partake of the Supper and walked in a Church way for the fulnesse of the Spirit doth not take away thy obedience but rather makes thee more obedient art thou as full of the Spirit as Christ and yet he walked in a visible way and commanded his Apostles to set forth a visible way of worship to the world to be practised in every Age. Againe hast thou as much of the Spirit of God as the Apostles of Christ and yet they worshipped God in a visible way art thou too good to walk in that way that the Apostles of Christ walked in or canst thou produce a better way then they walked in canst thou finde out a more holy way then they did or canst thou finde out a more soule-saving way canst thou set forth a better Christ and a better Gospel and a more spirituall way produce it if thou canst and we will beleeve thee but if thou canst not finde out a better way then Christ and his Apostles have set forth then what dost thou contend for for a worse way if thou canst not finde a better way then why dost thou forsake this It is a signe thou art weary of serving God who wilt thou serve next but the Serpent and thy selfe thou contemnest the Scripture and the way of the Scripture that thou mightest serve the Devill and thy selfe how dost thou villifie Christ and his Apostles surely thou art not of God but of thy father the Devill for his workes thou dost Canst thou finde a better way then Christ and his Apostles walked in canst thou finde more spirituall men then they were or more precious examples to follow who were patternes of all goodnesse was their way so carnall as thou makes it what carnall honours and riches had they by walking in that way what ptaise had they of the world If their way were so carnall as thou wouldest make it then why did not all the world receive it they are apt enough to imbrace a carnall way for their fleshly advantage thou needest not much perswade them what way is more contrary to all the world then the way of Christ and his Apostles whereby it doth appeare to be a truth because it is hated of all the world Lastly The letter of the Scripture will tell thee there is a visible worship for how couldest thou know what visible or invisible meant but by the letter of the word or how couldest thou tell what worship meant but by the word doth not the letter of the word tell thee all things did God ever speake to thee without a letter then what word did he speak God never spake nonsense but if he spake without a letter then he spake nonsense And thou wouldest be a blasphemer to say so for no word can be made without letters and thou canst compact no word without a letter when God gave Adam a Law he taught him to read it and thou must read thy A B C before thou canst read plaine and must learne thy letters plaine before thou canst speak plain and I think thou hast hardly learned thy A B C for thou canst hardly read plaine and yet thou dost despise the letter of thy Learning for how wouldest thou know that God Created all things in six dayes but by the Letter and how wouldest thou know what God did every day but by the Letter and how couldest thou know that the Heaven was called Heaven and the Earth was called Earth but by the Letter and how couldest thou know the name of the Sun or the name of the Moon and Stars but by the Letter that calls them so and how didst thou know the names of Day and Night without the Letter and how commest thou to know the names of the Creatures both in the Aire as the Fowles of the Aire and the names of the Beasts of the Field with the Fishes in the Sea how commest thou to know the names of all these doth not the Letter of the the Word tell thee or else how couldst thou know their names Againe how dost thou know there was an Adam and Eve but by the Letter and how dost thou know the world was destroyed by Water at Noahs flood but by the Letter of the Word and how dost thou know that Noah and his Family were saved in the Arke but by the Letter and how dost thou know there was an Abraham Isaac and Jacob but by the Letter that there was a Moses and the Law of Moses a people of Israel that were in Aegypt and came into tht Land of Canaan doth not the Letter tell thee this or else how couldest thou know it and here I might be large to teach thee to learne thy Letters and to know the Letter of the Scripture but thy pride will stop thy learning and yet I shall leave thee without excuse How commest thou to know there is a Christ but by the letter of the Word and how camest thou to know that Christ dyed and rose againe and ascended into Heaven but by the Letter of the Word and how knowest thou what Christ dyed for that he came to save Sinners and to open a doore of Salvation to the world and that there is Salvation in him for sinners How camest thou to know all this but by the Letter of the Word and how commest thou to know there is a Gospell and Grace Mercy and Salvation held forth in this Gospell but by the Letter And then againe how commest thou to know that there is a Heaven and a Hell and that there shall be a Resurrection and a Judgement and that thou shalt rise at the last Day How commest thou to know all these things but by the Letter of the Word sure hadst thou learned the Letter better thou wouldest not have despised thy Master it is the Letter of the Word of God that hath taught thee what thou hast and thou art a good Scholler to despise thy Master How dost thou know that there is sinne but by the Letter and that there is a Devill and that the Devill and wicked men shall be punished for ever and that the godly shall be blessed for ever How commest thou to know all these things but by the Letter of the Word thou mayest thank the Letter of the Word for all thy knowledge or else thou mightest have been like unto the East Indians that know not their right hand from their left for it is the Letter of the Word that hath taught thee thy wisdome and the Devill hath taught thee thy pride and yet I wish thee better then thou dost thy selfe for the Letter of the Scripture would faine keepe thee and yet I thinke the Devill will take thee And yet I shall speake a word or two more for visible worship for ought we not to serve God as well with our bodies as with our hearts Can wee â—erve God within and the Devill without sure no man can serve two Masters for out of the abundance of the heart the
