world by multiplying Abrahams spiritual seed and that by making beleevers blessings to families and nations Let not the people of God so easily part with so ancient entayled priviledges wherein the Saints have rejoyced for so many ages Let them have so much compassion on their Children as not to blot their names out of Heaven or thrust them out of the Kingdome of Christ into the Kingdome of Satan for to one of the two Kingdomes they must belong Those who know their owne priviledge herein will not upon such slender grounds part with it as the manner of some is to do And as Gods promise unto Abraham and his seed is called a Covenant and therefore something to be performed on their part as a duty commanded and required by the Lord that his Covenant be not broken so let beleevers search and see what that duty is for which purpose let us make this further use of this point Vse 3. From thence to learne not to confine that great promise made to Abraham and his seed Gen. 17. within the compasse of an earthly Canaan as meant onely of the temporal things of that Land or the multiplying of his natural seed therein but also of all such blessings in Christ whereof Canaan and the good things thereof were types That very promise vers 8. of the Land of Canaan to be an everlasting possession to his seed and he to be their God by what hath been said in opening this point we see is yet in fulfilling even to us of the times of the New Testament in the spiritual blessings of the Heavenly Canaan and in the conquest of the World by the people of the God of Abraham whereof the conquest of that land by Joshuah was a type as hath been shewed If any shall affirm that in neither of these two respects that promise can be brought down to these times it behooveth such to find out some other sense wherein it may be so extended because we see that what the Lord confirmed unto Abraham of blessing multiplying and causing his seed to possess the gate of his enemies he confirmed it to us even to beleevers of the New Testament as his seed and heirs according to the promise In opening the point I was the larger in the proofe hereof and have therefore insisted upon some things by the by concerning the Kingdom of Christ although a full unfolding thereof would require a farre larger discourse because it conduceth much towards the clearing of Infant-Baptisme to be a duty which God requireth of his people that the full extent of Gods promise unto Abraham whereof we have found that to be one branch be considered and understood For if this be granted that the promise made to Abraham Gen. 17. especially that part of it v. 8. concerning Canaan to be an everlasting possession to his seed be of such extent and made also to his spiritual seed of the New Testament it will follow that that command of God in those words next following vers 9. Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore thou and thy seed after thee in their Generations is to be meant also of his spirituall seed even in our dayes and as a command that now lieth upon the same spiritual seed in all Generations Psal 105. in as much as that command is brought in with a therefore upon the promise made to the same seed in the words next afore going Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore thou and thy seed after thee in their Generations And saies God This is my covenant which ye shall keep between me and you and thy seed after thee every man-child among you shall be circumcised and ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin and it shall be a token of the covenant between me and you and v. 14. The uncircumcised man-child shall be cut off from his people he hath broken my covenant Obj. It will be said how is this command of keeping this covenant obliging to beleevers now since the covenant to be kept was then specified to be the circumcising of the child in as much as circumcision is now abolished Or what is this to baptizing children the point in hand to be cleared in this discourse To this I answer Answ First It is to be observed that this command of God is primarily fixed upon the generall duty namely the covenant to be kept and not upon this or that way of keeping either by circumcising or baptising so as the circumcising of the Childe came under the command onely upon this because it was declared then to be the token of the covenant and by the words it is supposed that when it should cease to be the token of the covenant it should no longer be a duty and what else by the same authority should be made the token of the same covenant would be the duty in stead thereof Mark the words he doth not say Thou shalt therfore circumcise every man-child among you as a token of the covenant between me and you for so had that been made the token for perpetuity to have continued so long as the covenant it selfe But first in general he saith Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore thou and thy seed after thee in their Generations that is they should observe and performe the token of the covenant whatever that prove to be and in the second place he addeth This is my covenant which ye shall keep between me and you and thy seed after thee every man-child among you shall be circumcised and the uncircumcised man-child hath broken my covenant therefore as I said as for circumcision that was a duty onely upon those words declaring that to be then the token Circumcision is now abolished yet the command of keeping the token of Abrahams covenant is still in force and binding to Abrahams spiritual seed in their Generations therefore what is now the token of that covenant must be observed in stead thereof The like manner of institution we have concerning the Sabbath therefore those who deny Infant-Baptism oftentimes deny the Sabbath and not without cause for there is the same reason of both and we may illustrate the one by the other The Lord intended in time to change the day from the seventh to the first day of the week as he intended in time to change the token of Abrahams covenant therefore in the fourth Commandement also the command is not primarily fixed upon the seventh or any day to be remembred and kept holy but upon the general duty that the rest-day of the Lord be remembred and kept holy what ever that day fall to be Exod. 20. 