Iesus to himselfe and whereas the Apostle saith There is no other name given under heaven whereby to be saved hereby every man hath a name to save himselfe 2. That damnable Idol of the Masse wherein as they say Christ is offered by the Priest for the sinnes of the quicke and dead what is it else but an utter renouncing of Christs owne and onely oblation arguing it to be imperfect and an insufficient satisfaction For so the Apostle concludes against Leviticall Sacrifices Heb. 7.27 They were many because they were imperfect this is perfect therefore but one and once See chap. 9.26 3. Their unholy Order of Priesthood and sacrificing shavelings what else doth it but wage battel against the Priesthood of Christ which being after the Order of Melchizedeck is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and cannot passe from him to any other Heb. 7.23 24. There were many Priests because of their impotency but this man hath an everlasting Priesthood therefore needes no successour on earth nor had none as they had 4. The maine pillar of Popery which stands on the Popes headship over the Church how dishonourable is it to Christ who being every where present by his Spirit and grace is implied thereby to be absent and to stand in neede of a Vicar Besides it makes the deare Spouse of Christ a Monster having two heads being but one body Besides the infinite constitutions of this supposed head cleane contrary to the lawes and government of the one and onely lawfull head and King of his Church Iesus Christ. 5. Their Doctrine of unwritten Traditions which are pari pietatis affectu to be received with the written word how manifestly doth it dishonour the Propheticall office of Christ How could he be the onely true Prophet if hee left halfe the will of his Father unrevealed but lapt up in obscure Traditions How could he satisfie his Propheticall office if he deteined from his Church some Doctrine needful for her to know How was he faithfull in the house of God as a Sonne if he came behind Moses his servant who brought a perfect patterne from the Mount for the direction of the smallest things in the Tabernacle How did he teach us all things when he came as Ioh. 4.25 if the Church may still coyne new Articles of faith as Scotus Before the Lateran Councell Transubstantiation was no Article of faith it seemes our Saviour left something alone for the Councell of Trent and the Lateran Councell to determine and that the Samaritan was deceived 6. Their blasphemous prayers to Saints Angels and Relikes how pull they men from the Mediatour who is but One and dishonour his Intercession which now he makes for the Saints while they have one prayer to Christ they have twenty to the Virgin What can be more blasphemous and more derogatory to his power and glory than to joyne with him in the administration of his kingdome the Virgin Mary that hee must dispense justice but she mercy yea in the omnipotent worke of his mediation saluting her and praying unto her by the title of Mediatrix hominum Mediatresse of men nay giving her a power farre above him Iure matris impera Command him in the right of a mother Thus our mighty God and Saviour is become an underling to a poore creature These can be no sound Doctrines which so dishonour the Sonne of God and spoyle him of his royalties as the souldiers did spoile him of his garments to whom the Father hath given a name above all names that all tongues should confesse him and all knees bow unto him So much for the fourth Rule Fifthly that is the soundest Doctrine which most restraines corrupt nature and fleshly affections Tit. 2.11 12. The grace of God hath appeared teaching us to deny ungodlines and worldly lusts which is the maine intendment of the discovery of grace a maine fruit of the Gospell is the crucifying of the flesh with the lusts and a mortifying of our members upon earth which of all things a carnall man cannot brooke Therefore in all differences of Doctrines observe which of them presseth most precise obedience to Gods will which of them gives least toleration to the least offence of God which of them is most unpleasant and unsavoury to the nature of man which of them most boulsters and gives liberty to naturall inclination and you have tryed the truth from errour For example The whole Doctrine of Popery how pleasing is it to the nature of man seeing there is nothing in it but a naturall man may performe it without any speciall grace of regeneration which indeede is the chiefe cause why a great part of the world is taken with the love of it 1. What a deale of paines cuts it off in reading studying and meditating on the Scriptures while it teacheth that Ignorance is the mother of devotion and it is lost labour which is spent on the Scripture and while they burne the Scriptures as formerly wicked King Ahaz did or Antiochus or Maximinus calling them the Heretickes Bookes so as a man may truly say that the Papists hate the Bible as a theefe hates the gallowes This