are reserved in chaines of darknesse to the blacknesse of the darknesse of that day He that beleeveth shall be saved but he that beleeveth not he shall be damned 3. The true Gospel laies the maine cause of our salvation next to the work of God the father on the obedience on righteousnesse Rem 1.17 Rom. 3.25 Rom. 5. Es 53. Heb. 10. on the sufferings on the death on the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ his soule presented unto God as an offering a sacrifice a propitiation for our sinnes making satisfaction to divine justice bearing the wrath of God which was due unto us for our sinnes He was made sinne for us 2 Cor. 5. ult though he knew no sinne our sinne was imputed unto him that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him that his Righteousnesse might be Imputed unto us for our Righteousnesse Rom. 9.6 thus the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation as it reveales this righteousnesse of Christ imputed to us from faith to faith the gospel places the maine cause of our salvation not in any thing within us but without us not as righteousnesse though wrought in us by the power of God but a righteousnesse without us in the person of the Sonne of God Rom. 5. that was made flesh and dwelt among us There is no other saving name but this you are saved by the merits alone of that pretious blood Acts 20. that very corporal blood of the man crucified at Jerusalem as ye call him 1 Pet. 1.17 4. Rom. 3.25 Mark 16.16 That 's the true gospel which holds out the true application of these merits of Christ unto us in beleeving by faith which holds out the true faith as carrying in it these few particulars 1. True gospel faith saving faith hath this for its generall argument it sets its seale to all Scripture truth 1 Ino 4.2.3 Ino 1.1 à free and a powerfull assent to the whole doctrine of the gospel particularly that the man at Jerusalem as they call him was and is the Sonne of God God blessed for ever 2. That he is true man God-man Immanuell Es 7. Mat. 1. these two natures meet in one person one told me not long since that he that had two natures in one person was Antichrist 3. That he is our Mediator sufficient 1 Tim. 2.5 only mediator surety betweene God and us 4. That he lived died rose againe ascended Sits in glory shall visibly come againe judge the World and whatever else the Scripture speaks of him 5. Heb. 10. That his death was à sacrifice for sin That it is his imputative righteousnesse by which we are justified on the account of which our sins are pardoned our soules accepted saved c. 6. Ino 6. 1 Cor. 15. That there is a life a salvation to corne a judgement a resurrection of the body I know not how any man can be saved that denies any of these I am sure he that professedly blasphemes any one of all these so living and so dying he shall not he that beleeveth not shall be damned Mar. 16.16 Take heed bow ye depart from the faith least ye depart from salvation with it If you be saved by Christs righteousnes mediation you must beleeve all these truths and more 2. Rom. 3.25 True gospel faith carries the soule of it selfe and from of any thing else and applies it by a clinging and a cleaving of the soule unto Christ above fo Salvation It casts the soule upon that person hi offices his righteousnesse the merits o◠his death and sufferings and there expects Salvation and no where else like a shipwrackt creature that catches at a planke and on that layes hold to come to shore Not one falne soule shall come alive to shore that ever heard of Christ and the Gospell but this way Faith casts the soule on Christ the sonne of God the sonne of Mary and if there be no salvation in this crucified Christ 't will be content to perish in those floods of guilt and flames of wrath to all eternity 1 Cor. 2.2 it knowes no other it will have none else Christ and none but Christ for me 3. Rom. 6. That 's the true faith which purifies the heart and transformes the soule into the likenesse of this death of Christ to dye to sin to live to righteousnesse there is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.1 and they are such as walke not after the flesh but after the spirit as have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Faith derives a power from the death of Christ to kill us to sinne and sin to us there is the likenesse of his death brought home unto us and wrought within us but this is not as Familists would have that death of Christ by which we are saved and have our sinnes pardoned our persons justified this is the consequent the fruit of that Such Gospel and such faith as leads unto Licentiousnesse that is a false Gospel an accursed Gospel and such Preachers are cursed Preachers so living and so dying Heb. 12. ye shall never see God without holinesse no man shall see the Lord. You see the true Gospell you may hereby know the false they that deny that deny that Christ his righteousnesse reproach his blood his death that deny those Gospell truths they that preach not this faith take this from me but not from me take it from God himselfe their Gosples they are false accursed Gospells and such preachers they are false and cursed Preachers they are so to God they should be so to you and that 's the next poynt with which I end Other Gospels and Gospel-pretending-preachers besides the true the old the everlasting they are accursed Gospels accursed gospel perverters God so lookes upon them and so should all good men An accursed thing what 's that It 's a thing most abominable detestable to be abhorred by all that come a neare it like the accursed things that were under the law accursed Deut. 2.26 2. An accursed thing such as these gospels is such as render every person thing it touches or comes neere unto accursed Josh 6.18 you know what it was with Achan the accursed thing rendred him accursed and some of this fell upon the whole campe and accursed gospel is the plague of the person that preaches it that heares it to entertaines it the plague of the place to which it comes and where such like are unlesse detested abhorred look't upon both as to their persons and doctrines as accursed by all that know them O what a curse goes with false gospel what delusions Rom. 1. 2 Thes 2.11 what a reprobate minde what horrid wickednesses bring they with them leave once Christ his truth and gospel and entertaine a legion of uncleane Divels nay more even the best of such if there be any that belong to God as some there be what
I said before so say I now againe if any man Preach any other Gospel unto you then that which you have received let him be accursed THe words are the Apostles censure past on all false Gospels and such Gospel preachers 't is short but sharpe they are and let them be accursed As for the occasion of the words and the Epistle you may understand Galatia was a newly planted-Church the light of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ had lately broken in upon them in purity and with power the Apostles had so Preach'd it these Galatians had so received it It seemes it fell out with them as with most other Churches not onely in ours but the Apostles times where ever God had yet his Church there the Divell would have his Chappell Hee 'le have his Gospel and his Preachers too though both accursed There were some troublers perverters of this glorious Gospel of Christ crept in among them and as it seemed overthrew the faith of some I marvaile that you are so soon removed c. from him that called you into the Grace of Christ. to be removed from the sound profession of the Gospel which is the doctrine of the free and rich grace of God saving sinners by a Christ his righteousnesse his death v. 6. his blood his sacrifice is to be removed from God-Salvation-Grace to another Gospel any other doctrine of salvation beside that by the grace of Christ is another Gospel farre different from and directly contrary to that Gospel which God revealed and declared which is not another though the Divel and false Apostles may conspire to frame and devise another Gospel then the true Gospel revealing Salvation by the grace of Christ yet 't is no true Gospel there is but one Gospel there is not another Gospel beside that one which is indeed a Gospel brings glad tidings of salvation there 's not another Gospel to us there is but one God one salvation one Mediator one Faith one Gospel against such Gospels and Gospellers the Apostle opposes these two or three verses which I have read He tels them their troublers were the Perverters of the Gospell nay more then so these Perverters and their Doctrines were both accursed and so to be accounted by them whatever they might pretend themselves or theirs to be Might the Apostle say be sure there is no other Gospell no more to be revealed for Gospel truth â—hen what we have made known unto â—ou and what you have already receiâ—ed and entertained Talke not of new â—ight Revelations New-teachings this or that though we our selves or an Angel from heaven could you be infallibly perswaded he came from the throne of Glory c. yet beleeve him not there are no new Editions to be expected of the true Gospel No more additions or alterations to be past upon it Christ hath sealed it up with his own blood and revealed unto us fully clearly by his infallible and unerring spirit So we have Preached it so you have Received it I tell you there is no other Gospel though we or an Angel from heaven should Preach't c. Thus for the occasion and scope of this Text. I shall be very plain and briefe in what shall follow For observations take these 1. Obs Obs 1 It 's no new no strange thing to heare of new Gospels true Cospel perverters false Gospel-Preachers You shall heare of such in the purest Churches the Primitive Churches Churches planted even by the Apostles themselves