in cheif place after them they reject or persecute the true religion III. They that did or doe live under Rulers apostate from the true religion or maliciously persecuting the same lost and doe lose the title to happinesse jointly by Adams fell in whose loines they sinned and by default of apostate and persecuting rulers and ancestors in whom they apostated persecuted and by actuall continuing together with their successors in the same apostasie and resolution to persecute For instance the Grecians the posteritie of Iaphet fell in Adam God providing a remedie for that fall by Christ promised in Nimrod and his complices they apostated from the hope of that promise At Christs death the Gospell of peace is commanded to be preached to all nations and was taught and received in their countrey Whosoever since then or now hath or doth apostate from the true religion taught by Gods Apostles in Grecia and joyne with the Turk or Pope in misbeleif and persecuting Gods truth hath or doth continue in the same apostasie lose the title to happinesse And so of other people also IIII. That God hath done at severall times many miraculous works and inflicted on mankind most strange judgements c. all very conspicuous so that even among the apostate nations before Christ Pharaoh confessed that God was righteous himselfe and his people sinfull And others could not but acknowledge Gods power and that he was the great God That his Law is only wise That no god could doe as he did c. Besides many nations did use sacrifices and offerings but without true knowledge and superstitious Yet in so doing acknowledged themselves sinners and the goodnesse of a Deitie to them c. being able to say that we 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are his offspring Insomuch that they when as they knew God worshipped him not as God but became vaine in their imaginations were given up to their hearts lust and are without excuse V. That some particular persons falne in Adam apostated from the promise of Christ in their ancestors have beene called to the faith by Gods miraculous works judgements such other meanes as it pleased God to use and of his meere mercy saved Such as Rahab Ruth and divers others above named In like maner some now in the Turkish Empire and Popish countries who being vexed as holy Lot with the abominations about theÌ„ practised deplore these and their owne sins beleeve the truth of God concerning redemption by Christ so far as it is revealed unto them endeavor to lead an holy life accordingly meddle not with abuses which they have no commission to ameÌ„d VI. That they that know not their masters will doe things worthy of stripes shall be beaten with few stripes And that it shal be easier for them at the day of judgment then for those cities places which have had the meanes of salvation more plentifully imparted to them As appeares by Christs speech of Corazin Bethsaida and Capernaum CHAP. VI. Mans perdition is of himselfe in the second place by his own default Where the Rulers and teachers do their duties Conclusions theÌ„ce Lastly conclusioÌ„s from the former this chapter jointly considered IN the second place where Princes their substitutes Bishops and teachers doe their offices faithfully some people 〈◊〉 aâ—oÌ„g â—n their own ruin For though God set watchmen over theÌ„ which say Take heed to the sound of the trumpet some as the Jewes to Jeremie say we will not take heed Though Gods word be to them precept upon precept precept upon precept line upon line line upon line here a little and there a little though God speake to them himselfe though God send to them his servants the Prophets of old and preachers now yet they will not heare but goe after the stubbornnesse of their owne wicked hearts They say desperately no for I have loved strangers and I will follow them In so much that God complaines My people would not heare my voice and Israel would none of me So he gave them up to their owne hearts lust And Christ complaines of them and bewailes their obstinacie O Ierusalem Ierusalem how often would I have gathered yee as an hen her chickens and yee would not Nay they say to God depart from us we desire not the knowledge of thy Lawes Or bid the Prophets prophecie not Or say what can the Almighty doe for us Or it profits nothing to walk with God Or how doth God know it is there knowledge in the most high And so depart from the presence of God as Cain and his posterity Nimrod his followers c. setting afterwards their actions as before their mouthes as David saith against Heaven Or they relie on their owne wisedome and forsake God the fountaine of living waters and dig to themselves pits even broken pits which will hold no water They account the preaching of the Crosse foolishnesse which is the power of God for the salvation of them that be saved As for their owne wisedome for so they esteeme it God turnes it into follie Or they follow the il examples of their fathers so that when their fathers have forsaken Iehovah and walked