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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A34877	A supplement to Knowledge and practice wherein the main things necessary to be known and believed in order to salvation are more fully explained, and several new directions given for the promoting of real holiness both of heart and life : to which is added a serious disswasive from some of the reigning and customary sins of the times, viz. swearing, lying, pride, gluttony, drunkenness, uncleanness, discontent, covetousness and earthly-mindedness, anger and malice, idleness / by Samuel Cradock ... useful for the instruction of private families.	Cradock, Samuel, 1621?-1706.	1679 (1679)	Wing C6756; ESTC R15332	329,893	408

unto Holiness 2 Tim. 2.19 Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity The end of Christs gathering them out of the World to be his people is that they may be holy and a peculiar people to himself zealous of good works Thus Moses speaking of the Congregation of Israel Deut. 7.6 Thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God That is they were so by destination and engagement though many of them were not really so● 2. The Church may be called holy because it trains up people in the wayes of holiness and godliness 3. It may be called holy in respect though not of the greater yet of the better part of it whom God hath sanctified by the graces of his holy Spirit The other Attribute of the Church is Catholick Catholick as it is not in the Scriptures so was it not anciently in the Creed but inserted by the Fathers of the Constantinopolitan Council It signifies General or Vniversal Now the Church is called Catholick 1. In respect of place It being not now shut up in the narrow bounds of Judea but diffused through the World 2. In respect of persons All sorts of persons being promiscuously called to Faith in Christ Neither Jew nor Gentile neither bond nor free being excluded Gal. 3.28 3. In respect of times It comprehending all the Faithful that have been in all times and ages ever since the giving of the first promise that the seed of the woman should bruise the Serpents head And to our Saviours dayes and since then to the age in which we live and is to contitinue from hence by a continual accession to the end of the world Nay it doth not only include that part of the Church is now militant on earth but that also which is triumphant in Heaven Both they with us and we with them make one body mystical whereof Christ is the Head And all together together with the antient Patriarches and other holy men of God which lived under the Law do make up that one glorious Church which is called in the Scriptures the general Assembly the Church of the first born whose names are written in the Heavens Heb. 12.23 Catholick then the Church may be called in regard of extent whether we consider time place or persons 4. In respect of Doctrine because it maintains the Catholick Doctrine quae semper quae ubique quae abomnibus credita est Adversus Haereses c. 3 as Lirinensis d sayes which hath allwayes and in all places by all sorts of real Christians been received as Orthodox Catholick in this sence is the same with Orthodox and a Catholick Christian the same with a true professor A private Christian may be called Catholick in this sense And thus the Fathers of the purest times made use of this word Catholick to distinguish themselves from Hereticks according to that famous saying of Pacianus Christianus mihi nomen est Catholicus cognomen Christian saith he is my name and Catholick my sir-name By the one I am known from Infidels by the other from Hereticks And so long as the main body of Christians retained the form of wholsom words and kept the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace it served fitly for a distinctive mark to know an Orthodox Professor from an Heretical But when the main body of the Church was once torn in pieces and every leading faction would be thought the true Church of Christ they took to themselves the name of Catholicks also And thus our great Masters in the Church of Rome have appropriated to themselves the name of catholicks accounting all men Hereticks that differ from them and do not hold communion with them in their errors And then they defend themselves by the name of Catholicks from having dealt unjustly with their fellow Christians men every way more Orthodox than themselves But let them talk what they will the Church which is truly Catholick containeth within it all those Congregations which are truly the Churches of Christ And all persons whatsoever who are true Christians belong to it So that whosoever is not of the Catholick Church cannot be of the true Church out of which ordinarily there is no Salvation 3. I come now to the distinctions of the Church 1. The Church of Christ may be considered either as Militant or Triumphant The Church Militant is that company of Christians here on earth who are in warfare warring against Satan the World and the Flesh 2. The