he wrong me as if I made the church of Rome damned and dead for ever that is as if there could be no mercie shewed to the papists for repentance and turning to the Lord. They are onely the reprobate multitude which are damned and dead for ever Many of that church yea even of the hierarchie whom my opposite holdeth to bee the Man of syn the son of perdition being dead in their sins God hath in mercie revived and raised with Christ as he did in the churches of the Gentiles Eph. 2 1â— Coloss. 2. 〈◊〉 But such as are not raised from the death of Antichrist and quickned by Christ they perish for ever And wee speake of that Church now remaining in her synfull death unto which so continuing no salvation is promised but assured destruction threatned 2. Thes. 2. Rev. 14. 9. 10. 11. Thus we see how notwithstanding all his turning and winding and backing his errour with learned mens names these Gentiles the church of Antichrist and worshipers of the Man of syn are by the sentence of God dead in sins as were the Gentiles before Christ gave them life That such of them as the Lord shall in mercie raise up out of the grave of poperie shall escape the second death the rest doe remain under Gods wrath dead in syn and shall die in torment In the end to that which I shewed of that whores death otherweise and of her burning with fire Rev. 18. 7. 8 and of the joy which the heavenly multitude shal have at her destruction Rev. 18. 20. 1â— 1. 2. 3. mine opposite seemeth to assent referring it to the Citie resembled as he sayth by Babylon and Babylons destruction that was of old Rev. 18. with Ier. 50. 51. Thus the truth hath wrung out at last an acknowledgement from him as the feare and light of his conscience made him acknowledge at the first For he began with the Church of Rome thus acknowledging it to be fallen into most sinful and deep defection and apostasie and so to be a notorious harlot and idolatres This notorious harlot the holy Ghost calleth Babylon the great the mother of horlots and abominations of the earth Rev. 17. 5. which is meant of the Citie Rome v. 18. but of an ecclesiastical state such as is in that citie at this day And that Babylon or church it is whole destruction is threatned in Rev. 18. and for which there shall bee ioy and singing Alleluiah for that God hath judged the great whâ—re which did corrupt the earth with her fornication and shed the bloud of his servants Rev. 1â— 1. 2. 3. c. For the destruction of this great whore which in deed is no other then the Church of Rome mine opposite sayth with me they shal be so farr from mourning at her funeral as they shal rejoyce with the heavenly multitude and sing Hallelujah when the Lord hath given Sodoms judgement on her and they see her smoke rise up for evermore Rev. 19. 1. 2. 3. Of his own mouth now let him be judged with what truth equity conscience he hath pleaded for the church of Rome to bee the Temple of God the church of God in his covenant of grace and to have his baptisme the seale of his covenant even in that adulterous and most sinfull estate wherin she standeth at this day under her Pastor Antichrist whom she honoureth and worshipeth beleeving his lies serving his idols and trusting to merit heaven by the wicked works which that Man of syn hath taught her But that God for a reward of his popish errour in advancing the Ministers above the church and the pastor above his fellow ministers gave him over to this second errour who would have thought that a man of understanding would so bitterly have inveighted against me for denying her to be Christs true Church and that he would for defense of such a notorius harlot have forsaken and written against his own former good testimony which hee witnessed against her Gods counsels are unsearchable and let all that feare him heare what the Spirit sayth unto us Hearken unto me now therefore ôye children and attend to the words of my mouth Let not thine heart decline to her wayes goe not astray in her paths For shee hath east downe many wounded yea many strong men have been slain by her Her house is the way to hell going down to the chambers of death Prov. 7. 24 27. Of other Writers TO his citations of Polanus Keckerman c. I answered That diverse men were mistaken in judging of that rotten Church of Rome which would help these our opposites nothing who have seen and acknowledged better and now goe back And I instanced sundry others contrary minded as Mr. Carwright Mr. Perkins D. Fulk D. Willet Mr. Bale all our country men who deny the church of Rome to be the true Church of Christ. Mine opposite replieth that I say in particular of Polanus that he was mistaken and in this for that he sayd that Antichrist must sit in the Temple of God not Jewish or at Jerusalem but Christian c. wherein as his manner is he drepraveth both my words and meaning For I never dreamt that Antichrist should sit in