13. Matth 28.19 20. Isa 59.21 IV. This Catholick Church hath been sometimes more sometimes less visible h Rom. 3.4 Revel 12 6 14. And particular Churches which are members thereof are more or less pure according as the Doctrine of the Gospel is taught and imbraced Ordinances administred and publick Worship performed more or less purely in them i Rev 2.3 Chapters 1 Cor 5 6 7. V. The purest Churches under Heaven are subject both to mixture and errour k 1 Cor 13.12 Rev 2.3 Chapters Matth. 13.24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31. and some have so degenerated as to become no Churches of Christ but Synagogues of Satan l Rev 18.2 Rom 11.18 19.20 21 22. Nevertheless there shall be alwayes a Church on earth to worship God according to his will m Matth 16.18 Psa 72.17 Psal 102.28 VI. There is no other Head of the Church but the Lord Jesus Christ n Col 1.18 Ephes 1.22 nor can the Pope of Rome in any sense be head thereof but is that Antichrist the man of Sin and son of Perdition that exalteth himself against Christ and all that is called God o Matthew 23.8 9 10. 2 Thes 2 3 4 8 9. Rev 13 6. CHAP. XXV Of the Church examined YOur Doctrine of the Church here exceeds not the state of the Churches whereof you speak Section the fifth saying That the purest of them under heaven are subject to mixture and error Yet in your first Section you begin well with a tolerable description of the universal Church in heaven and earth where notwithstanding you are mistaken in making this congregation wholly invisible which is but so in part and to some men And secondly in making it to consist of the whole number of the elect whereas we have proved before that all men are ordained to life though but conditionally But if you understand by elect those only who are called out of the furnace and chosen from thence then is your congregation defective for infants who dyed in infancy and are no smal part of this blessed number will hereby be excluded we say nothing to your calling of the Church the Spouse of Christ because she is one of his brides yea among all other people the Spouse of Christ yet there is another thing which is his first and principal Spouse to wit the Jerusalem or Kingdom of God which descendeth from heaven of which we spake before See Rev. 21.2 And I John saw the holy City New Jerusalem comming doâ—â— from God out of Heaven prepared as a Bride adorned for her husband In your Second Section you faile much more First in going about to speak of the Catholike Church upon earth and fastning upon her a fals name and property or adjunct in that you call her the visible Church wherein besides that you close with Papists in that appellation you both shew your gross mistakes for is the husband invisible and the wife visible Is the head invisible and the body visible See John 15.21 Now all these things will they do unto you for my names sake because they have not known him that sent me where was that possibility of the Church even in the new Testament for the space of 1260. dayes or yeers all which time the woman that brought forth the man child Christ which parturient or the Church did hide her self in the wilderness Rev. 12.5 6 c. if you say first That they are visible in the body we answer what markes have they in the outward man to distinguish them from others especially from formalists and hypocrites If you reply again That they are visible and discernable to those that have spiritual eyes We answer that even the invisible God is so in some measure to those men but this is to make them intelligible and spiritually discernable but not visible The work that makes them a Church is invisible 1 Cor. 2.15 But be that is spiritual judgeth or discerneth all things yet is he judged or discerned of none Secondly In this Section you describe a formal not a true Church when you make it to consist of men professing Religion which thing formalists and hypocrites may do Thirdly whereas by way of limitation you add professing the true Religion you still leave us in suspence For as the true Church fled into the wilderness Rev. 12. so you leave us in a wood to finde her out for do not every kind and sort of Religious people account their Religion to be the true Religion not only the Papists Lutherans and Calvinists do so in the West but the Greek Churches the Jews yea the Turkes hold their professed Religion to be right We say nothing here of the manifold and different Sects among Christians each of which maintain their Religion to be the only true Religion where then shall we pitch to finde your true Church But the true Church especially that of adult men as the very name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports is a Congregation or collection of those who are truly called or in some measure sanctified 1 Cor. 1.2 To the Church which is at Corinth to them that are sanctified in Jesus Christ called to be Saints c. from which we