Quarto's in this Volume we must tell the Reader before hand that the sixt Book of Divine Essence Attributes Providence will not administer to him either the delight or the profit we intended unless God move the hearts of them that have the MS. Copie of the Treatise of Prodigies or Divine Forewarnings betokening Blood which certainly was perfected by the Authour lent or lost in his life time to produce it that it may be annexed to the sixt Book to which of due it appertaines The 4. Particular will give the Reader notice what Subject Matters he is to expect handled in the 11. Book But before we name them he must be reminded that the Authour had in the 9. Book come as farre as the Article of Christs Ascension reckoning Inclusivé in the 39. Chapter of that Book had tackt That Article to the next of His Session at the Right-Hand of God Now the respective Ends or Effects of Christs Ascension into heaven and of His Session at the Right-Hand of Majestie were some of them of Immediate and if I may so say of a Transient dispatch And such I take it were His prepareing a place for his Elect Ones His Consecrating the heavenly Sanctuarie and setting open the Kingdom of Heaven to all Believers His sending the Holy Ghost in the Grace of comfort Gifts of tongues c. Some are of constant Vse and continue in Esse unto this day so shall unto the worlds end as the Providential Government of His Church and the rest of the world in order to the affaires of his Church which He administers as Lord the Exercise of His Sacerdotal Office which he executes as Christ some shall be manifested at the end of time of this sinfull world when He shall come in great power and Glory to Judge both quick dead What this Authour hath said upon any of these Heads in his Books already printed the Reader if he will take the paines to search may find Of the following Generals with their incident subordinate particulars doth the Eleventh Book treat Of Christs Session at the Right-Hand of God the Grammatical Sense of the words the Real Dignitie answering to them viz. The Exaltation of Christ And whether He was exalted as the Son of God or as the Son of David An excellent state of the question about Ubiquitie Of Christs Lordship or Dominion Of His Coming to Judgement Of the Final Sentence to be awarded by Him to All. Of the Resurrection of the Dead From thence He shall come to Judge the quick and the Dead Of Life Everlasting not the merit of man but the Gift of God and Death the wages of sin So that it is plain the Eleventh Book reflects upon The Resurrection of the Body and Life Everlasting or resumes the Article of Christs Sitting at the Right-Hand of God and withall proceeds to the Next and to the Two last 16. I Expect the Intelligent Reader will Ask where He may find handld the Articles concerning God the Holie Spirit the holy Catholick Church the Communion of Saints the Forgiveness of Sins I must referr the proposer of this rational question which deserves a better answer then I can give it to the Authors owne words Which he may find in the first page of His Treatise Of The Holy Catholick Faith and Church which in the Catalogues of his Works for orders sake is reckon'd the 12. Book of his Commentaries and whereof the first part of three intended was published 1627. In my Comments on the Creed Saith Hee I did Sequester Four points from the Body of the Work The First was the Doctrin Of the most Holie and most Blessed Trinitie So he did intend to Handle the Commandements by way of Catechism to be set down by way of Prayer Soliloquie not of Schoole-Dispute The Second The Holie Catholick Church The Third The Communion of Saints The Fourth The Remission of Sins Points which I cannot Handle in that order they be propounded in the Creed without Interruption of my Method intended So that I have out of Choice reserved these for peculiar Treatises THE AUTHORS Book then of the Holie Catholick Faith Church 't is more then plain The Holie Catholick Church referres to the Article of And for the rest of his Books or Tracts hereafter to be published when they come abroad they must bear some Tessera or Recognizance to signifie their Retainance or to which of the 12. Christian Predicaments they are to be reduced 17. I have yet Two things to recommend unto the Reader The One I humbly present to the Consideration of the Nobilitie Gentrie of the Land who have the Honour Blessing Longo Sanguine Censeri This Author as his manner all-a-long is to open the Earth shew the Out-Burst of the spring leave the Well to be digged by him that meanes to dwell upon the Plat hath page 19. 31. moved a Querie well worth their most exquisite indagation and pursuit 'T is This whether Parents of both sexes may not by frequent voluntarie Commission of some sinnes improve the Corruption of nature in their Children to an Height above the ordinarie Taint descending from Adam or coming from Sin meerely Original not intended by unnecessary affected actual or habitual Transgressing Would any of Them now in this their privacie or vacation please Philosophari to think upon it and Commend their meditations to the world they would be more acceptable and more imperative of practise Coming from themselves consequently be more Contributive to the Revival of virtue unto an Heroical Degree 18. The other is to those of the Clergie who teach the people Knowledge for that end do seek acceptable words out of writings upright and True as for the pretended Favorites of the Spirit it is in vain to speak to them He that has Compassion on the poor ignorant multitude even destroyed for lack of Knowledge of Principles contained in their Creed Catechism c. And a mind to tread in the Good Old way for Aedification of the poor of the Flock may find in this Authors Works matter proper for every Dominical Festival through the year especially for the special ones that is those that Commemorate the Great Benefits received by Christ As also for occasions of Administring Both Sacraments marriages Funerals Fasts c. But let me tell him The Gold he is to find beat out doth somtimes lie in so smal a Compass that unless he observe well he may over-run it For an Experiment he may see 1 grain taken by me beaten out into divers Leaves And for expounding Texts of Scripture this Author seems to have a felicitie not ordinary Oft-times when he pretends but to take One verse he illuminates the Reader in the Epicycle of the Context nay in the next Orbe I mean the Parallel be it in the old or new Testament But the Magisterium of his excellencie
or at least of the increase or abundance of it in the world The Apostles meaning is that the Law was given as a praeparative Physick or medicine to let such as were sick of sin as all were before the Law was given understand in what danger they were or to give them notice of the abundance of corruption which was so deeply seated in their Nature that it could not be throughly purged by the Law which only set sin a working that men might seek more eagerly after a Better medicine to wit Faith in Christ That this was our Apostles true meaning in this place is apparent from the Parallel-passages to these Romanes Chap. 7. 7. what shall we say then is the Law sin God forbid Nay I had not known sin that is I had not taken true notice of the measure or danger of it but by the Law for I had not known Lust except the Law had said Thou shalt not Covet The Law to which these words referr is the tenth Commandement wherein the Coveting of some few particulars as of our Neighbours Wife or of his goods is only expresly forbidden But sin taking occasion by this Negative Commandment wrought in our Apostle as he himself testifies all manner of Concupiscence for without the Law sin was dead that is He did not feel the Motions or Paroxysmes of sin untill the Law was laid unto him as a Preparative Medicine unto better Physick And againe ver ninth I was alive without the Law once but when the Commandement came Sâ—n revived and I died And againe ver 11. 12. 13. Sin taking occasion by the Commandement deceived me and by it slew me Wherefore the Law is Holy and the Commandement Holy and just and good Was that then which is good made death unto me God forbid But sin that it might appeare sin working dâ—ath in me by that which is good that sin by the commandement might become exceeding Sinfull It is a Point observable and fully paralel to our Apostles doctrine That the Easterne part of the world did rather loath then long after Circumcision Vntill our Saviours Resurrection and the Apostles peremptory forbidding the practise of it From the former doctrine of our Apostle I have learned satisfaction to a Probleme which had often and long Perplexed my thoughts The Probleme was this Why Men Unto whose care and fidelity a man might safely commit his Fortunes or his life upon their honest word became most carelesse and unfaithfull in matters whereto they are punctually tyed by oath The reason is Because the interposition or obligation by oath is as the coming of a Law which provokes the Corruption of Nature whose longing or lust after things forbidden rather then it should be unsatisfied drawes men otherwise morally honest to become like wayward intemperat Patients which rather chose to nourish the longing humours of the disease or infirmity then to observe the prescription of the Chirurgeon ready to pull off the plaister though with the live-skin or flesh rather then to endure the working of it for a moment 4. But here some have Questioned Whether this Chapter be meant of the Regenerate or Vnregenerate Man A Captious Interrogatorie if Regeneration were but one Act or a resultance of some Few Acts or Conflicts between the Flesh and the Spirit But seeing Regeneration in true Theologie includes Acts almost numberlesse or a Combate somewhat longer then Mortification doth This Chapter if we speak of Christians must be Meant not of the Man truely Regenerated or perfectly Mortified but of a Man Inter Regenerandum during the intermediate Acts or conflicts betwixt the beginning and the Consummation of his * See the 9 Article of the Church of England Regeneration Or if we speake of One that beleeves the Old Testament better then the New as of a Jew or Mahumetane it cannot be meant of a Lawlesse Man but of a man under the hammer of Gods Law given by Moses For there must be a Laying of some Law or Other to the heart before the Conflict here Mentioned can begin or Sin inherent be so Provoked as our Apostle tells us it is 5. Why Sin Originall is more provoked by the Negative then by the Affirmative Precepts He that will diligently peruse our Apostles forementioned Passages Romans 7. in the Language wherein he wrote will easily observe with me That the occasion which Sin tooke By the Law to deceive him as it doth yet to deceive us was from the Negative Precepts or Commandements of the Law not from the Positive or Affirmative Now why the Negative Precepts that one especially Thou shalt not Lust Thou shalt not Covet should a great deale more provoke or more forcibly revive the seeds of Originall Sin inherent in us then the Affirmative Precepts usually doe the Reason is Evident because nothing is nominated or proposed unto us in the Affirmative Precepts but that which in its nature is truely and sincerely Good without the mixture of Evill And being such is more apt to revive or quicken the Notions of the Law of Nature or Reason or those Reliques of Gods Image which remaine in our Nature since our first Parents fall then to Enlive the seeds of sin or to provoke our inclinations unto Evill On the contrary In every Negative Precept there is a Proposall or representation of those things which be in their Nature truely Evill and therefore most apt to incite or provoke our natural Inclinations unto the evill forbidden or to enrage the Reliques of our first Parents sin inherent in Us after the same manner and for the same reason that the representation of red Colours without any other Provocation given is to provoke or stirre the blood of beasts or Cattel which are of a more pure or sanguine Constitution Thus some tame Beasts as Bulls or Kine are aptest to turne man-keen upon such as are cloathed in bright red or Scarlet And a grave Learned ‖ Scortum Hispani generis lepidum ut serebatur formosum mula ut Romae meretrices cum Amatoribus solent animi gratia gestabatur Haec cum venisset ad Thermas Diocletianas Vivarium ferarum ingressa nec contenta cicures vagantes Spectasse precibus contendit aegâ—è impetrat à beluarum Magistro ut ingenti urso cavea separatim incluso sed quem constabat in Neminem antea desaevjisse exitum aperiret Facta potestate ursus erumpit mulam terresacit excussam mulierculam Caeteris qui aderant diffugentibus invadit dictoque citius strangulat contrito capite primùm avulsa ubera deinde natem alteram devorat unguibus dentibus laceratam Esseratam bestiam existimo colore coccineae vestis quam induerat misella speciem sanguinis Praeferentem Sepulveda Epist lib. 2. ep 15. Historian sometimes Chronicler to Charls the Fift in an Epistle of his to his friend relates a sad accident of a Beare which had never been observed to have raged upon Any yet being let loose from
