beside those many Pillars upon which Houses and Churches were built there were single Pillars erected by the Heathen to such purposes as do serve very well to express the sense of this Metaphor which the Apostle here useth by way of allusion to them As first There were Pillars which they rear'd up on high with Images of their Gods and Goddesses upon them sitting or standing or in some other posture to attract the eyes of men to look up to them with that Respect and Veneration which is due to Divine things Of such Pillars we read Lev. 26.1 Ye shall make you no Idols nor Graven Image neither rear you up a standing Image or Pillar as it is in the Margin Now as St. Paul saith of the Heathen Rom. 1.25 that they changed the Truth of God into a Lye and the Prophet Habakkuk calleth an Idol a Teacher of Lyes Hab. 2.18 So we may say of those Pillars of Idols they were Pillars of Lyes And in allusion to them the Church which sets up the true Worship of the true God above all the false Worship of all false gods to draw the eyes of all men to look up to it with that Veneration which is due to it may be called the Pillar and Ground of Truth Excelsa Columna according to that which the Prophet Isaiah foretold of it in another Metaphor Isai 2.2 It shall come to pass in the last days that the Mountain of the Lords House shall be established in the top of the Mountains and shall be exalted above the Hills and all Nations shall flow unto it But in this sense the Church of Rome is more like to those Pillars of the Heathen than any other Christian Church For though it doth not set up those Idols and Images of the Heathen to be worshipped it sets up Images and Creatures to be worshipped which are either made Idols or are in so much danger to be made Idols that by the Confession of Bellarmine they that worship God in an Image or in a Creature expose themselves to great peril and are forced to use the most subtil distinctions which learned men do not understand much less the ignorant and unlearned Secondly We read of many Pillars erected by the Heathen with Inscriptions upon them Inscriptions of Historical Narrations of which it may be some were true and some were fabulous and many other Inscriptions of Laws Leagues Covenants Precepts Decrees Mysteries c. in which sense the Metaphor of a Pillar is used Revel 3.12 Him that overcometh will I make a Pillar in the Temple of my God and I will write upon him the Name of my God and the Name of the City of my God which is the New Jerusalem which cometh down out of Heaven from my God and I will write upon him my new Name In this sense the Catholick and Apostolick Church which exposeth the Scriptures which Ireneus calleth the Pillar and Ground of the Faith of the Church and in which are written the Oracles of God his Laws Covenants Decrees Mysteries of his Will Histories of his Providence and many other Divine Truths to be as legible as Inscriptions upon a Pillar and every particular Church which makes a visible profession of all that Truth which it hath receiv'd from the Apostles and the whole Catholick and Apostolick Church so far forth as it is one with that Catholick and Apostolick Church is a Pillar and Ground of the Truth Inscripta Columna a Pillar bearing those Inscriptions upon it in such Characters as make them legible to all men But in this sense the Church of Rome cannot so well be called a Pillar and Ground of the Truth as other Churches 1. Because other Churches Hebrew Greek Persian Syrian Arabian Ethiopian have expos'd the Scriptures to be read in their Vulgar Tongue But the Church of Rome doth not expose the Scriptures to be read but in a Language which the greatest part of them that are concern'd to know the Truths which are reveal'd in them do not understand by which means they have kept the people in so great ignorance of the Scriptures that at the beginning of the Reformation many of them knew so little of the New Testament as-to believe that it was a Book which had been written by Luther 2. Because they set up unwritten Traditions of which it may be some are true and some are fabulous and make them all of equal Authority with the Scriptures 3. Because they make the Authority of the Scriptures so dependant upon their own Authority that without it they are of no more Authority than Esops Fables as some of them have said and others of them commend the saying 4. Because though they hold the Foundation they have built upon that Foundation such things as St. 1 Cor. 3.12 Paul calleth Wood Hay and Stubble and would make the World believe that they are Gold Silver Precious Stones which is not the part of a Pillar and Ground of Truth But Thirdly The Pillar and Ground of Truth as it is in the Text that is a Pillar set upon a Basis or Foundation which keeps it firm and stedfast is a very good expression of such a profession of the Truth as is without wavering In which sense St. Basil calleth Abraham a Pillar of Faith because when he was tempted with a great temptation He staggered not through Vnbelief Rom. 4.20 but was strong in the Faith And in an Epistle written by the Churches of Vienna and Lyons mentioned by Eusebius the Martyrs who suffer'd a great Persecution for their Faith and were not shaken in it are called Pillars and Atalus one of great note among them is called a Pillar and Ground of the Church And in this sense the Catholick and Apostolick Church may well be called the Pillar and Ground of the Truth Immota Columna a Pillar that stood unmoved upon that Ground on which it was set For though some Local Churches which were but as so many Candlesticks though they were of Gold have been removed the Catholick and Apostolick Church was so well setled upon a sure and strong Foundation that all the means which have been used to overthrow it have served to establish it Great Endeavours were us'd at first to prevent the setting up of this Pillar upon the Ground of it by them whom the Scripture calleth the Builders but the Destruction which they thought to bring upon the Pillar and the Ground fell upon themselves and the Destruction which fell upon themselves serv'd very much to the Edification of that Pillar and Ground of Truth which they sought to destroy No sooner was the Pillar set up upon the Ground but great Force and Violence was used to throw it down The Kings of the Earth were assembled and the Princes took counsel together against it as the Children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem Down with it down with it even to the ground But all the Force and Violence which they used to overthrow it
