Constitutions by the sacred power or Clergy for externall conformity in outward duties of outward worship and government and to have these confirmed by civill sanction and inforced upon men by secular power when in the mean time all that inward corruption and sin they brought with them into the world remains in their hearts and natures as it did before After this manner the old Prelates reformed who were wont to say to the Kings Wee will studie out the faith and you shall maintain it and the faith they studied and brought to the Kings the Kings must maintain and not question but that it was Jure Divino And thus you see in generall what Gospel Reformation is and that it is a cleer different thing from Civil-Ecclesiasticall Reformation 2. Now in the next place let us see how this Gospel Reformation is qualified whereby the difference between this and the other will appear yet more cleerly First then it is a spirituall Reformation For as the Kingdome of Christ is a spirituall Kingdome so all the things that belong to it are spirituall things and so the Reformation of it A carnall Reformation is not sutable to a spirituall Kingdom And spirituall it is because it proceeds from the Spirit and stands in spirituall things as you shall see more fully anon But now the Reformation of the Civill and Ecclesiasticall State is but a carnall Reformation wrought by the power of flesh and blood and stands in outward and fleshly things as you shall presently see Secondly It is an inward Reformation For as the Kingdome of God is an inward Kingdome the kingdome of God is within you so the Reformation that belongs to it is an inward Reformation This true Gospel Reformation layes hold upon the heart and soul and inner man and changes and alters and renews and reforms that and when the heart is reformed all is reformed And therefore this Gospel Reformation doth not much busie and trouble it selfe about outward forms or externall conformity but onely minds the reforming of the heart and when the heart is right with God the outward form cannot be amisse And therefore saith Christ touching the worship of the New Testament God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth but speaks not one word of any outward form So that God in this Gospel Reformation aims at nothing but the heart according to the tenour of the new covenant Jer. 31. 33. This shall be the covenant that I will make with them after those dayes saith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts so that they shall not onely have the word of the letter in their books but the living word of God in their hearts and God intending to reform the Church begins with their hearts and intending to reform their hearts puts his word there and that living word put into the heart reforms it indeed But now Civil-Ecclesiasticall Reformation is onely outward and busies st selfe in reforming the outward man in outward things and so is very industrious and elaborate about outward forms and outward orders and outward government and outward confession and outward practice and thinks if these be put into some handsomâ—nesse and conformity they have brought about an excellent Reformation though the heart in the mean time remain as sinfull vile and corrupt as ever and so altogether unreformed And so this Reformation is like that Reformation of the Scribes and Pharisees notorious hypocrites who made clean onely the outside of the cup or platter leaving them all filthy and unclean within and whited over sepulchres to make them beautifull outwardly when inwardly they were full of rottennesse and corruption So Civill-Ecclesiasticall Reformation makes a man clean outwardly with an outward Confession of faith when inwardly hee is all filthy through unbelief and whites him over with a few handsome forms of worship when inwardly hee is full of ignorance of God and Atheism Obj. Now if any ask But must there be no change of outward things in the Reformation of the Gospel Answ. I answer Yes an outward change that flows from an inward but not an outward change without an inward much lesse an outward change to enforce an inward 3. It is a thorow Reformation for it reforms the whole man it reforms not the soul onely but the body too and the very spirit of the mind the spirit as it animates and quickens and acts the body is called the soule as it is in it selfe in its owne nature and essence so it is called the spirit of the mind and this Gospel Reformation reforms all that is both inward and outward and outward and inward man yea the inwardest of the inward man and not only the operations of the soul in the body but of the soul in its selfe But Civill-Ecclesiasticall Reformation reforms by halfs it reaches the body and orders that but attains not to the soul much lesse to the spirit of the mind Again Gospel Reformation reforms sin wholly aswell as the man it reforms all sin whatsoever I will turn my hand upon thee saith God by this Gospel Reformation and will purely purge away thy drosse and take away all thy tinne It reforms a man not only of outward sins but of inward It reforms him of those sins that seldome come forth into the view of the world as Atheisme ignorance of God pride vain-glory self-seeking hypocrisie carnall