superstructing good life on this is saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being carried to perfection and again in yet plainer words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Faith is the beginning and the foundation and that without which nothing shall or will be firmly built still making the Faith or belief of the Articles the foundation in respect of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the excellent Christian life which was by the Apostles and Christ designed to be built on it CHAP. II. The Division of the discourse into four parts What are Fundamental in General § 1. THe notion of the word being now explained that which is yet behinde will be regularly reducible to these four heads First What those things are in General and then in particular to which this notion of Fundamentals belongeth and withall what propriety all and each of these have toward the supporting this superstructure the planting a Church of Christian livers 2dly What are the particular branches of this superstructure 3dly What Doctrines there are infused among Christians which are most apt to obstruct or intercept the superstructing of Christian life where the foundation is laid 4dly What things are necessary to the erecting of this superstructure on this foundation already laid whether in a particular Christian or especially in a Church or society of such § 2. The General way of defining what these fundamentals are must in reason be taken from the practise of the Apostles as the interpreter of God's appointment and judgment in this matter For it being certain that the Apostles which had a commission from Christ to preach and admit disciples over all the world to bring impenitent Jewes and Idolatrous Gentiles to the obedience of Christ were by him also directed in their way counselled in the choice of the fittest means of performing so great a work the argument will be infallibly conclusive on both sides positively and negatively that whatever the Apostles joyntly agreed on at their entrance on their several Provinces to be the subject of their first Sermons in all their travails that was by them and consequently by God himself deemed fundamental in our present sense and whatever was not by them thought thus necessary must not by us be obtruded on or forced into that Catalogue § 3. For the clearing of this it is first evident that there was in the A-Apostles times such a foundation laid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in every Church as in that of Corinth 1 Cor. 3.11 styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 6.20 a good depositum or trust which Timothie had received from the Apostles for the direction of his ministerie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jude 3. the faith once or at once delivered to the saints 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 1.13 a form or breviate or summarie of wholsome words or sound doctrine which he had heard from S. Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one faith Eph. 4.5 in proportion to which followeth there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one baptisme wherein there was made profession of that Faith and to which none of years and knowledge was ever admitted who had not been sufficiently instructed by the Catechist in every part of this foundation which to that end the Catechist received from the Bishop with his short exposition of it see S. Ambrose Ep 35. l. 5. and being so instructed made open Confession of it and moreover by vow obliged himself there to superstruct all Christian practise upon it § 4. Secondly that this was approved of by them in common upon consultation and so seemed good to the holy Ghost and to them in order to their end the bringing of Jewes and Gentiles to repentance and accordingly was left behinde them delivered down to the Bishops of all Churches of their plantation not only as a rule of faith but as a symbolum or badge of the Apostles having planted Christianity among them All which is clearly testified by Tertullian Irenaeus and other the first writers See Irenaeus l 1. c. 11. 19. l. 3. c. 4. Tertullian de virgin veland in the beginning de Praescription throughout § 5. Thirdly that all that was necessary in order to that end the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the discipling all nations was comprehended in this form or summary it being certain that what God did not deem necessary was not necessary and that nothing which was so deem'd by God was omitted or left behinde by them whose office and care it was to declare the whole will of God and to lead others as themselves had been led into all necessary truth § 6. Fourthly that what we thus affirm of the necessity of these things to the superstructing of Christian practise must not so be understood that the hearing and believing of each of them be thought absolutely necessary in every single Jew or heathen that he may repent and convert and live a Christian life or without which he cannot but necessary to the discharge of the Apostolical office which was to reap whole fields to bring in whole cities and nations to Christ § 7. They that were to plant a Church were to deal with men of several and distant affections and tempers and interests an heterogeneous body made up of a multitude of various inclinations and of different habits of sin and degrees of radication of those habits and to each of these some proper application was to be made by those that came on Christ's errand to cure their souls as Hippocrates advises his Physitian to