God hath vsed that haue not spared to lay open their owne nakednesse and shame the nakednesse and shame of their Wiues Children Families Tribes of whom they came Seuenthly The end and drift of all which is to giue glorie vnto God and to beat downe and abase the pride of man A second sort of argument is from the authoritie of the Church which may moue and well perswade vs of them The third and last without which all the rest whether humane testimonies or other arguments are nothing is the testimony of the Spirit it selfe bearing witnesse of them Esay 59. 21. My Spirit that is in thee and my Word that I haue put in thy mouth Therefore Esay 54. 13. the faithfull are said to be such as are taught of God And PAVL saith The spirituall man discerneth all things 1. Cor. 2. 15. Therefore it is not the iudgement of the Church which maketh vs beleeue the Scriptures but the Church is the same to the testimony of the Spirit that the c Ioh. 4. 39 40 41 42. woman of Samaria was to the preaching of our Sauiour Christ because of whose words many of the Samaritans were brought to beleeue in Christ but when hee himselfe came and preached amongst them they tell her plainely Now wee beleeue no more because of thy speech for wee our selues haue heard and know that this is of a truth That Sauiour of the World That Christ So the iudgement of the Church may well bee a motiue at the first and also bring great stay and confirmation to a mind that is once inlightned but the maine strength of all dependeth vpon the testimonie of the Spirit Thirdly In the ministery of the Prophets Apostles so as they could not erre I obserue the qualitie of their doctrine thus deliuered by diuine inspiration First It was not subiect to error for howsoeuer they were men subiect to sinfull infirmitie and in part onely regenerate whose seruice it pleased God to vse for this purpose yet in the deliuery of the Doctrine they were so extraordinarily gouerned and inspired with his Spirit that they d Ioh. 16. 13. could by no meanes erre Secondly It is holy both the whole and euery part whereupon grow these speeches e 2. Pet. 1. 21. The holy men of God f 2. Pet. 3. 2. The holy Prophets g Eph. 3. 5. Reu. 18. 20. The holy Apostles h 2. Pet. 2. 22. The holy Commandements i Rom. 1. 2. The holy Scriptures whereas all other bookes and speeches of men are prophane further then they fetch some holinesse from hence Thirdly That both their Sermons and these Bookes written by the Spirit of Christ are of soueraigne authoritie in the Church of God and haue the sole pre-eminence for the deciding of all controuersies the iudging and discerning of all sayings and writings of men for vnto them the holy Ghost doth alwaies call vs k Esay 8. 20. To the Law and to the testimonie if they speake not according to this Word it is because there is no light in them And this is it which Christ vsed as the weapon to foile Satan Math. 4. So the Apostle Paul 1. Corin. 15. 3 4. maketh the Scriptures to giue credit to his doctrine I haue deliuered vnto you that which I haue receyued that Christ dyed for our sins according to the Scriptures and that he was buried and that he was raysed the third day according to the Scriptures c. The men likewise of Berhea Acts 17. 11. are commended for examining by the Scriptures the things which Paul taught Therefore our Sauiour l Iohn 5. 39. Christ referreth vs to the Scriptures as to the Touchstone of all truth Search the Scriptures and in m Matth. 22. 25 another place Yee erre not knowing the Scriptures For the authority of these Bookes is greater than the authoritie of the Church as the authoritie of God who cannot erre must needes be greater than the authority The Popish Doctrine which hangeth the authoritie of the Scriptures vpon the Church of men that may and doe erre Againe the Church hath her life and being from the Word inasmuch as faith which maketh a Church cannot bee without the Word So hath not the Word from the Church Thirdly It is aboue the authoritie of the Angels of heauen n Gal. 1. 8 9. who if they preach any other doctrine are to be held accursed How much more aboue the authoritie of the Church Fourthly Our Sauiour Christ attributeth this excellencie to his Word which men or Angels cannot challenge that in the latter Day it is That which shall iudge him that doth not receiue it Iohn 12. 48. But why then is the Church called the Pillar of Truth 1. Tim. 3. 15 Surely because the Truth of God dwelleth no where else and there is alwaies Truth sufficient to saluation Not that the Church eyther beareth and bringeth forth the Truth of God or is the chiefe and fundamentall ground to hold it vp for she her selfe hath another foundation to sticke vnto from whence shee fetcheth all her Truth which is the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles o Eph. 2. 20. 1. Cor. 3. 11. Esay 28. 