Testimony of the Church First § 11 Concerning the thing testified 1. Every Christian born and continuing in the Church by his Birth Baptism Education in the Church is bound to believe that the Doctrine of the Scriptures concerning Faith in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and Obedience is Divine and from God 2. That none such having the use of Reason ought to rest upon mere tradition but ought to seek a better and higher Reason 3. None is bound to believe by a divine and infallible Faith necessary to Salvation that all and every Book and part of the Scripture is immediatly and infallibly divine further then he hath some certain reason so to do 4. That the Original Transcripts and Translations of the Scriptures agree in the principal Doctrine necessary to Salvation though in other respects they may differ For the most wise and merciful Providence hath so ordered it that there is found no Transcript or Translation wherein there is not so much as would direct a man unto Salvation though there be many mistakes and errours in them 5. That many have been converted by the bare instruction of one single Teacher without the Scriptures Yet the matter of that instruction was in the Scriptures No man can believe without the Word of God taught yet many may believe without the Word of God written 6. That the Doctrine of the Old Testament was sufficient to save such as lived before the Incarnation but not after the Revelation and Preaching of the Gospel Secondly § 12 Concerning Tradition and the testimony of the Church 1. That the testimony of the Church as a Testimony can satisfie no man If the Church indeed were infallible and I knew it to be so then I were bound to believe it 2. The testimony of the Church Universal since the Apostles times is but humane and fallible and inferiour to the testimony of any one man immediatly inspired 3. No man living since the Gospel was preached to all Nations and the Church extended to the ends of the Earth can resolve his Faith into the testimony of the Universal Church The reason is because the Church as universal never gave nor he immediatly receive any such testimony Much less is it possible in these present times for any one man or particular Church to have any distinct knowledge of any unanimous testimony of the Universal Church continued up to the Apostles times For if there were any such testimony it must be known either by Histories of Credit decrees of Councels Writings of particular men or Bibles translated into the Languages of those Nations where the Gospel hath been preached and Churches planted Yet all the Histories Canons Writings of Christians except very few now extant have no Authors but such as lived within the bounds of the Roman Empire Though we must confess that within those Bounds the Redeemer and Canonical Writers were born the work of Redemption accomplished the Gospel revealed and the Canon of the New Testament finished 4. It being granted that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the Word of God and of Divine Authority it follows that the Testimony of the New Testament confirming the Old and the predictions of the Old Testament related in the New to be exactly fulfilled are of greater Authority and Credit then the Testimony of the Universall Church 5. The Testimony of the Universall Church including Christ and his Apostles with the Prophets is infallible but not as the Testimony of the Church distinct from Christ and his Apostles 6. The Testimony of the Universall Church if we knew it could not be a sufficient ground of a Divine but onely an human morall fallible faith which Devils and wicked men may have and that by nature without Supernaturall grace 7. The Testimony of the Church so far as it may be had is a good introduction and also a rational motive to receive the Scriptures as the Word of God Yet this is not as a Testimony nor merely as Universall in some respect nor as ancient and consisting with it self for Antiquity Universality and Consent may agree to a false tradition of Idolatry yet it 's more worthy of credit then other Testimonies First In respect of the Persons testifying The best qualified men in the World and such as did manifest by their profession Practice Sufferings that they had much of God in them Secondly and principally in respect of the matter of the Scriptures testified to be Divine For 1. It 's excellent and such as cannot be found in any other Writings in the World There is nothing rational or good which tends to make a man better or more happy to be found in any Heathen or Mahumetan Books which is not found in It and far more excellent then can be read in theirs and the same pure without mixture of any such Errours Absurdities Abominations as their writings are polluted with 2. The eternall rules of Wisdom and Justice according to which the World is and ever hath bin governed by a Supreme Providence are recorded in these Volums 3. In this book we read more Truths and the same more clear concerning the Eternall Deity the nature and imployment of Angels the nature operations and qualities of the immortall Soul than in any book in the World 4. The Doctrine therein contained hath had and still hath such excellent effects upon the souls of men both to convert and comfort them as never any other had And this is the more wonderfull if we consider the Successe of the Gospel For the Doctine thereof though contrary to flesh and blood to the errours of the Jews the Religion of all Nations yet was diffused and that by a few mean and contemptible men in the eye of the World into all Nations and this in the midst of cruel and bloody persecutions against all the opposition which the Devils of Hell the greatest Schollers the profoundest States-Men the most Cunning Priests the greatest and most Powerfull Rulers both of Jewes and Gentiles could make 5. The most certain clear particular praedictions of future Contingents fulfilled so exactly many years after they were publiquely declared by word and writing do much and very much argue these Divine Writings to be from Heaven 6. There is an admirable Harmony and Consent of all parts though the Authors thereof lived in several times and at so great a distance that there passed near 2000 years between Moses and John the Divine and Evangelist and near 1500 between Moses and Malachy They all agree in the Principall Subject the Principal Scope and the meanes conducing thereunto 7. I never did Seriously meditate upon and digest any part of it so as to understand the Scope and Method but I did admire the excellency of it and the more I understood it the more I admired it And I am perswaded that if we clearly understood the parts thereof we might easiâ—y discoâ—er the Divine Characters and plainly distinguish them from all other writings Yet none
of these are of any great force to such as are ignorant of them and know them onely upon the Tradition of others Neither is Universall Tradition the ordinary way whereby men are Converted For most who do believe to salvation hear onely one or a few teachers and the same not immediatly infallible and inspired and by their Doctrine contained in these Scriptures and the power of the Spirit attain to a Divine and saving faith For faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God preached immediatly unto them For so the place is to be understood Rom. 10. 