left she replies that shee had nothing left but a little cruse and a little oyle in it where upon the Prophet bids her goe and borrow vessels of her neighbours then shut the doores to her selfe and powre into those vessels and fill them which she did and so payed her creditours and lived of the rest This is the Churches case the Divell impleade her for debt and the Church hath nothing left but as it were a little Pitcher the body of Christ and yet out of this there hath runne out such a deale of oyle as that it hath sufficiently discharged all the debt of the Church and this is another comfort to her that hee will discharge all her debts Fiftly seeing the Church is the body and the spouse of Christ that one day wee shall bee brought home unto him to live with him for ever as Psal 45. 14 it is said shee shall bee brought to the King in â—aâ—ment of needle worke and in the next verse With gladnesse and rejoicing shall they be brought they shall enter into the Kings Palace Therefore this is a comfort to the Church that although she cannot see him because she lives here on earth and Christ in Heaven yet there will be a time when shee shall live for ever with him in glorie and happinesse It was Christs request Iohn 17. 24. Father I will that those which thou hast given mee bee with mee even where I am that they may behold my glorie which thou hast given mee it was one of Christ last suits to his father that we should be brought home unto him This is another comfort to the Church that one day they shall enjoy Christ and live with him for ever in glory howsoever they may have a great deale of trouble and affliction here as Revel 19. 6 7. there was a great voyce like a clap of Thunder saying Halleluiah for our Lord God Almighty hath raigned let us bee glad and rejoice and give glorie to him for the mariage of the Lambe is come and his Wife hath made her sâ—lfe ready All harts should bee filled with joy for this and all soules should bee replenished with glâ—dnesse for that one day the marriage shall bee solemnized when wee shall bee brought home unto him to live with him for ever Lastly seeing the Church is the Bride and the Spouse of Christ therefore he will not bee ashamed of us no good man will be ashamed of his wife though she be but meane in any place nor before any company no more will Christ be ashamed of us but will confesse us before God though we be but meane as Heb. 2. 11. For both he that sanctifieth and they which are sanctified are all of one wherefore hee is not ashamed to call them brethren saying I will declare thy Name unto my brethren in the midst of the Church will I sing praises unto thee And againe behold here am I and the children that thou hast given me so Luk. 12. 8. Whosoever shall confesse me before men him shall the Sonne of Man confesse before God and his Angels As Ioseph confessed his father and brethren before Pharoah and was not affraid of them so will Christ one day acknowledge his Brethren the Elect of God this is another comfort that Christ will not be ashamed of us howsoever wee are not respected and regarded here yet one day we shall be highly promoted Christ will say to us Come ye blessed of my Father receive the Kingdome prepared for you before the beginning of the World Therefore beloved brethren sequester your thoughts from things present and think on the things to come think upon this joyfull meeting of Christ and all the holy people of God consider how great will our comfort be at that time therefore love Iesus Christ be carefull to passe your time here in holinesse and feare labour to repent of your sinnes and to get faith in Christ that yee may finde favour with God at that time Now there is another thing that I would commend unto you in regard of the time That seeing Christ is such a comfortable Husband to us let us take heed we doe not displease him we see a good wife will be loth to displease her husband at any time if she hath given him any occasion of offence she will not be at rest till she be reconciled and her husband pacified and pleased with her so seeing it is manifest at this present by evident tokens that our loving Husband is displeased by taking away the comforts of the Earth for what a thing is it that wee should live on the Earth and yet not see the fruits of it comfortably but be strangers from it in regard of the multitude of our sinnes therefore I say seeing we see him displeased with us let us not be at rest till we be reconciled unto him let us repent us of our sinnes pray unto him and never give over till he be pacified and pleased with us SERMON LXIV 1 TIMOTHY 3. 15. That thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thy selfe in the House of God which is the Church of the Living God the Pillar and ground of the Truth THe greater the Church of God is the more is our comfort to be members of it therefore I hope it will not be tedious to any to speake further of the dignities and priviledges of the Church for if one have a stately House or a fruitfull Field hee will not bee weary to heare one tell him of the goodly Scituation and Commodities that doth belong unto it so because the glory of the Church is our glory therefore it shall not be amisse nor I hope tedious to any that I insist to speake of the dignities of the Church of God Fourthly the dignitie of the Church is conspicuous in that it is called the Pillar and ground of Truth A metaphor taken from building that as a Pillar sustaines and upholds the house from falling so the Church of God is a Pillar to uphold the Scripture and the Gospell which otherwise the prophane multitude of the World would let fall and it cannot stand with another Societie but only with the Church of God because there God is knowne so we see Psal 76. It is said God is knowne is Iuda his Name is great in Israel For in Salem is his Tabernacle and his dwelling in Zion So also Psal 147. 19. Hee sheweth his Word unto Iaakob His Statutes and his Iudgements unto Israel He hath not dealt so with any Nation neither have they knowne his Iudgements so then it is an honour peculiar belonging to the Church of God to uphold and maintaine the doctrine of saving truth which otherwise would bee extinguished by the prophane multitude of the World Now two wayes the Church is the Ground and Pillar of Truth 1. Because it doth preserve and keepe the Tables of Truth 2. Because it doth deliver the doctrine of Truth
Ambrose whilst they bite at the baite of some pleasing notions they are at the same time catched with the Spirits hooke Hee was skilfull in the originall languages and thereupon an excellent Text-man well read in writers that were of note in the severall ages of the Church which made him a well-furnished and able Divine his judgement was cleere and his conscience tender and which helpt him most he brought to the great worke of the ministerie an holy and gratious heart which raised and carried him to aimes above himselfe and the world In his conversing he was modest fruitfull wise and winning in his expressions witty and gracefull in so much that hee hath left a fresh and a sweet remembrance of him untill this day Towards his end her grow more spirituall setting light by all things here below and onely waited as his expression was for the comming of the Comforter at length his worke being finished breathing out his life with that wish of the spouse Yea come Lord Iesus Thus much I thought not unfit to be made knowne of the Man Now for the Worke it selfe it must be considered by the learned Reader that these things were spoken though to a People high-raisd in knowledge and more refined than ordinary by his teaching yet to the People not with a purpose that they should come to the view and censure of the learned But though they were delivered to the peopâ—â—â— yet are they not so popular but if my love to the man and the Worke deceive me not they will have the best Reader either more learned or more holy or both It must therefore bee remembred for the more favourable acceptation of this Worke that these Sermons were taken by one of his Parish a man though pious and of good parts yet not skilfull in the learned languages and therefore it must needs bee that many apt and acute sentences of the Fathers by which this learned man did use to beautifie and strengthen the Points hee delivered are fallen to the ground and lost for lacke of skill to take up But howsoever much of the spirits bee lost yet heere you have the corpes and bulke of the discourse and not without some life and vigour wherein this is peculiar in his manner of handling that hee hath chosen fit texts of Scripture to ground his exposition of every article upon Now for the Argument it selfe the Creed I thinke it fit to premise something because it hath beene omitted by the Author or at least not gathered with the rest The Creed is of middle authority betweene divine and humane and called the Apostles Creed not onely for consanguintty with the Apostles Doctrine but because it is taken out of the Apostles writings and therefore of greatest authority next the Scriptures It is nothing else but A summary comprehension of the counsell and worke of God concerning our supernaturall condition heere and hereafter The Doctrine of Salvation is spread through the Scriptures as spirits in the Arteries and blood in the veines as the soule in the body And heere for easier carriage the most necessary Points are gathered together as so many pearles or pretious stones that we might have a ready use of them upon all occasions being as it were a little Bible or Testament that Christians of all rankes as suited for all conditions may beare about with them every where without any trouble In every Article there is both a shallow and a depth milke for babes and meat for strong men Though there be no growth in regard of fundamentall Principles which have beene alike in all ages of the Church yet there hath and will be a proficiencie in regard of conclusions drawne out of those Principles The necessities of every Christian and the springing up of unsound opinions in the Church will continually inforce diligence and care in the further explication and application of these fundamentall truths It will not therefore bee amisse to set downe a few Directions for the more cleere understanding of the Creed and for the better making use of it And first for the understanding of it It hath the Name of Creed or Beleefe from the act exercised about it to shew that it doth not onely containe Doctrine to be beleeved but that that doctrine will doe us no good unlesse by mingling it with our Faith we make it our Beleefe therefore both the Act and the Object are implyed in one word Beleefe Secondly from the Execution in creation and incarnation wee must arise to Gods decree nothing done in time which was not decreed before all times knowne unto the Lord are all his workes from the beginning of the world Thirdly wee must arise from one Principall Benefit to all that follow and accompany it as in forgivenesse of sins follow righteousnesse Peace and Ioy the Spirit of Sanctification Christian liberty c. though the Articles be nakedly propounded yet are we to beleeve all the fruits and priviledges So to Gods creating of heaven and earth we must joyne his Providence in upholding and ruling all things in both Fourthly in the Consequent wee are to understand all thâ—â— went before by way of Cause or Preparation as in the Crucifying of Christ his preceding Agony and the Cause of it Our sinnes and the love of God and Christ in those sufferings c. Fiftly though we are to beleeve Circumstances as well as the thing it selfe yet not with the same necessity of Faith as it is more necessary to beleeve that Christ was crucified than that it was under Pontius Pilate though when any Circumstance is revealed we ought to beleeve it and to have a preparation of minde to beleeve whatsoever shall be revealed yet in the maine points this preparation of minde is not sufficient but there must bee a present and an expressed faith We must know that as in the Law he that breaketh one Commandement breaketh all because all come from the same authority so in the grounds of faith he that denies one in the true sense of it denies all for both Law and Faith are copulatives the singling out of any thing it contrary to the obedience of faith For Particular and dayly use wee must knowâ— First that every Article requires a particular faith not onely in regard of the Person beleeving but likewise in regard of the application of the Article beleeved or else the Dev â—â— might say the Creed for he beleeves there is a Creator and that there is a Remission of sinnes c. but because hee hath no share in it it inrageth him the more Our adversaries are great enemies to particular faith and thinke we coine a thirteenth Article when wee inforce particular assurance because say they particular men are not named in the Scripture and what is not in Scripture cannot be a matter of faith But there is a Double Faith a Faith which is the Doctrine wee doe beleeve and Faith which is the grace whereby
