circumcise the hearts of men according to that of Moses Deut. 30.6 The Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart and the heart of thy Seed to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul that thou maist live 6ly The drops of blood that were shed in circumcision did give them to understand the blood of the Messiah who was to be of the circumcised Seed and that his blood it was which should be shed for the remission of sins 7ly The great paines and forenesse of circumcision did represent as well the sufferings of Christ for us as also that they who will be his servants must be nothing curious to suffer all paines and persecutions and if need be to shed their blood for the name of Christ 8ly The day of circumcision which was the eighth day did set forth in a mystery the Resurrection of Christ for like as Christ rose again from the dead upon the eighth day according to the Jewes account who begin to reckon their week upon the Sunday even so that they who were circumcised had an eight day to look for the day of his Resurrection by vertue whereof they should rise again from the dead being first risen with him unto newnesse of life that is to say from a death of sin to a new and spirituall life Lastly that same opprobrium circumcisionis that shame and disgrace which the Jew had by reason of his circumcision among the Gentiles for which he was mocked despised reproached and scornfully termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apella Verpus c. did set forth the shame and scandall of the Crosse giving the People of God to understand thereby that the way to Heaven is not a way of popularity and honour but rather of ignominy reproach and worldly contempt Moses had learned that lesson by his circumcision Esteeming saith the Scripture the reproach of Christ greater riches Heb. 11.26 then the treasures in Egypt So great and excellent was the Mystery Most important was the use of this great Sacrament For The use of Circumcision first it was sigillum foederis the seal of the Covenant which God had renewed unto Abraham and to his Seed and did therefore serve greatly to confirm their faith for in that God had set to such a seal they needed not to doubt the performance thereof on his part Once God did make his covenant with Mankinde and with all his creatures that he would no more destroy them from off the face of the Earth by the Waters of a flood for confirmation whereof he placed his Rain-bow in the cloud as the seal of that covenant concerning which seal he speaketh and promiseth saying It shall come to passe when I bring a cloud over the earth that the Bow shall be seen in the cloud Gen. 9.14.15 and I will remember my covenant which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh that the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh Such was the use of Circumcision when God should see the circumcision in the flesh of the fore-skin then would he remember the covenant that he had made with Abraham and with Abraham's seed to be the God of Abraham and of his seed after him And so was circumcision signum confirmationis Circumcision signum confirmationis a signe or seal of confirmation as well of the covenant it selfe on God's part as also of their faith in that covenant on their part 2ly It served to admonish them of their duties all their lives to the end that as often as they should look down upon them selves and see the signe or mark of circumcision in the flesh of their foreskin they might remember their covenant with God to be an holy and a peculiar people unto him and to serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of their life They did wear Gods badge or mark in their flesh whereby he had set his stamp or mark upon them for his own people to give them to understand that they must not defile themselves or suffer themselves to be defiled according to all the abominations of the wicked Heathen nor lead an unclean life according to the fleshly lusts of their owne heart And for this cause God was pleased that they should receive names in circumcision so when Abraham was circumcised Gen. 17.5 his name was changed from Abram into Ahraham And Saint John the Baptist S. Luc. 1.63 S. Luc. 2.21 though sanctified from his Mothers wombe and our blessed Lord himselfe because he would fulfill all righteousnesse had their names in their circumcision It was a note of that subjection and perfect obedience which they did owe unto the whole Law and so it was signum admonitionis Circumcision Signum admonitionis Jer. 4.4 a sign of admonition giving them alwaies to understand their duty and that they must on their part performe the conditions of the Covenant to God-ward Circumcise your selves to the Lord and take away the fore-skins of your heart 3ly It was a meanes ordained by God wherein and whereby to conferre his grace upon them and to conveigh his grace unto them For God doth not jest or toy with men in the outward signes but like as he doth make a sure performance of all that which he promiseth in his vocall word the Scriptures even so doth he make a sure performance of all that which he promiseth and setteth before the eyes of men in his visible word the sacred Rom. 4.11 and mysterious Sacraments And therefore St. Paul saith That Abraham received the signe of circumcision a seale of the righteousness of faith which he had yet being uncircumcised to what purpose that he might be the Father of all them that believe though they be not circumcised Circumcision Signum praebitionis that righteousness might be imputed to them also And thus it was signum praebitionis a signe of praebition wherein he performed that which he had promised Lastly Circumcision was an externall signe of the visible Church and made that