e. of the Ruler and his Ruling the Distributer and his distributing â—nd of the Mercy-shewer and her shewing of mercy toward the Sick but as the lesser many it is subject to them all three in these three administrations The 48. is from None hath the same Function compared with but each one anothers member That all the Church-Estates are bounded as duties and apportioned as benefits distinctly in their Functions and joyntly in their end The 49. is from are compared with have That the Church-Estates are but the constituting parts of and possessed by the Church not the thing constituted nor possessing By Church-Estates are meant Offices Prophetships and Memberships of the Church as instituted The 50. is from then or therefore ver 6. That what followeth is inferred from what preceded The 51. is from We having That each Member hath his part in the Church-duties and benefits The 52. is from gifts The divers parts of Gods Worship are not onely duties but also free gifts of God to his Saints for their good The 53. is from distinct That the precedent general scope was to shew that the Church-Estates are distinct in their Institution and so to be observed in their use and the 54. that the future scope is to particularize that distinctness The 55. is from according unto grace That there ought to be a proportionableness observed between the parts of Gods Worship as instituted and constituted their Essence and Existence their Precept and Practice The 56. is in the grace That Christs Institutions come from operate by and tend unto Gods special grace The 57. is from that is given That God always giveth abilities fit for the Church-Estates The 58. is from us That abilities in the Saints onely are capable of Church-Estates Note that the Texts of the two last Doctrines viz. that is given nd us given unto us as p. 76. l. 24. do supply that which seems to be omitted in the translation of v. 6. after the word grace p 2. l. 13. The 59. is from according to the proportion That the Execution of our assigned Estates ought to be proportionable to our distinct assignments and the breach thereof is faithless unproportionableness And the 60. compared with the portion of Faith v. 3. and according to the grace given us v. 6. So that the general both Doctrine and Use v. 3. and 6. and the particularizing of both annexed evince and urge that a necessity of exact distinctness between the several Church-Estates is to be observed The 61. is from of Faith with the same ver 3. That it is the duty of Faith and the faithfull to observe God's proportion in the Works and Fruits of Faith so well as to receive the benefits and confirmations thereof Hitherto of the generals of true Worship in its parts order and ornaments The speciall particulars thereof follow whence the rest are orderly to be deduced The 62. is from Whether Not both as or even That the exactest distinctive terms are to be used in the distinctness of the Church-Estates The 63. is from Prophesie That the ability of any member to prophesie enstateth and enrighteth him to the Exercise of Prophesie And the 64. referred to or an Office That Personall and Ministerial Estates are to be kept distinct And the 65. referred to Teaching and Exhorting part of the Function of the Prophets that membrall and Ministerial Estates are distinct and so to be kept even in the same works i. e. in their respects causes and degrees The 66. is from the placing according to the proportion of Faith after whether Prophesie though without those words there is onely the form of an inference without any thing inferred That whatsoever is true or good in the generals is so also in the particulars And the 67. from the same reason of annexing them to all and every of the other particulars That the exact proportion between our Church-Offices and their Functions is to be kept and yet more particularly referred to the Teacher The 68. that the Ministeriall Teacher ought to observe this proportionableness between his Office and Function the 69 70 71 and 72. flow thence by the same consequence from the Exhorter the Distributer the Ruler and the shewer of mercy The variety and plenty of this boundedness distinctness and proportionableness both in the general is so abundant and express that I doubt whether I should more fear the neglect of the Holy Ghosts abundance in the same or the tediousness of my needless expressing what is by it so plentifully plain and durst not here omit to express them were it not partly that I have in a good measure expressed the same but especially lest I should seem too vain in repetitions since I may not here insist on the shewing their difference from the many former ones of the much like nature yet doth the clearness of Wit and weakness of Will of this Age and present occasions force me to this solicitous pressing this expresness and variety of the Holy Ghost herein which I have oft in the generals observed and ought thence to be applyed to these their many particulars by those which doubt that the scope of the Holy Ghost in this place is to describe and prescribe the distinctness of the Church-estates if the very application of the many phrases v. 3 4 5 ct 6. in the generals unto these express particulars with what I have here written be not sufficient thereto But this seeming so unresistable I will annexe the manner of this distinctness so charged in this place from the words following particularizing these generals The 73. is from or an office as the speciall particular of all the generals preceding and general of all the following particulars That all the former prescribings and describings of the distinctness boundedness and proportionableness in Gods true Worship in the general is wholly to be applyed to the Church-Offices in particular And 74. what is said of the Church-Offices in general is expresly applyed to every of the five Offices in particular A Summary Description of all the Nine Church-States with their distinct Works THE special reall parts of Divine worship of the second Commandement of the second Petition of the second work of Faith 2 Pet. 1.5 i. e. Knowledge of Gods speciall Will are the Church-Estates Ministry or Member-ships their power or actuation and success The Church-States are in number 9 4 integral 5 organical instrumental or ministerial in all wch in common there is to be considered their personal existence estate of order their power in actions of Worship and the proceed of them all The first Church-estate is of Infants and such as are not of Discretion Reason and Knowledge to discern the Lords body and acts of Worship yet are they true members of the Church enrighted thereby to receive the seale thereof and its priviledges The second is of women who have nor onely right by their Church-estate to passive priviledges as the first but also to