Means much available for strengthening of Faith or for repairing those decayes or ruines which the subtiltie of Satan works in our soules yet the Reiteration of the Sacrament of Baptism is neither Necessary nor allowable much lesse Commendable for such purposes And the Raritie or rather Singularitie of It was to my apprehension Emblematically prefigured by the Sacrifice of the Red Heifer or the Water of sprinkling which was Legally sanctified or consecrated by her Ashes The Law concerning this kind of Purification is not to be found I take it in Leviticus at least not in that sixteenth Chapter wherein the Law of the Sacrifice of attonement is punctually set down However the forementioned Glossarie upon the Romish Canon for consecrating Holy Water either through negligence See Chapt. 48 Num. 6. or ignorance or both avouch that place for it If the sacrifice of the Red Heifer had belonged unto the Feast of attonement it must have been reiterated once every year whereas the Hebrew Antiquaries affirm that this solemnitie was not used above tea times during all the time of the Law of the Tabernacle or Temple And whether it were so often used may be questioned because there is no Law or Precept for the Continuation of it but only for the use of the water of sprinkling being once consecrated by it so often as the occasion specified in the Law did require 2. But unlesse the frequent use of the water so mingled with the ashes did wast or exhaust the ashes of that one sacrifice which Eleazar not Aaron was commanded to offer These might have been preserved without putrifaction for a longer time then the Law of Ceremonies was to endure For Ashes as good Naturalists tell us being well kept are immortal or an Emblem of Immortalitie But it may be that as soon or as often as the Ashes of any such sacrifice were by frequent use of the water of sprinkling exhausted or wasted the Legal Priests were bound by the Law mentioned to offer another for consecrating the water of sprinkling whose use was to continue as long as the reason mentioned in the Law did indure 3. The chief use or End of the water of sprinkling mingled with the Ashes of this sacrifice was to purifie such as had made themselves Legally unclean or had casually fallen into such uncleanness One branch of this uncleanness was the touching or being touched by any Dead Corps And unto this use of the water of sprinkling mentioned Numb 19. 11. that of our Apostle Heb. 9. 14. hath special Reference more then Allusion How much more shall the bloud of Christ purge our Consciences from DEAD works That this Legal Sacrifice for sinne was an Exquisite Type of Christs Bloudy Death and sufferings or an exact picture of his bloud wherewith the heavenly Sanctuary or Holy places were purified although the bloud of this Legal sacrifice were not brought into the Earthly Sanctuary no good Writers which I have read either deny or question That the Water of sprinkling consecrated by the aspersion of the Ashes of this Legal Sacrifice did truely resemble the water of Baptism by which we are washed from sin and consecrated unto God as clean persons that is made members of his Church here on earth is so evident in it self that it needs no Paraphrase or Laborious Comment upon the fore-cited Law Yet to this purpose the learned Reader may find much pertinent matter in Chytraeus his Comments upon the Book of Numbers and in many others It will be more needful or better suiting with my intentions in this place to prevent the captious exceptions which some Anti-Papists have heretofore taken and now resume against the expressions of our Publick Liturgie in that Part of it which concerns the Administration of Baptism Almighty and everlasting God which of thy great mercie diddest save Noah and his Familie in the Ark from perishing by water and also diddest safely lead the children of Israel through the red sea figuring thereby thy holy Baptism and by the Baptism of thy wel-beloved Son Iesus Christ diddest sanctifie the floud Iordan and all other waters to the mystical washing away of sin We beseech thee for thine infinite mercies that thou wilt mercifully look upon these Children Sanctifie them and wash them with the holy Ghost that they being delivered from thy wrath may be received into the Ark of Christs Church and being stedfast in faith joyful through hope and rooted in charity may so passe the waves of this troublesome world that finally they may come to the land of everlasting life there to reign with thee world Without end through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen Seeing now dearly beloved Brethren that these Children be regenerate and grafted into the body of Christs Congregation let us give thanks unto God for these Benefits and with one accord make our prayers unto Almightie God that they may lead the rest of their life according to this beginning We yeild thee heartie thanks most merciful Father that it hath pleased thee to regenerate this Infant with thy holy Spirit to receive him for thine own Child by adoption and to incorporate him into thy holy Congregation and humbly we beseech thee to grant that he being dead unto sin and living unto righteousness and being buried with Christ in his death may crucifie the old man and utterly abolish the whole body of sin that as he is made partaker of the death of thy Son so he may be partaker of his resurrection so that finally with the residue of thy holy congregation he may be Inheritor of thine everlasting Kingdom through Christ our Lord. Amen 4. It is no part of our Churches Doctrin or meaning that the washing or sprinkling infants bodyes with Consecrated water should take away sinnes by it's own immediate Vertue To affirm thus much implies as I conceive a Contradiction to that Apostolical doctrin The like figure whereunto even Baptism doth also now save us not the putting away the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good Conscience towards God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ who is gone into heaven c. 1. Pet. 3. 21. The meaning of our Church intends no further then thus That if this Sacrament of Baptism be duely administred the blood or bloody Sacrifice of Christ or which is all one the Influence of his spirit doth alwaies accompany or is Concurrent to this solemn Act. But whether this Influence of his spirit or Vertual presence of his body and blood be either immediatly or only terminated to the soul and spirit of the party Baptized or have some vertual influence upon the water of Baptism as a mean to convey the Grace of Regeneration unto the soule of the partie Baptized whilest the water is poured upon him is Too Nice and curious a Question in this Age for sober Christians to debate or contend about It may suffice to beleive that this Sacramental pledge hath a Vertual Presence of Christs Blood or some Real
Justification One By Christ's Death Another By his Resurrection from the Dead or Two Imputations of his Rightcousness Surely neither Justification nor Imputation of Christs Righteousness Consists in One Single Act both admitt divers Degrees or Parts or rather contain a Long Processe The best way to assoyl the Difficultie proposed will be First to set forth the proper effects or Duties of our Beliefe as it is terminated to Christs Death and Sufferings Secondly the Proper Issues or Effects of our Beleife of his Resurrection from the Dead We believe that by his Death our sins even the sins of the world were taken away That Adam and All that came of Him were thus farre redeemed by Him as to be set Free deâ— Jure from the Bondage of Satan and purchased as a peculiar people to himself Thus we often read that we are redeemed by his blood shed on the Cress that is By that One Sacrifice of Himself the Ransom of Mankinds Redemption was fully payd Of this all men are bound to have full Assurance and in respect of this General t is truely said Fides est Fiducia Faith is a Confidence in the Blood of Christ And thus firmely Believing our Faith is imputed or reckoned to Us for Righteousness as it was to Abraham 2. But many may be Redeemed from Captivitie yet have a desire to continue in the Land or Territories of their former Captivitie or no great desire to be transported out of it into a safer soyl Some with Gryllus in the Poet desire rather to continue Swine then to be Re-transformed into the Image of God And unto These Christs Death is not available shall not be imputed unless it be to their greater Condemnation But from the General Confidence that Christ hath redeemed us from the bondage of Satan and Curse of the Law the Church our Mother hath wisely and piously ordained that all professing Christianitie yea Infants born of Christian Parents or Others exposed by their incredulous Parents to the Tuition of the Church shall be forthwith transported out of the Hemisphere of darkness into the Sphere of Light to be visibly ingrafted into the mystical Body of Christ The Duty whereto all such as are thus transported are bound is to promise and Vow Obedience unto Christ as to their sole Lord and Redeemer To forsake the Divel and all his workes the pompes and vanities of this wicked world and all the sinfull lusts of the flesh and to fight manfully under Christs Banner unto their lives end that is to take up their Cross and follow him and as he dyed for them so to be ready to lay down their lives for the brethren if need require in his service or to use our Apostles words Phil. 2. 