when he would teach us to know what the Divine Goodness is calls not for speculation but sensation Taste and see how good the Lord is That is not the best and truest knowledg of God which is wrought out by the labour and sweat of the Brain but that which is kindled within us by an heavenly warmth in our Hearts And again there is a knowledg of the Truth as it is in Jesus as it is in a Christ-like nature as it is in that sweet mild humble and loving Spirits of Jesus which spreads it self like a Morning-star upon the spirits of good men full of Light and Life It profits little to know Christ himself after the flesh but he gives his Spirit to good men that searcheth the deep things of God And again it is but thin airy knowledg that is got by meer speculation which is usher'd in by Syllogisms and demonstrations but that which springs forth from true goodness is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Origen speaketh it brings such a Divine Light to the Soul as is more clear and convincing than any demonstration § III. That this certain and undoubted method of the true knowledg of God hath been brought out of use hath been none of the least devices of the Devil to secure mankind to his kingdom For after the light and glory of the Christian Religion had prevailed over a good part of the World and dispelled the thick mists of the heathenish Doctrine of the plurality of Gods he that knew there was no probability of deluding the World any longer that way did then puff man up with a false knowledg of the true God setting him on work to seek God the wrong way and perswading him to be content with such a knowledg as was of his own acquiring and not of God's teaching And this device hath proved the more successful because accommodated to the natural and corrupt spirit and temper of man who above all things affects to exalt himself in which exaltation as God is most greatly dishonoured so therein the Devil hath his end who is not anxious how much God be acknowledged in words provided himself be but always served he matters not how great and high speculations the natural man entertains of God so long as he serves his lusts and passions and is obedient to his evil suggestions and temptations Thus Christianity is become an art acquired by humane science and industry as any other art and science is and men have not only assumed unto themselves the name of Christians but even have procured to be esteemed as masters of Christianity by certain artificial tricks though altogether strangers to the Spirit and Life of Jesus But if we shall make a right definition of a Christian according to the Scripture videlicer that he is one that hath the Spirit and is led by it How many Christians yea and of these great Masters and Doctors of Christianity so accounted shall we justly divest of that noble title If then such as have all the other means of knowledg and are sufficiently learned therein whether it be the letter of the Scripture the traditions of Churches the works of Creation and Providence whence they are able to deduce strong and undeniable arguments which may be true in themselves are not yet to be esteemed Christians according to the certain and infallible definition above-mentioned And if the inward and immediate Revelation of Gods Spirit in the Heart in such as have been altogether ignorant of some and but very little skilled in others of these means of attaining knowledg hath brought them to Salvation Then it will necessarily and evidently follow that inward and immediate Revelation is the only sure and certain way to attain the true and saving knowledge of God But the first is true Therefore the last Now as this Argument doth very strongly conclude for this way of knowledge and against such as deny it so herein it is the more considerable because the Propositions from which it is deduced are so clear that our very Adversaries cannot deny them For as to the first it is acknowledged that many learned men may be and have been damned And as to the second who will deny but many illeterate men may be and are saved Nor dare any affirm that none come to the knowledge of God and Salvation by the inward Revelation of the Spirit without these outward means unless they be also so bold as to exclude Abel Seth Noah Abraham Job and all the Holy Patriarchs from true Knowledge and Salvation § IV. I would however not be understood as if hereby I excluded those other means of Knowledge from any use or service to Man it is far from me to judge as in the next Proposition concerning the Scriptures shall more plainly appear The question is not what may be profitable or helpful but what is absolutely necessary Many things may contribute to further a work which yet are not that main thing that makes the work go on The sum then of what is said amounts to this that where the true inward Knowledge of God is through the Revelation of his Spirit there is all neither is there any absolute necessity of any other But where the best highest and most profound Knowledge is without this there is nothing as to the obtaining the great End of Salvation This Truth is very effectually confirmed by the first part of the Proposition it self which in few words comprehendeth divers unquestionable Arguments which I shall in brief subsume First That there is no knowledge of the Father but by the Son Secondly That there is no knowledge of the Son but by the Spirit Thirdly That by the Spirit God hath alwayes revealed himself to his Chilldren Fourthly That these Revelations were the formal Object of the Saints Faith And Lastly That the same continueth to be the Object of the Saints Faith to this day Of each of these I shall speak a little particularly and then proceed to the latter part § V. As to the first viz. That there is no Knowledge of the Father but by the Son it will not need much probation being founded upon the plain words of Scripture and is therefore a fit medium to draw the rest of our Assertions from For the infinite and most wise God who is the Foundation Root and Spring of all Operation hath wrought all things by his Eternal Word and Son This is that WORD that was in the beginning with God and was God by whom all things were made and without whom was not any thing made that was made This is that Jesus Christ by whom God created all things by whom and for whom all were created that are in Heaven and in Earth visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers Col. 1.16 Who therefore is called the first born of every Creature Col. 1.15 As then that infinite and incomprehensible Fountain of Life and Motion operateth in the Creatures by his
Covenant with them saith the Lord My Spirit that is upon thee and my words which I have put into thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed saith the Lord from henceforth and for ever By the latter part of this is sufficiently expressed the perpetuity and continuance of this Promise It shall not depart saith the Lord from henceforth and for ever In the former part is the promise it self which is the Spirit of God being upon them and the words of God being put into their mouths First this was immediate for there is no mention made of any medium he saith not I shall by the means of such and such writings or books convey such and such words into your mouths but my words I even I saith the Lord shall put into your mouths Secondly this must be objectively for the words put into your mouth are the object presented by him He saith not th◠words which ye shall see written my Spirit shall only enlighten your understandings to assent unto but positively my words which I have put into thy mouth c. From whence I argue thus Upon whomsoever the Spirit remaineth alwaies and putteth words into his mouth him doth the Spirit teach immediately objectively and continually But the Spirit is alwaies upon the Seed of the Righteous and putteth words into their mouths neither departeth from them Therefore the Spirit teacheth the Righteous immediately obejectively and continually Secondly the nature of the New Covenant is yet more amply expressed Jer. 31.33 which is again repeated and reasserted by the Apostle Heb. 8.10 in these words For this is the Covenant that I will make with the House of Israel in those days saith the Lord I will put my Laws into their minds and write them in their hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a People And they shall not teach every man his Neighbour and every man his Brother saying Know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least to the greatest The object here is God's Law placed in the heart and written in the mind from whence they become God's People and are brought truly to know him In this then is the Law distinguished from the Gospel The Law before was outward written in Tables of stone but now it is inward written in the heart Of old the People depended upon their Priests for the knowledg of God but now they have all a certain and sensible knowledg of him concerning which Augustin speaketh well in his book De Litera Spiritu from whom Aquinas first of all seems to have taken occasion to move this question Whether the New Law be a written Law or an implanted Law Lex scripta vel Lex indita which he thus resolves affirming that the New Law or the Gospel is not properly a Law written as the Old was but Lex indita an implanted Law and that the Old Law was written without but the New Law is written within on the Table of the Heart How much then are they deceived who instead of making the Gospel preferable to the Law have made the condition of such as are under the Gospel far worse for no doubt it is a far better and more desirable thing to converse with God immediately than only mediately as being a higher and more glorious Dispensation And yet these men acknowledg that many under the Law had immediate converse with God whereas they now cry it is ceased Again Under the Law there was the Holy of Holys into which the High-Priest did enter and received the word of the Lord immediately from betwixt the Cherubins so that the People could then certainly know the mind of the Lord but now according to these mens judgment we are in a far worse condition having nothing but the outward letter of the Scripture to guess and divine from concerning one verse of which scarce two can be found to agree But Jesus Christ hath promised us better things though many are so unwise not to believe him even to guide us by his own unerring Spirit and hath rent and removed the vail whereby not only one and that once a year may enter but all of us at all times have access unto him as often as we draw near unto him with pure hearts He reveals his will to us by his Spirit and writes his Laws in our Hearts These things then being thus premised I argue Where the Law of God is put into the mind and written in the heart there the object of Faith and revelation of the knowledg of God is inward immediate and objective But the Law of God is put into the mind and written in the heart of every True Christian under the new Covenant Therefore the object of Faith and Revelation of the knowledg of God to every True Christian is inward immediate and objective The assumption is the express words of Scripture The Proposition then must needs be true except that which is put into the mind and written in the heart were either not inward not immediate or not objective which is most absurd § XII The third Argument is from these words of John 1 John 2. ver 27. But the Anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but the same Anointing teacheth you of all things and is Truth and no Lye and even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him First This could not be any special peculiar or extraordinary priviledg but that which is common to all the Saints it being a general Epistle directed to all them of that Age. Secondly the Apostle proposeth this Anointing in them as a more certain Touch-stone for them to discern and try Seducers by even then his own writings for having in the former verse said that he had written some things to them concerning such as seduced them he begins the next verse but the Anointing c. and ye need not that any man teach you c. which infers that having said to them what can be said he refers them for all to the inward Anointing which teacheth all things as the most firm constant and certain Bull-wark against all Seducers And Lastly that it is a lasting and continuing thing the Anointing which abideth if it had not been to abide in them it could not have taught them all things neither guided them against all hazard From which I argue thus He that hath Anointing abiding in him which teacheth him all things so that he needs no man to teach him hath an inward and immediate Teacher and hath some things inwardly and immediately revealed unto him But the Saints have such an Anointing Therefore c. I could prove this Doctrine from many more places of Scripture which for brevitys sake I omit and now come to the second part of the Proposition where the objections usually formed against
unmoveable foundation of all Christian faith which argument when well weighed I hope will have weight with all sorts of Christians and it is this That which all Professors of Christianity of whatsoever kind are forced ultimately to recur unto when pressed to the last That for and because of which all other foundations are recommended and accounted worthy to be believed and without which they are granted to be of no weight at all must needs be the only most true certain and unmovable foundation of all Christian Faith But inward immediate objective revelation by the Spirit is that which all Professors of Christianity of whatsoever kind are forced ultimately to recur unto c. Therefore c. The Proposition is so evident that it will not be denyed The assumption shall be proved by parts And first as to Papists they place their foundation in the judgment of the Church and Tradition If we press them to say why they believe as the Church doth Their answer is because the Church is always led by the infallible Spirit So here the leading of the Spirit is the utmost foundation Again If we ask them why we ought to trust Tradition They answer Because these Traditions were delivered us by the Doctors and Fathers of the Church which Doctors and Fathers by the Revelation of the Holy Ghost commended the Church to observe them Here again all ends in the Revelation of the Spirit And for the Protestants and Socinians both which acknowledg the Scriptures to be the foundation and rule of their Faith the one is subjectively influenced by the Spirit of God to use them the other as manageing them with and by their own Reason Ask both or either of them why they trust in the Scriptures and take them to be their Rule Their answer is Because we have in them the mind of God delivered unto us by those to whom these things were inwardly immediately and objectively revealed by the Spirit of God And not because this or that man wrote them but because the Spirit of God dictated them It is strange then that men should render that so uncertain and dangerous to follow upon which alone the certain ground and foundation of their own faith is Built Or that they should shut themselves out from that Holy Fellowship with God which only is enjoyed in the Spirit in which we are commanded both to walk and live If any reading these things find themselves moved by the strength of these Scripture arguments to assent and believe such Revelations necessary and yet find themselves strangers to them which as I observed in the beginning is the cause that this is so much gain-said and contradicted Let them know that it is not because it is ceased to become the priviledge of every Christian that they do not feel it but rather because they are not so much Christians by Nature as by Name and let such know that the secret Light which shines in the heart and reproves unrighteousness is the small beginnings of the Revelation of God's Spirit which was first sent into the world to reprove it of Sin John 16.8 And as by forsaking Iniquity thou com'st to be acquainted with that Heavenly voice in thy heart thou shalt feel as the Old man the Natural man that savoureth not the things of God's Kingdom is put off with his evil and corrupt affections and Lusts I say thou shalt feel the New Man the Spiritual birth and Babe raised which hath its Spiritual Sences and can see feel taste handle and smell the things of the Spirit but till then the knowledg of things Spiritual is but as an historical Faith but as the description of the Light of the Sun or of curious Colours to a blind man who though of the largest capacity cannot so well understand it by the most acute and lively description as a child can by seeing them So neither can the natural man of the large capacity by the best words even Scripture words so well understand the Mysteries of God's Kingdom as the least and weakest child who tasteth them by having them revealed inward and objectively by the Spirit Wait then for this in the small Revelation of that pure Light which first reveals things more known and as thou becom'st fitted for it thou shalt receive more and more and by a living experience easily refute their Ignorance who ask how dost thou know that thou art acted by the Spirit of God which will appear to thee a question no less ridiculous then to ask one whose eyes are open how he knows the Sun shines at Noon-day and though this be the surest and certainest way to answer all objections yet by what is above written it may appear that the mouths of all such opposers as deny this Doctrine may be shut by unquestionable and unanswerable reasons The Third Proposition Concerning the Scriptures From these Revelations of the Spirit of God to the Saints have proceeded the Scriptures of Truth which contain I. A faithful historical account of the actings of Gods People in divers ages with many singular and remarkable Providences attending them II. A Prophetical account of several things whereof some are already past and some yet to come III. A full and ample account of all the chief Principles of the Doctrine of Christ held forth in divers precious Declarations Exhortotions and Sentences which by the moving of God's Spirit were at several times and upon sundry occasions spoken and written unto some Churches and their Pastors Nevertheless because they are only a Declaration of the Fountain and not the Fountain it self therefore they are not to be esteemed the principal ground of all Truth and Knowledg nor yet the adequate primary Rule of Faith and manners Yet because they give a true and faithful Testimony of the first Foundation they are and may be esteemed a secondary rule subordinate to the Spirit from which they have all their excellency and certainty for as by the inward Testimony of the Spirit we do alone truly know them so they testifie that the Spirit is that Guide by which the Saints are led into all Truth therefore according to the Scriptures the Spirit is the First and Principal Leader Seeing then that we do therefore receive and believe the Scriptures because they proceeded from the Spirit for the very same reason is the Spirit more Originally and Principally the Rule according to that received Maxime in the Schools Propter quod unumquodque est tale iliud ipsum est magis tale That for which a thing is such the thing it self is more such § I. THe former part of this Proposition though it needs no Apology for it yet it is a good Apology for us and will help to sweep away that among many other Calumnys wherewith we are often loaded as if we were vilifiers and deniers of the Scriptures for in that which we affirm of them it doth appear at what high rate we value them accounting them without all
matter § VII Their first Objection is usually drawn from Isaiah 8.20 To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no Light in them Now this Law Testimony and Word they plead to be the Scriptures To which I answer that That is to beg the thing in question and remains yet unproved Nor do I know for what reason we may not safely affirm this Law and Word to be inward But suppose it was outward it proves not the case at all for them neither makes it against us for it may be confessed without any prejudice to our cause that the outward Law was more particularly to the Jews a Rule and more principally than to us seeing their Law was outward and literal but ours under the New Covenant as hath been already said is expresly affirmed to be inward and Spiritual So that this Scripture is so far from making against us that it makes for us for if the Jews were directed to try all things by their Law which was without them written in tables of stone then if we will have this advice of the Prophet to reach us we must make it hold parallel to that dispensation of the Gospel which we are under So that we are to try all things in the first place by that Word of Faith which is preached unto us which the Apostle saith is in the heart and by that Law which God hath given us which the Apostle saith also expresly is written and placed in the mind Lastly If we look to this place according to the Greek interpretation of the Septuagint our adversaries shall have nothing from thence to carp yea it will favour as much for there it is said that the Law is given us for a help which very well agrees with what is above asserted Their second objection is from Joh. 5.39 Search the Scriptures c. Here say they we are commanded by Christ himself to search the Scriptures I answer First That the Scriptures ought to be searched we do not at all deny but are very willing to be tryed by them as hath been above declared But the question is Whether they be the only and principal Rule which this is so far from proving that it proveth the contrary for Christ checks them here for too high an esteem of the Scriptures and neglecting of him that was to be preferr'd before them and to whom they bore witness as the following words declare For in them ye think ye have eternal life and they are they which testify of me and ye will not come unto me that ye may have life This shewes that while they thought they had eternal life in the Scriptures they neglected to come unto Christ to have Life of which the Scriptures bore witness This answers well to our purpose since our adversaries now do also exalt the Scriptures and think to have life in them which is no more than to look upon them as the only principal rule and way to Life and yet refuse to come unto the Spirit of which they testifie even the inward Spiritual Law which could give them Life So that the cause of this Peoples ignorance and unbelief was not their want of respect to the Scriptures which though they knew and had a high esteem of yet Christ testifies in the former verses that they had neither seen the Eather nor heard his voice at any time neither had his word abiding in them which had they then had then they had believed in the Son Moreover that place may be taken in the Indicative mood Ye search the Scriptures which interpretation the Greek word will bear and so Pasor translateth it which by the reproof following seemeth also to be the more genuine interpretation as Cyrillus long ago hath observed § VIII Their third objection is from these words Acts 17.11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica in that they received the Word with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so Here say they the Beroeans are commended for searching the Scriptures and making them the Rule I answer That the Scriptures either are the principal or only Rule will not at all from this follow neither will their searching the Scriptures or being commended for it infer any such thing for we recommended and approve the use of them in that respect as much as any yet will it not follow that we affirm them to be the principal and only Rule Secondly It is to be observed that these were the Jews of Beroea to whom these Scriptures which were the Law and the Prophets were more particularly a Rule and the thing under examination was whether the Birth Life Works and sufferings of Christ did answer to the Prophecies that went before of him so that it was most proper for them being Jews to examine the Apostles Doctrine by the Scriptures seeing he pleaded it to be a fulfilling of them It is said nevertheless in the first place that they received the Word with chearfulness and in the second place they searched the Scriptures not that they searched the Scriptures and then received the Word for then could not they have prevailed to convert them had they not first minded the Word abiding in them which opened their understandings no more than the Scribes and Pharisees who as in the former objection we observed searched the Scriptures and exalted them and yet remained in their unbelief because they had not the Word abiding in them But lastly If this commendation of the Jewish Beroeans might infer that the Scriptures were the only and prsncipal Rule to try the Apostles Doctrine by what should have become of the Gentiles How should they ever have come to received the Faith of Christ who neither knew the Scriptures nor believed them We see in the end of the same Chapter how the Apostle preaching to the Athenians took another method and directed them to somewhat of God within themselves that they might feel after him He did not first go about to Prosolite them to the Jewish Religion and to the belief of the Law and the Prophets and from thence to prove the coming of Christ. Nay he took a nearer way Now certainly the principal and only Rule is not different one to the Jews and another to the Gentiles but is vniversal reaching both though secondary and subordinate Rules and means may be various and diversly suted according as the people they are used to are stated and circumstantiated Even so we see that the Apostle to the Athenians used a Testimony of one of their own Poets which he judged would have credit with them and no doubt such Testimonys whose Authors they esteemed had more weight with them than all the sayings of Moses and the Prophets whom they neither knew nor would have cared for Now because the Apostle used the Testimony of a Poet to the Athenians will it therefore follow he made that the Principal or