outward distinction whereby the servants of God were to be known and distinguished from the idolatrous Heathen so that they who were not circumcised had not the visible character nor were to be reputed as visible members of the visible Church And unto this alludeth St. Paul when he saith Phil. 3.2 Beware of Dogs beware of evill workers beware of the concision The Dogs were the unbelieving Heathen the evill workers were the miss-living Christians the concision were those Iewes who after the abolition of circumcision by some instrument which they had did draw up the prepuce as men ashamed of their circumcision But the true circumcision is of the Christian For saith the Apostle We are the circumcision which worship God in spirit and rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh And thus was it signum distinctionis 3. Circumcision Signum distinctionis a
should overthrow the Devill and all his power purchasing for him salvation and everlasting life Finally the finall cause The finall cause of their faith for the first and principall end of it was the glory of God the Author of their faith and the Redeemer of their soules But the next or secundary end was their own salvation which they even as we did work out with fear and trembling And in this manner was the Covenant barely administred under the form of that blessed promise from Adam to Abraham as hath been said before But God reneweth his Covenant with Abraham The Covenant renewed with Abraham c. Rom. 4.16 Gal. 3.9 and with his Seed generally with all the Faithfull for Abraham is set forth to be the Father of us all that is of all us that believe Abraham was blessed by Faith in Christ And all they which be of faith are blessed with faithfull Abraham for they are the spirituall Seed Specially with the People and Nation of the Jews the carnall Seed He draweth his Covenant into Articles indenteth it Gen. 17.11 12 13 14 and setteth his Signe or Seal unto it the Signe or Seal of Circumcision Ye shall circumcise saith God the flesh of your foreskin and it shall be a token of the Covenant between me and you He setteth downe what he will do on his part and what he expecteth that his People should do on their part and he sealeth it with his Seal Circumcision And of all this you may read at large Gen. 17. Circumcision Concerning Circumcision was a sacred action wherein the fore-skin of the flesh of the Male kinde was cut off according to Gods Ordinance for the obsignation of his divine Covenant with men Who it was that was deputed to that Office the Scripture makes no mention probable it is the most antient or honourable of that House or Family of which the party to be Circumcised was descended especially before the Law given for God commanded Abraham to do it and Abraham at Gods commandement Gen. 17.23 Exod. 4.25 circumcised Ishmael his Son and his whole House Zipporah the Wife of Moses although we have but that one precedent did circumcise her Son When the People of Israel were arrived in the Land of Canaan then did Joshua Josh 5.3 circumcise them It is likely that under the Law that Office was to be performed by the Priests as being by their Function sacred to God and therefore the fittest persons to perform so divine a Ceremony The Day appointed for Circumcision was the eighth day for so did God ordain He that is eight daies old Gen. 17.12 shall be circumcised among you And it is plain that our Saviour Christ himself as being under the Law and Saint John the Baptist were circumcised the eighth day according to the Law But if a man had not been circumcised upon the eighth day according as God had appointed he might then be circumcised at any other time for it is never too late for a man to submit himself to the holy Ordinances of God And therefore the Children of Israel who travelled in the Wildernesse by the space of forty years were notwithstanding their age circumcised in the Land of Canaan Likely it is that they did not circumcise with Knives but with sharp Stones for Zipporah the Wife of Moses circumcised her Son with a sharp Stone Then Zipporah took a sharp stone Exod. 4.25 a sharp knife of stone and cut off the foreskin of her Son saith the story And God commanded Joshua saying Make thee sharp knives Josh 5.2 or knives of flints and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time Circumcision was not without the shedding of some blood and much pain For when Moses's Wife had cut off the fore-skin of her Son she cast it at his feet saying Exod. 4.26 Surely a bloody husband art thou to me She said a bloody Husband thou art because of the Circumcision And when the Shechemites were Circumcised it is said that the third day when they were sore sore of the wound of Circumcision Simeon and Levi took each man his sword Gen. 34.25 and came upon the City boldly and slew all the Males They were sore sore of the wound of Circumcision sore the third day after and so sore that they were not able to make resistance no not for their lives Circumcision was a great and venerable Sacrament it was the Sacrament of initiation or reception into the Covenant The mystery of Circumcision and the mystery of it was great For first whereas Circumcision was ordained to be made in that part or member of the body of Man which God would to be for the propagation of Seed it did fitly intimate man's uncleannesse by Nature and the propagation of Originall sin Every father stands in the place of Adam and conveigheth unto his Child besides the nature of Man the very guilt and corruption of Nature Eph. 2.13 We are by nature the children of wrath That naturall uncleannesse of ours must be taken away or we cannot be saved This is a second birth as Christ said to Nichodemus Marvell not that Isaid to thee Ye must be