5. To put on the same mind which was in Christ Jesus who being in the form of God thought it no robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in likeness of men and being found in fashion of a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the Death of the Cross Vers 6 7 8. Another not altogether so diverse as rather the same immediate and formal Effect of our Belief in Christs bloody Sacrifice on the Cross is Dayly to offer up the sacrifice of a broken Heart of an humble and contrite spirit And for offering this Sacrifice every man must in part be his own Priest and Confessor that he may be partaker of the blessing and Grace of the High Priest of our soules from his Heavenly Sanctuary where he sits at the right hand of God CHAP. LIII Christs Parable 12. Math. 43. c. applyed Two degrees of Reconciliation the first Active or but meere-Grammatically Passive The other Real-Passive So correspondently Two Branches of Justification The One from Christs Death The Other from the benefit of His Priesthood dayly participated to us 1. TO proceed thus farr in the Knowledge of Jesus Christ and of Him Crucified and in the practice of Christian Duties Concomitant to such Knowledge is more I am afraid or rather fully perswaded then most of such as take upon them to seal Assurance to themselves and to others of their salvation by Markes and Tokens of the Elect of their own coyning have rightly got by Heart And yet to rest secure upon these Grounds though learned by heart of their personal Salvation or irreversible Estate in Grace or in Gods Favour doth open a gap unto hellish Hypocrisie which our Saviour himself hath commanded us to beware of or rather to shut it out as it is in that parable Mat. 12. 43 44 45. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man he walketh through dry places seeking rest and findeth none Then he saith I will return into my house from whence I came Out and when he is come he findeth it empty swept and garnished Then goeth he and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked then himself and they enter in and dwell there and the last state of that man is worse then the first Even so shall it be also to this wicked generation For the right application of this Parable to the Jews with whom our Saviour there disputes as also unto men of this and former Ages I referr the Reader to Jansenius and Maldonate in their Learned Comments upon this place but especially to Jansenius 2. Thus much is sufficient to our present purpose and thus much is most cleare That it is not the Sweeping or garnishing of the heart or emptiness of such vices as do raign in the hearts of Infidels and give Satan possession of them all which may be wrought by the serious consideration of Christs death Passion and by the imputation of his Merits that can secure us from further assaults of Satan to our final destruction Rather for us to presume upon these without Experiments without a continual Guard upon our own soules is but as if a man having beaten his adversaries out of his house should set up his staffe or sword or other instrument of warre without the door to entice his enemie by this opportunitie to make forcible entrance when he is least aware To what End then doth the Contemplation of Christs death or the Imputation of his merits serve us Do these beget no portion or degree of any Certaintie of our Estate in Christ or of Salvation Yes they alwaies bring forth a Certainty though not of Faith yet of Hope that God in his Good time will accomplish these good beginnings and crown them with more then a Moral with an Experimental certainty or assurance of our Estate in Grace For Regulating our perswasions in this point there can be no better Rule then that of our Apostle Rom. 5. Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom also we have access by Faith into his Grace wherein we stand and rejoyce in hope of the Glorie
reason then why the Body of Christ is not or ought not to be often offered is not because all our sinnes were actually remitted by the once offering of it or remitted before they were committed but because the substance or matter of the sacrifice is of the same force at this day to remit sinnes that it was of whilest it was offered For his humane nature was consecrated by death and by his bloody Passion to be a sacrifice of everlasting Vertue to be the continual propitiation for our sinnes 7 If either the actual sinnes of all men Christs Resurrection our baptism needless if sinnes be remitted before they be committed or the sinnes of the Elect in speciall had been so remitted by Christs death as some conceive they were that is absolutely pardoned before they were committed there had been no end or use of Christs Resurrection in respect of us no need of Baptism yet was Baptism from the hour of his resurrection necessarie unto all that did beleive in his death and resurrection The urgent and indispensable necessitie of Baptism especially in respect of actual beleivers is not any where more Emphatically intimated than in St. Peters Answer to the Jewes Whose hearts were pierc't with sorrow that they had been the causes of Christs death They in this stound or sting of Conscience demand Men and brethren what shall we do and Peter answered them Repent and be Baptized Every one of you In the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sinnes And they that gladly received the word were Baptized the same day Acts 2. 37 38 41. These men had been deeply tainted with sin not original onely but with sinnes actual of the worst kind guiltie they were in a high degree of the death of the Son of God yet had they as well their actual as their original sinnes remitted by Baptism It is then an unsound and imperfect Doctrin that sin original onely is taken away or remitted by Baptism for whatsoever sinnes are remitted or taken away by Christs death the same sins are in the same manner remitted and taken away by Baptism into his death actual sinnes are remitted in such as are guiltie of actual sinnes when they are baptized though onely sin Original be actually remitted in those which are not guiltie of actual sinnes as in Infants No mans sinnes are actually remitted before he be actually guilty of them 8. The Question is how either sin original is remitted or how any work of Satan is dissolved by Baptism And this Question in the General is righly resolved by saying They are remitted by faith But this general Resolytion sufficeth not unless we know the Object of our Faith in this particular Now the particular Object of our Faith of that faith by which sinnes whether by Baptism or otherwise are remitted is not our general Belief in Christ even our belief of Christ dying for us in particular will not suffice unlesse it include our Belief of the Everlasting Vertue of his bloudie Sacrifice and of his everlasting Priest-hood for purifying and cleansing our soules No sinnes be truly remitted unless they be remitted by the Office or exercise of his Priest-hood and whilest so remitted they are not remitted by any other Sacrifice then by the sole vertue of his body and bloud which he once offered for all for the sinnes of all It is not the Vertue or Efficacie of the consecrated water in which we were washed but the vertue of his Bloud which was once shed for us and which by Baptism is sprinkled upon us or communicated unto us which immediately cleanseth us from all our sinnes From this everlasting Vertue of this his bloudy Sacrifice Faith by the ministerie of baptism is immediatly gotten in such as had it not before And in such as have Faith before they be baptized the guilt of Actual sinns is remitted by the exercise or Act of Faith as it apprehends the everlasting Efficacy of this sacrifice and by the prayer of faith and supplication unto our High Priest Faith then is as the mouth or appetite by which were receive this food of Life and is a good sign of health but it is the food itself received which must continue health and strengthen spiritual life in us and the food of life is no other then Christs Body and Bloud and it is our High Priest himself which must give us this food Baptism saith St. Peter 1 Pet. 3. 20. doth save us what Baptism doth save us not the putting away the filth of the flesh yet this is the immediate effect of the water in baptism but the answer or stipulation of a good conscience towards God But how doth this kind of Baptism or this concomitant of Baptism save us The Apostle in the same place tells us by the resurrection of Jesus Christ The answer or stipulation of a good conscience includes an illumination of our spirits by the Spirit of God a qualification by which we are made sonnes of Light being before the sonnes of darkness But That by this qualification we become the sonnes of Light That this qualification is by baptism wrought in us That by this qualification however wrought in us we are saved from our sinnes All this is immediately from the vertue of Christs Resurrection That is as you have heard before he was consecrated by the sufferings of death to be an everlasting Priest and by his resurrection from death his body and bloud became an everlasting Propitiation for sinnes an inexhaustible Fountain of Grace by which we are purifyed from the dead works of sinne 9. It is true again that in the Sacrament of Christs Body and Bloud there is a propitiation for our sinnes because He is really present in it who is the propitiation for our sinnes But it no way hence followes that there is any propitiatorie sacrifice for sin in this Sacrament He becomes the propitiation for our sinnes he actually remits our sinnes not directly and immediately by the Elements of Bread and Wine nor by any other kind of Local Presence or Compresence with these Elements than is in Baptism The Orthodoxal Antients use the same Language for expressing his Presence in Baptism and in the Eucharist they stick not to say that Christ is present or Latent in the water as well as in the Elements of Bread and Wine Their meaning is that neither of these Elements or sensible substances can directly cleanse us from our sinnes by any vertue communicated unto them or inherent in them but only as they are pledges or assurances of Christs peculiar presence in them and of our true investiture in Christ by them We are not then to receive the Elements of bread and wine only in remembrance that Christ dyed for us but in remembrance or assurance likewise that his body which was once given for us doth by its everlasting Vertue preserve our bodies and souls unto everlasting Life and that his bloud which was but once shed for us doth
Exercise of his Everlasting Sacerdotal Function To this later part of the Knowledge of Christ and him Crucified c. that Knowledge which in Philosophie or in other Sciences we call à Posteriori that is which we gather from the Effect or learn by Experience doth answer in a true kind of subproportion Unto this Second Part of the Knowledge of Christ somewhat more is required then hath been expressed in the Former Part betwixt which and those Scientifical Conclusions in Sciences which we call à Priori there is perfect Analogie or Correspondency Somewhat or a great deal more then such Knowledge of God and of his Providence as most of the School-men or Historians whether Ecclesiastical or Secular do present unto us 3. Cyprian The knowledge of our selves the best method to know God or Christ Vt Deum cognoscas saith an Ancient and Pious Father Teipsum prius cognosce we must learn to know our selves before we can attain unto the true or perfect knowledge of God whether as He is our Creator our Redeemer or our Sanctifier And this true knowledge of our selves hath a double Aspect the one unto the Estate from which the other unto the Estate into which we are fallen The chief if not the only Reason Why the God-head or Eternal Son-ship of Christ Jesus is in this last Age questioned Why his Meritorious Satisfaction for the Sins of the World is by some flatly denied is Because the Parties this way peccant or such as can with Christian patience or without disgust read or hear their Discourses do not know themselves either in the Individual as they are Mortal Men and tainted with many Actual Sins or in the General as they are the Sons of Adam They understand not the Prerogatives that Man had in his first Creation above other Creatures nor yet trouble their thoughts How that which They and We call Sin found first Entrance into the World How it hath been propagated throughout all Mankind or what be the special