diligence in the rectifying those mistakes which impose upon mens Consciences and cut off all just occasion from them that are ready to seek occasion for delivering up their minds to be seduced to an embracing of that which is evil Let us put no advantage into the hands of false Teachers that make it their business to deceive ignorant and well-meaning people Nor let us justly provoke such people to deliver up themselves as a prey to those Foxes and Wolves And to this end give me leave to commend to you this two-fold word of Exhortation 1. To be diligent and constant in preaching such sound Doctrine as may both exhort the people to that which is good and also convince Gain-sayers Let not the people have any just occasion given them to follow these grievous Wolves because those that should teach them are dumb Dogs Isa 56.11 that either cannot or will not bark and look after nothing but every man his gain from his quarter Let them find that the Priests lips do preserve Knowledge and that it is the best course for the people to seek the Law at their mouths Mal. 2.7 who by their Office are the Messengers of the Lord of Hosts 2 Tim. â— 2 Let 's take the Apostle Exhortation Preach the Word be instant in season and out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all Long-suffering and Doctrine 2 Tim. 2.15 Let us shew our selves Workmen that need not be ashamed of our work and such as are not a shame to our Work and Profession but rightly dividing the word of Truth so as to carve to every man his portion Tit. 1.11 And withal There are some whose mouths must be stopped who creep into Houses 2 Tim. 3.6 and lead captive silly people And these we must confute if they will not be convinced with sound Doctrine that the people may see the reasonableness of the truths which we preach the unreasonableness of the errors that are taught in corners And for those that are impetuously obstinate in their errors I doubt not but our Church which hath waited for their return with much long-suffering 2 Cor. 10.8 will seasonably exercise towards them that power which God hath given Acts 20.28 for their edification and not for their destruction 2. We must also take heed to our selves as well as to our Doctrine that we give no advantage to false Teachers to insinuate into men of good Affections a fancy to leave the Church because of the scandalous lives of them that are publick Preachers 1 Tim. 4.12 Let us be to the Believers a pattern not onely in word but also in Conversation in Charity in Spirit 1 Sam. 3.13 in Faith in Purity Remember how God did punish Eli's house when his sons by their wicked lives made men to abhor the offerings of the Lord. Remember what God threatens to the Priests Mal. 2.2 3. Mat. 5.17 and 8 9. Remember also our Saviours words Ye are the salt of the Earth if the salt have lost its savour wherewith shall it be seasoned It is thenceforth meet for nothing but to be troden under feet of men 1 Tim. 4 16. Let us therefore take heed to our Selves and to our Doctrine and then we may hope that we shall be Instruments to promote the salvation of our selses and of those that hear us However Isa 49.4 5. Though Israel be not gathered yet shall we be glorious in the eyes of the Lord And our judgment shall be with the Lord and our work with our God 2 Tim. 3.13 Though evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived Ezek. 3.19 yet we having discharged the parts of faithful watchmen shall have delivered our own souls Now the Lord of his mercy inform the Consciences of those that are erroneous Acts 24.16 and soften the Consciences of prophane sinners and give us all grace to keep Consciences void of offence toward God and man in this world that so when we have fought our good fight 2 Tim. 4.7 8. and finished our course and kept the Faith unto death we may at death receive the Crown of Righteousness through the alsufficient merits of Jesus Christ To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost let us give as is most due all Honour and Glory world without end Amen FINIS THE SUBTILE and PESTILENT NATURE OF Seducers A SERMON Preached in the CATHEDRAL AT SARUM Upon St. Marks Day 1665. By Paul Lathom M. A. 1 John 1.4 Beloved believe not every spirit but try the spirits whether they be of God because many false prophets are gone out into the world Printed by T. M. 1666. THE Subtile and Pestilent Nature OF SEDUCERS Ephes 4.14 That we henceforth be no more Children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lye in wait to deceive THE Gospel written by St. Mark whose memory we celebrate this day hath in all Ages been received as Canonical Scripture But there hath been some difference amongst the Learned concerning the Person that wrote itâ— some affirming it to be written by that Mark whom St. Peter calls his Son 1 Pet. 5.13 Others supposing the Author of it to be that Mark who was also called John the Son of Mary of whom we read Acts 12.12 That he whom St. Peter calls his Son was the Evangelist I suppose to be beyond controversie the onely doubt that remains is whether he was the same with John-Mark 〈◊〉 Son of Mary or another person of the â—â—â—e name This I cannot finde absolutely determined by the Learned and Judicious and therefore shall leave it in the middle It is agreed that this St. Mark the Evangelist was the first Bishop of Alexandria as Dorotheus tells us and that he preached the Gospel to all those parts from Egypt even to Pentepolis The time of whose Preaching the Gospel in Egypt Buchol Chronol Bucholtzer determines to be about the 44th year of Christ Concerning the time when he wrote this Gospel no certainty can be gathered out of Historians Euseb Eccl. Hist l. 2. c. 15. saith Bullinger But Eusebius reports it to be presently after the confusion of Simon Magus which was in the Reign of Nero and about the 68th year of Christ And yet Bucholtzer in his Chronology reports from Eusebius I suppose his Chronicle that St. Mark did suffer death four or five years before this time So that the most Learned and diligent searchers of Antiquity are not free from over-sights especially in Chronology But this by the way For the occasion of the writing of this Gospel Eusebius relates it thus Eccl. Hist l. 2. c. 15. out of Clemens Alexandrinus That after that wonderful confusion of Simon Magus the Christian Religion began so much to flourish and encrease amongst them that had heard St. Peter preach that they were not content to hear
