Apostle speaketh of such as are dead to syn that is mortified Christians which live not in syn neyther reigneth it in them but they are freed or justified from syn and are alive unto God But Antichristians such as are the professant members of the church of Rome are not dead unto or freed from syn for they are the subjects of the Man of syn the worshipers of the Beast for whom is prepared the wine of the wrath of God Revel 14. 9. 10. They are of that church which by my opposites confession a little before is fallen into most synfull and deep apostasie is a notorious â—arlot and idolatress which all the people of God ought to forsake Wherefore they are rather to be counted dead in synns as th'Apostle speaketh of the Gentiles Ephes. 2. 1. and that they are in deed dead and not partakers of the first resurrection is evident by Revel 20. 4. 5. 6. in that they are the worshipers of the Beast and murderers of the witnesses of Iesus Wherfore the doctrine of Baptisme in Rom. 6. is farr from proving the Antichristians or other heretical and apostate churches to have the true baptisme of Christ or seale of his covenant but his servants they are to whom they obey even of syn unto death Rom. 6. 16. The other scripture is Ephe. 4. 4. 5. There is one body and one spirit even as ye are called unto one hope of your calling one Lord one faith one baptisme By which words it appeareth that such as have the One baptisme have also one and the same faith Lord hope spirit and body which to affirme of the Antichristian church of Rome and of all other heretical and Apostate churches that professe Christ is very impious And most firme arguments there are from the Apostles words to the coÌ„trary of that which this man pleadeth for As The Romish and other heretical churches have not the one same faith with the true Churches of Christ witness their blasphemous doctrines published by the Council of Trent and in other books and the Apostles prophesie that they are departed from the faith 1 Tim. 4. 1. c. therfore they have not the one Baptisme They have not one and the same Lord Iesus Christ but have Antichrist the Man of syn for their Lord therefore they have not the one baptisme They have not that one hope nor that one Spirit neyther are they one bodie with the true Christian churches therfore they have not that one baptisme These things are partly prooved before in the description which I set downe of Antichrists church they are also acknowledged of all Christian churches which disclaim the unitie with the Antichristians in their faith spirit bodie And the scriptures most abundantly disclaime this feighned unitie as 2 Cor. 6. 12. what concord hath Christ with Belial meaning none at all And Belial is there put for Antichrist and his retinue as in 2 Sam. 23. 6. 22. 5. The Apostle sheweth that the Antichristians have from God strong delusions to beleeve lyes unto their damnation 2 Thes. 2. 11. 12. That they are departed from the faith doe give heed to â—educing spirits and doctrines of Divils speaking lyes in hypocrisie c. â— Tim. 4. 1. 2. That the false teachers among Christians privily bring in damnable heresies even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction 2 Pet. 2. 1. That the Beast which is the kingdome of Antichrist and the false prophet his ministers and all that worship him or take his mark shal be tormented in fyre and brimstone for ever and ever Rev. 20. 10. c. 14. 9. 10. And shall we now say that these miserable creatures have one Spirit hope Lord faith and baptisme with the saincts and true Churches of Christ My soule come not thou into their secret that so affirme The second argument for such churches is If they be not under the covenant of God but divorced from the Lord c then is there no salvation for any in those churches Answ. I deny the consequence For then after Israel was divorced from the Lord as is testified in in Ier. 3. 8. there was no salvation for any among them which I know mine opposite himself would not say Objection Why out of the covenant of God there is no salvation Answ. I grant it But though the church be not under the covenant of God but without it or divorced from him yet some parlicular persons in that church may through Gods grace be in his covenant For as every true church is in the covenant of God yet some hypocrites and reprobates are in the same which perish for ever so every false church is out of the covenant yet some truly faithful and elect may be therein which by the covenant of grace may be saved Example in Rahab the Canaanitess the church whereof shee was had not the covenant of grace in Christ yet she having heard of Gods works towards Israel beleeved in God and was saved and before she joyned her self to the church of Israel shee shewed the fruits of true and living faith wherby shee was justified is put in the catalogue of the Saincts Jos. 2. 1. 9. 10. c. Heb. 11. 31. 39. Jam. 2. 25. 26. The like is to be thought of the other nations farr off from God who by some meanes hearing of his name and trueth might imbrace the faith unto salvation though the churches wherof they stood members were false and idolatrous 1 King 8. 41. 42. 43. So where mine oppositeÌ„ bringeth scriptures to prove that they which are not in the covenant of God and Christ cannot be saved he proveth that which is not denyed but this he should have proved if he could that if a church be false and not under the covenant none in that church can by any meanes come unto the faith and covenant of Christ for this I deny And his argument if it had been sound should have been this If Antichristian churches be not under the covenant of God but divorced from the Lord then is there no salvation for any that are under the covenant of that church and in no other covenant and so I would have granted his argument as confirmed by the Holy ghost that all such are in the state of damnation 2 Thes. 2. 10. 11. 12. Rev. 14. 9. 10. Here to help the church of Antichrist into the covenant of Christ he bringeth in the profession of the Iesuites of Rhemes which as he sayth â—old Christ by nature to be truely both God and man to be the one eternal Priest and Redeemer which by his sacrifice and death upon the cross hath reconciled in to God and payd his blood as a fâ—ll and sufficient ransome for all our synns c. againe to be the singular advocate and patron of mankinde that by himself alone and by his owne meritâ— procureth all grace and mercie
thereupon It was not Gods people in Babylon that killed those witnesses Rev. 11. but it was Babylon that killed those witnesses Gods people therin Because Gods people killed not those witnesses but the Beast in his catholik citie or church therfore thinks he that citie of the beast is not his church a fayre conclusion Obj. Note here that by the great citie is meant not onely the citie it self but the whole jurisdiction authority and dominion therof how farr soever extended Answ. It is a good note and worth the marking for the great citie being the church of Rome as before is proved it followeth that the extents of that church reach further then the materiall walls of Rome even to all nations that are of the Popes religion and therfore to bound it within the Lateran parish of Rome is to restreyn that which God sheweth to be more large It were a happy day if the Popes unruly power were limited within the Lateran parish and his jurisdiction reached no further But he must have a larger scope to range in yet a while and weak warriers are they against him that plead for his whorish church of Rome that it is the true church of Christ and under his covenant of grace It is the thing that the Pope would most gladly have proved and I am well assured Babylon wil not fall til it be otherweise battered Obj. Where yet observe further that the church of Rome being fallen into deep apostasie and having the man of syn sitting ther in as God who hath that citie for his throne the things that are spoken of this citie are also applied to the apostate estate of that church of Rome and the other churches that are under the jurisdiction of the prelacie of that Sea whersoever and of whatsoever people kinred tongue or nation they be c. But shall wee therfore conclude that by the Temple of God 2 Thes. 2. 4. may not be understood the church of God Answ. How glorious is the trueth that forceth those to yeild that fight against it His former reasons that by the Citie in Rev. â—1 8. the church was not meant he now frustrateth himself But still he cleaveth to his first plea The temple of God 1 Thes. 2. is the church of God I may answer hereto as God by Ieremy did to the Iewes Trust not in lying words saying The temple of the Lord the temple of the Lord the temple of the Lord are these Ier. 7. 4. Our dispute is in what sense Paul calleth it the Temple of God whether as the true temple builded by Solomon or as the false temple builded in Samaria by the Apostate Israelites which the Prophet calleth the house of their God Amos 2. 8. as the Apostle calleth this the Temple of God Now faine he would have this Romish temple of apostate Papists to be the true temple of God and that they notwithstanding their deep apostasie are Gods true church under his covenant which I deny and have before disproved and Paul in the very same place counteth them among those that perish for beleeving lyes which shal be damned for not beleeving the trueth 2 Thes. 2. 10. 11. 12. and Christ teacheth that being worshipers of the beast their names are not written in the book of lâ—fe Rev. 13. 8. 17. 8. but they shal be tormented in fyre and brimstone for ever Revel 14. 9. 10. 11. and that the whorish church Babylon the great the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth which is drunken with the blood of the Saincts and of the martyrs of Jesus shal be destroyed for ever Rev. 17. 5. 6. 18. 21. And who now that have not their right eye blinded wil not rather say it is the Samaritans Temple then Solomons though in pretence and colour the Temple of God And seing every true church now is a particular congregation in one place but the church of Rome is a new found catholik church spred over many nations under one head Bishop the Pope it can not possibly be Christs true church having neyther the constitution faith worship ministerie order or ordinances of Christ but of his enemie Antichrist Wheras I formerly wrote Neyther is that if they meane a particular church answerable to the Temple in Israel which was not for one synagogue but for the whole nation of the Iewes and for the Gentiles that came to the faith through the world To this he sayth How greatly forgets he himself and how presently seing but a line before he sayd the Temple figured not onely the catholik or universal church Ephe 2. 21. but also every particular church by proportion 1 Corint 3. 16. 17. And may we not then apply it to that wherof it was a figure c. Answ. No for mine opposite granteth that the Temple was primarily a figure Christ but so to apply it in this place 2 Thes. 2. himself thinketh not fit I deny not but some where it may and ought to be so applyed but considering that the Temple of God wherin Antichrist now sitteth is a catholik church spred over many nations as was prophesied Rev. 11. 8. 9. I think the applying of Pauls words in 2 Thes. 2. to a particular church is neyther fitting to the type nor to the prophesie nor to the accomplishment of it which we see at this day The priests in Israel figured Christ chiefly secondarily Christians Rev. 1. 6. But to apply those things which Paul speaketh of the Priests in Heb. 10. 11. 12. to us Christians were not onely unfitting but heretical Obj. The Candlesticks and Lamps were set in the Temple of God and the church of Rome was a golden Candlestick as well as the rest of the primitive churches and this man himself sayth definitely the true churches were many of them apostate when John wrote whom yet notwithstanding Christ acknowledgeth to be golden candlesticks In any of which of Antichrist had sit as in the church of Rome I suppose this man would not deny but his sitting then should have been in the Temple of God whether it were considered as a particular candlestick it self or a branch of the great general candlestick c. Answ. 1. If the Candlesticks were churches in the Temple the church then the Temple in such respect is the catholick church for one particular church is not in an other 2. I grant that the church of Rome was a golden candlestick in th'Apostles time and I think mine opposite would not deny but then also the Bishop of Rome was a starr in Christs right hand But now the Bishop is a starr fallen from heaven and acknowledged to be Antichrist why then may not the church be fallen with him as Paul forewarned Rom. 11. 22. and the candlestick removed from it as wel as from Ephesus Rev. 2. 5. except Rome have a privilege above all other cities because it crucified Christ. 3. I grant also that