do not exclude the Infants of them or others dying before they sin actually since our Saviour saith expresly that Of such is the Kingdom of God Mat. 10.14 out of which numbers and societies there is ordinarily no possibility of salvation In your third Section you build upon a false and rotten foundation which you had laid in the former Section For it is not to that visible and formal Church which you describe but to the congregation of true Saints that God hath given the ministery and his oraâ—les and ordinances in the right use of them And to those he hath given those offices and gifts which you will not now admit as some to be Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists c. Eph. 4.9 10 11. yea and the spirit of Prophecy as we have proved before as the placeâ— which you refer us unto of Esay 59.21 with Mattheâ— 28.19 20. Ephesians 4.9 10 11 12. do evict But it is true which you say in the beginning of your fourth Section That the Catholike Church hath sometimes been more visible and sometimes less if you understand it of discernableness otherwise it hath been alwayes invifible to carnal men And particular Churches as you afterwards there assert are more or less pure according as the doctrine of the Church is taught and imbraced and Gods ordinances administred but what you add in the close concerning the pure performing of publick worship is a dream since Christ hath appointed none in the new Testament But herein we will joyn with you if you will alter your words and say So far as the true worship of God consisting in holiness and righteousness of truth is observed for that makes a true Church or society of worshipers Luk. 1.74 75. John 9.31 Act. 10.34 35. Eph. 4.22
have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light and that which ye have spoken in the ear and closets shall be proclaimed upon the house topps Seventhly Whether the Apostle reciteing the parts and holy vessels of the Tabernacle in order Hebr. 9.1 2 3 4 5. and telling us ver 5. of which things we cannot now speak particularly to wit by way of exposition do not imply that a time should come wherein all those things and likewise all other mistical things of the Old and New-Testament should be opened and declared The Holy Scriptures being written for our instruction here upon earth and not in heaven or after this life 8. Whether this Gospel which is to be published to all Nations shall not be written as well as the former was that it may be so published especially since it is called an Everlasting Gospel Rev. 14.6 shall it not be written for the ages to come as the Old and New Testament were before 9. Yea may not those Waters which issued out of the Temple Ezek. 47.1 c. and Joel 3.18 Zach. 14.8 Rev. 22.1 be understood as of all the gifts of the Spirit so of Gods most pure and holy doctrine which shall then proceed from the mouth and pen of the Holy Ghost as is promised Isa 2.2 3 4 c. especially since the Word of God is expresly compared to Water Jo. 15.3 Now are ye clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you Eph. 5.26 That he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of Water by the Word 10. Shall that Spirit of God which is to be powred out in the last dayes upon all flesh lose his writing faculty which he formerly had and used in precedent ages 11. Shall not the Art of Printing or gift of God bestowed upon the last age be made the instrument of Gods Holy Spirit to publish his sacred and infallible Truth as well as it hath been made Satans way of disspreading his falshoods But to conclude this point let us entreat you of the Synod if you have any Germanes sitting among you to enquire of them or others what inspired men or professing to be such even of their Nation have written any Gospel to the whole world within six score yeares last past and whether some one of them hath not written more then all the Books of the New Testament amount to If so it may concern them you and us to finde them out to read them with diligence and earnest prayer to God for true enlightening judgement and guidance to compare and examine them not with the Writings of men bee they who they will but with and by the Holy Scriptures themselves for the Holy Ghost cannot contradict it self If we finde upon due search any such grace and mercy vouchsafed to this last age it may shew the true cause why Germany before and above all other Countreys according to that Acts 3.22 23. hath bin plagued and also afford us a present mean and expedient whereby all controversies in Religion may be decided from Gods own mouth and hold forth a true Modell to reform all Churches and Commonwealths by Sed verbum sat Sapientibus Fourthly and lastly in the tenth Section of this Chapter you say The supreme Judge by which all controversies of Religion are to be determined and all Decrees of Councels opinions of Ancient Writers Doctrines of men and private Spirits are to