For 1 What was the Church in the cradle and beginnings of it Was it not a true Church and yet had no Antiquity 2 Antiquity is either in time or in truth To plead antiquitie of time and lose antiquity of truth as they have done is but antiquity of error rejected by the Scriptures and Fathers And errour was borne into the world the same day with truth and is in time almost as ancient 3 If antiquitie in time must carry it then not Rome can be the true Church but Antioch where we are sure the Apostles taught and whence was the first name of Christians Nay Jerusalem must be the mother-Mother-Church because from thence was the Gospell preached to all the Gentiles Acts 1. 8. 4 They challenge antiquitie as falsely as the former note for their whole doctrine departing from ours is a novelty never heard of in the Church for the space of sixe hundred yeares after Christ. Never was nor will be answered that famous challenge of the Iewell of Bishops who cals but for one testimony out of pure and unsuspected antiquity for the space of the first sixe hundred yeares after Christ for any one of the seaven and twenty points propounded and never any such was brought till this day Neither have they been at leasure now above twenty yeares to answer that famous probleme of that blesse Saint Mr. Perkins in which he avoucheth it impossible for any Papist in the world to prove out of the true writings of Fathers and Councells and out of the true sense of those writings that the now Romane faith wherein it differeth from the reformed Church is the Catholike faith and substantially cleareth it in sixty two points of difference between us What a number of points might I alledge wherein they are gone both from the Scriptures and their owne writers and as many for which they have no Scripture but the Churches authority Auricular confession the Canon Law saith it is by a tradition of the Church and by no authority of old or new Testament For the not marriage of Ministers Bellarmine and Cassander confesse it to be an humane institution Cassander and the Councel of Trent call it onely an Ecclesiasticall decree For the Communion in one kind their owne Cajetane confesseth that the contrary custome endured long in the Church and they had cuppes for the nonce to serve the people with wine For their Transubstantiation Tonstall saith No man was bound to beleeve it till the Lateran Councell which is not much above foure hundred yeares agoe And Bellarmine himselfe saith there is no Scripture to enforce it but the Churches determination Why do they brag of antiquity and confesse so many novelties His third note is perpetuitie and duration Indeed the same note with the former increasing the number numbering not the number numbered For 1 Tares must continue with the wheat till harvest must they therefore be wheat for their perpetuity And Antichrist hath continued a long time since the Apostles dayes and shall till Christ at his appearing abolish him doth this make his Synagogue a true Church 2 Time was when there was a true Church and yet this could be no note of it and time shal be when by their confession their Church shall faile and not endure to the end Ribera on Rev. 14. Rome is called Babilon because at the end of the world she shal be the shambles of all Idolatry and the kennell of Antichrist So as this by their doctrine is no proper but a separable note from the Church 3 The true Church and Mother Church hath and ever shall continue in the world though not in outward pomp and glory yet in that inward and spirituall beauty and glory which she shall not lose though she be in the wildernesse and sit sometimes defolate as a widow When this true Church loseth her visibility she loseth not her being no more then the Sunne ceaseth to be risen when it is hid under a cloud The fourth note to know this woman saith Bellarmine is multitude and amplitude As deceitfull as any of the former besides that it is the same with his first For what difference betweene Catholike and universall For 1 That was a true Church of two in Paradise When also it was in one family before the flood In the flood consisted but of eight persons In the Old Testament in one little kingdome In the New was but a little flock Luk. 12. 32. August saith The Church was in one Abel in one Henoch The Papists themselves say that in the time of Christs passion the true Church and faith was preserved onely in the Virgin Mary which is false but yet a strong argument against them that hold multitude a sure signe of a true Church 2 Multitude is a streame that the Church must row hard against unlesse we be sure it be the truely beleeving multitude Sathans number infinitely exceeds Christs must it therefore be the true Church That one sect of Mahomet is farre more numerous then all the Romane religion by their note that must be the true Church and not they Time was when the whole world was made an Arrian and scare five Orthodoxe Bishops to resist it and they also persecuted shall the generall spreading and infection of it prove it no poyson Antichrist at his comming drawes multitudes after him by strength of delusion 2 Thes. 2. 9. And this is their Romane Antichristian religion drawing multitudes because it is a naturall religion but turnes them not from darknesse to light not from sinne to God We conclude or rather exclude this note with Athanasius against those Arrians They have the multitude we the faith Let their multitudes goe in the broad way we must walke in a narrow way which a few onely finde His fift note is succession of Bishops A false and deceitfull note For. 1 A false Church may have succession of person onely as Caiphas succeeded Aaron and yet abandoning truth and rejecting the head must needs be a false Church 2 The first Evangelicall Churches were true Churches but wanted their succession unlesse they will say that Christ and his Apostles succeeded the Scribes and Pharisees If a Church may be a true Church without and before succession how can succession be a note of a true Church 3 Right succession is twofold First externall secondly internall or personall or doctrinall Where both succession of Chayre and doctrine concurre there is a true succession But in the Church of Rome is neither I Not of doctrine because they hold not Apostolike doctrine The doctrine of the now Church of Româ— being cleane contrary to that it was when Paul wrote to the Romans as might appeare in a number fundamentall points II Not of Seate First because they never proved nor can prove that they have the seat of Peter or that ever Peter
sate at Rome he being the Apostle of the Circumcision Secondly if they could prove it Ambrose tells us They have not the succession of Peter Thirdly Platina a Papist noteth above twenty scismes which have disturbed the series and succession of their Bishops 4 For our Churches reformed we have the true succession of Apostolike doctrine and the right consanguinitie of their doctrine As for personall succession a thing not to be much stood upon yet we are sure we want not though it was not alwaies so apparant for God never wanted a Church in earth There never wanted some in all ages who have made profession of the true faith as that notable booke of Catalogus testium veritatis plainely proveth And no doubt a many more were stirred up in the darkest ages of Popery whose mention and memory were prevented from us while Antichrist ruled both the rost and records Now of all these notes and their fellowes which are like these I will adde but two testimonies of Bellarmine against Bellarmine The former that The Scripture teacheth which are the notes of the Church but The Scripture no where teacheth these Therfore These are no notes The secoÌ„d that al these notes make it not evideÌ„tly true but evidently probable that the Romane Church is the true Church Mark that for all his braving and coppie he sets on the matter his conscience tels him and us that all these fifteene markes have no certainty in them to lead us to the true Mother Even as he fumbled in the great point of justification by workes flying from all his five bookes in the conclusion as a man who suffered wracke of his cause in the very haven And the like he did in the disputing of the Popes temporall authority which made the Pope study to suppresse all his bookes Yee see what confidence the greatest Pillars of Popery have in their owne cause Qu. Seeing that by the Popish notes we cannot know the true Mother by what sound and infallible markes may we know her An. Wee will propound five fitter notes then theirs This true Mother therefore is to be knowne 1 By her face 2 By her voice 3 By her qualities 4 By her marriage 5 By her carriage and behaviour 1 The best way to know any person is by the face The face of a true visible Church is discerned by 1 The sincere preaching and professing of the word of God 2 The due and pure administration of the Sacraments according to that word 3 The exercise of government and discipline appointed in the word The first of these is absolutely requisite to the being and face of a Church The two later serve for the beauty and stability of it By this face Christ will have his spouse discerned Joh 8. 30. If yee abide in my word yee are verâ—ly my Disciples And chap. 10. his sheepe are knowne by hearing his voice and following him Besides all will grant that where Christ is there is the Church but where two or three consent in his name there is he Mat. 18. 20. Thus we know our Mother by her face because she continueth in the doctrine of the Apostles as that beautifull Church did Act. 242. A wart or two or a few freckles make her lose some beauty but not her face She heares the voice of her wel-beloved and a stranger she will not heare She heares not unwritten traditions nor fables and dreames of men nor Councels nor Fathers nor decrees of Popes nor the voice of Antichrist but stickes to the pure word of God as the onely decider of all cases and the onely umpire in all doubts and questions concerning faith or life 2 The second note of this Mother is her voice and speech She speakes in the language of Canaan She enjoynes nothing nor commands in her family any thing but what she hath direction for from her husband revealing his will in the Scriptures As the Moone shines onely in the light received from the Sunne So the Church ruleth in the night of this world by vertue of her husbands directions Farre is she from challenging a power above the Scriptures far from conceit of giving authority to them who hath all her authority from them She disclaymeth all the commandements and Canons of the Church so called and dares impose no yoakes where her husband hath left her children free She conceives her selfe so the spouse of Christ as that she stil remaineth the haÌ„dmaid of the Lord you shal never heare her disgrace the Scriptures by calling theÌ„ a dumbe Judge a partiall rule a nose of waxe flexible into any form es and senses a dead letter no better then Aesops fables unles she give authority to them This is the voice of the Antichristian harlot who preferres her old lecher not onely above Councels but above the Scriptures as those two Councels of Lateran and Trent did the Pope Who also burne the Scriptures as Antiochus or another Maximinus calling them the bookes of heretikes and their readers in their owne tongue as Scripturers and Heretikes 3 A third note is her vertues or qualities As First she is holy in respect 1. Of holinesse of doctrine which she teacheth The doctrine which she teacheth is Christs owne doctrine Mat. 10. he that heareth you heareth me What she receives from the Lord she delivers She mixeth not hers with false or poysoned doctrine She teacheth not Idolatry nor perjury nor filthinesse of life as the shamelesse strumpet of Rome that bragges of holy Fathers and holy Church 2 In respect of the better part of the visible Church she is holy though not in respect of the greatest part The faithfull are holy though tares and thornes come up with the good seed the envious man doth it but the Church sowes no such tares 3 Whatsoever corruption of doctrine or manners may spring up yet the doctrine remaineth holy and pure and the Church reproveth all such corruptions and urgeth all holinesse of life and conversation Not justifying or defending notorious evils as the Romish strumpet doth Who defended simple fornication to be but as aurem scalpere tolerating infinite stewes in Rome receiving a yearely pension from whores called lactis census of thirty thousand crownes for filth decreeing in one of their Councels under Pope Leo the first that he that had a Concubine or Whore instead of a wife should not be expelled from the Communion if he were contented onely with one Fie upon the filthinesse of that bawdy and filthie religion We must spare chast eares Secondly she is meeke loving patient gentle mercifull Iam. 3. 7. full of good fruits Her weapons are prayers teares patience not fire and fagot Yee shall never heare this woman challenge the two swords nor maintaine her right by fiercenesse and cruelty by inquisitions and massacres by blowing up Parliaments and Kingdomes These barbarous ferities she leaves to that religion whose chiefe City was founded in blood and to
not bee in houses Temples Cities but in prisons Mountaines Dennes Desarts and Caves of the earth But shee is alwayes safe for First if shee cannot be safe in the City shee shall bee safe in the wildernesse God provideth a safe place for her Secondly the purpose of God for the safety of the Church cannot bee altered or abrogated by all the enterprises of the enemies for his counsell must stand and therefore let Pharaoh slay all the infants beside Moses must bee preserved alive by his owne daughter in his owne bosome to be a Deliverer the onely thing hee would prevent Let Herod slay all the infants under two yeares old hee shall misse of him whom he seekes Thirdly Gods high account of his Church makes her alwayes safe as the signet on his hand as the Apple of his eye the Church is as the Lords wheat saith Augustine and shall be kept in the Lords Granary If Aegypt bee not a safe place for Moses he appoints him Midian to flie into If Iudea bee not safe for the childe he shall bee safe by a flight into Aegypt a wildernesse in comparison till the appointed time Athanasius who dyed in the yeare 390. speaking of those that were hid from the persecutions of those times said The childe was preserved whom Herod sought to destroy Fourthly Gods wisdome makes it healthfull for the Church sometime to bee hid that shee may alwayes bee safe for else the whole world would fall upon her all at once and utterly destroy her Which serves to remove the brag of the Papists concerning their Church and their brand and scandalous imputation against ours For their Church they prove it the true Church because they have had a perpetuall externall splendor and a continuall glorious visibility and a true noted and famous succession of Pastors and Professors since Christs Ascension till this day To which I answer two things 1. It is false that the Romish Church hath held a true succession either in doctrine or persons for two Reasons First because there is no part of Popery wherein it dissenteth from the Reformed Churches which is neare the age of Christ and his Apostles but came in by patches and pieces many hundred yeares after and some points very lately till the whole Antichristian Chaos and confused body was made up I might instance in their Latine Service Transubstantiation Communion in one kinde worshipping of Images prohibition of Ministers marriage