extensively in the number of visible members and adversity and persecution to encrease it intensively by increasing holiness in the tried and refined Therefore God useth to send vicissitudes of prosperity and adversity like Summer and Winter to the Churches that each may do its proper work § 52. Every true Christian should daily lament the common infidelity and impiety of the world that the interest of true Christianity is confined into so narrow a room on earth and to pray with his first and earnestest desires that more labourers may be sent forth and that God's Name may be hallowed his Kingdom come and his will be done on earth that it may be liker Heaven which now is grown so like to Hell But yet to comfort himself in considering as is before said that as this earth is to all the nobler world but as one mole-hill to all England so if God had forsaken all it had been but as the cutting off a cancer from a man or as the casting away of the paring of his nails in comparison of all the rest Therefore should we long for the coming of our Lord and the better world which we have in hope HOW long Lord holy and true how long Come Lord Jesus come quickly Amen For we according to his promise look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness 2 Pet. 3.11 12 14. Exod. 6.12 Behold the children of Israel have not hearkned to me how then shall Pharaoh hear me Ezek. 3. Not to many people of a strange speech and of an hard language whose words thou canst not understand surely had I sent thee to them they would have hearkned unto thee But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee for they will not hearken unto me for all the house of Israel are impudent and hard-hearted Octob. 16. 1666. THE CONCLUSION Defending the Soul's Immortality against the Somatists or Epicureans and other Pseudophilosophers THough in this Treatise I have not wilfully balked any regardable objections which I thought might stick with an intelligent Reader about the truth of the things here delivered yet those which are proper to the Somatical irreligious sect of Philosophers I thought fitter to put here as an Appendix by themselves that they might not stop the more sober in their way As to the Subject and Method of this Discourse it consisteth of these four parts 1. The proof of the Deity and what God is 2. Of the certain obligations which lie upon man to be holy and obedient to this God 3. The proofs of a life of Retribution hereafter where the holy and obedient shall be blessed and the unholy and disobedient punished 4. The proofs of the verity of the Christian faith For the first of these that there is a God though I have proved it beyond all rational contradiction yet I have dispatched it with haste and brevity because it is to the mind as the Sun is to the eye and so evident in all that is evident in the world that there needeth nothing to the proving of it but to help the Reader to a rational capacity and aptitude to see that which all the world declareth The common argument from the effects
Farewell vain World As thou hast been to me Dust a Shadow those I leave with thee The unseen Vitall Substance I committ To him that 's Substance Light Life to it The Leaves Fruit here dropt are holy seed Heaven's heirs to generate to heale feed Them also thou wilt flatter molest But shalt not keep from Everlasting Rest THE REASONS OF THE Christian Religion The FIRST PART OF GODLINESS Proving by NATVRAL EVIDENCE the Being of GOD the Necessity of HOLINESS and a future Life of Retribution the Sinfulness of the World the Desert of Hell and what hope of Recovery Mercies intimate The SECOND PART OF CHRISTIANITY Proving by Evidence Supernatural and Natural the certain Truth of the CHRISTIAN Belief and answering the Objections of Vnbelievers First meditated for the well-setling of his own Belief and now published for the benefit of others By RICHARD BAXTER It openeth also the true Resolution of the Christian Faith Also an APPENDIX defending the Soul's Immortality against the Somatists or Epicureans and other Pseudo-philosophers LONDON Printed by R. White for Fran. Titon at the three Daggers in Fleet-street 1667. TO THE CHRISTIAN READER BEcause there are some who judging of others by themselves will say what need this labour among Christians to prove a God a Life to come and the Truth of the Gospel Or at least what need is there of it after so much already written I take my self obliged to give you an account of this attempt For my own Reason is much against over-doing and wasting our little time in things superfluous which is but enough for necessary things But it hath recorded this among the indubitata Boni rarò nimis optimi nunquam indifferentes saepissimè mali semper The true Reasons of this work are no fewer than these following 1. Quod cogitamus loquimur That which is most and deepest in my thoughts is aptest to break forth to others Man is a communicative Creature Though it be to my shame I must confesse that necessity through perplexed thoughts hath made this Subject much of my Meditations It is the Subject which I have found most necessary and most usefull to my self And I have reason enough to think that many others may be as weak as I. And I would fain have those partake of my satisfaction who have partaked of my difficulties 2. I perceive that because it is taken for a shame to doubt of our Christianity and the Life to come this hindereth many from uttering their doubts who never get them well resolved but remain half Infidels within whilest the Ensigns of Christ are hanged without and need much help though they are ashamed to tell their needs And prudent Charity will relieve those who are ashamed to beg 3. As the true knowledge of God is the beginning and maintainer of all holinesse and honesty of Heart and Life so latent Atheisme and Infidelity in the mindes of Hypocrites in the Church is the root of their prophanenesse dishonesty and wickednesse Did they seriously Believe as Christians they would not live as the Enemies of Christianity I take it therefore to be the surest and most expeditious Cure of the security presumption pride perfidiousnesse sensuality and wickednesse of these Hypocrites to convince them that there is a God and a Life to come and that the Gospel is true 4. And this prophaneness and sensuality tendeth to greater Infidelity They that will not live as they profess to Believe may most easily be drawn to Believe and profess as they are willing to live And therefore this Prognostick commandeth me to endeavour to prevent mens open profession of Infidelity lest the present torrent of ungodlinesse selfishnesse malice uncharitablenesse perjury treachery faction whoredom and other sensualities should fall into this gulf or one that is not much unlike it 5. The best complain of the imperfection of their Faith And too many good Christians especially if Melancholy surprise them are haunted with such temptations to Atheisme blasphemy and unbelief as make their lives a burden to them And one that hath heard so many of their complaints as I have done is excusable for desiring to relieve them It hath many a time been matter of wonder to me to observe that there is scarce one deep melancholy person among ten religious or not religious before but is followed with violent suggestions to doubt of the God-head and of the truth of the Gospel or to utter some word of Blasphemy against God And he that must pray Lord increase my Faith and help my Unbelief must use other means as well as pray 6. The imperfection of our Faith even about the Gospel and the Life to come is the secret root of all our faults of the weaknesse of every other grace of our yielding to temptations and of the carelesnesse badnesse and barrennesse of our Lives So Transcendent are the Concernments of the Life to come that a certain clear and firm belief of them would even deride temptations and bear down all the trifles of this World by what names or titles soever dignified as things not worthy of a look or thought What manner of person will that man be in all holy Conversation and Godliness who believing that all these things must be dissolved doth look for the coming of Christ and for the Blessed Consequents 2 Pet. 3.11 12 14. 2 Thess 1.10 O what a life would that man live what Prayers what Prayses what holy discourse would employ his tongue with what abhorrence would he reject the baits of sin who did but see but once see those unseen and future things which every Christian professeth to believe How contemptibly would he think and speak both of the pleasures and the sufferings of this dreaming life in comparison of the everlasting things What serious desires and labours and joyes and patience would such a sight procure How much more holy and Heavenly would it make even those that by the purblind World are thought to exceed herein already And if we took our Belief to be as certain as our sight Believing would do greater matters than it doth I oft think what one told me that an Infidel answered him when he asked him How he could quiet his Conscience in such a desperate state saith he I rather wonder how you can quiet your Conscience in such a common careless course of life believing as you do If I believed such things as you do I should think no care and diligence and holiness could be enough 7. The Soul in flesh is so much desirous of a sensitive way of apprehension and sensible things being still before us do so increase this Malady and divert the minde from spiritual things that we have all great need of the clearest evidence and the most suitable and frequent and taking explication of them that possibly can be given us not only to make us Believe things unseen but to make us serious and practical and affectionate about the things which in a
