Father so the Our in the second Article is set to denote all and every one of us every man in the world without any exception to be redeemed by God the Son § 5. And accordingly the Catechisme of the Church of England established by Law and preserved in our Liturgie as a special part of it expounds the Creed in this sense I believe in God the Father which made me and all the world 2. In God the Son who redeemed me and all mankinde 3. In God the Holy Ghost who sanctifieth me and all the elect people of God Where as Creation is common to more creatures then redemption and redemption then sanctification so Mankinde to which Redemption belongs as it is farre narrower then the world or the works of God's creation so is it farre wider then the catalogue of all the Elect people of God to whom sanctification belongs § 6. So in other parts of our Liturgie in Consecrating the Eucharist we have this form of prayer Almighty God which didst give thine only son Jesus Christ to suffer death upon the Cross for our redemption and made there by his one oblation of himself once offered a full perfect and sufficient sacrifice oblation and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world And accordingly in the administration of that Sacrament the elements are delivered to every communicant in this form The body of our Lord Jesus Christ which was given for thee and The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ which was shed for thee preserve thy body and soul into everlasting life Which supposeth it the doctrine of our Church avowed and professed that Christ's death was not only sufficient for all if God would have so intended and designed it but that he was actually designed and given for all not only as many as come to that Sacrament which yet is wider then the Elect but us men or mankinde in general whose salvation was sought by God by this means § 7. So in our Articles also Christ suffered for us that he might be a sacrifice not only for Original sin but also for all the actual sins of men Art 2. And by Christ who is the only mediator of God and men eternal life is proposed to mankinde Art 7. And Christ came as a Lamb that by the offering of himself once made he might take away the sins of the world Art 15. And The oblation of Christ once made is a perfect redemption propitiation satisfaction for all the sins of the whole world Ar 31 All which I have thus largely set down to shew the perfect consonancie of our persecuted Church to the doctrine of Scripture and Antiquity in this point wheron so much depends for the stating determining other differences which have also a special influence on practise § 8. As for the ill consequences toward the obstructing of good life which are considerable to attend this one doctrine of Christ's dying for none but the Elect they will be most discernible by attempting the Reformation change of any vicious Christian that believes that doctrine or the comfort of any disconsolate despairing Christian that hath gotten into this hold and remains fortified in the belief of it § 9. For the former 't is evident and that which he is supposed to believe if he believe the Foundation as I presume him now to doe when I set the case of a vitious Christian that there is no salvation to be had for any sinner but only by the sufferings of Christ and that redemption by him wrought for such If therefore a vitious liver believing that Christ dyed for none but the Elect shall have any attempt made on him to reform and amend his life 't is certain that one medium to induce him to it must be a tender of mercy from Christ of present pardon and future blisse upon his Reformation But if he be able to reply that that mercy belongs only to the Elect and he is none of them it necessarily follows that he that would reduce this stray sheep must either prove convincingly to him that he is one of the Elect or else hath no farther to proceed in this attempt § 10. And if he thus attempt to perswade the vitious Christian that he is one of the Elect then 1. the very attempt confesses to him that a vitious person remaining such may be in the number of the Elect and from thence he will presently be able to inferre that then he needs not reformation of life to constitute him such and if so then reformation of life is not the condition on which only bliss is to be expected and without which it is not to be had it being supposed and acknowledged by both parties that all the Elect shall have it and so the medium which was thought necessary to perswade his reformation the tender of mercy from Christ upon reformation is already vanished and consequently 't is to no purpose to perswade him that he is one of the Elect which was useful onely for the inforcing this medium And so the very making this attempt is destructive to the only end of it § 11. But if this were not the result of this attempt yet 2dly 't is in the progresse agreed to be necessary that he perswade this person that he is one of the elect And what possible medium can he use to prove that to a vitious person A priori from any secret decree of God's 't is certain he cannot demonstrate it for he hath never entred into God's secrets and 't is sure the Scripture hath revealed nothing of it Whatsoever it saith of the Book of life never affirming that particular man's name is written there And then the one possible way of attempting it is à posteriori from the fruits of election and those are not supposeable in him who is supposed a vitious liver who lives in that estate and is by him acknowledged to doe so for otherwise why should he think it necessary to reduce him wherein he that lives shall not inherit the kingdome of God For his proof whatever it is will easily be retorted and the contrary proved by interrogating Shall the adulterer the drunkard the vicious Christian inherit the kingdome of God If he shall what need I that am now exhorted to reform my life reform it If he shall not then certainly I that am such am none of the Elect for all that are elect shall certainly inherit the kingdome of God § 12. The onely reserve imaginable is that this vitious Christian be perswaded to believe in Christ and if he doe so he shall by that know that he is one of the Elect and so that his sins shall be pardoned c. But if this be the method made use of then 1. this is not the attempting to reform to work repentance which was the thing proposed in this first case but to work faith in him and with men of those opinions these are two distinct things