Properties the true Effects or Power of it Now without the Knowledge or serious Consideration of all these Points it is impossible for Us for any Man to take a true much lesse a full or competent Estimate of Christs Sufferings upon the Crosse or of the Efficacy of his Resurrection from the Dead of the Fruits of the Spirit which he promised to all his Followers upon his Ascension into Heaven and sitting at the Right Hand of God the father SECT I. Of the First Mans Estate and the Manner How He lost it How Sin found Enterance into the World Of the Nature of Sin How it was and is propagated unto Adam's Posterity CHAP. I. Of the Primaeval Estate of the First Man and of the variety of Opinions about it 1. More Contention then Contradiction about the First Mans Estate ABout the Prerogatives or Praeeminences of the First Man over and above all others which by Natural Descent have sprung from him a great variety of Opinions there is more then is about the Limitation or Extent of the Prerogative Royal in most Kingdoms Christian as now they stand But the several Opinions contained within this great and spacious variety concerning the Estate or Prerogatives of the First Man are in my opinion very compatible Few or none of them contradict others And it is the Part of Divines by Profession not to sow any seeds of contention between the Authors or Abetters of several Opinions which in their nature imply no Contradiction Yea in times Ancient and unpartial it hath been accounted one special part of Priests or Profest Divines to solicite or Mediate for Compromise between Parties at difference whether in Matters Civil or Criminally Capital much more to Endeavour for Reconciliation of Opinions or Controversies properly belonging to their own profession 2. Now it is confessed by all good Christians that the First man was made in or according to the Image of God which made him But wherein this Image of God or the Live Copy of it exhibited in the First Man did properly or chiefly consist is a Probleme wherein Many good Writers both Ancient and Modern do sowmewhat Vary Some would have the Prerogatives which did result from the likenesse of God imprinted upon the First Man to consist principally in that Power or Dominion which He had over all other visible or sublunary Creatures But though it be true of these present times as it was of former That Dominium non fundatur in Fide id est Kings and Supream Governours have their Right of Dominion over their Subjects or Inferiors albeit such Kings and Governours have not at any time been true Christians or have degenerated from such Christian Faith as they have sometimes professed or maintained yet without all controversie that Soveraignty or Dominion which the First Man had over all other visible Creatures was founded upon that Integrity of soul or Righteousnesse inherent which He lost Since the First Man and his Successors became Corrupt in all their wayes that Primaeval Dominion which the First Man had did cease by Degrees to be so entire as once it was Nor is there any Hope to have it fully restored unto any Soveraignty or prvate Members of any Soveraignty or Kingdom in this Life Nor are all they which well agree in this General That the First Mans Similitude with his Maker did radically and punctually consist in Righteousness and Integrity of Soul and Body at so fair accord among themselves Wherein this Righteousnesse or Integrity did properly or formally consist or of what Rank or Order it was CHAP. II. Wherein the Righteousness of the First Man did Consist 1. Original righteousnesse no supernatural Grace MAny Great Divines or Doctors heretofore have been and some or rather Many to this day there be who peremptorily determine and would perswade Others either by their Authority or by Reason to believe That the Righteousnesse of the First Man did formally consist in a peculiar Grace Supernatural even to Him If this Opinion were true the same Grace should have been more then Supernatural to his successors supposing that they continued by natural propagation in the same State and Condition wherein the First Man was Created To maintain this opinion That the Righteousnesse or Integrity of the First Man did consist in a supernatural Grace the Romish Church specially since the publishing of the Canons of the Trent Councel is deeply engaged For unlesse this Postulatum or Supposition be granted Many Dogmatical Resolutions which the whole Christian World is by the Romish Church bound to believe sub poenae Anathematis that is under penalty of that Churches solemn Curse or everlasting Damnation cannot possibly or with any Mediocrity of Probability be maintained The Points of Belief which from this Postulatum or supposition That the Righteousness wherein the First Man was Created was a Grace Supernatural might with some probability be maintained are principally these 2. First That Sin which we and the Romish
Condition required unto the salvation of the weaker sex as our Apostle hath it 1 Tim. 2. 15. Notwithstanding she shall be saved in Child-bearing if she continue in faith and charity and holinesse with sobriety And so is abstinence from some peculiar sins or from Occasions of temptations to such sins as their Progenitors have been most prone unto more peremptorily required in their Children then in Other Men whose Ancestors or Progenitors have not been tainted with the like sins nor obnoxious to like temptations 4. Whether all branches of sin Original do necessarily spring from our first Parents Sin But here if any man be otherwise minded or disposed to contradict what I have said or shall briefly say Concerning this point I professe I shall not be willing to debate the Probleme any further with him Only I must for mine own part protest that there never yet arose any doubt or question between me and my most retired thoughts Whether there may not be and are sundry particular Branches of sin or natural inclinations unto Evil propagated from intermediate Parents unto their Children or Families for many Generations which do not by any Natural Necessity grow out of that Original Stem or Root of Corruption whereof all of us are partakers by the Fall of our First Parents Yet I would intreat the Reader to take this Consideration along with him That such Hereditary ill dispositions or inclinations to some peculiar vices as we mean may abate remit or revive and be improved through several successions or collateral Lines of the same Stem unto which they are for some generations Hereditary or finally expire after the same manner that similitude of bodily Lineaments feature or visages do vary alter or expire in many Ancient families Some Children being more true pictures of their Great Grand-fathers or Grand-fathers or great Uncles then of their immediate Parents Others again more like their immediate parents then to any of their Ancestors whether by father or mother Concerning the Cause or manner How similitudes of feature of bodily Lineaments or visages do or may abate or remit in the first or second Descent and revive in third or fourth Vid. inter alios Franciscum Valleriolam in comm in Hippocr this the Reader must learn from Philosophers or Physitians as Aristotle or Galen which of purpose have searched into this secret of Nature For illustration of the maner how hereditary indispotions of the heart or affections may abate revive or expire in the several Descents of families the determination of that moral Probleme An nobilitas generis desinat in uno vitioso will be pertinent Now that Nobility of Bloud or those inclinations unto Heroical vertues for which some Ancient Families have been famous do not necessarily cease or expire through the vitiousnesse of one Succession was a point determined in the Schools when I first knew them And Experience may teach a Long-Liv'd Observant man that Two vitious or lewde Successors do not oftentimes so abate or utterly dead those seeds of vertue which were propagated to them from their Ancestors but that they may revive or be improved in the Fourth Generation or Descent The abating reviving or expiring of them depends most upon their Education And so doth the abatement or improvement of Original Sin or inclinations unto Evil. Even that Corruption of Nature which we necessarily draw from the losse of Paradise is not equal in all the sons of Adam though it be most true That every one of us is as truly tained with it as any Other Again though it be universally true That all men are by Nature Sinners all destitute of the Grace of God Yet is it no part of this Vniversal truth to deny That some Race or Brood of Men are from their birth or Conception much more by Education more gracelesse then Others are And yet for such as have the least measure of sin whether Original Habitual or Actual Or for men as we terme them of Sweet Dispositions or Good nature it is as impossible to be freed from Natural Servitude unto sin without the Special Grace of God in Christ as it is for the greatest Sinners or most Gracelesse Brood of men The best of us even after the participation of Grace in some degree have a greater measure of one or other kind of sin then we take notice of or then we can Learn from most Professors of Divinity which have purposely undertaken to Decypher the nature and haynousnesse of it CHAP. XII Containing the true and solid Definition of sin whether Original or Acquired by vitious Acts or dispositions 1. THe best attempt that I have read or heard to this purpose was made long ago by One who hath been so buffeted on both sides which he sought to teach or instruct as would make an ordinary Souldier in our Christian warfare afraid either to be his Second or to come unto his Rescue Illyricus his Definition of Sin Original how far blamable how farr Commendable Flaccius Illyricus I mean a man most happy in Political undertakings and atchivements which were rather below then beyond his profession Yet in his Treatise Concerning the Nature of Original Sin or the nature of sin in general Two wayes unfortunate First in that he was not so profound a Philosopher or exquisite Artist as it were fitting Every Divine which will undertake to handle this part of Divinity or others which have connexion with it should be Secondly in that he was a better Philosopher and more exquisite Artist by much then such Divines whether in reformed Churches or others which have taken upon them to rectifie or confute his Errors These for the most part run a wider Byaz on the left hand towards the Nominals then he doth on the right hand from the Real Philosophers or Divines This man went the right way to his work and begun it like a good Artist by defining or displaying the Nature or Essence of Original Righteousness before he entred into that dispute Concerning the Nature of Original Sin or unrighteousnesse He rightly and upon demonstrative grounds denies Original Righteousness to be any quality supernatural any Accident or property adventitious to the Humane nature if we consider that in the Estate wherein it was first created Nor did he commit any error much lesse incur any censure of Heresie by avouching Original Righteousness to have been the Essential form of man if he had expressd his meaning with this addition or limited his expressions thus As the First man was the work of God or considered as he was created in His Image For as I am forced often to repeat there were not in mans Creation Two works of God really distinct either in order of nature or in respect of time nor so distinct as that The One might be imagined to be the Nature of the first man or of Gods image in Him The other a Coronation of his Nature or image of God with a Grace or righteousnesse supernatural