after other Gods c. They doe worse then their fathers and walk every one after the stubbornnesse of their owne hearts Or so addict themselves to pleasure and voluptuousnes as that they cannot come to the heavenly banquet of salvation according to his answer I cannot come So the wicked before the flood Noah being the preacher of righteousnes to them ate dranke maried and gave in mariage and so will they do before the generall day of judgement neglecting the call of Gods preachers till destruction sweep them away as it did the old world Or they suffer the cares of the world and the deceitfulnes of riches to choak the good seed of the word and forsake the feast of salvation made readie for to goe after their farmes and oxen and matters of profit Or when persecution comes because of the Gospell they are offended and suffer the seed of God for want of deepe rooting to wither c. Or for envie at the conversion of others and the graces of God in them maliciously oppose and reject the Gospell as did the Jewes when they saw the whole citie of Antioch come together to heare Gods word and were thereupon filled with envie contradicted those things which were spoken by Paul and railed So also did the Elder sonne that is the Jew repine would not come into the feast wheÌ„ God the father reconciled himselfe to the yonger sonne the prodigall that is the Gentile This resisting is called a resisting of the Spirit of God both in the fathers and also in those present Iewes And what did they in the old world but resist the spirit by which Christ was raised from
the dead For with that very spirit Christ preached to them And for resisting the same they are now Spirits inprison God from all eternitie seeing the rebellion and obstinate wickednesse of prophane men under the father before the law was written and after in the Iewish Church now in the Christiā Church since in all of many of the degrees above as he willed that together with other meanes of salvatiō his Spirit also should strive with them so he willed that his spirit should not alwaies strive with them But when their wickednesse was come to the full Gods long suffering had many years waited for their amendment that they might agree with their adversarie in the way when the limit of the time in which God gave them space to repent Their day in which they ought to know the things which belong to their peace which day or fixed limit is known only to God except sometimes it hath pleased him to reveale it is past and expired Then God will not heare their cry who before would not heare his call then God gives it not to them to know the mysteries of the Kingdome of heaven God hides those things from the wise and intelligent in their owne proud conceit because it so pleaseth him God sends a lying Spirit into the mouth of Ahabs prophets and gives him power to deceive them When Balaam was forbidden by God to goe or curse the blessed and yet would not rest but still shewed his love and desire of the wages of unrighteousnesse God had him goe but was angrie that he went When the hearts of people are waxed grosse their eares dul of hearing their eyes by themselves closed lest they should see heare understand and bee converted Then God blinds makes deaf and takes away their understanding God hardens them according to the most holy and just rule of his will who being come to Pharaoh's case harden themselves and so he hardens whom he will And then is there no disputing with God God sends strong delusions that they should beleeve lies who would not receive the knowledge of the truth Thus Gods al-seeing eyes beholding from al eternitie what courses he on his part would take and how among his people the Rulers and Teachers should faithfully doe what he ordered and appointed for the salvation of their people seeing even them also who are not in Christ not by his or the Rulers or teachers default but by their owne consulting with flesh and blood and disobedience to Gods will revealed to them Simul semel hee decreed the condemnation of them most justly as Esau's before actually they had done good or evil and thereto tends Christs speech He that beleeves not is condemned alreadie These things being thus it may be hence concluded 1. That in wicked mens neglecting or contemning Gods dealing with them and the order and course appointed by God for their salvation some sooner some later fall off from or reject the meanes of their salvation The Gaderens after one miracle done among them upon the losse of their swine beseech Christ to depart out of their coasts The Iewes at Antioch heare the Gospell preached to them one Sabbath but the next Sabbath drive the Apostles out of their citie They of Capernaum and Bethsaida had many great works of Christ done among them but repented not Demas heard the Gospell walked with the Apostles for a time but at length fell off to the present world Iulian the Apostata heard the Gospell professed the same for a time at length violently and maliciously persecuted it Iudas heard