him into life but there was no prescript or set form of outward worship enjoyned to the sons of men till the dayes of Moses nor then to any others but the Israelites and that when they were mad upon outward things witness their making of the golden Calf True it is That the holy Prophets and Saints of the primitive Church shortly after the Apostles dayes seeing that the people then were grown outwardly minded also did for unity and edification sake bring in a form of Divine Service called the Liturgy which was both pious and very profitable and how far it may oblige us to observe it we will not here dispute But the forms of worship that now are in the reformed Churches are but prudential and not Jure divino Secondly whereas you make thanksgiving and prayer to be a part of Gods set solemn primary and prescript worship We grant that thansgiving shall be a part of Gods everlasting worship in Heaven but prayer with the reading of the holy Scriptures sound preaching and conscionable hearing of the word the holy administration and receiving of the Sacraments the singing of Psalms extraordinary fasts oaths vows c. all which you make parts of Divine worship are onely holy duties and means appointed by the Lord for the begetting and edifying of his Church but no parts of any set or prescript worship as you imagine yet are they piously and often to be used Thirdly you are mistaken not onely in the matter but in the time which is by you set a part thereunto that being left to the care piety prudence and convenience of the Churches Heb. 10.25 Acts 20.7.8 1 Cor. 5 4. 1 Cor. 11.18 20. Nor doth the fourth Commandment as it is positive bind any but the Israelites nor was the seventh day or the last day of the week to be kept as a Sabboth from the creation till the resurrection of Christ For that which is spoken Gen. 2.3 That God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it may be two wayes understood First by way of Anticipation a thing usual in the Scriptures Exod. 18.33 34 35. Gen. 1.27 Or Secondly it may be spoken of Christ in whom the Father hath rested from all his works and whom he hath blessed and sanctified for ever Neither was that day from the resurrection of Christ changed into the first day of the week by Christ or his Apostles as you affirm His arising upon that day or his appearing to his Disciples upon or shortly after that day without a Commandment to observe it do not any way enforce the observation of it The two places to which you refer us carry also little force with them for that in the Acts Chap. 20.7 We say that the occasion of that meeting was extraordinary to wit Paul being ready to depart the next day and not likely to see them any more sent for them and their meeting was not till the first day of the week was ended for it was in the night that they met And the other place 1 Cor. 16.1 2. not speaking of a publick contribution to be made upon the first day of the week but of a private laying a part of some money for such publike uses rather proves that day to be a working day when the Saints were to begin their next weeks work then an holy day Nor finally is it clear that this day is called the Lords Day and muchless that it was instituted for a perpetual holy day or Christian Sabbath for that place Revel 1.10 seems not to speak of any outward time for when the Prophets and Apostles purpose to intimate the time when they received the word of the Lord they never omit the yeer or moneth as John doth so that if he here would hiâ—t the time it may rather seem he speaks of the annual day of Christs resurrection whose mouth was then well known then of the weekly day But there is an inward and spiritual day of the Lord and so a true and spiritual Lords Day which the Saints hoped for and this as it seems was now appeared unto John Heb. 10.25 But exhorting one another and so much the rather as you see the day approaching 1 Cor. 1.7 8. So that you come behinde in no gift waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall confirm you unto the end that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 1.19 Vntill the day dawn and the day Star arise in your hearts of which coming of his as Christ had given his promise to all his disciples Joh. 14.18 I will not leave you Orphans I will come again unto you So he in special intimates that John should live to see the same and share therein John 21.22 Jesus speaking of John saith thus to Peur If I will that he shall tarry till I come what is that to thee which coming of Christs can be no other then that his spiritual coming promised John 14.21 25. And indeed those latter words Rev. 1.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Lords day seem to expound the former words I was in the spirit and to declare what measure and degree of the spirit he had then attained when he received that revelation Howsoever most certain it is that the observation of our Lords Day was first taken up by the voluntary and prudential act of the Primitive Churches and afterwards that day with Wednesday and Friday were commanded to be dayes of holy Assemblies by Constantine the great and other holy Emperors as Ecclesiastical Hystories testifie with one consent and the greatest part of modern writers confess So that your propositions in the seventh Section which we have denyed are very rash and bold assertions some whereof are also very injurious for how can those countreys which have either a perpetual day or a perpetual night for many moneths together every yeer punctually observe such an outward Sabboth as you impose We grant that the fourth Commandement is moral as well as the rest but the morality of it lyeth not in appointing one day in seven for a publike outward worship nor was it appointed for that end by Moses though after he returns from Babylon in part so used but rather for a figurative rest but in resting from our own finful thoughts words and works through the help of Christ in keeping Gods Judgements and Commandements through his assistance and in seeking our eternal sanctification life and rest in him as Clemens Alexandrinus Hieronym and almost all the ancients with the best of our modern writers unanimously agree Christ saith that he Gave the Sabboth to be a sign that he is the Lord that Sanctifieth us Exod. 31.13 Ezek. 20.12 and Saint Paul saith That not only the other holy dayes but even the Sabboth were a shadow in the old Testament and the body of them is in Christ Col. 2.16 yea that the Sabboth which is spoken of Esai 58.13 is Christ whom we must not trample under foot by
for as Job said Chap. 27.5 God forbid that I should justifie them I will not leave my innocency till I dye But I humbly offer this and my self in all just obedience and subjection to you the Supream Authority of the Nation and Subscribe my name W. PARKER To the Assembly of Divines who were Convocated by Authority of Parliament at Westminster Men Brethren and Fathers LEast we should seem any way to detract from your worth we freely confess these things following both concerning you that are here the Confessors and your faith which you have confessed That though you are not all the most learned men in this Nation yet many of you are men of much Learning and abilities we confess likewise That for life and conversation many of you are grave sober Religious and devoute persons in your way having a zeal of God though in many things not according to knowledge as will appear That this Treatise of yours may in some tolerable sense be called a Confession of Faith faith being sometimes used for our present perswasion be it right or wrong as the Apostle intimates Rom. 14.23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat because he eateth not of faith for whatsoever is not of faith is sin That the errors and mistakes failings and misperswasions found in this your Confession of Faith by you presented to the Parliament are not originally yours as if you first introduced them but you learned them of your Teachers and usually of your Authors whom you read without serious pensitation or due animadversion and to whom ye give too light and sudden credulity That yee err not alone but have many men of note and some whole nominal Churches who walk and wander with you in the same aberrations And finally that ye will not as we trust prove pertinatious in your errors but if the Lord shall vouchsafe to open your eyes and discover your erring paths unto you ye will turn from them and readily embrace the truth We hope you will not take this Examen in evil part when ye reflect upon these very words of yours Cha. 31. Sect. 4. All Synods and Councels since the Apostles dayes whether general or particular may err and many have erred Therefore they are not to be made the rule of faith or practice but to be used as an help in both To the end therefore that yee and all men may the better perceive that there hath been a great Apostasie and departure from the faith as the holy Apostles forewarned us 2 Thess 2.5 Except there come a falling away first 1 Tim. 4.1 Now the spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter dayes some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of Devils That the Lord Christ in his late spiritual coming as himself foretold it should come to pass Luk. 18.8 Did scarcely finde the true faith in the earth That many times that which is highly esteemed with men is an abomination in the sight of God Luk. 16.15 And finally that it may be seen not only what erratick lights the common people have followed but also what weak and unexpert Councellors the Princes and States of the world have chosen to advise and assist them in their reforming enterprizes yea how little truth or infallibility is found in your Authors whom you so Idolize and how great a part of the modern Christians as well as the present Church of Rome is still captived with error and unbelief We will here modestly out of zeal of truth and we hope the truth of zeal reveal many sacred mysteries of Christ which were long hidden from us as wel as others but are through his rich grace made known unto us and many more unworthy ones and detect the contrary mistakes that God may be glorified and the Nations healed with the leaves of the tree of life Amen Courteous Friends I Was in Holland the last yeer and I received from a worthy friend these Latin verses which because they are pertinent to many things in the said Examen I have caused them to be Printed with the Book and they are translated into English for the capacity of them that understand not the Latin In Belgarum Synodum Dordrecti habitam funesto illo anno orbique tremendo 1618. Paulo post subortum cometam insignem irae divinz mundique flagellandi nuntium Pacifici cujusdam neutiquam indocti viri carmen posthumam BElgarum Clerus tristis comitesque cometae Dordrecti coeunt conciliumq vocant Turba gravis paci sibi cum posuere tribunal Arminio litem pars Gomarhaea movet Dordrectum roctum didicisset ab Amstelodame Prater ubi sidei jus toleramen habet At Synodo nodus restat solvendus utrisque Arbiter ecquis iis Aeacus aequus erit Scripturam dicis trahit hanc pars utraque secum Interpres loquitur litera sacra silet Est aliudque canon ubi stat sententia clara In dubiis aliud judicis officium Ominis incerti varioque interprete nutans Ductilis huc illuc nemo sequester erit Judicibus ratio rationi competit auris Num mens scripturae quae capit aure capit Atvobis aderit judex celesia Quaenam Vin Lutheranam nolumus inquis eam Romanam malles sed ferri malleus adstat Gens Jesuitarum gens inimica tibi Elige Dominicos Dominos at in omnibus istos Admittes Nego nos discrepat inter ubi Visn ' Anabaptistas quorum tibi copia Belga Non emergendi copia forsan ais Arbiter ipsus eris Gomarhaec Quid Hostis in hostem Judice me supero tu cadis Hostis ait Arminius tibi fit judex sub judice lis sit Illius arbitrio stésve cadásve placet Convocet is Synodum jam jam Gomarhaee secundam Is litem moveat te peragátque reum Siquis erit dubito Gomarhaeos Vorstius inter Interdictus eat magna pericla creet Examen cruciet monstrum hoc qui cunque remonstre Hunc Hispanorum carnificina probet Haereseos signes Gomarhaeam stigmate gentem Schismatis insimules parcere parce viris Damnetur Gomárhaea cohors cum cive Gomorrhae Tollite Damnandi munus ab Artifice Quid verum falsumve siet decernite tuti Vos penes arbitrium est Arminiana domus In lucem tenebras fidei pro dogmate profer Sit mundo fidei regula vestra fides Civilémque acuas gladium cum spirituali Ad Christi causam militis adfer opem Nil horum fieri tibi vis Gomarhaee per hostes Talia cur hosti feceris ipse prior Lege peris propriâ nec lex est justior ulla Arte tuâ captus fossus ense tuo Cymmeriis tenebris Gomarhaei dogmata nigrent Navis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 migrat ad Armeniam Quis litem dirimat nisi venerit alter Elias Qui numen prodat coelitus igne dato Defecâ—t dudum Gomarhaee prophetia dicis Ergo prophetarum nullus es ipse choro â—essabit tandem si teste prophetia Paulo Cessat cognitio cessat
contradict your selves in other places yet you have here and there your illegalities and mistakes also in this Chapter In your first Section you truly say That God gave to Adam and all his Posterity such a Law and covenant of works as you describe with power and ability to keep it And is he not the same God still in wisdom mercy and justice requiring nothing at any mans hand but what he will enable him to doe by his preventing or assisting grace if hee seek it In your second Section you say and that truly That the Law given to Adam being the same in effect with the Moral Law delivered upon mount Sinai continued to be a perfect rule of Righteousnesse Nor must the Israel of God think to obtrude upon the Lord any other acceptable righteousnesse for ever then is therein required and described Deut. 6.24 25. And the Lord commanded us to doe all these statutes to fear the Lord our God for our good alwayes that he might preserve us alive as it is this day And it shall be our righteousness if we observe to doe all these Commandments before The Lord our God as he hath commanded us Psalm 119.144 the righteousnesse of his testimonies is everlasting For the performing of which righteousnesse because it was become impossible to the fallen Man Christ is freely bestowed upon us Rom. 8.3 4. And so it is the end and drift of the law to send us unto Christ to seek our power wisdom and righteousnes from him Rom. 10.4 Gal. 3.22 23 24. But whereas you say in the end of that Section That the four first Commandments contain our duty toward God and the six last our duty to Man Perhaps it will prove a distribution more common then sound For as the whole Law is spirituall Rom. 7.14 so it seems first to require duty toward God in all the ten Commandments and then to call for Service toward men in the second place For the first four Commandments which St Augustine and some of the Ancients reduce to three only your selves doe not deny it Let us then take a view of the rest Doth not the fifth Commandment enjoyn us first of all to honour our heavenly Father and the Wisdom or Hierusalem from above our spirituall Mother 1 Sam. 2.20 For them that honour me I will honour Mal. 1.6 If I then be a Father where is mine honour Matth. 11.19 But Wisdome is justified of her children so Luke 7.35 Gal. 4.26 But Jerusalem which is from above is free which is the Mother of us all Prov. 7.4 Say unto Wisdom thou art my Sister and call understanding thy Kinswoman Doth not the sixth Commandement forbid spiritual murther in the first place to wit the killing of Christ the quenching of the Spirit and the destroying of the inward messengers and motions Jam. 5.6 Ye have condemned and killed the just one and he resisteth you not Eph. 4.30 And grieve not the holy Spirit 1 Thess 5.19 Quench not the Spirit Thus the Apostles complaines of the Apostates that they crucifie afresh the Son of God and put him to an open shame Heb. 6.6 Doth not the seventh Commandement first prohibite spiritual whoredom against God Hos 4.15 Though thou Israel play the harlot yet let not Judah offend Jam. 4.4 Yee adulterers and adulteresses c. Doth not the eighth precept first restrain us from theft and robbery against God Malac. 