Christ for the edifying of the Church Ephes 4. 11 12. He gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the Work of the Ministry for the edifying of the Body of Christ till we all come in the Vnity of the Faith c. But not one word of such an Office as that of supreme Pastor or universal Sovereign over all Which we may be sure he would not have omitted if such an Office had been so necessary to the aforesaid Ends as is pretended CHAP. IX That the Pope hath power over Kings to Excommunicate and Depose them and can give Power to resist Soveraign Princes and can absolve Subjects from their Allegiance And that all Ecclesiastical Persons are exempted from the Jurisdiction of Secular Courts The 3d General Council of Lateran Cap. 27. 14. The 4th of Lateran Can. 3. de Haereticis Can. 43. Council of Lions Ann. 1245. Council of Constance Sess 17. Council of Trent Decret de Reformat Cap. 12. THis vast and exorbitant Power being founded upon the Pope's Headship over the Church which is refuted before there needs no new Arguments here for the confutation hereof For it is not pretended that the Pope hath a proper and direct temporal Soveraignty but as a necessary Consequent to and appendix of his Spiritual and for the promoting the Ends thereof The Pope can change Kingdoms take them from one and give them to another as the soveraign spiritual Prince if this be necessary to the Salvation of Souls Which are the words of Bellarmiâ—◠〈◊〉 Rom. Pontif. lib. 5. cap. 6. So that the same Arguments produced before to refute the spiritual Soveraignty serve also to overthrow the temporal and more strongly this having only relation to the former and inferr'd from it by far-fetch'd Consequences without the least intimation from Scripture And the exemption of all Ecclesiastical Persons from the Temporal Power is grounded likewise upon the same Papal Headship For he being supposed to be their supreme Governor and Soveraign is to take cognizance of all Causes that have relation to them as their proper Judg. And this being the Consequent of such a Principle the Principle being overthrown the Consequence must also fall with it And then there remains no other Power upon Earth to which the Clergy are to be subject as their supreme Governor under God and Christ but soveraign Princes and States in their several Dominions But yet this pretended Exemption of the Clergy may be likewise farther confuted from the following Texts Rom. 13. 1 2. Let every Soul be subject unto the higher Powers meaning the supreme Civil Authority whatsoever it is whether Emperor King c. in their several Dominions Here 's an universal Assertion respecting all Persons under such Authorities and no exemption of any For there is no such Power lawfully constituted but of God The Powers that be are ordainded of God. Wherefore he that resisteth the Power resisteth the Ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation So that there is no Power whatever that can absolve Subjects from their Allegiance to the supreme Magistrate or free them from his Jurisdiction lawfully constituted For he beareth not the Sword in vain 't is his part to bear and wield and Sword of Justice For he is the Minister of God to execute Wrath upon him that doth evil and to punish Offenders And therefore Ecclesiastical Persons as â—ell as others if they do evil against the Laws of God and a lawful Government are liable to the just execution of punishments inflicted by such Governours But it is well known that the Republick of Venice was put under an Interdict for having began a Process against an Abbot and a Canon who were notoriously criminal and punishable 1 Pet. 2. 13 14. See also St. Peter ' s Judgment Submit your selves to every Ordinance of Man for the Lord's sake whether it be to the King as Supreme or unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evil Doers and for the praise of them that do well He doth not say Submit your selves to me as the supreme Head of the Church neither saith he Submit your selves from time to time to my Successor in Rome but submit your selves to the King as Supreme And how could he more manifestly teach subjection which all Persons of whatsoever Condition and Quality should render unto him For he makes no exception of the Clergy but this Epistle is directed to them as well as others See Chap. 5. Tit. 3. 1. See here again to the same purpose St. Paul Put them in mind to be subject to Principalities and Powers and to obey Magistrates Who were these that Titus was to put in mind to be subject but those who by St. Paul's direction were committed to his care and teaching among which we find the Elders and Bishops of the Churches Chap. 1. 4 5. these were some of those then whom Titus was to put in mind to be subject Aaron was Elder Brother to Moses and chief Priest yet nevertheless he was subject to Moses and called him his Lord Exod. 32. 21 22. And Moses said unto Aaron What did this People unto thee that thou hast brought so great a Sin upon them viz. of the Golden Calf of which they spake And Aaron said Let not the Anger of my Lord wax hot thou knowest the People that they are set on mischief And Numb 12. 11. Aaron said unto Moses Alas my Lord lay not this Sin upon us wherein we have done foolishly and wherein we have sinned for he and Miriam had murmured against Moses The chief Priests were subject to the Kings of Israel For which you need but read the Books of Kings See one Example hereof to which no reply can be made 1 King. 2. 26 27. Vnto Abiather the Priest said King Solomon Get thee to Anathoth unto thine own Fields for thou art worthy of Death but I will not at this time put thee to death because thou bearest the Ark of God before David my Father c. So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being Priest unto the Lord. But now under the New Testament saith Cardinal Bonaventure the Temporal Rule is subject to the Priesthood and Popes may now degrade Kings and depose Emperors as this hath often come to pass But wherein is the difference and where is the proof of this impious Assertion St. Paul pleadeth his cause before Felix a secular Judg and doth not except against the Jurisdiction of the Court Acts 24. And so again before Festus Acts 25. But now the meanest Priest and the poorest Monk of them all where he can refuseth to appear before the secular Judges And it is a received Maxim The Pope ought to judg all the World and be judged himself of no Body Distinct 40. Can. Si Pape At last St. Paul appeals unto Cesar Acts 25. 10 11. Then said Paul I stand at Cesar
