the glory This kingdome is one entire kingdome of distinct gradations yet individuall like the wheeles in the vision of Exechiel one within another as the kingdome of Providence the Church of Christ militant with the Soules triumphant and the dominions powers and principalities of Angels ministring before him The dominion given unto Christ as he is the Sonne of man * Christ God and Man is the personall power of the Fathers eternall begotten Word by individuall union of Divine nature with the humanity communicated to Gods elect whereby hee is the ingraven forme of the Fathers owne person unto the world holding up all things by his mighty Word This Word by the ministeriall proceeding of the holy Ghost is that Scepter of righteousnesse whereby he guideth and ruleth his kingdomes as David saith thy Throne O God is for ever the Scepter of thy kingdome is a Scepter of righteousnesse This is that Scepter of righteousnesse by the precepts and power whereof Kings raign and Princes decree Justice For this cause Christ is called the King of Kings and Lord of Lords the onely ruler of Princes Of the first gradation For the first gradation of Gods great kingdome God by Divine ordination in nature in the Creation gave a blessing and dominion unto Adam to fill the earth with his seed and to subdue it under his obedience For this cause it is said the heaven of heavens is the Lords the earth he hath given to the Children of men from hence God claimes the first borne to be his substitutes on earth which honour in the beginning was due to them as the dignity of their birth-right by Gods ordination which continued in the Family of Adam till Cain lost it by killing his brother Abell Cham lost it by scoffing his father Noah Esau sold it for a messe of Pottage and Reuben lost it by defiling of his fathers bed Then by the law of that ordinance the dignitie of Birth-right was of divine right conferred upon the Tribe of Judah and reserved in the line of Iudah for the Lyon of Judah who is the image of the invisible God the first begotten of every creature and for that all things were created by him and for him and that he is before all things and in him all things consist And also being the ordained Lambe of God before the foundation of the world he is therefore made the head of the body of the Church King of Israel that in all things bee might have dominion and preheminence both of things in earth and things in heaven For it was the Fathers pleasure that in him all fulnesse should dwell from this fountaine all soveraigntie is derived How Christ doth constitute his Vice-royes on earth Kings Princes and Potentates c. The first ordination of Soveraignty being thus as I have shewed of Divine right conferred upon the naturall Sonne of God sitting upon his highest Throne of glory farre above all powers and principalities he doth by his divine and all foreseeing providence constitute whom it pleaseth him to sit upon his earthly Thrones over any Nation people or language induing them with proper gifts of his owne spirit for rule and government Thus doth God constitute Kings and Princes and Rulers after what manner soever it bee done on earth whether by lineall descent or Nationall choise or by the sword howsoever the hand of Providence doth direct appoint and establish 1 Sam. 2. 4. Psal. 123. Hee raiseth the poore out of the dust and lifteth the beggar out of the dung to set them among Princes and to make them inherit the seat of glory Also hee pulleth downe and setteth up at his pleasure It is profitable for us to observe that Adam by his transgression lost neither the natural faculties of his soule nor the honour and dignity of his birth-right and dominion though at the first by losing that breath of life which was the light and life of his soule and that made him the perfect Image of God they were weakened and blemished in capacitie For if he had lost his naturall faculties hee had lost the forme of his being and if his birth-right and dignity of dominion had beene abolished before it had beene conferred upon another then should nature have been deprived of the ministration of judgement Justice and equity which would have brought forth an utter dissolution of the whole generation of man But after the sonnes of Adam as it were forfeited their dignity and birth-right of dominion by multiplying transgression then God the Father conferred the preheminence thereof upon the Sonne of Man even Christ that he might consecrate and appoint whom it seemed good unto him to sit upon his temporall Throne so that birth-right and preheminence might be his in whom all fulnesse dwelt And that by him Judgement Justice and equity might reigne with men Thus the Regall power of Princes is derived from Christ by the rule of divine ordination in nature for he that is the Author of nature is the observerr and preserver of all the ordinances in nature so that this royall office is restored to man by ordination in Christ But the priestly and propheticall office man hath from God by union and