Christ Thirdly by a trope of the chiefe point of prayer which is thanksgiuing for the whole the Euangelist giueth to vnderstand that our Sauiour Christ sued to God his heauenly Father that his death in it selfe sufficient to saue might by the working of his holy spirit be effectuall to the elect And that those outward signes of Bread and Wine might through the operation of his holy spirit bee effectuall to the purposes they were ordained vnto How shall it be known that he gaue thanks and prayed for these things seeing there is no mention of these things in the Euangelists The very matter it selfe that is handled Mat. 14. 15. Iohn 6. doth guide vs to the knowledge of these things Secondly the like manner of speech in other places of Scripture where there being no mention what words he vsed yet must needs bee granted that he gaue thanks and praied proportionably to the prayer and thanks here vsed For taking the barlely loaues and fishes and giuing thanks what can be vnderstood but that he giuing thanks to God that had giuen those creatures for the bodily nourishment prayed that hee would blesse them and make them effectuall to that end And as it is not lawfull to eate and drinke the common meat and drink without such praier and thanksgiuing so is it not lawfull to communicate these Elements without thanksgiuing and prayer Hitherto of the thing wherein the minister is chiefe What doth he alone First hee taketh the bread and breaketh it likewise powreth out the wine and telleth what they represent What doth it signifie It setteth forth that Christ himselfe of his owne accord offered his body to be broken and blood to be shed and that as the bread nourisheth not if it remaine whole and vnbroken so there is no life for vs in Christ but in as much as he died Why doth hee call the cup the cup of the new Testament Because it is a seale of the promise of God touching our saluation in Christ which being in old time vnder the Law shadowed by the shedding of the blood of beasts is now after a new maner accomplished in the blood of Christ himselfe MAT. chap. 18. vers 15. to the 20. and 1 COR. 16.22 HHitherto wee haue heard of the person of Christ in it of his natures his Godhead and his manhood then of his offices priesthood and kingdome In his kingdome wee haue heard of the inward meanes as the spirit and amongst the outward meanes we haue heard of the word and Sacraments Now there commeth to speake of the militant Church VVhat is annexed to the militant Church Officers and Ministers whereby it hath beene and is taught and gouerned What is common to all these Officers That they bee lawfully called and that they execute faithfully euery one his office whereunto he is called How is the militant Church diuided Into the Church before the comming of Christ or after his comming What is the Church militant before the comming of Christ It is the militant Church which beleeued in Christ to come What is the militant Church after the comming of Christ It is the militant Church that beleeueth in Christ already come How is the militant Church after the comming of Christ diuided Into vniuersall or particular What is the vniuersall Church It is the societie of those that being scattered thorough all the corners of the world are by one faith in Christ conioyned to him What officers are annexed to this Church Officers that are extraordinarie and induring for a time What are the extraordinarie Officers Such as were first called and inabled of God for the conquest of the world to the Gospell and the obedience thereof and of whom there was no vse after the first building or planting of the Church no more then of the General of a field or of a Coronel when the conquest is made or of master builders after the platforme of a house is det downe How are these extraordinarie diuided They are either those that are called immediately of God as Apostles and Prophets or those that were called by meanes of men as Euangelists Who are Apostles Act. 1.21 Ioh. 15.27 Mat. 28.19 Act. 1.8 Act. 8.14 19.23 c. Act. 12. Such as were for the planting of the first Churches set apart immediately by Christ himselfe which hauing both seene and heard him had the charge of the whole world committed vnto them with power to distribute the graces of the spirit Haue the Apostles any successors To speake properly they had none to succeede them in the degree and dignitie of Apostleship and therefore when Iames was beheaded none was chosen into his place otherwise all Pastors and Ministers of the Gospell who are lawfully called to the dispensation of the Word Sacraments and Keyes are the true and vndoubted successors of the Apostles and haue the same commission in the ministration of the Gospell which they had though not in the same degree or dignitie VVhat is the property of the head To be highest and therfore there can be but one euen Christ VVhat is the office of the head To conueie the powers of it into all the members for as the naturall members take spirit and sense from the head so the church hath her spiritual life and feeling of Christ who is only able to quicken and giue life Whom by this title of the head of the Church Paul lifteth vp aboue all Angels Archangels principalities and powers And therefore if the Pope were the successor of Peter and Paul