17. And no man can prove that the immediate Proposer of saving truth should be infallible but that the Doctrine taught be infallibly true No rationall man can rationally reject any Doctrine much lesse this except he have some reason for it but there can be no reason of any moment ever alleaged against this Doctrine or any particular thereof rightly understood It seemes strange to me that any Christians especially such as do confesse the holy Scriptures in themselves to be Divine should make a question whether they can be believed to be the word of God any other wayes but by the Tradition of the Church It is indeed some advantage to the Bishop of Rome and his Associates and Vassals to make men believe that their faith and belief of the Divinity of the Scriptures depends upon the Tradition of the Church in their Sense For when all is well examined they understand by Church themselves and their own present Church Yet they cannot well agree amongst themselves what this present Church should be Whether the Pope in his Chair alone as the Visible head or he with a general Council Yet this Church is no wayes universall except so far as she professeth the universall faith as some of their Cardinalls have observed Neither is she any more infallible then other Churches be Yet men will believe that she is the Universall Church infallible and the onely infallible expounder and proposer of the Scriptures and can detain them and Seal them up in an unknown Language so as that the Vulgar shall neither read them nor hear them in a Language understood by them she will have some advantage For by this meanes the people are kept in ignorance and unity and so their unwritten Traditions Doctrines and Practises so directly contrary to expresse Scripture shall not be question'd but received by an implicit Faith This argument of Tradition well examined cannot advantage them of Rome nay it 's a Plain Disadvantage For their Tradition doth prove a Chimera and Some Protestant writers ascribe too much unto it and also speak too loosly and at random of it in this point especially But to return unto those ordinary teachers § XIII and especially the Ministers of the New-Testament Let us examine 1. How they acquire their knowledge 2. How they Communicate it to others 3. How the People must receive it Communicated 4. What God hath promised to do if both Minister and People perform their duty 1. They acquire their knowledge by such meanes which God hath given and ordained for that end They do not receive it by immediate inspiration as the holy Prophets and Apostles did God gives them naturall parts and endowments in the giving of them being and some of them from their Mothers womb are designed for this work But let their naturall parts and endowments be never so excellent yet they must at first be taught and instructed both in the Arts and Languages especially the originalls and after some foundation is layd they may much improve themselves by the Learned works of others their own industry Prayer and Gods blessing Lexicons Concordances Translations are great helps for the attayning the knowledge of the Originall tongues Expositions Commentaries Systems Treatises do conduce much for the understanding the matter of the Scriptures God hath done much for us in this kind but our neglect is great and many have not the benefit of good education and direction at the first And there is a great disparity between Ministers of the higher and lower forms yet no man is fit for this calling who is not furnished with so much knowledge and such a measure of utterance as to be able to declare to others the whole Counsell of God and â—each them all things necessary to Salvation Yet many will take upon them to teach before they have well Learned and will be Masters before they have bin Scollers And the most insufficient will pretend the Spirit to cloak their ignorance After these ordinary teachers have once stored up a treasure they consecrate themselves to Christ and engage to make it their work to do him service in this kind Being rightly qualified § XIV sent and called they begin to teach others and take the charge upon them yet so as that they may be probationers and assistants at the first They instruct others either by Learned Books or treatises of piety or by word of mouth and that severall wayes as by Catechisms Expositions Sermons and other ways The first work is to Catechize the Ignorant and teach them the first principles of the Gospel To this purpose they have our Saviours Creed of faith in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost the Commandements of the Moral Law contracted into the Love of God and our Neighbour The Lord's Prayer as we use to call it and the Doctrine of the Sacraments And these few understand yet the ignorant and unlearned and Children should know and that not onely the words but the true and Genuine sense according to their Capacity This though the foundation is too much neglected By Expositions they acquaint the people with the occasion Scope Method and Meaning of severall parts and portions of the Scripture By Sermons they explain and apply some Text of Scripture proposing out of the same some Divine axiom which once unâ—olded and made plain they apply by way of Instruction in the truth Confutation of errour Reproof of the guilty Consolation of the dejected stirring up to duty by exhortation restrayning from sin by Dehortation Their Doctrine should be the Pure word of God made plain dispensed wisely delivered out of an heart sincerely desiring and intending the Salvation of the People and ought to be confirmed by the Teacher's example and the Principall matter must be the Mysteries of Gods Kingdom § XV This is the duty of Teachers which performed by them God exâ—pects also certain Performances from the Persons taught which neglected the word of God cannot enter into the immortal-soul so as to work effectually and be manifested to be the Word of God indeed For 1. The heart of man must be prepared and that 1. With an high conceit of the Doctrine of the Scriptures taught that it is the word of God revealed from Heaven out of great love and mercy to man that it highly and very much concerns him upon the knowledge and observance whereof depends his eternal estate in the
World to come According to it he must be judged and sent to Heaven or Hell and made eternally happy or miserable All errours and false notions contrary unto it must be rased out of the mind All inordinate affections and unruly passions must be subdued For we must lay apart all filthinesse and Superfluity of naughtinesse and receive with meeknesse the pure and genuine word of God which is able to save our souls Jam. 1. 24. And we must lay aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and evil speakings and as New-born babes desire the Sincere milk of the Word c. 1 Pet. 2. 1 2. We must make our minds like blank Paper and in our hearts we must be like little Children otherwise the Heavenly Doctrine cannot make so liâ—ely impressions upon us 2. When the heart is thus prepared we must hear and read attentively consider what is heard or read that we may understand it We must apply it and lay it close unto our own hearts and pray for the Spirit to make it powerful and effectual within us As it is Wisdom first to teach so it is first to learn the Principles and to understand them well and being once in these well grounded they will not be so subject either to be seduced or waveâ—ing in their judgment and it will be a great advantage to improve their knowledge And when once they understand the truth it will discover their woful condition to humble them and their Saviour to raise them up again It 's a part of the duty of every one that is a Scholler in this School not onely to understand the truth but also to endeavour the practise thereof out of an earnest desire of Salvation And if a man neglect the means use not the power that God hath given him and seriously intend the principal end it will be just with God to desert him and deny his grace unto him Practice must be the principal design and Knowledge so far as conducing thereunto If the man being taught § XVI be diligent and willing for to learn both to know and do that which is known and that with a prepared heart and desire of God's Blessed Spirit to teach him inwardly and effectually then God will remember his Promise and will give him a new Heart and a new Spirit he will put in him and will take the stoney heart out of his flesh and give him an heart of flesh He will put his Spirit within him and cause him to walk in his Statutes and keep his Judgments to do them Ezek. 36. 26 27. For this is a Promise of the Gospel and the New Covenant I will put my Laws into their mind and write them in their hearts Heb. 8. 