XXVIII That those Masses are to be approved and commended where the Priest communicates alone 172 XXIX That the Sacrament is to be administred in one kind only and the use of the Cup kept from the People 175 Some Prejudices of the Church of Rome answered Sect. 1. They accuse our Doctrine of Novelty 181 2. They say we had no Call 184 3. They Object to us the Divisions that are amongst the Reformed 188 That there are some Places more Holy than others and that it is a Work of Piety to go in Pilgrimage to them 192 That the Sacraments do confer Grace by the Work done 196 Of the Holy Scripture and Traditions CHAP. I. That all saving-Truth is not contained in the Holy Scripture but partly in the Scripture and partly in unwritten Traditions which whosoever doth not receive with the like Piety and Reverence as he does the Scriptures is accursed Concil Trident. Sess 4. Decret de Can. Script COntrary to that which is written in the second Epistle to Timothy Chap. 3. vers 15. The holy Scriptures are able to make thee wise unto Salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jesus That which is able to make us wise unto Salvation contains in it all saving Truth that is all that is necessary to be known in order to Salvation For how else can it make us wise to Salvation How can the Holy Scripture make us wise unto Salvation if it doth not contain all saving Truth or all that is necessary to be known in order to Salvation Vers 16 17. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for instruction in Righteousness that the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good Works Mow if the Man of God who is to instruct others and to declare to them the whole Counsel of God so far as is necessary for their attainment of Salvation be perfectly instructed for the discharge of his Duty from the Scripture then the Scripture must needs contain all saving Truth or all that is necessary to be known both by him and every particular Christian in order to Salvation And note that it is not our part to show what those Scriptures then were which the Apostle here intends they being confessedly the same which are still contained in the Canon of it But whatever they were it is plain from the Apostle that there is no saving Truth but what is contained in them which yet doth not derogate from the usefulness of those Books which were added to the Canon afterwards whatever they were they being useful however as Comments upon the former to clear up what was before less clearly delivered or to declare some Truths of less necessary importance though all that was necessary to Salvation was delivered before So that we must needs apprehend the Scripture as it is now to be a compleat Rule of Faith without taking in any thing of unwritten Tradition to piece it up or compleat it Before Divine Doctrine was committed to writing Men had no other Rule but natural Light or immediate Revelation or Tradition of what was before made known And when the Lives of Men were long Divine Doctrine might better be conveighed this way than it can be now And in our Saviour's the Apostles Time this might serve the turn for the present Age in which there was a continuation of extraordinary Gifts and especially to the immediate Auditors of these inspired Persons But in the shorter Age of Men this was not thought a safe or sufficient means to conveigh down Divine Doctrine to the following Ages And therefore it was thought more expedient to put down in writing what was to be made known to after-Ages for the more sure preservation of all such Truths from Corruption and to be a standing Rule to which they might have recourse upon all occasions Thus God himself wrote the Ten Commandments in Tables of Stone And Moses by God's direction wrote the Law as the Prophets afterwards did their several Prophecies or a brief Summary of them For it is said 2 Tim. 3. 16. All Scripture is given b◠inspiration of God. And sometimes we find express direction for the writing of some things which were to be transmitted to future Ages As Exod. 17. 14. Write this for a Memorial in a Book And Isa 30. 8. Now go write it before them in a Table and note it in a Book that it may be for the Time to come for ever and ever And Psal 102. 18. This shall be written for the Generation to come Whereby is intimated the great need of writing then to conveigh a certain notice of things to future Ages and which implies the Incompetency and Insufficiency of Tradition for that purpose And when once it had pleased God to commit the Holy Rule to writing we find the Scripture commended for a perfect Direction Psal 19. 7. The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the Soul. And Tradition is no where commended or any order given to have recourse to it in any case but to the Holy Scripture alone Thus Isa 8. 20. To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no Light in them Thus Joshua was directed to govern himself in all his Actions by the same Holy Rule and therein should prosper and do wisely Josh 1. 7. That thou mayst observe to do according to all the Law which Moses my Servant commanded thee Turn not from it to the right hand or to the left And vers 8. This Book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein The same also did Joshua prescribe to his Successors Chap. 23. 6. And the King when he sat upon the Throns of his Kingdom was to write him a Copy of this Law in a Book and read therein all the days of his life Deut. 17. 18 19. And this was the way to have him prosperous and to prolong his days Here is nothing at all left to Tradition nor any recourse to be had to it but to the written Law alone intimated as perfect to all the intents and purposes of a good and holy Life There were no other Ordinances to be observed but what were contained in the Law which forbad all Additions Deut. 4. 2. Ye shall not add unto the Word which I command you neither shall you diminish from it So again Chap. 12. 32. so Prov. 30. 6. Add thou not unto his Words lest he reprove thee and thou be found a 〈◊〉 For this the Children of Israel were condemned Jer. 32. 35. that they built the high Places of Baal to consecrate their Sons and their Daughters unto Molech which I commanded them not The Reformation of the Church therefore under Jehoshaphat that good King was made by the Scripture That was their Rule alone 2 Chron.
