8. Persecution who raised the eighth persecution Now was Lucius Stephanus and Sixtus Bishops of Rome martyred and Laurence the Deacon broiled on a gridiron to death in patience Priscus Malchus and Alexander were devoured by wild beasts This Tyrant was taken captive by Sapor King of Persia and made his footstoole which made his son Galienus more mild and recalled those Christians that were banished Claudius and his son Quintilius succeed Claudius after great victory against the Goths in two years died Quintilius being chosen by his little army and hearing that Aurelianus was chosen also voluntarily bled to death Aurelianus raiseth the ninth persecution 9. Persecution Eus l. 7. c. 30. but it took no effect for as the Edict was proclaiming there fell a thunderbolt so neer the Emperour that he was taken up fordead He was after killed by his Secretary Mensth eus Aurelius Probus followed who after many great great victories employing the souldiers in husbandry Jup. hist saying there was no need of souldiers where there was no fear of enemies he was slain by them and much lamented Carus followed who was slain with thunder Numerianus his Son slain by Aper his father in Law Carinus his brother slain in battell by Dioclesian Dioclesian declared Emperour by the army kils Aper that had slain Numerianus In the nineteenth year of his reign 10. Persecution he raised the tenth persecution Now from the time of Valerian to the nineteenth year of Dioclesian and his associate Maximinianus the Church Christian had great peace and had great favor many of them with the Emperors and had some authority and offices committed to them Eus l. 8. c. 1. Beside they had liberty to build Oratories and Temples in Cites whereas before they worshipped in private houses of their own or in their burying places This liberty begate carnall security among Christians Caemeteria and wicked contentions and losse of charity and therefore God suffered this tenth persecution to awaken his people so that both these one in the East and the other in the West made fearfull havock of poor Christians This was the tenth persecution and it continued ten years for it ceased not from its first beginning by Dioclesian till the seventh year of Constantine that is all the time of Maxentius and Licinius Now were the Christian Temples pulled down the Scriptures burned Christian-officers displaced Bishops displaced imprisoned compelled to sacrifice to Idols if fortune could do it and all that would not renounce Christianity were disfranchised of their liberty and their offices and places John a Nobleman at Nicomedia Eus l. 8. c. 5. Eus l. 8. c. 6. tore down the Emperours Edicts and suffered a cruell death Peter a chiefe man in the Court was whipped and roasted and basted with vinegar and salt whose patience encouraged many to suffer Twenty thousand were burned in one Temple by Maximinus Dorotheus and Gorgonius after torments were strangled The prisons were so full of them there was hardly room for malefactors Women were hung up in trees by one leg Some rent by bowed trees some tortured many daies singing Psalms joifully Whole Towns full of Christians burned Whole Legions of Christian souldiers slain because they would not sacrifice to Idols by Maximinianus In divers Towns in France Italy and Germany the channels run with blood At last these cruell tyrants being weary of killing relented so far as to be contented to thrust out only their right eies and maim their left legs and condemn them to the mines After two years exercising this cruelty these two wicked tyrants gave over their imperiall offices Then the Empire remained to Constantius Chlorus and Galerius Maximinus Chlorus chose his son Constantine his associate under him and Galerius chose his two sons Maximinus and Severus to be Caesars under him and the souldiers set up Maxentius the son of Maximinianus to be their Emperour against whom Galerius sent his son Severus who was slain and Galerius chose Licinius in his stead Galerius Maximinus and Licinius drove on the persecution which Dioclesian began neer eight years together but Constantius Chlorus and his son Constantine were very favourable to Christians Maximinus seduced by sorcerers makes war against Licinius is vanquished and dieth Maxentius dishonoured the Ladies of Rome and commits such outrage that the people of Rome send to Constantine into France and Brittain for aid he was afraid of his charms but he had a sign given him in heaven of the crosse with stars that gave these words in hoc vinces In this thou shalt overcome He put therefore the crosse in his banner and overcame Maxentius who was drowned as he fled Licinius sets out lamentable edicts against poor Christians Eus lib. 2. de vita Constantini though Constantius Chiorus counted them the best subjects They might not meet or convent with Bishops nor women with men nor visite the imprisoned Christians so they retired to the woods and wildernesses The Bishops in Egypt and Lybia were cut in pieces Many were set in ponds of water all night and then burned the next day This Licinius made war with Constantine who overcame him and sent him away to live a private life in Thessalia where the souldiers slew him Rev. 2.10 And now ended the time prophecied of the Churches troubles by St. John saying that she should endure tribulation ten daies for now the Church begins to have great peace by the favour of Constantine who though not baptized till toward his end Eus de vita Const l. 4. yet was a continuall favourer of them as was his father Chlorus Mathe. Was here an end of persecution Phila. Yes of persecution of the Roman heathen Emperours but now persecutions arise from some Christians themselves Persecution of Christians by Christian Hereticks as Paul prophecied Acts 20.30 speaking perverse things to draw disciples after them not sparing the flock these were Hereticks Mathe. Were there not heresies before Constantines time Phila. Yes many Mathe. I pray tell me first what heresie is and then who those Hereticks were Phila. Heresie we count a chosen opinion contrary to the grounds of Christian faith and obstinately maintained by some that professe Christianity and therefore must not be Atheists carnall Christians Infidels Turks or Jewes nor weak minded Christians Mathe. Who were the Hereticks in chiefe before Constantine Mathe. The first was Simon Magus In the first hundred years after Christ Simon Magus whom Peter and Philip confounded at Samaria who though he were baptized because he professed himselfe to beleeve yet disclosing his prophane heart by offering mony to buy of St Peter the gifts of the Holy Ghost he was rejected From thence he fled to Rome where for his conjurations he was worshipped for a god in the time of Claudius by those Romans that would not admit Christ for God in the time of Tiberius Eus l. 2. c. 13. This Magus taught men to worship images especially his own and
rich mens estates and marking them out for destruction by fire and sword God keep his people from becomming their prey Mathe. What are our Antisabbatarians Phila. Such as are against the keeping of any Sabbath whether the Jewish Sabbath or the Christians Lords day Of which opinion was one Hetherington a Box-maker who said not only the Jewes Sabbath day was of no force since Christs time and the Apostles but also taught that every day was a Sabbath as much as the Lords day But he recanted his error at Pauls Crosse God be praised And good reason for though the Jewish Sabbath being but a shadow of Christ be now abolished and we are not to be judged by the keeping of it Col. 2.16 yet the morality of that Commandement is observed in keeping still one day in seven holy to the Lord for delivering us from the bondage of sin by Christs resurrection as the Jewes kept theirs in remembrance of their freedome from the bondage of Egypt Deut. 5.15 And thus the Law by the Christians observing the first day of the week Rom. 3.31 is not made void but established It is true that there is no precept for the changing of it because there was no need for the morall intent of the Law commanded only that one day in seven be kept so that if the Patriarchs before the Law was given by Moses kept a seventh day in respect to the creation and the Jewes kept a seventh in respect of their liberation from Egypt and the Christians keep their seventh day in relation to Christs redemption that Commandement is fulfilled so far as it requireth an holy seventh day And though we have no precept for changing yet we have their practice and examples who had the mind of Christ For the first day of the week called since Christs time the Lords day was first kept at Jerusalem Acts 2.1 upon which the Holy Ghost descended on the Apostles Then again at Troas Acts 20.7 in which verse is declared that it was their usuall meeting day And the holy Fathers have alwaies observed it Epist ad Magnes