of that Sacrifice This Holy Offering up of himself by the Eternal Spirit is a Great Part of his Messiahship for therein he hath both confirmed his Blessed Message of Remission of Sins and Life Everlasting to as many as truly believe in his Name and given himself a Propitiation for all that have sinned and so came short of the Glory of God in so much that God is said by the Apostle Paul to be Just and the Justifier of him which believeth in Jesus whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood to declare his Righteousness for the Remissions of Sins that are past through the forbearance of God Unto which I shall Join his Mediatorship or Advocacy link'd together both by the Apostle Paul and the beloved Disciple John the first in these words For there is One God and one Mediator between God and Man the Man Christ Jesus who gave himself a Ransom for all to be testified in due Time The Apostle John expresseth it thus My little Children these things write I unto you that you Sin not and if any Man sinneth we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous he is the Propitiation for our Sins and not for ours only but also for the Sins of the whole World So that to be Brief the Christian Creed so far as it is Declaratory lies eminently in a Confession of these Particulars Of the Divine Authority of the New as well as of the Old Testament Writings and therein of these Great General and Necessary Truths expresly to wit Of Christ his Miracles Doctrine Death Resurrection Advocacy or Mediation the Gift of his Grace Faith and Repentance unto Remission of Sins the Necessity of Keeping his Commandments and lastly of Eternal Recompence Less once than all this would have done and it does not shew the Age more Christian but more Curious indeed more Infidel that there is this Stir made about External Creeds of Communion for Distrust of Brethren and Incredulity among Christians is no small Sign of their Decay of Faith towards God From the Beginning 't was not so But it may be here Objected How shall we know that such a Declaration of Faith is sincere I Answer By recurring to that Evidence which God shall give us They that can try Spirits under the most-Sheeplike Clothing have the most-Immediate and Certain Proof but let it suffise that Christ hath told us By their Fruits ye shall know them If any Man says Christ will come after me let him take up his Cross and follow me and in another place he tells us thus My Sheep hear my Voice and I knew them and they follow me that is They are led by my Spirit they live my Life they obey my Doctrine And the Apostle Peter assures us that True Faith purifies the Heart and no Impurity can flow from a pure Heart You may know this Faith by that Way by which Abraham's Faith was known to be True to wit Obedience He believed God that is He Obeyed God he submitted to the Will of God and relied upon his Goodness He that gave me my Son by a Miracle can work another to save him To God all things are Possible It is call'd by the Apostle Paul The Spirit of Faith something more near and inward than any External Articles and Declaration of Faith that from whence all True Confessions and good Works come which made the Apostle Paul thus to say We give thanks to God always for you all making mention of you in our Prayers remembring without Ceasing your Work of Faith 'T was this true Faith that brings forth Works of Righteousness by which Abel Offered to God Enoch was Translated Noah was saved it is said of him that he became Heir of the Righteousness which is by Faith By this Faith Abraham left his own Country and obey'd the Voice of God By Faith Moses was preserved from his Childhood and when he came to years refus'd to be called the Son of Pharaoh's Daughter by Faith he forsook Egypt and passed the Red Sea By Faith the Walls of Jericho fell down and Rahah was saved By Faith Gideon Barak Sampson Jephtha David Samuel and the Prophets subdued Kingdoms wrought Righteousness obtained Promises stopped the Mouthes of Lyons quenched the Violence of Fire escaped the Edge of the Sword with much more too large to be utter'd This is that Faith which the Apostle James magnifies against all false Faiths Faith says he if it has not Works is dead A Man may say Thou hast Faith and I have Works shew me thy Faith without thy Works I will shew thee my Faith by my Works And as if he had fore-seen the Men of Creeds and Articles he speaks on this wise Thou believest that there is One God thou dost well the Devils also believe and Tremble But wilt thou know O Vain Man that Faith without Works is dead Was not Abraham our Father justified by Works when he had offered Isaac his Son upon the Altar seest thou how Faith wrought with his Works and by Works was Faith made perfect And he was called the Friend of God And the Exhortation of the Apostle Peter is a plain Discrimination of true Faith And besides this giving all Diligence add to your Faith Virtue and to Virtue