bee examined and in whose sentence we are to rest can be no other but the holy Spirit speaking in the Scriptures If you had added these words to private Spirits even publique Spirits also or pretending to be such we would have closed with you in that enumeration and have acknowledged that the Holy Ghost yet left at large must be the only supreme Judge to wit either speaking in the holy Scripture or without it although in all his determinations of Doctrine he doth speak according to former Scriptures And hence it is that for the tryall of Spirits in his dayes Isaiah sends men to the Law and the Testimony Isa 8.20 And Saint Paul in his time transmits men to the former Prophets 1 Cor. 14.32 And the Spirit of the Prophets is subject to the Prophets And accordingly for the tryall of new or late professing Prophets we are to examine their Doctrine by the former Writings of the Old and New-Testament but not by our own or our private Authors corrupt and darkned Iudgments For the true Prophets were sent to judg and reprove our Errors and not to be judged or condemned by us 1 Cor. 2.15 The only exception that we take against your tenth and last section is this That you limit the holy Ghost as if he was inherent in the Scriptures or could not determinate without the same when he pleaseth saying It is the holy Ghost speaking in the Scripture Howbeit if you meant no more by that expression then this That the Holy Ghost which first dictated the Scripture or still speakes in them being taken in his own sense We admit it to be true but your exposition there is both obscure and ambiguous CHAP. II. Of God and of the Holy Trinity THere is but one onely a Deu. 6.4 1 Cor. 8.4.6 living and true God b 1 Thess â—9 Jer. 10.10 Who is infinite in Being and Perfection c Job 11.7.8.9 Job 26.14 a most pure Spirit d Joh. 4.21 invisible e 1 Tim. 1.17 without body parts f Deut. 4.15 16. John 4.24 with Luk. 24.39 or passions g Acts 14.11 15. immutable h Jam. 1.17 Mal. 3.6 immense i 1 Ki. 8.27 Jer. 23.23 24. eternal k Psa 90.2 1 Tim. 1.17 incomprehensible l Psal 135.3 almighty m Gen 17.1 Revel 4.8 most wise n Rom 16.27 most holy o Isa 6.3 Revel 4.8 most free p Psal 115.3 most absolute q Exod 3.14 working all things according to the counsel of his own immutable and most righteous will r Ephes 1.11 for his own glory Å¿ Prov 16.14 Rom 11.36 most loving t 1 John 4.8 16. gratious merciful long suffering abundant in goodness and truth forgiving iniquity transgression and sin u Exod 34 6 7. the rewarder of them that diligently seek him w Hebr 11.6 and withall most just and terible in his judgments x Nehem 9.32.33 hating all sin y Psal 5.5 6. and will by no means clear the guilty z Nahum 1.2 3. Exod 34.7 II. God hath all life a Joh 5.26 glory b Acts 7.2 goodness c Psal 119.68 blessedness d 1 Tim 6.15 Rom 9.5 in and of himself and is alone in and unto himself all-sufficient not standing in need of any creature which he hath made e Acts 17.4 25. nor deriving any glory from them f Job 22.2 3. but onely manifesting his own glory in by unto and upon them He is the alone fountain of all Being of whom through
to â— the end with Inde verse 23. IV. For the better attaining of those ends the Officers of the Church are to proceed by admonition suspension from the Sacrament of the Lords supper for a season and by excommunication from the Church according to the nature of the crime and demerit of the person d 1 Thess 5.12 2 Th 3.6 14 15. 1 cor 5.4 5 23. Matth. 18.17 Thus 3.10 CHAP. XXX Of Church Censures examined HERE Brethren if we first agree what the true Church is that have power to censure and then who are those Governours or Superiours in whose hand especially that power lies we shall not we hope be thought over censorious in other things It is true then which you speak in the first Section That the Lord Jesus is King and head of his Church and of no other though the Lord of all creatures and such an head he is both of the universal Church whether upon Earth alone or in Heaven also and of each particular Church yea of every member of those Churches which are in Christ or are brought to beleeve on him obey and serve him in holiness and righteousness of truth but those Saints or Churches which are onely begotten in God the Father and not as yet taught led to the Son have the Father only for their Head and king for the present It is true also That Christ appointed a Government distinct from that of the Civil Magistrate in and for his true Church which consists not of formalists and outward professors for the greatest part but of true Saints which obey and follow Christ daily in his active and passive obedience but he hath ordained no such thing in his Gospel for national and visible Churches whose religion stands in outward professions and formalities mainly or onely Therefore the outward Government of such Churches whether Episcopal or Presbyterian or mixt of both are but