superstitious burial of the dead churching women and confirmation some of all which and other sorts of superstitions all the Daughters of Rome observe in homage to their mother of Abominations and in love of her whoredomes of the earth Thirdly in prohibiting Church-Covenants admission and excommunication of members election and dejection of Officers by the Church-power and in forbidding Baptisme without the cross c. and it and prayers without the Surplice and the Father to challenge his priviledges of Baptisme to his Infants and all to receive the Lords Supper every Lords day and at the Evening and at all without kneeling and the Surplice of any one and women to taste of the cup of blessing and in denying ordination to Rulers Distributers and Widows and prophecying to the gifted to teach exhort and comfort and to ask his doubts in the Congregation Fourthly in disordering all the Works of Divine Worship by Minister and people in mingling of their reading the Psalms and Prayers one verse by the one and another verse by the other and of singing with their reading and prayers and with the Lords Supper even in the very time of administration thereof and of prayer on their knees in the very act of receiving the same Fifthly in deifying the Ministerial Works far above their nature as in imputing to the Water in Baptisme to be the real blood of Christ and in ascribing to Baptisme washing away the guilt of sin ex opere operato and purging original sin and actual regenerating and to the Lords Supper real transubstantiation both of the bread into the body and wine into the blood of Christ and strange operations on the Sick in healing all Diseases and dispossessing them of divels by the very act of priestly administration yea they have ascribed the same unto the Cross it self in supposition that it is a Divine Institution or rather because it is a Bird of his own hatching and many the like wonders doth this Worlds-wonder work especially in Ordination which of every way the least Ministerial or Church-work he hath made by his omnipotency the Creatour of the Church Ministry and all things Ecclesiastical and Ministerial and himself the Creator Orderer and actor therof and of them all thereby Proofs of and Motives to incite to the knowledge and practice of the word-Worship FIrst from v. 2. which expresseth the word Worshâ—p to be worthy of yea to exact our best Wits and most serious yea emphatical extensions thereof in these words But be ye transformed in the renovation of your mind Secondly from the parental or proper procreating cause thereof expresly said v. 2. to be that Will of God which to know we are bound by all the Bonds of allegeance love wisdome glory and what not that is naturally or spiritually good Yea this equalenting that word Worship v. 1. with that Will of God v. 2. the particulars whereof are v. 4. to 8. expressed to be our present Church-Worship then practised in the Churches doth more radically and deeply dignifie it than can without more than ordinary ability and industry yea without our transforming our selves not onely into that new and spiritual Nature according to our new and supernatural estate by Faith but especially into the renovation or rouzing up of that new mind and nature be understood and without a special degree of Sanctification be approved which is expressed iâ— the intervening words For all that is there meant by that Will of God is that Word-Worship v. 1. in the general and its particulars v. 4. to 8 and much more is all that is meant by that Word-Worship v. 1. that will of God v. 2. But there is nothing of a higher natute either divine instituted or created than Will absolute neither is any thing more identically essentially and reciprocally predicated of God than Will for whatsoever is an absolute Will is God and God is an absolute Will and what is God is a simple Will And I could never attain to a properer definition of God than this God is a Will well actuating it self But you will say that Will of God is there taken metonymâ—cè by the cause for the effect True yet it is therefore both a proper and a special effect of that Will of God by this rule What is in the second declared by a descendent Metonymie is a prime propriety or proceed of that superiour Neither is that here taken meerly denotatively of any thing as aforesaid but properly demonstratively and emphatically for that which of all other things is most properly willed of God and may most truly be said and be thereby best taken for the will of God without farther addition than of the demonstrative article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. That This shal be farther cleered in the next Porisma where I shew by all the instances of Scripture I can find where God is said to be forsaken and that other gods are worshipped in his stead and the like that those places are not meant of the person of God but consequently which by that same consequence well proveth our point because they had forsaken this his Word-worship and used another which using God there and that will of God here for his Word-worship