have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mollifying preparations for all turns and to carry them about with him and so a whole Dispensatorie was little enough to meet with and suffice to all their wants or at least some Catholicon of a transcendent virtue proportionable to the obstinacy of any the most desperate maladie But this confusion of diseases and rapsodie of difficulties was not to be supposed in each single sinner and consequently there was not the same necessity of the whole tale of Fundamentals for the converting or reducing of him § 8. There is no doubt but there were reformed Jewes before Christ's time whom the pedagogie and rudiments and imperfect documents of the Law with those influences and assistances of God which were then afforded brought home unto God and among them some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 righteous and some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mercifull men which had arrived to the abundance of goodness as they style it And of this kinde were the Esseni who though they be not ordinarily conceived to have been Christians yet are described by Philo under the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so very like Christians that there is no reason to doubt but that Christian piety might be infused into some without the explicite knowledge of all and every of those articles which yet in general speaking or as it was to be planted through the
the earth and of the Nations brought their glory to the Lamb Rev. 21.24 26. and to the same purpose Rev. 17.14 19.6 and as among the Jewes so all the world over those that received not the commands of Christ and his doctrines of purity and perseverance were signally destroyed and they that did were preserved as a peculiar people unto him to live and continue in his obedience § 13. And this great successe on both sides among Jewes and Gentiles over all the world part of it historically true at the compiling of these articles and part of it prophetically true then and fulfilled afterward the subduing them either by the word of his mouth the preaching of the Gospel or by the word of his power the destructions which he sent among them was a most effectual argument a soveraign method to give authority to this faith which was thus prevailing and becomes the greatest instance of reproach to all libertine professors that they should not purifie their hearts by the faith when the most impure Idolaters were wrought on to doe so and a sad certain aboad to all such after the example of obstinate Infidels and impure Gnosticks of both present and future destructions § 14. The sixt and last stone in this foundation is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his being received up in or with or into glory Christ's ascension or assumption to heaven being an irrefragable argument of conviction to the world that he died an innocent person Joh. 16.10 and consequently that what he taught was the will of God and 2 truth of heaven to which he was assumed after his testification of it To which when these two circumstances are superadded first that his assumption being in the sight of many was also solemnized by the presence of Angels and a voice from heaven Act. 1.9 10 11. and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in or with glory after a glorious manner and secondly that it was attended with the exercise of divine power both in the Church by the hands of the Apostles and their successors whom Christ had authorized to succeed him on the earth and in the world by executing visible judgments on his crucifiers c. and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into glory or regal power this will be an article of great energie for the planting of Christian faith and purity in the world CHAP. VII The Faith in Baptisme § 1. WHat hath thus been set down as so many branches of fundamental belief and so of the mysterie of Godliness the ground of initiating or entring men into Christian life is more summarily compriz'd in the form of baptism the ceremony of this initiation instituted by Christ wherein all that were to be baptized were if of age first instructed in the doctrine and then received In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost Which are the abbreviature of the larger Catalogue of doctrinals formerly taught and explained by the Catechist and those on which they that administred baptisme are commanded to superstruct all the duties of Christian life Mat. 28.20 teaching them to observe all things which I have commanded you the authority of all and each the persons of the Trinity being purposely engaged on this one great interest and the gathering disciples and receiving of Proselytes over the world being design'd to this one grand end of introducing the practise of Christian virtues among men who doe therefore in baptisme sacramentally and federally i. e. under oath and solemnest vow as they believe any thing of these fundamental doctrines of God the Father Son and holy Ghost undertake the performance thereof and if they fail therein are the most faithlesse perjured persons in the world And certainly this method is in the designe as probable how improsperous soever the wickedness of men hath rendred the successe of it as any could have been invented to this end CHAP. VIII Of the Creeds in general and first of the Apostles Creed § 1. THE method now leads from the more compendious to the larger and fuller view of this foundation as it is set down in the Creeds of the Church and first in that which is called symbolum Apostolicum the Apostolick badge or mark a tessera