Flesh or seriously intends this work of Mortification that Habitually or customarily Doth Any of The Works by him mentioned But this Point will come more fitly to be handled in discussing the Second Branch or Member of the First of our Three General Enquiries propounded in the fore part of This Chapter which was Concerning the Extent of this Precept or Duty or how farr we are to Mortifie the Deeds of the Body that we may Live CHAP. XXIX How farre the Duty of Mortification is Universal How farre Indefinite 1. Mortification Vniversal in respect of mens Persons not so in respect of the Duty to be performed THe Question concerning the Extent of this Duty is Twofold First it is to be considered in Respect of the Persons whom this Duty of Mortification concerns Secondly in respect of the Duty it self or matter injoyned Many Propositions there be which are Vniversal in respect of the Persons and but Indefinite in respect of the Thing it Self or matter proposed As contrariwise other Propositions or Precepts there be which are of Vniversal Extent in respect of the matter proposed or Duty injoyned and but Indefinite in respect of the Persons whom they concern In respect of the Matter proposed or Duty injoyned in this Place this Proposition is not Vniversal No man is tied under the strict Penalty of damnation to an Vniversal or Total Mortification of the Flesh Unto a Mortification of all the Deeds of the Flesh Every man is bound But not to a Total Mortification of every Work of the Flesh in respect of All the Degrees of it for so no Flesh should be saved But of the Limitation of this Proposition in respect of the Duty it self we shall have better occasion to speak hereafter In respect of the Persons which are to perform this Duty The Precept is Vniversally and absolutely true of ALL that are indued with Reason and are capable of instruction ALL are bound to MORTIFIE the Deeds of the Flesh without Exception of any mans Person Kings are as strictly bound under pain of Damnation to perform This Duty as the Subjects are and subjects as strictly bound under the same penalty as Magistrates are For God is no accepter of Persons And Gods Will which is the Rule of Faith will not warrant any man of what degree soever to presume upon any Exemption from the Duty it self no not to hope for a Dispensation 2. 'T is a Question well moved by some Schoolmen Ad quid teneatur homo cum primùm venerit ad usum rationis What is the first Duty or Consideration whereunto Every one is tied after he once come to the use of reason Their Answer for the most part is not so pertinent or satisfactory Vid. Victor Relect. 13. pag. 642 c. as the Question is useful ☜ And no place of Scripture affords a fitter Answer to the Question proposed then these words of S. Paul do For seeing as He saith the works of the Flesh are manifest and as we may adde in a manner Evident to Every mans Sense Every one when he first comes to the use of Reason may with more Facility or lesse Observation apprehend the truth and necessity of This Duty then he can do many other Precepts of life which in their rank and order are necessary likewise unto Salvation No point of Belief is more Evident or sensible to the natural man then the Corruption or imperfection of his nature Some meer naturalists such I mean as knew no other Article of Christian Faith have delivered their minds in a manner Orthodoxally concerning this point to wit About The General Deficiency or imperfection of Nature in Man No Christian man which sees thus much but sees withall the Enemies against whom he is to fight and may from Experiments in himself answerable to this Rule of our Apostle perceive a Necessity laid upon him either of killing them or of being killed by them Besides the apprehension of this Necessity which ordinarily inspires Cowards with Valour Every Christian stands ingaged by SOLEMN Vow made in Baptism to undertake this Fight For the First Branch of THAT TRIPLE Vow is To forsake the Devil all his Works the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh The duty of Mortification here injoyned consists in the Performance of this Part of our Vow And seeing this is the first Service unto which we are ingaged by that Solemn Vow the Answer to the Question proposed by the School-Men must be this The First Duty whereunto every man is tied when he comes to the use of Reason is the Consideration of this Duty and the undertaking of Christs Battel against the Devil the World and the Flesh The First March or progresse or rather the first Preparation to this Battel is the serious Apprehension of the Necessity of Mortification 3. Howbeit even This Preparation is though not directly or in express Terms yet by necessary Consequence or in Effect denied by the Romish Church and by some others who have professed themselves Members of the present English Church For All they in Effect deny or gainsay the Necessity or Universality of this Duty who teach that Original Sin is utterly taken away or that our Regeneration is instantly and fully wrought by the Sacrament of Baptism That Children rightly Baptized are truly regenerated by the Spirit of God we deny not And in Case being so Baptized they die before they come to the use of Reason or apprehension of This Duty here injoyned yet ought we not to doubt of their Salvation because they have been Baptized and by Baptism made partakers of Regeneration in such a Measure as is requisite and sufficient to their Salvation whilest they are Infants But that Original sin the Lusts of the Flesh or the Old Man should be utterly extinguished or killed in them before their Death we must deny Otherwise we shall Contradict our Apostle in this place and overthrow the Foundation or Ground whereupon this Precept or the Necessity of this Duty is built Now the Ground or Foundation of this Duty is this That All men unto whom this Precept is directed and directed it is to ALL that are Capable of his meaning have sundry deeds of the Flesh sundry Reliques of the Old Man in them And if either Original sin the Reliques of the Old Man or Lusts of the flesh be to be Mortified in All when they first come to the use of Reason they could not be utterly abolished or dead before For to kill or Mortifie that which is already dead or without all sense or motion is impossible 4. Original sin not utterly extinguished by Baptism If Original sin or the Old Man with his members be utterly extinguished in young Infants by Baptism I demand how possibly they could revive in the same Parties after they have put off Infancy or Child-hood or as soon as they come to the use of Reason For these being killed or
Work then our Assumption or minor Proposition is Good and the Conclusion will follow if not Certitudine Fidei by the Certainty or Full Assurance of Faith yet by Certainâ—y more then Moral by an Assurance of Hope But if we Mortifie the Deeds of the Body only Now and Then or by Fits Or if we intend this work but slightly or as it were upon the By Then our former Assumption I do mortifie the deeds of the Body is Impertinent and will sooner bring forth Presumption then any Assurance of Hope or Moral Certainty of our Estate in Grace For Conclusion of this Point Let every one of us take heed not to measure our Hopes of Regeneration or Degrees of Mortification by our readinesse or desire to hear the Word Preached until we have examined our selves Whether This Desire in us be a Desire of the Spirit or of the Flesh Or Whether it proceed from True Religion or from Humour or Fashion of the place Certainly if this desire in many were from the spirit or from true Religion it would be more Uniform and like it self in the Practise They would be as ready at least in some good Measure or Proportion to frequent Publick Prayers as to go often unto Publick Sermons For the Faith of Christ can be had no more With Respect of Christian Duties than With Respect or Persons And the same Authoritie whether Divine or Humane or Ecclesiastick from it derived which injoynes us to hear The Word Preached doth more strictly injoyn us to frequent Publick Prayers specially in seasons wherein we are specially required by Authoritie to thank God for our manifold deliverances from the Messengers of his wrath But from what cause soever our desire of hearing the word Preached proceedeth Our backwardness in frequenting publick Prayers without all doubt ariseth from some workes of the Flesh or Reliques of the Old man which must be Crucified 3. They that are Christs saith our Apostle Gal. 5. 2â— have crucified the flesh with the affections and Lusts Take we heed that none of us argue thus I am Christs therefore I have crucified the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts The Apostles meaning is that the safest way for us to know whether we be Christs or no is from this Experiment within our selves if We have crucified the flesh with the affections and Lusts But what doth he mean when he saith The Affections and lusts must be Crucified Doth he require an vtter Extinction or Total Mortification or absolute death of all carnal Affections and Passions before we can be assured that we are Christs No. Such a Total Mortification cannot be hoped for in this Life We are said to be Crucified to the world or to have the Flesh with the Affections Crucified in us First By Profession or Consecration So all that are Baptized into Christ Jesus are said to be Dead to Sin yea to be Buried with him by Baptisme Rom 6. 2. 4. Secondly we are said to be Crucified unto the world or to be Mortified to the Flesh not by Profession only or Resolution but by Practice and this Crucifying or Mortification admits of many Degrees 4. Mortification and Crucifying Termes not â—â—divisible but of Large Extent Crucifying taken in its proper Sense was a most Lingring kind of Death or Torture And men were said to be crucified from the very First Moment of their nayling to the Cross albeit the conflicts betwixt life and death were many and strong for divers houres after Now it is not to be expected that any of us will be as eager or violent in Crucifying our own Flesh as the Jewes were in crucifying our Saviour Seing the Partie to be crucifyed in us is Part of Our Selves we cannot but use it more mildly and gently then the Romans did such as they crucified for Malefactors whom they would not so violently have handled unlesse they had first adjudged them for no members or but for rotten and putrified members of their Body Civil The lesse violent the conflict is between the Spirit and the Flesh or between the Old Man and the New the longer will the Old man live in us the more frequent and sensible his motions will be And finally as he was born with us so he will die with us hardly before us Yet may we be truely said to have Crucified the Old-Man with the Affections and lusts from the verie First Time wherein we begun to nayl them to the Cross of Christ if so we still watch them and seek to quell their Motions by the Spirit They are dayly crucified by Gods Children and yet are daily reviving 5. As often as we receive the Sacrament of the Eucharist with due Preparation Every remembrance or Meditation of Christs Death upon the Cross if it be wrought or managed by the spirit will be as the fastning of A New Nayl into the Old Man or Body of Sin which we carry about with us We cannot think of Christs Death or of the Causes of his Crucifying aright but every thought will be a degree of weakening or enfeebling the Old-Man whom we must by this and the like meanes dayly weaken otherwise he will be our Destruction CHAP. XXXI How the Flesh is Mortified by Vs How by the Spirit This was the Second General Propounded Chapt. 28. And the parts of This Inquiry be Three First In what Sense WE whom this Duty concerns can be said to Mortifie the Deeds of the Body The Second By what Spirit we are to Mortifie them By the Spirit of God by our own Spirit or by Both The Third The Manner and Order of The Spirits Working or of our Working by the Spirit 1. Seeing to Mortifie implies an Action How Man can Mortifie his Flesh THe First Point is most Material and of most use in respect of Modern Controversors If Mortification be as I think none upon better Consideration will deny a True Part of our Conversion How can We be said to Mortifie the Body or Flesh unlesse we may be said to Convert Our Selves which is a Doctrine that Few will like of as being prejudiced by Contrary Tenents much imbraced by men deservedly well approved of by all or most Reformed Churches For Resolution of this Doubt we are in the First place to consider That Regeneration Conversion or Mortification are Termes in their proper Nature Indefinite and so used by the Holy Ghost The Actions or Qualifications comprehended especially under Conversion and Mortification are not of one Rank There is a Conversion Spiritual and a †Conversion or Mortification Spiritual and Moral See the Note at the end of this Section or of Chap. 36. Conversion only Moral There is a Mortification likewise either meerly †Conversion or Mortification Spiritual and Moral See the Note at the end of this Section or of Chap. 36. Moral or truly Spiritual The matter signified or imported by these words Mortification and Conversion whether Moral or Spiritual is not Indivisible Whence it is that we often