was and is is in all even that very same Word which through the Prophets foretold things to come The writer of the calling of the Gentiles saith lib. 1. cap. 2 We believe according to the same viz. Scripture and most religiously confess that God was never wanting in care to the generality of men who although he did lead by particular lessons a People gathered to himself unto Godliness yet he withdrew from no Nation of Men the Gifts of his own Goodness that they might be convinced that they had received the words of the Prophets and legal commands in services and testimonies of the first Principles Cap. 7. he saith that he believes that the help of Grace hath been wholly withdrawn from no man Lib. cap. 1. Because albeit Salvation is far from sinners yet there is nothing void of the Presence and Vertue of his Salvation Cap. 2. But seeing none of that People over whom was set both the Doctrins were justified but through Grace by the Spirit of Faith who can question but that they who of whatsoever Nation in whatsoever times could please God were ordered by the Spirit of the Grace of God which albeit in fore-time it was more sparing and hid yet denyed it self to no Ages being in vertue one in quantity different in counsel unchangeable in operation multifarious § XXIV The third Propositions which ought to be proved is that it is by this Light Seed or Grace that God works the Salvation of all men and many come to partake of the benefit of Christs Death and Salvation purchased by him By the inward and effectual operations of which as many Heathens have come to be partakers of the Promises who were not of the Seed of Abraham after the Flesh so may some now to whom God hath rendred the knowledg of the History impossible come to be saved by Christ. Having already proved that Christ hath died for all that there is a day of Visitation given to all during which Salvation is possible to them and that God hath actually given a measure of Saving Grace and Light unto all preached the Gospel to and in them and placed the Word of Faith in their Hearts the matter of this Proposition may seem to be proved Yet shall I little for the farther satisfaction of all who desire to know the Truth and hold it as it is in Jesus prove this from two or three olear Scripture Testimonies and remove the most common as well as the more strong objections usually brought against it Out Theam then hath two parts First That those that have the Gospel and Christ outwardly preached unto them are not saved but by the working of the Grace and Light in their Hearts Secondly That by the working and operations of this many have been and some may be saved to whom the Gospel hath never been outwardly Preached and who are utterly ignorant of the outward History of Christ. As to the first though it be granted by most yet because it 's more in words than deeds the more full discussing of which will fall in in the next Proposition concerning Justification I shall prove it in few words And first from the words of Christ to Nicodemus Joh. 3.3 Verily verily I say unto thee except a Man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God Now this Birth cometh not by the outward preaching of the Gospel or knowledg of Christ or historical Faith in him seeing many have that and firmly believe it who are never thus renewed The Apostle Paul also goes so far while he commends the necessity and excellency of this New Creation as in a certain respect to lay aside the outward knowledg of Christ or the knowledg of him after the Flesh in these words 2 Cor. 5.16 17. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the Flesh yea though we have known Christ after the Flesh yet now henceforth know we him no more Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a New Creature old things are passed away behold all things are become new Whence it manifestly appears that he makes the knowledg of Christ after the Flesh but as it were the Rudiments which young Children learn which after they are become better Schollars are of less use to them because they have and possess the very substance of those first Precepts in their minds As all comparisons halt in some part so shall I not affirm this to hold in every respect yet so far will this hold that as those things that go no farther than the Rudiments are never to be accounted learned and as they grow beyond these things so they have less use of them even so such as go no farther than the outward knowledg of Christ shall never inherit the Kingdom of Heaven But such as come to know this New Birth to be in Christ indeed to be a New Creature to have old things past away and all things become new may safely say with the Apostle Though we have known Christ after the Flesh yet now henceforth know we him no more Now this New Creature proceeds from the work of this Light and Grace in the Heart It is that Word which we spake of that is sharp and piercing that implanted Word able to save the Soul by which this Birth is begotten and therefore Christ hath purchased unto us this Holy Seed that thereby this Birth might be brought forth in us which is therefore also called the manifestation of the Spirit given to every one to profit withal for it is written that by One Spirit we are all Baptized into One Body And the Apostle Peter also ascribeth this Birth to the Seed and Word of God which we have so much declared of saying 1 Pet. 1.23 Being born again not of corruptible Seed but of uncorruptible by the Word of God which liveth and abideth for ever Though then this Seed be small in its appearance so that Christ compares it to a grain of Mustard-seed which is the least of all Seeds Matt. 13.31 32. and that it be hid in the Earthly part of man's heart yet therein is Life and Salvation towards the Sons of men wrapt up which comes to be revealed as they give way to it And in this Seed in the hearts of all men is the Kingdom of God as in capacity to be produced or rather exhibited according as it receives depth is nourished and not choaked Hence Christ saith that the Kingdom of God was in the very Pharisees Luke 17.20 21. who did oppose and resist him and were justly accounted as Serpents and a Generation of Vipers Now the Kingdom of God could be no other ways in them than in a Seed even as the Thirty-fold and the Hundred-fold is wrapt up in a small Seed lying in a barren ground which springs not forth because it wants nourishment and as the whole Body of a great Tree is wrapt up potentially in the Seed of the Tree and so is brought forth in due season and as the
called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified This is commonly called the golden chain as being acknowledged to comprehend the method and order of Salvation And therefore if justified were not understood here in its proper signification of being made just sanctification would be excluded out of this chain And truly it is very worthy of observation that the Apostle in this succinct and compendious account makes the word justified to comprehend all betwixt calling and glorifying thereby clearly insinuating that the being really righteous is that only medium by which from our calling we pass to glorification All for the most part do acknowledg the word to be so taken in this place and not only so but most of those who oppose are forced to acknowledg that as this is the most proper so the most common signification of it thus divers famous Protestants do acknowledg We are not saith D. Chamierus such impertinent esteemers of words as to be ignorant nor yet such importunat Sophists as to deny that the words of Justification and Sanctification do infer one another ye we know that the Saints are chiefly for this reason so called because that in Christ they have received remission of sins and we read in the Revelation Let him that is just be just still which cannot be understood except of the fruit of inherent righteousness Nor do we deny but perhaps in other places they may be promiscuously taken especially by the Fathers I take saith Beza the name of Justification largely so as it comprehends whatsoever we acquire from Christ as well by imputation as by the efficacy of the Spirit in sanctifying us So likewise is the word of Justification taken Rom. 8.30 Melancthon saith that to be justified by Faith signifies in Scripture not only to be pronounced just but also of unrighteous to be made righteous Also some chief Protestants though not so clearly yet in part hinted at our Doctrin whereby we ascribe unto the Death of Christ remission of Sins and the work of Justification unto the Grace of the Spirit acquired by his Death Martinus Boraeus explaining that place of the Apostle Rom. 4.25 Who was given for our sins and rose again for our justification saith There are two things beheld in Christ which are necessary to our justification the one is his death the other is his arising from the dead By his death the sins of this world behoved to be expiated By his rising from the dead it pleased the same goodness of God to give the Holy Spirit whereby both the Gospel is believed and the Righteousness lost by the fault of the first Adam is restored And afterwards he saith The Apostle expresseth both parts in these words Who was given for our sins c. In his Death is beheld the satisfaction for sin in his Resurrection the gift of the Holy Spirit by which our Justification is perfected And again the same man saith elsewhere Both these kinds of Righteousness are therefore contained in Justification neither can the one be separate from the other So that in the definition of Justification the merit of the blood of Christ is included both with the remission of sins and with the gift of the Holy Spirit of Justification and Regeneration Martinus Bucerus saith Seeing by one sin of Adam the world was lost the Grace of Christ hath not only abolished that one sin and death which came by it but hath together taken away those infinite sins and also led into full justification as many as are of Christ so that God now not only remits unto them Adam 's sin and their own but also gives them therewith the Spirit of a solid and perfect Righteousness which renders us conform unto the Image of the First begotten And upon these words by Jesus Christ he saith We alwaies judg that the whole benefit of Christ tends to this that we might be strong through the gift of Righteousness being rightly and orderly ordained with all vertue that is restored to the Image of God And lastly William Forbes our Countrey man Bishop of Edinburgh saith Whensoever the Scripture makes mention of the Justification before God as speaketh Paul and from him besides others Augustin it appears that the word justify necessarily signifies not only to pronounce just in a Law sense but also really and inherently to make just because that God doth other waies justifie a wicked man than earthly Judges For he when he justifies a wicked or unjust man doth indeed pronounce him as these also do but by pronouncing him just because his judgment is according to Truth he also makes him really of unjust to become just And again the same man upon the same occasion answering the more rigid Protestants who say that God first justifies and then makes just he adds But let them have a care least by too great and empty subtilty unknown both to the Scripture and the Fathers they lessen and diminish the weight and dignity of so great and divine a benefit so much celebrated in the Scripture to wit justification of the wicked For if to the formal reason of justification of the ungodly doth not at all belong his justification so to speak i. e. his being made righteous then in the Justification of a sinner although he be Justifyed yet the stain of sin is not taken away but remains the same in his Soul as before Justification And so dotwithstanding the benefit of Justification he remains as before unjust and a sinner and nothing is taken away but the guilt and obligation to pain and the offence and enmity of God through non imputation But both the Scriptures and Fathers do affirm that in the Justification of a sinner their sins are not only remitted forgiven covered not imputed but also taken away blotted out cleansed washed purged and very far removed from us as appears from many places of the Holy Scriptures The same Forbes shews us at length in the following chapter that this was the confessed judgment of the Fathers out of the writings of those who hold the contrary opinion some whereof out of him I shall note as first Calvin saith that the judgment of Austin or at least his manner of speaking is not throughout to be received who although he took from man all praise of righteousness and ascribed all to the Grace of God yet he refers Grace to Sanctification by which we are regenerate through the Spirit unto newness of life Chemnitius saith that they do not deny but that the Fathers take the word justifie for renewing by which works of righteousness are wrought in us by the Spirit And pag. 130. I am not ignorant that the Fathers indeed often use the word justifie in this signification to wit of making just Zanchius saith that the Fathers and chiefly Austin interpret the word justifie according to this signification to wit of making just so that according to them to he justified
Water-baptism Thirdly that Baptism which Christ commanded his Apostles was such that as many as were therewith Baptized Arg. did put on Christ. But this is not true of Water-baptism Therefore c. Fourthly the Baptism commanded by Christ to his Apostles was not John's Baptism But Baptism with Water was John's Baptism Therefore c. But first they alledg that Christ's Baptism though a Baptism with Water did differ from John 's because John only Baptized with Water unto Repentance but Christ commands his Disciples to Baptize in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost reckoning that in this form there lieth a great difference betwixt the Baptism of John and that of Christ. I answer as to that John's Baptism was unto Repentance Answ. the difference lieth not there because so is Christ's also for our adversaries will not deny but that adult persons that are baptized ought ere they be admitted to it to repent and confess their sins yea and that Infants with a respect to and consideration of their Baptism ought to repent and confess So that the difference lieth not here since this of repentance and confession agrees as well to Christ's as to John's Baptism But in this our Adversaries are divided for Calvin will have Christ's and John's to be all one Inst. lib. 4. cap. 15. Sect. 7 8. Yet they do differ and the difference is in that the one is by water the other not c. Secondly as to what Christ saith in commanding them to baptize in the Name of the Father Son and Spirit I confess that states the difference and it is great but that lies not only in admitting water-baptism in this different form by a bare expressing of these words for as the Text saith no such thing neither do I see how it can be inferred from it For the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is into the Name now the Name of the Lord is often taken in Scripture for something else than a bare sound of words or literal expression even forhis Vertue and Power as may appear from Psal. 54.3 Cant. 1.3 Prov. 18.10 and in many more Now that the Apostles were by their Ministry to baptize the Nations into this Name Vertue and Power and that they did so is evident by these Testimonies of Paul above-mentioned where he saith that as many of them as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ this must have been a baptizing into the Name i. e. Power and Vertue and not a meer formal expression of words adjoyned with Water-baptism because as hath been above observed it doth not follow as a natural or necessary consequence of it I would have those who desire to have their Faith built upon no other foundation than the Testimony of God's Spirit and Scriptures of Truth throughly to consider whether there can be any thing further alledged for this interpretation than what the prejudice of Education and Influence of Tradition hath imposed perhaps it may stumble the unwary and inconsiderate Reader as if the very Character of Christianity were abolished to tell him plainly that this Scripture is not to be understood of Baptizing with Water and that this form of Baptizing in the Name of Father Son and Spirit hath no warrant from Matth. 28. c. For which besides the reason taken from the signification of the Name as being the Vertue and Power above expressed let it be considered that if it had been a form prescribed by Christ to his Apostles then surely they would have made use of that form in the administring of Water-baptism to such as they baptized with Water but though particular mention be made in divers places of the Acts who were baptized and how and though it be particularly expressed that they baptized such and such as Acts 2.41.8.12 13 38.9.18.10.48.16.15.18.8 yet there is not a word of this form and in two places Acts 8.16.19.5 it is said of some that they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus by which it yet more appears that either the author of this History hath been very defective who having so often occasion to mention this yet omiteth so substantial a part of Baptism which were to accuse the Holy Ghost by whose guidance Luke wrote it or else that the Apostle did no waies understand that Christ by his Commission Matth. 28. did injoyn them such a form of Water-baptism seeing they did not use it and therefore it is safer to conclude that what they did in administring Water-baptism they did not by vertue of that commission else they would have so used it for our adversaries I suppose would judge it a great Heresie to administer Water-baptism without that or only in the Name of Jesus without mention of Father or Spirit as it is expresly said they did in the two places above cited Secondly they say if this were not understood of Water-baptism it would be a tautology and all one with teaching I say nay baptizing with the Spirit is somewhat further then teaching or informing the understanding for it imports a reaching to and melting the heart whereby it is turned as well as the understanding informed besides we find often in the Scripture that teaching and instructing are put together without any absurdity or needless tautology and yet these two have a greater affinity than teaching and baptizing with the Spirit Thirdly they say Baptism in this place must be understood with Water because it is the action of the Apostles Obj. and so cannot be the Baptism of the Spirit which is the work of Christ and his Grace not of man c. I answer Baptism with the Spirit though not wrought without Christ and his Grace is instrumentally done by men fitted of God Answ. for that purpose and therefore no absurdity follows that Baptism with the Spirit should be expressed as the action of the Apostles for though it be Christ by his Grace that gives Spiritual Gifts yet the Apostle Rom. 1.11 speaks of his imparting to them Spiritual Gifts and he tells the Corinthians that he had begotten them through the Gospel 1 Cor. 4.15 and yet to beget people to the Faith is the work of Christ and his Grace not of men to convert the heart is properly the work of Christ and yet the Scripture often times ascribes it to men as being the instruments And since Paul's commission was to turn People from Darkness to Light though that be not done without Christ co-operating by his Grace so may also baptizing with the Spirit be expressed as performable by man as the instrument though the work of Christ's Grace be needful to concur thereunto so that it is no absurdity to say that the Apostles did administer the Baptism of the Spirit Lastly they say that since Christ saith here that he will be with his Disciples to the end of the world therefore Water-baptism must continue so long Answ. If he had been speaking here of Water-baptism then that might have been urged