Knowledge and to Knowledge Temperance and to Temperance Patience and to Patience Godliness and to Godliness Brotherly Kindness and to Brotherly Kindness Charity For if these things be in you and abound they make you that ye shall neither he barren nor unfruitful in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ But he that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see far off and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old Sins I will seal up these Scripture Testimonies of Faith with that Account which is given us by the Apostle John For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the World and this is the Victory that overcometh the World even our Faith Who is he that overcometh the World but he that believed that Jesus is the Son of God So that the Belief in the Son of God must have this Evidence to prove it true that by it Men are born of God and overcome the World so that their Faith is false whom the World Overcomes I am not of this World saith Christ Jesus neither can that Faith be that is called the Faith of the Son of God There are Three Passages left us upon Record by this Beloved Disciple of Jesus of Great Weight and Importance to us when he had discoursed of the Propitiation and Advocacy of Christ he does immediately add And hereby do we know that we know him if we keep his Commandments He that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandments is a Lyar and the Truth is not in him But whoso keepeth his Word in him verily is the Love of God perfected hereby know we that we
Man the second Adam with his Holy Life and Works so shall the Fruits of his Spirit shine through us which are Love Joy Peace Long-suffering Patience Gentleness Faith Meekness Temperance for they that are Christ's have Crucified the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts They hear his Voice that leads them out of the Concupiscencies of this Vile World and they follow him and he gives unto them Eternal Life and a Stranger they will not follow The World the Flesh and the Devil make up this Stranger and those that are carried away by this Stranger are in an Unreconciled State to God and so dying must inevitably perish VVell then will be true Christians Have we Faith then let us take the Advice of that good man Peter Let us add to our Faith Virtue and to Virtue Knowledge and to Knowledge Temperance and to Temperance Patience and to Patience Godliness and to Godliness Brotherly-Kindness and to Brotherly-Kindness Charity For says he if these things be in you and abound they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ But he that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see far off and hath forgotten that he was purged from his Old Sins Wherefore the rather Brethren give Diligence to make your Calling and Election sure for if ye do these things ye shall never fall For so an Entrance shall be ministred unto you abundantly into the Everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ The Fourth Great Ecclesiastical Evil is Preferring HUMANE AUTHORITY above Reason and Truth This the next Evil which is the Last now to be considered to wit Propagation of Faith by Force Religion by Arms are the Two Legs upon which the false Church hath in all Ages under this degeneracy we find the Jewish Church at Christ's coming and he complains of it Ye teach for Doctrines the Traditions of men ye seek to kill me a man that has told you the Truth But I challenge the whole Account of Time and Records of the World which are come to the hands of this Age to tell me When where and by whom these Principles have been receiv'd improv'd and us'd with any sort of Proportion or Comparison with the Practice of that Church which has long prided her self with the Name of Catholick and Christian And yet I could wish nothing of these Two Ill Principles had found any place amongst us that call our selves Protestants for to them are properly owing most of that Ignorance Superstition Idolatry Animosity Persecution and Blood-shed that have been among Christians since the Christian Profession hath grown to any Power in the World I shall consider them severally respecting us and in their due Order with as much Brevity as well I can That Humane Authority hath been preferred above Reason and Truth that is That the Apprehensions Interpretations Conclusions and Injunctions of Men have been reputed the great Necessaries or Essentials to Salvation and Christian Commâ—ion insomuch as a Sober and Reasonable Dissent hath been too often over-rul'd not by VVeight of Argument or Evidence of Truth but by the Power and Numbers of Men in Ecclesiastical Office and Dignity is that I may say Modestly in some Degree true among us The First Church Evil reprehended in this Discourse may begin the Proof and give the first Witness upon this part of the Charge viz. That OPINIONS have been maâ—â— ARTICLES of Faith that is the CONSTRUCTIONS and CONCLUSIONS of MEN from Sacred