CHRIST CRVCIFIED OR The DOCTRINE of the GOSPEL ASSERTED Against PELAGIAN SOCINIAN ERROURS Revived under the Notion of New Lights Wherein also the Original Occasion and Progress of Errours are set down And Admonitions directed both to them that stand fast in the Faith and to those that are fallen from it Unto which are added three Sermons Preached upon publick Occasions being of the same Nature and tendency with the Tract By Paul Lathom M. A. Vicar of Warmister in VViltshire 1 Cor. 1.23 24. But we preach Christ Crucified unto the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness But unto them which are called both Jews and Greeks Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God 1 John 2.22 Who is a lyar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ He is Antichrist that denieth the Father and the Son LONDON Printed by Tho. Milbourn 1666. To the Right Reverend Father in God ALEXANDER Lord Bishop of SARVM My very much Honoured Lord and Patron MY LORD THe Church of God is very fitly represented as a Lilly among Thorns Cant. 2.2 which though it self be both harmless and pleasant yet must expect unpleasant and harsh usage from the Ill-neighbourhood of them who are as Briers and Thorns Mic. 7.4 Psal 80.12 Cant. 2.15 Prophane persons like the wild Boar will be attempting to dig up the Roots and Hereticks like little Foxes will be spoyling the tender Grapes of this Vine Psal 80.15 which the Lords own right hand hath planted And both these sorts of them that are born after the flesh Gal. 4.29 through their enmity to them that are born after the Spirit as they greatly disturb the progress and peace of the Shepherds of Christs flock who must expect to be men of strife Jer. 15.10 and to oppose themselves against a current of prophaness and errors of whose troubles 2 Cor. 11.26 28. together with the care of the Church of God the perils from false brethren are not the least part so to those that are of the Flock it must needs be an occasion of many sad thoughts and searchings of heart many sad temptations and trials of their stability Now the Word of God As it supplies us with such comforts which in the multitude of the thoughts of our hearts Psal 94.19 may at all times delight and bear up our souls So in this sort of distresses Psal 119.50 we may truly say This is our comfort in our distress Thy word hath quickned us And that Vnless this word had been our delight and comfort we must needs have sunk and perished under these troubles and trials Whose heart would not fail him to see so many false Prophets and false Christs arise in the Church Mat. 14.24 if Christ had not told us before That false Christs and false Prophets should arise and St. Paul 2 Tim. 3.1 That in the last dayes perilous times should come And St. Peter 2 Pet. 2.1 that There should arise false Teachers among us which should privily bring in damnable Heresies even denying the Lord that bought them What sad thoughts and searchings of heart would the divisions of Reuben cause Judg. 5.15 16. while the sons of Belial are confederate in wickedness if Christ himself had not told us that his Coming and Doctrin would not send peace in the earth but a sword Mat. 10.34 not designedly but by accident How would it startle us to hear the confidence of many in citing the word of Truth for the defence of dangerous errors if the Apostle had not told us 2 Cor. 11.14 that Satan doth oft transform himself into an Angel of light and the Evangelists that he had the impudence to quote Scripture to our Saviour to entice him to evil Mat. 4.6 and therefore that it is no wonder if his ministers do transform themselves into the Apostles of Christ How would it stagger us to see the outward strictness of life and specious pretences of Sectaries if Christ had not told us that many should come in sheeps clothing Mat. 7.15 who inwardly are ravening wolves How would it sad our hearts to see men of good affections and excellent gifts drawn away to errors if Christ had not told us that the Seducers will be so prevalent Mat. 24.24 as to deceive if it were possible even the very Elect What sadness must it needs work in our hearts to see men sleight and loath the spiritual Manna of Gods publick Ordinances and to long for flesh of their own fancying if the Apostle had not told us that the time would come 2 Tim. 4.3 when men would not endure sound Doctrin but after their own lusts would gather them an heap of Teachers that should claw their itching ears Whose heart would not break to see the general coldness and want of zeal for God yea that Irreligiousness and Atheism of many if Christ himself had not told us that when Iniquity should so much abound in the later dayes Mat. 24.12 the love of many would wax cold Now God in his Word hath told us of these things before hand to the end that when we see them come to pass we should not be offended Joh. 16.1 And withal that being thus forewarned we might endeavour to arm our selves against these trials It is the duty of all men like the good Beraeans to search the Scriptures Acts 17.11 and find out the deceits of seducers And those especially whom God hath made watchmen over his people Ezek. 3.17 ought to give all diligence in discovering these enemies that would gladly find an opportunity to sow these Tares while we are sleeping Mat. 13.25 To settle as much as may be them that stand fast to reclaim if possible them that are gone astray and to clear our selves from the blood of all men Acts 20.26 This small Tract is designed for the promoting of these Ends which I hope may stir up others of better abilities and leasure to go further in so necessary a work If any object that this Doctrin of the Gospel being generally owned did not need to be asserted I answer I could wish that all our Neighbours were both almost and altogether such Christians as they ought to be But it is too sadly evident that all are not Christians that go under that general Name Beside if Saint Augustine's learned books de Civitate Dei and that later Work of the noble Du Plessis De veritate Christ Relig. be accounted both excellent and useful then why may not another of the same nature that followeth them though not passibus aequis be esteemed acceptable and useful in these giddy times Psal 82.5 wherein all the foundations of the Earth are out of course And as for the stile it is such as is both sutable to my own Genius and I hope to the subject here handled And being designed chiefly for the benefit of ignorant and misguided people I thought it better to use such a language as might profit them then such as might amuse them However Gen. 27.22 if
