14. 9 10. being by wilfulnesse and resolution as it were imbowelled in that state of these the holy Ghost saith that they shall drinke of the wine of the wrath of God Secondly touching doctrine they are of three sorts some are the foundation and this is double Doctrines FundamentuÌ„â—â— Veritatis 2. Salutis 1. Cor. 3. 12. either the foundation of truth such are all doctrines which haue ground in the word of God ignorance of much of which may stand with saluation so that it bee not affected and they who know most doe not know all or else the foundation of saluation such are all doctrines which doe concerne the causes of our saluation and the necessary meanes of application It is the ignorance of these which doth breede perishing Other doctrines againe are vpon the foundation as the Apostle speaketh of building on the foundation gold siluer precious stones timber 1. Cor. 3. 12. hay or stubble that is varietie of doctrine which hath beene or is of worth and vse as these things whereto it is compared And of this as there hath beene much as gold and siluer in euery age of the Church so there hath beene much as hay and stubble by sophisticall speculations forged traditions humane inuentions and friuolous and fryarly interpretations of the holy Scriptures Such trash is to be swept away as dung out of the streetes that it might not defile our Pulpits but that the glory of the word of God might appeare if it were possible as out of the mouth of Iesus Christ or of his Apostles Other doctrines lastly are against the foundation and that not onely of truth but of health also Such are all those which draw from Iesus Christ and that honour which is due vnto him as the Sauiour of his people Such is the Papall Monarchy which blemishes Christs kingdome traditioÌ„s as the obiect of faith which blemisheth Christs prophesie merits adoration of the crosse and Images sacrifice of the Masse Inuocation of the Saints and Angels and all other idolatrizing points of Antichrist which blemish Christs Priesthood besides other faults To take pleasure in and to be giuen ouer obstinately to these things cannot stand with saluation Thirdly touching times they also must haue a double consideration First the times before the Times restoring of the Gospel when the holy citie was trod vnder foote and the state of the Church Apoc. 11. was despicable in the eyes of the world then as God gaue his people lesse so he required lesse at their hands Secondly the times after the restoring of the Gospel First the beast appeared that cursed Antichrist in his Pontificalibus then Apoc. 13. the Lambe stood vp vpon Mount Syon with his sealed ones then the euerlasting Gospel was preached Apoc. 14. and next when the Gospel is once restored Vers 6. woe to them that take delight in the Whore for they shall be tormented with fire and brimstone before the holy Angels and before the Lambe and the Vers 10 11. smoake of their torment shall ascend euermore and they shall haue no rest day nor night which worship the Beast and his Image Thus you haue now seene the danger of Poperie and how hard a matter it is to bring them that follow it into Christs Fould How many windings and turnings and how many distinctions to and fro must be vsed to bring them but into the iudgement of Charitie concerning Gods looking vpon them for good What therefore shall I now say Let me first lend a word to all in generall and next to my brethren of the Ministerie in particular To all I say suffer the word of exhortation both concerning our selues and others Vse 1 Concerning our selues seeing the followers of Antichrist shall be damned let not our soules enter into their secrets As the wicked man shall not meddle with the Christians ioy so let not the good man meddle with the Antichristians woe I know my brethren that this Conceit expressed in these generall tearmes That a Papist so liuing and so dying may be saued hath filled our hearts with worlds of indifferencie So that as the Arminians haue their middle knowledge as Scientia media Lect. Prid. pag. 23. 24. c. if there could be any cut betwixt a thing and nothing a being and no being so haue we had our indifferent conceits either of Protestancy or Popery as the world shall serue and the winde shall turne Hath their beene so much striuing vnto blood in vaine Haue so many martyrs lost the crownes of their martyrdomes when they haue layed downe their liues at the feete of the Pope and his image rather then to yeeld vnto the Romane abominations Haue so many glorious Dauids fought the battailes of God against that vncircumcised Philistime in vaine Haue so many Iohns and blessed preachers of the Gospel spent their time and strength in eating of the little booke and venting it againe to be as vials vppon Apoc. 10. the throne of the beast in vaine No No godly witnesses haue not writ in vaine victorious Kings haue not fought in vaine Constant martyrs haue not dyed in vaine They haue all striued as for life and death saluation and damnation Though saluation may be found in the Church as I haue said yet how hardly If it be an hard matter to finde it any where as in truth it is because the law is against it which were it not for the Mercy seate Christ Iesus would rise out of the Arke and accuse vs and because the creatures are against it which are abused by vs and doe call for vengeance and because euen we our selues are against it in our pronenesse vnto sin and delight in it then how hard and hard againe is it to find it in the stye of the beast and amongst the followers of Antichrist where there are so many killing poysons against it As therefore the Psalmist sung Wee is mee that I remaine in Psal 120. 