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
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.
to be found as follows in the next verse And they shall wander from Sea to Sea and from the North even to the East they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord and shall not finde it In that day shall the young men and the fair Virgins faint for thirst but the written word with the comments and expositions of men thereupon never was any hard thing to come by it was then true in the former sense onely which is written 1 Sam. 3.1 And the word of the Lord was precious in those daies there was no open vision And as the word of God thus spoken is compared to bread in the Old Testament Jer. 3.15 so is it likewise in the New Matth. 4.4 But he answered it is written that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God As man then hath a twofold life so he must live by a twofold bread Thus for the mystical flesh of Christ his Blood here is that which came from Heaven as well as his Flesh John 6.58 and which is Spirit and Life for the nourishing and quickning of our Souls and this is no other but the life and power and spirit of Christ whereby our corruptions are put away and removed signified by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and our spiritual enemies overcome Rev. 12.11 of which you heard before out of Heb. 9 14. How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your Conscience from dead works to serve the living God out of Heb. 10.29 Of how much sorer punishment shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden under foot the Son of God and hath counted the blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despite to the Spirit of Grace out of Heb. 13.20 21. Now the very God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus through the blood of the everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will For what is it we pray you but this life or spirit of Christ that purgeth our soul or conscience from dead works to serve the living God or that sanctifieth us or makes us perfect in every good work This is the first blood of the New Testament as we have proved before It was by this blood that the beleeving Jews to whom St. Peter wrote were redeemed or delivered from their vain conversation 1 Pet. 1.18 19. It was with this blood that the Saints had washed their robes and made them white Rev. 7.14 to which places we added 1 John 5.8 which makes the water the blood and the spirit to agree in one These are the flesh and blood of Christ held forth in this Sacrament as things spoken of before John 6. This flesh or word of Christ had been often broken by him and given to his Disciples to eat this blood of Christ had been given them to take in and drink John 14.17 Even the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you 1 Cor 12.13 And ye have been all made to drink into one Spirit where the Mystery of the wine administred and blood spoken of in that Sacrament is expounded as it is also by our Saviour at the time of institution in these words of his Matth. 26.28 29. But I say unto you I will not henceforth drink of the fruit of the Vine until that day that I drink it new with you in my Fathers Kingdom Where for the better discovery of your own former mistakes you may observe two things in the foregoing words of the institution First That Christ speaks not of a body in the future tense that should be broken for them but one that was then broken for them Secondly That in the present tense likewise he speaks of a blood then poured out as his spirit had been in some measure upon them and not of a blood to be wholy shed or poured out for the future onely This flesh and blood of Christ is a good Mediatour betwixt us and God to pull down the partition wall of sin and slay the enmity betwixt us and him and the special means of our conquest as we shall shew by and by Yet far be it from us as we said before That we should deny the use and benefit of Christs Humane flesh and blood who was made of the seed of David according to the promises and suffered for us according to the Scriptures and therein did not onely set us an example and monument of what he had inwardly suffered for us and in us but also chalked out the true way to eternal life yea paid an invalluable price for our Redemption from the curse of the Law Gal. 3.13 Heb. 9.27 28. Yea we shewed before that if the fallen man were made perfect again in the way of regeneration yet without the sacrifice and satisfaction of Christ he could not be saved from the guilt and punishment of his sins See Heb. 10.14 For by one offering hath he perfected for ever them that are sanctified But this is the thing which we here assert that the flesh of Christ which he commands us to eat and the blood which he enjoyns us to drink in this Sacrament are not those of his humanity as you and your guides have hitherto taught but that very flesh and blood which came from Heaven by our Saviours own doctrin John 6. aforesaid confirmed with many other Scriptures nor is it the custome of the Lord to figure out corporal things but spiritual by outward and corporal Elements and Types And as you with your Teachers have not had any true fight of those blessed Mysteries so have you not understood the Mystery of the Cup or Chalice out of which the Spirit and life of Christ or the blood of the new Testament is to be received and drunk which Cup is first the suffering or Passion of Christ as we see in that his prayer Father if it be possible let this Cup pass from me and then our like suffering for him and with him both in the outward man and in the inward man also and that especially in the resistance of temptation and the enduring of the enemies assault and vexation Matthew 20.22 23. Are ye able to drink of the Cup that I shall drink of and to be baptized with the baptism wherewith I shall be baptized Now to take a short survey of your several Sections In the first of them you mistake the ends for which the Sacrament was instituted which was not to nourish or strengthen our souls with his humane flesh and blood or to make the same the band or pledge of our communion with him and each other nor to seal up the benefits of his Sacrifice upon the Cross but to hold out in a mystery and exhibite
preaching of Noah 2 Pet. 2.5 or extraordinarily by Angels Dreams Visions Inspirations and the like revealed his will to the Prophets and Apostles of old you are very much mistaken For as Gods arm is not now shortened so neither is his care good will and love towards the sons of men changed He hath of late as elsewhere so in Wirtembergh spoken to a servant of his by an Angel and forewarned them of the return and reinvasion of the Turks to chastise all those parts of Europe for their wickedness And for raising up of Prophets upon special occasion consider these ensuing Scriptures among many others Numb 12.6 If there be a Prophet among you I the Lord will make my self known unto him in a vision and will speak unto him in a dream Where the Lord speaketh of that which is his usual course and practise and that which he will continue to do Isai 59.21 As for me this is my Covenant with them saith the Lord my spirit which is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed saith the Lord from henceforth and for ever Amos 3.7 Surely the Lord God will do nothing but he first revealeth his secrets to his servants the Prophets Joel 2.28 29. And it shall come to pass afterwards that I will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh and your sons and your Daughters shall Prophefie and your old men shall dream dreams and your young men shall see visions c. Matth. 28.34 Wherefore behold I send unto you Prophets and wise men and Scribes and some of them yee shall kill c. Rev. 6 9 10 11. Among other things to come John saw when Christ had opened the fift seal under the Altar the soules of them lying which were slain for the word of God and for the Testimony which they held c. and heard that more of them should be slain Now this their Testimony is not onely called the Testimony of Jesus Christ Rev. 12.17 but also the Spirit of prophesie it self Rev. 9 10. Even when Babylon is not onely come to her height but her downfal also there are Apostles and Prophets found in the Church who are called to rejoyce at her overthrow Rev. 18.20 Rejoyce over her thou Heaven and ye holy Apostles and Prophets for God hath avenged you on her see also vers 24. For in her was found the blood of holy Prophets and of Saints and of all that are slain upon the Earth To all which add that of Wisdom 7.27 For shee that is Wisdom being but one can do all things and remaining in her self she maketh all things new and in all ages entring into holy souls she makes them friends of God and Prophets Out of all which and many Scriptures more it is evident that the Lord wil have Prophets in all ages and especially when he is about to bring extraordinary Judgments upon the World in generall and the Churches in speciall and that the last times shall abound most of all with the prophetical Spirit so that these extraordinary ways of Gods revealing himself neither are ceased nor shall determine in the Militant Church Secondly in the third Section you Words are these The Books commonly called Apocrypha not being of Divine inspiration are no part of the Canon of the Scriptures and therefore are of no authority in the Church of God nor to be any otherwise approved or made use of then other humane Writings Where we cannot but wonder at three things First that you should equal those Books to other humane Writings without any discrimination for you know that some humane Writings are prophane some meerly fabulous some obscene some impious some blasphemous and some Atheistical Secondly that you should give the Books in the generall commonly called Apocryphal no preheminence above other humane Writings since you know that they cannot only plead their Antiquity but Gods special preservation that the Church and Saints have bin their Treasurers and Library keepers that they have been bound up and translated in various Languages with the other Oracles of God which by all are acknowledged Canonicall that they have been allowed and appointed to be read not only in private but publickly Nor are you ignorant what an high esteem both Saint Augustine and other Fathers had of them above all humane Writings though they did not hold them coequal every way with those commonly called Canonicall And lastly