and urged the keeping of it as Ignatius scholler to St Iohn the Apostle his auditor about thirty years the second Bishop of Antioch and a Martyr but 107 years after Christ in the raign of the Emperour Trajan 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He saith let every one that loveth Christ instead of the Sabbath celebrate the Lords day And Basil saith that when all daies prescribed by the Law are abolished yet there remains one great day of the Lord which shall never be abolished Of this opinion for the seventh day Jewish Sabbath and against the celebration of the Lords day Traskilus was one Iohn Trask and Theophilus Brabourn but both recanted their errors for which glory be to God Trask preached against eating of blood and unclean creatures upon mistake of the injunction of the first Councill of the Apostles to the Gentiles Acts 15.2 where blood and things strangled do not relate to such things prepared for meat but to the barbarous or canibal eating of things halfe alive and halfe dead in their blood or eating any thing that was torn from a living creature therefore Paul saith that every creature of God is good Mathe. What are your Soule-sleepers Phila. Those that revive that Sect in the time of Origen Soul-sleepers in the third centurie of years after Christ who held the soule did sleep in the dust with the body after death because God said to Adam Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return not perceiving this was spoken of the body only not of the soule which came not from thence Gen. 2.7 And also because Solomon saith Eccle. 3.10 that man and beast all return to one place yet they might have considered that he saith also the spirit of a beast goeth downward and the spirit of a man goeth upward even to God that gave it Eccles 12. and that the soules of the righteous are in the hands of the Lord Wisd 3. In the sight of the unwise they seem to die but they are in peace Mathe. What are your seekers Phila. Surely people that have so long contended about truth and the Church Seekers that they have quite lost it and therefore they say there is no true Church nor Minister nor Ordinances yet they expect and seek with Loe here it is and then there it is and catch at every thing but hold nothing like one that leaps out of a boat into the water and then catches at every rush and flag to save himself Mathe. What are your Divorcers Phila. Another sprout of the Anabaptists Divorcers who like the Jewes would put away their wives for a small cause under pretence that he finds her not an help meet for him But this is contrary to Christs rule Mat. 5.31 and c. 19.9 that no man should put away his wife but for whoredome lest he cause her to commit adulterie or another man to marry her and so he commit adultery Mathe. Is there any more such weeds in the Churches field Phila. Yes surely for I hear of some that account the Scriptures a thing of nought both the holy books of the Old and New Testament such were put to death under Moses Law Heb. 5.28 But we live in greater times of liberty I may say Libertinisme The Lord hold the reine which Magistrates let too slack lest these unruly creatures hurry both the Church chariot and the horsemen of Israel to destruction Mathe. I pray what are the Shakers Phila. A kind of people that pretend to have the spirit by fits But what spirit it is that casts them into these seeming or swooning extasies I know not but I doubt much whether it be the spirit of God or of Satan or of dissembling I have read of the spirit of Apollo that used such feats upon the bodies of those whom he had possessed namely of shaking and quaking which being past they have spoken some words which have been received for his Oracles So I have read and heard of Nuns pretended to be possessed by evill spirits beyond the seas which the Friers can expell at their pleasure But I never knew nor ever read in any credible author that the spirit of God doth or hath entred the body of men in any such manner but hath enlightned the mind with sober knowledge and sound repentance and comfortable faith and well grounded speeches that are unreprovable and lead them in a life unblameable But these Quakers their speeches are confused and yet perverse and peremptorie Their lives erroneous not knowing or refusing to use the creature of God as lawfully they may I find them people of no sound knowledge yet despising learning and rejecting Gods Ministers and Ordinances by which they may be better instructed They dare not use their own native language as the word you either because the Scripture useth the word thou or else because they think
in heaven to worship them Therefore the most ancient religious men have set themselves against pictures and images in Churches as did Epiphanius Bishop of Salamine in Cyprus anno 390. as appeareth in his Epistle to John of Jerusalem Epist ad Joan. Jerusal concerning whom see Trip. hist lib. 9. cap. 4. But worst of all is their adoration of the reliques of Saints which hath not any shew of warrant in Scripture nor antiquity but is a meer will-worship Col. 2.23 We find it given neither to Patriarch nor Prophets nor Apostles whose bodies no doubt were more honorable then others till the Church began to be corrupted by idolatry and superstition which they borrowed from heathens and hereticks as Carpocrates who with his Marcellina carried about them little images of silver and gold of Pythagoras Plato Aristotle and also of Christ all which they worshipped Epipha cont Haeres or else from some filthy dreamer Jude ver 8. such an one as Eguainus of the order of Benet an English Monk sware in the Council held in London anno 712. that the Virgin Mary appeared to him in a dream and told him it was her will that her image should be set up in the Churches to be worshipped It was therefore concluded it should be so by Pope Constantine the first and Boniface his Legat then here in England and so images were set up in England It is written Amb. lib. de morte Theodosii that Hellen the Empresse found Christs Crosse but yet she worshipped only him that died upon it But these images and worshipping of reliques might the more easily be obtruded upon the people after that Libraries were destroied by the invasion of the Goths and Vandals by which means ignorance and negligence crept into the Church Much lesse is the signe of the Crosse then to be worshipped as a thing that either sanctifieth or puts the devill to flight as the Papists say for that belongs to the efficacy and merit of Christs death nor have we any command or example in Scripture for so doing It is true that the sign of the Crosse hath been anciently used by Christians as a mark of distinction that they were neither Jewes nor heathens but for worshipping of it or attributing vertue or merit to it I read nothing though I find it used by the confession of Fathers 1400 years agoe even at baptisme Cyprian ad Demet. prop. finem nor thought unfitting by our modern and protestant divines as Bucer Zanchius Zuinglius and others Nor do I think that daies ought to be dedicated to Saints now in the Church triumphant nor to be celebrated in regard of any mysterie inhering to them nor are they more holy then other daies nor the keeping of them a part of divine worship farther then an holy duty done upon that day extendeth it selfe though I know it is lawfull for the Church by a common consent without superstition or idolatry to appoint certain daies for divine duties as to hear the word of God and to pray for the turning away of Gods judgements Aug Epist 128. ad Jan. and to give thanks for benefits received spirituall and temporall As Mordecai appointed the Feast of Purim and Judas Machabeus the Feast of the Dedication But these and all other festivals in the old Testament was set up for the honor of God and so those in the New Testament to the honor of God in Christ one morall in the place of the Jewish Sabbath called the Lords day the other are Ecclesiasticall appointed by the Church in remembrance of what Christ hath done for us But to appoint Holy daies for other use then to God and his worship or to place merit of grace and favor of God in keeping them In vigilis Ap. in fest com Martyrum as the Papists do as appears in their praiers at those times is superstitious so it is also to dedicate such daies to Saints departed I know that some daies of old time hath been kept in the memory of some holy Martyrs for the confirming of Christians in those places where they have suffered but are now out of use Hieron apud Eusebium lib. 4. cap. 14. yet they then did only remember their suffering and gave thanks to God for their constancy in the faith Mathe. What do you count the Church militant to be Phila. That company of faithfull people here upon earth who are governed by one certain head and under his banner do fight against the world flesh and devill and all