8. 11. Remember the Sabbath day that is the rest-rest-day to keep it holy and the Lord blessed the rest-rest-day and sanctified it And the remembrance and keeping of the seventh day is in the commandement made a duty for this reason because that was declared to be then the day wherein God had entred into his rest after his making of the world And
upon the same account when after the travaile of his soule in the new creation he entred the second time into his rest as it is declared that he did Heb. 4. 9. 10. as was shewed p. 11. 12. as also appeareth by what he saith of himselfe Mark 2. 28. that he is Lord also of the Sabbath which he could not be unlesse he also had a rest which he entred into as God did into his Because that was upon the first day of the week when he rose from the dead therefore by vertue of that command Remember the rest-day to keep it holy the first day of the week is now to be remembred and kept holy in as much as that is now the rest-day of the Lord our God as formerly the seventh day was As for his Ascention I confesse it is not so clear although very probable to be upon that day from Acts. 1. Acts 1. 3. 12. by the computation of the forty days from his Resurrection and the mention of a Sabbath dayes journey from mount Olivet to Jerusalem occasioned as is likely from their making that journey then upon that day vers 12. But albeit his rest was not compleated till he passed into the Heavens and sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high yet he first entred into it at his Resurrection in as much as he was raised in incorruption with a spiritual body and in glory 1 Cor. 15. 42. 43. 49. 20. And because he did then first cease from the travaile of his soul Which I say being upon the first day of the week there needeth no more to fix that command upon this day as a day which God hath sanctified and blessed because it comes within the general rule prescribed that the rest-day of the Lord must be remembred and kept holy and that the Lord blessed the rest-day and sanctified it So as if we should analyse that fourth commandement we may take it thus In that commandement we have 1. A duty commanded namely that the Lords rest-day that is the day wherein he entred into his rest be remembred that is that the memorial of it be solemnized and that by keeping of it holy In that sense the word remember is used Exod. 13. 3 4. to 9. Remember this day in which ye came out of Egypt c. So Hester 9. 27. 28. The Jewes ordained and took upon them and their seed and upon all that joyned themselves unto them that they would keep these two days according to their writing every year and that these dayes should be remembred and kept and that these days of Purim should not faile from among the Jews nor the memorial of them perish from their seed So the Lord here commands the memorial of his rest-day to be preserved by keeping that day holy 2. The duty explained by shewing 1 The nature of it 1. As to the day 1. In general one in seven six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work but c. 2. In particular for that season it is declared of the week the seventh day to be the day The seventh day is the Sabbath or the rest of the Lord thy God 2. As to the manner of observing and keeping of that day namely thou shalt do no manner of work therein thou nor thy son nor thy daughter thy man-servant nor thy maid-servant nor thy cattell nor thy stranger that is within thy gates In which by a Synecdoche all other Sabbath days duties are commanded 2. The reason of it 1. Because God made the world in six days and rested the seventh 2. Because he therefore blessed the rest-rest-day and sanctified it because therein he had rested So as by this analysis we see that the seventh day was commanded to be kept in this manner not as the seventh but as the rest day of the Lord for that we see is the reason of the duty because God had rested therein and because he therefore blessed and sanctified the rest-rest-day I have been the longer upon this point concerning the Sabbath because it receives so much a like measure in the world with this of Infant-Baptisme and the clearing of the one will help us in the other For in like manner also in this of Abrahams Covenant there is 1. A duty commanded viz. to keep that covenant viz. the token sign or seal thereof which is a part of it which Abraham and his seed were and are to keep 2. A declaration or explication what was then the token of it namely that the man-child be circumcised and in case the Child was not circumcised that the covenant was broken By all which we see that notwithstanding the token of the covenant was specified then to be the circumcising of the child which is now abolished Yet the command of keeping the covenant in performing that which is the token of it is still in force and lieth on the seed of Abraham even his spirituall seed to this day Secondly For answer further it is to be considered that baptisme is now in the roome of circumcision and is the very same for substance to us as circumcision was to them before Christ namely the token and seale of that covenant made with Abraham and his seed as appeareth Gal. 3. 