by his Blood were the Deliverance of mankind from the powers of darkness and the inheritance of the kingdom of Light 4. The Parallel between the Institution of the Passover and of the Lords Supper or of the two Inheritances bequeathed the one by Moses the other by Christ is so plain that it needs no Comment It only requires a diligent Reader or Hearer or what is wanting on the ordinary Hearers part may be supplied by every ordinary Catechist before the receiving of the Sacramental Pledges One point yet remaines more pertinent to the unfolding of our Apostles meaning Heb. 9. ver 15. And for this cause he is the Mediator of the new Testament that by meanes of death for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the First Testament they which are called might receive the promise of Eternal Inheritance For where a Testament is there must also of necessitie be the death of the Testator For a Testament is of force after men are dead otherwise it is of no strength at all while the Testator liveth And it is this As the Israelites did not enter upon the inheritance or take possession of the Land of Canaan till after Moses the Testator or Mediator of the old Testament was dead so neither was the Kingdom of Heaven our everlasting inheritance set open to all or any Beleivers until Christ Jesus the Testator or Mediator of the new Testament was crucified dead buried and raysed again to immortal Glorie Since which time as is the King so is the Kingdom or inheritance bequeathed so is the Testament it self being sealed by his bloody death All and every of them Truely Everlasting CHAP. XLVIII The Parallel between the most Solemn Services of the Law and The One Sacrifice of Christ And The high praeeminence and efficacie of This in comparison of Those The Romanists Doctrin that in the Masse Christs Body is Identically Carnally present and that there is a proper Sacrifice Propitiatorie offered derogates from the Absolute Perfection of Christs offering himself Once for all 1. THe principal Termes of proportion in this Parallel which serve as so many several Kens or Markes for the right survaying of it are The services of the Law or the Offices of Legal Priests and the Perpetual Function of our High Priest The services of the Law wherein our Apostle instanceth are the Principal and most Solemn Sacrifices which were injoyned to the Priests after the order of Aaron The One Sort whereof were Anniversaries as of Bullockes and Goates and to be offered every year upon the day of Attonement and so to be offered from the First Erection of the Tabernacle in the wilderness so long as the Law of Ceremonies was de Jure to continue untill our Saviours death upon the Cross since which time all Bloody Sacrifice have lost their Legal Vse The Other service was That Sacrifice of the Red Heifer and the Consecration of water by the sprinkling or mingling her Ashes which perhaps was not Anniversarie nor often put in practice from the time of Moses his Death untill the Ascension of our Saviour into heaven Now our Apostle takes it as granted that if these choice Sacrifices of Attonment and of the Red Cow were altogether unsufficient to purifie the Hearts and Consciences or the Soules and Spirits of sinful men the Ordinary or meaner sacrifices of the Law were much more unsufficient to all such purposes as the Sacrifices of our high Priest was Alsufficient to all such purposes as the Sacrifice of our high Priest was Alsufficient and most Efficacious for The Eminency of Christs bloudie Sacrifice upon the Cross in respect of all Legal sacrifices of what rank soever consisteth First in the Efficacy which it had and hath for Remission of all sins committed against the Moral Law of God that is of all such sins as immediately pollute the reasonable Soul and Conscience The least degree of such Purification no Legal Sacrifices could immediatly effect reach or touch To what Use then did they directly serve or what was the proper Effect unto which they were immediately terminated That was the Purification of mens Bodyes from meere Legal uncleannesse that is from all such negligences Ignorances or Casual Occurrences as not being expiated by the Priest did exclude the parties so offending from the Tabernacle of the Congregation Or as our Apostle speakes to Purifie them from such uncleannesses of the flesh as did but foreshadow or picture the uncleanness of the soul or the dead works of sinne All which being not expiated by a more excellent Priest then any was after the order of Aaron will exclude all from entring into the heavenly Tabernacle 2. Such Legal uncleannesse as did exclude the Parties polluted with it from the Tabernacle of the Congregation was many waies contracted as by touching of the dead by eating of Meats forbidden by the Law or by not eating meates allowed of by the Law according to the Rule or Prescript for such Ceremonial Services or by the like Omissions or Practises which were not in their own nature or to all men sinful but sinful in the Seed of Jacob only to whom they were Evill only because forbidden not forbidden because they were evill in their own nature Even in regard of such shadows or Typical Offices for Purifying men Legally unclean the best and most solemn Sacrifices of the Law though offered once at least every year and otherwise as often as dayly Occasions or Occurrences did require were no way so efficacious or Effectual as the One Sacrifice of the Son of God offered by himself but Once for all is for the perpetual Purifying of our Soules from the Dead works of sin and for our Consecration to the everlasting service of the everliving God which is that Freedom indeed wherewith his only Son hath promised to set all such Free as Believe in his Name and Abide in his word John 8. 3. The Eminencie of Christs Priesthood and Sacrifice above the Priesthood and Services of the Law is deeply wronged by the Doctrine and Practise of Secular and Regular Roman-Catholick Priests as they do term themselves and so is our Apostles Doctrine in the ninth and tenth Chapters to the Hebrews more peremptorily contradicted by them then it was by the Incredulous or unbelieving Jews in his life time The Western Anti-Christ so the Lutherans distinguish them hath in this particular so farr out-bid the Antichrist of the East that if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Law-opposer or man of sin were to be followed close with Howant-Cry or his Footsteps to be traced for these nine hundred years by the Christian Kingdoms or States the Chase and Cry would sooner fall into Rome or Trent then into Constantinople though That no question be now the seat of Gog and Magog or of the Eastern Antichrist That Contradiction of Sinners which our Saviour Christ did indure here on Earth Heb. 12. 3. improved by the Roman Church in later dayes against all such as