a good creature of God also idolatrously abused The bread in the sacrament is in deed an idoll to Papists that worship it as their maker yet is it also in it selfe Gods ordinance idolatrously abused so is popish baptisme Hee might even as wel say that Reubens fact in lying with his fathers concubine was not in deed adultery but an abuse of Gods ordinance of mariage or a defiling of his fathers bed Gen. 35. 22. 49. 4. 5. Moreover the brazen Serpent was but a temporary ordinance c. Ans. This was the twelft of his shifts before now hee repeateth and multiplieth it among his Errours I refer the reader to my former answer 6 That the Romish baptisme is an impure idol in their abuse standing up in the place of Christ and his precious blood which it is not pretending to give grace c. which it doth not But the baptisme in the church of Rome is Gods ordinance had and planted there by the Apostles c. These are the errours and abuses of men about it not the nature of the baptisme it selfe Otherweise all that have received it ought to renounce it utterly and to get an other outward baptisme c. Answ. This also was before objected and answered and it is a world to see how he wearieth his reader with repeating worthlesse reasons Sacrificing among the heathens I have before proved was Gods ordinance So was the Lords supper in the church of Rome in the Apostles time so was excommunication so was the Ministery of Bishops c. These have been continued in Rome with their baptisme may we not say therefore the Masse is an idoll or that the Bishop the Pope of Rome now is an idol and Antichrist Of our getting an other baptisme which is the usuall foot and base of his arguments we have before spoken that which he could not take away Obj. Wil these men say that we can without sin reteine any thing and not utterly reject it that standeth up in the place of Christs precious blood c. Ans. We cannot indeed without syn reteyne it while so it standeth neither doe we so reteyn it far be it from us Neither might the Gentiles reteyn the lye which they had made of the truth of God Rom. 1. 25. But when the lye was doen away and God restored to them his former trueth that they were to reteyn The idolatrous Israelites if they had set up their own blood of circumcision in place of Christs blood might not without syn have reteyned it whiles so it stood Yet repenting of their idolatry they might keep the outward signe without repeating it even so we in this case Obj. Errors and abuses of men may hurt themselves but cannot change the nature of Gods ordinance in it selfe Answ. Not in it selfe I grant considered without their abuse but togither with their abuse Gods ordinance of sacrifice incense c. is an abomination to him Prov. 15. 8. Esa. 1. 13. So baptisme and the Supper now in Rom are abominations to the Lord. Obj. Mans unbeleefe cannot make the faith of God of none effect God is true though every man be a lyar Rom. 3. 3. 4. Ans. What may we think would he conclude from this Scripture To cite a place and leave it doubtfull what hee inferreth is to deceive the reader If he intend according to the question in hand that the sacraments are seales of grace and of salvation unto men whether they beleeve or doe not beleeve it is a notable errour overthrowing the Gospel and establishing the popish herefie of grace ex opere operato by the work doen. The Scriptures teach touching Gods vvord and promise that it profiteth not them that heare it if it be not mixed vvith faith in them Heb. 4. 2. if men beleeve not they shall not be established Esai 7. 9. but shall be damned Mark 16. 16. they shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on them Ioh. 3. 36. Neither is the faith of God by mens unbeleef made without effect For his truth and faithfulnesse is confirmed as well in damning unrepentant unbeleeving synners as in saving those that repent and beleeve When the righteous turneth from his righteousnes and committeth iniquitie he shall dye in his iniquity and yet the way of the Lord is equall as sayth the prophet Ezek. 18. 24. 25. 26. Again as all men naturally are lyars and doe faile and break covenant on their part by syn which God never doeth so if they continue in syn and turne not to the Lord by repentance and faith they all perish Luk. 13. 3. 5. Rom. 8. 6. 10. 1. Cor. 6. 9. 10. Jude v. 5. But let men repent and turn from their transgressions so iniquity shall not be their ruine Ezek. 18. 30. Otherweise it would follow that after men are entred into covenant with God are baptized though they fall frō Christ to Antichrist as the church of Rome hath doen though they fall to Mahomet as many East churches have doen though they turne to be Iewes or pagans and so dye yet they shall be saved for their unbeleef cannot make the faith of God of none effect But so to expound this Scripture Rom. 3. were to turn judgement into wormwood unto the destruction of mens soules And if mine opposite would not gather some such thing from it what will it help his plea for the baptisme of the church of Rome which is the whore of Babylon whom God hath devoted unto destruction except they repent Rev. 17. 18. chap. Obj. The Jewes in Christs time and before holding justification by circumcision workes of the Law set these up in the place of Christ his precious blood c. Should we therfore say that circumcision was then an impure idoll in their abuse c. Or should wee not rather learn to put difference between Gods ordinance in it selfe and between mans abuse thereof c. Ans. Whensoever Iew or Gentile held justification by circumcision sacrifice or works of the Law they made their sacraments sacrifices and workes idols impure idols to themselves in their abuse And it is admirable that men teaching religion should bee ignorant that whatsoever creature or work of man is put in the place of God and Christ it is therby made an idol though Gods ordinances and the workes of his Law in themselves are alwayes good but turned to idols are alwayes evill and an abomination to the Lord as is before proved What mouth can deny but the Papists are idolaters in praying to Saints and Angels If idolaters then they serve idols if they serve idols in so praying then the Saincts and Angels are idols to them in their synfull abuse Yet who knoweth not that the Saincts and Angels in heaven are blessed and holy and not Idols in themselves But this is mine opposites continual fallacie wherby he would deceive his reader that because Baptisme and the Lords supper are Gods holy ordinances in themselves therfore
to refresh the wearie soules Her doctrines sweet and amiable lyes spoken in hypocrisie Prov. 5. 3. 1 Tim. 4. 2. but yet confirmed with signes and miracles as if they came from heaven 2 Thes. 2. 9. Rev. 13. 13. 14. her power efficacie great prevailing over the many and the mightie the Kings and Princes of the world deceiving all nations with her inchantments Prov. 7. 21. 26. Rev. 17. 2 18. 23. and if it were possible Gods very elect Math. 24. 24. Her continuance and outward prosperitie is long Rev. 13. 5. 18. 7. 20. 2. 4. her end miserable Rev. 18. 19. 21. 19. 20. 21. consumed with the spirit of the Lords mouth and abolished with the brightnes of his coming 2 Thes. 2. 8. And for her destruction the heavens shall rejoyce and sing praises to God Rev. 18. 20. 19. 1. 2. The accomplishment of these prophesies I there shewed to be in the Church of Rome at this day confirmed by her own canons and doctors that set forth her profession and practise These grounds remayne yet unanswered by mine opposite being such as I assure my self neither could he neither can any soundly refute Now let us see how farr he yeildeth and how he opposeth First he prayeth all to take knowledge that his minde and desire in himselfe is to plead against the present estate of that church and not for it acknowledging it to be fallen into most synful and deep defection and apostasie and so to be a notorious harlot and idolatress which all the people of God ought to forsake and to witnes the trueth there against even vnto death How well this his acknowledgement agreeth with his plea in the residue of his book shall appeare in the discussing of the reasons after folowing But what sayth he to the description of Antichrists church which I before shewed from the scriptures He sayth I speak of the church and Synagogue of Antichrist of the Beast of the great Citie of the man of Syn of the great whore of Abaddon or Apollyon the son of perdition c. wheras I should treat of the Temple of God wherof Paul speaketh 2 Thes. 2. Hereupon he chargeth me to keep what I could from the point of the question in hand and therefore also to confound things that differ I answer that the the question was by this mine opposites former graunt about the church of Rome whether it were the church of God or no. Now when at first I shew from the scriptures what maner of Church that Romane church is in Gods account how could he charge me to keep from the point of the question 2ly the place of th'Apostle being alleaged by mine opposite for a proof that the church wherein Antichrist sitteth is the Church of God I come immediately after to scan that scripture and yet he challengeth me for keeping from the point wheras all men of judgement may see it was needful to know what God foretold of that church throughout the scriptures that so we might understand in what sense Antichrist is sayd to sit in the Temple of God 2 Thes. 2. For seing the Temple of God is a figurative phrase taken from the shadowes of the Law it is not wisedome in us to expound a parabolical speech contrary to the plaine scriptures grounds of Christian religion but we must understand it according to them Wherefore there being no other answer made to the description aforesayd it standeth in force to prove that the church of Rome is not the true Church of Christ. So for the accomplishment of the prophesies wheras I shewed from the Papists own writings of their church how fitly it agreeth with Antichrists synagogue foretold of by God mine opposite answereth I tell them of a Church such as Bellarmine and others describe one part wherof lives on earth an other under the earth and a third part in heaven c. Wheras our question is of the Temple of God wherof Paul speaketh 2. Thes. 2. 4. and of the court and holy citie wherof Iohn speaketh Rev. 11. 2. Thus neyther the Prophesies of God nor the complement of them shewed by the men themselves whom the prophesies concerne may be brought to clear the controversie but mine opposite will insist upon dark and figurative speeches that men may be the more easily deluded For how shall we prove against Papists that the Pope is Antichrist if we may not alleage the Popes owne doctrines and practises which are contrary to Christ Yea how shall we judge of any church but by their owne Confessions published and comparing them with the scripures Wherefore the profession of Papists concerning their church is a strong argument wherby they may be discovered to be none of Christs even the Cretian lyars testimonie against themselves is true as the Apostle noteth Tit. 1. 12. 13. An Answer to the arguments brought for the church of Rome MIne opposite pleadeth thus 1. First J take an argument from the baptisme had in the churches aforesayd the Apostate churches of Christians thus The Baptisme had in the church of Rome is the Lords baptisme the signe and seale of his covenant the ordinance of God had in that church from the Apostles times before Antichrist there arose Rom. 6. 2. 3. and so is true baptisme which is from heaven and not of men that one baptisme which perteyneth to the bodie of Christ Eph. 4. 4. 5. which the Lord hath given to his church and not man c. Therfore the church of Rome is the church of God and under his covenant c. Answ. Here let it first be observed whether mine opposite pleadeth against the present estate of that church as before he pretended For if they be under Gods covenant have it sealed unto them from heaven by that one true baptisme then are they in the state of grace and of salvation which is the very thing that all Papists at this day doe plead for Concerning his Argument I deny that the baptisme had in all Apostate churches of Christians and particularly in the church of Rome is the Lords true baptisme or the signe and seale of his covenant of grace unto them Here mine opposite referreth me to an other place of his book for proof of the trueth of their Baptisme wherto I will make answer anone in their place And now that my denyal may not be so bare as is his assertion here I will insist upon the two scriptures which he citeth and disprove their baptisme In Rom. 6. 2. 3. 4. the Apostle sayth How shall we that are dead to syn live any longer therin Know ye not that so many of us as are baptised into Christ Iesus were baptised into his death Therfore we are buried with him by baptisme into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glorie of the Father even so we also should walk â—n nâ—wnes of life Here first the