wee beleeve and this Faith is matter of Experience wrought in our hearts by the Spirit of God It is sufficient that that faith which wee doe beleeve is contained in the Scriptures Now whereas they object that we make it a thirteenth Article their fourteenth Apostle adds to these twelve many more articles of faith which he inforceth to be beleeved with the same necessity of faith as these twelve neither hath he onely entred upon Christs prerogative in minting new articles of faith but likewise they have usurped over all Christian Churches by adding Romane to the Catholike Church in the Creed A bold imposture But for speciall faith the maine office of the Holy Spirit is In opening generall Truths to reveale our particular interest in those Truths and to breed special Faith whereby we make them our owne because the Spirit of God reveales the minde of God to every particular Christian for as the things beleeved are truths above nature so the Grace of faith whereby we beleeve is a grace above Nature and created as a supernaturall eye in the Soule to see supernaturall truths Secondly Where sacred truths are truely apprehended there the Spirit workes an impression in the soule sutable to the things beleeved every Article hath a power in it which the Spirit doth imprint upon the Soule The Beleefe of God to be the Father Almighty breeds an impression of dependance reverence and comfort The Beleefe and knowledge of Christ crucified is a crucifying knowledge The true knowledge and faith in Christ rising is a raising knowledge the knowledge of the Abasement of Christ is an abasing knowledge because faith sees it selfe one with Christ in both states We cannot truly beleeve what Christ hath wrought for us but at the same time the Spirit of Christ worketh something in us Thirdly it is convenient for the giving of due honour to every person to consider of the worke appropriated to every one all come from the Father all are exactly performed by the Son in our nature for the Redemption of those that the Father hath given Him The Gathering out of the world of that blessed society which we call the Church into an holy Communion and the Sanctifying of it and Sealing unto it all the priviledges believed as Forgivenesse of sinnes Resurrection of the body and Life everlasting c. proceed from the Holy Ghost Fourthly it hath pleased the great God to enter into a Treaty and covenant of agreement with us his poore creatures the articles of which agreement are here comprized God for his part undertakes to convey all that concernes our happinesse upon our receiving of them by beleeving on him Every one in particular that recites these articles from a spirit of faith makes good this condition and this is that answer of a good conscience which Peter speakes of whereby being demanded what our faith is every one in particular answeres to every Article I beleeve I not onely understand and conceive it but assent unto it in my judgement as true and consent to it in my will as good and build my comfort upon it as good too me this act of Beleefe carries the whole soule with it Fifthly though it is wee that answer yet the power by which wee answer is no lesse than that whereby God created the world and raised Christ from the dead The answer is ours but the power and strength is Gods whereby wee answere who performes both his part and ours too in the covenant It is a higher matter to beleeve than the common sort thinke it For this answer of Faith to these truths as it is caused by the power of Gods Spirit so is it powerfull to answer all temptations of Satan all seducements of the world all terrours of conscience from the wrath of God and the curse of the Law it setteth the soule as upon a rocke above all Sixthly these Articles are a touchstone at hand to try all opinions by for crooked things are discernded by bringing them to the rule what directly or by immediate and neere consequence opposeth these is to bee rejected as contrary to the platforme of wholesome doctrine That one monster of opinions of the bread turned into the body of Christ by transubstantiation overthrowes at once foure Articles of the Creed The incarnation of Christ Ascension Sitting at the Right hand of God and comming to judgment for if Christs body be so often made of a peece of bread being in so many places at once here upon earth how can all these Articles be true Againe seventhly these grounds of Faith have likewise a speciall influence in direction and incouragement unto all Christian duties A holy life is but the infusion of holy truths Augustine saith well non bene vivitur ubi bene de Deo non creditur men of an ill beleefe cannot be of a good life wherupon the Apostles method is to build their exhortations to Christian duties upon the grounds of Christian Faith But we must remember that as faith yeelds a good life and conscience so a conscience is the vessell to preserve the Doctrine of Faith else a shipwracke of faith will follow If there bee a delighting in unrighteousnesse there will not be a love of the truth and if we love not the truth then there will be a preparednesse to beleeve any lye and that by Goâ— just judgement 2 Thes 2. 12. Eighthly as these fundamentall truths yeeld strength to the whole frame of a Christian life So they are so many springs and wels of consolation for Gods people to draw-from whereupon that good Prince George Anhalt whom Luthers time became a Preacher of the Gospell intending to comfort his brother Prince Iohn raiseth his comfort from the last three Articles Remission of sinnes Resurrection of the body and Life Everlasting which as they have their strength from the former Articles are able to raise any drooping spirit and therefore in the greatest agonies it is the readiest way to suck comfort from these benefits But I omit other things intending onely to say something by way of Preface And thus Good Reader I commend this worke unto thee and both it and thee to Gods blessing Thine in the Lord R. SIBBS AN EXPOSITION OF THE CREED SERMON I. ROM 3. 28. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by Faith without the deeds of the Law AS the Children of Israel having sojourned long enough in Horeb were by Gods speaking to Moses commanded to remove thence and goe further off Deut. 6. So in some sort I may say we having in our ordinarie course gone through divers necessary points of Religion as the Lords Praier Repentance c. must now go on further to speake of the Doctrine of Faith a large and great Field ful of knowledge and exceeding comfort wherefore I shall have so much the more need to be helpâ— on by your prayers as my weaknesse and inhabilitie is unfit for so great
God to despise you when you come to die therefore it is good to make God our friend whilest we be alive This is the counsell that Christ giveth us Luk. 16. 9. Make to your selves friends of the Mammon of unrighteousnesse the Fathers take it for the poore that wee should make friends of the poore But the meaning is that we should make God our friend in our life time that we may have a friend of him when we come to die therefore because every man must commend himselfe to God when he dies it is good to please him and to walke holily in all our courses that we may commend with boldnesse our soule to him at the last gaspe Secondly what it was bee commended into the hands of God His Spirit his body he left to Pilates mercy but all his care was for his soule therefore he commends that into the hands of God which may teach us two things first though our bodies dye yet our soules doe live all the Scriptures shew this Eccles. 12. 7. Then shall the dust returne to the earth as it was and the Spirit shall returne to God who gave it so Revel 6. 9. And when hee had opened the fifth seale I saw under the Altar the soules of them that were killed for the Word of God and for the Testimonie which they mainetained so also Heb. 12. 22. For yee are not come to the mount that might bee touched c. but yee are come to the mount Sion and to the city of the living God the celestiall Ierusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels and to the congregation and Church of the first borne whose names are written in heaven and to God the judge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect So it is a plaine truth in Christianity that though our bodies dye our soules are immortall therefore seeing our soules never dye but shall live for ever how carefull ought we to be for them and to passe our time in holinesse and feare before God as they may live with God for ever in heaven Indeed if our soules might dye our care might bee the lesse but seeing they shall never dye it is a wondrous corruption amongst most to see how they cloath the body feed and physick that runne from market to market to make provision for it which yet must dye and their immortall soules they take no care for therefore one saith well O man of all thy parts take care of thy immortall part that which never dieth Secondly it teacheth us that seeing Christ commended his Spirit into the hands of God wee see what the especiall care of a Christian should bee not to care so much what become of his body so his soule may be saved Christ he left his body to Pilates mercy but he commended his soule into the hands of God so a Christians care must be especially that his soule may be saved that it may come safe into the hands of God what soever become of the body this was the care of the holy theefe Lord remember mee when thou commest into thy kingdome all his care was for the saving of his soule it being provided for hee cares not what become of his body we see when a mans house is on fire if he have a pretious jewell he will labour to save that though the rest perish so seeing the soule is the most pretious jewell whatsoever thy labour and paines be labour to lay up thy soule safe in the hands of God as Steven did when a storme of stones came about his eares hee bowed himselfe downe and said Lord Iesus receive my soule all his care was for the saving thereof that it might come safe into the hands of God as if he should say Lord receive my soule I care not what becommeth of my body so that thou save my soule all shall be well this will content me Thirdly the time when he commended his Spirit at the time of his death which was the very close of his life when he was ready to breathe out his last breath which may teach us that every man should make this his practise when hee comes to dye to bee sure to make a holy close of his life then it is a time to commend his soule to God Now there bee other times for a man to commend his soule to God as first in the time of danger and perill so David did when he was in perill of Saul Psalm 31. 5. saith he Lord into thy hands doe I commend my spirit because I have no body else to commend it to nor no body to trust it with in assurance of safety therefore Lord into thy hands I commend it likewise Psalm 10. 