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B02147
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Christendom; or, The nature of Christ's kingdom opened, and the chiefest difficulties in divinity cleared in order to ending the controversies among Christian philosophers, scool-men [sic], and divines of all parties.
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1687
(1687)
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Wing C3933; ESTC R171319
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44,677
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48
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but to our Faith inwardly For the Opposition is not between Spiritual and Material but between Spiritual and Carnal 1 Cor. 3.1 and 9.11 Rom. 15.27 Spiritual Invisible and Eternal Things are incomparably and transcendently Material they are the Matters of God and of greatest Consequence and Importance to our Souls through Faith. The Soul is not the Form of Man but the Body is the Form of Man and the Soul is the quickening Life and Spirit In beholding a Corpse and dead Man we behold the Form and Appearance of Man but we do not behold the Soul. The Soul is the Image of God and therefore it cannot consist in a dead Form. Rom. 2.20 2 Tim. 3.5 4. Soul and Body are truly distinct as Principal and Instrumental the inward and the outward Man but they are not two essential and compounding Parts of Man. For Man is the Image of God who being without Parts and Composition so must needs be his Image As all in God is God so all in the Image of God is the Image of God. Every Man as to his natural Substance is simply a Man and not a Brute and therefore he must needs be uncompounded For to be simply a Man and yet compounded is a Contradiction Indeed the Body by it self consists of many Parts It will not therefore follow that it is onely one Part of Man. For if it be one only it is not many Gal. 3.16 As to Life Eternal the Soul is the Man not as excluding the Body but the Welfare of the Body is bound up in the Eternal Welfare of the Soul. If the Soul be safe all is safe If that be lost all is lost and the Man is undone for ever As to Life Temporal the Body is the Man not as excluding the Soul but as it is in and by the Body that Man doth visibly live and converse on Earth as a Man and not a Brute and the Body being dead the Man is dead as to this present Life And therefore not one Part of Christ but Christ Himself in respect of his Body was crucified dead buried and lay in the Grave Come see the place where the Lord lay Mat. 28.6 5. Every Artificial Image of Christ as God is an Idol and every Artificial Image of Christ as Man is Superstition and if adored then it is Idolatry Christ as Man is holy and Holiness may not be set forth by a dead Image or Picture Only holy Men and Women in this World as holy are the Image of Christ as he is Man. Rom. 8.29 Any other Image of Christ as Man is a lie and not the Image of Christ Christ is truly a Man but withal a special Man differing in kind from all other Men because he only is by miraculous Conception in the Womb of a Virgin He only is the Propitiation for the Sins of the whole World He only as Man is exalted at God's right Hand above all both Angels and Men They may be set forth by an Artificial Image or Picture but so may not Christ as Man. The only true setting forth of Christ as Man is by the Word and Sacraments through Faith because as Man he differs in specie in kind from all other Men. CHAP. XI Of the Church and Commonwealth 1. THE Holy Catholick Church which we believe as distinct from the elect Angels consists of the whole number of God's Elect in all Ages not as exclusive of what is good and commendable in Hypocrites Hereticks Apostates and Heathens but as liking and loving all that is good and lovely in whomsoever This Church began in penitent Adam and Eve they two were the first Church of the redeemed Upon the increase and multiplication of new Converts and Souls regenerate more were added to the Church successively like as when an Infant is born into the World there is one more added to the Society of Mankind Acts 2.47 The Apostles Commission was not to make a new Church differing in substance from what had been before and was in being at the time of Christ's Ascension but to preserve that Church which he left on Earth and by Apostolical Preaching and Endeavours to enlarge and add to it and so to make Jew and Gentile one in Christ Jesus Outward Variations suited to the Exegencies of the Church in its Militant State do not alter the intrinsecal Nature Essence and Unity of the Church which is the same for substance in all Ages But because Abel is the first who died in Faith and of whose Righteousness there is express mention therefore the Holy Catholick Church is fitly reckoned from him 2. The Church and Commonwealth are not two independent Societies but the Church as such is a holy Commonwealth simply dependent upon God through Christian Faith as to Life eternal And upon the Prince as sole Supream under God over all in his Dominions as to Life Temporal and Coercive rule by the Sword. Look as Homo being a Man includes Animal being a Living Creature So the Church includes human Society as being nothing but Mankind sanctified by Faith in Christ The Power and Authority of Christ as Man exalted at God's right Hand over all is simply dependent upon God And therefore all the Power and Authority of the Church must needs be simply dependent ministerial and subordinate and whatsoever Church claims to it self Power simply independent by that very claim it is proved to be Anti-christian that Man of Sin and Son of Perdition who exalts himself above God and above the Prince his Vice-gerent on Earth 2 Thess 2.3 4. 3. The Church is not two Universal and Particular Invisible and Visible but the Church is simply one as God is one admitting of just Conception but no Division It is one Whole or Universal as comprizing all the Parts But one Whole or Universal as distinct from all the Parts is only Notion and Conceit as a Man in the Moon or Castle in the Air a meer Chimera We see those Men and Women who are the Church Militant but that which makes them the Church Militant we do not see but believe The Church is plain and manifest to those who believe as the Sun at Noon-day is to seeing Men But he who believeth not makes God a Lyar 1 Joh. 5.10 and God being made a Lyar the Church must needs be made a Lyar too 4. It will not stand with Christian Faith Hope and Love to live divided in Heart and Conversation from any the least Member of Christ and true Christian who is evidently and apparently so so far as Man can judg We cannot be more holy than God more pure then Christ Whom he receives we are to receive or we cannot expect to be received by him The Communion of Saints is an Article of Faith unalterably fixed by God as to the substance of it and it consists in Christian Faith Hope and Love These are to the Church and every Member thereof what the Soul is to the Body But saving Christian Faith Hope and