yet should he not be therefore the head of the Church which agreeth to no simple creature in heauen or vnder heauen But may not the pope be a ministeriall head It would make the Church a monster if it should haue moe heads at once then one or to bee at any time without a needfull head as it must needs be in the death of the pope Besides that when Christ is alwaies effectually present in his Church by his spirit what needs he to haue a vicar or deputie Joh. 14. What then shall we say to the words of Christ Thou art Peter and vpon this rock wil I build my Church whereby is inferred that Peter was ruler of the Apostles and consequently of the world and therefore the Popes as Peters successors should be rulers ouer all The rocke whereupon Christ will build his Church is not Peter but the effectuall and confessing faith of Peter as appeareth by the diuers words the Euangelist vseth from that whereby Peter is called And if it be vnderstood of Peter yet it must be esteemed Reuel 22. that to auoid confusion Peter gaue answere in the name of all vpon whom in respect of their ministerie the Church is as well builded as vpon Peter How may it be shewed that Peter answered for all Because all were asked otherwise our Sauiour Christ receiued no answere which to thinke is a charg of disobedience vpō the other Apostles vpon our
faileth for that hee hath said hee would come shortly when notwithstanding more then 1500. yeeres are past sithence the promise came out The shortnesse of the time must not be measured by our estimation because we are of small endurance here in this world but it must bee measured by the iudgement of God with whom a thousand yeeres are but as one day Howbeit it seemeth that hee should hasten that day more then he doth for the aduantage of those that be his considering that they are euill handled here in the world There are two causes of this delay one that the fulfilling of all that is prophesied should be especially in the booke of Reuelation the other that none of the elect should perish so that it is for the aduantage of those that are his that their Lord maketh no more hast which ought to make vs patiently to wait for his comming Is there yet any further reason for the confutation of that godlesse opinion In that our Sauiour Christ hath declared that his comming should bee sudden as the thiefe in the night that error is confuted for it would not be so if things should decay by little and little 2. THES 2. chap. 2. from the 3. to the 13. 3 Let no man deceiue you by any meanes for that day shall not come except there come a departing first and that that man of sin be disclosed euen the sonne of perdition WHat haue we to consider in this iudgement First the tokens going before secondlie the iudgement it selfe What are the tokens going before it They are either further off or neerer vnto it What are the tokens further off A generall Apostasie vnder the Antichrist of Rome 1. Tim. 4.1 What was the occasion of this doctrine of the Apostle It may seeme some of the Thessalonians misconstrued the words in his former Epistle That we which liue and remaine at the Lords comming shall not preuent them that are dead as if the Thessalonians to whom Paul wrot should liue till then which bred this errour among them that the day of iudgement was at hand and this in his second Epistle he confuteth by the Apostasie Was it not a tolerable error whereby they might be stirred vp vnto greater care and watchfulnesse No for God will haue iust things done iustly and no truth can be well builded vpon falshood Besides this a subtill practise of Satan appeareth in it that when they had long looked for the day and saw no alteration of things nor other appearance of it they might ful into a flat vnbeliefe that no such thing should come to passe at all What gather you of this 2. Cor. 8.1.2.3 That Satan laieth his snares according to mens inclinations for such as he cannot fetter with pleasures for these Thessalonians were poore and so remained farre from delights hee snareth with austeritie and apparance of godlinesse 1. Cor. 5. as he did the Corinthians 2. Cor. 2. causing them to reiect the incestuous person being penitent which was no lesse euil then when before repentance they kept company with him So much of the occasion What is the doctrine That there shall be a generall Apostasie or falling away from the truth of the Gospell before the latter day Is it meant that the whole Church shall fall from Christ No it were impossible that a perfit head should be without a body Why is it then called generall Because the Gospell hauing bin vniuersallie preached throughout the world from it both whole nations did fall and the most part also euen of those nations that kept the profession of it howbeit still there remained a Church although there were no setled estate thereof Is it like that the Lord would bar so many nations as liued vnder Poperie and that so long from the meanes of saluation Why not and that most iustly for if the whole body of the Gentiles were reiected when the Church was onely in Iury for some 14. hundred yeeres and seeing euen of the Iewes tenne tribes were reiected and of the remainder but a few were of the Church with great reason hath the Lord reiected those nations and people for so many ages seeing