mindednesse and all the evill desires of the flesh and of the minde Yea it doth not only reform all evill things in us but all imperfect things 〈◊〉 doing away imperfect things by the coming of perfect things doing away our own strength by the coming in of Gods strength and our own wisdome and righteousnesse by the coming in of Gods wisdome and righteousnesse But now Civill-Ecclesiasticall Reformation reforms sin by the halfs aswell as the man and so only reforms outward and grosse sins such as run into the eyes of the world which are the least by a thousand times of the evils that a man hath and acts but the greatest part of sin it still leaves within as it was Fourthly It is a powerfull and mighty Reformation It is wrought in a man by the very power of God even by the right hand of his Righteousnesse And so no sin lust corruption though never so mighty is able to refist this work of God by the Gospel but it makes the whole body of sin and the whole kingdome of the Divell fly in pieces before it The power of God in creating and redeeming the elect may as well be resisted as the power of God in reforming them for it is a power above all power that God puts forth in this work and so is not to be made void by any creature In every stroke of this work the power of the Lord God Almighty is put forth as every rightly reformed Christian knows
Elders and better it is there should be no government at all say they then not in their hands by whom it should be And here lyes the Mysterie of Iniquity in this That they make the whole Kingdome a Church and then require a power authority and jurisdiction in their Church-Kingdome which the Magistrate is not to deale withall but themselves Whereas we acknowledge the whole power of the Kingdome to belong to the Magistrate and onely give unto CHRIST the power of his own Kingdome which is not of the World but spirituall and heavenly And here also fully to deliver my selfe from misapprehensions I understand not by the Church of CHRIST any company of men whatsoever who under the notion of a Church or Saints or any other title may pleade priviledge or exemption of their lives liberties or estates from the power of the Civil Magistrate for that were to justifie the Papal Prelatical or any other government of a newer name which under pretence of Ius Divinum shall set up and exercise an outward and visible power and jurisdiction free and exempted from the authority and power of the civil Magistrate which I utterly both deny and detest as Antichristian And therefore I humbly represent how prejudiciall this may prove to you in the end to suffer a Generation of men in the Kingdome under the name either of Church or Clergie whose power preferment and interest is different and excentricall from the power welfare and interest of the Kingdome and what a ballance they may prove against the State where they live in turning and tumultuous times as they themselves know so I hope you clearly perceive it as well as they How they already dare lift up the Head against you who sees not How do they manifest their discontents against you in Pamphlets and Pulpits in their Sermons and Prayers because you have not setled the Government they have studied out for you as Ius Divinum and the certain and unchangeable minde of GOD though they can neither make it out to your selves nor to any body else by the Word that it is so And how do they labour to instill into the people their own discontents perswading them you have done nothing at all because you have not done all that ever they would have you do though you can see neither Scripture nor reason for it And for this cause rendering you every where odious to the people Many other things besides do they scramble up and use against you which they conceive may make for your disadvantage and dis-interest in the people because they think they shall never get much higher except they make you a little lower for they must according to the law of Antichrist set their feet on your power to get up to their own Some discoveries of this spirit you might see in Mr. Loves Sermon telling you before your faces and before the people That some call'd you a Mungrell Parliament Indeed the King as I understand call'd the Parliament at Oxford so but Mr. Love was the first for ought I can learne that ever named you so and I wish he may be the last but any Doctrine is Orthodox out of a mans mouth of his Order farther threatning you with a discerning people to look into your actions and to spy out your boundlesse priviledges as if you must do justice not out of the love of Righteousnesse but out of fear of Mr. Loves discerning people Telling you also The Clergie had done as much service for you in their Pulpits as your Regiments in the Field that by this means he might minde you what they can do against you as well as for you if you be not servants to their designes for they that have heretofore been for you can if they please turn to others against you who shall be more for themselves And in many other things flying out against your worthy Commanders in the Army upon suspitions of his own and against the Articles at Oxford c. For it is no proper Presbyterial Doctrine that does not at least meddle with the affairs of the