deceived with the false miracles of Mahâ—â—â—â— wherein he hath deluded them to this present day through the devill and his instruments together with their false miracles wherein they are kept in blindnesse as also the Pope with the Latin Church deceiving the world and themselves with their false miracles which they much boast of whereby they judge their way to be right because the Devill and the Pope work miracles to confirme their way which indeed the Scriptures did foretel that the Latin Beast would deceive the world with his false miracles Revel 13. 13 14. But these spirits are the spirits of devils deceiving the Kings of the earth and the whole world Revel 16. 14. But the Lord will take that beastly worship of the Beast together with the Beast and the false Prophet with his lying spirit that wrought miracles to deceive the people and will cast them into the lake of his wraâ—h forever and ever Revel 19. â— Now there is some objections to be answered as Joel 2. where the Lord doth foretell that young men shall see visions and old men shall dream dreams and that that prophesie is in part to be fulfilled To the which I do reply with the words of Peter who had a more spirituall discerning then any in these dayes to discerne the truth of prophesies that that prophesie was fulfilled upon them when the visions of the Lord did appear unto them in Acts 2 1 2 3. who were the Lords young men who were to declare the minde of God to the whole earth and that being such a publick prophesie it was publickly fulfilled to perfect a publick work to the admiration of the beholders who were very desirous to know what was the meaning of those strange works and the Apostle flies to the prophesie of Joel for their refuge and tels them it was no more then what was prophesied of them and that they might now see that prophesie fulfilled Acts 2. 16. 17 18. and that those were the dayes that were spoken of before being glorious Gospel-times in which the Lord was to accomplish his promise that there might be nothing wanting to ratifie confirm the truth of the Gospell so that this prophesie being extraordinary 〈◊〉 doth appeare by the Apostlâ—â— words if any do pretend in these dayes the like revelations they must also shew the like effects which I think they cannot 10. I shall speake a word or two of Gospell-visions whereby it will appear that that there are no such visions in these dayes and first those visions did appeare in aâ—visible manner to the sight of the beholders Luke 3. and Acts 2. and then secondly they were able to confirme what was revealed in the vision to them by a visible signe or wonder and thirdly they were able to speak in an extraordinary manner to convince the gain-sayers and fourthly those visions were for the truth and not against it so that from hence I conclude that the cause is taken away because the effect ceaseth for if they prove the like visions they must also prove the like visible manifestations or else they are false visions And as for the dreamers there spoken of you may see that was fully fulfilled in those dayes in the Scribes and Pharisees those old and ancient Doctours of those times who stood dreaming as men amazed when they beheld the Lord Christ and his Apostles the mirrour of the world to preach such glorious doctrine accompanied with such glorious miracles and their doctrine being so strange and rare and so unanswerable preaching with such authority and so mightily convincing the gain-sayers the Doctors also themselves being so wonderfully confuted that we may truly say That they were in a dream or trance whereby the prophesie was truly fulfilled 2. Object is in Marke 16. These signes shall follow those that do believe So that hence they do inferre That there is no true Gospel-Preachers but such as work miracles which if this be true then there is no faith in England because no true Ministry for faith comes by hearing Rom. 10. 17. even by hearing the word preached and how shall he preach except he be sent so that if there be no Preachers there is no faith then there is no salvatioÌ„ for if the Ministry of faith cease then faith must cease which if so then to what purpose do your Ministers teach seeing they work no miracles so that by this Tenent both you and your Ministers are in a false way And further if our salvation depend upon miracles would God have been wanting think you ever since the Apostles time to have sent them into the world to have perfected their salvation to the full for certainly if we could not have been saved without them God would never have been wanting to have sent them But God had so fully before confirmed the Gospel with such Ministers and Miracles which is sufficient to confirm the truth in all Ages 3. Objection But we have been in a great confusion for many hundred of years together ard in a great confusion amongst us to know the truth and how shall we know without a miracle to confirm it to us To the which I reply and how shall we know the truth by a Miracle seeing a pretender may do the like and so you may take a false Miracle for a true or how will you prove that your Miracle to be true if not by the word or else it may be false for ought you know must not the word try your miracle whether it be true or false and therefore to the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to that they are in a false way Isaiah 8. for the word of the Lord is powerfull and sharper then a two-edged Sword Heb. 4. 12. to pierce through all the false wayes of men and to cut in peeces all false worships whatsoever and it is a searcher of the heart and a tryer of the raines to search into all the hearts of men and their actions to judge them according to their works 2. Who must end all contentions must not the word which is able to satisfie all doubts and to direct us in all our wayes and what need we fear having so glorious a Guide as the Gospel is can you find a better Rule to walk by or a better Guide to lead you which is the Resolver of all doubts for if the word cannot satisfie you who can And now I shall speak a word or two for the word of my God for where will you find a Christ but in the word and where will you find the promises of Christ but in the Word doth not the Word hold forth Christ to you and holds forth the promise to you doth not the word shew you the way of life if you would know what Doctrine is right doth not the word shew you what Doctrine and what worship you ought to observe doth not the word hold forth unto you holiness and unholiness life and
A second Champion OR Companion to Truth Wherein is shewed these Particulars or Tenets 1 Of Miracles 2 The reasons wherefore so few imbrace the Gospell 3 Of the first Covenant and the second Covenant 4 Of the Father and the Son 5 Of Heaven 6 Of Hell 7 Of Glory 8 Of Faith 9 Of the Resurrection and the eternall judgement 10 Of Visible Worship 11 A Postscript By Richard Stookes Preacher of the Gospell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 London Printed for George Whittington at the Blew Anchor in Cornhill 1650. THE EPISTLE TO THE READER Courteous Reader TIme is the most precious berbe in the Garden of the World there is nothing more precious and there is nothing more sleighted of vaine man the use of time will save and the abuse of time will judge thee for upon this moment of Time depends thy eternall welfare for we must bee called to an account how we have spent this Time which is allotted to us and then one houres time that is spent for heaven will more comfort us at the day of our death then all the rest of our time which hath been spent for vanity 〈◊〉 wilâ—â—nde at the day of thy death how precious Time â—â— for 〈◊〉 no sooner commest into this world but 〈◊〉 going but againe and so soon as thou livest 〈◊〉 dying and so soon as thou breathest thy breath is a departing thou passest away as a shadow and thy dayes are biâ— as a span long they are but as the rising of a bubble thou no sooner hast a beginning but thou art going to thy end and thy strength is but as the grasse and thy beauty is but as the flower of