they reiected Gods grace in falling away from the Gospell which the Lord most graciouslie reuealed vnto them rather then vnto their fathers before them Is this Apostasie necessarilie laid vpon the sea of Rome Yes verily as by the description that followeth may euidently appeare What are the parts of this Apostasie The head and the body for as Christ is the head of the Church which is his bodie so the Pope is the head of the Romish Church and it is his body How is this Antichristian head described vnto vs First hee is described what he is towards others and then what he is in himselfe What is he towards others That is declared by two speciall titles of the man of sinne and sonne of perdition declaring hereby not so much his owne sinne and perdition which is exceeding great as of those that receiue his marke whom he causeth to sinne and consequently to fall into another perdition as Ieroboam who is often branded with the marke of causing Israel to sin and so much more detestable then he as both his idolatrie is more execrable and as he drew more kingdomes after him then Ieroboam did Tribes In what sense is he called the man of sinne In causing manie to sinne iustifying sinne not by ouersight but by lawes aduisedly made not onely in a sort commanding the sinnes wee are by our corrupt nature prone vnto as fornication spirituall and bodily but also permitting and teaching for lawfull such as euen our corrupt nature not wholly subuerted through enormous custome of sinne abhorreth as incestuous mariages and breaking of faith and leagues which prophane men by the light of nature detest to the great prophanation of the holy name and profession of Christ In what sense is he called the child of perdition Luk. 15. Not as the vnthrift mentioned in the Gospell neither as Iudas who is passiuely called the sonne of perdition but actiuely as it is otherwhere expounded where he is called the destroyer because he destroyed many whereunto some of his owne secretaries doe agree confessing that many well disposed persons before their entrie into that see became cursed and cruell beasts in the same as if there were some pestilent poyson in that place and seate What learne you of this That euery office or calling which the Lord doth not blesse or wherein none occupying the place groweth in piety is to bee esteemed for an vnlawfull calling wherein some at the least in all ages are not found profitable to the Church or Common-wealth What is the vse of all this doctrine That seeing whosoeuer are partakers of the sinnes of Rome are also vnder the same curse those of vs which haue liued in Poperie should examine our selues if we haue truely repented vs of it first by the change of our vnderstanding as
Sauiour Christ of negligence who seeking by this question to strengthen all the Apostles in the faith towards himselfe should haue giuen them no strength neither by experience of the worke of God within themselues nor by the glorious promises which he annexed to this confession vnlesse he had in Peters answere receiued the answere of others Secondly when it appeareth other where by Peters owne confession that the rest knew that Christ was the sonne of the liuing God as well as he himselfe Ioh. 6.67.68.69 what should hinder them not to make confession of it as well as did Peter If Peter were chiefe of all doth it follow that the Pope of Rome should be so No verily for howsoeuer they say Peter was Bishop of Rome yet indeed that cannot be proued by Scripture rather the contrarie for if Peter had been at Rome when Paul was there amongst many others hee would not haue forgotten to make mention of him vpon diuers occasions he had thereof Especially he would not haue wrapped him in the common charge that all had forsaken him Also his proper charge being amongst the Iewes who were neuer frequent or many in Rome and after the few that were there banished from thence what likelihood is there that Peter would most reside there where hee had least to do And if he had been there yet would he not be Bishop there the Bishopricke being a degree of Ministerie far vnder the Apostleship wherunto he was called But grant hee were Bishop of Rome doth it follow thereof that the Bishop of Rome must bee his successor No for first it should haue beene but a personall right And secondly if it belonged to his successors Ierusalem and Antioch where he sat before he is supposed to sit at Rome might challenge it as well as they of Rome Neither can his death which they suppose to haue beene at Rome giue that priuiledge to him aboue them more then the death of Christ priuiledged Ierusalem which by the iust iudgement of God for the same cause was made an heape of stones And thirdly if it did belong to his successors at Rome yet it belongeth to his successors in doctrine and not in place only Consider more that if the Church were builded vpon Peter it was in respect of the doctrine he taught Hitherto of the Apostles Now who are the Prophets Such as besides an extraordinarie gift of preaching had a speciall gift of prophecying Hitherto of those immediately called VVho are those that are called by the meanes of men The Euangelists Who are the Euangelists Such as were ordained and directed of the Apostles for watering that which they had planted and confirming