State which in time they may hopefully come to order In these and divers other things he took his full swinge all of them no doubt deeply appertaining to the mysterie of the Gospel The other things he spake to the disadvantage of the ignorant and weak and neither to the Truths disadvantage nor mine I shall clear in a short Reply set after the Discourse and so shall trouble you no farther with any such stuffe but only with a smart expression from one it seems of some note in the Assembly who said If the Parliament approved Mr. Dells Sermon it were no blasphemy to say They were no Parliament So that it seems you shall be no longer a Parliament then you approve what the Assembly approves but the Kingdome hopes you are built upon a better foundation And to him who hath been so bold with you I shall only crave leave to Reply in your presence If the Assembly which I hope they will not should condemne that Doctrine of the Gospel for the substance of it delivered then by Mr. Dell it will be no blasphemy to say They are the enemies of the truth of Christ And I hope the last prop of Antichrist in the Kingdome For your selves Honourable and Worthy I beseech you consider that GOD is wonderfull in counsel and excellent in working and that all power is given to CHRIST in Heaven and in Earth that he might give free passage to the Gospel And therefore take heed after GOD hath blest your Power and Forces in the field and subdued that Malignant power that was against you and hath given you a little peace and quietnesse in the Kingdome you do not now begin your affaires with discountenancing disrelishing much lesse condemning the faithfull and true Word of GOD witnessed in the Scriptures and confest to by the faithfull and Martyrs of Christ in all Ages and with the setting off from you that Ministery that hath most of the Spirit in it lest the Lord withdraw his presence from you and your latter end be not answerable to your beginnings It might be easily shewed unto you how many great and wise Kings and Magistrates acting according to humane wisdom and prudence and despising or neglecting the wisdome of the Word have with all their own wisdome prudence and designes destroyed themselves and their Kingdomes For it is written He takes the wise in their own craftinesse And again The Lord knowes the thoughts of men that they are but vaine And therefore renounce the wisdom of the world with all its fleshly Counsels and cleave close to the true faithfull and sincere Doctrine of the Gospel and then though you have many enemies and Kingdomes against you you shall not be moved but GOD will yet establish you in all the shakings of the World and your Enemies shall be as a thing of nought I shall no longer detaine you but only desire this
in the behalf of the faithful GODS peculiar portion in the Kingdome That you would not suffer us to be oppressed by our Adversaries who would use your power against us not for you but for themselves neither would suffer them thus publickly and shamelessely to call us Sectaries and Hereticks who do believe and professe the truth of the Gospel in sincerity and simplicity of heart according to what we received from GOD but that you would suffer yea procure us to live quietly and safely under you in the faith and practice of the Gospel we in all things obeying you as becomes Christians The Remainder is to assure you That there is no man shall serve the State more sincerely according to his place and calling nor in more faithfulness and humility tender the Truth of GOD either to your selves or the Kingdome as occasion serves according to the measure of the gift of CHRIST Then Your Servant in the Gospel VV. DELL To the Reader CHRISTIAN READER THE Times we live in are dangerous times it is dangerous to conceale the truth and dangerous to publish the truth if we publish the truth God hath taught us and we have heard and leaâ—n'd from the Father we fall into the hands of men if we conceale it we fall into the hands of God And therefore in this case in a contrary choice to David I reckon it much better to fall into the hands of men then into the hands of God seeing the wrath of men can but reach the bodie but the wrath of God bodie and soul I shall therefore willingly confesse Christ amidst an adulterous and sinful generation not doubting but Christ will confesse me before his Father and before his Angels And for the reproaches of men it is best conquering them as Luther was wont to say Silendo contemnendo by silence and contempt of them seeing a man may as easily restrain Satan himself in his various workings as stop the mouthes of his instruments And therefore it is good for us Christians to do the work of God without so much as taking notice of such men and if sometimes we are sensible of these things because we are flesh yet as we are Christians we are above them in the Spirit and see already in certain saith and hope all evils and enemies under our feet And therefore for Mr. Love and other men of the same mold and mettal I am resolved neither now nor hereafter to take them into any more consideration then the businesse it self necessarily requires and where they may be omitted without prejudice to the truth to let them quite alone being every day