5. Meshech and dwell in the Tents of Kedar so may such as lodge with the beast iustly say with griefe of heart But as for vs that liue out of the smoake of the pit in the shining rayes of the Gospel let vs at the Glassie sea sing the song Apoc. 14. 2 3 4. of Moses and of the Lambe praysing Gods power as the Lord God Almightie and his goodnes as the King of Saints who hath deliuered vs from the yron furnace and begun to take vengeance of that man of sinne Vse 2 Secondly concerning others let vs make the same vse which Paul makes in this place that is thanke God when we can prooue by sanctification 2. Thess 2. 13 14. of spirit and faith of truth whereunto men are called by the Gospel to obtaine the glory of our Lord Iesus Christ that they are the elect of God so are not in this perishing estate by the works of Antichrist We are in a naturall bond as digged out of the same
The like wee may say of the Adoration of the Hoste especially because we know not the Priests intention and of many other Articles of their Trent Faith whereof if wee cannot be assured how can they giue vs comfort either in life or death Thus you see in some measure how you may be assured that our religion is the truth If now you will aske me how then it could possible bee that the world could so much be deceaued by Rome I answere because the smoake of the bottomles Apoc. 9. 2. pit had darkned the Sun and ayre and the Lambs hornes were vpon the head of Antichrist that Apoc. 13. 11. foule beast Looke therefore as if a Traytor carry the colours of a Prince in warre all the common souldiers doe flock vnto him guard him fight vnder his Banner till the Traitor be knowne and the Treason be discouered So the Popes of Rome retaining the common principles of faith Communia fidei principia Cypr. and manners and professing themselues to bee Colour-bearers to Iesus Christ without which they could not so easily haue insinuated themselues into the hearts of the World their Profession giuing good occasion of enquiring after them and cleauing to them most of the Westerne Professio opportunum fuit inquirendi exordium Christians whom hee had wrought by power and policie flocked vnto him but when his pretences were discouered and they would no longer take his part against Christ then hee makes a faction and head against vs in the Councell of Trent and excommunicateth vs like the Iewes that cast out their brethren and said Let the Lord be glorified as if it were our fault that Esa 66. 5. Columba Noae pag 28 29 30. we would not drinke his poyson and not his who was so vncharitable and trecherous as to offer it vnto vs who did flye vnto him for shelter Yet let not this his furious and Antichristian course dismay vs but let vs in despight of all his power and policie beleeue the truth of the Lambe and stoppe our eares against the vnrighteousnesse of the Beast or else let vs hearken to what doth follow to be handled That they might all be damned Heere is the danger of these Antichristians The danger of Antichristians Such as haue poysoned heads reiecting the word of truth and poysoned harts taking pleasure in falshood which is manifested two wayes first by an eager pursuite of the thinges of Antichrist without examination as if they should say we will be thus because we will be thus doating vpon a spirit of infallibilitie secondly by a cruell quelling killing and sacrificing the opposers with fire and sword superstition being naturally cruell of such I say that the Apostle saith Doct. They shall be damned But you will say that the text saith they shall onely bee iudged The Popish Râ—emists say so indeede They would haue the punishment of the followers of Antichrist be as smal as they can Whether Antichristians shall only be iudged I cannot blame them for it is naturall to euery creature to seek to preserue it selfe but it will not serue their turne heere for first the greatnesse of the sin which is the contempt of the Gospel calleth for infinite more than iudging For if the word spoken by Angels was stedfast and euery Heb. 2. 2. 