Catholik or universall church in the first proposition and the particular church of Rome in the second and so deny the argument why would he then himself obtrude upon us such a deceitfull reason The latter part of his speech I grant but it helpeth him nothing For the synagogue of Antichrist is none of Gods constitutions though every true Christian church is neyther hath he annexed promise of grace to his ordinances abused by the man of syn and his subjects in that malignant church but hath threatned the destruction of the deceivers and deceived 2 Thes. 2. 8. 10. 11. 12. 3. The third reason for the church of Rome consisteth of a division of the world into Christians Iewes Turks and Pagans and of a question if it be asked which of these is the Church of God at this day should we not answer the Christians and among the Christians comprise the churches aforesayd for the reasons before specified Answ. The first part of his answer I yeild unto that Christians now are Gods church The second I deny namely that Antichristians such as the Papists be other heretical and apostate churches are to be comprised in the number save in name onely for in deed and trueth they are not His reasons before specified I have particularly refuted so might here end But further to explaine the trueth I answer that after this general division we must make an other subdivision or els we may be deceived The subdivision is of Christians againe into true and false or into Christians and Antichristians which professe Christ in name deny him in deed And this I learne of the holy Ghost who in the Apostles times divided the Iewes into outward and inward Rom. 2. 28. 29. and counted these latter onely Iewes and such as sayd they were Iewes and were not but did lye he calleth them the Synagogue of Satan Revel 3. 9. Even so he prophesied of a Beast or kingdom which should have two hornes like the Lamb Christ and so be called Christians but should speak as the Dragon work wonders deceive men that dwell on the earth c Revel 13. 11. 13. 14. He also foretold of false teachers among Christians who privily should bring in damnable heresies even denying the Lord that bought them c. 2 Pet. 2. 1. If thus we distinguish not between the true Christ and false Christs between true prophets and false prophets and so between true churches and false we may reteyn the name of Christ and Christian churches and be in deed nothing less And according to mine opposites manner of plea an other might reason thus Of synners in the world some are Angels and some are men If then the question be asked seing Christ came to save synners 1 Tim. 1. 15. which of these are redemed and saved by Christ are the church of God should we not answer men and among men also comprise all peoples upon earth Iewes Turks Pagans c. This is the mould of mine Opposers argument and as colourably as he pleadeth for Antichrists synagogue to be Christs Church so others doe plead for universal redemption of all peoples persons borne into the world from Ioh. 1. 9. Rom. 5. 18. and other like scriptures 4 The fourth reason is from baptisme a visible signe of Gods visible Church among Christians as circumcision was among the Iewes c. I answer the baptisme among Antichristians is in deed like their church Christs in name but not in deed and trueth As for that which he annexeth of our defending and reteyning that visible baptisme received in the church of Rome it foloweth after to be discussed when we come to treat of their baptisme In the mean while let it be observed that as Circumcision was a signe of the Church of old so was sacrificing both then and before Circumcision was instituted and all nations reteyning sacrifice then as well as Antichrist reteyneth baptisme the Lords supper now it wil also folow by like reason that all nations were then Gods churches which argumēt shal be prosecuted hereafter Againe as the foolish woman calleth passengers to her sweet stollen waters and pleasant bread of secresies Prov. 9. 13. 17. so this foolish woman the church of Antichrist by like stales allureth the simple unto her which are no sounder proof that she is Christs true spouse then the true mans purse in the theefs hand wil prove the theef to be a true and honest man 5 The 5 reason is from the defection of Iudah and Israel remayning stil Gods people notwithstanding therfore also the church of Rome in like manner Answ. Of the first part of this reason touching the state of the Israelites we are after to speak in particular but were it granted I deny the consequence it foloweth not the Antichristian synagogue is so also Inst. The consequence sayth he is prooved because these were types of the like state of the Christian churches recorded for our instruction 1 Cor. 10. 6. 11. with Rom. 154. 2 Tim. 3. 16. 17. 2 Pet. 2. 1. Jude v. 5. 11. Rev. 2. 14. 20. 11. 2. c. Answ. I grant that he sayth for the Christian churches but for the Antichristian it is true in part onely The synns of Iudah and Israel are found in Rome so are the synns of Sodome Aegypt Babylon and heathen Rome which by warrant from God were types also of this Antichristian Babylon Rev. 11. 8. and 17. 5. From which I may as truly conclude Sodome Aegypt and Babylon of old were so farr fallen frō God as they were not his churches or peoples and they were types of this church of Antichrist and the things written of them are for our instruction Rom. 15. 4. Iude v. 7. 2. Pet. 2. 5. 6. Therfore this Antichristian synagogue is not Christs true church Further I answer that the types which were in Israel prove not that the things typed are in the same degree of good or evil neyther more nor less as mine opposite would inferr that Antichristians are not now more deep in apostasie then were the Israelites For types and figures agree in some things but not in all Moses Aaron David and all other types of Christ were synners but it were wicked therupon to conclude that Christ himself was a synner Moreover Christs Preisthood was figured in Aaron his sōns yet did not that Levitical Preisthood fully type out his office but in part a more complete figure of him was in Melchisedek as th'Apostle sheweth in Heb. 5. and 7. chapters Accordingly it wil follow that Antichrist is answerable to Israels apostasie in part and yet a more complete figure of him is to be found in the Gentiles And as Christ excelleth in holynes all that were types of him so Antichrist exceedeth in wickednes all the types of him therfore hath many sorts of wicked men to resemble his impietie Rev. 11. 8. And that his consequence followeth not
is by their owne grant the man of syn of whom the Apostle here speaketh c. Therfore the church of Rome is the Temple of God also that here is spoken of I answer This argument I might wholly grant and not hurt the cause I plead for For though the church of Rome be the Temple of God which Paul speaketh of yet followeth it not that it is Gods true Temple or true Church which is the point that should be concluded seing the scriptures often speak of things as once they were though so they continue not still as also they speak of things according to the outward pretense and shew that is made of them though in deed and trueth they be nothing less The first is manifest by these and other like instances Abigail is called the wife of Nabal 1 Sam. 30. 5. though Nabal was then dead and his wife maried to David Simon is still called the Leper Mat. 26. 6. though he was then clensed of his leprosie The king of Tyrus an heathen man that lived in Ezekiels dayes is sayd to have been in Eden the garden of God to have been upon the holy mountaine of God and to have walked in the middest of the stones of fyre Ezek. 28. 13. 14. meaning that he had been in Gods church on mount Sion among the people of God although not he himself but Huram his predecessor many yeres before in the dayes of David and Solomon was the man that became a proselyte in Israel and helped to build the Temple 2 Chron. 2. 3. 16. even as if a man should speak to the Bishop of Rome at this day and tell him what he was for a Bishop in th'Apostles dayes and how now he is degenerate and become the man of syn The mountaines of Horeb and Tabor where God once gave his Law and Christ was transfigured are after still called the mount of God and the Holy mount 1 King 19. â— 2 Pet. 1. 18. because they had been for the time sanctified by the presence of God And so the Temple in Ierusalem after the Iewes had crucified Christ refused the gospel were broken off because of unbeleef and the sacrificing and worshiping in that place was ended yet is it until the utter ruine of it by the Romans called the holy place Mat. 24. 15. Thus also the Citie become an harlot is called the faithfull Citie Esai 1. 21. the wicked that hath forsaken his righteousnes is named arighteous man Ezek. 18. 26. according to their former and not their present estate And when these titles are given them it is not to justifie them at all but to aggravate their syn So for the second that things are called according to the outward appearance and pretext set upon them though they be in deed false is evident by these and the like examples false Gods which are but idols are called gods usually so one Prophet calleth those the Philistians gods 1 Chron. 14. 12. which an other calleth their images 2 Sam. 5. 21. False prophets are called Prophets 1 King 22. 6. 22 and Balaam a Soothsayer among the heathens Jos. 13. 22. is called a Prophet 2 Pet. 2. 16. The evil spirit whom the witch of End or raised up for Saul is called in the scripture Samuel 1 Sam. 28. 11. 12 15. 16. 20. by reason wherof the Papists contend that it was Samuel in deed and not the Divil urging the letter as mine opposite doth urge against me this phrase of the Temple of God The idolatrous Temple which Ieroboam made in Israel in honour of the God which had brought them out of Egypt is called the house of their God Amâ—s 2. 8. yet that it was his true house or temple I never heard of any that would affirme though it was the true God whom they worshiped therin for Baal with his house was then destroyed out of Israel 2 King 1â— 27. 28. Now mine opposite hath given us a good rule in this his last book when answering the Anabaptists he sayth The word of God is not the bare letter or outward syllables but the intendement and meaning of the holy Ghost by whom it was given Which should carefully be observed by the due consideration of the scriptures with the circumstances therof and by the conference of other places of scripture and the proportion of fayth layd togither Which whiles the Anabaptists neglict they look on the scripture partially and press the letter extreamly without consideration of the true and right meaning therof These words of his are true the more it is to be lamented that he himself would so press the letter against me and not weigh the meaning of the same by it self and other scriptures and the proportion of fayth layd togither In alleaging this text he layeth downe the words thus There shal come an apostasie or falling away wheras the Apostle sayth except there come an apostasie or falling-away first which word first may intimate that the church should fall away from the love of the trueth before the man of syn should be revealed and this is apparant by the 10. verse where the people whom Antichrist seduceth are sayd to be them that perish because they received not the love of the trueth that they might be saved Or if the word first which mine opposite leaveth out be understood before Christs coming then is it meant of the apostasie or the falling away so called by an excellencie as exceeding all other And is not to be referred to Antichrist the head onely but to Antichristians the bodie also who after other synns should fall away with Antichrist and be damned with him as in the 11. verse it is sayd God shall send them strong delusion that they should beleeve a lye shat they all might be damned who beleeve not the trueth but had pleasure in unrighteousnes So that by the whole scope of this scripture it is evident the Apostle divideth not the people of the church of Rome from the Bishop and ministers of the same as if the people should be Gods true Temple Christs true Church under his covenant and so in the state of grace when the Bishops and ministers are the Divils Temple Antichrist the man of syn and so in the state of damnation but maketh both bishops and people deceivers and deceived all of them under wrath and condemnation otherweise then my opposite would perswade For he pleading thus The Apostle speaking of Antichrist describeth him thus There shal come an apostasie c would have men think that the Bishop and ministers of the church of Rome are the apostasie and the people not contrarie to all the scope of this scripture contrarie also to Paul in 1 Tim. 4 1. where he foretelleth of some that should apostate or depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of Divils meaning it of the people deceived by false teachers yea it is contrary also to mine opposites own graunt who
true change as in Phil. 3. 21. he sayth Christ shal transfigure our vile body that it may be conformed to his glorious body yet in the former place he useth the word but for a counterfeyt change And that the people which worship Antichrist as God are called the Temple of God for name shew and pretence I have before manifested Obj. He doth abuse the scripture c. as if Pauls words were not plaine to such as will understand that Antichrist exalteth himself above all that is called god so that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God and therfore is not the true God but the man of syn c. Answ. Some may think by Pauls words that Antichrist should openly profess himself to be God and above all Gods yet the Pope who is the head of Antichrist professeth himself to be the servant of the servants of God to be but the minister of Christ and Paul teacheth the same when he calleth his working the mystery or hidden secret of iniquity 2 Thes. 2. 7. Even so some may think by the Temple of God is meant the true church of God the people that in Christ are builded-togither for an habitation of God through the Spirit and that Christ dwelleth in their harts by â—aith Eph. 2. 21. 22. 3. 17 yet the Papists who are Antichristians doe beleeve that man of syn that exalteth himself above all that is called God to be a most holy man and Christian bishop they are of his saith worship and religion trusting in his pardons for remission of their synns c and therfore are no better Christians then he but children of perdition with him and are by Paul in the very same place counted among them that perish because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved therfore God hath sent them strong delusion that they should beleeve a lye that they all might be damned who beleeve not the trueth but have pleasure in unrighteousnes 2 Thes 2. 10. 11. 12. Who now except they be blinded with affection can think that Paul calleth such people the Temple of God otherweise then in respect of their profession of Christianitie and boasting that they are the onely good Christians when they are in deed the sworne servants of Antichrist and synagogue of Satan as Rev. 3. 