27 29. As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ And if ye be Christs then are ye Abrahams seed and heires according to the promise By which we see as was before observed that whatever we have as Abrahams seed we have it all in Christ and what we have in Christ we have it all as Abrahams seed and that we are baptized into Christ that is our initiation into Christ and whatever we have in Christ and whatever we have as Abrahams seed is sealed unto us in baptisme By which it is evident that as circumcision was to them so baptisme now to us is the token and seale of that covenant made with Abraham and his seed A further proofe of this we have also Coll. 2. 11. In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the sinnes of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ being buried with him in baptisme wherein also ye are risen with him Where we see First that the thing signifyed or sealed or the spirituall fruit of circumcision was the circumcision of the heart in putting off the body of the sinnes of the flesh And that the very same is the spirituall fruit of baptisme signified and sealed thereby namely a death and buriall to sinne and a spirituall resurrection which is the same with the circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the sinnes of the flesh Secondly that whereas Christ was circumcised and that not because he had a body of sinnes of his owne to be put off but the body of the sinnes of the flesh of the members of his mysticall body those only who are in Christ receive this benefit because they
our faith had stood more in the authority and personall respects of the messengers and lesse in the evidence of the truth it selfe and so lesse in God that which the Apostle endeavoured so much to prevent in his hearers 1 Cor. 2. 3 4. I was with you sayes he in weaknesse and in feare and in much trembling and my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of mans wisdom but in demonstration of the spirit and of power That is he sought not to gain upon them so much by personall respects but by the evidence of the truth it selfe as he saith 2 Cor. 4. 2. By the demonstration of the truth commending himselfe to every mans conscience He gives the reason of his practice v. 5. That your faith should not stand in the wisdome of men but in the power of God which is attained unto rather by this way of studying the Scriptures when by comparing places and things together our faith is resolved into and fastned upon the selfe-evidencing light which is in truth then by taking all from Prophets or Apostles Had that been still the way as in the Primitive times it was and the times before Christ how apt we should have been to take things upon trust from an Apostle and not to search into the truth it selfe is evident if we consider First how naturall it is to us our own corruption leading us unto it to take up things on trust from man that so we may not have to doe with God in any truth because thereby the flesh is crucified which therefore strives against it and will close with creatures to shift off him Secondly if we consider one great experiment which the world hath had in this particular which is this 2 Thes 2. 7. 1 Joh. 2. 18. We know that in the Primitive times even in the Apostles daies Antichrist had his rise and by degrees he gained upon the Church In these our daies Antichrist is falling and loosing every day and so as never to arise again What is the reason since their light was the same with ours in some respects greater Consider where lieth his strength and that will point you to it It lieth in an implicit faith that people will believe as the Church believes take that away it is to Antichrist as the removing of that pillar by Sampson was unto the Philistims when the house and the Philistims came down together This now points us to consider if one reason why he then rose and is now falling though the light whereby he falls is the same which then was in the world be not because then the truth was taken more upon trust from the Apostles whereas now the light we gain is by search and study of the Scriptures whereby believers are more established and built upon the light of the truth it selfe for what light we gain by industry study sticks by us is more digested more powerfull and usefull in the soule Therefore how often is this urged by the Apostles to try the spirits and to try all things and hold fast that which is good And If we sayes the Apostle or an Angel from Heaven preach another Gospel let him be accursed 2. Because our understandings had not been so exercised and improved which is a great part of Gods designe in as much as the excellency of man lieth in his reason It is true the way of Gods improvement is by the death of the old man with all his excellencies whatsoever so as reason it selfe becomes a dead thing to us as considered onely of the first Adam but though it dies it doth not perish but growes up in the new creature to a glorious improvement and increase That which thou sowest says the Apostle is not quickened except it die 1 Cor. 15. 