those whom they had conuerted What is the particular Church It is that which beside the fellowship in one spirit hath some other outward knot wherein they are more neerely tied then the rest of the vniuersall is and it is either of one nation or of a narrower compasse What is a Church of one nation It is that which is gathered vnder one politicke or ciuill gouernment What is that of a more narrow compasse It is such a companie of beleeuers as dwelling in one place may be conueniently at one time taught by one mouth of a Minister What is common to all the members of this Church That euery one be wise vnto sobriety behauing himselfe according to the measure of grace that is bestowed vpon him What persons make default against this point Two sorts especially the one of such as ouerweene thinking better of themselues and taking a greater state vpon them then they are worthie of The other of such as abasing themselues too much doe thinke themselues vnfit to such duties as they are called vnto How is the truth of this doctrine cleared By comparison of the Church which is the mysticall body of Christ vnto the naturall bodie of a man How many waies doth this comparison hold Sundrie waies First as in a perfect body of a naturall man there is full furniture of all members needefull to the discharge of their seuerall duties which are knowne both how manie they are and what they are so it is in the Church of God What gather you of this First that as a superfluous member in a mans body as two thumbes or a finger more then enough in one hand ingendreth horror euen so superfluous members in the Church of Christ must needs bee faultie and horrible What further As the want of a naturall member of an hand breeds griefe so the want of any the appointed members in the Church must needs bee faultie and grieuous Proceed to the other comparisons Seeing the disorder of a member as to haue an eie where the nose should bee or a foot for the hand causeth both horror and griefe so the like disorder in the Church of Christ must needs be horrible Wherein doth this comparison further hold That as in the body of a mā euery member hath his owne seuerall function to discharge and no member can well and fitly discharge the duety of another so it must be in the Church of God and as all the seuerall members of the bodie are knit and vnited to their head so are all the members of the Church vnto their head Christ Remaineth there yet any more comparison That as in the naturall body euery seuerall member is as it were the member of euery other in seruing to their good as the eye will see the hand will take the mouth will speake for the good of any other member so it is in the Church of God So much of the properties and qualities common to all the members of a particular Church What are the parts of it They are partly such as are aboue and partly such as are vnder VVho are those that haue preheminence Those whom Christ hath appointed for the continuance of the Churches which were builded by the extraordinarie officers to the worlds end VVhat things are common to all these ordinarie officers First that they be vnblameable of life 1. Tim. 3.2 1. Tim. 3.10 which being required of all Christians is in greater measure required of them as of the lights of the Church Secondly examination whether by gifts especially for the office they are to be called to that office or no. Act. 14.23 VVhat is prayer It is a calling vpon God alone in the name of Christ by the titles wherewith in the Scripture he is set forth vnto vs as well thereby to doe seruice and homage vnto the Lord as to obtaine those further things and graces that are necessarie for vs. VVhat haue we first to consider heere Esa 42.8 48.11 Rom. 10.14 That wee are to pray to God alone and not to communicate his honour to Saints or Angels which is detestable and abominable Which reason is also for vowes annexed to prayer VVhat things must we come to God in prayer for Those which God hath made vs promise of either belonging to this present life or
Can any man adde any thing to Gods holinesse No wee cannot adde any holinesse vnto God or take away from him but that as God is holy in his properties and actions and also in his ordinances both in Church and Common-wealth so we desire it may be and that not onely in our selues but also in all men that they may be acknowledged and reputed as they are worthie in themselues to bee reputed and accounted VVhat is considered of the words together That it is a singular benefit of God to be admitted to the sanctifying of his name and as it were to set the crowne vpon his heade and to hold it there especially seeing he is able himselfe alone to do it and when he would vse other thereunto hee hath so many Legions of Angels to do it yea that can raise vp stones to doe it VVhat further We pray that God may be acknowledged Iust Wise c. in all his workes euen in his ordinance of some to euerlasting life and othersome to euerlasting destruction as also when the glory of God commeth in question betweene our selues and any thing that belongeth vnto vs to preferre that vnto these May none else be glorified but the name of God No glory or honour should be giuen to any thing in the world but to the name of God which is noted when wee say Esa 42.8 48.11 thy name