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A39064 An Expedient for peace amongst Christians. The second part grounded on the impossibility of their agreement in matters of religion : and further enlarged in a discourse of church and state : wherein a new ecclesiastical administration is exhibited. 1689 (1689) Wing E3872A_VARIANT; ESTC R31481 31,841 51

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Virgin and appear in her Native Beauty when Honours Lordships and great Revenues the common Temptations to Deflower and Disguise her are taken away and it will not a little contribute to publick Peace when all Denials the common Parent of Discontent are removed But what may be as great an Inducement as any to move a Complyance hereto by all our Sides and Parties is That whereas they would all have their own ways to be preferred This Method will make no Party either upper or under but will pull all in general down and set none in particular up so will prevent all Emulation and give none of them reason to Complain From what hath been said it may reasonably be expected that the perplexed Nations of Christendom should hearken to so excellent an Occonomy especially the settleing Patriots of our own distracted Nations and in hearkening to it they will but hearken to the plain Precept and Advice of their Blessed Lord and great Legislator For his Words are these All Power is given me in Heaven and Earth go ye therefore and Teach all Nations Baptizing them in the Name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Chost Teaching them to Observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you always even to the END of the World. As if he had said May be some may question your Power and Authority to Preach my Golpel or 't is possible you your selves may think my Commission not sufficient but expect to receive your Power and Commission from the Princes of the Earth But I tell you it is sufficient and that I have Received all Power both in Heaven and Earth Go ye therefore and Teach all Nations c. In which Words our Blessed Lord doth seem plainly to Dictate to the whole World how he would have his Gospel dispensed and that in every minute Circumstance viz. First The manner they must go and Teach which doth plainly imply an Itineration then whom they must Teach all Nations Secondly The Duty of these Predicants in the matter what they must do Baptize and Teach them to Observe all the Things he has Commanded And lo I am with you always even to the End of the World. This plainly implies the Continuation how long he would have this Method continue viz. for ever to the End of the World and is confirmed by a promise of a Blessing on the due performance thereof But here let me Note that the Princes of the Earth though Idolatrous and Pagan had all the right and legal Power in ordinary and that both our Saviour acknowledged and the Apostles well knew but not being Proselyted to his Doctrine would grant no Commissions or Authorise such Preachers therefore he himself as well as they had Power on Earth yea all Power in an Extraordinary manner was fain to use it and issue out the first Commissions but the Nature and Intent of these Commissions was not to convey a Power to a sort of men distinct from the State but was an Act of Necessity and he had not used any Power or given his Commissions at all if the High Priest or Jewish Sanhedrim would have done it The Princes and States of Christendom therefore since sufficiently Proselyted to the Faith of Jesus may justly issue out their Que Warranto's against all Ecclesiastical Power and all Persons whatsoever who claim any Power Priviledge or Jurisdiction jure divino distinct from theirs for it peculiarly belongs to them as Nursing Fathers of the Church to issue out their Commissions and to say Go and Teach c. 'T is true if they send none or send those that are contrary to Christs Institutions which instead of giving the Children Bread will give them Stones then the Power Lapses and returns to its Fountain and Men must Act by vertue of Christs Extraordinary Commission and have recourse to his special Power For Christ must be Preached Princes ought to have the Preference but if they neglect their Duty Renounce their Power or are so far from commanding it that they forbid it Then God must be Obeyed rather than Man as has been the Plea and a just one too of all hitherto that have entered on the Function But further I desire to take notice of one thing more and that is of the last Clause of our Saviour's Precept viz. And lo I am with you always even to the end of the World. Christ said his Words were Spirit and Life but some there are who too much incline to the Letter and like the old Jews think the Kingdom of Heaven should come with Observation They expect a new Material Heaven and a new Earth and that Christ will come again on Earth personally and Reign a Thousand Years in great Glory Those are but Fancies for the Text seems to be plain And lo I am with you always even to the End of the World. First this plainly implies the World shall have an end and then his Willingness that this way of Administration should continue so long and he mentions not the least word of his coming again in the Interim or that the world shall have Two Ends which now leaving the world we may reasonably suppose he would have made some mention of if such things should have come to pass It seems plainly to me therefore that there will be no New Material Heaven or Earth or that Christ will come Personally again to Reign amongst Men and my Reason is his own Words Lo I am with you always even to the End of the World not I will be but I am with you and what he promised them was not a Personal but a Ministerial Presence A Presence by his Spirit as if he had said If you will go and continue to Preach my Gospel amongst all Nations I promise to Aid you in your Administration and Assist you by the Influence of my Spirit and that not for a little Time but to the end of the World which Promise he performed and and that in a special Manner so long as they continued to observe his Words and Institution But when Men began to make Merchandize of his Gospel to Monopolize and to Closet up the Sun-Beams and to put their Candle under a Bushel no wonder they fell into such Darkness and Confusion and no wonder he withdrew himself and the presence of his Spirit from them If therefore we expect his coming again or his more particular Presence in the large Effusions of his Spirit We must send forth his Light and his Truth and cease to Sell and parcel out his Gospel we must draw it out of the Garrisons in which particular Parties have imprisoned it and set it on a Candlestick on a Mountain that it may be as free as the Air or the Sun-beams It has been long Enslaved and Enthrall'd and if we a little view the present State of Christendom and consider what Canons Constitutions and Decretals what differing Customs Educations and Prejudices there are how many