the Iewish Temple at Ierusalem but in the Christian Church falsly so called as Mr. Iunius nameth it in Annot. on Rev. 11. But Polanus pleadeth otherwise for the church of Rome as mine opposite hath set down his words Chr. plea. p. 212. And in that I iudge he was mistaken and not I onely but many moe with me men of greater learning and before me though mine opposite leaveth it with this reproch That all in my judgement are mistaken hereabout but my selfe and my followers And presently after to that which I alleaged from Mr. Cartwright Perkins c. he wisheth they had written more advisedly and more soundly And why even for his former often refuted reasons of the Temple of God and Baptisme in that church wherein he doth but beg the question and answereth not them For I named to him Mr. Perkins reasons that the Papists doctrine doth rase the very foundation of Religion and his 4. arguments in a treatise for that purpose Now to these he answereth not one word But the Temple of God the Temple of God and Antichrist must sit in the Temple of God and Martyres out of the Church of Rome and where else had they their baptisme these are his common bucklers To which I have answered before And now that the Reader may further see how not I onely but many before me even such as he nameth in his book for him as D. Whitakers Mr. Broughton Mr. Brightman and others are direct against him I will set down their testimonies What Mr. Bale Mr. Cartwright D. Fulk M. Perkins and D. Willet have written I have shewed heretofore and them hee regardeth not Whereas Bellarmine would conclude from the protestants graunt that the church of Rome
Apostle speaketh of such as are dead to syn that is mortified Christians which live not in syn neyther reigneth it in them but they are freed or justified from syn and are alive unto God But Antichristians such as are the professant members of the church of Rome are not dead unto or freed from syn for they are the subjects of the Man of syn the worshipers of the Beast for whom is prepared the wine of the wrath of God Revel 14. 9. 10. They are of that church which by my opposites confession a little before is fallen into most synfull and deep apostasie is a notorious â—arlot and idolatress which all the people of God ought to forsake Wherefore they are rather to be counted dead in synns as th'Apostle speaketh of the Gentiles Ephes. 2. 1. and that they are in deed dead and not partakers of the first resurrection is evident by Revel 20. 4. 5. 6. in that they are the worshipers of the Beast and murderers of the witnesses of Iesus Wherfore the doctrine of Baptisme in Rom. 6. is farr from proving the Antichristians or other heretical and apostate churches to have the true baptisme of Christ or seale of his covenant but his servants they are to whom they obey even of syn unto death Rom. 6. 16. The other scripture is Ephe. 4. 4. 5. There is one body and one spirit even as ye are called unto one hope of your calling one Lord one faith one baptisme By which words it appeareth that such as have the One baptisme have also one and the same faith Lord hope spirit and body which to affirme of the Antichristian church of Rome and of all other heretical and Apostate churches that professe Christ is very impious And most firme arguments there are from the Apostles words to the coÌ„trary of that which this man pleadeth for As The Romish and other heretical churches have not the one same faith with the true Churches of Christ witness their blasphemous doctrines published by the Council of Trent and in other books and the Apostles prophesie that they are departed from the faith 1 Tim. 4. 1. c. therfore they have not the one Baptisme They have not one and the same Lord Iesus Christ but have Antichrist the Man of syn for their Lord therefore they have not the one baptisme They have not that one hope nor that one Spirit neyther are they one bodie with the true Christian churches therfore they have not that one baptisme These things are partly prooved before in the description which I set downe of Antichrists church they are also acknowledged of all Christian churches which disclaim the unitie with the Antichristians in their faith spirit bodie And the scriptures most abundantly disclaime this feighned unitie as 2 Cor. 6. 12. what concord hath Christ with Belial meaning none at all And Belial is there put for Antichrist and his retinue as in 2 Sam. 23. 6. 22. 5. The Apostle sheweth that the Antichristians have from God strong delusions to beleeve lyes unto their damnation 2 Thes. 2. 11. 12. That they are departed from the faith doe give heed to â—educing spirits and doctrines of Divils speaking lyes in hypocrisie c. â— Tim. 4. 1. 2. That the false teachers among Christians privily bring in damnable heresies even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction 2 Pet. 2. 