Justification One By Christ's Death Another By his Resurrection from the Dead or Two Imputations of his Rightcousness Surely neither Justification nor Imputation of Christs Righteousness Consists in One Single Act both admitt divers Degrees or Parts or rather contain a Long Processe The best way to assoyl the Difficultie proposed will be First to set forth the proper effects or Duties of our Beliefe as it is terminated to Christs Death and Sufferings Secondly the Proper Issues or Effects of our Beleife of his Resurrection from the Dead We believe that by his Death our sins even the sins of the world were taken away That Adam and All that came of Him were thus farre redeemed by Him as to be set Free deâ— Jure from the Bondage of Satan and purchased as a peculiar people to himself Thus we often read that we are redeemed by his blood shed on the Cress that is By that One Sacrifice of Himself the Ransom of Mankinds Redemption was fully payd Of this all men are bound to have full Assurance and in respect of this General t is truely said Fides est Fiducia Faith is a Confidence in the Blood of Christ And thus firmely Believing our Faith is imputed or reckoned to Us for Righteousness as it was to Abraham 2. But many may be Redeemed from Captivitie yet have a desire to continue in the Land or Territories of their former Captivitie or no great desire to be transported out of it into a safer soyl Some with Gryllus in the Poet desire rather to continue Swine then to be Re-transformed into the Image of God And unto These Christs Death is not available shall not be imputed unless it be to their greater Condemnation But from the General Confidence that Christ hath redeemed us from the bondage of Satan and Curse of the Law the Church our Mother hath wisely and piously ordained that all professing Christianitie yea Infants born of Christian Parents or Others exposed by their incredulous Parents to the Tuition of the Church shall be forthwith transported out of the Hemisphere of darkness into the Sphere of Light to be visibly ingrafted into the mystical Body of Christ The Duty whereto all such as are thus transported are bound is to promise and Vow Obedience unto Christ as to their sole Lord and Redeemer To forsake the Divel and all his workes the pompes and vanities of this wicked world and all the sinfull lusts of the flesh and to fight manfully under Christs Banner unto their lives end that is to take up their Cross and follow him and as he dyed for them so to be ready to lay down their lives for the brethren if need require in his service or to use our Apostles words Phil. 2. 5. To put on the same mind which was in Christ Jesus who being in the form of God thought it no robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in likeness of men and being found in fashion of a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the Death of the Cross Vers 6 7 8. Another not altogether so diverse as rather the same immediate and formal Effect of our Belief in Christs bloody Sacrifice on the Cross is Dayly to offer up the sacrifice of a broken Heart of an humble and contrite spirit And for offering this Sacrifice every man must in part be his own Priest and Confessor that he may be partaker of the blessing and Grace of the High Priest of our soules from his Heavenly Sanctuary where he sits at the right hand of God CHAP. LIII Christs Parable 12. Math. 43. c. applyed Two degrees of Reconciliation the first Active or but meere-Grammatically Passive The other Real-Passive So correspondently Two Branches of Justification The One from Christs Death The Other from the benefit of His Priesthood dayly participated to us 1. TO proceed thus farr in the Knowledge of Jesus Christ and of Him Crucified and in the practice of Christian Duties Concomitant to such Knowledge is more I am afraid or rather fully perswaded then most of such as take upon them to seal Assurance to themselves and to others of their salvation by Markes and Tokens of the Elect of their own coyning have rightly got by Heart And yet to rest secure upon these Grounds though learned by heart of their personal Salvation or irreversible Estate in Grace or in Gods Favour doth open a gap unto hellish Hypocrisie which our Saviour himself hath commanded us to beware of or rather to shut it out as it is in that parable Mat. 12. 43 44 45. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man he walketh through dry places seeking rest and findeth none Then he saith I will return into my house from whence I came Out and when he is come he findeth it empty swept and garnished Then goeth he and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked then himself and they enter in and dwell there and the last state of that man is worse then the first Even so shall it be also to this wicked generation For the right application of this Parable to the Jews with whom our Saviour there disputes as also unto men of this and former Ages I referr the Reader to Jansenius and Maldonate in their Learned Comments upon this place but especially to Jansenius 2. Thus much is sufficient to our present purpose and thus much is most cleare That it is not the Sweeping or garnishing of the heart or emptiness of such vices as do raign in the hearts of Infidels and give Satan possession of them all which may be wrought by the serious consideration of Christs death Passion and by the imputation of his Merits that can secure us from further assaults of Satan to our final destruction Rather for us to presume upon these without Experiments without a continual Guard upon our own soules is but as if a man having beaten his adversaries out of his house should set up his staffe or sword or other instrument of warre without the door to entice his enemie by this opportunitie to make forcible entrance when he is least aware To what End then doth the Contemplation of Christs death or the Imputation of his merits serve us Do these beget no portion or degree of any Certaintie of our Estate in Christ or of Salvation Yes they alwaies bring forth a Certainty though not of Faith yet of Hope that God in his Good time will accomplish these good beginnings and crown them with more then a Moral with an Experimental certainty or assurance of our Estate in Grace For Regulating our perswasions in this point there can be no better Rule then that of our Apostle Rom. 5. Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom also we have access by Faith into his Grace wherein we stand and rejoyce in hope of the Glorie
reason then why the Body of Christ is not or ought not to be often offered is not because all our sinnes were actually remitted by the once offering of it or remitted before they were committed but because the substance or matter of the sacrifice is of the same force at this day to remit sinnes that it was of whilest it was offered For his humane nature was consecrated by death and by his bloody Passion to be a sacrifice of everlasting Vertue to be the continual propitiation for our sinnes 7 If either the actual sinnes of all men Christs Resurrection our baptism needless if sinnes be remitted before they be committed or the sinnes of the Elect in speciall had been so remitted by Christs death as some conceive they were that is absolutely pardoned before they were committed there had been no end or use of Christs Resurrection in respect of us no need of Baptism yet was Baptism from the hour of his resurrection necessarie unto all that did beleive in his death and resurrection The urgent and indispensable necessitie of Baptism especially in respect of actual beleivers is not any where more Emphatically intimated than in St. Peters Answer to the Jewes Whose hearts were pierc't with sorrow that they had been the causes of Christs death They in this stound or sting of Conscience demand Men and brethren what shall we do and Peter answered them Repent and be Baptized Every one of you In the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sinnes And they that gladly received the word were Baptized the same day Acts 2. 