communion with Christ and by inspiration and supernaturall donation through the holy Ghost For this cause a Tyrant may bee a lawfull King by ordination of God yet no Christian member of Christ Difference betwixt Regall ordination and Divine power From hence we may extract an evident difference betwixt the power of royall ordination in nature and the supernaturall power of God which is given to his Church on earth That is a ministeriall power to distribute Judgement Justice and equity amongst men with absolute power of coaction to punish actuall offences with corporall or pecuniary punishment upon body lands and goods This other is a supernaturall power and divine efficacy properly given to the elect of God by inspiration whereby they have union and communion with Christ and one with another for every ones owne particular prerogative of son ship and for the edification one of another and to some men it is given in a peculiar manner and a greater measure of divine power and gifts for the ministration writing teaching and preaching of the Word and Sacraments of God which is that which was revealed by God to the antient Prophets and that which was taught by Christ and after written by the Spirit of God from the pen and mouth of the Apostles And this power is a ministeriall power mighty in operation to bind and loose the conscience to open and shut heaven and hell by declaring the judgement of God against unpentient sinners and his mercy in Christ to the penitent man as he hath taught and revealed for this power doth not follow the judgement and will of man nor succession of profession but is tyed and limited to the power of the Word and will of God Therefore what they bind
on earth by this ministeriall power Christ bindes in heaven by his absolute power By this there is no power of coaction given to the Church over the body nor purse nor life but onely over the soule and conscience and to rule by instruction admonition and correction That makes men civill and sociable and restraineth vice for feare of punishment this other makes men spirituall and divine meeke and lowly and full of loving kindnesse and rooteth out sinne in the heart making men refraine and shun sinne and wickednesse for the love of God and goodnesse it selfe Herein the kingdome of Providence and Grace doe both agree to make man happy and blessed in this life and in the life to come For this cause it was said to Abraham In thy seed all nations shall bee blessed And David saith Blessed is the Nation whose God is the Lord For no Kingdome nor Common-wealth can be blessed which doth not entertaine the true Church of God in her bosome or in which the Church is not involved For this cause God doth make good Kings a blessing to his people and commands his Saints to pray for Kings Princes and Governours that they may lead a peaceable and happy life under them and that there his Gospell may have a free passage And so Kings and Princes become nursing fathers and nursing mothers And in this combination betwixt Church and Common-wealth righteousnesse and peace doe kisse each other But if they be wicked Princes then they are sent for a punishment and scourge of God to the the people and when God hath whipped his people then he burnes his roddes with judgements Therefore bee wise yee Kings be learned ye Judges of the earth serve the Lord in feare and rejoyce in trembling kisse the Son lest he be angry and ye perish in the way when his wrath shall suddenly burne blessed are all they that trust in him The glasse of Kings The glasse wherein Kings are to see themselves by reflexion and the pattern whereby they are to distribute judgement justice and equity is the Divine nature and holy Trinity of God himselfe For as the nature of God is strong and mighty full of pitty and compassion slow to anger and abundant in goodnesse and truth whose purity of nature expelleth and consumeth every impure and imperfect thing even so doth God require his King should be like unto him on earth as he is in heaven for he hath set none above him on earth Therefore as God is in purity of essence a law unto himselfe and a consuming fire of evill so ought a King in his politique capacity to be a law unto himselfe by conforming himselfe in a spirituall assimilation to the nature of God in purity of justice punishing the evill and cherishing the good Also as the person of the Father in its essence is the fountain of his eternall law which he hath begotten and ordained with himselfe for himselfe to doe all things by so is the King in his politique capacity the fountaine of politique lawes which hee hath as it were begotten in his body politique to rule and governe his people by And as the eternall law of God is the begotten Counsell of the Trinity in the Deity so are the lawes politique the begoten Counsell of a politique Trinity which is the Soveraign the Nobles and Magistrates and the Councell of Commons resembling the Divine Trinity in Unity the indivisible subsistence of a Kingdome So that Kings are by this pattern