in the word of doctrine For the Scripture saith thou shalt not tie the throat of the Ox that treadeth out the corn and the work man is worthy of his hire 1 Cor. 9.13 14. Do you not know that those who do Sacrifices Gal. 6.6 eat the things which are sacrificed and they who are busied at the altar partake with the altar so likewise our Lord hath ordained that those who preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel See the verses 7 8 9 10. Of the same Chapter 8. That the Faithful ought to reject the Ministers who preach any other thing then the Gospel of Jesus Christ Gal. 1.8 If we our selves or an an Angel from Heaven should preach other wise then we have preached to you let him be accursed So as we have said before now also I say again if any one preach to you any thing but that which you have received let him be accursed 1 John 4.1 Beloved believe not all spirits but try the spirit whether they are of God For many false Prophets are come into the World 2 John verse 10. If any one comes to you and brings not this Doctrine do not receive him into your house nor salute him CHAP. IX Of the holy Sacraments Baptism and the Eucharist 1. That Christians ought to be baptized in the name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Ghost MAt Mark 16.16 28.19 Go and teach all men baptizing them in the name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Examples of this are common in the books of the New Testamentperticularly in the Acts of the Apostles where we read that those who believed the Doctrine of Jesus Christ and received it were baptized Acts 2.38 41. and 8.12 13. and 9.10 and 10.47 and 16.15 2. That Baptism gives remission of sins and the Grace of the Holy Ghost Acts 2.38 Peter said to them repent and be every one baptized and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost Rom. 6.3 Mar 6.16 1 Pet. 3.21 Ehh. 6.26 Know you not brethren that all of us who have been baptized in Jesus Christ have been baptized in his death for we are buried with him in death by baptisme so that as Christ is risen from the dead by the glory of the Father we also should walk in newness of life Gal. 3.27 You all who were baptized in Christ have put on Christ Col. 2.11 12. You being circumcised with a circumcision made without hands by putting off the body of Flesh viz. by the circumcision of Jesus Christ being buried with him by baptism in which also you are risen together by the Faith of the operation of God who hath raised him from the dead 3. That the Faithful ought to eat the bread and drink the sanctified wine in commemoration of the death of the Lord. 1 Cor. 11.23 c. I have received from the Lord that which also I give you that the Lord Jesus in the night in which he was betrayed took bread and having given thanks he brake it and said take eat this here is my Body which shall be given for you Mat 26 26 27 28. Mar. 14.22 23 24. Luk. 22 17 18 19 20. do this in remembrance of me Likewise also he took the chalice after he had supped saying this chalice is the New Testament in my blood I do this every time that you drink of it in remembrance of me For every time that you shall eat this bread and drink this chalice you will shew forth the Lords death till he comes c. Let a man then try himself and so eat of this bread and drink of this chalice 4. That the bread and wine of the Eucharist are the communication of the Body and blood of Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 10.16 The cup of blessing which we bless is it not the communication of the blood of Christ and the bread which we break is it not the communion of the body of the Lord. CHAP. X. Of the Holy Ghost Of the necessity of his light to have Faith Of his Nature and Person 1. That the malice of man is so great that of himself he neither understands nor believes the heavenly Doctrine preached by the Apostles of Jesus Christ nor can he live in piety according to the Gospel JOhn 3.3 Verily verily I say unto thee that who is not born again cannot see the Kingdome of God John 6.44 No one can come to me except the Father who hath sent me draw him Rom 8 7. The wisdome of the flesh is an enemy to God for it is not subject to the Law of God nor in truth can it be 1 Cor. 2.14 The Animal man doth not comprehend the things which are of the Spirit God for they are to him folly and he cannot understand them in as much as they are discerned spiritually 2. That the Spirit of God which gives to men the graceof understanding believing the Gospel and of living according to the Doctrine of the Lord. 1 Cor. 2.7 8 9 10. We speak the Wisdome of God which is a mistery which is hid c. Which none of the Princes of this World hath known for if they had known if they had never crucified the Lord of glory but as it is written the things which the eye hath not seen nor the ear heard and which are not entered into the heart of man are those which God hath prepared for those which love him but God hath revealed them to us by his Spirit Matth. 11.25 At that time Jesus answered and said O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth I thank thee that thou hast hid these things from the wise and understanding and hast revealed them to little Children Matth. 