10. And as man teacheth outwardly God teacheth inwardly yet he never writes his Word in an unprepared heart neither doth he write any thing within but that which is taught outwardly out of the Scriptures And as the Minister must teach so the People must hear and heed otherwise God will deny his Spirit Man cannot speak unto the Soul immediatly but by the outward and inward Senses God speaks immediatly unto the Soul pierceth deeply into it writes clear and lively Characters upon the mind and makes strong impressions upon the heart When the Ministers Doctrine is thus accompanied with the Power of God and brought home not onely unto but also into the Soul then the Teacher is a Minister not onely of the Letter but also of the Spirit and the Word is the Word of God indeed formally and properly when God thus speaks it immediatly himself and it will manifest it self by the Heavenly Light Power of Sanctification and Consolation following thereupon And then man knows the Word read or heard preached out of the Scripture to be from Heaven and God's Voyce and that upon better grounds then any Tradition possibly can be By the same Word we are begotten and born anew By the same we must grow and tend unto perfection the Spirit concurring with it And the Spirit by Divine Institution and God's Promise goes along with it except man by his neglect of the means or some other demeâ—it give caâ—â—e to God to deny it The sum of all this is § XVII 1. That the Doctrine of the Scriptures is the Rule whereby we are directed in the knowledge of God's Kingdome 2. This Doctrine was in the mind of God and known onely to himself before he communicated it to Men and Angels 3. He did make this known by immediate Inspiration to the Holy Prophets and Apostles 4. By them he communicated it to others both by Word and Writing in both which they were directed by him infallibly 5. The Originals therefore were immediatly of Divine Authority and most worthy to be believed and the Transcripts and Translations so far as they agreed with the Originals 6. The Tradition or Testimony of the Church may declare this yet as a Testimony it can satisfie no man fully 7. God communicates this Doctrine unto men by ordinary Teachers not immediatly inspired 8. The Scripture is the standing Rule to direct these ordinary Teachers And so far as they follow this Rule so far their Doctrine is good and no further 9. The people taught are bound to hear those Teachers with prepared hearts and in that manner as God requireth 10. If they hear in this manner God according to his Promise will make it effectual to convert justifie and comfort them 11. This Spirit testifying by real effects the matter of the Scripture to be Divine is not a private Spirit but the publique Spirit of Christ in the Universal Church and the thing testified by this Spirit is the Publique Doctrine believed and professed by the Vniversal Church It 's true that it 's testified to a private Man and in that respect it is not Publique 12 By this manner of ordinary teaching with the concurrence of the sanctifying Spirit God works ordinarily a Divine Faith in the hearts of men and not by the Vniversal Tradition of the Church 13. The Tradition of the Church so far as it may be known concerning the Divine Authority of the whole Canon is a ground of a probable Faith against which No rational man as rational can except CHAP. III. Concerning the ancient Creeds and Confessions and of Faith in general HItherto § I of the Original the Nature and Qualities of the Holy Scriptures which must be the Rule of the ensuing Discourse concerning God's Kingdom But before I proceed to the particular Explication of this excellent Subject it will not be amiss to enquire Whether the principal subject of the Scripture may not be reduced to a method or Whether some parts or passages of Scripture will not give a sufficient light and direction to this method if there be any such thing Many School-men and some Modern Authors of Theological Systems following the Rules of the great Philosopher have attempted to reduce the Doctrine contained in God's Book into
differs in many things from all other Books especially in respect of the Authority thereof which is primarily Divine in the Original Copies secundarily in the Transcripts and Translations These sacred Writings are learned and known several ways and by several means of men that are not infallibly directed further then they follow the Scriptures rightly understood And by these especially Ministers by whom God speaks to men another way they are taught several ways in a certain order How these must be heard understood applyed so as the Hearer may attain to a Divine Faith and a Saving Knowledge Where something of the Tradition of the Church CHAP. III. The Doctrine of this Kingdom is contracted by Christ and His Apostles as such is the ground of all the Apostolical Creeds and Confessions all agreeing in method and matter The manner of the handling of the subject in this Treatise is different from that of ordinary Systems Catechisms and common places where something is said of Faith in general and of Divine Faith A Confession taken out of Tertullian CHAP. IV. Of the Divine Essence and Attributes How God's Essence is intelligible and how represented to us by certain Attributes What Attributes are and certain Rules concerning them The imperfect definition of God including all the Attributes CHAP. V. The Attributes in particular The distribution of them into Greatness Goodness In the Greatness unity infiniteness Infiniteness in Immensity from which ariseth His Incomprehensibility Vbiquity and in Eternity CHAP. VI. God's goodness being one and infinite is known by his excellent and most eminent Acts and Vertues of his Vnderstanding Will Power as His most excellent Knowledge and Wisdom the integrity of his Will and the perfection of his power CHAP. VII The Father Son and Holy Ghost their unity order distinction They are not Three Persons in that sense as Men or Angels are called persons The vanity of the Socinian Argument against the Trinity grounded upon the word person strictly taken How the Soul may be said to be an Image and imperfect resemblance of the Father Son and Holy Ghost CHAP. VIII God considered in his Regal Capacity in respect of his power acquired by Creation and continued by preservation How God is a cause of all things by his Counsel contriving Will decreeing Power actually producing The knowledge of GOD in respect of things out of Himself His Decrees free wise unchangeable The cooperation of the Persons their distinct manner of working The Creation in general the special Creation of Man The Conclusions deducible from this Principle God created Heaven and Earth and all things therein By this Work God hath a propriety in all things and may dispose of them and order them to the ends whereunto He hath made them ordinable Hence his supream universal absolute power How all things created are preserved and ordered Ordination in general the first act of God's Power acquired and continued CHAP. IX The Exercise of God's Power in general CHAP. X. The special Ordination and Government of the Intellectual and Immortall Creatures Angels Men. The government of Angels constituted administred according to certain Laws Judgment whereby some being obedient were confirmed rewarded Others disobeying rebelling and forsaking their station were punished and cast out of God's presence reserved for greater punishments in the end of the World CHAP. XI The special Government of Man which is two-fold 1. Of Justice without Christ. 2. Of Mercy in Christ. The constitution of the first Model The administrations Laws Moral Positive considered as a rule of Man's obedience God's Judgment CHAP. XII The Judgment of God-Creatour passed upon Man according to the Laws of Creation and strict Justice The Object of this Judgment 1. Man obedient rewarded with the continuance of a comfortable condition in Paradise 2. Sinning Sin in general is a disobedience to God's Laws The degrees and the consequents thereof The first sin of our first Parents in particular The causes of it The effects thereof before Judgment CHAP. XIII God's judicial proceeding against Adam Eve the Serpent Satan Their Convention Conviction Sentence Execution More particularly God's Sentence passed upon the old Serpent the Devil In which God new models his Kingdom of mercy in Christ promised and gives Man hope of Pardon and everlasting comfort CHAP. XIV The Penalties more particular both Bodily and Spiritual publike private Temporal Eternal all signified by Death to which Sin made man liable yet all by Christ removable CHAP. XV. Original sin what it is Whether it be properly so Whether Concupiscence in persons baptized be such in proper sense The derivation of Original sin Whether it be derived by Propagation or the just Judgment of God or both CHAP. XVI The principal Attributes of God manifested in this Judgment as Holinesse Justice especially Mercy in the manifestation whereof he exercised his transcendent power above the former Constitution and Laws LIB II. CHAP. I. THe Coherence of this Book with the former The difference of the two Models both the former and latter The acquisition of a New Power by the Word made Flesh and annointed taking upon him the form of a servant and being obedient