afflictions in spirituall armour Eph. 6.11 12 13 14 15 16 17. In regard of which battell it comes to passe that the Church militant is not alwaies in one happy state to outward appearance but as Israel and Amaleck one prevailing and sometimes the other like the moon waxing and waining or Noahs Ark sometime tossed on the flood and sometimes resting on the mountain or like Christs ship now in a calm anon in a storm or a lilly among thorns or a childing woman sometimes groaning and anon rejoicing The reason hereof is that God may be known and feared by his Church as a correcting father Pro. 3.13 who will chastise his children for their offences 1 Cor. 11.32 that they may not be disinherited nor condemned with the world the main end whereof is that God may be glorified in delivering of his Church as he was in delivering Israel out of Egypt and from Pharaohs pursuit of them Exod. 15.1 and from the captivity of Babylon Psal 126.2 and that they may learn to hate sin which causeth God to bring afflictions Isa 63.10 and to serve God more sincerely Jer. 31.18 19. by hearty zeal and repentance Rev. 3.19 also that the Church may give an evidence to their profession of the truth Mat. 10.22 and be confirmed to Christ their head Rom. 8.29 who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession 1 Tim. 6.13 and so be distinguished from hypocrites who in time of trouble fall away not understanding that by the crosse the Church is propagated and by dissipation increased and that the blood of martyrdome is the seed of the Church to whom the promise of a better life is made but it must be expected to be performed by hope Mathe. Who is the head of this Church militant Phila. He that is the head of the Church Catholike generally God in Trinity but more particularly Christ who is the Churches mysticall head and she is his body and kingdome Eph. 1.22 and the 4. cap. ver 15 16. and he governeth as her head principally by the scepter of his word and spirit Phil. 2.13 Now thus Christ hath a kingdome naturall or dispensatorie His naturall headship or kingdome is that whereby he reigneth in unitie of essence with the Father and the holy Spirit from all eternity which shall never have an end The kingdome that he hath by dispensation is that free and voluntary kingdome which he received from God for the salvation of
Luke the Physitian So the Lord allowed schools for the Prophets as we do Academies to be as medicines for the rude manners of the people If these men had more learning they would see they wanted more but having none they find none they want But however let them prove they have the spirit without learning the able minister shall prove he hath the spirit by learning as one may shew his faith by his works more evidently then another can shew faith without them Mathe. But why do you advise me to the publike meeting places as Churches rather than to chambers and conventicles surely one is as holy as the other is it not Phila. Yes in respect of any inherent holinesse in them for neither hath any but the Church hath the holinesse of dedication and separation from all other use as the Jewes Temple had till the abomination that maketh desolate was set there i. the Roman souldier And therefore God looketh it should be used with discrimination for holinesse becommeth his house for ever and sure a decent handsomnesse and behaviour doth not mis-become it But I do advise you to Churches the rather then chambers because Christ hath forewarned you of seeking him in the private chambers Mat. 24.26 Mathe. But I see as much disorder in Gods service there as in the chambers both in service and at the Communion by divers gestures Phila. The more pitty for they that pretend to sanctifie Gods name ought to make an holy discrination between those things that are called by his name and other things that are not As Gods word and Gods house and the Lords table I confesse in some things people may be borne withall as not kneeling at praiers when the Church and seats are so full that they cannot do it So at the Communion every Church have thought fit to have one gesture by themselves because people come to the Communion with one faith to feed upon one Christ and in one love and charity So some Churches beyond the seas stand some walk some sit the English Church was wont to kneele Now since our discipline is dissolved all these forrein gestures are crept into our Church and being there is no power to reduce them to their pristine gestures ministers can do no more then to instruct them to be well satisfied in their own minds and to have a charitable opinion of them For it may be they that receive it standing look on it in relation to the Passeover a type thereof which was eaten standing They that take it walking conceive it as a viaticum or a refreshment in their journie towards the land of eternall rest They that take it sitting look upon it as a spirituall banquet set before them to feed upon by faith They that kneel conceive it as a pardon sealed and delivered to them of God and so think good to take it kneeling By this charitable construction one Church or Christian shall not condemn another for a thing indifferent Mathe. But the Sabbath is not a thing indifferent yet some allow none or at least not the Lords day but Saturday the Jewes Sabbath Phila. They that will allow none deny the fourth Commandement which requires a morall Sabbath They that will not have the Lords day understand not the sense of that Commandement which bindeth not all men to the seventh which the Jewes kept but to a seventh For the Jewes themselves seem to me to have the seventh day from the creation altered as well as the beginning of the year at the Passeover of which Moses gives a reason Deut. 5.15 in repetition of the Commandement saying because God delivered thee out of Egypt therefore he commanded thee to keep the Sabbath day Nor do we find a Sabbath day kept till the reigning of Manna but that they marched one day as well as another yet if the day from the creation was altered by a new designation of a day yet the law was not broken which only intended a seventh day rest from six daies labor whensoever God should prescribe or fix the day to begin Neither is the law broken by Christians because the day is altered for the intent of the law is kept which bindeth to keep holy one in seven only the day is altered upon good ground for as the Jewes kept their day in remembrance of Gods delivering them from Pharaoh so the Christians keep one in seven i. the first day of the week in remembrance of Christs deliverance of them by his resurrection from satan sin and death and so hath performed indeed to us what was but typed forth to the Jewes by whose Holy daies and Sabbaths we are not now to be judged Col. 11.16 17. Mathe. But what need we keep a day in remembrance of Christs resurrection if we shall have no benefit by it if some say true that there is neither heaven nor hell Phila. These men shall find their error to their griefe at the resurrection which shall be procured by Christs resurrection who is the first fruits of them that sleep 1 Cor. 15. Concerning hell I have already shewed you That there must be a resurrection there needs no proofe since the wicked must be punished and the just rewarded which commonly falleth out contrary in this world and that many things may be revealed which yet lie hid as well sacred mysteries as mysteries of iniquity Rom. 2.16 And for heaven no doubt it is the place of felicity where Gods elect shall enjoy eternall life whither Christ is gone before to prepare a place for them the happinesse of which place is called by St Paul our house from heaven and the excellency of the inheritance is set down by the name of crowns and kingcomes and an eternall weight of glory of which unbeleevers must look for no part but such as have fought a good fight against corruptions and kept the faith in a pure conscience which God of his mercy give you and I grace to do through Jesus Christ our Lord to whom I commend you and so take leave for this time because important occasion cals me away Mathe. Gods peace be with you Phila. And Gods grace be with you Amen FINIS The Table of the Contents OF mans happiness p. 1 Of mans propagation p. 3 Of Christs humanity p. 9 Of principles leading to felicity p. 12 How man came to wander from it p. 13 That there is a God proved by reason p. 15 How men came to worship false deities p. 16 When came in false gods p. 17 Of Atheisme p. 19 No true God but one p. 20 Christians worship that God ibid. Persons in the Godhead three and no more p. 21 The means to know God p. 25 The Scriptures are Gods Word p. 26 Canonicall books p. 29 The Jewes have not corrupted the Text of the Old Testament p. 30 No contradiction in the Scriptures p. 31 Confutation of those that reject Scriptures p. 32 Of Scriptures translation p. 33 The judge of Scriptures sense p.