read or make inquiry into the Word it affords him a great deal of Light and Understanding Unless the Light be obscure then the Scripture is not obscure If Men don't turn their backs to this Lamp they may perceive the Light thereof See how the Psalmist profited in Wisdom by meditating therein ver 98 99 100. Deut. 30. 11 14. This Commandment which I command thee this day is not hidden from thee neither is it far off c. but the Word is very nigh unto thee in thy Mouth and in thy Heart that thou mayest do it Where the plainness of the Command is asserted and that in order to the performance of it For a Rule that is not understood can never be observed And this perspicuity and Intelligibleness of the Commands given by Moses the Apostle applies to the Gospel Rom. 10. 6 7 8. 2 Cor. 4. 3 4. But if our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost in whom the God of this World hath blinded the minds of them that believe not lest the Light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should shine unto them The Gospel is plain enough of it self then and easy to be understood by any but obdurate and unbelieving Sinners For therein we all with open fact behold as in a Glass the Glory of the Lord Chap. 3. 18. 2 Tim. 3. 15. The Holy Scriptures are able to make thee wise unto Salvation But how can that be if they be so dark that they cannot be understood Can we be wise without understanding Or are they so difficult to be known which Timothy knew from a Child 2 Pet. 1. 19. The Apostle calls the Prophecies of the old Testament a sure Word of Prophecy whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a Light that shineth in a dark place until the day dawn and the day-spring arise in your hearts And if there be such clearness in them what clearness think you is there in the Doctrine of the Apostles There 〈◊〉 a greater degree of Light and Plainness and Intelligibleness promised under the Gospel than what was under the Law Heb. 8. 11. And if the Old testament be so plain and intelligible the New much more Yet note that it is granted that there are many dark Things and hard to be understood in the Scripture and which are so to the Learned as well as to the Unlearned which may arise from several causes But whatever things are necessary are plain saith St. Chrysostome All things which concern Faith and a good Life are plainly contained in Scripture saith St. Austin The Doctrine concerning God his Being Attributes and Providence of Christ's being the Son of God his becoming Man his dying and rising again The Precepts Promises and Threatnings c. For how are they necessary to be believed if they be not plainly revealed Or are the Unlearned excused from believing them because they cannot understand them Did not Christ himself preach and order his Apostles to preach to the Unlearned as well as to the Learned And did he and they preach intelligibly to them or no If they did not to what purpose did they preach at all or how was the World converted by them Were there none converted but the learned Priests and wise Men plainly the contrary rather Matth. 11. 25. 1 Cor. 1. 26. If they did preach intelligibly then it seems their Doctrine was plain enough And is it not the same Doctrine that is written in the Scriptures which they preach How came the same Doctrine then so dark when it was writ which was so plain when it was preach'd Doth the putting it down in writing make it hard to be understood And was it not writ to distinct Persons and Places and for the use of all as shall appear in the next Chapter Therefore I conclude it was written intelligibly to all in all things necessary or else the Holy Ghost would be wanting to his own Design and his writing for the use of all could not answer the end for which it is written CHAP. III. That it is not for the Common People to read the Scripture and if they should more prejudice than benefit would arise to them from the reading of it Council of Trent Sess 4. decret de Can. scrip Index lib. prohib regula 4. COntrary to that which is written Deut. 6. 7 8 9. These words which I command thee this day shall be in thy heart And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy Children and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way and when thou liest down and when thou risest up And thou shalt bind them for a Sign upon thine hand and they shall be as Frontlets between thine eyes and thou shalt write them upon the Posts of thine House and on thy Gates This is spoken to Persons of all Sorts Qualities and Conditions in Israel And how should they do all this without a particular and diligent perusal of the Law Josephus tells us that the Jewish Children were so well verst in it that they could repeat the Law without Book Thus Josh 1. 8. God commanded Joshua This Book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night then shalt thou make thy way prosperous See a General of an Army obliged by an express Command to read and meditate in the Holy Scriptures and not to depend upon the Priest's Instruction alone So Deut. 17. 18 19. the King was to write him a Copy of the 〈◊〉 and to meditate therein all the days of his Life Isa 34. 16. Seek ye out the Book of the Lord and read The Prophet speaks to all People upon Earth as may be seen in the beginning of the Chapter We have many such Directions and Commands from our Saviour and his Apostles in the New Testament John 5. 39. Search the Scripture our Saviour speaks not only to Doctors or Teachers but also to the People And he exhorts not only to read but to search them diligently So the Apostle Ephes 6. 17. Take unto you the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. By which we are enabled to repel the Temptations and to resist the Assaults of the Devil and to drive him from us as our Saviour himself did Col. 3. 16. And let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all Wisdom teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs If the Doctrine or Word of Christ be contained in the Holy Scriptures then here is an Obligation to a diligent and serious study of them Luke 11. 28. Blessed are they that hear the Word of God and keep it And why not then blessed are they that read and observe it Why should Men be hindred from reading these Sermons of our Saviour and his Apostles which then there was a blessing upon Man for hearing Are they more dangerous now they are writ than they were when they were