we marvail that you should use no distinction at all concerning these Books but pass the same censure upon them all alike Since that the Book of Tobit or Tobias is extant in the Hebrew as wel as Greek and Latin the Book of Ecclesiasticus was translated out of the Hebrew text by Jesus the son of Sirach as himself confesseth This Book with the Book of Wisdom breaths forth such a spirit of Wisdom and Holiness that it may be said Non vox hominem sonat that it transcends all humane capacity To say nothing that the words which the Apostle hath Hebrews chap. 1. vers 3. Who being the brightness of his glory and the express Image of his person c. seem to be taken out of the 7 chap. of Wisdom vers 26. these words Hebr. 11.5 That he had pleased God are taken out of Wisd 4.10 compare 1 Cor. 6.2 with Wisd 3.8 More especially the fourth Book of Esdras is acknowledged by Clemens Alexandrinus Faber and many more learned men to be written by inspirement of the Holy Ghost It is owned as Canonicall by diverse holy Prophets of later times Our Saviour cites these words which are written Mat. 23.37 38 How often would I have gathered thy children together even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and ye would not Behold your house is left unto you desolate out of the second Book of Esdras chap. 1. vers 30. Many things shewed to St John in the Revelation are found in that Book It is doubtless a most lively prediction of these last times and the great famine and generall desolation spoken of in the last Chapter which is now in his accomplishment will ere long convince all the world that this Book is or should be Canonicall When you shal shortly see three Emperours at once in Europe one set up by the Pope another by the Princes and People and then the great Turk usurping that place and dignity think upon Esdras his vision of the Eagle with three heads Chap. 11.12 Thirdly Whereas you say in the sixth Section That nothing at any time is to be added to the holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament whether by new relations of the Spirit or Traditions of men We desire to know what warrant you have thus to determine If you say that Rev. 22 18. it is written that if any man shall add unto these things God shall add unto him the plagues
Seventhly If it were for sins what sins did better deserve such a preterition then mens own personal and actual sins yea then their contempt and contumacy against grace offered Eighthly If this preterition was for the praise of God's glorious justice must not his justice first be apparent and conspicuous in this his passing by them But he accounts it neither honorable for him that the Son should die for the sin of the Father Ezek. 10.1 2 3 20. nor yet just for he hath forbidden the self same thing in the Law Deut. 24.16 Lastly Is there no difference betwixt a vessel of dishonor and a vessel of wrath Many vessels are made by the Potter for dishonorable uses yet none of set purpose for destruction Finally Your Caution in the last Section is very good where you say that The Doctrine of the high mystery of Predestination is to be handled with special prudence and care that men attending the will of God revealed in his word and yeelding obedience thereunto may from the certainty of their effectual vocation be assured of their eternal election Where you should have added and from their perseverance in that obedience till the death of sin be assured of their spiritual final and everlasting election there being a twofold election from eternity as hath been said But this caution of yours you your selves have not very well observed and kept And whereas you add in conclusion So shall this Doctrine afford matter of praise reverence and admiration of God and of humility diligence and abundant consolation to all that sincerely obey the Gospel We report our selves to your own consciences and to all men whether your Doctrine or ours here set forth is likely to produce the good effects here by you remembred But now we come in the third and last place to answer such objections as seem to lie as so many rocks of offence in your and other mens wayes Object It is written of Hophni and Phineas the sons of Eli 1 Sam. 2.25 That they hearkened not unto their father because God would destroy them Answ It is true God now had a purpose so to do for their abominable wickedness which they had committed but it doth not follow that the Lord had so decreed from eternity unless it was out of prevision of their lewdness and in order thereunto Object 2. It is written Prov. 16.4 That the Lord made all things for himself even the wicked for the day of â—â—il Answ The first part of the text speaks of God's ends the latter part of the event as it is now fallen out through their own default as Hosea speaks in a like expression Chap 9.13 Ephraim as I saw Tyrus is planteâ— in a pleasant place But Ephraim shall bring forth his children to the murderer that is eventually not industriously and so are the wicked created for the day of evil Object 3. It is said of Rehoboam 2 Chron. 10.15 So the King hearkened not unto the people for the cause was of God that the Lord might perform his word which hâ— spake by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat Answ This Text speaks not of Gods eternal Decree but of his wise and just providence leaving a man sufficiently wicked before to follow his own counsels for a temporal punishment of his own and his Fathers sins Object 4. Jeremiah saith Chap 52.3 For through the anger of the Lord it came to pass in Jerusalem till he had cast them out from his presence that Zedekiah rebelled against the King of Babylon Answ This Scripture imports no more but that wicked Zedekiah for a just punishment of his own and Judah's rebellion against the Lord wat left at length in the hand of his own Counsels to rebel against his Lord and King upon Earth who was able to punish him and did it accordingly Object 5. Mat. 11.25 At that time Jesus answered and said I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them to babes Answ This is to be understood of the second grace withholden from those who refused the former and did shut their eies against the first light and so is that place also Deut. 29.4 Yet the Lord hath not given you an heart to perceive and cies to see and eares to hear unto this day For God reveales his secrets to wit his further counsels to them that fear him Psal 25.14 see Matth. 13.12 13 14 15 c. For whosoever hath to him shall be given and he shall have abundance but whosoever hath not from him shall be taken away even that which he hath but useth not as wee see in him that hid his talent Mat. 25. â—â— 19. Object 6. Acts 13.48 It is said that when the Gentiles heard that they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord and as many as were ordained to eternal life beleeved Whence it seems to be clear that some persons are not so ordained Answ The original Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is wrested and forced in the translation For it signifies not ordained but prepared or disposed and such onely are they who are good willing to leave their sins and to follow after righteousness according to the requiring of the Gospel Titus 2.11 12. for to such the Angels wish peace and happiness as knowing them onely capable of it Luke 2.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Glory be to God on high and in the earth peace to men or in men of good will For so did St. Jerome St. Augustine and many of the Ancients read that Text in their daies and so it is yet found in the best Greek copies Yet we could give another answer if the Text before alledged were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is fore-ordained to wit that so many as then and there were out of Gods special fore-knowledge predestinated to life did at that time beleeve which notwithstanding hinders not but that many more yea all there present were appointed to life conditionally as is there partly testified of the unbeleeving Jewes by the Apostle vers 46. Object 7. Rom. 9.6 It is said That they are not all Israel which are of Israel It seems then that all are not elected Answ The Apostle intimates that the carnal Israel or all that are come of Jacob surnamed Israel are not the Israel to whom the promises of salvation are absolutely and finally made Though in the general the conditional promises belong to all Israel as the Apostle shews vers 4. and to the Gentiles also vers 24 25. That we may not be misunderstood know that there are among others seven promises made to the overcomers Revel 2 and 3. Chap. and such as persevere in the Christian race unto the end of it or to the death and burial of sin Now these and the like promises belong unto the Elect that are chosen out of the furnace of affliction
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
the unbeleeving guids shut out of Canaan And are not these things writen for our instuction See Heb. 4.12 Let us therefore fear least a promise being left us of entering into his rest any of you should seem to come short of it for to us was the Gospel preached as well as unto them but the word preached profited them not being not mixed with faith in them that heard it CHAP. VII Of God's Covenant with Man THE Distance between God and the Creature is so great that although reasonable Creatures do owe obedience unto him as their Creator yet they could never have any fruition of him as their blessedness and reward but by some voluntary condescention on Gods part which he hath been pleased to express by way of Govenant a Isa 40.13 14 15 16 17. Job 9.32 33. 1 Sam. 2.13 Psal 113.5 6. Psal 100.2 3. Job 22.2 3. Job 35.7 8. Luke 17.10 Act. 17.24 25. II. The first Covenant made with man was a Covenant of works b Gal. 3.12 wherein life was promised to Adam and in him to his posterity c Ro. 10.5 Rom. 5 1â— to 20. upon condition of perfect and personal obedience d Gen. 2.17 Gal. 3.10 III. Man by his fall having made himself uncapable of life by that Covâ—â—ant the Lord was pleased to make a second e Gal. 3.21 Ro 3.20 21. Gen. 3.15 Isa 42.6 commonly called the Covenant of Grace Wherein he freely offereth unto sinners Life and Salvation by Jesus Christ requiring of them faith in him that they may be saved f Mark 16.15 16. John 3.16 Ro. 10.6 9 Gal. 3.11 and promising to give unto all those that are ordained unto life his holy Spirit to make them willing and able to beleeve g Ezek. 3.6 26.27 John 6.44 45. IV. This Covenant of Grace is frequently set forth in Scripture by the name of a testament in reference to the death of Jesus Christ the Testator and to the everlasting inheritance with all things be longing to it therein bequeathed h Heb. 9.25 16 17. Heb. 7.22 Luk. 22.20 1 Cor. 11.15 2 Cor. 3.6 7 8 9. V. This Covenant was differently administred in the time of the Law and in the time of the Gospel i Vnder the Law it was administred by promises prophesies sacrifices circumcision the Paschal Lamb and other types and ordinances delivered to the people of the Jews all fore-signifying Christ to come k Heb 8.9 10. Chapters Rom 4.11 Col 2.11 12. 