the Gospell preached it continued a long time with Christ and the Apostles was unsuspected of the Apostles till at length he betrayed his Master and died desperately 2. That carelesnesse and want of due consideration opens a very great gappe on mans part to his owne ruin As not to regard the trumpet of Gods warning them his miracles promises threats c. to preferre mans folly before Gods wisedome in the mouth of his messengers to prefer this worlds wealth before the true treasure momentany pleasures before pleasures at Gods right hand for evermore To feare men that can but kill the body and not feare God who can destroy both body and soule to envie other mens graces and conversion at which GOD good Angels and men rejoice not principally and mainly to seeke Gods Kingdome and to use matters of this world as if we used them not In this manner they that were invited to the banquet of salvation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made light of it and went their wayes to pleasure profit c. How shall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men neglecting so great salvation escape 3. That though Gods goodnesse and mercy is such that he knocks at mans heart and stands and abides knocking there and notwithstanding many and great sinnes of infirmity and ignorance c. still continues suing to be admitted into the heart of man drawing him to it by the preaching of the Ministers who work together with him as by other meanes also yet if sinners proceed from one degree of sinne to another and harden their hearts that they cannot repent following sinne with greedinesse till the acceptable time the day of salvation be past and Christ who commanded all to watch and told them of his sudden comming finde them not well doing but sleeping in sinne they are cut off and have their portion with unbeleevers 4. That the wicked which lived in the Church before Christs time lost their title to happinesse joyntly by Adams fall and sinne comming in thereby by actuall sinnes of their owne by wilfull forsaking or otherwise losing the benefit of Christ promised by persisting in all or some of the sinnes above named 5. That the wicked who lived in the true Church since Christs time lost their title to happinesse joyntly by Adams fall and by falling off from the hope in Christ promised in their Ancestors at Babels building and by each mans owne actuall sinne in some or al the degrees aboue named falling from the hope of salvation through Christ already come and preached to them 6. That God from all eternity decreed the hardening of them that obstinately harden themselves the blinding of them that obstinately blinde themselves the forsaking of them that obstinately forsake him that will follow their owne courses their wicked Ancestors steps and impiously bid God depart from them Furthermore from these two sections considered together arise these conclusions I. That the condemnation of the wicked is meerly of from mans default where the trumpet is not blowne both by default of Rulers and teachers and also in regard of their owne sinnes in which they dye And where Rulers and teachers doe their duties by the sinnes of each particular person II. That the wickednesse of the damned is not the cause of Gods will to damne them for sinne in
all nations under heaven who at that time were present at Ierusalem whereby the glad tidings of the Gospell might with more speed and conveniency bee preached to all To which end the Apostles Paul and others travelled into Countries farre and neare not danted with dangers and persecutions which often befell them converted many to the faith of Christ and planted Churches in divers parts of the world So that it is written Their sound went forth into all the earth and their words unto the ends of the world The miracle of tongues ceasing the successors of the Apostles were to cherish the knowledge of tongues and to preach the Gospell freely in the first plantation of it more seeking them than theirs where they spent their labours according to the Apostles example Notwithstanding this course taken by God according to the exceeding riches of his grace to us Gentiles upon the unbeliefe of the Iewes which is a mysterie or secret of which we must not bee ignorant and when we see it effected cry with S t Paul O the depth of the riches both of the wisdome and knowledge of God! how unsearcheable are his judgements before towards the Gentiles now towards the Iewes and his wayes of commanding the Covenāt of peace in Christ to be now preached to all nations and making it known that hereafter the Iewes shall obtaine mercy past finding out Notwithstanding this course on Gods part taken for calling all nations The Citie of Rome which about the time of Christs birth was at the full height of her power both then and since hath and still doth chalenge rule over the Kings of the earth and is the onely City famously knowne by her seven hils hath first by her Emperours almost all wicked and persecutors killed Christ and