through the use of affliction enabled to patience and through patience brought to experience and so to a proportionable measure of hope And this carries me above the shame of the world in the strength of the love of God For the Doctrine contained in this Discourse thou shalt not finde it New light as some men slanderously affirme but the ancient light that sprange forth in the first morning of the Gospel but was since obscured by the New darknesse of Antichrist which these men love better then that old light and will by no means exchange the one for the other But this light that now after a long night breaks forth again in some of its first glory let these menset their hearts at rest for they shal never be able to obscure it again and the fire of the Spirit that GOD hath kindled in the Kingdome they shall never be able to quench with any fire either of Earth or Hell And therefore we fear them not though they breathe forth threatnings now and ere long are like to breathe forth blood For by all their subtile and industrious actings in the end they shall not work the truths ruine but their own And these as well as their forefathers of the same race and lineage in whose stead they are now risen up shall in due time become a reproach and a shame and their name shall be for a curse to all Gods chosen READER It is my earnest desire that the Lord would deliver thee from this new form of the Mysterie of Iniquity which in every Age puts on a severall form when the old one is discovered by the light of the Word And in this present Age it is become so exceeding cunning and so furnished with all deceiveablenesse of unrighteousnesse under the form of Righteousnesse that it seems to be the last and subtilest work of Antichrist that is now in hand and he that prevailes in this encounter hath Antichrist under his feet for ever but none are like to prevaile here but the Faithful and Elect alone And therefore hold fast that which thou hast that no man take thy Crowne and consider Christs encouragement to this work in the following verse Him that overcommeth will I make a pillar in the Temple of my God and he shall go no more out and I will write upon him the name of my God and the name of the City of my God which is New Ierusalem which commeth down out of Heaven from my God and I will write upon him my New Name Christian READER I commit thee and the Word now offered to thee in this Discourse to God and his powerful blessing and wonderful working Remaining Thine in the Difficult and Despised Service of JESUS CHRIST in the Gospel W. DELL RIGHT REFORMATION OR The Reformation of the Church of the New testament represented in Gospel-Light HEB. 9. 10. Untill the time of Reformation THe naturall man saith Paul 1 Cor. 2. knows not the things of the Spirit neither can hee for they are spiritually discerned Now a man that is not born of God and his Spirit with all his parts abilities reason wisdome prudence learning is but a naturall man still and so hath no right knowledge of the things of God and his Spirit And hence it hath come to passe that the things of God and his Spirit have been so grosly and dangerously mistaken by the world and the carnall Church For all the spirituall things of God they have understood carnally and have apprehended the whole Scriptures not according to Gods mind but according to their own not according to the sense of the Spirit but according to the sense of the flesh And thus was Antichrists kingdome first set up and thus it hath been kept up and continued even by the carnall understanding of the Scriptures For they have understood the Church the kingdom of God in the world carnally the rock on which it is built carnally the door of this Kingdome carnally the lawes of it carnally the liberties of it carnally the power authority government glory Officers c. all carnally And to this very day which of the things of God doth not the carnall Church understand carnally Faith hope love it understands carnally Redemption adoption justification sanctification glorification union with Christ communion of the Spirit accesse to the Father
it is his own body he reforms and so doth it with the love of the Head But whâ—n strangers whose the Church is not set upon reforming it what havock doe they make of the Church of God how do they wound and threaten and punsh and destroy it and have no regard at all to the weak infirm sorrowfull saints that are wrestling with many doubts feares agonies corruptions temptaetions till they are overtaken with very shadow of death how do they yersecute them that are already smitten and grieve them more that are already wounded And so you see that he only that hath an interest in the Church as being the Head of the Church is onely fit to reforme it whereas the reformation of strangers hath more cruelty in it then love and more destruction then edification Fourthly Christ is onely able for this work for the Reformation of the Church is as great a work as the Redemption of it and hee onely that could doe the one can doe the other Christ must die to redeem the Church and hee must live to reform it and so as the Government of the Church only lies upon his shoulders who is the Head so the Reformation of it onely lies upon his hands and