Church Triumphant are those Saints who having vanquished and overcome those adversaries do now reign and triumph in Heaven This distinction is founded upon Ephes 3.14 15. Where the Apostle sayes I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ of whom the whole Family in heaven and earth is named The Family in Heaven is the Church Triumphant The Family on Earth the Church Militant of which the Apostle himself was one when he said 2 Tim. 4.7 I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the Faith The Triumphant we may read of Rev. 7.9 After this I beheld and lo a great multitude which no man could number of all Nations and Kindreds and People and Tongues stood before the Throne and before the Lamb cloathed with white Robes and Palms in their hands Having thus premised this distinction of the Church Militant and Triumphant I come now to speak particularly of the Church Militant 1. Then we must know that the Churcrh Militant here on earth consists partly of such as are truly of it partly of such as only in respect of their outward profession belong to it As the Holy Ghost speaks Rev. 2.9 of some who professed themselves Jews I know the Blasphemy of them that say they are Jews and are not but are the Synagogue of Satan so we may say of some who profess themselves Christians that they are very far from being such in truth and reality For prophane persons and hypocrites are rather in the Church than of it The Militant Church is either visible or invisible The visible Church is a visible company of people professing the Gospel whether they do it in truth and sincerity or no. It doth consist of good and bad It is compared to a net cast into the Sea which gathered of every kind c. Matth. 13.47 And to a field wherein were both wheat and tares Matth. 13.24 And to a great house wherein are vessels of several sorts some to honour some to dishonour 2 Tim. 2.20 The invisible Church consists of such as truly are what they profess themselves to be It is called invisible because it is not visible to the eyes of men They can see the profession but whether it proceed from the heart or no they cannot see The Invisible Church therefore is hid in the visible and there is no more difference between them than between the whole and a part 3. The Church Militant is distinguished into Particular and Vniversal A particular

Church is a company professing the Faith in some particular place Thus we read of the seven Churches of Asia Rev. 1.7 that is Churches that were in seven Cities in Asia as appears verse 11. Yea we read of Churches in particular houses as in the house of Aquila and Priscilla Rom. 16.5 and in the h●use of Nymphas Col. 4.15 The universal Church is the whole company of Believers that profess Faith in Christ throughout the world All Christians as Christians who profess and hold the essentials of Christianity are the Catholick or universal Church And all Congregations consisting of lawful Pastors and Christian people associated for personal communion in the worship of God and holy living are particular true Churches though they may also much differ in degrees of purity This is the universal Church as upon earth Otherwise as I said before the universal Church comprehends both the Saints on Earth and the Saints in Heaven The Church of Rome most absurdly affects to be called the Catholick Church yea Roman Catholick Cathotholick imports the universal Church and Roman but a particular The Church of Rome was once indeed an eminent part yet but a part of the Catholick or Vniversal Church But now she is so degenerate and corrupt that she is termed Babylon Rev. 1.7 And the people of God are commanded to come out of her Rev. 18.4 And I heard another voice from Heaven saying come out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues Did the Church of Rome in the Apostles dayes worship Images Did it pray to Saints Did it pray for the Dead Did it perform its Divine Worship in an unknown tongue Did it withhold the Cup from the Laity Was this the Primitive practice of the Church of Rome I suppose the Romanists themselves will not assert it We can make it appear that we hold the same Faith that was of old delivered to the Saints and that we have not departed farther from the Church of Rome than they have departed from this Faith and the truth of Christianity Yet the Papists notwithstanding use to ask us where was your Religion before Luther To which we answer wherever there were any true and real Christians before Luther among them was our Church This is the Church we profess our selves of And surely there were many more more Christians at that time in the world then those that were in the Cummunion of the Church of Rome 'T is true Christianity that makes any to be Christians and members of the Catholick Church it is not every inferiour truth that doth so neither doth every error cast a man out of it That Church then which comprehended all the true Christians in the World is the Church we were of before Luther We do not confine the Catholick Church