and rule bound to keepe the lawes of their Kingdomes inviolate and to doe all things by their lawes as God doth all things by his word And this is the greatest prerogative of a King that he keepe his owne lawes freely without compulsion like God himselfe And likewise as the holy Ghost is the universall Minister and Divine Dispensator of all divine powers gifts and graces of God proceeding from the Father and the Sonne even so are the Peeres Princes Judges Magistrates and Ministers of Justice in a Common-wealth proceeding from the King and his lawes The universall Ministers of the Royall powers and lawes of the Kingdome For though they be many as members in diversity of Dispensation of Justice Judgement and equity of the lawes yet are they all but as one spirit of the body politique as the spirit of God being one is by reason of the diversity of Administrations properly called the seaven spirits before the throne of God Revel. 1. And as the individuall unity of this distinct Trinitie is the subsistence of the God-head Even so is the unity of the King with his Lawes and his Princes and Magistrates the subsistence of a body politique or Common-wealth Therefore Solomon saith Judgement and Justice is the establishment of the Throne For this similitudes sake Kings Princes and Magistrates are called Gods I have said saith the Lord yee are Gods but yee shall die like men for they are in all things to bee in their Common-wealth as God himselfe Therefore wee are taught to pray Thy will O God be done on earth as it is in heaven that Kings may rule by thee and Princes decree Justice on earth as thou dost in heaven This is that orbe wherein Kings are to walke as the Sunne in his spheare but if Kings make their owne will and lust their law and rule of Justice Judgement and equitie then they are exorbitant and then God in whose hands are the hearts of Kings causeth their Counsellers to goe as spoyled and makes their Judges as fooles and he looseth the collar of Kings and girdeth their loynes as with a girdle and leadeth away Princes as a prey and overthroweth the mighty or Pwreth contempt upon Princes and maketh the strength of the mighty weake Job 12. 17 18 19 20 21. How divine and supernaturall power is derived unto man from the Father by the Word through the Spirit A civill ministeriall power of Justice is derived of Kings Princes and Magistrates from Christ as he is the Son of God and first begotten of every creature and therefore most worthy to have preheminence above all in whom all things consist for the temporall blisse and happinesse of man on earth So is divine and supernaturall power derived from Christ not onely as he is the first begotten Son of God but also as he is the light and life of man without whom man cannot be a living soule and as he is the eternall Mediatour betwixt God and man that promised seed the Redeemer of the Elect of God the predestinated Lambe slaine from before the foundation of the world for the remission of sinnes their ordained King Priest and Prophet of God the Father in a spirituall and more peculiar manner and measure of mysticall union and communion then either can be or ever was or ever shall be in all the ordinances of God in nature For this cause that all men might know that he was and is the spirituall King of Glory and that
he came not into the world to deprive Kings and Princes of their subordinate power and prerogative therefore he told them plainly that his kingdome was not of this world and he told his Apostles that among them there should bee no such government or dominion in his Church as the Princes have on earth among men but the chiefest among them should be he that tooke the most paines to serve the rest with food of life The Church is called a kingdome because as in earthly kingdomes Kings and Princes have power by their politique lawes over the bodies goods and lives of men for their wealefull being on earth to the glory of God so in this kingdome Christ onely and absolutely from the Father through the Spirit hath power by the divine Word and law of God over the soules of men for their eternall happinesse and salvation of his elect and to the just judgement and condemnation of the reprobate to shew forth the abundant riches of his grace in that and in this to shew forth his wrath and power suffering with long patience the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction and in both the exceeding excellencie of his glory doth appeare and is effected Also it is called the kingdome of God because God the Father is the immediate fountaine from whence it floweth the person of the Sonne the head to which the whole body and every member really and in a mysticall manner is united and incorporated into him their head because God the Spirit is the immediate minister and dispensator of all divine gifts and spirituall blessings in heavenly things For this cause the Church in Scriptures is sometimes compared to a house or building compact together and built of living stones Christ being the corner