visitation in which it is possible for them to be saved 83 84 98 99 100 101 102. the testimony of Cyrill concerning this thing 102. it is explained what is understood and not understood by this day 86. to some it may be longer to others shorter 86. many may out-live this their day of Visitation after which there is no possibility of Salvation to them 86. some examples are alledged 87. the objections and those places of Scripture which others abuse to prove that God incites men necessarily to sin are easily solved if they be applyed to these men after the time of their visitation is past 87 97 98. there is given to every one a measure of the Light Seed Grace and Word of God whereby they can be saved 83 84 97 102 to 112. which is also confirmed by the Testimonies of Cyrill and others 106 107 108 110 111. what that Light is see Light many tho ignorant of the outward history yet have been sensible of the loss that came by Adam which is confirmed by the Testimonies of Plato and others 124 125. many have known Christ within as a remedy to redeem them tho not under that denomination witness Seneca Cicero and others 124 125. yet all are obliged to believe the outward history of Christ to whom God bringeth the knowledg of it 89. Reformation wherein it is not plac'd 188. Mechanick men have contributed much to it 218. what hath been pernicious to it 310. Relation see Quakers Religion the Christian Religion see Christianity how it is made odious to Jews Turks and Heathens 309. Remonstrants of Holland see Arminians Redemption they deny absolute Reprobation 30. how we differ from them 95. they exalt too much the natural power and free will of man and what they think of the Saving Light 114 115. their worship can easily be stopped 251. Reprobation see also Redemption what absolute Reprobation is is described 68 69. its doctrin is horrible impious and blasphemous 69 73 74. it is also so called by Lucas Osiander 81. 't is a new doctrine and Augustin laid the first foundation thereof which Dominicus Calvin and the Synod of Dort maintained 69 80 81. also Luther whom notwithstanding Lutherans afterwards deserted 80 81. it is injurious to God and makes him the author of sin proved by the sayings of Calvin Beza Zanchius Paraeus Martin Zwinglius and Piscator 70 71. it makes the Preaching of the Gospel a meer mock and illusion 71 it makes the coming of Christ and his propitiatory Sacrifice to have been a testimony of God's wrath 72 73. it is injurious to mankind and makes his condition worse than the condition of Devils Beasts Jews under Pharaoh and the same which the Poets applied to Tantalus 72 73. Revelation God alwaies manifested himself by the revelations of the Spirit 3 11 12 34. they are made several waies 3. they have been alwaies the formal object of Faith and so remain 3 13 to 24. and that not only subjectively but also objectively 23 24 25 26. they are simply necessary unto true Faith 3 28 36. they are not uncertain 27 28 29. yea it is horrible sacriledge to accuse them of uncertainty 22. the examples of the Anabaptists of Munster do not a whit weaken this doctrin 29 31 33 34 41. they can never contradict the holy Scripture nor sound Reason 3 34 50 51. they are evident and clear of themselves nor need they anothers Testimony 3 35 36. they are the only sure certain and unmoveable foundation of all Christian Faith 36 37. carnal Christians judge them nothing necessary yea they are hissed out by the most part of men 3. of old none were esteemed Christians save those that had the Spirit of Christ but now adaies he is termed an Heretick who affirms that he is led by it 3 4. the Testimonies of some concerning the necessity of these Revelations 5 6 7 21 22. by whose and what devices they have been brought out of use 83. Revenge see War 379 380. Rule of Faith and manners see Scripture Rustick the poor Rustick's answer given to the proud Prelat 195. he brought a Philosopher unto the Christian Faith 209. S Sabbath 234 235. Sacraments of their number nature c. how much contention there hath been and that the word Sacrament is not found in Scripture but borrowed from the Heathens 278 301. its definition will agree to many other things 279. whether they confer Grace 328 329. Salvation without the Church there is no Salvation 181. Samaria the woman of Samaria 313. Sanctification see Justification Saxony the Elector of Saxony of the scandal he gave to the Reformation by being present at the Mass 272. Sceptick 208 School without the School of Christ nothing is learned but meer talk and a shaddow of Knowledge 4 5 6. whether publick Schools be necessary 207. Scriptures of Truth whence they proceeded and what they contain 38. they are a declaration of the Fountain and not the Fountain it self 38. they are not to be esteemed the adequate primary rule of Faith and manners but a secondary and subordinate to the Spirit and why 38 to 57 199. their certainty is only known by the Spirit 38.39 143. they testifie that the Spirit is given to the Saints for a Guide 38 48 49 52 53 54 55. their authority depends not upon the Church or Council nor upon their intrinsick vertue but upon the Spirit nor is it subjected to the corrupt reason of men but to the Spirit 38 50. the testimonies of Calvin the French Churches the Synod of Dort and the Divines of Great Britain at Westminster concerning this thing 39 40. the contentions of those that seek the certainty of the Scriptures from something else than the Spirit 39 40. divers Opinions of the Fathers so called concerning some Books 39 40. concerning the taking away and the corruption of some places the Translation Transcription and various Lections of the Hebrew Character and of the Greek Books the Interpretation of the Septuagint concerning the Hebrew Books and of admitting or rejecting some Books 47 48 49. of the difficulty in their explanation 50 51. Augustin's judgment concerning the Authors of the Canonick Books and concerning the Transcription and Interpretation 49. the use of them is very profitable and comfortable 41 49. the unlearned and unstable abuse them 50. there is no necessity of believing the Scripture to be a filled up Canon 55. many Canonick Books through the injury of time lost 55. whether it can be proved by Scripture that any Book is Canonical 55 56. they were sometime as a Sealed Book 207. to understand them there is need of the help and revelation of the Holy Spirit 5 6 no man can make himself a Doctor of them but the Holy Spirit 6. Sest the Ignatian Sect loveth literature 207. they call those that are sent unto India Apostles 217. Seed of Righteousness 247. the seed of sin see sin Redemption Self-Denial 247. Semi-Pelagians their Axiom Facienâ—â— quod in
AN APOLOGY For the True CHRISTIAN Divinity As the same is held forth and preached by the People Called in Scorn QUAKERS Being a full Explanation and Vindication of their Principles and Doctrines by many Arguments deduced from Scripture and right Reason and the Testimony of famous Authors both ancient and modern with a full answer to the strongest objections usually made against them Presented to the KING Written and Published in Latine for the information of Strangers by ROBERT BARCLAY And now put into our own Language for the benefit of his Country-men Acts 24.14 After the way which they call heresie so Worship I the God of my Fathers believing all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets Tit. 2.11 12 13 14. For the Grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all men Teaching us that denying ungodliness and wordly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godlily in this present World Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people Zealous of good Works 1 Thes. 5.21 Prove all things hold fast that which is good Printed in the Year 1678. UNTO CHARLES II. KING OF Great Britain And the Dominions thereunto belonging ROBERT BARCLAY A Servant of JESUS CHRIST called of God to the Dispensation of the Gospel now again revealed and after a long and dark night of Apostacy commanded to be Preached to all Nations wisheth Health and Salvation AS the condition of Kings and Princes puts them in a station more obvious to the view and observation of the World than that of other men of whom as Cicero observes neither any word or action can be obscure so are those Kings during whose appearance upon the stage of this World it pleaseth the Great KING of Kings singularly to make known unto men the wonderful steps of his unsearchable Providence more signally observed and their lives and actions more diligently remarked and inquired into by posterity especially if those things be such as not only relate to the outward transactions of this World but also are signalized by the manifestation or revelation of the knowledg of God in matters Spiritual and Religious These are the things that rendred the lives of Cyrus Augustus Caesar and Constantine the Great in former times and of CHARLES the Fifth and some other modern Princes in these last Ages so considerable But among all these transactions which it hath pleased God to permit for the Glory of His Power and the manifestation of His Wisdom and Providence no Age furnisheth us with things so strange and marvellous whether with respect to matters Civil or Religious as these that have faln out within the compass of thy time who though thou be not yet arrived at the Fiftieth year of thy age hast yet been a witness of stranger things than many Ages before produced so that whether we respect those various troubles wherein thou foundst thy self engaged while scarce got out of thy Infancy the many different afflictions wherewith men of thy circumstances are often unacquainted the strange and unparallel'd fortune that befel thy Father thy own narrow escape and banishment following thereupon with the great improbability of thy ever returning at lest without very much pains and tedious combatings or finally the incapacity thou wert under to accomplish such a design considering the strength of those that had possessed themselves of thy Throne and the terror they had inflicted upon Foreign States and yet that after all this thou shouldst be restored without stroke of Sword the help or assistance of Foreign States or the contrivance and work of human policy All these do sufficiently declare that it is the Lord 's doing which as it is marvellous in our eyes so it will justly be a matter of wonder and astonishment to generations to come and may sufficiently serve if rightly observed to confute and confound that Atheism wherewith this Age doth so much abound As the vindication of the Liberty of Conscience which thy Father by giving way to the important clamours of the Clergy the answering and fulfilling of whose unrighteous wills has often proved hurtful and pernicious to Princes sought in some part to restrain was a great occasion of these troubles and revolutions so the pretence of Conscience was that which carried it on and brought it to that pitch it came to and though no doubt some that were engaged in that work designed good things at lest in the beginning albeit alwaies wrong in the manner they took to accomplish it viz. by carnal weapons yet so soon as they had tasted of the sweet of the possessions of them they had turned out they quickly began to do those things themselves for which they had accused others for their hands were found full of oppression and they hated the reproofs of instruction which is the way of life And they evilly entreated the Messengers of the Lord and caused to beat and imprison his Prophets and persecuted his people whom he had called and gathered out from among them whom he had made to beat their Swords into Plow-shares and their Spears into Pruning-hooks and not to learn carnal War any more but he raised them up and armed them with Spiritual weapons even with his own Spirit and Power whereby they testified in the Streets and High-waies and publick Markets and Synagogues against the Pride Vanity Lusts and Hypocrisie of that generation who were righteous in their own eyes though often cruelly entreated therefore and they faithfully prophesied and foretold them of their judgment and downfal which came upon them as by several warnings and Epistles delivered to Oliver and Richard Cromwell the Parliament and other then Powers yet upon Record doth appear And after it pleased God to restore thee what oppressions what banishments and evil entreatings they have met with by men pretending thy authority and cloaking their mischief with thy name is known to most men in this Island especially in England where there is scarce a Prison that hath not been filled with them nor a Judge before whom they have not been haled though they could never yet be found Guilty of any thing that might deserve that usage therefore the sense of their innocency did no doubt greatly contribute to move thee three years ago to cause some hundreds of them to be set at liberty for indeed their Sufferings are singular and obviously distinguishable from all the rest of such as live under thee in these two respects First In that among all the Plots contrived by others against thee since thy return into Britain there was never any owned of that people found or known to be guilty tho many of them have been taken and imprisoned upon such kind of jealousies but were alwaies found innocent and harmless as became the Followers of Christ not coveting after nor contending for the Kingdoms
The Second Proposition Concerning Immediate Revelation Seeing no man knoweth the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son revealeth him and seeing the Revelation of the Son is in and by the Spirit therefore the Testimony of the Spirit is that alone by which the true knowledge of God hath been is and can be only revealed who as by the moving of his own Spirit converted the Chaos of this World into that wonderful order wherein it was in the beginning and created Man a living Soul to rule and govern it so by the Revelation of the same Spirit he hath manifested himself all along unto the Sons of Men both Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles which Revelations of God by the Spirit whether by outward voices and appearances Dreams or inward objective manifestations in the heart were of old the formal object of their Faith and remaineth yet so to be since the object of the Saints Faith is the same in all ages though set forth under divers Administrations Moreover these divine inward Revelations which we make absolutely necessary for the building up of true Faith neither do nor can ever contradict the outward Testimony of the Scriptures or right and found Reason Yet from hence it will not follow that these Divine Revelations are to be subjected to the examination either of the outward Testimony of the Scriptures or of the natural reason of Man as to a more noble or certain rule or touchstone for this Divine Revelation and inward Illumination is that which is evident and clear of it self forceing by its own evidence and clearness the well disposed understanding to assent irresistibly moving the same thereunto even as the common Principles of natural Truths move and incline the mind to natural assent Such as are these that the whole is greater than the part that two contradictory sayings cannot be both true or false which is also manifest according to our adversaries Principle who supposing the possibility of inward Divine Revelations will nevertheless confess with us that neither Scripture nor found Reason will contradict it and yet it will not follow according to them that the Scripture or found Reason should be subjected to the examination of the Divine Revelations in the Heart The Third Proposition Concerning the Scriptures From these Revelations of the Spirit of God to the Saints have proceeded the Scriptures of Truth which contain 1. A faithful Historical Account of the Actings of God's People in divers Ages with many singular and remarkable Providences attending them 2. A Prophetical Account of several things whereof some are already past and some yet to come 3. A full and ample account of all the chief Principles of the Doctrine of Christ held forth in divers pretious declarations exhortations and sentences which by the moving of God's Spirit were at several times and upon sundry occasions spoken and written unto some Churches and their Pastors Nevertheless because they are only a Declaration of the Fountain and not the Fountain it self therefore they are not to be esteemed the principal ground of all Truth and Knowledge nor yet the adequate primary Rule of Faith and Manners Nevertheless as that which giveth a true and faithful Testimony of the first Foundation they are and may be esteemed a secondary Rule subordinate to the Spirit from which they have all their excellency and certainty for as by the inward Testimony of the Spirit we do alone truly know them so they testifie that the Spirit is that guide by which the Saints are led into all Truth Therefore according to the Scriptures the Spirit is the first and principle Leader And seeing we do therefore receive and believe the Scriptures because they proceeded from the Spirit therefore also the Spirit is more originally and principally the Rule according to that received maxim in the Schools Propter quod unumquodque est tale illud ipsum est magis tale Englished thus That for which a thing is such that thing it self is more such The Fourth Proposition Concerning the Condition of Man in the fall All Adam's Posterity or Mankind both Jews and Gentiles as to the first Adam or earthly man is fallen degenerated and dead deprived of the sensation or feeling of this inward Testimony or Seed of God and is subject unto the power nature and Seed of the Serpent which he sows in mens hearts while they abide in this natural and corrupted State from whence it comes that not their words and deeds only but all their imaginations are evil perpetually in the sight of God as proceeding from this depraved and wicked Seed Man therefore as he is in this state can know nothing aright yea his thoughts and conceptions concerning God and things Spiritual until he be disjoyned from this evil Seed and united to the Divine Light are unprofitable both to himself and others Hence are rejected the Socinian and Pelagian Errors in exalting a Natural Light as also the Papists and most of Protestants who affirm that Man without the true Grace of God may be a true Minister of the Gospel Nevertheless this Seed is not imputed to Infants until by transgression they actually joyn themselves therewith for they are by Nature the children of Wrath who walk according to the Power of the Prince of the Air The Fifth and Sixth Proposition Concerning the Vniversal Redemption by Christ and also the Saving and Spiritual Light wherewith every Man is enlightened The Fifth Proposition God out of his Infinite love who delighteth not in the death of a sinner but that all should live and be saved hath so loved the world that he hath given his only Son a Light that whosoever believeth in him should be saved who enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world and maketh manifest all things that are reproveable and teacheth all temperance righteousness and godliness and this Light enlighteneth the hearts of all in a day in order to Salvation if not resisted Nor is it less universal than the seed of sin being the purchase of his death who tasted death for every Man For as in Adam all die even so in Christ all shall be made alive The Sixth Proposition According to which principle or Hypothesis all the Objections against the universality of Christ's death are easily solved neither is it needful to recur to the Ministry of Angels and those other miraculous means which they say God makes use of to manifest the Doctrine and History of Christ's passion unto such who living in those places of the world where the outward preaching of the Gospel is unknown have well improved the first and common Grace For hence it well follows that as some of the old Philosophers might have been saved so also may now some who by Providence are cast into those remote parts of the world where the knowledg of the History is wanting be made partakers of the Divine Mystery if they receive and resist not that Grace a manifestation whereof is given