born again S. Joh. 3.7 2ly It did fitly give them to understand that that Seed in whom they believed Christ the Messiah should come of the circumcised seed of Abraham according to the flesh as God had promised Gen. 22.18 Lact. Instit lib. 4. cap. 17. saying In thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed 3ly The making bare of that part or member did as Lactantius observeth signifie in the mystery the true circumcision which is of the heart that the breast must be laid bare and that the spiritual Seed must be circumcised in heart to have their conversation with an open and simple heart I say nothing of that similitude which some have observed betwixt the heart and the prolifick member Rom. 2.28 He is not a Jew which is one outwardly neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh but he is a Jew which is one inwardly 29. and circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit not in the letter whose praise is not of men but of God 4ly That piece of skin which was cut off did signifie the uncleannesse of Nature in a state of sin And like as they cast the prepuce or piece of skin upon the ground at the feet of him that was circumcised Exod. 4.25 as may be conjectured by what Zipporah did when she circumcised her Son So that all uncleannesse of heart and action must be circumcised and cut off it must be cast away as the prepuce throwne upon the ground never to be reassumed 5ly The circumcision-knife was a type of Christ for that knife was of stone and did intimate Christ the Rock the foundation Stone the Stone of Sion elect and pretious the corner stone who by his Spirit doth
sign of distinction as being that outward character or marke whereby the Church of God was visibly to be knowne and distinguished upon which the Jewes were so elated that the uncircumcised they utterly disdained reputing them as Dogs Swine or other uncleane beasts Thy servant slew both the Lyon and the Bear 1 Sam. 17.36 and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them And in this manner the Covenant went forth and was administred from the ninety ninth year of Abrahams age untill Moses time and to the departure of the people of Israel out of Egypt for the space of about four hundred and two years more till the people were departed and the Law was given And here the peruser of this our sacred History hath to observe that there was a time when circumcision was not Periods of times to be observed and therefore could not be used so was it from Adam to Abraham and to the ninety ninth yeare of Abrahams age There was a time when circumcision was and therefore must be used So was it from the ninety ninth yeare of Abraham till the Resurrection of Christ during all which time it was sub praecepto under the law and commandment of God it was a necessary Sacrament or seale of Gods Covenant and was therefore necessaria utilis necessary and profitable Necessarie to be done for the Law sake whereby it was ordained and profitable by divine Institution to them that were circumcised There was a time when it might indifferently be used or not used which was from the Resurrection of Christ to the destruction of the Temple which was the Ward-robe of Ceremonies In which period it was lawfull but it was not profitable and was permitted as Luther saith not as a necessary Sacrament or seal of the Covenant Luther com in Galat. cap. 2. v. 3. but for reverence of the Fathers and for charitie sake lest the weak should take offence untill they should be confirmed in the faith There was a time and now is wherein circumcision is altogether unlawfull and this time is from the destruction of the Temple by Titus and the Romans unto the end of the world So then there are foure periods The first from Adam to Abraham wherein circumcision was not borne The second from the ninety ninth year of Abraham till the Resurrection of Christ wherein it lived but yet had its infancy its manly age and its old age It s infancy from Abraham till the departure of the people out of Egypt and till the Law given It s manly age from the Law given to the birth of Christ It s old age from Christ his birth to his Resurrection during which time it is not improper to say that it lay sick upon its death bed and when Christ rose from the dead then circumcision expired The third Period from the Resurrection of Christ till the destruction of the Temple during all which time though it were dead yet it was not buried but lay as it were upon its Herse in expectation of an honourable buriall The fourth and last Period from the destruction of the Temple which was the funerall burning of circumcision to the end of the world wherein it is not onely dead but buried too and if any man shall now rake it out of its grave Christ shall profit him nothing Behold I Paul say unto you that if you be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing Gal. 5.2 In or about the yeare of the world two thousand four hundred forty and seaven Concerning the paschall Lambe Gen. 15.13 14. when the time came that God would bring forth the people of Israel out of Egypt according to his word and promise made to Abraham Gen. 15. He setteth another seal to his Covenant by instituting another Sacrament the Sacrament of the passover or paschall Lamb it was the Sacrament of their continuation in the covenant which he commanded to be observed It was a sacred action of divine Institution in the killing and eating of a Lambe to perpetuate the memoriall of Israels deliverance out of the land of Egypt and from the servitude and bondage of the Egyptians to testifie unto them the grace and favour of God to be a type of Christ to conserve them in the unity of the Church and to teach them true gratitude in the thankfull acknowledgement