3.8 Will a man rob God but ye have robbed me Rom. 2.22 Thou that abhorrest Idols dost thou commit sacriledge See Act. 12.22 in Herods example Doth not the ninth also first inhibit a false testimony against the Lord Jeremy 5.12 They have belyed the Lord and said it is not he 1 Cor. 15.15 Yea and we are found false witnesses of God c. Yea though the tenth commandement may seem to lay restraint upon us only in the behalf of our neighbor yet who hath so neer vicinity to us as God in whom we live move and have our being so that not only an open these against him in taking that which belongs to him as Achon did but even to assume or once desire that which belongs unto the Lord is impious as we see in Herod who took and consequently affected the glory that was due to God Acts 12.22 23. Nor doth the Lord want a house Isa 56.7 Mat. 21.12 13 14. Nor is he destitute of a wife Ezek. 16.8 And I sware unto thee and entered into a Covenant with thee saith the Lord and thou becamest mine See Re. 2. or of men servants and maid servants Psa 116.16 Truly O Lord I am thy servant and the son of thine handmaid Nor is he without his Oxen and Asses 2 Cor. 9.10 Mat. 21.1 2 3 4 5. which if they be alienated from him in our desires it is a sin of concupiscence-against the last Commandement So that it is most true in this regard which Saint James speaks chap. 2.10 For whosoever shall keep the whole low and yet offendeth in one point is guilty of all for any one sin against God breaks all the Commandements It is Idolatry witcheraft murther adultery c. 1 Samuel 5.15.23 And as the six last first oppose sin against God so the four first in the second place restrain sins against man Thus we may not impose a false God upon our neighbor nor set up a false worship before him nor swear falsly to his hurt nor by prophaning the Lords Sabbath or everlasting rest before our neighbor insnare his soul And what we speak of the negativepart is true of the affirmative or possitive throughout all the Commandements so that the great duty of love to God and our neighbor seems to run through the veins of every Commandement And as these two are inseperable in the new creature so the whole Law by the Apostles own Testimony is fulfilled in this one Commandement Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy self Rom. 13.8 Gal. 5.14 which cannot hold true except the Lord be our first neighbor who is to be loved in the first place and surely if we should not offer that wrong to God which we would not admit were we in his stead we should not sin as we do In your third Section you set not forth the whole extent of the Ceremonial Law which was to represent Christs inward death and sufferings as well as his outward He being the Lamb slain in us from the foundation of the world Rev. 13.8 and to be a document unto us shewing how we must follow him unto eternal life Howbeit you seem to go too far in saying It is wholly abrogated now under the new Testament for though the costly and burthensome yoke thereof is taken from the Gentiles yet some part of it by the words of the Prophets may remaine in use among the Jews after their calling and restauration Isa 66.23 And it shall come to pass that from one new moon to another and from one Sabbath to another shall all flesh come to worship before
to their authority and the exercise of it over their Brethren CHAP. XXI Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath Day THE light of Nature sheweth that there is a God who hath Lordship and soveraignty over all is good and doth good unto all and is therefore to be feared loved praised called upon trusted in and served with all the heart with all the soul and with all the might a Ro 1.20 Act 17 14 Psa 119.68 Jer 7.10 Psal 31.23 Psal 18.3 Ro 10.12 Psal 62.8 Josh 24.14 Mar 12.33 But the acceptable way of worshiping the true God is instituted by himself so limitted by his own revealed wil that he may not be Worshiped according to the imaginations and devises of men or the suggestions of Satan under any visible representation or any other way not prescribed in holy Scripture b Deu 12.32 Mat 15.9 Acts 17.25 Mat 4.9.10 Deut 4.15 to 20. Exod 20.4 5 6. Col 2.23 II. Religious Worship is to be given to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and to him alone c Mat. 4.10 with John 5.23 and 2 Cor 13.14 not to Angels Saints or any other creature d Col 2.18 Rev 19.10 Rom 1.25 and since the fall not without a Mediatour nor in the mediation of any other then of Christ alone e Joh 14.6 1 Tim. 2.5 Eph 2.18 Col 3.17 III. Prayer with thanksgiving being one special part of Religious worship f Phil 4.16 't is by God required of all men g Psa 85.2 and that it may be accepted it is to be made in the name of the Son h John 14.13 14. 1 Pet 2.5 by the help of his Spirit i Ro 8.26 according to his will k 1 Joh 5.4 with understanding reverence humility fervency faith love and perseverance l Psa 47.7 Eccl 5.12 Heb 12.28 Gen 18.27 Jam 5.16 Jam 1.6 7 Mar 11.24 Mat 6.12 14 15. Col 4.2 Eph 6.18 and if vocal in a known tongue m Cor 14.14 IV. Prayer is to be made for things lawful n Joh 5.14 and for all sorts of men living or that shall live hereafter o 1 Tim 1.1 2. Joh 17.20 2 Sam 7.29 Rut 4.12 but nor for the dead p 2 Sam 12.21 22 23. with Luke 16.25.26 Rev 14.13 nor for those of whom it may be known that they have sinned the sin unto death q 1 Joh 5.5 V. The reading of the Scriptures with godly fear r Act 15.21 Rev 1.3 the sound preaching Å¿ 2 Tim 4.2 and conscionable hearing of the Word in obedience unto God with understanding faith and reverence t Jam 1.22 Acts 10.33 Mat 13.10 Heb 4.2 Isa 66.2 singing of Psalms with grace in the heart u Col 3.16 Eph 5.19 Jam 5.13 as also the due administration and worthy receiving of the Sacraments instituted by Christ are all parts of the ordinary Riligious Worship of God w Mat 28.19 1 Cor. 11 23 to 29. Acts 2 12. beside Religious Oaths x Deut 6.13 with Neh 10.29 Vows y Isa 19.21 with Eccles 5.4 5. Solemn Fastings z Joel 2.12 Esther 4.16 Matth 9.15 1 Cor 7.5 and Thanksgivings upon special occasions a Psal 107. throughout Esth 9.12 which are in their several times and seasons to be used in an holy and religious manner b Heb 12.28 VI. Neither prayer nor any other part of Religious Worship is now under the Gospel either tyed unto or made more acceptable by any place in which it is performed or towards which it is directed e Joh 4.21 but God is to be Worshiped every-where d Mal 1.11 1 Tim 2.8 in Spirit and in Truth e Joh 4 23 24. as in private Families f Jer 10.25 Deu. 6.6.7 Job 1.5 2 Sam 6.18 20. 1 Pet 3.7 Acts 10 2. daily g Mat. 6.11 and in secret each one by himself h Mat 6.6 Eph 6.18 so more solemnly in the publick Assemblies which are not carelessly or wilfully to be neglected or forsaken when God by his word or providence calleth thereunto i Is 56.6.7 Heb 10.25 Pro. 1 20.21 24. Acts 13.24 Luk 4.16 Acts 2.42 VII As it is the Law of Nature that in general a due proportion of time be set apart for the Worshiping of God so in his Word by a positive Moral and perpetual Commandment binding all men in all Ages he hath particularly appointed one day in seven for a sabbath to be kept holy unto him k Exo 20.8.10.11 Isa 56.2 4 5 6 7. which from the beginning of the World to the resurrection of Christ was the last Day of the week and from the resurrection of Christ was changed into the first day of the week l Gen 2.2.3 1 Cor 16.1 2. Acts 20.7 which in Scripture is called the Lord's Day m Rev 1.10 and it to be continued to the end of the World as the Christian Sabbath n Exod 20.8 10. with Mat 5.17.18 VIII This Sabbath is then kept holy unto the Lord when men after a due preparing of their hearts and ordering of their common affaires before hand do not onely observe an holy rest all the Day from their own works words and thoughts about their worldly imployment and recreations o Ex 20.8 Exod 16.23 25 26 29.30 Exod 31.15 16 17. Isa 58.13 Neh 13.15 16 17 18 19 21 22. but also are taken up the whole time in the publick and private exercises of his Worship and in the duties of necessity and mercy p Isa 58.13 Mat 12.1 to 13. CHAP. XXI Of Religious Worship and of the Sabboth Day examined IN the foregoing Chapters you gave us a scantling of your faith and here you exhibite a view of your piety or Religion but as your faith was many wayes unsound so your Religion for the greatest part will prove a will worship and both it and the time you allot thereunto are so ungrounded that we can neither Sabbatize in your worship nor worship your sabboth with you You have here touched many things that concern that worship as the object the rule the part or subject with which the supposed matter the Place and time of it after your manner but we cannot but wonder at four things first your strange omissions secondly some truths which break from you at unawares contradicting what you said before thirdly your gross mistakes and lastly your confident affirming of things most false and destitute of foundation For the first it is no small matter of wonderment to us that you neither shew us what the worship of God is nor of what latitude in the general nor how many kinds there be of it nor wherein Gods principal eternal and saving worship lieth especially since the holy Scriptures are so clear in all the four which set forth unto us First that to worship God is all one as to fear him serve him and glorifie him Mat. 4.10 It
second Section to wit to Elders and Governours called of God but not of man alone but that remitting and retaining of sins is both ministerial under the Lord Jesus and principally placed in the Church representative or the Superiours and Elders acted by Gods spirit and both fitted and called to that high office Mathew 16.19 Mathew 18.17 18. John 20.20 21.22 In your third Section you lay down good grounds why there should bee Ecclesâ—astical or spiritual censures in use and therein you seem to lay no small or weak foundation of reducing the true Saints now dispersed into congregations under spiritual able and faithful Overseers and those under some superintendent chosen of God of which some may be found if well sought out Your fourth and last Section by Officers right Overseers and Governours such as we have described being understood we willingly imbrace with this caution That you will with St. Jude verse 23. rather pull men out of the fire then persecute them with a faggot for difference of Judgement CHAP. XXXI Of Synods and Councels FOR the better Government and edification of the Church there ought to be such assemblies as are commonly called Synods or Councels a Acts 15.2 4 6. II. As Magistrates may lawfully call a Synod of Ministers and other fit persons to consult and advise with about matters of Religion b Isa 49.23 1 Tim 2.1 1. 2 Cro 19.8 9 10. 2 Chro 29.30 chapt Mat 2.4.5 Pro 11.14 so if Magistrates be open enemies to the Church the ministers of Christ of themselves by vertue of their Office or they with other fit persons upon delegation from their Churches may meet together in such assemblies c Acts 15.2 4 22 23 25. III. It belongeth to Synods and Counâ—els ministerially to determine controversies of Faith and cases of conscience to set down rules and directions for the better ordering of the publick worship of God and government of his Church to receive complaints in cases of male administration and authoritativly to determine the same which decrees and determinations if consonant to the word of God are to be received with reverence and submission not onely for their agreement with the word but also for the power whereby they are made as being an Ordinance of God appointed thereunto in his word d Acts 15.15 19 24 27 28 29 30 31. Acts 6 4. Matth 18 17 18 19 20 IV. All Synods or Councels since the Apostles dayes whether general or particular may erre and many have erred Therefore they are not to be made the rule of Faith or practise but to be used as an help in both e Ep 2.20 Acts 17.1 1 Cor 2.5 2 Cor 1.24 V. Synods or Councels are to handle or conclude nothing but that which is Ecclesiastical and are not to intermedle with Civil affaires which concern the Common-wealth unless by way of humble petition in cases extraordinary or by way of advise for satisfaction of Conscience if they be thereunto required by the Civil Magistrate f Luke 12.13 14. Joh 18.36 CHAP. XXXI Of Synods and Councels Examined IN complyance with your first Section we grant that there may be great cause of spiâ—itual consultations and that either about temporal things as Moses went twice to the Lord about the daughters of Zelophebad Numbers 27.1 2 3 c. and Numbers 36.1 2 3 c. or in things of Religion as Moses required what should be done first to him that blasphemed the name of the Lord Leviticus 24.12 and secondly to him that gathered sticks on the Sabboth day Numb 15.32 33 c. But it is the Lord that is to be consulted with in those great difficulties and that either immediately as Moses did in the places aforesaid and Daniel with the other three Children Dan. 2. or else by some person who hath the judgement of Vrim and is acted by the spirit of God Numb 27.21 Ezra 2.63 1 Maccab. 4.4 especially if any such person be to be found of which there have been some in all or most ages if the Authour of the book of wisdom speaks true chap. 7.27 And in all ages wisdom entering into holy souls maketh them friends of God and Prophets which is consonant to what the Father promiseth Isa 29.21 and to our Saviours engagement Mat. 28.20 Behold I am with you to the end of the world but in case no such person may be found there may be Synods and Councels called for consultation sake and if the matter be still too difficult it must be reserved for Gods future resolution Ezra 2.63 As to your second Section we grant that Magistrates may call a Synod of Ministers or other fit persons especially of those that are spiritual and wise and it were good that persons of all different mindes in Religion might be freely heard and their arguments well weighed and full answer given in writing to all that are in the wrong that our controversies might grow to an end and so truth with love and peace take place but in this case if any inspired Prophet may be had at home or consulted abroad it is safer to receive resolution from the mouth of the Lord by him which we might easily do in this age either by word or writing then to rely upon the judgement of an hundred ordinary Divines often producing the letter of the word but wresting or mistaking the sense We grant likewise that such ordinary ministers and persons may be sent from their own to other Churches yet can they act onely within their own Sphere as rational learned or devout persons not as inspired men But that ordinary ministers may by their office when the Magistrate is an enemy call each other or assemble into a publick Synod we doubt yet doubtless they may meet privately and advise yea pray together To your third Section we grant that Synods may handle controversies of fact and cases of conscience direction for an outward worship and the better governing of a visible Church as also hear complaints in cases of male administration and determine them or some of them authoritate sibi commissa especially according to the measure of Faith and Regeneration whereunto they have attained which decrees and determinations if consonant to the word are to be received for the words sake more then for their authority they not being a divine but an humane ordinance only for the meeting of the Apostles and Elders at Jerusalem to which the Churches at Antioch and thereabouts appealed was an assembly of men acted by the Holy Ghost as themselves set forth Acts 13.28 and differs far both in warrant and authority from our Synods and Assemblies neither doth the first make the last to be Gods ordinance And in your fourth Section you confess no less where you acknowledge that all Synods and Councels since that might erre and that many have erred and so have you in many things but as your Confession here is ingenious so we hope you will not take