to any Sect or Party Protestants we hold are the soundest part of this Church but not the whole Church All within the Communion of the Church of Rome that are true Christians we allow to be of this Church And the same we say of the Greeks Armenians Ethiopians Abyssines or any other professing Christianity And though the Papists talk much of Antiquity if they will try whether their Doctrine or ours be the sounder we are willing to appeal to Antiquity Let the eldest way of Religion carry it We are of a Religion that is not less then sixteen hundred years old For we hold the Doctrine delivered by Christ and his Apostles which they have shamefully departed from But the Papists farther ask us If their Church be not the true Church what is become of our Fore-fathers who died in the Communion of their Church We answer They might live and die in the Communion of that Church and yet be free from many of the gross errors in it And God might graciously pass by their ignorance and weakness who had not so great a light as we have to shew them the error of the Romish Church We do therefore in Charity think that some of our Ancestors formerly and some of the Papists at this day who hold and believe the main Articles of the Christian Faith and do live good lives according to their knowledge may be saved but not by their Popery but by their Christianity And thus much of the distinctions of the Church 4. I come now in the last place to speak of the notes of the Church which are these three 1. True and sound Doctrine preached 2. Right administration of the Sacraments For as those are more or less purely administred so the Church is more or less pure 3. Obedience to Christ and his Doctrine Discipline indeed is necessary for the preservation of the Church in purity of Doctrine and Manners yet it belongs not to the very being but to the well being of it But here a question may arise How is the Church said not to erre Answ 1. The whole doth not erre though some particular Church may 2. The Church doth not erre universally though in some points of Doctrine it may which are not essential or fundamental to Salvation Let us now consider what improvement we are to make of this Article 1. This shews us the admirable priviledge of every truly regenerate sanctified person who is most certainly a member of the true Catholick Church All true Christians are Catholicks in a better sense than the Romanists use that word But whosoever is wicked and prophane let them talk they are for the Church c. 't is manifest they are not members of Christs Holy Catholick Church 2. All that are true members of the Catholick Church should keep close to the Catholick Rule of Faith and Life which is the will of God revealed in the holy Scriptures 3. They should labour for a Catholick Spirit and Catholick affections which may incline them 1. To love all Christians as Christians for Christs sake though they may differ from them in some particulars A true Catholick Spirit is for union among all the People of God 2. To compassionate all real Christians in their sufferings and afflictions Rom. 12.15 16. 3. To pray earnestly for the prosperity of the Catholick Church and to be solicitous and much concerned touching the welfare thereof And all true members of the Catholick Chhurch may comfort themselves with this consideration that they have a share in the paayers of this Catholick or Vniversal Church now Militant upon the Earth SECT III. Of the Communion of Saints the Communion of Saints COncerning this Article we shall inquire 1. Who may truly be called Saints and wherein the true nature of Saintship doth consist and how the Saints are distinguished from others 2. Who are those persons with whom these Saints have Communion For the first 1. By the tenure of the Gospel we shall find that those are truly and properly Saints who being called with an holy calling have not been disobedient to it but are indued with a holy faith uniting them to

Christ and are purified thereby and are Sanctified by the holy Spirit of God and by vertue thereof do lead a holy life daily endeavouring to perfect holiness in the fear of God such persons are really and truly Saints and being true members of the Church of Christ are the proper subject of this Article 2. Who are those persons with whom these Saints have communion and in what doth this their communion consist 1. The Saints of God living in the Church of Christ have communion with God the Father praying unto him and praising of him trusting in him and exercising such acts of worship as he requires 1 John 1.3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you that ye also may have fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ David affectionately expresseth his desire of this communion Psal 42.1 As the heart panteth after the water-brooks so panteth my Soul after thee O God 2. They have Communion with God the Son 1 Cor. 1.9 God hath called us to the fellowship of his Son For being united to Christ by faith they are thereby made partakers of his