are all baptized into one body whether we be Jewes or Gentiles bond or free and have been all made to drink into one Spirit And in 1 Cor. 14. the gift of speaking with tongues was so common in the Church of the Corinthians that the Apostle is fain to give them instructions for the moderate use of it lest they hindered the edification of the Church by suppressing prophecy or instruction in known tongues And therefore he perswadeth them to use it but more sparingly And James 5.14 15. exhorteth Christians when they were sick to send to the Elders of the Church that they may pray for them and anoynt them and they may be forgiven and recover By which it seems it was no unusual thing in those times to be healed by the Prayers of the Elders Yea the very Hypocrites and ungodly persons that had only the barren profession of Christianity had the gift of Miracles without the grace of Sanctification And this Christ foretold Matth. 7.22 Many shall say in that day Lord have we not prophesied in thy Name and in thy Name cast out devils and done many wonderfull works Obj. But all were not healed by them Paul left Trophimus at Miletum sick Why doth not Paul cure Timothy of his weak stomack and infirmity without drinking of Wine if he could do it Answ 1. Certainly they did not cure all men that were sick For then who would have dyed It was none of the intent of the Spirit of Christ in working Miracles to make men immortal here on earth and to keep them from Heaven 2. And it is easily confess'd that the Spirit was not at the command or will of them that had it And therefore they could not do what and when they pleased but what the Spirit pleased And his operations were at his own time and disposal And this proveth the more fully that it was the testimony of God and not the contrivance of the wit of man 3. And miracles and tongues were not for them that believed but rather for them that believed not And therefore a Trophimus or a Timothy might be unhealed § 35. 3. These Miracles were oftentimes wrought even for many years together in several Countreys and places through the World where the Apostles and Disciples came and not only once or for a little space of time Dissimulation might be easilyer cloaked for a few acts than it can be for so many years At least these gifts and miracles continued during the Age of the Apostles though not performed every day or so commonly as might make them uneffectual yet so frequently as to give success to the Gospel and to keep up a reverence of Christianity in the World They were wrought not only at Jerusalem but at Samaria Antioch Ephesus Corinth Philippi and the rest of the Churches through the World § 36. 4. They were also wrought in the presence of multitudes and not only in a corner where there was more possibility of deceit The Holy Ghost fell on the Apostles and all the Disciples at Jerusalem before all the people that is They all heard them speak in several tongues the wonderfull works of God even the Parthians and Medes and Elamites and the Inhabitants of Mesopotamia Judaea Cappadocia Pontus Asia Phrygia Pamphylia Egypt Lybia Cyrene Rome Jews and Proselites Cretes and Arabians Act. 2.8 9 10 11 12. It was three thousand that the Holy Ghost fell on Act. 2.38 Those that went into the Temple and all the people saw the lame man that was cured by Peter and John Act. 3. The death of Ananias and Sapphira was a publick thing so that fear fell on all and hypocrites were deterred from joyning with the Church Act. 5. The gifts of tongues and interpretation were commonly exercised before Congregations or multitudes And crowds of people flocked to them to be healed As with Christ they uncovered the roofs of the houses to lay the sick before him so with the Apostles they strove who might come within their shadow or touch the hem of their garment or have Cloaths or Napkins from them that they might be healed So that here was an age of publick Miracles § 37. 5. All these miracles were uncontrolled that is They were not wrought in opposition to any controlling Truth which hath certain evidence contradicting this nor yet were they overtopt by any greater miracles for the contrary A miracle if God should permit it to be wrought in such a case might be said to be controlled either of these two wayes 1. If a man should work Miracles to contradict the certain light of Nature or perswade men to that which is certainly false 2. If men should do wonders as Jannes and Jamâ—res the Egyptian Sorcerers which should be overtopt by greater wonders as those of Moses and as Simon Magus and Elymas by Peter and Paul In these cases God could not be said to deceive men by his power or permission when he giveth them a sufficient preservative But these Miracles had no such controll but prevailed without any check from contradictory Truths or Miracles Thus Christ performed his Promise Joh. 14.12 Verily verily I say unto you he that believeth on me the works that I do shall he do also and greater works than these shall he do because I goe unto the Father § 38. III. The third testimony of the Spirit to the truth of the Apostles witness was the marvellous success of their doctrine to the sanctifying of souls which as it could not be done without the power and Spirit of God so neither would the righteous and mercifull Governour of the World have made a company of profligate lyars and deceivers his instruments of doing this excellent work by cheats and falshoods This I spake of before as it is the Seal of Christs own doctrine I now speak of it only as it is the Seal of the Apostles verity in their testimony of the Resurrection and Miracles of Christ Peter converted three thousand at once Many thousands and myriads up and down the world were speedily converted And what was this Conversion They were brought unfeignedly to love God above all and their neighbours as themselves Act. 2.42 46. They continued stedfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and prayer And all that believed were together and had all things common not by levelling but by lone and sold their possessions and goods and parted them to all men as every man had need and did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart praising God and having favour with all the People Act. 4.32 The multitude of Believers were of one heart and of one soul neither said any of them that ought of the things that he possessed was his own but they had all things common All that are in Christ have his Spirit and are spiritually minded and walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Rom. 8. They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts
it is God's own attestation I have shewed before § 66. I have opened the validity of the Apostles testimony of the Resurrection and miracles of Christ and the first Churches certain testimony of the miracles of the Apostles both of them having a three-fold certainty Moral Natural and Supernatural In all which I have supposed that such a testimony the Churches have indeed given down to their posterity which is the thing that remaineth lastly to be here proved § 67. The doctrine and miracles of Christ and his Apostles have been delivered us down from the first Churches by all these following ways of history 1. By delivering to us the same writings of the Apostles and Evangelists which they received from their hands themselves as certain truth and delivered down as such to us even the holy Scriptures of the New Testament They that believed their words believed their writings and have told us their belief by preserving them for posterity as Sacred Verities In the holy Scriptures the life and death and doctrine of Christ is contained with the doctrine of the Apostles and so much of the history of their Preaching and Miracles as Luke was an eye-witness of or had certain knowledge of who was commonly Pauls companion by which we may partly judge of the Acts of the rest of the Apostles And if the Churches had not believed all these they would not have delivered them as the infallible Writings of the inspired Apostles to their Posterity § 68 2. The very successive Being of Christians and Churches is the fullest history that they believed those things which made them Christians and Churches which was the doctrine and miracles of Christ A Christian is nothing else but one that receiveth the Doctrine Resurrection and Miracles of Christ as certain truth by the preaching and Miracles of his great Witnesses the Apostles so many Christians as there ever were so many believers of these things there have been It was this Doctrine and Miracles that made them Christians and planted these Churches And if any man think it questionable whether there have been Christians ever since Christs time in the World All history will satisfie him Roman Mahometan Jewish and Christian without any one dissenting voice Pliny Suetonius Tacitus Marcellinus Eunapius Lucian and Porphyry and Julian and all such enemies may convince him He shall read the history of their sufferings which will tell him that certainly such a sort of persons there was then in the World § 69. 3. The succession of Pastors and Preachers in all generations is another proof For it was their office to read publickly and preach this same Scripture to the Church and World as the truth of God I speak not of a succession of Pastors in this one City or that or by this or that particular way of ordination having nothing here to do with that But that a certain succession there hath been since the dayes of the Apostles is past question For 1. Else there had been no particular Churches 2. Nor no baptism 3. Nor no publick Worship of God 4. Nor no Synods or Discipline But this is not denyed § 70. 4. The continuance of Baptism which is the kernel or sum of all Christianity proveth the continuance of the Christian Faith For all Christians in Baptism were baptized into the vowed belief and obedience of the Son and Holy Ghost as well as of the Father § 71. 5. The delivering down of the three breviate Symbols of Faith Desire and Duty the Creed Lords Prayer and Decalogue is the Churches delivery of the Christian Religion as that which all Christians have believed § 72. 6. The constant communion of the Church in solemn Assemblies and setting apart the Lords Day to that use was a delivery of the Christian Faith which those assemblies all professed to believe § 73. 7. The constant preaching and reading of these same Scriptures in those Assemblies and celebrating there the Sacrament of Christs death and the custom of open professing their Belief and the Prayers and praises of God for the Resurrection and Miracles of Christ are all open undenyable testimonies that these things were believed by those Churches § 74. 8. The frequent disputes which Christians in all ages have held with the adversaries of the Scripture and Christianity do shew that they believed all these Scriptures and the Doctrines and Miracles therein contained § 75. 9. The Writings of the Christians in all ages their Apologies Commentaries Histories Devotional treatises all bear the same testimony that we have these things by their tradition § 76. 10. The Confessions Sufferings and Martyrdom of many in most ages do bear the same testimony that they believed this for which they suffered and that posterity received it from them § 77. 11. The Decrees and Canons of the Synods or Councils of the Bishops of the Churches are another part of the history of the same belief § 78. 12. Lastly the decrees and laws of Princes concerning them are another part of the history shewing that they did believe these things § 79. And if any question whether our Scriptures which contain these histories and doctrines be indeed the same which these Churches received and delivered from the Apostles he may easily be convinced as followeth § 80. 1. Various Copies of it in the Hebrew and Greek text were very quickly scattered about the World and are yet found in all Nations agreeing in all material passages § 81. 2. These Scriptures were translated into many Languages of which there are yet extant the Syriack Arabick Ethiopick Persian c. which agree in all material things § 82. 3. It was the stated Office of the Ministers in all the Churches in the World to read these Scriptures openly to the People and preach on them in all their solemn Assemblies And a thing so publickly maintained and used could not possibly be altered materially § 83. 4. All private Christians were exhorted to read and use the same Scriptures also in their Families and in secret § 84. 5. This being through so many Nations of the World it was not possible that they could all agree upon a corruption of the Scriptures nor is there mention in any history of any attempt of any such agreement § 85. 6. If they would have met together for that end they could not possibly have all consented Because they were of so many mindes and parties and inclinations § 86. 7. Especially when all Christians by their Religion take it to be matter of damnation to adde to or diminish from these sacred Writings as being the inspired Word of God § 87. 8. And every Christian took it for the rule of his Faith and the Charter for his heavenly Inheritance and therefore would certainly have had his action against the Corrupters of it As the Laws of this Land being recorded and having Lawyers and Judges whose calling is continually to use them and men holding their Estates and safety by them if any would alter them all
interest of their sect or cause and party 6. Nor by your own partial interest which will make you judge of men not as they are indeed and towards God but as they either answer or cross your interests and desires 7. Nor must you judge of all by some that prove hypocrites who once seemed sincere 8. Nor must you judge of a man by some particular fall or failing which is contrary to the bent of his heart and life and is his greatest sorrow 9. Nor must you come with a fore-stalled and malicious mind hating that holiness your self which you enquire after for malice is blind and a constant false interpreter and a slanderer 10. You must know what Holiness and Honesty is before you can well judge of them These conditions are all so reasonable and just that he that liveth among religious honest men and will stand at a distance unacquainted with their lives and maliciously revile them upon the seduction of false reports or of interest either his own interest or the interest of a faction and will say I see no such honest and renewed persons but a company of self-conceited hypocrites this man 's confirmed infidelity and damnation is the just punishment of his wilful blindness partiality and malice which made him false to God to truth and to his own soul § 107. It is not some but All true Christians that ever were or are in the world who have within them this witness or evidence of the Spirit of Regeneration As I have before said Christ will own no others Rom. 8. 4 5 6 7 8 9. 