is farre easier than to call after knowledge and cry after understanding to seeke her as silver and to search as after treasures 2. How can there be devised a more easy faith and sooner got than confusedly to beleeve as the Church beleeves without any distinct knowledge or faith of their owne A faith got without all paines and of which we may well say It is worth nothing because it is had for nothing a faith wherein they never neede to looke to the essentiall markes and sound growth of it This is sooner done than to proove a mans owne selfe whether he be in the faith or no. 3. How doth it please nature to magnifie nature to deny it to be so corrupt and dead as it is but halfe dead as the man betweene Iericho and Ierusalem to tell it it hath good preparations and abilities of it selfe to conceive and practise much good and with a little helpe it can keepe the Law and come out of Gods debt What man wanting grace would not finde something in nature to bring before God to bring himselfe into request by For every naturall man is a Iusticiary Wheras our Rule saith that it is a new creation which is of nothing and a quickening where no life of grace was yea a death in sinnes and trespasses and not a recovery as out of a swoone 4. How pleasing is it to nature to be tolde and taught that no paines is required to keepe the heart nor to resist the first motions to evill which they say are not evill that some sinnes are veniall in their nature put away with a light sigh a knocke on the breast or an Ave Mary that a man may lie in sport or officiously for his advantage and if hee steale a small thing it is
in thy estimation doe now seeme lesse and lesse dangerous if sometimes thou couldest not be comforted in the sence of sinne and the same sinne now move thee nothing at all thou couldst not abide cursed speaking in others now thou fallest to it thy selfe thou couldst not away with idle and gracelesse companions now thou canst now hast thou quenched the spirit 2. If thou be apt to rush into sinne once conquered thy strength is abated 3. If thou be unwilling to heare any of thy sinnes reproved the spirit is quenced because he rebuketh sinne 4. If the word and rodde preserve thee not from sinne the spirit is not present in thee 5. If after sinne committed thou doest not more hate it and sorrow for it than before thou lovedst it and rejoycedst in it if thou hast not a more constant care to avoid sinne than before yea if thou hast not a greater zeale in doing good know for a certaine that some sinne in thee or other is as water cast upon the spirit Fifthly and lastly examine thy selfe concerning the worke of Gods Spirit on thy affections thus If thy love of heavenly things be abated or be more to earth than to heaven if thy joy be troubled if thy conscience be perplexed with accusations if there be in thee an excessive feare of death or the like certainly the spirit is now quenched looke well unto it Object Alas I have found my affections more fiery than now they be I have had a great measure of zeale for God much indignation against sinne fervent affection in Gods service joy in God comfort in my selfe and in good duties but now it is not so with me I could never attaine the like affections as at first what may I thinke of my selfe Answ. We must wisely distinguish of the diffusing of grace from the decaying of it In earthly marriage love will be more vehement at first because lesse diffused but afterward is rather more extended than languishing so it is in the heate of grace But how may I know it thus 1. If thou be displeased that thou canst not get thy heart to the highest pitch of delight in grace 2. If thou still hungrest after grace and a further measure as one that hath tasted hony desireth more so having tasted of the spirit doest earnestly desire a greater measure of it 3. Stickest thou to the meanes in publicke and in private and wilt not be driven off still lying at the Poole where the spirit mooveth then discourage not thy selfe but goe on comfortably this small affection toward the Lord and his grace be it but as a graine of mustard seed it shall outgrow all choke weedes and master and kill whatsoever affections would overtop it So much for the second use Thirdly seeing negative precepts include the affirmative every Christian must hence be stirred up to stirre up the gift of God that is in him and not suffer it to decay 2 Tim. 1.6 A fit lesson even for Timothy himselfe For first the Spirit is ever working something in Gods children worthy the stirring up he is no where idle but still beautifying perfecting his own dwelling 2. Every Christian hath some graces to stirre up else were there no difference betweene him and a naturall man who wants the Spirit 3. No Christian hath any grace so perfect but it needes stirring up where growth is there is no perfection 4. Without stirring the fire dies so the Spirit for which cause the Apostle useth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 blow up Quest. What meanes may wee use to blow up the Spirit Answ. 1. The word of God in the publicke and private use of it First the preaching of the word as it begets so it nourisheth grace The Ministry is instituted and gifts given to men not onely to lay to foundation of our happinesse but to build us up till we meet together in a perfect body Ephes. 