of so great a benefit To him that made the world it belongeth to make the Sacrament therefore this Sacrament was of divine institution for Moses delivered to the people that which he received from God The Time 1. He changeth the beginning of the year For whereas the Jewes ever before began the year at the aequinoctiall in the moneth of September God commanded Moses that it should begin from that moneth wherein the people departed out of Egypt that was the moneth Nisan which correspondeth with the moneth of March wherein is the Vernall aequinoctiall At this aequinoctiall this great Sacrament was to be celebrated for upon the tenth day of that moneth they made choice of the Lambe upon the fourteenth day at evening that is to say before the Sun went downe they killed it and in the evening following which was the evening of the fifteenth day for the Jewes began their day at evening when the Sunne went downe they did eat it according to the Law Where I would request the Reader of this our History to take notice that it came to pass in process of time that the Jewes by the tradition or law of their Sanhedrin Carol. Sigon de Rep. Heb. lib. 3. cap. 9. did forbeare to eat the Passover upon the second the fourth or sixth dayes of the weeke that is upon our Monday Wednesday and Friday so that if the fifteenth day of the moneth fell upon either of those dayes the Passover was deferred to the next day It is said to fall out so the yeare that Christ suffered and this was the reason why the Passover was killed for him upon the Thursday and eaten at even that is to say upon the Friday which began at Sunset which day to the Jewes following their tradition was the parasceue or day of preparation on which they killed the Passover to eat it after Sun-set which was the evening of the Saturday or Iewish Sabbath But our Lord who was made under the Law would not eat it but according to the Law 2ly The place The place of the Passover was certaine and appointed for although at first they did eat it in the land of Egypt according to their families in severall houses Yet when they arrived in the land of promise it was utterly forbidden to be celebrated in any other place but onely in that which the Lord should choose to put his name there Deut 16.6 that was first in Shilo afterwards at Ierusalem whither the tribes went up at that solemne feast and being dispersed all the City over did by severall companies in severall houses eat the Passover
of Jordan S. Mat. 3.6 Act. 8.38 and that Saint Philip baptized the Eunuch in the same manner it is altogether as probable that those three thousand who were baptized by Saint Peter and the other Apostles in one day Act. 2 41. and that at Hierusalem were not dipped but sprinkled with water If any will object against the use of our Church which baptizeth by aspersion the custome of other Churches which baptize only by immersion let him learn to know that which Saint Gregory to Leander a bishop layeth downe as a rule In una fide nihil officit sanctae ecclesiae consuetudo diversa So long as the faith be one and the same a different custome bringeth to the holy Church no detriment at all The internall part The internal part or thing of the signe communiter is Christ for he is res sacramenti the thing exhibited in that sacrament and in every sacrament and that upon three principall respects 1st In respect of his person for Christus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ God and man is exhibited as well in regard of his divinity as of his human nature 2ly In respect of his merit in that the variety and utility of the death of Christ whereby he purchased life for us is propounded and confirmed 3ly In respect of his benefits for look what Christ had and what Christ did he setteth forth by his sacraments testifying by the visible signes that he had them and did them for us which benefits Saint Paul reduceth to foure heads wisdome 1 Cor. 1.30 righteousnesse sanctification and redemption But the internall part or thing of the signe properly is 1st The precious blood of Christ shed for the remission of sins whereby our souls and bodies are so clean washed from originall and all actuall sins that they shal never be imputed It is that blood of sprinckling Heb. 12.24 that speaketh better things than that of Abel Abels blood was vox sanguinum the voice of blood and it cryed aloud but it cryed for vengeance Eph. 1.7 not for remission of sins but the voice of Christ his blood is remission of sins 2ly The spirituall efficacy of the same blood whereby we are regenerate and born again by the mortification of the flesh and by the vivification or quickening of the spirit For these things doth God require by the very text and tenour of his covenant of all those who are initiated to Christ and consecrated and by the signe or seal of the covenant Rom. 6.3 4. do give their names to him 3ly That neer union and conjunction betwixt Christ and us whereby we are so joyned unto Christ and Christ to us that we have put him on Gal. 3.27 and are verily and indeed made partakers of his person of his merit and of all his benefits The analogicall and sacramentall relation The analogicall or sacramentall re ation betwixt the signes and the things signified consisteth in three things 1st In signification for by a most convenient proportion or similitude the water of Baptisme doth signifie the blood of Christ and the dipping of the person baptized into that water or the sprinckling of that water upon him the death of the old man by mortification of the flesh and the life of the new man by the vivification of the spirit And the communion of the Baptisme of the faithfull with Christ doth fitly set forth that neer conjunction which is betwixt Christ and them in