or token of the Apostles having planted the Faith in any Church the known summarie of that belief which had been received from the Apostles § 2. For although in their Epistles which were all written to them which were Christians already there is not to be expected any complete Catalogue of those articles which they had every where taught because they were supposed by them to be sufficiently known and might briefly be referred to as such without any perfect enumeration yet in any city or region where the Apostles came to plant the faith it is the affirmation of the first writers of the Church as frequently appears in Tertullian Irenaeus c. and there is no reason of doubt of the truth of it that all those articles which were thought fit to be laid as the foundation of Christian life were by them distinctly delivered And this being a matter of fact of which as of the Canon of scripture or of this or that book in it only the records and stories of the first times are competent judges that Creed which is delivered down to us by the Antient Churches thus planted I mean those of the first three hundred years and by them entituled to the name the Apostles and expounded in the homilies of the Fathers some extant others mentioned by Ruffinus illustres tractatores which had gone before him in that work is in all reason to be deemed the summe of that Foundation Of this if any farther evidence be necessary it will be thus easily made up § 3. The time of forming the Nicene Creed and the occasion of it by way of opposition to those heresies which had then broken into the Church is known to every man Now before this was formed it is certain that all the Churches of the world both Eastern and Western had a form of confession of Faith which they had received from their immediate ancestors and they from the Apostles themselves § 4. And of this there is no place of doubting but that it was the very same which we now call the Apostles Creed not only because there was never any other assigned by any or affirmed to have had that general reception but because the testimonies of the Antients are expresly for this Ruffinus and Vigilius cont Eutychen testifie clearly for the Western Church and Ruffinus again and Cyrill of Jerusalem for the Eastern § 5. And Marcellus Bishop of Ancyra in the Great Councel of Nice a famous supporter of the true Faith and a great sufferer for it against the Arians at his taking his leave of Pope Julius leaves behinde him the Confession of his faith which saith he he had received 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from his predecessors in
of the Father referring to the several hypostases in the one eternal indivisible divine nature and the eternity of the Sons generation and his coeternity and consubstantiality with the Father when he came down from heaven and was incarnate c. for us men peculiarly not for Angels and for our salvation and lastly the perpetuity of his kingdome added in the close all these are assertions equivalent to those which had been before comprised in the antient more simple uncompounded article but were usefull to be thus enlarged and explicated when the Arians opposed the Apostolick tradition and by corrupting detorted the words of scripture to their sense § 6. This is elswhere more largely shewed in the note on 1 Joh. 5.7 And all that will opportunely here be added is onely this that they which according to the Apostles depositum or doctrine in every Church believed the descent and incarnation of the eternal God on purpose to rescue mankinde from all impurities to reveal the whole divine will for the regulating mens lives to attest it by his death and evidence it by his resurrection c. and at last to come to judge the world according to this determinate rule had all those branches of Christian faith which were required to qualifie mankinde to submit to Christ's reformation And 't is the wilfull opposing these more explicite articles the resisting them when they are competently proposed from the definition of the Church and not the not-believing them thus explicitly when either they are not revealed or not with that conviction against which he cannot blamelesly and without pertinacy of his will hold out that will bring danger of ruine on any § 7. That which is added of the holy Ghost the Lord and giver of life who proceedeth from the Father and the Son supposing with the Western Church that the Filióque was found in the first copies and acts of that Councel who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified who spake by the Prophets is in like manner an enlargement and explication of the more brief Apostolick form and the substance thereof was comprised formerly in that uncompounded style fitter then for the belief and memory of all but was afterward prudently enlarged for the repelling and preventing the poyson of heretical invaders the Montanists and Macedonians c. § 8. And so likewise that addition of the one Baptisme prefixt to the Remission of sins was on purpose design'd against the Novatians whose pretensions were considered and condemned in the Councel of Nice The practises of the Churches in receiving those that had fallen into gross sins after baptisme had been somewhat different in some parts milder as in the Church of Rome in others more rigid The Church of Rome had given some liberty for the great offenders murtherers adulterers and such as had fallen to Idol-worship in time of persecution viz that after many years penance they might be restored to the Communion and peace of the Church without any new baptisme such as