2 Cor. 5.17 Luk. 14.26.33 If any man have not the Spirit of Christ the same is none of his If any man be in Christ he is a new creature old things are passed away behold all things are become new He that forsaketh not all that he hath cannot be my disciple Gal. 5.24 They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts Indeed the Church visible which is but the congregate Societies of professed Christians hath many in it that have none of this Spirit or grace but such are only Christians equivocally and not in the primary proper sense 1 Joh. 5.7 8 9 10. There are three that bear record in heaven the Father the Word and the holy Ghost and these three are one And there are three that bear witness on earth the Spirit and the Water and the Blood and these three agree in one If we receive the witness of men the witness of God is greater for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself He that believeth not God hath made him a liar because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son § 108. The more any one is a Christian in degree the more he hath of this witness of the sanctifying Spirit in himself and the holier he is § 109. The nearer any Philosopher or others are like to Christians the nearer they come to this renewed Image of God § 110. As this Image of God the holiness of the soul is the very end and work of a true Saviour so the true effecting of it on all true Christians is actually their begun salvation and therefore the standing infallible witness of Christ which should confound unbelief in all that are indeed his own This which I spake of the fore going Chapter is a testimony in every holy soul which the gates of hell shall not prevail against He that undertaketh to cure all of the Plague or Stone or Gout or Fever that will take his medicines and be ruled by him is certainly no deceiver if he do that which he undertaketh He that undertaketh to teach all men Arithmetick Geometry Astronomy Musick c. who will come and learn of him is certainly no deceiver if he do it What is it that Jesus Christ hath undertaken Think of that and then tell me whether he be a deceiver He never undertook to make his Disciples Kings or Lords or rich or honourable in the world nor yet to make them the best Logicians Orators Astronomers Mathematicians Physicians Musicians c. but to make them the best men to renew them to the love of God in holiness and thereby to save them from their sins and give them repentance unto life Nor hath he promised this to all that are baptized or called Christians but only to those that sincerely consent to learn of him and take his counsel and use the remedies which he prescribeth them And is it not certain that Christ doth truly perform this undertaking How then can he be a deceiver who doth perform all that he undertaketh Of this all true Christians have a just demonstration in themselves which is his witness Object But Christ undertaketh more than this even to bring us to everlasting blessedness in heaven Answ It is our comfort that he doth so but me-thinks its easie to believe him in that if he perform the rest For 1. I have proved in the first part of this Book that by the light of nature a future life of retribution must be expected and that man is made for a future happiness 2. And who then should have that happiness but the holy and renewed souls Doth not natural reason tell you that so good a God will shew his love to those that are good that is to those that love him 3. And what think you is to be done to bring any man to heaven but to pardon him and make him holy 4. And the nature of the work doth greatly help our faith For this holiness is nothing but the beginning of that happiness When we find that Christ hath by his Spirit begun to make us know God and love him and delight in him and praise him it is the easier to make us believe that he will perfect it He that promiseth to convey me safely to the Antipodes may easily be believed when he hath brought me past the greatest difficulties of the voyage He that will teach me to sing artificially hath merited credit when he hath taught me the gradual tones the Scale of Musick the Sol-fa-ing the Cliffs the Quantity the Moods the Rules of time c. He that causeth me to love God on earth may be believed if he promise me that I shall love him more in heaven And he that causeth me to desire heaven above earth before I see it may be believed when he promiseth that it shall be my great delight when I am there It is God's work to love them that love him and to reward the obedient and I must needs believe that God will do his work and will never fail the just expectations of any creature All my doubt is whether I shall do my part and whether I shall be a prepared subject for that felicity and he that resolveth this resolveth all He that will make me fit for
And that so great a change and so holy a life is necessary to salvation hath proved a difficulty to some § 11. 9. The doctrine of the Resurrection of the Body is one of the greatest difficulties of all § 12. 10. So is Christ's coming into the World so late and the revealing of his Gospel to so few by Prophecy before and by Preaching since § 13. 11. So also was the appearing Meanness of the Person of Christ and of his Parentage place and condition in the World together with the manner of his birth § 14 12. The manner of his sufferings and death upon a Cross as a Malefactor under the charge of Blasphemy Impiety and Treason hath still been a stumbling-block both to Jews and Gentiles § 15. 13. So hath the fewness and meanness of his followers and the number and worldly preeminence and prosperity of unbelievers and enemies of Christ § 16. 14. The want of excellency of speech and art in the holy Scriptures that they equall not other Writings in Logical method and exactness and in Oratorical elegancies is a great offence to unbelievers § 17. 15. As also that the Physicks of Scripture so much differeth from Philosophers § 18. 16. As also the seeming Contradictions of the Scripture do much offend them § 19. 17. And it offendeth them that Faith in Christ himself is made a thing of such excellency and necessity to salvation § 20. 18. And it is hard to believe that present adversity and undoing in the World is for our benefit and everlasting good § 21. 19. And it offendeth many that the doctrine of Christ doth seem not suited to Kingdoms and Civil Government but only for a few private persons § 22. 20. Lastly the Prophesies which seem not intelligible or not fulfilled prove matter of difficulty and offence There are intrinsecal difficulties of Faith § 23. II. The outward adventitious impediments to the Belief of the Christian Faith are such as these 1. Because many Christians especially the Papists have corrupted the doctrine of Faith and propose gross falshoods contrary to common sense and reason as necessary points of Christian Faith as in the point of Transubstantiation § 24. 2. They have given the World either false or insufficient reasons and motives for the belief of the Christian Verity which being discerned confirmeth them in Infidelity § 25. 3. They have corrupted Gods Worship and have turned it from rational and spiritual into a multitude of irrational ceremonious fopperies fitted to move contempt and laughter in unbelievers § 26. 4. They have corrupted the doctrine of Morality and thereby hidden much of the holyness and purity of the Christian Religion § 27. 5. They have corrupted Church-history obtruding or divulging a multitude of ridiculous falshoods in their Legends and Books of Miracles contrived purposely by Satan to tempt men to disbelieve the Miracles of Christ and his Apostles § 28. 6. They make Christianity odious by upholding their own Sect and power by fire and blood and inhumane Cruelties § 29. 7. They openly manifest that ambition and worldly dignities and prosperity in the Clergy is their very Religion and withall pretend that their party or Sect is all the Church § 30. 8. And the great disagreement among Christians is a stumbling-block to unbelievers while the Greeks and Romans strive who shall be the greatest and both they and many others Sects are condemning unchurching and reproaching one another § 31. 9. The undisciplined Churches and wicked lives of the greatest part of professed Christians especially in the Greek and Latine Churches is a great confirmation of Infidels in their unbelief § 32. 10. And it tempteth many to Apostasie to observe the scandalous errors and miscarriages of many who seemed more godly than the rest § 33. 11. It is an impediment to Christianity that the richest and greatest the learned and the far greatest number in the World have been still against it § 34. 12. The custom of the Countrey and Tradition of their Fathers and the reasonings and cavils of men that have both ability and opportunity and advantage doth bear down the truth in the Countreys while Infidels prevail § 35. 13. The Tyranny of cruel persecuting Princes in the Mahometane and Heathen parts of the World is the grand Impediment to the progress of Christianity by keeping away the means of knowledge And of this the Roman party of Christians hath given them an incouraging example dealing more cruelly with their fellow-Christians than the Turks and some Heathen Princes do So that Tyranny is the great sin which keepeth out the Gospel from most parts of the Earth § 36. III But no Impediments of Faith are so great as those within us As 1. the natural strangeness of all corrupted mindes to God and their blindeness in all spiritual things § 37. 2. Most persons in the World have weak injudicious unfurnished heads wanting the common natural preparatives to Faith not able to see the force of a reason in things beyond the reach of sense § 38. 3. The carnal minde is enmity against the Holiness of Christianity and therefore will still oppose the receiving of its principles § 39. 