1 Cor 5.7 which were for that time sufficient and efficacious through the operation of the Spirit to instruct and build up the Elect in Faith in the promised Messiah l 1 Cor 10.1 2 3 4. Heb. 11.13 John 8.16 by whom they had full remission of sins and eternal salvation called The Old Testament m Gal 3.7 8 9 14. VI. Vnder the Gospel when Christ the substance n Col. 2.17 was exhibited the ordinances in which this Covenant is dispensed are the preaching of the Word and the administration of the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lords supper o Ma 28.19 20. 1 Cor 14.23 24 15. Which though fewer in number and administred with more simplicity and lesse outward glory yet in them it is held forth in more fulness evidence and spiritual efficacy p Heb 12.22 to 28. Jer 31.33 34. to all nations both Jewes and Gentels q Mat 28.19 Eph 2.15 16 c. and is called the new Testament r Luke 22 20. There are not therefore Two Covenants of grace differing in substance but one and the same under various dispensations Å¿ Gal 3.16 17. Rom 1.21 22 23 â—0 Psal 3â— 1 with Rom. 4.3 6 16 17 23 24 Beb 13 8. Acts 15.21 CHAP. VII Of Gods Covenant with man examined WE will not say that you have made a Covenant with death or an agreement with hell but in this tract of the Covenant you do not alwayes keep league with truth for though you beging plausibly in the first Section yet both there and elswhere you affirm many things untruly As first when you say That the distance between God and the creature is so great that though all reasonable creatures do owe obedience unto him as their Creator yet they never could have any fruition of him as their blessedness and reward but by some voluntary condescension on Gods part which he hath been pleased to express by way of Covenant For do not the elect Angels from their first creation by their first constitution see God in his own light and participate of his blessedness in wisdom holiness power life peace and glory And if the Lord did not create our first parents in so ful a fruition of blessedness yet he could have so beatified them if he had pleased without a precedent covenant And was not the humanity of Christ in his inward man placed in that communion and fruition of God from the beginning of his incarnation though his outward man was subject to mortality and misery Yet you make us some peece of amends in your second section saying That the Lord made a Covenant of works with mankinde at the first wherein liâ—e was promised to Adam and in him to his posterity upon condition of personal and perfect obedience Where by the way you tacitly grant two truths by your selves denyed and by us asserted Chapter the third so powerful is truth in it self that oft times it breaks forth from men de improviso though they have gain said it before the which two truths are these First that all men in Adam were appointed or ordained to life if the Covenant of life was made to him and all his posterity For God works all things in time according to the eternal counsel of his will as we said before out of Ephes 1.11 And secondly That this decree was conditional also for so you confess the first Covenant to have been and so are all subsequent Covenants likewise or the far greatest part of them which are given by God himself to mankinde In your third Section you are more defective and erroneous for though you say truly in the beginning of it That man by his fall having made himself uncapable of life by the Covenant of works the Lord was pleased to make a second Covenant commonly called the Covenant of grace wherein be freely offereth unto sinners life and salvation by Jesus Christ Yet herein you faile in that you do not set forth that this Covenant was universal for all sinners as indeed it was For it was made with all mankinde in our first parents and as all that fell had need of the same and were by creation alike related to God so he had compassion upon all impartially being no accepter of persons and appointed one mediator alike neer to all men betwixt him and us even the man Christ as we shewed before out of Rom. 3.22 23 24 c. Rom 10.11 12 Rom. 11.32 Gal. 3.22 â—8 1 Timo.
dispenced are the preaching of the word and the administration of baptism and the Lords Supper we grant it to be true if those be administred by such persons to whom Christ is truely come in his light spirit and power Otherwise for men to preach a self-conceived Christ whom they have learned by reading or tradition from their blinde guides or to administer the Sacraments without any due understanding of the Baptism flesh and blood of Christs these are not Gods ordinances but mens usurpations Thirdly we grant you that where the Covenant of grace is set forth by men so taught and acted by the Spirit of Christ as we have described there it is held forth in more evidence spiritual efficacy and fulness then it was in Moses his literal services But this will not be equally verified of those that preach a misconceived Christ without true light or life Lastly whereas you conclude That there are not then two Covenants of grace one under the old Testament and another under the new we will from this your confession inferr that the first Covenant of grace made was unto and for all mankinde because the Gospel by Christs express command is to be preached to every humane creature and hath universal but conditional salvation annexed unto it Mat. 28.19 Mark 16.15 16. What then will become of your doctrine of Gods preterition of particular redemption of some men onely of the effectual calling of this and that elected one onely and many other points wherein with Herod you imprison John that is you confine the grace and mercy of God CHAP. VIII Of Christ the Mediator IT pleased God in his eternal purpose to choose and ordain the Lord Jesus his onely begotten Son to be the Mediator between God and man a Isa 42.1 1 Pe 1.19 20. Joh 3.16 1 Tim 2 5. the Prophet b Act 3.22 Priest c Heb 5.5 6 and King d Psal 2.6 Luk 1.33 the head and Saviour of his Church e Eph 5.23 the heir of all things f Heb 1.2 and judge of the world g Act 17.31 unto whom he did from all eternity give a people to be his seed h Joh 17.6 Psa 22.30 Isa 53 10. and to be by him in time redeemed called justified sanctified and glorified i 1 Tim. 2.6 Isa 55.4 5. 1 Cor. 1.30 II. The Son of God the second person in the Trinity being very and eternal God of the substance and equal with the Father did when the fulness of time was come take upon him mans nature k 1 Joh 1.14 1 Joh 5.20 Phil 2.6 Gal. 4.4 with all the essential properties and common infirmities thereof yet without sin l Heb. 2.14 16 17. Heb 4.15 being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost in the womb of the Virgin Mary of her substance m Luk 1.27 31 35. â—al 4.4 so that two whole perfect and distinct natures the Godhead and the Manhood were inseparably joyned together in one person without conversion composition or confusion n Luk. 1.35 Col 2.9 Rom 9.5 1 Pet 3.18 1 Tim. 3.16 which person is very God and very man yet one Christ the onely Mediator between God and man o RoÌ„ 1.3 4. 1 Tim 2.5 III. The Lord Jesus in his humane nature thus united to the Divine was sanctified and annoynted with the Holy Spirit above measure p Psal 45.7 Joh 3.34 having in him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge q Col 2.3 in whom it pleased the Father that all fulness should dwell r Col. 1.19 to the end that being holy harmless undefiled and full of grace and truth Å¿ Heb 7.16 Joh 1.14 he might be throughly furnished to execute the office of a Mediator and surety t Act 10.18 Heb. 22.24 Heb 7.22 which office he took not to himself u Heb 5.4 5. but was thereunto called by his Father who put all power and judgement into his hand and gave him commandment to execute the same * Joh 5.22 27. Mat 28 18. Act 2.36 IV. This office the Lord Jesus did most willingly undertake x Psal 40.7 8 with Heb 10.5 10 11. Joh 10.18 Phil 2.8 which that he might discharge he was made under the Law y Gal. 4.4 and did perfectly fulfill it z Mat 3.17 Mat 5.15 endured most greivous torments immediately in his soule a Mat 25.37 38. Luk 22.24 Mat 27.46 and most painful sufferings in his body b Mat 26.27 chap. was crucâ—fied and dyed c Phil 2.8 was buryed and remained under the power of death yet saw no corruption d Act 2.3 21 27. Act 13.37 Rom 6.9 On the third day he arose from the dead e 1 Cor. 15.23 4. with the same body in which he suffered f Joh 20.25 27. with which also he ascended into heaven and there sitteth at the right hand of his Father g Mark 16.19 making intercession h Rom. 8.34 Heb 9.24 Heb. 7.25 and shall return to judge men and Angels at the end of the world i Rom 1â— 9 10. Heb. 7.25 Rom. 1â— 9 10. Act 1.11 Act. 10.42 Mat. 13.40 41 42. Jud. 6. 2 Pet. 2.4 V. The Lord Jesus by his perfect obedience and sacrifice of himself which he through the eternal Spirit once offered up unto God hath fully satisfied the justice of his Father k Ro. 5.19 Heb 9.14 16. Heb. 10.14 Ephes 5.2 Rom. 3.25 26. and purchased not onely reconcilation but an everlasting inheritance in the Kingdom of Heaven for all those whom the Father hath given unto him l Dan 9.24 26. Col 1.19 20. Ephes 1.11 14. Joh 17.2 Heb 9.12 15. VI. Although the work of redemption was not actually wrought by Christ till after his Incarnation yet the virtue efficacy and benefits thereof were communicated unto the elect in all ages successively from the beginning of the world in and by those promises types and sacrifices wherein he was revealed and signified to be the seed of the woman which should bruise the serpents head and the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world being yesterday and to day the same for ever m Gal. 4.4.5 Gen. 3.15 Rev. 13.8 Heb. 13.8 VII Christ in the work of mediation acteth according to two natures by each nature doing that which is proper to it self yet by reason of the unity of the person that which is proper to one nature is sometimes in Scripture attributed to the person denominated by the other nature o Acts 20.28 Joh. 3.13 1 Joh. 3.16 VIII To all those for whom Christ hath purchased Redemption he doth certainly and effectually apply and communicate the same p Joh. 6.37.39 Joh. 10.15 16. making intercession for them q 1 Joh. 2.1 Rom. 8.34 and revealing unto them in and by the word the mysteries of salvation r Joh. 15. â—3 15. Eph. 1.7 8 9. Joh. 17.6 effectually perswading them