prudential and humane although it is evident out of both the Epistles to Timothy that to Titus and many other Scriptures that there ought to be not onely a Presbytery or joynt society of Elders in compleat congregations of such Saints but if they be great a superintendent Bishop over them if we will follow the constitution and patern of Christ and his Apostles in the pure Primitive Churches so that both these in their right State were Jure Divino Thirdly It is not to be denied that this Government is left or to be placed in the hands of some special members or society of the Churches rightly called and constituted but we rather call those Governours or Overseers with the Apostles then Officers as you do for that word among Governours signifies Agents Instruments and Ministers under others or inferiours rather then Superiours Howbeit Christ hath thousands of Saints in several nations which living dispersedly here and there either conveniently cannot or actually do not reduce themselves into one or more Congregations and so want the benefit of that Government and other means of comfort and edification likewise And this is the common state of the Saints in Europe and elsewhere who nevertheless are members of the invisible and true Church of Christ we know notwithstanding that there are some Congregations that by consent meet together and erect a Government among themselves the greatest part of which are but formalists and as their Doctrines and Administrations are none of the purest so their Government is but arbitrary or prudentiall also But here Brethren you are very defective in three things among others First In not shewing what Officers or Governours each true Congregation in Christ should have Secondly By whom they should be chosen And thirdly By whom the respective censures of the Church should be administred For the first we find That a compotent congregation in one City or place had their Elders as Teachers Councellors and Rulers appointed over them Act 14.23 And when they had ordained them Elders in every Church c. we read also Acts 6.16 That when the number of the Disciples was increased at Jerusalem and some of the widows had been neglected in the daily ministration of almes and distributions there were Deacons men of honest report and full of the holy Ghost and of wisdom chosen to be both treasurers and dispensers of the almes and so were assistants to the Apostles and Elders of the Church in providing for the poor especially yet did they upon occasion declare the true Faith and Doctrine of Christ also And afterward in the absence of the Apostles there were superintendent Bishops set over the great Churches as James at Jerusalem Acts 21.18 And the day following Paul went in or unto James and all the Elders were present and Tymothy at Ephesus as appears out of the tenor of both the Epistles writ unto him by St. Paul and the subscription to the second And finally Titus over the Churches in Crete a very spacious Iland Titus 1.5 As to the second thing the Elders and Officers of the Church are not to be chosen by the congregation but by the Superiours both in growth and place and such as were first called and chosen by the Lord. Thus Paul and Barnabas ordained Elders in all the Churches which they had converted as before Acts 14.23 and the superintendent Bishops had the same power Titus 1.15 For this cause left I thee in Greet that thou shouldst set in order the things that are wanting and ordain Elders in every City See 1 Timothy 3. throughout 1 Timothy 5.22 And though the Apostles gave leave to the congregation to chuse out wise and faithful men of which things they could judge to be trusted with the keeping and dispensing of the treasures of the Church under themselves especially as almoners yet they gave them that authority by laying their hands upon them Acts 6.2 3 4 5 6. Nor doth it follow from hence that the Congregation of Saints should choose their Teachers and Elders and much less that the Vulgar in every Parish should make their Election of ministers for then there would be many a weak if not a wild and mad choice in too many places or Parishes As to the third the Elders are to be admonished or rebuked by the Bishop 1 Timothy 5.1 19 20. the Elders are to be suspended by those who ordained them to wit the Bishop and Presbytery 1 Timothy 4.14 2 Timothy 1.6 The common people are to be admonished according to their several ages and degrees either by the Bishop 1 Timothy 5.1 2 3 or by the other rulers and Elders Or finally By the Congregation 1 Timothy 5.14 15. but excommunication or delivering up to Satan should be executed by the whole body though considered and resolved upon by the Bishop and Elders first 1 Cor. 5.3.4.5 and the like we say of absolution or receiving into the Church again 2 Cor. 21.12 These things premised we may admit that which you speak of the committing of the keyes of the Kingdom of Heaven in your
