for me to judge that this man does rashly and unadvisedly if he shall arise and contradict Is not the Spirit able to reveal somewhat to him which he hath hidden from thee Now if the Spirit have revealed somewhat to him and to that end revealed it that he might contradict that by his means the thing may be revealed to the Church shall I say that he hath done rashly in obeying the holy Ghost And if thou think otherwise verily thou art not perswaded that the Spirit is the Author and Teacher of this Knowledge but that all the praise thereof is due to Studies Watchings and the Wits of men And if this be thy judgment I tell thee again That thou art not only unworthy to be the sole Speaker but worthy rather to be the only person not permitted to speak in the Congregation And that thou mayst the better understand that the most Unlearned ought to be allowed to speak consider God will have himself to be acknowledged the Author of his own gifts he will not have his praise attributed unto our Studies or Wits but unto himself But if the man that hath spent all his Life in Study speak wisely it is not attributed to God but to study In word perhaps it may be attributed to God yet not without a vehement Reluctancy of our Judgment and this is that which I say God will not abide But if so be thou shalt hear a wise word come out of the Mouth of some unlearned Person thou must needs whether thou wilt or no acknowledge God to be the Author thereof So when God was minded to give unto â—srael a Victory against the Midianites under the Conduct of Gideon and Gideon had gathered together Thirty Thousand Men lest the Israelites should boast that they had gotten the Victory by their own Strength and not by the Assistance of God which might have been conceived if Gidean had fought with so numerous an Army he would not suffer him to have above Three hundred that it might appear that he was the Cause of the Victory and not the Number or Valour of those that fought Now besides the Glory of God hereby great Profit does accrue to the Church For if the People shall see now one man now another endued with the Spirit beyond all Expectation many will thereby be encouraged to hope for the same Gift if they shall ask it many will learn and profit and it will thereby come to pass that when Occasion shall be to choose a Minister the Church shall not need to call strange and unknown Persons to that Office but she may have of her own such as are fit to be chosen Men whose Conversation and Manners are sufficiently known And when the number of such as are able to prophesie shall be great the Church will not be forced to use such Pastors as from their very Childhood have proposed to themselves such Offices as the reward of their Studies and addicted themselves to the study of Scripture and Religion no otherwise then they would have done to some Trade whereby they meant in time to get their Living So that a Man can expect but very few of them to prove other then Mercenary or Hireling Pastors Now that it was the Custom of the Jewish Church that all might thus Prophesie we may hence conjecture in that it is upon Record Luke 4. how our Lord upon the Sabbath day decording to the Custom came into the Synagoguge took a Book and expounded a place of Esay and how being twelve years of Age he sate at Jerusalem in the Temple among the Doctors and did aispute For he could not so do by vertue of any ordinary office forasmuch as his Age was uncapable neither did the Doctors know who he was Yea rather our Lord in so doing must needs make use of the power which was granted to every one to speak It remained in the Christians Congregations until the times of Constantine at the least Forasmuch as we have these words of Eusebius the Writer of Church affairs to that effect If any man inspired by the Grace of God should speak unto the People they all with great silence fixing their Eyes upon him gave such attention as if he had brought them some Errand from Heaven So great was the reverence of the hearers such order was seen among the Ministers One after another another after him Neither was there only two or three that Prophesied according to what the Apostle said but to all was given to speak so that the wish of Moses seems rather to have been fulfilled in them when he said Would God all the People might Prophesie There was no Spleen no Envy the gifts of God were dispensed every one according to his ability contributing his assistance for the confirmation of the Church And all was done with love in such sort That they strove mutually toâ—honour each other and every one to prefer another before himself But to the end this common prophecying may be profitable to the Church we must diligently mark what the Apostle advises For a sure thing it is that the Pride of Man is so great that whatever hath once fallen from him he will by any means have it stand for a Truth neither can he suffer that any man should infringe the same So that if he might be permitted to judge that last spake it will be a Miracle if a man in his Life time should see any one give way to him that contradicts him What is Paul's advice therefore in this case Let two or three Prophets speak and let the rest judge He will not therefore have the same Persons to be Parties and Judges And he adds a little after And the Spirit of the Prophets is subject to the Prophets for God is not the Author of dissention but of Peace So that as soon as any man hath spoken his own mind he ought to rest himself satisfied with the judgment of the rest and not obstinately to make no End of contending if this be not done a sure thing it is there will be no end of strife But what if any man will not be content to submit to the Judgment of the rest Verily I would avouch that being sharply admonished that he disturb not the Congregation and that he go not against the command of the Apostle or rather of our Lord commanding the Spirits of the Prophets to be subject to the Prophets he ought to be cast out of the Society though he should hold the prime place in the Congregation The people likewise must frequently be admonished that liberty for any one to speak in the Congregation is not therefore granted by the Apostle to the end every one should speak what comes to his Tongues end as if he were in a Market but whereas he gives liberty to him to speak to whom any thing is revealed he would have all Rashness and Impudence to be laid aside He that reverences not the Church of God let
