Creed were faithfully summed and contracted and not one pretermitted altered or mistaken unless we undoubtedly know that the Apostles composed the Creed and that they intended to contract all Fundamental Points of Faith into it or at least that the Church of their times for it seemeth you doubt whether indeed it were composed by the Apostles themselves did understand the Apostles aright and that the Church of their times did intend that the Creed should contain all Fundamental Points For if the Church may err in Points not Fundamental may she not also err in the particulars which I have specified Can you shew it to be a Fundamental Point of Faith that the Apostles intended to comprize all Points of Faith necessary to Salvation in the Creed Your self say no more than that it is very (c) Pag. 241. probable which is far from reaching to a Fundamental Point of Faith Your probability is grounded upon the Judgment of Antiquity and even of the Roman Doctors as you say in the same place But if the Catholique Church may err what certainty can you expect from Antiquity or Doctors Scripture is your total Rule of Faith Cite therefore some Text of Scripture to prove that the Apostles or the Church of their times composed the Creed and composed it with a purpose that it should contain all Fundamental Points of Faith Which being impossible to be done you must for the Creed it self relie upon the infallibility of the Church 4. Moreover the Creed consisteth not so much in the words as in their sense and meaning All such as pretend to the name of Christians recite the Creed and yet many have erred fundamentally as well against the Articles of the Creed as other Points of Faith It is then very frivolous to say The Creed containes all Fundamental Points without specifying both in what sense the Articles of the Creed be true and also in what true sense they be fundamental For both these taskes you are to perform who teach that all Truth is not Fundamental and you do but delude the ignorant when you say that the Creed (d) Pag. 216. taken in a Catholique e sense comprehendeth all Points Fundamental because with you all Catholique sense is not Fundamental for so it were necessary to Salvation that all Christians should know the whole Scripture wherein every least Point hath a Catholique sense Or if by Catholique sense you understand that sense which is so universally to be known and believed by all that whosoever fails therein cannot be saved you trifle and say no more than this All Points of the Creed in a sense necessary to Salvation are necessary to Salvation Or All Points Fundamental are Fundamental After this manner it were an easie thing to make many true Prognostications by saying it will certainly rain when it raineth You say the Creed (f) Pag. 216. was opened and explaind in some parts in the Creeds of Nice c. But how shall we understand the other parts not explained in those Creeds 5. For what Article in the Creed is more Fundamental or may seem more clear than that wherein we believe JESUS CHRIST to be the Mediatour Redeemer and Saviour of Man-kind and the Founder and Foundation of a Catholique Church expressed in the Creed And yet about this Article how many different Doctrins are there not only of old Heretiques as Arius Nestorius Eutiches c. but also Protestants partly against Catholiques and partly against one another For the said main Article of Christ's being the only Saviour of the world c. according to different senses of disagreeing Sects doth involve these and many other such questions That Faith in JESUS CHRIST doth justifie alone that Sacraments have no efficiency in Justification That Baptism doth not avail Infants for Salvation unless they have an Act of Faith That there is no Sacerdotal Absolution from sinnes That good works proceeding from God's grace are not meritorious That there can be no Satisfaction for the temporal punishment due to sin after the guilt or offence is pardoned No Purgatory No prayers for the dead No Sacrifice of the Masse No Invocation No Mediation or Intercession of Saints No inherent Justice No supream Pastor yea no Bishop by divine Ordinance No Real presence No Transubstantiation with divers others And why Because forsooth these Doctrins derogate from the Titles of Mediator Redeemer Advocate Foundation c. Yea and are against the truth of our Saviours humane nature if we believe divers Protestants writing against Transubstantiation Let then any judicious man consider whether D. Potter or others do really satisfie when they send men to the Creed for a perfect Catalogue to distinguish Points Fundamental from those which they say are not Fundamental If he will speak indeed to some purpose let him say This Article is understood in this sense and in this sense it is fundamental That other is to be understood in such a meaning yet according to that meaning it is not so fundamental but that men may disagree and deny it without damnation But it were no policie for any Protestant to deal so plainly 6. But to what end should we use many arguments Even your selfe are forced to limit your own Doctrin and come to say that the Creed is a perfect Catalogue of Fundamental Points taken as it was further opened and explained in some parts by occasion of emergent Heresies in the other Catholique Creeds of Nice Constantinople (g) Pag. 216. Ephesus Chalcedon and Athanasius But this explication or restriction overthroweth your assertion For as the Apostles Creed was not to us a sufficient Catalogue till it was explained by the first Councel nor then till it was declared by another c. So now also as new Heresies may arise it will need particular explanation against such emergent errors and so it is not yet nor ever will be of it self alone a particular Catalogue sufficient to distinguish betwixt fundamental and not fundamental points 7. I come to the second part That the Creed doth not contain all main and principal Points of Faith And to the end we may not strive about things either granted by us both or nothing concerning the point in question I must premise these Observations 8. First That it cannot be denyed but that the Creed is most full and complete to that purpose for which the holy Apostles inspired by God meant that it should serve and in that manner as they did intend it which was not to comprehend all particular Points of Faith but such general heads as were most befitting and requisite for preaching the Faith of Christ to Jews and Gentiles and might be briefly and compendiously set down and easily learned and remembred And therefore in respect of Gentiles the Creed doth mention God as Creator of all things and for both Jews and Gentiles the Trinity the Messias and Saviour his birth life death resurrection and glory from whom they were to hope remission of sinnes and
impossible that we should be rewarded without the intercession of the Virgin Mary He held seven Sacraments Purgatory and other Points And against both Catholiques and Protestants he maintained sundry damnable Doctrins as divers Protestant Writers relate As first If a Bishop or Priest be in deadly sin he doth not indeed either give Orders Consecrate or Baptize Secondly That Ecclesiastical Ministers ought not to have any temporal possessions nor propriety in any thing but should beg and yet he himself brake into heresie because he had been deprived by the Archbishop of Canterbury of a certain Benefice as all Schisms and Heresies begin upon passion which they seek to cover with the cloak of Reformation Thirdly he condemned lawful Oaths like the Anabaptists Fourthly he taught that all things came to pass by absolute necessity Fifthly he defended humane merits as the wicked Pelagians did namely as proceeding from â—atural forces without the necessary help of Gods grace Sixthly that no man is a Civil Magistrate while he is in mortal sin and that the people may at their pleasure correct Princes when they offend by which Doctrin he proves himself both an Heretique and a Traytour 53. As for Huss his chiefest Doctrins were That Lay people must receive in both kinds and That Civil Lords Prelates and Bishops lose all right and authority while they are in mortal sin For other things he wholly agreed with Catholiques against Protestants and the Bohemians his followers being demanded in what points they disagreed from the Church of Rome propounded only these The necessity of Communion under both kinds That all Civil Dominion was forbidden to the Clergie That Preaching of the Word was free for all men and in all places That open crimes were in no wise to be permitted for avoiding of greater evil By these particulars if is apparent that Husse agreed with Protestants against us in one only Point of both kinds which according to Luther is a thing indifferent because he teacheth that Christ in this matter (q) In epist ad Bohemâ—s commanded nothing as necessary And he saith further If thou come to a place (r) De utraque specie Sacram. where one only kind is administred use one kind only as others do Melancthon likewise holds it a a thing (Å¿) In Cent. epist Theol. pag. 225. indifferent and the same is the opinion of some other Protestants All which considered it is clear that Procestants cannot challenge the Waldenses Wickliffe and Husse for members of their Church and although they could yet that would advantage them little towards the finding them out a perpetual visible Church of theirs for the reasons above (t) Numb 49. specified 54. If D. Potter would go so far off as to fetch the Muscovites Armenians Georgians Aethiopians or Abissines into his Church they would prove over dear bought For they eiâ—her hold the damnable Heresie of Eutyches or use Circumcision or agree with the Greek or Roman Church And it is most certain that they have nothing to do with the Doctrin of the Protestants 55. It being therefore granted that Christ had a visible Church in all Ages and that there can be none assigned but the Church of Rome it follows that she is the true Catholique Church and that those pretended Corruptions for which they forsook her are indeed divine truths delivered by the visible Catholique Church of Christ And that Luther and his followers departed from her and consequently are guilty of Schism by dividing themselves from the Communion of the Roman Church Which is clearly convinced out of D. Potter himself although the Roman Church were but a particular Church For he saith Whosoever professes (u) Pag. 67. himself to forsake the Communion of any one member of the body of Christ must confess himself consequently to forsake the whole Since therefore in the same place he expresly acknowledges the Church of Rome to be a member of the body of Christ and that it is clear they have forsaken her it evidently follows that they have forsaken the whole and therefore are most properly Schismatiques 56. And lastly since the crime of Schism is so grievous that according to the Doctrin of holy Fathers rehearsed above no multitude of good works no moral honesty of life no cruel death endured even for the profession of some Article of Faith can excuse any one who is guilty of that sin from damnation I leave it to be considered whether it be not true Charity to speak as we believe and to believe as all Antiquity hath taught us That whosoever either begins or continues a division from the Roman Church which we have proved to be Christ's true Militant Church on earth cannot without effectâ—al repentance hope to be a member of his Triumphant Church in heaven And so I conclude with these words of blessed S. Augustiae It is common (w) Cont. Parm lib. 2. c. 3. to all Heretiques to be unable to see that thing which in the world is the most manifest and placed in the light of all Nations out of whose unity whatsoever they work though they seem to do it with great care and diligence can no more avail them against the wrath of God than the Spider's web against the extremity of cold But now it is high time that we treat of the other sort of Division from the Church which is by Heresie The ANSWER to the FIFTH CHAPTER The separation of Protestants from the Roman Church being upon just and necessary causes is not any way guilty of Schism 1. AD § 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. In the seven first Sections of this Chapter there be many things said and many things supposed by you which are untrue and deserve a censure As 2. First That Schism could not be a Division from the Church or that a Division from the Church could not happen unless there always had been and should be a visible Church Which Assertion is a manifest falshood For although there never had been any Church Visible or Invisible before this Age nor should be ever after yet this could not hinder but that a Schism might now be and be a Division from the present visible Church As though in France there never had been until now a lawful Monarch nor after him ever should be yet this hinders not but that now there might be a Rebellion and that Rebellion might be an Insurrection against Soveraign Authority 3. That it is a point to be granted by all Christians that in all Ages there hath been a visible Congregation of faithful people Which Proposition howsoever you understand it is not absolutely certain But if you mean by Faithful as it is plain you do free from all error in faith then you know all Protestants with one consent affirm it to be false and therefore without proof to take it for granted is to beg the Question 4. That supposing Luther and they which did first separate from the Roman Church were guilty