Gos Pist Rom. 1. Cor. 15 John mett with such as denyed the Divinity of the Sonne of God Paul such as denyed the Imputative Righteousnes of Jesus Christ the Resnrrection of the Dead Some there were that told them the Resurrection was past already of whom was Hymaneus and Philetus 2. Tim. 2.16.17 c. It cannot be more strange now in our daies on whom the very ends of the world are come Our blessed Saviour for 1600 yeares agoe foretold us this read through the 24th Chap. of Matthew and there you 'le see that even in these dais there are to be false Christs false Prophets shall shew great signes and wonders and if it were possible deceive the very Elect they shall say loe here is Christ and loe there is Christ but beleeve them not take heed that no man deceive you Here 's a Prophecy of false Teachers even the grossest in these latter Ages of the World note first their Doctrine they hold new Christs and many Christs severall Christs loe here and loe there a Christ even as many Christs as men Secondly their growth their ptogresse to deceive even the very Elect. The Temptation it seemes must fal hard even upon the Elect of God not the grosser part only of the world but even the very Elect should be quite were it not Impossible to be deceived by them Such as belong to Election given to Christ taken into an everlasting Covenant with God it may go hard with them but because of their Election they shall not be finally deceived Thirdly Their power signes and wonders but for lying wonders we have enough of those Fourthly Take this Caution think not this strange when it comes to passe see I have told you be not deceived there will be if Christ be true false Christs and false Prophets and shall deceive and utterly deceive many though the Elect shall stand So you have in 2. Pet. 2. throughout and in the Epistle of Jude there shall be false Teachers even denying the Lord that bought them Damnable Heresie they bring upon themselves swift destruction read the Chapter and the 3. verse of Jude ungodly men denying the only Lord God and even our Lord Jesus Christ turning the grace of God into Lasciviousnesse as some of these say let us sin that grace may abound even as Sodom and Gomorrah and the Cities about them in like manner giving themselves over to Fornication and going after strange Flesh filthy Dreamers note that I have heard enough of them defile the flesh despise Dominion speak evill of Dignities c. these are spotts c. woe unto them Think it not strange if you meet with such now the Scripture is true they make it good you are forewarned their Gospel are cursed Gospels but of this anon 2. Obs Obs 2 From the Apostles Practise and his undertaking note this That it is the work of the Ministry of the true and everlasting Gospel of God in Christ as to Preach this Gospel to every Creature to take all opportunities for this and to lay out themselves in this so to defend this Gospel and to take all opportunities and to lay out their strength and to bestir themselves with might and maine in maintaining this true and opposing all false Gospels and perverters of the true You shall find this was the work of the true Prophets against the false the true Apostles against the false Apostles The Apostles themselves had as much to doe in preserving Churches as in
Christ within is to Crucifie that Christ without to crucifie him as to your faith your love your delight your joy it will not be long ere yee heare of him That he was the Type and but the Type of this within God never intended that you should besaved by the corporeall blood of a man that 's a fleshly Christ we know him So no more abusing that Scripture where Paul Preaches the spirituall strength of the flesh and blood the naturall death of Christ in order to our Reconciliation we know not Christ 't is true barely as in the flesh but with spirituall consideration that blood as the price of our redemption that 's the mystery Christ only dying that's but the History on this farwell Christ farwell righteousnes farwell too I say salvation and what becomes of love and meeknesse Antichrist The Antichrist the mystery of Iniquity is the best notion they can fasten on the Choicest Saynts wayes of holynes I have had the experience of these therefore let the world know themselves know I doe not wrong them 9. Take this note likewise there be severall sorts of Familists the divell is cunning hee draws them on by steps and secondly Gods more gratious they would follow faster but because they are his election hee will not so farre leave them I have heard of severall sorts of divels some white some black some of stronger parts others more base and servile and beetle-headed See Burton melanch it may be so there are as many sorts of Familist 10. These severall sorts they have their severall streynes the Lascivious Familist hee turns all that way the speculative the Scepticall Familist he strikes