Of which as you here make no mention at all so we justly fear you have no fight nor feeling Yet do these ensuing Scriptures with many others give a luculent testimony of the same Rev. 13.8 He is the Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world If you here answer That he was so in Gods decree we reply that Gods decree is said to be before the world and before all ages The Prophet Isaiah Chap. 53. speaks throughout of the sufferings of Christ as a thing past and done both in himself and others where the ninth verse cannot be verified of Christs sufferings in the flesh And he made his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death For though Christ was crucified with two theeves yet he was buryed alone in a tombe which Joseph a righteous man had prepared for himself In which place the Holy Ghost holds forth two things the place of Christs inward burial and the cause of his death For Christ is slaine and buryed in two sorts of men first in the openly wicked and secondly in those that are rich in the wisdom and holiness of the flesh sudh as were the Scribes and Pharisees The cause why we let him dye or slay him is for that he will not consent to do any violence nor is deceit found in his mouth See also Gal. 3.1 For the further proof of what we have in hand where the Apostle cryeth out O foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you before whom Christ hath been evidently set forth crucified in you and among you Now we all know that Christ in his humanity suffered at Jerusalem Revel 11.8 and not in Galatia So Heb. 6.6 The Apostle tels them who fall away from Christ That they crucifie afresh the Son of God which he could not truely charge upon them if they had not crucified him once afore Finally St. James saith chap. 5.6 you have condemne◠and killed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which words must needs be understod of Christ within us as the following words evict and he resisteth you not for Christ for a time suffers patiently in us and that as a lamb led to the slaughter but if men repent not he will rise up like a Lyon to devour them We here say nothing that the Farmers of the Vineyard which is our heart do not onely evilly entreat the other motions and messengers of God but kill the heir also Matth. 21.38 39. Nor that John hath foretold us that all Nations shall look upon him whom they have pierced and bewail the same in a time of grace to which he saith Amen Revelations 1.7 In your fift Section you comfort your selves and followers with vain words the dreams and devices of men for though it is true which you spake in your last Section that Christ was made under the law and did perfectly fulfil it yet hath he not by his perfect obedience and sacrifice of himself which he through the eternal spirit once offered up to God fully satisfied the justice of God for us in any regard but to take away the curse of the Law which was due unto us Gal. 3.13 Nor is it true that he hath purchased a ful reconciliation for men with God by that his outward obedience nor finally doth it appear out of the Scripture◠that by the same means he hath purchased an inheritance in the Kingdom of Heaven for all or any of those whom the Father hath given unto him And though the proof of what you have affirmed on the contrary lyeth on your part yet we will briefly shew you our remonstrative reasons First It is certain that as Christ was a man and so a creature he did owe unto his Father a personal and perfect obedience in fulfilling the Law how then could he perform the same for us also Secondly All men in Adam were created to perform perfect obedience to Gods Law and Will in their own persons neither doth it appear that God hath since released them of that obligation nor did David think that he was or could be discharged there from when he thus confessed and prayed Psal 119.73 Thy hands have made me and fashioned me O give me understanding that I may learn thy Commandements Thirdly The Moral Law requires of us a perfect observation of it not by a deputy or surety but in our own persons In which regard the renewing and assisting grace of Christ is most requisite for us Rom. 8.4 That the righteousness of the Law might be sulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit But his outward active obedience therein helps us no further but as an example to be followed Fourthly There is yet no other way unto life left for the sons of men but by the fulfilling of Gods commandements witness our Saviour's own words Mat. 7.21 Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven and Rev. 22.14 Blessed are they that keep the Commandements that they may have right unto the tree of Life and may enter through the gates into the Citie Fifthly Our Saviour saith thus unto us by way of anticipation Mat. 5.17 18 19. Think not that I am come to destroy the Law and the Prophets I am not come to destroy but to fulfil for verily I say unto you till Heaven and Earth pass one jot or one title shall in no wise pass from the Law till all be fulfilled And least we should dream that he by fulfilling the Law for us hath exempted us from it or any way abated its requiring he saith at the next verse Whosoever threfore shal break one of these least Commandements and teach men so he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven But whoso shall do and teach them the same shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven how then can Christ by his outward obedience satisfie Gods Justice for us or in our behalf nor is there any one Scripture which so much as colourably speaks for you but that Rom. 5.19 which yet will bear a better sense For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one man shall many be made righteous for we have proved before and shall now again evidence it further out of the 14 verse that there are more Adams besides our first progenitor and namely one within us by whose disobedience especially if not soly we are made sinners And it it is more clear that there is a Christ within the beleevers as well as without them by whose grace and spiritual obedience many are made holy and righteous For the first of these namely the 14 verse you may observe that there is an Adam from whom death raigns the which say we is our Adam our earthly or natural man Secondly That there is a spiritual Moses or time in us till which death raigns namely the time of Gods drawing grace
perverseness he saith But none that is very few of the stubborne ones saith where is God my maker who giveth songs in the night Who teacheth us all mankinde more then the beasts of the earth and maketh us Wiser then the foul of Heaven How can the wicked say to the almighty Job 21.11.22 17. depart frou us we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes if he were not present with them at times teaching rebuking drawing and calling them that he might turn them to him yea with their wills from their wiked and destructive wayes doth not wisdom utter her voice to all the fallen race of mankinde Prov 8.4 5. Unto you O men I call and my voice is to the sons of men O ye simple understand wisdom and ye fools be ye of an understanding heart yea is not her invitation as universal and particular also Prov. 9.4 11. as the call and seductive allurements of folly is verse 16. for each of them useth the self-same words Whoso is simple let him turn in hither c. yea what is the true cause that wisdome saith Prov. 1.28 29. Then shall they call upon me but I will not answer they shall seek me early but they shall not finde me But this which followeth there verse 29 30 31. For that they bated knowledge and did not chuse the fear of the Lord They would none of my counsel they despised all my repreof Thus of our first assertion come we now to the second That some of those which stand out are more earnestly and industriously called by the Lord then many true converts which continue stedfast with the Lord for which purpose take these places First Gods gracious and effectual dealing with Cain when his wrath and envy was kindled against his brother What could the Lord without offering violence to his will do more to him then he did saying Gen. 4.6.7 Why art thou wrath And why is thy countenance fallen If thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted and if thou dost not well sin lieth at the door And then it follows as one both judicious and skilful in the original hath it Idque a te pendebit tuque ei imperabis And in thee shall be the will or desire of it and thou shalt have dominion over it viz. if thou wilt seek that grace Did not the Lord also complain that he had striven with the men of the old world till he was weary again Gen. 6.3 And the Lord said my spirit shall not alwayes strive with man for that be also is flesh yea were not their spirits or human souls cast into the prison of Hell for their disobedience and refractoriness 1 Pet. 3.19 20 doth not the Lord say also Isa 5.4 What could have been done more to my vineyard which I have not done unto it Wherefore when I looked that it should bring forth grapes brought it forth wild grapes you will say Is not God almighty Could he not have compelled them Answer Yes but he will not violate the order which he hath set in our creation he will not force the will but deals with man as a free agent by commands promises threatnings rebukes chastisements allurements and rewards So true is that of the Father Nemo invitus fit bonus To conclude this point what can be more express then those three ensuing texts among many others Ezek. 3.6 7. Thou are not sent to many people of a strange speech and of an hard language whose words thou canst not understand Surely had I sent thee to them they would have hearkened unto thee but the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee c. Matth. 11.21 Woe unto thee Chorazin woe unto thee Bethsaida for if the mighty works which were done in thee had been done in Tyre ond Sidon they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes Of which text we spake before upon the last occasion Finally That of Matth. 