God unnecessary Which will appear to any man who considers what strict necessity the Scripture imposes upon all men of effectual mortification of the habits of all vices and effectual conversion to newness of life and universal obedience and withal remembers that an act of Attrition which you say with Priestly Absolution is sufficient to salvation is not mortification which being a work of difficulty and time cannot be perform'd in an instant But for the present it appears sufficiently our of this impious assertion which makes it absolutely necessary for men either in Act if it be possible or if not in Desire to be Baptiz'd and Absolv'd by you and that with intention and in the mean time warrants them that for avoiding of sin they may safely follow the uncertain guidance of vain man who you cannot deny may either be deceiv'd himself or out of malice deceive them and neglect the certain direction of God himself and their own consciences What wicked use is made of this Doctrin your own long experience can better inform you than it is possible for me to do yet my own little conversation with you affoords one memorable example to this purpose For upon this ground I knew a young Schollar in Doway licenc'd by a great Casuist to swear a thing as upon his certain knowledge whereof he had yet no knowledge but only a great presumption because forsooth it was the opinion of one Doctor that he might do so And upon the same ground whensoever you shall come to have a prevailing party in this Kingdome and power sufficient to restore your Religion you may do it by deposing or killing the King by blowing up of Parliaments and by rooting out all others of a different faith from you Nay this you may do though in your own opinion it be unlawful because * Bellar. Contr. Barcl c. 7 In 7 c. refutare conaâ—ur Barcl verba illa Romuâ—s Veteres illos imperatores Coastaâ—â—ium Vaâ—entem caeteros nâ—n idâ—ò toleravit Ecclesia quod legiâ—imè successissen sed quod illos sine populi detrimeâ—â—o coâ—rcere â—on potera Et miratur hoc idem scripsisse Bell â—minun l 5 de Poâ—tif c. 7. Sed ut magis miretur sciat hoc idem sensisse S. Thomam 2.2 q 12. art 2. ad 1. Vbi dicit Ecclâ—siam â—nlerasse ut fidâ—les obedâ—reâ—â— Juliano Apostaâ—ae quia sui novitate noaduâ—n habebant vires compescendi Principes teâ—reaos Et postea Sanctus Gregorius dicit Nullum adversus juliani perse cutioâ—â—m suissâ— râ—mâ—dium prae ter Lacrimas quo â—am â—oa bâ—bebat Ecclesia vires quâ—bus ill us tyâ—aâ—â—idi resistere Posset Bellarmine a man with you of approved vertue learning and judgement hath declared his opinion for the lawfulness of it in saying that want of power to maintain a rebellion was the only reason that the primitive Christians did not rebel against their persecuting Emperors By the same rule seeing the Priests and Scribes and Pharisees men of greatest repute among the Jewes for vertue learning and wisdome held it a lawful and a pious work to persecute Christ and his Apostles it was lawful for their people to follow their leaders for herein according to your Doctrin they proceeded prudently and according to the conduct of opinion maturely weighed and approved by men as it seem'd to them of vertue learning and wisdome nay by such as sate in Moses chair and of whom it was said Whatsoever they bid you observe that observe and do which Universal you pretend is to be understood universally and without any restriction or limitation And as lawful was it for the Pagans to persecute the Primitive Christians because Trajan and Pliny men of great vertue and wisdome were of this opinion Lastly that most impious and detestable Doctrin which by a foul calumny you impute to me who abhorre and detest it that men may be saved in any Religion followes from this ground unavoidably For certainly Religion is one of those things which is necessary only because it is commanded for if none were commanded under pain of damnation how could it be damnable to be of any or to be of none Neither can it be damnable to be of a false Religion unless it be a sin to be so For neither are men saved by good luck but only by obedience neither are they damned for their ill fortune but for sin and disobedience Death is the wages of nothing but sin and S. James sure intended to deliver the adequate cause of sin and death in those words Lust when it hath conceived bringeth forth sin and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death Seeing therefore in such things according to your doctrin it is sufficient for avoiding of sin that we proceed prudently and by the conduct of some probable opinion mature y weighed and approv'd by men of learning vertue and wisdome and seeing neither Jews want their Gamaliels nor Pagans their Antoninus's nor any sect of Christians such professors and maintainers of their several sects as are esteem'd by the people which know no better and that very reasonably men of vertue learning and wisdome it followes evidently that the embracing their religion proceeds upon such reason as may warrent their action to be prudent and this say you is sufficient for avoiding of sin and therefore certainly for avoiding damnation for that in humane offairs and discourse evidence and certainty cannot be alwayes expected I have stood the longer upon the refutation of this doctrin not only because it is impious and because bad use is made of it and worse may be but 〈◊〉 because the contrary position That men are bound for avoiding sin alwayes to take the safest way is a fair and sure foundation for a cleer confutation of the main Conclusion which in this Chapter you labour in vain to prove and a certain proof that in regard of the precept of charity towards ones self and of obedience to God Papists unless ignorance excuse them are in state of sin as long as they remain in subjection to the Roman Church 9. For if the safer way for avoiding sin be also the safer way for avoiding damnation then certainly it will not be hard to determin that the way of Protestants must be more secure and the Roman way more dangerous Take but into your consideration these ensuing controversies Whether it be lawful to worship Pictures to picture the Trinity to invocate Saints and Angels to deny Lay-men the Cup in the Sacrament to adore the Sacrament to prohibit certain Orders of men and women to marry to celebrate the publique service of God in a language which the assistants generally understand not and you will not choose but confess that in all these you are on the more dangerous side for the committing of sin and we on that which is more secure For in all these things if we say true you do that which is impious on the other side if you were in the right
was content that all this adoe all these pompous Tragical businesses should be performed 16. But what saith the Scripture If there had been a Law which could have given life Christ should have died without cause And thereupon our Apostle in Rom. 3.25 saith Rom. 3.25 that God hath set forth his Son to be a propitiation through faith in his Bloud to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God To declare I say at this time his righteousness that he might be Just That is lest by the forbearance of God who since the foundation of the world had shewed no sufficient example of his hatred and indignation unto sin as also to shew there was a reason sufficient to move him to remit the sins of many his chosen servants before Christ He hath now at last evidently expressed unto the world his righteousness to wit his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by condemning sin and revenging himself upon it in the person of his beloved innocent Son 17. And lest all this stir should seem to have been kept only to give us satisfaction and to create in us a great opinion and conceit of his righteousness The Apostle clearly saith He did all this to declare at this time his righteousness that he might be Just Which otherwise it seems he could not have been But I am resolved to quit my self abruptly and even sullenly of those questions and betake my self more closely to the matter in hand 18. What therefore is the effect and fruit which accrews even to the elect of God by virtue of Christs satisfaction humiliation and death precisely considered and excluding the power and virtue of his Resurrection and glorious life Why Reconciliation to God Justification or remission of sins and finally Salvation both of body and soul But is there any remission of sins without Faith Shall we not only exclude Works from Justification but Faith also God forbid For so we should not only contradict the grounds of Gods holy Word but also rase and destroy the very foundations of the second Covenant 19. For answer We must consider our Reconciliation under a twofold state according to the Distinction of the Reverend and learned Dr Davenant Bishop of Salisbury 1. Either as it is Applicabilis not yet actually conferr'd Or 2. as Applicata particularly sealed and confirm'd to us by a lively Faith For the understanding of which we must know that in Christs death there was not only an abolishing of the old Covenant of Works the Hand-Writing which was against us which Christ nailed unto his Cross as S. Paul saith Col. 1. delivering us from the curse and obligation thereof But also there was a new gracious Covenant or which is a word expressing greater comfort to us a new Will or Testament made wherein Christ hath bequeathed unto us many glorious Legacies which we shall undoubtedly receive when we shall have performed the Conditions when we shall be found qualified so as he requires of us 20. Till which Conditions be performed by the power of Gods Spirit assisting us all that we obtain by the death of Christ is this That first whereas God by reason of sin was implacably angry with us would by no means accept of any reconciliation with us would hearken to no conditions Now by virtue of Christs death and satisfaction he is graciously pleased to admit of Composition the former aversation and inexorableness is taken away or to speak more significantly in S. Paul's language Eph. 2.16 Enmity is slain Secondly that whereas before we were liable to be tried before the throne of his exact severe rigorous Justice and bound to the performance of Conditions by reason of our own contracted weakness become intolerable nay impossible unto us we are released of that obligation and though not utterly free'd from all manner of conditions yet tyed to such as are not only possible but by the help of his Spirit which inwardly disposeth and co-operateth with us with ease and pleasure to be performed Besides which we have a throne of Equity and Grace to appear before Mercy is exalted above even against Justice it rejoyceth against Judgement it is become the higher Court and hath the priviledges of a Superiour Court that Appeals may be made from the Inferiour Court of Justice to that of Mercy and favour Nay more whereas before we were justly delivered into the power of Satan now being reconciled to God by the Bloud of Christ we are as it is in Col. 1.13 delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the Kingdom of his dear Son 21 All this and more if it were the business of this time to be punctual in discovering all hath Christ wrought for us being aliens and strangers yea enemies afar off without God in the world Yet for all this that Christ hath merited thus much for us and more notwithstanding take away the power of Christs Resurrection and Life take away the influence of his Holy Spirit whereby we are regenerated and made new Creatures and we are yet in the Gall of bitterness and Bond of iniquity For though as it is Heb. 10.19 we have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. liberty and free leave to enter into the Holiest by the bloud of Jesus though there be a way made open yet walk we cannot we are not able to set forwards into it as long as we are bound and fettered with our sins though there be an access to the throne of Grace yet it is only for them which are sanctified 22. And therefore what dangerous consequences do attend that Doctrine which teacheth That immediately upon the death of Christ all our sins are actually forgiven us and we effectually reconciled But because another employment is required by this time I will out of many make use of two Reasons only to destroy that Doctrine whereof the one is taken from the nature of the second Covenant the other from the necessity of Christs Resurrection 23. For the first If we that is the Elect of God for I am resolved to have to do with none else at this time be effectually reconciled to God by vertue of Christs death having obtain'd a full perfect remission of all our sins why are we frighted or to say truly injured with new Covenants why are we seeing our Debts are paid to the utmost farthing the Creditor's demands exactly satisfied the Obligation cancell'd why then are we made believe that we are not quite out of danger nay that unless we our selves out of our own stock pay some charges and duties extraordinarily and by the Bye inforced upon us All the former payments how valuable soever shall become fruitless and we to remain accomptable for the whole debt 24. But it may be and that seems most likely there is no such thing indeed as a new Covenant Promises and Threatnings are only a prety kind of Rhetorical device which God is pleased to