then and now ought much to provoke us to that through-knowledge thereof and devote us to and in the use and enjoyment thereof and also justifieth the approved use of Worship which properly signifieth Lord-ship as before for the signs means marks and testimonies of Gods Lord-ship over us by a Metonymie of the end or signed for the mean and sign which soul of that word ought never to be separated from the body thereof though never so frequently used left we understand not our own words or neglect them If then we would know what of all other is most necessited and worthy to be known know that will of God and what it willeth approve also know God himself and that whereby and wherein he most manifesteth his Deity and accordingly apply it to thy soul and thy self to it as therein most approving Gods Lordship over us Thirdly from the 3 Divine Epithites of that Will good acceptable and perfect good to us therefore omit not your benefit of this high nature acceptable to God therefore expose your selves in the extent of your love and fear to please him of through and for whom are all things perfect in them both and it self in kind and degree therefore this is above all things worthy and necessited to be throughly known Herein are three prooâ—s all very effectual but I rather avoid tediousness through the plenty of matter than heap up petty colours or search for quantity of matter herein Fourthly from the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which taken demonstratively must have reference to that Word-worship v. 1. which expresseth that will v. 2. to be the efficient cause of that Worship v. 1. and its particulars v. 4. to 8. and the joynt cause thereof with the word yea of
Gospel Publique Worship OR The Translation Metaphrase Analysis and Exposition of Rom. 12. from v. 1. to 8. Describing and Prescribing the compleat Pattern of Gospel-Worship ALSO An Exposition of the 18 th Chapter of MATTHEW To which is added A Discovery of ADAM'S threefold Estate in Paradise viz. Moral Legal and Evangelical By THOMAS BREWER 1 Tim. 3.15 But if I tarry long that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thy self in the house of God which is the Church of the living God the pillar and ground of the truth See Gal. 6.1 Gen. 2.7 and v. 17. with Chap. 3.3 and v. 15. LONDON Printed by W. Godbid for Henry Eversden at the Sign of the Greyhound in Pauls Church-yard 1656. Gospel-Worship by Mr. Tho. Brewer THE EPISTLE TO THE READER READER IN the ensuing Treatises are represented to thy view a few of those many excellent Manuscripts penned by Mr. Thomas Brewer who besides many former and some long Persecutions endured under the Prelates suffered Imprisonment by the Bishops in the Kings-Bench Prison above the space of fourteen years for saying That because the Prelates did not derive their Offices from his Majesty as they ought therefore he durst not partake with them nor the Derivers of their Offices from them in the proper works of their Offices which in his Petition to the Lords of the Upper-house of Parliament 1640. he proveth Legal Loyal Reasonable and Seasonable a Copy whereof is herewith published for which cause they often deprived him of many of his Writings by which means and through transporting and transmitting c. some Papers pertaining to this Treatise are missing for the Author wrote very largly of these subjects yet is not any thing hereby deformed or obscured though abbreviated Whereby he was prevented from publishing these with divers others of his Works the which he intended who upon the presenting of the said Petition was released but about a moneth after dyed in a good old age and full of days Indeed his sufferings for the truth were very great and of long continuance but as his sufferings did abound so his graces and vertues did much more abound and like odours being crusht gave a more fragrant scent or like silver passing the fire were more refined But what need I to guild a Diamond or what needs he my commendation his Piety Learning Experience and Depth of Judgment are eminently known both in this and other Nations and are in part discovered in these ensuing Tracts which are not many broken fragments of others Writings patcht up together but profound studied matter extracted from the very nature and scope of the several Texts and Subjects whereof it treats and wherein was made good to the Author those Promises Prov 2.5 9. in a great measure most of which with many other of the like nature were the Authors own Experiences and Practises and Experimental Observations who in the time of his liberty was a frequent publisher of them himself at Leyden in Holland where he walked in communion with Mr. Robinson and also with Mr. Ainsworth also after the time of his restraint procuring liberty of his Keeper and sometimes in the Prison he taught them frequently in several Congregations in London which is well known to and testified by many of his Hearers yet living But for my own part I had onely the happiness to become acquainted with him the three last years of his life within which time although it was part of the time of his close Imprisonment I reaped much precious benefit from him by the opportunity of visites c. and like Apollos Act. 18.24 25. he was a man mighty in the Scriptures and being fervent in spirit he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord. The truth of the matter published I am humbly confident is able to defend it self against all Adversaries though subject to be scandalized from which the best things are not free First here is a more ample foundation for and a more stately Edifice as it were pourtrayed out of Gospel-Worship which both regulates and improves grace than ever yet was published this 1300. years since Antichrist reigned for as Gen. 1. and Job 38. and 39. Chapter contains the whole and also the main particulars of the Creation Exod. 20. and Deut. 5. the summe of the Law Gen. 12.2 3. the summe of the Promises Dan. 2. the summe of the Prophesies Matth. 