3. transgression and disobedience receiued a iust recompence of reward how shall we escape if we neglect so great saluation Secondly the greatnes of the iudgement going before shewes that this can be no lesse then damnation for what else can 2 Thess â— 11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 follow strong delusions which infatuate a man are sent in wrath Thirdly as the word it self doth signifie to iudge so to punish condemne Paul saith what haue I to doe to iudge them that are without i. punish by excoÌ„munication or otherwise 1 Cor. 5. 12. Againe whooremongers adulterers God will iudg that is punish So Christ saith though he Heb. 1â— 4. iudge them not who contemne his Gospell yet his word shall iudge that is condemne them Ioh. 12. 47. 48. Pilate saith to the Iewes iudge him according to your owne law that is condemne him So In the new translation also in many other places as well as in this text that according to the iudgment of our English Church which is not to bee slighted From hence then for the clearing of the text Whether all Papists shall be damned will arise this duestion whether all Papists shal be damned I answere God forbid we should delight to imbrue our heads or hands in the blood In my Sermon called the tryall of true religion of any The cruelty of their false religion the mercy of ours is well enough known as I haue shewed else-where Therefore we say three things In my Sermon called the tryall of true religion First that there are common principles in the Church of Rome which being known and accompanied with harts willing to be informed in the truth purposes and indeauours to know and doe a right holy obedience to what is knowne by those principles so far as they are come may bring men to saluation For who doubts but that the Beleife the ten Commaundements the Lords Prayer and the Sacraments doe comprehend all sauing fundamentall points of Faith and practice These therefore being in the Church of Rome though with much corruption vpon the former limitations may affoard grounds of saluation to them to whom God giues power with an honest hart to receiue them Secondly we say that in the midst of Popery God hath reserued a remnant according to the election of grace which is called the Temple of God and Gods people who by these meanes haue attained 2. Thess 2. 4. Apoc. 18. 4. to saluation Thirdly we say that such haue not bin members of the Popish Apostacy wherein euery liuing thing died though in the Romane Church for hauing knowledge of the Apoc. 16. 3. common principles and being ignorant or at the least not so fully stated in the pernicious errours of the Popish corruptions though they haue bin in that Church yet they haue not beene of it as many of our forefathers from age to age When therefore the holy Ghost saith that they shall be damned we must by the helpe of the same holy Ghost in his word distinguish of Persons of doctrines and of times As for Persons in the Church of Rome they are of two sorts First such as haue the name of 1 Persons the beast and the number of his name that is such as are in outward communion with him Apoc. 13. 17. who though they are deceiued yet they may haue docible hearts and mindes willing to learne when our prouident God doth offer opportunitie Secondly such as worship the Beast and his Image and receiue his markes that is such as are in inward fellowship and mysterie with him Apoc.
ouer-clouding them with vncertaine tradition Secondly it carrieth vs away from God to the creatures as Hee-saints Shee-saints Maskes Images thorough which it is great difficultie to peirce to God by their muddy distinctions Thirdly it keepes their followers blinde so as they know not what they doe in their Latine seruice and Bellar. lib. 1. de Iustif cap. 7. fides melius per ignorantiā quam per notitiam definitur Eph. 4. 18. their faith is better defined by ignorance then knowledge Fourthly it giues libertie to many sinnes as ignorance whereby they are made strangers from the life of God Incest fornication periury rebellion and what not seeing they haue those who are subiect to the like passions who as Iudges of sinnes committed after Baptisme Bellar. ample declar cap. de paen pag. 210 can appoint penances satisfactory to God and pronounce absolute absolutions Secondly though Popery be not an Art of liuing well yet our religion whereby Christ is honoured by resting in him alone for saluation flying to these meanes of application which he hath appointed as the word faith Sacraments of Christ who alone hath power to set seales to the couenant of grace and prayer this religion I say wholly aymes at good life As the truth doth so it aymes Ioh 17. 