any of us into the way of falling and therefore let us not be secure nor lean to our own understandings Prov. 3.5 but trust to the strength of the Lord who alone is able to hold us up 2 This should teach us charity toward many seduced persons There are Seducers and Seduced amongst the Sectaries The Seducers are abominable and to be prayed against The Seduced are to be pittied and prayed for Our Church teacheth us very piously and charitably to pray that God would please to bring into the way of Truth all such as have erred and are deceived And also that he would strengthen such as do stand and finally beat down Satan under our feet And this is a prayer which we had need daily and devoutly to put up seeing even those that are truly gracious may fall into some Errors And they are in this danger especially at some times which leads me to the III. Part of the Text viz. 3 Part. The condition which these Christians had formerly been in which had laid them open to the danger of being seduced and that is set down in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 children When I was a child saith the Apostle I spake as a child I understood as a child I thought as a child 1 Cor. 13.10 But when I became a man I put away childish things Pueri mobiles sunt sine judicio c. saith Mesander in locum Children are fickle and without judgment and therefore do easily assent to any Doctrine And Calvin Pueri sunt qui nondum gressum firmârunt in viâ Domini c. They are called Children who have not setled their feet in the way of the Lord who are not fully resolved which way to take but fluctuate inclining now this way now that way But those that are setled in Christianity though they be not arrived to full perfection yet they have so much constancy as to be setled in the Faith A Child you know will easily be induced to believe any thing upon slight grounds will presently be enflamed with an eager love to any novel vanity will easily be perswaded to follow a stranger or to part with any thing it hath because it knows not the value of it So those that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 children in Christianity are easily induced to believe the fair and specious pretences of seducing spirits to delight in novel Opinions and modes in Religion 2 Pet. 1.1 to follow false Teachers and to depart from that precious Faith into which they were Baptized And as there are three things in Children which makes them prone to mistakes so also in them that are Children in knowledge 1. Want of Consideration They do not take the pains to weigh what they hear but presently entertain and are fond of it whereas Elder persons are more staid and deliberate and have through use obtained a faculty to see further into a thing then those that are younger And while men are Children in Christianity they are apt rashly and inconsiderately to fall out with the Truth and to embrace novelties whereas due consideration would prevent this 2. Want of Experience Experience is the Mother of Prudence for want of this Children are so easily overseen And those people that are not versed in the History of the Church to observe the rising and falling of these Errors in former Ages that have not experience of the subtilty and wickedness of seducing spirits may easily be ensnared by their fair pretences 3. Self-confidence Young persons are prone to conceit themselves to know more then their Elders and this confidence doth commonly overthrow them while it withholds them from hearkning to the advice which elder years might administer And the Apostle tells us 1 Tim. 3.6 that Novices in the Faith are very apt to be pufft up with pride and thereby to fall into the snare of the Devil It will greatly concern us therefore 1 Cor. 14.13 to take the Apostles Exhortation Brethren be not children in understanding In malice be ye children but in understanding be ye men For to be children in Knowledge will expose us to that great mischief which I am now coming to speak of in the IV. 4 Part. Part of the Text viz. The prejudice that the Apostle tells them they had been apt to receive while they were children in the Faith And this he sets forth by Two very remakable Expressions The first is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tossed to and fro like waves of the Sea Another Apostle calls the Seducers Jude 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 raging Waves of the Sea both in regard of the boistrousness of their motion and that trouble and prejudice that they give to those that pass through them And here this Apostle sets forth the condition of those that are seduced by this term 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tossed to and fro as a Ship amidst the Waves of the Sea Eleganter miseram eorum trepidationem exprimit c. saith Calvin in locum He very elegantly sets forth the uncertain and wavering condition of seduced people by this Metaphor of a Ship at Sea in a tempestuous time For as such a Ship is tossed by the merciless Wind and Waves so that neither the counsel nor strength of the Pilot or Marriners can guide it Even such is the condition of them that are tossed by the winds of strange Doctrin All the counsel and advice of Friends and Teachers yea all the strength of good Laws and Government cannot prevail to steer them in a right course but the unruly winds of false Doctrin and false Teachers like raging waves of the Sea do hurry them up and down at their pleasures and to their extreme hazzard all this while As a Ship in a tempestuous Sea is in great danger of shipwrack and it is very doubtful whether ever it will safely arrive at its desired haven So these seduced persons are in a very great and apparent danger of their souls though the almighty power of God be able to rescue them as a Lamb out of the mouth of a Lion yet I say for the present they are in a condition of very great hazzard The second word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 carried about Comparat eos vel stipulis vel aliis rebus infirmis c. saith Calv. in loc As twigs are bended every way with the wind and chaff and straw and such like matter that is light and lies loose are easily driven to and fro with it Even so persons that are but as weak twigs will bow and bend to a compliance with every strange Opinion when strong Trees that are well rooted in the Faith will sooner break then bend Those that lie loose and unsetled and withal are of a light and less solid temper are blown up and down like chaff while those that are weighty and good Corn lie still in the floor How greatly therefore will it concern us all to endeavour to be