his hands onely are sufficient for it If all the Angels of heaven should undertake the work of Reformation they would sink under it how much more the powers of the world For the taking away transgression for us and from us which is the only Reformation of the new Testament is a work agreeable to none but the Son of God as it is written His name shall be called Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins where you have both the Reformer Christ and the Reformation shall save his people from their sins now hee must needs be the Righteousnesse of God that must save people from fin And hee must needs be God in the flesh that must reform the flesh none else can do it To conclude this None but the Power of God and Wisdome of God and the Righteousnesse of God which is Jesus Christ can reform the Church which is the kingdom of God and the power wisdome and righteousnesse of men have no place at all here except they will turn the Power Wisdom and Righteousnesse of God out of his office for so speaks the Spirit by the Prophet Isaiah ch. 2. 17. The loftinesse of men shall be bowed down and the haughtiness of men shall be made low and the Lord alone all be exalted Now what is the loftinesse and haughtinesse of men but the power wisdom and righteousnesse of men and all this saith the Lord shall be bowed down and laid low and the Lord alone shall be exalted that is Christ alone who is the Power Wisdom and Righteousnesse of God and that in the day of the Churches Reformation as well as in the day of the Churches Redemption And thus you see that Christ is the Reformer of the Church his Body which is the City and Kingdom of God And therfore the Reformation of the Church is certain for Christ wil as surely reform it as he hath redeemed it and all that the Father hath given him he hath redeemed and all that he hath redeemed he wil reform that he may make them fit to present to God That so all that the Son hath received from the Father having redeemed and reformed them he may give them back to the Father again So that I doubt not of the Churches Reformation because it is Christs own work and he hath under taken the doing of it And as none of the powers of the earth could help him to reform the Church so none of the powers of hell shall be able to hinder him but as many as he hath redeemed unto God by his blood in his due time he will reform them all by his Spirit as belonging to his care charge And therefore let us look to Christ for the reformation of his Church that is of his faithfull people the rest of the world that lies in wickednes he lets remain in wickednesse as not belonging to his care charge This Reformation is the work of Christs care love he being faithful in this busines I am at rest quiet seeing Christ is as able for the reformation of the Church as for the redemption of it And therefore Honorable Beloved I say to you touching this work of the reformation of the spiritual temple of the New-Test as God once said to David touching the building of the materiall Temple of the Old Test 1 King 8. 18. Where as it was in thine heart said God to build an house to my Name thou didst well it was in thy heart Nevertheless thou shalt not build the house but thy son that shal come out of thy loins he shall build an house unto my Name And elsewhere he renders the reason of it why Dav. should not Solomon should build this house because saith he thou hast bin a man of war and hast shed much blood but Solomon he shall live and florish in eace and he shall do it So say I to you touching this work of Reformation You did well in that it was in your hearts to reform the kingdome of God and the spirituall Church which is Christs own dear body Neverthelesse you shall not reform it for you have been men of war that is you have managed a great and mighty war against great and mighty enemies and have shed much bloud for the Lord hath given you the necks of your enemies and hath subdued them under you that rose up against you and you have trod them down as mire in the streets And therefore you shall not do this work having been men of warre but Christ the Prince of peace he shall reform the Church of God For this is not a work of men of war but of the Prince of peace seeing this is not a work of humane might or strength but of the Spirit So that you did well that you thought to reforme the Church but when you understand the Reformation of the Church is as great a work as the Redemption of it you will acknowledge the work is too great for you and that it belongs onely unto Christ seeing the Father hath committed the care of this work only to him and he hath taken this care and charge upon himself and it is onely sutable to him as being the Head of the Church and hee onely is able for it as being the Son of God and equall to God The third Generall By what means Christ brings this Reformation about And that is by these two and them only to wit the Word and the Spirit The first means whereby Christ reforms the Church is the Word By this Christ doth all that ever hee doth in his Kingdome by this he calls and rejects by this he binds and looseth by this he comforts and terrifies by this he enlightens and makes