stone or foundation and thus it is a spirituall house of Saints It is resembled to a naturall body composed of a head Christ and many members knit unto it and one unto another and sometimes it is described by the similitude of a throne set in heaven and he that sits thereon is assimilated to be one in Deitie but three in distinct subsistences like to three pretious Jewels The first appearing like a Jasper of a pleasant never fading flourishing greene the mother of all pearles The second a Sardine which is of a reddish flesh colour The third is in aspect as a Rain-bow that is of the Emerald colour as the eye can behold nothing more sweet or delightsome These colours represent the nature of the Trinitie of the God-head and round about the Throne were twenty foure Seats and upon the seats twenty foure Elders sitting cloathed in white rayment and on their heads crownes of gold This name of Elders is here given to all the members and congregation of Christ in his kingdome and their white rayment is to expresse the righteousnesse of Christ which is imputed and freely put upon them and making them Kings Priests and Prophets to God the Father Their Crownes are to declare their Royall dignitie which they have by Christ for it is to be noted that whatsoever Christ is in himselfe either personally naturally or officially all his members are partakers of the same in some measure according to the gift of Christ by union communion inspiration and through externall and instrumentall ministration of his Word This is the Church of God now those things which are individually belonging to the Church at first the protecting power of God which is alwayes ready to defend and revenge the cause of his Saints for God takes their cause into his owne hand saying Vengeance is mine and I will repay it And God hath said touch not mine annointed and doe my Prophets no harme For this cause in this signe of the Church there is said to proceed out of the Throne lightnings and thunders and voyces because God doth punish the wicked horribly for the Churches sake none can escape his hands that oppresse his Saints for the Lord will roare out of Sion and will put forth his voyce out of Jerusalem A second sort of gifts are inward graces of Sanctification expressed in this vision by seven Lampes of fire burning before the Throne which are the seven Spirits of God which is the internall sanctification of Gods Spirit filling every soule with gifts like oyle of grace and fire of zeale to burne with praises before the Throne Like to the lampes in the Temple Exod. 27 20. by seven signifying by a definite number manifold gifts indefinite Next are outward gifts which are allegorically called a sea of glasse before the Throne like Crystall which expresseth the spirituall pure and unspotted worship of God and the ministration of his Word as transparent to the eye of the inlightned mind as Crystall glasse is to the eye of the body through which the Saints may see the glory and majesty of God in the face of Christ Jesus As this worship is pure without any spot of mans invention and consists as in the first tract is said of prayer praise and thankes arising and alwayes nourished by the doctrine of the word of God which the sea doth signifie because it is an Ocean of living waters pure like Crystall This Sea therefore declares the whole worship of God And in respect that the Saints inlightned by the holy Ghost are called burning Lampes it is to them like a sea of oyle to enrich and encrease their lights Another outward gift is described to be foure Beasts And in the middest of the Throne and round about the Throne were foure beasts the first like a Lyon the second a Calfe the third a face like a man the fourth like a flying Eagle and their bodyes are full of eyes before and behind These are the ministers and servants of God who attend the ministration of the Word and Doctrine and are placed betwixt the Throne and the Elders as embassadours and messengers of God to his people their place is in a neerer station to the Throne then the Elders They are compared to beasts to expresse their qualities which is required for the conditions of the times and seasons as the strength and courage of a Lyon the patience of an Oxe the prudence and wisedome of a man the Eagle-like contempt of earthly things and sharper sight in spirituall and heavenly things The number is foure to double the number of the tribe of Levi under the law to answer the number of Elders which is double to the twelve Patriarkes Their bodyes are full of eyes behind and before which describes that sharpnesse of riches and understanding in divine things wherewith they are inducd by the gift of the Spirit to discerne things past things present and things to come These beasts each one of them hath sixe wings placed round about them and full of eyes within the wings these wings are not for that use that the wings are to the beasts in Eâ—â—â—â—â—…el two to hide the face and two to flye and two to hide their feet