14. the poore committeth himselfe unto the Lord seeing no man regards him nor cares for him hee commends himselfe to the care of God so that the time of distresse and danger is a time to commend our soules to God There is also another time that wee should commend our soules to God and that is daily because our life is uncertaine therefore wee should every morning when we doe rise and every night when we goe to bed not knowing not what will befall us in the day commend our soules to God there bee a number of men in the world that bee greatly overtaken in this they never commend their soules into the hands of God if a nurse goe abroad and leave her childe and doe not commit it to the care of some body to keepe and to looke after it if the childe catch any hurt they will blame the nurse for it so if wee doe not commit our selves our wives and children to God in the morning and at night if any hurt befall them we may thanke our selves for it the blame lieth upon our selves 1 Sam. 18. 28. we see when David came into the host to his brethren they asked him this question with whom hast thou left those few sheepe So we should commend our temporall estate to the keeping of some body where it may be safe and if we should commend that to keeping much more must we commend oursoules to God Now as at these times wee should commit our soules to God yet more especially we must doe it when we come to dye because the devill will then bee busie and wee have a long journey to goe if a man were to passe into France and to carry all his goods with him that hee hath scraped together all his life time hee would looke into what ship hee did commit his goods and if hee had a rotten bottome hee would beware how he committed his goods to it so seeing we are to passe from earth to heaven a long journey we must take heed wee doe not commit our soules to a rotten bottome but bee carefull to lay them up into the hands of God that so they may remaine safe there Fourthly upon what ground he commends his soule into the
thing to have Gods curse on them it is not two Beares that shall devoure them but they shall be devoured in hell with the devill and his angels if it were to passe thorow fire and water a man might have comfort if hee were in Gods favour or if hee did live in a cave a dungeon or a prison for we see the three Children went into the fire with comfort and God was with them and there was not the least smell of fire on them So Daniel he was throwne into the Lions den and was not afraid because hee was in favour with God and Ieremie was cast into the dungeon Paul and Silas into prison with their feet in the stockes yet they sung salmes at midnight and rejoyced if the blessing of Christ be upon a man with a perswasion of Gods love this will allay all extremities but the wicked shall goe to hell and shall have Gods curse upon them therefore what a fearefull thing will it be at that day Now there is good use to be made of this point first seeing all the wicked shall goe away with Gods curse therefore it must bee every mans care to rid himslfe of his sins because it is they that bring Gods curse upon us many a man is not afraid of this we see Iudg. 17. when Micha had stollen his mothers money and heard her curse him though he had the money in his hands which was sweet betweene his fingers he was so afraid of his mothers curse that he durst not keepe it now if Micha were thus afraid of his mothers curse much more should we be afraid of Gods curse seeing we heare that our sinnes will bring it upon us how afraid should we be to sinne though it be sweet and delightfull yet to rid our hands of it and expell it assoone as may be that so we may be free of Gods curse we sinde Iosh 7. that Achan had committed an execrable thing he had stollen a Babylonish garment and a wedge of gold and had hid them in the earth yet the judgement of God seized on him and never left him till it found him out so we may have sinnes secret and close in our hearts that no body knowes of them if wee be not wise to rid our selves of them the judgement of God will seize upon us and it will never leave us till it hath destroyed soule and body and therefore seeing our sinnes will bring Gods curse let us labour to avoid them Secondly seeing all the wicked shall goe away with Gods curse we any see what fooles the Papists be that are afraid of the Popes curse yet are not afraid of Gods curse Dâ—â—t 27. 15. the Lord saith Cursed is the man that maketh any carved or moulten image and putteth it in a secret place now the Pope contraries the voice and word of God and saith in the Councell of Trent Whosoever holds not that Images are profitable to teach and that they be Lay-mens bookes let them be accused they feare the Popes curse which is the lesse and doe not feare Gods curse which is the greater Thirdly seeing all the wicked shall goe away with Gods curse therefore every man must labour to be one of Gods servants and people as Psal 85. 6. saith David I will hearken what God saith for he will speake peace to his people howsoever he will deale with the wicked and ungodly to afflict and trouble them yet he will speake peaceably and comfortably to his people therefore it must be every mans care to repent him of his snnes labour to please God and to spend his time well and then hee shall have comfort in life and death therefore labour to be one of Gods servants and people beleeve in Christ labour to be found in him and then thou shalt be blessed and freed from Gods curse Thirdly the estate that all the wicked shall passe into they shall not onely be banished from the presence of God and have Gods curse upon them but shall bee cast into fire and everlasting fire Now by fire as I shewed you the last day is meant he greatnesse and extremity of paines that the wicked shall bee in because of all Elements fire is most afflictive and workes most furiously on our bodies making the greatest impression on them therefore the torment of hell is termed fire in the Scripture as Matth. 3. 12. it is said and he will burne the chaffe with unquenchable fire so Heb. 10. 27. For if wee sinne willingly after wee have received the knowledge of Goâ—s truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinne but a fearefull looking for of Iudgement and firy indignation which shall devoure the adverssaries and Revel 14. 9 10. If any man worship the beast and his image and receive his marke in his forehead or in his hand the same shall drinke of the wine of Gods wrath and shall bee tormented in fire and brimstone before the holy Angels and before the lambe here wee see because of all other Elements fire is most afflictive therefore the punishment of the wicked is said to be in fire The Schoolemen make question whether it be bodily fire or whether it be metaphorically spoken to this Augustine shall answer saith he this fire of hell of what sort it is and in what place or part of the world it is no man knoweth but him who shall make it knowne the Papists are so bold as to make no question though it be not a point of faith for a man to beleeve or know what a kinde of fire it is whether it bee bodily and materiall fire such as wee have here or whether it be metaphoricall for say they it is most agreeable to the Scripture and most probable that it is bodily and materiall fire But I will produce foure Reasons to shew that this fire cannot bee bodily fire First because hell fire is prepared for the devill and his angels to torment them in now they bee spirits therefore it must bee spirituall fire that must torment them bodily fire will doe them no hurt as we see Matth. 17. 15. how the devill cast himselfe into the fire and yet was not burned therefore it is not bodily but spirituall fire that must torment them and Damascene saith that the great devils and the petty divels shall be tormented with fire but that fire shall not be such fire as wee have but such as God knowes of Secondly looke what the brimstone the wood the lake the smoake and the worme is the same is the fire but the wood the brimstone the lake the smoke and the worme are metaphorically and spiritually to be taken therefore so is this fire so we see Esai 30. ult Topheth is prepared for the king hee hath made it deepe and large the burning thereof is fire and much wood the breath of the Lord like a river of brimstone doth kindle it now this cannot be taken for bodily fire
let you goe but by strong hand the new translation hath it And the king of Egypt will not let you goe no not by a strong hand now how may a man know which is the better I answer hee may know it although he have no other helpe than his owne let him looke into Exod. 6. 1. there the Lord saith to Moses now shalt thou see what I will doe to Pharoah for by a strong hand shall be let them goe so herein the ordinary Bibles are the better from these wee inferre a wise Christian may helpe himselfe by the helpe of his minister in any doubt about the difference of texts of Scripture and to shut up all in a word it is plaine and manifest by these premises that the true Church throughout all ages hath preserved the letter and text of the Scripture from all annoiances taint of corruption or the least soile that may bee The use hereof is First seeing it hath beene the care of the Church in all times to preserve the letter of Scriptures therefore it must be every mans care to read it be acquainted with it and to meditate therein so to profit by it as Ioh. 5. 39. Christ counsels us Search the Scriptures for in them yee thinke to have eternall life they are they which testifie of me so 2 Tim. 3. 15. Timothie was commended for that he had knowne the Scriptures of a Childe which were able to make him wise unto salvation in like manner wee must know the Scriptures and be acquainted with them to make us truely wise Augustine saith well to this purpose that the two testaments are the two breasts of the Church that every Christian man must sucke to draw spirituall nourishment from that he may live eternally by it and another learned man saith that the holy Scripture is an Epistle sent from the Creator to the creature if an earthly king should send us a letter what would we let it lye by us would we not bestow some time to read meditate of it and bee acquainted with it to know what were the kings will with us so saith he the holy Scripture is the letter and Epistle of Almighty God let us labour to bee acquainted with it bestow some time to read it and meditate therein another learned man saith Now the Paradise of God is in this world the bookes of the Scriptures are the trees of Life whereof no man is forbidden to eate therefore it must be our care to heare the Scriptures read and to reade them our selves meditate in them and tell the good things that wee learne from thence one to another Secondly seeing it hath beene the care of the Church to preserve the Scripture it must bee our care not onely to reade and to meditate in it but also to beleeve it and to put it in practice as Psal 124. David did where hee saith by the words of thy lips I kept mee from the pathes of the cruell man and againe Psal 119. 11. I have hid thy promise in my heart that I might not sinne against thee See wee must learne by the Scriptures to put it in practice to sanctifie us in our wayes to keep us from sinning against God and to direct us in all the things wee take in hand this fruit and benefit wee must draw out from it saith Christ to the Iewes I will not accuse you but there is one will accuse you even Moses in whom yee trust How shall Moses accuse them not in his person but by his Bookes and Doctrine for that they did not beleeve nor practise but neglect the things that were commended to them therein so Moses shall accuse them and draw such a fearefull bill against them as they shall not bee able to answer so wee that bee your Pastours and teachers wee doe not accuse you but Moses Paul and Peter doth accuse you and will write such a fearefull bill of indictment against you as you shall not bee able to answere Therefore labour yee to repent of your sinnes to make conscience of your wayes to put in practice the good things that have beene taught you that so there bee not framed a fearfull bill of indictment against you which yee shall not bee able to answer especially remember it at this time to make use of it seeing yee see by evident tokens that God is displeased with us doe not thinke that time will weare it out but search into your hearts and into your lives to see what is amisse repent of your sinnes and turne to God that he may turne away this fearefull judgment that is come upon this land Oh my good brethren let us not passe away these things and make no accompt of them but let us labour to put them in practise seeing wee know them lest there bee such a fearefull bill of indictment framed against us as wee shall not be able to answer SERMON LXV 1 TIMOTHY 3. 