done Mr. LOVE Reformation is no forcing Conscience it meddles not with Conscience it restrains Practice If a Iesuite come from Rome to kill a great Person he does it in Conscience but I meddle not with his Conscience I restrain his Practice Reply Does not your Reformation meddle with Conscience Mr. LOVE Did you speak this of your self at randome as the rest or is this the sense of your Brethren And doth your Reformation only restrain outward Practice Then to tye up mad Dogs and Beares and Tygers is your most excellent Reformation You that will not meddle with the Consciences of men it is no wonder you are making so many iron yoaks for their necks and so many snares and fetters to hamper the outward man the proper subject it seems of your Reformation And thus taking upon your selves the Reformation of the outward man you do indeed put the Magistrates work to an end And then the Assembly may serve in the place of the House of Commons and Sion-Colledge in the place of the Lord Mayor Aldermen and Common-Councel See you not yet Oh ye Powers of the World how the Ecclesiastical Powers would â—aâ— you out And for your Iesuite Did you ever hear me say or hint That the Magistrate should not restrain and punish outward wickednesse I wish therefore you would unriddle your selves and tell truly if you dare how far you would limit the Magistrate and inlarge your selves upon the outward man But certainly if the Magistrates power hath under it the whole outward man as indeed it hath And if Christs power have under it the whole inward man as indeed it hath what place then I pray is there left for your Ecclesiastical power when the outward and the inward man are disposed of before Sure when the Magistrate takes his own proper power to himself and Christ his own proper power to himself your power will be found to have no place either in the Worlds Kingdom or GODS but you must find out some third place for it for I will assigne you none left you prove too angry Mr. LOVE The Church of Thyatira might thinke shee had new light and yet God saith I have a few things against thee because thou sufferest the woman Jezabel c. Reply Truly Sir when God shall make you a New Creature you will be glad of New light for behold saith God I make all things New even the light as well as the creature the Old light will serve the Old man wel enough And for the Spirits reproving the Angel of the Church for suffering false and erroneous Teachers doth this prove as you undertake that the Angel of the Church had or exercised civil and secular power in the Church of Christ You erre not understanding the Scriptures for then any thing is suffered in the Church when it is not reproved and condemned by the Word the Word of truth taught and published in the Church will suffer no errour there but you understand this suffering of outward and violent power Do you not remember that I said at the beginning that the carnal Church understands the whole Scriptures carnally Mr. LOVE And now to hear such Sermons preached and Books printed if it had been at Amsterdam it had been no marveil But at London and at Westminster c. Reply Truly such a Sermon as mine might have been preached at Amsterdam or anywhere else where the Gospel hath free passage and such a Sermon as yours might have been preached at Rome or anywhere else where the precious Word of GOD is under restraint and Ecclesiastical power exalts it self both above the power of the Word and the power of the Nation Your Sermon savours as ill to the Faithfull as mine to the World Many other weak passionate inconsiderate erronious things fell from Mr. LOVE neither worth the troubling the Reader with nor my self and so they may perish and rot in their own grave if they will for they shall never receive a Resurrection from me And now at the close of all I desire the Reader to observe the difference between our Enemies and our selves in this great point of Authority and Iurisdiction which is this That We exalt Iesus Christ alone in the spiritual Church and attribute to the Magistrate his full power in the world But they exalt themselves in Christs stead in the Church and set under their feet the Magistrates power in the world And this is so evident that there is some apcration of Satan more or lesse upon him that sees it not FINIS Praesens malejudicat aetas Iudicium melius Posteritatis erit Rev. 3. 11 12. Antichrists Kingdome set up by the carnall understanding of the Scriptures The Reformation of the Church understood carnally The imperfection of the worship of the old Law No outward law can make men perfect as pertaining to the conscience and so the Gospel abolishes all such outward laws imposed on conscience as well now as heretofore Doctr. Gospel Reformation 1. What it is Christ Judgement Christ Righteousnesse Gospel Reformation is 1. Spirituall 2. Inward Matth. 23. 25. 3. Thorows Isa. 1. 25. 