17. at the sanctification of the heart not onely repressing the outward acts of sin by the contrary exercises of godlinesse and righteousnesse as the act of whooredome by continency the act of drunkennesse by sobrietie the acts of all sinnes by watchfulnesse fasting and prayer and the like and not onely strugling at the corruptions of the inferiour faculties and brutish powers of the soule but opposing the very enmity of the minde ignorance of the vnderstanding darknesse and varietie of thoughts stupiditie and fury of conscience rebellion of willes and if there be any other disorderlinesse as there is too much either in soule or body that doth exalt it selfe against God and his most holy and righteous law Ob. Yea but doe they not cry out that our religion giues liberty to sinne by our doctrine concerning Free-will Iustification Merits assurance of saluation perseuerance of the Saints and the like Sol. It is true they doe so but it is from false grounds For though we say that by nature we haue no free-will to good yet it is by our owne default and therefore we haue iust cause to be humbled for it and we are bound for reformation to giue attendance to the word and to waite as the poore Lazars at the poole of Bethesda for the descending of the Angell that wee ouer-slip not the acceptable time and the houre of saluation And this wee are able to doe being a matter of outward discipline and yet wee doe not When the Blessing is giuen wee are with Esau hunting in which respect wee may be iustly left in our sinne Againe though wee say that wee are not iustified by our workes yet they are the necessarie fruits of our sanctification and the necessarie way to saluation without which no man shall see the Lord. And though we abhorre the thoughts Heb. 12. 14. of Merits in the notion of the Church of Rome yet wee say that wee cannot comfort our hearts without the presence of Good workes for other necessarie vses And how can the doctrine of Tit. 3. 14. assurance of saluation and perseuerance lead to sinne when wee cannot be assured but by holinesse nor perseuere but in the vse of the holy meanes of saluation Lastly as our Religion is a Doctrine of Veritie and Pietie so it giues most sound peace and comfort in the houre of death and day of affliction There is little or no certaintie or assurance in the principall acts of the Popish Religion as I shall shew in some particulars As first in resting vpon the Traditions of the Church Wee are sure that the Scripture is the Word of God wee haue the testimonie of men but the testimonie of God is greater for it is embraced by enemies as well as by friends and is confirmed by the Miracles of Christ and his Apostles but wee cannot be so assured of Traditions Secondly in drie Communions Wee are sure that Christ ordained two distinct signes and that God is pleased when wee doe what hee requires but wee cannot be assured that God is pleased with halfe Communions that is the Popish receiuing of the Bread without the Wine vnder pretence of Concomitancie no though wee were sure that Christ were corporally present because the Lords Supper is a seale and signe of our crucified Lord when his bodie and bloud were seuered as he saith This is my bodie Luk. 22. 19 20. which is giuen for you and This is my bloud which is shed for you Thirdly in the Popes Monarchicall headship Wee are sure that Christ is the head of the Church because it is his office and hee is of infinite power influence yea and present with Secundum esse personale vs by his diuine power and vertue But we cannot be assured that the Pope is the head of the Church no not in respect of outward administration Ephes 4. 11. 12. and gouernment because God hath not sanctified one man onely but many for the gathering of the Saints and edification of the body of Christ Though in respect of Christ the gouernment of the Church is Monarchicall yet in respect of Christs Bishops and Ministers it is Aristocraticall Fourthly in prayer in a tongue not vnderstood by the people Wee are sure that it is lawfull to pray in our mother tongue for euery Psas 250. tongue shall praise the Lord yea and the Papists will confesse it for euen they haue some prayers in vulgar tongues as their Manuel of godly prayers Iesus Psalter and the like But wee cannot be assured of Gods accepting seruice in an vnknowne tongue because though God vnderstand it yet the people cannot with vnderstanding say Amen 1 Cor. 14. 16. They may giue a fainte lazy hasty and ignorant Amen but not zelous Godw. Mos Aar pag 90 91. Ex. 20. 5. Leuit. 26. 1. Deut. 4. 15 19. 5 8. Es 40. Fiftly In adoration of Images We are sure that we may worship God without them without offence because God hath neuer commanded or required such pretended helpes yea and the Papists doe sometimes pray without them as in some of their priuate Orisons and in the time of Lent when they are couered But wee cannot be sure that such worship can please God because the Scripture is so punctuall against them and they are such snares to tye our deuotions below Sixtly in inuocation of Saints Wee are sure that we may call vpon God because he hath bidden Psal 50. vs and hath promised to heare and to helpe vs yea and the Papists themselues hold this lawfull But wee cannot be assured that calling vpon the Saints pleaseth eyther God or them or that they doe heare or can helpe