requires at our Hands What I have said against Excess in Apparel is also applicable to Excess in Furniture For as Finery is more valued than Clothes so is the Furniture than the House It is a most Inexcusable Superfluity to bestow an Estate to line Walls dress Cabinets embroider Beds with an Hundred other unprofitable Pieces of State such as Massy Plate Rich Chiny Costly Pictures and Painted Windows of no use in the Earth only for Show and Sight the Interest of which Money so ill employed might probably Maintain the Poor of a Numerous Parish O Lord God! hast thou given us Plenty and should we see others Want should we clothe our Dead Walls and let thy Poor go Naked Can we feed our Eyes with these Objects and not feed the Hungry with Bread and spend our Money upon Lifeless Pictures but shut up our Bowels to thy Living Image the Poor and N edy of the Earth Rebuke this Evil Mind and bring down the Pride of all Flesh O Lord for thy Name 's sake The Last Excess is that of Feasting and Voluptuousness Immoderate Eating and Drinking with that strain of Mirth and Jollity which is the Mode and Practice of the Times Dives is almost got into every Family especially those of Note and Estate it is Want of Wealth and not Will that the Greatest Part of the Nation is not guilty they mostly sin to their Ability that is sad But the Sin of Voluptuousness is swell'd to that Bulk that there are more Receipts for Eating and Drinking than there are Precepts of Life in the Old and New Law the Book of Cookery is grown as big as the Bible and I fear read to be sure practised oftner In this Art the Lust of the Flesh is deeply concern'd there is not so much Care of the Stomach as of the Palate of Health as Pleasure 't is the Taste the Gust the Relish that makes the Victuals go down therefore the Sawce is preferred before the Meat Twelve-penny worth of Flesh with Five Shillings of Cookery may happen to make a Fashionable Dish plain Beef Mutton or any other thing is become Dull Food But by that time its Natural Relish is lost in the Crowd of the Cook 's Ingredients and the Meat sufficiently disguised to the Eaters it passes under a French Name for a very Good Dish But there is one thing in this Impiety more than ordinarily Condemnable it destroyes Hospitality and wrongs the Poor For that Expence which is now flung away upon a Vicious Palate upon a French Soup or Sawce in former Times afforded several Dishes of substantial Victuals which did not only feed Strangers or Neighbours but the Poor who have now little more than what the Dogs had then Empty Dishes to lick This is Abusing the Providence of God Tyrannizing over the Creatures made for man's Use and sacrificing their Poor Lives not to our Lives but to our Lusts 'T is against such as these that the Creation groans and from whose Intemperance it cries to be delivered God in all Ages hath had a Controversie with Voluptuous Men and the Testimonies of sacred Records are Strong and Numerous against them I will mention a few of them Voluptuousness was the Sin of the Old World they were Eating and Drinking Marrying and giving in Marriage pleasing the Lust of the Eye the Lust of the Flesh and the Pride of Life until the Day of the Flood This also was the Condition of Sodom Christ himself has exprest it in these words In the Dayes of Lot they did eat they drank they bought they sold they planted they builded the same Day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained Fire and Brimstone from Heaven and destroyed them all The Prophet Ezekiel has it in these words speaking to Jerusalem Behold thâ—… was the Iniquity of thy Sister Sodom Pride Fulness of Bread and A undance of Idleness was in her and her Daughters neither did she strengthen the Hand of the Poor and Needy and they were Haughty and committed Abomination before me therefore I took them away as I saw good And it is very Remarkable that the Voluptuouâ—ness of the Israelites was joyned with their Idolatry It is said that when Moses was in the Mount the People Impatient of his Stay sat down to Eat and to Drink and rose up to Play they had got a Calf of Gold and were Dancing about it But it was a Dismal Ball and they paid dear for their Junket for several Thousands were Slain and it is said That God Plagued the People Job's Children had as Ill Success in their Festivals they went from House to House Eating and Drinking and a Tempest rose and smote the Four Corners of the House and Kill'd them But most express is that Complaint of God by the Mouth of the Prophet Amos against the Voluptuous Jews Ye that put so far away the Evi Day and cause the Seat of Violence to come near that lie upon Beds of Ivory and stretch themselves upon their Couches and eat the Lambs out of the Flock and Calves out of the midst of the Stall That Chant at the Sound of the Viol and invent to themselves Instruments of Musick like David that drink Bowls of Wine and anoint themselves with the chief Ointments but they are not grieved for the Affliction of Joseph Therefore now shall they go Captive with the First that go Captive and the Banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed And I will turn your Feasts into Mourning and all your Songs into Lamentation and I will make the End thereof as a bitter Day I shall Sum up these Excesses and Conclude the Instances with the Story of Dives more commonly known then reverently believed It is delivered to us by the Great Lord of Truth in these Words There was as Certain Rich Man which was cloathed in Purple and Fine Linnen and fared Sumptuously every Day And there was a Certain Beggar named Lazarus which was laid at his Gate full of Sores and deâ—iring to be fed with the Crums which fell from the Rich Man's Table moreover the Dogs came and licked his Sores And it came to pass that the Beggar died and was carried by the Angels into Abraham's Bosom The Rich Man also died and was buried And in Hell he lift up his Eyes being in Torments and seeth Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his Bosom And he cried and said Father Abraham have mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his Finger in water and cool my Tongue for I am Tormented in this Flame But Abraham said Son remember that thou in thy Life-time receivedst thy good things likewise Lazarus Evil things but now he is comforted and thou art tormented And besides all this between us you there is a Great Gulf fix'd so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot neither can they pass to us that would come from thence This Great Passage