16. Christ himselfe beeing the head Corner-stone and is not the Mother but the Nurse of the Truth of God that cherisheth and preserueth the same and giueth testimonie thereof vnto the World To the true meaning of the Scriptures we are to reach by the Scriptures themselues the same Spirit that indited them suggesting and opening the sence vnto vs. So did the Leuites that taught the people Nehem. 8. 9. render the sense and giue the vnderstanding of it by the Scripture it selfe Our Sauiour also Matth. 4. beeing set vpon by Satan that clipped and wrested the Scriptures to serue his owne turne confuted his false glosses and expositions of it by the conference of other Scriptures The meanes we must vse for this purpose are these First we must come with a mind to profit and to bee made the better by them not to read them for knowledge onely or vaine ostentation much lesse to cauill at them Secondly Prayer is to bee vsed to God to open and enlighten our hearts that wee may see the wonderfull things that lye hid therein Thirdly We are to frequent the House of God and to giue diligent attendance vpon the Ministery and Preaching of the Word whereby the Doctrines deliuered in the Scriptures are beaten out and made familiar and plaine vnto vs the same being also the ordinarie meanes by which the holy Ghost doth vse to worke in our hearts all true and spirituall wisdome Fourthly the true sense and nature of the words euery one apart and the construction of them all together must be waighed Fiftly We must alwaies take the proper and naturall sense if the matter it selfe will beare it Sixtly The summe of the matter the scope and drift of the place the Arguments and their coherence the method
Nature and being Consubstantiall and Coessentiall things not in the least degree appertayning to the Angels Further let the Text be marked It is p Reuel 5. 5 6. apparant that these seuen Spirits the Hornes and Eyes of the Lambe are noted to be that strength and most absolute and perfect Wisedome whereby this Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah ouercame to open the Booke and the seuen Seales thereof which q Reuel 5. 34. none in Heauen or Earth or vnder the Earth that is no Creature could doe And when all other r Reuel 7. 11. Angels and Å¿ Reuel 4. 10. and 5. 14. Elders are said to fall downe and adore God onely these seuen Spirits doe it not To this I adde Prophecie of ZACHARY t Zach. 3. 9. and 4. 10. That God will put seuen Eyes vpon one Stone vpon CHRIST the Rocke and Foundation of his Church Being I doubt not the selfe-same seuen Eyes that Iohn u Reuel 5. 6. speaketh of which neyther the Phrase will suffer to be spoken of Angels nor they can bee said The ingrauings of that Stone It must needes bee then that the Prophet there meaneth nothing else but that which x Esay 12. 2. Esay saith Vpon him shall rest the Spirit of IEHOVAH the Spirit of Wisedome and Vnderstanding the Spirit of Counsell and Power the Spirit of Knowledge and feare of IEHOVAH that is an infinite store of all gifts and ornaments of the Spirit And that no man may doubt hereof these Spirits that here are called seuen Eyes are before y Reuel 3. 5. called seuen Lampes whereby yet more manifestly it is prooued to bee that one onely Spirit for so doth the Prophet z Zach. 4. 2. Zacharie from whom this place is fetched or rather the Angell to the Prophet precisely expound that Vision After he had shewed vnto him a Candlesticke all of Gold with a Bowle vpon the top of it and his seuen Lampes therein and seuen Pipes to the seuen Lampes which were on the tops thereof and two Oliue Trees ouer it one vpon the right side of the Bowle and the other vpon the left side thereof And being demanded of the Prophet the interpretation of all this First he deliuereth it in grosse This a Zach. 4. 6. is the word of IEHOVAH to ZERVBBABEL not with Power nor with Strength but with my Spirit saith IEHOVAH of Hosts Afterwards b Zach. 4. 14. expounding it piece by piece hee saith in the end The two Oliues are those that continue with the Lord of all the Earth that is which are in Christ and by Christ largely powred vpon his Church as here c Reuel 5. 6. also Christ is said to haue them nay that they be as Hornes and Eyes in his head And this is that which seemeth to haue beene shaddowed in those seuen Candlestickes d Exod. 23. 31. commanded in the Law to be made of one entyre matter to note out the varietie and multiplicitie of Graces proceeding all from one Spirit as the e 1. Cor. 12. 4. Apostle saith There be differences of Graces but the same Spirit neyther let it offend any man as vnworthy of the Maiestie of the Holy Ghost that these seuen Spirits f Reuel 5. 6. are said to be sent forth into all the Earth as if they were Ministers and Attendants vpon the Lambe for both the word sending is g Iohn 15. 26. and 16. 17. many times spoken of the holy Spirit and h Zach. 4. 