Church c Heb. 1.1 and afterwards for the better preserving and propagating of the Truth and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the Church against the corruption of the flesh and malice of Satan and of the world to commit the same wholly unto Writing d Prov. 22.19 20 21. Luk. 1.3 4. Rom. 15.4 Mat. 4.4 7 10. Isa 8.19 20. which maketh the holy Scripture to be most necessary e 2 Tim. 3.15 2 Pet. 1.19 those former wayes of Gods revealing his will unto his people being now ceased f Heb. 1.1 2. II. Vnder the name of holy Scripture or the word of God written are now contained all the Books of the Old and New-Testament which are these Of the Old Testament Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy Joshuah Judges Ruth 1 Samuel 2 Samuel 1 Kings 2 Kings 1 Chronicles 2 Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah Esther Job Psalms Proverbs Ecclesiastes The Song of Songs Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Ezekiel Daniel Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi Of the New Testament The Gospels according to Matthew Mark Luke John the Acts of the Apostles Pauls Epistles to the Romans Corinthians 1. Corinthians 2. Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians Thessalonians 1. Thessalonians 2. to Timothy 1. to Timothy 2. to Titus to Philemon the Epistle to the Hebrewes the Epistle of James the first and second Epistles of Peter the first second and third Epistles of John the Epistle of Jude the Revelation of John All which are given by inspiration of God to be the rule of Faith and Life g Luk. 16.29 31. Eph. 2.20 Rev. 22.18 19. 2 Tim. 3.16 III. The Books commonly called Apocrypha not being of Divine inspiration are no part of the Canon of the Scripture and therefore are of no authority in the Church of God nor to be any otherwise approved or made use of than other humane writings h Luk. 24.27 44. Rom. 3.2 2 Pet. 1.21 IV. The Authority of the Holy Scripture for which it ought to be believed and obeyed dependeth not upon the Testimony of any man or Church but wholy upon God who is truth it self the Author thereof and therefore it is to be received because it is the word of God i 2 Pet. 1.19 21. 2 Tim. 3.16 1 John 5.9 1 Thess 2.13 V. Wee may bee moved and induced by the Testimony of the Church to an high and reverend esteeme of the Holy Scripture k 1 Tim. 3.15 and the Heavenliness of the matter the efficacy of the Doctrine the majesty of the stile the consent of all the parts the scope of the whole which is to give all glory to God the full discovery it makes of the onely way of mans salvation the many other incomparable excellencies and the intire perfection thereof are arguments whereby it doth abundantly evidence it self to be the word of God yet notwithstanding our full perswasion and assurance of the infallible truth and divine authority thereof is from the inward work of the holy Spirit bearing witness by and with the Word in our hearts l 1 John 2.20.27 John 16.13 14. 1 Cor. 2.10 11 12. Isai 59.21 VI. The whole Counsel of God concerning all things necessary for his own glory mans salvation faith and life is either expresly set down in Scripture or by good and necessary consequenet may be deduced from Scripture unto which nothing at any time is to be added whether by new revelations of the spirit or traditions of men m 2 Tim. 3.15.16 17. Gal. 1.8 9. 2 Thes 2.2 nevertheless we acknowledge the inward illumination of the spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the Word n John 6.45 1 Cor. 2.9 10.12 and that there are some circumstances concerning the worship of God and Government of the Church common to humane actions and societies which are to be ordered by the light of Nature and Christian prudence according to the general rules of the Word which are alwayes to be observed o 1 Cor. 11.13 14. 1 Cor. 14.26.40 VII All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves nor alike clear unto all p 1 Pet. 3.16 yet those things which are necessary to be known beleeved and observed for salvation are so clearly propounded and opened in some place of Scripture or other that not only the learned but the unlearned in a due use of the ordinary means may attain unto a sufficient understanding of them q Psal 119.105 130. VIII The Old Testament in Hebrew which was the native language of the people of God of Old and the New Testament in Greek which at the time of the writing of it was most generally known to the Nations being immediatly inspired by God and by his singular care and providence kept pure in all ages are therefore authenticall r Mat. 5.18 so as in all controversies of Religion the Church is finally to appeal unto them Å¿ Isa 8.20 Acts 15.15 John 5.39 46. but because these originall tongues are not known to all the people of God who have right unto and interest in the Scriptures and are commanded in the fear of God to read and search them t Joh. 