rest of the particulars which are to attend it as in some respect they are to be looked on as privileges and advantages afforded us by Christ for such beyond all other things are those that effectually induce reformation or Christian life so are they most frequently considered as bands and obligations and seals of the Christian's Covenant with Christ whereby he ingages his soul to a faithful performance of his part of the Covenant and cannot now without perjurie and Apostasie wilfully recede from it § 12. After Baptisme when that is in infancie received as now in a Christian Church we suppose it to be succeeds in the next place Instruction and institution in the nature and several branches of that vow which was made at the Font and this in such a short perspicuous intelligible manner and in so particular addresse and application to every single person which with the narrow-mouthed bottle in Quintilian will not probably be filled with throwing whole buckets of water over it to which preaching is most fit to be compared and therefore requires to be taken single in the hand and to have that which is needful warily and with care infused into it that it is hardly imaginable how a more provident course should be taken then is by the Church appointed to be used to convince every young person of his obligation and to qualifie him judiciously and warily to take that oath in his own person which was by proxies formerly taken for him and what greater band can lie on any to undertake the duties of Christian life then the thus surveying and renewing of that oath § 13. And what is thus prepared for in Catechizing is in the third place performed by Confirmation a most profitable usage of the Church transcribed from the practise of the Apostles which consists in two parts the childe 's undertaking in his own name every part of the baptismal vow having first approved himself to understand it and to that purpose that he may more solemnly enter this obligation bringing some Godfather with him not now as in baptisme as his Procurator to undertake for him but as a witness to testifie his entring this obligation which one thing being heedfully and piously performed is the greatest ingagement imaginable to the performance of the matter of the vow in which all Christian belief and practise is folded up considering that every act of presumptuous sin which shall ever be committed against that vow brings the guilt of formal downright perjurie along with it together with the punishment that belongs to that great and criminous guilt and the forfeiture of his right and claim to all those mercies which either in Baptisme or Confirmation are made over to him by Christ § 14. The second part of Confirmation is the prayer and benediction of the Bishop the successour of the Apostles in this office and that made more solemn by the Ceremony of Imposition of hands a custome indeed of the Jewish parents in blessing their children but taken up by the Apostles themselves in stead of that Divine Insufflation which Christ had used to them in conferring the holy Ghost upon them Joh. 20.22 as an outward signe of the same as for holy Orders Act. 6.6 so for Confirmation of believers after baptisme Act. 8.18 And the matter of this benediction and petition being the strength of Christ the daily increase of the manifold gifts of grace the Spirit of wisdome understanding counsel and ghostly strength of knowledge and true godliness and holy fear as the bestowing of these upon the childe is both the strengthning and ingaging him to all piety to the Bishop's prayer being thus by virtue of his office offered up and having the suffrages of the whole congregation to joyn with it and being commenced to God for that boon the Spirit which he hath promised to grant to our importunity it may most reasonably be presumed to be of force and efficacie with God to bring down that grace which may inable to will and to doe on all that come duly qualified to receive it § 15. To which I may adde that this being designed by the Church to certifie those that are thus confirmed of God's favour and gracious goodness toward them it hath all the advantages that either hope of acceptance and reward or a grateful sense of mercies received can adde to it to engage and oblige us to a constant obedience to him § 16. Fourthly those which are thus confirmed are thereby supposed to be fit for admission to that other sacrament of the body and blood of Christ instituted in the close of his last supper And that whether it be considered 1. as an institution of Christ for the solemn commemorating of his death or 2. as a sacrifice Eucharistical performed by the Christian to God or 3. as the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 communication of the Body and blood of Christ the means of conveying all the benefits of the crucified Saviour unto all that come fitly prepared and qualified for them or whether 4. as a federal rite betwixt the soul and Christ eating and drinking at his table and thereby engaging our obedience to him or lastly as an embleme of the most perfect divine charity to be observed among all Christians In all and every of these respects I say it is doubtlesse an instrument of great virtue that hath a peculiar propriety to engage the receiver to persevere in all piety And that yet farther improved by the frequent iteration and repetition of that sacrament § 17. 1. As it is the commemorating the death of Christ so it is the professing our selves the disciples of the crucified Saviour and that ingageth us to take up his crosse and follow him and not to fall off from him for any temptations or terrors of death it self but to resist to blood as Christ did in our spiritual 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our Olympicks or combates against sin § 18. 2dly As it is the Eucharistical Christian sacrifice so it is formally the practising of several acts of Christian virtue 1. of prayer of thanksgiving of all kinde of piety towards God 2. of charity to our brethren both that spiritual of interceding for all men for Kings c. 1 Tim. 2.1 and corporal in the offertorie for the relief of those that want and 3. the offering up and so consecrating our selves our souls and bodies to be a holy lively acceptable service to God the devoting our selves to his service all our daies And this last a large comprehensive act of piety which contains all particular branches under it and is again the repeating of the baptismal vow and the yet closer binding of this engagement on us § 19. 3dly As it is by God designed and as an institution of his blessed and consecrated by him into a sacrament a holy rite a means of conveying and communicating to the worthy receiver the benefits of the body and blood of