yet not contrary thereto Things related are simul naturâ intrinsecally together not in Place outwardly but in Truth and Reality inwardly above both Time and Place Only this is to be noted that though the Manhood of Christ be sole Supream under God over all both Angels and Men as he is exalted at God's right Hand yet only elect Angels and Men be his Loyal and Obedient Subjects There are who hold some things necessary to the Integrity of the Sacrament but not to its Essence as breaking the Bread. But the Scripture hath no such distinction and indeed it is repugnant to the Nature of God who is an infinite Essence and in him is infinite Integrity Therefore there cannot possibly be Essence and not Integrity Therefore breaking the Bread is to be reckoned among those things which are not intrinsecally necessary to the Being and Integrity of the Lord's Supper As to which the general rule is to observe the way and custom of the Church where a Man shall come and abide But as to the Cup no power on Earth may deprive the People of it CHAP. XIV Of Divine Worship and Idolatry 1. THat there is a God and that he is to be worshipped as God is indelebly written in the Heart of every Man for every Man is either Godly or Ungodly To be Godly is to be a worshipper of God in Spirit and Truth To be Ungodly is to have an inward Sense and Conviction that there is a God and not to worship and glorify him as God. 2. The true God is God the Father not incarnate God the Son incarnate God the Holy Ghost not incarnate the Saviour of all Men specially of them that believe Any other God is an Idol and not the true God. To worship this true God is penitently to confess our Sins to call upon His Name and pray unto him for spiritual and corporal Blessings to give him Thanks for his Mercies to swear by his Name to vow and covenant our Souls to him to believe his Holy Word to trust in him for Life Eternal to walk as in his Sight and Presence to esteem him incomparably Excellent to prefer his Favour Honour and Glory and the doing of his Will before our Life and Friends and Estate and all worldly and temporal Things to have clean Hearts and pure Consciences and in all things to make it our chief care and business to please him and to obtain eternal Reward and Blessedness by righteous sober and godly Conversation In the Worship of God the Soul is Principal and the Body is Instrumental and the same thing is essentially both Act and Object For there cannot be the right Worship of God without Self-denial according to that of the Psalmist Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy Name be all the Glory For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things Psal 115. 1. Rom. 11.36 Now Self-denial is both Act and Object Accordingly in all Idolatry the Soul is Principal and the Body is Instrumental and the same thing is both Act and Object For in every Idolater there is regnant Self-esteem Self-will Self-love and Self-confidence repugnant to heavenly Self-denial and Holy Trust in God. The Idolater putteth trust in his own Heart that tho he give the Glory due to God in Christ only to another tho he worship God in and by meer Creatures and not in and by Christ only yet he shall be saved and God will accept him This is Self-delusion and false Trust and Self-delusion and Self-confidence is both Act and Object 3. An Idol is nothing in the World 1 Cor. 8.4 That is as I conceive set aside the inward ungodly Lust and false Belief which is in Man's Heart and there is no such thing as an Idol nor can be Every Creature of God is Good Man is a special Creature of God and therefore must needs be specially Good. The Goodness of Man consists in the inward Rectitude of his Mind and hevenly dependence upon god and Resignation to his Will and trust in him for Life eternal When contrary-wise Man refuseth to be guided by God as to Life eternal and putteth trust in his own Heart and not in God for Life eternal and loveth himself rather than God now Man comes to have Idols in his Heart and committeth spiritual Whoredom and Adultery Some make the Belly their God some Idolize Money some worldly Glory some Beauty some Learning some their Errours some Angels and departed Saints some Images These are various ways of Idolatry but still it is the mind within as ungodly which makes the Idol and all Idolatry whatsoever is a transcendent Vice the worship of a false God and is repugnant to Holy Belief in God. As God is not two a material God and a formal God So Idolatry is not two material and formal but all Idolatry is a breach of the first Commandment and repugnant to godly Sincerity No Man doth or can in the commission of Idolatry intend to commit it but really he doth commit it he doth that which by the Divine Law is Idolatry The commission of Idolatry and intention to commit it differ specifically and cannot possibly concur in one and the fame indivisible Act as one and the same indivisible Act cannot possibly be two Acts. 4. The substance of Divine Worship is unalterably fixed by God and all addition to it and all diminution from it is Idolatry a Deifying of Man's Understanding and Will and setting it above the Understanding and Will of God. But there are many things respecting the outward Mode and Order of God's Worship about which the Scripture gives only general Rules the fitting whereof to particular Cases is left to Man's Wisdom and Discretion dependently upon God as Judg of all the World. Touching the substance of God's Worship nothing is a Duty but what hath a Divine Command and plain Warrant in God's Word Touching Things in themselves indifferent and variable nothing is sinful but what is plainly forbidden by God what is not forbidden is of it self Lawful 5. Religiously to invocate Angels and departed Saints is very Idolatry but bare desiring their Prayers I conceive is not Idolatry Superstition it is vain and erroneous Desire it is but tho all Idolatry be Superstition yet all Superstition and vain Desire is not Idolatry But if Superstition reign then it is Idolatry before God tho not before Men. And then doth Superstition and Errour reign when Persons lay their Salvation on it and trust in their Errour for Life Eternal Bare desiring the Prayer of Angels and departed Saints is not Prayer and Invocation in the strict sense and therefore I conceive it is not Idolatry Tho all Prayer be Desire yet all Desire is not Prayer in the strict sense Bare desiring the Prayer of Angels and departed Saints doth suppose them to know what indeed they do not know and so it is erroneous and vain Desire but it doth not necessarily suppose them to be simply