use sometimes to allure us and win our hearts to do that which shall please him other times to startle and affright us when we are about something contrary to his command And to say the truth This must of necessity be the issue of the former Doctrin For how is it possible to make these things hold together We are already perfectly reconciled to God by the death of his Son without any consideration had to our personal Faith and Repentance And yet unless we do earnestly repent us of our sins and with a lively Faith adhere to God's Promises we shall never be reconciled unto God! Or these All our sins are already remitted and that only for the vertue of Christ's satisfaction And yet unless we believe our sins shall never be forgiven us 25. So that by this reckoning we must be forced to purge the Gospel of those troublesome dangerous terms of Covenants and Conditions of those fruitless affrighting Conjunctions Si Credideris Si non poenitentiam egeris Or which is all one soften them into a sense utterly repugnant and warring against the natural force and signification of the words on this wise Where the Scripture saith If thou repentest not thy sins shall not be forgiven thee Thou art not to conceive that forgiveness of thy sins is a work yet to be done or that it has any dependance upon any thing in thee But this great blessing shall be hid from thine eyes thou shalt never come to the knowledg of it and thereby shalt live here a discontented pensive suspicious life Again If thou believest thou shalt be saved that is Thou shalt obtain a comfortable assurance of Hope nay an infallible faith of thy future Salvation though that was intended thee without any consideration of thy faith 26. So that the Gospel of Christ is not the power of God unto Salvation for How can the Word be an Instrument of that which was long ago absolutely perform'd and purchased And therefore Christ his preaching his miracles and tears The Apostles travels and persecutions The sending of the Holy Spirit Baptism Eucharist Imposition of hands Absolution and many more blessed means of our Salvation were not instituted for this end to make us capable of Remission of our Sins for that it seems was already not only meritoriously but effectually procured and without all manner of Conditions infallibly destin'd to Gods Elect but only for this end That whilst they live here to their thinking in danger and hazard but they are Fools for thinking so they may now and then be a little cheared and comforted with apprehending what Christ hath done for them and to what a comfortable state and Inheritance he hath destin'd them Thus the Covenant which God hath sworn shall be everlasting is by the improvidence and ignorance of some men rendred unprofitable yea utterly abrogated But Ne quid inclementius dicam we have not so learned Christ 27. The second Reason destroying the former Doctrin I told you should be taken from the necessity of Christ's Resurrection For if the immediate effect of Christs Death be the purchasing of a perfect reconciliation with God and full remission of Sins for us the Elect of God Then I will not say what Benefit but What necessity is there of Christ's Resurrection in respect of us For by this accompt after the Consummatum est upon the Cross when the satisfaction was perfected and our debts pay'd Though Christ had afterwards miscarryed though he had been detain'd by death though his Soul had been left in Hell and he had seen corruption Notwithstanding we should stand upon good terms with God unless we shall conceive of Him worse then of the most oppressing Usurer that when a debt is dischar'gd and the Bond cancell'd will notwithstanding not release the Prisoner unless the undertaker come in Person or by main force deliver him 28. I confess that to see a friend that had ventur'd so farr for us as our Saviour did that to do us good had put himself in such extream danger I say to see such a one to be utterly cast away without all hopes and possibility of being able to pay him our thanks would be a spectacle which would grieve and pierce our very souls it would be a renting to our bowels But this is only Charity and Gratitude or good nature in us which would procure this grief not that it stands upon our safety his preservation being a matter only of convenience not extream necessity to us 29. We all do worthily condemn and detest that blasphemous Heresie of the Socinians who exclude the meritorious death and sufferings of Christ from having any necessary influence into our Justification or Salvation making it of no greater vertue then the sufferings of the blessed Martyrs who by their death set their Seal and Testimony to the Truth of the Gospel which freely offers forgiveness of sins to all penitent believers Now the same injury which these Hereticks do to the merit of Christ's death In proportion the former doctrin fastens upon his Resurrection and new life by taking from it the chief and proper effect thereof which is an actual vindication of us from the power of sin into the glorious liberty of the sons of God by the power of Christs Spirit plentifully by him diffused and shed abroad in our hearts and making the chief vertue thereof to consist in affording us only matter of comfort and hope that God will deal no otherwise with us then he hath dealt with Christ and after a life full of disturbance and misery revive us to glory and immortality with his Son for evermore whereas St. Paul hath another kind of conceit of Christs Resurrection for saith he in Heb. 5.9 Christ being made perfect i. e. glorified c. 2.10 becomes Author of eternal Salvation to all that obey him And if Christ be not risen your faith is vain you are yet in your sins and if Christ be not risen neither shall we ever be raised but be utterly irrecoverably condemned to everlasting rottenness 30. And thus I am unawares fallen upon my second Proposition Prop. II. Namely That by the Dominion and power of Christ which at his Resurrection and not before he received as a reward of his great Humility we are not only enabled to the performance of the conditions of this New Covenant and by consequence made capeable of an actual application of his satisfaction But also by the same power we shall hereafter be raised up and exalted unto everlasting Happiness 31. Though by the vertue of the Incarnation of our Saviour the Humane Nature was raised to a state and condition of unspeakable glory Notwithstanding if in this place as well as before we shall be content to submit our Reason to Scripture We shall find that according to a Covenant made between Christ and his Father he was content not to challenge to himself any right of Dominion and Rule over us till he had perfectly deserv'd
upon those very Books which they entituled Of the contempt of Glory What then shall we say of D. Potter who in the Title and Text of his whole Book doth so tragically charge Want of Charity on all such Romanists as dare affirm that Protestancy destroyeth Salvation while he himself is in act of pronouncing the like heavy doom against Roman Catholiques For not satisfied with much uncivil language in affirming the Roman Church many (a) Pag. 11. ways to have plaid the Harlot and in that regard deserved a bill of divorce from Christ and detestation of Christians in styling her that proud (b) Ibid. and curst Dame of Rome which takes upon her to revel in the House of God in talking of an Idol (c) Pag. 4. Edit 1. to be worshipped at Rome he comes at length to thunder out this fearful sentence against her For that (d) Pag. 20. Mass of Errors saith he in judgement and practice which is proper to her and wherein she differs from us we judge a reconciliation impossible and to us who are convicted in conscience of her corruptions damnable And in another place he saith For us who (e) Pag. 81. are convincted in conscience that she erres in many things a necessity lies upon us even under pain of damnation to forsake her in those Errors By the acerbity of which Censure he doth not only make himself guilty of that which he judgeth to be a hainous offence in others but freeth us also from all colour of crime by this his unadvised recrimination For if Roman Catholiques be likewise convicted in conscience of the Errors of Protestants they may and must in conformity to the Doctor 's own rule judge a reconciliation with them to be also damnable And thus all the Want of Charity so deeply charged on us dissolves it self into this poor wonder Roman Catholiques believe in their conscience that the Religion which they profess is true and the contrary false 2. Nevertheless we earnestly desire and take care that our doctrine may not be defamed by misinterpretation Far be it from us by way of insultation to apply it against Protestants otherwise than as they are comprehended under the generality of those who are divided from the only one true Church of Christ our Lord within the Communion whereof he hath confined salvation Neither do we understand why our most dear Countrymen should be offended if the Universality be particularized under the name of Protestants first given (f) Sleidan l. 6. fol. 84. to certain Lutherans who protesting that they would stand out against the Imperial decrees in defence of the Confession exhibited at Ausburge were termed Protestants in regard of such their protesting which Confessio Augustana disclaiming from and being disclaimed by Calvinists and Zwinglians our naming or exemplifying a general doctrine under the particular name of Protestantism ought not in any particular manner to be odious in England 3. Moreover our meaning is not as mis-informed persons may conceive that we give Protestants over to reprobation that we offer no prayers in hope of their salvation that we hold their case desperate God forbid We hope we pray for their Conversion and sometimes we find happy effects of our charitable desires Neither is our Censure immediatly directed to particular persons The Tribunal of particular Judgement is God's alone When any man esteemed a Protestant leaveth to live in this world we do not instantly with precipitation avouch that he is lodged in Hell For we are not always acquainted with what sufficiency of means he was furnished for instruction we do not penetrate his capacity to understand his Catechist we have no revelation what light might have cleared his errors or Contrition retracted his sins in the last moment before his death In such particular cases we wish more apparent signs of salvation but do not give any dogmatical sentence of perdition How grievous sins Disobedience Schism and Heresie are is well known But to discern how far the natural malignity of those great offences might be checked by Ignorance or by some such lessening circumstance is the office rather of Prudence than of Faith 4. Thus we allow Protestants as much Charity as D. Potter spares us for whom in the words above mentioned and elsewhere he (g) See P. 39. makes Ignorance the best hope of salvation Much less comfort can we expect from the fierce doctrine of those chief Protestantss who teach that for many Ages before Luther Christ had no visible Church upon earth Not these men alone or such as they but even the 39. Articles to which the English Protestant Clergy subscribes censure our belief so deeply that Ignorance can scarce or rather not at all excuse us from damnation Our Doctrine of Transubstantiation is affirmed to be repugnant to the plain words of (h) Art 28. Scripture our Masses to be blasphemous (i) Art 31. Fabies with much more to be seen in the Articles themselves In a certain Confession of the Christian Faith at the end of their books of Psalms collected into Meâ—ter and printed Cum privlegio Regis Regali they call us Idolaters and limmes of Antichrist and having set down a Catalogue of our doctrins they conclude that for them we shall after the General Resurrection be damned to unquestionable fire 5. But yet lest any man should flatter himself with our charitable Mitigations and thereby wax careless in search of the true Church we desire him to read the Conclusion of the Second Part where this matter is more explained 6. And because we cannot determine what Judgement may be esteemed rash or prudent except by weighing the reasons upon which it was grounded we will here under one aspect present a Summary of those Principles from which we infer that Protestancy in it self unrepented destroyes Salvation intending afterward to prove the truth of every one of the grounds till by a concatenation of sequels we fall upon the Conclusion for which we are charged with Want of Charity 7. Now this is our gradation of reasons Almighty God having ordained Mankind to a supernatural End of eternal felicity hath in his holy Providence setled competent and convenient Means whereby that end may be attained The universal grand Origen of all such means is the Incarnation and Death of our Blessed Saviour whereby he merited internal grace for us and founded an external visible Church provided and stored with all those helps which might be necessary to Salvation From hence it followeth that in this Church among other advantages there must be some effectual means to beget and conserve Faith to maintain Unity to discover and condemn Heresies to appease and reduce Schisms and to determine all Controversies in Religion For without such means the Church should not be furnished with helps sufficient to salvation nor God afford sufficient means to attain that End to which himself ordained Mankind This means to decide Controversies in Faith and Religion whether it