cruelly afflicted and murdered Christians and afterward when the Emperours were mastered by Popes pretending like Lambes to use the two hornes of spirituall and temporall power but indeed turned Wolfes exceedingly abused and mis-lead their sheepe let the studie of tongues decay for a long time especially of the sacred tongues in which Gods originall truth is written locked up knowledge commended ignorance to the people sought not so much the peoples salvation as honour riches soveraignty over all making the people serve God by Images pray without understanding in an unknowne tongue c. and further became drunke with blood of the Saints and with the blood of the Martyrs of Christ c. Thus by default of these wicked sheepheards their sheep perished in their sinnes Yet evē at Rome there was a little flock of Christ in Pauls time famous through the whole world for their faith who by the Almighty protection of God did propagate true religion even under the worst and most tyrannous Emperors And when Rome by the Popes pride advanced it selfe and made the Kings of the earth and their people drunke with the wine of her fornications Gods people as they are commanded went out of her by disclaiming her doctrine and Idolatries and dyed for the witnesse of Gods truth lest they should partake of her sinnes and receive of her plagues And Princes have worthily begun to hate the Whore of this spirituall Babylon to demolish the wals of Rome in their Dominions or turne them to uses more for Gods glory Amidst the stirres and Idolatries of Rome at length Mahomet arose and the Turkes after him they by sword and wicked and blasphemous doctrine mis-lead their people and vassals so that by their default they and their people are in a damnable estate except such as in their dominions retaine the knowledge and worship of Iesus Christ according to Gods truth Cōcerning the people most remote as they of China of Cathaia of India East and West especially of America of Peru and the rest of the parts orbis incogniti as it is called of which little more than the ruder skirts are knowne unto our men seeing it is not well knowne how long some of these parts have been peopled seeing some hold it disputable whether Solomons fame and Navigation to speake nothing of Gods other wondrous works extended to all of them if but to some then to which of them and more especially what Countries Ophir Pervaim Tharshish are whence his gold came in such abundance as also how farre that speech will reach of all the worlds seeking to see Solomon and of the gifts of all Kings and nations which may perhaps extend to places very farre distant whence probably men might travell seeing the Queene of Shebah a woman came so farre Seeing also that many will not easily grant that in the Apostles and Primitive times the sound of the Gospel extended even to these parts and interpret Scriptures brought to prove this differently Or that God might since then by his mercifull Providence send among them some light of the Gospell by other meanes since the great increase of navigation and that our knowledge of their stories is small as that we have not without uncertainty Seeing these matters I say are not cleare and manifest unto us it will not be amisse to forbeare defining any thing of them But seeing wee know assuredly that GOD commanded the Gospel to be preached to all nations and we finde that men of pharisaicall condition compasse sea and land with all earnestnesse to make Proselytes for Hel it concernes all hearty Christians rather gloriously to spend labour and cost for the planting Gods religion among them to the advancement of Gods Kingdome and glory then either peremptorily to determine or which is lesse fruitlesly to travel where we have no surer footing Forbearing therfore to enter into further debating of these last matters from the former which are more manifest as by Gods word so by the situation of the people and commerce with them better knowne unto us it may be concluded I. That God having at once decreed from eternitie the meanes for converting man falne unto him and seeing on whom they would not be effectuall by default on mans part and decreed their condemnatiō in executiō of these decrees left not nor passed by Cain Nimrod Ieroboam c. and their adherents but upon their apostaste or malicious persecuting Gods truth beyond their day or the set time of Gods striving with them the knowledge of which time God hath reserved to himselfe for the most part II. That Apostate and maliciously persecuting Princes and their substitutes intrusted with a weightie businesse by God and the people and ill managing the same incur the heavy judgemēt of God by their owne sinnes and by making others or by giving occasion to others to sinne When either for profit or pleasure as Cain for a name as Nimrod for envie as the Iewes for ambition and having no King but Caesar no soveraigne Lord but the Pope and other their sinnes most of them from this roote As the Emperors and the Bishops of Rome