solid and setled in the Faith that we may be secured in these troublesome times when there are so many blustering winds of strange Doctrin abroad to try our stability And this calls me to the V. 5 Part. Part of the Text viz. The instrument of this great mistake which he sets forth in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the winds of strange Doctrine New fancied and false Doctrines may fitly be compared to the Wind. 1. As to the original of them both The Wind is conceived to be an Exhalation arising out of the Caverns of the Earth Arist 2. Meteor c. 4. And false Doctrines are Exhalations arising out of the bottomless pit sent forth by that infernal Aeolus at the command of an angry Juno Raised I say by the Prince of darkness though in the shape of New Lights permitted by the wise and just providence of God whom we have thereunto provoked by our sins 2. As to the substance of them the Wind is so leight and fluid a body that it escapes our sight nor are we well able to tell what it is Such are false doctrines though they make a great noise and bustle so as to fill the world as the Wind doth yet are they indeed if well looked into but vain and empty nothings contending to appear as something extraordinary to men of common apprehensions 3. As to the effects of them Pulchra Metaphora dum omnes hominum doctrinas c. saith Calvin in locum It is an elegant Metaphor whereby the Apostle compares all the novel Doctrines of men to the Wind for as the Wind doth remove things from their places and tosseth them to and fro so false doctrines do tend to unsettle us and remove us from the Faith whereas the intent of the Word of Truth is to root men and settle them in the Faith And hereunto I may add that as the Wind though a leight and fluid body yet hath a very great strength and force in it so false doctrines though in themselves lighter then vanity yet are very powerful to amuse and unsettle mens mindes from their former profession 4. As to the uncertainty of them Adhaec incertam dubiam falsam doctrinam confert Paulus cum vento c. saith Sarcerius in locum The Apostle compares false doctrines to the Wind for their uncertainty and doubtfulness Nothing more variable then the Wind and nothing more uncertain then they that have once left the Foundation of their first Faith to embrace Novelties And further saith he this expression denotes the imperpetuity and short continuance of errours The Truth shall endure for ever like the Heavens but Errour shall vanish like the Wind when it hath spent its boysterous blasts as long as the most wise God sees fit False doctrines then as you have heard are like the Wind But these Winds have an Aeolus that sends them abroad and manageth them to the mischief of mankind And this leads us to the Sixth 6 Part. and last thing in the Text viz. the Authours or foundation of this great mischeif set forth in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we render it not improperly by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lye in wait to deceive Beza renders it In hominum alea per veteratoriam ad insidiose fallendum versutiam which I would thus translate By the cogging of men and their pestilent craftiness whereby they endeavour to betray men into the snares of errour Tremellius out of the Syriack reads it thus Ad omnem ventum doctrinarum versutarum filiorum hominis qui per astutiam suam sese componunt ut fallant By the wind of subtil doctrines of the sons of men who by their subtilty do compose themselves to deceive others Our Doctor Hammond in his Marginal Note reads it By the subtilty of men through their craftiness for the contriving of deceit which seems to me to come nearest to the sense of the words in the Greek All these versions concurr in the substance and shew us that there is a great deal of subtilty and cogging which Seducers do make use of in order to the beguiling of ignorant and unstable Souls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Dye may signifie cogging Some would make this construction of it Vt hic per aleam intelligantur incerti illi casus Marlorat quibus jactantur homines c. As nothing is more moveable than a Dye so nothing more uncertain and wavering than the mindes of erronious persons But I rather incline to them that say Per aleam intelligitur aleatoria quaedam vafrities Such craft as is used by Gamesters in cogging the Dice So Calvin and Bullinger in locum Alludens ad lusorum quorundam artes c. He alludes to the cogging of Gamesters whereby they cheat those that play with them False teachers have an art of cogging with the Holy Scriptures to make them seem to fall to their own minde and to maintain their own Opinions and thereby they easily impose upon those they have to deal withal For there is such a reverence in the mindes of well-disposed persons towards the Authority of the Scriptures as being the Word of the God of Truth that they are presently induced to receive with a great deal of respect and zeal whatsoever appears to them to be grounded upon the Word of God And therefore it is that Seducers do take this course as that which they have alwayes by experience found to be very effectual Yea further saith Calvin Huc decedit quod ad struendas insidias excubant They are said to lye in wait to deceive Which notes the vigilance and unwearied diligence that false teachers use to catch poor Souls into snares They humble themselves and stoop and creep and comply to intise men into their snares even as Vitellius in the Historian who is said projicere oscula c. quicquam facere pro Imperio that he would prostitute his Salutations and Embraces to gain mens hearts to own him as Emperour Or as Absalom who hugged the people and kissed them and gave them good words when they came to him complaining of the King his Father and promising them great matters when he should come to the Kingdom and by these arts he stole away the hearts of the men of Israel 2 Sam. 15. Even so these Seducers do humble themselves and give fair words to those that follow them they complain of great disorders in the Church of England and promise them strange things if they will but come over to their Sect or Party and by such arts they lay in wait to steal away the hearts of simple people Yea they spare no pains but as our Saviour saith of the Pharisees Mat. 23.15 They compass Sea and Land to gain one Proselyte to their opinions Now as this shews the inveterate malice and subtilty of that old Serpent who hath been so long versed in the accursed art of