11.17 Thou art blessed Simon Son of Jonas for flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee viz. That Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God but my Father which is in heaven John 1.12 13. Those who believe in the name of God are not born of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but are born of God Acts 16.14 The Lord opened the heart of Lydia to understand the things which Paul said Phil. 1.29 It is given to you for Christ not onely to believe in him but also to indure for him Phil. 2.13 'T is God that worketh in you to do and to will according to his good will Ezech. Jer. 31.33 and 32.39 11.19 20. And I will give them a heart and will put into them a new spirit and I will take away the heart of stone from their flesh and will give them a heart of flesh that they may walkin my commandments and keep my judgments and do them and that they be my people and that I be their God 3. That the Holy Ghost is a person distinct from the Father and the Son John 14.16 17. I will pray the Father saith our Lord Jesus Christ and he shall give you another comforter to
abide with you eternally viz. The Spirit of truth which the world cannot receive because it neither seeth him nor knows him but you know him for he shalld well with you and be in you and verse the 26. The Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name shall teach you all things and shall inspire into you all things which I have said Matt. 28.19 Teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Ghost This appears because he proceeds from the Father and is sent by the Son When the Comforter shall come saith the Lord which I will send to you from my Father the Spirit of truth which proceedeth from my Father that shall witness of me John 15.26 If I go I will send to you the Comforter Joh. 16.7 and ver 13 14. When the Spirit of truth shall come he will teach you all truth for he will not speak of himself but will say all which he shall have heard and will tell you things to come he shall gloryfie me for he shall take of mine and shew it unto you 4. That the Holy Ghost is God Acts. 5.3 4. Peter said to Ananias Ananias why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie to the Holy Ghost c. Thou hast not lied unto men but God This is proved evidently because the proprieties and works of the true God are attributed to him in the Scripture as first His presence in all places Psal 138 Heb 139. 7 8. Where shall I go back from thy Spirit or where shall I flee back from thy face if I go into heaven thou art there if I descend into hell thou art present there Secondly his presence in the persons of all the faithful Rom. 8.9 You are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if the Spirit of God dwells in you 1 Cor. 6.19 1 Cor. 3.16 Know you not that you are the Temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you 2 Tim. 1.14 The Holy Ghost dwells in us Thirdly His knowing all things 1 Cor. 2.10 11. The Spirit searcheth all things yea even the deep things of God for what is it in men which knows the things of man except the Spirit of man which is in him likewise no man hath known the things of God except the Spirit of God John 14.26 The Comforter which is the Holy Ghost which the Father will send in my Name shall teach you all things see also John 14.13 Fourthly His knowledge and prediction of things to come 1 Tim. 4.1 The Spirit saith expresly that in the last times some shall revolt from the Faith Fifthly His all powerfulness 1 Cor. 12.11 One and the same Spirit doth all things distributing to every one particularly according as he will Sixthly His right of having a Temple an evident sign of his Divinity 1 Cor. 6.19 Do not you know that your body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you the which you have of God Seventhly His vertue of creating Job 26.13 His Spirit hath adorned the heavens Job 33.4 The Spirit of God hath made me and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life Luk. 1.35 The Angel answered and said to Mary The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the Vertue of the Soveraign shall over shadow thee and therefore the Saint which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God Eighthly That t is he which teacheth the faithful of Jesus Christ which is a work of God as it appears by Isai 54.13 alledged by the Lord John 6.45 They shall be all taught of God 1 Cor. 2.10 God hath revealed to us heavenly things by his Spirit and verse 12. and in John 16.13 The Spirit of truth shall teach you all truth Ninthly That he subsisted before the creation of all things Gen. 1 2. The Spirit of God moved upon the waters 5. That the Holy Ghost is that same God which is called the Lord or Eternal in Scripture This appears clearly For since there is no other God but the Lord Eternal as we have already proved by Scripture the Holy Ghost being God as we have shown it must necessarily be concluded that he is the same Lord eternal since otherwise he would not be God Moreover this is proved most evidently thus he who hath instructed sent and inspired the ancient Prophets of the Old Testament is the true eternal God worshipped heretofore in Israel as it appears through all their prophecies now it is the holy Spirit which hath instructed sent and inspired them 2 Pet. 1.21 The holy men of God being inspired by the holy Spirit have spoken 'T is he perticularly Acts. 1.16 who hath foretold that which we read in David Psal 40. Heb. 41. 