between Arminius and Episcopius c. for the Remonstrants and Gomarus Sibrandus c. for the Predestinarians distracted Holland not a little and had an ill Influence upon the Affairs of England at least so far as concern'd the Church But the Mournfullest part of that History is the Ill Usage Martinius Crâ—cius the Bishop of Landaff and others had who though they were acknowledg'd to be Sound in the Faith of those Times which generally followed the Judgment of Calvin as to the mean points controverted yet if at any time they appear'd moderate in their Behaviour gentle in their Words and for Accommodation in some particulars with the Remonstrators or Free willers Gomarus and his Followers not observing that Gravity of the Assembly the Rules of Debate and least of all the Meekness of Christian Communion fell foul of their Brethren reproach'd their Tenderness and began to fix Treachery upon their Sober Endeavours of Accommodation as if they intended to execute as well as maintain their Reprobation and blow up their Friends rather than not destroy their Adversaries But if we will yet rise higher in our Enquiry and view the Mischiefs of Earlier Times the Fourth and Fifth Centuries after Christ will furnish us with Instances enough We cannot possibly forget the Heavy Life some men made about the Observation of Easter Day as if their Eternal Happiness had been in Jeopardy for so far were they degenerated from the Love and Meekness of Christianity that about keeping of a Day which perhaps was no part but to be sure no Essential part of the Christian Religion they fell to pieces reproach'd revil'd and hated one another A Day was more than Christ who was the Lord and End of Days and Victory over Brethren better than the Peace and Concord of the Church the Great Command of Jesus But the Remarkable and Tragical Story of Alexander Bishop of Alexandria and Arius his Priest in their known Debate about the Nature and Existence of the Son of God with the lamentable Consequences thereof as all Writers upon that Subject have related witnesseth to the truth of what I say The Bishop's Curiosity the Niceness of Arius the Presumption of the one to expound beyond the Evidence and Simplicity of the Text and the Captious Humor of the other that would not bate the Bishop any thing for his Age or the Rank he held in the Church but Logically exacted the Utmost Farthing of the Reckoning began the â—ray Which as it became the Perplexity of Church and State some Ages so it raged to Blood and those that had been persecuted like Sheep by the Heathen not long before turn'd Wolves now to each other and made sport for the Infidel doing their work Nay so much more Christian was Themistius the Philosopher that in his Oration called CONSUL he commended and advised the Emperour Jovianus to Exercise Moderation and to give that Liberty of Conscience which profest Christians refused to do to each other who seem'd to think they never did God better Service than in Sacrificing one another for Religion Did we duly reflect upon the Unnatural Heats Divisions and Excommunications among them the many Councils that were called the strong and tedious Debates held the Translations of Sees the Anathemas the Banishments Wars Sackings Fires and Blood-shed that followed this Unnatural Division that sprang from so nice a Controversie one would verily believe no less than that Religion it self had been in Utmost Hazard that Judaism or Paganism were over-running Christianity and not that all this Stir had been made about an Iota For the whole Question was whether HOMOUSIA or HOMOIUSIA should be received for Faith in which the difference is but the single Letter 1 Certainly we must do Violence to our Understanding if we can think that these men were Followers of that Jesus that Lov'd his Enemies gave his Blood for the World who hated their Brethren and shed one anothers Blood for OPINIONS The Heathen-Philosophers never were so Barbarous in their Differences But how easily might all these Confusions have been prevented if their Faith about Christ had been deliver'd in the words of Scripture since all sides pretend to believe the Text and why should any man presume to be Wiser than the Holy Ghost 'T is strange that God and Christ should be wanting to express or discover their own mind or that the words used by the Holy Ghost should have that Shortness Ambiguity or Obliquity in them that our frail Capacities should be needed to make them more Easie Proper and Intelligible But that we should scarcely deliver any one Article of Faith in Scripture-Terms and yet make such Acts the Rule and Bond of Christian Communion is in my Judgment an Offence hainous against God and Holy Scripture and very Injurious to Christian Charity and Fellowship Who can express any Man's mind so fully as himself and shall we allow that Liberty to our selves and refuse it to God The Scriptures came not in Old time said the Apostle Peter by the will of Man but holy Men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost Who can speak better or express the Mind of the holy Ghost plainer than the holy Ghost the Scripture is the Great Record of Truth that which all these Parties in Controversie agree to be the Declared Mind and Will of God they Unanimously say It ought to be believ'd and profest as such If this be true in what Language can we so safely and properly declare our Belief of the Truths therein contain'd orexpress those Truths as in the very Language of the Scripture And I cannot see how those Persons can be excused in the Day of God's Judgment who make men Heterâ—dox or Heretical for refusing to subscribe their Articles of Faith that are not in Scripture-Terms who at the same time offer to declare their Belief of God Christ Spirit Man's Laps or Fall Repentance Sanctification Justification Salvation Resurrection and Eternal Recompence in the Language of Holy Scripture 'T is preposterous and a Contradiction that those who desire to deliver their Faith of Truth in the Language of Truth should not be reputed True Believers nor their Faith admitted for this were to say that therefore their Faith is not to be received because it is declared in the Language of that very Truth which is the Object of that Faith for which it ought to be received and which is on all hands concluded to be our Duty to believe It seems then we must not express our Belief of God in his Words but our own nor is the Scripture a Creed plain or proper enough to declare a True Believer or an Orthodox Christian Are not things come to a sad pass that to refuse any other Terms than those the Holy Ghost has given us and which are confest to be the Rule or Form of sound Words is to expose a Man to the Censure of being Unsound in the Faith unfit for Christian-Communion Will