for this vain Opinion they had of their knowledg hindered them from the true knowledg and the mean people who were not so much preoccupyed with former principles nor conceited of their own knowledg did easily believe Wherefore the Pharisees upbraid them saying Have any of the Rulers or Pharisees believed in him But this people which know not the Law are accursed This is also abundantly proved by the experience of all such as being secretly touched with the call of God's Grace unto them do apply themselves unto false Teachers where the remedy proves worse than the disease because instead of knowing God or the things relating to their Salvation aright they drink in wrong Opinions of him from which it 's harder to be dis-intangled than while the Soul remains a blank or tabala rasa For they that conceit themselves wise are worse to deal with then they that are sensible of their ignorance Nor hath it been less the device of the Devil the great Enemy of Mankind to perswade Men into wrong notions of God than to keep them altogether from acknowledging him the latter taking with few because odious but the other having been the constant ruin of the World for there hath scarce been a Nation found but hath had some notions or other of Religion so that not from their denying any Deity but from their mistakes and misapprehensions of it hath proceeded all the Idolatry and superstition of the world yea hence even Atheism it self hath proceeded for these many and various opinions of God and Religion being so much mixed with the guessings and uncertain judgments of men have begotten in many the opinion that there is no God at all This and much more that might be said may shew how dangerous it is to miss in the first step All that come not in by the door are accounted as Thieves and Robbers Again how needful and desireable that knowledge is which brings Life Eternal Epictetus sheweth saying excellently well cap. 38. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Know that the main foundation of piety is this to have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 right opinions and apprehensions of God This therefore I judged necessary as a first Principle in the first place to affirm and I suppose will not need much further explanation nor defence as being generally acknowledged by all and in these things that are without controversie I love to be brief as that which will easily commend it self to every Man's reason and Conscience and therefore I shall proceed to the next Proposition which tho it be nothing less certain yet by the malice of Satan and ignorance of many comes far more under debate The Second Proposition Of Immediate Revelation Seeing no man knoweth the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son revealeth him Matt. 11.27 And seeing the revelation of the Son is in and by the Spirit therefore the Testimony of the Spirit is that alone by which the true knowledge of God hath been is and can be only revealed who as by the moving of his own Spirit he disposed the chaos of this World into that wonderful order wherein it was in the beginning and created man a living Soul to rule and govern it so by the revelation of the same Spirit he hath manifested himself all along unto the sons of Men both Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles which revelations of God by the Spirit whether by outward voices and appearances dreams or inward objective manifestations in the heart were of old the former object of their faith and remain yet so to be since the object of the Saints faith is the same in all ages tho held forth under divers administrations Moreover these divine inward revelations which we make absolutely necessary for the building up of true faith neither do nor can ever contradict the outward testimony of the Scriptures or right and sound Reason yet from hence it will not follow that the Divine revelations are to be subjected to the Test either of the outward testimony of the Scriptures or of the natural reason of Man as to a more noble and certain rule and touchstone for this Divine revelation and inward illumination is that which is evident and clear of it self forcing by its own evidence and clearness the well disposed understanding to assent irresistibly moving the same thereunto even as the common principles of natural truths do move and incline the mind to a natural assent As that the whole is greater than its part That two contradictorys can neither be both true nor both false § I. IT is very probable that many carnal and natural Christians will oppose this Proposition who being wholly unacquainted with the movings and actings of God's Spirit upon their hearts judge the same nothing necessary and some are apt to flout at it as ridiculous Yea to that highth are the generality of all Christians apostatized and degenerated that tho there be not any thing more plainly asserted more seriously recommended nor more certainly artested to in all the writings of the Holy Scriptures yet nothing is less minded and more rejected by all sorts of Christians than Immediate and Divine Revelation in so much that once to lay claim to it is matter of reproach Whereas of old none were ever judged Christians but such as had the Spirit of Christ Rom. 8.9 But now many do boldly call themselves Christians who make no difficulty of confessing they are without it and laugh at such as say they have it Of old they were accounted the Sons of God who were led by the Spirit of God ibid. verse 14. But now many averr themselves Sons of God who know nothing of this leader and he that affirms himself so led is by the pretended Orthodox of this Age presently proclaimed a Heretick the reason hereof is very manifest viz because many in these dayes under the name of Christians do experimentally find that they are not acted nor led by Gods Spirit yea many great Doctors Divines Teachers and Bishops of Christianity commonly so called have wholly shut their ears from hearing and their eyes from seeing this inward Guide and so are become strangers unto it whence they are by their own experience brought to this strait either to confess that they are as yet ignorant of God and have only the shadow of knowledg and not the true knowledg of him or that this knowledg is acquired without immediate revelation For the better understanding then of this proposition we do distinguish betwixt the certain knowledg of God and the uncertain betwixt the spiritual knowledg and the literal the saving heart-knowledg and soaring airy head-knowledg The last we confess may be divers obtained but the first by no other way then the inward immediate manifestation and revelation of Gods Spirit shining in and upon the heart inlightning and opening the understanding § II. Having then proposed to my self in these propositions to affirm those things which relate to the true and effectual knowledg which brings
to offer him up not doubting but God was able to raise him from the dead of whom it is said that in Isaac shall thy Seed be called And last of all In that he rested in the Promise that his Seed should possess the Land wherein himself was but a Pilgrim and which to them was not to be fulfilled while divers Ages after The object of Abrahams Faith in all this was no other but inward and immediate Revelation or God signifying his will unto him inwardly and immediately by his Spirit But because in this part of the Proposition we made also mention of external Voices Appearances and Dreams in the alternative I think also fit to speak hereof what in that respect may be objected to wit Obj. That those who found their Faith now upon immediate and objective Revelation ought to have also outward Voices or Visions Dreams or appearances for it It is not denyed but God made use of the Ministry of Angels who in the appearance of men spake outwardly to the Saints of old and that he did also reveal some things to them in Dreams and Visions none of which we will affirm to be ceased so as to limit the power and liberty of God in manifesting himself towards his Children But while we are considering the object of Faith we must not stick to that which is but circumstantially and accidently so but to that which is universally and substantially so Next again we must distinguish betwixt that which in it self is subject to doubt and delusion and therefore is received for and because of another and that which is not subject to any doubt but is received simply for and because of it self as being prima veritas the very first and original Truth Let us then consider how or how far these outward voices appearances and dreams were the object of the Saints faith was it because they were simply voices appearances or dreams nay certainly we know and they were not ignorant that the Devil can form a sound of words and convey it to the outward ear That he can easily deceive the outward senses by making things to appear that are not Yea do we not see by daily experience that the Juglers and Mountebancks can do as much as all that by their Legerdemain God forbid then that the Saints faith should be founded upon so fallacious a foundation as man's outward and fallible senses What made them then give credit to these visions eertainly nothing else but the secret testimony of Gods Spirit in their hearts assuring them that the voices dreams and Visions were of and from God Abraham believed the Angels but who told him that these men were Angels we must not think his faith then was built upon his outward senses but proceeded from the secret perswasion of Gods Spirit in his heart This then must needs be acknowledged to be originally and principally the object of the Saints faith without which there is no true and certain faith and by which many times faith is begotten and strenthenged without any of these outward or visible helps As we may observe in many passages of the Holy Scripture where it is only mentioned and God said c. And the word of the Lord came unto such and such saying c. But if any one should pertinaciously affirm that this did import an outward audible voice to the carnal ear I would gladly know what other argument such a one could bring for this his affirmation saving his own simple conjecture It is said indeed the Spirit witnesseth with our Spirit but not to our outward ears Rom. 8.16 and seeing the Spirit of God is within us and not without us it speaks to our Spiritual and not to our bodyly ear Therefore I see no reason where it 's so often said in Scripture the Spirit said moved hindered called such or such a one to do or forbear such or such a thing that any have to conclude that this was not an inward voice to the ear of the Soul rather than an outward voice to the bodyly ear If any be otherwise minded let them if they can produce their arguments and we may further consider of them From all then which is above declared I shall deduce an argument to conclude the probation of this assertion thus That which any one firmly believes as the ground and foundation of his hope in God and life Eternal is the formal object of his faith But the inward and immediate revelation of God's Spirit speaking in and unto the Saints was by them believed as the ground and foundation of their hope in God and life eternal Therefore these inward and immediate revelations were the formal object of their faith § IX That which now cometh under debate is what we have asserted in the last place to wit That the same continueth to be the object of the Saints faith unto this day Many will agree to what we said before who differ from us herein There is nevertheless a very firm argument confirming the truth of this assertion included in the Proposition it self to wit That the object of the Saints faith is the same in all ages though held forth under divers administrations Which I shall reduce to an argument and prove thus First Where the Faith is one the object of the Faith is one But the Faith is one Therefore c. That the Faith is one is the express words of the Apostle Eph. 4.5 who placeth the one Faith with the one God importing no less than that to affirm two faiths is as absurd as to affirm two Gods Moreover if the Faith of the Ancients were one and the same with ours i. e. agreeing in substance therewith and receiving the same definition it had been impertinent for the Apostle Heb. 11. to have illustrated the definition of our faith by the examples of that of the Ancients or to go about to move us by the example of Abraham if Abraham's faith were different in nature from ours Nor doth hence any difference arise because they believe in Christ with respect to his appearace outwardly as future and we as already appeared For nor did they then so believe in him to come as not to feel him present with them and witness him near seeing the Apostle saith they all drank of that spiritual Rock which followed them which Rock was Christ Nor do we so believe concerning his appearance past as not also to feel and know him present with us and to feed upon him except Christ saith the Apostle be in you ye are reprobates so that both our faith is one terminating in one and the same thing And as to the other part or consequence of the antecedent to wit that the object is one where the faith is one the Apostle also proveth it in the forecited Chapter where he makes all the Worthys of old examples to us Now wherein are they imitable but because they believed in God and what was the object of their Faith
but inward and immediate revelation as we have before proved Their example can be no ways applicable to us except we believe in God as they did that is by the same object The Apostle clears this yet further by his own example Gal. 1.16 where he saith so soon as Christ was revealed in him he consulted not with flesh and blood but forthwith believed and obeyed The same Apostle Heb. 13.7 8. where he exhorteth the Hebrews to follow the faith of the Elders adds this reason considering the end of their conversation Jesus Christ the same to day yesterday and for ever hereby notably insinuating that in the object there is no alteration If any now object the diversity of Administration I answer that altereth not at all the object for the same Apostle mentioned this diversity three times 1 Cor. 12.4 5 6. centreth always in the same Object the same Spirit the same Lord the same God But further if the object of Faith were not one and the same both to us and to them then it would follow that we were to know God some other way than by the Spirit But this were absurd Therefore c. Lastly this is most firmly proved from a common and received maxim of the School-men to wit Omnis actus specificatur ab objecto every act is specified from its object from which if it be true as they acknowledg tho for the sake of many I shall not recur to this argument as being too nice and Scholastick Neither lay I much stress upon those kind of things as being that which commends not the simplicity of the Gospel If the object were different then the faith would be different also Such as deny this Proposition now adays use here a distinction granting that God is to be known by his Spirit but again denying that it is immediate or inward but in and by the Scriptures in which the mind of the Spirit as they say being fully and amply expressed we are thereby to know God and be led in all things As to the negative of this assertion that the Scriptures are not sufficient neither were ever appointed to be the adequate and only rule nor yet can guide or direct a Christian in all those things that are needful for him to know we shall leave that to the next Proposition to be examined What is proper in this place to be proved is that Christians now are to be led inwardly and immediatly by the Spirit of God even in the same manner though it befal not to many to be led in the same measure as the Saints were of old § X. I shall prove this by divers Arguments and first from the Promise of Christ in these words Joh. 14.16 And I will pray the Father and he will give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever 17. Even the Spirit of Truth whom the World cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you Again ver 26. But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my Name he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance and 16.13 But when that Spirit of Truth shall come he shall lead you into all Truth for he shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear he shall speak and shall declare unto you things to come We have here first who this is and that is divers wayes expressed to wit The Comforter the Spirit of Truth the Holy Ghost and sent of the Father in the Name of Christ. And hereby is sufficiently proved the fottishness of those Socinians and other carnal Christians who neither know nor acknowledge any internal Spirit or Power but that which is meerly Natural by which they sufficiently declare themselves to be of the World who cannot receive the Spirit because they neither see him nor know him Secondly Where this Spirit is to be He dwelleth with you and shall be in you And Thirdly What his Work is He shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance and guide you into all Truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As to the First Most do acknowledge that there is nothing else understood than what the plain words signifie which is also evident by many other places of Scripture that will hereafter occur Neither do I see how such as affirm otherwayes can avoid Blasphemy For If the Comforter the Holy Ghost and Spirit of Truth be all one with the Scriptures then it will follow that the Scriptures is God seeing it is true that the Holy Ghost is God If these Mens reasoning might take place where ever the Spirit is mentioned in relation to the Saints thereby might be truly and properly understood the Scriptures Which what a non-sensical Monster it would make of the Christian Religion will easily appear to all Men. As where it is said A Manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal it might be rendred thus A manifestation of the Scriptures is given to every man to profit withal What notable sense this would make and what a curious interpretation let us consider by the sequel of the same chapter 1 Cor. 12.9 10 11. To another the gifts of Healing by the same Spirit to another the working of Miracles c. But all these worketh that one and the self same Spirit dividing to every man severally as he will What would now these great masters of Reason the Socinians judge if we should place the Scriptures here instead of the Spirit Would it answer their Reason which is the great guide of their Faith Would it be good and sound Reason in their Logical Schools to affirm that the Scriptures divideth severally as it will and giveth to some the gift of Healing to others the working of Miracles If then this Spirit a manifestation whereof is given to every man to profit withal be no other than that Spirit of Truth before-mentioned which guideth into all Truth this Spirit of Truth cannot be the Scriptures I could infer an hundred more absurdities of this kind upon this sottish Opinion but what is said may suffice For even some of themselves being at times forgetful or ashamed of their own Doctrine do acknowledge that the Spirit of God is another thing and distinct from the Scriptures to guide and influence the Saints Secondly That this Spirit is inward in my opinion needs no interpretation nor commentary He dwelleth with you and shall be in you This indwelling of the Spirit in the Saints as it is a thing most needful to be known and believed so is it as positively asserted in the Scripture as any thing else can be If so be the Spirit of God dwell in you saith the Apostle to the Romans 8.9 and again Know ye not that ye are the Temple of the Holy Ghost and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you 1 Cor. 6.19 Without this the
it are answered § XIII The most usual is that these Revelations are uncertain But this bespeaketh much ignorance in the opposers for we distinguish betwixt the thesis and the hypothesis that is betwixt the proposition and supposition For it is one thing to affirm that the true and undoubted Revelation of God's Spirit is certain and infallible and another thing to affirm that this or that particular person or people is led infallibly by this Revelation in what they speak or write because they affirm themselves to be so led by the inward and immediate Revelation of the Spirit The first is only by us asserted the latter may be called in question The question is not who are or are not so led but whether all ought not or may not be so led Seeing then we have already proved that Christ hath promised his Spirit to lead his Children and that every one of them both ought and may be led by it If any depart from this certain Guide in deeds and yet in words pretend to be led by it into things that are not good it will not from thence follow that the true guidance of the Spirit is uncertain or ought not to be followed no more than it will follow that the Sun sheweth not light because a blind man or one who wilfully shuts his Eyes falls into a ditch at Noon day for want of Light or that no words are spoken because a deaf man hears them not or that a Garden full of fragrant Flowers has no sweet smell because he that has lost his smelling doth not savour it the fault then is in the Organ and not in the Object All these mistakes therefore are to be ascribed to the weakness or wickedness of men and not to that Holy Spirit Such as bend themselves most against this certain and infallible Testimony of the Spirit use commonly to alledge the example of the old Gnosticks and the late monstruous and mischievous actings of the Anabaptists of Munster all which toucheth us nothing at all neither weakens a whit our most true Doctrine Wherefore as a most sure Bullwark against such kind of assaults was subjoyned that other part of our Proposition thus Moreover these Divine and inward Revelations which we establish as absolutely necessary for the founding of the true Faith as they do not so neither can they at any time contradict the Scriptures Testimony or found Reason Besides the intrinsick and undoubted Truth of this assertion we can boldly affirm it from our certain and blessed Experience For this Spirit never deceived us never acted nor moved us to any thing that was amiss but is clear and manifest in its Revelations which are evidently discerned of us as we wait in that pure and undefiled Light of God that proper and fit Organ in which they are received Therefore if any reason after this manner That because some wicked ungodly devilish men have committed wicked actions and have yet more wickedly asserted that they were led into these things by the Spirit of God Therefore no man ought to lean to the Spirit of God or seek to be led by it I utterly deny the consequence of this Proposition which were it to be received as true then would all faith in God and hope of Salvation become uncertain and the Christian Religion be turned into meer Scepticism For after the same manner I might reason thus Because Eve was deceived by the lying of the Serpent Therefore she ought not to have trusted to the promise of God Because the old World was deluded by evil Spirits Therefore ought neither Noah nor Abraham nor Moses to have trusted the Spirit of the Lord. Because a lying Spirit spake through the four hundred Prophets that perswaded Achab to go up and fight at Ramoth Gilead Therefore the Testimony of the true Spirit of Micajah was uncertain and dangerous to be followed Because there were seducing Spirits crept into the Church of old Therefore it was not good or uncertain to follow the Anointing which taught all things and is Truth and no Lye Who dare say that this is a necessary consequence Moreover not only the Faith of the Saints and Church of God of old is hereby rendered uncertain but also the Faith of all sorts of Christians now is liable to the like hazard even of those who seek a foundation for their Faith elsewhere than from the Spirit For I shall prove by an inevitable argument ab incommodo i. e. from the inconveniency of it that if the Spirit be not to be followed upon that account and that men may not depend upon it as their Guide because some while pretending thereunto commit great evils that then nor Tradition nor the Scriptures nor Reason which the Papists Protestants and Socinians do respectively make the rule of their Faith are any whit more certain The Romanists reckon it an error to celebrate Easter any other ways than that Church doth This can only be decided by Tradition And yet the Greek Church which equally layeth claim to Tradition with her self doth it otherwise Yea so little effectual is Tradition to decide the case that Polycarpus the Disciple of John and Anicetus the Bishop of Rome who immediately succeeded them according to whose example both sides concluded the question ought to be decided could not agree Here of necessity one behoved to err and that following Tradition Would the Papists now judg we dealt fairly by them if we should thence aver that Tradition is not to be regarded Besides in a matter of far greater importance the same difficulty will occur to wit in the Primacy of the Bishop of Rome for many do affirm and that by Tradition that in the First Six Hundred Years the Roman Prelates never assumed the Title of Vniversal Shepherd nor were acknowledged as such And as that which altogether overturneth this presidency there are that alledg and that from Tradition also that Peter never saw Rome and that therefore the Bishop of Rome cannot be his Successor Would ye Romanists think this sound reasoning to say as ye do Many have been deceived and erred grievously in trusting to Tradition Therefore we ought to reject all Traditions yea even those by which we affirm the contrary and as we think prove the Truth Lastly in the Council of Florence the chief Doctors of the Romish and Greek Churches did debate whole Sessions long concerning the Interpretation of one Sentence of the Council of Ephesus and of Epiphanius and Basilius neither could they ever agree about it Secondly as to the Scripture the same difficulty occurreth the Lutherans affirm they believe Consubstantiation by the Scripture which they Calvinists deny as that which they say according to the same Scripture is a gross error The Calvinists again affirm absolute reprobation which the Arminians deny affirming the contrary wherein both affirm themselves to be ruled by the Scripture and Reason in the matter should I argue thus then to the Calvinists Here the