1. That the Beast which is the kingdome of Antichrist and the false prophet his ministers and all that worship him or take his mark shal be tormented in fyre and brimstone for ever and ever Rev. 20. 10. c. 14. 9. 10. And shall we now say that these miserable creatures have one Spirit hope Lord faith and baptisme with the saincts and true Churches of Christ My soule come not thou into their secret that so affirme The second argument for such churches is If they be not under the covenant of God but divorced from the Lord c then is there no salvation for any in those churches Answ. I deny the consequence For then after Israel was divorced from the Lord as is testified in in Ier. 3. 8. there was no salvation for any among them which I know mine opposite himself would not say Objection Why out of the covenant of God there is no salvation Answ. I grant it But though the church be not under the covenant of God but without it or divorced from him yet some parlicular persons in that church may through Gods grace be in his covenant For as every true church is in the covenant of God yet some hypocrites and reprobates are in the same which perish for ever so every false church is out of the covenant yet some truly faithful and elect may be therein which by the covenant of grace may be saved Example in Rahab the Canaanitess the church whereof shee was had not the covenant of grace in Christ yet she having heard of Gods works towards Israel beleeved in God and was saved and before she joyned her self to the church of Israel shee shewed the fruits of true and living faith wherby shee was justified is put in the catalogue of the Saincts Jos. 2. 1. 9. 10. c. Heb. 11. 31. 39. Jam. 2. 25. 26. The like is to be thought of the other nations farr off from God who by some meanes hearing of his name and trueth might imbrace the faith unto salvation though the churches wherof they stood members were false and idolatrous 1 King 8. 41. 42. 43. So where mine oppositeÌ„ bringeth scriptures to prove that they which are not in the covenant of God and Christ cannot be saved he proveth that which is not denyed but this he should have proved if he could that if a church be false and not under the covenant none in that church can by any meanes come unto the faith and covenant of Christ for this I deny And his argument if it had been sound should have been this If Antichristian churches be not under the covenant of God but divorced from the Lord then is there no salvation for any that are under the covenant of that church and in no other covenant and so I would have granted his argument as confirmed by the Holy ghost that all such are in the state of damnation 2 Thes. 2. 10. 11. 12. Rev. 14. 9. 10. Here to help the church of Antichrist into the covenant of Christ he bringeth in the profession of the Iesuites of Rhemes which as he sayth â—old Christ by nature to be truely both God and man to be the one eternal Priest and Redeemer which by his sacrifice and death upon the cross hath reconciled in to God and payd his blood as a fâ—ll and sufficient ransome for all our synns c. againe to be the singular advocate and patron of mankinde that by himself alone and by his owne meritâ— procureth all grace and mercie
can be transformed as the ministers of righteousnes 2 Cor. 11. 14. 15. is it such a marvel that he should transforme his temple and church into the Temple of God and church of Christ and yet as he is a Divil stil notwithstanding his transformation so his Temple coÌ„tinueth stil the Temple of the Divil and church of Antichrist how ever they are disguised with other names and habits And to help a litle to the discerning of both these opposite mysteries of pietie and impietie wee are to know that Christs Kingdome beginneth in the kingdome of Satan and is perfected in the Kingdome of God and Antichrists kingdome beginneth in the kingdome of God and is perfected in the kingdome of Satan For the god of this world having blinded the eyes of infidels who are dead in synns and walk according to the prince of the power of the aier Christ by his Ministers sent into the world and by his word of trueth the gospel causeth light to arise unto them openeth their eyes and turneth them from darknes to light and from the power of Satan vnto God that they may receive forgivenes of synns and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in him and thus God delivereth them from the power of darknes and translateth them into the kingdome of his beloved son Then cometh Satan by Antichrists which are his ministers privily crept into the church and by the word of lying which is Antichrists gospel he darkneth the mindes of them that have not received the love of the trueth and turneth them back againe from God and by damnable heresies privily brought in draweth them even to deny the Lord that bought them and so bring upon themselves swift destruction Then doe they goe out from the church blaspheme the way of trueth and togither with the Beast doe warr against Christ whom yet in name and pretense they would seem to honour and serve so accomplishing the mysterie of their iniquitie unto assured damnation if they turne not againe unto God This thing not being observed how Christ beginneth in the world and draweth men out of it into his church and Antichrist beginneth in the church draweth men out of it into the world againe as the Dragons taile draweth the starrs of heaven â—â—fteth them to the earth Rev. 12. 