who is and ever by Gods grace will be Thine as thou art Christs Benjamin Spencer These Books following are printed and to be sold by William Hope on the North side of the Royall Exchange at his shop next door to St Bartholomews Church THE Faith Doctrine and Religion professed in this Realm of England and the Dominions thereunto belonging Expressed in Thirty Nine Articles by Thomas Rogers The Balm of Gilead Or Comforts for the Distressed Also his Devout Soule and Free Prisoner by Jos Hall D. D. and B N. The New Covenant Or The Saints Portion by John Preston D.D. Bethel Or A form for Families in which all sorts of both Sexes are so squar'd and fram'd by the Word as they may best serve in their severall places for usefull pieces in Gods building by Matthew Griffith The Holy Lives of Gods Prophets by J. H. The Abridgement of the Body of Divinity of that Famous and Reverend Divine Mr William Perkins A True Relation of the Unjust Cruel and Barbarous proceedings against the English at Amboyna in the East-Indies by the Netherlandish Governor and Council there Godly Meditations upon the most holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper by Christopher Sutton Doctor in Divinity late one of the Prebends of the Collegiate Church of Westminster A Fountain of Teares by that Reverend divine Iohn Featley D.D. Chaplain to his late Majesty Some Sacramentall Instructions Or An explication of the Principles of Religion by T. B. B D. Pastor of M. O. London A Triumphant Arch Erected and Consecrated to the Glory of the Feminine Sex By Monsieur de Scudery Englished by I. B. Gent. The Generall History of Women Containing the Lives of the most Holy and Prophane the most Famous and Infamous in all ages exactly described not only from Poeticall Fictions but from the most Ancient Modern and admired Historians to our times by T. H. Gent. Heroick Education Or Choice Maximes and Instructions for the most sure and facile training up of youth in the waies of eminent learning and vertues by I. B. Gent. Gerardo the Unfortunate Spaniard Or a Pattern for Lascivious Lovers Originally in Spanish and made English by L. D. Poems By Francis Beaumont Gent. Colloquia Plautina viginti Ex totidem M. Plauti Comoediis excerpta Annotatiunculis marginalibus illustrata Opera Alexandri Rossaei A CHRISTIAN DIALOGVE between PHILALETHES and MATHETES Mathetes REverend Sir I have presumed upon your goodnesse and long acquaintance you being a lover of truth and of all those that love it to designe this day to wait upon you and to give you the trouble to satisfie some questions whereby my mind may be established in this wavering world wherein severall societies of Christians do all lay claime to truth as theirs only with as great fervency as the two women pleaded before King Solomon for the child which could not possibly have two mothers So surely there is but one truth and but one right and true profession of it Philalethes I hope your Religion is not now to seek Mathe. Not altogether but I confess I would be glad to find satisfaction more fully about that religion in which I was born and bred that so I may not beleeve implicitly as because my parents were of this or that religion but that I may be able to render a reason of mine own faith Phila. Your endeavour is good but I fear you are troubled with the staggers or vertigo a braine giddinesse bred by the inordinate motion of spirits in the ventricle of the brain so I beleeve your mind is made light and frothy by some evil notions unwarily received or by a multitude of good notions not wel disposed like unto good meat that being not well digested will breed a disease as well as vicious diet this may be some cause of your wavering Mathe. I think Sir you say right For I confesse to you that I have met with some spirits that have made me in such a maze and brought me into such a labyrinth that I have turned Seeker of what I had and a Shaker in what I held yet I find my first tenets in the Protestant Religion to be the best but I want confirmation For some tell me that I cannot prove there is a God or that man hath a soule immortall more then other creatures and that it comes only by generation and hath no existence after death And when I endeavour to confute them by Scripture they bid me prove the Scriture to be the word of God when I seek to prove that by Scripture they say it cannot bear witness to its selfe for that is to prove the same by the same If I flie to the tradition of the Church they aske me what Church is the true Church Or if I offer them the sence of Scripture to prove what they demand then they ask me who shall be judge whether that be the true sense or no If I say our Church of England Gabr. Ã porta Biâ—l in can miss lect 23. they deny her to be true If I say the Church of Rome others prove her and her Pope too Hereticall If I say the reformed Churches of Geneva Helvetia or Scotland they tell me they are schismaticall so that I am in a great straight with Job to know where wisdome is to be found Job 28.12 or where is the place of understanding Phila. You need not seek far the word is neer thee from whence such reasons may be deduced that will answer all these opinions But if men will not hear these reasons I must tell them they have no faith but either humane or divelish not divine faith which beleeves that there is a word of God and beleeves God upon that word But I will not anticipate tell me therefore what was the first thing which troubled you Mathe. Even the same with which I troubled my selfe being a child or something else troubled me by casting into my mind what that God was of whom my parents had told me whether he was before the world what he did then before he made it And I have met with some of as little wit as I my selfe then had or else of deeper reach either to bring us into some form which yet we have not had or else to bring us all to confusion and then out of that chaos to raise up a Church of their own framing and boast of it as did Nebuchadnezzer Is not this great Babel which I have built Phila. As these thoughts came into your mind for want of knowledge of God at first so do these scrupulous queries come into it for want of subjecting your selfe to that knowledge which God hath offered to you of himselfe For the soul of man being rational and discoursive will run into many vagaries and grow extravagant without rule and so misse God wherein standeth mans eternall happinesse Mathe. Is there a way then for a man to attain eternall happinesse Quest 1 Phila. Yes First if there were
lying in the grave three daies was to answer to Ionas his type in the whales belly and to make good the prophecie of Hosea 6.2 after two daies he will revive us and the third day he will raise us and we shall live in his sight But you will say he did not lie in the grave three whole daies and nights yet according to the Jewish account he might be said so to do for a day is reckoned by evening and morning Now the former evening and Good Friday on which he was buried made the first day then Friday evening and the Sabbath following made the second day and the Sabbath evening and the next morning of his Resurrection was the third day It may be you may think it strange that Christ would lie in the grave on the Sabbath day but this he did to shew the work of redemption was finished and therefore he rested the seventh day as God was said to do after the six daies work of creation Also to shew that with him was buried the ceremoniall part of the Sabbath namely the seventh day formerly appointed And surely the first Christians so understood it and therefore they kept their holy meeting afterward upon the first day of the week Rev. 1. which St Iohn called the Lords day Now in all this time Christs body corrupted not First because he was without sin which is the cause of corruption and therefore he was preserved by the power of God Psal 16.10 Beside men that die violent deaths are not so apt to corrupt as those that die of diseases by which they are partly corrupted before they are dead otherwise a dead body may possibly be without corruption sixty hours and upwards and Christ was dead not much above forty and so might justly be said not to see corruption By all which he gave us a pledge of an eternall sabbath of rest and that our bodies after death should rise incorruptible And this doctrin of Christs buriall is full of comfort and instruction Of comfort because that now this storm of Gods anger is allaied by our Jonas being cast into this whales belly of the grave which by his body is fanctified for us It teacheth us also to bury our sins with Christ Rom. 6.4 and there let them lie as dead carcasses separated from us for ever and grow loathsome and at last wear out of memory in respect of either by affection or practice and we may live to newnesse of life by vertue of Christs resurrection Mathe. But before I enquire of you the mystery of Christs resurrection I pray resolve me what you think of Christs descending into hell which is an Article of that Creed commonly called the Apostles and in that of Athanasius but not in the Nicene Creed nor in any other that I know Phila. You put a Question of great controversie yet of more