a man may perswade himself he doth believe what he doth not believe then may you think you believe the Church of Rome and yet not believe it But if no man can err concerning what he believes then you must give me leave to assure my self that I do believe and consequently that any man may believe the foresaid truths upon the foresaid motives without any dependance upon any succession that hath believed it always And as from your definition of Faith so from your definition of Heresie this phancy may be refuted For questionless no man can be an Heretique but he that holds an Heresie and an Heresie you say is a Voluntary error therefore no man can be necessitated to be an Heretique whether he will or no by want of such a thing that is not in his power to have But that there should have been a perpetual Succession of Believers in all points Orthodox is not a thing which is in our own power therefore our being or not being Heretiques depends not on it Besides What is more certain than that he may make a straight line who hath a Rule to make it by though never man in the world had made any before and why then may not he that believes the Scripture to be the word of God and the Rule of faith regulate his faith by it and consequently believe aright without much regarding what other men will do or have done It is true indeed there is a necessity that if God will have his word believed he by his Providence must take order that either by succession of men or by some other means natural or supernatural it be preserv'd and delivered and sufficiently notified to be his word but that this should be done by a Succession of men that holds no error against it certainly there is no more necessity than that it should be done by a Succession of men that commit no sin against it For if men may preserve the Records of a Law and yet transgress it certainly they may also preserve directions for their faith and yet not follow them I doubt not but Lawyers at the Bar do find by frequent experience that many men preserve and produce evidences which being examined of times make against themselves This they do ignorantly it being in their power to suppress or perhaps to alter them And why then should any man conceive it strange that an erroncous and corrupted Church should preserve and deliver the Scriptures uncorrupted when indeed for many reasons which I have formerly alledged it was impossible for them to corrupt them Seeing therefore this is all the necessity that is pretended of a perpetual Succession of men otthodox in all points certainly there is no necessity at all of any such neither can the want of it prove any man or any Church Heretical 39 When therefore you have produced some proof of this which was your Major in your former Syllogism That want of Succession is a certain mark of Heresie you shall then receive a full answer to your Minor We shall then consider whether your indelibe Character be any reality or whether it be a creature of your own making a fancy of your own imagination And if it be a thing and not only a word whether our Bishops and Priests have it not as well as yours and whether some mens perswasion that there is no such thing can hinder them from having it or prove that they have it not if there be any such thing Any more than a mans perswasion that he has not taken Physick or Poyson will make him not to have taken it if he has or hinder the operation of it And whether Tertullian in the place quoted by you speak of a Priest made a Layman by just deposition or degradation and not by a voluntary desertion of his Order And whether in the same place he set not some mark upon Heretiques that will agree to your Church Whether all the Authority of our Bishops in England before the Reformation was conferr'd on them by the Pope And if it were whether it were the Pope's right or an usurpation If it were his right Whether by Divine Law or Ecclesiastical And if by Ecclesiastical only Whether he might possibly so abuse his power as to deserve to lose it Whether de facto he had done so Whether supposing he had deserved to lose it those that deprived him of it had power to make it from him Or if not Whether they had power to suspend him from the use of it until good caution were put in and good assurance given that if he had it again he would not abuse it as he had formerly done Whether in case they had done unlawfully that took his power from him it may not things being now setled and the present Government established be as unlawful to go about to restore it Whether it be not a Fallacy to conclude Because we believe the Pope hath no power in England now when the King and State and Church hath deprived him upon just grounds of it therefore we cannot believe that he had any before his deprivation Whether without Schism a man may not withdraw obedience from an usurp'd Authority commanding unlawful things Whether the Roman Church might not give authority to Bishops and Priests to oppose her errors as well as a King gives Authority to a Judge to judge against him if his cause be bad as well as Trajan gave his sword to his Praefect with this Commission that If he governed well he should use it for him if ill against him Whether the Roman Church gave not Authority to her Bishops and Priests to preach against her corruptions in manners And if so Why not against her errors in doctrin if she had any Whether she gave them not authority to preach the whole Gospel of Christ and consequently against her doctrin if it should contradict any part of the Gospel of Christ Whether it be not acknowledged lawful in the Church of Rome for any Lay-man or woman that has ability to perswade others by word or by writing from errour and unto truth And why this liberty may not be practised against their Religion if it be false as well as for it if it be true Whether any man need any other commission or vocation than that of a Christian to do a work of charity And whether it be not one of the greatest works of charity if it be done after a peaceable manner and without any unnecessary disturbance of order to perswade men out a false unto a true way of eternal happiness Especially the Apostle having assur'd us that he whosoever he is who converteth a sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death and shall hide a multitude of sins Whether the first Reformed Bishops died all at once so that there were not enough to ordain Others in the places that were vacant Whether the Bishops of England may not consecrate a Metropolitan of England as
wrought upon are meerly befool'd by the Devil or rather by themselves for so I told you that Saint James says And for an example I propos'd the learned Pharisees who for all their learning and knowledg in the Scripture yet our Saviour denounceth eight several Woes against them for being Fools and blind Guides So that the Fool in hand was not oppos'd to a Learned man but to a Prudent man And therefore a worthy Doctor of our Church did well define Faith to be A spiritual Prudence that is a knowledg sought out only for practise And there I compared Faith with moral Prudence and the fruit thereof Charity with the vertue of Universal Justice Therefore lest the very Heathen should rise up in judgment against us for not doing so much with the help and advantage of Gods Word as they could without it I did and do beseech you not to content your selves with meer knowing and hearing with only a conceit of Faith without Works for that was an ancient Heresie in the Nicolaitans whom God by name professeth an Hatred to as Eusebius tells us And for an effectual motive I told you how at the last great Tryal you shall not be catechis'd How well you can say your Creed or how many Catechisms without Book but How fruitful in works of Charity your Faith hath been And so I come to the second member of the First General namely the consideration how dangerous and grievous a burden Knowledg will be where it is fruitless and ineffectual of which briefly 43. I will once again repeat that divine sentence of the Psalmist in Psal 111.10 The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom Psal 111.10 and a good understanding have all they that do thereafter i.e. Till a man put his knowledg in practise he is so farr from being a good man that he is scarse a man hath not the understanding of a man till he do till he fall a work he was wiser a great deal before he gained his knowledg Knowledg alone is a goodly purchase in the mean time It is so worthy a purchase that as it should seem by our Saviours account till a man have obtained some competency in knowledg he hath gotten no right to the Kingdom of Darkness and Hell 44. For certainly no man can justly challenge damnation but he that is burdened with Sin Now he that hath no knowledg but is utterly blind in his understanding hath no sin that is in comparison the words are Joh. 9.39 c. And Jesus said for judgment I am come into this world Joh. 9.39 c. that they which see not might see and that they which see might be made blind Not as if Christ did imprint or inflict blindness upon any man but only occasionally that is those which walk in darkness and love it when the light comes upon them and discovers their wandring they hate it and turn their eyes from it and become more perversly and obstinately blind In the same sense that St. Paul saith Rom. 7. Sin taking occasion by the Law becomes more sinful whil'st sin is not oppos'd it goes on in its course quietly but when the Commandement comes and discovers and rebukes it it becomes furious and abominable and much more raging and violent 45. There follows Vers 40. And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words and said unto him Are we blind also There is nothing in the world that a Pharisee can with less patience endure than to hear any intimation given that he may be suspected of folly And therefore they were not so sensible or conceited of some wrong received when our Saviour call'd them Generation of Vipers as they are when their wisdom and discretion are call'd in question Witness this answer when no man spake to them they suspiciously demand whether Christ in his last words meant them or no. But what answers our Saviour 46. Jesus said unto them Vers 41. If ye were blind ye should have no sin but now ye say We see therefore your sin remaineth As if he had said So little shall this supposed knowledg and wisdom that ye have profit you that you shall curse the time that ever you saw the holy Word of God and wish that all the Sermons that ever you heard all the gracious Invitations and sweet Promises which God by the ministery of his Servants the Prophets hath sent unto you had been sentences of some horrible death and torments from the mouth of a severe Judg. For your sins which otherwise had not been so insupportable now by your abusing the knowledg which God hath given you by your wilful contempt of those many invitations which have continually sounded in your ears are become as a Mountain upon you to crush you into powder You have hang'd a Milstone about your own necks which shall irrecoverably sink you into the bottomless comfortless pit whereas otherwise there might have been some hope of escape 47. And yet for all this let not any one favour and cherish himself in this conceipt That he thanks God he is ignorant enough that a very little practise will serve his turn his knowledg is not so much that it should put him to too great a labour in expressing it in the course of his life For whosoever he be that dares entertain or give way to such a thought as this is Let him be sure that if he do not know so much as God requires at his hands especially now that God hath sealed up the Scripture-Canon now that the whole Will of God is revealed this very ignorance alone will be a thousand weights to fasten him on the earth to make him sure for ever ascending to God in whom there is no darkness at all 48. For it is not so with an ignorant man as it is with one that is blind who if he will be sure not to tempt God by venturing and rushing forward in paths unknown unto him may live as long and as safe as he that is most quick-sighted No Ignorance alone though it be not active and fruitful in works of darkness is crime enough For with what colour of reason will such a one expect the reward of the Just Such a one will not doubt but that the Gates of Heaven are barr'd against the sottish blind ignorant Heathen to whom God never revealed any part of his Will yet himself may fare well enough Is not this a degree beyond madness it self What does such a one think that because he lives among religious people and such as are well acquainted with the way to Heaven that himself shall be sure to go for company Does he make no doubt of his part in the Resurrection of the Just because he was born in England or in such a year of our Lord when the Gospel flourished Nay shall it not be much more tolerable for the worst of the Heathen than for a such a man 49. For if the Heathen were left