David Reigned but that he should exercise a spiritual jurisdiction over The Israel of God as I have spoken before To this purpose also is that which Daniel speaks of The God of heavens setting up a Kingdom that should never be destroyed Dan. 2.44 which is spoken of the Kingdom of Christ And that Zechariah speaks of thus Behold thy King cometh unto thee Zechar. 9.9 which is applyed to our Saviour Mat. 21.7 By all this it is sufficiently evident to every sober and impartial eye that the Lord did promise to the Fathers of the Old Testament his own Son to become man and to be a Mediator between God and man and that accordingly the Spirit of God in the Law and the Prophets hath attributed to the Messiah who was promised such Names and Titles as speak him to be such a Person and withal that they foretel him to be designed by the Father to such Offices as were necessary to be performed in order to our Redemption and Salvation CHAP. VII The second Proposition confirmed by nine Arguments viz. That the time which was appointed by God for the accomplishing of these Promises and Prophesies and for the sending of the Son of God into the world in our Nature is long since expired so that we are certainly to believe that our Saviour is already come in the flesh THat God the Father was pleased in his wonderful goodness and tenderness toward Mankind to make very gracious promises concerning the sending of his own Son into the World to be our Redeemer and Saviour I think hath been made so evident that he who would go about to cavil at it must either bid open defiance to the belief of the Law and the Prophets or if he profess with his mouth that he believeth them yet he will shew indeed by his wresting of them that he bears very little reverence to them Now as we have seen how the inestimable love of God was manifest in that man had no sooner fallen from obedience to his Creatour and given him occasion to pronounce that sentence of the Law which his Justice did shew to be the due desert of sin but he did presently even in the midst of judgement remember mercy and promised unto man a Saviour that should deliver him from that curse of the Law which was but now denounced So now let us see the admirable faithfulness of God who hath fulfilled with his hand what he promised with his mouth and When the fulness of time was come Gal. 4.4 did send forth his Son made of a Woman made under the Law The Apostle tells us that the Doctrine which they preached of Christ being then already come and crucified for our sins was to the Jews a stumbling-block 1 Cor. 1.23 44. and to the Greeks foolishness and we may add that what he told us before we have still reason to tell you weeping 2 Cor. 3.24 that to this day the vail is upon the hearts of the Jews even a double vail of ignorance and obstinacy so that though the wrath of God hath come upon this Nation to the utmost 1 Thes 2 16. and doth continue to this day by reason of their crucifying the Lord of Life yet will they not be sensible of it but still are ready to cry as their fathers formerly Mat. 27.25 His blood be on us and on our children And which is more sad many even amongst the Professours of Christianity are waxed so wanton in matters of Religion that they would be glad to finde out some new sawces to gratifie the vanity of their own appetites would fain finde some new matters in this great Mystery of godâ—iness God manifest in the flesh as if the old Doctrine of the Church of God in all ages were so old that it were time to lay it aside To obviate therefore the growing vanity of those that are so loose in the Profession of Christianity and to help to establish us all in the belief of that Faith into which we have been Baptized I shall endeavour by several Arguments to confirm this Truth that we are verily to believe the time to be come and long since past when the Son of God was to come in the flesh and to make himself an offering to Divine Justice for our sins First 1 Argument I argue from the calling of the Gentiles to the Knowledge and Service of the true God When God was pleased to make choice of Jacob and his Posterity for his peculiar people he gave them several Ordinances and Rites Eph. 2.14 which the Apostle calls a middle-wall of partition between them and the Gentiles God having appointed the observation of these to be the cognizance of his own people so that the Gentiles not observing these this made as it were a partition-wall to separate the Jews from the Gentiles And if we look into all the Writings of the Prophets whensoever we finde any thing spoken of the Conversion of the Gentiles we finde it tyed to the coming of the Messiah in the flesh So when the Prophet speaks of Christ Isa 49.6 and the forming of him from the womb he saith It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Judah I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles Isa 60.3 that thou mayst be my Salvation to the ends of the earth And afterwards speaking of the coming of Christ he saith The glory of the Lord shall arise upon the earth and the Gentiles shall come to thy light and the King to the brightness of thy rising I might instance in many other Prophesies concerning the Conversion of the Gentiles all which do foretel its coming to pass about the time of the coming of the Messiah in the flesh Eph. 2.14 15. who was to break down the middle-wall of partition that was between us and so of twain to make one people Now that the Gentiles have been many of them long since turned to the knowledge and obedience of the true God is evident Joh. 4. Christ himself preached the Gospel to the man of Samaria and afterward to the whole City and many of them believed in him And afterwards we finde that divers of the Apostles went and preached the Gospel to the Gentiles yea St. Paul is expresly stiled The Apostle of the Gentiles Eph. 3.2 3. And he saith Is he the God of the Jews only Is he not of the Gentiles also Rom. 3.29 30. Yes of the Gentiles also Seeing it is one God that will justifie the circumcision by Faith and the uncircumcision through Faith We read in the New Testament of the Churches of God at Rome at Corinth at Galatia at Ephesus and many other places which before were Heathenish places Yea to go no further then this our Island which was sometime of the number of the Gentile Nations yea of the remote parts of the Gentiles and yet as we know that at