was used in admitting heathens only by imposition of hands or absolution extending the virtue of baptisme formerly received to the washing away of these sins committed after baptism in case of sincere repentance and forsaking of them This the Novatians disliked and thereupon brake off and made a schisme in the Church And the Councel of Nice taking cognizance of the matter judged against Novatus and his followers that there was place for a second repentance and not only for that first before Baptisme as appears by the Canons of that Councel And this was it that was referred to in this more enlarged passage of their Creed and the use of it thought very considerable for the reducing of lapst Christians as the Apostolical article of remission of sins indefinitely had been for the attracting heathens And this and all the former additions being thus setled by the Vniversal Church were and still are in all reason without disputing to be received and embraced by the present Church and every meek member thereof with that Reverence that is due to Apostolick truths that thankfulness which is our meet tribute to those sacred champions for their seasonable and provident propugning of our faith with such timely and necessary application to practise that the holy Ghost speaking to us now under the times of the New Testament by the Governours of the Christian Churches Christ's mediate successors in the Prophetick Pastoral Episcopal office as he had formerly spoken by the Prophets of the Old Testament sent immediately by him may finde a cheerful audience and receive all uniform submission from us § 9. And this is all that is here necessary to be said of this second Creed CHAP. X. Of the Athanasian Creed § 1. OF the Athanasian Creed as it is usually called two things will be briefly considerable 1. The doctrine of it 2. The curses and damnation denounced against those who doe not entirely maintain it without the corruptions and mixtures of the hereticks § 2. The Doctrine is well-nigh all of it the asserting the Vnity of the Divine nature and the Trinity of hypostases whether subsistences as the Greek Church called it or as the Latine personae persons in it and that in opposition to several novel propositions which had by hereticks been introduced in the Church and so as the vices of men suggest lawes occasioned such explications and enlargements And of these again much more then of the Nicene superadditions it may be reasonably affirmed that being the explications of a Father of the Church and not of a whole Vniversal Councel or of the Church representative they were neither necessary to be explicitly acknowledged before they were convincingly revealed nor simply and absolutely imposeable on any particular man any farther then he was a member of some Church which had actually received Athanasius's explication as it is apparent the Western Churches did or then it appeared concordant with the more authentick Vniversal Confessions as every doctrinal proposition of it will be found to doe § 3. As for the Censures annext 1. in the beginning that except a man keep the Catholick faith of which this is set down not as the entire form but an explication or interpretation of some parts of it whole and undefiled he shall doubtless perish everlastingly 2dly in the middle he that will be saved must thus think and it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe rightly in the incarnation c. and 3dly in the end this is the Catholick Faith which except a man believe faithfully he cannot be saved I suppose they must be interpreted by their opposition to those heresies that had invaded the Church which were acts of carnality in them that broached and maintained them against the Apostolick Doctrine and contradictory to that foundation which had been resolved on as necessary to bring the world to the obedience of Christ and were therefore to be anathematized after
all that shall deprive themselves of that honourable remedy to invite the rashest or the worst of men into that state of continual temptations which hath caused the shipwrack of so many § 15. Fiftly Contentedness is most eminently one of these specialties and that both as it is opposed to ambition covetousness injustice uncontentedness each of which is a most unchristian sin and also as it is the maintaining and establishing of Propriety in the world which though it be not of any huge importance in respect of any considerable advantages that wealth and honour can help a Christian to who is or ought to be raised by Christ to a contempt and superiority over such mean empty acquisitions as these yet as the disturbances which questions of right never fail to bring along with them are very unhappy and innumerable and endless so the inestimable benefit of peace and quiet and vacation for piety and the instrumentalness of riches to works of charity even above that more perfect way of absolute despising of wealth which by giving all at once disables for many thousand future charities have rendred it very politick and necessary in every Christian Common-wealth by Laws to settle and secure Propriety which he that hath learnt with S. Paul to be content in whatsoever estate will never attempt to invade or violate § 16. Many other branches of this superstructure there are which it cannot be necessary to mention here but above all the taking up of the Cross and following Christ with it on our shoulders And the vigorous indevour to cast it off from our own shoulders to fasten it on other mens and to shake the foundations of Government in order to any such attempt is most