above intimated will appear The same argument will hold as to the other branch of the position That it is not the primary adequade rule of faith and manners thus That which is not the rule of my faith in believing the Scriptures themselves is not the primary adequate rule of faith and manners But the Scripture is not nor can it be the rule of that faith by which I believe them c. Therefore c. But as to this part we shall produce divers arguments hereafter as to what is affirmed That the Spirit and not the Scriptures is the rule it is largely handled in the former proposition the sum whereof I shall subsume in one argument thus If by the Spirit we can only come to the true knowledge of God If by the Spirit we be to be led into all truth and so be taught of all things Then the Spirit and not the Scriptures is the foundation and ground of all Truth and knowledg and the primary rule of faith and manners But the first is true Therefore also the last Next the very nature of the Gospel it self declareth that the Scriptures cannot be the only and chief rule of Christians else there should be no difference betwixt the Law and the Gospel As from the nature of the New Covenant by divers Scriptures described in the former Proposition is proved But besides those which are before mentioned herein doth the Law and the Gospel differ in that the Law being outwardly written brings under condemnation but hath not life in it to save whereas the Gospel as it declares and makes manifest the evil so it being an inward powerful thing also gives power to obey and deliver from the evil Hence it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is glad tidings the Law or Letter which is without us kills but the Gospel which is the inward Spiritual Law gives life for it consists not so much in words as in vertue Wherefore such as comes to know it and be acquainted with it come to feel greater power over their iniquities than all outward Laws or Rules can give them Hence the Apostle concludes Rom. 6.14 Sin shall not have dominion over you For ye are not under the Law but under Grace This Grace then that is inward and not an outward Law is to be the Rule of Christians hereunto the Apostle commends the Elders of the Church saying Acts 20.32 And now Brethren I commend you to God and to the Word of his Grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all those that are sanctified He doth not commend them here to outward laws or writings but to the Word of Grace which is inward even the Spiritual Law which makes free as he elsewhere affirms Rom. 8.2 The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death This Spiritual Law is that which the Apostle declares he preached and directed people unto which was not outward as Rom. 10.8 is manifest where distinguishing it from the Law he saith The Word is nigh thee in thy heart and in thy mouth and this is the Word of Faith which we preach From what is above said I argue thus The principal Rule of Christians under the Gospel is not an outward letter nor law outwardly written and delivered but an inward Spiritual Law ingraven in the heart the Law of the Spirit of Life the Word that is nigh in the heart and in the mouth But the letter of the Scripture is outward of it self a dead things a meer declaration of good things but not the things themselves Therefore it is not nor can be the chief or principle rule of Christians § III. Thirdly That which is given to Christians for a Rule and Guide must needs be so full as it may clearly and distinctly guide and order them in all things and occurences that may fall out But in that there are many hundred of things with a regard to their circumstances particular Christians may be concerned in for which there can be no particular Rule had in the Scriptures Therefore the Scriptures cannot be a Rule to them I shall give an instance in two or three particulars for to prove this Proposition It is not to be doubted but some men are particularly called to some particular Services there being not found in which though the act be no general positive duty yet in so far as it may be required of them is a great sin to omit for as much God is zealous of his Glory and every act of Disobedience to his will manifested is enough not only to hinder one greatly from that Comfort and inward Grace which otherwise they might have but also bringeth Condemnation As for instance Some are called to the Ministry of the Word Paul saith there was a necessity upon him to preach the Gospel wo unto me if I preach not If it be necessary that there be now Ministers of the Church as well as then then there is the same necessity upon some more than upon others to occupy this place which necessity as it may be incumbent upon particular persons the Scripture neither doth nor can declare If it be said that the qualifications of a Minister are found in the Scripture and by applying these qualifications to my self I may know whether I be fit for such a place or no. I answer The qualifications of a Bishop or Minister as they are mentioned both in the Epistle to Tim. and Tit. are such as may be found in a private Christian yea which ought in some measure to be in every true Christian so that that giveth a man no certainty every pacity to an office giveth me not a sufficient call to it Next again By what Rule shall I judg if I be so qualified how do I know that I am sober meek holy harmless Is not the Testimony of the Spirit in my Conscience that which must assure me hereof And suppose that I was quallified and called yet what Scripture Rule shall inform me whether it be my duty to preach in this or that place in France or England Holland or Germany whether I shall take up my Time in Confirming the Faithful reclaiming Hereticks or Converting Infidels as also in Writing Epistles to this or that Church The general Rules of the Scripture viz. to be diligent in my duty to do all to the Glory of God and for the good of his Church can give me no light in this thing Seeing two different things may both have a respect to that way yet may I commit a great error and offence in doing the one when I am called to the other If Paul when his Face was turned by the Lord toward Jerusalem had gone back to Achaia or Macedonia he might have supposed he could have done God more acceptable service in Preaching and Confirming the Churches than in being shut up in Prison in Judea but would God have been pleased
herewith Nay certainly Obedience is better than Sacrifice and it is not our doing that which is good simply that pleaseth God but that good which he wille thus to do Every Member hath its particular place in the Body as the Apostle sheweth 1 Cor. 12. If then I being the foot should offer to exercise the office of the hand or being the hand that of the tongue my service would be troublesome and not acceptable and instead of helping the Body I should make a Schism in it So that that which is good for another to do may be sinful to me for as Masters will have their Servants to obey them according to their good pleasure not only in blindly doing that which may seem to them to tend to their Masters profit whereby it may chance the Master having business both in the field and in the house that the Servant that knows not his Masters will may go to the field when it is the mind of the Master he should stay and do the business of the house Would not this Servant then deserve a reproof for not answering his Master's mind And what Master is so sottish and careless as having many Servants leaves them in such disorder as not to assign each his particular station and not only the general term of doing that which is profitable which would leave them in various doubts and no doubt end in confusion Shall we then dare to ascribe unto Christ in the ordering of his Church and Servants that which in man might justly be accounted disorder and confusion The Apostle sheweth this distinction well Rom. c. 12. v. 6 8. Having then Gifts differing according to the Grace that is given us whether Prophecy let us Prophecy according to the proportion of Faith or Ministry let us wait on our Ministrings or he that teacheth on teaching or he that exhorteth on exhortation Now what Scripture Rule sheweth me that I ought to exhort rather than prophecy or to minister rather than teach Surely none at all Many more difficulties of this kind occur in the Life of a Christian. Moreover that which of all things is most needful for him to know to wit whether he really be in the Faith and an heir of Salvation or no the Scripture can give him no certainty in neither can it be a Rule to him That this knowledg is exceeding desirable and comfortable all do unanimously acknowledg besides that it is especially commanded 2 Cor. 13. v. 5. Examine your selves whether ye be in the Faith prove your selves Know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except you be reprobates and 2 Pet. 1.10 Wherefore the rather Brethren give all dilligence to make your calling and election sure Now I say what Scripture Rule can assure me that I have true Faith that my calling and election is sure If it be said by comparing the Scripture marks of true faith with mine I demand wherewith shall I make this observation what shall ascertain me that I am not mistaken It cannot be the Scripture That 's the matter under debate If it be said My own Heart How unfit a judg is it in its own case and how like to be partial especially if it be yet unrenewed Doth not the Scripture say that it is deceitful above all things I find the promises I find the threatnings in the Scripture but who telleth me that the one belongs to me more than the other The Scripture gives me a meer declaration of these things but makes no application so that the assumption must be of my own making thus as for example I find this Proposition in the Scripture He that believes shall be saved thence I draw this assumption But I Robert believe Therefore I shall be saved The minor is of mine own making not expressed in the Scripture and so a humane conclusion not a Divine position so that by my Faith and assurance here is not built upon a Scripture position but upon a humane Principle which unless I be sure of elsewhere the Scripture gives me no certainty in the matter Again if I should pursue the argument further and seek a new medium out of the Scripture the same difficulty would occur thus He that hath the true and certain marks of true Faith hath true Faith But I have those marks Therefore I have true Faith For the assumption is still here of my own making and is not found in the Scriptures and by consequence the conclusion can be no better since it still followeth the weaker proposition This is indeed so pungent that the best of Protestants who plead for this assurance ascribe it to the inward Testimony of the Spirit as Calvin in that large citation cited in the former Proposition so that not to seek further into the Writings of the primitive Protestants which are full of such expressions even the Westminster confession of Faith affirmeth chap. 18. sect 12. This certainty is not bear conjecture and probable perswasion grounded upon fallible hope but an infallible assurance of Faith founded upon the Divine Truth of the promise of Salvation the inward evidences of these Graces unto which these promises are made the Testimony of the Spirit of Adoption witnessing to our Spirits that we are the Children of God which Spirit is the earnest of our Inheritance whereby we are sealed to the day of Redemption Moreover the Scripture it self wherein we are so earnestly pressed to seek after this Assurance doth not at all affirm it self a rule sufficient to give it but wholly ascribeth it to the Spirit as Rom. 8.16 The Spirit it self beareth witness with our Spirit that we are the Children of God 1 Joh. 4.13 Hereby do we know that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit and 5.6 And it is the Spirit that beareth witness because the Spirit is truth § IV. Lastly That cannot be the only principle nor chief rule which doth not universally reach every individual that needeth it to produce the necessary effect and from the use of which either by some innocent and sinless defect or natural yet harmless and blameless imperfection many who are within the compass of the visible Church and may without absurdity yea with great probability be accounted oft he Elect are necessarily excluded and that either wholly or at least from the immediate use thereof But it so falls out frequently concerning the Scriptures in the case of deaf People Children and Ideots who can by no means have the benefit of the Scriptures Shall we then affirm that they are without any rule to God-ward or that they are all damned As such an Opinion is in it self very absurd and inconsistent both with the Justice and Mercy of God so I know no sound reason can be alledged for it Now if we may suppose any such to be under the New Covenant Dispensation as I know none will deny but that we may suppose it without any absurdity we
granted that place the Scriptures themselves give it I do freely concede to the Scripture the second place even whatsoever they say of themselves Which the Apostle Paul chiefly mentions in two places Rom. 15.4 Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope 2 Tim. 3.15 16 17. The Holy Scriptures are able to make wise unto Salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jesus All Scripture given by inspiration from God is profitable for correction for instruction in righteousness that the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto every good work For tho God do principally and chiefly lead us by his Spirit yet he sometimes conveys his comfort and consolation to us through his Children whom he raises up and inspires to speak or write a word in season whereby the Saints are made instruments in the hand of the Lord to strengthen and encourage one another which do also tend to perfect and make them wise unto Salvation and such as are led by the Spirit cannot neglect but do natural love and are wonderfully cherished by that which proceedeth from the same Spirit in another because such mutual emanations of the heavenly Life tend to quicken the mind when at any time it is overtaken with heaviness Peter himself declares this to have been the end of his writing 2 Pet. 1.12 13. Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you alwaies in remembrance of those things tho ye know them and be established in the present Truth Yea I think it meet as long as I am in this Tabernacle to stir you up by putting you in remembrance God is Teacher of his People himself and there is nothing more express than that such as are under the New Covenant they need no man to teach them yet it was a fruit of Christ's Ascension to send Teachers and Pastors for perfecting of the Saints So that the same work is ascribed to the Scriptures as to Teachers the one to make the man of God perfect the other for the perfection of the Saints As then Teachers are not to go before the teaching of God himself under the New Covenant but to follow after it neither are they to rob us of that great priviledg which Christ hath purchased unto us by his Blood so neither is the Scripture to go before the teaching of the Spirit or to rob us of it Secondly God hath seen meet that herein we should as in a looking glass see the conditions and experiences of the Saints of old that finding our experience answer to theirs we might thereby be the more confirmed and comforted and our hope strengthened of obtaining the same end that observing the Providences attending them seeing the snares they were liable to and beholding their deliverances we may thereby be made wise unto Salvation and seasonably reproved and instructed in righteousness This is the great work of the Scriptures and their service to us that we may witness them fulfilled in us and so discern the stamp of God's Spirit and ways upon them by the inward acquaintance we have with the same Spirit and work in our hearts The prophecys of the Scripture are also very comfortable and profitable unto us as the same Spirit inlightens us to observe them fulfilled and to be fulfilled For in all this it is to be observed that it is only the Spiritual Man that can make a right use of them they are able to make the man of God perfect so it is not the natural Man and whatsoever was written aforetime was written for our comfort our that are the believers our that are the Saints concerning such the Apostle speaks for as for the other the Apostle Peter plainly declares that the unstable and unlearned wrest them to their own destruction these were they that were unlearned in the Divine and heavenly learning of the Spirit not in humane and School Literature of which we may safely presume that Peter himself being a Fisher-man had no great skill for it may with great probability yea certainly be affirmed that he had no knowledg of Aristotles Logick which both Papists and Protestants now degenerating from the simplicity of Truth make hand-maid of Divinity as they call it and a necessary introduction to their carnal natural and humane Ministry By the infinite obscure labours of which kind of men mixing in their heathenish stuff the Scripture is rendred at this day of so little service to the simple People whereof if Jerom complained in his time now twelve hundred years ago Hieron Ep. 134. ad Cypr. tom 3. saying It is wont to befall the most part of learned Men that it is harder to understand their expositions than the things which they go about to expound what may We say then considering those great heaps of commentarys since in ages yet far more corrupted § VI. In this respect above mentioned then we have shown what service and use the Holy Scriptures as managed in and by the Spirit are of to the Church of God wherefore we do account them a secondary rule Moreover because they are commonly acknowledged by all to have been written by the dictates of the Holy Spirit and that the errors which may be supposed by the injury of times to have slipt in are not such but that there is a sufficient clear Testimony left to all the essentials of the Christian faith we do look upon them as the only fit outward judg of Controversies among Christians and that whatsoever doctrine is contrary unto their Testimony may therefore justly be rejected as false And for our parts we are very willing that all our Doctrines and Practices be tryed by them which we never refused nor ever shall in all controversies with our adversaries as the Judg and Test. We shall also be very willing to admit it as a positive certain Maxim That whatsoever any do pretending to the Spirit which is contrary to the Scriptures be accounted and reckoned a delusion of the Devil For as we never lay claim to the Spirit 's leadings that we may cover our selves in any thing that is evil so we know that as every evil contradicts the Scriptures so it doth also the Spirit in the first place from which the Scriptures came and whose motions can never contradict one another though they may appear sometimes to be contradictory to the blind Eye of natural Man as Paul and James seem to contradict one another Thus far we have shown both what we believe and what we believe not concerning the Holy Scriptures hoping we have given them their due place But since they that will needs have them to be the only certain and principal Rule want not some shew of arguments even from the Scripture it self though it no where call it self so by which they labour to prove their Doctrin I shall briefly lay them down by way of Objections and answer them before I make an end of this
only rule to try his Doctrine by So neither will it follow that though he made use of the Scriptures to the Jews as being a principle already believed by them to try his Doctrine that from thence the Scriptures may be accounted the principal or only rule § IX The last and which at first view seems to be the greatest objection is this Obj. If the Scripture be not the adequate principal and only Rule then it would follow that the Scripture is not compleat nor the Canon filled that if men be now immediately led and ruled by the Spirit they may add new Scriptures of equal authority with the old whereas every one that adds it cursed yea what assurance have we but at this rate every one may bring in a new Gospel according to his fancy The dangerous consequences insinuated in this objection were fully answered in the latter part of the last Proposition in what was said a little before offering freely to disclaim all pretended Revelations contrary to the Scriptures But if it be urged that it is enough to deny these consequences Obj. if they naturally follow from your Doctrine of immediate Revelation and denying the Scripture to be the only rule I answer We have proved both these Doctrines to be true and necessary according to the Scriptures themselves and therefore to fasten evil consequences upon them which we make appear do not follow is not to accuse us but Christ and his Apostles who preached them But Secondly we have shut the door upon all such Doctrine in this very position affirming that the Scriptures give a full and ample Testimony to all the principal Doctrines of the Christian Faith For we do firmly believe that there is no other Gospel or Doctrine to be preached but that which was delivered by the Apostles and do freely subscribe to that saying Let him that preacheth any other Gospel than that which hath been already preached by the Apostles and according to the Scriptures be accursed So we distinguish betwixt a revelation of a new Gospel and new doctrines and a new Revelation of the good old Gospel and Doctrines the last we plead for but the first we utterly deny For we firmly believe that no other foundation can any man lay than that which is laid already But that this revelation is necessary we have already proved and this distinction doth sufficiently guard us against the hazard insinuated in the objection As to the Scriptures being a filled Canon I see no necessity of believing it And if these men that believe the Scripture to be the only Rule will be consistent to their own Doctrine they must needs be of my judgment Seeing it is simply impossible to prove the Canon by the Scriptures For it cannot be found in any book of the Scripture that these Books and just these and no other are Canonical as all are forced to acknowledg how can they then evite this argument That which cannot be proved by Scripture is no necessary article of Faith But the Canon of the Scripture to wit that there are so many Books precisely neither more or less cannot be proved by Scripture Therefore it is no necessary article of Faith If they should alledg Obj. that the admitting of any other books to be now written by the same Spirit might infer the admission of new doctrines I deny that consequence for the Principal of fundamental Doctrines of the Christian Religion are contained in the tenth part of the Scripture but it will not follow thence that the rest are impertinent or useless If it should please God to bring to us any of these Books which by the injury of time are lost which are mentioned in the Scripture as The Prophecy of Enoch the Book of Nathan c. or the third epistle of Paul to the Corinthians I see no reason why we might not receive them and place them with the rest That which displeaseth me is that men should first affirm that the Scripture is the only and principal rule and yet make a great article of Faith of that which the Scripture can give us no light in As for instance how shall a Protestant prove by Scripture to such as deny the Epistle of James to be authentick that it ought to be received First if he should say because it contradicts not the rest besides that there is no mention made of it in any of the rest perhaps these men think it doth contradict Paul in relation to Faith and Works But if that should be granted it would as well follow that every Writer that contradicts not the Scripture should be put into the Canon And by this means these men fall into a greater absurdity than they fix upon us for thus they would equal every one the writings of their own Sect with the Scriptures for I suppose they judg their own confession of Faith doth not contradict the Scriptures Will it therefore follow that it should be bound up with the Bible And yet it seems impossible according to their Principles to bring any better argument to prove the Epistle of James to be authentick There is then this unavoidable necessity to say We know it by the same Spirit from which it was written or otherwise to step back to Rome and say we know by Tradition that the Church hath declared it to be Canonical and the Church is infallible let them find amidst if they can so that out of this objection we shall draw an unanswerable Argument ad hominem to our purpose That which cannot assure me concerning an article of Faith necessary to be believed is not the primary adequate only rule of Faith But the Scripture cannot thus assure me Therefore c. I prove the assumption thus That which cannot assure me concerning the canon of the Scripture to wit that such Books are only to be admitted and the Apochrypha to be excluded cannot assure me of this Therefore c. And lastly As to these words Rev. 22.18 that if any man shall add unto these things Obj. God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this Book I desire they will shew me how it relates to anything else than to that particular Prophecy It saith not now the Canon of the Scripture is filled up no man is to write more from that Spirit Yea do not all confess that there have been Prophecies and true Prophets since The Papists deny it not And do not the Protestants affirm that John Hus prophecied of the Reformation was he therefore cursed or did he therein evil I could give many other examples confessed by themselves but moreover the same was in effect commanded long before Prov. 30.6 Add thou not unto his words lest he reprove thee and thou be found a Lyar. Yet how many books of the Prophets were written after and the same was said by Moses Deut. 4.2 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you neither shall ye diminish ought from it So that