another way will goe as farre as hell in principle though not in practise He say this for all they all dance the divels dirge 1. hee loves variety there were no pleasure for him else his sport might bee sooner spoyl'd 11. Their Common principle is this though some will say it others Conceale it they beleeve it God is All and All is God but whether am I gone let me now resolve the question I hope if this may bee counted a digression yet not from my main designe defence of truth discovery of Enemies It may bee of much use if well read and weighed I have many more but they may serve for another purpose to the question Quest How Christ was Crucified at Ierusalem and at Sodom and Egypt Sol. 1. I say Christ was literally Crucified at Jerusalem I think none question this and therefore it needs no explanation Christ Jesus did literally hang there without the Citie upon the Crosse as a Sacrifice for our sins 2. I say too that Christ was Crucified at Sodom and Egypt but How these places literally are farre asunder but heark a little and you shall find them in a safe Scripture sense so neare together that I think 't will bee beyond mans skill to put them once againe asunder The Scripture in Rev. 11. v. 8. holds out the slaying of the witnesses I pray of whom speaks the Scripture Rev. 11.8 when it speaks of these are they not the Martyrs that have testified to Jesus under Romes cruelty well What 's that City that great City in one street whereof these latter witnesses are slayne For shame let none but a popeling say it is not Rome but 't is well known Papists and Familists can both agree to mangle Scripture and kill the witnesses Well and what doe ye think is meant of Rome and the Citty is it only the space of ground within Romes walls or else the territories belonging to it I need speak no more 1. 'T is well known the Scripture speaks of Rome 2. For its spirituall a dultery and cruelty 'T is well known how fitly called Sodome and Aegypt 3. 'T is well known that Rome takes in the Empire Romes jurisdiction 4. 'T is well known Jerusalem was under the power of Rome and jurisdiction of Rome a street of that Citty to use the expression 5. 'T is as well known that Christ was crucified by a power from Rome Joyne these together Christ was crucified in Jerusalem his blood is reckoned with the blood of all his members on Romes account spiritually called Egypt and Sodom and good cause why the blood of Christ should lye upon the head of that Scarlet Whore 't was within Rome that Christ was Crucified within its territories by the power of Rome that Christ was crucified a child may understand this I think likewise few but understand how Christ is said to suffer with his members even in the same sense that they are said to be his members I hope none is so grosse to take it in a grosse sense though I knew a Familist once that did I le let that passe There is a crucifying of Christ and puttiug him to an open shame even now while he is in glory and Familists bloody hands cannot reach him in a literall sense See Heb. 10.28 c. I feare the crucifixion of Christ may be too sadly put upon their account and they will finde it so when God comes to render recompence how have they tortured Christ in Scripture how reproachfully have they spoken of the death the crosse the blood the person of Christ I feare this will be reckoned and accounted Crucifying the Lord of glory surely they will be found as guilty of the body and blood of Christ as those that discerne not the Lords-body in the Sacrament 1 Cor. 11. the murther hath more accessaries then we are aware of as bad as the principall agents nay ten thousand times worse So much for that Let the Second opposition be this Christ was borne of the Virgin Mary cursed be the man that denies that Christ is born or formed in you and cursed be the man that denies that I desire the reader to view once again the characters of Familists noted but now and then judge of this The key of Familisme will shew all the Chambers of Imagery in this too I le not consider these words now as Mr Coppes but first what use a Familist would make of this opposition yet not all that use which a Familist knowes to put it to 1. He would Amuse his simple hearers 2. He would carry on his designe oâ— undermining Scripture and Scripture truth 3. He would let you know that Christ was borne of the Virgin Mary that you might not know but count him orthodox 4. He would let his brother Familists to understand that he was their own I mean such as are well acquainted with their Canting and something too of the kinds of their Recantings 5. Should he speak his mind in plaiâ— English he would let you know Christ borne of Mary true but that 's not the true birth of Christ that was but a type there 's the birth of Christ within you and that 's the true Christ and the true birth I say this use a skilfull Familist would make of such an opposition Mr