to the Death of the Cross. A Description of the Redeemer His Person Nature Offices The union and distinction of the two Natures His particular Offices CHAP. II. The Humiliation of the Son of God 1. In taking upon Him the Form of a servant 2. In suffering Death A brief Historical Narration of His Sufferings 1. Before Judgment 2. His Judgment The Preparations of His Tryal His Tryal 1. Before the Ecclesiastical 2. The Civil Judge His Condemnation Execution with the Prodigies which hapned about that time CHAP. III. A more large Discourse concerning the Suffering and Death of Christ. It was an Act of Obedience to His Heavenly Father commanding Him to suffer for the sins of Man whereby He was offended To this Death He became obnoxious not onely by His Fathers Command but His own voluntary submission to be an Hostage and Surety for Man as guilty It was a Sacrifice offered freely to God as Law-giver offended and as supream Judge The effects of this sacrifice accepted are immediate mediate Immediate Satisfaction of Divine Justice and Merit What He merited for Himself what for Man How the benefit of this Sacrifiâ—â— became communicate from Christ as a Representator General and the Will of God the great Soveraign Of the extent of this benefit Whether Propitiation is to be ascribed to His active or passive Obedience severally or to both joyntly Whether this Death prevents all punishments or onely the Eternal And if not what punishments it removes The Attributes manifested in this great Work of Humiliation of the Word made Flesh by which a new Power was acquired CHAP. IV. The exercise of the new Power of God-Redeemer in the Constitution of His New Monarchy The Soveraign and Monarch The Subjects the Officers the Administrator-General the Enemies The manner of reducing Man to subjection the nature
of this subjection especially after Christ's Exaltation Men are reduced by Calling Of the nature of Calling whereby Predestination begins to be put in execution What Predestination is considered as a Model or Idea in God Of this special Government and Ordination of Man to His Eternal Estate CHAP. V. The Exercise of this New Power acquired in the Administration considered first in general How this Kingdom was administred from the times of Adam till the Call of Abraham and God's Covenant with him How from his time till Moses How from Moses till John the Baptist. The Covenant made at Mount Sinai The Bondage of the Church under that Covenant according to the Promise in her minority Some alteration begun by John the Baptist. The exaltation of Christ to be Administrator-General The great alteration that followed thereupon in Administration both in Heaven and Earth CHAP. VI. The Administration of the Kingdom of God-Redeemer in particular by Laws Moral Positive as a Rule of Obedience in Precepts and Prohibitions Conscience what it is The Moral Laws of perpetual Obligation The different manner of Obligation to Adam Innocent from that which followed after the first Promise of Christ. The more perfect knowledge of it always continued in the Church which hath its use to the Gentile to the Jew to the Church-Christian How to be understood Evangelically The inequality of the Morality of several Commandments CHAP. VII The First Commandment The Preface of Moses and the Preface of God The meaning of the words How to be understood and how observed Evangelically The sins forbidden reduced to Atheism and Idolatry The Duties commanded and how to be performed to God-Redeemer alone as Supream and that in the highest degree CHAP. VIII The Second Commandment The Analysis of the whole shewing the sinne prohibited the Reasons why it must be avoided the particular and distinct Explication of the whole Commandement and every part what is expresly and in proper sense forbidden what by consequence and analogy The Duties commanded both under the Law and the Gospel both by consequence and analogy CHAP. IX The third Commandement The Order and Connexion of this with the former as of the former with the first The Analysis the proper and immediate sense the sins forbidden and the Duties commanded by consequence and analogy CHAP. X. The Fourth Commandement The order and relation of this Commandement to the former The reason why God instituted a Sabbath and the end of it the Analysis of the words the Explication of every part the Duties commanded the sins forbidden the Reasons to perswade to Sanctification the Jewish Sabbath ceased the Lord Day substituted and both upon sufficient grounds plain in Scripture CHAP. XI The Fifth Commandement The order the difference the inequality of the former and this latter part of the Law This with the four following derive their Morality from the last as that receives Morality from the first of the first Table the Analysis the Explication the Duties commanded the sins forbidden expresly by consequence and analogy as they concern persons in Families States Churches according to their several Relations CHAP. XII The Sixth Commandement The Subject man's life the absolute propriety whereof is in God the use onely in Man and it cannot be taken away without Warrant and Commission from God What Murther is what the degrees thereof what sins are here forbidden what Duties commanded Reasons against Murther CHAP. XIII The Seventh Commandement Adultery presupposeth Marriage what Adultery it is how many ways committed the heynousness of the sin and the Reasons against it what sins here implicitly according to certain Rules are reducible to this Commandement and forbidden The degrees of uncleanness the Causes the Duty in general commanded Chastity inward outward in Marrriage Single life the disswasives from Uncleanness the swasives to Chastity with the means to preserve it CHAP. XIV The Eighth Commandment Which presupposeth Propriety absolute in God derivative and limited in Man The several ways of acquiring it the degrees of it What Theft is The distinction of Thieves and Theft according as it is more or less palpable and as goods are publike or private or sacred committed by such as are trusted by others or have contracted with others The several kinds of Thefts in respect of Contracts The degrees of Theft The Causes What is commanded The meanes whereby Justice in this kind is preserved The reasons perswading to the observation of it CHAP. XV. The Ninth Commandement This Commandement presupposing Laws and the power of Jurisdiction aymes at just Judgment The former determines the right of Persons in the fifth of things as Wife-life Goods in the sixth seventh eighth and this to be observed before Judgment This prescribes our Neighbours right in Judgment The words explained The end why Witnesses are onely mentioned The Duties and Offences judicial of Jnformers Plaintiffs Defendants Sollicitors Atturneys Witnesses Notaries Counsellours Iurors delatory and judicial Judges Executioners The Disswasives from Disobedience Swasives to Obedience of this Commandement CHAP. XVI The Tenth Commandement This Commandement derives morality unto and is the rule root and measure of the five former Commandements and is explained Certain Rules and Observations upon the words explained The sins forbidden the Duties commanded the principal and intended duty which is To love our Neighbour as our selves What love in general is What the love of our Neighbour What the measure and what the end of it is Certain Rules added to give light to understand and use the Moral Law of Moses's Ten Commandements CHAP. XVII Of Positive and Ceremonial Laws of God-Redeemer as a Rule of Obedience The Name and Nature of Ceremonial and Positive Laws The Ceremonials and Positives especially Sacrifices and Sacraments instituted before the Exhibition of Christ and the Revelation of the Gospel The nature of Sacraments in general and their Accidents The Sacraments of the New Testament The Institution of Baptism by Christ in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost The definition of it the Institution of the Eucharist with the definition of it the Explication of the Elements Actions Words mentioned in the Institution who may administer these Sacraments To whom this may be administred Whether Christian Infants as one person with their Parents who are members of the Church and joyned with them in obligations and priviledges may not be baptized Whether the Faith as well as Prayers of one may not profit another Whether these Sacraments ought to be administred upon a divine infallible or humane fallible Judgment CHAP. XVIII Of Prayer Of the nature of Prayer The Lord's Prayer The Preface directing 1 Who must pray 2 For whom 3 To whom 4 In what manner And that since Christ's Glorification all Prayers even the Lord's Prayer is to be offered in the name of Christ and so to God-Redeemer The body of the Prayer contracting the matter of all Prayer to a few Petitions disposed in a most excellent order That which is first matter of