36. it dyeth therefore that it may be quickened in the new birth wherein it is sanctified by Christ and afterwards improved to the utmost in his children For which purpose God findes himself engaged to bring matters unto such a state as by labour in the use of reason sanctified a man may search into the deep things of God without such extraordinary helps and when should that be expected if not in these last days when God hath spoken to us by his Sonne whereby he hath rendred himselfe with greatest advantage to the understandings of his people Now I say had those ways of speaking by extraordinary revelations been continued we had been apt to take things up with case from an Apostle without study or labour in the use of our understandings The rather is this to be urged because God will be served by our understandings as well as other faculties therefore will omit no course that might be taken whereby to necessitate and provoke us thereunto Therefore had those ways been still in use we had been hindred in our growth in faith and in the knowledge of God and of his will 3. Because therein also stands the growth strength of Christians not onely that they happen upon the truth which those who are weak may do but also that they be throughly possessed of it and seasoned with it that it be well digested and made their own so as they be able to manage and improve it for their comfort and for a withstanding of gainsayers which is not so wel attained when truth is taken in without study from an Apostle or the like What a man gains by study he is able to master and that masters him and he keeps it better and that keeps him A man that takes a truth on trust may keep it by him till he be withstood but when opposition comes he is not able to reply and must go for an answer unto him on whom his faith is pinned There would have been at least more of this in Christians had not those ways been laid aside then now there is though there is too much of it notwithstanding Obj. You will say that by what hath been said it seems that the Saints in these our dayes are in a better state or in a more noble way of knowledge then they were in the Apostles times whose practices are our patterns or examples and in many cases made the rule of our actions which seemeth hard to be affirmed To this I answer Answ First that their practice being our pattern which we are to follow is not because they were in a more noble or better way of knowing the minde of God to edification but because thereby is hinted to us what was the word and mind of the Sonne of God who is the Apostle and High Priest of our Profession as touching the practice of the Saints in all succeeding ages we having no more certain way in many things to know what the Sonne taught both by himselfe and his Apostles touching his worship and service then by what we finde was the common and received practice of the Churches in those days Secondly that in some respect we are in a more
blessing which these are not yea though we cannot with certainty affirm of this or that Infant of a beleever that it is inherently holy yet holy as thus separated and differenced from those who are common by that word of blessing from God under which they are As we cannot upon certainty affirm of any particular person in the Church that he is inherently holy because he may make a lye in his confession yet of every such person we can say he is in that sense holy namely as separated unto God in that relation and thereby differenced from those who are common or uncleane To this I adde that as it is a necessary qualification in the confession of one who is received into Church relation that therein be held forth in words and actions that which giveth a positive ground of hope that he is inherently holy so in this promise of God to Abraham concerning his purpose of election so by families as hath been shewed we have no less ground of hope concerning Infants of beleevers In the one we have a persons own profession concerning his spiritual state and interest in Christ 1 Cor. 7. 14. Matth. 10. 14. in the other we have what God himself professeth how he hath separated them unto himself and made them part of his kingdom and partakers of the blessing of his covenant And as a person of ripe years is received to baptisme not because he is certainly known to be inherently holy but upon his profession to be such wherein both himself and the Church may be deceived so upon that which God hath said concerning Infants are they to be received also Nor let it seem strange that those who are made holy from a word of blessing from the Lord are by him appointed to have the seale of that word and covenant by which they are so made holy as in the former use was proved that he hath so commanded and appointed Which also is another reason why such children are by the Apostle called holy namely because they are not onely within the covenant of Abraham but also are appointed of God to be a subject recipient of the seale of that covenant The seale is holy and those to whom it is applyed must be so or else it is profaned and made common As for that interpretation given of that place by some els were your children unclean but now are they holy to be meant that else their children were bastards but now they were legitimate It cannot be the meaning of the Apostle because so the Apostle had answered nothing to the satisfaction of those who had put the Question to him about putting away an unbeleeving Wife For it seems the Corinthians had written to