that he also was baptized This is a new birth if we die unto sin which is signified and represented when we are dipped into the water or when the water is sprinckled upon us for then we are as it were laid into the grave and are given to understand that we die unto sin by vertue of Christ his death who was buried in the grave And if we live unto righteousnesse which is signified and represented when we are taken up from the water for then we do as it were rise out of the grave and are given to understand again that we live unto God by vertue of Christ his resurrection Hos 6.2 who was raised again from the dead upon the third day 2ly This analogicall or sacramentall relation consisteth in obsignation And that because as well the verity of that similitude which is betwixt the signe and the thing of the signe is confirmed as also because that the power and efficacy of them both in the lawfull use of that sacrament is assured by the seal For when the Eunuch said unto St. Philip See here is water what doth hinder me to he baptized Act. 8.36 to receive a full assurance by the seal St. Philip said If thou believest with all thine heart thou mayest 37. 3ly In Praebition For the things signified and represented in Baptisme the same by baptisme are made good unto the person baptized not by virtue of the outward act of baptisme ex opere operato but sacramentally and by faith 1. Because by that sacrament he doth exhibit them to the minds of those that believe as if they were visibly present And again because he doth thereby as by his own seale assure them that those things are certainly made good in the soule which are shewed and promised by the visible signe When they cryed out to the Apostle St. Peter and to the rest of the Apostles saying Men and brethren what shall we do St. Peter sends them away to the Sacrament of baptisme saying Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the holy Ghost Act. 2.38 Rebecca who was a type of the Church found Abrahams servant at the well of water and the Church it self as St Augustine saith found Christ at the sacrament of Baptisme The ends for which the sacrament of Baptisme was instituted and ordained For what causes Baptisme was ordained are either primary and antecedent or secundary and consequent The first respect our faith towards God the second our confession before men Upon the first respect the end of baptism is to signifie to seal to deliver in a sacramental manner the remission of our sinnes the benefit of our regeneration and our union with Christ I say first the remission of our sins for howsoever it must be affirmed that sinne for so the state of nature doth remain in those that have received remission of sinnes in baptisme as touching the matter the root and disease of sin like the head of an arrow sticking still in the flesh though the deadly wound be cured yet for the state of the person baptized it is taken away in as much as concerneth the guilt or forme of sin Act. 2.38 which is not imputed to the believer For baptisme is given for the remission of sinnes And is as Tertullian saith The ablution of sins which faith obtaineth sealed up in the Father the Son and the holy
gave unto him was delivered in terminis Of every tree of the Garden thou maiest freely eate But of the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eate of it for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die This was the primordiall law The primordiall Law and as Tertullian saith in this law given unto Adam we acknowledge to be laid up all those precepts which afterwards delivered by Moses sprouted forth young That is to say Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all soule and thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy selfe And Thou shalt not kill and Thou shalt not commit adultery Thou shalt not steale Honour thy father and thy mother and Thou shalt not covet that which is another mans For saith he the primordiall law was given to Adam and Eve in Paradise as the wombe of all the commandements of God Advers Judaeos cap. 2. He had no need of further grace for the observation of this law because hee might if he would have kept it by the liberty and freedome of his owne will left unto him in the custody of pure nature For which cause the breach thereof made him a transgressor to all the commandements if as Saint Augustine saith Adam's sin it be divided into its severall members For pride is there saith he for as much as man delighted to be rather in his owne power then in the power of God And Sacriledge or Infidelity because he did not give credence to God And murther because he killed himselfe And Spirituall fornication because the virginity of the humane minde was deflowred by the Serpents perswasion And theft because hee usurped that foode which was prohibited And covetousnesse because he desired more then ought to have sufficed him And whatsoever else by diligent consideration may be found to be in this one act of his transgression Wherefore by one man sinne entred into the world and death by sinne and death passed upon all men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that or in whom namely in that one man all have sinned Thus was the deadly wound given by Adam The propagation of Adams sinne through the abuse of his free will to himselfe and unto all his posterity who were then in him tanquam in radice as in the root of mankind Aug. Enchir. cap. 26. whereby both hee and they who were to descend of and from him by ordinary generation were the same day made obnoxious or subject both to the Spirituall or supernaturall and to the bodily or naturall death with all the dreadfull precedents concomitants and consequents of them both For this and to the end that hee might