15. That thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thy selfe in the House of God which is the Church of the Living God the Pillar and ground of the Truth WEE heard the last day that the Church hath three wayes preserved the tables of truth First in preserving the Letter of the Scripture which I then dispatched Secondly in preserving the Canon of the Scripture I meane the true number of Canonicall Books Thirdly in preserving the Authoritie of the Scriptures Wee come now to the next Point which is that the Church hath preserved the true Canon of the Scripture that is the true number of the Canonicall Bookes without adding or diminishing Canonicall Scripture is that which is given us of God is bee a rule of faith and good life by the which yee may bee sure wee may please God The word Canon is a Greeke word signifying a Rule so the Scripture is a rule to square out our actions by Those which worke in curious buildings doe not work by aime and ghesse but by rule so in the spirituall building of a mans soule and conscience in making a spirituall house for God wee must not goe by aime and ghesse but by rule Wee must hold us to our rule so saith S. Paul Gal. 6. 16. As many as walke according to this rule peace shall bee upon them and mercy and upon the Israel of God And Exod. 25. 40. saith the Lord to Moses Looke therefore that thou make all after the pattern that was shewed thee in the mount There the Lord had given Moses a paterne Such a charge as this comes to every Christian concerning all his actions see that thou doest it according to the paterne which the Lord hath lest thee in the Scriptures to bee a rule of faith and good life and to build up thy soule and conscience in the assurance of thy salvation and hope of an heavenly life Therefore it hath beene the care of the Church to preserve the true number of the Canonicall Bookes intire Paul tells
we come of it it must be our care to mend it and to walke by rule SERMON LXVI 1 TIMOTHY 3. 15. That thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thy selfe in the House of God which is the Church of the Living God the Pillar and ground of the Truth HOw the Church is called the ground and the Pillar of truth hath beene in part declared already for first it hath preserved the letter of the Scripture secondly the Canon of the Scripture that is the number of the holy bookes thirdly the authority of the Scripture of which I am now to speake I say not that the Church giveth authority to the Scripture but I say it doth preserve the authoritie of the Scripture for if the Church should give authority to the Scripture then the authority of the Church were greater than the authority of the Scripture the Papists say that the Scripture is not authenticall but by the authority of the Church and another saith to speake absolutely the Church is of more authority because it giveth authority to the Scripture this is the doctrine of the Papists but the Scripture hath not his authority from the Church but from God so Saint Paul saith 2 Tim. 3. 16. For the whole Scripture is given by inspiration from God and is profitable to teach to improve to correct instruct c. so 2 Pet. 1. 25. for the prophecies came not in the old time by the will of man but holy men spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost therefore because the Scripture is given by inspiration from God it hath its authority from God unlesse we thinke it cannot be the word of God unlesse men allow of it so being favourable unto God that unlesse God please men they will give no authority to his word therefore the Scripture hath sufficient authority from God without any testimonie from men because it is the Word of God Now here comes a question which the Papists make How shall we know the Scripture but by the authoritie of the Church I answere because we may know it by infallible arguments and can prove it to bee the Scripture The testimony of the Church in this regard is to shew and declare that it came from God he is the Author of it it hath the Authority from God not from the Church the Church onely declares and makes it knowne to her Children by infallible testimonies that it is given by inspiration from God As a poore man who carrieth letters from the king can give no authoritie to it but if any man make doubt whether it came from the king or no he can shew the kings hand and seale to it and make it knowne to bee so by divers testimonies so the Church can give to authoritie to the Scripture but if any man make doubt whether it bee the Scripture or no the true Church can make it knowne by divers arguments that it came from God and this is the office of the Church Now there bee seven evidences whereby wee may prove that the Scriptures came from God the Author of them First The puritie of it so Spirituall and full of holy Matter of Goodnesse Iustice Sanctitie forbidding vice commending Vertue voide of all Corruption and so farre remooved from the heart of Man as that Man must needs thinke that it came from God So Deut. 4. 8. Moses saith What Nation is so great that hath ordinances and lawes so righteous as this law that I have set before you So David Psal 19. The Law of the Lord is an undefiled Law Hence we inferre the puritie thereof doth declare that it came from God It is so Holy and Divine as no wit of Man could devise the like all other lawes which have beene made by man in time have beene discovered and their corruptions approved even Lycurgus his Law which was thought to bee the best All other Bookes which have beene devised by the wit of Man have their corruptions Amongst the Philosophers no Rose but had his prickle no truth without some mixture of falsehood but this Booke of the Scripture the longer it is in the World the more it is discovered the more the puritie and holinesse of it doth appeare therefore this is an evidence that it came from God Secondly we may know the Scripture is from God by the majesty of it that in so plaine words and termes such high wisedome is contained therein and so transcending the Nature and wit of Man as no writing of man was ever like unto it As the officers of the high Priests said of Christ Iohn 7. 46. Never man spake like this Man so we may say of the Scriptures never did any Booke speake like this Booke If all mens wits were laid together they were not able to gather together one leafe like it all other bookes of other writers with two or three times reading them over wee may draw them dry even the Bookes of Demosthenes Plato and Aristotle But if we should live a thousand yeeres to read the Scriptures yet still wee should have one new thing or other This doth shew that all Mens wits have a bottome but the Scripture hath none therefore we may say of other bookes that they bee as a little gold among a great deale of earth but we may say of the Scripture as of the Pearle that there is a great deale of Treasure comprehended in a little roome Thirdly by the Power of it for there is nothing in this world that the nature of Man can lesse digest at this day than the Scripture Men cannot abide to read the Scriptures and yet notwithstanding wee see of what power it is to worke on the soule and conscience of Men it closeth with them and makes them see their sinnes to repent for them and brings them home to God as Heb. 4. 12. saith the Apostle For the Word of God is lively and mighty in operation and sharper than a two-edged sword and entreth through even to the dividing asunder of soule and spirit and of the joynes and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the heart Now this power of the Word shewes it is from God Againe when a Mans Conscience is on the racke there is nothing but God can releeve him therefore this is an evidence that it is of God because it is of power as well to convert as also to comfort a Man when his Conscience is on the racke Fourthly By innumerable prophecies and predictions therein that have been foretold and come to passe in the times appointed as Esay 41. 22. saith God Let them bring forth and shew us what shall happen let them shew the former things what they be that we may consider them and know the latter end of them or declare us things for to come Shew the things that are to come hereafter that wee may know that ye are Gods yea doe good or doe
because the Scripture is the Word of God it is the highest Iudge Aquinas saith whosoever bringeth a letter from one it is as if he brought the party so when we bring Gods Word for a thing it is as if wee should bring God because it is the voyce of God who is the highest Iudge of all therefore although a kingdome and a country should command us to doe such and such things if the Word of God condemne it we must not doe it Gen. 3. When the devill came to the Woman to tempt her to eate of the forbidden fruite saith shee God hath said wee shall not eate of it so a Christian should doe when hee meets with temptations and is tempted to sinnes he must say God hath said I must not lye deceive prophane the Sabboth be drunken I must not misspend my time because God hath forbidden it therefore I must not doe it Thirdly seeing the Scripture is the Word of God wee must take heed wee doe not neglect it because it comes from God and is the voyce of God that saith feare God love your brethren live in charity one with another walke holily and christianly repent of your sinnes therefore we must respect the voyce of God as it is 1 Thes 4. he therefore that despiseth these things despiseth not man but God therefore seeing God hath said Pray continually in all things give thankes wee must take heed wee doe not despise the Word of God Fourthly seeing the Scripture is the Word of God therefore this will direct us in the dangerous passages of this world as Psal 119. saith David thy Word is a lanthorne unto my feet and a light unto my path so Matth. 2. when the Wisemen went to seeke Christ there was a starre appeared unto them which they followed till it brought them to the house whereas Christ was such a starre is the Bible the holy Scripture if wee follow it it will not leave us till it bring us to Christ Saint Basil saith it is the manner of Marriners when they bee at Sea to direct themselves in their voyage safe home by casting their eyes up to Heaven in the day looking to the Sunne and in the night to some bright starre so must thou doe if thou wilt goe safe to heaven looke to the Word of God and hold to it that it may be a direction to thee let not thine eyes slumber nor sleepe but follow on till thou come to a joyfull beholding of God in Christ and all the holy Angels and people of God where we shall live for ever and ever We have already spoken of foure points wherein the dignitie of the Church consists first that it is called the City of God secondly that it is called the body of Christ thirdly that it is called the Spouse of Christ fourthly that it is called the ground and Pillar of truth Fifthly that it is like to Noahs Arke that there is no salvation without it for as in the old world all perished that were not gathered into Noahs Arke their wisedome Towers castles and goods could not save them so all that are not gathered into the Church they shall perish it is not their wisdome nor wealth that can save them for the Church is the Arke of God there is no salvation but in Sion that is in the Church of God therefore the holy Scripture saith in this place of those God had a purpose to save he added to the Church from day to day so Ephe. 5. 