the first saying Repent and believe the Gospell this did the Apostles Preach after him as he commanded them Act. 2. 38 Act. 〈◊〉 and Act. 20. 20. 21. Where Saint Paul saith I kepte â—â—ching backe that was profitables but taught and testified both to the Iewes and also to the Greeks repentance towards God and saith in our Lord Iesus Christ This did Moses and the Prophets also before Christ came in the flesh Preach and require of the people as the most necessary things to be attained if they would be saved This Abel Hen cb Noah and all the blessed of their times attained unto and had it wrought in them from above And Abraham also before circumcision in the flesh was required This all the holy Patriarchs Prophets and righteous men and women of the Jewes had And that woman which is so specially remembred unto us in the Gospell whose Baptisme of repentance is so truely manifested by her plentifull teares wherewith she washed Christs feet And her Baptisme of the holy Ghost and justification by faith from her sins by her true and much love to Christ expressed in her washing and kissing his feet and anoynting them with oyle For every one that is borne from above of water and of the Spirit is inwardly of the same heavenly nature all the dayes of his life after whose fruit doth alwayes in his due times and seasons according to his measure like the tree planted by the river side shew forth the fame This al the elect of God that ever were now are or hereafter shal be have had have must have yea the youngest child dying in the birth or the womb if not in outward expression yet inwardly in the true nature thereof for no one child of man begotten of flesh can be saved except he be begotten from above of water and of the Spirit and so changed or renewed from the polluted and inthralled estate of nature which we all had and received originally in the very conception into the estate of grace and love with God in Christ And God may worke this change this new birth or rebegetting in the wombe if it pleaseth him as he did in Iohn the Baptist or at the time of outward baptisme if he so please or before it as he did in Abraham before circumcision in the flesh and as in the Apostles times he did to some or after it as he had done formerly after circumcision and now most usually doth since all are so generally baptized in their young estate For we may not limit God neither hath he tyed himselfe to any time or estate of nature in us nor to any one outward action performed by man unto us although he hath ordained sundry excellent holy out ward meanes whereby he doth direct and lead us as it were by the hand to the things that are spirituall and indeed necessary which we are bound to imbrace with much thankfulnesse to God and to use with reverence and not to despise the least of them nor in any part wilfully neglect them in paine of Gods high displeasure But the death and resurrection of Christ the sacrifice of his body and blood the value vertue price and purchase thereof he hath tyed himselfe unto so as that without it and some powerfull administration the same to the soule of man there is no salvation as Christ pronounceth saying Except yee eate the flesh of the Son of man and drinke his blood yee have no life in you Iohn 6. 53. The Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords Supper have both respect unto this Baptisme to the new birth wherein weare set in the estate of life thereby the Lord Supper to the continuall Commmunion which every one that is once made alive by it hath therein to eternall life and so the flesh of Christ Is meat indeed and his blod is drinke indeed to them according to the word of Christ Iohn 6. 54. 55. Not as if any man did or could eat the very flesh or drinke his blood carnally as Doctor Cosins affirmed not that the bread of the Sacrament or the wine is turned into the flesh or blood of Christ either before we receive them or after so conveied into us as some would make us beleev nor any other kind of way is the flesh or blood of Christ conveied or infused into our bodies or soules to set us in the estate of life or to continue us in the same nay then how could they that were before Christ came in the flesh be saved for the same necessity of eating his flesh and drinking his blood was to them then even from the first fall of Adam as is now to us but it is the grace purchased thereby which we doe receive in our hearts by faith and which by his mediation is continued with us For as the Law which is the Minister of death came by Moses â—oâ— grace and truth which bringeth life is by JESUS GHRIST And therefore the Apostles so often Write and say The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ bee with you c. For although the very body and blood of Christ be the price of the purchase in that respect the only mediate cause of our life and salvation yet doth not his body and blood enter into us to revive and save us nay so it profiteth nothing as Christ himselfe said against some that conceived his words in such a carnall manner as now at this time many doe What and if you shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before It is the spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing the words that I speake unto you they are spirit and they are life Iohn 6. 62. 