restore that creature whom he had made to immortality God by his infinite wisedome and of his great mercy manifested unto man that expedient which he had foreseen and determined from eternity that he would redeeme and save him Gods Covenant of grace by the seede of the woman whom the Serpent had seduced which seede should breake the Serpents head that is to say overthrow the Devill and all his power And therefore after Adam had sinned and in him all his posterity God maketh his covenant with him and with them and requireth both of him and them that they should on their parts performe the conditions of it by beleeving and applying it every one of them particularly to himselfe and to know no other Redeemer by whom to be redeemed from sinne and death brought upon them all by Adams transgression but onely that blessed seede The first saving grace therefore that man received after his Fall whereby he might rise againe from sinne and death into which he was fallen was faith even faith in Christ for the promised seede was Christ Here therefore siste gradum for the order of this our historie doth require that I should adnote some thing by the way concerning that first and most necessary grace The old Romans held and worshipped faith for a goddesse and Numa Pompilius is first said to have dedicated a Temple to Faith Concerning Faith whether because in all the actions of life and more specially in contracts bargaines and covenants there is an urgent use and necessity of faith Or whether because traditions streaming down even from Adam unto those dayes had greatly manifested among the heathen themselves that faith which is towards God as that onely thing whereby God is moved to grant all the requests of men and by which every man may and must attaine unto true happiness it is more then I will take upon me to determine Probable it is that Numa was not altogether ignorant of that which was taught in the Church concerning faith for the Temples which he built are said to be without Images and his Bookes upon Livies report being found a long time after his death viz. Anno Urb. Cond 573. Genebr Chron. lib. 2. p. 411. were burnt as not holding correspondence with the heathenish superstition of those Idolatrous times There is faith towards Men and there is faith towards God for so speakes the Scripture I will restore thy Judges as at the first and thy Counsellors as at the beginning Isa 1.26 afterwards thou shalt be called the city of Righteousness the faithfull city Faithfull towards God in believing all his promises faithfull towards God in keeping all his commandments Faithfull towards Men in all distributive and commutative justice But concerning that faith which is towards men Faith towards men and is nothing else but a certaine veracitie or truth of mind whereby men approve themselves constant in their words in their promises and in all their contracts bargaines and covenants to performe them and is politicall active or mercatorious it pertaineth not to this our History to discourse at large Faith towards God Faith towards God is that faith whereby a man doth believe in God and apprehend and apply the Covenant of Grace first made with Adam and his posterity and all the promises of God thereupon depending to the saving of his soule So that howsoever the name or word faith be copiously and variously accepted in the Scriptures yet as now we are to speak of Faith S. Mat. 13.20 21. Heb. 6.4 5 6. Jac. 8.13 Act. 2.19 S. Mat. 17.20 1 Cor. 13.2 Tit. 1.1 we do not intend either the externall profession of Christian Religion onely Or any temporall assent or bare knowledge of the grace of God Nor yet any certaine perswasion conceived by Revelation or by particular promise concerning the working of miracles But it intends that faith which is properly and theologically styled Faith which pertaineth onely to Gods Elect and to all of them which is passive and is called by Divines the justifying or saving faith because that thereby a man is justified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the sight of God or with God as the Scripture speaketh Gal. 3.11 It is a gift of God or an holy habit wrought by the
in the mount if yet either he or they had the interpretation of them revealed to the perfection of all that which the holy Ghost intended Here is Jacob's ladder it reacheth from earth to heaven God standeth upon the top of it by these rounds and spokes the forementioned mysteries God sent down his son to be known and believed in such a manner as was most convenient to the old testament and by these rounds and spokes they ascended unto God that stood at the top of the ladder and had a saving knowledge of Christ sufficient for them to salvation and everlasting life till the whole earth should be filled with a more clear and perfect knowledge of the Lord by his comming in the flesh Divina eloquia tanto quisque altiùs intelligit quanto altiùs in eis intendit saith Saint Gregory They therefore that are better studied in the Scriptures will finde out farther mysteries But if any one shall differ from me in judgment I envy not unto him a greater soundnesse and perspicuity In eo quippe numero sumus ut non dedignemur etiam nobis dictum ab Apostolo accipere Et si quid aliter sapitis id quoque Deus vobis revelavit forasmuch as we rank our selves in the number of those who disdain not to take unto us that which was spoken by the Apostles And if in any thing ye be otherwise minded God also hath revealed that unto you to apply the words of Saint Augustine to my selfe Ad Vincent Donatist Epist 48. Here then we will put an end to the first book of this our sacred and mysterious History The Recapitulation having shewed how and in what manner that covenant which God made with