37 38 41. These men had been deeply tainted with sin not original onely but with sinnes actual of the worst kind guiltie they were in a high degree of the death of the Son of God yet had they as well their actual as their original sinnes remitted by Baptism It is then an unsound and imperfect Doctrin that sin original onely is taken away or remitted by Baptism for whatsoever sinnes are remitted or taken away by Christs death the same sins are in the same manner remitted and taken away by Baptism into his death actual sinnes are remitted in such as are guiltie of actual sinnes when they are baptized though onely sin Original be actually remitted in those which are not guiltie of actual sinnes as in Infants No mans sinnes are actually remitted before he be actually guilty of them 8. The Question is how either sin original is remitted or how any work of Satan is dissolved by Baptism And this Question in the General is righly resolved by saying They are remitted by faith But this general Resolytion sufficeth not unless we know the Object of our Faith in this particular Now the particular Object of our Faith of that faith by which sinnes whether by Baptism or otherwise are remitted is not our general Belief in Christ even our belief of Christ dying for us in particular will not suffice unlesse it include our Belief of the Everlasting Vertue of his bloudie Sacrifice and of his everlasting Priest-hood for purifying and cleansing our soules No sinnes be truly remitted unless they be remitted by the Office or exercise of his Priest-hood and whilest so remitted they are not remitted by any other Sacrifice then by the sole vertue of his body and bloud which he once offered for all for the sinnes of all It is not the Vertue or Efficacie of the consecrated water in which we were washed but the vertue of his Bloud which was once shed for us and which by Baptism is sprinkled upon us or communicated unto us which immediately cleanseth us from all our sinnes From this everlasting Vertue of this his bloudy Sacrifice Faith by the ministerie of baptism is immediatly gotten in such as had it not before And in such as have Faith before they be baptized the guilt of Actual sinns is remitted by the exercise or Act of Faith as it apprehends the everlasting Efficacy of this sacrifice and by the prayer of faith and supplication unto our High Priest Faith then is as the mouth or appetite by which were receive this food of Life and is a good sign of health but it is the food itself received which must continue health and strengthen spiritual life in us and the food of life is no other then Christs Body and Bloud and it is our High Priest himself which must give us this food Baptism saith St. Peter 1 Pet. 3. 20. doth save us what Baptism doth save us not the putting away the filth of the flesh yet this is the immediate effect of the water in baptism but the answer or stipulation of a good conscience towards God But how doth this kind of Baptism or this concomitant of Baptism save us The Apostle in the same place tells us by the resurrection of Jesus Christ The answer or stipulation of a good conscience includes an illumination of our spirits by the Spirit of God a qualification by which we are made sonnes of Light being before the sonnes of darkness But That by this qualification we become the sonnes of Light That this qualification is by baptism wrought in us That by this qualification however wrought in us we are saved from our sinnes All this is immediately from the vertue of Christs Resurrection That is as you have heard before he was consecrated by the sufferings of death to be an everlasting Priest and by his resurrection from death his body and bloud became an everlasting Propitiation for sinnes an inexhaustible Fountain of Grace by which we are purifyed from the dead works of sinne 9. It is true again that in the Sacrament of Christs Body and Bloud there is a propitiation for our sinnes because He is really present in it who is the propitiation for our sinnes But it no way hence followes that there is any propitiatorie sacrifice for sin in this Sacrament He becomes the propitiation for our sinnes he actually remits our sinnes not directly and immediately by the Elements of Bread and Wine nor by any other kind of Local Presence or Compresence with these Elements than is in Baptism The Orthodoxal Antients use the same Language for expressing his Presence in Baptism and in the Eucharist they stick not to say that Christ is present or Latent in the water as well as in the Elements of Bread and Wine Their meaning is that neither of these Elements or sensible substances can directly cleanse us from our sinnes by any vertue communicated unto them or inherent in them but only as they are pledges or assurances of Christs peculiar presence in them and of our true investiture in Christ by them We are not then to receive the Elements of bread and wine only in remembrance that Christ dyed for us but in remembrance or assurance likewise that his body which was once given for us doth by its everlasting Vertue preserve our bodies and souls unto everlasting Life and that his bloud which was but once shed for us doth
of Boon Companions did indeed offer sacrifice and do solemn service unto Satan and his Angels the Authors the Favourers and Furtherers of all riot and excesse Now if any that cals himself a Christian or is a Christian by Calling or profession have been as long accustomed to the like riot or excesse or take as great delight in this Sin as they did which offered sacrifice unto Bacchus he is as true and proper a Servant unto Satan as they were For Satan did desire the sacrifice or other Service but as an Homage Rent or Tribute whereby he hoped to gain the possesion of their Souls or a right or interest in their actions or imployments a power of disposing or commanding their affections which offered him sacrifice or payed him tribute Now if he have gotten the like interest in their actions or imployments or the like command over their affections which professe themselves to be Christians they are his by possession or occupation He needs no Sacrifice or solemn Tribute from them which as we Say He holdeth in his own hands Briefly ☜ The Heathens which offered sacrifice unto Bacchus unlesse by this custome they brought themselves to be in Servitude unto the sin of drunkennesse were not more grievous sinners nor greater Bondmen unto Satan then Christians are which are in greater Servitude unto this loathsome Sin 5. Such of the Heathens as worshipped Venus as a supposed Goddesse or Pattonesse of Love and wantonnesse did indeed and in the issue Worship Satan and his unclean Spirits which are the Authors the Nourishers and Maintainers of all bodily filthinesse and uncleannesse If any which professeth himself to be a Christian be as much given over unto wantonness and uncleanness as the Heathens were which Worshipped Venus He is as true and absolute a Slave to Satan as they were and shall be sure to have his wages without repentance as truly and fully paid him as the other shall The least and best wages which he payeth for the use of their actions or imployments during this short and brittle life is an endlesse and never-dying death 6. Such of the Heathens as offered sacrifice unto Pluto whom they supposed to be the God of Riches or of wealth Lord Paramount of Gold of Silver of all kind of Metals or whatsoever else was contained under the surface of the Earth did indeed Worship Satan and his infernal powers And the sacrifice which they offered and other Solemn services which they did unto him shall be as evidences against them at the Last day that were his Servants as a pledge or earnest to bind them to accept his wages If any Christians how Precise or Devout soever they seem to be though daily Frequenters of Publick Prayers though diligent Hearers of Sermons be as Covetous as great Oppressors of their poor Brethren as unconscionable in their gettings as unsatiable in their desires of gain as the Heathens were which thought to purchase Wealth by sacrificing unto Pluto the bond of their Servitude unto Satan is altogether as firm and strong their Servitude or bondage it self altogether as hard as great and dangerous as the Servitude or Bondage of the Heathens were And whilest they are in Servitude unto Satan whatsoever they Profess or make shew of they cannot be the Servants of God or Christ For no man as our Saviour tels us Mat. 6. 