c. further then they are instruments whereby we may arise to the glorifying of it for God will not giue his glory vnto any no not to the manhood of our Sauiour Christ Shew some particularities of the glorifying of his name First wee must pray that God would giue vs the knowledge of himselfe his words and workes for we cannot glorifie his name vnles we know it Secondly Ioh. 3.3 Rom. 4.20 we pray that we and others may sanctifie God in beleeuing his word how vnlikely soeuer Wherefore Moses and Aaron are said not to haue sanctified the name of God in that they beleeued not contrarily Abraham glorified God in beleeuing How else Esa 8.12.13 1. Pet. 3.14.18 In fearing the Lord alone and not men That the Lord be our feare How further Mat. 5.16 In praying that God may get glory by the godly conuersation of vs and others also that we may praise him for his benefits more particularly for humilitie for our selues and others without which we cannot glorifie God as it is meet 2. Sam. 7.18 Psal 8.5 144.3 Luk. 1.48 1. Sam. 3.18 Esa 39.8 Esa 2.11.12.13.14.15.16 from whence ariseth patience whereby wee doe willingly submit our selues vnto the correcting hand of God as Ely and Ezekias We pray against al loftie and high things that hinder that God only cannot be exalted especially the pride of our hearts which we are to confesse and lament It is lastly a singular hallowing of Gods name as well by praising it for the benefits wee haue receiued as for his other wonderfull workes in the Creation and gouernment of the world the Church especially VVhat is considered in the second petition Thy kingdome come One of the meanes how to haue our God sanctified which is a dependance of the former petition VVhat is meant heere by kingdome That gouernment which our Sauiour Christ exerciseth in the world Of how many sorts is it We pray either for that he exerciseth in this world or for that he exerciseth in the world to come called the kingdome of glory How many sorts are there of that kingdome he exerciseth in this world First it is that hee exerciseth ouer all men and other creatures What desire we of God concerning the gouernment ouer all men called the kingdome of power That he would gouerne all the creatures Psal 97.1 Mat. 6.13 Ioh. 17.2 both in the naturall course of things and in the ciuill and domesticall gouernment of men yea in the rule of Diuels themselues in such sort as they may serue for the good of his Church What desire wee concerning his gouernment in the Church called the kingdome of grace That it may bee heere in this world enlarged Psal 122.6 Esa 62.7 and that it may be accomplished in the last day What doe we desire for the inlargement of it in this world That by Christ the head of the Church God would gouerne his people to the perfect saluation of the elect and to the vtter destruction of the reprobate whether open rebels or fained and hollow-hearted subiects What great need is there that wee should pray for the kingdome of God For that being taught that wee should pray that the kingdome of God may come Mat. 12.24.27 2. Cor. 6.14.15.16 thereby wee are put in mind of another kingdome of Satan and darknes which opposeth strongly against his kingdome Why all men do naturally abhorre Satan euen to the very name of him They doe in words and shew but when they doe his will liue vnder his lawes delight in his workes of darkenesse subiect themselues to the Pope and other his instruments they are found indeed to loue him as their father and honour him as their Prince whom in words they would seeme to abhorre for euen the same men our Sauiour Christ affirmeth to approch vnto God with their lips and to haue their hearts farre from him Mat. 15.8 and in their lips far from Satan but neere him in their hearts What other oppositions are there against Gods kingdome Gal. 5.16.17 The flesh and the world VVhat be the meanes wee ought to pray for that our Sauiour Christ may gouerne his Church in this world thereby Inward and outward What inward things doe we pray for That God would giue his holy spirit as the chiefe and principall wherby our Sauiour Christ gathereth and ruleth his Church conueying his spirit of knowledge and of good motions vnto his people and consequently we pray against the motions and tentations of Satan and of our owne flesh What are the outward things we pray for The meanes whereby the spirit is conueied Declare that more particularly The word and the dependances thereof What pray we for concerning the word Psal 110.1 Esa 11.4 Mark 1.13 That it being the scepter of Christs kingdome and called the word of the kingdome and the kingdome of heauen Mat. 13. 2. Thes 3.1 may bee freely preached euery where And that onely hauing place all traditions and inuentions of men may be reiected What pray we for concerning the Sacraments That as they are the seales of Gods promises and couenant of grace so they may bee both ministred and receiued in that purenesse and sincerity which is according to his word and all false Sacraments and sacrifices put vnder foot What pray we for concerning the censures That not onely priuate persons but the whole Church may bee ruled by the line of Gods word that so well doers may be aduanced and euill doers censured and corrected according to the degree of their fault and therefore that all