Righteousness and receive spiritual life and grace from him for the sanctifying of their natures and sincerely endeavour after conformity unto him 3. They have communion with God the Holy Ghost The Apostle hath two wayes assured us of the truth hereof one Rhetorically by a seeming doubt If there be any fellowship of the Spirit Phil. 2.1 The other directly praying devoutly for it 2 Cor. 13.14 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ the love of God and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all Amen This is the communion which the Saints enjoy with the three blessed persons in the Trinity John 14.23 If any man love me sayes our Saviour he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him And the presence of the Spirit cannot be wanting where these two are inhabiting for if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his The Spirit therefore with the Father and the Son inhabiteth in the Saints For know ye not saith the Apostle that ye are the Temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you 1 Cor. 3.16 4. The Saints of God living here in the Church of Christ have communion with the Holy Angels They are Ministring Spirits for our good Heb. 1.14 They rejoyce at the Conversion of a Sinner They do many good offices for the people of God which possibly they are not sufficiently sensible of And this their Ministry is exercised as 't is probable about the ordinary concernments of our lives and not in some extraordinary cases only 5. The Saints of God living in the Church of Christ have communion with all the Saints departed out of this life and admitted to the presence of God The Godly on earth do in heart and affection converse with the Saints in Heaven And 't is probable the Saints triumphant wish to the Saints militant the happiness they enjoy and possibly pray for them in general though their particular cases they may not know But we are not to think as the Papists fondly conceive that they interpose their merits for us and that for this cause we are to invocate them or perform any Religious worship towards them These are but inventions of mans brain wanting warrant from the word of God 6. The Saints of God living in the Church of Christ have communion with the Saints living in the same Church If we walk in the light sayes the Apostle we have fellowship one with another 1 John 1.7 And another Apostle tells us 1 Cor. 12.13 By one Spirit they are are all baptized into one body So that they have communion one with another in these offerings 1. They all joyn together in the use of and have benefit by the same ordinances and all partake of the same promises are all ingraffed into the same stock and receive life from the same root 2. According to their places and calling they teach and admonish one another 3. They endeavour to walk by the same Rule and to mind the same things * Acts 3.16 Heb. 3.13 4. They pray one for another Ephes 6.18 and Jam. 5.16 Confess your faults one to another and pray one for another that ye may be healed the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much 5. They comfort and encourage one another in the wayes of God 6. In respect of temporal things they are ready to succour relieve and help one another according to their abilities Having thus opened the nature of this Article let us now consider what are the instructions we should learn from it 1. If we believe this communion of Saints which hath been before described then let us seriously consider whether we have a part and share in it or no. There are many instead of communion with God and with Christ have communion with Satan and instead of communion with Saints have communion with the ungodly and wicked and joyn with them in the practice of iniquity in swearing swaggering drinking revelling and scoffing at Saints and Saintship and this they account and call good fellowship But let no man deceive himself The Apostle tells us 1 John 1.5 6 7. That God is light and in him there is no darkness at all If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lye and do not the truth But if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another c. 2. If we have a share and part in this communion it should inflame our hearts with an ardent love to all that are within this communion If similitude of shape or feature will beget a kindness if congruity of manners and disposition will unite affections what great love should there be among all the Saints who have the same image of God stamped upon them and are acted by the same spirit Surely all that are true members of Christ should heartily desire and pray for the welfare of all their fellow-members And should have their hearts touched with the miseries that befall either the Church of Christ in general or the particular members thereof See Amos 6.6 3. A belief of this Article should teach us that as we are to do good to all in our several places and according to our abilities so especially to those who are of the houshold of Faith SECT IV. Of Forgiveness of Sins the forgiveness of sins REmission or Forgiveness of Sins is a priviledge that belongs to them who are true members of Christs holy Catholick Church That we may the more clearly explain this Doctrine we shall consider 1. What Sin is 2. What are the kinds of it 3. What is the wages due to it 4. By whom sins are forgiven 5. Vpon what account they are forgiven 6. What forgiveness of sins doth contain in it