24. can serve two Masters for either he will hate the one and love the other or else he will hold to the one and despise the other Ye cannot serve God and Mammon But what doth he mean by Mammon wealth or riches only Certainly a part of his meaning is That every covetous man that every one which is extraordinarily careful for gathering things of this Life Every one that minds most his gain or getting of riches is a Servant to his riches or to his desires of them The other part of his meaning is that He which is a Servant to his desire of riches is a Servant likewise unto him whom the Heathens called Mammon and worshipped as a supposed God of riches For Mammon in the Syriack Tongue is as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek Albeit we Christians know and believe that there is no such God or Lord of wealth and that there is but One God and One Lord who is the Lord and owner as well of the Earth and things in it as of the Heavens Yet have we no reason but to think that the Infernal Spirits have their several Wards or Quarters Some of them have better skill or more experience in humouring Covetous and Worldly minded men Others in humouring or enticing Wantons Others have more skill and experience in alluring men unto drunkenness Et quam unusquisque novit artem in eâ se maximè exercet They quarter themselves according their several skils or experience into several Regiments Some keep watch and ward over Covetous men and present unto them all opportunities of making unlawful gain or of over-reaching their Brethren in bargaining The chief of this ward or Regiment or perhaps the whole Regiment it self is called Mammon Other lye Leigers about such as are more prone to Wantonness Their chief care or imployment is to present them with all opportunities or allurements unto Pleasure Other lye as Agents in Taverns or Tipling houses And their care and imployment is to provoke men to Excess and to such other Enormities or breach of Gods Commandments as accompany excesse of drinking 7. Now this me thinks should be a Great Motive to deterre or dehort any man from yielding Obedience to his own Desire of what transitory Good or Pleasure soever if he would but consider That in yielding Obedience to his own desires he becomes the servant of some sin or other and that in becoming the Servant of any sin whatsoever he becometh the Bondman or slave of Satan who hath one bad propertie which no other Master how cruel or devilish soever besides himself hath and That is To Plague or torment them most which have done him most continual and faithful Service And yet even this Diabolical Disposition of his becomes the faithful Executioner of Gods Justice For every degree of their service done to Satan doth include in it a like degree or portion of Treason or Infidelity towards Christ And it is Just and holy on Gods part though Satanical and Devilish on Satans to recompence such as have done Satan in this World greatest service with the greatest portion or measure of vengeance in the world to come All of us have some one or other of this Infernal Crue daily attending on us hourly watching or dogging us in all our designs or projects throughout cur whole Course of life CHAP. XXI Of the manner How Satan brings men to be his Slaves 1. Plato IT was truly said by One had his meaning been as truly taken Nemo sponte malus No man is wittingly a naughty Man at least no man desires to be
sent and called for Moses and Aaron and said unto them I have sinned this time the Lord is righteous and I and my people are wicked Intreat the Lord for it is enough that there be no more mighty thundrings and bail and I will let you go and ye shall stay no longer Now albeit Moses after he had promised him to remove this Plague did foretell him that he would not be so good as his promise ver 30. But as for thee and thy servants I know that ye will not yet fear the Lord God Yet as it followeth ver 34. When he saw the rain and the bail and the thunder were ceased he sinned yet more and hardened his heart he and his servants And again Chap. 10. ver 7. After his servants upon the sight of the Plague of the Locusts did thus boldly intreat him How long shall this man be a snare unto us Let the men go that they may serve the Lord their God knowst thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed Though he yeild to their request in part yet he instantly faulters ver 8. And Moses and Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh and he said unto them Go serve the Lord your God but who are they that shall go And Moses said we will go with our young and with our old with our sons and with our daughters with our flocks and with our herds will we go for we must hold a feast unto the Lord. And he said unto them let the Lord be so with you as I will let you go and your little ones Look to it for evil is before you Not so Go now ye that are men and serve the Lord for that you did desire and they were driven out from Pharaohs presence The like raving Fitt or Phrenetical Symptom you may observe in him ver 16 17. Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in hast and he said I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you Now therefore forgive I pray thee my sin only this once and intreat the Lord your God that he may take away from me this death only Now though Moses did remove this Plague yet upon his fresh entreatie for Moses to remove another Plague to wit of palpable darknesse he turns unto his vomit again ver 24. 25. And Pharaoh called unto Moses and said Go ye serve the Lord only let your flocks and your heards be stayed let your little ones also go with you And Moses said thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings that we may sacrifice unto the Lord our God c. And ver 28. Pharaoh said unto him Get thee from me take heed to thy self see my face no more for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt dye A speech more foolish then proud to come from a man whom the Lord had so much impoverished and so often humbled and given sufficient proof of his Power to bring farre greater Plagues upon him 19. Though his heart had been thus often hardened yet is it not become so flinty but that the slaughter of his own and of every First-born Male in Egypt did make deeper impression upon it then any of the former Plagues had done The mightie Out-cry which followed upon this sad and woful spectacle to be seen in every house did so farr awake the drowsie spirits amongst the Egyptians even of such as had no children to mourn for that they joyned in Petition with the rest to have the Israelites fairely dismissed and were ready to make them a Golden bridge for their speedier Passage out of Egypt From this time and not before were the Women and Maides of Egypt willing to bestow their jewels and ear-rings upon the Israelitish women that they might wooe their men and children to depart with speed Thus then that which the Lord had indefinitely promised unto Moses from his first Instructions given unto him Exod. 3. 