down our lives for them So that we are not bound to destroy the love of our selves but only when it is a hinderance to our fulfilling of what God commands us 29. We therefore who have given up our Names unto Christ must expect to enjoy the fruits of his Obedience by treading in the same steps which he hath left unto us As shall be showed hereafter more plentifully 30. And yet it is not necessary that we should exactly and curiously apply our selves to the Rule of his Obedience For whereas he voluntarily undertook the form and fashion of a Servant and being Lord of Heaven and Earth despised and neglected the riches and glory of this world We notwithstanding are not tyed to such hard conditions but may flow and abound with wealth and honour neither need we to deny to our souls any pleasure under the Sun but liberally enjoy it as the gift of God as long as thereby we withdraw not our Obedience and Allegiance from God 31. Peccatum non est appetitus malarum rerum sed desertio meliorum saith St. Augustine quoted by Lombard 2 Sent. 42. dist i. e. Sin does not consist in desiring ' or lusting after things which in their own natures are evil and inconvenient but in preferring a low inconstant changeable good before another more worthy and of greater excellency and perfection Whilest therefore God has that estimation and value in our thoughts that he deserves whilest there is nothing in our selves or any other creature which we preferr before him whilst we conspire not with our lusts to depose him from bearing a Soveraign sway in our heats and Consciences whilst we have no other God before Him not committing Idolatry to Wealth Honour Learning and the like It shall be lawful in the second place to love our selves So that we fulfil this Commandement when we do not Deifie our selves whilst we Sacrifice not to our own wisdom nor burn incense to the pride of our hearts c. 32. Conceive then the meaning of this Law to be such as if it had been more fully inlarg'd on this wise Let every one that but hears any mention of Christ this day take into deep consideration and spend his most serious morning thoughts in pondering and weighing whether those benefits which Christ hath promised to communicate to every one that shall be joyned and marryed to him by a lively faith be worthy his acceptation Let him oppose to them all the pleasures and profits which he can promise or but fancy to himself under the Sun 33. If after a due comparing of these things together he have so much wisdom as to acknowledge that an eternal weight of joy and glory an everlasting serenity and calmness be to be preferr'd before a transitory unquiet restless unsatisfying pleasure And seeing both these are offered and set before him or rather seeing such is the extream mercy of our God that whereas the goods of this life are not allow'd nor so much as offer'd equally and universally to all For not many have ground to hope for much wealth Not many wise not many learned saith St. Paul Yet to every man whom God hath called to the acknowledgment of the Gospel these inestimable benefits are offered and presented bona fide without any impossible condition so that let the Disputers of this Age say what they will it shall be found that those who have failed and come short of these glories offered may thank themselves for it and impute it to an actual voluntary misprision and undervaluing of these riches of Gods mercies which they might have procured and not to any fatal over-ruling power that did inforce and necessitate and drive them to their destruction 34. These things considered if you are indeed convinc'd that light is to be preferr'd before darkness It is impossible but that you should likewise acknowledg that it were meer madness for a man to imagin to himself any the most vanishing faint expectation of those glorious Promises whilst he is busie and careful by all means to avoid those indeed thorny and unpleasant paths that lead unto them whilst he promiseth to himself rest and impunity though he walk in the Imagination of his own heart Surely the Lord will be avenged on such a person and will make his fierce wrath to smoak against him 35. Therefore resolve upon something If the Lord be God follow him serve him conform your selves to the form of new obedience which he hath prescribed But if Baal be God if Mammon be God if your selves be Gods follow the devices of your own hearts But by no means expect any reward at all from God for dishonouring him or preferring a base unworthy lust before his commands Lo 't is the Lord of Glory who is Salvation and the way too it is he that hath professed that there is no possible way of attaining unto him but by treading in the same steps which he hath left us A way which he found full of thorns full of difficulties but hath left it to us even strowed with Roses in comparison 36. The greatest and most terrible Enemies which we can fashion to our selves are those three which St. Paul hath mustered together and ordered them just Roman-wise the strongest in the Rear 1. Death and 2. the sting of that Sin and 3. the poyson of that sting The Law But over all these we are more then Conquerours for it follows Thanks be unto God which bath mark hath already given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ At the first indeed till the paths was worn and made smooth there were some difficulties for what could the Primitive Christians expect having all the world their Enemies but reproaches exiles deportations even horrible torments and death 37. But we blessed be our gracious God are so farr from being annoyed with such difficulties and pressures in the way that all those are to be feared and expected by them that dare deny the Profession of our glorious Religion What therefore if the Lord had commanded some great thing of us even as much as he did of his Beloved Servants the Apostles and Primitive Christians would we not have done it How much more when he says only Be not ashamed of me now when you dare not be ashamed of me now that it almost death to be ashamed of me Deny not me before this generation who would hate and persecute you to the death if you should deny me Crucifie unto you the unclean affections the incendiary lusts of your hearts which the Heathens have perform'd for the poor empty reward of fame Preferr not riches nor honours before me which is no more then many Philosophers have done for those vulgar changeable Gods which themselves have contemned 38. Having therefore beloved Christians such Promises to encourage us such as the poor Heathens never dream't of and yet for all that travelled more earnestly after an airy phantastical happiness of their own then we to our extream shame
to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the People For in that he himself hath suffred being tempted he is able to succour them which are tempted Which of you my Beloved friends when he does seriously meditate on this place will not be forc'd to sit down even ravish'd and astonish'd at the excessive superabundant Mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ That he which was the God that created us in whom we live move and have our being and being more intrinsecal to us then our own Natures as the Schools do boldly express doth know our most hidden thoughts long before they are that he notwithstanding should descend to submit himself to the same infirmities and temptations with us to this end that by bettering and adding to that knowledg which he had before of our wants and miseries to wit by perfecting and increasing-his former speculative knowledg by a new acquired experimental knowledg he might be better acquainted with what we want and thereby more inclin'd to Mercy and Commiseration and more powerful to succour us being tempted 47. See Behold beloved Christians how for our sakes he hath enlarg'd as it were three of his glorious incomprehensible Attributes 1. His Omniscience by knowing that personally and experimentally which he did before only know contemplatively 2. His Mercy in that this his Knowledg doth more incite his Goodness And 3. his Omnipotent Power for saith the Text in that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is thereby able to succour them which are tempted There seems likewise to be an access to his Glory by this his great Humility For saith the Text in Heb. 5.5 Christ glorified not himself to be an High Priest Heb. 5.5 48. Wo unto us my beloved friends if such mercies as these be neglected and sleightned by us Wo unto us if a Commandement proceeding from such a Law-giver have not greater force upon us then any Obligation whatsoever 49. And if these things be so Use 1 then in the first place How miserably are those deceived that think they have sufficiently observ'd this Commandement when they deny to themselves some one delightful insinuating affection some one enormous crying sin to which they see others wilfully and scandalously devoted yet in the mean time reserve to themselves many a bosome private beloved lust 50. You that know the story of Ananias and Saphira may remember with what a fearful name the Holy Spirit hath branded their sin it is called no less then Lying to the Holy Ghost it comes near both in name and condition to that fearful sin for which Christ did not dye and for which God could yet never find mercy enough to forgive 51. Yet consider what this sin was They voluntarily sold all the means they had that the money being equally divided might supply the necessity of those that wanted Notwithstanding to make sure work for some certain estate whereupon they might relie they subducted some part of the money and laid the rest at the Apostles feet 52. S. Peter told them that their land was in their own power neither did any constraint lye upon them to enforce them to sell all But since they had profess'd themselves among the number of them which were willing to cloathe and cherish and feed Christ in the persons of their new-converted brethren It was horrible theft and desperate sying against God to diminish one penny of the sum 53. Now that you may know how much this concerns you Which of you Beloved Christians hath not solemnly and publickly sworn and vowed to Almighty God at your Baptism not to prefer the vain pomp and vanities of this world much less the abominable crimes thereof above your Saviour into whose name you were baptized 54. Are not you then most shamefully perjur'd when you are so far from renouncing the vanities of this world for Christ his sake that you will not be withdrawn from the crimes of it When the base lust of an Harlot or the furious excess of Wine or that untempting undelightful and therefore more unpardonable sin of Swearing and Blasphemy shall be of sufficient force with you every hour not only to withdraw all manner of respect and obedience from Christ but even to make you crucifie him again and to put him to open shame 55. And do not please your selves in this conceit that because God does not exact of you now the forfeiture of your vow and promise as he did of Ananias and his Wife that therefore your case is much better than theirs For let me tell you as our Saviour on such an occasion told the Jews Think you that you are less sinners than they whose bloud Pilate mingled with the sacrifices or those upon whom the Tower of Siloe fell So let me say unto you Think you that because God shewed so terrible an example upon Ananias and Saphira for their lying to the Holy Ghost by taking them away suddenly by a fearful death and hath not yet shewed the like upon you that your sin comes much short of theirs and that you may notwithstanding escape I tell you nay but except ye repent ye shall likewise perish Alas what a trifle was that judgement which befell them to those plagues which are reserved for wilful obstinate sinners 56. I beseech you therefore Brethren even by the bowels of Jesus Christ that you would consider what it is you do when you allow your selves in the practise of any one habitual sin it is no less then a wilful wiping off the water wherewith you were Baptized it is no less than an abjuring of Christ nay it is no less than a devoting and sacrificing your selves to Devils 57. In the second place Use 2 Where will those appear that are so far from denying all for Christ that for his sake they will not leave one delightful profitable sin they will rather deny Christ himself than the least troublesome pleasure running into all excess of riot nay they will sell Christ cheaper than Judas did they will sell him and take no money for him What else do those that spend their time in idle vain Lying in fruitless Oaths in unnecessary Blasphemy They can be content to see Christ himself almost every day naked and do not cloathe him hungry and do not feed him in prison and do not visit him for in as much as they perform not these works of charity to his beloved little ones they deny them to Him Will they be found worthy of Christ that for his sake will not do so much as a Heathen hath done in an humour or for the unprofitable reward of fame that for his sake will not forgive their brother some small injury received nay perhaps some great kindness offered as a seasonable correction or loving disswasion from sin that for his sake will not take the least pains in furthering their own salvation 58. Lastly Use 3 What will become of me and you beloved Fathers and brethren of the Clergy We to whom God