5 6 7. Chapters the main qualifications of Christs Disciples Matth. 6.9 c. Luke 11.2 The Pattern of all Prayer 2 Pet. 1.5 6 7. The prime Signs and special Demonstrations of our Election Vocation and Salvation So these first 8. verses of the 12. Chapter to the Romanes as our Author saith well contain the whole body of Gospel Church-Worship And as Moses Exod. 25. to Chap. 40. and David 1 Chron. 28.11 gave exact patterns of the Tabernacle and Temple so here the Apostle Paul prescribes the like compleat pattern for this Spiritual Fabrick of Gospel-Worship of which the former were but Types and expressed so to be 2 Cor. 6.16 1 Tim. 3.15 Râ—v 21. compared with Lev. 26.11 Ezek. 37.26 27. This is the Central and Cardinal place of Scripture sanctifying the Divine Worship of the Word about which all other of this subject have their proper motion and use and whereon they depend as so many branches springing from this root and by which they are encorporated into one Order the want therefore of the clear understanding hereof is the cause of the seeming disjoyntedness of the Order of Worship and the long and much prevailing of Babylonisme thereby yea and errour and darkness yet so abounds that we have just cause to pray as the Psalmist doth Psal 43.3 Secondly in expounding the 18. Chapter of Matthew here is lively held forth that Meekness Love and Mercy which ought to be used for the recovery of a sin-sick-Saint Gal. 6.1 and on the contrary that pride railing and racking prosecuted both by the publike and personal Antichrist in such cases as Jam. 4.1 to 11. Thirdly and lastly here is set forth that three-fold or rather four-fold Estate of Adam in Paradise viz. Moral Legal Evangelical and Celestial his legal Estate or first Covenant of Works was saith the Author and what need be said more the first grand grandsire mystery of the Word and the Door key and Candle to all other Theologick Religious Personal publick and polemike the Epitomal Pattern of the Mosaical Law in folio and the Bridge garrison and Tutor unto the Gospel the Ladder and Key of Heaven These four Estates were founded in Paradise the first cultively the second epitomally the third personally the fourth inchoately so that this is the main hinge whereon the whole state of all mankind dependeth Now since this Work hath stuck so long in the Birth and having this opportunity now yet not till now put into my hands and withall considering the diversities of Judgments about and the many diligent enquirers after these things
ordering and censuring and each again with the sum of the others purposes that each may further and suit with the others courses for in each of these three Offices especially there are two essential properties which have both a peculiar and a social respect the one extensive quantitative material and institutive viz. the apportioning and adequating the Offices and their Functions as the Teacher and his Teaching c. The other intensive qualitative formal and constitutive viz. the adaptating or suiting the Officers and their Offices as the Teacher and his knowledge and ability to reach the Exhorter c. as before in the Table at large and it's Epitome In the former is the purity of the Offices and God's Worship to be discerned In the latter is the sincerity of the Officers and Worshippers to be tryed Also in the peculiar respects of both the godlyness or fixt link of Peter's golden Chain of Election and Salvation 2 Pet. 1.7 is required to be exercised and in the sociall or mutuall respects the brotherly kindness or 7th link is called for Now all the services of God being observed and exercised in their purity compleatly and all his servants therein practising all sincerity there is no dissonancie much lesse impossibility in this distinctness of the Church-Offices But if there be a failing in this purity compleatness and sincerity or in either of them then there must be much of the matter of the Objection granted and will be more appearing which is the second consideration of the former part of the Objection To which I answer First that I intend not at all to pacifie the fury of Hierarchians by palliating this matter in any respect toward them among whom all the Order of God's Worship is devised by Antichrist and so made in appearance Christian but in true understanding is Antichristian i. e. diverse from and opposite to Christian for the order thereof is Babylonish disorderly and confused in respect of Gods order in his Word though to the Spirit of the World it seemeth very yea onely uniform and orderly in Nature and in it self yea and thereby the parts of God's Worship are perverted and subordinate to another superiour or end and so lose their proper nature at least in respect of the Consciences of the Users which is to be esteemed according to the intention of the principal and predominant Institutor and Author of the Work and Worship it self and therefore it were great folly to indeavour to consonate the Order of Christs Worship unto Antichrists as it is to make good Musick on an Instrument put wholly out of Tune and therefore I leave the Mother of Rome and Daughter of England to their folly and fury in this case wherein I cannot prevent them Secondly that though I will yield much to the weakness of the exercise of the Order of God's Worship in the present Reformed Churches and will endeavour to shew that this distinctness is and may be observed in them yet if men be not satisfied therewith I will not yield that the Rule is to be framed according to the present building but that to the Rule of God's Word and if excuses be made that all things cannot by them be established according to the perfect Rule both through the hinderance of the otherwise informed Magistracy and for the want of fit matter or persons thereto qualified and maintenance for them if they be to be had First let not Pleaders of extenuations no nor of excuses be