Mortification is wrought We are to consider that albeit the Lusts of the Flesh are simply evill yet the Affections wherein they are alwayes seated are in their nature neither simply Good nor simply Evill but of an Indefinite or Indifferent Temper between Moral Goodnesse and that which is Morally Evill They become Good or Evill or at leastwise more or lesse evill according to the several marks at which they aym or the diversitie of the Objects on which they bestow themselves or of the Issues which they find True it is that the Fountain of our Affections is so tainted by Original corruption that no Affections or desires as they issue from the heart of the Natural collapsed man are pure or free from stain or sin yet they become more or Lesse filthy or criminous according to the Course or Current which they take The Fountain of the First Mans Affections was clear and pure yet were his desires polluted by the Vent or Issue which they took as a stream or Rivulet which takes its Original from a pure Rock doth instantly lose its Original Puritie by falling into a muddy Channel or running through a filthy sink especially if the Current by stoppage or other external cause do Reciprocate upon the Fountain or spring On the Contrarie the water which springeth out of a mosse or quagg becomes purer and clearer by taking its course through a Rock or Gravel It being granted then that the verie Fountain of our Affections or desires is polluted and unclean the Mortification whereof we speak is then truely wrought when the natural Affections wherein the Lusts of the flesh are seated are recovered or diverted from the Course of the Flesh and won unto the Conduit of the Spirit The Flesh or deeds of the Body must be Mortified But this mortification must be wrought not by mortifying or destroying but first by purifying then by quickening or reviving the natural Affection wherewith the Lusts of the flesh do mingle as mire or filth doth with water which falls into it or as bad humours do with the blood 4. Lasciviousnesse is reckoned by St. Paul amongst the works of the flesh And Mary Magdalen who had been Notoriously Wanton and Lascivious had this member of the Old man truely Mortified in her without enfeebling or benumming the Affection of Love it self which was as strong in her as ever it had been but set upon its right mark and imployed in the Service of the Spirit She stood saith the Text at our Saviours Feet behind him weeping and began to Wash his Feet with teares and did wipe them with the haires of her head and kissed his feet and annointed them with the oyntment Luk. 7. 38. Thus she did because she Loved much And she Loved much because many sins were forgiven her Her Wanton Love or rather the wantonnesse of her love was truely Mortified by the vivification or Quickening of Spiritual Love in her For the Love of the flesh was mortified by the Love of the Spirit 5. The accomplishment of Mortification consists not in deading but in winning the Affections unto the Spirit Amongst other Deeds of the Body amongst all the Lusts of the Flesh Pride or Ambition is the most dangerous and must be Mortified by the Spirit But wherein doth the true Mortification of it consist Not in Negatives not in an Absolute disesteem of all Honour or disclaiming all desire of praise or reputation For this may stand with Stoical stupiditie or Cynical sloth or nasty proud contempt of the world which kind of temper hath least affinity with that Mortification which becomes a Christian For This requires that the Affection it self remain entire for the service of the Spirit Rom. 6. 19. The Affection out of which Pride or Ambition groweth as a Wen out of a comely Body is a Desire of Praise or Honour Neither is all Desire of any Honour nor the Excessive desire of some Honour a work or lust oâ— the Flesh or any branch of Pride or Ambition which properly consists in the immoderate Desire of that Honour which is from men This indeed is a Lust of the Flesh or Carnal Concupiscence which must be Mortified And the best Method for the Mortification of this Desire is by raising the esteem or price of that Honour which cometh from God This Desire must have the predominant sway in our heart before we can be true Beleevers So our Saviour teacheth us Iohn 5. 44. How can ye beleeve which receive honour one of another and seek not the honour that cometh from God Only Now without true Belief there can be no true Mortification The same Spirit which worketh Faith or Belief in us doth with it and by it give us the true esteem of that Honour which cometh From God Alone The true esteem of this Honour being imprinted upon our soul and spirit doth increase the Desire of it And as the Desire of it is increased Pride and ambition which is but a desire of that Honour which is from Men or from the world must needes decrease and by thus decreasing be truely Mortified 6. Another most dangerous work of the Flesh is Covetousness The mortification of this work or member of the old man doth not consist in a Retchless Temper or neglective Content in Living from hand to mouth without any provident care for Times Future for this is Sottishness The desire of riches is not a sin but a natural Affection which must not be Mortified that is not destroyed but revived and quickened Wherein then doth Covetousness consist Not simply in the Desire of riches but in the Excessive desire of such riches as perish or of such other meanes or of necessaries of Life as are less worth then Life it self The Affection or Desire of riches is not to be quelled but to be diverted from its muddie Channel by the Spirit of Mortification This spirit of Life doth draw or conduct our desires that way which the Lord of Life commands them to take that is to seek after Riches but after Riches of another kinde Lay not up for your selves treasure upon Earth where moth and rust doth corrupt and where theeves break through and steal But Lay up for your selves treasure in heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where theeves do not break through and steal Mat. 6. 19. 20. By the Parable Likewise of the unjust Steward and that other of the Talents we are commanded to imitate or rather to out-strip the Usurer or cunning Bargainer for worldly Commodities in diligent care and watchfull observance for increasing this Heavenly Treasure in being as wise and careful in doing good to others as Worldlings are in doing good unto themselves No man offends in being vigilant and careful but in imploying his witts and care for gaining Transitory Wealth which is less worth then his Life or soul whereas this bodily Life it self is well Lost or Laid to pawn for gaining Treasure in Heaven 7. Drunkenness is a work
mouth in prayer and make Supplication for his Sins When the Great Lord will he shall be filled with the Spirit of Vnderstanding Eccl. â—9 5. 6. Oh how much better had it been for us to have had our hearts filled with this Spirit the Spirit of Comfort than to have our Dwellings as now they are possessed with Grief and Heaviness and the whole People inraged with Jealousies with Furious Zeal and discontent Now all this is come upon Us for no one Sin more more for this one then for all the rest I mean our negligence in frequenting the House of God at those times or our ill imployment of those vacant times which Authoritie had sequestred and set apart for Solemne Prayer and Thanksgiving 10. Put here the Reader will remember and perhaps Challenge me either of Forgetfulnesse or of Breach of Promise for not discussing the Third General proposed Chapt. 28. Number â—2 which was The exact Limitation of these Two Propositions If ye live after the flesh ye shall die If through the Spirit ye do Mortifie the Deedes of the Body ye shall Live My Apologie must be This That haveing taken some more Paines in this Point then in the rest Concerning Mortification I find the Limitation so inwrapt with the true State of the Question Concerning Election and Reprobation that I cannot touch the One but I must handle the Other and for this Reason have Deferrâ—d not Forgotten See the Appendix at the End of this Book the Determination of the Third Point untill I have finished what I have Long Conceived of the Points Concerning Election Reprobation or Predestination Points as I have often intimated in publick Meditations of more easie and facil Resolution then most other Controversies in Divinitie if so we would take these Termes Election Reprobation c. as we ought to do in their Passive or Concrete Sense But if we take them in the Active or Abstract Sense or as they are Acts in God their Determination is to Mankind even to General Councils altogether Impossible yea to Attempt this work is either an undoubted Spice of Phrenetical Pride or an infallible Symptom of Divine Infatuation CHAP. XXXVI Containing the Scope or Summe of what hath been said Concerning Free-Will and the Service of it in the Dutie of Mortification 1. Needlesse Speculations about Free-will c. Chief Occasions of our Negligence in Good Practises THe utmost Ayme or Final Cause of all these former Discussions was to make them an Introduction unto the Second part of the Knowledge of Christ and of him Crucified and of his Resurrection from the dead and Sitting at the right hand of the Father that is in a word How he doth set us Free Indeed from the Servitude of sin and Satan The Second End and most immediatly subordinate to this purpose was to provoke or rouz up our spirits to shake off that slumber which hath possessed a great part of the Christian World specially since those Vnfortunate Controversies betwixt the Jesuits and Dominicans and the like betwixt the Lutherans and the Zwinglians or Calvinists set forth of late in a new dress between the Arminians and the Gomarists have so contentiously been debated The only Issue of which debates amongst the Learned hath been to bring their Auditors or Readers to a Gaze or Stand and to Cause them to make a Sinister use of that Maxim in Law Lite pendente nihil fit whilst the ☜ Controversie has been under debate nothing has been done even in Duties most necessary to their Salvation Both Parties how great soever the disagreement betwixt them hath been have