An Exact ENQVIRY AFTER Ancient Truths Both in Scripture and Fathers Touching The subsistence of the Church of God Digested into Three Parts VIZ. I. True Worship II. Dominion or Divine Jurisdiction III. Discipline reduced from our Father Adams time through all Ages to these present Times Very usefull for these Times By W Fenwick Utter-Barrester of Grays-Inne London Printed for Edw Husbands and Lawrence Blaiklock and are to be sold at their shops in the Middle Temple Temple-Bar To the Right Honorable Algernon Earl of Northumberland Lord Percy Lucy Poynings Fitzpain Brian and Latimer Lord high Admirall of ENGLAND Knight of the most Noble order of the Garter and one of His Majesties most Honorable Privy-councell Right Honorable THe unworthy oppressed Author hath not long since groaned under the severe censure of the late high Commission for the insuing speculations which now he adventures to present unto your Honour hoping for a candid acceptance and interpretation of his poor indeavours for the good of Zion Had not the rising Sun of an auspicious Parliament dispelled those clouds of oppresion and tyranny that menaced a drowning both to me and them they had been choked in their embrio and never injoyed the happinesse they have now attained in your Honorable aspect Pardon most noble Lord the inforced presumption of the distressed Author which implores and hopes for your honorable Patronage and humbly praying for the daily increase of your Honours health and eternall happinesse remains Your Honours most humble most devoted Servant William Fenwick The Errata PAge 1. line 27 for more read most l. 28. for right r. light Pag. 2. l. 29. for 2 r. of Line 34. for posterity r. prosperity Pag. 4. l. 24. for endeavours r. endnes The second Treatise p. 2. l. 33. for the r. thy for of r. unto Pag. 18. l. 3. for he r. the Pag. 10 l. 21 for in r. from Pag. 11. l. 28. for what r. with Pag. 15. l. 1. for Angelicall r. Euangelicall P. 20. l. 9. for penitent r. impenitent Pag. 23. lin 6. for A r. As. for of r. to Pag. 25. l. 9. read are first Pag. 54. l. 14. read omitted Pag. 55. l. 9. read it is that l. 29. reade All And thus ZIONS REQVEST To her Honourable and welbeloved Sonnes now happily assembled in the long and much-desired Parliament of England RIght deare and well-beloved of God your Father in my Lord by whom you are begotten and borne and welbeloved of me not begot of mortall or carnall seed but of the immortall seed of the Word neither borne nor brought forth of the mandane wombe of Rome nor sprong from the native bowels of my humanitie but I bore you and brought you forth of my celestiall wombe the eternall councell of God and I have nourished and brought you up in the royall City of divine Salomon my Lord and your God and Saviour My sonnes heare your Fathers instruction and forsake not your mothers teaching for they shall be a comely ornament unto your head and as chalnes to your necke You have seene with your eyes and heard with your eares how the strumpet of Babell hath boasted her selfe against me and with her impudent face affirmed her selfe to be Queene of heaven and earth deluding the world with outward apparantes whereby many are mistaken by her outward glory supposing her to be my selfe But I desire you my most honourable and deare children to conceive of me aright and be not deceived with vaine and glorious showes and worldly pompe For my glory is internall and heavenly more splendent then the pure gold of more curious embroderers which no eye can see but that Divine eye of right which is given you of your Father For I testifie unto you that I am not to be considered by the pompe and glory of the world nor yet by the wisedome of the wise man or by the nature of flesh and blood for those are not heavenly but earthly sensuall and divelish and doe not cannot nor will not please God but conceive you me to be heavenly spirituall and divine such as your Father hath described me to be A mountaine even Mount Zion a City the City of the living God the celestiall Jerusalem filled with the societie of innumerable Angels and the assembly of the first borne which are written in heaven and with the presence of God in Trinitie sitting upon the Throne Judge of all and with the unity and communion of the spirits of just and perfect men made perfect with that individuall union which they have with Jesus the Mediatour of the New Testament and with the blood of sprinkling which speaketh better things then that of Abel even the remission of sinnes to the imputation of righteousnesse for justification of sinners for he came to save sinners by drawing sinners to repentance And I pray you shake of all carnall apprehensions of mee and conceive me to be really such in nature and condition as my Lord hath revealed me by the mouth of his blessed servant Peter 1 Pet. 2. affirming mee to bee a spirituall house or temple 1 Pet. 2. 