and the patching together of the severall shredds of the Masse with a number of other new devises coÌ„fessed by themselves to stand onely by the Churches constitution and not by authority of the Scripture Secondly as that argues their doctrine not successive from the Apostles so they have no true personall succession from them For there was not a Papist in the world for the space of sixe hundred yeares after Christ nor any Father Councell or learned man in all those ages who held the same points of Popery as now these doe This hath Bishop Iewell unanswerably discovered in 27. points and Master Perkins in thirty nine in his learned Probleme against Iodoâ—us Coccius 2. Another thing I answer to their bragg is that if it were true as they say of such perpetuall glory and visibility then could they not more strongly conclude themselves a false Church seeing the true Church of Christ must flie into the wildernesse many hundred yeares from the fury of Antichrist unlesse they can make it appeare that a perpetuall glorious externall splendor a perpetuall visible head and the most domineering Monarchy in all the world comporteth with the abject desolate and retyred estate of the wildernesse a place full of annoyance wants obscurity and solitarinesse For their brand and challenge of our Church that wee cannot derive the pedigree of our religion beyond Luther nor shew where it was nor the names and persons of any that professed it To this I answer 1. with Tertullian Quod antiquissimum verissimum That which is indeed ancientest is of all other the truest and wee hold our religion from the ancient Patriarkes Prophets and Apostles therefore it is the true religion and hath a true succession in doctrine and consequently of persons suppose wee could not name them because it is the religion and faith of the woman in the wildernesse which sometimes Antichristian tyranny suffred her not openly to professe she flyeth into the wildernesse according to Gods Word to hold and preserve it to all succeeding ages Object But if you have so true a succession why doe not you name them Answ. This miserable shift of the Jesuites apparently argues the desperatenesse of their cause and is like a Crayfish which hath more picking than meat a very tricke and triviall inconsequence to call us from the cause whereof they are weary unto persons as if wee had no sounder arguments for the truth of GOD and verity of our religion then from mens testimony and succession We know that if we receive the testimony of men the testimony of God is greater and professe as the Samaritans to the woman We beleeve not our religion for any mans word or any womans or because any hee-Pope or shee-Pope saith it is so or contrary but because wee have heard Christ himselfe speaking in the Scriptures Wee take our religion as wee take gold not onely or chiefly by the sound but by the touchstone and ballance and we have learned in our Creed to beleeve the Catholike Church though wee see it not And because contraries make one another more perspicuous I would aske them whether wee may not beleeve that the Towre of Babel was built unlesse wee could name all the persons that brought Brick or Lime to it all the Masons all the labourers and workmen that were upon it or whether wee may not beleeve that a tree is growne unlesse wee know the person the name the particular time and houres of the planting sprowting and growing of it Doubtlesse if wee did not know when and by what degrees or by what persons and workmen their Romish Babel is built and reared yet wee see and must beleeve that it is built And suppose wee did not know which in most essentiall differences wee doe the persons nor the very period of the time when every branch of the tree of Antichristian heresie did begin to sprout and bud out yet our eyes see and we must beleevè that the tree is deepe rooted large spred and growne tall and thicke And were it not most absurd that matter of divine truth must not be beleeved unlesse wee can name all men that ever spake or beleeved it But to hold them to short and manifest reason I conclude in this forme Whatsoever Church hath a true succession of doctrine from Christ and his Apostles hath also a true and perpetuall succession of persons whether that succession bee visible and nominable or no But wee have true succession of doctrine from Christ
hotch potch of his religion Gal. 6 12. false teachers to avoid persecution will make and coyne a new Gospell joyne Moses and Christ justification of faith and workes And many admirers of the moone can finely joyne Papists and Protestants religion together and binde them together with a rope of sand can justifie and qualifie their toyes and inventions and for advantage like hucksters for the Apostle calls them sellers for gaine blend our wine with puddle waters of mens devices There are too many of these patchers that will patch old ragges with new garments and in the meane time bring in disgrace those that are so strict that cannot blend as they doe For what cares he to tread religious persons under foot if times do so that can suffer religion to be troden downe with silence nay with approbation but how impossible is it to have the Sun and moone shine together 5 He that maketh his gaine his godlinesse that bestowes more thoughts care time for the world then heaven That can stand in all windes for profit and by right or wrong get the world That cares not for nor desires but feares the appearing of the Sonne of God the Sunne of righteousnesse to judgement Let this man resolve that the Moone is upon his head or in his heart and not under his feet To conclude thou that wouldest know that the Moone is under thy foote and that thou art a sonne of this woman thou must 1 Magnifie Christ above a 1000. worlds 2 Set up Gods service above the world 3 Subordinate the Moone to thy religion 4 Hate and detest mixture in religion 5 Esteeme godlinesse the greatest gaine hate that gaine that is severed from godlinesse and long for the appearing of Jesus Christ thy happie and perfect gaine And upon her head a Crowne of twelve starres The third propertie followes in the description of this woman who is set forth by a Crowne upon her head Where consider three things 1 Why this woman is crowned 2 The matter of the Crowne a Crowne of twelves starres 3 The place of it on her head 1 The Churches Crowne betokeneth foure things 1 The honor of her person that she is a Queene for no women are crowned but Queenes or Kings wives The true Church is no lesse being espoused to Jesus Christ the King of his Church Psal. 45. 9. upon thy right◠and thy Queen doth stand Salomons wife being a type of the Church set upon the right hand of Jesus Christ the true Salomon 2 Her eminency and glory for a Crowne was ever an ensigne of royall dignitie and crowned persons were ever in ranke above other ordinary persons So is the Church of God of the blood royall and advanced to partake of the divine nature raised to the height of spirituall and eternall glory which common persons are not and therefore the Lord hath fitted her with an incomparable ornament for no ornament is comparable to a Crowne 3 Her rich and abundant estate for a crowne is the richest thing that the world can give So this Queene partaketh of all her husbands wealth and shareth in the riches of that glorious inheritance Eph. 1. 18. And as the crowne compasseth her head so the Lord compasseth her with the riches of grace and of glory in all fulnesse and perfection For seeing Christ is hers so are all things with him 1 Cor. 3. 21. 4 Her victory and conquest For crownes are set upon the heads of conquerors Rev. 6. 9. And to him that overcommeth is granted to sit on the throne Rev. 3. 21. So the Church hath overcome and conquered sinne Satan death hell flesh and all enemies hath in the power right of her husband troden them all under feete For as the wife partaketh of all her husbands victories so she of Christs 2 The matter of this Crowne of twelve starres Other Princes weare crownes of gold beset with pearles and precious stones but this Queene hath a Crowne of twelve starres What cares she for gold and stones that hath the Moone under her feet Quest. What is meant by this crowne of twelve Starres Ans. The shining doctrine of the twelve Apostles here compared to bright and beautifull starres by whose meanes this woman gat this victorious Crowne For this was the Crowne and ornament of the Primitive Church that she was reared and advanced by the diligent and personall preaching and sufferings of the blessed Apostles Ob. But if this was the Churches Crowne then the Church of after ages and at this time hath lost her crowne and ornament Answ. No. For 1 that doctrine is delivered to us in writing to which while we hold our selves fast we are not despoyled of our ornament 2 The substantiall ministeriall duties which the Scriptures ascribe to the Apostles are not to be restrained to their persons but are to be extended to all those that are their true successors which preach the same Christ and him crucified and administer the same Sacraments And Christ is now with the Apostles in their successors to the end of the world as he promised Mat. 28. 20. And this seemes implyed in the number of twelve which is a number of universalitie and perfection including all that purely preach Christ as the Apostles did 3 The Pastors of the Church as they succeed the twelve Apostles in this function of crowning the Church so also have they the name of starres in many places So the Church hath still a crowne of twelve starres 3 The place of this Crowne on her head Some understand by head the beginning of the Church of the New Testament and so it is true she had then the Crowne of Virginitie and purity above all after-times when yet Apostolicall doctrine was not so corrupted by humane devices additions and traditions as shortly after it was But that is not all for the true Church was never without this Crowne But this Woman after the manner of other Queenes is said to weare her crowne on her head To note 1 That her glory and crowne is in and from her head For as the man is the glory of the woman so is Christ the object of the Apostolike doctrine the glory of his spouse the Church 2 That her Crowne is not of or from this world for the moone is under her feet The Crowne is not thē set upon her head whē she is rich glorious to the world but when the shining light of heavenly veritie is set aloft as the starres are above to direct her in all doctrines and actions When by the light of the Scriptures all the firmament of the Church is guided and ruled in all actions aswell inferiour as superiour then is shee a crowned Queene 3 To note a note of visibilitie The head is most conspicuous and the most apparent part of a man and a Crowne set upon the head may be seene a far off as the starres
be in an infinite distance So when a company or congregation of men consent in Apostolicall doctrine and allow this doctrine to be the guide of all businesses and matters of faith and manners here is a Church crowned and this crowne may be discerned by all neare and farre off Wherein the Crowne of the Church being a Crowne of starres differs and gets beyond the glory of all earthly crownes These may be seene on the heads of Princes neere hand but not farre off But this being a crowne of starres may be seene a farre off as the starres may And yet so surpassing glorious is the crowne of the Church that as a whole starre and the glory of it can never be seene with humane eye no more can the glory and crowne of the Church Whereof as in the starres that which we see of them is in no proportion to that which we see not nor yet can see 4 To note a difference betweene Christs carrying of the starres and the Churches carrying of them Hee beares them in his right hand chap. 2. 1. as their Lord their disposer and defender But she in the Crowne of her head as her chiefe ornament 1 The Apostles and ministers are as Starres in the Firmament of the Church Dan. 12. 3. and Rev. 1. 20. The reasons of this doctrine are foure 1 Starres are in high place the Apostles and Pastors are in highest place in the Church of the New Testament Ephes. 4. 11. above Cardinals Patriarches and Priors Popes and the greattitles of Antichristian offices unknowne to the Scripture 2 Starres are the brightest part of the firmament so are the Apostles and pastors of the Church the brightest parts and shine or should shine clearest in the heaven of the Church 3 Starres receive all their light from the Sunne so these have no light of their owne but receive all their light from Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse 1 Ioh. 1. 1 That which we have heard and seene c. 1 Cor. 11. 16. What I have received of the Lord. 4 Starres have not light imparted to them for themselves but to carry light unto others so the office of the Apostles and Pastors is to convey spirituall light to men on earth living in the darke night of ignorance and error Which they doe partly by the light of holy doctrine and partly by their lightsome and unblamable conversation Ministers being called starres must resemble starres 1 In humilitie Many things in starres teach it As First starres of great magnitude shew but small The Star shewes ten thousand times lesse then it is How is he like a Star that makes ostentation of all perhaps more then is in him Secondly they receive all from the Sunne so the Minister hath received all Thy gifts are the Lords Talents if thou hast received them why dost thou boast as if thou hadst not received them Thirdly in their most swift motion they seeme to move very slow So must the godly Minister in all his course be more active then seeming doing his duty reserving all the praise to God Fourthly the Starres the nearer the Sunne the lesse is their shine so the Minister who comes nearer to God then ordinary men the nearer he comes to God the more humble he ought to be as Iohn Baptist He must increase and I must decrease Why should the Starres pride themselves seeing the Sunne from whom they receive all was so humbled that being the Lord of all was yet servant of all This duty he specially commended to his followers Learne of me for I am humble and hath shewed us the way to be great in the house not ambitiously with Diotrephes seeking preheminence but to become the least and lowest is to become greatest 2 In stabilitie both in their direction and motion both in holy doctrine and conversation If the starres were not fixed in their orbes but erred and wandred up and downe uncertainly how could the passengers by sea or land be directed by them So if the Ministers be wandring starres as Jude 13. in their doctrine unstable as reeds and wavering with every blast and storme of times that their word is this yeare yea the next nay or suppose their doctrine be the same yet if in their life they walke crookedly and disorderly sorting with base and evil men in their evils and licenciously fashioning to the loose humours of men and times how can the passengers to heaven take direction from them With what certaintie and assurance can he strengthen others that himselfe is a wavering minded man unstable in all his waies 3 In fidelitie and stedfastnesse in their places The starres abide in the heavens and descend to the earth So the Minister above all other must have his conversation in heaven and shunne earthlinesse and covetousnesse as rocks For how can he lead men to heaven that himselfe cannot be gotten out of earth Many shooting starres there are that are alwaies gliding from place to place posting after benefits insatiably and when they have gotten them as little intend the office as some secular men such all the world sees the world is all they seeke So they may finger the fleece the glebe the tythe let the flocke starve and sinke to hell and so they and their money and their people perish together 4 In unitie and concord One star differs from another in glory in shining and in luster one much excels another in beauty and brightnesse some are of the first and second magnitude some of the fifth and sixth yet all agree one envies not another nor hinders another so the Ministers have diversities of gifts in this life and this makes them of divers judgements but yet ought not to be adverse in affection in action None of the greater or higher Starres are proud none envious none spitefull against another none study how to crosse anothers motion If they should runne one against another or crosse one anothers motion the world would fall to confusion Such tumults and confusions like a dreadfull earthquake have wee seene in the Churches by the dissentions and hatefull proceedings of these Starres one against another forgetting themselves to bee Starres Brethren Ministers or Christians Many such Starres were in the Apostles dayes that shined and preached Christ of envy against such as preach him of good will 5 In constancy and continuance in their office The Starres never deny their light to men nor are ever weary of their motion though infinitely swift Ministers must never deny their light but freely enlighten others never be weary of doing their duty never fall to idlenesse and lazinesse much lesse cast off their callings remembring the wo denounced on him that preacheth not or doth it negligently A lamentable thing that any preferment should choake a Preacher or that he should do lesse worke the more wages he receiveth No earthly occasion hinders the starres either motion or shining Motives