upon whom the Lord will not have compassion Answ It is true there are some such persons and such were the incorrigible Edomites before spoken off yet note three things First That the Apostle preoccupates an Objection which some might make out of Gods mercy continued still to Israel but withdrawn from Edom as before What shall we say then Is there unrighteousness with God Secondly That the Apostle answers it not onely with a detestation saying God forbid but also with a Scripture taken out of Exodus 33.9 And I will be gratious to whom I will be gratious and I will shew mercy to whom I will shew mercy Thirdly That the Lord speakes there of continuing and enlarging his after mercies and favours to those that walk humbly faithfully and answerably to his first mercy or grace as Moses had done then when he begged of the Lord that he would shew him his glory And not of his first grace withholden from none Whereby the contrary it may be gathered that God will withhold his second mercies from some who refused his first grace as the Edomites had done or should abuse the same afterwards by turning his grace into wantonness Jude 4. Object 13 Rom. 9.16 So then it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy Our salvation then is of meer mercy Answ It is granted so to be yet by the way note that man can both wil and run in some sort as this Scripture imports Object 14. Rom. 9.17 18. For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh even for this same purpose have I raised thee up that I might shew my power in thee and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth Answ First note that here the Lord doth not say for this same purpose have I created thee but raised thee up or brought thee upon the stage Secondly That Pharaoh was known to the Lord to be a proud and obstinate Rebel before he thus called him out Exod 5.2 And Pharoah said who is the Lord that I should obey his voice to let Israel go I know not the Lord neither will I let Israel go Thirdly That yet the Lord gives him to know his will and gratiously shews him the danger of his disobedience before he sends his plagues upon him Fourthly That he leaves him not till he made him of unwilling willing to let his people go Fifthly That God did not harden Pharaohs heart by infusing any hardness into it but rather used means to soften and bend his heart to obedience Lastly That the Lord destroyed him not till his heart byased and wilfully revolted from that inclination of letting Israel go to which the Lord had brought and wrought him So that the Lords pleasure in hardning whom he will must out of this example be understood of such as are first or last refractory against his grace and gratious requirings monitions c. Object 15. Rom 9.19 Thou wilt say why doth he yet finde fault Who hath resisted his will It seems then his will in condemning the wicked is irresistable Answ The will of God is manifold First voluntas signi that which he would have done by men and that may be resisted or disobeyed Secondly voluntas beneplaciti that which he is pleased to effect and that either absolutely to be done by himself alone or with others which cannot be withstood or conditionally in case the creature will act his part This conditional will may also be repugned so that wicked men cannot excuse themselves by the irresistibility of the first or last mentioned will There is also the unchangeable will of God's irrevocable decree at length passed upon the obstinate and incorrigible sinner which like his powerful or efficacious will is inexpugnable But it is the obdurate mans refractory and inflexible will that hath now made this will or decree of God so peremptory against him So that God hath just cause to fault and blame the man that perisheth but not è contra Object 16. Rom. 9.20 Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus Whence it may seem to follow that God makes the lost ones such as they are Answ Paul intends nothing less then to lay any such aspersion upon God who is onely the Author of their deserved punishment but not of their sins unless of such as are just and severe compensations of their former contumacies Indeed the Apostle here first takes up these murmurers for their audacious and presumptuous obloquies against their Maker in this verse Nay but O man who art thou that replyest against God Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it Why hast thou made me thus And then in the three next verses for the total silencing of their obmurmuration he asserts first Gods soveraign power vers 21. and then his justice vers 22. with his mercy also vers 23. If the wicked then finding themselves lost at length should cavil against God and say why did he create me with liberty of will and so with a power of falling It is answered that this faculty might be improved to the salvation of the creature as well as to the glory of Gods grace vers 23. Or why did God give us any being since we must be wretched and unhappy for ever It is answered vers 22. that it coming to pass meerly through their own default and wilfulness it was free for our Soveraign Lord thus to glorifie his power and justice against such rebels yea and his incurable enemies also Object 17. Hath not the Potter power over the clay of the same lumpe to make one vessel unto honour and another unto dishonour It seems then that God makes some vessels of purpose unto dishonour Answ I. It is certain that God is a wise Potter and not a workman that never had wisdom or hath lost his witts Now such a Potter though he as the event falls out afterwards makes many vessels to be broken yet forms none of set purpose for destruction as we said before Some vessels indeed are made by him for more honourable uses as Salt-sellers drinking-cups c. and some for more dishonorable uses for Chamber-pots the like but none to be destroyed for that were to lose his labour And so hath the Lord appointed both in Church Common-Wealth some to be superiours and some inferiours as hath been shewed but none of the sons of men hath he made of purpose to perdition II. It is evident enough that the Apostle alludeth to Jeremie 18. verse 3.4 5 6. Where observe these things First That the Prophet being sent to the Potters house he found that the vessel in the Potters hand first miscarried and was marred representing man not in the pure but corrupt mass Secondly That the Potter took pains to make it up a new or other vessel Thirdly That the Lord expostulates with Israel
whereof take these few John 1.13 Which were born not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God John 3.6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the spirit is spirit 1 Cor. 2.14 15. For the natural men perceiveth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him Neither can he know them for they are spiritually discerned But the spiritual man discerneth all things but is discerned of none 1 Cor. 15.22 For as in Adam all die so in Christ shall all be made alive and verse 45 46 47 48 49. As it is written the first man was made a living soul but the second Adam was made a quickening spirit Hewbeit that was not first which is spiritual but that which is natural and then that which iâ— spiritual The first man is of the â—â—rth earthy the second mâ—n is the Lord from heaven as is the earthy such are they that are earthy and as is the heavenly such are they that are heavenly and as we have born the image of the earthly so must we bear the image of the heavenly c. More particularly we answer That this one by whom sin entred into the world is not meant our first parent Adam but our own earthy or natural man which is called Adam and Edom from the earth of his foundation For the apostle shews that Adam our progenitor was not the original or first sinner 1 Timothy 2.14 For Adam was not deceived but the woman being deceived was in the transgression according then to your Doctrine the apostle should have said By one Woman sin entred into the world But you hear before how Solomon Eccles 7.29 and the Lord himself Hos 14 1. scribe our fall to our selves This is yet clearer out of the 14. verse here where the apostle speaks of some who sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression but makes mention of none that sinned in him where he had fair occasion to speak of it yea if he had been of your belief he had committed a grievous neglect totally to omit it in silence Secondly here by the world into which sin entered we must understand the world of fallen and corrupt men as our Saviour doth Joâ—n 3.16 17. and John 15.17 18. and not all mankinde as you do c. Thirdly by death is not meant the bodily death which doth not presently ensue upon our fall no more then it did upon our first parents but a death unto righteousness or the life of innocencie with the contrary body of sin and so obnoxiousness to eternal death is hear meant Fourthly these words and death passed upon all men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are thus to be rendered in as much or so far forth as all have sinned and as Moses in the 14. verse is not he that was the Lawgiver but the work of the Law drawing us to God so neither is this man the litterall Adam For Paul here saith That death reigned from Adam to Moses which must be understood necessarily thus from the fall of our natural Adam till the work of the Law came For otherwise the extent of the reign of sin should reach from the first man to the last and not to Moses onely Which thing the 13. ver holdeth out more plainly that he meant by Mose the Law For it is there said That until the Law sin was in the world which must be conceived that until the work of the law sin is in the world that is likewise in the faln corrupted men undiscovered which is plain from the latter part of the 13 verse where it is said sin is not reputed nor regarded as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies and so Coverdel translates it and not imputed when there is no Law for that is false that sin was not imputed when there was no Law extant for it was imputed to Cain Gen. 4. and he was punished So to the old world and they punished Gen. 6 so to Babels builders and they punished Gen. 11.7.8 so it was imputed to Sodom and Gomorrab and they punished Gen. 19. when there was none of Moses law extant but it is a very truth that sin is not reputed not regarded when there is no work of the Law discovering sin unto the man so St. Paul saith of himself Rom. 7.9 that he was alive without the Law and verse v. he saith he had not known lust but by the Law and Rom. 3.20 it is said that by the Law cometh the knowledge of sin Thus you see how death raigned from Adam to Moses yet not from the first individual Adam to Moses the Law-giver but in the 2. part of the 14 ver it is not affirmed that any sinned in the first individual Adam for he saith Some finned not after the similitude of Adams transgression over whom notwithstanding death reigned Now that expression hinteth these two things First Some sinned like Adam not in Adam others sinned not after the similitude of his transgression but some other way as after Esau's transgression Hebr. 18.16 17. or the like according to that Eccles 7.29 Surely if the Apostle had beleeved any such thing as the raigning of death over all men by the first mans sin he would not have omitted that and onely mentioned from Adam to Moses for all may perceive his main designe is from verse 12. to the 15. to set forth the inlet and extent of deaths reigning over sinners therefore he would have used the fullest and plainest expression serving to that purpose but the 19. verse is more plain against universal corruption by the first mans disobedience for there the Apostle useth the word many and saith by one mans disobediene many not all were made sinners Therefore all fell not in the first individual Adam If any yet reply That many in that place is tant ' amount and equivalent to the word all We Answer That then by the same reason the word many in the latter part of the verse must have the same latitude allowed for the Apostle setteth down a full comparison of equals in that verse here the verse must be thus interpreted That as by one mans disobedience all were made sinners so by one mans obedience all are made righteous If any yet reply and say By one mans obedience all that repent and beleeve are made righteous then by the same inter retation By ones mans disobedience all are made sinners that imitate him and sin like him after the similitude of Adam 's transgressions Thus all men may see there is nothing gained by interpreting the word many by a Synecdoche for all are made sinners by one mans disobedience for the latter part of the verse must have the word many so explained which to affirm namely that all are righteous by Christ by an absolute and uniuersal Justification is accounted as detestable an Heresy as it hath been hitherto to deny that
by his Spirit to believe and obey and governing their hearts by his word and spirit Å¿ John 14.16 Heb. 12.2 2 Cor. 4.13 Rom. 8.9 14. Rom. 15.18 19. Joh. 17.17 overcoming all their enemies by his mighty power and wisdom in such maner and wayes as are most consonant to his wonderful and unsearchable dispensation t Psal 1â— 1 1 Cor. 15.25 26. Mal. 4.2 3 Col. â— 15 CHAP. VIII Of Christ the Mediatour Examined WHen the foundation of the second Temple was laid as the younger sort shouted for joy so those that had seen the former house wept And though some younglings in the faith may rejoyce at this groundwork which you have laid yet were there any such here who had seen the house of God built in the Apostles dayes they could not refrain from teares beholding your ungrounded ground-work True it is which the Apostle speakes 1 Cor. 3.10 11 13 c. That other foundation can no man lay then that which is already laid by them even Jesus Christ But as all materials are not apt for building so both matter and workmanship bewray the workmans skil or unskilfulness And truly you brethren discover sufficiently what manner of builders you are who upon the foundation Jesus Christ have built so much wood hay and stuble but so little of gold silver or precious stones But since the word of God is compared to a fire Jerem. 23.23 Let us try what stuffe of yours will abide the fire that you may receive a reward and what must of necessity burn that though you suffer loss therein your souls may be saved In your first Section then besides many omissions concerning Christ as that he is the wisdom and power of God 1 Cor. 1.24 The brightness of his glory and the express image of his person the creator and upholder of all things who purgeth our sins by himself Heb. 1.2 You speak somethings of the Father and him ignorantly preposterously and untruly also For first you say That the father hath given him a people from all eternity which being understood of an actual gift is false for then there was no people to be bestowed upon him If you here meant that this was done by design and decree only why did you not so express your selves True it is by the confession of Christ himself that there are some which are given unto him by the father which also come unto him at least wise for a time Joh. 6.39 But these are they who are taught by the Father first and actually brought to know Christ and beleeve on him Joh. 6.39.40 44 45 c. Joh. 17.11 12. Thus was Judas also given unto him Joh. 17.12 Secondly you say That these are given to him first to be redeemed then called thirdly justified fourthly sanctified and lastly glorified by him Where first you may take notice of your preposterous disorder for all that are given or brought to Christ are a people first called by God the Father Joh. 6.44 And though Christ invites them to come unto him for release from their spiritual burdens Mat. 7.28 29. Yet untill the father hath called them they cannot be sensible of such burdens Thirdly whereas you say that he should first redeem against the Apostles order 1 Cor. 1.30 then justifie after sanctifie and lastly glorifie them you may please to take notice in the sequel of this book that inward or spiritual redemption in the Apostles sense is al one with justification that justification sanctification differ not And as for outward redemption the benefit of it accrues to no man till he be first â—anctified and hath put away his sins that they may be pardoned Lastly you here name but one sort of people who are to be saved by Christ to wit those which are faln in Aâ—am but Christ saveth Infants also as we have showed He being the onely tree of life in the whole paradise of God Rev. 2.7 In your second Section you make so clear a confession of Christs two natures united into one person of his conception by the Holy Ghost of his birth of the Virgin Mary in the fulness of time c. as will vindicate you from the errours of many hereticks which heretofore troubled the Church But is it sufficient to salvation think you to be no Arrian Nestorian Eutychian or the like heterodoxe or is there no other union betwixt Christ and our humanity but that hypostatical union at which you point here to be thought upon by us or finally is there not a spiritual conception and birth of Christ within us necessary for all faln men who would be saved If there be such an union and conception why have you made no mention of the one nor of the other As for the former of these we have shewed already in part that Christ is in every man by creation which may be further cleared by these Scriptures John 1.20 26 27 28. John answered them saying I baptise with water 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But there standeth one in the midst of you whom ye know not he it is who coming after me is preferred before me whose shoes latchet I am not worthy to unloose These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan where John was baptizing Here observe that if Christ had been present John would have pointed unto him as he did the next day vers 29. which declares thus The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him saith Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world Wherefore this place must be understood of Christs inward presence To like effect the Apostle speaks Acts 17.26 27 28. That Christ the Creatour of the world hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwel on all the face of the earth and hath determined the times before appointed and the bounds of their limitation that they should seek the Lord if haply they might feel after him and finde him though he be not far from every one of us for in him we live and move and have our being This is that word which St. James cals 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the implanted â—â— ingrafted word which is able to save our souls ch 1.21 But that place Joh. 1.9 is like the argument that it speaks of full of light and clearness to this our purpose This is that light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world For the 2. omission viz. Of the necessity of Christs new conception birth in us you may take notice of these places that he is called Immanuel especially for his spiritual incarnation in us And in the same regard his true disciples are called his mothers Mat. 12.50 Rev. 12.1 5. John beheld the Church bringing forth a man-child which should rule all nations Gal. 4.19 the Apostle cries out â— my little children of whom I travel in birth again until Christ be formed in you Yea so necessary is this spiritual conception of Christ for us men now faln and