then needs if the phrase of hell were rightly understood For in the Old Testament it hath two names given to it namely 1. The congregation of the dead Pro. 21.16 according to which translation it may be understood for the grave and if it be translated word for word with the Hebrew then it may be taken for the depths of water In caetu Riphaim or Gigantum in which the rebell giants of the old world were drowned which Job calleth Sheol infernus or the low place Job 26.7 and so doth David Sheol Psal 16.10 which is translated the grave Afterward about the captivity it is called Tophet or Gehinnom Gebenna which are only words borrowed from that execrable place in the vallie of Hinnom where the Jews burned their children in sacrifice to Moloch i. the devill to expresse hell which they beleeved to be a place of torment This term or word held long among the Jewes and Christ used it as the vulgar expression in his time Mat. 5.22 yet Luke 16.23 he useth another word as it is in the Greek text namely Hades which there signifieth hell for it is said Hades the rich man was in hell in torments But it is taken oftner for the grave and the condition of men deceased as Gen. 42.38 Iob 7.9 Psal â—â— â— Pro. 23.14 Acts 2.31 1 Cor. 15.55 and most plainly Rev. 20.13 death and Hades i. the grave shall be cast into the lake of fire Now see how Christ may be said to descend into these for into the grave he had descended and therefore it need not be said again in relation thereunto that he descended into hell If taken for the waters what should he do there 1 Pet. 3.19 except you will suppose that he went to preach to the rebellious spirits that were there imprisoned for their disobedience in the daies of Noah But how he went and when and wherefore how whether in soule or body or both then in what time whether before he rose or afterward and why whether to preach for their conversion or to confirm their damnation would be resolved or whether he went thither to suffer any thing or to triumph surely not to suffer for us for on the crosse all his sufferings were finished nor to triumph for that he did upon his crosse Col. 2.14 15. Beside we are to consider where Hell should be if Christ descended locally thither for we conceive it to be a place ordained for the devill and his angels and wicked men Now if the Devill and his be not yet confined thither what should Christ descend thither for either to confirm damnation or to triumph over them that were not there Now that they are not yet confined to the place appointed is plain because St Paul calleth him the Prince that ruleth in the aire because yet they have great liberty in tempting men Also because the devill besought Christ not to torment him before the time And because both St Peter 2 Pet. 2.4 and St Iude ver 6. say that they are as yet only reserved in chains of darknesse to the judgement of the great day Just Mart. Iren. l. 5. c. 26. Hieron in 6. cap. Ephes Drusius Aug. lib. de civit dei l. 8. c. 22 23. And so held the fathers of the first 400. yeers after Christ St Peter in his second Epistle the second chapter the ninth and seventeenth verses saith so of wicked people Therefore some writers of great account have said that from the earth to the firmament is not a meer empty space but full of spirits which were cast down from the high heavens into these lower parts of the aire as into a prison till the last judgement together with other wicked of their society Now descension cannot properly be applied to the aire but rather ascention Therefore by Christs descending into hell we may as I judge safely understand those inward sorrowes which he suffered in his agony in the garden and on the crosse which pressed him to cry so bitterly my God my God why hast thou forsaken me which internall sorrowes were as neer
scabit mutum said that God had revealed to him that Iohn should be King of the world and should destroy the Princes of the world by a mighty army but spare the simple multitude and such as would imbrace righteousnesse and that he should send forth twenty eight Apostles to convert the world to Anabaptisme And Iohn himselfe pretending to awake out of a trance seemed dumb like Zacharias wrote in tables that it was the will of God that twelve men of his naming should govern the City and that a man might marry as many wives as he pleased and he beheaded some that opposed it He himselfe took fifteen and many of these brethren upon this ordinance lay with the hansomest women without marriage or contract He was called King of New Ierusalem and proclaimed King of Zion But his Apostles were executed as seditious persons and he and his Prophet were hanged in iron chains upon the high steeple of St Lambert after Munster was taken 1535. being besieged halfe a year The madnesse of this man was strange for one of his wives pitying the distresse of the City he cut off her head himself in the market place Sleid. 154. And another time at his great feast to which another false Prophet had called Thuscocuvar had excited him as being sent from God he accused a man of treason and cut off his head and returning administred the communion with those bloody hands But for all he took on him the title of a King yet this shewed him a Butcher as the stealing the Churches rich vestments and making them into robes for himselfe argued he had been a Tailor After Iohns death the Anabaptists chose another King Hort. p. 74. who killed his wife in a wood that he might quietly lie with her daughter and killed a poor wench lest she should discover him This man had his house well stored with Church-plate He and his Treasurer were burned After him succeeds Iohn Cordwainer John Cordwainer Cornelius Appleman Ch. Nelles p. 52 55 56. John Wilhelms and then Cornelius Appleman both which were executed at Brussels as the Captains of theeves and committers of sacriledge Then Iohn Wilhelms executed also at Vtrecht He wrote a book in defence of Polygamy and affirmed that to rob the ungodly was no sin and that the land belonged to Jesus Christ and his disciples He had one and twenty wives some mother and daughter and some sisters daughters He was burned It is lamentable to behold these peoples hypocrisie Sleidan Bullinger They pretended nothing at first but holinesse humility and honesty They used no swearing nor obscene speech yet being once got aloft they broke all lawes of humanity and honesty so they would bear no office Hortensius Gastius yet at last would be Kings They said it was unlawfull for a Christian man to bear arms or punish offenders yet they made nothing of murdering many you may read more of them in divers authors Of this sect was David Georgius in Holland who said he was Jesus Christ David Georg and held many other wicked errors He fled out of the Low Countries to Basil and very covertly dispersed his errors but being dead they were revealed and by the Councill of Basil his bones were digged up and burned in detestation of his blasphemies Mathe. What be the common received opinions of these men and your judgement of them Phila. You are to understand that their opinions in divers times and places varied they not holding alwaies the same Anabapt opinions But their opinion first and last are neither fit for Church Commonwealth nor Families First not for the Church for they have affirmed that Christ did not take flesh of the Virgin Mary yet they can shew no other save her and for that the Scriptures prophecie that he should come of a woman Gen. 3. and of Davids line Psal 132.11 and that woman should be a virgin Isaiah the 7. and that her name was Mary saith Luke cap. 1. and yet she could not be his mother if he had not taken flesh of her nor our flesh have any hope of eternall life These are worse Christians then Turks Bulling adver Anab. fol. 6. for they beleeve he was so born but these curse the flesh of the Virgin and so deny Christ to be come in the flesh 2 Ioh. v. 7.2 they say in Moravia that Christ was not true God but only better gifted then other men yet St Iohn saith The Word was God Joh. 1.1 and Christ said he and his Father were one Joh. 10. and he that sees him seeth the Father Iohn 24.9 10. Michael Servetus a Spaniard held the same who was burnt in Geneva And Valentinus Gentilis who called the Creed of Athanasius the Creed of Satanasius he was justly executed at Berne Thirdly they hold we are not saved by faith but by the works of charity and affliction yet Christ saith we obtain eternall life by beleeving on him Iohn 3.16 So Paul Rom. 3.24 28. for afflictions they are either punishments of sin or Gods corrections but no causes of justification or salvation But the blood of Christ only clenseth us from all sin 1 Iohn 1. and by him only we have peace with God Rom. 5.1 And fourthly they deny originall sin because Christ hath taken away the sins of the world but that is the penalty not the being of it So they say that children doing neither good nor evill are under grace and without sin But then how comes death to lay hold on them Rom. 5.14 and cap. 6.23 And therefore fifthly they may well deny baptisme to them if they have no originall sin But Christ said let little children come to me and yet none can tell how they should come but by this Ordinance Sixthly they rebaptize people which is no where commanded in Scripture nor allowed by the Church nor the imperiall lawes which put them to death that did or suffered it to be done Seventhly they expect a Kingdome by some called the fist Monarchy wherein they hope to reign alone and destroy the ungodly This savours of carnall and worldly wisdome for Christs Kingdome is not of this world Iohn 18. but is spirituall so is the meat and drink of it Rom. so are the weapons of it 2 Cor. 10. Nor can they reign alone and kill all the ungodly unlesse they kill themselves too But both must grow together till the harvest Mat. 13. These people do but furbush the old error of the Chiliasts or Millenaries who said the Saints must raign 1000 yeers on the earth before the last judgement who were by the Church condemned above 1000 yeers since Eighthly they say with the old Pelagians that man by his own free will can do all that God hath commanded or else God gave his law in vain nor would he punish delinquents if he had not given them power to do it which is contrary to Scripture for the Law is holy Rom. 7. just and good but we