A SUPPLEMENT TO Knowledge AND PRACTICE Wherein the main things necessary to be known and believed in order to Salvation are more fully explained and several new Directions given for the promoting of real Holiness both of Heart and Life To which is added a serious Disswasive from some of the reigning and customary sins of the Times viz. Swearing Lying Pride Gluttony Drunkenness Vncleanness Discontent Covetousness and Earthly-mindedness Anger and Malice Idleness By Samuel Cradock B. D. late Rector of North-Cadbury in Somerset-Shire Useful for the Instruction of private Families Quod de Scripturis authoritatem non habet pari facilitate rejicitur qua accipitur Hieron LONDON Printed for Thomas Simmons at the Princes Arms in St. Pauls Church-yard 1679. To the INHABITANTS of NORTH-CADBURY in SOMERSETSHIRE My Loving Friends SOme years since when I stood in the Relation of a Pastor to you I wrote my Book of Knowledge and Practice aiming therein more especially at your benefit Which Treatise I hope through the Lords blessing hath been of some use to you I have since thought that it would not be a service unacceptable to you to add by way of Supplement a more full explication of the Main Principles of the Christian Faith and some Further Directions for regulating of your Practice and to send them unto you to supply my Personal absence God only knows whether I shall ever see your Faces again in this World Providence having fixed my Habitation at so great a distance from you However my hearts desire and prayer to God for you is that you may be saved and if this poor Book may in any measure contribute thereunto I shall heartily rejoyce The holy Apostles no doubt in writing their Epistles aimed at the Spiritual good of the Church in general yet we may well suppose that those particular Churches to whom their Epistles were directed read them with more especial regard and possibly reaped more signal benefits by them than others did So though I design these instructions for your Spiritual good and benefit of all those into whose hands they shall come Yet I hope they shall be more especially minded and regarded by you to whom they are particularly directed and in contemplation of whose necessities and with an aim at whose benefit they were particularly framed I know many of you are such of whom the Apostle speaks Heb. 5.12 Who have need that one teach you the first Principles of the Oracles of God and have need of milk and not of strong meat I should be glad to have you all rightly instructed in the main fundamentals of Christianity and that not for your sakes only but for my own that I may give up my account with joy and not with grief Heb. 13.17 But yet I must tell you that it is not enough to save any of you that you are of the true Religion except you be true to it and live agreeably thereunto God hath indeed made sufficient provision by the obedience and death of his Son to save Mankind But you must earnestly leg of God to inable you to do your part which is unfeignedly to repent of all your sins savingly to believe in Christ and to accept him for your Lord and Saviour and to deliver up your souls to him that you may be pardoned through the infinite merit of his active and passive obedience and sanctified by his Spirit and inabled by his grace to lead a holy and good life And as I earnestly desire you all to have an especial care of your own Souls so do I with some importunity intreat all that are Parents or Masters of Families among you that they would take great care to instruct their children and servants in the main Principles of the Christian Religion I have often thought that if ever real Piety and Christianity flourish in England more must he done by Parents and Masters in instructing those under their care than is now ordinarily done I hope this short Treatise may with the blessing of God something assist and help you in performing that part of your duty May the God of all grace lead you and guide you in ways of truth and holiness and inable you to live in love and peace one with another And though I should never see you again in this life yet may the Father of Mercies through his infinite goodness grant that I may meet your Souls in Heaven This is the earnest desire and prayer of him who was once your unworthy Pastor and is still your very loving and affectionate friend Wickham brook Novemb. 6. 1678. SAM CRADOCK The CONTENTS of the FIRST PART CHAP. I. Of God SECT 1. Of the Nature of God and his Divine Attributes page 1. SECT 2. Of the Trinity of persons in the unity of the Divine Essence page 18. SECT 3. Of the works of God page 31. 