him and had put certain questions to be answered by him as we see vers 1. whereof that was one Now for him to say that a beleeving Husband might lawfully keep his Wife still though an unbeleever else were their children bastards had been to leave them as dark and unsatisfied as before for that had been but idem per idem or barely to affirm the thing But it is evident the Apostle bringeth that of the childrens being holy as an argument to prove their lawful continuance in that relation notwithstanding one of them was an unbeleever Nor can we suppose the Apostle would so reason that except one of the married couple be a beleever their children are bastards Moreover the holinesse here mentioned is supposed to be such as the unbeleever contributeth nothing to it he is sanctified he doth not sanctifie therefore cannot be meant of legitimacy of birth which must be as well from the one as from the other since marriage is an ordinance not peculiar to the Church of God but common unto all mankind By this answer of his it appears that it was a Jewish scruple that did trouble them namely whereas under the Law it was a sinne for one of the Church of the Jewes to marry a strange Wife that is one who was not of the Church and in such case they were commanded to put away their Wives and to separate themselves from them as being polluted by them as we see in Ezra 10. 11. 9. 12. as it was also the sinne of the old world that the sons of God that is they of the Church did take in marriage the Daughters of men that is of the posterity of Caine Such was the Law of the communion of Saints also in the Church even in those dayes Therefore the Corinthians put the Question to the Apostle whether now also in the times of the New Testament one of the Church might continue in Wedlock with one not of the Church but an infidell To this the Apostle answereth that if the unbelieving Wife was not sanctified in or by the believing Husband that is if any Church-Law was thereby broken so as their continuance in that relation was not lawful but did cause pollution to the beleever that then their Children must not be reputed holy but unclean or common so as if they would deny the Wife mariage communion upon that account they must deny their children all spiritual communion in the Church For such was the Law to the Jewes Ezra 10. 3. They put away their Wives and such as were born of them also and that according to the command of Ezra and according to the Law By that which they granted he proves that which they did question Obj. If it be objected that upon this account not onely children of beleevers but also Nations must be reputed holy because the promise is that beleevers shall be blessings also unto Nations To this I answer Answ The case is not the same for children are immediately under this word of blessing in the familie relation as the people of God in the Church are immediately under that blessing which the Lord commandeth out of Sion But as for Nations they are under it in a more remote capacity by means of what the Saints are in their families and in the Church Therefore although such as are of the Church and the children also of such families are holy yet it followeth not that therefore the Nation should be holy To this I adde that children are in the power of parents and at their disposing and so as when they in their sanctification or being made holy give up themselves to God by faith and obedience to his ordinances their children are therein vertually given up also in as much as a beleever in some respect giveth up to God together with himself all in his power Now this cannot be said of any nation whatsoever Obj. It will be objected yet further That the Jews are said to be holy even the whole people of the Jews who now are unbeleevers Rom. 11. 16. If the first fruit be holy the lump is also holy and if the root be holy so are the branches yet have they no right to baptisme and therefore that this holiness of the children of
whereby it shall subdue the world and that also as it is managed by his Saints in their families and congregations the Lord so making them blessings to one another and his kingdom thereby to be as leaven whereby the whole lump by degrees at last shall be seasoned with the knowledge of Jesus Christ This is the nature of that conquest whereby his kingdom shall be made so great 2. Observe moreover that this power whatever it be shall be in the hands of Abrahams seed So the promise is Thy seed even his spirituall seed for that promise was made to his seed of the New Testament also as hath been shewed shall possesse the gate of his enemies It is not said that such as are pretenders to be Abrahams seed shal have this power The same seed which God will blesse and thereby multiply shall possesse the gate of his enemies Therefore also when this is brought to passe it shall be said The Lord reigneth let the earth rejoyce Psal 47. 97. Rev. 11. 