Doctrine of Christ crucified as the onely way to Justification and Salvation laid open and asserted in the four preceding Propositions And from what hath been spoken we may First conclude with the Apostle that 1 Cor. 3.11 Other Foundation can no man lay then that which is laid which is Jesus Christ and his merits This is a foundation of Gods own laying 1 Pet. 2.6 Behold I lay in Sion a chief corner stone elect and pretious he that believeth in him shall not be confounded And whosoever attempts to lay any other foundation or to draw men off from this Foundation must needs expect to be confounded in the issue Three sorts of builders we meet with even amongst those that pretend to Christianity who attempt to lay other foundations or at least are in danger to draw men off from this sure Foundation 1. The Papists who though they have devised many Ceremonies and complemental expressions of honour unto Christ in their way of Worship yet are found to betray him in their Doctrine while they salute him with so many Ave's There are two Points of Popery which are detestable to every true Christian as having an apparent tendency to draw men off from that honour which they owe to Christs Merits and that trust which they ought to repose in Him alone First The adoration and invocation of Saints departed To omit their Canonizing of those for Saints that either had never any other place but in the Popish Calendars their Utopian Saints as Christopher and George and such like as also those who though they have lived upon earth yet it may justly be suspected they never lived in Heaven their Prophane and traiterous Saints their Becket and Faux c. And yet this tends much to render their Religion ridiculous that they should undertake to make them Saints that were either no men or no honest men and expect help from those that stand in need of help themselves though it shall never be afforded them To omit this I say that the Divine Worship which they bestow upon the best and most undoubted Saints the Apostles or Evangelists yea or the Blessed Virgin her self is no better than gross Idolatry We reverence the Mother of our Saviour inasmuch as He that is Mighty hath magnified her and therefore we and all generations do deservedly call her Blessed Luke 1.48 49. We honour the memory of the Apostles and Martyrs in Heaven and those dayes which our Church appoints annually for keeping up the remembrance of them do put us in minde to bless God for his Graces bestowed on them and the benefits which we may hope to receive both by their Doctrine and Examples But to give Divine Honour to any of these so as to worship them or invocate their help either as absolute donors or yet as intercessours we believe to be as palpable idolatry as to worship any of the Heathen gods And certainly if the Blessed Virgin and the other Saints in Heaven were capable of understanding the superstitious vanity of those that worship them and of communicating their mindes to us on earth they would declare their utmost abhorrency and detestation of that undue honour which is given them Beside is it not gross Sottishness for men to believe that their whispers should be heard by the Saints in Heaven and the whispers of so many thousands as may be conceived to be praying to one Saint at the same time except they can either shew some reason that perswades them to this belief or else a promise that such prayers should be heard And what can be more evident then the wrong that is done to Jesus Christ by substituting many mediatours of Intercession as if himself were either not able or not at leasure to receive all the petitions that are put up to him at the same time or else had not so much goodness and compassion in him towards his people as the Saints have which should make us to expect a speedier redress by calling upon them then by calling upon himself The Apostle tells us 1 Tim 2.5 that There is but one God and one Mediatour between God and man the man Christ Jesus And as the owning or worshipping of more gods then one is as absurd and impious as to worship none at all so the owning or invocating more then one Mediatour is an high wrong to Jesus Christ our onely Mediator and Advocate 2. Their Doctrine of Merits doth lay another foundation beside Jesus Christ When they teach a Merit either of condignity or yet of congruity in our good Works yea are so super-arrogant as to teach their Doctrine of supererogation A monstrous term invented to express a monstrous Notion in Divinity and that which doth apparently tend to draw men off from building their Faith wholly upon the foundation of Christs Merits and to part the glory of their Salvation between him and the Saints departed Doubtless this is such a gross and apparent contradiction to the Doctrine of the Gospel Roâ—a 11.6 Eph. 2.9 2 Tim. 1.9 Tit. 3.5 that themselves could not but be sensible of it did not that gain which accrues to them by dispensing these merits from the Popes treasury blind their eyes that they cannot see a truth which would be so unprofitable to them to own Secondly some new Projectors amongst us who if they did terminate their speculations within the compass of Philosophical points we would easily allow them to make themselves proud with conceiting that they have found out a device to see further into a Milstone then their poor blind Fore-fathers But when they will attempt to alter the old Bodies of Divinity under pretence of solving I know not what Phaenomend in the Divine providence they must give us leave to look a little into their proceedings in matters wherein our Free-hold is so neerly concerned How happy did the Protoplasts conceit themselves when they thought of being like God to know both good and evil and how great happiness do many conceit in attempting such a scutiny into every thing that not only Nature but Religion also must discover all its secrets to their refined reason When these persons have first performed such wonders in Nature as to grasp all the Air that incircles the Earth in their fist or to embrace Heaven in their arms or to lade the Ocean dry with a Nut-shell then we shall believe that the vastness of their Reason may not onely comprehend those matters of Faith which we poor Mortals have admired for so many ages but also perfect their devices for climbing up to the Lunar Orbe and examine the Religion that is professed there But they might do well first to discover the contradictions that are to be met with in the old Systems of Divinity and that by men that have so much seriousness and humility as to understand them in a competent and candid manner and next to reconcile the contradictions which are so palpable in some of their Hypotheses by