9. Object Difference is to be put between the man of syn that sitteth between the temple wherin he sitteth he sitteth as God yet the temple wherin he sitteth is the Temple of God Answ. There is in deed such a difference as is between the pastor and the flock understanding by the Temple of God the church of Rome at this day such a difference as is between the seducer and the seduced both adjudged to destruction 2 Thes. 2. 10. 11. 12. Rev. 14. 9. 10. 11. Other differences if men feigne that the pastors or hierarchie are the man of syn sonns of perdition and the idolatrous people which be of one faith and religion with them are men of God and in his covenant of grace it is farr from the trueth Object See the like in the cases that fell out at Jerusalem and the Temple there when Baals idol of indignation was set at the entrie of the house of God Ezek. 8. 3. 5. and when Antiochus Epiphanes and his officers profaned the sanctuarie and citie of Jerusalem and set the image of Iupiter Olympius in the Temple and seat of God Dan. 11. 31. 36. who would not now put difference between the idols and persons aforesayd on the one hand and between the Temple and citie of God wherin they were set and which they polluted on the other Answ. The examples are farr unlike first Rome is not Ierusalem but Babylon Rev. 17. Secondly the Temple and holy things in Ierusalem being made of senseless stones and matter they could not be polluted with syn in themselves as the living stones of Christs house the people now may soon be and turned into a synagogue of Satan as the christian churches in the Apostles dayes are now long since turned to be Turks and Papists Doth not the Law plainly teach us this for in the yerely cleansing of the Sanctuarie it was because of the uncleannesses of the sonns of Jsrael and because of their trespasses in all their synns Levit. 16. 16. and for no uncleannes or syn in it self Thirdly the example of Antiochus is fit but wrong applied for he speaketh onely of Antiochus and his officers wheras both he his officers and his people the common souldjers were they that defiled the sanctuarie of God as it is sayd in the storie Antiochus went up against Jsrael Jerusalem with a great multitude and entred proudly into the Sanctuary c. 1 Maccab. 1. 20. 21. So in applying this he would have the Pope and his officers the hierarchie to be the man of syn as Antiochus and his officers the multitude of papists at Rome he wil not have to be as in deed they should be counted answerable to Antiochus soldjers but they must be the Temple of God answerable to the Temple of Ierusalem a most unjust resemblance For the Temple then was a mere patient and suffred that abuse at Antiochus hands so the thing answerable hereto should be if he would have made a fit comparison the Christians Gods true Temple which suffer for the truthes sake at the Antichristians hands such as are opposed to the worshipers of the beast and those that receive his mark of whom it is written Here is the patience of the saincts here are they that keep the coÌ„mandements of God and the faith of Jesus Revel 14. 9. 12. and againe I saw the soules of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the word of God and which had not worshiped the beast nor his image c Rev. 20. 4. And such I never doubted but they were the true Temple of God but I deny that the church of Rome at this day is such a people or such a Temple they are the marked soldjers of Antiochus the Pope and honour him as God in the temple of God their pretended christian church with high impietie Or at least they are like the Apostate Iewes which turned to Antiochus religion and became heathens with worse impietie 1 Maccab. 1. 13. 14. 15. 43. 52. Of this sort is his next allegation where to make his reader merry he likeneth me to the old man of Athens which would compell the Iewes to call their Temple by the name of Iupiter Olympius because Iupiters image was set up in it 2 Mac. 6. 1. 2 so I would have the church of Rome called Antichrists church c. I answer if the church the people of Rome were now mere patients amongst whom Antichrist cometh in by violence they not consenting unto him any more then Gods temple did to Iupiters image it should be foolishnes in me to call it Antichrists church Or to put the
their God and the Chaldee paraphrast as ancient as the Apostles age expoundeth the house of their idols they contradict not one another seing the same thing may be Gods in shew and the divils in deed and trueth for even Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of light 2 Cor. 11. 14. Obj. When the Apostle describeth the mysterie of Antichrists iniquitie would he teach the church that the place of his sitting is the Temple of God if he meant that it were in deed the synagogue of Satan and the temple of Antichrist For that Antichrist should sit in the temple of Antichrist and synagogue of Satan what mysterie is there in it All the world would easily perceive that these agreed very well and most fitly togither But for Antichrist to sit in Gods temple and Christs church this is in deed a mysterie Answ. The mysterie of iniquitie began in the true church but continued not therein alwayes for when it was discerned the church eyther cast it out or soon degenerated into a synagogue of Satan if it accepted Antichrist for God as the Church of Rome doth at this day Which I further manifest thus 1. The Apostle sayth As ye have heard that Antichrist shal come even now are there many Antichrists c. They went out from us but they were not of us for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us but they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us Who is a lyer but he that denyeth that Jesus is the Christ he is Antichrist that denyeth the Father and the Son Whosoever denyeth the Son the same hath not the Father 1. Joh. 2. 18. 19. 22. 23. This scripture teacheth us first that all hereticks departing from the faith of Christ are generally Antichrists though they reteyn the name of Christians still as did the hereticks in th'Apostles time 2. That such are gone out from the church and are in deed none of it though they pretend to be the true church as all hereticks have doen. 3. That both teachers and people departed from the faith and church of Christ are comprehended under the name of Antichrists and not the Bishops onely 4. That whosoever is Antichrist especially the great Antichrist he denyeth the Son Christ and consequently God the Father Now let us apply these things to the Bishop and hierarchie of Rome whome mine opposite granteth to be the great Antichrist If the Pope and his hierarchie be Antichrist then are they none of the Apostolik church but gone out of the same but they are Antichrist by my opposites owne confession Therfore they are none of th'Apostolik church The Pope and his hierarchie are both in and of the church of Rome the heads teachers and principall members of it of the same faith religion and worship but they are not in or of the Apostolik christian church as before is proved therfore the church of Rome is not an apostolik Christian church If the church of Rome denyeth both the Father and the Son then is it Antichrist as the Apostle sayth and so no true Christian church But the church of Rome denyeth both the Father and the Son therfore it is no true Christian church If the Pope his hierarchie deny both the Father and the Son then the church of Rome also denyeth them for they beleeve as the Pope and hierarchie beleeveth have one and the same religion with their preists But the Pope and his hierarchie deny both the Father and the Son otherweise they are not the Antichrist as mine opposite sayth they are therefore the Church of Rome also denyeth both the Father and the Son Now seing it is thus how is it possible that it should cōtinue the true Church of Christ otherweise then by lying pretext and ostentation And this is the mysterie of inquitie if men could comprehend it that the Bishops and people of Rome being at first Christs true church departed by degrees from the faith worship of God til they came joyntly to beleeve lyes and to worship creatures idols and divils Rev. ◠30. and became a Beast or Antichristian kingdome yet with two hornes like the Lamb Christ Rev. 13. blaspheming Gods Tabernacle them that dwel in heaven that is the true church they pretend themselves to be the onely true church of Christ and that all other are hereticks they pretend succession even from th Apostles dayes without change of religion and so they sit in the temple of God or for the Temple as if they none but they were the Temple and church of God the Pope being the head of this sinfull corporation of this Beast or kingdome and exalting himself above God Christ whiles yet he calleth himself Christs vicar and the Servant of the servants of God and by strong delusion keepeth his people in beleef of lyes that togither with him they all might be damned who beleeve not the trueth but have pleasure in unrighteousnes as the Apostle sayth 2. Thes. 2. 12. Now where he objecteth what mysterie is there in it that Antichrist should sit in the temple of Antichrist I answer it is a great mysterie in that it is doen by him and his under the name and shew of Christianitie and as the Apostle sayth after the working of Satan with all power and signes and lying wonders and with all deceivablenes of unrighteousnes 2. Thes. 9. 10. And where he further sayth but for Antichrist to sit in Christs church this is in deed a mysterie I answer it is in deed a contrarietie and impossibilitie not a mysterie for no man can serve two masters Mat. 6. 24. of whom a man is overcome of the same is he brought in bondage 2. Pet. 2. 19. to whom men yeild themselves servants to obey his servants they are to whom they obey Rom. 6. 16. Now the church of Rome yeilding unto and obeying Antichrist cannot be the servants of Christ if th' Apostles doctrine be true And after mine opposites manner of reasoning an other man might say seing Christianitie is the mystirie of godlines 1. Tim. 3. 16. as Antichristianitie is the mysterie of iniquitie 2. Thes. 2. 7. Christ must sit in the Temple of Satan as Antichrist sitteth in the temple of God for for Christ to sit in the Temple church of Christ what mysterie is there in it but for Christ to sit in Satans temple and Antichrists church this is in deed a mysterie Were not this think we good reasoning to put darknes for light and light for darknes Christ into Antichrists place and Antichrist into Christs for to finde out a mysterie But they that have their eyes opened to read the mysterie that is not onely in the Pope but on the forehead of the whore of Babylon his church will soon espie this fraud though others are bewitched with her painted face For as Satan can transforme himself into an Angel of light and his ministers
Jsrael had were also conditional blessings promised to the obedient and curses to the transgressors 2. That mans breaking of the covenant is alwayes by syn and so God never breaketh covenant But by punishing and putting from him the rebellious we may say God breaketh or disanulleth the covenant Whensoever a people by syn forsake God and refuse his word calling them to repentance they cannot have themselves neyther can other men have concerning them any assurance of their salvation or that they abide in the covenant of his grace For whosoever abideth in him he synneth not whosoever synneth hath not seen him neyther knowen him Be it man or woman or family or tribe which turne their hart from the Lord to serve other gods though they bless themselves in their harts c. the Lord wil not be mercifull unto them Deut. 29. 18. 19. 20. These things being plaine by the scriptures and by him yeilded with many other things which I wil not here repeate he though he could not contradict yet intimateth notable heresie against me Whether J doe not in some things speak so about the covenant as may establish the righteousnes of works in some respect Alwayes remembring that the covenant of God wherof we speak is this to Abraham J wil be a God to thee and to thy seed after thee and J wil be your God and ye shal be my people Gen. 17. 7. 22. 18. Hos. 2. 23. Zach. 13. 9. with Act. 2. 39. 3. 25. Rom. 9. 25. 26. Answ. As I from my hart abhorre that heresie of righteousnes by the works of the Law as that which maketh Christs death in vaine and abolisheth grace Gal. 2. 21. Rom. 11. 6. so I trust no equal reader wil gather any such doctrine frō my writings though this man without all proof insinuateth it more then once against me 2. In repeating the covenant he useth not plainnes I might say sinceritie For those words in Gen. 17. 7. are but one part of the covenant to weet on Gods behalf he should have expressed the stipulation foregoing in vers 1. 2. walke before me and be thou perfect and J wil make my covenant between me and thee and after in vers 9. Thou shalt keep my covenant therfore c. So the other scripture◠by him cited doe not so fully express the covenant on both parts as doth Heb. 8. 10. 11. 12. Where both forgivenes of synns to justification and writing of the Law in our harts to sanctification and obedience are shewed to be the covenant of Gods grace with men He taxeth me as for error and contradiction in seeking to perswade that God brake the covenant on his part with Jsrael when all the tribes were togither Animadvers p. 88 and yet after in the same page say that whiles Jsrael was one they continued Gods church Answ. Herein he wrongeth me as he too often useth and keepeth not my words or meaning neyther taketh away the reasons from the scripture which I there set down I spake not of The covenant in generall as he would give his reader to understand but of a covenant and a condition of the covenant And what I sayd I proved from Exod. 6. 4. 5. 8. J have stablished my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan c. Then God brought them to the borders of the counttie and sayd Loe the land is before you goe up and possess it Deut. 1. 