the field The grasse fadeth and the flower withereth then thy glory is gone for thy living is uncertaine but thy death is certaine for thou art more sure to dye then to live for what is so certaine as death and what is so uncertaine as life for death will bring thee to the grave and thy deeds will bring thee to judgement and as death doth leave thee so shall judgement finde thee and all creatures observe their time but man and yet man is the most noble of creatures for thou hast time and all things attend thee to bring thee to glory if thou dost not bring thy self to misery but if thou dost thou art a mispender of time for there are three enemies that are destructive to thy soules good thy flesh the world and the devill thou carriest thy greatest enemy with thee for thou art a friend to thy flesh and it is an enemy to God For if thou live after the flesh thou shalt dye for the flesh is an enemy to the Spirit thy flesh onely leadeth thee to the earth for the earth is its center for it is for earthly things as for earthly honour and respect of the world and loves to have the prai 〈…〉 men and to have the riches of the flesh or 〈◊〉 world with all the delights of the flesh for we are apt to be more carefull for our fleshly man then for our spirituall man for thy flesh warâ—â—th against the Spirit Alas poore creature why â—â—st thou make so much of so great an enemy how much time dost thou take in cloathing thy flesh what cost dost thou bestow and what care dost thou take to beautifie thy enemy for what care dost thou take to cloathe him and to make him fine delightest in his beauty and how oft dost thou change his habit and how bravely dost thou adorne him how carefull art thou for his dyet and how softly dost thou lay him what delight dost thou take in his company how desirable is he how dost thou dote upon his beauty thou art inamoured with his presence and yet he is thine enemy thou seekest to save him and he seeks to destroy thee thou art willing to please him and spendest much time upon him but bee deceives thee of thy spiritualls he is but a rotten friend for he must come to corruption thou canst not save him nor he cannot save thee for he will leave thee in a sad condition and this is the enemy thou carriest with thee which will at last destroy thee if thou lookest not about thee he will bring thee to ruine before thou art aware to spend thy time for earth and to lose thy time for heaven And yet thou hast two enemies more which are destructive to thy spirituall condition for how doth the devill plot to worke 〈◊〉 in laying a snare in every corner that thou canst hardly escape him and how doth he spread his suares in the world in blinding their eyes with the Honours Riches and pleasures of this life to checke them of their Spirituall comforts and to take them off their precious time from looking after Heaven and therefore consider courteous Reader thy best condition is to study heavenly things let thy time be spent for Heaven for that will profit thee at the last and thou shalt finde a heavenly treasure which will stand thee in stead at the last day so the glory of this life is but for a time but the glory of Heaven endureth for ever For the sufferings of this life are not worthy of the glory that shall be revealed for if we suffer with him we shall also reigne with him but if we deny him he will also deny us And this hath encouraged me to write at this time desiring to improve that time that he hath given me to my Masters advantage from whom I looke for any reward I have set forth a Booke that is called or intituled Truths Champion or Truths Companion which is liked of some and despised of others and I was desired also to set forth my judgement in some other things which were necessary to Salvation for the knowledge of some and the strengthening of others and also that the truth may be knowne to all men but I know it will passe under many censures for I doe not thinke it will please all men for the world is not so apt tâ— receive truth I looke to be Judged for it I am not â—â—tter then my Master for his Doctrine was despised of the Learned and well may mine but I â—â—â—e thou wilt try me before thou judge me and then if thou judge me thou wilt also judge the Word for what I have done is not to please man for I am ready to passe under all censures for the name of Christ and I count all things but dung in respect of him and of his truth for whom I desire to suffer the losse of all things and count all but as drosse and dung that I may win Christ and be found in him for one smile from God is better then all the smiles of the World and therefore I care not for the judgement of man for I seeke not to please man but God for all the smiles of the world will but bring me to the
Grave but the smiles of God will bring me to Heaven and therefore it is better to dye in the favour of the Lord then in the favour of men for were I a lover of the World I were an enemy to God I desire to leave the honours riches and pleasures of this world for a better I am willing to leave the glory of this life for I looke for a better for I desire to undergoe all the fury of Hell to have a Heaven My time is but short I desire to bid adiew to the world for what is the world but vanitâ— all the honours are but dishonours and all the riches iâ— but poverty all the joy is but sorrow and all the pleasure is but displeasure and had I no better comfort then what is in this life I were in a sad condition for I live in hope of a better resurrection and so I hope dost thou which if thou dost thou wilt like my workes the better and so farewell Richard Stookes A Second CHAMPION to the TRVTH CHAPTER 1. Of working of Miracles ANd first I shall begin to speak of Miracles which so many dote upon in these dayes waiting for visible signes and some great Revelation and to them I shall say as Christ said unto the Scribes and Pharisees that the Kingdom of God cometh not with observation for they looked that Christ should come with abundance of earthly pompe and glory but Christ tells them they were deceived for the Kingdom of God consisted not of outward glory and excellency for saith he the Kingdom of God is within you it is more of substance then of shew more glorious within then without and the Miracles more inward then outward Miracles of a more spiritual nature to appear in the inward man to the beating down of every strong hold and therefore those outward miracles are swallowed up of inward miracles of a more glorious nature the one being a type of the other as the outward man was a type of the inward man and therefore my work shall be in this Chapter to shew you my reasons why I conceive that Miracles in a visible way aâ—e to cease in that age So that this is my meaning that the Miracles of Christ and his Apostles in a visible way were to cease in that age 1. Because Miracles were to testifie of Christs coming in the flesh and therefore when Christ came he came with signes and wonders as his casting out of Devils Mat. 12. 22. and Luke 11. 17. Of his healing the sick and curing them of their Diseases as you may see Mat. 15. 