name that which supposeth the Eternity of the World and then to begin to apply their Engines to work strange feats when they have found them sit to bear the censure of the world These attempts if they have not disposed the Authors of them yet I fear they will prepare many of the Readers and admirers of them to be first Scepticks then Hereticks and in conclusion Atheists Thirdly another sort are they who to give them a Name nearest relating to their principal Tenet or rather pretence may be termed Illuminati Those that pretend to such a light within as should be sufficient to lead them to Heaven if they walk answerably to it I would willingly know of these pretenders what they understand this light to be Is it Christ or is it something else If they say It is Christ whom we have shewed to be God and Man hypostatically united then how near do they symbolize with the Papists in their Doctrine of the Vbiquity of Christ and their Capernaitical conceit of a gross eating of Christs Body by the most wicked man that partakes of the Elements in the Eucharist Seeing this Tenet would both suppose Christs Person to be every where and also to have his abode in the vilest of men as well as in the best But if they say It is something else then Christ I ask then What it is Is it that Spirit which Christ before he left the world promised to send Or is it onely the Natural light of Reason and Conscience which are the remainders of that Law of God which was written upon Mans heart in his Creation but sadly defaced by the Fall If they say that it is that Spirit which Christ promised to send after his Ascension We must desire them to take notice that in this Promise there was something peculiar to the Apostles and others that were to be sent abroad to preach the Gospel in the beginning of the planting of Christianity some things that have respect to all Believers in all succeeding ages of the Church and others that were common to all the World It was peculiarly promised and fulfilled to the Apostles and some others that were to be employed in planting the Gospel at first to have the Holy Ghost given them to enable them to work Miracles Act. 1.8 and to speak with divers tongues for the confirmation of the Doctrine which they taught and this I suppose they cannot themselves believe to be in every man that comes into the World nor yet in every man that talks of God and pretends to this light If they do let them shew it by working of Miracles and speaking with strange Tongues It was promised to all Believers that this Holy Spirit should be a Comforter to them Joh. 14.26 and withal a Remembrancer to teach them bring to their memories the things which Christ had spoken but in this sense also they cannot but confess that the Spirit of God is onely given to the children of God Gal. 4.6 It was more generally promised that this Spirit of God in the Ministry of the Apostles and their Successours who should be fitted for and assisted in their Ministry by this Spirit should convince the world of sin Joh. 16.8 of righteousness and of judgement but what is this to such an inward teaching as they conceive to be in every man from this light within But then if they say It is the Light of reason and natural conscience as we confess this to be in every man and that even the worst of men the Heathens themselves have that within them which doth testifie against their grosly lewd and vicious courses and accuse and condemn them when they have done such things Rom. 2.14 15. and withall doth excuse and encourage them when they have done that which is good so we must needs add that this light is far from being sufficient to lead men to Heaven I have shewed before Chap. 4. how far the light of nature will guide us and how far it will leave us short of Heaven if it be not helped by a better light And I may here say further that this light of Nature is so far vitiated by the Fall that the Scripture doth frequently represent the state of a man in his natural condition to be an estate of darkness Eph. 5.8 Act. 26.18 and the regeneration of a soul to be a turning it from darkness to light If then the light that is in man be darkness how should it be sufficient to lead him to Heaven without a better guide But how do they mean that this light within is sufficient to lead a man to Heaven Is it so sufficient that there is no need of Laws or Government to punish evil doers and to encourage them that do well Is it so sufficient that we have no need of the preaching of the Word of God or to hearken to the dictates of that light without Is it so sufficient that a man by walking up to it may attain Heaven by a righteousness of his own so as not to stand in need of the help of a crucified Jesus either for the pardon of actual sin and much less of original which persons of these Principles do seem to disown This we have sad reason to suspect to be the tendency of this dark Tenet concerning a light within and that which the Authors and divulgers of this Opinion do aim at for otherwise they bring to light nothing extraordinary in it and therefore spend a great deal of pains and ill-composed Zeal in opposing those who taught them this very thing Joh. 1.9 that Christ is the true Light that enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world Mal. 4.1 that he is that Sun of Righteousness that is arisen upon the earth with healing in his wings that there is sufficient light in him to enlighten the darkness of our souls that what light soever is in any man whether that of Nature or the other of Grace it comes from him and moreover that there is in every man that cometh into the world the light of nature and the remainders of that Law which was written upon mans heart at first not quite obliterated by the Fall These things I say we taught them and wherefore do they set up this as the principle wherein they differ from us and oppose us if they mean no more than this in the plain and true sense of it But it is too sadly evident that those that are the deceivers of them have a further meaning even a denying of a crucified Christ and setting up a righteousness of their own though the poor deceived ones that follow the glorious blaze of this new light or rather Ignis fatuus do not understand these depths of Satan and I wish they never may understand them so as to own them Woe to him that stumbles at this stone 1 Joh. 2.22 Who is a lyar but he that denieth that Jesus is the