great strength in the prayer of faith Ephes. 6. 18. And of the faithfull Acts 12. 5. 7. as for Peter in prison yea prayer is able to muster an army of heavenly souldiers for our defence If all wicked members limbes of the dragon be great enemies we must be wise to avoid their societies and combinations whatsoever peace and favour they pretend flye inward fellowship with them as from dragons whose propertie is to poyson a farre off before we see them Trust not their flatteries and pretences Genes 49 5 6. Simeon and Levi brethren in evill and instruments of cruelty Into their secret let not my soule come It had beene happy if in many passages of latter times the Church had beene more shye and wary of the faire and treacherous pretences of Antichristian dragons who use to pull on faire gloves on foule and carnall fists and pawes And who will trust him that cannot put off the nature of a dragon although he may speake as the Lambe The greater the dragon the greater must our courage and resolution be For such potent and dreadfullen enemies are shadowed out in this title great dragon not to terrifie or dismay us as all Israel runne away at the sight of Goliah but to animate and excite us to manly and stout resistance Quest What ground of courage have wee against so great a dragon Answ. First Wee have a great adversary but wee have a good cause in which we need not feare to dy or maintaine unto death Secondly As we have a great enemie so we have a great and invincible captaine heere is the Lion of Judah against the roaring Lion Hebrews write that the Jewes painted a Lion in a great banner for their standert Let us run under this standart of this Lion and be safe Little David under this standart trampled on the great Goliah Thirdly Wee have great enemies but as Numb 19. 8. God is gone from them they are bread for us great but naked to Gods revenge their sheild is gon Great but cowardly weake and flying to him that resists Jam. 47. Great but conquered and bouÌ„d Mat. 12. The stronger man hath disarmed him He is the great Prince of the world but ours is the Prince of peace and mighty Lord of glory Fourthly We have great enemies but more and greater succours then we have enemies both with us and in us They are spirituall wickednesses that are against us but wee have the spirit of God and of grace with us Wicked men seeme great and dreadfull dragons and as great and unresistable as an hideous dragon by a weake woman But let them combine in most forcible manner all that strength is but as the strength of reeds in comparison of that with the Church see Ezeck 29. 9. 6. Besides they are many against us but more with us then against us 2 King 6. 16 and in us greater is he that is in us then he that is in the world 1 Joh. 4. 4. we have greater power in us then any without and against us Phil 4. 13. I can do all things by the power of Christ strengthning me and while we have all the might of his glorious power to strengthen us we are safe Colos. 1. 11. Fiftly Our enemie is great but thence we are assured of greater glory and victory as David the harder taske he had against Goliah the greater was his victory The more difficult the war the more honour is in the conquest A red dragon It pleaseth God in the Scriptures under divers colours to describe divers things As Revel 6. 3. 4. is a vision of three horses of severall colours which expres the several estates of this womaÌ„ here in coÌ„flict The first a white horse which colour noteth in the Revelation puritie and innocency of doctrine and manners and figureth the virgin primative Church upholding the puritie of doctrine and discipline of the faith and worship appointed by the holy Apostles before this white came to be speckled and spotted with blacke errours and staines in doctrine discipline and worship The second a red horse ver 4 deciphering the same Church now red with martyrdome and persecution and effusion of blood by tyrants The third horse is a blacke horse noting the estate of the Church now blacke and in sad and afflicted condition by heretickes which had horribly mingled the truth of pure white and lightsome doctrine with blacke darkenesse of heresies and errours For it were not hard to shew how in the first two hundred yeares after Christ the Church was blacked by the heresies of Ebiâ—n Cerinthus Valontine Marcion and Basilides In the second two hundred by Photinus Samosatonus Sabellius Arius and Eunomius c. In the third two hundred by Pelagius Nestorius and Eutiches c. But this red colour of the dragon lively pourtreyeth the feritie cruelty and bloody disposition of the dragon against the Woman the Church The greeke word here used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is emphaticall noting him to be a fiery dragon fiery red set on fire and all enflamed with an hellish flame of wrath and crueltie against the Church of God Whence learne The nature and disposition of the enemies of the Church further then they are over-ruled they are red and fiery dragons whom nothing can content but blood and cruelty First See it in the head of the dragon Satan quaerit non quem mordeat vel frangat sed quem devoret Chrysost. He is red blood-thirstie sanguinolent as a thirstie man delights in blood and crueltie affectedly red Secondly He is actually red imbrued with all the blood of the Saints of Abel and of the Prophets Apostles the Sonne of God himselfe and all his holy Martyrs since his ascension He is guilty and dyed with blood Thirdly He is anciently a red dragon a manslayer from the beginning Joh. 8. 44. Who hath slaine all man-kind not in body only but in soule and body by our first fall Fourthly he is originally red yea the authour of all crueltie and blood-shed that ever was in the world and all the homicide done by man upon man t is the proper worke of the devill in whose service homicides are So Christ to the Jewes Joh. 8. his workes yee doe seeking to kill Christ. Secondly See it in the members Pharaoh a red dragon lying in his rivers commands the midwives to kill all the Males and makes a cruell bloody act that every parent should drowne his owne child Haman a red dragon sends posts into all provinces to kill but not content with that to root out and destroy al Jewes young and old children and women in one day least any place should be left for pitty or humanitie Manassah a red dragon shed innocent blood till he had replenished Jerusalem from corner to corner 2 King 21. 16. Saul before his conversion breathes out nothing but slaughters and threatning as a dragon that slayes onely with his breath The like
purity faith rather than enjoy the pompe and glory of the world by waxing wanton against Christ Hence note The true Church is not alwayes conspicuous visible and glorious to the world but may be hid obscured and oppressed So was the Church of God in Aegypt thrust out into the wildernesse than which no place is more solitary none more free from the pompe and glory of the world What glory and visibility had the Church in Elias time when hee complained that hee was left alone his life was sought so that hee was faine to flie into the wildernesse to save his life yet were there seven thousand that bowed not their knee to Baal What glory and visibility had the true Church in the Babylonish captivity being compared to dead bones dryed and scattered in the open field Ezek. 37. 2 What visibility had it in the death of Christ when the shepheard being smitten the sheepe were scattered or after his ascention when all the earth worshipped the Beast Rev. 13. 12 Because the Church is a selected company called out of the world a little flocke Iohn 15. 9 as a Parke of God paled in from the waste of the world hortus conclusus Cant. 4. 12. the Garden and Paradise of God wherein wilde beasts may not enter Now God hath put such a distance and enmity betweene them as that the blinde world neither can nor will abide to see her but to chase her out from her how can the world see her that is called out of the world The true Church is such a body as is not alwayes visible to mans eye suppose good men even Elias himselfe for it is Gods onely priviledge to know who are his the foundation being in Gods election and the union spirituall The Churches desert and merit abusing peace and prosperity driveth her here into the wildernesse maketh the Lord strip her naked and set her as in the day she was borne and not onely sendeth her into the wildernesse but maketh her as a wildernesse and leaveth her as a drie land as Hosea 2. 3. The Churches safety as Elias to bee safe was sent into the wildernesse so here the Church provideth for her safety in evill times by flying into the wildernesse Hence is showne hatred to the Dove of Christ dwelling in the Rocke Cant. 2. 19. that is as the Doves by the Kites or Hawkes are chased into the Clifts and Rockes to hide them so the Dove of Christ. The militant condition of the Church in the world suffereth her not alwayes to bee conspicuous and visible neither is shee tyed to any one estate or any one place Not to one estate being compared to the Moone which is sometimes in full sometimes in waine sometimes shining and sometimes hid and not seene and to the Arke tossed with waves and billowes sometimes aloft and presently downe againe in the deepes and to the ship in which Christ was a sleepe so ready to sinke as the Disciples crie Lord save us and this is the continuall estate of the Church in the troublesome sea of this world The Mirtle trees in the bottome Zach. 1. 8. Neither to any certaine place whether Rome or Antioch or Hierusalem but forced oft-times to change her seate as well as her state and tossed hither and thither as 1 Cor. 4. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wee have no dwelling place Heb. 11. Hence are the Papists confuted who 1. Affirme the Catholike Church to be a visible company of men under one visible head for what visible head hath the Church in the wildernesse 2 Denying that ever their Church fled into the wildernesse or that ever she disappeared from the world wherein they plainly deny her to be the true Church and this no other who fled into the wildernesse and if their doctrine bee true that the Church must ever bee as a City on a hill the spirit must bee false and the Scriptures which affirme shee must flie into the wildernesse from the fury of Antichrist The Papists object many things against our doctrine but how impertinently and vainely will appeare if we set downe the right state of the question betweene us both in their tenents and in ours 1. They say that the Catholike Church which hath alwayes continued hath beene alwayes visible now would I to beate out their meaning aske what is the triumphant Church in heaven visible or by what glasse or spectacle can they see that glorious company of Prophets Apostles Patriarkes Martyrs and Saints which is the chiefe part of the Catholike Church as Heb. 12. 23. Or is their Church in purgatory visible when two chiefe parts of it by their doctrine are invisible and the other part in earth but a handfull to them Well then they must meane the militant Catholike Church which is a speech absurd enough for as one halfe can never be the whole so cannot the militant Church be Catholike no more than a finger can be a hand or a hand the body or perhaps they would have us beleeve two Catholike Churches whereas our Creed teacheth us to beleeve but one But we will take their meaning namely that God hath alway a Church consisting of a great multitude as conspicuous to the world as any earthly kingdom part whereof and alwayes the head shall bee visible at Rome and the rest visibly subject to the Bishop of Rome Now what we hold concerning the point I will propound in sundry conclusions and then examine some of their chiefe arguments By the Church which wee hold invisible wee meane the Church mentioned in the Creed which is but one and Catholike even the multitude of all elect which are or were or ever shall be and to this company all they and onely they whether they be in the way or in the Countrey doe belong For we beleeve according to our Creed that the Church is holy and no wicked person belongeth unto it and that it is a communion of Saints onely to which belongeth remission of sinnes and life everlasting and we cannot but wonder that Papists who mumble up so many Creeds should so fondly hold that the Catholike Church should consist of good bad for are the wicked the body of Christ as they say the Church is or is not Christ the Saviour of his body If wicked and reprobates are the body of Christ why then are they not saved This Catholike Church we say is invisible to the world for 1. Gods election the ground and foundation of it is invisible 2. The greatest part of elect are not subject to sense not the Saints in heaven neither many true beleevers on earth nor numbers of the elect not yet borne or borne againe 3. Visible things are not beleeved but invisible faith is of things not seene and if wee beleeve the holy Catholike Church we cannot see it Now every Popish argument must either prove this to bee visible which none of them doe or they touch not us