hath entrusted the exercise and managing of three or four of his glorious Attributes for to us is committed the Gospel of Christ which is the Wisdom of God hidden from the world And to us is committed the Gospel of Christ which is the Power of God to salvation and which worketh mightily in them which believe even according to the mighty working whereby he raised Christ from the dead And to us is committed the Gospel of Christ even the Dispensation of the riches of his glorious Mercy and compassions 59. What then will become of us if we notwithstanding these great ingagements these inestimable prerogatives shall turn this Wisdom of God into foolishness by exalting and deifying our own carnal wisdom if we shall weaken and make void this Almighty Power by the violent opposition of our sinful lusts and affections finally if we shall be too sparing and niggardly in the Dispensing of these his Mercies if we shall render his goodness suspected to our hearers as if those frequent and plentiful Offers of pity and compassion were only empty histrionical expressions and not professions of a mind heartily and sincerely inclined unto us 60. I will tell you what will become of us and I shall the better do it by telling you first what an excessive weight of Glory we especially shall lose by it They that be wise saith Daniel shall shine as the brightness of the firmament and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever Not as those vulgar ordinary stars that have light enough only to make them visible but like those more noble lights which are able to cast a shadow through the whole Creation even like the Sun in his full strength And the preferment we are likely to gain is very answerable to our loss we shall be glorious shining fire-brands of the first magnitude in whose fearful horrible destruction God will shew what he is able to do The Fifth Sermon ROM VIII 34. Who is he that condemneth It is Christ that died Yea rather that is risen again IFI durst appear in this place with any ends and projects of mine own If whilest I preach unto you Jesus Christ I could think it worth my labour to lose a thought about the purchasing of a vain fruitless reputation and opinion amongst my hearers surely I should by no means omit so commodious and tempting an opportunity as this argument of Christs Resurrection may suggest unto me It being a business in the effecting whereof above all the works which God ever made since he began to work he most especially glorified almost all his divine Attributes It being a deliverance even of God himself from destruction and rottenness 2. It is an argument so pleasing to S. Paul that in many places he seems to magnifie it even to the undervaluing and disparagement of whatsoever Christ before either did or suffered Act. 13. In a Sermon of his Act. 13. preached at Antioch he makes it the complement and fulfilling of whatsoever God before had promised to the Fathers and of all the Prophecies which since the beginning of the world had been delivered by Gods Messengers To make which good the Apostle himself in that place whereas he needed not to strain so far there were then extant Prophecies enow purposely and precisely decaring the glory and power of Christs Resurrection he notwithstanding as it would seem mistakes that famous Prophecy of Christs Birth in those words of the 2d Psalm Psal 2. Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee and seemingly misapplies them to his Resurrection Why was he then indeed the Carpenter's son was it a confession and not humility that he call'd himself the son of man Were the torments of his passion and death as himself seems to intimate Joh. 16.21 only the pangs and throws of his new birth 3. By no means He was even in the extreamest degree and lowest point of his humiliation yea when himself in that last terrible Agony did seem to call it in question yet then also he was indeed the only begotten eternal Son of God Or if he had not most miserable and desperate had been our case But by his Resurrection he did declare unquestionably and without all contradiction unto the world his Glory and Majesty Or to speak in S. Paul's words Rom. 1. He was mightily declared to be the Son of God by his Resurrection from the dead 4. But we now celebrate a Feast a season of Joy and exultation which we use not to do upon the memory of Gods most wonderful acts and exploits though never so much expressing the glory of his Majesty and Power unless they have been beneficial unto us unless they have very nearly concern'd our safety and happiness 5. And surely this great deliverance of Christ from the dominion and power of Hell and the Grave when God called his Son the third time out of Egypt this victory of his did in a high degree import us and advance our welfare it had some more then ordinary influence upon our salvation otherwise this season dedicated to the memory thereof would not have been so acceptable to the primitive Christians to make them as it were in revenge and faction against the late melancholy time of Fasting and repentance for its sake to set up an Anti-Lent and to appoint other forty daies of Feasting and triumph which was more as Tertullian boasteth then all the solemn Holy-daies of the Heathen joyned together Yea so scrupulous were they in the celebration of this Feast quite opposite to the solemn peevishness of some Christians of our times that for the whole space between Easter and Pentecost as it is thought they quite intermitted the works and exercise of their vocations they would not suffer one Fasting-day to appear they left off their severity and discipline their Vigilia and Stationes Nay they would not all that time so much as De geniculis adorare in the witty barbarous expression of the same Father in his Book De Corona Militis they would not shew so much faint heartedness and dejection as to kneel at prayers 6. Therefore in stead of saying fine things of the fashion and contrivance of this business of Christ's Resurrection in stead of raising matter of wonder and astonishment out of the glory and power of it I will endeavour being to conclude the solemn celebration of this Feast by way of Use and Application to discover the issue and fruit thereof in respect of us not only the convenience but the extream necessity and the strict cohaerence which our Salvation has not only upon the Satisfaction and death but upon the Resurrection and life of our blessed Saviour 7. Now we find many things ascribed to Christs Life and Death in Holy Scripture only as to Patterns and exemplary causes being Duties which the consideration of Christs Death and Resurrection ought proportionably to exact from us As If Christ be dead Then count your selves also dead
unto Sin If risen again then count your selves alive unto Righteousness For how it should come to pass that so much of our Holiness as makes up mortification and no more should be ascribed to Christs Death as a proper effect and fruit thereof And the rest which is newness of life and obedience should be imputed to his Resurrection I shall never be able to comprehend 8. The benefits therefore which accrew unto us by Christ I suppose may be divided either into those which flow from the mâ—rit of his Death or from the power and influence of his Life In the former are comprehended all whatsoever Christ hath done for us In the latter whatsoever he doth or will work in us And both being extremely necessary It shall be this hours employment to shew with what good reason we celebrate a feast at this time that we should not terminate our contemplation only on the great love and bowels of compassions on Good-Friday expressed unto us but also and with better reason on the Joy and comfort which with great reason we may collect from this business of Easter even that lively hope whereunto we are regenerated by the Resurrection of Christ And to joyn with S. Paul in his wonder and amazement at the consideration of the infinite mercy and power of God and thereupon his boasting and challenging securely all manner of adversaries Who is be that shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that justifieth Who is he that condemneth It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again 9. In which words are comprehended the great dependance and combination which our non-condemnation or salvation has not only with the death and satisfaction of Christ but also rather even with advantage on his Resurrection Now because they are so few they cannot conveniently be divided I will out of them raise this Doctrinal Proposition Doctr. namely That Christs Resurrection and exaltation is fully as necessary and effectual to procure and perfect our salvation if not more then even the all-sufficient Sacrifice upon the Cross 10. Which that I may more fully and distinctly confirm unto you I will divide into two Propositions which if sufficiently maintain'd doth necessarily infer the Doctrine The first whereof is this Prop. 1. That the purpose of Christ who satisfied for our sins and the Covenant which he made with God who accepted of this satisfaction was not that remission of sins should immediately ensue upon his death but only upon performance of the Conditions of the new Covenant made in Christs Bloud which are unfeigned Repentance for Sin and a serious Conversion unto God by Faith The Second That by the Dominion and Power of Christ Prop. 2. which at his Resurrection and not before he received as a reward of his great humility we are not only enabled to the performance of the conditions of this new Covenant and by consequence made capable of an Actual application of his satisfaction but also by the same power we shall hereafter be raised up and exalted to everlasting Happiness Of these two Propositions therefore in the order proposed very briefly and even too too plainly And first of the first namely That the purpose of Christ who Prop. I. c. 11. I confess it would be no hard matter for a Disputant meeting with an adversary that would be content to be swayed and governed by Reason alone to molest and even fright him from the truth of this Doctrine For if we shall consider not only the excessive unspeakable Torments which Christ suffered for us but especially the infinite Majesty and Glory of the Person who willingly submitted himself to that Curse what less reward can be expected than the present deliverance and salvation not only of a few selected men but even of many worlds of Men and Angels 12. But it is not for us Beloved Christians to set our price and value upon Christs precious Bloud to say Thus much it is worth and no more As there have not wanted men on the other side who have dared to affirm That Christs Bloud according to exact estimation did amount to a certain value by the worth and cost whereof such a set number as shall be saved were redeem'd and purchas'd And if one besides should be delivered it were more than the price of the Bloud came to What a fearful dangerous curiosity is this Is it not a piece of Judas his sin to set our own estimation and value to make a bargain and sale of Christs Death to set up a kind of shambles to sell his Flesh and Bloud in 13. But leaving these vain phantastical Calculations to their chief Professours the Schoolmen who are so unreasonably addicted to this dreaming Learning that nothing can escape their Compass and Ballance For to omit their curious descriptions and Maps of the dimensions and situation of Heaven and Hell the Figure Borders Islands of both They have undertaken to discover the exact proportionable increase of the graces of the Saints especially of the Blessed Virgin whose good actions they have found to encrease just in Octupla ratione so that for example her twentieth good action did exceed the first in virtue and intention of Grace as much as the whole earth doth exceed a grain of mustard-seed 14. Is not this Beloved Friends a learning and wisdom to be pitied Is not this that disease which S. Paul discovers 1 Tim. 6. the effect whereof is to make men sick about vain questions and oppositions of science falsly so called Therefore leaving these vain Speculations as likewise others about the business in hand no less curious and much more dangerous yet securely stated in these daies almost in every Pamphlet and Synopsis As namely Whether God could have contrived any course for mans salvation beside that which he prosecuted Whether without accepting any satisfaction to his Justice he could freely and absolutely have remitted our sins 15. For what use or profit can be made of these Questions though with never so great subtilty and curiosity stated Besides we find that God had professed unto Adam that his death together with the destruction of all mankind should be the reward of the breach of his Covenant By which means Gods Justice being interested in the business the very grounds and foundation of this latter question are destroyed the doubt and scrue whereof must needs have been blasphemous namely Whether God could have been unjust Nay more it makes the sending of Christ into the world together with his obedience to the death even that accursed death of the Cross to be a matter of no necessary importance to be only a great Complement whereby God shews unto mankind that though he could easily have remitted their sins without any satisfaction for whatsoever is possible to God is easie notwithstanding that they should see He would strain himself even farther for them was very requisite and withall to shew his abomination of sin he