30. In giving sight to the blind and hearing to the death and speech to the dâ—â—â— making the lame to go as raising up the dâ—â—â— and all this he was to do to manifest himself to the World that he was the Christ Isâ—iâ—â— 35. 5. 6. chap. 61. 1. Mat. 11. 5. And thus 〈◊〉 came to be known of John Baptist as you 〈◊〉 see Mat. 11. 4. 5. Together with the 〈◊〉 of the Holy Ghost descending upon him in the likeness of a Dove Luke 3. 22. John 1. 33. And thus he was manifest to John as to all the World doing such works as never man did whereby he might appear to be the Christ to leave all men without excuse as John 15. 24. in doing such works as were never done from the beginning in opening the eyes of the blind John 9. 32. and in shewing such signes wonders which were not before recorded least the world should take up to much time in the searching thereof and in doteing more upon his acts then upon the end of his coming John 20 30. 21. 25. As also further the Apostles were gifted for the same end to manifest Christ to be come in the flesh working miracles both before and after his ascensioâ— that thereby they might manifest to the World that he was the Christ and for that and they were promised by Christ to receive the gifts of the Holy Ghost Luke 24. 49. which was performed in Acts 2. 1. 2. The gifts of the spirit being powred upon them insomuch that they were able to speak infallibly to work Miracles and to speak with new Tongues and to understand all Languages under Heaven 〈◊〉 2. 6. Even for this very end that they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he was the Christ both at 〈◊〉 and to the 〈◊〉 paâ—ts of the Earth Act. 1. 8. And thus the Lord granted signes and wonders to be done by the hands of the Apostles to give Testimony to the word of his grace Act 14. â— who did manifest to the world that all the wonders that they wrought were in the name and power of Jesus Acts 4. 10. shewing in their preaching that this was the end for which Miracles were on foote even to testifie of Christ Acts 2. 22. And this was one end for which Miracles were given to hold forth the coming of Christ 2. Miracles were to confirm the Covenant of grace which was to be established as firm as the first for when the first Covenant was given out it was ratified with signes and wonders for all the Mountaine was on fire and there were thunderings and lightnings and voices and so terrible was the sight that it made Moses the man of God tremble So terrible were the signes Heb. 12. 18. 19. 22. And thus you see the first Covenant was ratified with Miracles and so also was the second which is a better Covenant estableished upon better promises Heb. 8. 6. And also more glorious Miracles of a more spiritual nature for the Miracles of the first Covenant were more outward and terrible But the Miracles of the 2. Covenant are more inwardly 〈◊〉 comfortable which did accompany the Appostles in their Ministry confirming the truth by signes and wonders Mark 16. the last Act. 19. 10. 11. And thus did the Lord Jesus Christ himself also confirm the Doctrine of the Gospel with more Miracles then ever any word was before from the beginning of the World so that you may see that the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles wanted not Miracles to confirm it God the Father also bearing witness with signes and wonders and divers gifts of the Holy Ghost Heb. 2. 4. That it might appear the Covenant was the more glorious and more excellent firm and sure being so wonderfully ratified and confirmed with Miracles And thus you see a second Reason wherefore Miracles were on foot even to confirm the truth of the Gospell Now a third reason wherefore Miracles were on foot was this even to confirm the calling and Ministry of the Apostles who were to lay the Foundation both for Doctrine and practise which the World was to follow in after Ages to the end of the World For we are built upon the Foundation of the Prophets Apostles Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone Eph. 2 20. In being the Authour both of their Doctrine and Practise and therefore you see it was requisite that Miracles should
great ones and the eyes of the priests and people lest they should obey the glorious Gospel of Christ 2 Cor. 4. 4. and for this cause there is so few that imbrace the Gospell because men love the praise of men more then the praise of God 4 Reason Is because there is so few of the great ones believe the Gospell and this was the plea of the Scribes and Pharisees against Christ Have any of the rulers believed on him John 7. 48. The Pharisees knowing this that the multitude would follow the great ones whether right or wrong whether their way were true or false and this is as true in our dayes for if the great ones would believe and follow the Gospell then would the inferiour ones and if the Priests would imbrace the Gospell then would the people and so as Christ saith The blind lead the blind and so they both fall into the ditch for as the Apostle saith ye see your calling brethren how that not many mighty not many noble not many learned but the poore receive the Gospell 1 Cor. 1. the contemptible ones of the worâ—â— the great ones â—allowing in their fleshly felicity and worldly glory and therefore it â—â— that so few imbrace the Gospel of Christ 5 Reason Is the high esteem of the persons of some and the dis-esteem of the persons of others and thus did the Scribes and Pharisees vilifie the Person of Christ in their saying Is not this the Carpenters son Marke 6. 3. 4. being offended at him and declaring against him saying Art thou greater then our father Abraham and the Prophets John 8. 53. and thus they undervalued the Person of Christ to make his doctrine contemptible in abasing his Person that thereby they might set up themselves saying We are Abrahams children John 8. 39. but for this fellow we know not whence he is John 9. 29. and thus did the proud Scribes and Pharisees of those times contemne Christ and his Apostles as if they were the basest men in the world and thus they do in these dayes highly esteem of the persons of so me if he be an University man and have learned the spirit as they conceive at the University with the knowledge of the humane tongues and have received his humane degrees then they admire his Person and esteem him some great man or divine person having bought the spirit at the University as the people conceive and that which he hath bought at the Schools he sels it for spirit though indeed it be nothing but a Tract of Fathers and Authors which he hath got by art compacting a Sermon out of Fathers and Authours and the like and preaches but the judgements of other men and those mens persons are esteemed as the only men in the world and all other men rejected though never so able and godly because they come not in by the doore of humane inventions their persons are despised as contemptible and so their doctrine is despised being never so holy and true because their persons are contemptible which is a main cause and reason wherefore so few imbrace the Gospell of Christ 6 Reason Wherefore so few imbrace the Gospell is this because the Lord hath been pleased in all Ages to reveale his truth to a company of contemptible ones in the worlds eye as you may see both under