out of the Church into the earth and there among earthly and carnall men holdeth his power still Ephes. 2. 2. The Prince that ruleth in the aire worketh among the sonnes of disobedience 2 Thes. 2. 9. Sathan worketh in Antichrist by all deceiveablenesse of unrighteousnesse in them that perish 2 Cor. 4. 4. The god of this world blindeth the mindes of infidels or unbeleevers And why 1. Sathans raigne is in the reigne of sin that is his scepter a wicked heart in which sinne raigneth is his chaire of estate But sinne raignes not in the elect that are under grace Rom. 6. 14. 2. Sathan being the Prince of darknesse rules in the kingdome of darknesse whence wicked spirits are called rulers of the darknesse of this world Ephes. 6. 12. The devill is the father of all spirituall darknesse of lies heresies false doctrines false worship and all workes of darknesse This is the world of darknesse in which hee ruleth as a king in his Kingdome But the godly are gotten out of this Egypt out of the reach of this hellish Pharaoh and are gotten into Goshen the Church where light is Ephes. 5. 8. Ye were once darknesse but now are light in the Lord. 3. Sathan is the father of sinne and sinne is the mother of death by which necessary connexion appeares who are his subjects over whom hee holdeth his full and absolute power to weet a world of dead men dead in trespasses and sinnes destitute of the life and Spirit of God and as dead men laid and buryed in the earth among these hee ruleth As the demoniake in our Saviours time lived among the graves and there tyrannized so doth Sathan being cast out into the earth which is as another Golgatha But the godly are quickned by Christ being formerly dead in trespasses and live now the life of the Sonne of God and have part in the first resurrection Gal. 2. 20. And so are exempted from the power of Sathan Which is a ground of comfort to all true hearted Christians that stand in the spirituall combate 1. Thou fightest against a conquered and bound enemy who is cast out of all thy Lords dominions 2. Hee is cast into the earth and keepeth state in the world as the god of the world but thou art called out of the world and brought from the earth Object If hee be cast out how comes it to passe that I am so afflicted with horrible hellish and violent temptations Answ. 1. The Dragon is not cast out of all power till hee bee cast into hell but hee is cast out of full power in the godly 2. There is a reserved wrigling power of the Dragon which may assault thee but hee shall never hurt thee that art one of Gods chosen neither by his temptation nor persecution For first though they may afflict and exercise thee yet all the gates of hell cannot overcome or extinguish thy faith Secondly though they may trouble thee and hinder thee in the way as the Moabites did Israel by their wiles yet can they not in the end of it which is life and glory Thirdly though they may hinder the sense and comfort and joy of thy salvation yet can they not the right nor assured hope of thy happinesse Object I finde these temptations prevaiâ—e in mee and if the devill raigne in sinne I feare he is not cast out of mee Answ. There is the least feare of that sinne that is most feared The feare of sinne keepes downe the raigne of it But for the strengthening of such as are in combate we must know that the best have sinne but sinne hath not them the best slip and fall but lye not in falls the best do the acts of sinne but not habitually they trade not nor walke in sinnes at least with delight as men in a pleasant way the best have flesh but walke not according to flesh And therefore although thou findest sinne present with thee yet if thou canst finde the power of it weakened if thou sometimes sinnest but art so farre from tumbling and trading in sinne as that thou hatest what thou doest all is safe the dragon is cast out for all that 2. Here is a rule of tryall to know our estate whether wee belong to heaven or are yet in the earth under the dominion of Sathan If Sathan uphold his power and state in sinne and unrighteousnesse within thy heart thou art apparently in the earth and of the earth Christ hath no part in thee nor thou in him Art thou an enemy to grace to the doctrine of grace Art thou a stubborne and obstinate sinner an enemy to the perswasions of the Word and Spirit a sonne of disobedience a rebell against all thou hearest Art thou a lover of thy sinnes an hater of them that hate and discover them Art thou of the Dragons trade and walkest in fraud lying accusing and envying Gods children Dost thou cast thy selfe out of the Church and wilfully excommunicate and separate thy selfe from God from his house and worship from his Saints and people Now this doctrine tells thee that for these accursed qualities the devill himselfe was cast out by Christs victory and so shalt thou as an enemy of Christ shall Christ cast him out and keepe thee in who resemblest him no confounded shall ye be together and eternally excommunicate from God and his Church 3. This is a ground of instruction if Sathan bee once cast out to keepe him out and let him enter no more When Christ cast out a devill he said Go out of him and enter into him no more So hee never recovereth his power against the Church againe being once cast into the earth Apostasie and revolt from the truth once received gives him a stronger and surer possession then before For he never comes againe but hee brings seaven worse spirits then himselfe And now seeing that Sathan is cast out of our Church into the earth let us not turne to worldly rudiments and that earthly religion and doctrine of Popery and Antichristian idolatry which is from earth set up and upheld by earthly power and policie thrusting it selfe on the world by serpentine craft lying pretenses of miracles martyrdome concord of doctors perpetuall succession from the Apostles c. But let the Dragon rage and dominere in the earth whither hee is cast and in that fleshly doctrine which carrieth away earthly and unstable men Let him make spoile in his owne dominion amongst Papists and Idolaters and hypocrites and atheists Let us keepe that pretious truth which is committed to us and hold fast that which Michael hath wonne for us shall wee runne after the dragon cast into the earth Consider hereunto 1. How can that be a religion of God that openeth a wide gate to all manner of hatefull and unnaturall sinnes by licenses pardons before and after sanctuaries c. that exempts subjects from lawes obedience oathes and allegiance to Princes that under pretence of Christ
of nature in delivering them up to vile affections and unnaturall sinnes to receive such recompence of their errour as was meet Rom. 1. 24. 27. how much more must hee thinke it a meet recompence of such a sinne against the light of grace to give them up t◠effectuall delusion to be carryed by Satan hoodwinkt and headlong unto destruction But let us see some instances 1. How he spared not his owne people the Jews his owne first borne among whom when the Sonne of God came as to his owne they received him not when false Prophets and false Christs rose up among them those they followed both before his comming and after as both divine and humane stories make mention Iohn 10. 8. All that came before me were theeves and robbers Acts 5. 36 37. Iudas and Theudas drew away many to destruction And after false Christs and Prophets were to rise with such efficacy of delusion as to deceive if it were possible the very Elect Matth. 24. Iosephus speakes of sundry especially one Aegyptian which carryed away thirty thousand Jewes by one vaine delusion to destruction And not long after this same sinne made their nation spew them out that they are now an hissing an execration to all the nations of the earth They renounced Christ to rule over them and ever since the dragon hath had them in possession 2. Consider how the wrath of God came upon the former ages of the world according to the warning of the Gospell and how the earth and sea who would not receive Christ received Antichrist in his roome and the inhabitants of them not loving the truth were therefore led away with horrible lies See Gods retaliation First God sent them Apostles Euangelists and true Pastors who sought only the glory of God and the salvation of men but they despised and distasted them But how did the Lord plague the earth in the same kinde giving up the inhabitants to receive hypocrites Impostors Fryers and fat Monkes who onely sought themselves and to make a spoile of men eating up their estates as Locusts for number and unprofitablenesse these were willingly borne as the Church of Corinth despising the Apostle Paul gave eare to false Apostles who robbed and spoyled them Secondly Christ the Lord came with an easie and sweete yoake his doctrine and his Apostles was a freedome from the bondage and burden of Ceremonies and traditions of the Fathers 1 Pet 1. 18. and the new commandement was only to beleeve in the Sonne of God and love one another This sweet yoake was cast off but with what an exchange now the devill yoakes them with traditions superstitious ceremonies and plagues the earth with tyrannicall and Antichristian Lawes Canons Decretals devised by men his little finger is heavier then Christs loynes yet Popish Countries receive them and like them well Thirdly Christ instituted and ordained a most holy Sacrament the Communion of his blessed body and blood but the inhabitants of the earth and sea despised that simple and most chaste and Primitive institution But was not the world ever since justly plagued with that gawdy and impudent harlot of the Popish Masse the very spirit and quintessence of Antichrist Fourthly how could the world bee more severely plagued then by receiving that greasie Priesthood that hatefull sacrifice of Antichrist but could it be plagued more iustly for abolishing the Priesthood and sacrifice of Christ Fiftly Christ in the Gospell calleth men to the participation of grace life pardon heaven and salvation freely offered in the Gospel men would not heare this voyce How iustly therefore hath the world bin blinded and gulled these many hundred yeares in buying at great rates lies sleights impostures iuglings meere tricks of wit and cunning pardons dispensations merits masses and heaven it selfe Sixtly Christ ordeined in his Church holy Pastors giving them liberty to live in holy wedlocke according to Gods Ordinance This order of Christ pleased not the earth and sea but how sensibly revenged for no sooner did they refuse and reject holy Pastors but they admitted most filthy bawds and unchaste Pope-holy Priests and Nunnes into Ecclesiasticall Orders I might say into the Popes chaire A man had need of a vizard to speake of their holinesse and stop all his senses to heare it Seventhly when the world scorned and persecuted the Saints living how did the Lord give them up to worship and invocate in most idolatrous manner the Saints dead and departed And when they despised and trod under foot the living images of God the godly and holy Professors of Christ great was the Lords revenge in giving them up to worship dead images of wood stone metalls c. 3 God who is ever the same and like himselfe hath heretofore warned us in this land that we have not received Christ nor embraced his truth in that love and affection that became us 1 By the prevailing of Priests and Jesuites heretofore in the land who swarmed as the frogs of Aegypt and have seduced many thousands but never any that loved the truth 2 By the propensity and readinesse of many to receive any religion or doctrine according as the times should require And this hath ever beene the sinne of English people to swim with the streame of times And this print of Gods finger is at this day set upon many plainly convincing that they never received the truth in the love of it 3 By the generall fighting against the light and hatred of the very sent of sincerity in both preachers and people which the Apostle makes a sure note of perdition Phil. 1. 28. Let Iohn Baptist come he is excepted against and hath a divell Let Paul come too much learning hath made him mad Let Christ come he is a friend of Publicans a demoniacke c. But let Antichrist come Popery come a flatterer and deluder come the multitude applaud them receive them Delusion shal be effectual to the damnation of such as he must carrie into his owne perdition 4 The same arrowes of Gods wrath against this sinne are shot in amongst our selves many of whom plainly bewray their naturall hatred of the light and love of lies Let a man come in the name of Christ convince intreat perswade beseech men to be reconciled let him with the losse of his owne peace seeke theirs the more faithfully and sincerely he deales the more despightfully he is rejected the more paines and love such a man sheweth the lesse is he loved or recompensed by many presently they plot to sterve him out or if he stay he must live on aire or grasse for them Let a flatterer come in his owne name and call the churle liberall and sing an Omnia benè and for their owne applause profit or credit run along in all their courses no marvell if these men be put in their bosomes and how can it be but he that hates true dealing should love false Is this love of the light when God
off this garment contemning the Ministery and all good exhortation by speaking evill of the good way and persecuting the way of God scorning and reviling such as have care to keepe cleane their garments 7 Others not so foule as these former monsters but perhaps having grace in their hearts and a more 〈◊〉 profession of it and yet not well watch 〈◊〉 themselves stand not so fast but by some fall and soule offence dishonor at once God and his word themselves and their profession Who although they can say We are no swearers no drunkards adulterers nor of notorious prophane life yet by yeelding to some lust doe by some one action especially if they be of note in the profession more dishonor God then some other men by a thousand oathes and blasphemies Thus good David made all Gods enemies to blaspheme God and his religion 2 Let all of us learne to beware of stayning our holy profession and be carefull that our Christian course be the ornament of the Gospell That which the Apostle requireth of all seruants Tit. 2. 10. is required of all the servants of God who must shew all good faithfulnesse that they may adorne the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things Quest. How may wee doe this Ans. By considerations and practise The considerations are foure 1 The preciousness of thy garment The name of Christ is as a precious oyntment and wilt thou cast it into a sink-hole Wilt thou occasion the prophane to blaspheme and scoffe at Gods holy religion seest thou not the malice of the Devill and his instruments who because they hate God and his truth maligne not so much the person of a poore Christian as the light and truth in him For though they love nothing more then sin in any one yet let a poore Christian tread aside a little you shall easily perceive where the bile is Oh these are your Bible-bearers your professors your holy brethren all alike never a better This is a goodly profession that gives you leave to doe thus and thus as if the profession were not of God because the professors are men Seeing therefore all the malice of prophane ones lies against God himselfe and his truth let all that professe the name of 〈◊〉 and his religion be so much the more wary 2 The foulnesse and reproach of a professor of the Gospell lights upon Christ both the head and members What saith Nathan to David 2 Sam. 12. 14 By this deed thou hast caused the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme Rom 2. 24. The name of God is blasphemed through you Thou who gloriest in the Gospell and transgressest the Gospell dishonorest not thou Christ as ver 23 And therefore we see how grievously God takes it of his own people that they should pollute his name among the heathen Ezech. 