63. Neither doe we by the acts of eating the bread or drinking the wine of the Sacrament eate or drinke the grace of God purchased by the body and blood of Christ neither is grace conferred or any way secretly conveied to our hearts in the bread or wine or by them nor by any thing inferior unto it selfe but it is conferred to the heart of man by the Spirit of God through the word of his promise therefore called the word of his grace And the instrument hand or mouth wherewith wee doe receive the same is faith in the heart caused also therein by the operation of the same spirit as Paul declareth for the habit and estate of eternall life and the promise of raysing up at the last day which Christ doth certifie to those that eate his flesh and drinke his blood doth he assure to them that beleeve in him so that to beleeve in Christ is to eate his flesh and drinke his blood according to his meaning and therefore a sinner is sometimes said to be justified by grace sometimes by the blood of Christ sometimes by faith because in the act of our justification all these doe concur and are together the
such like circumstances as in the 83. Pag. of the said booke against Anabaptists is also set downe alwayes provided as it must be understood that it be the true worship of God that is commanded and not any idolatry or heathenish superstition as is now in the Church of Rome commanded and practised these things being so then I reason thus further If Caesar or our King Law and Authoritie may command a place and places times c. for the publique worship of God that is to say for the assembling together of the people of God to prayer preaching reading and hearing of the word of God the administration and participation of the Sacraments praising and giving thankes unto God for all his benefits c. and that all true Christian Subjects are bound to obey the King Law and Authoritie and come to the publique worship of God in those publique places times c. then no Christian subject may separate or schisme therefrom nor make any private assemblies speake practise or doe any thing in opposition or contradictory thereunto Nay but on the contrary every Christian subject young and old is bound to be thankfull unto God day and night that hath vouchsafed to dispose the hearts of Kings Princes and Authoritie of that Nation whereof he is a member and a subject to set their helping hands to build the walls of Ierusalem to cast out the abominations of the Heathen and of Antichrist and restore the morning and evening sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving as in the former time and in the dayes of old which the Kings Princes and Authority of this our Nation have in some good measure done to the great benefit of the same thankes be unto God therefore So that taking my words right as they are Caesar may command a place for the publique and this will be the true and necessary consequence of them and then these words so he forbid none in private will receive of all charitable minded Christians a more favourable construction then to tend to the maintaining of the private assemblies of Familists Separatists or other Sectraies but onely to preserve the libertie that every Christian hath to worship God to pray unto him and doe him service at all times and in all places every where even in our secret chambers with humble and contrite hearts lifting up pure hands as the Scriptures speake Ioh 4. 23. Mat. 6. 6. 1 Thes. 5. 17 18. 1 Tim. 2. 8. and as it is in Psal. 111. 1. How false and deceitfull therefore Henry Robrowgh hath here sworne and dealt I refer to the indifferent discreet Reader to consider And secondly in that the chargeth me to agree with the Familists in the perfect puritie of the soule after regeneration and onely upon the report of one Iesop as himselfe saith I refer also this to the wise to consider how safely he may depose the same of me upon the report of another whereas for my part whatsoever Iesop hath said or holdeth I never held any such thing but doe hold the soule of the holiest man living to be impure and although as Paul faith of himselfe a regenerate Christian doth in his minde serve the law of God yet neverthelesse through the law and strength of his corrupt members he even his soule is led captive to the law of sinne and of death and so is a captive to sinne but not a servant Neither did I ever agree with the Familists or any other such like blasphemous sect in any of their tenents and opinions but have opposed and disproved them according to my abilitie as in the aforesaid booke against Anabaptists is to be seene and as some can testifie so that herein also Mr. Robrowgh is a false witnesse how rightly I have been condemned by the Court for these things upon these testimonies I refer to the discreet Christian Reader to consider Their third Accusation as it is in the sentence of the Court according to Mr. Denisons fourth Article That the said Etherington within the time aforesaid hath also maintained and published that the Church of England is no true Church of Christ and that it teacheth false doctrine To the first part that the Church of England is no true Church of Christ Rowland Thomson Thomas Rogers and Henry Robrowgh doe depose and testifie The testimony of Thomson To the fourth he deposeth and saith that he this deponent hath within the time articulate heard the said Etherington maintaine or publish some of the opinions articulate viz. that the Church of England as it is now by Law established is no true Church of Christ The testimony of Rogers To the fourth Article he deposeth and saith that the said Etherington hath within the