is evident from Example as in the Case of Peter who for having believed in his heart and confest with his Mouth That JESUS was the Christ and SON of GOD obtained that Signal Blessing Mat. 16. This made Nathaniel a Disciple Rabbi said he thou art the Son of God thou art the King of Israel It was the like Confession that made amends for Thomas's Incredulity when he was sensibly assured of the Resurrection of Jesus My Lord and my God This was also the Substance of Martha's Confession of Faith to Jesus when he said to her I am the Resurrection and the Life he that believeeth in me shall never dye believest thou this She answered Yea Lord I believe that thou art the Christ the Son of God which should come into the World She answered him not as to that Particular of the Resurrection but in General that he was the Christ the MESSIAH that was to come into the World and that suffised 'T was a Confession not unlike to this that the Blind Man made to whom Christ gave Sight when Jesus said but to him Dost thou believe on the Son of God Lord said he I do believe and be worshipped him What shall we say of the rare Faith of the Centurion preferred by Christ himself before any in Israel though a Gentile the Faith of the Woman and Inhabitants of Samaria that he was the Messiah of that Importunate Woman that cryed to Jesus To cast a Devil out of her possest Daughter and would not be put off to whom Christ said O Woman great is thy Faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt To which let me add the Faith of the People that brought the Man Sick of the Palsy to Christ who uncover'd the Roof to let him down to be toucht The Faith of Jairus the Ruler and of that Good Woman who pressed through the Croud to touch the Hem of Christ's Garment to whom Jesus said Be of good Comfort Daughter thy Faith has made Thee whole Also the Two Blind Men that followed him out of the Rulers House crying Thou Son of David have Mercy on us To whom when Jesus had said Believe ye that I am able to do this they Answered YEA LORD then touch'd he their Eyes and said According to your Faith be it unto you Also the Blind Man near Jericho The Leprous Samaritan that Christ cleansed And that Notable Passage of the Woman that kissed his Feet and anointed his Head to whom he pronounced this Happy Sentence Thy Faith hath saved thee go in Peace I will conclude this with that Famous Instance of the Thief upon the Cross who neither knew nor had time to make a Large Confession like the Creeds of these dayes but it seems he said enough Lord remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom And Jesus said unto him Verily I say unto thee to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise By which it is easie to learn that 't was the Heart not the Mouth the Sincerity not the Words that made the Confession Valid Nor was this only in the Days of Christ the Effect of his Gracious Dispensation or peculiar Indulgence After-times afford us the like Instances This was the main Bent of Peter's Sermon and when the Three thousand believed that he whom the Jews had crucified was both Lord and Christ and repented of their Sins and gladly received his Word they are said to have been in a State of Salvation Thus Cornelius and his Houshold and Kindred so soon as Peter declared Jesus to be the Messiah and that they had believed the Holy Ghost fell upon them and they were received into the Christian Communion But the Story of the Eunuch is very pat to our purpose As he rid in his Charriot he was reading these words out of the Prophet Isaiah viz. That he was led as a Sheep to the Slaughter and like a Lamb dumb before the Shearers so opened he not his Mouth In his Humiliation his Judgment was taken away and who shall declare his Generation for his Life is taken from the Earth Philip joyn'd to him and askt him If he understood what he read he desired Philip to interpret the mind of the Prophet if he spoke of him self or another Philip upon the place preached to him Jesus the Eunuch was so well perswaded by the Apostle that coming to a Water he said What doth hinder me to be Baptized Philip answered him If thou believest with all thine heart thou may'st To this the Eunuch replyed I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God Upon which he was Baptized and 't is said He went away rejoycing which indeed he might well do that felt the Comfort of his Faith the Remission of Sin and the Joys of the holy Ghost I will conclude these Examples with a Passage in the Acts of Paul at Thessalonica 't is this Paul as his manner was went in unto them and Three Sabbath-dayes reasoned with them out of the Scriptures opening and alledging that Christ must needs have suffered and risen again from the dead and that this Jesus said he whom I preach unto you is Christ And some of them believed and consorted with Paul and Silas and of the devout Greeks a great multitude and of the Chief Women not a few Thus we may plainly see that they were Baptiz'd into the Faith of Jesus and not into Numerous Opinions and that this one Confession from true Faith in the heart was the ground Principle of their Church-fellowship then God's Church was at Peace she thrive there were then no Snares of Words made to catch Men of Conscience in Then not many Words but much Integrity now much Talk and little Truth Many Articles but O ye of little Faith Nor was this only the Judgment and Practice of that Time out of Condescension to Weakness and Charity to Ignorance for both Christ Jesus himself and his Apostles those blessed Messengers of holy Truth have doctrinally laid it down as the great Test to Christians that which should distinguish them from Infidels and justly entitle them to his Discipleship and Christian Communion one with another Then said they to Jesus what shall we do that we might work the Works of God Jesus answered and said to them This is the Work of God that ye BELIEVE ON HIM whom God hath sent Verily Verily I say unto you he that believeth on me hath Everlasting Life And upon another Occasion to the Jews he said For if ye believe not that I am HE ye shall die in your Sins It must follow then that if they did believe him to be the Messiah the Anointed of God to Salvation they should be saved Most plain is that Answer of the Apostles to the Goaler when he came trembling to them and said Sirs what must I do to be saved Believe said they on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved The Apostle