23. Saint Paul saith that Christ is the Saviour of his body now the Church is the body of Christ therefore there are none saved but the Church that is none but they which are joyned to Christ and become members of him as Iosh 2. 18 19. there wee see a covenant was made betweene Rahab and the Spies that she should hang a red threed or a cord out of the window at their comming so all that were within the house should be saved but if they were out of the house though they were her owne kindred yet they should perish their bloud should be upon their owne heads such a covenant God hath made with us that if we will get into the house where the red threed the cord hangs out of the bloud of Christ we shall bee saved but all that be without this house are like to perish their bloud shall be upon their owne heads Now there are foure reasons why there is no Salvation but in the true Church of God First because there onely the heavenly light shineth the Church is the Goshen of God where the heavenly light shineth when all the world over lye in Aeygptian darknesse as wee see in the Scriptures therefore because the heavenly light shineth in the Church there is no salvation without it so Esai 59. 10. it is said Wee grope for the wall like the blind as one without eyes who stumbles in the noone dayes as in the twilight wanting the light they dash here and there they grope for the wall and cannot finde it so all that be out of the Church of God want this same heavenly light to shine unto them they dash here and there grope for the wall lose themselves and shall never be able to finde the way to heaven therefore because the light of God shineth in the Church onely there is no salvation without it Secondly because wee can have no Communion with Christ unlesse wee have Communion with the members of Christ for as it is in the naturall so it is in the mysticall body of Christ in the naturall body wee cannot have Communion with the head unlesse we have Communion with the members for my hand cannot have Communion with my head unlesse it bee joyned to my arme so wee cannot have Communion with Christ unlesse wee have had Communion with his members which is the true Church of God therefore there is no salvation without it Thirdly because no where else wee can looke for a blessing but in the Communion of the faithfull and societie of the godly It is true indeed as David saith that the earth is full of the goodnesse of God but the speciall blessing of God resteth onely in the societie of the faithfull as Exod. 20. 24. saith God In all places where I shall put the remembrance of my name I will come to thee and blesse thee so Psal 113. 3. it is said of the Church For there the Lord appointed blessing and life for evermore Now the mountaines of Sion are figure of the true Church of God so the blessing of Sion is no where but in the Communion of the true Church as Iohn 5. wee see a number of Lame men sicke diseased lay at the poole side waiting when the Angell of God should come down and stir the waters because whosoever could get in after the waters were stir'd was healed what disease soever he had so because in
to thanke God that it is not so common amongst us as it hath been There is also another fault amongst us that a poore man many times stands excommunicated three or foure yeers together indeed there may bee a fault in the poore man to stand so long but let us take heed it bee not for want of our helpe Therefore as wee are ready to contribute to the necessities of their bodies so we should bee to contribute to them in this case But here may a Christian demand whether were a man best to give money or to stand excommunicated still this question I will answer by another question what if a man fall into the hands of Theeves were hee better to lose his money or his life I answer hee were better to lose his money because his life is the greater even so a man were better to lose his money than the meanes of grace which is the greater Another may here object and say I but how if a man cannot bee absolved without hee should sinne against God and offend his conscience To this I answer that if the case be so that he cannot be absolved but he must sinne against God then hee were better lose the Communion of men which is the lesser than the Communion of God which is the greater as Iohn 9. wee see the blind man whom the Pharisees had cast out Christ meets with and said unto him doest thou beleeve in the Sonne of God as if hee should say notwithstanding this censure thy cause is good thou art a blessed man in like maner although the censure of excommunication hath passed upon thee if thou beleevest in the Sonne of God thy case is good this may comfort Christians Lawyers have a saying that unjust Lawes binde no man and Bellarmine saith that there is a double Communion an externall and an internall Communion the externall Communion of the Church of God is in the word preached prayer and in Sacraments the internall is in the graces of the Spirit Faith love and other graces Now a man may bee cast out from the externall Communion the word and Sacraments as when a man is put into prison or banished and yet may have the internall Communion with the Church a man may be cut off from his brethren in regard of outward societie but hee can not bee cut off from Christ And these bee the uses wee are to make of this point Now that wee have spoken of the Nature of the Church in the next place we are to speake of the properties of it which are two 1. It is a Holy Church 2. It is a Catholike Church First The Church of God is Holy there is a company of Holy People here in this world as Zech. 8. 5. thus saith the Lord I will returne unto Sion and will dwell in the midst of Ierusalem and Ierusalem shall be called a Citie of Truth and the Mountaine of the Lord of Hosts and the Holy Mountaine so in Dâ—â—iel the Church is called the Holy People of God and Revel 22. 2. saith S. Ioh. And I saw the holy Citie the new Ierusalem come downe from God so also 1 Cor. 3. 17. Saint Paul saith For the Temple of the Lord is Holy which ye are Therefore seeing the Church of God is an assembly of Holy People accordingly as it is Holy wee the Members thereof must labour to be Holy Now the Holinesse of the Church is opposed unto three things that seemeth to take away Holinesse from it First the judgement of the world for it thinkes that of all societies they are the vilest and the worst they thinke them to be but a company of dissemblers and hypocrites that professe the Word but deny the Power of it but we that are Christians beleeve that the Church of God is Holy though the World thinke them a company of dissemblers David saith Psal. 13. Yet God is good to Israel even to the pure in heart and in the 14. of Deut. 2. we read For thou art an Holy People to the Lord thy God and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a precious people to him Therefore howsoever the World condemnes them yet wee beleeve that God hath a Holy company of People in the World The second thing that seemeth to take away Holinesse from the Church is that it is a united company of good and bad together for I have shewed you that the Church of God is like to a Flocke wherein are Sheepe and Goates a Floore wherein is Corne and Chaffe a Field wherein are Tares and Wheate and yet these bad persons are no true Members of the Church but like bad humours in the body Againe the Faith of a Christian opposeth and doth beleeve that there is a company of Holy People and that the wicked that live amongst them doe not defile the Holy things of God for it is Pauls rule 1 Cor. 11. 26. Let a Man therefore examine himselfe c. whereupon saith Augustine Marke thou that art a good Man thou mayest eat and drinke with comfort if thou doe examine thy selfe and againe he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh his owne damnation not so to thee that art a good Man but to the wicked that came like swine without any preparation at all The third thing that seemes to take away holinesse from the Church is the remainders of sinne and corruption for there is no Man in the estate of Grace but hath complained of this So David Psal 40. 12. My sinnes hath taken such hold on me that I am not able to looke up and Paul complayneth Rom. 7. The good thing that I would doe that doe I not but what I hate that doe I c. so in the best estate there is some remainders of sinne Therefore although the World and the Divell should condemne them yet we beleeve the Church of God is Holy SERMON LXVII 1 CORINTHIANS 3. 17. For the Temple of God is holy which yee are HAving spoken of the Nature of the Church we began to speake of the Properties of it the last day being two First we beleeve the Church of GOD is Holy Secondly that it is Catholike agreable to that part of our Christian profession Now the Church of God is holy foure manner of wayes First In regard of the Holinesse of their Faith or by the Holinesse of their Faith All other societies are fouly spotted and tainted with errour against the foundation but this remaines unspotted in the foundation therefore the Church is Holy because their Faith is Holy So Iude 20. But ye beloved edifying your selves in your most holy Faith keepe your selves in the Love of God So Matth. 7. 6. saith our Saviour Give not that which is holy to Dogges It cannot be denyed but that there may bee errours in the true Church for as they bee subject to all other sinnes so are they to the sinne of ignorance as
Levit. 4. 3. there was a sacrifice appointed for the Ignorance of the Priests and People and Habakuk 3. the Prophet intitles a prayer for the Ignorances Therefore the Church may bee ignorant of some things as the Church of Ierusalem was Acts 11. 10. The Church was ignorant of the calling of the Gentiles till they were informed by Peter and in Cyprians time there was rebaptising held in the true Church So in Augustines time it was held as a thing needfull to salvation for Children to receive the Lords Supper contrary to Saint Pauls rule 1 Cor. 11. Let a Man examine himselfe therefore it is out of question their may be errors in the true Church But the difference is twofold First that they doe not erre in the foundation their errours doe not strike at the heart and let out the life-blood of religion but it is like the scratching of a Thorne and therefore it remaineth Holy in the foundation Secondly Though it fall into errour it is so assisted by the Power of grace as it doth not rest till it recover againe as mud being throwne into a fountaine rests not till it workes it out and settles againe so though the Church fall into errour it is so assisted by the power of grace as that it recovers againe as Iohn 16. 11. saith Christ When hee is come that is the Spirit He shall lead you into all Truth that is possesse them with all truth and lead them in all Truth Peter himselfe did not know all for he was ignorant of the calling of the Gentiles till he saw the vision And then it was revealed unto him so though the Church of God be ignorant for some time it shall not so continue but the Holy Ghost will lead it into all truth Now with the holinesse of their Faith they must joyne holinesse of life as 2 Pet. 1. 5. saith he moreover joyne with your Faith vertue and with vertue knowledge and with knowledge temperance c. with saith there must be joyned good life as of 1 Tim. 1. 19. saith S. Paul of some having faith and a good conscience which some have put away and as concerning faith hath made Shipwracke they were not wise enough to joyne to the holines of their faith holines of life but cast away a good coÌ„science made no conscience of known duties and so made shipwracke of all the pretious graces that they had imbarked In the 2 Thes 2. 10. it is said Because they received not the love of Truth that they might be saved therefore did God send them strong delusions that they should beleeve lies Therefore if men will not receive the love of the truth that they may be saved it is just with God to send them strong delusions to beleeve lyes therefore it must bee our care that with holinesse of our faith we joyne a Holy life Secondly the Church is holy by the imputation of Christs righteousnesse as 1 Cor. 1. 