5. built and compact of living stones made a spirituall house a holy priesthood to offer up spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ who is my foundation that living stone on whom I am built though hee be disallowed of men yet chosen of God and precious Neither suppose me to bee a politique body composed of a temporall head or soveraigne Monarchy or a Nationall and positive lawes and customes which though they bee ordained of God yet in substance they are humane inventions and traditions of men nor consisting of civill and humane Magistrates endewed with morall gifts and vertues for the externall government power and posteritie of humane societies politiquely and wisely providing for the defects of depraved nature and preventing the dammage danger and ruine which the malice of Satan and the corrupt nature of man would draw upon the societies of men in their terrestriall abode Though I bee sometimes called a Kingdome in respect of my eternall King the Lord of Lords and King of Kings and of his divine spirituall power and heavenly dominion which never shall have end Yet am I never anywhere in Scripture described to bee a temporall or earthly Kingdome But on the contrary my Lord did plainly affirme and teach that his kingdome was not of this world and prohibited the subjects of his kingdome to take dominion and government upon them one over another nor set up a Hierarchie among them as the Princes and Lords of the world did whose manner is to thirst after preheminence and dominion but that in his divine kingdome hee that would be the greatest should be the least and hee that should be found to take most diligent labour and paines in ministration of his divine Word and food of life should bee esteemed a faithfull servant to his Lord and Master But consider me as I am the minister and dispensator
grievous to bee borne which the Scribes and Pharisees of Rome who pretended to fit in Moyses seat have laid upon my shoulders the Episeopall waight whereof you my sonnes have heretofore borne with much griefe whilst they advanced themselves to the chiefe seates and most eminent dignities loving to be reputed great and excellent Rabbies even above you the naturall Peeres and Potentates of State And now I conclude and doe offer unto your sacred considerations the holy Sinode of the Apostles set forth for a perfect patterne of all Counsells and Ecclesiasticall causes In the fifteenth of the Acts where you may observe that Synode consisted of the Apostles Elders and Brethren Their consultation was according to the rule of the written Word there conclusion and sentence was thus It seemed good to the holy Ghost and to us to lay no more burden upon you then these things necessarie That is that yee abstaine from things offered to Idols and blood which includes all Ceremoniall inventions and bloudy sacrifices and prohibits from that which is strangled with all crueltie and oppression and from fornication which imports uncleane conversation and lusts which if yee forheare yee shall doe well And though I here claime of you the honour of being your Mother being the body of Christ and Church of God in whom you also have the honour and prerogative to be the sonnes of God yet touching my earthly habitation and abode I am under your Dominion and tuition whom my Lord hath placed over me for my peace and prosperity on earth And that through Soveraigne power and authority which he hath ordained over all men to the end you may give his Gospell a free passage and be nursing and protecting Fathers of mee in your Common-wealth that your Father may give you and your King a blessing of welfare and happy being in my Lord Christ in whom all Nations are blessed and blessed is that Nation whose God is the Lord A Breviate of the ensuing second Treatise THe subsistence of the Church of God composed of a threefold cord 1. Worship 2. Dominion 3. Discipline In the Tractate of worship are declared 1. The nature of Divine worship 2. The nature of acceptable obedience 3. How this worship corresponds with the nature of God 4. The manner of publike worship from Adam till Moyses 5. The Service used by the Patriarkes 6. The same continued in the Nationall Church 7. The service used in the Synagogues 8. The same observed by the Apostles 9. The testimony of the Fathers 10. An amplification and undeniable reasons for the puritie of Gods word and worship In the Tractate of dominion or divine jurisdiction 1. Of the first gradation of this Dominion 2. How Christ ordaines his Vice-royes on earth 3. Difference betwixt Regall and divine power 4. The Glasse of Kings 5. How Divine power is derived unto man from the Father by the Word through the spirit 6. How the Word is the Divine power of God and the authority committed to the Church In the Tractate of Government and Discipline 1. Of the calling of Ministers 2. The manner of their ordination 3. The orders and degrees of Pastours and their 4. Denominations under the Law and Gospell 5. Of Discipline and censures 6. Of Excommunication The subsistence of the Church of God THe subsistence of Gods Church is composed of a threefold thred which cannot easily be broken 1. The first is spirituall and divine