Sun keeps its Prerogative it is such a ones imprudence that he shuts himself out from the common benefit of the Light The same Man in his 11 Book of Cain and Abel cap. 13. saith Therefore he brought unto all the means of Health that whosoever should Perish may ascribe to himself the causes of his Death who would not be cured when he had the remedy by which he might have escaped § IX Seeing then that this Doctrin of the Universality of Christ's death is so certain and agreeable to the Scripture Testimony and to the sense of the purest Antiquity it may be wondered how so many some whereof have been esteemed not only learned but also pious have been capable to fall into so gross and strange an errour But the cause of this doth evidently appear in that the way and method by which the vertue and efficacy of this death is communicated to all men hath not been rightly understood or indeed hath been erroneously affirmed The Pelagians ascribing to all man's will and nature denyed man to have any seed of sin conveighed to him from Adam And the Semi-Pelagians making Grace as a Gift following upon Man's merit or right improving of his nature according to their known Principle Facienti quod in se est Deus non denegat gratiam This gave Augustine Prosper and some others occasion labouring in opposition to these Opinions to magnifie the Grace of God and paint out the corruption of Man's Nature as the Proverb is of those that seek to make straight a crooked stick to incline to the other extream So also the Reformers Luther and others finding among other errors the strange Expressions used by some of the Popish Scholasticks concerning Free-will and how much the tendency of their Principles is to exalt Man's Nature and lessen Gods Grace having all those sayings of Augustine and others for a pattern through the like mistake run upon the same extreme Tho afterwards the Lutherans seeing how far Calvin and his followers drove this matter who as a Man of subtile and profound judgment foreseeing where it would land resolved above-board to assert that God had decreed the means as well as the end and therefore had ordained men to sin and excites them thereto which he labours earnestly to defend and that there was no avoiding the making God the Author of sin thereby received occasion to discern the falsity of this Doctrin and disclaimed it as appears by the latter writings of Melancthon and the Monpelgartension Conference where Lucas Osiander one of the Collocutors terms it impious calls it a making God the Author of Sin and a horrid and horrible Blasphemy Yet because none of those who have asserted this Universal Redemption since the Reformation have given a clear distinct and satisfactory testimony how it is communicated to all and so have fall'n short of fully declaring the perfection of the Gospel Dispensation others have been thereby the more strengthened in their errors Which I shall illustrate by one singular example The Arminians and other assertors of universal Grace use this as a chief Argument That which every man is bound to believe is true But every man is bound to believe that Christ died for them Therefore c. Of this Argument the other party deny the Assumption saying that they who never heard of Christ are not obliged to believe in him and seeing the Remonstrants as they are commonly called do generally themselves acknowledge that without the outward knowledg of Christ there is no Salvation that gives the other yet party a stronger Argument for their precise decree of Reprobation For say they seeing we all see really and in effect that God hath with-held from many Generations and yet from many Nations that Knowledg which is absolutely needful to Salvation and so hath rendered it simply impossible unto them why may he not as well withhold the Grace necessary to make a saving application of that Knowledg where it is preached For these is no ground to say that this were injustice in God or impartiality more than his leaving those others in utter ignorance the one being but a with-holding Grace to apprehend the object of Faith the other a with drawing the object it self For answer to this they are forced to draw a conclusion from their former Hypothesis of Christ dying for all and God's mercy and justice saying that if these Heathens who live in these remote places where the outward knowledg of Christ is not did improve that common knowledg they have to whom the outward Creation is for an object of Faith by which they may gather that there is a God then the Lord would by some Providence either send an Angel to tell them of Christ or conveigh the Scripture to them or bring them some way to an opportunity to meet with such as might inform them Which as it gives alwayes too much to the power and strength of mans will and nature and savours a little of Socinianism and Pelagianism or at least of Semi-pelagianism so since it is only built upon probable conjectures neither hath it evidence enough to convince any strongly tainted with the other Doctrin nor yet doth it make the equity and wonderful Harmony of Gods Mercy and Justice towards all so manifest to the understanding So that I have often observed that these assertors of Universal Grace did far more pithily and strongly overturn the false Doctrine of their Adversaries then they did establish and confirm the truth and certainty of their own And though they have proof sufficient from the Holy Scriptures to confirm the Universality of Christ's Death and that none are precisely by any irrevocable decree excluded from Salvation yet I find when they are expressed in the respects above mentioned to shew how God hath so far equally extended the capacity to partake of the benefit of Christ's Death unto all as to communicate unto them a sufficient way of so doing they are somewhat in a strait and are put more to give us their conjectures from the certainty of the former presupposed Truth to wit that because Christ hath certainly dyed for all and God hath not rendred Salvation impossible to any therefore there must be some way or other by which they may be saved which must be by improving some common Grace or by gathering from the works of Creation and Providence then by really demonstrating by convincing and Spiritual Arguments what that way is § X. It falls out then that as Darkness and the great Apostasie came not upon the Christian World all at once but by several degrees one thing making way for another until that thick and gross vail came to be overspread wherewith the Nations were so blindly covered from the seventh and eighth until the sixteenth Centuries even as the Darkness of the Night comes not upon the outward Creation at once but by degrees according as the Sun declines in each Horizon so neither did that full and clear Light and Knowledg
some will have him to be present therein this way and some the other way and some in Scriptures in Books in Societies and Pilgrimages and Merits But some confiding in an external barren Faith think all is well if they do but firmly believe that he died for their Sins past present and to come while in the mean time Christ lies crucified and slain and is daily resisted and gain-said in his appearance in their Hearts Thus from a Sense of this blindness and ignorance that is come over Christendom it is that we are led and moved of the Lord so constantly and frequently to call all invite all request all to turn to the Light in them to mind the Light in them to believe in Christ as he is in them And that in the Name Power and Authority of the Lord not in School arguments and distinctions for which many of the wise men of this World account us Fools and mad men we do charge and command them to lay aside their Wisdom to come down out of that proud airy brain knowledg and to stop that mouth how eloquent soever to the worldly ear it may appear and to be silent and sit down as in the dust and to mind the Light of Christ in their own Consciences Which if it minded they would find as a sharp two edged sword in their hearts and as a fire and a hammer that would knock against and burn up all that carnal gathered natural stuff and make the stoutest of them all tremble and become Quakers indeed Which those that come not to feel now and kiss not the Son while the day lasteth but harden their hearts will feel to be a certain truth when it is too late To conclude as saith the Apostle All ought to examine themselves whether they be in the Faith indeed and try their own selves for except Jesus be in them they are certainly reprobates 2 Cor. 13.5 § XXV Secondly that which remains now to be proved is that by the operation of this Light and Seed some have been and may yet be saved to whom the Gospel is not outwardly preached nor the History of Christ outwardly known To make this the easier we have already shewn how that Christ hath died for all men and consequently these are inlightened by Christ and have a measure of Saving Light and Grace yea that the Gospel though not in any outward dispensation is Preached to them and in them So that thereby they are stated in a possibility of Salvation From which I may thus argue Arg. To whom the Gospel the Power of God unto Salvation is manifest they may be saved whatever outward knowledg they want But this Gospel is preached in every Creature in which is certainly comprehended many that have not the outward knowledg Therefore of those many may be saved But to those arguments by which it hath been proved that all men have a measure of Saving Grace I shall add one and that very observable not yet mentioned viz. that excellent saying of the Apostle Paul to Titus c. 2. v. 11. The Grace of God that brings Salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live Soberly Righteously and Godlily in this present World Than which there can be nothing more clear it comprehending both the parts of the controversie First it testifies that it is no Natural Principle or Light but saith plainly it brings Salvation Secondly it says not that it hath appeared to a few but unto all men The Fruit of it declares also how efficacious it is seeing it comprehends the whole Duty of Man It both teacheth us first to forsake Evil to deny Ungodliness and worldly Lusts and then it teacheth us our whole Duty First to live Soberly that comprehends Temperance Chastity Meekness and those things that relate unto a man's self Secondly Righteously that comprehends Equity Justice and Honesty and those things which relate to our Neighbours And Lastly Godlyly which comprehends Piety Faithfulness and Devotion which are the Dutys relating to God So then there is nothing required of man or is needful to man which this Grace teacheth not Yet I have heard a publick Preacher one of those that are accounted Zealous men to evite the strength of this text deny this Grace to be saving and say it was only intended of common Favours and Graces such as is in the heat of the Fire and outward light of the Sun Such is the darkness and ignorance of those that oppose the Truth whereas the Text saith expresly that it is Saving Others that cannot deny but it is saving alledg this all comprehends not every individual but only all kinds But is a bare negation sufficient to overturn the strength of a positive assertion If the Scriptures may be so abused what so absurd as may not be pleaded for from them or what so manifest as may not be denied But we have not reason to be staggered by their denying so long as our Faith is found in express terms of the Scripture they may as well seek to perswade us that we do not intend that which we affirm though we know the contrary as make us believe that when the Apostle speaks forth our Doctrine in plain words yet he intends theirs which is the quite contrary and indeed can there be any thing more absurd than to say where the word is plainly all few is only intended For they will not have all taken here for the greater number Indeed as the case may be sometimes by a Figure all may be taken of two numbers for the greater number but let them shew us if they can either in Scripture or Prophane or Ecclesiastical Writings that any man that wrote sense did ever use the word all to express of two numbers the lesser Whereas they affirm that the far less number have received Saving Grace and yet will they have the Apostle by all to have signified so Though this might suffice yet to put it further beyond all question I shall Instance another saying of the same Apostle that we may use him as his own Commentator Rom. 5.18 Therefore as by the Offence of One judgment came upon all to condemnation even so by the Righteousness of One the free Gift came upon all men to Justification of Life Here no man of reason except he will be obstinately ignorant will deny but this similitive particle as makes the all which goes before and comes after to be of one and the same extent Or else let them shew us one example either in Scripture or elsewhere among men that speak proper language where it is otherwise We must then either affirm that this loss which leads to condemnation hath not come upon all or say that this Free Gift is come upon all by Christ. Whence I thus argue First If all men have received a loss from Adam Arg. which leads to condemnation then all men have received a Gift from Christ which leads to
is ascribed and imputed to Believers for Righteousness the merit of his Blood and the Holy Ghost given unto us by Vertue of his merits are equally included And so it shall be confessed that Christ is our Righteousness as well from his Merit Satisfaction and Remission of sins obtained by him as from the gifts of the Spirit of Righteousness And if we do this we shall consider whole Christ proposed to us for our Salvation and not any single part of him The same man pag. 169. In our Justification then Christ is considered who breaths and lives in us to wit by his Spirit put on by us concerning which putting on the Apostle saith Ye have put on Christ. And again pag. 171. We endeavour to treat in Justification not of part of Christ but him wholly in so far as he is our Righteousness every way And a little after as then blessed Paul in our Justification when he saith whom he Justified them he Glorified comprehends all things which pertains to our being reconciled to God the Father and our renewing which fits us for attaining unto glory such as Faith Righteousness Christ and the Gift of Righteousness exhibited by him whereby we are regenerated to the fulfilling of the Justification which the Law requires so we also will have all things comprehended in this cause which are contained in the recovery of Righteousness and Innocency And pag. 181. The form saith he of our Justification is the Divine Righteousness it self by which we are formed just and good This is Jesus Christ who is esteem'd our Righteousness partly from the forgiveness of sins and partly from the renewing and the restoring of that integrity which was lost by the fault of the first Adam so that his New and Heavenly Adam being put on by us of which the Apostle saith Ye have put on Christ ye have put him on I say as the form so the Righteousness Wisdom and Life of God So also affirmeth Claudius Alberius Inuncanus see his Orat. Apodeict Lausaniae excus 1587. orat 2. pag. 86 87. Zuinglius also in his Epistle to the Princes of Germany as cited by Himelius c. 7. p. 60. saith That the Sanctification of the Spirit is true Justification which alone suffices to Justifie Essius upon 1 Cor. 6.11 saith Lest Christian Righteousness should be thought to consist in the washing alone that is in the remission of sins he addeth the other degree or part but ye are sanctified that is ye have attain'd to purity so that ye are now truly Holy before God Lastly expressing the sum of the benefit received in one word which includes both the parts But ye are Justified the Apostle adds in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ that is by his merits and in the Spirit of our God that is the Holy Spirit proceeding from God and communicated to us by Christ. And lastly Richard Baxter a Famous English Preacher who yet liveth in his Book called Aphorisms of Justification pag. 80. saith that some ignorant wretches gnash their Teeths at this Doctrine as if it were flat Popery not understanding the Nature of the Righteousness of the New Covenant which is all out of Christ in our selves though wrought by the Power of the Spirit of Christ in us § IX The third thing proposed to be considered is concerning good Works their necessity to Justification I suppose there is enough said before to clear us from any imputation of being Popish in this matter But if it be queried Whether we have not said or will not affirm that a man is justified by Works Quest. I answer I hope none need neither ought to take offence if in this matter we use the plain Language of the Holy Scripture Answ. which saith expresly in answer hereunto Jam. 2.24 Ye see then how that by works a man is Justified and not by Faith only I shall not offer to prove the Truth of this saying since what is said in this Chapter by the Apostle is sufficient to convince any man that will read and believe it I shall only from this derive this one argument If no man can be Justified without Faith and no Faith be living nor yet available to Justification without works then works are necessary to Justification But the First is true Therefore also the Last For this Truth is so apparent and evident in the Scriptures that for the proof of it we might transcribe most of the precepts of the Gospel I shall instance a few which of themselves do so clearly assert the thing in question that they need no commentary nor further demonstration And then I shall answer the objections made against this which indeed are the arguments used for the contrary opinion Heb. 12.14 Without Holyness no man shall see God Matth. 7.21 Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven Joh. 13.7 If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them 1 Cor. 7.19 Circumcision is nothing and Vncircumcision is nothing but the keeping of the Commandments of God Rev. 22.14 Blessed are they that do his Commandments that they may have right to the Tree of Life and through the Gates may enter into the City and many more that might be instanced from all which I thus argue If those only can enter into the Kingdom that do the will of the Father If those be accounted only the wise builders and happy Arg. that do the sayings of Christ if no observation avail but only the keeping of the Commandments and if they be blessed that do the Commandments and thereby have right to the Tree of Life and entrance through the gate into the City then works are absolutely necessary to Salvation and Justification But the First is true And therefore also the Last The consequence of the antecedent is so clear and evident that I think no man of sound reason will call for a proof of it Obj. § X. But they object that works are not necessary to Justification First because of that saying of Christ Luk. 17.10 When ye shall have done all these things that are commanded you say We are unprofitable Servants c. Answ. Answer as to God we are indeed unprofitable for he needeth nothing neither can we add any thing unto him but as to our selves we are not unprofitable else it might be said that it is not profitable for a man to keep God's Commandments which is most absurd and would contradict Christ's Doctrine throughout Doth not Christ Matth. 5. through all those beatitudes pronounce men blessed for their Purity for their Meekness for their Peaceableness c. And is it not then that for which Christ pronounceth men blessed profitable unto them Moreover Matth. 25.21 23. doth not Christ pronounce the men good and faithful Servants that improved their Talents Was not their doing of that then profitable unto them and verse 30. It is said of him