Servant of all If our Saviour had intended a primacy of Jurisdiction or Authority to St. Peter over the rest of the Disciples would he have exprest himself in such universal Terms so absolutely denying this Authority and Superiority to all Would he not have excepted St. Peter's Right and Priviledg which he intended to him But here 's an universal Negation of such supreme Authority to all of them indifferently without any such Exception Mat. 19. 28. Jesus said unto them Verily I say unto you that ye which have followed me in the Regeneration when the Son of Man shall sit upon the Throne of his Glory ye shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel The Apostles are here represented sitting equally upon twelve Thrones Is not this to let us understand that they were to have an equal Authority Whereas if St. Peter was to have had a superior Authority one would think he should have had a Throne too superior to all the rest Mat. 23. 8. Be not yâ— called Rabbi or Master for one is your Master even Christ and all ye are Brethren Here is no assignation of any Mastership to St. Peter as Christ's Vicar But all the Disciples are joined together in an equality of Brotherhood under Christ their Lord. Luke 22. 24. There was also a strife among them which of them should be accounted the Greatest Note that this Dispute was but the Evening before the Passion of Jesus Christ after these words were spoken Mat. 16. 19. I will give unto thee the Keys If St. Peter had been then constituted the Chief of the Apostles there would never have been this Dispute among them touching the Primacy For our Saviour upon this Dispute said not one word that he had given it to St. Peter But on the contrary Vers 25. 26. The Kings of the Gentiles exercise Lordship over them and they that exercise Authority upon them are called Benefactors but ye shall not be so Which certainly excludes such a Supreme Authority as is claim'd by the Pope John 20. 22 23. Jesus Christ breathed upon his Disciples and said unto them Receive ye the Holy Ghost Whose Sins ye remit they are remitted and whose Sins ye retain they are retained Note here that the Power of binding and loosing which was promised to St. Peter Mat. 16. 19. is here given to all the Disciples indifferently Therefore that Promise conveyed no special Priviledge or Authority to St. Peter but what was given in common to them all Ephes 2. 20. Ye are built upon the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himself being the chief Corner-Stone Note that the Apostles and Prophets are here put in the same rank and are all equally called Foundation-stones as St. Peter was called a Rock Matth. 16. 18. and James and John Pillars as well as he Gal. 2. 9. To Jesus Christ alone belongs the Preheminence So Rev. 21. 14. And the Wall of the City had twelve Foundations and in them were the Names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. You see here still the Apostles advanc'd to the same degree of Honour Buâ— note that the Apostles are not called Foundations in respect of their Persons but in respect of the Doctrine which they held or preach'd And in the Text Matth. 16. 18. Thou art Peter and upon this Rock will I build my Church The Rock there mentioned is expounded by many of the Ancient Fathers as St. Chrysostom St. Ambrose St. Austin c. of the Doctrine which St. Peter confest that Christ was the Son of the living God. Which Christ calls a Rock and that upon which he would build his Church with allusion to St. Peter's Name that spoke it which signifies a Stone And upon this Doctrine all the Apostles indifferently founded the Churches where they came as well as he John 21. 17. Where our Saviour three times saith to St. Peter Feed my Sheep What is there contained in that or signified by it but what is equally the duty of all other Pastors of the Church So that here is no Priviledg conferr'd only to him but a Duty injoined which concerns all but is there particularly three times repeated to St. Peter and urged upon him as the best expression of his Love which he then professed to his Lord and Master whom before he had thrice denied and perhaps was as a rebuke for that denial three times repeated 1 Pet. 5. 1 2 3. Here St. Peter puts himself in the rank of the Elders that is to say the Pastors of the Church and doth not in the least attribute to himself any manner of Domination and forbids the same to others The Elders which are among you I exhort who am also an Elder He doth not say who am supreme Ruler and Governor over all as he might and should have done to have inforc'd his Exhortation the more if it had been true For he should have magnified his Office as St. Paul did Feed the Flock of God which is among you taking the oversight thereof Which is the same Exhortation which our Saviour gave him And how then is it a special Prerogative belonging to him alone But then he adds likewise not by constraint but willingly not for filthy Lucre but of a ready Mind neither as being Lords over God's Heritage but being Enamples to the Flock Quite contrary to the Pride and Arrogance of many Bishops of Rome that lord it over all Consider farther there are no Indications of any such supreme Authority in St. Peter but the quite contrary in very many Instances St. Peter is not always named in the first place as Mark 16. 7. Joh. 1. 44. 1 Cor. 1. 12. Gal. 2. 9. He spake not first in the Council of Jerusalem but a great Dispute there had been before he began his Discourse Acts 15. 7. It was not by his Sentence that the Decree of the Council was stated vers 13. The Message to the Gentiles was not sent by him vers 22. The Decree of the Council was not publish'd in his Name vers 23. He shared the Ecclesiastical Charge with the Apostles as their Fellow and Companion in the Work of the Lord. Gal. 2. 9. And when James and Cephas and John who seemed to be Pillars perceived the Grace that was given to me they gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of Fellowship that we should go unto the Gentiles as they unto those of the Circumcision St. Paul makes himself equal unto him in all things Gal. 2. 6. Of those that seemed to be somewhat whatsoever they were it maketh no matter to meâ— God accepteth no Man's Person They that seemed to be somewhat in Conference added nothing to me So 2 Cor. 11. 5. For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest Apostles It had been good manners to have excepted St. Peter his Head and Lord at least St. Peter was sent in Commission by the rest of the Apostles Acts 8. 14. When the Apostles that were at Jerusalem
Faith to teach many Mediators though inferior to Christ as to teach many Gods though subordinate to the Supreme God. So 1 Cor. 8. 5 6. For though there be that are called Gods whether in Heaven or in Earth as there be Gods many and Lords many but to us there is but one God the Father of whom are all things and we in him and one Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things and we by him In opposition to the Pagan Idolatry in worshipping many inferior Gods and Lords together with the Supreme God either as sharers with him in the Government of the World or as Mediators with him for Men. But we are to worship and in Worship to apply our selves to no other but this only Lord God and our Saviour Jesus Christ For Acts 4. 12. Neither is there Salvation in any other for there is no other Name under Heaven given among Men whereby we must be saved not yet in Heaven neither John 14. 6. I am the Way the Truth and the Life no Man can come unto the Father but by me And Vers 13. Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my Name I will do it that the Father may be glorified in the Son. And John 16. 24. That your Joy may be full This is the only direction which our Saviour gave his Disciples a little before his Death to ask in his Name and to come to the Father by him to which and to no other way of address is the Promise of Audience made So that for any to address themselves to Saints or Angels as Mediators must needs be presumptuous and vain Ephes 2. 18. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father And Ephes 3. 12. By him we have boldness and access with confidence through the Faith which we have in him There can be no need then of other Mediators since the Son renders the Father accessible and favourable to us so that we may come to him with an holy boldness and confidence Heb. 4. 15. For we have not an High-Priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our Infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are Sin only excepted We cannot address our selves to any one that knows our Necessities better who hath more compassion of our Miseries or who is better able to do us good or who is more nearly allied unto us For we are Members of his Body of his Flesh and of his Bone Ephes 5. Vers 16. Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace to the immediate presence of God whither we may immediatly direct our Prayers through the Merits and Intercession of Christ not to the Shrine of any Saint by the way that we may obtain Mercy and find Grace to help in a time of need And Heb. 10. 19. Having therefore boldness to enter into the Holiest by the Blood of Jesus by a new and living Way which he hath consecrated for us through the Vail that is to say his Flesh and having an High-Priest over the House of God let us draw near with a true Heart in full assurance of Faith. But to use the Mediation of Saints and Angels and directly contrary to this boldness and assurance which we should have in our access to him by Christ For that sets us at a greater distance from God and implies as if we did not dare to approach his Presence without the Intercession of a Favourite Saint Heb. 7. 24 25. But this Man because he continueth for ever hath an unchangeable Priesthood wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make Intercession for them Where the Intercession of our Saviour is made an act or part of his unchangeable Priesthood not to be imparted to any other And by this Intercession of his we obtain Eternal Salvation So that there can be no need of any others Intercession The Mediatory Intercession of Saints then is an invasion of Christ's Priestly Office and doth also plainly imply the insufficiency of our Saviour's Intercession contrary to the Apostle Heb. 12. 24. We are come to Jesus the Mediator of the New Testament and to the Blood of Sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of Abel Note that Jesus Christ is the Mediator in virtue of his Blood. Which doth not cry for Vengeance against his Brethren as Abel's did but by which he intercedes and calls for Mercy Grace and Peace for the greatest Sinners who have their Hearts touched with Repentance and therefore none should be discouraged from approaching this Mediator 1 John 2. 1 2. I write these things unto you that ye sin not but if any Man sinneth we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous For he is the Propitiation for our Sins and not for ours only but also for the Sins of whole World. Where Christ is described as the Advocate the only Advocate appointed for us in the Court of Heaven and the Advocate General of all Christians And the Holy Spirit joins Intercession and Propitiation together and founds the former upon the latter to teach us that whosoever is not a Mediator of Redemption and Propitiation cannot be an Advocate or Mediator of Intercession It is his Mouth alone then by which we speak to the Father and that in the virtue of the Propitiation which he hath made So again Rom. 8. 34. It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right Hand of God who also maketh Intercession for us The Intercession of Christ is founded upon his Death It belongs to none other but him who shed his Blood upon the Cross to appear for us within the Heavenly Sanctuary It is his part only to present the Prayers of the Church of God who can cover their Defects and render them acceptable to God which was formerly shadowed in the Person of the High-Priest who was to carry upon his Miter a Plate of pure Gold in which was engraven Holiness to the Lord. Exod. 28. 37 38. Thou shalt put it on a blue Lace that it may be upon the Mitre upon the fore-front of the Mitre it shall be And it shall be upon Aaron ' s Forehead that Aaron may bear the Iniquity of the Holy Things which the Children of Israel shall hallow in all their Holy Gifts and it shall be always upon his Forehead that they may be accepted before the Lord. This is fulfilled in Christ alone who is the Substance and the Truth of all the ancient Figures All the Psalms of David and all other Prayers both in the Old and New Testament are directed to God alone and not one Supplication made or one Hymn bestowed upon any Tutelar or Patron Saint or Angel throughout all the Scripture Which is very strange among so many devout Men and their Devotions that are mentioned if the thing had been allowable 2 Kings 2. 9. Elijah said to Elisha Ask what I shall
do for thee before I be taken from thee And why not after if the thing were so proper But Elijah gave no encouragement to this nor is there any instance of any Prayer made to him by the Jews though it was certainly known he was in Heaven Nor yet to any Angel to Gabriel or Raphel or any other though the Angels certainly were as much in Heaven then as they are now Jacob's Prayer Gen. 48. 16. was to the Angel that redeemed him that is to Christ who often appeared as an Angel to the Patriarchs before his Incarnation and is called the Angel of God's Presence Isa 63. 9. All the Instructions for Prayer which we have in Scripture teach us to have recourse to God alone Psal 50. 15. Call upon me in the day of Trouble and I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorify me Let any one shew the like Command to call upon the Saints and we will instantly do it Acts 2. 21. Whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved But it is no-where said whosoever shall call upon the Name of St. Peter or St. Paul shall be saved Luke 11. 1 2. When one of his Disciples said to him Lord teach us to pray our Saviour gives this as the Model of all Prayer When ye pray say Our Father which art in Heaven c. Which sure none can speak to a Saint or Angel who acknowledg themselves our Brethren and our Companions in Service Rev. 12. 11. Chap. 19. 20. Rom. 8. 15. They that are the Children of God have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby they cry Abba Father And so Gal. 4. 6. For asmuch as ye are the Children of God God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our Hearts crying Abba Father That Spirit which is the Spirit of Adoption teacheth the Children of God to pray to God alone and that with humble Confidence as to a Father and all the Prayers that he forms in our Hearts are address'd to God as our Father So that that Spirit then that puts Men upon praying to Saints is another Spirit and not the Spirit of Jesus Christ And those that have not the confidence to address their Prayers to God whatever Spirit they are indued with have not the Spirit of Adoption All our Prayers and Thanksgivings are Spiritual Sacrifices but Sacrifices ought to be offered to God alone Psal 50. 14. Offer unto God Thanksgivings aâ—d pay thy Vows unto the most High. Hos 14. 2. Take with you words and turn unto the Lord say unto him Take away all Iniquity and receive us graciously so wâ—â—l we render thee the Calves of our Lips. Heb. 13. 1â— By him therefore viz. Jesus Christ let us offer the Sacrifice of Praise to God continually that is the Fruit of our Liâ—s giving Thanks in his Name 1 Pet. 2. 