the Law and Gospell as under the Law the Lord called Moses a shepheard to feed his flock who was feeding the sheep of his father Exod. 3. And the Lord called him to feed his people Israel and also David a shepheard who was tending of his fathers flock And the Lord called him 〈◊〉 the ewes and made him a shepheard in Is 〈…〉 and then there was Elisha a plow-man and Amos a heards-man Amos 1. And thus you see under the Law how the Lord did reveale his truth and under the Gospell you have Christ and his Disciples who were poor contemptible men in the world and as Matthew a Publican and Peter James and John fisher-men with Paul a Tent-maker And thus you see that the Lord did reveale his truth by a company of trades-men which the Apostle Paul doth so gloriously confirm 1 Cor. 1. against the proud Rabbies of those times and justifies his poor brethren in the Ministry saying you see your calling brethren how that not many wise mighty or noble are called to the Ministry but God hath called the foolish to confound the wise and the weake to confound the mighty and things that are not in the worlds â—ye as any thing hath God chosen to bring to â—aught things that are esteemed in the world And this the Lord doth that no flesh should boast or glory in his presence and therefore the Apostle saith Where is the wise where is the Scribe and disputer of this world for the Lord hath made foolish the wisdome of this world 1 Cor. 1. 20. And therefore behold saith the Lord I will do a work in your dayes saith the Lord that you will not believe though 〈◊〉 declared unto you for the wisdome of your wise men shall perish and I will make the deviners mad Esa 29. 14. Act. 23. Oh behold and wonder ye Ministers of England and ye Rabbies and Doctors ye have been exalted up to Heaven but you shall be brought down for you have sought your selves more then Jesus Christ and your own honour more then his you have sought to set up your selves and to abace Christ and have been ashamed to tonfess his Gospel before men for fear of losing your earthly honours and preferments and have denied the holy one of Israel in perverting his wayes and changing his Ordinances and have been time-servers and served your selves and not Christ and therefore the Lord hath a quarrel against you and wil confound your wisdom and make you to be despised before the people and will shake off your fleshly glorying that you may glory in the Lord and this the Lord will do by raysing up men to preach the Gospel and you shall be cast out as a contemptible thing because you have been a hinderance and not a furtherance to the Gospel of Christ for the Idolizing of your persons is a reason wherefore so few believe and obey the Gospel of Christ 7. Reason Wherefore so few imbrace and obey the Gospel is because the wayes of the Gospel are persecuted wayes for no sooner Christ the great Minister of God came to preach the Gospel to the People but the high Priest and Doctors sought to destroy him Mat 2. and how was he persecuted of the Learned Rabbies and was forst to flee from one place to another and was persecuted wheresoever he came and had not where to hide his head while the great Doctors were slourishing in their earthly glory and pompe rejoycing at the troubles of the Sonne of God and like Foxes lay lurking in their holes to watch for his ruin and nothing would serve them but his death crying his blood be upon us
covenant Now the parties covenanting are the Father and Son for the Father strikes a covenant with the Son that he should teach all men and to do his will in declaring glad tidings to all the sonnes and daughters of men and to manifest his love to the world as you may see John 3. 16. so that if they do imbrace the grace and mercy offered them they may live and this doth appear by the words of the Father himselfe that this is truth for he saith As I live I will not the death of a sinner but that he live Ezek. 18. 32. and doth manifest the same in Isai 49. 6. where he saith That it was a small or light thing that Christ should be his servant to raise up the Tribes of Jacob and to restore the desolations of Israel but I will also give thee a light to the Gentiles and thou shalt be my salvation to the end of the earth to establish the earth and to cause to inherit the desolate heritages that thou maist say to the prisoners come forth and to them that are in darknesse shew your selves Isai 19. 6. 8. 9. And thus you see the Engagement of the Father For it is good and acceptable in his sight that he will have all 〈◊〉 to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth 1 Tim. 2. 3. 4. and consulteth not that any man should perish but that all men should come to repentance 2 Pet. 3. 9. And for this end the Father hath inabled the Son with all sufficiency being full of grace and truth and giving all power into his hands whereby he might be the better inabled to do the same and thus the Father frees himselfe in giving all sufficient power unto the Son whereby he might teach all men and to performe the Covenant on his part and thus you see the incomprehensible love of the Father that he should engage himselfe thus unto the world that he would send his Son to be a Teacher to all the world so that this is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darknesse rather then light And so it doth appear that the Father is not wanting on his part to give light unto the Son that the Son might not be wanting on his part to give light to the world And then in the next place the Son strikes a covenant with the Father for these are the parties covenanting as you may see 1 Tim. 2. â— For there is one Mediator between God and man the man Christ Jesus who is called the â—â—gel of the Covenant And the Mediatour between God and man who strikes a covenant with the Father saying Lo I come to do thy will O God for thus it is written of me in the volume of thy book to do thy will O God Heb. 10. 1. And so the Son covenants with the Father to do his will For I came to do the will of him that sent me and to declare his mind to the world and so he teaches all men as he himselfe doth declare when he saith When I am ascended I will draw all men unto me John 12. 32. And these are the words of Christ who was never wanting to fulfill his word for he drawes all men as you shall see First By the Works of creation As the heavens declare the glory of God and the earth sheweth forth his handy-worke day unto day uttereth speech and night unto night teacheth knowledge and there is no place where their voyce is not heard for their line is gone through the whole earth and their words unto the end of the world Psam 19. 1. 2. 3. and thus you see Christ drawes all men by the works of creation every creature indeed being a Gospel-Teacher Col. 1. 23. For that which may be known of God is manifest in them even the eternall power of God and the Godhead so that they are left without excuse Rom. 1. 19. 20. so that Christ drawes all men by the workes of creation which are as a naturall eye to see the Sun Secondly Christ drawes all men by Gospel-manifestation and therefore the Gospell is to â—e preached to all Nations Mat. 28. and thâ—â—ery creature Marke 16. And they have not obeyed the Gospel is not for want of hearing for the sound of the Gospel is gone through the earth and their words unto the end of the world Rom. 10. 