diametrally contrary to the true Christian temper an enmitie to the cross of Christ CHAP. XII Of the Doctrines that hinder the superstructing of good life on the Christian belief first among the Romanists a Catalogue of them especially that of the Infallibility of the Church 2. Among others 1. that of the Solifidian § 1. I Come now to consider what Doctrines there are infused discernibly among Christians which are most apt to frustrate the forementioned method to obstruct or intercept the cordial superstructing of Christian life or Renovation where the Foundation is duly laid For supposing the Articles of our Christian Faith to be completely taught and undoubtedly believed and so the foundation to be purely laid according to the Apostles platform And supposing farther that the several forementioned branches of the superstructure be so farre taught and believed also as that they are not doubted to be the virtues prescribed and preached to men by Christ It is yet possible that after all this some other Doctrines may inconveniently interpose and intercept the uses and aimes to which God hath designed the Faith and at once obstruct the superstructing of all Christian life upon it § 2. Of this sort the Catalogue is or soon may be farre larger then will be fitly inserted in this place For upon this occasion we might be engaged to enter on the examinati of the Romish doctrines 1. of Penances 2. of Indulgences 3. of the Treasury of the Church made up beside the blood of Christ of the supererogating merits of some and applied to the benefit and pardon of others 4. of the Improvableness of Attrition into Contrition by the Priests ayde without the sinners change of life 5. of Purgatory 6. of Dispensableness of Oathes 7. of Arts of Equivocation 8. of Cessation of Allegiance in subjects to an heretical Prince and some others the like but especially of the Infallibility and inerrableness which is assumed and inclosed by the Romish Church without any inerrable ground to build it on and being taken for an unquestinable Principle is by the security it brings along with it apt to betray men to the foulest whether sins or errors whensoever this pretended Infallible guide shall propose them And seeing it is just with God to permit those which thinke they stand so surely to fall most dangerously and because what some witty and subtile men of this and former ages have been experimented to fall into may in the future possibly become the Romanists case and because the Assuming of Infallibility is by way of interpretation the presuming and affirming every thing to be infallibly true and good which they shall ever believe or teach de fide or pronounce to be duty and there is nothing so false or sacrilegious but it is possible they may thus teach or pronounce of it for these reasons I say it will be impossible to free this Doctrine of theirs which hath so vast and comprehensive an influence on the opinions and actions of all who have espoused it from the guilt of which now we speak that of hindring the superstructing of Christian life and the several branches thereof on the Foundation § 3. And if as the Jesuites define this Infallibility of the Church be supposed to be seated in the persons or chair or succession of Popes 't is presently obvious and clear that as Almain and Ocham have not thought it irreverent to averre that any such person is deviabilis haereticabilis Apostatabilis damnabilis liable to errour heresie Apostasie damnation it self So they that believe him an infallible guide must in consequence to their opinion if they pursue it follow him to all these dangers And when Pope Steven hath been by S. Cyprian accused of heresie Pope Liberius by S. Athanasius Pope Honorius by all Christians when the chairs of those Bishops which have not secured their persons from notorious impiety of liliving that fouler guilt then heresie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a species of Atheisme as Nilus truly saith on this occasion can with no more pretence or colour of proof secure them from defining of errors or tolerating of sins and when the writers of their lives Onufrius and Platina who have told us how much more then possible the former is relating the incests witchcrafts cruelties of Alexander the sixt the Idolatrous sacrifices of Marcellinus Coelestins applications to the devil in pursuit of the Papacy and his disclaiming his part in heaven so he might obtain that earthy dignity have given us reason to foresee the possibility also and all the ill consequences and aboads of the latter It cannot be temerarious or unreasonable to affirm that what hath been may be and in like manner that the doctrines of any antient heretick may in some new shape be imbibed by a Cardinal and being so may not forsake him when he is made Pope but beget a desire very consequent to his belief an appetite of propagating his perswasions and so that Practises may be allowed and Articles taught by the Pope most contrary to the design of this foundation and the Church that hath imposed on her sons the belief of her Infallibility draw all that understand it in this sense for I see another is now