5. Christians are an Holy Priesthood to offer up Spiritual Sacrifices to God by Jesus Christ It is a vast knowledg that the Saints to whom we pray must be supposed to have For they must be supposed to know where their Petitioners are what they want and how truly and rightly they pray and this perhaps of Persons in a thousand places or more if they should pray all to the same Saint at the same time As for instance to St. Paul or St. Peter what if all the People in the World should pray to them at the same time as 't is possible and may be done upon Popish Principles then St. Peter and St. Paul must know the Conditions of all the Men in the World at the same time or to instance in St. Nicholas the Sea-man's Saint in the words of an excellent Author He must be supposed to hearken when he is in Heaven suppose to what one Sea-man prays in a Shipwrack at the Straits to what another wishes for when he is becalm'd in the South-Sea to the Cries of another who sees an Hurricane by the Barbadots to the private desires of another who fishes for Pearls in the Guiny-Shore or Herrings by our English-Coast or for Whales hard by Greenland or for Trouts in the small Rivers and he must be able to hear what thousands of Passengers who cry to him being ready to perish in as many places all at once and withal in these numberless Places and Exigencies what they both think and deserve in order to the returning of suitable Reliefs and Helps Is not this a vast Knowledg for a mâ—re Creature to have But we are well assured both by Scripture and the nature of the thing that 't is vastly above them and is what they have not And therefore to ascribe it to them what is it but Idolatry The Saints in Heaven do not hear our Prayers To Hear Prayers is made the peculiar Attribute of God in Scripture Psal 65. 2. Oh thou that hearest Prayer unto thee shall all Flesh come For Psal 145. 18. The Lord is nigh unto them that call upon him to all that call upon him in Truth But can any one say so of the Saints Their Essence is not infinite to be in all Places of the World near unto all those that cry unto them The Saints departed do not know our particular Necessities Eccles 9. 5 6. For the Dead know not any thing also their love and their hatred and their envy is now perish'd Job 14. 21. His Sons come to honour and he knoweth it not and they are brought low but he perceiveth it not of them He doth not know the Condition or Necessities of his nearest Relations Isa 63. 16. Thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of us and Israel acknowledgeth us not Yet Abraham was now in Heaven into whose Bosom the Faithful pass Luke 16. 22. And God tells Josiah 2 Kings 22. 20. I will gather thee unto thy Fathers and thine Eyes shall not see all the Evil which I will bring upon this place He was not sensible after his departure of the publick Miseries much less the particular Necessities of his People If the Saints departed know our Necessities how do they know them They are not Omnipresent are they Or do they see all in the Face of God But 't is certain the Angels do not for they know not the Day of Judgment Mat. 13. 32. Besides if they see all things in the Face of God this is to make them Omniscient as God is and so to make them Gods or do they only see some things If they only see some things how shall we be assured that they see either us praying or what we want For who can tell but these may be some of those Things which they do not see Or do they only know all things that occur by the information of Ministring-Angels But how are we sure that the Angels themselves know all our Affairs tho they may know some wherein their own Comfort and Happiness is likewise concern'd as the Conversion of a Sinner which brings Joy in Heaven Luke 15. 7. This one thing
Earth are within the compass of civil Conversation and we can certainly acquaint them with all our Wants It is quite otherwise with the Saints in Heaven We are required to ask the Prayers of our Brethren upon Earth but we are required to pray to God only in Heaven Our Brethren upon Earth pray for us as Joint-Petitioners or Fellow-Supplicants through the Merits of our common Redeemer Christ Jesus Whereas they pray to the Saints in Heaven as Joint-Mediators of Intercession with our Blessed Saviour Here we ask or desire the Prayers of our Brethren but they pray to the Saints in Heaven with the Solemnities of Devotion as they do to God himself But should we kneel down in a solemn manner in the same place and manner as we do to God and Christ and pray to a Friend in Spain or America to hear or help us then we should do just as the Papists do to the Saints in Heaven But would not the Papists themselves censure that for Idolatry or down-right Madness And whatsoever words do they think then their own Practice deserves Let them give their own Practice what Name they please we will not wrangle with them about a Name CHAP. XIII That it is lawful to represent God and the Holy Trinity by Images And that these Images and the Images and Reliques of Christ and the Saints are to be duly honoured venerated or worshipp'd And that in this Veneration and Worship those are venerated which are represented by them Council of Trent Sess 25. de Invocat Catech. Rom. par 3. cap. 2. WHich is expresly contrary to all those Texts that forbid the making any Image or Resemblance of God at all or of any other thing whatsoever in order to the bowing down to them and worshipping them and that condemn all such Practices for the greatest Blockishness and Idolatry For Exod. 20. 4. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven Image nor any likeness of any Thing that is in Heaven above or in the Earth beneath or in the Waters under the Earth thou shalt not bow down thy self to them nor serve them The words are universal forbidding all Images whatsoever in order to Worship and not only the Images of false Gods neither is there any one Circumstance in the words to limit or determine them to such What boldness is it then to except the Images of the Trinity and our Saviour and the Saints out of it contrary to a plain and general Law But notwithstanding this plain prohibition it is pretended that God himself appointed the Cherubims as the Symbols of his Presence and his Representations and that the Jews were to direct their Worship to them as the Objects of it Exod. 25. 17 22. Whereas the Cherubims were not in the place of Worship for that was the Temple it self representing the Church upon Earth But the Cherubims were in the Holy of Holies which was the Figure of Heaven out of the Peoples sight where they were never to come but the High Priest only once a Year as a Type of Christ entring into Heaven It was the Mercy-Seat and not the Cherubims that was the Symbolical Presence of God and the Cherubims were to represent the Angels that encompass his Throne And it was neither the Cherubims or Mercy-Seat that was to be worshipp'd or prayed to or any Adoration to be made to them but only to God who made there his peculiar Residence and so they worshipp'd God towards that place and no otherwise as we now lift up our Hands and Eyes to Heaven where he now dwells But it can never be shown that God any where appointed any Images as Representations of Himself or Objects of Worship which would be against his most express Prohibition Deut. 4. 15 16. Take ye therefore good heed unto your selves for ye saw no manner of Similitude when the Lord spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the Fire 〈◊〉 you corrupt your selves and make you a graven Image the similitude of any Figure the likeness of Male or Female Here God forbids the making any Image or Resemblance of himself by whatsoever Figure it may be express'd For the Circumstances of the place determine this plainly to the Images of the True God who spake from Mount Horeb and the Prohibition of them is made without any limitations or evasions For it is in the Nature of the thing tending to produce in Men gross Notions of God and tending to the abasement and dishonour of his spiritual and incomprehensibly glorious Nature Act. 17. 