probably be expected to be effectual through Gods blessing to stablish strengthen and settle mens mindes against the tempestuous Winds of erronious Doctrines From hence then 1. We may see that it is no wonder that they whose design it is to seduce the people to errours do bear such a bitter and implacable hatred to the Ministry that they have spent their mouths so liberally in bestowing upon them and their Function all the Calumnies and scurrilities which the malice of Hell could invent that the subtilest spirits amongst them by attempting to take away their ancient and settled maintenance have designed to stop their mouths by starving them except they would learn cum psittaco suum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Wolves in the Fable when they had made War against the Sheep would admit of no accommodation except upon these terms that they should deliver up the Dogs of the Flock intending thereby that the removal of these should make way for their quiet and secure preying upon the Flock Every man may easily see how Mutato nomine de his fabula narratur These grievous Wolves whose design is to prey upon the Flock knowing full well that the Ministry is the greatest defence of the Flock and offence to them cry out by all means to have these taken away that they might securely prey upon the Flock when none was left to oppose them 2. Hence we see likewise what reason we have to be very thankful to God for appointing and continuing this Office in the Church That our Lord Jesus Christ when he ascended up on high gave gifts to men to fit them for this work Rev. 3.1 that he hath held these Stars in his own right hand mauger the Fanatick rage of erronious and illiterate miscreants It is easie to imagine what an Egyptian darkness would have over-spread the face of our Church if these Stars had been removed Let us therefore be thankful to him that hath upheld these and that they still shine amongst us both to shew us the right way to heaven and to discover and shame the dark and absurd Doctrines of men of unsound and corrupt mindes 3. We learn hence whereunto we that are employed in this honourable and weighty Office of the Ministry ought to apply our selves even to be instant in season and out of season both exhorting the people to the practifing of good Duties and also convincing gain sayers with such speech as cannot reasonably be gain-said Tit. 1.9 2.8 that so those that are contrarily minded may be ashamed and those that are in the right may be encouraged to stand fast in the Faith And though men of unsound heads may esteem this way of preaching to be galling and unpleasant yet it being our duty we must not neglect it And we should the more be engaged to faithfulness by considering those that are committed to our charge which leads me to the II. 2 Part. Thing in the Text the Subjects here spoken of included in the Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we be not You shall seldom see Hereticks to attempt the seducing of lewd and prophane persons for they know that such are a disgrace to any Profession or Cause to which they adhere or wish well But their great design is to pervert them that have in some measure escaped the pollution of the world 2 Pet. 2.20 through the knowledge of Christ because they are sensible that the same of the innocency and strictness of the lives of those that are retainers to their ways will make men of good affections and weak judgements to have the greater kindness for and inclinations towards their opinions And indeed such is the subtilty of these false Prophets that as our Saviour faith They would deceive if it were possible Mat. 24.24 the very Elect. Now these words of Christ may give us a fit opportunity to enquire concerning these subjects we how far Gods Elect and Sanctified ones may be led away with the errour of the wicked so as to depart from their own stedfastness In answer whereunto I say 1. That it is certain that such shall never fall away to such errours as will be inconsistent with Christianity and the holding of which would shew a man to have left that one Foundation 1 Cor. 3.11 besides which no other can be laid The Apostle speaks of some Hereticks that should bring in damnable doctrines 2 Pet. 2.1 even denying the Lord that bought them Now we say that none that ever had true Grace in his heart shall be totally given over to such errours so as to live and dye in them Peter indeed denyed his Master three times but he was in a little while convinced of his sin and went forth and wept bitterly But to persist in errours of this Nature is inconsistent with a state of Grace Though there are diversities of Physiognomies amongst men yet all have the faces of men And though true Christians may have different thoughts about some points yet they all hold fast the Foundation of Christianity And this we may make use of First To comfort us as to any of our Friends or those whom we wish well unto that are either ensnared or in danger to be ensuared in errours If they be such as truly fear God we may comfortably conclude that though they fall yet they shall rise again because the Lord upholdeth them with his hand Psal 37.24 Luk. 21.31 And Christ hath prayed for them as he did for Peter that their faith do not utterly fail 2. It may show us how to judge of them that are quite departed from the foundation of that Faith into which they were baptized even as the Apostle doth in the like case 1 Joh. 2.19 They went out from us because they were not of us for if they had been of us they would have continued with us but they went out from us that it might be manifest that they were not of us Secondly But yet we say that in matters fuâ—ther off from the Foundation those that are of truly gracious and honest hearts may erre and be deceived Amongst the sons of men there is such variety of Features in their faces that no two are in all points alike and yet are all concluded under the general name of men And amongst the minds of men there may be great variety in smaller matters and yet while they hold fast the foundation we are not to exclude them from our charity as if they were no Christians And this may serve 1. 1 Cor. 4.7 For caution they that think they stand fast have need to take heed lest they fall And as the same Apostle elsewhere Rom. 11.20 Thou standest by Faith be not high minded but fear We have heard that even truly good men may fall into some errors and we see by daily experience that men of very high Professions and Attainments have fallen and do daily fall Now Pride and Carelesness will put