worship worship 2. Spirituall and divine Jurisdiction or Jure Divino dominion 3. Spirituall and divine discipline or government discipline I call this threefold cord of grace Divine and Spirituall because the universall Minister of Gods dispensation of all saving grace is the holy Spirit the third person of the Trinitie These are correlative subsistences in the Church of God so depending one upon another that they cannot be separated or untwisled without either some defect or dismembring of the Church in her selfe or utter dissolving of her in essence and nature to be any true Church Also without these distinct subsistences in the Church she cannot exercise the gifts and graces of Gods Spirit nor the functions and offices ordained of God for ministration of the Word For this cause I call them subsistences in the essence of the Church like unto the subsistences of the Trinitie in the essence of God himselfe Of Spirituall and Diuine worship The Worship which God requires must bee such as is agreeable to his owne nature and the good pleasure of his owne will therefore true divine worship is tyed to the prescript commandement of God and not to the devising invention of man therefore to obey is better then sacrifice and to hearken is better then the fat of Rammes The nature of acceptable Obedience It is a supernaturall and filiall worke of God internally and spiritually wrought seated and invested by Gods Spirit into the intellect making man a new creature created in Christ Jesus unto good workes which God hath ordained that he should walke in them being renewed in the spirit of the mind to offer himselfe unto God a living sacrifice in an understanding worshipping of God This worship and sacrifice is described by the Prophet David to be a broken and contrite spirit called a well-pleasing sacrifice to God presenting a sin-offering as Psal. 51 17. also in the 116 it is called the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving How this Worship is correspondent to the nature of God The Lord doth shew it in the fourth of John 23. and 24. saying the true worshippers shall worship God in spirit and truth that is in the Spirit of sanctification dwelling in the mind helping our infirmities with sighes and groanes which cannot be exprest and in the truth of his Word dwelling in us in all wisedome and spirituall understanding such as these the Father requireth should worship him because God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth and not in the ignorance of the mind nor in the invention and will-worship of man For this cause the Psalmist saith in the 51. 6. Thou O Lord lovest truth in the inward affections and in the 50. Psalme he saith Offer to God the sacrifice of praise and pay the vowes of the most high and call upon God for the Lord loveth truth in the inward parts This is the pure and simple worship of God without the glory and beautie of outward Ceremonies agreeing with the simple pure essence and nature of God himselfe Consider wel Pauls Caveat in the Coloss. 2 8. 18. 20 21 22 23. warning all men to beware of humane wisedome and deceitfull inventions and traditions according to the Rudiments of the world and not after Christ the outward shew of holinesse which puffes up mens hearts with selfe-conceit being burthened with traditions which having a glorious shew of holinesse of wisedome and voluntary religion wherein men are out of measure superstitious in zeale not
heed as unto a light that shineth in a darke place untill the day dawne and the day starre arise in your hearts and from hence it is evident that the Scripture is the very word of God which proceedeth out of God by inspiration by instrumentall publishing and writing the same and the written Word being the same proceeding word of God even God declared in writing The Scriptures therefore are the Fountaines of living water and the ground of truth for preaching teaching and instruction exhortation and correction And therefore the Scriptures are to be had in Divine estimation for they containe the divine Word it selfe and the Pastors and teachers thereof being thereunto called of God by a full measure of inspiration are to be esteemed the Messengers and Embassadours of God And this is alwayes to be understood that no man can attaine to the interpretation of the written Word by naturall ingenuitie or humane learning or art or industrie though all be needfull instruments and meanes of knowledge but onely by inspiration of the proceeding Word as ver. 21. 20. 21. so that first ye know this that no prophecie of the Scripturis of any private interpretation For as the prophecie came not in old time by the will of men but holy men of God spake â—â— they were moved by the holy Ghost so must holy then of God speake and interpret the Scriptures as they are moved by the holy Ghost And that we may know the interpretation to be of the holy Ghost being the proceeding Word and hee that indicted the same Word from the Father and the Sonne by inspiration cannot give any other sence or understanding to the written Word then is agreeable to the nature of the Word in the person of the Sonne and of the Father and the Word in the person of the Sonne is the revealed will of God the Father made manifest in the flesh Therefore we may discerne whether the interpretation be of the Spirit of God or no by this Iohn 4. 