20. 21. but they were afrayd and would not goe up through their unbeleef Then the Lord was presently wroth and swore that not one of those transgressors should see that good land neyther did they but dyed in the wildernes Deut. 2. 1. c. Heb. 3. 17 19. Againe I instanced a condition of the covenant on Gods part that he would cast out the Canaanites c and on Israels part that they should make no compact with the inhabitants But when they brake covenant and agreed with them for tribute the Lord also presently brake with them saying J sayd J wil never break my covenant with you but you have not obeyed my voice wherfore J say also J wil not cast them out before you c. Iudg. 2. 1. 2. 3. 20. 21 Now what sayth mine opposite to these things are they not so He neyther yeildeth to the trueth neyther could stand before it but shunning to meddle with my reasons turneth upon me who shewed them as the reader hath seen and in sted of a covenant and a condition of the covenant setteth down the covenant meaning the covenant of grace and salvation wheras notwithstanding the breaking of these covenants conditions and other the like the people by repentance held fast through faith the covenant of grace For Moses and Aaron and many other who for their synns could not come into the land of Canaan yet are in heaven through the covenant of grace And so though some conditions of the covenant were broken both on their part and on Gods yet they being brought to repentance continued his church That herein I neyther wrote error nor contradicted my self as he would perswade against me And these things that fell out in Israel on both parts touching these figurative promises doe teach us the like touching the spiritual promises of eternal life if men break concerning them as in repentance faith and holynes without which men perish and shall never see God Luke 13. 3. Act. 2. 38. Mar. 16. 16. Heb. 12. 14. He next findeth fault That J shuffle togither the estates of Jsrael when they were one body and when they were rent in two Also whilest Israel was in the land and presence of the Lord and when they were cast out of his house and presence Animadv p. 88. 89. 90. 91. Answ. The first is a wrong imputation as the reader may see in the place of my book by him cited I there blame him for not distinguishing their estate when they were one and when they were rent asunder And though I pass from one to an other as I was led by answering him yet confound I them not But here he dealeth as in the former point answereth not my reasons wherby I convinced him of misapplying his diverse respects contrary to the words and meaning of the scriptures and to avoyd if he could his deserved blame checketh me but disproveth not what I wrote Let the reader compare what we both have sayd For the second I confess I did not so distinctly handle the state of Israel whiles they were in the land and after when they were put out as I should and would have doen had I fore-seen his pressing of every leight thing against me The reason hereof was that it skilleth not for the point in controversie to weet their Circumcision whether we respect them before they were cast out or after for they were not circumcised the second time in eyther estate And this mine opposite himself sheweth
baptisme had in Rome we shall speak of it in due place Onely let it here be observed that this baptisme is there administred by such as are not of the body or Church by their own graunt but by ulcers gangrenes c. And Mr. Iunius himselfe answering Bellarmine so urgeth it saying of the Man of Syn the popish Hierarchie he is not properly of the Temple for the ulcer sayth he is not of the body though it be in the body So I straine not the similitude beyond the due proportion if Mr. Iunius his owne reasoning be good Object Of Himenaeus and Philetus it is sayd their word did eat as a gangrene 2. Tim. 2. 17. 18. would he then conclude that the baptisme ministred by them was not true baptisme c. Answ. First it is not sayd of the men but of their doctrine that their word fretted as a gangrene but Mr. Iunius maketh the very men ulcers and gangrenes in the body but not of it If the officers or members of a church teach heresie that doctrine is as a gangrene but the persons teaching them are truly officers or members of that church though synfull But in Rome the officers are ulcers not of the body in his account so his example is not fit Secondly if they were by the Apostle delivered to Satan as is probable by 1 Tim. 1. 20. then they and their folowers were no true Christian church but a synagogue of Satan to be reckned among the Antichrists 1 Joh. 2. 18. 19. and so could not administer true Christian baptisme to their disciples Obj. Where he againe denyeth any calling to be in the church of Rome and asketh How God doth call in that church let him ask it of such of his followers as have heretofore been of the Priests and members of that church c. Answ. He againe wrongeth me as too often saying that I deny any calling to be in that church it never entred into my hart I hold there is some calling in the churches of Turks and Iewes much more in false Christian churches I denyed that God is there calling as in his church which they plead for that is God hath not there his ordinary true ministers but Antichrists hierarchie doth call the people from God How be it by some whom God raiseth up of ministers or people his witnesses whom that church murdereth Rev. 11. 3. 7. and by reading the scriptures and other writings God calleth his people out of that Babylon Witness the late Archbishop Marcus Antonius de Dominis who testifieth that without persuasion counsel or advise of any man of what sort so ever he was by reading the scriptures and Fathers drawen to mislike and forsake that Roman church And thus among Turks Iewes heathens I doubt not but God calleth some from them by the light of his word and spirit Yea not onely in the church of Rome but by it and the ministerie of it God calleth his elect for as the Apostles doctrine in the true church was to the reprobates the savour of death unto death which yet is no condemnation of the true church or ministerie therof so some groundes of Christianitie doctrines in the false church by the false ministery erected to destroy mens soules with heresies and idolatrie God of his wisdom and goodnes causeth them to turne unto the conversion and salvation of his chosen which yet is no justification eyther of that church or ministerie Let this answer once suffice to all his repetitions And to Mr. Iunius on whom he so relyeth I could oppose Mr. Calvin man for man who sayth We see the horrible confusion that is in Poperie but yet there is not any doctrine to pluck men back to God nay rather the doctrine which is there doth draw them quite and clean from him And we see that the Divil hath gotten such sooting there that all is full of trumperie and illusions and the loving God is quite forsaken Sermon 31. on Deut 5. 7. Obj. What difference Mr. Junius observed between the ministerie simply considered and the hierarchie growen in that church upon it himself could best have shewed This here is evident that in one respect he acknowledgeth the hierarchie to be an order or estate of apostasie in the church an accident c. in an other respect he esteemeth the ministery of Gods holy things to be there though exceedingly corrupted Ans. By such differences and distinctions mine opposite would cary us from the trueth that I say not from common reason For he granteth the church it self the people to be exceedingly corrupted with most synfull and deep defection and apostasie yet in another respect to be the temple the people of God Now we have the like for the Bishops and Priests in one respect an order of apostasie in an other Gods ministerie Wherfore then have we been led about with distinctions of the ministerie or hierarchie from the church the one to be the Man of syn the son of perdition the other to be the Temple of God The plaine way should have been thus The Ministers and people of Rome are in one respect an apostatical church in an other a faithfull church in one respect the synagogue of Satan in an other the Temple of God But eyther my judgment faileth me or Mr. Iunius driveth at an other matter let men of understanding minde his writing Further I answer by like distinction we are to put difference between the Angels that synned or synfull men simply considered as Gods creatures and the poyson of syn which as an accident is growen upon them and this is true But shall that their being Gods creatures free them from damnation which that poyson that accident syn hath brought upon them No man of knowledge wil so say Even so the Man of syn the Pope hierarchie people of the church of Rome which are all in apostasie from the faith of Christ and service of God can not in that estate be judged heyres of salvation except God turne them againe to Christ for the scripture hath given sentence of their damnation 2 Thes. 2. 3. 10. 11. 12. Against their bare affirmations to prove Rome on Gods behalf altogether a church a company called of God with his calling by the spirit and the holy Scripture c. And that God calleth her with his calling by his spirit and word c. I objected the Apostles testimony God shal send them strong delusion that they should beleeve lies 2. Thess. 2. 11. and this is verified by the manifold heresies idolatries wherewith the whole body of that Church is poysoned And strong is the Lord God which wil condemne her Rev. 18. 8. and with the spirit of his mouth he wil consume that lawless one 2. Thess. 2. 8. Mine opposite replieth Might he not also thus conclude against Iudah in Apostasie that God did not cal that Church nor any in it or by any of them in that estate alleaging Ier. 5. 30. 31.
and people so doth the Antichristian of Antichrist his ministers and people This Beast hath seven heads and ten hornes Rev. 17. 3. the ten hornes are sayd to be ten Kings v. â—2 as in Dan. 7. 24. the ten hornes out of that kingdom are ten kings these kings are none of the hierarchy wherefore the whole body of this beast conteineth more then the Pope and his hierarchy The Lamb against whom the Beast with his hornes fighteth Rev. 17. 14. Mr. Iunius expoundeth to be Christ and his Church why may not we by like reason expound the Beast to bee Antichrist and his Church Finally the Beast sayth Mr. Iunius * himselfe is the Romane Empire made long agoe of civill Ecclesiastical the chief head whereof hee maketh the Pope to beâ— And the Beast of Rome sayth he of a civil Empire is made an ecclesiastical Hierarchie The Whore he expoundeth to be the spiritual Babylon which is Rome so then by mine opposites plea neither did Mr. Iunius say neither ever entred into his thought that the ecclesiastical Roman Empire since the Pope was head of it or the hierarchy was ever married unto Christ. As for the Whore the Church which rideth this Beast he calleth it the False-Christian Church over which Antichrist ruleth and Antichrists Church which title mine opposite will not beare at my hand and that Antichristian Church which the Angel biddeth cast out and measure it not in Rev. 11. 12. Mr. Iunius explaineth thus As if he should say it belongeth nothing to thee to judge those which are without 1. Cor. 5. 12. which be innumerable look unto those of the houshold onely or unto the house of the living God Notwithstanding all this Mr. Iohnson would needs measure it for the true Church House and Temple of God so well doe Mr. Iunius and he accord together To a testimony which I alleaged out of D. Fulk concerning the miserable blindnesse of people in Popery of which mine opposite sayth he might have been better aduised hee to requiâ—e me as he thinketh alleageth a speech of Mr. Broughtons who sayth Millions of millions of Romes clients are saved Brought on Rev. 13. 18. p. 203. Answ. Would he be content that Mr. Broughton should decide our controversie touching the Church of Rome Thus then sayth that author in the same book The Popes clients are the taile of the great Dragon Thence from Rome was the Rebellion to arise Man of syn Apollyon c. to set up or depose states and to have a people of his own frame and to burne the true Temple of God The Popes power driveth the Church not to be seen for certaine hundreds of yeares The Pope wresteth al that is spoken of the true Church into protection for his synagogue of Satan Rome passeth al the enemies of the Church in cruelty and idolatry Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezar were never so hardened The prophane Caesars did not so strictly hinder all use of Religion Rome hath farr passed the old Babel in idolatry The Pope followeth al heathen superstition in name staffe apparel of Caesars and Temples setting but a face of Christianity upon them All their doctrine is such that their Temples Masse and dayly profession in al things is from the unclean spirit and their whole policie is a lye The Beast which is ascended out of Abyssos that is al his eorporations millions of millions alpapists goe from their Abyssos of black ignorance unto Abyssos Luk. 8. whither the Divils shal come in their time to be tormented for ever ever These sundry the like coÌ„mendations doth the author alleaged give of the church of Rome which mine opposite pleadeth for and taking hold of a phrase wresteth it for his purpose from the mans meaning who seemeth not to speak of the popish church but of the ancient Christian for these are there Mr. Broughtons words And for Julius the captaine who was so careful for S. Paul that for his sake the liâ—e of the prisoners were spared Act. 27. God would not record this but to save millions of millions of Romes clients for S. Paul but for the unthankeful to S. Paul and forgers that Peter was at Rome who never came neere it he stil reserved Pilats holiness that Popes selfe-murder should be the reward Was not here a testimony well alleaged So in other places of his book he quoteth Mr. Brightman and others whose writings directly cross that which he pleadeth for in many things as they that read the authors may see and anone I will set downe their sayings No marvell then if hee wrest my words as where next he sayth that that which the Apostle speaketh of the Man of sin and of them that perish because they receive not the love of the truth c. 2. Thess. 