Adam and with all his posterity during the first period of time for the space of about three thousand and nine hundred threescore and ten years was administred till the promised seed did come the son of God made of a woman made under the law To redeem them that were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons Gal. 4.4 5. By covenanting grace By conferring faith By administring the covenant barely inform of a promise from Adam to Abraham By renewing the covenant with Abraham By adding circumcision a seal of the covenant By instituting the paschall lamb another seal of the same covenant By disposing it into the form of a Testament By the legall and by the evangelicall parts of it Which evangelicall part of it was invested with the Tabernacle The Ark the golden Table The golden Candlestick The Altar of incense The Sacred incense The brazen Altar The brazen Laver The Leviticall priesthood The garments of the high Priest The consecration of the high Priest The Leviticall offerings The daies and months and times and years The holy City The holy Temple The holy persons All which things were typicall and mysterious relating to Christ to the new testament confirmed by his blood to the Evangelicall Church THE SECOND BOOK OF THE SACRED AND MOST MYSTERIOUS HISTORY OF MANS REDEMPTION NOw was the second period of time The second period of time come wherein that promised Seed should abolish the old Testament first by his coming in the flesh 2ly By his administration of the Covenant in the flesh and 3ly by his death He would abolish the old Testament and he hath abolished it by not urging or exacting perfect obedience to the Law in a double purity a purity of nature and a purity of workes He would abolish the old Testament and he hath abolished it by unvailing the Evangelicall part of it in that he hath put away the shadows by the body it self the figures by the truth it self the temporall priesthood of Aaron by an eternall priesthood of Melchisedec and all those sacrifices which were offered year by year continually by that sole singular sacrifice of himself offered once for all He would abolish and he hath abolished the old Testament by taking off the two old seales Circumcision and the Paschal lambe and by annexing in place thereof two new seales proper to the new Testament Baptism and the sacrament of his Supper He would abolish and he hath abolished the old Testament by transferring the keyes of the kingdom of heaven from the legall to the Evangelicall priesthood After which manner God will have his Covenant to be administred with men unto the end of the world Therefore it came to pass not without the speciall providence of Almighty God The Emperour Augustus his Decree that the Emperour Augustus having compleatly raigned one and forty years and the two and fortieth being then current there being peace all the world over to the end that he might know his own strength in his Empire the number of those who had the priviledge to be Citizens of Rome what people were then subject to the Roman Empire in every place how disposed to peace or war of what power and wealth what contracts consanguinities affinities they had among â—hemselves to the end that he might know how to impose tributes how to make wars in whom he might confide whom he had to distrust whom to fear set forth an edict or decree that all the world that is to say his whole Emperiall Dominion in all the parts and provinces subject to the same all the world over should be taxed described inventaried or inrolled by appearing personally before such persons as he had then deputed for that service and by giving in their names surnames parentage alliances estates arts trades and conditions of life what children what families c. to the end that all these things might remain upon Record to be made use of as occasion should serve For all this is meant by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 although our late Translation render it should be taxed and taxing but in the Margin have noted inrolled Luc. 2. S. Luc. 2.1 2 For this cause Publius Sulpitius Quirinius called by the Evangelist Cyrenius was sent with commission into Syria Judea being comprehended as a part thereof And because that Palestina was divided unto the tribes by lot and the severall tribes into severall families who had also in their severall families the Cities of the heads of their families therefore David being the head of his family and Bethlehem the city of David holy Ioseph with the blessed Virgin St Mary his espoused wife being great with childe both of them being of the tribe of Iudah and of the house and linage of David in obedience to the Emperiall decree went up from Nazareth the place of their habitation Nazareth S. Luc. 4.29 which was a little city of Galilee the lower built upon an hill in the tribe of Zebulon unto Beth-lehem Ephratah another city Mic. 5.2 Bethlehem Ephratah distant from Ierusalem about six miles toward the South and was scituate upon an hill threescore and twelve miles from Nazareth Southward there to be taxed or enrolled and to give in