essential And that perfect and perpetual obedience should be that condition upon which perâ—ormed it was God's Will Eternal Life should follow and no ways else was accidental So likewise it was that the sin of one should be the sin of all and His Death their death For the Law might have been a Law without any such thing This Law may be considered § IV 1. As given to Adam and in him to all Mankind 2. As continued yet with several accidental and extrinsecal alterations in the Kingdom of God-Redeemer As it was given to Adam it 's of a two-fold consideration in respect 1. Of him as Innocent 2. Of him as Fallen Adam as Innocent received this Law and it was given unto him as righteous and holy by Creation and he was able to keep it And he was bound to perform it perfectly and perpetually together with other Positives And this perfect and perpetual obedience was the onely condition of life to him and his and one sin one committed made him and his liable to death After that Adam and in him all his had sinned it was a Law of Sin and Death unto them and if God had made it a standing Rule of Judgment in strict Justice man must needs have bâ—en condemned to Eternal Death and there was no hope or possibility of Eternal Life by this Law For suppose God had pardoned this first sin and yet continued this Law in force man could not have been saved by it For he lost the Spirit of Sanctification and if God had continued to say Do this and live because he could not do this he could not live Neither was there any Promise of a Saviour to expiate his sin nor of the Spirit to enable him to keep it nor of Pardon upon expiation made if he afterwards transgressed it After that God in passing Sentence upon the Devil had said § V that the Seed of the Woman should bruise the Serpents Head this Law continued but with a great alteration in respect of man A Redeemer who should satisfie God's Justice and merit God's favour unto man was promised his satisfaction accepted the Spirit restored pardon and eternal life promised Faith in the Redeemer made the condition of life the Law of the forbidden Fruit ceased the Law of Works as the condition of life and rule of judgment for punishments and rewards repealed And all this was done in great mercy by God as Supream and absolute Lord above his own Law which bound not Him the Soveraign but Man His Subject Thus much I observed when I spake of the Judgment which God passed upon the Authors of the first sin But how the Law-Moral continued you shall hear-anon The knowledge of this Law § VI as applyed to the Acts Dispositions Habits of men is commonâ—y called Conscience which is nothing else but the knowledge of a man's Acts Dispositions Habits as agreeable or disagreeable to this or other Laws of God This Knowledge in respect of acts future is the Law of God within him to bind him to obedience and restrain him from disobedience In respect of acts past it 's a Judge within himself or a Witness for or against him before the Tribunal of God This it is properly yet tropically in Scripture it 's several times taken in another sense according to the several adjuncts thereof For the practical judgment of man is sometimes more sometimes less perfect and great is his Ignorance and many his Errours both in matter of Law and of Fact and most of all in applying the Law unto the Fact or Fact unto the Law Sometimes it 's a false Witness and an unjust Judge and hence man's Security in greatest Guilt and Despair when there is hope of Mercy This Knowledge of this Law-Moral in Adam innocent was more perfect § VII in his Posterity more imperfect For the enlightening Spirit was taken from him it was not so purely diligently constantly taught neither was the outward Revelation thereof renewed to all Besides the erroneous Traditions without the Corruptions of man's Heart within with other vicious Habits together with God's just judgment had much impaired this Knowledge though not utterly razed it out For even the wicked Heathen who had not the Law written yet by Nature did something contained in the Law and were a Law unto themselves which did shew the Works of the Law of God written in their hearts Rom. 2. 13 14 15. Yet the knowledge of it was always preserved in the Church by constant Teaching and reiterated Revelations improving the Natural Light of Reason Yet some Positives and Ceremonials were always added and it was joyned to the Law of Faith God renewed the Doctrine of it more perfectly and in a more solemn manner unto Israel both by an audible Voice and by writing it in Tables of stone Moses and the Prophets Christ and His Apostles more fully and clearly explain it And by outward Teaching and inward Illumination God writes it by degrees in the hearts of His people The use of the Law may be considered § VIII 1. In respect of the Gentile 2. Of the Jew 3. Of the Church in general but especially Christian. In respect of the Gentiles who had other positive Laws and Customs either by Tradition or the invention of the Devil and wicked men this Moral-Law so far as it was left written in their hearts taught them their Duty to the onely true God and also unto Man For it was a Rule in matters of Religion and in matters of Justice unto them both as they were single persons and also associated in a Family or a Common-wealth It was the Rule of their Civil Government both in making Laws and in Judgment And according to the violation of this Law God judged single persons Families Nations and Kingdoms And the knowledge thereof which they had or might have had though imperfect did manifest in their own Conscience the justice of God's Judgments executed upon them And so much the more because by His patience long-suffering and bounty together with this law he sought to draw them to Repentance But they holding the truth of God in unrighteousness and continuing impenitent were inexcusable and justly delivered up unto a Reprobate mind as may appear Rom. 1. from ver 18. ad finem Chap. 2. from ver 1. to the 17th And they that disobeyed this clear light of Nature were justly punished by God with the ignorance of Jesus Christ and the want of the Laws and Promises of God-Redeemer It was of singular use to the Jew For § IX 1. It was added to the Promise made to Abraham four hundred and thirty years before 2. It was so revealed that it reduced all Moral Duties to a few Heads and digesteâ— those Heads into an exact and excellent Method and was given with a special application to that People 3. It was Supernaturally written in two Tables of Stone that it might be reserved in the Ark as a rare and lasting Monument from Heaven
1. That as purely Moral it is always in force and God did never at any time dispense with it but made it the Foundation of all other Laws and it shall continue in force in Heaven For in the very estate of perfect glory all the Subjects of that eternal glorious Kingdom shall be bound eternally to love their God themselves and one another 2. God bound Adam in the day of Creation to the perfect and perpetual personal obedience of this Law and of other Positives as the onely condition of life and so that upon one sin he and all his should be liable to death without any remedy as from that Law This was the highest obligation 3. After that Adam and in him all his had once sinned this Law with the Positives did render him liable and bound to death 4. After that Christ was once promised as a Surety and Hostage to satisfie God's Justice offended by the sin of man it made him liable to death and all such punishments as God should inflict upon him 5. After the Fall of Adam it was in force so fa◠as to bind all such as were out of the Church to Temporal and Eternal Punishments for their sins against it without any hope of Pardon and all such as were in the visible Church to Temporal and Eternal Punishments no ways removable but upon Faith in the Death of Christ. 