4. mine opposite thought it absurditie and contradiction in me for writing thus When th Apostle therfore telleth us that Antichrist sitteth as God in the Temple of God it is to be vnderstood first of their invading and destroying of Gods church and people as the heathens of old dealt with Jerusalem and dwellers therin secondly of their owne vayne ostentation whiles they will have it called the Christian catholik church and th Pope the head of the same Vpon this he thus inveigheth What have we here Doth himself now by the Temple of God vnderstand Gods church and people yea such as was answerable to Ierusalem and the dwellers therin of old why then hath he so eagerly oppugned us hereabout c. Answ. I oppugne the present church of Rome which Antichrist destroyeth not but buildeth and adorneth as an alluring harlot the Christian church which was in Rome of old that hath he invaded and destroyed long since for they then were Saints such as he hateth these now are worshipers of him and of idols Divils and are an habitation of Divils So there is as much difference between the church of Rome now and the church then as between the Bishop of Rome now the Bishops then they were Christs ministers this now is Antichrist as mine opposite himself confesseth And what cause hath he to insult as if he had got the victorie Let wise men judge But he proceedeth Obj. Where can he shew in the scriptures that sitting is put for invading or destroying c. Otherwhere stil he teatheth that by sitting is meant abiding continuing dwelling c. What if I cannot prove that sitting is put for invading or destroying if I prove my assertion by other words of the text shall it not suffice The words Eiston Naon into the Temple may imply by a figure his invading and the person that invadeth being an enemy a theef a wolf implyeth his destroying for our Saviour sayth The theef cometh not but for to steale and to kill and to destroy 1 Joh. 10. 10. The scripture often wanteth words easy to be understood so here Paul sayth of Antichrist that he having entred into the Temple of God sitteth as God And if they regard not my exposition they shall have his on whom they so much rely Mr. Iunius I mean who so explaineth it saying The testimonie of signe is this that Invading the temple of God he shal sit as God Jun. Animad vers in Bellarm. Controv. 3. l. 3. c. 14. not 18. But what if I confirme it by the word sitting which he thought so unlikely In Esai 14. 13. the Prophet upbraideth the king of Babylon thus Thou hast sayd in thine hart J wil ascend into heaven c. J wil sit also in the mount of the congregation in the sides of the North meaning mount Sion where Gods temple was But this is meant of Nebuchadnezars invading of Ierusalem to spoile the same as the historie sheweth 2 King 25. and in him Antichrists tyrannie against the church was lively figured As for sitting to mean continuing though it doth so often times yet not alwayes Christ sate upon the mount of Olives Mat. 24. 3. the disciples sate in the house Act. 2. 2. yet dwelt they not or continued long there And when the Babylonian invaded mount Sion to sit there he continued not there but having spoiled the citie burned the Temple and captived the people he returned into Babylon 2 King 25. so Antichrist spoiling Christian churches returneth to his whore of Babylon his proper habitation which he wickedly boasteth to be the Sion Temple and church of God Wheras mine opposite expounded the Temple of God to be the church and shewed not whether he meant a church particular or general and catholik I sayd for a particular church it wil not agree with the prophesies of Antichrist whose citie or church is so great as peoples kinreds tongues nations doe dwell in the streets therof Rev. 11. 8. 9. He gainsayeth me thus First Still he calls that Antichrists church which th' Apostle calleth the Temple of God Answ. It is his own interpretation that the Temple meaneth the church and that he that sitteth in it is Antichrist and sitting he wil have to be continuing and why may not I call that church wherin Antichrist sitteth continually as God Antichrists church yea though it were indeed Gods church as he supposeth Seing the citie wherin Christ did but dwell was called his owne citie Mat. 9. 1. And that which God sayth in my house and in my kingdom 1 Chron.