and earn'd it by a former voluntary submission and humiliation of himself 32. The conditions on Christ's part we find most exactly performed by him wholly resigning and prostrating his own will to the will disposition of his Father At his private Passion which immediately went before his Attachment when he was sacrificed and even crucified alone in the Garden without the assistance and malice of a trayterous Disciple of the chief Priests or Romans Though he retain'd that innocent fear of death and shame which is natural to Man which forced him to cry out Father if it be possible let this Cup pass from me Notwithstanding though he could not hate his own life yet to shew he preferr'd the fulfilling of his Fathers will before it he adds Nevertheless not my will but thy will be done Luk. 22.42 By which words he resigns the whole power and faculty of his will into his Fathers hands In the words of another Evangelist he saith Not what I will Mark 14.36 but what thou wilt Where he resigns and submits the Act and Exercise of his Will And lastly to make all compleat in the expression of a Third Evangelist he saith Not as I will but as thou wilt Matth. 26 39. Where he subjects not only the faculty and the exercise of his will to the performance of what God shall command him but is willing and desirous to do it after what manner and fashion soever God shall be pleased It is not possible for the understanding of man to adde or conceive a degree beyond this 33. In the next place we shall see How God the Father is as good as his word to his Son But first give me leave to complain to you of that Tyranny which custom partiality or something worse has laid upon our Understandings And that is this That wheresoever any former Protestant Writer have suspected a Doctrin as not beneficial but rather dangerous to some conclusion which he is resolved to maintain against the Papists we their Scholars are oblig'd to make good their jealousies and may be groundless suspitions 34. To omit many examples I will produce only these few It lies upon us to maintain that St. John's Baptism was one and the same Sacrament with that of Christs contrary to express words of Scripture and something else That Christ is a Mediatour Secundum Divinam Naturam which borders I fear upon an old dangerous Heresie As likewise which especially concerns this place That Christ merited nothing to Himself by his Passion neither was the Exaltation of his Humane Nature to the Dominion and Rule over all Creatures a reward of his Humility but a preferment due to his Person though by special dispensation the exercise thereof was deferr'd for a time but should have been conferr'd upon him as fully as he now enjoys it though he had never suffered 35. But Scripture reacheth us That Christ was to be made perfect by sufferings That Because he had drunk of the Brook by the way Therefore he should lift up his head That For the joy which was set before him that is Having an eye to the glorious reward and fruit of his suffering he endured the Cross and despised the shame and therefore is set up at the right hand of Glory Because being found in fashion as a Man Phil. 2.8 9. he humbled himself and became obedient to the death even the death of the Cross 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Therefore for this reason God hath highly exalted him and given him a Name which is above every Name c. Nay St. Paul makes the obtaining a Rule and Dominion over man-kind a main end of his death for in Rom. 14.9 he saith Rom. 14.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For this end Christ both dyed and rose again that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living By his death meriting this Dominion by his Resurrection receiving it But I will forbear controversie because I desire to seek out no Adversary especially in my preaching but only the Devil and Sin 36. This therefore I think we shall agree upon That it was the purpose and immutable decree of God that after the fall and misery of man whatsoever good should befal us toward our restitution and repairing to our lost happiness should be convey'd unto us by our own nature That the Seed of the Woman should break the Serpent's head That is not only in St. John's phrase destroy the works of the Devil but also in St. Paul's destroy his kingdom and power which is Death So that As by Man came Sin and Error so by Man also should come Grace and Truth As by Man came Death so by Man also should come the Resurrection from the dead By Man also life and immortality should be brought to light 37. Now that these great projects and entendments might be brought about and that the Humane Nature might be furnish'd with ability to discharge this Province and to go through with this great Undertaking God the Father for the merit of Christ's great humility by his Resurrection hath highly exalted him farr above all Principality and Power Eph. 1.20 and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but also in that which is to come Phil. 2.9 10 11. And hath given him a Name above all Names that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus is the Lord to the glory of God the Father 38. And thus much Christ himself confesseth and acknowledgeth presently upon his Resurrection for then he saith All power is given unto me in Heaven and Earth It was then only he received the Dominion whereof his Father David's Kingdom was but a Type and shadow And as his Father David was anointed and deputed by God to the Kingdom but received not actual possession of it till after many persecutions and afflictions at the hands of his Master Saul In like manner though our Saviour even in the days of his humility teacheth us that the Father judgeth no man but resigneth all judgment to the Son Notwithstanding these words are to be understood only by way of Anticipation or Prophecy of what should befal him after he should have perform'd the work of our Redemption For while he lived here among men he professed he was so farr from being a King that he had no sufficient authority given him to be a petty Judg in a case of Inheritance And that wicked Pilas himself had power given him from Heaven to become his Judg So that though in the days of his flesh he was Heir of all things yet he was only a conditional heir and therefore till the conditions were perform'd and himself seiz'd of the Inheritance even the Heir himself differed nothing from a Servant 39. But within three days after his Passion the case was much altered
For whereas before he was allowed no Authority no not in Israel At his Resurrection he obtains the Heathen for his Inheritance and the uttermost parts of the Earth for his Possession Now it would be a hard undertaking taking to describe the limits and borders of Christ's Kingdom as also to define the Polity whereby it is administred Therefore leaving the most glorious part of it which is in Heaven undiscovered we find in Holy Scripture that according to the several dispositions and qualifications of men here on earth He hath both a Scepter of righteousness to govern and protect his faithful subjects and servants and a rod of Iron to break the wicked in pieces like a potter's vessel And though the greatest part of the world will acknowledge no subjection to Christ's Kingdom notwithstanding this does not take away his authority over them no more than the murmuting and rebellion of the Israelites did depose Moses their Governour But there will come a time when that Prophetical Parable of his shall be resolved and interpreted to their confusion when he shall indeed say Where are those my enemies which would not have me to reign over them Bring them hither and slay them before me 40. But the most eminent and notorious exercise of Christs Dominion is seen in the rule over his Church which he purchased with his own Bloud Now the first business he took in hand presently upon his Resurrection when all power and dominion was given him was to give commission and authority to his Embassadours the Apostles and Disciples to make known to the world that so great salvation which he had wrought at his Passion Now though the Apostles were sufficiently authorised by vertue of that Commission which Christ gave them in those words As my Father sent me so send I you Notwithstanding they were not to put this authority presently in practise but to wait for the sending of the Holy Ghost which Christ before had promised them That by his virtue and influence they might be furnished with abilities to go through with that great employment of reconciling the world unto God by subduing mens understandings to the truth and obedience of the Gospel 41. We read in the Gospel of S. John that during the life which Christ lived in the flesh the Holy Ghost was not sent and the reason is added Because the Son of man was not yet glorified The strength and vigour of which reason doth excellently illustrate the point in hand For the sending of the Holy Ghost was one of the most glorious acts of Christs Kingly Office and the most powerful means of advancing his Kingdom Therefore in the daies of his humiliation whilest he lived in the form of a servant before he had purchased to himself a Church by his own Bloud his Humane Nature obtain'd no right of dominion and power over Mankind For till we were redeemed from the power and subjection of the Devil and sin by the merit of Christs Death we were none of Christs subjects but servants and slaves sold under sin and Satan 42. So that it being necessary that the Son of man should not only pay a price and ransome for our Redemption by his Death but also that the same Son of man and none else should actually and powerfully vindicate his elect from the bondage they were in and effectually apply his merits and satisfaction to their souls and consciences Till he was in S. Paul's words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 11.9 For the suffering of death crown'd with glory and honour He according to his Humane Nature and that was the only instrument whereby our Salvation was to be wrought had no power of sending the Holy Ghost 43. And indeed till Reconciliation was made by his Death to what purpose should the Holy Ghost be sent What business or employment could we find for him on earth You will say to work grace and new obedience in us I confess that is a work worthy the Majesty and goodness of Gods holy Spirit But yet suppose all this had been wrought in us put case our hearts were sprinkled from an evil conscience and that we were renewed in the spirits of our minds Perhaps all this might procure us a more tolerable cool place and climate in Hell But without Christ it would be far from advantaging us toward our salvation for alas though we should turn never so holy never so vertuous and reformed what satisfaction or recompence could we make for our former sins and iniquities God knows it must cost more to redeem a soul therefore we must let that alone for ever we must take heed of ever medling in that office we must let it alone to him even Jesus Christ who alone is able to be at that cost 44. But I might have spared all these suppositions For as excluding Christ there is no satisfaction no hope of redemption for us so excluding Christs satisfaction he hath no power or authority as Man of sending the Holy Ghost thereby to work in us an ability of performing the conditions of the second Covenant and by consequence of making us capable of the fruit and benefit of his satisfaction Therefore blessed be God the Father for the great glory which he gave unto Christ And blessed be our Lord Jesus Christ for meriting and purchasing that Glory at so dear a rate And blessed be the Holy Spirit who when Christ who is flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone did send him would be content to come down and dwell among us 45. We find in Holy Scripture that our Salvation is ascribed to all the Three Persons of the blessed Trinity though in several respects To the Father who accepts of Christs Satisfaction and offereth pardon of all our sins To the Son who merited and procured Reconciliation for his elect faithful servants And to the Holy Ghost the Comforter who being sent by the Son worketh in us power to perform the conditions of the New Covenant thereby qualifying us for receiving actual remission of our sins and a right to that glorious Inheritance purchased for us 46. And from hence may appear How full of danger the former Doctrine which teacheth that actual remission of sins is procured to Gods Elect immediately by Christs death and how dishonourable it is to the Spirit of Grace excluding him from having any concurrence or efficacy in our Salvation For if this should be true the powerful working of the Holy Spirit can in no sense concern either our Justification or everlasting happiness For how can it be said that the Holy Spirit doth co-operate to our Salvation since all our good and happiness was procured by Christs death not only before but without all manner of respect had to our Regeneration and Sanctification by the power of the blessed Spirit Therefore by this Doctrine if we be any thing at all beholding to the Holy Spirit it is only for this that he is pleased now and then by fits
