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A57743
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Saint Peters general petition to our Saviour, for himself and his fellow sufferers
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Rowland, John, 1606-1660.
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1661
(1661)
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Wing R2071; ESTC R20575
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15,283
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26
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Boanerges the Sons of Thunder Mark 3. yet Bellarmine observes that Simon was afterwards almost continually called Cephas or Peter but James and John were never called Boanerges but Iames and Iohn as they were before as if it had been rather their Title or an addition then a Change of their Name Again I do not finde ten times in the Evangelists that our Saviour spake in the singular number to any of the rest of the Apostles or that any of them spake to him and one of those times was when Sim n Peter beckned to the Disciple Whom Jesus lived that he should ask him who it should be of whom he speak that should betray him Joh. 13. But usually he spake in general to them all and so they to him As Mat. 13. His Disciples came to him saying declare unto us the Parable of the tares of the field He answered and said unto them ver 37. And Mat. 14. His Disciples came unto him saying this is a desert place c. But Jesus said unto them ver 16. Yet it is not likely that they all shake at once but rather that S. Peter comonly answered and spake for them all because we read sometimes where his Name is conceald which is by some other Evangelist declared that it was S. Peter if we shall compare John the 18. with Matthew 26. But as for S. Peter our Saviour still speaks to him â—y Name and hee onely makes the answer and he speaks to our Saviour and that so frequently that it is most Remarkable as Mat. 14. And Peter answered him and said Lord if it be thou bid me come unto thee on the Water And Mat. 16 And Simon Peter answered and said Thou art Christ the Son of the living God And Jesus answered and said unto him ver 17. And I say also unto thee ver 18. And I will give unto thee the keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven and whatsoever thou shalt binde on Earth shall be bound in Heaven and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven So Christ in his Transfiguration when he took with him Peter James and Iohn Mat. 17. Then answered Peter and said unto Iesus ver 4. Again Mat. 18. Then came Peter to him and said Lord how oft shall my brother sin against me I forgive him Jesus saith unto him ver 21. And Mat. 26. Peter answered and said unto him Though all men shall be offended because of thee Yet will I never be Offended Iesus answered and said unto him Verily I say vnto thee ver 34. Peter answered and said unto him Though I should dye with thee Yet will I not deny thee ver 35. And Iohn 21. Our Saviour after his Resurrection speaks thrice to St. Peter saying Simon son of Ionas lovest thou mee more then these and Peter answered and said Lord thou knowest that I love thee And this is so frequent in all the four Evangelists that I have not time to repeat them all Add to this that his priviledges Recorded by them are for greater and more than any of the rest had For he is sent to take the Fish to pay Pole mony for his Master and himself Mat. 17. Christ goes to his House and cures his wifes mother of a feavour Mat. 8. Enters into his Ship to Preach Luke 5. prays for him in particular that his faith fail not Lvke 22. Washeth his feet first as it is probable Iohn 13. Foresheweth his death in special Iohn 20. Apears first to him of the twelve after his Resurrection Luke 24. The Lord is risen indeed and hath appeared unto Simon That he was seen of Cephas then of the twelve 1. Cor. 15. Again he wrought more memorable Acts and miracles than they all did Hee walks upon the Waters to Christ Mat 14. He passeth sentence as Judge upon Ananias and Saphira Acts 5. He preacheth first to the Iews when 3000 were converted by him at one Sermon Acts 2. He Preacheth first to the Gentiles Act. 10. His very shadow in passing by cured all that were sick Acts 5. I cannot stay to run over all that might be said in his behalf But I hope here not to be misunderstood as if I had left my Religion beyond the Seas We all blesse God who hath preserved your Majesty amongst so many dangerous provocations to for sake it to hold fast to the Church of England as it was Established and maintained by King Edward Queen Elizabeth King James And King Charles Your Martyred Father all of ever blessed Memory And your Subjects that have not done the like cannot say Behold we have forsaken all and followed thee As for S. Peters Supremacy over the rest were it granted that he was a Metropolitan amongst the Apostles yet the Minor Proposition But the Pope is S. Peters successor will be hard to prove because it is not so cleer that S. Peter was at Rome much less Bishops there And if the Pope did Succeed him Locally it doth not follow that therfore hee doth succeed him in his piety and Priviledges But the conclusion is to large by odds for the Primises that therefore the Pope is supreme to all Kings and Emperours in all causes Spirituall and Temporal S. Peter preach't the contrary 1 Epist Peter 2. chap. ver 13. Submit your selves to every ordinance of man to the King as Supreme But amongst all the Arguments brought to prove S. Peters supremacy I do not read this of my Text which may be alleaged to confirm it as well as any of the Rest For it shewe in what great Authority he was about our Saviour that the petition for them all must be prefered by him and he doth it so vigorously and effectually that he deserves to be ownd as the Christ amongst them for it There are 5 Circustances very remarkable which he observed in this presenting of it Two are concealed in the Text Fust that he did it spontaneously and of his own accord we do not read that any of the Apostles did move or sollicite him to undertake it for them but knowing their sufferings he goes about it of his own free will Contrary to the course of the world where men must be continually solicited though it be but for recovering what is a mans own and the following of it is commonly so tedious and chargeable that a man were better oft times leave it off then spend his mony and time about it Secondly he doth it gratis and without reward we do not find that he either asked or received any thing for his pains He knew that they had forsaken all to follow Christ and therefore it were not reasonable to expect any thing from them For if long Soliciting and money must do it then they who never did forsake what they had were fitter to procure it To these two we may adde one more that there is some probability that S. Peter was appointed by our Saviour to promote their common interest or at least received a hint