agreed too well in this Resolution aut otiosos esse aut quod pejus est nihil agere either to be altogether Idle or which is worse to take a great deale of paines to no purpose in reading much and resolving to do nothing untill the Controversie betwixt Grace and Nature were fully determined and the Bounds or Meere-Stones betwixt Gods Part and Mans Part be set forth that we might Punctually know what he is willing or would be pleased to do and what we may and ought to do for working out our own Salvation or for being made Free Indeed by the son of God 2. The Points useful for clearing this business are but Two And both of them have been handled before The Summe of the Former in Brief was this What Freedome of will may be conceived Compatible with absolute Servitude to sin and Satan The Answer in Brief * was This See chapt 24. That without some Portion of Free-Will even in the natural and unregenerate man all the Admonitions Given by our Saviour in the 8 th of St. Johns Gospel unto the Jewes or afterwards by his Apostles to both Jewes and Gentiles had been much better bestowed on Bruit Beasts whether wilde or tame nay even upon stocks and stones then upon men For the true reason why Bruit Beasts or other Creatures cannot be Servants is because they are not endowed with Reason or which is all one with some Free-Will Everie Civil Servant or Slave hath as Free a Will as his Master hath Sometimes a great * See the notes at the end of this Chapt. deal more Free The Essential Difference betwixt them is this That a Servant hath no Liberum Arbitrium no power or Arbitrement to dispose of his own Actions or imployments according to his own Free-Will or choyce but according to the Free-Will or appointment of his Master Briefly and more Punctually thus It were impossible there should be any such Servum Arbitrium or true Servitude unto sin as Luther contended for where there is not Libera Voluntas such Freedome of Will as we now treat of And this was all that Erasmus did conclude or I take it did intend to make good against him It was an oversight in Luther and in most of his Followers Learned Chemnitius only excepted not to distinguish inter Liberum Arbitrium Liberam Voluntatem Vid. Chem. Comm. in Melan. de Libero Arbit Sive ut Chemnitius agnoscit Luculentiorem esse Titulum de Viribus Humanis 3. The Second usefull Point is to know What Branch of Free-Will either the Natural man before he come to profess Christianity or Christian Children Baptized are bound in the first place to exercise To this The Answer is easie and hath alreadie been given before * Chapt. 25. ch 29. That every Christian Child or other Capable of being Catechized are in the first place bound to exercise that part of Free will whereby mankind is radically and primarily distinguished from bruit beasts that is the Freedom or power of Reflecting upon their own thoughts or Actions or upon Others advice or Counsel for casting off the yoke of Servitude to sin Now the greater Impotencie or want of Power any man finds in himself to sett himself Free or to do well the greater Opportunitie and better Motives he hath to beseech God and the Son of God our
heirs not therefore in the estate of absolute election because they are in the estate of the sons of God or heirs with Christ by Baptism For many whom God hath graciously accepted for his sons many who during the time of their Infancy have enjoyed the estate or Priviledge of the sons of God may in riper years turn Prodigal sons and disinherit themselves and none can be disinherited but he that hath been in the estate or Condition of an Heire or untill with Esau he have sold his birth-right Both parts of this Assertion That all that are Baptized in their Infancy become the Sons of God and during their Infancy do live to God 2. That Sin even in such may revive and wound some grievously others mortally are included in our Apostles dispute Rom. 7. 9. I was once alive saith the Apostle without the Law but when the Commandement came sin revived and I dyed Doth he speak this of himself only or of all men without exception or restraint that were without the Law Not Absolutely of all Men that were without the Law for so the Gentiles which were not under the Law which knew not God nor his Lawes should have been so alive as the Apostle there saith he sometimes was because they were more without the Law then he at any time was Nor doth he speake this of himself alone but of all such as he was That is of all such and only such as were the Seed of Abraham and had been circumcised the 8 th day and by Circumcision became under the Law though for the present without the Law So that as Baptism now so circumcision then did free the Children of Abraham from the curse of the Law did Translate them from the estate or Condition of the Sons of wrath to the Condition or Priviledge of the Sons of God But did the Apostle or his brethren which were made alive by Circumcision in their Infancy continue in the same estate of Life untill their mortal Lives end No The Apostle expresly adds But when the Commandement came sin revived and I dyed So that sin before the Commandement came was dead and revived when the Law came And the Apostle before the same point of time was alive but then dyed When then did the commandement come which by its coming did bring life to sin and death to this our Apostle and such as he was It is an Observation of very good Vse which S. Basil hath to this purpose in his Comment upon the first Psalm See S. Basil's words at the End of this Chapter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When our Reason comes once to ripeness or perfection That is fulfilled which is written Adveniente mandato revixit Peccatum when the Commandement comes Sin revives For when such as have submitted themselves to the Law of God come to the use of Reason or to take their Estate into Consideration they begin to examine their Consciences by the Law of God and sin which was before Inherent though quiet being called in Question grows desperate and rebellious against the Law by which it is examined against the Judge which condemns it against the Party which calls it in Question The Extract as well of our Apostles speech as of S. Basils Observation upon it confirms the Truth Chap. 29. n. 5. which was before delivered in the Treatise of Mortification That the same measure of Regeneration which sufficeth during the time of Infancy or Childhood sufficeth not to save the same Parties when they come to Use of Reason or Consideration for then the Commandement comes upon us a Commandement to Mortifie the deeds of the Flesh by the Spirit to enter the Lists or Combate with sin reviving in us which will certainly kill us unless we mortifie it as it reviveth in us or quell it as it rebells against us So that the estate or Condition of such as have been baptized after once they come to the use of Reason is an estate different from their estate in their Infancy or Childhood an estate likewise different ordinarily from the Absolute estate of Election But of this estate and of our Christian demeanour in it I shall now only say thus much in Generall This Mortification of the Flesh which our Apostle injoynes Rom. 8. 13. is that Reasonaâ—le Service which the same Apostle requires Rom. 12. 1. I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your Reasonable Service But why a Reasonable Service In opposition to the Service of the Law which did consist in the Sacrifice of Buls and Goats and other Reasonless Creatures which yet were offered by the holy men of God in Testification of their Faith or Expectation of the promised Messias This Reasonable Service or Mortification of the Flesh must be performed by us in Testification of our Beliefe that he hath accomplished the Sacrifices of the Law by the Sacrifice of himself Again this sacrifice or offering of Our selves that is of Mortifying our Brutish or unreasonable affections by the Spirit Aurum Thus Myrrham Regique Hominique Deoque says Juvencus an old Poet and Father that lived An. xii 330. is a great deal more acceptable to God then the offerings which the three Kings or Wise men offered unto our Saviour Jesus Christ They offered Gold Myrrhe and Frankincense in testimony or acknowledgement that the child then born was the King of the Jews But in as much as we know that we are not redeemed with silver and gold but with the precious bloud of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish we cannot either Symbolize with the Sacrifice of our High Priest or attain to that live Sympathie with him by the offering of silver gold or any other kind of offering besides the sacrifice of a broken and contrite spirit If as He offred himself by the eternall Spirit to God the Father for us So we again offer up our selves to him by Mortifying our earthly man by the Spirit then his Bloud as the Apostle speaks Heb. 9. 14. shall throughly purge our Consciences from dead works to serve the living God and finally cleanse us from all our sins Unto this Reasonable service or offering up of our selves We were consecrated by Baptism This was a Sermon preacht upon the Epiphanie as I take it and bound by solemn vow then made and if we continue constant in performing this Vow after we come to riper years we shall continue in the state or Condition of the Sons of God which we had by Baptism and by continuance or Progress in this estate we shall arrive at the Immutable state of grace or absolute election For the end of the Son of Gods appearance or manifestation was that he might thus lead us on from strength to strength untill we appear before our God in Sion The Doctrine of Mortification and the consequences thereof were it thus Taught and Laid to the
by his Blood were the Deliverance of mankind from the powers of darkness and the inheritance of the kingdom of Light 4. The Parallel between the Institution of the Passover and of the Lords Supper or of the two Inheritances bequeathed the one by Moses the other by Christ is so plain that it needs no Comment It only requires a diligent Reader or Hearer or what is wanting on the ordinary Hearers part may be supplied by every ordinary Catechist before the receiving of the Sacramental Pledges One point yet remaines more pertinent to the unfolding of our Apostles meaning Heb. 9. ver 15. And for this cause he is the Mediator of the new Testament that by meanes of death for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the First Testament they which are called might receive the promise of Eternal Inheritance For where a Testament is there must also of necessitie be the death of the Testator For a Testament is of force after men are dead otherwise it is of no strength at all while the Testator liveth And it is this As the Israelites did not enter upon the inheritance or take possession of the Land of Canaan till after Moses the Testator or Mediator of the old Testament was dead so neither was the Kingdom of Heaven our everlasting inheritance set open to all or any Beleivers until Christ Jesus the Testator or Mediator of the new Testament was crucified dead buried and raysed again to immortal Glorie Since which time as is the King so is the Kingdom or inheritance bequeathed so is the Testament it self being sealed by his bloody death All and every of them Truely Everlasting CHAP. XLVIII The Parallel between the most Solemn Services of the Law and The One Sacrifice of Christ And The high praeeminence and efficacie of This in comparison of Those The Romanists Doctrin that in the Masse Christs Body is Identically Carnally present and that there is a proper Sacrifice Propitiatorie offered derogates from the Absolute Perfection of Christs offering himself Once for all 1. THe principal