5.39 therefore they are to be translated into the vulgar language of every Nation into which they come u 1 Cor. 14.6.9 11 12 24 27 28. that the Word of God dwelling plentifully in all they may worship him in an acceptable manner w Col. 3.16 and through patience and comfort of the Scriptures may have hope x Rom. 15.4 IX The infallible rule of interpretation of Scripture is the Scripture it self and therefore when there is a question about the true and full sense of any Scripture which is not manifold but one it must be searched and known by other places that speak more clearly y 2 Pet. 1.20 21. Act. 15.15 16. X. The supreme Judge by which all controversies of Religion are to be determined and all Decrees of Counsels opinions of ancient Writers Dostrins of men and private Spirits are to be examined and in whose sentence we are to rest can be no other but the holy Spirit speaking in the Scripture z Mat. 22 29 31. Eph. 2 20. with Acts 28.25 The late ASSEMBLIES Confession of FAITH Examined CHAP. I. Of the holy Scriptures IN This Chapter you give an honourable testimony in many thiings to the testimony of truth that is the holy Scriptures yet some things very unwarrantable and no less prejudicial to truth have here as elsewhere slipped from you For first you say Section 1. That those former ways of Gods revealing his will unto his people are now ceased where if you by those former wayes understand such wayes and meanes whereby God either ordinarily instructed the people as he taught the Families of the Patriarches by the Patriarches themselves Gen. 18.19 and the people of the old world by the
the Apostles shew both of the one and of the other and first of the Angels 2 Pet. 2.4 God spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them down into Hell Jude 6. And the Angels which kept not their first estate but left their own habitation he hath reserved in everlasting chaines under darkness to the judgement of the great day And secondly concerning men 2 Thes 2.12 That all might be damned who beleeve not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness Now these and some other Scriptures by us alledged do not speak immediately of Gods eternal Decree yet we know that God works all things in time according to the counsel of his own will from eternity Ephes 1.11 In your fourth Section you declare your selves more fully in this point of Predestination saying These Angels and men thus Predestinated and fore ordained are particularly and unchangeably designed and their number is so certain and definite that it cannot be either encreased or diminished Which words of yours we will grant to be true First of the Angels after some had stood fast in obedience and others had fallen but this was a destination in time not a predestination from eternity Secondly Of Angels and men out of the special fore-knowledge of God whereby he certainly foresaw the perseverance of the good Angels in obedience when the wicked spirits fell as also the persistance of the Saints in faith and obedience towards grace which should be exhibited on the one hand with the Apostacy of the lapsed Angels and the obstinacy of the impenitent men and backsliding temporaries on the other hand and so accordingly determined that the one part should be saved and the other perish But that Gods decree in the general toward Angels and men was onely conditional and did no wayes necessitate either to sin and damnation or to obedience and salvation it is evident out of these ensuing texts and many more As for the Apostate Angels the fault of their Apastacy is wholly and clearly ascribed to themselves 2 Pet. 2.4 Jude 6. as before And as for men it is said Luke 7.30 the Pharisees and Lawyers did frustrate the counsel of God against themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which things would not possibly be done unless God's counsel was conditional add 2 Pet. 3.9 But God is long-suffering to us ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance which is spoken aswel of singula generum as of genera singulorum and you had before God's oath Ezek. 33.11 As I live saith the Lord I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked To confirm his affirmation Ezek 18.23 Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die And as there is no enforcing necessity from Gods decree to dispose Angels and men to obedience or disobedience life or death so neither was there any necessity of nature that is want of liberty in their wills or inability to obey before their fall whatsoever there is left afterwards in mankinde But if you mean by this particular and unchangeable designing men and Angels an absolute irrespective and peremtorie or inevitable dispose of some Angels and men to life and of others to destruction and that from eternity you do not onely make God a respecter of persons in those that are appointed to life from which the Scripture vindicates