21. was not accomplished till this last Plague was exhibited Nor was the like Prediction of hardening Pharaoh Exod. 4. 21. put in execution before the Plagues of the Murrain of Cattel and of Blains Exod. 9. 12. 20. But from this Mollification of Pharaoh and of his peoples hearts by the slaughter of the First-born there did result a more strange Induration then at any time before had befallen them Of all the infatuated resolutions which either King or People had adventured upon the pursuing of the Israelites with such a mighty army or strong hand after they had fairly intreated them to depart out of their coasts may well to every indifferent Reader seem the most stupid And so the Author of the Book of Wisdom censures it Chap. 19. 3. For whilest they were yet mourning and making lamentation at the graves of the dead they added another foolish Device and pursued them as Fugitives whom they had intreated to be gone Yet Josephus a grave and sagacious Historian gives the intelligent Reader good hints that even this effect or Phrenetical Symptom of Divine Infatuation was but such as hath seised upon worldly wise Princes and States-men in former Ages And hereafter may be inflicted upon more The greatest varietie of Miracles or Wonders in any one Age experienced is scarce sufficient to make up a perfect Induction to perswade superstitious prophane or wilfull Spirits of Gods absolute Power to effect or of his Wisdom to contrive the like in every kind Most men are prone by nature to make such Collections as the servants of the King of Syria did Their Gods are Gods of the bils therefore they were stronger then we but let us fight against them in the plain and surely we shall be stronger then they c. 1 King 30. 23. The undoubted Experiments of the forecited signs all done in Egypt might well perswade Pharaoh and his People That The Lord God of the Hebrews was more skilful in producing wonders then the Gods which the Magicians of Egypt served were that Moses under him had a greater command over the wind and water over the ayre and clouds over the dust of the earth and over all the host of reasonless creatures then either the King the Princes or Priests of Egypt could ever procure from their Gods a more Soveraign Authority over Flies then Baal-zebub had All this being granted they might notwithstanding thus Reason in their hearts Who knows whether all this power was given unto Moses to be exercised onely within the Meridian or Climes of Egypt or whether his Commission might extend over Palestina and Madian The Egyptians at least presumed that The Lord God of the Hebrews had not given Moses such a great command over the armies or hosts of men as the King of Egypt had because the Israelites they knew had no skill in Feats of arms no Captains of Insanteâ—ie no Cavalrie at all no weapons or engins of war offensive especially amongst them Of all which the Egyptians had abundance plentie of Magazines full of them 21 Upon these or the like Presumptions
Means much available for strengthening of Faith or for repairing those decayes or ruines which the subtiltie of Satan works in our soules yet the Reiteration of the Sacrament of Baptism is neither Necessary nor allowable much lesse Commendable for such purposes And the Raritie or rather Singularitie of It was to my apprehension Emblematically prefigured by the Sacrifice of the Red Heifer or the Water of sprinkling which was Legally sanctified or consecrated by her Ashes The Law concerning this kind of Purification is not to be found I take it in Leviticus at least not in that sixteenth Chapter wherein the Law of the Sacrifice of attonement is punctually set down However the forementioned Glossarie upon the Romish Canon for consecrating Holy Water either through negligence See Chapt. 48 Num. 6. or ignorance or both avouch that place for it If the sacrifice of the Red Heifer had belonged unto the Feast of attonement it must have been reiterated once every year whereas the Hebrew Antiquaries affirm that this solemnitie was not used above tea times during all the time of the Law of the Tabernacle or Temple And whether it were so often used may be questioned because there is no Law or Precept for the Continuation of it but only for the use of the water of sprinkling being once consecrated by it so often as the occasion specified in the Law did require 2. But unlesse the frequent use of the water so mingled with the ashes did wast or exhaust the ashes of that one sacrifice which Eleazar not Aaron was commanded to offer These might have been preserved without putrifaction for a longer time then the Law of Ceremonies was to endure For Ashes as good Naturalists tell us being well kept are immortal or an Emblem of Immortalitie But it may be that as soon or as often as the Ashes of any such sacrifice were by frequent use of the water of sprinkling exhausted or wasted the Legal Priests were bound by the Law mentioned to offer another for consecrating the water of sprinkling whose use was to continue as long as the reason mentioned in the Law did indure 3. The chief use or End of the water of sprinkling mingled with the Ashes of this sacrifice was to purifie such as had made themselves Legally unclean or had casually fallen into such uncleanness One branch of this uncleanness was the touching or being touched by any Dead Corps And unto this use of the water of sprinkling mentioned Numb 19. 11. that of our Apostle Heb. 9. 14. hath special Reference more then Allusion How much more shall the bloud of Christ purge our Consciences from DEAD works That this Legal Sacrifice for sinne was an Exquisite Type of Christs Bloudy Death and sufferings or an exact picture of his bloud wherewith the heavenly Sanctuary or Holy places were purified although the bloud of this Legal sacrifice were not brought into the Earthly Sanctuary no good Writers which I have read either deny or question That the Water of sprinkling consecrated by the aspersion of the Ashes of this Legal Sacrifice did truely resemble the water of Baptism by which we are washed from sin and consecrated unto God as clean persons that is made members of his Church here on earth is so evident in it self that it needs no Paraphrase or Laborious Comment upon the fore-cited Law Yet to this purpose the learned Reader may find much pertinent matter in Chytraeus his Comments upon the Book of Numbers and in many others It will be more needful or better suiting with my intentions in this place to prevent the captious exceptions which some Anti-Papists have heretofore taken and now resume against the expressions of our Publick Liturgie in that Part of it which concerns the Administration of Baptism Almighty and everlasting God which of thy great mercie diddest save Noah and his Familie in the Ark from perishing by water and also diddest safely lead the children of Israel through the red sea figuring thereby thy holy Baptism and by the Baptism of thy wel-beloved Son Iesus Christ diddest sanctifie the floud Iordan and all other waters to the mystical washing away of sin We beseech thee for thine infinite mercies that