Judgers of that Law from the breach whereof they excuse themselves for that were more then childish pettulancy even to bite and whine Secondly though indeed they be excuses from all fault yet censures for dissonancy are not seasonable till things are in their compleat and adult estate for as exactness is not to be required from so also not by a child under Age and Tutors until he come to his mans estate Thirdly for the matter though one or two of the Offices be wanting yet may the two or one remaining conveniently agree with this distinctness the onely seeming otherwise is between the Labourers in the Word especially in the Exhorter who without Doctrines before laid proved and cleered cannot exhort to the observation of them To this I have answered before to which I refer thee adding onely that though in the case of necessity and without which Exhortation cannot be it be lawful yea necessary for the Exhorter to Teach yet without those cases and where there is a Teacher that doth his duty yea and where there is equally necessary matter of Exhortation received as true by the Church it is not lawfull much less his bounden duty to teach the Theory of Divinity Secondly for the Teacher there is no necessity of not teaching though there be neither Exhortation nor Ruling to bring it's Teaching to its more powerful and plentiful effect and ergo the same reason warranteth him not to exhort or rule in any express plain and known act though he be not forbidden all manner of acts that are hortatory or ruling so absolutely as Murder Adultery Robbery or the like but there is a Brotherly Fellowly and mutual freeness and friendly boldness to be presumed on and allowed yea in some occasionall acts even to the danger of Usurpation if those acts should be constantly and functionally used As for the Ruler none plead for his administration of the Sacraments which are Appendices to Teaching and Exhorting and Signs and Seals of the same things to the other Senses which they speak to the Ears or rather through them all to the Understanding and Heart but those that hold them one Office having divers names who are not the Objectors of these Inconveniencies and therefore I need say nothing against the same Fourthly though matter of conveniency and inconveniency pertaineth properly to Wisdome and not to Duty and is but a little better then Humane Authority yet since it is so esteemed and insisted on by many I will put the conveniencies of the distinctness I stand for into the other ballance both for the cleer confutation of this Argument and proving the point by the benefits thereof if any such proof be therein as men account and I grant in respect of the Wisdome of God if the matter be clearly shewn though as a proper and original Argument which is onely from the Word Rom. 12.2 I dare not obtrude it but onely in the respects mentioned and comparatively and as a retorted plausible and probable Argument Now the Name and Nature of conveniencies lead us to consider of the answering respects of these Offices which are 6. viz. Christ the Church each other eaches several work the Lords of the Gentiles and Antichrist Christ is the Monarch Head Law-giver and Master of his Church ergo it is fit that he alone should be Supream and Primitive and that each Office of his Church should be derived out of his Primacy and none others else should the derived have another Lord and
all the Memberships thereof and so is that desolation and as he setteth himself for and as the Church and his 128. sorts of his Church-members 24. Ministerial and 104. Monastical members as and for the members of the Church he setteth up that abomination And thirdly as he confuseth the names nature and order of the Church-members of Christ he is that Babylon the great or God of confusion For first he confoundeth the four sorts of the integral members of the Church as the Prophets Men Women and children both in taking from them all distinction of Church-power and priviledge whereby as Ecclesiastical they are distinguished from each other for by his Church-disorder no Saint of gifts of discerning spirits of edification exhortation and comfort hath more power in government or priviledge of teaching than men without them yea or women and children for they have none at all neither have men more enrighting power then women or children in telling the Church or in putting out of the obstinately wicked from among them than women and children what enabling power soever they have more than they for his Church-warden-promooting is a servility absolute of informing the Prelatical courts but not that power to tell the Church if the offendor will not repent at their private telling and not to tell if they will Neither thirdly have Prophets men or women more priviledge in any thing than children by any Church right he making them all alike of the Laity and not of the Church as for his giving the bread to men and women but not to children it is by a Ministerial or rather Magisterial munificence in the Priests and through a natural defect in the children simply and not as they cannot discern the Lords body nor eat in remembrance of Christ indeed his denying expresly the wine to all alike sheweth their Church estate and right thereby unto it to be all alike that is none at all and so he might by alike right deny them the Bread and Baptisme too but for his own sinister ends of making his Priests munificent herein and of discovering the informed in the right order of God and the avoiders of Antichristianity and of seeming to love Christianity Secondly he so also confoundeth the names nature and order of the five instrumental or ministerial members in making them all but one Priesthood for the Teacher Exhorter and Ruler of a Congregation he expresly maketh but one Priesthood and the Deacon he maketh but a diminutive servant and helper of that priesthood or a preparative thereto the Widow or Mercy-shewer he wholly excludeth and so he is