36 20 Will not the prophane Atheists and Miscreants say as much of us as the Gentiles of the Israelites These are the people of the Lord these are the professors of the Gospell these are the fruits of their holy profession The reproach of a professor of the Gospell lights also upon Christ in his Members For as Salomon saith a lewd son dishonoureth the whole house so one carelesse Christian casts myre and shame on all his houshold Woe be to him that offends the least of these little ones much more to him that offends and wounds all It is a strong argument to keepe many wretches from heynous attempts because they will not staine their blood and blemish their house and much more should Christians beware of staining the blood of Christ and dishonouring the house of their Father 3 The sin of a professor of the Gospell is a double sinne he sins not onely against his soule but against his profession he sinnes not onely against his owne but against Gods name which he prayes to be hallowed before the forgivenesse of his sinne or his salvation he sinnes not against the Law onely but against the Gospell The sinnes of Atheists Papists scorners worldlings are single sins in comparison and bring no discredit to the Gospell to speake of but for one clothing himselfe with Christ his name to bee a swearer covetous or drunk for such to be profane as Esau was let it never be declared in Gath nor published in Askeâ—on let not the uncircumcised laugh at it let not Papists finde such advantage against our doctrine O that there were no such Sauls or if there were that they might die in obscurity and not live in thelight to dishonour disgrace it who not only fal themselves but throw downe many with them 4. Saints by calling must be saints in conversation if we be called to be Saints wee must live as Saints shewing forth the vertues of him that hath called us that our attire and actions may make men say surely this man is a Christian as he professeth As King Ahazia readily gessed by the Prophets attire that it was Elias 2 King 1. 8. Hereby thou glorifiest God in thy selfe and in others mooving them to glorifie God in the day of their visitation 1 Pet. 2. 2. Hereby the enemies Papists and prophane ones if thou reclaimest them not being incurable yet thou shalt convict them in their consciences stop their mouthes and get reverence to thy person even in their hearts The practises are sixe 1 Because we are prone to foule our garments we must watch our selves narrowly and with Iob suspect all our wayes Rev. 16. 15. Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments In every thing whatsoever we speake or doe what will this disgrace my profession and foule my garments Is this right and wil it doe my profession no wrong 2 As in our bodily garments we make daily work for the Landresse so in the garments of our soules we make daily washing worke and that not by a light staine and soyle which will easily scoure out but with deepe and grounded filthinesse which requires much rubbing scouring beating wringing and rinsing And therefore we must still have recourse to the laver of the Church and purification of the Sanctuary As the Iewes touching any thing by which they became legally uncleane or if they suspected any defilement in their garments or persons they must wash their bodies and change their garments and goe to be purified according to the purification of the Temple So the Christian being defiled with the touch of any knowne or suspected sin must presently have recourse to the blood of Christ a fountaine opened to the house of Iudah and wash himselfe throughly purging first his heart by repentance and then with Peter his head hands and all Thus may he keepe his garments cleane though he foule them every day 3 Avoid slipperie waies and occasions of falling watch against offences make strait steps to thy feet lest thou fall and foule thy clothes Feare of falling keepes us from fals Sort not with foule persons
heads be not crowned they cannot long prevaile Third if he can get his diabolicall edicts once crowned they shall passe almost unquestioned and that generally and bee they never so unlawfull and wicked against Gods pure worship against Gods holy Sabbaths yet they shall prevaile not onely against the wicked who shall shew themselves good subjects in their blinde and impious obedience but especially against the godly who shall bee pursued with all the wrath of such superiours as rebels seditious disobedient to Rulers and Princes as Daniel against whom they could picke no quarrell but in the matter of his God From the desert of the Church for her sinnes crowne the Dragon God in justice appointing them to be the rodds of his wrath by whom hee whippeth his owne children for whereas the promise is that the Church obeying the commands of God he will make her the head and not the tayle and shee shall bee above and not beneath By her disobedience her adversaries become chiefe and those that hate her in affections and those that oppresse her in action get the staffe into their hand and have power as crowned Dragons over her Lament 5. 5. and especially cap 1. 5. From the justice of God against the dragon himselfe both head and members that they may runne on headlong to their perdition For the more power and greatnesse they have the more they grow in malice and madnesse against the woman and the more victories they attaine against the Church the more they exult and triumph and sooner rise to their height and fill up their measure that the Lord may awaken himselfe and rise up as a Giant and pursue and breake them and cast them as rodds into the fire as he hath ever done Note the good service that every wicked man and enemy of God and his Saints doe in the world he is of no other use and service then to hold the crowne upon the Dragons head For as every good subject must stand to the death to uphold the crowne and dignity of his lawfull Prince So doe these rebells and revolters from Jesus Christ uphold the crowne and dignity of this usurper Object God forbid there should be any such we are all Christians c. Sol. Yes the Dragon hath a number of good subjects that strongly and mightily uphold his crowne while they will protest and professe the contrary Quest. But how may we know them Sol. 1. He is free from righteousnesse that is de sacto non dejure he will have nothing to doe with that let grace wooe him and perswade him it can prevaile nothing at all let the Spirit of God perswade him to humility obedience conscience he is an enemy to the Spirits motions and perswasions but let the Dragon instigate him with wicked motions and cogitations hee is a ready agent as Iudas rejecting the good motions of the Spirit the devill entred into his heart to betray his Lord and it was soone done Let the word perswade him to change his master and of the slave of the Dragon become the Lords free man Hee resisteth the word the Spirit of God which inspired the holy Prophets and Apostles moveth us to speake the same word and the wills of beleevers to obey it But the Dragon moveth them to scorne and contradict our doctrine and so resist the holy Ghost as Steven telleth his adversaries and why because we light not candles to the Sunne nor confirme the Kings word by some of the guard nor prove the truth of Gods Spirit by men and humane spirits Eph. 2. 2. These sonnes of disobedience walke after the Prince that ruleth in the aire and being of impure cogitation and conversation how is it possible but they should judge amisse of the truth Whose eyes the god of this world hath blinded Can a blinde man judge of colours II. They walke according to the course of this world Eph. 2. 1. Frame themselves in religion and manners to the times to please men can sweare drinke scorne raile speake filthily sing beastly songs for of so wicked a Prince all the servants are extremely wicked the spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience moveth and acteth in them as the soule in the body there is no service of sinne commeth amisse and when the devill ceaseth to draw his slave from evill to worse wee may hope better things of them III. They are beleevers of lyes 2. Thess. 2. 10. They that are carried away by the effectuall working of Satan or given up to beleeve lyes carryed away with Priests Jesuites Seducers to beleeve all false doctrines contrary to truth as transubstantiation salvation by merits purging of sinne by penall workes and humane satisfactions worshippings of Angels Saints images crosses and a million of dotages being carryed about with flattering teachers to beleeve lies IV. Persecuting of godly men and ministers there Satans throne is and there the dragon is crowned Revel 2. 13. Good subjects will not indure him to be spoken against which they love well therefore they hate godly preachers and cannot abide to heare the abominations of popery and Antichrist to be detected but our Preachers say they lye as fast as their dogges runne these uphold the dragons crowne and resist the crowne and dignity of Jesus Christ what ever they prate to the contrary In beholding the battell of the woman against so many crowned adversaries learne not to esteeme of a Church by externall splendor pompe wealth or glory which is a note of the Antichristian Church Here wee see the Dragon hath seaven Crownes Dan. 11. 31. 36. Antiochus a wicked man that shall magnifie himselfe against all that is called God and speake marveilous things against the God of gods yet hee shall prosper and have armies stand on his part and Antichrist typified in Antiochus who magnifieth himselfe above all that is called God and hath on his head written names of blasphemie hath his armies standing with him Italy France Spaine and many crownes to thrust forward his Antichristian lawes and decrees It is true wee grant there is an internall splendor and glory of the Church consisting in the ornaments of faith charity patience and other vertues as also in the purity of sound and wholsome doctrine and this splendor because it constituteth the true Church it can never want and yet even in this it may be greater or lesser as the doctrine is more carefully preserved or otherwise But that outward splendor and glory which consisteth in peace wealth and multitudes of professors this may be hid oppressed and obscured for 1 This maketh for the good and safety of the Church sometimes to be hid and obscured for hereby God preserveth his Church which were it all and alway knowne all the hornes and the crowned Dragons would assault it at once to destroy it utterly 2 The greatest glory and splendor of the Church is that which appeares not to the eye of
starres of heaven both in themselves in respect of divine and heavenly light and gifts of wisdome and knowledge especially of sanctitie and heavenly conversation as also in respect of the high regard and reverent respect which faithfull Pastors have amongst true beleevers for as they have the highest place in the Church of God so walking worthy their place they have the highest place in the hearts of beleevers Now these starres set by God in their orbs shining in so high place are said to be drawne downe and throwne to the earth 11. The second thing in the meaning is How the starres are said to be cast downe to the earth Ans. To fal froÌ„ heaven to earth here is not to be taken literally but it is in matter of religion to fall froÌ„ a heavenly profession and hope to carnall and earthly counsels and courses and then the Pastors are said to fall from heaven to earth when they fall backe in their 1. judgement 2. affection 3. practice and conversation 1 Then in judgement they fall and faile when the light that was in them is turned to darknesse when they turne away from divine and heavenly truth to errours lies mens fancies and traditions to doctrines of libertie to please carnall mindes and turne from substance to superstition 2. When in affection they change the love of the word into the love of the world they affect the winning of wealth and ease above the winning of soules in stead of minding divine studies to save themselves and others now they minde earthly things in stead of the love of Christ which they seemed to professe and expresse in feeding his I ambes now they are carried with selfe-love seeking and feeding themselves only here is a lamentable â—all of starres from heaven to earth 3. When in practice they exchange their godlines with gaine their piety and sanctimonie into earthlinesse covetousnesse and worldlinesse their conversation which seemed and should have beene in heaven into earthly fleshly and unfruitfull courses This is a woefull fall of the starres which have lost their station as pernicious to the Church and to theÌ„selves as if the starres in heaven should fall upon the earth III But how or by what meanes could the dragon cast downe such excellent men that shined by the light of holy doctrine and conversation as bright as the starres in the heavens Ans. By his taile by which word are there implied all those base artes wicked instruments meanes by which the dragon casts down the stars and these are three which the word most expresly implieth 1. By force and tyranny Dragons have more force in their tayles than in their jawes and therefore this is a figurative speech befitting the nature of a dragon when by the rage of persecution and bitter war and wrath by their fire and sword and cursed cruelty the dragon forces many of the Pastors who had shined and ought still to have done in their places to fal froÌ„ their shine froÌ„ their doctrine holy professioÌ„ holy conversatioÌ„ first to corrupt earthly doctrine then to corrupt and earthly life and behaviour such as other men of earthly mindes and professions have undertaken and expressed 2. By flattery and insinuations by which as by a dragons tayle the Pastors were beaten downe for as dogs do use to fawne and flatter their masters with their taile so the dragon not by open force onely but by secret fraud and insinuation assaileth the stars namely by many faire promises and sugred perswasions making offers of wealth and preferment favor and what else the world can bestow on her favorites by which meanes hee drew many ambitious pompous and câ—vetous teachers from their former study and care in propagating the truth and from their diligence and labour in advancing the salvation of men unto earthly studies and cares how to build their owne houses and feather their owne nests not caring that Gods house lay waste 3. By poyson and infection much poyson lieth in the taile of a serpent the dragon poysoned a great number more with heresie and poysoned opinions against the truth of Christian religion for which end he daily stirreth up heretikes and false apostles and false teachers who being furnished with all arts to deceive draw a number of the starres away from sound and heavenly truth into the apostasie of earthly and impious doctrines cleane contrary to the Scripture and to the person natures and offices of Jesus Christ. Thus the Prophet Isay 9. 15. saith The false prophet which teacheth lies is the taile calling him so in foure respects 1. For basenesse and contempt let them beare themselves aloft in conceit of their wit and learning and others admiration of them 2. For their base flattery and playing the parasites and sawning upon patrons and Princes as dogs on their masters with their tailes for a bone or a crust 3. For their inconstancy and mobility as a dogs taile wags and moves easily on this side and that so they in their doctrine and conversation are here there and buzzing every where for an advantage 4. Especially for their poysonfull and hurtfull disposition and effects for as venomous beasts hide their venome in their tailes by which on occasion they doe much hurt and mischiefe so false and corrupt teachers by eloquence sophistry and base shifts hide the poison of false and erronious doctrine by which they infect and taint the Church of God for which cause Isa 59. 5. false doctrine is compared to the egges of Aspes which if they bee eaten bring most present death and broken sendeth forth a Basiliske that is is most perniciòus both Autoribus to those that invent and devise them and also Auditoribus to those that receive and digest them it bringeth eternall destruction to both as certainly as if they should eate the egge of a Basiliske which is most deadly of all serpents slaying men onely with her sight and poysonfull vapours that sparkle out of her eyes In the times next after the Apostles at which the spirit of God here more expresly aymeth how the imperiall dragon bestirred himselfe and how many starres he drew down stories are not silent to relate 1. Infinite numbers by persecution as Euseb. lib. 8 cap. 3. when wicked Dioclesian commanded the Christians oratories to be demolished and laid even with the ground the Scriptures to be burnt the Bishops to bee cast in prison and compelled by torments to renounce Christianity and offer unto Idols many suffered death constantly Sed alij infiniti animis prae formidine perculsi facile post primum impetum prorsus tandem succubuerunt In the seventh persecution under Decius we read of Serapion and Nichomacus who through their tyranny renounced Christianity and Cyprian de lapsis lib. 2 cap. 8. mentioneth Enaâ—stus a Bishop in Aftrike and Nicostratus a Deacon who made shipwracke of faith and as starres fell for feare from heaven to earth 2. Many starres