30. it is said Christ is made to us of God the Father wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption so Christ is not onely our justification but our sanctification for his holinesse is imputed to us In the Law as wee may see Rom. 11. 16. In the first fruits all the rest was sanctified though they â—â—re not brought into the Temple nor presented before God yet by thâ— first fruites the rest was made Holy by a certaine power to the eateâ— and users of them so because Christ is the first fruits that was offered to God in all the puritie that might bee therefore the Church of God is made holy by relation from him To this the Schoolemen agree for saith Aquinas every imperfect thing presupposeth some certaine thing that is perfect that it might be helpt all our holinesse is unperfect in our selves therefore it must bee made perfect by the holinesse of Christ In all accusations of the Divell and conflicts of our consciences wee should come to God and say Lord though I am a sinner uncleane and have infinite wants in my selfe yet in my Head Christ I am sanctified and made Holy so that whatsoever I want in my selfe it is made good in him We see chrystall though it have no light nor lustre in it selfe yet set it in the Sunne and it receiveth the Sunne beames so although we have no light nor manner of lustre in our selves yet if we be brought to Christ wee receive all the graces of Christ therefore in the Revelation the Church is said to bee apparelled with the righteousnesse of Christ Thirdly the Church is holy by inherent holinesse because there is never a true member of the Church but doth labour to be holy though they be incumbred with a number of sinnes Therefore Heb. 3. they are called holy brethren and Esay 65. 12. It is said of them and they shall call them the holy People the redeemed of the Lord for it is the care of every true member to be holy though they be troubled with many incumbrances weaknesses and sinnes Therefore whosoever thou art that art not holy at all for wee cannot obtaine to bee perfectly holy in the estate of corruption labour to bee holy in some measure use the meanes and have care to rid and remove thy sinnes for otherwise thou art no true member of the holy Church A man may live in the Church till his flesh rot or his eyes fall out of his head and yet be no true member of the Church no more than a wodden legge is a true part of a Mans body which though it moove and goe with the body yet may be laid in the fire when the body is in safety because it is not joyned to it to draw life and motion from it in like manner a man may live in the Church and bee no true member thereof because hee is not joyned to Christ nor can approve himselfe to his owne conscience or to the conscience of others therefore as it is the care of every true member to be holy so it must be the care of us that are in the Church Fourthly the Church is holy because there be the meanes of holinesse It is not so holy as Corah Dathan and Abiram said Numb 16. 3. to Moses and Aaron ye take too much upon you seeing all the congregation is holy Thus to have no neede of Magistracie and Ministerie were a dangerous errour for any to thinke for the Church hath neede of all the meanes of holinesse though there be some beginnings of it yet they have neede of Moses and Aaron of Magistracie and Ministery as Psal 77. 20. it is said that The Lord led the People of Israel like Sheepe by the hand of Moses and Aaron the Lord led them with great tendernesse and respect hee led them like sheepe but it was by the hand of Moses and Aaron as long as the Church is in her Pilgrimage it hath neâ—de of all meanes of holinesse to guide and
first propertie The second propertie is that the Church of God is Catholike that is it is generally diffused and spread all the world over This word Catholike is not found in all the Bible yet as long as the sense is there we may retaine and keepe it seeing it is not against any point of our Christian profession As for the signification of it the word is the same both in Latine and Greeke and signifieth generall whence wee inferre the Church of God seemeth to take his name from our Lord Iesus himselfe where hee saith Act. 1. 8. And yee shall bee witnesses unto mee both in Ierusalem and in all Iudea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth Here the observation may bee this that if wee finde new words as long as the sense is not new nor the Doctrine wee may receive them but if both the words and the sense and Doctrine bee new that is if it bee not found in the Scripture then they are to bee rejected and refused therefore because transubstantiation is a new word and the Doctrine is new the sense not being to be found in the Scripture we are to reject it for before the Lateran Councell there was no such thing heard of which brought in both the word and Doctrine and made that a point of faith which before was never dreamt of Now the Church is said to bee Catholike in three regards 1. In regard of Place 2. In regard of Person 3. In regard of Time First the Church of God is Catholike in regard of place for it is not tied to one certaine place countrie or Kingdome but God himselfe hath inlarged and spread it over all the world farre and neere there was a time when it did belong to the Iewes and to those that did joine with them but now Christ hath broken downe the partition wall and hath laid all the world common now hee hath enlarged the Church and spread it all the world over This is that Peter speakes of Of a truth saith hee I perceive that God is no accepter of persons but in every nation hee that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse is accepted of him so Christ Matth. 8. saith That many shall come from the east and from the west and shall sit down with Abraham Isaak Iacob in the Kingdome of God so Eph. 2. 13 14. but now in Christ Iesus yee which were once a farre off are made members by the bloud of Christ for he is our peace which hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us and it is said Revel 7. 9. And after these things I beheld and lâ—e a great multitude of all nations and kindreds and people and tongues stood before the throne and before the lambe cloathed with long Robes and palmes in their hands So then it is plaine by the Scriptures that the Church is Catholike in regard of place and is not abridged to no one countrey or Kingdome but is spread all the world over Augustine saith well We are not to thinke it was enough for Christ to shed out his most precious bloud for one countrey or Kingdome but it was to win the whole world to himselfe and againe hee saith By that which Christ gave for the redemption of man they may perceive the great price and payment which was his death and bloudshed a thing of so great value or price that it was not for any one country or Kingdome but for all and therefore it is called the Catholike Church The use is first seeing that the Church is Catholike or universall and consists of all countries and Kingdomes therefore we should bee thankfull to God that hath reserved us till this time for wee might have beene born when the light of the Gospell shined onely amongst the Iewes and then wee might have perished in unbeleefe therefore thankes bee unto God in that hee hath brought us forth in a time when the Gospell is preached And seeing it hath pleased God to doe so let us bee wise to lay hold on the good meanes that is layd before us come out of our sinnes and corruptions that so wee may bee saved from them if fish in a pond should bee nigh poisoned with stinking mud and water and one should come and cut a sluce through into fresh water what would they doe but goe out into the fresh water This is our case wee are like to fish in a pond that bee poisoned in the mud and stinking water of our sinnes and corruptions therefore seeing it hath pleased God to cut a sluce and trench through and to open the bosome of the true Church to us where the fresh water is the waters of life and salvation it must bee our wisedome to come out of our sinnes and to lay hold of the good meanes that are set before us Secondly seeing the Church of God is Catholike wherein there is the meanes of grace therefore it must be our consideration to apply our selves to lay hold on it in our life time while wee live heere It is S. Pauls exhortation 2 Cor. 6. 5. I beseech you brethren that you receive not the graces of God in vaine It is a great mercie that God doth offer in the true Church where the meanes of grace are used preaching prayer the use of the Sacraments therefore let us apply our selves to lay hold on it and to get good by it You your selves know that if earthly Paradise were to bee recovered and the Cherubins with the shaking sword removed so that wee might goe in without any danger would you lye down and sleepe would you idle out the time no I dare bee bold to say that you would flye to the trees gather of the fruit and eate of them especially of the tree of life that you might live for ever This is the grace that God doth offer to us for the militant Church is the Paradise of God where there are trees of all sorts therefore what should wee doe not lye down in the dust and idle out the time but apply our selves to eate of the fruit especially of the tree of life to feed on Christ by faith to draw out all his graces that so wee may live for ever Secondly the Church of God is Catholike in regard of the persons for it includeth all sorts of persons rich and poore high and low noble and ignoble wise and foolish bond and free and excludeth none To this purpose saith S. Paul Gal. 3. 28. There is neither Iew nor Grecian there is neither bond nor free there is neither male nor female for ye are all one in Christ Iesus and S. Peter Act. 10. saith I saw a vision of all sorts of birds and beasts and there came a voice too that bad him kill eate by which vision he did understand that God had then sanctified all sorts of men in the bloud of Christ there was
will prove that they cannot be true Catholikes First because alwayes the true Catholikes have taught that divine worship is to be given to God onely and to no creature else as Christ saith Matth. 4. to the devill thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve so likewise Revel 22. Iohn fell downe to worship the Angell but the Angell said unto him See that in no wise thou dost it for I am thy fellow servant and Saint Ierome saith that we Christians doe not worship any creature neither Angell nor Archangell but God onely now because they teach that we should worship stockes and stones and the workes of mens hands therefore they are no true Catholikes Secondly because true Catholikes teach that there is but one Mediator between God and man and that is Christ only according to the Apostle For there is but one God and one Mediator betweene God and man the man Christ Iesus so Heb. 13. 15. saith he Let us therefore by him offer the Sacrifice of praise alwayes to God so Origen also we Christians offer up all our prayers to God by the meanes of Christ but the Papists teach that there are a number of Mediators and that we may pray to the Virgin Mary to Peter and Paul therefore they are no true Catholikes Thirdly because the true Catholike Church hath taught for sixteene hundred yeeres together that men should not equivocate should not speake one thing and thinke another but should speake the truth from their hearts as Ephe. 4. 