that Babylon the great or great confounder of Gods Offices and Ordinances 2. He is also that abomination in setting up other Church offices than these five which onely are made divine by the Word and so also he sitteth as or for the Church in usurping its authority herein for he hath set up denal suffragan diocesan provincial patriarchal and universal Bishoâ—shâ—ps their subordinate councels commissaries Officials Archdeacons Surrogates and Registers as divinely authorized to exercise Church-authority whom yet Christ never authorized which I have shewn in a Tract of undivine Bishops and in a Confutation of their Postscriâ—ts or undivine authority for them 3. He is also that desolation both in his settâ—ng these Anachims over Christs Bishops and Deacons and not onely as simply ruling them by their Church-Monarchy as they do all called Christians but especially as making them subordinate instruments of their Magisterial tyranny both in their servile promooting to their Courts the true yea and reported breakers of their Articles repentant and impenitent promiscuously and especially in executing their Sentences though they know them unjust both in matter and also in the form of their proceedings for he hath hereby made them his Vassals Bayliffs Goalers and Executioners without any inherent power of ruling in their Offices And this though they had been of Gods creation by Church-election and under his correction But that which is worst thâ—y are of Hierarchical generation by Prelatical ordination and are under their censures even unto degradation for neglecting their traditions so that what they are can do and have in their formal estate is of through and for Antichrist for he created them into that estate by his instituted office of Bishopship and its constituting ordination thereby engaging them to use all their powers and habits internal and external to his ends and glory whereby he hath not onely destroyed their servantship of God but even made them his own servants and souldiers against Christ as King of Israel and Lord of his Temple The next part of Antichrists antithesis against Chrâ—sts instituted Worship is first his prescribing other ends to the works of the Church-members both integral and instrumental than Christ hath done even both to their saving serving souldierly and social works under which four heads all Christian duties are comprehended and indeed he maketh of these four sorts of works but one with a double end that is satisfactory to God in obedience to himself for all is works of service suffering and love he holdeth to be the prerequisite condition of our adoption sonship and spouship and so of our union with God as our heavenly Father though p operly Gods imputation of Christ and his sufferings and works unto us be the onely work preceding or prerequisite to our adoption and so therein God the Father Christ and the Holy Ghost are the onely Agents and Workers and we are meerly patients as receivers of that divine estate nature and inheritance and thereby enrighted by that estate enabled by that nature and moved by that inheritance to serve and suffer for God and for and with his sons servants and souldiers and so he is that Babylon abomination and desolation in this part also as he maketh the soul of the works of all Church-members to be satisfactory to God and services to himself whereas they are onely services and homage due to God as absolute Lord. This is not onely true of that Antichrist of Rome but of his daughters also in their secundary degree and under the name of Arminianisme whereof the Hierarchy of England is in travail that of Ireland pregnant and that of Scotland quick with child Secondly in prescribing other works rites and observances also than God hath sanctified as abstinence from Marriage and Meats to some at all times and to all at some times kneeling and many fopperies in the Lords Supper Salt cream spittle c. in Baptisme bondaged reading prayers the surplice copes and other priestly garments white clothing for the baptized churched and penitent praying before the crucifix crosse and images sackcloth and whipping c. consecrated places breathing the Holy Ghost in ordination prelatical consecration institution induction suspension anathematising with bell book and candle observation of holy-days weeks and set-times consecrating of Temples and their appurtenances of many sorts Fonts chalices Bells Holy-water Basons and
therein or the soul thereof in his own person which being a spirit and they flesh they thought that they could not worship him but by some external notion or image in their own judgment of him See Judg. 17.3 to 13. Now I know that the Lord c. as the Papists do by their Crucifixes and Images of Christ Mary God the Father the Holy Ghost Peter c. as Lay-mens books and Teachers but none of them as God objectively the Altar Holy-day v. 5. the Sacrifices burnt-offerings Peace-offerings feasting with part of them dancing singing and observance of that Holy-day yea and the teaching exhorting and ruling ordinances of those officers subordinate or associate to them became parts of that Idol-Worship or Bull-worship and so of Devil-worship and so none of Gods but in Gods account a despising and rejecting of him Therefore Aarons and the other Priests and the Levites accepting killing and sacrificing those burnt and peace-offerings for themselves the whole Church and for any particular and their eating drinking singing dancing and solemnizing that holy day in any of those cases and the peoples doing so with them in their allotted works and observances of Worship so instituted constituted and executed Also the teaching exhorting and ruling of those Priests and Levites and the Israelites hearing learning purposing obeying and coming to their set places for those ends and joyning with them in their prayers before and after that their teaching and exhorting and in their sacrificing Yea all the Sacraments Sacrifices Services and observances performed by Aaron and those Priests Levites and People as Worshippers of God by the said new Sacrament or teaching and representing Image and in that other form of Divine Worship instituted instead of that of Moses v. 1. which is there expressed to be frustrate and that therefore a new one was to be erected which extended to all the particulars thereof especially to the speciall one of the Priesthood which being thereby altered became a new Bull-Priesthood and therefore all their Priestly services were changed Heb. 7.12 Luke 10.16 Matth. 