such as their Converting of the Nations to the Christian Faith their gathering of the Churches their Writing of the Holy Scriptures yea and their Offering up and Sacrificing of their Lives for the Testimony of Jesus What may our Adversaries think of this Argument whereby it will follow that the Holy Scriptures whose perfection and excellency they seem so much to magnifie are proved to be impure and imperfect because they came through impure and imperfect Vessels It appears by the confessions of Protestants that the Fathers did frequently attribute unto works of this kind that Instrumental work which we have spoken of in Justification albeit some ignorant persons cry out it is Popery and also divers and that Famous Protestants do of themselves confess it Amandus Polanus in his Symphonia Catholica cap. 27. de remissione peccatorum pag. 651. places this These as the common opinion of Protestants most agreeable to the Doctrine of the Fathers We obtain the remission of sins by Repentance Confession Prayers and Tears proceeding from Faith but do not merit to speak properly and therefore we obtain remission of sins not by the merit of our Repentance and Prayers but by the mercy and goodness of God Innocentius Gentiletus a Lawyer of great same among Protestants in his examin of the Council of Trent pag. 66 67. of Justification having before spoken of Faith and Works adds these words But seeing the one cannot be without the other we call them both conjunctly instrumental causes Zanchius in his 5 book De Natura Dei saith We do not simply deny that good works are the cause of Salvation to wit the instrumental rather than the efficient cause which they call sine qua non And afterwards Good Works are the instrumental cause of the possession of Life Eternal for by these as by a means and a lawful way God leads unto the possession of Life Eternal G. Amesius saith that our obedience albeit it be not the principal and meritorius cause of Life Eternal is nevertheless a cause in some respect administring helping and advancing towards the possession of the life Also Richard Baxter in the book above cited pag. 155. saith that we are justified by works in the same kind of causality as by Faith to wit as being both causes sine qua non or conditions of the New Covenant on our part requisite to Justification And pag. 195. he saith It is needless to teach any Schollar who hath read the Writings of Papists how this Doctrine differs from them But lastly because it is fit here to say something of the merit and reward of works I shall add something in this place of our sense and belief concerning that matter we are far from thinking or believing that man merits any thing by his works from God all being of Free Grace and therefore do we and always have denyed that Popish notion of meritum excondigno nevertheless we cannot deny but that God out of his infinite goodness wherewith he hath loved mankind after he communicates to him his Holy Grace and Spirit doth according to his own will recompence and reward the good works of his Children and therefore this merit of congruity or reward in so far as the Scripture is plain and positive for it we may not deny neither wholly reject the word in so far as the Scripture makes use of it For the same Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies merit is also in those places where the Translators express it worth or worthy as Matth. 3.8 1 Thess. 2.12 2 Thess. 1.5 8. concerning which Richard Baxter saith in the above cited book pag. 8. But in a larger sense as promise is an Obligation and the thing promised is said to be debt so the performers of the conditions are called worthy and that which they perform Merit although properly all be of Grace and not of Debt Also those who are called the Fathers of the Church frequently used this word of merit whose sayings concerning this matter I think not needful to insert because it is not doubted but evident that many Protestants are not averse from this word in the sense that we use it The Apology for the Augustine Confession Art 20. hath these words We agree that works are truly meritorius not of remission of sins or Justification but they are meritorious of other rewards Corporal and Spiritual which are indeed as well in this Life as after this Life And further Seeing works are a certain fulfilling of the Law they are rightly said to be meritorious it is rightly said that a reward is due to them In the acts of the conference of Oldenburgh the Electoral Divines pag. 110 265. say In this sense our Churches also are not averse from the word merit used by the Fathers neither therefore do they defend the Popish Doctrine of merit G. Vossius in his Theological These concerning the merits of good works saith We have not adventured to condemn the word merit wholly as being that which both many of the Ancients use and also the reformed Churches have used in their confessions Now that God judgeth and accepteth men according to their works is beyond doubt to those that seriously will read and consider these Scriptures Matth. 17.26 Rom. 2.6 7 10. 2 Cor. 5.10 Ja. 1.25 Heb. 10.35 1 Pet. 1.17 Rev. 22.12 § XIII And to conclude this Theam let none be so bold as to mock God supposing themselves justified and accepted in the sight of God by vertue of Christ's Death and Sufferings while they remain unsanctified and unjustified in their own Hearts and polluted in their Sins lest their hope prove that of the Hypocrite which perisheth Neither let any foolishly imagine that they can by their own works or by the performance of any Ceremonies or Traditions or by the giving of Gold or Money or by afflicting their bodies in Will-worship and voluntary humility or foolishly striving to conform their way to the outward Letter of the Law flatter themselves that they merit before God or draw a debt upon him or that any man or men have Power to make such kind of things effectual to their Justification lest they be found foolish boasters and strangers to Christ and his Righteousness indeed But blessed for ever are they that having truly had a sense of their own unworthyness and sinfulness and having seen all their own endeavours and performances fruitless and vain and beheld their own emptyness and the vanity of their vain Hopes Faith and Confidence while they remained inwardly pricked pursued and condemned by God's Holy Witness in their Hearts and so having applyed themselves thereto and suffered his Grace to work in them are become changed and renewed in the Spirit of their minds past from death to Life and know Jesus arisen in them working both the will and the deed and so having put on the Lord Jesus Christ in effect are cloathed with him and partake of his Righteousness and Nature such
Truth we affirm is advanced Yet nevertheless for the further evidencing of it I shall proceed to the second thing proposed by me to wit to prove this from several Testimonies of the Holy Scriptures § VIII And first I prove it from the peremptory positive command of Christ and his Apostles seeing this is a maxime ingraven in every mans heart naturally that no man is bound to that which is impossible since then Christ and his Apostles have commanded us to keep all the Commandments and to be perfect in this respect it is possible for us so to do Now that this is thus commanded without any commentary or consequence is evidently apparent from these plain Testimonies Matth. c. 5. v. 48.7.21 Joh. 13.17 1 Cor. 7.19 2 Cor. 13.11 1 John c. 2. v. 3 4 5 6. c. 3. v. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10. These Scriptures intimate a positive command for it they declare the absolute necessity of it and therefore as if they had purposely been written to answer the objections of our Opposers they shew the folly of those that will esteem themselves Children or Friends of God while they do otherwise Secondly it is possible because we receive the Gospel and Law thereof for that effect and it 's expresly promised to us as we are under Grace as appears by these Scriptures Rom. 6.14 Sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the Law but under Grace and Rom. 8.3 For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the Flesh God sending his own Son c. That the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us c. For if this were not a condition both requisite necessary and attainable under the Gospel there were no difference betwixt the bringing-in of a better hope and the Law which made nothing perfect neither betwixt those which are under the Gospel or who under the Law enjoyed and walked in the Life of the Gospel and meer Legalists Whereas the Apostle throughout that whole sixth to the Romans argues not only the possibility but necessity of being free from sin from their being under the Gospel and under Grace and not under the Law and therefore states himself and those to whom he wrote in that condition in these verses 2 3 4 5 6 7. and therefore in the 11 12 13.16 17 18 verses he argues both the possibility and necessity of this freedom from sin almost in the same manner we did a little before and the 22 he declares them in measure to have attained this condition in these words But now being made free from sin and become Servants to God ye have your Fruit unto Holiness and the end everlasting Life And as this perfection or freedom from sin is attained and made possible where the Gospel and inward Law of the Spirit is received and known so the ignorance hereof has been and is an occasion of opposing this Truth For man not minding the Light and Law within his heart which not only discovers sin but leads out of it and so being a stranger to the new Life and Birth that is born of God which naturally doth his will and cannot of its own nature transgress the Commandments of God doth I say in his natural state look at the Commandments as they are without him in the letter and finding himself reproved and convicted is by the letter killed but not made alive So man finding himself wounded and not applying himself inwardly to that which can heal labours in his own will after conformity to the Law as it is without him which he can never obtain but finds the more he wrestles the more he falleth short So this is the Jew still in effect with his carnal Commandment with the Law without in the first covenant state which makes not the comers thereunto perfect as pertaining to the Conscience Heb. 9.9 though they may have here a notion of Christianity and an external Faith in Christ. This hath made them strain and wrest the Scriptures for an imputative Righteousness wholly without them to cover their impurities and this hath made them imagine an acceptance with God possible though they suppose it impossible ever to obey Christ's Commands But alas O deceived Souls that will not avail in the day wherein God will judge every man according to his works whether good or bad It will not save thee to say it was necessary for thee to sin daily in thought word and deed for such as do so have certainly obeyed unrighteousness And what is provided for such but tribulation and anguish indignation and wrath even as glory honour and peace immortality and Eternal Life to such as have done good and patiently continued in well doing So then if thou desirest to know this perfection and freedom from sin possible for thee turn thy mind to the Light and Spiritual Law of Christ in the heart and suffer the reproofs thereof bear the judgment and indignation of God upon the unrighteous part in thee as therein it is revealed which Christ hath made tollerable for thee and so suffer judgment in thee to be brought forth in victory and thus come to partake of the fellowship of Christ's sufferings and be made conformable unto his death that thou maist feel thy self crucified with him to the world by the power of his Cross in thee so that that life that sometimes was alive in thee to this world and the love and lusts thereof may die and a new Life be raised by which thou maist live hence forward to God and not to or for thy self and with the Apostle thou maist say Gal. 2.20 It is no more I but Christ alive in me and then thou wilt be a Christian indeed and not in name only as too many are Then thou wilt know what it is to have put off the old man with his deeds who indeed sins daily in thought word and deed and to have put on the New Man that is renewed in Holiness after the Image of him that hath created him Eph. 4.24 and thou wilt witness thy self to be Gods workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works and so not to sin alwaies And to this New Man Christs yoak is easie and his burthen is light though it be heavy to the old Adam yea the Commandments of God are not unto this grievous For it is his meat and drink to be found fulfilling the will of God Lastly this perfection or freedom from sin is possible because many have attained it according to the express Testimony of the Scripture Some before the Law and some under the Law through witnessing and partaking of the benefit and effect of the Gospel and much more many under the Gospel As first it is written of Enoch Gen. 5.22 24 that he walked with God which no man while sinning can nor doth the Scripture record any feeling of his It is said of Noah Gen. 6.9 and of Job 1.8 and of Zacharias and Elizabeth
better without it than with it neither had they been worthy of blame for losing that which in it self was evil But the Apostle expressly adds and of a good Conscience which shews it was real neither can it be supposed that men could truly attain a good Conscience without the operation of Gods Saving Grace far less that a good Conscience doth consist with a seeming false and hypocritical faith Again these places of the Apostle being spoken by way of regret clearly import that these attainments they had faln from were good and real not false and deceitful else he would not have regreted their falling from them And so he saith positively they tasted of the Heavenly Gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost c. not that they seem'd to be so which sheweth this objection is very frivolous Secondly they alledge Phil. 1.6 Being confident of this very thing Obj. that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ c. and 1. Pet. 1.5 who are kept by the Power of God through faith unto Salvation These Scriptures Answ. as they do not affirm any thing positively contrary to us so they cannot be understood otherwise than as the condition is performed upon our part seeing Salvation is no other ways proposed there but upon certain necessary conditions to be performed by us as hath been above proved and as our adversaries also acknowledg as Rom. 8. v 13. For if ye live after the flesh ye shall dye but if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live And Heb. 3.14 We are made partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end For if these places of the Scripture upon which they build their objection were to be admitted without these conditions it would manifestly overturn the whole tenor of their exhortations throughout all their writings Some other objections there are of the same nature which are solved by the same answers which also because largely treated of by others I omit to come to that testimony of the Truth which is more especially ours in this matter and is contained in the latter part of the Proposition in these words yet such an increase and stability in the Truth may in this life be attained from which there cannot be a total apostasie § IV. As in the explanation of the fifth and sixth Propositions I observed that some that had denyed the errors of others concerning reprobation and affirmed the universality of Christs death did notwithstanding fall short in sufficiently holding forth the truth and so gave the contrary party an occasion by their defects to be strengthened in their errors so may it be said in this case As upon the one hand they err that affirm that the least degree of true and saving grace cannot be faln from so do they err upon the other hand that deny any such stability to be attained from which there cannot be a total and final apostasie And betwixt these two extreams lieth the Truth apparent in the Scriptures which God hath revealed unto us by the testimony of his Spirit and which also we are made sensible of by our own sensible experience And even as in that former controversie was observed so also in this the defence of Truth will readily appear to such as seriously weigh the matter for the arguments upon both hands rightly applied will as to this hold good and the objections which are strong as they are respectively urged against the two opposite false opinions are here easily solved by the establishing of this Truth For all the arguments which these alledge that affirm there can be no falling away may well be received upon the one part as of these who have attained to this stability and establishment and their objections solved by this concession so upon the other hand the arguments alledged from Scripture testimonies by those that affirm the possibility of falling away may well be received of such as are not come to this establishment though having attained a measure of true grace Thus then the contrary batterings of our adversaries who miss the Truth do concur the more strongly to establish it while they are destroying each other But lest this may not seem to suffice to satisfie such as judge it always possible for the best of men before they dye to fall away I shall add for the proof of it some brief considerations from some few testimonies of the Scripture § V. And first I freely acknowledge that it is good for all to be humble and in this respect not over confident so as to lean to this to foster themselves in iniquity or lye down in security as if they had attained this condition seeing watchfulness and diligence is of indispensible necessity to all mortal men so long as they breath in this world for God will have this to be the constant practice of a Christian that thereby he may be the more fit to serve him and the better armed against all the daily temptations of the Enemy For since the wages of sin is death there is no man while he sinneth and is subject thereunto but may lawfully suppose himself capable of perishing Hence the Apostle Paul himself saith 1 Cor. 9.27 But I keep under my body and bring it into subjection lest that by any means when I have preached to others I my self should be a cast-away Here the Apostle supposeth it possible for him to be a cast-away and yet it may be judged he was far more advanced in the inward work of regeneration when he wrote that Epistle than many who now adays too presumptuously suppose they cannot fall away because they feel themselves to have attained some small degree of true Grace But the Apostle makes use of this supposition or possibility of his being a cast away as I before observed as an inducement to him to be watchful I keep under my body lest c. Nevertheless the same Apostle at another time in the sense and feeling of God's holy Power and in the dominion thereof finding himself a conqueror therethrough over sin and his Souls enemies maketh no difficulty to affirm Rom. 8.38 For I am perswaded that neither death nor life c. which clearly sheweth that he had attained a condition from which he knew he could not fall away But secondly it appears such a condition is attainable because we are exhorted to it and as hath been proved before the Scripture never proposeth to us things impossible Such an exhortation we have from the Apostle 2 Pet. 1.10 Wherefore the rather brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure And though there be a condition here proposed yet since we have already proved that it is possible to fulfil this condition then also the promise annexed thereunto may be attained And since where assurance is wanting there is still a place left for doubtings and despairs if we
men without that art and rules or sophistical learning deduce a certain conclusion out of true Propositions which scarce any man of Reason wants we deny not the use of it and I have sometimes used it in this Treatise which also may serve without that Dialectical art As for the other part of Philosophy which is called Moral or Ethicks it is not so necessary to Christians who have the rules of the Holy Seriptures and the Gift of the Holy Spirit by which they can be much better instructed The Physical and Metaphysical part may be reduced to the arts of Medicine and the Mathematicks which have nothing to do with the essence of a Christian Minister And therefore the Apostle Paul who well understood what was good for Christian Ministers and what hurtful thus exhorted the Colossians Col. 2.8 Beware lest any man spoil you through Philosophy and vain deceit And to his beloved Disciple Timothy he writes also thus 1 Tim. 6.20 O Timothy keep that which is committed to thy trust avoiding profane and vain babblings and oppositions of science falsly so called § XXI The third and main part of their literature is School Divinity a monster made up betwixt some Scriptural notions of Truth and the Heathenish terms and maximes being as it were the Heathenish Philosophy Christianized or rather the literal external knowledge of Christ Heathenized it is man in his first faln natural state with his devilish wisdom pleasing himself with some notions of Truth and adorning them with his own serpentine and worldly wisdom because he thinks the simplicity of the Truth too low and mean a thing for him and so despiseth that simplicity wheresoever it is found that he may set up and exalt himself puffed up with this his monstrous birth it is the devil darkening obscuring and veiling the knowledge of God with his sensual and carnal wisdom that so he may the more securely deceive the hearts of the simple and make the Truth as it is in it self despicable and hard to be known and understood by multiplying a thousand hard and needless questions and endless contentions and debates all which whoso perfectly knoweth he is not a whit less the servant of sin than he was but ten times more in that he is exalted and proud of iniquity and so much the further from receiving understanding or learning the Truth as it is in its own naked simplicity because he is full learned rich and wise in his own conceit and so those that are most skilled in it wear out their day and spend their precious time about the infinite and innumerable questions they have feigned and invented concerning it A certain learned man called it a two-fold discipline as of the race of the centaurs partly proceeding from Divine sayings partly from Philosophical reasons A thousand of their questions they confess themselves to be no ways necessary to Salvation and yet many more of them they could never agree upon but are and still will be in endless janglings about them The Volumes that have been written about it a man in his whole age though he lived very old could scarce read and when he has read them all he has but wrought himself a great deal more vexation and trouble of Spirit than he had before These certainly are the words multiplied without knowledge by which counsel hath been darkened Job c. 38. v. 2. They make the Scripture the text of all this Mass and it 's concerning the sense of it that their voluminous debates arise But a man of a good upright heart may learn more in half an hour and be more certain of it by waiting upon God and his Spirit in the heart than by reading a thousand of their Volumes which by filling his head with many needless imaginations may well stagger his faith but never confirm it and indeed those that give themselves most to it are most capable to fall into error as appeareth by the example of Origen who by his learning was one of the first that falling into this way of interpreting the Scriptures wrote so many Volumes and in them so many errors as very much troubled the Church Also Arius led by this curiosity and humane scrutiny despising the simplicity of the Gospel fell into his error which was the cause of that horrible Heresie which so much troubled the Church methinks the simplicity plainness and brevity of the Scriptures themselves should be a sufficient reproof for such a science and the Apostles being honest plain illeterate men my be better understood by such kind of men now than with all that mass of scholastick stuff which neither Peter nor Paul nor John ever thought of § XXII But this invention of Satan wherewith he began the Apostasie hath been of dangerous consequence for thereby he at first spoiled the simplicity of Truth by keeping up the Heathenish learning which occasioned such uncertainty even among those called Fathers and such debate that there are few of them to be found who by reason of this mixture do not only frequently contradict one another but themselves also And therefore when the Apostasie grew greater he as it were buried the Truth with this vail of darkness wholly shuting out people from true knowledg and making the learned so accounted busie themselves with idle and needless questions while the weighty Truths of God were neglected and as it were went into desuetude Now though the grossest of these abuses be swept away by Protestants yet the evil root still remains and is nourished and upheld and upon the growing hand that this science is kept up and deemed necessary for a Minister for while the pure learning of the Spirit of Truth is despised and neglected and made ineffectual man 's faln earthly wisdom is upheld and so in that he labours and works with the Scriptures being out of the Life and Spirit those that wrote them were in by which they are rightly understood and made use of And so he that is to be a Minister must learn this art or trade of merchandizing with the Scriptures and be that which the Apostle would not be to wit a trader with them 2 Cor. 2.17 That he may acquire a trick from a verse of Scripture by adding his own barren notions and conceptions to it and his uncertain conjectures and what he hath stoln out of Books for which end he must have of necessity a good many by him and may each Sabbath day as they call it or oftner make a Discourse for an hour long and this is called the preaching of the word whereas the Gift Grace and Spirit of God to teach open and instruct and to preach a word in season is neglected and so man's arts and parts and knowledg and wisdom which is from below set up and established in the Temple of God yea and above the little Seed which in effect is Antichrist working in the Ministry and so the Devil may be as good and able a Minister as the