the prince of darknesse would keepe in a perpetuall night of sinne and darknesse and therefore with the uttermost of his power would withhold from them all the shine of the Sunne Moone and Starres he can afford them no light at all of holy doctrine or holy example If he can change the light with darknesse how great is that darknesse His despight to God whom he would have most dishonoured by his chiefe and next servants of whō he justly expecteth most honour and service if hee can bring it about none shall betray the Sonne of God but his owne Disciple and none shall so much pull downe the kingdome of Christ as the master builders that should set it up The hight of the starres his policy hath taught him that if he can cast them downe hee throweth many downe with them if he can winne Aaron he is sure of all the people to make and worship the Calfe they are Leaders if he can mislead them hee misleadeth a multitude in every one of them they are Shepheards if hee smite them with his taile the sheepe are scattered They are Standard bearers if he can cast downe the Standard the bands are soone defeated Cedars fall not alone but many shrubs are crushed with their fall Besides hee knoweth their fals are more scandalous more exemplary and that they who in goodnesse will neither follow rule nor example will make their example in evill a rule sufficient Besides he knoweth that as a man falling from a great hight seldome riseth againe or not without great hurt so these falling from holy and heavenly doctrine to humane constitutions to externall ceremonies and worldly contentments seldome or never rise to any good service but prove greatest enemies of all To teach the starres watchfulnesse against this sly busie wrigling taile of the dragon which maketh the lives of godly Ministers very troublesome Q. How may wee prevent the hurt from them Ans. 1. By preparing ' for persecution and triall 2 Tim 2. 3. suffer afflictions as a good souldier of Jesus Christ. Act. 20. 24. Paul was ready to goe to Jerusalem though nothing but bonds did await him The starre keepeth his place be it never so much beset with cloudes and windes and tempests forecast then the first in any storme against the Church is the sincere preacher he is in the foreward and face of the enemy 2. Love not the world deny thy selfe let the world be crucified to thee thou to the world else wert thou a companion of the Apostles as Demas or an Apostle or Disciple at the side of Christ the taile of the dragon will cast thee to the earth why else did learned men change with the times 3. Establish thy selfe in the truth and see thou beest well grounded and able to hold the truth against errours false doctrine heresies which are a part of the taile of the dragon look into the heresies and errours of the time as physitions study the nature and describe the work of poysons not to teach them but to teach how to avoid them So heresies of Popery must be studied not to be received and supped up but to be damned and refuted Many reade Popish bookes and erronious schoolemen and are turned into that they reade as poyson drunke turnes the body unto it selfe 2. Settle thy selfe in love of truth else maist thou easily be given up to strong delusions see 2 Thess. 2. 10. and Marke 10. 21. 4. Content not thy selfe to be well read and seen in the Scriptures nor to shine in light of knowledge and pure doctrine nor in seemely sober and civill conversation but labour especially to make thine owne Election sure for the dragon can cast downe none of the elect no not the weakest of them whereas he prevaileth against strong Cedars of most excellent common graces who are called to the meanes but not of purpose Rom. 8. 28. 5. Pray unto the Lord to uphold thee for what art thou to him whose taile can cast downe the third part of the starres if his taile be so huge what is the bignesse and strength of his bulke or what is the silly woman or any of her sonnes to such a monster pray therefore that Iesus Christ would take thee in amongst the starres into his right hand the hand of protection and safety the hand which is stronger than all out of which hand the dragon cannot take them To hearers learne hence to pray earnestly for their Ministers and afford them all the strength they can against this monstrous dragon whose incessant labour is to throw them downe for prayer is a strong bul warke a guard of men cannot make them so safe as the prayers of Gods people Peter Acts 12 by this meanes was saved from the dragons taile when in likelihood an army of a million of men could not have rescued him this made the Apostles every where beg prayers of the faithfull Faile thou in this and thou sinnest against God in ceasing to pray for them 2. Thou makest thy selfe guilty of the troubles of thy teacher 3. Thou art often denyed comfort in the Ministery and they that should speake to the hearts of Gods people speake often to grieve and gall them because thou prayest not for them to speake as they ought Take no offence to see many learned men once zealous preachers fall ex orbe in orbem out of their orbe and heavenly motion to the world and secular affaires It was before prophesied by Christ Matth. 24. 29. and Rev. 6. 13. Starres fell unto earth as a fig-tree casts her figs in a mighty winde the blustring storme and winde of temptation shake many a fig-tree and stripeth them of their unripe figges and unsound fruit when we see such woefull sights wee may say to thē as Absalon to Thamar defiled and defloured by Ammon Hath Ammon met with thee 2 Sam. 13. 20. so surely the dragon hath met with them hee ought them a spight and payed them a piece of his taile hath light on them and smitten them to the earth And much lesse marvell if many which seemed good and zealous hearers and shined in the firmament of the Church as starres of lesser magnitude have fallen from their beginnings as weary of the good way for if the dragon cast downe so many teachers with his taile what heaps of common professors in the visible Church may we conceive he throweth downe from heaven to earth To the resisters and opposers of godly Ministers good Preachers what art thou that createst trouble and art casting downe the starres so farre as lyeth in thy power but a piece of the taile of the dragon Such as Alexander the Coppersmith and Elimas that resisted Paul called by him the childe of the devill And what art thou doing but easing the dragon and saving him a labour art thou afraide the dragons taile cannot cast downe starres enough without thy helpe or what a needlesse labour
corne and let thistles and tares grow in their place and though they may bee stout and will not heare their duty from us yet wee must not faile in our duty for company but let them know they shall not faile to be called upon and if their sinne be not lesse by it it shall bee the greater Thus shall we testifie our love to God to them to their place nay procure the love of God upon our selves and them for as an irreligious Governour is set up by Gods displeasure over a people so a wise and religious Ruler is a gift of Gods love 2 Chron. 9. 8. God set Salomon a wise and religious King on his throne because hee loved Israel and this is true not onely in the supreme but in those that are sent from him And the woman fled into the wildernesse Some may think it strange that the woman should now flie for which fact shee seemeth to have but little reason seeing her sonne the manchilde was in the former words so exalted to the throne of God and so able to defend her with his iron rod this may seeme to weaken the former exposition but we must knowthere might bee sundry causes besides outward force even many inward dislikes and distastes that might haften her out of sight 2. This verse is here inserted by the Spirit of God by anticipation that is when a thing is mentioned in a former place which was done after for here is mentioned the thing but neither the time nor reason for both which wee must consult the thirteenth and fourteenth verses to which time and place this verse doth properly belong for else would follow First that the woman did flie before the battle begun which all this while was but preparing which is not likely Secondly that shee flew twice 3. That shee did flie before wings were given her all which unlikelihood must needs follow if the verse bee not anticipated for it is plaine by those verses that the slight was afterward that the battell with Michael was fought after shee overcame the dragon after the new assault of the dragon against her and after shee had wings given her to save herselfe by flight Quest. Why is this verse so inserted out of his order and due place Ans. The reason seemeth to be this In the former verse the spirit of God had shewed that the dragon although he watched to destroy the man-childe yet hee was safe being taken up into the throne of God and now if question should be made But what became of the woman he would presently adde the woman was safe too and by what meanes as he by his advancement into the throne so shee by flight but not at the same time for many things came betweene Now as the Spirit of God mentioneth this flight but by the way so shall wee speake of it as here wee finde it reserving the reason of it and meanes and other circumstances to the fourteenth verse where wee shall more fitly meet with them This flight of the woman seemeth to be an allusion unto Israel flying into the wildernesse from Pharaoh that red and bloody dragon pursuing them even to destruction In which flight there are three things considerable 1. The place where she flies with a secret reason implyed because that was the place prepared by GOD. 2. Her sustentation that they should feede her 3. Her mansion or continuance 1260. dayes I. In the place two things are inquired First what is the desart Secondly what is the flight 1. The desart is not to be understood of a certaine place as the desart of Arabia or Libia or any other set place to which the Church was to be tyed to at that time as the Donatists dreamed that this wildernesse must bee theirs in Affrike but a certaine state and condition of the Church opposed to her high and heavenly condition wherein shee shined crowned with twelve starres as verse the first The wildernesse then is nothing else but an afflicted wasted and solitary condition of the woman excluded from her former glory forced now to hide her face from the world and to live in poverty and exile and in a private and solitary condition and as creatures that live in the desart flie the sight and aspect of men so shee vanished and disappeared from the eyes of men not daring to bee seene the same shee was before 2. The flight into the wildernesse is not by change of place but by change of her state and ornaments Especially by the flight are noted 1. The speedy corruption of all things in the Church for flight is a quicke motion 2. The dissipation and deprivation of particular and visible congregations To cleare this observe that presently after Constantine had procured peace to the Church and put an end to the bloody persecutions of those imperiall dragons shee came under worse tyrants than ever before which were security ambition wealth and ease for the former tyrants by their tyranny exercised and excited faith and piety but this deadeth and eateth out all the former made the Church glorious and shining as fire doth gold but this darkened her and dusted her as appeareth in these instances 1. Persecution forced them to cleave close to the simplicity integrity of doctrine and rites which Christ himselfe instituted and his Apostles observed but now ease and idlenesse maketh the Pastors at leasure to devise and mingle pure doctrine with uncleane and superstitious rites they now begin to dedicate Temples to Martyrs and proceed to make commemoration of them after to seeke out reliques of Saints hence Origen and others begin to dispute doubtfully of the intercession of Saints for us and Nazianzen Audi quoque tu anima magni Constantini 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 si quis sensus insit and after in short time grew impiously to invocate them and after to pray for the dead then came in superstitions as a flood and this was the beginning of the womans flight namely the sudden corruption of doctrines and rites 2. Against the former tyrants they contended earnestly for the faith now ease and wealth maketh them wanton proud and contentious one with an other for primacy praecedency ambition prelacy patriarkhood and motherhood These contentions lost and neglected faith truth and charity 3. All the time of the persecutions the woman held her foundation had the cloathing of the sunne upon her that is the righteousnesse of Christ but now they begin to gard it and lace it with the righteousnesse and sanctity of their owne merits 4. Against all Tyrants shee retained the crowne of twelve starres on her head but now shee must change them into temporall crownes and glorious titles of Patriarkes universall Bishops and Pastors of Pastors yea Princes of Pastors Now must this woman either appeare in the habit of a harlot or flie from the sight of men and so as a faithfull Spouse and Virgin of Christ shee chooseth in a meane estate to retaine her virginity