Christ. Now wheras he gathereth from Ezek. 44. 22. that a divorced woman is called Gerusha that is Cast out or thrust forth which he expoundeth from her husbands house he might have seen better in the Law of Moses to which the Prophet there hath reference where the like commandement is given in Levit. 21. 14. which a litle before in vers 7. is explained by God himself Gerusha meishshah that is cast out or put away from her husband according to which Law and phrase Israel was divorced and cast out not onely from the Lords house and land but from the Lord himself Moreover he might have seen in Deut. 24. 1. the bill of divorce in the womans hand and her sending out of her husbands house to be distinct things one folowing upon an other Againe a woman may of her self goe out of her husbands house play the whore in an other mans house yet is she not therby divorced as for example Michal Davids wife was by her father Saul adulterously given to Phalti 1 Sam. 25. 44. so she was out of Davids house and had an other husband in whose house she remayned yet David that had not given her a divorce required her as his wife and she was taken by Abner from her second husband 2 Sam. 3. 14. 15. 16. Wherfore the bill of divorce or of cutting off is not from the house onely but disanulleth quite the covenant of mariage so as they cannot without a new mariage be reunited And the Lord as if he purposely would prevent all such vaine pleas for Israel useth in Ier. 3. 8. both the word put how away and the word divorce and this also in the forme plural thus and I gave unto her the bill of her divorces or of her cuttings-off as if he would teach us that whatsoever divorce or cutting off belonged to such an adulterous wife he had given unto her and so not from the land but from the Lord also she was divorced As yet further appeareth by Hos. 2. 2. plead with your Mother plead for she is not my wife neyther am I her husband but if he had onely put her out of the land he was her husband stil contrary to that which the Prophet teacheth And contrary to the Apostle who writing to the dispersed of Israel which had not obteyned mercie but now have obteyned mercie 1 Pet. 2. 10. hath reference to that Prophet who promised I wil have mercie on her that had not obteyned mercie and I wil say to them which were not my people Thou art my people and they shall say thou art my God Hos. 2. 23. His applying this divorce to excommunication is as strange Excommunicates he wil have to be as put out of the house and church but not out of the covenant Wheras excommunicates are by our Saviours doctrine as heathens and publicans Mat. 18. 17. and heathens are not in the covenant Againe by Pauls doctrine excommunication is the delivering to Satan 1 Cor. 5. 5. 1 Tim. 1. 20. what that meaneth we may learne by the contrary in Act. 26. 17. 18. I send thee to open their eyes and to turn them from darknes to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgivenes of synns c. Wher the power of the Gospel is shewed in turning men from Satan to God wherupon they repenting and beleeving receive forgivenes of synns so on the contrary when men syn and joyn obstinacie with it and wil not repent they are by the power of Christ delivered from God unto Satan againe that is are of the world where Satan is prince and in that estate deprived of the promise of the forgivenes of their synns til they turne againe unto the Lord. Where he sayth upon their repentance they may and ought to be received it is true so ought the Turks and heathens for God as he never made absolute covenant but conditional so he never gave absolute bill of divorce but conditionall for who so repenteth and beleeveth in Christ shal be saved And wheras he sayth if they had been put out of the covenant of the Lord they should be baptised againe it is marvel how he could not see himself herein to be a very Anabaptist or that which is worse For if a man be baptised in the true church as was Simon Magus and fall from the faith of Christ to become a Iew or a Turk or a paynim and for his obstinacle blasphemie be justly excommunicated this man he thinketh doth continue stil in the covenant of grace for he is but cast out of the church or house not out of the covenant Who ever heard such doctrine that the covenant of grace should be continued to most wicked synners excommunicated for turning to Iudaisme or Paganisme Much lesser syn it were to err with the Anabaptists and baptise againe then to hold such an heresie If he hold it not but would grant that such are out of the covenant then he sayth they should be baptised againe when they returne and so he that hath so busily set a snare to catch us in Anabaptistrie is fallen himself into it or into a worse Now to deliver our soules from both these extremities we are to observe the difference between the reveiled covenant made with every particular visible church and the unreveiled estate which is in Gods secret counsel touching all the members of the catholik church the company of those that are predestinated unto life for many are out of the covenant reveiled which yet are Gods elect As the Ephesians whiles they were heathens dead in synns were to all mens judgment without Christ without God in the world and strangers from the covenants of promise Eph. 2. 