4. By the advantages of Nature Education Custom and Company men are early possest with prejudices and false conceits against a life of Faith and Holiness which keep out reforming truths § 40. 5. It is very natural to incorporated Souls to desire a sensible way of satisfaction and to take up with things present and seen and to be little affected with things unseen and above our senses § 41. 6 Our strangeness to the Language Idiomes Proverbial speeches then used doth disadvantage us as to the understanding of the Scriptures § 42. 7. So doth our strangeness to the Places and Customs of the Countrey and many other matters of fact § 43. 8. Our distance from those Ages doth make it necessary that matters of fact be received by humane report and Historical Evidence And too few are well acquainted with such History § 44. 9. Most men do forfeit the helps of Grace by wilfull sinning and make Atheism and Infidelity seem to be desireable to their carnal Interest and so are willing to be deceived and forsaking God they are forsaken of him flying from the Light and overcoming Truth and debauching Conscience and disabling Reason for their sensual delights § 45. 10. Those men that have most need of means and help are so averse and lazy that they will not be at the pains and patience to read and conferre and consider and pray and use the means which is needfull to their information but settle their judgement by slight and slothfull thoughts § 46. 11. Yet are the same men proud and self-conceited and unacquainted with the weakness of their own understandings and pass a quick and confident judgement on things which they never understood It being natural to men to judge according to what they do actually apprehend and not according to what they should
are taught to believe that sense is not deceived about the Accidents which they call the Species but about the Substance only when most of the simple people by the species do understand the Bread and Wine it self which they think is to the invisible body of Christ like as our bodies or the body of a Plant is to the soul So that although this instance be one of the greatest in the world of infatuation by humane authority and words it is nothing against the Christian verity Object V. You are not yet agreed among your selves what Christianity is as to the matter of Rule the Papists say it is all the Decrees de fide at least in all General Councils together with the Scriptures Canonical and Apocriphal The Protestants take up with the Canonical Scriptures alone and have not near so much in their Faith or Religion as the Papists have Answ What it is to be a Christian all the world may easily perceive in that solemn Sacrament Covenant or Vow in which they are solemnly entred into the Church and profession of Christianity and made Christians And the antient Creed doth tell the world what hath always been the faith which was professed And those sacred Scriptures which the Churches did receive doth tell the world what they took for the entire comprehension of their Religion But if any Sects have been since tempted to any additions enlargements or corruptions it s nothing to the disparagement of Christ who never promised that no man should ever abuse his Word and that he would keep all the world from adding or corrupting it Receive but so much as the doctrine of Christ which hath certain proof that it was indeed his delivered by himself or his inspired Apostles and we desire no more Object VI. But you are not agreed of the reasons and resolution of your faith one resolveth it into the authority of the Church and others into a private spirit and each one seemeth sufficiently to prove the groundlesness of the others faith Answ Dark minded men do suffer themselves to be fooled with a noise of words not-understood Do you know what is meant by the resolution and grounds of faith Faith is the believing of a conclusion which hath two premises to infer and prove it and there must be more argumentation for the proof of such premises and faith in its several respects and dependances may be said to be resolved into more things than one even into every one of these This general and ambiguous word Resolution is used oft'ner to puzzle than resolve And the grounds and reasons of faith are more than one and what they are I have fully opened to you in this Treatise A great many of dreaming wranglers contend about the Logical names of the Objectum quod quo ad quod the objectum formale materiale per se per accidens primarium secundarium ratio formalis quae qua sub qua objectum univocationis communitatis perfectionis originis virtutis adaequationis c. the motiva fidei resolutio and many such words which are not wholly useless but are commonly used but to make a noise to carry men from the sense and to make men believe that the controversie is de re which is meerly de nomine Every true Christian hath some solid reason for his faith but every one is not learned and accurate enough to see the true order of its causes and evidences and to analize it throughly as he ought And you will take it for no disproof of Euclid or Aristotle that all that read them do not sufficiently understand all their Demonstrations but disagree in many things among themselves Object VII You make it a ridiculous Idolatry to worship the Sun and Jupiter and Venus and other Planets and Stars which in all probability are animate and have souls as much nobler than ours as their bodies are for it 's like God's works are done in proportion and harmony and so they seem to be to us as subordinate Deities And yet at the same time you will worship your Virgin Mary and the very image of Christ yea the Image of the Cross which he was hang'd on and the salita capita and rotten bones of your Martyrs to the dishonour of Princes who put them to death as malefactors Is not the Sun more worthy of honour than these Answ 1. We ever granted to an Eunapius Julian Porphyry or Celsus that the Sun and all the Stars and Planets are to be honoured according to their proper excellency and use that is to be esteemed as the most glorious of all the visible works of God which shew to us his Omnipotency Wisdom and Goodness and are used as his instruments to convey to us his chief corporal mercies and on whom under God our bodies are dependant being incomparably less excellent than theirs But whether they are animated or no is to us utterly uncertain and if we were sure they were yet we are sure that they are the products of the Will of the Eternal Being And he that made both them and us is the Governour of them and us and therefore as long as he hath no way taught us to call them Gods nor to pray to them nor offer them any sacrifice as being uncertain whether they understand what we do or say nor hath any way revealed that this is his will nay and hath expresly forbidden us to do so Reason forbiddeth us to do any more than honourably to esteem and praise them as they are and use them to the ends which our Creator hath appointed 2. And for the Martyrs and the Virgin Mary we do no otherwise by them we honour them by estimation love and praise agreeable to all the worth which God hath bestowed on them and the holiness of humane souls which is his image is more intelligible to us and so more distinctly amiable than the form of the Sun and Planets is But we pray not to them because we know not whether they hear us or know when we are sincere or hypocritical nor have we any such precepts from our common Lord. It is but some ignorant mistaken Christians who pray to the dead or give more than due veneration to their memories And it is Christ and not every ignorant Christian or mistaken Sect that I am justifying against the cavils of unbelief Object VIII You make the holiness of Christian doctrine a great part of the evidence of your faith and yet Papists and Protestants maintain each others doctrine to be wicked and such especially against Kings and Government as Seneca or Cicero or Plutarch would have abhorred The Protestants tell the Papists of the General Council at the Lateran sub Innoc. 3. where Can. 3. it is made a very part of their Religion That temporal Lords who exterminate not Hereticks may be admonished and excommunicated and their Dominions given by the Pope to others and subjects disobliged from their allegiance