Termes of proportion in this Parallel which serve as so many several Kens or Markes for the right survaying of it are The services of the Law or the Offices of Legal Priests and the Perpetual Function of our High Priest The services of the Law wherein our Apostle instanceth are the Principal and most Solemn Sacrifices which were injoyned to the Priests after the order of Aaron The One Sort whereof were Anniversaries as of Bullockes and Goates and to be offered every year upon the day of Attonement and so to be offered from the First Erection of the Tabernacle in the wilderness so long as the Law of Ceremonies was de Jure to continue untill our Saviours death upon the Cross since which time all Bloody Sacrifice have lost their Legal Vse The Other service was That Sacrifice of the Red Heifer and the Consecration of water by the sprinkling or mingling her Ashes which perhaps was not Anniversarie nor often put in practice from the time of Moses his Death untill the Ascension of our Saviour into heaven Now our Apostle takes it as granted that if these choice Sacrifices of Attonment and of the Red Cow were altogether unsufficient to purifie the Hearts and Consciences or the Soules and Spirits of sinful men the Ordinary or meaner sacrifices of the Law were much more unsufficient to all such purposes as the Sacrifices of our high Priest was Alsufficient to all such purposes as the Sacrifice of our high Priest was Alsufficient and most Efficacious for The Eminency of Christs bloudie Sacrifice upon the Cross in respect of all Legal sacrifices of what rank soever consisteth First in the Efficacy which it had and hath for Remission of all sins committed against the Moral Law of God that is of all such sins as immediately pollute the reasonable Soul and Conscience The least degree of such Purification no Legal Sacrifices could immediatly effect reach or touch To what Use then did they directly serve or what was the proper Effect unto which they were immediately terminated That was the Purification of mens Bodyes from meere Legal uncleannesse that is from all such negligences Ignorances or Casual Occurrences as not being expiated by the Priest did exclude the parties so offending from the Tabernacle of the Congregation Or as our Apostle speakes to Purifie them from such uncleannesses of the flesh as did but foreshadow or picture the uncleanness of the soul or the dead works of sinne All which being not expiated by a more excellent Priest then any was after the order of Aaron will exclude all from entring into the heavenly Tabernacle 2. Such Legal uncleannesse as did exclude the Parties polluted with it from the Tabernacle of the Congregation was many waies contracted as by touching of the dead by eating of Meats forbidden by the Law or by not eating meates allowed of by the Law according to the Rule or Prescript for such Ceremonial Services or by the like Omissions or Practises which were not in their own nature or to all men sinful but sinful in the Seed of Jacob only to whom they were Evill only because forbidden not forbidden because they were evill in their own nature Even in regard of such shadows or Typical Offices for Purifying men Legally unclean the best and most solemn Sacrifices of the Law though offered once at least every year and otherwise as often as dayly Occasions or Occurrences did require were no way so efficacious or Effectual as the One Sacrifice of the Son of God offered by himself but Once for all is for the perpetual Purifying of our Soules from the Dead works of sin and for our Consecration to the everlasting service of the everliving God which is that Freedom indeed wherewith his only Son hath promised to set all such Free as Believe in his Name and Abide in his word John 8. 3. The Eminencie of Christs Priesthood and Sacrifice above the Priesthood and Services of the Law is deeply wronged by the Doctrine and Practise of Secular and Regular Roman-Catholick Priests as they do term themselves and so is our Apostles Doctrine in the ninth and tenth Chapters to the Hebrews more peremptorily contradicted by them then it was by the Incredulous or unbelieving Jews in his life time The Western Anti-Christ so the Lutherans distinguish them hath in this particular so farr out-bid the Antichrist of the East that if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Law-opposer or man of sin were to be followed close with Howant-Cry or his Footsteps to be traced for these nine hundred years by the Christian Kingdoms or States the Chase and Cry would sooner fall into Rome or Trent then into Constantinople though That no question be now the seat of Gog and Magog or of the Eastern Antichrist That Contradiction of Sinners which our Saviour Christ did indure here on Earth Heb. 12. 3. improved by the Roman Church in later dayes against all such as
of Moral Philosophie their power 3134 Pelagius his quarel about Free will the occasion of it 3081 Perseverance no Indivisible Term. Queries about it 3147 c. Pilate transported with Ambition passion c. 3066 Popes infallibilitie an improvement of Jewish heresie 3067 obliges succeeding popes to continue in errour if their Predecessors did confirm any 3068 Pharaoh one Religious in his kind 3190 Second Pharaoh his Projects Infant-killing 3191 A third Pharaoh the Subject of hardening c. ibid. This Pharaoh and his people bound to make restitution to the Israelites for their predecessors wrongs ibid. A fame of an Hebrew Child to be born c. made Pharaoh kill the Infants 3192 Pharaoh's hardening wrought by Gods gentle Checks 3193 3196 3197 Degrees of Pharaoh's hardening 3198 3200 Pharaoh's repentance like the Divels vow 3199 Process of Pharaoh's hardening 3201 Pharaoh infatuated ibid. and 3204 retaliated ibid. Pharaoh's itch to see more miracles 3202 Pharaoh hardened by Gods irresistible will 3225 Pharaoh no absolute Reprobate from the womb nor born to be hardened 3226 3232 to 3242 Gods hardening Pharaoh justifiable by Rules of equitie 3230 Pharaoh in his Infancie was not excluded from possibilitie of repentance by Gods irresistible will 3240 c. Once Possible alwaies possible to God 3241 The Fallacie upon it Ergo possible to save Pharaoh having filled up his measure of sin 3242 Logical possibilitie presupposed to the working of Gods Power 3176 c. Possibilities both waies supposed in monitions 3246 Polemo mutatus 3138 Potter and vessel a dialogue 3228 Two Postulata 3249 Phâ—lo Judaeus probably the Author of the Book of Wisdom 3205 Physitians Rules applyed to Spiritual matters 3120 Plinie his sense of mans disorder 3020 Plinie Junior his saying of Affliction 3121 Plerophorie See Faith Predestination See Election Premisses must be recanted before conclusions 3185 Professors zealous to mens eyes may be servants to sin 3078 Prodigalitie 3065 A Prayer Lord deliver me from my self 3039 A Church Prayer decides the case about Grace and Free-will 3131 Two Church prayers more commended to use 3269 More Church prayers explicated c. 3271 Gods promises without oath revocable under oath not so 3148 Gods promise to Abraham ratified by Degrees 3152 In Promises seek your salvation not in Parcarum Tabulis 3267 Proposition universal Negative simply turned The Foul Fallacie made out of it 3162 3185 3275 Libertie of Prophesying had sad effects 3274 Protopatbie 3119 Pulpit-pride 3024 Man purges himself how 3111 Pythagâ—ras his Cure his precepts his Scholars honestie 3135 3137 Of Christs everlasting Priesthood Read the seventh and eighth Sections beginning Fol. 3252 The high preeminencie of Christs Priesthood above the Legal 3261 c. Wherein the Exercise of Christs Priest-hood doth consist 3301 c. and how fore-shadowed ibid. He cures our soules by the exercise thereof 3303 Our Ministerie vain without That ibid c. the use of Christs Priest-hood and the Efficacie of his Sacrifice two different things 3301 His vertual presence is a Real presence 3298 3303 c. Local presence implies not alwaies Real and vertual presence 3304 Christ is a perennal perpetual purification for sin 3300 3295 Q. A Question named 3013 Another Question stated c. 3283 Mr. Burtons quarel with the Author 3175 Novatianus his quarel with Cornelius Bishop of Rome 3281 Novatus his quarel with or feare from St. Cyprian 3291 R. REcta ratio 3022 Ratio recta a competent witness for though no Rule or Judge in Divine Mysteries 3073 Right Reason and Rules of Art needful for such as are called to studie Controversies in Divinitie 3010 c. Rules of Art tell what Scripture-Propositions be universal particular c. Affirmative Negative c. ibid. Rules of Art good perspective Glasses and shew the Legal descent of Consequences 3011 Guides of reason Artistotle Plato c. provided by God and thankfully to be acknowledged 3011 Want of these rules of Art in pretended Favourites of the Spirit the occasion of many Controversies ibid. Of this want in others the effects 3012 A rule of St. Ambrose his Finis dicendorum ratio dictorum 3160 c. A rule of the Authors Search the places of the Old Testament to which places in the New Testament relate 3227 Chemnitius his rule State questions upon Texts 3017 A rule of Hemingius his Seek salvation in promises not in Parcarum Tabulis 3267 Ad quid teneatur homo cum primùm ad usum rationis pervenerit 3100 3130 3146 As reason ripens sin quickens 3159 St. Basilâ—s Testimonie of that assertion 3163 Reflexive power the root of freedom 3086 To reflect upon and revise what has befaln us a dutie of Concernment 3085 3108 c. 3038 Reconciliation two-fold 3267 again two-fold 3278 Reconciliation how wrought the ground of hope ibid. Red Heifer see Heifer See Parallels Regenerate and unregenerate how corrupted with sin 3036 c. Rom. 7. meant of a man inter Regenerandum 3026 Regeneration The same measure of it wil not serve men as will save Infants 3101 3159 Even Regenerate ones need daily cleansing by the Bloud of Christ our High-Priest 3269 3287 c. Reiteration of Sacrifices a sure Argument of their imperfection 3263 3290 Rhemists distinction vain 3291 Relations have no Cause but that which caused their Foundation 3012 Reprobated from Eternitie how men are said to be 3167 Though men be Reprobated from eternitie yet if any born Reprobates none Reprobates at point of Baptism ibid. Absolute reprobation the Effects and Consequences of that Tenet 3186 c. Absolute reprobation no print of it in Pharaoh or in the eleven first Chapters of Exodus 3205 Causes of reprobation to assign them without warrant of Scripture dangerous 3204 Reprobation See Election Judas Decree Rigid Tenets See Decree Righteousnesse Original See Adam Reviviscentia meritorum 3285 Revolters to Heathenism denyed by the Primitive Church admission to Penance Absolution 3282 God rewards according to works not Entities or Natures 3167 3284 Roman Ritual cited 3114 Romish slaverie 3066 c. S. SAcrament None to be admitted to the Lords Table before they Ratifie their Baptismal vow 3272 Sacrament See Baptism Body and Bloud The one Sacrifice of Christ of the Alsufficiencie Eminencie Efficacie infinite vertue and value of it read the seventh and eighth Sections beginning at Fol. 3252 more particularly Fol. 3262 3266 c. 3293 c 3288 c. The infinite value and everlasting Efficacie of Christs one Sacrifice be two distinct things 3267 3294 c. so be the Efficacie of his Sacrifice and use of his Priesthood 3301 Christs one Sacrifice much wronged by the Doctrine of the Masse 3262 More Errors against his Sacrifice and Priesthood 3263 c. 3266 c. 3279 3280 3289 c. 3298 Sacrifices that did need reiteration were imperfect 3263 3290 c. Sacrifices were favorabilis commutatio poenae what they taught 3293 of Christs Sacrifice the perennal and perpetual Efficacie foretold by Zacharie 3300 By his Sacrifice on the Cross