2. 9. J apply for exclusion from pardon and certain condemnation to the whole Church of Rome and so to all the members thereof and that for all ages that either have been are or shal be ever since the Man of syn was seated there Answ. I sayd no more but thus God if it were granted that he is the husband of this whore hath promised her no pardon but delivered her to Satan to be seduced deluded damned 2. Thes. 2. 9. 11. 12. I speak not here of those in Rome that have withstood her whoordoms which have been many nor of those to whom at last God hath given repentance unto life which I hope are moe nor of other his elect but of the whore in generall whose damnation is shewed in Rev. 17. and 18. yea th'Apostle speaketh more particularly That they all might be damned who beleeve not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness Behold how hee sayth they all which some evill minded man might urge against the Apostle as mine opposite doth against me But wise men know that the promises of life to the true Church pertain not to the reprobates that are in it so the threatnings of death to the false Church take not hold on Gods elect which are therein Object Jf this harlot the Church of Rome was never Christs spouse otherwise then all the world was by our first parents Adam and Noe how then hath she broken the covenant of wedlock if she never were in it how can she be called a whore in respect of Christ any more then the heathens that never knew God in Christ How can she be sayd to be in Apostasie c. Answ. Of the state of the Gentiles I have spoken before and proved them to have been all in the covenant of grace in Christ from Gen. 9. 9. c. But they generally fell from God to idolatry which is whoredom and apostasie and were in time rejected of God who renewed his covenant with one small nation of the Iewes and yet saved his elect among the Gentiles also So the Christian Churches planted by the Apostles soon fell from
is not true baptisme I constantly affirme so did Mr. Iohnson himselfe whiles he stood in and wrote for the truth That the Papists have turned baptisme into an idoll I have also formerly proved and wil maintain against his answers That therefore it is detestable and cursed unto them through their abuse of it doth necessarily follow for the sacrifice of the wicked is an abominatiō to the Lord Pro. 15. 8. That it should be no better then the dayly washing of our face is wrongfully imputed to us and Mr. Cl. whom hee citeth in his margine professeth to hold no such thing For our dayly washing is no religious action nor sacrament at all but baptisme by hereticks and apostates is a religious action after their manner and a false sacrament therfore neither true neither yet none at all as our opposite with us once professed Apolog. p. 110. Insted of proving it true baptisme hee bringeth reasons to shew that if it were an idol and lying signe it ought to be renounced and an other received This he knoweth the Anabaptists doe practise so it is no conviction of them all But he bendeth his force now against us and leaveth them Let us try what he sayth 1. Because sayth he idols and lying signes and fictions are not of God but of the Divil who is a liar and father thereof Ioh. 8. 44. Rom. 3. 4. Answ. I grant that which he sayth but he concludeth not the question Idols so farr as they are idols and lies are wholly of the Divill and so farr forth to be renounced But some idols and lies are made of Gods true ordinances and of his good creatures as Paul sayth of the Gentiles that they changed the truth of God into a lye and worshiped and served the creature Rom. 1. 25. Here the Gentiles lie is to be doen away and their idolatry renounced but the truth of God is to be reteined and a holy use of the good creature may be had which they abused So wee have renounced the popish idolatry and lies which they have brought upon Gods sacraments but the truth we reteyne 2. An idol or such a baptisme as is no more then a dayly washing of our faces cannot be the signe and seale of Gods true and everlasting covenant c. Answ. I grant it and from his own words conclude against him Baptisme in the Church of Rome is formerly proved to be an idoll because they give to the creature and work of mans hands that honour which is due unto Christ onely Therefore it cannot bee a signe and seale of Gods everlasting covenant by his owne grant As for us we reteyne no idoll but Gods truth onely as before I shewed 3. The signe in a Sacrament is that which is outward and visible which in baptisme is washing with water in the name of the Lord. Jf this be a fiction and lying signe in the churches aforesayd then is it not the Lords and they there baptised have not then the outward visible signe which the Lord ordained to be had of his people and therefore are bound to get it unto them where it may be had Rom. 4. 11. 6. 3. 4. Act. 10. 47. 48. c. Answ. 1. The first part of his reason is unperfectly set down for washing with water is a signe of the washing away of sinns by and in Gods institution onely by which institution it is to bee ministred to none but the faithfull and their seed Act. 8. 36. 37. 2. 38. 39. If it be not ministred according to this ordinance of God it is not the signe of his grace in that abuse though it be the thing which God in the right use hath appoynted for a signe 2. Hee would deceive his reader as if we held washing should be with any other creature then water or in any other name then the Lords These things wee know are in themselves the true ordinances of Christ but by Antichrist turned to a lye whiles hee falsly applyeth them to his adulterous synagogue which Christ hath given to his Church onely and whiles hee idolatrously giveth that grace to the work of his sacrilegious priests which is peculiar to Christ and his bloud It is the true signe of the covenant of Christ which is by Antichrist turned to a lye and if we should devise to our selves any other signe we should be lyars like him who hath devised creame spittle and other like elements synfully joyned with his baptisme 4. That also is to be doen without delay seeing the neglect of baptisme is sin and no unbaptised may eat of the Lords Supper c. Answ. It is true and so we if we had not been baptised with water c. would doe it without delay But hee trifleth insisting upon the outward element which he knoweth we had and leaveth the main thing the relation to the covenant of grace which we had not in that Antichristian synagogue 5. Jf any reteine an idol baptisme c. and presume to come to the Lords table they eat judgement to themselves Answ. We reteyne no idoll baptisme but have put away the idoll and the lye and reteyne the truth onely as before is shewed The same we answer to his sixt reason which is but a repetition and inlargement of his former as is his manner 7. Neither can it be thought that repentance which still they speak of should ever make a lye to be a truth and idol to be Gods ordinance c. For though repentance findeth mercy with God for a lye yet a lye is a lye stil and an idol-vanity Zach. 10. 2. Ier. 10. 8. Ioh. 8. 44. 14. 6. 17. 17. with 2. Cor. 6. 14. 15. 16. Answ. It is true of such idols and lies as the Scriptures which he citeth speaketh of but there are other idols and lies which by men are made of God himselfe and of his word and ordinances which by Gods grace upon mens repentance and faith are restored to the first truth As the Gentiles changed the truth of God into a lye Rom. 1. 25. and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image Rom. 1. 23. and Israel changed God their glory into the similitude of an Oxe Psal. 106. 20. When they repented of their changing the truth into a lye they reteyned the truth still and kept that God whom before they ignorantly worshiped and of whom they had made an idoll to themselves Act. 17. 23. So for Gods ordinances as if the Israelites had made idols of Jachin and Boaz the two sacramentall pillars in the Temple 2. Chron. 3. 17. and had burnt incense to them as they did to the brazen Serpent 2. King 18. 4. they should have repented of and put away their idolatry but have reteyned those pillars still for such signes as God had ordeyned them But such pillars and posts as Israel had invented of their own heads and set them by the Lords posts Ezek. 43. 8. no repentance could make them
see the Lord Mark 16. 16. Heb. 12. 14. Rom. 11. 20. 21. 22. 23. Though these conditions even in men are the worke of God in them Heb. 8. 10. 12. Whosoever is born of God overcommeth the world synneth not but keepeth himselfe and the wicked one toucheth him not 1. Ioh. 5. 4. 18. And they that teach otherweise destroy the Gospel and open a gap to all profanenesse and licentiousnesse Jf God sayth he break the covenant on his part when men break it on theirs then should there stil be a new entring into the covenant again between God and man and a new baptisme dayly received againe as the signe and seale thereof Answ. God alwayes breaketh not the covenant on his part when men break it on theirs but calleth them often back unto repentance Psa. 89. 31 34. Exo. 32. 33. chapters But to some that are hardned and wil not repent he breaketh his covenant visibly casting them out of his church cutting them off Rom. 11. 20. 22. giving them a bil of divorce Jer. 3. 8. removeth the candlestick Rev. 2. 5. Otherweise if a man comming from Iudaisme or paganisme to the Christian faith and Church doe againe revolt from Christ to Iudaisme or paganisme and for obstinacie in his sin is cut off by the power of Christ from his Church he must still be reputed in the covenant of God visibly on Gods part which is most untrue seeing God on his part hath cut them off and given them a bill of divorce If any such returne the covenant must be renewed Hos. 2. 7. 19. 20. 2. Cor. 6. 17. 18. yet the seale of the covenant once given is not to be repeated as a Christian revolted to paganisme and cut off from the Church is not when hee returneth baptised againe Because though he was visibly cut off even of God for his syn yet by his returne it appeareth that hee still belonged to his election of grace which was to man invisible whiles he continued cut off Yea though he received the seale after a false manner when it was not due unto him yet when hee turneth to the Lord it is not repeated As the Israelites which were circumcised after they were divorced from God Ier. 3. 8. had no new circumcision in the flesh when they turned unto God Ezr. 6. 21. 6. If such were the baptisme of the Church in Rome c. then should it be likewise in the East Churches and in all Churches of the world when they fall into sin breaking the covenant c. Answ. I deny the comparison For Rome is revolted from Christ to Antichrist and fallen from grace by the Apostles rule Gal. 5. 4. and is become dead in syn Rev. 20. and is not the true Church of Christ but a Man of syn and whore of Babylon 2. Thes. 2. Rev. 17. which things are before proved Such is not the state of all Churches that syn and break the convenant till for their hardnes and contempt of God they be also cut off as Rome is which when they bee then have they no true sacraments any longer among them 7. If there baptisme were indeed a lying signe and fiction then would it follow that there should be no salvation for any members of those Churches reteining the baptisme there received For the signe hath reference to the covenant and thing signified and so a lying signe must have respect to a lying covenant And by a lying covenant there is no salvation to any c. Answ. The covenant which the Church of Rome hath made with Antichrist is a lying covenant and hath lying signes to confirme it and God hath sent them strong delusion to beleeve a lye that they all might be damned who beleeve not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnes 2. Thes. 2. 11. 12. Therefore by the covenant and seales of that Antichristian synagogue wee cannot say that any one by the promise of God shall be saved But by the covenant of grace which God communicateth with his elect in that and other false churches many are saved but that is not the covenant of the church Of which poynt I have spoken before in answer to his 2. Argument for the church of Rome His reasons are the same againe and againe repeated Here further note how by his argument the popish Masse may bee justified thus If the Lords Supper or Masse in Rome be an idol a lying signe and fiction then is there no salvation for the members of that Church reteyning the Masse For a lying signe must have respect to a lying covenant and by a lying covenant there is no salvation to any But the church of Rome by mine opposites plea is in the covenant of salvation which is the true covenant therefore it also hath the true signe and seale of that covenant in their Masse or Babylonish Supper For our Lords Supper is the true signe and seale of the forgivenesse of synns and covenant of grace Mat. 26. 26. 28. Luk. 22. 19. 20. If hee yeeld not this then hee must say that they have two covenants the one of life and salvation sealed to them by baptisme the other of death and damnation sealed unto them by the Masse or Supper So they shall goe both to heaven and hell by their double covenant 8. Finally sayth he the baptisme of those Churches is from heaven and not of men and is derived unto us from the Apostles of Christ through the loynes of the church of Rome c. Therefore is no idollor lying signe but the true sacrament and ordinance of the Lord Math. 21. 21. 28. 18. 19. with Rom. 6. 3. 4. Heb. 7. 9. 10. 2. Chron. 30. ch Answ. I deny this his conclusion it being but a begging of the question which he shoud have proved It is not their baptisme which is from heaven they are fallen from heaven and become a Beast or kingdom Ecclesiasticall arisen out of the earth Rev. 13. 11. they are gone out from the Apostolike Church and become Antichrists 1. Joh. 2. 18. 19. Mine opposite himself hath granted that the Pope and his Hierarchie are Antichrist the Man of syn the Beast never maried to Christ. Again he sayth in this his Chr. plea p. 3. Jn baptisme the action is wholly enjoyned layd upon the baptiser and not upon the baptised The baptizers in Rome are the Priests which be a part of the beast and Man of syn on them the whole action lyeth as he sayth Now is this baptisme from heaven Did God ever bid Antichrist baptise The whole action then of popish baptisme lyeth upon them that are confessed by him to be Antichrist yet this baptisme he wil have to be from heaven 2. They were not in the loyns of the primitive Christian Church either by nature or by grace otherweise then all nations in Moses time were in the loynes of the primitive Church in Noes time 3. We have not our baptisme frō them but from God who hath delivered us from