29. Forasmuch then as we are the Off-spring of God we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto Gold or Silver or Stone graven by Art and Man's Device◠5But such gross Notions these Images are too apt to incline unto As Rom. 1. 22 23. Professing themselves to be wise they became fools and changed the Glory of the Incorruptible God into an Image made like to corruptible Man and to Birds and four-footed Beasts and creeping Things Where not only the worshipping but the very making of any Images of God by the Heathen is censured by the Apostle as being a debasing of his Nature For Isa 40. 18. To whom will ye liken God or what likeness will ye compare unto him It is not a thing possible to be done And how will the Images among the Romanists escape this Censure which have as little resemblance of God as any that the Apostle and Prophet do condemn Sometimes they paint one Body with three Heads sometimes one Head with three Faces sometimes one Body with two Heads and a Pigeon in the midst sometimes and old Man holding a Crucifix in his Hands and a Pigeon upon his Shoulder What is this but a mere mocking of God and the Holy Trinity and a down-right debasing of his glorious Nature These Images of God and the Holy Trinity as also some others of Christ as a Child in his Mother's Arms are so far from being any way beatificial to give the Vulgar any Instruction that they tend to pervert and overthrow all honourable Notions of God and our blessed Saviour They tend to render Men as Jer. 10. 8. Altogether brutish and foolish for the Stock is a Doctrine of Vanities For ver 14 15. Every Man is brutish in his Knowledg every Founder is confounded in his graven Image For his molten Image is falshood there is no breath in them they are Vanity and the work of Errors Doth not this agree to the Popish Images as well as to any other or what difference is there Psal 115. 4 5. Their Idols are Silver and Gold the work of Mens hands They have Mouths but they speak not Eyes they have but they see not they have Ears but they hear not Noses have they but they smell not they have Hands but they handle not Feet have they but they walk not neither speak they through their Throat This is just the description of the Images of the Church of Rome neither is
are we cleansed from these if we are not cleansed from the temporal Punishment due to them when they say there is no other Punishment due to these but Temporal So Vers 9. If we confess our Sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our Sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness Where the same universal Terms are used all Vnrighteousness without exception 1 John 2. 1 2. Iâ— any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous and he is the Propitiation for our Sins and not for ours only but also for the Sins of the whole World. The Propitiation for Sin for all Sin is wholly ascribed to Christ But how is he a Propitiation if Vindictive Justice still makes its Demands and we must still satisfy in part our selves John 1. 29. Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the Sins of the World. If it is he that doth it all then no part of Satisfaction will be demanded of us So Heb. 1. 3. He by himself purged our Sins Not we at all by our own Sufferings So Heb. 9. 26. Once hath be appeared in the end of the World to put away Sin by the Sacrifice of himself And Heb. 10. 14. By one Offering he hath for ever perfected them that are sanctified Where Sin is put away and compleatly expiated and Sinners perfectly reconciled what is there more to be done to satisfy This is done by the one Offering and Sacrifice of Christ there is no Sacrifice or Offering then â—or us to make Gal. 3. 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us Are the Punishments of Purgatory or those temporal Ones here spoken of threatned by the Law or no If not then they are not due If they were Christ hath taken them off as they are a Curse that is as they are vindictive or satisfactory Punishments for he hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law. Rev. 1. 5. Who hath loved us and washed us from our Sins in his own Blood to him be Glory for ever and ever If is not the Blood of Martyrdom or the Sufferings of any of the Saints that washeth them from their Sins but the Blood of Christ all the Glory of it belongs to him But the Romish Doctrine implies that 't is but part of our Sins and part of the Punishments that he delivereth us from This certainly lessens the Love of Christ and the Glory due to him For they must needs grant that he had loved us more and had been a more perfect Saviour if he had delivered us from all But we find also that full Remission and Pardon is granted unto us now through Christ And what is Remission of Sin but Remission of the Punishment due to Sin so that none is to be undergone by the Sinner by way of Satisfaction and consequently Remission of all Sin of all such Punishment Now this is the Covenant of which Christ is the Mediator Heb. 8. 12. I will be merciful to their Vnrighteousnesses and their Sins and their Iniquities will I remember no more But how can it be said that God remembers their Sins no more when he still exacts Satisfaction The Apostle says Heb. 10. vers 17 18. That where remission of these is there is no more Offering for Sin. All being done sufficiently by the once Offering of Christ Thus Col. 2. 13. He hath quickned you together with him having forgiven you all Trespasses Not some only or only in some part or respect But how are all Trespasses forgiven if still there is some Satisfaction to be made Isa 44. 22. I have blotted out as a thick Cloud thy Transgressions and as a Cloud thy Sins But it seems by the Romish Doctrine they are not quite blotted out Rom. 8. 1. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus that walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit But is not that a sort of Condemnation to be adjudged to make Satisfaction for Sin by undergoing so many Punishments either here or in Purgatory What is Purgatory but a Temporary Hell But Rom. 8. 33. Who shall lay any thing any thing at all to the charge of God's Elect It is God that justifieth Who shall condemn It is Christ that died The Death of Christ answers all and God will not demand any thing of the Sinner Ephes 4. 32. Be ye kind one to another forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you God's forgiving us our Trespasses is made a Rule to us to forgive our Brethren Now we are to forgive our Brethren all Trespasses and so doth God then forgive us Mat. 18. 32. I forgave thee all that Debt because thou desiredst me And this forgiveness of God is all free to us for Christ's sake Psal 32. 5. I said I will confess my Transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the Iniquity of my Sin. He doth not pretend he had satisfied for his Sin by his Sufferings mentioned Vers 4. but speaks of it as meer and free forgiveness only upon his Confession and Repentance Free Forgiveness and Satisfaction are inconsistent 1 John 1. 