10.40 John 13.20 and so made a new unparticipable estate which therefore made all their Priestly works unparticipable though their Sacraments sacrificing preaching praying and the things sacrificed preached and prayed for were otherwise parts of the very true Divine Worship of God yet thereby they were Idolatrous and the same with that Priesthood and that with the Bull-worship whereof they were newly made Priests for hearing Luke 10.16 is receiving Joh. 13.20 and honouring Luke 10.16 by the rule of opposites and so the refusing to hear those Sermons receive those Sacraments and their Discipline c. was to refuse and despise an Idol and false Ministry and so to honour God With these things sort 2 Cor. 11.13 to 16. which calleth the like Instruments of Satan in this stratagemical counterfeiting a Ministry of Christ and deceitful working thereby False Apostles Ministers of Satan transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ and Ministers of Righteousness as their Lord and Master Satan himself metamorphoseth himself into an Aâ—gel of light What can we conceive the scope of the Holy Ghost in these sayings but to incense the Saints of Corinth against these false Apostles not simply as men of wickedness but for covering their Wolvish disposition and intent with the sheepskin of a Christian profession and pretence of a Ministry of righteousness nor against Satan simply as an Angel of darkness but properly as sending his disguised Seminaries to pretend a Ministry of Christ and to practice and intend the mastery of Christs Army and Church and so of Christ in his encorporate body which he could not do in his person Matth. 4.10 Nor in his Apostles as I have shewn in Paul Act. 16.16 2 Cor. 11. they seeing Satan through all his Visards But his Wizards and Sooth-sayers now are as wise as the Pythonisse to say and sooth the wise and true servants of Christ in their love of the doctrine and rites of salvation and true way unto life as of the bread of life simply considered without the order of the Word of God which God hath set to dispose it to that end and us to seek and serve him by in his due order that is without the Church and Ministerial order of the Word and so they take them also in the first tryall Matth. 4.3 4. to the dishonour of their Head and themselves and in Sauls tryal by their preferring Sacrifice before obedience and fat of Rams their zeal in their worshipping before their listening to the utmost order of Gods Worship Observe what our Author saith in general for I am straitned for want of room of those with other false Worships which are before onely nominated saith he THe morall Devotion of all Nations was much provoked by Gods glorious Works for the Posterity of Abraham Esa 41.1 to Chap. 44. which turned to the increase of their Idolatrous superstitiousness as the supposed descending of Jupiter and Mercurius in the persons of Paul and Barnabas did Act. 14.12 13. to the endeavour of the like Sacrifice to that of Baals 1 Kin. 18.26 Be not peremptory against my applying almost all the names of the Idols in the Scripture unto this 2d sort of Idolatry of Sun-worship or Bull-worship which was but as that of Diana unto Jupiter and their Institution unto one and the same God even in Object the same with ours at least not till you have scanned these proofs viz. Judg. 2.3.6.8 and 10. Chapters 1 Sam. 7.3 1 King 18.18 yea Lev. 18.21 Numb 22.41 and 25.3 5. 2 King 17.25 26. Jer. 32.35 Act. 7.39 to 43. and have read over Macrobius Saturnals Augustinus Egubinus de cultu divino Mornaeus Duplesses de veritate Christianae Religionis so far as concerneth those two great Controversies about Divine Worship and till you have well considered the very Scriptures whereon you wrongly ground the contrary to either since they yield express and evident proofs for both THat which is evidently and eminently pressed all manner of wayes above any other Commandement except the first is our yielding to God his zealous and jealous Worship instituted in the Word Not that the Order of Worship is to be preferred before its matter simply but onely in respect of the times of Antichrist then imminent even in the Apostles days and to prevail for nigh 1600. years after partly in his encroachment and in his establishment And indeed what enemy of God and godlyness did ever so much long and highly usurp over and oppose against all that is called God All aggravatings therefore of the holy zeal for Gods true worship and jealousie against the false worship powerful and plentiful in the Scripture do pertain to this bounded sound-mindedness in Gods worship so well as to the other parts thereof since it is so much charged as any of the other it being expresly and truly instituted in the word and is the constiâ—uting distinguishing and actuating form of