you before the judgment-seats Christianity teacheth us to lament the sin of Tyranny the grand crime which keepeth out the Gospel from the Nations of Infidels and Pagans through the earth and eclipseth its glory in the Popish Principalities It teacheth us to resist tyrannical Usurpers in the defence of our true and lawful Kings But if it teach men patiently to suffer rather than rebelliously resist that is not from baseness but true nobleness of spirit exceeding both the Greek and Roman genius in that it proceedeth from a contempt of those inferiour trifles which they rebell for and from that satisfaction in the hopes of endless glory which maketh it easie to them to bear the loss of liberty life or any thing on earth and from obedience to their highest Lord. But in a lawful way they can defend their Countries and liberties as gallantly as ever Heathens did Object IX If your Religion had reason for it what need it be kept up by cruelty and bloud how many thousands and hundred thousands hath sword and fire and inquisition devoured as for the supporting of Religion and when they are thus compelled how know you who believeth Christianity indeed Answ This is none of the way or work of Christianity but of that sect which is raised by worldly interest and design and must accordingly be kept up In Christ's own family two of his Disciples would have called for fire from heaven to consume those that rejected him but he rebuked them and told them that they knew not what manner of spirit they were of and that he came not to destroy mens lives but to save them Will you now lay the blame of that consuming zeal on Christ which he so rebuketh The same two men would have been preferred before the rest to sit at his right hand and his left hand in his Kingdom and his Disciples strove who should be the greatest Did Christ countenance this or did he not sharply reprehend them and tell them that they must not have titles and domination as secular Princes have but be as little children in humility and their greatness must consist in being greatliest serviceable even in being servants to all If men after this will take no warning but fight and kill and burn and torment men in carnal zeal and pride and tyranny shall this be imputed to Christ who in his doctrine and life hath form'd such a testimony against this crime as never was done by any else in the world and as is become an offence to unbelievers Object X. We see not that the Leaders in the Christian Religion do really themselves believe it Pope Leo the tenth called it Fabula de Christo What do men make of it but a Trade to live by a means to get Abbies and Bishopricks and Benefices and to live at ease and fleshly pleasure and what do Secular Rulers make of it but a means to keep their subjects in awe Answ He that knoweth no other Christians in the world but such as these knoweth none at all and is unfit to judge of those whom he knoweth not True Christians are men that place all their happiness and hopes in the life to come and use this life in order to the next and contemn all the wealth and glory of the world in comparison of the love of God and their salvation True Pastors and Bishops of the Church do thirst after the conversion and happiness of sinners and spend their lives in diligent labours to these ends not thinking it too much to stoop to the poorest for their good nor regarding worldly wealth and glory in comparison of the winning of one soul nor counting their lives dear if they may but finish their course and ministery with joy Luk. 15. Act. 20. Heb. 13.7.17 c. They are hypocrites and not true Christians whom the objection doth describe by what names or titles soever they be dignified and are more disowned by Christ than by any other in the world Object XI Christians are divided into so many sects among themselves and every one condemning others that we have reason to suspect them all for how know we which of them to believe or follow Answ 1. Christianity is but One and easily known and all Christians do indeed hold this as certain by common agreement and consent they differ not at all about that which I am pleading for there may be a difference whether the Pope of Rome or the Patriarch of Constantinople be the greater or whether one Bishop must rule over all and such like matters of carnal quarrel but there is no difference whether Christ be the Saviour of the world or whether all his doctrine be infallibly true and the more they quarrel about their personal interests and by-opinions the most valid is their testimony in the things wherein they all agree it is not those things which they differ about that I am now pleading for or perswading any to embrace but those wherein they all consent 2. But if they agree not in all the Integrals of their Religion it is no wonder nor inferreth any more than that they are not all perfect in the knowledge of such high and mysterious things and when no man understandeth all that is in Aristotle nor no two interpreters of him agree in every exposition no nor any two men in all the world agree in every opinion who hold any thing of their own what wonder if Christians differ in many points of difficulty 3. But their differences are nothing in comparison of the Heathen Philosophers who were of so many minds and ways that there was scarce any coherence among them nor many things which they could ever agree in 4. The very differences of abundance of honest Christians is occasioned by their earnest desire to please God and do nothing but what is just and right and their high esteem of piety and honesty while the imperfection of their judgments keepeth them from knowing in all things what it is which indeed is that good and righteous way which they should take If children do differ and fall out if it be but in striving who shall do best and please their father it is the more excusable enemies do not so ideots fall not out in School-disputes or Philosophical controversies swine will not fall out for gold or jewels if they be cast before them in the streets but it 's like that men may 5. But the great sidings and factions kept up in the world and the cruelties exercised thereupon are from worldly hypocrites who under the mask of Christianity are playing their own game And why must Christ be answerable for those whom he most abhorreth and will most terribly condemn Object XII You boast of the holiness of Christians and we see not but they are worse than Heathens and Mahometans they are more drunken and greater deceivers in their dealings as lustful and unclean as covetous and carnal as proud and ambitious as tyrannical and
of the World and the pleasures of the flesh for the Love of God and the Hopes of Glory And he that doth thus much shall undoubtedly be saved But to think that you must ask your hearts such a question as whether you can be content to be damned for Christ is but to abuse God and your selves Indeed both Reason and Religion command us to esteem God infinitely above our selves and the Churches welfare above our own because that which is best must be best esteemed and loved But yet though we must ever acknowledge this inequality Yet that we must never disjoyn them nor set them in a positive opposition or competition nor really do any thing which tendeth to our damnation upon any pretense of the Churches good is past all question He that hath made the love of our selves and felicity inseparable from man hath made us no duty inconsistent with this inclination that is with our humanity it self For God hath conjoyned these necessary ends and we must not separate them § 3. The Interest of the Church is but the Interest of the Souls that constitute the Church and to preferre it above our own is but to preferre many above one § 4. He that doth most for the publick good and the Souls of many doth thereby most effectually promote his own consolation and salvation § 5. The Interest of God is the Vltimate End of Religion Church and particular Souls § 6. Gods Interest is not any addition to his Perfection or Blessedness but the pleasing of his Will in the Glory of his Power Wisdom and Goodness shining forth in Jesus Christ and in his Church § 7. Therefore to promote Gods Interest is by promoting the Churches Interest § 8. The Interest of the Church consisteth I. Intensivè in its HOLYNESS II. Conjunctivè harmonicè in its Unity Concord and Order III. Extensivè in its increase and the multiplication of Believers § 9. I. The HOLYNESS of the Church consisteth 1. In its Resignation and submission to God its Owner 2. In its subjection and obedience to God its Ruler 3. In its Gratitude and Love to God its Benefactor and Ultimate End § 10. These acts consist 1. In a right estimation and Belief of the minde 2. In a right Volition Choice and Resolution of the Will 3. In the right ordering of the Life § 11. The Means of the Churches HOLYNESS are these 1. Holy Doctrine Because as all Holiness entereth by the understanding so Truth is the instrumental cause of all § 12. 