Jesus made his last supper Others think also that Acts 2.46 from house to house 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 understood for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Syri and Arab. gives it is to be understood of the Christians going from the Temple to this house where they broke the bread of the Eucharist and after that did eat their own meat with gladnesse and singlenesse of heart and the rather because Christ had forbid them to go from house to house Luke 10.7 and therefore their going from house to house was only from the Temple to this Oratory in the morning to receive the Sacrament and then to passe to other places of their repast which order the Church of Corinth neglecting St Paul began to reform by blaming them for taking their own meat before the Lords Supper 1 Cor. 11.21 which taken of it fasting was seconded by the second Councill of Maliscon Can. 6. Cent. 6. The next place of holy assemblies you may read of is at Troas Acts 20.7 an upper room three stories high After this as beleevers increased so they either gave places for assemblies out of their devotion or built some upon ground purchased as Eusebius tels us out of Philo Eus Eccl. hist lib. 2. cap. 16. and shewes their orders of serving God in those places by hearing Scriptures read and expounded and sung Psalms and distinct of ministe rial degrees and also distinct places for men and women It is plain from Rom. 16. that some had such places in their houses wherein were many Christians assembled but if it were but a family only St Paul salutes the master of the family and his houshold as Aristobulus houshold Rom. 16.10 but if it were a place of more generall meeting Oecumen in Rom. 16. then he called it the Church in such an ones house as Rom. 16.5 and Col. 4.15 salute Nymphas and the Church in his house And that there were places of great capacity and resort in the first hundred yeares after Christ by the relations not only of godly Christians and first Fathers and martyrs Lucian in Philop. Clem. Recog but by the report of the very heathens themselves living in that age as Clemens speaketh of the house of Theophilus to whom St Luke dedicateth his Gospell and book of the Acts of the Apostles that was turned into a Christian oratory So some think Pudeus house was the like after his martyrdome of whom Paul makes mention Clem. in Epi. ad Corinth 2 Tim. 4.21 in which places they did orderly worship God by men ordained to that work and on times appropriated for that purpose that so Gods service might be discriminated by persons times and places appropriated thereunto Therefore we finde them to have a common form of praier Ignat. in Epi. ad Magnes to which they were exhorted to meet in one place that with one mind and one mouth they might glorifie God in Jesus Christ Theoph. Antio henus lib. 2. ad Autolycum Rom. 15.6 And these places they called by the names of Synagogues and holy Churches though the same word Church also sometimes signified the congregated persons of holy people Clem. Alexand. lib. 7. strom And by others the house of God Constituti Apo. lib. 2. c. 57. which is described to be plaine open and long and toward the East toward which in those daies the Christians worshipped God in their Church service Tertul. Apol. cap. 16. These places were most of them demolished in the times of persecution as Claudius had banished the Jewes from Rome Acts 18.2 So Commodus deprived Christians of their houses Dioclesian threw down their Churches in the third century which were set up in the first and second as was foreprophecied by Hippolitus in the beginning of the third century Hippol. de consum mundi as a preceeding signe of Antichrist The Churches saith he shall be made as common houses or else quite ruined or turned into a kind of warehouses or Costermongers storehouses the Sacrament of Christs body shall hardly be extant the Liturgy shall be extinguished the singing of Psalms shall cease and Scriptures scarce be heard This may agree to our time and a beginning to the last apostacy since we contemn those places of worship which our religious primitive predecessors thought fit to set up and were only demolished by heathens and hereticks If you desire further satisfaction of these places called Churches see Cypr. de opere Eleemosynis and Euseb lib. 8. and t. 9. Sozomen lib. 2. cap. 8. Theod. lib. 5. cap. 38. M. Falux I know some object that some ancient heathen writers about these times that I have spoken of did upbraid the Christians because they had neither Temples nor Altais Origen cont Celsam Arnobius Lactan. adv gent. l. ◠c. 2. nor Images and the learned Fathers confesse that they had none nor ought to have any but that is such as the heathens had to which they confined their divilish deities as to images and places but that the Christians had such to meet in for divine worship the Fathers never denied as is already proved though they seldome called their Churches by the name of Temples to difference them from Idol-temples Orig. hom in cap. 9. Josuah but Ecclesiae Churches or places to congregate the Church of God in together as may be gathered from some of their homilies which place some also call the Temple of God Lact. lib. 5. cap. 2. Mathe. Those Churches were founded indeed for Gods service but ours have been dedicated to Idolatry as the heathens were and therefore not fit to be used by us Christians Phila. Seeming sincerity must not disanull Christianity in the use of any such things since all things are sanctified by faith and praier and since that to the clean all things are clean and that it is lawfull for us to hold up pure hands in all places without doubting Do you not read that the spoiles of Jericho were dedicated to God yea the very Babylonish garment which cost Achan his life for robbing God of it and that St Paul made no scruple to be and pray in a ship named the Castor and Pollux And did not the first Christians in this land make use of the Temples which King Lucius our first Christian King sequestred from Idolatry to Christian devotion Or do you find any man of sober mind till the Brownists made their schism from our Church that ever refused to serve God in those Churches which Papists formerly had used in their Religion nay have not some of them made use of Monasteries of worse foundation than Churches as at Campin and Narden in the Netherlands where they met weekly to act their publick devotions so that they are one way in opinion and of another in practice I know they object Deut. 12.1 that Israel was commanded to destroy the heathens places of worship but they consider not that that very commandement was given to drive
of Babylon who like Daniels stone put all the former monarchies down by setting up a new spirituall kingdome in mens hearts to which even Kings themselves should be subject Now when he came he found the Church of the Jewes in much confusion by Sects and schismes of Pharisees and Sadduces Herodians and few that would entertain his doctrine yet some there was that were his disciples and followers whom having converted by preaching and confirmed by miracles and given his Sacraments as seals of his New Testament he suffered death by the Jewes envy and the unjust judgement of Pilate for mans redemption as hath been declared and rose the third day after for our justification and about 40 daies after having instructed and confirmed them in the rule of his spirit all kingdome in the Church he ascended into heaven and sent the Holy Ghost down upon them who were with the rest of his disciples his visible Church which they mightily increased by their travels among the Gentiles after the Jewes had persecuted and despised the Gospel Mathe. Where was now the visible Church Phila. It was translated to the Gentiles who were before without Christ being aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel Eph. 2.12 strangers from the covenant of promise and had no hope but were without God in the world destitute of all good and possessed with all evill though convinced of a godhead