18. The Gospell being preached to every or in every creature as you may see Col. 1. 29. and therefore Christ himselfe doth declare that the Gospell must be preached to all the world as you may see Mat. 24. 14. for a witnesse to all the world before the end shall come And thus Christ is not wanting to preach the Gospell For as by the sinne of one man death came upon all men to judgement even so by the righteousnesse of one the free-gift came upon all men to justification of life Rom. 5. 19. For this is the command of God that all men should believe in the Son he that doth not maketh God a lyer because he believes not the record that God gave of his Son 1 John 5. 10. And thus you may see that Christ is not wanting on his part to teach all men For this was the end of his coming that all men through him might believe Thirdly He drawes all men by the spirits revelation which was prophesied of before that he would poure out of his spirit upon all flesh Joel 2. 28. and that all flesh should see the salvation of God Mat. 3. 8. 〈◊〉 that grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men teaching them Tit. 2 11. so that all men through him might believe John 1. 7. For he is the light of the world and the true light that lightens every man that cometh into the world John 1. 9. And thus he hath promised to do unto the worst of men as to the simple ones and such as delight in their scorning yea unto fools that hate knowledge and would have poured his spirit upon them had not they rejected it as you may see Prov. 1. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. saying Vnto you Oh men do I call and my voice is to the sonnes of men but seeing I have called and you have refused I will also refuse you saith the Lord. And thus you see the truth of this thing now will you say that Christ is wanting to teach any man the way to salvation whereby he might be saved and if he be you will lay the fault in him which he doth deny saying This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and they love darknesse rather then light because their deeds are evill and will not come to the light John 3. 19. 20. And thus I have shewed you how Christ doth performe his part of the covenant in a word or two which is to teach all men whereby they might believe and imbrace the Gospell and lay hold of eternall life
Crowning him with Thornes and doing him all the disgrace that they could who was led as a sheep to the slaughter and did stand up to maintain the Doctrine that he delivered 〈◊〉 the mouth of the Father to his death that it might appear to all the word that that he had delivered was truth and for to indicate his doctrine he was ready to lay down his life and was ready to seale the truth with his bloud and as the first Covenant was sealed and confirmed with the bloud 〈◊〉 â—uls and of goats even so he 〈◊〉 willing â—â—d ready to seal and confirme the Covenant of grace and glory with his own bloud and so the bloud of Christ is called the bloud of the Testament Covenant or Will of God â—â—d thus to know the Lord Jesus Christ iâ—â—â—â—rnall life Seventhly it is life eternall to know Christ in his resurrection from death to life so he became the more glorious in that he conqueâ—â—d all his enemies and destroyed those that thought to have destroyed him for he said unto death I will be thy death and he conquered the grave and he said unto the grave give up he overcame sin the world and the devill for he loosed the powers of darknesse and he conquered principalities powers and made a shew of it openly Colos 2. Yea he conquered proud flesh to the terrour of all â—is enemies and thus Jesus Christ rose from death to life and was more famous in his suffering then before in loosing the pains of death Acts 2. 24. for it was impossible that it should be holden of it the Father having before promised That he would not leave his soule in grave nor suffer his holy one to see curruption Psal 16. 10. being the first fruits of them that sleep and a sure evidence of the resurrection of the dead being raised up by the mighty power of God that as Christ was raised up so also shall we by the same spirit who raised up Jesus who is gloriously ascended up into heaven as a fore-runner for us for he that was made a â—little lower then the Angels is crowned with glory and honour so that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confesse him yea those that pierced him being made the Judge both of the quick and the dead to the joy and salvation of his friends and to the destruction of his enemies and thus to know him is eternall life Eightly To know him as he is God is eternall life for when he had done the will of the Father had so gloriously confirmed the Gospell by his suffering and confirmed the truth with his bloud when that heavenly naâ—ure was made subject to anger when 〈◊〉 sweat water and bloud making strong cries and supplications with tears unto him that was able to deliver him and was heard in the thing that he desired and when he said My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and when he said Father into thy hands I commit my spirit and so he suffered as a lamb without spot and blemish in fulfilling all the prophesies that the Prophets prophesied of him to fulfill the Scriptures and the mind of the Father when he said O Father not my will but thine be done that he might accomplish all that was written of him to do that thereby he might finish the glorious work of the Gospell and establish an everlasting Covenant sealing and confirming it with his own bloud being the bloud of the everlasting Covenant Heb. 10. 29. chap. 13. 20. and for all those heavenly acts of the Son the Father raises him from the dead For he was raised up by the mighty power of God as the God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom ye slew and hanged on a tree Acts 2. 24. 32. chap. 3 13. 15. chap. 5. 33. 31. And thus you see the Father raises him from the dead in a glorious manner and makes him a God and gives all power into his hands as you may see Mat. 28. 18. and so the Son is God by office being the great and chiefe officer of God in being made heir of all things Heb. 1. 1. 2. and this was prophesied as in the Psal 110. 1. where the Prophet saith The Lord said unto my Lord sit thou at my right hand untill I make thine enemies thy footstool Now Davids Lord was Christ and Christs Lord was God as doth appear in Heb. 1. where the Father saith Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee and again I will be to him a Father and he shall be to me a Son and again When he bringeth his first begotten into the world he saith and let all the Angels worship him And of the Angels he saith who maketh his Angels spirits and his Ministers a flame of fire but of the Son he saith Thy-throne O God is for ever and ever a Scepter of righteousnesse is the Scepter of thy Kingdom for thou hast loved righteousnes and hated iniquity therefore God even thy God hath anointed thee with the oile of gladnesse above thy fellowes and thus the Father hath exalted him above the Gods saying Sit thou on my right hand untill I make thine enemies thy footstool Psal 110. 