is not from hence In which Words are two Enthymems First Christs kingdom is not of this world Therefore may not his servants fight for it Secondly Temporal Kings have kingdoms of this world Therefore it is lawful for their subjects to fight for them If then the Fifth Monarchy-men will fight for Christs temporal kingdome against his command all subjects are authorized by him to fight against them in defence of those Kings and Princes whose subjects they are As for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they insist upon But now my kingdom is not from hence it is but an ill consequence they would infer from it that therefore it shall be hereafter For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now is not onely an Adverb of time there but a stronger confirmation of what he had said before namely My Kingdome is not of this world The Papists would inforce the like conclusion to maintain their Purgatory and forgiveness of sins after this Life because our Saviour said Matth. 12. Whosoever speaketh a-against the holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven him neither in this world nor in the world to come Therefore say they some sins shall be forgiven in the world to come whereas they should conclude directly Therefore the sin against the holy Ghost shall never be forgiven Christ never promised his disciples any earthly kingdome But this is the promise that he hath promised us Even eternal life 1 John 2.25 S. Paul saith the same 2 Tim. 4.18 And the Lord will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom not unto any earthly kingdom See 2 Cor. 5.1 We know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building with God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens Where then is this kingdom of Christ upon earth which the Millenaries so much contend for Fuerunt olim e Chiliastarum opinione magni in Ecclesia veri There have been formerly very learned men in the Church of their judgement but this Heresie hath been so fully confuted that there are very few now but the ignorant Rabble and some turbulent spirits who are their Leaders who will live quietly under no government that hold any such opinion It is not possible that such a temporal Monarchy of Christ can be that these men dream of but it must overthrow the Scripture For S. Paul exhorts that prayers be made for Kings 1 Tim. 2. And S. Peter saith we must obey and honour them 1 Pet. 2. And this is to be the Christians Rule so long as this world endâ—…eth Now the Fifth Monarchy-men under pretence of Christs temporal kingdome pray for the destruction and attempt the ruine of all Kings and Prince That I rather think this to be a cloak for their Rebellion then that they believe it to be true because they refuse to say the Lords Prayer whereof one Petition is Thy kingdom come I am confident that this Doctrine of theirs is that Eating Canker or Gangrene S. Paul condemns in Hymeneus and Philetus 2 Tim. 2. who concerning the Truth have erred saying that the Resurrection is past already and overthrow the faith of some For these say that their fifth Monarchy is begun already which is as they interpret it after the first Resurrection Secondly These are questionless the false Teachers S. Peter speaks of 2 Pet. 2. But there were false Prophets also among the People as there shall be false Teachers among you who privily shall bring in damnable Heresies even denying the Lord that bought them and shall bring upon themselves swift destruction swift destruction many of them have brought upon themselves They certainly deny the Lord that bought them who is the King of Heaven and Earth when they would have him to be an Earthly King and at the 10 vers he comes home to them but cheifly they who despsie Government presumpâ—uâ—us are they self-willed they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities S. Jude points at them ver 8. These filthy dreamers defile the flesh despite Dominions and speak evil of Dignities But I have done with them and come briefly to examine the Petition of S. Peter more nearly which S. Mark and St. Luke leave out as though there were no need for them to Petition him who had forsaken all to follow him But S. Matthew sets it down so that S. Peter continues his request in the Plurall Number as the ground of it was first layd He askes no more for himself then for the rest He doth not first draw up a Generall list of them all and then leave them out in the Reward it is not What shall I have but What shall we have therefore Secondly the Petition though it sound harsh at the first hearing yet it is very modest and humble For he doth not come to Indent with our Saviour before hand What shall we have and we will forsake all and follow thee if we may have the greatest commands and places about thee No but behold we have done that long since We have forsaken all and followed thee Thirdly he doth not prescribe as the sons of Zebedee did Mat. 20. Grant that we may sit one on thy right hand and the other on thy left in thy Kingdome But he commits that wholly to his Arbitrement Fourthly He saith not What shall we have presently But in the future Tencee What shall we have therefore 1 Also our blessed Saviour in his most gracious Answer to his Petition doth not finde fault either with the Form or the matter of it because it was so homely dressed 2 Nor doth he charge them with an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or will worship as perhaps some of his followers would have done who followed him onely for their own profit saying Who required this at your hands who bade you forsake all and follow him You might have staid at home and kept what you had 3. Nor doth he question them what they had forsaken for him as he might have done a few Nets and Angles and Fishing Boats or how far they had followed him in all matters to expect great Rewards for As if onely those who had forsaken great possessions as the young man had must look to be Considered No the widows mite is as well accepted with Christ as the greatest Treasure of the Rich a poor mans Life and Estate and Family are as dear to him as the Rich mans are 4 Nor doth he say You did it in hopes of a Reward For God always holds out a Reward to encourage us in our duty even eternall life So Christ told the young man if he would forsake all and follow him he should have Treasure in heaven as the young man called him Christ is a good Master indeed for no man ever followed him in vain 5 Nor doth he say as he might and did say Luke 17. You have done onely what was your Duty to do 6 Nor doth he put them to find out something as the manner of men is where some may seek long enough and be never the neer 7 Nor doth he turn them over to others to take care for them as Alexander would have done one of his souldiers untill the souldier told him that he had not served him by Proxy but in his own person 8 Nor doth he object the Insufficency of their performances but accepting the will for the deed He returns him a most Gracious speedy and fully satisfactory Answer for them all vers 28. Verily I say unto you that ye which have followed me in the Regeneration when the son of man shall sit on the Throne of his Glory ye also shall sit upon twelve Thrones Judgeing the twelve tribes of Israel And every one that hath forsaken Houses or Brethren or Sisters or Father or Mother or Wife or Children or Londs for my name fake shall receive an bundred fold and shall inherit everlasting life I conclude with my Text Then answered Peter and said unto him Behold we have forsaken all and followed thee What shall we have therefore THE END