the Lord frequently Acts 10.34 Rom 2.11 Deut. 10.17 1 Pet. 1.17 But this contradicts what you speak concerning God Chapter the second where you describe him to be most wise most holy most loving most gratious most merciful and most righteous c. When you ascribe to him such a peremtory and irrevocable Decree of condemning thousands of Angels and men everlastingly and that before they had done or purposed any evil against him or yet had any being Consider this we pray you could any of you which is a father and scarce hath one drop of love mercy and goodness compared with God's ocean appoint one or more of your little babes which yet never offended you to be burned to death How far then must it be from the gratious disposition of him that is love it self and whose bowels of Compassion are infinite inevitably to designe so many millions of Angels his children by creation to endless and insufferable flames of fire before they had any existence in nature or capacity of offending In your Fifth Section you say that those of mankinde that are predestinated unto life are chosen by God before the foundation of the world was laid according to his eternal and immutable purpose and the secret counsel and good pleasure of his will in Christ unto everlasting glory out of his meer free grace and love All which is true both of Gods general and special election But whereas you add these words in conclusion without any foresight of Faith or good works or perseverance in either of them as conditions or causes moving him thereunto It is a most dangerous error and falsehood For was not that counsel of God which Paul declared to the Churches Acts 20.27 briefly comprehended in that Doctrine whereby as he himself saith he testified bâ—th to the Jewes and also to the Gentiles repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ Act. 20.20.21 Doth not the same Apostle tell us Rom. 8.29 That those whom God foreknew he did predestinate to be made conformable to the Image of his Son Doth not Saint Peter tell the believing Jews that they were elect according to the foreknowledge of God through sanctification of the Spirit to obedience and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ 1 Peâ— 1.2 Doth not Saint Paul declare the counsel or will of God to be conditional when he saith 1 Tim. 2.3 4. For this is good and acceptable before God who will have all men to be saved and to that end to come to the knowledge of the truth Are not the words of Saint Peter clear also to that effect 2. Pet. 3.9 Who willeth not that any man should perish but that all men should come to repentance Is not the saving grace of God which hath appeared to all men conditional by the Apostles own testimony Tit. 2.11 12. For the Grace of God which bringeth salvation to all men bath appeared teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world Is not the Gospel it self which is a declaration of the whole counsel of God to be published conditionally Mat. 18.19 20. Mark 16.15.16 Go yee into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned Doth not God best know what his own will and counsel is and was from eternity when he tels us Ezâ—k 18. and 33 and almost every where else in the old Testament that the obstinate sinner shall die but such as convert to him shall live Yea the finall and
23 24. In your fifth Section the better to colour over your own faults as it may seem you asperse the best Churches saying The purest Churches under heaven are subject to mixture and error what say you then to the two Churches the one of Smyrna Rev. 2.8 9 10 11. the other of Philadelphia Rev. 3.7 8 c. with neither of which Christ finds the least fault but highly commends them both True it is if we look into the Churches there is mixture of the inferior members and they are subject to such errors but there are preadventure some such members to be found in some of those two Churches if not elswhere as are no more subject to error then the Prophets and Apostles were certain it is there is such a doctrine discipline from the immediate mouth of God to be found in one of those Churches that no reformers have need to seek any further where also the true Church is fully discovered and all causes of discord and controversie are in that behalf taken away But whereas you add in the same Section and that most truly that some Churches have so degenerated as to become no Churches but Synagogues of Satan you do here necessarily grant what you elswhere deny that some of the Saints and called ones may fall finally from grace for none other are the members of the true Church general or particular among men grown but such We will here charge you with that which you at unawares and unadvisedly affirm in the close of that Section That there shall be alwayes a Church on earth to worship God according to his will for that implies that the earth and the Church there inhabiting shall continue for ever which