carry us through fire and water through Pikes and perils through thicke and thin after it Thirdly sticke to the conscionable practice of the Word and then be sure thou canst not bee deceived hold to the rule of that for it cannot deceive thee the powerfull practice of it turneth a man from the power of Satan unto God V. Pray for the spirit of grace to performe his Office for thy establishing in grace Quest. What is his Office Answ. 1. He is that Anoynting which teacheth all things needfull 2. Hee is the Spirit of wisedome and counsell to resolve all doubts it is his voyce that saith behinde thee This is the way walke in it 3. He is the Spirit of courage and fortitude to dissolve the fears of flesh to arme us against tyrants enemies changes tryals and persecutions for the truth 4. He is the Comforter to sustaine us with assured comfort in our heavinesse and to cheare us in our wearinesse 5. Hee is the Perfecter of his owne worke for he leaveth no work imperfect which he beginneth for salvation Col. 1. 28. I strive to be perfect according to his mighty power that worketh in me VI. Add this to the former sticke to the Ministery but see that the Spirit be effectuall in that Ministery for 1. The Spirit worketh all those comforts by means of the Word 2. As the evill spirit is effectuall in such as perish by false doctrines and false perswasions so the Spirit of God is effectuall in the Saints especially in the preaching and perswasions of the word of truth 3. It is just that whosoever suffereth not the Spirit to be effectuall there shall finde the spirit of error effectuall in strong delusions If Ahab will not heare Gods Spirit in Micah hee shall fall by a spirit of errour in the mouthes of his false prophets Now to bee established by an effectuall Ministerie wee must observe two rules 1. Receive not every thing hand over head but search the Scriptures and trie the things that are delivered Iohn 5. 39. and the Bereans were commended for examining the doctrine of the Apostles themselves by the touchstone of the Prophets Acts 17. 11. But Papists would not have the Scripture in common mens hands because they distrust their doctrine 2. Having tryed all things resolve to hold all that is good and continue in the things learned from the Word which is an assured fence against deceivers 2 Tim. 3. â—4 We are further admonished to take notice of the markes and signes of a person that is seduced by the Serpent to the end we may avoid them One is in the dayes of light not to perceive the glorious light of the Gospell 2 Cor. 4. 3. If our Gospell be now hid it is hid to them that perish in whom the god of this world hath blinded their mindes that the light of the Gospell should not shine unto them Hee is a blinde man that seeth not the Sunne shining nor such objects as the Sunne discovereth so hee is blinded by Satan who cannot or will not see his estate to bee damnable and miserable but is alive and happy without repentance and conversion that by the same light cannot see that a sinne in himselfe which hee seeth so to bee in another that by the light cannot be convinced but that some sins are good and commodious as profitable lies and oathes some breach of the Sabbath some usury some idle company and perhaps esteeme it vertue or wisedome that by so cleare a light cannot be perswaded but that there is more ease and pleasure in following lusts and sinnes than in observing Gods law here is one led away and deceived of the serpent 2. Another mark of such a one is not to beleeve the truth but to esteeme the Word as a fable unworthy of our credit Eve was not seduced till her faith in the word was shaken Thou that beleevest not the promises as not expecting salvation by them that turnest away the thoughts from thinking earnestly of the threatnings and punishments due to thy sinnes that walkest in thine owne way and refusest the counsell of the word why seest thou not thy selfe seduced and led away by Sathan in great part already 3. A third marke of such a one is a departing from the doctrine of faith received from the religion and divine worship planted by the Prophets and Apostles and prescribed in the word of God a giving way and willing eares to Priests Jesuites and croaking locusts Eve should not have lent her eare to the serpent against the truth of God Hee easily seduceth those that are willing to bee seduced 4. The fourth marke is to withstand the power of grace and religion accounting the practise of holinesse a needlesse precisenesse esteeming the care of pleasing God to be hypocrisie zeale to be rashnesse and distemper Who seeth not but the dragon hath led these away at his will For what other way doth the Dragon himselfe walke in but in a perpetuall hatred of grace 5. The fift marke is noted wickednesse of life and living in lusts for the more wicked a man is the more subject hee is to be delivered up by God to be seduced and who be they that are given up to the efficacie of Antichrist but such as have pleasure in unrighteousnesse that is such as take felicity in sinne and rather then they will forsake it trample under foot all the hopes of the Gospell 2. Thess. 2. 12. Who be they that are or may be noted at this day carryed away into the delusion of popery and are a prey to Jesuites Priests and deceivers but such as must have liberty and indulgence to live in some sin or other first they resolve upon a beastly life and then fall to such a deluding doctrine as may skinne over the gall of their consciences Of many such Apostates wee may say it were pitty they should professe any other religion then popery for no other would befit the wickednesse of their lives so well 6 The last marke is when sinne is revenged with sinne with hardnesse of heart with brawne of conscience deadnesse of spirit dedolency impenitencie This man is fearefully left by God and seised on by the dragon when neither Law nor Gospell neither piping nor mourning prevailes with him Instance whereof we see in many Apostates and temporizers who having made some shewes of goodnesse in themselves and good affections to others falling to the world and selfe-seeking have slacked in their love to the truth and that sinne revenged with hatred and persecuting of goodnesse and that sinne further revenged with hardnesse of heart and a dead conscience not suffering them to looke either behinde them or before them till they have outrunne themselves in so fearfull violence against the grace of God as commonly godlinesse meets not with such enemies any where as those that once made shew of it And as the dragon most desirously assaulteth these so Gods revenge sheweth it selfe most
in demonstration of the spirit that men may say Christ is here indeed I feele his power quickning counselling comforting c. 2 To Magistrates that they put forth all the power they receive of Christ for the glory of Christ and the good of the Church as knowing First that all powers are of God and therefore for God and his causes Secondly they are his Ministers for the good of the good and them that do well Thirdly those that honour God God will honour and contrarily And who seeth not that those that extraordinarily oppose this power of Christ in his Ordinances God extraordinarily opposeth them they cannot so openly contemne him and despise his word but God as manifestly powres contempt upon them and makes them extraordinary spectacles of disgrace and contempt For how can a man set himselfe against God and prosper Fourthly All the power in Christs owne hand was set against sinne and the divels kingdome what better example to a Christian Magistrate 3 To every Christian three wayes 1 Wee are instructed to submit our selves to the royall power of Christ our King as willing subjects acknowledging him the great Centurion of the world For this was prophesied of us in the New Testament Psal. 110. 3. Thy people shall come willingly at the time of holy assembling And otherwise we shall be worse then wicked angels or the unreasonable creatures who all obey his word as we saw before 2 To depend upon this power of Christ as our soveraigne King who hath all power to do us good Want we heavenly things he hath all power in heaven and for heaven he hath power to call to justifie to sanctifie to beautifie to glorifie Want we heavenly graces and riches he hath treasures of wisedome and grace Want we earthly things he hath all power in earth he can bestow not dews of heaven only but the fat of the earth Isaac had but one blessing but he hath more blessings then one and if he be rich being our husband wee shall not be poore 3 To acknowledge this power of Christ in all our receipts of blessing or comfort 1 Finde wee the worke of conversion and sound grace this is not by free-will or preparations or operations of nature but here is a creating power put forth by Christ a power divine working many miracles making a blind man see a deafe man to heare dispossessing a man of many divels raysing a dead man and quickning him that was dead in trespasses and sins 2 Finde wee not onely our peace made up with God but that now wee are lovingly affected to Gods people for Gods image and goodnesse Here is a fruit of Christs mighty power who hath reconciled the wolfe and the Lambe the child and the cockatrice Esa. 11. 6. 3 Finde we any worke of holinesse begun any presence of grace any beginnings of heavenly motion in faith hope love joy zeale constancy Here is a great power of Christ our head by whose power all these are purchased here is a power making a Blackmoore white as snow 4 Findest thou any strength against sinne any temptation foyled any lust given over and hated which thy nature inclineth unto Oh here is the power of Christ above the power of nature Never was sinne foyled but by Christs power never was any a Conquerour in the spirituall combate but by the presence power and strength of the Generall 5 Finde we our prayers heard our defects covered our duties accepted All this is the vertue and power of Christs prayer and by the merit of his obedience Thus must wee with the Church here sing out the power of the Lords Christ. And this also of the Instruction Next this serves the members of the Church for examination namely to try whether we feele this power of Christ put forth in our selves else all is unprofitable and uncomfortable to us Phil. 3. 10. the Apostle counts all other knowledge and priviledges but losse and dung in respect of knowing in himselfe the vertue and power of Christs death and resurrection This is more then to heare of Christ of his life and doctrine of his death and passion It is a lively feeling in his owne soule the power and vertue of his death in the death of sinne and of his resurrection in rising from the grave of sinne This is more then to preach of Christs life and death and goeth beyond all eloquent discourses of the actions and passions of Christ if the Preacher as too many onely know the vertue of Christs death as the Physitian knows the vertues of herbes and simples onely by his reading or relation without his owne experience This knowledge of the power and grace of this Salomon must be like the knowledge of the Queene of Sheba 1 King 10. 7. It was a true word which I heard of thy sayings and wisdome howbeit I beleeved not this report till I came and have seene it with mine eyes neither can halfe the power and glory of Christ be attained by reading or report except our selves by inward feeling and experience come to discerne it That is an happie knowledge of the power of Christ not which is speculative or discoursive but which is experimentall such as the Samaritans Ioh. 4. 42. They say to the Woman Now we beleeve not for thy relation but because our selves have seene Him Quest. How may I discerne the power of Christ in my selfe Answ. It may be discerned by foure special marks or evidences I By the power of the word which is his powerfull arme to salvation So much as thou findest the power of the word so much of the power of Christ mayest thou discerne in thy selfe Now examine 1 Hast thou found the word commanding light out of darknesse in thy soule as in the first creation hath Gods powerfull word created a new saving light in thee that whereas thou wast blind now thou art sure thou seest the face of God in Jesus Christ reconciled unto thee 2 Hath the word in the Ministery beene a powerfull voice of Christ calling thee as Lazarus out of the grave where thou wast by nature under the dominion of death by sin hath it brought in a new life of God and grace What word besides the Omnipotent word of Christ can raise a dead man If the word of God hath inspired a new breath of the Spirit and wrought heavenly motions in thee thou mayest plainly see the power of Christ in thy selfe 3 Hath the word beene powerfull as a mighty engine to cast downe high and strong holds and bring every thing unto the subjection of Christ hath it taken thy highest holds and now sitteth as a Commander there If it have an inward command the understanding conceiveth and is convinced in the certainty of things which be contrary to nature and sense it will shut the owne eyes and yeild to things foolish and absurd to reason The will easily denyeth it selfe worldly wisdome reason profits pleasures liberty and life
and his Apostles as by the Scripture wee are ready to cleare in all points and therefore wee have true succession of persons whether wee can name them or not By which reason wee bring them backe to the matter and cause whence they are willing to slide by bringing us unto persons 2. I answer If wee were not so able as by Gods grace we are to answer them calling for names this were not to bee laid to the charge of our religion but of theirs seeing the craft and tyrannie of their Antichristian Synagogue hath made our search more laborious For they have chased the Church into the wildernesse and forced her to hide her selfe out of sight and then aske us for all those names that fled into the wildernesse and lived and dyed there many hundred yeares since They burne the persons and records and then call us to account to shew them their murders They oppressed their persons as heretikes and suppressed their workes as hereticall and used all cruelty and craft to extinguish their names and memories for ever and now shamelesly they call upon us to put life into all those asnes whose blood their cruell hands have spilt upon the face of the whole earth And whereas the names which they call for are to bee had out of history themselves by falsification of all Antiquity and story and by shamelesse purging of all bookes from all truth which might make against them have made this taske more difficult and themselves not more insolent than fraudulent 3. I answer that there was never any age since Christ wherein our religion in what it is substantially contrary to Popery was not taught and professed must needs bee more ancient than the now Roman faith yea the only true Catholike faith from which theirs is a Catholike Apostasie This assertion they have proved abundantly 1. By Doctor White in his Way to the Church Digress 52. where hee hath cleared that from the yeare 600. before which there was no substantiall or fundamentall innovation received into the Church though some corruptions were creeping in before till the present age there was no halfe age wherein hee nameth not sundry the Teachers and Professors of our religion and resisters of the Papacie while it was in the shell Mee thinkes the Jesuites should answer something to those names before they call for more 2. The same is further cleared by one of themselves whose witnesse is the stronger because it was the testimony of an enemy and Inquisitor as is judiciously noted by that learned and worthy Bishop Doctor Vsher in his booke de statu Ecclesiae cap. 6. pag. 151. There were saith Reinerius the Inquisitor many sects of heretikes in times past but none ever were more pernicious to the Church of God than that of the Waldenses or pooremen of Lions for three causes 1. Because of the continuance of it sor some say it was from Sylvesters time and some say it was from the Apostles themselves 2. Because it was more generall for there is almost no land wherein it doth not