hee pleaded against the Pope and his Hierarchy that they they onely are the Man of syn the son of perdition the Beast the Antichrist and why wondred he so at me when I called for proofe that Christ was maried to that Beast seeing he hath the same baptisme the same Lords Supper the same beleef touching the Articles of faith that the people of his church have But their counterfeit profession of Christ is before discovered And they that baptize which are the Hierarchy he confesseth to be the Man of syn the Antichrist they are none of the church as we have heard but ulcers gangrenes c. what now have such to doe with the name of the Lord or administration of the seales of his covenant And compare with this that which himself sayth in the 3. page of his book that the action of baptisme is wholly enjoyned and layd upon the baptiser and not upon the baptised If this be so where hath God layd the action of baptizing upon Antichrist the Man of syn and if God hath not layd it upon him how can hee truely doe it in Gods name How will they prove sayth he that it is a lying signe unto them in their estate seeing baptisme as the other sacraments in Israel and under the Gospel hath this in it to be a signe by the ordinance of God not at the pleasure of man And God is the God of truth and appoynteth no lying signes but true Neither can mans iniquity make Gods signes to be lying signes Synful therfore and erroneous it is so to think if not also blasphemous so to speak Answ. And was it synfull and erroneous thinketh he in Paul when he sayd They changed the truth of God into a lye Rom. 1. 25. For if mans iniquity cannot change Gods signes into lying signes how should it change the truth of God into a lye And how could Ieremie have proved unto the Iewes if mine opposite had then lived to plead for them that those were lying words when they sayd The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord c. Ier. 7. 4. for had they not in deed the Temple of the Lord his true ordinance and signe whereof they spake The word of God is truth Ioh. 17. 17. How then should mans iniquity make Gods truth to be a lye unto themselues though they pervert the word unto all manner false-doctrine errour and heresie Idols are lies Esa. 44. 20. Ier. 16. 19. 20. How can the Pope make an idoll of the bread in the sacrament though he fall downe and worship it and beleeve it is his maker seeing as it is bread it is a true thing and Gods good creature as it is sacramentall bread it is a true signe by the ordinance of God who appoynteth no lying signes Is it not blasphemous now and would he not rend his clothes as did Caiaphas if he should heare one call the Popes sacrament of the altar an idol or a lying signe unto him in that estate But to conclude The sacraments are in deed signes by the ordinance of God not at mans will Gods ordinance maketh them signes of grace to the faithful receivers onely 1. Cor. 11. 20. 29. Rom. 2. 25 Act. 8. 36. 37. If infidels and Antichrists falsly challenge and usurp Gods signes and abuse them to open idolatry and their own perdition they change the truth of Gods ordinance into a lye unto themselves and whiles they vainly think to have forgivenesse of synns by them they add syn unto syn and receive their own damnation Whereas I had set downe two reasons to prove the Popish baptisme false and a lying signe unto them mine opposite passeth them over as too heavy for him and cometh to set downe differences between Gods ordinances and mens corruptions Gods signes and mens errours Mariage meates and drinks and the abuses of these the scriptures and the errors gathered from them the Sun Moon and Starrs as they are creatures and as they are made idols and worshiped of men c. Wherein he laboureth to prove the thing which we hold and doth most injuriously intimate against us as if we thought the contrary Should we be so wicked as to imagine the ordinances of God or his creatures to be evill in themselves Farr be it from us Nay we say that the papists for abusing the sacraments and turning them to lyes and idols shall have the greater judgement not for abusing bread and wine and water as they are creatures onely but for abusing them as they are sacramentall signes ordeyned of Christ which maketh their profanation more horrible their damnation more just But this is a practise of many that plead for errour to leave the arguments which doe convince them and to propone new questions and reasons of their owne that they may seeme to say something by multitude of words So when I shewed the example of the idolatrous Israelites that repenting and forsaking their false Synagogues lying signes in them usurped they needed not a new outward cutting or circumcising as is shewed at large in our former writings Discovery p. 116. 120. Apolog. p. 110. 113. He passeth over the reasons manifested in those books as if he had never seen them when as the one was most of it penned by himself And now he pleadeth Wheras they say that circumcision was also a lying signe and false sacrament to Jsrael in their defection how doe they prove it where doth the Scripture teach it will they have us take it on their bare word and beleeve that their saying are Oracles c. Answ. He might have seen reasons in the books before cited besides those that I have set down But thus in seeking to wound us he hath smitten through his own sides as if himselfe when he wrote those things in our Apologie would have had men beleeve his bare word and that his sayings were Oracles Whereas if ever hee wrote soundly in his life he did it in that Apologie as all men of good judgement may perceive Further now to answer him I say that I spake of their lying signes which implyed their Passover and sacrifices as well as their circumcision And those being so profaned as for them they were by Gods Law to bee cut off as murderers Levit. 17. as sacrificers to Divils not to God Deut. 32. 17. 2. Chron. 11. 15. 15. 3. were they then true signes unto them of Gods grace and fauour and forgivenesse of their synns in Christ The Scripture teacheth they could not be partakers of the Lords table and of the table of Divils 1. Cor. 10 21. In particular for their circumcision I proved it thus True circumcision was the seale of the righteousness of saith Rom. 4. 11. Jsrael in their apostasie were fallen from the faith Hos. 11. 12. they were without the true God without Priest to teach without Law 2. Chron. 15. 3. and how then could they have the true circumcision the seale of
sayth the use of gold and silver for idols is forbidden very wel and is not the use of water bread and wine for idols forbidden also The use of gold to make the images of Cherubims was commanded Exod. 25. 18. but if the Gentiles had made themselves golden Cherubims they had been idols and syn to them for God commanded them not So water bread and wine are commanded the Christian church in her sacraments but to the Antichristian church God commandeth not these til they repent turne to Christ then and not before may they use them for holy signes Psalm 50. 16. 17. Prov. 21. 27. 9. 13. 17. 18. In this his tenth errour or exception is also answered which is about the very same thing but that he delyteth in multiplication 11 Touching the relation which is the mayn thing in a sacrament that it should seale up unto them the forgivenes of synns and as they blasphemously say quite take away synns and conferr grace so it is a vaine idol and nothing But the Sacraments in their relation are not onely seals but signes also Gen. 17. 11. Rom. 4. 11. c. Now by their assertion the baptisme aforesayd sheweth nothing at all to the mind and so is a vaine idol and nothing and that which it sheweth to the eye is but as the gold and silver of the heathens idols which if it were true then in deed there should be nothing of Gods ordinance nothing of a true sacrament c. And can they then blame the Anabaptists c. Answ. That there is no true relation in the popish baptisme is sufficiently proved the persons being Antichristians out of the covenant and without promise in that estate That they have the true material things of washing with water in the name of the Father c I have alwayes granted though these materials are abused by them to idolatrie as the Iewes abused their sheep and bullocks to abominable sacrifices That of the gentiles silver and gold is true also touching the matter which is Gods good creature further comparison I made not though he corrupted my words Object Whether think they that the baptisme received in the truest Churches doe seal up to hypocrites the forgivenes of their synns If they think not whether they wil say that the baptisme of those churches hath not the relation which is the mayn thing in a Sacrament Jt is generally held that Simon Magus who was baptised by Philip was an hypocrite and that his baptisme did not seal up unto him the forgivenes of his synns wil they therfore say that the baptisme ministred by the Euangelists had not the relation c Besides that thus the relation of the sacramentes should depend wholly upon man and not upon the Lord or his ordinance at all Answ. To passe over his forme of writing how he asketh questions when he should prove or convince I answer his question is from the matter in hand and so is deceitfull We speak of the outward visible church of Christ and ordinances belonging therto also of the visible Antichristian church and ordinances there abused He leaveth this and runneth to hypocrites which men can not discerne and whom therfore we must leave unto God among other secrets Deut. 29. 29. To reason from the one of thâ—se to the other would bring all confusion for hypocrites are lawfully admitted into the Church as was Iudas Simon Magus and many other if upon this ground open Antichristians idolaters unbeleevers may be admitted also then the church and the world shal be one confused Babel To his question I answer baptisme in true Churches administred as th' Apostles and Euangelists did â—ealeth up to all the forgivenes of their synns unto the judgment of man and they should greatly syn and profane Gods ordinance to baptise any other Simon Magus when he was baptised it is testified that he beleeved Act. 8. 13. so by the ordinance of Christ he was to be baptised Mat. 28. 19. neyther knew they him to be an hypocrite when he was baptised til afterward Thus are we bound by the rule of love to beleeve that all rightly baptised in the Christian church have the seale of forgivenes of synns and are buryed with Christ by baptisme and that by one spirit we are all baptised into one body Rom. 6. 3. 4. 1 Cor. 12. 13. And so mine opposite beleeving the church of Rome to be Christs true church and to have his true baptisme was bound also to beleeve them all to be of one body and one spirit with himself til they manifest to him the contrary which seing they have not doen by all their idolatries heresies impieties it is not to be thought that ever people which wil call themselves Christians could doe it As for us we know the covenant of Christ is not with Antichrist or his whoreish church though therin God hath many elect but we know that his covenant is with the true Christian church and all the members of it although therin be many hypocrites and reprobates both which are manifested in time by their fruits We walk by the rules reveiled to us of God secret things are not for us to judge of until they be manifested Where he concludeth that thus the relation of the sacraments should depend wholly upon man and not upon the Lord at all it is a calumniation without all colour of proof The relation is by mutual consent the Lord offring his son Christ for salvation to all repentant beleeving synners we by grace having obteyned faith doe therby apprehend Christ for our saviour as in the word so in the sacraments His next demaund about our selves and our baptisme had in Rome is a thing againe and agayn answered without running into Anabaptistrie whither he would so sayn drive us 12. These men erre not a litle when they say that popish baptisme hath not the relation of a sacrament to them but is a vaine idol and nothing because they say of it that it quite taketh away synns Shall mens erroneous sayings and opinions make a nullity of Gods ordinances signes and seales Can not God be true though they be lyars c. Answ. Here is an other repetition of that which he forealleged in his 6. reason or errour which I there refuted Mens erroneous sayings opinions and doings doe disanull to themselves all Gods promises signes and seals which are onely conditionall if men repent beleeve and obey which grace God giveth to all that are Christs And if men beleeve not nor obey and so be damned their damnation impeacheth not Gods truth at all but confirmeth it for he hath sayd of such that they shal be damned Mar. 16. 16. Joh. 3. 36. Obj. Besides the relation in a sacrament there is also to be regarded the commandment of God who hath appointed it to be observed in the church As Christ who was without syn c yet in obedience to the Law was circumcised and baptised c. Therfore it