and not sons of heaven and therefore in their created nature they not knowing the far higher estate of Christ and his body of Saints Gods destinate heir of heaven conceived Adam able to have performed the condition and therefore also conceived that he had been positively established by God to have been the heir of heaven and so their immediate Lord and Master which in their nature was intollerable and scornful and in God conceived it to be injustice want of love and contempt of them and therefore would neither serve him nor his new adopted Son and left their service and their first estate Jude 6. and wrought all mischief they could against him But having no power against his person they practised against Adam and Eve and being faln from their created estate experimentally felt and discern'd both good and evil which alâ—o Adam did after his Fall though before neither of them did but good onely Now by this consequence of the Law they perceived the nature of the Law and that man was thereby ruinable as well as they and therefore set all their wits and powers on work to contrive their breach of it and ruine by it And accordingly poor man his legal or rather Gospel weakness was such that his former supporter his created power onely enabling him to the observance of the Moral-Law and not reaching this which was of a more heavenly nature he was no sooner attempted then overcome God then curst the Serpent Gen. 3.14 15. and put enmity betwixt man and him but before he denounced the Sentence of the curse due to man for this breach of the first Covenant for the support of weak frail and dejected man at the declaration thereof God first shewed him a glimpse of the Gospel in that he gave him a promise of mercy Gen. 3.15 and enlarged Gen. 17.6 7. and full assurance of a second victory in Christ which by Isaiah Jeremiah and Daniel is called the second Covenant and thus comforted v. 15. then let him know his punishment ver 16. to 19 22 23 24. This glimpse of Justification by Faith in Christ and its cultive seals of salvation the Sacrifices Gen. 4.4 founded Gen. 3.15 is the Center and Circle of the Gospel glancing upward to God for the good of his Saints and downward to hell and its hell-hounds and forwards to man two ways The first is properly to shew God as before the Creation The second in The third after it And the fourth in a mixt way of all three Gods Gospel stating man in personal Faith and its Cultive Order ensighted and enrighted him in God as Unus binunus trinunus and quadrinunus the first before time the second at it and the first week the third as at and after the end thereof the fourth as in an irregular way occasioned by mans irregularity in his breach of the Law In this fourth respect we are put by effect and à posteriori to consider of all four and enabled thereto by the third enrighted by the second and effected by the first We must therefore ascend from the fourth gradatium We had no right thereto but by the Law nor might but by the Gospel in part but not in height but by heaven nor every way but as fallen by the Law and in a mixture of both in the whole passage through the wilderness of regeneration wherein we are to look to Abraham shewing and shewn by the first notion of God to Egypt taught by the second to the Tabernacle resembling the third and to the fourth even to seek and search for the three simples in the mixt portion of Inheritance and potion of health gropingly thence to Christ and gripingly after but we shall never grasp our fill but in Heaven compleat Man had not power to fall in his natural condition by the natural Law GOd is a pure and perfect entity that cannot will nor work any thing but like himself for natural perfection as the Beasts were in sensibility perfect till mans sinne brought also on them a curse and depravation of that perfection because intentionally made for him and by donation given into his hands Gen. 1.26 28. The Text expresly saith Man was made after his Image Now God could not work will or incline to ill Therefore nor man to any thing that God had impos'd and positively forbidden him for if man was made after the perfect Image of God in things natural then he could not in natural things more offend then God But God could not therefore nor Man If Adam could in natural things offend more then God then in natural things Adam was not made after the perfect Image of God Again God's intention was to contrive man to heaven else his Decree for Election or Damnation was not eternal and to that end proposed to him a new Law with the condition of Heaven in case of observance and Death and Damnation upon the breach which was proposed to him to undertake it or not to undertake it But in hopes of the prize of Heaven and presuming of his natural power not knowing it was a heavenly work did undertake it and the condition thereof was to do or suffer and then and not before then came the free will of man to do good or ill That the Churches of England and Rome maintain as their received opinion and at the Creation as pretended but then as before is proved had man no power to ill Now this second Law was propos'd and not impos'd for it had been injustice in God to have impos'd such a Law upon man as was impossible for man to keep which this was being spititual and man meerly natural except he had likewise given him ability to have kept it which he did not That it was spiritual appears by the two Sacramental Trees of Life of Knowledge that were not real life and knowledge but onely signes thereof therefore Sacraments And therefore by this it appears that this Law was meerly proposed by God accepted by Man and so became federal and a binding Contract betwixt God and Man and therefore is called the first Covenant To work any man to understand this at the first press not upon him the proposition and liberty to undertake or not to undertake the keeping of this Law but first let him understand the condition to do or to suffer Which understood he will reply that doing or suffering was impos'd th' one being necessary to man and then it may be best made to appear that it was the acceptance and Covenant of man to do or suffer that made it a binding Law unto him The general opinion is that man had power to keep this Law and power to break it Answ No Adam had no power to will or do evil because malum is privatiâ—um non ens inessibile incognosibile inagibile impossibile Therefore malum being non ens to do ill is to do nothing power to do nothing is nothing in power which rather implyes a want of power