12.21 brings full conviction with it The men of Niuive shall rise in judgement with this generation and condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah and behold a greater then Jonah is here If you demand here what 's the cause that these obstinate men do not answer Gods call and return We answer It is not want of illumination and instruction as we have shewed nor want of reproof as we have proved but this let lies in mens abuse of their free-will as we heard before Prov. â— 29 30. Not that mens wils are inflexible when God first cals them as we have evicted at large in the foregoing chapter but some men are self wise and self-righteous already through the illusion of Satan and think that they need no repentance or conversion to any better thing aâ— the Scribes and Pharisees were in the daies of our Saviour who taught them with power and authority Matth 7.29 and whose doctrine was confirmed sufficiently by miracles also And others which know and acknowledge that they are evil doers yet do defer their return till it be too late as Prov. 1.28 29. Psal 32.6 aforesaid Hence it is that they shall be filled with weeping and mourning for the opportunity which they have lost as the other shall be with envy and gnashing of teeth the concomitant of pride and self-wisdom Matth. 8.12 Luke 13.25 26 27 28. And these are Satans two wayes of destroying men he either casts them into the sin of contention wrath and envy through the riches of their self knowledge self-holiness and self zeal or into the stolen and pleasant waters of voluptuousness or worldly cares therein detaining them till they be drowned in sensuality see Mark 9.22 But now to return to our first task back again The third falshood which you affirm in you first Section is That God calleth all his predestinate only by his Word and Spirit where we must grant you that his Spirit is alwayes the cheif actor and that oft times God is pleased to use his word whether written or spoken as an instrument in that work but not alwayes as yourselves after confess Section the third Besides the Lord hath many other instruments and means to call and convert men besides his word as Elihu shews at large Joh. 33.14 29. of which also we speak before Yet are none more general or more effectual then Gods chastisments both inward and outward Psal 94.10 He that chashseth the Heathen shall not he correct Psal 119 67. Before I was afflicted I went astray but now have I kept thy word For whomsoever God loveth as he loveth all mankinde he chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom be receiveth Heb. 12.6 7 8 9 10. see Job 5.17 Behold happy is the man whom God correcteth therefore despise not thou the chasining of the Almighty Pro. 3.11.12 Psal 94.12 13. Isa 27.7 8 9. Isa 9.13 Isa 28.23 24 25 c. 38.16 By this was Pharaoh wrought to obey the will of God for the present though he afterwards rebelled and perished If this will not
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
them onely that are justified in facto vel potius perfecto Thirdly whereas you grant That persons justified may by their sins fall under Gods fatherly displeasure and not have the light of his countenance restored unto them until they humble themselves confess their sins beg pardon and renew their faith and repentance This is true yet not of those perfect or consummate ones who fall not so either into sin or Gods displeasure but of the younger sort onely in the time of their progress and growing up who may not only so faile and suffer as you have affirmed but possibly may through a wilful revolt both fall away totally and remain under indignation finally As to your sixth and last Section because we have described the way and means of justification more groundedly then ye have done we can truely speak it in your words but not in your sense That the justification of beleevers in the Old Testament was in all these respects one and the same with the justification of beleevers under the New Testament But before we leave this subject give us leave to inform you of two things The first is That the means of our justification or spiritual redemption in Christ Jesus is principally his blood the blood of the everlasting Covenant his promised spirit Romans 3.24 25. Ephesians 1.7 Colossians 1.14 Hebrews 9.14 15. 22. compared with Jeremy 31.32 33 Ezekiel 36.25 26 c. Hebrews 10.29 chap. 13.20.21 Rev. 7.14 1 Joh. 1.7 9. The second is that remission of sins wherein you place justification for the main is to be had after sin is put away by sanctification and amendment and not before as you fondly dream both here and elsewhere For which purpose take these ensuing Scriptures Proverbs 28.13 He that covereth his sin shall not prosper but but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy Jeremy 33.8 And I will cleanse them from all their iniquities whereby they have sinned against me and I will pardon all their iniquities whereby they have sinned against me Mark 1.4 John preached the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins Luke 24.47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all Nations Acts 5.32 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance unto Israel and remission of sins Acts 26.17 18. Vnto whom I now send thee to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith that is in me 1 Cor. 1.30 Of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us wisdom righteousness sanctification and redemption Hebrews 10.14 For by one offering hath he perfected for ever those which are sanctified To all which we could adde that the blessedness which David speakes of Psal 32.2 lies first in the putting away of sins by sanctification as the last words there import and the rest will bear it and then in having them or the guilt of them pardoned in Jesus Christ which words may be thus rendered O the blessedness of the man whose transgression is taken away and whose sins are covered or buryed with the like death of Christ O the blessedness of the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity by letting him dye in his sins as one filthy and unpurged and in whose spirit there is no guile CHAP. XII Of Adoption ALL those that are Justified God vouchsafeth in and for his only Son Jesus Christ to make partakers of the grace of Adoption a Eph. 1.5 Gal 4.4 5 Ro 8.17 by which they are taken into the number and enjoy the liberties and priviledges of the children of God b Joh 1.12 have his name put upon them c Jer. 14.9 2 Cor 6.18 Rev. 3 12. receive the spirit of Adoption d Ro. 8.15 have access to the Throne of Grace with boldness e Eph. 3.12 Rom. 5.2 are inabled to cry Abba Father f Gal. 4.6 are pitied g Psal 103.13 protected h Prov. 14.16 provided for i Mat 6.30.32 1 Pet. 5.7 and chastened by him as a Father k Heb 12.6 yet never cast off l Lam 3.31 but sealed to the day of redemption m Eph 4 20. and inherit the promises n Heb 6.12 as heirs of everlasting salvation o 1 Pet 1.3 4. Heb 1 14. CHAP. XII Of Adoption examined ERROR and misconceptions in you here as elsewhere Hydra like multiplies heads needlessly for this argument of Adoption is the same with effectual calling in some measure and the self-same with that election of God which is in time of which we spake before And as that is twofold the first conditional the second final and absolute so is this and though all the children of God are capable of these your priviledges or most of them in time if they continue in their filial faith and obedience yet are not they so at the first yea some have by their faithful walking proceeded so far by Gods grace that they have left some of the lesser and foregoing prerogatives behind them Therefore you have first committed great disorder and confusion in attributing all these alike unto all not shewing which priviledges belong to all Saints and which but to some who may absolutely expect all or most of them and who may expect the same conditionally onely Secondly You take the high way here as you have done elsewhere to fill many who are not yet past danger with security and presumption For the first of these There are three degrees of Gods name Image or like being The first Which is the fathers name is written upon those that beleeve on him love and obey him The second Which is Christs powerful and saving name becomes written upon such as are brought to know him to trust in his saving office and to seek his help against their enemies and who persist so seeking The third Which is the name of the holy Ghost and the new Jerusalem with the new name of Christ is engraven onely upon those that have overcome all their enemies through the power of Christ Revel 3.12 These last are they that are never cast off and who inherit the promises as heirs of salvation But the other two If they abide not in the Father and in Christ after they know him may fall short of the promises and be rejected Those of the third form are past Gods fatherly chastisements because they now sin not 1 John 3. but the other two are not so As for the other You tell us that all which are adopted to be the children of God are sealed to the day of redemption but none are so sealed finally and absolutely save the third sort of whom we spake before the rest are but sealed conditionally yet left in good hope Yea all those priviledges which you