to be a messenger or intelligencer to discover unto us what Christ alone hath purchased for us 47. But I forbear to enlarge my self further in this point and indeed I have already done too much wrong to the honour and dignity of this Feast not only in mixing the business of Good-Friday with it as I did in my former part but also as I now have done in taking in the matter and imployment of Whitsuntide too Suffice it therefore that the sending of the Holy Ghost was an especial exercise of that power which was given Christ at his Resurrection by the influence and virtue whereof we do restrain and appropriate the merit of his Death to our own good and benefit 48. Now I would not be mistaken as if I said that the Resurrection of Christ precisely taken for that individual action whereby he was restored to life and glory was then effectual and powerful to produce those admirable effects For that being a Transient action past and finished many hundred years since can very improperly be termed capable of having such effects ascribed to it as have since and shall to the end of the world be wrought in Gods Elect. Therefore S. Paul shall be mine Interpreter in Rom. 5.10 saying If when we were enemies Rom. 5.10 we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life that is By that glorious Life which began at his Resurrection 49. For as in the matter of Satisfaction we ascribe our reconciliation to his Death especially yet not excluding his former Obedience and Humiliation but naming that as being the complement and perfection terminating whatsoever went before So likewise in Christs exaltation though there were divers degrees and ascents and stages of it yet we especially take notice of his Resurrection because in that Christ took his rise as it were and was then a Bridegroom coming out of his chamber Psal 19. rejoycing as a Gyant to run his race His goings out indeed were from the Grave but his Circuit is to the ends of Heaven and nothing is hid from his heat and virtue He illuminates every man that cometh into the world He was made saith S. Paul a quickning Spirit cherishing actuating and informing us with life and motion By the influence and power of his life he undergoes as it were a second Incarnation living and dwelling in our hearts by his Grace and reigning powerfully in our souls by Faith 50. And hereby he even shares his Kingdom his Power and his Victory with us For saith S. John This is the victory whereby ye overcome the world even your Faith Christ is not content only to destroy in us the works of darkness to dispel the clouds of ignorance and errour or to rectifie the crookedness and perverseness of our wills neither yet to implant in us a heavie unactive sleepy harmlesness a dull lethargick innocence but withal indues us Justitiâ germinante with a fruitful budding righteousness and works in us in the expression of S. Paul both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a patient unwearied hope 1 Thess 1.3 not hasty nor discontented with expecting and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a painful laborious love and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a working sprightful victorious Faith whereby we violently lay hold on the promises And in this sense the same Apostle saith that as Christ died for our sins Rom. 4.24 so he rose again for our Justification that is one chief end of Christs Resurrection in respect of us was to work in us a lively faith whereby we might be justified and acquitted from our sins 51. And yet the Power of Christs Life leaves us not here neither Nay all this is performed only to make us capable of greater blessings yet Tertul. de Res carnis For by our sanctification and new-birth we are saith Tertullian Restitutioni inaugurati destin'd and consecrated to a glorious Resurrection Hereupon S. John calls holiness the first Resurrection whereby sin is destroy'd And it is a pawn of the second whereby Death also shall be swallowed up in victory By the first the sting of the Serpent is taken away which is sin as S. Paul saith The sting of death is sin And when the sting is gone the Serpent cannot long out live it for by the second Resurrection that also is destroyed 52. But you will say How is Death destroyed Do not all men dye Do not all men see corruption You may as well ask How is sin destroyed For have not all men sinned and come short of the glory of God Nay Do not all men sin how righteous soever And if they were rewarded according to their own demerits would they not all come short of the glory of God Most certainly true Therefore to say the truth As yet neither Sin nor Death are destroy'd but only the Dominion of Sin and the Victory of the Grave And thereupon the Apostle contemplating the conquering power of Christ at his Resurrection saith not Oh Death or Oh Grave where are you for a little travel would serve the turn to assoyl that question 1. Cor. 15.55 But Oh Death where is thy sting How comes it to pass that thy poyson is not so keen and mortal as it hath been that it is so easily though not expell'd yet tempered and corrected by the healing Bezoartical virtue of Grace And thou Oh Grave where is thy victory Though thou hast given thine adversary the foyl though thou hast gotten him under thee yet thou shalt never be able to detain him long For behold a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry He will ransack the most private reserved corners of thy Treasury and though thou mayest consume and devour our bodies yet he will force thee to vomit and disgorge them again he will not leave one portion one morsel of them in thy stomach and entrails 53. I know the ingenuous and learned Pareus because he would not suffer any portion of the merit of Christ's Death to be extended and meant to the ungodly or that He by the fruit of his Passion should obtain any power over them will therefore consequently exclude them from the efficacy and power of his Resurrection and Life He will not allow them to be raised by the power of Christ but only by the Justice of God to their own condemnation So that by his reckoning the great business and work of the last day shall not wholly lye upon Christ's hands to perform but shall be parted and shared between the Power of Christ and the Justice of God 54. I am confidently perswaded S. Paul in this point was not of his mind when he saith As in Adam all have dyed so by Christ shall all All without exception be made alive again And As by man came death so by Man also cometh the Resurrection of the Dead Indeed I wonder Pareus would not likewise find some shift to exclude
and come short of the glory of God Thus much for the Law of Works 29. The state of mankind without Christ being so deplored so out of al hope as I told you Almighty God out of his infinite mercy and goodness by his unspeakable wisdom found out an attonement accepting of the voluntary exinanition and humiliation of his dearly beloved Son who submitted himself to be made flesh to all our natural infirmities sin only excepted and at last to dye that ignominious accursed death of the Cross for the Redemption of mankind Who in his death made a Covenant with his Father that those and only those who would be willing to submit themselves to the obedience of a new Law which he would prescribe unto mankind should for the merits of his obedience and death be justified in the sight of God have their sins forgiven them and be made heirs of everlasting glory Now that Christ's death was in order of Nature before the giving of the Gospel is I think evident by those words of St. Paul Heb. 9.16 17. where comparing the old Covenant of the Jews with that of Christ he saith Where a Testament is Heb. 9.16.16 there must of necessity be the death of the Testatour for a Testament is of force after men are dead otherwisâ— it is of no strength at all while the Testatour liveth whereupon neither the first Covenant was dedicated without bloud It was necessary therefore saith he ver 23. that the patterns of things in heaven should be purified with these i. e. with the bloud of Beasts but the heavenly things themselves with better things than those namely with the bloud of Christ 30. Which Covenant of Christ call'd in Scripture the New-Covenant the Covenant of Grace the grace of God the Law of Faith according to the nature of all Covenants being made between two parties at the least requires conditions on both sides to be perform'd and being a Covenant of Promise the conditions on man's part must necessarily go before otherwise they are no conditions at all Now man's duty is comprehended by St. Paul in this word Faith and God's promise in the word Justification And thus farr we have proceeded upon sure grounds for we have plain express words of Scripture for that which hath been said But the main difficulty remains behind and that is the true sense and meaning of these two words Faith and Justification and what respect and dependance they have one of the other Which difficulty by Gods assistance and with your Christian charitable patience I will now endeavour to dissolve 31. For the first therefore which is Faith we may consider it in several respects to wit first as referring us to and denoting the principal object of Evangelical Faith which is Christ Now if Faith be meant in this sense as by many good Writers of our Reformed Churches it is understood then the meaning of that so often repeated saying of St. Paul We are justified by Faith without the works of the Law must be We are justifi'd only for the obedience of Christ and not for our righteousness of the Law which is certainly a most Catholick Orthodox sense and not to be deny'd by any Christian though I doubt it does not express all that St. Paul intended in that Proposition Secondly Faith signifies the Act or exercise or duty of Faith as it comprehends all Evangelical Obedience call'd by St. Paul The Obedience of Faith Rom. 16.26 Rom. 16.26 4.13 9.13 10.6 The Righteousness of Faith Rom. 4 13. 9.13 10.6 And it is an inherent grace or vertue wrought in us by the powerful operation of God's Spirit Or thirdly Rom. 10.9 it may be taken for the Doctrin of Faith call'd also by him the Word of Faith Act. 20.32 Gal. 3.2 Rom. 3.27 Rom. 10.8 and the Word of Gods Grace Act. 20.32 and the hearing of Faith Gal. 3.2 In which sense as if he meant the Word St. Paul may seem to resolve us Rom. 3.27 where he saith that boasting is excluded by the Law of Faith which words are extant in the very heat of the controversie of Justification Now these senses of Faith if they be apply'd to that conclusion of St. Paul We are justified by Faith come all to one pass for in effect it is all one to say We are justifi'd by our Obedience or Righteousness of Faith and to say We are justifi'd by the Gospel which prescribes that Obedience As on the contrary to say We are justifi'd by the Law or by works prescribed by the Law is all one There is a fourth acception of Faith taken for the single Habit or Grace of Faith and apply'd to this proposition only of all Christians that I have heard of by the Belgick Remonstrants which being a new invented fancy and therefore unwarrantable yet I shall hereafter have occasion it may be to say something of it 31. St. Paul's Proposition I am perswaded excludes none of these senses it is capeble of them all But before I shew you how they may consist together I will in the first place declare of what nature that righteousness is which God by vertue of his New Covenant requires at our hands before he will make good his promise unto us First then God requires at our hands a sincere Obedience unto the substance of all Moral duties of the Old Covenant and that by the Gospel And this obedience is so necessary that it is impossible any man should be saved without it The pressing of this Doctrine takes up by much the greatest part of the Evangelical Writings Now that these Duties are not enforc'd upon us as conditions of the Old Covenant of Works is evident because by Christ we are freed from the Obligation of the Old Covenant God forbids that we should have a thought of expecting the hope of righteousness upon those terms For that Covenant will not admit of any imperfection in our works and then in what a miserable case are we There is no hope for us unless some course be taken that not only our imperfections but our sins and those of a high nature be pass'd by and overlook'd by Almighty God as if He had lost his eyes to see them or his memory to remember them 32. The substance then of the Moral Law is enjoyn'd us by the New-Covenant but with what difference I shall shew you presently And hereupon it is that our Saviour saith to the Pharisees who were willing to make any mis-construction of his Doctrine Think you that I am come to destroy the Law I by all means say we God forbid else for unless the old Law be destroy'd we are undone as long as that is alive we are dead If the Law of Works have its natural force still woe be to us Therefore that must not be Christ's meaning His intent is as if he should say Think you that I am come to destroy the righteousness of the Law to dis-oblige men from