1. Creation where Of good Angels page 32. Of evil Angels page 40. 2. Particular page 48. CHAP. 2. Of Man Page 62 SECT 1. Of the happy State wherein Man was created and the Covenant of Works made with him in that State p. 62. SECT 2. Of his Fall and the consequents thereof p. 66 SECT 3. Of the Covenant of Grace made with Man immediately after his Fall which shews the only way of his recovery to be by Jesus Christ p. 73 CHAP. 3. Of Jesus Christ Page 80 SECT 1. Of his Titles which in the Creed are four 1. Jesus p. 80 2. Christ where of his three Offices Prophet p. 83 Priest p. 86 King p. 88 3. His only Son p. 91 4. Our Lord p. 93 SECT 2. Of his Natures Divine and Humane p. 95 SECT 3. Of his birth p. 96 SECT 4. Of his Life p. 100 Here a short and methodical History of our Saviours Life is exhibited and the particular Times in which he instituted Baptism and the Sacrament of his Supper are pointed at Vpon both which Sacraments there are distinct discourses added at the end SECT 5. Of his Death and Burial p. 137 SECT 6. Of that Article in the Creed He descended into Hell page 131 SECT 7. Of his Resurrection and ten several appearings after it in the space of forty dayes he continued on the earth p. 143 SECT 8. Of his Ascention and sitting on Gods right hand p. 149 SECT 9. Of his coming to judg the World p. 154 CHAP. 3. SECT 1. Of the Holy Ghost p. 162 SECT 2. Of the Catholick Church 166 SECT 3. Of Communion of Saints p. 175 SECT 4. Of forgiveness of sins p. 178 SECT 5. Of the Resurrection of the body p. 193 SECT 6. Of Life everlasting Of Baptism p. 200 Of the Lords Supper p. 205 Of the Lords Prayer p. 220 The second part contains a serious disswasive from some of the reigning and customary sins of the Times viz. Swearing Lying Pride Gluttony Drunkennness Vncleanness Discontent Covetousness and Earthly-mindedness Anger and Malice Idleness ERRATA IN page 267 after the eighth Direction add Ninthly Take heed of saying ●s

to 24. Luke 9. from 43 to 46. 14. He pays the half shekel for himself and Peter miraculously fetching it out of the Fishes mouth Mat. 17. from 24. to 28. 15. He teacheth by the example of a little Child who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven and among his Disciples He forbiddeth to hinder such as cast out Devils in his name He promiseth a reward to any that do the least good office to any that are his He sheweth what punishment they are worthy of that give offence and how narrowly men must beware they give not scandal to little ones whom the Holy Angels do take care of and whom he is come to save as he declares by the similitude of a lost Sheep He shews what mischiefs are like to come to the World by reason of the offences and scandals That we must refrain from whatsoever is an occassion of sin or an hindrance to Salvation though as dear to us as our right eye right hand or foot rather than go to Hell where the worm dieth not and where the fire is not quenched That the hearts of Christians must be seasoned with the Salt of Grace and Holiness That they his Apostles are the Salt of the Earth and must be of savoury Spirits themselves and by the Savouriness of their Doctrine and Conversation must season others and maintain concord and union among themselves He gives rules about dealing with a trespassing and offending Brother and shews what the office and power of the Church is in such a case when the first and second admonition doth not prevail to reform him He promises his gracious presence with his Church be the number great or small when they joyn together in Prayer or Church-censures He shews how we must be ready always to forgive which is declared by the Parable of a King forgiving one of his servants ten thousand Talents who would not forgive a fellow servant of his one hundred pence Mark 9. from 33. to the end Mat. 18. from 1. to the end Luke 9. from 46. to 51. 16 His Kinsmen now perswade him to go up with them to Jerusalem to the Feast of Tabernacles which he refuseth for the present to do John 7. from 1. to 10. 17. But after some days he setteth forth privately with his own Disciples for Jerusalem journeying thitherward through Samaria the Samaritans refuse him lodging James and John desire they may call for fire from Heaven upon them but are rebuked by him for it John 7.10 Luke 9. from 51. to 57. 18. He declares his poverty to a Scribe that had a mind to follow him he commands another to follow him without delay and not go home to bury his Father To another that would have gone home to take leave of his friends he declares that as he that starteth from the Plough is not fit for the Field no more is he that shifteth from his Calling fit for his service Luke 9. from 57. to the end Mat. 8. from 19. to 23. 19. He now sendeth out his Diciples to preach the Gospel and work Miracles He instructs them how they should fit themselves for their journey and how they should carry themselves towards their hearers He threatens Corazin Bethsaida and Capernaum for their great impenitency and contempt of the Gospel Luke 10. from 1. to 17. 