15 16. which could not be so said if this power was to be given to any but his own people Therefore since it is to be in such hands it will be matter of rejoycing not of any griefe at all Obj. It will be objected that even hypocrites in the Church till they are discovered are in the judgement of charity to be reputed by the Church to be Abrahams seed and to be received to all externall priviledges and ordinances accordingly therefore we cannot appropriate or restraine this promise only to the true spiritual seed of Abraham To this I answer Answ First It is true that even such are to be so reputed and received by the Church but it is one thing what the Church may and must doe in her administrations another thing what God will doe in his work of providence Now this promise is of what God will do in his work he will cause the seed of Abraham to possesse the gate of his enemies Where the Scripture speaketh of what is to be done by the Church to her members it taketh in all the branches of that vine both good and bad but where it speaketh of what God hath promised to doe or give unto the Church it confineth it onely to beleevers Yea even those externall priviledges of the Church in the administrations of the worship although the Church may impart them even to hypocrites being members for such will get in unawares yet God hath not given them unto such but to believers onely As for hypocrites they are partakers of them upon another account namely because among other priviledges which God hath given unto his people this is one that they shall have to doe with one another in the communion of the Church in the ordinances of the worship as confessours and the Church-relation to be built upon confession and the ordinances given to them not as beleevers onely but as confessours Matth. 16. 16 17 17 19. Upon this it is that hypocrites also are received by the Saints when unknown to the same externall priviledges with themselves because they also are confessours of Christ Not that they have any right to claime any of them though the Church have warrant to give them unto such being claimed by them they take them at their own perill the people of God doe but their duty although they doe not theirs Were this power therefore of possessing the gate to be given by the Church as part of that which she is to administer unto her members it would follow that it should be imparted in the same latitude namely to the same persons together with other priviledges to which professours are received in the Church and so hypocrites would it may be have the greatest share But Christ hath left no such Legacy in his Testament to the Church to be a disposer or dispencer of civil power His Kingdom is not of this world as hath been shewed This promise therefore speaketh not what the Church shall doe but what God the most high will doe who ruleth in the kingdome of men and giveth it to whomsoever he will Dan. 4. 17. Secondly yet because what God doth in this matter he doth it by men and by Saints too among others although not in a Church capacity for a further answer to this objection I must also adde that in those daies wherein the seed of Abraham shall obtain this power the Church shall be brought to that perfection as that there will be few or no hypocrites therein and if but a few the power in effect will be in the hands of the true seed of Abraham notwithstanding by reason of their number What perfection the Church in those daies shall be brought unto is held forth in sundry places As for instance Esay 60. 21. the Prophet speaking of those times as appeareth by Esay 59. 20 21. compared with Rom. 11. 26. saith Thy sunne shall no more goe down for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light and the daies of thy mourning shall be ended thy people also shall be all righteous and they shall inherit the Land for ever the branch of my planting the work of my hands that I may be glorified I the Lord will hasten it in his time Till that time come it is not to be expected So Esay 35. 8. An high way shall be there and a way and it shall be called the way of holinesse the unclean shall not passe over it no Lion shall be there nor any ravenous beast shall goe up thereon it shall not be found there but the redeemed shall walke there and the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads they shall obtain joy and gladnesse and sorrow and sighing shall flee away This promise is reduced to Gods Covenant with Abraham concerning his blessing and encreasing his seed Esai 51. 1 2 3. 11. And of the same times is that spoken Rev. 21. 27. when it is said God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes v. 4. And the City had no need of the Sun for the glory of the Lord did lighten it v. 23. v. 27. is added there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lye but they which are written in the Lambs Book of life So Rev. 22. 14 15. Blessed are they that do his commandements that they may have right to the tree of life and may enter in through the gates into the City for without are Dogs c. and whatsoever loveth and maketh a lye Zach. 14. 21. In that day every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holinesse unto the Lord of Hosts and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of Hosts From these places I determine not an absolute perfection in the Church then or an exemption from all Hypocrisie but a far greater measure of Purity then as yet is