by nature Rom. 1.19 but rightly knew him not some said that he was One of himselfe another that the world was his son so that when they came to worship God Orph. in 1 Sect. de Deo Tresmig in Pimaud c. 9. they did it by idols as I have told you seeking God downward in the creature by which they should have been led upward to God yet God of his infinite mercy takes this wild Olive and plants it upon the stock of the Jew Jesus the root and off-spring of David that they might be the children of Abraham by living in the faith of Abraham which is rightly to be a true visible Christian whether Jew or Gentile Mathe. Wherein consisted Abrahams faith Phila. In beleeving that God would raise up one out of his seed in whom mankind should be blessed even Jesus Christ whose sufferings were signified by sacrifice without which analogicall relation they could never have savoured sweetly with God And as beleeved on Christ to come so Christians beleeve on the same Christ passed And this beliefe is the essentiall being of a true Christian that is a trusting upon Christ by faith for perfect redemption And this is that makes the difference between the visible and invisible Christian for the visible or externall Christian is one that partaketh of the visible priviledges of the Church as Word and Sacraments but not of the invisible graces thereof they hear and understand not they receive but perceive not they read but beleeve not they beleeve literally not spiritually they conceive but do not produce Christ but abortively But the other Christian is not only visible by profession and participation of the common rites of the Church but is also a partaker of the invisible graces offered and conveied under those outward mysteries of the Church by the grace of faith which only justifieth him to Godward Jam. and produceth good works whereby he is justified in his faith with man and approved a true visible Christian But God requires only faith to justifie before him Orig. in Rom. 3. cap. for the Lord required not of the penitent theefe what before he had wrought nor did expect what work he should fulfill after he beleeved but being justified by the confession of his faith in Christ our Saviour joined him as a companion with himselfe being now ready to enter into Paradise And that this is the essentiall being of a true Christian these Authors following will manifest namely that such invisible Christians are justified before God by faith Rom. 3. without the deeds of the Law so saith Ignat. in Epi. ad Ephes Justin in dial cum Tryphon Clem. Alex. in strom 7. Aug. ad Bonif. l. 3. c. 5. Chrysost in Genes hom 26. Ambr. in Rom. 3. Basil mag de humilitate Victor Antiochenus in Marc. 5. Raban in Ecclum c. â— Remigius in Psal 29. Idiota c. 6. de conflictione carnis animae Giselbert in alterc c. 8. Theoph. in Rom. 10. Bern. serm 3. de adventu dom Rupertus in lib. 7. in Joh. c. 7. Foleng in Psal 2. Fulgent ad Monim l. 1. Honorius in spec Ecclus de nat dom Ferus in 1 p. pass dom Aquin. in Lect. 4. super Gal. 3. sic in Rom. 3. All these hold with St Paul Rom. 3. and c. 10. with the heart man beleeveth unto righteousnesse and with the mouth confession is made to salvation Therefore the Primitive Church baptized after such confession was made as Abraham was circumcised after he beleeved Rom. 4.11 yet Isaac was circumcised and all the children of Israel at eight daies old except when they travelled through the wildernesse into the faith of Abraham So the children of Christians were baptized into the faith of their converted parents Cypr. â—p 59. See the bapt of the Church of Geneva printed 1641. they beleeving in their parents in whom as infants they had only sinned and for whom their parents beleeved as well as for themselves And though this practice be not set down in the Scripture by verball command yet considering that Christ gave some commandements by voice to his disciples touching things pertaining to the kingdome of God Act. 1.2 3. And this practice being of so great antiquity in that kingdome of God i. that is the Church we need not make doubt of it except we will be contentious against the Churches custome See Hookers Eccles Politic. lib. 1. sect 14. Dr Field on the Church l. 4.30 1 Cor. 11.16 which ought to over-rule mens fancies and stand as a law to quiet conscience because the Church is directed by the same spirit that gave the Scriptures 1 of Thes 4.8 and therefore Paul exhorts them to keep the traditions they had been taught either by word or by Epistle And that baptizing of infants was an Apostolicall tradition may be gathered both from Councils and Fathers as I have in part declared and of which you may read farther in Aug. l. 10. de gen ad lit c. 23. So Orig. Com. in 6. Rom. Cypr. Epi. ad Fidum Concil Cartha and Concil Melivitan doth curse those that deny baptisme to children See also Irenaeus in his 2. lib. cant Heres c. 39. And if it were so anciently practised and no direct time set down when it began we may well conceive that it was delivered to the Church by by the Apostles and not taken from the Pope who did not apeare many hundred years after baptisme of children was used in the Church Now this baptisme is the first mark of a visible Christian who next is discovered by those works which
his Church and shall in the end of the world be given up to God the Father again 1 Cor. 15.25 28. in the mean time he is by dispensation the head and sole monarch of the Church But he hath neverthelesse a government ministeriall not only invisible by his spirit and Angels John 16.7 Heb. 1.14 but a visible ministration by the word and wholesome discipline to the exercise whereof some men are by his appointment delegated for the helping our infirmities and speaking to us in Christs absence 2 Cor. 6.1 And this hath alwaies been done by Bishops and Presbyters Acts 20.28 who by the Holy Ghost were made overseers of the flock not secular men though Princes had ever this externall government in the dispensation of spirituall things committed to them for then how was the Church ruled for 300 years after Christ till the daies of Constantine yet the secular power is to govern men as men but the ministers only governs them as Christians and therefore in this case Princes themselves have not refused subjection to this ministeriall government of Christ as the Emperour Theodosius to St Ambrose Bishop of Millane Theod. lib. 5. cap. 17. Nor have any dared to usurp their office without some exemplary punishment as Uzzah and Uzziah till these latter times 2 Sam. 6.7 wherein any tradesman dare take upon him the office of a minister and a seutor to be a soule member Beside if this ministeriall government were committed to secular powers then they might give the Sacrament and a woman if a Prince might preach too notwithstanding St Paul 1 Cor. 14.34 But we find Jehosaphat to distinguish the civill power 2 Chro. 19.5.8 from the ecclesiastick ministry in the Old Testament and surely the Church of the New Testament was not left to confusion in government 1 Cor. 14.40 Therefore the ancient Fathers have reproved even Emperors Amb. Ep 33. de Valentin Imper. Athanas Ep. ad agintes vitam solit when they took upon them to meddle with things divine which was no part of their administration for though God had committed to them the Empire yet to the minister the sacred things the mysteries whereof they are to teach not to be taught yet religious Magistrats are to rule over ministers by their civill power to which ministers are to subject themselves yea they may and ought to correct negligence in the practise of religion and vice which is a scandall to religion yea and heresies blasphemies and sacriledge proved to be so by Ecclesiasticall judgement but not to define points of faith nor to exercise ministeriall offices It is true that Moses Eli and Samuel and others did exercise both offices many times yet we cannot argue from an extraordinary action in a state not fully setled that it should be so in a setled Church and State for by the same reason a Priest may act the office of a Prince or a Judge at any time as did Moses Eli and Samuel But we find when the Priesthood was setled that Moses then medled not with Aarons businesse and Eli and Samuel were Judges by an extraordinary call in a corrupted State but ordinarily it was otherwise So in the New Testaments Church holy things were alwaies ordinarily and ordinately administred by Bishops and Presbyters Eph. 4.11 12. to whom those of the Church were to submit themselves Heb. 13.17 Nor was the Church governed by any one man but by them Acts 15.6 no not by Peter alone though he was in that Councill and the ancient Fathers decline that sole definitive judicature Cypr. lib. 31 Epi. 19. ad Cletum Amb. in 1 Tim. 1. Hier. in Epi. 1. ad Tur. which the Pope hath challenged to himselfe St Cyprian durst not do so and St Ambrose saith that first the Synagoue and afterward the Elders of the Church was to be consulted and without them nothing was to be done and St Jerom saith that till by the instinct of the devill contentions arose in the Church it was governed by the counsell of ministers Nor was the government of it democraticall or in the power of the people for