as is hinted in the name of Moses which also is the time of Gods delivering his Israel from under the spiritual Pharoah Thirdly That men are not said here to sin in Adam to wit our first fathers transgression but after the similitude of it Fourthly There are some which sin not after that patern but another way as we have shewed before concerning Edom the same name with Adam in the Hebrew consonants and consequently in signification also Fifthly That there is an Adam which is or was the figure of Christ and that is our personal Adam also of whom the Apostle speaketh thus 1 Cor. 15.49 And as we have born the Image of the earthy so we also shall bear the Image of the heavenly Lastly That though Christ be already come in the flesh yet here in this 14. verse he is spoken of as one yet to come which doubtless is Christs coming in the spirit John 14.21 Now for our second task You may please advisedly to consider these two things First That the Apostle at the 17. verse speaketh thus How much more shall they that receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness raign in life by one Jesus Christ Now since we cannot enter into life but by a personal obedience as we shewed before for what other intent should the abundance of grace in Christ be more needful for us then for the performing of that obedience through which we attain unto the Kingdom and righteousness of God And so by one mans obedience even that of Christ within us are many made not putatively but really righteous according to verse 19. Secondly That the Prophets and Apostles speak frequently of Christs obedience in us but nowhere of his obedience for us more then of his suffering in our stead or his setting of us a patern to be followed Isa 26.12 Thou Lord wilt ordain peace for us for thou hast wrought all our works in us Jer. 31.33 I will put my law in their inward parts I will write it in their hearts Heb. 13.20 21. Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ that great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 15.10 But I laboured more abundantly then they all yet not I but the grace of God that was with me Phil. 1.10 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God Phil. 4.13 I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me Rom. 8.4 That the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us c. Now if the righteousness of the Law may be fulfilled in us through the grace and help of Christ as the Apostle expresly affirms it there what great need was there that it should be fulfilled for us Frustrà fit per plura c. Furthermore as our disobedience was both begun and perfected with our own consent endeavours though not without the leading instigation and power of Satan is it not meet that our obedience likewise should be both enterprized and accomplished with our wills and best concurrences though guided and carried on yea accomplished also by the grace of God and the power of his Christ Is not that which is done in us or by u◠though in the strength of Christ in obedience to Gods Law and requiring much more acceptable unto him then that which is done without us without our knowledge endeavour or consent We in the mean time remaining enemies and rebels or but lazy and loytering servants Indeed the outward and personal obedience of Christ as it was active was necessary in him as a Mediator not onely as our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or foregoer but in order also to his suffering for us for had he failed in his obedience to the Law he might have suffered afterwards for his own sins but could not have satisfied for ours And as Christ could not by his outward and personal obedience satisfie the Fathers justice for that personal obedience which we out selves ought and which by his grace and help we may perform so he did not by the same obedience purchase a reconcilement between us and God as you here affirm Amos saith chap. 3.3 Can two walk together except they be agreed Although God affects us as a work of his hands yet so long as the body of sin which is enmity against God remains in us we can neither be reconciled unto him nor he to us For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness and what communion hath light with darkness 2 Cor. 6.14 Therefore it is said in the foregoing Chapter 2 Cor. 5.19 20. That God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their prespasses unto them and bath committed unto us the word of reconciliation Now then we are Embassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christ's stead be ye reconciled to God Where we pray you to observe two things First That Christ is not said to have done the work to wit by his obedience or sufferings as you conceive but to be doing of it still viz. by his grace and spirit slaying the enmity aforesaid in and for those who beleeve aright on him and follow him in his like obedience and sufferings Secondly That the ground of the emnity between us and God lieth on our part who hate him his ways and righteousness through the sin that dwelleth in us And therefore the Apostle prayes us yea in a beseeching manner to be reconciled unto God And though two places at the first view upon which you mainly ground may seem to favour your assertion yet being rightly understood they do not patrocinate the same at all the first is Ephes 2.16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the Cross having slain the emnity thereby But here you may take notice that the body spoken of is his mystical body and the cross whereby the emnity is slain is his spiritual cross like patience or sufferance for by that we overcome every temptation of sin according to that of the Apostle James 1.4 But let patience have her perfect work that ye may be perfect and entire wanting nothing This is that cross and not afflictions themselves as the world conceives which Christ commandeth those that will follow him into life to take upon them for the denying of themselves or the putting off the old man Matth. 16.24 Hebr. 12.1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us and let us run with patience the race that is set before us Your other place upon which you rely is that of Col. 1.20 21 22. And having made peace through the blood of his
all sinners as we have proved by manifold Scriptures it is not by him applyed unto all men as your selves will confess but if we here take up the inward and spiritual redemption of Christ that is not purchased for us but we are rather purchased by it and in the very working of it it being an inward work of Christs it must needs be effectually applyed also Secondly Whereas you say That Christ makes intercession for all such as he bath redeemed it is false also for some deny even him that bought them and that in an Apostatical way and by bringing in damnable heresies whereby they bring upon themselves swift destruction 2 Pet 2.1 But we justly doubt you whether you understand aright what the intercession of Christ doth mean For his intercession at large comprehends his whole office of mediation Isa 53.12 and Heb. 7.25 but to take his intercession for his supplicative office as you here intend it consists principally if not alone in the spiritual intercessions which he makes unto God for in his Saints by his holy spirit Ro. 8.26 27. As for his intercession at large of which we conceive the Apostle speaketh Rom. 8.34 Christ useth or imployeth that for none other but those whom the Father hath called and given unto him and for them also so long as they continue with him For the Lord is with us while we are with him 2 Chron. 15.2 1 Chron. 28 9. The like we say of his revealing his Mysteries unto them whether by the word or without it and of his effectual perswading of them by his Spirit to beleeve Where again you are mistaken for God onely illuminates and makes known his truth unto us but it is our part to set to our seal thereunto in our power to withhold the same What you speak also of Christs governing the hearts of all those whom he hath redeemeed by his word and spirit and of the overcoming of all their enemies by his almighty power and wisdom in such manner and wayes as he sees good all these may be true or false according to the limitations aforesaid Yet here you tacitely grant or imply Christs inward or spiritual mediation though you own it not for such a work Yea which is more to be wondered at you here import that Christ by his almighty power doth overcome and subdue in and unto his redeemed people all their enemies to wit Satan and their corruptions which elsewhere you hold to be unconquerable here or not wholly to be subdued in this life But truth is so evident and forcible that where it is not narrowly watched and suppressed it will break forth at unawares By all this which in this Chapter we have set forth if the Lord open your eyes rightly to read it we hope you will be brought to acknowledge that the predictions of Christ and his Apostles concerning the departure from the faith are already come to pass and that forewarning of his that there should arise false Christs and false Prophets is fulfilled and consequently that there should be great need and cause for the Gospel to be preached anew to all the world as Christ himself foretold Matth. 24.14 and that mercy or blessing was foreshewed to John Revel 14.6.7 For even those Authors whom ye counted the greatest lights of this last age have very little sight or knowledge of that great Mystery Christ Jesus in you the hope of glory Colos 1.27 Yea they have been all the publishers of a false conceived Mediator or Christ CHAP. IX Of Free-wil GOD hath indued the will of man with that natural liberty that it is neither forced nor by any absolute necessity of nature determined to good or evil a Mat 17.12 Jam 1.14 Deut 30.19 II. Man in his state of innocency had freedom and power to will and to do that which was good and wel-pleasing to God b Eccl. 7.29 Gen 1.26 but yet mutably so that he might fall from it c Gen 2.16 17. Gen 3.6 III. Man by his fall into a state of sin hath wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation d Ro 8.7 John 15.5 so as a natural man being altogether averse from that good e Rom 3.10.12 and dead in sin f Ep 2.1 5. Col 2.13 he is not able by hiâ— own strength to convert himself or prepare himself thereunto g John 6.44 65. Eph 2.2 3.4 5. 1 Cor 2.14 Titus 3.3 4 5. IV. When God converts a sinner and translates him into the state of grace he freeth him from his natural bondage under sin h Ga 1.13 John 8.34 36. and by his grace alone inables him freely to will and to do that which is spiritually good i Phil 2.12.13 Ro 6.18 21. yet so as that by reason of his remaining corruption he doth not perfectly nor onely will that which is good but doth also will that which is evil k Gal 5.17 Rom 7.15 18 19 21 22 V. The will of man is made perfectly and immutably free to good alone in the state of glory onely l Eph 4.13 Heb 12.23 John 3.2 Jude v. 24. CHAP. IX Of Free-will Examined ALthough man be alwayes a free Agent in some measure yet is he not at all times such a patient nor can we expect you here to be voluntary sufferers But if you will give us leave to be free with you we must acquaint you that even in this short Chapter there are many things though freely spoken by you yet but gratis dicta And especially in the three last Sections but we fear that you have granted more truth in the first Section then upon the view you will own again For you say That God hath endued the will of man with such natural liberty that it is neither forced nor by any absolute necessity of nature determined to good or evil for you seem in the first Section of the next Chapter directly to contradict yourselves saying That in our effectual calling God doth not onely renew our wils but determines them to that which is good by his Almighty power And that which you speak in the second Section That man in his state of innocency had freedome and power to wil and do that which was good well-pleasing to God but yet mutably so that he might all from it seems to us in some sort to hold true stil of all men as they are now born till they have personally and actually sinned And that Scripture to which you reser us Eccles 7.29 it speaking of mankinde in general and not of our first parents onely evicts so much in the very words saying Lo this onely have I found that God hath made man upright but they have found out many inventions To which others may be added as Jer. 2.21 For I had planted thee a noble vine wholly a right seed how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a wild vine unto me But that
the seeking of them Rom. 10.14 15 c. A second let is a depraved judgement Act. 26.9 for I verily thought with my self thâ—t I ought to do many things against the name of Jesus A third impediment is the want of due remembrance and serious consideration of what we know in generall Lam. 1.9 He filthiness is in her skirts she remembred not her latter end A fourth bar is the power of Temptation of which the Apostle complaines 2 Cor. 12.7.8 A filth and a powerful obstacle is habit and custome in sin of which that is verified Qui non est hoâ—iè erà s minùs aptus erat Lastly Gods final desertion one of the heavyest of Judgements is an unremovable obstacle to the willing of good because seconded with Satans power Hence we may take a view how far the faln man can will good convert himself or prepare himself thereunto namely so far forth as men have some light of nature left or new illumination and convincing grace the which of all other is most necessary for the work of a true conversion Jer. 23.24 O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himself it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps Secondly This may be done with the more facility so far as they are chastned by the hand of the Lord and make a good use of it which made the Prophet Jeremy to pray as he doth Jer. 10.24 Correct me O Lord yet in judgement and not in thine angor lest thou bring me to nothing Howbeit in all this the Lord seems to lay no violent hand upon the will but works upon it by understanding judgement and reason with the use of sense and because he is the Author of the new understanding and judgement which leads and drawes the will he is said to work the will also Phil. 2.13 for Causae causae est etiam causa causaei But the main way whereby the man after illuminating or preventing grace can prepare himself to turn his heart or will is by frequent meditation and deep consideration of what he knows by grace or nature In your two last Sections First according to an ordinary distribution you distinguish the condition of converted sinners into a State of Grace and a State of glory but albeit there be different degrees in their new Metamorphosis or change yet their least estate in regeneration is a State of Glory as on the contrary the highest degree of that change and exaltation is a state of Grace For the proof of the first of these consider what the Apostle speaks 2 Cor. 3.18 But we all with open face beholding as in a glass the Glory of the Lord are transformed into the same Image from Glory to Glory as by the spirit of the Lord. 2 Pet. 1.3 Through the knowledge of him who hath called us unto Glory and Vertue And for the evidencing of the latter weigh well what Saint Peter writeth 1 Pet. 1.14 wherefore gird up the loins of your minde be sober and hope to the end for the Grace that is to be brought unto you at the Revelation of Jesus Christ See also 1 Pet. 3.7 as heirs together of the Grace of life But more particulary for your fourth Section As in the beginning of it you attribute too much to the first work or degree of our regeneration so you detract too much from the last and highest period of the same in the end of that Section For first you say but not truely That when God converts a sinner and translates him into the State of Grace he presently freeth him from his natural bondage under sin and by his grace alone enables him to will and to do that which is spiritually good Here brethren you go too far for the Apostle in the behalf of the young Babes or converts complains thus Rom. 7.8 9. For to will is present with me but how to perform that which is good Lâ—nde not for the good that I would I do not and the evil that I would not that do I. How then are they freed when the Apostle saith ver 23 He findes another Law in his members not only warring against the Law of his minde but bringing him captiue to the Law of sin in his members whereupon he cryes out verse 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of deaâ—h Is a bondage then against your wils no captivity yea it is the most grievous bondage of all others in our sense and feeling though not so perilous to the soul as a willing subjection unto sin Indeed it is true of the young in Christ which the Apostle writs to them of that age 1 John 2.14 I have written unto you young men because ye are strong and the word of God abideth in you and you have overcome the wicked one But the Babe in Christ cannot attain thereunto while he is a chide Now in the close of that Section you flag and fall as much too short saying That this convert at his highest pitch for so you mean by reason of his remaining corruption doth not perfectly nor only will that which is good but willeth that which is evil also The which though it be true of the Infants aforesaid and perhaps may sometimes be verified of the middle ort yet it is not true of the old or aged men in Christ such as the Apostles themselves were as we have proved before In your last Section you do as you are wont wholly transferring the state of Glory in which the will of man is made immutably good out of this world but herein you are some what mistaken if we may give credit to these Scriptures Rev. 3.12 21. C. 1.2.3 4 5 6. CHAP. X. Of effectuall calling ALL those whom God hath predestinated unto life and those onely he is pleased in his appointed and accepted time effectually to call a Rom 8.30 Rom 11.7 Eph 1.10 11. by his Word and Spirit b 2 Thes 2.13 14. 