1. For God the Father hath made him the God of all things and so the Father calls him the everlasting Father the Prince of peace and hath put the Government upon him and of his Government there shall be no end for God the Father will perform this Esay 9. 6. 7. The Spirit of God the Father being upon him that he might judge the righteous in mercy and the wicked in judgement Esay 11. 4. And thus the Father hath crowned him with glory and honour for it hath pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell for he is the fulnesse of the Godhead the Father having made him God of all things both in heaven and earth and now the Son is to rule till he have put all things under his feet Now the last enemy is death for he hath put all things under his feet but the Son shall subdue and conquer death and shall reign till he hath put down all rule and all authority and power and then cometh the end when he shall deliver up the Kingdome to God even the Father and be subject to him that so God the Father may be all in all things 1 Cor. 15. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. And thus you see that God the Father hath given all things to the Son and hath made him a God till the end of all things till all enemies are conquered by the Son and then shall he give up the Kingdome to the Father again and be subject to him that God the Father may be all in all and thus to know Christ is eternall life Now the use that I make of all this is this It sheweth the great exceeding love of the Father to us in revealing his mind and will to a
man as we are and that this man Christ should be so gloriously exalted by God the Father to be the chiefe in his Councell to declare his mind to the world and that thereby the world might be reconciled to God by the man Christ in preaching mercy to us by a man as we are and in making a man to be a Mediatour between him and us to raise him gloriously from the dead and to give all power into his hands and to make him Lord of heaven and earth to set him at his right hand in glory and to center all mercy and judgement in the Son what greater favour could the Father of mercies shew us which is a sure testimony of our rising from the dead and of our glorification with him at the last day And in the next place I shall endeavour to reconcile some Scriptures that seem to contradict the truth of this Doctrine and the first is in Ge◠1. 26. Let us make man to the which I reply That there the Father speaks of his Word or Spirit by which he made all things For the Spirit of God moved upon the waters the witnesse of two is true as Deut. 17. 6. John 8. 17. And so the Spirit of God in the Scripture is distinct from God as in many places he might speak of the Angels as being familiar with him whereby they might shew their acceptance of that work being the great Counsell of heaven for he could not speak of the Son as in being at that time neither could he really be before he had a being or else the Father might speak in a two-fold relation when he spake of man to wit of the work of creation and redemption and so he might speak of the Son but any otherwise he could not Another Scripture is in John 1. 1. 2. In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and God was that word To the which I reply That in the beginning implies a tearm of time but God was before all time and that word was with God and so it was before it came from him for the word is the mind of God and came from the heart of God and was the power of God for by his word he made all things 〈◊〉 that sense it might be called God for 〈◊〉 a common name in Scripture as Idols are called Gods and men are called Gods as being of note and fame and the word being of that power might be called God though it come from the Father who is the God of all Gods And another Scripture is before Abraham was I am And to that I reply that Christ was before Abraham First he was before him in the promise And secondly he was before him in Gods account for God did account of his Son before Abraham and therefore Christ might well say before Abraham was I am being the Son of God himself And another Scripture is I and my Father are one which is true indeed that the Father and the Son are one both in mind and Doctrine the Son delivering the mind of the Father as I have shewed before but else the Son saith the Father is greater then I and I came to do the work of him that sent me Now another Scripture is this that he being in the form of God thought it no robbery to be equall with God and the express Image of the Fathers person and this is true indeed that the Son is said to be the form or likeness Picture or Image of the Fathers Person but you will not say that the Image or Picture of a man is the man for the express Image or Picture of a man is but his form and so Christ is the Image of his Fathers Person that is God by Office but not the Father himself and so the Son is the Image and the Father is the substance from whom all things do proceed being the essence of all things and the originall of all being And thus in a word as time would permit me I have endeavoured to give unto the Father that which is his and also to the Son that which is his the Son being the chief in the Court of the Fathers Majesty I shal desire to honour the Son who is so highly honoured of the Father for it became the Father of whom are all things by whom are al things to make the Captain of our salvation perfect through sufferings Heb. 2. 8. 10. Thou hast put all things under his feete in subjection for in that he put all things under him he hath left nothing that is not put under him but now we see not as yet all things put under him Heb. 2. 8. 10. CHAP. V. Of Heaven NOw I shall endeavour to speak of Heaven for that will be the glorious Heaven to arive at at the last day Now the Kingdom of Heaven is called another world when Christ saith neither in this World nor in the World to come and so it is another World for that is a heavenly World and this a earthly that World injoyes the presence of God and this the back parts that World injoyes the substance and this injoyes the shadow that is a World of spirit and this a World of flesh that a World of goodness this a World of wickedness that is a continuing World and this a fading World that is a World and Kingdom not made with hands but eternall in the Heavens And now I shall speak as plainly as I can a word or two of Heaven and first what Heaven is 1. Heaven is a place of glory where the face and presence of God is and where those glorious Angels are and all the heavenly Host above all created Heavens where God the Father was from all eternity and for the probation of this you shal have Dan. 7. 9. 10. Where the Father is called the ancient of dayes being indeed before all time and his Throne prescribed with that glorious heavenly Host that doth attend him for he is the high and lofty one that Inhabits eternity and dwelleth in the highest Heavens for thus saith the wise Solomon If Israel pray heare thou in Heaven thy dwelling-place 1 Kings 8. 39. 43. and Heaven is my Throne and the Earth is my Foot-stooll and Christ saith that in Heaven the Angells do alwayes behold the face and presence of his Father which is in Heaven Mat. 18. 10. and also the Sonne is entred into the very Heaven of glory it self Heb. 9. 24. there to remain till he come at the last day And now I shall shew you reasons that there is a Heaven 1. Reason Is from Gods eternal Being before all time he must be somewhere and his glory must be somewhere even in Heaven a place not made with hands 2 Cor. 5 2. a place of glory before all time and before these visible Heavens and Earth were created he was in glory whereby it doth appear there is a Heaven 2. Reason When he came to create the visible