1. 12. who after they were called to repentance and faith were no more strangers and forreyners but fellow-citizens with the Saincts and of the houshold of God Ephes. 2. 13. 19. in which estate they were in Gods counsel before being chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world Ephes. 1. 4. On the contrary many reprobates enter into the covenant of the church visible and as Simon Magus doe beleeve and are baptised Act. 8. 13. they beleeve for a while and in time of tentation fall away Luke 8. 13. Hereupon it cometh to pass that the church not knowing certainly who are elect and who not but judging every tree by the fruits that appeare receiveth into the covenant and baptiseth all that profess to repent and beleeve in Christ unfeynedly yet afterward seing them to break the covenat and forsake Christ and wil not be reclaymed casteth them out and delivereth them to Satan in which estate they cannot be sayd to continue in the covenant or in the state of salvatiō though the election of some of them standeth sure with God Who when he of his grace giveth them repentance they are restored againe to the church and then it appeareth that they fell for a time but are raysed againe of
God testified that Christ was not their mediator to accept their prayers Seing it is certaine that no man cometh to the Father but by him Joh. 14. 6. Thus men may be overseen sometimes to cite authors on their side which eyther say nothing or look quite an other way Touching Hos. 13. 1. THe last placé which here I cited was Hos. 13. 1. where Ephraim offended or synned in Baal and dyed whence I judged their estate to be dead in syn To this mine opposite sayth the same terme and phrase is used by Christ of the church of Sardis Thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead Rev. 3. 1. Should we now inferr hereupon that therfore baptisme and the other ordinances of God in the church of Sardis were but in shew reteyned therin and could not be unto them the signes seals of the forgivenes of synns and of life eternal and therfore were in their use of them false and deceyefull aâ— were the ordinances of God reteyned among the Gentiles Would any man of heart and understanding endure such blasphemie Sayth not the Scripture that the church of Sardis was one of the seven golden candlesticks c. Answ. A man of understanding wil discerne things that differ and be caried by judgment not by affection The syn of Sardis was secret hypocrisie the syn of Ephraim was open idolatrie the death of Sardis was discerned of Christ who searcheth the heart reines the death of Ephraim was discerned of men who can judge but by the works Sardis had a name among the churches to be alive when for the most part they were dead before God though some things remayned which are but ready to dye vers 2. and a few among them were worthy ones and undefiled vers 4. Ephraim was openly knowen to be fallen from God to Baal by the Prophets and by the church of Iudah Hypocrites in all true churches are dead before God though alive before men So Simon Magus was alive in the judgment of the Apostolik church and baptised therin Act. 8. when before God he was dead His baptisme was true baptisme so farr as men could judge though to himself before God he received judgment therby not being a worthy partaker But had he been an open worshiper of Baal and baptised or circumcised among the Baalists it could not by men have been judged a true signe and seale of the forgivenes of his synns he remayning unrepentant They that should so affirme should themselves not be farr from blasphemie before men of understanding that know upon what conditions the covenant of grace is made between God and men They in Sardis that were dead that is without true faith for by saith the just doth live could not by the sacraments or by any ordinance in the church be partakers of Christ of his death or resurrection before God so their baptisme was to them no baptisme And had they been so discerned of men their baptisme should so have been judged by men As the Canaanites in Sichem their circumcision was uncircumcision before men and not the signe and seale of the righteousnes of faith when they had no faith for the unbeleever remayneth in the state of damnation Mar. 16. 16. and the baptisme that saveth is not the putting away of the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience towards God as th'Apostle suyth 1 Pet. 3. 