2 Cor 3.6 out of that state of sin and death in which they are by nature to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ c Rom. 8.2 Eph 2.1 2 3 4. 2 Tim. 1.9 10. inlightning their minds spiritually and savingly to understand the things of God d Act 16.18 1 Cor 2.10 12. Eph 1.17 18. taking away their heart of stone and giving unto them an heart of flesh e Ezek 36.26 Eze 11.19 Phil 2.13 Deut. 36.6 Ezek 36.27 renewing their wils and by his Almighty power determing them to that which is good f and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ g Eph 1.19 John 6.44 45. yet so as that they come most freely being made willing by his grace h Cant. 1.4 Psal 110.3 John 6.37 Rom. â— 16 17 18. II. This effectual call is of Gods free and special grace alone not from any thing at all foreseen in man i 1 Tim 1.9 Tit. 3.4 5. Eph 2.4 5 8 9. Rom â— 11. who is
bow us we are incorrigible and deplorate Isa 1.5 6. Isa 9.13 yea and are sure to perish in the end Prov. 29.1 He that being often reproved hardneth hss neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy Other means are named and commended unto us in the word which shall work upon some when the word will not As the good conversation of the wife towards an unbelieving husband or disobedient to the word 1 Pet. 3.1 2. But Gods most usual and powerful way of converting sinners is by his spirit and severe chastisements those especially upon mens consciences which we elsewhere call the work of the Law though ofttimes wrought without the written Law or Word of which the Psalmist speaks Psal 94 13. A fourth mistake of yours there is That you say all men are by nature in the state of sin and death For we have already proved that to be false And doth not the Apostle say Rom. 2.27 That if the uncircumcision which is by nature fulfil the Law taking it for granted that some may do so he shall judge thee who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the Law True it is that the word nature is not always taken in one notion by the Apostle himself but as by nature here he understands a state of men without the written word so by nature Ephes 2.3 where he saith that we were by nature the children of wrath as well as others he intends either corrupt nature or a reality of the thing as Gal. 4.8 you did service to them which by nature are no Gods that is not really such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A fifth errour of yours in that Section is that you say God in this his effectual calling of men determines the will to that which is good wherein as we said before he should overthrow that course and order which himself hath set up making us free Agents and leaving our wills free and interminate Yet we grant that the Lord bowes and inclines the wils of men from evil to good by illumination in the understanding and working upon the judgement as we said before but he laies no violent hands upon the will immediately Finally you have other mistakes in the first Section also as when you say that God in his effectual calling of men takes away the stony heart and gives them an heart of flesh for that is not wholly done in our first conversion but in process of time by our cleansing from sin and renewing in Jesus Christ according to the Covenant Ezek 36.25 26 27. Nor are all converts brought to Jesus Christ at the first as you here dream for the father hath his work of regeneration upon us ere we are brought to know or beleeve on the Son for his worke of spiritual redemption which is the second step or degree of our regeneration as we shew in the sequel of this tractate Yea whosoever resists the father in his work or doth not continue in it he is not brought by the father to the son to be saved by him from sin and Satan John 6.44 Nor is your second Section so sound or Orthodox in all points as we could wish it For you say there but not truly That he who is called of God is altogether passive until quickned and renewed by the holy Ghost For though in the works of illumination correction and reproof he is passive yet afterward in the turning of his will and desires to God and goodness he is active as the Apostle speaks 1 Thes 2.19 For they themselves shew of us what mannor of entrance we bad unto you and how ye turned to God from Idols to serve the living and true God So Acts 11.21 And the hand of the Lord was with them and a great many beleeved and turned to the Lord. Wherefore doth the Lord require this motion at our hands so often if we cannot turn after inlightning and convincing grace Ezek. 18 30. Wherefore repent ye and turn ye from all your transgressions and verse 32. Wherefore turn ye and live see Eze. 33.11 Joe 2.12 13 14 c. In your third Section you abate something of your wonted rigour in saying That all other elected persons besides infants who are uncapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the word are regenerated and saved by Christ through the Spirit who worketh when and where and how he pleaseth If you grant then that there is an elect people among all nations as John saw an infinite or innumerable company of such standing before the throne of God and before the Lamb cloathed with white rober and palms in their hands Re. 7.9 you have here yeilded that they may be called without the ordinary means of the word and this is no other thing in effect then what ye have here maintained For if the Lord could do this in Elihu Job Rahab the widow of Zarephta and Paul all which were converted without the word what hindereth but that he can do the like all over the world in all ages and generations of mankinde if they obstruct not his working In this Section we pass over that which you spake in the beginning of it concerning elect infants because we know no other sort of infants And that such need no regeneration we have shewed before In your fourth and last Section you have heaped up together many untruths as these by name First That there are some persons that are not elected which being understood of a special and final election is true but being taken of Gods general and conditional election is false as before Secondly You say That such as are not elected and so not saved though they may be called by the ministry of the word yet they receive onely the common operations of the spirit It is most certain that many who are not finally elected and saved besider a true and effectual calling vouchsafed from the father have in some measure received a true faith bringing forth repentance for a time a true love turning them to God and bringing forth a temporary obedience a true hope which brought forth patience yea and some proportion of purifying and sanctfying grace as is evident out of these Scriptures and others 1 Tim. 1.19 and chapt 5.12 and chapt 6.10 Heb. 6.4 5 6. and chapt 10.28 29. 2 Pet. 2.20 21 22. Thirdly You say That such never came truly unto Christ and therefore cannot be saved where it is true that such can never be saved from the power of their spiritual enemies who never came to Christ nor Christ to them yet many of them which were never chosen out of the furnace nor in the end partake of eternal life yet were brought for a time both to beleeve in Christ and in some measure to obey him who yet afterward fel from him and lost all that which they had wrought with their future hopes of which number were those apostate Disciples of Christ mentioned John 6.66 with Judas Demas
ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God Was not new righteousness put into these men And were they not thereby washed sanctified and justified these three words expressing one and the same thing see also Tit. 3.4 5 6. But after the kindness and love of God our Saviour unto man appeared not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour that so being justified by his Grace we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life Where you see again that the Apostle makes regeneration in Christ and justification to be the self same thing as we intimated in the foregoing Chapter Yea in the whole dispute about justification by Christ the Apostle Paul useth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to justifie either for that part of justification which we commonly call mortification or that other part which we usually term vivification or for both as Rom. 6.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For he that is dead to wit with Christ is justified freed or purged from sin In this notion doth the Apostle use the word Act. 13.39 And by him all that believe are justified or cleansed from all things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses Rev. 22.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is He that is unjust will be so let him be unjust still and be which is filthy let him be filthy still and he that is or will be righteous let him be justified or righteous still and that is holy let him be sanctified still Where justification and sanctification are the same thing so Isa 45.24 25. Surely shall one say In the Lord have I righteousness and strength even to him shall men come and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall glory Where righteousness and strength being joyned together the words must be understood of an internal righteousness through which our sins and corruptions are purged out And therein lies our justification as the next verse imports Yea if mortification be not comprehended under the word justification it is wholly left out in that golden chain so much spoken of and so little understood Rom. 8.30 Moreover whom be did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified In this sense Cyprian useth the word frequently and among prophane authors Catullus thus Justificam nobis mentem avertere deorum And so must the word of necessity be meant by the Apostle Rom. 5.8 as appeareth there by the opposition of our state as sinners to our justified estate But God commendeth his love towards us that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us much more being now iustified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath thruogh him And so must the same word be taken Rom. 3.24 25. Gal 2.17 We grant indeed that the word is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and variously used as for defending our selves or others as just Luke 16.15 Ye are they which justifie your selves before men c. for absolving or declaring one just Rom. 8 33 34. It is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth for predicating or magnifying some person or thing Mat. 11.19 But wisdom is justified of her children But all these are founded upon that moral sense of being just or made just or of being free from unrighteousness which is the Apostles sense in all his discourse of justification by Christ Thirdly you say positively That God justifieth by pardoning of sins but though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used sometimes for the puting away of sins and that by regeneration Luk. 1.77 Eph. 1.7 and elswhere as well as for the pardon of sins Yet justification in Saint Pauls sense lieth not in remission of sins Fourthly you say positively also That God justifies men by accounting and accepting their persons as righteous and you mean he doth so while they are otherwise both in heart and life But God accounts of every man as he is and though he is so gracious as to pardon the guilt of sins forsaken and repented of and ready also in Christ both to cleanse us and renew us because he would not have us dye in our iniquities yet as he speaks to Moses he will by no means clear the guilty or such as continue in evil Exod. 34.7 He is a God of purer eyes then to behold iniquity Hab. 1.13 Doth not he search the heart and try the reines that he may give to every man according to his wayes and according to the fruit of his doings Jer. 17.20 See what he saith Micah 6.10 11. Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked and the scant measure that is abominable shall I count them pure with the wicked balances and the bag of deceitful weights God indeed is said to justifie the ungodly Rom. 4.5 Yet not by accounting him righteous when he is wicked but by cleansing and renewing him and so making him of ungodly a godly and righteous person Fifthly you say God justifies them not for any thing that is wrought in them which is false for it is by something wrought in us that we are justified and sanctified and by something wrought in us also that we are justified that is declared just before God and men in Jesus Christ Sixthly you say That such are justified for Christs sake alone which is true of Christ and his work within us but not of Christ and his obedience without us as you mean it But why do you in these two last passages oppose that which is wrought in us to Christ as if the father and his Christ with the Holy Ghost were not the makers of every good work in the unregenerated Seventhly you say That God in this work imputeth not faith or the act of believing unto us for righteousness contrary to express Scriptures Is it not written Gen. 15.6 Rom. 4.3 Gal 3.6 that Abraham believed God and it was imputed unto him for righteousness that is the Lord accepted his believing whereby he gave him that honor of his truth omnipotency and faithfulness as an acceptable duty at his hand and rewarded it with the promised righteousness as St. James speaks chap. 2.23 Yea doth not the Apostle speak thus expresly Rom. 4.23 24. Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him but to us also to whom it shall be imputed if we believe in him who raised up our Lord Jesus from the dead Eighthly you say That God doth not impute any other Evangelical obedience to men for their righteousness wherein you run full butt against the whole stream of the Scriptures of the Old and New