the holy Ghost Thus speaks our Saviour to Peter when he had through faith confessed him to be the Son of God Matth. 16.19 Blessed art thou Bar-Jonah for flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee but my Father which is in Heaven It is the Father that must draw us unto the Son to seek and expect redemption internal and external from him John 6.44 45 46. Christ indeed is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 12.1 2. That is He is the first Captain and Ring-leader of ouâ— faith for he is gone before us in the same way of trust and confidence to be holpen by the Father in all his distresses and raised up again after he had been obedient to the death And secondly He is the fulfiller of our faith or of that which we by our like faith while we follow him in the same race expect from him according to the promises But whether the first word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be well translated Author That be is the Author of our Faith except it be understood of his joynt working with the Father and the Holy Ghost we will leave the learned to judge for our selves dissent That also which follows in the same Section must be understood of such a ministry as is called and enabled by the Lord for that work and of prayer made with understanding and affection for the increase of that grace where you say That Faith is ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the word by which also and by the administration of the Sacraments and prayer it is increased and strengthened for such Ministers as teach vain Doctrine and administer the Sacraments with ignorance and errour beget an answerable faith and perswasion in their hearers who give ear and credit unto them as your Authors and Teachers have done in some of you but this must here also be remembred that the Lord can and often doth when and where he pleaseth beget faith even faith in Jesus Christ by the sole illumination and teaching of the holy Ghost as he did in Job among the Heathen Job 19.25 26. and in Paul among the Jewes Gal. 1.15 16. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom and to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit to another faith by the same Spirit 1 Cor. 12.8 9. And for this work sake he is called the Spirit of faith 2 Cor. 4.13 In your 2. Section you confirm what we said before of historical faith that it is an ingredient into true saving faith where you say ' By this a Christian beleeveth to be true whatsoever is revealed in the word you mean so far as men are enlightned to the understanding of it otherwise there is more repeated in the word then most men do or can understand while they are in the state of Faith but here you should have added this also to your former words that the servantâ— of God beleeve also whatsoever God is pleased to reveale unto them besides the word which yet is not contrary to the word Thus Paul beleeved that which God had shewed unto him concerning the preservation of himself and those that were with him in the ship Acts 27.25 And St. John gave respect and credit unto all that was shewed unto him in the Revelation where by the way you may observe how God is the Author of Faith to wit by revealing his saving counsel and will unto us which by nature and much more in our corrupt estate we are in a great measure ignorant of And how far faith lies in our own hand and power viz. onely to assent unto that which is so revealed and made known out of grace Thus there is an assenting or dissenting faculty in all men See Acts 9.29 Psalm 106 12. Then beleeved they his word and sang his praise with verse 24. Yea They despised the pleasant Land they beleeved not his Word Acts 17.4 And some of them beleeved and consorted with Paul and Silas verse 5. But the Jewes which beleeved not were moved mith envy c. John 3.32 33. And what be hath seen and heard that he testifieth and no man receiveth his testimony be that receiveth his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true And accordingly as men stand affected to the person reporting or the thing revealed so are they apt to credit or discredit the same Facilè eâ—im credimus quae volumus c. è contrà Hence it was that some persons who were wel inclined to the leaving of sin and the seeking of righteousness and consequently in a good order and posture towards eternal life did easily and joyfully receive the word preached by Paul and Barnabas when others who were more engaged to their sins self-wisdom and false righteousness beleeved not but contradicted and blasphemed Acts 13.44 45 â—6 c. Hence it is also that after Gods grace was made known unto men they were commanded to repent and believe the Gospel Mar. 1.15 And that others are complained of for their unbelief Hebrews 4.2 For unto us was the Gospel preached as well as unto them but the word preached did not profit them being not mixed with faith in them that heard it For the Lord never requires more then either by his preventing or assisting grace men can perform nor yet complaines of them but where they are some wayes deficient in acting their part Secondly What you there speak of faith's different actings in relation to the commands promises and threatnings recorded in the word is true also as to the inhibitions and narrations found there but herein you are defective First in not declaring by what form or vital principle faith becomes so active to wit by love Gallatians 5.6 Without which faith is dead James 2.14 15 16 17. And secondly In passing over the acts and offices of faith in God the Father and of faith in the Holy Ghost both which have an eye to sanctification and eternal life as well as faith in Christ though this last named seeks that which we called justification more especially from Christ But if Gods eternal decree be so absolute as you speak of before what need is there that saith should be moved with threatnings or promises For your third and last Section It may be wholly admitted with this caution That faith at length gets the victory and growes up to a full assurance if men persevere in love and obedience to God and fervently seek that victory and the assurance also from the Lord and his power But both time and the use of all good means are required thereunto and as faith is weak in its first beginning so when it hath gotten some strength yet by neglect of the means aforesaid and by wilful disobedience it may not onely be much weakned but wholy lost as we see in the parable of the Sower Matth. 13. Yea the Aposte tells not onely of women that had forsaken their first faith 1 Tim. 5.12 But of men also who by putting away
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
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
23 24. In your fifth Section the better to colour over your own faults as it may seem you asperse the best Churches saying The purest Churches under heaven are subject to mixture and error what say you then to the two Churches the one of Smyrna Rev. 2.8 9 10 11. the other of Philadelphia Rev. 3.7 8 c. with neither of which Christ finds the least fault but highly commends them both True it is if we look into the Churches there is mixture of the inferior members and they are subject to such errors but there are preadventure some such members to be found in some of those two Churches if not elswhere as are no more subject to error then the Prophets and Apostles were certain it is there is such a doctrine discipline from the immediate mouth of God to be found in one of those Churches that no reformers have need to seek any further where also the true Church is fully discovered and all causes of discord and controversie are in that behalf taken away But whereas you add in the same Section and that most truly that some Churches have so degenerated as to become no Churches but Synagogues of Satan you do here necessarily grant what you elswhere deny that some of the Saints and called ones may fall finally from grace for none other are the members of the true Church general or particular among men grown but such We will here charge you with that which you at unawares and unadvisedly affirm in the close of that Section That there shall be alwayes a Church on earth to worship God according to his will for that implies that the earth and the Church there inhabiting shall continue for ever which we conceive is no article of your belief In your sixth and last Section you truly affirm That there is no other head of the Church but the Lord Jesus Christ but you in your next words have rather deserved the Popes Bull then his Benediction if he may be Judge For first If a Church be that which yee describe it A Congregation of those which profess the true Religion Why might not the Bishop of Rome a least wise in the Primitive times before that Church fell away be in some sence a subordinate head of that Church under Christ or an earthly or Ecclesiastical head as Paul was over the Churches of the Gentiles That the Pope should be an Antichrist which of many Popes and of the state of Papacy is and may be truly affirmed among many other we grant but that he or the succession of Popes or the whole Hierarchy as they are called should be that man of sin and son of perdition which sitteth in the Temple of God exalting himself above and against all that is called God 2 Thess 23.4 8. is doubtless a great though a common mistake for as to the successors of Popes they are many but the Antichrist is one individuum if they all should perish which no charitable man will affirm they should be called not one son of perdition but sons of destruction But to pitch upon the person of the Pope as one individual and single Antichrist out of such a numerous company of Popes which will you single out one past present or to come Certain it is first that the Antichrist of which Saint Paul speaks is a man of sin composed altogether of iniquity and not of flesh and blood as each Pope is Secondly That he is a mystery of iniquity into which none but very spiritual men can see of which none of you or any of your authors or their adherents have yet a true sight Thirdly that the Antichrist exalts himself above all that is called God or is worshipped and so doth not the Pope directly do who acknowledgeth God Christ the Holy Ghost yea Angels and Saints to be above him Fourthly Antichrist sits in the middle of the Temple of God so doth not the Pope in your sense of the Temple for he pretends to be head of the Roman Church especially Fifthly he doth not say that he is God as Antichrist doth Sixthly All Popes came not with signs and lying wonders nor with all the deceiveableness of unrighteousness as Antichrist comes Lastly Antichrists coming is inward and not outward 2 Thess 2.9 10. and deceives all which receive not the love of truth but the Pope could never decive all such But what may this Antichrist be then Answer first the Temple of God is mans heart or soul where he sits Secondly As Christ is the true unction there so Antichrist is a contrary unction of false and erroneous wisdom righteousness and zeal which sets it self as if it were the holy Ghost and his works opposeth the truth and Kingdom of God and not only allows but hides fosters and cherisheth iniquity in men where he raigneth In a word if the Lord give you spiritual eyes to read the two texts 1. that of 2 Thess 2.3 4 5 c. and then that of Revel 13.11 12 c. to both which you refer us you may by Gods grace make a discovery of Antichrist as one neerer you then the Pope of Rome and one more endangering your souls and learn truly to know and hate him which mercy the Lord grant unto