thou determine not precisely to speak what before thou hast meditated whatsoever it be for though it be lawful to determine the Text which thou art to expound yet not at all the interpretation lest if thou so dost thou take from the Holy Spirit that which is his to wit to direct thy speech that thou mayst Prophecy in the Name of the Lord denuded of all Learning Meditation and Experience and as if thou hadst studied nothing at all committing thy heart thy tongue and thy self wholly unto his Spirit and trusting nothing to thy former studying or meditation but saying with thy self in great confidence of the Divine Promise the Lord will give a word with much power unto those that preach the Gospel But above all things be careful thou follow not the manner of Hypocrites who have written almost word by word what they are to say as if they were to repeat some Verses upon a Theatre having learned all their Preaching as they do that act Tragedies and afterwards when they are in the place of Prophecying pray the Lord to direct their tongue but in the mean time shutting up the way of the Holy Spirit they determine to say nothing but what they have written O unhappy kind of Prophets yea and truly cursed which depend not upon God's Spirit but upon their own Writings or meditation Why pray'st thou to the Lord thou false Prophet to give thee his holy Spirit by which thou mayst speak things profitable and yet thou repellest the Spirit why preferrest thou thy meditation or study to the Spirit of God otherwise why committest thou not thy self to the Spirit § XIX Secondly this manner of preaching as used by them considering that they also affirm that it may be and often is performed by men who are wicked or void of true Grace cannot only not edifie the Church beget or nourish true Faith but is destructive to it being directly contrary to the Nature of the Christian and Apostolick Ministry mentioned in the Scriptures For the Apostle preached the Gospel not in the wisdom of words lest the Cross of Christ should be of none effect 1 Cor. 1.17 But this preaching not being done by the actings and movings of God's Spirit but by man's invention and eloquence in his own will and through his natural and acquired parts and learning is in the wisdom of words and therefore the Cross of Christ is thereby made of none effect The Apostles speech and preaching was not with inticing words of man's wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and of Power That the Faith of their Hearers should not stand in the Wisdom of men but in the Power of God 1 Cor. 2 3 4 5. But this preaching having nothing of the Spirit and Power in it both the Preachers and Hearers confessing they wait for no such thing nor yet are often-times sensible of it must needs stand in the enticing words of man's wisdom since it is by the meer wisdom of man it is sought after and the meer strength of man's eloquence and enticing words it is uttered and therefore no wonder if the Faith of such as hear and depend upon such Preachers and Preachings stand in the wisdom of men and not in the Power of God The Apostles declared that they spake not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth but which the Holy Ghost teacheth 1 Cor. 2.13 But these Preachers confess that they are strangets to the Holy Ghost his motions and operations neither do they wait to feel them and therefore they speak in the words which their own natural wisdom and learning teacheth them mixing them in and adding them to such words as they steal of the Scripture and other Books and therefore speak not what the Holy Ghost teacheth Thirdly this is contrary to the method and order of the primitive Church mentioned by the Apostle 1 Cor. 14.30 c. where in Preaching every one is to wait for his Revelation and to give place one unto another according as things are revealed But here there is no waiting for a revelation but the Preacher must speak and not that which is revealed unto him but what he hath prepared and premeditated before hand Lastly by this kind of preaching the Spirit of God which should be the chief instructor and teacher of God's people and whose influence is that only which makes all preaching effectual and beneficial for the edifying of Souls is shut out and man's natural wisdom learning and parts set up and exalted which no doubt is a great and chief reason why the preaching among the generality of Christians is so unfruitful and unsuccessful yea according to this Doctrine the Devil may preach and ought to be heard also seeing he both knoweth the Truth and hath as much eloquence as any But what avails excellency of speech if the demonstration and Power of the Spirit be wanting which toucheth the Conscience We see that when the Devil confessed to the Truth yet Christ would have none of his testimony And as these pregnant testimonies of the Scripture do prove this part of preaching to be contrary to the Doctrin of Christ so do they also prove that of ours before affirmed to be conform thereunto § XX. But if any object after this manner Have not many been benefited yea and both converted and edified by the Ministry of such as have premiditated their preachings yea and hath not the Spirit often concurred by its divine influence with preaching thus premeditated so as they have been powerfully born in upon the Souls of the hearers to their advantage I answer though that be granted which I shall not deny it will not infer that the thing was good in it self more than because Paul was met with by Christ to the converting of his Soul riding to Damascus to persecute the Saints that he did well in so doing neither particular actions nor yet whole congregations as we above observed are to be measured by the acts of God's condescension in times of ignorance But besides it hath often times faln out that God having a regard to the simplicity and integrity either of the preacher or hearers hath faln in upon the heart of a Preacher by his power and holy influence and thereby hath led them to speak things which were not in his premeditated discourse and which perhaps he never thought of before and those passing ejaculations and unpremeditated but living exhortations have proved more beneficial and refreshful both to preacher and hearers than all their premeditated Sermons But all that will not allow them to continue in these things which in themselves are not approved but contrary to the practice of the Apostles when God is raising up a people to serve him according to the primitive purity and spirituality yea such acts of God's condescension in times of darkness and ignorance should ingage all more and more to follow him according as he reveals his most perfect and spiritual way § XXI Having hitherto spoken of Preaching
School there is nothing learned but busie-talking 6. He is the Eternal Word 9. No Creature hath access to God but by him 9 10. He is the Way the Truth and the Life 10. he is Mediator between God and man 10 133. He is God and in time He was made partaker of man's nature 10. yesterday to day the same and for ever 18. the Fathers believed in him and how 17 18. his Sheep hear his voice and contemn the voice of a Stranger 40 201 203. it is the fruit of his ascension to send Pastors 50. he dwelleth in the Saints and how 88. his coming was necessary 89. By his Sacrifice we have remission of sins 89 119 120 133. whether he be and how he is in all is explained 90. being formed within he is the formal cause of Justification 128 148. by his life death c. he hath opened a way for Reconciliation 149 150. his obedience righteousness death and sufferings are ours and it is explained that Paul said he filled up that which was behind of the afflictions of Christ in his flesh 135. how we are partakers of his suffering 167 168. for what end he was manifested 164 165. he delivers his own by suffering 265. concerning his outward and Spiritual body 305 306. concerning his outward and inward coming 325. Christian how he is a Christian and when he ceaseth so to be 4 8 20 21 23 24 169 290 191 193 200.201 the foundation of his Faith 36 37. his priviledge 37. when men are made Christians by Birth and not by coming together 184 185. they have borrowed many things from Jews and Gentiles 278 279. they recoil by little and little from their first purity 293. the Primitive Christians for some Ages said We are Christians we Swear not 378. and We are the Souldiers of Christ it is not lawful for us to fight 386. Christianity is made as an Art 8. it is not Christianity without the Spirit 19 20 21 39 40. it would be turned into Scepticism 208 290 300. it is placed chiefly in the renewing of the heart 186. wherein it consists not 244. what is and is not the mark thereof 290 291 300. why it is odious to Jews Turks and Heathens 309. what would contribute to its Commendation 354. Church without which there is no Salvation what She is Concerning her Members Visibility Profession Degeneration Succession 181 to 199. whatsoever is done in the Church without the instinct of the Holy Spirit is vain and impious 203. the same may be said of her that in the Schools of Theseus's Boat 219. in her corrections ought to be exercised and against whom 323. she is more corrupted by the accession of Hypocrites 340. the Contentions of the Greek and Latin Churches about Unleavened or Leavened Bread in the Supper 321. the lukewarmness of the Church of Laodicea 192. there are introduced into the Roman-Church no less 〈◊〉 and Ceremonies than among 〈◊〉 and Jews 185. Circumcision a Seal of the Old Covenant 298. Clergy 214 218 216 226 227 321. Cloathes that it is not lawful for Christians to use things superfluous in Cloaths 364 365 366 388 389. Comforter for what end he was sent 6 7. Commission The Commission of the Disciples of Christ before the Work was finished was more legal than Evangelical 202. Communion The Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ is a Spiritual and inward thing 303. that Body that Blood is a Spiritual thing and that it is that heavenly Seed whereby life and Salvation was of old and is now communicated 303 304. how any becomes partaker thereof 307 308 309. it is not tyed to the Ceremony of breaking Bread and drinking Wine which Christ used with his Disciples This was only a Figure 304 308 to 316. whether that Ceremony be a necessary part of the New Covenant and whether it is to be continued 316 to 331. Spiritual Communion with God through Christ is obtained 59. Community of Goods is not brought in by the Quakers 333 352 353. Complements See Titles Conscience See Magistrate It s definition what it is It is distinguished from the Saving Light 92 93 94 332. the good Conscience and the Hypocritical 176. He that acteth contrary to his Conscience sinneth and concerning an erring Conscience 332. What things appertain to Conscience 332. what sort of Liberty of Conscience is defended 333. It is the Throne of God 333. It is free from the Power of all men 345. Conversion what is man's therein is rather a Passion than an action 102. Augustine's saying 95. this is cleared by two Examples 95 96. Correction how and against whom it ought to be exercised 333. Covenant The difference betwixt the New and Old Covenant-worship 26 232 233 253 254 255 289 290. See also Gospel Law Cross. The Sign of the Cross 301. D. Dancing See Plays Daies whether any be holy and concerning the Day commonly called The Lord's Day 235 316. Deacons 323. Death See Adam Redemption it entred into the World by sin 65 66. in the Saints it is rather a passing from Death to Life 66. Devil He cares not at all how much God be acknowledged with the mouth provided he be worshipped in the heart 8 116 117. he can form an outward sound of words 16. he haunts among the wicked 165. how he came to be a a Minister of the Gospel 211 212 213. when he can work nothing 249 250. he keeps men in outward signs shadows and forms while they neglect the Substance 310 311 323. Dispute The dispute of the Shoemaker with a certain Professor 208 209. of an Heathen Philosopher with a Bishop in the Council of Nice and of the unletter'd Clown 209 210. Divinity School-Divinity 200. how pernicious it is 209 210 211 212 213. Dreams See Faith Miracles E Ear. There is a Spiritual and a bodily Ear 7 16. Easter is celebrate other-waies in the Latine Church than in the Eastern 30. the celebration of it is grounded upon Tradition 30. Elders 14 217. Elector of Saxony the scandal given by him 272. Eminency Your Eminency See Titles Enoch walked with God 169. Epistle see James John Peter Esau 241. Ethicks or Books of Moral Philosophy are not needful to Christians 209. Evangelist who he is and whether any now adaies may be so called 216 217. Excellency your Excellency see Titles Exorcism 301. F Faith its definition and what its object is 14 15 16. how far and how appearances outward voices and dreams were the object of the Saints Faith 16. that Faith is one and that the Object of Faith is one 17. its foundation 36 37. see Revelation Scripture Farellus 321. Father see Knowledge Revelation 14. Fathers so called they did not agree about some Books of the Scripture 39 48. they affirm that there are whole Verses taken out of Mark and Luke 29. concerning the Septuagint Interpretation and the Hebrew Copy 48. they preached universal redemption for the first four Centuries 78. they frequently used the word Merit in
nature or reliques of the Light remaining in Adam after the Fall 91. it is distinguished from the Conscience 92 93. it is not a common gift as the heat of the fire and outward Light of the Sun as a certain Preacher said 118. it may be resisted 84 86 94 95 174 175. by this Light or Seed Grace and Word of God he invites all and calls them to Salvation 111 112 113. none of those to whom the history of Christ is preached are saved but by the inward operation of this Light 113 114 115 116 117. it is small in the first manifestation but it groweth 114. it is slighted by the Calvinists Papists Socinians and Arminians and why 114. none can put it to silence 117. there are and may be saved by the operation thereof who are ignorant of the history of Christ 67 68 84 89 90 112 117 to 125. an answer to the objection that none can be saved but in the Name of Jesus Christ 119 120 132. Literature humane literature is not at all needful 206 c. Liturgy 236 251. Logick 209 210. Lord there is One Lord 17 18. Love of a Love-feast 324 325. Lutherans see Protestants they affirm Consubstantiation 30. of the flesh and blood of Christ 309 310. they use unleavened bread in the Supper 321. M Magistrate concerning his power in things purely religious and that he hath no authority over the Conscience 331 to 349. nor ought he to punish according to Church censure 334. concerning the present Magistrates of the Christian World 387 388. Mahomet prohibited all discourse and reason about Religion 346. he was an Impostor 93. Majesty your Majesty see Titles Man see Knowledge his spirit knoweth the things of a man and not the things of God 11. the carnal man esteemeth the Gospel truths as lies 12. and in that state he cannot please God 20. the new man and the old 37 38 88 89. the natural man cannot discern Spiritual things as to the first Adam he is faln and degenerate 37 48 57 67 68. his thoughts of God and Divine things in the corrupt state are evil and unprofitable 57. nothing of Adam's sin is imputed to him until by evil-doing he commit his own 59 64 65 in the corrupt state he hath no will or light capable of it self to manifest Spiritual things 59 60 61 62 63 133. he cannot when he will procure to himself tenderness of heart 94. whatsoever he doth while he doth it not by in and through the Power of God he is not approved of God 248 249. how the inward man is nourished 305 306 307. how his understanding cannot be forced by sufferings and how his understanding is changed 338 339. Merchandise what it is to make Merchandise with the Scriptures 211. Mass 232 236 251 272. Mathematician 35 36. Mechanicks 218. they contributed much to the Reformation 219. Merit see Justification Metaphysicks 209. Minister of the Gospel it is not found in Scripture if any be called 43 199. Teachers are not to go before the teaching of the Spirit 50. the Popish and Protestant errors concerning the Grace of a Minister are rejected 57 63. they are given for the perfection of the Saints c. 165. concerning their call and wherein it is placed 180 186 to 199. qualities 180 198 to 212. Orders and distinction of Laity and Clergy 108 to 219. of separating men for the Ministry 211. concerning the sustentation and maintenance of Ministers and their abuse of the idleness riot and cruelty of Ministers 181 220 to 228. what kind of Ministry and Ministers the Quakers are for and what sort their adversaries are for 229 230 233 234. Minister of the Law there was no doubtfulness concerning them under the Law 188 204 205. their Ministry was not purely spiritual and while they performed it they behoved to be purified from their outward pollutions as now those under the Gospel from their inward 187 188 204. Miracles whether they be needful to those who place their Faith in objective revelation 15 16 198. Moses 124 252 255 277 304. Munster see Anabaptists their mischievous actings 28. Musick 276. Mystery of iniquity 214 257. N Name of the Lord 293 295. to anoint in the Name of the Lord 326. Nero 338. Noah's Faith had neither the Scripture nor the prophecy of those going before him 120. it is said of him that he was a perfect man 169 Number of using the singular Number to one person 359 360. O Oath that it is not lawful to Swear 352 374 380 389. Obedience is better than sacrifice 44. Object of faith see Faith Ordinance sealing Ordinance 279. Oyl to anoint with Oyl 303 326 329. P Papists the rule of their Faith 30. they are forced ultimately to recur unto the immediate and inward revelations of the Holy Spirit 36. what difference there is betwixt the cursed deed of those of Munster and theirs 31 32 34. they have taken away the second Commandment in their Catechism 47. they make Philosophy the hand-maid of Divinity 50 they exalt too much the natural power and what they think of the Saving Light 115. their doctrin concerning Justification is greatly vitiate 129. concerning their manners and Ceremonies 184 185 193 194 196 197. their literature and Studies 207. of the modern Apostles and Evangelists 217. whom they exclude from the Ministry 219. they must be sure of so much a year before they Preach 221. they do not labour 227. the more moderate and sober of them exclaim against the excessive Revenues of the Clergy 224. their worship can easily be stopped 250 251. albeit they say none are saved without water baptism yet they allow an exception 30. of Baptism 299 300. of the flesh and blood of Christ 308 309 310. of an Oath 372. Parable of the Talents 101 107. of the Vine-yard entrusted 88. of the Sower 107 108. of the Tares 336. Paschal Lamb the end thereof 312. Patriarchs 306 312. Pelagians 58. how we differ from them 24 95 96 301. see Light of Nature Pelagius denied that man gets an evil seed from Adam and ascribes all to the will and nature of men He said that man could attain unto a state of not sinning by his meer natural strength without the Grace of God 173. Persecution upon the account of Religion 342 to 348. see Magistrate Perseverance the Grace of God may be lost through disobedience 160 173 174 175 176 177. yet such a stability may in this life be attained from which there cannot be a total Apostacy 161 174 177 178 179. Peter whether he was at Rome 30. he was ignorant of Aristotle's Logick 50. there were of old divers Opinions concerning his second Epistle 40. Pharisees 278 316. Philosopher the Heathen Philosopher was brought to the Christian Faith by an illiterate Rustick 209. Philosophy 200 209. Physicks 210. Plays whether it be lawful to use them 350 352 367 368 369 370 371 389. Polycarpus the Disciple of John 30. Pray to pray for remission of sins 172