time articulate and since the 20 of December 1623. held and published in this deponents and his precontest Thomsons presence that the Church of England as it is here by Law established is no true Church of Christ The testimony of Robrowgh To the fourth Article he deposeth that the articulate Etherington hath of this deponents knowledge within the time articulate maintained and published that the Church of England as it is here by Law established is no true Church of Christ because he teacheth this true Church to consist of the regenerate onely as in his booke against Separatists Pag. 15. My answer and defence Thomson and Rogers they as two confederates keepe close together in their conspiracy against me for although I neither published nor spake to or in the hearing or presence of them or any other that the Church of England as it is now by Law established is no true church of Christ nor any thing to such purpose yet these two Joyners as well acquainted before hand with Mr. Denisons Articles and being with Henry Robrowgh the chiefe of his counsell in the inventing and making them to confirme what they had begun by a secret equivocation they depose upon some words which I spake in answer to their questions and demands that I had published as aforesaid and because they will be sure to agree in one tale they come both together to the office to be examined and there Rogers standing by Thomson while he was examining which is the reason why the Examiner calleth Thomson Rogers precontest as being examined immediately before him and in his presence and hearing which my selfe comming to the Office the same time saw let not the Reader therefore marvaile that they so well agree They name no time place nor person to be present besides themselves Rogers and his precontest when I should publish this thing and I was never in company with these two men alone at any time Christ sayth He that doth evill hateth the light and he that doth well commeth to the light c. wherefore if these mens consciences had not accused them of their false and evill dealing and that they had not feared their evill deeds to be discovered they would no doubt have named both time and place and some of the
grace of God the Father being the prime and chiefe cause therof the body and blood of Christ the second principal or mediate cause faith the instrumentall and inferiour cause and the justified are said also to live and to be saved by the grace of God by the flesh and blood and life of Christ and by faith And in this consideration because Christ is the onely mediator and reconciler between God and man doth he so often speake of himselfe and say My Father giveth you the true bread from heaven the bread of God is he which commeth downe from heaven and giveth life unto the world I am the bread of life this is the bread of life which commeth down from heaven that a man may eate thereof and not dye I am the living bread which came down from heaven if any man eate of this bread he shall live for ever and the bread that I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world except yee eate the flesh of the Son of man and drinke his blood yee have no life in you who so eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternall life and I will raise him up at the last day For my flesh is meate indeed and my blood is drinke indeed he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him as the living Father hath sent me and I live by the Father so he that eateth me even he shall live by me c. And in this manner spake he afterwards of the Sacrament of the Supper which hee left and commanded unto his Church to bee done to shew forth his death untill his second comming saying of the Bread Take â— eate this is my Body and of the Cup Drinke yee all of this for this is the Blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sinnes Matth. 26. 26. 27. 28. And Saint Paul likewise saith of the same Sacrament The cup of blessing which wee blesse is it not the communion of the Blood of Christ and the Bread which wee breake is it not the communion of the Body of Christ for wee being many are one Bread for wee are all pertakers of that one bread 1 Cor. 10. 16. 17. as if he should say is not this the spirituall intent and true meaning or signification thereof doth it not shew forth and give us to understand the Communion that is betweene Christ and his Church and every member of it how hee hath purchased it and life and eternall salvation for it with his owne Body and Blood and that although the members thereof bee many yet they being by faith made partakers of him the true and living Bread are all in a spirituall manner one body with him and one bread and doe live by him The like whereof hee had said before to the same Corrinthians of the forefathers Moreover brethren I would not that yee should bee ignorant how that all our fathers were under the cloud and all passed through the Sea and were baptized unto Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea and did all eate the same spirituall meate and did all drinke the same spirituall drinke for they dranke of that spirituall Rocke which followed them and that Rocke was Christ 1. Cor. 10. 1. 2. 3. 