us all Concerning the first text you may observe these things First it is evident that this Antichrist takes his beginning and rise from mens Apostacy or departure from the true faith love and godliness which was fet up by Christ and his Apostles and that in all that fell away 2 Thess 2.3 So that he must needs be the succeeding falshood error hypocrisie and ungodliness Secondly that he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man composed of nothing but sin Thirdly That he must therefore needs be a child yea the son of perdition Fourthly That he opposeth himself to all that is called God that is to God and all goodness verse 4. Fifthly That he exalts himself above all that is called God or worshipped even the Father Son and holy Ghost All which is true of the false wisdom and holiness which Satan begets in men to delude them there with and to oppose the truth kingdom and work of Christ thereby Sixthly That he sits in the temple of God which is our heart or inward man Seventhly That there he shews or gives forth himself for a God as this deceitful work of errour and delusion saith it is the presence and work of the Holy Ghost Eighthly That he cannot well be known but by spiritual revelation vers 6. Ninthly That there is one tha what he can hides him keeps him close maskes covers him and lets or hinders his revealing or disclosure and that is Satan verse 6.7 Tenthly That as he came in by mens departure from Christ his spirit and kingdom so by Christs spiritual presence and comming again in his brightness power and glory he shall be both revealed and destroyed by the spirit of his mouth 11. That he is called the
Covenant of grace a Ro 4.11 Ge 17.7.10 immediately instituted of God b Mat â—8 19 1 Cor 11. to represent Christ and his benefits to confirme our interest in him c 1 Cor 10 16. 1 Co 11.23 25 26. Gal 3 17. as also to put a visible difference between those that belong unto the Church and the rest of the world d Ro 15.8 Exo 12.48 Gen 34 14 and solemnly to engage them to the service of God in Christ according to his word e Ro 6.3.4 1 Cor 10.16.21 II. There is in every Sacrament a spiritual relation or sacramental vnion between the sign and the thing signified whence it comes to pass that the names and effects of the one are attributed to the other f Gen 27.10 Matth. 26.27 28. Titns 3.5 III. The grace which is exhibited in or by Sacraments rightly used is not conferred by any power in them neither doth the efficacy of a Sacrament depend upon the piety or intention of him that doth administer it g Rom 2.28 29. 1 Pet. 3.21 but upon the work of the Spirit h Mat. 3.11 1 Cor 12.13 and the word of institution which contains together with a precept an authorizing the use thereof a promise of benefit to worthy receives i Mat 26.27 28. Mat 28.19 20. IV. There be onely two Sacraments ordained by Christ our Lord in the Gospel that is to say Baptism and the Supper of the Lord neither of which may be dispensed of any but by a minister of the word lawfully ordained k Mat. 28.19 1 Cor. 11.20 23. 1 Cor 4.1 Heb 5.4 V. The Sacraments of the Old Testament in regard of the Spiritual things thereby signified and exhibited were for substance the same with those of the new l 1 Cor 10.1 2 3 4. CHAP. XXVII Of the Sacraments in General examined IN this your general Doctrine of the Sacraments you have in a general manner kept the road of truth though here and there you deviate following your misleading guides but first we allow you the retention and use of the word Sacrament though not found in the Scriptures because the thing thereby signifyed is frequent there and the term hath not onely been long retained in the Church but was at the first borrowed from a military oath obligeing the Souldier to obedience and faithfulness towards their general to express our like oligations to God and his Christ Then as to your several Sections we take no acceptions at all to your second but must crave leave to certifie you somewhat in most of the other As first in the first Section where you setting forth the ends of the Sacraments do put that in the last place which was the first and principal end of their institution that is solemnly to engage men to the service of God in Christ for it is evident that Circumcision was ordained for that end mainly Gen. 17.10 This is the Covenant which you shall keep between me and you and thy seed after thee that every man child among you shall be circumcised Deut. 10.16 Circumcise therefore the fore-skin of your heart and be no more stiff-necked Jer. 4.4 Circumcise your selves to the Lord and take away the fore skin of your bearts ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem the like we finde written concerning the Passover Exod. 12.17 And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread for in this self-same day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt therefore shall ye observe this day in your generatious for ever 1 Cor. 5.8 Therefore let us keep the feast not with the old leaven neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth And as the Sacraments of the Old so those of the New Testament are instituted to instruct us in duty also Hence Baptism is called the Baptism of Repentance Mark 1.4 And Christ in the institution of the Lords supper saith do ye this in remembrance of me 1 Cor. 11.24 and verse 26. As oft as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup shew ye the Lords death till his coming viz. That spiritual coming which he promised John 14.19.23 Howbeit we do not deny but that spiritual benefits are to be expected in the performance of these duties so the repentance taught by Baptism hath remission of sins annexed to it Mark 1.4 and the spiritual body and blood of Christ of which we shall have occasion to speak in the 29. chapter are in the Sacraments of the Lords Supper assured to those that are mindful of his death and suffer with him in resisting temptations by which they are enabled to hold out and overcome when they are tempted but these benefits are signified and sealed unto us but conditionally and in the second place onely Your third use of that distinction between the people of God and the world we also allow but you have omitted one main end which the Lord had in instituting the Sacraments which was thus even by degrees to build up his Tabernacles of righteousness that was fallen down to wit the first part of it in Circumcision the second in the Passover as also in the Lords Supper and the third in his breathing upon his Disciples and saying unto them Receive ye the Holy Ghost John 20 22. For which last end both the feast of weeks in the Old Testament and Baptism in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost were instituted in the new especially that third part of Baptism Secondly Whereas you say in your third Section That the efficacy of a Sacrament doth not depend at all upon the piety and good intention of him that doth administer it you therein speak very unadvisedly For wheras the efficacy of a Sacrament is either obligement unto duty or the assurance of grace and help are not both obstructed by him that administers it if he be ignorant and not able to declare the Mystery of the Sacrament or if he administers the same in a profane and absurd manner or to other ends then it is ordained for or being a wicked person hath his prayers for efficacy rejected And on the contrary do not the spiritual abilities of the Minister his piety and fervent payers conduce much both to the edifying of the people in that service and the drawing down a blessing upon himself and them therein Thirdly Though we must grant you in the fourth Section that there are but two proper and compleat Sacraments in the New Testament yet there are many as it were semi Sacraments to be found there which are holy signes instituted by God in the time of the Gospel or before of which some represent our duties some the grace of God and some both such is the washing and wiping of the Disciples feet John 13.4 15. Secondly The anointing with oyl such as were sick and to be healed by the Disciples and Elders of the Church Mark 6.13 And they cast
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
wicked world or the great destruction come in Matthew 24.12 13 14. That it was necessary that some extraordinary Prophet or Apostle should be raised up in mercy for that end Revelations 14.6.7 And finally That other holy Scriptures and writings as we said before might in time be profitably added to the books of the New Testament to clear and vindicate them from the errors and mistakes of men brought in by Satan in progress of time as those books were written for the like vindication of Moses and the Prophets among other ends To return then to the business in hand besides many other great mistakes of yours in this argument you plainly and fully discover to the whole world that you understand not the mystery either of the Cup or of the Bread and Wine which are the true body and blood of Christ in this Sacrament nor yet the main end of its institution and so upon the matter you are not less but more grosly deceived then the Jews were John 6.52 c. For our Saviour speaking unto them there of his flesh which he would give for the life of the world verse 51. and of the necessity of eating his flesh and drinking his blood if they would have life verse 53. and of the excellency and usefulness of his flesh and blood verse 53 54 55 56 57 58. The Jews understood the same flesh and blood of Christ which you do here even those of his humanity but herein they exceeded you whereas corporal things can be no ways eaten but corporally they conceived and that rightly that if it were his humane flesh and blood that they must feed of they must Canibal like eat and drink the same but you hold that the same must be eaten by Faith that is by conceit and imagination and no otherwise for bodily things must be eaten and drunk in a bodily manner and with bodily organs but spiritual things may be taken in spiritually by Faith We pray you therefore to read this chapter advisedly and the Lord give you a right understanding in all things Where if the Lord remove the scales from your eyes you may observe these things with us That Christ perceiving this their literal and gross understanding of his doctrine concerning his flesh to be eaten and blood to be drunk doth at the 63. verse explain himself and that first negatively and then positively telling them That the flâ—sh which they understood the