20. Being now come to Jerusalem at the Feast of Tabernacles he teacheth in the Temple vindicates his Doctrine and shews them how they may try Doctrines and Teachers Then he vindicates his practice in healing the impotent man on the Sabbath day divers opinions of the people concerning him He proceeds on in teaching which so inraged some of the Jews that they sought to take him but for the present they could not The Pharisees and chief Priests send their officers to apprehend him He threatens the unbelieving Jews that hereafter they shall seek him and shall not find him On the last day of the Feast he invites unto him all that are spiritually athirst and promiseth the Holy Ghost to those that believe in him upon this a division ariseth among the people The Officers that were sent to apprehend him return without bringing him Prisoner and extol his Doctrine The Pharisees are enraged at this and speak reproachfully of him and of the people who were so taken with him Nicodemus gainsayeth their proceeding pleading he was not to be condemned before he was heard Hereupon not agreeing among themselves they part and go their several ways John 7. from 11. to the end 21. Early in the morning he teacheth in the Temple whither they bring to him a woman taken in Adultery he frustrates their intention against him and dismisses the woman with a serious admonition He teacheth that himself is the light of the World He defends himself against the Pharisees by his own and his Fathers testimony He tells the Jews they shall hereafter seek him in vain and shall die in their sins if they believe not in him He declareth who he is and by whom he is sent He promiseth those that believe in him knowledge of the truth and freedom from the Servitude and Slavery of sin He proveth that the unbelieving Jews wrongfully boasted that they were Abraham's and Gods Children they being Children of the Devil because they fulfilled his lusts He reproves their unbelief for which they slander him as a Samaritan who hath a Devil This calumny he confuteth and testifieth that Abraham saw his day and that he was before Abraham at this they would have stoned him but he secretly conveyed himself from their fury John 8. whole Chapter 22. He anoints the eyes of a man that was born blind with clay and that on the Sabbath day and commanding him to wash in the waters of Siloam restores him to his sight The man being brought to the Pharisees relates the same They reproach Christ as a breaker of the Sabbath and seem to doubt whether this man had ever been blind They send for his Parents who refer them to their Son whom they call and examine again He answereth them and from this Miracle argueth that Christ is no Sinner but a person extraordinary and sent from God for which Testimony he is reproachfully cast out by them and excommunicated He is further instructed by Christ believeth in him and worshipeth him Christ telleth the Pharisees that they are Spiritually blind and therefore they remain in sin because they are not sensible of their blindness John 9. whole Chapter 23. Upon this occasion he propounds the Parable of the Faithful and true Shepherd and of the false and unfaithful describing them by their contrary marks and properties and points out himself as the true Shepherd of his Sheep as also the true door of the Sheep-fold That he is no hireling seeing that he willingly lays down his life for his Sheep His hearers are divided in their opinions concerning him John 10. from 1. to 22. 24. The Seventy Disciples return and joyfully relate what

Officers of the Church he doth qualifie and fit men with requisite gifts for their stated ordinary ministerial work which is to explain and apply the foresaid Scriptures and administer the Sacraments and guide and govern the Flock and doth assist them in a discharge of their Office 4. This same blessed Spirit is Christs advocate with men and does by the word illuminate their minds and sanctifie and renew their wills and draws them to Christ to rest on his great propitiation 5. This same holy Spirit also assisteth the Sanctified in the exercise of Grace given them as in the exercise of Repentance Faith Obedience and Selfdenial He also directs and governs their conversation inabling them to walk watchfully that they may not dishonour God nor their holy profession For if we live in the Spirit being quickned by his renovation we must also walk in the Spirit following his directions and if we walk in the Spirit we shall not fulfill the lusts of the Flesh And as many as are thus led by the Spirit they are the Children of God Gal. 5.25 6. He teacheth us to pray and guides us and directs us in our prayers and devotions Zach. 12.10 Rom. 8.26 27. and so is said to make intercession for us by teaching us how to pray and intercede for our selves For which intercession among other things he hath the name of a Paraclete given him by Christ Joh. 14.16 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sive Advocati officium est Clienti suggerere