6. It is in force always since sinful Man received the New Law and Covenant of Grace to bind him to repentance present repentance and return unto the sincere obedience of it to be performed by the power of the Spirit 7. It always is in force to bind the Regenerate Children of God here on Earth to endeavour and aym at an universal perpetual and perfect obedience and upon defect or default presently to return to God-Redeemer for mercy and pardon of what is past to be obtained by a Plea of Christ's Satisfaction and Merit and also further for the continuance and increase of His Sanctifying Grace Lastly after that Man is perfectly sanctified it 's so far in force as to bind him to perfect and eternal obedience unto it Such is the excellency of this Law as purely Moral that 1. If Man had kept it God would give life by it 2. That God never gave Man a liberty to be free from the Obligation of it 3. That God would never pardon any sinne against it without satisfaction made by the Blood of Christ believed and pleaded by sinful Man 4. That Christ merited and God restored the Spirit of Sanctification that Man might keep it 5. That He will not spare His own children when they transgress it by heynous and especially scandalous sins 6. That no Man can have union with Christ except he willingly separate from sin and return to the obedience of this Law 7. That no man can have full communion with God before he perfectly obey it 8. That there is one great change in respect of this Law First perfect Obedience unto it with other Positives was made the onely condition of life But afterwards that Promise of Life upon those strict tearms and that severe commination of Death upon Sin were abolished and Faith was made the onely condition of life So that it may be truly said that the Law of Works is abrogated but not the Moral Law considered in it Self Yet this change was but accidental as before These things premised § III concerning the Moral Law in general I proceed unto the Exposition of the DECALOGVE which though it was given to the Jewes contains the Heads and Method of the Morall Law And it may be considered either as a part of the Law of Works or merely as the Moral Law in general or as part of the Gospel in an Evangelical Notion As it was delivered in that terrible manner with these Clauses Do this and live and Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in this Book it had something of the Law of Works in it As it was annexed to the Promise made to Abraham and joyned with the Ceremonies typifying Christ it was Evangelical As considered in general abstracted from both these it was an Abridgement of the Moral Law respecting Man in this life not in the life to come It 's to be understood not strictly as given to Israel at that time but in a Latitude as it is explained in other parts of the Books of Moses especially in Deuteronomy in the Prophets and most of all as in the New Testament where it is explained by our Blessed Saviour and the Duties thereof pressed by Him and the Apostles upon all Christians And this is an Argument that some ways it continues in force in the Gospel As delivered in Exodus and repeated in Deuteronomy it rather contains the Heads to which other Duties not there expressed may be reduced rather then the Principles from whence they may be deduced It 's abridged in many places of Moses the Prophets and Apostles Yet that of our Saviour is most perfect wherein according to Moses he reduceth all to Love For Love is the whole Law This Loves either of God or of our Neighbour To love God above all is the first and great Commandement of the first Table To love our Neighbour as our Selves is the last Commandement of the second Table These two are purely Moral especially the former and the rest are such by participation as before Therefore the first is said to be the great Commandement The last to be like it CHAP. VII An Exposition of the Moral Law as methodically reduced to Ten Heads in the Decalogue by God himself And of the first Commandement With the Preface THE Decalogue so called by the Septuagint § I because consisting of ten words or Commands we find first delivered Exod. 20. and repeated Deut. 5. Wherein we have 1. The Preface 2. The Precepts or Commandements themselves The Preface is two-fold 1. Of Moses the Historian 2. Of God Himself The first Preface in these words God spake all these words The meaning is that 1. These Words or Commandements for so the Word in the Original sometimes signifies These I say and none else 2. These and all these 3. Were spoken published and promulgate 4. By God and God alone immediately in a wonderful and extraordinary manner in the hearing of all Israel prepared and assembled before Mount Sina in Arabia By this we understand that God Himself was the La-wgiver and the immediate Author of this Law And therefore it 's more excellent then any Law or Laws of any Nation in the World And seeing He spake these and these onely these and all these it 's not for Man to add and diminish And all and every one are authentick and of Divine Authority in an high degree The second Preface we have in these words I am the Lord thy God who brought thee out of the Land of Aegypt out of the House of Bondage This second Preface is of God
benefit another if the Faith of a Father could obtain the deliverance of the Child Mark 9. 23. And the Faith of a Mother the freedome of the Daughter from the power of the Devil Mark 7. 29 30. and the faith of those that carryed the sick and Paralytical wretch obtained the remission of his sins and recovery Mark 2. 5. To shew § XXI 1. What it is morally or politically to be one person with another or Persona conjuncta as the Civilians speak 2. How many wayes severall persons physically distinct may be one 3. For how many ends or causes it may be so 4. To reduce the places of Scripture which teach us how God doth take not onely parents and Children but many others as one into order would take up a large discourse and it might be very usefull and profitable and give great light to many places But for the present I intend it not it would be too great a digression Onely in matters of religion Parents and Children Prince and People Husband and Wife Master and Servants and such relations in severall societies are onely so far one as God would have them to be and Children are so far one with their Parents as to derive by divine ordination something from them whereof they are capable Otherwise we might argue that because their Parents have actual faith immediate right to the actual participation of the Eucharist are justified and sanctified c therefore the Children are so have faith and a right unto the actual participation of the Lords Supper And this is the next thing to be considered who they are who may be admitted to the actual participation of the Lords Supper Infants baptized have a remote right unto that Sacrament and so also have Christians of age formerly baptized a nearer right But the question is not of a remote right but of an immediate right according to divine institution to the actual participation of this Sacrament Justine Martyr informs us of the practise of the Church and the rules observed in those times The summe and substance of his words is this That they baptized persons at age who professed the Christian faith and promised to live accordingly And the qualification of Communicants at the Lords Table was this 1. They must be baptized persons 2. Continue in the profession of the Christian faith for so he must be understood 3. Live according to the Commandements of Christ. Those that desire to know his mind in this particular may read his words in his second Apology And here it 's to be noted 1. That this very qualification is required in the words of the Institution of this Sacrament and the Apostles doctrin thereupon 1 Cor. 11. 