thou wouldest have no Scripture nor Word to try thee by and then thou wouldest say thou wast pure Gold but the Scripture will finde to be stinking Brasse only flourished over with the refuse of Gold for to cover thy Hipocrisie 9. Those that have been accounted most precious in Gods account have worshipped God in a visible way what sayest thou to Moses he was faithfull to God in all his house and yet he was a visible worshipper of God and obeyed him in every Command and whatsoever God commanded him to do he did and is every where almost commended for his obedience and is exalted in all the word And what sayest thou to David a man after Gods owne heart and who was more obedient to all the Commands of God then he how zealous was he in visible worship and how doth God commend him for it how highly is he commended in all the History of God and his obedient service is every where almost spoken off And what sayest thou to Christ the chiefest of the Fathers love who came out of the bowels of the Father he was a worshipper of God and held forth a visible worship he was circumcised to fulfill the worship of the Law and was baptised to hold forth a Gospel worship and though he were a Sonne yet learned he obedience by the things he suffered and was obedient in all things and was most dear and precious in the sight of the Father and yet was a visible worshipper was a baptised person and did administer the Supper and did partake of it with a great deal of desire and commanded the same worship to be performed in future ages and what wilt thou say to Christ now thou wilt say he walked very low wilt thou the Sonne himselfe was not exempted from visible worship and yet thou art hast thou more priviledge then Christ how camest thou by it art thou higher then the Sonne the Sonne was not exempted from visible worship and yet thou art now it doth appear that thou art a proud Peacock thou canst turne up thy tayle and pride thy selfe in thy fine feathers and never lookest to thy feet thou art doting upon thy tayle and forgettest thy footsteps but thou wilt lose thy tayle shortly and then where will thy pride be wilt thou say thou art higher then Christ that thou art exempted from worship for if thou art exempted from visible worship and Christ himself was not then it seems thou art greater and hast more priviledges then he but thy blindnesse will deceive thee And what sayest thou to Paul he was but a low fellow in thine eyes but I am sure he was higher then thou for he was able to speak an infallible truth and was able to confirme it with a visible signe he was able to worke miracles and to speake with new tongues and so art not thou and yet thy words are higher then Pauls but thy deeds are lower and yet Paul was a visible worshipper of God for he was a baptised person and did administer the Supper and did partake of it himselfe and taught the gathering of Churches and those were his wayes that were in Christ Jesus if thou wilt stoop so low as to looke in 2 Cor. 4. which thou canst hardly doe thou art brideled up so high with that golden chaine about thy necke called Mystery but thou sayest that the Apostle said himselfe That he was not sent to baptise but to preach and thou thinkest that this is a great argument from the word not To the which I reply that the Apostle saith also That we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers and yet thou wilt say that he wrestled against flesh and blood so that thou seest the word not doth imply something for the Apostle saith I have writ unto you not to keep company with such and such and yet not altogether refraine for then thou must goe out of the world and so thou seest the word not doth imply something for the word not and the word nothing are all one and signifie one thing and so Paul was not sent to preach that is not onely sent to baptise but to preach Christ tells his Apostles that nothing should hurt them and yet something might hurt them Luke 10. 19. the Apostle saith The Athenians gave themselves to nothing but to heare newes Act. 14. 21. And yet they gave themselves to something else the Apostle saith Owe nothing to any man Rom. 13. 8. and yet we owe something to all men and he saith Circumcision is nothing 1 Cor. 7. 19. and yet we know that Circumcision is something Again he saith that we know that an Idoll is nothing in the world 1 Cor. 8. 4. and we know that an Idoll is something though it be nothing in respect of God yet it is something in respect of an Idoll and so the Apostle saith He was nothing 2 Cor. 12. 11 and yet we know he was something Againe the Apostle saith Be carefull for nothing Phil. 4. 6. and yet we know we must be carefull for something And we brought nothing into this World and yet we know wee brought something The Laodiseans said They had need of nothing and yet we know they had need of something And thus I have shewed thâ—â— that not or nothing implies the lesser and not the greater and though Baptisme is nothing in respect of teaching yet that doth not follow but that Baptisme is something And thus the Serpent is taken in his craft 10. Those that have contemned a Visible Worship have beene most contemptible to God what sayest thou to the Scribes and Pharisees John came in the way of Righteousnesse Matth. 21. 32. And they did not repent nor were changed from their wickednesse that they might beleeve for they rejected the counsell of God against themselves and were not baptised and how were they liked thinkest thou for their paines doth not Christ say Woe be to you Scribes and Pharisees doth he not count them Hypocrites for rejecting the Doctrine of John which was the counsell of God And who were they in the times of Christ and his Apostles that did reject the Gospel and the way and Ordinances of the Gospel were they not the proud Scribes and Pharisees who rejected the visible way of the Gospel and were they not rejected of the Lord for their wickednesse for contemning the Ordinances of the Gospel they despised the way of the Gospel but the Lord despised them for it and cast them out as contemptible and dost not thou follow the steps of thy forefathers to contemne the way and Ordinances of the Gospel as they did that thou mightest fall into the same condemnation 12. Those that had received the highest attainments walked in a visible way and profession even such as had received the Holy Ghost and were able to speak infallibly to worke miracles and to speake with new tongues yet these walked in a visible worship and were baptised did