the City who got their Wealth by making Silver Shrines for Diana were so alarm'd at the success of it as to perceive that the Temple of the great Goddess Diana would be despis'd and her Magnificence destroyed whom all Asia and the World worshipped And which troubled them more their Trade was in great danger to be lost for that was the first Argument which Demetrius us'd to raise them up into an uproar Vers 25. Sirs ye know that by this Craft we have our Wealth The Church of Ephesus had this further Honour not only to be one of the Seven Churches which were presented to St. John in the Vision of Seven Golden Candlesticks and Christ in the midst of them commanding him to write so many Epistles to them which he himself dictated to him but to be the first of them Revel 1.11 and the Character which he gives of that Church is such as might well become a Church which was a Pillar and Ground of the Truth Revel 2.2 3. I know thy works and thy labour and thy patience and how thou canst not bear them which are evil And thou hast tryed them which say they are Apostles and are not and hast found them lyars and hast born and hast patience and for my Names sake hast laboured and hast not fainted Now if the Church of Ephesus which had all this Honour had aspir'd to a Supremacy over all other Churches it might have made a fairer Title to it by St. Paul than that which the Church of Rome hath made by St. Peter For St. Gal. 1.15 Paul was separated to his Office from his Mothers Womb. He was called to it in a singular and extraordinary manner by Christ appearing to him in a Vision from Heaven Acts 9.3 He was honour'd by him with this Character Vers 15. He is a chosen Vessel unto me to bear my Name before the Gentiles and Kings and the Children of Israel 2 Cor. 11.5 He was not a whit behind the very chief Apostles 1 Cor. 15.10 He laboured more abundantly than they all 2 Cor. 11.28 The care of all the Churches lay upon him Rom. 15.20 He strived to preach the Gospel not where Christ was named lest he should build upon another mans foundation He conferred not with flesh and blood Gal. 1.16 17 neither went he up to Jerusalem to them that were Apostles before him They who seem'd to be somewhat in conference added nothing to him Gal. 2.6 He was so far from learning any thing of St. Vers 11. Peter and from looking upon him as his Superiour that he withstood him to the face and told him plainly that he and others whom he had misled walked not uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel Vers 14. And St. Peter was so far from rebuking him for his insolence as to make an honourable mention of him 2 Pet. 3.15 Our beloved Brother Paul according to the Wisdom given to him St. Paul who was thus highly honour'd had been Preaching the Gospel to the Ephesians for the space of three years Acts 20.31 But there is not so much as any express mention in the Scripture that ever St. Peter was at Rome and we may see they are hard put to prove it when they cannot alledge any one Text for it but that 1 Pet. 5.15 The Church which is at Babylon elect together with you saluteth you It was likewise a singular care which St. Paul had of the Church of Ephesus that in his absence he commended the care of it to Timothy 1 Tim. 1.1 a person indear'd to him by many Names 2 Tim. 1.1 Col. 1.1 Rom. 16.21 His own Son in the Faith His beloved Son His Brother His Work-fellow and wrote two Epistles to him to let him know how he ought to behave himself in so excellent and worthy a Province as that which he calleth The House of God the Church of the living God the Pillar and Ground of the Truth Whereas St. Peter never wrote any one Epistle to the Romans nor do we read of any one whom he left to take care of that Church in his absence though he was so much absent that it is much doubted whether he were ever there For all that the ancient Fathers have written of his being Bishop of Antioch seven years and after that Bishop of Rome twenty and five years and after that crucified under Nero is upon the Testimony of Eusebius of whom Bellarmine saith that he was deceiv'd in some things and we are very well assur'd that he was deceived in this for three years after St. Paul's Conversion he went up not to Rome but to Jerusalem to see Peter Gal 1.18 and there he found him and abode with him fifteen days Gal. 2.1 9. Then fourteen years after he went up again to Jerusalem and there he found him He was present at the Council at Jerusalem as we read Act. 15. which was eighteen years after Christ And in the former Chapters of the Acts of the Apostles we find him there or thereabouts a great way from Rome After that he preach'd the Gospel to those of Pontus Asia Galatia Cappadocia and Bithynia And if after all this time he sate Bishop of Antioch seven years and after that five and twenty years Bishop of Rome he must out-live Nero more years than Nero Reigned and therefore