2. The holy serious reverent skilfull and diligent preaching of this doctrine by due explication proof and application suitably to the various auditors § 13. 3. The holy lives and private converse of the Pastors of the Church § 14. 4. Holy Discipline faithfully administred encouraging all that are godly and comforting the penitent and humbling the proud and disgracing open sin and casting out the proved impenitent gross sinners that they infect not the rest embolden not the wicked and dishonour not the Church in the eyes of the unbelievers § 15. 5. The election and ordination of able and holy Pastors fit for this work § 16. 6. The conjunct endeavours of the wisest and most experienced members of the flock not usurping any Ecclesiastical office but by their wisdom and authority and example in their private capacities seconding the labours of the Pastors and not leaving all to be done by them alone § 17. 7. Especially the holy instructing and governing of families by catechizing inferiours and exhorting them to the due care of their souls and helping them to understand and remember the publick teaching of the Pastors and praying and praising God with them and reading the Scripture and holy books especially on the Lord's day and labouring to reform their lives § 18. 8. The blameless lives and holy conference converse and example of the members of the Church among themselves Holiness begetteth holiness and encreaseth it as fire kindleth fire § 19. 9. The unity concord and love of Christians to one another § 20. 10. And lastly holy Princes and Magistrates to encourage piety and to protect the Church and to be a terrour to evil doers These are the means of holiness § 21. The contraries of all these may easily be discerned to be the destroyers of holiness and pernicious to the Church 1. Vnholy doctrine 2. Ignorant unskilful negligent cold or envious preaching 3. The unholy lives of them that preach it 4. Discipline neglected or perverted to the encouraging of the ungodly and afflicting of the most holy and upright of the flocks 5. The election or ordination of insufficient negligent or ungodly Pastors 6. The negligence of the wisest of the flock or the restraint of them by the spirit of jealousie and envy from doing their private parts in assistance of the Pastors 7. The neglect of holy instructing and governing of families and the lewd example of the governours of them 8. The scandalous or barren lives of Christians 9. The divisions and discord of Christians among themselves 10. And bad Magistrates who give an ill example or afflict the godly or encourage vice or at least suppress it not § 22. To these may be added 1. The degenerating of Religious strictness from what God requireth into another thing by humane corruptions gradually introduced as is seen among too many Friars as well as in the Pharisees of old 2. A degenerating of holy Institutions of Christ into another thing by the like gradual corruptions as is seen in the Roman Sacrifice of the Mass 3. The degenerating of Church-Offices by the like corruptions as is seen in the Papacy and its manifold supporters 4. The diversion of the Pastors of the Church to secular employments 5. The diminishing the number of the Pastors of the Church as proportioned to the number of souls as if one school-master alone should have ten thousand scholars or ten thousand souldiers but one or two officers 6. The pretending of the soul and power of Religion to destroy the body or external part or making use of the body or external part to destroy the soul and power and setting things in opposition which are conjunct 7. The preferring either the imposition or opposition of things indifferent before things necessary 8. An apish imitation of Christ by Satan and his instruments by counterfeiting inspirations revelations visions prophesies miracles apparitions sanctity zeal and new institutions in the Church 9. An over-doing or being righteous over much by doing more than God would have us over-doing being one of the devils ways of undoing When Satan pretendeth to be a Saint he will be stricter than Christ as the Pharisees were in their company Sabbath-rest and ceremonies and he will be zealous with a fiery consuming zeal 10. Accidentally prosperity it self consumeth piety in the Church if it occasion the perdition of the world the Church is not out of danger of it § 23. II. The
unity and concord and harmony of the Church consisteth 1. In their Universal Adoption or One Relation to God as their reconciled Father in Christ 2. In the one Relation they have all to Christ their Head 3. In the unity of the Spirit which dwelleth and worketh in them all 4. In their One Relation to the Body or Church of Christ as its members 5. In the unity of that Faith which stateth them in these relations 6. In the unity of the Baptismal Covenant which initiateth them 7. In the unity of the Gospel in the Essentials which is the common rule of their faith and life and the ground of their hope and comfort 8. In the bond of mutual brotherly love 9. In the concord of a holy life 10. In the unity of the End which they all intend and shall at last attain the pleasing of God and the heavenly glory § 24. The Means of this Unity and Concord are 1. All as aforesaid which promote their holiness From holiness is the centring of all hearts in God and it destroyeth that dividing Selfishness which maketh men have as many ends as they are persons 2. The learning and ability of the Pastors to hold the flocks together by the force of truth and to stop the mouthes of cavilling dividers and seducers When no gain-sayers are able to stand before the evidence of that truth which they demonstrate 3. The holy lives of Pastors which keep up the love of truth and them in the peoples hearts 4. By the paternal government of the Pastors ruling them not by force but willingly and in fatherly love and a loving familiar converse with them 5. By the just execution of Discipline on the impenitent that the godly may see that wickedness is disowned 6 By the concord of the Pastors among themselves and the prudent use of Synods or Councils to that end 7. By the humble and submissive respect of the people to their Pastors 8 By keeping up the interest and authority of the most ancient and experienced of the flock over the young and unexperienced who are the common causes of division 9. By the Pastors avoiding all temptations to worldliness and pride that they tear not the Church by striving who shall be the greatest or have the preeminence 10. By godly Magistrates keeping their power in their own hand and using it to rebuke intollerable false Teachers and to encourage the peaceable and restrain the railing and violence of Pastors and parties against each other and by impartial keeping the Church's peace § 25. Hence the causes of Church-divisions are discernable 1. The encrease of ungodliness and sin which is as fire in the thatch and possesseth all men with dividing principles practices and ends 2. The disability of Pastors over-topt in parts by every Sectary 3. The ungodliness of the Pastors which looseneth the hearts of the people from them 4. The strangeness violence or hurtfulness of the Pastors 5. The encouragement and tolleration of all the most flagitious and impenitent in undisciplin'd Churches which frighteneth men out of the Church as from a ruinous house and tempteth them to an unwarrantable separation because the Pastors will not make a necessary and regular separation 6. The discord of the Bishops among themselves 7. The peoples ignorance of the Pastoral power and their own duty 8. An unruly fierce censorious spirit in many of the young and unexperienced of the flock 9. The Pastors striving who shall be the greatest and seeking great things in the world or popular applause and admiration 10. The Magistrates either permitting the endeavours of dividing Teachers in palpable cases or suffering self-seeking Pastors or people to disturb the Church § 26. But next to common ungodliness the great causes of the most ruinating Church-divisions are 1. Wars and dissentions among Princes and States and civil factions in Kingdoms whereby the Clergy are drawn or forced to engage themselves on one side or other and then the prevailing side stigmatizeth those as scandalous who were not for them and think themselves engaged by their interest to extirpate them 2. Mistaking the just terms of union and communion and setting up a false centre as that which all men must unite in Thus have the Roman party divided themselves from the Greeks and Protestants and made the greatest schism in the Church that ever was made in it 1. By setting up a false usurping constitutive Head the Roman Bishop and pretending