2. 3. Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God and every spirit that confesseth not that Iesus is come in the flesh is not of God For the confession is not an out ward confession of the lips nor an historicall confession of the mind nor a voluntary supposition and opinion of carnall reason but it is the confession of the Spirit of God which declares and manifests to the heart that the Word that is come in the flesh is the very true God as Christ said to know thee and him whom thou hast sent Christ to be the very true God as Peter confessed thou art that Christ that Sonne of God and Christ told him that flesh and blood did not teach him this but his Father revealed it unto him This word of God not having beene after this order knowne and considered hath beene the cause and occasion of much mistake and errours in the Church of God but understanding the Word in the true nature and property of Gods order and manner of working leadeth us by the hand from one gradation to another and stoppeth the mouth of all men that speake against the Scriptures and the holy Spirit For considering the word of God in these gradations we shall evidently perceive and understand that the power and authoritie giuen and committed to the Church is no other thing but the proceeding word of God ministring the begotten Word from the Father manifested in the flesh which ministration is two fold internall by inspiration through hearing of the Word because man is an intellectuall Spirit and therefore a proper Tabernacle for the divine Word to dwell in Also externall ministration because man dwells in an elementary earthly and naturall tabernacle therefore the holy Ghost applyeth himselfe to mans infirmity and doth use in his externall ministration elementary earthy and naturall instruments by which as a meanes and ordinance the proceeding Word and the power thereof is daily communicated unto man both to ingraft him into the Word and to nourish him in the Word unto everlasting life For this manner of externall ministration is necessary for man so long as hee dwelleth in this body or earthly house The instruments which the holy Ghost doth use in the dispensation of the ministeriall Word are either proper as some members of the Church set apart for the worke of the ministery or lesse proper as the signes of the Sacraments I may call those the externall gifts which God gives to his Church for it is said that unto every one of us is given grace or the gifts of the Spirit according to the measure of the gift in Christ For wee may discerne the Church is a compact body knit to the head Christ and consisteth of many members yet in unity of the spirit they are one body and although there be but one Spirit yet are there diversities of gifts diversities of administrations diversities of operations yet all one and the same spirit and these diversities of gifts make diversities of functions So there are many functions in the Church but God worketh all in all But the manifestation of the spirit is given to every man to profit withall but peculiar gifts without the which the Church cannot at any time be and therefore most proper of which it is said that Christ ascended on high and lead captivity captive and received gifts to give unto men as some to bee Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers Here is to bee observed that the divine power by internall dispensation is given in common to all and every member of the Church so that all have common interest in the word of God and peculiar power thereby to admonish comfort and instruct one another and pray for one another and beare one anothers burdens especially they are all Kings Priests and Prophets in their Families For every Father ought to use the office of an Elder in his house Deut 6. 6 7. Deut. 4. 9. But for the externall dispensation of the Word the power and efficacy thereof is committed unto peculiar men wherof Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors teachers are in the first ranke and functions and the power and efficacy which is given them is onely the ministration of the Word they have not that absolute power which Christ hath to know who are his from the beginning and to have compassion on whom he would have compassion and to shew mercy on whom hee would show mercy For Christ had not this absolute power as he was the Son of man but as he was the person of God For as he was Man he came not to do his owne will but the will of his Father So likewise when he sent his Apostles and Disciples to teach all Nations he sent them as he was sent of his Father So send I you saith he which was not to doe their owne will nor to teach their owne doctrine but to do his will