10. 'T is he who spake by Isai Acts. 28.25 and commanded him to say that which we read in the 6 Chap. verse 9. of his prophecy 'T is he Heb. 9.1 8. who gave to Moses the ordinance which we read Levit. 16.2 'T is he Heb. 10.15 who spake in the 31 Chap. verse 32. of Jeremy 'T is he lastly Heb. 3.7 who saith in the 94 Psal Heb. 95. 8. that which we read there it follows then of necessity that he is the same Lord Eternal whom the Faithful under the Old Testament adored Thus have we clearly proved the Doctrine of the Trinity That there is three of them the Scripture teacheth it expresly 1 John 5.7 There are three which gives witness in heaven the Father the Word and the Spirit and these three are one Matt. 28.19 Teaching all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father of the Son and of the holy Ghost 2 Cor. 13.13 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the Communion of the Spirit be with you all Amen And when the Lord Jesus was baptized these three persons were manifested distinctly the Father crying from heaven this is my beloved Son in whom I have taken delight the Son receiving the baptism in his humanity the Holy Ghost descending from heaven upon hm in form of a dove Matth. 3.16 17. And that these three persons are one and the same divinity appears by what we have all ready said Now that the Father is the true eternal God adored by the Israelites all the Scripture saith it and the words alone of Jesus Christ John 17.3 sufficiently teacheth it were speaking to the Father this is life eternal saith he that they should know the only true God That Jesus Christ is likewise the true eternal God and that the Holy Spirit is so also we have proved here above Since then that all the Scripture professeth that this eternal Lord is one only God as we have also justified one must then of necessity conclude that these three blessed and glorious persons the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost are but one and the same God which is that which the Church nameth the doctrine of the
the Son and the Holy Ghost are three it must of necessity be that they have in them three Substances For upon this account I can also reason more truely if the Father and the Son are one according to that which he saith himself I and the Father are one how is there more then one Substance but you have not been willing at all to enter into this way of Dispute in demanding of me a passage where the word Consubstantial was exactly and properly laid down 'T is then for you also by the same reason to read to us the three Substances properly and expresly set down in the Scriptures a Ibid. p. 476. infrmed And upon this debate of the manner of the proofs which should be used by both parties the Author of this Dialogue caused a good man whom they made arbitrator of their Disputes to pronounce this judgement In as much as it appears by your Dispute that you cannot shew formally and expresly in the Scriptures neither you the word Consubstantial nor you that of three Substances to the end then that we may not lose more time in a childish debate of superfluous things leave of demanding of one another a formal passage and gather from the authority of the Scriptures by the reason of consequences that there is either one or three Substances in the Trinity b Ibid. p. 477. ante med and at the beginning of the following Sessions repeating the result of the foregoing dispute he saith that they did agree to prove the confession of one or of three Substances by the consequence of Holy Letters passing by the demand of a passage where the word is found Properly and Nakedly laid down a Ibid. med Judge if this be not the very Image of the Disputes of our Methodists do not they demand of us as the Arians do of the Catholicks formal passages upon every point of our differences Do not they reject with the same importunity the consequence and conclusions drawn from the Scriptures Do not they reproach us with the same injustice that these are tricks in logick with which we endeavour to save our seves b Ibid. p. 475. fin Arius de Athan Do not they press us with the same opiniatrety either to read exactly what we believe or to quit the belief of it blessed be God that our cause is found to be like that of the ancient believers And the procedure of our adversaries like that of the old Hereticks Since they choose the method of the Arians let us keep our selves to the desence of the Holy Fathers and by their example let us put our Methodists upon their own rack You demand of us Gentlemen formal passages Let us then have the same liberty Shew us exactly and expresly in the Scriptures that