4. So that all the holy fathers not onely they that had passed through the Sea with Moses whom Saint Paul doth here instance for proofe but all that were before them and after them to his dayes were baptized with the same spirituall Baptisme wherewith hee himselfe and all the faithfull to this day have beene and are Baptized and did all eate the same spirituall meat and drinke the same spirituall drinke as wee now doe having all the same benefit of Christ and of the Sacrifice of his Body and Blood as wee now have and are all of him and one body with us and wee with them as Saint Paul also further manifesteth saying For as the body is one and hath many members and all the members of this one body being many are one body so also is Christ For by one spirit are we all Baptized into one body whether we be Iewes or Gentiles whether we be bond or free and have beene all made drinke into one spirit 1. Cor. 12 12. 13. For although Christ dyed but once in the latter time and in one place of the world yet his death was as avayleable with God with whom all things to come and past are present before his comming in the flesh and death as since and as effectuall to his elect of all nations in all times and in all places then as now for there is but one way of salvation in him and by him unto all in all times and in all places though it be not declared in a like manner and measure to all in all times and in all places These things I doe beleeve to be true for which if I shall still be judged vile and continued a prisoner I must still have patience If otherwise and that I shall find reliefe I hope I shall be thankfull unto God and not forget my duty to my relievers From the new Prison in Maiden-lane in London 1627. I doe now confesse againe that after all these things I having indured three yeares imprisonment and having often petitioned to the Court within the same time shewing my wrongs and grievances and requesting my liberty those two fore-mentioned Bishops of Winchester and Rochester Doctor Neâ— and Doctor Buckridg furthering my request to the Arch-Bishop I was discharged and released without any kind of justification either of the Courts proceedings or the witnesses depositions or any part of Denisons doings or acknowledging my selfe guilty of the things wherewith I was charged further then I have declared The last Court day of Michaelmas terme in the yeare 1629. for if I would but have acknowledged to the Court that I had been judicially convicted which I could not doe I might have beene discharged long before But notwithstanding this that I am now at libertie from prison yet the scandalls and reproaches of my adversaries remain still all over this Land and other parts likewise by reason not onely of that unrighteous sentence of the Court passed on me upon those insufficient and false depositions but especially of those wicked infamous Sermons and bookes which my accuser and prosecutor Denison hath published against me and are disperst through the Kingdome So that not onely my person but my name is odious and hatefull to many my friends my children and all that beare my name suffer by this meanes But why should it so much grieve me or trouble them seeing that the more any one suffereth for the truth sake the more he hath cause to rejoyce because so much the greater is his reward in heaven as the Lord himselfe Who is the way the truth and life hath said Mat. 5. So commending the judicious true Christian Reader To the grace of God and of the Lord Iesus Christ I rest his true Christian friend JOHN ETHERINGTON And if any shall thinke I have not yet answered that Booke of the Sermon preacht against me at the Crosse tituled The white wâ—olfe by Doctor Denison for he hath now by reason of that worke as it seemeth obtained the name of Doctor which before he had not let such a one but consider well without partiallity what is declared in this my defence and I hope he shall see every thing in the Doctors White wâ—olfe that conserneth me in substance fully answered and whether he or I have played the ravening Woolves part I refer to the judicious Christian Reader that hath read both to consider And so I rest his christian friend wishing him all true wisdome from above whereby to discerne betweene truth and falsehood and betweene true Prophets and false that so he be not deceived I. E. Errata IN pag. 1. l. the last after invent read spoken against him In pag. 2. l. 19. read mind iâ— In pag. 12. l. 23. for dareth read dareth not In pag. 31. l. the 1. for his read this In pag. 36. l. 18. for Sabbath read Sabbaths In pag. 38. l. 19. read could not In pag. 38 1. 25. for oposition read exposition In pag. 38. l. 28. for used read useth In pag. 39. l. the last recit read receive In pag. 41. l. the 7. for answers read adversaries In pag. 41. l. the 16. for suscribe read subscribe In pag. 42. l. 6. for or may read are may In pag. 44. l. 14. for walks read walt Matth. 25. Acts 20. John 5. 39. Matth. 24. 5. Revel. 1. 3. Heb. 3. 12 13. Heb. 10. 24. 25. Mat. 24. 22. Heb. 6. Mark 1. 1 2 3 4. Mat. 16. 18. 1 Pet. 2. 4. 5. 1 Cor. 10. 17. 12. 12 13. 1 Joh. 2. 19. Heb. 3. 6. Esay 58. Col. 2. Gal. 4. Page 70 71. Mat. 4. 8. Mat. 11. 17. Mat. 3. 11. 12. Esay 61. 1. 2. â— Act. 10. 37. Act. 13. 23. 24. Mat. 11. 5. Luke 7. 22. Heb. 6. Luke 24. 47. 48. Mar. 1. 15. Act. 2. 38. Act. 3. 19. Act. 20. Deut. 30. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. Esay 57. 14. 15. Esay 66. 1. 2. Iere. 4. 4. Hose 10. 12. Ioel 2. 12. 13. Psal. 51. 16. 17. Psal. 95. 7. 8. 11. c. Rom. 16. 14. 1 Cor. 16. 24. 2 Cor. 13. 14. Gal. â— 18. Philip 4. 23. 1 Thes. 5. 28. Rev. 22. 21. 2 Cor. 3. 3. Col. 2. 12. Iohn 6. 54. Ver. 35. 40 and 47. Ioh. 6. 32. 33. 35. 48. 51. 53. 55. 56. 57. 58. c.