flesh and blood of his humanity c. profiteth nothing in the way of feeding and quickening the soul dead in sin It is the spi-that quickeneth and it must be spiritual food that must give life strength and nourishment to the soul the words that I speak unto you are spirit and life which come from the spirit and life tend thither and speak of the same yea they are the flesh that I meant ye should eat That is I spake not of a corporall flesh and blood Here you see that it is not his humane flesh and blood that he gives us to feed upon and that by his own testimony Secondly he saith that unless we eat of his flesh and drink of his blood we neither have nor can have life in us vers 53. but Infants and all those that never heard of Christ in the flesh cannot eat of it in your sense that is by faith or imagination whence it will follow according to your Doctrine and conceiving that they cannot possibly have life Thirdly Our Saviour saith verse 56. He that cateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him which you cannot verifie of all those that eat his flesh and drink his blood in your sense and according to your doctrine and conceiving for we finde many rejected by our Saviour and shut out of his Kingdom who had eaten and drunk in his presence Luke 3 25 26 27. but it is most true of the spiritual flesh and blood eaten and drunken rightly Fourthly Our Saviour saith That his flesh is a bread that came down from Heaven verse 58. But his humane flesh and consequently his blood came not from thence Fifthly Our Saviour implies that this food must be both inward and living in those words verse 57. As the living Father hath sent me and I live by the Father so he that eateth me shall live by me Lastly To eat these is to eat Christ If you demand then What is that flesh of Christ that is broken for us and which blood of Christ is it that is here signified We answer to each distinctly First The flesh of Christ is his Word whereby the invisible Word the Deity is made in some sort visible and edible unto us thus Christ the Eternal Word was made flesh to his Disciples and dwelt among them John 1.14 And they afterward saw his glory as of the onely begotten Son of God when he was spiritually incarnate in and with them Thus he told us before by way of explanation of himself John 6.63 what was the flesh that he would have the Jewes and us to feed upon even his Words which are spirit and life Thus Jeremiah speaks of the eating of this word or flesh chap. 15. verse 16. Thy words were found by me and I did eat them And they word was unto me the joy and rejoycing of my heart Thus Origen among the other Ancients saith Christiani omni die carnis agni comedunt c. Christians eat of the flesh of the Lamb every day whilst they feed of the flesh of the Word of God This is that Manna from Heaven which is Angels food Psal 103.20 Bless the Lord ye his Angels that excel in strength that do his Commandements bearkening to the voice of his word of which the Manna in the wilderness was a type Psal 78.24 25. He raigned down Manna upon them and gave them of the Corn of Heaven Thus man did eat Angels food he sent them meat to the full All which is more truly to be understood of the word wherewith God fed both them and the Angels before them then of the outward manna which was but a shadow of it Nor was it unusual in the old or new Testament to express the word of God the food of our souls by bread Deut. 8.3 And he humbled thee and suffered thee to hunger and fed thee with Manna which thou knowest not neither did thy Fathers know That he might make thee know that man liveth not by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live where by the way the spiritual mystery both of Manna and of bread is opened Amos 8.11 Behold the daies come that I will send a famine in the Land not a famine of bread nor a thirst for water but of hearing the word of the Lord where observe this word is no other but that which comes out of the mouth of the Lord or is spoken by his spirit for otherwise how would it be so scarce and hard
me saith the Lord Zach. 14.16 c. And it shall come to pass that every one that is left of all the Nations that came against Jerusalem shall even go up from yeer to yeer to worship the King the Lord of Hosts c. In your fourth Section you yet seem to digress further from the truth in saying That the judiciall law did expire with the state of the Jewes for doubtless whensoever their Commonwealth shall be restored that Law shall be revived yea how far it may now oblige all Christian states to follow it is worth your inquiring You say That the general equity of it may still continue In which words you recommend the whole upon the matter for what is there to be found in it but equity it self can ever the Christian Nations hope to finde out better political Laws then those which first came from Heaven Yea what by the Testimony of almost all men were more to be wished for in a Christian state then that their Laws might be few in number just in themselves and eafie to be known as those would be if they were gathered into a body and that such as have controversies might have a speedy dispatch as in Moses his dayes In your fifth Section you do justly maintain the continued authority and obligation of the moral Law over all persons under the Gospel Where you truly affirm That Christ doth not any way dissolve but muchst engthen this obligation which thing he doth by his Doctrine Mat. 5.16 17 18 19. by his example John 15.10 and especially by the end of his coming which is to fulfill it in us Rom. 8.3 4. and not for us otherwise then we have shewed before as you in your next Section partly imply In your sixth Section though you do not shew what it is to be under the Law yet there you truly set forth many most precious uses of that law even for the regenerate Nevertheless you forget a singular peice of service it did them in their first converson by God their fathers cooperation when it first made known their sin and misery unto them and was their Schoolemaster unto Christ Galatians 3.22 23 24. At which time while we were under the work of the Law breeding fear of wrath for we alwayes remain under the rule of it till it be dead we were troubled with the spirit of bondage which made us justly fear the wrath and vengeance to come Rom. 8.15 And this was the first great bower and encliner of our wils to leave our wicked wayes and keep Gods Commandements yet an impulsive out of self love and self preservation for the present till faith in Gods gracious promises did kindly melt and charge our hearts to bewaile and leave sin as also to work righteousness out of love and good will to him that was so gracious towaâ—ds us And in this sense we may grant you that which you speak of in your seventh and last Section of the Spirits subduing our wils for it is by the work of the Law that our pride is first brought down and our strong inclination to sin with ouâ— utter aversness to righteousness becomes broken in us but our wils are sweetly attracted and framed to choose the good and nil theevil by the apprehension of mercy and grace from God whom in our own sense by the sentence of our own consciences we deserved nothing but peâ—dition Lo this is that wise powerful and gracious work of God in the conversion of a sinner which you call Gods irresistable working and yet is nothing less then a compulsion though it wants not strong impulsions at the first to work upon our stiffe yet not inflexible wils That these forementioned uses of the Law are not contrary to the grace of the Gospel but either make way for the same or sweetly comply therewith as you speak in this last Section is undoubtedly true And therefore the believer under the Covenant of grace remains still in some sence under works But yet if the Spirit of Christ both can and usually doth subdue our wils and inable us freely and chearfully to do the will of God revealed in the law as you here speak what letteth but that our corruptions may be abolished our sanctification perfected and our obedience to the law made compleat especially if we seek that grace contrary to your former doctrines Yea if Christ by his Spirit can and will so fulfill the Law in us which of the Saints made perfect in the world to come you will not deny what great need can there be at that time may some say of Christs outward obedience to be our righteousness But of that sufficiently before For a conclusion then of this Chapter as you here tacitly oppose the Antinomians and other such adversaries to the law so we pray you remember that it is upon your own grounds here and elsewhere that they desert the Law for they thus argue If Christ hath fulfilled the Law for us in his active and personal obedience to make us compleatly righteous before God what need is there of our obedience to the same Yea some of them are so bold as to say They see not how God in Justice can require obedience to his Law the second time at our hands which he hath both exacted and obtained already from his Son in our behalf yea why should any still perish for their disobedience against the Law who yet believed on Christ as some do Mat. 7.21 22 23. Thus they argue for themselves out of your own principles so dangerous a thing it is to lay a sandy foundation in the bottom of the structure But is not the keeping of Christs words and sayings and therein the fulfilling of the Commandements through his grace and help that immoveable rock which he hath commended to every wise builder for a sure foundatition Mat. 7.24 25. CHAP. XX. Of Christian liberty and liberty of Conscience THE Liberty which Christ hath purchased for believers under the Gospel consists in their freedom from the guilt of sin the condemning wrath of God the curse of the moral Law a Tit 2.4 1 Thess 1.10 Ga 3.13 and in their being delivered from this present evil world bondage to Satan and dominion of sin b Gal 1.4 Col 1.19 Act 26.18 Ro 6.14 from the evil of afflictions the sting of death the victory of the grave and everlasting damnation c Ro 8.28 Psa 119.71 1 Cor. 15.54 55 56 57. Ro 8.1 as also in their access to God d Ro 5.1 2. and their yeilding obedience unto him not out of slavish fear but a child like love and willing mind e Rom 8.14 15. 1 Joh 4.18 All which were common to all believer under the Law f Gal 3.9 14 but under the new Testament the liberty of Christians is further enlarged in their freedom from the yoke of the Ceremonial Law to which the Jewish Church was subjected g Gal 4.1 2 3 6 7 Gal