wayes assailed and weakned but gets the victory l Luk 22.33 Ephes 6.16 1 John 5.4 5. growing up in many to the attainment of a full assurance through Christ m Heb 6.11 12. Heb 10.12 Col 2 â— who is both the Author and Finisher of our Faith n Heb. 12.2 CHAP. XIV Of Saving Faith Examined AS Your selves elsewhere condemn an implicite faith of which notwithstanding you are not altogether guiltless in letting your authors so often impose upon you as they do so we hope you will leave our faith free to dissent from you where truth is not on your side in this and other chapters Here some men perhaps would quarrel with you for not setting forth the kinds of faith but since it was your scope and purpose to speak here of saving faith onely which is a living faith or hope 1 Pet. 1.3 We will not much blame you for making no mention of that dead faith spoken of by St. James chapter 2.20 The like we say of omitting the mention of a false and feigned faith seeing that whereby me must be saved is called faith unfeigned 1 Tim. 1 5. The ordinary distribution of faith into those of historical temporary miraculous and saving might here by you with the lesse detriment be passed over in silence because as historical faith is an ingredient into true faith so the temporary differs nothing or very little from it but in point of perseverance and though outward miracles with the primitive power of godlinesse for the greatest part seem long fince to have grown rare yet the true saving faith in Jesus Christ hath alwayes according to its strength and growth been a worker of inward and spiritual miracles and that upon sure grounded promises John 14.12 Verily verily I say unto you he that beleeveth in me the works that I do shall he do also and greater works then these shall he do because I go unto the Father And those words of our Saviour Marke 16.17 18. being spiritually understood do set forth the signes of a true faith to the end of the world And these signes shall follow them that beleeve In my name shall they cast out Devils they shall speak with new tongues they shall take up Serpents and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them they shall lay their hands upon the sick and they shall recover But the things we most wonder at are these First That you should now come to speak of faith not onely after effectual calling which in your sense implies faith but after justification which you confess to be attained by faith yea and after sanctification also which though you take it to be a distinct thing from justification must for the greatest part follow faith also as an effect of it Acts 26.18 Among them that are justified by faith that is in me And Secondly That you should make no distinction betwixt the three degrees if not kindes of saving faith to wit Faith in God the father Belief in God the Son and Confidence in the Holy Ghost The which as they are in part descriminated from each other at least wise by their distinct objects in the Apostles Creed so are they clearly dissevered from each other in the holy Scripture It is in a general comprehension that the Apostle takes the faith of the elect when he describes it to be an acknowledgment of the truth that is according to godliness in hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie promised before the world began 1 Tit. 1.2 But it is faith in God the Father or faith in confuso as we said before that is set forth Heb. 11.6 For he that cometh to God must beleeve that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that seek him as it is faith in God the Son which St. Paul points at Gal. 2.15 16. saying We who are Jewes by nature and not finners of the Gentiles knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but by the faith of Jesus Christ even we have beleeved in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Jesus It is also that faith in the holy Ghost of which the Apostle speaks thus Gal. 5.3 For we through the spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith that is the Lord our righteousness or the beavenly Jerusalem Jer. 33.16 These three are distinct from each other and men may have the first without the second and the first and second without the third For first we finde that Cornelius beleeved in God prayed unto him gave alms and did many things with acceptance before God ere ever he was commanded to send for Peter that he might by him hear of the faith in Jesus Christ Acts 10. chapter Thus our Saviour speaks to his Disciples and Apostles John 14.1 Let not your hearts be troubled ye beleeve in God beleeve also in me intimating that though they had a clear and strong faith in God the Father yet their knowledge of him in his right saving office and their respective faith was but darke and weak as yet for they neither distinctly understood that he must dye for them and that they must dye with him if they should be saved nor expected salvation from sins and Satan by his blood and spirit and much less had they any hope or due knowledge of the promised Spirit the everlasting comforter who should abide with them for ever till Christ there especially after his resurrection revealed the same unto them and brought them to a true belief and stedfast hope of the same yea where are they now to be found who thus beleeve in the holy Ghost or in Jesus Christ himself for a right justification and spiritual salvation from the hands of all their enemies by his alone power and grace Thus is that fulfilled Luke 18.7 8. And shall not God avenge his own Elect which cry day and night to wit for help against their spiritual enemies I tell you that he will avenge them speedily nevertheless when the Son of man cometh shall he finde faith upon the earth This faith was a rare bird like a black Swan at Christs last comming in the Spirit That there may be some pious souls which not onely want the third degree or kinde of faith but have not so much as heard that there is an holy Ghost the Scriptures witness clearly Acts 19.2 The like may be said concerning the Lord Jesus and faith in him among the Heathen to whom the Father hath not revealed him as yet But now to come to your particular Sections In the first of them you say That faith whereby the Elect beleeve to the saving of their souls is the work of the spirit of Christ which thing in a proper and accurate kinke of speaking is not true for it is the work of the Father to reveale and manifest the Son unto us as it is the work of the Father and Son to beget faith in
afterwards being taken in due time may be recovered and revived by the respective means which you here set forth Yea whatsoever you here surmise to the contrary as we have proved it may be finally and irrecoverably lost by security presumptuous rebellions finall and total Apostacy See 2 Joh. 8. Look to your selves that we lose not those things which we have wrought Rev. 3.11 Hold that fast which thou hast that no man take thy crown But the absolute and final assurance of which we speak is neither subject to shaking nor any diminution and much less to a total and finall amission as the place before cited proves For when a man attaines to that estate his seed remaineth in him and can never be lost as we said before 1 John 3.9 See Revelations 3.12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God and he shall go no more out c. And I will write upon him the name of my God and the name of the City of my God which is new Jerusalem that cometh down out of heaven from my God and I will write upon him my new name and verse 8.10 of that Chapter Jeremy 32.40 John 14.16 23. Hebrews 17.28 Revelation 7.14 15 16 17. Revelation 21.3 4 5 6. Wherefore we ought as you say in your former Section to give all diligence to make our calling and Election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 as neither of which is sure or absolute at the first And this we must do not by searching out certain markes and tokens which proves us to be in some estate of grace but by adding vertue to vertue and a spiritual progress even to the end 2 Peter 15 6 7 8 9. Wherefore adde unto your faith vertue and to vertue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patienece godliness and to godliness brotherly kindnesss and to brotherly kindness love where the Apostle sets forth seven steps of spiritual progress beyond saith which you take to be the highest estate of grace in this life and then addes this encouragement upon our respective proceeding verse 12. For so an entrance shall he abundantly Ministred unto you into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ CHAP. XIX Of the Law of God GOD gave to Adam a Law as a covenant of works by which he bound him and all his posterity to personal entire exact and perpetual obedience promised life upon the fulfilling and threatned death upon the breach of it a Gen 1.26 27. with Gen 2.17 Ro 2.14 15. Rom 10.5 Gal 3.10 11. Eccl 7. â—9 Act 2â— 28 II. This Law after his fall continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness and as such was delivered by God upon mount Sinai in ten commandements and written in two Tables b Jam 1.25 Jam 2.8 10 11 12. Ro 13.8 9. Deut 5.32 Deut 10.8 Exo 34.1 The four first commandments containing our duty toward God and the other six our duly toward man c Mat 22.37 38 39 40. III. Besides this Law Commonly called morall God was pleased to give to the people of Israel as a Church under age ceremonial Laws containing several Typical ordinances partly of worship prefiguring Christ his graces actions sufferings and benefits d Heb 9. c. Heb 10.1 Col 2.17 Ga 4.1 2 3. and partly holding forth many instructions of moral duties e 1 Cor 5.7 2 Cor 6.17 Jud. v. 23. all which ceremoniall Laws are now abrogated under the New Testament f Col. 2.14 15 16. Dan 9.27 Eph 2.15 16. IV. To them also as a body Politicke he gave sundry Judicial Laws which expired together with the state of that people not obliging any other now further then the general equity thereof may require g Exod 21. ch Ex 22.1 to 29. Gen 9.10 with 1 Pet 2 13 14. Mat 5.17 with v. 38 39 1 Cor 9.8 9 10. V. The moral Law doth for ever binde all as well Justified persons as others to the obedience thereof h Ro 13.8 9 10. Ep 6.2 1 Joh 2.3 4 5 6. and that not only in regard of the matter contained in it but also in respect of the authority of God the Creator who gave it i Jam 2.10 11. neither doth Christ in the Gospel any way dissolve but much strengthen this obligation k Mat 517 18.19 Jam 2.8 Rom 3.31 VI. Although true believers be not under the Law as a Covenant of works to be thereby justified or condemned l Ro 6.14 Gal 2.16 Gal 3.13 Gal 4.4 5. Act 13.39 Rom 8.1 yet it is of great use to them as well as to others in that as a rule of life informing them of the will of God and their duty it directs and binds them to walk accordingly m Ro 7.12 22 25. Psa 119.4 5 6. 1 Cor 7.19 Gal 5 14 16 18 19 20 21 21. discovering also the sinful pollutions of their natures hearts and lives n Ro 7.7 Ro 3.20 so that examining themselves thereby they may come to further conviction of humiliation for and hatred against sin o Jam 1.23 24 25. Ro 7 9 14 23. together with a clearer sight of the need they have of Christ and the perfection of his obedience p Gal 3 24. Rom 7.24 25. Rom 1.3 4. It is likewise of use to the regenerate to restrain their corruptions q Jam 2.11 Psal 119.101 104 128 in that it forbids sin and the threatning of it serve to shew what even their sins deserve and what afflictions in this life they may expect for them although freed from the curse thereof threatned in the Law r Ezra 9.13 14. Psa 89.30 31 32 33 34. The promises of it in like manner shew them Gods approbation of obedience and what blessings they may expect upon the performance thereof Å¿ Lev 36.1 to 15 with 2 Chr 6.16 Eph 6 2 3. Psa 37.11 Although not as due to them by the Law as a Covenant of works t Gal 2.16 Luk 17.19 So as a man doing good and refraining from evil because the Law encourageth to the one and deterreth from the other is no evidence of his being under the Law and not under grace u Rom 6.12 14. 1 Pet 3.8 9 10 11 12 with Psal 34 12 13 14 15 16. Heb 12.28 29. VII Neither are the forementioned uses of the Law contrary to the Grace of the Gospel but do sweetly comply with it w Gal. 3.21 the spirit of Christ subduing and inabling the will of man to do that freely and cheerfully which the will of God revealed in the Law requireth to be done x Exek 36.27 Heb 8.10 with Jer 31.33 CHAP. XIX Of the Law of God examined TRuth it self hath no such cause to wage Law with you here as elswhere most of those things which you have here set forth especially concerning the moral law being legal just and true though herein you
is written thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalts thou serve with Deut. 6.13 and 10.20 See Revelations 14.7 Secondly that our obedience to God and his worship in general are of equal latitude John 9 13. Now we know that God heareth not sinners but if any man be a worshiper of him and do his will him he heareth Thirdly that there are many kinds and degrees of divine worship as the worship of Angels which they owe to God Psal 97.7 Worship him all ye gods and the worship due from men Rev. 19.10 worship thou God This humane worship is manifold As first either Typical or real Rom. 7.6 That we should now serve him in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter Secondly A glorifying or worshipping him inwardly and another which is done only in an outward manner Isa 29.13 14. For as much as this people draw neer unto me with their mouth and with their lips do honor me but have removed their heart far from me and their fear towards me is taught by the precepts of men therefore behold I will proceed to do a marvelous work c. Matth 15.8 and 7.6 c. Thirdly that there is a primary and secondary Worship the former instituted for it self and accepted in it self the other for and in the former only Hos 6.6 For I desired mercy and not sacrifice and the knowledg of God more then burnt offerings Fourthly and lastly the primary immutable and salutiferous worship of God of which you speak no one word either in this your Confession of Faith or in your directory for worship in the name of a divine worship stands in the following of God and walking with him in his loving and everlasting righteousness as these places fully evict God created man in his own Image and similitude Gen. 1.27 to wit that therein he should serve and worship his God and Christ is given for this end Luk. 1.74 75. That we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all the dayes of our life and not in one day in seven as you imagine Thus Enoch walked with God Gen. 5.24 So did Noah Gen. 6.9 Thus God required of Abraham that he should walk before him or with him and be perfect in that way Gen. 17.1 this was the Religion that Abraham taught his family even by Gods own testimony Gen. 18.19 For I know him that he will command his children and houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgement that the Lord may bring upon Abraham the thing which he hath spoken of him Thus the Prophets Catechised and instructed the people Micah 6.6 Wherewithall shall I come before the Lord and how my self before the most higâ—h God that is the question to which he answers ver 8. He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy and to humble thy self to walk with thy Godâ— Thus Phynehas and the holy priests both walked and taught Malachy 2 6. The Law of truth was in his mouth and iniquity was not found in his lipps he walked with me in peace and equity and did turn many from iniquity This is that worship in the Spirit or work of the Spirit which is required by the father John 4.24 God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in truth where the word Spirit is by a metony my put for the work of the Spirit for the whole fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth Eph 5.9 and the word Truth there implies the whole divine nature or new creature in opposition to the typicall services Thus the Apostle shews both wherein the Kingdom of God and his acceptable worship lyeth Ro. 14.17 18. For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink but righteousand peace and joy in the holy Ghost And he that in these things serveth the Lord Christ is accepted of God and approved of men Thus far concerning your omissions whereof this last is a most gross defect in them that would teach a whole Kingdom the way of Religion rightly For the truths which you have here at unawares confessed they are principally three all which reflect upon your selves The first is that where in the first Section you affirm That the very light of nature sheweth that there is a God who hath Lordship and Soveraignty over all who is good and doth good unto all and is therefore to be feared loved praised called upon trusted in and served with all the heart and with all the soul and with all the might If then the light of nature extend so far why may not all men be saved if they walke according to that light in turning to that God thus made known unto them in following him and serving him in all the wayes of his righteousness and goodnes in calling upon him for the pardon of their sins the healing of their errors and corruptions the leading of them into all truth and righteousness especially if illuminating grace be added thereto which truth you have denyed before Secondly you say in the same Section That Gods worship is so limited by himself and his revealed will that he is not to be worshipped after the imaginations and devices of men which is most true but it fals soul upon your worship here described which is for the most part a meer imagination and humane invention or tradition as it is obtruded upon us for a worship which we will shew by and by Thirdly in you fourth Section you say that prayer is to be made for things lawful and for all sorts of men living or that shall live hereafter who sin not the sin unto death but not for those that are dead If prayer should and must be made for all sorts of men that do or that shall live hereafter then either there is no absolute decree in God to debar men of salvation or we must pray expresly against Gods will or in our prayers not seek mens salvation which how it contradicts your former doctrine we shall report it to your selves and others Thirdly for the mistakes they are neither smal nor few in this place For first you take it for granted that there is an outward worship of God instituted by Christ in the new Testament in lieu of that ceremonial worship of the old Testament new accomplished and abrogated by Christ Secondly That there hath been an outward worship of God instituted from the Creation and a set time even the seventh day from the Creation appointed thereunto all which are meer dreams For though the Fathers before and after the Flood sometimes sacrificed voluntarily or by instinct it were as a monument of Christs inward sufferings with his future passion and to represent the way wherein we must follow