he could not be crucified under him But as St. Paul who knew very well that he was not a whit behind the very chief Apostles 2 Cor. 11.5 did never offer to put himself before and above them all and among the Apostles there were some who in regard of their Personal Excellencies are called Chief and Pillars yet without any Jurisdiction over the rest so among Churches though the Churches of the East were more numerous and of greater note than those of the West they never requir'd any subjection from them and among the Eastern Churches though the Church of Ephesus was of great note and eminence it never assumed any Soveraignty over the other Churches There is no ground in Scripture nor in the Catholick and Apostolick Church that will afford any standing for such a Pillar as that of a Local Church which is to all other Churches as the Head in a Body to all the Members of that Body as a Foundation in a Building to all the Building that stands upon it as a Root in a Tree to all the Branches For though the Church of Rome arrogates to it self all these Titles together with that of the Catholick and Apostolick Church this is so far from being Catholick and Apostolick Truth that it is neither Catholick nor Apostolick nor Truth 1. It is not Catholick for though the City of Rome had that Dominion over the Kings of the Earth for which it was called Caput Orbis the Head of the World the Church of Rome did never claim any such Headship over all other Churches
understood the less necessary they are to be known God who hath made the Fruits of the Earth which are necessary for the food and sustenance of men to grow upon the face of it where every eye may see them and every hand may gather them but hid the Mines of Gold and Silver which serve for Riches and Ornament in the Bowels of the Earth where they cannot be found but with much seeking nor be wrought out and purged from that Dross with which they are mixt but with great labour hath likewise made all that Truth which is necessary to feed the Souls of men to Eternal Life so easie to be found that we may say of that as the Wise-man saith of Wisdom Wisd 6.12 Wisdom is easily seen of them that love her and found of such as seek her But there be many other Truths which serve to inrich and adorn the Soul which he hath reserv'd to exercise and reward the labour and study of them that seek for them as for Silver and as for hidden Treasures If there were an Infallible Oracle to determine all Truths the easiness of coming to the knowledge of them would much abate and lessen the value and esteem of them but when the difficulty of finding them excites desire and desire stirs up labour and study and labour and study find that Truth which could not be found without it it is the more joyfully embrac'd and more stedfastly retain'd But Thirdly The Truth of which the Church is the Pillar and Ground is that Truth which is no where to be found but in the Church but is so manifest in the profession of the Church that they who cannot find it any where else may find it there For as in all Sciences there are some Truths which are proper and peculiar to them as Truths in Logick Truths in Natural and Moral Philosophy Truths in all Mathematical Sciences so there are some Truths in Divinity which are proper and peculiar to it which as they could never have been known but by Divine Revelation so they have been made known to the Apostles by the Spirit of Truth which was given to them to guide them into all Truth and by the Apostles to the Church Such is that which St. Paul calleth The Truth of the Gospel Col. 1.5 The Truth of Christ 2 Cor. 11.10 The Truth of God Rom. 15.8 And many times it is called Truth and the Truth without any note of difference from all other Truth Truth in opposition to the Religion of the Heathen as Truth is oppos'd to Falshood and Lyes Truth in opposition to the Religion of the Jews as Truth is oppos'd to Figures and Shadows Truth in opposition to all other Truth not as contrary to it for one Truth cannot be contrary to another but in a superlative sense the most excellent and most incomparable Truth For though all Truth is Truth yet as St. Paul saith of the Law and the Gospel compar'd together 2 Cor. 3.10 Even that which was made glorious had no glory by reason of the glory that excelleth So we may say of Truths in Philosophy and all Sciences compar'd with the Truth of the Gospel That which is Truth is not Truth in comparison of the Truth that excelleth Such is the Truth of which the Apostle speaks in the next words to these of the Text which some have joyn'd together expounding these words by them Without controversie great is the Mystery of Godliness God was manifest in the Flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the World received in Glory The Truth which he calleth the Truth which is after Godliness in hope of Eternal Life which God that cannot lye promised before the World began but hath in due time manifested his Word through Preaching The Truth by which we are begotten again Jam. 1.18 Of his own Will begat he us again by the Word of Truth The Truth that maketh us Free-men Joh. 8.32 Ye shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make you free The sanctifying Truth Joh. 17.17 Sanctifie them with thy Truth thy Word is Truth The saving Truth 1 Tim. 2.4 God would have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the Truth And this is the Truth of which the Church is the Pillar and Ground in the sense of St. Paul Now what sense that is follows in my third and last Particular which is the importance of these words The Pillar and Ground of the Truth Here are two words the Pillar and Ground but they are very well joyn'd together for they signifie two things