Christ that pardon of sin and sufficience of strength and grace which were purchased by his death and typified and consigned to us by the sacramental elements so 't is again the ridding us of all our discouraging fears and the animating and obliging of us to make use of that grace which will carry us if we doe not wilfully betray our succours victoriously through all difficulties § 20. 4thly As it is a federal rite betwixt God and us as eating and drinking both among the Jewes and heathens was wont to be so 't is on our part the solemn undertaking of the condition required of us to make us capable of the benefit of God's new Evangelical covenant and that is syncere performance of all duties prescribed the Christian by Christ And he that doth no longer expect good from God then he performs that condition is ipso facto devested of all those fallacious flattering hopes which pretended to make purifying unnecessary and must now either live purely and piously or else disclaim ever seeing of God § 21. Lastly As this supper of the Lord is a token and engagement of charity among the disciples of Christ so it is the supplanting of all the most Diabolical sins the filthiness of the spirit the hatred variance emulation strife revenge faction schism that have been the tearing and rending of the Church of God oft-times upon pretense of the greatest piety but were by Christ of all other things most passionately disclaimed and cast out of his Temple And if by the admonitions which this Embleme is ready to afford us we can think our selves obliged to return to that charity and peaceable-mindedness which Christ so frequently and vehemently recommends to us we have his own promise that the whole body shall be full of light Mat. 6. that all other Christian virtues will by way of concomitance or annexation accompany or attend them in our hearts § 22. And the several happy influences of all and each of these considerations especially when they are superadded to the three former grand instruments and frequently every month at least and every great Festivity called in to reinforce our watch to remand us to our scrutinie the examination and search of out hearts and purging out all impurity that hath been contracted in those intervals and to renew our vows of temper and vigilance may very reasonably be allowed to have some considerable virtue and efficacy in them to advance that work for which Christ came out from the bosome of his Father to superstruct the practise of all virtue where the Faith of Christ is once planted § 23. After these four which are thus subordinate and preparative the one to the other the later still bringing with it an addition of weight to the former Two more there are which are several from and yet being of continual use are interweaved and mixt with every of these and having their distinct energie proper to themselves when they are in conjunction with the former or added to them they must needs accumulate and superadde a considerable weight unto them § 24. The first is the use of Liturgie the second the word of exhortation among the Jewes and in the Apostles times and proportionable to that the sermons or homilies of the Church § 25. The Liturgie as it contains the whole daily office consisting of Confession prayers Psalms hymnes reading of the scripture of both Testaments Creeds supplications intercessions thanksgivings injunctions of Gestures and of Ceremonies and of Holy-daies is both the exercise of many parts of Piety and the conservatory of the Foundation on which all Piety together is regularly built and a means of hightning devotion and infusing zeal into it And the diligent worthy continual in stead of the negligent formal rarer use of it and the unanimous accord of whole societies and multitudes herein would certainly be very efficacious advancers of all Christian virtue of piety of charity of purity over the world of the two former directly and of the later by way of diversion the frequent performance of such offices obstructing and sealing up the fountains of impurity and intercepting that leisure which is necessary to the entertaining the beginnings of it § 26. So for Preaching or exhorting the people by way of Homilie it appears to have been received from the Jewish by the Christian Church and by the phrase by which it is expressed in the Acts a word of exhortation to the people it appears to have been generally imployed in reprehension of vices and exhortation to virtuous living And if we survey the Homilies of the Antient Church such are those of S. Chrysostome most eminently we shall discern that as upon Festival daies the subject of the Homilie was constantly the business of the Day the clearing the mysterie the incarnation of Christ c. and the recommending the actions or sufferings of the Saint and raising mens hearts to acknowledge the goodness of God in setting up such exemplary patterns and guides before us So upon other daies after some short literal explication of some place of scripture the custome was not to raise doctrinal points according to every preachers judgment or phansie but presently to fall off to exhortation to temperance continence patience and the like Christian virtues which either the propriety of the Text or the wants and sins of the auditory or the times suggested to them And this so farre from being a fault in their method of preaching that it was an eminent exemplary piece of Christian prudence observable and imitable in them as a means of keeping false or unnecessary definitions out of the Church which tend to the increase of disputes and contentions and whilst they they doe so are not to the edification and benefit but to the destruction and mischief of the hearers § 27. Of this usage of the Church it is most visible if it be but by the ill uses which are made of it many times in stirring up seditions rebellions murthers hatreds animosities calumnies revilings of superiors c. in disseminating of heresies infusing of prejudices c. what advantage may be had toward the advancement of all parts of Christian life by a due performance of it 'T is very much in the power of a popular Orator to represent vices in so formidable yet just appearances and to set out each virtue in so amiable a form and to apply this so particularly to those that are concerned to be thus wrought on that the Covetous person shall flie from and scatter most liberally his beloved Idol wealth the rageful person shall finde a calm the lustful a coldness insensibly infused upon his breast and the auditor's phansie and sensitive affections being called in to joyn with his reason and the Spirit of God it will by the blessing of that Spirit be in the power of meditation to radicate these seeds to fix this transient gleam of light and warmth to confirm inclinations and resolutions