4.11 12 13. Naturall food strengthens the body by the daily use of it spiritual food strengthens the soule by the continuall use of it Those that say they know as much as they neede or as much as the Preacher can tell thē never truly saw their great weaknesse for let any good conscience say if it neede not the word continually David a man of singular grace yet lay fouly in his sinnes till Nathan came and stirred him saying Thou art the man Despise Prophecy and quench the Spirit where vision faileth grace perisheth Secondly the word must be privately read and conversed in for such is the excellency and power of it that it transformes the minde conversant in it unto it selfe and to be affected as the pen-men were holily and graciously Besides it begets and furthers found judgement whereas others erre not knowing the Scriptures and it stirres up good affections and gracious desires Againe the word must be meditated on in private without which hearing and reading are to little purpose Psal. 1.1 Blessed is the man that meditates in the law of the Lord continually And here is mutuall helpe for hearing and reading doe feede meditation and meditation doth fasten them Why else hath God given man a reasonable soule but to meditate upon his word and workes Or why else hath he set apart a whole day in seaven especially for meditation if it were not a notable meanes to excite grace Or why else did our Lord take all occasions from the workes of God to teach and instruct us but for our example that we should tread in his holy steppes We see the first meanes 2. The Sacraments were instituted to strengthen our faith which in it selfe is weake and to keepe in continuall memory the covenant betweene God and us with the meanes thereof yea the very preparation to them includeth a speciall meanes of stirring up our graces of repentance of renewing our faith of obedience thankfulnesse and all the meanes of growth in the covenant And much more strength doth a good heart finde in the celebration of them Therefore to forbeare them of contempt argues no member of Christ and of negligence to forbeare is to cast ones selfe into the judgement of God 3. Prayer sets all graces on worke as faith in Gods promises charity toward our brethren hope which lookes for the performance of that we pray for humility in confession of sinnes and sense of wants thankfulnesse for supplies and leave to pray and by exercise in prayer wee get the spirit of prayer Luke 11.13 Our Father will not deny his Spirit to them that aske him 4. Company or commerce with the godly doth exceedingly sharpen our graces One candle lights another and one sticke of fire kindles another A lesser sticke may kindle a billet so the strongest Christian may receive furtherance from the weakest Paul himselfe might be comforted by the Romanes chap. 1.12 And when Silas came Paul burned in the Spirit But how can one coale alone by it selfe keepe it selfe glowing Yea evill men
all his hellish temptations no marvel then if he would by all his strength and seven heads wrest this grace from us How needfull then is it for us to stand fast in the armour of God against these assaults of the Divell Ephes. 6.13 Vse 1. of reproofe 1. Generall 2. Speciall Our Nation hath dealt with the light of the Gospell as the Iewes did with Iohns light who rejoyced in it for a season Time was when in the beginnings of the Gospell our fathers received it with love joy zeale diligence and most earnest affection The violent tooke the kingdome by force But now how generally are we fallen from the love of the Gospell and turned religion into formality and policie Time was when men hasted out of Popery as fast as the Israelites out of Egypt Then was idolatry cast out then was not onely the uncleane flesh but broth hated then were godly men busie at worke to lay the foundation and grounds of Religion then were Gods worthies worthily and thankfully received and esteemed and the restorers of Religion duely honoured then men used their peace to edification and growth in grace and in the comforts of the holy Ghost But what doe we now have not many among us changed our hatred of Popery to the hugging and cherishing of it Doe not wee generally not onely looke backe but runne backe to Popery as Israel into Egypt See not we Idolatry and the Breaden god and the Altars Vestures and Priests encroach upon us which cost so much precious blood of Martyrs to cast out Doe not some question now the grounds of Religion and dispute our Catechisme which Turkes dare not doe and begin to determine that the differences betweene us and the Papists are not so great and