Paul confirms this in his Epistle to the Romans when he says If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the Dead thou shalt be saved For with the heart man believeth unto Righteousness and with the mouth Confession is made unto Salvation For the Scripture saith Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him For whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved This was the Word of Faith which they preached and he testified that it was nigh in the heart as Moses had done before him And saith the Apostle John on this Occasion Who is a Lyar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ Hereby know ye the Spirit of God every Spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the Flesh is of God Again says he Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God God dwelleth in him and he in God Yet once more he affirms Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God I will conclude these Doctrinal Testimonies out of Scripture with a Conclusive passage John useth towards the end of his Evangelical History of Jesus Christ And many other Signs truly did Jesus in the Presence of his Disciples which are not written in this Book But these are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing ye might have Life in his Name In which place Two things are remarkable First That whatever things are written of Jesus are written to this end that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ Secondly That those that sincerely believe shall through him obtain Eternal Life Certainly then if this be true great must their Incharity and Presumption be who have taken other measures and set another Rule of Christianity than Jesus and his Apostles gave This sincere Confession contented Christ and his Apostles but it will not satisfy those that yet pretend to believe them 't was enough then for a Miracle and Salvation too but it goes for little or nothing now A man may sincerely believe this and be stigmatiz'd for a Schismatick an Heretick an Excommunicate but I may say as Christ did to the Jews in another Case From the Beginning it was not so But I expect here to be Assaulted with this Objection If this be all that is necessary to be believed to Salvation of what use is the rest of Scripture I answer Of great Use as the Apostle himself teacheth us All Scripture is given by Inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness that the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnisht unto all good Works It concerns the whole Life and Conversation of a Man but every passage in it is not therefore fit to be such an Article of Faith as upon which Christian Communion ought or ought not to be maintained For though it be all equally True it is not all equally Important There is a great Difference between the Truth and Weight of a thing For Example 'T is as True that Christ suffered under Pontius Pilate as that he suffered and that he was pierced as that he died and that he did eat after his Resurrection as that he rise from the Dead at all but no Person of common Understanding will conclude an Equal Weight or Concernment in these things because they are Equally True The Death of Christ was of much greater Value than the Manner of it his Resurrection than any Circumstance of his Appearance after he was risen The Question is not whether all the Truths contain'd in Scripture are not to be believed but Whether those Truths are Equally Important and if the Belief with the heart and Confession with the mouth that Jesus is the Christ and Son of God be not as sufficient now to entitle a man to Communion here and Salvation hereafter as in those times against which nothing can be of Weight objected If it be said that this Contradicts the Judgment and Practice of many great and good Men. I answer I can't help that If they have been tempted out of their own Curiosity or the Corruption of Times to depart from the Ancient Paths the Foot-steps of purest Antiquity and best Examples let their Pretences have been what they will 't is Presumption and it was Just with God that Error and Confusion should be the Consequence of those Adventures nor has it ever fail'd to follow them Lastly if it be alledg'd That this will take in all Parties yea that Schismaticks and Hereticks will creep in under this General Confession since few of them will refuse to make it I do say 'T would be an Happy Day What Man loves God and Christ seeks Peace and Concord that would not rejoice if all our Animosities and Vexations about Matters of Religion were buried in this one Confession of Jesus the great Author and Lord of the Christian Religion so often lost in pretending to contest for it View the Parties on Foot in Christendom among those called Protestants observe their Differences well and how they are generally maintain'd and you will tell me that they are rent and divided about their own Comments Consequences and Conclusions not the Text but the Meaning and that too which perhaps is not in it self Essential to Salvation as the Dispute betwixt the Lutherans and Calvinists the Arminians and Predestinarians and such like Is it not lamentable to think that those who pretend to be Christians and Reformed ones too should divide with the Winds and fight as proâ— Aris Focis for such things as either are not Expresly to be found in Scripture or if there yet never appointed or intended for such Prime Articles of Faith by Christ or his Apostles Should they then erect their Communion on another Bottom or break it for deviating from any other Doctrines than what they in terminis in so many words have deliver'd to us for necessary If we consider the Matter well I fear it will be found that the Occasion of Dâ—sturbance in the Church of Christ hath in most Ages been found to lie on the side of those who have had the Greatest Sway in it Very pertinent to our present Purpose is that Passage of J. Hales of Eaton in his Tract concerning Schism It hath saith he been the Common Disease of Christians from the Beginning not to content themselves with that Measure of Faith which God and Scriptures have expresly afforded us but out of a Vain Desire to know more than is Revealed they have attempted to DISCUSS THINGS of which we can have no Light neither from Reason nor Revelation Neither have they rested here but upon pretence of Church-Authority which is NONE or Tradition which for the most part