of Good received in at the ear and give them a durable consistence in the soul § 28. Next to this is the spiritual persons being called for and obeying the summons to visit the sick Jam. 5.14 to assist him in the great work of discussing and examining his conscience of making his search as particular as it can whether it be any sin either unreformed or unsufficiently mortified which may have laid him under God's present displeasure and brought that disease as a piece of discipline upon him In this condition the rod of God hath a voice to be heard and he whose office it is in publick to explain the oracles of God for the use of the Church and to apply them to each mans wants is now to preach on this new text and expound to the sick man as farre as by the closest inspection he can judge the particular meaning of the voice the interpretation of God's message to him And if he be not able like Daniel to interpret Nebuchadnezzar's dream or Belshazzar's hand-writing on the wall which was the work of a Prophet extraordinarily inspired yet he may without the spirit of divination discern that affinity and dependence betwixt the man's unreformed sins and God's hand of punishment which may be sufficient ground of superstructing Daniel's exhortation of breaking off his sinnes by repentance and shewing mercy to the poor by humiliation sincere resolution and vow of new life and by meet fruits of such reformation the highest works of charity and piety that the patient is capable of And besides that this method may receive so much force and probably prove successful by assistance of those impressions that the desire of recovering the former health may have upon the patient when he considers the pardon of sinnes which ordinarily introduced Christ's corporal cures and prudently judgeth how improbable it is that God which for any sin committed hath inflicted this disease should remove it before reformation or if he doth must doe it as an act of higher wrath and punishment Besides this I say the time of sickness or any other affliction is like the cool of the day to Adam a season of peculiar propriety for the voice of God to be heard in the mouth of his messengers and so may by the assistance of united prayers for God's blessing on his own instruments be improved into a very advantageous opportunity of begetting or increasing spiritual life in the soul and cannot without great guilt of unkindness and treachery to that most pretious part be neglected or omitted by us § 29. And the analogie holds though not in the same degree yet in the proportion to every other season or person who is under the power of any unreformed sin or is doubtful of the sincerity of the kinde or sufficience of the degree of his change and is not so fit or competent a judge of his own estate if upon no other score but because his own as any other fellow Christian of no deeper judgment then himself or as the spiritual person whose office it is to watch for his soul and is probably furnished with more skill fidelity zeal toward the doing of it may be deemed to be And in this case the use of spiritual conference which is at all times very profitable yea and pleasant to every diligent humble Christian is unimaginable and unspeakable especially if it be free and unrestrained having all the advantages of the divinest friendship and withall all the contentments and satisfactions of it which are exceedingly great and agreeable to rational ingenuous natures and bearing an image and lively resemblance of that conversation which is among Angels and beatified Saints a communication and conjunction of souls designed to our highest interests and concernments the countermining and eradicating of sin mortifying this or that passion rage or other sensual desire and contending for the highest exaltation and improvement of our natures all growth in grace and the practical knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ § 30. Many inhaunsments of this spiritual useful though more private exercise might be farther noted and rules for the more advantageous practise of it especially that there were some eminent persons of known abilities experience judgment gravity fidelity zeal to all Christian virtue and the good of souls set apart to this one office of spiritual conference in every Province and all men rationally convinced of the great benefits that might be reaped by a frequent resort to them in all possible times of need and of the no kinde of detriment or disadvantage that they can suffer by it § 31. But beyond all these there is another very efficacious method still behinde of which the Apostle saith that it was not carnal or weak but mighty to God or very powerful for the bringing down of strong holds for the subduing of the most obstinate contumacious sinner and bringing him into the obedience of the faith of Christ and that is the power and exercise of the Keyes committed to the Apostles their successors by Christ the weapons of their warfare as Saint Paul calls them the means of discharging their office to the good of souls § 32. For when any baptized instructed confirmed communicated Christian which hath participated of the Liturgie and Sermons of the Church shall in despight of all these obligations very competent and sufficient to have restrain'd him break out into any known wilfull scandalous sin this course is then ready at hand to be sent as an officer to arrest and reduce him First the admonitions fraternal or paternal of his fellow Christians or of the Governors of the Church then more publike reprehensions and increpations and upon the unsuccessfulness of all these milder medicaments the use of that stronger Physick the Censures of the Church either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a determinate shorter space or else indefinitely usque ad reformationem untill he reform and return and then when he doth so the admitting him to penance to approve the sincerity of his change by meet fruits of repentance and then and not till then allowing him the benefit