and the Church of Ephesus is called his house Ephes 2. 22. Therefore in that society of professours wherein we worship God by vertue of his institution we have as much as if the whole family of heaven and earth were met and only they and in case a man be justly and orderly cast out by the Church the sentence is as dreadful and falleth as heavy upon his soule as if Christ and all his Saints and onely they had passed the sentence so saith Christ Matth. 18. 18. Whatsoever ye bind on earth shal be bound in heaven and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven And as such a society of Christians is his body so they meet together in his name for those who are his body are invested with his power and authority although some of them so meeting as to their personall state and condition are not his members So also is it in the ministers of the Church though in themselves they are subject unto errour and infirmitie as others are yet by vertue of a like institution of Christ in the execution of their function look what truth they are able by such gifts as they have to fasten upon our understandings it cometh to us in the name of God and in the same authority as if Christ himselfe had spoken it unto us For a further clearing whereof let it be considered that because the ministration of the New Testament is a ministration of the spirit 2 Cor. 3. 8. therefore not onely the Apostles and Evangelists but also Pastours and Teachers who also are given by Christ for the work of that ministery Eph. 4. 12. as hath been shewed are ministers not of the letter but of the spirit For which cause also the Apostle saith of all the Saints in the Churches of Galatia concerning whom we cannot suppose that they were all converted by Apostles that they had received the spirit by the hearing of faith Galat. 3. 2. Which being so it may be truly said of us that even in their ministery we are made pertakers of the Holy Ghost and that in their teaching so far as we are fruitfull hearers we are taught by God himself who therefore may very well be said to receive the word from such ministers as spoken unto us by them in his name and as in his stead Now by that which hath been said I suppose it doth appear that albeit there are none that can pretend infallibility yet that they may be true ministers of Christ who may speak unto the people in his name and as his Ambassadours Vse 4. Learn from hence also how much they are mistaken on the other side who because of the Spirits teaching promised to beleevers cry downe humane learning as unnecessary in a Minister of the Gospel The spirit of God we see makes use of ordinary gifts Yea those who are not beleevers may be meanes to build up those who are As some of those who perished by the flood did help to build the Ark wherein the Church was saved Many such will at the last day say Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name cast out Devils Matth. 7. 22. Were we to expect such wayes of Revelation whereby Apostles were enabled in their work yet humane learning would not be uselesse to us The spirit of God knows how to make use of all advantages it findes in nature whereof this is one The Apostle Paul as he was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel so he makes use of his learning in his ministery Much more now those extraordinary wayes are ceased is it usefull in the Church of God Thereby the understandings of men are exercised and enlarged and they made more able to search into to understand the Scriptures to instruct others therein The spirit of God hath made great use thereof in overthrowing and confounding Antichrist and as the Church is built up by use of ordinary gifts so will he use it stil to carry on his work to more perfection As by the Sonnes speaking God hath brought down the knowledge of himselfe to our capacity and that because in Christ he makes himselfe known to us in all the properties and affections of the humane nature so accordingly the spirit of Christ worketh in us after the manner of man even as the spirit of a second Adam 1 Cor. 15. 47. Therefore though he worketh powerfully yet he worketh sweetly and carries on his work so as to take us in and to make us active in what is done So our Saviour himselfe hath set out the manner of his working John 16. 13. as hath been shewed He shall guide or leade you into all truth He taketh time also and worketh by degrees he worketh also by meanes and maketh use of mans reason yea of every faculty in man in carrying on his worke and as by humane learning reason is improved and taketh in more light so also he works by that It is true that mans reason and the improvements of it by any learning whatsoever without the spirits sanctifying work is but such a light as is our darknesse Matth. 6. 23. in which case by how much the more a man excells therein so much the more is he insnared and intangled by his owne deceitfull heart but being sanctified they are a great advantage in the spirits work both in us and by us Learning may be abused and the best things corrupted are the worst but let not the abuse of any thing bespeak in us a casting off or a neglecting of its necessary use so should we debarre our selves the comfort of the choycest blessings in this World The Scriptures are to be a Christians chiefest study Psal 19. 7. Psal 1. 3. The Testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple Blessed is the man that maketh it his delight and meditation that hee may know Christ and him crucified that he may be taught by him as the truth is in Jesus unto a full assurance of understanding of the mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ in whom are hid all the treasures of Wisdome and Knowledge as the Apostle speaketh Col. 2. 2 3. In comparison to and without which all other learning is little worth And yet because this spiritual and heavenly wisdome so excells it puts a value also upon the other as being usefull and subservient thereunto and so as those who are the true and knowing friends to this Scripture-learning cannot with reason be enemies to that Let all professours of the true Religion and lovers of the truth be friends and cherishers thereof FINIS