is like God the Father that is in Heaven who is Love 9. Christ teaches us to avoid Ostentation in our Charity Take heed that ye do not your Alms before Men to be seen of them 10. He teaches us the Duty of Prayer where and what not in the Corners of the Streets nor in the Synagogues to be seen of Men but in the Closet in the secret of the Heart betwixt God and the Soul 11. He forbids Hoarding and Laying up of Money in Bank presses Treasuring up of Wealth in Heaven and the Reason is this that the one is Corruptible and the other is Incorruptible 12. He teaches Dependence upon the Providence of God calling the Dis-trustful O ye of little Faith Which of you says he by taking Thought can add one Cubit to his Stature therefore take no Thought saying What shall we eat or what shall we drink or wherewith shall we be clothed for after all these things the Gentiles seek for your Heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of all these things But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you 13. He sets up a Discrimination or Distinction between false and true Prophets those that are his Disciples from Counterfeits Ye shall know them said Christ by their Fruits Do men gather Grapes of Thorns or Figgs of Thistles even so every good Tree bringeth forth Good Fruit but a Corrupt Tree bringeth forth Evil Fruit. A Good Tree cannot bring forth Evil Fruit neither can a Corrupt Tree bring forth good Fruit Wherefore by their Fruits ye shall know them This was the Distinction given by Christ to his Followers the Tree was not accounted Good or Bad by the Leaves but the Fruits not by the Opinions but the Holy living The Faith in that Day was an Entire Resignation and Dependence upon God and not a Subscription to Verbal Propositions and Articles though never so True that was the Work of After-times more Corrupt and Superstitious Ages But 14. Lastly Christ preaches the General Judgment Many will say to me in that Day what Day the Day of Account and Final Reckoning with Mankind Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy Name and in thy Name cast out Devils and done many wonderful works And then said Christ will I profess unto them I never knew you Depart from me ye that work Iniquity Not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the Will of my Father which is in Heaven Therefore whosoever heareth these Sayings of mine and doth them I will liken him unto a Wise Man which built his House upon a Rock and the Rain descended and the Floods came and the Winds blew and beat upon that House and it fell not for it was builded upon a Rock And every one that beareth these Sayings of Mine and doth them not shall be likened unto a Foolish Man which built his House upon the Sand and the Rain descended and the Floods came and the Winds blew and beat upon that House and it fell and great was the Fall of it And it came to pass when Jesus had ended these Sayings the People were astonished at his Doctrine for he taught them as one having Authority and not as the Scribes By all which it is most plain that as Christ is the Rock on which true Christians build so none can be said truly to build upon this Rock but those that keep his Sayings that do his Commandments that obey his Doctrine Wherefore that Faith of JESUS to be the SON and CHRIST of GOD must be such a Faith as does the Will of the Heavenly Father and keepeth THESE SAYINGS of Christ There are Two places in which Christ seems to sum up his blessed Doctrine One is this Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that Men should do to you do ye even so to them for this is the Law and the Prophets Which Christ came not to destroy but to fulfill But the other Passage seems to be more full the first relating only to our Dealings with Men this Second Passage comprehends our Duty both to God and Men viz. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart and with all thy Soul and with all thy Mind this is the first and great Commandment and the second is like unto it Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self In these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets This is the Perfection of the Christian Religion the Great Commandment of Christ the Certain Token of Discipleship A new Commandment said Christ I give unto you that ye Love one another as I have loved you that ye also love one another by this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye have love one to another Again Christ speaks to his Disciples If ye keep my Commandments ye shall abide in my Love even as I have kept my Father's Commandments and abide in his Love and this is my Commandment that ye Love one another as I have loved you Yet once more Ye are my Friends if ye do whatsoever I command you and these things I command you that you Love one another He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him but he that loveth me not keepeth not my Sayings So that only those are Friends and Disciples of Christ Jesus that do his Sayings and keep his Commandments and the Great Commandment of all is LOVE for upon this One Commandment all the rest depend For he that loves God above all will leave all for God not one of his Commandments shall be slighted and he that loves his Neighbour will much more love the Houshold of Faith Well may such be True Christians when their Faith in Christ works by LOVE by the Power of this Divine Love he that dwells in this Love dwell in God if John say true for he is Love And in this he recommended his Love unto us that he sent his only Begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have Everlasting Life Also herein did Christ manifest his Love in laying down his Life for us This is my Commandment said Christ that ye Love one another as I have loved you and Greater love hath no Man than this that a Man lays down his Life for his Friends ye are my Friends if ye do whatsoever I command you Indeed he gave his Life for the World and offered up One Common Sacrifice for Mankind and by this One Offering up of himself once for all he hath forever perfected that is quitted and discharged and taken into Favour them that are sanctified who have received the Spirit of Grace and Sanctification in their Hearts for such as resist it receive not the Benefit