21. That which he further annexeth that I say their reasons from Israel might well serve for the times wherein John lived when the true churches were many of them apostate wherupon he noteth my contradicting of my selfe c. was a mistaking that I distinguished not the state of Iudah which was a true church corrupted from Israel a false church and so the true churches apostate in th'Apostles time Revel 2. 3. from the false churches also in those times 1. Ioh. 2. 19. Into which oversight I fell by their citing undistinctly Jer. 3. and Esai 50. the one speaking of Israel the other of Iudah as is to be seen in their Advertisement pag. 107. wherto I gave answer in Animadvers p. 103. Secondly he pleadeth if Hose 13. 1. be understood of death in syn yet let it be well considered whâ—ther it will therfore follow that Circumcision now in Israel was not the Lords signe and seale of his forgivenes of syn but a false and deceitfull signe in their use therof and no better then the ordinances of the heathen For Christ sayd Let the dead bury their dead c. Luke 9. 60. was circumcision then among the Iewes a false and deceitfull signe in their life therof c. Answ. He runneth into his former errour the Iewish church in Christs time was a true church and Christ communicated in their Temple and sacrifices Israel when they served Baal was a false church and no man might awfully communicate with their Temple and sacrifices Christ speaketh not of the Church generally but of such as he knew to be hypocrites and dead though seeming alive we speak of Ephraim generally open offenders serving Baal and dead in the judgement of the Saincts The same I answer to his next instance of the church of Ephesus which then when Paul wrote was not the house of Baal but of the living God the pillar and ground of the truth 1 Tim. 3. 15. Moreover he citeth not my words sincerely I spake of the seale of forgivenes of synns 〈◊〉 them neyther did I say no better then the ordinances of the heathen which the reader may understand the ordinances devised by the heathens themselves but I sayd in their use of them false and deceitfull 〈◊〉 were also the ordinances of God reteyned in other nations as altars sacrifices c. touching whose estate I have spoken of before Thirdly he excepteth that Baals worship was first instituted by Achab about 60. yeres after Ieroboam and great difference was between Ieroboams calves and Baals idolatrie c. Answ. It is not material to our question who spake of Israels circumcision in their apostasie in generall before and after they were out of the land as before I have manifested 2. I acknowledge Achabs syn was greater then Ieroboams and false churches may grow worse and worse yet Ieroboams calves were also Divils as the holy Ghost calleth them 2. Chron. 11. 15. Fourthly he instanceth the 7000 in Israel that bowed not the knee to Baal 1. King 19. 18. asking what we shall say to these were they not circumcised or had they not the circumcision that was then in Jsrael or was it not to them the Lords seale of forgivenes of synns c. Answ. The instance is good to clear the controversie by the help of other scriptures In Rom. 11. Paul speaking of the rejection of the Iewes sayth Hath God cast away his people Farr be it For I also am an Israelite c. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew Then speaking of
Elias prayer against Israel and Gods answer J have reserved to my self 7000. men who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal Even so then sayth he at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace c. By this we are taught 1. That if a few or any one of a people be reserved of God though the multitude be cast away yet it cannot be sayd absolutely that God hath cast away his people And this may lead us to understand why God called Israel his people in their apostasie because some he kept from falling into it some he brought out of it by repentance 2. That those are in deed Gods people whom he foreknew the rest are cast off Now those which are foreknowen of God are described thus that he also did predestinate them to be conformed to the image of his sont them he also called them he also justified them he also glorified Rom. 8. 