of absolution § 33. The efficacy and usefulness of this last method hath elswhere been shewn at large in a Tract on that subject especially upon the score of shame when he that will live the life of a heathen go on unreformed in any open sin shall not be allowed the honour of a Christian name of an ordinary good reputation among men but be banished and interdicted the enjoyment of those sacred privileges which the meanest of Christ's flock is allowed by him What these losses are is sufficiently known and set off by the Apostles style expressing them by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 destruction and excision and the like As for that other of shame the efficacy that belongs to it may be discerned by that antient Apophthegm of Cleobulus the fift of the sages of Greece 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that that people are composed to the greatest sobriety among whom the citizens stand in more fear of dispraise then of law supposing that state to be best qualified where virtue and every part of good living which laws are wont to prescribe hath acquired so great a credit and reputation among all that without fear of punishment from laws or Magistrates the very dread of shame and disgrace shall be able to contain all men within the bounds of exact living and awe them from admitting any thing which is foul or sinful To which purpose also is that of Hippodamus the Pythagorean that there be three causes of virtue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and shame is the last of them of which saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. good customes are able to infuse a dread into all men that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 well cultivated and make them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to have a reverence or pudicitious chaste fear of doing any thing which is ill And according to this prudential notion of these wise men of the world is this piece of Christian discipline instituted by our Saviour to deprive vice of its greatest temptation the praise of men to exalt and set up virtue the onely creditable thing and brand sin as infamous And if this of shame superadded to the former of losse and both being met together as the sinners portion here perfectly prefiguring the two saddest ingredients in hell deprivation of the blissful vision and confusion of face cannot prove efficacious and successful to the mortifying of unprofitable vice the Church doth then give over the patient as desperate pretends not to any farther methods of working on such obdurate sinners § 34. Nor indeed is it reasonable it should when beside the Foundation consisting of so many stones each of them elect and pretious chosen by the wisdome of heaven for this admirable work of reforming the most obdurate Jew or heathen this series and succession of so many powerful methods being farther prescribed by God and administred by the Church have found so discouraging a reception that nothing but the violence of storming or battery the course which God is forced to take for the destroying but cannot without changing the course of nature for the converting of sinners can hope or pretend to prove successful on them § 35. What hath been said of the wise disposition of God in preparing instituting this series of necessaries for the effecting this great work the reformation of mens lives the latter annext to the former each to adde weight and authority and to vindicate the contempts of the former might more largely be insisted on yet on a farther designe to give us a just value of that sacred office which Christ fixed in the Church in his Apostles and the Bishops their successors and honoured it and them in this especially that he hath put these weapons into their hands intrusted to and invested in them the Power of dispensing all these and by that means rendred them necessary to the planting and supporting a Church of vital Christians to the maintaining of pious practise in any community of Professors But this would soon swell this discourse beyond the limits designed to it § 36. All that is behinde will be by way of Comment on that part of the Church of England's charity which hath constantly called to God that he will inspire continually the Vniversal Church with the Spirit of truth unity and concord and grant that all they that doe confesse his holy name may agree in the truth of his holy word and live in unity and godly love A Prayer O Most gracious Lord God the Creator of all things but of men and all mankinde a tender compassionate father in Jesus Christ thou that hast enlarged thy designes and purposes of grace and mercy as the bowels and blood-shedding of thy Son with an earnest desire that every weak or sinfull man should partake of that abysse that infinite treasure of thy bounty Thou that hast bequeathed to us that Legacie and example of a sacred inviolate Peace a large diffusive charity We meekly beseech thee to overshadow with thy heavenly grace the souls of all men over all the world O Lord thou lover of souls to bring home to the acknowledgment and embraces of thy Son all that are yet strangers to that profession and in whatsoever any of us who have already received that mercy from thee may be any way useful or instrumental to that so glorious end to direct and incline our hearts toward it to work in us all an holy zeal to thy name and tender bowels to all those whose eternity is concerned in it O give us a true serious full comprehension and value of that one great interest of others as well as our selves shew us the meanest