10. Zacharie hath the phrase of rolling to and fro vpon all the Earth Sixthly he calleth and appointeth to the worke of the Ministery and that by an equall power and as it were a ioynt commission with God Esay 48. 16. IEHOVAH hath sent me and his Spirit Acts 13. 2. In the solemne Assembly at Antioch whilest they were ministring and fasting the Holy Ghost said Separate mee now SAVL and BARNABAS to the worke whereunto I haue called them So saith PAVL Acts 20. 28. Take heed to your selues and to all the Flocke whereof the Holy Ghost hath made you Bishops And this was the warrant that Peter had of his calling to preach vnto the Gentiles Acts 10. 19 20. Whilest hee doubted of the Vision which he saw and made question of it the Spirit said vnto him Behold three men seeke thee arise and get thee downe and goe with them making no question at all for I haue sent them Finally that of the same Apostle is generall i 1. Pet. 1. 22. Not by the will of man was Prophecie heretofore brought but as they were led of the Holy Ghost did the holy men of God speake Seuenthly Regeneration as also Iustification and Sanctification all the sole k Iohn 1. 13. Who are borne not of bloud c. but of God Ro. 8. 33. It is God that iustifieth and proper marke of God come from him Iohn 3. 5. Vnlesse one be borne of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God Titus 3. 5. He hath saued vs by the Lauer of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost 1. Cor. 6. 11. And such were some of you but you are washed from them but yee are sanctified but yee are iustified in the Name of the Lord Iesus and by the Spirits of our God Eightly the markes also and steps of his God-head are not obscure First Wee are l Mat. 28. 19. baptized into his Name Secondly Iohn m Reuel 1. 4. 3. prayeth for Grace and Peace from him Thirdly when the Apostles n Acts 15. 28. doe warrant the decree which they made by this Argument it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and vs is it not plaine that they giue him a Diuine authoritie and the supreme Soueraigntie of God himselfe Fourthly How much maketh it for his Godhead that the sinne committed o Mat. 12. 13. against him that is his speciall grace and working can neuer be forgiuen Ninthly playne testimonies of Scripture calling him God The mightie God c. ESAY p Esay 40. 13 18 hauing discoursed of the excellent and incomparable both Power and Wisedome of the Spirit addeth To whom then will you liken the mightie God manifestly calling him the mighty God As Peter q Acts 5. 3. also doth when asking ANANIAS Why Satan had filled his heart to lye against the Spirit of God forth-with hee addeth Thou hast not lyed to men but to God Hither belongeth that vnto the r 1. Cor. 2. 11. Corinthians For who among men knoweth the things of man saue the spirit of man that is in him So also none knoweth the things of God but the Spirit of God Where to make the comparison hold as it ought you must needes say that as the Apostle expresly noteth none to know the things of man but a very man So he meaneth that none know the things of God but hee that is GOD indeed So that this also is a most cleere
the Bread and brake it and said Take eate This is my bodie which is broken for you By broken meaning the tearing brusing and tormenting both of his soule and bodie as it is also taken Esay 53. 5. which here he vttereth in the present time for the certainety of that which should anon follow The Wine powred out represented his Bloud trickling and streaming downe of all parts of him to the ground Matth. 26. 28. This is my bloud of the New Testament which is that is to say shall certainely and that anon be shed for many The Ministers deliuering of Bread Wine signifieth Gods giuing of Christ to all beleeuers our taking of Bread and Wine the apprehending of Christ by faith and applying him to our selues Matth. 26. 26 27 28. He gaue the Bread to his Disciples and said Take eat this is my Bodie Our eating and drinking of the Bread and Wine the continuance and increase in that holy vnion and fellowship which wee haue with him 1. Cor. 10. 16. The Cup of blessing which wee blesse is it not the Communion of the bloud of Christ The Bread which we breake is it not the Communion of the bodie of Christ Eating all of one Bread and drinking of one Cup signifieth the vnitie of Christs mysticall Bodie whereof wee are all members 1. Cor. 10. 17. Because it is one Bread wee that are many are one Bodie for wee all partake of one Bread And therefore it is also a Sacrament of loue for testification whereof the first times of the Church had their solemne Banquets which they called t Iude ver 12. Loue-feasts annexed to it till the same growing into abuse the Apostle by his authoritie did abolish them 1. Cor. 11. 