VVrit and not the TEXT it self have been injoyn'd impos'd as ESSENTIAL to Eternal Salvation and External Christian Communion Insomuch as no Reason Scripture or purest Antiquity have suffer'd to prevail against such Determinations and too often not enough to excuse those that have pleaded for a Conscientious Dissent from them the Authors of them either resting upon the Authority of their own Judgments or conforming themselves to the Example of Ages less pure and clear I Conscientiously refuse to name Parties because I am tender of giving the least Offence but upon a Just Observance of those Revolutions of Protestancy that have been amongst us we may see with what Stiffness not to say Obstinacy several Models of Religion and Draughts of Creeds have been contended for I would beseech every Party in Christ's Name to look into it self for I don 't because such are best able if they will be Impartial and put no Cheat upon themselves to make the Application However I will name those Points about which the Authority of Man as it seems to me has been so Positive of God as to his Prescience and Predetermination Of Christ as to his Natures and Personality and the Extent of his Death and Intercession Of Free Will and Grace Of Faith and Works Of Perseverance and Falling away Of the Nature of the Church And Lastly of the Dignity and Power of the Clergy And if men please but to lay their Hands upon their Hearts and cast their Eyes upon the Scriptures if they will but use the Light that God has afforded them and bring such Debates and Results to the Test of that Light and the Sound Form of Words the Holy Ghost hath preserv'd amongst us I need not take the Employment upon me of pointing to Humane Authority among the several Parties of Protestants as to these points nothing will be clearer For it is about the Meaning of this and the Intention of that place of Scripture the Contest hath been and is and how to maintain and propagate those Conceits So that the falling out is in the Wood of our own Opinions and there the Contention is kindled that consumes all about our Ears O that we would be but impartial and see our over-plus to the Scriptures and retrench that redancy or keep it modestly for 't is an horrid thing that we Protestants should assume a Power of ranging our apprehensions with the Text and injoining our Imaginations for Indispensible Articles of Faith and Christian Communion But the next proof of the prevalency of Humane Authority amongst us Protestants is The great Power and Sway of the Clergy and the Peoples Reliance upon them for the Knowledge of Religion and the Way of Life and Salvation This is such plain Fact that almost every Parish proves it Is not Prophecy once the Church's now engrost by them and wholly in their hands Who dare publickly preach or pray that is not of that Class or Order Have not they only the Keys in keeping May any body else pretend to the Power of Absolution or Excommunication muchless to constitute Ministers Are not all Church Rites and Priviledges in their Custody don 't they make it their proper Inheritance Nay so much larger is their Empire then Caesars that only they begin with Births and end with Burials Men must pay them for Coming in and Going out of the World To pay for dying is hard Thus their Profits run to the Grave and that which is
would from hence wring and extort the Power of defining resolving and imposing upon all people under temporal and eternal punishment Articles of Faith and Bonds of Christian Communion I Conclude this of the Church with saying that 't is not Identity of Opinion but Justice not Religious Uniformity but Personal Satisfaction that concerns the text and therefore Reason sober Consciencâ— and good Sense may at any time lawful insist upon their claim to be heard in all their Scruples or Exceptions without disrespect to that excellent Doctrine when rightly understood Go tell the Church To this let me add somthing about this great Word CHURCH Some men think they are sure enough if they can but get within the pale of the Church that have not yet consider'd what it is The Word CHURCH signifies any Assembly so the Greeks used it and it is by Worthy Tindal every where translated Congregation It has a two fold sense in Scripture The first and most excellent Sense is that in which she is called the Body and Bride of Christ In this respect she takes in all Generations and is made up of the Regenerated be they in Heaven or on Earth thus Ephes 1. 22. 5. 23 to 33. Col. 1. 16 17. 18. Heb. 12. 22 23. Rev. 21. 2. Chap. 22. 