that none are members of the Church who are not his subjects and so condemning the far greatest part of the Catholick Church 2 By imposing an Oath and divers gross corruptions in Doctrine Discipline and Worship upon all that will be in their communion and condemning those that receive them not and so departing from the Scripture-sufficiency These two usurpations are the grand dividers § 27. All Hereticks also who speak perverse things against Christianity to draw away Disciples after them or Schismaticks who unwarrantably separate from those Churches in which they ought to abide that they may gather new congregations after their own mind are the immediate adversaries of Church-union and concord § 28. So are the importune and virulent Disputations of contentious Wits about unnecessary things or matters of faction and self-interest § 29. Especially when the Magistrate lendeth his sword to one party of the contenders to suppress or be revenged on the rest and to dispute with arguments of steel § 30. The well-ordered Councils of Bishops or Pastors of several Churches assembled together have been justly esteemed a convenient means of maintaining the concord and peace of Christians and a fit remedy for the cure of heresies corruptions and divisions And when the cause requireth it those councils should consist of as many as can conveniently meet even from the most distant Churches which can send their Bishops without incurring greater hurt or discommodity than their presence will countervail in doing good And therefore the councils called General in the Dominions of the Christian Roman Emperours were commendable and very profitable to the Church when rightly used But whereas the Pope doth argue that he is the constitutive Head of the whole catholick Church throughout the world because his Predecessors did oft preside in those councils it is most evident to any one who will make a faithful search into the History of them that those councils were so far from representing all the Churches in the world that they were constituted only of the Churches or Subjects of the Roman Empire and those that having formerly been parts of the Empire continued that way of communion when they fell into the hands of conquerors their conquerors being commonly Pagans Infidels or Arrian Hereticks I except only now and then two or three or an inconsiderable number of neighbour Bishops There were none of the Representatives of the Churches in all the other parts of the world as I have proved in my Disputation with Mr. Johnson
require it or as if all our Pastors and Teachers were not to be so useful to us as a sign-post nor we were not to learn of them or of our Parents any thing that God either by nature or Scripture ever taught us or as if a child or subject who is required to learn the meaning of his Ruler's Laws to judge of them judicio privatae discretionis were thereby allowed to mis-understand them and to say that they command us that which they forbid us and because the King forbiddeth us to murder he alloweth us to say You proposed it to my understanding and I understand it that you bid me murder and therefore you may not punish me As if he that is bound to judge by a bare discerning what is commanded him and what forbidden were allowed to judge in partem utramlibet that it is or it is not as please himself As if when the King hath printed his Statutes he had forfeited all his authority by so doing and his subjects might say Why do you punish us for disobeying your Laws when you promulgated them to us as rational creatures to discern their sense Will it profit the world to write confutations of such stuff as this or must a man that is not condemned to Stage-playing or Ballad-making thus waste his time Do the people need to be saved from such stuff as this If so what remedy but to pity them and say Quos perdere vult Jupiter hos dementat si populus vult decipi decipiatur And yet to do no more wrong to the Scriptures than to Councils and Bulls and Statutes and Testaments and Deeds and Bonds he concludeth Of all writings whatsoever that by the meer words of the writer you cannot be certain of his sense though they be common words and you take them in the common sense So that if any doubt arise about my words if I resolve it by writing I cannot be understood but if I spake the same syllables by word of mouth it would serve the turn As if no man could be sure of the sense of any Law or Testament or Bond or Covenant which is committed to writing nor of any exposition of them if once it fall under Pen or Press As if God's writing the Ten Commandments had left them unintelligible in comparison of his speaking them Then farewell all Historical certainty Hath every single Priest himself any assurance of the sense of the Council the Canons the Popes Decreetals and Bulls but by the way of writing And so the poor people must instead of the Church believe only that Priest that orally speaketh to them though he have no certainty of the matter himself If this doctrine be made good once it will spoil the Printers trade and the Clarks and Courts of Record and the Post-Office too But page 51. he maketh the consent of the universal Church to be the only sure communication of Christian Doctrine in the Articles of Faith yea the consent of the present age concerning the former But how the consent of the whole Church shall be certainly known to every man and woman when no writing can certainly make known any mans mind is hard to tell a man that expecteth reason And that you may see how much the subject of this Treatise is concerned in such discourses he addeth that If the Church had at any time been small its testimony had been doubtful but saith he it testifieth of it self that Christians were never few and therefore it is to be believed But we will have no such prevaricating defences of Christianity The major is the Infidels erroneous cavil the minor is a false defence of the faith The Church never said that Christians were never few it hath ever confessed the contrary that once they were few and yet it hath proved against the Infidel that its testimony was not doubtful having better evidence of their veracity than numbers You may perceive by these strictures upon this one discourse what an endless task it would be to write confutations of every man that hath leisure to publish to the world his opinions which are injurious to the Christian verity And therefore no sober Reader will expect that I or he must be so tired before he can be satisfied and setled in the Truth FINIS Non tam authoritatis in disputando quà m Rationis momenta quaerenda sunt Cicer. de Nat. Deor. 1. p. 6. Animo ipso animus videtur nimirum hanc habet vim praeceptum Apollinis quo monet UT SE quisque NOSCAT Non enim credo id praecipit ut membra nostra aut staturam figurámve noscamus Neque nos corpora sumus 〈◊〉 neque ego tibi dicens hoc CORPORI tuo dico Cum igitur NOSCE TE dicit hoc dicit NOSCE ANIMUM TUUM Nam corpus quidem quasi vas est aut aliquod animi receptaculum ab ANIMO tuo quicquid agitur id agitur à te Hunc igitur nosce nisi Divinum esset non esset hoc acrioris cujusdam animi praeceptum sic ut tributum Deo sit hoc est SEIPSUM posse cognoscere sed fi qualis sit animus ipse animus nesciat dic quaeso ne esse quidem se sciet Cicero Tuscul Quast l. 1. pag. mihi 226 227. Patet aeternum id esse quod seipsum movet quis est qui hanc naturam animis tributam neget Inanimum est enim omne quod pulsu agitatur externo Sentit igitur animus se moveri Quod cum sentit illud una sentit se vi suâ non aliena moveri nec accidere posse ut ipse unquam à se deseratur ex quo efficitur aeternitas Id. ibid. Obj. Age ostende mihi Deum tuum Resp Age ostende mihi hominem tuum fac te hominem esse cognoscam quis meus sit Deus demonstrare non morabor Theophil Antioch ad Autolycum lib. 1. initio Cum despicere coeperimus sentire quid simus quid ab animantibus caeteris differamus tum ea insequi incipiemus ad quae nati sumus Cicer. 5. de fin Qui seipsum cognoverit cognoscet in se omnia Deum ad cujus imaginem factus est Mundum cujus simulachrum gerit Creaturas omnes cum quibus symbolum habet Paulus Dom. de Scala Thess pag. 722. Ut Deum noris si ignores locum faciem sic animum tibi tuum notum esse oportet etiamsi ignores locum formam Cicer. 1. Tuscul Non ii sumus quibus nihil verum esse videatur sed ii qui omnibus veris falsa quaedam adjuncta esse dicamus tanta similitudine ut c. Cicer. de Nat. Deor. 1. p. 7. Lege Pisonis dicta de mente corpore in Cicer. de finib l. 5. p. 189. Omnes ad id quod Bonum videtur omnes suas actiones referunt Aristot de Republ. 1. c. 1. In homine optimum quidem Ratio Haec antecedit