20 21 22. But here ariseth a great and difficult question whether the Bread and Wine remaine after the consecration I say it doth for First it were else no Sacrament if there be no signe left of a thing signified Secondly It ouerthroweth the truth of CHRISTS humane nature to make it in many places at once to bee inuisible without colour or accidents All which must bee admitted if CHRISTS very flesh be there Thirdly It is contrarie to the expresse authoritie of the SCRIPTVRE which saith u Acts 3. 21. Heauen must contayne him till the time of the restoring of all things Fourthly If the bread be Christ then in the first Institution there were two Christs one that gaue the bread for that Christ himselfe did another that was giuen And as he which is Truth it selfe saith This is my body So he x Luke 22. 10. saith that the Cup is the New Testament which must needs be vnderstood figuratiuely for the Wine to bee a seale of the New Testament as Baptisme is called The new y Titus 3. 5. birth and washing z Acts 22. 16. of sinnes And the like is commonly to bee seene in the Old Testament as wee heard before of Circumcision and the Paschall Lambe which gaue occasion to our Sauiour Christ speaking by the same Spirit to vse the same course of figuratiue and borrowed speeches being oftentimes more lightsome then the other and better fitting the nature of a Sacrament and that neere coniunction which is betweene the signe the thing signified Christ himselfe being indeed and truely giuen in the Sacrament but spiritually by Faith not in a carnall or fleshly manner The forme which the Minister is here to vse is in deliuery of the Bread a 1. Cor. 11. 24. Take yee eat yee This is my Bodie which is giuen for you Doe this in remembrance of mee In deliuerie of the Cup b Mat. 26. 27 28 1. Cor. 11. 25. Drinke yee all of this for this is my bloud of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sinnes Doe this as oft as yee shall drinke it in remembrance of me These are the The Papists dreame of fiue other Sacraments Matrimonie Orders Penance Confirmation and Extreme Vnction whereof Confirmation and Extreme Vnction are vtterly their owne inuentions without any warrant of the Word The other three haue foundation in the Word but not for any Sacraments for touching Matrimonie and Penance neither of them are Ceremonies but Matrimonie a morall dutie Penance as they call it the grace it selfe promised in the Gospell In Orders or Imposition of hands there is indeed a Ceremonie but neither common to the whole Church nor instituted for the assurance of our Reconciliation with God in Christ which is the end and the nature of all Sacraments The reason of the Papists to make Matrimonie a Sacrament for that the Apostle Ephes 5. 32. saith This is a great Mysterie which the old Interpreter translateth This is a great Sacrament is ridiculous for First Paul saith Mysterie onely And if as oft not onely as the word Mysterie is vsed but as the old Interpreter translateth the same Sacrament wee should forthwith haue a new Sacrament there would be no end of Sacraments Then the calling of the Gentiles must bee a Sacrament then the Will of God must be a Sacrament and many moe for so the old Interpreter translateth this word Ephes 1. 9. and 3. 9. and Colos 1. 27. Secondly Paul in that place to the Ephesians doth plainly expound himselfe vnder the name of Mysterie to comprehend not the coniunction of man and wife but the spirituall Coniunction which is betweene Christ and his Church To speake nothing how fond is it to make that a Sacrament which is the Ordinance of God not for his Church onely but for those which are without and which they themselues by their doctrine barre their holy Shauelings from two Sacraments and all the Sacraments that are of perpetuall vse in the Church of GOD for the strengthening of our Faith For first these are onely commanded Mat. 28. 19. Go baptize all Nations Mat. 26. 27 28. Take eate c. Drinke ye all of this Secondly By them all the graces of Regeneration are perfectly assured and sealed vp vnto vs. In Baptisme our first entrance and ingraffing into Christ In the Supper our continuāce growing vp in him And that is it that the Apostle meaneth when hee saith that by those two wee partake of whole Christ his Bodie and Spirit 1. Cor. 12. 13 14. By one Spirit we haue all beene baptized into one Bodie there is our incorporating and beene all made to drinke into one Spirit that quickeneth and keepeth life within vs there is the increase and growing vp in Christ Thirdly The same Sacraments haue beene in substance to all Gods people from the beginning of the World and neuer any more 1. Cor. 10. 1 2 3 4. Now I would not haue you ignorant Brethren that all our Fathers were vnder the Cloud and all passed thorow the Sea and all were baptized comming vnto MOSES with the Cloud and with the Sea And all did eat the same Spirituall meat and did all drinke the same Spirituall drinke