23 24 25. unto the 33. verse For in that place the Apostle doth imply 1. That the communicant should have the use of reason which infants have not 2. That he must be a Disciple or Christian Baptized 3. That he have the knowledge of the mystery of Redemption and a belief of the same 4. That this knowledge must be and ought to be practicall How else can he celebrate and receive the Sacrament in remembrance of his Saviours death passion sacrifice so as not to be guilty of the body and blood of Christ And hence it follows 1. That an ignorant person who hath no competent knowledge of the mystery of Redemption and that Sacrament or professeth not the Christian saith or iâ— guilty of scandal certainly known can have no right unto the immediate receiving of the Eucharist if known to be such 2. That there is required more in a communicant at this blessed Table then in a person at age to be baptized For unto the one is required onely a profession of his faith and a promise of a new life but in the other not onely profession and a promise but baptism antecedent and a performance of the promise in living according to Christs Commandements And whereas some tell us that this Sacrament is a converting ordinance I must tell such that as it presupposeth Baptism which is the laver of regeneration so it presupposeth conversion if we will speak in the Dialect of the Spirit which is safest and not according to our own fancies which is no wayes tolerable The third § XXII and last question is whether this Sacrament is to be administred according to mens knowledge and judgment which is fallible or according to Gods knowledge which is infallible For satisfaction herein 1. It 's certain that both the Sacraments are to be administred and that by Gods command by man as by the Minister who is trusted with the dispensation of the word and Sacraments 2. That mans knowledge is but fallible and he cannot search the heart and reines 3. That though the Minister as in Baptism so in the administration of the Lords Supper must keep close to his commission yet by reason of the imperfection of his knowledge he may administer unto persons unworthy and in many cases is bound so to do 4. That though man may administer to the unworthy yet God doth alwayes either suspend or excommunicate them and denyes the spiritual benefit unto them and this perfect judgment he hath reserved to himself Yet this doth no wayes warrant man to give the Eucharist to any man whom he certainly knows to be unworthy And in denying it to such he need not plead jurisdiction in Foro exteriori or power of suspension and excommunication in himself as a Minister of the Gospel but onely alledg that by his commission from Christ he hath no power to give it to such a person and he must not do that which he hath no power to do Neither doth he in refusing to admit such a person whom he certainly knows unfit either for ignorance or scandall signify that the party hath no right at all any wayes unto the Sacrament but onely signifies that according to the rules of Christ for that time and whilst he is such he cannot have any actual possession or enjoyment of that right As the Leper had right unto his rent or house but could not possesse and enjoy it till he was cleanâ—ed Yet one thing seems strange that such as grant unto the Minister or Presbyter the power of absolution in Foro interiori as they call it yet should deny him the power of suspension of that party whom he certainly knows to be scandalous Why may he not positively declare him to be unworthy and according to his certain knowledge so judge him according to the laws of Christ Yet if he do thus this act is far different from the acts of judgment exercised in Foro exteriori where a Discipline is established We need not here debate what kind or degree of Faith in such as are at age do give them right to Baptism For it s not the Faith but the profession of the Faith and promise of New life we must look at in this particular For if they professe the true faith and promise a
wofull estate it highly concerns all and every one of us whilst it is said to day if we will hearken to his voice not to harden our hearts lest God swear in his wrath that we shall never enter into his Rest. We that live in the last dayes and enjoy the Ministery of the Gospell have not onely many a fair Warning but many a fearfull Example represented before our very eyes These are the Punishments of the unregenerate § VIII which they suffer before the Resurrection There are also Punishments which God's own Children after their Regeneration and beginning of the estate of Justification suffer in this life For as they have their Negligencies Ignorances Failings and sometimes their grievous Sins So they have their Punishments accordingly For the most just God who is most holy and of purest Eyes will in no wise allow of Sin in his own dearest Children For though his greatest design is to save the sinner yet he will punish and destroy the sin As the greater their diligence care and zeal shall be the greater their peace joy and comfort shall prove So if they offend be negligent carelesse cold the lesse Communion they shall have with their God and the greater their doubts feares troubles griefs shall be And these spirituall Desertions of their God and the withdrawings of the Spirit are sad and heavy Judgments How great must their discomfort needs be when God doth hide his face Christ standeth at a distance and the Spirit doth not appear This is evident from the many dolefull complaints and lamentations of God's Servants and dearest Children They suffer many temporall Afflictions in their Persons Goods Families Children near Relations besides For they are many times chastened of the Lord that they should not be condemned with the World 1 Cor. 11. 35. The Sword departs not from David's house and his Children wrong and murther one another for his crimes of Adultery and Murther Yet these though grievous were not his most grievous and greatest Punishments The sting of sin and guilt thereof doth deeply pierce and torment his Soul the sanctifying and sealing Spirit was abated and in a great measure withdrawn as his divine Vertues so his blessed Comforts were almost reduced to a spark raked up in the ashes and if God had not in due time out of depth of Mercy revived it What had become of him What his case was we may easily understand by Psal. 51. at large especially by that earnest Petition Create in me a clean Heart and renew a right Spirit within me Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thine holy Spirit from me Restore unto me the joy of thy Salvation and uphold me with thy free Spirit that is Comfort me with the Spirit of Adoption Psal. 51. 10 11 12. This Punishment Peter felt tormenting his Soul when he reflected upon his Sin in denying his Saviour And surely to find the Power of Sanctification and spirituall Consolation to abate in our Hearts and the Vigour of it for present extinct is an unvaluable losse and an intolerable Punishment to God's Saints Therefore we are advised not to grieve or offend the Spirit of God whereby we are sealed unto the day of Redemption Ephes. 4. 30. and exhorted to give all diligence to make our Calling and Election sure 2 Pet. 1. 10. For the more diligent waâ—chfull zealous constant we are in the Practise of holy Duties the more our sanctifying power shall be increased the â—â—ronger our Hope the greater our Assurance and the more abundantly our Consolations will â—low Otherwise God being light will not communicate himselfe to men that live in darknesse nor to his own Children but as walking in the Light It 's strange that Saints and Martyrs in the midst of flaming fire and whilst under most cruell and most exquisite Torments should rejoyce with unspeakeable joy and in these Desertions should be so fearfully dejected Yet the cause is God will not abate the least Jot of his Justice when he shews the greatest Mercies After the Punishments inflicted by this most just Lord § IX and King upon single Persons declared briefly something must be said of the Punishments rendred to Persons associated as such These are considered either in a civill Capacity making up the body of a civill State or in an Ecclesiasticall and spirituall Capacity constituting a Church The Punishments of civill States and Kingdoms we may read and understand in sacred and humane Stories And so great are the Motions Shakings made in these great Bodies throughout the World in all times that we may easily understand that there is an universall and supreme Lord and that there is one most high whose Throne is in Heaven that ordereth the Kingdoms of men and disposeth all things in it according to certain Rules of Justice and Wisdome It 's a great Mercy of God to affoord us civill Government and to preserve the same And though the benefit thereof be generall and extends to all Mankind yet in the ordering and establishing Common-weales God hath a speciall care of the Church and the Society of Pilgrims and Strangers here on earth who seek eternall peace in Heaven as Subjects and Citizens of an eternall State This he continues protects and ordereth aright by his almighty hand and profoundest wisdom in the midst of all the Tumults Confusions Ruines Dâ—solations of the Kingdoms of the World These have their Beginning Increase