should be syn in the church of Rome if they should reject baptisme and not keep it Which doth plainly evince that it is not a vaine idol and nothing for then it were not syn but their dutie to cast it away and not to keep it at all but that it is the Lords ordinance c. Answ. The first is true for without the word and commandment of God it could be no seale of his covenant or have any relation at all therto The second is a deceytful reason concluding from the holy commandment of God to the unholy keeping of it in Rome It should be syn in them to reject baptisme the Lords supper professedly it is syn in them to keep them as they doe profanely It were better for a man never to be baptised or eat the Lords supper all his life then to communicate with the church of Rome in eyther of these as they profane them for we may not doe evil that good may come therof Rom. 3. 8. So his plaine eviction that it is not a vaine idol in their abuse of it is but a plaine fallacie let him apply it to the other Sacrament and it wil appear Antichrist hath transformed the Lords supper into an abominable massing sacrifice and therin worshipeth a wafer cake for his maker and redemer this he durst not deny to be a notorious idol But his reason if it be good wil prove it no idol thus It should be syn in the church of Rome if they should reject the Lords supper and not keep it Which doth plainly evince that the Lords supper in Rome though changed by them into a wicked Mass is not an idol for then it were not syn but their duty to reject it The refutation herof is this Rome and all nations syn that doe not beleeve aright in Christ and keep all his ordinances The more that they openly renounce Christ or any of his ordinances the more they shal adde unto their syn Yet in that they keep them not aright but have changed the truth of God into a lye and his holy ordinances into idols they are also great synners for which if God give them not repentance they are under wrath and damnation 2 Thes. 2. 10. 11. 12. Of this point I have spoken before in answer to his 6. reason for the church of Rome His 13. and last errour is but a repetition of former matters about the brazen serpent Gods ordinances and creatures considered in themselves c to which I have before answered shewing that it helpeth the Papists no more to clear them of idolatry herein then the heathens of old who made idols of creatures and ordinances which in their own nature and first institution were good and holy And hitherto of his errours wrongfully imputed unto us To these by his figure of repetition and multiplication he hath added from the former grounds Contradictions Abuse of scriptures Uaine distinctions and Anabaptistical assertions all which being but the same things turned and repeated and by me before cleared I count it needless labour to make the same answers againe to his empty calumniations Of Circumcision in Israel THe reason why we repeat not the outward work of baptising with water againe such as have been baptised in false churches is the example of the Israelites who after their falling from God and from the Church and after the Lord had given them the bill of divorce when they repented and turned to the Lord were admitted to the Passover without any new cutting or circumcising in the flesh 2 Chron. 30. Ezr. 6. And because I denyed them in such estate to have true circumcision which is the signe and seale of the righteousnes of faith Rom. 4. 11. mine opposite as his manner is chargeth me with very erronious and ungodly assertions and maketh a longsome discourse of the state of Israel and of words and phrases used concerning them And unto ten lines of mine in Animadv pag. 70. he giveth an answer of above 30. pages in his Christian plea pag. 65. to pag. 96. to blinde his reader with many words I wil briefly shew the insufficiencie of his answers And first that Israel after they departed from the Lord his Temple altars sacrificers and church and made new Temples altars sacrificers signes and a new church of their own divising that Israel I say from that time was not a true church I have before shewed my reasons in handling the state of the church of Rome Mine opposites first colourable reason is from such scriptures as stil name them the Lords people and the Lord to be their God and to remember the covenant of their fathers Abraham c 2 King 9. 6. c. and 13. 22. 23. Answ. I have heretofore answered that this Argument They are called the Lords people therfore they are his true church is not to be granted For 1. Things are named in scripture sometimes as they have been before though they be not so still as Abigail is called the wife of Nabal though he were then dead and she maried to David 1 Sam. 30. 5. Solomon was begotten of Uriahs wife wheras she was then Davids Mat. 1. 6. Jesus was in the house of Simon the Leper Mat. 26. 6. so named because he had been a Leper c. 2. They were so called in respect of their profession that they would be so estemed and named though in deed they were without the true God 2 Chron. 15. 3. as O thou that art named the house of Jakob c. Mic. 2. 7. 8. Thirdly in respect of their calling unto him and his covenant afterward though for the present they were none of his as Jn that day J wil marie thee Jsrael unto me for ever c. Hos. 2. 18. 19. 20. 23. Thus the Gentiles were called Christs sheep because they should after be brought into his fold Ioh. 10. 16. and God had much people in Corinth an heathenish citie Act. 18. 10. 1 Cor. 12. 2. And the Jewes to this day are Gods people and beloved not for their present state which is cursed but for the promise that they shal hereafter be graffed againe into Christ Rom. 11. 11. 20. 23. 25. 26. 9. 4. with Esa. 59. 20. 21. Ezek. 34. 23. 30. Hos. 3. 5. Fourthly in comparison with the Philistines and other heathens they were called the people of the Lord because they never renounced their God in name and professedly but pretended the contrary Fiftly that God did not presently cast them off in respect of calling them to repentance and of their dwelling in the land or as the scripture sayth in 2 King 14. 27. of putting out the name of Israel from under heaven For his covenant was to punish them by degrees Levit. 26. 16. 18. 21. 24. 28. 33. and at last if they repented not to scatter them among the heathens til their uncircumcised harts should be humbled and they rued their former syn and then
Elias prayer against Israel and Gods answer J have reserved to my self 7000. men who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal Even so then sayth he at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace c. By this we are taught 1. That if a few or any one of a people be reserved of God though the multitude be cast away yet it cannot be sayd absolutely that God hath cast away his people And this may lead us to understand why God called Israel his people in their apostasie because some he kept from falling into it some he brought out of it by repentance 2. That those are in deed Gods people whom he foreknew the rest are cast off Now those which are foreknowen of God are described thus that he also did predestinate them to be conformed to the image of his sont them he also called them he also justified them he also glorified Rom. 8. 2◠〈◊〉 Thus are we led to judge who are Gods people when we see their calling justifying and gloryfying that is their sanctification â— Cor. 3â— â—8 by which iâ— charitie we are to judge of their predestination and estate in grace 3. That as the remnant of the Iewes which imbraced the gospel were the election of grace that is the people whom in charitie we should judge to be elected of God according to his grace and the others are blinded hardned cast off til God give them repentance so in Israel they that kept themselves from the coÌ„mon idolatrie of Baal inwardly and outwardly and reteyned the true service of God were his election of grace and to be judged his true people the others that synned in Baal were dead til God gave them repentance unto life Thus the Apostles exposition and application of those 7000. in Israel may help us to judge of their estate aright And not because circumcision was unto them the seale of grace and of forgivenes of synns to conclude that therfore it was likeweise to them that served Baal for so we should prostitute Gods grace and the seals therof to such as God condemneth and rejecteth Fiftly he instanceth the worship of Baal by Iudah Ier. 7. Judg. 2. c. Wherto I answer as before that Iudah in her constitution remayned a true church though corrupted Israel being a false church as hath been manifested Neyther was the defection universall and open as in Israel As for such in Iudah as so fell from God and would not be brought to repentance the Prophet telleth them they trusted in lying words when they sayd The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord c. Ier. 7. 4. 8. the Lord threatneth to cast them out of his sight and forbad his Prophet to pray for them Jer. 7. 15. 16. So their circumcision became unto them uncircumcision Rom. 2. 25. To this he objecteth Though mans idolatrie c may make Gods sacraments improfitable to himself yet can they not make them lying and deceitfull signes but that in the Lords ordinance they are unto all and therfore also unto them his true signes and faithfull seals on his part of forgivenes of synns and life eternal For shall the infidelitie of man turne the truth of God into a lye God forbid Answ. I have before answered that all Gods ordinances are in them selves and on his part holy faithfull and true They are true seals of forgivenes of synns but to such as are worthy partakers of them in faith otherweise they seale judgment unto men 1 Cor. 11. 27. 28 29. And it is not his ordinance that open and obstinate idolaters and wicked men should administer or receive them Ezek. 44. 9. Numb 15. 30. 31. Levit. 7. 20. Psalm 〈◊〉 1â— 17. That men may turne the truth of God into a lye the Apostle plainly teacheth Rom. 1. 25. so may they the truth of his ordinances into lyes But the truth of God as it is in himself or his faithfulnes is unchangeable if men beleeve not or sanctifie him not they perish by the judgment of God which is according to trueth and his faithfulnes suffreth him not to save such unless he make them first new creatures and beleevers Joh. 3. 36. 1. Joh. 5. 10. 12. Sixtly he expoundeth Israels death in Hos. 13. 1. to be by the exposition of sundry writers not death in syn but slayn for their synns or their estate overthrowen or neer utter destruction c. Answ. Both may be true that first they were dead in syn and after destroyed civilly for their syn Gods judgmeÌ„ts are according to mens deserts he destroyed not the Amorites Egyptians and other nations til their iniquitie was full Gen. 15. 16. Wherfore to condemne the exposition which I gave because an other consequent folowed upon it as the ruine of Achabs house or the like is no fitme argument And to his many expositors whom he citeth I oppose one greater then all even th'Apostle in Rom. 11. before spoken of who sheweth the election of grace to be in the 7000 that worshiped not Baal and not in the multitude of the Baalists And if they were not of the election of grace then were they dead in syn though he and many say the contrary Finally he alleageth the sayings of the Prophet before and after The Lord found Iakob in Bethel and there he spake with us c Therfore turne thou to thy God c. Hos. 12. 4. 5. 6. 9. And yet am J the Lord thy God from the land of Egypt and thou shalt know no God but me I did know thee in the wildernes c. Hose 13. 4. 5. Answ. I have before shewed that the prophets speak to Israel as a corporation or body which after a sort continueth one and the same through many generations when yet as touching their particular persons or generations they are different contrary as godly fathers in the state of grace and life may beget wicked children without grace and in state of death Ezek. 18. 9. 10. 13. 14. 17. 18. c. So the King of Tyre had been in Eden the garden of God a proselyte in the Church Ezek. 28. 13. not that heathen king then living but his predecessor Huram long before 1. King 5. So Paul speaketh of the Iewes cast away of God as the same people till their last calling Rom. 11. And I doubt not but a man preaching to convert them at this day might apply unto them the like sayings I am the Lord thy God from the land of Egypt thou shalt know no God but me J led thee in the wildernes c. But alwayes in such general phrases the promises of grace belong onely to such as beleeve and turne to the Lord the others that remaine hardned shall perish And hitherto of his exceptions against the scriptures which I cited although as I shewed if they had continued Gods true church in the land yet wheÌ„ they were for obstinacie in their synns cast