2◠〈◊〉 Thus are we led to judge who are Gods people when we see their calling justifying and gloryfying that is their sanctification â— Cor. 3â— â—8 by which iâ— charitie we are to judge of their predestination and estate in grace 3. That as the remnant of the Iewes which imbraced the gospel were the election of grace that is the people whom in charitie we should judge to be elected of God according to his grace and the others are blinded hardned cast off til God give them repentance so in Israel they that kept themselves from the coÌ„mon idolatrie of Baal inwardly and outwardly and reteyned the true service of God were his election of grace and to be judged his true people the others that synned in Baal were dead til God gave them repentance unto life Thus the Apostles exposition and application of those 7000. in Israel may help us to judge of their estate aright And not because circumcision was unto them the seale of grace and of forgivenes of synns to conclude that therfore it was likeweise to them that served Baal for so we should prostitute Gods grace and the seals therof to such as God condemneth and rejecteth Fiftly he instanceth the worship of Baal by Iudah Ier. 7. Judg. 2. c. Wherto I answer as before that Iudah in her constitution remayned a true church though corrupted Israel being a false church as hath been manifested Neyther was the defection universall and open as in Israel As for such in Iudah as so fell from God and would not be brought to repentance the Prophet telleth them they trusted in lying words when they sayd The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord c. Ier. 7. 4. 8. the Lord threatneth to cast them out of his sight and forbad his Prophet to pray for them Jer. 7. 15. 16. So their circumcision became unto them uncircumcision Rom. 2. 25. To this he objecteth Though mans idolatrie c may make Gods sacraments improfitable to himself yet can they not make them lying and deceitfull signes but that in the Lords ordinance they are unto all and therfore also unto them his true signes and faithfull seals on his part of forgivenes of synns and life eternal For shall the infidelitie of man turne the truth of God into a lye God forbid Answ. I have before answered that all Gods ordinances are in them selves and on his part holy faithfull and true They are true seals of forgivenes of synns but to such as are worthy partakers of them in faith otherweise they seale judgment unto men 1 Cor. 11. 27. 28 29. And it is not his ordinance that open and obstinate idolaters and wicked men should administer or receive them Ezek. 44. 9. Numb 15. 30. 31. Levit. 7. 20. Psalm 〈◊〉 1â— 17. That men may turne the truth of God into a lye the Apostle plainly teacheth Rom. 1. 25. so may they the truth of his ordinances into lyes But the truth of God as it is in himself or his faithfulnes is unchangeable if men beleeve not or sanctifie him not they perish by the judgment of God which is according to trueth and his faithfulnes suffreth him not to save such unless he make them first new creatures and beleevers Joh. 3. 36. 1. Joh. 5. 10. 12. Sixtly he expoundeth Israels death in Hos. 13. 1. to be by the exposition of sundry writers not death in syn but slayn for their synns or their estate overthrowen or neer utter destruction c. Answ. Both may be true that first they were dead in syn and after destroyed civilly for their syn Gods judgmeÌ„ts are according to mens deserts he destroyed not the Amorites Egyptians and other nations til their iniquitie was full Gen. 15. 16. Wherfore to condemne the exposition which I gave because an other consequent folowed upon it as the ruine of Achabs house or the like is no fitme argument And to his many expositors whom he citeth I oppose one greater then all even th'Apostle in Rom. 11. before spoken of who sheweth the election of grace to be in the 7000 that worshiped not Baal and not in the multitude of the Baalists And if they were not of the election of grace then were they dead in syn though he and many say the contrary Finally he alleageth the sayings of the Prophet before and after The Lord found Iakob in Bethel and there he spake with us c Therfore turne thou to thy God c. Hos. 12. 4. 5. 6. 9. And yet am J the Lord thy God from the land of Egypt and thou shalt know no God but me I did know thee in the wildernes c. Hose 13. 4. 5. Answ. I have before shewed that the prophets speak to Israel as a corporation or body which after a sort continueth one and the same through many generations when yet as touching their particular persons or generations they are different contrary as godly fathers in the state of grace and life may beget wicked children without grace and in state of death Ezek. 18. 9. 10. 13. 14. 17. 18. c. So the King of Tyre had been in Eden the garden of God a proselyte in the Church Ezek. 28. 13. not that heathen king then living but his predecessor Huram long before 1. King 5. So Paul speaketh of the Iewes cast away of God as the same people till their last calling Rom. 11. And I doubt not but a man preaching to convert them at this day might apply unto them the like sayings I am the Lord thy God from the land of Egypt thou shalt know no God but me J led thee in the wildernes c. But alwayes in such general phrases the promises of grace belong onely to such as beleeve and turne to the Lord the others that remaine hardned shall perish And hitherto of his exceptions against the scriptures which I cited although as I shewed if they had continued Gods true church in the land yet wheÌ„ they were for obstinacie in their synns cast