spread and creepe 3. Because all other by some foule blasphemy against God make men abhorre them but this hath a great shew of piety for they live justly before men and beleeve all well concerning God and all the Articles which are contained in the Creed onely they blaspheme and hate the Roman Church and the multitude is easily drawne to beleeve them This is the testimony of a Popish Inquisitor Whence I inferre thus If these men held the whole body of religion now maintained in the Reformed Churches and the same positions against the Roman religion which wee doe as is undeniable by their Confessions Catechismes and Commentaries upon the grounds of religion manifest as else where so especially in that late and worthy booke intituled Luthers fore-runners or The history of Waldenses strangely reserved by God for these times the same also is apparent in the Articles objected against them by the Inquisitors set downe by Papists themselves and for which these godly Martyrs lost their lives by hundreds and thousands If they were so ancient as from the Apostles or Sylvester a circumstance not to bee contemned If they were of such just life and sound beliefe as the enemy reports them to bee If they were so many in number and so dispersed into all Countries and so assisted as none durst stop them for the multitude of their favorites If Reinerius himselfe say true that himselfe being often in the Inquisition and present at their examination found forty Churches in his walke infected with that sect and in one Parish of Cammach were ten open schooles of them If at one time were observed eight hundred thousand persons that made profession of the faith of the Waldenses I would now aske a Jesuite whether his fellow hath not named him persons enough in all ages of such as ever since Christ held and maintained and sealed with their blood our faith and religion And whether any credit is henceforth to bee given to his fellowes who say that our religion was never heard of in the world till Luther and was but sixe yeares old when King Edward the sixt dyed but every thing is nourished by that whereof it is bred and their religion being a compact of lies must bee upheld by lying whereof it is framed 4. I answer There was never any age since Christ in which the Popes Headship the maine pillar of Popery hath not beene resisted as hereticall and contrary to Orthodoxe religion The Jesuites have names enough in that learned booke of Doctor Crakenthorpe entitled Of the Popes temporall Monachy who as if hee had intended to prevent the Papists unreasonable demaund of names hath cleared by many names in every Century since Christ that the Popes temporall authority was resisted and by whom and that the sandy foundation of it namely the pretended donation of Constantine is but a fiction and a trick of a false finger by which Popery hath beene through outfacing supported a long time I need hold no Candle to this Torch onely I wish the Jesuites to answer those names before they call for more or else they must goe shorter by the head 5. There was never any age since Christ in which the Pope was not detected and proclaimed to bee Antichrist before his appearing implicitè and after it explicitè and expresly This I have ready to prove by names in al ages since Christ in way of cōfutation of a Jesuites booke sent to mee to review who impudently affirmeth that Luther was the first that called the Pope absolutely Antichrist 1. The Church is ever safe as the Arke on a world of waters Christ is the Pilot. 2. None can take her out of his hands Iohn 10. he is stronger than all 3. He knowes who are his and where and how to deliver them 4 Quod inimici in perniciem machinantur deus convertit in adjutorium feare not the tumults of
Christ neither needeth nor receiveth the testimony of any man Ioh. 5. 33. Answ. Christ is true God and his truth is the truth of God infallible more certaine and firme then al mens testimony And it were very unworthy that infinite should need finite or infallible should need fallible or that the author of truth should need authority from men In this sense Christ neither needeth nor receiveth the witnesse of any man as necessarie to himselfe or for his own part but that they might be saved partly for the weaknesse of men who cannot come to understand divine things without mens testimony or ministery and partly for their salvation which by men he promoteth He useth Iohns witnesse and calleth for the witnesse of the meanest beleever Now the reasons why every one of the remnant must give witnesse to Christ are these 1 Nothing that wee can do can more honor God and Iesus Christ then this Rom. 4. 21. Abraham was strong in faith and gave glory to God What or wherein can wee give greater glory to God then when our faith giveth him a witnesse of his great power truth and goodnesse even contrary to sense and reason as Abraham did 2 Nothing can more honour our selves then to be vouchsafed witnesses to God testifying his truth and the excellency of Gods holy religion both in word and conversation Were it not a great honour for a great Prince to call a meane subject to be a witnesse on his side for the opening of a truth that nearly in honour concernes him But this honor have all the Saints it being the office and function of the whole Church to be the ground and piller of truth the upholder and maintainer of that truth which upholdeth the honor of God himselfe What an honor was it that the Lord called in the whole Church of the Iewes to be witnesses on his side Esa. 43. 10. against all the heathens to testifie of his Omniscience in predictions of things to come which their gods could not do and of his Omnipotency in admirable workes done for them in the wildernesse in the sea in the land of his singular goodnesse and providence in innumerable mercies wherein they were advanced above all people of the earth Did the Lord need them to witnesse no but it was their honour to be vouchsafed such grace that whereas all the heathens witnessed to their idolls they of all people on the earth witnessed and celebrated the great and noble acts of God done among them 3 Nothing makes us liker to Christ our head that true and faithfull witnesse this was his speciall office to witnesse the truth as the redeemer of mankinde and the author of truth Ioh. 18. 37. For this cause was I borne and came into the world that I might testifie of the truth Even so every member of Christ is borne into the Church and commeth into the world of Beleevers to give witnesse unto the truth as being taught in the truth and as the redeemed of the Lord. 4 As nothing can make us liker to God so nothing is better pleasing unto God God the Father hath often and sundry wayes testified unto his Son First Sensibly and audibly in his baptisme and transfiguration also that he was the son of his love who had all his love cast upon him Secondly By the internall revelation of his Spirit in the hearts of beleevers as to Peter Mat. 16. 17 Flesh and blood hath not revealed this but my Father in heaven Thirdly and especially by the mission ministery of the Son himselfe Ioh. 3. 33. he that receiveth his testimony fealeth that God is true for he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God If wee desire to be like God or to please God we must herein imitate him as deare children Which serves for the reproofe of such as are afraid or ashamed of this testimony contrary to 2 Tim. 1. 8. Be not ashamed of the testimony of our Lord. Many will not testifie to Christ among poore men some because great men resist it some are afraid of the strictnesse of it some of the crosses some of the scornes of it and most because this witnesse would witnesse against their own contrary courses and men of little faith are dejected in small matters But such Christ wil be ashamed of in the day of his appearing and shall witnesse against them that he never knew them Such also are condemned as do contest against the witnessing of Christ. The world is full of false witnesses such as were suborned against Christ as First all false teachers that father that on Christ which he never spake as Papists or others that deny any article of faith and Christian Religion so the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. If the dead rise not againe we are false witnesses So to teach the doctrine of mans merit of free-will to good image-worship or the like is to be a false witnesse against Christ himselfe Secondly all unbeleevers that receive not this testimony whether such as scorne to heare the witnesses of Christ if they dislike the person they will none of the witnesse loth to drinke good wine because they like not the dish or such as heare sometime but beleeve not the witnesse this infidelity makes God a liar so farre as a wicked man can 1 Ioh. 5. 11. Thirdly such as contest against his witnesses to elevate their testimony for as in the dayes of his flesh there wanted not such as witnessed against himselfe in person that he was a drunkard a devill a friend to Publicans and sinners an enemie to Caesar a blasphemer so for the same end to weaken the authority of his witnesses there never wanted such as would witnesse against Iob that he was an hypocrite that Paul was a pestilent fellow a moover of sedition a preacher of false doctrin unworthy to live And can the devill devise so foule accusations or so slaunderous which his agents will not boldly urge against the witnesses of Christ to whose innocency godlinesse God himselfe witnesseth This also serveth to comfort 1 Poore Christians despised in the world God honors the poorest Beleever to be a witnesse to his truth and a poore mans testimony is as good even in mens Courts as a rich but much more before Gods tribunall 2 Such as suffer for this testimony losses reproaches and the contempt of the world Even wee lovingly respect such as suffer for their love to us in upholding our truth and innocency and much more doth the Lord see the promise for incouragement Mat. 19. 29. It is also a word of instruction that we frame and fit our selves to this witnesse Quest. How may that be Answ. To a good testimony is required a good witnesse and to a good witnesse must concurre these five things 1 Knowledge and certaine perswasion of the truth to which we are to testifie When Christ was to raise up witnesses to the truth of the Gospell he would have them his owne
themselves 3 Effeminatenesse 4 Contention Weeds grow abundantly in rank soyle 2. Vse 1. Judg. 4. 12. Vse 2. 3 Chiefe ends of prosperity perverted by our selves 3. Rules of direction herein Vse 3. All our watch is little enough in prosperity Foure instances of the dangers of prosperity Vexatio dat intellectum Jnselix Ecclesiae foelicitas Magnae foelicitatis est a foelicitate non vinâ—i Vse 4. How to order our selves 1. In prosperity be sober Phil. 4. 11. 2. In adversity bee thankfull Gods workes are all 1. Wise. 2. Seasonable 3. Profiâ—able Foure conclusions to understand aright what is this flight Observ. Heresie is more hatefull to the Church than tyranny Vse Nobis melius visum â—st locum mutare quà m fidei veriâ—â—atem aedificiâ—ruâ—que 〈◊〉 amaenitatem amittere c. Hier. Ripario What these wings are The number of them Whence she had them Wings of a great Eagle note 4. things Psal. 37. 24. God ordinarily saveth his Church by wings and meanes The Church hath wings and meanes sufficient to avoyd danger 3. reas 4 Grounds of coÌ„fort hence Gods deliverance implyed to be 1 Speedy 2 Unresistable 3 CoÌ„fortable In all dangers to fly under the shadow of these wings 4. â—eas 1. Prâ—v 18. 10. 2. 3. 4. Be sure that thy wings be given thee of God Then we may fly persecutioÌ„ when we have wings from God 4 Rules to obtaine them 1. Job 39. 30. 2. 3. The flight from the dragon is in respect of state not of place The third generall in this verse Observ. Church not alwayes seen Ecclesia aliquando in uno Abelo in uno Enocho in uno Noacho in uno Abrahamo Aug. Delituit iâ— cavernis non eminuit in primarijs sedibus Cont. Auxent But alwayes safe foure Reasons 1 2 3 Servatus etc puerulus ille quem Herodes intâ—rfiere volebat Oral 1. contra Arian 4 Vse The Popish Chuch hath no true succession of doctrine nor persons Neither can such a visible perpetuall successioÌ„ stand with so many schismes in the Papacy 30. averred by Onuphâ—ius 26 confessed by Bellarâ—ine The late miserable shift of Romanists Fox 211. Morellmemorials pag. 54. out of the story of Waldens pag. 11. Monarchomac pag. 23. Vse 2. Aug. Epist. 105. ad Sixtum Doct. The Church shal be provided for in â—ardest times Reas. 1. 2 3 4 5 Use 1. 4 Grounds of comfort Vse 2. 2 Tim. 4. 8. Vse 3 The Church in hardest times shall be fed Rev. 1. 16. God by himselfe feedeth his Church three wayes 1 2 Rev. 3. 20. 3. Use 4. The Woman must be fed in the wildernes 3. reas 1. 2. 3 Not to be literally meant of 3. yeares and an halfe as Papists dreame 3 reas Tempus hoc divino quidem confilio definitum est Ecclesiae exilio humano vero calculo quantum ad terminos impervestigabile Dies velannus certe statui non potest in quem erunt excquiae tamen ex alijs scripturis perspicuum esse arbitror non differend as ad longissimum ul'ra sexaginta annos in cap. 19. 4. Vse Gen. 16. 13. All afflictions of the Church measured by God Why great tryals are compared to floods of waters Five Reasons For their 1. Danger 2. Abundance 3. Depth 4 Instance 5 Swelling 1. Floods of heresies Against the Scriptures De authorit Sc. â—â— l. 3. â—ct Mon. pâ—g 1076. Against Christ. Accedenâ—â— gratia dei vere possamus aliquo mo do ex proprys et ad â—qualitatem ac per hoc iustè et ex condigno satiâ—facere Bellar. Sleidan l. 13. 3 A flood of cruell edicts Doct. No ill successe can make the dragon cease assaulting Reas. 1. In all evill a man is a similitude with Satan 2. And a restlesnesse in sin 3. And a fulnesse of poyson 4. And a resistance of meanes of their owne good Vse 1. Vse 2. Sonnes of the woman must expect these floods Vse 3. 1. Directions against the flood of violeÌ„t enemies 2. Against the floods of Antichristian heresies Jer. 2. 2. Against the floods of virulent reproaches The earth is taken not properly no more than the former floods Floods of he resies drunke up by the earth Two wayes Floods of slanders dried by the earth how Floods of cruell edicts drunke by the earth how Act. 23. 6 7. Doctr. In greatest floods the Church hath alwaies a little helpe Reas. 1. Gods prescÌ„ce 2. Gods providence 3. Christs headship 4 Prayer of faith Use 1. Vse 2. 1 Get to the rocke Exod 14. 22. Iosh. 3. 17. Leane upon Gods power Cleave to the word Keep Christ in the ship Doctr. 2. The Church often hath most helpe where she least expects it Reason 1. 2. 3. 4. 1 Sam. 23. 26. Use 1. The earth must drinke up her owne floods Vse 2. Late experience of this truth Vse 3. The scattering of the Saints is the dispersing of the Gospell Vse 4. Psal. 37. Veritas temporis filiâ— The Captaine of this warre under the dragon The weapons of this captain twofold Doct. Wicked men hate the Saints whom they never saw Reas. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Vse 1. Vse 2. Use 3. Doctrine Reason 1. 2 3 4. 5. Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Doct. Ier 3. 14. Reason 1. 2 3 4 Object Answ. Use 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse 4. Vse 5. Phil. 3. 11. 1 Tim. 1. 5. 2 King 4. 33. Eph. 3. 14. Observ. 1. Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 Observ. 2. Reason 1. 2. 3. Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Observ. 3. Reason 1. Vse 1. 2. 3. Observ. 4. Reason 1. 2 3. 4 Vse 1. Vse 2. Use 3.