25. saith the Apostle Wherefore cast off lying and speake the Truth every man to his neighbour so Psalm 15. Hee that speaketh he truth in his heart is one of them that shall inhabite Gods holy hill therefore we cannot say one thing and meane another for the oath is according to him that taketh the oath and not according to the minde of him that sweareth but the Papists teach that a man may equivocate sweare one thing and meane another and therefore they are not true Catholikes Now the use of this is seeing in this world is the true Catholike Church and the meanes of Grace let it be our wisedome to lay hold on the good meanes that is set before us before wee remove hence I have shewed you heretofore if a man should send his servant into the Indies with a ship to fill with gold and there might have it but fils it with rubbish stones and gravell when this servant comes home hee may looke for a cold welcome home so the Lord hath sent us into this world as it were into the Indies with a ship with our soules and bodies and into the Church of God there we may have gold to fill our shippes with that is the graces of his Spirit therefore if wee shall fill our shippes with rubbish gravell or dirt that is with sinnes and corruptions we may looke for a cold welcome home for in the Church of God there are the springs and fountaines of grace therefore why doe wee not apply our selves to fill shippes with the purest gold to get faith repentance prayer and all the graces of the Spirit that so we may have comfort at our returne to God SERMON LXVIII 1 IOHN 1. 3. That which we have seene and heard declare we unto you that yee also may have fellowship with us and truely our fellowship is with the Father and with his Sonne Iesus Christ HAving spoken of the Church in the next place wee are to speake of the speciall benefits and blessings that God doth bestow on it for the Church is Gods peculiar and chosen people that hee hath drawne out of this world therefore it pleaseth him to bestow greater blessings and more speciall favours on them than on all other societies and assemblies whatsoever It is true indeed that there be common blessings that hee bestowes upon others as it is said Psal 119. 69. that the earth is full of thy goodnesse O Lord and so Matth. 5. 45. For hee maketh the Sunne to shine on the evill and on the good and sendeth raine on the just and on the unjust these common blessings all the people of the world partake of O but there are a peculiar blessings and favours that belong to none but to Gods servants wherein none of the wicked have their parts and therefore as David saith Psal 31. 19. How great is thy goodnesse O Lord which thou hast laid up for them that feare thee and done to them that trust in thee c. the prophet doth not say positively much goodnesse is laid up for them that feare God but makes a question and saith how much goodnesse and so Psalm 147. ult hee hath not dealt so with every nation neither have they knowne his judgements so there bee speciall favours and blessings that none of the world have part in for howsoever the wicked of the world may have common blessings as riches favour amongst men wisedome and learning and bee enabled to mainetaine Arts and Sciences yet notwithstanding there are speciall blessings that none of the wicked have their parts in that doe belong to his children onely to enjoy by the meanes of Faith so Genes 17. 18 22. Abraham prayeth to God that Ismael might live in his sight the Lord told him that he had heard him concerning Ismael and that he would make a great nation of him but my covenant will I establish with Isaac even so now God blesseth the wicked in this world hee maketh great men of them and rich gives them wisedome children and such like but his covenant he doth establish with Isaac his speciall blessings and favours hee bestowes on none but his owne children to be enjoyed by Faith Now there bee two reasons why the Lord doth so and it is not unprofitable for a man to consider of them First because the godly may see what a goodly and rich portion the Lord hath appointed for them that so if any wayes either through the falsehood of the devill or other provocations they bee pulled out from the enjoying thereof they may labour to recover it againe knowing no where to have better entertainement than in the house of their father this it was that brought home the Prodigall sonne to his fathers house when he considered the happy estate of those that lived therein that they had bread and bread enough and not onely the sonnes but the servants and such as were hired but for a day even the meanest of them so when Christians shall consider the rich and happy estate of all the people of God what a deale of comfort and joy they have in the house of God that they are comfortable in their life and blessed at their death when they sleepe in the dust and when they shall be raised up to glory that is no small allurement for them to returne againe unto the house of God so we see Hos 2. 7. it is there
hinder a man from Christ 121. * How a strong Christian weakned by sinne may know whether the holy Ghost bee in him or no. 505. Christians of all men most happy because Christ is their Lord. 99. ¶ Good is to be done to Christians as they are Christians 461. †What the Church of God is 525. The Church Triumphant Militant 520. 530. No member of the Triumphant that is not of the Militant Church 530. The great blessing it is to be a member of the Church 566. ¶ Wee must beleeve a not in the Church 523. ¶ The Church a mixed company of good and bad 537. How the Church is one 534. The diverse estates of the Church here in this world 534. The Church sometimes hidden 535. ¶ The Church power at one time than another 537. Of cleaving to the Church 537. ¶ The blessings that proceed from the peace of the Church 536. ¶ The dignities of the Church 539. The Church as the Citie of God excels all other cities in foure respects 539. The Church the Body of Christ 542. * Christ Loveth Indoweth Adorneth Acquitteth Bringeth home Glorifieth the Church his Spouse 544. Vniversality a property of the Church 574. The Church the pillar and ground of truth 549. The Church preserves the Letters Canon Authority of the Scripture 550. Holinesse a property of the Church 569. Iudgement of the world mixture of good and bad remainder of sinne seeme to take away the holinesse of the Church 569. The Church said to bee Holy by 1. Faith and good conversation 2. Impâ—tation of Christs righteousnesse 3. Inherent holinesse in the true members 4. Having the means of holinesse 570. Reasons why there is no salvation without the Church 565. ¶ The Church Betâ—lehem thither we must goe to finde Christ 126. * All things tend to the good of the Church as crosse wheeles in a clocke 88. ¶ The come unto me in glory depends on the come unto me in grace 446. ¶ Christ comes to a man when things bee at the worst 115. ¶ The comfort of the Holy Ghost excels all other comforts 511. To appropriate Christs merit a great comfort 124. †Two times to commend our soules to God In danger every day 258. 3. grounds of coÌ„mending our selves to God because hee is the Father of Spirits our Father in Christ hath afforded us former favours 258. Why Christ gives signes of his comming 402. God communicates his wisdome c. to us we our griefes to him 583. Christ communicates to us Himselfe right of his death merit Power of Spirituall life Dignity of his owne estate 584 We communicate to Christ our Nature Sinnes Troubles and dangers 383. Christ communicates his graces to his Church 341. Of the communion of the Saints 579. By the communion of Saints a Christian hath a thousand helps 597. ¶ The communion of Saints consists in communion with God with Christ one with another 582 Foure lets of the communion of saints 605. The communion one with another consists in the commmuion of the 1. Living with the living 587 c. 2. Living and the Dead in wishing well to conversing with one another 598 3. Dead with the dead in 1. Lying together in the Grave 2. Being members of Christ 3. Being gathered to the Saints departed 599. The communion of the living with the living stands in community of Affection 587. Graces 588. Spirituall sacrifices ibid. Temporall blessings 590. Bearing one with another 594. The communitie of goods is limited in the Excesse Defect 592. Communions of the wicked 579. Christs company a great comfort 243. †Christs complaint on the crosse 168. Christ conceived of the flesh of the Virgin 105. †by the power of the holy Ghost how 106. Christ conceived by the Holy Ghost that he might be pure and without sin 107. †The stirre that was at Christs conception 108. * Of the condemnation of Christ 197. Conscience compared to a Booke wherein all things are written 207. ¶ To sin against conscience a fearefull thing 205. †207. †The property of a good conscience to be moved at Gods judgements 206. ¶ Bad consciences troubled at Christs comming 132. ¶ Wicked mens consciences may be sealed for a time but one day they shall be opened 184. ¶ No flying from an evill conscience 205. ¶ An evill conscience the worst accuser 207. ¶ A Christian though contemn'd in his life is honoured in his grave 278. ¶ Constancie in a good course requisite thogh without successe 199. * Of the conviction at the last day 437. Conversion makes men labour to draw others to the same estate 238. * Confession of sinne Cleering the Iustice of God Zeale for the honour of God a signe of conversion 238. No man knowes the instant of his conversion 305. No cost to be spared for Christ 280. ¶ Covetousnesse moved Iudas to betray Christ 181. †The workes of the Creation not to be lookt on but with due consideration 65. ¶ The Author Substance Manner Subject Estate Time Order End of the Creation c. 64. The motion multitude of the Creatures prove a Deitie 43. ¶ The Creature not God cause of sinne and defect 67. †We ought not to abuse the Creatures seeing God made them 65. Wee ought to pray for restauration to the creatures 68. * Christ died the death of the Crosse because it was most Accursed Shamefull Painefull Apparent 211. Christs behaviour on the Crosse 224. The seven last words of Christ on the Crosse 224. c. The scandall of the Crosse weakens faith 321. Christs Disciples must bee carriers of the Crosse 214. ¶ No man must make a Crosse to himselfe but bee contented if God lay it on him 214. ¶ All Crosses must be borne ibid. The place where Christ was crucified 215. Why Christ was crucified aloft 213. * How Christ was led to be crucified 213. What torments are expressed in the word crucified 219. ¶ Vses from Christs crucifying 220. c. Five falsehoods in Popish crucifixes 223. Christs Cup what it is 160. * Sinne brings Gods curse upon 〈◊〉 467. * D ALL needlesse dangers are carefully to be shunned 338. †Whether the darkenesse of the Sunne at Christs passion was all the world over 165. †The horrid darknesse of wicked men at the last day 165. ¶ The holy Ghost illuminates as a window in a darke house 509. Dead bodies members of Christ having communion with him 600. Incertainty of death should stirre us up to conscionable walking 237. †At the day of death most care is to bee had of our soules 238. ¶ 257. ¶ 258. * Death but a departing 143. * The good change a Christian makes by death 242. ¶ The greatest extremitie befals Christians at the time of their deaths 169. ¶ We ought to prepare for death 179. †Christs Death 261. Voluntarie 265. The manifestation thereof 266. The Power thereof 269. ¶ The fruits of Christs Death are to us freedome from the Eternall Death Seing of Death Curse of Death Power of