the Pope of Rome is the spouse of the Church and the Monarch of the World that out of his communion there is neither Grace nor Salvation that his judgements are infallible oracles and that in matters of Faith 't is impossible he should err That 't is from his hand only that we ought to receive the Scriptures and that without the Testimony which he gives them they should have no more weight with us then Aesops sables or the Alcoran of Mahomet Shew us written in any one of the books of the Old and New Testament that there is a place bordering upon Hell where some souls sanctified by the blood of the Son of God are burned that there are Altars upon the earth where Jesus Christ is realy sacrificed by a mortal man for the remission of our sins Let us see a passage which saith expresly that we ought to render adoration to your Host which you Name Letrcia or that we ought to worship the Images of Saints departed and kneel down before them invoke their Spirits and acknowledge them for our Mediators I would not have you say that all this can be concluded from Scripture I demand according to your example precise and formal passages either permit me to prove my Faith by consequences or renounce yours full of so many things of which you cannot read one word in the Scriptures Here you have much more interest then I. For my Faith consisteth of less Articles then yours and the Articles which I believe are for the most part so clearly and expresly laid down in the Scriptures that I need no logick to draw them from it 'T is enough for our eyes to read them there In stead of which the beliefes which you and I contest about are so far from the words and sense of the Scriptures that the greatest logick in the world is not sufficient to draw them from it Here to unravel your selves from these straits you will not fail to alledge the authority of your Church But besides telling me of that you go about to perswade me doubtful things by that which is as much or rather more doubtful and by this you evidently renounce the procedure of them whom you call your Fathers for if the authority of the Church ought to decide matters here why did not they interpose it in their Disputes And if it be an ill proceeding to say either prove your Faith by express and formal passages of Scripture or suffer me to prove mine by consequences why did they use it against the Arians say what you please you cannot turn it so but it will manifestly appear to be a great precedent for me against you to prove that you Dispute like the Arians and I like the Holy Fathers CHAP. IX That that which is concluded evidently and necessarily from the Scriptures is veritable and Divine and is part of the Scripture NOw to come to the bottom what can one Imagine more unreasonable then this wilfulness of you the Arians Macedonians and and Eutichians not to receive for true and divine that which is concluded from the Scriptures For since from a truth nothing can be inferred but what is true confessing as you do the truth of the Scriptures is not this an intangling of your selves in an evident contradiction to make a doubt of what is drawn from the Scriptures is not this an offence either to the Scriptures in suspecting it to be alse in certain places or to the truth in accusing it to produce sometimes lyes and bring forth in a manner monsters That which one gathers out of the Divine Scriptures is there or not there if it be not there how could it be drawn from it since 't is not possible to draw from a subject any other thing but what is there nothing giving that which it hath not if it be not there why did our Lord say speaking of the Scriptures of the Old Testament that they bare witness of him †Joh. 5.3.6 and how could he declare by all the Scriptures biginning with Moses and so through all the Prophets the things concerning himself * Luke 24.27 and again how could his Apostles protest that he had said nothing
Trinity CHAP. XI Of the Liberty Efficacy Effect and Constancy of the Grace of the Lord. 1. That God gives the Grace of his Spirit according to his good pleasure ROm. 9.15 16. I will have mercy saith the Lord on him on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion on him on whom I will have compassion It is not then concludes the Apostle of him who wills nor of him who runs but of God who doeth mercy Eph. 1.5 God hath predestinated us into the adoption of his children by Jesus Christ according to the good pleasure of his will Phil. 2.13 T is God which hath made in you both to will and to do according to his good will Matt. 11.25 26. O Father Lord of heaven and earth I render thee thanks that thou hast hid these things from the wise and understanding and hast revealed them to little children even so Father for as much as thy good pleasure hath been such 2. That those whom God hath enlighttened by his Spirit come unto him John 6.45 Whosoever hath heard of the Father and hath learnt he cometh to me Rom. 8.29 Those whom God hath before known he hath also predestinated to be made conformable to the image of his Son c. And those whom he predestinated he hath also called