then they must have this power from themselves or from God it cannot be from themselves for this power is not by right of nature or Nations but is supernaturall and of divine right nor have they it from God for no Scripture sets it forth but therein they are called the flock which are to be fed not to govern or chuse their Shepherds Yet it is true they were present at the ordination of Matthias Acts 1. and the seven Deacons Acts 6. but they only named or designed them but ordained them not however such a particular fact at first proveth not that it must be so alwaies no more then because the first Kings were chosen by the people therefore they must be so alwaies So that it seems to me that the Church militant is neither democraticall as governed by the people nor monarchicall by any one man but aristocraticall that is governed by some chiefe heads of the ministry Therefore the Pope can derive no such power from Peter as to be the head of the Church for Peter was never so constituted by Christ nor was ever so acknowledged by the rest of the Apostles for then they would never have contended who should be chiefe as they did Luke 22.24 Christ is only the head who is the head stone and the foundation of it Mat. 16.18 19 for though our Saviour said to Peter thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church yet he called him only Peter Aug. retract lib. 1. cap. 22. Cypr. lib. de unit eccles not Petra the rock for that was Christ for all the Apostles were endued with the same power which Peter had John 20.22 when Christ said to them receive the Holy Ghost whosoever sins ye remit they are remitted Nor can the Pope challenge succession from Peter who was Bishop of Antioch not of Rome as some write But the Scripture saith that the Jewes were especially Peters charge Gal. 2.7 who were all banished from Rome by Claudius Acts 18.2 and so Peter had but little to do there or if he were Bishop there yet the Pope cannot be his successor properly Amb. de incarn cap. 5. if he succeed him not in faith and doctrine for faith is the Churches foundation much lesse can he pretend to be Christs Vicar any more then any other Bishop who may be said to be vice Christi in the stead of Christ to wooe men to be reconciled to God Conc. Nic. can 6. Cypr. Ep. ad Papas 41.58 when he was at the best he was allowed to be but one of the Patriarchs nor called by the ancient Fathers but only brother colleague or fellow Bishop But had they taken him for Christs Vicar or the head of the Church they would have given him other titles than they did Pius 2. Ep. 301. as might become one of so high degree
it is as simple to say that Antichrist must deny that Jesus Christ in plain words for then every man would detect him and detest him neither could then his doctrine be called the mystery of iniquity nor could the great whore bear on her forehead properly the name Mystery Rev. 17.5 which in former time was written upon the Popes Myter however it is now taken away and put on the front of their religion It is as vain to think that the Turk is Antichrist for he is understood to be signified in Magog whose interpretation is Uncovered but the Papacy by Gog which signifieth covered or secret because he is not as the Turk an open enemy but a close enemy of Christs An earthly minded beast having horns like a lamb but a voice like a dragon Rev. 13.11 seeming like Christ but teaching like the devill making great shew of religion with a golden chalice but it is full of soule poison Rev. 17.4 The chiefe tokens that this Antichristian whore must be taken for Rome the Popes seat is plain First because the ruine of Rome was the forerunner of Antichrist and while the Empire was setled at Rome it hindred the delection of Antichrist which many learned men do write that it was the meaning of St Paul 2 Thes 2.7 he that now letteth will let till he be taken out of the way Indeed the Emperour Constantine departing from Rome to Constantinople gave the Pope the first inlet to Romes state and government But then the Goths and Vandals invasions of Rome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hindred him again in the years 414. and 459. and 549. by turning it to ruine This was the head of the first Beast which was wounded Rev. 13.3 as able Divines write but was healed again by Popes repairing the ruines of Rome and taking on himselfe the image of the first beast and getteth as much honor to the Roman Bishop as before was given to Roman Emperours and more for he hath made Kings and Emperors to kisse his feet Rev. 13.11 and hath brought Rome into as much respect of the world as any Emperor could And as this second beast made fire to come down from heaven so doth the Pope by making that heavenly censure of excommunication and absolution stoop to his earthly pleasure and places of heavenly Scripture to serve his sensuall desires It is he that gave life to the image of the beast that is to that shape which he left to the Emperours which he made to speak what and when he pleased for they became but his creatures for he made them and caused the people to make them at his pleasure yet but as images of Emperours to what they had been The seat of this Beast is Rome which in St Johns time was built on seven hils and if it be not so now Virgill Propertius it matters not so long as it stands for old Rome And the City of Rome is called the great whore sitting and her religion spirituall fornication and her dominion very vast as extending it selfe over many nations by power and wicked policy She is likewise called Babylon Rev. 17.5 Babel was a Tower and after a City called Babylon The Tower was built by certain families that schismed from the family of Shem Gen. 11.1 2 3. Gen. 10.8 of which the apostate Nimrod was the head and therefore Micah calleth that soile the land of Nimrod Micah 5.6 Here God confounded their language and they left off to build the Tower yet afterward men built a City there which in processe of time became a great Monarchy of which Nebuchadnezzar was a famous King which City and Kingdome was a great adversary to the people of God the Jews In all which respects it was a type of Rome which at first as it was built for vain glory and to get a name as Babels tower was and next became the greatest Monarchy as Babylon did and opposed the true Church by idolatry and persecution so hath Rome done and therefore hath been esteemed as a second Babylon by authentick Writers as Tertul. adv Judeos cap. 9. Rhenanus in his ancient Copy though Pamelius the Romanist blots Babylon Roma out of the margent Heir Fabiolae de veste sacerdot Andreas in Apocal. cap. 53. Ausbert in Rev. 13. But this spirituall Babylon Rome will have a fearfull fall Grostead Bishop of Lincoln said it must fall by a bloody sword which indeed St John foretold him Rev. 17. and the 18. chap. But first by him that sate upon the white horse chap. 19. who is called the word of God King of Kings and Lord of Lords as in opposition to the titles of the man of sin and son of perdition The wals of this spirituall Babylon have been falling a long time First by divers Kings falling from them Rev. 17.16 who in time will be Romes ruine Secondly by their slit tongue and divided languages in divinity as may be found in Ferus Granatensis and Pintus and many others I will name but a few as Orkam that writ against the Decretals and in defence of the Emperour about 1333. Next Armachanus the Irish Bishop writ against Friers 1363. Then Wickliffe discharged against Rome wals two hundred volumes of books like so many vollies of shot to stop whose doctrine was called the Faedifragus Councill of Constance who contrary to their covenant burnt John Husse and also Jerom of Prague and digged up Wickliffs bones and burned them in spight as the dog that bites the stone because he cannot him that flung it Then one Walter Brut in the time of Richard the second did affirm that the 1260 daies Fox his Martyrology DVX CLERI spoken of by St John in the Revelation were prophetically so many years and that the Pope being head Captaine of the Clergy appeared to have the number of the Beast in that title Now as God stirred up many faithful Christians in England so he did abundance in forrein parts as Marsilius Patavinus Joannes de Gunduno Luitpoldus Vlricus Hargenor Dante 's Aligerus Gregorius Ariminensis Andreas de Castro Franciscus Petrarcha Joannes de rupe scissa Michael Cesenas Gulielmus Ockam Petrus de Corbaria and Matthias Parisiensis with abundance more many of whom were persecuted by the Beast and many were by Gods providence preserved who have set such a fire in Rome that will never be quenched but she must burn and the smoke rise up for ever Rev. 19.3 Mathe. But if the Pope be this great Antichrist why is St Paul and St John so close in the describing of him Phila. Not because they were fearfull of persecution but because they would prove faithfull to the Church as Daniel to save the Jews from hatred and dangers penned some things that concerned their enemies the Persian and the Grecian in a language least known to them and many things that concerned the Jewes glory or troubles he writeth in close hidden terms calling the Son of God the Prince of Princes