the Name Iesus is implied Christ to be our Savior No other Iesus but he He is our Iesus and will save us 72. Sinnes of ignorance lesse than sinnes of knowledge 228. * Commission of sinne after illumination dangerous 193. ¶ Impenitence worse than wormewood or â—all to Christ 250. * Importunitie prevailes with wicked men to any thing that is bad 210. * Impossibilities in nature are possibilities in the power of God 109. ¶ Our Heavenly Inheritance comes from God our Father 57. Our title to Heaven is by inheritance 452. Foure testimonies of Christs Innocencie 195. We ought to beware of wronging the Innocent 206. ¶ Iosephs grave in his garden why 279. How Christ makes intercession for us 457. It is finished Christs song of gratulation 250. ¶ Of Iudas's betraying Christ 181. Christ onely the Iudge at last day 394. ¶ Comforts from Christ being our Iudge 394. ¶ Two things required in a Iudge sufficient Knowledge to know all things Power to punish all offendors 391. Of Christs comming to Iudgement 385. The glory of Christs comming to Iudgement consists in His traine Brightnesse of his Body Eminencie of his soveraigne Power 422 There shall be a Iudgement day 386. The day of Iudgement not far off 400. ¶ The Earth the generall place where the last Iudgement shall be 395. * The Time Certaintie Signes of the last Iudgement 399. c. Two signes yet to come of the last Iudgement 403. Reasons of the delay of the day of Iudgement are Gods 1. Patience in waiting for mans redemption 2. Goodnesse to his creatures 3. Care of the Elect. 404. The persons that shall be Iudged 405. The manner of the last Iudgement 409. The sentence of the last Iudgement 443. The last Iudgement shall bee according to good workes 458. ¶ Difference in Iudgement may happen to the Saints but not in affection as in Physitians about a sicke Patient 585. ¶ Gods Children must bee affected with his Iudgements 168. ¶ All that desire to see Christ and to depart in peace must be Iust men 139. †Iustice and Religion must goe together 139. ¶ K NO doores or iron gates can keepe out Christ 339. * Christ hath two keyes 1. To lock the wicked into hel 2. To open heaveÌ„ to the godly 423 Christ a King to Gather Governe Doe good to Defend his Church and People 86. c. The Kingdome of Heaven prepared onely for the Elect. 451. Three properties of the Kingdome of Heaven 448. Gods attributes set aworke to furnish the Kingdome of Heaven 448. ¶ Foure excellencies of the Kingdome of Heaven 449. Gods goodnesse to his people to bring them out of the divels kingdome into Christs 87. †Christs Kingdome not of this world 115. †198. †Some kisse religion at Church as Iudas did Christ and betray it at home 184. †That we shall know one another at the Resurrection 630. Two defects in knowledge or illumination 496. Christ must bee made knowne abroad noâ— conceald in private 127. †Wee must make conscience of knowne truthes 284. * L NO labour too great to come to Christ 129. ¶ If we continue in sinne unrepentant Christ hath lost his labour 151. ¶ A Christian a shining lampe 589. * The Canon Law makes it unlawfull to sell Spirituall things What belongs to another 182. ¶ God sometimes leaves us to see how we love him 332. A man loses the Spirit as leaves fall off a tree 521. †An evill member of the Church compared to a wodden legge 537. * Why Christs legges were broken 266. No lets should binder Christians from comming to Christ 126. †Christs Letter to his Father 74. How a man may be busied for provision for this life 648. †Mans life compared to Weavers warpe 45. ¶ Life twofold of Nature Grace 171. * The time of this life the time of mercie and grace 444. This life compared to a drawbridge ibid. Of life everlasting 648. God promiseth to his People life Naturall in this world Spirituall in the world to come 649. ¶ Two degrees of spirituall life of Grace Glorie 650. †The continuance of life everlasting 669. Life everlasting no blessing but torment to the wicked 648. ¶ Christ by his life aswell as death wrought out our salvation 254. †As the Soule is the life of the body so God is the life of the soule 649. Sinners deserve not to have the light of the Sunne or Moone to shine on them 167. ¶ Christ Lord of the world in regard of Soveraigntie Service 95. Christ as Lord will dispose all to the good of his Church 96. †Christ our Lord by right of Creation Redemption Donation Voluntarie service 97. The abatements of the graces of the Spirit in a man whereby hee thinkes them lost 518. †Love beares with a number of faults as a mother with her childe 595. The marvellous love of Christ to die and suffer for us 151. * True love to Christ Endures no holding backe Followes Christ in bonds 190. True love to Christ stoopes to the meanest service for his members 276. †Christ loves his enemies much more his friends 226. ¶ Every man like the Iewes preferre their lusts before Christ 203. M IF Christ restored an Eare to Malchus his enemy much more will he be mercifull to his friends 638. ¶ God had rather abate of his Service thaâ— Man wâ—nt his comfort 459. Gods fitting a Man to his Kingdome compared to a Carpenters hewing of timber 500. ¶ The meanenesse of Mans beginning 67. God made Man last of all creatures to Honour him Teach him Further him in the best things 70. †Christ was made Man in regard of Necessitie Equitie Fitnesse 103. The Manhood of Christ darkned by the Godhead as a candle by the Sunne 477. * The manner of the manifestation of Christs birth 123. Three reasons why Christ was manifested first to the poorer sort 120. ¶ The Virgin Mary more blessed for bearing Christ in her heart than in her wombe 112. †Notes of Mary Magdalens love to Christ are her seeking him Continually when others gave over With teares for losse of him With diligence With complaint for not finding him With publishing her sorrow With proffer of any paines to enjoy him 306. c. Why Mary could not see Christ 310. Why Christ appeares first to Mary 313. ¶ Constant using the meanes a sure way to finde Christ 307. The meanes are to the Spirit as would to the nourishing of a tree 520. †The conscionable use of the meanes gives us comfortable hope of a blessing 538. * The office of a Mediator ceases when Christ renders up his Kingdome 476. †The Mediatorship compared to silke before sore eyes 476. ¶ All men are sinners 610. See Sinne and Sinners Mercie in the midst of wrath 58. Three reasons that no man can merit for another 596. Man can merit nothing 252. ¶ Watchfulnesse requisite to the members of the Church militant 531. ¶ GOD the Author of all Ministery 342. ¶ Christs
workings of the spirit Simile 1 2 3 Vse 1. Simile 2 3 Simile Sixe benefits we have by the holy Ghost 1 To shew us our miserable estate Simile Simile Simile 2 Illumination of Gods Will. Two waies the Holy Ghost teacheth First by opening our hearts Simile Secondly by strengthening our memory Simile Thirdly Holy Regiment and Government Simile Simile The Holy Ghost governesus two wayes First by restraining evill Secondly by stirring us up to good The fourth Benefit is to give power to perfâ—orme holy duties Simile Impossible to a naturall man 1 2 3 Fifthly comfort in distresse How the comfort of the Holy Ghost exâ—â—ds 〈◊〉 other comfort 1 For 〈◊〉 2 In regard of Puritie Simile 3 In regard of Death 1 In affliction by perswading of Gods love 2 2 By turning all things to our good 3 By comfort that our troubles shall have an end 3 Wayes the Holy Ghost comforts in trouble 1 2 3 2 The Holy Ghost comforts in distresse of conscience How the Holy Ghost comforts in distresse of conscience 1 2 3 At the day of death the Holy Ghost comforts 1 Comfort 2 Comfort 3 Comfort 6 Benefit Vse Simile SERM. LVIII The first Conclusion The first Ground Simile The second Ground Simile The wayes to quench the Spâ—rit First by withdrawing the matter Secondly by powring on water Thirdly by smothering Simile 4 Negligence Simile 2 Conclusion 1 2 Simile 3 Conclusion Foure grounds that the Spirit once truely given is never finally lost 1 The â—romise of God 2 The Power of God 3 Christs Prayer 4 From the Nature of the seed 1 2 Simile 3 Simile 4 Simile Vse 1. Simile Vse 2. Simile Vse 3. Simile How we may retaine the Holy Ghost Five meanes to nourish the Spirit The first use of meanes Simile Simile Secondly not to grieve the Spirit Simile The Spirit grieved two wayes First sinning against Illumination Simile Secondly by disobedience to his motions Thirdly to marke the removes of the Spirit Simile Simile Fourthly to put the Spirit to imployment Simile 5 Not to over burthen the spirit with cares Simile Simile Simile SER. LIX 1 Vnder what forme wee must beleeve ART IX 2 What wee must beleeve of the Church 1 That God hath a Church Vse Quest Ans Vse 2. Simile 1 What the Church of God is The definition of the Church 1 The Church a company Simile 2 A company of called ones Vse 1. Simile Vse 2. 3 Vse 1. Simile Vse 2. Simile 4 Simile Vse 1. Vse 2. Simile Simile SER. LX. Secondly the Parts of the Church First the triumphant Church The Saints are glorified now Reason 1. Object Sol. Reason 2. First against naturall reason Simile Object Sol. Secondly against sanctified reason Secondly the Church militant A man must be a member of the militant before â—e can be of the Church Triumphant Simile Vse 1. Weake Christians deceived Object Sol. Vse 2. Simile Vse 3. Simile Vse 4. Simile SER. LXI Particular parts of the Church Simile Object Sol. 1 2 How the Church is one Simile Simile Vse 1. 3 The diverse states of the Church Simile Simile Simile Vse 1. Simile Vse 2. First it is a mixed company Simile Secondly it may be more pure at one time than another Simile Simile When we may not Separate lawfully from the Church 1 2 3 When we may separate Ans. 1. Affirm Simile 2 SERM. LXII 4 Five priviledges and dignities of the Church The first dignitie of the Church The Citie of excels others in foure respects 2 This societie is to preserve soules especially Simile 3 All commodities goe thither for spirituall life 4 Here is spirituall freedome Vse 1. Simile Vse 2. Vse 3. 2 Dignitie of the Church 1 Consequent That Christ is the head of the Church onely three proofes 1 Simile 2 3 2 Consequent Simile Simile 3 Consequent Simile Simile Vse 3 Dignitie of the Church Simile 1 He loves the Church Three wayes SERM. XLIII 1 Signe of Love Simile Simile 2 Signe of Love 3 Declaration of Love Simile Simile 2 Deduction Simile Simile 3 Deduction 4 Deduction Simile Simile 5 Deduction 6 Deduction Simile Simile Simile 4 Dignitie of the Church Church ground and Pillar of Truth two wayes 1 The Letter of the Scripture Simile Simile Simile 1 Reason prooving the letter of â—he Scripture hath beene kept uncorrupted Reason 2. Reason 3. Simile Reason 4. 1 Argument Reason 5. Vse Quest Sol. Simile Simile Quest. Ans The first proofe of true Translation The second proofe of true Translation Simile Object Sol. 1 Sol. 2 Vse 1. Simile Vse 2. Simile What Canonicall Scripture is Simile Why the Apocrypha was not equally received into the Church foure grounds 1 The Iewes received them not 2 Apocrypha writers were not Penmen of the Scriptures 1 2 3 They bee not of the witnesses Christ will stand to 4 The wants and imperfections of the Bookes bewray so much Vse 1. Simile Simile Vse 2. Simile Vse 3. Simile Simile Simile Quest Sol. Simile Seven Evidences of the Scriptures 1 The Puritie of it 2 By the maiestie of it Simile Simile 3 By the Power of it 4 By the Predictions of it 5 Evidence by the sinceritie of it Simile 6 Evidence the consent of writers 1 In the matter 2 Manner 7 Evidence by Naturall Reason Vse 1. Simile Vse 2. Simile Vse 3. Vse 4. Simile Simile Fifth dignitie of the Church There is no salvation out of it Simile Simile Foure reasons why thereis no salvation out of the Church Reason 1. 1 Ioh. 5. 19. Col. 1. 15. 1 Pet. 2. 9. Simile 2 Reason Simile Reason 3. Reason 4. Vse 1. Simile Simile Vse 2. Simile Simile Vse 3. Simile Quest Ans Simile Quest Ans Simile 2 The Properties of the Church 3 Things seeming to oppugne the Holinesse of the Church 2 Simile 3 Foure wayes the Church is Holy 1 How the true Church may erre two waies 1 Simile 2 Simile 2 Simile Simile Simile 4 Object Defects of Popish Holinesse 1 Failing 2 Failing Simile Simile Vse 1. Simile Simile Simile Vse 2. Vse 4. Simile 2 Propertie of the Church In three regards the Church is sâ—â—d to bee Catholike 1 Of place Vse 1. Simile Vse 2. Simile 2 Of Persons Simile Simile 3 In Regard of Time Vse 1. Simile Vse 2. Object Ans 1. Ans 2. Simile Three Reasons proving that Papists cannot be the true Catholikes 1 2 1 Tim. 2. 5. 3 Vse Simile Two Reasons why God withholds worldly things from his Children 1 Simile Simile 2 2 Sorts of blessings given to the Church Some in this life some in that to come Simile The first blessing God bestowes on his people in this life is the Communion of Saints Communions of the wicked 1 2 3 Simile 1 Communion with God Simile Our Communion with God stands in two things 1 2 Simile 2 Communion with Christ Ioh. 1. vlt. Christ communicates foure things to us 1 Himselfe Quest Sol. Simile 2 The right of his death and merit Simile Simile 3 Power of spirituall