we conceive is no article of your belief In your sixth and last Section you truly affirm That there is no other head of the Church but the Lord Jesus Christ but you in your next words have rather deserved the Popes Bull then his Benediction if he may be Judge For first If a Church be that which yee describe it A Congregation of those which profess the true Religion Why might not the Bishop of Rome a least wise in the Primitive times before that Church fell away be in some sence a subordinate head of that Church under Christ or an earthly or Ecclesiastical head as Paul was over the Churches of the Gentiles That the Pope should be an Antichrist which of many Popes and of the state of Papacy is and may be truly affirmed among many other we grant but that he or the succession of Popes or the whole Hierarchy as they are called should be that man of sin and son of perdition which sitteth in the Temple of God exalting himself above and against all that is called God 2 Thess 23.4 8. is doubtless a great though a common mistake for as to the successors of Popes they are many but the Antichrist is one individuum if they all should perish which no charitable man will affirm they should be called not one son of perdition but sons of destruction But to pitch upon the person of the Pope as one individual and single Antichrist out of such a numerous company of Popes which will you single out one past present or to come Certain it is first that the Antichrist of which Saint Paul speaks is a man of sin composed altogether of iniquity and not of flesh and blood as each Pope is Secondly That he is a mystery of iniquity into which none but very spiritual men can see of which none of you or any of your authors or their adherents have yet a true sight Thirdly that the Antichrist exalts himself above all that is called God or is worshipped and so doth not the Pope directly do who acknowledgeth God Christ the Holy Ghost yea Angels and Saints to be above him Fourthly Antichrist sits in the middle of the Temple of God so doth not the Pope in your sense of the Temple for he pretends to be head of the Roman Church especially Fifthly he doth not say that he is God as Antichrist doth Sixthly All Popes came not with signs and lying wonders nor with all the deceiveableness of unrighteousness as Antichrist comes Lastly Antichrists coming is inward and not outward 2 Thess 2.9 10. and deceives all which receive not the love of truth but the Pope could never decive all such But what may this Antichrist be then Answer first the Temple of God is mans heart or soul where he sits Secondly As Christ is the true unction there so Antichrist is a contrary unction of false and erroneous wisdom righteousness and zeal which sets it self as if it were the holy Ghost and his works opposeth the truth and Kingdom of God and not only allows but hides fosters and cherisheth iniquity in men where he raigneth In a word if the Lord give you spiritual eyes to read the two texts 1. that of 2 Thess 2.3 4 5 c. and then that of Revel 13.11 12 c. to both which you refer us you may by Gods grace make a discovery of Antichrist as one neerer you then the Pope of Rome and one more endangering your souls and learn truly to know and hate him which mercy the Lord grant unto us all Concerning the first text you may observe these things First it is evident that this Antichrist takes his beginning and rise from mens Apostacy or departure from the true faith love and godliness which was fet up by Christ and his Apostles and that in all that fell away 2 Thess 2.3 So that he must needs be the succeeding falshood error hypocrisie and ungodliness Secondly that he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man composed of nothing but sin Thirdly That he must therefore needs be a child yea the son of perdition Fourthly That he opposeth himself to all that is called God that is to God and all goodness verse 4. Fifthly That he exalts himself above all that is called God or worshipped even the Father Son and holy Ghost All which is true of the false wisdom and holiness which Satan begets in men to delude them there with and to oppose the truth kingdom and work of Christ thereby Sixthly That he sits in the temple of God which is our heart or inward man Seventhly That there he shews or gives forth himself for a God as this deceitful work of errour and delusion saith it is the presence and work of the Holy Ghost Eighthly That he cannot well be known but by spiritual revelation vers 6. Ninthly That there is one tha what he can hides him keeps him close maskes covers him and lets or hinders his revealing or disclosure and that is Satan verse 6.7 Tenthly That as he came in by mens departure from Christ his spirit and kingdom so by Christs spiritual presence and comming again in his brightness power and glory he shall be both revealed and destroyed by the spirit of his mouth 11. That he is called the