4. Powerfull 5. Constant Christ the Reformer Note 1. The care of the Church given to Christ 2. Christ takes it 1. Out of obedience 2 Love 3 The work of Reformation only sutable to Christ 4. Christ only able for the work of Reformation 1. The Word The Gospell Reformes 1. Works faith 2. Communicates Righteousnesse 3. Shews Christ 2. The second meanes Christ useth to reform the Chureh withall 2. All errours Object Answ 1. Unbeseeming the Gospel Though the truth carry its evidence in it self and the Word of God is greater then all the testimonies of men yet for their sakes that are weak I have inserted the judgments of some godly men as I have accidentally met with them who have spoken of these things in the spirit that so you may see the truth though it hath but few followers yet it hath some Melancton on Psal. 110. v. 3. habebis populum non coactum gladio sed verbo collectum laeto corde amplectentem evangelium te sponte celebrantem Discernit igitur ecclesiam ab imperiis mundanis externam servitutem a cultibus cordis accensis voce evangelii a spiritu sancto Ag. Religio cogi non vult doceri expetit Immunitate non stabilitur sed evertitur Polan This Charls to whom Leo gave the title of the most Christian King was a great conquerer and overcame many Nations with the sword and as the Turk compelleth to his faith so he compelled with Violence to the faith of Christ but alas the true faith of Christ whereunto the Holy Ghost draws mens hearts through preaching the Word of truth he knew not c. Tindal Fides sua sponte non coacte agere vult Luth. Christus non voluitâ—vi igne cogere homines ad fidem Luth. Haereticos comburere est contra voluntatem spiritus Luth. He hath given in the Church the sword of the spirit to inforce with and not the sword of the Magistrate Prorsus diversa ratio est regni Christi mundi Mundani Magistratus quae volunt imperant subditi coguntur obedientiam praestare At in Regno Christi quod non est mundana aut pontificia Dominatio sed spirituale regnum nihil simile geritur sed quivis alterius judex quilibet alteri subjectus est At tyranni animicidae illi nihil morantes vocem Christi regnum meum non est de hoc mundo ex Ecclesia Politiam civilem seu potius pontificium imperium constituerunt â—uth Quare ipsam sedem Bestiae nego nihil moratus sit ne bonus vel malus qui in ea se det Sedes inquam quae sit super omnes sedes nulla est in Ecclesia super terram jure divino sed omnes sunt aequales quia una fides unum baptisma unus Christus c. Luth. Where there is no worldly superiority over one another there is no worldly compulsion of one another In the naturall body there is no convocation of many members to govern one or of more members to govern fewer but the foot performes its office without being under the authoritative power of the hands yea each member performs its office aright without being in subordination to another by the guidance of that head to which it is united and of that Spirit that dwels in it each member having an immediate influence of the head upon it self though it may outwardly seem to be further from the head then another member And thus it is in Beleevers and Congregations Quid autem vi coactione opus vobis est qui hujusmodi certamen decertatis in quo cogi nemo debet Ulrichus ab Hutten to the Councel of Priests What need you the power of the Magistrate to defend the truth who have so many Scriptures to defend it the truth of God being to be defended by the Word of God and not by the power of men Idem I could produce many more Testimonies but these are sufficient to shew that I am not alon in this point against Forcible reformation but have the Armory of David to defend it withall on which there hange a thousand bucklers all shields of mighty men 2. Unsutable to Christs Kingdome Isa. 11. 9. Isai. 60. 18. 3. A willing people Psal. 110. 3. 3. Humane institution is set up 4. It brings men into blind obedience 5. It makes Hypocrites 6. Causes Disturbances 7. Christ useth no such outward force 2. Neither commanded his Apostles 1. Object 2. Object Answ 3 b ject Answ 4. Object Answ 5. Obj. Answ 6. Obj. Ans. 7. Obj. Answ Psal. 72. 12. 2. Gods Kingdome
together with Christ the Head and the Church the Body in their joint unction and Officers and all other things they understand carnally and have a fleshly sense and apprehension of them And as they understand all other things of Gods kingdome carnally so also the Reformation of it and there are not greater and grosser mistakes about any of the things of God then about this men imagining the Reformation of the Church which is altogether a spiritual and heavenly kingdom after the manner of the Reformation of worldly States and Common-wealths which only stands in outward things and is brought to passe by humane councels and humane power Now because this is not only a grosse but a generall errour in all sorts of people both of high and of low degree I shall indeavour at this time according to the good hand of God with me to represent in some Gospel-light to this Honourable and Christian Auditory the true Reformation of the Church of the New-Testament and blessed is hee who shall not be offended at it For this purpose I made choice of the words now read Vntill the time of Reformation For the better understanding of which wee must read the Context Ver. 9. The first tabernacle was a figure for the time then present in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices that could not make him that did the service perfect as pertaining to the conscience V. 10. Which stood only in meats and drinks and divers washings and carnall ordinances it should be righteousnesses or justifications of the flesh {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} imposed on them {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} untill the time of Reformation In which words the Apostle shews the imperfection of the worship of the old Law because it stood in outward rites ceremonies duties performances and so could not make him that used them and was busied in them perfect as pertaining to his conscience and therefore God did not simply and absolutely impose these things on the Church to continue for ever but only untill the time wherein all things were to be reformed not only evill things but imperfect And then all that outward Religion was to be abolished Now if the law of Moses could not make men perfect as pertayning to the Conscience much lesse can any new lawes invented now And if any such lawes should be imposed on the people of God now the Gospel hath the same strength in it self to make them void as the former and also the same ground from them because all such lawes and ordinances devised by men cannot make them that obey and practise them perfect as pertaining to the conscience and therefore are all to be at an end when the time of Reformation comes Quest Now if you ask me when this time of Reformation was Ans. I answer It was when Christ came not a servant as Moses but the Son out of the bosome of the Father the great Prophet of the new Testament whose doctrine was not letter as Moses was but Spirit and life And now when Christ the Minister of the new Testament came with the ministration of the Spirit now was the time of Reformation In the time of the Law there were outward duties and performances and ceremonies and sacrifices and strict laws to injoyn the observation of these things carrying along with them the severity of death and yet notwitstanding all this there was no true Reformation but under all that outward Religion men were inwardly as corrupt and wicked as the very heathen for all their circumcision in the flesh they were uncircumcised in heart for all their outward washing they were inwardly unclean for all their blood of buls and goats their sins remained in their natures and consciences for all their strict forcing of men to the duties of the outward worship of God the people still remained far from God even in all those duties So that notwithstanding the outward worship of Moses law the people remained inwardly corrupt filthy and unclean and without any true Reformation before Goa till Christ who was God in the flesh came with the ministration of the Spirit and then indeed was the time of Reformation Vntill the time of Reformation The thing then the Spirit would have us take notice of in these words is this That the time of the Gospel is the time of Reformation When-ever the Gospel is preached in the spirit and power of it that is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the time of Reformation For our more orderly proceeding in this point wee will observe this Method 1. Show what true Gospel-Reformation is and how it is qualified that so you may the better distinguish it from Politicall and Ecclesiasticall Reformation Now both these I joyn together because the carnall Church hath alwayes interested and mingled it self with the power of the world as being able to doe nothing without it 2. I will indeavour to shew to whose hands the work of Gospel-Reformation is committed 3. By what means he to whose hands it is committed brings it about 4. The advantages of such a Reformation where it is wrought 5. The Vse The first Generall What true Gospel Reformation is and how qualified 1. What it is It is the mortiying destroying and utter abolishing out of the faithfull and elect all that sin corruption lust evill that did flow in upon them through the fall of Adam Or It is the taking away and destroying the body of sin out of the faithfull and elect by the presence and operation of the righteousnesse of God dwelling in their hearts by faith This is true Gospel Reformation and besides this I know no other This the Evangelicall Prophet Isaiah describeth Chap. 1. 27. Zion shall be redeemed with judgement and her converts with righteousnesse Now Christ dwelling in our hearts by faith as he discovers reproves condemnes and destroyes sin so he is called Judgement and thus is judgement to be understood in the Gospel sense and not terribly as in the sense of the Law and this Judgement shall at last break forth into victory that is though Christ in us hath to doe with many strong corruptions and lusts in the soule yet at last hee prevails against them all and Judgement breaks forth into Victory because Christ the Judgement of God in the soul must needs in the end prevail against every sin of man Again Christ the Righteousnesse of God as he makes us righteous with his own righteousnesse and makes us the righteousnesse of God in him so hee is called Righteousnesse not in himself onely but in us he is the Lord our Righteousnesse and by this Judgement and Righteousnesse is Zion and her converts redeemed and reformed And so true Gospel reformation is the destruction of sin out of the faithfull by the presence of righteousnesse And therefore you see how grosly they are mistaken who take Gospel Reformation to be the making of certain Laws and