which are joyn'd together in a Pillar that standeth firm and stedfast The former word signifieth that which we call the Body of the Pillar the latter word signifieth the Basis or Foundation or Foot of the Pillar both together fignifie a Pillar standing upon a Basis or Foundation But the Pillar and Ground of Truth is a Metaphorical Expression and Metaphors are apt to beget Mistakes for in every Metaphor there is something which is like and something which is not like and as when the Metaphor is taken from something wherein there is a likeness the Metaphorical Expression makes the sense more elegant and clear but when it is stretched to something wherein there is no likeness in stead of making the sense more clear it makes non-sense As in this Metaphor of the Pillar and Ground of Truth A Pillar or rather many Pillars upon which a House or Church is built as the Temple of Jerusalem was built upon many Pillars and so was the Temple of Diana at Ephesus the Pillars are as the Foundation upon which the House or Church is built as the Foot of the Pillar is to the Pillar which stands upon it But in this sense neither the Church of Ephesus nor the Church of Rome nor any National Church nor the whole Catholick and Apostolick Church could be well and truly called The Pillar and Ground of Truth because the Truth is not built upon the Church but the Church upon the Truth And as there could never have been a True Church if the Truth of the Church had not been before the Church so if the Truth be removed from the Church it is no longer a True Church There is no Power or Authority in any Church to make any thing a Truth which was not a Truth before The Apostles delivered the whole Faith to the Church and if all the Churches in the World should joyn together they cannot make one new Article of Faith All that they can do is to deliver what they have receiv'd from them who have delivered what they also received till we come at last to the Apostles who delivered what they also receiv'd from the Spirit of Truth by which they were led into all that Truth which could not otherwise be made known to them and assisted in delivering those Truths which were by other infallible proofs made known to them But
serv'd to let them see that it was so well setled upon a sure and strong Foundation that it could not be overthrown And as all the Pillars of Heathenish Idolatry and Superstition which were so many Pillars of Lyes fell before it like Dagon before the Ark of God so that we may say of them as the Angel said of Babylon Revel 18.2 Babylon is faln is faln So we may say of this Pillar and Ground of Truth as Christ saith of the House built upon a Rock The Rain descended Matth. 7.25 and the Floods came and the Winds blew and beat upon it and it fell not for it was founded upon a Rock There have been from the beginning such as St. 2 Pet. 2.1 Peter calls False Prophets who have privily brought in damnable Heresies denying the Lord that bought them and have brought upon themselves swift destruction But that swift destruction which they have brought upon themselves hath served to the Edification of the Church in that Truth which they sought to destroy But this Pillar and Ground of Truth was never in so much danger to be thrown down by all the force and violence which Jews and Heathens have rais'd against it nor to be undermined by all the Heresies which False Prophets and False Apostles have devised as the Truth of it hath been to be perverted by that Church which hath endeavoured defendendo concutere to shake this Pillar and Ground by seeming to defend it For though it hath not removed the Pillar from the Ground but is so far Catholick and Apostolick as to hold the Foundation of which St. Paul saith 1 Cor. 3.11 Other Foundation can no man lay save that which is laid Jesus Christ they have done great wrong to the Truth by defacing the ancient Inscriptions which were first written upon this Pillar with such Alterations and Additions as they have made But all these Alterations and Additions have served to raise up many learned men and not a few of them of this Church of England to revive those ancient Inscriptions and make many Truths which are good and profitable to be known more legible than they were before St. Paul speaks of a time that should come 2 Tim. 4.3 when men would not endure sound Doctrine but according to their own lusts they would heap up to themselves Teachers having itching ears But as he saith in another place 1 Cor. 11.19 There must be Heresies that they which are approved may be made manifest So we may say of these itching ears and the confused multitude of Teachers which they have heaped to themselves They have serv'd to make them that are approved for holding fast the form of sound words and Doctrine which they have received from the Apostles and Apostolick Church the more manifest Some Profane Wits have pleas'd themselves in making Pasquins and clapping them upon this Pillar but they could never make them stick so fast but that they have faln to the ground and been trodden under feet of men But the Pillar and Ground of Truth can never fall The Ground on which it stands is the Rock Matth. 16.18 against which the Gates of Hell shall not prevail The Faith by which it stands is the Belief of a Kingdom which cannot be moved Heb. 12.28 The Doctrine which is built upon this Faith is Sound Doctrine Tit. 1.9 and as there have been so there will be so many holding the profession of this Faith and Doctrine without wavering as will keep up this Pillar and Ground of Truth so long as the Pillars of Heaven and Earth shall stand and till He who is the Author and Finisher of our Faith bring us to the end of our Faith which is the Salvation of our Souls FINIS