and those whom he hath called he hath also justified and those whom he hath justified he hath also glorified 3. That God will give his Salvation to those who shall have-believed in his Son and lived according to his Gospel John 3.36 Who believeth in the Son hath eternal life Rom. 8.1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Jesus Christ who walk not according to the flesh see also verse 13. and 14. Joh. 5.11 12. God hath given us eternal life and this life is in his Son who hath the Son of God he hath life who hath not the Son of God hath not life 4. That he preserveth and comforts them by his Spirit dureing this life John 15.18 I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter to dwell with you eternally c. I will not leave you Orphans and adds Matth. 28.20 behold I am with you alwaies even to the end of the world John 17.11 Now I am no more in the world said the Lord upon the point of his passion but these are in the world and I come to thee Holy Father keep them in thy name those I say which thou hast given me to the end they may be one as we are c. And in verse 15. I do not pray that thou wouldest take them out of the world but that thou wouldest keep them from the evil and in verse 20. Now I pray not onely for them but also for those who shall believe in me by their word Rom. 8.32 God who hath not spared his own Son but gave him for us all how shall he not give us also all things with him and in verse 35.37 Who then shall separate us from the love of Christ shall it be oppression or trouble or samine or nakedness or peril or persecution or sword c. But rather in all these things we are conquerrours through him who hath loved us 1 Cor. 1.8 9. The Lord shall preserve you unto the end that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ God is faithful by whom you have been called into the company of Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Cor. 10.13 God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted beyond what you are able so he will give you aid in temptation to the end you may be able to bear it CHAP. XII Of the last end of Men as well Faithful as Reprobate 1. That God gathers the Spirits of the Faithful into his Repose when they depart this life REvel 14.13 Blessed are the dead who die to the Lord from henceforth saith the Spirit that they rest from their labours for their works follows them 2 Cor. 5.1 We know that if our earthly habitation of this body were destroyed we have a building from God viz. a house which is not made with hands but eternal in the heavens and ver 6 7 8. Wherefore having always confidence and knowing that when we are in this body we are absent from the Lord for we walk by Faith and not by sight but we are assured and have a good will rather to be out of the body and to be with the Lord. 2. That God shall raise the Faithful at the last day and shall lead them into heaven to live and reign eternally with Christ in a Soveraign glory John 6.39 The will of my Father which hath sent me is that I should lose nothing of all that which he hath given me but that I should raise them up at the last day Rom. 8.11 If the spirit of him who raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you he who raised Jesus Christ from the dead shall quicken also your mortal Bodies because of his Spirit dwelling in you Phil. 3.20 21. We expect from heaven a Saviour viz. the Lord Jesus Christ Who shall transform our vile bodie that it may be made conformable to his glorious body according to the efficacy by which he can even make all things subject to himselfe 1 Thes 4.14 If we believe that Jesus is dead and risen likewise those who sleep in Jesus ver 16.17 God will bring them with him Then in verse 15.16 For the Lord with the command and voice of the Arch-Angel and with the trumpet of God shall descend from Heaven and those who are dead in Christ shall rise first Then we who live and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds before the Lord in the air and so shall be always with the Lord. See the description the clearness and the history of all the Mystery of our last resurrection in the Chap. 1 Cor. 3. That life eternal is a gift and grace of God Rom. 6.23 The wages of sin is death and the grace of God is life eternal by Jesus Christ our Lord. 2 Tim. 1.18 The Lord give to Onesiphorus to find mercy from God in the last Day 4. That the wicked and incredulous shall perish eternally 2 Thes 1.7 8 9. The Lord Jesus shall shew himself from heaven with the Angels of his power with a flame of fire doing vengeance upon them who know not God and who obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with eternal punishments from the face of God and from the glory of his power Revel 21.8 But the fearful and Unbelieving and execrable and Murderers and Whoremongers and Poysonous and Idolaters and all Liars their part shall be in the lake burning with fire and brimstone which is the second death The End of the Second Part. FAITH Grounded upon the Holy Scriptures Where the Articles of our Faith are justified by the Scripture Negative and Exclusive of the Creeds of