substantiall In stead of honouring Gods worthies the restorers of holy Religion have not some of our pulpits presses and discourses disgraced Calvin Beza and such as stood more stiffe against Popery Are there not they that mingle not a little leaven but abundance of poyson of Popery and father it upon our Church Are not the numbers of Papists increased upon us notwithstanding all the lawes against them that these sonnes of Zerviah are growne in number and strength almost too great for us Oh who can without heart-sorrow compare our selves now with our selves then as the olde men wept when they compared the second Temple with the first Will not wee yeeld this generall Apostacie let him that runneth reade it in the effects of it For 1. Why hath the Lord given up numbers to strong delusions 2 Thess. 2. to beleeve lies but that they received not the truth in the love of it 2. For what other sinne did the Lord abhorre Israel Psal. 78.60 and forsooke his owne Tabernacle and why doth the Lord thrust us from his care but that we have thrust our selves from his Covenant 3. Why are we fallen from the honour of our Kingdome and the ancient glory of our Nation but because we have not set up nor held up the honour and kingdome of God amongst us and therefore hee hath cast downe the honour of our Kingdome 4. Why is our peace within our selves disturbed by many discontents among all sorts but because we have not allowed the Lord a peaceable dwelling among us as in times past 5. Why cannot wee now peepe out of our coasts but become a prey to a base despisable company of robbers and theeves and why doth not God goe out with our navies our armies which returne home with losse and dishonour but that the sentence is gone out as against Israel Iudg. 10.13 Yee have served other Gods I will save you no more Goe and cry to the Gods yee have chosen let them save you in the day of danger 6. Whence are those sinnes written with the point of a Diamond in the face and forehead of our Nation As 1. Coldnesse in profession lukewarmnesse in religion denying the power of it 2. A generall scorning of the profession of grace Oh that ever it should be said in time to come that after 60 or 70 yeares of the Gospell it should be attended or rather chased out with such generall scorne of faithfull Preachers and professours of true religion as no age of the Gospell can patterne 3. That generall corruption in manners in the body of our people too too apparant in 1. Cursed oathes in olde and young high and low in open and shamefull manner for which the land doth and must mourne 2. Generall pollution of the Sabboth by working playing journeying by water and land and open profanesse and weake hopes of reformation unlesse we may thinke these sinnes to die of themselves but the land is like to keepe her Sabboths first 3. The deluge of drunkennesse which hath drowned our Land and is risen 15 cubits higher than ever which was sinne wont to be covered formerly with ragges now with silkes Whence are all these and many other hainous profanations of manners but from our Apostacy from God from his covenant from his word from the profession of holy Religion Oh that wee could consider the state of revolters worst at last that wee would returne to our first love and workes before the remooving of our candlesticke and before our spuing out 2. For personall Apostacy This may be a warning to many men who have desisted from good and hopefull beginnings who have rejoyced in the light for a season who seemed to have beene washed to have got out of the filthinesse of the world begun to reade the Scripture set up Gods worship in their families to keepe some watches with God but are fallen backe to the world or wallow in some lusts as if nothing were worth forsaking but Gods wayes Let these consider 1. How lightly they offend the Majesty of God Heb. 10.38 If any withdraw himselfe my soule shall have no pleasure in him The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a military word frō souldiers who recoyle and leave their standing in whom the Captaine delights not no more in our Christian fight can wee by retiring and recoyling please our Captaine But the Martiall law for such is in the text They withdraw themselves to perdition 2. Better it is not to begin in a good course than to desist and breake off 2 Pet. 2.20 It had beene better not to have knowne the latter end is worse than the beginning for they lose all their labour all their hopes all they have wrought all they have suffered all is in vaine to them As a man having made a long voyage and sailed prosperously many hundred miles but bringing his shippe within sight of shore and thrusting into the haven suffered wracke in the havens mouth this man hath lost all his gettings his wealth his journey his labour sufferings his life himselfe and all Oh never content thy selfe with good beginnings in the spirit to end in the flesh Oh foolish Galathian wilt thou suffer so many things in vaine The Lord