non ipse auferret saith St. Augustine In whom sinne is not he came to take away sin For if sin had been in him it must have been taken away from him he himself should not have taken it away Tract 4. in 1. Johan 3. For who can remit sins but God onely who doth also remit them by those to whom he hath given the power to remit them S. Amb. lib. 5. com in Luc. 5. The second is What is the subject who are they upon whom this grace is to be collated Answ Every one that stands in need of it The subject and there are none to be found on earth who doe not need it For saith Mr. Calvin be the children of God never so holy yet in this condition are they alwaies that without remission of sins they cannot stand before God We must every day pray for our daily bread and we must every day pray for remission of sins No man is too rich to pray for daily bread no man is too righteous Object 1 to pray for remission of sins Against this it will be objected 1. That sins are remitted in baptism and not only Originall but also actuall sins now it is needless to pray for that which is forgiven already therefore that it is needless to pray for remission of sins Answ Sins are remitted in Baptisme and not only originall but also actuall sins therefore the Novatians the Melitians and the Donatists did deny remission of sins to those who had sinned after that grace received and in Baptisme we covenant with God to forsake the Devill and all his works the pomps and vanities of the wicked world and all the sinful lusts of the flesh In Baptisme we covenant to believe all the articles of the Christian faith and we also covenant to keep his holy will and commandements and to walk in the same all the daies of our life But because the best and most righteous of those that are baptized do not perfectly keep the conditions of this covenant for in many things we all offend therefore even the very best and most righteous of those that are baptized Jam. 3.2 must pray for remission of sins 2. It will be objected that sin perisheth so soon as the act is committed for sins are transient and vanish with the act How Object 2 can it be required of a man to pray for the remission of that which is not Ans The act of sin indeed is transient and passeth away but the guilt remaineth for sins transient in the act are permanent in the guilt Aug. lib. 1. de Nuptiis cap. 26. It is that guiltiness of sin for which we pray that it may be remitted 3. It Object 3 will be objected that the Church is holy 1 Cor. 1.2 Phil. 1.1 and the faithfull are called Saints Also that some have been found that have not stood in need to have their sins remitted Zacharias and Elizabeth were both righteous before God S. Luc. 1.6 walking in all the commandements and ordinances of the Lord blamelesse 15. Saint John the Baptist was filled with the holy Ghost even from his mothers wombe Answ The Church is holy and the faithfull are Saints and yet as Fulgentius saith every one of the saints is perfect imperfect perfect by hope of glorification to come imperfect by the present burthen of corruption and mortality Perfect because that in minde he serveth the law of God imperfect because that in the flesh he serveth the law of sin Ad Monim Therefore are we called Saints in this world because in affection we hold and wish for sanctity saith the book de ecclesiasticis dogmat cap. 86. Then are we just when we confesse our selves to be sinners and our righteousnesse doth not consist of our own merit but of the mercy of God Hieron lib. 1. adver Pelag. Zacharias and Elizabeth were both righteous before God and Saint John the Baptist was filled with the holy Ghost even from his mothers wombe But they were righteous before God not by an inherent but by an imputed righteousnesse not by the righteousnesse of works but by the righteousnesse of faith not by the legall but by the Evangelicall justice the imputed righteousnesse of Jesus Christ for the justification of a sinner in the sight of God Saint John the Baptist was filled with the holy Ghost from his mothers wombe not that he should not sin but as God said to Jeremiah Jer. 1.5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee and before thou camest forth out of the wombe I sanctified thee and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations Even so was Saint John the Baptist filled with those graces of the holy Ghost from his mothers wombe which might best befit his wonderfull calling I do not deny but that many of the dear Saints of God even in this life do walk in all the commandements and ordinances of the Lord blamelesse to the world and to men though not blamelesse to God Blamelesse to the world and to men because without crime not blamelesse to God because not without sin Excellently Saint Augustine in his Enchiridion to Laurentius Neque enim saith he quia peccatum est omne crimen ideo crimen est omne peccatum It doth not follow that because every crime is a sin that every sin is also a crime Therefore we do say that the lives of holy men so long as they do live in this death may be found without a crime Peccatum autem si dixerimus quia non habemus but if we say that we have no sin S. 1 Joh. 1.8 as the holy Apostle saith we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us Cap. 64. The third question is How far doth God remit sins Answ God doth not forgive sins by halfes How far God doth remit sins Jer. 31.34 When God saith I will forgive their iniquities and I will remember their sin no more his meaning is not to forgive the sin and to remember the punishment he will remit both the culpa and the poena according to that old distich Larga Dei bonitas veniam non dimidiabit Aut nihil aut totum te lachrymante dabit The large bounty of God will not divide the pardon in the midst He will forgive all or nothing upon thy contrition After what manner Fourthly it is demanded after what manner he doth remit them Answ Remission of sins is an action of God whereby for the merit of Christ he esteemeth and accounteth sin as no sin or as if it had never been committed Therefore holy David Psal 32.2 Isa 44.22 Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity And the prophet Isaiah I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions and as a cloud thy sins Like as when a cloud is dispersed and gone there is no signe or remembrance of it no more is there any signe or remembrance of sin when God hath forgiven it