of us some way to contribute toward it if it be but our daily affectionate prayers for the enlarging of thy kingdome and the care of approving all our actions so as may most effectually attract all to this profession And for all those that have already that glorious name of thy Son called upon them blessed Lord that they may at length according to the many engagements of their profession depart from iniquity that that holy city that new Jerusalem may at length according to thy promise descend from heaven prepared as a bride adorned for the husband Christ that that tabernacle of God with men may be illustriously visible among us that we may be a peculiar people and thou our God inhabiting in power among us that we which have so long professed thee and been instructed by thee may no longer content our selves with that form of knowledge which so often engenders strife contentions animosities separating and condemning one another and that most unchristian detestable guilt of blood but endevour and earnestly contend for the uniform effectual practise of all the precepts of thy Son the fruits and power of all Godliness that all the Princes and people of Christendome the Pastors and sheep of thy fold may at length in some degree walk worthy of that light and that warmth that knowledge and those graces that the sun of righteousness with healing in his wings hath so long poured out upon us Lord purge powerfully work out of all hearts that profaneness and Atheisticalness those sacrilegious thirsts and enormous violations of all that is holy those unpeaceable rebellious mutinous and withall tyrannizing cruell spirits those prides and haughtinesses judging and condemning defaming and despising of others those unlimited ambitions and covetings joyned with the invasion and violation of others rights those most reproachful excesses and abominable impurities which to the shame of our unreformed obdurate hearts doe still remain unmortified unsubdued among us but above all those infamous hypocrisies of suborning religion to be the engine of advancing our secular designes or the disguise to conceal the foulest intentions
Doctrines among the Romanists The doctrine of Infallibility †Subditos illi Papae simpliciter obligari ad credendum adeò irrationabile blasphemiae plenum est ut etiam quacunque haeresi pestilentius inveniatur that subjects should be absolutely and simply bound to believe the Pope is so irrational and full of blasphemy that it is found more pestilent then any heresie whatsoever Wesselus Groningens de dignit potest Eccl c. 1. written about 200 years since Valdè periclitaretur vita justi si penderet ex vitâ Papae Wesselus Groningens de dignit potest Eccl c. 1. the life of a just man would be in very great hazard if it depended on the life of the Pope Summorum Pontificum plerique pestilenter erraverunt c. Most of the Popes have erred pestilently Wesselus Groningens de dign potest Eccl c. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What amulet hath the Pope to preserve him from denying God in his words who so oft doth it in works Nilus de prim p. 57. Of the Pope †de Primatu p. 57. The ill effects of it The perswasion of the Solifidian The Doctrine of Faith being a full perswasion Ostructive to good life The pretended use of good life to the justifying of our Faith vain in four respects The First The second The third The fourth The Jew's premature perswasion of his good estate The Christians The Fiduciarie's ground Christ's dying for none but the Elect. Two farther obstructions to good life Of Faiths being defined by Reliance The Error of it The danger of obstructing good life Universal Redemption the doctrine of Scripture Of the Creeds The Nicene The Apostolick Of the Church of England in the Catechism In the Cōmunion services In the Articles The ill consequences of the denying it In the reducing a vitious Christian In comforting a disconsolate Christian The Article of our Church The doctrine of irrespective decrees Takes off the force 1. of Promises 2. of Terrors 3. of Commands Of Gratitude The doctrine of God's predetermining all events Of preordering Of God's predetermining his own will Of Gods Prescience The doctrine of Predetermination noxious to Practise Revealed and secret will Sin is not nothing The distinction betwixt the act and the obliquitie †Noct Att l. 6. c. 2. li. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †de Fato l. 6. c. 2. Concerning the descent of the Spirit Gods method in his Church Teachers and learners All that comes out of the heart is not from God Jam. 5.15.17 Mat. 15.18 19. The belief of it a very noxious error Worse then the fallacie of the heathen Oracles Or idolatrous Mysteries Of Repentance Dangerousness of mistakes in it Misunderstanding Rom. 7. †Annot in Rom 7. Dangers of it Wishes of repentance Sorrow that they doe not wish Deferring Repentance to Death-bed †Of Death-bed Repentance Mistake of Sorrow for Repentance Three kindes of necessaries Morally necessary to this end What the Universal Church of Christ hath thought thus Necessary 1. Baptisme Of Infants Benefits of that The first The second The third The fourth Catechizing Confirmation The first part thereof The second The Lord's Supper In five considerations The first The second The third The fourth The fift The frequency of Receiving it The use of Liturgie The use of Liturgie Of Preaching Visitation of the Sick Spiritual Conference The power of the Keyes * Stobaeus ser 41. p. 268. †li. de Republ This the last Ecclesiastical means The necessity of Governors in the Church The Conclusion A Prayer