Indulgences Fictions For every man shall bear his own Burden in that great Day of the Lord. It cannot therefore be Reasonable that another man should have the Keeping of my Understanding at my Eternal Cost and Charges or that I must entirely depend upon the Judgment of a Man or Men who erring and thereby causing me to err cannot be damned for me but I must pay their Reckoning at the hazard of my own Damnation I am not unacquainted with the great Objection that is made by Roman Catholicks and some Protestants too High Church-men perhaps that Love the Treason but hate the Traytor that love this part of Popery but hate the Pope viz. There are doubts in Scripture even about the most important Points of Faith some body must guide the Weak there must be some one ultimate External and Visible Judge to appeal to who must Determine and Conclude all Persons as to their Doubts and Apprehensions concerning the Interpretation of Scripture otherwise So many Men so many Minds the Church would be filled with Controversie and Confussion I answer That the Scriptures are made more doubtful than they are by such as would fain preserve to themselves the Umpiridge Judgship of their Meaning I deny it in point of Fact that Man's Duty is not most plainly exprest in all that concerns Eternal Salvation but 't is very strange that when God intends nothing more by the Scriptures than to reach the Capacities of Men as to things on which their Eternal Salvation depends yet that no Book if such men say true should be so obscure nor subject to so many Various nay Contradictory Constructions Name me one Author Heathen Jew or Christian that ever wrote with that Obscurity and seeming Inconsistency which some gladly pretend to find in the holy Scripture that they might have the Use and Keeping of them from the Vulgar and make their own Ends by it Is then every Body's Book to be understood but God's Was that writ not to be understood In short one of these two things must be true Either that God intended Not to be understood or To be understood in what he commanded to be written If he resolved Not to be understood it had been better there had been nothing writ but if it was his purpose To be understood of Men it must be supposed that what he caused to be written was plain enough for men to understand or he mist his own Aim and End and writ it to no purpose which is absurd If it should be told me That it is not denyed but that the Scriptures may be understood by some body but not by every body for that the Great Visible Judge must needs understand them because it belongs to his Office to resolve those Doubts and determine those Controversies that may arise about understanding them Answ I must also say that this is false in Fact For its ridiculous to imagine that Luke did not make Theophilus his own Judge in the reading of what he writ to him or that the Apostles in writing to the several Churches as Rome Corinth Ephesus c. to whom they directed their Epistles did not intend that they should understand what they writ or that they erected any such Officer in the Church as an Expounder of their Epistles to the Assembly to be necessarily believed For we know in those days The People made the Church they were the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the CLERGY however it came about that it be now engrossed into fewer hands as you may see in the Greek of Peter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is translated Heritage in all our Bibles But this is as if the Priest's only were the Lord's Heritage which can't be for a Reason obvious to all namely that they reign as Lords over God's Heritage or Clergy forbid expresly by Peter therefore not the Heritage and Clergy over which they so rule like Lords by no means I will say no more but this 't is no convincing Proof to me of their Humility But to shut up this Agument about the Difficulty of Understanding the Scripture and pretended a necessity of a Visible Judge I say Whatsoever may be spoken may be written or thus Whatsoever a Visible Judge can now say the holy Pen men by God's Direction might have written and what an Omniscient and Omnipotent God did know and could do for Man's Salvation an OMNIBENEVOLENT God that tells us he delights not in the Death of one Soul but rather that he should be saved would have done And because God is as Omnibenevolent as Omniscient and Omnipotent we must conclude he has done it and 't is great Presumption and a mean Shelter to Ignorance to raise a credit to Humane Devices by beating down the true Value of the Scriptures They are dark what follows they must not be read what follows then Why then such Teachers may do as they list with the People But did the Pharisees with their broad Philacteries know God's mind better then the Prophets or could they deliver it clearer no such matter 't is by the same strange Figure that the School-men know the mind of Christ better then the Apostles and that the Council of TRENT can declâ—re Faith more clearly then the holy Ghost in the Scripture hath donâ— and yet this is the English of their Doctrine that hold to us those Lights to read Scripture by and that would have us seach their Canons and Decrees to find out the Mind of the holy Ghost in Scripture The Confusions that are pretended to follow such an Inquiry are but the wretched Arts of ill men as much as in them lies to keep Light and Truth out of the World When the Net was cast into the Sea there came some good some bad Fish that was not the Fishers fault they were no better Inquiry is not to be blam'd for the ill use weak or worse men make of it The Bereans might not all believe though they might all search for men don't inquire with equal Wisdom Love and good Desire some seek and find not Some ask and receive not therefore must none ask or seek after that which is good or because some ask or seek amiss will it follow that the thing it self is naught If Superstition Error Idolatry and Spiritual Tyranny be detected and Truth discover'd will it more then make amends for all that Weakness and Folly some men have brought forth by the liberty of such an Inquiry The Enemies of Light may be as Rhetorical as they please upon the excess or Presumption of some bolder then wise and more Zealous then Knowing but if they had nothing to lose by the discovery they would never be the Enemies of a prudent Search It is to be fear'd such get that Obedience by a blind devotion which no man could yield them upon better Information and is it reasonable that men of that Stamp should secure their Empire by the Ignorance of the People