utilia ad ea hortari eum animare atque confi●mare coram judice ejus causam agere pro eo intercedere 7. We are said to be sealed by this holy Spirit As a mans Seal does signifie the thing sealed to be his own so the Spirit of Holiness in us is God's Seal upon us signifying that we are His Eph. 4.30 Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God whereby you are sealed unto the day of Redemption 8. This holy Spirit is the earnest or first fruits to us of eternal life The Spirit is given to us by God as the earnest of the glory which he will give us To whomsoever he giveth the Spirit of Faith Love Holiness he gives the earnest of eternal life 9. This Spirit doth also witness or evidence to true Converts that they are the Children of God and so is called the spirit of Adoption Rom. 8.15 16. Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear but the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father The Spirit it self beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God And this he doth evidence to us several wayes 1. By shewing or manifesting to us the Grace which he hath given us 2. By shewing the certainty of the Promise made to all those who have such Grace 3. By helping us from those Graces and those Promises to conclude with confidence that we are the Children of God And then he comforts us and helps us to rejoyce in what we do or suffer for Christ in the hope of the glory that we shall be partakers of Thus much concerning the Doctrine of the Spirit we come now to consider the duties which we owe to him Which are these 1. We ought to obey and follow his blessed motions Yet here we must take heed that we do not mistake the Spirit of God and his motions and instead of them follow the motions of Satan or of our own Passions or Pride or fleshly wisdom By these marks the Spirit of God may be known 1. The Spirit of God infuses into us Heavenly wisdom to mind the securing our peace with God and our title to the Kingdom of Heaven in the 1. place 2. He is a Spirit of Love his motions are for love and doing good 3. He is a Spirit of Concord and moves Believers to unity and disswades them from divisions among themselves or to joyn in carnal confederacies with the wicked see 1 Cor. 12.25 Eph. 4.3 4 5. 4. He is a Spirit that teaches Humility and Self-denial making us little in our own eyes 5. He is a Spirit that teaches Meekness Patience and Forbearance not Boisterousness Contention Reviling or Revenge 6. He is a Spirit that teacheth zeal for God not a furious destroying zeal but a zeal against known sin and for known truth and known duty 7. He is a Spirit that teacheth mortification and crucifying of our lusts and subduing of sensuality 8. He is a Spirit that doth not contradict the Doctrine of Christ delivered in the holy Scripture but moveth us to endevour to conform our selves thereunto Isa 8.20 9. The motions of this blessed Spirit do alwayes tend to our good and to drive us to God and to obey his holy Will and Commandments and never to transgress any of his precepts 2. We must take heed of quenching the Spirit 1 Thes 5.19 that is the gifts and graces of the Spirit in our selves but must labour to stir them up by prayer and the due exercise of them 3. We must take heed of grieving this blessed Spirit Eph. 4.30 Not that he can properly be grieved but he is said to be grieved when we do that which in it self is apt to grieve him if he were capable thereof and which provokes him to do that which grieved persons use to do namely to withdraw his gracious and comforting presence 4. We must not neglect the means the Spirit hath appointed us to use for our improvement in Sanctification We must attend upon him and expect him in his own ways and not in wayes wherein he useth not to go 5. We must do most when this blessed Spirit helps us most If he extraordinarily help us at any time in prayer we should not break off so soon as at other times 6. We must be very thankful for the assistances he is pleased at any time to afford us And above all if he hath convinced us of the evil and danger of our sins hath wrought in our hearts true Godly sorrow and contrition for them and a real hatred and loathing of them and hath drawn our hearts to Christ Jesus to seek pardon and reconciliation with God in and through his merits and Intercession and hath begun a work of Sanctification in us then we ought to admire and to be for ever thankful for the free and efficacious grace of this Holy Spirit SECT II. Of the Holy Catholick Church The Holy Catholick Church THat which we are bound to believe concerning the Holy Catholick Church is this viz. that Christ hath a Church upon the earth which for the latitude and extent thereof may be called Catholick and for the Piety of the Professors thereof may be called Holy In the treating of which I shall speak 1. Of the name 2. Of the nature of the Church 3. Of the distinctions of it 4. Of the notes of it 1. Of the name Church is a name not found in all the writings of the Old Testament in which the body