7. God is so there indeed to be faithful and just to forgive us our Sins but that is not upon our satisfying for them but only upon our confessing and forsaking them And none will say that to confess and forsake them is to give a Recompence and Satisfaction And therefore the Faithfulness and Justice of God there must be understood with respect to his own Promise and not to the Sinner's own Satisfaction Besides to teach that Men may satisfy for some Sins themselves as all Venial Sins is to require that which is impossible to be done there being no Sins truly Venial or not deserving Eternal Death and seclusion from the Presence of God in their own Nature though all Sins are Venial upon Repentance and in respect of the Event only through Christ's Mediation So that to encourage Men to look for the doing away of such Sins by their own Satisfactions is to bolster them up in Pride and Self-confidence and at last to deceive them For we can never by our Satisfactions exhaust the demerit of any of our Sins For Rom. 6. 23. The Wages of Sin is Death the Apostle speaks it without exception So Ezek. 18. 20. The Soul that sins shall die That 's the desert of Sin. So again Gal. 3. 10. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the Book of the Law to do them He who commits the least Sin meriteth the Curse For Jam. 2. 10. Whosoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offendeth in one Point is guilty of all by Interpretation the Authority of the Law-giver being violated in that one as well as in all Mat. 12. 36. I say unto you That every idle Wâ—rd that Men shall speak they shall give account thereof in the Day of Judgment For by thy Words thou shalt
properly This manner of speaking then being so common and familiar with that Nation well may we interpret our Saviour's words This is my Body in the same manner according to the nature of a Sacrament and the subject Matter thereof So it is said that the Rock which followed the Israelites was Christ 1 Cor. 10. 4. They drank of the Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ Sure there can be no necessity of understanding our Saviour's Words in another manner when this form of Speech was so common among them but it is very agreeable to understand them as we understand them Besides it is but the same form of Speech which was used by the Jews in celebrating the Passover which our Saviour and his Disciples had been just now about And he instituted this Sacrament for the like End as the Passover had been and it was now for ever to succeed in its place This Passover is our Saviour and our Refuge we are told was the form among the Jews meaning that it did put them in mind and represent to them the Salvation which God wrought for their Fathers in Egypt and did likewise foreshew the Salvation of the Messias the true Paschal Lamb that was to take away the Sins of the World. And at the Passover the Master of the House likewise took Bread and brake it and gave it to them saying This is the Bread of Affliction which our Fathers ate in Egypt not the very Bread sure but only a Type or Figure of it So our Saviour in like manner accommodating himself to their Customs and Phrases used the very same Symbols and express'd himself accordingly This is my Body which is broken for you which our Saviour appointed in remembrance of himself ever after in the room of the Paschal Lamb. Now how should we understand our Saviour's words then but agreeably to the old form in the like case Besides it is plain from the words themselves about the Institution that it was very Bread of which he said This is my Body For it is said He took Bread and gave Thanks and brake it and gave to his Disciples saying Take eat This is my Body What he took he blessed that which he blessed he brake that which he brake he gave to his Disciples What he gave to his Disciples of that he said This is my Body But he took Bread therefore of the Bread he said This is my Body And if it was Bread then it could not be his very Body but only a Symbol or Sign o◠it because it was Bread still And that it was Bread still ever after the Consecration we have also the Apostle's words for it 1 Cor. 10. 17. For we being many are one Bread and one Body for we are all partakers of that one Bread. So that it is Bread still which they are partakers of which was after the Consecration So again Chap. 11. 26 27 28. As often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye do shew the Lord's Death till he come Wherefore whosoever shall eat this Bread and drink this Cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord. But let a Man examine himself and so let him eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup. Where he calls it Bread three times in three Verses together even after the Consecration In like manner our Saviour speaking of the Cup when he had said Mat. 26 28. This is my Blood of the New Testament immediately after adds 〈…〉 unto you I will not henceforth drink of this 〈…〉 Vine until I drink it new with you in my Father's Kingdom From whence it is plain that it was the Fruit of the Vine and real Wine which he drank with his Disciples and that was after the Consecration Besides if the substance of Bread and Wine are changed in the Sacrament into the very substance of the Body and Blood of Christ when is it done Is it done before those words were pronounc'd This is my Body or in them or after them If it was done before When was it done or by what Command or in what way If it be not done till after they are all pronounc'd or till after the word Is is pronounc'd then it is false to say This is my Body before the change is wrought which is not till after the word Is is pronounc'd for these words are only declarative of what is before and are not imperative of what should be And if it was not before these words were pronounc'd then a thing is pronounc'd to be which was not which is a false Proposition And if it had been intended that the change should have been wrought by these words then it should have been Let this be my Body or This shall be my Body and not This is my Body which only declares what a thing was before and doth not command it to be what it was not So that in truth it only means that the Bread was set a-part by our Saviour for the Sign and Token of his Body when he blessed it and gave Thanks Again our Saviour gave to his Disciples his Body as broken But then his Body was really whole and unbroken for it was before his Passion and it was the Bread only that was broken Therefore our Saviour did not give his very Body but the Bread broken only as a Symbol of his Body which was to be broken So that it was really Bread which he gave and not his very natural Body but the Bread as a sign of his Body and for that reason called his Body because signifying it And so these words are to be understood only in a Figure Are not these words to be understood in a Figure 1 Cor. 10. 17. For we being many are one Bread and one Body for we are partakers of that one Bread Or are all Christians turn'd into Bread first and then into the Body of Christ by their being made partakers of the Bread in the Sacrament It is as good an Argument to argue so from these words as to argue from our Saviour's This is my Body that therefore the substance of the Bread is turned into the substance of his Body But the figurative way of speaking is evident and undeniable in the other part of the Sacrament about the Cup Luke 22. 20. And therefore why may not we suppose the like in the former about the Body This Cup says our Saviour is the New Testament in my Blood which is shed for you Here is Figure upon Figure the Cup for the Wine But neither Cup nor Wine is the New Testament nor yet our Saviour's Blood neither but the Seal of it But as our Saviour's Blood was the Seal of the New Testament and of all the Promises and Benefits contained in it So was the Wine a sign of his Blood and as such was given to the Disciples as a Seal of the New Covenant confirmed by our Saviour's Blood. And that this must