Corruptions Alterations Ruines and fatal Periods not according to any certain Numbers or revolution of times nor the motion and influence of heavenly bodies and Aethereal lights nor from the power or weaknesse the imprudence or policy of man but from God according to the eternall rules of Justice and Wisdom determined and observed by him Yet he doth all things in number weight and measure most exactly and in the execution of his Judgments â—â—th the ministery of Angels Men and other Creatures When States that professe not the Gospel shall govern negligently imprudently unjusâ—ly and shall be corrupted and Corrupters and especially Persecutors of the Church and when States professing knowledge of the true God and the faith of Jesus Christ shall not onely violate the Lawes of Nature but neglect to protect the Church persecute the power of Godlinesse under what pretence â—oever become superstitious idolatrous prophane administer Injustice Cruelty be imprudent negligent unmercifull vitious and degenerate then the Punishments both of the one and other shall be Famine Pestilences Seditions civill Wars forreign Invasions Captivity Poverty Desolations many other Miseries and many times change of Government or the Translation of the Power Civill from one People to another and sometimes Anarchy and a totall dissolution of all order God useth the Governours to punish the People the People to punish their Princes and sometimes the Sword of a forreign Prince to punish or destroy both And when no Justice can be had from men on Earth he executes Vengeance in some extraordinary manner from Heaven Thus
it was in the beginning of civill States and it shall be so unto the end of the World God will have it to be so To all these Punishments must be added the losse of safety peace plenty and all other Blessings and Comforts which God doth usually give to men by good Government In the Execution of these Judgments the great Lord respects no Persons He punisheth many as well as few the mighty Monarchs of the World as well as the meanest Subjects The ruine of so many royall Families of so many large and potent Empires and Kingdomes might teach the Princes of the World to do Justice and to fear this everlasting Judge As there be civill § X so there are spirituall and ecclesiasticall Societies which as such have their proper Sins whereby they make themselves liable to those Punishments which God from Heaven inflicts upon them This Church which we call a spirituall Society began in a Family the first Family in the World of Adam and Eve being penitent and believing in that Seed of the Woman which should break the Serpent's head which was Christ. It encreased and was enlarged in that Family by their Children especially Abel first and then Seth and as mankind was multipled so it multiplied And at length there was a separation of the Sons of men from the Sons of God which Sons of God were in processe of time so degenerate mixed and polluted and the former Worthies and Sons of God translated into a better World that it was reduced again to that one Family of Noah Yet the greatest part of the Posterity of that Family who peopled the Earth did so apostate that a great part of Mankind was ejected and excommunicated out of this blessed Society And out of this great Body God calls Abraham and renews the Promise of Christ unto him more particularly and explicitly then formerly he had done He continues his Church in a more speciall manner in his Family and entailes the great Promise upon his posterity Isaac and Jacob and then in his Children who being multiplied into a Nation he brings out of Egypt and settles them in the Land of Canaan and encloseth them from all Mankind makes them his peculiar People continues the great Promise unto them trusts them with his Oracles and gives them Lawes and Statutes sends them Prophets and takes speciall charge of them till the Son of God was exhibited and incarnate Yet these with the Proselytes had their sins and according to their impenitency besides their temporall their spirituall Punishments But when Christ was once come into the World had finished the work of Humiliation was exalted to the right hand of Glory had powred down the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles God calls the Jewes first then the Gentiles and by them commissioned to go into all Nations he begins to gather a Church Christian For they preach the Jewes and Gentiles bear believe professe their faith and so are admitted as Subjects of God's spirituall Kingdom of Grace As Disciples and Professours were multiplied in any City or Country the Apostles or their Assistants and Commissioners appoint Elders and Ministers of the Word over them to take care of their Souls for to conform the converted and build them up and perfect them that were converted and convert others for to enlarge Christ's territories The Officers of Christ were extraordinary and ordinary and some did plant and some did water but God gave the increase And the Elders and ordinary Officers were trusted with the Word and Sacraments for to dispense the one and administer the other according unto their Commission After that not onely People but Ministers were encreased and severall Congregations setled under severall Ministers they begin to associate and combine for Discipline according to their Vicinities and other conveniences This was the beginning of outward Ecclesiasticalâ— Poâ—â—ties Christian The end of this discipline was to preserve the severall societies in unity and Purity of Doctrine an worship to promote Piety to prevent Errours Heresies Schâ—mâ—s Scandall 〈◊〉 erâ—â—â—tion and Idolatry and so preserve them pure according to the first plantation of the Apostles and institution of Christ. The power of this outward discipline was 〈◊〉 Virtually in the whole body of the Church whether greater or lesse associated into one body but delegated for the exercise thereof in an orderly way unto such persons as should be judged most fit and able for that businesse This power did extend to the making of Canons constituting Officers exercising Spirituall jurisdiction in binding and loosing on Earth which should be made good in Heaven All the particular Churches of the World on Earth at one time make up one body § XI and community Spirituall subject unto Jesus Christ their Monarch I say as one Universall body its subject onely to Christ. For as for outward discipline we cannot find that Christ Instituted any Vicar-generall or erected any Court supreme in any one City or place of the World As God never made an Universall King so He never made a Catholick or Vniversall Bishop Men may fancy such a thing But it 's only a fancy not a reall truth nor ever can be proved to be so In the Church of Christ there are some living members Reall Saints who haâ—e a reall communion with their head and derive Heavenly blessings and comforts from him and these make up that which we call the Mysticall Church of which no Prophane or Hypocriticall Wretch can be a member But in the Churches severall which we call Visible and Instituted there are good and bad sincere Believers and bare Professours and Hypocrites And of these visible societies I now intend to speak when I declare the judgments of God inflicted upon the Churches When Ministers and People begin to neglect the duties of worship are remisse in discipline as the Church of Ephesus Corinth Laodicea and many others were fall from their first Love Purity Piety abate in devotion and the fire of their zeal is quenched Tâ—heir punishments spirituall besides their temporall are Persecutions from without Schism and Heresy from within By the one the body is torn asunder and by the other the members are poysoned And as they abate in their duty God abates in the powerfull and comfortable Workings of the Spirit And if they continue in their sins God in the end will wholly take away his spirit and remove the Golden Candlestick as He once threatned the Church of Ephesus and in it all other Churches in the like case And He will send his Word and Messengers unto another People and will let out his Vineyard unto other Husbandmen which shall render him the fruits in their season Thus He dealt with the Jew Many times God brings in upon their Cities an their Countries where they professe the Gospel but not Practise it Cruel and Barbarous enemies Thus He gave the Northern and Western Churches and Nations to the Goths and Vandals who like a mighty deluge overflowed them and like an