thou wilt mercifully look upon these Children Sanctifie them and wash them with the holy Ghost that they being delivered from thy wrath may be received into the Ark of Christs Church and being stedfast in faith joyful through hope and rooted in charity may so passe the waves of this troublesome world that finally they may come to the land of everlasting life there to reign with thee world Without end through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen Seeing now dearly beloved Brethren that these Children be regenerate and grafted into the body of Christs Congregation let us give thanks unto God for these Benefits and with one accord make our prayers unto Almightie God that they may lead the rest of their life according to this beginning We yeild thee heartie thanks most merciful Father that it hath pleased thee to regenerate this Infant with thy holy Spirit to receive him for thine own Child by adoption and to incorporate him into thy holy Congregation and humbly we beseech thee to grant that he being dead unto sin and living unto righteousness and being buried with Christ in his death may crucifie the old man and utterly abolish the whole body of sin that as he is made partaker of the death of thy Son so he may be partaker of his resurrection so that finally with the residue of thy holy congregation he may be Inheritor of thine everlasting Kingdom through Christ our Lord. Amen 4. It is no part of our Churches Doctrin or meaning that the washing or sprinkling infants bodyes with Consecrated water should take away sinnes by it's own immediate Vertue To affirm thus much implies as I conceive a Contradiction to that Apostolical doctrin The like figure whereunto even Baptism doth also now save us not the putting away the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good Conscience towards God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ who is gone into heaven c. 1. Pet. 3. 21. The meaning of our Church intends no further then thus That if this Sacrament of Baptism be duely administred the blood or bloody Sacrifice of Christ or which is all one the Influence of his spirit doth alwaies accompany or is Concurrent to this solemn Act. But whether this Influence of his spirit or Vertual presence of his body and blood be either immediatly or only terminated to the soul and spirit of the party Baptized or have some vertual influence upon the water of Baptism as a mean to convey the Grace of Regeneration unto the soule of the partie Baptized whilest the water is poured upon him is Too Nice and curious a Question in this Age for sober Christians to debate or contend about It may suffice to beleive that this Sacramental pledge hath a Vertual Presence of Christs Blood or some Real
of God ver 1 2. And again more fully ver 8 9 10 11. God commendeth his love towards us in that whilest we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us Much more then being now justified by his bloud we shall be saved from wrath through him For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life And not only so but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have now received the attonement The Ground then of our Hope or of such Certaintie as we can attain unto in this life is our Reconciliation to God of which our Apostle speakes more fully and divinely 2 Cor. 5. If any man be in Christ he is a new Creature Old things are past away behold all things are become new and all things are of God who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ and hath given to us the ministerie of Reconciliation to wit that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath committed to us the word of reconciliation ver 17 18 19. But if this Reconciliation were sufficient for our Certaintie of Salvation what need were there of a second Reconciliation or a second part at least of the same Reconciliation which our Apostle presseth upon us ver 20. 21. Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead to be reconciled to God For he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him The first part of Reconciliation is Active or at the most part but a Grammatical Passive As a man is said to be Called when he is summoned to appear though he make no Personal Appearance so are we said to be Reconciled to God when pardon for our sins is proclaimed though before we could take notice of it The Second Reconciliation is a Real passive and includes a Turning unto the Lord by Acceptance of our Pardon and by serious pursuing the Allowance of it The former part of Recenciliation is wrought by meer Imputation of Christs death and merits The second is wrought partly by Imputation but especially by Real Participation of Grace from Christ and gifts of the spirit These are They that must defend and guard our soules against the Re-entry or Re-possession of Satan and wicked spirits whether by fair or forcible means 3. Answerable to the Two Sorts or Degrees of Reconciliation there are Two Sorts or two Branches of Iustification The One by meere Imputation of Christs Death and Passion which was once wrought for all at his Consecration to His Everlasting Priest-hood The Other by Participation of his Grace or Operation of his Priesthood since his Resurrection and Ascension During the time of Legal Sacrifices whether for sinnes against the Ceremonial or Moral Law the People were bound upon new occasions to bring new Sacrifices unto the Priest and he bound to offer them up unto the Lord for their Reconciliation or Attonement For us Christians to think or conceive of more Sacrifices for sinne then One that was Once offered for all were to deny Christ or the Efficacie of His Everlasting Priesthood But as for the Sacrifices of prayers prayses or thanksgiving for what is past or supplications for the assistance of Christs Spirit for the time to come These we are bound to offer up to God by Christ more frequently then the Jews could offer up their bloudy Sacrifices or then the Priests could attend this service which they were to attend only at certain houres or Solemn Times because they were but mortal men and could not perform their Office 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But Christ since his Resurrection and Ascension is not only an Everlasting High Priest but doth exercise this his Function without Intermission Every Priest standeth dayly ministring and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices which can never take away sins But this Priest after he had offered one Sacrifice for sin sate down on the right hand of God For ever So the Syriack reades Points it much better then the Ordinary English doth or the Greek as may appear from a Parallel place Hebr. 7. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He remaineth a Priest for ever 4. Briefly though every sin perhaps every Gross sin which we commit after our Justification by the Resurrection of Christ and reall Participation of his Grace doth not work a Total Interruption in our Estate or Interest in him yet every such sin doth work a decay or diminution of Grace or some extinguishment of the Spirit of Life both which must be repayred by the Efficacy or Exercise of his Everlasting Priest-hood None is so just whether by Imputation of his merits or by Encrease of Grace but may and must be dayly more justifyed So that the Son of God doth set us free First by his sufferings upon the Cross Secondly by the Laver of Baptism and by Participation of his Life and Spirit and Lastly he will set us Free indeed at the Resurrection of the Just when we shall be translated into that heavenly house or mansion wherein he abideth for ever 5. Thus much of the Knowledge of Christ and of him Crucified and of the exercise of his Everlasting Priest-hood Points wherein I could wish to take more pains though to the wasting of my bodily Spirits upon Condition I could perswade a great part of the Clergie of this Kingdom not to make Christ Crucified and raised from the Dead a meer By-stander in most of their Disputes concerning Election c. as if he had shed his precious bloud to no other purpose save only the purchase of their own Salvation or the Eternal Excommunication or Damnation of others Now whether I have justly charged them with denyal of Christs Everlasting Priest-hood or of his Absolute Dominion or Final Judicature I here solemnly appeal unto Him in that great Day when he shall come as I verily believe He shall to judge the Quick and the Dead To reward every man according to all his workes whether his Writings Sayings or Actions C. Reader THE main Work of the sixth Section was to prepare and clear the way for The Exercise of Christs Everlasting Priesthood by amoving that Great Mountain of the Rigid Decree which in the Authors judgment did obstruct the general approach to the Throne of mercy and the issues of Grace flowing thence It making Christ a meer Spectator at most an Instrument to Execute a Decree passed before all Worlds and no Actor Advocate or Intercessor This following eighth Section treats of Certain Errors which though some of them do not wholly Evacuate or null yet do all of them disparage and Entrench upon the vertue and Efficacie of Christs Priest-hood Some of them were toucht before here they are more fully handled SECT
still cleanse us from all our sinnes from which in this life we are cleansed or can hope to be cleansed If we then receive remission of sinnes or purification from our sinnes in the Sacrament of the Eucharist as we alwaies doe when we receive it worthily we receive it not immediately by the sole serious remembrance of his death but by the present Efficacie or operation of his body which was given for us and of his Bloud which was shed for us 10. The reason why the bloud of Bulls and of Goats had no longer force or efficacie to cleanse men though but from sinnes against the Law of Ceremonies then whilest they were offered was because their bloud was corruptible bloud and did perish with the using But we are not redeemed saith S. Peter 1 Pet. 1. 18. with corruptible things as silver and Gold but with the pretious bloud of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish or without spot One part of the pretiousness of his bloud is that it is farr more incorruptible then silver gold or other pretious metall and the less corruptible any metall is the more pretious it is and the more pretious it is the more uncorruptible Though Christ then was truly mortal when he dyed for us yet the bloud that he shed forth for us at his death did not become like water spilt upon the ground which cannot be gathered again it did not vanish or consume as the bloud of Legal Sacrifices did as his Body so his Bloud was not to see or feel corruption not a drop of Bloud which was shed for us whether in the Garden or upon the Crosse but was the bloud of the Son of God but was shed by him as willing at this price to become the everlasting High Priest of our soules and not a drop of Bloud which was so shed did cease or shall ever cease to be the bloud of the Son of God His soule and body we know were disunited by death yet were neither of them disunited from his Godhead or Divine Person His Body whilest laid in the grave was still the Body of the Son of God as still retaining Personal Vnion with his Godhead So was his soule so was his Bloud the soule and Bloud of the Son of God as being indissolubly united to his Divine Person Though his bloud whilest it was shed or powred out did lose its Physical or Local Union with his body though one portion of it were divided from another yet no drop of it was divided from his infinite Person And that which the Romish Church would transferre unto each several crum of bread or drop of Wine in the Eucharist is Originally and properly true of the several drops or divisibilities of Christs Bloud which was shed for us whole Christ was in every one of them indivisibly in every one of them God was the Godhead was and is personally united to all of them 11. Whether all and every portion of his bloud which was then shed were by the power of the Godhead recollected and re-united to his Body as his Body was to his Soule at the resurrection See Chap 46. Numb 2. we cannot tell God knowes But this we know and believe that the self same bloud which was then shed whether it were gathered together again or remained dispersed whether it were re-united to his Glorifyed Body or divided from it is still united to the Fountain of Life to the Godhead in the Person of the Son And being united to this Fountain of Life who dwelleth in it as light within the body of the Sun it is of Efficacie everlasting it hath an immortal power or force to dissolve the Works of Satan in us as well those which he worketh in us after Baptism as before The Vertue of it to cleanse and purge us from our sinnes of what kind soever is at this day as soveraign as if it had been sprinkled upon our soules whilest it issued out of his body It is impossible it should lose its Vertue in or upon our soules unless vve first lose our Interest in it vvhich vve cannot lose but by abandoning the vvaies of light and polluting our soules vvith the Works of darkness For so long as we walk in the light the bloud of Jesus Christ the Son of God doth cleanse us from all our sins 12. 1 John 1. 7. This present Efficacie of Christs body and Bloud upon our soules or reall Communication of both I find as a truth unquestionable amongst the Antient Fathers and as a Catholick Confession The Modern Lutheran and the modern Romanist have fallen into their several Errors concerning Christs presence in the Sacrament from a common ignorance neither of them conceive nor are they vvilling to conceive hovv Christs body and bloud should have any Real Operation upon our soules unlesse they were so Locally present as they might Agere per contactum that is either so purge our soules by Oral Manducation as Physical Medicines do our bodies vvhich is the pretended use of Transubstantiation or so quicken our souls as svveet odours do the Animal spirits which were the most probable use of the Lutheran Consubstantiation Both the Lutheran and Papists avouch the Authoritie of the Ancient Church for their opinions but most injuriously For more then we have said or more than Calvin doth stiffely maintain against Zuinglius and other Sacramentaries cannot be inferred from any speeches of the truely Orthodoxal or Ancient Fathers They all agree that we are immediately cleansed and purifyed from our sinnes by the bloud of Christ That his humane Nature by the inhabitation of the Deitie is made to us the inexhaustible Fountain of life But about the particular manner how life is derived to us from his humane Nature as whether it sends its sweet influence upon our soules only from the heavenly Sanctuary wherein it dwells as in its Sphere or vvhether his bloud vvhich vvas shed for us may have more immediate Local presence vvith us they no way disagree because they in this kind abhorred curiositie of dispute As for Vbiquitie and Transubstantiation they are the two Monsters of modern times brought forth by ignorance and maintained only by Faction And thus much of the infinite value and everlasting Vertue of Christs Sacrifiâ—e in comparison of Legal Sacrifices The next Querie is How the everlasting Efficacie of his Sacrifice or of his Priesthood was prefigured by Legal Sacrifices or purifications for sin 13. The Legal sacrifices as all agree did generally foreshaddow Christs Onely and All-sufficient Sacrifice But in as much as they were corruptible and their vertue transient and by reason of their corruption and transient vertue were often to be reiterated they could not be so much as true shaddowes either of his offering of Himself once for all or of the everlasting vertue of his Onely Sacrifice once offered Their imperfection corruption or transient vertue did serve as foyles to set forth the glorie and splendor of his everlasting