speaking our own words thinking our own thoughts and doing our own pleasure as the said Fathers expound the place In your last Section as your Sabboth it self so your sanctification of it is an humane devise any day may be so sanctified But for a conclusion of this Chapter we offer five things to your better consideration First whether Gods will is since changed who at the first created man after his own Image and established him in all righteousness that he might worship him therein Secondly whether he would be worshipped at our hands one day in seven or all the dayes of our lives See Luk. 1 71 75. before cited Rev. 7.15 Therefore are they before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his Temple and he that sitteth upon the throne shall dwell among them Thirdly whether the thoughts words and works which are called our own and from which we are commanded to rest that we may sanctifie the Lords Sabbath be those which are necessarily employed about the honest duties of our lawful callings or our sinful thoughts words and actions See Isaiah 55.7 Let the wicked man forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts Isaiah 58.6 7 8. Their works are works of Iniquity and the act of violence is in their hands their feet run to evil and they make hast to shed innocent blood their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity wasting and destruction are in their paths Jer. 3.5 Behold thou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldest Fourthly whether the Lord would rather have an outward day or time which is one of the most transient and fluxible things of this world or his everlasting light life and rest Christ Jesus honored by us See Psal 97.7 Worship him all yee Gods Mat. 17.5 And behold a voice out of the cloud which said this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear ye him Joh. 5.23 That all men should honor the Son as they honor the father Isa 58.13 And shall honor him where the Sabboth mentioned in the beginning of the verse is turned into a person the person of the Lord Jesus Christ who by our sinning against him is troden or trampled under foot Heb. 10.29 and therefore it is not without cause that we are here Isa 58. commanded to turn or keep our feet from the Sabboth that is from trampling upon Christ Fifthly whether we shall attain those high things promised Isa 58.14 to wit to be fed with the heritage of Jacob our Father c. by forbearing the works of our lawful callings one day in seven or by abstaining and resting through the help of Christ from our own wicked thoughts words and works all the dayes of our life that so we may keep Gods judgements and commandments which are his lesser Sabboths Isaiah 56.2 and finde all righteousness rest and life in Christ the great Sabboth and Lords Day or Day of the Lord in his spirituall comming Yea we would entreat you to examine your selves impartially in or about those six things ensuing First whether you do not worship God in vain here teaching for doctrines the precepts of men Matthew 15.9 for the Lord hath neither instituted these duties for a set and solemn outward worship which you make the several parts of his outward worship nor hath he appointed any other worship but the serving him in spirit and in truth John 4.23 24. And although the duties you insist upon are appointed by him as helps and furtherances to the attaining of that grace whereby we may so worship God and may in that sense pass for a secondary worship yet are they not limitted by him to any set time but rather are lest to the Churches convenience and care to her piety and prudence Secondly whether you do not with the prodigall feed your selves and others upon huskes while you rely thus upon the outward Sabboths which are shels and shadows Galatians 4 9 10 11. But now after yea have known God or rather are known of God how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage ye observe dayes and moneths and yeers I am aâ—raid I have bestowed upon you labour in vaine If ye fay that ye keep not the Jewish Sabboth but have turned that into the Lords Day to be Rept after the same manner Then in the third place may it not be said unto you by the Lord as it is Isaiah 1.12 When ye come to appear before me who hath required these things at your bands c. Yea fourthly is it not some kinde of superstition and Idolatry against the second Commandement when God hath removed a ceremonial and figurative worship for you now of your own heads and in his name to set up another solemn and prescript outward worship as if God were a visible and corporeall God or one that took more delight that men should speak and hear discourses concerning his everlasting righteousness then to be worshipped therein See Isaiah 38.1 2 3 4 c. See Isaiah 28.1 2 3. Yea fifthly when God hath abolished one shadow or Image to wit his seventh dayes Sabboth which as was said before was not at the first instituted for a day of worship but a figurative day of rest for you to make another like it and as from God to set it in its stead to be honoured without any warrant or command from him what is this but to set up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an image like the former and a very Idol of your own brain or at the best with Jeroboam to offer unto the Lord on that day which ye have devised of your own heart 1 Kings 10.33 Not but that this day or any other may be lawfully and profitably spent in such holy duties as you speak of being observed as an ordinance of the Church or the civil Magistrate so it be not imposed upon men as a Commandement of the Lords as you obtrude it For therein you with the Judayzing zealots Acts 15.10 would put a yâ—ke upon the neck of the Disciples which neither we nor our fathers were able to bear And there in so doing how far you tempt God your selves may advisedly confider Lastly Wherein doth your righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees Mat. 5.20 for they not only kept the outward Sabboth of the fourth commandment most severely but made long prayers fasted often preached diligently administred the Sacraments yea compassed Sea and land to make a Proselite or convert to their Religion Matthew 12.1 2 3. Luke 18.10 11 12. Mat. thew 23.1 2 3. CHAP. XXII Of Lawful Oaths and Vows ALawful oath is a part of Religious worship a Deu 10.20 where in upon just occasion the person swearing solemnly calleth God to witness what he asserteth or promiseth and to judge him according to the truth or falshood of what he sweareth b Exod 20.7 Lev 19.12 1 Cor. 1 13. 2 Chr 6.22 23.
not is to take his name in vain Hos 4.15 Though thou Israel transgress yet let not Judah offend and come ye not to Gilgal nor go up to Beth aven or house of vanity nor swear the Lord liveth See Isa 48.1 and Isa 65.16 Jer. 2.16 What name is that which the Lord sweareth should be no more named in the mouth of any of those which had forsaken him and whom he had now finally rejected but his like being which he withholdeth from his enemies and obstinate rebels against him Jeremiah 44.26 Therefore hear ye the word of the Lord all Judah and you that dwell in the land of Egypt Behold I have sworn by my great name or being saith the Lord that my name shall be no more named in the mouth of any man in Judah in all the land of Egypt saying the Lord liveth to wit in me Secondly You say in the same Section That to swear vainly or rashly by that glorious and dreadful name is sinful but why have you made no mention of forswearing by that name perjury being the greatest evil of all sinful kindes of swearing Thirdly you say That to swear by any other thing is sinful whereas the Apostle swears by the truth or work of Christ in him 2 Cor. 11.15 And by the rejoycing which he had in Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 16.31 unless we should take this last for an asseveration onely But as the Lord sometimes swears by himself and his whole being Gen. 22.16 and sometimes by some particular attribute of his as Isa 62 8. The Lord hath sworn by his right hand and by the arm of his strength So it may seem that men may swear either by his whole being or by some part of it and have the Lords practise for their warrant Fourthly It is true that you speak That a lawful oath is warranted under the New Testament as well as under the Old yet is there a greater restraint of swearing laid upon us now then in the old Testament Mat. 5.34 James 5.12 which hath made some to shun all oathes though called to swear by the Magistrate in matters lawful In the third Section you give good cautions to them that are to take an oath saying He that taketh an oath ought duly to consider the weightiness of such an act but none to those which impose the same as if men might not sin in imposing unnecessary subtil and insnaring oaths Zach. 5.3.4 There is a curse goet out against swearers aswel as against Theeves because of needless swearing aswel as false swearing A land is made to mourn Jer. 23.10 Again in the same Section you say It is a sin to refuse an oath touching any thing that is good and just being imposed by lawful authority where you imply that onely such as be in authority may require an oath but the master may require it from his servant as Abraham did Gen. 24.23 and one equal of another as Laban did of Jacob Gen. 31.44 45 46. c. Yea an inferiour sometimes of a superiour as the poor Amalekite servant did of David 1 Sam. 30.15 16 yet all this upon weighty occasions Lastly All lawful oaths are to be so taken as you speak in that fourth Section but whether a tyrannical oath tending to the destruction of the Saints either the swearer himself or his fellow Saints may not when it is enforced be taken with some lawful reservation or equivocation when the words will bear it is a querie among the Schoolmen Now concerning vowes of which you speak in your three last Sections We first grant that there is a great deale of affinity betwixt a vow and a promissary oath and therefore as we are commanded to be wary and well advised in our vows yea to be sparing therein Eccles 5.5 Better it is that thou shouldest not vow then that thou shouldest vow and not pay c. So we cannot easily be too abstemious in taking of oathes unless it be upon great and just occasions The true Saint or servant of God is described by this adjunct of fearing an oath Eccles 9.2 As is the good so is the sinner and he that sweareth as he that feareth an oath Secondly We concur with you concerning the person to whom the things about which and the manner how vows are to be made as also concerning the faithful keeping of them and of all lawful oaths Finally we agree That Popish vows of perpetual poverty oftentimes of regular obedience and of a monastick life are neither warantable nor true degrees of an higher perfection but rather superstitious and sinful snares wherein Christians should not entangle themselves yet must it be granted that some may resolve of fingle life and in some sort through the assistance of God vow so to continue 1 Cor. 7.37 Nevertheless he that standeth stedfast in his heart having no necessity but hath power over his own will and hath deâ—reed in his bea rt that he will keep his virgin or virginity doth well Matth. 19.12 For there are some Eunuchs which were so borâ— from their mothers womb and there are some Eunuches which were made Eunuches of men and there be Eunuches which have made themselves Eunuches for the Kingdom of God he that is able to receive it let him receive it The like may be said of such Canons as are in themselves peaceable pious or lawful of which one may lawfully vow that by Gods assistance he will be regular in the same But though the superstitious snares must be confessed to be sinful yet there may lie other kindes of snares in oaths vows and covenants made by self seeking men under specious pretences which may be no less perilous or wicked then the other what say you to a mutinous snare among the Souldiers when some private Officer or Souldiers draw their fellows into a combination against their General or the body of the Army by pressing a self made League or Covenant What think you of a Schismatical or Heretical snare when some of the Clergy or Laity to spread their own opinions or strengthen themselves against their adversaries or to make themselves great draw others into an oath and combination with them What opinion have you of a rebellious confederation bound up with solemn vows and oathes such as was that in the late Irish Rebels and Murtherers Are not all these sinful snares and entanglements CHAP. XXIII Of the Civil Magistrate GOD the supream Lord and King of all the World hath ordained Civil Magistrates to be under him over the people for his own glory and the publick good and to this end hath armed them with the power of the sword for the defence and incouragement of them that are good and for the punishment of evil doers a Rom 13 1 2 3 4 1 Pet 2 13 14 II. It is lawful for Christians to accept and execute the office of a Magistrate when called thereunto b Prov 8 15 16 Rom 13 1 2 3 in the managing whereof as they
out many Devils and anointed with oyl those that were sick and healed them James 5.14 Is any man sick among you let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them pray over him anointing him with oyl in the name of the Lord. Thirdly Imposing of hands in a threefold case First In the way of healing Mark 16.18 They shall lay their hands upon the sick and they shall recover Secondly In confirming new Disciples and communicating the Holy Ghost Acts 8.17 and 19.6 And thirdly In ordaining either Deacons or Ministers for the Churches Acts 6.6 Acts 13.1 2 3. or Bishops themselves 1 Tymothy 4.14 2 Tymothy 1.6 Fourthly The near union betwixt the Husband and the wife with their reciprocal duties figuring forth Christ and his Church Genesis 2.21 24.2.19 20. Ephes 5.25 32. Finally Some adhere the Ceremony of the Husbands praying and prophesying with his head uncovered because a cover is a token of uncleanness and he represents Christ the Head of the Church who is holy and pure but of the Wives praying and sitting to hear Prophesyings with their head covered both in token of subjection and to shew that the man her Head is through the fall unclean which things is now neither observed nor regarded in the reformed Churches See Corinthians 11.2 16. Yet let us consider advisedly whether the Apostle would spend half a Chapter about a needless thing which might be observed or omitted at pleasure To those perhaps some might be added But secondly whereas you say here in this fourth Section That the two Sacraments of the Gospel were both instituted by Christ our Lord. You are much mistaken for though the Lords Supper was so yet Baptism was ordained by God the Father who sent John the Baptist by his Doctrine and Baptism to make way for Christ his Doctrine and Office John 1.33 Lastly You truly affirm in the close of the same Section That neither of these two Sacraments may be dispensed by any but by a Minister of the Word lawfully called But here we pray you consider seriously of it whether the bare calling of man be he the Civil or Ecclesiastical Governour or both be a sufficient commission to dispense the Word and Sacraments by Perhaps in a formal Church of Professors the whole Frabrick being humane it may suffice but to administer these among the Saints and houshold of God who onely are the true Church as we said before peradventure it requires an higher call even Gods own authority or commission as the places of Scripture to which you point or some of them plainly intimate to wit Matth. 28.19 20. 1 Cor. 11.20 23. 