Extent in the Punishment of the Offender If the Offender will neither receive private Admonition nor hear the Church then says Christ let him be to thee as an Heathen c. Here 's not one word of Fines Whips Stocks Pillories Goals and the like Instruments of Cruelty to punish the Heretick for the Purport of his Words seem to be no more than this If any Member of the Church refuse thy private Exhortation and the Church's Admonition look upon such a Person to be obstinate perverse no more of you let him take his course thou hast done well and the Church is clear of him Well but say the Church Fighters of our Age Did not St. Paul wish them cut off that troubled the Church in his time Yes But with what Sword think you Such as Christ bid Peter put up or the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God Give him leave to explain his own words For though we walk in the Flesh WE DO NOT WAR AFTER THE FLESH for the WEAPONS of our Warfare are NOT CARNAL but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong Holds casting down Imaginations and every high Thing that exalteth it self against the Knowledge of God and bringing every Thought into Obedience to Christ What think you of this Here are Warfares Weapons Oppositions and Conformity and not only no External Force about Matters of Religion used or countenanced but the most express and pathetical Exclusion and Rejection of any such Thing that could be given It was this great Apostle that askt that Question Who art thou that judgest the Servant of another to his own Lord he standeth or falleth but he shall stand for God is able to make him stand Can we think that Imposition or Persecution is able to Answer him this Question in the Day of Judgment Do we with Reason deny it to the Papacy With what Reason then can we assume it to our selves Let us remember who said Not that we have Dominion over your Faith but are HELPERS of your Joy HELPERS then not IMPOSERS nor PERSECUTORS What Joy can there be in that to the Persecuted but if Paul had no such Commission or Power over Conscience I would fain know by what Authority more inferiour Ministers and Christians do claim and use it The Apostle Peter is of the same mind Feed says he the Flock of God not by Constraint c. neither as being Lords over God's Heritage The Heritage of God is free they have but 〈◊〉 Lord in and of their Religion Christ Jesus and they 〈◊〉 Brethren The Apostle Paul says That where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty but where Coertion Fines and Goals are there is no Liberty Is it to be supposed that men in these days are instructed by the Spirit of the Lord to destroy People in this World for their Faith about the other World it can't possibly be such mock at it Again says that Apostle to the Christians of his time You are called to Liberty from what Sin and the Ceremonies of the Law And shall the end of that call be the enthraling Conscience to human Edicts in Religion under the Gospel this would make our Case worse than the Jews for their Worship stood on divine Authority and if to make men free from them Christ came and that those very Ordinances are by the Apostle call'd beggerly Elements is it reasonable that we must be subject to the Injunctions of men in the Worship of God that are not of equal Authority The same Apostle yet informs us For this end says he Christ both dyed and rose again that HE might be Lord both of the Dead and Living But why dost thou judâ—e thy Brother then which nothing can more expresly oppose the Imposition Excommunication and Persecution that are among us 't is as if he had said Christ is Lord of Christians by what Authority dost thou pretend to judge his Servants thou also art but one of them A Brother at most Thou hast no Dominion over his Faith nor hast thou Commission to be Lord over his Conscience 't is Christ's right his purchase he has paid for it For this end he both dyed and rose again that he might be Lord of Dead and Living that he might rescue them from the Jaws of Oppression from those that usurpt their Consciences and made a prey of their Souls But why dost thou judge thy Brother If not Judge then not Persecute Plunder Beat Imprison to Death our Brethren that must needs follow Come let us look at home and view our Actions and see if we are not the Men. In short Let every man be fully Perswaded in his own mind and if any thing be short God will reveal it let us be patient It was not Flesh and Blood that reveal'd Christ to Peter they are Christ's words therefore let us leave off the Consultatiâ—ns and Weapons of Flesh and Blood and trust Christ with his own Kingdom he hath said the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it and we cannot think that he would seek to Hell Gates to maintain it and if it is not of this World then not to be maintain'd by that Force and Pollicy which are the Props of the Kingdoms of this World God the Apostle tells us has chosen the weak things of the World to confound the mighty Therefore he has not chosen the Strength and Power of this World to suppress Conscientious People that as to humane force are justly accounted weakest and most destitute in all Ages of defence I will here conclude my Scripture Proofs with this Exhortation or Injunction rather of the Apostle Ye are bought with a Price not to be made the Servants of men The Subject here is not human wherein human Ordinances are to be obeyed that is not the Question but Divine and those that for fear or favour of men desert their Principles and betray their Consciences they renounce their Lord deny him that bought them and tread his Blood the Price under Foot Ye are bought with a Price Christ has purchast you you are not your own but his that bought you therefore be not the Servants of men about God's things or Christ's Kingdom vail to no mans Judgment neither make mans determinations your Rule Stand fast in the Liberty wherewith he has made you free be not entangled again into Bondage for we are not come to that Mountain that we cannot touch to Sinai we are not now to be kept under like School Boys or Minors that Imposition might be useful then which is a bondage now Moses was God's Servant and faithful he saw heard and went upon the Mount for the People but Christians are come to Mount Zion to Jerusalem the Mother of Peace and Freedom Much then depended upon the Integrity of Moses it pleased God then to appear by those ways but now the Law is brought home to every mans Heart and every one shall know