against the moral Law of God So doth his Blood or operative Vertue of his Everlasting sacrifice consecrate or qualifie the Elements of Bread and Wine to purifie and cleanse our soules from such actual sinnes as after Baptism we have committed This perennal Efficacie or Operative Vertue of Christs Body and Blood consecrated once for all by the sacrifice of himself to be a perpetual purification for such as were to be consecrated Kings and Priests unto their God which was thus pictured by the former Legal or Mosaical Rites was more expressly foretold by the Prophet Zacharie For having in the twelfth Chap. ver 10. Prophesied of the piercing of the Son of Gods most pretious Body by the Jewes for which when God should open their eyes to see the truth they should lament and mourn he explicates the Use or End to which the Divine Providence had destinated this their malitious crueltie Chap. 13. 1. In that day there shall be a Fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness By this offering of himself Once for all by this opening of his pretious Side he hath consecrated all that are Sanctified and all that are sanctified are sanctified by it Yet not actually sanctified or actually consecrated by his Blood before it be sprinkled in our hearts by Faith And to instruct us that the Legal Water of separation or sprinkling did foreshadow the Blood of Christ the Apostle termes it The blood of sprinkling Heb. 12. 24. CHAP. LVI The Efficacie of Christs Sacrifice and the Use of his Priest-hood Two distinct several Things Wherein the Exercise of his Priest-hood doth consist How it was foreshaddowed Ordinaâ—ces effectual by vertue of Christs Presence Vertual Presence is a Real presence 1. SUch as deny the Everlasting Efficacie of Christs Sacrifice may be presumed likewise to deny the Vse of his Everlasting Priesthood Howbeit all such as grant the everlasting Efficacie of his Sacrifice cannot hence be concluded to admitt the everlasting use of his Priesthood For these be Two distinct Points of our Belief If Belief in Christs death or in the Everlasting Efficacie of his sacrifice were all that we are bound to believe we were not bound to acknowledge any other Act of his Priesthood besides the offering up of himself in Sacrifice But by this one Act of his Priesthood he was consecrated to be an Everlasting Priest And if he be an Everlasting Priest he still executes the Office or Function of an High Priest And it is our Dutie the Chief Point of our Religion to supplicate unto him as to The Onely High Priest of our Soules that he would make us partakers of his Everlasting Sacrifice as we say ex Officio by exercising the Office or Function of an High Priest The Question is Wherein the Function or exercise of his Priesthood doth consist To this we answer First Negatively That it doth not consist in the often offering up of himself by his Priests or Ministers here on Earth For if he were on Earth saith the Apostle Heb. 8. 4. he should not be a Priest This argues that he exerciseth his Priest-hood in the heavenly Sanctuary not in Temples made vvith hands So saith the Apostle more expresly Heb. 9. 24. Christ is not entred into the holy places made with hands which are the figures of the true but into heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us Nor yet that he should offer himself often as the High priest entreth into the holy place every year 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with bloud of others For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself The truth then is as you have heard before that Christ by his bloudy Sacrifice upon the Crosse was consecrated to be an Everlasting Priest And that this Consecration was not accomplished untill his Resurrection from the dead For it is not conceivable that he should be an Everlasting Priest before he became an Immortal man and by his rising c opened the Gate of Everlasting life After he was thus consecrated by death and by the resurrection from the dead to be an Everlasting Priest after the Order of Melchizedeck he was not to offer any sacrifice nor do we read that Melchizedeck offered any Wherein then did Melchizedecks Priesthood consist Only in the dignitie of Authoritative blessing See Book 9. Ch 9. and 11 He was saith Moses the Priest of the most high God and he blessed Abraham and said Blessed be Abraham of the most High God possessour of Heaven and Earth St. Cyril * See the note at the end of this Chapter in his Parallel betwixt Christ and Melchisedech speakes more expressly and reads the Text more punctually for the Opinion of Reformed Churches than we our selves for the most part doe 2. This exercise of Christs spiritual Priesthood in the heavenly Sanctuary was foreshaddowed by sundry services and sacrifices of the Law By that Solemn Attonement which the High Priest made in the most holy place and as we have often said by the sacrifice of the Red Heifer also Albeit that solemnitie did prefigure him likewise in the Act of his Consecration or designation to his heavenly Sanctuary This Heifer was slain by another without the Camp in Eleazars sight and yet Eleazar the Priest was to sprinkle the bloud of this sacrifice before the Tabernacle of the Congregation that is with his face towards the Sanctuary on which unless he did constantly look whilest he did sprinkle the bloud the service was frustrated as the Jews say This testifyed that the validity of this Act or the purification intended by it was to be expected from the Sanctuary Christ likewise was slain by the hands of sinful men without the City Heb. 9. 14. And yet though slain by them he offered himself by the eternal Spirit And whether by This eternal spirit or by his spirit as man or by both certain it is that by the Spirit he sprinkleth the bloud of the new Covenant upon us and prepareth a way for us to the heavenly Sanctuary As the people under the Law might not enter into the Congregation nor the Priests into the Sanctuary untill they had been purifyed from their uncleanness by the water of sprinkling so neither could we or any of Gods people have accesse unto the most holy Place or heavenly Sanctuary untill the way were prepared for us by the bloud of the Son of God nor untill we be sprinkled and purifyed with his Bloud Having therefore brethren boldnesse to enter into the holyest by the bloud of Jesus by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the vaile that is to say his flesh And having an high Priest over the house of God Let us draw neer with a true heart in full assurance of faith having our