1 Cor. 4.1 Heb 5.4 Finally Whereas you say in you fifth and last Section That the Sacraments of the Old Testament were in regard of the things signified for substance the same with these of the New it is not every way true for circumcision the initiatory Sacrament in the Old Testament did set forth the first part of regeneration especially but Baptism in or unto the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost represents all the three parts of the new birth and the Passover though it imported to eat Christs flesh yet it was ordinarily but a communicating in one kinde whereas the Lords Supper communicates in both kindes and holds forth the Blood of Christ as well as his flesh for the strengthening of those that follow Christ into his death CHAP. XXVIII Of Baptism BAPTIM is a Sacrament of the New Testament Ordained by Jesus Christ a Mat. 28.29 not onely for the solemn admission of the party baptised into the Visible Church b 1 Cor 12.13 but also to be unto him a sign and seal of the Covenant of Grace c Rom 4.11 with Col 2 11.12 of his grafting into Christ d Gal. 3.27 Rom 6.5 of regeneration e Tit. 3.5 of remission of sins f Mark 1.4 and of his giving up unto God through Jesus Christ to walk in newness of life g Ro 6.3 4 which Sacrament is by Christs own appointment to be continued in his Church until the end of the World h Mat 28.19 20. II. The outward Element to be used in this Sacrament is Water wherewith the Party is to be baptised in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost by a Minister of the Gospel lawfully called thereunto i Mar 3.11 John 1.33 Matth 28.19 19. III. Dipping of the person into the Water is not necessary but baptism is rightly administred by pouring or sprinkling Water upon the person k Heb 9.19 20 21 22. Acts 2. Acts 16.33 Mar 7.4 IV. Not onely those that do actually profess faith in and obedience unto Christ l Mark 16.15.16 Acts 8.37.38 but also the infants of one or both beleeving Parents are to be baptised m Gen 17.7 9. with 17 12 Gal 3.9.14 Gol 2.2 Acts 2.38 39. Rom 4.11.12 1 Cor 7.14 Mark 10.13 14 15 16. Luk 18.15 V. Although it be a great sin to contemn or neglect this Ordinance n Luk 7.30 with Exo 4.25 26 27. yet Grace and Salvation are not so inseparably annexed unto it as that no person can be regenerated or saved without it o Ro 4.11 Acts 10.2 4 â—2 31 45 49. or that all which are baptised are undoubtedly regenerated p Acts 8.13 23. VI. The efficacy of baptism it not tyed to that moment of time wherein it is administred q John 3.8 yet notwitstanding by the right use of this Ordinance the grace promised is not onely offered but really exhibited and conferred by the Holy Ghost to such whether of age or infants as that Grace belongeth unto according to the counsel of Gods own will in his appointed time r Galat 3.17 Titns 3 5. Ephes 5.25 Ephes 25.26 Acts 2.38 VII The Sacrament of baptism is but once to be administred unto any person Å¿ Titus 3.5 CHAP. XXVIII Of Baptisme examined ALTHOUGH some passages here are foul enough yet they have some of them been washed before As first That where in your first and last Section you would have the first and main thing signified by this Sacrament to be the spiritual grace contained in the Covenant as regeneration and remission of sins Whereas the first and principle scope in this and all other Sacraments is to inform us in and oblige us unto duty as appears out of the words of Ananias unto Paul Acts 22.16 And now why tarriest thou Arise and be baptized and wash away thy fins by calling upon the name of the Lord. See also Rom. 6.2 3 4 5 6. How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein Know ye not that so many of us as were baptised into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death Therefore we are buryed with him by baptism into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness
that I have not done in it Wherefore when I looked that it should have brought forth grapes brought it forth wild grapes Unto which interrogatories the church if they had believed your doctri◠might have answered thus Thou mightest have done much more for thy vineyard then thou hast done if thou hadst created us all in Gods Image as thou didst our first parents a thing very easie unto thee And how wouldest thou O wise and righteous Lord expect that we should bring forth any other fruit but wild grapes since by our depravation derived from our first parents we are a meer wild vine But as the choisest vine with which God planteth his vineyard is Christ from our creation planted in us being called Ja. 1.21 The ingrafted word which is able to save our souls so this vineyard is our heart or inward man into which al are hired or sent by the Lord to work therein to keep dress the same from the 3. unto the 11 hour yet some at one hour and some at another are more excited to labour therein Matth. 20.1 2 3 16. And the wickedness which by our fall from God we have brought in and planted is the vine of Sodom that is of their secret or foundation of which the Lord complains Deut. 32.32 For their vine is of the vine of Sodom and the fields of Gomorrah their grapes are grapes of gall their clusters are bitter A seventh place which lets his voyce be heard without fear is that of Jeremiah 2.21 where the Lord justifies himself but justly blameth Israel Yet I had planted thee a noble vine wholly of a right seed How then are thou turned into the degenerate plant of a wild vine unto me Now the whole nation of Israel was yet never thus planted any other way but by an upright creation for they were not all made such by way of regeneration in any age or generation which was heretofore Eighthly when God by the same Prophet expostulates with them about their falling from him and not rising again and returning chapt 8. verse 4 5. doth not the Lord implie that they once stood before they fell yea and that they had not yet lost all abilitie of returning when by precedent grace they where excited thereunto Moreover thou shall say unto them Thus saith the Lord shall they fall and not arise Shall he turn away and not return Wherefore is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual back sliding They bold fast deceit they refuse to return Ninthly the Lord in Hosea chapter 3. verse 9. laies Israels destruction upon her self and not upon her first parents O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self but in me is thy help and so he doth their fall likewise chapter 14. verse 1. O Israel return unto the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity Tenthly doth not our Saviour declare the state of children both to be innocent and blessed when first he makes it terminus ad quem unto which in our conversion and regeneration we must return and then tels us that the kingdom of Heaven belongs unto such and is replenished with such saying Matth. 18.3 Verily I say unto you except ye be converted and become as little children ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven And again Matth. 19 1◠he saith Suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven Eleventhly doth not the Apostle Paul remove not onely from children malice but all evil of iniquity when he would have the Corinthians in that behalf conformed unto them 1 Cor. 14.20 saying Brethren be not children in understanding Howbeit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in malice or iniquity be children but in understanding be perfect or of a ripe age Lastly to omit many other Scriptures which might be produced upon this account the Apostle James affirms that men are still created after Gods Image chap. 39. saying Therewith to wit with the tongue bless we God even the Father and therewith curse we men which are made after the similitude of God If it be here objected that the Apostle here ment onely such as were regenerate we reply these three things First that the verb here used signifies to create or make but to create or make but not to regenerate without some other exprssion in the text so to limit it Secondly that the Saints to whom St. James did now write do not use to curse each other Thirdly without doubt the holy Apostle and Disciple of Christ here restraining and reproving the cursing of men would make his restraint as large as his master did who would have us to love all mankinde even our enemies and not curse any of them but to bless and benefit them all herein following the example of our Hevenly Father Mat. 5.44.45 But I say unto you love your enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them that dispitefully use you and persecute you that ye may be the children of your Father which is in Heaven For he maketh his Son to rise on the evil and the good and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust It is all mankinde therefore that James would exempt from being cursed and consequently no less number that are made after Gods Image Thus we have proved that neither the guilt of our first parents sin was imputed nor their spiritual death in sin and corrupted nature was conveyed to all their posterity or to any one of them by ordinary generation contrary to your assertions in your third Section And though this your doctrine hath gone from hand to hand a long time by tradition yet neither did the Scribes and Pharisees nor yet the Disciples of Christ and much less Christ himself hold forth any such doctrine nor were any of them leavened with this opinion of yours and your long mistasten predecessors for the Pharisees with the Jewes being highly displeased with him who was born blind and whose eyes Christ had opened for defending his Saviour and blessed Occulist said thus unto him John 9.34 Thou wast altogether born in sin and dost thou teach us Whence it is evident that they did neither conceive all men in general nor yet themselves to be by propagation conceived and born in sin And when Christs Disciples asked him saying John 9.23 Master who did sin this man or his parents that he was born blinde Jesus answered neither hath this man sinned nor his parents but that the works of God should be made manifest in him Where according to your doctrine our Saviour should have answered positively that both he and his parents with all his progenitors even as far as Adam had sinned and were all as many descended from Adam by ordinary generation from one generation to another conceived in sin and brought forth in iniquity But our Saviour taught no such doctrine nor did his Apostles when rightly understood hold forth any thing
that tends this way more then the Prophets their Predecessors or the Prince of the Prophets their Master did in which point all are silent if not cleerly opposite unto you The Lord commanded by Moses that Cities of fefuge should be set apart in all the coasts and habitations of Israel for such persons to flee to as had slain any man at unawares that the avenger of blood should not slay the innocent with a temporal death Deu. 19. c. And will the Lord pursue the innocent seed of Adam and hold them guilty for their Fathers sin perpetrated ere they were born yea will he himself be the avenger of the blood against these innocents Amaziah is commended for his justice and his obedience in that behalf to the Law of the Lord in not slaying the sons of those that murderd his father Joash but only the fathers that did the Villany 2 Ki. 14.5 6. And wil ye Brethren father upon God the fountain of all justice and the Father of mercies a cruelty forbiden in his own Law Deuteronomy 24.16 who was so far from destroying the infants of Nineveh though but an handful compared to the vast harvest of Adams posterity that he spared the whole Cities mainly upon that accompt next after the peoples repentance as he declares unto Jonas who was not a little displeased to see by this means his prediction contradicted or come to nothing Ionah 4.10 11. But having here vindicated the justice and mercy of the Lord from this your putative most putid imputation of the first Adams sin to all his succeeding off-spring as also derived innocency and righteousness in some measure from God the true Author of it instead of propagated corruptioÌ„ to the ensuing generations let us now come to answer such objections as seem to stand in our way or the passage of others who are willing to be brought to the knowledge and imbracement of the truth First here it is objected that the Lord saith Gen 8 21. The imaginations of mans heart are evil from his youth Answer Even as Esau or Edom though he had a birth right yet sold it in his youth to satisfie some strong desires kindled in him So men though created innocent do in the time of temptation and tryal too often and too soon yeeld unto the temptation and sell or forfeit that their innocency and birth right and so their imaginations become evil from their youth but are not so from their birth unless you here understand a spiritual conception and birth in sin by our personal fall Object 2. Job saith chap. 11.4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean not one Answer Job here confesseth that himself was unclean and that ever since his personal fall and therefore he of himself could not bring forth an obedience or righteousness that was clean and pure no nor the adaequate fruits of righteousness which might pass for such before the Lords judgement of a long time though he was holpen by grace for grace is not had all at once Object 3. Job 15.14 15 16. Eliphaz speakes thus What is man that he should be clean and be that is born of a woman that he should he righteous Behold he puteth no trust in his Saints yea the heavens are not clean in his sight How much more abominable and filthy is man which drinketh iniquity like water Answer this is an hy perbolical speech of his tending to the further accusation of Job whom he had more then sufficiently yea very unjustly charged before For first God doth put trust and confidence in his Saints and Angels whom he dayly employeth Secondly The heavens and all other creatures as they come out of the Creators hands are pure and good in his sight And thirdly though some men are so accustomed to sin that they have contracted an hypodropical chirst thereunto yet neither Job of whom he means all this in hypothesie nor any other of the Saints upon earth do drink iniquity like water But suppose all men did so yet it doth not from hence follow that we are all so deeply tainted and corrupted by sin drawn from Adam our first parent For as he corrupted himself by his personal Lapse disobedience so may any other man and so doubtless do all lapsed men do likewise See Psal 14.2 3. The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if ther were any that did understand and seek after God They are all gone aside they are all together become filthy there is none that doth good no not one Of this fall and corruption Pilagius unmindfull in pleading mans ability in and of himself still to keep and fulfill the law which Saint Austin grants ought to be done by grace not by corrupt nature The like answer we give to those words of Bildad Job 25.4 5 6. How then can man be justified or how can he be clean that is born of a woman behold even to the Mâ—on and it shineth not and the Stars are not pure in his fight How much less man that is a worme and the son of man who is a worme for as it must be granted that man since his fall cannot by himself be either made just or clean so it is false that the Moon and Stars are not pure in Gods sight Thus Jobs friend would make good their unjust charge against him with false principles and glarifie God with lies for which he is afterwards justly displeased with them as he is with all other that plead for him in a wicked way Job 42.7 The Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite My wrath is kindled against thee and against thy two friends for ye have not spoken of me the things that as right my servant Job hath Object 4. David saith Psal 51.5 Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me which words seem expresly to speak of his conception and birth in the corruption by you set forth Answer we would first gladly know of you whether it be not Davids scope in this confession to aggravate his sin But if he here pleadeth the inevitable corruption of nature which you hold forth his words will be found a meere extinuation of his offences if not a throwing of all or most of the blame upon God who had brought him forth so corrupt so averse to all good and so propense to all evil and that without hope of an absolute cure while he was in this world Secondly for the clearing of the truth let us first consider whether David had no other parents but Jesse and his wife and then if he had which is the mother that he here speak of As to the first besides our natural parents we have spiritual Fathers and mothers whether for our begetting in the evil and iniquity or for our regeneration in grace and goodness Concerning our procreation in sin our Saviour speaks thus unto the Jewes Iohn 8.44 Ye are of your father the devil and his