17. Here Christ only can be Head this Church is washed from all Sin not a Spot nor a Wrinkle left ill men have nothing to do with this Church within whose pale only is Salvation nor is this Universal and truly Catholick Church capable of being conveen'd to be told of Wrongs or Trespasses The other use of that Word in Scripture is alwayes referred to Particular Assemblies and Places that is the Church which by Christ's Doctrine is to be told of Personal Injuries and whose determination for Peace sake is to be adhear'd to must of necessity be the adiacent or most contiguous company of Christian Believers those to whom the Persons in difference are by external Society and Communion related and that such private and distinct Assemblies are so called the Church is apparent from the acts and writings of the Apostles the Church of Jerusalem Antioch Corinth Ephesus Galatia Thessalonica Crete c. peruse these places Acts 5. 11. 9. 31. 11. 22 26. 14 23 27. Rom. 16. 5. 1 Cor. 1. 2. 4. 17. 14. 4. Rev. 2. 3. Chap. By which it plainly appears that the Universal visible Church so much bragg'd of for the Rule and Judge of Faith c. is an upstart thing and like mean Families or ill got Goods it uses false Heraldry to give it a Title For the Apostoilick times to which all others must vail and by whom they must be tryed know no such conceit and the Truth is it was then first started when the Pride of one man made him ambitious and his Power able to bid for Headship Empire and Soveraignity 't was then needful to his being Universal head that he should first have an Universal body But suppose such a Church there were 't is utterly Impossible that such a Church could be called together in anyone place or at any one time to be told or to determine of any thing so that yielding the thing by them desired it is useless and impracticable to the ends they desire it for But alas who knows not that loves not to be blind that the Church among them is the Priesthood the few cunning men govern the Majority and intitle their conceits the Canons of Christ's Church and humane Power and Force the Policy and Weapons of this world must back their decrees And all this comes from the Ignorance and Idleness of the People that give the Pride and Industry of the Clergy an opportunity to effect their crafts upon them For so mean spirited are the People as to take all upon trust for their Souls that would not trust an Arch-Bishop about a slit Groat 'T is prodigious to think what Veneration the Priest-hood have raised to themselves by their usurpt Commission of Apostleship their pretended Successions and their CLINK CLANK of extraordinary Ordination A Priest a God on Earth a Man that has the Keys of Heaven and Hell do as he says or be damn'd what power like to this The Ignorance of the People of their Title and Pretences have prepared them to deliver up themselves into their hands like a Crafty Usurer that hedges in the Estate on which he has a Mortgage and thus they make themselves ever in Fee to the Clergy and become their proper Patrimony So that believing as the Church believes is neither more nor less then Rooking men of their Understandings or doing as ill Gamesters are wont to do get by using false Dice Come come 't is believing as the Priesthood believes which made way for that offence wise and good men have taken against the Clergy in every Age And did the People examine their bottom the ground of their Religion and Faith it would not be in the Power of their Leaders to cause them to Err an implicit Veneration to the Clergy begun the Misery What! Doubt my Minister arraign his Doctrine put him to the Proof by no means but the Consequence of not doing it has been the Introduction of much false Doctrine Superstition and Formality which gave just occasion for Schism for the Word has no hurt in it and implies only a Separation which may as well be right as wrong But that I may not be taxed with partiallity or upbraided with sigularity there are two Men whose Worth Good Sense and True Learning I will at any time engage against an entire Convocation of another Judgment viz. Jacobus Acontius and John Hales of Eaton that are of the same mind who though they have not writ much have writ well and much to the purpose I will begin with Jacobus Acontius at large and do heartily beseech my Readers to be more then ordinarily intent in reading what I cite of him their Care and Patience will be requited by his Christian and very acute Sense It remains that we speak of such Causes of the not perceiving that a Change of Doctrine is introduced as consist in the Persons that are taught Now they are cheifly two Carelesness and Ignorance Carlesness for the most â—part ariseth hence In that the people trust too much to their Pastors and per swade themselves that they will not slip into any Error and that therefore they have small need to have an Eye over them but that they are bound rather to embrace whatsoever they shall hold forth without any curious Examination Hereunto may be added many other businesses whereunto men addict themselves For that Saying is of large extent Where mens Treasure is there is their Heart and that other No man can serve two Masters Now how it may come to pass that after a people hath once had a great Knowledge of Divine Truths the said Knowledge may as it were vanish away besides that Cause which